WASHINGTON: Scientists have developed a cheap, portable camera that can photograph the retina without administering the irritating pupil-dilating eye drops.



Made out of simple parts mostly available online, the camera's total cost is about USD 185, researchers from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) said.



The camera works by first emitting infrared light, which the iris - the muscle that controls the opening of the pupil - does not react to. Most retina cameras use white light, which is why pupil-dilating eye drops are needed.



The infrared light is used to focus the camera on the retina, which can take a few seconds. Once focused, a quick flash of white light is delivered as the picture is taken.



"As residents seeing patients in the hospital, there are often times when we are not allowed to dilate patients - neurosurgery patients for example," said Bailey Shen from UIC.



"Also, there are times when we find something abnormal in the back of the eye, but it is not practical to wheel the patient all the way over to the outpatient eye clinic just for a photograph," Shen added.



The camera is based on the Raspberry Pi 2 computer, a low-cost, single-board computer designed to teach children how to build and programme computers.



The board hooks up to a small, cheap infrared camera and a dual infrared - and white-light-emitting diode.



A handful of other components - a lens, a small display screen and several cables - make up the rest of the camera, researchers said.

Read Also:

Facebook May Showcase Its Hardware Products In April: Report

Camera-Centric Nubia Z11 MINI S Smartphone Now In India
HYDERABAD: Infosys, Tech Mahindra and Tata Consultancy Servicesbagged top IT exporter awards by the HyderabadSoftware Enterprises Association (HYSEA).

The apex body of more than 300 IT, ITeS companies on Thursday held 25th Annual HYSEA Summit and Software Product Awards.

Microsoft was adjudged as the top MNC IT exporter and Google the fastest growing IT company.

Amit Sharma, Global COO, IBM, Global Business Services, and Katherine B. Hadda, Consul General, U.S. Consulate, Hyderabad, gave away the awards.

Virinci Technologies bagged Best Indian IT SME Company, Virtusa (India) Pvt. Ltd. and GE (India) Exports Pvt. Ltd. bagged Best Indian IT services company in Rs 100 to 500 crore category and CA Technologies Pvt. Ltd in Best MNC IT services company category.

CSR Awards were presented to Honeywell Technology Solutions, Wells Fargo Interprise Global Services and CPersistent Systems.

Ten new start-ups received the awards in "HY10-Hyderabad's Hot 10 New Startups" category. Paymatrix, Callfree Infotainment, Gayam Motor Works, Ebutor Distribution, Bulbul Apps, Enmovil Solutions, Stumagz, H-Bots, FDood 4 Thought Foundation and Recycled India were adjudged as the Hot 10 Startups.

US Consul General described Hyderabad as a dynamic place. She noted that innovation was the important part of DNA of Hyderabad.

Ranga Pothula, President of HYSEA, said a full-day design summit was organised to create a product culture.

More than 1,500 people participated and 75 startups exhibited their products or services.

Read Also:

Indo, U.S. Relationship To Continue The Upward Trajectory: Bera

India Ranks 87th On Energy Architecture Performance: WEF
AX133_34AE_9.JPG

President Donald Trump smiles as he listens during a meeting with truckers and industry CEOs regarding healthcare, Thursday, March 23, 2017, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If you haven't been following President Donald Trump on his two Twitter accounts (@realDonaldTrump and @POTUS) this week, here's what you might have missed.

The president's most popular tweet this week had to do with the London terrorist attack Wednesday.

"Spoke to U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May today to offer condolences on the terrorist attack in London. She is strong and doing very well," @realDonaldTrump tweeted at 6:33 p.m. on March 22. That tweet garnered nearly 110,000 "likes" and nearly 19,000 retweets.

The same post received another 39,000 tweets on Trump's @POTUS account.

Spoke to U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May today to offer condolences on the terrorist attack in London. She is strong and doing very well.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2017

Trump's second most popular tweet this week was his announcement that his son Eric and wife Lara, were expecting their first child.

That tweet got more than 99,000 "likes" and more than 13,000 retweets.

"Congratulations Eric & Lara. Very proud and happy for the two of you!" @realDonald Trump tweeted at 1:15 p.m. on March 20.

Congratulations Eric & Lara. Very proud and happy for the two of you! https://t.co/s0T3cTQc40  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2017

Also on March 20, Trump's tweet denouncing a "fake news" CNN poll got more than 89,000 "likes" and was retweeted more than 18,000 times.

"Just heard Fake News CNN is doing polls again despite the fact that their election polls were a WAY OFF disaster. Much higher ratings at Fox," @realDonaldTrump tweeted at 8:35 a.m. Monday.

Just heard Fake News CNN is doing polls again despite the fact that their election polls were a WAY OFF disaster. Much higher ratings at Fox  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2017

Continuing his most fruitful day on Twitter, one of his Monday tweets, accusing the Democrats of pushing the story of Russian interference with the election, got more than 87,000 "likes" and was retweeted more than 20,000 times.

"The Democrats made up and pushed the Russian story as an excuse for running a terrible campaign. Big advantage in Electoral College & lost!," @realDonaldTrump tweeted at 3:49 a.m. March 20.

The Democrats made up and pushed the Russian story as an excuse for running a terrible campaign. Big advantage in Electoral College & lost!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2017

On Wednesday, the President posted a series of tweets about the healthcare bill. His first tweet, announcing he would be working to get the legislation passed, received more than 86,000 "likes" and more than 12,000 retweets.

"Big day for healthcare. Working hard!" @realDonaldTrump tweeted at 9:09 a.m. March 22.

Big day for healthcare. Working hard!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2017

Trump's @POTUS account has 16 million followers and his personal account, @realDonaldTrump, has 26.3 million followers, a number that's steadily grown since he was elected president. That makes him one of the most followed people on the social media service, according to Twitter.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - A New Dorp Democrat plans to challenge Republican Councilman Steven Matteo for his Mid-Island seat in November.

Richard Florentino, a retired engineer, has not yet informed the state Board of Elections or city Campaign Finance Board of his candidacy, but he told the Advance that he fully intends to run for the District 50 seat.

Florentino is a member of the left-leaning civic organization Middle Class Action Project, and he holds semi-monthly roundtable-type meetings with other Staten Islanders to debate the issues of the day.

Originally a supporter of Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, Florentino eventually voted for Jill Stein in the general election and can often be seen engaging in debate at civic and community meetings, even outside the home of Sam Pirozzolo where the 16-foot sculpture of a "T" was displayed.

There to protest the pro-Trump sign, Florentino encountered some hecklers, who he promptly engaged in debate. Even Pirozzolo and he later spoke about their different political views.

Reflecting later on the encounter, Florentino recalled that he and Pirozzolo "have many of the same issues," including their distrust of the establishment.

They agreed, "If there's anybody who's an insider, it's Hillary," Florentino said. "At least we're talking."

His campaign, light on Mid-Island issues so far, would focus on getting people together to talk about topics that matter to them. He wouldn't shy away from controversial topics, he said, holding town hall meetings on a regular basis.

"That's half the reason I'm running," he said. "I'm a firm believer in free speech."

Of the local issues he's concerned with is development along Hylan Boulevard using non-union workers and non-American steel.

He opposes overdevelopment, especially the kind that displaces people, as he expects the coming North Shore development projects will do, including a plan to rezone the Bay Street Corridor for development of sky-high buildings.

He said he thinks what's considered "affordable housing" is laughable for the average middle-class worker.

"There's status quo and then there's me," Florentino said. "I'm a representative and a leader to a certain extent."

He dislikes the Republican proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare, saying, "They haven't thought this through; they're just all stuck on the fact that this is a big government program."

In the end, his focus would be continuing to do what he does now:

"My concept is to get people used to, and make it worth their while, to come out."

Responding to the news of an opponent, Matteo said, "With just over three years in office, I am very proud of my record and the work I do on behalf of my constituents every day. As always, my focus is on improving the quality of life for them and I look forward to making my case for another four years in office."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Five years ago, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict Redinel Dervishaj for the fatal stabbing of a young groom-to-be in a brawl outside an Annadale restaurant.

But his shakedown of Queens businessmen for "protection" money in a plot involving a cop from Staten Island and another man, his brandishing of a gun and threats of violence have done in Dervishaj, 40, possibly for the rest of his life.

On Friday, a Brooklyn federal court judge sentenced the Queens resident to 57 years behind bars.

Dervishaj made headlines in March 2012 when he fatally stabbed Antonio (Anthony) Lacertosa, 27, in a wild melee outside the former Espana restaurant. Dervishaj claimed self-defense and a grand jury declined to indict him.

Not long afterward, he went to work with his buddies -- co-defendants Besnik Llakatura, a Staten Islander who was on the police force then, and Denis Nikolla of Brooklyn, allege prosecutors.

Between May and November of 2013, the trio extorted $24,000 in "protection" money from an Astoria restaurateur, said prosecutors.

Authorities said Dervishaj and Nikolla repeatedly threatened the victim with violence and intimidation to ensure his compliance.

When the man sought help from Llakatura, then assigned to the 120th Precinct in St. George and with whom he was friendly, the cop dissuaded him from reporting the incidents to police and advised him to pony up the cash, said prosecutors.

Llakatura told the man Dervishaj had ties to dangerous Albanian organized crime figures, including his brother, Plaurent Dervishaj, then Albania's most wanted fugitive, said Brooklyn federal prosecutors.

Llakatura did not reveal to the victim his relationship to the other defendants, prosecutors said.

When the man failed to fork over the cash, Nikolla, accompanied by Dervishaj, chased the victim down a Queens street at gunpoint, prosecutors said.

Between April 2012 and 2013, Nikolla, working with Dervishaj, attempted to extort $200 per week in "protection" money from the owner of two Queens nightclubs, said prosecutors. When the man failed to make payments, Nikolla and Dervishaj confronted him.

Nikolla took a gun from Dervishaj's waistband and threatened to beat the man and his wife and children if he didn't pay, prosecutors said.

In 2013, the defendants also tried to extort another victim of the proceeds of two social clubs in Astoria where gambling occurred, allege prosecutors. They sought $1,000 in weekly "protection" payments, said prosecutors.

The man fled the country for a time to avoid the defendants' threats -- after they had attacked and pulled a gun on one of his friends -- prosecutors said.

In April of last year, Dervishaj was convicted of extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion, threatening and committing physical violence in furtherance of an extortion plan and related charges involving brandishing firearms, said prosecutors.

According to court papers, Dervishaj more recently moved for a judgment of acquittal, alleging the trial evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdict.

Last month, Judge Eric N. Vitaliano denied the motion, saying the evidence against Dervishaj "was, simply, overwhelming."

"To employ Mount Everest as a metaphor for the height of the evidence piled against Dervishaj would be an understatement," the judge wrote.

Dervishaj took one final shot in a letter submitted Thursday to Vitaliano, contained in the court file.

"I am here for being falsely accused and subsequently convicted of crimes for which I am innocent," Dervishaj wrote. "I want to make absolutely clear, on record, to state I am innocent of these charges. Others have seen fit, both people I know and government agents, to use my name as a stepping stone to either profit or make their career. I believe there has been a gross miscarriage of justice here and that in no way was I given a fair trial."

Vitaliano was not swayed and imposed sentence on Friday.

Previously, in December 2015, Llakatura, then 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion conspiracy and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to an extortion conspiracy.

Llakatura faces a minimum of seven years in prison up to a maximum of life behind bars, prosecutors said. He awaits sentencing.

In March of last year, Nikolla, 36, also pleaded guilty to the same charges as Llakatura. He was sentenced two weeks ago to 18 years behind bars.

Dervishaj's sentence was announced by Bridget M. Rohde, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York; William F. Sweeney Jr., assistant director-in-charge of the FBI's New York Field Office, and Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill.
Health care.jpg

James Jenne, 4, of Washington, watches as supporters for the Affordable Care Act gather. His mom, Neomi, said the proposed cuts could also have a huge impact in covering his care for cerebral palsy and epilepsy. (Fred Zwicky/Journal Star via AP)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - When local health care professionals sat with Rep. Daniel Donovan at a roundtable a week and a half ago, they expressed concern with the Republican plan to repeal Obamacare and replace it with one that would cut funding to their facilities and stop covering many of their patients.

This week, they applauded the Republican congressman for planning to vote "no" on his party's plan, the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

Efrat Halevi, a certified family nurse practitioner at EG Healthcare, a neighborhood health clinic in New Springville, spoke at the roundtable of her concerns that while preventive care improved under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it would be harmed with the replacement.

Halevi has many patients who are uninsured and low-income and took issue with the proposed tax credits in the Republican plan being age-based, not income-based.

"ACA has its own problems, this doesn't seem to help," she said then.

Speaking on Wednesday, Halevi said, "I am excited that Rep. Donovan listened to our concerns and decided to put the people's needs before the party line. The ACA has helped millions of people and to repeal it haphazardly would hurt too many of our most vulnerable humans."

Donovan plans to vote "no" in part because of cuts to Medicaid, a program that insures about one-third of New Yorkers.

Donna Proske, executive director of Staten Island University Hospital, said, "From emergency and trauma services to pediatric through geriatric, hospitals like Staten Island University Hospital rely on Medicaid funding to meet the needs of their communities. The proposal to cut off a significant share of funding for Medicaid in the AHCA will hurt Staten Islanders who need us the most, and the reason we call on Congress to vote "no" and protect our hospitals and our communities."

Like Donovan, Dr. Daniel J. Messina, president and CEO of Richmond University Medical Center, criticized a rush to replace the ACA with something that's not good enough.

Messina attended the roundtable in Donovan's office and said, "We need a true improvement on the present system, which isn't currently" what is proposed.

He said Thursday, "From the moment this legislation was introduced, Congressman Donovan sought the input of a broad cross-section of the Staten Island community, from health care providers to consumers. We appreciate his willingness to listen to all sides and ultimately to put the best interests of his constituents first by voting 'no' on this bill."

Donovan had drawn the ire of groups protesting before he revealed how he would vote. Progressive advocacy group Make the Road New York has been present at protests outside the congressman's district offices.

Deputy Director Theo Oshiro said Wednesday, "Make the Road New York applauds Congressman Donovan's statement saying that he will vote against the AHCA on the House floor. As the Congressman has heard from our members on Staten Island, this bill would devastate families by taking away health insurance coverage from 82,000 non-elderly people in his district alone -- and 24 million non-elderly people nationwide. Rep. Donovan's position is a testament to the tenacious organizing of local residents who have taken to the streets repeatedly to demand that he vote 'no'."

Another progressive advocacy group, Move Forward Staten Island, started a Twitter campaign on Valentine's Day, urging the congressman to vote against the bill.

Using the hashtag #HaveAHeartDan, they bombarded his office with feedback and delivered 50 personal testimonials.

While Julienne Verdi, chair and founder of Move Forward Staten Island, applauded Donovan's planned vote, she was hesitant to celebrate.

The group participated in another protest outside his Staten Island office Wednesday night after he announced his intended vote. The event was organized by Planned Parenthood of New York City to remind Donovan to protect access to sexual and reproductive health care.

Some health care providers and advocates gathered Thursday morning to support Donovan's decision.

Included among them were: Staten Island Mental Health Society's CEO Fern Zagor; Adrienne Abbate, executive director of the Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness; Diane Arneth, executive director of Community Health Action of Staten Island; Rev. Terry Troia, executive director of Project Hospitality, and Favio Ramirez-Caminatti, executive director of El Centro del Inmigrante.

Ramirez-Caminatti wants to see the ACA strengthened and reformed, he said, because it "is a safety net for working poor, the disabled and our children."

Abbate feared a loss of insurance would grow the addiction problem here.

"The Staten Island community is in the middle of an opioid epidemic," she said. Cutting off insurance would mean "cutting off a lifeline to treatment."
C7ktKeFVAAAm9Me.jpg

The 1st Precinct in Manhattan posted this photo of confiscated electric bikes.

(Courtesy of NYPD)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Precincts and transit cops are confiscating illegal ATVs, electric bikes and motorcycles this spring in New York City, according to a social media post by an NYPD chief.

As the temperatures rise this spring, police are putting the heat on riders of these vehicles.

"FYI: as weather gets warmer (if it gets warmer?) local precincts & @NYPDTransport will be seizing illegal ATV's, E-bikes & motorcycles," said a message on the Twitter feed for Chief Joseph Fox on Friday.

Crackdowns on electric bikes occurred in multiple Manhattan precincts this week, based on NYPD Twitter posts.
The way of the empty hands The Simi Valley Shotokan Karate Dojo recently hosted a two-day seminar at Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District headquarters featuring a trio of karate experts. The Oct. 22 seminar was...

Slide into winter fun at SnowFest The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District is bringing snow to Simi Valley. SnowFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun., Nov. 6 at Rancho Madera Community...
Page Content

The number of countries with suspected or confirmed cases of yellow fever has increased. According to the most recent Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) epidemiological update, suspected and confirmed yellow fever cases have been reported in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Suriname.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends for international travellers traveling to Espirito Santo State, Brazil

to get a yellow fever vaccination.

PAHO adds that given the current yellow fever situation in Brazil and the emergence of cases in areas where no cases have been detected in several years, Member States are urged to continue efforts to timely detect, confirm, and adequately treat cases of yellow fever within a timely manner.

Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease that is endemic in tropical areas of Africa and Latin America. Transmission is primarily between monkeys, and from monkeys to humans.

The yellow fever virus has three transmission cycles  sporadic, intermediate and urban. Sporadic cases resulting from sylvatic (jungle) transmission are seen in South America and Africa. The intermediate cycle of transmission occurs in the moist savannah zones of Africa only.

Urban transmission occurs where the virus is introduced into urban areas and the domestic Aedes aegypti mosquito is widespread. The Sabethes and Haemagogus species are involved in the sylvatic/jungle cycle whilst Aedes aegypti is involved in the urban cycle.

The virus is transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that can transmits the dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses. Mosquitoes acquire the virus by feeding on infected primates (human or non-human) and then transmit the virus to other primates (human or non-human).

In urban areas e.g. within the communities of Sint Maarten, risk can be reduced by eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites and reducing your exposure to mosquito bites. Sint Maarten does not have any Yellow Fever cases, but due to the current situation of Yellow Fever being detected in areas in countries where no cases have been detected in several years, this has increased the countrys alert level.

The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA), will continue to monitor developments related to yellow fever. Its surveillance mechanism was placed on alert for any potential cases in January.

The department is requesting for all to be on the alert and be proactive if you experience any symptoms and have travelled to an endemic Yellow Fever area, you are requested to consult your physician.

There is one sure way of mitigating mosquito borne diseases, and that is removing mosquito breeding sites from within and surrounding your premises, and apply mosquito repellent to stop mosquitoes from feeding.

Yellow fever cases can be difficult to distinguish from other viral hemorrhagic fevers such as arenavirus, hantavirus or dengue.

Symptoms of yellow fever according to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) usually appear three to six days after the bite of an infected mosquito. In the initial phase, they include fever, muscle pain, headache, shivers, loss of appetite, and nausea or vomiting.

For most patients, these symptoms disappear after three to four days. However, 15% of patients enter a second, more toxic phase within 24 hours of the initial remission. High fever returns, and several body systems are affected, including the kidneys.

Half of patients who enter this toxic phase die within 10 to 14 days, while the rest recover without significant organ damage.

Treatment is symptomatic, aimed at reducing symptoms for the

comfort of the patient. Vaccination is the most important preventive measure against yellow fever.

The vaccine is safe, affordable and highly effective, providing effective immunity within 30 days for 99% of those vaccinated.

A single dose of Yellow Fever vaccine is sufficient to confer sustained immunity and life-long protection, with no need for a booster. The Yellow Fever vaccine must be administered at least 10 days prior to travel. Persons that travel to endemic countries where Yellow Fever is confirmed should get the vaccine.

Travelers with contraindications for yellow fever vaccine (e.g. children below 9 months, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with severe hypersensitivity to egg antigens, and severe immunodeficiency or over 60 years of age) should consult their health professional for further advice about the Yellow Fever vaccine.

Persons returning to Sint Maarten experiencing Yellow Fever symptoms should immediately consult their family physician.

For more information call CPS at 542-2078, 542-3003 or email surveillance@sintmaartengov.org




Family and friends break down as they farewell rising NRL star Hundreds of mourners gathered at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe, Queensland on Monday to celebrate the life of 24-year-old Liam Hampson following his tragic death in Barcelona last month.

02:12 Flood crisis grows across Australia Dozens of towns across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are facing the threat of inundation as flood peaks move downstream.

02:09 Labor government offers further IR concessions Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has offered further concessions to the crossbench to try and secure support for industrial relations...

04:55 Energy prices the current narrative of Question Time Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says as he predicted, energy prices were a big part of todays exchanges in Question Time....

Question Time turns fiery The parliamentary sitting week kicked off with a bang when Mondays Question Time took a heated turn.

01:31 Snowy Hydro CEO sudden resignation is questioned Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says CEO of Snowy Hydro Paul Broad and Minister for Climate Change & Energy Chris Bowen are being questioned...

04:00 Employees will have to vote to enter an agreement before a multi-employer bargain Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has flagged concessions he was willing to make already,...

03:22 The Liberal Party hid energy prices increases: Anthony Albanese Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says while the Liberal party was in government, there was scheduled to be an increase in energy prices...

02:25 Teal independents raised staggering $10 million in donations for election Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says the election returns published today show so-called teal independents raised a staggering...

03:30 Australia engaged with global challenge of climate change Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia is "engaged" with the "global challenge" of dealing with climate change.

03:14 Cheaper childcare will be good for productivity: PM Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says cheaper childcare will be good for Australias future development.

03:40 Pre-Christmas sales predicted to reach $6.2b The Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales at the end of November are tipped to reach a record $6.2 billion.

02:19 Renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy.

01:24 Funeral to be held for Qld rugby league player Family and friends will celebrate the life of Queensland rugby league player Liam Hampson at a funeral service this afternoon.

06:23 Government absolutely not listening to businesses on IR bill Shadow Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Michaelia Cash says the government is absolutely not listening to businesses on the...

03:21 Government is getting wages moving again: PM Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government is getting wages moving again.

Albanese introduces Respect at Work bill to parliament Anthony Albanese has introduced the remaining aspects of the Respect at Work legislation to the parliament, arguing its unacceptable workplaces around the country have not been safe or respectful.

03:21 Matthew Guy defends past decisions while making housing announcement Matthew Guy has defended decisions he made in the past as planning minister while announcing a target to unlock 150,000 plots of land across...
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
The USA and the UK announced that laptops, tablets, e-readers and all other electronic gadgets with the exception of cell phones can no longer be carried on board of flights originating from certain airports in the Middle East, and that includes Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport. And that is apparently also true if you are just connecting through one of the 10 Department of Homeland Security listed airports. So if you were to be flying from Sydney to NYC with a plane change in Dubai, you would also have to move your camera, laptop etc into your checked baggage.



According to the Department of Homeland Security the new rules are valid for the following 10 airports. Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan; Cairo International Airport, Egypt; Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey; King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; King Khalid International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait International Airport, Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco, Hamad International, Doha, Qatar, Dubai International, United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi International, United Arab Emirates.



According to a BBC report the DHS chose the airports "based on the current threat picture" but did not provide any more details. Word also has it that more airports might be added to that list.



All airports in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia are affected by the new rule when flying to the UK.



But what does that mean for triathlon and the triathlon media industry? We surveyed journalists, photographers, professional triathletes and also amateur athletes to hear their thoughts about this electronics ban.



Professional triathletes



The professional athletes we heard from seemed not too concerned, and most of them travel heavily for obvious reasons.



Brit Jodie Stimpson just recently returned from WTS Abu Dhabi where she finished 2nd. She however won that race in 2016 and she is fond of that technical event.



I dont think this would affect me. It is nice to have my laptop on flights, but I will have my phone. So if I needed to do anything urgent I can do it on there, said Stimpson.



American Scott DeFillipis currently resides in Southern California, but he and Carrie Lester chase money and points around the globe



I would be ok putting them in checked bags... said DeFilippis. For the government to make such a ban they must have some highly classified evidence that some bad hombres are planning to blow up planes with electronics.



Brit Jodie Cunnama (Swallow) is on the Bahrain squad and races all over the world with South African husband James Cunnama.



Whilst the laptop ban I'm sure will be rather annoying and possibly introduce more theft of laptops left in hold, I haven't looked at it as something that would ever stop me traveling where I need to go, said Swallow. As professional triathletes we leave thousands of dollars worth of equipment in the hold, on display, every time we travel - there is no way around it and though it can be stressful, the bikes get there safely. I guess I will be backing up a whole lot more, with a lot of pages of writing and articles in my laptop memory but that is something I should do anyway. To be absolutely honest - when they take all my fluids from me at the gate and only provide water by the minute cup full on flights, that affects athletes far more than taking their laptops away for the day.



Brit Leanda Cave spends a lot of time in the USA and the Middle East.



I'm trying to gauge whether this ban is currently in affect or is due to take affect. Either way, there is clearly a reason for the ban based on intelligence and I'm totally fine with trusting this information, said Cave. We will have to go back to the good old days before laptops were a thing. Checking them in is risky, and it's probably safer to have an inexpensive backup for travel purpose. It won't change my decision to travel to the UAE and Egypt.



American Pro Brad Williams is also an avid traveling pro.



Absolutely not. I am all for regulations that keep passengers safe and deter terrorist from being successful at carrying out attacks. I am usually very productive on long haul flights with my computer and wifi, but am willing to accept that "loss of time" to have reassurance that the flight is safe, said Williams. If I was still an Age Grouper and if for some reason I was in a work position that required a lot of work or I had big projects around that race date, it would absolutely impact my decision. As, triathlon would be a hobby at that point and work would be the priority. There are now plenty of other races that time of year that you could go elsewhere to race.



Age group triathletes



Age group athletes indeed have different agendas and priorities and thus the comments varied a bit more.



Canadian age grouper Dev Paul travels extensively for is day job and he is well known for his 100 runs in 100 days challenge on slowtwitch.



It would partially sway my decision making to the point that I may not. I have too much personally sensitive info on my electronics, to allow them to be accessed out of sight from me by "law enforcement" when my PC is checked in, said Canadian age grouper Dev Paul. Plus I normally only check my bike case and take everything else carry on, so I would have to check a separate bag for laptop only and cross my fingers that the bag does not get tossed and my laptop destroyed since most us don't have very rugged laptops. This is beyond stupid anyway because a cell phone can have more computing power than a PC if someone chooses to make on that way. Anything I can do with a PC I can do with a high end phone given the computing and storage and networking on the phone.



Richard Moodley is Irish but resides in Dubai. He raced Ironman South Africa in 2014 and 2015 and has races in Texas and Florida on his radar.



I travel to Ireland and U.K. a few times a year and into Europe a few times also, all with work and need to bring a laptop. My biggest concern is that the unit will get damaged. Not the cost of it, but the information on it. So I'm already thinking about the cloud and our network drives etc,said Moodley. Same principle for racing overseas. UAE airports are very high standard and very new. There is minimal theft from luggage. Recently a worker was jailed for stealing peanuts from luggage! They've cameras everywhere. My issue would be in the landing airports and returning to Dubai. I've also seen how luggage can be dropped off the back of trailers and how they are manhandled. Saying that I've raced in Abu Dhabi 2011-2013 before I moved here and have had a dinged bike box but never damage. I would ALWAYS carry by hand my DSLR and lenses and iPad or laptop. Never ever checked it in and never will.



Age grouper Tariq Ali lives in Ohio but has family in the Middle East.



I did go to Dubai last year for IM Dubai 70.3 and visit family in both Dubai and Jordan. Both countries on the electronics ban list, said Ali. If I were to do it all over again, I don't think this will impact my decision to travel as long as I can keep my iPhone with me. However, not having the iPad will be hard since I usually like to do most of my reading on the iPad. I guess I will just try to sleep more on the aircraft instead.



Age grouper and avid slowtwitcher David Daggett just returned from 70.3 Puerto Rico.



For me travel to races are supposed to be voluntary and for pleasure, said Daggett. So if it goes past being worth it the decision may be not to go. Travel restrictions for me are on a continuum and it has become an ongoing challenge to determine whether a race or destination is worth the hassle. So, the recent added restrictions regarding electronic devices becomes an additional, and to me possible heavy, factor to consider in balancing factors to determine race destinations. For analogy, I am now more willing to travel to some races if they are served by TriBike Transport since that removes a logistical hassle of travel e.g. Puerto Rico. Less hassle, more pleasurable; more hassle, less pleasurable.



Media



Most media folks carry on most of their equipment, or at least the most important elements, and the strongest voices of concern came from that camp.



American Paul Phillips shoots for a variety of magazines including Triathlete Magazine and he is based in Minnesota.



"At least for now, I am not planning any current travel to those countries" said Phillips. "My big unanswered question is what if I flew from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam on Etihad and then from Amsterdam to MSP on Delta/KLM, would this have an impact on the current ruling? It is always easy to spend a night in Amsterdam, get your luggage and re-check the next morning. If I had to fly next month, I would plan a segments of a trip with a stay over such as I mentioned. I would call the airlines to be sure that flying in and out of Abu Dhabi for example, to a connecting city would not require checking my gear. Having to fly is the real question, it is really a matter of choices, is the event so significant that it is worth the risk and cost of packing everything in hard shell cases and including it with my luggage. Video guys do that all of the time.



Brit John Levison of Tri247.com in the UK was concerned but not completely troubled.



Its a sad fact  proven just 24 hours ago here in London  that terrorism is a reality of life right now. Do the electronics measures make sense? Ill have to defer to the experts on that one, and Im not one of those, so Ill go with their knowledge and the intelligence services that it makes sense, said Levison.Is it a pain? It is not ideal for many, certainly, but seemingly we have no choice. Would I pack a laptop / camera in cabin baggage? If I was traveling on work then I guess I would have little choice, though thankfully cameras on iPhones and the like are pretty good, so perhaps I might consider leaving the SLR at home. I think I would be investing in some hard travel cases though for extra protection.



The crew of FinisherPix.com flies to tons of events and Robbie Little was kind enough to share his thoughts and concerns.



I typically carry on a rolling camera bag with 3 bodies, 4 lenses, 2 flashes, camera batteries, numerous cables, remotes, and accessories. In addition I have a backpack with 2 laptops (one for my day to day work and another for photo processing at events), iPad, power cables and a few other typical travel items. I check at least one piece of luggage with clothes and a few '"less fragile, but no less valuable" photo items such as a mono pod. Depending on the situation I may also check a 2nd piece with 6-8 video cameras, mounts, cables, batteries and assorted cables. Point being, for 1 person, I am pretty maxed out as it is and I'm not alone in this regard for FinisherPix. We schlep. A lot. Several of our team leaders are doing similar every weekend. Further, I would guess that others in the industry are doing similar, said Little. So, if I were to be asked to check the laptops and cameras my first concern would be security. I have no doubt that somewhere in the world there is someone who would rather take a $5,000.00 camera than finish their shift out. And airlines are always quick to point out their limits of liability as anyone checking a bike is aware. So good luck recouping anything. So there would be uncertainty as to whether or not all items would arrive at the destination.



For American Jay Prasuhn of Lava Magazine this new rule however seems to be a breaking point.



In an effort to send out news in a timely fashion I have to be productive wherever I can be, whether it's on a plane, in the passenger seat of a car, or on a train. When a captive audience at 35,000 feet for eight or more hours, and always on short turns after the race back home, I try to edit photos, write stories, sidebars, etc. on long flights, so I can press send as soon as I land, said Prasuhn. So to be handcuffed from being productive for that long would be a no-go for me. Further more, I carry on all my cameras (DSLRs, GoPros) along with my laptop, hard drives, chargers, etc., and I'm reticent to hand over my personal cameras and electronics to the same baggage throwers that have damaged my bikes in the past. I've lost GoPros to them, with zero recourse apart from the nice love letter saying they'd gone through my bags. So there's no way I'm checking my DSLRs, or my laptop, for them to either be picked over, delayed (which would kill my ability to cover a race. I see enough anguish among triathletes with delayed bikes or lost altogether. All of it is just too valuable for me to let out of my sight. So for me, no way; I simply wouldn't go.



Australian ace shooter Delly Carr was actually angry and pointed out the US travel ban as something troubling along those lines.



Yes this ban makes my job so much harder. The USA will now become the big loser in this, as tourism will drop at an alarming rate, said Carr. Because I see this ban widening to include all countries. And I have several stamps in my passport from those countries that are on the ban. I have traveled there for photography work in the past. Now my trips to Chattanooga and Kona this year could be questioned and in jeopardy I guess. I can always work and travel abroad to other destinations. I am not worried about it, but the USA is an unlikely destination for the rest of my lifetime. What an absolute shame.


They include the elimination of a report on the value of the sanctions relief Iran received in exchange for giving up its nuclear program under the pact; a focus on outlawing off-shore, third-party dollar transactions, and language that would have prevented the administration from using its case-by-case national security waiver to enter into any international agreements with Iran. Democrats saw the last piece as "antagonistic toward the Obama Administration, even after the fact," said an aide to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Best Canadian Blog

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

About Kate

Why this blog?

Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked.

This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me."

(goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated!



Katewerk Art

Support SDA

I am not a registered charity. I cannot issue tax receipts.



Want lies?

Hire a regular consultant.

Want truth?

Hire an asshole.





The Proper Procedure



Poor Richard's Retirement



Polar Bear Facts & Myths



Polar Bears: Outstanding

Survivors of Climate Change.



Pilgrim's Progress



Trump The Establishment

Dow Jones

What They Say About SDA

"Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert

"I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick

Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick

"The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle

"Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group

I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs

"You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella

"Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky

Intelliweather

Seismic Map

Comments Policy

Read this

Best Of SDA

Hide The Decline

The Bottle Genie

(ClimateGate links)

You Might Be A Liberal

Uncrossing The Line

Bob Fife: Knuckledragger

A Modest Proposal (NP)

Settled Science Series

Y2Kyoto Series

SDA: Reader Occupation Survey

Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop

Flakes On A Plane

All Your Weather Are Belong To Us

Song Of The Sled

The Raise A Flag Debacle

(Now on Youtube!)

(.mwv Video)

Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl

Trudeaupiate

Kleptocrat Jeans

Child Labour

I Concede

Small Dead Feminist

Protein Hoser: THK Interview

The Werewolf Extinction

Dear Laura (VRWC)

We Wait

Blogging The Oscars

Jackson Converts To Islam

Just Shut The HELL Up

Manipulating Condi

Gay Equality Rights


Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Federal MP for Fenner Andrew Leigh on Friday hosted the first Canberra forum for the Keep Me Posted campaign.

The consumer campaign advocates "every Australian's right to choose, free of charge, how they receive important financial information".

The attendees to the Keep Me Posted campaign in Canberra.

About 60 people attended the forum at the Belconnen library on Friday.

"ACT residents should be entitled to choose printed communications without risking a penalty from their corporate service providers," Mr Leigh said.
The corporate watchdog has dropped its investigation into debt-strapped listed law firm Slater and Gordon after finding no evidence it had manipulated its accounts in the lead-up to its disastrous foray into the UK.

Slater and Gordon told the market on Friday that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has concluded its investigation "with no enforcement action".

The dropped investigation will no doubt help the company, which is working hard on finalising a debt-for-equity swap with the distressed debt buyers that are its new senior lenders.

The debt-for-equity swap is expected to be bad news for shareholders, whose holdings will be heavily diluted in the impending restructure.
While Axa hasn't pulled its ads from YouTube, the German unit is using "blacklist" filters to prevent its ads from appearing next to extremist, racist or other undesired content, Kroll said. In this case, she said, the filters apparently failed. "We don't comment on individual videos but as announced, we've begun an extensive review of our advertising policies and have made a public commitment to put in place changes that give brands more control over where their ads appear," a Google spokesperson said. "We're also raising the bar for our ads policies to further safeguard our advertisers' brands." Range Rover said in an email it was suspending its YouTube campaign in South Africa while it investigates. Telenor Sweden, which had an ad showing before a propaganda video from a Swedish neo-Nazi group, also halted all YouTube advertising, according to Aron Samuelsson, a spokesman. Nissan said it was "urgently reviewing" with Google while Nilson Group, owner of Skopunkten, said it had asked its media agency about the ads and is "awaiting answers," according to Linda Fernell, a spokeswoman.

Total, IBM, MTN, Tag Heuer, HBO and Netflix didn't respond or had no immediate comment. Tradera's owner, Paypal Holdings, declined to comment. In Sweden, an Ikea spot was found alongside a homophobic and anti-Semitic video entitled: "Gay Pride Parade a Tool of International Jews." An ad for HBO's "The Young Pope" found its way to the pre-roll for "Jewish Hypocrisy - Flooding Europe With Immigrants" in Spain. "It is completely unacceptable that Ikea appears in a context like this," spokeswoman Cecilia Nettelbladt Stenberg said by phone. "What we've done now is to ask our media agency to immediately investigate the reason behind this." Maximum volume The discomfort highlights the reliance of Google and Facebook on automated computer programs that maximise volume and have helped them dominate online advertising, through their popular sites and their advertising networks.

Digital advertising grew by 17 per cent globally to $US178 billion ($233 billion) in 2016, according to marketing consultant Magna Global, which projects that digital-based ad sales will overtake TV to become the No. 1 media category this year. The global array of companies caught up in the controversy illustrates the scale of the problem for Google, which is facing financial and reputational damage from the crisis. Some of the world's biggest marketers halted spending on YouTube after a Times of London investigation revealed that ads were running alongside offensive content. "A cascade of major brand boycotts for Google ad spend (mostly non-search) has emerged, raising concerns on first-quarter and second-quarter results and the future of programmatic advertising," Justin Post, an analyst with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, wrote in a research note on Thursday, referencing the automated software programs Google uses to match advertisers with content online. JP Morgan Chase and Ford suspended their YouTube ads on Thursday. AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and Verizon Communications have joined the boycott in recent days, after the BBC, Sainsbury, Volkswagen and Toyota said they had pulled ads in the UK.

The latest examples show the scope of the Google's problem isn't confined to two large markets. It's global, affecting major advertisers in big European markets including Germany, France and Sweden, as well as South Africa. At Skopunkten, a major shoe-store chain in Sweden, spokeswoman Fernell said she was unaware of the "Jewish World Order" video but said the company had noticed some unwanted videos popping up in its YouTube campaigns. "I hope they can help us redirect the ads," she said. "We need to learn more about this." While Google's tools can be incredibly sophisticated, allowing ads to follow users from site to site, the software hasn't fully matched the human judgement necessary to protect brands from inadvertently funnelling cash to causes their customers would find objectionable. Increasing safeguards The high number of intermediaries in digital advertising further complicates the problem. So Google's announced fixes may not completely solve the challenge.

"Google isn't yet fully addressing advertisers' concerns and needs to take stronger steps to regain the trust of brands," Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak wrote in a note to clients on Thursday. Google said on Tuesday that it was increasing safeguards to protect advertisers, such as automatically excluding ads from videos deemed "potentially objectionable" and giving advertisers more control over placement. While YouTube revenue isn't reported separately by Google, analysts estimate the video site brings in billions of dollars each year, and say it's among Google's fastest-growing businesses. Schmidt, in an appearance on Fox Business Network's "Mornings With Maria" on Thursday, said Google can generally ensure clients that their ads won't be placed next to "hate" content. "We match the ads and the content," Schmidt said, according to a transcript from Fox Business. "But because we source the ads from everywhere, every once in a while somebody gets underneath the algorithm and they put in something that doesn't match." Loading
She had always protested her innocence. Satan's hand had never touched her. "How long have ye been in the snare of the devil?" she was asked at her trial. "I know nothing of it," she told them. But that didn't matter to the mob. So they took a length of rope one September morning in 1692, placed it around the neck of Mary Parker and let her swing.

Parker's death, along with 19 others during the Salem witch trials, is offered as a textbook example of mass hysteria. We peer back in time like scientists squinting into Petri dishes, taken aback by these simple, self-righteous believers, amazed at how easily they fed off the frenzied accusations and beliefs of other like-minded souls, all hell-bent on cleansing their little world of evil.

How could so many prey with such relish on the hapless and the hopeless? How could groupthink mutate to such a point that broken lives and bodies were held up as trophies in an ongoing war against those who thought or acted differently?

Anyway, enough with history. Who needs it when you have Twitter?
Australian firms have secured contracts to supply military equipment to Saudi Arabia, an autocracy accused of ongoing war crimes in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 civilians.

Defence has approved four military exports to the kingdom in the past year and the Australian government has led the push for more.

But the government is refusing to release details of the approved military sales, citing commercial-in-confidence rules.
The Duchess of Cambridge has given a rare insight into her home life, describing motherhood as a "huge challenge".

The royal, who has two children, Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, 22 months, made the comments during a speech at an event organised by Best Beginnings, a UK children's health charity on Thursday.

"Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge," she said.

"Even for me, who has support at home that most mothers do not. Nothing can really prepare you for the sheer, overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother. It's full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry, all mixed together."
Donald Trump asked Emma Thompson out for dinner in the late 1990s, but she turned him down.

The Love Actually actress, 57, now regrets declining the invite from the current 45th president of the United States, 70, laughing: "I wish I had [gone on the date], think of the stories."

Appearing on Sweden's broadcaster SVT, when speaking about Trump, Thompson said: "He asked me out once. You want to hear?"

She had been in the US filming the 1998 release of Primary Colors - ironically, a film that focuses on the White House and was inspired by Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential race. She was newly divorced from Kenneth Branagh, to whom she was married from 1989 to 1995.
It looks like an invitation you should not refuse. Inside pharmacies, a GP will question you about your risk factors for stroke, and if they add up refer you to have an ultrasound of key arteries free of charge.

Given an Australian has a stroke every 10 minutes, the idea appears well-intentioned. An ultrasound could reveal a build-up of plaque or narrowing in the carotid artery in your neck  a sign you might be at risk of stroke and need to see a specialist.

Health authorities fear the Strokecheck test does more harm than good. Credit:Nerthuz

The problem is, if you have no symptoms of carotid artery stenosis (narrowing of the artery), health authorities say this test is likely to cause you more harm than good. The ultrasound will also cost taxpayers hundreds of dollars through Medicare.

Leading vascular surgeons, the Australian Medical Association and the Stroke Foundation are all warning the public to avoid "Strokecheck", a new charity that has partnered with Amcal pharmacies and workplaces to host GP consultations about stroke risks.
Two children and a woman have contracted measles and were infectious in western Sydney Credit:US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

The two children, a boy and a girl, and woman in her twenties had not been vaccinated against the measles, and were infectious while visiting several public places in Auburn and Chester Hill between March 16 and 23, NSW Health advised on Friday.

Health authorities have urged the public to be on alert for measles symptoms after two children and a young woman contracted the highly infectious disease and spent time in western Sydney.

The latest three confirmed cases bring the total number of measles infections in NSW to 11 for 2017, eight of which were acquired overseas.

It is likely the two children and woman contracted the disease from another recently reported case, but this has not been confirmed, NSW Health said.

The most recent case in Sydney involved an infectious person who travelled from Bangkok to Sydney on March 2.

"Measles is highly contagious and is spread in the air through coughing or sneezing by someone who is unwell with the disease," Dr Shopna Bag, Manager of Communicable Diseases at Western Sydney Public Health Unit.

Symptoms of measles include fever, sore eyes and a cough followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash spreading from the head and neck to the rest of the body.
Special report

Bionic hands might sound like the stuff of science-fiction but for Wenona School year-10 student Etoile Blaquiere it's all in a day's work.

Wenona School students with teacher Dr Alisha Thompson.

Students designed and built the hands as part of the Sydney school's applied science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and coding studies.

"We have learnt basic and intermediate-level coding with Arduino (a platform for building electronics) and engineering and design skills, while also studying the bones, ligaments and muscles in the arm and hand," says Etoile.
The Turnbull government has abruptly reversed its opposition to an international investigation into atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, including mass rapes, torture and the slaughter of babies.

The government has co-sponsored a resolution at the United Nation's top human rights body in Geneva to send a fact-finding mission to Myanmar to investigate what the UN says could amount to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Human rights groups praised the 47-member forum for passing the resolution in Geneva on Friday without a vote and despite Myanmar saying it was "not acceptable."

Australia's late turn-around came after human rights groups condemned Canberra for calling on Myanmar to conduct its own investigation with international help into the atrocities in the country's Rakhine state, home to more than one million Rohingya.
A man who allegedly claimed to be an undercover police officer before he indecently assaulted a 16-year-old girl has been arrested and charged in Sydney's north.

The alleged incident unfolded near Chatswood train station on Sunday afternoon, after the girl walked out of the station at about 4pm without tapping her Opal card.

Police say she was approached by the man, who works for Sydney Trains and had his ID card visible, "a short distance away" from the ticket barriers.

It is alleged the man then claimed to be an undercover police officer.

In a statement, NSW Police said the man then began to lead the girl towards Chatswood Police Station.
A Chinese community organisation headed by property developer and political donor Huang Xiangmo has denied offering thousands of free lunches to Chinese Australians to entice them to rally in support of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on his visit to Australia this week, saying the turnout was a "spontaneous voluntary rally".

Fairfax Media has obtained messages circulating among Chinese community groups on the Chinese messaging service WeChat that reveal a highly disciplined operation to organise thousands of patriotic supporters to line the streets for the duration of Premier Li's visit to Sydney.

Huang Xiangmo (left), a businessman and philanthropist, has donated large amounts to both major political parties. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

One message purporting to be from the Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, which is headed by Mr Huang, directs 30 teams of ten to the Shangri-la Hotel, where Mr Li is staying, on Saturday.

In the message, 26 teams are instructed to go to the designated location, while four teams are to be kept mobile to be deployed anywhere "reinforcements" are required.
St Albans, a village hewn to the north bank of the Macdonald River about 100 kilometres to the north-west of Sydney, has managed to avoid many of the changes that have gripped the region in the past 200 years.

Bounded by national park, and directly accessible from Sydney only by crossing Wisemans Ferry, St Albans seems at no risk of being subsumed by the city's outward march of suburbs.

But change is bearing on St Albans. It is bearing in the form of a potential overhaul of what has been a feature of the village since 1824, when a "common" was created for use by those living near St Albans.

The state government is proposing to reform the management of about 200 commons across the state. What this means in practice is not exactly clear. But the commoners of St Albans are wary of the threat it might pose to their control and enjoyment of about 1000 hectares of land.
Motorists stuck in Pacific Motorway traffic will be relieved to learn upgrades to three projects are in the pipeline after $500 million for highway works was promised on Friday night.

Early work near the Gateway merge at Eight Mile Plains could begin in November with most work beginning after the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The $500 million roads package will include money for five projects, including two high-profile projects on the M1 that even drew Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to the highway near Logan during the election campaign. Credit:Olympia Kwitowski/Twitter

More concrete funding details will be released for five highway projects in April, just before the federal budget on May 3.

This follows a $180 million saving  a 15 per cent cost saving  for a Bruce Highway project at Caboolture, where the private sector competed aggressively for the $1.2 billion tender.
Personally I don't think it's worth it, as a curved screen adds very little to the viewing experience and it's not surprising that LG has abandoned curves completely. The fact that Samsung's top shelf Q9 isn't available with a curve speaks volumes, for the Q9 you're paying $9499, $14,999 or $39,999 for 65, 75 or 88 inches respectively. Shine a light Curved or not, Samsung's new QLED televisions rely on a super-thin design which looks great in your lounge room, in part thanks to a choice of stands and the OneConnect breakout box which means you only need to run a single cable to the television (aside from power). Unfortunately the slender build comes at the expense of picture quality. LED screens start with a bright backlight and shine it through pixels to create colours, whereas OLED starts with a dark screen and lights up the individual pixels. As a result LED tends to be brighter than OLED but in return struggles to create OLED's really deep blacks  although, to be fair, both technologies have come a long way in addressing their weaknesses in the last few years. The very best LEDs are "Full Array backlit" meaning the backlight is directly behind the screen. This makes the television thicker, but in return it's easier to dim the backlight in areas where it's not needed, which helps improve the contrast.

Meanwhile Samsung's QLED range is "edge-lit" LED, shining the backlight in from the sides. Try as it might, edge-lit LED simply can't match the contrast and overall picture quality of OLED or Full Array backlit LED like Sony's amazing Z9D. Admittedly not everyone is obsessed with picture quality and some people place more of a premium on style, but the problem here is that Samsung is charging top dollar for QLED. At these prices you could afford to switch to a better screen technology, or else save some cash and opt for a more affordable fashionable edge-lit LED. Look closer Put to the test, Samsung's QLED offers truly impressive colours but, in terms of overall picture quality, its price tag is writing cheques that its screen technology simply can't cash. Unfortunately only the 1500-nit Q8 was on show and not the brighter 2000-nit Q9, but Samsung' QLED range isn't found wanting due to its brightness. Ultra HD Blu-ray movies like The Martian and The Revenant look impressive on the default HDR+ picture mode; the picture is crisp with plenty of detail, the colours are spectular and the contrast is respectable if not awe-inspiring. It looks fantastic in brightly lit room but unfortunately this default mode is a little too bright for my liking once you draw the curtains and kill the lights for movie night.

At this point the tell-tale halos and blooms around bright objects on a dark background betray that it's an edge-lit screen, especially if you're watching on an angle rather than directly in front of the television. It's far from the worst I've seen, but you're entitled to expect better considering the price tag. For another $400 you could step up from Samsung's 65-inch QLED Q7 to an entry-level 65-inch LG OLED with zero bloom and excellent viewing angles. If you're fussy about picture quality you're not going stick with QLED's default settings, but then you'll run into the television's limitations when you switch to Movie picture mode and dive into the advanced settings to tweak the picture to taste for a dark room. The first step is to drop the brightness and backlight a notch, in the pursuit of blacker blacks. Next you'll want to adjust the colour temperature and gamma, as well as wrestle with Auto Motion Plus motion interpolation which is a little troublesome on the Q8. The problem is that these kinds of tweaks can come at the expense of brightness and colour reproduction, which are QLED's strengths and what you're paying for. After a while you're forced to concede that edge-lit televisions demand comprises and something has to give. Get Smart

You're also paying for Samsung's Smart TV features, assuming you're not happy to let your set-top boxes do all the heavy lifting, and there are a few gems to be found. You've got the usual suspects like Netflix, Stan (co-owned by Fairfax Media) and the various free-to-air Catch up TV services. There's support for screen mirroring and gamers will appreciate built-in support for Steam Link, letting you stream Steam games directly to the television. Overall the "Smart Hub" interface is respectable, although it's not quite as slick as LG's WebOS, plus it doesn't offer as many apps as Sony's impressive Android TV implementation. So what's the verdict? There's no getting around it, Samsung is asking you to pay top-shelf prices for a second-rate screen technology which can never go head to head with LG's OLED range or a Full Array backlit LED television from the likes of Sony or Panasonic. If picture quality for movie night is your absolute highest priority and you're prepared to spend decent money then this isn't the television for you.
Victorian voters have been "betrayed" by state politicians misusing their entitlements, former minister Jane Garrett has declared.

Ms Garrett, who was forced out of Premier Daniel Andrews' cabinet last year, has re-entered the spotlight this week with high-profile interviews and has now secured a fortnightly, one-hour-long spot on Jon Faine's morning radio program on ABC Melbourne.

Her public re-entry into politics has raised eyebrows among some in caucus about her intentions  on Monday she did not answer questions about a potential future tilt at the leadership.

Ms Garrett was forced from cabinet last year over a standoff with Mr Andrews over a pay deal for union firefighters.
An alleged outlaw motorcycle gang member will stand trial for murder over the shooting death of his partner at their home near Mildura in May last year.

On Thursday, Brandon Osborn, 37, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Karen Belej at the end of a committal hearing at Mildura Magistrates' Court.

Karen Belej worked at Mildura council as an advocate for the White Ribbon program, which is aimed at preventing men's violence against women.

Ms Belej, 31, who worked at the local council as an advocate for the White Ribbon program, which is aimed at preventing men's violence against women, was found dead from a gunshot wound to her forehead in May 2016.

The hearing heard Mr Osborn told police the gun went off when he placed it on the bench and they both made a grab for it.
Lloyd Rayney "misled" police about his marriage and it was one of the reasons he was suspected of murdering his wife, a detective has told the barrister's multimillion-dollar defamation trial.

Detective Sergeant Keith Williams told the WA Supreme Court on Friday that in his statement to police, Mr Rayney made it seem like things were "quite amicable" between him and his estranged wife before her murder in August 2007.

Mr Rayney is suing the West Australian government for being named as the prime and only suspect in the murder of his wife Corryn. Credit:AAP

"I've read nothing to suggest that Mr Rayney gave us an accurate account of his relationship with Corryn," Det Sgt Williams testified.

"Just the opposite. He provided information that in my mind made it look like things were quite amicable between them.
Washington: Stories of women who have had enough, Snapped has been going gangbusters in the US reality TV genre for years. You know the kind of story  cheated woman drives over lover or husband; puts the car into reverse gear and drives over him again.

But in the era of Donald Trump, Americans get to watch a real, media-political version of this show. "Fake news" luminaries such as The New York Times and The Washington Post cracked months back  driving over the 45th president time and again in angry editorials and strident op-eds.

But it wasn't till this week that The Wall Street Journal, the very conservative and very sensible, Murdoch-owned WSJ, snapped  its Wednesday editorial tears into Trump for his false and lying tweets.

Likening the teetotaller commander-in-chief to a desperate alcoholic, it thunders on Trump's widely-debunked claim that former US president Barack Obama had ordered wire taps on Trump Tower: "The President clings to his assertion like a drunk to an empty gin bottle, rolling out his press spokesman to make more dubious claims."
Baghdad: Dozens of residents were buried in collapsed buildings in the Iraqi city of Mosul after an air strike against Islamic State triggered a massive explosion last week and rescuers are still recovering bodies, civil defence agency officials and locals said on Thursday.

The exact cause of the collapses was not clear, but a local lawmaker and two local residents said air strikes by the US-led coalition targeting Islamic State militants may have detonated a truck filled with explosives, destroying buildings in a heavily populated area.

Civil Defence chief Brigadier Mohammed Al-Jawari told local reporters that rescue teams were retrieving bodies from under the debris in the Mosul Jadida district near Rahma hospital, the site of heavy fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State.

Reports of numbers of civilian casualties varied greatly after last Friday's air raid. But Jawari was quoted by al-Mosuliliya channel in a statement saying teams had so far recovered 40 bodies from buildings that collapsed.
Cairo: Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president overthrown in 2011 and the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region, was freed on Friday after six years in detention.

The 88-year-old was this month cleared of the final murder charges against him after facing trial in a litany of cases ranging from corruption to the killing of protesters whose 18-day revolt stunned the world and ended his 30-year rule.

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak waves to his supporters from his room at the Maadi Military Hospital last year. Credit:AP

"Yes, he is now in his home in Heliopolis," Mubarak's lawyer, Farid El Deeb said when asked if Mubarak had left Maadi Military hospital in southern Cairo where he had been detained.

Mubarak was initially arrested in April 2011, two months after leaving office, and has since been held in prison and in military hospitals under heavy guard.
Kiev: Ukraine suspects the Russian military or its separatist rebel proxies were responsible for blowing up a warehouse storing tank ammunition at an eastern military base early on Thursday morning, Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said.

Fire and explosions caused the detonation of ammunition in several sites at the base, possibly set off by a drone attack or a radio or timed device, Poltorak told a press conference.

Nobody was hurt but around 20,000 people have been evacuated from the surrounding area in the eastern Kharkiv region. Firefighters have struggled to douse the flames and explosions at the site continue, sending clouds of thick grey smoke into the sky.

"We have a 'friendly' country - the Russian Federation," Poltorak said. "I think that first of all it could be representatives who help the (separatist) groups that carry out combat missions," he said.
Kiev: A former Russian member of parliament who defected to Ukraine and began sharply criticising Russian President Vladimir Putin was gunned down in Kiev on Thursday in an apparent contract killing.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called the murder of Denis Voronenkov, a former member of Russia's Communist Party who fled to Kiev in October 2016, an act of "state terrorism" by Russia.

A suspected assailant was arrested after Voronenkov was shot twice in the head, dying on the spot. The suspect's identity or other details were not immediately made public. In Moscow, a Kremlin spokesman denied Russian involvement in the killing.

But Russia's critics were likely to draw parallels between the slaying and the deaths of other Putin foes. It also raises further alarm in Washington, where Russia has come under scrutiny for allegedly trying to influence the presidential election to aid Donald Trump.
PHILIPSBURG:---- The entire Dutch side of the island are being affected by the Dump fire which started on Wednesday. Residents living over the hill even in Cole Bay, Pelican, and as far as Simpson Bay contacted SMN News Wednesday night stating that they are unable to sleep even though their doors and windows are fully closed.

Some parents were called to schools to take their children home because of the heavy toxic smoke that has been affecting the areas where schools are located.

SMN News tried contacting the contractor Robelto and Sons for a comment on the Dump Fire but the contractors refused to answer their telephones.

Over a year ago the former Minister of VROMI Angel Meyers had ordered SOAB to conduct an investigation on the management of the Dump. In its report, the SOAB stated that the contractor was awarded a contract to management the dump even though their bid was very low and it is impossible for the contractor to effectively manage the dump to avoid fires.

It should be noted that the Dump has outlived its lifespan for over ten years now and none of the governments that were in office over the past ten years did not see it fit to find a solution for waste management on St. Maarten thereby leaving residents of the entire Dutch side to suffer from the heavy toxic smoke and fumes emanating from the Dump whenever it caught fire.



SMN News contacted Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel for a comment on the ongoing fire on the dump. Minister Emmanuel said he is unable to make a comment at this time. He did not give any indication as to what the government/ his Ministry plans to do to rectify the dump fires.
AIRPORT:--- Several tourists were seen stranded and making noise on Thursday afternoon when they could not find a taxi working for the Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association (DSTA) to take them back to the cruise facility in Pointe Blanche. The tourists that were seen in a video which is posted under this article bought the band offered by DSTA to take them to Sunset Beach Bar. The package that is sold on board cost $16 per person. However, only members of the DSTA could take the tourists back to the cruise ship since the $16 covers fare to go to Sunset Beach and return. It appears that the DSTA members dropped off the tourists at Sunset and then went on tours where they make more monies and basically abandoned those they took to the other end of the island.

Several other taxis that were at the location refused to take the tourists back to the cruise facilities.

SMN News already wrote an article on the ongoing dispute with non-members of DSTA who complained that work was being taken away from them by the DSTA with governments approval.
CAYHILL:--- On Tuesday, March 21st, 2017 nurses of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) collaborated with Rotarians of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle to officially launch the baby bags in their Welcome Baby project.

The launch included a presentation by Rotarian Denise Antrobus, Rotarian Anjali Manek, and Nurse St. Cyr of the OB/GYN ward, who started the Welcome Baby initiative to support new mothers in need, as part of her objectives for this year. The presentation informed the invited guests about the project in detail and also allowed both organizations to present a Welcome Baby bag to the first official new mom in the project. This particular bag that the new mom received, was sponsored by Mid Isle President Veronica Jansen-Webster, Dominos Pizza, Bebe n Kids, Pennys Department Store and Divico.

A District Grant was received through The Rotary Foundation, which is the charitable arm of Rotary International, to offset the startup costs of this project. Through this grant and the valued contributions by the generous sponsors mentioned the additional Welcome Baby bags are made possible. The bags are filled with the all the essentials a new mom will need for the new bundle of joy.

Projects like these highlight amazing ways the public can collaborate with our local hospital to support the community. Welcome Baby represents a way of giving back to the community for both organizations. For Nurse St. Cyr the objective was to promote the well-being of patients and through this joint effort, she hopes to be able to offer positive experiences to the new moms. However, the bags will not be available to every mother. The baby bags are intended for those who need it the most. The chosen new mothers will receive a bag at the discretion of the nurses who work closely with them, and who have gotten to understand their individual stories. The Welcome Baby project is still in its initial stages, and the hope is for others within the community to join in the great effort of the concerning organizations.

For the Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle being part of the official launch was an ideal opening to their theme for the month of April, which will be Maternal and Child month for the club. The Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle meets Tuesday at 7 pm at Marys Boone in Simpson Bay. For more information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our Facebook page Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle.

SMMC Press Release
POINTE BLANCHE:--- Costa Deliziosa made its inaugural call on Thursday, March 23 to the destination, prior to making its Atlantic Ocean in a few days. To greet the vessel and exchange the customary plaque and welcome pleasantries were representatives from Port St. Maarten Management, the Cabinet of the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Telecommunications and Transport (Ministry TEATT), the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, and the ships agent S.E.L. Maduro & Sons.

Captain Severino Palomba welcomed the delegation onboard. Palomba said he was very pleased with the destination, especially Philipsburg where passengers can find everything in close proximity of each other such as duty-free shopping, restaurants, the beach, and watersport activities.

Captain Palomba added that Sint Maarten is a port of class and elegance. He was also very pleased with the port facilities which allowed for seamless docking on Thursday morning.

The destination delegation included Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo along with senior members of staff, representing the Acting Minister of Tourism Rafael Boasman was Julian Lake, Senior Policy Advisor at Cabinet Ministry TEATT, and Head of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Rolando Brison along with a staff member of the bureau.

Mingo welcomed Captain Palomba, his crew and passengers, and wished them an enjoyable time on the island as they explore what the destination has to offer. The ports CEO informed Captain Palomba that the port will be carrying out its own cruise passenger surveys in order to further develop the destination experience.

Mingo also pointed out that he appreciated the support given by the Cabinet Ministry TEATT and the Head of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Rolando Brison.

Costa Crociere SpA, an Italian company based in Genoa, comprises the brands Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises. It boasts the largest fleet among all European operators, with a total of 25 ships in service. It is part of the group Carnival Corporation & plc, the worlds largest cruise operator.

Costa Deliziosa carries mainly European passengers on European itineraries from Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom, and about 10 per cent from North America. On Caribbean cruises, the demographics are still geared strongly toward European travelers along with North Americans. Costa's ships also appeal to a wide range of ages, from 20-something first-time cruisers to retirees, but its fun, active vibe attracts a strong family audience as well as 40-something (and younger) couples.

Costa Deliziosa was ordered in 2007 from Italian company Fincantieri. The keel was laid down at the company's shipyard in Ancona. In July 2008, after the keel and first section were completed, they were towed to the Marghera shipyard for further work.

The Deliziosa was launched on 12 March 2009, when water was admitted to the dry dock in which she was built. The ship was handed over to Costa Cruises on 31 January 2010 at the Venice Passenger Terminal.

Costa Deliziosa is the third ship to be delivered by Fincantieri to Costa Cruises in a nine-month period, and one of five new ships to be in service with the company by 2012; a 50 percent expansion in the fleet's passenger capacity at that time.

The cruise ship is a hybrid design: taking the best elements from the Vista and Spirit class cruise ships. Costa Deliziosa is 292 metres (958 ft) long, with a beam of 32.3 metres (106 ft).

The ship has a gross tonnage of 92,700 and carries up to 2,828 passengers staying in 1,130 cabins. The ship has a cruising speed of 21.6 knots (40.0 km/h), and a top speed of 23.6 knots (43.7 km/h). Around 3,000 people worked on the construction of Costa Deliziosa which cost more than 450 million.

Costa Deliziosa next port of call is Antigua & Barbuda prior to making the Atlantic Ocean crossing to Tenerife, Canary Islands and then on to mainland Europe.
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM)  The number of countries with suspected or confirmed cases of yellow fever has increased. According to the most recent Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) epidemiological update, suspected and confirmed yellow fever cases have been reported in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Suriname.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends for international travellers traveling to Espirito Santo State, Brazil

to get a yellow fever vaccination.

PAHO adds that given the current yellow fever situation in Brazil and the emergence of cases in areas where no cases have been detected in several years, Member States are urged to continue efforts to timely detect, confirm, and adequately treat cases of yellow fever within a timely manner.

Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease that is endemic in tropical areas of Africa and Latin America. Transmission is primarily between monkeys, and from monkeys to humans.

The yellow fever virus has three transmission cycles  sporadic, intermediate and urban. Sporadic cases resulting from sylvatic (jungle) transmission are seen in South America and Africa. The intermediate cycle of transmission occurs in the moist savannah zones of Africa only.

Urban transmission occurs where the virus is introduced into urban areas and the domestic Aedes aegypti mosquito is widespread. The Sabethes and Haemagogus species are involved in the sylvatic/jungle cycle whilst Aedes aegypti is involved in the urban cycle.

The virus is transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that can transmits the dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses. Mosquitoes acquire the virus by feeding on infected primates (human or non-human) and then transmit the virus to other primates (human or non-human).

In urban areas e.g. within the communities of Sint Maarten, risk can be reduced by eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites and reducing your exposure to mosquito bites. Sint Maarten does not have any Yellow Fever cases, but due to the current situation of Yellow Fever being detected in areas in countries where no cases have been detected in several years, this has increased the countrys alert level.

The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA), will continue to monitor developments related to yellow fever. Its surveillance mechanism was placed on alert for any potential cases in January.

The department is requesting for all to be on the alert and be proactive if you experience any symptoms and have travelled to an endemic Yellow Fever area, you are requested to consult your physician.

There is one sure way of mitigating mosquito borne diseases, and that is removing mosquito breeding sites from within and surrounding your premises, and apply mosquito repellent to stop mosquitoes from feeding.

Yellow fever cases can be difficult to distinguish from other viral hemorrhagic fevers such as arenavirus, hantavirus or dengue.

Symptoms of yellow fever according to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) usually appear three to six days after the bite of an infected mosquito. In the initial phase, they include fever, muscle pain, headache, shivers, loss of appetite, and nausea or vomiting.
Justin Omans of Roseville said he was devastated to learn his mothers' body was discovered in the covered bed of a truck.
Namely News: Volunteers scare up Halloween fun

On Loop Court in Grangers, neighbors build a Halloween maze for all. At IU South Bend, students organize Boo to You for area children.
Mumbai/Kolkata, Mar 24 (IBNS): Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra; Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Founder, People For Animals and Ratan N. Tata, Chairman, Tata Trusts on Friday will be announcing the collaboration between Tata Trusts and People for Animals, to build a state-of-the-art, multi-specialty veterinary hospital and emergency clinic that will serve the needs of all domestic and farm animals at accessible and affordable rates.

The hospital will be located at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai and is expected to be ready to welcome animals in two years.

Estimates indicate that there are at least 50,000 registered pets, 70,000 unregistered pets, 200,000 stray dogs, and 300,000 stray cats in Mumbai, for which there are only two fullatime animal hospitals that caters to all their needs, treating hundreds of animals daily.

One fullatime animal hospital in Central Mumbai simply cannot cater to the needs of all the animals in distress across Greater Mumbai in a timely manner.

With the next closest animal hospital located in the neighbouring district of Thane, many sick or injured animals, both pets and strays, perish solely because of the lack of access to adequate local veterinary care facilities.

The aim is to plug the existing gap in animal welfare in Maharashtra by setting up a strategically placed animal hospital catering to animals from Mumbai City, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Khandala, Lonavala, and Alibaug.

All of the worlds major cities from New York to Shanghai have several comprehensive animal care facilities within city limits and Mumbai should be no exception.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
New Delhi, Mar 24 (IBNS) : Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on Friday blacklisted Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, a day after he assaulted an Air India staffer, reports said.

In an official statement FIA said: Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect. We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety."

Air India had already cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket to Pune for Friday.

FIA also demanded stern action against the MP, saying, : "Air India and the member airlines of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) that includes IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air, condemn the assault on an Air India staff member by a passenger who happens to be a Member of Parliament on March 23, 2017. The airlines demand that strict action be taken against the Member of Parliament by law enforcement agencies."

Even after his highhandedness created a stir across the country, the 44-year-old Sena MP was unapologetic and even dared the Delhi police to arrest him.



"I dare the Delhi police to arrest me...I will not apologize, he (Air India manager) must come to me and apologize," NDTV quoted Gaikwad as saying.

Air India has filed police cases against him

The MP said, "a 60-year-old man must know how to behave", while suggesting that his party will stand by him.

Gaikwad said Air India must be investigated for ill-treating him for which, he claimed, he had to take off his sandal and hit an elderly manager for Air India 25 times.

Gaikwad refused to disembark from the plane for nearly 45 minutes after he landed in Delhi from Pune on Thursday, demanding some high up of the airline must come to explain him why was he not provided the facility of travelling in business class which he is entitled to get.



An Air India manager - Shiv Kumar - boarded the plane to persuade the MP to exit the plane. He was then hit repeatedly.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. Low near 60F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low near 60F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
The constellation Leo will appear high in the south-southeast at around 10 p.m. local time. Here, a view of the constellation March 24.

Scattered throughout our sky are distinctive patterns of stars that stand out and are readily identifiable at a glance. The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, are one example. The three-star belt of Orion, the Mighty Hunter, is another.

Then there is the zigzag row of five stars that can resemble the letter W, the letter M or the number 3, depending on the time of year: Cassiopeia, the Queen.

And this week, if we cast a glance high toward the south-southeast around 10 p.m. we can see another very distinctive pattern: six stars arranged in the shape of a backward question mark, better known as the Sickle, which mark the head, flowing mane and chest of Leo, the Lion. Follow a slightly curved line south from the two stars in the bowl next to the handle of the Big Dipper to find it. [14 Best Skywatching Events of 2017]

To the left of the Sickle is an easily recognized right triangle of stars that marks the Lion's hindquarters and tail. According to legend, Leo used to have a fine tuft of hair on the end of his tail, but it was stolen by an Egyptian priest, and now the tail is bald and ends abruptly

Truly grand

Considering how both the Sickle and the triangle appear in the sky, we have a truly grand constellation portraying the lion; indeed, the appearance of the Sickle high in the east at dusk this time of the year is a signal that winter is passing. The brightest of the six stars is Regulus, at the end of the handle. Regulus is bluish-white in color, and it ranks at the bottom of the list of the 21 brightest stars in the sky  but it is still about twice as bright as Polaris, the North Star.

Regulus is 79 light-years from the sun, which means that when you see it in tonight's sky you're seeing light that started speeding toward Earth back in 1939. The star is 3.8 times more massive and 288 times more luminous than the sun. Regulus was one of the four "royal stars" that ancient Persians said ruled over the four quarters of the heavens. Regulus, of course, was the star that ruled over the spring. Regulus is also positioned almost directly on the imaginary line of the sky marking Earth's path around the sun, known as the ecliptic, and thus Leo is one of the 12 signs of the zodiac.

The second brightest star in the Sickle is Algieba. A single point of light to the naked eye, it's a splendid and colorful second-magnitude binary star  a tightly orbiting two-star system  as any telescope of moderate size will clearly show. One component appears as orange-red, and the other is greenish-yellow. Both stars are giants, respectively 23 and 10 times the diameter of the sun, and take about 500 years to revolve around each other.

In the triangle, the brightest star is second-magnitude Denebola. The star is Leo's second brightest overall, and it marks the tip of the Lion's tail.

Once upon a time  a summertime marker

These stars became associated with the king of the beasts around 5,000 B.C., when Chaldean astronomers in ancient Mesopotamia charted the position of the sun with remarkable accuracy. The astronomers noted that these stars appeared to coincide with the sun's position at the summer solstice. To these ancient skywatchers, it seemed that if the sun shone with exceptional heat and light at this particular place in the zodiac, then the stars among which the sun was located must be fiery and powerful, as well. Certainly, they thought, it must be those stars' influence that strengthened the sun.

The lion was always considered to be the strongest and most kingly of all the animals that roamed Earth, and it had a propensity to roam in the tropical regions of Earth, showing a preference for hot weather. So the lion seemed to have earned a special place in the zodiac.

Regulus will show itself during the eclipse

The sun appears to nearly coincide with the position of Regulus each year on Aug. 22. Obviously, we can't see Regulus for at least a couple of weeks on either side of this date because of the sun's brilliant light. But if you're planning to be within the path of the total eclipse of the sun on Aug. 21, make sure to have binoculars with you and train them on the sun during those precious moments when it's completely obscured. (Until the sun is totally obscured by the moon, you must use eye protection.)There, along with the sun's darkened disk and magnificent pearl-colored corona, you will see a bright star shining to the upper left of the sun in the semidarkness of totality.

That will be Regulus.

It reminds me of something the late science fiction and popular science writer Isaac Asimov shouted out when viewing his first total eclipse from a passenger ship that was docked off Africa in June 1973. In his autobiography, "In Joy Still Felt" (Doubleday and Co., 1980), he wrote:

"There were people there with tape recorders, and I was allowed, afterward, to listen to the deathless prose that issued from my lips. One exclamation was, 'Yes, that's it. That's it. That's the way it's supposed to look,' as though I were congratulating the cosmic director who was running the show. The other, when the brighter stars began to be visible was, 'That proves it. The stars do shine in the daytime.'"

As Regulus will on Aug. 21.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers' Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for Fios1 News in Rye Brook, New York. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
The Ariane 5 rocket that will launch the Koreasat-7 and Brazils Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications is moved to the Final Integration Building of the Guiana Space Center ahead of a planned March 2017 launch.

WASHINGTON  An Ariane 5 launch already twice delayed by French Guiana labor unrest was put on indefinite hold Thursday as protests shut down roads, schools and municipal buildings in the South American territory that hosts Europe's main spaceport.

Arianespace was slated to launch a pair of satellites for Brazil and South Korea on Tuesday evening from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, but protests, road blockades and a strike by the space center's transportation and logistics contractor Endel combined to prevent the Ariane 5 from rolling out to the launch zone.

Anticipating a swift resolution, Arianespace initially postponed the launch to Wednesday and then postponed it again to Thursday.

Local newspaper France-Guyane reported Thursday morning that protesters expanded their roadblocks overnight, prompting the closure of area schools and government buildings. The paper also reported that Endel ended its strike and flew some of its Ariane 5 handlers to the space center by helicopter.

Air France on Thursday canceled flights between Paris and Cayenne, French Guiana's capital city. Air France 852, which left Paris for Cayenne at 10:19 a.m. local time, turned back for France four hours into the flight, according to French media reports.

Arianespace decided Thursday to stand down launch preparation indefinitely.

"The evolution of the situation in French Guiana does not permit the restart of operations for the Ariane 5 launch scheduled for today," Arianespace said in a statement Thursday. "Arianespace has decided to postpone the launch."

Graphic from Guyane Actu Hebdo (Guiana Weekly News) tweet showing road blockades along French Guianas Atlantic coast.

Arianespace said the launch vehicle and both satellite payloads remain in a stand-by mode and are being maintained in fully safe conditions.

No new date was given for the launch. CNES spokesperson Fabienne Lissak declined further comment.

The Ariane 5 mission is Arianespaces fourth mission of the year and second with its primary heavy-lift vehicle. The Brazilian Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications (SGDC) satellite is a 5,735-kilogram Ka- and X-band spacecraft for Telebras and the Brazilian Ministry of Defense. Visiona Tecnologia Espacial, a joint venture between Embraer and Telebras, ordered the satellite from Thales Alenia Space of France.

Koreasat-7 is a 3,680 kilogram telecommunications satellite for KTsat, the satellite division of South Korean telco KT Corp. The satellite, also built by Thales Alenia Space, is for broadcast television and communications services across Korea, the Philippines, the Indochinese Peninsula, India and Indonesia.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
Juice's trajectory to Jupiter will include gravity-assist flybys of the Callisto and Ganymede moons, and two close-in flybys of the Europa moon. At the end of the mission, Juice is expected to spend eight months dedicated to the study of Ganymede.

LONDON  The European Space Agency completed the preliminary design review for the Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer , giving a go-ahead to prime contractor Airbus and its partners to start building a prototype spacecraft to test systems for the challenging mission known simply as Juice.

The 1.5 billion-euro ($1.62 billion) mission  expected to launch on its seven-year journey in 2022  is Europe's first shot at exploring the solar system's largest planet and its moons at close quarters. Giuseppe Sarri, ESA's Juice project manager, said the 22-member space agency has never attempted a mission of this difficulty and complexity.

"Juice is certainly a step forward for ESA," Sarri said. "To get to Jupiter, we will have to perform five flybys, which is something we haven't done before. The environment around Jupiter is extremely harsh and we would have to make sure the spacecraft's electronics are properly protected from the extremely high radiation, otherwise the computers could be dead in two weeks."

ESA will contribute 940 million euros (in 2014 terms) towards the overall budget of the mission, covering the construction of the spacecraft, an Ariane 5 launch, the operations and scientific ground segment, as well as the actual running of the mission. The mission's 10 scientific instruments, including cameras, an ice-penetrating radar, an altimeter, radio-science experiments, and sensors to monitor the magnetic field, will be paid for by the national space agencies of ESA's member states.

Juice's trajectory to Jupiter will include gravity-assist flybys of the Callisto and Ganymede moons, and two close-in flybys of the Europa moon. At the end of the mission, Juice is expected to spend eight months dedicated to the study of Ganymede. (Image credit: ESA)

"There is a large involvement of the Italian Space Agency, which will deliver three instruments and contribute to a fourth one," Sarri said. "Germany and Sweden are both responsible for two instruments. France and the UK will deliver one instrument each."

More than 60 companies will be involved in building components for the spacecraft, all of which have now been selected.

Juice's 100-square-meter solar array, the largest to ever be flown by Europe, will be made by Germany's Azur Space, which has previously developed solar cells for the Rosetta, Venus Express and Mars Express probes and the Hubble Space Telescope.

"The availability of energy is a massive challenge," said Sarri. "The illumination in the orbit around Jupiter is 25-times lower than what we have in the orbit around Earth, so even with this massive solar cell we will only collect about 820 watts."

The high-energy electrons, protons and heavy ions drawn towards Jupiter by its powerful gravitational force, as well as magnetic field, will put an extreme strain on the solar array. ESA hopes to start testing the technology by the end of this year to understand the degradation processes that will inevitably affect the solar array's performance.

In addition to gathering data about Jupiter's atmosphere and magnetosphere, Juice will also take a close look at three of the planet's largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. The spacecraft will perform about 20 flybys of Jupiter's moons and eventually enter the orbit around Ganymede to search for signs of liquid water underneath the moon's thick icy crust.

"The idea of the mission is to see whether these moons have an environment, which could sustain life," explained Sarri. "The Juice spacecraft will carry instruments to measure the thickness of the ice to see whether there is a transition to liquid. It will measure the magnetic field, which will also tell us whether the liquid is conductive."

ESA, which kicked off the Juice project in July 2015, hopes to have the prototype, or engineering model, ready by the end of 2018. Tests of the prototype including instruments are scheduled for 2019, after which manufacturing of the flight model will commence.

The 5.3-ton Juice is expected to launch in 2022 with an anticipated arrival to the Jovian system in 2029. The explorer will spend three and a half years surveying the distant worlds, eight months of which will be dedicated to the exploration Ganymede. Juice will launch at about the same time as NASA's Europa Clipper mission, currently under development, which aims to dispatch a lander to Europa during one of its multiple flybys around the moon. Funding for the lander, however, was omitted from the White House budget blueprint released March 16.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
In space, everyone can see your homages.

"Life," Sony Pictures' new science fiction thriller featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds, has been described as a modern day "Alien" set on board the International Space Station. The movie, which opened in theaters on Friday (March 24), follows a space crew as they encounter an emerging life form, not unlike the basic plot of the 1979 Ridley Scott classic.

And that's not by accident. ['Life' Movie Brings Terrifying Space Thrills (Photo Gallery)]

"It references practically all of those great movies... all [the way] from 'The Thing' to 'Alien' to '2001' to 'Solaris,'" said "Life" director Daniel Espinosa.

But given his movie's setting  a real-life, if somewhat re-imagined space station, rather than a fictional starfreighter or interplanetary spaceship  Espinosa was also inspired by and included nods ("easter eggs") to spaceflight history. The Chile-born, Sweden-based director said he even hid a reference to the first Swede in space, Christer Fuglesang, though would not reveal what or where it is.

"The movie has tons of small secrets," said Espinosa in an interview with collectSPACE.com. "It has a little reference to Fuglesang, who is our great champion. But there were other astronauts who were part of the process, so look at the movie intently, it is out there  but it's secret!"

What follows are five references in "Life" to space station and space exploration history, which may or may not have been intentional, followed a few bonus easter eggs spotted on a first viewing of the film. (Warning: Spoilers ahead.)

Wait, what space station are we on?

As noted from the start, "Life" is set on the International Space Station, the orbital laboratory that has been crewed by more than 250 people over the course of more than 16 years (the statistics are also stated accurately in the film). And sure enough, in addition to countless mentions of the "ISS," the movie's six crewmates (portrayed by Gyllenhaal, Ferguson, Reynolds, Ariyon Bakare, Hiroyuki Sanada and Olga Dihovichnaya) also call out some of the names of the real space station''s modules, including Unity, Tranquility, Kibo and Zvezda.

But space history enthusiasts would not be at fault if they become briefly confused about what space staton the crew is on during several key sequences in "Life."

In the movie, the astronauts control and monitor the space station's systems from a large, submarine-like console that is unlike anything aboard the International Space Station. But it does bear a more than passing resemblance to the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) console that was on board Skylab, the United States' first space station.

"On the front of the ATM console were the many switches and indicators that were used to control electrical power to each telescope, to open and close experiment doors, and to change the operational pace of each instrument," wrote John Eddy in a 1979 NASA history. "Dials and counters displayed instrument readiness conditions and, as on any camera, showed how many frames remained in each film magazine."

The Skylab ATM console also incorporated TV screens for monitoring live events, similar to how the control station is configured in "Life."

In another of the film's scenes, Reynolds' character, Rory Adams, complains, "Sixteen steps to fix a shower? I am an astronaut, not a gym teacher." Any number of steps would be impressive, given that the ISS does not have a shower. But Skylab did...

David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal) holds up an "oxygen candle" to lure Calvin out of hiding, as seen in "LIFE." (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

That's how you go to the bathroom in space

As Adams (Reynolds) works on the (non-existent) shower, he sits inside a very convincing replica of the International Space Station's Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC), complete with a suction-powered toilet and even a spoof of an already humorous decal affixed inside the real facility in space. [How to Pee in Space (and What to Do If the Toilet Breaks)]

The authentic emblem features a spacewalking astronaut, holding a roll of toilet paper, heading for an old-fashioned, outdoor bathroom. The insignia is inscribed, "International Space Station Orbital Outhouse Team."

The "Life" version also features a spacewalker, but rather than floating, he appears to have launched from Earth by gas  or rather, flatulence  powered propulsion.

The WHC is one of several true-to-life features that can be spotted inside the "Life" space station. Other equipment and components that were somewhat accurately recreated for the movie include a microgravity science glovebox and the multi-window Cupola (though the latter is considerably larger than its on-orbit inspiration).

Rodent research

The "Life" cast is small: other than the six astronauts and a few supporting characters on Earth, the only other life in "Life" are the Martian creature (named "Calvin" through a student contest, another detail that rings true to how things have been named on the station) and a white lab rat.

The rodent is not out of place on the space station. Since 2014, NASA and CASIS, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, which manages the science on board the U.S. National Laboratory section of the orbital outpost, have been launching mice as part of an ongoing series of rodent research studies focused on investigating different biological aspects of microgravity exposure.

Like the rat in "Life," the actual rodent residents are on an ill-fated mission; they are euthanized as part of the needs of the research. In the movie, the rat's end  as Calvin's first victim  is considerably less humane.

Ryan Reynolds, as Rory Adams, in "LIFE" (at left) works on fixing the shower inside the Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) on the space station. At right, the real WHC. (Image credit: Sony Pictures/NASA via collectSPACE.com)

Drowning on a spacewalk

While on the subject of casualties, the commander of the station in "Life," Russian cosmonaut Ekaterina Golovkina (Dihovichnaya), meets her own end by drowning while on a spacewalk, a scenario that might have been deemed too unbelievable even for a movie had it not almost occurred to a real astronaut four years ago.

On July 16, 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA) was just over an hour into a planned six and a half hour extravehicular activity (EVA) outside of the International Space Station when his helmet began to fill with water. Fortunately, Parmitano was able to make it back to the airlock in time to safely get inside.

"The moment when they removed my helmet, that's when we found out that about 1.5 liters of water had collected inside the helmet. Now the helmet is pretty small, so a liter and a half of water is quite a bit; it really felt like I was a goldfish in a fishbowl, on the wrong side," Parmitano later recalled at an ESA conference.

In "Life," Golovkina's helmet is flooded because Calvin is compressing her spacesuit's coolant system. Parmitano's helmet filled up with water due to contamination clogging a filter.

Where there's (oxygen) smoke, there's fire

Despite its ability to survive longer than most creatures in the vacuum of space, Calvin, like other carbon-based life forms, is said to require oxygen. So when the station's life support starts to fail, David Jordan (Gyllenhaal) realizes he and Miranda North (Ferguson) can lure out the Martian by using oxygen candles.

A backup to the station's primary oxygen supply, oxygen candles are not an invention for the movie. Each solid-fuel oxygen generator (SFOG) aboard the actual space station contains enough lithium perchlorate to produce oxygen for one person to last a full day.

The candles do not create a flame  or are not supposed to under normal operation  and unlike in "Life" are not handheld or a source of light.

And whereas the threat from the oxygen candle in the film is a close encounter with Calvin, the SFOG (Vika or TGK, as referred to by Roscosmos, the Russian federal space corporation) was the source of an emergency on board a space station when one of the canisters caught fire.

The 90-second blaze occurred aboard the former Russian space station Mir on Feb. 24, 1997. It caused only minor damage to the orbiting outpost, but the crew were exposed to heavy smoke and had to don goggles and masks as a result.

Continue reading at collectSPACE for more "Life" space station history easter eggs.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2017 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Sikkim Assembly to add five more ST seats India Blooms News Service | | #Sikkim, #SikkimAssembly, #ScheduledTribes, #NCST, #Limbu, #Tamang

New Delhi/Gangtok, Mar 24 (IBNS): The number of reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the Sikkim Assembly will go up from 12 to 17, with the National Commission for Schedule Tribes (NCST) approving the proposal for the same, according to media reports.
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement
Mumbai, Mar 24 (IBNS): Junior doctors in Mumbai and some parts of Maharashtra, who went on mass leave early this week demanding better security for doctors, have called off their agitation, according to media reports on Friday.

In a late night development on Thursday, a section of the agitating doctors affiliated to Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) called off the protest after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured them that public hospitals will be provided with more security.

The CM,Ministers Girish Mahajan and Dr Deepak Sawant, and DGP Satish Mathur met representatives of MARD to discuss their issues.

The chief minister's office said in a series of tweets on Thursday:

"CM @Dev_Fadnavis directs to provide security to sensitive hospitals with armed policeman &work for long term plan like monitored CCTVnetwork."

"If doctor is attacked on duty,they will be treated as Govt servants & expenses for legal,medical aid will be borne by Govt:CM @Dev_Fadnavis."

"CM proposed setting up of Apex council with Govt representatives & doctors & its interaction every 3month to solve the issues time to time."

Doctors in the national capital on Thursday went on a sudden mass leave in support of the Mumbai doctors, media reports said.

Image: DevendraFadnavis Twitter
In addition to the financial questions, the EU also wants to address the effect Britain's withdrawal from the EU will have on freedom of movement. "We need to quickly achieve certainty in everyday life -- especially for EU citizens living in Britain," says Manfred Weber, head of the center-right European People's Party in the European Parliament.

Currently, every citizen of the EU has the right to live and work anywhere in the union, one of the bloc's fundamental liberties. But that may change and the 3.2 million EU citizens living in Britain are gripped with fear, as are the 1.2 million British citizens living in other European countries. They are concerned about what will happen with their pensions and whether they will have access to social benefits like unemployment payments.

Even among corporations and banks, the possible restrictions on the labor market are currently of utmost concern -- even more so than continued access to the European internal market. "We employ 150 nationalities and, as such, are strong supporters of the freedom of movement," Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan recently said at a reception in Brussels.

Big companies and financial services providers in London have begun making provisions, with some already transferring staff to Continental Europe. The head of the European branch of U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs just announced it would transfer hundreds of employees in order to prepare itself for any possible Brexit outcome.

Negotiators in Brussels would like to see guarantees put in place that British and EU citizens will continue to enjoy the same rights that they do today. But that's not unproblematic when you delve into the details. For one thing, it's clear that the British government cannot afford to show too much generosity on this front. Resentment toward the large number of Poles, Bulgarians and people from other EU countries living in Britain was one of the driving forces behind the Brexit vote.

As such, finding a compromise that both sides can live with could prove difficult and Brussels has indicated it will push back if Britain seeks to treat EU citizens too harshly. Speaking before the European Parliament on Wednesday, chief EU Brexit negotiator Barnier issued a threat, essentially suggesting that if a Romanian nurse will require a visa to work in London, then John Cryan, who is from the UK, will also need one to work in Frankfurt.

An Emphasis on Rights Before Access

The Europeans only want to discuss the free-trade agreement that Britain views as the core of its future relationship with the EU once solid progress has been made in negotiations over money and the rights of EU citizens.

Theresa May is pushing for a deal that will continue to guarantee Britain the greatest possible access to Europe's single market. The promise made by Brexit supporters had been that Britain could continue to enjoy all the economic benefits of EU membership without any of the disadvantages that come with it. In the meantime, it has become clear that the EU would never agree to such an arrangement. The question now is how messy the divorce will be.

The EU is preparing for difficult talks. "The emphasis on the importance of the four basic freedoms as the clear negotiating position on the side of the EU neither allows for membership in the European Economic Zone nor the customs union," experts in the German parliament wrote in their study of the economic consequences of Brexit. This would mean a hard Brexit -- that Britain would not be granted trade relations with Europe that were any more favorable than any other non-EU country.

In total, some 20,833 laws and regulations that were in effect in the EU and Britain at the beginning of 2017 must now be reviewed and possibly replaced. That applies to 2,175 laws pertaining to environmental, health and consumer protections along with 670 additional legal acts on workers' rights and standards for the social welfare system. In theory, at least, dozens of legislative texts must be reviewed and worked through each day if a deal is to be concluded within the envisioned timeframe. It could, in other words, ultimately take much longer than two years before a deal can be reached.

That scenario is all the more likely considering that the future trade agreement with the EU will likely be a mixed deal, as experts in the European division of the German parliament argue. That means it must be approved by the parliaments of all 27 EU member states -- an undertaking that will consume considerable time, as the recent tug-of-war over the CETA free-trade agreement with Canada demonstrated.

'Dirty Brexit'?

The question is what happens in the interim between the time Britain leaves the EU and the time when a new deal on the future relationship can be agreed upon. "What happens if Britain, after over 40 years in the EU, from one day to the next, becomes a third country?" asks one high-ranking European Commission official.

The question is one that goes deeper than just legal hairsplitting. British exports of foodstuffs and livestock would, from one day to the next, be subject to inspection, a development for which the EU member states do not currently have the capacity to handle at their borders or their ports. Chief EU negotiator Barnier has warned of the specter of long traffic jams of trucks at the British port of Dover.

In light of all these hurdles, the term "dirty Brexit" has long since been making the rounds in Brussels and London. This would be a divorce without a joint agreement in the event the Brits and Europeans don't come to some sort of a deal before the day Britain departs the EU in March 2019. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has already said it would be "perfectly OK" if there is no deal in the end. But the truth is that the damage to both sides would be immense. Whereas the economic consequences of Brexit would first likely become visible in the medium-term in the event of a deal, a disorderly withdrawal from the EU could trigger an economic shock.

The Post-Brexit World?

Without a Brexit agreement or interim deal, there will be great uncertainty, Howard Davies, the chairman of the government-owned Royal Bank of Scotland, has warned. The recent failed merger of the Frankfurt and London stock exchanges offered a preview of the potential economic consequences. German politicians weren't prepared to accept that the holding company of the merged exchanges would be located in London, and thus outside the EU, and the British were unwilling to budge from that plan.
New Delhi, Mar 24 (IBNS) : president Sonia Gandhi, who was in abroad for a "health check-up" since early March, returned to India on Friday, reports said.

Sonia was escorted by her son Rahul.

The Congress did not officially say where Sonia went for her check up, but The Times of India reported that she was in the US.

The ailing Congress chief didn't campaign in the February-March Assembly elections in five states.
NEW FAIRFIELD  When a proposal is made to use hungry grass carp as a way to rid lakes of invasive weeds, it doesnt take long before the experience of Ball Pond enters the conversation.

Sterile grass carp were introduced into the pond in the 1990s to battle the spread of Eurasian watermilfoil, which also plagues nearby Candlewood Lake and other bodies of water around the state. And according to a study to be published in the April edition of Lake and Reservoir Management, that effort was a solid success.

Within 10 years of the carps introduction, the milfoil was essentially eradicated, said Cynthia Stevens, chairwoman of the Ball Pond Advisory Committee, which was established in 1995 to find a solution to the growing milfoil problem. Today only a few strands of the once-abundant weed remain..

The report was posted online this month.

One of our main conclusions is that a well-managed program can tackle the milfoil in a northern lake in this climate, Stevens said.

The report, entitled Seventeen years of grass carp: an examination of vegetation management and collateral impacts in Ball Pond, New Fairfield, Connecticut, also shows that introduction of the carp had no effect on water quality, other fish or other plants.

Were very pleased with the study, Stevens said.

The study began in 1997 as part of the states permit to allow introduction of 400 carp to eat the milfoil, which infested 32 percent of the 80-acre pond. Homeowners around the pond were worried that milfoil would reduce recreational opportunities and hurt property values.

In 1997, many unanswered questions remained about the long-term ecological impacts of grass carp in a deep northern lake system, according to the published report.

As part of the 17-year study, data was collected on water quality, water chemistry and the ponds vegetation to examine the long-term effects of carp introduction and test it as a model for future permitting.

This has been a labor of love, Stevens said. We're hoping it will be an educational tool so other lake managers can learn about it and consider it.

The study was conducted by several limnologists  lake scientists  members of the Ball Pond Advisory Committee and the director of the states Inland Fisheries Division.

Grass carp were introduced into Candlewood Lake in 2015 and will be introduced into Squantz Pond this year.

When Stevens spoke about the program at a Connecticut Federation of Lakes meeting in 2015, attendees were keenly interested in the results and clamoring for information. Although many lake organizations are considering use of the carp, some are still wary of the idea, she said.

So was the Ball Pond committee, at the beginning.

At first it was frightening, because youre introducing a foreign species and you dont know what can happen," she said.

Some of the biggest concerns were whether carp waste would promote the growth of another problem organism, blue-green algae, and whether the fish would eat endangered native plants or compete with other fish.

But those worries eventually faded, while the milfoil diminished visibly in three years and was nearly gone in 10.

She said the program cost $6,000 during the time of the study and $8,000 over the entire 20 years carp have been used at the pond.

The pond still has about 350 carp and the committee hopes to add more to eat the coontail, a native species that returned when the milfoil was removed but presents its own challenges.

kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Tuition at the states public university and community college system is going up.

The Board of Regents that oversees 17 campuses in the state will be asked to raise tuition at regional universities in the fall by 4 percent - or $403 - to $10,482.

At the states 12 community colleges, the increase would be 2.5 percent - or $104 - to $4,276.

At Charter Oak state college the increase would be 4 percent - or $304 - to $7,915.

In a letter that went out Friday to the campus communities, system president Mark Ojakian said the proposed increase is smaller than in the previous two years.

He is also suggesting a two-year increase schedule so that students and families can plan.

This increase will be the exactly the same next year, Ojakian said. For community colleges, this represents an increase of approximately $50 per semester and $200 per semester for the universities and $150 at Charter Oak for the next two years.

The higher tuition would not close the systems budget deficit. That would take a 12 percent increase, Ojakian said during a conference call with students on Friday morning.

Some students on the call said they appreciated getting a heads up on the increase but remain concerned.

While the minimal increase is a step in the right direction after several large increases in past years, students should still be concerned that CSCU will be running a deficit, John Board, a student at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury said. We must have structural reforms to our higher education system in order to balance this budget.

Ojakian said while his board usually waits until it knows what it will get from the state before setting tuition, the approach this year was different.

Together the system, which includes all public colleges in the state except the University of Connecticut, educates about 85,000 students. UConn, which adopted a four-year tuition plan that stretches through 2020 will raise tuition in the fall of 2017 by 6.9 percent - or $775 - to $11,999.

The system is facing cuts of $38 million or more based on the governors budget proposal. The legislature has yet to finalize their plan. In any case, the news is not expected to be good given that the state has a deficit of more than $1 billion to close.

The Board of Regents Finance Committee will meet on Wednesday, March 29, to discuss this recommendation and the full Board is scheduled to vote on April 6.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo -- home to one of the globe's most fatal conflicts-- is on the brink of another crisis. According to the countrys constitution, President Joseph Kabilas final term in office ended on Dec. 19. However, he initially refused to step down from power -- leading to arrests, bloodshed and even a media blackout.

Related: 5 Hot African Industries Investors Should Be Watching

The latest news: The government of the DRC says it will push back next month's presidential election to April 2018, in a move that is expected to keep Kabila in office until the delayed vote.

Nevertheless, things remain shaky. And most people's take on doing business in the Congo has them thinking: This doesnt look like a place where entrepreneurship can thrive.

But we beg to differ. As leaders of an organization that promotes entrepreneurship in the Congo, were seeing firsthand how even under the most difficult of circumstances, African entrepreneurs possess a high level of grit, persistence, resourcefulness and ingenuity all entrepreneurs could learn from.

In fact, we believe that were countries like the Congo granted the same opportunity as those in the West -- meaning the same access to supportive infrastructure, capital and markets -- they would likely challenge America in the competitive landscape of business.

Lessons from Africa

Our initial thought here is, lets reject our paternalistic predispositions to save Africa and instead focus on learning from the bright minds who are overcoming the odds and improving both themselves and their countries through entrepreneurship. Here are three common challenges weve seen African entrepreneurs overcome in brilliant ways:

1. Having multiple people depend on their success.

In the back of every entrepreneurs mind is the fact that these individuals' livelihoods depend on their companys success. Adding to that pressure is the fact that, according to an Intuit study, just 60 percent of new businesses -- anywhere -- survive for more than three years. In the Congo, this reality is often magnified, as many households do not have any margin for error. Entrepreneurial success can literally mean the difference between full bellies and starvation.

Western business gurus often talk about the necessity of a do-or-die commitment, and a Congolese entrepreneur we work with -- named Kimbale Mughunda Raphael -- is living this high-stakes scenario in a very real sense. He has an extended family of 16 relatives and neighbors who depend on his tomato farms revenue for survival.

Mughundas business exists in a very crowded market with extremely thin margins, so he has to get creative in order to ensure his familys well-being. Like a Silicon Valley startup offering a promo code to attract loyal customers, he began offering a promotional giveaway of free zucchinis to anyone who purchased more than 50 kilograms of tomatoes.

It worked. Giving away free zucchinis incentivized larger purchases and grew a base of wholesale buyers, rather than end users. This widened his profit margins, gave him an edge over the competition and bolstered his ability to support his family.

Mughunda demonstrates the type of marketing innovation and nimble business strategy that helps young companies here scale outward and rise to the top. As entrepreneurs, these people are responsible for creating value in society and preserving the livelihoods of their loved ones (and, ultimately everyone's loved ones). In order to do that, we must realize and understand how our ventures affect others. Embrace that, and let it be part of your drive for success every day.

Related: 11 African Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing the Business Landscape

2. Finding a market need.

A recent CB Insights study crowned a lack of market need as the top reason startups fail. In order to beat the odds and establish a firm footing in a new market, entrepreneurs must quickly design solutions that are responsive to market realities. This is a tall task, especially when it comes to identifying, researching and analyzing those realities.

Denis Sangara, another entrepreneur we work with, noticed that his country was producing some of the best green coffee beans in the world. However, he also noticed that this commodity wasnt being sold or consumed locally -- it was all being shipped overseas.

In his eyes, this was an opportunity to launch a successful small business. The only problem, though, was that he knew very little about coffee. So, he took it upon himself to aggressively learn about the local and global coffee industries. He traveled across East Africa to meet coffee producers in-person, and he read books such as A Good African Story: How a Small Company Built a Global Coffee Brand and The Starbucks Experience.

Just 18 months later, Sangara is now co-owner of Cafe Kivu, which is currently in the process of opening its third brick-and-mortar location in the Congo. Additionally, the company just exported its first batch of packaged coffee to Greece, as part of its effort to market branded Congolese coffee to the global marketplace.

Sangara illustrates the drive and curiosity entrepreneurs need when they research market needs. He identified a glaring gap within a demographic, tirelessly conducted market research, learned the tricks of the trade and then built a business that has consistently satisfied the need. Take note of this studious and methodical approach, and mimic it in your own go-to-market strategy.

3. Building a viable product.

Especially in the digital era, developing a new product or service requires rapid prototyping, testing and iteration. The faster a feedback loop can be executed, the more effective the development process will be. Given this reality, its no surprise that, as revealed in a 2016 Innovation Leader study, 82 percent of businesses surveyed said they followed lean startup methodology when creating products.

Mughunda isnt selling a tech product, nor does he have access to fancy tech tools that facilitate a fast feedback loop. Still, he finds a way to intuitively follow the same lean business model that is commonly championed in Silicon Valley. He conducts customer development in nearby village markets to find out what is in demand. Then, he prototypes his offerings, offers samples of them in the market and collects feedback. This approach helped him grow local demand for tomatoes, and its how he validated his zucchini-promotion hypothesis.

Testing and iteration is the best way for modern entrepreneurs to find out whether they have created a model that works, especially when the context calls for high adaptability due to complex environments or rapidly changing markets. It doesnt matter if you think you have a terrific offering; the market gets to decide that, not you.

Its essential to gather and utilize consumer insights to fine-tune your business model. Luckily, modern consumers are eager to voice their opinions. In fact, according to Market Force, 83 percent of shoppers say they filled out multiple customer feedback surveys in 2015.

Continual small iterations based on small experiments will eventually land you at a solid product-market fit that is based upon the realities of the market -- not ideas you generated in a silo.

Related: 4 Reasons Africa Is the Rising Star of the Tech World

One thing is certain: African entrepreneurs are already succeeding in the face of tremendous obstacles. In many ways, they dont need more entrepreneurship  rather, they need ecosystems and institutions that support their inherent entrepreneurial tendencies and talent.

We believe American entrepreneurs can take their ventures to new heights by learning from the commitment, grit, resilience, speed and agility possessed by the brilliant people we work with every day.

Related:

What African Entrepreneurs Can Teach Us About Overcoming Challenges

11 African Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing the Business Landscape

Video: 5 diferencias entre la gente rica y la tacana



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
P rivate-jet firm Air X Charter has landed one of the most lucrative and glamorous jobs in the business  flying rock band U2 from gig to gig.

The nine-year-old business will transport Bono (pictured) and the rest on its European tour in July and August.

The U2 website suggests the tour has already almost sold out.

The contract is a coup for company founder and executive chairman John Matthews.

The 36-year-old has been in the airline business since he was 19 when he started washing aircraft at Redhill Aerodrome. Air X operates 17 passenger aircraft  including the worlds largest charter-operated private jet, the Airbus A340-300  from bases in Malta, England and Austria.

The firm has grown rapidly, having had just four planes four years ago. It forecasts sales of around 80 million this year. It recently said it plans to expand into America and into the cargo transport sector.

A stock-market flotation is a possibility in the near future.
New Delhi, Mar 24 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday handed over a 'chaadar' to be offered at Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer Sharif, to the Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, and Minister of State in the PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh, in New Delhi.

The Prime Minister has also conveyed his greetings and best wishes to Khwaja Moinuddin Chishtis followers across the world, on the occasion of his annual Urs.



In a message, the Prime Minister said that Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is a symbol of the great spiritual traditions of India.

He said Gharib Nawazs service of humanity would remain an inspiration for future generations.

The Prime Minister offered his best wishes for the successful conducting of the forthcoming Urs.

Image: PIB
F ears over a populist political tide sweeping across Europe have done little to set back the Continents economic performance after figures today showed growth at a six-year high.

The latest snapshot the eurozones private-sector manufacturers and services firms from IHS Markit  revealing the fastest expansion since April 2011  comes against the backdrop of deep political uncertainty following the Brexit referendum and Donald Trumps White House win.

Although Mark Rutte fended off Geert Wilders Freedom Party in last weeks Dutch elections, Marine Le Pen is likely to be in the final run-off for the French presidency in May, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces elections.

But powerhouses France and Germany grew strongly despite rising price pressure.

The European Central Bank is pumping 80 billion (69.2 billion) into the economy every month although the strength of the survey is usually at a level where the ECB would be hiking rates, according to IHS Markits chief economist Chris Williamson.

Worries about consumer spending and business confidence havent emerged yet and the ECB could be behind the curve, he said.
I nvestors had been tucking into shares in struggling Restaurant Group of late on hopes of a revival, but the City turned sour on its prospects today.

The Frankie & Bennys owner slipped 8.18p, or 2.3%, to 343.42p as Berenberg cut its rating to Sell, unconvinced by the recent share price rally.

Analyst Ned Hammond said the strategy unveiled by the new management appears relatively credible but it has not altered our view that the company has a very tough task ahead.

The main problem will be when it has to slash prices to win back customers from rival eateries, with significant price correction needed to compete.

The analyst estimates the companys main brands, which include Chiquito and Garfunkels, are between 10% and 20% more expensive.

We continue to believe it could take considerable time for the brands reputations to improve sufficiently for volume growth to offset lower prices, Hammond said.

There was little action among the blue-chips and the FTSE 100 edged down 3.01 points to 7337.70.

Acacia Mining, which has just ended talks with Canadas Endeavour over a 3 billion merger, lost more of its shine after revealing that the Tanzanian ban on gold and copper concentrate exports was costing it $1 million (800,000) a day. The shares dipped 8.2p to 456p.

Annual results from oil rig-maker Lamprell were as expected as it slumped to a $182 million pre-tax loss after a $25 million settlement with drilling contractor Ensco over rig delays. The shares were a touch weaker, down 0.25p at 100.75p.

On the junior market, IG Design, the gift-wrapping firm formerly known as International Greetings, revelled in a profits upgrade.

It tipped annual revenues to pass 300 million and said profits will beat analyst forecasts, lifting the shares 33.5p, or 13%, to 298p.

Student housing developer Watkin Jones was off 9.88p at 143.88p after trusts owned by the Watkin Jones family and its chief financial officer Phillip Byrom cashed in shares for 70.4 million.

Elsewhere, Digital Barriers tumbled 5.6p to 25.4p as the surveillance firm warned that if it fails to wrap up contracts in the next week, its sales forecasts for the year ended March will suffer a 10 million hit.
B illionaire Michael Spencer is moving his new broking business  complete with personal man cave  from Broadgate to a new home on the fringes of the City, the Standard understands.

Property sources say NEX  his electronic broking firm which is what was left after he sold his traditional voice-broking business and the Icap name to interdealer broker Tullett Prebon last year  will take 110,000 square feet in the London Fruit & Wool Exchange, Exemplar Propertys new development in Spitalfields.

That will mean Spencer moving his office  including piles of books and huge models of a Concorde and a Boeing 707  to a new headquarters just outside the traditional boundaries of the Square Mile.

The building is due for completion next year and tenants include global law firm Ashurst.

News of the move came as Land Securities confirmed exclusive talks with Deutsche Bank over taking space at 21 Moorfields, as tipped by the Standard this month.

The pair are negotiating over design to the building above Moorgate Tube which will take several months, it added.
F astjet, the struggling Africa-focused budget airline, has unveiled a refreshed management team after naming a new chairman, director and finance chief.

The company, which has been raising cash to fund a revamp, installed turnaround specialist Rashid Wally as chairman. He previously held senior roles at IBM and joins from South Africas state-owned carrier Mango Airlines.

Chief executive Nico Bezuidenhout, who took the helm at fastjet eight months ago, said: "Rashid brings to fastjet not only his considerable understanding and experience of the African aviation market, but also a wider African and international business perspective, all of which Im sure will prove invaluable."

Peter Hyde, appointed a non-executive director, provides UK transport expertise. A former transport equity analyst, he later ran easyBus. Fastjet said Hyde was not a representative of easyGroup, which is a top five shareholder in fastjet.

Michael Muller, who arrived at fastjet from South African Airways in November, was promoted to chief financial officer after predecessor Lisa Mitchell stepped down to pursue other opportunities.

Bezuidenhout added that the group was starting to see benefits of efforts to stabilise the group, including cost cutting, an overhaul of its fleet and stripping back its route network.
I t was a normal Wednesday, until my son rang to ask if I was all right; he had heard about something happening at Westminster on the news. The terrorist attack took place while I was in the House of Lords. There, it was only gradually that the horror of the attack became evident. We peers were held in the Chamber, with no one allowed to leave. Then we were taken to Speakers Court, where the bodies of two of the dead were still in situ.

We then gathered in Westminster Hall and the terrible news began to filter through: that a woman had died, a police officer had been murdered, the assailant had been shot, and there was mayhem on the bridge.

From Westminster Hall, parliamentarians and others were taken to Westminster Abbey, where we waited, more than 1,000 of us, for the next two hours. There was something characteristically defiant in the young woman from the abbey who came up and asked if she brought a tray of tea would it be welcome? (It was.) The staff at the abbey did everything they could to make it a place of sanctuary and safety.

And as I looked at the faces of the paramedics and the rescue personnel in Westminster Abbey with us, they reminded me in so many ways of the hot days after the 7/7 London bombings when I visited each of the Tube stations that had been attacked. In the aftermath of the attack I had been privileged to be asked by the then Prime Minister to co-ordinate the Governments support and response to those who were bereaved and hundreds of survivors.

Every event of this kind is unique and the suffering that binds people together is specific to each tragedy but there were so many resonances on Wednesday that reminded me powerfully of 7/7. I recalled the Underground staff who emerged from the tunnels in the days after 7/7, their faces ashen and expressionless. Those who cared for the wounded this week have had to absorb unimaginable horror, just as those servicing the Underground after the July bombings had to.

London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil 1 /21 London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners light candles as they gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil A woman holds up a sign at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil A tribute at a vigil in Trafalgar Square for the victims of Wednesday's attack Lucy Young Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack at Trafalgar Square Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People hold up signs at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Andy Rain/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square Amy Ashenden Trafalgar Square vigil A few people were left paying their respects late in the evening after the crowds had dispersed from Trafalgar Square following a vigil Lucy Young Floral tributes are seen in Westminster the day after an attack in London REUTERS Candles burn on Westminster Bridge the day after an attack in London Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil A woman reacts at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Hannah McKay/Reuters

Of course all of us still remember 7/7 and its impact on London, and before that the 9/11 attack in New York. In the London attacks, 54 people died on their way to work and countless hundreds of the survivors saw their lives changed for ever, unable to travel by bus again or to take the Tube, carrying deep trauma into their lives. The trauma will be similar in the case of the victims of this weeks terrorism; there are many, as yet untellable, stories from the scores of people who were caught up in the horror of Westminster on Wednesday.

And, as with 7/7, some good things emerged from the awful events. There was, as I found, a palpable sense of community that develops from the shared experience of spending two hours with more than 1,000 people in Westminster Abbey  united across the party divides. A resilience of spirit meant people organised themselves in little groups, keeping seats for each other, discovering the way to the toilets and sharing the tea and biscuits. Amid the mundanity of all this we were scouring Twitter and news sites to find out what was happening.

In these circumstances we were very quickly sharing information, and throughout this whole process we could see what used to seem the irritating ritual of everyday security becoming life-saving. The procedures to do with visitors and security passes and the professionalism of doorkeepers and police in the Palace of Westminster created calm and oversaw a process that extended no special favours to anyone. Anyone who thought theyd be allowed out learned that the same rules applied to everyone.

Then there were the qualities it revealed in London. There are so many cliches about London: that we are together, we are a diverse, open and tolerant city  actually, it turns out that theyre not cliches. Theyre the values by which all of us as Londoners live every day. On the way to the Tube after we left the abbey I heard a young man on his phone talking abusively about Muslims who had done this.

Sadiq Khan speaks at Trafalgar Square vigil for victims of Westminster attack

But he was an exception. We shall not be divided by some fanatic who decides to destroy the lives of a countless number of people. That responsibility to maintain unity sits on all of us.

Over the days ahead, the memories of this will settle and the immediate trauma will recede  but not for those who are bereaved, not for those children on Westminster Bridge who will never forget the horrors they encountered when they came to London.

And there are things that have to be done by government. Learning from 7/7, we must ensure that counselling and support is available for those affected, that there is a memorial service to remember the dead and to reflect on what happened. There should be a lasting memorial to those who died and to the emergency staff who, like PC Keith Palmer, showed such courage.

London genuinely is resilient. On the Underground to work this morning I was struck by the way the Tube was as crowded as usual, with young women putting on make-up or checking their phones. So much has changed for London, and so much remained the same. Thats what we have to be proud of. We were neither cowed nor intimidated and all of us, even if we were unharmed, received messages of love.

After 7/7, the people of London showed resilience and humanity. There has never been a better demonstration of the tolerance and openness that makes this city what is. But we showed our essential humanity on Wednesday, too. Think of the heroic efforts of rescue teams and the police, not to mention the acts of kindness of the strangers on the street who helped the wounded.

When I was the minister for humanitarian assistance I heard the Queen read from The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder: There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning. That sense of concern, of solidarity for the people whose lives have changed for ever, lives on in London.
I s she OK? My first thought was for my wife, who works inside Westminster. My second was that I can probably guess the motivation, if not background, of the attacker with depressing familiarity.

Islamist terrorism has become so frequent around the world as to have become routine. Yet theres nothing like an attack on those you love or where you live to jolt you out of that complacency.

Personally, I dont have much truck with people who try to draw an equivalence with a terror attack on a normally safe city with that on a normally unsafe city.

Their intention is usually to make you feel guilty for caring more about something closer to home than something that happened in a conflict zone or a troubled part of the world, as if theres only a limited amount of pain and suffering to go around.

The very reason that millions of people visit the capital each year, and thousands choose to make it their new home, is because it is an incredibly safe city.

London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil 1 /21 London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners light candles as they gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil A woman holds up a sign at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil A tribute at a vigil in Trafalgar Square for the victims of Wednesday's attack Lucy Young Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack at Trafalgar Square Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People hold up signs at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Andy Rain/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square Amy Ashenden Trafalgar Square vigil A few people were left paying their respects late in the evening after the crowds had dispersed from Trafalgar Square following a vigil Lucy Young Floral tributes are seen in Westminster the day after an attack in London REUTERS Candles burn on Westminster Bridge the day after an attack in London Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil A woman reacts at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Hannah McKay/Reuters

As well as Britons, the dead and injured included citizens of France, Romania, South Korea, Greece, Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the US.

Take a pin and stick it on a map and youd be just as likely to find someone from that part of the world walking on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon. And yet my first concern was for my wife, and then my friends, and then people I know, because that is human nature.

Politicians must speak words of defiance and carrying on as normal to give us the reassurance we need but it is not cowardly to be afraid.

Fear means we have something to lose. A man who takes a car and uses it to try to kill children and tourists before stabbing to death an unarmed officer clearly deems his own life to be so worthless that he is willing to stake it all on a potential reward in a hypothetical afterlife.

The fight against Islamist terrorism has been described as a generational struggle. It is coming up to 20 years now, and its hard to gauge how many generations were talking about.

The threat from Al Qaeda has morphed into something even nastier and more nihilistic in the form of Islamic State, but their goals have also become more concrete in the form of territorial power in Iraq and Syria.

And while the scale of 9/11 and 7/7 has been avoided, in large part due to the efforts of the police and intelligence services, the entry level for terrorism has been lowered to the ability to drive a car and obtain a knife.

Westminster attacks: Two more 'significant arrests' made

It is impossible to mitigate against that type of threat, even if we wanted to live in a police state with unchecked surveillance powers.

The death of Martin McGuinness this week prompted tributes and criticism from people with differing views of the recent past. Its also a reminder that absolute security has never truly existed, and of the timescales involved in defeating terrorism.

As a Muslim, my entire adult life has been, and will probably continue to be, defined by belonging to the most reviled and feared community in the Western world. I sincerely hope thats not the case for my own children, that by the time they reach adulthood the threat has changed into something else, because some sort of threat will always exist in some form or another.

Proportionality of response remains the hardest thing to get right. How to improve security at one of the most heavily fortified buildings in the most heavily policed areas of London? A security review will rightly be carried out now but is it possible to make Westminster much safer than it is already? Is it desirable to make the seat of our democracy a no-go area for the public?

A specific threat based on credible intelligence  say the threat of explosives concealed in electronic devices  may justify banning passengers from taking laptops and tablets with them onto airplanes.

But a ban on people flying to countries because of where they come from, or their religion, appears to be a disproportionate response based on shoddy, if any, intelligence.

The relatives of those killed, and the people injured, in the attack may never fully recover from the atrocity. They deserve our sympathy and respect. For the rest of us the question is how we respond proportionately to what happened in Westminster on Wednesday.

My wife was OK. She was shaken and upset, understandably as she witnessed the death of PC Keith Palmer and the shooting of the man who allegedly killed him, from the window where she works.

As a journalist she had to write about what she saw, and then like millions of other Londoners she caught the Tube home, ate dinner, went to bed and got up the next morning to get on with her life.
N eed a bold bag that will suit your busy lifestyle? Enter the fashion backpack.

A staple in the nineties, the practical carry-all has been given a stylish update and is now an essential item for the it' girl.

The high-end offerings from brands such as Gucci and Burberry are approved by the likes of Cara Delevingne and Kylie Jenner, but if thats not enough to make you splash out, then the high-street has got your back too.

From funky embellishments to on-trend embroidery, here are five backpacks we love this season.

1. Skinnydip Floral Embroidered Backpack

Be quick: this embroidered bag from Skinnydip, the brand that brings us dazzling phone cases, quirky handbags and insta-worthy headphones, is selling fast. Theres plenty of room for everyday-essentials, so youll not only look cool, but be prepared for anything the day throws at you.

38, ASOS, Buy it now

2. Zara Scarf Backpack

Scarves are big this season, and Zara knows it. The high-street heros pastel-hued backpack, decorated with a bandana-print scarf, is a trendy commuters dream. The adjustable shoulder straps will keep you comfy while you strut your style.

19.99, Zara, Buy it now

3. Fjallraven Re-Kanken Mini Backpack

Designed with hikers in mind, the classic backpacks from Swedish outdoor brand Fjallraven can withstand years of tough use. Bring hues of pink into your spring wardrobe with this mini monochrome number, made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.

55, Coggles, Buy it now



4. New Look Rose Gold Metallic Panel Backpack

This one earns its style statement from a shimmery metallic finish. With clean lines, contrasting faux leather details and different carrying options, its perfect for keeping your giving your everyday look an up-to-date feel.

22.99, New Look, Buy it now

5. Anya Hindmarch Mini Cloud Backpack

If there was any bag that could brighten up those gloomy Mondays, it would be this one. Its as practical as they come, with a large front pocket for smaller items and shoulder straps with padding for extra comfort. The playful design is created with layers of different-textured leather.

1,395, Monnier Freres, Buy it now

Follow us on Twitter @ESLifeandStyle and on Facebook
A pril is definitely not the cruellest month if you're a theatre lover. Here's the lowdown on a treasure trove of openings coming your way.

Angels in America

Its the month for them: Angels in America is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated production of the year. Tony Kushner was writing six hour double bills before Harry Potter had even said alohomora, and his exploration of the AIDs crisis in 1980s America has become part of the canon. And look at that cast: Andrew Garfield, Denise Gough, Russell Tovey, Nathan Lane, James McArdle. Tickets are sold out but there will be NT Live broadcasts from July 20.

From April 11, National Theatre; nationaltheatre.org.uk

The Ferryman

Jez Butterworth is back, and everyone is very excited. His new play is set during The Troubles in 1981 and stars Paddy Considine with Sam Mendes directing. Will it be as epic as the decade-defining Jerusalem? Who knows. Either way, the Royal Court run is sold out and a West End transfer has already been announced.

April 24 - May 20, Royal Court Theatre; royalcourttheatre.com

Buy tickets for The Ferryman in the West End with Evening Standard Tickets

The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui

The Donmar are staging Brechts famous play about the rise of the demagogue - we cant think why. Clybourne Park playwright Bruce Norris offers a new translation with Lenny Henry in the starring role.

April 20 - June 17, Donmar Warehouse; donmarwarehouse.com

City of Glass

No, its not a discarded La La Land B-side, its an adaptation of a seminal Paul Auster novel. Duncan Macmillan is on adapting duty for a tale about a reclusive crime writer who receives a mysterious phone call in the middle of the night (written before flight mode was a thing). 59 Productions are on hand to offer some dazzling technical stage magic too.

April 20 - May 20, Lyric Hammersmith; lyric.co.uk

The Treatment

Martin Crimps contemporary satire about a film studio in New York premiered at the Royal Court in 1993. Now its getting a revival at the Almeida, directed by Lyndsey Turner with choreography by Arthur Pita. The cast includes Indira Varma, Julian Ovenden and Aisling Loftus. It will be interesting to see what resonances remain over twenty years on.

April 24 - June 10, Almeida Theatre; almeida.co.uk

All The Things I Lied About

Our critic gave this show the five star seal of approval when it was at Edinburgh Fringe last summer, describing it as riveting and funny. Katie Bonnas show about lying now gets a run at Soho Theatre, which sounds like a great show for our post-truth era.

April 18 - May 6, Soho Theatre; sohotheatre.com

Junkyard

Is there anything that Jack Thorne cant turn his hand to? He was already a tip top playwright before he wrote the scripts for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and made TV gold with This Is England. Now hes written a musical. This Headlong show comes to Rose Theatre Kingston.

April 19 - 30, Rose Theatre Kingston

Buy tickets for Junkyard with Evening Standard Tickets

Cock and Bull

This show - three women forming their own party conference - was originally created on the eve of the 2015 election, deconstructing political rhetoric to expose the lack of meaning within. You can cast your vote for this show (or just book a ticket for it) at the Southbank Centre this month.

April 25-30, Southbank Centre; southbankcentre.co.uk

The Philanthropist

(Shaun Webb)

This comedy about a bunch of academics who arent in touch with the real world may be just want you need to avoid the real world this month. Lily Cole makes her West End debut amongst very funny people Simon Bird, Matt Berry, Charlotte Ritchie and Tom Rosenthal. Simon Callow directs.

April 3 - July 22, Trafalgar Studios

Buy tickets for The Philanthropist with Evening Standard Tickets

Romeo and Juliet

You know summer is coming when you can be a groundling at the Globe again. Emma Rices unmissable last season opens with a English National Opera boss Daniel Kramer directing Romeo and Juliet. Get your kagoule out and get ready for some heavy duty flirty chat from underneath a balcony.

April 22 - July 9, Shakespeares Globe; shakespearesglobe.com
Hyderabad, Mar 24 (IBNS): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of the Telangana Legislative Assembly have been suspended from the house for the rest of the week by the Speaker on Friday, according to media reports.

Speaker Madhusudhana Chary Sirikonda suspended the BJP members for obstructing the proceedings of House.

The five BJP members, including their leader K Laxman, were handed over the suspension by the Speaker after they trooped in the well of the house to protest the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government's move to increase the reservation for Muslims in the state, reported NDTV.

Congress, the main Opposition party in the LA staged a walk out to protest against the suspension of the BJP members.

Image: TelanganaLegislature website
T heatre impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh today said life has caught up with Miss Saigon as his Broadway reprise of the classic musical was hailed for resonating with the current political climate in the US.

The show, first staged in 1989 and written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, transplants the Madam Butterfly story to war-torn Vietnam in 1975.

Now Sir Cameron has transferred Miss Saigon from the Prince Edward Theatre, bringing over actors Eva Noblezada, Alistair Brammer, Jon Jon Briones and Rachelle Ann Go who starred in the West End production.

It opened on Broadway last night and critics and audiences have drawn comparisons with Donald Trumps policies over refugees and his proposed Mexican border wall.

Sierra Boggess, Michael Grandage and Imogen Lloyd Webber attended the opening night of Miss Saigon at the Broadway Theatre near Manhattans Times Square.

Among Miss Saigons parallels with modern-day politics is a remark by the Eurasian pimp The Engineer (played by Briones) to Make America Great again, the US presidents slogan.

Arts picks of the week: 20th-26th March 1 /6 Arts picks of the week: 20th-26th March The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945 This exhibition is going to give you house goals that you will probably never be able to achieve in your damp Camberwell houseshare. But go and enjoy it anyway. Its the first major UK exhibition to offer a look at Japanese domestic architecture from the Second World War to now, profiling over 40 architects. It includes a full-size recreation of the prize-winning Moriyama House (no, you cant move in).



March 23 - June 25, Barbican Centre; barbican.org.uk Howard Hodgkin: Absent Friends Howard Hodgkin, one of Britains most celebrated artists, recently passed away - but its testament to his impact that there were already three shows planned around his work. The first is at the National Portrait Gallery, and is the first ever exhibition of his portraits.



March 23 - June 18, National Portrait Gallery; npg.org.uk The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? After the five-star success of Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Comes another Edward Albee production. This time, Damian Lewis and Sophie Okonedo star in a comic masterpiece about a man who embarks on a rather interesting love affair.



March 24 - June 24, Theatre Royal Haymarket BMW Tate Live Exhibition: Ten Days Six Nights Get ready for something new - this is an art exhibition that unfolds over a period of time. A number of artists (including Isabel Lewis who was recently interviewed by the Standard friezeartfair.com ) will come together, to create daytime installations that are a springboard for nighttime ticketed events. Expect music, scent, food, dance and, from Fujiko Nakaya, lots of fog.



March 24 - April 2, Tate Modern; tate.org.uk People Power: Fighting for Peace The Imperial War Museum is going all peace and love for a new exhibition exploring a history of peace movements. From the First World War to the present day, it will explore the things people have done to fight against war.



March 23 - August 28, Imperial War Museum; iwm.org.uk Big Guns Exciting up and coming playwright Nina Segals latest play gets its premiere at The Yard this week, directed by Dan Hutton. Described as an unsettling exploration of violence and a society living in fear, its a great excuse for a fun trip to Hackney Wick.



March 21 - April 8, The Yard; theyardtheatre.co.uk

Sir Cameron told the Standard: Whats interesting is that life has caught up with Miss Saigon. We havent tried to make the show by rewriting it. Now the kind of things happening with the Vietnam war and in the plot are happening worldwide today. That gives the show a timely but also timeless connotation.

AM New York wrote the show is more relevant and heartbreaking today than when it premiered on Broadway in 1991 while Deadline Hollywood said it was sensational in every way. The New York Times also cited topical echoes in an otherwise negative review that declared the show still mostly comes across as singing scenery.
P eriods may be annoying, but at least they're predictable  sort of. If yours is a little delayed this cycle, and you're not trying to get pregnant right now, your first instinct is probably to freak out a bit. But don't.

There are actually many things that can delay your period that have nothing to do with being pregnant. For instance, many medications list delayed periods as a side effect, especially psychiatric drugs that can elevate your levels of prolactin. (This hormone is produced in low levels by your body at all times, but it becomes elevated during and right after pregnancy to help you produce breast milk.)

"Usually women get told [about the possibility] because its a relatively common side effect" of these medications, explains Raquel B. Dardik, MD at the NYU Langone Medical Center. "So its not usually much of a surprise."

However, other culprits might seem to come out of nowhere.

Before we get to those, we need to quickly mention a few caveats: in most of the cases to follow, we're talking about just one late period. If this has happened to you three or more times in a row, that's a sign that you should check in with your doctor to make sure you're not dealing with irregular periods, which can be caused by more pressing matters like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or fibroids (benign uterine tumours).

Also, if your period is over a week late and you know you've had unprotected sex this cycle, it's time to take a pregnancy test.

1. Stress

One of the most common causes of a later period is, unfortunately, stress. That's because when you're stressed, your level of the hormone cortisol increases. And, says Dr. Dardik, "that can delay ovulation or suppress it altogether."

Of course, "that's sort of a double whammy," Dr. Dardik says, because you're already stressed and being worried about a missed period isn't exactly going to help that situation. So if you've been through some trying times or experienced heightened anxiety recently, give yourself a break and be patient.

2. Birth control pills

"It's hard to reassure somebody that not getting [a] period doesnt mean they're pregnant when theyre on the pill," Dr. Dardik says. "Thats the most common phone call that I will get."

However, the truth is that hormonal birth control is the other major cause of period weirdness. Dr. Dardik explains that the dose of hormones we get with the pill is very low these days. That causes the endometrial lining to grow very thin, which is a good thing because it makes your period very light. But the pill can also make it too light, even to the point that there's really nothing to shed  and no period to have.

But that's not a huge health worry because, as we wrote previously, you really don't need a period anyway..

3. Emergency contraception

The morning after pill is "a big dose of [synthetic] progesterone," Dr. Dardik says. That hormone surge prevents ovulation and it "can delay your period for up to a week," she explains. But if your period is at least a week late, this is definitely a situation in which you're going to want to take a pregnancy test to calm your mind.

Luxuries equivalent to the 18k women spend on periods in a lifetime 1 /8 Luxuries equivalent to the 18k women spend on periods in a lifetime 20 Mulberry Bayswater bags Alexa Chungs favourite handbag in a classic oak hue costs a splurge-worthy 895 to buy - but you could buy 20 with your 18k budget Getty A night in the Apartment at The Connaught, London If youre looking for a less practical luxury to splurge your money on, you could blow it all on a night at Mayfair's premier penthouse suite - with lofty living spaces, a luxury four-poster bed and roaring fires to boot. A Tiffany engagement ring (with 5000 spare to spend on the wedding band) A refund on a lifetime of sanitary products is equivalent to being able to buy Tiffany's Soleste ring - a brilliant diamond encircled by a double row of bead-set diamonds... with a cool 5K to spare on a complementary wedding ring. Tiffany A Bente 24 boat Doing away with periods for good could get you your own personal Bente boat. Sailing around the coast or making a lifetime of trips to Boots? We know which one wed choose... Bente 25 Iphone 6 Plus handsets Liable to losing your phone? you can buy 25 32G iPhone 6 Plus back up handsets with change to spare. Getty A Tibetan Mastiff and Samoyed puppy (two of the worlds most expensive breeds) 18k will get you two of the most and expensive and coveted breeds in the world - a Tibetan Mastiff can cost up to 7,000 while a thoroughbred Samoyed can set you back 10,000. Getty

4. Your thyroid

The thyroid is a little butterfly-shaped gland that sits in your neck. It's here that your body produces hormones that affect many bodily processes, including your period.

If your thyroid is overactive (a.k.a hyperthyroidism), you're more likely to have lighter periods. And with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) your periods may be especially heavy. But both conditions can cause irregular cycles that may end up delaying or skipping your period.

Thyroid issues also tend to affect your energy levels, moods, and even your heart rate. So if your thyroid is at the root of your period issue, you probably also have other symptoms. Although thyroid conditions may be particularly confusing to diagnose, treatment is usually quite straightforward. Check in with your doctor if you think this might be your issue.

5. Extreme circumstances

Stress certainly counts in this category. But if you've been through other extreme situations recently, your period may be out of whack.

That could include life changes like major surgery or significant weight loss associated with an eating disorder, Dr. Dardik says. It could also include a traumatic experience, such as sexual assault, a loss of a loved one, or a really bad car accident. So if you've been through a major life moment, consider that your late period could be a symptom of that. Check in with your doctor to pin it down and if you're really having trouble, don't be shy about seeking the help of a mental health counsellor.

6. Travel

If you've been travelling, chances are you've been stressed. That alone can delay your period. But also, if you happened to be travelling across the International Date Line, it's possible that your period tracking got a little out of whack too  you might not actually be that late!

Read more from Refinery29:

Money Diary: A Week In Copenhagen On A 43k Salary

How To Make Your Desk Into The Most Productive Space Ever

Finally, Some Good News For UK Property Renters
T here's so much financial advice out there that it's near impossible to follow all of it.

But missing the most important  and often most basic  words of wisdom could end up costing you big time.

To help out, we combed through our archives to round up the best money advice from financial planners, bestselling authors, and the second-richest man on earth, that will help you save and earn the most money.

Below, check out the eight pieces of money advice you simply can't afford to ignore.

1. Pay yourself first

"People still don't grasp the fact that they need to save a dime out of every dollar," author and self-made millionaire David Bach told Business Insider in a Facebook Live interview. He said the average person who's saving money is saving just 15 minutes a day of their income, when they should be saving an hour.

Bach noted troubling research from the Federal Reserve that revealed nearly half of people surveyed wouldn't have enough money on hand to cover a 300 emergency. Yet, he continued, millions of those people will buy a coffee at Starbucks today and expect to shell out for the new iPhone next year. People have money, he says, but we aren't saving it.

So get on the "pay-yourself-first plan," as Bach calls it, and automatically save an hour a day of your income. "When that money is moved before you can touch it, that's how real wealth is built," he said.

2. Beware of lifestyle creep

There's a lot of pressure in your 20s and 30s to keep up with your friends. Maybe they're buying a nicer car or a house, but if you're not in the financial position to keep up, don't try.

"I always refer to it as 'lifestyle creep' because one of the big things that people can do  that's an advantage to them  is keep their fixed expenses somewhat stable and reasonable for what they make," Katie Brewer, a Dallas-based certified financial planner who founded Your Richest Life, told Business Insider.

Planning for your recurring costs  like mortgage, rent, a car payment, and insurance  ensures that expenses won't creep up on you and derail your financial future. Of course, Brewer said, if you're making good money you should have the freedom to spend it how you wish, as long as your lifestyle doesn't overtake your income.

In short: Live below your means.

Cheapest Holiday Destinations 2017 1 /14 Cheapest Holiday Destinations 2017 Valparaiso, Chile Shutterstock / f11photo San Antonio, Texas Shutterstock / f11photo Belfast, Northern Ireland Shutterstock / Kanuman Yerevan, Armenia Shutterstock / Stanislav Samoylik Las Palmas, Gran Canaria Shutterstock / ZM_Photo Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina Shutterstock / Photokanto Braga, Portugal Shutterstock / dvoevnore Kalamata, Greece Shutterstock / LMspencer Panama City, Panama Shutterstock / Sylwia Brataniec Sofia, Bulgaria Shutterstock / meunierd Lviv, Ukraine Shutterstock / Tainar

3. Invest in the stock market, just don't try to time it

"No one can time the market, so know that if there is a decline, it's going to bounce back. Over time, being in the market pays off more so than staying out of it," Michael Solari, a certified financial planner with Solari Financial Planning, told Business Insider.

A smart play, according to Solari, is to put your money in a low-cost target date retirement fund.

Sometimes known as "set it and forget it" investments, these diversified funds automatically adjust their asset allocation and risk exposure based on your age and retirement horizon. Early on, when the need for that money is still a couple decades away, the fund will adopt a more growth-focused strategy. As you ripen toward retirement, it dials back the risk.

Shutterstock / Nattapol Sritongcom

4. Build an emergency fund

Let's face it: It's really not a matter of if you'll need to fork over cash for a car or home repair, child expense, or medical emergency, but a matter of when.

"No matter how well you plan or how positively you think, there are always things out of your control that can go wrong," Bach writes in his bestseller "The Automatic Millionaire."

"People lose their jobs, their health, their spouses. The economy can go sour, the stock market can drop, businesses can go bankrupt. Circumstances change. If there's anything you can count on, it's that life is filled with unexpected changes," he wrote.

Most financial planners suggest stockpiling anywhere from three to nine months worth of expenses in an emergency fund that you can turn to when in need. If you don't have savings at the ready, you run the risk of having to rely on family or friends for help, or worse, falling into debt.

5. Pay off your credit card balance in full every month

Sometimes a credit card can feel like free money, until you're slapped with the bill. Even then, most credit cards only require you to pay 1% to 3% of your balance each month, which can be an alluring prospect if your budget is tight. But consistently paying the minimum could cost you a fortune in the long run, damage your credit score, and affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage.

Farnoosh Torabi, a financial expert, author, and host of the "So Money" podcast learned this lesson the hard way.

Not only did she swipe her credit card with no reservations and adopt the bad habit of paying just the minimum amount  Torabi said she once forgot to pay the bill all together.

She remembered incurring a late fee that showed up on her credit report and gave her a true "wake-up call." The incident happened before she "realised the power of automating" her bills, a practice that can save you money on late fees and relinquish you from remembering due dates and the embarrassment of missing a payment.

Shutterstock

6. Don't sit on too much savings

Saving money is important  and could be easier than it sounds  but if you're saving too much, you may be keeping yourself from building wealth.

Though you're "never going to kill your financial future" by accumulating money, Brewer says, "you're losing out on opportunity costs by having money sitting around ... especially if it's sitting in an account making barely anything in interest."

If you're risk-averse, one way to manage savings overflow is to move your money into a high-yield savings account, where you could be earning 1% interest on your money, rather than the 0.01% earned in a traditional savings account. Or, as previously mentioned, stick it in a low-cost target date fund and see your returns balloon over time, with little to no work required.

7. Track your spending

Business Insider's Libby Kane has written, edited, and read hundreds, maybe thousands, of stories about money during her career, and says she's learned that "the best, most critical first step you can take to improve your finances is to track your spending."

Keeping tabs on where your money is going, whether fixed expenses like rent or mortgage payments and transportation costs or discretionary spending like dining out and travel, is a crucial part of mastering your money.

Setting up a spreadsheet or using a service like LearnVest or Mint can help you make cuts where necessary and even set you on a path to early retirement, if that's what you're after.

Shutterstock / A. and I. Kruk

8. Be patient

When bestselling author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins asked billionaire Warren Buffett a few years ago, "What made you the wealthiest man in the world?" Buffett replied, "Three things: Living in America for the great opportunities, having good genes so I lived a long time, and compound interest."

"The biggest thing about making money is time," the investor, who's now worth more than $76 billion, said in a recent HBO documentary about his life. "You don't have to be particularly smart, you just have to be patient."

In his latest letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Buffett announced that he was on his way to winning a $1 million bet he made in 2007 that his investment in an S&P 500 index fund would outperform five hedge funds over a decade.
T his has been a week of contrasts for Theresa May. It started with style  her interview with US Vogue was published, alongside a much-scrutinised fashion shoot  and ended in solemnity: on Wednesday night she addressed the nation about the Westminster terrorist attack, before reportedly visiting some of the wounded at Chelsea & Westminster hospital yesterday.

Praise has been heaped on the Prime Minister for her handling of the aftermath of the atrocity, especially her speech to Parliament yesterday, in which she declared the country is not afraid. Our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism, she told the Commons. We know that democracy and the values it entails will always prevail.

Tim Farron, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, called her words both unifying and defiant, while her own party has been unwaveringly effusive. Nusrat Ghani, the MP for Wealden, says: She displayed a calm strength and a pride in our values which is resolute.

Amy Gray, a Conservative candidate who ran in Hackney North and Stoke Newington in 2015, adds: On Wednesday night I was feeling quite wobbly. My office overlooks Big Ben, and so I had been evacuated from the building. And then the PM came on and struck exactly the right tone. This was spine-stiffening stuff: we will go to work, we will get on the trains. I think when you hear Theresa saying that, it comes from the weight of six years as Home Secretary  she knows who is out there, and if she is carrying on as usual, we should be too.

Westminster Attack: Theresa May confirms the terrorist was British born

Even though Westminster was in lockdown, May insisted on going to her weekly audience with the Queen on Wednesday evening. May told her aides she would not be cowed by terror, and left Downing Street at 6pm.

Resham Kotecha, who has worked with May for almost five years at Women2Win, an organisation May co-founded, believes the PMs best attributes shone through this week. She is not the type of Prime Minister who will charm the pants off you but she is the kind who will lead this country with strength. She was so calm which is what London needed from her  and her strength was infectious.

Jack Taylor/Getty Images

Julian Knight, the Tory MP for Solihull, agrees: She is very prime ministerial. Theres a solemnity to her character which is becoming in that post at a time like this. Knight supported May in last years leadership contest from the beginning. After the Brexit vote, she was what was needed  she had gravitas.

During any leadership campaign, MPs come knocking, asking candidates what they will receive in return for their backing. Theresa said nothing, recalls a Tory MP. She cut through the crap and said, Im the best person for the job  you should support me in the interests of the country. And she was right. She was the only adult in the room.

Even now, May remains a relative unknown, here and abroad. If asked about her interests, most voters would probably only mention her colourful kitten heels. Her interview with US Vogue was about honing her image, and putting our Brexit PM in the international spotlight.

This was a great way to make her accessible, to show her human side, says Kotecha. And it was reaching out to a different group who wont be watching Question Time every week.

While we had the three stages of her predecessor David Cameron  the hug-a-hoodie caring Conservative, then the PR-led leader with his tight inner circle and finally the over-ambitious gambler Mays image is solid, not built on shifting foundations. Good governance is at its heart, says a Tory MP. Quite a counterpoint in this media age.

Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack 1 /26 Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack A police officer places flowers and a photo of Pc Keith Palmer on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in London Dominic Lipinski/PA A floral tribute to the victims of yesterday's terror attack is left at the security cordon near Westminster Abbey in central London Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images Metropolitan Police in a minute's silence at New Scotland Yard Sky News A minute's silence is observed outside New Scotland Yard in London to pay respect to the victims of yesterday's terror attack in Westminster Jonathan Brady/PA MP's in a minute's silence at the House of Commons BBC Conservative MP James Cleverly pays an emotional tribute to his friend Pc Keith Palmer, telling the Commons he was a "strong, professional public servant". PA The flag above the Houses of Parliament in London flies at half mast the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn People leave flowers at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Flowers outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London Gareth Fuller/PA Flowers at the Police Memorial after yesterday's terror attack on the Houses of Parliament in Westminste Alex Lentati Cressida Dick in a minute silence today at New Scotland Yard for Westminster terror victims Jeremy Selwyn A bunch of roses is layed at the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard in central London Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images Flowers arrive in Westminster the day after the attack Jeremy Selwyn The Union Flag on Portcullis House flies at half mast following yesterday's attack Carl Court/Getty Images Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Terror attack: Flowers placed below a police cordon on Westminster Bridge Hannah McKay/Reuters Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street, London Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Two policemen stand guard at a cordoned off area on the way to the Houses of Parliament in central London Matt Dunham/AP The royal standard at full mast above Buckingham Palace in London the day after a terrorist attack Jonathan Brady/PA

May remains untested at a general election and ruled out calling a snap vote that could have put to bed questions about her legitimacy. She not only hasnt gone to the country, though  she didnt even get the nod from the membership, since her rival Andrea Leadsom (who is whispered to be relieved not to be PM now) dropped out. But many Conservatives believe that despite being a reluctant Remainer (if now a Brexiteer with all the zeal of the convert), she would have won the backing of the membership. I phoned up 15 of my senior, party-member constituents when candidates were emerging, a Tory MP says. Thirteen went with Theresa. If it had gone to a vote, Im sure Theresa would have won  even against Boris, because Brexit had changed the job description.

Gray adds that she was TM for PM all the way: there were a lot of us quietly mobilising, making phone calls and planning events for her.

Statement: Theresa May / Sky News

This reflects Mays loyal following among women. A number of political journalists have said May lacks the network that helped bring Cameron to power. But perhaps those journalists werent looking in the right place: she may not have many parliamentary pub buddies but she does have disciples.

Many female MPs wouldnt be where they are now without May, says Gray. At the last party conference, she made sure to be at the Women2Win reception and everyone was thrilled. She was treated like a rock star there.

When Kotecha stood in Dulwich and West Norwood in 2015, May spoke at her fundraiser. Theresa networks differently from many MPs. She is reserved but very supportive. She doesnt shout about the work she does supporting female MPs and candidates. Shes been doing that for 11 years  back then, getting women ahead in politics was not a fashionable cause. The work she did there was often with no credit publicly.

Surviving six years as Home Secretary  the poisoned chalice of ministerial briefs  is a feat. Its a huge job, and its not flashy, notes Gray. A lot of it we dont see, like with MI5 and the police, what they do to keep us safe.

Gray thinks  though poles apart politically  that May is in character like Clement Attlee. His leadership style was lets get on with the job. And he rose through the ranks, as May did: she started as a councillor, then was a backbench MP, then Home Secretary.

Kotecha thinks this week will mean the nation understands May better: Im pleased the country is getting behind her  thats what she deserves.

Follow Rosamund Urwin on Twitter: @RosamundUrwin
A stillness settled on Trafalgar Square last night as thousands gathered at a candlelit vigil to remember the victims of Wednesdays attack. We have come together to send a clear message: Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism, said Home Secretary Amber Rudd, standing shoulder to shoulder with London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Met Polices Acting Commissioner Craig Mackey.

The police cordon remained in place around Parliament Square until 9pm, making the approach to Trafalgar Square more complicated than usual, but the crowd that gathered were calm, even as helicopters whirred above. I dont feel scared because thats what they want, said George Phillips, a 22- year-old Wellcome Trust worker. And if you feel that way, youre letting them win.

Here, we saw London at its best. Intrafaith groups gathered to pay their respects, while candles were kept alight beneath plastic cups. Among the crowd was Dr Atta Quddus, a lecturer at the University of Surrey who had travelled from Aldershot with other members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The group wore blue T-shirts emblazoned with the message #IAMAMUSLIM, ask me anything. A policeman joined them, and together they raised a sign reading Love for all, hatred for none. What happened yesterday was done in the name of our religion, and it hurts me, he said. So we stand shoulder to shoulder to show that we have common values, we protect them, and we wont bow down against these acts.

Friends and family of the victims attended too. Jess Okpere, 18, whose Spanish teacher Aysha Frade was one of those killed, carried daffodils. A pupil at DLD College, she had been in a McDonalds close to Westminster Bridge when 52-year-old Khalid Masood began his attack.

I just saw chaos. People were telling me the wrong thing. I kept hearing oh this person got stabbed. I didnt know what was true.

She is reeling from the death of her teacher. Its something Ive never experienced before so I cant know how Ill feel yet, she said, but Ill find a way to move on, whether it takes a few days or a few months. If anything, it will make us stronger because well realise we have to stick together in terrible times like these.

London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil 1 /21 London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners light candles as they gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil A woman holds up a sign at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil A tribute at a vigil in Trafalgar Square for the victims of Wednesday's attack Lucy Young Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack at Trafalgar Square Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People hold up signs at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Andy Rain/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square Amy Ashenden Trafalgar Square vigil A few people were left paying their respects late in the evening after the crowds had dispersed from Trafalgar Square following a vigil Lucy Young Floral tributes are seen in Westminster the day after an attack in London REUTERS Candles burn on Westminster Bridge the day after an attack in London Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil A woman reacts at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Hannah McKay/Reuters

The daffodils were the idea of her friend Matthew Newman. I thought it would be symbolic to bring something quite British to show the pride we always have.

A Franciscan nun with a British flag tied around her roller bag said she knew Ms Frade as a regular at her church, St Mary of the Angels in Bayswater. Her two little girls go to our school, she said. Im heartbroken. I never thought terrorism of this scale would happen again in London.

Candlelit vigil for Westminster attack victims held in Trafalgar Square

But she, like others, was defiant. Its the greatest city in the world, the most tolerant. I believe this will strengthen us. Im proud of the British courage and resilience.

Nursing students Megan and Faima, on placement at St Thomas, praised their colleagues. Were honoured and privileged to know many of the doctors and nurses who ran out, said Faima. We want to work to be like them.

But there was a troubling undertone. On Twitter weve been getting a lot of hate because were Muslim, said Faima, who said shed been refused service at a shopping centre checkout the previous evening because she was wearing a hijab. They need to understand that were just as scared as any other person. Were just as scared as you. Theyre targeting all of us.

Were here today to show that we are united and we will not be divided, added her friend Lipa, an 18-year-old student at Westminster College. If we stick together, nothing can break us.

Samuel Fishwick: @fish_o_wick
O ffbeat, quirky and full of fun, Bristol has long been a favourite for a last-minute weekend break for those in the know.

Now the cats well and truly out of the bag - the city has been named as the best place to live in Britain, according to the Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide.

Described as a small city that feels like a big city, Bristol beat off stiff competition from London and other major UK destinations to take the well-deserved top spot.

Elegant Georgian architecture, smart dining destinations and buzzy nightlife spots there are dozens of reasons why you should plan a visit to this cool and creative city. Here are just a handful.

Food scene

Youll never run out of places to eat in Bristol, and the city has built a reputation on its vibrant foodie scene. Locals will tell you that the best fare is plated up at Casamia - a Michelin-starred dining experience thats as famed for its seasonally changing decor as it is for its tasting menus. Mediterranean-inspired tapas spot Bell's Diner is also a highlight, as is neighbourhood gem Wilsons, London export The Ivy Clifton Brasserie and modern British restaurant Bulrush. Street food is big here, and come July, summer pop-ups start appearing in trendy St Nicks Market. Wander around on a hot afternoon and youll find a surfeit of unassuming trucks and carts that will serve up fresh, tasty and aromatic grub right in front of you.

Nightlife and festivals

Like most student cities, Bristol knows how to throw a good party from dusk til dawn. There are underground dive bars, cosy pubs, retro nightclubs and music venues to keep even the most hackneyed hipster happy. Sound-system culture is at the heart of city, and so youll find plenty of places to party if youre a fan of turntables -Timbuk2, Motion and Basement 45 are the best places to head for dance and D&B. Meanwhile, Bristols huge summer festival, Love Saves The Day, sees thousands of party-goers descend on Eastville Park for live music, DJ sets and all-round good vibes.

Culture & history

Bristol has a fascinating history as one of the countrys most economically important cities - in medieval times it competed with York for the title of Englands largest city after London - and so no stopover is complete without a visit to its harbourside history museum, M Shed. The converted 1950s transit shed is a fascinating intro to the changing face of Bristol, from prehistoric times to the 21st century. Clifton Observatory high up on the downs is also worth a visit - its home to one of only two camera obscuras open to the public in England. The site affords terrific views over Bristol and a birds eye view of Brunels famous suspension bridge below.

Banksy spotting

The street art scene is a big part of Bristol life. Local boy Banksy started as a freehand graffiti artist in the city in the Nineties, and so you can see some of his earliest original murals while wandering around the city with a coffee on a free afternoon. Keep your eyes peeled for the very famous Mild, Mild West and The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum. Its not just Banksys work thats worth venturing outdoors for, however, and there are new works popping up all the time - Breakdancing Jesus in Stokes Croft, created by the artist Cosmo Sarson, is also an epic sight to behold.

Getty Images

Independent shopping

Bristol is a sanctuary for magpies on the hunt for second-hand treasures, one-off designer pieces and rare records - so make sure you come with an empty boot and a full wallet. If retail therapy is your thing, check out Garment Quarter for one-off pieces from the catwalk, Gloucester Road for vintage shopping and Clifton Village for a spot of antiques hunting.

Cafe culture

Small St. Espresso, The Stock Exchange Bakery, Baristas youre never far from an excellent cup of coffee in Bristol. Daytrippers should make a pitstop at the Playground Coffee House, where you can sit on swings while you slurp your drinks, or hunker down in one of their leather sofas and tuck into their massive pile of board games.

Playground Coffee House

Boutique hotels

Bars and restaurants are all well and good, but where do weekenders go to get a good nights kip? Well-heeled clientele hang their hats at chic boutique lodgings Bristol Harbour Hotel, which is set in two former Grade II Listed former banks and overlooks trendy St.Nicholas market. As well as luxury digs, the hotel boasts the brasserie-style Jetty restaurant, cosy cocktails bars and a brand spanking new spa to pad around in on a weekend afternoon.

Cool neighbourhoods

Hackney fans will love buzzy Stokes Croft, a special pocket of the city thats home to cafes, drinking spots and all manner of fixie bike-riding freelancers. Get your laundry done and pick up a soy latte at At The Well (a laundrette come coffe shop, naturally), tuck into vegan avo on toast at Cafe Kino or pop into The Canteen for an Aperol Spritz - Bristols open air answer to Franks Cafe. Banksy was one of the first to tag here, but Stokes Croft is now home to dozens of inspiring street murals from all corners of the globe.

Amazing lido

The Clifton Lido makes for a great day out when the sun is shining. Unlike many other of Britains outdoor swimming spots, it's been given a stunning makeover with a new spa and restaurant. Pop in for a cup of tea in the glass-walled bar or soak up the rays outside as you watch the swimmers go by.

Cosy old pubs

Bristols lively pub scene is no secret. There are charming, old-fashioned boozers, trendy microbreweries and pretty pubs with roaring fires. Locals recommend you check out The Cornubia (a real ale pub thats been around for donkeys), smart cellar bar The Beer Emporium and snug, 19th-century pub The Highbury Vaults. The Corrie Tap also brews its own cider so strong, youll probably only be able to stomach a half pint.
A British drugs kingpin who ran a 60 million cocaine smuggling racket while in hiding at a luxury Spanish villa has been jailed for 18 years.

Paul Monk, 56, spent years shipping huge quantities of cocaine and cannabis from Europe into Britain.

When he was snared in 2015 at his luxury villa in Javier, near Benidorm, Monk was instructing workmen as they lay marble tiles around his swimming pool.

Detectives found accounting notes about the supply of 997 kilos of cocaine with a street value of 59.8 million, as well as an imitation firearm and silencer, 125,000 euros stashed in a plant pot and a fake Slovenian passport.

The high-purity cocaine was smuggled into Britain on the back of lorries from Spain in 2014 and 2015, before being diluted and sold on the streets, the Old Bailey heard.

Swoop: The moment Paul Monk was arrested by police and NCA officers

Monk, who used to live in Hornchurch, in Essex, had fled the UK for Spain in 2013 while on licence from a nine-year sentence for the supply of cannabis.

But Spanish Police said he never left the villa for fear he would be shot dead by rivals or arrested, relying on friends to being him food as he led the life of an authentic fugitive.

Jailing him for 18 years, Judge Anuja Dhir QC said Monk was at the very highest level in the drugs world.

I am satisfied that you played a leading role in that conspiracy, she said.

Police found wads of cash at the luxury villa

Monk was jailed in 2007 for a 3 million cannabis smuggling plot, stashing the drugs in air conditioning units at his business premises in Grays, Essex.

After being released from prison in 2013, Monk fled to Spain where he holed up in his luxury villa, fearing that rival drug dealers wanted him dead, and he never left to avoid the risk of being arrested.

He got other people to bring him food and other things in the villa where he hid out, said Spanish Police.

Police obtained a European Arrest Warrant in 2014 and captured the drugs kingpin in April the following year, filming the dramatic arrest as they raided Monks Spanish bolthole.

Following his arrest, Monk was quizzed over the gangland murder of drug dealer Francis Brennan, whose body was found washed up on a Costa Blanca beach. However no charges have been brought against him.

Detective Sergeant David Williams, who led Met Police efforts to capture Monk, said: Monk is a career criminal who showed a disregard for the laws of UK after he fled to Spain in 2013 to escape justice.

He obtained false identity documents in order to evade authorities while he continued to run an international drug supply network from his home in Spain.

He said Monk played a pivotal role in the drug smuggling network and thanks Spanish police for helping to arrest him.

Monk pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and a separate charge of supplying a kilogram of cocaine.
T his is the first picture of a teenager shot dead at close range as he sat in a parked car on a busy shopping street.

Witnesses described hearing two gunshots near the junction of Bedford Road in Ilford at 10pm on Tuesday.

A nearby shop worker pulled Abdi Sheikhey, 19, from the parked Mercedes and attempted to revive him in the road as paramedics arrived.

But the former Wanstead High School pupil, who studied mechanical engineering at Redbridge College, was pronounced dead at the scene an hour later.

Ilford shooting: first picture of teenager shot as he sat in parked car

His murder came 48 hours after 18-year-old David Adegbite was shot in the head less than two miles away in a gang ambush.

Scotland Yard has said it has no information to suggest the two killings are linked.

Mr Sheikheys friends took to social media to pay tribute to the student. One said: He was such a lovely guy. At school he always brought his homework in early and he loved science.

David Monroe wrote on Facebook: My bro this is the last time Ill ever speak to you again, I miss you. Ill love you forever. A shop worker said: There was some sort of a gang fight and then a stabbing and two gunshots and then the shooters drove off.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A teenager has been jailed for eight years after stabbing a 17-year-old with a 13-inch knife in a despicable attack.

Jordan Johnson-Ogunkoya, 19, was with a group of people who attacked two teenage boys on Halloween 2014 in a case of mistaken identity.

He stabbed two of them  leaving one with a severed bowel in two places and serious damage to his renal artery.

Johnson-Ogunkoya of Turnham Road, Brockley, was jailed for eight years at the Old Bailey on Friday having previously pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent.

The Judge described the knife that was used as "a shocking weapon" and stated that Johnson-Ogunkoya posed "a high risk of harm".

Judge Bate added: "We see this all too often, young man carrying knives routinely, with grievous or fatal consequences and young lives are left utterly ruined."

Stabbing: Police were called to Queens Mead Recreation Ground / Google Maps

Police rushed to Queens Mead Recreation Ground in Bromley just before midnight on October 31 following reports of a large group of youths attacking two teens.

Officers found a 17-year-old boy suffering from serious injuries to the abdomen and a 16-year-old with stab wounds to his leg.

Both were rushed to a south London hospital and the 16-year-old victim was discharged a few hours later.

The 17-year-old victim remained in hospital until December after suffering a large stab wound to the abdomen. He lost lots of blood and was left with life changing injuries.

Detective inspector Charles Clare said: "This was a despicable, cowardly and wholly unprovoked attack which has had a significant impact on the life of both the young victim and his family. He very nearly died.

There was nothing at all to connect the victims to Johnson-Ogunkoya, they were simply the victims of mistaken identity.

"The investigation was exceedingly challenging and I am delighted we have secured this conviction. I would like to thank the bravery of the victim and his family and hope this result allows them to move forward."

Johnson-Okunkoya was arrested on June 2016  two years after the stabbing  after a huge police investigation.

After being charged he fled the country to Jamaica but was arrested again at Gatwick Airport on December 29.


A self-confessed teenage gangster who stabbed a talented rapper to death in a brutal fight outside a primary school has been jailed for 14 years.

Amani Lynch, then 17, knifed Champion Ganda 11 times in the shocking broad-daylight attack, piercing his lung and inflicting wounds so deep the knife chipped the bone.

Champion, also 17, a talented rapper under the name Chrome and a former Arsenal youth trainee, collapsed a short distance from the attack, which happened just outside Sandringham Primary School in Forest Gate.

At the Old Bailey on Friday afternoon, Judge Wendy Joseph QC sentenced Lynch to 14 years in youth detention, saying he had committed himself to a life of serious organised crime despite his young age.

Im quite satisfied either Mr Lynch brought the knife to the scene or he was at least well-aware the knife was in the cab and you were complicit in it being there, she said.

She it was pure good fortune that the primary school pupils did not witness the attack during their lunch break.

Victim: Champion Ganda died of his stab wounds / Met Police

If that had happened, the effects are hardly bear thinking about, she said.

Three members of staff who did see it were still visibly horrified and distressed as they gave evidence three years later.

The judge said Lynch had shown an utter lack of understanding of what he had done, and criticised his behaviour during the trial, when he was seen grinning in the dock and joking around just yards away from Champions grieving relatives.

I dont accept his behaviour was a sign of immaturity, it was a sign of his determination to intimidate a co-defendant who had decided to tell the court Mr Lynch was the stabber, and Mr Lynch had equally resolved not to say it.

The court heard Lynch summoned friends to the court public gallery during the trial in a failed bid to intimidate co-accused Devante Clifford, who was preparing to point the finger at him for the fatal stabbing.

The jury cleared Lynch of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter, while Clifford and a third man, Marvin Simos, were both acquitted of both charges.

The three men had been in a cab together on May 9, 2013 when they came across Champion, a performing arts student at Stratford College, and his friend, Shaquille Davis, who were on their way to deal cannabis.

Lynch and his friends chased the two teenagers, and then a fight broke out in which Lynch was seen brandishing a knife.

He stabbed Shaquille twice and knifed Champion 11 times before fleeing with the bloodied knife hidden up his sleeve, quickly ditching the weapon and his blood-stained clothes.

Lynch was later heard boasting about the stabbing in a branch of KFC, the court heard.

At the sentencing hearing today, Champions mother Peguy Kato-Sweye told the court of the devastation her family has suffered and asked Lynch to explain what he did.

There was something I always wanted to ask the boy involved in my sons death  if you were strong enough, why didnt you just beat him up? she said, in a victim impact statement.

Why did you have to stab him eleven times and permanently take him away from his family?

Champion Ganda: Pictured with his sister Jennifer

My son was nothing like the boy that did this to him, he will never be special like Champion. Everybody who knew Champion knew how special he was.

I have so many unanswered questions as to why this boy took my son from me, including what gave you the right to kill Champion the way you did.

What issues towards Champion were so big that it was worth taking away his life and taking away a loving son, brother, and grandson?

Mrs Kato-Sweye also lashed out at Lynch for his behaviour during the trial, saying: What makes my pain more unbearable is seeing the lack of emotion or respect towards us.

I see the boy laughing and joking and looking up towards his family members in the public gallery, he acts like he is special and enjoying life which is something my family are not able to do since the loss of Champion.

Champions sister Jennifer said her five-year-old son Mekel still asks after his uncle and she dreads the day she will have to explain why he is not there.

I know that one day I will have to explain to him the harsh reality that a cruel, heartless, selfish, inconsiderate human being hated Uncle Champion so much that he took his life, she said.

Champions girlfriend, Danielle, added: Champion truly is one in a million and I hope that when this is over and justice is served everyone remembers his name because he is Champion and he is still important, he is not the victim or the deceased as you say, he is Champion and will forever by Champion.

Lynch was arrested four days after the stabbing, hiding out in a fellow drug dealers bedsit, but he remained on police bail because of a protracted effort to extradite Clifford from St Lucia.

Prosecutor Simon Denison QC said Lynch was a hardened gang member who has 15 previous convictions, including seven drug crimes, two assaults, and he was caught with a knife in 2013.

He committed a further offence of drug dealing while on bail, and Judge Joseph commented: Clearly even at that date, Mr Lynch, young as he was, had then committed himself to a life involved in serious crime.

Clearly he was paying no heed to the court and has no respect for the order of law.

In his own account on the evidence, he made it plain he had whole-heartedly embraced the life and lifestyle of drug dealing because, as he put it, he wanted the money.

Lynch, of Vanguard Close, Canning Town, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter. He was also found guilty of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm on Shaquille Davis.

He will serve half the 14 year sentence before being considered for release.
New Delhi, Mar 24 (IBNS): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh received the 9-Member Russian delegation led by the Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov here today.

Rajnath Singh informed the visiting delegation that India and Russia are all weather friends and enjoy family like relations.

He said that our bilateral relations had withstood all trying times in the midst of changing nature of international and political relations.

Rajnath Singh said that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, have been meeting on different occasions to share and strengthen the bilateral cooperation at the highest level.

He also mentioned that the Russian President is loved and respected by all Indians.

During the course of Delegation level meeting lasting for about 45 minutes, the Home Minister highlighted the sponsoring of terrorism by our neighbouring country, which is a threat not only to India and international community but to the humanity as a whole.

Singh reiterated that India has a policy of zero tolerance for terrorism.

Rajnath Singh also mentioned that Inter-Agency cooperation between the two countries should cover bilateral, regional and international issues.

He further emphasised that bilateral cooperation should include the areas of military and technical cooperation, energy sector, economic security and disaster management, and urged that the strategic cooperation between the two countries needs to be strengthened further.

He also mentioned that during the ensuing visit of Indian Delegation to Russia, he would make it a point to visit facilities such as the EMERCOM headquarters to explore areas of technical cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides also acknowledged that there may be some unfriendly forces or unfriendly actors who may be trying to create hindrances in the bilateral relationship but such adverse campaigns are incapable of affecting the deep understanding bolstered by regular dialogues and mutual cooperation.

The Russian delegation extended an invitation to the Union Home Minister to participate in the XVI International meeting of the Heads of Special Services, Security Agencies and Law Enforcement Organisations in Russia later this year, which the Home Minister accepted.

The Russian delegation included the representatives from FSBs Departments of Constitution Protection and Counter Terrorism, Intelligence Analysis and International Liaison and Scientific & Technical.
A masked hooded thug smashed a window and stabbed a teenager as he sat in a car on a quiet road in south east London.

Police and paramedics rushed to reports of an assault in Nelson Mandela Road, Kidbrooke, and found a 19-year-old man with stab wounds.

He was in the driver seat of a car parked on the A2 slip-road when a masked hooded man is reported to have attacked him, police said.

The victim ran towards Kidbrooke Green Park and was found by a witness who called the police.

A Met Police spokesman said: He was taken to a south London hospital.

His injuries are not life-changing or life-threatening.

No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.

The road was cordoned off by police while an investigation was carried out.

Anyone with information can contact police via 101 or @MetCC.

Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
T he man behind the London terror attack told staff at a hotel in Brighton London isnt what it used to be hours before he carried Wednesdays Westminster terror attack.

Khalid Masood, 52, spent his final night at a budget hotel in Brighton, telling workers Im off to London today before checking out on Wednesday morning, the Sun reported.

He appeared nice and polite, according to witnesses.

Police swooped on room 228 of the Preston Park Hotel, which costs 59 a night, on Wednesday after discovering a receipt in Masood's Hyundai  the same car he used to mow down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.

A typical room at the Preston Park Hotel / TripAdvisor

It is thought Masood had spent a number of days at the hotel over the last week.

Westminster terror attacker named as Khalid Masood

A source told The Sun: No one knows why he came. He used a credit card with the name Masood to check in on Tuesday at 11.30am.

The Preston Park Hotel in Brighton, where Khalid Masood stayed on Tuesday / TripAdvisor

Police traced him to the hotel because he got a receipt and left it in the car. It was definitely the car he used in the attack because that was parked in the car park when he stayed here. It was a hire car.

Khalid Masood was shot and killed on Wednesday (Stefan Rousseau/PA ) / Stefan Rousseau/PA

He was very English but mixed race with a big beard.

He said he lived above a guitar shop in Birmingham but hes not originally from the Midlands and had a London accent. But he said London wasnt like what it used to be. Police told us later it was definitely the Westminster attacker.

It is believed Masood also stayed at the hotel on Friday night, but left the following morning before returning on Tuesday for one more night.

"Everyone says he was nice and polite and acted totally normal," the source added.

London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil 1 /21 London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners light candles as they gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil A woman holds up a sign at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil A tribute at a vigil in Trafalgar Square for the victims of Wednesday's attack Lucy Young Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack at Trafalgar Square Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People hold up signs at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Andy Rain/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square Amy Ashenden Trafalgar Square vigil A few people were left paying their respects late in the evening after the crowds had dispersed from Trafalgar Square following a vigil Lucy Young Floral tributes are seen in Westminster the day after an attack in London REUTERS Candles burn on Westminster Bridge the day after an attack in London Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil A woman reacts at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Hannah McKay/Reuters

Masood, born Adrian Russell Ajao in Kent, killed four people - PC Keith Palmer, American Kurt Cochran, Spaniard Aysha Frade and a 75-year-old man - in the attack and injured dozens more.

He was reportedly also known as Adrian Elms, and is believed to have been an English teacher and father-of-three.
T he family of a young motorcycle display team instructor killed in east London by a driver high on cocaine said his actions had torn them apart, after he was jailed for seven years.

Gerald Cotter, 49, was driving and overtaking in a crazy way when he killed 23-year-old Kieron Fevrier, Judge Stephen Kramer QC said at the Old Bailey.

Cotter sped along Orient Way in Leyton at up to 53mph in a 30mph zone and forced another driver to brake sharply.

Mr Fevrier slammed into the back of the car.

The motorcyclist, an instructor for Newham-based display team the Imps, suffered fatal head injuries and died at the scene on November 30 last year.

Killed: Kieron Fevrier

His parents John and Nicki said: The careless stupid actions of one man have torn a family apart.

Mr Fevriers family is raising money for his motorcycle display team.

More information is at impsonline.com
W estminster terrorist Khalid Masood was on WhatsApp just minutes before he began his atrocity, it has been claimed.

Masood used the messaging service at 2.37pm on Wednesday, MailOnline reported.

If true, it would mean he was in touch with someone around two minutes before he sped off on his bloody mission in central London.

The revelation came as Met detectives continued to investigate whether Masood, who used a number of other aliases, acted alone or had accomplices.

Killer: Khalid Masood / Metropolitan Police

Four innocent people were killed when he drove his hire car at tourists on Westminster Bridge and stabbed a police officer outside Parliament.

PC Keith Palmer, American tourist Kurt Cochran, Spanish mother-of-two Aysha Frade and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham died while dozens more were injured.

Police release new image of Westminster terror attacker

Police have arrested 11 people in connection with Wednesdays attack, after raiding addressed in Brighton, London, Surrey, Manchester, Wales and Birmingham.

On Wednesday night seven people were arrested on suspicion of the preparation of terrorist acts  including three women and four men ages between 21 and 39-years-old.

On Thursday two men, aged 58 and 27, were also arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.

Police also carried out two more arrests on Friday, detaining a 35-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman.

Ten people remain in custody.

The attack has been claimed by Isis who described Masood as a soldier.
T he ex-model fiancee of England star Chris Smalling has caused outrage after slamming the messages of support for victims of the Westminster terror attack.

Since the atrocity took place, thousands of people have used messages like "PrayForLondon" on social media to show solidarity with the capital and Khalid Masood's victims.

But Sam Cooke, 31, said the messages were "crap" and questioned why there had not been similar outpourings of support for people killed in other countries.

In an Instagram post, the photographer raged: "I can't stand all this 'prayforlondon' 'prayforparis' prayforbelgium' crap!!!!!!

Candlelit vigil for Westminster attack victims held in Trafalgar Square

"What about the 30 civilians that were killed by an American air strike in Syria yesterday? Or do those lives not matter?

"Yes it's a tragedy and my heart goes out to the families involved but people are killed all day everyday all over the world, stop choosing who you care about dependant on who the media tells you to care about.

"A life is a life! PRAY FOR THE WORLD."

More than 500 'liked' the post but other Instagram users left scathing comments.

Clare Sumner wrote: "Can't believe your disgusting disrespectful comments. I hope you never lose a loved one."

Others branded her post "shameful", with one writing: "It's happening in our own country the place we live in and raise our children in the city we live.

"Of course people are goin to feel more emotionally connected to this than Syria I do I get what your saying but the # thing is not crap, bad choice of word.

"It's how people show there thinking of the situation what else can we do???"

However, others rushed to her defence, with one praising her for speaking "the truth".

One wrote: "What she said is that we should morn EVERYONE!! She never said not to mourn for London!"

In contrast, Man United star Chris Smalling, who was withdrawn from the England squad on Friday, used the hashtag "UnitedTogether" to call for solidarity.

Tweeting on Thursday, he wrote: "Stay united in times like this and support each other whatever the religion or beliefs.

"We are one world, one race and only by doing good will we drown out those who mean to do others harm. #UnitedTogether"


T he manager of the hotel where Westminster killer Khalid Masood slept the night before his attack has described him as very friendly.

Sabeur Toumi said Masood - born Adrian Russell Ajao - checked into Brightons Preston Park Hotel at lunchtime on Tuesday, one day before he went on a bloody rampage outside Parliament, killing four people including a police officer.

He was very friendly, a normal guest that we looked after, said Mr Toumi, who revealed Masood had also spent a night at the budget hotel the previous Friday.

He walked into the reception and he had a chat with my colleague about rates so I came out and met him and said hello to him and welcome to the hotel.

He was very friendly, laughing and joking, telling us stories about where he lived.

A man believed to be Westminster attacker Khalid Masood is treated by medics (Stefan Rousseau/PA ) / Stefan Rousseau/PA

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Toumi added: He paid for his room and he went up very peacefully and I havent seen him after that.

The manager said he found out what his guest had done when police came to visit the hotel with a picture of Masood.

Officers had reportedly found a receipt for his room in the car he drove through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.

Mr Toumi said the revelation was very, very shocking and that his staff were very upset.

These days you dont know who are the bad ones and the good ones, he added.

Attack at Parliament, March 22, 2017 1 /48 Attack at Parliament, March 22, 2017 A policeman points a gun at a man on the floor as emergency services attend the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminste PA The scene of the incident @Lukesteele4 The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The flag above the Houses of Parliament in London flies at half mast the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn A forensics tent on Westminster Bridge seen from Victoria Embankment in London the day after a terrorist attack Jonathan Brady/PA Police officers walk accross Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife Darren Staples/Reuters Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster Stefan Rousseau/PA A knife on the cobbles at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (centre) helps emergency services attend to a police officer outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA A man lies injured after a shooting incident on Westminster Bridge in London Toby Melville/Reuters Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge Toby Melville/Reuters Police secure the area on the south side of Westminster Bridge close to the Houses of Parliament in London Matt Dunham/AP An armed police officer runs accross the road during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London Toby Melville/Reuters A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Carl Court/Getty Images A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Carl Court/Getty Images The scene outside the Houses of Parliament The area around Westminster was put on immediate lockdown BBC Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London Victoria Jones/PA Westminster Bridge Theresa May during Prime Minister's Questions before the incident PA A police officer stops traffic as the Jagaur car of British Prime Minister Theresa May is driven away Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images A image of armed police inside Parliament @BarryGardiner Emergency services close to the Palace of Westminster, London Yui Mok/PA Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London Victoria Jones/PA Wire Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London Yui Mok/PA An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster Victoria Jones/PA Emergency personnel close to the Palace of Westminster Yui Mok/PA Police forensic officers on Westminster Bridge, close to the Palace of Westminster Dominic Lipinski/PA People remain in pods on the London Eye after it was stopped Jonathan Brady/PA Mark Rowley, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police, speaking outside Scotland Yard in London Victoria Jones/PA Westminster Bridge BBC Emergency services make their way down the river Jack Taylor/Getty Images Members of the public wait at locked doors outside St Thomas' hospital Carl Court/Getty Images

He was just like any other guest who checks into the hotel. We had a brief conversation about where he came from in Birmingham.

He talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad was ill and his mum was upset.

He was normal. He was friendly, we spent five/ten minutes talking to him. He said Im visiting friends in Brighton.

Westminster attacks: Two more 'significant arrests' made

Kent-born Masood, 52, is reported to have told staff at the hotel London isnt what it used to be hours before he carried out Wednesdays terror attack.

He told workers Im off to London today before checking out on in the morning and driving to London in a hired Hyundai Tucson, the Sun reported.

Police swooped on room 228 of the hotel, which costs 59 a night, on the same day as the attack, which was Londons bloodiest terror incident since 7/7.

Masood killed four people - PC Keith Palmer, American Kurt Cochran, Spaniard Aysha Frade and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham - and injured dozens more.

Front Pages for Westminster & Parliament Attack 1 /42 Front Pages for Westminster & Parliament Attack The front pages of today's newspapers the day after a terrorist attack Ryan Hooper/PA Evening Standard Evening Standard The Times The Times Daily Mail Daily Mail The Sun The Sun i i The Scotsman The Scotsman The Daily Telegraph The Daily Telegraph The Guardian The Guardian Daily Mirror Daily Mirror Daily Star Daily Star Daily Express Daily Express Metro Metro City A.M City A.M Independent Independent The front pages of today's newspapers the day after a terrorist attack PA

He was reportedly also known as Adrian Elms, and is believed to have been an English teacher and father-of-three.

It is not known if Masood, 52, acted totally alone or was inspired by terrorist propaganda, the Met's acting deputy commissioner Mark Rowley said in a new statement on Friday morning.

Hundreds of officers are working on the counter-terrorism operation and are "determined" to find out if others are involved, he added.

Despite being born in Kent, Masood moved around and most recently lived in Birmingham.

He had been known to MI5 as a peripheral figure, Theresa May told the House of Commons this week.

But despite previous crimes, including being caught in 2003 with possession of a knife, the attacker had not previously been convicted on terrorism charges.

It is now thought at least 50 people were injured in the terror attack with 31 being hospitalised. Two people remain in a critical condition and one person is suffering from life-threatening injuries.
T he grieving husband of the mother-of-two killed in the terror attack in Westminster has posted a heartfelt tribute to his wife online.

College worker Aysha Frade was on her way to meet her two daughters, aged eight and 11, when she was knocked down and killed by terrorist Khalid Masood's car.

On Friday, John Frade changed his Facebook profile picture to an image of a white rose alongside the message: "Roses are usually red, our angel who was never blue.

The most beautiful flower in our garden of joy.

Protect us from heaven in all that we do."

Friends have posted messages of support below the post.

One said: Don't even know what to say to you. We are thinking of you and the girls during this incredibly difficult time.

Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack 1 /26 Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack A police officer places flowers and a photo of Pc Keith Palmer on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in London Dominic Lipinski/PA A floral tribute to the victims of yesterday's terror attack is left at the security cordon near Westminster Abbey in central London Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images Metropolitan Police in a minute's silence at New Scotland Yard Sky News A minute's silence is observed outside New Scotland Yard in London to pay respect to the victims of yesterday's terror attack in Westminster Jonathan Brady/PA MP's in a minute's silence at the House of Commons BBC Conservative MP James Cleverly pays an emotional tribute to his friend Pc Keith Palmer, telling the Commons he was a "strong, professional public servant". PA The flag above the Houses of Parliament in London flies at half mast the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn People leave flowers at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Flowers outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London Gareth Fuller/PA Flowers at the Police Memorial after yesterday's terror attack on the Houses of Parliament in Westminste Alex Lentati Cressida Dick in a minute silence today at New Scotland Yard for Westminster terror victims Jeremy Selwyn A bunch of roses is layed at the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard in central London Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images Flowers arrive in Westminster the day after the attack Jeremy Selwyn The Union Flag on Portcullis House flies at half mast following yesterday's attack Carl Court/Getty Images Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Terror attack: Flowers placed below a police cordon on Westminster Bridge Hannah McKay/Reuters Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street, London Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Two policemen stand guard at a cordoned off area on the way to the Houses of Parliament in central London Matt Dunham/AP The royal standard at full mast above Buckingham Palace in London the day after a terrorist attack Jonathan Brady/PA

Another added: Our family feels so much for you John: she will be with you forever in your little girls.

Another wrote: Cannot begin to think of what to say to you John, even harder to know what to say to your girls.

May God bring you strength and courage to face the long road ahead.

Aysha Frade, 43, was killed in Wednesday's terrorist attack in London / Facebook

Mr Frades cousin, called John, said on Thursday: Its completely shocking.

I cant even put it into words how hes [my cousin] feeling. His lifes completely fallen apart because of whats happened. Theyve got young kids.

Candlelit vigil for Westminster attack victims held in Trafalgar Square

Its tragic. You cant believe how anyone could do something like that, so close to home, to a mother.

Aysha Frade has been named among victims of the terror attack in Westminster

Mrs Frade was one of four victims of yesterdays attack, which left many others were hurt.

The 43-year-old, who was born in Britain and grew up in Notting Hill, worked at nearby DLD London College.

Rachel Borland, Principal of DLD College London, said: We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the news that one of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade.

All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family. We will be offering every support we can to them as they try to come to terms with their devastating loss.

Aysha worked as a member of our administration team at the college. She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us.

Mrs Frade's family are from Betanzos near the Galician city of La Coruna, in Spain, where her elder sisters run at a language academy.
T he dead terrorist who killed four people in the Westminster attack had "a number of aliases", police said on Friday.

In a new statement at New Scotland Yard, police revealed more information about Kent-born attacker Khalid Masood, whose birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao.

The attacker killed four victims in Wednesday's horrific attack outside Parliament, including Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Streatham, who died on Thursday night from his injuries.

The other victims have been identified as PC Keith Palmer, Spaniard Aysha Frade and US tourist Kurt Cochran.

It is not known if Masood, 52, acted totally alone or was inspired by terrorist propaganda, the Met's acting deputy commissioner Mark Rowley said in a new statement on Friday morning.

Khalid Masood was shot dead by police. (Stefan Rousseau/PA ) / Stefan Rousseau/PA

Hundreds of officers are working on the counter-terrorism operation and are "determined" to find out if others are involved, he added.

Despite being born in Kent, Masood moved around and most recently lived in Birmingham.

He had been known to MI5 as a peripheral figure, Theresa May told the House of Commons this week.

But despite previous crimes, including being caught in 2003 with possession of a knife, the attacker had not previously been convicted on terrorism charges.

Masood, who according to the Sun spent a number of days at a budget hotel in Brighton prior to the attack, reportedly told staff: "London isn't what it used to be".

Loading....

Two more people were arrested overnight in the west Midlands and north-west of England during a string of ongoing raids across the country.

More than 2,700 items have been seized from houses involved in the raids and police are still carrying out six more searches this morning.

Mr Rowley said: We have made two more arrests, one in the west Midlands and one in the north west.

Nine people remain in our custody and one woman has been released on bail.

"We have searches at five addresses are ongoing - 16 searches have concluded.

"So far we have seized 2,700 items from our searches including massive of amounts of computer data."

The acting deputy commissioner appealed for the public's help. / Sky News

It is now thought at least 50 people were injured in the terror attack with 31 being hospitalised. Two people remain in a critical condition and one person is suffering from life-threatening injuries.

Two police officers who were injured on Westminster Bridge remain in hospital with significant injuries.

Those injured and killed were made up of 12 nationalities and a cross section of ages, Mr Rowley said.

The latest victim, Mr Rhodes, had his life support withdrawn on Thursday evening.

Mr Rowley put out a plea to the public in the hunt for more information. He said: "At this point I want to appeal specifically to the public.

"We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well; understands who his associates were; and can provide with information about places he has recently visited

"There might well be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but weren't sure or didn't feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing information to us."

On Thursday evening Londoners held an emotional vigil for the victims in Trafalgar Square, attended by Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
P rince Charles visited the Westminster terror attack victims in hospital today and hailed the marvellous doctors and nurses caring for them.

The Prince of Wales visited Kings College Hospital in Southwark where he privately met patients wounded in Wednesdays horrific attack which saw Khalid Masood plough a car into pedestrians and stab a police officer.

Eight of the injured victims were treated at the Camberwell hospital, including pensioner Leslie Rhodes, 75, who died on Thursday night after his life support was withdrawn. Two other victims have been discharged and five remain in hospital.

Charles said: Thank you for all your marvellous efforts."

'Marvellous': Prince Charles meets paramedics. / Getty Images

He added: "How you do it, I don't know."

The Prince hailed their team work and joked: "As long as you're still talking to each other."

Charles also met with consultant radiologist Pauline Kane, who was working at King's when the brutal attack happened and victims were brought to the hospital.

Prince Charles meets paramedics and support staff who assisted victims of the recent attack in Westminster. / REUTERS

Dr Kane said staff dealt with a series of typical blunt trauma injuries "one after the other" on Wednesday afternoon and evening, almost as though it was a "conveyor belt of organised, structured, really efficient medical care".

Dr Kane said: "I was really proud of the way this hospital responded."

She added: "It was inspiring the way people just worked together and communicated to deal with the patient in front of them.

Welcome: Staff at King's College Hospital greet the Prince. / Getty Images

"It didn't matter how many would be coming, you knew you would just keep working. It was, it was really quite something."

Dr Kane, who was working in the scanning room, said: "I witnessed some incredibly kind, efficient and really just inspiring professionalism amongst all the staff."

She said it was "fantastic" that Charles made a visit to the hospital, adding: "It's great for the patients. They appreciate the fact that he cares.

"He does care, clearly. And the family around them. It's nothing but a positive event really. It's extremely kind of him."

Police said on Friday up to 50 people were injured in the attack with 31 needing hospital treatment.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
D onald Trump has paid tribute to a US tourist killed in the Westminster terror attack, calling him a great American.

Kurt Cochran was on holiday with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when he died after falling from Westminster Bridge.

He was the third of four victims killed when Kent-born Khalid Masood went on a rampage outside the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

Also killed was PC Keith Palmer, Spaniard Aysha Frade and a 75-year-old man who is yet to be named.

Kurt Cochran, of Utah, was killed in the Westminster terror attack, pictured with his wife Melissa.

On Thursday evening the US President tweeted a tribute to US victim Mr Cochran, whose wife Melissa is recovering from hospital after being seriously injured.

President Trump said: A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack.

Victim: Kurt Cochran.

My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends.

Previously, on the day of the attack, the US leader said: Spoke to U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May today to offer condolences on the terrorist attack in London.

She is strong and doing very well.

Former US president Barack Obama also tweeted his own message of support, which read: My heart goes out to the victims and their families in London.

No act of terror can shake the strength and resilience of our British ally.

The family of Mr Cochran said they were "heartbroken" to hear of his death and called him a good man and loving husband.

Mr Cochran and his wife were due to return to the US on Thursday.

Police said 29 people were injured in the incident, including several critically.

The latest victim who died, a 75-year-old man, had his life support withdrawn on Thursday evening.

Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack and police have carried out raids across Birmingham and east London.

Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack 1 /26 Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack A police officer places flowers and a photo of Pc Keith Palmer on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in London Dominic Lipinski/PA A floral tribute to the victims of yesterday's terror attack is left at the security cordon near Westminster Abbey in central London Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images Metropolitan Police in a minute's silence at New Scotland Yard Sky News A minute's silence is observed outside New Scotland Yard in London to pay respect to the victims of yesterday's terror attack in Westminster Jonathan Brady/PA MP's in a minute's silence at the House of Commons BBC Conservative MP James Cleverly pays an emotional tribute to his friend Pc Keith Palmer, telling the Commons he was a "strong, professional public servant". PA The flag above the Houses of Parliament in London flies at half mast the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn People leave flowers at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Flowers outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London Gareth Fuller/PA Flowers at the Police Memorial after yesterday's terror attack on the Houses of Parliament in Westminste Alex Lentati Cressida Dick in a minute silence today at New Scotland Yard for Westminster terror victims Jeremy Selwyn A bunch of roses is layed at the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard in central London Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images Flowers arrive in Westminster the day after the attack Jeremy Selwyn The Union Flag on Portcullis House flies at half mast following yesterday's attack Carl Court/Getty Images Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Terror attack: Flowers placed below a police cordon on Westminster Bridge Hannah McKay/Reuters Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street, London Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Two policemen stand guard at a cordoned off area on the way to the Houses of Parliament in central London Matt Dunham/AP The royal standard at full mast above Buckingham Palace in London the day after a terrorist attack Jonathan Brady/PA

Masood, 52, had been known to MI5 as a peripheral figure, Theresa May told the Commons. He was born in Kent but had recently moved to Birmingham.

On Thursday evening Londoners held an emotional vigil for the victims in Trafalgar Square, attended by Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
New Delhi, Mar 24 (IBNS): Minister of Defence, Finance and Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitley handed over three Naval Systems indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba here on Friday.

The Minister also released two other products developed by DRDO namelyIP-based Secure Phone and the Gallium Nitride Technology. Speaking on the occasion

Jaitley remarked that DRDO is becoming an important instrument for self-reliance of the nation. He stated that some of the best innovations have come from the pool of scientists of DRDO.

The Defence Minister also said that great societies and nations are made through people working on important tasks in anonymity, like the DRDO scientists who were honoured.



Jaitley also said that in the modern world, societies that invent and innovate will make faster progress.

The Minister gave away the annual DRDO awards in various categories during the function. Apart from the scientists and teams who won awards in various vistas of technological excellence, the Advanced Systems Laboratory, Hyderabad and the Microwave Tube Research & Development Centre, Bangalore won the coveted Silicon Trophy and Titanium Trophy respectively.

The Naval Systems handed over to the Indian Navy are USHUS-II Submarine Sonar, Directing Gear for Hull Mounted Sonar Array, and RLG based Inertial Navigation System for Ship Applications (INS-SA). The export potential of DRDO technologies also received due recognition during the function, with the announcement of the bagging of export order for DRDO-developed torpedo to Myanmar.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence said DRDO is playing an important role in self-reliance of Defence Forces and the export potential of the Organisation is finding a place in the global Defence market. He congratulated all the awardees and their families.

Chairman, DRDO and Secretary, Department of Defence (R&D)Dr. S Christopher in his address said the Defence Acquisition Council cleared order value of DRDO products has gone uptoRs. 2.56 lakh crore out of which about Rs. 1 lakh crore was in the last two years alone.

Sonars are the eyes and ears of a submarine under water. DRDO has developed the State-of-the-Art submarine sonar suite, USHUS-II, a highly evolved compendium of multiple sensors. The constituent sonars in the suite include passive sonar, active sonar, intercept sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar and underwater telephony.

Directing Gear is an electro-mechanical system that supports the transducer array of hull-mounted ship sonar systems and rotates it at a controlled speed for in-situ acoustic calibration at Harbour and Sea.

The Inertial Navigation System, based on indigenous Ring Laser Gyroscopes, provides vital information on the ship's position coordinates and heading for steering it to its destination accurately. It features high speed processor, multi-constellation Sat Nav receiver, ship specific interfaces and innovative algorithms.

With the emergence of Gallium Nitride as a state-of-the-art material for MMIC applications, DRDO has established this futuristic technology, which will substantially help in the development of next generation radars, seekers and communication systems, for application in Light Combat Aircraft.

The Secure IP Phone incorporates an indigenous encryption algorithm on a trustworthy hardware platform to provide a high level of secrecy to voice and data, for communication of strategic and tactical plans of the Armed Forces.

The function was also attended by senior functionaries of the Ministry of Defence, Indian Navy, DRDO and industry partners.


A photographer has spoken out to defend his picture of a woman walking past victims of the London terror attack on Westminster Bridge after it was used to incite hate.

The woman is seen holding one hand to her head while walking past a woman being treated on the bridge. It was criticised online by a Twitter troll who accused her of casually walking past.

Jamie Lorriman, who took the picture, leapt to her defence and refuted claims that she was ignoring the injured woman who was mown down by terrorist Khalid Masood on Wednesday.

The freelance photographer told ABC: The people who took on that picture are being rather selective.

In the other picture in the sequence she looks truly distraught - personally I think she looks distressed in both pictures.

To assume she was ignoring someone is impossible to know, the look on the woman's face, she's horrified, she's in the middle of a traumatic situation.

One Twitter user posted the picture and wrote: Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone.

The controversial tweet provoked an online row, with other users branding him the real monster here.

Westminster Bridge reopens the day after terrorist attack

Vicky Forster wrote: You are a complete embarrassing mess of a person. Kindly crawl back to the pond you came out of. Stupidity embodied.

Another disgusted Twitter user added: She looks terrified. Which she would be, most likely being British and bang in the middle of a terror attack.'

Others suggested the woman could have been calling her family to say she was safe, pointing out there was little context to the image.

Wednesdays horrifying attacks left at least five people dead, as a man ploughed through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing through Parliament gates.

There the terrorist, named on Thursday by police as Khalid Masood, stabbed to death unarmed police officer Keith Palmer before he was shot dead.

Up to 40 other people were also injured in the attack, with casualties including Britons, French children, Romanians, South Koreans, Greeks, and people from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

Three police officers were also hurt, two of them seriously.
H ero MP Tobias Ellwood had a touching moment with Parliaments police officers on Friday morning, just days after he desperately tried to save their colleagues life.

Mr Ellwood, a Conservative foreign minister and former soldier, was heralded as a hero for attempting to resuscitate and staunch the wounds of PC Keith Palmer.

As the Westminster area was being evacuated following Wednesdays terror attack, Mr Ellwood dashed to the cop who was fatally stabbed protecting the gates of Parliament on Wednesday.

There have been calls for the Bournemouth MP to be knighted for his bravery amid the chaotic scenes in the Palace yard where Mr Palmer was fatally stabbed by killer Khalid Masood.

Bloodied: Tobias Ellwood attempts to save PC Keith Palmer / PA

And as the courageous MP returned to Westminster on Friday, he was photographed shaking hands with an armed police officer.

Detectives named Masood on Thursday afternoon, just over 24 hours after he mowed down dozens of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and slaughtered Mr Palmer outside Parliament.

The Prime Minister hailed the "extraordinary" bravery of Mr Ellwood as calls grew for him to be given an honour after he ran towards gunfire and tried to give Mr Palmer CPR.

Westminster terror attack claims fourth innocent victim

His bravery was praised by many MPs, who had gathered in the House of Commons chamber to listen and respond to Theresa May's statement on the terror attack.

But Mr Ellwood, whose brother Jonathan was killed in the 2002 Bali terrorist bombing, shook his head as a fellow MP called for him to be recognised in the honours list.

The scene outside Parliament on Wednesday afternoon / Stefan Rousseau/PA

Speaking after the atrocity unfolded, Mr Ellwood said: I was on the scene and as soon as I realised what was going on I headed towards it.

I tried to stem the flow of blood and give mouth-to-mouth while waiting for the medics to arrive but I think he had lost too much blood.

He had multiple wounds, under the arm and in the back.

Mr Palmer was among four other victims whose lives were taken by terrorist Masood as he ploughed through several pedestrians on the bridge and killing the officer.

The attacker also died. He was shot by a police officer moments after he stabbed Mr Palmer multiple times.

American Kurt Cochran, Spaniard Aysha Frade and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham were the others named as those who died in Wednesdays attack.

It is now thought at least 50 people were injured in the terror attack with 31 being hospitalised.

Two people remain in a critical condition and one person is suffering from life-threatening injuries.
A nti-terror police were today searching a flat in the heart of Londons Olympic Village as part of a major investigation into the Westminster terror attack.

The tenant of the first-floor new-build flat in Stratford is believed to have previously lived with killer Khalid Masood, 52, at an address in Forest Gate.

The swoop came as details of Masoods past emerged. Born Adrian Elms to a single-mother in Rye, Sussex, he converted to Islam after a life of violent crime which saw him jailed in 2003 for stabbing a man in the face.

According to the Sun, he spent his last night in a 59 hotel in Brighton before driving to the capital in a rented 4x4 to unleash carnage which last night led to the death of a fourth victim, age 75.

A tent on Westminster Bridge where a tourist was hit in the terror attack / Alex Lentati

Last night officers could be seen rifling through rooms and examining items on the balcony of the nine-storey tower, which overlooks the Stratford International station and Westfield Stratford shopping centre.

The raid was one of several to take place around the country as police made eight arrests in connection with Wednesdays attack.

A row of candles on Westminster Bridge today as London slowly gets back to normal / Jeremy Selwyn

One Stratford resident said: I was leaving my flat about this morning and there was already police going into the building. There was an ambulance and a rescue team. I thought maybe it was domestic or something.

But then on the way home there was two more people going into the building. I didnt expect it to be so serious.

Attack at Parliament, March 22, 2017 1 /48 Attack at Parliament, March 22, 2017 A policeman points a gun at a man on the floor as emergency services attend the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminste PA The scene of the incident @Lukesteele4 The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The flag above the Houses of Parliament in London flies at half mast the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn A forensics tent on Westminster Bridge seen from Victoria Embankment in London the day after a terrorist attack Jonathan Brady/PA Police officers walk accross Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife Darren Staples/Reuters Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster Stefan Rousseau/PA A knife on the cobbles at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (centre) helps emergency services attend to a police officer outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA A man lies injured after a shooting incident on Westminster Bridge in London Toby Melville/Reuters Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge Toby Melville/Reuters Police secure the area on the south side of Westminster Bridge close to the Houses of Parliament in London Matt Dunham/AP An armed police officer runs accross the road during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London Toby Melville/Reuters A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Carl Court/Getty Images A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Carl Court/Getty Images The scene outside the Houses of Parliament The area around Westminster was put on immediate lockdown BBC Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London Victoria Jones/PA Westminster Bridge Theresa May during Prime Minister's Questions before the incident PA A police officer stops traffic as the Jagaur car of British Prime Minister Theresa May is driven away Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images A image of armed police inside Parliament @BarryGardiner Emergency services close to the Palace of Westminster, London Yui Mok/PA Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London Victoria Jones/PA Wire Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London Yui Mok/PA An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster Victoria Jones/PA Emergency personnel close to the Palace of Westminster Yui Mok/PA Police forensic officers on Westminster Bridge, close to the Palace of Westminster Dominic Lipinski/PA People remain in pods on the London Eye after it was stopped Jonathan Brady/PA Mark Rowley, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police, speaking outside Scotland Yard in London Victoria Jones/PA Westminster Bridge BBC Emergency services make their way down the river Jack Taylor/Getty Images Members of the public wait at locked doors outside St Thomas' hospital Carl Court/Getty Images

He added: Its a little bit of a shock for me but it can happen anywhere.

Another neighbour said part of the block consisted of privately rented flats, while others were let through a housing association.

Masood is thought to have previously shared a house with the woman and her children in quiet street in nearby Forest Gate.

Victim: PC Keith Palmer in a selfie with two students / Will Robins/Tyler Chapperley-Russell

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: He never stood out or anything. I only saw the kids and the mother. That was the one thing you did notice  you saw them but you never saw the man.

The man said the family, which also included the wifes elderly mother, had moved out of the house last year or the year before.

Aysha Frade, 43, was killed in the terrorist attack in London / Facebook

He added: They told me they were moving to the Olympic Village.

Three young girls aged between 8 and 16 had also lived at the flat, he said.

A 75-year-old man last night became the fourth to die following the terror attack when his life support machine was switched off at Kings College Hospital.

Victim Kurt Cochran, pictured with his wife Melissa who suffered serious injuries

The victims of the attack also include PC Keith Palmer, Spanish college worker Aysha Frade, and US tourist Kurt Cochran, who was on holiday in London with his wife.

Mr Cochran's son today said: I never imagined him leaving us like this.

President Trump led tributes to Kurt Cochran, who he described as a great American."

Mr Cochrans son Tylor said today: Over 81k likes from a tweet from POTUS that had my fathers name in his mouth. Lord knows none of us will get the same recognition on the way out.

Five people remain in a critical condition after Masood ploughed a car down Westminster Bridge and stormed the Parliamentary estate armed with two blades.

Sadiq Khan speaks at Trafalgar Square vigil for victims of Westminster attack

The nation's mourning will continue today as candlelit vigils for the victims are scheduled in Birmingham and London.

Last night thousands of people, including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, paid tribute to the victims in Trafalgar Square in a mass vigil.

Mr Khan had encouraged everyone visiting our city to join together in memory of those who lost their lives and to show the world that we are more committed than ever to the values that we hold dear - that we remain united and open.

Mr Khan described the attacker as evil and twisted but said Londoners would "pull together".
S adiq Khan said he had "more important things to do" than respond to a scornful Tweet from Donald Trump Jr sent just hours after the terror attack at the Houses of Parliament.

The US presidents eldest son Tweeted a link to a news story that quoted the Mayor of London last year saying that acts of terrorism were part and parcel of living in a big city.

On the day of the bloody assault, quoting the articles headline, Trump Jr wrote on social media: You have to be kidding me?!

The story was published on September 22, 2016, and it is unclear whether the Republican presidents son knew that it preceded Wednesdays horrifying attack.

When asked for a response on an American news station, Mr Khan coolly shut down the discussion by refusing to comment.

Look, Im not going to respond to a Tweet from Donald Trump Jr. Ive been doing far more important things over the last 24 hours, Mr Khan told CNN on Thursday.

What I do know is that the threat level in London and across the country is severe. That means an attack is highly likely.

Terrorists hate the fact that, whether its London whether its New York, whether its Brussels We have diverse communities living together peacefully.

Trump Jr faced criticism online, being branded a disgrace by one Twitter user.

Another wrote: "You need to actually read about things before you tweet something idiotic about them."

The story emerged after the Mayor of London revealed he had a sleepless night following the bombings in New York last year.

Sadiq Khan speaks at Trafalgar Square vigil for victims of Westminster attack

He said attacks were part and parcel of life in a major city, adding: It is a reality I'm afraid that London, New York, other major cities around the world have got to be prepared for these sorts of things.

"That means being vigilant, having a police force that is in touch with communities, it means the security services being ready, but also it means exchanging ideas and best practice."

He added: "I've had a sleepless night thinking about all of this and I'm sure the Mayor has as well."

Wednesdays horrifying attacks left at least five people dead, as a man ploughed through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing through Parliament gates.

The scene outside Parliament on Wednesday afternoon / Stefan Rousseau/PA

There the terrorist, named on Thursday by police as Khalid Masood, stabbed to death unarmed police officer Keith Palmer before he was shot dead.

At a vigil in Trafalgar Square, Mr Khan invited both residents and tourists to join a candlelit memorial at the central London landmark in solidarity with victims of the Parliament attack.

London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil 1 /21 London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners light candles as they gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil A woman holds up a sign at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil A tribute at a vigil in Trafalgar Square for the victims of Wednesday's attack Lucy Young Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack at Trafalgar Square Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People hold up signs at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Andy Rain/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square Amy Ashenden Trafalgar Square vigil A few people were left paying their respects late in the evening after the crowds had dispersed from Trafalgar Square following a vigil Lucy Young Floral tributes are seen in Westminster the day after an attack in London REUTERS Candles burn on Westminster Bridge the day after an attack in London Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil A woman reacts at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Hannah McKay/Reuters

Mr Khan had encouraged everyone visiting our city to join together in memory of those who lost their lives.

He told the crowd to show the world that we are more committed than ever to the values that we hold dear - that we remain united and open.

On Thursday morning a book of condolence was laid in Westminster Hall for MPs, staff and members of the public to write messages to honour those who died.
S adiq Khan visited Westminster Bridge today to look at tributes laid to the four killed and at least 50 injured in Wednesdays terror attack.

The Mayor lay flowers outside New Scotland Yard to mark the death of PC Keith Palmer before walking along the bridge where attacker Khalid Masood mowed down a crowd of pedestrians just 48 hours earlier.

He left a note and floral tribute which said: "You will always be in our hearts. Londoners will never forget the innocent people who lost their lives."

Khalid Masood, driving a Hyundai Tucson, ploughed through pedestrians on the bridge before stabbing the police officer to death outside Parliament.

This afternoon Mr Khan was pictured as he walked along the bridge, stopping to read tributes placed among flowers laid for the casualties.

Tributes were laid for the four killed and over 50 injured in Wednesday's attack / AP

Huge piles of flowers as well as hand-written notes and pictures adorned the pavements which were turned into a bloodbath two days ago when Masood drove through screaming tourists and Londoners in a bloody rampage.

A note left by British Transport Police officers from Lambeth, South London simply read: "For Pc Keith Palmer. HERO. Never forgotten."

The message from Hertfordshire Police officers from St Albans read: "Keith, one of our own, forever in our thoughts."

Mr Khan was among a number of dignitaries, police officers and ordinary Londoners to lay flowers outside the Met's headquarters for PC Palmer.

Earlier the mayor said he had "more important things to do" than respond to a scornful Tweet from Donald Trumps son sent just hours after the terror attack.

Donald Trump Jr tweeted a link to a news story that quoted Mr Khan last year saying that acts of terrorism were part and parcel of living in a big city.

On the day of the bloody assault, quoting the articles headline, Trump Jr wrote on social media: You have to be kidding me?!

When asked for a response on an American news station, Mr Khan coolly shut down the discussion by refusing to comment.

Sadiq Khan walked along Westminster Bridge 48 hours after the attack / AP

Look, Im not going to respond to a Tweet from Donald Trump Jr. Ive been doing far more important things over the last 24 hours, he told CNN.

What I do know is that the threat level in London and across the country is severe. That means an attack is highly likely.

Terrorists hate the fact that, whether its London whether its New York, whether its Brussels We have diverse communities living together peacefully.

London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil 1 /21 London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners light candles as they gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil A woman holds up a sign at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil A tribute at a vigil in Trafalgar Square for the victims of Wednesday's attack Lucy Young Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack at Trafalgar Square Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People hold up signs at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Andy Rain/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square Amy Ashenden Trafalgar Square vigil A few people were left paying their respects late in the evening after the crowds had dispersed from Trafalgar Square following a vigil Lucy Young Floral tributes are seen in Westminster the day after an attack in London REUTERS Candles burn on Westminster Bridge the day after an attack in London Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil A woman reacts at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Hannah McKay/Reuters

At a vigil in Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening, Mr Khan invited both residents and tourists to join a candlelit memorial at the central London landmark in solidarity with the victims.

Mr Khan had encouraged everyone visiting our city to join together in memory of those who lost their lives.

He told the crowd to show the world that we are more committed than ever to the values that we hold dear - that we remain united and open.

On Thursday morning a book of condolence was laid in Westminster Hall for MPs, staff and members of the public to write messages to honour those who died.

Moving: A touching tribute placed on Westminster Bridge. / @ChrisO_wiki

The four killed in Wednesdays tack are PC Keith Palmer, American Kurt Cochran, Spaniard Aysha Frade and 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham.

It is now thought at least 50 people were injured in the terror attack with 31 being hospitalised. Two people remain in a critical condition and one person is suffering from life-threatening injuries.
E xpensive homes in central London are struggling to attract buyers with only one in 14 of those for sale currently under offer, according to research.

Crushing rates of stamp duty  and other property taxes  combined with uncertainty following the Brexit vote have undermined confidence in the higher end of the market.

In the most exclusive postcodes less than seven per cent of homes priced at 2 million or more are classified as either under offer or sold subject to contract, the analysis of homes listed on property portal Zoopla reveals.

For homes priced between 1 million and 2 million only 10.1 per cent are under offer in central London, but 13.9 per cent across the capital as a whole. This compares with 26.8 per cent of all homes across London and almost 40 per cent of properties listed at 500,000 or less.

The 2 million plus market has been particularly badly hit by reforms in the 2014 Autumn Statement, which hugely increased stamp duty on pricier properties  particularly those bought as a second home.

The bill for a 2 million property is now 153,750, or 213,750 for a buy-to-let investor. By contrast, the stamp duty on a 500,000 home is 15,000, or 30,000 for a buy-to-let, leading many foreign buyers to focus on cheaper areas instead.

It has left thousands of homes languishing on the market for many months or even years, with sellers only reluctantly reducing their asking prices.

Matt Robinson, chief executive at specialist online agent Nested, said many central areas had been pumped up by foreign money and were now almost impossible for Londoners to afford.

Property buyer Henry Pryor said: We now have what I describe as a Krispy Kreme market with nothing of interest at the middle but lots of excitement round the edge in Zones 2 and 3. But I expect Zones 2 and 3 to follow Zone 1.

The Nested analysis also found there had been a big fall in the number of transactions in London. Completed sales above 2 million in the last nine months of 2016 were 33 per cent down on the same three quarters of 2015.

Mr Robinson said: Londons position as a global powerhouse requires it to have a functional housing market to support a diverse workforce. Our analysis, however, shows that the number of homes being bought by Londons residents has dropped by almost a third compared to the same time last year.
A florist in a trendy corner of east London has started selling sticks for up to 18  despite being located yards away from a park.

Broadcaster Jeremy Vine shared a photo on Twitter of a selection of sticks and empty jam jars taken at Botanique, sparking a flurry of jokes on social media.

Located in Stoke Newington Church Street, the artisan store and flower shop is just down the road from Clissold Park.

One customer told the Standard: "They vary in price from 12 to 18 and they are decorative.

Stick sale: Botanique in Stoke Newington

"Everything else is quite reasonably priced for Stoke Newington."

The image was originally taken by food writer Debora Robertson who tweeted: There is a new shop in Stoke Newington selling sticks because of course there is.

For those asking, the Stoke Newington sticks start at 12.

The sticks have no magic powers as far as I know.

She added : They have some very nice things, as well as the sticks.

Jennifer Earle wrote in response: The gentrification is complete.

Sometimes I feel like stokey has turned into a cliched comedy sketch, wrote another follower.

Andrea Norrington shared a photo of a chewed-up piece of wood, writing: Looks like the dog has just chewed at least a tenners worth of stick.

Hipsters will buy any old tat as long as it's pricey & artisan, joked Dawn Jagdev.

Kevin Liddy wrote: That stick in the middle is exactly the one I've been looking for. Thanks for the heads up.

But Alice Howard from Botanique said the sticks were worth the money and happy customers had included author and journalist Fleur Britten.

She said: "These aren't just any sticks. Even our shop dogs Goose and Bertie know not to touch them.

"They look quite nice displayed on a wall if you're into that kind of thing, I have a fair few at home.

"We had some as a shop display in our other shop on Exmouth Market for a while and we sold plenty.

"Sadly I haven't made my display of them to show them in use at the Stoke Newington shop yet so now here I am defending my top dollar stick collection."

Last year, a Muswell Hill interior design shop was mocked for selling painted logs at 10 each.

Customers could also bag a bargain by shelling out 15 for two or 50 for the entire batch.
T his tragic picture shows hero PC Keith Palmer posing happily with a tourist minutes before he was stabbed to death in a terror attack on the Houses of Parliament.

The photo was taken by US tourist Staci Martin as she posed with the officer just 45 minutes before he was stabbed to death by terrorist Khalid Masood.

Detectives named Masood on Thursday afternoon, just over 24 hours after he mowed down dozens of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally stabbing Mr Palmer outside Parliament.

Ms Martin was visiting London from Florida when she asked to take a picture with the brave officer outside the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday.

Sadiq Khan speaks at Trafalgar Square vigil for victims of Westminster attack

She told ABC news: "It's my first time in London and I see his hat and I'm like I have to take a picture of him with his hat.

"I walked up to him and said 'do you mind if I take a picture?' He said 'no problem', he was really nice."

Less than an hour later, Ms Martin was in a taxi when she heard there had been a shooting and saw a helicopter and emergency vehicles.

She later recognised PC Palmer from the photo released after it was confirmed he had been killed in the horrific attack.

Ms Martin believes the picture with the officer must be one of the last photos of him taken alive.

She said she feels "obligated" to get it to his family, adding: "I just want to make sure they have that of him."

Two teenagers also shared a moving photograph of the officer taken while he was on duty and stationed in front of Big Ben.

Tragic: The photo shows PC Keith Palmer stationed in front of the Houses of Parliament with Will, left, and Tyler, right. / Will Robins/Tyler Chatterley-Russell

A-level students Will Robins and Tyler Chatterley-Russell, both 16, told the Standard they took the photograph while on a college trip to London last year.

The pair described how it was PC Palmers idea for the boys to pull funny faces in the photo, after the officer was initially pictured in the background of the shot.

London attack: Paramedics attempt to save the lives of victims of the attack (Stefan Rousseau/PA ) / Stefan Rousseau/PA

On Thursday tributes poured in to the husband and father, with the Police Federation saying they have been left numb by the killing.

A fundraising campaign set up after his tragic death raising money for Mr Palmers family raised over a 300,000 in less than one day.

PC Palmer had served in the Metropolitan Police for 15 years but died at the scene after paramedics fought to save his life.

Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack 1 /26 Tributes for Westminster & Parliament Attack A police officer places flowers and a photo of Pc Keith Palmer on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in London Dominic Lipinski/PA A floral tribute to the victims of yesterday's terror attack is left at the security cordon near Westminster Abbey in central London Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images Metropolitan Police in a minute's silence at New Scotland Yard Sky News A minute's silence is observed outside New Scotland Yard in London to pay respect to the victims of yesterday's terror attack in Westminster Jonathan Brady/PA MP's in a minute's silence at the House of Commons BBC Conservative MP James Cleverly pays an emotional tribute to his friend Pc Keith Palmer, telling the Commons he was a "strong, professional public servant". PA The flag above the Houses of Parliament in London flies at half mast the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn People leave flowers at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Flowers outside the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London Gareth Fuller/PA Flowers at the Police Memorial after yesterday's terror attack on the Houses of Parliament in Westminste Alex Lentati Cressida Dick in a minute silence today at New Scotland Yard for Westminster terror victims Jeremy Selwyn A bunch of roses is layed at the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard in central London Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images Flowers arrive in Westminster the day after the attack Jeremy Selwyn The Union Flag on Portcullis House flies at half mast following yesterday's attack Carl Court/Getty Images Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Terror attack: Flowers placed below a police cordon on Westminster Bridge Hannah McKay/Reuters Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street, London Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London Hannah McKay/Reuters Two policemen stand guard at a cordoned off area on the way to the Houses of Parliament in central London Matt Dunham/AP The royal standard at full mast above Buckingham Palace in London the day after a terrorist attack Jonathan Brady/PA

Moments after Mr Palmer was stabbed, Masood was shot dead by police.

He claimed at least four victims before he was killed.

Medics and passers by treat a victim on Westminster Bridge / Jamie Lorriman

Two people - American Kurt Cochran and Spaniard Aysha Frade - were also killed and about 40 others hurt on the bridge.

A fourth victim, a 75-year-old man who has not yet been named, was confirmed dead by officers. He died in hospital on Thursday.

Up to 40 other people were also injured in the attack, with casualties including Britons, French children, Romanians, South Koreans, Greeks, and people from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

Three police officers were also hurt, two of them seriously.

Crowds of Londoners gathered at a vigil in Trafalgar Square on Thursday to pay tribute to those killed and injured in the Parliament attack.

London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil 1 /21 London attack: Trafalgar Square vigil Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners light candles as they gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil A woman holds up a sign at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil A tribute at a vigil in Trafalgar Square for the victims of Wednesday's attack Lucy Young Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack at Trafalgar Square Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People light candles at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People hold up signs at a vigil for the victims of Wednesday's attack Matt Dunham/AP Trafalgar Square vigil People attend a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey at the candlelight vigil in Trafalgar Square Yui Mok/PA Trafalgar Square vigil Londoners gather for a vigil in Trafalgar Square Andy Rain/EPA Trafalgar Square vigil Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square Amy Ashenden Trafalgar Square vigil A few people were left paying their respects late in the evening after the crowds had dispersed from Trafalgar Square following a vigil Lucy Young Floral tributes are seen in Westminster the day after an attack in London REUTERS Candles burn on Westminster Bridge the day after an attack in London Darren Staples/Reuters Trafalgar Square vigil A woman reacts at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack Hannah McKay/Reuters

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, invited both residents and tourists to join a candlelit memorial at the central London landmark in solidarity with victims.

The sombre gathering marked one day since London was targeted in a bloody assault.

Mr Khan had encouraged everyone visiting our city to join together in memory of those who lost their lives and to show the world that we are more committed than ever to the values that we hold dear - that we remain united and open.
A n army captain who rushed to save stabbed PC Keith Palmer has revealed he held his hand and talked to him throughout as he died outside Parliament.

Captain Mike Crofts was one of the first people to respond to the attack in Westminster, seconds after knifeman Khalid Masood was shot dead.

In a moving interview with BBC Breakfast this morning, he ran through the dramatic moments in which he battled in vain to save the police officers life.

He said: We responded initially to the gunshots by taking cover. We then realised that there were two injured men lying on the floor and I saw that there were just a couple of policeman around so rushed towards the scene.

Poignant: This is thought to be the last picture taken of PC Keith Palmer before he was killed

Captain Crofts did not realise at the time but another passer-by who helped deliver first aid was Former Staff Sgt Tony Davis, who was his instructor at Sandhurst nine years ago.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts we were unable to save him, said Captain Crofts. PC Palmer at the time was surrounded by a whole host of colleagues who really loved him. We held his hand through the experience. We talked to him throughout.

PC Keith Palmer / Metropolitan Police

Holding back the tears, the former Afghanistan soldier denied that he was a "hero" for his actions, instead praising the fantastic teamwork amid the carnage.

He said: There were a huge number of people who came over. Initially, there were three or four people trying to help Keith on the floor, and then I was aware a minute or two later a number more police officers came and a civilian who I later realised was an MP. The team response from everyone there was fantastic.

Attack at Parliament, March 22, 2017 1 /48 Attack at Parliament, March 22, 2017 A policeman points a gun at a man on the floor as emergency services attend the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminste PA The scene of the incident @Lukesteele4 The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The scene at Westminster bridge this morning, the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn The flag above the Houses of Parliament in London flies at half mast the day after a terrorist attack Jeremy Selwyn A forensics tent on Westminster Bridge seen from Victoria Embankment in London the day after a terrorist attack Jonathan Brady/PA Police officers walk accross Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife Darren Staples/Reuters Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster Stefan Rousseau/PA A knife on the cobbles at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (centre) helps emergency services attend to a police officer outside the Palace of Westminster, London Stefan Rousseau/PA A man lies injured after a shooting incident on Westminster Bridge in London Toby Melville/Reuters Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge Toby Melville/Reuters Police secure the area on the south side of Westminster Bridge close to the Houses of Parliament in London Matt Dunham/AP An armed police officer runs accross the road during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London Toby Melville/Reuters A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Carl Court/Getty Images A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament Carl Court/Getty Images The scene outside the Houses of Parliament The area around Westminster was put on immediate lockdown BBC Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London Victoria Jones/PA Westminster Bridge Theresa May during Prime Minister's Questions before the incident PA A police officer stops traffic as the Jagaur car of British Prime Minister Theresa May is driven away Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images A image of armed police inside Parliament @BarryGardiner Emergency services close to the Palace of Westminster, London Yui Mok/PA Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London Victoria Jones/PA Wire Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London Yui Mok/PA An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster Victoria Jones/PA Emergency personnel close to the Palace of Westminster Yui Mok/PA Police forensic officers on Westminster Bridge, close to the Palace of Westminster Dominic Lipinski/PA People remain in pods on the London Eye after it was stopped Jonathan Brady/PA Mark Rowley, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police, speaking outside Scotland Yard in London Victoria Jones/PA Westminster Bridge BBC Emergency services make their way down the river Jack Taylor/Getty Images Members of the public wait at locked doors outside St Thomas' hospital Carl Court/Getty Images

I think Ive been in a bit of a state of shock for a couple of days. I think at the heart of it though its just deeply, deeply sad that a very angry and troubled person has decided to take other peoples lives and thats really whats behind this. A huge sense of anger, probably isolation.

Captain Crofts added that his quick response was something that anyone in the army would have done. He added: We are trained to help.

On Thursday tributes poured in to PC Palmer, with the Police Federation saying they have been left numb by the killing.

Candlelit vigil for Westminster attack victims held in Trafalgar Square

A fundraising campaign set up after his tragic death raising money for Mr Palmers family raised over a 300,000 in less than one day.

PC Palmer had served in the Metropolitan Police for 15 years but died at the scene after paramedics fought to save his life.

Before stabbing PC Palmer, Masood had driven over Westminster Bridge, ploughing his Hyundai Tucson into scores of pedestrians.

Three people - American Kurt Cochran, Spaniard Aysha Frade and Streatham resident Leslie Rhodes - were killed and up to 40 others were injured.

Three police officers were also hurt, two of them seriously.

Crowds of Londoners gathered at a vigil in Trafalgar Square on Thursday to pay tribute to those killed and injured in the Parliament attack.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, invited both residents and tourists to join a candlelit memorial at the central London landmark in solidarity with victims.

The sombre gathering marked one day since London was targeted in a bloody assault.

Mr Khan had encouraged everyone visiting our city to join together in memory of those who lost their lives and to show the world that we are more committed than ever to the values that we hold dear - that we remain united and open.
T he European Union could collapse if more countries decide to follow Britain and leave, the president of the European Commission warned today.

As the Government prepares to formally trigger Article 50 next Wednesday, Jean-Claude Juncker said other nations quitting the bloc would spark the end.

He stated that the upcoming talks would be friendly and firm but added we are not naive. He continued: Britain is part of Europe so I am everything but in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain.

But I dont want others to take the same avenue because just suppose for one second that others would leave  two, three, four, five ... that would be the end.

Expectations that Mr Juncker will adopt a tough stance towards Britain to deter others from leaving were dismissed. However, he confirmed the UK would be slapped with a 50 billion divorce bill .

In an interview with the BBC, he said: There will be no sanctions, no punishment, nothing of that kind but Britain has to go and I suppose that the Government does know it. They have to honour the commitments and former commitments.

Britains eventual payment would be calculated scientifically but it would be around 50 billion, he suggested. It will be a bill reflecting former commitments by the British Government and by the British Parliament.

The payment covers liabilities for projects the UK previously agreed to help fund, as well as pensions for EU officials who served during the period of its membership.

No 10 has described the letter Mrs May will send to start Britains two-year process of leaving the EU as one of the most important documents in recent history.

Mr Juncker, the former prime minister of Luxembourg, said that he would feel sad when it arrives. Asked by the BBC if he felt it signalled a failure, he agreed, adding: Its a failure and a tragedy.

He also set out that one of his key negotiating priorities will be protecting the rights of the three million EU citizens currently living in Britain. This comes after the Tories voted down plans to include protections for EU citizens in their Brexit Bill.

Its for me a priority, he said. Its about people. I am strongly committed to preserve the rights of Europeans living in Britain and the British people living on the European continent. This is not about bargaining. This is about respecting human dignity.

Tomorrow leaders of the 27 other EU members will meet in Italy to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which created the European Economic Community, the precursor of the EU. Signed by Italy, France, Belgium the Netherlands, West Germany and Luxembourg, the treaty was a major stepping stone towards European integration.

There will also be March for Europe rallies in Rome and London. Organisers say they want to use the anniversary to relaunch and complete Europes economic and political unity.
Image: Google Maps

Guwahati, Mar 24 (IBNS) : Security forces have apprehended a NSCN (K) militant from Arunachal Pradeshas Changlang district on Friday morning.

Kohima based Defence PRO Colonel Chiranjeet Konwer said that, based on intelligence input, the Changlang Battalion under the aegis of DAO division conducted an operation at Malugaon village and apprehended a NSCN (K) militant.



The nabbed militant was identified as Nokhang Hakun



The Assam Rifle battalion swiftly launched an operation and apprehended the militant with a pistol and ammunition.



Post spot interrogation he admitted allegiance to NSCN(K), he further divulged that he has been active part of the outfit since 2001 and has undergone training in NSCN training camp at Myanmar, the Defence PRO said.



Security forces has been carrying out aggressive operations in the South Arunachal Pradesh and this apprehension has struck a blow to the extortion activities being carried out by the underground cadres of the group in the area.

Assam Rifles has apprehended three NSCN(K), five NSCN(IM), three NSCN(R) , one NSCN(U), two ULFA(I), one KCP, one NDFB militants and five OGWs since February.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
A lmost a third of UK jobs could be taken over by robots during the next 15 years, a study has claimed.

The report by PwC found that around 10 million workers are at risk of being displaced by automated machines as the robot revolution gathers momentum.

But the research also said that new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies could boost production and generate more human jobs.

The UK reportedly has fewer jobs at potential risk of automation than in other countries including Germany, the United States and Japan.

Jobs in transport and storage, manufacturing and retail are most likely to be taken by robots, while the lowest risk jobs are teachers, health and social workers, the report said.

Early prototype Spanish-designed robots at the Science Museum / Carl Court/Getty Images

John Hawksworth, chief economist at PwC, said: "A key driver of our industry-level estimates is the fact that manual and routine tasks are more susceptible to automation, while social skills are relatively less automatable.

"That said, no industry is entirely immune from future advances in robotics and AI.

"Automating more manual and repetitive tasks will eliminate some existing jobs, but could also enable some workers to focus on higher value, more rewarding and creative work, removing the monotony from our day jobs.

Employment Minister Damian Hinds said: "We have a resilient and diverse labour market in the UK, demonstrated by the latest record-breaking figures showing more people in work than ever before.

"Whether it's in cyberspace or on the shop floor, advances in technology bring new jobs. It's only right that we embrace these opportunities, support new skills and help more people get into employment to secure a workforce of the future."
P lans for an incredible u-shaped skyscraper that could one day transform Manhattens skyline have been unveiled.

The Big Bend, a 400ft-long, glass-lined tower, has been described as the longest building in the world by its designers.

Concept drawings for the project show the skyscraper dwarfing the buildings around it as it reaches an apex before curving back down.

It will feature a lift that can travel in curves, moving along the tower vertically, horizontally and in the loops.

Overlooking Central Park from an area of luxury skyscrapers known as Billionaires Row, it has been dreamt up by design studio Oiio in a bid get around New York Citys zoning laws.

The skyscraper will overlook Central Park / oiio

The team behind the project said: New York Citys zoning laws have created a peculiar set of tricks through which developers try to maximise their propertys height in order to infuse it with the prestige of a high rise structure.

But what if we substituted height with length? What if our buildings were long instead of tall?

If we manage to bend our structure instead of bending the zoning rules of New York we would be able to create one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan. The longest building in the world.

The studio added that what was once the greatest challenge in elevator history is now becoming a reality.

The Big Bend will be the longest building in the world / oiio

They said: The innovative track changing system allows for the horizontal connection of two shafts on the top and bottom to create a continuous loop.

The company added: "The Big Bend can become a modest architectural solution to the height limitations of Manhattan.

"We can now provide our structures with the measurements that will make them stand out without worrying about the limits of the sky."
S tar Wars: The Last Jedi wont be altered in wake of Carrie Fishers death, film bosses have confirmed.

The actress, famed for playing Princess Leia in the epic sci-fi franchise, had finished shooting Episode 8: The Last Jedi when she died in December 2016, aged 60, after suffering a heart attack.

Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that Fisher stars throughout the film, which will not be altered in the wake of her death.

Speaking at the University of Southern California, Iger said: We had to deal with tragedy at the end of 2016. Carrie appears throughout VIII. We are not changing VIII to deal with her passing.

Iconic: Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia (Lucasfilm)

Spin off Rogue One: A Star Wars Story featured characters which were digitally recreated including Peter Cushing, who died in 1994, but I ger said they will not do the same with Fisher.

Iger finished: Her performance remains as it is in VIII. In Rogue One, we had some digital characters. We are not doing that with Carrie.



Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds buried together after LA memorial service

He revealed the introduction of new characters in the upcoming instalment.

[The Last Jedi] is just as satisfying as [The Force Awakens] was. We're really proud of it.

It's a combination of drawing from the great heritage that was George Lucas's Star Wars but also bringing it to new places with new characters.

Iger also confirmed that next year's upcoming Han Solo spin-off will unveil the space smuggler's real name.

Carrie Fisher - In pictures 1 /29 Carrie Fisher - In pictures Carrie Fisher poses for cameras as she arrives at the European Premiere of Star Wars, The Force Awakens in Leicester Square, London in December 2016 Paul Hackett/Reuters Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) Princess Leia and Han Solo (Carrie Fisher & Harrison Ford) kiss in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Hans Solo (Harrison Ford) in Star Wars: A New Hope Lucasfilm Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds hold their baby daughter, Carrie Frances Fisher in 1957 AP Actress Carrie Fisher in 1977 Getty Images Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) Lucasfilm Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) Lucasfilm Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (1983) Lucasfilm Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (1983) Carrie Fisher and singer Paul Simon stand together at their apartment in New York during their wedding reception on 16 August 1983 Mario Suriani/AP Legendary actress Debbie Reynolds poses with her daughter Carrie Fisher after Reynolds star in the live theatre and stage category was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during ceremonies in 1997 Reuters Debbie Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars movie, joining a Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper character as they arrive for the premiere of 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith' in Washington on 12 May 2005 Mike Theiler/EPA Actress Carrie Fisher and director George Lucas pose at the 33rd AFI Life Achievement Award after party at the Highlands on 9 June 2005 in Hollywood, California Vince Bucci/Getty Images Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley during the filming of the Graham Norton Show at The London Studios in 2015 So TV/PA John Boyega and Carrie Fisher embrace as they arrive at the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Hollywood, California on 14 December 2015 Mario Anzuoni/Reuters Carrie Fisher attending the World premiere of Absolutely Fabulous The Movie held at Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square in 2016 Ian West/PA Carrie Fisher returned to the role in 2015 for The Force Awakens Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher attend the Midnight Mission's 100 year anniversary Golden Heart Gala held at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on 30 September 2014 in Beverly Hills, California Araya Diaz/Getty Images Carrie Fisher at 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' film premiere David Fisher/Rex Carrie Fisher and dog Gary attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square on 16 December 2015 in London Dave Benett

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set for UK cinema release on December 15.
D amon Albarns cartoon heroes Gorillaz are back and feeling generous, with a secret London show tonight and not one but four new songs now streaming ahead of their fifth album next month. Theres a 360-degree animated video for Saturn Barz (Spirit House) on YouTube, and other new songs feature Vince Staples, DRAM and Jehnny Beth.

Chuck Berry is the latest legend to head off to the great gig in the sky. At least he had some new music in the can. Big Boys, online now, is the first song from his first album since 1979, coming in June. Reassuringly it sounds the same as ever.

Craig Finn, the frontman of New York rock band The Hold Steady, releases his third solo album, We All Want the Same Things, today. Hes still telling poetic stories in song, especially on God in Chicago, a spoken word piano ballad which has a video on YouTube now.

Southampton band Creeper combine a love for the Californian punk of Bad Religion with the theatrical rock and roll of Meat Loaf to fun ends on their debut album, Eternity, In Your Arms. Its out today, including the bombastic latest single, Black Rain.

Just after she released a new mixtape, Charli XCX is here again as the voice of the new single from Guernsey producer Mura Masa. Its called 1 Night and unites gentle marimba with heavy bass rumbles to great effect.
New Delhi, Mar 24 (IBNS): Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad boarded a train to reach Mumbai following the flight ban imposed on him by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) for assaulting a 60 years old Air India staff member, on Friday, according to media reports.

Shiv Sena MP slapped a 60-year-old Airline officer on Thursday, before the take-off.

All Airlines which are under FIA would not allow Gaikwad to board their planes.

Though Sena MP was confident to board the flight on Friday evening, the Air India cancelled his ticket and refunded the money.

The Delhi police registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP on charges of culpable homicide and criminal assault under sections 308 and 355.

A video footage clearly shows that the MP was slapping an officer with slippers and other people present were trying to control the situation.

According to Airlines, the incident was an assault of the entire organisation and they asked for no apology from the MP since they do not want him to board the flight.

However Gaikwad refused to apologise for the entire incident.
Los Angeles, Mar 24 (IBNS): Actress Amy Schumer has moved out from the Barbie project.

As per a report published in The Hollywood Reporter, the actress has dropped out of Sony's Barbie, in which she was supposed to play the character that inspired the iconic doll.

Sadly, Im no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts," the website reported quoting Schumer's statement.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
New York, Mar 24 (Just Earth News): The United Nations and humanitarian partners are appealing for $20 million to address the devastating consequences of Cyclone Enawo in Madagascar.

Despite the fact that 200,000 square kilometres covering half of Madagascars 22 regions have been affected, the country will not be left behind, said Bary Rafatrolaza, Deputy Foreign Minister of Madagascar, in a news release from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

We are working closely with national and local authorities to meet the needs of those affected by the storm, said Violet Kakyomya, UN Resident Coordinator in Madagascar, commending the Government both in evacuating people endangered by the storm before its arrival and in mobilizing the national and international response to the cyclone.

Enawo struck the coast of Madagascar as a Category 4 cyclone on 7 March, causing extensive damage due to high winds and flooding in north-eastern parts of the country. Between 8 and 10 March, the cyclone traced an arc nearly the length of the island nation, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding to central and southeastern areas.

At least a quarter of a million people in the worst-affected areas require urgent life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection in the storms wake. The Government has declared a national emergency and requested international support.

Some 20,000 families who lost their homes need emergency shelter and more than 100,000 children whose schooling has been disrupted need temporary learning spaces.

Up to 85 per cent of planted subsistence crops were lost in some areas, while more than 1,300 wells  the major source of household water  are flooded and contaminated. More than 100 health centres and 3,300 classrooms were damaged by the cyclone.

Of the nearly 250,000 people who sought shelter in evacuation centres during the storm, more than 5,300 of the most vulnerable have no home to return to and remain in displacement sites.

In addition to providing water, sanitation and hygiene assistance for 168,000 people, the $20 million will fund food assistance for 170,000 people, and support more than 240,000 farmers in replanting crops and replacing livestock.

Photo: UNICEF Madagascar

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Mar 24 (Just Earth News): The United Nations envoy advocating an end to violence against children has met with His Holiness Pope Francis to discuss greater cooperation on protecting children from sexual and other forms of violence.

Accelerating progress in children's protection from violence needs to be at the heart of the actions of every nation, every faith and every person, said Marta Santos Pais, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children, during a private meeting with the Pope this past weekend in Vatican City.

The also meeting provided an opportunity to enhance collaboration on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and she noted that in a world free from fear and from violence, everyone counts and everybody is needed.

The meeting was meant to strengthen cooperation between the office of Santos Pais and the Holy See, which has permanent observer status at the UN, alongside 193 Member States.

The Pontiff reiterated his call for a zero tolerance policy and reaffirmed the high priority given by the Holy See to protecting the rights of all girls and boys who are victims of violence, neglect, maltreatment, abuse and exploitation.

This is a plague, a hidden scream that should be heard by all of us, highlighted Pope Francis, further recognizing the need to take all necessary measures to protect in every way the lives of our children, so that such crimes may never be repeated.

Santos and the Pontiff also discussed the perils endured by children on the move who are exposed to constant incidents of violence especially when traveling unaccompanied or separated from their families, and who often lack the support of a nurturing and protective environment and in many cases end-up locked behind bars.

Pope Francis and Santos Pais also discussed the growing risk of the criminalization of children living in socially excluded and poor communities, who lack support to develop to their full potential and who often become an easy target for armed gangs and organized crime networks. Victims of marginalization and exploitation, these children are at high risk of deprivation of liberty, where they may be exposed to incidents of neglect, abuse and ill treatment.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a target, 16.2, that calls for an end to abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. As this is a top UN priority, this meeting provided a significant opportunity to identify ways of enhancing collaboration and supporting implementation of the 2030 Agenda targets on violence against children.

Pope Francis and Santos Pais reaffirmed the importance of continuing to foster the cooperation between the UN and the Holy See in the promotion of childrens rights and protection from violence, and in process of implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Photo: L'Osservatore Romano

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Music has followed 1992 Scottsbluff graduate Joel Diffendaffer much of his life. Now its followed him to Carnegie Hall.

On the evening of March 26, about 75 members of his high school choir will take part in a national youth choir music festival at Carnegie Hall in New York, conducted by guest clinician Dr. Christopher Aspaas.

Each year, Diffendaffers choirs participate in a choral festival in Chicago. Choirs that score high enough with the judges are invited to sing in the larger festival in New York.

His choir members from the Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri, have performed in New York before. However, this is the first year they were selected for a special honor  a featured performance during the concert.

Last fall, Diffendaffer submitted some recordings of his audition chamber music ensemble for judges consideration. Hed submitted recordings in past years, but none of them were chosen until this year.

Diffendaffer said he was surprised and delighted when he received the second invitation to be the featured ensemble.

I immediately had to shift my thinking from being an audience member to being a conductor at Carnegie Hall. It still doesnt seem like reality.

After high school, Diffendaffer studied voice at the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. After graduation, it was on to a professional career with a first stop in Orlando, where he did ad hoc voiceover work for Disney World.

From sunny Florida he was off to San Francisco, where he joined Chanticleer, an orchestra of voices that traveled the world. Later stops would take him to New York and Tokyo.

While I was in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of working for Tokyo Disney as well as singing, he said. My wife, Lori, and I returned to Kansas City in 2005.

Back in Missouri, Diffendaffer returned to the universitys Conservatory for Music to study for his masters degree. One of his professors was Eph Ehly, who taught choir at Scottsbluff High School in the mid-1960s, when his parents were in school.

With a graduate degree in hand, Diffendaffer has since taught at two private schools in the Kansas City area. The latest is the Pembroke Hill School, where hes been for the past nine years. Hes now the schools director of choirs and chair of the performing arts department.

I think theres no greater honor for a musician than to become a teacher as well, he said. In making that transition from performer to teacher, Im able to pass down my excitement and joy of making music to the next generation.

He described working with high school students as an incredible experience. Students are at an age where theyre curious about everything and are interested in developing new skills.

Im overjoyed to have new students walk into the choir room, Diffendaffer said. Theyre exploring new frontiers in their lives and trying to find what theyre passionate about.

He said his philosophy on music comes directly from Ehly  that variety is truly the spice of live.

In keeping with that mindset, Diffendaffer exposes his students to a wide variety of music forms, from Renaissance to modern choral music, and from madrigals to contemporary pop arrangements for choirs. The curriculum always includes the annual tradition of performing The Messiah by George Frideric Handel.

While passing along the joy of music to his students, Diffendaffer said hes just sharing what others have done for him  those teachers who have helped shape his future.

I really have to thank all the music instructors I had in Scottsbluff, he said. I wouldnt be doing what I am today without folks like Georgene Diers, Dean Maxwell, Jim Schmucker, Gerald Bacon and Rita Stinner. I wouldnt be stepping on the stage at Carnegie Hall without them. The memories of making music for them in high school live on in my students.
TORRINGTON, Wyo.  A fourth generation of Griggs medical practices has arrived in the North Platte River Valley. Dr. Dane Griggs joined his father, Dr. Lance Griggs in July 2015 to carry on a family tradition as Griggs Family Dental.

It began with Earl Griggs, a medical doctor in Scottsbluff in the early 1900s. His son, James H. Griggs, moved up the valley to Torrington where, beginning in 1952, he practiced dentistry. His son, Lance, opened an office in Torrington in 1983, and now, his son, Dane, has become a partner.

The partnership is a new aspect of the family tradition. Earl had his own practice, and James had his own.

James was the first dentist in the family, but he died before Lance could join the business. However, Lance wanted to continue serving the Torrington community, so established his own practice.

They approached dentistry by different paths. According to Lance, he wanted to be a physician, but he just wasnt comfortable with that field. While attending the University of Wyoming, that he decided to explore dentistry.

The classes were similar, and I thought this was a possibility, Lance recalls. I discovered that was the right path for me, and completed my training at the University of Nebraska.

For his part, Dane knew what he wanted to do and took all of his training at UNL.

I like working with my hands, and I wanted to go into the medical field, Dane explained. It (dentistry) felt like a natural fit for me, and I really cant think of anything Id rather do.

The elder Griggs said he never thought Dane would select the same occupation. He said his father never pushed him and he tried not to influence his sons career choice.

I regret that I never practiced with my father, Lance said. So it was somewhat of an opportunity for me to practice with Dane.

After 33 years of working by myself, sharing with Dane is great. It sort of rejuvenated my love of dentistry.

Through a big smile, Lance said, I look forward to our days together. Its a lot more fun.

Dane agrees that the partnership has been good for both men.

The opportunity to work with someone with so much experience, and to be able to learn from him, was too good to pass up, he said.

Weve had our share of bumps in the road, but we really try hard to make it work, Lance said. Thats the important part.

To reach this point, Lance said they had to let each other know what each expected, but that was a little difficult in the beginning.

It was truly hard for me to let go after 33 years, he said. I had to learn to trust in what he was doing.

Then I thought, after 33 years, and the relationships Ive built with my patients, who better to care for them than my son?

Im totally confident he will do what is in their best interest, Dane said.

Its sort of like new technology versus 30 years of experience. We have agreed on a happy medium between what I was taught and what was done previously. You just have to do it the way you were taught, and he does some things better than what I learned in school, so thats what we do.

Lance said, I have the experience and he has the latest and greatest technology. That makes us a good team.

An example of their compromising and sharing is the best way to deal with dental crowns. Dane prefers the new one-piece ceramic crowns, while Lance was more comfortable with the traditional metal base and porcelain crown, a two-part treatment. Lance concedes that the new way creates a more natural appearance.

They both agree that the new 3-dimensional X-rays are an improvement over the traditional film versions. The 3-dimensional method is better at determining the amount of bone present, a critical factor in successful implants.

However, when it comes down to the business end of the practice, Lance takes the lead because, as he said, they dont teach the business end of dentistry in dental school.

What Dane learns from me is the every day ins and outs of business management and managing staff, Lance said.

For his part, Dane said the new technology makes todays treatments more reliable.

I know more about the new technology and how we can apply it to our practice, Dane said. I can address concerns of patients, like the overall aesthetics of the ceramic crowns.

Lance admits that some of the new technology is overwhelming, noting that additional training is necessary for some of it.

Its kind of like starting over to get the most benefit from it all, he said.

On the bright side of the new training, Lance said that it has been fun taking classes with Dane and discussing them later.

Another challenge that Dane is getting used to is the lack of service in this rural area.

Its important that he learn some of these things that we dont usually think about, Lance explained. We have to be our own mechanics because you cant get someone to come from Cheyenne or somewhere in Colorado. We have to do all of the repairs we can, so we keep parts on hand.

Its not easy to say In with the new and out with the old, Lance said.

And with a wide smile, Dane added, I have to learn the old as well as the new, and at this point, things are very smooth.

Lance agrees that the pair are making progress in the partnership.

Its really enjoyable, he said. I watch what he does, and we discuss cases. When I was by myself, I rarely had an opportunity to discuss them with someone else.

So, while the fourth generation is setting a course for the future, the fifth Griggs generation is establishing itself.

Lance and his wife, Nancy, a dental hygienist, also have a daughter, Megan, who is a nurse practitioner in Colorado. And as if one Megan in the family wasnt enough, Dane married another Megan, a journalist focusing on graphic design. They have a daughter, Josie, 2, and will soon welcome a son.

All in all, the Griggs dental dynasty could continue well into the future.
The spotlight will be on Nebraskas number one industry this week as Nebraskans across the state celebrate National Ag Week. Ill be joining Nebraskans from Scottsbluff to Omaha at 11 events over three days to highlight how our states number one industry continues to grow Nebraska. While commodity prices in many markets are lagging, there are many reasons to be optimistic about agricultures future in Nebraska.

Some may think growing agriculture only matters to our farm and ranch families, however, this $23 billion industry has a big economic impact on every part of our state. According to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, one in four jobs in Nebraska are agriculture-related. In addition to our states 48,700 farms, ag-related industries employ Nebraskans who manufacture irrigation equipment in Hastings, process food in Omaha, and conduct research at the University in Lincoln among many other occupations.

Nebraskas commodity production leads nationally in numerous categories. In 2016, Nebraska ranked number one among all states for red meat production, cattle on feed, and Great Northern beans. We rank second for our total number of cattle and calves, ethanol production, and pinto beans. We are third in the nation for corn for grain production and corn exports.

These successes did not happen by accident  they happened because Nebraskans worked together to grow agriculture. There are several successes over the past year well be celebrating this week. In 2016, six more counties received Livestock Friendly County designations, sending the message they are open to new livestock operations. We cut red tape for ag producers with a new vehicle designation allowing them to move equipment without additional licensing. In 2015, the Legislature and I put in place a new Livestock Siting Matrix to streamline the siting process for new projects. Just in the last few months, Dodge County became the first county to adopt this matrix. The county recently welcomed a new $1 billion investment from Costco, which is locating a new chicken processing plant in Fremont. This investment alone is equivalent to approximately one percent of our states GDP!

Trade has been key to growing agriculture in Nebraska. Over the past two years, we have led successful trade missions to the European Union, Japan, and China, and signed a new $400 million trade agreement with Taiwan. This last week, I hosted my annual Governors Ag Conference where trade was front and center in the discussion. Many ag producers are concerned about President Trumps desire to renegotiate trade deals, which have helped open up markets for Nebraskas commodities around the world. In the opening days of the Trump Administration, I have urged the President to protect Nebraska agriculture, and to move quickly to negotiate trade deals favorable to Nebraska.

Nebraskas ag producers have received good news from Washington recently. Before President Trump took office, Nebraska was suing the federal government over burdensome regulations placed on our ag producers. Shortly after President Trump was sworn in, he took swift action to roll back the Waters of the U.S., an onerous rule that threatened to hurt Nebraskas farm and ranch families. Rolling back this rule means Nebraskas ag producers will retain more control over their ability to farm and ranch without interference from federal regulators. The President has pledged to cut more red tape, and I am hopeful he will continue to do away with unnecessary regulations.

Tax reform will also help grow agriculture. Over the last couple of years, the Legislature and I have worked to deliver meaningful property tax relief for Nebraskas farmers and ranchers. We have delivered over $400 million in direct property tax relief with an additional $40 million for our ag producers over the next two years. I am currently working with senators to change the way we value ag land for taxation purposes. Today, we value ag land based on market sales. With the Agricultural Valuation Fairness Act, we would move to an income potential valuation system, which will help taxes track more closely with land values.

Throughout National Ag Week, I will be visiting with Nebraskans about how we can work together to grow agriculture. We must continue to grow agriculture to grow Nebraska, so the Good Life continues to provide the great opportunities the next generation is seeking. If you have any thoughts you would like to share on the state of agriculture in Nebraska, I hope you will contact my office by emailing pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or by calling 402-471-2244. We look forward to hearing from you!
With one hand holding a bottle of champagne and the other an oversized certificate declaring him the winner of $1 million from Publishers Clearing House, Bruce Saunders stood on the front porch of his western Davie County Monday and rattled off a list of things he plans spend his spend money on  medical bills, fixing his lawnmower and helping family members.
The idea of getting a colonoscopy makes a lot of people feel embarrassed, uncomfortable or anxious. That could be why only one out of three adults has gotten the recommended screening for colorectal cancer. Even though colorectal cancer is largely preventable, it remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States and in Iredell County.
A woman purchased prescription opiate pills at different Mooresville pharmacies by forging her prescriptions, according to the Mooresville Police Department.

Precias Kajuanna Freeman, 34, of Cleveland, is accused of obtaining Norco, a brand of hydrocodone, in two separate cases in July 2016, according to MPD Maj. Gerald Childress. She attempted to obtain the substance once more that month, but failed to do so, according to reports.

Childress said narcotics investigators determined the prescriptions were forgeries in each case. Police would not release the names of the pharmacies involved to preserve cooperation between the businesses and law enforcement.

The total weight of the pills was more than 28 grams, Childress said.

In September, MPD issued warrants to arrest Freeman for two counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and forgery, one count of attempted obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and forgery and two counts of trafficking in opium, a schedule III controlled substance. All are felonies.

On Tuesday, Freeman was served the warrants by an Iredell deputy. She was given a $400,000 secured bond, which was later reduced to $100,000.
New York, Mar 24 (Just Earth News): Speaking on Thursday at a United Nations forum to invigorate political momentum on climate change, the head of a major UN panel on climate change underlined that human influence on the climate system cannot be disputed.

[Research has] demonstrated the link between cumulative past, present and future carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and a given temperature rise, Hoesung Lee, the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), stressed in his keynote address at the UN General Assembly High-Level action event on Thursday.

Bigger emissions now mean higher temperature in the future, he added.

In his address, Lee drew examples from the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) issued by the IPCC in 2014 and said that since then, warming has continued and global mean temperature rise has reached more than one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels in 2015 and 2016.

Such observed warming led at the centre of the climate model projections assessed in the Report, he explained.

Underscoring that climate change threatened development, impacted economic growth, made poverty eradication efforts all the more difficult and severely underlined food security, Lee said that rising temperatures also had a very detrimental impact on the environment.

Oceans are continuing to warm, acidify and lose oxygen, he said, Warm water coral reefs are already under pressure and 90 per cent would suffer significant risk from global warming of 1.5 degree Celsius.

Touching upon the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), which will be completed with a synthesis report in 2022, said Lee that it will be ready in good time for the first global stocktaking under the Paris Agreement on climate change the following year.

He also said that scientific research has illustrated that efforts to address climate change and pursuit of sustainable development can support each other, he cited the following example: If food waste was a country, it would be the worlds third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases [therefore] reducing food waste globally can help fight poverty and hunger while stabilizing the climate.

He also said that in its subsequent reports, the IPCC seeks to improve its scientific understanding of the economics of addressing climate change, such as of the benefits on health from clean air or the impact on energy security, balance of payments and jobs from energy efficiency.

In his remarks he further mentioned that researchers are on working on new methods to better observe and understand the climate, these will be crucial to help improve weather forecasts and climate projections.

This science underpins the IPCCs policy-relevant assessments and is essential for sustainable development planning, he noted, calling for continued support the vital research.

Concluding his address, Lee highlighted that the expression business as usual is often seen for not taking action on climate.

Business will be very far from usual in a world of no mitigation, which could see temperatures rise by an average 40 or more over the century, he said stressing that economic development cannot be pursued by relying on high-carbon technology.

Actions to limit climate change have a positive impact on the domestic economy and help improve human well-being, and adaptation reduces vulnerability, supporting inclusive and equitable development.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an international body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

Photo: UNICEF/Vlad Sokhin

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Mar 24 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned the ballistic missile launch and a ballistic missile engine test conducted by the Democratic Peopleas Republic of Korea (DPRK) this week in flagrant and provocative defiance of a number of Council resolutions expressly forbidding such activities.

The launch and engine test are in grave violation of DPRKs international obligations under [numerous] UN Security Council resolutions, said the 15-member Security Council in a statement on Thursday.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that DPRK refrain from further actions, including nuclear tests [] and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions, the statement added.

They also deplored all ballistic missile activities, including the most recent launch (on 21 March) and the engine test (on 19 March) and noted that such activities contribute to the countrys development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension in the region and beyond as well as the risk of a regional arms race.

They further regretted that the country is diverting resources to the pursuit of such activities while its citizens have great unmet needs.

Also in the statement, the Council called upon all UN Member States to redouble their efforts to implement fully the measures imposed on the DPRK by the Council, and directed the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) to intensify its work to strengthen enforcement of relevant resolutions and assist Member States to comply with their obligations under those and other resolutions.

Further, reiterating the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in North-East Asia at large, Council members expressed their commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomed efforts by Council members, as well as other Member States, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue.

They also emphasised the vital importance that DPRK shows sincere commitment to denuclearization.

UN Photo/JC McIlwaine (file)

Source: www.justearthnews.com
As St. Louis-based designers take advantage of the citys low cost of living, eager online consumers are validating claims that production in the region is sustainable, practical and contagious.

Designers such as Reuben Reuel Riddick, 31, who moved from Brooklyn to join the St. Louis Fashion Incubators inaugural class in January, are content to make slow strides alongside a burgeoning community of slow fashion entrepreneurs who collectively are balancing the scales of a relentless global fast fashion craze.

Riddicks brand, Demestik by Reuben Reuel, employs a team of two with part-time seamstresses on standby for busy periods. His small core team and their families relocated to St. Louis from New York as he begins his two-year program at the incubator.

I didnt ask them to come, he said. To be honest, I didnt want to be responsible.

Needless to say, he was thrilled that they joined him here. Recreating his business without them would have been daunting and costly. But his team didnt just relocate because its a close-knit crew. They came because St. Louis made sense to all of them. According to various cost-of-living calculators, moving from New York City or Brooklyn to St. Louis translates into a roughly 50 percent pay increase.

That means that a small, established business like Riddicks brand suddenly has the space and funds to experiment. He sells about 100 garments a month in good times and he produces classic styles of womenswear in audaciously colorful African prints with an average price of about $200.

Room for entrepreneurs

Although the fast fashion industry continues to barrel into closets full steam ahead, analysts say it has also triggered an equal and opposite reaction.

Mid-market retailers that used to dominate apparel sales are struggling, and its not just e-commerce that has taken a toll. Jim Blasingame, a small business expert based in Florence, Ala., says the retail bell curve (once high in the middle) now resembles a barbell. Retailers in the once-expansive, customer-rich middle are now dying, he said. Those legacy stores that took the status quo for granted are in big trouble.

That means nimble entrepreneurs on the ends of the scale are poised to dominate in the long run. So the Riddicks of the world dont have to compete with Amazon.com to be viable, they just have to maintain their individuality and quality.

Theres never been a time in my lifetime when small, high-touch businesses had an opportunity like this, said Blasingame, who defines high touch as extremely personalized. Smaller fashion houses like Riddicks, where almost everything is made-to-order, fit the definition.

Meanwhile behemoth fast-fashion chains like Uniqlo, Zara and H&M are spending more than the gross national product of small nations to build the infrastructure to enable them to crank out hundreds of thousands of hyper-trendy products in two weeks or less.

Riddicks brand Demestik (pronounced domestic) can rush a garment  at a premium price  in a day or two, if you need it, but two to six weeks is the usual pace. And if you live in St. Louis, he might even hand-deliver it to your office.

The new consumer wants two very different experiences, Blasingame said. Youll demand high tech from Amazon and yet desire high touch from a boutique.

That means low-tech production is viable in a one-click, buy-it-now, free-shipping, rush-delivery world.

In New York, Riddick said his company had gross income in the low six-figures when he launched in 2012. It afforded him a decent paycheck after expenses. But he still lived with a roommate (an upgrade from once having three roommates). Before his move he had lucked into a live-work space with a basement studio where he and his production manager worked on product development, packing and shipping, but he spent hours traversing the city to deliver and pick up fabric and garments from the seamstresses operating out of their homes.

Now, his entire team works at the incubator space on Washington Avenue and lives within walking distance.

But Riddick is a special case. Other designers in the incubator are looking to create teams here, but finding people with the right skills and availability hasnt been easy. There is little infrastructure to support building a local design house from scratch.

Audra Noyes, 28, another designer in the incubator, graduated from a renowned design school in Georgia, trained under some of the worlds top designers in France and launched her sophisticated designer collection in delicate fabrics and an understated palette from Paris three years ago. Her garment prices range from $375 to $3,000  an entry level for high-end design. Shes launching an e-commerce site soon, but her garments are currently produced in New York and sold in notable stores around the world including London, Hawaii and California.

When I say that my shirts are $500, some people think thats absurd, but Im not making any money on that yet, Noyes said as she confesses a fashion industry open secret. For the first few years of operation, most designers are lucky to break even no matter what their price point.

St. Louis-based Liv and Kiss has a career wear line for plus-size women for $40 to $80, and designer Whitney Jones, 30, of Florissant, said that so far all of her profits are going back into operating costs.

Going through the hoops and hurdles of designing and making physical items with strict quality control needs without guaranteed sales is always a gamble, and it couldnt be more of a crapshoot than in the fickle world of fashion. The best path to success is streamlining operations.

Noyes said that despite New Yorks reputation as the place to be for fashion designers, she wants to transfer her entire operation to St. Louis.

Resources for designers

The citys garment district past means that there are some displaced skilled workers in the region. Some have been downsized from other manufacturing operations, while some relocated from other cities and now work in different fields. But this is a disparate group.

Eric Johnson, the executive director of the incubator, has launched an effort to develop a specialized fashion industry directory as a resource for designers.

The directory will include little-known specialists and freelance contractors who can do everything from fashion photography for promotional materials to computer-assisted pattern-making that makes it possible to render garments in the necessary size range.

For instance, New York-transplant Lydia Merritt works for the St. Louis-based Soft Surroundings womenswear and lifestyle brand by day and operates a productive fashion manufacturing facility called Elyse Theo Designs in the basement of the T-Rex business incubator on Washington Avenue by night. She runs one of a handful of shops in town that could handle production, when shes not working on projects for select national companies.

But for those designers that dont need or cant afford a factory team, there are hundreds of home-based professionals that the incubator is looking to locate and catalog.

Riddick, who has become a bit of an ambassador for the incubator, is leaving next week to talk to some small niche New York production teams and garment-making specialists about the possibility of relocating to St. Louis. The proposition is no longer far-fetched.
A fresh round of lawsuits against the herbicide Roundup also target a new locally based defendant: St. Louis advertising firm Osborn Barr, which marketed the product for years.

The 231 cases filed last week in the 22nd Circuit Court in St. Louis are among the latest to emerge against Monsanto, the Creve Coeur-based agribusiness company that developed the weedkiller and is listed as a co-defendant with Osborn Barr. The filings echo hundreds of other active cases alleging that glyphosate, Roundups active ingredient, is carcinogenic and tied to cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma  an association Monsanto strongly disputes and that is also the topic of competing findings of scientific groups assessing cancer risk.

While existing lawsuits focus on holding Monsanto liable for cancer allegedly linked to glyphosate, the inclusion of the advertising agency that helped market Roundup is a different approach in the legal battle, according to the prominent environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is working with a Los Angeles law office, Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, on the cases.

The filings on behalf of 136 plaintiffs argue that for two decades, Osborn Barr represented Roundup as a product that created no unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. The firm stopped marketing the product in 2012.

It was integral to the marketing of glyphosate, Kennedy said of the ad agency. There was no way for our clients to understand the risk they were taking because of the deception of Monsanto and Osborn & Barr.

(Kennedys credibility has been questioned recently for his continued support of unsubstantiated claims linking vaccinations and autism.)

According to the cases, deceptive claims included ads that portrayed Roundup as being safer than table salt and practically nontoxic. The filings say that a 1996 court agreement in New York barred Monsanto from running those and similar advertisements in the state.

Osborn Barr declined to comment on the matter, citing the ongoing nature of the legal cases. Scott Partridge, Monsantos vice president of global strategy, said the arguments seeking to implicate Roundups marketers felt contrived and that Monsantos policy has long been to put all ads through a rigorous process to ensure accuracy.

Moreover, he said the cases would face the greater threshold challenge of demonstrating that glyphosate is unsafe  a finding he noted would clash with hundreds of studies and reports.

Its obvious that the plaintiffs lawyers are having difficulty confronting the 800 studies and the monumental evidence that demonstrates that glyphosate does not cause cancer, Partridge said.

That body of evidence, though, has not deterred the recent rash of Roundup lawsuits extending to state and federal courts. The wave of litigation is spurred by a 2015 report from the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer, which classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans.

The IARC conclusion stands in contrast to findings of hundreds of other governments and organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the European Food Safety Authority and a joint meeting between the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and a separate division of the WHO. Just last week, the European Chemical Agency said glyphosate should not be identified as a carcinogen.

But representatives of plaintiffs in the cases say they are encouraged by recently unsealed documents detailing allegations that Monsanto had its personnel ghostwrite reports from outside scientists about glyphosates cancer risk and that the company had a suspicious relationship with an EPA regulator tasked with assessing the herbicides safety.

Monsanto denies the claims.

Those allegations are simply false, Partridge said, suggesting that the companys compliance with regulators requires frequent contact that can be taken out of context.

That engagement is a normal part of the process, he said. That is not collusion, that is cooperation.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump praised on Friday a plan by cable company Charter Communications to hire 20,000 call center workers in the United States, but the hiring initiative dates back to 2015 as part of the companys successful efforts to merge with Time Warner Cable.

Its the latest corporate jobs announcement made at the White House that capitalized on plans made before Trump won the presidency. Other major companies including General Motors and Ford have allowed Trump to take credit for job decisions that either predate his election or involve market forces outside the administrations direct control.

Charter Communications CEO Thomas Rutledge, after meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, credited the administrations call to reduce regulations and corporate tax rates for the hiring decision. But the uncertainty about replacing the Affordable Care Act, the health overhaul enacted under then-President Barack Obama, has raised concern among investors about whether the administration can deliver tax reform. Whether the administration completes tax reform, Rutledge said to reporters, could influence the companys hiring commitment.

As part of the 20,000 jobs to be added over four years, Rutledge said, the company will also invest $25 billion and open a new call center in McAllen, Texas, that will employ 600 workers. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, also attended the meeting.

Charter Communications spokesman Justin Venech said the company had previously had no timeframe for hiring the 20,000 workers. The company said Friday that it would happen over four years. Venech also said the $25 billion investment was new. Market analysts were expecting the company would spend roughly $30 billion on capital expenditures, such as buying cable boxes and maintaining its network, through 2020.

Call center jobs at Charter have a base pay of $14 an hour and total annual compensation of nearly $29,000, according to the jobs site Glassdoor.

Founded in 1993, Charter moved its headquarters in 2012 from St. Louis to Stamford, Conn., but it maintains a corporate office and call center in Town and Country.
New York, Mar 24 (Just Earth News): Those participating the intra-Syrian peace talks in Geneva must put the rights of children at the centre of all their deliberations as children throughout the Middle Eastern country continue to come under attack, a senior United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) official has said.

Those meeting in Geneva this week should put the rights of children at the centre of all their deliberations  the right of every boy and girl to be protected, the right to receive life-saving humanitarian assistance no matter where they are and the right to an education, UNICEF Regional Director Geert Cappelaere said in a said issued yesterday, ahead of the resumption of the Geneva talks.

Citing reports that Wednesday's attack on a school in Ar-Raqqa which is sheltering internally displaced families has killed 53 civilians including 12 children, he said the international community once again failed the children of Syria. We have been failing them for more than 2,200 days already, he added.

UNICEF reminds all parties engaged militarily in Syria that it is their responsibility to protect and safeguard the lives of children and their families. Civilian infrastructure including schools and hospitals should be protected, no matter who controls the area, Cappelaere said.

He said that children are being deprived of their basic right to life and denied their right to an education.

All parties to the conflict and those with influence must redouble their efforts to find a political solution to end a conflict that is leaving nothing but death and destruction in its path, he said.

Photo: UNICEF

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Updated at 6:10 a.m. Friday

The decision by a handful of high-profile consumer brands to pull advertising from Googles YouTube over offensive content could threaten the sites long-term strategy of stealing ad dollars from television, analysts and ad industry professionals said Thursday.

The immediate financial impact of the controversy is likely to be limited, in part because a big chunk of YouTube revenue comes from smaller advertisers who lack the budget for TV campaigns and do not have easy alternatives. Some analysts also believe that departing advertisers, eager to reach YouTube's millennial audience, will quickly return.

But with "brand safety" emerging as a major concern for marketers amid a surge in hate speech and other types of offensive content across the internet, the widespread assumption that major advertisers are ready to shift large chunks of their budgets from TV to digital now looks much more dubious.

The timing may also favor television networks as they usually present their fall line-ups and woo big advertisers starting in May, agency executives said.

YouTube, part of Alphabet Inc., has spent years courting big brands that spend hundreds of millions annually on air time. But over the past week, companies including Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Inc. and Johnson & Johnson have canceled their YouTube ad deals.

Video is actually a lot more fragile of an ecosystem than the Silicon Valley, software-eats-everything crowd may want to think," said Joel Espelien, a senior analyst at the Diffusion Group, which studies the future of television. "The point is all content isnt actually the same, all advertising isnt actually all the same. There is an element of taste. And when you ruin that, the whole thing does kind of start to fall apart.

Google offers little visibility into YouTubes financial performance, but analysts view it as a key driver for the companys growth as its traditional search advertising business matures. Analyst Mark Mahaney of RBC Capital Markets estimates YouTube will bring in about $14 billion in revenue this year.

Alphabet shares have fallen more than 3 percent since Monday, closing at $839.65 on Thursday.

Whether the recent events are a mere blip on the radar for Google or a harbinger of bigger problems to come may depend on whether the company can quickly improve its technical tools to give advertisers more control over where their ads appear.

YouTube has begun reviewing its advertising policies and will take steps to give advertisers more control, Philipp Schindler, Google's chief business officer, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. Google also plans to hire more people for its review team and refine its artificial intelligence  a key step, since much of the ad-serving is handled by automation.

Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Alphabet, acknowledged in a Fox News interview that ads appearing next to videos promoting hate speech or advocating violence had slipped through the digital cracks in Google's elaborate ad-serving systems.

"We match ads and the content, but because we source the ads from everywhere, every once in a while somebody gets underneath the algorithm and they put in something that doesnt match," Schmidt said. "Weve had to tighten our policies and actually increase our manual review time and so I think were going to be OK.

But Google's public statements have done little to assuage advertisers fears, said David Cohen, president, North America, for media buying firm Magna Global. Privately, Google has gone into more detail about how it plans to combat the issue, including ratcheting up its algorithms to better categorize content and being more stringent about how content is labeled, Cohen said.

But such additional controls would reduce the percentage of content that carries advertising and could disrupt the vibrant community of independent creators on YouTube, who drive traffic to the site and rely on revenue-sharing from advertising.

YouTube faces a special imperative to keep creators happy as rivals such as Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. try to court talent for their own platforms, said Hank Green, a prominent YouTube creator who runs the VidCon conference.

YouTube has a decade-long head start, but obviously everyone wants a piece of the pie, he said.

Even before the most recent revelations about YouTube, control over online ad placement had become a hot button topic for advertisers. Social networks and news aggregators came under fire during and after the U.S. presidential election for spreading fake news reports, and advertisers have also sought to avoid having their brands appear beside content that they categorize as hate speech.

Between non-human traffic and fraud, fake news and hate speech, brands are more concerned than ever, said Marc Goldberg, CEO of Trust Metrics, a New York-based company that addresses ad fraud.

_________________

Our earlier story, from Reuters, posted Thursday morning.

Health care conglomerate Johnson & Johnson became the latest company to suspend all digital advertising on Googles YouTube over concerns that its ads may have appeared on channels that broadcast offensive videos.

Wireless carriers Verizon and AT&T said on Wednesday they would suspend digital ads on YouTube, joining a list of well-known British brands such as retailer Marks and Spencer Group Plc that are deserting Alphabet Inc.s Google.

Google has come under intense scrutiny for ads appearing alongside videos on YouTube carrying homophobic or anti-Semitic messages. The company vowed an overhaul of its practices and said on Wednesday it has started an extensive review of its advertising policies.

Control over online ad placement has become a hot-button issue for advertisers, with social networks and news aggregators coming under fire during and after the U.S. presidential election for spreading so-called fake news reports.

Advertisers have also sought to avoid having their brands appear beside content that they categorize as hate speech.

YouTube has been a key driver of growth for Google as its traditional business of search advertising matures. Googles net ad revenue worldwide from YouTube was $5.58 billion last year, according to New York-based research firm eMarketer.

While major brands suspending advertising on YouTube is a public relations pain for Google, the suspensions do not affect Googles biggest ad product, search.

According to eMarketer, Googles 2017 global ad revenue is projected to be $73.75 billion, grabbing 62 percent of the $99.62 billion search market. Search accounts for 83 percent of Googles overall ad revenue.
LOS ANGELES  As if Shonda Rhimes didnt have enough drama in her life  being the woman whose ShondaLand production companys galaxy of shows has become the backbone of Thursday nights on ABC  shes now about to fund more of it.

On the stage, that is.

Rhimes, the force behind TV hits Greys Anatomy and Scandal, is looking to bolster LAs theater community by becoming a patron of the arts for IAMA Theatre Company.

Her objective, she says, is to strengthen LAs profile as a theater town  which has long been a matter of debate, depending on your point of view in the community.

I had been missing the world of theater here in LA, Rhimes said in a telephone interview. Theres a couple of very nice large theaters, but theres not a lot of interesting small theater, like you can find in New York. And I was sort of craving it.

The amount given was not disclosed. But the new endowment, which comes courtesy of the Rhimes Family Foundation, will fund a variety of company efforts, including the Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission, whose aim is to help budding playwrights develop new stagings that have a special emphasis on culturally inclusive storytelling.

I think its hard for any playwright to find opportunities, Rhimes said. If people arent being included, then Im going to find a way to make sure theyre included. Im going to find a way to make sure they have opportunities.

The writer-producer has recently amplified her philanthropic profile. Last year, she established the Rhimes Family Foundation, which gave $10 million to the new Smithsonian African American museum.

Her latest donation comes at a time when government arts funding is being threatened. Last week, President Donald Trump released his first federal budget proposal that, if passed, would eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. IAMA has never received funding from the NEA, but the move would undoubtedly impact other cultural resources and programming in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles-based nonprofit was founded by a core of graduates from New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts  among them Katie Lowes, who plays Quinn Perkins on Scandal.

Rhimes was introduced to the companys work after hearing about Scandal cast outings to see IAMA performances.

The company mounts about three main-stage shows a year and two side events: the IAMA Holiday Cabaret and the 23 Hour Play Festival.

Details about how the commission will work are still being finalized, but Lowes said it will start soon. As part of the scouting, the company will reach out to writing programs in schools across the country to find new, underrepresented voices.

Rhimes, who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, said her motivation to support the company stemmed from the idea of wanting theater to always be available and accessible, the way it was in her childhood.

I went to every play that came around our town, from the time I was little, Rhimes said. My parents felt like theater was a necessary piece of our culture growing up, it was the way of the world. I never questioned it.

She staged plays in her garage as a kid and, later as a teen, volunteered at a youth organization called Aunt Marthas, where she performed plays that were meant to educate teens on the importance of not using drugs or alcohol. While studying at Dartmouth, she was in a theater troupe.

Its always been a part of my life, and its never felt inaccessible, Rhimes said. And if I can help so that its not inaccessible here, great.

Rhimes has already demonstrated her level of involvement with the company. She took part in the workshop of last months Echo-Park-set production, The House That Jake Built, which explored immigration.

But has Rhimes ever considered being a playwright?
Dog whisperer Cesar Millan and son and sidekick Andre work with local dogs in an episode of "Dog Nation" airing at 8 p.m. Friday, March 24, on Nat Geo Wild.

In the episode, taped here last fall and titled "Meet Me in St. Louis," the two work with Serendipity German Shepherd Dog Rescue with a puppy mill rescue named Bruce Wayne that is anxious and fearful around people.

Missouri won't look good as the episode declares the state the puppy mill capital of the country. "Bruce Waynes story is sadly a common one," the release says. "The Millans take this opportunity to meet with some local heroes who have been fighting puppy mill abuse in the state."

In addition, the Millans help a shepherd mix named Roxie whose owner died suddenly, leaving the dog with extreme separation anxiety.
Aaron and Kami Wood of Belleville have been commuting to work together for about five years, riding the train from Fairview Heights to downtown St. Louis. They say they normally feel safe on their commute, but some of their co-workers are afraid and refuse to ride the Metro.

Theres a perception that the Metro is dangerous, but dont rule it out until you try it, Aaron Wood, 27, said. Its so convenient.

The couple said they saw security guards at the Fairview Heights station but would like to see more guards throughout the system, especially on trains at night.

Quez Roberson, 19, started riding MetroLink three years ago from his home in East St. Louis to school at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. He also takes the trains to go to work at a fast food restaurant and to meet up with friends.

I feel pretty safe, he said. Im mostly riding around my hometown. Its my environment. My neighborhood. So, I usually feel safe.

Roberson, who boards trains at all times of the day and night, said there were some stations on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River that he avoided.

Brent Bingham, 60, said hes never had any problems while commuting from his home in Belleville to work in Shiloh over the past decade. Theres been a few interesting circumstances, like people being loud, but Ive always felt safe, he said.

Taking the Metro at night is different than his daily commute, though.

Ive ridden the Metro at 1 a.m., he said. I dont like to do that, because I dont feel as safe as I normally do. You just have to be aware of your surroundings.

Tiffany Astle posted to Facebook that she was riding the MetroLink alone from her home in Belleville to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and friends immediately expressed concern for her safety, she said.

Astle said she doesnt ride the MetroLink regularly but uses it to go to the airport and attend events in St. Louis. On Monday, she sat sideways in the seat, with her back facing the window.

I like to get a visual on everything around me, she said. Its a little shady being a lone female rider on the train. Thats why I sat behind the driver. I would never sit in the back of the train while Im alone.

Astle said MetroLink should increase the number of guards in its service and require them to have a more active presence. Right now if I needed help I could go to the driver, but shes locked in, she said.  I know there are signs up with phone numbers to call but that dont mean nothin.

Ryan Pointdexter, 23, of St. Louis County, said he usually feels safe riding the MetroLink to his job at a restaurant in the Central West End and for everything.

There are some stations you just dont get off at, but Ive ridden it about six years now and never had any problems, he said. Ive gotten into some arguments maybe but nothing serious.

Theres a lot of young people who go on trains and act a fool but that dont bother me much.

Ben Torri, 57, boarded the MetroLink near Grand Boulevard Monday night with bags of groceries in hand. Torri, originally from Tokyo, moved to St. Louis to do research at Washington University. He started riding the MetroLink in April to commute from work to his home downtown.

Its very convenient, he said. Sometimes its noisy, with people being loud, but Ive had no problems with safety.

Chris Polka, 40, has ridden MetroLink trains almost daily for a decade but plans to stop once his monthly pass expires in April. About four years ago, Polka noticed an increase in rowdy behavior and saw security guards stop checking for tickets like they had been two or three times a week, he said.

Since then hes seen people harass passengers, get into fights, use drugs and sell stolen goods, he said. While 90 percent of his commutes are uneventful, he usually sees one such incident a week.

About two years ago, Polka started reporting them to MetroLink through Facebook. He would get quick responses telling him public safety had been notified, but then no guard or police officer would show up, he said.

On Monday night, Polka said MetroLink blocked him from contacting the agency through social media, he said. He hasnt tried to contact anyone about it.

Im done with them, he said.

Abby Cheruiyot, a medical student at Washington University, said she doesnt use the MetroLink often but that she rides it to get to downtown or to the airport.

I ride it occasionally and its always been fine, she said. It stops right at my school so its very convenient for me.

She said she felt that the fatal shooting Sunday was an isolated incident.

I think people who are scared to ride the Metro just havent tried it.

Damien Deshae, 38, works at the Civic Center MetroLink stop almost every day. He has a license to sell drinks and snacks there. I make a living from this, but I could make more if I stayed longer, he said. I wont stay here after dark. Its too dangerous.

Deshae said he has seen it all here: the drugs, the guns, the robberies, the fights. Its unorganized crime. The city obviously lacks the resources to deal with the crime.

There is no point in talking about expanding MetroLink until they get the security under control on the trains they have now, he said.
Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

Your notification has been saved.

There was a problem saving your notification.

{{description}}

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Image: twitter.com/TDSB

Toronto, Mar 24 (IBNS): The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) announced that all future trips to United States had been banned allowing only already planned trips to proceed, media reports said

The board which approves dozens of trips to the United States each year serving about 245,000 students, announced Thursday that while previously scheduled and approved will go ahead, no new trips to the U.S. will be booked.

TDSB tweeted, Read the Director of Education's statement re: school trips to the U.S. http://bit.ly/2nVLaeY

TDSB chair Robin Pilkey tweeted,"#Tdsb director Malloy: school trips to US already booked will go ahead but new trips requests will not be approved-too much US uncertainty.

On Friday, board spokesperson Ryan Bird told CBC Radio's Metro Morning that the ban would be in effect until further notice.

Asked if the board is making a political statement by refusing to let students travel to United States, Bird replied "I think this is about the information that we have in front of us. I think it's about the equity and inclusion angle," Bird said. "I'm not naive to say that it doesn't make a statement, but the decision is not being made as a statement," CBCNews reports said.

According to Bird, 25 previously organized trips with about 900 students will go ahead as planned. But Pilkey said Thursday that if any students with proper documents are stopped at the border, the entire group will turn back.

"We're committed as a school board to equity, inclusiveness and fairness, and it's not appropriate that some students would not be able to attend based on their country of birth," Pilkey said, CBCNews reports said.

Chris Moise, TDSB trustee tweeted, All #TDSB schools with trips to the US booked have had destinations redirected if possible; 25 trips remain booked, mostly competitions.

The board's main concern is making sure no students are put in a position where they are turned away at the border even if they have all the necessary documentation.

The proposed travel bans by U.S. President Donald Trump had incited international outrage, and led Girl Guides of Canada cancelling trips to the U.S., citing travel concerns

Bird said the board will revisit its decision if anything changes in U.S. policy.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
CLAYTON  A jury agreed Thursday with prosecutors that a woman kept her 9-year-old son gravely ill for nearly a year by secretly poisoning him with a cocktail of prescription medications until doctors uncovered her scheme.

A St. Louis County jury found Rachel Kinsella, 36, of Meadville, Mo., about 100 miles northeast of Kansas City, guilty Thursday in St. Louis County Court of charges of first-degree assault and child endangerment. She was accused of keeping her sons doctors in St. Louis and Kansas City in the dark about medications she was poisoning her son with for much of 2014.

The jury deliberated for 90 minutes. After the verdict was read, relatives and prosecutors hugged in the courtroom, proclaiming, Hes safe! Hes safe!

Kinsellas son, Patrick, then 9, was at deaths door until the state removed him from her care after a hospital visit in early 2015, authorities said. In March 2014, he suffered a seizure at school and was flown to St. Louis Childrens Hospital. He spent six of the next 10 months in the hospital.

Kinsella brought Patrick to the hospital weekly for treatments, and while he was there she visited pharmacies in the area to stockpile prescription drugs he was already getting at the hospital, authorities said. Kinsella also sought drugs and treatment from a hospital in Kansas City but didnt inform doctors in St. Louis and didnt tell Kansas City doctors about her sons care in St. Louis.

She manufactured illnesses, Assistant Prosecutor Sheila Whirley told jurors Thursday. People dont want to believe that a mother would do this because mothers are supposed to plant the seeds of love that grow for a lifetime.

While under his mothers care, Patrick suffered seizures, hallucinations and problems walking and breathing. Doctors struggled to diagnose his condition and gave him more than a dozen blood treatments and surgeries. Whirley credited doctors at Childrens Hospital with saving Patricks life. Patrick, now 11, is living with his paternal grandparents and has no major health problems, prosecutors and relatives say.

Authorities said Kinsella had rented a home in the 7400 block of Grant Village Drive in Marlborough while Patrick was undergoing care here. She told police she accidentally gave her son the wrong medication on occasion, but doctors told police the types and amount of drugs found in the boys system revealed intentional poisoning.

The medications were meant to treat mental health and seizures, but police have said Kinsella tried to attract attention through her childs illness in what is known as a caregiver-fabricated illness or Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Kinsella did not testify during the three-day trial.

Her attorneys said the presence of various drugs in Patricks system did not prove she was poisoning him.

Patrick was born premature in 2005 and was diagnosed with epilepsy, hydrocephalus and, later, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. One of Kinsellas attorneys, Gregory Smith, said hospitals near Meadville where Kinsella lived were ill-equipped to handle Patricks long-term medical problems. Smith argued that the claim that Kinsella was poisoning her son was false because the hospital had prescribed Patrick nearly two dozen different medications at different times. Smith also said toxicology results did not reveal the amount of each drug in his system.

She wasnt hiding anything, Smith told jurors.

Smith was disappointed in the verdict. I have no doubt that she loves her son as much as any parent, he said.

Patricks father died in 2012 without a will, which resulted in the courts appointing a relative to manage a $275,000 inheritance for the boy. By keeping Patrick sick, a prosecutor suggested at trial, Kinsella could receive payments from that inheritance to care for her son. Kinsella also has a teenage daughter from an earlier marriage.

Patricks aunt, Carmen Mallery, provided a statement after the verdict saying, We are pleased that justice has been served.

Sheriffs deputies led Kinsella away in handcuffs Thursday. Sentencing is set for May 26. She faces a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.  Central Missouri's Lincoln University is searching for a new president after the campus' top administrator resigned for a similar position at another historically black college.

Kevin Rome resigned from the Jefferson City university to become the president of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Rome's resignation takes effect June 30.

Rome had been Lincoln University's president since mid-2013. The university's curators say that a search committee and transition team meant to find Rome's successor will be seated as soon as possible.

Both schools are Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Fisk is one of four HBCUs nationwide ranked as a tier one liberal arts college according to U.S. News and World Report.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
The bollards that close off Henley Street and Meer Street to traffic during the day . Photo: Mark Williamson.

TALKS have been held between police and Warwickshire County Council over closing Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon to traffic following Wednesday's terror attack in London.

The idea was considered in the hours after a man mowed down several people on Westminster Bridge, killing three and seriously injuring many more. He also fatally stabbed a policeman outside the Houses of Parliament.

Warwickshire Police issued a statement on Thursday night saying bollards would be used to protect pedestrian areas of Stratford. It later retracted that statement and insisted there was no specific threat across the town or indeed the rest of the district.

Henley Street is home to Shakespeare's Birthplace - one of the world's most historically important and iconic buildings.

The bollards effectively pedestrianise the street between the hours and 11am and 6pm.

: HeraldA Warwickshire County Council spokesperson told the "After the events in Westminster, the county council and Warwickshire Police and other partners have been considering how the county's residents and visitors could best be safeguarded.

"A broad range of measures were discussed including raising the bollards at Henley Street to prevent vehicle access for a greater period than is usual and initially this was one of the measures that was considered.

"The county council has been in constant contact with the police and now has a clearer picture of the risk across the country and how Warwickshire's situation measures up against that.

"While we will encourage everyone in the county to be vigilant, it is felt that at this time there is no specific threat to Stratford and therefore there is little merit in changing the usual operation of the existing bollards."

The Met Police said on Wednesday night that people could expect to see a high profile police presence at iconic locations around the country.

Armed police were seen outside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on Thursday night as it hosted press night for Antony and Cleopatra.
Police recovered an infant who was kidnapped from Karachi's Qatar Hospital on Thursday.

According to the infants father, a woman named Musarrat fed something to mother of the newborn at Qatar hospital due to which her condition deteriorated. The woman then abducted the baby.

She was with my mother and wife for sometime, the father said.

The father started looking high and dry for the baby and finally police managed to apprehend the kidnapper lady, Musarrat, and recover the baby from Sohrab Goth locality.

The infant baby was recovered after Musarrat confessed her crime and revealed the locality where she took the infant.
A man accused of shooting four police armed offenders squad members in the Bay of Plenty has been found guilty of all six charges he faced.

Rhys Warren, 28, went on trial in the High Court at Hamilton this month, denying six charges, including attempted murder, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and using a firearm against a law enforcement officer.

The jury returned its verdicts on Friday afternoon, finding him guilty on all six.

Constable Regan Mauheni, Constable Damian White, Constable Andrew Flinn, and Sergeant Logan Marsh were all shot by Warren in March last year at a rural address near Kawerau.

The accused barricaded himself in his home during a 22-hour stand off with police after they entered the Onepu Springs Road property to remove cannabis plants, when shots were fired at their spotter plane.

- AAP
Tauranga City councillors have spent two days in Auckland on a fact finding trip focusing on quality urban design and how it can transform and revitalise a place.

The itinerary included visits to Auckland Central Library, a tour of Hobsonville Point Precinct, and various inner city streetscape projects, including Federal Street, Karanga Plaza, Lorne Street, Brittomart precinct and Te Whero Bridge.

They discussed with Auckland City Councils senior management team and councillor Penny Hulse the approach Auckland is taking to revitalise the city centre and attract investment in the city centre. The councillors also met Colliers International Director of Hotels Dean Humphries to discuss the current hotel market in New Zealand.

The trip has provided a valuable opportunity to see some of these streetscape projects and how Auckland has developed and invested in open spaces in the city centre, and to ask developers and the Council about the challenges they have faced, says Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless.

The business case that is underway for our city library was top of mind when we visited Auckland Central Library. We met with Louise LaHatte, the Manager Customer Experience, and gleaned from her what makes the central library so special and, if they had a blank slate, what they would do differently.

The visit was initiated as part of the Heart of the City programme, and was an opportunity for councillors to see how quality urban design can change the fabric of a city.

Those who took the trip are Mayor Greg Brownless, and Councillors Larry Baldock, Leanne Brown, Kelvin Clout, Bill Grainger, Gail McIntosh, Max Mason and Catherine Stewart.
A pre-teen in Kerala has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for fathering a child.

By India Today Web Desk: Being dubbed as the youngest father in India is a 12-year-old boy has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for impregnating 17-year-old girl in Kerala.

A report on The Hindu says that DNA tests have confirmed that the boy is indeed the biological father.

Doctors believe that the boy could have a medical condition called "precocious puberty" which make the child attain puberty earlier in age.

advertisement

The identities of the young parents and the baby are being kept secret as per the POCSO Act. Reports, however, say that they have had a baby girl at a hospital in Ernakulam.

The boy is being believed to be the youngest father in India.

While some reports say that an 11-year-old boy from Auckland, New Zealand, is the world's youngest fathers, others give that title to 12-year-old Sean Stewart from Britain.

Read more at FYI:

You'll be shocked to know why pregnant Aussie teens are taking up smoking

Her body, her right: Women have the right to decide on pregnancy, SC judge says

Supreme Court rejects pregnant woman's plea to abort child with Down syndrome

Also watch:

--- ENDS ---
Chief minister Fabian Picardo and deputy chief minister Dr Joseph Garcia were in London on Tuesday for meetings and for the evening debate in the House of Lords about the impact which Brexit is likely to have on Gibraltar.

Afterwards, the Gibraltar government issued a statement saying it welcomed the "chorus of support" from peers from all political parties.

There were 18 contributions to the debate, which was opened by Committee Chairman Lord Boswell of Aynho, including strong backing from former Governor Lord Luce and long-time supporters Lord Hoyle (Labour) and Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrats). In her response on behalf of the British government, Baroness Goldie reaffirmed that the economic bonds between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar would be strengthened and maintained after exit from the European Union.

"The response of Her Majesty's government has been unequivocal," said the chief minister

Picardo said afterwards that the session had been deeply important for Gibraltar and that the committee had done a huge service in the timely preparation of their report. "To have secured a debate on that report a week before the formal Article 50 Notice is given, I think, is hugely beneficial to Gibraltar and has been enormously helpful in demonstrating the depth of support that Gibraltar now enjoys from all sides of the House, including the central, crossbench, peers who have demonstrated they care about our rights in this process. I am also very grateful for the response of Her Majesty's Government, which has been unequivocal. I think this has been the first time a Chief Minister and his team has been invited to attend and sit below the bar in the House of Lords and I am very proud for all of Gibraltar that this has been the case," he said.

"I am very grateful indeed to all of their Lordships who supported Gibraltar in the report of the Brexit Select Committee and who last night orchestrated a chorus of support for Gibraltar and its people in this important and timely debate. It is at times of challenge that friendships are forged, and we can see our long-term friends continuing staunch in our support and new friends also flocking to Gibraltar's cause, which are silver linings in these times," he concluded.
The latest version of the Thinking Green Digest, produced by Gibraltar's Department of Heritage, Environment and Climate Change, is now available online at www.gibraltar.gov.gi/new/publications.

It explains the work carried out by the DECC in 2015 to ensure a greener and more sustainable Gibraltar, including air and water quality, waste management, habitat restoration and energy as well as other useful information relating to people's living environment.

Meanwhile, the minister for Environment and Climate Change, Dr John Cortes, joined members of the Thinking Green team on Thursday at a stand in the Piazza to encourage people to swap their old lightbulbs for LEDs, in the run-up to Earth Hour on Saturday.
With a turnout of around 74 per cent, Gibraltarians voted in Joe Bossano, with his distinctive moustache and large-framed glasses, as their new Chief Minister on 24 March 1988. Many voters waited until after work to cast their votes with queues forming into the streets due to stepped-up security following the death of three IRA militants gunned down on Gibraltarian soil by British Special Forces earlier that month.

Opposition politicians, who cast their vote early, warned that a victory for Bossano, as predicted by the exit polls, would mean a deterioration in Hispano-British relations.

During his election campaign, Bossano's Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, which he formed as the Gibraltar Democratic Movement in 1975, called for self-determination, expressed its opposition to the negotiations being carried out bilaterally between Spain and the United Kingdom over the future of Gibraltar, and opposed any transfer of sovereignty, joint or otherwise.

Bossano, alongside then Chief Minister Joshua Hassan, also led the biggest protest the Rock has ever seen, mobilising some 12,000 people against the agreement reached between Spain and the UK over the joint use of the airport.

Despite cordial relations on a municipal level with Gibraltar's neighbours, Bossano took a firm stance in his quest for self governance and shut down 'the Spanish question' at every opportunity. In fact, he won reelection in 1992 (with 72 per cent of the vote) on the slogan 'Give Spain No Hope' at a time when politicians in London and Madrid were increasingly open to the idea of a solution to the 300-year-old dispute.

Bossano also oversaw the regeneration of the country's economy with the creation of a private sector economy based on offshore finance and tourism and, through the provision of affordable housing, encouraged Gibraltarians to buy homes for the first time.

Bossano was unable to achieve a third term in office but does remain on the Gibraltarian political scene, currently serving as Minister for Economic Development, Telecommunications and the GSB in Fabian Picardo's cabinet.
Flight schedules are always a good way of measuring tourism prospects for the Costa del Sol, and 2017 looks like being another record year as the airlines which operate to and from Malaga have put 15.5 million seats on sale for flights from now until the end of October. This is two million more than last year.

Salvador Moreno, the director of Malaga Airport, says the forecasts are excellent. He also points out that the number of seats available last year were already 15 per cent more than in 2015.

A total of 52 airlines operate to and from Malaga, and by the end of last year 16.6 million passengers had used the airport. In 2015 there were 13.7 million, which gives an indication of the growth in activity. This summer there will be 89,500 flights, 11.5 per cent more than last year, linking the province with 126 destinations worldwide. This year four more destinations have been added, including Tel Aviv, and in total the companies are operating 242 routes.

Salvador Merino was reluctant to predict whether more than 18 million passengers were likely to use the airport this year, because there are many factors which can influence demand. Generally, however, 2017 is expected to be another record year for Malaga airport, and it has got off to a flying start: 1,782,303 people have already travelled on 14,650 flights in January and February.

Of the 242 routes this year, 210 are in Europe, although there is also a rapidly increasing demand for the USA and Canada.
Climate change is no longer something which is predicted to happen in the future; it is already having an effect on the Bay of Malaga. Among the consequences which experts at the Oceanography Centre, the Union for the Preservation of Nature (UICN), the Aula del Mar and the Junta de Andalucia are noticing, is a rise in the temperature of the sea water. This can result in a reduction in fish stocks, the proliferation of invasive species and others such as jellyfish, and the risk of cetaceans being stranded on shore, among other problems.

This week the official presentation of the Week of the Sea took place, and it proved an ideal opportunity to highlight the effects which global warming is having on the Malaga coast. At the presentation, experts explained that the sea water is warmer now. Although the rise is only slight, the level of heat absorption is significant and has been enough to produce some important changes.

Jorge Baro, the director of the Oceanography Centre, says there are signs that the dynamics of marine populations are changing and there has been a fall in exploitable resources, at the same time as other populations, such as jellyfish, are increasing. "In the sea, there has to be a major change in temperature for this to happen, and that has even been detected at very deep levels in the Mediterranean. That affects the species, although not always in a negative way, because those which live in warmer waters proliferate," he explains. Because of this, more invasive fauna are coming from the Indian region through the Suez Canal and settling, encouraged by the rise in temperature. Among the most striking cases is that of the pufferfish, which is poisonous.

Dolphins and whales are coming closer to shore nowadays in order to find food

The Malaga fishing grounds have maintained normal levels in the past ten years, although in general the trend is downward compared with the situation 30 or 40 years ago. In fact, the current figures are very different to those registered at the end of the 20th century, and climate change appears to be having an influence, together with human overpopulation of the coast, the lack of sewage treatment and contamination. Among the most threatened species are those which are captured by trawling, such as red mullet and hake.

Luis Gil de Sola, a researcher with the IEO, says the reproduction cycles of sardines and anchovies are becoming longer. "The numbers are lower than expected. The warming is affecting the fishing industry, definitely," he says. He would like to see further effort made in compiling data and in providing information for the public.

Cetaceans close to shore

The UICN has already identified several effects of climate change through the Alboran Geoportal, an app in which this NGO, the scientific world and public administrations all participate.

Andres Alcantara, a technician with this organisation, says that more dolphins and other cetaceans have been stranded on the shore recently, because they are coming closer to eat. There are also more contaminants because of the rise in the water temperature, which is also reducing the capacity to absorb CO2 and making marine plants disappear.

With regard to fishing, in April there will be a meeting between different authorities and technicians from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Malaga to identify the areas which are most vulnerable because of a reduction in fishing stocks. In fact Morocco has already carried out studies which associate this factor with climate change. The effects are most evident in species such as clams, mussels etc, whose shells are becoming weaker and therefore affecting production.

Juan Jesus Martin, the biologist who runs the Aula del Mar, says he has not seen an increase in the number of cetaceans who have become stranded on shore in this area, but they are coming closer to the coast in search of food. In fact, a whole family of pilot whales was spotted off Cabopino, in Marbella, recently. There has also been a noticeable increase in invasory species from tropical seas, both fauna and flora, and sea turtles are laying their eggs in this area more often these days. "Cold-blooded animals are changing their habitats and their distribution," says Juan Jesus.

Jose Luis Hernandez, the regional government's Deputy Minister for the Environment, warns of the implicit dangers from the rising sea level, which threatens the productive system basis on the Costa del Sol. This is one of the aspects which was discussed in depth this week at meetings at the Aula del Mar, which is in El Palmeral in Malaga Port.
Copyright  Prensa Malaguea, S.A. - Mlaga. Includes content from the company, the media group, SUR, the newspaper of Malaga and, where applicable, from other companies within the group or third parties.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES:

It is prohibited to reproduce, distribute, make available, communicate publicly and use in whole or part the contents of this website, in any form or way, without previous express authorisation in writing. This includes simply reproducing it and/or making it available as a summary, comment or press review for commercial purposes or those which are directly or indirectly lucrative, which is expressly forbidden.
Employers from around 50 car rental companies staged a protest at Malaga airport on Monday with representatives from outdoor parking lots opposing new rules which have forced them to wait for passengers in the short-term car park, a measure they say will involve a considerable increase in costs.

The companies have accused the country's air navigation management firm Aena of trying to make more money through the scheme, and have predicted that these sorts of businesses will have to close as a result.

The groups also believe that the 15 free minutes granted in the express parking is an insufficient amount of time to deal with clients.
The Supreme Court on Friday said it will re-examine 199 cases recently closed by the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Narendra Modi government two years ago.

By Harish V Nair: The emotive issue of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots is all set to take centre stage ahead of next month's Delhi civic polls and haunt the Congress, some of whose leaders have been accused of instigating it. The Supreme Court on Friday said it will re-examine 199 cases recently closed by the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Narendra Modi government two years ago. The riots in the Capital, among India's bloodiest in modern times, followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.

advertisement

About 3,000 people were massacred, 350 of them in a single block of east Delhi's Trilokpuri area. The probe into these cases had reached a dead end as either there were no case files, or the victims and witnesses could not be traced.

The SIT was investigating a total of 293 cases. It has questioned Congress leader Sajjan Kumar at least three times over allegations that he instigated a mob in Janakpuri on November 1, 1984, which led to the killing of two Sikhs. The case was earlier closed by the CBI citing lack of evidence.

While the Congress maintains it had nothing to do with the closure of the cases as it was done by the probe team constituted by the Modi government, the BJP accuses successive Congress governments at the Centre and Delhi of colluding with several accused and destroying evidence.

HEARING ON APRIL 25

A bench headed by justice Dipak Misra directed the home ministry to produce the files pertaining to the closed cases. The matter will be next heard on April 25.

"We intend to focus on these 199 cases in respect of which a decision has been taken by the SIT to close and not to launch any prosecution in these matters. We direct the Union of India to produce the files pertaining to these 199 cases within three weeks," the bench said.

The court was also unhappy as the SIT has filed charge sheets only in four of the 59 cases taken up for further probe. In the latest status report last month, the MHA said 38 of the cases taken up for fresh probe have been closed while 17 were still under probe.

On Friday, attorney general Mukul Rohatgi told the top court that four more cases have since been closed and now only 13 remain under probe. The closure of a whopping 199 out of the total 293 cases has put question mark on the SIT's assurance that it is "determined to render speedy justice to affected families".

HOME MINISTRY AFFIDAVIT

The home ministry affidavit says, "The Government has all the right intention to render justice to the victims of riots as early as possible." Explaining the "inordinate delay" alleged by the petitioner and consequent weakening of the case, the ministry had earlier admitted lapse of 32-years was taking a toll on collection of relevant documents and case files from police stations and courts.

advertisement

In many cases, documents were in Urdu or Gurmukhi and this was further delaying their scrutiny. "The cases being very old, there has been difficulty in collating and scrutinising records. It is also ensured that the cases are properly examined before any decision is taken," it said.

"Notwithstanding the difficulties, the SIT has taken up the challenge and all efforts are being made to examine the cases minutely and due care is being taken to scrutinise the cases with a view to render speedy justice to affected families," it said in another affidavit filed recently.

The government said the home ministry was monitoring the progress in SIT probe into the cases every fortnight. However, the report had said: "It is being ensured that investigation is carried out expeditiously and thoroughly. No stone is being left unturned to ensure a detailed and comprehensive probe."

advertisement

The Centre had constituted a committee headed by GP Mathur on December 23, 2014 and the panel on January 22, 2015 had recommended setting up of an SIT.

On the basis of the recommendation, the government set up the Special Investigation Team on February 12, 2015 comprising IPS officer Pramod Asthana as its chairman. Members of the SIT are ex-district judge Rakesh Kapoor and additional DCP Kumar Gyanesh.

ALSO READ | Ahead of Punjab polls, SIT to reopen 286 anti-Sikh riot cases

ALSO WATCH | Anti-Sikh riots: 5 facts which haunt Congress

--- ENDS ---
Pro-Tamil groups are protesting against superstar Rajinikanth for his visit to Jaffna on April 10.

By India Today Web Desk: Over the last few days, superstar Rajinikanth's 2.0 has landed itself in a lot of controversies.

According to reports, Tamil fringe groups like Viduthalai Chiruthaigal KAtchi (VCK), Marumarlarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMDK) and few others are opposing against Rajinikanth for his visit to Sri Lanka on April 10.

As per a statement released by Lyca Productions, Rajinikanth was supposed to visit Jaffna to hand over keys built for Tamils by Gnanam Foundation.

advertisement

However, the fringe groups are stating that Lyca Productions is based in Lanka, and protesting against Rajinikanth for the same. Reports also suggest that Thalaivar's much-anticipated 2.0, which is bankrolled by Lyca for a whopping Rs 400 crore, may face opposition from the aforementioned groups.

As part of his visit, Rajinikanth was also expected to speak at a public meeting and plant tree saplings.

"Named after Lyca Group chairman Subaskaran Allirajah's mother, the foundation has built these homes at a cost of Rs 22 crore and the project was completed over a period of one and a half years," read the statement.

The homes have been built for displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Over the years, Eelam is one issue that has spawned several heated debates across Tamil Nadu. In fact, some of the pro-Tamil groups protested against Ilayathalapathy Vijay's Kaththi (2014) and called for a ban on the film, which was also produced by Lyca Productions.

2.0, directed by Shankar, also stars Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson and Sudhanshu Pandey, and will hit the screens on Diwali this year.

( With inputs from IANS )

ALSO READ: Rajinikanth likely to attend Baahubali 2 audio launch

ALSO READ: Satellite rights of 2.0 bagged for Rs 110 crore

ALSO READ: Rajinikanth's 2.0: Shankar apologises after attack on photojournalists by crew

ALSO WATCH: All about Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar's 2.0 on In Da Club

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Kathmandu, Mar 24 (PTI) Nepal Police today arrested four Thai women including a Buddhist nun for illegally carrying a huge cache of foreign currencies including Rs 273,180 here.

The Buddhist nun and three of her disciples were arrested from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) when they were about to board a Thai Air flight to Bangkok, Chief of the TIA Police, Deputy Inspector General Pankaj Shrestha said.

advertisement

The police seized USD 286,162, Rs 273,180 and 46,800 Thai baht from their possession during a regular security check.

They had hidden the foreign currency in the false button of a suitcase they were carrying, police added. PTI SBP CPS

--- ENDS ---
Nedrow Fire 3.JPG

Firefighters battled a fully-involved house fire at 203 Rockwell Road in Nedrow, in this 2016 file photo.

(Ken Sturtz | ksturtz@syracuse.com, 2016)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Onondaga County firefighters are joining fire departments across the state to fight for presumptive cancer coverage for volunteers.

"Today's fires are far more toxic than ever," according to FASNY, the Firemen's Association of the State of New York. "Modern homes are built with synthetic materials and filled with an array of electronics and other substances that burn faster, hotter, and produce a staggering array of carcinogens."

Because of this, today's firefighters are more likely to develop cancer than their predecessors, according to FASNY.

New York's paid firefighters are covered in the event of a cancer diagnosis because of this danger, but about 110,000 volunteers are not.

There is legislation in Albany that would address the issue. On Jan. 24, the state Senate unanimously passed S. 1411. The Assembly version of the bill, A. 711, is in committee and has not yet come to a vote.

The legislation extends the already existing Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit Law to cover all incidents of melanoma, as well as cancers of the digestive, hematological, lymphatic, urinary, prostate, neurological, breast and reproductive systems. The bill includes length of service requirements, a statute of repose, and an op-out clause to minimize the financial impact of cancer coverage on local municipalities, according to FASNY.

"Dozens of states across the country have already passed similar laws, but sadly New York is lagging behind," FASNY President and Taunton Fire Department member Ken Pienkowski said in a news release. "Plain and simple, New York's 110,000 volunteer firefighters deserve presumptive cancer coverage. We urge the Assembly to act swiftly to protect the health of New York's volunteers, and to send this bill to Gov. Cuomo's desk."

Dozens of Onondaga County volunteer firefighters will assemble on Saturday morning along with FASNY representatives to discuss the legislation at the 9th Annual Onondaga County Fire and Emergency Services Education and Legislative Breakfast.
Seth Collier

Seth Collier, 18, of Syracuse, was hospitalized after a hit-and-run early Tuesday on the North Side of Syracuse. Collier died Thursday. Peter J. Rauch, 37, of Liverpool, was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident with serious physical injuries. He was an investigator with the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office but was fired Tuesday hours after the crash.

(Provided photo)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An 18-year-old who was critically injured early Tuesday in a hit-and-run on the city's North Side has died.

Seth Collier died Thursday afternoon, according to Oswego County District Attorney Greg Oakes, who has been named as a special prosecutor in the case.

Collier was walking at North Salina and Bear streets around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday when he was hit by a car that did not stop, police said. He was rushed to Upstate University Hospital where he had remained since.

His sister had previously said Collier was being kept alive on life support so loved ones could say goodbye and his organs could be donated.

Collier's family released a statement following his death Thursday saying he had been surrounded by loved ones.

"We thank all our friends and family and many individuals who we never knew for their support and prayers," the statement said. "So that Seth may live on and help others, we are donating his organs."

The family has planned a vigil for Collier at 6 p.m. Friday at the corner of Bear and North Salina streets.

Police are continuing to investigate the hit-and-run. Peter J. Rauch, 37, of Liverpool, was charged Tuesday with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident with serious physical injuries.

Rauch pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning in Syracuse City Court. He posted bail and was released.

He was an investigator with the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office but was fired hours after the crash. Rauch also worked part-time as a police officer for the Liverpool Police Department and was suspended without pay from the force.

It was not clear if Rauch would face additional charges or what they might be.

Mark Moody an Oswego County prosecutor who served as the special prosecutor at Rauch's arraignment, said more charges were possible.

"To be honest, we expect the charges to be raised, given the victim's condition," Moody told the judge.

Syracuse police asked anyone with information about the hit-and-run to contact 315-442-5130.
Quad-C.JPG

The $125 million Computer Chip Commercialization Center, or Quad-C, on the SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus in Marcy. German company Danfoss Silicon Power is to open a computer-chip packaging facility employing 300 people in the building.

(Fort Schuyler Management Corp.)

Utica, N.Y. -- A German company has reached an agreement with General Electric to operate a computer-chip packaging plant on the SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus in Marcy, creating 300 jobs, state officials said Friday.

Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development, said Danfoss Silicon Power will occupy the entire state-built, $125 million Computer Chip Commercialization Center, also known as Quad-C, on the campus, Utica radio station WIBX950 reported.

Danfoss will begin moving into the building on Monday and starting hiring next week, the station said.

The Observer-Dispatch said the company will package silicon-carbide wafers being manufactured at SUNY Poly's Albany campus.

The announcement comes four months after Austrian computer-chip maker AMS abandoned plans to establish a manufacturing facility at the state-owned Marcy Nanocenter, a 400-acre site near Utica. The AMS project was to create 1,000 jobs.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
031708Welsh2.JPG

Hal Welsh poses for a photo in 2012 at the downtown YMCA branch in Syracuse.

(Ellen M. Blalock \ eblalock@syracuse.com | File photo, 2012)

When Hal Welsh took the job of running the YMCA of Greater Syracuse in 1993, the organization had two branches and was deep in debt.

Now, 24 years later, the YMCA has more than doubled its number of branches and increased membership from 3,500 to 57,000, according to the YMCA. The operating budget has risen from $2.5 million to $22 million.

On Thursday, the YMCA announced that Welsh, 66, is retiring. The group has started a nationwide search for a replacement, according to a news release.

"The initiatives and developments that Hal led over the last 24 years for the Syracuse Y will touch the Central New York community for generations," Ed Kelley, a member of the Y board, said in the news release.

The YMCA in Syracuse was in tough shape in the early 1990s.

It was by almost any measure, a failing institution, wrestling with $1.1 million in debt, according to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard archives. Membership was shrinking. The group even contemplated closing its downtown branch.

Welsh was recruited from the Lancaster Family YMCA, where in 15 years he increased its membership 40 percent, according to the YMCA.

Back then, the YMCA consisted of the downtown branch and one in Liverpool, plus a day camp in Manlius. Now it features five branches: downtown, Fayetteville, Manlius, Baldwinsville and Onondaga, plus the day damp.

The expanded, new suburban branches were hugely popular, offering pools, workout areas, gyms, meeting areas, kids programs, classes and more.

Not every new branch was easy to build. It took nearly 15 years to open the Northwest Family YMCA in Baldwinsville.

Hal Welsh

The journey began in 1999 when Radisson residents expressed the desire for an expanded, year-round recreational facility. After a couple failed plans, numerous road blocks and heated town meetings, the Y gained approval to build a $20 million, 100,000-square-foot building on River Road

The organization has also expanded its arts programming under Welsh's tenure, including ceramics classes and writing programs.

Welsh thanked the board and Y staff for working with him to make the Y and the community better.

"There are few places in our community that bring a wider cross-section of people together than the YMCA," Welsh said in the news release. "It has been an honor to help build strong kids, strong families and a stronger community through the Y."

Welsh of Van Buren will continue to serve in his role until the position is filled, the Y said.
Note: This post has been corrected to clarify the status of the Senate Independent Democratic Conference.

By one count, state Sen. Robert Ortt of Niagara County on Thursday became the 40th New York state legislator to face legal or ethical charges since 2000. Ortt's predecessor, George Maziarz, would have been No. 41 on the Legislature's wall of shame had he not retired from public office in 2014 under an ethics cloud.

Republican state Sen. Robert Ortt, left, with his attorney Steven Coffey, right, stands before Judge Peter Lynch for his arraignment in Albany County Court, Thursday, March 23, 2017, in Albany, N.Y. Ortt of Niagara County pleaded not guilty Thursday in Albany to charges that, as mayor of North Tonawanda, he arranged for a no-show job for his wife in order to pad his salary. Ortt dismissed the charges as politically motivated.

Ortt faces three felony counts of filing a false instrument, for allegedly arranging a no-show job for his wife and funneling payments to her through a pass-through entity. Maziarz faces five felony counts of filing a false instrument, for allegedly hiding $95,000 in campaign payments to a former Senate staffer who resigned over sexual harassment charges. Both men pleaded not guilty and vow to fight the accusations.



The charges against Ortt and Maziarz, brought by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman after an investigation by the state Board of Elections, got scant attention as the battle raged in Washington over health care legislation. Compared to the bloodletting going on there, corruption in Albany is a dull toothache - a nagging pain that New Yorkers seem resigned to live with.



Clearly, voters aren't up in arms over the lack of progress on ethics reforms.



For the seventh year in a row, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed an ethics package in his State of the State address. He included it in his proposed state budget, the starting point for negotiations with the Senate and Assembly. It included such chestnuts as closing the LLC loophole (the spigot through which vast sums of money flow into political campaigns), public campaign financing, a cap on legislators' outside income, expansion of the Freedom of Information Law to cover the Legislature, among others.



The Legislature seems to have little appetite for it.



The Democrat-controlled Assembly's one-house budget adopted most of Cuomo's ideas (closing the LLC loophole, for example) but did not go along with others. The Republican-controlled Senate's one-house budget included none of Cuomo's ethics proposals. Only the Senate Independent Democratic Conference, a group of eight breakaway Democrats who share power with the Republicans, offered unqualified support for Cuomo's reform package.



To legislators' reticence, add the complications of negotiating a budget when Congress and the Trump administration is about to pull the rug out from under state finances. The prospects for a meaningful agreement on ethics and voting reforms by the April 1 budget deadline are dim.



What are the chances Albany will take them up after the budget? Dimmer, unless the public makes a stink. Which it never does. Even as the list of politicians brought up on charges grows ever longer.



If you can't muster any more outrage at corruption in Albany, here's one concrete action you can take. On the back of November's ballot, you will find a constitutional amendment that would reduce or strip the state pension from public officials convicted of a felony related to their official duties. Vote "yes."
Donald Trump,Haider al-Abadi

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting on women in healthcare, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington.

(Evan Vucci / AP)

Stephen Kimatian, of Syracuse, is a former television executive and was a candidate for mayor. He is a regular guest columnist for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard.



By Stephen Kimatian | Guest columnist



We all need to thank President Donald Trump.



Wait! Before some of you throw rocks, hear me out. If not for Trump's confrontational style, his propensity to push issues to the precipice and his unpredictable tweets, we would never be having so much discussion of politics, civil rights and the workings of government. Every day with Trump is like being immersed in an ongoing politics reality show. Whether we like it or not, we are all enrolled in Trump University.



Can you think of another time over the last decades when so many Americans were discussing civil rights, immigration rights, education, foreign policy, the branches of government? You hear it in the workplace, restaurants, bars, diners or just walking down the street. And it's people of all ages; even the children chime in because they hear what is going on and they, too, want a say. Trump University is a living, breathing curriculum. There's no teaching from a faded syllabus.



Trump University's "reality" campus has no "safe space," either. In 1987, Allan Bloom, a professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago, wrote "The Closing of the American Mind," in which he argued that universities are basically closed to true critical thinking. His premise is still sound today. Violent incidents at UC Berkeley and Middlebury College showed that some college students would rather shut down free speech than debate controversial, even abhorrent ideas. But at Trump University everyone gets to have a say, whether you like it or hate it.



Here's what Trump has taught us so far:



Lesson 1. The Executive Order



Shortly after taking office, President Trump issued an executive order on immigration. Overnight, it would have temporarily halted immigration from seven countries and impounded many in transit, including visa and green card holders. Though President Barack Obama used executive orders, public reaction to them never reached this intensity. But, was Trump's reach too far? The federal district courts are the first level of review. A federal judge put the order on hold and an appeals court agreed. What we see at work are the dynamics of the branches of government in action. Eventually, appeals can go to the Supreme Court. But a great principle was demonstrated. If the executive branch overreaches, the judiciary can overrule.



Lesson 2. The President and the Press

Decades of tradition have formed many press-president relationships. Trump, however, felt no allegiance to tradition, deciding he would do his own publishing by tweeting, at one point not wanting to hold press conferences, then deciding to change the press venue, calling upon those he favored and punishing those whom he disliked. Can a president treat the press this way? Apparently, he can. Some thought the First Amendment to the Constitution would provide some protection for the press, but as it turns out, the First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech or the press." So, the president can do what he wants in this case, the only caveat being, whoever controls the microphone usually gets the last word.



Lesson 3. The Rise of Alternative Facts

Obscuring issues and muddying the waters are strategies of the Trump Administration. One offshoot is the rise of "alternative facts," a curiosity in news reporting, but it begs the question. What is a fact? How do you know the facts are accurate? Can you verify the facts? Who do you believe is telling the truth?



Lesson 4. Nominating a Supreme Court Justice

The president proposes the nominee but it must be approved with the "advice and consent of the Senate." Ordinarily, approval would require 60 votes of the 100 senators. Since the Republicans have 52, they would still need eight Democrats. But when the Republicans stonewalled appointments of a Democratic president, Senate Democrats reduced the required votes for lower court appointments to a majority of 51. The Republicans could also invoke this so-called "nuclear option."



Lesson 5. The Legislative Branch

Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act is turning out to be another civics lesson. Writing legislation poses a multitude of complicated issues. Meeting the demands of the most conservative wing of the Republican party is a challenge. The Congressional Budget Office estimates millions who are covered will not be covered. This is another example of the workings of the branches of government. The president may wish to repeal and replace Obamacare, but to write a bill that garners sufficient votes to pass Congress is easier said than done.



To get the most out of Trump University, it is essential to do your homework. Look at all sides of an issue. Apply critical thinking. Be aware of the bias in media. Base your conclusion on facts, not prejudice. If we all did this, we would be well on the way to becoming the most informed electorate ever.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who is at the centre of a raging storm for assaulting an elderly Air India employee, was today barred from flying all major domestic airlines in an unprecedented step in Indian aviation history.

The MP from Maharashtras Osmanabad, however, continued to brazen it out and remained unapologetic about his conduct.

advertisement

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against him on the basis of the complaint lodged by Air India for repeatedly hitting with sandals 62-year-old Duty Manager R Sukumar on a Pune-Delhi flight after it landed here yesterday over not being able to fly business class despite having boarded an all-economy flight.

The national carrier had also lodged another complaint against him for holding up the aircraft.

Taking retributive action, the national carrier cancelled Gaikwads return ticket to Pune after he boastfully asserted he would board the afternoon flight. Private airline IndiGo followed suit as, in an unprecedented show of unity, several air operators imposed a "ban" on him.

The Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir as its members, issued a statement declaring it has decided to "ban" the MP from flying on its aircraft.

"Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect. We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," FIA said in its press statement.

"In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers," FIA said.

"Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the Government and security agencies to enforce such a "no fly" list," it added.

The non-FIA member airlines --AirAsia India and Vistara -- also came out in support of the ban, which left Gaikwad "grounded" in the national capital.

Gaikwad said he has also filed a police complaint about alleged misbehavior by Air India officials apart from writing to the Civil Aviation Ministry on the issue.

Notwithstanding the all-round attack, an unabashed Gaikwad appeared on national TV again, declaring he had no regrets over the incident and demanding that the AI employee apologise instead.

He nonchalantly made it known to the media that he had watched a movie-- Badrinath ki Dulhaniya--hours after the unsavoury incident in order to "relax" and advised journalists to watch it too. He said one should be "tension-free".

advertisement

"Tension-free hona chahiye na...you also watch the movie...its very good," Gaikwad told reporters who sought to know from him whether he had gone to watch a movie after the incident.

"Kaahe ka pashchaataap (what is there to repent)?" he shot back when asked by reporters at Maharashtra Sadan whether he regretted the incident.

"I will not apologise...he (Sukumar) should come and apologise... then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave," he said.

Sukumar, who by Gaikwads own admission, was hit with sandals "25 times", demanded that the MP must be punished.

Sukumar, who is with the state-owned airlines ground handling subsidiary, said the assuult on him was akin to a violent road rage incident. "Apart from hitting me with sandals several times, he repeatedly used MC, BC (cuss words in Hindi," he said.

"Police action should be taken to restrain these people from doing this kind of thing again. That is the most important thing. They should not keep on doing it. They should not take it as their birthright to assault a person," he told PTI while recounting the incident which has sparked nationwide outrage.

advertisement

As the MP remained unrepentent, members of Aam Aadmi Sena, a splinter group of Aam Aadmi Party, descended on the IGI airport after watching Gaikwad claim on TV he would board 4 PM Air India flight to Pune despite the airliner having cancelled his ticket, to administer him a doze of his own medicine.

Carrying roses and slippers, the members told journalists they had come to display "Gandhigiri" and demand an apology from Gaikwad.

"We will first show Gandhigiri by giving a flower to the MP and ask for an apology. If he doesnt do that, we will use the chappal (slippers) and give him the same treatment he gave yesterday to the Air India employee," one of them said.

The agitated members of the group dispersed after Gaikwads no-show at the airport. PTI IAS JC PYK NES SLB ENM CPB PYK SK SK

--- ENDS ---
By Manjeet Negi: National security advisor Ajit Doval met US NSA Lieutenant General HR McMaster in Washington DC today. Both reviewed the security situation in south Asia.

They discussed the terror situation in the region. US has appreciated India's effort to fight terror. McMaster called India the major stabilizing factor in the region. He expressed confidence in Modi's efforts to fight terror.

advertisement

After this, Doval will meet us defence secretary James Mattis. The Mattis-Doval meeting would be one of the highest-level meetings between the two countries after Donald Trump assumed presidency on January 20.

India's ties with the US gained momentum towards the end of Barack Obama administration.

US and India, last year signed a bilateral Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) that will give the militaries of the two countries access to each other's facilities for supplies and repairs.

Last year US had declared India a major defence partner. The designation, according to a US-India joint statement issued during Carter's visit to New Delhi in December, is a status unique to India and institutionalises the progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology-sharing with India to a level at par with the US' closest allies and partners. It is clear that India is a very strong security partner and a force in the region.

ALSO READ:

Post LEMOA, India, US to hold first joint military exercise in Uttarakhand

India, US sign deal to share defence assets, bases

--- ENDS ---
Asias product deficit to drive long haul shipments

The most relevant news for product tankers in the recently published IEA medium term oil market report was the take on product balances, broken down into light (gasoline/naphtha), middle (gasoil/kerosene) and heavy distillates (fuel oil).

Interestingly, product balances in Europe are expected to see little change between 2016 and 2022. Europe will remain short on middle distillates, and long on lighter distillates, Gibson Research said analysing the report, Gibson Research said analysing the report. This signalled limited prospects for European imports generating increased tonne/mile demand, given the product is likely to remain primarily supplied by the US, Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Middle East/India. The good news for Europe was that there were sufficient outlets for its surplus light ends. The US will have a shortage of about 0.5 mill barrels per day of gasoline, similar to the current picture, whilst other regions, such as Africa and Latin America post small deficits for the lighter ends. Evidently there is a reasonable selection of export destinations within the Atlantic for European gasoline. Remaining with Africa, closer analysis of the IEAs report revealed some background behind the data. The IEA suggested that Africas shortage of lighter distillates will be the same in 2022 as it is today, which is surprising considering demand growth in the region, Gibson said. Nigerias Lekki refinery in Nigeria is scheduled for start up sometime next year. However, the IEA was cautious by not factoring this refinery as impacting the market until 2022. No change in African import demand is bearish for product tankers, however, as this key refinery is not expected until 2022, we can expect African import demand to continue rising until the refinery is brought online, the broker said. Furthermore, given the track record of refining in Nigeria, questions must be asked whether this plant can (a) be built within the next five years, and (b) run consistently near design capacity. Any setbacks will provide upside support for the tanker markets. In terms of middle distillates, Africa and Latin America will see their import requirements shrink marginally to a combined 1.5 mill barrels per day with the primary sources of supply likely to be the US, Middle East (including India) and Russia. Globally, the Middle East will continue to be the primary source of export growth through 2022. The regions surplus of gasoil will grow by around 70% over the next five years, whilst the light distillates surplus will post growth of 85% over the same period. This bodes well for exports from the region. In Asia, 2016 saw a gasoil surplus, forcing traders to push export barrels long haul, primarily driven by the emergence of Chinese teapot refiners. However, by 2022, this surplus will change to a deficit. In one sense, this news is bearish, as outbound product flows fall away. However, increased import demand will partially offset these declines. In addition, Asias shortage of gasoline/naphtha will grow by over 0.5 mill barrels per day by 2022. Whilst this growth is positive, it does mark a significant downwards revision from the IEAs 2016 report, which projected light distillates import growth of 1.6 mill barrels per day by 2021. Despite this downwards revision, Asias growing product deficits will support long haul imports from both the Middle East and Atlantic basin, generating incremental tonne/mile demand, in spite of declining exports from the region, Gibson concluded.




Markets - VLCC rates below breakeven levels

The lack of cargoes and growing tonnage lists has gradually depleted VLCC earnings.

Despite fierce resistance and a multi-tier-market, this was not sufficient to withstand the force of supply and demand, Fearnleys said. A couple of game-changing deals done MEG/East has brought earnings to sub $10,000 per day for MEG/East and this is likely to have a knock-on effect on the other VLCC routes. Suezmaxes have also witnessed an uninspiring week in terms of activity and rate adjustments. The early part of the first decade in West Africa was covered comfortably by a hangover of tonnage from March soaking up the slim volume on offer. Charterers then reverted to the well-worn tactic of stealth fixing to purvey a sense of limited action. By the end of the week, owners sensed that the latter part of the first decade was tightening and assisted. With some injection barrels the last done stood at WS92.5 for TD20, however, dates have moved on to early 2nd decade leaving earlier ships in distress, which could be telling. Meanwhile, the Black Sea and Med could be described as a damp squib having seen slow action and eroding rates for much of last week. More action is required across the board to clear out ships and stimulate any market recovery. North Sea and Baltic Aframaxes had a tighter feel at the end of last week, but remained unchanged. With several fuel oil cargoes ex Baltic and cross North Sea cargoes entering the market on Monday morning, rates improved. The rate rise has the potential to go even further in the current fixing window. In the Med and Black Sea, we expect rates to stay at current levels despite a lower export volume out of both CPC and Novorossiysk, Fearnleys concluded. Turning to the newbuilding sector, Sovcomflot has ordered four LNG-powered, Ice Class 1A Aframxes from Hyundai for in excess of $50 mill per ship. The order was placed in co-operation with Shell Gas & Power. Elsewhere, Odfjell has signed of a letter of intent for two additional chemical tankers fitted with stainless steel cargo tanks, plus options, to be built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China in a $116 mill deal. The vessels will be 38,000 dwt with 40 tanks and a cargo capacity of about 45,000 cu m. Both vessels will be prepared for future dual fuel operation. This order follows contracts already signed with the shipyard for four 49,000 dwt vessels with 33 stainless steel cargo tanks. "Following this order and other commitments recently taken, most of our renewal needs for the 'super segregators' have been met,"explained Kristian Mrch, Odfjell CEO. In the period charter market, brokers reported that Agritrade had taken the the 2000-built VLCCs DS Tina and Front Commodore for two years at $22,000 each. Trafigura was said to have fixed the 1999-built VLCC Maran Gemini for between one and three months at $12,250 per day and the 2009-built Aframax Iridescent for 12 months at $15,000 per day, plus an option for another year at $16,000 per day. Undisclosed charterers were said to have fixed the 2016-built Suezmax Front Crown for six months at $22,500 per day. Glencore was said to be behind the fixtures of the 2010 and 2009-built Aframaxes SN Olivia/ and /SN Claudia for six months at $16,100 per day each, while affiliate ST Shipping was believed to have taken the 2006-built Aframax Amalthea for two years at $15,000 per day and ATC reportedly fixed the 2008-built Aframax Stavanger Bliss for 12 months at $15,250 per day. As for the MR sector, Clearlake was thought to have fixed the 2010-built St Joseph for six months at $12,500 and two newbuildings at Hyundai Vinashin for three years at $14,500 per day each, while Trafigura was said to have taken the 2004-built Liberty for 12 months at $11,500 per day, plus an option for a further 12 months at $12,500 per day. Koch was believed to have committed the 2001-built methanol carrier Noble Spirit for six months at $13,750 per day, while Total was said to have fixed the Handysize Histria Ivory for 12 months at $12,750 per day. S&P deals reported recently include, DHT confirmation that it had agreed to sell another VLCC, the 2001-built DHT Ann, for $24.8 mill, apart from buying BWs VLCCs (see lead news item). DHT said that it will deliver the vessel to her new owners during the second quarter of this year. She is expected to retire from the trading fleet. About $13 mill of bank debt will be repaid in connection with the sale and the company will record a book loss of about $4 mill in the first quarter of 2017. In addition, brokers reported the sale of the 2005-built VLCC Bunga Kasturi Dua for $31 mill to AZA Shipping of India and the 1999-built Aframax Kyeema Spirit for $7.7 mill to undisclosed interests.




SCF results mirror tanker rate downturn

PAO Sovcomflot (SCF) has reported a fall in annual gross revenue to $1,388.1 mill last year, compared with $1,483 mill for 2015 and a net profit of $206.8 mill, compared with 2015s figure of $354.5 mill.

TCE was $1,142.2 mill, compared with $1,240.1 mill in 2015 and EBITDA was $706.5 mill against $780.1 mill in 2015. The decline was due to a tanker spot market drop of more than 40% and timecharter market drop by up to 25%, SCF said. Sergey Frank, SCF President and CEO, said: Sovcomflot has delivered a solid set of results for 2016, despite market volatility in a year that has severely tested our industry. As growth in oil refinery throughput and up-front demand ran ahead of end-consumption underpinning tanker rates in 2015, so 2016 witnessed a material softening in demand that impacted negatively spot tanker freight rates, albeit with some respite in the final quarter. Sovcomflot strengthened its position as the Worlds largest harsh environment tanker operator through the opportune acquisition of nine well-maintained tankers that became available as part of the PRISCO bankruptcy proceedings. Further, we built upon our leadership position in IBSVs with the acquisition two existing vessels and launched a new IBSV all committed to the Sakhalin II project. In a year when we celebrated our 10th anniversary as an independent owner and operator of gas carriers, we launched the first of a new class of pioneering Arctic LNG carriers, in which our technical experts have played a vital developmental role. Our overall performance owes much to having a diversified fleet, where our conventional tanker operations are balanced by our strategic focus on higher value added market sectors, such as offshore development services and gas transportation. Serving the transportation needs of large scale industrial projects, such as Sakhalin 1 and 2, Novy Port, Varandey, and Prirazlomnoye, provides consistent earnings visibility to underpin tanker market volatility and ensures continuous employment for a significant proportion of our fleet. Reflecting this, we ended the year with substantial future contracted revenues of $8.1 bill, he said. Evgeniy Ambrosov, SCFs senior executive vice president and COO, commented: In 2016, we successfully introduced three advanced design Arctic shuttle tankers to serve the Novy Port project. These vessels were developed specifically to address the navigational year-round demands of the Ob River Estuary. Their introduction serves to demonstrate our desire to work closely with charterers to resolve complex maritime challenges for our mutual benefit. Later in the year one of these three vessels, Shturman Albanov, was awarded the worlds first Polar Ship Certificate. With our commitment to operating in some of the worlds harshest environments, in January we were particularly pleased to see the launch of Christophe de Margerie, the worlds first icebreaking LNG carrier. Together with other developments during 2016, it has strengthened Sovcomflots reputation as an owner and operator of some of the most advanced vessels afloat, he said. Igor Tonkovidov, executive vice president and CTO, said: In 2016, we took the important step of consolidating all our technical fleet management activities under a single governance structure and overarching brand  SCF Management Services. This successful reorganisation draws upon the significant technical skills and heritage of our legacy technical management operations, whilst providing improved organisational effectiveness and efficiency associated with a larger unified operation. The new structure also allows us to better respond to the increasing complexity of international regulations impact on maritime operations. SCF Group continues to invest significant resources into in-house training of its crews and to enhance the proficiency of the support teams ashore. The structured development of this specialised expertise and skill base is a source of competitive advantage for Sovcomflot. It was no surprise, therefore, that in 2016 insight from the Groups technical experts was sought for and provided to a wide range of international maritime initiatives, from developing pioneering new classes of ships (eg for Yamal LNG), to formulating the IMOs Polar Code and developing policies through the Arctic Council. Underpinning our work, however, is our philosophy that whatever the operational context, safety comes first. SCF Group actively facilitates the use of LNG fuels in the marine transportation of commodities, which will pave the way for a cleaner and more environmentally friendly shipping industry profile. This is very much in line with companys environmental policy, especially in ecologically sensitive areas and matches well the aspirations of oil majors and the IMOs Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in their drive for cleaner fuels, he said. Nikolay Kolesnikov, executive vice president and CFO, commented: Last year, the Group was successful in raising an additional $1.26 bill in debt capital. This has enabled the Groups debt repayment profile to be significantly improved, and has covered our capital expenditure requirements. The deals include $512 mill of long-term bank loans from Russian and international banks raised for purposes of funding the fleet renewal programme and for the refinancing of maturing debt. Additionally last summer, SCF Group returned to the international debt capital markets with a new $750 mill seven year Eurobond offering to finance a simultaneous tender offer for the Groups outstanding Eurobonds, due in 2017. The new bond offering generated strong demand from investors and enabled very competitive pricing, with a coupon of 5.375%, which matched the coupon on the Groups debut 2010 Eurobond issue, whereas the tender offer achieved one of the highest ever tender participation rates for borrowers from Russia of 83%, he said. In addition, SCF has recently ordered four Ice Class 1A LNG-powered Aframaxes at Hyundai Samho, plus options. The order for the four Aframaxes is worth over $200 mill in total, Hyundai said. They will be the worlds first to run on LNG and have been jointly designed by Sovcomflot and Shell. The ships will have their fuel supplied by Shell and will lift Russian crude oil. The first ship is expected to be delivered to Sovcomflot in the third quarter of 2018, with the last in the first quarter of the following year.




The Animal Care Center is expected to be a state-of-the-art animal hospital spread over 9,000 square meters with a total holding capacity of 235, with emergency, in-patient and out-patient facilities for small and large animals.

By India Today Web Desk: Tata Trusts and People For Animals have collaborated to build a state-of-the-art, multi-specialty veterinary hospital and emergency clinic that will serve the needs of all domestic and farm animals at accessible and affordable rates. The hospital will be located at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai and is expected to be ready in next two years.

The Animal Care Center is expected to be a state-of-the-art animal hospital spread over 9,000 square meters with a total holding capacity of 235, with emergency, in-patient and out-patient facilities for small and large animals. The Center will be equipped with operation theaters, an intensive care unit, recovery rooms, imaging and pathology services.

advertisement

It is conceived as a one-stop destination that provides high-quality medical care for animals, with specialized services in orthopedics, dentistry, trauma surgery and other treatments presently lacking in the greater Mumbai region.

Veterinary Training Institute

In addition to the medical facilities for animals, the proposed hospital will also impart continuing veterinary education, trainings, host workshops and programmes for the skill development of practicing veterinarians. The Center will additionally train veterinary support staff to enable the building of a cadre of well-trained professionals who can provide service the hospital as well as contribute to the greater human resources that needs in animal healthcare in India.

Estimate indicates that there are at least 50,000 registered pets, 70,000 unregistered pets, 200,000 stray dogs, and 300,000 stray cats in Mumbai, for which there are only two full?time animal hospitals available that caters all their needs, treating hundreds of animals daily.

One full time animal hospital in Central Mumbai simply cannot cater to the needs of all the animals in distress across Greater Mumbai conveniently. With the next closest animal hospital located in the neighboring district of Thane, many sick or injured animals both pets and strays, perish solely because of the lack of access to adequate local veterinary care facilities.

The aim is to plug the existing gap in animal welfare in Maharashtra by setting up a strategically placed animal hospital catering to animals from Mumbai City, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Khandala, Lonavala, and Alibag as well. All of the world's major cities from New York to Shanghai have several comprehensive animal care facilities within accessible limits and Mumbai should be no exception.

ALSO Read:

Haryana: Wildlife department rescues leopard after animal enters populated area

--- ENDS ---
This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon!

Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page?
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
Apple has received a ransom threat from a hacking group claiming to have access to data for up to 800 million iCloud accounts.

The hackers, said to be a London-based group called the Turkish Crime Family, have threatened to reset passwords and remotely wipe the iPhones of millions of iCloud users if Apple fails to hand over a total of US$700,000. They have given the company an ultimatum to respond by April 7.

Apple reportedly has denied that the group succeeded in hacking its systems, maintaining that it obtained the email addresses and passwords from previously compromised third-party services. Apple is working with law enforcement on the threats.

The data set in the iCloud hack matches the data found in the 2012 hack of 117 million accounts on LinkedIn, according to some published reports.

However, the Turkish Crime Family strongly denied that in a message to TechNewsWorld on Friday.

Correcting the Message

The initial reports of a ransom demand of just $75,000 were incorrect, the group said in response to our email query. It actually demanded $100,000 for each of its seven members, plus extra stuff from Apple that are worth more to us than money, which it promised Apple it would keep secret.

The group also told TechNewsWorld that the only member based in London is Kerem Albayrek, who is facing charges related to listing a hacked Yahoo database for sale. It claimed that its iCloud ransom demands were in part to spread awareness of Albayrek, as well as of Karim Baratov, a Canadian resident charged earlier this month, along with a second hacker and two Russian FSB agents, in the 2014 breach of 500 million Yahoo account holders.

The group told TechNewsWorld that it showed Apple scan logs that contain 800 million iCloud accounts, and that Apple claimed the data had come from outside sources.

The group said it planned to launch a website that would list iCloud user names, last names, dates of birth and a captcha of their current location from an iCloud app.

The site will not disclose passwords initially, the group said, but it would do so most probably in the future.

Shaking Down Apple

The Turkish Crime Family threat should be taken seriously, said Pierluigi Paganini, a cybersecurity analyst and member of the Cyber Group G7 2017 Summit in Italy.

I consider the threat is credible, even if it is quite impossible to know the exact number of iCloud credentials in the hands of hackers, he told TechNewsWorld.

The group is known in the hacking underground for the sale of stolen databases, Paganini said.

The group reportedly has approached several media outlets directly; it told TechNewsWorld that it had been in contact with five.

However, it is unlikely that the groups efforts to stir public pressure against Apple will be effective, noted Mark Nunnikhoven, vice president for cloud research at Trend Micro, in an online post.

Apple is too large and has too many resources to give in to public pressure, he pointed out.

The groups demands are similar to a shakedown in the physical world, in which criminals demand monthly payments to protect a business, Nunnikhoven noted.

In the digital world, the pressures that make victims pay (e.g. keeping your store in one piece) dont apply, Nunnikhoven wrote.

With iCloud accounts, Apple has the ultimate safety valve  they control the infrastructure behind the accounts, he added. Which removes most of the pressure points criminals could use.

There is no evidence of state involvement in this cyberthreat, Nunnikhoven told TechNewsWorld.

However, there is mounting evidence that this is a group whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs, he suggested. Selling credentials on the underground is rather commonplace. Attempting to extort one of the biggest companies on the planet with poor quality data is quite another.

Credible Threat

A report in ZDNet appeared to lend credence to some of the hacking groups claims, however. The group provided 54 credentials to the publication, which were verified as authentic based on a check of the password reset function.

Most of the accounts were outdated, but 10 people did confirm to the publication that the obtained passwords were legitimate and that they since had changed them. Those 10 people were living in the UK, and had UK mobile numbers.

Trend Micro is urging iCloud users to protect their accounts by using two-factor authentication, and also to use a password manager.

A password manager helps users create unique passwords for every account and stores them remotely so that hackers cannot access one or two accounts and thereby gain access to many more.

The FBI declined to comment for this story.

Apple officials did not respond to our request to comment, and a Yahoo spokesperson was not immediately available.
Renowned Saint Bhagwatacharya Krishan Chand Shastri said that the Ram Temple has been in the same place for thousands of years.

By Siraj Qureshi: While the Muslims remain divided in their response over the Supreme Court of India's 'suggestion' to resolve the Ayodhya Ram Temple issue through amicable discussions, the Hindu saints have happily agreed to the SC's idea claiming that this matter could not be resolved through court orders.

In a 'Sant Samagam' being held in Vrindavan (Mathura), the Hindu saints visiting the Bhagwat Krupa Nikunj in Raman Reti Ashram held a meeting on this issue and it was decided that the Muslims should be encouraged to hold discussion on this matter so that a mutually agreeable solution could be arrived at.

advertisement

Renowned Saint Bhagwatacharya Krishan Chand Shastri said that the Ram Temple has been in the same place for thousands of years and it was renovated by King Vikramaditya, which was demolished by the aggressor Babar, who constructed a mosque on top of the ruins of these temples.

Mahamandaleshwar Swami Naval Giri told India Today that a grand temple should be built at the Ram Janmabhoomi and if the Muslims wanted a mosque, it could be constructed across the Sarayu river. He said that all Hindu saints are now of a firm opinion that the time has come for the final resolution of this dispute.

When India Today talked to Mahamandaleshwar Bhaskaranand on this issue, he said that it is imperative that the temple construction begins soon as Lord Ram is the soul of India and it is a matter of the belief of crores of Hindus that a temple is constructed on the site without any delay.

However, commenting on the Supreme Court suggestion, social activist and Muslim leader Mohd. Akbar said that the Supreme Court suggestion of holding fresh talks with Hindus regarding the temple was not acceptable to the Muslims as this case has been in the courts for almost three decades and there have been several rounds of talks with the Hindu groups but there was no result.

BOTH SIDES SHOULD WAIT FOR SC

He said that the Muslims cannot accept the offer made by the Saints to move the mosque across the Sarayu river. He said that if the matter has been taken up by the Supreme Court, then both sides should wait for its decision on this matter. He said that whatever the Supreme Court orders, will be acceptable to all Muslims.

Social activist and student leader Subham Kumar told India Today that even the biggest of issues could be resolved by holding discussions in an amicable atmosphere and with open hearts. The temple issue could also be resolved if both parties are willing to sit across the table with a clean slate. He said that the Ram Temple issue is connected to the belief system of the Hindus and if the Muslims keep just this fact in mind, they will realize that this disputed piece of land has a lot of significance for the Hindus whereas for the Muslims, it was just another mosque with no specific belief attached to it.

advertisement

He said that the Supreme Court order may be the only solution visible at this time but some political leaders are talking about forming a law to solve this issue permanently. It remains to be seen what the Central and State governments have in mind on this matter now.

WATCH | Ayodhya dispute: Five creative solutions to the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid standoff

Also read:

Babri demolition case: Will Advani face trial for conspiracy? SC adjourns hearing for two weeks

Babri Masjid demolition case is a drag? These 5 examples will tell you the list is long

Timeline of Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute: Mapping three-decade history of Ayodhya case

--- ENDS ---
Intel has agreed to acquire Mobileye, a developer of autonomous vehicle technology, for US$15.3 billion in cash, the companies announced Monday.

Intel will integrate Mobileyes computer vision and mapping technology for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles into its Automated Driving Group, to be led by MobileEye CTO Amnon Shashua. Intel SVP Doug Davis will oversee engagement across various Intel groups, and report directly to Shashua.

The combined company will be the leading technology provider in the autonomous vehicle industry, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich told Wall Street analysts in a Monday conference call.

We believe this combination will accelerate this auto industry innovation by delivering the world class edge-to-edge solutions at a much lower cost [and] faster time to market, he said.

Lucrative Market

The market for the vehicle systems, data and services market will reach more than $70 billion by the year 2030, Intel has estimated.

The agreement extends Intels strategy to invest in data-intensive opportunities that build on its strengths in cloud computing and connectivity to devices.

Autonomous vehicles will generate 4,000 GB of data per day by 2020, the company estimated, creating large-scale opportunities for Intel Xeon processors, EyeQ4 and EyeQ5 SoCs, high-performance FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), memory, high-bandwidth connectivity and computer vision technology.

The acquisition will be accretive to earnings and cash flow immediately, and it will be funded with cash from its balance sheet, Intel said. The deal has been approved by both companies boards of directors.

Mobileye, founded in 1999, is one of the worlds leading suppliers of computer vision solutions for advanced driver assist systems, with more than 16 million cars worldwide using its EyeQ chips. The company had revenue of $358 million in 2016 and non-GAAP net income of $173 million, or 73 cents a share.

The Mobileye name and brand will remain intact, except for a slight logo change to reflect the Intel integration, Shashua and Mobileye CEO Ziv Aviram said in a memo to employees. The companys relationships with OEM customers, Tier 1 partners and STMicro, its EyeQ roadmap and its after-market division operations, will not be interrupted.

The acquisition strengthens Intels aim to become a major supplier to the semi-autonomous and fully autonomous vehicle market, building upon its initial acquisition of Wind River from 2009, according to Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book.

Wind Rivers embedded devices are used in vehicle infotainment and telematics, which are key building blocks in semi-autonomous driving, he said.

Intel sees vehicle computing as a growth area at a time when its desktop and laptop opportunities may have peaked, Nerad told the E-Commerce Times.

Other Relationships

Intel and Mobileye have been working with BMW on self-driving cars, making theirs one of a dozen or so ventures involving technology firms with automakers, Nerad noted.

The three companies announced an agreement in January at the Consumer Electronics Show to begin testing a fleet of 40 autonomous vehicles by the second half of 2017. The cars will feature Intel Go solutions for autonomous vehicles, including Xeon processors, Intel Arria 10 FPGAs and Intel solid state drives.

BMW last month entered a deal to use Mobileyes road experience management technology to crowdsource mapping information for BMWs 2018 vehicles equipped with advanced driver assist system technology.

The pace of consolidation in the autonomous vehicle industry could have a limited impact on competition down the road, as various teams work on their own unique sets of technologies, observed Steven Polzin, director of mobility policy research at the University of South Floridas Center for Urban Transportation Research.

It also begs the question of the relative merits of retaining a competitive and arguably creative set of players versus the consequence that new knowledge will not necessarily be shared, he told the E-Commerce Times, perhaps delaying the pace of innovation and/or introducing the inefficiency of duplicative learning experiences.
The Federal Communications Commission last October ruled that Internet service providers would need to gain consent from customers before being allowed to share (sell) personal information regarding their browsing history to third parties.

On Thursday, the US Senate voted to overturn that ruling by a narrow party-line vote of 50-48.

As The Hill points out, the vote comes courtesy of an obscure law called the Congressional Review Act (CRA) which can be used to eliminate rules before they go into effect. The next step is for the bill to head to the House. If passed there and signed by President Trump, the FCC's attempt would successfully be struck down.

The publication adds that the CRA also prevents the FCC from passing "substantially similar" regulations in the future.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the regulation would have made the Internet an uneven playing field and increased complexity while discouraging competition, innovation and infrastructure investment. Senator Jeff Flake said it would have placed an unfair burden on service providers as websites like Facebook and Google collect user data (but wouldn't have been subjected to the same restrictions).

Democratic Senator Ed Markey, meanwhile, said Republicans have just made it easier for sensitive information about the health, finances and families of Americans to be used, shared and sold to the highest bidder without their permission.

Today's vote is viewed as a huge win for Internet providers like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, all of which had strongly opposed the rules.
Kickstarter launched on April 28, 2009. One day later, the crowdfunding platform had its very first games campaign - a crossword puzzle project from Eric Berlin.

A total of 163 backers collectively pledged $2,265 to bring Berlin's project to life.

In the nearly eight years that have since elapsed, games have found a solid following on Kickstarter. In fact, the company recently crossed a substantial threshold with 10,000 game projects successfully funded.

As Kickstarter's David Gallagher highlights, a whopping 2.46 million people have backed a game project on Kickstarter, pledging a total of $613 million in the process. Perhaps even more telling of the gaming community is the fact that 1.45 million of those supporters have backed more than one project.

In recognition of the achievement, Kickstarter has put together a list of titles it says you "ought to be playing right now" including Scythe which was recently named 2016's Board Game of the Year, Oregon Attack, Infinite Fall's Night in the Woods, Vast: The Crystal Caverns, a cave-crawling board game and Secret Hitler, the popular card game that raised close to $1.5 million.

Kickstarter just over a year ago celebrated 100,000 successfully funded campaigns and in August, a study from the University of Pennsylvania revealed that Kickstarter has generated 29,600 full-time creative careers and 283,000 part-time gigs. That translated to more than $5.3 billion in direct economic impact for project creators and their communities.

Gallagher also highlights a handful of promising Kickstarter-funded games on the horizon. Feel free to check out his post if you're interested in learning more.
Ride-sharing company Uber's board has rallied behind chief executive Travis Kalanick and promised that it would revamp the company's corporate culture and reform its business practices.

In a conference call with reporters on March 21, board member Arianna Huffington said full support has been extended to the company, which is seeking to overhaul its injured reputation following some recent events.

Huffington expressed that a multipronged action plan is underway to rejuvenate the company after allegations clouded its business practices and discussions on internal matters affected its public image. It will also look for a chief operating officer to assist the CEO.

"The board is confident in Travis, and we are proceeding ahead with the search for the COO," Huffington said.

Multipronged Action Plan

Overhauling the human resources department is a matter of high priority and it will be done to enhance relationships with drivers and garner feedback from concerned employees.

A report on workforce diversity will be released in March and an investigation into Uber's workplace culture will be wrapped by the end of April.

The reputation of Uber was hurt by the allegations mounted by a former employee alleging sexual harassment and bungling by the human resources department.

Fierce criticism followed after allegations surfaced that Uber was using software to hoodwink law enforcement agencies.

Kalanick also came under fire for harming the culture of the company after the leak of a video where the CEO was seen in an altercation with a driver. Kalanick later apologized for the incident and assured that leadership assistance will be taken. Uber was also embarrassed by the exodus of senior executives, including Jeff Jones, the company's president.

At the conference call, Huffington was joined by senior executives Liane Hornsey and Rachel Holt. Bill Gurley, Uber board member and venture capitalist, said he would assist the company in the executive search for recruiting a chief operating officer.

Michigan Puts Curbs On Ride-Sharing Companies

Meanwhile, Michigan has tightened rules for ride-sharing companies like Uber in a bid to ensure a level playing field between ride-sharing and ride-hailing businesses and the cab industry.

Under a new law, Michigan will regulate Uber and Lyft the same way limousines and taxicabs are regulated.

The new law, effective March 21, mandates that all ride-sharing companies should conduct criminal background checks on drivers and old vehicles must be inspected by a licensed mechanic.

Eligible drivers should be at least 19 years old, have no record of sexual offenses, and should not be listed on the National Sex Offender public website. They must not have any record of committing a major driving violation.

The Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs insists that ride-sharing companies must register with it and pay an annual fee, which ranges from $100 to $30,000.

"We are thrilled the Michigan legislature has established statewide ride-sharing regulations that will allow Uber to continue providing the flexible income opportunities and safe, reliable transportation options Michiganders have grown used to," Uber public affairs associate Charity Jackson said.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Samsung is set to unveil its Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones on March 29, during its Unpacked Event in New York City. As the launch of the flagships inches closer, the leaks and rumors pertaining to the devices are increasing.

Close on the heels of the Galaxy S8 leaking in three color options, which included the Orchid Gray hue, comes another assertion from tipster Evan Blass.

Just three days later, Blass has shared yet another image of the Samsung Galaxy S8, but this time the smartphone dons the much-rumored gold hue.

Samsung Galaxy S8 To Get Three New Colors?

The latest images shared by Blass - who goes by the Twitter handle @evleaks - shows off high resolution images of the Samsung Galaxy S8. Like the previous leak, the latest one also shows three hues for the Galaxy S8 smartphones.

While the earlier leak shared that the smartphone would be available in Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, and Black Sky, the current image points to the gold, black, and gray variants of the device.

Galaxy S8 in black, grey...and gold. pic.twitter.com/q0I6QnhC0x  Evan Blass (@evleaks) March 22, 2017

The leaked images of the Galaxy S8 are possibly part of some promo material for the smartphone. It is likely that the wallpapers shown off in the images are the real deal.

Rumored Colors For Galaxy S8

Samsung usually releases its smartphones in a gamut of hues and it may be the same for the impending flagship. Older reports have hinted that the Galaxy S8 may be available in four to six color options.

According to a leak courtesy tipster Roland Quandt, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ may possibly come in silver and violet options.

Earlier in March, a leak revealed that the Galaxy S8 would be available in gold model. The leaked image of what seemed to be the real handsets, also pointed to a white variant for the Galaxy S8+. The Galaxy S8 also leaked in the gold avatar in January.

What is interesting to note is that all the reports combined point to at least five different color variants for the impending flagships. The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus will likely come in black, gray, silver, gold, violet, and white hues.

Surprisingly, there seems to be no blue variant of the Galaxy S8 in the pipeline per the leaks. Perhaps, Samsung will launch the Blue Coral option - which is available for the Galaxy S7 edge - in the long term and not at launch.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 benchmarks are out, and while the chip was already announced to come with many improvements compared with the current brood and the competition, these results give a better idea of what's in store.

To be clear, the upcoming processor  or "mobile platform," as the company wants it to be called moving forward  is the successor of the widely used Snapdragon 821, which powers some of the most popular phones of today such as the Google Pixel and the OnePlus 3T.

Snapdragon 835 Benchmarks: Chip To Dominate The Competition

First things first, these findings come from Android Police's David Ruddock, who was invited to go to Qualcomm's campus in San Diego to take a closer look at the Snapdragon 835 and, of course, run benchmarks.

What happened was a Snapdragon 835 reference platform (running Android 7.1.1) went head-to-head against the Pixel XL (Android 7.1.1) and OnePlus 3T (Android 7.0), which both have Snapdragon 821; the Samsung Galaxy S7 with Exynos 8890 (Android 6.0.1); the Galaxy S7 edge (Android 7.0) with Snapdragon 820; and the Huawei P10 (Android 7.0) with Kirin 960.

Ruddock notes that the Galaxy S7 and P10 may not have been ideal devices to include because of its OS version and its preproduction status respectively, but he says adding them to the mix will still prove to be useful for a better picture of the chip.

To start things off, the Snapdragon 835 blows the competition out of the water in Geekbench, notably beating the Snapdragon 821 in the multicore test by 40 percent.

Next, there's PCMark version 1.0, and just like Geekbench, it's a platform that can measure a processors' raw performance. While it's not as impressive as the results in Geekbench, it still comes out on top, and to be exact, it got a score that's 10 percent higher than the P10's Kirin 960.

As for the Adreno 540 GPU, both benchmarking apps GFXBench and 3DMark are singing a similar tune. In GFXBench, the Snapdragon 835 had a 30 percent lead average over the Snapdragon 821.

But in 3DMark, it beat the Snapdragon 821 by about a whopping 50 percent on the GL ES 3.0 version and by 40 percent on the GL ES 3.1.

In 3DMark's Ice Storm Unlimited, it also triumphed over the second placer OnePlus 3T by 30 percent.

Last but not least is AnTuTu, the holistic benchmark software that includes CPU, RAM, and GPU in the tests. To no one's surprise, the Snapdragon 835 conquered the competition, scoring more than 181,000.

However, Ruddock points out that this doesn't really say much since the reference platform's storage type is unclear.

Other Snapdragon 835 Improvements In Tow

Snapdragon 835 isn't all about pure performance and the numbers, as it's also coming with a few improved features.

For starters, there's the Quick Charge 4.0, and according to Qualcomm's press release, it'll provide 20 percent faster charging and 30 percent higher energy efficiency. In other words, five minutes of charging can deliver five hours' worth of juice.

In terms of connectivity, it'll sport a Gigabit-Class LTE modem, and it's touted to be the first commercial chip that'll be ready for Gigabit LTE networks.

Long story short, the Snapdragon 835 is a beast to behold, and it's coming to dominate the competition.

However, it may not be widely available at first since Samsung is hoarding supplies, which may have had a hand in LG's decision to turn to the Snapdragon 821 for the G6 instead. That means the anticipated Galaxy S8 may be the only phones the Snapdragon 835 will power for some time.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
There may be benefits to delaying motherhood, according to new research.

Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark found that older women are more likely to handle the different aspects of parenting better than younger mothers.

More Positive Parenting?

In the study, Danish investigators followed the social and emotional development of children at ages 7, 11, and 15. They saw that kids of mothers who were at least 30 years old had fewer behavioral, social, or emotional issues at 7 and 11 years old, although not at age 15. These older moms were also less likely to scold and punish their child.

[W]hen estimating the consequences of the rising maternal age its important to consider both the physical and psychosocial pros and cons, said study author and Professor Dion Sommer in a statement.

Previous research links a higher maternal age to greater psychosocial well-being while one is pregnant and shortly after giving birth. This new study extends the benefits well into the childs school age, which could decline before age 15.

Women today may be delaying motherhood for several reasons, such as more educational and professional opportunities and improved contraception. In Denmark, the average pregnancy age is 30.9 years, and the rate of children born to women who are more than age 40 has quadrupled from 1985.

Maternal aging, however, has been associated with a greater risk for complications, including miscarriage, premature birth, and having a child with deformities.

Stable Relationships At Work

What could probably lead to these benefits of being an older mother? Its the probability of having more stable relationships, more education, and improved access to material resources, according to the researchers.

Humans generally become more mentally flexible, more tolerant, and emotionally better as they age, which is why psychological maturity may be the reason why older mothers are less likely to scold and physically discipline their offspring, Sommer explained.

This style of parenting can thereby contribute to a positive psychosocial environment which affects the childrens upbringing, he concluded.

The findings were discussed in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology.

Other Findings On Parenting Effects

A 2016 study noted that of 28,000 U.S. women, those bearing their first child after age 25 were 11 percent more likely to live to 90 years than those who became mothers earlier in life. In 2014, a study also discovered that women giving birth after age 33 were half as likelier to reach 95 years old than their peers who had their last child at age 29 or younger.

A cause-and-effect was not established in these studies, and it is possible that older moms in the experiments were simply healthier.

More recent findings revealed that while challenging, parenting can lead people to live longer, whether one has a son or daughter. Using Swedish health data, researchers found that at 60 years old, fathers are more likely to live two years longer than those without children, while mothers can expect to live 1.5 years longer than childless ones.

At any rate, a new viewpoint published in JAMA urged women to keep exercising while pregnant for her and her babys healthy development.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder manifesting as white patches on the skin. It can show up on any part of the body, including the mucous membranes and the retina.

How vitiligo affected the confidence of a small boy in Arkansas, and how his morale was restored after meeting a dog with the same condition, has been widely reported.

Carter Blanchard had struggled with self-confidence because of his skin disorder, which his mother was very worried about. Both the boy and the dog, Rowdy, were diagnosed with vitiligo in 2014. Carter learned about Rowdy online through his mother Stephanie Adcock, who reached out to Rowdy's owner Niki Umbenhower. Adcock felt that Rowdy may help her son accept his skin condition positively.

When Carter and Rowdy finally met face-to-face, Adcock said the experience was life-changing for her son, noting how the dog made Carter feel better.

Symptoms Of Vitiligo

The primary symptom of vitiligo is the absence of skin pigment or the fading of pigment on the skin. Some observable patterns will also appear in depigmentation, with specific areas marked out on the loss of skin color.

Doctors say that vitiligo erupts from the destruction of cells called melanocytes, which are responsible for pigmentation. In some people, even the hair sprouting on vitiligo-affected parts will appear white. Genetic reasons are also associated with vitiligo.

Vitiligo is also considered an autoimmune disease, which implies that the body itself is attacking the pigment-making cells. It is inferred that proteins known as cytokines produced within the body alter the pigment-producing cells and are forcing their death.

In the spread of vitiligo, a segmental pattern is often observed with depigmentation happening on one side of the body.

In the generalized pattern, loss of melanin takes place on both sides of the body with a clear symmetry.

Depigmentation often appears on the face, arms, underarms, legs, hands, feet, lips, and groin. The lining inside the mouth may also be affected.

In diagnosing vitiligo, a review of the medical history and a test on a skin sample is the starting point. Family history and incidents of sunburns are also looked into.

When the biopsy of the skin is conducted, it will establish the complete absence of pigment and confirm the diagnosis.

Blood tests are conducted to verify vitamin B-12 levels and thyroid function. An overactive thyroid accompanying B-12 deficiency can spell a high probability for vitiligo.

Treatment For Vitiligo

There is a long-term treatment management for vitiligo aimed at pigment restoration to the skin using cosmetic methods.

Many therapies are used in treating vitiligo. Some of them are outlined below.

Creams: Topical corticosteroids are applied on the skin for at least three months. However, there may be some adverse effects when these types of creams are used, such as thinning of the skin or streaks appearing on the skin.

Immunomodulators: Drug clusters like immunomodulators are used in treating vitiligo. These ointments carry ingredients like tacrolimus and pimecrolimus. Mayo Clinic doctors have said pigment loss on small areas such as the face and neck can be advised for immunomodulator therapy.

Ultraviolet Light: In some patients, ultraviolet light therapy is used in restoring the pigment by using the medication psoralen for making the skin sensitive to the UV light treatment. A combination of psoralen and UV rays known as PUVA treatment helps to darken the skin's lighter areas.

Depigmentation: When the response to repigmentation on the white patches turns poor, the method of depigmentation is resorted to. Here, the remaining color is removed from the unaffected areas using a medication with monobenzone, lightening the skin so that the skin color will be uniform all throughout the body. This method is for those whose vitiligo has expanded to more than half of the body.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A team of Oslo scientists are pushing for a "carbon law" policy in order to cut by half the world's carbon dioxide emissions each decade starting 2020 to combat climate change.

This policy, similar to the carbon tax, requires the imposition of penalties on carbon emitters to fast-track the total shift toward renewable energies.

The proposed policy, published in the journal Science, is an instrument every country can use to implement the 2015 Paris agreement, where some 200 governments pledged to do away with fossil fuels in the next half-century. Little has been done, however, since the agreement was signed.

Cutting CO2 Emissions By Half

To achieve the goals of the 2015 Paris agreement, according to a team of scientists, the CO2 emissions must be halved in each decade, bringing it down from 40 million tons in 2020 to 20 million tons by 2030.

A hefty penalty of $50 for every ton will be charged against carbon dioxide emitters starting 2020. The European Union is currently charging 5 euros (around $5.40) per ton of CO2 emissions.

The authors said the proposed legislative and economic framework is needed "to make a zero-emissions future an inevitability rather than wishful thinking."

Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, agreed.

"I don't think it's wishful thinking. I think it's visionary thinking," Figueres said.

Pushing For Greener Technologies

China and the European Union are likely the leading countries to go ahead with cleaner technologies, Johan Rockstrom, the lead author of the study and director of the Stockholm Resilience Center at Stockholm University, said.

Rockstrom said the emergence of greener technologies will come despite President Donald Trump's denial that human activities cause climate change.

Trump has dismissed man-made climate change as a hoax. The U.S. president has even hinted that he will withdraw the country from the Paris agreement as he has a strong inclination to utilize fossil fuels during his term.

"We should not be too concerned with the risks of the negative impact of the Trump administration," Rockstrom said.

Doing away with fossils fuels, he said, would bring improved public health and optimum profits for businesses, among others.

The Trump Factor

This development comes as another Trump ally in the House has called for the reduction of the U.S. commitment in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

In a letter addressed to Trump, Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, outlined the conditions if the chief executive were to decide to stay in the agreement.

As a presidential candidate, Trump promised to withdraw from the Paris agreement. As a president, however, he has not acted yet on the pledge he made during the campaign. Some of his advisers have urged him to stay in the agreement for diplomatic reasons.

Cramer urged Trump to reduce the commitment of the United States in fighting climate change. The pledge, made during the Obama administration, involved cutting the country's emissions of greenhouse gas by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels.

"The [United States] should present a new pledge that does no harm to our economy," said Cramer in his letter.

He also urged Trump to stop contributing to the Green Climate Fund and make good of his position to promote domestic manufacturing and energy companies.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
By Press Trust of India: Boston, Mar 24 (PTI) Anyone who has ever poured wine knows about the drips that run down the side of the bottle. Now, scientists have finally figured out how to fix the age-old problem.

Daniel Perlman, a biophysicist at Brandeis University in the US, studied the flow of liquid across the wine bottles lip over the course of three years.

advertisement

By cutting a groove just below the lip, he was able to create a drip-free wine bottle.

There are already products on the market designed to prevent wine spillage, however they require inserting a device into the bottle neck.

Perlman did not want consumers to have to take an additional step after they made their purchase.

"I wanted to change the wine bottle itself. I did not want there to be the additional cost or inconvenience of buying an accessory," he said.

Perlman studied slow-motion videos of wine being poured. He observed first that drippage was most extreme when a bottle was full or close to it.

He also saw that a stream of wine tends to curl backwards over the lip and run down the side of the glass bottle because glass is hydrophilic, meaning it attracts water.

Using a diamond-studded tool, Perlman, assisted by engineer Greg Widberg, created a circular groove around the neck of the bottle just beneath the top.

A droplet of wine that would otherwise run down the side of the bottle encounters the groove, but can not traverse it. Instead, it immediately falls off the bottle into the glass along with the rest of the wine.

"When you pour a full or nearly-full bottle of wine, you hold it at a slightly upward angle in relation to the glass," researchers said.

For a drop of wine to make it across the groove, it would have to travel up inside the groove against the force of gravity or have enough momentum to jump from one side of the groove to the other.

After many tests, Perlman found the perfect width - roughly 2 millimetres - and depth, about 1 millimetre, for the groove so that the wine stream can not get past it. PTI SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
Federal investigators are looking at whether the $81 million stolen from a Bangladesh central bank account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York last year has links to North Korea.

This is due to similarities in the code used in the online heist and in an earlier breach of Sony Pictures, according to two insiders quoted by Bloomberg and who asked to remain unidentified since the matter has not gone public.

The theft, deemed one of the biggest bank heists in recent history, appears to have some hacking tools shared with those in the 2014 attack against Sony Pictures, the maker of the film The Interview. The movie centered on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tied the Sony attack to North Korea, and was followed by an outage of the Asian countrys internet that a U.S. lawmaker considered a retaliatory act.

Where Does North Korea Come In?

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the potential relationship to North Korea of the Bangladesh theft.

National Security Agency Deputy Director Richard Ledgett said in a Tuesday discussion that the Sony hack was rightfully tied to the North Korean government, and private investigators traced the malware used in the attack to that used in the Bangladesh theft.

"If that attribution is true, if that linkage from Sony actors to Bangladeshi bank actors is accurate, said Ledgett. That means a nation state is robbing banks.

In response to the moderators question, Ledgett said he believes there are now nation-states robbing banks, although he did not point to any evidence already collected.

North Korean capital Pyongyang is facing elevated sanctions from the United Nations, which has also started examining North Korean front companies in China that let it secure foreign currency.

Bangladesh Heist Revisited

In March 2016, hackers siphoned $81 million from the New York Fed account of the Central Bank of Bangladesh, where instructions for making the payment were considered authenticated by the widely used SWIFT message system.

Fake SWIFT messages tricked the New York Fed into wiring the money to hacker-maintained accounts resting in the Philippines. The system was eventually able to stop $850 million more in attempted transfer.

According to experts, the lack of appropriate security allowed the hackers to penetrate the banks systems and launch money transfers. They pointed to the lack of firewall, as well as second-hand $10 routers on the banks computers connected to the global payment network.

In the wake of the incident, probes on potential computer breaches expanded to as many as 12 banks linked to Swifts network, finding similar irregularities. There were telltale signs of infiltration seen in banks such as the Philippines and New Zealand.

SWIFT, which stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, is a Brussels-based interbank cooperative. It urged financial institutions to bolster their security, and while many cases may turn out to be false positives or not connected to SWIFT messages at all, it may be a key to put security reviews in place.

This incident, now one of the biggest cybercrimes the world has seen, highlighted vulnerabilities in the payment network within the global financial system, and led to more rigorous security measures and guidelines from central banks worldwide.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Using NASA's Hubble Telescope, Astronomers have detected a supermassive black hole being evicted from the central hub of its parent galaxy in what could be a demonstration of the immense force of gravitational waves.

Scientists have suspected there are several black holes elsewhere kicked out of their galactic core and the recent discovery is considered a very strong case confirming what they assumed all the while.

The black hole, which weighs more than 1 billion suns, is the first supermassive black hole found to have been evicted from its home.

Immense Amount Of Energy

To propel a black hole as massive as this one from its galactic core requires an immense amount of energy.

It is estimated that the energy required is equivalent to the energy of 100 supernovas exploding at the same time, study co-author Stefano Bianchi of Roma Tre University said.

Stefano said their theoretical model suggested that the gravitational waves generated by the fusion of two black holes some 1 to 2 billion years ago, propelled this massive black hole spaceward.

The rogue black hole was found to have moved 35,000 light-years away from the central hub of its parent galaxy 3C 186. This distance is farther than the Sun's distance from the center of the Milky Way.

The researchers said this super massive black hole continues to hurtle away at a speed of 7.5 million kilometers per hour.

Gravitational Waves

Gravitational waves, first put forward by Albert Einstein, are ripples created when two massive objects bumped in space. These ripples are similar to the waves created when a stone is dropped into a pond.

Its existence was only proven last year when the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detected them having their origin from the merging of two massive black holes.

All Point To One Thing

"When I first saw this, I thought we were seeing something very peculiar," team leader Marco Chiaberge of the Space Telescope Science Institute said of the observed black hole.

Since black holes are located at the core of their galaxies, Chiaberge said he was surprised to see a quasar off from the galaxy's central hub. Quasars are the visible and energetic signature of black holes.

He said the combined data from different observation sites revealed the same stellar event.

Chiaberge's paper on the phenomenon will be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics on March 30.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Baselworld 2017, dubbed as the "world watch and jewelry show" is in full gear, and Samsung is poised to use it as a venue to let everyone take a peek at its very intriguing concept: a pocket watch. Yes, you read that right.

Samsung's Hybrid Gear S3 Pocket Watch

Samsung just unveiled via a press release the three new series of concepts from Yvan Arpa, a Swiss watch designer, inspired by the company's own line of Gear S3 smartwatches. The concepts include a pocket watch hybrid version of the Gear S3, which is such an odd phrase in this day and age. But "concept" is the key term here, and reactions suggest that such a concept intrigues as much as it baffles.

Samsung is playing the laconic card, however, offering very little details about the pocket watches in question. Reinventing the long-lost necessity of pocket watches by giving it more updated internals should have probably been enough of an innovation. But Arpa went further ahead: not only are the internals of the Gear S3 inside the pocket watch enclosing, he even repurposed the back of the case for a classic mechanical clock movement altogether.

In addition to being a pocket watch per se, the lid also functions as a compass, staying true to the whole theme.

"We understand that a watch is more than just a time keeper, it caters to personal style and interests," says Younghee Lee, Samsung's executive VP for global marketing, mobile communications business. "The Gear S3 is more than just a smartwatch, it is a beautifully designed watch that puts a timeless spin on the smartwatch category, crafted for both watch aficionados and tech enthusiasts."

According to Samsung, its partnership with Arpa is "a testament to Samsung's ongoing focus to push traditional boundaries and deliver meaningful innovations."

As TechCrunch reports, the idea of a similar device isn't novel; several others have taken a crack at it in the past, with varying levels of mileage, to note. But no one other than Samsung has decided to commit to creating a niche concept the likes of pocket watches.

Will They Ever Grow Beyond Being A Concept?

The big question is if these devices will ever see the light of day, and by extension, will reach consumers on a commercial level. In spite of the slim likelihood of that ever happening, however, there's isn't much of a smartwatch audience to rattle  the wearable industry isn't as big as the smartphone, where a bold move like this could fail to take off.

The Smartwatch Industry

But this is the time to introduce quirks. While many companies are incurring inroads in smartphone development, the industry itself is pronouncing less than stellar sales figures. Drought, or the hints of a forthcoming one, usually compel the key players to introduce bold new ideas, risky as they may be. Samsung, it looks like, is taking the first plunge to challenge the smartwatch status quo.

What isn't clear for now is whether smartwatches can mimic the growth of smartphones, which were once perceived as luxury devices at best before rapidly becoming an essential and core part of everyone's productivity workflow. Simply put, smartphones are now can't-live-without-devices for the modern person; smartwatches are not  at least not yet  and there's no telling if it will ever be.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As Samsung prepares to officially unveil its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, on March 29, a major leak has been reported on the company's next premium device, the Galaxy Note 8.

The leak, which reveals a design sketch and the specifications, may make Samsung fans all set on buying the Galaxy S8 decide to wait for the Galaxy Note 8 instead.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Specs, Sketch Leaked

SlashLeaks has revealed what is claimed to be a design sketch for the Galaxy Note 8 along with the specifications of the upcoming smartphone.

The leak claims that the Galaxy Note 8 will be powered by either Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 or Samsung's own Exynos 9000-series processor, depending on the region where the device is purchased.

The Galaxy Note 8 is said to be packing 6 GB of RAM, a specification previously linked to the Galaxy S8 but recently debunked by leaked information that the upcoming smartphone will only have 4 GB of RAM. The Galaxy Note 8 is also said to be featuring up to 256 GB of internal storage, a massive increase compared to the previously reported 64 GB of internal storage for the Galaxy S8. Of all the leaked specifications, though, this is the one that raises the most questions, as Samsung has been moving toward offering only one option for internal storage capacity for its devices but with expandable memory through SD cards.

Lastly, the Galaxy Note 8 is said to have a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with up to 4K resolution. The size of the display is slightly larger than the screen of the Galaxy S8+ that is expected to measure 6.2 inches.

The design sketch, however, is a sight to behold, as it shows the Galaxy Note 8 will have an even more impressive design compared to the Galaxy S8. The edge-to-edge display occupies an even bigger space on the front of the smartphone, with bezels minimized further and no physical buttons. The sketch also shows a slot for the S Pen stylus and what is likely the dedicated button for Samsung's Bixby digital assistant, which will be making its debut on the Galaxy S8. The sketch also shows a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, which raises the likelihood that it will be present in the Galaxy S8.

Buy The Galaxy S8 Or Wait For The Galaxy Note 8?

A report from early this year claims that the release for the Galaxy Note 8 will be some time in the second half of 2017, which is not that long a wait from the expected late April release date of the Galaxy S8.

However, for customers seriously thinking of holding off from buying a new smartphone to wait for the Galaxy Note 8, remember that these leaks are not yet confirmed. There is a chance that the Galaxy Note 8 will turn out to be not as amazing as initially thought, which would make waiting for it a waste of time.

The Galaxy S8, meanwhile, is more of a sure thing, especially after the smartphone's official details are announced on March 29.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Federal Communications Commission has vowed to double up on its mission against illegal robocalls that annoy and even scam millions of Americans every day.

In its new proposed rules released March 23, the agency said it would push for phone companies to target as well as block robocalls that emerge from seemingly unassigned or illegitimate phone numbers. The move is expected to slash the estimated 2.4 billion auto-calls every month, many of which are fraudulent.

Cracking Down On Illegal Auto-Calls

According to FCC chair Ajit Pai, robocalls are the top consumer complaint to their agency from the American public. These, he added, could include scammers pretending to be tax officials demanding payments or asking leading questions prompting victims to reveal personal information.

A particularly pernicious category is spoofed robocalls or where the caller ID is fake and hides the callers real identity.

Fraudsters bombard consumers phones at all hours of the day with spoofed robocalls, which in some cases lure consumers into scams  or lead to identity theft, said the FCC in its statement [PDF].

The new FCC proposal gives providers greater leeway in blocking spoofed robocalls, specifically those that appear to be from invalid phone numbers or those not assigned to a voice service company.

There is no reason why any legitimate caller should be spoofing an unassigned or invalid phone number. Its just a way for scammers to evade the law, wrote Pai in a blog post announcing the new proposal.

FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn, citing a study from December 2016, revealed that more than 1 out of 10 U.S. adults fall prey to phone scams.

Private Firms: Support And Backlash

Phone companies largely support the FCCs campaign against these robocalls. In 2016, AT&T helped create an industry group to address the problem, while Verizon expressed its support in a statement and condemned unscrupulous telemarketers and those who circumvent do not call lists and robocalls-deterring tools.

The public can submit feedback on the proposal, which will likely be finalized later this year.

Major companies have faced criticism for depending on robocalls. Back in 2015, PayPal faced backlash for largely pushing many users to agree to receive robocalls from them. It later reversed its decision amid public complaints and letters from government officials.

Other Issues On The FCC Agenda

Early this month, Pai vowed to put robocalls on top of FCCs agenda, which it tackled and finally voted this week. Other crucial issues include prison phones, phone regulations, channel sharing, video relay service, and eliminating outdated requirements for providers.

The FCC chair sought to end cellphone calls in prison, which he considered contraband and can be used by some to continue criminal acts even while behind bars. These calls, he warned, could allow them to run drug operations and even order hits on target personalities.

He also wanted to improve the FCC tool Video Relay Service, which caters to the hearing-challenged through signs and voice translation based on the American Sign Language. Pai wanted to introduce specialized interpreters.

Further, Pai aimed to cut requirements for international telecom providers, as he articulated during his Mobile World Congress speech.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla is always looking for ways to produce better energy storage not only to extend the range of its electric vehicles but also to power up homes using clean energy, and experts on battery technology have recognized the company's efforts.

In a surprise addition to the 34th International Battery Seminar's program, the organizers presented Kurt Kelty, Tesla's senior director of Battery Technology with the "Battery Innovator of the Year" award, which he received on behalf of Tesla.

Tesla On Battery Technology

Kelty was scheduled to give the Plenary Keynote Address in front of 800 battery experts  including specialists from other EV manufacturers  at the International Battery Seminar, which was held from March 20 to 23 at Fort Lauderdale in Florida. However, before he was even able to utter his first sentence, the prestigious award was bestowed.

Kelty was quick to express his gratitude on behalf of Tesla and say how much of an honor the prize is for the company.

"Everyone recognizes we're not a battery chemistry company. That's not why we got the award. It's more [about] the implementation of the technology," Kelty said.

Tesla's Battery Innovations

Tesla is not new to receiving awards when it comes to its battery technology. In 2016, Tesla's top researcher on battery technology, Jeff Dahn, received the same award and the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering for his research on lithium-ion batteries. And with the company's smart energy storage solutions in response to energy crises and dedication to producing Li-ion batteries in its Gigafactory in Nevada in 2016 and early 2017, it's not really that much of a surprise that Elon Musk's company was honored this time around.

Tesla Will Continue To Innovate Batteries

In his keynote address, Kelty revealed that the company receives battery usage data from its electric vehicle and stationary unit customers in real-time and the company has been learning a lot from the collected data.

He also added that Telsa envisions a well-integrated clean energy system for homes, especially when users combine the company's products together.

"Where we see the future [is] in houses [and] we want to be your EV provider. Put your EV in your garage and you charge it up with one of our chargers, you have a powerwall ... [and] a solar product [solar roof] that we'll be introducing this summer [...] This is the kind of future we see for [your] house," he reveals.

Musk is probably thrilled with the award but there's no reaction yet from Tesla's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer as of writing.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
HMD Global To Release Nokia Phones Globally In Q2, 2017 | TechTree.com

This year, HMD Global has released a couple of interesting phones under the brand Nokia, However, only Nokia 6 is available in few markets currently - only in China, to be specific.

However, it looks like the company has now confirmed that it has ambitious plans to release Nokia 3, 5, and 6 in as much as 120 markets at the same time, during the second quarter of 2017. It seems that Nokiapoweruser.com has recently got an official word from HMD regarding the same.

If this turns out to be true, we may soon be seeing Nokia-branded Android Phones and Nokia 3310 released globally, and even may even be able to get our hands on the legend, Nokia 3310.

Well, confirming this, Gadgets360 has posted that Android Phones would be reaching India around May - June time period, quoting HMD Globals Vice President India, Ajey Mehtas word with the publication. However, it seems that the Nokia 3310 (2017) may be launching in the country a bit early.

Having said this, it is worth noting that we still have no clue about the pricing details of these Nokia phones. We may have to wait and watch.

TAGS: Nokia
The division bench of the Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Girish Kulkarni was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Amol Balwadkar who has recently been elected as a corporator from the city.

By Vidya : The Bombay High Court today came down heavily on the Pune Municipal Corporation for giving permissions to builders to construct buildings without creating the necessary infrastructure. The division bench of the Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Girish Kulkarni was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Amol Balwadkar who has recently been elected as a corporator from the city.

advertisement

The issue that had been raised by Balwadkar pertained to Baner and Balewadi areas of Pune where indiscriminate construction has been happening in the recent time. Balwadkar's lawyer Anurag Jain had contended that without roads, water supply, occupation certificates are also given while people take heavy home loans to get a roof over their head only to realise later that they have to pay heavy society charge as the buildings do not have water supply. "Heavy expenditure is borne by most of the building societies to get water tankers," Jain told the bench.

Justice Kulkarni noting this issue said, "You (corporation) are mainly interested in indiscriminate revenue. Before you have skyscrapers, why can't you get basic infrastructure in place?"

Chief Justice Chellur asked, "If you collect the money from the builders, by the time they finish construction why can't you provide water pipelines?"

The lawyer representing the municipal corporation said that in the last two years, permission for construction of 458 buildings was given and the corporation did provide most of the buildings with water supply.

However the court said, "This cannot be the nature of development. Don't make it look like a concrete jungle. This just shows you are only concerned about builders and not the people living in those buildings."

The court has asked both the petitioner as well as the Pune Municipal Corporation to provide details of each building, how many people stay in those buildings and if water is supplied through pipelines or if the societies have to put in the services of tankers as well.

The court also said that this is not an issue only pertaining to Pune, but even in Thane, Ghodbundar and many areas situation was the same where builders have completed construction and people have settled in those buildings only to know that there is no water supply.

Also read:

HC raps Maha Govt, Mumbai corpn over beach safety

--- ENDS ---
The French president mentioned to Nicolas Maduro his interest in starting a bilateral work useful for Venezuela and the region. | Read More
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) The United Nations today came out with a commemorative work marking 70 years of Indias relationship with the global body.

The book Seven Decades and Beyond: The UN-India Connect traces the journeys of India and the UN "as they have informed and enriched each other over the past seven decades", said Chinmaya Gharekhan, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations to the Middle East.

advertisement

Esteemed personalities who have made history at the UN including Kiran Bedi, Virendra Dayal, Nitin Desai, Gharekhan, Arundhati Ghose, Gen Satish Nambiar, Hardip Puri and Shashi Tharoor have penned memoirs of their association with the world body.

Some of them came forward to brainstorm here on a range of issues being faced by the global body.

"Though questions are raised about the relevance of the body in the 21st century, we need to ask ourselves whether we have another UN?," Gharekhan said.

Kiran Bedi, who was appointed as the United Nations Civilian Police Adviser in 2003, said global terrorism and the use of digital platform to propagate visceral hate were the biggest challenges before the UN.

"The United Nations has moved from peace keeping to peace building to collaborative and robust interventions. Indian peace keeping forces, in particular, have been at the centre of bringing peace to many countries in the Asian and African regions," she said.

The Puducherry Governor also batted for an "inclusive" United Nations Security Council.

Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor, who has served at the UN for 29 years, talked about the alleged budget cuts to the global body by the Trump administration.

"According to few reports, the US is on a retreat from the United Nations as the Trump administration has planned to curb funds to the body. We need to ponder whether this kind of a situation will help or mar smaller member nations," he said.

Asked whether the UNs best days are ahead, the Congress leader said, "Though I firmly believe that the UN is vital and has no alternative, it is time the body introspects and betters its position in the changing world," he said.

Economist Nitin Desai, who served as Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations from 1992 to 2003, said the global body was a "moral tool" and cannot change the power structure of a country.

"UN cannot change the power structure of a country. It can only persuade those in power. I believe more than the big guns (developed nations), the smaller countries need the body. We need to talk about the smaller nation states leaving the organisation at a rapid pace," he said.

advertisement

Commenting on the role of media in the United Nations operations, Gharekhan said, "Unfortunately, the Indian media has not registered its presence in the UN operations in conflict regions. The western media has called the shots. Nevertheless, media plays a huge role in bringing out the truth." PTI SRY RT

--- ENDS ---
On Wednesday, social media stirred with news of Tej Bahadur being killed for blowing the whistle off on BSF's code of conduct.

However, BSF rubbished the rumour, adding that Tej Bahadur is hale and hearty and posted in Jammu-Kashmir.

By India Today Web Desk: Border Security Force (BSF) constable Tej Bahadur, whose video complaining about poor quality of food being served to jawans went viral, has again hit the news but this time for his fake death.

On Wednesday, social media stirred with reports of Tej Bahadur being killed for blowing the whistle off on BSF's code of conduct.

advertisement

A photo collage put up on Twitter and Facebook by Pakistan nationals, comprising Bahadur's picture from his video and a dead lookalike with his face covered and smeared with blood, sent a flutter among netizens all over.

Looks like Indian BSF Jawan, Tej Bahadur Yadav who exposed indian army thievery & corruption & then went missing, has been killed. #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/kAlVSwW30a- Asfandyar Bhittani (@BhittaniKhannnn) March 22, 2017

However, BSF rubbished the rumour, adding that Tej Bahadur is hale and hearty and posted in Jammu-Kashmir.

Soon after, his wife too quelled the rumors.

In his video shot in January, he had alleged that besides comprising on food quality, senior officers siphoned off ration money meant for soldiers at the border.

Watch the video here

Also read: New video of Tej Bahadur surfaces, soldier makes fresh charges against BSF

Also read: Tej Bahadur controversy: BSF has a robust system to redress grievances, says DG

--- ENDS ---
Captain Amarinder was part of the delegation that was led by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi that had met the Prime Minister before the Assembly elections to seek relief for distressed farmers.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: The war of words continues between Captain Amarinder Singh and the Badals. This time both are exchanging barbs on the issue of farm loan waiver.

Reacting to the allegation levelled by the Badals that he had backtracked on his farm loan waiver promise, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said, "The Badal father-son duo seem to be suffering from selective hearing and amnesia".

advertisement

The Patiala MLA issued a statement wherein he alleged that the Badals had a propensity for misleading the people with their senseless and baseless statements against their political rivals, particularly the Punjab Congress.

"Their latest statements contesting his government's commitment to farm debt waiver were not only unfounded but also contradictory to established facts that were in public domain," Captain Amarinder added.

Captain Amarinder was part of the delegation that was led by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi that had met the Prime Minister before the Assembly elections to seek relief for distressed farmers.

Recently, Captain Amarinder had met Prime Minister and had demanded a farm loan waiver for Punjab farmers.

"Unlike the Badal regime, which had failed to take up any measure for the welfare of farmers in the state during 10 years of their rule, his government had initiated a time-bound process of waiver of their loans in less than 10 days of taking over the state's reins," said Captain Amarinder.

Punjab CM added that in fact his government had initiated a series of people-oriented measures to bring transparency and governance in the system, which the Badals had transformed into a "den of corruption and mafias".

Also read:

CM Amarinder Singh: 7 challenges Captain faces in Punjab

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) The Centre will finalise an "aggressive" national strategy in a month to end tuberculosis in the country by 2025, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said today, on the occasion of World TB Day.

"Ensuring affordable and quality healthcare to the people is the governments priority. We are committed to achieving zero tuberculosis deaths. Therefore, we need to re-strategise, think afresh and be aggressive in our approach to end TB by 2025," he said at a programme here.

advertisement

"The National Strategic Program (NSP) will be finalised in a month and will be rolled out across the country. The vision of NSP is a TB-Free India. This programme aims at rapid decline of the tuberculosis burden," Nadda said.

The minister said the Active Case Findings initiative, which was launched in January in 17 states and covered 50 districts in the first phase to treat TB among vulnerable population groups, will be rolled out in 130 other districts by the end of this year.

"We are going ahead with Active Case Findings with better preparation in 130 more selected High Risk districts to bring TB cases under treatment early. This would reduce the number of deaths, transmission of the disease and also its drug-resistant variant," he said.

Nadda also said the Daily Regimen which have been found to be more effective and is till now is being implemented in five states will be rolled out across the country this year.

Observing that India has the highest number of TB cases in the world, he said the government has heightened its action to meet the End TB target by 2025.

"Drug-resistant TB is a growing threat and its diagnosis and treatment is costlier. We have decided to attack the root cause of the disease head-on," Nadda said.

Informing that the government has made notification of TB cases mandatory, he said, "Almost 92 per cent of TB patients with HIV has been put on antiretroviral therapy."

"The government has distributed more than 500 CBNAAT machines for rapid quality diagnostics in a year, with at least one such machine for each district. This step has led to 35 per cent rise in notification of drug-resistant TB cases last year," Nadda said.

At the event, the minister launched India vs TB, a campaign for early identification of tuberculosis symptoms propagating the importance of its treatment. The campaign features Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan.

The campaign has been developed by International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Challenge TB. PTI PLB NSD

--- ENDS ---
Law enforcement officials in Louisiana's capital face another federal lawsuit accusing them of violating the rights of protesters arrested after a black man's fatal shooting by police.

Attorneys from the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center in New Orleans filed Thursday's lawsuit on behalf of several Baton Rouge residents who were arrested after the July 2016 shooting death of Alton Sterling during an altercation with two police officers.

The suit - at least the third to accuse police in Baton Rouge of violating protesters' civil rights - claims the arrests were part of a pattern of "racist law enforcement" in the city.

Police arrested nearly 200 protesters following the July 5 shooting death of Alton Sterling, who was killed during a struggle with two white officers. Cellphone videos of the confrontation quickly spread on social media.

---

Not seeing the video below? Click here.

---

Sterling's death, a day before another fatal police shooting in Minnesota, sparked widespread protests and inflamed racial tensions that were heightened by the fatal shooting of five police officers in Dallas by a black sniper. The Justice Department is investigating Sterling's death.

The city of Baton Rouge and other defendants already have agreed to a settlement with lawyers for other arrested protesters who sued in August, including Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson.

The deal calls for awarding $500 in cash payments to up to 90 protesters who were arrested only on charges of obstructing a highway.

The local district attorney announced in July that roughly 100 arrested protesters wouldn't be prosecuted for that charge.

About 100 protesters arrested in BR won't be prosecuted, DA says More than half of the protesters arrested in the days following the shooting death of Alton 

Attorneys asked a federal judge to approve the settlement agreement on Nov. 30, but they're still waiting for a ruling. As recently as Tuesday, lawyers who brokered the agreement were still discussing its provisions with a magistrate judge, according to a court filing.

Jim Craig, one of the attorneys who filed Thursday's suit on behalf of seven arrested protesters, said their clients don't believe that the settlement of the other case will "hold the authorities accountable for the decisions they made in July 2016."

"It's as simple as that," Craig said.

Roy Rodney Jr., a plaintiffs' lawyer working on the settlement, said the deal focuses on compensating protesters and clearing their arrest records. Thursday's suit, he added, is a broader effort to address "historical racial profiling" by police.

"Ours is a much narrower focus, allowing for a much more immediate resolution," Rodney said.

The head of the union that represents Baton Rouge police officers has called the settlement agreement a "slap in the face" and a "dangerous precedent" that could lead to even larger crowds at future protests.

A separate settlement agreement last November resolved another lawsuit that accused police of violating protesters' civil rights. That settlement, which didn't include any monetary terms, resolved a suit filed by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana and the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice.

The defendants named in Thursday's suit include the city of Baton Rouge and its police chief, the elected sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish and the head of the Louisiana State Police. A spokesman for the Baton Rouge Police Department said he couldn't comment on pending litigation.

The suit says the Baton Rouge protests were "spontaneous and peaceful." Police equipped with riot shields, armored vehicles and high-powered weapons arrested protesters "without just cause, solely to suppress the protests and deny the protesters' right to free expression," it adds.

"The long history of police mistreatment of residents of (Baton Rouge), and particularly its black residents, has been and continues to be an issue of great public concern," the suit says.
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Mar 22 (PTI) Situation in Afghanistan has become further complicated with its ties with Pakistan at an "all-time low" and "too many external players" entering the arena, a powerful US lawmaker said today calling for a change in Americas approach in the war-torn country.

"It is one of the situations where we are going to have change in our approach and past practice of gauging our actions in Afghanistan on number of troops so that we can get them all out rather than achieving the goal of defeating the Taliban to stalemate. We are not going to win stalemate," said Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in a breakfast meeting with Defence Writers Group.

advertisement

He said the situation in Afghanistan has further become complicated with the relationship between Kabul and Islamabad at an "all-time low" and that too many external players have entered the arena.

The new Chief of Staff of the Pakistans Army, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, is "much more aggressive" than his predecessor Gen (rtd) Raheel Sharif, McCain said.

"And we know the status of the military in Pakistan," he told reporters in response to a question.

"This is a very challenging issue. Not only Taliban, Al Qaeda is established there, Iranians are there, Russians are there," he said ruing the role of multiple countries that do not have a relationship with the Taliban or groups that are opposed to elected government.

"It is one of the situations where we are going to have change in our approach and past practice of gauging our actions in Afghanistan on number of troops so that we can get them all out rather than achieving the goal of defeating the Taliban to stalemate. We are not going to win stalemate," McCain said.

A day earlier, McCain met with the visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, who is currently in the US to attend the anti-ISIS global coalition meeting.

Rabbani in his address to a Washington-based think-tank slamming Pakistan for being the destabilising factor in the war-torn country.

"Pakistans reluctance to end its support for terrorism underpins the continuation of violence in Afghanistan and the region. And this constitutes a violation of our territorial integrity, as Pakistan violates our airspace and frequently shells eastern Afghanistan," he said in his address to Atlantic Council.

"These routine violations undermine any prospect of normal bilateral relations, and pose a serious threat to peace and security in our region and beyond. Earlier this week, we again engaged with the Government of Pakistan at a trilateral initiative convened in London, hosted by the Government of the UK. Discussions focused on a mechanism, through which outstanding issues could be resolved," he said.

He praised India for its support in the development of the war-torn country.

"India is an important partner in providing support where their means has allowed. We have encouraged India to further expand our cooperation based on the Indo-Afghan strategic partnership agreement. We also enjoy constructive relations with other regional countries based on the principles of mutual respect," Rabbani said.

advertisement

The foreign minister said "a paradigm shift" in Pakistan is needed if any progress is to be made in peace efforts with the Taliban. PTI LKJ KJ PMS

--- ENDS ---
The ACT's construction industry has been marked as the nation's worst when it comes to serious long-term work related injury claims, while Canberra's overall work injury rates rise as the rest of Australia's fall.

A Safe Work Australia report comparing the performance of all states and territories on workplace safety and injury claim rates was released on Friday.

ACT Work Safety commissioner Greg Jones said he will investigate Canberra's rising serious, long-term workplace injury rate, after four years of consecutive increases. Credit:Karleen Minney

It shows the incidence rate of "long-term serious injuries and disease claims" in Canberra has risen from 4.3 for every 1000 workers in 2011-12 to 5.5 on the same measure in 2014-15 - while the national average over the same period fell from 4.0 to 3.1 claims for every 1000 employees as rates in every other jurisdiction fell.

The figures also mark four years since the 'Getting Home Safely' review was ordered in the wake of a series of construction industry deaths, a review meant to improve safety, lower injury rates and change the culture on Canberra's building sites.
Gusting winds spread a cloud of suspected asbestos particles after a workplace blunder at the Mitchell Resource Recovery Centre.

A spokesman for the Community Services Directorate said the incident posed no ongoing health risk to residents living close to the facility.

Asbestos was mistakenly thrown into an industrial waste sorting machine at the Mitchell Resource Recovery Centre. Pictured is a stock photo of loose fill asbestos from a Mr Fluffy home. Credit:ACT Asbestos Taskforce

The incident occurred on Wednesday, March 1, after a contractor unknowingly threw pieces of asbestos into an industrial waste sorting machine.

"The contractor who manages the Mitchell Resource Recovery Centre noticed that a trommel, a piece of machinery for sorting waste material, was producing an amount of dust," the spokesman said.
Whenever I have a wee snark about the vileness of Sydney's rich, some dope tweets, "oh, that's just the politics of envy". As though, dismissed. Problem solved. As though being envied  if that's what it is  puts you on some unassailable moral mountaintop from which the envy of microbes is just one of countless irritations you need a microscope even to see. Well no, guys.

There is envy here, in city politics, and it's legit, but it's not about you. I don't want to be the rich and powerful. I want the rich and powerful to get out of the way, stop wrecking the joint with their dreary and predictable dollar-lust. Envy? What I envy is cities with imagination and principle at the helm. It's not wealth-envy. It's wisdom-envy. Governance envy.

Illustration: Simon Bosch

When the people of Parramatta object to their only Olympic pool being demolished by governelopers, with no replacement in sight  is that envy? When 92-year-old Myra Demetriou, blind and alone on the tenth floor of the otherwise empty Sirius building, says, under threat of governeloper eviction; "I'm not afraid, they can shoot me if they want to"  is that envy?

When Waverley citizens take to the streets against spot-rezoning that will see towers destroy heritage terraces and overshadow Centennial Park, is that the politics of envy? When inhabitants of the Waterloo public housing propose a last-ditch stand to defend their homes from governelopment; is that the politics of envy? Or is it the politics of desperate love?
Human Rights Commission President Gillian Triggs has blasted the Turnbull government's "highly unsatisfactory" and "curious" changes to Australia's race hate laws, warning they were being rushed through and could harm minorities.

She also clashed with Victorian senator Derryn Hinch over the commission's handling of the Bill Leak case at a fiery inquiry in which they accused each of other of misleading the Senate.

Professor Triggs said it was "categorically nor correct" for anyone to imply the commission supported removing the words "offend", "insult" and "intimidate" from section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

"It's very, very clear that we do not approve the changes to the substantive provision of the [act]," she said on Friday. "The current language has worked extremely well."
Attorney-General George Brandis has warned that the Islamic State group may scatter and form a "diaspora" caliphate around the world after its defeat in the Middle East.

Senator Brandis has also told Fairfax Media that despite the military losses that have left its territorial control teetering in Iraq and Syria, the group poses no less threat to countries such as Australia, and he expressed concern about IS in the South-East Asian region.

He said he did not believe "anyone ever thought" that breaking up its territory in the Middle East would remove the IS threat.

Speaking as British authorities continued to probe possible IS links to the Westminster terrorist attack, Senator Brandis said that the idea of the caliphate  territory governed by its extreme interpretation of Islam  had been central to the group's ambitions and its worldwide appeal.
Pauline Hanson has compared Islam to a disease Australians need to vaccinate themselves against, a comment described by the Deputy Prime Minister as "bat poo crazy".

The Queensland senator, who was forced into a rare apology earlier this month, after recommending parents ask for a non-existent test before vaccinating their children, reiterated her calls for a ban on Islamic immigration in the wake of a terror attack in London, where four people died, as well as the British-born terrorist.

After facing condemnation from both sides of politics for releasing a video just hours after the attack calling for the hashtag #Pray4MuslimBan to be used in place on #PrayForLondon hashtag as a way to "solve the problem", Senator Hanson remained defiant.

"Let me put it in this analogy - we have a disease, we vaccinate ourselves against it," she said on Friday.
Kristina Keneally has not ruled out taking legal action against her employer Sky News after her colleague and fellow former politician Mark Latham called her an "Obeid protege" on air.

Keneally has made similar complaints to various media outlets before over similar assertions, which she told PS were "absolutely defamatory", explaining her first port of call in all cases has been to lodge a formal complaint before considering legal action.

So far she has not needed to sue.

Latham, a former federal Labor leader, alleged on television show Jones & Co on Tuesday night that Keneally, a former Labor premier of NSW, was a protege of the former NSW Labor powerbroker. The show has now been removed from Foxtel's catch-up streaming service.
Once again a photo of a bunch of men gathered at the White House discussing women's health has drawn the ire of the internet and advocacy groups.

Vice President Mike Pence tweeted a photo from his meeting with President Donald Trump and other Republicans - the squad commonly referred to as the Freedom Caucus - in which they discussed proposed changes to the American Health Care Act, the Trump administration's bid to wind back Obamacare.

The meeting focused on whether the bill should include a repeal of "essential health benefits" that insurers must cover. Among those "benefits" are pregnancy related heath care, maternity and newborn care.

According to the photo, which was published via Pence's official White House social media account to his 3.21 million followers, there were no women present at the meeting. The only sliver of diversity was via the varied hues of red and blue ties worn by the attendees.
By Press Trust of India: From K J M Varma

Beijing, Mar 24 (PTI) China will triple the number of stations to monitor atmospheric radiation levels to nearly 500 as part of its nuclear security plan to check radioactivity levels from neighbouring countries, including India.

The stations will cover Chinese cities and its borders.

"We plan to build another 135 auto-monitoring stations this year in a bid to gradually improve the network and strengthen the monitoring capacity in nuclear energy security," Guo Chengzhan, head of nuclear and radiation security management, at the Ministry of Environmental Protection was quoted as saying by state-run China Daily today.

advertisement

China currently has 161 stations, and the number will be increased to 500 to create a comprehensive network covering all major cities in China as well as ports in border regions, he said without naming any specific countries.

The move is also aimed at ensuring that China receives accurate and timely data on the possible influence of neighbouring countries on radiation levels, he said.

Chinas neighbours with nuclear power capabilities includes, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Japan.

Besides having 31nuclearpower stations with a total installed capacity of 29.69 million kilowatts building another 23 units with capacity of 26.09 million kilowatt, China is also major nuclear weapons power.

The stations now in place release hourly data for major cities and areas near nuclear power plants to the public via the National Radiation Environmental Data Evaluation System website.

By 2025, the overall security level of all nuclear facilities will reach the advanced world standard, radiation will be at a good level and China will have modern systems on security monitoring and management.

The plan envisions having 58 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2020 and at least 30 GW under construction, which would make China the second-largest country, behind the US, in terms of installed nuclear capacity, Shi Lishan, deputy director of nuclear power at the National Energy Administration.

Nuclear power currently contributes about two per cent of Chinas electricity, data from the China Electricity Council shows.

In addition to the strengthened monitoring capacity, the plan listed nine other major tasks to guarantee security in the growing nuclear energy industry, including speeding up the treatment of radioactive waste.

China plans to build five disposal sites to deal with waste with low and intermediate levels of radioactivity, and two to three sites for those with high levels, Kang Yufeng, a senior nuclear energy official with the environmental ministry said without disclosing the locations of the sites.

"We have conducted research in locating such fields for high-level radioactive waste and have some candidates," he said, adding that the sites will be buried 500 to 1,000 meters below ground, with a stable geological structure and far from residents. PTI KJV UZM

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
Now the internet is a creature of mean understanding, too much information and uncertain temper. But the experience of twenty years online has enabled me to understand something of her character. And in this case she has fastened on something genuinely interesting, a truth increasingly fretted over: many aspects of culture, high and low, that once seemed securely in liberalism's possession appear to be vulnerable to appropriation by the alt-right.

"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; with many admirers and speaking engagements!"

Before the Bennets, Dashwoods and Woodhouses, it was the ancient Greeks and Romans. In November, a classicist named Donna Zuckerberg fired off an anguished piece about the alt-right's affection for her discipline and urged her fellow classicists to watch for lurking reactionary sentiments among would-be students of the ancient world.

The Austen-and-the-alt-right discussion has been a touch less apocalyptic, perhaps because Austen herself is less directly political than Plato or Plutarch. Instead it mostly has a self-reassuring air, in which Austen's academic admirers promise one another that no true Jane-ite could ever be anything except "rational, compassionate, liberal-minded."

This is an idea with a powerful hold on the liberal mind  that great literature and art inoculate against illiberalism, that high culture properly interpreted offers a natural rebuke to all that is cruel, hierarchical and unwoke.

The idea that if Mike Pence really listened to Hamilton he would stand up to Donald Trump ... that Barack Obama's humanistic reading list was somehow in deep tension with his drone strikes ... that had George W. Bush only discovered his talent for painting earlier he might not have invaded Iraq ... these are conceits that can be rebutted (with Wagner or Celine or Nazis-at-the-symphony references) but always seem to rise again.

In part they endure because contemporary liberalism has substituted aestheticism for religion, dreaming of a universal empathy sealed through reading rather than revelation. But they are also powerful because the last few generations have produced very few major artists or movements that are not liberal or left-wing. The defeat and moral disgrace of fascism, the eclipse of traditional religion, the philistinism of American conservatism and the narrowing of post-1989 political debates have all helped forge a political monoculture in the arts and the academy, making the link between literature and liberalism seem natural, inevitable, permanent.
A day care owner who amassed a multi-million dollar fortune through bogus government benefit claims has maintained her innocence, telling a psychologist she has no idea how or why she was found guilty.

Melissa Jade Higgins was last year found guilty by a jury of forging children's attendance records at her Albury-based Aussie Giggles family day care centre to rake in more than $3.6 million in taxpayer funding.

Melissa Higgins arrives at court on Friday. Credit:Cole Bennetts

The 29-year-old's bank account was frozen and $2,250,000 was seized along with other property, including a $90,000 car, during an arrest by the Australian Federal Police.

Higgins was convicted of 81 offences, including 66 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, 14 counts of using a forged document and one count of dealing with the proceeds of crime in excess of $1 million.
The multimillion-dollar Hillsong Church does not have a policy of offering financial compensation to people who have allegedly suffered child sexual abuse within the organisation, a royal commission has heard.

Founder and senior pastor of the global church, Brian Houston, returned to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Friday to show how safety procedures have improved since he first gave evidence to the inquiry in 2014.

The commission heard Hillsong had adopted robust policies that cover improved training and screening of staff, complaints handling and response to alleged victims.

Hillsong has no financial redress policy but Mr Houston told the inquiry: "That doesn't mean that we're not open to it."
A second class action seeking damages for victims of Queensland 2011 flood has been given the green light by the New South Wales Supreme Court.

The new class action could open the door to compensation for businesses and individuals who lost money on property or "yet-to-commence" projects, but who did not suffer any physical damage to their land or buildings during the 2011 Queensland floods.

Ipswich residents watch as the Bremer River floods in 2011. Credit:Jason South

However it must prove it is viable by May 3 or it will be struck out.

On behalf of Brisbane man Phil Hassid, Gillis Delaney Lawyers said they would be "immediately" trying to contact "600 to 700" landowners in Ipswich who they believed had a strong case.
It was just one decision in the 26-year judicial career of a decorated "trailblazer" but it changed a teenage criminal's life.

At just 16, Amanda and her friends were caught in a convenience store robbery and hauled before now-retiring Court of Appeal president Margaret McMurdo.

Justice Margaret McMurdo.

What the then-District Court judge said that day, and the punishment she imposed, changed the teenager's life, she told ABC Radio Brisbane in an astounding phone-in.

It made such a difference that the woman, now based in the US, wrote to Justice McMurdo to thank her when she announced her retirement last year.
The city's $6.3 billion tourism industry was thrust into the spotlight on Friday when the big question was raised - where to from here?

Key tourism players gathered at the Tourism Summit to hash out the details behind visitor numbers, tourism priorities and creating an international profile for the river city.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk wants Brisbane to have a "broader offering" for tourists. Credit:Tony Moore

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said he was confident the city was more than just a one-trick pony and had more opportunities to explore.

"Today is really about identifying the where to. Identifying the ideas, but what I've been saying is I think there is room for greater collaboration between the different sectors of the industry," Cr Quirk said.
The clouds have set in as day three of the World Science festival draws to a close.

This morning Professor Alan Duffy joined the festival for breakfast to discuss dark matter and the future of physics.

Music abounded in the Queensland Conservatorium where the building filled with music as 84 pianists played simultaneously.

This afternoon, Queensland Museum's Senior Curator of Corals, Dr Bridge helped Brisbanites explore the "twilight zone" of the ocean, an area still largely unexplored by humans in the Let's Talk Coral discussion.

If you're looking for something to do tonight you can relax and watch fun, vibrant, science-inspired performances, poetry and music at Speakeasy Science from 7.00pm.

Alternatively, try the number one recommended event by Queensland Museum's CEO Suzanne Miller, The Future is in Good Hands, where you can meet four of Queensland's brightest under 17-year-olds to discuss the future of science with those who will live it.

Look out for Street Science! tomorrow, where you can get hands-on with science, or why not drop in to see insects with Bry the Fly Guy at the CSIRO tent.

Don't forget to tune in Saturday morning as we bring you everything day four of the festival has to offer!
A major Liberal party benefactor will continue to withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cash-strapped party, with Michael Kroger set to remain president of the Victorian branch of the party.

On April Fools' Day the party holds its state conference, where Mr Kroger is set to be re-elected after challenger Peter Reith withdrew after suffering a stroke. He remains in hospital but is making progress in his recovery.

Liberal Party state president Michael Kroger. Credit:Justin McManus

Mr Reith's pitch to members had to been to clean up the party's finances and bring major benefactor the Cormack Foundation back to the fold.

Mr Kroger and the foundation have been locked in a stand-off over the financial governance in the wake of the embezzlement of $1.5 million by former party director Damian Mantach.
The grandparents of a nine-year-old boy who survived an alleged attempted drowning by his mother in the Murray River are spending each day by his hospital bed as the child struggles with the aftermath of the tragedy.

The young boy has undergone plastic and reconstructive surgery on his limbs, after being mauled by a pit bull during the ordeal at the river earlier this month.

The family's lawyer also said the child is suffering post traumatic stress disorder and has not been eating.

His grandparents, who had been raising the boy and his five-year-old brother, are still by his side every day at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital. The boy's father, from Queensland, is also understood to be in Melbourne to support him.
Is this the helicopter parent's fantasy?

Parents are receiving daily updates on their children's progress in class, as dozens of Australian primary schools adopt new technology aiming to make classrooms more transparent.

Lana, Layaan and Ali from Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School are using an app called Seesaw, which allows them to update parents on their progress in class. Credit:Jason South

Students and teachers send test results, photos of class work and footage of students' presentations, via an app called Seesaw.

Parents receive email notifications when their child has uploaded new content, and can offer feedback to teachers.
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, Mar 24 (PTI) The death toll from the terror attack on the UK Parliament claimed by Islamic State has risen to five as Scotland Yard confirmed that a fourth victim has died of injuries in an hospital.

A spokesperson for Kings College Hospital in south Londonconfirmed that the 75-year-old man had been treated there prior to his death.

advertisement

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: "Detectives investigating the terrorist attack in Westminster on Wednesday, March 22 can confirm that the man died tonight, Thursday, March 23.

"The man had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening. Next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained family liaison officers," the spokesperson said.

The man has not yet been named.

Two people - American Kurt Cochran and Spaniard Aysha Frade - were also killed and about 40 others were injured when the 52-year-old attacker, identified as Khalid Masood, mowed down pedestrians on a bridge and stabbed to death a police officer outside parliament complex in the heart of Westminster before being shot dead by Scotland Yard.

Masood, who was born in Kent and had previously been convicted of violent offences, had been known to MI5 but was considered to be a peripheral figure. He was known by a number of aliases and had been living in the West Midlands recently.

Prime Minister Theresa May had said the attacker was British born and he was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism few years ago.

The ISIS on its propaganda news agency Amaq had claimed responsibility, saying a "Soldier of the Caliphate" carried out the attack on the British Parliament.

"The operation was carried out in response to calls to target coalition countries," it said in a statement.

Eight people have been arrested during raids across London and Birmingham following the attack on the Palace of Westminster in London, which houses Britains Parliament and the iconic Big Ben.

In a message to the police, British Queen Elizabeth II said, "My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by the awful violence."

Among 40 injured, 29 were admitted to hospital including 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks. PTI AK AJR

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
"It's not really normal, I don't know why, but it's been happening a lot."

Those were the words of Performance Towing director Darryl Maxfield after his company recovered a fourth vehicle from Perth waters in less than two months on Wednesday afternoon.

The incident occurred on a vacant block at Halls Head canals when a ute slid down a slope and into the drink.

"He had just parked the car and it actually hit him and pushed him into the water himself...he's a very lucky man," Mr Maxfield said.
President Donald Trump faces not having the numbers for his healthcare overhaul. Credit:AP "Doing big things is hard," Ryan added, noting that he got close but failed to muster the 216 votes needed to pass it. "Obamacare is the law of land," Ryan told reporters. "It will remain the law of the land until it is replaced. We didn't have the votes to replace this law." US House Speaker Paul Ryan walks to a Republican conference meeting at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Credit:Bloomberg Ryan said he did not know what the next steps would be on healthcare, but called Obamacare so flawed that it would be hard to prop up.

Trump told the Washington Post the healthcare bill would not be coming up again in the near future and that he wanted to see if Democrats who uniformly objected to the Republican plan would come to him to work on healthcare legislation, a Washington Post reporter said on MSNBC. Paul Ryan leaves the White House after telling Trump he didn't have the numbers. Credit:AP Without the bill's passage in Congress, Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement, the 2010 Affordable Care Act - known as Obamacare - would remain in place despite seven years of Republican promises to dismantle it. Repealing and replacing Obamacare was a top campaign promise by Trump in the 2016 presidential election, as well as by most Republican candidates, "from dog-catcher on up," as White House spokesman Sean Spicer put it during a briefing on Friday. Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz called the called the bill "an immoral piece of legislation". Credit:Bloomberg

The House failure to pass the measure called into question Trump's ability to get other key parts of his agenda, including tax cuts and a boost in infrastructure spending, through a Congress controlled by his own party. News that the bill had been pulled before a final vote was greeted initially with a small sigh of relief by US equity investors, who earlier in the week had been fretful that an outright defeat would damage Trump's other priorities, such as tax cuts and infrastructure spending. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called it a "lose-lose" situation for America. Credit:AP "There's nobody that objectively can look at this effort and say the president didn't do every single thing he possibly could with this team to get every vote possible," Spicer told reporters before the legislation was pulled. Trump already has been stymied by federal courts that blocked his executive actions barring entry into the United States of people from several Muslim-majority nations. Some Republicans worry a defeat on the healthcare legislation could cripple his presidency just two months after the wealthy New York real estate mogul took office.

In a blow to the bill's prospects, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen announced his opposition, expressing concern about reductions in coverage under the Medicaid insurance program for the poor and the retraction of "essential" health benefits that insurers must cover. "We need to get this right for all Americans," Frelinghuysen said. Forehead tattoo After the vote, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said "Today is a great day for our country ... It's a victory for the American people." Earlier Pelosi, who was instrumental in the passage of Obamacare as House majority leader said, "What's happening today is a lose-lose situation for the Republicans. It's a lose-lose for the American people, that's for sure. But the people who vote for this will have this vote tattooed to their foreheads as they go forward."

Failure of the measure would call into question Trump's ability to get other key parts of his agenda, including tax cuts and a boost in infrastructure spending, through a Congress controlled by his own party. "If it doesn't pass, this issue is dead," Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, a bill supporter, said of Republican healthcare legislation. "This is the one shot." Even if the legislation passes in the House, it faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Republicans have expressed misgivings. Healthcare was the first major test of how Trump, a real estate magnate who touted his deal-making prowess in the 2016 presidential campaign, would work with Congress. Days of negotiations led to some changes in the bill but failed to produce a consensus deal. US stocks were mixed on Friday in early afternoon trading, having pared earlier gains, while US treasuries were mostly higher.

Leading Republicans had taken to the House floor to make their case to pass the bill and implored conservatives to seize the opportunity to make good on the party's long promise to get rid of Obamacare. Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a breast cancer survivor, called the bill "an immoral piece of legislation" that would gut medical coverage and patient protections. A Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday found 56 per cent of US voters opposed the House bill, with only 17 per cent supporting it. Quinnipiac said its poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Replacing Obama's signature health care plan was a key campaign pledge for Trump and Republicans, who view it as overly intrusive and expensive.

Obamacare boosted the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. About 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said under the Republican legislation 14 million people would lose medical coverage by next year and more than 24 million would be uninsured in 2026. The House plan would rescind a range of taxes created by Obamacare, end a penalty on people who refuse to obtain health insurance, end Obamacare's income-based subsidies to help people buy insurance while creating less-generous age-based tax credits It also would end Obamacare's expansion of the Medicaid state-federal insurance program for the poor, cut future federal Medicaid funding and let states impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients. House leaders agreed to a series of last-minute changes to try to win over disgruntled conservatives, including ending the Obamacare requirement that insurers cover certain "essential benefits" such as maternity care, mental health services and prescription drug coverage.
Moscow: President Vladimir Putin met French far-right party leader Marine Le Pen in the Kremlin on Friday as the French establishment was consumed by a new scandal engulfing the presidential election campaign.

As Ms Le Pen promised Mr Putin she'll oppose European Union sanctions against Russia if she becomes France's next leader, the Gaullist candidate Francois Fillon accused Socialist President Francois Hollande of manipulating the country's courts in a covert operation to destroy his candidacy.

Mr Putin told Ms Le Pen she represented "quite a fast-growing element of European political forces."

"Of course I know that the election campaign in France is actively developing," said Mr Putin. "We do not want to influence events in any way, but we reserve the right to talk to representatives of all the country's political forces."
KBB March 2017 Auto Sales Prediction







IRVINE, Calif., March 24, 2017 --New-vehicle sales are expected to increase 3 percent year-over-year to a total of 1.63 million units in March 2017, resulting in an estimated 17.4 million seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), according to Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. At 1.63 million units this month, the first quarter total comes in at 4.1 million units, up 0.3 percent year-over-year. This would be the second highest first quarter on record, surpassed only by Q1 of 2000. This also would be the highest March sales total since 2000, when sales hit 1.66 million total units.

"Kelley Blue Book expects manufacturers to report mostly positive sales numbers this month, capping a steady first quarter with an average SAAR of 17.4 million," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "Despite considerably higher discounts and incentives, first quarter sales totals will likely only finish flat versus last year, a signal of weakening consumer demand for new vehicles. As sales cool after years of robust growth, adjusting production accordingly and managing supply, especially in car segments, should be top priorities for automakers."

After a record year of sales in 2016 and seven consecutive year-over-year sales increases, Kelley Blue Book's forecast for 2017 calls for sales in the range of 16.8 million to 17.3 million units, this represents a 1 to 4 percent decrease from last year.

Key Highlights for Estimated March 2017 Sales Forecast:

In March, new light-vehicle sales, including fleet, are expected to hit 1,630,000 units, up 3 percent compared to March 2016 and up 23 percent from February 2017 .

and up 23 percent from . The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for March 2017 is estimated to be 17.4 million, up from 16.6 million in March 2016 and down from 17.5 million in February 2017 .

is estimated to be 17.4 million, up from 16.6 million in and down from 17.5 million in . Retail sales are expected to account for 77.9 percent of volume in March 2017 , up from 76.8 percent in March 2016 .

General Motors Expected to Gain Most Market Share; Ford to Post Greatest Declines in March 2017

General Motors is expected to gain the most market share in March 2017, up nearly a full percentage point. In particular, the automaker's SUV lineup could grow sales by 25 percent, with increases led by three all-new models introduced last year, including the Chevrolet Equinox, Buick Envision and GMC Acadia. GM trucks, especially the Silverado, could have a strong month as well, growing 10 percent with heavier incentives likely playing a role.

Ford Motor Company could post the greatest sales declines of all major manufacturers; although, a large drop in fleet volume is responsible, while retail sales should be flat or slightly up. As a result, Fusion and Focus could report declines of more than 20 percent in March 2017. Similarly, Transit and other Ford vans, which are popular in commercial fleets, could fall 20 percent.



Sales Volume 1 Market Share 2 Manufacturer Mar-17 Mar-16 YOY % Mar-17 Mar-16 YOY % General Motors (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) 275,000 252,128 9.1% 16.9% 16.0% 0.9% Ford Motor Company (Ford, Lincoln) 234,000 253,064 -7.5% 14.4% 16.0% -1.7% Toyota Motor Company (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) 218,000 219,842 -0.8% 13.4% 13.9% -0.6% Fiat Chrysler (Chrysler, Dodge, FIAT, Jeep, RAM) 205,000 199,467 2.8% 12.6% 12.6% -0.1% American Honda (Acura, Honda) 146,000 138,221 5.6% 9.0% 8.8% 0.2% Nissan North America (Infiniti, Nissan) 171,000 163,559 4.5% 10.5% 10.4% 0.1% Hyundai-Kia 130,000 133,589 -2.7% 8.0% 8.5% -0.5% Volkswagen Group (Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche) 55,500 49,629 11.8% 3.4% 3.1% 0.3% Subaru of America 54,000 49,285 9.6% 3.3% 3.1% 0.2% Total 3 1,630,000 1,577,491 3.3% - - - 1 Historical data from OEM sales announcements











2 Kelley Blue Book Automotive Insights











3 Includes brands not shown













Significant Shift from Cars to SUVs Shows No Sign of Slowing; Mid-Size Cars in Rapid Decline

The significant shift from cars into SUVs shows no sign of slowing, with double-digit growth projected for the popular compact and mid-size SUV/crossover segments. This month, analysts expect an overall light truck mix of 63 percent, up from 58 percent last March.

"Mid-size cars continue to suffer as a result of shifting consumer preference toward utility vehicles, and Kelley Blue Book anticipates the segment will lose nearly 3 percentage points of market share," said Fleming. "This segment, which was the top-selling category in the industry as recently as 2013, is in a rapid decline, which does not bode well for the upcoming redesigns for the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, due later this year."



Sales Volume 1 Market Share Segment Mar-17 Mar-16 YOY % Mar-17 Mar-16 YOY % Mid-Size Car 180,000 215,688 -16.5% 11.0% 13.7% -2.6% Compact Car 192,000 204,040 -5.9% 11.8% 12.9% -1.2% Compact SUV/Crossover 279,000 242,604 15.0% 17.1% 15.4% 1.7% Full-Size Pickup Truck 216,000 198,321 8.9% 13.3% 12.6% 0.7% Mid-Size SUV/Crossover 203,000 173,569 17.0% 12.5% 11.0% 1.5% Total 2 1,630,000 1,577,491 3.3% - - - 1 Kelley Blue Book Automotive Insights











2 Includes segments not shown













There are 27 sales days in both March 2017 and March 2016. All percentages are based on raw volume, not daily selling rate.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Commercial vehicles will now have to pay a fee of Rs 150 every time they enter the arrival area of the Delhi airports domestic terminal.

The move by the airport operator is to curb overcrowding of vehicles as well as to tackle the menace of touts. The entry fee of Rs 150 has been introduced from Wednesday for all commercial vehicles entering the forecourt area of the domestic terminal (T1), GMR said in a release today. A GMR-led consortium is running the Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd -- the operator of the aerodrome in the national capital. "DIAL has been witnessing severe congestion at the arrival area of Terminal 1 due to unauthorised parking and long waiting time by commercial vehicles," the release said. The charge is not a parking charge but deterrence for unauthorised parking. Such practice is prevalent in many airports across India and globally, it added. It would be applicable for commercial vehicles entering the arrival forecourt area of the Terminal 1 (T1 C) of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport. DIAL has proposed to regulate and decongest the forecourt area to prevent unauthorised parking for long periods which is causing inconvenience to passengers and users at large, the release said. Apart from the entry fee, commercial taxis would be towed away or have their tyres clamped if they exceed the time limit of eight minutes allowed at the terminal. Commercial vehicles are charged at several airports including Terminal 3 of the Delhi airport and the exercise has resulted in significant reduction in touting and congestions at the airport arrival forecourt areas, the release said. PTI RAM MKJ

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
She met with an accident, sought help from three city hospitals, but in vain. Following this when her condition deteriorated, senior doctors from Lok Nayak hospital had to amputate her leg.

By Priyanka Sharma: Hospitals in the national Capital on Thursday saw deserted corridors, vacant lounges and empty chambers as doctors continued with their strike against assault on their colleagues in Mumbai.

AIIMS had doctors who carried on with their protest by wearing helmets at work for the second day. However, when the camera panned towards patients on the same day, pictures were horrible.

advertisement

Mentally unstable Chandru Devi, 60, hardly wants to see or talk to anyone since Thursday, when her left leg got amputated. She met with an accident, sought help from three city hospitals, but in vain. Following this when her condition deteriorated, senior doctors from Lok Nayak hospital had to amputate her leg.

"Had she (Chandru) been provided the initial treatment at Delhi government's Ambedkar Hospital on her first visit, she might not have been amputated," Chandru's grandson, Deepak regretted.

WHAT HAPPENED

He informed that the agitating doctors referred her to Deen Dayal Hospital, which in turn sent her to Lok Nayak. "She was bleeding and not a single doctor did the first aid. We were helpless," narrated Deepak. "A senior doctor at Lok Nayak Hospital operated her only after her condition got critical. But sadly she lost her leg as it was too late for the surgery and infection had spread widely by then," he said.

Chandru Devi is the only one to suffer. Gaurav Kumar, Ram Krishn were among the ones who were running from pillar to post. The harrowing picture was same at all 41 city hospitals - that includes RML, Safradjung, Lady Hardinge, Ambedkar, DDU - where doctors were not at work.

Dr Pankaj Solanki, President, FORDA, told Mail Today, "About 40,000 resident doctors of atleast 41 hospitals are on mass leave from 9am to 4pm. Only emergency services are undisturbed." Dr Rakesh Kumar Gupta, president of Delhi Medical Association told said, "Indoor patients and emergency services at hospitals will not be affected. Assault on doctors are increasing everyday and government should take necessary measures our safety."

It may be noted that the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has around 2.7 lakh members across the country, has extended support to the strike, while the doctors associated with (DMA) have called for an Out Patient Department (OPD) bandh on Friday.

However, unfazed by the Maharashtra government's warning of suspension and cutting their pay, around 4,000 resident doctors abstained from work for the fourth day on Thursday, demanding enhanced security. The Bombay High Court stepped in to end the stir and directed the resident doctors to resume work immediately even as chief minister Devendra mooted a panel to resolve security issues in state-run hospitals.

advertisement

Also read: Delhi: Over 40,000 doctors to go on mass leave in protest against assault on Sion Hospital doctor

Also read: AIIMS Delhi doctors wear helmets to work in support to their counterparts in Maharashtra

Also read: Mumbai: Resident doctors on mass leave after patient's relatives attack Sion Hospital physician

ALSO WATCH | Delhi: AIIMS doctors support Maharashtra protesting doctors; wear helmets to work

--- ENDS ---
Honoring the helpers Awards recognize those who support autism community

Thirteen community members and providers were recognized for their resilience, passion and heart at the 2022 Awesome in Autism Awards ceremony. The 14th annual event, hosted by Autism Society Ventura County, was held Oct. 20 at Wood Ranch Golf Club...

Go purple to support those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer November is the busiest month of the year for cancer awareness campaigns. Im going to focus on one of thempancreatic cancer because its a type weve seen a noticeable rise in over the last few years. And because it remains...

Hospital offers safe option to dispose of meds, narcotics Los Robles Health System is working to crush the opioid drug crisis by raising awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications. Crush the Crisis will take place...

Alzheimers Foundation to host free conference The Alzheimers Foundation of America will host a free virtual educational conference from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tues., Nov. 15. The event is part of the foundations 2022 national Educating America Tour. The conference, which is free and open...
By Priyanka Sharma: Leading private hospitals in the Capital witnessed a 20 to 30 per cent increase in OPD and emergency patients on Thursday, apparently due to the doctors 'strike' in government hospitals.

The medical staff at most private hospitals also expressed their solidarity for the agitation, with Sir Ganga Ram hospital deciding to partially suspend its operations on Friday in support of doctors' demand for safety at workplace.

advertisement

"Our hospital expresses solidarity with concerns of IMA and DMA regarding safety of doctors. General and private OPDs of our hospital will not function on Friday. However, the in-patient as well as emergency services will function normally," Dr D S Rana, chairman of the management board at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told Mail Today.

Fortis Hospitals and Apollo Hospitals too extended their support to the movement. However, there was ambiguity over whether their doctors will take part in the strike. Several doctors at these private hospitals, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that there were internal calls to join the protest but the opinion was divided on the issue.

DOCTORS STAND FOR SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

To clear their stand and scotch such rumours, Fortis Hospital management in an official communiqu said, "Our doctors continuously strive to save and enrich lives. We strongly condemn the act of violence against doctors any other hospital staff. Safe and secure work environment is the basic requirement for caregivers to provide best possible medical care to patients. We at Fortis Healthcare are firmly committed to our patients, and our medical services remain unhampered,"

On Thursday, nearly 40,000 city doctors including ones from Delhi and central-government hospitals were on a mass causal leave throwing OPD services out of gear from 9am to 4pm. More than 2,000 planned surgeries were postponed due to the agitation. The protest was sparked by an incident last week when relatives of a deceased patient beat up a resident doctor at Mumbai's Sion Hospital. Nearly 4,000 resident doctors across Maharashtra have gone on mass leave in protest of the incident.

"The incident at Maharashtra is so grim that instead of providing security to resident doctors at their workplace, the state government is threatening them. Our fellow doctors were beaten up and the government is reluctant. All we want is just a safe environment at workplace," Dr Vijay Gurjar, president of Resident Doctors' Association of AIIMS told Mail Today.

Also read: Mumbai: Resident doctors on mass leave after patient's relatives attack Sion Hospital physician

Also read: How Delhi doctors' mass leave for a day cost this 60-year-old her leg

Also read: Maharashtra medical crisis: Doctors call off strike, Bombay High Court to monitor hospitals every 15 days

--- ENDS ---
In the meantime, Gaikwad also submitted a complaint against Air India before Delhi Police alleging that he was pushed and yelled upon.

By India Today Web Desk: Delhi Police today registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who had assaulted an Air India staffer at the Delhi Airport on Thursday.

Delhi crime branch will probe the case. The FIR was filed at Airport police station.

Charges under Section 355 of the Indian Penal Code (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person) and under Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) have been slapped against the Lok Sabha MP.

advertisement

He had thrashed 61-year-old Sukumar Raman of AISATS, Air India's ground handling firm, with his slipper 25 times at the Delhi's IGI airport after landing from Pune.

COUNTER ALLEGATIONS

In the meantime, Gaikwad also submitted a complaint against Air India before Delhi Police making a counter allegation that he was pushed and yelled upon.

The MP said he was made to travel by Air India on economy class even as he had a business class ticket. The airline on the other hand has said the flight was an all-economy one and had no business class seats.

Giakwad may have to travel by train or bus now as the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) has refused to seek an apology from the Osmanabad MP. The FIA said that it is not seeking any apology from Gaikwad as it would then mean allowing him to fly again.

Also read:

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad may now have to travel by train or bus as airlines ban him

Shiv Sena MP not the first unruly passenger, India needs an unfit-to-fly list, now

Also watch:

SlipperSena Row: Should Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad be put behind bars?

--- ENDS ---
March 17-23, 2017

We had a late run of tiaras this week, so youve got plenty of choices! Dont forget to vote in the poll below! (Note: The jewels from the funeral of Prince Richard are not being ranked this week, but there were some lovely pieces worn; you can see them here.)

PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/AFP/Getty Images

10. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands wore diamonds and sapphires on Wednesday for the opening of an exhibit dedicated to her always-amazing cake hats at the Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn.





VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images

9. Princess Charlene of Monaco sparkled in classic diamond stud earrings at the Louis II Stadium on Saturday morning. ( More photos over here!

Tim Rooke-Pool/Getty Images

8. The Duchess of Cambridge debuted a new necklace and earring set from the Cartier Trinity line in Paris on Saturday. ( Close-ups over here!

Ian Vogler  Pool/Getty Images

7. On Friday, Kate wore new pieces that coordinate with her existing faux pearl and crystal jewels from Balenciaga for a reception in Paris. ( Close-ups here!

DIDIER LEBRUN/AFP/Getty Images

6. Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore her diamond and pearl drop earrings on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of last years terror attack in Brussels.

VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images

5. At Saturdays Rose Ball in Monaco, Princess Caroline wore a glittering pair of diamond floral earrings  among other jewels  with her Lagerfeld ensemble. ( More images over here!

VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images

4. A sparkling bracelet and diamond earrings were stars of Beatrice Borromeos Rose Ball ensemble. ( See all the Rose Ball jewels over here!

ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images

3. The Duchess of Cambridge was stunning in diamonds borrowed from the Queen at Friday nights dinner at the British Embassy in Paris. ( Close-ups over here!

2. This weeks state visit from Iceland to Norway yielded tiaras on Tuesday: Queen Mauds Pearl Tiara (2.0) on Queen Sonja, the Diamond Daisy Bandeau on Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and the Diamond Wing Aigrette on Princess Astrid. ( More over here!

Its the Connaught,the Laurel wreath & the Cut steel bandeau for the Bernadotte ladies tonight Photo:Stella pictures pic.twitter.com/Rd038bNRg7  JR (@JakobRegner) March 23, 2017

1. And the Swedes ended the week on Thursday evening with a tiara-shaped bang at the Diplomatic Reception. Queen Silvia wore the Connaught Diamond Tiara; Crown Princess Victoria wore the Boucheron Laurel Wreath Tiara with the Bernadotte Emeralds; and Princess Sofia (who just announced shes expecting again!) wore the smaller Cut Steel Tiara.
Amber Heard just announced that she is coming out on social media. This is a strange proclamation on multiple counts: first, theres the audience, a group of a hundred or so serious-looking men and women in western business attire, nary an Instagram influencer in sight. Then theres the fact that Amber Heard already came out of the closet, way back in 2010. Or, to hear Heard tell it, I was never in.

Heard and her well-heeled audience are here for The Economists annual Pride & Prejudice conference. Attendees looking to advance the global discussion on why LGBT-inclusion is good for business may or may not have been expecting a tabloid lightning rod like Amber Heard to make an appearance. But, ready or not, come Thursday afternoon, Heard was preaching her message of LGBTQ activism and Hollywood heteronormativity to a rapt audience.

As a woman who has dated men and women, Heard stands in welcome contrast to performative celebrity allies who often appear to be milking queer issuesand haircutsfor attention and accolades. And, for the record, Amber Heard was always queer. But for a long time, It was just not important or interesting enough to make headlines. The same goes for advocacy work. Acording to the actress, I was always out, I was an activist, I went to protests. Its just that, since her high-profile split from actor Johnny Depp, Heards every action, relationship, and outfit has been imbued with a newfound significance.

At a personal crossroads, Amber Heard chose to harness the toxic energy of her A-list divorce into charitable giving and crucial advocacy work. Its a road less traveled by, and one that Johnny Depp, Heards ex, seems deeply uninterested in. Ever since Heard dissolved her marriage, accusing Depp of physically assaulting and emotionally abusing her, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor has been on something of a bad reputation bender. The divorce went down in the spring of 2016, in a series of he-said she-said headlines. The ante was officially upped when pictures of Heards bruised face hit the internet, alleged evidence of one of Depps violent attacks. Meanwhile, Depps Hollywood friends, associates, and reporters over at TMZ were quick to drag Heard through the mud, citing her bisexuality and perceived duplicity as evidence of a false report.

While Heards allegations didnt destroy Depps careerhe can do that all by himselfthey sure helped. It also helped that Depp stands accused of reckless spending (I believe the technical term is financial shit show and starring in one spectacularly ill-timed Dior cologne campaign. Johnny Depp clearly knows that hes in the proverbial doghouse of public opinion; after all, hes been notably absent the past few months, save for a Peoples Choice Awards appearance where he thanked his fans for standing by him through whatever good times or bad.

While Depps career is struggling under the weight of all those chickens come to roost, Amber Heard has rebranded herself as an all-purpose advocate. Immediately following the divorce proceedings, Heard announced plans to donate her $6.8 million settlement to charity, to be split between the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union, with a particular focus to stop violence against women. In addition to her work at the Childrens Hospital, where Heard has volunteered for many years, The Magic Mike XXL actress has recently expanded the scope of her advocacy.

Last November, Heard starred in a PSA with GirlGaze, taking on the negative stigma associated with speaking out about domestic abuse/intimate partner violence. The project, which was released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Towards Women, found the 30-year-old star asking, How is this happening to me? Im strong, smart, Im not a victim. She continued, It happens to so many women you know. When it happens in your home behind closed doors with someone you love, its not straightforward. If a stranger did this it would be a no-brainer.

While Heard didnt discuss her ex at Thursdays appearance, she seemed down to talk candidly about any other topic. On her queerness, and why she came out in a 2010 interview: Even though everyone around me strongly advised me against it, I just, it was just wrong. I would rather go down for being who I am than to have risen for being something Im not. I was in a relationship and I just never hid it.an outlet specifically asked me who I was there with that night and what that person was to me, and I just answered honestly.

On her allergy to labels: I never have seen myself as defined by the person Im with, the same way youre not defined by the hair color of your partnerI never saw myself defined as one particular thing or notI watched as I quickly became not actress Amber Heard, but out lesbian Amber Heard. And on the inevitable backlash that comes from living as an out queer woman in the public eye: my poor publicist.

Heard may have always been out, but shes never been this outspoken: particularly when it comes to challenging the status quo, and calling out the Hollywood heavy-hitters who perpetuate that stasis. I have a lot of lesbian and gay friends that are very well-known working actors and the status quo is just that you answer my private life is my private life, and its used as this kind of, not a euphemism, but its a nice way to dodge it, she explains. And I didnt see any worth in that, because while that is true, while my private life is valuable to me, I knew that being in Hollywood I had a particular responsibility, the burden was on me in a different way than if I had a different kind of job that had less public attention around it. And I saw myself as being in this unique position, and as with any unique gift, it comes with a unique responsibility.

Its important to note that queer Hollywood in 2010 was very different than it is nowback when R Patz was still with K Stew, before Evan Rachel Wood starred on Westworld or Cara Delevingne ruled the modeling universe. Heard is eager to applaud how much things have changed so quickly, recalling, In 2010 I was taking meetings with people, at that time my career was taking off in a different way and I was not just acting, I was being cast and leading movies as the romantic lead, and everybody around me said as a romantic lead, as a leading lady, theres a certain amount of wish-fulfillment you need to fulfill, you need to be able to sell, and how is anybody gonna invest in you romantically if they think youre unavailable? and I rolled my eyes at that and I said watch me do it, and I did. Still, she adds, It was not easyI was the only one working in this way, so it was definitely difficult because nobody had done it. But I stand here now in 2017 amongst many of my working romantic leading lady peers who are out, and living completely fluid, out lives, which is even more difficult I think than being a part of one particular label or not, and Im one of many now.

While we all know and love the group of celesbians Heard is referring to, this changing queer landscape begs an obvious question: where are all the A-list queer dudes at? Heard doesnt really have an answer for why. Off the top of my head, all the examples that are challenging this if you dont conform to this heteronormal standard, you wont work again status quo are women. She notes, with just a hint of sarcasm, that its apparently harder for men. Still, If women can do it and we can change the way that this conversation is had on a large scale, then men should be able to do it with as much or more efficacy. With all of the power and authority and representationI mean, women are so severely underrepresented in film as it is, and thats just white women, Im not even speaking of other minority groupsif white men cant change this, then I dont know who can.

I think, she adds, If every gay man that I know personally came out in Hollywood tomorrow...well have a day of it, national you know who you are dayif all of the gay men I knew personally came out tomorrow, then this would be a nonissue in a month.

As a queer woman, Heard seems perplexed by the outdated content that Hollywood studios are pushing out. She laughs at the moderators characterization of Hollywood as a bastion of liberal values, responding, Hollywood itself is filled with individuals who are very liberal and progressive and left-leaning, but on a macro level, Hollywood is the opposite. We like to think of it as providing a reflection of real life, art imitates life, and we like to think that we're making movies that reflect our reality. The truth is, Hollywood needs to change very quickly if it's going to still be relevant at all, because it has a lot of catching up to do just to mainstream society. She cites a number of statistics on population diversity as well as increasingly progressive attitudes towards LGBTQ issues, arguing that Hollywood is simply stuck in the past.

Its filled with people who are allergic to taking risks and putting themselves out there, so what you see is a very formulaic approach, Well this works because everyone loves the guy saves the world, kisses the girl, and lived happily ever after, and it follows not just a very typical heteronormal pattern, but its also tilted towards white men. Lets just say diversity is not Hollywoods strong suit, she jokes. Its not the audience, it's not the actors or participants, the infrastructure has to changeThe old Hollywood system is clinging on to the formula that they think has tested well and has worked, and theyd rather make that same movie over and over again then take risks in actually representing the world around them, and I think its up to us to change that.

So what can we expect next from Amber Heard, actress turned tabloid fixture turned (or always was) queer activist? Amber Heard has a few things to say about that, too: I plan to use every bit of my personal experience, my years in this business, my power, my drive, and all of the accumulative nos Ive gotten and use that to continue to change the status quo and challenge what is expected of me and the projects that we make. And theres such a deficit of our stories being told, theres so much to do, and I absolutely intend on doing that.

Clearly, its going to take a lot more than an army of Johnny Depp lackeys and a confidentiality agreement to shut Amber Heard up.
The Government Services Administration released a letter on Thursday saying that the agency sees no issue with its decision to lease the historic Old Post Office Building to be used as President Donald Trumps hotel in Washington D.C., despite a stipulation in the lease that has been interpreted to prohibit any elected official from benefiting from the deal.

In the letter, addressed to Eric Trump, one of the presidents sons who is now overseeing the hotel, GSA contracting officer Kevin Terry argues that because the president had resigned from a formal position with the company and was no longer receiving proceeds from the hotel while in office, the lease was good to go. He cites the fact that the Trump Organization agreed not to send earnings from the hotel to the presidents trust until he leaves office.

In other words, during his term in office, the president will not receive any distributions from the trust that would have been generated from the hotel, Terry wrote. (It should be noted that Terry himself helped negotiate the deal in the first place).

While Trump will not receive direct financial benefits from the hotel during his tenure in office, the fact that the lease is still under his companys name has drawn the ire of ethics experts and Democrats on Capitol Hill. The announcement permits Trumps company (which he still owns) to benefit from a deal overseen by the federal government, which he runs.

Not only is the conclusion unexpected and unpersuasive, as a matter of law, but, as a matter of policy, it is harmful to the integrityand thus credibilityof GSA, the Presidency, and federal procurement process, George Washington University Professor of Government Procurement Law Steven L. Schooner told The Daily Beast.

Schooner had pointed out prior to Trump taking office that the lease agreement signed in 2013 with the GSA stipulates that no elected official can be part of the lease. Trump is currently the highest ranked elected official in the country.

It is deeply troubling that the contracting officers letter makes no reference to the underlying conflicts of interest, which, of course, undercuts any suggestion that he (the contracting officer) engaged in independent analysis, Schooner continued. The COs decision favors the President, who, in effect, is his supervisor, just as it favors the GSA (in terms of maintaining the status quo); but it also pleases his (the COs) ultimate supervisorthe head of the agencywho serves at the Presidents pleasure.

Moreover, there are significant transparency concerns, particularly to the extent that the letter and its conclusions are inconsistent with prior GSA communications reported by members of the U.S. Congress, Schooner concluded.

Schooner is referring to the fact that in December of 2016, House Oversight and Government Affairs Democrats including Reps. Elijah Cummings, Peter DeFazio, Gerald Connolly, and Andre Carson released a letter stating that The Deputy Commissioner informed our staff that GSA assesses that Mr. Trump will be in breach of the lease agreement the moment he takes office on January 20, 2017, unless he fully divests himself of all financial interests in the lease for the Washington D.C. hotel.

At the time, they were excited by the prospect that the agency was taking their criticisms of the lease seriously. But the GSA told The Daily Beast on the same day that the House Democrats representation of the situation was not the same as their own.

GSA does not have a position that the lease provision requires the President-elect to divest of his financial interests, a spokesperson for the agency wrote in an email. We can make no definitive statement at this time about what would constitute a breach of the agreement, and to do so now would be premature. In fact, no determination regarding the Old Post Office can be completed until the full circumstances surrounding the President-elects business arrangements have been finalized and he has assumed office. GSA is committed to responsibly administering all of the leases to which it is a party.

Fast forward more than three months later and the Democrats are at a loss as to why, in their minds, there was a sudden shift in opinion.

GSA changed the position it held before President Trump took office, Cummings and DeFazio said in a joint statement to The Daily Beast on Thursday. This new interpretation renders this lease provision completely meaninglessany elected official can now defy the restriction by following this blueprint. The letter provides a completely inadequate explanation for its decision and instead footnotes news articles and recites the complex structure of trusts and limited liability corporations through which President Trump and his family own the hotel. This decision allows profits to be reinvested back into the hotel so Donald Trump can reap the financial benefits when he leaves the White House. This is exactly what the lease provision was supposed to prevent.

Terry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast explaining what led to the agencys letter on Thursday.

But Schooner had his own reasoning for it.

Spine-ectomy, he told The Daily Beast.
It is suspected that the fire was due to a short-circuit in the wiring system below the steering wheel.

By Ajay Kumar: Two sisters, aged two and three, sustained serious burn injuries on Thursday when the car they were playing in burst into flames in west Delhi's Sultanpuri area.

According to police, Deepanshi and Lakshita were playing in the Swift, which was parked inside their house around 9:30am when it caught fire. The fire was accidental and no foul play is suspected. The incident happened when their grandmother, Hanuman Singh, was inside the house while their parents were away, said a senior police officer. It is suspected that the fire was due to a short-circuit in the wiring system below the steering wheel, said the officer, adding that forensic teams are examining the vehicle.

advertisement

The grandmother ran to the car on hearing the cries of help. With the help of neighbours and other family members, they doused the flames. The girls were rushed to a private Hospital. Deepanshi suffered 50 per cent burns and is out of danger, but Lakshita suffered 70 per cent burn injuries and is critical, said doctors.

Also read: Rajasthan: Forest department files FIR after angry mob set leopard on fire in Sariska

Also read: MS Dhoni, Jharkhand teammates rescued from fire at Delhi's 5-star hotel

--- ENDS ---
Seth Meyers spent more than 10 minutes ridiculing President Donald Trump and the Republican Party for their doomed bid to replace the Affordable Care Act with something terrific, taping his show just as the House leadership decided to postpone its vote on the bill to Friday.

House Republicans were forced to delay a vote on their health-care bill today after acknowledging they didnt have the votes to pass it, the Late Night host said Thursday, highlighting the presidents decision to spend part of his day playing trucker. In fairness, he had just seen this bumper sticker, Meyers said, showing a message on the screen that read, Honk if youre tragically unqualified.

As troubling as the revelations about the Trump campaigns possible ties to Russia are, Meyers said, what the Republicans have been doing with health care may be just as outrageous and will certainly affect more Americans. After years of criticizing Democrats for rushing Obamacare through Congress, he said Republicans have been literally rewriting their bill behind closed doors, with no public input.

In order to appease hard-line conservatives, House Republicans have agreed to strip away the essential health benefits that Obamacare forced insurance companies to include. Thats right, Republicans think your insurance plan shouldnt be required to cover hospitals, Meyers said. But dont worry, every American gets one free ride on the cart that picks up your dead.

Republicans just dont seem to understand how this works, the host continued, suggesting that they are going to need prostate cancer screenings because they clearly pulled this bill out of their asses.

So, Republicans are radically reshaping one-fifth of the economy in a matter of hours, behind closed doors, with no public input, Meyers said. That is insane, cruel, and reckless, he added, before playing clips of GOP lawmakers accusing Democrats of doing just that with Obamacare.

Now that weve proven ourselves to be craven hypocrites, hell-bent on kicking millions of people off insurance, can you believe a word we say? Meyers asked. Hell no you cant, former House Speaker John Boehner replied.
On Thursday afternoon at the Whitney Museum, the artist Robert Goldman was standing near Dana Schutzs controversial Open Casket painting at this years Biennial exhibition, hoping to engage with protesters who had called for its removal and destruction.

I wouldnt have made the painting, Goldman, a white artist also known as Bobby G, told The Daily Beast, but its not for me to judge her. I also think it would be wrong to take the painting down.

Earlier on Thursday, Schutz appeared to heed demands that Open Casket be censored. The Daily Beast and other media outlets received a letter from Schutzs personal gmail account asking the exhibitions curators to remove the painting.

As a white artist whose depiction of Till had caused suffering in the black community, I can no longer protect an object at their expense, the letter read, echoing a petition that British artist Hannah Black posted on her Facebook page earlier in the week. The painting must go.

Reached by The Daily Beast, the Whitney Museum said that the letter was a hoax and that Schutz had nothing to do with it. Schutz, too, later confirmed in an email that the letter was a hoax.

Meanwhile, the petition had been taken offline, with Black declining to comment on its sudden disappearance. Neither Schutz nor the Whitney Museum responded to a Daily Beast inquiry asking if the artist had been in touch with Black or other protesters; if Schutzs email account had been hacked, or if the painting would be removed from the Biennial.

Goldmans ambivalence encapsulates the debate that has roiled over Schutzs painting of Emmett Till, the teenager who was famously lynched and murdered by two white men in 1955, since the Biennial opened last Friday.

A small group of protesters stood in front of the painting that day, shielding it from public view.

More than 30 non-white artists, activists, and art critics signed Blacks online campaign for the paintings removal and destruction. Before the petition disappeared from Blacks Facebook page without explanation, many of the original signatories names were scrubbed because they were white; Black wrote in a Facebook comment that it was better to include only black signatories. Her open letter petition declared that Schutz, a white artist, had no right to exploit the black experience for profit and fun. (Schutz, however, said she never intended to sell the painting.)

That even the disfigured corpse of a child was not sufficient to move the white gaze from its habitual cold calculation is evident daily and in a myriad of ways, not least the fact that this painting exists at all, the petition read.

Black maintained that white free speech and white creative freedom have been founded on the constraint of others, and are not natural rights. The painting must go.

The image carries so much meaning and pain for African Americans, Goldman said, choosing his words carefully. Schutzs defense of her artistic expression seemed like an after-the-fact rationalization of her wrongdoing, he added.

In a previous statement responding to protests, Schutz explained that she thought about the possibility of painting [Open Casket] only after listening to interviews with Emmett Tills mother, who had organized an open casket service to let the people see what shed seen: Tills brutalized face. I dont know what it is like to be black in America. But I do know what it is like to be a mother, Schutz said. In [Mamie Tills] sorrow and rage she wanted her sons death not just to be her pain but Americas pain. I made this painting to engage with the loss.

At the Whitney on Thursday, some visitors talked quietly about the brouhaha surrounding the painting. They say a white artist shouldn't have created this, one man explained to his friend. An African American man discussing the painting with two companions told the Daily Beast he was still processing how he felt about the work.

Shalini Abeyaratne, a Sri Lankan-born architect in her mid-40s, disagreed with protesters arguments that Schutz was exploiting black suffering. I think shes bringing it to light, said Abeyaratne, who identifies as a person of color. She was surprised dissenting artists were making a case for censorship. If we police who can talk about certain subjects based on race, then we prevent other people from relating to them, she said.

Francisca Caceres, a Chilean woman who had taken the day off from her job in fashion retail to visit the Biennial, thought that it was important for people to see the paintingregardless of the artists race. I dont think shes exploiting [Tills] suffering. I think shes trying to communicate reality, said Caceras. I bet a lot of people didnt know about this part of history. Ignorance is the enemy, for this country and for the world.

Michael Edgill, a 29-year-old African American teacher, understood where protesters were coming from but criticized their logic as contradictory. Historically we all come from different perspectives, but if you want to progress you have to be open minded, he said. At the end of the day theres only one race: human.

***

Schutzs apparently hoax letter in full:

I am sending you this letter as your publication recently covered a protest of my painting Open Casket, included in this years Whitney Biennial. I hope you will consider presenting this statement I have written to the show curators as a followup to those pieces.

***

Dear Mia and Christopher,

I am writing to publicly request that my painting, Open Casket, be removed from this years Whitney Biennial. Though it was not at all my intention to cause harm, many artists have come forward to announce that my depiction of suffering is in turn causing them suffering. I cannot rightly protect a painting at the expense of human beings.

I understand that many have attempted to defend my work in the interest of free speech, and with calls against censorship. However, the artists and writers generously critiquing Open Casket have made plain to me that I have benefited from the very systems of racism I aimed to critique, in a way that blinded me to what my re-presenting this image would mean to Black audiences. Particularly because, with my stamp of authorship, Open Casket could enter into the market and, in turn, commodify the very suffering I wished to explore. And while I agree with your curatorial statement that art can be an appropriate venue for political expression and debate, I do not agree with your implication that Black painwhat you refer to as tremendous emotional resonanceis a social good to be sought after through art. At least, not within a historically white-run institution, at the hands of a white artist, in an exhibit organized by a predominantly non-Black staff.

Indeed, I wanted to critique anti-Black violence and explore the real empathy I found between myself and the mother of Emmett Till, but I have learned that my re-presentation of violence against her son has proven to demonstrate its opposite: appealing to the universal truth of motherhood goes against what I have learned about the denial of motherhood, and of humanity itself, on the basis of race. I recognize that the calls for the paintings removal have been made not as an imputation of my person or my career but of this artistic choice, this work, and the system that supports, even celebrates, such a gesture. Donna Haraway credits getting called to account by Black feminist thinkers for her most famous text (itself a call for sensitivity, a willingness to be wrong and a commitment to anti-racist coalition building). I want to model a willingness to learn from my mistakes, and honesty about accounting for them.

People who have been harmed by and are at risk of continued harm by systems of racist violence are in a much better position to know what is needed for restitution for that violence. If the removal of my painting has been called for by Black artists, writers, and activists, I can no longer protect an object at their expense. The painting must go.

I now join them in calling for the immediate removal of Open Casket. I have already promised the work will never be for sale, and I will also promise to make it impossible for the work to re-enter the public sphere. I also plan to redirect all funds from the sales of my other paintings included in the Biennial towards the Black liberation movement. Finally, out of continued respect for those harmed by the work, I ask that the catalog and the press in the future and retroactively remove all images of the work from circulation, and replace it with images of the works subsequent protest.

Sincerely,Dana Schutz
In the seemingly endless debate over transgender people, one figure has become inescapable: Dr. Paul McHugh.

Whether the former Johns Hopkins psychiatry chair is being cited in anti-transgender articles for conservative media outletslike Breitbart, The Federalist, The Daily Caller, The Blaze, and Fox Newsor in the footnotes of amicus briefs, his name has given an imprimatur of science to those already inclined to attack LGBT people.

His Wall Street Journal op-ed Transgender Surgery Isnt the Solution, in particular, has become a mainstay in anti-transgender circles.

In reality, the following major medical associations support transgender health care: the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association, the World Professional Association of Transgender Health, and many more.

So, after McHugh made headlines last October for co-authoring a non peer-reviewed paper for The New Atlantis questioning the current scientific consensus around sexual orientation and gender identity, Dr. Lauren Beach, the director of LGBTI Research at Vanderbilt, decided she had had enough.

On Thursday, she released a letter signed by nearly 600 experts on LGBT health stating that the New Atlantis report does not represent prevailing expert consensus opinion about sexual orientation or gender identity related research or clinical care.

Beach told The Daily Beast that she and her Vanderbilt colleague Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld began collecting the signatures a couple months back and decided to release the letter after a wave of anti-LGBT bills in 2017 because we think its critical that the best scientific evidence is used to inform public policy.

Recently, McHughs New Atlantis paper has been cited in an amicus brief opposing transgender teenager Gavin Grimm, whose Supreme Court case was sent back to the Fourth Circuit earlier this month.

His name can be spotted elsewhere, too: In New Hampshire, where a transgender non-discrimination bill failed to pass a few weeks ago, one of the representatives opposing the legislation cited McHughs Wall Street Journal opinion piece in a Concord Monitor op-ed a few days before the vote.

Beach is hopeful that the letterwhose signatories include experts with positions at Johns Hopkins, Harvard Medical School, Northwestern, and other prestigious institutionscan persuade policymakers and the general public alike to interrogate the reliability of the New Atlantis paper which, as The Daily Beast previously reported, received widespread positive coverage in conservative media. (As is common in letters of this sort a note at the end indicates that the institutional affiliations of the signatories are listed for identification purposes only, not as institutional endorsements.)

We are writing to the public at large as experts in this area of LGBTI health and we want to send a strong message that peer-review is essential for scientific integrity, Beach told The Daily Beast. We want to clearly state the New Atlantis article is not peer-reviewed and thatas expertswe disagree with the conclusions expressed in the report. Theyre scientifically and medically unfounded. Among other conclusions, the New Atlantis paper cast doubt on the idea that in order to live happy and flourishing lives, we must somehow discover this innate fact about ourselves that we call sexuality or sexual orientation and advocated taking a skeptical view toward the claim that sex-reassignment procedures provide the hoped-for benefits.

Many of the signatories to Beachs letter, she told The Daily Beast, discovered that their research had been citedand in their view, misinterpretedin the New Atlantis paper and felt it was critically important that their work be framed in line with the scientific conclusions that it supports.

McHugh himself reviewed the letter after The Daily Beast reached out to him for an interview.

I see they dont like me, he said. Theyve got an army of people that want to say so.

In a wide-ranging phone interview, the Johns Hopkins professor disputed the importance of peer review for the New Atlantis reportIts an opinion piece for the general public, he saidand maintained his opposition to transgender medicine as practiced in accordance with the recommendations of major medical associations.

I dont want to trouble transgender people, he said, arguing that transgender people should live however they wish without undergoing medical treatment: "[This] is something that, if you wish to live in that way, [then] this is Americalive in that way.

McHugh is unperturbed by the fact that he disagrees with the American Medical AssociationYou should ask them for their evidence, he quipped when asked why they would support sex reassignment surgery if there werent solid scientific support for its benefitsand he effectively called on the letter writers to address the arguments in the New Atlantis article with more specificity.

What theyre saying here is that my reading is wrong but they dont point out where its wrong, he said, adding later, They should look and tell us where evidence-based medicine supports some of the treatments being used for transgender people against what we say is little scientific evidence.

The letter is indeed short, clocking in at under 300 words. However, it contains a list of references at the end and refers the reader to the many major medical associations [that] have issued guidelines and policy statements on LGBT health care.

For example, the American Medical Association adopted a resolution in 2008 recognizing that an established body of medical research demonstrates the effectiveness and medical necessity of mental health care, hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery as forms of therapeutic treatment for many people diagnosed with [gender identity disorder, now called gender dysphoria]. The citation for that statement was a list full of peer-reviewed literature dating as far back as 1985.

(Medical associations themselves did not sign Beachs letterand it would be unusual for them to single out a physician in that waybut Dr. Carl Streed Jr, the chair of the AMAs Advisory Committee on LGBTQ issues, did add his name to the lengthy list.)

McHugh still believes that transgender medicine is a craze, as he previously told The Daily Beast and as he reaffirmed in this latest interview. (I think my views will prevail, he said.) As for the New Atlantis article that was condemned in Beachs letter, McHugh ultimately dismissed the entire affair as old news, referring back to a Baltimore Sun op-ed he co-wrote last October defending the articles lack of peer review.

Its true its not in a peer-reviewed journal but its not intended to do that, McHugh reiterated to The Daily Beast. Its intended to be published in a journal of opinion in which the public can view what we think about the contemporary scientific literature just like articles in the New Yorker or The Atlantic.

Asked if he was worried that the letter might harm his reputation, McHugh batted away the idea as if it were ridiculous.

Im 85 years old, he said. Im a university professor. Im a member of the Institute of Medicine. Im a person who has been through a lot of crazes before. Im not going to my grave not having spoken my mind, OK? I dont think Im doing anybody any harm; I think Im doing people some good and the conversation should go on.

The letter, he concluded, wont stop him: I believe whats trying to be done here is simply silence me and Im not ready to be silenced. Im going to let nature take [care of] that.
If TrumpCare dies, the White House wont forget who killed it  and plans on keeping a shit list of Republicans who stood in their way.

According to multiple Trump administration officials speaking to The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity to talk freely, the president is angry that his first big legislative push is crumbling before his eyesand his chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon is advising him to take names and keep a hit list of Republicans who worked for Trumpcares defeat.

[Bannon] has told the president to keep a shit list on this, one official told The Daily Beast. He wants a running tally of [the Republicans] who want to sink thisNot sure if Id call it an enemies list, per se, but I wouldnt want to be on it.

One aide described it as a proposed hit list for Republicans not sufficiently loyal. Courses of action stemming from any related tally is yet to be determined, but the idea and message is that well remember you.

Two senior Trump administration officials with direct knowledge of the process told The Daily Beast that Bannon and Trump have taken a youre either with us or against us approach at this point, and that Bannon wants the tally of against versus with us mounted in his so-called West Wing  war room .

Burn the boats, Bannon (in his typical, pugnacious style ) advised Trump, according to one official involved. Burning ones boats is a reference to when military commanders in hostile territories order his or her troops to destroy their own ships, so that they have to win or die trying.

Sources also said that others including Mick Mulvaney, Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget and co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, endorsed the idea of the running list, and that Trump agreed with the idea.

Emails to the White House and Bannon seeking comment were not immediately returned.

Freedom Caucus members, of course, are no strangers to barely-veiled threats from Trumpworld, and have remained undeterred this week by earlier attempts. On Tuesday, when Trump made his high-profile visit to Capitol Hill to try to rally Republicans to get behind his and Ryans plan, Trump specifically called out Rep. Mark Meadows, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, several times. According to those in the room, the president made it clear that he expected Meadows vote and support when push comes to shove. (As of Friday late morning, Meadows is saying hes not budging yet.)

Mark, Im coming after you, Trump said, only half-jokingly, on Tuesday.

Freedom Caucus aides said they were similarly unperturbed on Friday. One simply responded to The Daily Beasts question regarding potentially getting on Trump and Bannons shit list with one word: Meh.

From day 1 in this fight, conservatives have been far more focused on keeping their promises and doing whats best for their constituents versus any hypothetical political challenges, another conservative congressional aide said. That remains unchanged.

Republican House members jumping ship on the AHCA, both in the hardline-right and so-called moderate camps, are hardly alone in their buyers remorse. On Thursday night, The New York Times reported that Trump himself has told four people close to him that he regrets going along with Speaker Ryans plan.

Bannon, for his part, is hardly pleased with the bill as it stands. According to Trump administration officials, Bannon himself hates the current AHCAhe thinks its a piece of shitand he told me as such, one source described bluntly. But, I mean, he's not going against [the president].

If Trumpcare/Ryancare goes down in flames, a great share of the blame will inevitably be shoveled onto Speaker Ryan and House GOP leadershipa Republican leadership that just two short years ago Bannon was calling out as all cunts.
In 2015, Liberty Counsel attorney Mathew Staver proudly held up Kim Daviss hand in front of a Kentucky crowd after she had spent five days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Now, a Vermont court has allowed both Staver and the Florida-based evangelical law firm he founded to be named as defendants in a high-profile civil lawsuit related to an international kidnapping case.

The convoluted case began in the year 2000 when two Vermont women, Janet Jenkins and Lisa Miller, entered into a civil union. Two years later, Miller gave birth to their child, Isabella Jenkins-Miller, through artificial insemination.

But in 2003as a 2009 CBS summary of the case notedthe couple split and Miller renounced lesbianism, became an evangelical Christian and took young Isabella with her to Virginia. Although Miller had sole custody, she started blocking Jenkinss court-sanctioned visits, reportedly for religious reasons, which eventually prompted a Vermont court to grant Jenkins custody instead in November 2009. The Liberty Counsel had taken an active interest in the case, which had become a flashpoint in the culture war over same-sex couples, and Staver was one of Millers attorneys at the time.

The custody decision was upheld the next year by the state Supreme Court, which wrote: We affirm the family courts finding that Lisa had no justification for denying visitation to Janet.

But by that time, Miller and Isabella were already gone. They are believed to be in Nicaragua, where The New York Times caught up with Isabella in 2012. Miller is still wanted by the FBI.

The full story of how Miller and Isabella got to Nicaragua is exactly what the Southern Poverty Law Centernow assisting in the legal representation of Jenkinsis hoping to uncover by naming Staver, Liberty Counsel, and a former Liberty Counsel attorney named Rena Lindevaldsen in a civil lawsuit, which had been put under a stay while a federal indictment connected to the case was underway.

Now that it appears relatively clear that all of these parties were involved, it makes sense to join them, David Dinielli, SPLC deputy legal director told The Daily Beast. Because at this point, its hard to know exactly where the fault lies and who is most responsible for the injustice.

The SPLC, an Alabama-based civil rights organization, considers Liberty Counsel to be an anti-LGBT hate group and, more specifically, a legal organization advocating for anti-LGBT discrimination under the guise of religious liberty. Liberty Counsel describes itself as an international litigation, education, and policy ministry.

Dinielli told The Daily Beast that the new evidence in the case largely emerged through the criminal trial of Christian direct mail firm owner Philip Zodhiates, who has now been criminally sentenced for taking Isabella and Miller to the Canadian border in 2009. Vermont district court judge William Sessions allowed Liberty Counsel, Saver, and Lindevaldsen to be added to the civil case this Monday after Jenkinss legal team put forward substantial additional evidence gathered through Zodhiates criminal proceeding and in jurisdictional discovery, according to the court order.

Specifically, Jenkinss legal team alleged that Zodhiates sent a Liberty Counsel employee an email before the 2009 kidnapping suggesting that he had a personal option in case Miller were to lose custody, according to the Vermont court order (PDF) and an amended complaint obtained by The Daily Beast. They further alleged that Zodhiates called a phone number used by Staver on the day that he transported Miller to the border to escape the country, per the paraphrasing in the court order, and that Zodhiates contacted Lindevaldsen, who also represented Miller in the long-running custody case, through Lindevaldsens daughter.

The Vermont court order does not confirm these allegations but by allowing the civil case to move forward, discovery pertaining to them could now take place.

This Wednesday, as the Associated Press reported, Zodhiates himself was sentenced to three years in prison for international kidnapping and conspiracy, making him the third person to go to jail for the kidnapping scheme. The other two men, as the AP noted, are Timothy Miller (no relation), who entered a guilty plea after being accused of helping Lisa Miller connect with Mennonites in Nicaragua and Kenneth Miller (no relation to either Miller), a Mennonite pastor in Virginia who was convicted on an international kidnapping charge in 2012.

But both Staver and Lindevaldsen told The Daily Beast in written statements that they were not involved in the kidnapping plot.

The evidence will show what we have maintained from the beginningwe had no knowledge of the disappearance of Lisa and Isabella Miller, or their plans to flee, and we have no knowledge of any plan of anyone to help them disappear, wrote Staver.

According to Staver, Liberty Counsel lost contact with Miller in September 2009 after receiving a communication saying that she was interviewing for a job in Virginia. Staver further told The Daily Beast that they informed the Vermont court that she was not responding to emails or phone calls, and that they had advised Lisa to obey the court orders for the duration of their legal representation. Staver also stated that we asked [the Vermont court] to withdraw from her case once they had lost contact with Miller.

We will aggressively defend this case and seek to have it dismissed because there is no evidence that we did anything wrong, Stavers statement concluded.

Lindevaldsen issued a similar denial to The Daily Beast: I am surprised that these claims have been permitted to proceed. The allegations in the complaint are baseless and, through counsel, I intend to pursue all remedies available to have these claims dismissed.

Lindevaldsen is a law professor at the Lynchburg, Virginia-based Liberty University, which, as of Monday, has also been added to the civil suit. The Vermont court order allowed Liberty University to be added to the lawsuit, persuaded by Jenkinss argument that the school and Liberty Counsel operated as a unified entity with respect to Lindevaldsen and Stavers representation of Miller, as the judge noted in Mondays court order. Staver said in his written statement to The Daily Beast, however, that Liberty Counsel and Liberty University are separate entities and the representation of Lisa Miller had nothing to do with Liberty University.

Apart from defending Kim Davis, Liberty Counsel has waded into several other LGBT rights issues, such as appealing Californias ban on conversion therapy, opposing legislation that would protect LGBT people from discrimination, and filing amicus briefs against same-sex marriage. Because of these anti-LGBT stances, the SPLC will be especially interested in learning whether or not Staver and Liberty Counsel played a role in the kidnapping scheme.

[Staver] is the face of Liberty Counsel and Liberty Counsel is one of the most ardent opponents of LGBT rights and equality and dignity, theres no doubt about it, said Dinielli. So we do think it would be important to know exactly what role he played in this, what knowledge he had and whether he could have been in a position to stop it.
I am 34 years old. If I were Canadian, thered be a good chance I could live 17 more years. But in the America of Donald Trump and Paul Ryan that is not going to happen

At age 2, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease affecting 30,000 Americans. Cystic fibrosis (CF) causes a vicious cycle of chronic lung infections caused by the buildup of thick mucus and digestion problems, which deprive the body of nutrients that the immune system needs to fight off the infections.

Imagine being underwater and coming up for air, but instead of breathing in, you uncontrollably cough that air out. The harder you try to breathe, the more you cough. At its worst this disease feels like a long, drawn-out panic attack set to the soundtrack of an endless hacking cough.

At 34, statistically, I have seven years left before my lungs cease to function. If I were Canadian, statistically, I would have 17 years left to live.

This isnt some political talking point. Even Fox News didnt try to spin this one. This is cold hard data from a recent study by the U.S. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The conclusion is that Canadas nationalized single-payer health-care system, which guarantees health insurance for everyone, is the primary reason why Canadians with my disease live 10 years longer.

As Drs. Patrick Flume of the Medical University of South Carolina and Donald Van Devanter of Case Western Reserve University put it, Now we are faced with the more difficult task of trying to identify and implement solutions to bridge this survival gap, which seems to be based on fundamental differences in the two nations health-care systems.

For the past four years, however, my disease has gone in reverse: Ive been gradually getting better. It is an extraordinary sensation. A new medication called Kalydeco, made by the Boston-based company Vertex, has given me the promise of extending both the length and quality of my life.

Ive been healthy enough to work abroad as a freelance journalist covering conflicts at the intersection of Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet Union. I am now making long-term plans, which I never would have contemplated. To put it another way, this drug works better than Canada, and Im making plans.

A year and a half after I began the drug, I got married. My wife and I hope to one day have kids. But today is a sobering day. If the House Republicans vote to replace the Affordable Care Act with the Trump-Ryan American Health-Care Act, a plan that likely wont allow me to remain on this drug, then my long-term plans go out the window. My outlook would likely regress back to one of short-term survival and carpe diem. That is a very different future than the one I plan to have.

The data from the Canada study was taken before Kalydeco hit the market. And then it took two more years for Canada to negotiate a price with Vertex to provide Kalydeco to those it can benefit. If the current American health-care system or an improved one remains, then I, and others like me, will continue to get better every single day.

Living in Canada not only means that we would live 10 years longer because we would be guaranteed access to medication, treatment, education, and even lung transplants, it means we would be guaranteed access to this miracle drug. In that case, the sky is the limit regarding our life expectancy. That is the future I am fighting to have.

The problem is that Kalydeco, the first of a new class of small-molecule CF drugs, costs $300,000 a year. You read that correctly: $300k per year. It is one of the most expensive pills in the world. Miracle drugs may be made in heaven, but they are priced in hell. Because of this price, patients in many countries are denied this medication. The only way I have had any chance at access to this medication is through Obamacare (the ACA).

The ACAs unpopular individual mandate, in which everyone shares the risk, allows the system to cover my pre-existing condition. This mandate prevents low-risk healthy people from gaming the system by not buying health insurance until they get sick and need it. The risk is shared by everyone in the pool, which means that these companies can afford to offer health-insurance policies to people like me. Essentially to have free-market health care that can cover pre-existing health conditions, which most Americans want, then there must be an individual mandate, which most Americans do not.

The research and methods like rational drug design that have led to recent successes in cystic fibrosis will have effects for health conditions all across the board. It will save lives. Kalydeco uses small molecules to target the cause of the disease instead of the symptoms.

If Congress adopts a replacement plan to the ACA that reduces coverage, as the AHCA does, it will directly reduce my life span and that of many others. For free-market champion conservatives, look at it this way: If breakthrough drugs like Kalydeco are no longer purchased, then funding will dry up for much-needed pharmaceutical breakthroughs and alternative therapies, as we approach what the World Health Organization calls a post-antibiotic era. I, like most patients with cystic fibrosis, am prone to lung infections and already fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The innovation behind the drugs keeping me alive today may keep you alive tomorrow when antibiotics are not longer effective.

Any alternative plan without a single-payer mandate will not sustain the costs of treating people like me. Punting this to the sates is not the answer. Health care is a national problem and it will only be solved through national unity. Insurance is a matter of shared risk; this cannot be conditional.

If we want to remain on a free-market-based system, which Obamacare is, then it requires making difficult choices as a nation. Allowing people to choose when or where to share that risk may sound popular, but it will cause private insurance companies to bail and the system to collapse. Or it will drag us back to the unnerving days of 2009, when anyone who is sick can be dropped or excluded at anytime.

If you think fighting a drug-resistant lung infection sounds difficult, try fighting an insurance company. Health-insurance companies adapt, mutate, and resist quicker than any bacteria on earth. My family and I have spent more cumulative hours on hold waiting for an insurance representative than the lifetime of many CF patientsa heartbreaking, gut-wrenching reality.

Ive gone through just about every scenario you can imagine: Ive been dropped from my insurance plan; gone on COBRA, paid for a high-risk state pool; used an insurer of last resort; taken a job for a corporation to get health insurance; worked and waited the 12-month period for said corporations health insurance to cover my pre-existing condition; experienced not only job lock, but what I call employment hostagewhen getting fired becomes a matter of mortality. So yeah, Obamacare sounded pretty good.

Hospitals are sobering. Political predispositions are left at the automatic door with the round metal trashcan that doubles as an ashtray. At that point, things like paying a higher premium or the lack of choice in a national health-care system cease to matter.

When I get sick with a lung infection, I get pumped full of enough intravenous chemicals to pickle a live Komodo dragon.

Side effects are: nerve damage, diarrhea, headache, nausea, and vomiting, kidney damage, hearing problems, and some terrifying condition known as red man syndrome, which I have yet to experience. We, as a nation, have endured orange man syndrome for almost nine weeks now, and Id prefer all of the above to it.

Yet neither the side effects nor the insurance tribulations are the hardest part about living with CF. The hardest part about this disease is the suspended animation of watching your friends and family fear your demise, so that you do not have to. This is love. You learn quickly that your life is not your own.

***

Within hours of his inauguration, President Donald J. Trump took his first step in dismantling Obamacare with his very first executive order to seek the prompt repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Now that plan is here in the form of the AHCA. It translates to a reduction in health care and a failure for those who need it most.

Shifting power to the states and reducing taxes has little to do with health care. These plans will also shift the costs and accountability to the statesfragmenting the pool of risk. If Obamacare is replaced, I, along with many others, will likely lose access to the medication that has kept me alive for these last four years.

The problem with Obamacare is that deductibles and premiums are higher than people would like, but repealing it will only make them higher. The ACA has reduced hospital readmission rates. If it is repealed, many small hospitals will go out of business because the U.S. health-care system cannot afford to go back to treating people with no insurance. The ACA does not reduce taxes on higher income households, which is the real issue at the Paul Ryan heart of this debate.

In the 1960s, Medicare was just as controversial as the ACA is today. Today Americans see Medicare as an entitlement. The same will eventually be true of universal health care. It will be as standard and as essential as the roads and power lines that make up Americas physical infrastructure.

Much like civil-rights legislation, the ACA was rammed through a reactionary opposition with the intention of fixing and improving itas a work in progress. Repealing it will be a step backward. The ACA is an imperfect law that has helped many people. Much like Churchill said of democracy, Obamacare is the worst form of American national health care, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

Cystic fibrosis is a wicked lottery ticket. It is a horrific way to die, and it is not an easy way to live.

And yet for me, a little blue pill taken twice a day breaks that cycle of lung infections and malnutrition. But aside from the exorbitant price there is another catch: Kalydeco is genotype-specific, meaning that this drug alone is only effective in 4 percent of patients with CF who have a specific mutation. I fall into this category of mutants along with about 1,200 other CF patients in the U.S. There are only 3,000 of us on planet Earth.

The pressure of having a price tag of $300,000 a year on your head invokes some existential questions: Is my life worth $300k a year? Without insurance, if I fall ill, will my family go bankrupt trying to keep me alive? As Congress prepares to kill the Affordable Health-Care Act, I may soon get real answers to these questions, whether I like it or not.

Like others on this medicine, I can never go back. According to CF specialist Patrick Flume, there are data indicating that if you discontinue the drug, there can be a precipitous worsening, even worse than before starting the drug."

During one battle with my insurance company, I ran out of Kalydeco for 14 days. My health tanked. My lung function plummeted, as did my hope for the future. It was a long way to fall.

The only way compassionate advanced health care will work is if everyone contributes. This requires Americans coming together. The Republicans who vehemently defend the sanctity of human life, are the same ones who are determined to repeal the ACA.

The political push to abolish the ACA is not an act of legislative prudence; it is one of spite. Somehow Republicans think that dismantling a law is commensurate to dismantling Obamas legacy. They forget that Obama has the least to lose.

I am among the first generation of CF patients who even had a chance. For generations, CF patients have participated in clinical trails, risking everythingforgoing precious time, to make this a reality. For the sake of those who will follow us, dont take this away. Though, individually, each of us will, this is a battle we cannot lose.

In the U.S. before the ACA, I could have been dropped at any moment. Even with the ACA I could lose coverage if my health-insurance company changes its policy. Kalydeco is one of the first drugs of its kind. The hope is that not just the science of this precision medicine, but also the success of the policy of making this orphan drug available will set a precedent. This drug can lead the way to other breakthroughs and to making precision drugs like Kalydeco available to all the patients it can helpand not just the ones who can afford it.

I am not looking for pity; it is the last thing I want. I realize that this may come across as dramatic, but its hard to convey what is at stake for millions of Americans. This new law the Republicans are trying to push through Congress is a matter of life and death for millions of people including me.

The reason Im writing this is because I believe that health care is something that we should demand of the most advanced country on earth the same way that we demand of it protection.

The United States has a nationalized defense system. The result of that system is the most advanced military in human history. Sure, we draw from the private sector for innovation, but our military is nationalized. Our soldiers fight and die for our country, not for the private sector.

And so it blows my mind when the idea of nationalized health care is met with cries of socialism. There is genuine hatred for the idea, supported by no logic. We accept that our militarys primary purpose is to protect our citizens from harm. Why dont we expect and demand the same of our health care on a national level?

Ive spent more than a quarter of my life in former communist countries. Ive lived in the aftermath of that corrosive system. Ive watched societies try to recover from it. It doesnt look like Canada.

The same conservatives who want to increase military spending balk at the idea of nationalized health care. And yet if we spent a fraction of what we spend on defending Americans from the threat of attack from another nation (which hasnt happened since 1941) on defending our citizens from disease, our country would be transformed.

If the point of our military is to protect Americans, then we would save millions of American lives by investing in a national health-care system. This would protect and save far more Americans than any army ever could. That seems to me like the ultimate form of patriotism.

Some parts of this article were first published in USA Today on Feb. 28, 2017.
I love the idea of playing with your expectations, offers Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, unleashing a naughty grin.

Were huddled together at a hotel suite in downtown Austin, Texas, where his latest film, the pitch-black noir Small Crimes, is making its premiere during SXSW. The handsome Dane is guzzling coffee out of a chalice-shaped water glass, swinging it to-and-fro with every wild gesticulation like a true Lannister (the room apparently ran out of clean coffee cups).

Evan Katzs sophomore film features Coster-Waldau as Joe, an ex-cop fresh out of prison after a six-year bid for attempted murder. Joe, ever the colossal fuck-up, moves in with his parents (Jacki Weaver, Robert Forster) while dodging a dirty cop with a grudge, a DA out for revenge, and a cabal of ticked-off criminals. To make matters worse, his ex-wife and their two children want nothing to do with him, and he cant seem to get out of his own way. Can a budding romance with a kindhearted nurse (Molly Parker) make him overcome being persona non grata?

The 46-year-old says it is not only his most American role yet, but one of the darkestand this coming from a guy whos spent the last six years playing a sister-sexing Kingslayer on the HBO megahit Game of Thrones.

The Daily Beast spoke with Coster-Waldau about his dark, violent new film and all things Thrones, including the meaning of that look his Jaime delivered to Cersei at the end of Season 6.

The great thing about Small Crimes is that it disrupts your expectations. Every time you think the movie is going to zig it zags.

It really does. In the beginning, you think its a movie youve seen before about a guy whos done something horrible and wants to reconnect with his children, and now well follow this guy as he goes on a redemption tour and at the very end there will be this beautiful moment where he runs towards his kids and theyll go, Daddy, we missed you. I love that the movie says, Oh, thats not going to happen.

Theres a scene early on in the film that really sells that point. A beautiful woman approaches him at a bar and you think theyre going to have sex or strike up some sort of romantic relationship, and it goes down very differently.

It would happen in a traditional film, which is horseshit! You see a movie and you accept that theres a forty-something guy sitting at a bar drinking on his own, and some beautiful 22-year-old girl sidles up to him and just wants it. Were supposed to accept that, because of course she wants to fuck the old guy, but thats ridiculous. I like that the film preys on your expectations and just twists it.

You have, it seems, mastered the art of playing the narcissistic scoundrel.

Were all selfish, to a certain degree. And its always going to catch up with you at some point. We are pretty laughable, as human beings. We are so full of ourselves all the time, and theres something tragic about how we mess up things on a global level, on a personal level. We screw up all the time.

But have you thought about why youre so good at playing these types of characters?

[Laughs] Theres definitely a part of me in there and I recognize parts of myself in Joe. But I think we are all ultimately selfish. Being is, by default, a very subjective experience. Your life is your life, and I have no idea what its like to be inside of your head. But I embrace it. I think its funny. There are no people that are just good. There are various degrees of trying to make good choices and making bad choices, and were all somewhere in the middle.

Is it difficult to occupy the headspace of such a dark, troubled character like Joe for weeks and weeks? Or does that sort of thing not get to you?

I dont carry the character after-hours. October 3rd will be my 25th anniversary as a professional actor. Ive done it a long time, and I love my job, and sometimes youll do it and it will inspire you and youll think about it for a while. I have worked with actors that seem to not be able to let go of their characters and in my head, to be honest, I think, That is bullshit. Its just ridiculous. Because if that is true, then you are sick. But thats just me being me.

Weve gotta talk about Thrones. The political climate its being released into now is very different than when it debuted in 2011. All the backroom dealing and machinations seem, well, timelier than ever.

There seems to be so much more out in the open now. Right now you have a president whos not afraid of communicating very directly, and talking about his thoughts, likes, and dislikes, which is very unusual. I love politics and the primaries were so entertaining. It was just a different levelyou couldnt make it up. Two years ago, you wouldnt have believed this for a second. It reminds me of England with Brexit, where the day after they reported that the most Googled entries were, What is Brexit? What does EU mean? And I think there were more than a few people here who woke up the day after the election like, What? Huh?!

I have a theory about whats going to happen to Jaime. I believe Jaime is going to fulfill the prophecy and kill Cerseiwhile defending Brienne.

[Grins] Thats a great theory.

The Jaime/Brienne relationship is so great, though. It might be the most mutually loving relationship on Thrones.

Its built out of contempt, which has turned into real respect, and lovenot that they would ever use that word. I think they feel very strongly for each other. I have no idea if they would ever be able to act on it, and I dont think they would. Its all been about Cersei his whole life.

One of my favorite moments from Season 6 was Jaimes speech to Edmure Tully where he confessed his love for Cersei in an effort to manipulate him. It was a mic drop scene.

I loved that. Ive been lucky enough over the years to have a couple of those, and you think, Oh, this is a really nice meal. Thats what I like about Jaime: hes lost his arm and just his presence used to be enough to sway people, and he doesnt have that anymorebut hes still got his mind. Hes not like his sister and brother, but hes been on the battlefield his whole life, and knows about peoples weaknesses and loving someone unconditionallybecause he loves his sister unconditionally. Plus, there are no other suitors. Well, thats not true but he has to step up and take his fathers place. Wow, I was about to reveal something from Season 7 and thought, What am I doing?

Speaking of relationships on Thrones, the Jaime/Cersei bond is one of the most complicated in all of television. Its one big mindfuck. How do you and Lena [Headey] manage it?

We were talking a lot this coming season. There was a lot of discussion and I was driving everyone crazy with all kinds of questions to where the writers must have been like, Lets kill him off now! This is getting to be too much. But it is very complex, and the more you dig into it, the more complex it gets. Were so deep into this story and getting into the endgame now so for all of us who have been on the whole journey, you really want to get it right. Every scene and every moment feels ridiculously important. Early on in Season 7 I just had to let it go because I was trying to understand way too much.

Jaime had such a rich arc last season, starting with the Cersei prophecy and ending with that look he gave to her as shes being crowned. That look seemed to say, Ive created a monster.

It did, didnt it? Jaimes addicted to somethingalmost institutionalized by a situation to where there is no other way. For Jaime, there is no other way. Hes been groomed since he was 15 that, whatever his life is, it starts and ends with Cersei. He has to accommodate her. Hes done that his whole life, and hes reached a moment now where he suddenly has to address it. Whats interesting about that is people will read into it and there was no lineits just a look.

The Game of Thrones Season 7 date announcement was sort of a disaster. Although I suppose it is a testament to the shows popularity that there were hundreds of thousands of people tuning in online to watch a block of ice melting.

I spoke to Dan [Weiss] and David [Benioff] about that and they were like, Oh god Thats embarrassing. Everyone was like, Whats going to happen? Whats going to happen?! Its melting! It crashed! Oh my god! Its like, just walk away just walk away. Its just a date! You know, I was actually thinking, Is there going to be a backlash and people will think, Fuck you guys for that! but thats really happened with every time the show kills off a major character: Never again! Fuck you! Im never going to watch this show! and, you know, they keep coming back.
Comedian Patton Oswalt is very funny. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is not.

Recently, Huckabee has been using his Twitter account to make increasingly painful jokes about politics. So Jimmy Kimmel had the inspired idea to invite Oswalt on his show Thursday night to bring them to life onstage.

Using typical stand-up premises like, Have you guys been watching the news lately? and Travelings weird that made Kimmel lose it, Oswalt recited the tweets below to audible groans from the crowd.

You guys like music? I sure do, Oswalt said, before performing this gem from Huckabee about President Trumps war with Snoop Dogg:

After one last shot at Hillary Clinton, Oswalt sheepishly backed out of the spotlight as the curtain closed in front of him. See? Good material just works, Kimmel joked.
One of Donald Trumps first congressional allies could be headed for the slammer. Rep. Duncan Hunter, the California Republican congressman famous for vaping in a committee hearing, is facing scrutiny from the Justice Department for some questionable campaign expenditures he made.

The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday afternoon they were putting their own Hunter inquiry on ice to let the DOJ take the lead. The news was first reported by Politico. Hunters lawyer told the site he didnt do anything wrong and that he repaid the misused funds.

It isnt yet clear what charges Hunter could face, if any. But the House Committees report (PDF) gives some clues:

Rep. Hunter may have converted tens of thousands of dollars of campaign funds from his congressional campaign committee to personal use to pay for family travel, flights, utilities, health care, school uniforms and tuition, jewelry, groceries, and other goods, services, and expenses, it reads. If Rep. Hunter converted funds from his congressional campaign committee for personal use, then he may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

When it comes to politicians using campaign funds for personal enrichment, this aint the Justice Departments first rodeo. In fact, it had a very similar case just a few years ago. On Aug. 14, 2013, the department announced a federal judge had sentenced disgraced Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to 30 months in prison for using about $750,000 of his campaign cash to pay for his own personal expenses including a Rolex, a refrigerator, and movie tickets.

Hunters hometown paper, meanwhile, reported last year that he used campaign money to pay for video games, his kids private school tuition, and items for sale in the Disneyland gift shop.

Personal use of campaign funds can be a crime under the Federal Election Campaign Act if it is done knowingly and willfully, said Brett Kappel, a longtime campaign finance lawyer. Thats why Jesse Jackson Jr. went to prison.

Kappel noted that the facts of the two cases are very similar, though with two big differences: Jackson used campaign funds illegally over a much longer period of time (seven years), and he spent significantly more money than Hunter allegedly did. Jackson also pled guilty.

Hunter isnt the only member of Congress to draw federal scrutiny. After resigning from his Illinois seat amid scandal, Rep. Aaron Schock was indicted in federal court on 24 counts, including allegations that he had his campaign committee file incorrect reports with the Federal Elections Commission to cover up his efforts to enrich himself.
MOSCOW  Russian interference in the American elections last year was downright subtle compared to what weve seen this week in the run-up to French presidential elections.

The two-round vote on April 23 and May 7 could change politics, defense, and the economy in Europe more radicallyand more in Russias favoreven than the chaos spawned by Donald Trumps iffy triumph in the United States.

And on Friday, Putin endorsed his candidate: far-right-wing, anti-European-Union, anti-NATO, anti-immigrant, anti-American, pro-Trump candidate Marine Le Pen.

Of course, Putin said, We don't want to influence in any way the events going on [in France], but his government received Le Pen as if she already were settled in as the head of state in Paris.

Olga Bychkova, deputy chief editor of the independent radio station Echo of Moscow, said that the reception accorded Le Pen in Russia was impressive. "She first had meetings with the leaders of the Duma [Russias parliament], then she was taken to an exhibit devoted to France at the Kremlin, then she met with Putin. That is a kind of program Moscow organizes for state leaders," Bychkova said.

The French news magazine LExpress was quick to note the anomaly as well, calling it altogether exceptional that Putin would receive a presidential candidate so close to an election.

In 2014, when Le Pens National Front Party could not secure any loans from French banks, she turned to Russia and received millions of dollars from a now defunct institution there. Putin, at the same time, received endorsement from her party for his takeover of Crimea. She has consistently blamed Washington for starting the new cold war. So it was widely assumed that Le Pen was in Moscow Friday as a loyal ally looking for more funding.

We may not learn the outcome of that financial venture for some time. (The original loan and quid pro quo for Crimea was revealed by hackers.)

Whether she hoped to receive money for her campaign or not, it does not matter, she came to Russia for Putins support and she has already received it, says Bychkova.

The Putin meeting was much more impressive than a loan, in fact. It was the president of Russia placing his bet, if not indeed staking his claim, on the presidency of a country that is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, that was a founding member of the European Union, and after decades of estrangement from NATO has become, over the last 10 years, a key member of that alliance once again.

A Le Pen victory would be an orgasmic triumph for Putin, and he seems to think his explicit/implicit endorsement will do her good.

Certainly much of the French political class would seem to give him encouragement in that regard.

At the first major debate on Monday among five leading contenders for the French presidency, three of them found ways to parrot Moscows line on critical issues.

Le Pen spoke skeptically of NATO and of a united European defense system, which comes up a lot since the Trump administration has made itself appear so very unfriendly to the traditional North Atlantic Alliance that Russia hates and fears.

Le Pen said she was defending the freedom of the French and wouldnt want to force our soldiers to go to wars we havent decided on. Ergo, adieu NATOs core mutual defense clause.

Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, grizzled and tenacious as a badger, was the crowd favorite in the debate even though hes far behind in the polls. The world has become again very dangerous, he said. I want to be the president of peace. There should be a security conference from the Atlantic to the Urals. Its the moment to negotiate the borders.

Nothing could be more musical to Putins ears as hes trying to do that already by using various forms of hybrid warfare on every one of his European frontiers, terrifying even his longtime ally in Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

But Melenchon has no prayer, it would seem, of making it past the first round in the voting on April 23.

The erstwhile favorite to reach the runoff against Le Pen on May 7 was Francois Fillon, prime minister for five years under former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

He, too, was singing Putins song in Mondays debate, picking up on Melenchons proposal and talking about a fundamental principle, which is the right of people to determine their own futures. In context, that would mean the people of Crimea and eastern Ukraine, whose futures are being sucked back into a new Russian empire and who have very little say about it.

Its not like borders have never been re-drawn in Europe, said Fillon, citing the example of Kosovo, which in fact was freed from the savage Russian-backed government of a genocidal Serbian president in 1999. To address problems in the Middle East, Fillon said, France should work with Russia and Iran. No mention of the U.S.

But Putin wouldnt bet on Fillon at this point no matter how much their minds meld, because a series of scandals have turned Fillon, once the front-runner, into the third-runner.

Le Canard Enchaine, a satirical and investigative weekly broadsheet that doesnt publish on the web, revealed a few weeks ago that Fillonwho claims he believes in Thatcherite smaller government, lower taxes, fewer state employees, and fewer protections for private sector employers, and who has called for the eventual elimination of 500,000 public sector jobsput his wife and two children on the public payroll for jobs they allegedly did not do or were not qualified to do at all. And his family then took home roughly $1 million in public funds.

On Wednesday, after the debates, Le Canard Enchaine reported that Fillons consulting firm also was paid $50,000 and promised a percentage of the revenues by a Lebanese pipeline builder for, among other things, arranging a meeting with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a conference in St. Petersburg in 2015.

So, cozy as Fillon and Putin may be, and ideologically copacetic as the Russian president and the far-left badger Melenchon may be, the Kremlins bold handicapper decided to go with Le Pen on Friday. She will be by far the most destructive for NATO and the EU. She has looked like a pretty solid front runner in the first round of the French elections. The question at this point is whether she can sustain momentum into round twoand against whom.

For the moment, that person appears likely to be Emmanuel Macron, a boyish looking 39-year-old former Rothschild banker and economy minister who bailed out of the wildly unpopular Socialist government of President Francois Hollande last year to found a centrist movement called En Marche! that has been drawing support from both the left and the right.

Macron, in the debates last Monday and at every opportunity, has been absolutely firm in his support for the European Union and NATO, and wary of the disruptive, destructive sort of deconstruction that U.S. President Donald Trump and his ideologues favor in Europe.

When Le Pen, who tried laughing at Macron to put him down in the debate, said hed spoken seven minutes while saying nothing, his riposte was short and sharp.

Unlike you, Macron told Le Pen, I dont want to make a pact with Putin. I want the Europeans.

The latest IFOP-Fiducial tracking poll on Thursday gave Macron a 1 percent edge on Le Pen in the first round, and a 61.5 to 38.5 margin in the second round among those who intend to vote. But given what we saw with Trump and Brexit last year, theres no reason for complacency. Many voters are still undecided, many may just stay home. And in the 30+ percent range, the odds are similar to playing Russian roulette with two bullets in your six-shooter.

Can Putin pull the trigger? Already, the Macron campaign has complained of massive hacking attacks.

FBI Director James Comey marveled in his testimony before Congress earlier this week that the Russians were unusually loud in their quasi-covert interference with Americas elections, and it was almost as if they didnt care if we knew.

That was nothing to what were seeing now with the French elections.

People may joke darkly about Trump as the Putinian candidate. But about Le Pen there is now no doubt at all.

Anna Nemtsova reported from Moscow and Christopher Dickey reported from Paris. Erin Zaleski also contributed reporting to this story.
A number of people were seated at the back of the truck, which was heading from Dhaka to Jamalpur, and when it overturned, the cement sacks fell on top of them.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: At least 10 people, including three women and four children, were killed and three others were injured when a truck overturned in Meherbari area under Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district in Bangladesh.

They were travelling in the back of the truck when the accident took place at Meherbarhi of the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at 4 am on Friday.

advertisement

Assistant Director of Bhaluka Fire Service Shahidur Rahman said two people were admitted to the Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital with injuries.

The police and the fire service department were yet to release details of the victims' identities.

A number of people were seated on the cement sacks at the back of the truck, which was heading from Dhaka to Jamalpur.

The vehicle went off track and overturned at Meherbarhi where the road had been dug for construction of a four-lane highway.

Officer in charge of Bhaluka police Mamun-ar-Rashid said the victims were buried under the cement sacks.

Trishal Fire Service official Jainal Abedin said nine people died on the spot after impact. Another person died at the Upazila Health Complex. Two more injured were later moved to Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital.

--- ENDS ---
On March 25, a group of protesters will gather at Lafayette Square in front of the White House and demand an investigation into a nonexistent global satanic child-sex-trafficking operation.

This will be the frontline of Pizzagate, or Pedogate, as many conspiracy theorists are trying to rebrand it.

Last week, the march got its big publicity break: a retweet from Michael Flynn Jr., son of Trumps former national security adviser, endorsing Pizzagate investigators de facto ringleader, David Seaman.

Flynn Jr. retweeted an announcement from Seaman, the most prominent face of Pizzagate and the highest-profile personality expected to speak at this weekends protest. David has definitely been instrumental in spreading awareness and Im very grateful for that, Pizzagate march organizer Neil Wolfe said.

But as Seaman has built a substantial audiencenearly 70,000 Twitter followers and more than 155,000 YouTube subscriberssome other less prominent Pizzagaters have started to dig into Seamans past to prove that hes not the man he purports to be.

Seaman spent much of the last decade as a self-promotion guru, selling secrets on how to attract buzz and writing a how-to book on becoming a publicity whore, after turbulent stints as an intern at Jezebel and contributor at The Huffington Post were abruptly cut short.

He even staged a Free Paris Hilton protest to build his personal brand, and once proclaimed he would protest gravity if I thought it was going to give me buzz.

So how did a self-professed buzz expert become the face of Pizzagate? And how did so few people know about his past?

Seaman attended New York University and graduated from Hunter College with an English degree. Shortly after he graduated, he published his second book, Dirty Little Secrets of Buzz: How to Attract Massive Attention to Your Business, Your Product, or Yourself. The book, originally titled How to Be a Publicity Whore, promises to teach readers how controversy, scandal-mongering, and social networking can turn your message into a viral sensation.

The 2008 book uses examples from popular publicity whores like Howard Stern, Tila Tequila, Ann Coulter, Bill Maher, and even Donald Trump.

Donald Trump is a human brand that fires on all cylinders, Seaman wrote. Trump is no longer chiefly a real-estate mogul or even a businessman: I would argue hes a buzz genius, more interested in taking up real estate in your mind than in your city.

While researching for the book, Seaman staged a Free Paris Hilton protest in the SoHo neighborhood of New York in May 2007. The stunt attracted more reporters than protesters (all three of them) and Seaman was interviewed about the protest by Nancy Grace on CNN. Tabloids and local New York publications covered the event, and Jimmy Kimmel and Conan OBrien riffed on it during their late-night shows.

The incident also captured the attention of Gawker, where Seaman was working as a Jezebel intern at the time. Jezebel Editor Moe Tkacik fired Seaman and explained the decision in a post Self-Promotion Guru David Seaman Got Our Memo, Shat All Over It. Weeks later, Tkacik wrote another post about meeting Seaman, who she nicknamed D-Splooge, to apologize for being so harsh, In Which We Get Closure With Self-Promotion Whore David Seaman.

When The Daily Beast reached out for comment from Tkacik on working with the man who would become a leader of Pizzagate, she initially responded: Thats insane. David Seaman. Holy shit.

Tkacik remembers watching the protestwhich was right outside the Gawker officeand seeing photos of Seaman in coverage of the event. His ideas were already very bad and self-promotional, she said. He was very good at seeming sincere. I think hes an opportunist. I would certainly be interested to know how much money this is making him.

Based on her experience with Seaman, she doesnt think he believes everything hes saying about Pizzagate.

Ive known people who were like him in certain ways. But never anyone who was quite opportunistic enough to embrace something so ludicrous, she said. To me, Pizzagate is the David Seaman of conspiracy theories.

Seaman bounced back from the internship loss and became a reporter at The Street, a financial news site, where he developed a passion for finance, credit, and alternative currencies. He created a Yelp for credit cards, the now-defunct CreditCardOutlaw.com, and started a podcast, The David Seaman Hour. During that time he asked journalist and podcaster Cara Santa Maria to be a guest on his show and, in turn, she invited him on her podcast, Talk Nerdy.

When The Daily Beast first reached out to Santa Maria and informed her of Seamans involvement with Pizzagate, her first response was, Holy shit. Are you serious?

She said she could not imagine Seaman getting mixed up with such an outlandish conspiracy theory. He had a lot of knowledge about cryptocurrency and that seemed to be where his expertise, really where his world, kind of rested. Santa Maria said, It blows my mind, because he seemed like a reasonable and well-informed individual and I didnt detect any conspiratorial thinking at the time.

Santa Maria would know. Now she hosts a podcast called The Skeptics Guide to the Universe, which often debunks conspiracy theories. Her professional assessment of Pizzagate: Thats insane. Thats fucking insane. Is it legitimate? No, its crazy. It makes me sad if he is actually involved with this.

As Seaman continued to report on anonymous internet banking, he also developed an interest in privacy and internet freedom. He was heavily opposed to internet bills like the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA), and decided to fight by running against U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, who was a big supporter of the bills. He tweeted about his intentions and Dell Cameron, who is now a Dallas-based journalist, offered to help register his campaign and provide counsel, since he had some campaign experience.

Seaman wanted to run an internet-centric campaign, building a support coalition and raising funds entirely online. An archived version of the campaign site shows that he earned at least 7.2 percent of his $100,000 goal. Many citizen researchers have recently tried to discredit Seaman by suggesting this congressional run was a scam, but Cameron confirmed it was a legitimate campaign.

When I met him he was very gung-ho about it. He was seeking a platform to draw attention to some pretty terrible policiesand to hold Wasserman-Schultz accountable for supporting them, Cameron said.

The congressional run earned him his first of seven invitations to be a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. In most episodes, Rogan and Seaman stuck to topics like drug policy reform, surveillance, privacy, and bitcoin. But in an episode from June 2014 they discussed conspiracy theories:

Rogan: This is a weird time because in the 60s and 70s, when all the Watergate shit was going down, what voice did a regular person have?

Seaman: Right, you [would] just hope that The Washington Post published an op-ed you agree with. And thats pretty much the extent of your power.

Rogan: When Kennedy was assassinatedwhat happened? Who talked? Where, how did the people get their thoughts out?

Seaman: Can you imagine if there was an Alex Jones back then, with the real platformhow insane that would have been?

This wasnt the first time Seaman had reflected on conspiracy theories. Eight months earlier, he published an ebook titled All Your Favorite Conspiracy Theories Are Wrong.

After his flirtation with politics, Seaman mostly focused on finance and cryptocurrency reporting, first as a contributor at Business Insider then at The Huffington Post. When Seaman tried to use his Huffington Post contributor status to publish a story about Hillary Clintons health during the presidential campaign, and published a video from Paul Joseph Watson, The Huffington Post suspended his blogging account.

That editorial decision turned the bitcoin reporter into BASED David Seaman, a martyr within the Trump troll community. Seaman started making videos highly critical of Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. When the Podesta emails leaked, he had plenty of material to work with.

In a guest appearance on the Quite Frankly podcast this month, Seaman explained how The Huffington Posts suspension drove him to focus on Pizzagate.

Afterwards I was sitting in my apartment, had no one to write for, had people saying I was an idiot and a liar. So I figured, you know what, Ill get back at this bitch, he said.

Ill go through her emails. Because, of course, WikiLeaks had released the Hillary Clinton emails, and so with a beer and some spare time I just started going through them.

He said he didnt go off the deep end at first. But when Reddit and 4chan researchers started reading through Podestas leaked emails and incorrectly determined that words like pizza, pasta, and hot dog were actually codewords for prostitution and child trafficking, Seaman started making videos about the findings. He connected dots between Clinton and other super rich individuals and families often associated with conspiracy theorieslike the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds, and George Sorosand sank deeper and deeper.

In most the videos he sits in front of a partially exposed greenscreen, talks about the latest research, and provides full-throated endorsements for the legitimacy of Pizzagate. Videos like HILLARY CLINTON BABY SACRIFICES: Revealed by WikiLeaks and Satanic PizzaGate Is Going Viral Worldwide (Elites Are Terrified), have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

It was information from independent researchers like Seaman that inspired Edgar Welch to bring a rifle into a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant so that he could investigate the innocent children he believed were being held captive in a nonexistent basement. He fired shots, but no one was hurt.

After that incident, many public Pizzagaters shied away from the investigation. Alt-right heroes like Mike Cernovich and Infowars editor Paul Joseph Watson ceased tweeting about it. Alex Jones, the founder of Infowars, posted a video, Pizza Gate Is a Diversion From the Greater Crimes in Podesta WikiLeaks.

Pizzathats a super common word Quite frankly, out of the tens of thousands of emails, most of it is innocuous. Ive been staying away from it because its easy for people who are innocent to get caught up in this, he said.

Commenters called him a sellout and a shill, and told him to wake up.

Seaman pressed on and doubled-down, suggesting that Welch was a hired actor and the shooting was a staged event meant to discredit Pizzagaters. Only recently did Seaman delete all of his videos posted before Feb. 27. Seaman said he feared legal action.

This was right after BuzzFeed published an article explaining how conspiracy theorists, like Seaman, were profiting off YouTube.

Now he plans to funnel his following into a new media endeavor, Fulcrum News. A blog version of the site is live, but Seaman expects to launch the full site in a few months. He said it will provide nonpartisan, factual news from independent contributors.

When The Daily Beast reached out to David Seaman to try to determine the legitimacy of his Pizzagate beliefs, he originally declined to comment.

I dont consider the Daily Beast to be a reputable news source. Sorrynot interested. You all had 4 months to cover the fact that the Clintons and the Podestas are involved in child trafficking and chose not to do so, which is inexcusable, he wrote.

He then tweeted about the email exchange.

Eventually, though, Seaman relented and opted to answer questions over email.

When asked if its fair to make a connection between his self-promotion guru days and his current work, he does admit they are somewhat related.

I know how to do internet marketing. My Free Paris protest, as I explained in my book, was a mockery of the corporate media, Seaman wrote. They gave airtime to an obviously preposterous faux protest. Pedogate/Pizzagate has real victims in its wakemostly young children.

For what its worth, it doesnt.

So I used what I know of marketing to give them a voice in a way no one can silence or discredit. The WikiLeaks emails Ive helped get awareness for are, in my view, genuinethey still have not been denied by John Podesta.

During our initial interview with Cameron, Seamans former campaign adviser, he was unsure if Seaman was a true Pizzagate believer. So he decided to reach out to Seaman for the first time in five years. He followed-up with The Daily Beast afterward.

By the end of the conversation, I was totally convinced he believes everything hes saying, Cameron said Its not an act.

Seaman and Pizzagate protest organizer Wolfe will be demonstrating this weekend for a cause they have rechristened.

We think this whole term Pizzagate has been vilified and hijacked by the mainstream media. Weve intentionally moved away from that term because we believe that negative connotations have been associated with it, Wolfe said as he ate chili during a break from building the Pedogate event stage.

Wolfe first found out about Pizzagate when he was searching the leaked John Podesta emails for extraterrestrial-related correspondence between Hillary Clintons then-campaign chairman and Tom DeLonge, Blink 182 member-turned-alien investigator.

He has has no idea how many activists will show. But hes feeling optimistic since more than 160 people have collectively contributed nearly $10,000 to the event. And he has a polite and professional warning for any journalist reporting on the demonstrationthis reporter included.

If you try to take my words out of context then Im going to make you famous, Wolfe said. Theres a lot of folks behind this and theres a lot of folks like David Seaman who will participate in making people famous, who we believe are inaccurately reporting thingsparticularly when they try and make this movement look as if people behind it are unstable extremists, or whatever other silly labels they want to attack us, because were brave enough to go out on the street in the best interest of protecting children.
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Mar 24 (PTI) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today gave an ultimatum to striking resident doctors to resume duty or face legal action even as the Bombay High Court gave the state-run hospitals an option to terminate their services. "Enough is enough. If the doctors fail to resume work today, government will not sit quietly," Fadnavis said, describing as "adamant" and "insensitive" the attitude of doctors whose strike in support of enhanced security at hospitals entered the fifth day.

advertisement

"We cannot leave the patients to die. I am making a final attempt to break the deadlock by meeting the doctors representatives. If no solution is found and doctors dont resume work, they should be prepared to face legal action," the Chief Minister told the state legislative assembly.

Nearly 4,000 resident doctors have stayed away from work since Monday, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on their colleagues by patients relatives at government hospitals across the state.

Accusing the doctors of being "insensitive", he said it is difficult to accept a situation where the patients were left to die.

"What is the difference between anti-social tendencies that result in incidents of beating up the doctors and the doctors themselves abstaining from work after taking the oath to treat the sick. I am surprised by the adamant stand of the doctors despite assuring them that the Government fully supports their demand," the CM said.

"They should not wait to be referred to as demons. What kind of politics is being played out (by them)?" he said.

Coming down heavily on doctors, Chief Justice Manjula Chellur said," the doctors are taking undue advantage of us and our sympathy. If you keep stretching the matter like this then the public will come and hit you. You are creating this atmosphere." A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G S Kulkarni said if this was the "attitude" of the doctors, then the respective hospital management can initiate action against them and "terminate" their services. The court said this when it was informed by petitioner Afak Mandaviyas lawyer Datta Mane that the doctors have still not resumed duty.

"Despite assurances if the doctors have not resumed then we think we made a mistake yesterday by showing them sympathy and appreciating their work," the bench said.

With the doctors still keeping away from work, the functioning of the OPDs and general wards in the government and the civic hospitals remained hit for the fifth day today.

"The OPDs in KEM, Sion and Nair hospitals have not yet become fully operational. Some doctors are managing them but it has increased the waiting period for patients," Dr Avinash Supe, dean of KEM Hospital, told PTI.

advertisement

"Very few have returned to work. Hence, full medical services will not be available immediately," he said.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has made an appeal to the MARD (Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors) to resume duty.

A meeting was held today between Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan and representatives of the resident doctors, an IMA member said.

The representatives of IMA called on the chief minister at Vidhan Bhavan in afternoon.

Fadnavis told them that security has already been provided in 16 hospitals since yesterday. "Government is working on (providing) security to doctors and more arrangements will be done within ten days," he said.

The High Court had yesterday directed the doctors to resume work immediately.

Late last night, the MARD made an appeal to the striking medical practitioners to join duty, which failed to evoke a firm response from the doctors.

Fadnavis, during a meeting with representatives of striking doctors, had said that an apex council would be set up to address the issue of security in hospitals.

advertisement

The strike was triggered by the beating up of a doctor in Dhule recently. The doctors complained that it was just the latest in a series of such incidents.

They want a written assurance from the Government on the security in hospitals.

"We have been fooled in the past when promises and assurances made by officials were not strictly implemented. This time we are being careful," said a MARD official, explaining the delay in the doctors returning to work. PTI ND SP MR RSY NM NSK GSN GSN

--- ENDS ---
The strike kick-started at the Sion general hospital on Monday after a first-year resident doctor was beaten up. Here is all you need to know about doctors' strike in Maharashtra.

Resident doctors are on a strike outside the OPD in Sion. Photo: Zeeshan Mhaskara?/ Twitter

By India Today Web Desk: The strike by resident doctors in Maharashtra has entered its fifth day today. Even as the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) appealed to the protesting doctors to resume work, only a few is said to have done so in Mumbai.

Scores of resident doctors have been on strike across Maharashtra to protest against lack of security provided to medical professionals in the state.

advertisement

Here is all you need to know about it:

WHY ARE THE DOCTORS ON A STRIKE?

The strike kick-started at the Sion general hospital in Maharashtra on Monday, after a first-year resident doctor was beaten up. Reports have it that he was the third doctor in a week to be beaten up in the state. Soon, doctors at the KEM Hospital in Parel, Mumbai, joined the strike. Around 4,000 members of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) in public hospitals have been on a mass casual leave since Monday. At least 40,000 Indian Medical Association doctors followed suit to support the resident doctors in public hospitals. The doctors are demanding strong security services to be placed in government hospitals, immediate actions to be taken against anyone who gets violent towards a doctor, and restricting the number of relatives who can visit a patient at a time to two. They are also asking for a stricter implementation of the Doctor's Protection Act in India. Extending their support to the MARD, members of Mumbai's Full Time Medical Teachers Association yesterday gave an ultimatum of 48-hours to the state government to accept their demands, else they will submit mass resignations. Despite the strike, a doctor was attacked in Sion on Thursday, while one was blinded in one eye in the Dhule government hospital by the relatives of a patient. Reports have it that there have been at least 50 cases of doctors being attacked by patients' family in the last one year. On Thursday, the MARD in a statement urged all the doctors on strike to call off their four-day-long agitation and resume work.

RESPONSE TO THE STRIKE

Two days into the strike, on Wednesday, Maharashtra Education Minister Girish Mahajan threatened to deduct six months' salary form all the protesting doctors' pay checks if they did not get back to work by 8 pm that evening.

Mahajan, apart from the threat, promised the doctors that 1,100 guards will be placed at government hospitals in a months' time.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) threatened to debar some 1200 protesting doctors if they did not quit the strike and reutrned to work.

Meanwhile, Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar promised to get civic hospitals at least 400 armed police personnel from Saturday for security. He said the number will be increased to 700 by April 1.

The BMC is also said to have accepted the two-relatives-per-patient term, and promised to install alarm system in hospitals.

Municipal Commissioners in Mumbai, on the other hand, have put into place a plan list to ensure protection of the doctors in the state.

Meanwhile, high court ordered the doctors on strike to resume their work by Thursday, in which case they will not face any punitive action.

WHAT DOES CM FADNAVIS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE STRIKE?

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged the protesting resident doctors to call off their strike yesterday. Fadnavis promised to ensure their security in hospitals.

advertisement

HERE ARE A FEW SCENES FROM THE HOSPITALS WHERE THE DOCTORS ARE ON A STRIKE:

Dharna outside OPD. Waiting for Mumbai Mayor to arrive pic.twitter.com/vdledwRmfz- Zeeshan Mhaskar (@MhaskarChief) March 20, 2017

Empty Casualty. That would have been a bliss during my internship pic.twitter.com/5P58pxYpaw- Zeeshan Mhaskar (@MhaskarChief) March 20, 2017

Best protest sign pic.twitter.com/vql8zChs9C- Zeeshan Mhaskar (@MhaskarChief) March 20, 2017

KEM hospital last night pic.twitter.com/cyp8f0yIl0- Zeeshan Mhaskar (@MhaskarChief) March 21, 2017

Doctors of KEM Hospital are on a strike too pic.twitter.com/L3s8y5vKPm- Zeeshan Mhaskar (@MhaskarChief) March 20, 2017

--- ENDS ---
Ardbeg experiments in Black Sea with Kelpie

LVMH Scotch whisky brand Ardbeg has released a limited-edition expression to bring Islay's Festival of Music and Malt to a close on Ardbeg Day, Saturday, 3 June 2017.

Ardbeg Kelpie is the first Ardbeg to be matured in Virgin Black Sea oak casks, which are known for the flavours they impart and rarely used in whisky making.

Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbegs director of distilling, whisky creation and whisky stocks, claims he was inspired by the depth of flavour imparted by the Black Sea casks, grown and seasoned in the Adyghe Republic, which leads down to the Black Sea coast.

The whisky was then married with hallmark Ardbeg and matured in ex-bourbon barrels.

Distillery manager Michael Heads says: Ardbeggians and their smoky malt friends will have the chance to celebrate with a dram or two of Ardbeg Kelpie. With a heart matured in Black Sea casks, this whiskys extraordinary depth and its waves of salty seaweed and tarry rope, hint at what might be hiding under the sea...

For now, the finer details of our plans for will remain a closely guarded secret, but rest assured Ardbeg Day 2017 will be another legendary worldwide celebration of all things Ardbeg.

Ardbegs general release of Kelpie at 46% ABV, launches on Ardbeg Day (3 June), the expression will be available to purchase from Ardbeg Embassies for a two week exclusive period. Kelpie will then be available at Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists and department stores with a RRP of 98.00.

The Committee only release of Kelpie at 51.7% ABV was made available on 16 March 2017 exclusively from www.ardbeg.com

24 March 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor
An 18-year-old Burleson County man has been ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison  punishment handed down by a district judge Friday, two weeks after a jury found him guilty of capital murder.

District Judge Carson Campbell sentenced Gavin Snow to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years for the murder of Steven Bryant in March 2015. Jurors found Snow, who was 16 years old at the time of the crime and certified to stand trial as an adult, guilty of capital murder March 9 following five days of testimony.

State-called witness Manuel Ramon, a 20-year-old who also was indicted by a grand jury for Bryants murder, testified during the trial that Snow admitted to killing Bryant in his home after the two, along with another woman, tried to steal drugs from Bryants home while he was at work. In exchange for his testimony, the state dropped Ramons capital murder charge; he pled guilty to burglary of a habitation with intent to commit theft, a second-degree felony, and received a seven-year sentence. However, theres an impending possibility of parole in the next six months.

Snow and Ramon returned to Bryants home in the days following his death to steal drugs and money, evidence which was recovered by investigators and presented during the trial.

All of this was done over nothing, basically, said Joe Bryant, the victims brother, to Snow after the judge announced his ruling. Bryant, a friend of the Snow family, told Gavin you cant blame anyone else but yourself, but said that he knows theres more pieces to the puzzle than you.

Im still trying to understand how you can kill a person, and return ... when a lifeless body lays on the floor, Bryant said of his brother. I dont hate you. I just cant understand it right now.

At the close of the case when family members of the victim are allowed to give statements, Sharon Thomas, the victims sister, told Snow she didnt just mourn her brother at Fridays hearing.

I grieve the loss of two lives: My brother and the majority of your adult life, she said. I just hope this one bad decision will somehow have something good come out of it in the end for you.

Another Bryant family member, Stevens sister-in-law, read a letter from Stevens cousin, who lives in San Antonio.

My family, life and the Caldwell community have been changed [because of this crime,] the letter read.

Snows mother held her husbands hand as the three members of the Bryant family made their statements to her son. Reached by text message, Katrina Snow wrote that her family will seek an appeal and will continue to fight for my son.

Once Snow was escorted from the courtroom, Bryant family cried and hugged Julie Renken, who prosecuted the case and is the district attorney for Washington and Burleson counties. While providing his victim impact statement, Joe Bryant thanked the D.A.s office, the Texas Rangers, and the Caldwell Police Department for their help in investigating and prosecuting the case.

Campbell told Snow he received credit for the 743 days he spent in the county jail as he awaited his trial. It was not immediately clear when he would be transferred to a prison within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system.

His mother wrote in her text message that their family will visit him this weekend.
A Navasota man was sentenced to four life sentences by a Grimes County jury on two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated kidnapping, officials said.

According to the Grimes County District Attorney's Office, Kevin Wayne Sauls, 47, will not be eligible for parole until he is 77 years old. A six-man, six-woman jury took less than 30 minutes to convict Sauls and handed down the maximum sentence on each count after 45 minutes of deliberations.

Sauls' conviction stemmed from robberies at two convenience stores in Navasota during Easter weekend of 2016. According to First Assistant District Attorney Jo Ann Linzer, who tried the case, in both instances Sauls threatened the store clerks with a knife, forced the clerks from their stores and tried to force them to drive him in their respective vehicles. One clerk was able to run from Sauls before they left the parking lot, while another clerk was a passenger while Sauls drove the two through Grimes and Brazos counties for more than an hour. Before the car was abandoned on Texas 30 in Grimes County, officials say he tried to sexually assault the clerk and cut her with a knife.

During the punishment phase of Sauls' trial, Linzer presented evidence that he had been to prison on numerous occasions on burglary and drug charges and has spent 23 of the past 30 years in prison or jail. Sauls' attorney, Brent Cahill, asked the jury to consider the minimum sentence because of his client's ongoing drug addiction.

"I have been dealing with Kevin Sauls since 1989. I've sent him to prison multiple times," said District Attorney Tuck McClain, who was called to testify regarding Sauls' criminal history. "Prior to me becoming DA, two other Grimes County DAs dealt with him. It's good to know I won't be seeing his name on my docket ever again."
Provisioning services, such as food, water, timber and fibre. Regulating services which affect climate, floods, disease, and water quality. Cultural services associated with the recreational, aesthetic and spiritual benefits of nature. Supporting services such as soil formation, photosynthesis and nutrient cycling on which all other services ultimately depend.

In turn, the health of these ecosystems depends on the richness of their biodiversity. A diverse biosphere is essential to secure the productivity and stability of almost all services, from food and water down to soil formation. The more diverse a biological population, the more disaster-resilient an ecosystem becomes.

Greater biodiversity also enables an ecosystem to survive and weather longer-term threats such as climate change.

It is easy to see these services reflected in the understanding of the entitlements provided by our fundamental human rights:

the right to life and to health is secured mentally and physically by a diverse range of natural medicinal products;

the right to shelter is only guaranteed by a sustainable source of timber derived from multiple tree species;

the right to food is perhaps the most evident connection: genetic diversity increases crop yields; and

species richness is associated with more productive fisheries, both of which are essential for a hungry and growing population.

Drivers of ecosystem degradation: the hidden role of armed conflict

Knox's report identifies several direct drivers of biodiversity loss, including the overexploitation of flora and fauna, pollution, invasive alien species and, of course, climate change. However, the direct contribution of armed conflict to all these drivers cannot be ignored.

Armed conflict is more than just violence. It also entails societal transformation that changes the way that local and regional communities interact with their environment. This in turn cannot help but have a profound effect on biodiversity.

One clear example of the negative impact of warfare on biodiversity is the mass exodus of more than 2 million Rwandan refugees following the 1994 genocide into Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC)), Uganda and Tanzania. High demand for firewood among desperately displaced populations with few other resources deforested more than 300km2 in the DRC's Virunga National Park.

Today, the Virunga National Park is an infamous hotbed for the overexploitation of flora and fauna, including poaching, and a booming charcoal industry. Decades of mineral-funded civil war in the DRC have burdened the resource-rich country, and both the population and the land bear the scars. Studies have also shown that the presence of soldiers and rebels also contributes to deforestation and the bushmeat trade.

Connections between human rights, the environment and armed conflict are of course easier to make in some situations than others. The Niger Delta is classified as one of the top ten most polluted environments in the world, yet it still counts as a biodiversity hotspot because it is populated by a unique range of flora and fauna, hosting up to 60-80% of all the species found in Nigeria.

The Delta's mangrove forest is the largest in Africa, and the third largest in the world, providing food, medicines, and wood for fuel and shelter to the populations residing there. It's also on the 'tentative list' to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet conflict and insecurity in the Delta continues to impact its biodiversity and the human rights of its population.

As early as 2001, the African Commission (AC) recognised the threat that oil and large-scale water pollution posed to the enjoyment of the human rights of populations in the Niger Delta. The AC found that the Nigerian government had "fallen short of the minimum conduct expected of governments" by failing to protect the ethnic Ogoni people in the region from the gross environmental degradation caused by oil-extraction.

The belief that the Nigerian government has consistently fallen short of its responsibilities has been shared by armed groups in the Niger Delta for decades. Confrontations between violent movements with environmental grievances resulted in what Michael Watts called a constant cycle of "petro-violence".

It is a cycle that cripples the economy of the Nigerian state, and releases huge volumes of oil into a fragile ecosystem through oil-bunkering - a technique used by non-state actors to steal oil to fund rebel activities.

Recognising this pattern, the Nigerian government partnered with the UN Environment Programme in 2016 to launch what was hailed as the "largest terrestrial clean-up ever seen". But it could still take more than 25 years before ecosystems are re-established in the Delta.

The long term threat: brain-drain and institutional collapse

But conflict's greatest threat to biodiversity may be a more indirect one: institutional collapse. This runs counter to the common assumption that the more immediate tactical consequences of conflict are the most serious threat to the environment.

In research published last year, scholars from UC Berkeley reviewed the ecological, social, and economic pathways that lead to both negative and positive environmental outcomes in conflict.

Their study identifies both the direct and indirect ways in which conflict affects the environment, and concludes by suggesting that one of the greatest indirect threats is the brain-drain of talented individuals, including conservationists themselves, from militarised environments.

This is not to say that all conflict is bad for biodiversity. The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea is effectively an untouched incubator for biodiversity, on a peninsula which has experienced almost 100 years of continual conflict.

One might add that this is precisely because the Korean institutions on each side keep humans at bay - though their motivation is not strictly conservational. Nevertheless, projects that do have an explicit environmental motivation have successfully transformed conflict into conservation.

The Sierra del Condor, a mountain range between Peru and Ecuador, is an example of turning a decade long territorial dispute into a peace park, a project partly motivated by bolstering conservation efforts.

Similarly, while altered patterns of human activity associated with displacement from conflicts may have localised benefits - allowing a recovery period for depleted resources - this can come at a high cost for the biodiversity in the areas that populations are displaced to. For example, providing temporary shelter for the displaced can quickly lead to the overuse of local resources.

Cases like the DMZ are the exception rather than the norm, and it's clear that the positive effects of armed conflict for biodiversity shouldn't be overstated. UC Berkeley's study suggested that in 94% of their case studies, at least one pathway in conflict led to negative outcomes for wildlife, whereas only 33% percent showed a positive pathway.

The way forward?

Given the findings of Knox's report, it's clear that the importance of biodiversity must be incorporated into the way we discuss and think about human rights. But in so doing, it's clear that we also have an opportunity to enrich our understanding of the relationship between armed conflict, human rights and the environment.

With more than 90% of major armed conflicts between 1950 and 2000 occurring within countries containing biodiversity hotspots, the way forward should be clear: strengthening environmental protection before, during and after conflict must be a primary goal for both NGOs and governments that support conservation and the protection of human rights.

With the sixth mass extinction already underway, the alliance between conservationists and conflict specialists must begin now.

The report: 'Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment' was published at the UN Human Rights Council's 34th session, 27 February - 24 March 2017. Also available in other languages.

Alex Reid is currently pursuing a master's in Conflict, Security and Development at King's College London, with a specialism in environmental issues. She can be found tweeting about the environment and armed conflict at @alexHREID
Making a return to our two favourite summer locations, Mount Maunganui and Nelson in early January 2023, we've got whiff of the first release lineup and me oh my, yes boy
Addressing criticism against him, Donald Trump said "I can't be doing so badly, because I'm President, and you're not."

The interview was for TIME magazine's cover on Donald Trump's proclivity towards making false claims.

By India Today Web Desk: US President Donald Trump may be swimming in controversies, but according to him, it's all okay because he's president.

Speaking to a TIME magazine reporter, and addressing the credibility concerns on his wild wiretapping claims, Trump said, "I guess, I can't be doing so badly, because I'm president, and you're not."

The TIME interview of Trump was for the magazine's cover on the US president and his proclivity towards making random, false claims. Be it the bizarre wiretapping allegations against former US president Barack Obama or the straight-up denial of his staff's connections with Russia, Donald Trump has faced criticism from all corners for incessant lying and falsehoods.

advertisement

According to a record maintained by The Washington Post, the new president has made 247 false or misleading claims in the 64 days of his presidency.

And many of his lies are now unfolding.

FBI Director James Comey testified before the House Intelligence Committee on Monday, for example, that there was absolutely no evidence to support Trump's wiretapping claims. In fact, he even revealed that the FBI was investigating "possible collusion" between Trump's campaign and Russian intelligence.

Similarly, recent documents accessed by the Associated Press showed that Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort had a $10m contract from Russia billionaire to aid Putin in American and European politics.

Some of Trump's other lies have been a lot easier to fact-check. For example, his claim of having "a great meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel," is disputed by this video of Trump refusing to shake hands with Merkel:

Similarly, his claim of having "the biggest electoral win since Reagan" was fact-checked on the spot by a journalist, which the president shrugged off as "I was given that information."

Incidents like these have got American media asking "can we trust the president?"

and this theme was visible in the TIME magazine cover too.

Among other explosive statements made to the magazine, Trump wrote-off Comey's "lack of evidence of wiretapping" claims saying, he had "articles" claiming otherwise. "I have articles saying it happened," he said.

Trump also said he was forming a committee to investigate 3 million "illegal" voters who, he believed, cost him the popular vote victory against Hillary Clinton.

--- ENDS ---
BOONES MILL

Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church will hold its annual spring revival Wednesday, March 29 through Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. nightly. Guest preachers will be Rev. Harold Preston of Slate Hill Baptist Church, Minister James M. Clayborne of First Mount Airy Baptist Church and Rev. Thomas Wood Jr. of Bellevue Baptist.

CALLAWAY

Monte Vista Church of the Brethren will hold a yard sale from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 25 in the fellowship hall. All proceeds will benefit the Womens Fellowship.

FERRUM

Rock Ridge Missionary Baptist Church will hold a Black History Program at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 26. The speaker will be Dr. Bernice Cobbs, assisted by Mrs. Melissa Newbill. Host pastor is Rev. Roy D. Gunn Sr.

ROCKY MOUNT

Rocky Mount Seventh-day Adventist Church will host cappella gospel group, The Emmanuel Quartet, at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 25. A love offering will be taken.

Bethel A.M.E. Church will celebrate men and womens day on Sunday, March 26. Speaker for the 11 a.m. service will be Rev. Reuben J. Boyd of Third Street Bethel in Richmond. The 3 p.m. service will have as guests Minister Lafaye Grooms of Richmond and recording artist Rev. Cora Harvey Armstrong and the Harvey Girls Gospel Choir. Lunch will be served.

Woodlawn Baptist Church will hold revival meetings with Brother J.D. Walker Sunday, March 26 through Wednesday, March 29. Sundays meeting will begin at 6 p.m. The meetings Monday through Wednesday will begin at 7 p.m. nightly. Special music will be by Mickey Odell, The Exalt Trio, The White Family, Larry Fitzgerald and The Halls.

Trinity Episcopal Church is having a free evening dinner series about the meaning of Lent, personal commitment and our relationship to the world at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 in the church parish hall. The evening will begin with a short devotional, dinner and a presentation by Ann Cook entitled Perspectives on Healing and Lent. For reservations call 483-5738.

Joyful Light Ministries will celebrate its 10th ministry anniversary. The speaker at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 25 will be Dr. Ronald Watson, pastor of Radford Church of God in Christ. The speaker at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 26 will be Elder Antonio Hargrove, senior pastor of Waterway Temple Church.

Faith Temple COGIC will celebrate its annual Deacons Day beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 26. Everyone is invited.

The ladies choir of Holy Trinity Baptist Church will celebrate their anniversary at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 25. Musical guests include, The Family Five, English Family, Lovely Valley Male Chorus and the Faithful Few. Pastor is Rev. Rolando Twine.

The Outreach Ministry and Ladies Auxiliary of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church will host a free clothes/household drive from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 25. Host pastor is Rev. Garry L. Percell.

First Baptist Church will sponsor a Twelve Gates to the City program at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 25. Soloists from throughout the community will bless attendees in song.

Rocky Mount United Methodist Church will host a Lenten service and lunch at noon on Wednesday, March 29. Lunch is free, with donations benefitting the Bernard Health Center (Free Clinic). This is a part of the rotation of churches in Rocky Mount hosting worship services throughout Lent.
The Franklin County Board of Supervisors got a first look at next years budget at its Tuesday meeting, but still has work to do to balance it.

And the countys school board faces a downsizing of its budget after learning the county will commit to adding only $230,000 of the $1.97 million in new local revenue the schools had sought.

County Administrator Brent Robertson and Finance Director Vincent Copenhaver brought the supervisors a working budget in which general fund expenditures outpace revenues by $629,749.

Robertson said he needed direction from the board to figure out how best to account for that difference. In his presentation, he outlined options for boosting county revenues, such as a 1 cent real estate tax rate increase, which would bring an additional $640,000 into the county coffers.

Currently, the countys real estate tax rate is 55 cents per $100 of assessed value, among the lowest in the region. When compared with nine other localities, only three  Bedford, Henry and Patrick counties  have lower rates than Franklin.

Though increases to real estate or other tax rates, such as personal property or transient occupancy, are up for discussion, Robertson said, they have yet to be formally recommended.

Expenditures are simply growing faster than revenues, Copenhaver said. He described revenue growth in the county as slow-to-moderate. He gave these revenue growth projections:

 0.4 percent for real estate tax.

 6.2 percent for personal property tax.

 3.6 percent for sales tax.

 0.5 percent for meals tax.

Robertson and Copenhaver highlighted numerous new or significant expenditures in the budget:

 $5.6 million for the first phase of development at the countys new business park.

 $2 million for the new Glade Hill fire station.

 $1.88 million for landfill construction.

 $1.74 million to build a new animal shelter.

 $200,000 for job creation, up from $50,000, per the request of supervisors given the countys efforts to lure companies to its new business park.

 $53,000 for body cameras for the sheriffs office.

 $880,000 for school capital improvement projects.

 $340,000 for school bus replacements.

 $350,000 for a 2 percent cost of living salary increase for county employees, along with $75,000 to continue implementation of a market survey assessing the competitiveness of county wages.

School district Superintendent Mark Church also presented the $89 million budget approved last week by the school board. The proposed budget seeks a 3.49 percent increase over the current year.

The school board expected the county to cover a significant chunk of the roughly $3 million spending increase, with an additional $1.97 million contribution. But it looks as if the school district will need to make some adjustments to its budget, as the county plans to provide only $230,000 in new local funds.

In other actions Tuesday, the board:

 Gave county staff the go-ahead to apply for two grant applications for the new business park: $658,960 from the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, which requires a dollar-for-dollar match, and $650,000 from the Virginia Department of Transportations Economic Access, which calls for a $150,000 match. Funding for match requirements will be covered by the countys recent borrowing for the project.

 Approved a resolution urging Congress to pass a law, known as the Marketplace Fairness Act, allowing state and local governments to collect sales tax on items sold to their residents by online retailers. Similar resolutions have been passed in Roanoke, Salem and Botetourt County.

 Instructed county staff to gather information, such as the estimated cost of development, to help the supervisors decide where to locate the new Glade Hill fire station. The county has already purchased land along Virginia 40 and Turtle Hill Road for the station, but developer Ron Willard has asked the board to consider a location within the Union Hall village center.
Jim Currie will retire from his position as CEO of the Franklin County Family YMCA this summer.

Currie took the helm at the YMCA in 2013, just months after the county purchased the struggling organizations Rocky Mount facilities on Technology Drive. He was brought on board to turn the Ys financial situation around, something Currie had done for other businesses in the past.

The YMCA is now stable, Currie said, making it the right time for him to step down. Currie said the nonprofit has paid off thousands in debt in the nearly four years hes been there and revenues have increased significantly thanks to group memberships.

Currie will officially retire July 31. He came out of retirement to take the position at the YMCA.

Im going to try retirement again  probably wont work, Currie said, acknowledging it likely wont be long before hes looking for another challenge.

Currie listed his proudest accomplishments as: the YMCAs second-grade swim program, which has provided lessons for 1,800 children; the creation of free family membership for returning veterans to help them re-acclimate; and the capable leaders hes leaving behind.

I feel like Ive helped the Y not only recover financially, but at the same time I think Ive helped the community, Currie said.

YMCA Board President Bill Cooper thanked Currie for his work in a statement: In four short years, Jim has had a valuable and positive impact on our YMCA. He has added signature programs, fostered community events, expanded our Board of Directors, restored the YMCA standing with YUSA, and created Group Membership programs involving many community organizations.
Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car

I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
There is a Republican health care plan to replace Obamacare, known as the American Health Care Act. The Republican legislation would halt Obama's tax penalties against people who don't buy coverage and cut the federal-state Medicaid program for low earners.

By AP: Abandoning negotiations, President Donald Trump demanded a make-or-break vote on health care legislation in the House, threatening to leave "Obamacare" in place and move on to other issues if Friday's vote fails.

The risky move, part gamble and part threat, was presented to GOP lawmakers behind closed doors Thursday night after a long and intense day that saw a planned vote on the health care bill scrapped as the legislation remained short of votes amid cascading negotiations among conservative lawmakers, moderates and others.

advertisement

REACTIONS ON TRUMP'S MAKE-OR-BREAK VOTE

At the end of it the president had enough and was ready to vote and move on, whatever the result, Trump's budget director Mick Mulvaney told lawmakers.

"'Negotiations are over, we'd like to vote tomorrow and let's get this done for the American people.' That was it," Rep. Duncan Hunter of California said as he left the meeting, summarizing Mulvaney's message to lawmakers.

"Let's vote," White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said as he walked out.

"For seven and a half years we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it's collapsing and it's failing families, and tomorrow we're proceeding," House Speaker Paul Ryan said, then walked off without answering as reporters demanded to know whether the bill had the votes to pass.

The outcome of Friday's vote was impossible to predict.

Both conservative and moderate lawmakers had claimed the bill lacked votes after a long day of talks. But the White House appeared ready to gamble that the prospect of failing to repeal former President Barack Obama's health law, after seven years of promising to do exactly that, would force lawmakers into the "yes" column.

"It's done tomorrow. Or 'Obamacare' stays," said Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., a top Trump ally in the House.

Collins was among those predicting success on Friday, but others didn't hide their anxiety about the outcome.

Asked whether Republicans would be unified on Friday's vote, Matt Gaetz, U.S. House Representatives of Florida said, "I sure hope so, or we'll have the opportunity to watch a unified Democratic caucus impeach Donald Trump in two years when we lose the majority."

Thursday's maneuvers added up to high drama on Capitol Hill, but Friday promised even more suspense with the prospect of leadership putting a major bill on the floor uncertain about whether it would pass or fail.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATION

The Republican legislation would halt Obama's tax penalties against people who don't buy coverage and cut the federal-state Medicaid program for low earners, which the Obama statute had expanded.

advertisement

It would provide tax credits to help people pay medical bills, though generally skimpier than Obama's statute provides. It also would allow insurers to charge older Americans more and repeal tax boosts the law imposed on high-income people and health industry companies.

The measure would also block federal payments to Planned Parenthood for a year, another stumbling block for GOP moderates.

In a concession to the conservative House Freedom Caucus, many of whose members have withheld support, the legislation would repeal requirements for insurers to cover "essential health benefits" such as maternity care and substance abuse treatment.

The drama unfolded seven years to the day after Obama signed his landmark law, an anniversary GOP leaders meant to celebrate with a vote to undo the divisive legislation. "Obamacare" gave birth to the tea party movement and helped Republicans win and keep control of Congress and then take the White House.

Instead, as GOP leaders were forced to delay the vote Thursday, C-SPAN filled up the time playing footage of Obama signing the Affordable Care Act.

"In the final analysis, this bill falls short," GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state said in a statement Thursday as she became the latest rank-and-file Republican, normally loyal to leadership, to declare her opposition. "The difficulties this bill would create for millions of children were left unaddressed," she said, citing the unraveling of Medicaid.

advertisement

In a danger sign for Republicans, a Quinnipiac University poll found that people disapprove of the GOP legislation by 56 percent to 17 percent, with 26 percent undecided. Trump's handling of health care was viewed unfavorably by 6 in 10.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who as speaker was Obama's crucial lieutenant in passing the Democratic bill in the first place, couldn't resist a dig at the GOP disarray.

"You may be a great negotiator," she said of Trump. "Rookie's error for bringing this up on a day when clearly you're not ready."

Obama declared in a statement that "America is stronger" because of the current law and said Democrats must make sure "any changes will make our health care system better, not worse for hardworking Americans." Trump tweeted to supporters, "Go with our plan! Call your Rep & let them know."

Unlike Obama and Pelosi when they passed Obamacare, the Republicans had failed to build an outside constituency or coalition to support their bill. Instead, medical professionals, doctors and hospitals - major employers in some districts - as well as the AARP and other influential consumer groups were nearly unanimously opposed. So were outside conservative groups who argued the bill didn't go far enough. The Chamber of Commerce was in favor.

advertisement

Moderates were given pause by projections of 24 million Americans losing coverage in a decade and higher out-of-pocket costs for many low-income and older people, as predicted by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In an updated analysis Thursday, the CBO said late changes to the bill meant to win over reluctant lawmakers would cut beneficial deficit reduction in half, while failing to cover more people.

And, House members were mindful that the bill, even if passed by the House, faces a tough climb in the Senate.

Also Read:

TrumpCare vs ObamaCare: D-day for President Donald Trump as new healthcare bill faces Congress test

Not a Trump effect: You can't fly with laptops in cabin to US and UK from these countries

Also Watch: Donald Trump signs revised immigration order, leaves out Iraq from list

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) The countrys premier medical institute, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here, got a new director today with the appointment of Dr Randeep Guleria.

Dr Guleria, who joined AIIMS as an assistant professor in 1992 and has been the HoD of the department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders since April, 2011, has taken charge of his office.

advertisement

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Randeep Guleria, professor and head, department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders, at AIIMS, New Delhi to the post of Director, AIIMS," a DoPT order said.

He has been appointed for five years from the date of assumption of charge or till attaining the age of 65 until further orders, it said.

"I will strive to take AIIMS to newer heights and will work collectively, taking everybody along," Dr Guleria said.

His predecessor Dr M C Mishra retired from the post of AIIMS director in January after serving for over three years.

Dr Guleria has worked as a personal physician to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has also treated Union ministers like Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.

Guleria is the first Indian to get a Doctorate of Medicine (DM) in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

"The Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders was created under his leadership in 2011 and was ranked as the best department in pulmonary medicine in 2014, 2015 and 2016 by the NIELSEN survey published in WEEK," AIIMS said in a statement.

Guleria received Padma Shri award in 2015 and Dr BC Roy award in the category "Eminent Medical Person" in 2014.

This time, the appointment of the AIIMS director was mired in controversy with the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) seeking a clarification from the health ministry on the process followed in shortlisting of names for the top job.

The PMO had asked for the explanation after several senior faculty members of the medical institute approached it with a complaint that seniority has been bypassed in choosing the names for the directors post.

Out of 53 applicants, the Institute Body, which is AIIMS top decision-making body headed by Union Health Minister J P Nadda, had recommended HoD of paediatrics department Dr V K Paul, HOD of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorder Dr Randeep Guleria and professor of cardiology Dr Balram Bhargava for the top job. PTI PLB NSD

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
What issue do Iowa voters most often say is critical? You might be surprised
By Press Trust of India: Melbourne, Mar 24 (PTI) A safe and effective drug to reverse ageing and treat cancer may be available in just three years, thanks to scientists who have identified a critical step in how cells repair damaged DNA.

Experiments in mice suggest a treatment is possible for DNA damage from ageing and radiation, researchers from University of New South Wales in Australia said.

advertisement

The drug is so promising it has attracted the attention of NASA, which believes the treatment can help its Mars mission, they said.

While our cells have an innate capability to repair DNA damage - which happens every time we go out into the Sun, for example - their ability to do this declines as we age.

Scientists identified that the metabolite NAD+, which is naturally present in every cell of our body, has a key role as a regulator in protein-to-protein interactions that control DNA repair.

Treating mice with a NAD+ precursor, or "booster," called NMN improved their cells ability to repair DNA damage caused by radiation exposure or old age.

"The cells of the old mice were indistinguishable from the young mice, after just one week of treatment," said Professor David Sinclair of UNSW School of Medical Sciences.

Human trials of NMN therapy will begin within six months, researchers said.

"This is the closest we are to a safe and effective anti-ageing drug that is perhaps only three to five years away from being on the market if the trials go well," said Sinclair.

The work has excited NASA, which is considering the challenge of keeping its astronauts healthy during a four-year mission to Mars, researchers said.

Even on short missions, astronauts experience accelerated ageing from cosmic radiation, suffering from muscle weakness, memory loss and other symptoms when they return.

On a trip to Mars, the situation would be far worse: five per cent of the astronauts cells would die and their chances of cancer would approach 100 per cent.

Sinclair and his UNSW colleague Lindsay Wu were winners in NASAs iTech competition in December last year.

"We came in with a solution for a biological problem and it won the competition out of 300 entries," Wu said.

In theory, the same treatment could mitigate any effects of DNA damage for frequent flyers. The other group that could benefit from this work is survivors of childhood cancers, researchers said.

Wu said 96 per cent of childhood cancer survivors suffer a chronic illness by age 45, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimers disease, and cancers unrelated to the original cancer.

advertisement

"All of this adds up to the fact they have accelerated ageing, which is devastating. It would be great to do something about that, and we believe we can with this molecule," he said.

The study was published in the journal Science. PTI SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

HARTFORD  A disappearing Democrat and an astute parliamentary move by Sen. Michael A. McLachlan on Friday nearly sunk legislation that would allow Connecticut to join an interstate compact of states that want to bypass the controversial Electoral College with a National Popular Vote.

Minutes before the early afternoon meeting of the Government Administration & Elections Committee screeched to a halt, McLachlan, R-Danbury, co-chairman of the committee, succeeded in killing a Senate version of the bill in a tie vote among the four senators on the 17-member committee.

But as Democrats seemed on track to pass the House version of the bill in a partisan 9-8 vote, freshman Rep. Michael Winkler, D-Vernon left the Legislative Office Building meeting room. There were five legislative committees meeting at the time, requiring lawmakers to be in multiple places at the same time.

The roll call vote showed an 8-8 tie.

McLachlan asked for a tally, which would have closed the vote. Around that time, Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Killingly, co-chairman of the committee who was running meeting, announced the vote would remain open for several more hours. Amid a muffled, curt exchange with McLachlan, she then recessed the meeting as lawyers for GOP and Democratic lawmakers huddled on each side of the room.

Ten minutes later, Winkler ambled back into the meeting, unaware that his brief absence had almost killed the legislation.

Madame Chairman, your missing member is here, McLachlan said. Take the vote. The panel had another roll call, with the expected 9-8 partisan result. The legislation, which has failed in recent years, heads to the House of Representatives.

During the substance of the debate, Democrats said that the movement for a National Popular Vote would allow small states to be better represented at a time when presidential candidates ignore states such as Connecticut, in favor of swing states including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.

I dont see how this provides better representation for the people of our state, said Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield, ranking member of the committee.

kdixon@ctpost.com; Twitter: @KenDixonCT

before Me*khave ,
WILTON  Wilton Youth Council announced the return of the Middlebrooks My School Color Run on May 4 at 3:30 p.m. to raise money for Youth to Youth and other programs.

Youth to Youth is an international club founded in 1982 in Columbus, Ohio, as a community-based drug prevention and youth leadership program. The goal is to encourage young people to make positive choices and to live free of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.
Hall County residents are invited to join the Hall County Young Democrats at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Wave Pizza Company in Grand Island.

The groups goals are to promote political awareness and participation; champion liberal causes; support local Democratic candidates; and form a community of progressives, locally and throughout the state.

The group was established in July 2016 during the height of the presidential campaign. On Saturday, they will re-elect officers and ratify a constitution to formally join the state organization, Nebraska Young Democrats.

Democrats ages 13 to 35 who live in or around Hall County and people interested in the Democratic platform are welcome to attend. Pizza and soda will be provided, and time to socialize will follow the business meeting.
By Press Trust of India: From Youssra El-Sharkawy

Cairo, Mar 24 (PTI) Hosni Mubarak, Egypts ousted president was today freed from a military hospital after six years in custody over charges of killing more than 200 protesters during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled him.

88-year-old Mubarak left the Maadi Military Hospital in southern Cairo and went to his home in the northern suburb of Heliopolis, his lawyer Farid El-Deeb told reporters.

advertisement

Earlier this month, the Appeals Court gave its final verdict and acquitted Mubarak over charges of taking part in killing protesters during the 2011 revolution that dislodged him from power. He had been at Maadi Military Hospital since 2013, when he was transferred there on bail from Torah prison.

Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for taking part in killing over 200 protesters during the 18-day revolt which began on January 25, 2011, but a retrial was ordered on appeal.

In 2013, the court cleared Mubarak and his seven aides, including his interior minister Habib el-Adli, from the charge, but public prosecutors appealed the sentence.

Mubarak became president in 1981 after Anwar Sadats assassination.

He was the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region.

Mubarak will still face retrial in the "Ahrams gift" case as he and some of his aides are accused of accepting gifts from the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Mubarak, who ruled Egypt since the 1952 abolition of the monarchy, became president in 1981 after Anwar Sadats assassination.

He was initially arrested in April 2011, two months after leaving office and had been at the hospital since 2013, when he was transferred there on bail from Torah prison.

A judge at a trial in May 2015 decreed that Mubarak could be released from detention.

However, the government of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was reportedly reluctant to free him, fearing public backlash that may accompany such a move.

Sisi served as Mubaraks military intelligence chief and led the militarys overthrow of his democratically elected successor Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed as security forces clashed with protesters in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities around Egypt during the 18-day uprising that forced Mubarak to resign. PTI YES MRJ AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
For many years, all Nebraskans have complained about the unchecked rise in property taxes. The biggest contributor to our escalating property tax burden is the current valuation system for all property classes.

Owners of farms, ranches, small businesses and homes all share in the suffering. Tax Foundation data show that Nebraska ranks seventh highest in the nation for property tax burdens. The problem centers on our dysfunctional valuation system operating under an arcane valuation law. This situation has led to an erratic application to our property, causing spiking of valuations that in some cases rise over 100 percent of market value.

Until this session, the Legislature has not tackled our problem as a major priority. Several partial solutions have emerged, but passage of these bills is uncertain. Some legislators still do not understand our plight.

Without a comprehensive approach to curtail the growth of or lower property taxes, urban and rural property owners will continue to suffer sticker shock at each new assessment. LB576, sponsored by Sen. Tom Brewer, imposes a statewide four-year moratorium on property valuation increases. Its not a permanent solution, but it offers senators time and needed impetus to cooperate on nonpartisan comprehensive valuation reform legislation. It gives all property owners a breather from escalating property valuations. Another advantage is LB576 does not compete with other tax proposals, including a bill to lower our income tax rates. We expect opposition from numerous property taxing authorities dependent on an annual increase in property tax receipts. Its time to freeze their revenue spigots.

If you want property tax relief, you must lobby your state senator now to support LB576 and subsequent valuation reform. Its time for our legislators to listen to property taxpayers instead of property tax spenders.
Some things in life are not as black and white as some might think and I hope this letter catches the ears of those people. Take the military and sexual trauma or assault. I believe we need to allow our civilian legal system to be the final judge or decider in those situations. I am a disabled veteran and Ive personally seen how the military treats its own. Sexual assaults can happen to anyone and less than 15 percent of sexual assaults ever get reported.

You would not believe how much influence or power a first sergeant has over a soldiers life in the Army. You are a piece of property in the military and a first sergeant can make your life miserable or they can be the best thing next to ice cream. They also wield enough influence or power to change a medical doctors treatment of a soldiers injury or illness.

Think of General Patton slapping a soldier who suffered from PTSD during WWII. That is how it is in the military and I think that is just too much power for one person to have. I believe our civilian legal system is fair and just and should decide cases involving sexual assaults.

Sen. (Deb) Fischer, its hard enough admitting you are wrong to someone, but its unimaginable talking to a stranger about a sexual assault and trying not to blame yourself for what just happened. Its your word against theirs and it changes your life forever. Sen. Fischer, I hope you take this decision out of the hands of our military.

They say laughter is the best medicine and after the long-awaited rollout of the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, I find myself laughing through my tears and praying I stay healthy.
Election Day 2022: The stakes are high with all eyes on Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania voters on Election Day will make decisions that could reshape the future of both the commonwealth and nation.
Emraan Hashmi is ringing in his 38th birthday along with his wife Parveen and son Ayaan in Goa.

By India Today Web Desk: For Emraan Hashmi, his 38th birthday is a quiet, just family-and-friends one. The Serial Kisser has taken off to the sun-kissed beaches of Goa to ring in his birthday, and his wife Parveen and son Ayaan are with him. Along with the family are a few very close friends of Emraan.

The Azhar star told Mumbai Mirror, "I'm not into grand celebrations, I like to keep it small and intimate. "I would have loved to go on a longer holiday but I have other commitments so could only spare a few days this time."

advertisement

Hashmi went on to add how spending time with his son Ayan was the best birthday gift he could think of. "Spending time with Ayaan is the best birthday gift," he said.

Emraan, along with his wife and son, are going to celebrate the day on the beach, building sand-castles and playing.

On the work front, Emraan is currently busy with Baadshaho and Captain Nawab.

ALSO READ: 5 reasons why Emraan Hashmi's Raaz Reboot should be India's entry to the Oscars

ALSO WATCH: Sorabh Pant's 10-second review of Emraan Hashmi's Raaz Reboot is downright hilarious

--- ENDS ---
There are many reasons why Gina Jeffries, director of Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS), will be beaming with pride at the schools graduation ceremony on May 19 in the Meridian Ballroom.

On this weeks episode of Segue, SIUEs premier radio show on WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound, Chancellor Randy Pembrook, PhD, sits down with Jeffries to discuss how her students defy the odds each day at CHS.

Jeffries graduated with a bachelors in secondary education from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. She earned a masters in educational administration from the University of Missouri St. Louis, and graduates in May from SIUE with an education specialist degree and superintendent endorsement.

In her 22 years of educational experience, Jeffries is proud to enhance the lives of her students, and work toward ensuring they are college and career-ready after graduation.

To achieve our mission, our faculty positively impacts the education and economic lives of East St. Louis youth through individualized instruction of core academic subjects, exploration of career interests, college preparation courses and much more, she says. Our goal is to prepare our students for the next steps of their lives as they cross the stage at graduation.

Students wishing to attend CHS are required to fill out an enrollment application. Those applicants are put into a lottery and are chosen at random. To qualify for admission, students must be East St. Louis residents. CHS is sponsored by SIUE, and East St. Louis School District 189 is the charter authorizer.

With state support declining for K-12 education, there is a consistent need for additional budget resources to cover the shortfall somehow, she says.

We are delighted and blessed to have SIUE support us, she says. Our SIUE partnership enables us to offer our students a top-notch education. I love coming to the East St. Louis Center every day, because I know we are making a difference in the lives of young people.

CHS offers students an academic experience that is different in terms of college and career prep classes, and differentiated education, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The school also offers unique opportunities for extracurricular educational activities through before and after-school programs, and Saturday school events.

Every day, we see these students lives changed through our programs, she says. Even though our resources may have been decreased, we still observe significant improvements in our students.

Jeffries has the opportunity to brag about her students accomplishments for good reason: In the Class of 2016, each of those students was slated on a career path or went on to college. The school has also seen substantial improvement on its PARCC (The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) standardized test scores. On the English and language arts section of the test, the school ranked proficient and advanced at a level of 48 percent, beating the state average.

Facilitating relationships between students on the SIUE campus and at CHS has been a goal of both Chancellor Pembrook and Jeffries. Partnerships between the University and CHS exist within the School of Health, Education and Human Behavior, College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Nursing, administrative internships, and much more.

We love to see these kinds of relationships, she says. Our student population is 100-percent low income and these programs, in addition to the academics, work to educate the whole child. These opportunities, as well as dual credit classes in English and psychology, help our students stand above the rest.

CHSs involvement with the SIUE East St. Louis Centers Upward Bound Program provides its students the ability to take after school tutoring sessions, visit colleges, mentorship and counseling sessions, ACT preparation and much more. CHS students also are able to take advantage of the recently reopened East St. Louis Learning and Resource Center that is also available to all program participants at the Center and the East St. Louis community.

The Learning Resource Center serves as a useful opportunity for our students, she says. I love to see the community partnerships that are coming into the Resource Center. It is bringing revitalization and is making our campus livelier.

On May 19 in SIUEs Meridian Ballroom, the class of 2017 will graduate and be recognized for their efforts during the last four years.

It is awesome to see our graduates and families come to the SIUE campus for the ceremony, she says. Most importantly, the students are participating in a ritual that is so incredibly life-changing.

Some of these students may be the first high school graduates in their family. Others may be the first person in their family to go to college. We are making history that night.

Jeffries and her students work to continue to make history by increasing student achievement and encouraging the next generation to pursue careers in STEM-related fields.

Catch this episode of Segue in its entirety at 9 a.m. this Sunday on WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound.

SIUE Marketing & Communications
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Tubagus Solihuddin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017

We all know that coral is beautiful. The incredible colors of its various species come from microscopic, algae. These organisms are corals main source of food. The thing is, when coral is stressed, those algae leave. This makes the corals look pale, and in some occasions, completely white. This is called bleaching. When bleached, coral becomes vulnerable, making it prone to diseases, and it can even lead to death.

The first mass bleaching event was recorded in 1980. Afterwards, bleaching took place in shorter intervals with an increased intensity in 1998, 2010, 2015 and more recently in 2016. Another example of a massive coral bleaching can be seen in Caribia, which has lost nearly 80 percent of its coral since 1920.

Closer to home, if you go to Nusa Dua in Bali, where last months Ocean Summit was held, you can see the bleaching there too. Across the globe, we have lost 40-50 percent of coral in the last 50 years. Therefore in the next few decades, the situation can only get worse. While this is environmentally important, it is also an economically-critical issue. The UN estimates that coral reefs globally generate over US$172 billion per year. The Summit agreed to the 50 reefs initiative, a joint effort to save the worlds endangered coral reefs.

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

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017

We find it mind-boggling trying to understand the European Unions stubborn policy to maintain the 2013 anti-dumping duties on the importation of Indonesian biodiesel, despite a court ruling last year that annulled the duties. The court ruled last September that Indonesian domestic palm oil prices were not regulated.

The dumping complaint only validates our suspicion that the seemingly endless attacks on palm oil by green NGOs and consumer organizations since the late 1990s have partly been prompted by strong lobbying by the EU vegetable oil industry to weaken the competitiveness of Indonesian palm oil. Hence, the governments decision to file next week a complaint at the Geneva-based World Trade Organization against the EU anti-dumping duties is imperative.

Palm oil, which now accounts for almost 50 percent of global vegetable oil consumption, has increasingly been leading the market as a result of its high competitiveness. The yield of oil palm trees per hectare is nine times higher than soybeans, five times that of rapeseed and eight times that of sunflowers.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Nafsiah Mboi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017

Last week we learned that President Joko Jokowi Widodo verbally rejected a proposal from lawmakers for a new tobacco bill that would increase protection of the industry and production of cigarettes. However, he finally gave written agreement for discussion by government and the legislature about the proposed law.

Smoking and the tobacco industry have long been big business here with well documented impacts on national, family and individual economies, health and welfare. Today I call on activists concerned for the people of Indonesia to reject the proposed tobacco law, which threatens the health and well-being of our people. It is in conflict with prevailing laws on health and other fields.

We must also raise our voices to point to positive action that the government can take to address some key concerns of the President  an increase in revenues and the welfare of tobacco farmers and workers in the cigarette industry.

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

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Ahmad Fuady (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017

Who should be blamed for Indonesia being ranked second in tuberculosis (TB) incidence worldwide? Despite the achievement toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, the declining incidence of TB has shown a slowing pace. And, the question remains: will we achieve the target for zero TB incidences in 2035?

Despite it being 135 years since Robert Koch announced Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the cause of TB the spread of the disease remains unabated. The current situation is quite similar to the age before Kochs discovery.

People at that time blamed poverty and crowded, congested housing, particularly in cities. They depicted the relationship between TB and poverty beyond scientific discussion by putting it into literature and drama. The term consumption arose in literature, such as Les Miserables, to describe how the disease spread among the poor.

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

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Siauw Tiong Djin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017

A viral YouTube video shows one of Jakartas gubernatorial candidates, Anies Baswedan, delivering a speech in front of an audience at the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) headquarters. The vigilant groups head, Rizieq Shihab, is seen looking up to Anies admirably.

During that event, Anies revealed that his parents were the founders of the Indonesian Arab Party (PAI) in 1934. He emphasized that the Arab community made a pledge to Indonesia and called the country home The pledge, according to Anies, was significant since Indonesia as a state had not been established.

Anies tale up to this point was true. The Arabic community that formed the PAI was heroic, and its political mission was certainly one to admire.

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

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Matthew Kronsberg (Bloomberg)  Fri, March 24, 2017

A new camping stove is using mankinds oldest communal activitycooking over fireto power our newest communal obsession: sharing pictures of your meal on social media.

The BioLite CampStove 2, available for $130, employs thermoelectric technology to turn cooking heat into electricity. It can run the internal fan that turbocharges your fire, and via the built-in USB outlet, power an assortment of optional LED lights. It can even recharge your phone, no matter how deep into the woods youve gone.

The 2-pound stove comes in two parts. Its body, a three-legged steel canister, is about the size of a large can of Fosters beer; the second section, a power module, is equipped with three columns of LED lights to gauge your fires strength, fan speed, and available battery life. The module nests neatly within the stove body for easy transportation and storage.

The three columns of LED lights gauge fire strength, fan speed, and battery power.(BioLite/File)

When youre ready to begin cooking, the fire is easy to get started. Hook the power module to the stove body and fill the combustion chamber with wood and kindlingtwigs, sticks, even pine cones will do the trickand ignite. Then, a four-speed fan forces air into the combustion chamber through holes that encourage more efficient burning, up to 95 percent less smoke emissions compared with a regular wood fire. (You can see a demo of the science here.)

Capable of heat at 10,000 BTUs, the stove can bring a liter of water to boil in less than 5 minutes, but you can control the intensity of your fire by adjusting the fan speed. The hotter the fire, the faster the battery power fills up.

Read also: An indestructible coffee machine for extreme caffeine

Beyond the stove, Biolite offers an entire ecosystem of accessories, including a 1.5-liter kettle pot with optional French press plunger and a grill that is supported by two fold-out legs. It is big enough to cook four hamburgers or six hot dogs at a timeor even one large, split eggplantevenly and efficiently. Its easy to feed more wood fuel into the burn chamber, even while grilling, so theres no worry about running out of heat before your burgers are cooked through. And because the fire recharges the battery, there is no practical time limit to how long you can use it.

The BioLite stove with accessories. (BioLite/File)

The electricity is generated via a thermoelectric process known as the Seebeck effect, a phenomenon that converts a difference in temperature to electrical power. At full blaze, youll get about 3 watts of electrical output. Plug your phone into the built in USB charging jack, and it will charge in about the same time that a typical portable charger could do the job. And because the power module has a built-in 2600mAh battery, you can draw power when the stove is not being used.

As much they want to juice up your camping trips, Biolite has an even bigger mission in mind. The companys clean cooking and energy technology is making its way, through NGOs and micro-lending organizations, to families across India, sub-Saharan Africa, and other parts of the world where electricity is scarce and where indoor, open-fire cooking is a source of chronic respiratory illness. As great as this quick-lighting, power-producing, anything-burning camp stove is on its own, that bigger mission might be the more compelling thing to ponder over morning coffee in the great outdoors.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Alfred Bayle (Inquirer.net/Asia News Network)  Fri, March 24, 2017

What if smartphones synced their calendars to the paper calendar hanging on a wall at home? Japanese designer Kosho Tsuboi thought itd be cool and convenient, so hes currently developing it.

His product is called Magic Calendar and its a project associated with the Google Android Experiments, a Japanese program that allows creators to pitch different ideas for Android-centric gadgets, reports The Verge.

Read also: You can now play Spotify music from Waze navigation app

While exact details on the technology behind the Magic Calendar was not mentioned, the idea itself is interesting. The concept was presented in Japan earlier this month and was ultimately chosen to be further developed.

This article appeared on the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
40 people saw five to six men gangraping a 15-year-old Chicago girl live on Facebook and did nothing about it.

By Vishakha Saxena: Chicago Police are hunting for 'five to six' men who allegedly gangraped a 15-year-old girl and streamed the assault live on Facebook.

What's more horrifying than live stream of abuse is the fact that 40 people watched this video and did nothing to help the girl - not even a call to the authorities.

The incident came to police's attention on Monday night, when the girl's mother approached the head of Chicago Police. She informed the officer that her daughter had been missing since Sunday and showed him screen grabs from the video of the assault. Eventually, the young girl was rescued by police on Tuesday evening.

advertisement

Now, as investigations in the case continue, two terrifying truths face us: one, that many people today condone and even enjoy voyeurism of violence and two, that it is getting harder for authorities and institutions themselves to safeguard social media from such content.

Voyeurism of violence

While for many of us, the immediate response to such videos would be not to watch but report it to the police, there are some who enjoy watching violence. Delhi-based clinical psychologist Sujatha Sharma attributes these habits to a rise in global levels of frustration and a general normalisation of violence.

"Committing an act of rape (and other such violent aggression) is mostly an outlet for people who are frustrated -- aggression is a natural response to frustration. It is also a method to establish control. Same instincts can be seen in a person who enjoys watching violence. It's just that these voyeurs either lack the courage or opportunity to commit the same acts," says Sharma.

Last year, Al Jazeera reported on the market for rape videos in Uttar Pradesh. One of the men they interviewed readily admitted to watching rape videos frequently. He said watching the videos gave him "peace of mind".

"As a society we are increasingly getting desensitised towards all acts of aggression. Violence is streamed into drawing rooms through televisions and pervades all other areas of life. People are not empathetic to anyone's pain anymore," she says.

"For those who who commit or watch such violence, these victims are not human anymore -- they're mere objects," she says.

Another factor according to Dr Sharma, is that with this normalisation, many start living in a delusional fantasy that they can get away with such acts of violent aggression and that what they're really doing is entertaining their audience.

Facebook's struggle with voyeurism of violence

Believe it or not, this has happened before. Mere 22 days after we stepped into the new year, a Facebook Live video of a Swedish woman being gangraped was broadcast for almost three hours.

The rapists in the video laughed as they threatened and mocked the woman, and some viewers laughed with them. "You have been raped," said one of the rapists, laughing, towards the end of the broadcast. "Three against one, ha ha ha," commented one of the members of the closed group.

Men in Sweden who live-streamed the gangrape of a woman on Facebook. (Images: Twitter) Men in Sweden who live-streamed the gangrape of a woman on Facebook. (Images: Twitter)

advertisement

The men then went live again, this time with the victim in front of the camera, denying that she had been raped. Her rapists laughed and the broadcast continued until the police arrived in the flat and turned the camera off. Three men were arrested.

Facebook's love for videos, especially live videos, has proven to be a moolah-maker for the social media giant. At the same time, it has opened a Pandora's box of controversies.

In January, three teenagers -- one of them holding a gun -- threatened to shoot and assault school administrators while live-streaming their threat.

The same month, four men and women from Chicago were arrested after they broadcast a video assaulting and torturing a bound and gagged schizophrenic on Facebook Live.

Four people were arrested for broadcasting a video assaulting and torturing a bound and gagged schizophrenic in Chicago. (Image: RT)

Not just Facebook's problem

If you think the problem of voyeurism of violence exists only on Facebook, you're sadly mistaken.

advertisement

At the fag end of February, a 16-year-old girl in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh was gangraped by three men who filmed the assault and then circulated the video on Whatsapp, sharing it with people from the village. Police only came to know about the incident three days later, when the girl's father received the clip on WhatsApp and went to the authorities.

Last January, a 40-year-old health worker in Muzaffarnagar killed herself after a video of her being raped was circulated on WhatsApp. In fact, Uttar Pradesh is a hub of such videos. The rapes, recorded on phone to blackmail victims, are passed around and sold as "WhatsApp sex videos" for Rs 20 to Rs 200.

In a video viral on WhatsApp, this group of men were seen taking turns to sexually assault two women, who begged and pleaded the men to let them go. (India Today File Photo)

Other live platforms aren't spared either.

Almost a year ago, an Ohio woman was prosecuted for live-streaming a 29-year-old man raping her 17-year-old friend on Twitter's video app Periscope. Her prosecutors said she had "hoped that live-streaming the attack would help stop it," but was charmed by the positive feedback she received instead.

advertisement

Back in 2014, in Massachusetts, a man and woman raped a 16-year-old and got a teenager friend to record the assault and post it to Snapchat. Police later found the girl in the woods, alone and under the influence of drugs.

The couple who raped and minor and shared the video on Snapchat. (Images: Twitter)

Who's accountable anyway?

Considering the rapists are also filmed in the video, catching them is relatively easy. What's difficult is to trace such videos and the location of their victims. While in the Sweden case, several viewers 'reported' the video, it is unclear whether anyone reported the live-stream of the Chicago gangrape.

Moreover, nothing can be done to counter those who watch and 'enjoy' these horrific videos as it isn't illegal to watch them or to not report it to the police. Even if US authorities find out the number of viewers, they would have to "prove a nexus to criminal activity" and subpoena Facebook to find out their identities.

A Facebook spokesperson, who declined to comment on the Chicago incident, told AP that "the company takes its responsibility to keep people safe on Facebook very seriously." "Crimes like this are hideous and we do not allow that kind of content on Facebook," she said.

Facebook maintains that "it reviews questionable content around the clock that is reported by users and has systems in place to ensure that time sensitive content is dealt with quickly". In the case of the Chicago gangrape, Facebook took down the video only after the police asked it to.

In India, meanwhile, lawmakers can find their way around to prosecuting those who transmit and distribute rape videos. There's no law against watching, however.

--- ENDS ---
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Nedi Putra AW (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 13:17 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde634732 4 People rumah-hati,former-inmates Free

Former young inmates can face a number of difficulties such as prejudice when they return to their families and friends after serving time in a juvenile penitentiary. This situation prompted a number of psychologists to set up a shelter called Rumah Hati (House of the Heart) in Jombang, East Java.

Yusti Probowati, a co-founder of the house, said people should realize that convicted minors were also victims. The Indonesian forensic psychology professor felt concerned when she inspected the juvenile penitentiary in Blitar, East Java.

I found no psychological guidance, while underage crimes involve psychological aspects, she said recently.

Yusti said the lack of control among these youngsters had mostly been caused by family disharmony and their association with unruly groups. She regularly traveled from Surabaya to Blitar between 2003 and 2010 to provide psychological counseling for the teen inmates.

Read also: Inmates celebrate second chance on international Women's Day

Psychological support is very important, otherwise they could later become adult criminals, the dean of Surabaya Universitys School of Psychology said.

With initial funding from a German NGO, Yusti finally opened Rumah Hati in 2011, the only shelter guiding teenagers in East Java, and since 2013 the shelter has been self-funding.

Members of Rumah Hati are tightly selected males aged 14-18, formerly implicated in crimes such as theft and indecency. Because of financial reasons, the members are kept to a small number with each batch comprising five to six youngsters.

Our limited personnel, funding and accommodation prevent us from receiving a lot more cases, Yusti said.

The teens stay for six months under the guidance and supervision of social activists Faisol Hidayat and Irman Abdurachman in a modest leased house on Jl. Empu Gandring in Jombang.

They are also regularly visited by two psychologists according to their needs, she said.

Members start their days by applying discipline in doing regular activities such as waking up early, taking a bath, performing daily prayers and doing chores such as cooking. After that, they learn various skills to prepare them for future employment, ranging from handicraft making, automotive repair, welding and massage techniques to computing. For their formal education arrangements can be made in cooperation with the Jombang Community Study Center.

Aside from creative skills, the young trainees are introduced to theatrical arts, even showcasing their acting skills in a number of performances.

My story: The personal experience of one teen is manifested through his drawing talent.(JP/Nedi Putra AW)

We regret that the art program, which was good for therapy, has had to be discontinued, she said, citing the lack of funding.

According to Yusti, Rumah Hati has so far returned 60 youngsters to society with an 80 percent success rate.

We always invite our graduates for gatherings in order to motivate their juniors who are still studying at Rumah Hati, Yusti said, hoping the shelter could be developed in other regions and officially managed by local administrations.

In her view, the Juvenile Rehabilitation Institute (LPKA) should include minors psychological aspects in its restoration program.

Were ready to support the government with the modules developed in Rumah Hati, she said.

The Juvenile Court Law stipulates restorative justice for the settlement of criminal cases by involving perpetrators, victims, their families and other relevant parties to strive for fair solutions by emphasizing rehabilitation.

Brotherhood: Irman Abdurachman (left) and Faisol Hidayat provide guidance for former young offenders at Rumah Hati shelter in Jombang, East Java. The teenagers are encouraged to express their feelings through drawings.(JP/Nedi Putra AW)

Despite the existing regulation, many teenagers do not receive a proper psychological approach in their rehabilitation efforts. Faisol said most teen inmates were prone to repeating their offenses after their release because they lose self-confidence.

Faisol, an alumnus of Darul Ulum University in Jombang, said at Rumah Hati, discipline is imposed by a system of reward and punishment in order to be effective. Rewards include having the freedom to choose the food they want for the day. The forms of punishment are not as tough as those that might be imposed in a penitentiary.

Read also: Empowering blind graduates with soft skills

Negligent members here are punished in a positive way, such as by washing motorcycles, he said. Mentors observe new members of the shelter during the first and second month to recognize their areas of interest. Members can also further enhance their previous skills. A 16-year-old member of the shelter, for example, makes a comic strip and composes a storyboard every day, chronicling his journey from Ngawi Penitentiary to Rumah Hati. I want to be a designer, he said.

All the shelter dwellers are also taught to draw to express their feelings. Some of them depict the atmosphere of their former penitentiary coupled with words such as Kami masih punya cita-sita (We still have our dreams). A member who has been with the shelter for six months only wrote Go to Hell on his drawing.

This is to get rid of my past bad habits, said the ex-Blitar Penitentiary inmate.

Some drawings have been sold at various exhibitions while the rest still decorate the guest room of Rumah Hati as silent witnesses of the youngsters who have built their hopes for a better future.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 19:02 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde63f2d9 1 Business coal-mine,Dispute Free

A group of people raided a mining site belonging to mining company PT Kimco Armindo in Segian village, Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan, on Wednesday, blocking coal shipments, injuring 15 workers and damaging six operational vehicles.

Some of the victims suffered severe injuries and have been evacuated to Balikpapan to receive hospital treatment, Kimco Armindo director Jamer S. Purba said on Thursday in a statement.

He said it was the fourth and worst raid to occur this month against the companys operations in the region following previous attacks on March 2, 5 and 12.

The latest attack led Kimco to stop its coal shipments to customers inside and outside Indonesia as its mine conveyor has also been damaged.

We call on the police and President Joko Widodos administration to immediately take action to provide security to create a positive business climate [among investors], Jamer said.

Kimco produces around 1.8 million tons of coal a year from concession areas measuring about 4,000 hectares.

Tribunnews reported that the company, which is controlled by PT Panji Notonegoro, has not paid a total of Rp 31.6 billion (US$2.37 million) in severance pay to 175 former workers over the past three years. (tas)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 21:15 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde641da5 1 National AGO,pertamina,electric-car,Dahlan-Iskan,#DahlanIskan,graft,corruption,corruption-case,#AGO Free

Investigators of the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) junior attorney for special crimes have questioned former Pertamina president director Karen Agustiawan as a witness in a graft case related to the procurement of electric cars.

Attorney General M. Prasetyo said that during the questioning, investigators asked Karen about the procurement of 16 electric cars initiated by former state-owned enterprises minister Dahlan Iskan.

It was especially about the financing of the project because Pertamina was asked to prepare funds for the purchase of the electric cars, he said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Friday. The AGO questioned Karen on Wednesday, he added.

Karen was president director of the state oil and gas company when the electric car project was prepared. Prasetyo said Pertamina was not the only party that funded the project.

Two other state-owned enterprises that also funded the project were state lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia and state gas company PT Perusahaan Gas Negara. Investigators have also questioned high-ranking officials of the two companies.

As a state-owned enterprises minister, DI had the capacity and influential role in asking for funding for the electric cars, said Prasetyo.

The AGO has named Dahlan a suspect in the case. The former minister filed a pretrial motion to challenge his suspect status but the court rejected it.

Yulianto, the corruption investigation head for the AGOs junior attorney for special crimes, said his office had strong evidence of Dahlans alleged involvement in the case. This included the estimation of state losses by the Development Finance Comptroller, which stated the project inflicted Rp 28.99 billion (US$2.18 million) in financial losses upon the state. (dis/ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 15:05 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde637717 1 National poso,Densus-88,terrorism,#Terrorism,Jamaah-Anshar-Daulah,Jamaah-Ansharut-Daulah,JAD Free

The eight suspected terrorists captured by the National Polices Densus 88 counterterrorism squad in Banten and West Java on Thursday were allegedly affiliated with terrorist organization Jamaah Anshar Daulah (JAD) and planned to build a military base camp in Halmahera, North Maluku, a senior police officer has said.

They were planning on building a new base and move their military camp in Poso, Central Sulawesi, to Halmahera, National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul told journalists at police headquarters on Friday.

Seven out of the eight suspected terrorists were captured alive while another one was killed during the raid.

Martinus said Nanang Kosim, who was killed during the raid in Cilegon, Banten, and Suryadi Mas'ud aka Abu Ridho, who was arrested in Pesanggrahan, Bekasi, West Java, participated in military training in the southern Philippines. Nanang was shot as he reportedly tried to attack an officer during the ambush in Banten on Thursday.

Martinus further said Suryadi funded the Thamrin attacks in January 2016 and provided the two Thamrin terrorists with guns, which he purchased in the Philippines. He was also allegedly involved in a terrorist network operating in Indonesia and the southern Philippines.

Although the name of the terrorist organization in the southern Philippines remains unknown, Martinus said Suryadi trained for a long time in the region and came back to Indonesia to spread his knowledge on terrorism and fund the development of a terrorist military base camp in Halmahera. (hol/ebf)
The criminal charges leveled against powerful lobbyist Andi Agustinus, alias Andi Narogong, for his alleged role in the e-ID graft case could pave the way for the antigraft body to net other big fish in the metastasizing mega scandal.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Andi a suspect in the case and arrested him on Thursday, less than a month after the KPK detailed his alleged role during a court hearing.

Andi played a key role in the high-profile case by allegedly lobbying members of the House of Representatives to ease the budgeting process for the multimillion dollar project and then rig the tender at the Home Ministry, according to the KPKs indictment against the first two suspects in the case, Irman and Sugiharto.

Andis arrest may drag several political figures, including House Speaker Setya Novanto and former home minister Gamawan Fauzi, further into the case.

Based on the KPK indictment, Setya, who leads Golkar Party and is a major supporter of President Joko Jokowi Widodo, allegedly helped Andi secure the Houses approval to disburse Rp 5.9 trillion (US$440 million) from the state budget for the project between 2010 and 2013. Of the Rp 5.9 trillion that was disbursed, some Rp 2.3 trillion was embezzled and distributed to a number of parties.

Gamawan allegedly reorganized the projects source of financing from foreign loans to the budget after being showered with $4.5 million and Rp 50 million by Andi, according to the indictment. The former minister has repeatedly denied receiving money from Andi.

KPK commissioner Alexander Marwata said the KPK would step up its investigation into the case and would not stop at Irman, Sugiharto and Andi.

Andi allegedly had an active role in the budgeting and procurement process by holding meetings with the two defendants and House legislators as well as Home Ministry officials in order to secure the project, Alexander said on Thursday evening.

[He] funneled money to a number of parties including members of House Commission II, the Houses budget committee [Banggar] and Home Ministry officials, the KPK official added.

The House reportedly approved Rp 5.9 trillion in the budget for the project after Andi and Setya agreed that 51 percent, Rp 2.6 trillion, of the fund would be used to procure the project, and the remaining 49 percent, Rp 2.5 trillion, would be funneled to members of House Commission II overseeing home affairs, Banggar and Home Ministry officials.

After the budget was approved, Andi, known as a businessman who handled state projects at the Home Ministry, then lobbied Home Ministry officials at the time, namely Irman, the director for civil registration, and Sugiharto, an official in charge of the tender for the project, to declare companies affiliated with Andi as winners of the project.

The KPK has charged Andi with illegally enriching himself and others as stipulated in Article 2 of the 1999 Corruption Law, and collective crimes as stipulated in Article 55 of the Criminal Code.

The use of Article 55 indicates that the KPK will look into other parties that helped Andi orchestrate the dirty scheme. We ask for members of the public to throw their support behind the KPK, Alexander said, adding that the antigraft body planned to step up its investigation in the future.

On the same day, KPK investigators raided three places in Cibubur in order to build their case against Andi. The KPK declined to disclose more information about the raids.

Setya has strongly denied that he was close to Andi, although he admitted that they once had a business partnership.

I met Andi once to arrange my business selling t-shirts, he said in a recent interviews at the House complex.

However, several legislators and Golkar officials interviewed by The Jakarta Post have claimed that Setya was close to Andi.

The sources, who declined to be named, said Andi was often seen in Golkars faction rooms at the House at the time Setya was the head of the Golkar faction when the budgeting process for the project was underway. They even referred to Andi as Setyas close friend.

Setya has dismissed these claims, saying that his one-time business with Andi took place when he was treasurer of the party, not when he was leader of the partys faction at the House.

From Golkar, Andi received backing from Setya. From the Democratic Party, the businessman was supported by former Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, both of whom received $5.5 million from the project.

Andi also allegedly bribed politicians from the PDI-P, the opposition party at the time, to strengthen his position at the House.

Andis arrest may drag high-profile figures further into e-ID case KPK says it will step up investigation into case.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24 2017

Following a brawl between ride-hailing app drivers and angkot (public minivan) drivers at the Laladon terminal in Bogor, West Java, the Bogor Police have deployed personnel to safeguard the city and prevent further clashes between the two groups.

Bogor Police spokesperson Adj. Comr. Ita Puspitalena said the personnel were stationed at 10 locations across the city, including areas bordering Depok and Bogor regency.

We have deployed 1,640 officers, Ita said, adding that the personnel were from the Bogor Police, the West Java Police and the National Police.

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 Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post)  Fri, March 24 2017

State-owned coal miner PT Bukit Asam plans to unlock the untapped potential of coal-bed methane (CBM) in Indonesia, in line with its long-term plan to transform into an energy company.

CBM is an unconventional form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. It is formed during the process of coalification, or the transformation of plant material into coal.

Bukit Asam claims that it currently has CBM reserves in three different locations, namely Tanjung Enim and Lahat, both located in South Sumatra, as well as Ombilin in West Sumatra.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 11:30 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde6310d7 1 National cybersecurity,cyber-security,#CyberSecurity,Communications-and-Information-Ministry Free

The Communications and Information Ministrys International Cooperation Center head, Ikhsan Baidirus, said developing countries had agreed to give close attention to the strengthening of cybersecurity during the regional preparatory meeting for 2017 World Telecommunication Development Conference in Bali.

Indonesias proposal on follow-up discussions about cybersecurity issues has received wide support from developing countries. Cybersecurity is not on the International Telecommunication Union [ITU] agenda but we are striving to put it in its programs, he said as quoted by Antara after the closing of the meeting in Legian on Thursday.

The meeting aims to unite the common interests of countries in the Asia-Pacific. All aspirations will be brought to the World Telecommunication Development conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October. Representatives of 29 ITU member countries from the Asia-Pacific attended the Bali meeting.

Ikhsan said he was aware that ITU as a world telecommunication organization had mandated the development of infrastructure of communications and information technology, and not content development.

However, he said, the safety of network infrastructure to prevent the misuse of communications and information technology, such as to spread negative content, must be improved further.

Ikhsan said developing countries agreed on the high importance of cybersecurity, including cyber norms, given differences of culture, social and political situations in each country.

Indonesia Telecommunication Regulation Agency commissioner Imam Nashiruddin said several countries also suggested follow-up discussions on cybersecurity be proposed in the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, in April.

Cybersecurity has long been in our concern but it has yet to become an ITU resolution. (rdi/ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Desy Nurhayati (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali  Fri, March 24, 2017 21:49 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde643ab6 1 National divers,coral-reefs,nusa-penida,Nusa-Dua,Tanjung-Benoa,underwater-cleanup,underwater,marine-tourism Free

Forty-four divers cleaned up the underwater area around Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa, two of the most popular destinations for snorkeling and watersports in Bali.

The divers from the Nusa Dua Reef Foundation (NDRF), divers associations and watersports operators collected 25 sacks of plastic and other non-organic trash from the area, which is rich in species of coral and fish.

Non-organic trash is a serious problem that has threatened the health and beauty of the marine ecosystem in Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa. They are popular destinations for marine tourism, which heavily relies on the beauty of the coral reefs," said Pariama Hutasoit of the NDRF on Friday.

Polluted: Plastic trash and non-organic waste covers corals in Nusa Dua waters, Bali, threatening the marine ecosystem in the area.(Courtesy of Nusa Dua Reef Foundation/File)

Every year, she said, 8 tons of plastic trash ended up in the sea in the area, threatening marine life, harming seabirds, sea mammals and killing fish and coral reefs. The trash was often carried away by currents, polluting beaches and disrupting tourist activities along the coastline.

During the World Ocean Summit in Bali last month, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) declared war on plastic trash in the ocean through its worldwide campaign of #CleanSeas. The Indonesian government has also made a commitment to reduce plastic trash by 70 percent by 2025.

Since 2014, the NDRF has teamed up with Conrad Bali to clean up underwater areas.

This time, we are focusing the underwater clean-up on areas around Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa. We aim to clear non-organic trash and raise public awareness on the importance of coral reefs and to support the #CleanSeas campaign," Pariama said. (ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24 2017

The government plans to subsidize the transportation of seafood exports to enable them to be directly sent from Eastern Indonesia to Darwin, Australia.

Currently, fishery products from Eastern Indonesia are transferred to Surabaya in East Java before being sent to Australia, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Wednesday, adding that it took a week for the fish to be transported to Australia.

So we will provide a subsidy through state-owned transportation companies Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia [Pelni] and Garuda Indonesia. We can reduce the time from a week to two to three days, Budi Karya said when attending the commemoration of PT Sarana Multi Infrastrukturs (SMI) anniversary in Jakarta.

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
There is always something happening in the world of fashion. Lifestyle keeps you abreast with all you need to know to keep your FQ going this week.

By Radhika Bhalla/Mail Today: Travel in style

Two favourite brands of fashion and homestays - Shantanu & Nikhil and Airbnb collaborated to showcase a special fashion show in the Capital recently, announcing the launch of the new 'Trips platform' by the hospitality service.

Sonam Kapoor. Photo: Mail Today

The duo presented a range of chic separates from their 'Atelier Experience' show including bandhgala kurtis, saris, anarkalis and lehenga skirts that flaunted a distinctly modern flavour. Sharp cuts, a play of contrasts and minimalism played into their collection that effectively accentuated the figure.

advertisement

As the designers stated, "Our spring summer collection is an amalgamation of precision of style, and an extension of our love story with drapes."

Shantanu Mehra, Brian Chesky and Nikhil Mehra. Photo: Mail Today

The showstopper of the evening was Brian Chesky, CEO and Head of Community of Airbnb who looked smart in a black bandhgala with gold buttons on the chest, worn with black pants. Actress Sonam Kapoor also attended the event, dressed in a black cut-out dress from Self-Portrait worn with strappy black and gold heels.

Shopping for summer

The Pink Post Inc exhibition is back with their summer-friendly edition this Saturday, March 25 at The Ashoka hotel. The day-long fair will feature 75 brands, ranging from apparel to accessories, shoes, home decor and flower arrangements, all priced under Rs 25,000. While trinkets and goodies begin at Rs 500, jewellery will go up to Rs 5,000 and shoes will be under Rs 8,000.

Also Read:You won't have to sell a kidney to buy the peach dress Deepika Padukone just wore

Speaking to Lifestyle, co-founder Mitali Wadhwa shares, "For the upcoming season, we have included a lot of cotton ensembles in Indian and western wear, but there won't any bridal clothes. Meanwhile, there are 52 stalls and 23 table spaces with all the fun stuff."

jewellery by label Valliyan. Photo: Mail Today

The theme this time is floral, and the decor will be done up accordingly. The USP is that the collections presented at the exhibit are fresh, as all labels have ensured that they don't showcase their range in the city for 45 days before and 30 days after.

Designer Amrita Jhunjhunwala in an ensemble by label Indigene. Photo: Mail Today

Participating brands include Valliyan, Lulu & Sky, Madison, Oceedee, The Flora Studio and Sameer Madan among others.

Founders Mitali Wadhwa and Sharnamli Adhar. Photo: Mail Today

A new children's linen brand called Sommer Home will also display their range of Scandinavian designs in baby-friendly fabrics, and is a must-see.

Label Sommer Homme will showcase Scandanavian-inspired linen for babies. Photo: Mail Today

The Pink Post Inc Summer Cut 2017 will be held at The Ashoka hotel on Saturday, March 25, between 11am and 8pm.

advertisement

Cruz makes the cut

In a surprising announcement, it was revealed on Tuesday that Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz will essay the role of fashion veteran Donatella Versace in Ryan Murphy's Versace: American Crime Story anthology TV series. The drama will focus on the 1997 murder of couturier Gianni Versace, who was shot twice in the head on the steps of his South Beach mansion on July 15 1997.

Penelope Cruz. Photo: Mail Today

Donatella - Gianni's sister - was 42 years old at that time, and took over the international brand after his demise. Incidentally, Cruz is also 42 years old currently.

Donatella Versace. Photo: Mail Today

As for the script, the series will be based on Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth's book Vulgar Favors and is expected to air in early 2018. Fashionistas can look forward to seeing the actress with blonde hair, a wardrobe featuring the best of 90s fashion and of course, a lot of Versace garments.

The master weave

Delhi is in for a handloom treat, as textiles expert, designer Gaurang Shah has opened doors to his flagship store in the Capital in Defence Colony recently.

The Hyderabad-based self-taught designer has curated the store with an eclectic mix of garments, made from time-honoured weaves like Khadi, uppada, paithani, kanjeevaram, Benarasi, patan patola, kota and dhakai.

Vidya Balan. Photo: Mail Today

advertisement

One of his biggest supporters, actress Vidya Balan attended the launch, wearing a cream and fawn coloured khadi sari with light polka dots and floral jamdani embroidery on the borders. The ensemble was styled with a bright orange lipstick, silver jhumka earrings, bangle and nath.

Gaurang Shah. Photo: Mail Today

Meanwhile, the handmade boutique saris are priced between Rs 8,000 and Rs 4 lakh, and for those who are serious collectors of beautiful drapes, a visit to the store is a must as each piece takes nearly two years to create. While the maestro is yet to launch an online store, those interested can head to D-24, 5th floor, Defence Colony between 10 am and 7 pm.

Photo: Mail Today

--- ENDS ---
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Dandy Koswaraputra (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 23:04 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde644579 1 National AJI,#AJI Free

For Eko Maryadi, former chairman of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the death of prominent journalist Ahmad Taufik, affectionately known as Ate, is an occasion for grief but also for memories. Companion-in-arms against the dictatorship of president Soeharto, Eko and Taufik served time together in prison.

Taufik died of lung cancer on Thursday at 7:15 pm after being hospitalized in Jakarta. His body was taken to the family home in Kebon Pala, Central Jakarta. He was 51.

Ate and I were like brothers as we spent about three years in jail in three different prisons; Salemba, then Cipinang and Cirebon prisons. We never argued or fought each other although we had different preferences in politics. Ive lost my dearest friend and brother who was loyal, kind and consistent, Eko said.

(Read also: Prominent Indonesian journalist Ahmad Taufik dies)

Taufik was born in Jakarta on July 12, 1965. He spent his early childhood in Kebon Pala, Central Jakarta. He then studied at the Chinese Primary School SD Tionghoa, in Tanah Abang. When the school was closed he continued his education at a government school SD Kebon Kacang.

Taufik studied at junior high school SMP 35 Gambir and then senior high school SMA 24 Senayan in Central Jakarta before he moved to Bandung, West Java, for college. Taufik studied law at the Bandung Islamic University (UNISBA) and Arab Literature at state education institute IKIP Bandung.

While at university, Taufik actively fought for local peoples land rights in West Java. He advocated for social, economic and political rights. His involvement in journalism blossomed in his university years. He had written for newspapers, tabloids and magazines since 1985.

His journalistic career began at monthly magazine Islamic Young Generation, Estafet, biweekly Islamic magazine Kiblat and weekly tabloid Eksponen. In 1989, he started working for weekly news magazine Tempo until 1994, when he moved around working for Media Indonesia and weekly news magazine D&R.

Taufik went back to Tempo in 1998, but still found time to become a lecturer at STIKOM Bandung and write for other publications, namely Suara Ummah-Bulanan Digest Islam, monthly magazine Bening, weekly news magazines Hankroyeh 21, lifestyle magazines U-Mag, On Stage, Lets Dance, Tempo Interaktif, AdaTerus.com and BeritaProtes.com.

Ahmad Taufik (holding his first son) and Eko Maryadi in Salemba Prison, 1995. (Anonymous/File)

The father of three kids was a highly respected journalist and mentor to many journalists, especially to young reporters like Alwan Ridha Ramadhani. The former Tempo and merdeka.com reporter had a great dynamic with Ate even though their age gap was quite big.

I remember when I worked for Tempo and merdeka.com in Jakarta, Ate often gave me a ride from Bandung (my hometown) to the capital because he visited Bandung frequently. We discussed many things, including his family. Ate, who usually wore a sarong and t-shirt during the trip, also asked me to take care of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI). He always insisted on dropping me off at my rented house when we arrived in Jakarta, Alwan said.

Taufik established student, youth, journalism, nationality and anti-corruption organizations. He was the founder of Forum Independent

Journalists (FOWI) in Bandung, chairman of the Presidium of AJI, chairman of the Institute for Advocacy of the Indonesian Press (Certified), member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), member of Bela Keadilan Legal Aid, member of Garda Independence and honorary member of the International PEN English Centre.

Ate wrote more than 15 books since 1994 up until his latest book, 7 Contemporary International Issues, which was published in 2016. He also taught journalism courses at several universities in Indonesia.

Ahmad Taufik was buried on Friday at the Karet Bivak General Cemetery, Central Jakarta. (dis/van)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 11:10 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde62f064 1 Business meat,imports,Brazil,quality,scandal Free

The Indonesian government stopped importing beef and chicken from Brazil because of the quality prior to the finding of uneatable meat that was exported from Brazil to a number of countries, an official said.

We do not import meat [from Brazil]. I have also stopped [meat imports] from Malaysia, Agriculture Ministrys livestock and animal health director general, I ketut Diarmita, said as reported by tempo.co on Thursday.

He said several countries had stopped importing meat from Brazil, following the incident.

(Read also: Brazil meat scandal deepens as China, EU, Chile bar imports)

In connection with the finding, three companies in Brazil have been closed and 21 other are under investigation. Brazilian President Michael Temer said the case involved only a small number of companies. Meanwhile, Brazilian Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said because of the finding, more than 30 countries might no longer trust the countrys meat products.

Diarmita said the Indonesian government was conducting a study on the domestic demand of beef and chicken. While we are making an analysis on the demand, we do not need to import, he said.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Meat Traders Association chairman Asnawi demanded the government permanently ban the import of meat from Brazil.

Documentation and physical checking of imported meat should be intensified, said Asnami, adding that the move would be aimed not only to prevent the entry of poor quality meat, but also to prevent the entry of non-halal meat. (bbn)

Topics : meat imports Brazil quality scandal
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (Associated Press) Jerusalem  Fri, March 24, 2017

An Israeli rights group has released an amateur video it says shows soldiers seizing a terrified 8-year-old Palestinian boy as they tried to get him to identify people who had thrown a firebomb in the West Bank.

B'Tselem said he "was wandering barefoot outside his house in Hebron looking for a toy he had lost" when soldiers "dragged" him around a neighborhood to show them Palestinians they said had earlier thrown a firebomb at a nearby settlement.

The military said Friday forces caught a suspect in the firebomb attack and "due to the fact the suspect was a minor, he was taken to his parent's home." It denied he was asked to identify other suspects.

Hebron has been a flashpoint in the recent wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 13:02 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde63396c 4 Business ride-hailing-application,Regulations,Jakarta-administration,supports Free

Acting Jakarta governor Sumarsono has said the city administration supports a revised regulation on the operations of ride-sharing app firms issued by the Transportation Ministry despite rejections voice by three major ride-sharing apps.

The government plans to start enforcing the revision to Transportation Ministerial Regulation No. 32/2016, which covers floor and ceiling service fares and fleet quota for ride-sharing app partners on April 1.

There will also be a gubernatorial regulation [on the matter], but we need to consult with the BPTJ [the Greater Jakarta Transportation Management Agency], Sumarno said as reported by tempo.co on Friday, adding that the central government had delegated the further regulation of the ride-sharing apps to local governments.

He said Jakarta did not face a serious problem with regard to the operation of ride-sharing apps, although he learned that it had sparked problems in other regions, including clashes between drivers of conventional taxis and ride-sharing app drivers, as well as between ride-sharing app drivers and other public transportation drivers.

The government claimed the floor fare for the services, to be decided by regional governments, would ensure the safety of consumers and reduce "fare wars. Meanwhile, the ceiling fare was intended to protect consumers from extreme ride-sharing app fare surges during peak hours

Major ride-sharing appsGo-Jek, Grab Indonesia and Uber have strongly opposed some proposed points, such as pricing and fleet quota, which they consider to have no relation whatsoever to safety, according to their joint statement last Friday. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24 2017

The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) will step up efforts to net more voters to ensure no resident is excluded on the updated voter list for the runoff slated for April 19.

Early this week, the commission announced that 156,160 residents would be added to the new voter list.

From March 22 to March 28, the commission would set up registration posts at several places across the city to reach out to eligible voters who have yet to be included on the voter list.

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  Fri, March 24, 2017 18:27 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde63dd0a 1 City Soekarno-Hatta-airport-railway,Manggarai-railway-station,demolition,residents-opposition Free

Dozens of Manggarai residents in South Jakarta filed a report with the National Commission on Human Rights on Friday, protesting the planned demolition of their houses to make way for the construction of a railway line to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

One local, Nasrul Dongoran, said the residents had been living in the area since the 1950s but did not have house deeds to support their claims. "But we can show our house purchase agreements signed by RT [neighborhood unit] head.

The residents also objected to the amount of compensation offered by train operator PT KAI for their land. They expressed hope that Komnas HAM could mediate in talks between them and the project operator.

PT KAI spokesperson Suprapto, however, claimed the company was the rightful owner of the land.

The company has said it would pay Rp 250,000 (US$18.75) per house, as compensation for the houses demolition costs, Suprapto told The Jakarta Post.

He added that as the airport train was planned to be operational this year, Manggarai Station would be renovated and no delays were expected in the construction despite peoples objections.

Previously, state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II said the construction of a train station at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, would be completed by the end of March and the airport railway line would start operating in July.

The train will transport people from the airport to Manggarai Station in 45 minutes.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 07:15 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde623e57 1 National Melinda-Gates,social-aid,health,cashless-aid,e-money,KIP Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo had the opportunity to discuss the governments poverty-eradication programs with Melinda Gates, the co-chair and trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, during their meeting on Thursday in Jakarta.

In the meeting, which took place before the presidents visit to Riau Islands, Jokowi told Gates about the governments social assistance, which is mostly disbursed in the form of e-money.

The programs include the Indonesia Smart Card (KIP), the Indonesia Health Card (KIS) and the Family Hope Program (PKH). The government distributes the cards to eligible recipients of the programs who can obtain the aid through ATMs.

Gates praised the programs after listening to Jokowis explanation.

We have learned so much from our visit to Indonesia over these past couple of days. We might adopt Indonesian programs and implement them in other countries, she said.

Gates said the foundation was willing to support the e-money programs by boosting the coverage of mobile banking in the country so that the number of people who have bank accounts can increase from 36 percent to 75 percent of the population.

Under the upcoming program those who live far from bank branches will be able to open and access bank accounts through mobile phones. (rdi/wit)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali  Fri, March 24, 2017 18:02 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde63c72f 1 National Tourist,MissingPerson,missing,bali,nusa-penida,Basarnas Free

Temson Mannie Junior Simeki, a New Zealand man reported missing for four days since Monday, has been found dead in Nusa Penida waters on Friday morning.

The 23-year-old man was reportedly swept away by a high wave when he was swimming in the Angel's Billabong, Nusa Penida, on Monday.

Bali Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Com. Hengky Widjaja said the body of the victim was found by two fishermen from Lembongan village, I Wayan Supiri and I Gede Sujana.

The two fishermen were on their traditional boat on the way home after fishing in waters in South Bali when they saw something floating in the waters of Crystal Bay. They found out it was a human body, Hengky explained on Friday.

The fishermen brought the body to the nearest floating jetty and made a report to the police. The corpse was taken to Sanglah Hospital by the National Search and Rescue Agency [Basarnas] team, he added.

The incident took place when Simeki and his two friends, Leonie Alanise Hafke, 20, from Germany and Indonesian Kalia Betari Utami, 24, visited the Angels Billabong, a natural swimming pool in Bunga Mekar village in Nusa Penida district. A big wave hit them when they were taking wefie photos on the edge of a cliff. Simeki and Hafke were pulled out to the sea by a high wave but the latter was rescued by an Australian tourist, James Crawford, 46, and survived the incident.

The results of an external examination conducted by a Sanglah Forensic team confirmed that it was Simekis body. The victims family members have also confirmed this. (ebf)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24 2017

President Joko Jokowi Widodo boasted about the governments poverty alleviation programs to Melinda Gates, the co-chair and trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation during their meeting at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta on Thursday.

Jokowi told the wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates about his non-cash social aid programs, including Indonesia Smart Cards, Indonesia Health Cards and Family Hope Programs.

The programs are part of our efforts to improve peoples welfare and the quality of the people, the President 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 Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24 2017

Reassuring the House of Representatives that infighting within state-owned oil and gas giant PT Pertamina will not happen again may not be an easy task. However, newly-minted president director Elia Massa Manik confidently told lawmakers that he could nurture enough unity to lead the countrys key asset to a better future.

In his first meeting with tough-talking legislators from Commission VII overseeing energy on Thursday, Elia did not back down from his vision of creating solidarity within the board of directors, which is seen as essential to help Pertamina achieve its goal as a world class energy company by 2025.

We are currently conducting internal consolidations and nurturing transparency in order to create a solid team, said Elia, who is the former president director of state-owned plantation firm PT Perkebunan Nusantara III (PTPN III). If we cannot become a solid unit, then we cannot teach our subordinates to do the same, and in doing so, we will not be able to accelerate [Pertamina] to where we want it to go. ... If we cannot become a solid unit, I will have failed.

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
The Donald Trump administration has given a list of 271 people, claiming they were illegal migrants from India.

By India Today Web Desk: After the Trump administration gave India a list of illegal migrants from India living in USA, India has asked the American government to give their details.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said this is an ongoing matter and the US authorities had conveyed to us sometime back that out of certain statistics provided to us earlier, 271 cases remained to be addressed.

HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: "However, no details of these cases were provided. We have asked for the same," he said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had yesterday said in Parliament, "We have not accepted this list and have sought more details. We have said that it is only after we verify the details, can we issue an emergency certificate for their deportation." The Donald Trump administration has given a list of 271 people, claiming they were illegal migrants from India. Asked about the killing of an Indian woman and her seven-year-old son in the US last night, Baglay said India is in touch with the US authorities who are trying to ascertain details of the "very unfortunate incident". He also said the Indian consulate was ready to extend all possible help to the family.

advertisement

(Inputs from PTI)

Also read:

Virat Kohli on comparisons with Donald Trump: Not bothered with these things

Donald Trump's immigration plans could impact 3 lakh Indian-Americans

How Donald Trump's merit-based immigration proposal could benefit Indians

Also watch:

Donald Trump signs revised immigration order, leaves out Iraq from list

--- ENDS ---
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram  Fri, March 24 2017

A hospital in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), is planning surgery for a 10-month-old baby boy who is diagnosed with fetus in fetu, or the presence of a twin inside his body.

The young son of a couple from Letok subdistrict, East Lombok, was taken to hospital after suffering a swelling of his abdomen.

After failing to find a cure at Selong Hospital in the regency, his parents took him to West Nusa Tenggara General Hospital (RSUD NTB) in Mataram.

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 Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali  Fri, March 24, 2017 21:29 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde642ea4 1 National nusa-penida,bali,boat-accident,Crash,boat-crash,#Nusa-Penida Free

One passenger died and six others were injured when two boats collided in Nusa Penida waters, Bali, on Friday.

Nusa Penida Police chief Comr. Ketut Suastika told The Jakarta Post the incident occurred at 10 a.m. local time when a small boat carrying 13 passengers traveled from Nusa Lembongan to Toya Pakeh village in Nusa Penida.

He said the boat collided with the Sri Merta Sari, a bigger traditional boat traveling from Kusamba, a traditional port in Klungkung, to Nusa Lembongan, in waters around Bias Munjul Bay near Nusa Ceningan.

The small boats captain reportedly did not see the traditional boat coming from the opposite direction because of a bamboo basket that hindered his view. He reportedly only saw the bigger boat when it was just 5 meters away.

All passengers in the small boat fell into the water. People from Nusa Ceningan Island strived to help them but one passenger was later found dead, Suastika said.

The dead passenger was identified as Ni Nengah Sarwi, 55, a Nusa Penida resident.

Six passengers were injured. They have been identified as Ni Ketut Sipi, 59, Ni Ketut Sanita, 18, Ni Kadek Suwastini, 21,Ni Wayan Retin, 65, Unik Erawati, 19, and Ni Wayan Wati, 54.

They have minor injuries, Suastika said.

A police investigation is under way. The accident was triggered by carelessness. We are investigating and have not named anyone a suspect as yet, said Suastika. (ebf)
Activists protest against coal mining in front of the headquarters of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta on Thursday. The protesters demanded that the government end its dependence on fossil fuels, the exploitation of which often causes environmental damage.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)(KPK) in Jakarta on Thursday. The protesters demanded that the government end its dependence on fossil fuels, the exploitation of which often causes environmental damage.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 06:44 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde620a7e 1 Business PLN,lampung-transmission,negotiation,company Free

Discussions between state-owned electricity company PLN and the Sugar Group Company regarding electricity transmission in Lampung have reached a significant milestone after the latter agreed to allow electricity transmission lines to pass above its land.

However, the company wants the transmission towers to be no higher than 27 meters, even though usually, transmission towers should be 36 meters above the ground, said Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, the deputy for energy at the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry, in Jakarta on Thursday.

The company argues that PLN must lower the towers so that they will not disturb its fertilizer aircraft, said Edwin.

Negotiations will continue as the 28 kilometer long 150 kiloVolt (kV) transmission project has to pass through some of the companys fields, he added.

Actually, PLN wanted to build the transmission line nine year ago, but it could not be implemented because of the problem, Edwin said during a hearing with the House of Representatives. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Bekasi  Fri, March 24, 2017 18:38 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde63e70d 1 City Bekasi Free

Police have fired tear gas to disperse hard-line Muslims protesting against the construction of a Catholic church in Bekasi, West Java.

Several hundred protesters from a group called the Forum for Bekasi Muslim Friendship demonstrated in front of the Santa Clara Church in Kaliabang, Bekasi, after Friday prayers.

Witnesses said police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to force their way into the church, which has been under construction since November. Some also threw rocks and bottles into the 6,500-square-meter site.

Ismail Ibrahim, a cleric and organizer of the protest, said they would not disperse until authorities met their demand to cancel the church's construction permit.

Topics : Bekasi
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Achmad Ibrahim and Ali Kotarumalos (Associated Press) Bekasi, West Java  Fri, March 24, 2017

Indonesian police fired tear gas on Friday to disperse hard-line Muslims protesting against the construction of a Catholic church in Bekasi, West Java.

Several hundred protesters from a group called Forum for Bekasi Muslim Friendship staged a rowdy demonstration in front of the Santa Clara church in Kaliabang, a neighborhood of Bekasi city, after Friday prayers.

Witnesses said police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to force their way into the church, which has been under construction since November. Some also threw rocks and bottles into the site.

Raymundus Sianipar, a Catholic priest, said police asked him to leave the area for safety reasons.

Militant Islamic groups frequently protest against the minority faiths and police often do not intervene. Members of minority religions that aren't recognized by the state face persistent discrimination.

Ismail Ibrahim, a cleric and organizer of the protest, said they would not disperse until authorities cancel the church's construction permit.

The church in the northern part of Bekasi has been the target of protests by hard-line Muslims since it obtained its permit in June 2015. Some claim the church's leaders used false identity cards to get the permit.

In April last year a Muslim group sealed off the church, tore down its sign and demanded that the mayor cancel the permit.

The private Asian Human Rights Commission has started an appeal on the church's behalf, asking for supporters to send letters to 10 top Indonesian leaders, including President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

About 12,000 Catholics in the Bekasi region currently meet in store fronts or business premises that serve as informal places of worship.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24 2017

After taking down provocative banners relating to the runoff round of the Jakarta gubernatorial election, police are now looking into the intentions and instigators of an online movement.

The Jakarta Police have warned about an application available on Playstore called Tamasya Al-Maidah (Al-Maidah Tour), inviting Muslims from all across Indonesia to flood into polling stations to guard them on polling day, April 19.

Deputy Jakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Suntana said that protecting polling stations was the polices job. However, he said, they would allow citizens to participate in safeguarding the election as long as they did not attempt to intimidate voters.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 13:12 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde634029 4 Business road-development,Basuki-Hadimuljono,private-firms Free

The government hopes private companies develop 27 percent of new roads nationwide, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimoeljono has said.

Under the Indonesia Road Development Plan 2015 to 2019, the government plans to develop 2,650 kilometers of toll roads. Some 1,000 km of the roads have been developed. In addition to that, the government also plans to expand the capacity of 3,073 km of existing roads.

The total cost of the projects is Rp 733 trillion (US$34.99 billion). The central government can only develop 37 percent of the roads, while 27 percent is expected to be developed by local governments, and another 27 percent by private companies, with the remaining projects developed by state-owned enterprises.

(Read also: Trans-Papua road set to be completed next year)

We have issued regulations to improve the investment climate, including regulations on government support, government guarantees, tax reduction and land acquisition, Basuki said as reported by tempo.co after opening the Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA) in Jakarta from March 22 to 24.

He said apart from discussing the latest technology in road development, the conference, attended by some 1,000 participants, including those from Japan, the Philippines and Australia, was expected to attract more private companies to the development of the countrys infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Road Developers Association (HPJI) chairman Hadiyanto W. said the government needed support from private companies to develop infrastructure, including roads. The 15th REAAA is attended by many potential investors, he added. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24, 2017 18:08 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde63d0f3 4 Business ride-hailing-application,Regulations,Budi-Karya-Sumadi Free

Ride-hailing app companies have been given a few months to adjust their internal affairs to abide by the newly revised regulation on non-route public transportation (taxis) issued by the Transportation Ministry.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi stressed the ministerial decree would be official on April 1, but his office would give tolerance to the companies through August before the regulation would be fully enforced.

Law enforcement in the field would be delayed up to August, said Budi as reported by tribunnews.com.

The new regulations include covering floor and ceiling service fares and fleet quota for ride-sharing app partners by April 1. The government said that the floor fare for the services, to be decided by the regional government, would ensure the safety of consumers and reduce "fare wars. Meanwhile, the ceiling fare was intended to protect consumers from extreme ride-hailing app fare surges during peak hours

Major ride-hailing appsGo-Jek, Grab Indonesia and Uber have strongly opposed some of the proposed points, such as pricing and fleet quota, which they consider having no relation whatsoever to safety, according to their joint statement last Friday.

Budi stressed that within three months of the transition period there would be no law enforcement against the violators of regulations by police officers or local transportation agencies officers, but he called on the online taxi companies to prepare themselves to face future law enforcement. (bbn)
After observing relatively weak economic performance over the past couple of years, the government is projecting a strong start for the final half of its term on the back of improving domestic factors and relaxing external pressure.

Amid a weak global economy, Indonesia, under the leadership of President Joko Jokowi Widodo, struggled to maintain economic growth at 5.02 percent last year after reaching only 4.79 percent in 2015, the lowest rate in six years. Jokowi, a successful furniture businessman prior to his entrance into politics, was inaugurated as the countrys seventh president in October 2014.

For this year, the government initially set a target of 5.1 percent economic growth in the state budget. But on Thursday, it came up with an optimistic view that it can do significantly better.

Looking at domestic factors, it is possible for us to achieve [economic growth of] 5.2 percent, or even 5.3 percent, in the absence of external pressure, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in a hearing with lawmakers on Thursday.

Providing an illustration, Sri Mulyani pointed out how the countrys exports had started to pick up after seeing a 3.95 percent year-onyear (yoy) decline in value last year.

Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data show exports in the first two months of this year increased by around 19 percent to nearly US$26 billion from the same period in 2016.

We are hoping that this momentum can continue, the minister said, before highlighting other supporting factors such as strong domestic consumption and increasing capital expenditure (capex) among state-owned companies.

Since his first day, the President has pledged to push through massive infrastructure development as his key strategy to spur growth. He has also been obsessed with achieving rice self-sufficiency and improving the countrys position in the global ease-of-doing-business ranking.

Amid the pinch of a sluggish global economy and falling energy prices, Jokowi last year managed to get the nod from lawmakers for the governments tax amnesty, which was expected to be a major alternative source of state revenue.

A public perception survey released earlier this week by Jakarta-based pollster Indo Barometer suggested that Jokowis approval rating had risen from 58 percent in October last year  when he completed his first two years in office  to 66.4 percent this month, paving the way for his possible reelection.

The survey, which has a 3 percent margin of error and a 95 percent confidence level, interviewed 1,200 people in 34 provinces between March 4 and 14.

Another positive indication has emerged from local companies confidence in spending big for expansion.

Multinational rating agency Fitch Ratings predicted that the aggregate capex-to-revenue ratio of Indonesian corporations would rise to 17 percent in 2017 compared to 15 percent last year.

Fitch expects Indonesian corporations to invest more capex in the next two years as companies prepare for better consumer sentiment, led by the improvement in economic activity, the firm said.

In its latest report, the World Bank also shared optimism that Indonesia could reach 5.2 percent economic growth in 2017.

However, the bank has forecast the budget deficit to be 2.6 percent of 2017 gross domestic product (GDP), wider than the 2.4 percent deficit target set in the 2017 budget, due to higher spending on public infrastructure projects and loss of income due to welfare-oriented programs, such as the heavily subsidized micro credit (KUR) program.

Separately, Bank Central Asia (BCA) economist David Sumual said the government must introduce other innovative measures post-tax amnesty, which ends this month, to boost tax revenue.

He also warned about the importance of maintaining political stability to maintain investors appetite, especially after two massive, religious-driven rallies by Muslim groups late last year to push for the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, a close ally of Jokowis, for alleged blasphemy.

Political stability will definitely become a key to attracting more investment this year, he told The Jakarta Post.
If the GST fails to roll out by September 15, the government will not be able to levy indirect taxes. With GST Constitution Amendment Act, the old tax regimes will cease to be effective on September 16.

By Prabhash K Dutta: The new indirect tax regime - the Goods and Services Tax - is heading for another roadblock. The GST is likely to miss yet another deadline on July 1, when it is supposed to be implemented.

Rolling out the GST on July 1 requires Parliament to pass four Bills before the Budget session ends on April 12.

advertisement

However, it seems that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley are not very confident about getting all those enabling legislation passed on time despite having a brute majority in the Lok Sabha and the Bills being finance ones.

PM Modi recently told his party MPs to raise awareness among people about the GST while Finance Minister Jaitley yesterday made an impassioned plea in Parliament during his reply on the Budget to pass all the four Bills.

WHY THIS HURRY?

A constitutional amendment was done last year to pave way for GST, which will replace all other indirect taxes. A GST Council was set up by the amendment Act. The GST Council has prepared five Bills altogether.

Four Bills are to be passed by Parliament to roll out the GST. The Constitution Amendment Act makes it mandatory to roll out GST on or before September 15. It is not possible without having the legislation in place.

According to the Constitutional Amendment Act, the older taxes will cease to exist on September 15.

If Parliament does not pass the four GST Bills, and government fails to roll out goods and services tax by September 15, it would not be legally entitled to collect any indirect tax from September 16.

No government can afford to be in such a situation even for one day when it does not have the right to collect taxes.

OPTIONS BEFORE MODI-JAITLEY

There are two theoretical options before the Modi government if it fails to roll out GST before September 15.

The government may go to Parliament and seek its nod for the status quo ante permission to revert to pre-GST situation.

The second option before the government is to adopt the ordinance route or presidential extension. Theoretically speaking, the government is required to prove before both Parliament and President- that there was a valid and unavoidable reason for not rolling out the GST.

THE GST BILLS

The government is likely to introduce the GST Bills next week. The Bills are - the Central Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (C-GST), the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (I-GST), the Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (UT-GST) and the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the States) Bill 2017.

advertisement

The Union Cabinet cleared all the four Bills earlier this week for tabling in Parliament.

The State Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 needs to be separately passed by 29 Assemblies to have the new tax regime in the country.

Also read | GST: Why Modi-Jaitley team will face challenges in Parliament and outside

Also read | Hoping to implement GST from July 1, says Arun Jaitley

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Rita Widiadana and Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Fri, March 24 2017

Despite the rapid development of information technology, misconceptions and myths on adolescent reproductive health issues remain intact within Indonesias paternalistic society, say experts.

Issac Tri Oktaviati, a researcher from the Reproductive Health Center at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), said that adolescent exposure to reproductive health information was still relatively low with no significant increase between the years 2002-2015.

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 Salil Shetty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 24 2017

Donald Trump had barely spent a month in the White House when his administration began translating his divisive campaign rhetoric into policy.

Targeting people for their faith, his administration issued executive orders banning the entry of citizens from half a dozen Muslim majority countries.

At a stroke of a pen, by curbing travel from countries which suffer war and strife and shutting down the United States refugee resettlement program, the US imperiled its storied tradition of welcoming refugees from across the world.

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) Denpasar  Sat, March 25 2017

A New Zealand tourist missing since Monday was found dead in Nusa Penida waters on Friday after he was swept away by high waves while attempting to rescue a friend in the famous Angels Billabong in Nusa Penida.

Two local fisherman from Lembongan village named I Wayang Supiri and I Gede Sujana found the body of Temson Mannie Junior Simeki, 23, on Friday morning, Bali Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Hengky Widjaja said.

The two fisherman on their traditional boat were going home after fishing. They saw something floating in the waters off Crystal Bay. As they tried to get closer, they realized that it was a human body, Hengky explained.

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, March 25 2017

The Communications and Information Ministrys International cooperation center head, Ikhsan Baidirus, said that developing countries had agreed to pay close attention to the strengthening of cybersecurity during the regional preparatory meeting for the 2017 World Telecommunications Development Conference in Bali.

Indonesias proposal on follow-up discussions about cybersecurity issues has received wide support from developing countries. Cybersecurity is not on the International Telecommunication Unions [ITU] agenda but we are striving to put it in its programs, he said as quoted by Antara after the closing of the meeting in Legian on Thursday.

The meeting aims to unite the common interests of countries in the Asia-Pacific. All aspirations will be brought to the World Telecommunication Development conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October. Representatives of 29 ITU member countries from the Asia-Pacific attended the Bali meeting.

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 Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, March 25 2017

The Papua administration may have to swallow a bitter pill as it will probably receive a smaller than hoped for portion of the required share divestment of gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia.

According to new rules announced in January, Freeport Indonesiapart of US-based mining giant Freeport McMoRan Inc.is required to have sold 51 percent of its shares to national entities in the 10th year after converting its contract of work (CoW) to a special mining license (IUPK).

The government is mulling whether to allocate the Papua administration 5 percent of the divested shares, but in the form of a dividend.

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, March 25 2017

The recent break-up of a terrorist cell in Cilegon, Banten, by the National Polices Densus 88 counterterrorism squad has revealed the intensifying coordination between terrorist groups in eastern Indonesia and the southern Philippines.

Seven terrorist suspects were rounded up on Thursday while one was shot and killed in an operation to curb a planned expansion by the network to consolidate resources in remote places in Indonesia.

The shattered cell plotting the consolidation was affiliated with terrorist organization Jamaah Anshar Daulah (JAD), the major supplier of Indonesian fighters for the Islamic State (IS) movement in Syria and Iraq.

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 Nikki Ekstein (Bloomberg)  Fri, March 24, 2017 17:17 2054 a291276806121264c0bd211cde63a791 2 Destinations South-Pole,road-trip,travel,#travel,traveling,#traveling Free

Looking for the next great undiscovered drive? What about driving so far south, you actually hit the South Pole?

Come November, you can make it happen on a roughly two-week-long road trip across Antarctica with Explorations Company.

Sound intrepid? Thats just the start. Travelers will have a chance to hike Antarcticas highest mountain, Mt. Vinson (it clocks in at 10,000 feet); cross-country ski across the tundra; and locate the point on the Earth where all 24 time zones meet and time loses all conventional meaning. And if all the stars align, you can even try to break the world record for the fastest Antarctic crossing.

Its all part of two exclusive trips that accommodate no more than six travelers a pieceat a price tag of $165,000 per person.

These sorts of things just dont get done, and thats what makes it so special, said Nicola Shepherd, owner and director of Explorations Company, whose forte is in linking travelers with world-class conservationists in the worlds wildest corners, such as Botswana and India. Here in Antarctica, it's climate researchers whom she's connected withand who originated these frozen voyages.

The logistics

Weather is just the first of many challenges. (The temperatures can easily hover around minus 50 degrees.) Since passengers need at least 10 days to complete the driving circuit to the South Pole and back, it's unappealing to take a slow ship to get to Antarctica itself.

Instead, guests fly in on a Russian Ilyushin-76 jet. It looks a bit like the grim reaper on the outside, joked Shepherd, but its by far the most comfortable way to cross the Strait of Magellan. By the time the aircraft lands on Antarcticas iced-over runway, a fleet of specialized 6x6 trucks await to begin the real journey.

The polar-adapted vehiclesa fleet of 19 retrofitted Toyota Hiluxes powered by a specially formulated, freeze-proof fuelare the purview of Arctic Trucks, a company that has facilitated trips for Top Gear and British royalty. (Prince Harry used them on his 2013 South Pole charity trip for Walking With the Wounded.)

The route follows the footsteps of 1950s explorer Sir Vivian Fuchs from the Ronne ice shelf to the Ross ice shelf. Only 23 people have ever completed the 1,150-mile-long crossing, and more than half of them were on Fuchss team.

(Read also: Survey says Porto is best European destination, again)

The creature comforts

Arctic trucks arriving at a camp site.(The Explorations Company via Bloomberg/File)

To make things a little easier, Arctic Trucks provides specialized outerwear to keep travelers as appropriately dressed as possible. The crew includes a chef, who flies in enough ingredients to make meat-and-carb-heavy meals that power the days adventures. Champagne toasts are literally built into the itinerary. And although they dont have running water, the mobile camps are well insulated and have private bathrooms with dry flush toiletsstaffers will even put hot water bottles under your pillows to keep things nice and toasty.

But this isnt a luxury hotel experience; this is the drive of your life. And while its expected to take 10 days from start to finish, you can never really know.

Wind is the most detrimental factor, said Shepherd. Visibility can be zero on certain days. You can get snowed in. Youd have to stay in camp those days, play cards, and wait for the first clearing.

Who's going

As much as this is sold as a tourist trip, its not a jolly old holidayits an expedition, explained Shepherd, who spoke to Bloomberg by phone from her headquarters in Gloucestershire, U.K. For each traveler in the convoy, there are about four staffers: medics, researchers, and local experts who are adept at navigating the all-white landscape.

Travelers need to pass physical fitness evaluations to make sure they can handle the extreme conditions.

People lose a lot of weight on these trips, just because your body is working so much harder to keep warm, Shepherd explained, adding that none of the excursions would be considered physically demanding in any other climate.

So whos the target audience? British fund managers and Swiss bankers have been the ones to book thus far.

Its not necessarily for extreme adventurers who have already climbed Kilimanjaro, said Shepherd. Its more for people who have a fascination for Antarctica but dont want to go on a great big ship with hundreds of people. Or for those who want to do something different to stretch themselves and understand their own great potential.
A lady teacher in Porbandar has been arrested for showing obscene videos to little schoolkids and walked around half-naked in the classroom.

By Gopi Maniar Ghanghar : Students of Sharda Vidya Mandir in Porbandar, Gujarat, were caught in a fix after a teacher showed them obscene videos and passed lewd comments.

Not only she danced and talked in an obscene manner, the teacher even threatened the little kids against informing their parents. She told them that they will be expelled from the school, which kept the students in fear.

advertisement

The teacher's misdemeanour came into light after one of her students complained about it to his parents.

The students have even accused the teacher of taking them inside a room where she danced half-naked in front of them.

Parents of the students were furious after they learnt about the teacher's lewd act. Soon, parents thronged the school premises and the pandemonium in the institution broke loose. Parents of the students took the matter to the district education department.

The incident sent shock-waves across the city and even the administration was appalled. Soon the police were informed about it and the school teacher was arrested. After launching an investigation into the incident, the police also confiscated the teacher's mobile phone.

Incidentally, several pornographic clips were found on the teacher's mobile phone. Police has registered a case against the teacher and she has been booked under sections 293 and 294 of the Indian Penal Code and under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

FYI || Handcuffed: Man films obscene video of a girl, judge asks him to marry the same girl ||

FYI || After Trump's lewd comments, a million women share sexual assault stories to prove it's not okay ||

Also Watch: AI Sex Doll Responds with Romance and Even Has a 'Family Mode'

--- ENDS ---
Shortly after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm renowned Orthodox Jewish attorney David Friedman as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, which lobbied extensively on behalf of his confirmation, issued a statement of congratulations:

We are pleased that the U.S. Senate made the wise decision of entrusting our dear friend David Friedman with representing our nation to our stalwart ally, Israel. David is brilliant, capable and, most of all, a sincere mentch, who will do an excellent job in this delicate role. Peace loving Americans, Israelis, Palestinians and others around the world have great reason to celebrate. We look forward to working together with the new Ambassador on a wide variety of pertinent issues.

In particular, we would like to laud Democratic Senators Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Joe Manchin of West Virginia for their courageous vote to confirm Mr. Friedmandespite the vicious smear campaign against him that was led by left wing special interests. The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce worked tirelessly to ensure that Senators of both parties see past the propaganda, and get to know the real David Friedman, as we know him. Thankfully, the truth ultimately prevailed.
Today is the 106th commemoration of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. [Facebook Invite]

Six people were arrested in connection with a gun-running operation that used intercity buses bound for Chinatown. [Daily News]

Extells Gary Barnett talks about his monstrous Lower East Side project, One Manhattan Square, and other topics. [The Real Deal]

Cogswell Lee Development has secured a $65 million construction loan for its condo project on the former site of the Streits Matzo Factory on Rivington Street. [The Real Deal]

Another look at the life work of Professor Peter Kwong, the Chinese-American scholar who died March 17. In a 2009 interview, he addressed gentrification in Chinatown, predicting, Like many other old immigrant communities, the space will still be there, but the essence will be gone. [New York Times]

The mayor was in a particularly petulant mood when he met the press yesterday. [New York Times]

After more than 40 years, Angelica Kitchen on East 12th Street is closing. [EV Grieve]

Boss Hog releases its first album in 17 years, and a glimpse, perhaps, into the preoccupations of a rock n roll couple (Cristina Martinez and Jon Spencer) facing middle age. [New York Times]
This post was produced in partnership with Bloom, a literary site that features authors whose first books were published when they were 40 or older.

1.

We are a storytelling species, we humans, circled around our archetypal fire, backs to the impenetrable dark and lurking beasts. Before there was fiction as we know it, there were metaphors and myths to help explain where we come from and where we go. Storytelling has always been an antidote to the fear of what we dont know or understand.

Our litany of fears hasnt changed much over the last 50,000 years or so. We fear death, illness, pain, infirmity. Now that we live into our 80s and 90s, we can add to that list the fear of losing our faculties.

On the upside, without this innate horror of death and decline there would be very little art, and surely not much literature. Its human nature to want to defang the beast, but also to poke it  to see what our fears are made of. And people want stories  need them  more than ever, it seems. Popular storytelling programs like The Moth and This American Life, for example, reassure us that were in this together. Were all going to die; lets go from there.

There is a shadowy twin to that bit of reality: most of us will also find ourselves bearing witness to someone elses final days  days that in fact often turn out to be weeks, months, years. Parents, partners, relatives, friends: someday you will watch a person you care about suffer. Its not so much that last shovelful of dirt on the grave that should terrify us, but emptying all those bedpans.

2.

Eileen Tumulty, the central character in Matthew Thomass debut novel We Are Not Ourselves (Simon and Schuster), has no time for worrying about what she does or doesnt fear. Born in 1941, to Irish immigrant parents in Queens, Eileen is a clear-eyed striver. Wary of the ways drink and habitual sorrow encumbered her own parents, and confident that she alone is responsible for the life she wants to lead, she concentrates on moving out and up. She works and saves, goes to nursing school, and refuses to succumb to the charms of the local boys, until a friend fixes her up with Ed Leary, a serious young man with a promising career in neuroscience. Within the year theyre engaged. They move from drab Woodside to Forest Hills  in 1967, a diverse and thriving neighborhood  and have a son, whom Eileen impulsively names Connell after a visiting friend leaves a copy of Evan S. Connells Mrs Bridge on the hospital nightstand: [I]t sounded more like a last name than a first name, like one of those patrician monikers the doctors she worked with often bore, and she wanted to give the boy a head start on the concerns of life.

Eileen understands how the American Dream works: You leave as little as possible to chance. You save your money, educate your children, and take every opportunity that presents itself. Ed, on the other hand, turns down a tenure-track job at NYU because hed rather teach low- and middle-income students at Bronx Community College, and prefers to keep teaching rather than move up as assistant dean. Hes content in their Queens neighborhood, even as it becomes rougher around the edges, while she wants a home in Bronxville, an upscale Westchester suburb.

Ed keeps doing the work he loves, but Eileen eventually gets her house, overspending on a rundown fixer-upper. Around the time of their move, however, Ed begins to act erratically, lashing out at Connell for imagined infractions, mixing up his students grades, abandoning home repairs in frustration. Eileen does her best to help him, but eventually decorum and denial cant compensate for Eds inability to function. She takes him for a neurological workup  even at the doctors office swinging between protecting the man she loves and desperate disbelief:

Tell me something. Do you know who the current president is?

If he wanted to insult him, this was a perfect way to do it. She almost wanted Ed to answer sarcastically or deliberately incorrectly, but she didnt want the doctor to have the satisfaction of writing it down on that little pad of his.

Ed sat with it; maybe he was coming up with a witty riposte.

I know its a Republican, he said, I know that.

The diagnosis is early-onset Alzheimers; Ed is 51. And so the game changes for the Learys. The American Dream will only take you so far, Thomas proposes, underscoring the novels unmistakable subtext: this could be your story. It could be mine.

3.

A few days before Christmas 2006, my mother slipped on an icy step and hit her head. She had just finished giving an English lesson to a young Japanese couple; they saw her fall, called 911, and waited outside with her for the ambulance. She blacked out only briefly, and the damage was minimal: a small skull fracture with no cranial bleeding, some spinal trauma but nothing broken. She received immediate and excellent care, and her prognosis was good.

Mom was already what I thought of as ditzy  a little absentminded, sometimes silly, but nothing you wouldnt expect from someone just short of her 79th birthday. Until a few of years before, she had been commuting into Manhattan daily, working as a bank presidents assistant, and, once she retired, she began teaching English at the local chapter of Berlitz. She read widely and critically, painted and drew, cooked adventurously, and loved going to galleries. But some bad convergence of side effects began to take its toll almost immediately after the accident. The head injury, the inactivity, and who knows what else, slowly shut her down.

Her deterioration was typical of all types of dementia: Periods of no change punctuated by small disasters that would reshuffle the deck, forcing us to scramble for solutions. There was no predictable pattern, except for my own near-miraculous capacity to be shocked and dismayed every single time. It wasnt that I expected her to get better. I just didnt imagine shed get so much worse so quickly. It took me years before I could stop thinking, If she would just pay more attention

Though there are countless books, websites, and support groups available, Ive turned to friends and family  or rather, weve turned to each other. According to the 2014 Alzheimers Association Facts and Figures report, one in nine people age 65 or older has some form of dementia; for those over 85 its closer to one third. Those numbers translate into a lot of us trying to make sense out of something so senseless. And what we do, for the most part, is tell each other stories. We allow flares of black humor, we invent our own metaphors. This is, I say, like trying to fix a leaky boat in the middle of the ocean. This is, my friend says, like making pencil lines lower and lower on the doorframe. This is, another friend writes, a process of mourning by degrees. Canceling the Netflix account because my detailed DVD-player instructions are no longer enough; taking away the car keys; removing the knobs from the stove. A housekeeper, part-time help, a live-in aide. Each new development is like entries in the worlds worst baby book.

4.

Thomass portrait of how the disease cuts through lives is on the mark and sensitive; he gets it all right, and anyone who has lived those cycles of denials and acceptance will recognize herself, or someone else. In the period before Eds diagnosis, when both he and Eileen are convinced that they just need to try a little harder (If she would just pay more attention), Eileen tells herself,

He would listen to her. He had always been good at listening to her. As he got older and more fixed in his fears and habits, she had to shout a little louder to be heard, but once he heard her, if he could stomach what she was asking for, he did what she askedHe needed to regroup, to see new possibilities, to think bigger than ever. If there was anything she could help him with, it was thinking big.

Eds own resolution, whether for her benefit or his own  Thomas never approaches the story from his viewpoint  is that Ive been meaning to spend more time attending to my needsIve had a cloudy head for a while. Im trying to get back to basics.

Eileen keeps him at home as long as she can, though a life of careful planning cant help her here:

She spent all morning [at work] worrying about him screwing it up. He needed perfect accuracy to pull it off. If he hit any button other than start, he ended up gnawing on frozen manicotti or choking down cold beef stew. She came home to the time unchanged on the microwave, half the meal on the floor, a broken plate under the table, the Times intact in its sleeve.

Even when he is eventually moved to a care facility, she keeps tight control of her own vision  all thats left to her:

She wasnt visiting. What she was doing was seeing her husband after work. It was simply a part of her day. She was showing them that Ed might be there with them instead of home where he belonged, but nothing else had changedThey had no clue what kind of man had fallen into their lap, but she wasnt going to explain it to them, because they didnt deserve to hear it.

Its a shape-shifter of a disease; as soon as you understand what youre dealing with, everything changes again. Who can begrudge Eileen her excuses and her bargaining? Its hard to hit a moving target.

5.

People tell me what a good daughter I am, how attentive and patient. I am not, I want to say. I lean too much on my older sister, whine about losing my weekends, dread changing my mothers Depends in restaurant bathrooms. But I love her enormously, and I show up. Still, Im not a natural caregiver. I was a good mother, but that was all animal instinct. Otherwise its not part of my makeup.

I was, frankly, spoiled rotten as a child, never really encouraged to look outward. This was partly because it was the 70s  awful as the nickname is, the Me Generation isnt too far off the mark  but also because of the way our family worked. My mother compensated for her own hardships  she grew up during the Depression with an ill and often absent mother, her first marriage failed, and her second, to my father, was difficult as well  by throwing herself into mothering me, the much-adored late-in-life baby. I wasnt literally an only child, but I was raised like one. Make sure you take care of yourself first, she always advised me. And I did.

My fathers health began to fail when I was barely into my 20s, probably the result of a series of mini-strokes that, coupled with diabetes, progressively disabled him and killed him at age 69. I say probably because I dont know and didnt push for more information; I was just out of college, with a new husband, a new baby, and, soon, a new divorce; I had troubles of my own. My dad and I had butted heads when I was an adolescent, especially after my parents divorced, and a whiff of that still clung  which is to say I was mostly self-involved and selfish.

Fortunately my presence wasnt needed. My fathers partner quit her job and cared for him cheerfully, tirelessly. She was  and is  unfailingly kind to me, effectively letting me off the hook for all my deficiencies. But years later, the work of caring for my mother would bring everything rushing in: how emotionally absent I was in my dads last years, how thoroughly I failed him. I carry that with me always.

6.

And this is what I found deeply admirable about We Are Not Ourselves. Even more than the novels scrupulous depiction of Alzheimers, I appreciated the fact that neither Eileen nor Connell is a natural caretaker. They stumble through Eds first symptoms, his diagnosis, and the long-term management of his illness in very human, recognizable ways. Theyre never saints; never martyrs. They have no choice but to play out the hand theyve been dealt, and theyre not always graceful about it.

For all Eileens experience in caring for others, she has never quite mastered the art of compassion  the luxury, she would say. Having been scornful, as a teenager, of her mothers late-in-life immersion in AA  the down-and-outerswhod wrecked their lives and slipped into a spiral of regret  Eileen believes the issue wasnt negative thinking, it was too little positive thinking on the part of everyone around her. Eds illness forces her into something resembling a Twelve-Step program of her own, with its requisite admissions of powerlessness. But she never quite loses her hard edges; theyre whats kept her going all these years.

And poor Connell is a mess, his protracted middle-class adolescence in constant opposition to his fathers needs. He stays out late or doesnt come home at all, leaves a barely functioning Ed home alone so he can go out with friends. Hes not callous, just conflicted and a bit spoiled. Eventually he rises to the task, but we wince  in my case, in sympathy  at how long it takes.

I didnt know enough, when my dad became ill, to fear my own selfishness. These days, though, the worry follows me around. Im a good daughter now, while my mother still recognizes me, while shes still at home and we can sit on her couch and look at pictures of the great-grandbabies on my phone. But what about the next phase, and the ones after that? Will I do the right things? Will I still be able to resurrect my love for the person shell become, and will I honestly feel it?

It would be reductive to call We Are Not Ourselves an Alzheimers novel. Among other things, its an elegy for the middle class in urban America, and for the social mobility we insist on believing in. And it offers a lively portrait of a changing New York. Still, Matthew Thomas does his readers a great kindness in giving us Eileen and Connells complicated love for Ed, their good intentions and their mistakes: he offers up benevolence in the form of a story. Sometimes you just go through the motions. Sometimes you just show up.

We Are Not Ourselves isnt literary group therapy. But it spotlights a dark place that most of us can count on visiting at some point  and shining that light on our collective fear is what a novelist, often, does better than anyone.

Click here to read Blooms Q&A with Matthew Thomas.
A Palestinian barber tired of frequent power cuts which don't let him use a hair dryer, started using fire to dry wet hair.

By AP: Palestinian barber Ramadan Adwan devised a unique way to trim his clients' hair. And if they are brave enough, it gets pretty fiery.

Photo: AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

In his small shop in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Adwan uses careful application of open flames. This creative idea was born from Gaza's frequent power cuts preventing him from using a dryer.

Photo: AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

advertisement

After cutting and combing, the barber applies what he calls "special" lotion and powder to client's heads to protect their skin before using flames from an aerosol can which can dry the wet hair.

Photo: AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

"The experience strengthens the hair, but it's not permanent as with chemical products. It's just temporary to show a good and nice style," he said.

Photo: AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

News about Adwan's hot method has spread across the Gaza Strip and some other barbers have already started imitating him.

He says applying "fiery" hairstyles requires great attention and experience that not all imitators possess.

FYI || Woman burns boyfriends genitals with hair straightener ||

FYI || #LoveYourCurls: New emoji update for women with curly hair ||

Also Watch: 11-Year-Old Designs Bulletproof Backpack

--- ENDS ---
In 2017s post-truth, anti-intellectual age of despair even the musical landscape is manipulated to resemble a sedate, safe-space of unchallenging, status quo preserving blandness.

Into this void several acts with something to say are creating a new sound of rebellion  Slaves, Sleaford Mods, Fat White Family  and Bristol rabble-rousers Idles have now released 2017s perfect protest record in Brutalism.

This is exactly what rock music needs to sound like in 2017. Brutalism combines the vital power of punk with no wave guitar noise and delivers its poigniant messages with humour, direct but never preachy.

Treading the boards of the toilet circuit for some time now this debut is a condensed version of the band's early promise and one that cements Idles as the most exciting rock band in the UK right now.

Brutalism can equally sweep you up in its righteous anger or allow you to sit and ponder the issues being attacked.

Sure on the surface this is pure, snotty punk but Idles also play with the tropes of the genre with walls of noise, unexpected time signatures and the occasional moment of beauty.

What sets Brutalism apart is the straight-talking but still poetic lyrics delivered with a strange charisma by snarling, confrontational front-man Joe Talbot who rips into everything from sexual violence and Tory elitism to ignorance and societal expectations in a world where aspiration is being killed.

What tracks like Mother, Well Done and Stendahl Syndrome show is that bestowing political anger doesnt require a loss of artistry, humour or human feeling (much of this anger is filtered through the loss of Talbots mother). Idles deliver a message as direct as Sleaford Mods but in a way that is as entertaining as it is finger-pointing.

In fact, much of the poetry here is sheer genius. Lines such as The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich from Mother or Ignorance is bliss, yeah. Im not pleased, you spread your opinions like a wretched disease, from Stendahl Syndrome capture everything that needs to be said about the modern world, about both the political and the personal.

In one fell swoop the band sum-up the issue of sexual violence perfectly on Mother barking: Sexual violence doesnt start and end with rape, it starts in our books and behind our school gates. Men are scared that women will laugh in their face, whereas women are scared that its their lives that well take.

In amidst the fun-poking, Idles have an exceptional ability to cut to the centre of the issues.

Obviously, Brutalism is not offering anything new, surging political punk has been done before but rarely with this much humour and bite.

Musically, the album is a collection of fuzz, noise and riffs while being heavy manages to remain restrained never taking it to the next level. All in all, this adds to the underlying threat of the album, the sense of forboding which it brings to anyone and anything it has in its sights.

Brutalism will make you want to fight, think and ultimate make things better when the anger subsides. This is the best rock record of 2017 and is completely vital listening.
Police have named the man responsible for the attack on Westminster that killed four people, including a police officer, and injured 40.

Scotland Yard say the attacker was 52-year-old Khalid Masood, a Muslim convert whose birth name was Adrian Elms. He had also been known by the alias Adrian Russell Ajao.

Was he known to the police?

Khalid Masood has been formally identifed by police as the man responsible for the #WestminsterAttack in #London  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 23, 2017

Masood was known to police before the Westminster attack.

He had previous convictions for assaults, GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.

And he was also known by a number of aliases, the Metropolitan Police said.

Had he been convicted of any terrorism offences?

No, he had not been convicted for anything terrorism related.

But he had been investigated by MI5 over violent extremism some years ago. Theresa May told MPs in the Commons that he was a peripheral figure but was not part of the current intelligence picture.

She said: The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot.

Was he British?

Police activity at an address in Birmingham after several raids on properties in Birmingham, London, and elsewhere (Joe Giddens/PA)

He was born in Kent and police believe he had most recently been living in the West Midlands.

Police raided a flat in Birmingham, as it emerged that the car Masood had used in the attack, a Hyundai 44, was hired from a branch of car hire firm Enterprise in Spring Hill, Birmingham.

At the scene of one of the police raids, a flat in Hagley Road, Birmingham, one witness said: The man from London lived here.

Was he in contact with ISIS?

Armed officers outside the Palace of Westminster (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Its not clear yet whether or not hed had any contact with members of the terror group abroad, but Islamic State has claimed the British-born attacker was one of its soldiers.

But the group has a record of opportunistically claiming attacks and commentators said it was significant that the statement did not appear to claim it had directed the strike.
It is understandable that one looks for consolation in the aftermath of tragedy and malice. It is a natural response, but not always a healthy one.

One might, for example, see it as a jolly good thing that Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for yesterdays attack, has so little by way of operational and strategic command over its assets that it has squandered a chillingly real opportunity to do serious damage. Had the attack been planned with any real thought, or prepared with any rigour, the results would have been far, far worse.

But this, I think, is false consolation. No man, and no state, should be comforted by the knowledge that he is secured only by the incompetence of his enemy. And already, what little information we have about the way events unfolded shows us how the consequences of a well-organised attack would have been devastating. Notwithstanding the obvious bravery of the first responders, whom we are right to praise, the facts would seem to suggest that we are lucky things were not worse, such were the holes in our security and lapses in the coordinated response procedure.

The examples are numerous. The attacker, for example, would seem to have used a rented car to carry out the first stage of the operation. Yet anyone who has ever moved house knows that it is possible to rent a van, or even a lorry, at very short notice. Had this been done, the bodies on Westminster Bridge would have been more numerous, the injuries more severe.

The attacker was armed only with a knife, and we should be thankful that guns are not as readily available in this country as they are in France or the US. Yet they are still available. There could be as many as four million guns in the UK, several hundreds of thousands of which are illegal. Even this is a conservative estimate, since criminals, by definition, are disinclined to report their own firearms. And Theresa May, whilst at the Home Office, oversaw such drastic cuts to UK border patrol forces  we have barely any boats (at one stage, just three) to patrol the entire East Coast of the UK  that it is impossible to estimate what is being smuggled into the country, or how much, or by whom. The death of Martin McGuiness reminds us that the IRA had no trouble whatever procuring huge quantities of explosives and firearms, and all serious criminal gangs enforce their territory with armed militias.

And this is just background. Consider now the events of the day: it now transpires that the attacker was halted not by an armed member of the police force but by one of the personal bodyguards of the Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon. These bodyguards are only in the palace of Westminster when their charge is present, and are always in close proximity to him. Consider what might have happened had Mr. Fallon arrived early, or late, or had not been there at all. The attacker need only have looked at the schedule for parliamentary business in order to time his attack. We do not yet know where the armed police, detailed to guard the Carriage Gates, were at the time, yet Will Heaven of The Spectator asks whether, since the first sound heard at Westminster was that of the car crashing against the railings, and nobody knew anything of what was happening, they might not have disappeared to investigate.

He is right to ask this question, and it must be answered. If he is correct in his supposition, then a well-planned attack would make use of distraction, anticipating the departure of the police to investigate and circling around to the newly unguarded entrance. As it was, this would appear to have happened by accident; again, reason to be thankful, but not something which should make us feel particularly secure or happy. Sam Coates, in The Times, points out that a courier, looking to deliver a package, entered by the same gate only moments after the attacker. He was not stopped. Why was the gate not closed? Why was it left undefended?

The death of the police officer, Keith Palmer, is made more tragic by the knowledge that it was perfectly avoidable and unnecessary. The unarmed police guarding Westminster Palace are supposed to have an armed detail behind them, to deal with serious events. Where was this armed detail? And in what circumstance is an attack on Westminster not a serious event? Wary though one is of advocating a more heavily armed police force, one has to wonder why, once weve accepted the need for armed police at Westminster, we continue to station unarmed officers in front of them.

And we must consider the manner in which the evacuation was carried out. Emily Thornberry, of whom I am not overly fond, was able to conjure, on the Daily Politics, a perfectly believable scenario in which attackers, having entered by one way, might have been able to trap the hundreds of people  running without any particular sense of direction  in the corridors, or the single meeting room in which many had been told to gather, and murder them. She was wise to act by her own initiative and to encourage those around her to scatter and barricade themselves in separate rooms. I understand that members of the House of Lords have expressed concerns regarding the evacuation procedure.

And of the attacker? We heard, from the Prime Minister, that he had been investigated by Mi5 in the past, but that concerns were dismissed and the surveillance was deemed unnecessary. Is this supposed to be a defence of our security and intelligence services? The same was true of the suicide murderers of 7/7 and 9/11. Worse, in fact, in the latter case, for the perpetrators were still under surveillance at the time of the attack. (Indeed, the first words uttered by the head of the CIA in the latter case were to the effect of Gee, I hope it was nothing to do with those guys from the flight school in Indiana.") In what world is the failure of the intelligence services a defence of the intelligence services?

All of this might be called alarmist, yet I think it right to be so. There are numerous examples, in the very recent past, which make the scenarios I postulate real to us. All it would have taken was a modicum of forethought and some semblance of a plan aimed at more than mere self-destruction for the situation to have been far worse. I could have done a better job.

Serious questions arise, and they must be answered if we are to have any confidence that our most important offices and institutions of state are properly defended and secured. We have already ceded billions of pounds, and many of our liberties, to the intelligence services; these same questions must be answered before any further obeisance is paid to them.

I hope in earnest that the forthcoming review of security, by the Cabinet Office and the Metropolitan Police, takes into account these most basic of failings. If it does, the attacker will have squandered the Islamic States best chance to inflict damage upon us. If it does not, this will happen again. And next time, it will be far worse.
Times Higher Education conducted a survey into the student experience and the results are damning for London universities.

The purpose was to highlight the best universities in the UK for student experience, decided by current students. More than 15,000 undergraduates participated, rating their universities across 21 criteria based on a seven-point rating from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

122 Universities were ranked, and London universities - including the University of Westminster and City University  all marked in at the last ten for overall satisfaction.

The lowest ranked was London Metropolitan University at 121, followed closely by The Open University. It is important to note that Open University is an online school and therefore has limited access to a lot of the facilities other universities have.

No London University was ranked in the top five for Academic Experience, Facilities, Social Experience, or Student Welfare.

The London School of Economics and Political Science ranked as fourth in Industry Connections.

Harper Adams University in Shropshire takes the top spot in terms of satisfaction, in only its second year of being eligible for the survey. Theyre the first specialist university to rank at number one, knocking out the winner from last year, Loughborough University, which has slipped to second place.

With this study, it does make one question exactly what these London-based universities are doing that is so different from those outside the capital, and what can be done to improve conditions.
According to Haj committee of India CEO, Ata-ur-Rehman, the reason for the rise in the airfare is on account of the gradual phasing out of the Haj subsidy as ordered by the Supreme Court.

By Praveen Shekhar: The airfare for Haj pilgrimages is likely to increase by around 20 per cent this year as expected by officials of the Haj Committee of India.

According to Haj Committee of India CEO, Ata-ur-Rehman, the reason for the rise in the airfare is on account of the gradual phasing out of the Haj subsidy as ordered by the Supreme Court.

advertisement

With the Haj season fast approaching, the pilgrims have pleaded with the Central government to ensure that airfares are not hiked up. During the normal times a ticket to Jeddah costs around Rs 24,000 by private airlines but during Haj season, the prices are hiked to around Rs 70,000-Rs 80,000, causing distress to the travellers.

It was in May 2012 that the Supreme Court had directed the Union government to gradually reduce and abolish Haj subsidy in 10 years and invest the amount in education and other measures for social development of the minority community.

"We direct the Central government to progressively reduce the amount of subsidy so as to completely eliminate it within a period of 10 years from today," a bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana P Desai had said in their order.

The court had observed that it was aware that in many other purely religious events there were direct and indirect deployment of state funds and resources. "Nevertheless, we are of the view that Haj subsidy is something that is best done away with," the bench of Justices Alam and Desai said.

The apex court had then also objected to the jumbo-size Prime Minister's goodwill delegation that visits Saudi Arabia every year at the government's expense. "The present practice of sending such a delegation must come to a stop," the bench had said.

BJP and other Hindutva outfits have traditionally attacked Haj subsidy on grounds that it was contrary to the principle of secularism and marked an appeasement of the minority community, before they sought to turn it into justification for subsidy for Hindu pilgrimages.

Following the Supreme Court direction in 2012 to gradually cut back the subsidy, through grants the pilgrims got Rs 20,000 last year. According to sources, a sum of Rs 700 crore annually is gained by the airlines from the government. The airlines get more support through the subsidy than the pilgrims do, the source added.

In view of this some Muslim leaders met CPM General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury who was in the city recently and urged him to take up the issue with the Centre. It may be mentioned that he also is member of the travel and tourism committee of the Parliament. They said it would be better if the government calls for global tenders and selects airlines which would operate special flights for the Haj pilgrims.

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here

You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: 

Home Page
Tentang Situs Slot Online Resmi MGS88 Nama Situs  MGS88 Minimal Deposit  Rp. 10.000,- (Sepuluh Ribu Rupiah) Proses Deposit   2 Menit Metode Deposit  Bank Transfer,  Pulsa,  E-Wallet Judi Online Terbaik  Slot Online,  Judi Bola,  Casino Online,  Togel Online,  Tembak Ikan Provider Slot Gacor Mudah Maxwin  Pragmatic Play,  PGSoft,  MicroGaming,  Habanero Slot Gacor Gampang Menang  Gates of Olympus,  Sweet Bonanza,  Wild West Gold,  Starlight Princess Win Rate 98%

RTP Live Slot Gacor Tertinggi Hari Ini Terbaru Terlengkap

Selamat datang di halaman RTP live dan informasi soal slot gacor hari ini dari situs MGS88 yang setiap hari selalu update. Berdasarkan RTP Live MGS88, Anda bisa mendapatkan informasi tentang slot online yang saat ini yang sedang Gacor atau onfire dengan persentase yang terbukti akurat, ini bisa menjadi rekomendasi anda sebelum memilih permainan slot online di situs MGS88. Cek RTP Slot sekarang juga bosku

Klik Provider Slot Untuk Mengetahui RTP Slot Secara Real Time

Selamat datang bagi kalian yang sedang mencari situs RTP Live terlengkap dan terkini hari ini. Sangat sesuai jika Anda mengunjungi website MGS88 RTP live untuk informasi tentang permainan slot yang lagi gacor dengan slot RTP yang terupdate. Persentase kemenangan yang kami berikan tentunya diambil dengan data yang sangat valid dan hanya untuk permainan slot yang tersedia di situs MGS88. RTP yang tersedia juga akan selalu diperbarui setiap hari berdasarkan level kemenangan yang diberikan kepada member kami.

Memang sih untuk bermain slot itu tergantung hoki dari setiap pemain, Namun RTP live atau bocoran slot dari yang kami sediakan ini adalah data autentik dari banyaknya pemain yang telah bermain dan mencapai kemenangan tinggi. Sederhananya, kalau banyak pemain yang menang di dalam 1 permainan slot, karena itu permainan slot tersebut akan mempunyai persentase RTP yang sangat tinggi.

Namun kami tegaskan sekali lagi, ini bukan sebuah paksaan kami situs MGS88 untuk anda bermain di game slot yang mana. Ini bisa dijadikan sebagai referensi atau tolok ukur, boleh dicoba kalau anda mempunyai feel yang kuat dalam memainkan permainan game slot. Anda dapat mengakses kapan saja dan di mana saja selama anda siap bermain. Jangan ragu untuk bertanya ya seputar pola putaran terhadap kami, sebab kami juga menyediakannya loh.

Apa itu RTP Live?

RTP Live ialah informasi mengenai persentase tertinggi saat ini dari hasil RTP Live dengan bocoran kemenangan pemain saat ini. RTP Live merupakan singkatan dari Return To Play atau bisa juga diartikan sebagai Return to Player. Karena itu, para pemain slot sekarang jika ingin mengetahui seberapa besar kemenangannya, bisa dengan memainkan permainan yang akan dimainkannya dan bisa untung dengan mudah dan tentunya maksimal.

Apa itu RTP Slot?

RTP Slot juga dikenal sebagai return to player atau pengembalian ke Pemain. RTP slot ialah persentase dari nilai pengembalian semua uang yang dipertaruhkan pemain dari waktu ke waktu. Dengan kata lain, RTP juga dianggap sebagai salah satu fitur slot yang mengembalikan uang pemain saat pemain kalah.

Persentase digunakan untuk menghitung RTP dalam permainan slot. Misalnya, jika slot memiliki RTP 97%, itu berarti untuk setiap 100.000 koin yang hilang di slot, slot dapat mengembalikan 97.000. Jika Anda mengetahui RTP sebuah permainan slot, Anda dapat memutuskan permainan slot mana yang akan dimainkan tanpa kerugian besar.

Apakah Angka Persentase RTP Slot Itu Penting?

Biasanya pemain slot itu tidak memperhatikan RTP dalam permainan yang akan dimainkan, biasanya setelah anda mengisi saldo utama anda akan langsung buru-buru memainkannya. Yang terakhir 90-96% mempengaruhi jumlah kemenangan. Semakin tinggi jumlah RTP yang digunakan, semakin luas peluang untuk mendapatkan keuntungan.

Akan namun itu segala tak secara 100% menjamin kemenangan kau dalam bermain, RTP itu cuma sebagai kalkulasi pengeluaran anda saja selama bermain slot.Dengan adanya RTP, kau dapat mengerjakan pengaturan atas uang yang akan kau pertaruhkan nanti pada ketika bermain.Untuk itu pada ketika kau bermain slot dan telah mengalami banyak kekalahan di satu permainan, direkomendasikan kau pindah ke permainan slot lainnya yang RTP nya lebih tinggi dari permainan yang tadi kau mainkan.

Keuntungan Menggunakan Bocoran RTP Slot Hari Ini

Situs MGS88 Akan dengan senang hati akan beberapa keuntungan yang didapatkan jika anda bermain slot dengan menggunakan RTP Live yang telah disediakan. Berikut Keuntungannya :

Peluang Kemenangan Meningkat Tentu saja, saat bermain slot online, menang adalah hal yang paling penting. Di sinilah RTP berperan sebagai metode atau metode baru yang akan membantu Anda memilih permainan slot persentase tinggi. Mendapat variasi dalam Memainkan Game Slot Pastinya banyak pemain slot online yang hanya memainkan 3-5 permainan slot saja. Namun dengan RTP Live slot akan memberikan banyak game slot lain yang bisa anda coba. Tentunya semua permainan slot memiliki potensi kemenangan yang besar, jadi jangan hanya mengandalkan beberapa permainan saja. Menambah Pengalaman Dalam Bermain Slot Keuntungan terakhir adalah Anda tentu saja menambah pengalaman dan keahlian dalam permainan slot online. Dengan berbagai macam permainan slot yang dimainkan, Anda pasti mengetahui karakteristik dari setiap permainan slot yang Anda mainkan. Akibatnya, Anda pasti bisa dianggap sebagai pemain slot yang andal, yang pasti akan meningkatkan peluang Anda untuk menang besar menggunakan RTP.

Daftar 8 Situs Dengan RTP Slot Live Tertinggi Hari Ini

Ada banyak penyedia mesin slot online di internet. Tetapi tidak semuanya memiliki peluang tinggi atau RTP Live Slot yang sangat tinggi. Tapi jangan khawatir, berikut ini adalah situs slot gacor yang akan memberikan bocoran slot dengan RTP Live Tertinggi:

RTP Live Slot Pragmatic Play (RTP Slot 97.85%) RTP Live Slot PG Soft (RTP Live 96.15%) RTP Live Slot Habanero (RTP Slot 95.89%) RTP Live Slot CQ9 (RTP Live 98.83%) RTP Live Slot Spade Gaming (RTP Live 94.99%) RTP Live Slot Micro Gaming (RTP Slot 95.39%) RTP Slot Live Top Trend Gaming (RTP Live 96.14%) RTP Slot Live JOKER123 (RTP Live 97.45%)

Itulah Daftar 8 Provider Slot Gacor dengan RTP Live teratas diatas tentunya kami analisa terlebih dahulu. Anda bisa membuktikannya langsung dengan mengklik banner atau meprovider game slot yang sudah tersedia di atas. Saran kami yaitu Anda harus memainkan semua penyedia slot di atas untuk mencapai peluang kemenangan terbaik.

Daftar Slot RTP Live Tertinggi Sering Kasih Jackpot

Selain mempertimbangkan RTP Slot Gacor yang ada, sebenarnya ada banyak faktor penting untuk menang dalam permainan judi online. Sebab ada banyak game yang memiliki fitur dan mekanisme unik dan bisa membantu anda meraih Jackpot yang sangat besar.

Berikut ini akan kami ulas daftar 5 game slot paling populer karena sering memberikan jackpot:

RTP Live Gates of Olympus Gates of Olympus adalah game slot teraneh dan terbaik di Indonesia. Karena permainan mesin slot ini paling populer karena kakek Zeus dapat mengizinkan pengganda x500. Selain itu, fitur dan mekanik Gates of Olympus juga sangat menguntungkan untuk memenangkan Grand Jackpot. Secara teoritis, RTP slot langsung Gates of Olympus bernilai 96,50%, yang berarti peluang Anda untuk memenangkan MaxWin cukup tinggi. RTP live Sweet Bonanza Sweet Bonanza adalah permainan slot terpopuler kedua. Game slot bertema buah dan permen yang lezat ini sepertinya akan menarik banyak perhatian karena tergolong slot gacor yang mudah menang. Secara teoritis, slot Sweet Bonanza RTP bernilai 96,48%, yang berarti peluang Anda cukup tinggi untuk memenangkan jackpot. RTP Live Wild West Gold Wild West Gold adalah permainan slot bertema koboi yang juga populer di kalangan penggemar konspirasi. Permainan slot Wild West Gold sendiri kerap menawarkan kejutan jackpot bagi para pemainnya. Selain itu, nilai RTP Live Slot menunjukkan indeks tertinggi hari ini, yang berarti sangat layak dan sangat direkomendasikan. RTP Live Starlight Princess Slot Starlight Princess ini memiliki gaya dan fitur yang mirip dengan Gates of Olympus. Perbedaannya hanya pada desain dan karakter gamenya saja, karena memiliki fitur dan mekanik yang sama tentunya RTP slot teoritis pada game slot ini sama yaitu 96,50%. RTP Live Cash Elevator Mungkin sebagian dari Anda baru mengenal slot Cash Elevator. Namun dari data benchmark yang diungkap, ternyata banyak sekali yang menikmati permainan slot ini. Dengan fitur dan mekanisme unik seperti Lift up and down asli, slot ini juga memiliki slot RTP Live dasar 96,64% yang juga memiliki mekanisme yang sangat menguntungkan untuk memperlancar tingkat kemenangan besar.

Bocoran Jam Main Slot Gacor Hari Ini

Dalam bermain permainan slot online itu tidak bisa dilakukan dengan sembarangan yah. Jadi, Jika anda bermain pada waktu tertentu seperti yang akan kita bahas sesaat lagi, ada kemungkinan anda untuk mendapatkan kemenangan lebih tinggi. Jam RTP Slot Gacor merupakan bocoran jam main slot yang akan memberikan anda kapan waktu yang pas dalam bermain game slot.

Tentu saja seluruh provider slot online memiliki jam tertentu dalam memberikan peluang kepada para pemainnya untuk mendapatkan kemenangan. Disini kami akan memberikan anda Bocoran Jam Slot Gacor yang Paling Akurat Hari ini:

Jam Slot Gacor Pragmatic Play 02:30 WIB - Jam 05:25 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Habanero 14:26 WIB - Jam 17:38 WIB Jam Slot Gacor CQ9 00:45 WIB - Jam 05:53 WIB Jam Slot Gacor PG SOFT 14:25 WIB - Jam 17:35 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Joker123 17:41 WIB - Jam 20:42 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Microgaming 22:30 WIB - Jam 00:35 WIB

MGS88: Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Pay4D Resmi dan Terpercaya

MGS88 adalah situs game slot online Gacor terbaru yang bermitra dengan Pay4D, Pay4D sendiri merupakan daftar situs game slot online terpercaya dengan berbagai macam permainan judi yang mudah dimenangkan seperti Game Bola, Casino Online, Slot Pay4D, Tembak Ikan dan Pay4D Online Permainan togel seperti Singapura, Hongkong, Sydney dan lain-lain. Tujuan utama kami adalah menjadi situs judi online Pay4D yang menyediakan layanan judi online terbaik di Indonesia.

Kami juga salah satu situs resmi PAY4D di Indonesia yang pasti akan membayarkan semua kemenangan kepada semua member kami, karena kepercayaan dari semua member kami adalah prioritas utama kami sebagai mesin slot 4d Asia terbaik di Asia, khususnya di Indonesia.

Dalam melakukan sistem transaksi sistem simpanan dapat dilakukan dengan mudah melalui mobile banking dan electronic banking berupa bank BCA, BSI, BRI, BNI, Cimb Niaga, Permata dan Mandiri. Selain itu, transaksi e-wallet juga tersedia melalui Dana, Gopay, LinkAja dan Ovo serta dapat digunakan untuk pulsa tanpa dipotong.

Untuk mempermudah dan kenyamanan dalam melakukan registrasi atau melakukan setiap transaksi, MGS88 menyediakan layanan live chat dan Whatsapp terhubung langsung dengan customer service online 24 jam.

Mengenal Istilah Dalam RTP SLOT

Di slot RTP Live Anda akan melihat berbagai fitur yang mungkin tidak Anda pahami masing-masing. Namun jangan khawatir, disini sebagai situs slot gacor MGS88 kami akan memberikan penjelasan lengkap mengenai tentang istilah yang ada di RTP SLOT dibawah ini.
On the 38th birthday of Emraan Hashmi, here are twelve best songs the serial kisser has been in.

By India Today Web Desk: Emraan Hashmi has already spent fourteen years in Bollywood and is now 38 years old. Feel old yet?

Years ago, he showed up on the big screen (with a bang) in Footpath. Then the 'kissing' years began and teaming up with Himesh Reshammiya on the one hand and Pritam on the other, Emraan Hashmi became the posterboys of a generation of teenage Romeos.

advertisement

In fact, besides the countless kissing scenes, if you just go through the entire filmography of Emraan Hashmi, you will find at least 60 hit songs. From 36 films. That is a big number.

On the serial kisser's 38th birthday, here are twelve songs from Emraan Hashmi films which you, for sure, remember to this date even if you have forgotten the films they are from...

Bheege Hont, Murder (2004)

Kaho Na Kaho, Murder (2004)

Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005)

Halka Halka Sa, Chocolate (2005)

Jhalak Dikhla Ja, Aksar (2006)

Teri Yaadon Mein, The Killer (2006)

Toh Phir Aao, Awarapan (2007)

Zara Sa, Jannat (2008)

Maahi, Raaz - The Mystery Continues (2009)

Pee Loon, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010)

Haal-E-Dil, Murder 2 (2011)

Ishq Sufiyana, The Dirty Picture (2011)

ALSO READ: What do you think Emraan Hashmi is doing on his 38th birthday?

ALSO SEE: 10 hottest lip-locks of serial kisser Emraan Hashmi

WATCH: Kareena refuses to kiss Emraan Hashmi

--- ENDS ---
By Siddhartha Rai: They did not use cheat sheets. Instead, over 50 applicants for government jobs sent in surrogates to take the recruitment test in Haryana.

In response to an RTI application that was stalled several times before, the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) on Thursday ordered a probe into the matter, to be conducted by the highest office of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

advertisement

A report has to be submitted within two months. "It is shocking that the department tried to stonewall the information sought by the petitioner even though he had presented enough proof," said CIC Madabhushi Sridhar Acharyulu.

"I was surprised that people didn't even bother to inquire into these allegations of impersonation despite the fact that 11 separate RTIs were filed and the appellant had provided names and particulars of all the 11 accused of impersonation. Today 11 such cases of impersonation were put up in front of me, but the RTI also suggests that there are 52 cases in total. The appellant said that 800 such cases are there across the country."

The recruitment examination comprised a written test and one in computer skills. Gurugram-based Right to Information activist Harinder Dhingra, who is the petitioner in the case, told Mail Today that he was shocked to find that signatures on the admit card and attendance sheet in the written exam of the these candidates, who later were appointed as lower division clerks, were "quite different" from the signatures of those who sat the exam on September 20, 2009.

NEARLY 1000 SUCH CASES ACROSS INDIA

"It is clear that those who took the exam were not appointed as LDC in ESIC," said Dhingra. "Now the truth regarding this scam is sure to come out after so many years in which these forgers and impersonators have not only flourished on public exchequer, but some of them have also been promoted and become inspectors. While I have dug up over 50 such cases so far, the total number across India is sure to touch a thousand. While the Haryana chapter is closed, I am preparing to file RTI pleas in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh where such cases are suspected."

The ESIC is an autonomous corporation by a statutory creation under the Centre's ministry of labour and employment. Dhingra had sought information on February 25, 2016, about the selection of several selected personnel as LDC in a test conducted in Faridabad by the ESIC on September 20, 2009. He had asked for the admit cards to the exam, the attendance sheets, entrance permission/card, marks obtained in the "computer skill test" along with thumb impressions.

"The CPIO (Central Public Information Officer) refused to provide me the information seeking exemption under article 8 (1) of the RTI Act-2005," said Dhingra. "I again filed an appeal before first appellate authority who ordered the CPIO on May 31, 2016, that information be provided to me. I was supplied in September last year all the info except the thumb impression of the candidates who appeared in the exam."

advertisement

Also read: 2012 Maruti Suzuki factory violence: 31 convicted, 117 acquitted by Haryana court

Also read: Haryana: 18 MLAs rise in open rebellion against Khattar government

--- ENDS ---
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today walked free after spending six years in detention. Earlier this month, Hosni Mubarak was cleared of the charges in cases related to deaths of protesters during 2011 unrest in Egypt.

By India Today Web Desk: Former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak today walked out of detention in his own country after six years.

Mubarak left for his home from a military hospital in Egyptian capital Cairo.

He was undergoing treatment for various illnesses in the southern part of the city. He directly went to his home in the northern suburbs of the city.

advertisement

Mubarak had been overthrown from power in Egypt six years ago following civic unrest in the country that kicked off a series of people's revolutions in the Middle-East.

Mubarak's freedom has come after the apex court in Egypt acquitted him from the charges of the deaths of protesters in 2011 unrest.

Hosni Mubarak, now 88, had become President of Egypt in 1981 when the then head of the state Anwar Sadat was assassinated.

CASE AGAINST MUBARAK

Six years ago, millions of common Egyptian people took to streets after a vegetable vendor committed suicide alleging harassment by police over license. The incident took place at a time when Egypt was facing high rates of unemployment, rampant corruption and very high inflation.

Millions took to Tahrir square and demanded ouster of autocratic rule of Hosni Mubarak. About 850 people were reported killed in the clashes between protesters and the security forces.

When protests did not subside, Hosni Mubarak fled the country ending his 30-year-old authoritarian rule over Egypt.

Hosni Mubarak had been charged with inciting the killings of the protesters during the 18-day unrest against his regime in 2011.

Hosni Mubarak was tried by the new government in Egypt. In 2012, Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life but the apex appeal court of Egypt dismissed the charges and acquitted him on March 2 this year.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Mar 24 (PTI) The Indian soldier who was returned by Pakistan after four months in captivity said he was so fed up with torture by Pakistanis that he often prayed for death while in their custody.

"I was assaulted. I told them: Kill me. I realised that this was the end of the road for me," Chandu Babulal Chavan, who was handed over to India on January 21, said here today in conversation with a Marathi channel.

advertisement

The 22-year-old had crossed into Pakistan on September 29, the day India hit terror launch pads across the line of control (LoC), 10 days after an attack by suspected Pakistani militants on a camp in Uri that killed 19 soldiers.

Chavan was posted on the LoC in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Describing the scenario after he was caught by Pakistani soldiers after straying across the border, Chavan said, "they checked me, took out my clothes, put on black robes (on me) and took me away in a vehicle."

"I was put in a room which was always dark. I did not understand a thing. The bathroom and toilets were also in the same room," the soldier, who returned to his native Borvihir village in Dhule district, earlier this month, told the channel.

"When I used to bang my head and ask them to kill me, they gave me injection doses. They used to beat me. There came a time that I didnt have any more tears in my eyes," he said.

"I did not understand whether it was day or night. I remembered my family in those harrowing times. I used to pray God to end my life," he said.

Describing the Pakistani torture, he said, "They used to give me sedatives through injection. They put drops in my ear when it was bleeding."

"There was a time when I told my captors that I had crossed into Pakistan to avenge the Uri terror attacks," he said. PTI VT DK DK

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Mar 24 (PTI) The IMA, backing the strike of the resident doctors of the Maharashtra government hospitals, today rolled back their support to them shortly after the Bombay High Court warned them against continuing the strike.

However, it is not known as yet if the resident doctors too would follow the suit.

In its official statement, the IMAs Maharashtra chapter said their members would resume duty now as their demands have been satisfactorily responded to by the state government.

advertisement

Besides the high court, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis too warned the resident doctors who have gone on a "mass leave" from Monday, of stern action if they fail to resume duty today.

The IMA, which has some 40,000 members in Maharashtra, had extended its support to the agitation on Wednesday.

Earlier today, the IMA representatives had met the chief minister at Vidhan Bhavan, where Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan too was present.

According to an IMA member, Fadnavis told them that the security has already been provided in 16 hospitals since yesterday.

"The government is working on (providing) security to the doctors and more arrangements will be done within ten days," he quoted Fadnavis as saying.

The IMA said in a statement that there were some 10 points on which both the parties (the IMA and the government) have agreed to in writing.

"The first point stipulated that 700 the armed security personnel from the Maharashtra Police Security Corporation would be deployed within five days and rest 410 within 15 days," it said.

According to IMA, a committee under former DIG Pravin Dixit would conduct a security audit of all medical colleges and hospitals and submit its report to the state government.

It added that an other security panel comprising three resident doctors as too will be appointed in every hospital.

"The other points finalised in the meeting are setting up of an alarm system, submission of a tri-monthly security report by every government hospital and empowering police posts in hospitals to record FIRs in medico-legal cases," the statement said.

The IMA further said all the allied medical organisations (of pathologists, radiologists etc.) have also decided to call off their strike, which was organised to support the resident doctors.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had came down heavily on the agitating doctors for taking "undue advantage of its sympathy," and had asked the asked the agitating doctors to to resume work by tomorrow morning or face action.

"If this is the attitude of the doctors, the respective hospital management can initiate suitable action against them and terminate their services," warned the bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G S Kulkarni today.

advertisement

The bench has given the agitating doctors time till 8 AM tomorrow to report back to work or else face action.

Nearly 4,000 resident doctors have stayed away from the work since Monday, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on their colleagues by patients relatives at government hospitals across the state.

Indicating that the government has run out of patience, Chief Minister Fadnavis earlier told the Legislative Assembly that "enough is enough. If the doctors fail to resume work today, government will not sit quietly. We cannot leave the patients to die." PTI ND NSK RAX

--- ENDS ---
The ED will initiate action against them soon. The professionals are likely to face action in a case of money laundering to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore.

By Atir Khan: As many as 54 chartered accountants and company secretaries are under scanner of the income tax (I-T) department and the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering through shell companies, according to sources.

The ED will initiate action against them soon. The professionals are likely to face action in a case of money laundering to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore.

advertisement

The agency had arrested two people Virendra and Surendra Jain in connection with the case four days ago.

The agency is likely to send them notices soon for questioning, may initiate action under provisions of the Money Laundering Act.

These professionals are instrumental in circulating black money.

COME CLEAN BY MARCH 31: I-T DEPT TO BLACK MONEY HOARDERS

The income tax department today warned black money holders that it has "information" about their illegal deposits and they should avail the soon-to-end Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) window to come clean on their unaccounted wealth or "regret later".

The window under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) closes on March 31.

Advertisements issued in national dailies said that the income tax department has information about your deposits.

The department also said that total "confidentiality is ensured" to those who declare their black assets and funds under this scheme.

The department had also of late cautioned those who had undisclosed income to either avail this scheme or face stringent action under Benami laws, adding that the defaulters' names would also be shared with the central probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI.

DETAILS OF PENALTIES TAXABLE

The tax and penalty against those who hide their black money and fail to avail the PMGKY could go as high as 137 per cent of the cash deposits made, a senior officer had said, adding the department would not shy away from slapping the newly-enacted Benami Transactions Act against the defaulters.

The official explained that a person or entity that opts for PMGKY will have to pay 49.9 per cent tax on the income, whereas a person who does not avail the scheme but offers his black income in his Income Tax Returns will face a tax and penalty rate of 77.25 per cent.

The one who does not offer his stash funds under the scheme but is caught with undisclosed income in scrutiny assessment will face 83.25 per cent tax rate.

For those who do not declare their stashed wealth under the PMGKY and are raided will face 107.25 per cent tax and penalty if the undisclosed income is surrendered during the action.

advertisement

Those who do not surrender such hidden income even during searches will stand to face the highest level of penalty and tax at 137.25 per cent.

The Benami Act invites rigorous imprisonment of up to seven years and the violators also stand to be charged under the I-T Act, besides being liable to pay fine up to 25 per cent of fair market value of benami property and other penalties.

(WITH PTI INPUTS)

Also read | Income Tax department detects Rs 16,200 crore black money stashed abroad by Indians

Also read | Visakhapatnam: Surgeon among 3 held for black money conversion, Rs 47 lakh seized

WATCH VIDEO

--- ENDS ---
What was South Dakota's biggest lottery winning? Here's the top 10.

The top 10 biggest lottery winners in the state's history, according to the South Dakota Lottery.
"The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises, at home or abroad, is questionable," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay.

By Press Trust of India: India today reacted sharply to The New York Times editorial criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modis choice of Aditya Nath Yogi as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and said the papers wisdom to write such a piece was "questionable".

"All editorials or opinions are subjective. This case is particularly so. The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises, at home or abroad, is questionable," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay.

advertisement

The NYT in the highly critical editorial, titled Modi's Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists, said since he was elected in 2014, Modi has played a "cagey game, appeasing his party's hard-line Hindu base while promoting secular goals of development and economic growth".

The move by Prime Minister Modi's party to name "firebrand Hindu cleric" Aditya Nath as Uttar Pradesh's chief minister is a "shocking rebuke" to religious minorities, the editorial said.

Also read:

Government reacts sharply to New York Times' editorial on Yogi Adityanath

--- ENDS ---
The India Today Woman Summit 2017 recognised India's women achievers of the year, and gave women a platform to voice their opinions.

By India Today Web Desk: An event to reckon with, the India Today Woman Summit returns this year as the ideal platform for women from all walks of life to voice their thoughts and opinions.

This year, we have on our discussion panel renowned personalities like paralympic champion Deepa Malik, acid attack survivor and campaigner Laxmi Saa, women rights activist Mumtaz Shaikh, writer Samhita Arni and Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan founder Zakia Soman, among others, with the icing on the cake being the only male guest, actor Shahid Kapoor.

Here are the live updates:

India Today Woman Awards By Guest Of Honour, Hema Malini

"My mother sacrificed a lot to make me achieve my goals. I'm very thankful to her. She always used to say, wherever you go, leave your footprint," Hema Malini says. And the award winners are...

India Today Woman Scientist of the Year: Dr B Valsa

India Today Woman Writer of the Year: Twinkle Khanna

India Today Businesswoman of the Year: Radhika Piramal

India Today Inspirational Woman of the Year: Archana Ramasundaram

India Today Woman Actors of the Year: Fatima Sana Sheikh and Sanya Malhotra

India Today Woman in Public Service: Ria Sharma

India Today Woman Rising Star of the Year: Jasleen Royal

India Today Mother of the Year: Rajwinder Kaur

India Today Vivel Woman of Resilience: Deepa Malik

India Today Man of the Year: Shahid Kapoor

India Today Sportswoman of the Year: Dipa Karmakar

Session 12: Feminism For Dummies | An Open Letter To Sexism By Swara Bhaskar

Actress Swara Bhaskar writes an open letter to her life-long genius companion, sexism. From tracing her story as a little girl who was asked to smile a lot to be liked by everyone to her first kiss resulting in a lot of Maths homework to the funny hastags running on social media by men asking for equality--Swara Bhaskar nails the society's hypocrisy towards women.

She then speaks as Sexism to the woman, about grapes being sour. "I don't need you on my team. I have Trump... Get used to power equations, darling. The reason I, sexism, continue to rule is because I have pitched your fight as men vs women--you getting your rights seems like men losing theirs," Sexism.

READ STORY | An open letter to sexism by Swara Bhaskar

WATCH VIDEO | India Today Summit 2017: Swara Bhaskar reads out a letter to Sexism

Session 11: From Head To Toe | That Healing Feeling

Moderated by Avantika Joshi

Rohini Chopra: Emotional Freedom is not judging the others, and not judging yourself--even when you're at your worst.

Trupti Jayin: For the past 22 years, I used to be a skeptic. But after going through my own past-life therapy, my motion sickness was gone, which made me learn this form of therapy.

Bindu Maira: To understand crystals, we need to understand who we are. The only difference between different objects is the rate of frequency. There's an intangible energy that science does not recognise that flows through all objects and human beings. Emotion is nothing but energy in motion.

Antonella Simonelli Mathur: Bach flower and other therapies are called alternative therapies; allopathy is just 300 years old, and you, despite being Indianhave adopted that as the only therapy.

Chetna Chakravarthy: Physical, mental and emotional wellness works together, always. When you're in excruciating physical pain in which you HAVE to reach out to the doctor, that's the last stage. Your body has been trying to give you signals through mental or emotional paths. You haven't been listening, that's why you've reached that point of pain.

A lot of times those who have migraines are the people who are perfectionists. So, most of these chronic pains are unknowingly self-inflicted.

READ STORY | The only way out is within, believe these therapists

Session 10: Armed And Hilarious | The Legend Of Mrs Funnybones

Moderated by Koel Purie

The truth itself it funny, when you uncover all the layers of conditioning around it.

To look for the absurd in the tragic--that's the greatest gift my family has given me.

I grew up in a family where even success wasn't taken very seriously. So, failure wasn't a big deal then.

"When a woman's economic status improves, her whole family's condition improves. That's not necessarily true for a man."--A woman will think about what to get her kids when she gets some money; men would think about him needing a bigger cellphone.

You can have a mustache and be a feminist. You can hate men and be a feminist, you can hate a cat, and you can hate whatever, but as long as you're believing in equality, you're a feminist.

My version of feminism--pushing the envelope on the stories that I have told. I have put my money, my clout and my everything in a project (Padman) that might make life a little easier.

I chanced upon Muruganantham Arunachalam's story and thought his story needed to be told. I started chasing him; he wouldn't take my call. He finally did and said I looked like Raveena Tandon. That's the only time I wanted to drop his story, but I didn't.

Yogi Adityanath needs to do that gas-releasing aasana .

. A word that would describe you at this point in your life--comfortable.

By the time you get to 40, you're really comfortable in your skin, but that's also because your skin is not as tight as it used to be.

Me and Akshay are a great team, we're playing tennis doubles.

Sex is important at every stage. The things I found extremely attractive in Akshay have changed over time.

Motherhood is about being tied to something forever, but in a good way.

I do have a story for a children's book, but I'm yet to figure out how to process it.

Whacking your kids is not the right thing to do. I've been doing yoga for the past 15 years, so I'm not that angry anymore anyway.

What writing has done for me is it's kicked this mid-life crises out of my brain.If you can make someone laugh at something, you've changed their perspective about it forever. So, if I take something that is a taboo and I make you laugh, it won't be a taboo anymore.

I'm reading a book by Eileen Montessa; I've finished The Sellout by Paul Beatty.

My message for women in India today: It's not as easy as it seems. In order to attain equality today, you have to work twice as hard as men, and that's a reality.

READ STORY | Sex is always important: Twinkle Khanna

Session 9: Boss Women | Shattering Stereotypes

Moderated by Shweta Punj

The one stereotype you've had to battle...

Falguni Nayar: Because I started out after my kids were off to college, people didn't understand why I wanted to be an entrepreneur; they don't realise you're inching towards a life-long dream.

Suchita Salwan: People just look at you and think you're a "sales girl" of the Little Black Book. I think you fall prey to the usual suspects of the stereotypical professions men and women are "supposed" to have.

Soumya Rajan: At social gatherings, when I said I run my own my business, people think you're a mom with a pop-shop. People don't take women entrepreneurship seriously.

Mariazeena Johnson: Second generation is not born with a silver spoon; we're in fact born with a large set of wires to connect the first generation and the third generation.

advertisement

The innate judgement calls women are forced to make...

Falguni Nayar: You keep hearing all through your life that you're a bad mother, or that you don't prioritise your kids. You have to find the right balance and juggle. Also, when your husband is doing well, people keep thinking "Why is she doing this? To what end? She's really mad."

Any harassment you've faced in your careers, and have you pushed back?

Soumya Rajan: In my generation, if you faced any harassment, there was no process to report that. So, you grew up accepting it.

Suchita Salwan: I haven't faced any, but it's great that people are taking note of it and speaking up about it.

Falguni Nayar: I was in a very safe work environment all through. For a short while I was working with the leather industry, and that's when I faced it. That's when I realised the value of working in a safe environment. Let's recognise the ones who make their employees feel safe.

Mariazeena Johnson: Please teach the children that everybody is equal.

READ STORY | People don't take female entrepreneurs seriously, says Soumya Rajan

Session 8: Women And Mythology | Were They Better Off?

Moderated by Kaveree Bamzai

Your favourite mythological woman...

Rama Vaidyanathan: Durga--she fights for evil, all women today should fight to be like her. She's the quintessential powerful woman. The stereotypical image of Sita we have is that of a sad woman, crying for her man. That's why I love this new Tamil poem, in which she asks her husband, "How dare you think of leaving me? The earth will not bear this. Is that the sign of a true man?"

Samhita Arni: Mythology is more like psychology for us, it's ingrained in us, we all try to be Rams and Sitas with each other.

What would Amrita Sheirgill have said to Donald Trump?

Navjot Randhawa: F**k off!

A man you would rather be a myth...

Samhita Arni: Donald Trump

READ STORY | All women today should fight like Durga: Rama Vaidyanathan

Session 7: When Life Gives You Lemons | Make Lots Of Lemonade

Moderated by Padmaja Joshi

Deepa Malik: The one thing I needed to overcome was the impression made about me on the wheelchair--that my life was finished. I had to change that stereotypical image of a woman sitting on a wheelchair. I had to tell people that a woman even of a wheelchair still has life and joy left in her.

Neelam Katara: I didn't get any time to mourn my loss. Had I let and pain get to me, I would have not been able to get through the legislative process of getting justice.

Laxmi Saa: (About why she chose the surnam Saa) SAA means stop acid attack. That's a part of my name now. My daughter is also called She--because she is a girl, there's no greater meaning than that.

Mumtaz Shaikh: For the past 5 years, our biggest struggle has been to get people to talk about us, because the word "pee" in Hindi sounded too dirty to everyone to talk about it. In the RTI we filed in 2011, we got to know that men had 2850 public urinals, and women had zero.

Dipa Karmakar: I used to feel bad that people didn't know about Tripura, but that has changed after Rio.

2014 was my first attempt at produnova. I fractured my ankle. Two days later was the final. My coach was with me, and I had my country's name at stake. I did it, nevertheless, and won a bronze medal.

Poonam Muttreja: We did 150 case studies about women who've fought at every step. We also got to know that 15 million women in India go through abortion every year. We wanted to reach the largest chunk of women, that's why Doordarshan.

Laxmi Saa: In 2005, I was attacked by acid, I was 15. The guy who fell in love with me and threw acid at me was 32. I covered my face till 2009. But in 2009, I realised that if I'm creating a dress for myself, what's the point of wearing the dress if I can't be free. At the time I thought people are so judgemental, I was going to be massacred. But then I realised that it's this society that has to make that guy who threw acid at me cover his face; I didn't need to cover my face.

Though I had suicidal thoughts, I thought I'd talk to my loved ones, and that gave my strength--to be a survivor and not a victim.

Deepa Malik: When I got paralyzed, people always asked me, "Aapki betiyaan normal hain?". My daughters--22 and 26--have watched me go through what most women don't. My deformity made my motherhood a better motherhood, because my daughters understand what other girls don't.

Neelam Katara: After my son's death, people could not accept me as being "normal". They would feel what sort of a mother was I, because I was still behaving normally, no matter how much effort it was taking me to be that way. The whole problem with honour killings is--"How can a woman make her own choice?"--it's got nothing to do with good caste or bad caste or high class or low class.

#WomanSummit17Acid attack survivor Laxmi Saa shares the mantra to live life positively. LIVE https://t.co/MO5uiwofa4 pic.twitter.com/c4dl9y3L0D- India Today (@IndiaToday) March 24, 2017

What keeps you going...

Poonam Muttreja: I keep thinking how to reach a larger number of people

Dipa Karmakar: I wake up every day thinking I'll better my practice today, to get more medals for the country.

Mumtaz Shaikh: I've been through a lot of physical abuse, and had suicidal thoughts, so I just keep thinking that it can never get worse than that.

Deepa Malik: When I wake up each morning and look at my wheelchair, I think how can I stop when god has chosen for me to sit on the greatest invention ever.

Neelam Katara: On difficult mornings, I tell myself that we have to keep the convicts inside prisons for longer.

Dipa Karmakar awarded the India Today Sportswoman of The Year 2017.

READ STORY | I'm a survivor, not a victim: Laxmi Saa

Session 6: Fierce Creatures | Why I Am A Feminist

Moderated by Asmita Bakshi

How do you define feminism, and what do you think it is not?

Bani J: It IS about common sense. We've got to have a lot of respect for each other. It goes beyond just body parts, it's huger.

Sanya Malhotra: Feminism is a state of mind, it's being an equal.

Richa Chadda: Feminism is common sense. You can't hate someone whose body is different than yours. It's something we should have had all along.

Body issues...

Sanya Malhotra: Before entring the industry, I was happy and healthy and was not bothered about my body weight. Even after Dangal, I'm not counting my calories. We need to teach our kids the same thing--food is nourishment.

Richa Chadda: If women spend half as much time discussing the problems they face--their work, marital issues, sexual abuse--instead of reading how quinoa is good for you, it will do a world of good.

Bani J: People might pass comments casually about how fat we--in the public life--are looking. It might be just a casual comment, but it really hurts. Also, we need to get over berating each other. Why can't we just say that she looks beautiful, and actually mean it.

Fighting sexism on a daily basis...

Richa Chadda: After the AIB video, there was silence from my fraternity, which is okay. I've been lucky with my choice of projects that I don't fight sexism actively on a daily basis.

Sexist encounters...

Richa Chadda: When an aunty in the metro tells you, "Haww beta aapka toh bra strap dikh raha hai!" Give them more meat to laugh about.

advertisement

Female bonds

Bani J: With Gauahar I have the greatest friendship--we are bros, we are sisters. If we just take genders out of the equation, I can be your anything you want me to be.

Richa Chadda: There is something called female sabotage that we've all been taught to do. We are trained, as women, to compete with each other. Why don't we compete for education opportunities, and why don't we pull each other up, instead of fighting over men. This kind of oppression is bigger than the oppression of Native Americans, of Dalits in India--it's like the world decided to just oppress women.

Sanya Malhotra: If we don't stand together, we don't have a chance.

advertisement

Your "I will not conform" moment...

Bani J: My mother would be the best person to tell you my "moment". I can't really recall a moment that I realised that I wasn't going to conform--and that had a lot to do with my mother. She never told us that we had to be a certain way. She just asked us to be our own people.

READ STORY | Feminism is not a biological thing: Richa Chadha

Session 5: Soul Song | The Music Of Joy

Moderated by Sushant Mehta

I just knew I had to be a music composer; never had a plan B. When I look back, maybe I was really foolish, but I guess that's what kept me going.

When I was standing in line for audition of India's Got Talent, I was studying for my exam.

I was just doing live shows and collecting money for my instruments, and we shot that video and it went viral. MTV picked it up, and that's how it got noticed.

It took me a lot of time to chase Dharma Productions, Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar, it's been a long journey, but it's absolutely been worth it.

I don't like lyrics; I just write my thoughts. My mother is a poetry enthusiast, and it's thanks to the environment I grew up in that I give so much importance to lyrics.

I walked from one production house to another saying to them that I've composed this song for Haramkhor, in the hope that they would take me seriously--at least in my own head.

I don't agree with VIPs, and nominees being against them. As a woman or not, as a human being I'm not going to accept being treated as a lesser human.

READ STORY: Jasleen Royal gets candid about her musical journey

Session 4: Fight Like A Girl | Punch Like A Woman

Moderated by Padmaja Joshi

I never wanted to be a typical heroine. I learnt everything from Krav Maga to MMA--not that I want to be violent, I've never even hit a guy.

We need to get over the "How can this happen to me" fear when we are being molested, and take charge, and make the best of whatever we have to fight back.

I live to eat; martial arts watches my weight for me.

It used to wonder why "hitting like a girl" was always a sign of weakness.

God is very smart, he compensates women's lack of muscle (compared to men) with sixth sense. In a fight, it's not about the muscle.

In the industry, I couldn't abuse or complain. When films, in which I was dancing around big male stars, didn't work, they blamed me for it; they asked me to slash my prices.

Without naming names, they have now stood in line and offered me roles at double the rates. And all of this happened because I fought like a girl.

I won't mind doing "girly" roles, as an actor, because I like dressing up. Doing brave-girl, hard roles was my way of getting them to notice me. Now, they look at me and think, 'Oh, she's a pretty face, she can dress up'.

I feared being stereotyped, when I started out. In Bollywood, they're seeing me as the girl next door, and I love that tag. But I'm trying to balance it out with my choice of roles. I'm really looking forward to playing a psycho-trippy woman, maybe with a split personality!

READ STORY | I fight like a woman, I am no less empowered in strength: Tapsee Pannu

Session 3: Right To Pray | Are Women Children Of A Lesser God?

Moderated by Padmaja Joshi

Sharifa Khanum: Muslim woman does not enjoy any Islamic rights, or any constitutional rights in India, that's why we came up with the jamaat (women's mosque).

Trupti Desai: In 1950, women were given equal rights by the Indian constitution. But that's not applicable in reality. We are just raising the obvious question--when all men and women are born out of a woman, how can she be impure?

Trupti Desai: When I tried to enter the Shani Shingnapur temple for the second time, people said I was going to go through a divorce and be thrown out of the house for doing so. We were blackmailed, detained by the police, but nothing could stop us.

Sharifa Khanum: When we were trying to build the women's mosque, the major things stopping us, for our women workers, were character assassination and physical abuse.

Trupti Desai: We have only brought more glory to our religion by treating women as equals.

Sharifa Khanum: In the past 20 years I've been working for Muslim women, more than 100 girls have been killed in the name of suicide. The Muslim Personal Law Board does not support us. Muslim women are getting talaq for no reason--Quran does not say that, the personal law does not say that.

for no reason--Quran does not say that, the personal law does not say that. Trupti Desai: My breaking point was when, despite being in the ICU twice, I was getting to hear that people are saying it was all for publicity. They started rotating fake indecent pictures of my on social media to mar my image.

Sharifa Khanum: My breaking points have been when I have been physically abused repeatedly.

Sharifa Khanum: When I was 15, I was not given the permission to even stand outside my house. I got beaten up by my own brother for not believing in religion or god. But I'm not bothered about any of that.

Sharifa Khanum: (If she had to resolve the Babri Masjib issue) I would rather build an education centre instead of Babri Masjib.

Trupti Desai: (If she had to resolve the Babri Masjib issue) No matter what they build--mandir, masjib, dargah--women should walk hand-in-hand with men into it.

READ STORY | When all are born out of a woman, how can she be considered impure: Trupti Desai

Session 2: The Perfect Co-Star | In Reel And Real Life

Moderated by: Koel Purie

It's not possible for women and men to understand each other completely. We just need to appreciate the differences.

I was brought up by a single mother. My mother was extremely empowered. She was my source of strength, she was the one earning for the house. She was never playing the submissive or passive role. I've come to understand that that's very essential for our country.

Being a father is the most enriching experience. I'm fortunate to be where I am. I've been told I'm very over-involved in my daughter's life. I've been told to calm down.

I always worry about the worst-case scenarios for Meesha. But I hope she's going to be okay--I'll just give her space and be there for her when she needs me.

I felt I have the acting gene when I was 6 years old. I always felt I could do it.

It's a myth that actors are fit all the time; they're not. I do like being fit, though.

I'm a vegetarian, to begin with. I was an on-and-off smoker, but my wife said I couldn't touch Meesha if I smoked, so I went cold turkey.

I try and do some weights, some functional trainig, eat 5-6 meals a day. I drink a lot of water, and try and avoid friend and sweet food. And most importantly, be consistent.

(About Padmavati sets being destroyed) I'm just hoping to get back on the Padmavati set. I think people should see the film first, before judging it. It's unfortunate that something like this is happening. I hope people give the director the opportunity to say what he has to, instead of reacting right now.

(About working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali) People who strive for excellence can be mistaken for 'difficult'. He is very honest towards his craft. It's a privilege to be working with him.

Men should participate in their wife's pregnancy.

In arranged marriages, it's about companionship and friendship first; love follows.

If you're looking for a 10 on 10, marriage is not for you. We take marriage for granted. There will be many stages that you go through, where you need to work at your marriage.

The one thing you shouldn't do with a woman is get her bored.

After a heartbreak, move on swiftly, it's not the end of the world, there's a lot to look forward to. Everyone likes indulging in self pity, but we really should move on swiftly.

Shahid Kapoor receives India Today Man of The Year Award 2017.

READ STORY | I'm a worst-case scenario person: Shahid Kapoor

Session 1: Battling Bias | Why Women Won't Shut Down, Shut Up

Moderated by: Rajdeep Sardesai

Supriya Sule: I'd like to defend my fraternity; there's no boys club in politics.

Sushmita Dev: India ranks on number 15 in politics.

Supriya Sule: I'm sitting here all because of my father and my mother--it's the first foot in the door. The second and the third election, however, is all yours.

Meenakshi Lekhi: (About the anti-women regressive statements made by her fellow politicians) These are the statements by politicians, so they make good headlines, but I'm sure the same things are said by men all over the country.

Sushmita Dev: You don't have to be a certain type to lead a party.

K Kavitha: We are 60 years ahead of US. We had Indira Gandhi as a president long ago. Is she performing better than her male counterpart or not should be the question--not whether you're a man or a woman.

Praniti Shinde: I think men need to change their perspective about looking at women. But women have held very high statures all over our country. But fighting for equality is a constant struggle.

Meenakshi Lekhi: Women choose to dress the way they do depending on what they're dressing for. You're right, there is a certain stereotype, but that stereotype is about say Meenakshi Lekhi talking about women's issues.

Supriya Sule: Since the legislation is not coming through, we need to start giving women their place. What we can do is give women party cadre positions, within the structure of our party.

Praniti Shinde: It's time people start looking at us as not objects, but as change-makers.

Meenakshi Lekhi: (About Yogi Adityanath's statements on women) What I've seen is him washing the feet of young girls, like Punjabis do in kanjake (ashtmi). I have seen very timid men in my life. I have also seen very brave women--gender does not describe any quality.

(ashtmi). I have seen very timid men in my life. I have also seen very brave women--gender does not describe any quality. K Kavitha: Women are more honest politicians than men.

Supriya Sule: These are social issues; there is police to look after than. No one can decide what my morals are going to be.

Meenakshi Lekhi: (About anti-romeo squads) The atmosphere that's going on in UP, that needs to be changed.

K Kavitha: I do not like the word 'anti-romeo'.

Q. If you were the male head politician of your party instead of a female one, what change would you bring about?

Supriya Sule: I'll give women 50 per cent reservation.

Sushmita Dev: I'll start by reshuffling portfolios.

K Kavitha: Education for girls in India should be free.

Meenakshi Lekhi: Juliet squads! I would focus on the martial qualities of women.

Praniti Shinde: I would first teach my son to respect women.

READ STORY | Gender is not so much of an issue in politics anymore: K Kavitha

Welcome address by India Today Group Editorial Director for Broadcast and New Media Kalli Purie

We now spell woman with a big V.

Women live in conflicts: Should I eat butter toast? Skinny or natural weight? PTA meeting or event? Kids or career?

Is living in conflict bad? Doesn't it mean we have a choice? What is it that men can do that women can't do today? We now have a choice--sometimes it may be denied, but things are changing.

Now, men want to be more like women--but you know what, they can't--because god damn it, we're not equal, we're more.

At the very base level, nature designed us to do more, be more. We have to change the system. No more samjhauta. By doing so, we allow the whole race to fall behind. Do more. Be more. Start today with India Today Woman Summit.

advertisement

READ STORY | Welcome address - Men can never be like women: Kalli Purie

WATCH VIDEO | India Today Woman Summit 2017: Welcome address by Kalli Purie

--- ENDS ---
An Indian IT professional and her seven-year-old son in the US were found with their throats slit, prompting the police to launch a criminal investigation into the brutal killing. Sasikala, 40, and her son Anish Sai were found dead in their home in Burlington, New Jersey when her husband Narra Hanumanth Rao returned from work yesterday.

By Press Trust of India: An Indian IT professional and her seven-year-old son in the US were found with their throats slit, prompting the police to launch a criminal investigation into the brutal killing.

Sasikala, 40, and her son Anish Sai were found dead in their home in Burlington, New Jersey when her husband Narra Hanumanth Rao returned from work yesterday.

advertisement

Indian-American community leader and President of the non-profit Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC), Prasad Thotakura said that according to the information he has, Rao allegedly found his wife and child "in a pool of blood" and "with their throats slit".

According to information available so far, Sasikala had picked up her son from school in the afternoon and returned home. Their bodies were later found in their home by her husband.

Thotakura said the police have launched a criminal investigation into the case and are looking into motives behind the murder, including the possibilities of any foul play. He added that no details are yet available to ascertain if the case involved any domestic dispute.

He said the Telugu Association of North America is helping the family to send the bodies back to India.

The couple worked in the IT fields and had been living in the US for the last 12 years.

WATCH| Female Indian techie, son murdered in US, alleges family

ALSO READ| Indians are valuable, ashamed of killing of Kuchibhotla: Kansas governor

--- ENDS ---
Amid lower opening of European markets, Indian bourses gave up some gains and closed Fridays trading session marginally higher with Bank stocks leading the rally.

The BSE Sensex closed 89 points or 0.30 per cent higher at 29,421 and the NSE Nifty ended 22 points or 0.24 per cent up at 9,108.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap index slipped 0.1 per cent while BSE Smallcap index jumped 0.4 per cent.

Among the BSE sectoral indices, Bankex index registered the biggest gain with a jump of 1.2 per cent. IT and Teck indices declined 0.8 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively.

Bank of Baroda (up 4.3 per cent), Punjab National Bank (up 4.1 per cent), ICICI Bank (up 2.9 per cent) and SBI (up 2.8 per cent) were the notable gainers in the banking space.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: ICICI Bank (up 3.3 per cent), SBI (up 2.6 per cent), ITC (up 1 per cent), Reliance Industries (up 0.8 per cent) and Coal India (up 0.8 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: Infosys (down 1.4 per cent), TCS (down 1.2 per cent), Lupin (down 0.9 per cent), Bajaj Auto (down 0.9 per cent) and ONGC (down 0.8 per cent).

All the Asian markets traded in the positive zone. Japans Nikkei 225 climbed 0.9 per cent, Singapores Straits Times Index jumped 0.5 per cent, Hong Kongs Hang Seng index increased 0.1 per cent, Koreas KOSPI jumped slipped 0.2 per cent, and Chinas Shanghai Composite index jumped 0.6 per cent.

European markets were trading with declines, CAC 40, FTSE 100 and DAX indices lost between 0.1-0.3 per cent.

Back home, the Rupee was trading 16 paise higher at 65.41 against the US Dollar.
To counter Mukesh Ambanis Jio and other major telecom-sector operators, British telecom major Vodafone has made plans to merge with Indias Idea Cellular and create a new telecom giant. The partnership, which empower them to create the biggest telecom company in Indian will not only cut costs or facilitate operations but also impact the subscribers.

I think the merger will bring down my data charges a Vodafone subscriber said. I will get good facilities after the merger, another Idea subscriber highlighted. However, a subscriber said she dont think this it will change anything.

Although it is very early to dream a bigger change, some experts believe the merger will help the merged company to cater their subscribers well. The merger will complete by the end of 2018 and after the merger both Vodafone and Idea will not exist, instead the new entity with a different name will emerge. The likely impacts on the subscribers are:

Immediate impact

In the near future, there will be no impact on the subscribers of both the companies as the merger will take around two years. It can be expected that both the companies will continue to operate the way they do right now.

Coverage impact

Once the merger is completed, the new entity will give good network coverage pan India. The merger will result in largest Indian telecom operator with widest mobile network in the country and pan India 3G/4G footprint, a press statement by Idea says. Vodafone has strong presence in metro cities but Idea holds the leadership in semi urban and rural areas, according to the company statement. The merger will allow the companies to enhance customer services and compete more effectively.

Data charges

In the fast-growing digital world, lowering data charges is a problheadache for the service providers as well as the subscribers. Rationalising network infrastructure, generating operational efficiency, lower maintenance expenses and savings in energy cost will give the merged entity and opportunity to cut expenses. When companys expenses will go down there are chances that the end customers will get benefits.

Benefits for the country

Talking about Indian digital missions, Idea stated the merger will accelerate expansion of wireless broadband network and the Acceleration of expansion of wireless broadband networks across India will deliver the government of Indias Digital India mission.

Whether we talk about Digital India Mission, Clean India Mission or initiatives to promote cashless economy, without supportive technology it is not possible to compete with world players.

The country needs strong and competitive telecom majors for sustainable growth.
Even over one-and-half-year after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the International Airport at Chandigarh, the same has failed to get its name as Punjab and Haryana have failed to reach a consensus using Chandigarh or Mohali in

airport's address.

While now the two states  who are partners in the airport project  have agreed on naming the airport as Shaheed-E-Aazam Bhagat Singh International Airport, the matter remains unresolved over the location to be shown  Mohali or Chandigarh  in the official address.

While Punjab, which has given land for the international airport on its side adjoining the domestic airport  wants that Mohali should be part of the name as it's located in Mohali (bordering Chandigarh), Haryana sees it as an attempt to take credit for the airport which is part of Chandigarh.

The contention arises between the two states on the issue as as the airport runway is located in the Union territory of Chandigarh, however the new international terminal is located on the south side of the runway in the village of Jhiurheri in Mohali (SAS Nagar) of

Punjab.

According to a senior Punjab official the runway located in Mohali, that is why Mohali should be there as its location while Haryana counterparts says that the airport belongs to the Chandigarh and it should be the official address of the International Airport.

Haryana Principal Secretary, Civil Aviation, Mahavir Singh told The Statesman that the state government has given its nod for naming the airport after Saheed Bhagat Singh but it is not in favour of putting Mohali as official position.

Though, both of the states have continued to maintain that right to take final decision in this regard is reserved with the Centre,

however a senior official from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation told The Statesman that the states need to reach an agreement of the issue of the city.

"Why should the Centre take anybody's side, the states reach a consensus and tell us which of the cities they want, we will do the

same," he added. Ruckus was witnessed in Rabha Sabha on Thursday when the CPI-M alleged that the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had preferred the name of the said airport after RSS ideologue Mangal Sen instead of Bhagat Singh. However, the Haryana government refuted the CPI-M claims saying that earlier also it had expressed its willingness over naming the airport after Saheed Bhagat Singh.

Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu said that it would be a matter of pride for the state if the Chandigarh airport is named after the martyr. The civil air terminal at Chandigarh airport was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on September 11 last 2015. Initially, both of the states had agreed to it being named after Bhagat Singh, controversy errupted when Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar desired to name the airport after Mangal Sen. however, later on the Haryana government clarified that is had no objection to the airport being named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Following a stern warning by the Bombay High Court on Friday, doctors in government and private hospitals across Maharashtra agreed to withdraw their agitation amid revelations that at least 135 patients died in Mumbai in the past five days.

As per the court orders, the doctors are expected to resume normal duties by 8 am on Saturday in all government hospitals in the state.

Taking a serious view of flouting of its orders on Thursday, the High Court today served an ultimatum to the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) to either join duties or face termination proceedings.

Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G.S. Kulkarni observed that "the doctors are taking undue advantage of us and our sympathy".

"If you (doctors) keep stretching the matter like this, then public will come and hit you. You are creating such an atmosphere," the bench said.

They made it clear if this attitude of the doctors continued, then the hospital managements were free to take action against them, including termination of services.

"We think we made a mistake yesterday by showing them sympathy and appreciating their work," the bench noted.

The BrihanMumbai Mumbai Corp (BMC) told the court that in the past five days of doctors' agitation, 135 patients lost their lives in Mumbai's government hospitals, including 53 in KEM, 48 in Sion LTMG and 34 in Nair due to non-availability of emergency services.

Following a strict deadline of 3 p.m. set by the court, the MARD filed an affidavit stating that it had failed to convince its members to withdraw their mass leave agitation and MARD had no objections if the government takes action against the doctors.

Shortly afterwards, the 40,000-strong Indian Medical Association (IMA) of Maharashtra also announced withdrawal of the agitation by its doctors in private hospitals and general practitioners.

Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a fervent appeal to the medicos to resume work and reprimanded them for forgetting their (Hippocratic) oath to serve the sick and needy.
The Andhra Pradesh-based family said the 40-year-old N Sasikala and her son were found dead at their New Jersey home.

Sasikala, with her son Anish and husband Hanumantha Rao

By Ashish Pandey, India Today Web Desk: A female Indian software professional and her seven-year-old son were murdered in the US, the deceased woman's family has alleged.

The Andhra Pradesh-based family said the 40-year-old N Sasikala and her son, Anish Sai, were found dead at their New Jersey home.

The bodies were discovered by N Hanumantha Rao, Sasikala's husband who is also a software professional, on Thursday evening after he returned from work.

advertisement

According to news agency IANS, Y Sambasiva Rao, an Andhra Pradesh MLA, spoke to Telugu Association of North America (TANA) representatives over phone.

Rao told the agency that the mother and son were strangulated to death.

The couple had been living in the US for nine years and Sasikala used to work from home.

The mother and son were found dead at their New Jersey home Click here to Enlarge The mother and son were found dead at their New Jersey home

ANDHRA CM TWEETS ABOUT MURDER

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tweeted about the murder, saying, "Pained to hear about the killing of Sasikala & son Sai in New Jersey, US. My condolences to the family members."

Telugu Desam Party General Secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh too expressed grief on Twitter, posting, "Saddened to learn about the killing of Sasikala and her son in New Jersey, US. Strongly condemn such acts of violence."

CRIMES AGAINST INDIANS

Recently, there have been a spate of attacks targeting Indians in the US.

In February this year, 32-year-old IT professional Srinivas Kuchibhotla and his friend injured when a man named Adam Purinton opened fire at the duo at a bar in Kansas.

Kuchibhotla was from Telangana and Purinton allegedly yelled 'go back to your country' at the Indian duo before opening fire.

In early March, an Indian-origin store owner was shot dead outside his home in South Carolina and two days later, a Sikh man was non-fatally injured after being shot at in Kent, Washington.

(With inputs from IANS)

ALSO READ | Indians are valuable, ashamed of killing of Kuchibhotla: Kansas governor

ALSO WATCH | Rise in hate crime in US: Sikh man shot at in Kent

--- ENDS ---
Karnataka on Friday said there is no question of releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in line with the Supreme Court's directive as the state itself is facing a shortage of drinking water.

"There is no water for drinking purposes. If we had water we could have released. We have 3-4 tmc ft shortage to provide drinking water to Bengaluru, Mysuru and surrounding villages.

Therefore, there is no question of releasing water," Water Resources Minister M B Patil said.

He was replying to a question on whether the state will release water to Tamil Nadu in the backdrop of the apex court directive.

Patil said the Karnataka government had also mentioned this before the apex court and that the state's legal team was working on the matter.

"There will not be any meeting (with the legal team) per se as of now," he said.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra had on March 21 said all interim orders of releasing 2000 cusecs of Cauvery water by Karnataka will continue to be in force till further orders.

The Supreme Court had also said it will commence, on July 11, the final hearing of the appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal on sharing of water for 15 consecutive workings days.
You may call them the incorrigible lotus eaters of Himachal Pradesh. They flaunt lavish lifestyle that they have got by making fast buck.

A visit to Channi Majra, twin Panchayats in Kangra district of HP towards Punjabs Pathankot area, makes it clearer.

With a population of around 2,500, the area, which houses a traditional community settled here from Rajasthan, is all along notorious for alleged over- indulgence in illicit lahan (liquor made from Jaggery) extraction in crudest of ways.

For decades, majority locals here have faced cases for bootlegging, with women as equal partners. The Police destroyed drums and drums of illegal liquor in the area and arrested them every now and then. But all this did not deter them.

In recent years, with Punjab becoming the hub of drug trafficking through Afghanistan and Pakistan, a number of Channi Majra residents left bootlegging and allegedly took to more lucrative trade of narcotics and synthetic drugs.

The figures with Kangra Police corroborate it.

From 2008 to 2015, the cases of ND&PS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act and Drugs and Cosmetics Act showed a consistent rise from 21 to 93 in a year and the persons arrested from 32 to 107 in Channi Majra.

The 2016 data showed a big leap as the cases registered under ND&PS and the Drugs and Cosmetic Act were 362, with 443 arrests against 358 cases and 434 arrests in previous eight years. Besides, the Kangra Police, which led the government take up amendment in Drugs and Cosmetics Act, identified 45 properties last year, freezing five of them worth crores of Rupees. Drugs like heroine and synthetic capsules have been seized from here.

Channi Majra is worst affected in Kangra district in drug pedalling. Majority people here dont want to work and they look for easy money. These people are not only trading, but are also consuming drugs, Kangra district Police chief, Sanjeev Gandhi told The Statesman. He said their networking for drugs is with their relatives settled across the states.

Gandhi, who has tightened the noose around the drug peddlers in Kangra, the biggest district of HP on Punjab border, even set up a female narcotic cell to nab women drug peddlers in border villages, including Bhadroya and Mand.

We may have big houses and foreign travels to boast, but life has just been that of hide and seek with lurking Police fear, said a local, who left the illicit liquor business to run a dhaba in early 90s. Not many are able to do it as they avoid struggle for money, he summed.

One can see the vicious cycle working on ground. More than 80 per cent residents here are still illiterate, only due to their mindset. The area has so far produced a school teacher and few Police cops.
Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said it wants to fight the next war with Indian technologies.

"We want to fight the next war with technology on our side and not like the past," General Rawat said at the release of the 'Compendium of Problem Statements, Volume II' here.

The compendium has been prepared by the Army Design Bureau (ADB) after detailed interaction with all stakeholders, including soldiers deployed in the field.

Pointing out the drawbacks in trial equipment, he asked the industry and academia to focus on the fact that the Army will fight wars in varied terrain and weather conditions, a Defence Ministry release said.

He asked the industry and academia to come up with robust, rugged, miniaturised yet technologically compatible solutions.

The 28 new problem statements, part of Volume II, will allow industry and academia to understand the needs of the Army and come up with indigenous solutions for military requirements.

The first volume, with 50 problem statements, was released on December 5 last year.

The ADB, inaugurated last August, has been formed in a bid to meet the Army's longstanding need to create and modernise weapons indigenously.

It facilitate the weapons and technology building efforts between the Defence Research and Development Organisation, industry and the Army.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday came down heavily on the protesting resident doctors and said "enough is enough".

Enough is enough. Now, the government cant sit quiet. We cannot leave patients to die. Despite accepting all the demands, the doctors are not ready to withdraw their strike. They are forcing us to take a harsh step, Fadnavis said in the Legislative Assembly.

I will along with medical education minister Girish Mahajan and public health minister Deepak Sawant will again request them to call off the strike immediately as the government has accepted all demands, he said.

Even after that, if they do not resume the duty, the state government will initiate legal action against them, he added.

With the doctors not returning to work, functioning of the OPDs and general wards in the government and the civic hospitals are severely affected on Friday as well.

Reports suggested that the resident doctors in Maharashtra are yet to resume work despite an appeal by an association representing them to join duty and intervention of the Bombay High Court.

The state government on March 22 had given strong warning to the protesting doctors and asked them to resume duty or face action.

"Those doctors who don't return to work by 8 pm on Wednesday will lose 6 months' salary," state Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan had said.

The Bombay High Court had on Thursday asked the agitating doctors to resume duties and urged them give some time to the government to provide them proper security.

For the fifth consecutive day on Friday, over 3,000 resident doctors continued their mass casual leave protesting against growing incidents of attacks by patients' relatives on them.

Medical services in 17 government hospitals in Maharashtra, including four in Mumbai, were severely affected because of the strike.

Thousands of patients have been deprived of medical care in the wake of the protest across the state.
In a major development to the Jiah Khan suicide case, a Mumbai court on Friday adjourned the hearing on framing of charges against Sooraj Pancholi to April 20.

Reports on March 22 suggested that the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court was likely to frame charges against Sooraj in the case.

The CBI framed the charges after the Supreme Court refused a petition filed by Rabia Khan (Jia's mother) on February 9, 2017, seeking that the matter be probed by the Special Investigations Team. The apex court declined to intervene in the matter and upheld the Bombay High Court's order.

Earlier this month, Sooraj had also requested the court to expedite his trial in the case.

Jiah was found dead in her room on June 3, 2013 and her then boyfriend Pancholi was arrested by the police after Jia's mother filed a case against him in connection with the suicide case.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda today introduced the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, in the Lok Sabha that would make provision to protect, promote and fulfill the rights of persons suffering from mental illness.

The Bill, which was cleared last year by the Rajya Sabha, is crucial as it would not only decriminalise suicide, but also ensure right to better healthcare for people suffering from mental illness.

Introducing the Bill, Mr Nadda said it was progressive and patient-centric. The purpose of the bill is to give treatment at community level.the society should give an environment in which we should see maximum mental healthcare is community based, the minister said.

Later initiating the debate in support of the Bill, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said mental patients are treated worse than animals and they are termed lunatics. He said it is time to replace the term mentally ill with person with mental illness and ensure self respect and dignity to such people. He said educational institutions should also hire professionals to improve the mental health of students. Half the medical students in India suffer from depression and anxiety, Tharoor added.

BJP member, Dr Heena Gavit, called the Bill a revolutionary one and said it would give dignity to people suffering from mental illness. She also lauded the decriminalisation of suicide. The discussion on the Bill would continue on Monday as it remained inconclusive.
No FIR has been registered in the assault case of the Air India staffer by a Shiv Sena MP, Ravindra Gaikwad, according to the AI Cabin Crew Association.

The Association lamented that the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, Ashwani Lohani, was not present in support of the staff.

"The CMD should have himself gone and asked the police to file an FIR," said KVJ Rao, General Secretary of Air India Cabin Crew Association. Two complaints have been lodged by the police on the statements of the airport manager and the staffer. "Statements of both the airport manager and the staffer were recorded by the police and two complaints were registered. One of the complaints was related to the assault on the staffer and the other was of delaying the Air India flight," said Rao.

He said the two complaints have not yet been converted into an FIR. "The police gives lots of excuses when a VIP is involved for not filing an FIR," said Rao. The contractual employee, a part of the commercial staff, was in the airport premises. "He went inside the flight to ask the MP to deboard as the flight did not have a business seat. That is when the altercation took place. And the MP beat him up," said Rao.

Air India in an official statement yesterday said two FIRs have been filed in the case. One FIR is for assaulting the employee and the second is for delaying the flight for 40 minutes.

Rao said there is a Supreme Court ruling that in cognizable offences, the police has to file an FIR. "In the Lalita Kumari Vs Union of India case, the SC has given this ruling," he said.

He also cited the case of three air hostesses with Air India, who were abused in 2009 on a New York-Mumbai flight. "Even then it was the air hostesses who had to personally file the FIR. The whole crew including the Commander had gone to file the FIR," said Rao.

According to a source in Air India, there are 250 retired employees working on the staff of Air India as contractual employees. Sukumar, the 61-year-old contract employee, is likely to have been a retired Air India employee.

To reduce liabilities on the airline, the recruitment policy of Air India has shifted to hiring employees on contract. At present there are 1800 contractual cabin crew and 980 contractual pilots. "Contractual employees are also part of the staff of the airline. They must be treated at par," said Rao.
India on Friday asserted that Pakistan must effectively address the core issue of terrorism emanating from its soil rather than harping on the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Terrorism from Pakistan was not only affecting India but other countries in the region as well, MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay noted at his press briefing here when his attention was drawn to confusing signals being sent by Islamabad which was pitching for the resumption of bilateral dialogue and at the same time raising the J-K issue at every forum.

Asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Thursday on the occasion of Pakistan Day, the spokesperson said this was a normal practice being followed by the Indian leadership in the case of every Head of State and Government on such occasions and there was nothing new about it. He said while he was not aware of the exact details of the letter, the PM must have written that India would like to build a relationship with Pakistan in an environment free of violence and terrorism.

On the just concluded talks between India and Pakistan over the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), the spokesperson pointed out that the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was mandated to meet once every financial year. So long as we are a party to the treaty, it is incumbent on us to fulfill that treaty. He said the Indian delegation had returned to India and New Delhi was in the process of assessing its deliberations on various technical matters.

On reports from Islamabad that India and Pakistan would hold the next meeting of IWT in Washington under the auspices of the World Bank, he said he would not like to speculate on any hypothetical contingencies until the outcome of the talks held in Pakistan earlier this week had been assessed.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to provide "adequate security" to the witnesses in the alleged child rape case against godman Asaram Bapu.

"State of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana will provide full protection to the witnesses by providing adequate security to them," ordered the bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan.

"You must have scheme for the protection of witnesses. It is high time," it observed.

The court order came as counsel Utsav Bains appearing for the witnesses told the bench that Uttar Pradesh was doing nothing for their protection.

Petitioner Mahender Chawla and others have moved the top court for the framing of national witness protection guidelines, and an SIT probe into the murder of a witness.

Chawla is a witness residing in Haryana, while the other three witnesses  journalist Narender Yadav, Naresh Gupta and Karamvir Singh  live in Uttar Pradesh, Bains said.

Asaram, lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail, is facing a trial under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl.

The 72-year-old spiritual leader was arrested on September 2, 2013 after the 16-year-old girl lodged a police complaint on August 20, 2013, accusing him of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Jodhpur. He is jail since then.
Air India (AI) and the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on Friday have banned Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying with immediate effect, day after he assaulted an AI staffer.

Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect. We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety, FIA Associate Director Ujjwal Dey said.

Gaikwad's return ticket from Delhi to Pune on Thursday was cancelled, according to reports.

The FIA, which has Jet Airways, SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir as it members, has taken the strong action in view of the incident.

Gaikwad, when asked about the brazen assault on the staffer that broke the victims spectacles, refused to owe any apology to the victim but challenged the Delhi Police to arrest him.

"I will not apologise, he (Air India staff) must come to me and apologise. I dare the Delhi Police to arrest me," Gaiwad was quoted as saying to a news agency.

The AI staffer also accused the Shiv Sena MP of using 'bad words' and 'humiliating' him in front of his crew.

"R Gaikwad hit me, he used bad words and not only did he broke my spectacles but humiliated me in front of the whole crew," the victim said on Thursday.

According to reports, the tussle between the MP and the onboard staffer broke out due to seat issue. He was denied a business class seat.

"I had paid for a business class ticket. I have complained several times but no action has been taken. So, this time I lost my cool, he added.
By India Today Web Desk: Kangana Ranaut, the queen of Bollywood, gifted herself royally on her 30th birthday. She bought a three-storey bungalow which she plans to turn into her office and begin working on her directorial debut from.

A source was quoted by Mid-Day as saying, "It's a spacious three-storey bungalow. Kangana had always dreamed of her own office space and intends to start work on her directorial project this year. She also hopes to turn producer in the near future."

advertisement

Fresh from Rangoon, Kangana Ranaut's upcoming film is Simran directed by Hansal Mehta. After this, she will dive into the shooting of Manikarnika, based on the life of Rani Laxmibai, to be directed by eminent Telugu filmmaker Krish.

Reportedly, Kangana Ranaut recently visited Vaishno Devi with her family to receive blessings for not just Manikarnika but also her new property.

After the shooting of Manikarnika, Kangana Ranaut will begin work on her directorial debut. According to her spokesperson, she will announce the film sometime later this year.

ALSO SEE: Rare childhood photos of Kangana Ranaut

ALSO SEE: 10 Kangana Ranaut quotes that prove she is a badass

WATCH: Kangana Ranaut talks about being slut-shamed

--- ENDS ---
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi have returned from the United States where Sonia Gandhi had gone for health check-up, the party said on Friday.

"Congress President and Vice President have returned to India. Thanks to all the countrymen and Congress people for their good wishes," party's spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet.

The Congress President had travelled to the US on March 8 for a health check-up, while son Rahul joined her last week.

Now that Rahul has returned, the Congress brass will brainstorm over the results of assembly elections in the five states, which proved to be a mixed bag for the party, some party leaders indicated.

But the Congress failed to form governments in Goa and Manipur despite emerging as the single-largest party in both states.

Some party functionaries have also been calling for Rahul's elevation as the party President.
The United Kingdom has conveyed to India that it had verified New Delhis request for the extradition of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and sent it to Westminster Magistrates court for a district judge to consider issuing an arrest warrant against the fugitive from the Indian law.

"The UK Home Office, London vide its note verbale dated February 21, 2017 has conveyed (to us) that the request has been certified by the Secretary of State, MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay told reporters at a press briefing.

On 8 February, India had handed over a formal request for the industrialist's extradition to the British High Commission here, saying it had a legitimate case against him for the financial irregularities committed by him.

Mallya fled to Britain last year after being pursued in courts by banks seeking to recover about Rs 9,000 crore owed by his Kingfisher Airline. Despite multiple injunctions, he has failed to appear before investigators at the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In January, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.
In the wake of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulting an Air India staffer, Air India (AI) and the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on Friday banned him from flying AI and four other airlines with immediate effect. Gaikwad's return ticket from Delhi to Pune has also been cancelled as per reports.

This, however, is not the first time that a VIP kicked up a controversy while taking a flight. Here is a list of VIPs who sparked off a row during their air travel in the past:

Pappu Yadav

Bihar MP Pappu Yadav on June 17, 2015, allegedly misbehaved with an airhostess and threatened to beat her with his 'chappal' on a Patna-Delhi Jet Airways flight. The unruly behavior drew the attention of the captain, who asked security personnel at Delhi airport to shuttle the MP out. The incident happened when the air-hostess asked him to buckle himself and straighten his seat.

Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju was travelling from Leh to Delhi on June 24, 2015. To accommodate him and his assistant in the flight, three members of a family, including a child, were offloaded from boarding the flight AI-446. The incident not only caused inconvenience to fellow flying passengers but delayed the flight operation as well. Rijiju, later, apologised for the inconvenience caused to the passengers.

PV Abdul Wahab

Muslim League MP and Dubai businessman PV Abdul Wahab had on April 7, 2008, insulted an Air India pilots in a Dubai-bound Indian flight at Kozhikode airport and called him nothing more than glorified drivers. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association had in 2008 reported that Wahab was the one who opened the cockpit door, entered inside, and abused the pilot. He and his wife were later asked to disembark from the flight. He later threatened to move a privilege motion against the Air India pilot in Parliament.

Mithun Reddy

Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh, PV Mithun Reddy assaulted Air India station manager K Rajasekhar on November 27, 2015 at Renigunta Airport in Chitoor District of Andhra Pradesh. The incident happened when he and his family were denied boarding passes for the New Delhi flight. Later, a case was registered against him for his unruly behaviour at the airport.

Kamal Kishore

Congress MP from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, Kamal Kishore, had complained against a CISF personnel as he was asked to place his coat for an X-ray screening at an airport in UP on January 29, 2011. He blatantly refused to cooperate with the security personnel and the fiasco delayed the security check-up of other fellow passengers at the airport.
Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Majahan on Friday expressed deep concern over Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad brutally assaulting an Air India staffer saying she would ascertain the matter in detail and take action accordingly if there is any complaint.

"The incident happened outside the Parliament, so I will ascertain the details and act on any complaint," Mahajan said outside the Parliament on Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad.

"No one is allowed to misbehave with anyone, even if he is an MP, a common man or any official. As a mother, I teach children not to misbehave with people," she added.

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was on Friday barred from flying by four private Indian carriers after he assaulted an Air India staffer.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) has barred the unruly MP from flying on its member carriers.

IndiGo, too, on Friday said in a statement that it will support any move which bars unruly passengers from flying.
The Telangana Government will take steps to get the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast accused Swami Aseemanand's bail "cancelled", the Legislative Assembly was told on Friday.

The MIM (Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi raised the matter through a Point during Zero Hour in the House.

The court of the Fourth Metropolitan Sessions Judge here yesterday granted bail to Aseemanand and Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai, a co-accused in the case.

In his reply, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said, "Whatever question raised by the member Akbaruddin Owaisi is a valid question. Definitely, an inquiry will be conducted on how he (Aseemanand) got bail. Efforts will be made to get the bail cancelled. We will ensure justice is done."

The MIM MLA demanded that the TRS government should "pressurise" the NIA (National Investigation Agency), which is probing the case, to ensure that the bail granted to the right-wing activist, Swami Aseemanand gets cancelled.

"The cases were registered and Hindutva members were arrested after the CBI inquiry. However, Swami Aseemanand was granted bail by a court. I appeal to the government to put pressure on NIA and they should be told that whoever has got bail in the (Mecca Masjid bomb blasts case)their bails get cancelled," Owaisi said.

Alleging that Aseemanand is a "Deshatgard" (terrorist), Owaisi said that terrorists have no religion.

"Whether it is Osama Bin Laden or Aseemanand, terrorists should be dealt with sternly. I am hopeful that the government will prevail upon and pressurise the NIA to get the bail to Aseemanand cancelled and he, along with others, is sent back to jail," the MLA said.

Swami Aseemanand, whose real name is Naba Kumar Sarkar, was arrested on November 19, 2010, from Haridwar in connection with the blast at the Mecca Masjid here on May 18, 2007, which had killed nine persons.

On March 8 this year, Aseemanand and six others were acquitted in the 2007 Ajmer blast case by a court in Jaipur.

He was then brought from Jaipur and lodged in a prison here.

Owaisi also demanded that the government should make public the Bhaskar Rao Committee Report on the Mecca Masjid blast and subsequent events.

While granting the bail, the court had asked Aseemanand not to leave Hyderabad without court's permission and remain present for the trial when required.

However, whether NIA will challenge the bail or otherwise is not known.
It is the clear verdict of history that the Cold War between the Allies and the former Soviet Union, that was to last half a century after the Second World War, was a direct result of British and American generals repeatedly ignoring civilian directions at the concluding stages of the war. The Allied military leadership, while marching into Germany opened a broad front for the liberation of Berlin, ignoring warnings that Stalin was making a straight dash for the Capital city. The civilian leadership could rightly anticipate that if the latter were to reach there first, Berlin would be a divided city.

In retrospect, the civilian strategy proved to be wiser. For half a century, the two nuclear blocs ~ NATO and the Soviets ~ were locked in an eyeball to eyeball confrontation in Berlin, putting the whole world under the threat of a nuclear holocaust. And it was a similar story of warped military thinking that landed many of the East European nations into the iron grip of the former Soviet Union through their local Communist parties ~ agents of the Soviet Communist party. The most tragic case was that of Poland.

Overrun by the Nazis, Poland was fighting with its back to the wall. The Polish Resistance was fighting the occupying Germans in alliance with the local communist party, waiting for the promised help from the Soviet Army. The Red army did march all the way from Russia but halted abruptly at the gates of Warsaw. The Allied military leadership was supplying arms to the Polish Resistance to fight the Nazis, in close alliance with the local communists, who betrayed them to the Nazis when the moment arrived.

The British civilian leadership had cautioned their military not to encourage the Polish resistance to trust their communist allies, who were merely acting as proxies for Moscow. The tragic scenario unfolded precisely as the Allied civilian leadership had anticipated. The Polish communists betrayed the Polish Resistance ~ behind their back ~ to the occupying Nazis who butchered them mercilessly. It has been described as the most pernicious act of perfidy in the Second World War. Only after the butchery was complete, did the Red Army enter, with Polish communists ~ who did not fight ~ riding piggyback.

Soon after Second World War, the most serious conflict was the Korean War. The Allied forces were led by the US General, Douglas MacArthur, the hero of many a battle during the earlier war. Undoubtedly, he was a great military commander but a poor political strategist. The North Koreans had invaded South Korea, with the support of the Chinese communists. MacArthur wanted to cross the river boundary between Korea and China, and take the fight right into China.

By which time, China had come under Communist rule led by Mao Zedong. He was a ruthless dictator who was prepared to sacrifice a few lakh Chinese soldiers, for a cause. His army had just one gun for three soldiers, so that if the gun-carrying soldier was to be killed, his weapon would be passed on to the next soldier. For this reason, he had developed the human wave tactics. MacArthur completely misread him, convinced that the Chinese would not intervene, their army being ill-prepared and under-armed. For his poor military judgment, he was dismissed from service.

The world was on the brink of a nuclear holocaust in 1962, over US-USSR confrontation over Cuba, a Soviet satellite. The former Soviet Union had clandestinely smuggled offensive nuclear missiles there, posing a nuclear threat to the USA. The Americans imposed a blockade of Cuba, preventing any ship from either entering or leaving. At the time, both the USA and the USSR were super powers, heavily armed with nuclear weapons. The USA had imposed very tough conditions on the USSR. A blockade, by itself was a somewhat humiliating ban on the then other major power.

President Kennedy was the US P resident, who, incidentally, was himself a former Naval officer with experience of war. The US military advised him to maintain the blockade which could possibly have led to a nuclear exchange, and the whole world could have been faced with a catastrophe. The civilian advice to him was wiser ~ a quarantine, which would permit the Soviet ships access to Cuba but after inspection by the US Navy so that no offensive cargo was being ferried.

The US move was complied with by the Soviets, and proved to be a face-saver for the other super power. Shockingly, the then US Air Chief in an unprecedented show of utter defiance of civlian authority made his intention open ~ his bombers would start bombing Cuba within the hour. It was an unprecedented act of open defiance of civilian authority that could have resulted in a nuclear war with the Soviets. The threat was issued after President Kennedy had publicly declared cessation of the dispute with the Soviets. The Air Chief had to be almost physically prevented from doing so.

Modern psychologists tell us that a man acts according to his experience and training. A soldier who has been taught the art of war and trained to fight all his life to win, and win decisively by annihilating the enemy cannot suddenly turn a peacenick. For him, there is only one glory ~ to be recognised for victory in battle. To be denied this, for whatever reason is to question his very existence and being.

In sum, the question of a Defence Supremo is closely linked to the question of primacy of the civil or military viewpoint not only during peacetime but even during war. The issue assumes critical importance in the age of nuclear weapons when the nuclear powers, both declared and undeclared have a combined destructive capacity of a million Hiroshimas. History is replete with instances of disasters whenever the military viewpoint has prevailed even during war.

Galbraith, the top civilian adviser to President Kennedy during the Cuban crisis, was a witness to the US military functioning during the last time almost the entire humanity stood on the edge of a precipice ~ In the US, as in other democracies, it is thought wise and even necessary that the military power be kept subordinate to civilian authority and restraint  in nearly all recent Pentagon confrontations when faced with the strongly conditioned attitude of the military, civilians have surrendered thereto.

(Concluded)

The writer is a retired IAS officer.
When Jagat Prakash Nadda, 56, resigned his Cabinet berth in Himachal Pradesh and moved to Delhi in 2010 to be part of the BJPs national set-up as general secretary, not many could foresee his stupendous rise. With roots deep in the organisation, Nadda, who played an important role for the BJP in the run-up to the 2014 Parliament polls, was elevated as Union health minister in the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nadda has been in the limelight since then, bringing him in sharp focus in his home state, as many see a parallel in his rise to the career of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal of the BJP. Ahead of the 2017 assembly polls, Nadda is tightlipped on the issue and says he is busy with his assignment at the Centre. Health is a big field. The more I understand, the more I get absorbed, he said. In an interview to Archana Phull and Sanjeev Kumar in Shimla, he spoke exclusively about issues in the health sector. Excerpts:

Q. What is special about the National Health Policy, 2017?

A. The 2012 health policy focused on care of the sick. The new policy talks of wellness of health, prevention and care. Now that 60 per cent of deaths occur due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), our focus would be on them. The policy is patient-centric and will empower the patients. We will have National Standards Organisation for medical care and establish a programme for treatment, set up health tribunals for addressing grievances of patients. At present, 70 per cent of medical equipment is imported. We will encourage that it is made in India. Health cards, with Aadhaar number, will be issued, for access by doctors anywhere. The digitisation of health records will help in tele-consultations and tele-medicine. On the whole, the policy has a self-committing implementation framework. By 2025, the health budget will increase to 2.5 per cent of GDP.

Q. There is criticism that the new policy gives more priority to the private sector?

A. The private sector has grown in the course of time. It needs engagement and regulation. It requires a balanced approach regarding the emerging demand and services, which have to be rationalised. The health policy was a manifestation of demand and has passed through maximum consultation process. It was finalised after discussions by 14 committees, their visits to states and brainstorming sessions with officials and stakeholders. The draft policy was put out in the public domain. We got 5,000 responses. It also went to the Group of Ministers for consideration and suggestions. Such exhaustive consultations have never been followed.

Q. Has the National Health Mission (NHM) produced desired results all these years?

A. NHM is to work in mission mode and its a major component of the health budget. We keep reviewing it. The indicators of NHM have been encouraging as far as the Centres part is concerned. We have reduced Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and under-five mortality. The NHM has given results. However health being a state subject, the responses of the states are different. Twenty four states have brought down the Total Fertility Rate to 2.7. Two or three states are above 3. Pan-India, we have marked 148 districts which need special attention in NHM.

Q. What about your home state Himachal in this regard?

A. NHM is doing well in HP but it can do better. The fund utilisation has to improve in Himachal.

Q. Central health projects in HP are stuck. Doctors from Himachal are heading prestigious institutions in India, but they dont want to serve back home.

A. I think Himachal is not giving priority to the health sector. Governance is an issue in Himachal. The Central government has sanctioned funds to the state for different works, including the State Cancer Institute, super specialty block of Indira Gandhi Medical College, ICMR funding for study on jaundice outbreak. But if the Himachal government is unable to move forward at its end and cant even find land for such institutes, what can we do? Regarding doctors, I think there is no environment in Himachal.

Q. What about targets to eradicate various diseases from India?

A. Yes, we are aggressively working to achieve them. Kalazaar will be eradicated by 2017, leprosy in 2018, tuberculosis by 2025. We are also working to stabilise population by 2025. While the focus will be on NCDs, our programme on universal screening of people for blood pressure (the genesis of all diseases), breast and oral cancer, cervix cancer, and blood tests in 100 vulnerable districts free of cost in the first phase will simultaneously address communicable diseases. Chronic diseases will also come to notice and all this will help in prevention.

Q. The Central government has opened AIIMS and medical colleges across the country. Do we have qualified doctors for that?

A. We will increase post graduate seats by 5,000 within the next few years. In-house training is also being increased. The AIIMS established decades back are giving dividends now. All such institutions grow with time and continuously. We will, however, not dilute the culture of AIIMS and will not compromise with quality. We will not select candidates if quality is not there. It recently happened in one of the premier institutions in the North, where we chose to keep a number of posts vacant after interviews. Legislation is also being brought for revolutionary changes in the quality of medical education in the country.

Q. Do you have plans to strengthen Central Research Institute, Kasauli, and other vaccine institutes in the public sector?

A. Yes, immediately after coming to power, we had released funds for CRI, which was being starved previously. We will continue to strengthen these institutes and see that they manufacture vaccines as per capacity.

Q. What is the focus area to develop health infrastructure now?

A. Our focus is now in the east and north. Southern and western India have progressed a lot and have an established private sector component too. The concern, however, is that many states are not adopting the Clinical Establishments Act properly.

Interviewed by to Archana Phull and Sanjeev Kumar.
The Election Commission would be doing itself and the democratic process considerable disservice if it echoed the sour grapes line of the government and BJP members of the Rajya Sabha, and ignored the points made by the Opposition during the Elders discussion on electoral reforms. It is a tragic truth that with demonstrative disruption having usurped the place of dignified discussion in the apex legislature, there is tendency to treat lightly (even by the Presiding Officers) views expressed in non-violent debate, or for everything to be perceived through the prism of party politicking, yet there can be no masking the grim reality that the sanctity of the election mechanism is no longer a given. And the failure of Nirvachan Sadan to inspire the desired levels of trust and confidence is ominous. Allegations and suspicions that officials performing electoral duties function in accordance with the diktat of the ruling party, regardless of which party happens to be in power in the Centre or state at any given point in time, must be sincerely examined. The credibility of a process in which the nation took such tremendous pride must never be sacrificed at the altar of convenience. During the recent elections, in fiery UP in particular, the EC did take note of many transgressions, but seemed to back off from cracking the whip on anyone. With the result that questions are now being asked if the Commission has lost its bite after being shorn of the Seshan bark. Under sustained attack in the Elders was the use of Electronic Voting Machines that were not backed up by the paper trail system. Sure there is an element of losers lament to the criticism from the BSP and Samajwadi Party members, yet the fact that members of other parties which had little at stake in UP and Uttarakhand echoed their apprehensions added a ring of authenticity to the flak.

Significantly, the assault was not mounted on Nirvachan Sadan but on the central government for not making requisite funds available to it for upgrading apparatus. That some former CECs have faulted the Commission for not forcefully countering the criticism of doctored EVMs is something not to be discounted. Several other reforms were mentioned during the debate ~ by members from all sides of the House ~ which would require political consensus to implement. Hence it is critical that the debate be sustained, not shelved until the next round of elections. Yet in the short term the onus rests squarely with the EC, it cannot get away with claiming that EVMs are tamper-proof. After all, it was one of the BJPs current spokesmen who was among the earliest of the doubting Thomases: doubts do not evaporate when landslides are recorded.
Sheikh Hasinas upcoming visit to India between April 7 and 10 is turning out to be perhaps her most important bilateral visit to a country that surrounds Bangladesh from three sides, making it the only neighbour in all but a physical sense.

It is now known that the Bangladeshi leader turned down the Indian request for a 25-year defence treaty. In its place there will likely be now a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on several related issues including purchase of equipment and weapons needed for UN peacekeeping, disaster response and management, land mine detection, spare parts for Russian Migs, etc. For all this India appears willing to extend US$ 500 million in credit.

Indian leaders, policymakers and even the media agree that Sheikh Hasinas government has gone far beyond the extra mile possible to improve Bangladesh-India relations.

In The Times of India, Subir Bhaumik, a former BBC correspondent and a frequent commentator on India-Bangladesh relations, wrote, Hasina has been steadfast in her support of Modi governments isolate Pakistan drive, her government has cracked down hard on northeastern rebels and Islamist militants, on fake currency rackets and Pakistani agents to address Indian security concerns. She has cleared transit for Indian goods to the Northeast through Bangladesh territory and addressed most of Indias connectivity concerns seen as crucial to success of Indias Look East policy. As Hasina prepares for her Delhi visit, Indian and Bangladeshi officials are trying to finalise a deal to allow Indian use of Chittagong and Mongla ports for accessing the northeast.

What Bhaumik did not mention, and one fact that India truly needs to be grateful to Sheikh Hasina for, is her determined and successful effort to dismantle all the camps of the insurgents from the Northeast that Khaleda Zias government had allowed in a mistaken policy to keep pressure on India. Over time these insurgents had become a genuine worry as their destructive power rose with sanctuary on Bangladeshs side of the border. Thankfully, that is now history. Not to be forgotten or its importance underrated is how Sheikh Hasinas government has changed the narrative from India, the hegemonic oppressor to India, the development partner ever since she came to power in 2009. I was a part of the entourage to the Indian capital in January 2010, when the Awami League chief risked her political future and took a leap of faith and signed a very comprehensive agreement with India in which, in one go, she responded to most of Indias important demands without getting any of Bangladeshs demands met. Her faith has so far worked only partially in terms of duty free access of Bangladeshi goods in the Indian market, a major demand from our side. The story on energy cooperation is also good.However, the biggest frustration remains in the crucial area of water sharing, especially of the Teesta. Bangladesh stands greatly disappointed on this score as no tangible progress has been made since it was aborted at the very last minute on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs last visit in September, 2011.

Indias complex and controversial river-linking project hangs on Bangladeshs head as a possible doomsday scenario with unknown implications for our ecology. India appears not to sufficiently appreciate the fact that all of Bangladesh is a delta and we survive only if our rivers do. All Sheikh Hasinas efforts appear to be now in jeopardy as India seems to be quite concerned about her China policy which resulted in the latters increasing presence not only in Bangladeshs development projects but also in the sensitive area of military equipment purchase.

China has been by far the biggest source of defence purchase for Bangladesh for many years, ever since the coming of military in power in 1975 , reinforced in 2002 when former prime minister Khaleda Zia inked a comprehensive umbrella agreement during her visit to China.

India of course has been watching with considerable unease as bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and China soared. Indian discomfort experienced a quantum leap when during Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit when Bangladesh-China cooperation was elevated from comprehensive partnership cooperation to strategic partnership cooperation and China offered US$ 24 billion worth of economic and development aid with another US$ 13 billion in private sector investment.

What perhaps set the alarm bells ringing loud in New Delhi was the procurement of two refurbished Chinese submarines which brought the Indian defence minister for his maiden visit and the push for a 25-year defence pact proposing enhanced cooperation between the two militaries and insisting on purchase of defence equipment from India.

In Bangladesh the usual pattern of politics was to have improved relations with China when Khaleda Zia came to power and a distinct cooling of it when Sheikh Hasina formed the government accompanied by a pronounced tilt towards India.

Since coming to power in 2009 Sheikh Hasina has changed all that. For the first time the present prime minister, to her considerable credit, was able to forge uniquely close relations with India while simultaneously making China a major development and investment partner.

So how should India view Bangladeshs rising closeness with China? With suspicion or with maturity? Should India insist on countering the imagined Chinese influence- imagined because China has in no way been able to influence our policy of friendship towards India  by forcing a defence treaty or greater defence cooperation on Bangladesh? Will such enhanced cooperation give India any additional strategic benefit than it already enjoys?

Bangladesh needs India as a close ally and friend. But it also needs China as a significant development partner. It is unrealistic on Indias part to expect any government in Bangladesh not to try to reach out to China while pursuing a very close relationship with India. Over the many decades that Sheikh Hasina has been in politics and the several years she has been in power she has been consistent in her policy of good relations with India. What is new is her success to reach out to China. Instead of looking at it with suspicion India should repose trust on Bangladesh as a reliable ally and see her policy towards China as contributing to regional stability and bringing two Asian giants closer. If there is to be an Asian Century it will have to be built both by India and China and it has to benefit their smaller neighbours. Stability is the key to Asias future and that stability can only be guaranteed by India and China coming closer, which they are doing through bilateral trade aiming to reach a US$100 billion in the near future and billions of dollars' investment in each others countries. The idea of exclusive sphere of influence of each of these Asian Giants with No Entry sign for the other is an outdated concept and one that is doomed to failure in this digital age. A new element in our regional equation is the overt hostility of President Trump towards China and his declared policy of confronting the latter in the South China Sea. What effect is Trumps policy likely to have on Narendra Modis resurgent Hindu nationalist government, especially on the hawks of the party? Will the US Presidents anti-China policy encourage India to push for an anti-Chinese policy on her neighbours? Will India see Trump as an opportunity to upstage China in South Asia, especially because of Chinas support for Pakistan remains strong while Indias relations with the latter has dipped to its lowest ebb?

The question for us is, how will Trumps anti-China policy affect India, and how will it play out in South Asia, especially on Indias attitude towards Bangladesh?

Whatever it is, Bangladesh should never allow itself to be drawn into the India-China rivalry. We want India to be our closest friend but not our only friend. Sheikh Hasinas commitment to good relations with India is beyond question. So why should her reaching out to China be seen with suspicion? She has also reached out to Russia and our ties with this re-emerging superpower, and a significant partner in our Liberation War, is far better than it has ever been since 1971.

As Sheikh Hasinas visit comes closer, India must seriously think how to forge a new, dynamic and win-win relationship with its emerging neighbour in the East.

The writer is Editor and Publisher, The Daily Star, Bangladesh. This is a series of columns on global affairs written by top editors and columnists from members of the Asia News Network and published in newspapers and websites across the region.
In a step towards verifying the efficacy of laser communications for speedier data rates for connections between spacecraft and the Earth, NASA said it is developing a trailblazing, long-term technology demonstration mission.

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) mission, scheduled for launch in 2019, will help NASA understand the best ways to operate laser communications systems, the US space agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

They could enable much higher data rates for connections between spacecraft and the Earth, such as scientific data downlink and astronaut communications.

"LCRD is the next step in implementing NASA's vision of using optical communications for both near-Earth and deep space missions," said Steve Jurczyk, Associate Administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, which leads the LCRD project.

"This technology has the potential to revolutionize space communications, and we are excited to partner with the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate's Space Communications and Navigation program office, MIT Lincoln Labs and the U.S. Air Force on this effort," Jurczyk said.

Laser communications, also known as optical communications, encodes data onto a beam of light, which is then transmitted between spacecraft and eventually to Earth terminals.

This technology offers data rates that are 10 to 100 times better than current radio-frequency (RF) communications systems.

Just as important, laser communication systems can be much smaller than radio systems, allowing the spacecraft communication systems to have lower size, weight and power requirements.

Such capability will become critically important as humans embark on long journeys to the moon, Mars and beyond.

"LCRD is designed to operate for many years and will allow NASA to learn how to optimally use this disruptive new technology," Don Cornwell of the Space Communications and Navigation programme office at NASA Headquarters said.

"We are also designing a laser terminal for the International Space Station that will use LCRD to relay data from the station to the ground at gigabit-per-second data rates," Cornwell said.

"We plan to fly this new terminal in 2021, and once tested, we hope that many other Earth-orbiting NASA missions will also fly copies of it to relay their data through LCRD to the ground," Cornwell added.

The LCRD team is led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Partners include NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory.
By Press Trust of India: Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 24 (PTI): A 14-year-old boy from Kerala has become a father, after begetting a child with a woman four years older than him, in Kochi, about 200 kms from here.

Paternity tests conducted on the eighth standard student has confirmed that he is the father of a two-month-old baby girl, police said today.

advertisement

The 18-year-old girl, is the boys first cousin and were neighbours.

The girl had alleged that she had been raped by the boy following which a case has been registered against him, they said.

However, when questioned, the boy had blamed the girl for the relationship and hence a case has been registered against the young mother, under section 7 (Sexual Assault) and 8 (not less than 3 years which may extend to 5 years and fine) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police said.

"We produced the statements in court and on receiving proper legal directions we registered cases," Kalamassery Circle Inspector, S Jayakrishnan, who is the investigating officer, told PTI.

The boy, who was studying in a local school in Kochi, has been shifted to another place.

According to State Crime Records Bureau, 1570 crimes were registered against children in Kerala, including 520 rape cases last year till July.

Besides, 1,156 cases were registered last year under POCSO Act with Malappuram recording highest number of cases 138, Thiruvananthapuram Rural 111, Ernakulam Rural 96, and Kannur 86.

In 2015, 1569 cases were registered under POCSO Act. PTI UD ROH RBS

--- ENDS ---
Actress Hamsa Nandini, most known for her appearances in item songs, has landed a cameo in the upcoming yet-untitled Telugu outing starring Jr NTR, a source said.

"Hamsa will be seen playing a supporting character. Although it will be a cameo, the role has some weightage. She has already started shooting in Hyderabad and is thrilled to be sharing screen space with NTR for the first time," a source from the film's unit told.

Being directed by Bobby, the film features NTR in a triple role for the first time.

Produced by NTR's brother Kalyanram, the rest of the cast is being finalised.

The project is NTR's 27th film.
Actor Manoj Bajpayee has spent more than 22 years in the film industry, with several hit films in his kitty. But the actor has never been the first choice when it comes to commercial films. The 47- year-old actor, who has no godfather or family connection in the film industry, not only established himself but also impressed with his roles. Be it an underworld don in Satya, gangster in Gangs of Wasseypur, an honest police officer in School, shrewd politician in Rajneeti, or gay professor in Aligarh, Manoj Bajpayee fits well into every role. The actor was recently in the Capital to attend the 12th Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) Festival, where he spoke about his love for theatre and his survival in Bollywood so far. Excerpts:

Two of your movies, Sarkar 3 and Naam Shabana, are slated for release. How excited are you about it?

Yes. Naam Shabana, is coming out soon. In Sarkar 3 I play a small but a significant role. In Naam Shabana, its a very significant role. Producer Neeraj Pandey and I are very good friends.

In the trailer of Sarkar 3, you were shown against Amitabh Bachchan. This is not the first time you have been pitched against Bachchan. Is it talent vs talent?

I dont know why we both have been made two sides of a coin in every film. I am a huge admirer and have grown up seeing his films in childhood. His films led me to become an actor. I dont like opposing him in every film but it is the characters and we both have to play them. On the talent front, you have to ask the respective directors.

How do you feel working with him (Amitabh Bachchan)?

I respect him a lot. I enjoy working with him because he is extremely professional.

If one talks about good movies in Bollywood, some of your movies will figure in this list. But why dont we see them so often?

Of course I have done some commercial movies, not much. Wherever I feel that I will be stereotyped I run away from them. Because I am an actor and have the ability to explore new characters. I love to do challenging characters.

Whosoever has come out of theatre, including you, is a very matured, good actor. Dont you think theatre should be made mandatory before stepping into cinema world?

I wont say theatre is mandatory for film actors but also for other professionals, who want to do well in their life. Theatre is not only great for actors, directors or technicians, it is great for any kind of professional. I suggest parents must enroll their kids into theatre because it will help them in exploring their personality.

In Bollywood, a few theatre actors, after some struggle, have earned a good name in the cinema industry. But some actors, who just have a family background in films, have established themselves easily. What is your take on it?

This is a fact, I live with it, have never complained about it. A shopkeeper always gives his throne to his kid. Since it is a film industry, like any other industry, the owner of the industry will always give his throne to his kids. This is the reality of industry not now but has been happening for years. Irony is that we outsiders cant even complain about it. We have to fight to establish ourselves.

It was reported actor Kangana Ranaut raked up nepotism in Bollywood. Do you agree with her?

I read everything that Kangana Ranaut said, and the only conclusion I came up with is that she is a very brave girl. Anybody and everybody cant be a lone fighter, but Kangana is lone fighter and she is winning all the way. Kudos to her, I stand by her.

You spent almost 22 years in the television industry. Are you happy with the achievements so far?

Forget about 22 years, I tell you I havent started yet. The beginning is yet to come. I have always maintained that this industry has only used just 25 per cent of my talent. Still 75 per cent is left.
Morgan Freeman, who was on a working trip to India last year, terms his experience of being in the country "settling". The Oscar-winning screen legend says memories of the time he spent on the Ganges will forever remain with him.

"I was fascinated by India. So going there was a very settling experience. I went there for a spiritual trip more than a sight-seeing trip. So, it was a spiritual experience for me. The time I spent on the Ganges will stay with me forever," Freeman told IANS in an email interview.

The actor, who has featured in cinematic gems like "Street Smart", "Glory", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Seven" and "Bruce Almighty", came to India last year to explore "the story of god" in a documentary series. The 79-year-old is also executive producer of "Madam Secretary"  season three of which airs in India on AXN.

During his tryst with India for "The Story of God", he visited Bodh Gaya and Varanasi  cities which are of religious significance.

Asked what aspect of the country inspired him and would he ever make a film on India, Freeman said he is not sure of the second part as he didn't have much time in hand to explore the country deeply.

The 79-year-old said: "I didn't see enough of the country to make a film on it. I haven't been able to stay for so long to have a judgment on the same. However, we all are looking for great content. So, yes, will I ever make a film in India? Absolutely!"

As for "Madam Secretary", it is a political drama which stars Tea Leoni as Dr Elizabeth McCord, a former CIA analyst who is appointed as the US Secretary of State. The show also focuses on the personal lives of the characters.

Talking about the inspiration behind the show, Freeman said: "After we sat down with the story we realised we had three strong female characters from the State Department. Initially, when we sat down with the story we thought it will be based on Hillary Clinton's life, but later we realised it's a lot more than that. The Secretary of State involves a lot of intricate things."

He got his break through the "Hello, Dolly!" musical in the 1960s. Freeman then entered the world of small screen via the 1971 TV series "The Electric Company". He earned acclamation for films like "Driving Miss Daisy"  which earned him an Oscar nomination. The honour, however, came for "Million Dollar Baby".

Freeman's filmography has varied projects like "Invictus" and commercial entertainers like Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "Deep Impact" and "Olympus Has Fallen".

Freeman feels working for television can turn out to be "pretty difficult".

"There are a lot of challenges when it comes to making shows. It is difficult to come up with the content as there are so many outlets. And they are growing, over the internet. So it's bit of a challenge. You need ideas and you need writers," he said.

After over 30 years in the industry, Freeman has opted for the quieter life of the small town of Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta region, away from Hollywood.

The actor said he was raised in the Mississippi region, adding that it was "like living near nature".
Two more "significant arrests" were made on Friday for the Westminster terror attack as investigators continue to question eight suspects arrested earlier during raids across Britain.

The toll, including the attacker, rose to five after 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes died on Thursday evening following the carnage claimed by the Islamic State (IS) terror group, the Metropolitan Police said.

Police officials identified the attacker as 52-year-old British Muslim convert Khalid Masood, who was born as Adrian Elms in Kent and was shot dead by the police during the Westminster attack, reported the Telegraph.

Masood, a father of three, claimed he was an English teacher. Hours before carrying out the attack on Wednesday, he told the staff of Preston Park Hotel in Brighton, where he was staying, that "London isn't like what it used to be".

Two people remain in critical condition after Masood ploughed a car down Westminster Bridge and stormed the Parliament's estate armed with two blades, fatally knifing police official Keith Palmer.

The victims include Britons, French children, Romanians, South Koreans, Greeks, and people from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the US. Three police officers were injured, two of them seriously.

The Scotland Yard's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley said at least 50 people were injured with 31 requiring hospital treatment, The Telegraph said.

Rowley said the police investigation focuses on understanding Masood's motivation, preparation and associates.

More candlelit vigils for the victims were scheduled on Friday in Birmingham and London.

According to the daily, Masood was investigated by intelligence agency MI5 for "violent extremism" but was ruled out as a threat by security services before being "re-radicalised".

He is thought to have been radicalised in prison. In 2000, he was jailed for slashing a man across the face in an argument which had "racial overtones".

He was again charged in 2003 with grievous bodily harm, after stabbing a 22-year-old man in the nose in Eastbourne.

Police and the security services now face serious questions about what they previously knew about the British Muslim convert, who had a string of criminal convictions for assault and had spent time in jail.

Anticipating criticism, Prime Minister Theresa May announced in the House of Commons that Masood was known to MI5 but insisted he was a "peripheral figure" in an investigation "some years ago" and was "not part of the current intelligence picture".

Meanwhile, members of London's Muslim community have created an online platform to raise funds for the victims of the Westminster attack. The project, called "Muslims Unite for London", has so far received almost 18,000 pounds ($22,000).
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday said his country is not seeking to militarise the South China Sea and its presence in the area is only to maintain freedom of navigation.

"China never has any intention to engage in militarisation in the South China Sea," the visiting premier said at a press conference following a meeting in Canberra with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"Chinese islands and reefs are primarily for civilian purposes. If there is a certain amount of defence equipment or facilities, it is for maintaining the freedom of navigation and overflight," he added.

China has built numerous military facilities on islets in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety but whose sovereignty has been disputed by five other countries, leading to an escalation of multilateral tensions in the region, Efe news reported.

Li noted that China is the leading global exporter and its economy depends on free transit in this maritime area, through which around $5 billion worth of goods pass every year, and which contains rich fishing, gas and oil resources.

He stressed that it is the responsibility of all countries in the region to maintain peace in the South China Sea, which is disputed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines, with the US having also increased its presence.

Li said China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are negotiating a code of conduct, an initiative that was praised by Turnbull.

The Australian leader also urged "all parties to refrain from taking any actions which would add to tensions, including actions of militarisation of disputed features".

Australia and the US have been concerned by the growing Chinese presence in the disputed seas, but Turnbull rejected as "incorrect" the view that Australia must take sides between Beijing and Washington.

China is Australia's biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to $150 billion.

At the press conference, Turnbull announced a series of new agreements to increase trade between the two countries, including China's decision to increase access to its market of frozen meat products.

The bilateral free trade agreement that came into force in 2015 had reduced tariffs on Australian beef products, but refrigerated meat did not have the same access to the Chinese market.

Li will continue his Australia visit to Sydney before leaving on Sunday for New Zealand.
Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was set free on Friday and left the military hospital where he had spent most of the last six years since the revolution that ousted him, according to his lawyer.

Advocate Farid el-Dib told Efe news the former leader left Maadi hospital on Friday early morning and returned to his home in Cairo.

In May 2014, Mubarak was sentenced to three years in jail after he was found guilty of appropriating millions of Egyptian pounds which had been allocated to the presidential palaces.

Mubarak, 89, spent his entire detention period at a military hospital in Cairo.

On March 2, an Egyptian upper court issued a final verdict affirming Mubarak's acquittal of charges of the murder of protestors demonstrating in the 2011 uprising which ended his 30-year rule.

Mubarak was previously acquitted of similar charges in 2015, however, the prosecution later appealed the verdict.


Bangladesh police on Friday cordoned off a building in the country's Sylhet city, suspecting presence of militants.

According to a police official, law enforcers had surrounded the five-storied building since Thursday.

Several gunshots and explosions were heard from the spot. Law enforcers retaliated after a grenade was hurled towards them from the house, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to police, the militants rented a flat in the building three months ago.

The raid came days after four militants were killed when the law enforcers stormed a militant hideout in Sitakunda on the outskirts of Chittagong.

Since the Holy Artisan Bakery attack here, law enforcers have gone tough against Neo-JMB (an offshoot of the banned militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh) which is blamed for the July 1 last year attack.

At least 20 hostages, mostly foreigners, were killed in the attack.
A suicide bomber was killed in a blast in front of a police box near Dhaka airport on Friday, media reports said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Airport) Ruhul Amin Shagor said a suicide bomber attempted to attack the police box overlooking the airport intersection at 7 p.m., Dhaka Tribune reported.

He confirmed the attacker has been killed, and no other casualties were reported.

The attacker, an adult man dressed in jeans and a shirt tried to blow up the outpost with explosives in his pocket or tied around his waist.

According to a witness, the bomber was not carrying anything in his hands, but looked like a drug addict.

Talking to media, Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said the attacker, in his early 30s, was also hauling a luggage which is being inspected by the Bomb Disposal Unit.

He also said it may not have been a suicide attack, but a lethal slip when the terrorist was spooked out and detonated the charges early.

The suicide attack comes exactly a week after another bomb attack on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) camp  an anti-crime, anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police  at the city's Ashkona area, barely half a kilometre away from the airport blast site.
The Taliban group on Friday denied reports that its representatives visited Islamabad to discuss the prospect of holding peace talks with Kabul.

"We strongly reject (the media reports) because none of our leaders has travelled to Islamabad, nor has met any official there," the Voice of America quoted Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as saying.

His statement came a day after the media reported that Islamabad hosted seven Taliban leaders here to press the insurgents to return to peace talks with the Afghan government.

The Taliban have long refused to hold direct talks with the Afghan government, calling it a "puppet" of the US, the VOI reported.

Pakistan in July 2015 brokered and hosted a meeting between Taliban and Afghan officials, but the revelation that the group's supreme leader Mullah Omar had been dead for two years disrupted the peace process.

According to a senior Pakistani government official, they were unaware of any such "visit or talks".

"Pakistan is trying to distance itself from hosting Afghan peace talks and would instead prefer they are held in a country acceptable to all the parties," the official maintained.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated in recent years because of Taliban-led attacks in Afghanistan, for which the Afghan government has blamed insurgent sanctuaries in Pakistan.

Speaking in Washington earlier this week, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani insisted Kabul has kept the doors for peace negotiations open to Taliban, but accused Islamabad of hindering efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

"Pakistan's reluctance to end its support for terrorism underpins the continuation of violence in Afghanistan and the region A paradigm shift in Pakistan is needed if any progress is to be made in peace efforts with the Taliban," Rabbani said.

Russia has recently stepped in to try to promote Afghan peace and reconciliation efforts through a multinational dialogue.

Moscow plans to host another round of the discussions next month with officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran and China to further the process.

Mujahid did not outright deny reports that his group may attend a Moscow meeting, if invited.

"When an invitation is extended to us, only then we can consider it and comment on it," he said.

The US was also among the invitees, along with several Central Asian nations, but Washington reportedly turned down the invitation to the April 14 conference.


The Trump administration is making it tougher for millions of visitors to enter the US by demanding new security checks before giving visas to tourists, business travellers and relatives of American residents.

Diplomatic cables sent last week from Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson to all American embassies instructed consular officials to broadly increase scrutiny. It was the first evidence of the "extreme vetting" Trump promised during the presidential campaign, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The new rules do not apply to citizens of 38 countries, including most of Europe and longstanding allies like Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, who can be speedily admitted into the US under the visa waiver programme.

That programme does not cover citizens from any country in the Middle East or Africa.

Even stricter security checks for people from six predominantly Muslim nations  Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen  remain on hold because federal courts have temporarily blocked Trump's travel ban.

Embassy officials must now scrutinise a broader pool of visa applicants to determine if they pose security risks to the US, according to four cables sent between March 10 and March 17, said the report.

That extra scrutiny will include asking applicants detailed questions about their background and making mandatory checks of social media history if a person has ever been in territory controlled by the Islamic State.

Trump has spoken regularly of his concern about the threat of "radical Islamic terrorism" from immigrants. But it is unclear who, exactly, will be targeted for the extra scrutiny since Tillerson's cables leave that decision up to security officers at each embassy.

Consular officials and immigration advocates said the administration's moves will increase the likelihood of denial for those seeking to come to America, and will further slow down a bureaucratic approval process that can already take months or even years for those flagged for extra investigation.

In 2016, the US issued more than 10 million visas.

There are legitimate reasons someone might be targeted, such as due to an evidence of a connection to terrorism or crime. But advocates also said they worry about people being profiled for extra scrutiny because of their name or nationality.

"Consular officers should not hesitate to refuse any case presenting security concerns," Tillerson wrote in the cables.

"All visa decisions are national security decisions," he added.

The President's first attempt to put tougher screening in place was the executive order aimed at temporarily blocking refugees and people whom Trump called "bad dudes" from predominantly Muslim countries.

Courts blocked the first version of the President's order after a chaotic rollout just days into his term. A second order was blocked this month.
Although the strike was called off in the evening, the litigants had to face inconvenience as all the courts gave the next date of hearing throughout the day.

Around 3,000 lawyers took to the street outside Bar Council protesting against its suggestion

By Sneha Agrawal: The judicial work in six district courts in the national capital was affected on Thursday as lawyers took to the streets opposing the suggestion of the Bar Council of India to the Law Commission that there should be a ban on such agitations.

The advocates, later in the day, ended their strike after the Bar Council of India (BCI) reportedly assured them that the recommendation to the law panel would be withdrawn. Around 3,000 lawyers participated in today's sit-in outside the Bar Council of India's office.

advertisement

Although the strike was called off in the evening, the litigants had to face inconvenience as all the courts gave the next date of hearing throughout the day.

SIT-IN FOR SOME, SIT-OUT FOR SOME

Among many sufferers was a 29-year-old man named Sumit, who had expected for the judge to hear plea for his bail on Thursday. Like Sumit, another 40-year-old litigant Pankaj Kumar had been running around for getting visitation rights to see his daughter.

The litigant's wife allegedly took away their 3-year-old daughter when she was just 5 months old. Due to strike, the arguments in the case could not take place and was given another date.

"The chairman accepted his mistake and assured us he would withdraw the recommendation in this regard. He assured us that on any recommendation against the lawyers' community, he will be with us," the General Secretary of Co-Ordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi, Neeraj, said.

He said that, besides Delhi, the strikes were also observed in various district courts across the country, including National Capital Region, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu where work remained partially affected. The committee had called the strike saying that the proposed suggestions of the BCI to prohibit advocates from going on strike, boycotting or abstaining from work in courts and imposition of penalty on them, would curtail their democratic rights. However, bar association later felt that the recommendations would curtail the lawyers' democratic rights.

Also read: Dadri lynching: Hearing of case deferred to April 26 as lawyers go on strike

Also read: British woman killed in Goa: Danielle was 5'8, really strong, says lawyer; claims gangrape before murder

Also read: Ban triple talaq, group of Muslim women lawyers, activists urges PM Modi

--- ENDS ---


remaining of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
A district judge in Britain has to decide on issuing an arrest warrant against liquor baron Vijay Mallya, whose extradition India is seeking, the government said on Friday. India handed over a formal request to the British High Commission here last month for his extradition.

By Indo-Asian News Service: A district judge in Britain has to decide on issuing an arrest warrant against liquor baron Vijay Mallya, whose extradition India is seeking, the government said on Friday.

India handed over a formal request to the British High Commission here last month for his extradition.

"A formal extradition request in respect of Mallya was handed over to the British High Commission vide our note verbale dated February 8," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay told the media.

advertisement

The UK Home Office had conveyed that the request had been certified by the Secretary of State and sent to Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider issuing an arrest warrant, he said.

Mallya left India on March 2, 2016 for London, days after a consortium of 17 banks moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal to hear a July 2013 petition to recover dues of Rs 9,081 crore, including interest, that was loaned to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

Mallya has since offered to negotiate with the banks for a one-time settlement of dues and sought the Supreme Court's intervention.

Banks had previously shot down Mallya's offer of Rs 6,868 crore in April 2016 to settle the dues.

WATCH| UK court fasttracks liquor baron Vijay Mallya's extradition

ALSO READ| Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya tweets he's ready to talk to banks for 'one-time settlement'

ALSO READ| Loan default case: ED says Vijay Mallya may move Supreme Court if he has a problem with probe

--- ENDS ---
A note believed to be written on a notice board in a tube went viral after the terrorist attack. But this notice is fake and you can make a similar one yourself. Not everything you see with your own eyes is 'reality'.

By India Today Web Desk: London witnessed the deadliest terror attack in 12 years on Wednesday. UK Prime minister Theresa May revealed the identity of the 52-year-old attacker responsible for the heinous act yesterday. Khalid Masood, a radical Islamist, killed four and injured 40 people in the attack that he carried out at Westminster.

While people of London were overcoming the attack, a note that was believed to be from a notice board inside a London underground tube went viral. The notice read, "All terrorists are politely reminded that THIS IS LONDON and whatever you do to us, we will drink tea and jolly well carry on. Thank you."

advertisement

Londoners fought terrorism and sent out a clear message that they aren't afraid of anyone and will fight back whenever needed. Or many believed so.

Here's the London tube post:

And this is why I LOVE London pic.twitter.com/BertPv0nIo- Mal Krishnasamy (@MalCPD) March 23, 2017

The tweet now stands at 19,330 retweets and 38,347 likes.

But let us tell you, the notice is fake. Like it or not, that's how internet is.

The above notice was created using a simple app. Anyone can create similar notices from anywhere in the world, writing anything they please, and share it.

We made a few London tube notices for you and you'll be baffled to see how real they look:

Photo: tubegenerator.uk

Photo: tubegenerator.uk

Photo: tubegenerator.uk

Photo: tubegenerator.uk

Photo: tubegenerator.uk

Also read: Smuggling 101: China man caught with 1000 diamonds hidden in his shoes

Also watch: London in limbo as terror grips Westminster; 5 dead, 40 injured

--- ENDS ---
Norways Oslo is one of Europes most beautiful capital cities: its natural surroundings of rolling hills and mountains, verdant islands and the sea, give this 1000 year-old city an abundance of natural beauty. Lining two scenic bays, it has 40 islands within the city limits (and scores more around the fjord), the city happily straddles both land and water.

Life here is idyllic. No one is in a rush, and the stresses are kept to a minimum. Yet this sleepy city has spent the past few years positioning itself as one of the foremost centres for contemporary art in Europe.

Tjuvholmen  an art district

The waterside district of Tjuvholmen (pronounced Shoohomen) has been regenerated, at great expense but with equally great success, and is now home to some stunning contemporary galleries, and an extraordinary art hotel. Street art and sculptures are popping up all over the place, and vast murals have been commissioned.

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art

A must-see is the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, which began life in the 1960s as a private collection, and opened to the public as a museum in 1993. The museums two dramatic glass and timber structures were designed by the architect Renzo Piano, and have set the architectural style for the other new buildings in the area.

The collection includes thousands of contemporary artworks by Norwegian and international artists from the 1960s to the present. American contemporary artists are particularly well represented, though in recent years the curators have also sought out iconic photographs, sculptures, paintings, and multi-media works by emerging and established Brazilian, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian contemporary artists.

The big name artists include Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Jeff Koons.

Here too you can see the work of American Tom Sachs, for whom branding is itself an art form. He takes the mass-produced images we are all familiar with  the McDonalds golden arches, the seal of the President of the United States, household white goods  and recreates them by hand, using cheap materials such as cardboard, construction materials, wood, and adhesives. Sachs is interested in showing the way things work, the nuts and bolts inside, and so his life-sized sculptures are not only spectacularly detailed, but also often allow us to look inside, as though they were 3D exploded diagrams.

Perhaps the two longest-established artists whose work is displayed at the Astrup Fearnley are the duo Gilbert & George, Italian Gilbert Proesch and British George Passmore. Having met at art school in London in the 1960s, they led a rebellion against what they believed to be the elitism of traditional sculpture. To bring this medium back within the reach of ordinary people, they pioneered living sculptures, performing for up to eight hours at a time on the streets of London, as well as in galleries. For Gilbert & George, life and art are inseparable, and they explore a number of complicated issues in their work, including religion, sexuality, identity, urban life, terrorism, superstition, AIDS, old age and death.

Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park

Surrounding the museum on the waterfront is the Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park, created as the result of a collaboration with Poul Erik Tjner, director of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, near to Copenhagen.

The park was designed at the same time as the Museum, also by Renzo Piano, and it contains seven significant sculptures, one each by Louise Bourgeois, Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Ellsworth Kelly, Ugo Rondinone, Franz West, and the duo Peter Fischli & David Weiss. If you have just half an hour to spare in Oslo, you should come here, to walk amongst the sculptures, and then to sit on a bench, peacefully, staring out across the fjord.

Stay in an art hotel

Opposite the Astrup Fearnley Museum, and with a contemporary art collection to rival any museum, let alone hotel, in the world, is The Thief. As you approach the hotels main entrance, eagle-eyed guests will spot straight away the prostrate statue to the left of the door is a sculpture by Antony Gormley, and a very fine example of his work.

Inside, every wall, every space, is packed original artworks by Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons, video art installations by Charlotte Thiis-Evensen, and album covers by Roxy Musics Bryan Ferry, just to mention a few.

Not surprisingly, the hotels art insurance cover is the highest for any hotel property in the world. You will want to allow plenty of time to explore the corridors and other public spaces, wondering which masterpiece will be around the next corner. Even the artworks displayed in your own room will seem as if you have put down your bed in the midst of a leading contemporary art museum, and to all intents and purposes, you have.

Some of the most famous, and impressive pieces are on show in Fru K, The Thiefs restaurant, where gastrophiles and art lovers alike compete for tables. Challenge yourself to identify the artists who have created the artworks around you. Many of them are instantly recognisable. The chances are that your fellow diners will be as famous as the artworks  The Thief is, after all, the preferred hotel of rock stars, super models, and film stars visiting Oslo  so you will want to sit back, a glass of Champagne or a signature cocktail in hand, and enjoy some quality people watching.





Booking.com





Munch Museum  The Scream

The Scream is undoubtedly the most famous artwork produced by a Norwegian artist, so you had better take time to visit the Munch Museum, dedicated to the life and work of Edvard Munch. Opened in 1963 to celebrate what would have been Munchs 100th birthday, you can see both The Scream and Madonna, a naked and somewhat controversial depiction of the Virgin Mary. Both of these paintings were stolen to order from the Munch Museum in 2004, but they were recovered by the police after a international two-year hunt, and put back on public display.

Two more sculpture parks

If you prefer your art out in the open air, Oslo boasts two important sculpture parks, in addition to the one in Tjuvholmen.

The Vigeland Park has been created by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, and contains some 200 works in bronze, granite and wrought iron. Vigeland was also responsible for the parks design, which was laid out in the mid-20th century and is a popular spot for Oslos residents to walk, picnic, and spend time with their families.

Newer than the Vigeland Park, and exhibiting the works of multiple sculptors, is the Ekebergparken Sculpture Park opened in a woodland in southeastern Oslo in 2013. Here you can see sculptures by Rodin, Renoir and Dali, but also 21st century works in stainless steel, bronze, and marble by the likes of Dan Graham, Diane Maclean, and Lynn Chadwick. Entrance to the park is free, but there is a small charge if you want to take the guided tour, or enter the Skyspace light installation.

You should also read: From Oslo to Bergen, and the spectacular scenery in between
Fadnavis told IMA representatives that more security has been provided in 16 hospitals since Thursday, and the government will make more arrangements in next 10 days.

By Vidya , Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called off doctor's strike in Maharashtra after a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. CM Fadnavis met IMA representatives at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai where they were briefed about the steps the government has taken to ensure the safety of doctors in hospitals.

Doctors joined duty late at night, ANI reported early on Saturday morning.

advertisement

Fadnavis told IMA representatives that more security has been provided in 16 hospitals since Thursday, and the government will make more arrangements in next 10 days.

Fadnavis, who on Thursday appealed resident doctors to call off their strike, had said in the Assembly today that 'enough was enough' and that continuing the strike despite assurances was totally insensitive.

"Patients are suffering and people are getting annoyed. Attacks on doctors are wrong, but if despite the written assurances from the government they continue the strike they are being insensitive," he said.

"Enough is enough, we are willing to request them, but if they do not call off their strike, we will take legal action. Why shouldn't we? If they do not agree to the request, the government will not sit back with folded hands," he had added.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court warned Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) that if they do not file an affidavit by 3 pm today, it will initiate contempt proceedings against the association's president and secretary.

The court also reprimanded MARD and doctors for not complying with the orders and for not resuming their duties.

Further, Advocate General Rohit Deo told the court that the state government will wait till 6 pm today for the doctors to resume work, and if they don't then action will be taken against them.

MARD on the other hand, told the court that it will ask doctors to join work by 8 am tomorrow.

Watch Video: Maharashtra doctors strike: Protesters unrelenting, health crisis continues

Also Read:

Maharashtra doctors strike: Few resume work, health services remain paralysed

How Delhi doctors' mass leave for a day cost this 60-year-old her leg

Maharashtra medical crisis: Doctors call off strike, Bombay HC to monitor hospitals every 15 days

--- ENDS ---
Amitabh Bachchan bows his head, paying obeisance to the mighty river. Pranao Brahmaputra, Namami Brahmaputra, he chants, opening up a ode to Brahmaputra. He is in musical company, with the likes of Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghoshal, Usha Uthup, Arijit Singh, Zubin Garg, Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher and Papon joining in to render a melodious song. In the backdrop are visuals of a pristine river tumbling through a rain-drenched vista. The Shillong choir joins in, even as the montage shifts to the people of the rivera lonely fisherman casting his net, a schoolgirl sailing a paper boat and a housewife weaving a gamcha (towel).

Namami Brahmaputro theme song is for the Namami Brahmaputra festival being held in Assam from March 31 to April 4, which will showcase the state's potentials and is aimed at being a platform to attract investments.

The mighty river in the east, which encloses the world's largest riverine island Majuli, and is said to carry the largest volume of silt by a river, does not feature much in the consciousness of 'mainland' India. Except when the Chinese step up damming activity on the river on their side of the border (where it is known as Tsang po) or during the annual flooding and subsequent displacements every monsoon.

But, as the NDA-led government smears the northeast with a vivid streak of saffron, the culture, geography, and people of the flank of India beyond the chicken's neck, are slowly being pulled towards the centre. And not just as an assortment of exotic tribes who eat bamboo shoot and strange meats, but as an economy that could yield dividends, political and otherwise.

The theme song is beautifully done, no doubt. But the attempt at homogenising the east is obvious. While a previous regime could be blamed for seeing the region as exotic, this time, the efforts seem directed at creating a Ramanand Sagar-B.R. Chopra kind of culture. Even in the Assamese version of the song, which showcases more regional talent, and is a product several notches higher, the Assam being portrayed is more the one that they would like it to be, rather than what it actually is. Assam, like any other state in India, is a heady mix of several cultures and traditions, but the only one which finds place here is the Vedic one. The sindoor on the housewife's forehead says a lot.

Brahmaputra, in fact, isn't even the name by which the river is commonly known. Here, it is more often referred to as Buralohit. And while the song does refer to the river's shaant (peaceful) and rudra (angry) moods, this is one river that's more feared than revered. No wonder it is the only male river in Indian traditionthe son of Brahma.

Despite these little quibbles, the theme song and video are a beautiful showcase. I would recommend the Assamese version over the Hindi one, even though the lyrics may not be comprehensible. And while you enjoy this , I would also recommend a revisit to Bhupen Hazarika's sorrowful ditty dedicated to the riverBistirno parore... Buralohit tumhi bua keyon...in which he asks how the river can heartlessly keep flowing despite seeing all the tragedies and sufferings on its banks.

The Hazarika number should be seen as complementary to Namami Brahmaputro, and not necessarily, a comparison.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, S.M. Krishna, who has joined the BJP, said the politics is a serious business and not a "hit-and-run job".

The 84-year-old former external affairs minister said there is a disconnect between the Congress leadership and the rank and file of the party.

The comments by Krishna came a day after he joined the BJP.

He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's zero tolerance approach towards corruption.

Amidst questions being raised over the leadership ability of the Congress vice president following the UP debacle, Krishna was asked about his views on Gandhi's working style.

"Politics was not a hit-and-run job nor is it a part-time job," he told PTI.

He also said that the Congress needed to be rebuilt but saw "no seriousness" on the part of its leadership.

"There is no connect between the Congress leadership and the rank and file of the party," he said.

After having spent nearly 50 years in the Congress, Krishna quit the party in January after expressing his unhappiness over being sidelined.

"I never demanded any post, just wanted to be respected for my seniority," he said.

His joining the BJP is also being seen as a major boost to the party, which is now looking to spread its footprint in southern India ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka next year.

Krishna, who belongs to the Vokkaliga community that accounts for 15 per cent of Karnataka's nearly 5 crore population, is considered an influential leader. The community dominates nearly 40 per cent of the seats in 224-member Karnataka Assembly.
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad has become an overnight trending topic on social media, after he assaulted an Air India staffer "25 times" with his footwear and tried to throw him off a Pune-Delhi flight, that landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning. Apparently, the MP was upset over being given a seat in the 'economy section' of the aircraft.

On Friday, as the 56-year-old MP refused to apologise to the Air India staffer, the airline confirmed issuing an order "blacklisting Gaikwad with immediate effect". Meanwhile, according to the media reports, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), representing Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, are considering banning the MP from flying in their planes. The FIA is yet to make an official statement.

On social media, the incident has triggered an avalanche of tweets criticising Gaikwad for his unruly behavior and supporting Air India for its decision to put Gaikwad on the blacklist.

This is not the first time that Gaikwad has stirred controversy. The Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad constituency in the Marathwada region made news in 2014 when he allegedly tried to force-feed a Muslim catering worker over the quality of chapatis served at the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, during the fasting month of Ramzan.
Following a series of terror-related scares, Belgium seems to be on the edge. With the London parliament attacks, which took place a day after the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Brussels (the capital city of Belgium), the security forces have been on full alert. The situation became further complicated after a botched attack in the port city of Antwerp on Thursday.

The Antwerp attacker has been identified by the Belgian police as Mohamed R., a 39-year-old French resident of North African descent. He tried to mow down pedestrians with his car in a busy shopping area in Meir, Belgiums biggest shopping area. Soldiers patrolling the area asked him to stop. As he sped on, special forces stopped the vehicle by force. The police recovered knives, a shotgun and an unidentified liquid from his vehicle. Bomb disposal squads were called in. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said his country remained vigilant. Our security services did an outstanding job in Antwerp.

On Friday, Mohamed was charged by the federal prosecutor's office with "an attempt to murder in a terrorist manner, an attempt to hit and wound in a terrorist manner and arms infractions". Brussels is under a high security blanket after the incidents in London and Antwerp. Security forces have been massively deployed across the city, especially around sensitive installations like the European Parliament, the embassy of the United States and major transportations hubs, including metro stations.

Joost Renders, who worked in a pharmaceutical company, said the presence of so many police officers and soldiers out on the street looked a little out of place in a city known for its carefree culture. But, he added, it was important because lives are at stake. He, however, seemed to be a little bothered about random checks being carried out by security officers. Most people, however, seemed to be taking the heightened security protocols in stride and are moving on.

THE WEEK team, in fact, had a slightly unnerving experience at the hands of the special security forces. After noting that they were being photographed, a couple of members of a small detachment of paramilitary forces stationed near the iconic Rue de la Loi street in Brussels, not too far from the Belgian Parliament, approached our photo editor and asked him quite rudely what his business was. He was taken to a vehicle where the rest of the contingent was waiting and was allowed to leave only after explaining to the group's leader that he was a journalist from India and were in the city on an official assignment. He was, however, warned that no pictures of the special security forces were to be taken.

In Belgium, the wounds of the past bloody attacks and attempts still seem to be raw.
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak left a military hospital today where he had spent much of his six-year detention, his lawyer said.

Mubarak had been cleared for release earlier this month after a top court finally acquitted him of involvement in protester deaths during the 2011 revolt that ousted him.

"Yes," his lawyer Farid al-Deeb said when asked if Mubarak had left the hospital today.

Mubarak was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt, in which about 850 people were killed as police clashed with demonstrators.

He was sentenced to life in 2012 in the case, but an appeals court ordered a retrial which dismissed the charges two years later.

Egypt's top appeals court on March 2 acquitted him of involvement in the killings.

In January 2016, the appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons on corruption charges.

But the sentence took into account time served. Both of his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were freed.

Yesterday, a court ordered a renewed corruption investigation into Mubarak for allegedly receiving gifts from the state owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Meanwhile several key activists in the 2011 uprising are now serving lengthy jail terms, and rights groups say hundreds of others have been forcibly disappeared.
Cut cloth pieces strewn on the floor add colour to Kavithamathi Jayamurthys monochrome life; the whirring sound of the two sewing machines helps drown the cacophony inside her head. Her smile, warm and welcoming, blinds you to her past, momentarily. Kavithamathi, clad in a faded maroon salwar suit, looks calm. But her life as a Sri Lankan living in Kilinochchithe erstwhile bastion of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the northern provinceand later as a refugee in Tamil Nadu, India, was anything but that.

Six years after the ethnic war broke out in 1983, owing to tensions between the Sinhalese Buddhist majority and the Tamil minority, 7-year-old Kavithamathi left home with her parents and siblings for India. Her life as a refugee began at a camp in Ottanchathiram in Tamil Nadu, where she married Jayamurthy (now 42) and had two children. A year after the ceasefire in 2002, she returned with her husband and children, hoping the war would end soon. But it only got worse, and the family was forced to move to the Kathirkamam detention camp in Sri Lanka. When her mother asked her to return to the Ottanchathiram camp, she refused as she wanted to build a house on her property in Rathinapuram in Kilinochchi. It took her seven more years to return to Kilinochchi. She was finally home, years after living in exile, getting displaced in her own country, walking several miles with her family and boarding the army vehicle during war in search of a haven that turned out to be a hellhole.

Today, Kavithamathi, 40, and her sister Kayalvizhi, 37, stitch blouses and salwars, earning SLR15,000 a month. She now wants her mother and brothers family, who have chosen to stay back in Tamil Nadu as refugees, to return. My mother still sees Kilinochchi as the same old backward district with no electricity or medical facilities. My brother thinks his children will not get a good education here. But everything has changed, says Kavithamathi. I feel I have lived a thousand years away from my own Kilinochchi. I am totally relieved because I have come back to my homeland, even though it is difficult to make ends meet here.

Such stories are quite common in the Tamil-dominated northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. War split families in the island nation; exile untied many of them in India, in the 110 refugee camps across Tamil Nadu. When peace returned to the war-torn provinces, so did many of the refugees. A few families, haunted by their past and uncertain about the future, are still reluctant to return home.

A year after the end of the nearly three-decade-long civil war in 2009, there were 1,46,098 refugees living in 64 countries, of whom at least 75,000 have returned to Sri Lanka between 2010 and 2016. Statistics from the Tamil Nadu refugee and rehabilitation department, the government of Sri Lanka, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and OfERR (Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation) show that there were at least 8,200 voluntary returnees and 3,083 spontaneous returnees from Tamil Nadu between 2009 and 2016.

It is a very positive trend. Our people are returning voluntarily, says D.M. Swaminathan, Sri Lankas minister for rehabilitation and resettlement. With the new government under President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, peace has returned to the northern and eastern provinces. We have released lands to the extent of 2,990 acres in Jaffna and 1,000 acres in Trincomalee only to make the internally displaced and the refugees get back to their homeland.

Homecoming, however, has not been the happy ending to the suffering the returnees, perhaps, were hoping for. Kalyani Arunagirinathar, 36, along with her husband and two children, came back to her old, broken house in Deva Nagar in Trincomalee in October 2016. Kalyanis black skirt and grey kurti is torn in places. She works as a domestic help, earning SLR4,500 a month. Her husband is physically challenged. We thought we could resume a peaceful life after our return. There is peace. But I dont know where to start life, says Kalyani. There is nothingno money to build life. I cannot put my children in school as there is no financial support. For how long can I depend on the NGOs? Her mother, Maheshwari Selvam, tells us how she walks miles to find a job as a farm labourer. I will soon get a job as a labourer on a farm that is 15km from here, she says.

According to a Sri Lankan government document, about 4,700 refugees have returned. At least 30 per cent of them are leading a peaceful life, if not a comfortable life. Most of them are fighting to get their land back or get loans under the government housing scheme or are struggling to find a job or to put their children in school.

A hopeful Velayutham Sreedharan, who left Mannar for India at the age of eight, returned with his family of four in 2015. We decided to come back because our elder son died after he fell in a lake on the outskirts of Chennai, says Velayutham. We could not continue to live in the camp as his memories were haunting us. We thought we could raise our other two children well in Vavuniya. But it is a new struggle here every day.

Velayutham, 38, now works on his brother-in-laws farm, growing papaya, eggplant, groundnuts and tomato. There is no water in our farmland. We cant afford to dig a borewell, says his wife, Suganthini, 38. She used to work as a supervisor in a soap manufacturing company in Chennai while living in the refugee camp. It is hard to find a job here equal to what I was doing in Tamil Nadu, says Suganthini, who did her graduation in commerce from a Chennai university. She and her two children help Velayutham on the farm on Sundays. He still has not managed to get the National Identity Card for his children who were born in the camp. Both his children, like those of other refugees, go to a Tamil-medium school.

Christa Shiromi Arulnayagam, 29, who lives in Kalubowila in Colombo, had no option but to put her nine-year-old daughter, K. Krishika, in a Tamil-medium school because she couldnt afford to send her to an English-medium school and also because the syllabus in schools here is different from what is taught in the schools in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil words used in Sri Lanka are different from the ones my daughter learnt in the school in Tamil Nadu, says Christa, a nurse.

Jasmine, 15, would agree. Born and raised in a refugee camp in Erode, she was made fun of by her friends and teachers in her school near Kopay, Jaffnathe capital of the northern provincefor not knowing too many Sri Lankan Tamil words. She wrote kaezhel varagu, which is the Indian Tamil word for finger millet instead of the Sri Lankan word kurakkan. The teachers complained that my daughter doesnt know Tamil and that she is not fit to be promoted to the advanced level, says Jasmines mother, Kamala Rani, 50. So, she has arranged special tuitions for Jasmine, who wants to be a doctor. But it will be an uphill task for Kamala Rani to fulfil her daughters dreams. Her husband, Sivaganesan Ganapathipillai, 52, is physically challenged. And, she is now trying to build a home, for which she had to mortgage her bangles for SLR50,000 and take a friendly loan of SLR3 lakh. She has received SLR7.44 lakh under the government housing scheme. It was not enough as we made little modifications in the construction plan.... My debts are now more than my earnings, she says.

The government housing scheme has benefited not just the refugees but even internally displaced people in Sri Lanka. According to figures shared by the rehabilitation and resettlement department of Sri Lanka, SLR14,000 million was allocated for the resettlement programme and SLR8,634 million for housing projects in the eleven districts of the northern and eastern provinces.

But some like Muthaiah Velayuthapillai from Paranthan in Mullaitivu district havent received any help from the government under the housing scheme despite several applications. Nor could he get his land in Viswamedu back. The 65-year-old man, therefore, bought five acres for SLR5 lakh, a part of which he raised by selling his wifes jewellery, but most of it came from his earnings as a milkman during the 23 years he spent as a refugee at the Uchapatti camp near Madurai. Today, he lives alone in a one-room house, surrounded by a lush paddy field. His wife lives with their two sons in Colombo. His elder son is a taxi driver, and his younger son works for a CCTV company.

Another problem plaguing the returnees is the lack of jobs. Take, for instance, Rajmohan Abdul Gani, 28, who did his MPhil in microbiology from Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirapalli. He, along with his mother and sister, fled to India in 1990 after his father, Abdul Gani, who was in the LTTE, was killed. He returned in 2014, whereas his mother, Suseela, and sister, Rajivi, stayed back at the Pudukottai Thoppukollai camp. He hasnt found a job yet because his degree is not recognised in Sri Lanka, he says. Though Jaffna University opened a department of microbiology, he says it preferred Sri Lankan graduates for appointment as lecturers. He is now an office clerk in an organisation that works among refugee returnees. Dejected, he says he will go back to India soon.

But Ramya Armugam, 26, and her sister, Akhilaveni, 28, were fortunate. Ramya, who did her MBA from Bharathiar University in Tamil Nadu, is an accountant, and Akhilaveni a midwife in Vavuniya. Their elder brother, Keerthiswaran, 34, is a painter. But fortune didnt always favour them. As with most Sri Lankan refugees, a boat is central to their story. Their parents, Armugam and Shanmugeswari, had taken an illegal boat from Mannar to Rameswaram in 1987, but went back with their two children to Vavuniya in 1990 after spending three years at the Mylambadi camp near Erode. Within months, they were back on an illegal boat to Rameswaram. This time, Shanmugeswari was pregnant with her third child.

In 1997, Armugam took a boat from Rameswaram to Thalaimannar to check on the situation back home. But the boat reportedly capsized. Shanmugeswari went looking for her husband, but to no avail. She returned to the camp, broken-hearted. She soon started selling dress materials at the camp to take care of her children. Still, she couldnt fund her childrens education. Keerthiswaran dropped out of school, and Akhilaveni was sent back to Sri Lanka in 2004, where Shanmugeswaris parents and sister looked after her. The family finally returned to Sri Lanka in 2014 after Ramya completed her MBA.

Like Shanmugeswari, Vasanthakumar Janardhini, 34, didnt let circumstances dictate her life. Today, her tailor shop in Vavuniya is the busiest, and she also gives classes for women like her. She is all smiles when we meet her. Being a Sri Lankan Tamil is to learn to live life happily as it comes, she says. She has learnt this the hard way. Her family of three returned to Sri Lanka in 2012. But soon, her husband died of snakebite. Her brother, Shanmuganathan Sudarsan, 38, was arrested and allegedly tortured in a detention camp for four years by the Sri Lankan army. He was picked up along with his wife, Sivaroobini, and his one- and-a-half-year-old son, Sarujan, from a lodge in Colombo in 2008. We were getting our passports ready to leave Sri Lanka. My wife and son were let off in six months. But I was in the Boosa camp for four years, recalls Sudarsan, who now runs a travel company.

The scars of the war continue to haunt K. Sooryan (name changed), 40, too. A LTTE soldier from the age of 14, he worked as a medical assistant, treating wounded LTTE men. In 1995, he worked in the Vanni forest, and in 1996 left the LTTE to live with his parents. But in 1997, he was back with them. In an army attack in Paranthan, he lost his left leg and his hearing in the left ear. I got treated and came back from the LTTE to live with my family again. But, in 2004, when the Tigers wanted one person from each family, I decided to go only to safeguard my three siblings, says Sooryan. After the war, he managed to get into a camp for the internally displaced people, and from there fled the country by pooling in SLR3 lakh. He was treated for his injuries at the government hospitals in Madurai and Dindigul. He returned in 2010, but was detained at the airport. I was taken to the Boosa detention camp in Galle, he says. In October 2016, he was released from another camp following severe protests. He does odd jobs at construction sites, whereas his wife, Sivadevi, 38, is a midwife at a hospital in Vavuniya. All he wants now is a peaceful life with his wife and two sons.

Peace, after all, was what brought many refugees home. But will it make them stay?

Kavithamathi JayamurthyRathinapuram, Kilinochchi

Being the bastion of the LTTE, Kilinochchi was a killing field. So, Kavithamathi, with her parents and siblings, left for India in 1989. She grew up in a camp, got married and had children, too. A year after the ceasefire in 2002, she returned to Kilinochchi with her husband and two daughters. But soon the war began again, and they shifted to a detention camp in Sri Lanka. The harsh camp life didnt dull her spirits. She put her tailoring knowledge to use, and saved SLR80,000. When she returned home in 2010, she used some of the money to buy a sewing machine and opened a shop. The rest of the money was spent on making her farmland cultivable. Now all she wants is her mother and brother, who are still in India, to return.

(From left) Santharooban Rajaratnam, his sister, Santhakumari, mother, Selvarani, sister-in-law, Darsana, and brother, Nisanthanin Dharmapuram, Kilinochchi

Her husband left her in 1996; she left her country. With three young children to look after, the unrest in Kilinochchi was too much to take for Rajaratnam Selvarani. She left for Tamil Nadu along with her mother and childrena mentally challenged daughter, Santhakumari, and two sons, Santharooban and Nisanthan. After six years at the Pudukottai camp, she came back home in 2012. The 46-year-old is now busy building a house on her mothers farmland with the SLR8 lakh she received from the government under the housing scheme.

Kalyani Arunagirinathar with her daughters, Dhilakshana and Vidushanain Trincomalee

Kalyani and her family, including her mother, husband and two daughters, now aged 12 and 5, fled their home in Trincomalee in 2006 when the army came knocking on their door, looking for LTTE members. They say they were tortured at gunpoint. They lived at the Mandapam camp for a while and then shifted to Paruvai camp in Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu.

They returned home in 2016. Kalyani, 36, now works as a domestic help and her husband is physically challenged.

Velayutham Sreedharan with wife, Suganthini, son, Dhilakshan, and daughter, Sruthikain Thavasikulam, Vavuniya

Sreedharan was eight when his parents left Mannar for India. He met his wife, Suganthini, at the Gummidipoondi camp near Chennai. Sreedharan worked as a painter and his wife was a supervisor in a soap manufacturing factory in Chennai. They returned to Sri Lanka in 2015 when their elder son died after falling into a lake in Chennai. Today, their son, Dhilakshan, 13, and daughter, Sruthika, 5, study in a nearby school in Vavuniya. Sreedharan, 38, grows peanuts and papaya on his brother-in-laws farm.

Shanmuganathan Sudarsan with sister, Vasanthakumar Janardhiniin Vavuniya

Sudarsan, 38, was a refugee in India for 14 years, from 1990 to 2004. On his return home, he tried to start life afresh but the war broke out again. He, along with his wife, Sivaroobini, and one-and-a-half-year-old son, Sarujan, tried to leave the country in 2008, but were picked up by the army from a lodge in Colombo while getting their passports ready. They were kept at the Boosa detention camp in Galle. While his wife and son were let off in six months, he says he was tortured for four years. Around the time of his release in 2012, his sister Vasanthakumar Janardhini, now 34, returned to Sri Lanka with her daughter Lavanya, now 16. After her husband died of snakebite, she started her tailoring shop, where she also gives sewing lessons. Sudarsan now has his own travel business.

Kamaleswari Udhayakumar with father, Ramasamyin Mullaitivu

Kamaleswari became a refugee in India at the age of seven. She left her birthplace, Mannar, in 1990 with her parents. The Bhavani Sagar camp became home, where she also met her husband, Udhayakumar. Her children, Vinodha and Dinesh, too, were born there. The family returned to Udhayakumars native Mullaitivu in 2003. But their home was washed away in the 2004 tsunami. They then lived in a temporary shelter. But the war broke out again, and they came back to the Bhavani Sagar camp in 2008. They returned to Sri Lanka in 2010. But before they could settle down, Udhayakumar reportedly died when he took an illegal boat from Batticaloa to Australia to find a job. Kamaleswari went looking for him, but in vain. Now the 34-year-old has a poultry farm at her tsunami shelter. Her father, Ramasamy, 59, lost his eyesight while working for a granite quarry in Tamil Nadu.

Sivaganesan Ganapathipillai with wife, Kamala Rani, and daughter, Jasminein Kopay, Jaffna

In 1992, Sivaganesan, now 52, and Kamala Rani, now 50, left Sri Lanka for India, where their daughter, Jasmine, was born. When the war ended, so did their exile. But home is still a faraway dream. Kamala Rani is busy building a house, thanks to the SLR7.44 lakh she received under the housing scheme. But she also had to pledge her gold bangles and take a friendly loan of SLR3lakh. She is the sole breadwinner in the family as Sivaganesan is differently-abled. Everything is expensive here, she says.
MARD had in a statement requested all of the 40,000 Indian Medical Association doctors, who had gone on strike across the state to protest against lack of security, to resume work immediately.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: After the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Thursday urged all resident doctors to call off their four-day-long agitation and resume work, only a few have joined in Mumbai.

MARD had in a statement requested all of the 40,000 Indian Medical Association doctors, who had gone on strike across the state to protest against lack of security, to resume work immediately.

advertisement

"It's an individual level strike not under MARD's banner, but with due respect to the High Court, Chief Minister and Medical Education Minister we requested our fellow resident doctors to join, now it's every individuals decision," MARD said.

MARD, whose around 4,000 members were on mass casual leave since Monday in all public hospitals, also filed an affidavit to say the resident doctors were prepared to work but the government and hospital administrations should assure them of safety and security.

DECISION AFTER MEET WITH CM

Indian Medical Association, whose members went on strike in support of resident doctors, will decide about their stand after meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who they have sought an audience with at 2 pm today.

The Full Time Medical Teachers Association of Mumbai is also expected to clear its stand about the strike after the meeting. On Thursday it had given an ultimatum of 48-hours to the government to accept their demands or else they will tender mass resignations.

FTMTA, with more than 1200 members across the city, had extended its support to resident doctors who are protesting against the attack on doctors since the last three days.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Thursday appealed to resident doctors in the state to call off their strike and assured them that the government would ensure their security in hospitals. The Bombay High Court too has asked the state to not undertake punitive action against the doctors if they resume work.

Watch Video: Maharashtra doctors ready to call off strike if security is provided

Also Read:

How Delhi doctors' mass leave for a day cost this 60-year-old her leg

Maharashtra medical crisis: Doctors call off strike, Bombay HC to monitor hospitals every 15 days

Maharashtra medical crisis: CM Fadnavis appeals to doctors to end strike

--- ENDS ---
The team, operating in Delhi's 14 districts, is constantly active on 8,000 WhatsApp groups where the graphics of party's achievement in last 10 years are being spread.

The volunteers will also target the failure of Delhi government in their social media campaigning aggressively.

By Arpan Rai: The Bharatiya Janata Party has been the best at utilising social media campaigns for elections in the country, and it is not letting up when it comes to civic polls in the Capital.

The party has set up a mammoth IT cell with a grand team comprising 80,000 members, who are operating from 272 wards and three IT chambers under the guidance of 280 social media wizards.

advertisement

The IT cell is located inside the BJP state office on Pandit Panth Marg. The chamber accommodates 15 senior-level cyber warriors who have been monitoring and leading social media campaigns in Delhi for over eight months now. A map bearing the delimitation of municipal wards in Delhi in 2017 graces the wall next to the door.

Volunteers between the ages of 22 and 40 emphasise on the party's mass-contact game plan. "We will reach every voter through social media. For a person without Whatsapp, we have a booth level worker and for a tech-savy Delhiite, we are on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter," said a volunteer.

THE PLAN OF ACTION

The team, operating in Delhi's 14 districts, is constantly active on 8,000 WhatsApp groups where the graphics of party's achievement in last 10 years are being spread. The crew's strategy - largely to push forth the pro-development tone -has a three-fold formula.

Prime focus will remain on reminding Delhi residents of the work done by BJP leaders across the nation. The second will be to highlight the development work done by BJP government for Delhi.

The third will be to push PM Modi's latest digital initiative and "New India" mantra to target the aspirational Delhiite.

The volunteers will also target the failure of Delhi government in their social media campaigning aggressively. The BJP's decision to field all fresh faces for the civic polls and invite applications has also added to their work. Going the extra mile, the party workers will present the voters with the candidate's profile, just like a resume.

The party received nearly 5,000 applications till last week, but the figure shot up to 33,675 within six days of announcement on fielding fresh faces, party's spokesperson Tajinder Bagga told Mail Today. "People want to know about candidates in detail. We will popularise every candidate's agenda for their ward in a profile on Facebook and their mail."

Also read: MCD polls: BJP, Congress turned Delhi into garbage house, says Kejriwal in video message

Also read: MCD polls: After UP, BJP now plans aggressive campaign to retain power in Delhi

advertisement

Also read: Delhi MCD polls: BJP won't field a single sitting councillor for re-election

Also watch: Delhi civic polls likely in April, parties raise concern over EVMs

--- ENDS ---
"There is nothing unusual, it is a normal courtesy to write such letters to head of states and governments," ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

By Press Trust of India: The External Affairs Ministry today downplayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter greeting his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Pakistan's National Day, saying it was a "normal courtesy and nothing unusual".

"There is nothing unusual, it is a normal courtesy to write such letters to head of states and governments," ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

Refusing to divulge details of the letter, he just said the Prime Minister wrote that India wants to build relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror and violence.

advertisement

He also reiterated that Pakistan has to walk away from terror.

Terrorism emanating from Pakistan is affecting not merely India but other neighbours in the region, he said, adding that it has been a core concern and will remain a core concern.

Also Read

Terror-sponsor Pakistan is a destabilising factor in Afghanistan, says Salahuddin Rabbani US lawmaker's radical reset: Declare Pakistan state terror sponsor

--- ENDS ---
President Donald Trumps nominee to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, attorney Jay Clayton, sought to assure lawmakers that hell show no favoritism and act only in the public interest, as his Wall Street connections were scrutinized at his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.

Clayton, a partner in the prominent law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, has done significant legal work for Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs and other financial giants. Asked whether his client work will create conflicts of interest for him as the financial markets top regulator, Clayton said he doesnt believe they will.

Im committed to showing no favoritism to anyone in this position, Clayton told the Senate Banking Committee.

In cases where he might have to step aside from decisions on enforcement actions against companies, Clayton said, his fellow SEC commissioners would be able to capably handle the matters.

As SEC chairman, Clayton would be in charge of, among other things, protecting investors from wrongdoing on Wall Street. He would oversee the enforcement of rules written by the SEC under the law that reshaped the regulation of banks and Wall Street after the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession. And he would take part in deciding on enforcement actions that SEC attorneys bring against corporations and financial firms.

Clayton, 50, would take over the leadership of the independent federal agency with a Republican majority among its eventual five members. In line with Trumps pledge to ease many rules that flowed from the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory law, a Clayton-led SEC would be expected to take a comparatively loose approach to regulation.

Clayton told the panel he had no specific plans for attacking particular components of the law, but said I do believe that Dodd-Frank should be looked at.

For Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of the Democrats fiercest critics of Wall Street, Claytons assurances on conflicts of interest werent good enough.

Cases involving Clayton clients Goldman, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Barclays would bring a required recusal, Warren told him, and a 2-2 split among the other four SEC commissioners would mean a deadlock with no enforcement action taken. In addition, Clayton has agreed in his ethics commitment to refrain from voting for two years in cases involving companies represented by his law firm, Warren noted.

Serious wrongdoing could go unpunished, she said. If President Trump wanted to make sure that the SEC would have a hard time in going after his Wall Street friends, it seems to me you would be the perfect SEC chair.

Claytons confirmation is virtually assured by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Republicans on the banking panel defended Claytons experience as a plus for the SEC job. They were cheered by his statements in support of easing rules for smaller companies to raise capital in the markets.

In addition to advising and representing big financial firms and corporations, Clayton worked on corporate mergers and public stock launches, including the largest-ever IPO of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The SEC regulates those kinds of transactions.

Capital markets drive innovation and job creation, said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the committees chairman. I have repeatedly stressed the need for the U.S. financial system and markets to remain the preferred destination for investors throughout the world, and the SEC has an important role to that end.

Clayton testified that he sees meaningful room for improvement to make it more attractive and less costly for companies to go public.

Claytons financial disclosure filing shows other big corporate clients, including Ally Financial, Royal Bank of Canada, Volkswagen, British Airways, Priceline Group and Valeant. In addition, two of the biggest U.S. hedge funds  activist investor Bill Ackmans Pershing Square and Paul Tudor Joness Tudor Investment Corp.  are among his clients.

I  believe that the types of matters Ive worked on, which involved problem-solving, is a strength, Clayton told the panel.

Democrats homed in on Claytons ties to Goldman  where his wife, Gretchen Butler Clayton, works as a financial adviser but has committed to resign if her husband is confirmed. Trump has drawn on alums of the Wall Street titan for several key posts in his administration, notably Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Gary Cohn, a top White House economic adviser.

Your record representing bankers, hedge funds and executives speaks for itself, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, the panels senior Democrat, told Clayton. But those people are all already well represented among the presidents friends, supporters and advisers.

(AP)
The NYPDs annual pre-Passover briefing was held at Police Headquarters on Wednesday. Hundreds of religious leaders, Jewish community representatives and members of the service attended.

With another sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents, police Commissioner James ONeill promises stepped-up security for the Passover holiday.

Anti-Semitic incidents  including bomb threats, swastikas on doors and subways, and threatening phone calls and emails continue to skyrocket.

The latest NYPD statistics show a 177 percent increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes  72 so far this year compared to 26 for the same period in 2016.

ONeill said the NYPD will not condone any attack based on someones faith. He said the NYPD will increase the police presence at all Jewish institutions in the city.

The NYPD will deploy additional resources including Hercules patrols by heavily armed officers to synagogues, Jewish neighborhoods and other potentially sensitive locations during the religious holiday. Foot posts, visits by officers to synagogues, outreach by community affairs officers, a heightened presence of anti-crime units to deter theft, and patrols by special house of worship cars will all be part of how the Department will continue to keep New Yorkers safe. It similarly increases security at religious institutions during other religious holidays.

The Pre-Passover Briefing began in 1979 with 12 Jewish community leaders. Since 1991, and with the development of the Clergy Liaison program, the briefing has evolved into an information sharing community meeting with hundreds of religious leaders in attendance.

Yehuda Eckstein  YWN










An innovative array of Kosher for Pesach products will arrive on grocery shelves in 2017 with unexpected, convenient and ready-to- use foods from well-known kosher names, which not only provide the highest level of Kashrus but can easily be mistaken for regular everyday products.

Among the brands are Gefen, Elite, Shefa, Haddar and Blanchard & Blanchard. For new Yom Tov menu ideas, appetizers and entrees, as well as snacks, candy and desserts, Pesach shopping aisles will be chock full of high quality products from these brands and more that could easily pass as chometz. They are surprisingly unique and delicious for Pesach, and will have your guests commenting, I cant believe this is really Pesachdik.

Perhaps most unexpected is the first-ever pre-made, Kosher for Pesach Pie and Tart Crusts, ready-to- bake in a 9 size for pies and a 3 tart size for individual servings. They are remarkably flaky for their gluten-free status, and offer convenience, great taste and endless options for fillings. (See enclosed recipes from Joy of Koshers Jamie Geller.)

Potatoes have been the go-to side dish from Bubby to Hotel Chef alike, due to their versatility and myriad preparation ideas. With the introduction of the new Pie Crusts there is now a second foundation for dozens of new options for side dishes ranging from quiches and pot pies, to pecan pies, cheese cakes and other desserts.

Also convenient and ready to cook are Blanchard & Blanchards flash frozen Baby Okra and Artichoke Bottoms. Artichoke bottoms are especially popular in traditional Sephardic and Mediterranean recipes for Pesach. They are all-natural and easy to prepare using the recipe ideas on each package. A great savory recipe is a quiche, baked in Gefens Pesach Pie or Tart Crusts.

On the Milchig side of the kitchen, newly launched, authentic Handcrafted Mediterranean Cheeses from Taamti are sure to delight the cheese connoisseur. The lineup includes delicious savory braided and marinated string cheeses, mozzarellas and Syrian cheese. Taamti cheeses are crafted using age-old traditional methods, hand pulled and meticulously braided for the perfect texture and taste. Melt them in Pesach lasagna, pizza or eggplant parmigiana or simply unbraid the mozzarella for the center table.

Gefens Sweetened Dried Cranberries is a delightful new product for this season that is sure to bring back memories of the small raisin boxes of years gone by. They add great flavor to salads and are packed in the perfect single serve package to maintain freshness and portion control. Snack on them right out of the box for the perfect Chol HaMoed treat.

Instead of matzah meal, try coating your chicken with Haddars flavored or unflavored Panko Crumbs and get ready for the compliments! Elevate your schnitzel to a whole new madrega!

Also new this year from Haddar is crisp Crostini toast. It comes in three tasty flavors  lightly salted, zesty onion and barbeque. These Pesachdik toasts are great as snacks, topped with veggies, or dipped straight into fresh guacamole.

Pesach salads have become increasingly trendy, as ready-to- eat green leafy vegetables and lettuce have become mainstays of todays meals. Haddar has launched a full range of salad dressing flavors from the popular Nish Nosh and mouthwatering Cole Slaw dressings, to Balsamic Vinaigrette and Classic Caesar. For added crunch, sprinkle salads and soups with Haddars new Mandel Sticks.

Terra Chips is proudly adding the hechsher of Rabbi Weissmandl onto their Original and Sweet Potato varieties. Healthy, delicious and perfect for snacking and salad topping, this is sure to be one of the most exciting snack items for Pesach to hit our market shelves. This is a perfect example of a big national brand coming to realize the unique opportunity of the Pesach marketplace and moving decisively to cater to this major Yom Tov.

Whether you buy or bake your own Pesach desserts, there are sweets aplenty for this Chametz- free holiday. Crunch on Haddar Biscotti Cookies in cappuccino with chocolate fudge or chocolate chip flavors and try the new, mouthwatering Macaroon Bars drizzled with chocolate, cocoa nibs or cranberries. These coconut bars have been on the market for a few months now and have garnered rave reviews for their healthy, simple ingredients. They are sure to become a popular grab and go bar.

Elite of Israel has reformulated their Shtix chocolate fingers, as well as their new premium range, The Collection to make them Kosher for Pesach.

SHEFAs Fruit Twiggs make great healthy sweet snacks. Naturally flavored animal shaped Gummies in orange, lemon and citrus mix varieties are kids classic favorites that are Kosher for Pesach this year. They are all-natural and delicious.
It has already been reported that the Peleg Yerushalmi-affiliated HaPeles newspaper this week quotes HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita calling for a large protest against the IDF induction. Protests have been taking place daily over the past days but this central event is expected to be a massive gathering, far larger than was seen in the past.

According pashkavilim, this event will be taking place next week, on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, together with the Eida Chareidis.

The venue for the large protest is still being discussed but it is being reported one of the possibilities is opposite the Knesset.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
In a conference sponsored by the European Conference of Rabbis in Italy, Rabbi Hezekiah Samin, head of the Marriage Department of the Israeli Religious Services Ministry announced Tuesday that the Israeli rabbinate has already begun creating a database of all Jews around the world. The purpose of the database, according to Samin, is to enable Jewish marriage registrars to have individuals personal status reports available at the click of a button. According to reports, Israel has already invested tens of millions of shekels in the initiative.

The heart of the story according to Rabbi Samin, is to prevent a situation in which a Jewish person gets married while still married halachically. Nevertheless, the listing will also indicate as to the Jewish status of any person registered through the system. This system will provide the information as to who married a person, who approved and was assigned on, ones conversion process and what the current status of this person is, allowing us to validate the information if and when needed in the future explains Rabbi Samin.

Rabbi Dr Seth Farber, director of ITIM who sued the Rabbinate last year to receive their criteria for how they determine Jewishness for immigrants to Israel, expressed his outrage at the initiative. This new program demonstrates the narrow mindedness of the Israeli religious establishment. Rather than looking to embrace Jews from around the world, the rabbinate is looking for further reasons to exclude them. Unquestionably, more than 75% of United States Jewry will be excluded from their lists. Furthermore, the new database has the potential of creating a situation in which thousands of Jews will discover that according to the Halacha they are, so called, Mamzerim, and therefore not allowed to marry other Jews. The absence of such a database avoids the creation of this problematic situation. Therefore, creating such a database stands against the Halacha and the common sense. Furthermore, as various complex situations can occur, having a system handle these situations with a simple yet wrong answer can be a complete disaster.

In an era where privacy is at a premium, it is unconscionable that the Rabbinate will allow peoples intimate information (related to your personal status) to be accessible to a group of rabbis that you dont know and you dont know what they will do with the information. Imagine someone is adopted or a convert and they want no one to know this. The database will make this clear.

Farber also noted that the Israeli Attorney General issued a strict warning in 2003 against the rabbinate maintaining databases related to personal status. Farber noted that just a month ago, the Israeli rabbinates databases were breached by hackers from abroad.

Imagine if the information related to Jews everywhere got into the hands of those who seek to destroy the Jewish people? said Farber. These are questions that are critical to the Jewish future and they are being decided by a group of clerks and rabbis that have no understanding of the Jewish world. There has been no discussion or analysis. ITIM plans to turn to the justice ministry I stop this travesty before it gains any momentum.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Tzvi Amar has refused a NIS 20 million buyout offer for Kol Berama Radio from Shas, Kikar Shabbos reports. The officer was the latest in efforts to take over control of the chareidi radio station. The efforts to purchase the radio station began with the last Knesset elections.

The buyer, who is in Marseilles, was supposed to meet with station owners but persons involved began probing the sale and decided the buyer is to connected to Shas and Aryeh Deri. Shas views the station aligned with Eli Yishai and therefore, it is boycotted. Rishon LTzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita will not even permit Kol Berama to air his motzei Shabbos shiurim since the boycott began.

The fact is that since elections the stations worth has diminished as some of its stars moved over to Kol Chai. According to TGI polls, its listening audience is declining too as Kol Chai increases.

Persons affiliated with the station however report Tzvi didnt give in and remains true to Kol Berama. Persons quoting Tzvi explain he says I view the station as HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosefs ZTL will and my responsibility to maintain. It is added that Amar recently acquired the Kooker website in the hope of beginning to penetrate the chareidi internet market too.

Persons aligned with Shas say it is unfortunately that Amar is determined to continue the ongoing war.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Fresh supply of meat is expected to start by Saturday at Etawah Safari Park in Uttar Pradesh.

By Shiv Pujan Jha: The sufferings of the lions and lionesses at Etawah Safari Park may possibly come to an end by Saturday, as fresh supply is expected to start.

Since the closure of illegal slaughter houses across the Uttar Pradesh, the carnivores here (three lions, three lionesses and two cubs) had to compromise with chicken and mutton. Accustomed to buffalo meat, the carnivores were said to have been avoiding their meal.

advertisement

Reports say that the safari park suffered a drop in the supply of buffalo meat as there is no legal slaughterhouse in Etawah. But now, the authorities have roped in a legal slaughterhouse from Agra.

The supply is expected to start from Saturday, but it will be be a stopgap arrangement.

Dr Anil Kumar Patel, Deputy Director of Etawah Safari Park told India Today that there has been no supply of buffalo meat since the crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses in the state.

"We have made a temporary arrangement for the supply of buffalo meat from Agra, and it will start from Saturday," said Patel. "But we are looking for a fresh contractor who can supply good quality buffalo meat to us."

The carnivores at the Etawah Safari Park were usually fed 80 kg meat 6 days a week. Since the meat crackdown, the supply has gone down to 50 to 60 kg of chicken and goat meat. But since the meat is not palatable to them, they have been avoiding it.

The shortage in meat supply has raised questions about the safari's management itself. Rajeev Chuhan, a wildlife expert who was instrumental to the setting up of the safari, said that if this shortage persists, it may adversely affect the health of the lions and lionesses here.

The Etawah Safari Park was a dream project of former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav and his father, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Attempts had been made to bring in lions from Gujarat and other parts of the country for long, but the place had little success. The park is also said to have had around 9 deaths it was established.

The safari is spread across an area of eight square kilometers, and is likely to be made open to public soon.

--- ENDS ---
Days after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie eliminated all security funding for nonpublic schools in his proposed budget, Rabbi Avi Schnall, Agudath Israels New Jersey director, testified before the Senate budget committee, calling on elected officials to stand up for the states 150,000 nonpublic school children and ensure their safety.

The final budget appropriation for Fiscal Year 2016  2017 included a desperately needed allocation of $7.5 million for security measures at nonpublic schools, which would have allotted $50 per child. Shortly after signing last years budget, Governor Christie signed the Secure Schools for All Children Act, which would have increased that amount to $75 for every student attending a nonpublic school in New Jersey.

Rabbi Schnall and other nonpublic school advocates were stunned when the governor revealed his proposed budget on March 15th, which included no funding at all to protect nonpublic school students despite his earlier move to increase security for those same children.

Adding insult to injury, the change to the budget came at a time when anti-Semitic incidents are at their highest level in many years. Christies proposed budget included $199 million in security funding for public school students, an allocation of $144 per student.

What message is the governor sending by eliminating security funding for 150,000 children attending nonpublic schools while simultaneously allocating $199 million for other children? asked Rabbi Schnall. Are nonpublic school children less deserving of being in a safe secure school environment?

Citing examples of two nonpublic schools in New Jersey, Rabbi Schnall noted that those institutions are already undertaking significant financial commitments to ensure students safety. At one school, a highly qualified security company estimated that it would cost $230 per student to bring the school up to an acceptable safety level. That amount did not include the cost of hiring security guards.

At the second school, security guards have been hired at a cost of $100 per child. That school is already running at a $125,000 deficit because of the added expense of protective manpower and does not have the financial resources it needs to install basic security devices including cameras, locks and lighting.

While the $75 per child amount that had been proposed by Governor Christie in September would still require schools to pay for at least part of the necessary security measures, Rabbi Schnall noted that the funding would still go a long way towards protecting the states nonpublic school children. Rabbi Schnall called on legislators to advocate for these children whose rights to even minimum security standards are currently in jeopardy.

Click here to contact your local legislators and urge them to take immediate action to ensure the safety of all New Jersey schoolchildren.

(By Sandy Eller  YWN)
It was a difficult week for me.

I was confronted by major sheilos involving cremation, rachmana ltzlan. Not just one cremation situation, but two such crises in the same week. Unfortunately, weve grappled with this before. Who would imagine that Jews would voluntarily choose such an ignoble and sacrilegious method to be reposed? Only seventy years ago, the Germans, yemach shemam, perpetrated the most unfathomable atrocity, cruelty and barbarism. They established crematoria, gas chambers, to incinerate our Jewish brethren, turning their hallowed bodies into ashes. Astoundingly, today, many of our brothers and sisters living in the land of the free, choose on their own free volition to be cremated after death. What bitter irony.

Due to expediency, efficiency and the low cost of cremation versus burial, these unaffiliated Jews are abrogating Torah law and thousands of years of tradition.

The next of kin of the deceased werent outraged. Who was outraged? Who felt mortified and betrayed? Their descendants, BJX students, who are now Baalei Teshuvah, Shomrei Torah uMitzvos. These students sacrificed so much personal comfort and pleasures to choose a life of fulfillment and purpose. Amidst great personal hardship, they chose to forego a life of expediency, transience and instant gratification for a life of sublime pleasure, bliss and eternity. These poor students couldnt reconcile the fact that their beloved family members would choose a path so antithetical to our heritage. They knew that this act contravenes Halacha. It was painful for them and equally painful for me. Many people dont realize how much a Rav takes to heart their travails, struggles and pain and it becomes his own.

Can we really blame those that chose cremation? Did they know any better? Assimilation in America is rampant. Sadly, this is the reality of the majority of American Jews. The practices that Jews recoiled from and considered to be most repulsive a mere century ago, has become mainstream; the standard and the norm for the majority of Jews today.

Perhaps the blame lies with us. What have we done to reach out to our brothers and sisters? How much effort and resources have we expended to bridge the gap and show unconditional love to our fellow Jews? Not enough.

Two events that likewise transpired this week assuaged my conscience and healed my soul.

On Shushan Purim, I participated in the Bris Milah of one of our precious students. Choosing to enter the covenant of Avraham Avinu at thirty years old, requires herculean courage and mesiras nefesh. This student could have easily decided that the risks were too great, the pain and convalescence period too unbearable and living the American dream was more important. However, on his own volition, he voluntarily submitted himself to enter the wings of the Divine Presence, Tachas Kanfei Hashechina. How providential that the Mohel performing the Mila was none other than the renown Rav Romi Cohn, who famously survived the Nazis, serving as a partisan during the war. Rav Cohn told our student, The minimal pain you feel now, links you to the sacrifices we Jews have made for generations. I was so moved and touched by this unbelievable encounter and fusion between an elderly Holocaust survivor and American young man, now inextricably and sacredly linked together.

The other incident that occurred this week that soothed me greatly me was a special note I received with Mishloach Manos. While I greatly appreciate all the Mishloach Manos packages I received, one was exceedingly poignant and exceptionally stood out. It was a note from our local public high school seniors that recently graduated the NCSY/BJX Leadership program. It read in part, Dear Rabbi, Our time spent at BJX was so inspirational. None of us will ever forget any of the lessons you taught us. I realized that when these unaffiliated students have critical decisions to make: Should I date someone Jewish? or Should I bury or cremate my parent?, we can, Baruch Hashem, now rest assured they will make the right decisions.

The Rambam, Issurei Bia (chapter 13), and in his Teshuvos (293) states unequivocally that the majority of Jews in Mitzrayim were likewise assimilated and intermingled, indifferentiable from the Egyptians. Hashem sent Moshe Rabbeinu to rescue us from the abyss and resuscitate our connection to Yiddishkeit. As a matter of fact, according to Rambam, Moshe Rabbeinu had to perform countless Brisim before the redemption, to facilitate the Jews return to Hashem. Who will be the Moshe Rabbeinu of our generation? Who will rescue the untold masses in America?

Rav Yitzchok Fingerer is Morah DAsra and Founder of the BJX Kehilla and Kiruv Centers.

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.

DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE POSTED ON YWN? SEND IT TO US FOR REVIEW
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

This past Wednesday a gathering took place at the well known Tosh hall, with prominent askanim, Rabbis and local residents joining in an effort to expand Avihems outreach. The asifa was inspiring in its turnout and was initiated to benefit Avihem, a financial collaboration which has been founded to assist orphans with wedding expenses.

During the asifa, all present participated in a collaborated effort to help initiate a call for additional funding in order to fill the growing demand.

Avihem was founded a couple of years ago, in response to a desperate plea for help from one young kallah. lt started in a combined effort of good hearted benefactors and community activists, with askan R Shmuel Yoel Feldbrand Shlita at the helm. Once R Shmuel Yoel got wind of the heartrending situation of the young orphans who lacked basic funds to make it to the chuppah, he knew he wouldnt rest until their cries were answered. Many of these recipients have suffered the loss of one or both parents and have no one to spearhead the basic costs as they look toward a possibility of building their own bayis neeman.

The floundering organization started from the ground up, its founders making it their agenda via door to door treks and arduous efforts, Last weeks event was one of little fanfare but much moral support. Having secured sizeable funds from local constituents and community members, the unity of klal yisroel was self evident in the low profile donations they so generously offered.

The last couple of years were difficult, with the organizations founding partners securing thousands of hard earned dollars in distribution toward marrying off these yesomim, The list of chasanim and kallahs have grown and the phone lines at Avihem are constantly ringing with the pleas of desperate families who rely on our assistance, What shouldve been a call for joy, a simcha in its greatest sense, becomes a call of desperation. Being privy to such pain is difficult to bear, particularly when a wedding needs to be postponed- simply because there are no funds to pay for the simplest of wedding expenses.

At Avihem, each caller is greeted by a listening ear and comforting promise. Chasanim and kallahs receive more than just your donation, they receive peace of mind so that their happiest moments are punctuated by menuchas hanefesh in the mazeldige shu.

Up until now, Avihem was able to subsist on minimal exposure and a low profile, lt is a tremendous responsibility to shoulder so many unfulfilled promises, which is why the need

suddenly came about for large scale fundraising to keep up with the call volume. lt became clear that a wider channel of donor funding was in order. Prompted by an abundant cry for help, the askanim arranged this urgent collaboration to collect the necessary funding.

At Wednesdays asifa, the Rabbanim praised the efforts of all individuals and founders involved, as well as facilitated a give and take f ideas for expanding this mission to neighboring communities.

The keynote speaker, Harav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz Shlita, Skverer dayan of Boro Park and Nasi hamosed urged the people at the event to be strong in their commitment, stressing the importance of expanded efforts. With divrei chizuk and words of Torah, Rav Steinmetz left an indelible impression on all those present.

What followed the initial speech was a detailed account regarding the organizations humble beginnings by R Feldbrand himself, a beacon f chesed and founder f Avihem. Sharing the joy and the grief, R Yoel walked attendees through the initial stages of Avihem and expressed the simcha of the chasanim and kallahs that have benefited from the organizations outstretched hand. He spoke of past and present, focusing on ways to fill the enormous demand that hits Avihem  daily basis. The final statement was issued by Harav Benzion Katz Shlita, Dzibo Dayan of Boro Park who testified to having personally witnessed Avihem at work, outlining the tremendous zechus of its undertaking and praising those who take part in its distribution.

The gathering left inspiration in its wake, with the askanim feeling optimistic toward the avodas hakodesh that is Avihem. The chizzuk and support of the prominent gedolim at the asifa provided much needed inspiration to proceed in this arduous task. By helping Avihem, there is  doubt that the Avi shel yesomim, the father of all orphans, will mirror the bounty with abundant and infinite blessings. Amen.

To become a partner with Avihem or to pledge a donation, contact our offices at 718-285-8062 or visit www.avihem.org to learn more.




[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

The upcoming Bicentennial Anniversary Dinner of Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim is generating an unprecedented level of excitement and anticipation amongst the alumni from all periods of the Yeshivas existence. Talmidim are reminiscing with their friends about the time they spent together as they look forward to viewing the specially prepared exhibit that will portray the various tekufos in the Yeshivas history.

The event will be graced with the participation of the senior Roshei Yeshiva and Gedolei Yisroel in America. Talmidim of the Mir are making every effort to be part of this magnificient maamad of kvod haTorah. They will be traveling from California, Texas, Canada, and the Midwest; their ranks include many distinguished Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim who have tremendous hakoras hatov to their alma mater.

The Roshei Hayeshiva of Mir will be joined at the Dinner by many members of the hanhalla, most notably the maggidei shiur whose close connection with the American bochurim and yungeleit goes back many decades. The program will include a special Siyum Ksivas Sefer Torah presented by the alumni to the Marbitzei and Lomdei Torah who are the Guests of Honor at this special Dinner event.

The Dinner will take place this Sunday, March 26th, at the Historic Bell Works Building in Homdel NJ.
Belgian authorities have charged the Frenchman who drove his car at high speed through a busy shopping area in Antwerp with terror-related offenses.

The Federal prosecutors office said Friday that Mohamed R., 39, was charged with attempted murder in a terror context, and infractions against the gun law.

After driving through the busy Meir shopping road on Thursday, he was arrested at the port docks. No one was injured.

In the car, authorities found knives, a shotgun and a gas can with an unknown liquid.

An official at the prosecutors office said the suspect was under the influence but refused to elaborate whether it was drugs or alcohol.

Authorities immediately raised security in the center of Antwerp.

(AP)
Prosecutors said the targeted murder of a black man by a self-proclaimed white supremacist in New York City was most likely an act of terrorism.

James Harris Jackson, 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom for his arraignment Thursday. He was formally charged with second-degree murder, but Prosecutor Joan Iluzzi-Orbon said the charges are expected to be upgraded once the case goes before a grand jury.

The defendant was motivated purely by hatred, Iluzzi-Orbon said. Additional charges could include murder in the first degree, as this was most likely an act of terrorism.

During the hearing, Jackson looked about the room with a curious expression on his face but said nothing. He was escorted by three of the 18 police and court officers who were there for the arraignment.

Outside the courtroom, defense attorney Sam Talkin said that if the allegations are true he will consider an insanity defense for his client.

Jackson is accused of stabbing 66-year-old Timothy Caughman, an African American, near Ninth Avenue and West 36th Street in Midtown Manhattan Monday night. Caughman was able to make his way to a nearby police precinct before collapsing and later dying at the hospital.

Caughman turned himself in to NYPD officers at the Times Square substation 24 hours later after seeing his photo in media reports.

SUSPECTS INTENTIONS

Police said Jackson traveled to New York City with the intent of attacking and killing black men, and told them he was a member of a white supremacist group. According to the New York City Police Department, he detailed his racist views in a manifesto on his laptop computer, explaining his desire and plans.

Police said they are trying to understand Jacksons motives. He brought his laptop to New York, and police are waiting for a search warrant to examine it.

The New York Times is reporting that Jackson told detectives he wanted to deliver it to the newspaper.

Detectives believe Jackson has a hatred of black people  specifically black men. He told police he was a member of a white supremacist group, adding that he is angered by black men mixing with white women.

Outside the courtroom, defense attorney Sam Talkin said that if the allegations are true he will consider an insanity defense for his client.

Jackson is accused of stabbing 66-year-old Timothy Caughman, an African American, near Ninth Avenue and West 36th Street in Midtown Manhattan Monday night. Caughman was able to make his way to a nearby police precinct before collapsing and later dying at the hospital.

Caughman turned himself in to NYPD officers at the Times Square substation 24 hours later after seeing his photo in media reports.

SUSPECTS INTENTIONS

Police said Jackson traveled to New York City with the intent of attacking and killing black men, and told them he was a member of a white supremacist group. According to the New York City Police Department, he detailed his racist views in a manifesto on his laptop computer, explaining his desire and plans.

Police said they are trying to understand Jacksons motives. He brought his laptop to New York, and police are waiting for a search warrant to examine it.

The New York Times is reporting that Jackson told detectives he wanted to deliver it to the newspaper.

Detectives believe Jackson has a hatred of black people  specifically black men. He told police he was a member of a white supremacist group, adding that he is angered by black men mixing with white women.

Authorities said when Jackson walked into the NYPD substation Tuesday, he announced he was wanted in the stabbing.

You need to arrest me, he allegedly said. Ive got the knife in my coat.

Jackson allegedly told police that just before he surrendered he had seen an interracial couple, thought about the two knives he had on him, but ultimately decided to instead turn himself in. He also told detectives he chose to come to New York City because its the media capital of the world and he wanted to make a statement.

FROM BALTIMORE TO NEW YORK CITY

Police said Jackson traveled via a Bolt Bus from the Baltimore area to New York City Friday. He was staying at The Hotel @ Times Square on West 46th Street and proceeded to wander the city.

Surveillance video obtained by detectives shows him walking closely behind several black men, almost as if he was stalking them, investigators said. At about 11:30 p.m. Monday, when Jackson was wandering near Ninth Avenue and West 36th Street, police said he encountered Timothy Caughman, an African American man, and attacked him.

Caughman was stabbed in the chest and back. The victim then walked more than a block to the Midtown South Precinct, where he collapsed at the front desk. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The NYPD has been told the suspect served in the Army for four years, deployed to Afghanistan and Germany, and was honorably discharged in 2012.

He attended college at Ohio Wesleyan University.

(Source: WABC)
After more than a year of wrangling, senators announced a bipartisan bill Thursday to impose mandatory sanctions on Iran over its spate of ballistic missile tests and support for a group that President Donald Trump may soon dub a terrorist organization.

The measure from top Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee comes despite Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khameneis repeated warnings that expanding sanctions against Iran would jeopardize the nuclear deal struck in 2015  a deal that Trump promised to undo during his presidential campaign.

Leading Democrats resisted an effort last year from Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and high-ranking Democrat Robert Menendez, D-N.J.,  both of whom opposed the Iran deal  to impose similar sanctions over fears that it would put the nuclear deal in a precarious position. The Obama administration also opposed efforts to expand sanctions against Iran, over fears it could adversely affect the controversial deal.

But since before the deal was implemented, members of both parties have clamored for stricter tools to sanction Iran over its repeated ballistic missile tests and the activities of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps. Lawmakers argue the military outfit  which has enormous political influence in Iran  functions as Irans terror-promotion arm, through the training and support it offers other groups like Lebanons Hezbollah, which the United States has already designated as a terrorist organization.

Corker and Menendez tried to tie their sanctions push to a must-pass ten-year extension of existing Iran sanctions, but came up short when Democrats resisted portions of the package they worried could undermine the nuclear deal.

Some of those provisions been left on the cutting room floor in the latest version of the Iran Sanctions legislation, unveiled Thursday.

They include the elimination of a report on the value of the sanctions relief Iran received in exchange for giving up its nuclear program under the pact; a focus on outlawing off-shore, third-party dollar transactions, and language that would have prevented the administration from using its case-by-case national security waiver to enter into any international agreements with Iran. Democrats saw the last piece as antagonistic toward the Obama Administration, even after the fact, said an aide to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

The aide added that those changes, which Cardin worked to strip from the deal, were critical for getting his boss  and several other Democrats  to sign on to the bill.

Democrats now supporting the legislation includes senators like Menendez and Cardin, who voted against the Iran nuclear deal, but also several senators who supported it, including Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.

Its unclear whether these changes will satisfy Tehran that the bill does not jeopardize the nuclear deal. Iran has argued that it has the right to conduct ballistic missile tests under the nuclear deal, which slightly watered down the legal prohibition by U.N. resolutions preventing Tehran from pursuing any nuclear-related activities  such as ballistic missile tests. Under the Iran deal, Iran is simply called upon not to engage in the practice.

Irans leaders have not yet weighed in on the legislation.

Still, the bipartisan deal still has the vigorous support of some of the Senates hardest-line Republicans when it comes to Iran, including Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and James Risch, R-Idaho, in addition to Corker, Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Todd Young, R-Ind. In 2015, all Republicans voted against the Iran deal  and see in Trump a chance to punish Iran for what it counts as infraction of it.

The president has said hes putting Iran on notice, and passing this bill would be an unmistakable sign of resolve, Cotton said in a statement. We will not tolerate Irans pursuit of supremacy in the Middle East or its sponsorship of terrorism, and we will make the regime in Tehran pay a steep price for its dangerous behavior.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post  Karoun Demirjian
Head of the Israel Governments Housing Staff, Avigdor Yitzchaki explains the chareidi tzibur erred by deciding not to move into Kasif, which he feels would have been an ideal housing solution. Yitzchaki interviewed with Kikar Shabbos following a visit to the site of the newest planned chareidi community, Shafir, vising the site with Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Deputy Minister (Shas) Meshulam Nahari and Yahadut Hatorah MKs Menachem Eliezer Moses and Yaakov Asher.

The Shafir Regional Council is one of the solutions we produce for the chareidi tzibur, he says.

As long as the chareidim want to live together, in my distant view, we will have to do mixed settlements as much as possible, but here we are producing a solution of more than 9,000 housing units The plan is ready, and we are already working on planning the development, and we hope to market a few more units this year, and in the end I believe that the settlement here is entirely Haredi. 

We heard the same regarding Charish [which became an integrated community, not exclusively chareidi]. How can we be certain this will not occur again?

The problem for the chareidim with Charish is the chareidim created it, Yitzhaki says, the state had a very strong will, we put Nissim Dahan to manage this project with the intention that Charish would be chareidi city. Regarding Charish, I think the chareidi public is guilty of this sin, just as the chareidi public will one day be guilty of sin for not going to Kasif. 

Here it depends only on the chareidi community. From our point of view, we are giving this land that is state land and giving all the means to finance and develop it and market it and let contractors build it out of the full will of all the possible factors in order to reach a situation where it will be a chareidi community. I hope that this time, too, we will not be sabotaged for it is not a matter of the government.

At Charish is was not a matter of the government, because Kasif is not a matter of government, because we are definitely willing to give this community. Around Kasif, there are settlements like Metar, which is one of the strongest communities in the State of Israel. A very big mistake.

Will you prevent the same mistakes from being made at Shafir?

I will do all I can do to prevent the mistakes and that the chareidi community comes here.

Regarding the price, Yitzchaki estimates the price will be similar to Kiryat Gat, expressing optimism that the marketing will begin this year.

Is there a solution to the price of apartments in chareidi cities?

I thing that the prices are beginning to drop. The wise thing is to build enough apartments to meet demand [and this will drive down prices]. We are working on all front, including planning, infrastructure, credit, and production. I hope in the coming two to three months that we can bring tens of thousands of Chinese construction workers to give the industry a boost.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
After the recent electronic ban imposed in the United States of America, where devices like laptops, cameras and tablets must be put in checked baggage, Royal Jordanian airline decided to have some fun, making Trump jokes great again.

By India Today Web Desk: In January, 45th President of the United States of America dropped a ban-bomb. And no, it wasn't fake, unlike the case which is with Mr Trump, regarding almost everything. The controversial 90-day ban on travellers was from seven countries - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

President Donald Trump's order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States sparked outrage.

advertisement

But the ban was lifted by the courts. And this gave nations around the world to troll 'the land of opportunity'. Iran, in January, said, it will bar entry of US citizens following American President Donald Trump's immigration order.

And then, there is Royal Jordanian airline. Poking fun at the Muslim-ban. Earlier in a tweet, the airline offered discounted prices for US flights as well.

ELECTRONIC BAN

The White House earlier this week ordered a ban beginning from Saturday, on nine airlines from eight Muslim nations, from carrying most electronic devices on flights to the US.

Electronics like laptops, cameras and tablets must be put in checked baggage. However, phones and medical equipment are excluded.

Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates will be affected by the ban.

And Royal Jordanian came back to have some more fun.

Here's a dose of poetry.

Stay tuned for more fun?..we have just begun #electronicban pic.twitter.com/VZz70tD67V- Royal Jordanian (@RoyalJordanian) March 22, 2017

While many liked their humour sense and cracked more jokes, agreeing to the airlines' stance that these bans makes no sense, Royal Jordanian tweeted again, this time, cracking joke at Jordanians being critical about themselves.

The United Kingdom has also announced their own version of the electronic ban which was directed at Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

FYI || This boy just left a cheeky message about Donald Trump on camera ||

FYI || Dear Donald Trump, America may be first, but India is even before ||

Also Watch: America first, India even before first

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called up his UK counterpart Theresa May to express Indias solidarity and deepest condolences for victims of Wednesdays terror attack in London.

"PM called UK PM H.E. @theresa_may to express Indias solidarity & conveyed deepest condolences for victims of the terror attack in London," the PMO tweeted.

advertisement

Modi had yesterday expressed sadness over the killings in the attack and said India stands by the UK in the fight against terror.

"Deeply saddened by the terror attack in London. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," Modi had said in a tweet yesterday.

"At this difficult moment, India stands with UK in the fight against terrorism. @theresa_may @Number10Gov (sic)," he had added.

Five people were killed and nearly 40 injured when a terrorist suspect mowed down pedestrians on a bridge and stabbed a police officer close to the British parliament complex in an incident inspired by "international terrorism".

Those dead included the assailant and the policeman he stabbed. The attacker was shot dead by Scotland Yard officers. PTI AKK SMN

--- ENDS ---
Profits at Next fell for the first time in eight years as the retailer admitted it had got its wrong by filling shops with fast fashion trends rather than wardrobe essentials.

The chain, often seen as a High Street bellwether, saw its profits fall 3.8 per cent to 790.2m in the year to January  the first time they have dropped since the financial crisis.

Chief executive Lord Wolfson pointed towards shift in consumer spending away from clothes and towards meals out and cinema trips, but he also admitted that Next had not stocked enough so-called heartland products such as office trousers and blouses, focusing too much on snappy trend-driven designs.

Next saw its profits fall 3.8 per cent to 790.2m in the year to January

Wolfson, who has been at the helm of Next for ten years, said the issue had not been acknowledged until January. It was masked by the success in faster-fashion pieces, he added.

However, the 59-year-old said this would soon be put right, and assured shoppers they would be able to see an improvement by the summer and the full range back in stores by the autumn.

Along with a decline in profits, Next posted a 0.3 per cent fall in total sales, although an increase in online Next Directory sales made up for the 2.9 per cent fall in in-store sales.

Rising costs from the fall in sterling since the referendum have sent prices at Next up 4 per cent, a trend Wolfson said would continue to hurt sales in the year ahead.

The results at Next  traditionally one of the strongest High Street retailers  is indicative of a shift in consumer spending

Next has sought to counter rising costs by shifting its manufacturing away from China and towards Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar, which are at least 10pc cheaper.

For its fast-fashion pieces, which it needs to get into shops quicker, it typically uses factories in Portugal, Turkey and North Africa.

It also said it was extremely cautious about the year ahead, with sales in the first quarter likely to be at the bottom end of forecasts for a drop of up to 3.5 per cent.

Climbing: Ted Baker saw its licence revenue jump 26.8 per cent, in a section of the business which lends its name to shoes, cosmetics and homeware

And it warned profits for the full year to January 2018 could be as much as 13.9 per cent down, issuing guidance of between 680m and 780m.

The results at Next  traditionally one of the strongest High Street retailers  is indicative of a shift in consumer spending.

Wolfson, who was paid 4.8m last year, said retail was suffering from a squeeze in real incomes, compounded by the move towards spending on experiences rather than things.

Analysts had expected the gloomy update from Next, after Wolfson warned in January that full-year profits would fall below market expectations. That sparked a 20 per cent plunge in the share prices, wiping almost 1bn off the value of the company.

But yesterday, shares rose 8 per cent or 314p to 4199p. Next proposed a final dividend of 105p per share, making 158p for the year.

Yesterday marked the last full-year results that chairman John Barton, 72, would preside over. After 15 years with the company, Barton is retiring and will be replaced by Michael Roney  the former boss of FTSE 100 outsourcer Bunzl

The boss of fashion brand Ted Baker has assured shoppers they will not see price rises at the till, as it posted soaring profits and revenues.

Ray Kelvin, who founded Ted Baker in 1988, said rapid expansion overseas meant it was protected against the fall in the pound since the Brexit vote.

The 61-year-old chief executive has led overseas growth, taking its quirky trend-led designs to 50 countries including Taiwan, Vietnam and Bahrain.

More than 40 per cent of its income comes from overseas, which helped the upmarket brand report revenues of 531m in the year to January 28  an increase of 16.4 per cent on last year. Profits were up 4.4 per cent to 61.3m.

However Kelvin said some markets had proved difficult  in particular the US, thanks to the strong dollar. Elsewhere, Ted Baker saw its licence revenue jump 26.8 per cent, in a section of the business which lends its name to shoes, cosmetics and homeware.

It opened its first store in India, while further openings are planned in Australia, Dubai, Kuwait and Lebanon along with seven further concessions in Mexico. Ted Baker has 26 stores in the UK, usually in premium shopping locations rather than the traditional High Street.

Kelvin added: We are seeing growth everywhere. People like our products and what we do.

Ted Baker recommended a final dividend of 38.8p a share, making a total for the year of 53.6p a share  up 12.1 per cent on last year. However it did not reveal like-for-like sales  sales in stores open more than a year  which are widely considered to be a better barometer of performance.

Shares closed down 6 per cent, or 180p, at 2660p.
Barclays is facing a fresh probe by the City watchdog over a 7.3bn fundraising drive which saved it from collapse during the economic crisis.

The bank begged Middle East investors for cash as the financial system teetered on the brink in 2008, which stopped the need for a Government bailout.

But the bank has been accused of illegally paying Qatari investors 322m in advisory fees to take part in the rescue.

The FCA is relaunching a probe into Barclays cash call

There are even claims the 2.4bn they pumped in was Barclays own money, provided as a loan for the purpose of buying shares  breaking UK law.

The Financial Conduct Authority said in 2013 it was likely to fine Barclays 50m for failing to disclose details of the deal. But the FCA is understood to be reviewing the case and has interviewed several top bankers in the past few days.

This decision is believed to be based on about 100,000 emails which Barclays handed to investigators after losing a battle to keep them private.

Barclays and the FCA declined to comment last night. Shares fell 0.3 per cent, or 0.65p, to 223.9p.
Credit: Gregg RothPeter Frampton launches the latest installment of his "Raw: An Acoustic Tour" tonight in New Albany, Ohio. The veteran guitar whiz's unplugged trek promotes his 2016 studio album, Acoustic Classics, which, as Frampton explains to ABC Radio, features him "redoing my better-known songs and some deeper cuts just acoustically, with one acoustic [guitar], voice and maybe an overdubbed lead guitar."

Frampton describes his Raw concerts as "Unplugged meets Storytellers," noting, "It's a long show, [with] a lot of talking and a lot of playing."

He admits that when he first decided to mount an acoustic tour, he was nervous about playing live without a full band, but it didn't take long before he changed his mind about that.

"The first night we did it, it took about 30 seconds of sitting out there and playing on my own," Peter notes, "and I realized that this was something that I really enjoyed."

Frampton tells ABC Radio that plenty of fans also are enjoying his stripped-down concerts and the album that inspired them.

"Some of the comments that I've got from the audience[are] that they feel like I'm singing to them," says Peter. "You know, it's an individual thing."

Opening all of Frampton's Raw shows is his son, Julian, who also joins his dad for a couple of songs during Peter's set. Accompanying Frampton is his frequent songwriting partner Gordon Kennedy.

Along with many well-known tunes from his back catalog, Peter also likely will play his recently released single, "I Saved a Bird Today," at his concerts.

Frampton's Raw trek wraps up on April 12 in Rutland, Vermont, and after that he and his full band will launch a summer co-headlining tour with the Steve Miller Band that begins June 15 in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Here are all of Peter's acoustic tour dates:

3/24 -- New Albany, OH, McCoy Community Center for the Arts

3/26 -- Nashville, TN, Schermerhorn Symphony Center

3/29 -- Milwaukee, WI, Pabst Theater

3/30 -- Champaign, IL, Virginia Theatre

4/1 -- Skokie, IL, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts

4/2 -- Grand Rapids, MI, 20 Monroe Live

4/4 -- Cleveland, OH, Playhouse Square Ohio Theatre

4/6 -- Peekskill, NY, Paramount Hudson Valley Theater

4/8 -- Kingston, NY, Ulster Performing Arts Center

4/9 -- Staten Island, NY, St. George Theatre

4/11 -- Londonderry, NH, Tupelo Music Hall

4/12 -- Rutland, VT, The Paramount Theatre

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Mar 24 (PTI) Envoys of 21 Muslim countries met here to discuss blasphemous contents against Islam on social media and decided to adopt a joint strategy to counter it.

Pakistans interior minister Nisar Ali Khan hosted a meeting of envoys to thrash a policy to counter online anti-Islam materials, according to statement by the Interior Ministry.

advertisement

"There was unanimity among the participants that the entire Muslim Ummah is united to protect the sanctity and dignity of the religion and Holy prophet," it said.

It was decided that a comprehensive strategy paper encompassing all legal and technical aspects would be circulated by Pakistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs among the ambassadors of the Muslim countries which they would be sharing with their governments to evolve future plan of action.

It was also decided that a formal reference would be sent to Secretary General of the Arab League raising the issue of blasphemous content on social media and how such a tendency had been hurting the sentiments of the Muslims across the world.

The meeting decided that after response is received from the government of the Islamic countries, the matter then would be taken up at the level of UN besides looking into legal options available to follow-up the matter legally in the courts of the respective countries from where such content was being generated.

Addressing the Ambassadors, the Interior Minister pointed out that distortion of religious beliefs and sacrilege of holy personalities of any religion is intolerable.

He said that no law permits showing disrespect or distortion of any religion.

Khan said that it was unfortunate that the Muslim being the biggest victims of terrorism were being portrayed as the perpetrators.

He said that the Islamic Ummah must strive together to impress upon the international community to shed off Islamophobia.

The Minister said that distortion of any religion is also another form of terrorism that the international community must acknowledge.

The Interior Minister said that sections of the western world must get out of double standards about Islam and the Muslims.

"On one hand, they have laws against any kind of distortion or disrespect towards any religion and on the other hand, the most revered personalities of Islam are being ridiculed," he said.

The meeting has one-point agenda to discuss blasphemous content on social media and to effectively raise voice of the entire Muslim world against it. PTI SH UZM AKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---
Housebuilder Crest Nicholson was rocked by a shareholder revolt as the backlash against boardroom excess began following a string of bumper pay deals.

As a host of companies - many largely unknown to ordinary families - revealed how much their bosses earned last year, investors holding 70 per cent of Crest shares refused to back the companys pay report in a dramatic rejection of its plans.

Although the vote was not binding, the rebellion set the scene for another shareholder spring as furious investors line up to criticise lavish executive pay deals.

Backlash: 63-year-old chief executive Stephen Stone was paid 2.2m last year

Already this year, tobacco giant Imperial Brands has been forced in to a u-turn as anger grew about a possible 8.5m deal for boss Alison Cooper, 50.

And earlier this week investors threw out a plan to reward the boss of storage firm Safestore, with a whopping 9.4m

The Crest revolt marked a humiliation for its chairman William Rucker, who is also chief executive of Lazard in the UK, and Jim Pettigrew, head of the housebuilders pay committee.

The backlash at Crest  where 63-year-old chief executive Stephen Stone was paid 2.2m last year  came as the publication of a raft of annual reports showed:

Product testing firm Intertek paid chief executive Andre Lacroix 5.4m last year;

Shaun Thaxter saw his pay at Indivior rise 16 per cent to 4m despite the drug company facing giant lawsuits in the US;

David Buttress, chief executive of food delivery group Just Eat, was paid 1.3m;

Metro Bank chief executive Craig Donaldson also picked up 1.3m while chairman and founder Vernon Hill, an eccentric American billionaire, was paid 405,000

Powerful City institutions are pressing for tougher pay policies in British boardrooms and Theresa May has criticised the irrational and unhealthy divide between bosses and ordinary workers.

The rebellion at Crest came as investors complained that profits targets that trigger generous share awards for executives were too easy to meet after they were cut for a second year in a row.

Standard Life Investments, the groups second largest shareholder with a 9.9 per cent stake, said: We were disappointed that the company chose to substantially reduce the profit range at which incentives for management were paid, without consulting shareholders. As a result we voted against the remuneration report.

Investors threw out a plan to reward the boss of storage firm Safestore, with a whopping 9.4m

But the vote at Crest was not binding  and the firm sought to brush off the criticism after its annual general meeting with shareholders in Weybridge, Surrey.

In a statement, the company said it was disappointed by the outcome but insisted the targets were sufficiently stretching given expectations that growth will slow in the coming years.

But in an admission that Rucker and Pettigrew had failed to placate shareholders, the firm said it would seek to better communicate with investors this year.

Stefan Stern, director of the High Pay Centre, said: It is encouraging to see shareholders using their votes to send a clear message to company boards. We need this kind of active engagement from investors.

The problems with excessive pay are deep-seated and systemic, so one or two votes wont change very much. But it is a signal that attitudes and behaviour at the top have to change.

Despite the refusal to change its deal, other firms have already begun listening to investors.

At Safestore, the board was forced to withdraw a share plan that would have awarded chief executive Frederic Vecchioli more than 9m of shares. It is now drawing up a new plan.

In January, tobacco giant Imperial Brands scrapped plans to give chief executive Alison Cooper a 3m pay rise following a backlash from investors.
Asked what makes Ted Baker unique, the fashion retailers quirky boss Ray Kelvin, 61, replies: Cheeky, fun, huggyIm a big hugger. Certainly sounds a friendly enough sort of fellow.

Albeit the stuff of nightmares for the human resources department.

Hammy ex-Barclays chief Bonus Bob Diamond, 65, whos proposing to buy Panmure Gordon, is no shrinking violet. But even hed struggle to match the brokerage s 19th century founder, Harry Panmure Gordon, in the flamboyance stakes.

Ted Baker is unique: the fashion retailers quirky boss Ray Kelvin (left)

The ex-army officer, who occupied a sprawling estate in Hertfordshire, claimed his monthly outgoings were never less than 2,000  around 50,000 in todays money. Flash Harry owned a pair of trousers for every day of the year.

Awkward-looking Next boss Lord Wolfson, who reports his first dip in profits for eight years, admits the retailer needs to be quicker to responding to new trends. A gift to those who say the 4.8m a-year Tory peer, 49, lacks the common touch.

But then cast an eye around the rest of the high street. John Lewis executive chairman Charlie Mayfield was an exact contemporary of Wolfson at Radley. Dixons Carphone boss Seb James went to Eton. So did Maplins chief executive Oliver Meakin. Hardly awash with up-from-the-shop-floor toilers, is it?

Drinks giant Diageo hosted its annual senior media dinner evening on Wednesday in the National Theatre.

Despite the disruption caused to public transport by the earlier atrocities in Westminster, organisers were delighted at the high turn-out of City hacks who braved the journey over to the South Bank.

Blitz spirit? Im advised Diageos promise of a bottle of their newly launched Roe & Coe whiskey for each guest may also have played its part.

Ann Summers founder, pneumatic brunette Jacqueline Gold, boasts: Last year we sold enough naughty nurse outfits to kit out all NHS nursing staff in Wales. What a thought!

After recently bagging a CBE, is the Essex saucepot, 56, now angling to be a government business tsar?
British engineering giant Smiths Group more than doubled its pretax profits in the first half of the year thanks to strong sales of security sensors and x-ray detectors.

The FTSE 100-listed conglomerate, which supplies hospital equipment, industrial services and explosive detection sensors, increased its profits to 346million in the six months ended January 31 from 168m a year earlier.

Smiths also benefited from raising more than 330m from the disposal of three of its non-core businesses, increased research and development spending and the introduction of the Smiths Excellence System.

Safe bet: Smiths Group more than doubled its pretax profits in the first half of the year thanks to strong sales of security sensors and x-ray detectors

Headline operating profits for the first half were also up eight per cent to 277m on an underlying basis, and by 27 per cent on a reported basis.

The boost in profits offset a decline in sales in its medical and John Crane businesses, the latter which makes products for the energy industry.

Revenue also climbed 18 per cent to 1.62billion in the first-half from 1.37bn the previous year, but remained flat on an underlying basis, in line with expectations.

Smiths Group chief executive Andy Reynolds Smith said the company expects to complete the 559m acquisition of rival Morpho Detection, which produces identity and security detection systems, from France Safran SA soon.

While sales were flat for the first six months of the year, Smiths Group delivered good underlying profit growth, he said.

Once again, Smiths Detection delivered strong growth in revenue and profit, offsetting declines at Smiths Medical and John Crane, and reinforcing our view that the acquisition of Morpho Detection makes compelling sense and will increase our exposure to a growing market.

We are in the final stages of securing all necessary regulatory approvals, and expect to complete the acquisition shortly.

In tough markets, John Crane continued to show resilience with a modest return to growth in the aftermarket, which now accounts for two-thirds of the division's revenue. Smiths Medical had a weak first half and performance at Smiths Interconnect and Flex-Tek was in line with expectations.

Reynolds Smith added that the company's outlook for 2017 remains unchanged, with sales growth in its detection unit expected to continue in the second half, albeit at a lower level.

Picking up: Sales growth in Smiths Group's detection unit expected to continue in the second half, albeit at a lower level

We expect some improvement in Smiths Medical's revenue performance in the second half, he said.

John Crane's first-fit end markets are expected to remain tough, somewhat counterbalanced by continued resilience in aftermarket.

We anticipate sales growth at Smiths Detection in the second half, albeit at lower levels than we saw in the first half, and margins will moderate given contract mix and investment in new products.

Smiths Interconnect and Flex-Tek are expected to continue to perform in line with the first half.

Graham Spooner, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, said: 'The group has a good mix of businesses, delivering products and services across five divisions.'

He added: 'Interested investors may want to acknowledge that the groups chief executive Andy Reynolds Smith said today the new company strategy is now implementing measures across the business that he believes, "in the medium term, will deliver its twin priorities of chosen market outperformance and world-class competitiveness".

'Moreover, margins and cash flow improved over the period which will all help to lay foundations for future organic growth.

'Over the years there have been many calls for the conglomerate to be broken up, but in its current form the shares carry less risk.

'We therefore continue to recommend Smiths Group as a "buy" for investors seeking a balanced return and willing to accept a medium level of risk.'

The group said cash conversion in the first half was strong at 115 per cent, with a 44 per cent increase in free cash flow.

The board also raised the interim dividend by 2.3 per cent to 13.55 pence a share.

Its share price rose more than four per cent to 1,626 pence in todays early morning trading.
By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, Mar 24 (PTI) Strongly opposing the proposal to provide reservation to Muslims in the state, Telangana RSS today urged the TRS government against going ahead with its "minority appeasement" policy and said it would submit a representation to the Governor on this issue.

"We are not opposed to any benefits being given to Muslim community. But we are opposed to giving quota which will create animosity in the society and it is not good on part of the TRS government to go ahead on this as it will not happen but knowingly if you still want to do it will create lot of mistrust among people," Telangana RSS General Secretary E Chandrashekhar told reporters here.

advertisement

He said as a social organisation, RSS has a very clear view. "Whatever constitutional things have been given to anybody that should be respected. Let not the balanced society be disturbed by appeasement. Present Telangana government by announcing reservation to Muslims and constituting a Commission which is not valid, will again end in a legal tussle," he said.

Chandrasekhar also said that already the matter (on the previous Congress government enacting a law providing 4 per cent quota) is before Supreme Court and "knowingly they (TRS government) are going ahead with 9 per cent quota to Muslims and just trying to dupe minorities."

"We appeal the Telangana government that it should not go ahead with its appeasement policy. A representation will be given through the Governor against the proposed Muslim reservation," he said.

In next few years elections will be held and people across the country are voting in a different way. Definitely minority appeasement will not work whether it is UP or any other place and the ruling TRS government should realise this, he reminded.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has said that a bill aimed at providing reservation to backward sections among Muslims would be passed in the ongoing Budget session of Telangana Legislative Assembly.

The state government, however, had clarified that the reservation is proposed not on the basis of religion, but for the upliftment of backward sections among Muslims. PTI VVK DK DK

--- ENDS ---
LOBAMBA  It was victory for Christianity education on Wednesday night when Members of Parliament (MPs) burned the midnight oil as they only knocked off at 12:15am in a bid to ensure that the budget was passed.



Sure enough, a majority of the MPs stayed on late into the night and even engaged in a lengthy debate concerning the E20 million allocated for Christianity Education.



Tempers flared as the MPs who were against the implementation of the programme insisted that government was not ready to roll-out the programme while others, including the Minister of Education and Training, Phineas Magagula, insisted that government was more than ready.



The portfolio committee of the ministry, which is chaired by Hosea MP Thulani Masuku, had initially recommended that the E20 million be sent back to the Consolidated Fund as government was not ready to roll-out the programme, however, the vote that eventually won was that the money be released immediately so that the ministry could start working.

Manzini north MP Jan Sithole, wondered why government was saying that it was ready to implement the programme, particularly because the ministry had said it had 840 schools and so far only had 50 teachers for the subject.



He further highlighted that the textbooks were still being printed and mentioned that even the Exams Council of Swaziland had said it was not ready to set-up the exams for the subject. You cannot start implementing a subject to be examined at the end of the year during the first term holidays, which is why I am saying that the state of readiness is highly questionable, said Sithole.



Sithole said to force all learners to learn Christianity as the only religion was also the violation of the countrys Constitution.

Those against the programme also lamented the fact that this new policy was only announced in December last year, yet its implementation was being fast-tracked against the rules of how the curriculum in changed in the education system.
As part of his ongoing interaction with BJP MPs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met party members of Parliament from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Goa and Daman-Diu. PM Modi has asked them to prepare the ground for 2019 Lok Sabha elections in their respective constituencies.

By Brijesh Pandey: After BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh, it was the turn of party members of Parliament from Gujarat Rajasthan, Goa and Daman-Diu to take directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.

The BJP MPs from these states had been summoned to PM Modi's residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. They all reached 7 LKM at 8.30 am to interact with PM Modi.

advertisement

According to sources, PM Modi has asked BJP MPs to concentrate on advancing government's work. Modi apparently asked the MPs to visit their constituencies on the occasion of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar's birth anniversary and hold special functions.

Sources said that PM Modi had a similar message for the BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh when they met him two days ago.

BJP MPs interacting with PM Modi at 7 LKM. (Photo: @ANI_news)

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that among many things that were discussed during PM Modi's interaction with the MPs, discussion on 2019 general elections was also held.

Ananth Kumar said that Assembly election in Gujarat was also touched upon. The BJP is aiming for 150 of 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat this time.

According to sources, Prime Minster Narendra Modi also discussed development schemes and programmes related to poor and downtrodden. PM Modi asked the MPs to make sure that all of them take these schemes and initiatives launched by the government to every nook and corner of their constituency.

BJP president Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar during interaction with BJP MPs. (Photo: @ANI_news)

The MPs also gave the Prime Minister a low down of the kind of work that has been done by them in their respective constituencies. The BJP MPs praised PM Modi and party leadership for the kind of wave and victory in four Assembly elections recently.

It was also conveyed by PM Modi that despite the phenomenal victory, it was not time for the BJP leaders to sit back and relax. The BJP leaders need to push for the next frontier, PM Modi told the visiting MPs.

ALSO READ|

Modi addresses BJP MPs from UP; first meet after Yogi Adityanth became CM

PM Modi watching? Once an MP always a burden: CTC of our legislators

--- ENDS ---
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Bill Parry

The majority leader of the City Council is calling on the arts community to rally against President Donald Trump and his proposed budget cuts to the arts and humanities.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) is organizing a protest on the steps of City Hall April 3 to send a message to the White House that Trumps blatant disregard for the importance of the arts has no place in New York City or the country.

President Trumps proposed budget is an unprecedented and vicious assault on the arts and the humanities, Van Bramer said. In order to fund policies based in fear and hate, President Trump has proposed cutting $148 million from the National Endowment for the Arts, $230 million from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, $148 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and $445 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting  eliminating these agencies and endowments entirely. As it stands, the NEA only makes up a meager 0.0037 percent of the current federal budget and through its work, generates over $4 billion in revenue in our city alone.

He pointed out that as the leading cultural capital of the world, New York City would bear the brunt of these cuts and our world class museums, libraries, and performing arts centers as well as the educational programs they provide to our children would be under grave threat.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer warned last week that cuts to the NEA would cost the city thousands of jobs. As the chairman of the City Councils Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries, Van Bramer is prepared to make a stand.

This budget calls into question the role of art and the humanities  should they exist and do they have a place in our society? President Trump answered this question loud and clear, Van Bramer said. He has demonstrated a fundamental disregard for our nations artists, our children who grow and learn through the arts, and to all of us who have experienced the joy and power of the arts and humanities. This proposal, if enacted, would destroy so much of what we value as a society.

Van Bramer has been a vocal critic of President Trump. In November, he hosted a community meeting that drew more than 700 constituents to hear from social justice and civil rights organizations and he led more than 1,000 protesters in a march across the Queensboro Bride to Trump Tower.

That same week, Van Bramer received a homophobic death threat that the NYPDs Hate Crimes Task Force is still investigating. In January, Van Bramer fired off a letter to Trump himself expounding on the economic impact budget cuts to the arts would have on the city.

I will fight these cuts at every stage of the budget process, Van Bramer said. In the coming months, we will organize and rally to support the arts and humanities, and we will not retreat from this fight.

After the rally, participants will be invited to testify at a Council hearing in support of Van Bramers resolution calling on the president to fully fund the arts, culture, and libraries.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Mark Hallum

Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) announced the passage of a budget resolution in the Assembly to challenge the one presented by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in February that cut vital funds to seniors. The proposal is also aimed at improving the lives of families and focuses on education.

Cuomos budget proposal reduced funds to senior centers by about $17 million.

If enacted, the Assemblys one-house budget would ensure that recent graduates are not saddled with the burden of crushing student loan debt that takes decades to pay back and prevents them from buying their first home and affording other monthly expenses, Braunstein said. The Assembly spending plan also rejects Gov. Cuomos budget proposal to redirect Title XX funding that is used to support senior centers to other budgetary purposes. Restoring this funding would prevent 65 senior centers in New York City from closing.

Braunstein and other elected officials voiced opposition to the Title XX funds being pulled from Cuomos budget proposal at a Bayside rally with Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center in late February. The discontinuation of funds could result in the closure of numerous senior centers across the city.

For many seniors, coming to facilities such as Selfhelp is an important part of their daily routine, acting as a source for socializing and learning, state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) said in February. I have already received concerns from constituents who are afraid their senior center will be one of the 65 that will close if this proposal goes through. It is not fair to leave seniors and employees uncertain of their senior centers fate.

The proposal will offer Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, such as Samuel Field Ys Clearview Assistance Program, with $2 million.

The proposed cuts in the governors budget to Title XX funding that helps our seniors is unacceptable and would have a devastating impact on senior centers in Queens, said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Fresh Meadows) at the rally. These social services are a lifeline, and we need to ensure senior centers and other crucial programs are fully funded.

Community Services for the Elderly program, which offers in-home services and care to seniors, will be funded by $2 million

Small businesses fuel our states economy, Braunstein said. The Assemblys budget proposal opens northeast Queens up for business by cutting taxes and helping our hardworking families get the jobs they need and deserve.

The budget proposal will also provide $26.3 billion in education funding, an increase of $1.8 billion over last year, and $887 million more than was included in Cuomos proposal.

Tuition Assistance Program funds in the proposal would be raised to $5,500 per year and then increased to $6,500 over a four-year period to students who receive the award. Students from families earning less than $150,000 a year will be able to access free SUNY and CUNY tuition, an increase from the current $125,000 level, which will relieve the burden of rising tuition costs.

The Senate, Assembly and Cuomo will be negotiating the budget over the next few weeks.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Prem Calvin Prashad

On March 6, the Trump administration unveiled its newest iteration of its ban on travelers from predominantly Muslim nations. Among the changes in what opponents of the action call the Muslim Ban are the exclusion of Iraq from the list of banned countries and exemptions for travelers with green cards and visas.

The ban is still intended to last six months while the federal government assesses its protocols regarding travelers from those countries.

Additionally, there is a ban on the resettlement of refugees from the Syrian Civil War. No citizens from the countries covered by the ban (Iran, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and Sudan) have committed a fatal terrorist attack in the United States and most national security experts agree that national identity is a poor predictor of terrorist activities.

Additionally, there are no provisions in place for large and wealthy predominantly Muslim nations such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The administration has thus far been unable to issue a coherent reason for the exclusion of these nations, aside from obvious strategic, business and logistical challenges. The discriminatory intent of the ban was the basis for the challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Yemeni-Americans from Queens were particularly vocal in their opposition to the ban, with many striking for a day by closing businesses and demonstrating at Brooklyn Borough Hall.

Since the surprise signing of the initial ban, suspected hate crimes have spiked precipitously in the United States, including the vandalism of Jewish cemeteries and the shootings of at least four people of Indian origin, two of which were fatal.

In the Olathe, Kansas shooting, which killed one and wounded another engineer from India, the victims were reportedly asked about their immigration status before being shot at by the alleged gunman.

A Sikh man in Kent, Wash., was reportedly told to go back to his country, before being shot in the arm. There have been numerous reports of vandalism at mosques as well as homes and businesses owned by South Asians.

Arguably, expansive media coverage has made these incidents national news, but supports a national trend of increased anti-Muslim sentiment, which a backlash against people also appearing South Asian or Middle Eastern. South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) a South Asian advocacy group, chronicled 207 incidents of hate violence and xenophobic rhetoric against South Asians from late 2015 to one week after the 2016 elections.

Notably, the group points to a large increase of South Asian Americans living in the South as a contributing factor for the spike in xenophobic incidents with 43 out of 140 violent incidents reported in the region. The group came out against the new Muslim Ban, decrying it a stimulus package for hate.

The ACLU has promised to take the federal government to court about the implementation of the ban.

Previous judicial rebukes to thetravel ban have been met with consternation by President Trump. The day following the signing of the second ban, the state of Hawaii filed a legal challenge against the order, decrying it as Muslim Ban 2.0.

On March 15, the U.S. District Court for Hawaii issued a temporary restraining order against the implementation of the executive order.

In response to the rising wave of anti-immigrant sentiment, sanctuary spaces for immigrants have been established around the country. In Queens, a Hindu temple (mandir) followed the lead of houses of worship around the country in declaring itself a sanctuary.

The partnership of the Shaanti Bhavan Mandir, in Richmond Hill, and Sadhana, a faith-based progressive advocacy group in the neighborhood, was announced at morning prayers last weekend. The Shaanti Bhavan mandir serves the areas predominantly Indo-Caribbean community.

Sadhana co-founder Aminta Kilawan praised the mandir as one of the most progressive, welcoming and action-oriented mandirs (temples) in this community and arguably in this nation.

AJ Yusuf, a representative of the Mayors Officer on Immigrant Affairs, decried incursions by the federal government and promised to keep this city an open and welcoming city to immigrants.

The temple plans to meet with the leaders of other mandirs next month.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Is anyone at the Department of Education listening to the parents, teachers, students at Townsend Harris High School in Flushing and their elected officials?

For months the Townsend community has complained that the interim principal, Rosemarie Jahoda, ignored Muslim students harassment after the Trump election and jeopardized seniors college admissions by mismanaging transcripts.

Jahoda, who was appointed in September, arrived at Townsend Harris after a rocky ride at the Bronx High School of Science, where an independent arbiter found that 20 out of 22 math instructors blamed her for creating a hostile work environment and intimidating teachers.

The arbiter also said she applied school policies unevenly, according to a chang e.org petition circulated by the Townsend students as they staged their first sit-in back in early December. They contend Jahoda is treating their teachers unfairly.

Freshmen have joined seniors to rally on the steps of City Hall, cover the ongoing turmoil in their high school newspaper and make an online video  only to be accused by a District 26 official of reporting fake news.

Queens future leaders are getting a crash course in civics in the new Trump era of confrontation.

Lawmakers have heard their grievances as has the Parent-Teachers Association, which demanded Jahodas immediate removal on Dec. 15.

Borough President Melinda Katz, in a letter asking the DOE to send a high-ranking official to address Townsends concerns, said in her 20 years in public office she has never received such an outpouring over selecting a principal.

Katz, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Assemblyman David Weprin, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, Councilman Rory Lancman and Sen. Toby Stavisky called for a transparent process to identify the candidates in the running for permanent principal.

Missing in action is the DOE, which has fallen back on bureaucratic procedure to dodge the tough question of whether Jahoda should be removed. She has not publicly addressed her critics and its possible she has been maligned, but she should be allowed to defend herself if the DOE had a more open method for handling high-profile personnel problems.

Instead the selection process, which was suspended in December because of the protests, resumed this month as students held another sit-in outside the meeting, where the candidates remained a mystery and an independent DOE observer watched.

The DOE has turned a deaf ear to serious complaints about the acting head of one of the citys prized high schools and stonewalled the elected officials who represent the students and their parents.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Gina Martinez

Queens veterans are being left in the cold.

The Veterans of Foreign Affairs Post 3427 in Flushing held a news conference Monday in a freezing hall after the gas was cut off due to the heavy fines its members could not afford to pay.

According to the group, their troubles with the city Department of Buildings began after they installed an energy-efficient water heater in 2015. Since then the post has racked up over $13,000 in fines for various violations. The veterans say each time they tried to correct a violation, they were met with more fines.

The three violations came on July 21, 2015. The first fine was $8,162.19. According to the DOB, it was for installation of gas hot water heater without a work permit. The second fine for $5,101.37 was for gas being supplied without inspector certification by the DOB. The third violation was for $203.116, According to the DOB, it was for failure to maintain the building code covering the installation of plumbing materials.

Members of the post contend the fining is excessive, while the city bureaucracy and lack of communication with local elected officials are threatening to shut down their 136-06 Horace Harding Expressway post.

Marvin Jeffcoat, Sergeant First Class, U.S Army Retired, said the Flushing post was being fined unfairly and the veterans are being ignored.

We demand justice for this post from our local politicians, he said inside the chilly building. Not only is this post the home to veterans in this neighborhood, its also the location where we hold our annual legislative breakfast where we try to convey our needs to unsympathetic and uncaring politicians who have done nothing to ameliorate the situation for over two years. Our brothers and sisters are being fined out of existence because they installed an energy-efficient hot water heater so they wouldnt have to run the boiler in the summertime.

Despite the lack of help, one elected official has stepped up. According to James McClelland, an adviser to the post, on the DOBs last inspection a representative from Congresswoman Grace Mengs (D- Flushing) office was on hand and prevented the post from receiving even more fines.

Mengs office has been very helpful, he said. Veterans are annoyed that no one elses office has helped out. Without her rep the last time DOB came back we would have had an additional violation. We think there needs to be a more concerted effort from city officials.

Mengs office said it has spoken to the Department of Buildings on the veterans behalf and urged the agency to resolve the matter with the VFW Post. Meng is also working on setting up a meeting with DOB and the VFW Post.

Jeffcoat also called on other local lawmakers to help eliminate the onerous fines.

There is a lawless war being perpetrated against the veterans of New York City and this post being fined out of existence is evidence of that war, he said. These fines need to go away today. Theyre wrong, they shouldnt have been done in the first place. We demand that politicians put their collective minds together and come up with a way to tell the Department of Buildings no more, cease fire, knock it off, eliminate these fines.

Commander Raymond Ramos said he post is out of money and cannot afford to pay off the $13,000 in fines. Ramos said an inspector from the DOB came three weeks ago to inspect the boiler and instead of helping the veterans, they were fined even more. The boiler was turned off due to unsafe code violations.

What happened to us shouldnt happen to any other post, Ramos said. Were not saying that things cannot be corrected, were willing, but we need someone to come in and sit with us and have dialogue and tell us the things that needed to be corrected. You cant put the cart before the horse, come in and fine us to the extent that were treated like a business, because were not an everyday business.

Ramos said the news conference was a last resort and he hoped the elected officials would step up and save the post from being shut down.

We fought for our country, we went overseas, we want to have the same mentality and do the same thing for the citizens in the community of Queens, he said. We volunteer, we go out on walks and do services for homeless vets, thats what this place is all about and if you shut us down, we cant be effective.
Parliament sessions are known to be stormy these days. Disruptions and slogans appear to have become the norm. To change the way Parliament functions these days, a private member's Bill has been tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

By Javed M. Ansari : At a time when public cynicism about the country's parliamentarians is at an all time high, there is one MP, who believes that the members of Parliament need to work much harder.

He is Naresh Gujral, the Akali Dal MP in the Rajya Sabha. Gujral believes that Parliament needs to meet more often than it does now.

advertisement

Gujral has tabled a private member's Bill, the Parliament Enhancement of Productivity Bill, asking for Parliament to must meet at least for 100 days a year.

The Bill could not have come at a more opportune moment. Adjournments are fast becoming a norm rather than an aberration. Complete sessions have been washed out without transacting any business inside the Houses and outside a Shiv Sena MP has made the news for beating up an Air India official.

Gujral's Bill, if adopted by the government, could go some distance in not only making Parliament a lot more productive but it will also help redeem the MPs in the eye of the public.

WHY THE BILL IS SIGNIFICANT

In addition to making it mandatory for Parliament to sit at least for a hundred days a year, spread over four sessions, it also calls for the convening of a special session of both houses for fifteen days.

The special session as envisaged by Gujral will not have either the question hour or the zero hour but will be devoted exclusively to taking up two issues of utmost public importance.

It has a provision for each political party submitting at least two issues before the business advisory committee that it wants to be taken up in the special session.

Significantly at a time when both Houses of Parliament are routinely adjourned or unable to transact any business on account of disruptions. The bill has a provision for compensating the hours lost due to disruptions by adding it to the number of hours that the Houses must sit to make up for the disruptions.

Gujral's Bill is silent on the need to deprive the MP's of their allowances on the days that the house is adjourned due to disruptions.

WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS

In the years after its inception in 1952, Parliament used to meet for 100-120 days a year. Sadly, over the years there has been a steady decline in the number of days that Parliament meets. The number of days it meets now is down to 70-80.

The government must adopt the Bill and ensure its passage for it to become law. The jury is still out on whether this Bill will be able to muster up the majority support in both Houses of Parliament, but Gujral's Bill is certainly an idea whose time has come.

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Bill Parry

Major World is in major trouble.

The car dealership with three locations on Northern Boulevard in Long Island City has been charged by the city with using deceptive and illegal practices targeting low-income and immigrant consumers, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs. The agency is seeking more than $2 million in customer restitutions and fines and revocation of the companys three secondhand auto dealer licenses as well as the creation of a trust fund for any unidentified consumers who have been harmed.

Our citys working families, who often struggle to make ends meet, rely on their cars to accomplish lifes most basic tasks like going to work or going to school, DCA Commissioner Lorelei Salas said. Buying that car is usually one of the largest purchases a family makes. It is outrageous that Major World, who claims to treat its customers like family, traps these hardworking New Yorkers into loans they cant afford.

The owners of Major World could not be reached for comment. The dealerships are located at 43-30 Northern Boulevard, 50-30 Northern Boulevard and 44-11 Northern Boulevard all Long Island City, a district represented by City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside).

Im disgusted to hear that this dealership may have targeted and scammed unsuspecting immigrants who speak a first language other than English for bogus auto deals and high interest loans, Van Bramer said. Beyond being illegal, these actions are despicable and go against everything we represent as a welcoming, diverse and inclusice community.

DCAs investigation found the company has a longstanding practice of luring unsuspecting consumers, particularly those with limited English proficiency, with promises of great deals on used cars and financing, regardless of credit history, income, or income-to-debt ratios. DCA has also found that Major World has been submitting false information on consumers credit applications, such as nature of employment, income levels, and monthly rent obligations, in addition to falsely inflating car values.

Major World engages in these practices to make car deals more attractive to financing companies, which then issue loans to consumers, who might not, in fact, be qualified to receive those loans, according to the DCA. In the end, consumers who have not been informed of their loans financing terms are left with overpriced and sometimes defective cars and are saddled with high-interest loans that they should never have received and may not be able to afford.

Major World has also been marketing aggressively to attract immigrant customers and their deceptive and predatory acts are as much an affront on immigrant communities as the deplorable policies we are seeing from the new federal government, Salas said. Here in New York City, we are leveraging all the tools we have to curb this burgeoning lending problem that is adding to the national debt crisis.

The DCAs allegations will be heard in front of the citys Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings at a date to be determined.
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica 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 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 Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
What to do in Pennsylvania if you made an error on your mail-in ballot
By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner Tukaram Munde was transferred after political parties had come together to complain against him for his action against illegal structures in Navi Mumbai.

In October 2016, the BMC had passed a no-confidence motion against the commissioner citing his high-handed manners of dealing with elected representatives. Except BJP all other parties voted against Munde. The motion was passed with 105 votes against 6.

advertisement

Shiv Sena was aggressive in demanding Munde's transfer. The decision of transfer was pending with urban development department held by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The orders of transfers was finally passed today. S Ramaswamy will be new commissioner of Navi Mumbai.

MUNDE'S TRACK RECORD

Munde has been known for his "not so good" relations with politicians and has been transferred eight times in the last ten years earlier following controversies with politicians. During his stint as Solapur Collector, he cracked down on sand mafia and was also allegedly attacked by them.

But Munde has always received public support. Even when political parties ganged up against him in Navi Mumbai, various citizen's fora had launched campaign to back him.

As the BJP and Shiv Sena relations are strained, transfer of Munde is seen as an attempt by the BJP to reach out to the Sena by accepting their demand to shunt out the officer.

Also read:

Shiv Sena, BJP ditch each other in Zilla Parishad president polls

Maharashtra: BJP catches Shiv Sena unaware on suspension of Congress, NCP MLAs

--- ENDS ---
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Schenectady

General Electric Co., seeking to reduce costs, is offering severance packages to "a small percentage" of employees at its GE Power operations in Schenectady. No production manufacturing workers are being impacted, a GE spokeswoman said Friday morning.

In the Capital Region, GE employs about 7,000 people, including 2,000 at its Global Research Center headquarters in Niskayuna and nearly that number at its power generating equipment factory off Erie Boulevard and Interstate 890.

Earlier this week, GE and Trian Fund Management announced the company would cut $2 billion in costs at its industrial units, which include the Schenectady operations as well as the Global Research Center, as it seeks to boost earnings to $2 a share in 2018. GE earned $1.49 a share last year.

One source said the order book for turbines and generating equipment remains strong. In fact, the Port of Albany is in the early stages of a multi-million-dollar project to add warehouse space and new docks to store GE equipment awaiting shipment. The equipment would be moved to the port by barge from GE's Schenectady plant, which is next to the Mohawk River.

"Based on the current challenges in the power market and the integration of GE and legacy Alstom, GE Power continues to transform the business to support our growth strategy and meet the needs of our customers," a GE spokesperson said Friday. "As a result, we're taking employee actions to simplify our structure. These are difficult decisions, but necessary to ensure the long-term competitiveness of our business. We're committed to working with our employees during this transition."

GE has also faced the challenge of not having a fully functional Export-Import Bank to assist customers in financing purchases of domestically made power generating equipment, including the generators and steam turbines that are produced by workers in Schenectady.

About 85 percent of GE's output in Schenectady is exported.

"The U.S. remains the only major economy in the world without a fully functioning export bank," the spokesperson said. "GE has 100,000 employees in the United States with the best manufacturing facilities, including 20 new sites we have added over the last five years.

"In order for American companies to export outside the U.S. many customers require export credit agency funding," the spokesperson added. "If Congress wants to put more jobs in this country, we need the Export-Import Bank to be functioning.
HOOSICK FALLS  Village police said they arrested a Brooklyn man Thursday who fled to New York City after being charged with selling drugs.

Police said 23-year-old Fidelis K. Terris fled after an indictment in December. New York City police located him and notified Hoosick Falls police, who traveled to the city Thursday to arrest him.
Washington

The House intelligence committee chairman privately apologized to his Democratic colleagues on Thursday, yet publicly defended his decision to openly discuss and brief President Donald Trump on typically secret intercepts that he says swept up communications of the president's transition team in the final days of the Obama administration.

GOP Rep. Devin Nunes' decision to disclose the information before talking to committee members outraged Democrats and raised questions about the independence of the panel's probe of Russian interference into the 2016 election and possible contacts between Trump associates and Russia.

"It was a judgment call on my part," Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told reporters Thursday. "Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make wrong decision."

A congressional aide familiar with Nunes' meeting said the chairman apologized to Democrats and pledged to work with them and share information related to the probe.

"A credible investigation cannot be conducted this way," said Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House panel.

The White House embraced Nunes' revelations and the president said they "somewhat" validated his wiretapping allegations.

Nunes' critics also questioned whether the California congressman was coordinating with the White House in order to give the president cover for his explosive claims that Barack Obama wire tapped Trump's New York skyscraper.

Nunes, who served on Trump's transition team, ducked questions about whether he was parroting information given to him by the White House, saying he was "not going to ever reveal sources." He maintained that Trump's wiretapping allegations against Obama were false.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer dismissed questions about whether the White House planted information with Nunes, saying "I believe that the information he shared with the president was new."

Some Democrats on the House intelligence committee remained unconvinced. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., told reporters on Capitol Hill that she doesn't know where the information came from, but recalled a comment Trump made in a Fox News interview earlier this month where he said the White House "will be submitting things before the committee very soon that hasn't been submitted as of yet."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Washington

President Donald Trump's chief lieutenants came to Capitol Hill on Thursday evening with an ultimatum: There will be a vote on Paul Ryan's health care legislation Friday and if it fails Obamacare will remain law.

Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus and Mick Mulvaney were dispatched from the White House to tell House Republicans that if the bill passes, it will move on to the Senate. If it fails, the White House is prepared to move on from one of its biggest campaign promises and keep Barack Obama's signature health care legislation.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, we will have a vote tomorrow," Bannon said.

The gambit is a high-stakes political scare tactic. White House leaders are warning rank-and-file members of Congress that if they vote against the bill on political principle, they will be responsible for keeping Obamacare on the books, not Trump.

"It's done tomorrow or Obamacare stays," said Rep. Chris Collins of New York after House Republicans met with Bannon, Preibus and Mulvaney. "We are done negotiating, there are no more negotiations."

In an effort to shore up votes before the bill hits the House floor, Republican leaders offered one final amendment. The four-page proposal repeals essential health care benefits and adds a Medicare surcharge for the wealthy that will create a $15 billion flexibility fund.

"It's a fact of life that negotiations seem to be closing," said Republican Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, who does not support the bill. "They will call the roll, and that'll be that."

The amendment comes after a scheduled vote on the bill was delayed Thursday afternoon as Trump, who touts himself as a deal-maker, was unable to persuade skeptical lawmakers to support the much-maligned legislation after multiple meetings with House Republicans at the White House.

The delay means Republican leaders failed to pass the bill on the seven-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act's passage, what was supposed to be a symbolic policy triumph for a GOP-led Congress and White House.

Instead, members will vote Friday.

"We are trying to get 30 to 40 no votes to yes," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., to reporters after a closed-door meeting earlier Thursday with members of the Freedom Caucus, a conservative group of lawmakers who have concerns about the bill. "I'd like to see 237 votes but we are not at that particular point."

In a circus-like atmosphere throughout Capitol Hill, members shuttled to and from various rooms for meetings with Ryan and leadership throughout the day along with trekking down Pennsylvania Avenue to meet with Trump.

Few seemed to know exactly what was going on.

All Democrats are against the bill, so Ryan can only afford about 20 defections from his own party, depending on how many members are present to vote. The current defections include conservative and moderate Republicans. Conservatives do not support provisions in the bill that mandate insurance companies cover certain health services because the coverage would increase premium costs. Moderates are opposed to the bill after it was revealed that some low-income individuals will lose health insurance under the plan.

"Every moment we go past midnight tonight, I think the chances of passing this bill get less, not greater," said Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., after meeting with Ryan. "The window for making decisions is rapidly closing. We need a vote or go home."

Byrne warned that too many amendments from conservatives and moderates could make the legislation even less popular than it already is.

"Two groups that don't represent even a majority of the Republican conference have been given every opportunity to have multiple conversations with the president and leadership," Byrne said. "At some point you've got to say, 'That's it.' And we're at that point."

Trump's skills as a deal-maker took a hit when he failed to persuade the chairman of the Freedom Caucus to support the health care bill earlier on Thursday. Meadows declared that "no deal" was reached after meeting with Trump in the Cabinet room of the White House just hours before the House postponed the vote.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer insisted Thursday afternoon the bill was not in trouble and that they were never seeking a so-called deal.

Spicer did not provide details of the meetings other than to say that both the president and the Freedom Caucus are committed to implementing a system that will drive down costs and increase access to health care.

Asked during the press briefing, whether Trump was willing to do away with elements of the pre-existing protection as conservatives have pressed, Spicer said the president has made clear those protection must remain.

Asked about Trump's ability to strike a deal, Spicer defended the work of his boss, but said he can't force members to vote.

"The president has done a phenomenal job, there's no question," Spicer said. "And I think when you look at the effort that he's put in, the number of meetings that he's had, and the changes that have been made to the bill, there's no question how hard the president and his team, the vice president have worked to get this done."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Fort Edward

The state is pushing ahead with plans to dredge the 60-mile Champlain Canal for the first time in decades, a move that was welcomed by shippers and business officials.

The state Canal Corp. wants to dredge along 22 miles of the man-made part of the canal over the next decade between Whitehall and Fort Edward in Washington County, according to a March 13 notice from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

No dredging has been done since 1980 because of toxic PCBs in the canal's navigation channel in the Hudson River south of Fort Edward. This proposal is separate from an earlier state plan filed with the Corps last year to dredge the PCB-tainted portion of the canal from Fort Edward to Troy in Rensselaer County.

That February 2016 proposal remains under review by the Corps, which has deemed it incomplete, said Corps spokesman Hector Mosley on Thursday. The Canal Corp. could not provide any comment for this story.

The canal runs from Whitehall, near the tip of Lake Champlain's South Bay, south through six locks and dams to Fort Edward, where it joins the Hudson and proceeds through another series of six locks and dams to Waterford. Canal dredging was not part of a six-year, $1 billion Hudson PCB dredging project wrapped up in the fall of 2016 by General Electric Co. under an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The latest dredging announcement for the canal was welcomed by Saratoga County business leaders, who have said the canal, which has become increasingly shallow as it gradually fills with silt, has impaired commercial shipping.

Under the state constitution, the canal's navigation channel must be at least 12 feet deep, but in some places, it is as shallow as 4 feet, according to information on the Canal Corp's. website. The state is proposing to dredge its entire length to 14 feet deep.

"The canal is a vital asset upstate," said Pete Bardunias, president and CEO of the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County. "This could open it up to more shipping."

A deeper canal channel would benefit shipments of granite currently being taken south by tugboat from near Lock 11 in Fort Ann to the New York City area, said Robert Goldman, president of the New York State Marine Highway Transportation Co.

In 2016, his company reached a five-year contract with New Jersey-based Azzil Granite Materials to provide paving stone. Currently, Goldman said he can only load barges with granite based on a 10-foot channel depth, and then be prepared to have barges scrape through the riverbottom mud.

Last year, Goldman's company shipped about 500,000 tons of granite, and this year, hopes to ship 700,000 tons, he said.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

The dredging plan for the northern section of the canal calls for removal of 176,000 cubic yards of sediments from 13 areas totalling 27 acres, according to the Army Corps notice. Once dredged, sediments would be disposed of at existing Canal Corp. storage sites along the canal.

In 2013, the corporation estimated that it could cost up to $180 million to dredge 600,000 cubic yards of PCB-tainted sediment from the channel south of Fort Edward.

In late 2015, the Army Corps told the state Canal Corp. that it needed to replace its original 2012 dredging plan, which relied for disposal of PCBs on a now-defunct GE processing plant in Fort Edward. The Canal Corp's current proposal calls for building a new PCB processing plant just south of Lock 8 in Fort Edward.

The issue of further dredging of the canal rests in the hands of three federal trustees for the Hudson  the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In 2006, trustees issued a public report that found GE had damaged the canal with its PCBs by preventing the state from dredging. The report concluded that the state was "entitled to be compensated for the loss of navigational services" since that time.

bnearing@timesunion.com  518-454-5094  @Bnearing10
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Guilderland

When Elizabeth Scott ordered her new energy-efficient home, a factory in Searsmont, Maine, went to work.

The house arrived in pieces on four trucks in rural Guilderland at the beginning of March.

A team of workers unloaded the wall and roof sections on a Wednesday, hoisting them into place on the previously poured foundation.

By Saturday, the house was mostly assembled, and finishing work, including plumbing and electrical systems, has since begun.

For Scott, an energy-efficient home is nothing new. Her parents live in a solar house designed by Adirondack Alternative Energy's Bruce Brownell back in 1979, which stands a short distance from Scott's home.

But that was a custom design.

"I was waiting to see who could do a prefab-type home," Scott said as workers hoisted the panels behind her.

Enter Milford, Pa.-based passive house architect Richard Pedranti and Chris Corson, founder and technical director of Searsmont, Maine-based passive house components manufacturer Ecocor.

"We started doing prefab passive house panels in 2012," Corson said. "They were all custom. Now we can bring a platform of homes people can customize."

The Guilderland house was the first completely prefab house the partnership between Pedranti and Ecocor has produced.

Pedranti worked with Scott over a six-week period, customizing her model home. The computerized design provided instructions to the automated production line, where programmed saws cut pieces to be assembled and finished at the factory  a four- to six-week process  before the 6,200 components were ready to be loaded onto trucks for delivery.

Scott worked with Pedranti to convert what would have been an attic to additional living space, giving her room for her jewelry design workshop and producing a one and a half story house that has four bathrooms and three bedrooms.

Construction costs were about $237 per square foot.

But the house is projected to cut energy consumption by 80 to 90 percent, with annual heating and cooling costs falling to $200 a year.

"This is a true passive house," said Pedranti. "It's as good as it gets."

And Corson said "the long-term goal is for these homes to be available to everyone."

The panels in the passive house that Scott will live in are packed with cellulose insulation, wrapped in a Gore-tex "jacket," with 18.5-inch-thick walls and efficient windows.

The completed building is airtight. A heat recovery ventilator brings in fresh air while transferring the heat from the air being exhausted.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

Pedranti and Ecocor have nearly a dozen different models, ranging from a ranging from a one-bedroom, one-bath model for $152,000 to a three-bedroom, two and half bath model, with 1,932 square feet of interior space, for $496,000.

Corson said he expects prices will come down as more of the houses are produced.

Much of the technology was first developed in Europe, said Scott.

It's only in recent years that the technology  including computer numeric controlled (CNC) saws  has been used to produce the panels, which are machined to within 1/64th of an inch.

Scott considered retrofitting an existing house to achieve the energy efficiency she was seeking but decided against it.

"There's a lot of things that (can) go wrong," she said. "It's hard to retrofit an old house."

The new house, sitting on a slab that's insulated from the earth below, offers the quality control, precision and guaranteed levels of air tightness that Scott was looking for, said Corson.

More details: https://www.ecocor.us/; https://www.richardpedranti.com/

eanderson@timesunion.com  518-454-5323
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Not long ago, the late-night drive on Troy's Third Street toward The Ruck was pretty gritty. The lone outpost sliced blocks deeper into Troy than more populous Monument Square, and parking often meant walking bleak, empty blocks in the dark. But the gentrifying effect of new neighbors  Troy Food Court, Sunhee's, The Shop and the coffee-and-vinyl intelligentsia of Superior Merchandise  presents options well beyond life-sustaining pizza takeouts. It's not yet a fully formed dining destination to wander without a plan, but these pioneers anchor surrounding blocks, throwing out welcome light like navigational buoys.

Unagi Sushi, an upscale sushiya, has joined in an unremarkable stretch of Fourth Street best known for Manory's, a century-old brunch spot. That Unagi offers an eight-course $80 omakase menu suggests a healthy belief in ongoing growth and a confidence people will flock to experience the artistry of executive chef-partner Andy Dong. A 20-year industry veteran who trained for six years under a sushi master in Manhattan, Dong is locally known for his artistry at Hana Steakhouse and Sushi bar in Guilderland. Since December, word has spread of his new location, and fans are making the drive.

The business' partners  Das and Nipa Nobel and Nik Samajdwar  have doubled down on the neighborhood, opting for sleek, urban design styled after sushi bars in New York City. High-gloss modern furniture and a white sofa, acid jazz and deep house tracks even at lunchtime, and flat-screen TVs with Technicolor sushi close-ups advertising the Unagi app betray tech savvy, millennial roots. But wall-to-ceiling gray retains a classically minimalist canvas that doesn't compete with the food.

Even if you don't fall trustingly into the chef's omakase courses  a cost-effective option in the long run  Dong, in a rockstar-red chef's tunic, pours purist aesthetic into sashimi and sushi, honoring delicate natural flavors and the relationship between rice and fish. Delivered three times a week from New York City and Japan, shellfish is live and fish pristine.

More Information Unagi Sushi 118 Fourth St. Troy Phone: 629-9688 Web: http://www.unagi.restaurant Cuisine: Pristine purist sushi and crazy fusion rolls. Ambiance: Upscale sushi bar with a sleekly modern aesthetic. Price: $$-$$$ Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner: 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m daily. Credit cards: All major. Parking: Street. Handicapped accessible: Yes. Price ratings for inexpensive eateries based on average of entree costs: $: $9.95 and less $$: $9.95-$15.95 $$$: $15.95 and higher See More Collapse

Fluke curled with sheer lemon slivers into flowers is kissed with citrus; buttery "white tuna" escolar, as unctuously soft as foie gras, firms up over chilled cucumber (think: tightening cellulite treatments) and nabs a whisker of pepper from a nasturtium petal tiger stripe. Scattered like glass marbles, washed ikari roe with tangerine flecks of unformed salmon quite visible burst in oceanic, fishy bites.

If you follow the menu, you could start with lean maguro tuna tataki in an umami-popping ponzu underpinned by the substrata of seaweed and bonito, or you might admire the calligraphic swirls of honey-wasabi mayo that dead-ends at a speckled quail egg to pour over chutoro tartare. Flavors are cleanly simple, almost muted until you add Unagi's freshly grated wasabi root and see stars.

Sashimi and nigiri hit the table dazzlingly fast on rough slate or smooth porcelain asymmetrically organized around carved cucumber, minty serrated shiso leaves and colorful blooms from orchids to baby's breath. It's a feast for the eyes and mind. Everything tastes good. I mean, really good.

Otoro, the luxurious, marbled, fatty tuna  its name literally means "to melt"  is angled on a cube of crushed ice, another piece softly draped over a molded lozenge of rice. At lunch, a chef sends one out in such surprising length I attempt a fold and accidentally separate fish from rice  an insult  until I tri-fold it like a towel on top. (We marvel at the quality of maguro, chutoro and otoro, but such reliance on Spanish bluefin tuna, a threatened species, is guilt-inducing. I'll order sustainable shiro maguro albacore when I go back.)

Saba mackerel  chef salted and lightly vinegared to eliminate bacteria  is sheared into silvery slices, the cure balancing out strong, oily flesh and flooding senses with sweet, umami and salt. It's an absolute corker.

We devour chubby salmon, subtly sweet madai, (red snapper/Japanese seabream) and chewy, pinked hokki gai (surf clam) with savory, brothy endnotes. Soft squid is quilled into shawl-tongue kilties with more texture than flavor, allowing sweet vinegared rice to shine. Dong's rice is just sticky enough to hold its form before falling apart in your mouth  the mark of an expert itamae, whose light pressure causes rice to adhere without forming a starchy wad.

I'm twice thwarted by snow in my efforts to sample uni (sea urchin) and tako (octopus). My envy increases when a quick Google search turns up guest photos of needle-nosed sayori halfbeaks exquisitely entwined and a metallic trio of aji cannibalized as nigiri beside the exposed flank of a hand-sized horse mackerel. Dong leaves business cards at the end of the counter, and keen customers phone in requests that, season permitting, he'll custom order.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

Recognizing surf clam and omakase are not bread-and-butter in this neighborhood, the menu offers two dozen maki rolls (including the ubiquitous California roll) and crazy Signature rolls (pricey at $18 to $20 a pop) with dubious frat-boy names like Don't Tase Me, Bro! and Grinch. I can't explain bacon and scallop in a deep-fried Godzilla, but a spicy crab and avocado Transformer wrapped in thin, marbled Angus beef is surprisingly good despite the truffle oil headwind, and a fusion Congress roll uses jalapeno heat to offset sweet mango and salmon. These logs are hugely popular, though young walk-ins asking if Unagi serves "anything other than sushi" are out of luck.

We skipped dessert (red bean, green tea and tempura ice creams are all there), instead sipping sugary Calpico, a fermented milk drink sold as Calpis in Japan (unfortunate for its phonetic similarity to "cow piss" in English). The sweet, yogurty soda is as polarizing as yeasty British Marmite. We loved it.

I'd be a fool to suggest neighborhood problems have disappeared. I was twice approached for money walking to my car and, as transporting as it is to sip hot sake sitting shoeless among red, lip-shaped and glitter-embellished scatter cushions at a tatami table in the window, several vulnerable souls ventured close to the glass, staring hard.

A sushiya of this caliber in this part of town is a marvelous sign, perhaps a tipping point. Patronize it now while you can still get a seat without a reservation.

Dinner for two  including hot and cold appetizers, a sashimi platter, three signature rolls, sake, wine and a soft drink  came to $133 with tax and 20 percent tip.

Susie Davidson Powell is a freelance writer from East Greenbush. Follow her on Twitter, @SusieDP. To comment on this review, visit the Table Hopping blog, blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) The government has increased the number of cities where the NEET examination would be conducted from 80 to 103 to make it easier for the students to reach the venues.

A mobile app has also been developed to help the nearly 12 lakh students, who are expected to take the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test or NEET, locate the nearest test venue.

advertisement

"The NEET examination, which is a medical entrance test that was conducted by the CBSE, got a better response. Therefore we have increased number of city centres," HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters outside the Parliament.

"Earlier it was conducted in 80 cities. Now we have increased to 103 cities with thousands of centres and the new choice to the students for selection of nearby cities have been given. The exams are being conducted under the Health Ministry guidelines," the HRD minister said.

The number of students appearing for the examination has also increased from 8 lakh to about 12 lakh this time, he said.

The HRD Minister said that an App has been made to help students locating the nearest examination centre.

Health Minister JP Nadda said "We have also included regional languages in the test. CBSE has agreed for this and accordingly the number of examination centres have also been increased."

Thanking Javadekar, Nadda said that increasing the number of cities having examination centres is a great relief for students. PTI ARU ADS

--- ENDS ---
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Albany

Former GOP Sen. George Maziarz was the last man standing after the 2009 Senate coup  until Thursday.

In a real-life illustration of the saying that life is circular, Maziarz on Thursday was indicted by his former Senate colleague from the other side of the aisle, Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

At first blush, the charges could be viewed as yet another sorry chapter in the Legislature's long and storied history of corruption.

But Maziarz stands out for another reason  that being the long-term impact his actions nearly a decade ago had on the state Senate.

Maziarz was one of the engineers of the now-legendary coup when Republicans got a pair of wayward Democrats to switch sides and help them take control of the Senate with the needed 32-vote majority.

In addition to Maziarz, the coup was put together by former fellow GOP Sen. Dean Skelos and Tom Libous, as well as western New York operative Steve Pigeon.

Since then, Maziarz was the only elected official at the core of the coup who had remained unscathed by legal woes.

More for you 2009 Senate Coup players, where are they now?

Consider: Skelos, who after the coup ascended to lead the GOP majority, has since been convicted of federal corruption charges and faces a prison term.

Libous, too, was convicted of lying to an FBI agent and he later died of cancer. Both men were prosecuted by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara who was just this month fired by the incoming Trump Administration.

Pigeon is currently awaiting trial on bribery and extortion charges brought by Schneiderman's office.

One of two Democratic Senators who switched sides in the coup, Pedro Espada, is in prison on a federal corruption conviction relating to a health services organization he ran.

The other, Hiram Monserrate, served a prison term on a federal mail fraud and conspiracy case. Before that, he was expelled from the Senate after being convicted of assaulting his then-girlfriend.

After leaving the Senate in 2014 Maziarz joined the Patricia Lynch lobbying firm and continued in his role as a behind-the-scenes power broker in western New York.

Was Schneiderman's pursuit of Maziarz, and Pigeon, motivated in part by the machinations the AG saw when he served in the Senate?

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

Maziarz's lawyer thinks so. "Everything the attorney general of the state of New York does has a political calculus to it,'' E. Stewart Jones said on Thursday after the arraignment of Maziarz, his client.

Schneiderman's office said the prosecution is "absolutely not'' political.

And in a video about the indictment Schneiderman said he has gone after Democrats and Republicans alike when he sees wrongdoing.

"As attorney general I am going to continue to hold all public officials, no matter what party they belong to, what office they hold, or how much power they have, accountable if they abuse the public trust,'' Schneiderman said.

In addition to Pigeon, a Democrat, Schneiderman also prosecuted former Queens Democratic Sen. Shirley Huntley, who pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges.

Regardless, the 2009 coup hatched in part by Maziarz led to changes in the Senate that are still felt today.

By the 2010 elections the Democrats had lost control of the Senate. A year later Jeff Klein, who had been their deputy leader, broke away with the Independent Democratic Conference which is in control of the chamber with the Republicans.

rkarlin@timesunion.com  518-454-5758  @RickKarlinTU
A major row erupted at a meeting of the Templemore Thurles Municipal District when Sinn Fein Councillor David Doran proposed a minutes silence in memory of the late former Deputy leader of the Northern Ireland Assembly Martin McGuinness.

Cllr Dorans request had been agreed in advance with Chairman of the MD, Cllr Joe Burke, but none of the other councillors had been made aware of the agreement, until after the heated exchanges, which saw the Sinn Fein councillor refer to as 'disgusting' the behaviour of Cllrs Seamus Hanafin, John Hogan and Michael Smith, all of whom spoke on the matter.

The three councillors pointed out that they did not have an issue with Martin McGuinness, but added that protocol must be adhered to and minutes silence are not normally observed at Municipal District meetings - they are usually reserved for full Council meetings having been agreed in advance by the Corporate Policy Group.

Cllr Doran had proposed the minutes silence and acknowledged the agreement to open a book of condolence in the Municipal District Headquarters also, encouraging people to sign the book as a tribute to a man who had played a major role in the bringing of peace to Ireland.

The proposal was seconded by Cllr Jim Ryan who said that peace would not have been achieved without the significant influence of Martin McGuinness.

Cllr Seamus Hanafin, however, said that he did not have a problem with Martin McGuinness at all, but he did have a difficulty with the fact that protocoal was not being adhered to - the Municipal District did not, as a rule, observe minutes silence, but would pass votes of sympathy regularly - there was a vote of sympathy passed at the end of the meeting for the vicitms of rescue 116. Cllr Hanafin felt that the members should have been consulted if a break away from protocol was being mooted. Other national political figures did not receive minutes silence, he said mentioning former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, because it was not protocol.

Cllr John Hogan agreed with Cllr Hanafin as did Cllr Michael Smith, but their comments did not go down well with Cllr Doran who admitted to being 'very emotional' over the whole thing.

Cllr Doran lambasted the Fianna Fail councillors, labelling them a disgrace to their country and the people they represent. Their comments, he said, were nothing short of disgusting and he could not understand how the memory of a man who had done so much to bring peace to Ireland could be sullied in this manner.

With voices raised and anger spilling over, Cllr Burke and District Manager Mr Matt Shortt fought to maintain contro, and eventually managed to do so, after Cllr Burke revealed that a request had been made prior to the meeting to allow the minutes silence to be observed.

The Municipal District has observed just two minutes silence in recent times - for their colleague, the late Cllr Willie Kennedy, and for very popular council employee Kathleen Wright. The County Council on the other hand, regularly observes minutes silence.

The fallout from the row on the airwaves and social media has been huge with many posts lambasting the Fianna Fail members for their disrespect to the late Martin McGuinness.

However, they are insisting that they were in no way objecting to, or taking issue with tributes to Martin McGuiness - their issue was the breach of protocol at the Municipal District meeting - protocol which had been agreed by all members during the drawing up of standing orders.

The minutes silence was observed following the row.
Independent Tipperary Deputy Seamus Healy has called for full support for Bus Eireann workers.

The Race to the bottom on wages and conditions including a 30% pay cut must be stopped, says the Clonmel based TD.

All workers are in danger if this attack by government and bosses succeeds.

Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Healy said: "The attack on Bus Eireann workers is a deliberate and vicious assault, not only on their pay but also on their conditions. It is an attack on all workers, whether they be in the public or the private sector, and it is the thin end of the wedge for privatisation. The company must and will be defeated and strike action, including a sympathetic strike, is the right and only response to this vicious attack on workers by the company."

Deputy Healy also calls for a big turnout at the Save Our Bus Service Meeting at the Nano Nagle Centre, Carrick on Suir on Wednesday next 29 March at 8pm.

The Clonmel-Dublin and Carrick on Suir - Dublin Bus Services have now been abolished by management and we must ensure that these services are reinstated immediately.
[March 23, 2017] ADDING MULTIMEDIA Peter Lik Launches LIK Squared, Gallery-Inspired Wall Decor for the Everyday Photo Lover

Award-winning photographer, Peter Lik, is proud to announce the official launch of LIK Squared, a cutting edge, online service that offers stunning imagery of all types to those who wish to complement their interior at an affordable price. After years of producing and printing award-winning photographs from his facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lik has now chosen to use the same, state-of-the-art technology to provide an impressive assortment of hundreds of images that any enthusiast can easily purchase. Creating such an accessible portal to fine art photography is the next step for Lik, who has dedicated his life to sharing the most beautiful visions from around the globe. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170323005466/en/ Define your space with gallery inspired art from LIK Squared. (Photo: Business Wire) Already in full operation mode - heavily trafficked by both dedicated Lik fans and newcomers to the brand - LIK Squared takes a cue from its name, providing photographs in three available sizes, all of which are perfectly symmetrical in design. The company's premium Acrylic Prints are printed on Fujiflex Crystal Archive Media and mounted on Crystal Clear Acrylic, vividly exposing the texture, shape and color of each image. Perfect for any space, these signature Acrylic Prints can be purchased individually, in themed sets of four (which have been personally curated by Peter Lik), or as triptych mosaics. "LIK Squared is a concept I have been dreaming about for yers," states the Artist. "My ultimate goal, since beginning my journey over 35 years ago, has always been to share the most beautiful sights, places, and visions with as many people as possible. Nothing is more inspiring than getting lost in the sheer beauty of our incredible planet, and through LIK Squared, that concept has never been more accessible to the everyday photography lover."



LIK Squared Acrylic Prints start at just $49.00 USD, and come ready to hang right out of the box. Collectors can enhance their purchases by selecting one of many interchangeable framing options that make swapping out LIK Squared Acrylic Prints incredibly easy and perfect for the seasonal observer. Other offerings on the LIK Squared website including gift cards and an assortment of Peter Lik Coffee Table Books - Hawaii, New York, Las Vegas, and America - all available in sleek, magnetic slipcases, and, yes, they are all perfectly square. Coming Soon to LIK Squared:

A wide range of new products and offerings are set for release throughout 2017, starting with a line of sleek, contemporary shadowboxes. Plus, all photo buffs are in for a treat as LIK Squared readies to showcase Featured Photographers on a monthly basis - giving a platform to respected professionals within the industry who are eager to share their work, stories, and wisdom. Potential collectors are urged to check in as the year rolls along for new images, note card sets, journals, and more! Further info can be found at: https://liksquared.com/ ABOUT LIK SQUARED Founded in 2016, LIK Squared is the next, evolutionary step in an award-winning career that spans decades. For over 30 years, Master Photographer, Peter Lik, has been devoted to producing stunning fine art photography of the highest artistic integrity and quality for thousands of collectors and fans - believing wholeheartedly that the wonders of the world around us deserve to be shared as much as possible. Through LIK Squared, these sublime visions have never been more accessible. LIK Squared Acrylic Prints are unsigned, open editions produced at LIK USA's cutting edge facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four quality control checkpoints ensure each stunning work of art receives the same attention to detail that Peter's collectors have come to know. LIK Squared is committed to using the finest materials, and its superb craftsmanship is reflected in all products. ABOUT PETER LIK Peter Lik began capturing the wonders of nature as a young boy in his native Australia and never stopped. Over the course of 30 years, his career has been marked with award wins as a Master Photographer from the Australian Institute of Professional Photography, the Professional Photographers of America and Master Photographers International. He has also been awarded fellowships from the British Institute of Professional Photographers, The Royal Photographic Society and the American Society of Photographers. Lik's masterworks "Ghost" and "Inner Peace" have been included in an exhibition of Nature's Best Photography at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. In 2015, Peter was honored at PPA's Imaging USA with a Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming one of only 14 recipients in history to receive this honor. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170323005466/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Mar 24 (PTI) Nepal and China today discussed security and increasing road networks between them, a day after Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda said the landlocked country was keen to be a part of Beijings One Belt One Road project.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Chang Wanquan met Nepals Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi and discussed ways to strengthen the Nepal-China ties.

advertisement

They discussed matters relating to economy and boosting security agreements, including exchange of border information.

Their focus, however, was on increasing connectivity between the two countries through road networks, like resuming trade through the Tatopani border point, located around 110 km east of the capital Kathmandu, that has remained shut since the earthquakes rattled the Himalayan nation in 2015.

The meeting today came a day after Gen Chang, who leads the 2.3-million-strong Peoples Liberation Army, the worlds largest, arrived in Nepal. He is the first Chinese Defence Minister to visit Nepal in 16 years.

Today, Gen Chang also called on Nepals President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

The Chinese defence minister said China would provide physical and technical assistance for building a training centre for Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal.

Yesterday, he discussed military cooperation and the One Belt, One Road initiative, an ambitious project viewed with suspicion by India, with Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda.

Prachanda, who is visiting China for high-level talks, told Gen Chang before leaving that Nepal was keen to be part of the OBOR, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and expressed commitment to the One China policy, saying it wont tolerate any activity against Tibet and Taiwan.

India has some concerns over the OBOR, which includes a maze of projects connecting China with Euro-Asia and is floated by Beijing as a connectivity and economic project.

Gen Changs visit comes ahead of Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawats four-day official visit to Nepal from March 28. PTI SBP ABH AKJ ABH

--- ENDS ---
[March 23, 2017] Systech Participates in Exclusive Seminar Series Organized by U.S. Consulates in India

Topics Include Risk Mitigation in the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry, the Criticality of Protecting U.S. Exports and Fighting Counterfeits in the Supply Chain MUMBAI, India, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Systech International, a global technology solutions leader and innovator in serialization for the pharmaceutical industry, recently participated in a series of seminars organized by the United States Department of Commerce and the Consulate Generals of Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. The Single Company Promotion (SCP) seminar program created by the Commerce Department showcases and advances the best technologies developed in the United States to Indian executives from a variety of industries. Over 80 senior executives representing more than 35 companies attended the invitation-only series from February 28-March 2, 2017. Systech was selected as a presenting company because it offers mission-critical solutions to the Indian pharmaceutical market in two focused areasregulatory compliance and anti-counterfeiting. The seminars offered the most current knowledge, best practices, and a complete end-to-end solution for total compliance with the U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), a secure supply chain, and the ability to protect a company's brand anytime, anywhere on the globe. Dr. Avi Chaudhuri, Senior Global Partner, preseted the keynote sessions on Systech's technology solutions. According to Chaudhuri, "We were there to inform companies about the necessity of deploying serialization for global Track & Trace mandates, as well as to present best practices for complying within stated timeframes. Our presentation also included information about the shortcomings of serialization, as a consumer-driven authentication tool for brand protection, and how Systech's new anti-counterfeiting solution can address this issue for the Indian domestic market. Our non-additive technology solution, which cannot be replicated by counterfeiters, provides companies with a powerful new method for brand protection, as well as a complement to a company's consumer engagement activities."



Systech is the global leader in the field of serialization and traceability, with a 30-year history providing vision solutions to the pharmaceutical industry. Its vision systems also provide the company with an innovative solution to protect brands and deter counterfeiters, regardless of industry. In addition to Dr. Chaudhuri's presentations, other presenters included Arun Gupta, former global CIO of Cipla, who spoke on how to successfully leverage information technology and validating a seamless solution; and Ranga Iyer, former Managing Director of Wyeth and past President of the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), who moderated attendee discussion sessions. About Systech International

Systech, a global leader in product verification and brand protection, is re-defining the future of authentication. As the innovator of serialization, Systech is trusted by top pharmaceutical companies worldwide to ensure regulatory compliance, mitigate risk, ensure supply chain integrity, and drive efficiency. Beyond compliance, the company is leading the charge to protect global brandsfor consumer packaged goods, food & beverage, health & beauty, pharmaceutical, and contract manufacturing companies. Its best practices and award-winning technologies are guiding Product and Brand Protection Officers in their quest to improve patient/consumer safety, increase engagement, decrease counterfeiting, avoid diversion, and reduce harm to coveted brands. For more information visit www.systechone.com.

SYSTECH CONTACT

Erin Dunkel

Vice President, Marketing

+1 (610) 761-8960

[email protected]

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] DHL eCommerce Expands Presence in South China to Further Boost China's Booming Cross-Border e-Commerce Industry

XIAMEN, China, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DHL eCommerce, a division of the world's leading logistics company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, today announced plans to further increase its presence in South China through the introduction of its e-commerce logistics services in the Fujian province. To meet the increasing demand, the company also announced the expansion of its Shenzhen Distribution Center and Hong Kong Distribution Center to manage a capacity of 81 million shipments a year. China's booming cross-border e-commerce market, estimated to be worth US$839 billion by 2021, is expected to dominate 40% of the global market share[1]. The growth momentum in southern China is particularly strong - cross-border e-commerce transactions in Fujian grew a robust 42% to a total value of US$28.1 billion, which accounted for 18.5% of the provincial outbound trade in 2015[2]. To enable merchants across South China to tap on the huge cross-border e-commerce opportunity and compete in the international market, DHL eCommerce will now provide greater convenience with pick-up service; easy IT integration of their inventory into the shipping process, as well as greater variety of simple and affordable cross-border shipping solutions to reach out to customers across the world. For high volume, low value e-commerce products, merchants can tap on DHL GM Packet and DHL GM Packet Plus as affordable options with 4-10 days transit time. In addition, with the U.S., the U.K., Australia and Israel as popular e-commerce outbound markets for China, DHL eCommerce also offers DHL Parcel International Direct delivery services to these particular destinations with professional clearance services backed by DHL's excellent track record with 5-7 days transit time. For easy integration from order management to the shipment process, merchants will be able to tap on DHL eCommerce's Customer Web Portal for IT integration with marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, AliExpress and Wish.com, or their preferred portal platform with easy API integration with the help of DHL eCommerce, for a seamless offline to online logistics coordination. "With exports expected to make up 75% of China's e-commerce turnover[3] three years from now, a strong and reliable logistics framework has to be set in place to meet growing needs," said Zhi Zheng, Managing Director, Greater China, DHL eCommerce. "Manufacturing and export hubs like Fujian will be the center stage of all future growth of e-commerce exports in China. DHL's expertise in international shipping and fulfillment, along with our global network and strong e-commerce expertise will play a fundamental role in connecting China's e-tailers with online markets across the world." DHL eCommerce, known for its expertise in international cross-border shipping, fulfillment, and customs clearance, is well positioned to support cross-border Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Business-to-Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C) trade, as well as Manufacturer-to-Consumer (M2C) trade, which would be a boon to Fujian's top-performing industries -- clothing, shoes and textiles. "We are expanding our presence in South China to better service merchants here, and provide them with the opportunity to tap on the massive cross-border opportunity. This underpins our growth strategy for South China where we will focus on growing our outbound e-commerce trade and continue to expand our offerings across Tier 2 and 3 cities," said Zheng. "Developments like the creation of the Fujian Free Trade Zone as well local initiatives such as the Xiamen Customs' 'Internet plus Self Declaration reform' herald very exciting times for Fujian. This inclusiveness will undoubtedly result in an upward trend for cross-border e-commerce growth. Our increased focus in South China, along with expansion plans for the Shenzhen Distribution Center this year are exciting steps that we are undertaking to further accelerate the immense growth potential and capability of the Southern China cross-border e-commerce region," said Boris Cheng, Managing Director, South China and Hong Kong, DHL eCommerce. "These efforts, in addition to the continued integration of DHL's network into the Belt and Road initiative are paramount to connecting China's retailers and businesses to a global integrated network. We're literally bringing the world to their doorstep." DHL eCommerce is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, established in 2014 as part of the Group's growing focus in e-commerce logistics solutions. Along with its sister divisions DHL Express, DHL Supply Chain and DHL Global Forwarding in China, the Group offers end-to-end solutions for e-commerce retailers. This includes cross-border shipping with a premium offering from DHL Express and affordable solutions from DHL eCommerce; fulfillment solutions through DHL eCommerce and DHL Supply Chain; and air/sea/road/rail freight solutions from DHL Global Forwarding. Learn more: http://www.cn.dhl.com/zh/ecommerce.html







[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/246041/forecast-of-b2c-e-commerce-sales-in-china/ [2] http://www.ebdeep.com/index.php?c=content&a=show&id=67 [3] http://i.aliresearch.com/img/20160901/20160901171708.pdf?spm=0.0.0.0.dJmDc6&file=20160901171708.pdf

 End  Media Contact:

DHL eCommerce

Media Relations

Cheryl Han / Andreana Chang

Phone: +65 6879 8012 / +65 6879 8067

Email: [email protected] / [email protected] DHL -- The logistics company for the world DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 350,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world". DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 57 billion euros in 2016. Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170324/8521701865

Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150811/8521505246LOGO



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] SIX Leverages IBM Watson for Cognitive Security Operations Center

ZURICH, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CeBIT Hannover -- IBM Security (NYSE: IBM) and SIX, the operator of the infrastructure underpinning the Swiss financial sector, today announced plans to leverage IBM Watson for Cyber Security in a new cognitive Security Operations Center (SOC). The new facility will be housed at SIX's offices in Switzerland to provide localized cyber security services tailored to needs of the region. As part of a new partnership, the SIX SOC powered by IBM will give clients access to the latest IBM cognitive security tools used to fight cybercrime. The centerpiece of the new SOC will be IBM Watson for Cyber Security, the industry's first cognitive security technology. Watson has been trained on the language of cyber security, ingesting over 1 million security documents, helping security analysts parse thousands of natural language research reports that have never before been accessible to modern security tools. SIX will now be able to offer advanced security services to its existing financial industry customers, utilizing the IBM Security capabilities as important building blocks for the offering. The project will add new capabilities to a traditional SOC infrastructure as well as develop a new, highly collaborative IBM  SIX framework for the multi-tenant, next generation SOC. SIX will be enabled by IBM Security to take full control of cyber security protection for clients by tapping into world-renowned IBM X-Force threat intelligence research. SIX selected IBM for its ability to provide wide ranging expertise in security and data protection, but also for its experience managing multiple global SOCs serving a variety of industries. The new Cognitive SOC services will be extended to customers of both companies, who are looking for a trusted Swiss-based security partner. The services will be initially offered to banking industry customers who need security, regulatory, compliance and audit capabilities located in the region to ensure adherence to existing or future Swiss data privacy and data protection legislation  regulating what can beexchanged, by whom and how, as well as financial market regulations.



SIX and IBM will jointly develop a roadmap that defines the evolution of the "New Generation of Security Operations Center". To ensure the SOC and associated security services are operational as soon as possible, the roadmap includes the joint development of the first basic building blocks of the new targeted platform and the required governance for running this long-term strategic cooperation successfully. "Digitization, Internet of Things, global connectivity and the integration of new disruptive technologies are some megatrends opening a lot of new business opportunities. However, they also bring new threats with possible high impact on the industry. We operate the infrastructure of the Swiss financial market. IBM as leading company in Security Operations and Response was the logical partner for us and the perfect match for our requirements to build and operate our SIX Security Operations Center which will go beyond today's off-the-shelf cyber security standards  therefore defining the next generation of the Swiss financial market", says Robert Borntrager, Division CEO SIX Global IT.

"This partnership with SIX is a major step in Switzerland for IBM as a company, and its security business in particular," said Thomas Landolt, Country General Manager IBM Switzerland. "IBM has a proud tradition of excellence providing the world's top financial services companies with essential technologies. We're looking forward to both helping SIX manage its own cyber security needs, and also becoming an essential partner starting with the globally respected Swiss banking market to those other organizations who need regionally based and Swiss market compliant security services." The IBM Cognitive SOC IBM recently announced its Cognitive SOC platform, which brings together advanced cognitive technologies with security operations and provides the ability to respond to threats across endpoints, networks, users and cloud. The IBM Cognitive SOC platform puts cognitive technologies into security analysts' hands, enhancing their ability to fill gaps in intelligence and act with speed and accuracy. For more information on Watson for Cyber Security and the IBM Cognitive SOC, visit: http://www-03.ibm.com/security/cognitive/ About SIX Group

SIX operates the infrastructure underpinning the Swiss financial sector and offers a comprehensive range of services around the world in the fields of securities trading and settlement, financial information and payment transactions. The company is owned by its users (approximately 130 banks of various orientation and size). Its workforce of over 4,000 employees and presence in 25 countries throughout the world generated operating income of CHF 1.8 billion and a Group net profit of CHF 221,1 million in 2016. www.six-group.com About IBM Security

IBM Security offers one of the most advanced and integrated portfolios of enterprise security products and services. The portfolio, supported by world-renowned IBM X-Force research, enables organizations to effectively manage risk and defend against emerging threats. IBM operates one of the world's broadest security research, development and delivery organizations, monitors 35 billion security events per day in more than 130 countries, and holds more than 3,000 security patents. For more information, please visit www.ibm.com/security, follow @IBMSecurity on Twitter or visit the IBM Security Intelligence blog. IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion. Information regarding potential future products is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. The information mentioned regarding potential future products is not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality. Information about potential future products may not be incorporated into any contract. The development, release, and timing of any future features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion. Media Contact:

Karine Faucher-Veronneau

IBM Communications

+33 6 77 10 27 49

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/six-leverages-ibm-watson-for-cognitive-security-operations-center-300428929.html SOURCE IBM

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] ThoughtWorks Leverages IndiaStack and Digital Transformation to Bring Micro Financing to India's Rural Women

BENGALURU, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ThoughtWorks Supports Rang De's Initiative to Provide Customised Credit Access and Financial Literacy Lack of adequate financial literacy is one of India's biggest hurdles among its rural population. In order to help overcome this obstacle, Rang De, a non-profit offering low-cost credit to rural entrepreneurs, launched Swabhimaan, a financial literacy and microcredit initiative. The initiative will provide women with access to financial literacy, online loan application, credit scoring and cashless disbursal of money through digitised channels or kiosks - also called Bioscope - which will be installed in villages. Swabhimaan has begun as a pilot project in Yeshwantpura village in Kolar district, about 43 kilometers from Bangalore and Rang De plans to scale it up to over 100 villages centres within a year. Digital solutions are reshaping industries and the finance sector is no different. Realising this potential, Rang De engaged ThoughtWorks, a global technology consultancy to work on the loan application software for Swabhimaan. A crucial component of the solution was exerience design, especially given the high level of tech immaturity in India's rural regions, where much of the population hadn't yet been exposed to a touchscreen. ThoughtWorks rendered an intuitive experience that incorporated features like fingerprint scanning as data security measures.



Co-founder and CEO of Rang De, Ramakrishna NK said, "Our aim is to ensure that rural women are provided with the information they need and equipped with requisite skills to make informed financial choices and this initiative is a step in this direction. Thanks to Aadhaar, IndiaStack and our technology partners, we were able to build a technology solution which will, in the near future enable a woman to walk into any of Rang De's digital kiosks and walk out with a loan in under a minute." On the event of the launch, Sudhir Tiwari, Managing Director at ThoughtWorks India said, "It gives ThoughtWorks immense pride to partner with Rang De, on their ambitious mission of transforming the way India accesses financial literacy and credit. This revolutionary initiative bridges the last mile connect and is a powerful tool of financial empowerment for the rural masses."

According to Jayesh Ghatge, Market Partner at ThoughtWorks, "India's unbanked do not have access to many alternatives. Swabhimaan's Bioscope alleviates this problem by contributing to financial literacy. We employed design thinking to craft a digital solution, which makes it relatable, intuitive, and accessible to an audience that is less tech savvy." About Rang De Rang De is a not-for-profit based in Bangalore working to fight poverty by raising social capital to help rural entrepreneurs offering financial literacy training, business development and mentoring through trusted field partners. Designed as a non-profit social business, Rang De has raised funds for 55,000 loan applications totalling over INR 55 crores, funded by over 12000 individual social investors and 25+ corporate partners over nine years. About ThoughtWorks We are a software company and community of passionate purpose-led individuals. We think disruptively to deliver technology to address our clients' toughest challenges all while seeking to revolutionize the IT industry and create positive social change. Media Contact:

Anuroopa M Pereira

[email protected]

+91-8197629185

ThoughtWorks





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] Tujia 2017 Strategy Launching: Focusing on User Experience and Thoroughly Solving House Sharing Problems

BEIJING, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 2017 Tujia Open World Summit was held in Beijing on March 23. This is an annual strategy-releasing conference that was held after Tujia finished a spectrum of strategic adjustments in 2016, which attracted attention from around the world. At the Summit, Justin Luo, Co-founder and CEO of Tujia delivered a keynote speech, elaborating on the company's "3+1" development strategy for 2017. He further explained the specific strategic actions from four perspectives, namely, consumers, hosts, property buyers as well as regionalization. Those actions include the upgrade of products and services based on user experience, the establishment of one-click management of multiplatforms and Tujia housekeeping service for hosts, the implementation of two solutions for operating real estate properties, and the regional cooperation within various tourism areas, most of which were disclosed for the first time. After the strategies were released, Yang Changle, Chief Operation Officer of Tujia Platform Operation Company and Ding Xiaoliang, President of Tujia Offline Operation Company, in their first public appearance, delivered the 2017 product launches one after another, and illustrated the specific planning of several businesses and key products both online and offline in more detail. In addition, Tujia also launched strategic cooperation with Zhima Credit and Scenario Lab, and held a signing ceremony with Tuyuan Beautiful Book House. Also, Tujia had three special sessions on resource consolidation and discussion, mainly focusing on the online platform, offline platform and regional cooperation. Focusing on user experience, and upgrading three key products Products and services are the core competitiveness to gain users-this was the primary concept emphasized at the 2017 Summit. The consumption upgrade has triggered the same effect on the travel experience. Tujia will target the user profile more precisely, with features like "multiple people, extended period of stay and personalized lodging experience", to meet the demands for more scenarios such as business travel, family gatherings, and transitional accommodation. Therefore, Tujia will upgrade three main products in order to provide more services for travelers. The first upgrade is respecting user habits and sharing industrial resources. This means Tujia will select more resources and provide richer houses to consumers through the eight platforms, such as Tujia, mayi.com, Ctrip, Elong, Qunar.com and other platforms, in order to achieve more convenient booking and better experiences based on keeping original habits. The second ugrade is focused on optimizing three-dimensional services, i.e before, during and after the accommodation for consumers. In this aspect, Tujia provides related product upgrading and iteration to the specific needs of safety, cleaning, searching and payment, which are main concerns of consumers for apartments and homestay.



The last one is upgrading user service guarantee, which is the largest concern for travelers. Tujia has implemented a "Concern-Free Living" strategy by upgrading the credits. Tujia has combined the house examination, Tujia premium hosts, two-way evaluation, Ctrip Credit, Zhima Credit and compensation in order to guarantee satisfaction in every booking as well as every check-in. To Make Property Sharing Easy

As a homestay sharing platform, the strategic development of Tujia is also related to the upgrading and integration of the supply side. Our mission is to make property sharing easy for our hosts, no matter where they are, what their skill levels are at and how much time and resources they have. During the summit, Justin Luo Focused in introducing four innovative measures to achieve this target, namely, gathering traffic, unifying standards, improving efficiency, and integrating fragmented resources, to help the hosts to operate their business. Tujia has consolidated all 8 platforms including Tujia.com, Mayi.com, Ctrip.com, Elong.com, Qunar.com and 58.com, WeChat hotel booking and Zhima Credit in to a 'One Click' solution. Via the Tujia App, Tujia's host side management App, host can control price, availability as well as accept bookings and even communicate with customers through all the channels above. Tujia has also piloted a program in 10 cities to provide room cleaning, towel and bed sheet laundry as well as smart lock service to help more hosts share out their properties. Furthermore, Tujia will also provide other services like operational training, security consulting, income management and other service support to help the hosts become more professional. With the help of income management, skilled hosts can improve their income by 10%. In addition, Tujia also makes use of self-managed Sweetome flagship stores, Tujia housekeeping service centers and branded franchise stores, to integrate fragmented resources for more distributed individual houses, to make operation possible for all houses. Better operative properties and cooperation with regional communities in place On the supply side, Tujia has been working with property developers and cooperation with regional communities since the foundation, and this is also a key part of the "3 +1" development strategy. In the aspect of cooperation with property developers, Tujia has continued the TuLifang Solution that combines Housekeeping and property management service, in order to make the properties into practical operation since the house buying stage, and to add value to property buyers, and to promote the sales and de-stocking of property inventory. The Tuyuan Mode commenced by Tujia in 2016 would still be the upgrading real estate solution for this year's conference. After a year's exploration, Tuyuan has received fruitful results in several regions with the combination of different products, and the cooperation projects has spread into more than ten provinces in China. The strategy released on the 23rd would combine Tuyuan with Tuli, to fulfill the "Country yard dreams" of the Chinese middle class with the combining scheme of countryside styles and customs. In the aspect of cooperation with regional communities, Tujia's goal is to 'Vitalize of Regional Development', seek deeper cooperation with regional governments and partners, With the guidance of 'whole country tourism', Tujia is putting in effort to push forward regional standard tourism operation, integrated homestay services and poverty relief in the country side. Online connection: three strategic signing and three sessions on resources connection and introduction In order to ensure the implementation of strategies, Tujia held three strategic signing ceremonies at the conference. The first one was to establish "Homestay New Species Lab" with Scenario Lab that is founded by Wu Sheng, in order to explore the innovative evolution of homestay products and build all new homestay IP together with new species examples and bases. The second signing ceremony was focused on the upgrading of service chain. Tujia will continue deep cooperation with Zhima Credit of Ant Fortune, Tujia's existing partner, and work together to provide more standardized services for users. The third singing ceremony witnessed the project operation of Tujia and Tuyuan on public benefit practice, i.e. the Beautiful Book House. This is a special countryside culture innovation homestay oriented for the public reading service of countryside children, which is also a carrier of the public benefit activity of "China 10000-Village Countryside Children Reading Project" that Tuyuan co-founded with China Charities Aid Foundation for Children. In addition to the three signing ceremonies, Tujia also organized three resource connection and discussion special sessions for online platform, offline platform and regional cooperation, in order to promote the operation of 2017 strategies in a more specific cooperation demands and deep perspective. This is the everlasting style of Tujia, a pioneering company that fully understands the sharing economy in the Chinese market. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tujia-2017-strategy-launching-focusing-on-user-experience-and-thoroughly-solving-house-sharing-problems-300428981.html SOURCE Tujia

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] Incysus Announces Preclinical Data Presentations of ?d T Cell Immunotherapy Programs at Upcoming Medical Conferences

HAMILTON, Bermuda, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Incysus, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering an innovative off-the-shelf cellular therapy for the treatment of solid tumor cancers, and its partners will present preclinical data supporting the advancement of a ?d T cell therapy to the clinic.

The research conducted at UAB provides a demonstration of the mechanisms related to a Drug Resistant Immunotherapy (DRI) using activated ?d T cells for treating cancer. Incysus and UAB are moving quickly towards an investigational new drug application (IND) filing with the U.S. FDA to test the safety and efficacy of DRI ?d T cells in patients with glioblastoma. Solid tumors present unique therapeutic challenges related to immune-suppression and evasion due to the tumor microenvironment. As immunotherapies move to new combinations, Incysus unique technology allows us to protect the viability of immune cells when used in combination with high-dose chemotherapy. We use chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, kill immune-suppressive cells and to modify the tumor microenvironment, making it more amendable to our immunotherapy. New cancer therapies are such an unmet need and we look forward to advancing these programs into patients, said William Ho, Chief Executive Officer of Incysus. Presentation details: European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) 2017 - Marseille, rance







Oral Session 3: Novel drugs and immunotherapies  (https://goo.gl/16qPgs)

Title: Drug Resistant Lymphocyte Immunotherapy: Dose and Schedule Optimization

Presenter: Lawrence Lamb American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2017 - Washington DC, USA

April 3, 2017, 8:00 - 12:00pm (EDT)

Session: PO.IM02.08 - Tumor Microenvironment and Checkpoints

Abstract # / Poster Board #: 1638 / 16  (https://goo.gl/WZbJsk)

Title: Improved outcomes with drug-resistant immunotherapy in a human xenograft model of glioblastoma multiforme

Authors: Samantha Langford, Harold Spencer, Anindya Dasgupta, George Y. Gillespie, Kathryn Sutton, Larisa Pereboeva, Lawrence Lamb

International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) 2017 Annual Meeting - London, UK

May 3, 2017, 4:30 - 6:30pm (GMT)

Session: Corporate Symposium  Miltenyi Biotec  (https://goo.gl/QeQGlH)

Title: Manufacturing of expanded/activated ?d T cells using the Miltenyi Prodigy bioreactor system

Presenter: Lawrence Lamb May 4, 2017, 5:00 - 6:30pm (GMT)

Poster Session 1

Abstract #: 2678636

Title: Manufacturing of expanded/activated ?d T cells using the Miltenyi Prodigy bioreactor system

Authors: Sailesh Pillai, Samantha Langford, Joscelyn Bowersock, Ayman Saad, Lawrence Lamb About Incysus, Ltd.

Incysus is a Bermuda incorporated company focused on delivering a novel off-the-shelf cell therapy for the treatment of cancer. By using genetically modified ?d T cells, our technology addresses the challenges that immunotherapies face targeting cold, low mutation, cancers. The Company's immuno-oncology programs with its collaborators include activated and gene modified adoptive cellular therapies that protect cells from chemotherapy and allow novel combinations to disrupt the tumor microenvironment and more selectively target cancer cells. Contact: Incysus, Ltd (646) 820-8474 [email protected] www.incysus.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] Jesper Ahlmann Funding Andersen Appointed New President & CEO of Sonion as of April 1st, 2017.

Sonion today announced the appointment of Jesper Ahlmann Funding Andersen as the President & CEO of the Sonion Group. Jesper replaces Jrn Mrkeberg Nielsen who was President & CEO of Sonion until the end of 2016. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005043/en/ Jesper Ahlmann Funding Andersen (Photo: Business Wire) "We look very much forward to welcoming Jesper. He brings a wealth of experience and leadership to Sonion. We exect Jesper to further develop Sonion's strong position in the current market and develop new products to serve the potential of adjacent markets." says Walther Thygesen, Chairman of the Sonion Board.



Jesper Ahlmann Funding Andersen, (50 yrs old, married and has 4 children), brings with him over 20 years of experience from the medico industry. Since 2014, he has been SVP of Global Sales and Marketing at Widex A/S. From 2005 to 2014, Jesper was CEO of Origio A/S, a global leader in delivering innovative Assisted Reproductive Technology solutions, and he was SVP of International Business at GN ReSound from 2001 to 2005. Jesper is M.Sc. in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School and worked from 1990-1994 at McKinsey & Co. as a management consultant. "I am most excited to join Sonion at this point of its development. To me Sonion is a fully globalized, very well run company, operating in an attractive niche within high tech medical components. I look most forward to - together with the strong Sonion management team - defining how best to continue and accelerate Sonions growth journey and as part of that defining which segments to explore further".

Sonion is a global leader in micro acoustic and micro mechanical technologies and solutions for hearing instruments, in-ear earphones and specialty headsets. The Sonion Group is owned by Novo A/S which is the holding company within the Novo Group that manages the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005043/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] Huawei and Altair Sign MoU to Jointly Pursue High-Performance Computing (HPC) Opportunities and Build Industrial Simulation Cloud Solutions

HANNOVER, Germany, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huawei and Altair have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at CeBIT 2017, marking the beginning of a cooperation for High-performance Computing (HPC) and Cloud Solutions. The two companies will cooperate with each other to develop industrial simulation cloud solutions for their customers. Altair-Huawei MoU signing ceremony. From the left:Rockie Shi: Cooperation Director  MunichOpenLab, Huawei; Dr. Ralf Rehburg:Business Development Manager- EMEA, Altair; Victor Yu: President of Industry Marketing & Solution Dept of Enterprise BG, Huawei; Dr. Detlef Schneider: Senior Vice President- EMEA, Altair; Linyi Tian : Director Of Munich OpenLab , Huawei; Dr. Jochen Krebs: Director Enterprise Sales- Central & Eastern Europe, Altair.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1e797400-ffe8-40e8-a80c-7fa5f69d0fe1 In accordance with the terms of the cooperation, they will build a joint test center in Huawei's Munich OpenLab to carry out software and hardware optimization tests based on Altair's PBS Works and Huawei's HPC and cloud platforms. Taking full advantage of the high performance and reliability of Huawei's HPC and cloud platforms, the joint tests will help customers reduce software integration and performance verification workloads considerably and simplify the deployment and management of industrial simulation cloudplatforms. Altair PBS Works is the leading HPC workload management suite that offers comprehensive, reliable HPC resource management solutions and policy-based job scheduling solutions.





"Digital transformation is now bringing revolutionary changes to the manufacturing industry, especially in the automobile industry. An industrial simulation cloud platform can accelerate engineering simulation tests and allow local and remote R&D personnel to simultaneously work on product designs with cutting-edge technologies and designs, gaining edges in the market. The Huawei-Altair cooperation will be dedicated to building highly efficient, high-performance industrial simulation cloud solutions leveraging Altairs PBS Works software suite," said Yu Dong, President of Industry Marketing & Solution Dept of Enterprise BG, Huawei. "Committed to a vision of openness, cooperation, and win-win, Huawei cooperates with global partners to provide customers with innovative solutions for industrial manufacturing and help them achieve business success."

"We are very happy about this cooperation with Huawei," said Dr. Detlef Schneider, Senior Vice President EMEA at Altair. "By combining our HPC technologies, namely Altair's market-leading HPC workload management suite PBS Works and Huawei's HPC and cloud platforms, we will provide our industrial manufacturing customers with more value for their HPC and cloud applications. This combined solution will significantly reduce software integration efforts and simplify the deployment and management of industrial simulation cloud platforms." About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to build 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 www.huawei.com or follow us on:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei

http://www.twitter.com/Huawei

http://www.facebook.com/Huawei

http://www.google.com/+Huawei

http://www.youtube.com/Huawei About PBS Works

PBS Works is the market leader in comprehensive, secure workload management for high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments. This market-leading workload management suite allows HPC users to simplify their environment while optimizing system utilization, improving application performance, and improving ROI on hardware and software investments. PBS Works is the preferred solution for many of the planets largest, most complex clusters and supercomputers  and is the choice for smaller organizations needing HPC solutions that are easy to adopt and use. www.pbsworks.com About Altair

Founded in 1985, Altair is focused on the development and application of simulation technology to synthesize and optimize designs, processes and decisions for improved business performance. Privately held with more than 2,600 employees, Altair is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA with more than 45 offices throughout 20 countries, and serves more than 5,000 corporate clients across broad industry segments. To learn more, please visit www.altair.com. Media Contacts Altair Europe, the Middle East and Africa Evelyn Gebhardt +49-6421-9684351 [email protected] Altair Corporate/ Americas Biba A. Bedi +1-757-224-0548 x 406 [email protected]

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] Dr. Paula Milone-Nuzzo is Named President of MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston

Following an extensive nationwide search, Paula Milone-Nuzzo, PhD, RN, FHHC, FAAN, has been named the sixth President of MGH Institute of Health Professions, an independent graduate school in Boston founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and the only degree-granting affiliate of Partners HealthCare. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005480/en/ Dr. Paula Milone-Nuzzo will assume the presidency of MGH Institute of Health Professions in August 2017. (Photo: Pat Mansell/Penn State) Dr. Milone-Nuzzo has spent the past 14 years in leadership roles at the College of Nursing at The Pennsylvania State University, serving as Dean and Professor of the College since 2008. She is a widely published and nationally recognized nursing leader who has led the College to new heights in research activity and academic reputation. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to provide leadership to MGH Institute of Health Professions," said Dr. Milone-Nuzzo, who will assume the presidency on August 15, 2017. "The focus on interprofessional education and practice and team science has positioned the Institute to be a leader in the improvement of health care. I look forward to working with the MGH Institute community in creating that future." "Dr. Milone-Nuzzo's national reputation as a collaborative program builder and as a recognized leader in helping to shape health professions education makes her the ideal choice to lead the MGH Institute into a new era," said MGH Institute Board of Trustees Chair George E. Thibault, MD, President of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. Dr. Milone-Nuzzo, who also will hold the position of John Hilton Knowles Professor, will inherit a graduate school that has seen exponential growth over the past decade. The student population has grown from 850 to more than 1,600; the faculty has doubled; operating revenue has climbed from $19.2 million to $49.1 million; and the school's footprint in the historic Charlestown Navy Yard has expanded from 65,000 square feet to 160,000 square feet. The Institute has significantly expanded its research activities, includig opening a dedicated on-campus research facility. The Institute also launched several new programs including a Doctor of Occupational Therapy, a Master of Physician Assistant Studies, and its first PhD program, focused on Rehabilitation Sciences. For the past seven years, the Institute has been named a "Great College to Work For" by The Chronicle of Higher Education.



Dr. Milone-Nuzzo has made workforce development and health care careers the focus of her scholarly activities. Shortly after her arrival at Penn State in 2003, then-Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell appointed her to the Pennsylvania Center for Health Careers, where she served on the Leadership Council for six years. In 2015, she was named chair of the advisory board for the Pennsylvania Action Coalition of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action-an organization whose goal is transforming the nursing profession to better meet the nation's health needs. Prior to Penn State, Dr. Milone-Nuzzo served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Nursing Management and Policy at Yale University School of Nursing. She also held several prior roles there, including Chair of the Master's Program and Project Director and Research Scientist for the Home Care concentration. Prior to Yale, she served on the nursing faculty of Southern Connecticut State University for nine years.

Among her many awards are the Distinguished Colleague Award from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Nursing Schools Association, the Service Award from the Pennsylvania Center for Health Careers, the Beverly Koerner Outstanding Alumni Award for Education in Nursing from the University of Connecticut, and the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing. She is a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice, Fellow of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, and Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, for which she currently serves as Treasurer and board member. During her career, Dr. Milone-Nuzzo has been awarded more than $2.2 million in external funding to support her research in home health care, primary care nursing, and care for the elderly. She has published more than 50 articles, and has given well over 100 presentations. She also has consulted extensively for health care and academic organizations, both nationally and in China and Japan. In addition, she is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Mount Nittany Health System, chairing its Medical Center Board of Directors, and has served on more than 15 other boards, including extensive service as member and chair of numerous board committees. Dr. Milone-Nuzzo received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Boston College, Master of Science in Nursing in Community Health Nursing and Education from the University of Connecticut, and PhD in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut. She also completed an invitational post-doctoral seminar in Gerontological Research at the Hartford Institute at New York University. MGH Institute of Health Professions is an innovative and interprofessional graduate school with post-baccalaureate, direct entry-level master's and doctorate, and post-professional programs in nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, speech-language pathology, health professions education, and a PhD in rehabilitation sciences. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005480/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] ProfNet Experts Available on Autism, Travel Safety, Healthcare Technology, More

NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network  it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform EXPERT ALERTS Impact of New 'Sesame Street' Character With Autism

Zika and Travel Safety

Healthcare Technology and Analytics

Pantone's Color of the Year: Greenery

Activating Your Untapped Potential

Why Selfies Are Bad for Your Love Life MEDIA JOBS Product Liability Reporter - Reuters

Deputy Editor - AccountingWEB

Senior Communication Strategist  Southern Poverty Law Center OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES Media Pushing Back on White House Press Ban

Freelancers: How to Avoid Costly Mistakes at Tax Time

Blog Profiles: Plant Blogs EXPERT ALERTS: Impact of New 'Sesame Street' Character With Autism

Robin LaBarbera

Director of Special Education

Biola University

Dr. LaBarbera is available to discuss the new "Sesame Street" character Julia, a Muppet with autism, and the impact this will have on how children view others they meet who may be "different": "I think that anything we can do to bring awareness to autism is a win-win. Children can sometimes be afraid of what is 'different,' and showing them, in relevant ways, that different is 'okay' and nothing to be afraid of will bring awareness and sensitivity. I might question whether the characteristics of autism are portrayed in a realistic manner through the puppet, but I read that the puppeteer has a son with autism, so I have confidence that the character will be portrayed appropriately."

Dr. LaBarbera, professor and director of special education at Biola University in Los Angeles, is an expert on autism spectrum disorder. She has conducted numerous local and international presentations (most recently, two trips to Lebanon and two to Vietnam), has published articles related to the education of students with learning difficulties, and co-authored curriculum for English Language Development in Latin American countries. Dr. LaBarbera has two Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration/Marketing and Criminal Justice, two Master's degrees in Education and Special Education/Autism, and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies. Her dissertation focused on psychological variables that affect the college completion rate for individuals with learning disabilities. She is currently earning her School Psychology (PPS) credential as well.

Website: www.biola.edu

Contact: Jenna Loumagne, [email protected]

Zika and Travel Safety

Dr. Myles Druckman

SVP/Medical Director

International SOS

"It's important that companies understand how Zika and other evolving heath threats impact their staff that are stationed or traveling abroad," asserts Dr. Druckman, a leading expert in pandemic preparedness. "Zika-affected locations are expanding, especially in the 102 countries where the CDC has added or modified travel restrictions, and employees and their families should be aware of what the recommendations and restrictions are, and take them seriously."

Dr. Druckman is a World Economic Forum "Global Leader of Tomorrow," member of TED, and board member of WaterAid. His extensive international healthcare experience includes the development of western medical facilities in Beijing, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev. He also has experience consulting to major fortune 500 companies, and managing global emergencies.

Website www.internationalsos.com





Teresa Delaney , [email protected]

Healthcare Technology and Analytics

Qasim Hussain

Principal and Senior Architect

X by 2, LLC

Hussain is available to discuss how the role of technology in the healthcare industry is rapidly evolving: "What's really driving innovation faster in healthcare is the fact that there are dollars and cents clearly associated with analytics. When there is a line of sight to how you can make more revenue, that pushes innovation faster. My theory is that the healthcare industry is underinvested in technology infrastructure."

Hussain is available to discuss various aspects of healthcare technology, including claims and clinical analytic/reporting, BI, enterprise data warehousing, EHR, portals, membership/provider/claims systems.

ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/qasim.hussain

Website: http://xby2.com/

Contact: Audra Wait, [email protected]



Pantone's Color of the Year: Greenery

Karen Otis

Architect

OtisArchitecture.com

Otis is available for interviews on Pantone's Color of the Year, Greenery: "You will start to see Greenery showing up in stores, homes, fashion -- you name it. There is a boldness and confidence in that color, as well as vivacity and stimulating energy. It grounds us to nature and elevates our spirit simultaneously. I cannot think of a better vibe than that! Embrace the Greenery and allow it to revitalize you. Enjoy!"

Otis is an architect at OtisArchitecture.com, life builder, and author of "Be the Architect of Your Life: Design Build, and Start Living a Life Inspired," a revolutionary new book that uses architectural wisdom to rebuild lives from the ground up. Using her Architectural Method, Otis takes home-building strategies and applies them to life's biggest hurdles.

Book: https://www.bethearchitectofyourlife.com

Press Kit: http://karenotis.onlinepresskit247.com/

Contact: Michelle Tennant Nicholson, [email protected]

Activating Your Untapped Potential

Marco LeRoc

Entrepreneur, Speaker, Founder

Marco LeRoc & Co

If you find yourself struggling to live up to your own potential, you are not alone. A staggering 92% of people never reach the goals they set as New Year's resolutions -- let alone other life goals, according to a recent study. So, how can you set the foundation for your success in all areas of your life? LeRoc, a successful entrepreneur and former international student, has elevated living intentionally into an art form and wants to help others live their best possible lives. In order to transform weaknesses into personal success stories, he suggests turning your "What if" questions into "How?" Says LeRoc: "To be competitive, one needs to promote himself or herself. Start by taking a look at your personal brand. Google yourself and see what comes up. If not, someone else will!"

LeRoc recently published "Activate Your Untapped Potential," an essential growth-planning guide for anyone wanting to step out of their comfort zones and get out of their own way. He is an accomplished speaker with notable engagements, including Stanford University, Creighton University, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and many national conferences. Some of his most requested topics include: Turning Adversity into Advantage, How to Live Intentionally, Secrets to Achieving Your Goals, Why Making an Impact Matters, and Why Time Is Still Your Best Asset. He is based in Nebraska.

Website: http://www.marcoleroc.com

Contact: Penny Sansevieri, [email protected]

Why Selfies Are Bad for Your Love Life

Dr. Frieda Birnbuam

Research Psychologist, Psychoanalyst

"The types of selfies a person takes can reveal if they are confident or insecure to a degree. People who take an excessive amount of selfies may also be showing signs of narcissism. Some people prefer to present an exaggerated or Hollywoodesque version of themselves. Doing this may successfully attract another likeminded individual. However, it could also turn away individuals who prefer honesty above all things."

Based in the New York metro area, Dr. Birnbaum is author of "Life Begins at 60: A New View on Motherhood, Marriage, and Reinventing Ourselves." She's an expert on depression, women's issues, and attaining happiness.

Contact: Ryan McCormick, [email protected] MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Product Liability Reporter - Reuters

Deputy Editor - AccountingWEB

Senior Communication Strategist  Southern Poverty Law Center OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line. MEDIA PUSHING BACK ON WHITE HOUSE PRESS BAN. You know that person, the one who holds the key to access -- the "him" or "her" who stands in your way to talking with their principal. When it comes to covering government officials, press secretaries and communications officers are the gatekeepers. They sit in on your interviews, and sometimes you're lucky enough to be handed a cool story. And while access control isn't new, the manner and tone in which it's being carried out in today's White House is different. Media agencies are taking notice: http://bit.ly/2nRoIDY

FREELANCERS: HERE'S HOW TO AVOID COSTLY MISTAKES AT TAX TIME. To the outside world, it would appear freelancing offers many advantages. You get to be your own boss, set your schedule, manage responsibilities, and submit work in a timely manner. But the reality is there's a ton of discipline that goes along with this lifestyle, and at no other time is this more apparent than tax season. We spoke with some professionals about what freelancers must remember to avoid costly mistakes come April 15 : http://bit.ly/2mszGTk

: http://bit.ly/2mszGTk BLOG PROFILES: PLANT BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team selects an industry/subject and looks at a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the topic. This week, the team looks at plant blogs: http://prn.to/2mMXJsa PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-experts-available-on-autism-travel-safety-healthcare-technology-more-300429069.html SOURCE ProfNet

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
"All editorials or opinions are subjective. This case is particularly so. The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises, at home or abroad, is questionable," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

By Press Trust of India: The government today reacted sharply to The New York Times' editorial critiquing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's choice of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

"All editorials or opinions are subjective. This case is particularly so. The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises, at home or abroad, is questionable," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in response to a question.

advertisement

The NYT editorial, titled 'Modi's Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists', said since he came to power in 2014, PM Modi has "played a cagey game, appeasing his party's hardline Hindu base while promoting secular goals of development and economic growth".

Describing Yogi Adityanath as a "firebrand Hindu cleric", the editorial said the move to name the 44-year-old as Uttar Pradesh's chief minister is a "shocking rebuke to religious minorities".

Also read:

Yogi Adityanath: What Opposition parties said about new Uttar Pradesh CM

7 reasons why Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh chief minister is a BJP masterstroke

Muslims in Uttar Pradesh have mixed feelings for Yogi Adityanath as chief minister

WATCH THE VIDEO:

--- ENDS ---
[March 24, 2017] Financial Results For 2016 To Be Reported On Friday, March 31, 2017

MIDDLETOWN, R.I., March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Towerstream Corporation (OTCQB:TWER), a Fixed Wireless Fiber Alternative Provider, announced today that financial results for the year ended December 31, 2016 will released on Friday, March 31, 2017 concurrent with the filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the same period.

About Towerstream Corporation Towerstream Corporation (OTCQB:TWER) is a leading Fixed-Wireless Fiber Alternative company delivering high-speed Internet access to businesses. The Company offers broadband services in twelve urban markets including New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay area, Miami, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Las Vegas-Reno, andthe greater Providence area.



Safe Harbor Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable federal securities laws, including, without limitation, anything relating or referring to future financial results and plans for future business development activities, and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified based on current expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Consequently, future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor Contact Frederick Larcombe Chief Financial Officer Towerstream 401-608-8223 [email protected]

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[March 24, 2017] Next-Generation Internet: C$14 Million Investment in Kaloom Creates 50 Tech Jobs in Montreal

Fonds de solidarite FTQ and Somel Invest C$10 Million in Montreal Start-Up Highlights Development of a next-generation network management solution for hyper-scale data centres

Solutions to resolve the problem of network saturation caused by the exponential growth of data on the Internet, cellphones, video, social media, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and soon, 5G networks

Creation of a new segment in Quebec's tech industry

A team of highly experienced technology veterans based in Montreal

Collaboration with Quebec universities MONTREAL, March 24, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The increased use of mobile devices, social media and cloud computing, combined with the growth of online video and the availability of new content, is pushing data centre networks beyond their capacity. And the problem will only get worse with the advent of the Internet of Things, smart cities, artificial intelligence and self-driving cars. Enter Kaloom, a Montreal IT start-up bent on resolving the issue of saturation. Kaloom is building a solution that is critical and well timed as the demands on data center operators and customers increase and the hyper-scale data center market evolves to serve telecom, financial services, government, healthcare and cloud computing markets. Founded by engineer Laurent Marchand, Kaloom develops next-generation softwarefor data centres. Such infrastructures, which are the lifeblood of a booming market, will increasingly require innovative, effective solutions. This is the very market that Kaloom plans on taking by a storm.



Quotes "The Kaloom solution represents the epitome of where networking is heading. I am very proud to be part of creating jobs in Quebec while taking advantage of the strong technical talent that is available. I am also thrilled to partner with our tier one investors and thank them for their support. I look forward to an exciting future as we grow Kaloom to a world class company."

Laurent Marchand, CTO de Kaloom

"We're proud that companies such as Kaloom are choosing to build their success on Quebec talent and know-how. We want to create a world-class digital economy that is attractive, open, and recognized internationally for its knowledge, ecosystem, and innovation. With this in mind, our Digital Economy Action Plan (DEAP) is the perfect driver to propel Quebec's economy towards a digital future."

Dominique Anglade, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister Responsible for the Digital Strategy "With its world-class team, start-up Kaloom is a testament to the momentum of Quebec's IT sector. The Fonds de solidarite FTQ supports data centres, software developers and providers of infrastructure solutions to ensure Quebec carves out a place in the world of next-generation Internet. In so doing, we help create jobs for a highly skilled workforce."

Gaetan Morin, President and CEO, Fonds de solidarite FTQ. "We're investing in Kaloom in the hopes of building an ecosystem in Quebec that will support the explosive growth of intelligent technology developers. We think these technologies and the advancement of artificial intelligence in particular will spark a technology revolution that will have a greater impact and happen more quickly than the industrial, Internet and social media revolutions."

Sophie Gupta, Managing Director, Somel Investments Inc. Kaloom comes from the Latin word "caelum" which means "cloud." Kaloom is developing a network solution for cloud computing. About the Fonds de solidarite FTQ

The Fonds de solidarite FTQ is a development capital fund that channels the savings of Quebecers into investments. As at November 30, 2016, the organization had $12.2 billion in net assets, and through its current portfolio of investments has helped create and protect over 187,000 jobs. The Fonds is a partner in more than 2,600 companies and has nearly 618,000 shareholder-savers. fondsftq.com. About Somel Investments Inc.

A small-cap investment firm, Somel Investments was founded in 2015 following the sale of a global family-owned telecommunications firm. The firm invests only in high-tech businesses and especially in companies in the field of the Internet of Things and those that use such applications. Somel Investments relies on the technical and operating expertise of its founding members to support the companies in its portfolio and help them achieve their growth objectives. SOURCE Fonds de solidarite FTQ

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Election day information: voting times, polling centers and races

Residents will have their final chance to cast votes in local races on Nov. 8, including seats on both the NLCS and MCS boards and Sheriff.
By Press Trust of India: Chandigarh, Mar 24 (PTI) Oman has urged Haryana to share its expertise in agriculture, health, poultry farming and skill development and also invited entrepreneurs from the state to set up their ventures in the Gulf state.

Chairman of Integration Capital and Trade (ICT), Oman, Salim Taman al-Mashani, who called on Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar here today, discussed several issues of mutual cooperation between Oman and Haryana, said an official release.

advertisement

The Chief Minister directed officers concerned to identify those agriculture products which can be directly exported to Oman on Minimum Support Price (MSP).

He also issued directions that a list of agriculture projects be prepared which are in demand in Oman so that the same could be pursued.

He also directed them to find out key areas in which skill development courses could be started so as to generate ample employment opportunities for the youth of Haryana in Oman.

Mashani evinced keen interest in the growth story of Haryana and urged the state government to share its expertise in the field of agriculture, health, poultry farming and skill development.

He also invited the entrepreneurs from the state to set up their units in Oman.

Describing Haryana as a leading state in agriculture, Mashani said there is a lot of demand for maize, corn and sugar in Oman not only for human consumption but also to cater to the need of poultry sector adding that Haryana could meet this demand by exporting the same.

He said there is a huge requirement of skilled manpower in Oman in the areas of mining, shipping, petrochemicals, marketing and office staff and Haryana could prepare a trained workforce by providing them skill training as per the industry needs in Oman.

Oman and India had a very long association of more than 6,000 years and people of Indian community were respected a lot in Oman, he added.

Mashani informed that abundance of groundwater is available in the north and southern parts of Oman. Therefore, there was a lot of potential in agriculture sector.

Entrepreneurs from Haryana could set up agro-industries in Oman to further promote agriculture and allied sectors.

Oman also wants entrepreneurs to set up downstream industries in ammonia. Oil-related companies and those engaged in mining, limestone, gypsum, marble and petrochemicals were among major industries of Oman, he added.

He said since various Indian companies have already established their units in Oman, they are looking forward to more Indian companies and public sector undertakings to expand their base. PTI CHS KUN

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Mar 24 (PTI) Pakistan today asked the international community to "influence" India to respond positively to its initiatives for peace, saying that Islamabad wants to resolve differences with New Delhi through dialogue.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan is not in favour of any arms race in the region and wants to solve issues with India through dialogue. He also claimed that India was involved in massive purchase of weapons.

advertisement

He urged the international community to "influence" India to respond positively to Pakistans initiatives for peace.

Zakaria also claimed that the Pakistan Day was not only observed in the country but also in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan Day was "celebrated across the length and breadth" of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

"Pakistani flags were fluttering there and entire Jammu & Kashmir region was echoing with Pakistans National Anthem, which was a clear verdict by the Kashmiris who they want to be with. And this happens every year and every day," Zakaria claimed. PTI SH UZM AKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---




"Stand Up KC will host a free community screening of At The River I Stand at the historic Gem Theater on April 4th at 7pm to commemorate the assassination and vision of Dr. King. We'll also remember the Memphis sanitation workers that were on strike for a union, a living wage, and an end racism on-the-job when Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968.





In an era of increasing division, bigotry, and violent hate, we come together to breath new life into Dr. King's vision of "Beloved Community" of black, white, and brown Americans organizing together as one people who share a common destiny..."

The fight for pay increases in Kansas City continues, here's a glimpse at more upcoming protest and an important collaboration.Checkit:Meanwhile, the story behind this news tidbit has been underway in KCMO for at least a couple years but offers a glimpse of the mainstream media becoming aware of the rising protest culture:Developing . . .








KCPD collected a MASSIVE amount of video surveillance of the area . . . We're talking EXABYTES worth of digital archived footage that nearly crashed their servers.

FRIENDS OF TONI ANDERSON DEMAND POLICE MAKE MORE VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM THE INVESTIGATION PUBLIC AND REJECT MAINSTREAM MEDIA REPORTS OF HER TRAGIC DEMISE!!!

"KCPD thinks if they don't respond to us that we will just give up! WRONG!! Very early on in this case I made a promise to Toni. That I wouldn't rest until we got justice for her. Her parents may be OK with the whole accident theory that the KCPD has poisoned them with, but I'm not! & I know I'm not alone!





"To all the people who have messaged, commented, posted, asking what they can do to help; PLEASE fill this form out! We all have to ban together to let KCPD know that we will NOT rest until we get answers & justice for Toni"

Just as our blog community noted, Toni Anderson friends and family gathered to remember her life during a Wichita, Ks. memorial service. Loved ones carried a sparkling blue urn after a delay to return her body amid on ongoing investigation.Roundup . . .And this brings us to the latest update in the saga . . .Here's the word . . .Meanwhile, Kansas City copes with a homicide uptick that keeps climbing north whilst these activists hope a murder investigation won't grow cold.Developing . . .
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - An Overland Park woman who pleaded guilty to theft in January learned her fate Friday for the crimes she committed in the Spring of 2015 and then again in November 2016. Kelli Jo Bauer, 47, was sentenced to 19 months in prison without probation.
A proposal circulated by students at the meeting accused administrators of victim-blaming. They said by routinely prefacing the word rape with the word alleged, Tylers email and University News articles had committed invalidation of rape.

A student leader claimed without evidence that one in five women will be sexually assaulted at UMKC.

"They want to fire college administrators and assume that those accused of rape are guilty until proven innocent. Talk about a kangaroo court!"

More followup on Kansas City student controversy for Friday . . . Discord following an alleged sexual assault continues to rage at UMKC.Administrators freely admit and have apologized for a flubbed first response to the preliminary reports of the attack. Ensuing protest might have been justified but now seems to have gone over the edge.Brief aside . . . Yes, we previously noted the suspect in this case has. Somewhat related to the topic of immigration . . . Hardliners often remind activists for "the undocumented" that "we're a nation of laws" but apparently basic American freedoms likearen't taught at UMKC. Example . . .Money line:Apparently, this is a reaction to some reportedly dangerous times at the city college . . .Those are pretty bad odds and here's a quick take from our blog community . . .Exactly.What's worse is that all of this culture war controversy over immigration, politically correct terminology and "rape culture" at a school that hasn't had a decent frat since the 1950s overlooks the very real issue of safety at the University located in the midst of Kansas City's increasingly violent and dangerous urban core. Sadly, the political chatter and struggle to gain administrative control trumps any real or helpful discussion about policy to improve security and better communicate the threat of crime on campus.You decide . . .
The structural reforms implemented by Greece have borne fruit and Greece is returning to growth and running a very substantial primary surplus, the Chief Economist of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Rolf Strauch, said in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE published on Thursday.

The situation today is very different from early 2015. Different, as in better. This government received a clear mandate in the 2015 election to implement a package of sound policies to secure the ESM financial assistance program. Thus, there is not a stand-off as early in 2015, where the entire adjustment agenda was called into question. Greece has since implemented additional structural reforms in the context of the ESM program. These reforms have borne fruit: Greece is returning to positive growth and it is now running a very substantial primary surplus, he told the news agency.

Asked about the ongoing negotiations between Greek authorities and the institutions, Strauch said progress has been made in many areas, particularly in the financial sector, but there are still a number of issues such as labour market and pension reforms.

These are traditionally difficult reforms for all countries, but we have been discussing them for several months now and we need to bring these discussions to a close as the delays are starting to damage the economy. To move these matters forward, the Eurogroup asked the institutions this week in Brussels to intensify talks with Greece. The ESM is working hard on this and I hope all parties are prepared to move so that we can conclude the review quickly, he said.

Greece has already accomplished the most difficult part of the adjustment, he noted, adding that to attain the 2018 3.5 percent fiscal surplus that the program requires, the European institutions believe that the county already has agreed to the necessary measures, and is implementing them. The new steps on income taxation and pensions, which are currently under discussion, should result in a more balanced and growth-friendly Greek budget that provides the fiscal space for some social measures.

Greece also committed in the Eurogroup to keeping to the programs primary surplus target over the medium-term after the program ends in 2018. Discussions on finalising the second review may set a more precise timeframe for this medium-term period, he explained.

He also cautioned that delays in concluding the review creates uncertainty which in turn hurts confidence and reminded the big 7.4 billion-euro debt repayment Greece has lined up for July.

There is indeed a big repayment deadline approaching in summer but this is not the only important issue. The greatest damage from delays in concluding the review is the resulting uncertainty. These delays to the second review are proving costly to the economy, with both private investment and consumer confidence suffering, he said.

In addition, Greece needs to avoid accumulating new arrears, which experience shows us have a destructive impact on growth and employment. A positive review conclusion will reassure investors that the program is continuing. The government must show ownership of the reform measures for Greece to return to the markets.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
the capitalisation of Greek banks was relatively good and adequate, the European Central Banks (ECB) Supervisory Board Chair Danielle Nouy said

BRUSSELS (ANA/ M. Spinthourakis) Following the recapitalisation in 2015, the capitalisation of Greek banks was relatively good and adequate, the European Central Banks (ECB) Supervisory Board Chair Danielle Nouy said in the European Parliament on Thursday.

Replying to SYRIZA MEP and European Parliament Vice-President Dimitris Papadimoulis, Nouy said she had seen progress during her recent visit to Athens.

I saw, and I said this to Greek banks, that they have made progress and are making good efforts to respond to the problems, she said.

As regards adequate capitalisation, I replied to a question on whether I consider that they need more capital. I do not think this is the issue in the present phasethey do face challenges, however. Known challenges. They recently adopted measures to address the challenge of management, relating to the composition of the board members and transparency in management and there is new legislation on this. I consider that this is a good step in the right direction, she said.

While there was great progress, which was noted, Nouy noted that great commitment was still needed , which was normal.

The state of banks in Greece does not differ from that of banks in other countries, there are always difficulties and challenges, she added.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
The Bank of Greece announced that the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing council did not object to an ELA ceiling for Greek banks of 46.6 billion euros

The Bank of Greece (BoG) on Thursday announced that the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing council did not object to an ELA ceiling for Greek banks of 46.6 billion euros, up until April 5, 2017.

The development comes in the wake of a request by the BoG.

"The increase of 0.4 billion euros in the ceiling reflects developments in the liquidity situation of Greek banks, taking into account private sector deposits flows," was the press released issued by the BoG.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Mar 24 (PTI) Pakistan may replace its top envoy to India, Abdul Basit, who has completed his three-year tenure in New Delhi.

Basit, the Pakistan High Commissioner to India, was appointed in March 2014 after he suffered a major disappointment when he was sure of being appointed Pakistans Foreign Secretary but last-minute wheeling and dealing resulted in the appointment of Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.

advertisement

He failed again to get favours from the decisions-makers in Islamabad when last month his junior Tehmina Janjua was appointed his boss and Foreign Secretary.

The "powerful men" in Islamabad wanted to make history by appointing a woman as the first foreign secretary of Pakistan.

Reliable sources said Basit in the heat of passions had thought of resigning. But later decided to stay put, making it clear to his bosses he would not work in any subordinate position to Janjua.

As he completes his tenure, Foreign Office bosses are unsure how to deal with Basit. Sources said an option could be to let Basit carry on but the problem is he is considered hawkish by the incumbent government who hardly fits into the Prime Ministers policy of "good ties with all neighbours".

Another possibility could be to appoint him to send him as ambassador or high commissioner to a European capital. The last option could be to send his replacement to New Delhi and let him come back and then proceed on a long leave.

Already, name of senior diplomat Sohail Mahmood is being discussed as possible replacement. He is not the only one as other names are also being named including one of former spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, the sources said.

In his Pakistan Day speech yesterday at the embassy in New Delhi, Basit said the long-standing unresolved issues of Kashmir must be resolved as per the "aspirations of Kashmiris". PTI SH ABH

--- ENDS ---
Europe is not defending its own accomplishments, its heritage and social model and has surrendered to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which explains its existential crisis, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday evening, addressing an event organized by the Transform! Europe network, in Romes La Sapienza University.

We are at a critical moment because these days Greece is on the front line of a battle that concerns all of Europe. We are fighting to restore collective labour agreements in our country, to end the exemption status now and once and for all in the future, he said.

Continuing his speech at the event titled A Europe for the People and by the People, he said this is the reason his government didnt give up two years ago, because it knew it would have the opportunity to fight for the rights of the social majority from a better position and now we have this position.

He warned that Europe today has become almost exclusively an area of austerity, of deregulation of social and labour rights and of closed borders for political refugees and migrants. Neoliberalism has almost devoured Europe, he said, adding that its the neoliberal management of the economic crisis that augmented the existing inequalities and asymmetries within our countries and between them. It took the form of a systemic attack of the capital against labour, he explained.

Beyond the widening of the gap between the European North and South, the crisis also deepened the divisions in Europe through aggressive and irrational stereotypes. Thankfully it is few [people] who want to hide the economic inequality caused by neoliberalism behind a non-existent cultural division. They do it by resorting to ridiculous stereotypes and prejudiced rhetoric of a prudent North and an irresponsible South, he said.

He then openly criticized Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem for his recent comments about debt-ridden nations wasting money on booze and women.

When budget deficits are high, the euro area requires action to reduce public spending. Therefore, shouldnt Mr. Dijsselbloem, instead making foolish and sexist comments on booze and women ask Germany to increase public spending, given its high current account surpluses? he asked.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
The lawyer Stavroula Tomara has not been retained to represent the two Turkish special forces men that sought asylum in Greece last month, the Greek citizen protection ministry said in an announcement on Thursday.

Stavroula Tomaras professional or other interest in publicly promoting herself as the defender of the two Turkish soldiers that entered Greece in mid-February is clear. She has no right, however, to falsely reproach the citizen protection ministry for obstructing her legal vocation or to cultivate myths. Even more so when it can be proved in writing that she does not represent the two alleged clients, as she claims, the ministry announcement said.

The ministry was responding to a formal extrajudicial notice that Tomara sent to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday, in which she claimed that police were failing to brief her about her clients.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
"Greece belongs in the Eurozone," German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Thursday, during joint statements with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias after their meeting in Athens. He also emphasised that this discussion was now closed, since "Europe cannot become stronger if it progresses with amputations."

The two ministers announced that Greece and Germany intend to make their cooperation closer in all areas, including foreign policy. In addition to Greek-German cooperation, their discussion covered all crucial regional and European issues, with special emphasis on the refugee and migration crisis.

According to Kotzias, they discussed developments in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean, especially the Cyprus issue where Greece "desires, as all countries do, a peaceful solution that is viable and within the framework of international law."

"We all know that Greece and the Greek government, including myself personally, believe that the Cyprus issue is primarily a problem of occupation and reject all thoughts of third countries having rights of intervention on the island. We are a country that, like Germany, believes in international law and the proper functioning of international organisations, and also that problems must be solved through consensus," Kotzias said.

Regarding the future of the EU, Kotzias and Gabriel agreed that a good future of Europe would ensure peace and was in the best interests of all. The German minister referred to the need for a stable EU that will protect the future of young people and the prosperity of all its nations with the tools of growth and security.

Need for reforms

Gabriel stressed the need for reforms, both on the level of member-states and on the level of the Eurozone, in this context.

"When one considers the future of the next generations, one wonders whether the peace and prosperity of recent decades is something certain," noting that high youth unemployment, nationalism, daily clashes, conflicts and refugee flows appeared to create a much more precarious future for young people growing up in Europe today.

Stability in Europe could help increase security but this cannot be driven by one large country, he said, while noting that Europe was not just Germany.

"Germany is a stable country that has some power and wants to assume its responsibilities. We know that we must offer much in order to achieve this in a framework of security but, at the same time, we have to say that every country regardless of size - all the countries are at the same level and none looks down on the other - is called upon to deal with its issues," he said.

Greece definitely faced economic issues, Gabriel added, and the Greek people have had to shoulder a great burden for a long time, while politicians had to make tough decisions in order to extricate the country from the difficult situation it was now in.

Many politicians in Germany, including himself, had great respect for the efforts made by the Greek people and wondered how to proceed on the issue of European policy at this difficult time, he added.

Strengthening economic growth

Gabriel referred to the need to create tools that will lead to and strengthen economic growth, since there could not be economic stability without growth.

"We created the EU because we wanted to focus on peace but coal played a very important role then, in offering prosperity to the citizens of Europe. We will not succeed in keeping Europe alive if we do not succeed in providing young people with solutions and prospects," Gabriel noted, pointing to high youth unemployment rates and the danger of a "lost generation".

"We are a strong country and we want to help, knowing that the other countries must be well in order for us to be successful. We want to support your efforts also. We produce more than we can consume ourselves and live, in the final analysis, on the need that there is in other countries to buy the surplus goods that we produce," Gabriel said.

Regarding the refugee and migration crisis, and the issues that have arisen with neighbouring Turkey, Gabriel noted that this was a problem that concerned the EU as a whole and not individual countries, like Greece and Italy.

"We must therefore work together and try to all move in the same direction," he said.

Kotzias noted that the German minister will continue talks on the refugee crisis in Athens, meeting Migration Policy Minister Yiannis Mouzalas and Alternate Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Toskas.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Turkey must respect international law and withdraw its troops from Cyprus, Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias told German newspaper "Die Welt" in an interview published on Thursday.

"Turkey must understand that Cyprus is not a state which is being created now, as was happening in the years 1959-1960. Cyprus is a member of the United Nations and the European Union. No third country has the right to intervene there. Turkey must respect international law and withdraw its troops," the minister was quoted as saying.

He said the Cypriot issue is about invasion and occupation of the islands northern part from the Turkish army.

"Ankara violated the London and Zurich Agreements which foresaw that guarantor powers ? that is Greece, Britain and Turkey ? must agree on joint actions after joint talks. Turkey acted unilaterally and occupied the northern part of the island. And of course it didnt stay for a few days  43 years have gone by in the meantime,"he added.

According to Kotzias, a solution lies in assuring the maximum possible security and rights to the three small minorities (Armenians, Maronites and Latin-Catholics) and the Turkish-Cypriot community, but also in giving the Greek-Turkish community the largest possible security and rights.

"Security for Greek-Cypriots means withdrawal of the Turkish army and ending every form of guarantor rights which allow Turkey to intervene in Cyprus. The Turkish army must go. The system of guarantees must be abolished. We want a federal system that will create equal rights," he said, adding the withdrawal could take place gradually, as was the case with the Soviet army in Eastern Germany.

Concerning the European Commissions decision to reintroduce the Dublin Regulation rules which will allow member-states to return refugees to Greece, Kotzias strongly criticized the move.

"There are some countries in the EU who believe that they can use southern Italy and Greece as closed boxes where refugees can be stored. But this is not a European way of thinking."

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias criticised the European Commissions proposals to reintroduce the Dublin II regulations effective March 14 regarding the return of refugees to Greece and Italy in an interview to German publication Die Welt. Mr. Kotzias was also critical of German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere who had suggested refugees whose asylum applications were turned down in Germany would be relocated to Greece. Greece has shown has demonstrated great humaneness by accepting the refugees. A new wave of refugees in the summer would burden us excessively, he said.

The top Greek diplomat continued by saying that Greece did not have the capacity of economic resources to receive refugees sent from the northern European countries. Some countries in the European Union believe that southern Italy and Greece can be used as some kind of closed containers where someone can store refugees, he underlined.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Greek PM sent a letter to his EU counterparts asking if Greece is an exception to the EUs Acquis

EU officials said on Thursday they were hopeful Greece would drop its eleventh-hour objections to a declaration marking the blocs 60th birthday, sparing it a major embarrassment as it struggles for unity despite the looming departure of Britain.

The leaders of the European Unions 27 remaining states will mark the anniversary at a gathering in Rome on Saturday, four days before Britain is due to give formal notice of Brexit.

Greece has threatened not to sign the Rome declaration setting out the blocs vision of its future. It wants the text to make a clearer commitment to protecting workers rights  an issue on which it is at loggerheads with international lenders who want it to adopt more reforms in return for new loans.

The negotiations on the draft Rome Declaration have ended as the text was finalised by the EU27, an EU source said. Only Greece has a general reservation on the text.

The source added the chairman of EU summits, Donald Tusk, had spoken to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on the matter. This leaves us relatively confident that it will be possible for Tsipras to sign the Rome Declaration on Saturday.

A senior EU diplomat said tweaks to the draft declaration highlighting the need to fight unemployment should satisfy Athens: For Tsipras to underline his concerns about employment, one can understand. But I dont think in the end this will hold up the text.

Another EU diplomat said any attempt by Athens to win leverage on the international debt talks by holding off in Rome should not succeed: We wont be blackmailed by one member state which is linking one EU issue with a totally different one.

The person added that if Greece did not come on board by Saturday, the document  designed to emphasize unity and solidarity  could be adopted in Tusks name rather than as a joint statement by 27 EU states and Brussels institutions.

That would, however, be another symbolic setback for the bloc, mired in internal divisions and weakened by Britains decision to leave.

EAST-WEST RIFT

As well as Greece, Poland indicated on Thursday it might also refuse to endorse the declaration, though diplomats played down the threat.

Warsaw is particularly opposed to a multi-speed Europe, an idea promoted by Germany, France and Brussels, among others, to help improve decision-making in the post-Brexit EU.

This would allow countries keen to deepen cooperation in specific areas to press ahead without waiting for the whole bloc. Poland and some other eastern EU countries fear they could end up as second-class members, increasingly left behind by wealthier west European nations.

If the declaration does not include the issues which are priorities for Poland, we will not accept the declaration, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said.

But the sole sentence in the Rome declaration about this concept has been softened to accommodate Warsaws concerns, meaning any last-minute veto is highly unlikely.

Diplomats in Brussels said Warsaw had already approved the draft text earlier this week and said Szydlos comments appeared designed for domestic consumption and to allow her to claim a diplomatic victory at the summit.

Source: reuters.com

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
The National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) of North America, Inc., hosted their first bi-annual convention on the West Coast

Los Angeles, CA  The National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) of North America, Inc., hosted their first bi-annual convention on the West Coast in Los Angeles, CA, March 10-12, 2017.

In L.A., NHSA united over 85 students and young professionals from across the U.S., Canada, and Greece for a day-long conference exploring the work of Hellenes in the fields of art and innovation. Attendees also spent time networking and bonding over several NHSA sponsored activities during the weekend convention.

The convention kicked off on Friday, March 10, at The L.A. Hotel Downtown where the NHSA Executive Board greeted attendees arriving throughout the day to check-in. Participants later had the opportunity to meet and network with each other during the welcome dinner at the St. Sophia Cathedral Huffington Center with food provided by local Greek restaurant Papa Cristos Greek Grill & Catering.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
What a beautiful day to celebrate a National Holiday! Sunny and not too warm! Greeks celebrate the 25th March a double holiday: a historical and a religious one. Greeks celebrate the War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. The Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between 1821 and 1830.

Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the Annunciation by Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she should become the mother of Jesus Christ the Son of God. 25th March is exactly nine months before Christmas!

The country marks the double holiday with two things: Parades and Bakaliaros (Cod fish)

A custom across the country on this day is to eat crispy, fried Cod fish with garlic sauce (Bakaliaros skordalia) ! This has to do with the Lent before Eastern, where no animals or animal products should be eaten. However the Orthodox Church allowed an exception for the celebration of the Annunciation and that it the Cod fish!

Why fried? Because thats almost the only tasty way to eat the salted cod  the thought was that not all the region have availability to fresh fish.

Why garlic sauce? No idea!

Enjoy with day!

Source:keeptalkinggreece.com

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Will the EU countries show their support as they did with the Netherlands?

Turkey has condemned Cyprus research for natural gas in the islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), in a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

These contacts clearly demonstrate yet again how the Greek Cypriot Administration disregards, in its unilateral pursuit of hydrocarbon-related activities, the inalienable rights on natural resources of the Turkish Cypriot people, the co-owners of the Island, the statement reads, about meetings President Nicos Anastasiades had with natural gas companies in the US on March 22.

Ankara has also condemned the fact contracts were signed in the Republic of Cyprus for exploration of the EEZ, and that the Greek Cypriot side is still not able to grasp the win-win-based potential for economic cooperation that can ensue on the Island and in the Eastern Mediterranean from a comprehensive settlement, towards which the Turkish Cypriot side and turkey have been expending intensive efforts.

We expect the Greek Cypriot side, which refuses to accept the Turkish Cypriots as politically equal partners on the Island, to refrain from acting as though it were the sole owner of the Islands natural resources and to cease its hydrocarbon-related activities. It will be recalled in this context that in previous years, such activities have led to the failure of efforts aiming towards a comprehensive settlement, the statement reads.

Ankara has warned that Turkey will take all the necessary measures to protect its interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as, the rights of the so called TRNC.

Turkeys warning has arrived at a time, when negotiations on the Cyprus problem have been stalled, after the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci walked away from negotiations.

CYPRUS WILL CONTINUE ITS POLICY

In a statement issued in the afternoon the Foreign Ministry of the Republic has emphasised the following about Turkeys statement:

- The statement once more demonstrates Turkeys disregard for conventional and customary International Law, as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, and contempt for the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus over its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

- International Law provides that a countrys natural wealth belongs to the state and the responsibility for managing it lies with its government for the benefit of all its citizens. Consequently, actions that put into question the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus not only contradict International Law, but are also completely groundless.

The statement added that it is regrettable that Turkey has once more resorted to threats in order to advance its own interests, under the pretext of concerns over the rights of the Turkish Cypriots.

The Republic of Cyprus will resolutely continue its policy in the field of hydrocarbons, in full respect of International and European Law. The President of the Republic Cyprus has taken a clear position affirming that Turkish Cypriots will benefit from the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the context of an agreed settlement of the Cyprus problem. In the bi-communal negotiations it was agreed that natural resources will fall within the competences of the federal government, the statement reads.

The Republic has called on Turkey to contribute in tangible terms to the resumption of the negotiating process and the achievement of a speedy reunification of Cyprus, through a just a viable solution to the Cyprus problem that will allow all Cypriots to enjoy their rights freely and peacefully.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
By Devarsi Ghosh: Phillauri is a supernatural comedy where a man gets stuck with a friendly spirit after he is made to marry a tree. Here is our Phillauri movie review.

Phillauri Cast: Anushka Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh, Suraj Sharma, Mehreen Pirzada

Phillauri Direction: Anshai Lal

Phillauri Rating: (1.5/5)

When the friendly spirit Shashi is asked why she is stuck with the soon-to-be-married Kanan, she says, "Pata nahi, main to yahi atki hui hoon." Anshai Lal's 138-minute long Phillauri could speak for itself here.

advertisement

Once the one-line idea of guy-getting-married-to-spirit has been established, the film hovers around, like Shashi, from one useless scene to another which are neither funny nor interesting nor of any service to whatever goodness the film has.

So, Kaneda-return Punjabi boy Kanan, 26, returns to India to get married. Cue: Boisterous Punjabi family scenes during wedding season. Kanan is played superbly by Life Of Pi actor Suraj Sharma. Kanan beat-boxes when he is asked to sing by his family. Later, he escapes them and goes to the roof to roll a J. When his fiance Anu (a decent Mehreen Pirzada) asks if he is ready for the marriage, he goes "Yo, chill." Phillauri is pretty entertaining and appears promising in these initial scenes till the point Kanan is married to a tree because of being a manglik and Shashi, the spirit enters his life.

Now once this set up has been established, you need solid plot developments to fill the rest of the ninety minutes. This, Phillauri lacks. A premise like this has the potential to deliver a good supernatural comedy a la Beetlejuice or Casper. As such, the usual direction a story like this can take is one where the human(s) and the ghost(s) slowly resolve their innermost crises by being in constant proximity to each other and this is achieved by a series of good, well-written scenes.

Now, Kanan's crisis is that 1. he is unsure of getting married and 2. there is a ghost living with him. Shashi's crisis is that she is stuck with Kanan; her story arc is resolved in the most predictable way at the end and it is strange that this was not made the film's focus from the very beginning. As long as Kanan and Shashi are together on screen, for the most part, Phillauri is interesting. In friendly-ghost films like these, it is the way the human and the ghost play off each other and the weird situations they create is what makes these films worth watching.

But Kanan-Shashi's parts are punctuated by an elaborate backstory that is just dull and Diljit Dosanjh is a decent performer, sure, but he is not a big enough Khan to make mediocre writing worthwhile. The period-backstory involving Shashi and her lover, played by Diljit, seriously drags the film. Sometimes, the cloying sentimentality of these portions is nauseating and these scenes jut out like a sore thumb in the middle of the fun Kanan-Shashi moments.

advertisement

Phillauri's concept is good and novel. But the delivery is what North Indians call KLPD. The climactic payoff at the end comes way too easily. It's just lazy writing after a point. If only Shashi emerged in the writer's room before filming began and smacked some imagination into Anvita Dutt's head.

(The writer tweets as @devarsighosh.)

OPINION: Why Phillauri will make Anushka Sharma a producer to reckon with

ALSO READ: Petitioners drag Anushka's Phillauri to court, get fined Rs 5 lakh instead

WATCH: I believe in ghosts and aliens, says Anushka Sharma at India Today Conclave 2017

--- ENDS ---
SEC Goes to T+2 Settlement Cycle

The time it takes to settle equity and fixed income trades just got shorter.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved by unanimous vote to shorten the time it takes to process a trade down to two business days or T+2. The decrease in time is aimed to help reduce risk exposure to a variety of market forces  such as counterparty risk, credit risk and default risk.

Previously, trades were settled in three business days but in certain agreed instances, the settlement time frame could be longer or shorter depending on the trading partners. T+2 now standardizes the cycle. T+3 has been in effect for almost 15 years.

The settlement duration is defined as the time between when a trade is executed and cash/ownership of the security are transferred.

"It is finally time to say hasta la vista to the antiquated T+3 settlement cycle," acting SEC Chairman Michael Piwowar said.

Many global firms have already adopted the T+2 settlement cycle as it has been in effect in other countries.

According to a report on Reuters, SEC Commissioner Kara Stein expressed some support on Wednesday for shortening the cycle to one day, saying she believes technology exists to accomplish such a goal.

"I have asked the staff to study not only the changes resulting from a movement to a T+2 settlement cycle, but also to consider further improvements," she said in a Reuters story.

T+2 will go into effect Sept. 5.

Exchange-traded funds are also now eligible for T+2 also.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:
Deimos is gathering more enemies as he continues his schemes in "Days of Our Lives." His plans of revenge against Chad resulted to the lives of Abi and Gabi almost dying from the poison. Instead of choosing between the two, Chad gave both a small portion of the antidote.

With both safe for now, Soap Hub reports that Rafe would be angry with Deimos for what he did to his sister that he is getting ready to take him down. Deimos may be in danger now, given that Rafe is a police officer. Added to that is the report that Rafe may be asking help from Sonny, who is just as fed up with Deimos.

Rafe is obviously not thinking clearly, as his plans may result to even more complications in Salem. It seems that Hope is the only one who can stop him as of now, but who knows when she could keep him from taking action.

Meanwhile, Gosh TV reports that because of what happened, Dario will realize just how much he feels for Abigail. His epiphany leads him going to Abi and confessing his true feelings. When he confesses, Abi will be caught off guard as she had no idea. But his confession will not result to anything as Abi cannot reciprocate his feelings.

Aside from that, Abi will also be too busy worrying about her husband. Because of the latest events, Chad is even more determined to do something about Deimos. Although Abi does not like Chad's determination, she will still support him.

With so many people against him, does it seem like Deimos' days in Salem and "Days of Our Lives" seem numbered? It was already reported that the actor playing him will be leaving the show. How do you think the series will handle Deimos exit? Share your thoughts and comments below.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
The upcoming live-action movie adaptation of the hit sci-fi action anime series, "Ghost in the Shell" has been a subject of controversy. The filmmakers are lambasted as the fans alleged them of another whitewashing act when they cast Scarlett Johansson for the role of Motoko Kusanagi aka Major. Fans are worried that the movie adaptation will not be on par with the anime but the staff invited some guest that will bear witness if the movie will stay true with the anime.

According to Anime News Network, the Hollywood staff invited the director of the original 1995 "Ghost in the Shell" anime film, Mamoru Oshii together with "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" director Kenji Kamiyama in their Hong Kong set. They also documented the visit and Paramount Picture's YouTube channel in Japan posted the one minute and 10-second on-site video. It also featured Oshii's opinion regarding the movie adaptation.

Oshii mentioned that the adaptation is undoubtedly the best work in the "Ghost in the Shell" franchise yet. He also commended the performance of Johansson's rendition of the cyborg Major. He said that the actress clearly displayed the anxiety and the emotion of existing as neither a human of a robot. "She is quite close to the character I depicted," Oshii added.

To give the fans a sneak peek of the upcoming March 31 release, Paramount released a 5-minute video clip featuring the opening sequence of the movie as reported by Comic Book. The opening scene is a modified version of the original 1995 "Ghost in the Shell" film of Oshii where Major stormed a building as part of a strike mission. The live-action movie director, Rupert Sanders has also added more visual flare and action in the previewed clip.

As promised by the filmmakers, the casts were culturally diverse and Asian actors and actresses are given roles in the highly anticipated film. Beat Takeshi or Takeshi Kitano will play the founder of Section 9 and its current chief, Daisuke Aramaki. Kaori Momoi and Rila Fukushima are also among the others that are given roles in the film.

As for the Japanese release, the original voice actors will reprise their role for the Japanese dub. Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ohtsuka, and Kouichi Yamadera will come back with their roles as the Major, Batou and Togusa respectively.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Pakistans National Day and said India wants to have good neighbourly relations with it in an "environment free from terror and violence", a development that comes amid continued strain in ties between the two countries.

According to sources, Prime Minister Modi wrote a letter to Sharif to wish him on the Pakistan National Day.

advertisement

In the letter, Modi said India wants to have good relations with all its neighbours, including Pakistan, the sources said.

President Pranab Mukherjee also sent a message to his Pakistani counterpart Mamnoon Hussain yesterday, saying India is committed to building ties with Pakistan in an environment free from terror and violence.

The Indian leaders greetings come amid unease in Indo-Pak ties following a series of terrorist attacks on army camps and tension along the border due to frequent ceasefire violations.

Pakistans National Day marks the adoption of the historic Lahore Resolution in 1940 that spurred efforts to create a separate homeland for Muslims of South Asia. PTI PYK PMS SK PMS

--- ENDS ---


Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS REPORTS SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL IN SOUTH FLORIDA Industry: Destinations

Governor Kenneth E. Mapp led the USVI delegation which included Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty



(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS - March 24th, 2017 For Immediate Release Source: United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism Contact: Keisha Nelson + 1 201 861-2056 keisha@marketplaceexcellence.com

Alani Henneman-Todman + 1 340 642-9789 ahenneman@usvitourism.vi Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty at NBC's studios in Miami with reporter Johanna Gomez and dancers Lydia Tyson (left) and Jenee Reynolds U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS REPORTS SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL IN SOUTH FLORIDA FORT LAUDERDALE (March 24, 2017) - The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Tourism is reporting a successful in-market mission to South Florida. Representatives participated in the 2017 edition of Seatrade Cruise Global and a number of activities to promote the Ports of the U.S. Virgin Islands and travel to the destination during this year's Centennial commemoration. FORT LAUDERDALE (March 24, 2017) - The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Tourism is reporting a successful in-market mission to South Florida. Representatives participated in the 2017 edition of Seatrade Cruise Global and a number of activities to promote the Ports of the U.S. Virgin Islands and travel to the destination during this year's Centennial commemoration. Governor Kenneth E. Mapp led the USVI delegation, which included Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty, representatives from the Virgin Islands Port Authority and The West Indian Company, as well as members of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. The week began with a reception hosted by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), during which the USVI team met with cruise industry executives, as well as announced the Territory's new presidential partnership with the FCCA to further increase cruise tourism to the Territory. During the reception at The Boatyard restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Governor Mapp shared the Government's commitment to strengthening the overall product and experience offered to cruise passengers. Later, he, along with Commissioner Nicholson-Doty, held high-level talks with cruise line executives who attended the event. At the Seatrade Cruise Global trade show, patrons learned more about the destination at the USVI booth, which featured colorful carnival dancers and a mocko jumbie, steel pan music and Virgin Islands-made products such as rum, honey, fruit tarts, hot sauce and beauty products. "It's important for the U. S. Virgin Islands to maintain its presence in the cruise market. Seatrade is a global event, which means that we are competing with the world," Commissioner Nicholson-Doty said. "So it is critical that we are consistently at the forefront of this marketplace, developing our partnerships, ensuring growth and making sure our product helps to deliver an excellent visitor experience." On Monday, March 13, the Governor addressed the media, meeting planners and members of local government and the business community in South Florida. He encouraged corporate citizens to take advantage of the generous tax advantages associated with setting up businesses in the Territory and to see the U.S. Virgin Islands as an ideal option, especially during this Centennial year. During the activation, Commissioner Nicholson-Doty met with several members of the media from publications ranging from The Miami Times and Cruise Critic to Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines. She also appeared with steel pan player Stan Brown and Virgin Islands dancers Lydia Tyson and Jenee Reynolds on NBC's "6 in the Mix" morning show, in a segment hosted by Johanna Gomez. VIDEOS Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty speaks about the importance of the U.S. Virgin Islands participating at Seatrade Cruise Global







Virgin Islander Stan Brown entertained Seatrade Cruise Global delegates throughout the week







USVI segment on NBC's "6 in the Mix"

































PHOTOS News reporter Johanna Gomez enjoys the rhythms of the U.S. Virgin Islands on the set of NBC's "6 in the Mix"

U.S. Virgin Islands dancers captured the culture and spirit of the destination



Alison Moolenaar Foy was captivating on stilts



For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com , follow us on Twitter ( @USVITourism ) and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI ). When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel - including on-line check-in - making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens. ENDS ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release :



CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Keisha Nelson Company: Marketplace Excellence Corporation Phone: + 1 201 861-2056 Email: keisha@marketplaceexcellence.com Web: www.visitusvi.com/ PRESS RELEASE TAGS MEDIA GALLERY
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.
Last August 24, on the great American holiday known as National Waffle Day, I got confused and thought it was the Swedish waffle day tradition Vaffeldagen, which falls on March 25th. According to Wikipeidia it actually is an old Christian holiday, Varfrudagen ("Our Lady's Day"), but they got confused because they evidently sound alike, and now celebrate it with waffles. Other sources say that it is a celebration of spring, waffles use a lot of eggs which are a symbol of new life, so there you go. I prefer the confused story.

A reader corrected me and I promised that I would run the story again on the proper date, and correct my previously confused posts about concrete waffle slabs, a technology that gets longer spans out of less concrete. For those who might remember that TreeHugger normally is not fond of concrete, I admit a fondness for older concrete done well.

 National Arts CentreAs for replacing concrete with wood, that is even coming to waffle slabs, with the new addition to National Arts Centre in Ottawa, where they picked up on the existing waffle slab architecture, and have built a waffle slab out of cross-laminated timber, a first. More coverage on that to come.

Here are my two waffle posts, reposted in honour of the upcoming Vaffeldagen.

What Are Waffle Slabs?

Lloyd Alter/ Montreal Museum of Fine Arts/CC BY 2.0

In the Washington Post, they write about How pancakes and waffles divide the nation. I have always preferred waffles to pancakes, which I consider to be limp and formless. Waffles, on the other hand, have form and real substance, structure and rigidity.

It is much the same in architecture. A concrete slab is- just a slab, and a thick one at that, using a lot of concrete to get to the depth it needs to span a significant distance without limply sagging. You don't look at it because it is boring, and the electrical or mechanical services are hanging from it so they are covered with even more boring drywall.

Lloyd Alter/ Montreal Museum of Fine Arts/CC BY 2.0

Waffle slabs are different. They are designed to be thick where you need it, for the structure in the ribs, and thin for the slab. They are designed to be exposed and seen and enjoyed. Today I was walking through the wonderful Montreal Museum of Fine Arts' decorative art collection in the Liliane and David M. Stewart Pavilion and had trouble looking at the fabulous stuff because I was entranced by the ceiling, layers of the tastiest waffle slabs I had ever seen. The entire structure is there for you to see: nothing but the concrete that it holding itself up.

 Engineering Heritage Australia

Almost nobody really does waffle slabs anymore; they can be expensive, with the reinforcing carefully placed in narrow ribs between forms.

 John B. Parkin

They can be really hard to repair; one of the reasons that Toronto's iconic John Parkin Terminal was demolished was because he built the parking garage with waffle slabs, and one should not put salt on waffles.

But while we are no fan of concrete on TreeHugger, there are good things to say about waffle slabs. They use less concrete, and they look good enough to leave exposed so you use less of everything else.

Lloyd Alter/ National Theatre/CC BY 2.0

Examples of Waffle Slab Architecture

There are wonderful waffles at the National Theatre in Britain;

Lloyd Alter/ Confederation Centre/CC BY 2.0

And really cool ones at the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where in one section, they even left off the slab itself and put on great pyramidal skylights.

 Alarcon + Asociados via Designboom

Holedeck has figured out a great way to integrate services into them. Perhaps it is time to say that if we have to use concrete in our buildings, then we should let concrete be concrete, exposed and beautiful through thick and thin. It's time to bring back tasty waffle slabs. Mmmmm.

 Goldstein House/ John Lautner

This post has been corrected to reflect information about Vaffeldagen.

In Sweden, they celebrate Vaffeldagen or Waffle Day on March 25; In America, we waffle a bit and celebrate Waffle Day on August 24, the day the patent on the waffle iron was issued. That's two opportunities to celebrate the tasty waffle slab, a form of construction that used to be popular but has fallen out of flavor or favor or whatever.

Which is a shame; we are not usually fond of concrete because of its carbon footprint, but waffle slabs let designers get much larger spans with less material. They also look so nice as architectural elements that they are left exposed instead of getting covered up with drywall- the structure is the finish. And being concrete, they are durable. We have covered tasty waffles that I have known here, but there are some others worth looking at. I have been criticized for not mentioning some other very famous waffles, starting with John Lautner's Goldstein house in Los Angeles, a rare residential use of waffles. It has been donated to the The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) by its owner so it is likely that it will remain intact and accessible.

 Robarts Library

A number of readers berated me for not including Toronto's Robarts Library in the list; I am a fan of this building and have written about it before, but had forgotten about its waffle slabs.

 Louis Kahn, restored by Polshek Partnership

The Robarts waffles are triangular and appear to be a homage to Louis Kahn, and his Yale Art Gallery, which was recently restored and upgraded by the Polshek Partnership.

 LGA architects

Another demonstration of how well waffle slabs hold up over the years, both aesthetically and functionally, is this renovation of the Kitchener Public Library by LGA architects and Phil Carter; those 1961 vintage waffles still look good.

Lloyd Alter/ Barbican waffles/CC BY 2.0

Waffles can be very dramatic with low ceilings, like these at the Barbican in London. The wonderful housing project, one of the world's best, is full of waffles that also act as light fixtures.

Lloyd Alter/ Lights in Washington Metro platform/CC BY 2.0

Waffles are dramatic high up as well, as shown in the Washington Metro. The trains may not be holding up so well, but the roof certainly is. I did not originally think of this as a waffle slab; I thought of it as a coffered ceiling. But others do not waffle about it, so here it is.

Lloyd Alter/ Fiat factory, Turin/CC BY 1.0

Similarly, I did not include Nervi's Fiat factory in Turin but all the waffle sites do, so I include it here.

Lloyd Alter/ Marcel Breur MET/CC BY 2.0

On this waffle day, spend some time looking up at ceilings. You will see few as beautiful as those waffle slabs; few that have lasted so long. They are at once decorative, structural (though this one by Marcel Breuer at the MET Modern is totally decorative, hanging below the ceiling) and durable, all attributes of green building. Happy Vaffeldagen!

For more waffles, see the waffle slab archive on Tumblr
However, Women and Child Ministry believes it is a crucial Section, which should not be repealed as it applies to any one including school teachers who get information about a child's exploitation and it will go a long way in stopping child molestation.

By Atir Khan: BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy said that Section 19 of POSCO Act which states that even the judges who hear about a child being molested in divorce cases is duty bound to report the matter to police could be misused against judges and need to be repealed.

"Provisions in the Section provide that even the judges who hear about a child being molested in divorce cases is duty bound to report the matter to police. In case, he or she fails to do so then they are liable for legal action. This section could be misused to put pressure on judges and hence it should be repealed," Swamy said.

advertisement

However, Women and Child Ministry believes it is a crucial Section, which should not be repealed as it applies to any one including school teachers who get information about a child's exploitation and it will go a long way in stopping child molestation.

Also read:

12-year-old becomes a father in Kerala, gets booked under POCSO Act

--- ENDS ---
The Madhya Pradesh Child Commission on Friday appointed a 10-year-old Shreyansh, who is suffering from a rare disease called progeria, as its chairman for one full day during which he chaired a workshop on child rights in Bhopal.

By Hemender Sharma: Suffering from an extremely rare genetic disorder in which symptoms of ageing appear at a very early age, 10-year-old Shreyansh looks completely different from his twin brother Sidhant. He knows that he is suffering from this rare disease called Progeria and looks much more than his age, but his heart and desires are no different from a 10-year-old.

advertisement

The Madhya Pradesh Child Commission on Friday appointed Shreyansh as its chairman for one full day during which he chaired a workshop on child rights organized in Bhopal.

"You must be surprised as to why I am standing over here. So, let me tell you that these Child Commission people had come to me and they asked me what I wanted to do. I told them I wanted to move around in a car with a red beacon on it and become chairman of the Commission, and here I'm standing in from of you," Shreyansh said, addressing the gathering.

Shreyansh also demanded that differently-abled children be treated with respect.

"I have a demand to make, those suffering from Progeria should be treated by the government free of cost and also the POSCO Act should be seriously implemented, and the police should be held accountable for any lapse in its implementation," he added.

Chairman of the MP Child Commission Raghvendra Sharma met Shreyansh during one of his visits to Jabalpur and it was during this short meeting that Sheryansh said that he too wanted to be a chairman of some commission or board some day.

"I had gone to Jabalpur and was told about this very rare diseases from which Shreyansh was suffering. I went to see him and during my conversation with him, I asked him what he wanted to do in life. He is a very witty guy and immediately answered back saying he wanted to become a chairman like me. That day, we decided that we will appoint him as a chairman of the state child commission for a day," Raghvendra Sharma said.

"I discussed the issue with other members of the commission and we decided that this was the minimum that we could do for him," he added.

Meanwhile, Shreyansh's father has expressed happiness that his child, who is suffering from a rare disease, was given a chance to head the MP Child Commission for a day.

Also read:

Meet Bangladesh's Benjamin Button, a newborn who resembles an 80-year-old

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 24

Even though the merger of SBIs associate banks with the countrys largest bank is effective from April 1, it would require around two months time to integrate the systems completely. During this intervening period from April 1, 2017 to May 31, 2017, all customers of associate banks have been issued advisory by the SBI through an e-mail to avoid any kind inconvenience.

In an e-mail sent to SBoP customers, SBI has advised the customers to use the present branch only for usage of cash deposit machine, clearing of cheques & other instruments. In addition to this, it has also advised to transact all forex business and transactions through the existing branches.

The e-mail further suggested the customers to use existing cheque books provided till they receive new cheque book of SBI. Government business & NPS (New Pension System) contribution in transfer mode can be done through your existing branch, the e-mail stated.

The bank also advised the customers to use the existing internet banking credentials for login and transactions through the erstwhile bank.

The mail also stated that transfer, remittances between SBI and erstwhile associate banks and branches will be handled free of cost.

Over 100 SBBJ branches likely to be closed+

JAIPUR: Ahead of the merger with parent SBI, over 100 branches of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), including some offices, are likely to be closed in Rajasthan despite the bank having launched a VRS scheme. Employees of all cadres are under stress over the merger and also due to the VRS scheme launched by the bank with a deadline of April 4, said Mahesh Mishra, general secretary of All India SBBJ Employees Coordination Committee today. At present, SBBJ has 1,050 branches in Rajasthan and total 1,313 in the country. Out of this around 100 to 125 branches and offices might be closed. Since the pay settlement of all bank employees is due by November 2017, and their salary package would go up, a senior official asked why would an employee opt for the VRS scheme? SBBJ Managing Director Dibakar Mohanty was not available for comments. OC
New Delhi, March 24

Competition Commission on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 591 crore on state-owned Coal India for having discriminatory conditions in fuel supply pacts.

Apart from directing the company to "cease and desist" from anti-competitive practices, the watchdog has ordered modification in the agreements.

In a 56-page order, the watchdog has found the company violating competition norms by "imposing unfair/ discriminatory conditions in the matter of supply of non- coking coal to power producers".

Further, Competition Commission of India (CCI) said that Coal India did not "evolve/ draft/ finalise the terms and conditions of FSAs through a mutual bilateral process and the same were imposed upon the buyers through a unilateral conduct".

The penalty amount of Rs 591.01 crore translates to 1 per cent of Coal India's average turnover for the three-year period from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

This is the second order by CCI on the complaints after its first ruling, passed in December 2013, was set aside by the Competition Appellate Tribunal (Compat).

Setting aside the first order, where CCI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1,773 crore on Coal India, the tribunal also asked the regulator to take a fresh look at the allegations.

After having a fresh look, CCI has imposed a reduced penalty of Rs 591 crore on the coal behemoth.

The complaints were filed against Coal India and its three subsidiaries  Mahanadi Coalfields, South Eastern Coalfields and Western Coalfields. They were filed by Maharashtra State Power Generation Company and Gujarat State Electricity Corporation.

In Friday's order, the regulator has asked Coal India to modify the Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) and also ensure that uniformity between old and new power producers as well as between private and PSU power producers.

Even though Coal India enjoys operational freedom on commercial matters, CCI said its conduct is constrained by directions received from various stakeholders including Coal and Power Ministries.

"... all of whom exert influence and are involved in making decisions that impact various aspects of Coal India Ltd's business," the order said.

The regulator also noted that the company decides on pricing of coal keeping in mind the larger public interest and its social obligations.

Notwithstanding the overarching policy and regulatory environment within that Coal India has to operate, it has sufficient flexibility and functional independence in carrying out its commercial and contractual affairs, the order noted.

Coal India has also been directed to incorporate suitable modifications in the fuel supply agreements to provide for a fair and equitable sampling and testing procedure.

"Keeping in mind the continuous steps taken by Coal India Ltd in resolving issues with stakeholders, the CCI has drastically reduced the penalty amount to Rs 591.01 crore as opposed to a previous amount of Rs 1,773 crore," Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM & Co) said in a statement.

SAM & Co, which acted as the legal advisor to Coal India, said this is for the first time that the CCI has reduced penalty in a case of remand.  PTI
Police resorted to firing in Gurdaspur jail as inmates clashed inside the prison premises. The district administration has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident even as the Punjab Police try to control the situation inside jail.

By India Today Web Desk: Large scale violence is reported from Gurdaspur jail in Punjab. Groups of inmates today clashed inside the jail premises.

Several inmates are reported to be injured in the violence inside the Gurdaspur jail. As the situation went out of control, the police resorted to firing in air to rein in rampaging inmates.

Several top police officials of Gurdaspur rushed to the jail. Additional police force was rushed to Gurdaspur jail to control the rioters.

advertisement

The prison-mates reportedly ransacked several barracks in the jail and caused huge loss of government properties. They also climbed up to the rooftops of the barracks.

Punjab Police were having a tough time in containing the inmates. The cause for clashes among the jail inmates were not immediately known.

Meanwhile, the district police headquarters ordered all the 13 SHOs to reach Gurdaspur jail with heavy force.

Meanwhile, the District Collector has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The probe will be conducted by a sub-divisional magistrate.

Gurdaspur is close to Pakistan border. The district had seen a terrorist attack in January last year when Pakistani terrorists had attacked Dinanagar police station.

The Punjab city is on alert in the wake of violence in jail.

More details are awaited.

(With inputs from Bishambhar and Satendar in Gurdaspur)

--- ENDS ---
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 23

Chandigarhs oldest culpable homicide case has come to an end. Nearly 34 years after Deputy Inspector General of Police Joginder Singh Anand drowned in Sukhna Lake, the torment of the long-protracted trial the family faced ended today with the Punjab and Haryana High Court honourably acquitting his wife Indu Anand. Their son Sumanjit Singh Nikki and nephew Sandeep Singh Sandy, too, stand acquitted.

The order was pronounced in the open court by Justice AB Chaudhari after their counsel Sartej Singh Narula demolished brick by brick the case built up by the CBI in July 1983. Justice Chaudhari observed that it was a case where gross injustice had been done to the family by the CBI, which failed to investigate the case properly. Anand was related to Union Minister Maneka Gandhi.

Few thrillers end as dramatically as this. However, the CBI case has left behind the lurking question of how to make up for the anguish the family meaninglessly faced for more than three decades. Sumanjit Singh was just 17 and Sandeep Singh 18 at the time of the incident. They virtually grew up with the hammer of justice hanging on their head.

The case

It all happened during the night intervening July 12 and 13, 1983. Just 47, Joginder Singh Anand, Indu Anand, Sumanjit and Sandeep returned home in Sector 3 after attending a drink party in a Sector 10 house at about 11 pm.

Darshan Lal, whose testimony primarily laid the foundation for the CBI to build its case, was working as a domestic help. In his statement before a Delhi magistrate on September 1, 1983, Darshan Lal said Indu went upstairs to call DIG Anand and the children for dinner. In a quarrel that ensued, the couple shouted at each other.

Darshan Lal claimed Indu was in great anger. She left the house in a car at about 11.15 pm, only to return after about 20 minutes. She met DIG Anand while climbing up the stairs and shouted at him before he went out of the house. Sumanjit and Sandeep followed him and brought him back.

He was taken inside the house, but Indu caught hold of his neck and pressed it hard while shouting kill-kill. Sensing something serious had happened after he fell down on the carpet, all got perplexed. She suggested Darshan Lal to render help in throwing the body in the lake. It was placed in the boot after Sumanjit brought the car.

At about 7.30 am the next day, two police officials discovered the body in the lake. Initially, the police claimed the DIG had committed suicide, but the matter was referred to the CBI after doubts were raised.

The CBI registered a case on July 23, 1983, and the prosecution alleged Indu had caught hold of the DIGs throat before he collapsed. Believing him to be dead, he was thrown in the lake where he died due to drowning. The CBI had also claimed that Indu had overheard Anand complimenting a woman on the phone, resulting in the quarrel.

Claiming to have been implicated, the accused had asked for a trial. However, the then District and Sessions Judge, Amar Dutt, who later became a Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge, on March 11, 1996, had held the three guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 (Part II) of the IPC. Darshan Lal was tendered pardon by a UT Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The defence

Indus story differed from the CBIs reconstruction of the events. Indu claimed she had left the house immediately after the quarrel and was not present at the time when the CBI claimed she was battling Anand physically.

Appearing on their behalf, counsel Sartej Singh Narula submitted reliance could not be placed as approver Darshan Lal was not an independent witness. He was interrogated and kept in custody by the CBI for about 20 days before his arrest on August 19, 1983.

Narula added that the cause of the death was not forthcoming. The CBI alleged death due to drowning. However, there was no evidence that the PGI had the organs for examination, or the CBI brought these.

The CBI got his confessional statement recorded by a Delhi magistrate, and not a Chandigarh court, to keep him under pressure. The HC order today makes it clear that the dead officers wife and teenage son never conspired to eliminate him.
SNM Abdi

THE Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, will visit India from April 7 to 10. There is something terribly amiss in India-Bangladesh relations, although Hasina  who is in power since 2009 and faces crucial elections next year  has fully backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's moves to isolate Pakistan in South Asia. She has flushed out anti-India elements from her land, proactively partnered counter-terrorism operations and even extended transit facilities to New Delhi's great relief. Yet her state visit had to be deferred twice in three months without any valid explanation, revealing that all's not well between strategic allies.

Bangladesh may be in our backyard but it can turn it into a minefield in no time. As we wait for Hasina, let's not forget the darkest chapters in our bilateral ties like the killing of 16 BSF soldiers in 2001 or the expulsion of RAWs B. B. Nandy from Dhaka. And in 2005, India's deputy high commissioner Sarvajit Chakravarti's wife was manhandled in Dhaka. Bangladeshi tycoon Shah Alam pulled Rupa Chakravarti out of a Mercedes with diplomatic number plate assigned to India and humiliated her in broad daylight; she was so traumatised that she needed psychiatric treatment. While India kept demanding Alam's arrest, he got away scot-free because he enjoyed the backing of then PM Begum Khaleda Zia and Pakistan.

Nobody can rule out the possibility of India's prestige being punctured again, if we fail to stand by our real friends like Hasina who has often put India's interests ahead of Bangladesh's out of sheer gratitude for New Delhi's role in liberating Bangladesh and the love and affection she received from leaders like Indira Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee during her long asylum before her triumphant return to Bangladesh.

In today's scenario, the diplomatic and the security establishments of India and Bangladesh  headed by veterans like S. Jaishankar, Ajit Doval, Shahidul Haque and Tarique Ahmed  can iron out most sticking points like the pending Teesta River water-sharing treaty or Bangladesh's growing ties with China which makes India uncomfortable. But these professionals are hamstrung by the ruling BJP's ideological contempt for India's Muslim neighbour. Hindutva policies and pronouncements are alienating Bangladesh, driving a wedge between the two countries and hurting India's national interest.

While Hasina's Awami League government bends over backwards to please India, the BJP paints Bangladeshis as illegal immigrants, criminals and beef-eaters who torment Hindus in their country. Extreme anti-Bangladesh views seep out from the BJP's 2014 general elections manifesto as well as manifestos for the 2015 Assam and West Bengal assembly polls. Narendra Modi, who will host Hasina in April, resorted to no-holds-barred, communally charged Bangladesh-bashing while campaigning.

Discriminating between Muslim and Hindu Bangladeshi immigrants, Modi declared that those who worship goddess Durga are welcome but those who don't must keep their bags packed for deportation if he captured power. He and other BJP campaigners repeatedly accused Bangladeshi Muslims of destroying India, virtually painting Bangladesh as an enemy nation. On the grounds of religion, the BJP categorises Muslim immigrants as infiltrators and Hindus as refugees or Mother India's children deserving asylum.

After capturing power, one of the first tasks the Modi government assigned itself was to starve Bangladesh of beef by stopping India's surplus, non-milk producing cattle from going to Bangladesh. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who ordered the BSF to halt an informal trade determined by supply and demand that had been going on for decades, publicly boasted that the embargo had made beef so expensive in the Muslim country that its consumption had plummeted. Singh missed no opportunity to pat himself on the back for taking the BJP's cow protection-cum-beef banning campaign to Bangladesh.

Attempts by the BJP government to rewrite citizenship laws to confer Indian nationality on Hindu Bangladeshis is another step which, besides being unconstitutional, indirectly accuses the Bangladesh government of being so sectarian that its Hindu population is fleeing to India. On the one hand, New Delhi claims that its biggest foreign policy goal is to ensure that the Awami League is voted back to power in the forthcoming elections. But on the other, it is offering asylum and citizenship to Hindus who have a history of casting their vote in favour of the Awami League in countless constituencies, including Hasinas Gopalganj seat where there are as many temples as mosques.

Such Hindutva-driven objectives like stopping cattle trade and making India a homeland for Hindus may serve the BJP's narrow electoral interest but they are certainly not in the national interest as far as India-Bangladesh relations are concerned. Unless we show respect towards Bangladesh as a strategic ally instead of belittling and demonising it as a nation of Muslims, relations between India and Bangladesh will never achieve their full potential or become an example of good neighbourliness.

Instead of vilifying Bangladesh, we can learn how to implement sabka saath sabka vikas from Hasina's Awami League government. In 2011, it repealed the Enemy Property Act to return properties seized from the Hindu minority under the1965 law implemented by the East Pakistan administration. The BJP captured power in Assam shouting itself hoarse about demographic invasion whereas Bangladesh's Human Development Index is much better than Assam's. Nothing exposes BJP's lies more than Bangladesh's per capita income which is 70 per cent more than Assam's! And roughly half a million Indians live and work in Bangladesh, making them according to the World Bank  the fifth biggest remitter of foreign exchange to India after the diaspora in United Arab Emirates, USA, Saudi Arabia and UK.

Presumably taking their cue from the BJP, some members of the delegation accompanying then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to Dhaka last November spoke insultingly to their Bangladeshi counterparts, which according to Anand Bazar Patrika newspaper, compelled Hasina to postpone her December 18-20 India visit. I think India should have atoned for those insensitive remarks by inviting Hasina to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade on January 26, 2017. But India plumped for the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is not even a head of state, instead of a strategic ally like Hasina. There is something very reassuring and maternal about Sushma Swaraj. Fortunately, she is back in the hot seat. Another key player is Ram Madhav, the BJP foreign cell's point man, who seems to have developed a keen interest in the neighbourhood. They must work in tandem ahead of Hasina's long-overdue visit to take India-Bangladesh ties to a new level.

The writer is a senior, Kolkata-based journalist
Power is known to corrupt people. Apparently, it makes them dumb too. The by now infamous Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtra, Ravindra Gaikwad of the Shiv Sena, has demonstrated his complete lack of sense and proportion by insisting on business-class travel in an all-economy flight from Pune to Delhi. What really shocked the citizens of the country, of course, was the righteous outrage with which he went on to strike an Air India staffer with a sandal multiple times  25, according to his subsequent boast on television.

Inasmuch as the prime-time TV audience was aghast at an elected representatives abuse of power and twisted sense of entitlement, the conduct should not come as a surprise. For the record, he has refused to apologise for his conduct, and his party has merely told him to watch his behaviour. That is no surprise. Gaikwad, after all, belongs to a political party that takes organisational pride in boorish behaviour, all in the name of standing up for hapless citizens against an indifferent bureaucracy. And if the electorate keep re-electing representatives like him, then the Gaikwads can continue to feel they have a licence to misbehave. Neither his party nor the BJP, the ally, nor the Lok Sabha Speaker can be expected to take any punitive action against Gaikwad. A sense of political solidarity would ensure that he gets off with the gentlest of slap on the wrist.

The matter should not be allowed to rest at that. This is the age of insistently good governance, an empowered citizenry and a vigilant media. Gaikwad needs to be made to face the consequences of his gross misbehaviour. At least, all the airlines have closed ranks - for now - to ban him from flying. This act of courage and self-respect should be applauded. Above all, a strong and a clear sense of disapproval must be conveyed to the politician by the civil society.
The Union Governments move to force citizens to quote the Aadhaar number in the filing of income tax returns has raised certain issues which have not been adequately dealt with. A failure to link Aadhaar and tax filing can lead to the cancellation of the users permanent account number (PAN). Citizens are being asked to make their personal details public by a government which itself is becoming increasingly non-transparent. The surreptitious way the government slipped in crucial changes in the Finance Bill 2017 at the last minute is intriguing. There was almost no debate.

There are obvious advantages of bringing in transparency in financial deals. Income tax officials can compare citizens' spending with income tax paid and find out evasion, if any. But there is a downside to it. Government machinery will gain access to personal user information such as bank details, education data and health records. The law allows official tapping of phone calls and data usage. The Aadhaar Act has not been subjected to sufficient judicial scrutiny. It permits surveillance of citizens on the pretext of national security, which is a vague term undefined in the Act. A citizen suffering the loss of privacy or personal data has no recourse to justice as Section 47 of the Act allows only the Unique Identification Authority of India to file a criminal complaint for the theft of data. The crucial twin issue of privacy and security of personal data has been sidestepped.

Besides, one of the amendments to the Finance Bill apparently violates the Supreme Court's recent order that had directed it not to make Aadhaar mandatory for citizens except in case of certain specific services. The court is yet to judge the constitutionality of Aadhaar and decide whether privacy is a fundamental right. The government stand on the issue of privacy as stated in the Supreme Court is troubling. Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi had contended in the court that violation of privacy doesn't mean anything because privacy is not a guaranteed right. The government's open violation of the Supreme Court order and Parliament's failure to flag concerns on Finance Bill amendments should be a cause of concern to all those who value democracy and the rule of law.
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 24

The PDP-BJP coalition received a setback when the Election Commission of India (ECI) today kept in abeyance the controversial appointment of 16 politicians as vice-chairpersons of various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) ahead of the byelections to the Srinagar and Anantnag Parliamentary constituencies.

On March 10, the state government had appointed middle-rung leaders belonging of the PDP and BJP as vice-chairpersons of various PSUs already running in huge losses. These appointments were dubbed as political bribery by the opposition National Conference and Congress.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, Shantmanu said the appointments of vice-chairpersons have been kept in abeyance till the completion of the Lok Sabha byelections. He said the ECI had taken the decision of keeping these appointments in abeyance. The decision on these appointment would be taken only after the completion of the election process, the CEO said.

Interestingly, the schedule for the Lok Sabha byelections was announced on March 9 and these appointments were made on the very next day.

As per schedule announced by the ECI, the polling for the Srinagar and Anantnag parliamentary constituencies will be held on April 9 and 12, respectively. The counting of votes for both the parliamentary seats will be held on April 15 and the election process will be completed on April 16. Now decision on these controversial political appointments will be taken after April 16.

Ironically, majority of the leaders belonging to the BJP have already joined these PSUs with much fanfare and publicity in the presence of party ministers and senior leaders.

The day the state government had made these appointments, opposition NC was quick to react as former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had termed it as blatant violation of the model code of conduct. The Congress, too, had echoed Omars voice and described the state governments decision as political bribery to rehabilitate ruling party leaders.

These rehabilitated politicians are entitled to a monthly salary of Rs 80,000 per month, besides hefty perks and allowances to serve these PSUs which have already been facing huge losses for the last so many years.

On the day of these appointments, Omar Abdullah had tweeted, This is blatant violation of the election code of conduct and has been done to silence the rumblings of discontent in the two parties.

The NC had also filed a complaint with the ECI over official instructions issued by the Chief Ministers Office for some high-profile appointments being made to various PSUs.

As reported earlier on an average each of these ruling coalition politicians will be paid Rs 1.5 lakh per month from the coffers of the state government, which is already facing financial crunch.
Amarjot Kaur

Of a man who invested his literary genius to translate Shakespeare into Punjabi, there are more than just layers of knowledge that go deeper as you attempt to unfold them. A scholar, and man of few words, Surjit Hans gave Punjabi literature a translated version of complete works of Shakespeare that took him over 20 years. A poet, theatre actor, author, columnist, and satirist, at 86, Hans is all set to translate the Darwins Origin of Species, along with economist, philosopher and author Adam Smiths theories. Adam Smith and Darwin provide the fundamentals of economic and evolution. Students who do not know English must be informed about these fundamentals. In Japan, almost all important works have been translated into Japanese to help local students expand their horizons. A similar effort is needed in India, including Punjab, he says.

Considering that Punjabi language offers limited scope for translation of scientific words, Hans, at Ru-Ba-Ru, an event organised by Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, shares that the task of a translator is not only a responsible one, but also a tricky one. Can you translate the word species for me? It means so many things. So, sometimes I invent equivalent terminology. However, the essential task is to get the original copy of the text to-be translated first. Also, one has to keep in mind the sensibilities of different regions. Then, the knowledge of language is also importantso, imagine the pitfalls in the two sentences: hes a man of conviction. And, hes a man of many convictions, he laughs. Also, he admits that translating Shakespeares comedies was a more difficult task than translating the tragedies he wrote.

The idea of translating Adam Smiths works came owing to their relatedness with Punjabs economy and its understanding. The idea is not just to make an attempt to stand with the working class, but succeeding at it too, says the former professor of History and English at the Guru Nank Dev University. Hans moved in England in the mid-sixties and took up a series of jobs, including a postman, bus conductor, and factory worker, only to return to India in 1975. In England, Hans was a member of the Shakespeare club, which provided members exclusive previews of all Shakespeare stage shows for a nominal fee. Now, I want to write a natak (play) on Chhotepur, he quips.

Among the contemporary Punjabi poets, Hans is particularly fond of Ishwar Dayal Gaur and Bhupinder Kaur Preet. Gaurs anthropological attempt about his native village and his book Surmedaani is fascinating. Preet also carries no emotional load while describing ordinary incidents, giving a new insight, he shares.

amarjot@tribunemail.com
New Delhi, March 24

The Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an Air India staffer and transferred the case to its Crime Branch.

Gaikwad has been charged with attempt to commit culpable homicide and using criminal force with intent to dishonour person, said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Polices chief spokesperson and special commissioner (operations).

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Gaikwad, on his part, today filed a complaint with DCP (Airport) Sanjay Bhatia alleging misbehaviour by Air India officials.

Pathak said Gaikwads complaint has been sent for legal examination.

We had received two complaints  one from Air India and the other from the victim, respectively. They were sent for legal opinion and following that, we have registered an FIR.

For a detailed and thorough probe, we have transferred the case to the Crime Branch, said Pathak.

Gaikwad, the Lok Sabha MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra, hit 60-year-old duty manager R Sukumar 25 times with his sandal, when the official persuaded him to disembark after the plane landed at the IGI airport here from Pune.

The MP refused to alight, holding up the aircraft for over 40 minutes Yesterday.

Yesterday, the Delhi Police said they were seeking legal opinion on the matter and the FIR was lodged today after obtaining the same.

After Air India snub, IndiGo cancels ticket

Earlier in the day, national carrier Air India cancelled the Pune flight ticket of the Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting one of its staffers at Delhi airport, while budget carrier IndiGo also refused to take him on board.

The Sena MP had booked a ticket on IndiGo flight to Pune for this evening, which has been cancelled by the airline, sources said.

He had booked on IndiGos fight today at 1750 hours from Delhi to Pune. But the airline has cancelled the booking and is refunding the entire amount, the source said.

The Sena MP has been barred from flying by four private Indian carriers after his brazen assault on the Air India officer.

The Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as its members, has taken a strong view of the incident and accordingly taken a decision to bar Gaikwad from flying, an FIA source said.

In a related development, Tata-SIA joint venture carrier Vistara also joined the national carrier Air India and the four private carriers decision to ban Gaikwad from flying.

Disruptive and abusive behaviour by passengers is a serious issue and cannot be tolerated, both for safety and security reasons in a critical and sensitive industry such as aviation, as well for the safety and well-being of our staff and all other passengers, a Vistara spokesperson said.

We support the statement made by Air India and the FIA, and are in full solidarity with them in support of the ban. The concerned individual will be barred from flying on any of our flights with immediate effect, the spokesperson said.

The airline also supports the promulgation of a no-fly list and concurs with the FIA and Air India in seeking the support of the government and security agencies to enforce such a directive whereby passengers on the no-fly list will not be permitted to fly on any of the airlines, Vistara said.

Sena defends Gaikwad

The Sena on Friday came out to defend its MP Gaikwad saying that everyone loses their temper at some point of time.

FIR has been filed against him, but even Air India needs to make changes in their system. The condition of the flight is not very good. We will talk to our MP, will listen to what he has to say and will see about it. Be it a MP or a normal person, everyone loses his temper at some point of time, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI in Mumbai.

Raut also added that there are number of people who should be blacklisted, who is responsible for bringing Air India to this position and due to which it is facing loss.

We are not supporting the act of our MP, this is not a culture of our party, he added.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of state for law and justice P.P. Chaudhary said that one cannot be barred from travelling or cannot be denied giving ticket.

There is no law that bars anyone from travelling anywhere or denying a ticket. If someone has committed a crime, he can be punished, but denying a ticket is seriously wrong, Chaudhary said.  PTI/ANI
Vijayawada, March 24

An Indian woman and her seven-year-old son were found dead in their home in New Jersey, according to the family in Andhra Pradesh.

The victims were N. Sasikala (40) and her son Anish Sai, their family, in Prakasam district, said on Friday. Sasikalas husband N. Hanumantha Rao found the bodies when he returned home from work on Thursday evening. Y. Sambasiva Rao, an MLA from Prakasam, spoke to representatives of the Telugu Association of North America over phone about the incident. He said the mother-son duo were strangulated to death.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Hanumantha and Sasikala were both software professionals. Sasikala used to work from home. The couple had been living in the US for nine years. This is the latest incident involving Indian techies after the killings of Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Vamshi Reddy Mamidala, both from Telangana.  PTI
New Delhi, March 24

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday said that "suo moto action" cannot be taken against Shiv Sena member Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an airline staffer, but stressed that "no MP is allowed to misbehave with anyone".

"No one is allowed to misbehave with anyone, even if he is an MP, a common man or any official. As a mother, I teach children not to misbehave with people," Mahajan said.

Asked if any suo moto action will be taken against Gaikwad and whether any complaint was received by her against him, Mahajan said: "(I) can't take suo moto action as the incident took place outside Parliament." "I did not see any complaint in the case till now. Let me see and study it first, then I can say anything over it," she added.

Gaikwad has admitted to assaulting an Air India staffer "25 times" with his slippers on Thursday.

The Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad from Maharashtra was on Thursday booked in two cases for assaulting the Air India shift manager and delaying a scheduled flight to Goa.

The "unruly" MP's grouse stemmed from the fact that he had to travel economy class on a Pune-New Delhi flight AI-852 though he held an open business class ticket. The aircraft, it was reported, did not have a business class.

He later refused to disembark from the flight at New Delhi airport for an hour, hurled abuses, indulged in violent and unruly behaviour and even tried to physically fling out the staffer from the aircraft.

IANS
New Delhi, March 24

The UK has conveyed to India that its request for extradition of industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, has been certified by the secretary of state.

"The UK Home Department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for extradition of Mallya has been certified by the Secretary of State and sent to the Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of warrant," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

The development is a step toward securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore.

Baglay also noted that a formal extradition request in respect of Mallya as per Extradition Treaty between India and the UK was handed over to the British High Commission here through a note verbale on February 8.

While handing over the request, India had asserted that it has a "legitimate" case against Mallya and maintained that if an extradition request is honoured, it would show British "sensitivity towards our concerns".

Earlier in January this year, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.  PTI
By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, March 24 (PTI) All five BJP MLAs were suspended from the Telangana assembly today for allegedly creating din in the House over the "arrests" of party workers, opposing the TRS governments plan to grant reservation to the Muslims.

As soon as the House assembled in the morning, all five MLAs of the BJP rushed to the well and demanded release of the party workers, who, they said, have been arrested by police.

advertisement

With the agitating BJP members paying no heed to Speaker Madhusudan Charys repeated requests to maintain order in the House, the treasury benches reacted demanding their suspension.

Speaker Chary eventually suspended the BJP MLAs for two days as they rushed to the Speakers podium, raising slogans against the state government.

The Telangana unit of the BJP earlier today had called for a "Chalo Assembly" protest against the state governments to grant reservation to the Muslims in state jobs and educational institutions.

In the House, the BJP moved an adjournment motion on the issue of "arrests" and the governments move to shift the traditional sit-in venues, known as "Dharna Chowk" in Indira Park, to somewhere else.

The Speaker, however, rejected the motion.

Lending support to the suspended members, the Congress MLAs staged s walkout protesting against the governments "attitude".

The BJP floor leader Kishan Reddy said "thousands" of party workers have been "arrested" by the police in last three days.

A police official said several BJP workers were taken into preventive custody from different parts of the city as they tried to march to the assembly complex.

"We have a democratic right to protest. The government cannot bully us. Thousand of our workers are being arrested by the police for the past two or three days," Reddy told PTI.

Later, the police detained Reddy and the state unit BJP president K Laxman along with their supporters.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao in January this year had told the Assembly that a bill providing 12 per cent reservation to backward sections among Muslims would be introduced in the budget session of the House. This quota was a key election promise of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). PTI GDK NSK RAX

--- ENDS ---
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 24

India today moved a step closer to getting Vijay Mallya extradited. The United Kingdom has conveyed to India that its request for extradition of Mallya has been certified by the UK secretary of state and that a UK court is considering issuing warrants against Mallya.

The Ministry of External Affairs echoed the same sentiments and said the Westminster Magistrates court would now consider the issue of release of warrants against Mallya. For India, this comes as welcome news since there was a fair degree of criticism of the governments failure to extradite Mallya who continues to flaunt a lavish lifestyle in the UK.

The UK Home Department on February 21 conveyed that the Indias request for Mallyas extradition has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster Magistrates court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of warrant, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

Baglay added a note verbale was handed over to the UK High Commission on February 8. That was the formal extradition request put in by India as per the extradition treaty between India and the UK.

India today maintained while handing over its extradition request to the UK, it had said that it had a legitimate case against Mallya and further that if the British honoured Indias request, it would show the British sensitivity towards our concerns.
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 24

The Supreme Court on Friday gave the central government a weeks time to respond to a petition that wanted a lifetime ban on convicted politicians from holding a party post or contesting polls.

Under the current election law, a convicted politician immediately loses his/her seat in parliament or state assembly/legislative council and becomes ineligible to contest polls for six years from the date of completion of the sentence.

A Bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the Centre to file its affidavit in a week and fixed April 18 for hearing.

Earlier this week, the Election Commission had supported the idea of debarring convicted politicians from forming a political outfit and becoming a party office bearer, saying it would help to clean up the political system.

In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the Election Commission also favoured setting up special courts to try the cases involving politicians and bureaucrats.

In the last 15 years, the Supreme Court has ordered a series of electoral reforms despite resistance from political parties. The top court has made it mandatory for candidates contesting polls to declare their assets, liabilities, educational qualifications and criminal antecedents, if any. It also ordered immediate disqualification of convicted lawmakers and introduced none of the above (NOTA) option for voters.

If the top court accepts the Election Commissions suggestions and accordingly issues orders, convicted politicians such as RJD suremo Lalu Prasad and Indian National Lok Dal leader Om Prakash Chautala can no longer hold any position in their respective party.

The commission has said its recommendations for de-criminalisation of politics were pending with the Law Ministry.

These suggestions have been filed by the commission in response to a PIL seeking the courts direction to the government and the EC for electoral reforms to rid the political system of criminal elements.

Petitioner Ashwani Upadhyaya  a BJP leader  wanted the court to issue orders to ban convicted politicians from contesting polls for life, forming a political party and becoming its officer. He has also demanded setting up of special courts to try politicians and bureaucrats facing criminal cases.

Upadhayaya contended there should be some minimum educational qualification for contesting polls and a maximum age i.e. retirement age for politicians. He demanded implementation of recommendations of the Law Commission and Justice Venkatachaliah Commission on electoral reforms.

The Election Commission has also suggested a host of other measures, including making paid news an electoral offence, proscribing political advertisements 48 hours before polls and amendment in the election law to check bribing of voters and enforcing the limit of election expense.

The Commission, however, said it could not prescribe minimum educational qualifications and a retirement age for politician, saying it was beyond its purview as it fell in the domain of the legislature.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 24

A record number of 11,35,104 candidates have registered to write the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Examination-UG 2017 marking an increase of 41.42 per cent over the last year.

The CBSE said in a statement on Friday that as against 8, 02, 594 candidates, as many as 11.35 lakh had registered for the 2017 test to be held on May 7.

The Board said 23 additional cities had been added to the existing list of 80 cities where NEET was held last year.

These new cities are  Guntur and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh; Anand, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar in Gujarat; Davangere, Hubli, Mysore, Udupi in Karnataka; Kannur, Thrissur in Kerala; Ahmednagar, Amravati, Kolhapur and Satara in Maharashtra; Amritsar in Punjab; Jodhpur in Rajasthanl Namakkal, Tirunelveli and Vellor in Tamil Nadu; Gorakhpur in UP and Howrah and Kharagpur in Bengal.

With the increase of 23 new exam centres, now NEET 2017 will be conducted in 103 cities. With this NEET will also have an equivalent number of centre cities as for JEE Mains.

The Board said candidates can give their options for city of examination from March 24 to March 27. They can change the option by logging on to http://cbseneet.nic.in.

Once the candidates have successfully given their choice o exam cities, the exam centres in particular city will be allotted based n the total number of candidates opting for the said city as exam centre for NEET 2017. To accommodate 11, 35, 104 students in 103 cities, more than 2200 institutions will be made the centres based on credibility, reliability and infrastructure available. These centres will be time tested to ensure smooth conduct of the exam, CBSEs Director NEET said.
Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, March 24

Inmates went on a rampage in the Gurdaspur central jail this afternoon after two staffers were assaulted, forcing the police to fire into the air to contain rioting.

Trouble started when a jail staffer, Maheshinder Singh, was attacked as he tried to bring two gangsters  Jagtar Singh and Gurpreet Singh  out of the solitary confinement cells. Jail Superintendent DS Saini, who tried to intervene, was also assaulted. This triggered a clash between two groups of inmates, one owing loyalty to the two gangsters.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The jail siren went off thrice at 12.35 pm as inmates set off fires at several places and uprooted power cables and hand pumps.

Soon after, SSP Bhupinderjeet Singh Virk accompanied by senior officers and security personnel arrived at the scene. All 13 Station House Officers of the district also reached the jail even as more police force was requisitioned.

Virk started negotiations with the two sides, but inmates belonging to one group ended the talks and made their way to the roof of a barrack.

The police opened fire into the air to contain them, triggering panic in the area  the Gurdaspur jail is located in the heart of the city.

Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar, who was holding a meeting at nearby Panchayat Bhawan, asked Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sandeep Singh to reach the jail.

Smoke could be seen coming out of the jail premises even as two fire tenders entered the premises to douse the fires. An anti-riot vehicle remained stationed inside as a precautionary measure. Traffic on the jail road was suspended.

The incident occurred on the eve of IG (Border) Naunihal Singhs visit to the city. In the evening, ADGP (Prisons) Rohit Chowdhury and DIG (Prisons) SS Saini visited the prison and held meetings with officers.

The Deputy Commissioner has ordered an inquiry to be conducted by the SDM. Sources said the inmate-staff ratio at the jail stood at 1,500:90. Things could have been worse had police reinforcements not arrived quickly, said a jail official.

Inmates were reportedly teargassed after they sat on a fast. Power supply was disconnected as a precautionary measure. The ADGP (Prisons) reached the spot to take stock of the situation.
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 24

Amid a raging controversy over alleged tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) during the recent Assembly polls in five states, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Election Commission on a PIL seeking probe by foreign software experts into their authenticity.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, however, refused to issue notice to the CBI as demanded by petitioner advocate ML Sharma, who alleged that EVMs used by the Commission could be easily tampered with.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Sharma wanted registration of an FIR for a probe into alleged tampering with EVMs for vested interest by a political party.

After tasting defeat at the hustings, BSP chief Mayawati and AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that EVMs were tampered with. The AAP had demanded that the MCD polls be conducted through ballot papers. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also demanded that the Election Commission should hold an all-party meeting to discuss the issue.

EVMs were introduced in India in 1999 by the Election Commission and now they have replaced ballot papers in Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body polls across the country. The Election Commission has consistently maintained that EVMs are tamper-proof. But the Commission has decided to introduce EVMs with voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system. The VVPAT system was introduced in eight of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies as a pilot project in 2014 elections.

The petitioner has demanded examination of the quality, software/malware and hacking effect in the EVMs from a reliable electronic lab/scientist and software expert and to file their report before this court for further action/prosecution.

Referring to allegations of EVM tampering in the recent Assembly polls in five states and Maharashtra civic polls, Sharma contended it was admitted by the Election Commission itself that EVMs were tamper-proof only until their technical, mechanical and software details remain a secret.

These details can be detected via reverse engineering by any expert. Wireless device/software can be prepared via reverse engineering, and with their help voting records can be changed in any location and at any time, the petitioner said.
New Delhi, March 24

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who has admitted to assaulting an Air India staffer 25 times with his slippers, on Friday said that he will not apologise for his act as he was not at fault.

I will not apologise, why should I? First ask him (victim) to apologise then we will see, said the MP.

Ravindra Gaikwad also said that he will make sure that he travels in an Air India flight to Pune at 4.15 today, for which, he has a booking.

The Shiv Sena MP on Thursday repeatedly hit an elderly Air India officer with his sandal in a brazen burst of fury over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

#WATCH: Shiv Sena MP R.Gaikwad who assaulted AI Staff says, "won't apologise,not my mistake. Vo (victim) pehle maafi mange fir dekhenge." pic.twitter.com/T8IwCaNsmO  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

The Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtras Osmanabad, slapped and, by his own claim, hit 60-year-old duty manager Sukumar 25 times with his sandal when the official went to persuade him to disembark after he refused to alight, holding up the aircraft for over 40 minutes.

The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, known for his strong-arm tactics, while Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from him. While one FIR relates to assault, the other is for holding up the aircraft.

Reacting on the same, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday dubbed it as "highly condemnable" and called out for a strict action to be taken against the MP. Agencies
Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 23

Barely a week after taking oath as Chief Minister and inducting nine ministers, Capt Amarinder Singh today not only announced the expansion of his ministry before the Budget session in June, but also said he would introduce a Bill in the Punjab Assembly to appoint MLAs as parliamentary secretaries, a clear indication that Congress MLAs have been lobbying hard with the high command for their elevation.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had in August last year quashed the appointment of 18 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries in the SAD-BJP government, ruling that they were acting as junior ministers in contravention of the Constitutions intent to limit the Council of Ministers to 15 per cent of the strength of the legislature.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Capt Amarinder said he intended to attach parliamentary secretaries with various ministers to acquaint them with matters of governance. He said he would be happy to see his party appoint his successor in the last year of his tenure.

Capt Amarinder said he would give due representation to all regions and communities. As of now, there is one minister from the Doaba region, three from Majha and six from Malwa, including the Chief Minister. The Congress has 77 Congress MLAs in the Assembly. There is room for eight more ministers in the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, justifying the decision to retain Suresh Arora as the Punjab DGP, Capt Amarinder said he was a thoroughly professional officer while the Chief Secretary had to be changed because of his proximity to the previous SAD-BJP government.
Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, March 24

A riot broke out at Gurdapsur central jail after gangsters beat up two jail staff members on Friday.

Gangsters Jagtar Singh and Gurpreet Singh beat up Maheshinder Singh when he went to escort them from their cells. Jail superintendent DS Saini was also manhandled, police said.

The incident sparked a clash between two groups of inmates  one owing allegiance to the gangsters  in which power lines and hand pumps were uprooted.

Rioters even lit fires, prompting Saini to alert Senior Superintendent Bhupinderjeet Singh Virk and call for back up.

Attempts of holding negotiations with the warring groups ended abruptly after a group made their way to the roof of a barrack, forcing police to begin firing several rounds in the air.

The fire brigade was called to douse fire, while an anti-riot vehicle was kept on standby.

Meanwhile, the jail road was closed to traffic.

The incident occurred a day before IG (Border) Naunihal Singh is scheduled to visit the city.

Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar, who was holding a meeting at Panchayat Bhawan nearby when the incident occurred, has ordered Sub-divisional Magistrate Sandeep Singh to conduct an inquiry.

Insiders claim that poor inmates-staff ratio at the jail 1500:90  frequently led to tensions in the prison.

However, today things really went out of hand and had the police not arrived on the scene, the situation could have turned from bad to worse, said a jail official.
Jupinderjit Singh & Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 23

With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today rejecting the seats allocated to its MLAs and its ally, the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), a confrontation seems inevitable on the opening day of the newly constituted 14th Vidhan Sabha tomorrow.

Pro tem Speaker Rana Kanwar Pal Singh will take a decision on the matter in consultation with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh before the start of the session. AAP will decide its course thereafter.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The conflict is regarding the 12 seats in the first row. AAP legislators are upset that no seat has been allocated to the Lok Insaaf Party in this row. The party has two MLAs  Balwinder Singh Bains and younger brother Simarjit Singh.

The House has seating arrangements in three blocks  treasury benches on the Speakers right, where the 77 Congress MLAs will be seated; the opposite block for the Opposition MLAs and the block facing the Speakers chair for other parties/Independents or members of the ruling party, in case there are not enough seats in the main block.

AAP has 20 MLAs, the second highest, while the Akalis have 15. Both will get seats in the Opposition rows but AAPs HS Phoolka, being the Leader of the Opposition, will be seated opposite the CM.

AAP has been allotted five seats in the front row, the Akalis four and the BJP two. One seat is reserved for the Deputy Speaker. The LIP has been allotted two seats in the third block. The Bains brothers had occupied seats in this block as Independents in the last House as well.

Phoolka told The Tribune he had rejected the seat arrangement. The Lok Insaaf Party had a pre-poll alliance with AAP as had the Akalis with the BJP. If they can be seated together and their senior leaders allotted seats in the front row, why not AAP and LIP leaders? he asked.

Phoolka, contending that AAP and it ally would have a joint House strategy, said: We have demanded that the Speaker allots the LIP seats to us. Sources said in view of the Bains brothers tenacity to dominate House proceedings, AAP was keen on seeing at least one of them on the front seat.

We have allocated seats as per the party position. The seats are not allocated as per alliance or coalition, explained Vidhan Sabha officials, who faced an unusual situation, having to accommodate the Leader of the SAD Legislature Party as also the former CM, the seniormost politician not only in Punjab, but the country too.
Ranjita Biswas

Food trends have travelled through the ages across borders though in todays globalised world, people would think its something new. Food history often displays cuisine styles from different lands churning in the cooking pot. Take for example, Istanbul. The aroma of kebabs slowly grilled over fire immediately brings a whiff of homeland to Indians reminding of tandoori chicken or mutton kebab. Naturally, since this cooking method entered the country with the Mughals.

Walk on the streets of cities in Spain, especially in Andalusia in the south, and the Paella will invite to be tasted from food joints. At first, to an Indian, it would look like khichdi, a mix of rice, dal and vegetables, but a closer look would show that there is no lentil involved and its full of seafood, and sometimes chunks of vegetables. The colour that gives the rice grains the yellow tone comes from saffron, which was introduced by the Moors from Morocco. The Arab Moors from across the Mediterranean Sea ruled the Iberian Peninsula for around 800 years. Naturally, they left behind many cultural influences, including on food items. Many fruits, like pomegranate, orange, etc. were introduced here by the Moors, as also rice.

Pasta from Italy is today popular all over the world, along with the ubiquitous pizza. It is widely believed that spaghetti is a version of Chinese noodles, which was introduced in Italy by 13th century Italian traveller Marco Polo from Venice. He traversed all the way to China (and also India, though its little known), and even became close to Mongol emperor Kublai Khan.

However, many food historians contradict this belief today. This could be because food trails are often lost since they were not written about; it was part of lifestyle, or taken for granted, which academics try to unravel today.

Take, for example, Indias North East. In the Brahmaputra valley, a conglomeration of many ethnic cultures bamboo shoot as an ingredient in food items is common. In Assam, the pungent khoricha pickle is a part of the traditional thali. The tribes, both in the plains and hills in this region, use bamboo shoot widely. So also, sticky rice. In Assam, it is called bora chawal; it is often used as a full meal, boiled and mixed with milk or to make the traditional pitha snack during the harvest festival, Magh Bihu. Both bamboo shoot and sticky rice are extensively used in South-East Asia. As the North East has seen human migration from this region for ages, it is not difficult to find the connection.

The savoury Scotch egg is a popular number from British cuisine. This item  hard-boiled egg encased in spiced minced meat, covered with bread crumbs, fried and then halved to be served sunny side up  is a delight to food lovers. But to Indians, it would look like the Nargisi kebab or kofta.

Food writer Annette Hope (author of A Caledonian Feast) thinks that it is an Indian export in the early 19th century, along with curry and kedgeree. Hope finds an odd similarity between the two savouries.

But there are also theories that the Scotch egg originated in the Whitby area of Yorkshire in the late 19th century. Originally, these were not covered in meat but fish paste. Their name those days was Scotties. Another theory says, it came from North Africa. The technique made its way to Britain via France and was first recorded in England during the reign of Elizabeth I.

All this proves that cooking styles travelled seamlessly from place to place and trying to establish a pure recipe is often a misnomer.

... and thus came the paella

The name paella actually refers to the cooking pan itself, and not the dish. It perhaps got the name because it is served on the grid itself. Valencia on south-east coast of Spain is supposed to be the original home of paella. The word comes from old Valencian language. Some say it comes from the Latin patella meaning pan. Still others suggest that the word is derived from the Arabic word baqiyah, which means leftovers. According to an old story, Moorish kings servants created rice dishes by mixing the leftovers from royal banquets in large pots to take home. Paella is the perfect union between two cultures of Spain  the Romans, for the pan and the Moors, that brought rice.

A gift from China

Traditionally Italians use the term pasta to describe Italian noodles. This particular variety, unlike others, is made from unleavened dough consisting of ground durum wheat and water or eggs. Durum wheat is high on gluten and low in moisture making it perfect for long storing. In his extremely popular Medieval book, The Travels of Marco Polo, which was actually dictated to a fellow prisoner when Marco Polo was caught in an internecine war between Italian states, a passage mentions a plant that produced flour (possibly a breadfruit tree). The Chinese used this plant to create a meal similar to barley flour. Since Polos original text no longer exists, and there could be many new versions, scholars say that as pasta was already popular in Italy during the 13th century, it is unlikely that Marco Polo was the first to introduce pasta in Italy. Noodles actually existed in Asia long before Polos trip to China. Archaeologists believe that central Asia is most likely the first area to have produced noodles thousands of years ago. From Asia, it travelled westward.
By Press Trust of India: Chennai, Mar 24 (PTI) Superstar Rajinikanths reported visit to Sri Lanka to launch a housing scheme is facing opposition from a group here.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan today urged Rajinikanth to drop his Sri Lanka visit to participate in an event organized by Lyca Groups Gnanam Foundation.

Lyca has produced Rajinikanths upcoming movie "2.0".

advertisement

The actor was supposed to attend a two-day-long event in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to present 150 homes to displaced Tamils on April 9 and 10, according to a statement by Raju Mahalingam, Creative Head of Lyca Productions.

"I have no personal agenda against Rajinikanth. We are good friends. But, I strongly oppose his decision to visit Sri Lanka and participate in an event organized by Lyca, which has business ties with the Sri Lankan government," Thirumavalavan claimed.

"Artists should only entertain people. We, on behalf of our party Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi request Rajnikanth not to earn Tamil peoples hatred by participating in this event."

Thirumavalavan said he has also sought an appointment to meet Rajinikanth to discuss the matter.

"I have sought an appointment to meet Rajinikanth in person... I will hand over a memorandum and request him to drop his visit," he said. PTI CORR BK JCH

--- ENDS ---
Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 24

Governor KK Paul, in his customary address to the newly-constituted Legislative Assembly, spelt out the polices of the BJP government with focus on transparency in governance by reviving the government employees Transfer Act, 2011, Lokayukta Act, 2011, and bringing a new education policy and youth policy in the state.

The Governor, in his address, said the new government will revive the Lokayukta Act and the Transfer Act brought in 2011 by the erstwhile Khanduri government to curb corruption. The Lokayukta will hear cases of corruption against the elected representatives and bureaucrats. Further, the Transfer Policy will bring transparency and curb corruption, he said.

The state government, with an aim to instill discipline and transparency in all spheres, will also set up a special helpline at the Chief Ministers office. This helpline will act as a special cell in the Chief Minister office where the complaints of corruption can be lodged, said Paul.

Further, the government will also bring a new education policy in keeping with the changes taking place around the world.

There is a need to bring a qualitative change in the education policy. The government will examine the existing policy and bring the required changes, he said.

The government will also ensure the meritorious, but poor, students get their due by offering them financial assistance and opening residential schools. Due emphasis will also be given to the study and research of traditional Indian study of rituals, architecture and Sanskrit language. Further, to boost agriculture, a scientific survey of the entire farm land will be undertaken that will help shed light on the suitability of the crop.

The new government will establish Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Chikitsa Kendra in all gram panchayats for free distribution of medicines.

In another initiative, the government also intends to set up toilets for women living in slums and working women hostels in Haldwani and Dehradun.

The government will also fulfill its promise to develop Gairsain as the summer capital of the state for which the required infrastructure will be built.
Sandeep Rawat

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 24

People are hopeful that Cabinet ministers Madan Kaushik and Satpal Maharaj Rawat, who have been allocated major portfolios, will usher in mass development in the district where they reside.

Both Madan Kaushik and Satpal Maharaj live in the Ranipur area. Kaushiks house in Khanna Nagar is adjacent to Satpal Maharajs grand Prem Nagar ashram. Satpal Maharaj is MLA from Chaubattakhal in Pauri Garhwal district. He was born in the Kankhal area of Haridwar and lives most of the time at his Prem Nagar ashram.

Maharaj in the capacity of a spiritual guru holds two mega religious conventions on Baisakhi and on his birthday on September 21 at the Prem Nagar ashram every year. More than 25,000 followers arrive from various parts of the country to listen to his sermons on the three-day event.

While Madan Kaushik has won for the fourth consecutive time from the Haridwar city Assembly seat and showed his hold among local voters. He defeated Congress leader Brahmaswarup Brahmachari by a thumping 35,927 votes.

Maharaj have been allocated nine departments, including irrigation, flood control, tourism, culture, jalagam and affairs of cooperation with Nepal.

Kaushik has been allocated the Urban Development Ministry, housing, census and election portfolios.

Madan Kaushik had recently assured people of developing the city to bring it on a par with other metro cities. He promised to focus on sewerage, garbage disposal, recarpeting of roads, potable water and affordable housing.

District vice-president of BJP Vikas Tiwari said the two Cabinet ministers could surely ensure mass development in the district. Kaushik had sought suggestions from the party office-bearers on improving urban infrastructure in the city.

Prem Nagar ashram inmates are elated at Cabinet berth to Maharaj saying he would pay equal attention to both Haridwar and Chaubattakhal.

Congress Mahanagar unit president Anshul Shrikunj said with BJP governments at the Centre and in the state and two Cabinet ministers from Haridwar people would now see whether the ministers live up to their expectations or not.

He added he didnt have much hope in this regard as Kaushik during his previous stint as Urban Development and Excise Minister had failed miserably and Maharaj too disappointed people of Pauri Garhwal even though he had been Union Minister of State for Railways.
Ottawa: Lawmakers in Canada's House of Commons, with strong encouragement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, passed a motion paving the way for future measures to combat Islamophobia. The motion, which passed easily yesterday, asks the government to "recognise the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear" and "condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination". In the wake of the January attack on a Quebec mosque that left six Muslim men dead, Trudeau's government has come under pressure to denounce all forms of religious discrimination. In recent months, several mosques and synagogues have been vandalised in towns across Canada. Nearly all of the deputies from Trudeau's Liberal Party and the leftist New Democratic Party approved the measure. AFP
London, March 24

The man who launched a terror attack on UK Parliament has been identified by the police as 52-year-old former convict Adrian Russell Ajao who acquired the name Khalid Masood upon conversion to Islam.

Scotland Yard Acting Deputy Commissioner and Counterterrorism chief Mark Rowley today revealed that the fast-paced counter-terrorism operation to establish Masood's motivation, preparation and his associates has been titled Operation Classific.

The operation continues, involving hundreds of officers from across the counterterrorism network we named the dead terrorist as Khalid Masood  we stated he had a number of aliases  we now know his birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao, he said.

He appealed to the public to come up with any information they have about Khalid Masood to help in the probe.

The appeal came as a picture emerges of an English schoolboy, born to a white mother and black father, with a history of violent knife crime.

In July 2000, he slashed a man across the face after an argument that the court at the time was told "racial overtones".

Hove Crown Court also heard during the trial that the attack had left Masood and his young family "ostracised" in the village of Northiam in Sussex, south-east England.  PTI
By Press Trust of India: Chennai, Mar 24 (PTI) Superstar Rajinikanths reported visit to Sri Lanka to launch a housing scheme is facing opposition from a group here.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan today urged Rajinikanth to drop his Sri Lanka visit to participate in an event organized by Lyca Groups Gnanam Foundation.

Lyca has produced Rajinikanths upcoming movie "2.0".

advertisement

The actor was supposed to attend a two-day-long event in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to present 150 homes to displaced Tamils on April 9 and 10, according to a statement by Raju Mahalingam, Creative Head of Lyca Productions.

"I have no personal agenda against Rajinikanth. We are good friends. But, I strongly oppose his decision to visit Sri Lanka and participate in an event organized by Lyca, which has business ties with the Sri Lankan government," Thirumavalavan claimed.

"Artists should only entertain people. We, on behalf of our party Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi request Rajnikanth not to earn Tamil peoples hatred by participating in this event."

Thirumavalavan said he has also sought an appointment to meet Rajinikanth to discuss the matter.

"I have sought an appointment to meet Rajinikanth in person... I will hand over a memorandum and request him to drop his visit," he said. PTI CORR BK JCH RBS

--- ENDS ---
Photo: Deborah Lockridge

David Webb of Billings, Montana, accepted the 34th Goodyear Highway Hero Award during the Mid-America Trucking Show for saving the life of an incapacitated driver.

Chosen from three finalists, Webb was recognized for stopping an out-of-control dump truck and performing CPR on the incapacitated driver.

Webb and his wife Carol were driving through Washington State last June when they noticed a dump truck swerving in the next lane. Webb saw that the driver was slumped over the steering wheel and as the dump truck slowed, he got out of his own truck to run after the still-moving vehicle.

Thinking fast, Webb jumped onto the trucks running board, opened the door, reached inside and applied the brakes. As his wife called 911, he worked with another bystander to pull the driver out of the truck and perform CPR on the man until help arrived. The driver was hospitalized and survived.

Webb's training and experience in the military and as a volunteer firefighter contributed to his quick response.

David took immediate action to save a fellow truck driver and stop an out-of-control truck that could have injured others, said Gary Medalis, marketing director, Goodyear. For his quick thinking and courage, we are proud to name him our 34th Goodyear Highway Hero.

As the winner of the Goodyear Highway Hero Award, Webb received a special Highway Hero ring, a $5,000 prize, and other items. The other finalists were Chris Baker of Chicopee, Mass., and Tim Freiburger of Huntington, Ind. To read more about the other finalists, click here.

The Goodyear Highway Hero Award winner was selected by an independent panel consisting of members of the trucking trade press.

We are proud of all three of our Highway Hero finalists, said Medalis. Each is a hero in his own right and is truly worthy of recognition.
Image: HDT

Heavy Duty Trucking has been named a national finalist in the 2017 Azbee Awards of Excellence, which are awarded by the American Society for Business Publication Editors.

HDT was named a finalist for the four-part series on The Modern Maintenance Manager. The series examined what the trucking industrys most forward-looking maintenance and equipment executives are doing to hire and keep technicians, manage employees, increase efficiency and productivity, and meet other demands placed on the modern maintenance manager.

The series consisted of feature articles by editor in chief Deborah Lockridge, executive editor David Cullen, and technology contributing editor Jim Beach.

While many articles in HDT and competitive magazines cover buying and maintaining trucks, we wanted to do something different, remarked Lockridge. We worked to pull together all the trends affecting truck maintenance and offer insight into how they affect the person responsible for a fleet's equipment needs -- and offer best practices to help others in this position be more successful.

According to ASBPE, the Azbee Awards of Excellence program is one of the most competitive there is for business-to-business, trade, association, and professional publications. The awards recognize outstanding work by magazines, newsletters, and digital media.

The national winners will be announced May 18 at the 2017 ASBPE National Conference & Azbee Awards Banquet in St. Petersburg, Florida.

For more information on the Azbee awards, click here.
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad is a repeat offender, who seems to be in a habit of being on the other side of law. His affidavit for the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 lists around a dozen charges against him including one of culpable homicide.

By Prabhash K Dutta: What happened inside an Air India plane on Thursday has shocked the nation. Lok Sabha MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra Ravindra Gaikwad hit 60-year-old airline staffer Surendra Kundu '25 times' with his slippers.

But if someone knows his past record, the person would not be shocked at the Shiv Sena MP's behaviour. His affidavit, as analysed by portal the Association for Democratic Reforms, tells that Ravindra Gaikwad is a repeat offender.

advertisement

Less than three months after being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014, Ravindra Gaikwad landed in controversy. Ravindra Gaikwad was at the centre of the row for allegedly force-feeding a Muslim caterer during Ramzan at Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi.

Gaikwad and other MPs from Shiv Sena (there were 11 members of Parliament) were unhappy over the quality of chapattis served at Maharashtra Sadan. They also complained that they were not served Maharashtrian food by the Muslim caterer supervisor. All the MPs later denied force-feeding the man.

While he remained unapologetic and dared authorities to take action against him, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today said that she would look into the matter and take appropriate action if someone complained to her.

RAVINDRA GAIKWAD -A REPEAT OFFENDER

Over a dozen charges have been slapped against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad over the years. Gaikwad faces another charge related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder under IPC Section-304. Ravindra Gaikwad also faces two charges related rioting.

Ravindra Gaikwad has been charged under IPC Section 506 for criminal intimidation and also under IPC Section 336 for charges related to act endangering life or personal safety of others.

Ravindra Gaikwad faces charges related to voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty under IPC Section-332.

OTHER CHARGES AGAINST RAVINDR GAIKWAD

Two charges related to being member of an unlawful assembly (IPC Section-143).

Two charges related to wrongful restraint (IPC Section-341).

One charge related to rioting, armed with deadly weapon (IPC Section-148).

One charge related to every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object (IPC Section-149).

One charge related to causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others (IPC Section-337).

One charges related to mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees (IPC Section-427).

One charges related to assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty (IPC Section- 353).

One charges related to voluntarily causing hurt (IPC Section-323).

Ravindra Gaikwad has secured MCom and BEd degrees. He is a director on the agriculture board committee in the Government of India.

Gaikwad is also a member of the standing committee on agriculture and of the consultative committee on textiles.

Before representing Osmanabad in the Lok Sabha, Ravindra Gaikwad was twice elected to the Maharashtra Assembly.

advertisement

ALSO READ| Unapologetic Shiv Sena MP dares Air India to ban him, gets barred by Federation of Indian Airlines instead

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
The President and Republican leaders are scrambling for a deal on landmark legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare. Republicans cannot lose more than 21 members of their party and still pass the bill, since no Democrats are expected to support it.

By Indo-Asian News Service: A majority of American voters, 56 per cent, disapprove of the Republican health care plan to replace the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, according to a poll.

Only 17 per cent of voters approve of the plan and 26 per cent remain undecided, the Quinnipiac University poll revealed on Thursday.

The question -- "There is a Republican health care plan to replace Obamacare, known as the American Health Care Act. Do you approve or disapprove of this Republican health care plan?" -- did not go into specifics of the plan.

advertisement

"Replacing Obamacare will come with a price for elected representatives who vote to scrap it, say many Americans, who clearly feel their health is in peril under the Republican alternative," CNN quoted Tim Malloy, assistant director of the poll, as saying.

Most voters, 61 per cent, also disapprove of the way President Donald Trump is handling health care.

The President and Republican leaders are scrambling for a deal on landmark legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare. Republicans cannot lose more than 21 members of their party and still pass the bill, since no Democrats are expected to support it.

One out of every seven Americans -- 14 per cent -- believes they will lose their health insurance under the Republicans' replacement plan.

The plan itself does not enjoy majority support among Republicans, with only 41 per cent backing the bill, reports CNN.

Most men, 56 per cent, disapprove of the plan as do most women, also 56 per cent.

While more than half of white voters disapprove of the plan, even more non-white voters -- 64 per cent -- disapprove.

Overall, 58 per cent of independent voters disapprove of the replacement plan.

Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,056 voters nationwide from March 16 to 21.

Also Read:

Donald Trump, in gamble, demands make-or-break health vote

TrumpCare vs ObamaCare: D-day for President Donald Trump as new healthcare bill faces Congress test

--- ENDS ---
Select a language for our global site

Select a country or regional site
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Mar 24 (PTI) Resident doctors in Maharashtra are yet to resume work despite an appeal by an association representing them to join duty and intervention of the Bombay High Court.

With the doctors not returning to work, functioning of the OPDs and general wards in the government and the civic hospitals are likely to be affected today as well.

advertisement

"The OPDs in KEM, Sion and Nair hospitals have not yet become fully operational. Some doctors are managing them but it has increased the waiting period for patients," Dr Avinash Supe, dean of KEM Hospital, told PTI.

Asked about the striking doctors resuming duty, Supe said, "Very few have returned to work. Hence, full medical services will not be available immediately."

The High Court had yesterday directed the resident doctors to resume work immediately. However, the order was not available on the HC website till last night and therefore protesting doctors decided to wait.

After the court order, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) late last night appealed to the striking medical practitioners to join duty.

"The order is now available on the HC website and we find it satisfactory. Now, there is a meeting scheduled with some state ministers at 1 pm today where we will discuss the issue (about their safety) once again," said Dr Swapnil Meshram, general secretary of MARD.

After holding a meeting with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis yesterday, the doctors decided to wait for a copy of the minutes before taking a call on joining duty.

In a bid to end the strike, Fadnavis proposed setting up a panel to resolve security issues in state-run hospitals.

"We have been fooled in the past when promises and assurances made by officials were not strictly implemented. This time we are being careful," said a MARD official, explaining the delay in the doctors returning to work.

Nearly 4,000 resident doctors have stayed away from work since Monday, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on their colleagues by patients relatives at government hospitals across the state. PTI ND RSY KIS

--- ENDS ---
People displaced by recent hostilities in Mokha, in the Taizz governorate of western Yemen, receive UNHCR emergency assistance.  UNHCR/Adem Shaqiri

After weeks of intense negotiations, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has reached the embattled district of Mokha in Yemens western governorate of Taizz, where hostilities between the warring parties have escalated since January.

Intensified fighting has led to more than 48,000 people being displaced from Taizz in the past six weeks alone. Humanitarian access to Mokha, a flashpoint of hostilities and one of the worst affected areas within the governorate, has been particularly challenging owing to ongoing clashes and movement restrictions imposed by parties to the conflict.

UNHCR teams went on mission to Mokha this week and started distributions on Monday in an area close to the frontlines. More than 3,416 individuals affected by the conflict received non-food assistance from UNHCR, which included mattresses, sleeping mats, blankets, kitchen sets and wash buckets.

The majority of those displaced by hostilities in Taizz have fled to other parts of the governorate. UNHCRs distributions in Mokha were provided to people who were displaced from other villages in the district.

UNHCRs field staff reported many were traumatised and living in desperate conditions, lacking water and sanitation and sharing limited resources with local host communities. Those displaced were being accommodated by local families or living out in the open, without any protection. Many informed UNHCR that this was the first time they had received humanitarian non-food assistance.

This latest distribution supplements UNHCRs previous distributions to those freshly displaced from intensified violence in Taizz. More than 18,151 individuals recently displaced from the Red Sea governorate were also reached by UNHCR assistance in nearby governorates of Al Hudaydah and Ibb.

With the military situation remaining highly volatile on Yemens western front and hostilities extending, UNHCR has also secured access in six other districts in Taizz and will reach more than 42,000 people with emergency assistance in the coming days in Dhubab, Al Waziiyah, Mawza, Al Maafer, Maqbanah and Mawiyah.

Separately, in central Yemen, where 13,900 people were displaced by a recent flare up in hostilities in Utmah district, Dhamar governorate, UNHCR has also started distribution of aid to those now returning home. UNHCR distributions in Utmah started on Wednesday to assist more than 7,700 conflict-returnees.

With March marking two years since the beginning of the current conflict in Yemen, 11.3 per cent of Yemens population has been forcibly displaced by the war. There are two million people displaced across Yemen and one million have returned home to precarious conditions.

As conflict in Yemen drags, 84 per cent of those uprooted from their homes have now been displaced for more than a year, struggling to meet basic needs including food and shelter.

Despite new and prolonged waves of displacement in Yemen, humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR, remain significantly underfunded to respond to prioritised and emerging needs. UNHCRs response to urgent humanitarian needs in Yemen remains only 10 per cent funded to date.

For further information:
Ali and his son visit the beach near Kismayo, Somalia.  UNHCR/Tiger Nest Films

NAIROBI  It is a great honour to be part of this Special Session of the IGAD Ministerial Committee on Durable Solutions for Somali Refugees.

I shall start by thanking the Government of Kenya for hosting this Summit under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to discuss the future of Somalia, with a specific focus on refugees.

It is unprecedented for Somalias neighbours to galvanize concerted action to formulate lasting solutions for a nation that has endured extreme distress for almost three decades, which resulted in the forced displacement of two million people.

This Summit is timely, taking place at a time when Somalia is at a historic crossroads  a point at which crucial decisions must be made that will have far-reaching consequences for the countrys stabilization in the long-term.

In recent years we have witnessed a crisis in refugee protection emerge in some parts of the world.

I would like to salute the IGAD member states, and the Republic of Yemen, for the exceptional generosity they have extended to Somali refugees in their greatest time of need. Without exception, your governments and people have shown exemplary compassion, allowing women, men and children who had nowhere else to go, to seek refuge on your territories.

In recent years  as global forced displacement figures have attained unprecedented levels  we have witnessed a crisis in refugee protection emerge in some parts of the world, with troubling reactions that range from brazen indifference to outright rejection of refugees, expressed in exclusionary policies and public attitudes.

Without the compassion and generosity of the Governments and people of Somalia's neighbours, it would not be possible to protect the refugees.

The numbers of refugees involved in those situations are nowhere near the colossal numbers that African nations are hosting. The countries turning the refugees away are far wealthier than those that have hosted 900,000 Somali refugees for nearly three decades.

Somalias neighbors have generously kept their borders open, and provided refugees the security and protection that they could no longer enjoy in their home country. Notwithstanding their own needs, local communities  always on the frontline of refugee response  have unfailingly shared meager resources like land, water and firewood.

Without the compassion and generosity of the Governments and people of those states, it would not be possible to protect the refugees.

Over the years, the impact of war, terrorism and famine in Somalia has been devastating.

We must not forget that in Somalia the human impact of war, terrorism and sometimes famine has been devastating. Many lives were lost that will never be accounted for. Entire communities and communal infrastructure were destroyed, and Somalia came to be associated with the characteristics of a failed state.

Today there are positive signs of the progress that has been achieved towards improving the situation in Somalia. On the political front, there is new hope following the recent elections which marked a milestone in the countrys post-conflict transformation. The new president enjoys massive support and greater legitimacy than any other president in the past 25 years.

As Somalia moves into a new phase, other stabilization achievements are discernible. Security is a case in point. Several IGAD member states  Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda  have joined others in contributing troops that are working with the Somali national security forces to increase security throughout the country.

The majority of Somali refugees continue to require the protection of the countries that are hosting them.

It is important, also, to acknowledge the ongoing voluntary repatriation movements, albeit on a very small scale from mostly Djibouti, Kenya and Yemen. I must emphasize that refugees who choose to return to Somalia are provided with detailed information about the places they are returning to, and that they do so voluntarily.

It is equally important to recognize that the majority of Somali refugees in this region continue to require the protection of the countries that are hosting them. Conditions in many parts of Somalia are still not conducive for safe or sustainable return, and no one knows this better than the refugees themselves.

Upon taking up office as the UNHCR Special Envoy on the Somalia Refugee situation last September, I embarked on a tour of the region. I was extremely honored by the warm welcome I received from your governments, and the assurances of support for my role as Special Envoy.

The people I met are tired of being refugees, and frustrated that conditions in Somalia do not yet permit them to make that important decision to return home.

During that tour I had the opportunity to meet and talk to refugees in camps and urban settings. In Djibouti, I visited Ali Addeh, the countrys biggest camp, with over 14,000 refugees. In Kenya, I visited Dadaab camp, with more than a quarter of a million refugees. In Ethiopia I visited the Dollo Ado camps, sheltering 217,000 Somali refugees. In Uganda, I met with urban refugees in Kampala, while in Yemen, I heard from Somali refugee representatives in Aden and Sanaa.

I would like to emphasize that the people I met are tired of being refugees, and frustrated that conditions in Somalia do not yet permit them to make that important decision to return home. The refugees I met follow developments in Somalia closely, in the hopes that sooner rather than later they, too, will be able to enjoy rights and freedoms in their home country. Behind the statistics are women, men and children with dreams and aspirations, and a deep longing for home. The troubling phenomenon of refugees resorting to hazardous travel with the aid of traffickers or smugglers with the expectation of making a better life abroad is a harsh manifestation of the despair that they feel as exiles.

The stabilization of Somalia is already on course; the journey ahead is fraught with monumental challenges.

Although the stabilization of Somalia is already on course, the journey ahead is fraught with monumental challenges. Surmounting those challenges will be critical for delivering socio-economic and peace dividends  vital building blocks for the restoration of a viable state, and indeed for the realization of durable solutions both for the 1.1 million citizens who are displaced internally and for returning refugees.

Those building blocks include addressing the continuing threat of terrorism and the complexity of security sector reform. Somalia needs support to build functioning state institutions, democratic governance, and rule of law. Somalia needs support to meet the needs of its citizens and re-establish social cohesion. Somalia needs support to stimulate employment opportunities, restore vital public services and rehabilitate social infrastructure.

We must avoid the possibility of famine-related deaths inside Somalia and mass displacement into neighboring countries as happened eleven years ago.

Drought conditions prevailing in the sub-region and the threat of famine are further complicating the situation in Somalia. It is expected to worsen in 2017, with large populations likely to experience famine if the spring rains fail and a major response is not scaled up immediately. Effective responses are required to prevent a humanitarian crisis. We must avoid the possibility of deaths inside Somalia and mass displacement into neighboring countries as happened eleven years ago.

We must also pay attention to the food situation inside refugee camps. The World Food Programme has been forced by lack of funds to impose ration cuts affecting many refugee populations. Urgent action is needed to address the resulting silent nutritional crisis.

Durable solutions for displaced citizens of Somalia cannot be realized overnight.

I would like to caution that durable solutions for displaced citizens of Somalia cannot be realized overnight.

I am therefore appealing, in the spirit of the New York Declaration, for countries of asylum to continue showing solidarity and extending their generosity towards refugees, while keeping their borders open to those in need of international protection.

It is also necessary to counter negative perceptions of Somali refugees, and rather support them to become self-reliant agents of positive transformation. The majority of Somali refugees are currently living in camps, where access to education and meaningful employment is severely limited. I am appealing to Somalias neighbors to support refugees to acquire useful skills and utilize those skills productively so that when the time comes to return home, they too may contribute to nation-building. I am appealing for bolder policies that allow refugees to seek employment, do business and enjoy freedom of movement.

In a region where countries are grappling with multiple refugee situations funding levels for humanitarian responses are grossly inadequate.

It goes without saying that refugee hosting countries cannot achieve such goals on their own. It is troubling that in a region where countries are grappling with multiple refugee situations funding levels for humanitarian responses are grossly inadequate.

It is important to acknowledge and to be appreciative of the contributions that various countries, corporations, foundations and other actors have made over the years towards providing protection and basic assistance to refugees. Without that support, we would be telling a different story, and many more lives would have been lost.

However, much more needs to be done. In the spirit of the New York Declaration, we are calling on donors to dig deeper into their pockets with a view to matching the generosity of African countries, and enhancing their capacities to absorb large numbers of refugees.

Development actors, international financial institutions and investors, must engage in concerted efforts to promote the social and economic empowerment of refugees and the communities that host them.

Other partners, notably development actors, international financial institutions and investors, must also participate in concerted efforts to promote the social and economic empowerment of refugees and the communities that host them. Such cooperation will strengthen the will of host countries to continue to uphold their responsibilities towards refugees.

From a durable solutions perspective, I would like to make a special appeal to refugee-hosting countries to consider liberalizing legal pathways to facilitate the local integrating refugees, particularly those who have been in extended exile, and may not wish to return to Somalia.

By the same token, I would like to appeal to resettlement countries to increase their quotas, and to countries that have decided to shrink resettlement to reconsider their positions. Resettlement benefits only a very small percentage of refugees. Still, the dividends in terms of providing opportunities to citizens who will one day contribute to building the nation, cannot be overstated.

This Summit sends a strong positive signal that Somalia is not forgotten.

This historic IGAD Summit has refocused world attention on the need for durable solutions for Somalia. With international community preoccupied with violent crises that are generating mass displacement in Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and elsewhere, Somalias plight appeared to have been forgotten, while countries hosting Somali refugees appeared to have been left to shoulder the burden.

This Summit however sends a strong positive signal that Somalia is not forgotten. It is an acknowledgement that a viable state cannot be restored without concerted action by Government of Somalia, IGAD member states and the international community at large. We must all work together to achieve the stabilization of Somalia.

In closing, I would like to commend IGAD for convening this forum for stakeholders to consider their roles in supporting the stabilization and development of Somalia.

I thank you for your kind attention.
People displaced by recent hostilities in Mokha, in the Taizz governorate of western Yemen, receive UNHCR emergency assistance.  UNHCR/Adem Shaqiri

MOKHA, Yemen  Driven from her home by fighting, 80-year-old Yemeni grandmother Maryam is currently living in the open with her family of 10 in the port city of Mokha on the Red Sea coast.

We left our homes about two months ago when the fighting started, and we have been on the move since then, she told staff with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. It is very hard to settle anywhere because of the conflict. Now we have no food and we live on the street.

Thousands of displaced Yemenis like Maryam are currently struggling to survive without access to adequate water, sanitation or shelter in Mokha, where fighting between combatants in the countrys two-year conflict has raged since late January.

This week UNHCR succeeded in delivering life-saving aid to the area, following weeks of intense negotiations for access to Taizz governorate due to the heavy fighting. Some 3,400 people in Mokha affected by the conflict were given essentials including mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets and wash buckets.

Field staff reported that many of the displaced were living in desperate conditions lacking basic sanitation, and sharing limited resources with host communities, UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh told a news briefing in Geneva today.

Families are living out in the open with only trees for shelter, and many said this week was the first time they had received humanitarian assistance other than food, Saltmarsh told reporters at the Palais des Nations.

It is very hard to settle anywhere because of the conflict. Now we have no food and we live on the street.

Two years since the start of the conflict, there are 2 million people displaced across the country, with a further 1 million having returned to their homes but still requiring humanitarian assistance. Worryingly, 84 per cent of those forced from their homes have now been displaced for more than a year.

Western Taizz governorate has been a flashpoint in the conflict over the past two months, with 48,000 people displaced from the area in the last six weeks. As well as Mokha, UNHCR has negotiated access to six other districts within Taizz, and will reach more than 42,000 individuals with emergency assistance in the coming weeks in Dhubab, Al Waziiyah, Mawza, Al Maafer, Maqbanah and Mawiyah.

Despite new and prolonged waves of displacement in Yemen, humanitarian agencies including UNHCR remain massively underfunded. UNHCRs financial appeal to respond to urgent humanitarian needs in Yemen is currently only 10 per cent funded.

Tamer, a six-year-old boy who was displaced from Mokha to a nearby village with his family, summed up the bleak situation facing so many in Yemen. We left our home 10 days ago because of the fighting. Now we live under a tree in the village.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui revealed that he was once invited to Salman Khan's parties, but that is no longer the case.

By India Today Web Desk: Salman Khan is known for his hospitality and legendary parties, be it at Galaxy Apartments or his Panvel farmhouse. However, his Bajrangi Bhaijaan co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui is no longer invited to them. Before you start thinking that the two actors have fallen out, let us hear the reason from Nawazuddin himself. In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, the Raees actor said, "Like everybody else, Salman bhai too used to invite me to his parties but I tend to avoid all Bollywood bashes."

advertisement

He added, "Despite walking red carpets at Sundance, Berlin and Cannes film festivals, I'm still uncomfortable at a typical desi party. So now, I guess, everybody has decided not to invite me knowing I'll say 'no.'"

Salman and Nawazuddin share great camaraderie ever since their first film together, Kick (2014), and the Sultan actor had even said at the trailer launch of Freaky Ali that their personalities were beginning to be influenced by each other.

ALSO READ: Shah Rukh is an 'actor', Salman is a one-take guy, says Nawazuddin Siddiqui

ALSO WATCH: Bajrangi Bhaijaan in just 20 minutes

--- ENDS ---
The US navy has more carriers than all navies of today's superpowers combined, but analysts say this might be the navy's ultimate weakness. The United States of America has the only navy in the world that is overly-dependent on the aircraft carrier.

As reported by Reuters, President Trump plans to increase funding for the navy and to increase the number of aircraft carriers from 10 to 12. Currently the budget for the navy is at $36 billion and will rise upon approval of the Trump's naval expansion program.

The aircraft carrier came into importance during World War II, during the island hopping campaigns in the Pacific. The vast ocean of the Pacific theatre forced Japan and the United States to adopt naval strategies that ultimately center around the Aircraft carrier. Epic engagements such as the Battle of the Coral sea, The Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine sea are all naval encounters where carrier fleets battle out without visual sight of each other.

However, analysts and commentator like Alex Jones of Infowars, are cautious about the said naval program of the president as they fear that aircraft carriers, in today's modern theatre are largely sitting ducks. This is due to the rapid advance of technology in the areas of stealth and long-range ordinance delivery systems.

In a largely classified war exercise, Reuters reported that the US navy "lost" carriers continually against a French submarine. Though most of the data are not available to the public at the moment, this shows the massive threat submarines has to carriers.

China and Russia both have developed missile technology that can easily target offshore aircraft carriers in ranges far beyond current aircraft capabilities. Also, both countries have poured resources on submarine technology, which is also a massive threat to aircraft carriers, especially those equipped with long range missiles. However, at the moment, if the move comes to fruition, the US navy will have two more carriers added to its roster.
The best candidates for college are those who pursue activities that they love for their intrinsic value and not just doing things for the sake of extrinsic rewards. College applicants who use the word "passion" to make their college resume look good are most likely not to be passionate in their activities. Perry Asibey-Bonsu, the author of "This Book Has No Spine" suggests that some of the best applicants are those who pursue what they truly love, or what they are really passionate about.

According to Asibey-Bonsu, his high school has become a venue where he could develop his talents, and he wants to attend a college that would do the same, Forbes reported. He said he wants a community that embraces mistakes, victories, both large and small, and the right amount of discomfort to shed tight skin every semester. These characteristics of a college would bring the best experience for students in a higher education institution, according to Asibey-Bonsu.

The college applicant should choose must be more than just for the sake of diploma, but it must be something students can look beyond and see what they can truly become - this is the ultimate college application tip one must remember. The college institution should bring a transformative experience to the student. Students, not just those who are about to graduate high school, should think of these factors when choosing which college they will attend.

Wofford College vice president for enrolment Brad Stille said they are not finding mistakes in the applications of incoming college students, Greenville Online reported. Students who are about to graduate high school should keep this in mind, he said. He said admissions only want to help incoming college students on their way to higher education.

Some common mistakes in applying for colleges are missing deadlines and using other college names on their applications. Copy pasting certain information without even editing them could also be a fatal mistake for college applicants, he said. Not all colleges are looking for the same things, which make having the same information in all applications not a good idea.
The University of Arizona is now accepting generic graduate record examination for its law school applicants. The national group wasn't very happy about it, and even threatened to remove the school from their circle. However, Harvard Law School is now doing the same thing taking away the traditional Law School Admissions Test to bring a more diverse group to the field.

The number of students applying for law school has decreased by 40 percent for the past decade, Boston Globe reported. There are lesser job opportunities for new lawyers at present and students who are about to graduate from law school are concerned about how they will pay off their student loans. A lot of deans, even those who are that are from Harvard Law School believe that the GRE will encourage a wider range of applicants to take up law.

With the GRE graduate programs from chemistry to philosophy can now apply for law school. The exam is available any day using a computer at 1,000 different centers present in 160 different countries. The test will measure the applicant's analytical writing, verbal reasoning, critical thinking, and math skills.

Meanwhile, the LSAT can only be taken on paper and is only given four times each year. It will measure the logic, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehension of applicants. Students usually take the LSAT and GRE so that they can apply to various graduate schools.

If students will take just one of these exams, the financial burden would be lifted up from their shoulders, considering that each exam can cost $1,300. Boston University School of Law dean Maureen A. O'Rourke said that if the GRE can help predict the success of students, then most law schools can drop the LSAT.

Meanwhile, the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law has veered away from the LSAT in 2016 making it the first law school to accept the GRE. They did this in the hopes of bringing in more diverse applicants to their school, National Jurist reported.
A professor from New York University has developed a course on everyone's favorite subject. "Love Actually" by psychiatrist Dr. Megan Poe is an undergraduate course on love.

The course was developed by Dr. Poe at New York University and has since grown in popularity among students. The class has tripled in size within just two years.

Speaking to The Guardian, Dr. Poe explained that the "Love Actually" course provides students with as much information on the human experience of love within just one semester. It moves in two psychological directions: vertical, which expands out of the person towards family, collective and universal love, the second is horizontal which examines the types of loving relationships individuals encounter within their lives.

She admitted that she got inspiration for the course when she gave a lecture on "Love and Intimacy" at NYU. After her talk, some students came up to her and asked if there was a course offered on the subject.

Dr. Poe designed the course with the help of three child psychiatry fellows. It is run on NYU's child and adolescent mental health studies department, which is the largest undergraduate child development program in the U.S.

"Love Actually" is heavily influenced by Erich Fromm's work. The psychologist wrote "The Art of Loving" in 1956.

The NYU professor said that Fromm's book is "the perfect jumping-off point" for the course since it demonstrates that love is learnable and is an art. This means that students can practice this art form and get better as time goes by.

According to the Daily Times, the course looks at various forms of love. Students can learn about parent-infant love, friendship, self-love, love of things as well as love between a mentor and a student, among others.

Other writers included in the course's reading list are Rainer Maria Rilke, Mary Oliver, Sharon Olds and Hayden Carruth. The course also studies the tragic love story of "Romeo and Juliet."
Reliance Industries has been asked to disgorge Rs 447 crore, along with an annual interest of 12 per cent since November 29, 2007, which itself would be more than Rs 500 crore, taking the total disgorgement amount to nearly Rs 1,000 crore.

By Press Trust of India: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) today banned Reliance Industries and 12 others from equity derivatives trading for one year and directed the Mukesh Ambani-led firm to disgorge nearly Rs 1,000 crore for alleged fraudulent trading in a 10-year-old case.

A company spokesperson said it will challenge the order. Reliance Industries has been asked to disgorge Rs 447 crore, along with an annual interest of 12 per cent since November 29, 2007, which itself would be more than Rs 500 crore, taking the total disgorgement amount to nearly Rs 1,000 crore.

advertisement

The case related to alleged fraudulent trading in the F&O space in the securities of RILs erstwhile listed subsidiary Reliance Petroleum.

In a 54-page order passed by Whole-Time Member G Mahalingam, RIL and 12 other entities have been prohibited from dealing in the "equity derivatives in the F&O segment of stock exchanges, directly or indirectly".

ONE YEAR BAN

The ban will be in place for one year from today. The 12 other entities are Gujarat Petcoke and Petro Product supply, Aarthik Commercials, LPG Infrastructure India, Relpol Plastic Products, Fine Tech Commercials, Pipeline Infrastructure India, Motech software, Darshan Securities, Relogistics (India), Relogistics (Rajasthan), Vinamara Universal Traders and Dharti Investment and Holdings. Reliance Industries has been directed to disgorge the amount, along with interest within 45 days.

Mahalingam said the directions are being passed after taking into consideration the magnitude of the fraud across the markets. "I am inclined to pass certain directions against the noticees in order to protect the interest of the investors and reinstil their faith in the regulatory system," the order said. "The noticees may, however, square off or close out their existing open positions."

The Reliance Industries group had earlier sought to settle the case, but SEBI had refused. The proceedings in the long-pending case were expedited in the last few months. Reliance Petroleum has been merged with the listed parent firm.

Meanwhile, Reliance Industries issued a statement with regards to the matter and has said that SEBI had imposed unjustifiable sanctions.

Statement by Reliance Industries

In an order issued today, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) barred Reliance Industries Limited from trading in equity derivative Future & Options markers for one year in RPL case.

SEBI also ordered ordered RIL to pay Rs 447 crore plus interest as fine within 45 days in a seven-year-long insider trading case. SEBI said the company had made unlawful gains of Rs 513 crore.

advertisement

SEBI has also issued showcause notices to 13 companies on Reliance Petroleum case.

The SEBI order says:

Under Sections 11, 11B of the SEBI Act, 1992, Section 12A of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 read with Regulation 11 of SEBI (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices relating to the Securities Market) Regulations, 2003

In the case of Reliance Petroleum Ltd. (RPL) -

Noticees:

1. Reliance Industries Ltd. (PAN No. AAACR5055K)

2. Gujarat Petcoke and Petro Product supply Pvt. Ltd. (PAN No. AABCG9773E)

3. Aarthik Commercials Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AACCR0191A)

4. LPG Infrastructure India Pvt. Limited. PAN No. AAACL7928F)

5. Relpol Plastic Products Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AAACN6007D)

6. Fine Tech Commercials Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AAACF5232A)

7. Pipeline Infrastructure India Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AABCD2718F, AABCD2719F)

8. Motech software Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AACCM0039Q)

9. Darshan Securities Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AAACD1408Q)

10. Relogistics (India) Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AACCR3050J)

11. Relogistics (Rajasthan) Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AAACZ1853B)

12. Vinamara Universal Traders Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AACCV5090J)

13. Dharti Investment and Holdings Pvt. Limited. (PAN No. AACCD2509C)

Directions :

In view of the above findings and taking into consideration the magnitude of the fraud across the markets; the quantum of unlawful gains made by the Noticee No. 1 (Reliance Industries Ltd ) and the role of the agents in facilitating the fraudulent design, I am inclined to pass certain directions against the noticees in order to protect the interest of the investors and re-instill their faith in the regulatory system.

advertisement

Accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me under section 19 of the SEBI Act, 1992 read with sections 11 and 11B of the SEBI Act, and Regulation 11 of SEBI (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Relating to the Securities Market) Regulations, 2003, I hereby pass the following directions:-

(i) The noticees named above shall be prohibited from dealing in equity derivatives in the F&O segment of stock exchanges, directly or indirectly, for a period of one year from the date of this order. The noticees may however square off or close out their existing open positions.

(ii) Noticee No. 1 shall disgorge an amount of ? 447.27 crores, as ascertained in para No. 5.5 above along with interest calculated at the rate of 12% per annum from 29 November, 2007 onwards, till the date of payment.

advertisement

(iii) Noticee No. 1 shall pay the said amounts within 45 days from the date of this Order either by way of demand draft drawn in favour of "Securities and Exchange Board of India", payable at Mumbai or by e-payment* to SEBI account

--- ENDS ---
Roosevelt University has announced a safe space campaign. The initiative included posting "symbolic" signs across its urban and suburban campuses.

It stated that "Inclusion Has No Borders," as a response to President Donald Trump's recent changes to immigration policies. Roosevelt University formed the Outreach, Advocacy, Social Justice, Information and Safety (OASIS) committee last week, The College Fix reported.

The campaign includes posting the "Inclusion Has No Borders" signs inside the university's different campuses such as in Chicago and nearby Schaumburg, Illinois. The campus community has been encouraged to post the signs on campus and use the hashtag "#YouAreWelcomeHere" on social media.

The OASIS committee was created at the request of Roosevelt University President Ali Malekzadeh. Dawn Hougland, assistant director for international programs, told the publication that the campus group was formed at the president's behest in response to the things that they saw from the Trump administration, in terms of immigration.

In Roosevelt University's official website, it was confirmed that the OASIS committee is composed of about 20 members that includes faculty, administrators, students and staff. It is in-charge of reviewing and responding to immigration issues corresponding to higher education.

One of the committee's focuses will be to preserve and protect the rights of international students and immigrants enrolled at Roosevelt University. This is regardless of their status.

In another post from the school's website, Sharron Evans, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students at Roosevelt University, noted that the "Inclusion Has No Borders" signs are a symbolic way for the campus community to show solidarity with other students or faculty who are affected by President Trump's immigration policies. She added that, through the campaign, they are demonstrating that it is important to respect all community members and to be inclusive of all identities.

Recently, the University of Arizona has launched new guidelines regarding "safe spaces." The initiative is to "maximize free speech in the classroom," encouraging students to say "ouch" when they are offended while the other party should respond with "oops."
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) conducted a study to find out whether colleges in the United States are affordable or not. Unfortunately, as much as 95 percent of American schools remain to be impossible dreams for low-income students.

According to The Atlantic, the majority of middle-class students do not have a lot of choices for college because their futures are already limited even before applying. On the contrary, students from high-income families could pay for as much as 90 percent of the more than 2,000 sample colleges used in the study. To further illustrate, the researchers used a $160,000 earning to identify the rich families while $69,000 to differentiate the less fortunate.

IHEP took 10 theoretical students with incomes ranging from $2,706 to a whopping $162,995. The researchers then calculated how many of these samples could reasonably pay for college using the Lumina Foundation's affordability benchmark. IHEP then partnered with College Abacus to analyze the net price of all the sample schools. The net price is the basic tuition fee excluding the scholarship aids.

The organization later found out that 60 percent of the schools are still not affordable for families earning $100,000 annually. Affordability, meanwhile, has been defined as the capability to pay for college through a combination of family savings and individual earnings from a student working 10 hours a week. "What we found is a pretty bleak picture of the state of college affordability," Mamie Voight, IHEP policy-research VP, said in previous statements.

Voight added that there is a huge disparity in terms of opportunities between high-income students and the low-income ones. Meanwhile, per Market Watch, some US colleges and lawmakers have been trying to make education cheaper, if not free for all. Stanford University covers the tuition fee for students coming from families earning around $125,000 a year.

Luckily, lawmakers in New York are also proposing to make public colleges free for middle-class families. However, the structure of the plan rarely benefits the poor students. For one thing, it uses the "last dollar" model, which means it enters to fund the remainder of the cost of tuition after other state and federal grants are taken into account.
The Arctic sea ice falls to an all-time low for winter season while Antarctica melts to its lowest summertime record. Scientists say that global warming is to blame. Thus, humans should really move away from burning coal, oil, and gas.

On March 7, the North Pole seems to have reached another wintertime low, according to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and its National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Now, all the way down to the South Pole, Antarctica suffers the same problem with the lowest recorded ice during summer last March 3. Meanwhile, on Feb 13, the combined Arctic and Antarctic sea ice are at its most insufficient amount since 1979.

NASA further illustrated that the total polar ice of the Earth covers 6.26 million square miles (sq mi). Still, this is 790,000 sq mi less than the average global minimum extent in 1981 to 2010. Simply put, the planet has lost ice the size of Mexico, or even larger.

The March 7 event listed a 5.57 million sq mi ice measurement, which is 37,000 sq mi lower than the previous record low. On the other hand, the March 3 data provided a significant drop of 71,000 sq mi below the previous lowest minimum extent. Antarctica only offered a total of 815,000 sq mi of ice this year, per NSIDC.

Both the Arctic and Antarctic ice behaviors follow the same pattern. The former experiences ice shrinking between mid-March to mid-September and comes back during winter. For the south, the ice is at its peak every September and its minimum every February. However, the rising temperatures of the Earth prevented the ice from recovering.

"Nature is sending us yet another distress call," Lou Leonard of the World Wildlife Fund told USA Today. Leonard added that it is now time to acknowledge man-caused climate change. For her part, Goddard researcher Claire Parkinson noted in earlier media interviews that "last year was stunningly different" for Antarctica. "To think that now the Antarctic ice extent is actually reaching a record minimum, that's definitely of interest," she ended.
Oct. 26, 2022

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.  Cadets got the unique experience of interacting with and learning from the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2022 at the U.S. Air Force Academy Sept. 27-29. The National Character and Leadership Symposium sponsored the visit and three days of activities.The 12
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Medical services at government-run hospitals in the city were severely hit today as over 20,000 doctors proceeded on mass casual leave in solidarity with their counterparts in Maharashtra who are protesting assaults on colleagues by kin of patients.

Resident doctors from around 40 government hospitals, including RML, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital stayed away from work, while those at AIIMS continued with their protest against assaults on doctors by wearing helmets at work for the second day.

advertisement

Though emergency services at hospitals were not affected due to strike, the functioning of out patient departments and other services were hit with doctors abstaining from work.

A number of private hospitals, including Sir Ganga Ram hospital today said they have decided to extend support to agitating doctors in Maharashtra and their OPD services will not be available tomorrow.

They said they are extending support to a call by Delhi Medical Association for "OPD bandh".

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has around 2.7 lakh members across the country, has also supported the strike.

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association, FORDA, in a statement said they may consider going on an "indefinite" leave in support of demands by doctors in Maharshtra and a decision to this effect may be taken by Saturday.

"We are waiting for the decision of Maharashtra government, their action will decide our reaction and if required we may have to go for indefinite mass leave after all the RDAs reach a mutual decision by Saturday," said FORDA president Dr Pankaj Solanki.

The Resident doctors will join work tomorrow at the hospitals with black armbands, he said.

"The action (mass causal leave) was taken in view assaults on doctors and also to show solidarity to our colleagues in Maharashtra who have been threatened with salary cuts for not joining duty," said Dr Solanki.

FORDA is an umbrella body of all residents doctors in Delhi.

Dr Rakesh Kumar Gupta, president of DMA, however, said indoor patients and emergency services at hospitals will not be affected.

"The incidents of assault on doctors is rising everyday. It is occurring both in government as well as private hospitals. Patients and their relatives are taking law into their hands which is not acceptable," state secretary of DMA Dr Ashwani Goyal said.

Unfazed by the Maharashtra governments warning of suspension and cutting their pay, around 4,000 resident doctors abstained from work for the fourth day today demanding enhanced security, in the wake of a string of attacks on doctors by patients kin at government hospitals in the state.

advertisement

The Bombay High Court stepped in to end the stir and directed the resident doctors to resume work immediately even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mooted a panel to resolve security issues in state-run hospitals.

The HC observed that "medical attention" cannot wait, adding the profession of doctors is so "sacred" that they cannot afford to go on strike.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda also joined Fadnavis in appealing to the resident doctors to get back to work and asked states to take measures to improve security of doctors. PTI PLB VIT GVS

--- ENDS ---
My earliest memories in life are of my father leaving for the Vietnam War. Just before he left he said to me, "Take care of your mother while I'm gone. I'm leaving you in charge."



"OK, Daddy," I replied as hot tears streamed down my face.



I was almost 5 years old, and that was the second time my father was headed to Vietnam.



That was a tough year.



Every night as my mother watched the news, I saw Soldiers at war in a land far away and protestors who demanded that it all come to an end.



I remember the ache in the pit of my stomach caused by the worry that my father would not come home. I remember his return and his struggles with the shadows of war that have plagued our Family for as long as I can remember. I remember the constant moving. The struggles of making new friends, and keeping old ones. The missed moments that cannot be recaptured.



I also remember the close-knit community -- that fabric of the Army Family -- that kept it all together no matter the circumstance. The friendships made in an instant. The ties that bound us all together. And the patriotism forever branded into my psyche.



I never learned how to put down deep roots and yet I felt at home where ever the Army dropped us every two to three years. I don't have friends who I grew up with, and I still struggle at times to keep connected with friends who move away.



This is the life of an Army brat, and even if I could I would not change a thing.



I was born into the Army. My connection to the Army is in my heart, in my soul. It is the place of security I tend to turn to in times of trouble.



I married a Soldier, a year after graduating high school. And when our marriage began to fail, I joined the Army -- while I do not advise running away to the Army, for me it was like coming home.



After leaving the Army, I was bound and determined to try out this "civilian life" that I had heard so much about. I embraced it, immersed myself in it, and for a long time I ignored my Army roots.



When the newspaper I was working for began to fail, I once again turned to the Army.



As luck would have it, a fellow veteran gave me a chance. And although I was 15 years removed from the administrative work I once did as a Soldier, she recognized I was eager to get back to it. I went to work at Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Battalion, and was honored to be part of the Army's support system that assists ill and wounded Soldiers.



Last year another veteran took a chance on me and today I serve as a public affairs specialist at Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office.



I did not choose the Army, it chose me, and for that I am eternally grateful.



Soldiers give so much of themselves in the service of our country, but so do their children who truly are our unsung heroes. In 1986, then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger established April as Month of the Military Child, a special time set aside to recognize the sacrifices made by the youngest among the Army Family who carry on the Army brat legacy and continue to be Army Strong no matter the circumstance.



Take a moment this month and hug your Army brats and tell them thank you. By U.S. Army Maria Rice McClure, Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office

Provided through DVIDS

Copyright 2017 Comment on this article
UTSA Student Government Association announces election winners

Thomas, Garcia, Meeker and Crippen

(March 24, 2017) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Student Government Association (SGA) announced its President-elect and Vice President-elect in a run-off election after a historic field of seven Roadrunners sought the office of President during the regular elections earlier this month. The Treasurer-elect and Secretary-elect were named in the regular elections.

Marcus Thomas, a junior economics major from Greenville, Texas, was elected SGA president for the 2017-2018 academic year. He served the past year as SGA Business Affairs Chair.

"I want people to know this election is not about me or any of the representatives in SGA," Thomas said. "It's about the UTSA student body. They're my core focus throughout my entire term."

Brittany Garcia was elected vice president. Garcia is a junior public health, pre-med major from Pharr, Texas.

Students elected Mariah Crippen, a sophomore communications major from Providence, Rhode Island, as SGA treasurer and Montana Meeker, a sophomore finance major from San Antonio, as secretary.

The new administration will take office during the annual SGA banquet and inauguration ceremony on April 9. Newly elected senators also will take office at the event. The officers will participate in a transition retreat on April 1 and will conduct their first SGA meeting at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 13 in the University Center Harris Room (UC 2.212) on the Main Campus.

-------------------------------

Learn more about the UTSA Student Government Association.

Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Islamic Awareness Week Events Scheduled at UW

Events to raise awareness of Islamic culture are scheduled March 27-April 2 at the University of Wyoming.

The UW Muslim Student Association sponsors Islamic Awareness Week, which includes a panel discussion, an informational table and a dinner. All events are free and open to the public.

Events scheduled are:

-- Monday, March 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., informational table in the Wyoming Union breezeway. Arabic sweets and tea provided.

-- Wednesday, March 29, 4-5:30 p.m., Islam as a Lifestyle, panel discussion, Wyoming Union Senate Chambers. Pizza provided.

-- Sunday, April 2, 3:30-7 p.m., awareness dinner, with speaker Imam Shafi Aziz, from Denver, discussing Misconceptions in Islam, Wyoming Union Yellowstone Ballroom.

The dinner is free, but tickets for the dinner are required. Tickets will be available at the Wyoming Union information desk Monday, March 27, and Tuesday, March 28, beginning at 11 a.m.

For more information, email UWYO.MSA@gmail.com.
Karma Fundraiser for UW International Students March 25

The University of Wyoming International Student Association will host a Karma dinner fundraiser Saturday, March 25, at 6 p.m. in the Hilltop Christian Child Care and Preschool facility, located at 1517 E. Canby St.

Tickets for the event cost $20 for adults or $15 per person for families of four or more. Individuals interested in attending can email hchapeto@uwyo.edu for more information.

Karma is a program created by the UW International Student Association in 2011. It helps raise money for international students in case of a medical emergency. The funds from Karma help pay for medical expenses and help students return to school.

This years fundraising event is the Karma dinner. The dinner will include dishes from Central Asia and Egypt, featuring main courses beef manty with chicken pilaf or vegetable stew with vermicelli.

To RSVP, email hchapeto@uwyo.edu.

For more information about the International Student Association, visit www.uwyo.edu/isa/.
UW Trustees Approve Academic Affairs Reorganization

The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees has approved structural changes aimed at improving student enrollment, retention and completion by bringing campus units focused on student services together with the universitys academic functions.

Additionally, as a result of board action today (Thursday), units of UWs Outreach School will be redistributed within the Office of Academic Affairs, part of an effort to expand UWs off-campus offerings.

The new structure represents a coordinated partnership approach to promoting student success, through a multidisciplinary team that integrates and manages academic preparation; financial, physical and mental wellness; and a sense of belonging for all students, Provost Kate Miller says. In addition, it ensures that the university fully embraces the 21st century instructional environment including online, hybrid, distance and outreach teaching approaches, along with strong partnerships with community colleges.

The changes -- which have an overall objective of fostering academic excellence along with careful stewardship of public funds -- will begin this month, with completion by the end of the current fiscal year June 30.

The reorganization will bring together functions focused on students -- from recruitment and enrollment to graduation and job placement -- under the provost and Office of Academic Affairs.

Functions that directly involve enrollment management -- including Admissions and Recruiting, Registration and Records, Scholarships and Financial Aid, Summer School, and Summer Outreach Programs -- will report directly to the provost through a new associate vice president.

Jeff Edgens, the associate dean overseeing UWs branch campus in Casper and UWs regional centers, will report directly to the provost. A Distance Education Support Group will be established, as well, within the new structures. These changes will allow UW to scale to meet its mission to the state, access new revenue sources and provide greater accountability of the Laramie campus in meeting its mission to the state.

This will boost our efforts to provide a seamless transition across higher education in Wyoming and reinforce our ability to both work with Wyoming transfer students and to provide more educational opportunities to students who choose to pursue their education outside of Laramie via UW distance courses online and other technological delivery methods, Miller says. We will examine the possible addition of new degree programs, certificates, endorsements and not-for-credit opportunities that enhance workforce development and reach new populations of traditional and nontraditional students.

Existing units and programs in Student Affairs and the Outreach School that have an international focus, including the English Language Center, International Programs, and International Students and Scholars, will be brought together under one executive director who will report to the provost.

This will strengthen our ability to provide students, faculty, staff and extended UW community members access to transformative international opportunities -- and help them share and build the knowledge and skills needed to lead and excel in a globally interconnected world, Miller says.

The reorganization also will include a proposal to transition UWs Honors Program to an Honors College, headed by a dean. The Honors College will move from its current location to the Guthrie House, formerly the home of the UW Foundation.

Plans also call for creation of a Graduate School, headed by an associate vice president for graduate education.

Overall, the reorganization is expected to include a reduction in personnel, with no increase in administrative positions.
Wyoming Goes Global Conference Presentations April 3 at UW

Bethann Merkle, University of Wyoming creative writing student, from Choteau, Mont., listens to residents stories in an African village during her studies through the UW Center for Global Studies. (Bethann Merkle Photo)

The University of Wyomings connections with the world will be on display during a Monday, April 3, presentation in the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center.

The Wyoming Goes Global Conference will highlight international work conducted by UW faculty members and students under the theme Globalization, Sustainability and Resource Use Over Time. The event, sponsored by UWs Center for Global Studies (CGS), is free and open to the public.

Through its support for interdisciplinary faculty and student international projects, the Center for Global Studies seeks to advance UW to the next level of excellence in internationally focused research to find solutions to complex global problems, Director Jean Garrison says. The projects highlighted in this conference show the centers support for work that looks at the implications -- from local to global -- of a wide spectrum of evolving international challenges.

Panel and poster presentations will be followed by a reception, which includes an announcement of the latest CGS faculty and student grant award winners.

Panel presentations from 5:30-7 p.m. are:

-- Jason Toohey, UW anthropology assistant professor, Utilizing Archaeological Data as a Proxy for Environmental Change and ENSO Activity on the Peruvian North Coast.

-- Derek Scasta, UW ecosystem science and management assistant professor, Travel Exchange to Link Ecology and Production of Analogous Rangelands of the North and South Hemispheres.

-- Urszula Norton, UW plant sciences associate professor, Sustainability of Small-Scale Farming and Local Food Systems in Poland as Viable Alternatives for Wyoming.

-- Christopher Rumple, mechanical engineering major, from York, Pa., Renewable Energy Development in Indonesia and Technological Innovations Inspired by Nature.

-- Yara Thomas, architectural engineering major, from Jackson, Sugar Beets, Waste Heat and Greenhouses.

Poster presentations at 7 p.m. are:

-- Bethann Merkle, creative writing student, from Choteau, Mont., Where Art Meets Science: Investigating Social, Conservation and Ecological Relationships.

-- Krista Lewellyn, UW management and marketing assistant professor, The Dynamics of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Distress.

-- Emily Sikorski, international agricultural business major, from Pinedale, Summer Internship with Agricultural Co-ops near Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

-- Cheyenne Pettit, history major, from Belle Fourche, S.D., Shell Shock in Canada During the First World War.

-- Lisa Kant, geology and geophysics major, from Boulder, Colo., From Source to Surface: Understanding the Origins of Magmatism in Ecuador.

-- Matthew Lunde, management and marketing major, from Pelican Rapids, Minn., Comparative European Sustainability.

-- Thao Nguyen, political science/Environment and Natural Resources Program student, from Casper, Indonesian Perception of Marine Protected Areas in Karimunjawa Islands.

-- Simrik Neupane, College of Law student, from Thornton, Colo., Summer Internship in Immigration and Refugee Law in Nepal.

-- Katie Guffey, education major, from Spindale, N.C., Science Education and Teaching Water Resources: Learning from the India Example.

A crowdfunding campaign for CGS is underway through Monday, April 10. Fundraising will help support student international research opportunities. For more information about the campaign, visit www.uwyo.edu/youfund.

For more information about the Wyoming Goes Global Conference, call Garrison at (307) 766-6119 or email garrison@uwyo.edu.
By India Today Web Desk: Shahid Kapoor's adorable gestures for wife Mira Rajput make all other husbands look bad. He pampered her throughout her pregnancy, even going shopping for her because she was unwell. Speaking at the India Today Woman Summit 2017, Shahid said that he had an empathetic pregnancy when Mira was carrying Misha.

"It's nice to say 'we' were pregnant, because it gives you a sense of participation and responsibility," he said, adding that even though it was his wife who was in labour, he felt it too. "When she was in labour, I held my breath. At one point, I got dizzy and she whacked me and said, 'Why are you getting dizzy? I'm doing all the work here,'" he revealed.

advertisement

It is widely known that Shahid and Mira fell in love when she got pregnant. He explained, "Relationships are about experiences that you share together; that's how you fall in love. For me and Mira, Misha was our first project together. We felt a sense of togetherness and companionship." And if he hadn't fallen in love? The actor admitted that it was a very real possibility, but he was lucky that it did not happen to him or he "would be sitting somewhere in depression."

The Haider actor also talked about how he could never really give up on smoking, until Mira came along. "I made a promise to my wife, so I quit smoking. She said 'You can't touch the baby if you smoke' and that was that," Shahid said.

ALSO READ | Mira Rajput: New wave of feminism is destructive, I am proud to be a housewife

ALSO SEE | These photos of Shahid Kapoor's daughter Misha will make you forgive the actor for doing Rangoon

ALSO WATCH | Media troubles my wife Mira, but she can handle it, says Shahid Kapoor

--- ENDS ---
After Air India cancelled the Osmanabad MP's return ticket to Pune from New Delhi, private airline IndiGo too followed suit and refused to fly him. The airlines refunded the fare to Ravindra Gaikwad.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who assaulted an Air India staffer on Thursday (March 23), may have to travel by train or bus now as the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) has refused to seek an apology from the Osmanabad MP. The FIA said that it is not seeking any apology from Gaikwad as it would then mean allowing him to fly again.

advertisement

Sources in Air India told India Today that the domestic carrier cancelled Ravindra Gaikwad's ticket booked for 4.30 pm today. Subsequently, Gaikwad booked a ticket for 5.50 pm with IndiGo. However, close on the heels of Air India, IndiGo too cancelled Gaikwad's ticket and refunded the fare, they said.

The sources said Gaikwad does not have much choice but to travel by train or bus, or book a chartered flight as all the domestic carriers such as Air India IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, Go Air and Vistara have refused to fly the leader.

"Air Asia is the only domestic carrier which is not a member of FIA. Even then, it is likely to support FIA and ban Gaikwad. Air India is expecting a letter of support from Air Asia shortly," the sources said.

Air India or FIA has neither demanded any apology from Ravindra Gaikwad nor would do that in future. "If Gaikwad apologises, we will have to fly him again. But he is an unwanted person. We do not want to fly him. Hence, we have not sought his apology," they said.

So far, two FIRs have been registered against Ravindra Gaikwad for hitting the Air India staffer "25 times". The sources said had the unsavoury incident taken place while flying, Gaikwad could have been handcuffed during flight.

"But the incident took place after the flight landed and, hence, we could not handcuff him," they said.

Air India and the FIA issued a statement earlier condemning the assault on the staff member by Gaikwad. Taking an unprecedented tough stand over the incident, the airlines have demanded strict action against the Shiv Sena MP.

"We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living," it said.

The statement further said Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban "this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect". "We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," it said.

advertisement

The airlines have also proposed the promulgation of a "no fly" list which should include the names of all unruly passengers. "Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the Government and security agencies to enforce such a 'no fly' list," the statement concluded.

WATCH: Exclusive: Defiant Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad dares Air India to blacklist him

ALSO READ:

Air India, 4 private carriers bar Ravindra Gaikwad from flying amid demand for national no-fly list

Shiv Sena MP not the first unruly passenger, India needs an unfit-to-fly list, now

--- ENDS ---
"I am also an MP, we are not above the land and we have to follow the law of land," civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said.

By India Today Web Desk: Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju called Thursday's incident of a Shiv Sena Member of Parliament assaulting an Air India staffer with a pair of slippers 'unfortunate'. "It should not have happened - we are very clear on that," Raju added.

Reports about the incident emerged Thursday evening, with Gaikwad admitting, even boasting, about having beaten up the 61-year-old Surendra Kundu, an Air India customer services officer.

advertisement

The assault followed an argument Gaikwad getting into an argument with airline staff over not being given a business class seat despite holding a ticket for the same.

Addressing the incident, Raju said, "But what has happened has happened. Whatever action has to be taken will be taken." The minister added, I am also an MP, we are not above the land and we have to follow the law of land."

CRITICISM GROWS

Meanwhile, criticism on the issue is growing. CPI's Mohammed Salim took a swipe saying, "Authoritarians never apologise," possibly referring to Gaikwad's refusal to apologise. "I do not regret (beating up the employee) and I will not apologise," Gaikwad has said.

The TMC's Dinesh Trivedi called it a black day, adding that such incidents give a bad name to all MPs. "The Law of land must take its own course and perhaps I think law of land must be harsher for MPs because general public look up to them," Trivedi said.

Such incidents cannot be justified "unless you have totally lost (your) brains or (have) suddenly gone crazy," he added.

The airline community, meanwhile, has lent its support to the idea of a no-fly list. Private carriers IndioGo and SpiceJet both supported the proposal.

"SpiceJet supports a no-fly list to bar unruly flyers who are a safety hazard for not just the crew but even the traveling public. The government needs to act on this soon," SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh said.

ALSO READ | Shiv Sena questions MP who bragged after assaulting Air India official. All you need to know

--- ENDS ---


The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc of Boston, MA, has formed a new beef partnership with esteemed Double R Ranch, located in the Pacific Northwest.

Through this collaboration, Smith & Wollensky, widely known as Americas Steakhouse, continues its commitment to working with a distinguished and sustainability-minded, single sourced producer to deliver the highest quality and consistency available on the market to its guests.

Part of family owned and operated Agri Beef with a network of family-operated ranches in the Pacific Northwest, Double R Ranch is the exclusive premium beef vendor of The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc., famously described by theNew York Times as the steakhouse to end all arguments.

From ranch to table, the family team at Double R Ranch, named after founder Robert Rebholtz Sr., is involved in every step of the beef lifecycle, including ranching, cattle feeding, and beef processing. Their 70,000-acre ranch in Loomis, Washington, is the home for the breeding herd of Double R Ranch and Snake River Farms, where the heart of their core values is focused on improving livestock, preserving resources, and raising the highest quality cattle in the Northwest.

I believe Double R Ranch is the finest premium beef available on the market today, hand-selected to include only the highest levels of marbling on the USDA grading scale, said Corporate Executive Chef Matt King. Through this partnership with Agri Beef and the Rebholtz family of Double R Ranch, we have furthered our commitment to the tradition of ranching with like-minded collaborators and support of sustainable farming practices. At Double R Ranch, sustainability, total quality, animal well-being and social responsibility is a way of life, and we are excited to share their story, seasoned to perfection, through the steakhouse experience at Smith & Wollensky.

At Double R Ranch, the mild climate, open spaces, and the abundance of natural resources available in the Pacific Northwest ensures that cattle are healthy and comfortable, as healthy cattle are essential to producing the highest quality of beef. The temperate climate also increases access to a diverse range of sustainable and renewable feed ingredients so cattle are nutritiously fed, formulated from a mix of alfalfa, hay, grains, potato and corn, as well as vitamins and minerals custom formulated by a professional cattle nutritionist. These rich elements combined with Double R Ranchs dedication to applying the most advanced quality practices and food safety measures from ranch to table allow the team to deliver consistently bold and delicious premium beef, always tender, juicy and packed with flavor.

The extraordinary care, pride and passion that Double R Ranch demonstrates from start to finish in their production process is one of the many reasons that they are highly respected by chefs, restaurateurs and food industry professionals, adds Matt King. Ranching culture and a great appreciation for the land is deeply ingrained into the family, where the process of raising cattle is enhanced by family pride and decades of stewardship. They work tirelessly to raise the finest cattle in the country and produce exceptional beef, so chefs like myself can share this experience with our discerning guests who regularly visit Smith & Wollensky with a thirst for the best steaks in town. We are confident that our guests will agree that Double R Ranch is a truly remarkable beef that delivers the consistency and quality theyve come to expect from our family of restaurants.

Smith & Wollensky will feature Double R Ranch USDA prime steaks and signature filets, further enhanced through in-house aging for 28 days, as well as Snake River Farms American Wagyu Beef at Smith & Wollensky locations in the following cities: Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Las Vegas and Miami Beach. Smith & Wollensky is the only national brand of steakhouses to offer Double R Ranch. For further details about Double R Ranch and Agri Beefs production practices, visit www.agribeef.com.
By continually issuing favorable policies and incentives aimed at attracting inflows, and deciding to decrease the countrys corporate income tax levels to 20 percent from January 1, 2016, it is clear that Vietnams government is intent on taking a proactive approach to foreign direct investment. Enterprises and individuals interested in taking advantage of the countrys friendly investment environment, therefore, need to be aware of the various market entry structures available to foreign investors.

There are two main types of vehicles for foreign investment in Vietnam: 100 percent foreign-owned enterprises (FOEs) and joint venture enterprises (JVEs).

100 percent FOEs can be established by one or more foreign investors, under the form of either a limited liability company (LLC) or a joint-stock company (JSC). JVEs can be established as an LLC, a JSC, or a partnership, and the profits and risks in a JVE are distributed among the parties in proportion to their charter capital contributions. Other options for establishing a commercial presence in Vietnam include representative offices and branch offices, but these are not legal entities.

In this article, we discuss the establishment requirements, common purposes, as well as the pros and cons for the following foreign investment vehicles:

Limited liability companies

Joint-stock companies

Partnership companies

Representative offices

Branch offices

Business cooperation contracts

Specific authorized projects

Limited Liability Companies

100 percent FOEs and JVEs can be established as limited liability companies. In an LLC, members are only liable for the debts of the company to the extent of the capital contribution they have poured into the company.

There is usually no minimum capital requirement for foreign investors that intend to establish an LLC in Vietnam, although authorities will expect the investor to commit a reasonable amount of charter capital according to the scale and business scope of the project.

An LLC can consist of a single member or multiple members, but the total number of members cannot exceed 50. Investors can be corporations or individuals.

Note: An LLC cannot issue shares.

Joint-stock Companies



FOEs and JVEs can also be established as joint-stock companies. A JSC can issue securities and bonds, so investors will often choose this form if they plan to go public in the future.

The JSCs charter capital is composed of shares belonging to founding shareholders in proportion to the capital they have subscribed to. There is no minimum requirement for the charter capital of foreign investors.

A JSC is required to have at least three shareholders. There is no limitation on the maximum number of shareholders, nor on their nature  they can be individuals or institutions, Vietnamese or foreigners.

Partnership Companies



A partnership company is a legal entity established by at least two individuals who are the members of the partnership and co-owners of the enterprise. They are the general partners and are liable for all obligations of the partnership without limit. Unlimited liability partners must be individuals who shall be liable for the obligations of the company to the extent of all their assets.

In addition, a partnership company can consist of limited liability members (individuals or organizations) who only contribute part of the capital and have limited liability and rights in the operation of the company.

Note: Partnerships cannot issue any type of securities.

Representative Offices



In contrast to JVs and 100 percent FOEs, a representative office (RO) is forbidden from conducting any revenue-generating activities. Rather, ROs are permitted to conduct market research, serve as a liaison with an overseas parent company and/or serve other supporting roles such as ensuring quality control, acting as a product showroom and helping to facilitate the execution of the contracts of the parent company. Unlike in certain other Asian countries, ROs in Vietnam are permitted to hire staff directly, both Vietnamese and expatriate.

Branch Offices

A branch office is the subsidiary of a parent company and does not constitute a separate legal entity according to Vietnamese law.

Unlike an RO, a branch office is entitled to do business in Vietnam, although the law prohibits it from carrying out commercial activities other than those stated in the parent companys business license. If a branch conducts business in a conditional sector, it is only allowed to operate upon meeting the prescribed conditions.

To set up a branch, a parent company must have had conducted business in its home country for at least five years.

Alternative Structures

Business Cooperation Contracts

A business cooperation contract is signed between multiple parties, typically between a foreign investor and a local company or the government with the objective of jointly conducting business operations in Vietnam on the basis of mutual allocation of responsibilities and sharing of profits or losses without creating or forming a legal entity in Vietnam. This form of business is a means of private financing without transferring management control to a foreign partner.

Specific Authorized Projects

Build-operate-transfer contracts, build-transfer-operate contracts, and build-transfer contracts are specific projects carried out by foreign investors and an authorized governmental agency.

These additional investment vehicles have been introduced in Vietnam to entice international capital into the infrastructure sector. Business scopes can range from traffic, electricity, production and business or a number of restricted sectors as stipulated by the Prime Minister.

The difference between these contract types is at what point the title of the project is transferred to the government, namely after the investor commences the project, before the investor commences operations on a project, or immediately following completion of a project.
Moments after Shiv Sena MP from Osmanabad Ravindra Gaikwad refused to apologise for thrashing an Air India staff, the airline cancelled his return ticket from Delhi to Pune.

By India Today Web Desk: Shiv Sena Member of Parliament, Ravindra Gaikwad, in the news for slapping an Air India employee with his slippers, may be permanently barred from flying on the country's national carrier. The Osmanabad MP has refused to apologise for his behaviour. According to latest reports, Air India has cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket from Delhi to Pune.

Following this, IndiGo too canceled Gaikwad's ticket. The MP was booked on a 5pm flight, but the airline, which along with other private carriers has barred Gaikwad from flying with them, ha cancelled the ticket.

advertisement

News agency PTI reported earlier today that the Federation of Indian Airlines, an industry body representing India's scheduled airline carriers, has blacklisted Gaikwad. The FIA counts Jet Airways, IndiGo, Go Air, SpiceJet and JetLite as its members.

"Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," FIA Director Ujjwal Dey, said in a statement.

Air India, meanwhile, has been mulling establishing a no-fly list of passengers with a history of bad behaviour while flying on the airline. Once implemented, Gaikwad, who has remained defiant about the incident while admitting to assaulting the AI employee, would be on the list.

IndiGo and SpiceJet, meanwhile, have lent support to the idea of forming a nationwide no-fly list. "SpiceJet supports a no-fly list to bar unruly flyers who are a safety hazard for not just the crew but even the traveling public. The government needs to act on this soon," SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh said.

"In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers," Dey said in the FIA statement.

'WILL NOT APOLOGISE'

Gaikwad, in an interview with India Today, remained unapologetic about the incident, saying he is not in the wrong. "I do not regret (beating up the employee) and I will not apologise," Gaikwad said.

He went on to dare Air India to blacklist from flying on the airline, adding that if AI employees misbehaved with him again in the future, he will repeat his actions.

The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, has asked Gaikwad to explain his actions.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The incident took place Thursday at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport on Air India flight AI 852 after it reached the national capital from Pune.

Gaikwad got into an argument with the flight's staff over not being given a business class seat, despite having a ticket for the same.

The MP refused to leave the aircraft, which was on the tarmac and which had to leave for Goa, until senior airline officials met him.

advertisement

Finally, after intervention from the ground staff, Gaikwad agreed to deboard the plane. He, however, got into an argument 61-year-old Surendra Kundu, an Air India customer services officer, at the arrival gate.

On being told by Kundu that Gaikwad, being an elected representative, should not behave in this manner, the MP got agitated and started slapping Kundu with his slippers.

Later in the day, when questioned by the media, the unrepentant Gaikwad boasted about how he knows how to 'fix' people's ego and said that he had hit Kundu not once, but "25 times".

OLD VIDEO SURFACES

Meanwhile, a new video has surfaced showing Gaikwad scolding DSP of Osmnabad, the MP's constituency, over a case involving missing Shiv Sena workers.

The MP can be heard shouting at the DSP, Chandrakant Khandvi, in Marathi, asking him to explain why the case is unsolved and questioning the need for a written complaint.

The video depicts events from March 21, just two days before Gaikwad got into the scuffle with the AI

(With inputs from Virendrasingh S Ghunavat and Ashok Singhal)

ALSO READ:

Aviation minister on Ravindra Gaikwad controversy: 'Whatever action has to be taken will be taken'

advertisement

Shiv Sena questions MP who bragged after assaulting Air India official. All you need to know

Women's Day in Kerala: Shiv Sena men chase and threaten couples with canes

--- ENDS ---
President of the EU Parliament Antonio Tajani speaking to AFP on Mar 22, 2017 in Brussels. (Photo: AFP/John Thys)

In an interview with AFP, Italy's Tajani said parliament would be a "protagonist" and hoped to hold its casting vote on a Brexit deal in late 2018 or early 2019.

"There is one sole red line: the interest of European citizens. There are no other red lines," Tajani said late Wednesday at his office overlooking Brussels.

The fate of 4.5 million citizens - both EU nationals in Britain and Britons living in the EU - threatens to be one of the thorniest issues in the Brexit talks.

Currently on both sides they have the right to live and work in each others' countries, as well as receive benefits in many cases, but that is all at risk.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to formally trigger the two-year divorce process from the European Union on Mar 29, beginning fevered negotiations.

The European Parliament head echoed EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, who said Wednesday that guaranteeing the rights of European citizens was the "absolute priority."

DIVORCE FIRST, THEN TRADE

Tajani said talks on a future trade relationship could not start until Britain reaches a divorce agreement, including citizens' rights and Britain's exit bill.

"You have to divorce," said Tajani, who took over from Germany's Martin Schulz as European Parliament head in January. "Then afterwards you can sort out the relations between the two divorcees who live next door to each other."

The Brexit talks will be led by Barnier and the remaining 27 EU member states, but Tajani insisted the 751-seat parliament would still be a "protagonist".

MEPs will hold a debate on Brexit in Strasbourg in the first week of April followed by a vote on a resolution, he said. He warned that time would also be short for talks, with a draft deal needing to be in place months before Britain is due to formally leave the EU in March 2019.

"I hope that we will hurry up. The vote in parliament is crucial, we have to vote at the end of 2018, beginning of 2019," he said.

Tajani also warned that parliament could veto any Brexit deal it views as unsatisfactory. "It's a free vote. Let's hope that parliament votes yes, but we have to see the content, no?" he said.

It was however "too early" to say if he expected a transitional deal in case a trade agreement is not sorted out by the end of the two years, or if parliament would insist that any such deal would be overseen by the European Court of Justice - itself a red line for London.

"It won't be easy. It will be technical, legal, truly complicated work," he warned.

ROME SUMMIT

This weekend Tajani heads to his home city of Rome for a summit to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the EU's founding treaty.

Tajani said he backed plans for a declaration by the EU leaders in Rome - meeting without Britain - to call for a "multi-speed" Europe where countries can choose to push ahead with integration in some areas, while others opt out.

However, he insisted others should not be left behind.

"I am not against two, three or four member states which decide to be in the lead and open a way for the others," he said. "If France, Germany, Italy and Spain, for example, decide to cooperate on defence, and work together, we will prepare the way."

Meanwhile with Europe still wary about new US President Donald Trump's commitment to transatlantic ties after a series of disparaging comments about the bloc, Tajani said he would very much welcome Trump to speak at the European Parliament when the US leader visits Brussels for a NATO summit in May.

"We'll have to see what he does, personally I would have nothing against it," he said. "We have to give him a way of understanding the situation we have in Europe. That's not easy."
Illustration photo

The FIA under the Ministry of Planning and Investment announced that as of March 20, 493 new FDI projects got business licenses with a total value of US$ 2.917 billion, representing a year-on-year rise of 6.5%.

In addition, 223 projects got additional capital worth US$ 3.94 billion, up 206.4% against the same period last year.

Foreign investors bought US$ 852.86 million of shares, up 171.5 % against the same period last year.

In the January-March period, total amount of FDI was US$ 7.71 billion, making a year-on-year surge of 91.5%.

Large-scale newly-registered and capital-added FDI projects were attributed to the sharp increase in FDI attraction in Q1. Especially, the Samsung Display Viet Nam project added US$2.5 billion to its ongoing project in the northern province of Bac Ninh. The Taiwanese investor registered to increase investment funds at Polytex Far Eastern Company by US $485.8 million and Coca-Cola Viet Nam supplemented US $319.8 million in Ha Noi. Newly licensed projects included US$284.75 million Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park III (VSIP 3) in Binh Duong, US$269.54 million Tole Panel Plant in Binh Phuoc and US$220 million KVT-1 tire fiber project of Kolon Industries Inc.

Thanks to the giant Samsung project, the Republic of Korea topped the list as the largest FDI provider in Viet Nam with US$ 3.74 million FDI (accounting for 48.61%); followed by Singapore with US$ 910.8 million (11.81%); and China (US$ 823.6 million (10.68%).

Of the 18 fields attracting FDI, the processing and manufacturing sector was the most attractive, absorbing US$ 6.54 billion or 84.9% of FDI in Q1. Real estate ranked second with US$ 343.69 million (4.4%); followed by wholesale and retail sales with US$ 296.8 million (3.85%).

The FIA reported that as of March 20, the total FDI disbursement hit US$ 3.62 billion, representing a year-on-year rise of 3.4%.
Importer-exporters are rankled by unstated shipping fees

The Vietnamese government officially issued Decree No. 146/2016/ND-CP late last year, mandating the publication of these charges after months of consideration.

The decree will target containerised goods sea carriage. Services for bulk shipments that are not containerised are not subject to this draft decree, said an official of the Ministry of Transport (MoT).

The decree is expected to make the shipping market more transparent, ease the fee burden on Vietnamese import-export firms, and promote healthy competition. There has been a recent spate of surcharges affecting Vietnamese exporters and importers - the subject of nearly 20 different surcharges since 2011.

The decree, which sets out the implementation of the amended Vietnam Maritime Code 2015, extends the scope of publication of port service fees in comparison with current rules. To the codes list, it will add charges, freight service surcharges for containerised goods, and service charges at port.

Currently, firms are obliged to publicise fees and surcharges of by-sea freight services in the Law on Price 2012, Decree 177/2013/ND-CP, and most recently, the Vietnam Maritime Code 2015, adopted by the National Assembly in November 2015 and taking effect on July 1, 2017.

However, in spite of these rulings, publication rules for shipping freight services have somehow slipped through the cracks. Though port service charges must be publicised, most shipping firms have failed to do so on their websites, leading to objections among Vietnamese exporters and importers.

Shipping firms Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM, APL, and Neptune Oriel Lines (NOL) already made their objections known when MoT sought comments for the draft decree. They claimed that their business operations would be seriously affected.

According to MoT, although these surcharges are routinely collected in countries in line with international practice, in Vietnam this has proven problematic due to disagreement between foreign shipping lines and Vietnamese importers and exporters; and due to no previous notice of possible amounts of surcharges and schedules; and no specific agency to manage shipping surcharges.

In 2016, member companies of the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association accused foreign shipping lines like Evergreen, Hyundai, KMTC, SITC, Dong Jin Shipping, Continental, and Heung A of collecting unreasonable container imbalance charges.

The Vietnam Maritime Administrations statistics showed that as of October 2014, there were 40 foreign shipping companies doing business in Vietnam, in charge of approximately 88 per cent of the exports and imports of local enterprises.

In addition, 90 per cent of Vietnams exports and imports are shipped by foreign firms. This number jumps to 100 per cent when considering containerised export goods for the European and American markets.

A report from the Ministry of Finance showed that of the VND77.12 trillion ($3.52 billion) that shipping agents collected for shipping firms in 2013-2014, more than VND26 trillion ($1.18 billion) came from surcharges.
Diep Thanh Kiet, vice chairman of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear, and Handbags Association (Lefaso), said that a 0 per cent tariff rate will be applied to around 50 types of Vietnamese-made footwear products exported to Europe. In this new landscape, Vietnams footwear export turnover to Europe is predicted to grow significantly in 2019.

Export tariffs for footwear code 6402 footwear with rubber or plastic outer soles and uppers will be slashed to 0 per cent, while half of footwear with leather uppers, code 6403, will enjoy tariff exemptions following the free trade agreement (FTA). The tariffs on other footwear types will gradually be reduced to 0 per cent in the next three to five years.

In addition, the EU has offered unilateral preferential treatment to a large number of commodities originating from Vietnam under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). This scheme, coupled with tariff reductions brought by the FTA, will help Vietnamese footwear become more competitive than Chinese products in the EU, Kiet said.

According to Bill Watson, managing director of Coats Vietnam, the EU has established trade agreements with South Korea and Japan. After these agreements were put into place, their exports to the EU increased dramatically.

He stated that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will be a major driver for Vietnams footwear sector in the next five years. Sportswear, in particular, is predicted to be the biggest mover due to becoming duty-free.

In fact, made-in-Vietnam brands have gained European customers trust. This, coupled with a low-cost base and improved infrastructure, will make Vietnam an ideal destination for foreign investors.

Watson said that more foreign footwear manufactures will relocate their businesses from China to Vietnam to enjoy the advantages of EVFTA. There are over 22 billion pairs of shoes produced in the world every year. Vietnam is the number two shoemaker, following China.

By proportion, every 1 per cent migration of footwear from China to Vietnam will help expand the Vietnamese footwear industry by 10 per cent.

Most recently, Italy supported Lefaso in setting up a footwear research and development centre in Vietnam by providing machinery, software, and Italian know-how.

The Italian Trade Commission has joined hands with the Italian Footwear Manufacturers Association to bring an international footwear exhibition in Vietnam. MICAM, scheduled to take place on September 17-20 at the Fiera Milano, is expected to promote collaboration between international footwear producers.

Lefasos Kiet said that given Italys fame for its high-end fashion industry and cutting-edge machinery the country is now home to 5,000 footwear companies and over 600 prestigious manufacturers Vietnamese shoemakers should look to Italian firms in securing firmer footholds in the European market.

He added, The average price for Vietnamese shoes has increased over the past few years, to higher than that of China. In 2016, Vietnam spent $180 million to import Italian leather, which indicates that Vietnamese footwear exporters are climbing up the value chain. This trend is inevitable, as Vietnam is shifting its focus onto value.

At a footwear and leather export promotion conference held in Ho Chi Minh City two weeks ago, Phan Chi Dung, director of the Light Industry Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said that MoIT is drafting a master plan for the development of Vietnamese footwear to 2020, with a vision to 2025. According to the plan, Vietnam will produce two billion pairs of shoes by 2025, doubling the total output of 2016 and reaching an export turnover of $30 billion.

The footwear industry has a huge demand for raw and auxiliary materials. If the countrys supporting industries do not develop, the leather and footwear sector will be dependent on imported materials.

Therefore, we encourage enterprises to build factories to produce leather, materials, and accessories in Vietnam. MoIT is considering proposing to the government setting up industrial zones specialised in producing raw materials for Vietnams leather and footwear sectors, Dung said.

According to Dung, Vietnamese footwear products are exported to 50 countries and territories, with major markets like the US, the EU, China, and Japan. The production of leather and raw materials in Vietnam has reached a localisation rate of 40-50 per cent.

As of 2016, Vietnams footwear industry has 1,700 enterprises, including 800 large companies, which altogether employ more than 1.2 million workers. 80 per cent of the larger export enterprises are joint ventures or wholly foreign-owned.
Roughly 100 employees were inside the building owned and operated by Kwong Lung at the Tra Noc Industrial Park when flames erupted on the fifth floor just before 9:00am this morning (Mar. 23).

I opened the door, saw the fire, turned around and ran for my life, one employee told reporters at the scene.

Thick black smoke greeted the nearly 100 firefighters who responded, but inside was an inferno fed by countless pallets of the down material used to stuff items like jackets, pillows, throws and sleeping bags that were cleaned and manufactured at the plant.

We dont know what caused it, said fire officials, and figuring out what ignited the blaze may not be easy.

We are very happy that everybody is accounted for and there are no reports of any serious injuries

As the hours dragged on and the smoke continued to billow, some Kwong Lung workers pondered out loud about their future.

Im hopeful that they will rebuild, said one of the employees.
Private firms like Vingroup and TH Group are taking initiative to create global and local supply chains Photo: Le Toan

Supply chains with local alliances

Vingroup, a leading multi-field company, is teaming up with small- and medium-sized enterprises to establish local agricultural produce supply chains.

In the last few years, Vingroup has developed an extensive network of several hundred supermarkets and convenience stores throughout the country, and engages in high-tech agriculture in many locations.

The group has co-operated with various producers and traders and has applied numerous incentive policies, all based on a philosophy of strengthening the link between local businesses in each particular product branch for higher competitiveness to counterbalance foreign competitors in the domestic market.

Accordingly, Vingroup has lowered its discount rates to between 0 and 5 per cent on several locally-produced agricultural items on sale at Vingroup supermarket chains. Other retailers such as Thailands supermarket chain BigC have discounted Vietnamese products by 25 per cent, a level many local producers cannot afford to accept.

Vingroup has signed contracts with 250 local suppliers and hundreds of new-age agricultural co-operatives concerning the use of modern and environmentally friendly production technology. They have also guided farmers on how to cultivate and harvest effectively, striving to create a supply chain at lower costs while shortening delivery time from production to retail shelves. This process has benefitted producers, businesses engaged in the supply chain, consumers, and Vingroup itself.

The story of Vingroup forming mutually beneficial alliances with numerous producers and distributors sets a model for other local businesses to become self-reliant when developing their own network and supply chain. This would allow them to capitalise on prevailing opportunities in both the domestic and world markets.

Local firms, global supply

Local leading nutritional group Vinamilk, private milk producer TH true MILK, and telecom giant Viettel have effectively promoted their global supply chains.

Vinamilk, which has 18 years of experience in foreign markets, now sells products in more than 40 countries across the globe. Its foreign markets include the US, many European and African countries, New Zealand, Myanmar, and Thailand.

The company now owns 10 cow breeding farms and 13 milk factories nationwide, and two Vinamilk super-factories, each with the capacity to produce 800 million litres of milk per year. Vinamilk also has three overseas factories.

During 2011-2015, the companys labour productivity rose 10.19 per cent on average, and added value jumped 14.5 per cent per year. This year, Vinamilk is poised to generate VND66 trillion ($3 billion) in revenue. With its internationally recognised brand, Vinamilks state divestment is very appealing to investors.

In the Vietnamese market, TH true MILK  a relative newcomer to the dairy industry  has found a new approach to attract consumers. Through an expansive media campaign that promotes clean milk, TH Group has positioned its brand in a way that differentiates it from other Vietnamese milk producers.

After just five years, TH Group has grown into Vietnams largest private milk producer. The group has made a foray into Russia with an ambitious cattle raising and milk processing project spanning over 100,000 hectares.

Compared to the leading state-owned telecom group VNPT, military-run Viettel is a relative newcomer to the telecom market. By pursuing a well-conceived development strategy, the company has presently outperformed VNPT in many important markers  for example revenue, profit, and tax contribution.

GSMA Intelligence figures show that by mid-September 2016, Viettel captured a spot among the worlds top 30 telecom groups in terms of subscribers  with 26 million outbound subscribers, a steep increase compared with the 10 million they had in 2013.

These examples show that many Vietnamese business groups have the capacity to establish global supply chains, making local products competitive within regional and international markets.

The goal is to promote engagement between the supply chains of leading local players and local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

To achieve this goal, these leading players must help SMEs promote their goods in each specific supply chain. Also, SMEs need to take the initiative to occupy a niche segment in the global supply chain. This is particularly important for the labour market, helping to bolster added value and gradually replace the current labour export model which is riddled with shortcomings.

The states support of supply

In recent years, the government has enacted many policies on supporting industry development to encourage local businesses to become more proactive in joining the global supply chain. The government also seeks to strengthen horizontal alliances in specific product branches, formulate business support funds in science and technology, guarantee credit and tax reductions, and organise SME support centres and technology incubators.

This has resulted in a sharp increase in new business startups and raised the private sectors contribution to national, social, and economic development in recent years.

At this point in time, it is important to perfect policies, ensuring that they are feasible, enforceable, and actually beneficial for SMEs and other constituents.

Japans Mitsubishi Research Institute joined hands with the Ministry of Planning and Investments Central Institute for Economic Management in a project called Enhancement of Vietnamese supporting industries, which proposed the application of a successful Japanese model to encourage Vietnamese SMEs to actively take part in domestic and international product supply chains.

Currently, each province and municipality operates two business support centres: one on industrial promotion belonging to the Department of Industry and Trade, and one on SME support under the management of the Department of Planning and Investment.

Based on the project survey, these centres still do not perform as effectively as possible. The two main reasons for this are that they lack resources in finance, machinery and equipment, and consultants, and the low support levels these centres give to private firms  SMEs in particular.

The enhancement project then proposed merging these two centres to establish local public technology centres (LPTCs). Such a new centre would function as sources of research and development for industrialisation in each locality; as finance and technology support centres for SMEs; and as assistance providers for agricultural production, seafood, forestry, and mining.

These LPTCs would make use of leading experts in technology, finance, and corporate governance. They would be fitted with modern technology and equipment and financed by the local community  or they could raise capital from other domestic and external sources, allowing them to operate as financially independent entities.

Japan is currently home to 600 LPTCs, each with about 100 experts and other employees. This includes three big centres with personnel surpassing 300 people each.

This model is worth further consideration for application in Vietnam. In the current context, we can only apply this model in two major development hubs  Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City  which are currently home to more than 60 per cent of local private businesses and have large potential for further development. After several years, if the model proved successful, it could be replicated in other localities.

With more than half a million private firms (97 per cent of which are SMEs), the governments commitment to having one million private businesses by 2020, and many instances of established supply chain models, private investment into supporting industry development will surely be expanding in 2017-2020, laying the bedrock to propel economic development and shape Vietnams growing green economy.
Citi supporting Vietnam in connecting the global dots Vietnam is considered by US group Citi as an attractive market. Ramachandran A.S., Citi country officer, talked to VIRs Linh Le about the groups efforts to utilise its global experience in the Southeast Asian nation, and its priorities moving forward.

Radisson Hotel Group spearheading hospitality growth in Asia-Pacific With travel restrictions easing, air traffic increasing, and leisure and business travel bookings on the rise, Radisson Hotel Group is optimistic about the outlook for the hospitality industry in Asia-Pacific.

Secrets of the most special securities company in Vietnam Techcom Securities (TCBS) leadership, with cutting-edge vision and execution muscle, has changed the course of the company over the last nine years since Nguyen Xuan Minh became chairman of the Board of Directors. VIRs Tuan Khanh sat together with Minh and talked about his path, vision, and success story.

Promoting gender equality & enhancing women's economic empowerment Vietnarn's national strategy on gender equality for the 2021-2030 period sets a target that by 2025, 60 per cent of state management ageneies and local governments at all levels will have female key leaders.
Banks, insurance-finance firms and brokerage companies continued to be the main support for the market on Friday morning.

The benchmark VN Index on the HCM Stock Exchange inched up 0.2 per cent to close at 721.06 points. The southern market index ended up 0.9 per cent on Thursday.

The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange gained 1.3 per cent to end at 91.08 points after rising slightly on Thursday.

Market trading liquidity remained high with nearly 170.9 million shares being traded, worth VN2.7 trillion (US$120 million).

Banks, insurance-finance firms and brokerage companies continued to be the main support for the market on Friday morning.

Six of the nine listed banks on both local bourses advanced, with Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB) and Sacombank (STB) being the strongest gainers.

Other listed companies in the finance-banking sector also made gains, including insurance-finance group Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), Bao Viet Securities Corp (BVS), FPT Securities Corp (FTS) and Sai Gon Securities Inc (SSI).

Other large-cap stocks such as dairy producer Vinamilk (VNM), PetroVietnam Gas Corp (GAS) and Faros Construction Corp (ROS) also moved upwards.

On the opposite side, property developers, agriculture firms and energy producers declined, preventing the stock market from making further gains.

These included property firm Vingroup (VIC), PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services Corp (PVD) and Hoang Anh Gia Lai JSC (HAG).
After Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad's unruly behaviour with Air India staffer, here is a look back at some of the most-shocking flying incidents from the past.

By Sushmita Choudhury: The media is abuzz with the story of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad thrashing an Air India staff over flight seating.

Gaikwad is just one of the many unruly passengers Indian airlines have had to deal with.

Here is a look back at some of the most-shocking flying incidents from the past:

January 2016: 17 latecomers among an 80-strong marriage party aboard a Hyderabad-Raipur IndiGo flight were denied boarding since the flight is overbooked. The entire party then created a ruckus, intimidated airline staff and delayed flight departure by two hours

advertisement

July 2016: A disruption by two unruly passengers misbehaving with the crew and physically abusing co-passengers forced a Dubai-Kozhikode Indigo flight to land in Mumbai. The flight landed at its destination three hours after schedule.

August 2016: A woman passenger, who was to travel in business class on a Mumbai-Lucknow GoAir flight, got offloaded for throwing her handbag at one passenger, shoving others during boarding and then misbehaving with the crew.

September 2016: A male passenger aboard an Indigo aircraft flying from Bhubaneswar to Delhi stripped naked in the lavatory and then tried to call air hostesses inside by ringing the lavatory S.O.S. call bell. Even after returning to his seat, his vulgar behaviour aggravated crew members and passengers

December 2016: A flyer on Air India's Mumbai-Newark flight reportedly groped a co-passenger. The accused was originally seated in business class but reportedly changed his seat to sit next to the female passenger in economy class.

January 2017: On yet another Air India flight, this time on the Muscat-Delhi route, a passenger allegedly molested an airhostess. This incident prompted the airline to stock plastic handcuffs on all its flights

February 2017: A man on a Delhi-Mumbai Jet Airways flight, who was later revealed to be mentally unstable, went out of control mid-flight, throwing his meal tray and threatening to take control of the flight and crash it.

February 2017: A passenger seated in the emergency exit row on IndiGo's Mumbai-Chandigarh flight suddenly opened the emergency exit door and inflated the slide, thankfully before the flight took off. In the process he injured the co-passenger on the window seat and risked the life of 176 passengers.

Also read

Shiv Sena questions MP who bragged after assaulting Air India official. All you need to know

--- ENDS ---
Viet Nam has officially halted meat imports from 21 Brazilian companies.-Photo plo.vn

Deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam signed Decision No 902/QD-BNN-TY concerning the halt of meat imports on Thursday.

Accordingly, the ministrys Department of Animal Health is required to closely monitor meat cargoes that have been transported from Brazil to Viet Nam before Thursday.

If the cargoes carry products from the 21 companies and plants which are under investigation, the customs offices will have to suspend quarantine and report to the ministry for consideration.

In addition, the department must officially communicate with the authorities in Brazil requesting their co-operation for resolving the issue.

Earlier, Trade Office of Viet Nam in Brazil warned Viet Nams State agencies to control strictly the meat imported from Brazil because of the bribery scandal to ensure the safety of local consumers.

The scandal has sent shock waves across the world, as Brazil is the largest producer of meat and meat products.

Meat products from the country are exported to some 150 countries and territories, accounting for around 20 per cent of the worlds total meat export turnover.

Viet Nams meat imports were worth US$12.8 million, accounting for 7 per cent of Brazils total export turnover.

Other buyers such as South Korea, the European Union and Chile have also halted or restricted meat imports from Brazil.

From January this year until now, Viet Nam imported nearly 3,000 tonnes of meat and meat products from Brazil worth over $4 million.

Last year, Viet Nam imported 21,000 tonnes of meat and meat products from Brazil worth $25 million.
Employees work at a production line of the JBS-Friboi chicken processing plant in Lapa, Parana State, Brazil. Police have halted exports by 21 meat processers suspected of bribing inspectors to issue them bogus health certificates for rotten meat. (RODRIGO FONSECA/AFP)

Just under a week since police announced they had discovered meatpacking companies bribing corrupt inspectors to certify tainted meat, Brazil's huge meat industry is reeling as China and other big clients suspend or impose extra checks on imports.

In an interview with AFP, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi insisted that the problem is isolated and that Brazilian products represent no danger. But the economic damage to Latin America's biggest country could be dire: US$1.5 billion in sales are at risk, Maggi estimated.

In another sign of the impact, giant food producer JBS announced late Thursday that it was suspending beef production for three days in 33 of its 36 plants, followed by a reduction of production to 35 per cent capacity next week.

"These measures aim to adjust production until the question of the embargoes is resolved," the company said.

However, officials are pushing back hard, with President Michel Temer due to call his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday to try and get the import ban lifted.

"I think the worst of the process is over," Maggi said.

"All countries are showing goodwill. They understand that with the procedures we have set up over the years, as well as the fact that importers themselves also make checks, they can be sure that our products are good."

5,000 CONTAINERS

He said Brazil's challenge is to persuade markets that while "some public servants were corrupt, we've never had, not for a moment, accusations that our products are not good quality, especially those for export."

"We need to separate these two things," he said.

With China and Hong Kong banning beef and chicken and the European Union banning only products from the 21 meatpacking plants under investigation it remains unclear what will happen to meat already being shipped.

Maggi said earlier that 5,000 containers are on ships, but that most of the meat products are not under suspicion. He told AFP that only one of the plants being investigated had been exporting.

"We have already asked for the return of all the containers that were in transit. There is no risk that a country could receive products sent recently from these 21 plants," he said.

Like other officials, Maggi showed his frustration at the police.

Temer's government is already in a tussle with prosecutors investigating high-level corruption and embezzlement at state oil company Petrobras, and the meat scandal has further strained tempers.

Maggi questioned why the police had not said anything before, given the probe announced last week had been running for two years.

"This is one of the mistakes of the operation," he said. "The Federal Police made a mistake when it came to communicating. They exaggerated in some places, feeding the public's imagination."
Xam Xuan 2017, a special musical night is being held tonight to pay tribute to inventors and great artists of xam (blind buskers singing), will see performances by well-known Vietnamese xam artists such as Thuy Ngan, Hanh Nguyen and Nguyen Quang Long.- Photo baotintuc.vn

Called Xam Xuan 2017, the event has been organised by Xam Ha Thanh group, and will see performances by well-known Vietnamese xam artists such as Thuy Ngan, Hanh Nguyen and Nguyen Quang Long.

The programme will pay homage to the two late influential teachers of xam singing, artist Ha Thi Cau and Professor Pham Minh Khang, credited with reviving the unique art form.

Newly composed xam songs such as Bon Mua Hoa Ha Noi (Four Seasons of Flowers in Ha Noi), Chong Say (Drunken Husband) and Thoi Em Cu Viec Lay Chong (Be Free to Get Married) will be performed at the event.

Xam Xuan 2017 will also include performances by primary school students and Korean American Professor Jin Hi Kim. Professor Kim and artists from Xam Ha Thanh group will play a piece of traditional Korean music with komungo, Korean long board zither, and Vietnamese musical instruments.
By Press Trust of India: (Updating with more inputs)

From Aditi Khanna

London, Mar 24 (PTI) British police said today they had made two more "significant" arrests over the brazen terror attack on parliament, as investigators focussed on how the lone perpetrator was radicalised and appealed for information to trace any "associates" of the killer who left four people dead.

advertisement

Metropolitan Police Acting Deputy Commissioner and Head of Counter Terrorism Mark Rowley said two more "significant arrests" have been made in connection with the incident, taking the total number to 10. Nine people are still being questioned by police.

He also appealed to the public to come forward with any information on 52-year-old Khalid Masood, the suspect behind the terror attack, who was born as Adrian Russell Ajao in Dartford before converting to Islam. He is said to have used a number of aliases, including Adrian Elms, and was known to UK police and intelligences services.

Rowley said the investigation would focus on his "motivation, preparation and his associates".

Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday before crashing his car into railings and then running into the grounds of Parliament. Armed with a knife, he stabbed a police constable, before being shot dead by police.

At least 50 people were injured with 31 requiring hospital treatment as the attack unfolded and those affected included at least 12 nationalities, police said.

Rowley said the investigation would focus on his "motivation, preparation and his associates".

He said police would investigate whether Masood "acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him".

Rowley added: "There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but did not feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing those concerns to us."

He also said there would be a review of Parliamentary security to see if changes were needed.

Rowley also said that the Counter Terrorism Command were carrying out five searches of addresses across the UK, having concluded 16 previously.

The Met Police have seized 2,700 items from these searches, including "massive amounts" of computer data and spoken to 3,500 witnesses and have been trawling through hundreds of uploads of video images.

Meanwhile, the fourth victim of the attack on Westminster Bridge, who died last night, was named as 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London.

The others killed included teacher Aysha Frade and US tourist Curt Cohrane and police officer Keith Palmer.

advertisement

Two people remain in hospital in "critical condition" and one of them has "life threatening" injuries.

Two Met Police officers injured in the attack also remain in hospital with "significant injuries".

Masood - who was born in Dartford, Kent - was known to the police.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, Metropolitan Police said.

He was believed to have been living in the West Midlands, and had previously spent time in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex.

Masood was born to a white mother and black father and is said to have been affected by racism while growing up. PTI AK UZM AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
[Editors Note: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has begun a process of integration to forge an Asean Economic Community. But the rise of protectionism in Europe and North America is seen as a possible barrier to access these crucial markets for the success of the project. In this context, VOA Khmers Aun Chhengpor recently spoke with Asean Secretary-General Le Luong Minh by email about Aseans commitment to global trade, and the progress and pitfalls of integration.]

VOA: How does Asean view the uncertainties in the West, especially the British exit from the European Union? What are the lessons ASEAN can learn?

Le Luong Minh: Brexit happened against a backdrop of concerns over sovereignty, immigration and unequal contributions versus benefits of being an EU member. The Asean context is markedly different as Asean works on the principle of consensus and Member States retain their sovereignty. Nevertheless, there are lessons to be learned. While the economic benefits of integration have not been challenged in the Brexit context, a good lesson from this is the imperative that regional integration should bring benefits to all members and the need to ensure sustained stakeholders buy-in. Thus the importance of public awareness and understanding of the benefits of regional integration are crucial to generate and retain public buy-in and support, as well as to address any possible misconception on the causality between regional integration and domestic challenges.

Does Asean view it as a good time to take a larger role in regional and global leadership?

There are already various established mechanisms and concrete cooperation within the orbit of the Asean Community which have produced tangible results, for the benefits of the Asean people, including the respective stakeholders. Since its founding, Asean has been constantly working to maintain peace and stability in Southeast Asia. It has provided the region a foundation for economic and socio-cultural development opportunities. Ensuring the safety of our peoples will always be key to Asean. Asean keeps its citizens safe from both traditional and non-traditional security threats, such as climate change, pandemics, natural disasters and transnational crimes in its various forms.

Some view Asean's integration as cautious. Is it the right time for Asean to speed up economic integration among its member states?

The view on an appropriate speed of regional integration is prone to subjectivity. At the time of the formal establishment of the Asean Economic Community on 31 December 2015, which met the target set by the leaders. Asean is unique in its pursuit of regional economic integration. With a strong emphasis on a rules-based, people-oriented and people-centered community, there is a strong focus in ensuring that all Member States, regardless of their levels of development, are able to be active participants in and beneficiaries from the regional economic integration agenda. In this regard, Asean acknowledges the fact that some Member States may require additional time in meeting their regional commitments, and therefore, concrete measures and specific initiatives are put in place to assist them.

Were there any difficulties for Asean in the first year of the AEC?

The first year of implementation of the A.E.C. Blueprint 2025 was focused on putting in place the fundamentals for effective operationalization of the new Blueprint, the adoption of various A.E.C. sectoral work plans, and the endorsement of the A.E.C. 2025 Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. One key challenge was on ensuring awareness and meeting expectations on the A.E.C. Stakeholders common responses to the establishment of the A.E.C. are either an expectation of a transformative overnight change or a lack of awareness of what it actually entails. Hence, efforts would need to be continuously strengthened in enhancing outreach and communication and in ensuring a participatory and consultative regional agenda. Stakeholder engagement will be fostered in line with the objective of an inclusive, people-oriented, and people-centered Asean. Externally, the inaugural year of the A.E.C. started in an uncertain global economic and political environment. The global economy was mired in sub-par growth with adverse consequences on both international trade and foreign direct investment. Asean has had to also to face the threat of rising latent protectionism observed across the globe particularly in the major advanced economies.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The face of Indonesian President Joko Widodo was splashed all over posters for the fifth Congress of Indigenous People of the Archipelago (KMAN V) ahead of its convention in North Sumatra this week.

But the president, commonly known as Jokowi, suddenly canceled his appearance at the event, which convenes every five years to set its policy agenda and elect the leadership of the Indigenous People's Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), which organizes KMAN.

His absence and other grievances have some at the congress saying the movement for indigenous rights is at a breaking point.

Several participants scoffed at Jokowi's conciliatory invitation to all the indigenous leaders present to visit him in the presidential palace on March 21.

"What's the point?" said Ruuka Sombolinggi, advocacy coordinator of AMAN. "We are not children, we will not be impressed by the president's house."

Jokowi's cancellation was the latest hiccup in indigenous Indonesians' struggle for recognition and legal protection.

A bill to protect their rights has languished for years in a back-and-forth between Indonesia's House of Representatives and the government. Indigenous rights activists had hoped that having the president at the congress would add momentum to their cause.

Now, as the congress shifts gears into internal politicking  to elect a new leader over the weekend  activists worry that their taxing struggle for indigenous rights has stalled again.

A people without a name

Indonesia recognizes more than 1,000 ethnic groups scattered across its 17,000 islands, and between 50 million and 70 million people are considered to be members of indigenous communities.

The indigenous people are often called "masyarakat adat," or people who use adat  customary laws. But there is no real word in Bahasa Indonesia for "indigenous," which points to how contentious the category has been in recent decades.

One common refrain in the country is that "all Indonesians are indigenous," which is to say, they originate from the geographical area they currently live in. As late as 2012, then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono denied that any indigenous people existed in Indonesia. But by the time Jokowi was campaigning for president in 2014, he could openly discuss a plan to support indigenous people.

"We really hoped that this event would open the government's eyes to the diversity and power of Indonesia's indigenous peoples," said Mona Sihombing of AMAN. "And among other things, we wanted officials to see what a huge voting bloc this is."

On Friday morning, a presidential spokesperson said that a long-promised task force on indigenous issues was no longer a priority, saying that it seemed like an unnecessary hassle given the option of "concrete" actions such as divesting "12.7 million hectares" of forests to indigenous ownership.

"This is the first time we are hearing this position on the task force," said Ruuka. "Until today, the president's team has said on many occasions that the task force will be a big part of its indigenous policy."

Later, Noer Fauzi Rachman, a presidential spokesperson, clarified that the task force was not entirely canceled, but its creation was just held up by bureaucracy.

"If it were up to me, the task force would have been created last year," Rachman told VOA. "Although he can try to influence the various ministries involved, the timeline at which these things happen is not up to the president."

Indigenous leaders react

On Friday afternoon, indigenous leaders reacted with dismay to the president's cancellation.

Alex Sangenafa, from Yapen, West Papua, delivered a high-volume, impassioned diatribe in front of the conference's main stage, expressing his disappointment. He approached a presidential spokesperson with eight enormous wooden arrows, symbolizing the eight-month deadline by which he hoped the indigenous people's law would be ratified.

"We Papuans came out of the woods" to vote for Jokowi, Sangenafa said. "We are confident that he comes from humble folks and sees the pain of his people."

His gesture was met with roaring applause.

"I'm not angry, I'm disappointed," he told VOA later.

"The suggestion that we should visit the Presidential Palace next week is beside the point," said Apai Janggut, an indigenous leader from Putussibau, Kalimantan. "As far as I was concerned, this was the absolute deadline for the government to effect change for our community. They have shown their priorities and we will vote accordingly."

Forests at crux of public policy

The president sent Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya in his place, and she announced plans to release 7,000 hectares of forest in Toba Pulp Lestari in North Sumatra back to indigenous ownership.

Handing the management of certain forests over to indigenous groups has been a cornerstone of the administration's indigenous policy. It dates to a Constitutional Court ruling from 2013 that "customary forests" are not part of state-owned forests, which set a precedent for transferring their ownership. In December 2016, Jokowi signed over 13,000 hectares to nine indigenous communities across Indonesia.

Activists argue that at least 8.2 million hectares in Indonesia should be in indigenous hands.

"The announcement of 7,000 more hectares in indigenous hands is certainly a good thing," said Abdon Nababan, a Batak person from North Sumatra who is the outgoing president of AMAN. "But between December 30, 2016, to the present, nearly four months, we've received a grand total of 20,000 hectares ... it's just too slow, no? Out of the millions ... that should be in our hands."

Nababan cited corruption, manipulation and carelessness as reasons for the slow federal action on indigenous rights.

"This is simply not progress," Sombolinggi said. She considers the back-and-forth between the House and federal government as "part of their game to avoid really addressing indigenous peoples. It's like pingpong."

In its early years, AMAN often took an adversarial stance to stand up for indigenous rights, which were a touchy subject in the early years of the Indonesian republic.

Sombolingggi said the recent stasis may spark a return to form. "We are at a crossroads," she said. "We have to decide whether to engage further, continuing the 'polite dialogue,' or become more confrontational."
The alleged killer of political commentator Kem Ley was sentenced to life at a Phnom Penh court on Thursday amid criticism over how the case was conducted.

Oeuth Ang was arrested on July 10 shortly after he allegedly gunned down Ley, a prominent government critic, at a Caltex gas station in Phnom Penh.

He subsequently claimed his name was Choub Somlab, which means Meet to Kill in Khmer, however, evidence presented in court confirmed his identity as Ang, whose family and friends say is a former military serviceman and monk.

Ang claimed to have killed Ley over a $3,000 debt, but the killing is widely believed to have been a political assassination.

Security camera footage played to the court during the hearing earlier this month raised further questions, as the government did not release all of the footage from the scene, and there were several aspects of the events that day that appeared in the footage which appeared to have not been investigated by the court.

Yung Phanith, lawyer for the defense, said he had expected leniency for his client as he had confessed to the crime.

According to the law, there should be a reduction in my clients sentence regardless of how severe the charge is, because there were mitigating circumstances, he said.

Phanith criticized investigators for not making efforts to track down two people suspected of involvement: a woman named Pu Lis, who allegedly introduced Ley to the suspect to arrange the supposed loan; and a man named by the court only as Chork, who allegedly sold the murder weapon to Ang.

The court should have investigated and arrested the suspects who were involved, Phanith said.

Bou Rachana, Leys wife, told VOA Khmer on Thursday, that she had no faith in the justice system in Cambodia.

The security camera footage in the mini-mart where my husband was shot cannot be accepted, she added.

The owner of Caltex, U.S. oil giant Chevron, has until March 31 to appeal a decision in a U.S. court that could see it forced to release all of the footage from the crime scene.

On Wednesday, former opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who filed the suit against Chevron, requested that a decision against Ang be postponed until the proceedings against Chevron were concluded.

Three major international civil society groups - Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists - issued a statement following the sentencing, calling on the government to keep the case open.

Cambodia should continue to investigate the killing of prominent political commentator Kem Ley in order to address key aspects of the case that appear to have been inadequately investigated, the statement reads.

The authorities failure to investigate so many clear gaps in the defendants story and the courts unwillingness to examine them suggest that a quick conviction rather than uncovering all involved was the main concern, said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Kem Leys family have been outspoken in their disbelief that Oeuth Ang was solely responsible for the murder, and the trials conduct lends credence to their skepticism.

Some 44 local civil society groups also demanded an independent inquiry into Leys death.

This investigation was inadequate and the trial was a charade. We demand an independent inquiry with international assistance to investigate Dr. Kem Leys death, which will be the only way to achieve justice for his family and friends, said Naly Pilorge, a deputy director of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights.
As Britain's capital returned to normal Thursday following Wednesday's fatal terrorist attack, new information and questions are emerging about the attacker, identified as British-born 52-year-old Khalid Masood. The Islamic State terrorist group is claiming responsibility, and British police are investigating what links Masood had to extremists. VOA Europe Correspondent Luis Ramirez reports from London.
Russia justified its 2014 annexation of Crimea, and ongoing support for rebels in east Ukraine, by claiming ethnic Russians there were threatened by nationalists and faced discrimination. But while Russian rhetoric, frequent military drills, and the legacy of Soviet aggression raise concerns, there is surprisingly little tension within the Baltics' Russian minority community. VOA's Daniel Schearf visited the Latvian capital, Riga, to find out more.
Marine Private First Class Maria Daumes life story reads as if she came straight from the pages of a superhero comic: born in a Siberian prison, orphaned at age two, adopted by Americans and raised in New York. And on Thursday - in the middle of Women's History Month - the 19-year-old broke new ground as a female Marine. VOAs Carla Babb spoke with Daume in her first interview since completing special training at the Marine School of Infantry in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Schools have remained closed and business paralyzed in the English-speaking northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon, as the strike initiated by teachers and lawyers against what they call the overbearing use of French enters its fifth month.

Three strike leaders and another group of 25 people arrested from the English-speaking regions appeared in the Yaounde military court Thursday, and the case was again adjourned.

Bibixy Mancho sang that he would never forget his home, as the military escorted him to the court.

The military ordered a handful of people who came out to see the suspects to not shake hands with them. Among the curious onlookers was Minang Flora, who said she traveled 400 kilometers (250 miles) to support the suspects.

"I want to see them, to encourage them and pray for them, Flora said. No matter how long it takes, we shall get there."

Group trial is disputed

Along with Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla, Fontem Aforteka'a Neba and Bibixy Mancho, who are accused of organizing demonstrations in December that turned violent, 25 other suspects have been arrested from the English-speaking regions since the strike started.

Defense counsel Eta Bisong Junior said they found it inappropriate for all of them to be judged together.

There was an application for two cases, two separate cases to be joined and heard and determined at the same time, and the lawyers for the defense were opposed to that. The court has adjourned the matter to the 7th of April for the ruling, Junior said.

On April 7, the court will rule on whether the three leaders should be judged separately or together with the 25 others.

The case itself has been adjourned to April 27. The court rejected appeals for the three leaders to be granted bail.

Serious crimes

The charges levied against them are conspiracy to terrorism, rebellion against the state, incitement of civil unrest, breach of the constitution, provoking civil war by inciting the people to take arms against each other, and propagation of false information. Cameroon is using a 2014 law on suppression of acts of terrorism and a 2014 law on cybersecurity and cybercriminality. The suspects could face death sentences.

Some strikers are calling for a return to federalism, while other leaders want secession. President Paul Biya, after meeting Italy's President Sergio Matterella this week, said they discussed the issue, but that national unity in his country was not up for negotiation.

Biya visits Italy

Biya said they spoke about the situation in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon, and he assured the president of Italy that a majority of Cameroonians want peace and support two fundamental principles  the unity and diversity of their nation as prescribed in the constitution.

English-speaking lawyers and teachers have been on strike since November. The strike has drawn other activists who accuse the state of marginalizing English speakers living primarily in the southwest and the northwest.
Belgian prosecutors have charged the man who attempted to drive at high speeds Thursday through a shopping center in Antwerp with terror offenses including attempted murder.

The 39-year-old French national and resident, identified as Mohamed R., was charged with "an attempt to murder in a terrorist manner, an attempt to hit and wound in a terrorist manner, and arms infractions," the federal prosecutor's office said Friday.

Police found a knives and a gun in Mohamed's car.

He also was "under the influence of something" when he was apprehended and reportedly in no condition to speak to police until the next day, though the specific substance was not specified.

French police sources told Reuters news agency that it is possible the suspect was not trying to hit anyone, but instead was speeding to avoid a police checkpoint because he was intoxicated.

No one was injured in the incident, which occurred one day after a car driving at high speed killed people near the British Parliament on London's Westminster Bridge, and also a day after the anniversary of twin attacks in Brussels that killed 32 people last year.
Soha Ali Khan is reportedly inspired by Kareena Kapoor Khan's pregnancy and motherhood, and is keen to have a child of her own.

By India Today Web Desk: Kareena Kapoor Khan has inspired a whole generation of women during her pregnancy, from her stylish maternity outfits to proudly flaunting her baby bump during public appearances. Kareena's sister-in-law Soha Ali Khan was mighty impressed and had even compared Bebo to her mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, for setting trends.

According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, Soha is so proud of the way Kareena has conducted herself during her pregnancy that she is contemplating following her footsteps and having a baby of her own. Reportedly, Soha has even started taking "mommy tips" from the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor.

advertisement

When Soha was asked during Kareena's pregnancy if she was planning to start her own family soon, the actor had said it was too early. Soha completed two years of marriage with Kunal Kemmu in January this year.

On the work front, Soha was last seen in the film 31st October with Vir Das. Reports suggest that she will be seen with her husband Kunal in the Go Goa Gone sequel.

PHOTOS: Soha Ali Khan with puppy and hubby Kunal in tow will kill you with cuteness

ALSO SEE: This photo of Kareena with her bundle of joy Taimur is breaking the internet

ALSO WATCH: Saif-Kareena become proud parents to a baby boy, Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi

--- ENDS ---
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has put three online bloggers in the custody of a federal agency for a week so it can investigate blasphemy charges against them and determine whether they should be formally tried and punished.

Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency, or FIA, arrested the three men earlier this week as part of an ongoing crackdown on suspects involved in posting blasphemous material on social media.

Authorities say that laptops of the detainees have also been seized for forensic analysis.

Crackdown alarms rights groups

Pakistans anti-blasphemy laws carry the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Mohammad and imprisonment for life for insulting the Muslim holy book of Quran, though no one has been executed.

The official crackdown was launched after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered authorities to take urgent steps to rid social media of any anti-Islam content posted by people in Pakistan.

Sharif also directed authorities to find those responsible for publishing blasphemous content on social media and swiftly bring them to justice.

The crackdown has alarmed rights groups, particularly after five bloggers critical of Pakistans powerful military and its spy agency vanished in January. They were later returned to their families. They have since accused Pakistani security institutions of being behind their kidnapping.

Lives under threat

Shortly after they went missing, radical clerics and hardliners through television interviews and talk shows accused the bloggers of committing blasphemy through online activities.

The five men have fled Pakistan because even allegations of blasphemy can provoke Islamists to kill those suspected of it.

A provincial governor, a federal minister and members of non-Muslim minority communities have been among those killed in Pakistan for criticizing or seeking reforms in the anti-blasphemy law, or for being wrongly accused of insulting Islam.

Social media challenged

Pakistani officials have also contacted Facebook and Twitter to request them to identify Pakistanis outside the country who are posting anti-Islam material so the government can pursue their extradition and prosecute them at home.

Federal Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan announced this month that a Facebook delegation is to visit Pakistan soon to discuss the issue with his government.

Rights activists and political opponents, however, allege the government through its stepped-up anti-social media campaign is trying to silence critics.

They say that Pakistani officials are fully aware that social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter adhere to a strict policy to respect and protect the privacy of their users and the crackdown, as well as judicial proceedings under anti-blasphemy laws, are meant only to induce a state of fear to discourage political dissent and silence local media.

Instead of stopping the abuse of blasphemy laws, the state is becoming a party to their misuse, observed Raza Rumi, editor at Pakistans English language Daily Times.

The state is not doing the public a favor. Beating the blasphemy drum further radicalizes the public, especially young men and women.  On the one hand, the civil and military leaders endlessly issue statements to fight extremism and on the other they are contributing to the extremism quagmire, Rumi wrote in his latest article.
Californias air quality board voted unanimously Thursday to approve methane regulations touted as the strictest adopted in the United States for controlling emissions of the second-most prevalent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

The rules, approved by the California Air Resources Board, tighten efficiency requirements for production and transportation of natural gas and for some oil-handling equipment, including installation of emissions-recapture technology.

They also mandate more stringent monitoring and reporting of potential gas leaks as a means of pinpointing and repairing them quickly.

Methane traps more heat

Methane, the main component of commercially distributed natural gas, is also a byproduct of oil extraction. Pound for pound, it traps significantly more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, the most prevalent greenhouse gas, though its effects are shorter-lived.

The 14-member board announced its approval of the methane rules at the end of a daylong meeting in Riverside, California, east of Los Angeles.

The action comes more than a year after a massive methane leak at the Aliso Canyon gas storage field, owned by the Southern California Gas Co, forced thousands of residents from their homes in the nearby Porter Ranch community of Los Angeles.

The well rupture that caused the leak, the largest known accidental methane release in U.S. history, took nearly four months to plug and was estimated to have had a larger climate impact than the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

EPA cut, states act

Thursdays vote came shortly after President Donald Trump proposed major cuts to the Environmental Protection Agencys budget and as the U.S. Senate prepared to vote on repealing a rule limiting methane venting and leaking on federal lands.

Environmental Defense Fund director Tim OConnor, whose group helped devise the state regulations, said Californias action was all the more important in light of the Trump administrations vow to curb EPA regulations.

If the federal government wont protect the people and the environment from oil and gas pollution, it has to be up to the states, he said.

Because methane is relatively cheap, economic incentives for producers to prevent and fix accidental leaks are small, said Steve Weissman, a lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley who specializes in energy law and policy.

Sabrina Lockhart, a spokeswoman for the California Natural Gas Producers Association, expressed reservations about the proposal Wednesday, and said industry concerns have centered on requirements for continued inspections, even for facilities with strong maintenance records, and inspection costs.
Key U.S. lawmakers appear locked into a war of words over halting progress in their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election campaign.

The latest skirmish was sparked by the abrupt cancellation Friday of an open hearing set to feature top former intelligence officials. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a California Republican, argued that it was instead necessary to hear closed-door testimony from the directors of the FBI and the National Security Agency.

"The committee seeks additional information ... that can only be addressed in closed session," Nunes told reporters during a hastily arranged news conference.

Word of the change ignited criticism from congressional Democrats, who pointed out FBI Director James Comey and NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers had already testified on Monday.

During that hearing, Comey confirmed for the first time that officials were investigating possible connections between the President Donald Trump's campaign team and Russia.

'A dodge'

"I don't think anyone should have any question about what is really going on here," said Representative Adam Schiff of California, the top-ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. He called the cancellation of the hearing with former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan "a dodge."

He also described Nunes' announcement that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort had agreed to speak with the intelligence committee as a ploy aimed at deflecting attention.

"There must have been a very strong pushback from the White House," Schiff said, referring to the initial hearing with the FBI and NSA directors. "It's hard for me to come to any other conclusion about why an agreed upon hearing would be suddenly canceled. ... What other explanation can there be?"

Russia has consistently denied U.S. intelligence community assertions that it tried to influence the outcome of the presidential election.

Trump has also pushed back against the allegations, arguing they have been driven by Democratic Party officials making excuses for why their candidate, Hillary Clinton, lost.

Tensions have been rising all week, first coming to a head Wednesday when Nunes charged the president and some associates had been swept up in "incidental collection" activities and took the evidence directly to the White House.

Briefing reporters following a meeting with Trump, Nunes alleged the president and members of the Trump transition team "were clearly put into intelligence reports," adding "some of it seems to be inappropriate."

'Valuable intelligence'

But Nunes, who himself was a member of Trump's transition team, seemed to back off the charges Friday.

"These reports that I've read are, for the most part, valuable intelligence," Nunes said. "It appears like this was all legal."

Still, Nunes maintained there were pieces of information in the reports "that I don't think belong there," and again questioned whether the identities of the president and some associates might have been unnecessarily unmasked.

"Maybe someone has a good reason for it, but not from what I've been able to read," Nunes said.

Democrats, led by Schiff, have expressed outrage, saying Nunes' conduct has raised "profound concerns" that the goal is to provide cover for Trump's allegations, made on Twitter, that he had been "wiretapped" by former President Barack Obama.

Schiff went one step further, charging that recent developments all pointed back to the current White House.

"In an effort to further justify the unjustifiable, he is now interfering in this investigation," Schiff said. "I think the fact that the chairman's press conference [Wednesday] was at the White House is not only symbolically important, it's important in terms of understanding what's really going on here."

Reports not shared

Democrats and Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee have also voiced concern that Nunes has so far refused to let them see the documents and intelligence reports upon which he has based his allegations.

As a result, there has been growing speculation that the White House may have played a role in getting the documents to Nunes, something Nunes himself has refused to rule out.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Friday that it was a question he could not answer.

"I'm not aware of where he got the documents. I don't know," Spicer told reporters during a White House briefing.

Spicer also said the president still felt somewhat vindicated by Nunes' statements, despite the lawmaker's apparent backtracking.

"This discussion, it continues to show there was something there," Spicer said. "There's been an acknowledgment that there are documents out there showing that people were surveilled or monitored."

In his testimony Monday, FBI Director Comey rejected Trump's wiretapping claims outright.

"I have no information that supports those tweets. And we have looked carefully inside the FBI," he said.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is warning of a rapidly growing backlog for veterans who seek to appeal decisions involving disability benefits, saying it will need much more staff even as money remains in question due to a tightening Trump administration budget.

The red flag is included in a Government Accountability Office report released Thursday. The VA says the wait time of as much as five years for veterans seeking resolution of their claims would continue to grow without a hiring surge in the next budget year beginning in October.

Without the staff, the VA said, the backlog could exceed 1 million within a decade, and veterans may have to wait an average of 8.5 years to have their appeals resolved.

4.1 million veterans receive funds

The department provides $63.7 billion in disability compensation payments each year to about 4.1 million veterans with conditions incurred during their military service.

Setting a goal to decide most appeals within one year by 2021, the VA set aside additional money in 2017 to boost full-time staff by 36 percent, or 242. It also estimated that a hiring surge of up to 1,458 more staff would be necessary in 2018.

But in comments to GAO, the VA acknowledged Thursday that its workforce plan was highly dependent on VA's annual budget appropriation, and that it could not necessarily commit fully to the hiring.

Budget calls for 6 percent boost

Trump's budget blueprint calls for a 6 percent increase in VA funding, mostly to pay for rising health costs to treat veterans. The VA is one of three agencies slated for more money amid sizable cuts to other domestic programs.

But the White House plan has yet to spell out specific funding for hiring of more VA staff to handle both disability claims and appeals, only saying it planned to continue critical investments to transform VA claims processing. In testimony to Congress this week, VA inspector general Michael Missal said the Trump administration was proposing to carry over 2017 funding levels to 2018 for most VA discretionary programs.

Asked for additional detail, a spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget said, Stay tuned.

Appeals process 'broken'

VA Secretary David Shulkin has pointed to reform of the VA's disability appeals process as one of his top 10 priorities, calling the current system broken. He has backed legislation introduced last year aimed at streamlining the appeals process, but has been less clear about available money for hiring. Last week, after being prodded by members of Congress, Shulkin released a memorandum detailing a few hundred more exemptions to the federal hiring freeze, in part to allow for the hiring of claims processors authorized in 2017.

These workforce shortages are deeply troubling, said Senator Jon Tester of Montana, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. It's time we get these folks hired.

He was among a group of senators, including Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, on Thursday who reintroduced legislation to overhaul the disability appeals system.

Additional staffing urgently needed

In a phone interview, VA officials said they had been devoting additional staff in recent years to address the appeals backlog but that broader reform from Congress, including added staffing, was urgently needed.

We plan to continue to hire to the extent we can, said Dave McLenachen, director of the Veterans Benefits Administration's appeals management office.

In the GAO report, auditors as a whole found the VA's staffing estimates sound but cautioned the government's second-largest agency needed a better plan to make sure additional staff are properly trained and have adequate office space.
When U.S. President Donald Trump announced a review last week of tough Obama-era vehicle emissions and fuel-efficiency standards, he proclaimed that the "assault on the American auto industry is over."

But rules set by the Environmental Protection Agency may take a backseat to consumers demanding vehicles that guzzle less gas and automakers having to meet tougher standards if they want to export cars overseas, according to auto industry analysts.

In the end, U.S. carmakers may just gain a few more years to meet the more stringent targets that former President Barack Obama's administration negotiated with the companies in 2012, analysts said.

If Europe and China continue to toughen their emissions standards, "the U.S. might become an outlier," American Axle President Mike Simonte told Reuters on Thursday.

Trump's move was widely seen leading to a rollback or loosening of more stringent targets, which would slash vehicle exhaust emissions while effectively doubling average fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

Automakers have argued the rules for 2022-2025 are too expensive and could cost American jobs, so the Trump administration's review was seen as a win for them.

On a conference call Thursday with investors, Bob Shanks, Ford Motor's chief financial officer, said, "We are not seeking a rollback in any way. We just want to have a conversation around the levels we want to achieve."

Despite what the EPA may want, California and nine other states in the Zero Emission Vehicle program  eight in the northeast, plus Oregon  are expected to move ahead on Friday with the previously established targets.

Those states account for nearly 30 percent of U.S. auto sales.

The potential divide with the rest of the country could create a "two-tiered environment with two sets of regulations," said Mark Wakefield, managing director of AlixPartners' automotive practice.

This "could drive costs higher if automakers have to build two versions of the same vehicle to meet the two different standards."

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group that sued to overturn the Obama-era rules on behalf of several big automakers, wrote the White House on Thursday urging talks to begin quickly with California to ensure that national standards remain in place.

"Automakers seek certainty, predictability and rationality  over time  from the regulatory process," the group's CEO Mitch Bainwol wrote.

'EPA a distant third'

Kristin Dziczek, director of the Center for Automotive Research's labor and industry group, said U.S. automakers could find it hard to export cars to markets such as China and Europe with tougher regulatory regimes if the U.S. targets were rescinded.

"I don't think we're going to see a rollback," she said. "At most, I think we may see a slowing of the timetable for implementing the tougher standards."

AlixPartners' Wakefield said if China, the world's largest market, continues pushing electric vehicles while America backpedals, it could lead to "some movement of investment from the U.S. to China, especially as the latter market continues to grow."

General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles referred Reuters to public comments made by the industry's lobbying group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, a climate change skeptic, said the Obama administration estimated it would cost $200 billion over 13 years to comply with stricter standards, which he believes will lead to higher prices for consumers and jobs leaving the country.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said the auto industry expected to miss the 2022-2025 targets regardless of who occupied the White House, but he believes the EPA's recent move may carry relatively little weight.

"Of all the things that are likely to drive fuel economy, I would rank the EPA a distant third on the list, behind consumer preferences and the direction of technology," he said.

United Auto Workers union President Dennis Williams said while around 60 percent of U.S. auto sales are currently trucks and SUVs, consumers value fuel-economy improvements for those vehicles.

"The automakers shouldn't make the mistake of sliding backward," Williams said. "We're here to protect our [union] members, but we understand that in doing so we also have to look at the future."
Eleven Syrians were killed when their inflatable boat sank off the country's Aegean coast, Turkish media reported Friday.

The Dogan news agency said five of the dead were children, and a baby rescued in critical condition was among 11 people who survived the accident.

Television footage showed rescue workers standing next to covered bodies near the Turkish resort town of Kusadasi. Media reports said two Turks, thought to be people-smugglers, had been detained.

The boat capsized in strong wind and waves and was thought to be trying to reach the Greek island of Samos.

The deaths came a year after a European Union-Turkey agreement to curb illegal migration, which has significantly reduced the number of migrants trying to reach the bloc from Turkey.

The U.N. refugee agency said more than 3,620 refugees and migrants had crossed from Turkey to Greece this year, compared with nearly 150,000 arrivals in the equivalent period last year before the agreement was signed.

Under the deal, Turkey agreed to tighten its maritime borders and control immigration in return for aid and accelerated EU membership talks.

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has raised alarm in Europe by saying he will review the agreement. Tension between Turkey and the EU has been heightened during a campaign for a Turkish referendum aimed at boosting the president's powers.

In another development, a Spanish aid organization said Friday that it feared hundreds of migrants might have died off Libya's coast. Spain's Proactive Open Arms group said it found five bodies near two capsized boats on Thursday and another body on Friday. The group said it thought there could have been hundreds of people on the two boats.

Libya's coast guard said it had no reports of dead migrants in Libya's waters.
A cluster of Black Lives Matter groups and the organization leading the push for a $15-an-hour wage are joining forces to combine the struggle for racial justice with the fight for economic equality, just as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. tried to do in the last year of his life.



They are launching their first national joint action April 4, the 49th anniversary of Kings assassination, with Fight Racism, Raise Pay protests in two dozen cities, including Atlanta; Milwaukee; Memphis, Tennessee; Chicago; Boston; Denver; and Las Vegas.





King was gunned down in 1968 while on a visit to Memphis to support striking black sanitation workers.



When MLK was assassinated, he was talking to workers who were dealing with union-busting, unfair wages, said Kendall Fells, organizing director for the Fight for $15. The bottom line is that every day, workers of color across the country face deep-seated racism that would seem to be out of Dr. Kings era, but sadly its still happening today.



New political reality

Fells said the new political reality requires the groups to band together. After President Donald Trumps election, some civil rights and social justice organizations are taking an all-hands-on-deck approach against an administration they see as hostile to the working poor and minorities.



By working together, the two groups can reach more people and amplify their messages, activists say.



What we both realize is were stronger when we operate together, Fells said.

United in Ferguson

Fight for $15 has helped raise the minimum wage in places like New York and Washington. The Black Lives Matter movement grew largely out of the protests over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. The organization has demanded police reforms and an end to killings of unarmed black people.

Fight for $15 and Black Lives first came together in Ferguson. The nearly all-black workforce at the neighborhood McDonalds had been on strike before Brown was killed. After Browns death, those workers used their organizing skills to protest police department practices.



In a controversial 1967 speech titled Beyond Vietnam, King made a radical shift in his message, speaking out about the triple evils of war, racism and capitalism and linking economic and racial inequality. That same year, the civil rights leader launched his Poor Peoples Campaign to address disparities in employment and housing.



Were not simply remembering his assassination, said the Rev. William Barber II, who will lead the Memphis protest. Were remembering why he was there and reimagining that for the 21st century. Dr. King was connecting black and white poverty and saying black and white poor people need to be allies.

Broadening the coalition



Asha Ransby-Sporn, national organizing chair with the Black Youth Project 100, one of dozens of Black Lives groups that are taking part in the protests, said police harassment and the routine treatment of blacks as criminals are among the biggest barriers to economic justice for black Americans.



Broadening the coalition, as King attempted, is important, she said.



We cant fight on any of these fronts without fighting on all of them, Ransby-Sporn said.



Terrence Wise, a $9.50-an-hour McDonalds employee and Fight for $15 organizer in Kansas City, Missouri, plans to take part in the April 4 protest there.



Its one thing to be able to make a living wage, but to go home from work and be harassed by the police or treated differently in our communities, or discriminated against in the workplace ... I need to be treated as a human being, Wise said. Theyre one and the same fight.
Pagan Amum, a well-known South Sudanese politician who lives in the United States, is suing a member of his country's diaspora for slander.

Amum says a South Sudanese woman who goes by the name of Amira Ali posted videos on Facebook where she accused him of committing rape and murder  charges that Amum emphatically denies.

Amum recently got a restraining order against Ali, who lives in the same city he does: Denver, Colorado.

At the heart of his lawsuit, according to Amum, is Ali's demonization of certain tribes.

"What is really dangerous ... is the use of social media platforms, or the abuse rather, of social media platforms to generate hatred and demonization of people or individuals on tribal grounds," Amum told VOA's South Sudan in Focus earlier this week.

South Sudan's ongoing civil war has broken down largely on tribal lines, with opponents of President Salva Kiir accusing him of trying to concentrate power and property in the hands of his Dinka tribe.

Amum, the former secretary-general of the ruling SPLM party, left South Sudan after accusing Kiir's government of being "a kleptocracy, a system of thieves diverting, stealing and looting the resources of the nation" in 2015.

Ali denied threatening Amum or anyone else in the disaspora.

"All everybody have to [do is] find my record. I don't hurt somebody, I don't kill somebody, why they scared about me?" Ali told VOA. "Me the one, I need the security from Pagan, its not Pagan need security from me."

Ali is due to appear in a Denver courtroom next Tuesday. She said she has the right to exercise free speech and will make that case in court.

"I have to defend myself. Pagan, he don't have the right. He talks like he is my leader. He can't take me to the court, why he don't call the community first?" Ali asked.

Amum said online media such as Facebook can turn into platforms for hate speech.

"It ceased to become free speech and becomes hate speech when the content is inciting violence, is demonizing and dehumanizing persons for whatever reason they aim," Amum said.

Amum said he realizes that public figures such as himself are often criticized, but said Ali's accusations step over the line, and threaten the well-being and safety of his family and others.
On March 26 in Hong Kong, an electoral committee of nearly 1,200 people, stacked with Beijing loyalists, will select the city's chief executive for the next five years.

The race is widely seen as a competition between China's preferred candidate, Carrie Lam, and the more popular John Tsang.

While most believe Lam is virtually guaranteed to win with Beijing's support, questions linger about how divided the electoral committee vote will be and what impact the results might have on calls for political reforms from the city's youth and pan-democrats.

Lingering nostalgia

It's been 20 years since the British handover of Hong Kong to China, and the former colony remains a vibrant mix of East and West, a port city that dances to the beat of its own drum.

Double-deck trams and buses ply narrow streets as the pungent smell of dried seafood fills the air. Horse racing, a holdover in this former British colony, is still popular.

The race for chief executive, however, is one competition many hoped would be different.

Dashed hopes

2017 was originally the year Hong Kong might be allowed to directly elect its top leader.

Instead, China's political grip has tightened and there is a growing disconnect with the city's communist rulers in Beijing.

Young people, in particular, are upset about stalled political reforms.

Trian Kong, a 24-year-old dance instructor, said when she was younger, she was excited to know that she would be able to cast her vote in the chief executive election every five years.

Knowing the option is no longer available, she says she has grown indifferent to the city's politics.

"I have no rights to vote, and there's nothing I can do about it," Kong told VOA.

Another 21-year-old performing artist shares Kong's frustration.

"People like us, citizens like us, don't have any right to speak out. Even though we speak out, it doesn't change a lot," said Michael Wong.

Both said they are not hostile to China, but hoped for freer elections, which won't be rigged by the authorities or controlled by the rich and the powerful.

Status quo

What the public wants for its young and old isn't much more than what they have now. That is, the rule of law and economic prosperity, as well as "one person, one vote" for its top leader, who they hope will look after the interests of this city's 7 million residents.

The failure of the incumbent chief C.Y. Leung to promote greater democracy and freedoms triggered the massive months-long Occupy Central campaign. Commonly known as the Umbrella Movement, it protested China's decision in 2014 to pre-screen the city's chief executive candidates in a proposed popular vote.

The disappearance of booksellers in late 2015 fueled already growing fears the "one country, two systems" formula, enacted by China, was turning into "one country, one system."

Denied political participation, the city's pro-democracy activists say they are not afraid to show defiance again if Beijing continues to ignore the true voice of Hong Kong.

Core values

"The Chinese government is trying very hard to combat any democratization movement," said Yvonne Leung, former president of the Hong Kong University Students' Union.

"But I believe it is very important for Hong Kong people to uphold their core values, because the more aggressive the Chinese government are, the more people will be affected," she added.

Leung was among those student leaders during the Occupy Central campaign.

She disagreed with the views of tycoon Li Ka-shing, who told reporters on Thursday that the city needs to put its collaboration with Beijing before local sentiments.

Yet, for now, China is likely to get its way.

Observers say Beijing's hand-picked candidate, Carrie Lam, is expected to claim a majority of the votes, outperforming the former finance secretary rival John Tsang, whose pan-democrat supporters account for only one-fourth of the votes.

Political unrest

But the election is not likely to signal an end to political unrest, analysts say.

According to Dixon Sing, associate professor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's social science division, because of the city's "mini-circle" electoral system, its democratic forces have been torn apart by realists and idealists  a source for their continued disunity.

"The divisions will continue, but then it is also a matter of making compromises, including respecting mainstream public opinions," Sing added.
A member of India's Parliament was unrepentant after repeatedly slapping the 62-year-old duty manager of an Air India flight with his sandal in a rage over a coupon for a business-class seat on an economy-only class flight.

Police opened an investigation against Ravindra Gaikwad, a member of Parliament, after Air India filed a pair of complaints that he had assaulted one of its crew Thursday and delayed the plane's next flight to Goa, disrupting the schedules of its 150 passengers. He also was banned from flying by the Federation of Indian Airlines, including on a flight Friday.

Gaikwad, from the far-right Shiv Sena political party that is part of India's ruling coalition, filed his own complaint with police, saying he had been insulted, pushed and yelled at during the confrontation.

Air India officials said the legislator's office was told in advance that Flight AI 852, a 1,400-kilometer trip from Pune to New Delhi, didn't have business-class seats. He was carrying a coupon for business class on the route and could have chosen two other flights that did offer that service but preferred the timing of AI 852.

Gaikwad refused to get off the plane for nearly 45 minutes after it landed and readily admitted to reporters that he'd slapped Sukumar Raman  who was responsible for getting the aircraft ready for its next flight to Goa  "25 times" with his slippers after he was pressured to leave.

Caught on video

Shaky video of the incident shows a scuffle at the plane's open door. Raman's glasses were broken, his sweater was torn and buttons were ripped from his shirt.

"I will not apologize," Gaikwad told reporters, daring police to arrest him. "He should come and apologize. Then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave."

Raman told India's ANI news agency that Gaikwad "hit me, used foul language and not only broke my specs but humiliated me in front of the entire crew."

He said Gaikwad had refused to move when he was told that Air India management would not talk with him as he demanded.

"I told him I will have to complain to his higher-ups," Raman told the Mumbai Mirror. "He asked me who will I complain to. I replied that, if required, I will complain to Modi [Narendra Modi, the prime minister]. As soon as I uttered that, he took out his chappal [sandal] and started hitting me.

"He tried to push me through one door of the aircraft. I ducked and came to another door where the stepladder was positioned. But he tried to lift me and throw me off the ladder. The crew and my colleagues intervened and tried to stop him.

"He was very aggressive. It was something like what happens in a road rage."
The attack was carried out on a police check-post at 8 pm but the attacker was killed and no casualties were reported.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: A suicide bomber attacked the Dhaka international airport in Bangladesh on Friday night and blew himself up in front of a police checkpoint.

Apparently he was trying to attack security personnel posted at the Shahjalal International Airport but failed to inflict any injuries or casualties.

The attacker, who died on the spot, could not be identified immediately. It appears that he was a young man in his thirties who tried to blow up the outpost with explosives in his pocket or tied around his waist. The explosion ripped through the right side of his waist and left a gory mess.

advertisement

Tea seller Salauddin, who witnessed the scene, said he heard a loud explosion around 7:45 pm. He said: "I turned around and found a man's mangled body lying bloody in front of the police box".

Minister for civil aviation and tourism Rashed Khan Menon said the bomb blast will have no impact on the day-to-day operations of the airport.

Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said the attacker, in his early 30s, was also hauling a luggage which is being inspected by the bomb disposal unit.

He also said it may not have been a suicide attack, but a lethal slip when the terrorist was spooked out and detonated the charges early.

Sheikh Nazmul Alam, Deputy Commissioner of DMP (Detective Branch) said the police has collected fingerprints of the attacker, and hoped he will soon be identified.

ISIS LINK

International terrorist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the blast.

The latest incident came a week after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a security forces base near the international airport in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, injuring two police officers.

The Muslim-majority country of 160 million people has seen a series of deadly attacks in recent years. In the most serious attack last July, gunmen stormed a Dhaka cafe and killed 22 people, most of them foreigners.

More than 50 suspected militants have been killed and scores arrested since the cafe attack as the government launched a crackdown on Islamists.

(Additional input from agencies)

Also read:

Bangladesh: Dhaka Police arrests main arms supplier of Gulshan Cafe terror attack

Terrorist who played key role in Dhaka's Gulshan Cafe attack last year caught from Kolkata

--- ENDS ---
U.S. college applications from foreign students for the next school year appear to have slowed, with 39 percent of responding universities reporting declines in the number of undergraduate applications from countries in the Middle East, according to a new report.

In 2016, 1.2 million international students attended American colleges and universities. That is an increase of 6.5 percent from the year before and the highest number ever.

But it appears the steady growth in the number of international students may not last.

A new report by the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers says four out of 10 U.S. colleges reported fewer international applications. However, final numbers are not yet available to determine if schools have seen a drop overall.

Michael Reilly, the associations executive director, said there may be fewer applicants because some people see America becoming less welcoming of international students.

Reilly said colleges are telling students their studies or travels will not be disrupted by future policy changes.

Applications down from India

Wim Wiewel, president of Portland State University in Oregon, said his school saw a 37 percent reduction in applications from India for the new school year.

Most of the decrease, he said, is because of recent monetary changes in India. Those changes have some parents worried they might not be able to afford the cost of an American college education.

But, he added, some parents also worry about their childrens safety after several recent attacks on Indian immigrants in the United States. In the worst attack, two engineers from India were shot last month at a bar in the state of Kansas.

One of the engineers, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, died. Police said the attacker told the two men they are not welcome in America.

Wiewel recently traveled to Hyderabad in southern India to meet with 10 students already admitted to his schools graduate engineering program. The students parents worry about their safety. His meeting came just after a funeral in Hyderabad for the Kansas shooting victim.

I tried to reassure them that America is still very safe and very welcoming to international students, he said.

At Portland State, about 1,900 of the schools nearly 28,000 students are from outside the United States. Students from outside Oregon pay about three times the $8,000 tuition paid by state residents. The extra money helps the school improve its educational offerings, Wiewel said.

International student experience

Mahamadou Sissoko, 22, is from Mali in West Africa. The finance major is finishing his senior year at Portland State University.

Sissoko said his experiences at Portland State have been mostly good -- after a difficult start as he worked to improve his English skills.

He said that President Donald Trumps effort to put in place a ban on immigration from six Muslim majority nations does not affect him directly. But he said the anti-immigrant message he hears from the president and others worries him.



As Sissoko sees it, he and other international students benefit by learning about American culture. But, he said, they help American students learn about their countries cultures, too.

Some American students cant or dont want to travel outside the U.S., Sissoko said. They dont have to. We are coming to them. And they can get to know us.

As a Muslim, he said Portland State gives him a chance to practice his religion.

It isnt perfect, he said. Prayers are held in a room that is below a room used for musical performances. It is supposed to be a silent place.

The countries with the largest number of students studying at U.S. colleges in 2016 were: China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada. Other countries on the list included Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil and Mexico.

That information comes from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Special consideration?

Some question if colleges are giving special consideration to international students, who often pay higher tuition.

Last year, California State Auditor Elaine Howle said state colleges were accepting too many students from outside California. That includes international students and students from other U.S. states.

As a result, Howle said, qualified state residents were being denied admission to their top choices for college. In some cases, she said, the colleges lowered admission standards to admit non-state residents who pay higher tuition.

California state colleges collect an average of $28,000 per year from state residents for tuition and living costs like rooms and food. But they receive nearly twice as much from non-residents.

Because of this issue, the California University board is considering a proposal to limit the three California colleges with the largest percentage of out-of-state students to their current percentages. The three schools are UCLA in Los Angeles, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, San Diego. More than 20 percent of their students currently come from out-of-state.

Gene Block, the chancellor at UCLA, recently spoke to the board. He told the group that money received from non-California residents helped the school offer more educational programs to all its students.
With the fight between Iraqi forces and Islamic State intensifying in the narrow streets of western Mosul, IS fighters are changing their suicide tactics in hopes of causing large numbers of casualties among civilians and troops, Iraqi officials told VOA.



IS militants are predominantly using belts laden with explosives to stop enemy advances as fighting is concentrated in alcoves and alleyways where IS's known method of using suicide car bombs is not possible, say Iraqi commanders on the scene.



In battles on the outskirts of Mosul and in more open neighborhoods of the city, IS unleashed waves of vehicles packed with homemade bombs at Iraqi troops. Iraqi commanders are hoping explosive-laden IS fighters will not be as effective on Mosul's ancient inner city streets.



"The enemy's inability to use suicide car bombs in those neighborhoods is in our advantage," said Lt. Kiffah al-Mazhar, a commander of Iraqi federal forces in Mosul. "But this doesn't mean fighting for Old Mosul will be easier. The narrower the neighborhoods, the harder the fighting."



The U.S.-backed offensive to rid Mosul of IS began last October. Iraqi forces are now in control of most of the city. But advances have slowed in the last two weeks as fighting entered the center of the city, known as Old Mosul.



There are currently 400,000 residents "trapped" in the alleys under siege-like conditions. They face food shortages and growing panic under shelling that could provoke a mass exodus, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR warned Thursday.



"They are desperate for food," Bruno Geddo, the UNHCR representative in Iraq, told reporters in Geneva by phone. "They are panicked."



IS is reportedly holding some residents as human shields. Al-Mazhar said IS fighters wearing suicide vests are holding some residents hostage and IS snipers are firing at Iraqi forces from civilian homes where they think they can avoid airstrikes. IS suicide bombers are dressing as civilians to attack Iraqi forces with light arms and suicide belts.



"IS would use explosives-laden belts and would even force civilians to carry them in those neighborhoods," al-Mazhar said.



According to a report by The Hague's International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), a majority of IS suicide attacks in the past in Iraq and Syria have been carried out in car bomb operations.



Studying IS suicide operations between December 2015 and November 2016, ICCT found that "seventy percent of IS's suicide fighters died in [car bomb] operations."



IS also used special operatives known as "inghimas fighters" who attacked with light arms and suicide belts.



"It is apparent from the scale of IS's suicide industry that there exists a dedicated infrastructure for manufacturing would-be martyrs and it is only increasing in efficiency," the report said.



Ghayath Surchi, spokesman for the Kurdistan Patriotic Union party in Mosul, said almost all IS fighters remaining in Mosul  which according to the Pentagon number about 2,000  are trained as suicide bombers.



"The fighters are there to die," he told VOA. "The camps they used to prepare car bombs are destroyed by coalition airstrikes and they are running out of vehicles in Mosul. They can't expect to get much from suicide belts."



Iraqi officials say the operation in old Mosul may be slowed as forces figure out how to evacuate trapped civilians from IS clutches.



"The problem is refugee camps are filled with displaced civilians and the Iraqi government is trying to find a place for those who will be evacuated from old Mosul," Surchi said. "They can't proceed with an operation when there is no shelter for thousands of people who are expected to flee."
London police on Thursday identified the attacker who killed four people near Parliament as Khalid Masood, a Briton who converted to Islam and had a lengthy criminal record for weapons possession and other charges.

Islamic State said Masood, 52, was a "soldier" of the extremist group who responded to its call to attack civilians and the military in countries allied with the United States in battling IS.

Tense London Carries on After Islamic State Attack

Masood had never been convicted of terrorist offenses, but British security officials said he had been investigated in the past "in relation to concerns about violent extremism." Authorities said they thought he was acting alone Wednesday when he ran down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, a Thames River crossing leading to the Houses of Parliament, crashed his rented vehicle into a gate and fatally stabbed a policeman who tried to stop him.

Armed police shot and killed Masood moments later.

Raids across nation

In the hours after the attack, police conducted raids around the country in search of anyone who might have given support to Masood. Eight men and women were arrested Thursday on suspicion of planning terrorist acts.

The dead assailant, who was older than most Islamist attackers involved in recent spectacular terror attacks in Europe, had been a teacher of English and was known as a fanatical bodybuilder.

One of the civilians who was run down on the bridge, a 75-year-old man, died Thursday in a hospital, raising the casualty toll to four victims and Masood.

Although IS claimed responsibility for the attack, a statement posted online did not implicate the group in the planning or execution of the attack.

An Italian tourist who witnessed the carnage told reporters he saw Masood attack the policeman with two knives. "He gave [the officer] around 10 stabs in the back," the visitor said.

Valiant efforts to resuscitate Constable Keith Palmer at the scene failed. The 48-year-old officer was a 15-year police veteran.

One American was among the dead: Kurt Cochran, 54, of Utah, who was in London with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. His wife, Melissa, was among the 30 people injured. Masood's vehicle hit the Cochrans as they crossed Westminster Bridge.

The remaining victim of the attack was a British school administrator, Aysha Frade, 43.

London vigil

Mourners gathered in London's Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening, about one kilometer from the crime scene, for a candlelight vigil. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, told the crowd of thousands that "those trying to destroy our shared way of life will never succeed."

Khan said the vigil in the most recognizable public plaza in London was meant to honor the dead and injured, but also "to send a clear, clear message: Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism."

Mark Rowley, head of counterterrorism efforts for London's Metropolitan Police Service, said the eight people arrested Thursday were picked up during searches at six separate locations, and that investigations were continuing in London, Birmingham and other parts of England. He declined to say whether or how those detained were involved in Wednesday's attack.

"It is still our belief, which continues to be borne out by our investigation, that this attacker acted alone and was inspired by international terrorism," Rowley told reporters.

WATCH: British PM May Condemns Terror Attack on Parliament

Prime Minister Theresa May struck a defiant tone in discussing the attack Thursday before Parliament, telling British lawmakers that what London experienced was "an attack on free people everywhere."

"Yesterday, an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy, but today, we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism," she said.

Victims' homelands

May thanked Britain's friends and allies around the world "who have made it clear that they stand with us at this time." She said the victims included nationals of France, Romania, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and Greece, as well as the United States.

The U.N. Security Council in New York, chaired by British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, observed a moment of silence Thursday for the London victims.

"You may know that today there are victims in London from 11 nations, which goes to show that an attack on London is an attack on the world," Johnson said. "I can tell you from my talks here in the United States with the U.S. government and with partners from around the world that the world is uniting to defeat the people who launched this attack and defeat their bankrupt and odious ideology."

In London, Parliament's session began with a minute of silence Thursday. Police officers stood in silence nearby outside the headquarters of the city's Metropolitan Police.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeated denials Friday that he or his wife made donations to the head of a Japanese nationalist school at the heart of a political scandal that is chipping away at Abes support.

School principal Yasunori Kagoike said Thursday he had received 1 million yen ($9,000) in an envelope from Abes wife, Akie, on behalf of her husband.

Land deal questioned

Kagoikes educational group, Moritomo Gakuen, is at the center of controversy over a land deal in which the school bought property for a fraction of the appraisal price. Officials say the discount reflected cleanup costs.

Abes wife denied making the donation on her Facebook page late Thursday, but Japans largest opposition party has demanded her sworn testimony in parliament.

Akie Abe had been set to become the honorary principal of the school, which was to open in April with a curriculum based on prewar patriotism, but cut her ties after the scandal broke.

Moritomo also runs a kindergarten with a similar curriculum.

Abe vows to resign if implicated

Prime Minister Abe has said he would resign if evidence was found that he or his wife intervened in the land deal or helped the school get accredited.

When asked about the deal, Kagoike said Thursday he believed that political involvement contributed to the acquisition of the land.

Abes support fell 10 points to a still-robust 56 percent in a Yomiuri newspaper poll published this week.

Japans benchmark stock index was higher Friday morning after briefly falling to a 1-month low amid some concerns about the controversy.
Kenya on Friday recognized World Tuberculosis Day by releasing results of a TB study by the country's ministry of health  the first of its kind since Kenya's independence. TB remains high in Kenya, and experts say the country lags in the fight against the disease.

The survey represents a united front by many committed parties to determine the true burden of tuberculosis and how to best combat the fourth-leading cause of death in Kenya.

The survey is intended to provide an accurate estimate of Kenya's TB burden, determine existing challenges in delivering TB testing and treatment, and identify people with TB not yet detected by the National TB control program. It was conducted to inform the government on how to effectively respond to TB control.

More than 63,000 people across 45 counties in Kenya were screened for the survey and, for the first time, there is accurate data on TB's prevalence.



Dr. Enos Masini, the head of the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung disease program at the Ministry of Health, said the survey was driven by a need to know what the country was facing.



"We undertook to do this survey in the community to provide us with the exact data of the burden of the disease in Kenya, but also to go further and find out which groups of people are affected by the disease and what would be the best strategies for us to reach them," he said.



The report states that there are more TB cases in Kenya than previously estimated, with a TB prevalence of 558 per 100,000 people.



TB was found to be higher in men between the ages of 25 and 34 years, urban dwellers, and women over the age of 65.



The majority (83 percent) of TB cases were HIV negative, suggesting that broad efforts at controlling TB in people with and without HIV are needed.



"For a long time, the estimates that we have used to accurately determine the burden of tuberculosis has been provided by the World Health Organization," said Masini. "And this has been derived from the data we get from hospital records. We have always suspected that there could be a huge number of patients in the community that go untreated and undiagnosed and, therefore, fuel the transmission of the disease."





Now, with the findings, he said the government and various stakeholders can deal with the disease effectively.



"Now we are not groping in the dark," he said. "We know how much disease there is in this country. Secondly, we know that 40 percent of disease that occurs in this country remains undetected and untreated, and then we have a pretty good idea where people who are undetected, who are called missing TB cases, are."

Masini said this information will help with planning. "We can ... have strategic plans that really target people at most risk, people who are missed. And so we are able to find them and provide them with treatment."



The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided technical and scientific support to the government of Kenya in the design and implementation of the survey and $575,000 in funding to conduct it.



According to Kenya's National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease Program, the major factor responsible for the large TB disease burden is the concurrent HIV epidemic.

Other contributing factors include poverty and social deprivation that have led to a mushrooming of peri-urban slums between cities and the countryside, and limited access to general health care services.



The survey findings also reveal that the current practice of screening for TB symptoms and using microscopy as the only test misses many cases. Using GeneXpert, an innovative technology for the diagnosis of TB, has led to the detection of 78 percent of TB cases among those screened, making it a more reliable and efficient test.



A statement from the Cabinet secretary of Health, Dr. Cleopa Mailu, said in part "the government was committed to making TB diagnostics accessible" by expanding "the use of Chest X-rays to screen all persons presumed to have TB and make GeneXpert the first diagnostic test for all presumed TB cases."



The government also said that it would increase engagement with the private sector, carry out targeted approaches through community-based action, and improve community awareness of TB symptoms in an effort to make TB everyone's business.
Riga's Russian Theater stands as a testament to the endurance of Russian culture in Latvia, as well as a bridge between the two, despite political tensions.

"The theater is 135 years old. This is the oldest [Russian] theater beyond Russia. And within these 135 years it has quite harmoniously been incorporated into the context of Latvian culture," said the theater's director, Edward Cekhoval.

He shows visiting journalists the awards he has received from the Latvian government, as well as the Order of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At a March performance of Russian poet and writer Mikhail Lermontov's Princess Mary, Latvian subtitles flash on a screen above the stage as the actors in period costume speak only Russian.

"There is no discrimination as far as the language is concerned or any other life aspect because the [Russian] people who live here, they should clearly realize that they live in a different country, that this is not Russia," said Cekhoval, who was himself born in Russia, but has lived in Latvia for 28 years.

"They should observe all the laws existing in this country. And naturally [that includes] the Law about the Language."

Russia justified its 2014 annexation of Crimea and its ongoing support for rebels in east Ukraine by claiming ethnic Russians there were threatened by nationalists, and faced discrimination because they spoke Russian. That raised alarm bells in the Baltics, where a quarter of the population in Estonia and Latvia, and about eight percent in Lithuania, are Russian, and where similar allegations of discrimination have been made.

Like Ukraine, many of the ethnic Russian minority in the Baltics are immigrants from when they were all part of the Soviet Union.

Occupier status

Since independence, though, Latvians openly call the Soviet Union an invader and occupier, along with Nazi Germany.

"The difference is that Germany has apologized and keeps on apologizing," said Gunars Nagels, director of the Occupation of Latvia Museum. "We often see in our guest book, people have written in German that they are sorry, after seeing all this. However, Russia does not consider all of this to have been something bad."

Soviet persecution and forced relocations controlled local populations through fear and intimidation that can still be felt at the former KGB offices in Riga called the Corner House. European tourists walk past open cell doors where political prisoners were crammed in small, dark spaces, many of them sent to prison camps or executed.

Critics say Russia is returning to Soviet fear tactics with its rhetoric about protecting ethnic Russians and its military posturing.

"Clear recognition of Soviet occupation and apology would be the right way how to gain some trust," said Latvia's foreign minister, Edgars Rinkevics.

Calls of discrimination

After independence in 1990, Latvia reasserted its culture with laws on citizenship that required a Latvian language test for the right to vote or to get a government job. Thousands of ethnic Russians were made "non-citizens" overnight.

Russia and Russian-Latvian critics call it discrimination, or even punishment for the Soviet past.

"It is a problem when in political life and it is a problem ... from Latvian society, actually," said IT worker Dmitry Prokopenko after showing a journalist his passport marked "alien."

Prokopenko learned Latvian in school, but he refuses to take the citizenship test on principle, arguing he shouldn't have to prove his proficiency to earn his civic rights.

"The living standards here in Latvia and in Estonia are much higher than in Russia," Rinkevics said. "Those Russian speakers are enjoying all the same freedoms that Latvian or Estonian citizens are enjoying."

Despite having ethnic Russian political parties, and an ethnic Russian mayor of Riga, some Russian-Latvian politicians claim the rights of non-citizens are being glossed over.

"They're not speaking about Russian education, they're not speaking about non-citizens, and so on. They're completely passive in these issues," said co-chair of the Latvian-Russian union, Miroslav Mitrofanov.

His party lost their seats in parliament in recent elections, and Mitrofanov says they now have go to Moscow for support.

"Because our voters here, they are consumers of this content produced in Russia," he said. "So, when we are speaking in Moscow, our people here in Latvia they say, 'Oh, guys, we have seen you. It is great that you are there among those politicians.'"

Rinkevics says Russia's influence in Baltic politics is nothing new.

"Guys, you are not used to it, in the United States or Germany or France," he said. "We are used to it. This is [a] concern. But, we also know how to tackle it. And we are ready also to share a little bit of our experience if asked with those countries that are very surprised that they [Russia] can be meddling in their election process through different means."

Looking to EU

Even the most critical Russian-Latvians still see the European Union as their future and look to Russia for their past and culture.

Mitrofanov laments that Russian propaganda portrays ethnic Russians in the Baltics as victims and the European Union as a failed project.

"And we do not agree with this. Because, Russia is not ready to support Latvia financially and the only source of existence of this country is the support which is provided by European Union," he said. "So, it's the main source of our stability nowadays."

And while Russian does not have the same status as Latvian, it is common in the city, and ethnic Russians make up about a quarter of the population.

"The unique feature of our geography and generally the position of the country gives a lot of choice to children," said Liudmila Smirnova, a Russian literature teacher at Riga Secondary School 40. "They may consider themselves Europeans to a greater extent because they study not only the language, but Russian literature and some Russian history. They have a chance to feel Russian."
As police race to identify what motivated a 52-year-old British-born father to carry out Wednesday's attack at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, a debate is simmering over issues of identity, religion and immigration -- hot topics in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union.



With police and press helicopters still buzzing overhead, thousands of Londoners gathered Thursday night in Trafalgar Square to grieve for the victims but also to express determination that life in the city will carry on as normal.



Musharaf Ahmed was one of hundreds of Muslims attending the vigil.

"These attacks  they don't have any space in Islam," he said. "Islam teaches the opposite. Islam teaches peace. The meaning of Islam is peace."

The attacker, Khalid Masood, was a Muslim convert, born and raised just outside London under the name Adrian Russell Elms.

Masood, a father of three, had previous convictions for violence but no history of terrorism.

The Islamic State group claimed online that its propaganda inspired the attack. The head of the London Metropolitan Police Counterterrorism unit Mark Rowley said Friday major questions remain unanswered.

"What led him to radicalize?" he asked. "Was it through influences in our community, influences from overseas or through online propaganda?"

Those questions echo the same deep concerns in the wake of the London bombings in July 2005 also carried out by British citizens. Who is to blame? The state, or the community? Professor Lee Marsden of the University of East Anglia has studied motivating factors behind past terror incidents.



"I think it's very easy to try to apportion blame," Marsden said. "But the reality is with lone-wolf attacks, or when people are below the radar, these type of events can occur."



The Westminster attack came at a volatile moment. Populist, anti-immigrant groups are energized by Britain's exit from the European Union. Within hours of the attack, leaders of the far right UK Independence Party blamed immigration, even though the attacker was born in the UK.

"Groups which are in mainstream political life, particularly on the right wing of political parties, will use this event to try to pursue an anti-immigrant agenda," Marsden said.

"As we saw in Brexit," he added, "a lot of the debate around immigration was not specifically around Eastern European immigration which is clearly the main result of the European Union, but actually an opportunity to attack ethnic minorities within the country."

Hayyan Bhaba, an adviser to the government on extremism, said it is vital to break down the divisions in British society. Engaging in conversation "between a lot of the frustrated communities" and having a positive dialogue can lead to "common ground," he added.



Analysts say those divisions extend beyond Britain and across Europe as the continent struggles with issues of immigration and integration.

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo drew a link Thursday between the London attack and European Union migrant policy, claiming the assault vindicated Warsaw's refusal to take in refugees.
Malaysias deal to buy Chinese naval ships and step up patrols against any intrusions from China underscores the complexity of relations between the two countries and signals growing concern over national defense.

Officials from the Southeast Asian country, with a coastline stretching from the Sulu Sea westward to the Indian Ocean, said in November they would get four littoral mission ships made in China.

Littoral mission ships are relatively small vessels designed in the past for stealth combat near coastlines, sometimes against bigger enemies.

Upgrade aging fleet

Analysts say those ships would head up the replacement of 50 vessels in the Royal Malaysian Navy to protect its waters from a list of threats. Among them is China, which competes with Malaysia for claims to the shared South China Sea.

China, when their vessels patrol the nine-dash line, that brings them very close to Malaysian shores, said Ibrahim Suffian, program director with the Kuala Lumpur-based polling group Merdeka Center. He was referring to a line China uses to delineate a maritime claim extending from its southern coast almost to Indonesia.

The prime minister announced the agreement with China last year, for four littoral vessels, he said. In the past the Malaysian armed forces have typically favored Western equipment, whether from the U.S., the U.K. or France, so this marks a departure from the practice.

Malaysian backlash

In 2015, the country spotted a Chinese coast guard ship anchored at Luconia Shoals, which are tiny South China Sea land forms about 150 kilometers north of Malaysian Borneo. A Chinese naval vessel had been seen earlier near Malaysia, and in March 2016 Malaysia spotted 100 Chinese fishing boats escorted by Beijings coast guard.

Some in the country of 31 million people feel their government reacts weakly to Chinas ship movements, a perception that has threatened the ruling partys reputation, said Collin Koh, maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

If you look at what happened in September 2015, when they had the first revelations about this Chinese coast guard vessel stationed off Luconia Shoal, there was quite a public backlash because people were questioning how come the Malaysian government allowed the coast guard vessel to be there, Koh said.

The government of Prime Minister Najib Razak felt there must be something done at least to appease the public and to show the public that something is really done and they are serious about it, he said.

Valuable economic partner

Malaysia usually avoids poking China directly because of a valuable economic relationship, analysts say. Malaysia counts China, the worlds second largest economy, as its top trading partner and leading source of direct foreign investment.

China uses its economic influence elsewhere in Southeast Asia, most recently in the Philippines, in exchange for tolerance of its activities in the disputed sea.

China maintains the worlds third strongest military compared to Malaysia at No. 34, according to the database GlobalFirePower.com.

No matter how much Malaysia is going to upgrade the navy, its not going to catch up with Chinas naval expansion by a far stretch, said Oh Ei Sun, international studies instructor at Singapore Nanyang University.

Beijing claims about 95 percent of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea, covering fishery-rich waters that Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim.

China has stepped up defense of its maritime claims since 2010. Its coast guard, fishing vessels and oil rigs pop up in waters that overlap the exclusive economic zones of other countries as it landfills islets that other claimants call their own.

But Malaysia sits on the most extensive undersea fossil fuel reserves among the South China Sea parties.

Pirates, extremists also threats

In addition to the potential for conflict over maritime disputes, Malaysia needs naval upgrades also to resist violent Muslim groups who try to cross a hard-to-police sea border from the southern Philippines into Borneo, analysts add.

And sea pirates sometimes operate off the north coast of Borneo, pushing the need for authorities to have faster patrol boats, Oh said. In the commercial space, fishing vessels sometimes approach Malaysian waters from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, Suffian added.

But Malaysia cut its defense budget 12.7 percent to $3.41 billion this year, and Koh said some of its ships are 30 to 50 years old, making them uneconomical to maintain.


Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is a free man after being detained in prisons and hospitals for six years, following the Arab Spring uprising in 2011.

He left a military hospital Friday.

Mubarak was the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region. He was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters in the 18-day revolt.

He also faced a number of other charges that eventually were dismissed.

Earlier this month, he was cleared of the murder charges.

Mubarak's lawyer confirmed that the former leader is now ensconced at home in the upscale Heliopolis neighborhood.
Think your home furnishings are a dust magnet? New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine just spent 16 years cleaning and conserving its rare, supersize wall hangings.



Now the historic house of worship is inviting the public to enjoy the fruits of its labor - "The Barberini Tapestries, Scenes from the Life of Christ,'' which once graced the Vatican and European palaces. They were designed by baroque master Giovanni Francesco Romanelli; created by weavers for Francesco Barberini, the nephew of Pope Urban VIII, from 1644 to 1656; and donated to the cathedral in 1891, a year before its cornerstone was laid.





Centuries ago, tapestries were appreciated not only for their beauty but also for being a warm buffer against chilly palace walls.



These days, they're kept well-groomed by experts at the Gothic cathedral's textile conservation laboratory - a labor-intensive process using dental probes, tweezers and a HEPA vacuum with microsuction attachments.

There's also a special "bathtub'' - measuring 20 by 16 feet (6 by 4.9 meters).

In addition to removing the standard dust and dirt, the massive undertaking included work on tapestries that suffered smoke and water damage during a 2001 fire.



Ten tapestries, their images woven with wool and silk yarn in rich earth tones, deep blue, green and russet, are displayed around the cathedral, with a focal point at the Chapels of the Seven Tongues, which honor immigrant populations. They're accompanied by fragments from a severely fire-damaged tapestry of "The Last Supper,'' as well as before-and-after photos from the blaze.



The works, hung with hand-sewn fabric fastener, are 15 feet (4.7 meters) high and up to 19 feet (5.8 meters) wide.

There's plenty of room, though. The Episcopal cathedral in upper Manhattan is larger than France's Chartres and Notre Dame cathedrals combined.





Rare books, period objects and computer kiosks provide context on the "cultural, dynastic, political and religious worlds of the Barberini family,'' organizers say.



The exhibit, which also will offer educational activities, runs through June 25. The suggested admission contribution is $10.



The tapestries and artifacts will travel to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Eugene, Oregon, in the fall.
The actor will apparently be seen in a show called Trideviyaan.

By India Today Web Desk: Popular comedian and actor Ali Asgar, who has garnered a lot of praise over time for his various characters on The Kapil Sharma Show, has apparently quit the show after Sunil Grover and Kapil Sharma's infamous mid-air feud.

Reports claiming that Kapil had also abused team members Ali Asgar and Kiku Sharda during his tiff with Sunil recently emerged, and it looks like they were all true as Ali has left TKSS for Trideviyaan.

advertisement

According to Mid-day, Ali has even begun shooting for his new show.

Also read: Kapil Sharma's fight with Sunil Grover: Did the comedian also abuse Ali Asgar and Kiku Sharda?

The actor is reportedly playing a criminal disguised as a tribal woman in Trideviyaan.

Recently reports claiming a drunk Kapil assaulting Sunil on a flight broke the internet.

According to Mid-day, a drunk Kapil was hurling abuses at a team member, Chandan Prabhakar, and that is when Sunil tried to step in to save the day. But Kapil got even more upset, and ended up physically and verbally assaulting Sunil.

In fact, Kapil apparently did not even spare actors Ali Asgar and Kiku Sharda.

However, Kiku said in a statement that Kapil did not abuse him in any manner, and said that he is a "sweet guy."

--- ENDS ---
Authorities in the breakaway republic of Somaliland say at least 80 percent of the region's livestock have died due to the crippling drought that has also killed dozens of people and forced thousands into displaced persons camps.

The situation is very grave as most of the livestock were killed by drought, said Mohamud Ali Saleban, governor of the Togdheer region, in the town of Buro.

We are waiting for the rain, but if it does not come in the next few days, we expect the government to declare an emergency, the governor told VOA.



Officials told VOA that nearly 50 people across Somaliland have died due to drought-related illnesses.



Nomadic communities all across this region said they have never experienced this kind of drought.







Jama Handulle Yassin, a 63-year-old herder, said he has lost more than 280 goats, leaving him with just 30.

The starvation affected everything, and the situation now is very dangerous where we run for our lives before we die here," he said. "We appeal to the world to immediately support us.

Another woman, age 73, said, This is the worst I have seen in my life.

Somaliland was affected by the 2011 regional drought that killed an estimated 260,000 people, but that event had its gravest impact in south and central Somalia.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not recognized by any other country.

The current drought has forced tens of thousands of pastoralists to flee from remote villages into towns, where they set up makeshift camps.

As water becomes scarce, the drought is forcing many people living in camps outside the town of Las-Anod to drink dirty water.

Standing near the carcass of a camel, Roble Jama, a 13-year-old herder, said his family lost the only camel they had due to drought.

I have seen when the camel was dying and I felt so sad. The camels name was Cadaawe and was nine years old, Roble Jama told VOA near the village of Ina-Afmadobe.

The people affected by drought said they have received little or no help from the Somaliland government or aid agencies.

The United Nations recently warned that 6.2 million people across Somalia are facing acute food shortages. More than 1.5 million of those live in Somaliland.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has started rehabilitating some of the dilapidated Zimbabwe prisons, most built during the colonial era. The first one to be refurbished  Mlondolozi Prison, about 500 kilometers southwest of Harare  houses mentally ill inmates.

Among the improvements, the prison now has better ventilation and natural lighting within patients' cells, as well as improved water and sanitation facilities, according to Thomas Merkelbach, the head the ICRC in Zimbabwe. In addition, there is more space for rehabilitation activities, and kitchens have been upgraded to improve cooking capacity and energy efficiency.

The work is being done by Zimbabwe prison artisans and ICRC engineers.

Investing in improvements for mental health patients first was a clear choice, according to Merkelbach.

"Mlondolozi is a special institution," he said. "In a way, here you have patients that are doubly disadvantaged. On one hand, they are on the wrong side of the law. On top of that, they are mentally ill. In an institution like this, you have to really be able to care for your patients. They are patients, but they are inmates first and foremost. So, it was the obvious choice when the Zimbabwe prisons asked us if we would support this here. We said yes."

Mlondolozi Prison, built in the late 1970s, is one of many deteriorating facilities for inmates in Zimbabwe. Courts have declared that some of the detention places  including police cells  are not suitable for human habitation. However, inmates continue to live there.

Moses Chihobvu, the deputy head of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, says Harare wants prison conditions to be improved, if funds permit.

"With the assistance of non-governmental organizations, like what the ICRC has done, we are getting somewhere," he said.

He added that all prisons built after Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 meet the minimum standards of habitable facilities.
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan briefed President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday on the status of the health replacement bill, only hours before the measure was scheduled to come to a vote in the House of Representatives. This comes amid conjecture the Republicans may not have the necessary votes to pass the bill.

A day after threatening to leave the nation's health care law intact if congress fails to overhaul it, the president launched an eleventh hour campaign to secure support for the bill, the American Health Care Act.

A panel that sets rules for House floor debate sent the replacement measure to the full House of Representatives Friday for debate before a vote later in the day.

Friday morning, Trump targeted fellow Republicans who remained opposed to the measure that would replace what is commonly known as Obamacare, a key promise during his presidential campaign.

On Twitter, the president singled out members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. In his posts, Trump said the vote was their final chance to replace Obamacare, and apparently suggested their failure to support the replacement plan would allow the reproductive health care group Planned Parenthood to continue to operate.

Trump has threatened Republicans with leaving Obamacare in place if they do not support the new replacement bill. Repealing and replacing Obamacare was one of Trump's key promises during his presidential campaign.

It was not clear late Thursday night, after a day of negotiations up and down Pennsylvania Avenue, whether the Republican legislators had enough support to pass the long-promised health care bill.



Deal maker

Trump put his skills as a deal maker on the line, but he failed to win over the House Freedom Caucus, and even alienated some moderates afraid for their political futures. His and House Speaker Paul Ryan's failure to secure enough votes backed the once unified Republican Party into a politically tricky corner that could be hard to escape, even if the bill eventually does pass.



This is one of those moments where you have got to say who you are really deep inside of you  are you for President Trump and repealing and replacing Obamacare or are you against President Trump and are you against repealing and replacing Obamacare  its that simple, Rep. Bradley Byrne, a Republican from Alabama, said as he emerged from a late afternoon emergency strategy meeting in Speaker Ryans office after the House Freedom Caucus rejected the latest deal.



This is a tense moment for everybody, because were driving down to the finish line  but I think theres a determination to get this done and get it done in the right way, Byrne told VOA.

"For seven and a half years, we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it's collapsing and it's failing families, and tomorrow we're proceeding," Speaker Ryan said, without answering any questions from reporters.

This weeks turmoil could decimate the political capital of the Republican leadership, ruining plans for tax reform and major infrastructure spending, and throwing a shadow over a looming budget battle that could shut down the government.



An effective speaker, an effective leader of House Republicans would have taken one look at this bill, understood it had no chance of passage and would have stopped the bill writing in its tracks and never let it see the light of day, John Hudak, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, told VOA. Paul Ryan failed to do that and he failed to do that at the expense of his own party, his own caucus and his own president.



Ryan scheduled the vote for the seventh anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act, just weeks after introducing the legislation and before he could build consensus within his own party.



I think you see here a Congress who is going to come away from this vote very worried that their president  the president of their party  is incapable of helping them task big ticket legislation, Hudak said.

The House Freedom Caucus  a politically conservative group of House members  kept the bill from the votes required for passage, arguing that Trump and Ryans proposal violates limited government principles by keeping too many key provisions of President Obamas health care plan.



Were certainly trying to get to yes, but indeed, we've made very reasonable requests and we're hopeful that those reasonable requests will be listened to and ultimately agreed to, Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows told reporters after a last-minute White House meeting to negotiate with Trump.



Trump repeatedly has warned caucus members they could lose big in 2018 mid-term elections if they fail to act in support of his bill.



The president is correct  if Republicans fail to pass this bill, it will be a problem for them. The problem is passing the bill creates a problem for them as well, said Hudak.



But the presidents concessions to the caucus alienated more moderate Republicans who fear the changes could doom the bills chances in the Senate, ruining their own opportunities for re-election. Suddenly, Trump and Ryan found themselves facing a battle on two fronts within their own party.



Democrats strategy

House Democrats smelled blood in the water  and a future political opportunity  as they stood to the side, watching the events unfold.



Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday that Trump made a rookie mistake by staking his reputation as a negotiator on a piece of legislation that was rushed to a vote without party consensus.



If this bill were to fail today  rookie day  I stand ready to negotiate with them on how we can go forward in incorporating their ideas, saving face for them in some areas and doing right for the American people, Pelosi told reporters.



The Democrats  for once  are playing this in a masterfully political way. They recognize that the only thing worse than Republicans failing to pass this bill, is for Republicans to pass this bill, said Hudak of the Brookings Institution. For Democrats, its a win-win.

After a closed door meeting Friday among members of the House Democratic Caucus, House Minority Whip Steney Hoyer told reporters if the replacement bill becomes law, millions of Americans will be adversely affected.

"Twenty-four million Americans will lose their insurance because of this bill. Every American will pay more, and get less from their insurance policies," he said. "And seniors, as youve heard, will have to pay thousands and thousands more."



Pelosi told reporters the situation ultimately will end up working in the Democrats favor, no matter what the outcome.



This is a bad day for them, she said, summing up a week of uncertainty.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday warned Western nations against destabilizing the political situation in Macedonia.

His comments to a Moscow news conference came less than two days after the European Unions enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, visited Skopje in another bid to help break a political deadlock that has left the countrys parties unable to form a government since an election in December.

The crisis has sparked inter-ethnic tension, as three ethnic Albanian parties push for Albanian to be designated a second official language as a condition to joining any coalition government. That has led to daily protests for three weeks.

The current situation in Macedonia  Id even call it a crisis, in many respects provoked artificially  is leading to the situation when attempts are made to split the society, Lavrov said, adding the West should realize the danger of such attempts.

He also said he found it perplexing that Russias activities in the Balkans were considered provocative. Russian relations with Balkan nations shouldnt be a cause for concern in the West, he said.

Official: West should be concerned

In an apparent rebuke, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki told VOA that the West should be very concerned.

We can perfectly imagine that a global power like Russia would have interests pretty much everywhere around the world, he told VOAs Macedonian service after spending a day meeting with U.S. legislators in Washington.

What really matters is what would be in the interest of the countries in the region, he added. Regarding Macedonia, we are clear that EU and NATO membership are our priority. And we would like to achieve these objectives because we believe that this is the best recipe for peace, stability and economic prosperity in our region. We remain committed to these goals.

European Union leaders and analysts have said the mounting political confrontation in Macedonia could spin out of control, adding to increasing ethnic tensions across a destabilizing Balkans.

Clear message urged

Last week, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic warned of serious consequences if the European Union does not give western Balkan countries a clear message about joining the bloc, citing growing nationalism and pro-Russian sympathies in the region.

On Wednesday, Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic called for joint Serbian-U.S. military exercises.

On Monday, Montenegros Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic said U.S.-led NATO allies have been supportive of an investigation into what Montenegrin prosecutors are calling a pro-Russian plot to overthrow the countrys pro-Western government to prevent it from joining the European military alliance.

US Senate's approval needed

Montenegros bid to join NATO is awaiting approval from the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that Montenegros accession to NATO would create a contiguous border along the Adriatic coast.

Since Montenegro borders five other Balkan nations, including NATO allies Croatia and Albania, its NATO membership will support greater integration, democratic reform, trade, security and stability with all of its neighbors, he said.

The Montenegrin, Serbian and Macedonian ministers were in Washington for a State Department conference of the global coalition to defeat Islamic State.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Macedonian and Serbian services. Some information is from AP.
A criminal incident in a school outside Washington, D.C., has fueled allegations that illegal immigrants are dangerous despite evidence that immigrants  legal and illegal  commit crimes at lower rates than the rest of the population, according to research from several organizations.

Parents, protesters and activists have descended on schools in Montgomery Country, Maryland, where a 14-year-old girl allegedly was raped last week by two classmates, at least one of whom was an undocumented immigrant.

The incident even grabbed the attention of the White House earlier this week. Spokesman Sean Spicer said the rape is exactly why President Donald Trump is pushing for a "crackdown" on illegal immigration.

The narrative from the Trump administration has emphasized the criminal threat posed by illegal immigrants.

Homeland Security report released

Just this week, the Department of Homeland Security released its first weekly report that names cities and other sanctuary jurisdictions that did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities in apprehending illegal immigrants. According to the report, illegal immigrants were either charged or convicted of a total of 206 crimes.

The administration plans to collect data on the perceived threats of foreign nationals in its executive orders on immigration.

But immigrants  regardless of legal status  do not have higher crime rates than native-born citizens, writes the Sentencing Project in its report, Immigration and Public Safety, published this month. Increased immigration may, in fact, be responsible for a drop in crime, according to the lobbying group's report, which states:

The violent crime rate began to fall in the mid-1990s, and by 2014 it was half of its 1990 level, at 362 offenses per 100,000 residents. By that year, the foreign-born population had more than doubled, reaching 42.2 million people (including 11.1 million undocumented people).

CATO institute offers study

In addition, a study by the CATO institute released last week found that undocumented immigrants are 44 percent less likely to be incarcerated, and legal immigrants 69 percent less likely to be incarcerated than American natives.

Montgomery County School officials have called on the media to keep the alleged rape case out of the current national debate on immigration.

We would like to change the conversation, said Jack Smith, superintendent of the schools system. Some have tried to make this into a question and issue of immigration ... but we serve every student who walks through our doors.
Sudan has been elected to the deputy chairmanship of the executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The move concerns some analysts, who point to a September report released by Amnesty International that accuses Sudan's government of using chemical weapons against people in Darfur's Jebel Marra region from January to August 2016. The report alleged that as many as 250 people, including children, might have died as a result of chemical attacks, and hundreds more were injured.

In September, the OPCW released a statement that it was aware of the report and would "certainly examine the reports and all other available relevant information." With respect to Sudan's new position within its organization, the OPCW declined to comment.

Maddy Crowther is the head of communications and research at the London-based organization Waging Peace, which campaigns against human rights abuses in Sudan. She says that Sudan's election to the OPCW's executive council deputy chairmanship is disgraceful to the victims of the alleged attacks.

"If this is allowed to slide, then it will end up undermining the OPCW's core mission, and they need to use this as an opportunity to show that even those with a seat at the highest table aren't beyond reproach, and allegations against them need investigating," said Crowther. "So I would really encourage at least one member state, whoever that might be in the OPCW, to search their souls and think, 'Can we actually leave these allegations uninvestigated?' And I would say the answer has to be no."

However, Sudan's foreign minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, refutes the accusations that his government used chemical weapons in Darfur. He argues that Amnesty International included rigged photos of villages and patients in its report.

"The international community knows very well that the September report of Amnesty International was a rigged report. Sudan responded immediately to that report through a very comprehensive analysis of the report itself," Ghandour said. "Sudan is committed not to obtain chemical weapons, Sudan is highly committed to the non-use of chemical weapons. Sudan condemns any use of chemical weapons anywhere in the world."

Jonathan Loeb, senior crisis adviser at Amnesty International and author of the report, disagrees with the foreign minister that the report was rigged.

"I mean, that is patently false," Loeb said. "Our report was based on interviews, direct interviews with survivors, and witnesses to attacks that took place in Jebel Marra in 2016. This has been corroborated by publicly available satellite imagery."

The OPCW's African member states, including Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, nominated Sudan to the post. Eric Reeves, senior fellow at Harvard University's FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, says the decision reflects terribly on those nations.

"They all see themselves as part of a continent that is being abused by the world, in their eyes, and, in many respects, they're right," Reeves said. "But certainly, the way to address the issue is not to put [Sudan] on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons."

The organization is tasked with implementing the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention, including the verification of the destruction of such weapons and the prevention of their re-emergence.
"Some soldiers said the house has to be destroyed," said Dhia Deen, a taxi driver on the street next to the site of the alleged worst chemical attack in Mosul. "Even our cows are getting sick."

The home that was bombed in early March does not have to be pointed out. Weeks after the incident, the smell is still rancid and neighbors complain of watering eyes and skin problems.

Regardless of the apparent danger, a crowd of children burst into the home of their neighbor, Natham Hamad, eager to show us the hole in the ceiling and the bomb now planted in the floor.

They are smart enough to cover their mouths and noses with their shirts, and avoid touching anything. The inside of the home is coated with something that looks like yellow sulfur powder.

The smell inside is overwhelming. The neighbors soon scurry out of the house and away from the door. "The smell is better than it was," said Ahmed Farah, a carpenter. "But when it rains, it gets really bad."

Shortly after the attack early this month, local officials said the Hamad home and at least four other civilian houses in eastern Mosul were bombed by Islamic State militants with weapons containing homemade chemical poisons. International Committee of the Red Cross doctors said patients' symptoms indicated mustard gas.

Some Iraqi officials later said that they had not seen evidence IS has the capacity to deploy chemical weapons. Others in Mosul qualified that statement, saying IS has only the capacity to use crude homemade chemical weapons that emit non-deadly poisons.

In the neighborhoods that were hit, families say they care less about what hit them than about getting it cleaned up. But chemical cleanup requires some expertise, and cannot be done with soap and water, says Yahya Kassim, a 51-year-old father of seven who was hospitalized after a bomb emitting foul-smelling black oil fell in his yard in early March.

"They should come to my house and smell it," he said in the yard. The smell is less pungent than it was last week because a neighbor paid for the removal of some of the poisoned bricks scattered in the attack. But the sickening odor returns in the rain, he said.

"Or tell them to call me," he added. "I'll explain what happened."

'Contingency planning'

At an Irbil hospital on Friday, Hamad's wife and five children are recovering and are planning to be released Saturday.

The family is better but they still have damaged immune systems, said Dr. Johannes Schad of ICRC.

At least 15 patients have been treated in Irbil in recent weeks for symptoms consistent with chemical attacks, including blistering skin, and respiratory and eye problems. Near the bombings in Mosul, dozens of people tell us they have experienced symptoms but have very little access to health care.

And while there have been no new reports of suspected chemical weapons in recent weeks, international organizations continue to build capacity, preparing for more victims of chemical weapons.

"You can see this is some kind of chemical agent," Schad said. "We are contingency planning. The situation is getting more tense."

Iraqi forces say the battle for Mosul has never been fiercer than now, as it moves in on the last quarter of the city held by IS. In previous months, militants often fled as Iraqi forces moved in. Now, they are surrounded and fighting back with everything they can.

As the fighting gets more intense, the humanitarian crisis surrounding the war has become overwhelming, with nearly 275,000 people displaced since operations began in October. Trauma centers have seen at least 5,000 civilian patients.

And among the displaced could soon be Hamad and his family, as his home is no longer livable.

"I don't know where we will go," he said, standing by the hospital room door. "Even if we go to friends or relatives, we can stay only for a few days."

Test results

In Mosul, patients released weeks ago show us ICRC documents that call them "suspected victim[s] of mustard gas," but no one we speak to has received formal test results.

The ICRC says they have not received results of tests taken in early March. In Mosul, local police confirm the presence of chemicals in the bombs, but locals have not been told exactly what hit them.

"First they told me it would be a few hours for the results," Kassim said. "Then they told me the United Nations will get the results."

The United Nations said it is not mandated to carry out an investigation of the suspected IS chemical weapons in Iraq, although it has condemned the attacks.

At the hospital, Hamad says his family expects to receive the information after they are released.

"Thank God," he said. "At least my children are better."
Afghanistans Taliban disputes media reports that its representatives recently visited neighboring Pakistan and discussed with officials there the prospect of holding direct peace talks with Kabul.

The Taliban have long refused to hold direct talks with the Afghan government, calling it a puppet of the United States.

We strongly reject [the media reports] because none of our leaders has traveled to Islamabad, nor has he met with any official there, Zabihullah Mujahid, the insurgencys main spokesman, told VOA Friday.

But he did not outright deny reports his group may attend a Moscow meeting, if invited.

When an invitation is extended to us, only then we can consider it and comment on it, Mujahid said.

Reports of Pakistan meeting

He spoke a day after an Associated Press report said Pakistani officials hosted seven Taliban leaders in Islamabad in their bid to press the insurgents to return to peace talks with the Afghan government.

Pakistan brokered and hosted a single meeting between Taliban and Afghan officials in July 2015, but the revelation at the time that the insurgent group's supreme leader, Mullah Omar, had been dead for two years disrupted the peace process.

A senior Pakistani government official and an intelligence official told VOA they were unaware of any such visit or talks. Both officials requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly on such matters.

Pakistan is trying to distance itself from hosting Afghan peace talks and would instead prefer they are held in a country acceptable to all the parties, the intelligence official maintained.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated in recent years because of Taliban-led attacks in Afghanistan, for which Afghan officials blame insurgent sanctuaries on Pakistani soil.

Afghanistan open to talks

Speaking in Washington earlier this week, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani insisted Kabul has kept the doors for peace negotiations open to insurgents, but accused Islamabad of hindering efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in his country.

Pakistans reluctance to end its support for terrorism underpins the continuation of violence in Afghanistan and the region.  A paradigm shift in Pakistan is needed if any progress is to be made in peace efforts with the Taliban, Rabbani said.

Russia to host talks, US says no

Russia also has recently stepped in to try to promote Afghan peace and reconciliation efforts through a multinational dialogue.

Moscow plans to host another round of the discussions next month with officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran and China to further the process. The United States was also among the invitees, along with several Central Asian nations.

But Washington has reportedly turned down the invitation to the April 14 conference. The United States was not consulted before receiving the invitation and does not know Russias objectives for the gathering, the Associated Press said Thursday, quoting a State Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Separately, a top U.S. military commander told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday that Russia may be supplying the Taliban as they battle U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan.

But U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATOs Supreme Commander, did not elaborate on what kinds of supplies might by provided or how direct Russias involvement could be.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Australia for a five-day visit that will focus on boosting global trade.

China is Australias largest export market, responsible for nearly a third of its total exports, according to the government.

Writing in an Australian newspaper, Premier Li referred to the isolationist rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump, who earlier this year pulled his country out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership that had been signed by 12 nations and would have covered 40 percent of the worlds economy.

Li said protectionism offers no genuine protection. History cannot be turned back, just as the trend of the times cannot be reversed.

China's opportunity

Analysts believe Trumps policies are giving China an opportunity to fill a strategic void and allow it to promote itself as a champion of free trade.

Australia is an enthusiastic supporter of globalization, and has signed several free trade deals, including accords with South Korea, Japan and, most recently, China.

But complicating the diplomatic landscape is Canberras long-standing military alliance with the United States. That relationship is becoming increasingly tested by rising tensions between the U.S. and China, according to Jane Golley, the deputy director of the Australian Center on China in the World at the Australian National University.

Australia has had this pretty simple dividing line, in a way, of thinking about the economic relationship with China and our alliance with the United States, and we have managed those two things pretty comfortably, I think, through to this point, Golley said.

But it does seem to have reached a fairly critical juncture, you know, with tensions growing between the United States and China and, you know, on a trade front but as well as more broadly. So how Australia navigates through that path, I think, has become increasingly tricky, she added.

South China Sea on agenda

During his five-day visit, Li is expected to encourage Australian companies to join Chinas Belt and Road initiative, a series of infrastructure projects stretching from Central Asia to Europe, and across South East Asia, South Asia, and Africa.

Australian officials are also expected to address Chinas growing military presence in the South China Sea. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said he will speak frankly and constructively to Li about those tensions in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened his fellow Republicans with leaving Obamacare in place and focusing on other issues, if they do not support a vote Friday on new health care legislation, a signature campaign promise of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

It was not clear late Thursday night, after a day of negotiations up and down Pennsylvania Avenue, whether the Republican legislators had enough support to pass the long-promised health care bill.

Republicans Scramble to Salvage Health Care Vote, Trump Agenda

Trump put his skills as a dealmaker on the line, but failed to win over the conservative House Freedom Caucus and even alienated some moderates afraid for their political futures. His failure and that of House Speaker Paul Ryan to secure enough votes backed the once unified Republican Party into a politically tricky corner that could be hard to escape, even if the bill eventually does pass.

This is one of those moments where you have got to say who you are really deep inside of you  are you for President Trump and repealing and replacing Obamacare, or are you against President Trump and are you against repealing and replacing Obamacare  its that simple, Rep. Bradley Byrne, a Republican from Alabama, said as he emerged from a late afternoon emergency strategy meeting in Ryans office after the House Freedom Caucus rejected the latest deal.

This is a tense moment for everybody, because were driving down to the finish line, but I think theres a determination to get this done and get it done in the right way, Byrne told VOA.

Week of turmoil

For seven and a half years, we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because its collapsing and its failing families, and tomorrow were proceeding, Ryan said, without answering any questions from reporters.

This weeks turmoil could decimate the political capital of the Republican leadership, ruining plans for tax reform and major infrastructure spending, and throwing a shadow over a looming budget battle that could shut down the government.

An effective speaker, an effective leader of House Republicans would have taken one look at this bill, understood it had no chance of passage and would have stopped the bill-writing in its tracks and never let it see the light of day, John Hudak, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, told VOA. Paul Ryan failed to do that and he failed to do that at the expense of his own party, his own caucus and his own president.

Ryan scheduled the vote for the seventh anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act, just weeks after introducing the legislation and before he could build consensus within his own party.

I think you see here a Congress who is going to come away from this vote very worried that their president  the president of their party  is incapable of helping them task big ticket legislation, Hudak said.

Conservatives hold up bill

The House Freedom Caucus, a politically conservative group of House members, kept the bill from the votes required for passage, arguing that Trump and Ryans proposal violates limited government principles by keeping too many key provisions of President Obamas health care plan.

Were certainly trying to get to yes, but indeed, weve made very reasonable requests and were hopeful that those reasonable requests will be listened to and ultimately agreed to, Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows told reporters after a last-minute White House meeting to negotiate with Trump.

Trump has repeatedly warned caucus members they could lose big in 2018 midterm elections if they fail to act in support of his bill.

The president is correct: If Republicans fail to pass this bill, it will be a problem for them. The problem is passing the bill creates a problem for them as well, Hudak said.

But the presidents concessions to the caucus alienated more moderate Republicans who fear the changes could doom the bills chances in the Senate, ruining their own opportunities for re-election. Suddenly, Trump and Ryan found themselves facing a battle on two fronts within their own party.

Democrats strategy

House Democrats smelled blood in the water  and a future political opportunity  as they stood to the side, watching the events unfold.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Trump made a rookie mistake by staking his reputation as a negotiator on a piece of legislation that was rushed to a vote without party consensus.

If this bill were to fail today  rookie day  I stand ready to negotiate with them on how we can go forward in incorporating their ideas, saving face for them in some areas and doing right for the American people, Pelosi told reporters.

The Democrats, for once, are playing this in a masterfully political way. They recognize that the only thing worse than Republicans failing to pass this bill, is for Republicans to pass this bill, Hudak said. For Democrats, its a win-win.

Pelosi told reporters the situation ultimately will end up working in the Democrats favor, no matter what the outcome.

This is a bad day for them, she said, summing up a week of uncertainty.

VOA's Fern Robinson contributed to this report.
Responding to a tweet by a person named Rajeev Sharma that his brother Vinay Mahajan had been kidnapped in Serbia and that his life was at stake, Sushma Swaraj said that Mahajan had been found and was in the safe custody of Serbian authorities.

By India Today Web Desk: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who has been lauded for coming to the rescue of Indians facing discrimination or living in distress abroad, has found much to her disappointment that a "kidnapped" person in Serbia stage-managed in own abduction.

Sushma termed the abduction "stage-managed" and the video posted as proof of that "fake".

advertisement

She was responding to a tweet on Thursday by a person named Rajeev Sharma that his brother Vinay Mahajan had been kidnapped in Serbia and the kidnappers were threatening to kill him unless paid money.

@SushmaSwaraj please help my brother his life in big trouble somebody kidnap in Serbia country and ask him send the money unless we kill him- rajeev sharma (@rajivsharma103) March 21, 2017

The video accompanying the tweet showed a shirtless man with his hands tied being beaten up with a baton.

Yesterday evening, after getting to the truth of the matter, Sushma said, "The abduction was stage-managed and she knew the whole truth of the matter."

VIDEO FAKE, ABDUCTION STAGE-MANAGED: SUSHMA

"Rajiv - I have all the facts before me. Your brother was not abducted. He stage-managed his own abduction and the video is fake," she tweeted.

The External Affairs Minister went on to say, "@Indiainserbia intervened and your brother has been released by Serbian police. He is returning on March 25."

Sushma also retweeted a video by Sharma sent on Wednesday, showing the said Mahajan allegedly being ill-treated by the so-called kidnappers.

CONFUSING TWEETS CLOUDING TRUTH

In confusing tweets, Sharma first claimed that his brother was kidnapped in Serbia and the kidnappers were asking for money or else they would kill him.

The minister responded that Indian Ambassador to Serbia Sanjay Verma said that Mahajan had been found and was in the safe custody of Serbian authorities.

Sharma later tweeted that Mahajan had entered a refugee camp in Serbia, as guided by an agent.

Formerly a part of Yugoslavia, Serbia became an independent republic in 2006 when the Balkan country crumbled.

According to the Indian Embassy in Belgrade, there are only a handful of NRIs and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) in Serbia and there is no Indian community association there.

Reacting to a separate complaint of nearly 500 Indian workers being deprived of salaries in Bahrain, Sushma tweeted, "Indian Embassy in Bahrain is seized of this matter and will help them."

Also read | No Indian casualty in the UK Parliament attack reported, says Sushma Swaraj

advertisement

Also read | Sushma Swaraj comes to rescue of Indian woman in Pakistan who was being ill-treated by her in-laws

(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI, IANS)

MAY ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
President Donald Trumps startling allegation that former President Barack Obama tapped his phones during last years election is pitting the White House against U.S. intelligence officials, sparking grave concern in law enforcement circles and alarming Democrats and Republicans alike.

A look at the controversy:

Trumps allegation

On March 4, while at his Florida estate, Trump angrily tweeted that Obama was behind a politically motivated plot to upend his campaign. He alleged that the former president conducted surveillance in October at Trump Tower, the New York skyscraper where he ran his campaign and transition. He also maintains a residence there.

He compared the alleged surveillance to Nixon/Watergate and McCarthyism. Moreover, he called Obama a Bad (or sick) guy.

The tweets reflected the presidents growing frustration with swirling reports about his advisers alleged ties to Russia. Questions about his campaigns ties to Russia have been compounded by U.S. intelligence agencies assessment that Russia interfered with the election to help Trump triumph over Hillary Clinton, along with disclosures about his aides contacts with a Russian official.

Obama denies its true

No president can legally order a wiretap against a U.S. citizen. Obtaining one would require officials at the Justice Department to seek permission from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court, which is shrouded in secrecy.

Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said a cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of political influence.

As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen, Lewis said, adding that any suggestion otherwise is simply false.

Trump kicks it to committee

A few days later, Trump asked Congress to investigate his allegations. Without saying where the president got the information that led to his tweets, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump was going off information that hes seen. If the allegation were true, she said, this is the greatest overreach and the greatest abuse of power that I think weve ever seen and a huge attack on democracy itself.

White House Press Secretary Spars With CNN Reporter on Wiretapping Claims

Trump stands alone

With Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill refusing to embrace Trumps wiretap allegation, the president was out on a limb.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, pressured Trump to provide the public with more information about his allegation. The dimensions of this are huge. Its accusing the president of the United States of violating the law. Thats never happened before, he said.

For a while, it appeared that the White House was walking back Trumps tweets.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer tried to clarify Trumps comments, saying the president wasnt using the word wiretapping literally.

The president used the word wiretap in quotes to mean broadly surveillance and other activities, Spicer said. He also suggested Trump wasnt accusing Obama specifically, but instead referring to the actions of the Obama administration.

But Trump himself didnt back down. He predicted in an interview with Fox News that there would be some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks. He didnt elaborate. It remains unclear if hes holding onto some evidence that justify his tweets.

Comey: No Information That Supports' Wiretapping Tweets

Comey talks

In testimony Monday at a politically charged congressional hearing, FBI Director James Comey brought the curtain down on speculation about the wiretap.

With respect to the presidents tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, I have no information that supports those tweets, and we have looked carefully inside the FBI, Comey said. The same was true, he added, of the Justice Department.

With the denial by the nations top enforcement official, the controversy appeared dead.

Nunes muddies the water

On Wednesday, the Republican chairman of the House intelligence committee held a hastily scheduled news conference to make a startling announcement.

I recently confirmed that on numerous occasions, the intelligence community incidentally collected information about U.S. citizens involved in the Trump transition, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said. Details about persons associated with the incoming administration  details with little apparent foreign intelligence value  were widely disseminated in intelligence community reporting.

Nunes also said that he had confirmed that Trump transition team identities were unmasked.

I want to be clear, he said. None of this surveillance was related to Russia, or the investigation of Russian activities, or of the Trump team.

Nunes told members of the news media before consulting with members of his committee and then went to the White House to share his information with Trump.

Nunes actions incensed Democrats on the committee.

The chairman will need to decide whether he is the chairman of an independent investigation, which includes allegations of potential coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russians, or whether he is going to act as a surrogate of the White House, because he cannot do both, said the ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

Schiff said the chairmans actions raised doubt about whether the House intelligence committees investigation can be impartial.

Nunes apologized Thursday to members of the committee, which was scheduled to hold its second hearing of the investigation next week.
London police said Friday they have made two more arrests in connection with the attack near Parliament.

Counter-terrorism commander Mark Rowley characterized the arrests as significant, though he did not provide any details. He said nine people are currently in custody and one person has been released.

Police officials identified the attacker who killed four people near Parliament as Khalid Masood, a Briton who converted to Islam and had a lengthy criminal record for weapons possession and other charges.

Rowley said Masoods birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao and appealed to the public for any information about him.

We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited, Rowley said. There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but did not feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing those concerns to us.

Islamic State said Masood, who was 52, was a soldier of the extremist group who responded to its call to attack civilians and the military in countries allied with the United States in battling IS.

Masood had never been convicted of terrorist offenses, but British security officials said he had been investigated in the past in relation to concerns about violent extremism. Authorities say they believe he was acting alone Wednesday when he ran down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, a Thames River crossing leading to the Houses of Parliament, crashed his rented vehicle into a gate and fatally stabbed a policeman who tried to stop him.

Armed police shot and killed Masood moments later.

In the hours after Wednesdays attack in the heart of London, police conducted raids around the country in search of anyone who may have given support to Masood. Eight men and women were arrested Thursday on suspicion of planning terrorist acts.

The dead assailant, who was older than most Islamist attackers involved in recent spectacular terror attacks in Europe, had been a teacher of English and was known as a fanatical bodybuilder.

One of the civilians who was run down on the bridge, a 75-year-old man, died Thursday in a hospital, raising the casualty toll to four victims and Masood.

Although Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, a statement posted online did not implicate the group in the planning or execution of the attack.

An Italian tourist who witnessed the carnage told reporters he saw Masood attack the policeman with two knives. He gave [the officer] around 10 stabs in the back, the visitor said.

Valiant efforts to resuscitate Constable Keith Palmer at the scene failed. The 48-year-old officer was a 15-year police veteran.

One American was among the dead - 54-year-old Kurt Cochran of Utah, who was in London with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. His wife, Melissa, was among the 30 people injured. Masoods vehicle hit the Cochrans as they crossed Westminster Bridge.

The remaining victim of the attack was a British school administrator, Aysha Frade, 43.

Mourners gathered in Londons Trafalgar Square Thursday evening, about one kilometer from the crime scene, for a candlelight vigil. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, told the crowd of thousands thatthose trying to destroy our shared way of life will never succeed.

Khan said the vigil in the most recognizable public plaza in London was meant to honor the dead and injured, but also to send a clear, clear message: Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism.

Rowley, head of counterterrorism efforts for Londons Metropolitan Police Service, said the eight people arrested Thursday were picked up during searches at six separate locations, and that investigations were continuing in London, Birmingham and other parts of England. He declined to say whether or how those detained were involved in Wednesdays attack.

It is still our belief, which continues to be born out by our investigation, that this attacker acted alone and was inspired by international terrorism, Rowley told reporters.

Prime Minister Theresa May struck a defiant tone in discussing the attack before Parliament Thursday, telling British lawmakers that what London experienced was an attack on free people everywhere.

Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy, but today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism, she said.

May thanked Britains friends and allies around the world who have made it clear that they stand with us at this time.She said the victims include nationals of France, Romania, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and Greece, as well as the United States.

The United Nations Security Council in New York, chaired by British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, observed a moment of silence Thursday for the London victims.

Tense London Carries on After Islamic State Attack

You may know that today there are victims in London from 11 nations. Which goes to show that an attack on London is an attack on the world, Johnson said. I can tell you from my talks here in the United States with the U.S. government and with partners from around the world that the world is uniting to defeat the people who launched this attack and defeat their bankrupt and odious ideology.

In London, Parliaments session began with a minute of silence Thursday. Police officers stood in silence nearby outside the headquarters of the citys Metropolitan Police.
U.S. officials say Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with members of the NATO alliance next week, following criticism over his initial decision to skip a NATO foreign ministers meeting.

State Department officials say Tillerson will meet NATO members on March 31 in Brussels. Foreign ministers from NATO countries were originally scheduled to gather in Brussels on April 5-6. It is not clear if the new meeting will replace the April dates.

There was no official statement from NATO.

Voices of support for NATO

Earlier this week, Tillerson's office said he would not be able to attend the April meeting of the 28-member alliance, raising fears about the U.S. administration's commitment to NATO.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly dismissed NATO as obsolete, though his vice president, Mike Pence, voiced staunch U.S. support for the alliance during a news conference in Brussels last month and Tillerson has also expressed his support for NATO, as has U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis.

After meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week at the White House, Trump said Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO and the United States, voicing a charge he has repeatedly made that allies do not pay their fair share.

Tillerson to visit Turkey

U.S. State Department officials said Tillerson will travel to Brussels after his trip to Ankara, Turkey. They said more details about his schedule will be released soon.

Tillerson is also expected to to attend Trump's meeting on April 6-7 with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Earlier this week, the White House announced that Trump will attend a summit of NATO heads of state set to be held May 25 in Brussels, and will host NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg for talks on April 12.
The U.S. State Department has asked American embassies and consulates around the world to identify certain groups that should get extra scrutiny when they apply for visas.



A series of directives also instructs U.S. diplomatic posts overseas to review the social media accounts of visa applicants who are suspected of terrorist ties or of having been in Islamic State group-controlled areas.



The diplomatic cables sent by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson directed embassies to convene security and intelligence working groups to determine criteria for "population sets" that would warrant increased scrutiny before traveling to the U.S.



Even if the applicant otherwise qualifies for a visa, those identified as meeting the criteria would require additional scrutiny, leading to a possible visa denial.



It is the first evidence of a plan for the "extreme vetting" of foreigners entering the United States that President Donald Trump promised during his campaign.



The four cables sent between March 10 and March 17 do not define which groups would be considered among the "population sets" requiring more scrutiny.

Social media accounts



But in the first glimpse into what "extreme vetting" may look like under the Trump administration, one of Tillerson's memos would have added to the interview process questions about an applicant's workplaces, employers, addresses and travel history going back 15 years, as well as all email addresses and social media handles used in the last five years.



The questions were withdrawn in a following memo, pending approval of the list by another federal agency.



The directives, first reported by Reuters, quickly drew criticism from rights groups and others who've accused Trump of discriminating against Muslims through his now-suspended ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries  Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Discrimination?



"These measures could provide license for discrimination based on national origin and religion,'' human rights group Amnesty International wrote in a letter to Tillerson on Thursday. "They could provide a pretext for barring individuals based on their nonviolent beliefs and expression. Social media checks, as well as demands for social media passwords at U.S. borders, have significant implications for privacy and freedom of expression.''



Anil Kalhan, a law professor who chairs the international human rights committee of the New York City Bar Association, added that the directives "will needlessly worsen visa processing backlogs" and may lead to unwarranted visa denials.



Critics of Trump's calls for "extreme vetting," including refugee officials and State Department staffers, have said the process for visa processing is already stringent.



"We have a terrorist watch database. We have known immigration violators database. We have a criminal background check database that they have to go through. They don't just take the visa applicant's word," Stephen W. Yale-Loehr, an immigration law professor at Cornell University's law school, told CBS News last month.

"They do go through all of these computer databases to verify for themselves that it's appropriate to issue the visa to a particular individual," he said.
The Obama administrations top civil rights lawyer announced Thursday she will lead a coalition of civil and human rights organizations at a time when they see the Justice Department softening its focus on a number of their priorities.

Vanita Gupta, who was head of the Obama Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, said she will become the new president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights amid an unprecedented assault on civil rights.

Sessions a dramatic shift

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has indicated the department will shift dramatically from many of the policies Gupta implemented. Sessions has said the department will pursue fewer wide-ranging federal investigations of police departments. Those inquiries were a staple of the Obama administration efforts to overhaul troubled agencies after racially charged encounters.

Sessions Justice Department also abandoned a challenge to a key aspect of Texas voter ID law. And it reversed a directive Gupta signed telling schools to let students to use the bathrooms that match their chosen gender identity, among other striking changes.

During Guptas time at the department, the federal government inserted itself in various matters on behalf of transgender people, prisoners and the homeless.

What were seeing is an unprecedented attack on so many of the gains we made, Gupta said. That requires relentless persistence and effective leadership to push back.

Coalition of hundreds of rights groups

Gupta starts her new position with the coalition representing more than 200 national civil rights groups June 1. She replaces Wade Henderson, who led the organization for more than 20 years.

Gupta is a former American Civil Liberties Union attorney and longtime civil rights lawyer.

Having been on the inside and the outside gives me a fairly unique perspective on the way that government can create obstacles but also be a real lever for change, she said.
Friday marks the United Nations World Tuberculosis Day, aimed at raising awareness of a disease that kills an estimated 1.8 million people every year. Six countries account for nearly two-thirds of the cases: India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa.

The date commemorates the day in 1882 when German scientist Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the cause of the disease, the TB bacillus. It remains the most deadly infectious disease in the world.

Every single day 5,000 people lose their lives because of tuberculosis. TB hits particularly those vulnerable populations that include migrants, refugees, prisoners, people who are marginalized in their societies, said Mario Raviglione, the World Health Organizations Global Tuberculosis Program Director.

On World Tuberculosis Day, Doctors Warn of New Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Drug-resistant strains

In recent years drug-resistant strains of TB have taken hold around the world, posing an increasingly urgent public health threat. These strains often go undetected and are spread across populations.

In South Africa, for example, TB is the commonest cause of death and the disease is out of control in Africa, said Dr. Keertan Dheda, head of the Division of Pulmonology at the University of Cape Town.

But there is new hope as a small number of new drugs have become available.

For the first time after about four to five decades, we have two drugs. One is called bedaquiline, Dheda said. That has now been registered in South Africa and is available to treat many patients with drug-resistant TB. And theres another new drug called delamanid, thats not yet licensed in South Africa but is available in other countries.

New drugs must be used carefully

In a report published in the Lancet medical journal, Dheda and his co-authors warn that the effectiveness of these new drugs could be rapidly lost if they arent used correctly.

There are several case reports globally of patients that have already become resistant to both delamanid and bedaquiline. We need to change our strategy, Dheda said. We need to go out into the community and find these cases. We have to address the major drivers of TB, which are poverty and overcrowding, nutritional deprivation, alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking and biomass fuel exposure, Dheda added in a VOA interview Thursday.

The report warns the new drugs must be prescribed as individually targeted treatments with clear dosing guidelines, to prevent further resistant TB strains from emerging.
Sources on Capitol Hill said backers of the Republican health care bill that was scheduled for a vote Friday withdrew the legislation at the request of President Donald Trump.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Trump had been working frenetically over the past few days to try to gather enough backing to pass the bill.

Ryan planned to discuss details at a 4 p.m. EDT news conference.

Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released Friday showed that nearly half of about 1,700 American adults randomly surveyed said the Republican bill was "not an improvement" over the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare  the health care reform the Republican legislation was set to replace.

Reaching out to lawmakers

Earlier Friday, Ryan briefed Trump on the status of the health care bill, hours the House of Representatives was to vote on it.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters the president had communicated with more than 120 House members about support for the bill.

On Twitter, the president singled out members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. In his posts, Trump said the vote was their final chance to replace Obamacare, and apparently suggested their failure to support the replacement plan would allow the reproductive health care group Planned Parenthood to continue to operate.

Asked whether Ryan had effectively led the House effort, Spicer said, "I think the speaker has done everything he can. He's worked really closely with the president."

Spicer cautioned, however, that even if the measure failed, "there's still a huge appetite" for Trump's agenda, including immigration and tax reforms and an infrastructure revitalization plan.

After a closed-door meeting Friday among members of the House Democratic Caucus, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland told reporters that if the replacement bill became law, millions of Americans would be adversely affected.

"Twenty-four million Americans will lose their insurance because of this bill. Every American will pay more, and get less from their insurance policies," he said. "And seniors, as you've heard, will have to pay thousands and thousands more."

'We'll see'

In a brief exchange Friday with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said little more than "we'll see what happens" if the bill failed to win approval and responding "no" to a question about whether the bill was being rushed to a vote.

Trump had put his skills as a deal-maker on the line, but failed to win over the House Freedom Caucus and even alienated some moderates afraid for their political futures.

The Freedom Caucus had argued that the GOP health care bill violated limited-government principles by keeping too many key Obamacare provisions.

"We're certainly trying to get to yes, but indeed, we've made very reasonable requests and we're hopeful that those reasonable requests will be listened to and ultimately agreed to," Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows told reporters Thursday after a last-minute White House meeting to negotiate with Trump.

Strategy criticized

"An effective speaker, an effective leader of House Republicans would have taken one look at this bill, understood it had no chance of passage, and would have stopped the bill-writing in its tracks and never let it see the light of day," John Hudak, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, told VOA. "Paul Ryan failed to do that and he failed to do that at the expense of his own party, his own caucus and his own president."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California told reporters Thursday that Trump had made a "rookie" mistake by staking his reputation as a negotiator on a piece of legislation that was rushed to a vote without party consensus.

She told reporters that if the bill failed, "I stand ready to negotiate with them on how we can go forward in incorporating their ideas, saving face for them in some areas and doing right for the American people."
Two months into his U.S. presidency, Donald Trump continues to draw criticism for holding onto political claims that have been rejected by Washington officials, pundits and fact checkers.

In a new interview with Time magazine released Thursday, Trump refused to back off a string of unfounded allegations, including that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his Trump Tower headquarters in New York in the weeks before last November's election, that 3 million undocumented immigrants voted in the election, and that Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York.

Trump has not substantiated any of the three claims.

"I'm a very instinctual person, but my instinct turns out to be right," Trump said. "When everyone said I wasn't going to win the election, I said, well, I think I would."

The country's 45th president said of the wiretapping claim, "We will see what happens. Look. I predicted a lot of things that took a little bit of time."

Trump spoke to the magazine as news was breaking Wednesday in Washington that Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said Trump transition officials and possibly Trump himself were captured in a legal, "incidental collection" of wiretapped conversations as Trump transitioned to power after the November 8 election leading up to his inauguration on January 20. But Nunes, Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey and several national security officials have all said Obama did not wiretap Trump.

Trump said of Nunes's new wiretap disclosures, "Who knows what it is? Well, he just got this information. This was new information. That was just got. Members, of, let's see, were under surveillance during the Obama Administration following November's election. Wow. This just came out. So, ah, just came out."

Later, the president, after meeting with Nunes, said he felt some measure of vindication for his wiretapping claim against Obama, even though it was not as he claimed in a series of Twitter comments on March 4

As for the 3 million illegal voters, Trump said, "I think I wilI be proved right about that, too. I have people that say it was more than that. We are forming a committee. And we are going to do a study on it, a very serious problem."

He also cited a 2001 Washington Post story that briefly mentioned an unverified claim that Muslims celebrated on the day of the terrorist attacks, September 11, 2001, but police in New Jersey said the celebrations did not occur, even as Trump claimed, erroneously, during his run to the White House that he saw it on television.

Aside from his election, Trump said he has correctly predicted, among other things, Britain's exit from the European Union, disturbances among immigrants in Sweden, and that emails from his Democratic challenger, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, would turn up on the computers used by a disgraced congressman, the husband of a key Clinton aide.

In other instances, Trump said he was merely passing on dubious claims made in publications he reads or listens to, such as a contention that the father of Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's key challenger for the Republican presidential nomination last year, was a cohort of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who carried out the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

"Why do you say I have to apologize? Trump asked. "I'm just quoting the newspaper."

Asked whether it worried him that his credibility would be hurt with false claims, Trump responded, "Name what's wrong! I mean honestly."

"What am I going to tell you?" Trump concluded. "I tend to be right. I'm an instinctual person, I happen to be a person that knows how life works."
Zimbabwes liberation war veterans of the 1970s have once again urged Zimbabweans to remove President Robert Mugabe from power saying he has ruined the once prosperous nation while hiding behind the so-called devastating effects of targeted Western-sponsored sanctions imposed on him and his inner circle.

The call was made war veterans leaders  Christopher Mutsvangwa, Victor Matemadanda, Dumiso Dabengwa and several others - at a meeting in Harare on Thursday, attended by over 1,000 former freedom fighters.

According to NewsDay and other publications, they claimed that Mr. Mugabe has become a liability in Zimbabwe as he has no clue of revitalizing Zimbabwes economy.

The three said it is now time for the 93 year-old President Mugabe to step down and hand over power to people who are capable of running Zimbabwe.

Mutsvangwa and Matemadanda are aligned to a Zanu PF faction said to be led by Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa, which want him to succeed Mr. Mugabe. The other faction, Generation 40, is allegedly led by First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Some of the war veterans were arrested recently when they urged Mr. Mugabe to step down. They insist that they wont vote for Mr. Mugabe in the 2018 presidential election, which he will contest at the age of 94.
By Andrew Mambondiyani

After two consecutive seasons of drought, heavy rains finally promise a good harvest in most parts of Zimbabwes Manicaland province. But farmers now face a new challenge: washed-out roads that will make it difficult to get their crops to market.

As harvesting time for tobacco, maize and other crops approaches, fears abound that roads made impassable by rain will not be repaired in time.

Some farmers, particularly those growing fruit, already find themselves stuck with produce ready for market but no way to get it there.

"There are no roads. They were washed away by the heavy rains, said Liberty Kuhudzai, a farmer in Chipendeke, about 70 kilometres south of the city of Mutare.

We have potatoes which are ready for the market but we cant take them. And soon, the maize and other crops will be ready for the market too, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Chipendeke is one of the most vibrant small-scale farming areas in the province, in far eastern Zimbabwe. Farmers at the moment have potatoes, groundnuts, maize and various vegetables in the ground; in winter they grow wheat, beans, tomatoes and other vegetables.

But their main market is in the city of Mutare, and their farming area is connected to the main Mutare-Masvingo highway by a gravel road that snakes along the treacherous edges of the Chitora River.

Near Chipendeke Primary School, sections of the road are missing after heavy rain. In other areas, bridges are broken or what remains of the roads are muddy and slippery.

We have tried to repair the roads using our own resources but as soon as we finish the heavy rains come again and wash everything away, Kuhudzai said. We dont even know what to do. Without the road we are stuck.

LOSING A LOT OF MONEY

Catherine Nyakunuhwa, a banana farmer in Honde Valley, said the poor state of the roads meant some of her harvest was lost, affecting her business.

Its now taking too long for us to reach the market with our bananas and we are losing a lot of money. Right now most of my bananas could not reach the market because they rot before they were ferried, Nyakunuhwa said.

We are now appealing to the government to help us repair the roads, she said, as she sifted through a big basket of rotten bananas to see if any good ones remained. Farming is our only source of livelihood and we need good roads to take our crops to the market.

Nyakunuhwa said some farmers have lost more than $100 worth of bananas in a day  a lot of money by local standards.

Its a big loss, she said.

Zimbabwes Meteorological Services Department in late February said Manicaland was one the province that has received the heaviest rains  in some cases record-breaking rainfall, the agency noted.

The situation has been made worse by Tropical Cyclone Dineo which hit some parts of the country at the end of February.

EFFORTS TO REBUILD

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo said his ministry was working with the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to rehabilitate bad or dangerous roads in both urban and rural areas throughout the country.

Responding to a question from Francis Mukwangwariwa, a member of parliament from Zvimba East constituency, Gumbo said on live television from Parliament earlier this month that the government needed $100 million to rebuild bridges and the road networks.

Mukwangwariwa wanted to know the measures the government had put in place to repair roads and bridges washed away by heavy rain.

We are now in the tobacco selling season and people need to take their tobacco to the tobacco auction floors, Mukwangwariwa said.

Gumbo said the Ministry of Finance had set aside $15 million to rebuild roads and was trying to acquire about $50 million in loans through the Zimbabwe National Road Authority.

This was done considering that farm produce will need to be taken to the market, he told Parliament.

Gumbo later told journalists in Harare that major bridges had been affected by the heavy rains in a variety of provinces. In some of the areas, farmers and other residents have been using makeshift bridges to cross flooded rivers.

Kuhudzai, the farmer from Chipendeke, however, said he was not convinced that the government would move fast enough to make repairs.

Do you think the government will start with our road? Kuhudzai asked. We pray so because we dont even know what to do.

(Reporting by Andrew Mambondiyani; editing by Laurie Goering: Thomson Reuters Foundation)
By Press Trust of India: Jammu, Mar 24 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir government will not deploy teachers for election duties in bypolls to the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Kashmir and the forthcoming local bodies polls in the state.

"Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has instructed that the state government will not deploy teachers as booth level officers during elections in Kashmir Valley," Education Minister Syed Altaf Bukhari said here today.

advertisement

He said the instruction has been passed on to Divisional Commissioners in both Kashmir and Jammu regions.

"Teachers will have only one job to do. It will 100 per cent academic duty," the education minister said.

Bukhari, who took over as the state education minister earlier this month, has taken several major decisions aimed at reforming and restructuring the department.

"In municipal and panchayat polls, which will follow, the system of using teachers and education fraternity for election duties will end," he said.

Till the last elections in the state, most of the poll staff were drawn from the education department.

"The education department has decided to end the practice of using teachers for various purposes. The Chief Minister has been gracious to accept this proposal by the department," he said.

The education department will also not allow teachers to be used as supervisors of school building constructions or for accounting jobs, Bukhari said.

The education department is setting up an engineering wing construction of school buildings and other facilities. The department will also hire accountants and financial consultants to prepare accounts of schools and colleges, he said.

"The aim of such moves is to restore the honour and dignity of teachers whose only task is teaching," the minister said, adding pending salaries of the Rehbar-e-Taleem and other teachers will be cleared by April 30. PTI AB NSD

--- ENDS ---
We accept many different kinds of announcements. Just click on the button below and submit a form.

Go to forms
On 2 March 2017, the company Lafarge-Holcim admitted that its Syrian subsidiary, in violation of UNO resolutions, had paid sums of money to third parties, including certain third parties who are under sanction, in order to facilitate arrangements with a number of armed groups with a view to maintaining the companys activity and ensuring safe passage for its employees and supplies to and from the factory [1].

The cement company has already been the object of two enquiries. The first was initiated by the associations Sherpa and ECCHR, on 15 November 2016, while the second was launched by the French Minister of the Economy. Both were reacting to the alleged revelations in Le Monde, according to which Lafarge paid money to Daesh, in violation of UNO resolutions.

Its important to note that the articles published on 2 March in Intelligence Online (a confidential site belonging to Le Monde) and in Le Monde itself on 22 June 2016, were written by a journalist who is not affiliated with these news outlets - Dorothee Myriam Kellou. This young woman studied at Georgtown University. Her statements were confirmed in a book by Jacob Waerness, Risikosjef i Syra, in which the ex-employee decribes the frightening security situation of Lafarge personnel in Syria. The author pursued his collaboration with the cement company after the publication of his book.

The pseudo-revelations of Le Monde were organised in coordination with Lafarge-Holcim in order to focus the attention of the public and the judges on a single point of detail  namely, should they have accepted being held to ransom by Daesh.

The truth is worse than that.

The preparation of the war against Syria

In June 2008, NATO organised the annual meeting of the Bilderberg Group [2] in Chantilly (United States) during which Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama presented themselves to the participants.

Among the 120 people present were Bassma Kodmani (future spokeswoman for the Syrian National Coalition) and Volker Perthes (future assistant of Jeffrey Feltman at the UNO, for Syria). During a debate on the permanence of US foreign policy, they spoke up to commend the importance of the Muslim Brotherhood and the role they could play in the democratisation of the Arab world.

Jean-Pierre Jouyet (future Secretary General for the Elysee), Manuel Valls (future Prime Minister of France) and Bertrand Collomb (head of Lafarge) were present alongside Henry R. Kravis (future financial coordinator of Daech).

Lafarge in Syria

Lafarge is the worlds leading cement company. NATO entrusted it with the construction of the jihadists bunkers in Syria and the reconstruction of the Sunni part of Iraq. In exchange, Lafarge allowed the Alliance to manage its installations in these two countries, notably the factory in Jalabiyeh (at the Turkish border, north of Aleppo). For two years, the multinational supplied the materials and equipment for the construction of the gigantic underground fortifications which enabled the jihadists to defy the Syrian Arab Army.

Lafarge is currently directed by US citizen Eric Olsen, who has integrated into his company the factories of the Sawiris brothers and Firas Tlass. The latter is the son of General Moustapha Tlass, President Hafez el-Assads ex-Minister for Defence. He is the brother of General Manaf Tlass, whom France had once considered making the next Syrian President. He is also the brother of Nahed Tlass-Ojjeh, the widow of Saudi arms dealer Akram Ojjeh  she works with the journalist Franz-Olivier Giesbert.

The links between Lafarge and the French Special Forces are facilitated by the friendship between Bertrand Collomb (who became the honorary President of the multinational) and General Benoit Puga (Chief of Staff for Presidents Sarkozy and Hollande).

The lies of Le Monde

First of all, the online news outlet of the anti-Syrian mercenaires, Zaman Al-Wasl, published e-mails showing that Lafarge was paying money to Daesh. Then Le Monde published its articles and took the documents from Zaman Al-Wasl off its Internet site (although you can find them here on our Internet site).

According to Le Monde, the multinational was buying oil to keep its factory running. However, this is untrue  the factory in question runs almost exclusively on coal, which was still being delivered from Turkey. Without realising the enormity of its confession, the daily admitted that Lafarge produced 2,6 million metric tonnes of cement per year, destined for the rebel zones.

Yet throughout this terrible war, civilians could not obtain permission to build in these zones.

The construction of the jihadists bunkers

2,6 million metric tonnes for two years adds up to at least six million metric tonnes produced for the rebels. Im putting the word rebel in quotes, because these combatants are not Syrians  they come from all over the Muslim world, including Europe.

This amount of concrete is comparable to that used by the German Reich, in 1916-17, to build the Siegfried Line. Since July 2012, NATO  including France  have organised a war of position in conformity with the strategy described by Abou Moussab The Syrian in his 2004 book, Management of Savagery.

We can imagine the number of military engineers from the NATO Engineering Corps  including the French  who were necessary to build these colossal structures.

Lafarge, the Clintons and the CIA

During the 1980s, Lafarge was defended in its Alabama pollution trial by a famous lawyer, a certain Hillary Rodham-Clinton. She managed to reduce the fine imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencydown to only 1,8 million dollars.

During the mandate of George Bush Sr, Lafarge helped out the CIA by illegally transporting to Iraq the weapons which would be used later on during the rebellion, when Iraq was planned to invade Kuwait, and the international Coalition was planned to come to liberate it.

During the same period, Hillary Rodham-Clinton became an administrator for the multinational, a post she left when her husband was elected to the White House. President Bill Clinton then reduced to 600,000 dollars the fine that his wife had been unable to avoid for Lafarge. Good relations continued between them, since the cement company donated 100,000 dollars to the Clinton Fondation in 2015, and its new CEO, Eric Olsen, never hesitates to have his photo taken with Hillary Clinton.

The Russian military intervention

Entrenched in their bunkers, the jihadists were not afraid of the Syrian Arab Army, and had no difficulty in holding their positions. For two years, the country was cut in two, since the government chose to save the population and thus to abandon the area.

When Russia stepped in, answering the request by the Syrian government, its mission was to destroy the jihadists bunkers with penetrating bunker-buster bombs. The operation was intended to last three months, from September 2015 until the Orthodox Christmas (6 January 2016). However, the extent of Lafarge-Holcims constructions proved to be so massive that the Russian Army needed six months to finish the job.

Conclusion

When the transnational company Lafarge-Holcim finished its mission in service of the Military Engineering Corps of NATO, it closed its factory and lent it to the Alliance. So the factory in Jalabiyeh was transformed into a headquarters for the Special Forces of the United States, France, Norway and the United Kingdom, who were occupying the North of Syria illegally.

Contrary to the smoke-screen raised by Le Monde, this is not at all the sad story of a construction company which was forced to negotiate with jihadists in order to save its personnel. Lafarge-Holcims responsibility is its central role in a vast military operation aimed at the destruction of Syria - a secret war which cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
According to McClatchy, the FBI is investigating the internet sites, Breitbart and InfoWars in the context of its investigations into whether there was a Russian intervention in the presidential electoral campaign.

Breitbart is a news website. Steve Bannon (see photo), who is currently the President Trumps strategic adviser, used to be the editor-in-chief. It has been largely subsidized by Robert Mercer (who also supports Cambridge Analytica, the Cato Institute and the Media Research Center).

InfoWars is the internet site of Alex Joness radio show.

The Democratic Party is accusing both sites of sabotaging Hillary Clintons campaign and ensuring the election of Donald Trump.
Department of Employment Informational Leaflet

The Department of Employment has printed a leaflet that provides essential information to anyone considering setting up a business, trade or profession in Gibraltar. It will also inform employees of the statutory minimum and their entitlement.

The leaflet can be obtained from the Labour Inspectorate Offices at Unit 76, New Harbours, and online on www.gibraltar.gov.gi

It contains important information on:

- Registration

- Notification of Vacancies

- Termination of employment

- Detached Workers

- Annual leave and sick leave entitlements

- Required periods of notice and redundancy pay

- Employment legislation links

The Department of Employment is always available to provide information, guidance and advice to both employers and employees. Businesses and the general public are reminded that the department is there to serve their needs and should not hesitate to contact them on 20011037 for any queries they may have.

The Department say it is committed to provide the community with a first class service that they deserve and should expect.

Commenting on the above, the Minister for Tourism, Employment, Commercial Aviation and the Port, the Honourable Gilbert Licudi QC MP, said: The Department for Employment has, for the first time, published this essential information in an easily accessible way. I am confident that this leaflet will be a valuable resource and point-of-reference for both employers and employees.
Permanent Contracts for GHA Staff

Government has recently been engaged in positive and productive meetings with Unite the Union on the subject of staff contracts at the GHA.

Unite the Union, representing its many members employed at the GHA, has been working constructively with Government to keep the wellbeing of both workers and patients as the highest priority.

Clinicians recommended that many GHA staff members on fixed-term contracts should be retained indefinitely due to their good professional records. Following this clinical advice, the Government is pleased to announce that 39 permanent contracts have been offered to staff members who were previously on fixed term or supply contracts.

Seventeen permanent contracts have been offered to GHA staff members, including Consultants, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists. It is particularly important to note that the GHA has retained Specialist Nurses on permanent contracts, including Registered Mental Nurses, Critical Care Nurses and Theatre Nurses. These permanent contracts provide job security for our valued staff members and ensure continuity of care for patients.

Seven permanent contracts also have been offered to staff members of the Elderly Residential Services. In addition, all vacancies at the Catering Facility have been resolved and this includes the extension of 15 permanent contracts to general operative staff who had been employed on supply contracts.

Minister for Health and Care, the Hon Neil F Costa M.P, said: Following clinical advice, I am delighted to announce the permanent employment of GHA staff members who had previously been on fixed term or supply contracts. After a series of positive and productive meetings with Unite the Union, I am confident that this will provide staff members with the job security they deserve. I would like to extend a special thanks to Victor Ochello, Regional Branch Officer to Unite and Marilyn Bramble, Unite Convener, who has assisted in all the negotiations with staff and management.

Unite the Union GHA Convener, Marilyn Bramble, said: "I am pleased that we have been able to work productively with the Government to progress the interests of our members. I am confident that these permanent contracts will provide many of those who work hard to provide an essential service with the job security that they deserve. Unite understands and accepts that HM Government of Gibraltar has in place a detailed succession plan to train existing and additional Qualified Nurses for the specialisations required. The GHA at all times ensures high-quality and safe nursing care and staffing levels in any particular field of expertise. Unite understands HMGoG policy, in accordance with all relevant UK clinical guidelines, to attract and recruit individuals with links to the local community in order to safeguard these new and aspiring Qualified Nurses to train and progress into future jobs with the Gibraltar Health Authority, Elderly Residential Services and Care Agency. Unite is satisfied that it was able to draw a line in the sand and ensure that permanent contracts were made available for individuals who had already worked continuously for the GHA, for whom no suitably trained candidate has been identified.
The Convent Joins in Childline #8008 Challenge

This year Childline has called on the community to join in the #8008 challenge to raise awareness about their freephone Helpline number 8008. The Convent joined in on Wednesday by baking  and eating!  a cake displaying the Helpline number.

His Excellency the Governor, Lt Gen Edward Davis, was accompanied by his Worship the Mayor, The Hon Adolfo Canepa and the Convent Staff.

His Excellency said, It is really important to raise awareness and generate support for Childlines role and contribution in the well-being of our community. I am deeply impressed by their dedication and resourcefulness in the welfare of Gibraltars children. 
Adam Sandler. Photo: TIBRINA HOBSON/AFP/Getty Images

Adam Sandler is done. Specifically, it appears Adam Sandler is completely opting out of the things he doesnt like doing  for good. Two-and-a-half years after signing a four-movie deal with Netflix, the streaming giant announced today that Sandler has agreed to re-up for four more. Lets add that up  thats eight movies. For a person who was once one of the most consistent box-office draws in Hollywood, this is a clear message: Hes out, baby!

For context, its important to remember that between 1998 and 2011, almost every non-animated movie Adam Sandler starred in and produced  so, not Funny People or Spanglish  made over $100 million domestically. Theres only one exception: Little Nicky. Were talking about a run that includes 13 domestic box-office hits, from The Waterboy to Bedtime Stories. And then it mostly stopped, with Jack and Jill then Thats My Boy then Blended then Pixels failing to cross the $80 million threshold, and Grown Ups 2s $133 million haul acting as a sort of swan song for Sandlers cinematic relevancy.

Now it appears Adam Sandler has decided to stop trying to appeal to a wide audience. Sandler has always been press shy and, of course, had never been a critics favorite, but during his heyday, hed at least put forth a token effort at making the promotional rounds. He had to push his movies; he was making them for the masses. In Netflix, though, hes found a happy home. Making movies for the streaming service, where the two movies hes done have become their most watched, doesnt come with the same expectations or obligations. Youre not sold a Netflix movie  youre suggested it. The math is simple: If youve shown a history of liking Adam Sandler or Adam Sandleradjacent material, you will find out about his new movie, with no need for any other heavy lifting on his part.

So it appears Sandler is opting out of the movie-star game  a game he never really seemed to dress the part for anyway. Instead, hes just going to do what he likes (make movies) with the people he likes (Rob Schneider) and for the people who appreciate him (his fans). Hes done doing anything more than that.
The show will premiere on April 26 on Hulu.

By Anvita Singh: Canadian writer Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale has been adapted for the small screen, and its first full trailer was released by its makers recently.

The show will premiere on Hulu on April 26.

The trailer opens with Elisabeth Moss' character (protagonist and narrator Offred) saying, "I was asleep before, that's how we let it happen. When they slaughtered Congress, we didn't wake up, when they blamed the terrorists and suspended the Constitution, we didn't wake up then either. Now I am awake."

advertisement

Stuck in a dystopian American society, the narrator and the rest of the women (called Handmaids) are forced to bear children for the leaders of the new world and their "barren wives."

In this strange and scary world, women hardly have any rights.

So, how will our heroine fight the dictators, and will she win the battle?

WATCH: From evoking Dylan to darkness; the new American Gods trailer is as good as it gets

The show is being launched at a time when a number of questions are being raised by people everywhere regarding the present-day political scenario of America.

Feminism, dictatorship, and the borders separating black and white takes the centrestage in the trailer of the show.

The show stars Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Samira Wiley, and Alexis Bledel.

The trailer promises glorious and dark things. We hope it lives up to its promise, and wakes some people up while its busy achieving its goal.

*Fingers crossed.*

--- ENDS ---
Crashing. Photo: HBO

Artie Lange was arrested for possession of cocaine, heroin, and drug paraphernalia last week, an incident that left him anticipating his firing from HBOs Crashing. And, according to Lange, thats exactly what happened. Appearing on Len Berman & Todd Schnitt in the Morning, Lange spoke of the situation as if his termination was a done deal. He said, Since this HBO show Crashing premiered, which I just got fired from  I might go to jail. Ive had a lot of success and a lot of happy times, but when I do the failure stuff  thats all TMZ wants to talk about, and they get it out there and I lose my job.

It turns out, however, that Langes employers see things somewhat differently. In a statement to Page Six, HBO said, HBO has not fired Artie Lange. Crashing has completed production for season one and has been recently renewed for a second season. Scripts for season two have not yet been written. Judd Apatow, a producer on the Pete Holmes comedy, also denied Langes firing, tweeting, Artie was not fired from the show.

Artie was not fired from the show. https://t.co/fXCQAWreFb  Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) March 23, 2017

Upon Langes arrest, Apatow originally promised, We would never give up on Artie or anyone struggling with addiction. Regardless, it remains unclear as to whether Lange will be included in Crashings second season.
Photo: Mattel

Now that Amy Schumer has backed out of the starring role in the live-action Barbie movie, whats an 11-and-a-half-inch piece of plastic to do? Production is already rolling on the movie tie-in dolls, so the Sony comedy needs a lead actress and a director ASAP to meet the June 29, 2018, release date. The plot has been decided upon: The Barbie movie is said to be in the vein of Splash, Enchanted and Big, according to Variety. In it, the main character gets kicked out of Barbieland for not being perfect enough and lands in a real-world adventure. Barbara Millicent Roberts (yes, that is indeed Barbies full name) needs a new live-action actress, and weve culled legions of potential leads to find the seven actresses best suited to fill the iconic dolls shoes.

Photo: Getty Images; Mattel

Gina Rodriguez

Its harder than it looks to give depth and personality to a character defined by optimism and naivete. Gina Rodriguez has mastered that skill on Jane the Virgin, where she still manages to make Jane, who is no longer a virgin at this point, funny and compelling without turning into her an overexaggerated parody. Rodriguezs Barbie would be less a crass comedian than a dreamy misfit, who gets kicked out of the mostly blonde Barbie world for not looking the part. Rodriguez can sell Barbies steely determination out there in the real world, and add in some physical comedy, and when the Barbie movie hands her some character development, unleash the waterworks  nobodys better than Gina Rodriguez at crying. (For the sake of Michael fans, Brett Dier would of course be her Ken.)  Jackson McHenry

Photo: Getty Images; Mattel

Jessica St. Clair

Its completely unacceptable that Jessica St. Clair isnt a huge movie star by now. Shes a genius improviser whos consistently the best part of any podcast shes on. She can be incredibly raunchy and broad, but she has also produced (along with the brilliant Lennon Parham) two beautiful, heartwarming, and yes, hilarious, shows about female friendship (Best Friends Forever and Playing House). She could play the lead in most movie comedies and sell it, but shes particularly fit for taking on Barbie. You could believe her as a loud, opinionated, imperfect Barbie you instantly fall in love with and root for, or a Barbie who follows all the rules but one day decides shes not going to stay in the box anymore. I dare you to watch five minutes of Playing House (or listen to five minutes of her on any podcast) and not be instantly charmed.  Sarah Caldwell

Photo: Getty Images; Mattel

Tyra Banks

Cancel the casting call  Tyra Banks is the most qualified woman on this list. First of all, she made this movie almost two decades ago when it was called Life Size. But Tyra has another talent, an understanding that cant be taught: Despite spending her entire career as a savvy living Barbie through modeling and hosting gigs, shes good at making jokes about how beautiful she is. It sounds shallow, but its a skill: Pretty people have a hard time getting beyond the jokes about junk food and bad morning breath. Tyra is naturally goofy, the perfect fit for a Barbie comedy. Beyond that, dont we deserve to see Hoe, but make it fashion on the big screen? Yes. Yes we do.  Hunter Harris

Photo: Getty Images; Mattel

Melanie Lynskey

Melanie Lynskeys Twitter bio is exactly what makes her perfect for this role: Constant portrayer of morose or dispirited types. Obviously thats not going to fly in Barbieland, and after one too many sit-downs with the tribal council (which probably includes Anna Camp, Reese Witherspoon, and even Helen Mirren, with Bella Heathcote serving coffee), Melanie is banished from her ill-fitting home. The transition is hard, but it turns out her Barbies tendency toward cynicism, disappointment, spontaneous crying jags, and a love/hate relationship with her body dont make her a failure. They make her human! The idea of watching Lynskey awkwardly struggle to fit in a rigid and sterile world like Barbieland is so tender and genuine and darkly funny, Im already crying. Literally no one can play a square peg in a round hole as effectively as Lynskey, and if she doesnt get cast in this Barbie movie, a rival studio needs to fund another one just for her. Melanie Lynskey Barbie is all of us.  Jordan Crucchiola

Photo: Getty Images; Mattel

June Diane Raphael

June Diane Raphael is a comedic genius. Anyone who watched her play unlucky-in-love Julie Gristlewhite on the Bachelor parody Burning Love knows how seamlessly she can transition from clueless and hopeful to maybe a little unhinged. Its that kind of manic energy that would make her a perfect down-on-her-luck Barbie who still believes in a Barbie Dream World, but has to deal with a crummy and bleak reality.  SC

Photo: Getty Images; Mattel

Elle Fanning

If youre thinking right now that wispy, blonde, wide-eyed Elle Fanning is perfect Barbie material, then you would be right. If youre thinking she wouldnt get kicked out of Barbieland, though, youd be wrong. Elles Barbie yearns for adventure too strongly to be caged by the supposed perfection of Barbieland, and her constant daydreaming and inability to engage in the plastic molded perfection of her home would get her bounced from utopia. But the real world is where she wants to be anyway, and the little Wonderstruck Barbie is ready to embrace all the good, bad, and ugly that life has to offer. Alternately, this becomes the spiritual sequel to Neon Demon and Elle gets chased out of Barbieland because all the other the other try-hard Barbies want to literally eat pieces of her in hopes of absorbing what makes her effortlessly transcendent, and she goes on the lam to survive.  JC

Photo: Getty Images; Mattel

Nicki Minaj

Nicki has a few acting credits to her name, but she also has a legion of devoted fans who call themselves Barbz. Think of the cross promotion opportunities! Also, I mean, come on:  HH
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The New Yorker

In a burgeoning story line befitting a romantic comedy, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and Mindy Kaling exchanged flirtatious tweets today, and they may or may not have seriously committed to a dinner date in New Jersey some time next week. The exchange started when Booker playfully ribbed Kaling for a scene in the most recent episode of The Mindy Project in which she referenced him and took a jab at Newark. Kaling then assured him that her TV alter ego, Mindy Lahiri, has pretty bad judgment, and so if she talks shit about something that probably means its actually good.

Senator, if Mindy Lahiri shades it, it means we know it's cool. Thanks for the . It's mutual! https://t.co/KW2ibviREc  Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) March 23, 2017

Feeling emboldened by Kalings response, Booker went big and just straight-up asked Kaling to go to dinner with him in Newark. Maybe hes just playing the role of cultural ambassador to mitigate future trash talk about his constituents, but the heart emoji and use of a #PleaseSayYes suggest the senator from New Jersey might just be feeling himself and is ready to risk public rebuke from Kaling in pursuit of a date. Not only did she say yes, she requested a train schedule. Kaling either means it, or shes setting up the Democratic golden boy for an intentional public humiliation.

yes. Now let me get the PATH train schedule.  Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) March 23, 2017

At this point, Booker is feeling giddy like a teenager, deploying a grin and a confetti-party emoji in response to Kaling accepting his offer. He even went so far as to say (in our words, not his), Nah, girl, you dont have to take the train, because Ill pay for your Lyft. Booker apparently has said #ByeUber as well.

 Thank you! PATH train is awesome when you are Jersey bound. But you are @Lyft worthy! I will send one to you for the door to door. https://t.co/hTHqqyXLZn  Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 23, 2017

Kaling could be interested, or she could just be gathering material for a romantic comedy about a looking-for-love-in-all-the-wrong-places millennial gal who gets caught up in the world of D.C. politics after she starts dating a political up-and-comer. (We know shes done research in Washington before.) Obviously, the movie would star Kaling (ostensibly as herself) and a Cory Booker stand-in (maybe Maury Rooker for story), and it would follow them from their flirtatious Twitter beginnings all the way to their secret romance and clear through the inevitable breakup when she just cant handle playing second fiddle to his career anymore. Im not in love with the country! Im in love with you! After a wrenching montage in which we see both Kaling and Rooker staring off into the middle distance while everyone talks at them, he finally chooses love and gets on a PATH train one night to tell her shes the only one. But then, of course, he also becomes president and Kaling is the First Lady. If this happens  and lets just say it definitely will  whoever is running the PATH Twitter account will play a small but crucial supporting role.

And scene!
Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for European Shooti

Way back in 1998, when Emma Thompson was working on the movie Primary Colors with John Travolta, she apparently got propositioned for a date with the future president of the United States of America. And no, were not talking about Barack Obama. In a new television interview with Swedens SVT, the British treasure recounts the time Donald Trump called her up to ask her out. The recently divorced Thompson says she was in her trailer on set when a call came through, and the man on the other end announced himself by saying, Hi. This is Donald Trump here, and proceeded to offer her unsolicited lodging: I wondered if I could offer you some accommodation in my Trump Towers. Theyre very comfortable. Waving his real-estate holdings around as a kind of come-on sounds like a very Donald Trump thing to do, so were inclined to believe the call happened as Thompson described. When she asked why she would need a place to stay when she already has one, Trump apparently responded, Well you know, I think we would get on very well. Maybe we could have dinner sometime. At that point, Thompson politely extricated herself from the call, and from the course of American political history.
Just when you thought youd met all the Greys Anatomy power couples, in walk Hal Holbrook and June Squibb as a couple of retired elite surgeons who had an accident hiking in the woods. It took two minutes for me to want a spinoff about Lewis and Elsie when they were young surgeons falling in love. Or just them going on hikes as 95-year-olds. Really, anything that provides me with more Lewis-and-Elsie content.

You know something terrible is going to happen to this lovely couple. Theyve been married 60 years! Theres no way theyre surviving Grey Sloan Memorial. Amelia discovers a bleed in Elsies brain, and although she could perform surgery, she wouldnt recommend it for someone Elsies age. Lewis is totally against it, but Elsie wants to fight for more time with her husband. Sixty years isnt enough. My heart is in your hands, June Squibb. Be kind to it.

Shes not. She opts for the surgery. Afterward, Elsies out long enough for Lewis to have a heart-to-heart with Owen. They talk about the secret to a long marriage  there isnt one. He wouldnt have had the life he did without her. You know, the general things that would make one tear up.

After getting through the night, Amelia comes to check on Elsie, but shes already gone. Lewis is sitting there, holding his dead wifes hand and tells Amelia, 16:22. He made sure to get the time of death for the doctors. 16:22. And now hes alone and wont let Owen hail him a cab because these are the things he has to do for himself now. HOLD ME, JUNE SQUIBB.

Its a beautiful little story that, of course, applies to Lewis and Elsies doctors, Owen and Amelia. After more tense staring and Owen pleading with his wife to come home, Amelia blows up. In the hallway! In front of Lewis and Elsie! HAVE YOU NO DECENCY? She tells Owen that hes bullying her and suffocating her and then she invokes the name of Cristina Yang. Even Bailey, who is standing nearby, thinks that crosses a line.

In a stairwell, Amelia continues to make Owen think that hes the crazy one. Why do you even want a kid? she yells, as if it is totally out of this world for a person to want a child. When Owen points that out to her, she goes on about how they are always playing by his normal rules and thats not life. What he wants is a dream and when you have a child, you dont get to pick what you want. It doesnt always end the way you hoped. Listen, I get that Amelia is a broken person. Anyone would be after what she went through, but literally all Owen wants is to have an honest conversation with the woman he married.

Owen is a decent guy, and if Amelia is worried about him being able to handle the for worse, um, the guy is a war vet and head of trauma at the scariest hospital imaginable. Owen basically lives in for worse. Hes had his moments, but hes still here living that sweet, ginger life.

Its infuriating to watch. The whole thing is very repetitive and also is giving me a headache. So much yelling! Does anyone remember why these two fell in love with each other anyway? Can Owen just run back into the arms of that very nice Emma woman from season ten who wanted kids and could cook a full Thanksgiving dinner? CAN WE ALL JUST MOVE ON?

I am thankful to report that the Elsie and Lewis love story is not totally wasted, though. There is an adorable Bailey and Ben scene, the memory of which will warm my heart anytime it becomes iced over with recollections of the Amelia and Owen debacle. They hold hands in the surgery gallery and talk about lasting 60 years together. Ben thinks Bailey will be bossy (duh?). Bailey imagines Ben as the old man who repeats stories  including the C-section-on-a-table story, a real hoot!  but it ends with them talking about foot rubs and smooching. There, my icy heart is warmed.

The real stunner of a story line in Till I Hear It From You is Maggie finally finding out about her moms breast cancer. Of course, the reveal doesnt come until after some particularly harsh words from daughter to mother. Maggie picks Diane up at the airport and from that point on is just relentlessly shaming her mother for wanting to get a boob job. (Diane still hasnt told her shes actually getting a mastectomy.) Its tough to watch, obviously because we all know that Diane is sick and that once Maggie inevitably finds out, shes going to feel terrible. But also, if Diane were actually getting a breast enlargement post-divorce, Maggie still should not be saying the things that she is currently blasting through the entire hospital. Things like, I hope youll enjoy being a nice, self-involved lonely person with an incredible rack. That is a bridge too far, Margaret.

Jackson does his best to tell Maggie to ease up on her mother without disobeying Dianes wishes about staying mum until after the surgery, but Maggie is an unstoppable force. She cant understand how her prudish mother could ever want huge knockers. She needs a reason. Meredith and Amelia attempt to clue her in on that reason: sex, obviously. Then, for one brief moment, Amelia actually makes some sense. Okay, so Amelia is definitely talking about herself, but still she tells Maggie that her mother doesnt owe her a reason for this  and shes right. Give her your support and let the woman live.

Meanwhile, Jackson refuses to proceed with the surgery until Diane loops Maggie in. Diane needs a support system, it would be unsafe to go along with this otherwise. Also, Maggies strong, and she would want to fight this with her mother. So, the next time Maggie pops by, Diane tells her what shes really doing at Grey Sloan. The hurt, anger, and sadness that fill Maggies face as she looks over Dianes scans is remarkable. She looks from her mother to her friend Jackson, and she cant even speak. She has to walk away. Kelly McCreary is a champ in this episode.

As Jackson scrubs in for Dianes surgery, Maggie arrives. She doesnt want to be locked out of her mothers files anymore. Also, how could he, her supposed friend, let her talk to her mother that way? Jackson explains, very slowly, that he may be Maggies friend, but hes also a doctor. Maggies like, Oh, right, doctor rules, and then tells Jackson to fix her mother. No pressure.

Jackson works on Diane as Maggie paces out in the hallway. Its all very gripping. Before long, Jacksons face clues us in: Somethings not right. After leaving the OR, he finds Meredith and sends her to Maggie. Meredith finds her sister staring at Dianes scans, crying. My mom is really sick.

Oh, friends. We are really in for next week, arent we?

Laughter Is the Best Medicine, Except for Real Medicine

 Bros before potential love interests. Bailey would never use that word to describe a woman and Bailey is our queen, therefore, this is the new saying henceforth.

 Arizona and Webbers unlikely friendship continues to be a delight, even when theyre fighting. Webber lashes out at her, but takes it back. He just needs time to process the Minnick hookup. Thats real buddy stuff!

 You know what made me actually laugh out loud? Stephanie pouring her broken heart out to DeLuca, which he chooses as the perfect time to say, I think Im in love with Jo. Read the room, dude.

 Riggs is such a dork when trying to tell Mer how he feels about her, but it is charming. He finally asks her on a real date. Will Meredith eat soup out of his dimples? ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

 You should be picky about sex, youre hot. Alex is MIA for the majority of this episode, but boy does he make the most of his time with us.

 Speaking of, Alex not being able to look away from Dianes boobs is perfect.

Sob Scale: 7/10

Between Lewis saying, I have to figure things out for myself now, and Maggie  well, everything after Maggie finds out her mom is sick, the Sob Scale ticked upward throughout the entire episode. I fear for next week. The Sob Scale might explode.
Trayvon Martin. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

It appears that the deal between Jay Z and Weinstein Co. will continue to push on issues of racial justice: Per The Hollywood Reporter, the rapper-mogul and independent film behemoth have bought the rights to two books about the life and murder of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in 2012. Carter and Weinstein Co. will develop both a docu-series and a feature film based on the material. The two titles in question are Suspicion Nation, by NBC legal analyst and trial lawyer Lisa Bloom, which covers Zimmermans trial and eventual acquittal; and Rest in Power, written by Trayvons parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, about their sons life and the movement for justice that sprung from his tragic death. Jay Zs first project to arise from his Weinstein deal is Time: The Kalief Browder Story, which looks at Browders three-year stint in Rikers Island, much of it spent in solitary confinement, despite never being convicted of a crime. Browder committed suicide in 2015. Time is currently airing on Spike.
Kendrick Lamar. Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images

Kendrick Lamar wiped his Instagram this week and posted (and swiftly deleted) a photo of the Roman numeral IV, which is all any artist of his stature needs to do to set the internet ablaze. Rumors swirled that he was advancing the rollout of his fourth studio album to swipe some thunder out from under Drakes More Life, the same way To Pimp a Butterfly vacuumed the hype out of If Youre Reading This Its Too Late a month after its release in 2015. Turns out the Compton rapper was giving a quick warning for the impending release of The Heart Part 4, the latest track in a series that stretches back to the launch of his 2010 mixtape (O)verly (D)edicated. Its a clever conceit: Kendrick reintroduces himself to the fandom before each major career move. Parts 1 and 2 presaged OD with breakneck lyrical dexterity from a kid rap fans werent quite wise to just yet. Part 3 bounced dazzling bars off Kendricks Black Hippy partners Jay Rock and Ab-Soul days before his major label debut good kid, m.A.A.d city.

The Heart Part 4 opens with Kendrick running capable warm-ups over a warm AOR shuffle, but a beat change about a minute in reveals his true intent, as Lamar blurts out, My fans cant wait for me to son your punk ass and crush your whole little shit. Part 4 is a diss track, for fellow rappers, for Donald Trump, for hidden Russian operatives believed to have helped sway our election. Fans havent come to a consensus about which rapper(s?) inspired the three-minute flurry of insults on the back end of the song. Timing and phrasing would suggest Drake. Theres a stray line in the OVO heads new song Gyalchester (I know I said Im top five, but Im top two / And Im not two, and I got one) that might bait Kendrick into declaring himself the best rapper alive while More Life is still fresh and generating conversation. There are also lines in Kendricks song that suggest hes angling for Big Sean. (In his 2016 track No More Interviews, Sean rapped: Im just not impressed by you niggas rapping fast / Who sound like one big asthma attack but trash when Im rapping it back. A series of snippy lines about size in Part 4 could be a bit of toying around with Seans nom de rap.) The truth is probably a bit of both.

Whats clear in spite of the foggy whos and whats of The Heart Part 4 is that Kendrick doesnt need to press these guys anymore. He already laid waste to most of his peers on Control, showing Big Sean up on his own song. He sent multiple jabs at Drake and never heard back. He released two of the decades best rap albums back-to-back and earned the reverence and fanaticism of two different generations of fans in the process. This is not a rapper who needs to remind people he ranks among the best practitioners of his craft. Announcing a new project with a diss track is a J. Cole move. Part 4 spends too much time flipping off peers in Kendricks rearview to access the core of the song series, which is lyrical excellence and pure heart. The Dash Snow and Roots sampling Part 2 remains the best entry in the Heart series, and, in retrospect, its a poignant rebuke to this new one: We used to beefing over turf, fuck beefing over a verse / Niggas dying, motherfuck a double entendre. In its closing bars Part 4 threatens to drop something else on April 7. Lets hope hes looking forward by then instead of punking lesser MCs for laughs.
Kendrick Lamar. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for American Express

Hours after teasing what all signs point to being his upcoming release, IV, Kendrick Lamar has debuted its first single. The Heart Part 4, which appears on iTunes with IVs cover art, marks one of Lamars first major projects since his surprise untitled unmastered dropped last year. The song is a dense track, replete with musings on Donald Trump, politics writ large, and Lamars conviction that he is the greatest rapper alive. Best of the best or no, its good to have him back. Listen to The Heart Part 4 below.
There is an entire industry of sorts built around the unnerving precociousness that pageant kids evoke, so when you throw in the added element of an unsolved murder, well you just might go spastic from the chill that Casting JonBenets trailer will send up your spine. For the Netflix documentary-narrative-feature hybrid, filmmakers went to Boulder, Colorado, the site of JonBenet Ramseys murder to elicit responses, reflections and even performances from the local community. Somehow, that intriguing conceit turned into a young Burke Ramsey stand-in terrifyingly intoning, If you tell someone a secret, its no longer a secret. The film debuts on Netflix on April 28.
T2 Trainspotting. Photo: Sony Pictures

How long is too long to wait to make a sequel to your movie? Increasingly, the question is becoming moot: No movie these days is too old to get a sequel, as long, of course, as that sequel is commercially relevant. Such an approach has seen results both good (Mad Max: Fury Road, released 30 years after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome) and not-so-good (Zoolander 2), but fortunately for Danny Boyle, his 20-years-later sequel T2 Trainspotting seems to have landed in the former camp, opening to strong reviews as it expands wide this weekend.

T2 reunites many of the principals from the first film, including Boyle, writer John Hodge, and stars Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremmer, Johnny Lee Miller, and Robert Carlyle, checking in with the gang two decades later: Mark Renton (McGregor) returns to Edinburgh to find Spud (Bremmer), Sick Boy (Miller), and Begbie (Carlyle) still stuck, to varying degrees, in the cycles of their past. That allows the characters to be put through a wringer similar to the previous movie, but with plenty of chronological updates, including Snapchat filters, video games, and small-business loans from the European Union. Naturally, some things never change (heroin), and the final result ends up as iterative as it is progressive. Much like life.

If T2 mostly sticks the delayed landing, especially for fans of its predecessor  even if some elements have aged a little less well  then it raises a question for future filmmakers trying the same scheme. What exactly makes certain down-the-road sequels succeed where others fail? Here are a few tips for the next time Hollywood chooses to resurrect a sleeping franchise.

Make the time gap a major part of the story.

Almost unanimously, the best of this type of film tend to steer head-on into the fact that the characters have been out of view for a while. T2 does this with Rentons return, which opens old wounds that date back, conveniently, to when these characters were in a movie together; by focusing exclusively on the protagonists of the first film, the question of time becomes infused into every scene, conversation, and narrative beat. Conversely, when movies brush the passage of time aside as a joke or a meta-narrative inconvenience (Zoolander 2, Dumb and Dumber To), that sense of insincerity tends to hang over the entire enterprise. The shining examples of how to use time across sequels are Richard Linklaters Before trilogy and Francois Truffauts Antoine Doinel cycle, which both treat the years lost between films with as much interest as they do what we see onscreen. This serves the dual purpose of taking the audiences lives seriously  after all, they aged just as much as the characters did  and justifying the decision to revisit the world in question.

A protege helps.

If youd rather focus mainly on the protagonist from the first film, mixing him or her with a younger milieu while staying within your lingua franca of choice, the best move is to find a protege. The protege will allow you to skew across demographics and put a new character through a familiar set of trials and tribulations, except more relevant and less obviously  old. In Martin Scorseses The Color of Money, Tom Cruise comes in to share hustling duties with The Hustler himself, Paul Newman. Similarly, Shia LaBeouf played the Tom Cruise to Michael Douglass Paul Newman in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Oliver Stones 22-years-later sequel to Wall Street  although you could also say that LaBeouf plays the Charlie Sheen to Michael Douglass Michael Douglas, considering that the first film had already utilized the protege dynamic for Gordon Gekko. Tron: Legacy, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (LaBeouf used to do this a lot), and Creed also used this technique, as did, to some extent, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.



Or focus on different characters entirely.

Failing either of those approaches, the best path is often to populate the same weird with a separate cast of characters. Mad Max: Fury Road did this to great effect, filling a world that connected aesthetically and thematically to that of the first three Mad Max movies with novel heroes, villains, societies, and scenery, with the film defined by its style and quality rather than relying on prior emotional investment from the audience. This tends to work particularly well when trying to get a larger franchise back up and running, as was the case with Prometheus and Jurassic World.



And lastly: Make it good.

Although if it isnt, straight-to-VOD is still an option, even though its heyday has passed. A Christmas Story 2, anyone?
By Press Trust of India: Colombo, Mar 24 (PTI) Sri Lankas main Tamil party TNA today welcomed the UNHRC decision giving the government two more years to set up its accountability mechanism to probe the alleged war crimes committed during the civil war with the LTTE.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said the resolution gives specific time frame to Sri Lanka and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on the successful implementation of the 2015 resolution.

advertisement

At the same time, the TNA warned that, "the Tamil people have reached their limits of tolerance, and urge that their deprivation and suffering on these several issues be brought to an early end".

"In keeping with its commitments, we urge the government to sincerely address the issues of land release, the detention of Tamil political prisoners, grievances of the families of missing persons, and the enactment of constitutional reforms," it said in a statement.

Thirty-six more countries co-sponsored the UNHRC resolution which was adopted without a vote in Geneva yesterday. This was in addition to the original sponsors - the US, the UK, Montenegro and Macedonia. They recognised Sri Lanka had made good progress in its reconciliation attempts.

The TNAs move supporting more time for Sri Lanka was criticised by the Tamil hardline diaspora groups which said that they have lost confidence in the Sri Lankan government.

The resolution, Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka gives Sri Lanka two years to show more progress on the transitional justice process.

Sri Lanka was granted 18 months by a UNHRC resolution in October 2015 to initiate a credible investigation into the over three-decades long civil war with the LTTE.

The two-year time was allowed despite strong opposition from the Tamil lobby who cited inaction by the government to show genuine commitment to the resolution.

UN rights council had called for international judges to help investigate possible war crimes to guarantee impartiality.

According to the UN figures, up to 40,000 civilians were killed by the security forces during former president Mahinda Rajapaksas regime that brought an end to the conflict with the defeat of LTTE in 2009. PTI CORR CPS AKJ CPS

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) Japanese auto major Toyotas luxury brand Lexus today entered India with the launch of three models priced up to Rs 1.09 crore (ex-showroom).

Lexus introduced the RX Hybrid model priced at Rs 1.07 crore, RX F Sport hybrid at Rs 1.09 crore and ES 300h hybrid sedan priced at Rs 55.27 lakh (all prices ex-showroom).

advertisement

The company also unveiled its top end SUV LX450d, but didnt announce price, along with the fifth generation Lexus LS which would be available for sales from next year.

Lexus is entering the Indian market with an aim to tap the growing number of luxury customers, specially those Toyota customers who are looking to upgrade.

"Toyota manufactures Camry hybrid already in India and many of the customers are looking to upgrade. Therefore, it is the right time for Lexus to enter the Indian market so that our customers dont go to other brands," Lexus International President Yoshihiro Sawa told PTI here.

"The Indian luxury customers are growing and its part of our future strategy to tap them," he added.

The company will start retailing the products from four dealerships -- Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bengaluru -- to start up in the country.

Additionally it will also establish service centres at Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.

Lexus India Senior Vice President Akitoshi Takemura said they will have to first see the response in the country before before taking a call on having local manufacturing in India.

"There is scope for local manufacturing, we support Prime Ministers Make in India initiative but for the time being we are just starting operations. We will have to see how the market functions. If volume consolidates and reach a critical level then we may think of local manufacturing," Takemura said.

At present the models would be imported from Japan, he added.

When asked about competition in the luxury segment with established brands like Audi and Mercedes already present for more than a decade, Takemura said the they would first like to establish in the country and would not go for big numbers.

"Our pricing position is higher than JLR or German brands. We havent set a sales target as such and would like to create Lexus brand in the country," he said.

When asked about synergy with Toyota brand, he said that some of the existing dealers would also be able to provide servicing facilities to the Lexus customers as they are already experienced on providing service to Toyota Camry hybrid customers.

advertisement

Bullish on the Indian market, Takemura said, "High net worth individuals are growing in India , getting more affluent and they are spending on luxury items."

Besides, Lexus would like to provide the solution of eco friendly mobility in luxury segment, he said. PTI MSS RKL SA

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Mar 24 (PTI) US President Donald Trump got into a parked truck, honked, and pretended to drive in a gesture to welcome the trucking industry representatives in the White House.

Yesterday afternoon, in the presence of a media persons, Trump came from his residence and walked towards two large trucks parked in front of the White House.

advertisement

While one was emblazoned with a US flag, the other was with a photograph of a trucker,a boy and the words: "It takes 7 million people to move America like my dad."

As Trump shook hands with CEOs of trump companies and drivers, he could be overheard congratulating the drivers on their safety record: "Accident free," he said a few times.

He later joked with the drivers as he turned to the CEOs, "Who makes more, them or you?" Trump then hopped up into one of the trucks.

He hit the horn a couple of times, closed the driver side door and waved to the press from the window. After handshaking, the president walked toward the West Wing, but the social media, in particular tweet was abuzz with pictures of Trump on the big truck.

Later Trump was joined by a group of CEOs and drivers in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

He was joined by Indian-American Seema Verma, Administrator of a key health care agency who is playing an important role in the presidents healthcare reforms.

Trump joked a couple of times that he couldnt spend too much time with the truckers because of the vote.

"Imnot going to make it too long, because I have to get votes," he said.

"I dont want to spend too much time with you. Im going to lose by one vote and then Im going to blame the truckers,"he said.

When a CEO from Flint, introduced himself, Trump chimed in: "We just gave a check for a hundred million dollars to Flint. Think of that whole, horrible deal. Thats great political leadership. What a disaster. In order tosave a fee, they went to bad water and spent a fortune on pipes and infrastructure. Anyway, were helping out Flint."

In his brief remarks, Trump praised the truckers.

"No one knows America like truckers know America. You see it every day. You see every hill, and you see every valley and you see every pothole in our roads that have to be rebuilt," he said.

advertisement

"Through day and night in all kinds of weather truckers course the arteriesof our nations highways. You carry anything and everything -- the food that stocks our shelves, the fuel that runs our cars and the steel that builds our cities," he added.

"You think I wrote that?" Trump said to laughter.

"I want to save that paragraph. But America depends on you. And you work very hard for America," Trump said. PTI LKJ AJR

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) Microblogging site Twitter suspended official accounts of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad but reinstated them after social media users criticised the move.

The ABVPs official Twitter account, @ABVPVoice, Delhi state account -- @ABVPDelhi and that of its national office secretary Rahul Sharma and national media convener Saket Bahuguna were "suspended" last evening, ABVP General Secretary Vinay Bidre said in a statement.

advertisement

"It surely creates suspicion and smells of prejudice," he said.

While Twitter India was "forced to revoke the suspensions" this morning following a massive online "backlash", the incident has raised questions over the functioning of social media platforms, Bidre said.

An e-mail sent to the microblogging site for a comment on the matter did not elicit any response.

The RSS-backed student organisation has demanded that Twitter state the "real reason" for "suspension" of its accounts. PTI VIT GVS

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Lucknow, Mar 24 (PTI) Three women constables of the Uttar Pradesh police who allegedly took selfies with a 45-year-old acid attack victim while she was undergoing treatment in a hospital today were suspended while an enquiry has been ordered.

The victim, who allegedly has faced acid attacks and gang rape in the past, had claimed that she had been forced to drink acid by two men in the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express yesterday and had been taken to the King Georges Medical University for treatment.

advertisement

However the three constables, deployed there for her protection, took selfies with the victim in her bed which went viral. A red faced police department was forced to suspend the three constables and order a probe.

The plight of the victim also caught the attention of state chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi, who visited her and announced a Rs 1 lakh assistance. He also desired that the guilty be arrested.

The police claimed to have arrested the two accused persons identified as Bhondu Singh and Guddu Singh.

According to police officials, the shocking incident came to light when the woman got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Charbagh station here and gave a written complaint to the government railway police.

She had written it being unable to speak, they said.

As per the complaint, the alleged victim said that two persons forced her to drink acid around 10.30 AM yesterday.

This was allegedly the fourth attack on the woman.

Allegedly, in 2012, she was was attacked with a knife while in 2013 she was attacked with acid, police sources said.

Two men had allegedly gang-raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar (Raebareli) in 2009, 100 kilometres from Lucknow, they added.

The woman works with a cafe run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow and had gone home on March 10 as her daughter was taking class 10 examinations, police sources. The victim told the cops that she was returning yesterday when the incident took place.

She was then taken to the King Georges Medical University for treatment where three women constables, deployed to protect her, took selfies with the victim in the hospital bed.

The purported photographs, which went viral, show the three constables sitting near the bed of the victim.

A Satish Ganesh, IG (Lucknow Zone), termed the three constables "insensitive" and promised action. The three were suspended and a probe in to the incident ordered.

advertisement

In a meeting later, Aditya Nath also told state officials asked for effective steps in cases of acid attacks. PTI ABN TIR ADS

--- ENDS ---
Zachary Hoelscher, an eighth-grader from Robinson Junior High School, won the Central Texas Spelling Bee held March 17 at McLennan Community Colleges Lecture Hall.

For winning the local bee, Zachary advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He receives an expenses-paid trip to attend Bee Week activities and compete in the national bee to be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in National Harbor, Maryland, from May 28 to June 3.

Placing second was Mia Gulley, a fifth-grader from Eagle Christian Academy.

Third place went to Ian Song, a third-grader from South Bosque Elementary.

Thirty students from 15 area schools competed in the local bee. The bee is open to spellers from enrolled schools through the eighth grade.

The Central Texas bee was sponsored by the family of Audre Rapoport, in her memory, in honor of her fondness for providing this opportunity to local children.
Rapoport Academy celebrated Dr. Seuss birthday recently with the added gift of books for students donated by a local business.

Domtar Corporation, which has a manufacturing facility in Waco, is a Fortune 500 company that produces a wide variety of everyday products such as copy paper and diapers.

As a part of its Power Pages campaign, Domtar has partnered with First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides books to children in need, since 2012 to provide more than half a million dollars in grants to schools and programs in cities that are home to Domtar facilities.

For the Seuss event, several Domtar employees visited the campus to deliver the books  each student received a book to keep  and read to the classes.
McLennan County Commissioner Will Jones, arrested Tuesday for an improper offer made to a primary opponent, has struck a plea deal with state prosecutors and will not contest the charge.

Officials in Wacos 54th State District Court have set an April 21 plea hearing for Jones, at which he will either plead guilty or no contest to the Class A misdemeanor charge of offering a gift to a public servant.

The plea bargain, struck by Assistant Attorney General Amy Cadwell and Jones attorneys, Jim Dunnam, Thomas West and Jeff Kearney, calls for Jones to be placed on deferred adjudication probation for one year. He also is expected to be fined and ordered to perform community service, officials said.

The plea deal is not official unless Visiting State District Judge James Morgan accepts it.

A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in the county jail and a $4,000 fine.

Morgan was appointed to hear the case after 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson recused himself. The attorney generals office agreed to prosecute Jones after McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna recused his office and asked the Texas Rangers to investigate possible bribery charges against Jones.

In deferred probation cases, there is no final judgment of guilt and no final conviction on the defendants record if he or she successfully completes the term of probation.

Texas law requires officeholders convicted of crimes involving official misconduct to resign from office, but Jones will not have a conviction if he completes deferred adjudication probation.

We believe we are making progress toward an appropriate and final resolution, and Commissioner Jones continues to cooperate, Dunnam said, declining additional comment.

Jones, 45, declined comment Thursday, referring questions about his plea deal to Dunnam.

Jones, who remains free after posting $1,000 bond, was re-elected to a second term in November. His arrest stems from an offer he made to personally reimburse Ben Matus the cost of his $1,250 filing fee, if Matus would drop out of the Republican primary race for Precinct 3.

Jones admitted in January 2016 he made the offer to Matus, saying he didnt consider it wrong. He called it a simple business transaction.

Jones defeated Matus, an auto repair instructor at Texas State Technical College, in the primary with 56 percent of the vote and won 83 percent of the vote in the general election against Libertarian challenger David Reichert in November.

Matus taped his phone conversations with Jones and saved text messages from him.

Matus did not report the offer to authorities but posted a recording of his exchange with Jones on his campaign Facebook page.

Matus said last year that Jones texted him several times and called him in December 2015.

He was serious. He offered to pay me to drop out of the race, Matus said at the time. He kind of blindsided me. He told me I was wasting my time and money, and I kind of got agitated. It is my time and my money. He said it is a losing cause, but it made me want to run against him even more.
By Press Trust of India: acid

Lucknow, Mar 24 (PTI) A 45-year-old woman was allegedly forced to drink acid on a train, but her misery did not end there as three women constables of the Uttar Pradesh police then took selfies with the victim, which went viral.

The shocking case also caught the attention of state chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi, who visited her while the police claimed to have arrested the two accused persons identified as Bhondu Singh and Guddu Singh.

advertisement

A probe was ordered in to the "insensitive" conduct of three lady constables.

According to police officials, the shocking incident came to light when the woman got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Charbagh station here and gave a written complaint to the government railway police.

She had written it being unable to speak, they said.

As per the complaint, the alleged victim said that two persons forced her to drink acid around 10.30 AM yesterday.

This was allegedly the fourth attack on the woman.

Allegedly, in 2012, she was was attacked with a knife while in 2013 she was attacked with acid, police sources said.

Two men had allegedly gang-raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar (Raebareli) in 2009, 100 kilometres from Lucknow, they added.

The woman works with a cafe run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow and had gone home on March 10 as her daughter was taking class 10 examinations, police sources. The victim told the cops that she was returning yesterday when the incident took place.

She was then taken to the King Georges Medical University for treatment where three women constables, deployed to protect her, took selfies with the victim in the hospital bed.

The purported photographs, which went viral, show the three constables sitting near the bed of the victim.

A Satish Ganesh, IG (Lucknow Zone), termed the three constables "insensitive" and promised "immediate action" against them.

During his visit, Chief Minister Minister announced a Rs 1 lakh assistance for the woman. Women Welfare Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi also visited the victim and assured all help for her. (More) PTI ABN TIR ADS

--- ENDS ---
LONDON  Former Waco resident Kurt Cochran was among the three people killed in Wednesdays attack in London, according to a Facebook post by a family member of Cochran and first reported by WFAA-TV in Dallas.

Shantell Paynes public Facebook post reads, in part: With a heavy heart I must pass the sad news of our beautiful brother, father, husband, son and friend Kurt Cochran, he could not overcome the injuries he received in the London terror attacks.

Payne goes on to say write that Cochrans wife, Melissa, was hospitalized with injuries including a broken leg, rib and a cut to her head, but is expected to recover. The couple, who had since moved to Utah, were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

The couple was on the final day of their European trip when they were among the crowd of people on Londons Westminster Bridge struck by an SUV.

Kurt Cochran was killed and his wife, Melissa Cochran, was among dozens who were severely injured, according to a statement issued Thursday by the family through a Mormon church spokesman. The couple was visiting Melissa Cochrans parents who were serving a church mission in London.

Authorities on Thursday identified a 52-year-old British man as the person who ran down the Cochrans and other pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism  but was not currently on a terrorism watch list.

Bittersweet posts

Pictures on Kurt Cochrans Facebook page show the couple enjoying their sightseeing travels through Europe prior to the tragic events. In one post, there are pictures of German architecture beneath a caption, Trier Germany. Another WOW! In another, he is shown smiling and holding a German beer under the caption, After a long day of sightseeing.

Family and friends are heartbroken over the loss of a loving husband and father who loved music.

For the past decade, the couple ran a recording studio in their basement where he helped musicians develop their talents. The couple lives in a middle class neighborhood with small, older homes arranged on both sides of a quiet road in a bedroom community just outside Salt Lake City.

Among first victims

Melissas brother, Clint Payne, said through a verified GoFundMe account webpage that the couple was among the first group hit by a vehicle on the Westminster Bridge.

Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our sister and daughter, Melissa, the statement said.

Melissa Cochran is still hospitalized. She suffered a broken leg, broken rib and a cut and bruises, said a friend, Mike Murphy.

Murphy, owner of Murphys Guitars in Bountiful, said Kurt Cochran would come into his shop regularly to buy recording equipment for his basement studio where he tried to help young bands get started by charging only a small fee for them to use the studio.

He loved music, Murphy said. He was always around when there were music things going on.

Emma Dugal, executive director of Bountiful Davis Art Center, said the couple has been volunteering at the organizations annual summer arts festival for years. Calling what happened devastating, she said they both are very warm, friendly people and were inseparable.

She said Cochrans death will have a huge impact on the music community, especially for young musicians.

I know of musicians who lacked confidence and who werent sure how they wanted to present their talent, but Kurt encouraged them and got them out into performing, and made a huge difference in so many lives.
What happens if, after a jury convicts a defendant, one or more of the jurors alert the judge or lawyers that serious misconduct occurred in the jury room? The answer, in a recent major Supreme Court decision, is that it depends on what the wrongdoing was.

In 1987, jurors complained that several of their fellow panelists were using drugs and alcohol and often asleep during the trial. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court upheld the defendants conviction, citing centuries-old principles that prevent courts from invading the confidentiality of private-jury deliberations. We want jurors to have the independence it takes to converse freely. That independence is lost if jurors know that judges can investigate their behavior. Although its bothersome to learn jurors were high on drugs, the court concluded there was no evidence that such wrongdoing was common enough to change the traditional prohibition from reviewing what went on in the jury room.

But in a decision this month, the Supreme Court reacted differently, and correctly, when the misconduct involved racial or ethnic prejudice. In 2010, a Colorado jury convicted Miguel Angel Pena-Rodriguez of sexual assault. After the conviction, two jurors submitted an affidavit reporting that a fellow juror blatantly argued the defendant was guilty because Mexican men had a bravado that caused them to believe they could do whatever they wanted with women. Following the Supreme Court precedent set in the 1987 drug case, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld Pena-Rodriguezs conviction.

The Supreme Court reversed it. Even centuries-old jury traditions have to give way to the paramount importance of rooting out racial prejudice from the criminal justice system. As opposed to the occasional misconduct of rogue jurors using drugs during a trial, anyone familiar with the history of the American jury knows that racial bias is a familiar and recurring evil. Any rule or tradition that keeps courts from protecting jury trials from racial prejudice would make a mockery of the Constitutions guarantee of trial before an impartial jury.

In this political climate, the courts call to recommit the nation to eliminate racial prejudice is welcome. But will it make a difference? The court limited its decision to cases of overt or explicit bias of the sort Pena-Rodriguez faced. The justices suggested more tolerance for off-hand stereotypical remarks, without providing guidance as to when stereotypes morph into prejudice. Clearly, the court is worried about chilling the rough and tumble exchanges we might want among jurors.

The Supreme Court also limited its decision to instances of racial or ethnic prejudice. But what about remarks expressing religious bias, or prejudice against gays or lesbians? The court cited historical reasons for singling out race as a special case. But in todays world, who can say a jury exposed to these other forms of prejudice is impartial? The court did not wish to open Pandoras box and start routinely investigating jury deliberations. It wants both to preserve our general faith in the jury system while dealing with the particularly egregious effects of race on the administration of justice.

We should not seek to make jurors into more perfect human beings than we are. But we can insist, as the court did, it would be unconscionable as well as unconstitutional to let a jury conviction stand in the face of evidence of juror racial bias. Whatever else the court decision accomplishes, it serves as a necessary corrective with prejudicial rhetoric on the rise in our daily politics.

Jeffrey Abramson is a professor of law and government at The University of Texas at Austin and author of We, The Jury: The Jury System and the Ideal of Democracy.
This week, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch took the hot seat and offered testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. If confirmed, he will be one of only 113 people to sit on the high court since it was established in 1789.

Why have so few people had this honor? Because the Constitution effectively grants life tenure to justices. The Constitution states that justices shall hold their office during good behavior and that they can be removed only by impeachment. In the 228-year history of the Supreme Court, only one justice has been impeached (and he was not removed); the others have served until their voluntary retirement or death.

The United States is rare among the worlds constitutional democracies in granting unlimited tenure to unelected high court judges. The system does have some advantages. It protects justices from the influence of ordinary politics and allows them to focus on constitutional duties without considering any decisions effects on future career opportunities.

Nonetheless, legal scholars and political scientists increasingly question whether life tenure remains a good idea. While scholars disagree about the exact numbers, our Supreme Court justices are serving longer and longer terms; presidents have incentives to choose younger and younger nominees; and the justices themselves appear to delay retirement in the hope of having an ideologically compatible president select their replacements. Moreover, the confirmation process has become increasingly contentious, culminating last year in Senate Republicans refusing to even grant a hearing to President Obamas nominee, Merrick Garland.

As a result, many scholars propose a shift to staggered 18-year terms. What are the pros and cons of such a change? Heres a breakdown.

What would be good about 18-year terms?

First, term limits could make appointments less politically fraught. Our research shows that selecting Supreme Court nominees has always been political. Thats not a bad thing. Having elected officials select Supreme Court justices ensures that, over time, the Supreme Courts decisions do not get too far out of step with public opinion. Such indirect public accountability probably is essential in a system like ours, where our justices are charged with deciding how words written hundreds of years ago apply to contemporary situations.

But when the nations politics are polarized, partisan antagonism can shut down the entire system, as happened with Garlands nomination and may happen now. Staggered 18-year terms could help prevent that, lowering the stakes for each nomination while retaining an appropriate level of democratic accountability. When fully implemented, 18-year terms would evenly distribute appointments so that each president would nominate two justices per term, with a midyear election falling in between. Vacancies would be predictable and evenly paced, draining confirmation hearings of much of the current drama. If a sitting justice dies or needs to step down before his or her expected resignation date, the seat could be temporarily filled by a lower court judge or a retired one, drawn from a pool and thus sitting by designation.

Second, by tying appointments more predictably to each elections results, this system would increase the Supreme Courts democratic accountability. Studies have found that justices over time drift from the ideological preferences of the governing coalition that appointed them. More frequent turnover would reduce this drift. The Supreme Courts views would better reflect the choices of the American people rather than vagaries of chance and time.

One major problem with life tenure is that justices serve for so long that they can become out of touch with the nation they help lead. Staggered 18-year terms minimize this risk.

Finally, term limits could increase the quality of nominees. Like it or not, one of the driving factors behind current presidential appointments is a nominees age. Individuals older than about 60 years of age are unlikely to be appointed. (Garland, age 63 at the time of his nomination, was likely picked in part in hopes that his relatively advanced age would reduce opposition to his appointment.) This means presidents are intentionally excluding a sizable number of highly qualified individuals from serving on the Supreme Court. Term limits solve this problem.

And what would be bad about 18-year terms?

First, term limits may hurt judicial independence. One of the chief arguments against term limits is that life tenure frees the justices from political or popular pressure. Justices are not elected officials, and we dont want them to respond too much to the passing passions of ordinary politics. We also dont want them to worry too much about post-Supreme Court careers. Shorter terms could prompt justices to think too much about how their votes play in the arena of public opinion or  worse  how they may limit or help future earnings.

Second, the Supreme Courts legitimacy might be threatened by shorter terms. Life tenure enables the justices to interpret and apply the Constitution exactly the way they see fit, without considering pressure or repercussions. This perception of independence may be important to what scholars call the Supreme Courts diffuse support  the perception that people support the Supreme Court regardless of disagreement with particular decisions because they believe the Supreme Court overall is engaged in something other than ordinary politics.

Third, staggered 18-year terms could not eliminate all risk of political gamesmanship. A determined Senate majority could still refuse to act on a nomination or vote down a nominee they found unacceptable. But term limits would change the political calculations and incentives by creating a predictable, fair distribution of seats over time and making each individual vacancy less consequential.

The final argument against term limits may be the most important: They may be impossible to implement. Creating legally enforceable Supreme Court term limits would almost certainly require amending the Constitution. Thats unlikely to happen anytime soon. Any solution short of a constitutional amendment would require getting justices and senators to agree to change the norms and customs governing retirement and confirmation. In other words, they would have to voluntarily agree to play by a new set of rules. Given the state of politics today, that may be too much to ask.

Lori A. Ringhand is the associate dean for academic affairs and J. Alton Hosch Professor of Law at the University of Georgia School of Law. Paul M. Collins Jr. is a professor of political science and director of legal studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They are the authors of Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings and Constitutional Change.
Where your right ends

Rebecca Fox, who in her March 16 letter claims she donates to Planned Parenthood every time Pro-Life Waco director John Pisciotta writes a letter to the Trib, has every right to gather as many financial supporters as she can to contribute to Planned Parenthood. At a luncheon in Fort Worth a few weeks back, Planned Parenthood raised over $400,000 in one hour through similar supporters. So if Planned Parenthood has that many financial supporters who can raise that kind of money, why does this organization need to depend on 42 percent of its funding from taxpayers?

Furthermore, PP claims that abortion only represents 3 percent of its clinical procedures. If thats true, then why not eliminate the abortion feature from PP clinics and focus on real womens health issues?

Even in a democratic society, limitations exist to our freedoms. Your right to take a life ends at anothers right to life. Pro-Life Waco never intends to shame, hate or intimidate any woman in her pregnancy. On the contrary, our goal is to love those women through their pregnancy.

Bob Lehman, Meridian

On the loose

It is with disbelief and horror that I read the March 15 article on Page 3A of the Trib titled Sex-abuse defendant is no-show in court. A non-U.S. citizen who has been accused of repeatedly sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl was out on bond. He was facing life in prison with no hope for parole and we let him out on bond, then we are surprised he doesnt show up for trial!

What incompetent public servants do we have who are allowing this to happen? The same article states that this happened again here in Waco, nine months ago with a different abuser and another victim.

Wow, we as citizens of Waco have every reason to be absolutely afraid and wonder where are the people in our justice system who are supposed to protect us! Accountability is in order here! By the way, why is the Tribune-Herald not pursuing this atrocity!

Denise Kinnison, Woodway

Immoral America

The White House is proposing drastic cuts to global-development programs in our national budget. This would be disastrous. Currently, millions of kids are able to go to school and get vital medical treatment because of anti-poverty programs supported by the U.S. government. Healthy, educated children become healthy, educated adults who can contribute to their communities and economies in a myriad of ways. This benefits all of us.

Its been said that the national budget is a moral document reflecting our values and priorities. I strongly urge our representatives and senators to reject any cuts to global anti-poverty programs. I believe our country is at its best when we make sure everyone has the foundation for a bright future.

James E. Brattin, College Station
ASHLAND  Judy Hull didnt know too much about the Saunders County Fair 30 years ago. The Ashland woman will even admit that she did not often visit the fairgrounds in Wahoo.

That has changed, but Hulls willingness to learn about one of the countys biggest events has not.

Im still learning, she said. Just being a part of the fair, you learn so much, I learn something new every year.

Hull has served on the Saunders County Agriculture Society for the past 30 years.

She was recognized in January by the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers at its annual convention. Hull was unable to attend the convention and was presented her plaque at a recent meeting of the county ag society.

They surprised me with it at the last meeting, she said.

It was a good surprise for the woman who has lots of good memories from her 30 years of service.

Hull said she never really expected she would stay on the board for as long as she has.

I dont know how that happened, I really dont, she said. It doesnt feel like its been 30 years.

Getting her first three-year term on the board just kind of happened too.

Larry Swanson asked me if I would consider joining the board, she recalled about her first election.

Although she didnt know anything back then about the fair or the group that organizes it, she has a lot more knowledge now.

Hull has seen many changes in the past three decades.

Just about everything, she said. It really was a lot different than it is now.

One of the first improvement projects she can recall during her tenure was the building of the Russel Shanks 4-H building. Other improvements and new buildings have followed.

Hull said the overall operation of the fair has changed too.

It was not as big. It was not as much like a business as it is now, she said.

When she started on the board, the only event at the fairgrounds each year was the fair. She said some of the buildings were rented out for storage, but there was not a lot of activity outside of the fair.

Now, the fairgrounds and various buildings see use all year long through either 4-H activities or community rentals.

One of Hulls main tasks as a board member has been to work with the open class exhibits at the fair. She said that is something she has really enjoyed.

It is always interesting, she said, to see if it has been a good year for crops or flowers.

And the photography  that area has really started to grow, she added.

While the week-long fair every July can mean long, hot days with plenty of work to do, Hull said the people she has gotten to know make it worthwhile.

She especially gave credit to current and past ag society board members.

We get along so well, Hull said. We have a variety of people from each walk of life. We respect each other.

Hull said it is that type of attitude that has made many things possible on the fairgrounds over the years.

She said she is proud to be a part of the fair and the improvements that have been made. She is also willing to keep serving and keep learning.

I think I can do three more years when my term is up, Hull said.
WAHOO  Education and due diligence was the main message to a March 16 crowd who gathered at the Wahoo Public Library to learn more about contracted poultry growing.

Hosted by Nebraska Communities United, former North Carolina poultry grower Craig Watts shared his experience as a 23 year contracted poultry grower for Perdue.

Educate yourself beyond the perspective of what that chicken plant tells you, Watts said. You can find so much information at the click of a mouse its not hard to educate yourself.

Watts stressed that he has not seen the Lincoln Premium Poultry/Costco poultry grower contract, but that he was speaking from his personal experience raising chickens under contract.

Watts said he entered the poultry growing business hopeful to get rich quick. The discussions with the poultry plant were attractive to a young farmer, he added.

But the reality was that he was always playing catch up and was constantly on a debt treadmill.

Even though initially you build according to the integrators specs, theyre constantly changing, he said. The problem is that you could never pay out because of these constant equipment upgrades.

He said under contract, growers could not be forced to add house upgrades, but on a flock by flock agreement, the Perdue poultry plant would likely stop sending birds.

Watts found himself in a catch-22 situation. Continuing to grow chickens pushed him further in debt. But without the chickens, he had no source of income to begin to pay off that debt.

The erratic debt keeps a farmer very pliable, he said.

Fear and intimidation keep the farmer from speaking out against the conditions, he added about many farmers in the industry.

Sometimes the farmer will keep operating at a loss to keep from going bankrupt, he said.

Watts said there were several red flags that he wished he would have seen prior to signing a contract.

He said he should have asked himself if the poultry company owns the trucking, processing plant, feed mill, hatchery and breeders trough components, why they would not want to own the houses, too.

They found there is not much return for the amount of work that goes into it, he said. Its cheaper to convince a farmer to do it. Its called farming the farmer.

He added that if the manure was as lucrative as these companies make it seem, theyd want to bag and sell that too.

He added that pollution associated with large poultry companies is not benign.

Theres so many governmental funded programs associated with environmental liability of the chicken houses to mitigate a problem the industry says dont exist, he said.

Watts said once he got his debt under control he was quick to exit his contract.

Signing that contract was what I called a momentarily lapse of reason that lasted half a lifetime, he said.

Loretta Patchen attended Watts presentation because of her close proximity to the Costco processing plants location south of Fremont.

Patchen said shes concerned about additional traffic, where workers will originate from and most importantly the environment.

Before anyone signs a contract, they need to watch the film and listen to someone who has gone through it so they can make an informed decision, not just based on the prospectus of the plant because they have the most to gain, Patchen said of the groups viewing of The Sharecroppers documentary.

Thursdays visit to Wahoo was one of six for Watts over three days. Other communities included Norfolk, Fremont, Tekamah, West Point and Columbus. Those locations were targeted because Lincoln Premium Poultry has said it will target growers within a 60 mile radius of its processing plant.

According to Randy Ruppert, Nebraska Communities United executive director of Fremont, the purpose of the meetings was to provide awareness to the pitfalls of contracted chicken growing. Its not the get rich quick business that is being advertised, Ruppert said.

Nebraska Communities United formed a year ago in response to the Costco Processing plant, then known as Project Rawhide.

The plant, then being planned in Nickerson, was being kept more secretive, Ruppert said.

We citizens of little Nickerson found out that some people were planning to put this mega processing plant right in our backyards, he said. They didnt talk to us, didnt have a town hall meeting and didnt have one bit of decency to talk to anyone this would affect.

Ruppert said the proposed plant mobilized the group of Nickerson residents, but it has evolved into bringing awareness to vertical integration and fighting against corporate takeover of independent farmers, whether that is large poultry, swine or cattle industries.

He added that while the group understands the need to feed a growing world population, their goal is to advocate for doing so in a sustainable fashion that is both responsible towards the environment and fair to food industry laborers.

Despite the opposition, plans for the $275 million project move forward. Costco closed on the land purchase last week, paying $8,550,000 for the 414 acres of land  about $20,600 an acre. The average price of farmland in east-central Nebraska is $6,330 an acre.

The project is under review by state and local permitting offices, and project officials expect to break ground this spring, with the plant operating two years later.

(BH Media News Service contributed to this report.)
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Mar 24 (PTI) Senior Trump administration officials have held intensive consultations with an Israeli delegation to advance the prospects for a genuine and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine, the White House has said.

A principal focus of the discussions was specific measures that could have a meaningful impact on the economic environment in the West Bank and Gaza, allowing the Palestinians to more fully realise their economic potential, it said.

advertisement

While the American delegation was led by Jason Greenblatt, President Donald Trumps Special Representative for International Negotiations, the Israeli delegation was led by the Chief of Staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Horowitz.

"The issues the two delegations discussed are exceptionally complicated, and the fact that both governments dedicated such senior delegations for nearly a full week of talks reflects the close cooperation between the two countries and the importance both assign to this vital task," the joint statement read.

The two delegations also discussed Israeli settlement construction, following up on Prime Minister Netanyahus visit to Washington and Greenblatts recent visit to Israel.

The US reiterated Trumps concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving towards a peace agreement.

The Israeli delegation made clear that Israel?s intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes those concerns into consideration.

Meanwhile, the US Senate yesterday confirmed the nomination of David Friedman as the US Ambassador to Israel.

He is known for his hardline views and has been critical of a two-State solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. PTI LKJ NSA

--- ENDS ---
By Austin Hancock

In 2014, we reported on Ken McBrides mission to continue recovery of the Lost Squadron of P-38s, in Greenland (click HERE). Today, we are just as excited as he is to bring you an update to said report. When we last checked in with the mission, Ken was seeking volunteers for a summer 2014 Greenland expedition, with the purpose of recovering a known ice-bound P-38. The team had planned to use the same recovery technique as was used on Glacier Girl, to bore-down through the ice to retrieve the twin-boomed WWII fighter. As if scripted for an Indiana Jones movie, the crew had even planned to utilize the rugged Antonov AN-2 Colt (with skis) as their main method of transport to/from the dig.

The Lightning is one from the same group of six P-38s and two B-17s which got stranded on the ice in Greenland during a WWII ferry operation. As most readers will be aware, a previous team recovered one of these P-38s back in the late 80s, and restored her to flight. We all know that aircraft as Glacier Girl now. Its long been many a persons dream to go back for the others, and this summer thats exactly what will be happening. YOU could be a part of that mission!

Fast forward three years, and today you will find the Lost Squadron still moving forward in their quest to recover the P38, and perhaps others as well. Since our last report, Ken has teamed up with businessman Jim Salazar, a heavy machinery mover out of Los Angeles, CA, not only on the Lost Squadron P38 recovery, but also leading the charge to search, recover, and repatriate the servicemen of the downed US Coast Guard J2F Grumman Duck.

While the Antonov is now on mechanical standby in Canada, the good news is that Salazar and McBride have invested in a low time DC3-C47 aircraft. The Gooneybird will serve a larger role with the recovery effort than the Antonov can, with increased load-carrying capabilities. Furthermore, the security of having an extra engine, and more availability of replacement parts, makes the DC-3 a good choice. Currently based in California City, CA, work is underway on this aircraft with expected flight testing soon. This particular DC3 aircraft is fitted with the large cargo doors, the larger 1830-94 engines, and has recently been outfitted with snow skis. In an encouraging coincidence, the skis they acquired for this mission are the very same ones that were up on the 1992 expedition with a DC3 that was used by the original Greenland Expedition Society. Don Brooks, one of the team members, caught wind of the project and offered the hard-to-find skis, and sure enough, they are a part of this expedition, and will hopefully lend a halo of their success. There has been an overwhelming response by the aviation community to help support the aircraft and crew knowing that there is such a historical aircraft being used as the platform plane for the project.

For the 2017 project, the main focus is the Lost Squadron P38 recovery of aircraft Echo. In another inspiring sign, joining on board this year will be Bryan Wilson, the son of Robert H. Wilson, one of the pilots of the Lost Squadron. Bryan was eager to participate in an expedition that might lead to the recovery of his fathers plane.

Salazar and McBride also formed a second entity, Hot Point Solutions, which will be working with the U.S. Coast Guard and the DPAA in a quest to repatriate the crew of J2F Duck, Coast Guard Lieutenant John Pritchard, Petty Officer Benjamin Bottoms, and Corporal Loren Howarth, presumably inside the aircraft approximately 150 feet below the ice cap. About 27 miles from the Lightning, the Duck and original crew are waiting to be recovered. The accident occurred in 1942, and the recovery of this aircraft would bring closure to the families of the lost crew. Both with in-house radar systems and private-sector support, several systems are at hand to look deep into the polar ice cap. An exemplary team of geophysicists, mountaineers, recovery specialists, pilots, glaciologists, bringing together the varied skill sets needed to accomplish these endeavors, and armed with innovative tools like drones, miniature helicopters, and remote control buggies, this team is on the right track to locate these men who were lost during WWII. The group sent an exploratory crew in July of 2016 on a completely volunteer basis and made contact with an anomaly approximately 100 feet below the ice cap, fewer than 100 yards from where the Coast Guard initially thought they made contact with the Duck aircraft. This finding has inspired the group who are redoubling their efforts for the 2017 season.

In a gesture of solidarity with the families of these men, Hot Point Solutions is partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard and the DPAA to construct a memorial to honor the men of the downed J2F Duck, along with the others who have fallen in Greenland. The families have been informed and it looks like this ceremony should be happening relatively soon, and they hope to bring the remaining family members to a ceremony at the Kulusuk Airport where a memorial plaque will be unveiled.

The 501c3 Non-Profit Lost Squadron team is looking for potential members. Those with experience in funding, equipment, or just have spare time and desire/passion to donate are sought. The expected time-frame for recovery efforts in Kulusuk, Greenland, is from mid-May to the end of July. The Lost Squadron will have a new website up shortly, those wishing to get involved may contact Jim via email: (ken@classicchevyparts.com, jimsalazar1@hotmail.com)
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his ministers have slammed One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's proposal of a so-called "Muslim ban" in the wake of the London terror attack, arguing her policy is dangerous and would worsen the impact of terrorism.

In a provocative video published hours after the London attack, in which four people died, Senator Hanson noted the hashtag #PrayForLondon, which was being used to express sympathy around the world.

"I have my own hashtag ... it's #Pray4MuslimBan," she said." That is how you solve the problem. Put a ban on it and then let's deal with the issues here."

Her office clarified she was advocating One Nation's existing policies on Islam - such as a ban on Muslim immigration and an inquiry into whether Islam is a religion or political ideology - not prohibition of the practise of Islam.
Cape Canaveral: Two astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station on Friday on the first of three outings to prepare the orbiting research laboratory for commercial space taxis and to tackle maintenance chores.

US station commander Shane Kimbrough, 49, and French flight engineer Thomas Pesquet, 39, floated outside the station's airlock 402 kilometres above Earth.

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet takes a selfie during his last spacewalk in January. Credit:Thomas Pesquet

The astronauts worked to reconfigure the $US100 billion station, operated by 15 nations, and add docking ports for new spaceships in development by Boeing and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX).

Kimbrough, making his fifth spacewalk, headed to the station's central beam to upgrade a computer relay box before turning his attention to a docking system that will be used by future fleets of commercial space taxis.
Party MLA Abdul Manna, one of the petitioners in the case, said, "It is obvious that it has hurt us. We have informed the matter to Sonia Ji and Rahul Ji. They know everything".

By Indrajit Kundu: Angry with its central leadership, the Bengal unit of Congress has decided to boycott two of its senior leaders - Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The move comes after the two Congress leaders represented the Trinamool Congress government in the Narada sting case at the Supreme Court this week.

Ironically, it was a PIL filed by the party's Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Abdul Mannan that led to the Calcutta High Court ordering CBI to prove the case. In fact Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury is reported to have communicated the dissent among party ranks to the high command in New Delhi.

advertisement

"We have decided not to invite these two leaders for any of our party programmes in West Bengal. This is not the first time. They did this in the Saradha case too. They should not have represented the Trinamool Congress in Supreme Court this time. It has hurt the sentiments of Congress workers in the state," said Debabrata Bose, general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.

Party MLA Abdul Manna, one of the petitioners in the case, said, "It is obvious that it has hurt us. We have informed the matter to Sonia Ji and Rahul Ji. They know everything".

CONGRESS TO PROTEST ON STREETS

Meanwhile Congress has decided to hit the streets against the Mamata Banerjee administration after the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the Calcutta High Court verdict ordering CBI probe into the Narada sting operation.

Terming the Narada sting as a BJP conspiracy, Trinamool Supremo Mamata Banerjee has said, "Investigation will bring out the truth. The Narada footage was first shown publicly from BJP's office in West Bengal. It was done by BJP to take revenge as I had opposed some of the views of BJP during the 2014 Lok Sabha election".

Also read:

Narada sting operation: Supreme Court dismisses Special Leave Petitions of West Bengal government

Narada sting: Calcutta High Court directs CBI to conduct probe against TMC leaders

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, March 24 (PTI) The Telangana Government will take steps to get the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast accused Swami Aseemanands bail "cancelled", the Legislative Assembly was told today.

The MIM (Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi raised the matter through a Point during Zero Hour in the House.

The court of the Fourth Metropolitan Sessions Judge here yesterday granted bail to Aseemanand and Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai, a co-accused in the case.

advertisement

In his reply, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said, "Whatever question raised by the member Akbaruddin Owaisi is a valid question. Definitely, an inquiry will be conducted on how he (Aseemanand) got bail. Efforts will be made to get the bail cancelled. We will ensure justice is done."

The MIM MLA demanded that the TRS government should "pressurise" the NIA (National Investigation Agency), which is probing the case, to ensure that the bail granted to the right-wing activist, Swami Aseemanand gets cancelled.

"The cases were registered and Hindutva members were arrested after the CBI inquiry. However, Swami Aseemanand was granted bail by a court. I appeal to the government to put pressure on NIA and they should be told that whoever has got bail in the (Mecca Masjid bomb blasts case)...their bails get cancelled," Owaisi said.

Alleging that Aseemanand is a "Deshatgard" (terrorist), Owaisi said that terrorists have no religion.

"Whether it is Osama Bin Laden or Aseemanand, terrorists should be dealt with sternly. I am hopeful that the government will prevail upon and pressurise the NIA to get the bail to Aseemanand cancelled and he, along with others, is sent back to jail," the MLA said.

Swami Aseemanand, whose real name is Naba Kumar Sarkar, was arrested on November 19, 2010, from Haridwar in connection with the blast at the Mecca Masjid here on May 18, 2007, which had killed nine persons.

On March 8 this year, Aseemanand and six others were acquitted in the 2007 Ajmer blast case by a court in Jaipur. He was then brought from Jaipur and lodged in a prison here.

Owaisi also demanded that the government should make public the Bhaskar Rao Committee Report on the Mecca Masjid blast and subsequent events.

While granting the bail, the court had asked Aseemanand not to leave Hyderabad without courts permission and remain present for the trial when required.

However, whether NIA will challenge the bail or otherwise is not known. PTI GDK VVK NSK RYS

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
The WCO conducted a five-day Workshop on Post Clearance Audit (PCA) for a number of its Members in South America, from 13 to 17 March 2017, in cooperation with the Customs administration of Chile, and sponsored by the WCO Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF).

The Workshop served as a pilot in order to respond to national workshop requests which have no available funding. Originally, this Workshop was intended to be a national one funded by the CCF, but Members whose PCA national workshop requests had not yet been funded were also invited to attend. Although participation was limited to two persons from guest Members, they had the opportunity to benefit from in-depth technical training on PCA issues.

Forty-one participants, representing six countries, ranging from auditors to PCA managers, attended the Workshop, which was designed to assist administrations in identifying the necessary steps to implement the provisions of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, particularly as it relates to PCA. Such workshops are aimed at supporting Customs administrations in implementing more effective PCA in accordance with the WCO PCA Guidelines, and include the risk management cycle and case studies to enhance participants technical knowledge in this respect.

The Chilean Director of Enforcement, Javier Uribe, and the Chief of the Department of Post Clearance Enforcement, Ruben Parra, welcomed the participants and WCO facilitators, and expressed their gratitude and the importance of having the WCO provide the Workshop at their request.

Presentations given by the WCO facilitators included the WCOs Concept and Policy on PCA, PCA Operations and Resource Management. The highlight of the Workshop were the practical exercises on risk-based targeting, pre-audit research, and examination of books and records. Participants were fully involved in all aspects of the exercises and enthusiastically presented their findings. Participants from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru presented their policies and case studies which encouraged active discussion on the different experiences and techniques in their respective administrations.

At the close of the Workshop, participants expressed positive feedback, with the Chilean participants indicating that they were on the right path insofar as the implementation of PCA in their administration was concerned.
The World Customs Organization (WCO), in partnership with the Government of Thailand, launched the WCO Security Project during a ceremony held in Bangkok, Thailand on 23 March 2017 with the participation of 17 Customs administrations from the Asia Pacific region.

The WCO Security Project aims at supporting Member administrations in South East Asia and the Pacific Islands to respond to the security challenges posed by the threat of terrorist attacks. This project follows the WCO Punta Cana Resolution in 2015 and the subsequent adoption of the WCO Global Counter Terrorism Strategy. The Government of Japan financially supports the Project with a contribution of over 7.25 million US dollars.

At the ceremony, Secretary General Mikuriya highlighted that the WCO Security Project would greatly contribute to supporting Customs administrations and other relevant stakeholders in the region through the implementation of necessary measures to further secure the supply chain, including passenger control and commodity control on improvised explosive devices, dual goods and firearms as well as terrorist financing. He added that the Customs Communitys ability to counter global terrorism and its impact on international trade will be significantly enhanced with this Project.

On behalf of the Thai Government, Mr. Vera Urairat, Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council of Thailand, highlighted the significance of enhancing international cooperation on counter-terrorism by sharing information and best practices, as well as through capacity building activities, and outreach to the relevant stakeholders in the private sector. Concluding, Mr. Urairat expressed his gratitude to the WCO and the Government of Japan for their contributions to the Security Project.

On behalf of the Japanese Government, H.E. Mr. Shiro Sadoshima, Ambassador of Japan to Thailand, welcomed this new WCO Security Project and shared his sense of urgency on the need to strengthen border controls to counter terrorism, following the Declaration of the G7 Summit held in Ise Shima, Japan in 2016. He expressed the hope that the Project wouls successfully enable Customs administrations to enhance their capacities to address terrorist threats and lead to deeper cooperation among WCO Members in the region.

Mr. Kulit Sombatsiri, Director General of the Thai Customs Department, emphasized the fact that Thai Customs acknowledged the significance of ensuring security in the context of global trade. He underscored recently established initiatives in support of the WCO Security Project in Thailand. These initiatives include the enhanced use of intelligence based on pre-arrival information and data analysis, deployments of non-intrusive inspection technology, and the cooperation with the private sector to ensure further transparency, predictability, and integrity of Customs.

A panel discussion featuring high-level speakers from INTERPOL, IATA, and the Counter IED Centre of Excellence as well as delegates from Indonesia and Pakistan Customs focused on the security threats faced by the region and explored the ways that the Project could support Customs administrations in addressing them.

The Security Project is expected to promote and deliver efficient and effective counter-terrorism measures through the promotion of close cooperation among the various stakeholders, including Customs administrations, related law enforcement agencies, and international organizations and businesses.

Secretary General Mikuriya took the opportunity to meet with the Thai Minister of Finance, Mr. Apisak Tantivorawong to express his appreciation for hosting the security event and discuss the recent development of Thai Customs including the establishment of the Customs Alliance to strengthen Customs-business partnership. He also met Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr. Winchai Chaemchaeng to discuss the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation and the National Committee on Trade Facilitation.

Secretary General Mikuriya also visited the Laem Chabang Port Customs Bureau to observe the latest scanning technology including the railway X-ray system introduced in 2015.
By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, March 24 (PTI) The Telangana government today told the state assembly that it would soon take steps to get the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast accused Swami Aseemanands bail "cancelled" and ensure that "justice is done."

Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy gave this assurance to the House in response to All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisis demand that the government persuade the NIA to move court against the grant of bail to Aseemanand.

advertisement

The court of the Fourth Metropolitan Sessions Judge here had granted bail to Aseemanand and Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai, a co-accused in the case, yesterday.

In his reply to Owaisis demand during Zero Hour, Reddy said, "The question raised by member Akbaruddin Owaisi is a valid question. Definitely, an inquiry will be conducted on how he (Aseemanand) got the bail. Efforts will be made to get the bail cancelled. We will ensure justice is done."

Owaisi had demanded that the TRS government should "pressurise" the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, to take steps to ensure that Aseemanands bail gets cancelled.

"The cases were registered and the Hindutva members were arrested after the CBI inquiry. However, Swami Aseemanand was granted bail by a court. I appeal to the government to put pressure on NIA and they should be told that whoever has got bail in the (Mecca Masjid bomb blasts case)... their bails get cancelled," Owaisi said.

Describing Aseemanand to be a "deshatgard" (terrorist), Owaisi said the terrorists have no religion.

"Whether its Osama Bin Laden or Aseemanand, the terrorists should be dealt with sternly. I am hopeful that the government will prevail upon and pressurise the NIA to get the bail to Aseemanand cancelled and he, along with others, is sent back to jail," the MLA said.

Swami Aseemanand, whose real name is Naba Kumar Sarkar, was arrested on November 19, 2010, from Haridwar for his alleged role in the Mecca Masjid blast killing nine persons here on May 18, 2007.

On March 8 this year, Aseemanand and six others were acquitted in the 2007 Ajmer blast case by a Jaipur court. He was then brought from Jaipur and lodged in a prison here.

Owaisi also demanded that the government make public the Bhaskar Rao Committee Report on the Mecca Masjid blast and subsequent events.

While granting the bail, the court had asked Aseemanand not to leave Hyderabad without its permission and remain present for the trial when required. PTI GDK VVK NSK NM RAX

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) A woman allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at a Delhi Metro station here.

Officials said the incident was reported at about 8:30 AM when a staffer of the cleaning department at the Kashmere Gate Metro station informed authorities of a woman hanging near the water supply pipe at the end of platform no 2.

advertisement

They said the unidentified woman, aged about 28 years, had allegedly hanged herself using her dupatta.

Metro and CISF officials soon reached the spot and an investigation is on as to how and when the woman attempted the alleged suicide.

Police said that CCTV footage revealed that the incident occurred around 11.45 PM yesterday. The woman is yet to be identified.

She was spotted entering the Metro station at about 10.30 PM and was last seen heading towards the end of the platform number 2 around 11.45 PM.

The woman was also carrying a mobile phone which is missing.

Efforts are being made to identify the woman by scanning missing reports registered at various police stations, said a police officer. PTI NES SLB VIT RCJ

--- ENDS ---
Amid panic among the meat traders in Uttar Pradesh, the UP chief secretary has issued a letter to all District Magistrates and Senior Superintendents of Police to check illegal slaughtering of cattle on priority.

By India Today Web Desk: Top bureaucrat in the Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh has told the state officials that under the new BJP government crackdown on illegal cattle slaughtering is priority.

UP chief secretary Rahul Bhatnagar has directed District Magistrates and Senior Superintendents of Police to check illegal slaughtering and transportation of cattle as it a "government priority". The letter was issued today by the office of chief secretary.

advertisement

Bhatnagar has instructed the state officials that the slaughter houses in all 75 districts should be inspected and strict action should be taken wherever needed. Local intelligence should be used for this purpose, Bhatnagar said in his letter.

CHIEF SECRETARY DETAILS PLAN

"Information related to illegal slaughtering in past five years should be analysed and routes of transportation should be shortlisted and surprise checking should be initiated on that," Bhatnagar said.

"Cattle smugglers should be listed in village crime notebook and those involved in such acts in the past should be taken care of", the top official's missive said.

The names of cattle smugglers will be listed in village crime notebooks, intelligence gathered on their activities and a vigil maintained on Uttar Pradesh's borders, according to the latest directive of the Yogi Adityanath government to district officials.

ANTI-ILLEGAL SLAUGHTERING DRIVE IS ON

A massive drive against illegal slaughterhouses is already on in Uttar Pradesh where over 50 persons had been arrested and 27 FIRs were registered for such offences till yesterday.

In his letter to district officials, Bhatnagar stressed that an eye should be kept on cattle fairs, information related to cattle traders should be collected and compiled besides UP's borders should be checked for cattle smuggling.

The state's top bureaucrat cited various laws pertaining to slaughtering and prevention of cruelties on animals as he directed officials to go full steam against illegal abattoirs.

Closing down of illegal slaughter houses in UP was on top of BJP's agenda and after Yogi Adityanath took over as Chief Minister, the state machinery has launched a massive crackdown.

"The drive is continuing in the entire state to check cattle smuggling and illegal slaughter houses," Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), DGP headquarter, Rahul Srivastav said.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO WATCH|

--- ENDS ---
The police have arrested accused Bhondu Singh and Guddu Singh from Unchahar village of Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli district.

By India Today Web Desk: Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today visited the trauma centre of a hospital where a gang-rape and acid-attack survivor was being treated. The chief minister assured speedy justice to the victim. He also announced Rs 1 lakh assistance for the woman.

Earlier, Railway DG said that Railway Protection Force's (RPF) head constable Babulal, constables Ashok Kumar, Anil, Maninder Yadav were suspended for laxity in dealing with the incident.

advertisement

The police have arrested accused Bhondu Singh and Guddu Singh from Unchahar village of Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli district.

The shocking incident took place at around 10.30 am on Thursday. A 45-year-old woman was allegedly forced to drink acid in a moving train. However, her ordeal did not end there, moments later women constables from the Uttar Pradesh Police took selfies with the victim which later went viral.

A Satish Ganesh, IG (Lucknow Zone), termed the three constables "insensitive" and promised immediate action against them. Women Welfare Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi also visited the victim and assured all help to her.

A probe was ordered into the conduct of three lady constables. According to police officials, the shocking incident came to light when the woman got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Charbagh station here and gave a written complaint to the government railway police.

She had written it being unable to speak, they said. As per the complaint, the alleged victim said that two persons forced her to drink acid. This was allegedly the fourth attack on the woman.

In 2012, she was allegedly attacked with a knife, while in 2013 she was attacked with acid, police sources said.

Two men had allegedly gang-raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar (Raebareli) in 2009, 100 kilometres from Lucknow, they added.

The woman works with a cafe run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow and had gone home on March 10 as her daughter was taking class 10 examinations, police sources said. The victim told the cops that she was returning yesterday when the incident took place.

Also read:

Uttar Pradesh: Goons chop off girl's ears for resisting rape

Gayatri Prajapati, ex-UP minister accused of rape, arrested in Lucknow, sent to jail for 14 days

WATCH THE VIDEO:

--- ENDS ---
MERRYVILLE -- The Merryville Heritage Festival is Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 on the grounds of the Merryville Historical Society and Museum near the historic Burks Log Cabin.

This event draws around 3,500 people from across the area and East Texas each year and highlights the region's "No Man's Land" history.

Merryville was once located in a territory known as "No Man's Land," where outlaws and outcasts sought safe haven between the banks of the Sabine River and the Louisiana-Texas border.

The festival features "Wild West" skits, carnival rides, games, demonstrations, vendors, live music, food, a petting zoo and more.

The headliner this year is "Dustin Sonnier and The Wanted."

Admission will be $4 for age 6 and over, and free for those 5 and under. There will be free admission to all active uniformed military.

Events on March 25 will begin with a parade at 10 a.m. Those interested in participating can contact Mandee at 337-825-0101.

Festival-goers can bring their lawn chairs to sit and hear the live music. This is a family-friendly event.

Watch for the festival schedule and find more information at www.merryvilleheritagefestival.com.

You can find information on becoming a vendor HERE.
Astros take World Series title over Phillies in six games
By Adam Morton Mar. 23, 2017 | 05:01 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan-Grimes spoke to a large crowd Thursday at the Paducah School of Art and Design.The stop was part of Grimes' statewide tour to discuss civic health in all districts, after her office recently released the 2016 Kentucky Civic Health index. The report measures the involvement of Kentuckians in several areas.The good news, according to the report, is that Kentucky has improved. The Commonwealth now ranks 32nd in civic health compared to 48th five years ago.Grimes spoke along with panelists Mayor Brandi Harless; West Kentucky Community and Technical College President Dr. Anton Reece; Steve Wilson, editor of the Paducah Sun; Rev. Babydoll Kennedy, of Burks Chapel A.M.E Church; and Jimmy LaSalvia, a local author and activist.The report makes an effort to determine if people are connected socially. Grimes noted that the term connected socially does not only mean social media, but it includes ideas such as sitting down with your family for dinner or volunteering in any capacity. The report also addressed the question "Are Kentuckians involved politically?""Engagement is essentially what civic health is all about, It's not just political engagement in Kentucky's Civic health." Grimes said. "Engagement throughout the year whether it be through community service, or whether it be non-profit work." Said Grimes.Grimes encouraged all in attendance to get involved. Mayor Harless said, "On the local level is where we are going to solve the problem. and on the local level is where we're going to get stuff done."Both Harless and Grimes encouraged people to contact their elected officials to make their voices heard.Grimes also recognized anyone in attendance that represented a non-profit organization. She encouraged all to get involved, and help "close the gap".

On the Net:
The CEO Kurma Rao was gheraoed by angry villagers and they asked him to see the drain.

By Rohini Swamy: A Zilla Panchayat CEO who had gone to inspect drought-hit areas in certain villages of Karnataka's Raichur was in for a shock. Not only did he have to face the ire of villagers as the water tank was waterless but the sewage water was also getting mixed with it.

The CEO Kurma Rao was gheraoed by angry villagers and they asked him to see the drain.

advertisement

When he refused, two of the villagers said, "Even if it means that we have to carry you on our shoulders so that your clothes don't get dirty, we will do so".

The CEO was successfully coaxed by the villagers who carried him on their shoulders to inspect the area. The Karnataka government has declared 26 districts drought affected due to insufficient rains.

WATCH:

Also read:

Aaj kal paon zameen par...: Shivraj Chouhan's midair throne goof-up leads to flood of jokes

--- ENDS ---
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Mar. 24, 2017 | 04:58 AM

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear is asking to intervene in another open records dispute between a university and student publications.

Beshear said in a statement on Thursday that he filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Western Kentucky University against its student newspaper, the College Heights Herald, and the Kentucky Kernel, the student newspaper at the University of Kentucky.

At issue is the university's refusal to turn over records related to investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct.

In January, Beshear found Western violated open records law by denying the records to the publications. Western then challenged Beshear's decision by suing the student newspapers since a university cannot sue the attorney general.

Beshear is also seeking to intervene in a similar lawsuit filed by Kentucky State University.
Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required.

Your Full Name: (optional)

Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required.
By The Associated Press Mar. 24, 2017 | 08:57 AM | NASHVILLE, TN

A Tennessee lawmaker is taking heat after being accused of sponsoring a bill that would hide his own unpaid speeding tickets from the public.

WTVF reports that Rep. Andy Holt is trying to phase out traffic camera speeding tickets and is pushing legislation that would keep the names of people with unpaid traffic tickets confidential.

The news station confronted the Republican from Dresden about ten unpaid speeding tickets he got from a traffic camera in Carroll County. A reporter wanted to know why Holt never told fellow lawmakers about the tickets when he was pushing his bill earlier in the House Transportation Subcommittee.

Holt looked at the reporter and said "not you" and walked down the hall of Legislative Plaza, refusing to talk about the tickets or his bill.

___

Information from: WTVF-TV, http://www.newschannel5.com
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With recent news of the big banks resorting to high-pressure sales tactics, its no wonder Manitobans are turning to credit unions more than ever.

In fact, Manitobans patronize credit unions at a rate greater than anywhere else in the country, other than Quebecs powerful Caisses Populaires movement.

In 2016, credit unions in Manitoba surpassed Saskatchewan with the second-largest market share in the country.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Credit Union of Manitoba CEO Garth Manness says credit unions are, like all retailers, focusing on appealing to the millennial demographic.

About 250 representatives from the 34 provincial credit unions are in Winnipeg this week to discuss business at their annual meeting. Garth Manness, the CEO of Credit Union Central of Manitoba, said the business continues to be strong.

Things are going well. They have for many years and continue to do so, Manness said. But its a competitive world and a low-interest environment, so we have lots of challenges as financial institutions. But we are working effectively at continuing to grow, continuing to be profitable and continuing to have a strong membership base.

Credit-union officials will be examining the things all Canadian financial institutions have to deal with, such as trying to balance traditional customer service, emerging technology, compliance, member-customer needs and profit at the annual convention.

While the bottom line is always the deciding factor for the big banks, the credit unions differentiate by operating on the principle of profit for service, not service for profit.

In Manitoba, that has translated into a 38 per cent market share relative to the total assets held by banks and credit unions in the province.

While the banks are coming under greater scrutiny with consumer complaints  and even employee complaints  about aggressive marketing strategies, pressure to upsell and lying to customers, the credit-union option may be looking even better than ever to some.

While there may be plenty of goodwill, it can still be a challenge for credit unions to keep pace with all the new compliance requirements  which can often be a more onerous cost to smaller financial institutions  and still be able to operate profitably.

Manness said his members are definitely respectful of the banks competitive strengths in the market, but he said they are up for the challenge, including trying to win their share of new business from the millennial demographic.

All retailers are looking at that group, Manness said.

Their entire amount of business that they are beginning to do at financial institutions continues to grow as they begin to move through their life cycle. Their understanding of our model versus others is important. Their acceptance of the things we do and the co-operative ownership model is important.

That is a group we would want to focus on and make sure we get high penetration numbers in that age group.

Earlier this week, the Steinbach Credit Union (SCU)  the largest in the province  announced a $7.5-million patronage payout.

The 75 year-old SCU is the first Manitoba credit union to surpass $5 billion in assets and has paid out nearly $40 million in cash-back bonuses to its members since 2000.

SCU is all about the members. We are always focused on going above and beyond for our members, said Glenn Friesen, CEO of Steinbach Credit Union. We believe this focus is demonstrated in everything we do.

The bonus is split evenly between deposit and lending accounts, and its calculated on interest earned and paid during 2016, equating to an additional 5.50 per cent on interest already earned and 3.05 per cent on interest already paid.

Not all credit unions are able to provide cash-back bonuses. In order to do so, they need to have funds over and above their equity requirements and retain enough earnings to cover technology investments and investments in new products before they are able to disburse cash back to their members.

Over the past several years, many smaller credit unions have voted to amalgamate with others in a process that seems to be working well.

While the pace of consolidation has slowed, there has already been two mergers in 2017. Rorketon & District Credit Union members recently voted to merge with Catalyst Credit Union in the Parkland region, and Grandview Credit Union has merged with Sunrise Credit Union of southwestern Manitoba.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Google, the primary revenue driver for Alphabet Inc., announced plans to change its advertising policies after several major brands pulled ads from the platform because they appeared alongside offensive content, such as videos promoting terrorism or anti-Semitism.

The U.S. company said in a blog post it would give advertisers more control over where their ads appear on both YouTube, the video-sharing service it owns, and the Google Display Network, which posts advertising to third-party websites and against search engine results.

The announcement came after the U.K. government and the Guardian newspaper stepped up pressure on YouTube to police content on its platform, pulling ads from the video site because they appeared beside clips they view as inappropriate.

Mark Schiefelbein/ The Associated Press Files Businesses and governments are pressing Google to help them sepaprate their ads from questionable YouTube content.

The decision to pull ads from Google followed a Times of London investigation that revealed ads from many large companies and the U.K. government appeared alongside content from the likes of white nationalist David Duke and pastor Steven Anderson, who praised the killing of 49 people in a gay nightclub.

Ronan Harris, Googles U.K. managing director, said in the blog post that last year, Google removed nearly two billion offensive ads from its platforms and also blacklisted 100,000 publishers from the companys ad sense program. Despite this, Harris wrote in the blog post, We dont always get it right.

He said Google had heard from our advertisers loud and clear that we can provide simpler, more robust ways to stop their ads from showing against controversial content.

The company will now review its policies and said it would be making changes in the coming weeks to help customers stop their ads from appearing on objectionable websites or against offensive videos, Harris said.

Ads appeared next to extremist and hate-filled videos, prompting Guardian News & Media to stop all advertising through YouTube parent Google, the British publisher said in an emailed statement Friday. The U.K. government said it suspended advertising on YouTube until the site can ensure theyre not placed next to content it doesnt approve of.

Google is responsible for ensuring the high standards applied to government advertising are adhered to and that adverts do not appear alongside inappropriate content, the U.K. government said in an emailed statement.

We have placed a temporary restriction on our YouTube advertising pending reassurances from Google that government messages can be delivered in a safe and appropriate way.

The boycott signals a growing backlash against so-called programmatic trading, which automates the buying and selling of advertising online, and social media providers that are seen to not be doing enough to tackle hate disseminated on their platforms.

Britains government said it summoned Google for discussions to explain how it can guarantee the states demands are met.

On Tuesday Germany threatened to fine social networks such as Facebook as much as 50 million euros (US$53 million) if they fail to give users the option to complain about hate speech and fake news or refuse to remove illegal content.

British supermarket chain J Sainsbury, whose ads appeared on videos posted by the white nationalist Polish Defence League, said it and its sister brand Argos would suspend all Google advertising immediately.

It is unacceptable that Google is allowing our ads to be placed alongside these videos on YouTube, the company said in an emailed statement. It said it was seeking urgent assurances from Google that the problems were being addressed.

 Bloomberg News
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its tough to make all regions of Canada happy, but federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu says the federal government has something for everyone  including Manitobans  in the budget tabled this week.

Hajdu, who is travelling to a half-dozen cities to highlight the budget, spoke to 145 business leaders attending an Economic Development Winnipeg breakfast event at the convention centre.

This budget for Manitoba is going to deliver on the promise of economic growth, she said. This budget moves forward and really focuses on skill development and making sure our emerging sectors are supported. Sectors like agri-business, something thats important to Manitoba, will receive the support that they need to move forward and unlock that potential.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour addresses Economic Development Winnipeg to highlight the federal budget 2017 Friday morning at the RBC Convention Centre.

Premier Brian Pallister had asked for federal help in providing resources to the waves of asylum-seekers crossing the border from the United States into Emerson. Apart from what the premier said was a drop in the bucket for the continuation of a legal aid program, there wasnt any help.

Hajdu, however, said thats not the case.

We have a very strong presence with the RCMP and (Public Safety) Minister (Ralph) Goodale has been at the site himself and is very apprised of the situation and is really encouraged by the collaboration between the province and the municipality and the federal government and is assessing the situation as we go, she said.

If more supports are needed, then minister Goodale will review those needs as it arises. But right now, hes very confident that weve got the situation under control, people are moving quickly into their areas of Canada and are being supported in the process. Were monitoring that situation and if we need to move forward on that, we will.

The Pallister government had also asked for, and did not receive, new money to help pay for medevac flights for Manitobans living in northern communities.

Hajdu pointed to Manitoba as the only province or territory not to have signed on to the federal health-care transfer payment accord.

Thats why coming to an agreement with the health accord is so critical. People are relying on medical services and oftentimes those services are not equitable across the country and so when we have these agreements and accords, in fact the provinces can move forward to do that important work in ensuring that people have those essential needs taken care of, she said. We look forward to a deal. Manitobans expect their provincial government to work on that and we will be there when they are ready to talk.

Hajdu said the federal government knows that Manitobans have said that they expect a deal, as well.

Manitobans have the same concerns as other Canadians have around health care. This deal promises historic investment in mental health, in home care, something weve heard about from coast-to-coast-to-coast. People are struggling with making sure they get the right care at the right time and so we stand with Manitobans, she said.

Hajdu was headed to Vancouver later in the day.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, addresses Economic Development Winnipeg to highlight the federal budget Friday morning at the RBC Convention Centre.

We really thought that it was important for us to get out and speak to Canadians, to various different industry leaders, especially people that might come to an event like this, this job creators, she said. We know, in fact, that when companies feel support, when they have the tools they need to create growth, we see great things.

She said Canada saw a growth of 220,000 jobs in the past six months, the best six-month period of job growth in nearly a decade.

Manitoba is in line for a small but important windfall in other transfer programs, thanks to national formulas.

For the 2017-18 fiscal year, Manitoba will collect $84 million more in equalization created by the economic recovery in some of Canadas larger provinces. When the health and social transfers are taken into account, Manitoba will see a net increase in all transfers of about $140 million. It is the biggest year-over-year increase in transfer payments in a decade.

 with files from Dan Lett

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/03/2017 (2055 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Manitoba Tory MLA Steven Fletcher will become the first, and possibly only, provincial politician to endorse a federal Conservative leadership candidate when he announces today he is backing Maxime Bernier.

When you look at all the things you look for in a candidate, Maxime Bernier is the most electable, said Fletcher, a former federal cabinet minister.

Fletcher served in cabinet with Bernier from 2011 to 2013, and they were in the Tory caucus together for nine years. Fletcher said he got to know the Quebec MP well, and he says the same things in public that he says privately.

ANDREW VAUGHAN / CANADIAN PRESS FILES Steven Fletcher, a former federal Conservative cabinet minister, is throwing his public support behind Quebec MP Maxime Bernier.

I know most of the candidates, and everyone I know are friends of mine, he said. I dont do this lightly.

Manitobas Tory MLAs have been quiet about the federal race. Only Fletcher and Emerson MLA Cliff Graydon have donated to any of the candidates. Graydon sent $480 to Kellie Leitch and Fletcher gave $750 to Bernier. Manitoba MLAs have been strongly encouraged by the provincial party to stay on the sidelines.

Fletcher said Berniers experience, economic prowess, bilingualism and empathy put him above the rest.

He is about empowering the individual, Fletcher said.

Its difficult to gauge support for the candidates among Manitoba conservatives, but Bernier has raised the most money in the province. As of Dec. 31, he had raised $58,944 in Manitoba. Saskatchewan MP Brad Trost was in second with $39,220, followed by Leitch, with $19,778.

Ontario MP Erin OToole is backed by three of Manitobas five Tory MPs: James Bezan, Larry Maguire and Bob Sopuck. MP Ted Falk and Sen. Don Plett support former Speaker Andrew Scheer. MP Candice Bergen cant endorse a candidate because she is the House leader and must stay neutral.

The Conservatives will choose their next leader in Toronto at the end of May.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The threat of a major flood along the Red River that would close portions of Highway 75 is greatly reduced from a month ago, the province said in its latest forecast.

Manitoba officials now say there is only a small likelihood  as long as the weather continues to co-operate  that Manitobas main road link to the United States will be shut down this spring.

Were calling it a low risk for closing 75 highway, Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen told a media briefing Friday.

PHIL HOSSACK / FREE PRESS FILES Favourable weather conditions and a reassessment of some of the water bodies feeding into the Red on the U.S. side of the border contributed to the improved forecast.

If Highway 75 remains open and we dont have to close ring dikes along the Red River that is certainly a bonus for us in Manitoba in terms of trade and costs, he said. Thats the good news.

However, there remains a risk of severe flooding along the Souris River in southwestern Manitoba, where above-normal to well-above normal spring runoff could occur. No towns are threatened, though, as community dikes are sufficiently high to ward off the threat.

The province said there is the potential for normal to above-normal runoff in all other watersheds.

Apart from concerns in southwestern Manitoba, officials are keeping a careful watch over rising lake levels, particularly those of Lake Winnipegosis and Dauphin Lake.

Even with normal future weather conditions, (Dauphin Lake) could rise above the flood stage, the province said in a statement. With unfavourable weather conditions between now and the spring runoff, the lake could rise more than 1.5 feet above the flood stage.

Meanwhile, Lake Manitoba is expected to rise to between 812.8 feet (just above its desirable level) and 814.1 feet (just above flood stage), depending on the weather and the rapidity of the spring melt.

The Portage Diversion, which channels Assiniboine River water into Lake Manitoba, is expected to be in operation once again this year.

Just a month ago, forecasters were much more concerned about the likelihood of a severe flood along the Red River. With adverse weather conditions and a quick snow melt, they said at the time, the Red could rise to levels not seen since 2011, when Highway 75 was shut down for four weeks.

Forecasters on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border say several factors are contributing to the improved outlook.

First, a significant amount of water has already flowed north  gradually  from North Dakota and Minnesota, thanks to favourable weather conditions.

Second, there has been relatively little precipitation in the past month in much of the area that drains into the Red.

And third, there is significantly less water coming from a key tributary of the Red south of the border  the Red Lake River  than originally forecast.

The U.S. National Weather Service says the risk of flooding along the Red at the border is down significantly from what it was last month.

Greg Gust, warning co-ordination meteorologist with the NWS in Grand Forks, said Friday there is now only a 50 per cent chance of moderate flooding at Pembina, N.D. in the coming weeks.

Late last month, the NWS projected a greater-than-80 per cent chance of major flooding along the Red near the border.

Gust said the projected peak river level at Pembina is six feet (1.8 metres) lower than it was a month ago.

The Red is expected to peak at 15 to 18 feet above normal winter ice levels at Winnipegs James Avenue  where measurements are taken at a gauge just downstream of The Forks, at the junction of the Assiniboine  as long as there is no ice on the river. Earlier predictions suggested the Red could rise to 19.5 feet there, given unfavourable weather conditions, and 22 feet if there was ice.

Civil engineers will use the provinces latest information to generate an updated list of properties that could be at risk, the city said in a statement Friday. That list will be completed sometime next week. Notices will be hand-delivered to property owners once the identification of at-risk properties is complete.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man posing as a Manitoba Hydro worker and wearing a Hydro uniform tried to get inside an Island Lakes home on Wednesday.

Police said the man told the homeowner who answered the door that he was there to check if the furnace was up to code.

When the homeowner asked the man for official identification, the man said he left his ID in his vehicle. He went back to his car and drove off.

The man is described as Caucasian, approximately six-foot-one in height and about 25 to 30 years old with dark hair and facial stubble. He was driving a maroon-coloured, older-model car.

Const. Rob Carver said the incident may be connected to break-ins at three Manitoba Hydro facilities last weekend and warned customers to take precautions if someone unexpectedly shows up at their door and claims to be from Manitoba Hydro.

Hydro had warned customers through the media Monday that an employee ID card and several uniforms were taken in the successive break-ins at Hydro yards on Dawson Road, Redwood Avenue and Pandora Avenue overnight Saturday.

Manitoba Hydro has advised that they do not conduct random furnace inspections, Carver said.

Not only do people have the right to, but they should be checking for ID in light of this

Anyone with concerns about identification of a Hydro worker and wanting verification should call Manitoba Hydro 204-480-5900 to find out the name of the worker in the area.

Carver said people should call police to report any suspicious incidents.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/03/2017 (2055 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobans are still crunching the numbers to see how theyll be affected by federal Finance Minister Bill Morneaus second budget.

From provincial cabinet ministers to community activists to the people most at need of federal services and programs, Manitobans were still waiting Thursday for details on how dollars will be spent for child care, skills training, Lake Winnipeg, and social housing, among other areas.

Heres what weve learned about some of the key elements in the budget:

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Finance Minister Bill Morneau answers a question during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Thursday, March 23, 2017.

Indigenous peoples

The budget contains a $90-million increase in funding over two years for a program that helps indigenous students attend colleges and universities. The new money kicks in this year.

Its expected that the Post-Secondary Student Support Program will help more than 4,600 students across Canada over the two-year period.

Ottawa has also committed $5 million per year for five years for Indspire, an indigenous-led registered charity that helps students attend post-secondary institutions and find good jobs. The money is conditional on the organization raising $3 million per year in matching funds from the private sector. If successful, this would provide $40 million over five years in bursaries and scholarships for more than 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis students across the country.

Sheila North Wilson, grand chief of MKO (Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, Inc.), which represents northern First Nations, said shes encouraged by the budgets post-secondary education funding provisions.

Thats a great hope for us, she said late Wednesday.

North Wilson said programs first announced in the 2016 budget are now starting to be rolled out. Theres money to renovate and build new housing in First Nations communities, but not enough, she said. In Manitoba alone, we need about $200 million to start to meet standards and the need for (additional) housing in our communities.

Lowlands National Park

The budget announced Ottawas intention to create a third national park in Manitoba  Lowlands National Park  joining Riding Mountain and the remote Wapusk National Park on Hudson Bay.

Also announced was a plan to protect, as a national marine conservation area, regions along the Churchill and Nelson rivers.

No detail was provided about the park initiative, although protection for pristine wetlands, forests, beaches and limestone features along the northwestern shore of Lake Winnipeg has been under discussion since the 1970s, when it met resistance from local leaders.

At the time, the proposed park, a four-hour drive north of Winnipeg along Highway 6, was envisioned as an entity 4,400 square kilometres in size.

To create a park, Ottawa would have to enter into negotiations with affected First Nations and the provincial government. Much of the area is provincial Crown land and First Nations traditional territory.

Postsecondary Education

Beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year, the eligibility for part-time grants will be expanded. In addition to student loans,the budget offers an $1,800 Canada Student Grant for part-time studies, as well as $1,360 in grant funding for students with dependent children.

The University of Manitoba sees investment in research and innovation, and to support the post-secondary financial needs of Indigenous students.

We also look forward to the release of the Fundamental Science Review and how this will strengthen and improve our ability to compete on the world stage, president David Barnard said. He cited work-integrated learning, co-op programs, and Indigenous higher education.

Kevin Lamoureux, the University of Winnipegs associate vice-president of indigenous affairs, lauded Ottawa for $60 million to help students reclaim their indigenous languages.

But said Michael Barkman, Manitoba chair of the Canadian Federation of Students, The bigger picture is that students owe over $28 billion in public debt, and this budget does little to address that.

Child care

The budget declared that, To give kids and their parents a real and fair chance at success, the government will invest $7 billion to support and create more high-quality, affordable child care spaces across the country, including programs for Indigenous children living on- and off-reserve. These investments could support as many as 40,000 new subsidized child care spaces for low- and modest-income families in the next three years.

Families Minister Scott Fielding is still waiting for details from the feds, both on funding and on what the province would need to do to get federal dollars. Are there strings attached? he wondered.

We want a comprehensive plan, we want to partner, Fielding said Thursday. We want a realistic plan. We want a balanced approach, not just centres, but home-based day care.

The profession still needs convincing.

Weve been here before. I dont think its going to be a ton of money  half empty, half full, lamented Pat Wege, executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association, who said the major promised dollars arrive after each of the next two elections.

The federal government doesnt create spaces itself, Wege said. In order for that money to flow, the provinces must be willing to commit to a multiyear funding plan. The good news in all of this is, the federal government is back at the table  but theres a lot of ifs and buts.

Lake Winnipeg

Lake Winnipeg could benefit from two different programs announced on Wednesday  one protecting major waterways from from invasive species and another to protect freshwater from toxic chemicals and improve water quality.

But the details have yet to be rolled out.

Water quality expert Eva Pip said its disappointing not to see prompt action being taken. I had hoped to see a substantial amount (of money devoted) not only for nutrients, but for zebra mussels. Its a double whammy for that poor lake.

An aide to Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox said that the province is still looking through the budget for word about Lake Winnipeg. Budget documents often show a global figure without detail or specific breakdown.

Social Housing

Wednesdays social housing funding sounds great, says Tyler Pearce, chair of the Right to Housing Coalitions federal working group, but, Its a stopgap measure.

Finance Minister Bill Morneaus budget proclaims that, As part of a new National Housing Strategy, the government will invest more than $11.2 billion in a range of initiatives designed to build, renew and repair Canadas stock of affordable housing and help to ensure that Canadians have adequate and affordable housing that meets their needs. This includes $225 million to improve housing conditions for Indigenous Peoples not living on-reserve.

Pearce said theres red flag language in the budget about a transition of social housing, which she sees as Ottawas proposing that community agencies will switch from a rent geared to income (RGI) model of social housing, to a mix of RGI and units rented at whatever the market will bear, with the rent subsidizing the RGI units.

Fielding couldnt shed any light on social housing Thursday. Theres a commitment to longterm dollars, but we dont have the details, he said.

Skills Training

The budget announces an Innovation and Skills Plan and supports innovation in key growth industries  clean technology, digital and agri-food  with new measures that will improve access to financing, encourage investment, support the demonstration of technologies and build the capacity necessary for Canadians to take advantage of growth opportunities and create good, well-paying jobs.

It boosts federal support through the Labour Market Transfer Agreements by $2.7 billion over six years. For Canadians looking for work, this means more opportunities to upgrade their skills, gain experience or get help to start their own business, said Morneau.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/03/2017 (2055 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Young Manitobans with physical disabilities are finding strength in numbers as they unite to fight for services and programs taken away from them when they hit adulthood.

We are all united, said Tyson Sylvester, 21, who spoke up at a meeting this week in Winnipeg with 60 other gappers as they refer to themselves. Tuesdays meeting was organized by the the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba and was the first time they gathered to talk about their common gaps in service and what action to take.

It was an electric feeling  a symbol of hope, said Sylvester, who filed a Manitoba Human Rights Commission complaint this winter with fellow gapper, Amy Hampton, 24. He has cerebral palsy and is visually impaired. She is dealing with cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia, and scoliosis. They both say theyre being discriminated against on the basis of disability and age.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Lawyer Joelle Pastora Sala, left, Amy Hampton and David Kron of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba with Hamptons dog Chase at Ten Ten Sinclair Housing Inc. Before she became an adult, Hampton received one-on-one support, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, orthotics, care at a spasticity clinic, medical supplies and equipment. That ended when she turned 18

Those under 18 with lifelong physical disabilities qualify for comprehensive assistance. Hampton, for instance, received one-on-one support, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, orthotics, care at a spasticity clinic, medical supplies and equipment. That ended when she turned 18. When Hampton and Sylvester reached adulthood, they became ineligible for services and programs that helped them learn, thrive and gain some independence.

The tech-savvy Sylvester dreams of studying computer science and developing software for the visually impaired but is trapped collecting welfare and sitting in front of his computer at an assisted living facility. Hes eligible for just 50 hours a week of home care, but that is barely enough help for him getting dressed, going to bed, eating and going to the bathroom. There is no support for him to continue his education or have any kind of social life.

A lot of people have the same problems, said his mother, Claresa Sylvester, who attended this weeks meeting. Until now, though, they havent connected with one another, said David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association that organized the meeting. Theyre just starting to find out how many young adults there are like Sylvester and Hampton in the Winnipeg area, said and Kron. There are no stats so we dont know how many people this affects.

The human rights complaint process doesnt move quickly, said Tysons mom, Claresa. Its going to take another 10 months to even look at it, she said. The Manitoba Human Rights Commission says its dealing with a larger than average volume of complaints right now and doing the best it can with the resources it has. Acting executive director and counsel Isha Khan said she cant discuss specific cases but, generally speaking, it takes 10 months for an investigator to contact witnesses and arrange interviews after theyve reviewed documents and conducted legal research.

The situation for many young adults is urgent and they cant wait 10 months, said Joelle Pastora Sala the Public Interest Law Centre lawyer representing Sylvester and Hampton. She said theyre considering a day of action, a letter to Premier Brian Pallister and urging gappers, their families and supporters to write to their MLAs.

The longer it takes for the young adults to access services, the worse things get for them, said Tysons mom Claresa Sylvester.

Every time I see him, hes a little more hunched over, she said. Depression and a lack of physiotherapy are taking a toll on her son when he could be thriving if given the chance and support, she said.

Seeing other young adults and their families rally together this week is empowering, Tyson said.

When youre in a fight like ours, sometimes you feel hopeless. A vision like that gives you hope and the will to fight.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/03/2017 (2055 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In a highly unusual case, a 48-year-old Winnipeg woman has been fined for public mischief after she falsely reported to police she was raped in order to try to save her job.

On Nov. 7, 2016, the woman reported to the Winnipeg Police Services sex crimes unit that she had been raped by a stranger six days earlier while she was walking in the area of Midwinter Avenue and Brazier Street. She told investigators an unknown man had come up behind her, overpowered her and raped her, and that she later threw out her clothes and showered repeatedly because she was ashamed.

The woman, a single mother who now has a criminal record, sobbed in front of provincial court Judge Carena Roller on Thursday, saying she was truly ashamed of herself for lying.

I dont even know why I did it. This is not me to do something so stupid, she told the judge.

The woman was fined $1,000, put on an 18-month probation order and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

Court heard that her complaint of a major, random sexual assault prompted immediate action from police, who, over the next three days, canvassed area residents and requested surveillance video from transit buses and local businesses. The police service issued a news release warning the public about an unknown hoodie-clad man with a large build who was described as a suspect.

Their investigation led police to patrons of a local bar who claimed they had been drinking with the complainant on the evening in question. Video footage of the scene where the alleged rape was supposed to have happened showed no sign of the woman.

Police called her in for another interview, asking if she had been mistaken about the date on which she was attacked. It was then she admitted she had made up the story to explain to her employer why she had missed work. Court heard she had been out drinking until 4 a.m. the night before and failed to show up. But she said she desperately wanted to keep the job so she could pay for her sons post-secondary education, so she claimed she had been assaulted, and her employer required her to file a police report.

It was a ridiculous and dangerous thing to do, Judge Roller told the distraught woman.

There may well be someone who has truly been a victim of sexual assault who heard (about) that press release. You have no idea the impact that couldve had on that victim, the judge said, saying the report put the public on edge.

In one way, its heartening because its good to know that the police do take such complaints so seriously and that they do apply all their resources to a complaint immediately and so thoroughly, Roller continued. But that that was done for the purposes of explaining why you didnt go to work after a party? It is unfathomably selfish.

I agree, the woman said.

Unfounded sexual assault reports are rare. In Winnipeg, they account for only a tiny fraction of sexual-assault reports police receive. The Winnipeg Police Service hasnt declared any sexual-assault complaints unfounded so far this year. There were 18 such cases last year and 13 in 2015. Thats compared with hundreds of sexual-assault complaints reported to the police service annually.

A recent Globe and Mail investigation into unfounded rates across the country found Manitoba has one of the lowest rates of unfounded sexual assaults in Canada, and they account for only about two per cent of sexual-assault allegations reported to the Winnipeg Police Service.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Since the rise of the Islamic State group (IS) and the growing number of attacks in western cities such as Paris, Brussels, Sydney, Orlando and several others, theres been a sharp rise in anti-Islam sentiment, suggesting perhaps its time to declare societal war on Islam; that this now marks a turning point in the relationship between the West and Islam and that there is now a clear-cut clash of civilizations between the two.

This weeks tragic attack in London only fuels such a notion even further, that it truly is Islam versus the West now. In the U.S., weve seen a drastic rise in anti-Islamic rhetoric and even some form of political action to boot, in the form of the travel ban; in Europe we have been seeing the steady and rapid rise of right-wing parties that have squared off against Islam as public enemy No. 1.

But for Canadians, after the recent tragic attack on a Quebec City mosque  killing six and wounding many others  we must know better than to let that become our narrative also.

FRANK GUNN / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Demonstrators protest against the U.S. Muslim immigration ban in front of the U.S. consulate in Toronto in February.

The fact is, the attack on the mosque in Quebec City was a result of a misguided person who fell for the Islam versus the West narrative that even in Canada has proliferated as of late.

But in reality, terrorism has no religion.

The Front de liberation du Quebec (FLQ), the Ku Klux Klan, IS. Theyre all the same  terrorists motivated by socio-political goals, not spiritual aspirations. These are militants, not men of faith.

So we must know who our real enemy is. Plain and simple, it is not Islam; rather, it is the extreme-leaning people of all backgrounds. It is the ignorance that breeds them. Because of headline-dominating groups such as IS and al-Qaida, it is terrorism by so-called Muslims that has become the most widely known and feared.

But according to a study conducted by the U.S. government, in reality, more Muslims are victims of terrorism than non-Muslims. In fact, the study said that a staggering 82 to 97 per cent of all terrorism victims were Muslims.

The truth is, IS is a mercenary group working and fighting for oil and other political goals, while recruiting ignorant and vulnerable people under the guise of religion to sustain its operation.

It is Muslims who are suffering the most from the unceasing fighting that is occurring daily between IS and other groups in the Middle East, which has wreaked havoc on the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent Muslims.

Thats why in the West, in line with the dictates of justice, and in pursuit of totally neutralizing ISs ability to radicalize and draw foreign recruits from the West, we now need to acknowledge the separation between IS and Islam, because attacks like the Quebec mosque shooting are surely a result of the hatred that grows from the ignorance that associates the two.

Adopting and promoting harsh attitudes toward Muslims is not a solution.

In fact, its the anti-solution, because that will only further fuel the arguments used to recruit the minute handful who are susceptible to being radicalized, and create an atmosphere in which more Canadian Muslims will feel alienated and frustrated by constant blame.

Its a vicious and largely unfair cycle that we need to break.

The fastest way of doing that is to put an end to the narrative that groups such as IS  who have utterly terrorized countless Muslims  have anything to do with Islam.

Its time to restore to Muslims the dignity that weve let groups such as IS snatch away from them. When will the question of whether Islam is a peaceful religion be supplanted by the questions about how Islam fosters spirituality in over a billion people on Earth?

At a time when the U.S. has attempted to ban travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries, and when Europe is seeing a rise in right-wing anti-Islamic sentiment, Canadians should take the lead for the whole of the western world to follow.

We must remember the reason people from so many different cultures across the world are able to integrate into Canada so well, unlike anywhere else, is because of the magnanimity and dignity with which this country  from the government to the common people  treats all newcomers.

As an Ahmadi Muslim whose family immigrated here in the 1980s, I know that this kind and warm embrace from the Canadian people is what melts the hearts of all immigrants, including Muslims, and imbibes a spirit of gratitude, loyalty and love for this country within their hearts, making them proud to be Canadian.

We give everyone respect, and thats what makes it work here like nowhere else.

Ahmed Sahi is a writer and journalist based in the Toronto area and is a blogger for the Huffington Post. He is former chief editor of Muslim Writers of Canada.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Twenty-two years ago, Canada signed on to a United Nations agreement committing itself to analyze the countrys policies and legislation to see whether they would affect men and women differently.

That agreement, in 1995, it should be said, came about 10 years after Canada made it illegal to discriminate against anyone because of their sex, and 11 years after Australia became the first country in the world to implement a womens budget to examine the impact of federal, state and territorial budgets on women and girls.

On Wednesday, Canada for the first time included a gender analysis of sorts in the federal budget, devoting one 25-page chapter in the 278-page budget to what is called a gender statement.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Minister of Finance Bill Morneau makes his way to the House of Commons to deliver the federal budget in Ottawa, Wednesday.

Gender-based analysis is supposed to be a tool to help governments assess whether there are gender-specific impacts from a policy, new law or new program being considered. The idea is to tweak policies or programs if they adversely impact one gender over another.

Status of Women Canada asks departments and government agencies to ask several question when developing new programs or initiatives. Those include whether the initiative affects men and women differently based on age, education or culture; whether it supports equal treatment of men and women; and whether it has unintended impacts for some people or creates barriers for specific groups of women or men.

In 2015, the auditor general said Canada was falling down at pursuing its obligations to gender-based analysis, noting few departments were doing this entirely and some werent doing it all.

That the main fiscal policy book for the federal government had never specifically, or at least publicly, looked at the impact of fiscal policies on men and women underscores the auditors findings.

The gender statement in the budget is not that detailed. It looks at the discrepancies that exist in the Canadian economy for women, and goes chapter by chapter in the budget to examine how some of the initiatives affect women.

There is no doubt there are gaps. Women make up slightly more than 50 per cent of the population, but 47 per cent of the workforce. Men earn 59 per cent of taxable income and pay 66 per cent of the taxes.

Women are far less likely to study or work in high-demand, higher-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, and are disproportionately represented in lower-paying, less stable jobs in retail and food services. Although women are 47 per cent of the workforce, they hold less than one-third of senior management positions, and one-fifth of the seats on boards of publicly traded companies. There is only one female CEO among companies on the TSX 60.

Women are behind almost half the new business start-ups in Canada, but men still own two-thirds of the small and medium-sized businesses in this country.

All of this is to say that figuring out whether there are national policies and actions contributing to inequity, or whether government can do anything to close these gaps, is a worthwhile exercise. Everyone benefits when women make more money. Families, children, the economy and governments alike.

There are many who see what Ottawa did with its gender statement as a good start, a first step toward something that may take several tries to get right. Others argue it was so poorly executed it may as well not have been done at all.

Mostly it was, as is the entire budget, a public relations exercise for the Liberals, picking out the positives and shading or entirely ignoring the negatives.

A case in point: Morneau was perfectly content on page 233 to use investments in public transit infrastructure as a benefit to women because studies in the United States and the United Kingdom show women are more frequent users of public transit than men. Seven pages later that fact is of no use to them, when the cancellation of a tax credit for a public transit pass is not even mentioned among the effects of tax policy.

The fact remains: the day after the budget there are at least some people talking and thinking about the gender statement. That alone is more than there ever was before.

Mia Rabson is the Winnipeg Free Press parliamentary bureau chief.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @mrabson
National Vietnam Veterans Day -- March 29 -- commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam Veterans and their families. It is a day set aside to recognize the men and women who were denied a proper welcome upon returning home.

On Jan. 12, 1962, United States Army pilots lifted more than 1,000 South Vietnamese service members over jungle and underbrush to capture a National Liberation Front stronghold near Saigon. Operation Chopper marked America's first combat mission against the Viet Cong, and the beginning of a long and challenging war. Through more than a decade of conflict that tested the fabric of our Nation, the service of our men and women in uniform stood true.

Our veterans answered our country's call and served with honor, and on March 29, 1973, the last of our troops left Vietnam. Eleven years of combat left their imprint on a generation. In one of the war's most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home to be shunned or neglected  to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their example.

VFW Post 1287 and Winonas Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 5555 welcomes all Vietnam Veterans and their families to an Open House on Wednesday, March 29, from 2pm  5pm. The first glass of beer or soda is free for Vietnam Veterans. A light lunch of Fish and Shrimp Chowder with corn muffins, salad, and more will be served.

Everyone is welcome to share in this special day! Please bring your pictures and your stories!

VFW Post 1287 is located at 208 East Third Street, Winona, MN. You can call the post at 454-1065 during normal business hours if you have any questions.
Winona County ended a three-year trend of population decline with an essentially flat growth rate of 0.02 percent in 2016. The countys population grew by 63 souls between July 2015 and July 2016 according to the latest population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau Thursday.

Those 63 people put the county among roughly 60 percent of Minnesota counties showing population growth last year.

Neighboring counties in southeast Minnesota saw similar modest gains. To the north, Wabasha County added 34 people; to the south, Houston County grew by 41. Fillmore Countys population grew by 169 and Olmstead County, powered by growth in the city of Rochester, added 1,666 people last year.

Across the river, La Crosse Countys population growth plateaued in 2016 while neighboring Vernon County had the second fastest growth rate in Wisconsin.

The bureau estimates La Crosse County grew by about 60 residents, a rate of just 0.05 percent, as the number of people moving out of the county offset natural population growth and net gains from international migration.

That was just enough to be among the 55 percent of Wisconsin counties with population growth during the year.

Vernon County grew by 0.95 percent thanks mostly to people moving in from elsewhere in the country. (The annual population estimates do not indicate which counties people move to and from.)

Trempealeau County grew by 0.27 percent and Monroe by 0.23 percent. Buffalo County was among the counties with the fastest decline in population, shrinking by about 0.9 percent, while Jackson Countys population contracted by 0.13 percent.

Over the decade, La Crosse was the states ninth fastest growing county, with a growth rate of 3.04 percent from 2010 to 2016. Also in the top 10 were Vernon and Trempealeau counties.

Overall, Wisconsin grew by 0.19 percent, slower than 33 other states and the District of Columbia. Minnesota was the 19th fastest growing state with a 0.68 percent increase.

Nationwide, 1,629 counties added population during the year while 1,549 lost residents.

Six of the 10 fastest growing counties in the nation were in Texas and Utah. Only one  Iowas Dallas County  is in the Midwest. Wisconsins Milwaukee County is among the 10 counties with the largest numeric loss of population, shrinking by an estimated 4,866 residents, or -0.51 percent.

Maricopa County, Arizona, saw the largest annual population change, growing by 81,360 people over the year. That works out to about 222 people per day. Cook County, Illinois, had the largest population loss, a decline of 21,324 residents.

The numbers, released Thursday, are from the Census Bureaus 2016 population estimates program, which covers the nations 3,142 counties and 382 metropolitan areas as well as some smaller statistical areas. Population estimates for cities and towns will be released later this year as will more detailed demographic data, such as age, sex and race.
Winona State added to its trophy case Friday, with a smashing electoral victory in a statewide contest.

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon visited WSU to award the first place trophy for registering the largest number of students of all four-year Minnesota State University campuses.

WSU registered 1,861 students to vote in Novembers presidential election, or 24 percent of its total student population.

In total 68 two- and four-year public and private college and university campuses participated in the efforts to raise younger voter participation, Simon said.

Simon said that WSU, and Minnesota in general, have a long history of voter participation. The state regained its position leading the nation in voter participation, with 74.7 percent of the population voting.

Its the laws and its culture, Simon said. We know that elections matter and we demonstrate that.

The university officials credited a wide participation by a variety of student groups, professors and student volunteers with raising interest and participation.

WSU president Scott Olson said the groups involved were what makes WSU and the state continue a strong tradition of involvement.

This is the corner stone of democracy, Olson said.

The groups involved included college political parties and unaffiliated groups just aimed at increasing voter turnout in general.

Alison Bettin, a student volunteer organizer, said they had had success for a number of reasons, one of which was the focus on not just the presidential politics and stressing that there are many things voted on down ballot.

Those are the things that really affect our everyday lives, Bettin said.

The Secretary of State had a number of initiatives to raise interesting in voting in young people, who historically have lower turnouts than their older counterparts.

That included mock elections in high schools across Minnesota.

While the state initially only expected around 100 schools, the mock presidential election included 281 schools, reaching around 96,000 students.

Simon said the efforts were to show students how voting works before theyre voters, which increases the likelihood theyll vote when they become eligible and stick with it as a lifelong habit, especially once they see that it is not a complicated process.

The idea here is to get good habits started early, Simon said.

While they hope to continue both those efforts and new ones in the lead up to the 2018 election, the Legislature will also be looking at election improvements this year.

There are three proposals to help counties, cities and townships pay for new voting equipment, much of which was bought immediately after the 2000 presidential election recount with federal money aimed at preventing similar situations.

Simon said that while that updated much of the nations equipment immediately, the equipment is reaching the end of its useful life and could expose elections to problems in the future.

Proposals range from a paying anywhere to a quarter to half of the costs of purchasing new equipment. An estimated $28 million would be needed to replace it all with state funds.

Some of the larger counties, such as Hennepin and Ramsey, have already paid for their own, so this money would target primarily greater Minnesota.

Simon said that while the federal government had paid for new equipment previously due to the limited resources of the smaller governments, they said they would not be doing so again.

Counties and cities and township are really in a box, and its not a box of their own making, Simon said. Were coming up against aging election equipment and the end of its useful life.

The cost would be a one-time payment, with the smaller areas having the expectation this time that they would have to set up a reserve for the future.

WSU registered 1,861 students to vote in Novembers presidential election, or 24 percent of its total student population.
The superintendent candidates who interviewed Thursday with the Winona Area Public Schools board have spent a combined 60 years in public school administration at districts across the country.

Jon Ellerbusch of Royalton Public Schools, Lolli Haws of Racine Unified School District and Rich Dahman of Medford School District appeared before the board for separate interviews that carried into late Thursday.

They were the second group of candidates to interview for the districts highest leadership role  part of a six-person field to be trimmed to three by Monday.

Ellerbusch has been the superintendent in Royalton, a district of roughly 1,000 students in the center of the state, for seven years.

In 2015, he helped pass a $26 million bond referendum that allowed the district to build a new childhood and kindergarten center and to add a new gymnasium, automotive shop and STEM lab to the middle school and high school building.

Before coming to Royalton, he was the middle school and high school principal in Adams for five years and the high school principal in Spring Valley for three years.

He has a doctorate and a specialist degree from the University of South Dakota.

Ellerbusch remains a finalist for the superintendent job at St. Charles Public Schools. A decision on that position is expected in the next two weeks.

Haws has worked as an educator and administrator in Missouri, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.

As superintendent in Racine, she has overseen a litany of projects made possible by a long-term $128 million facilities plan that voters approved in 2014. More than a third of that money has gone toward the construction of two new schools and an addition onto an existing school  the districts largest construction endeavor in decades.

From 2010 to 2013, Haws was the instructional superintendent at District of Columbia Public Schools, where she managed the development of principals and staff at 13 schools.

She has a doctorate from Saint Louis University in Missouri.

Of the six candidates vying for the job in Winona, her district  enrolling roughly 20,000 students in 32 schools  is the largest.

Dahman has spent his entire career at districts in south-central Minnesota.

He was the assistant principal at Mankato East High School from 2000 to 2003, the principal at Mankato East Junior High School from 2003 to 2013 and the lead secondary principal at Mankato Area Public Schools from 2008 to 2013.

As the superintendent in Medford  roughly 900 students  Dahman has helped implement a number of programs intended to aid learning.

In his second year, the district started College Now, a program through which high-schoolers earn college credit in literature, biology, calculus and precalculus.

In his third year, K-6 students and their parents began meeting with teachers on the first two days of school  a back-to-school program meant to ease students transition into the new year.

Dahman earned an administrative specialist degree from Mankato State University.

On Monday, the school board will interview the three finalists and then hold a decisive vote.

Kelly Halvorsen, the districts director of learning and teaching, has been the interim superintendent since Stephen West resigned the position in January.
For Bill Johnsen, photography is a way to give back to the community.

When hes not running Johnsen Insurance, the local businessman-turned-community photographer can be found behind the lens of a camera shooting various scenes around town. His work is on display at Circus World, the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center and countless other locations, and he never charges a fee.

As Baraboo residents have for years, visitors from across the country will have the chance to enjoy Johnsens work this summer when Circus World opens a new exhibit featuring about 40 of his photos.

Circus World Executive Director Scott ODonnell said a $3,479 arts and humanities grant from Sauk County and the Wisconsin Arts Board made the new exhibit possible. The grant will cover the costs of high-gloss photographic paper, ink, picture frames and digital processing costs.

Hes become the ultimate cheerleader for Baraboo, ODonnell said. Anyone who follows Baraboo attractions  even if they dont know fully  theyre quasi-aware of Bills work. They just havent seen it in its entirety.

Johnsens work will be on display, spanning from the floor to the ceiling, in the Vista Gallery next to the Ring Barn.

Johnsen said he first discovered his passion for photography in high school while taking photos for his 1972 yearbook. Photography remained a hobby for Johnsen until 2010, when he became aware of a media revolution taking place around the globe.

I saw the world changing so quick from text to visual, so I figured I need to study what people want to see, he said. Its photographs, its visual  its visual representation.

The realization led him to pursue a degree in photography from Madison College and rekindled his love for capturing images with light. He studied under every professional photographer he could find and became a certified professional photographer in 2014.

Now, Johnsens photography provides him with a much-needed escape from reading insurance policies all day. As a licensed pilot and drone operator, Johnsen and his son spend many hours taking aerial shots of Baraboo, in addition to capturing images from the ground. Through the lens of his many cameras, hes able to see Baraboo from a different perspective.

Ive rediscovered my little town here by getting out, Johnsen said. If you start to prowl a little bit, theres a lot going on.

Johnsen said hes looking forward to capturing an anticipated increase of activity at Circus World this summer, along with a handful of new acts like Velma the Wonder-Pig.

When hes out and about at Circus World or elsewhere in Baraboo, Johnsen said he looks for scenes that tell a story. A good photo shouldnt need more than a two-word caption, according to Johnsen, because the picture will tell the story on its own.

Theres a good story and a good photo everywhere if you stop and look, he said. Stop, be patient and see whats happening around you.
A Mexican national serving a 15-month prison sentence for illegally re-entering the U.S. after his fourth deportation is facing new charges in Sauk County.

The District Attorneys Office this week charged Jesus Salazar-Martinez, 31, of Baraboo, with distributing heroin that had been cut with a powerful synthetic opioid.

Reedsburg police began investigating after a woman overdosed in March 2016, according to a criminal complaint. The woman later told investigators she purchased cocaine from Salazar-Martinez, and that he gave her heroin for free.

A few days later, an officer pulled Salazar-Martinez over for a traffic violation in Wisconsin Dells. His cell phone was seized, and investigators obtained a warrant to search the device.

The complaint says police found evidence of phone calls between Salazar-Martinez and the woman who had overdosed. They also allegedly found numerous text messages indicating drug deals, including one from Salazar-Martinezs girlfriend in which she informed him that the heroin he was selling was laced with fentanyl, and that people were dying from it.

A blood test of the woman who overdosed revealed fentanyl in her bloodstream, according to the compliant. The National Institute on Drug Abuse website describes fentanyl as a powerful synthetic painkiller similar to morphine, but 50 to 100 times more potent.

The complaint says fentanyl is commonly used as a cutting agent in heroin, and often contributes to overdoses.

In September, Salazar-Martinez was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for re-entering the U.S. after his fourth deportation. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency reports he has been convicted twice of felony sexual assault and once of driving under the influence.

During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge William M. Conley cautioned Salazar-Martinez that future convictions for illegally re-entry would be more severe and that he was in danger of doing life on the installment plan if he continued to return.

Salazar-Martinez is currently incarcerated at a medium-security federal prison in Oxford, and is to be deported again to Mexico after his sentence is served.
JUNEAUDodgeland High School social studies teacher, Caleb Bjerk, has been recognized as an Outstanding Early Career Educator for his contributions to the education field.

Bjerk received this honor from the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. It is a professional organization composed of Wisconsin institutions that prepare students for initial teacher licensure with the mission to provide leadership in the preparation of highly qualified professional educators.

Bjerk is one of 25 Wisconsin teachers recognized as an Outstanding Early Career Educator. This award is presented to an outstanding educator within the first three years of her/his professional career.

The award recipient is selected based on any combination of the following; positive impact individual has on schools or communities, innovation in designing learning experiences and advocacy for students. An individual is eligible to receive this award one time only.

Bjerk graduated from Maranatha Baptist University in December 2014, earning his bachelors degree in secondary education with emphasis on broad field social studies, psychology, political science and history. Bjerk came to the Dodgeland School District in August 2015. Bjerk has taken additional coursework since his employment to receive additional certification areas.

His nomination for this award was sponsored by Maranatha Baptist University and consisted of several recommendations and interviews throughout the Dodgeland community.

A recognition for all awards recipients will take place April 2 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center as the kickoff to the WACTE convention.
Suspicious  Monday at 4:16 p.m., a woman in Lakeview Park told police that a man was staring at children. The 55-year-old man denied ill intentions toward children and said he was there enjoying the weather.

Battery  Monday at 5:16 p.m., a 39-year-old man reported he was assaulted by a woman in the 1000 block of North Spring Street. No charges will be forwarded on the woman. The man was taken to jail and was cited with bail jumping.

Vandalism  Monday at 9:07 p.m., a man told police that his car was egged in the 200 block of Francis Court.

Disorderly conduct  Monday at 9:45 p.m., a woman reported that another woman hit her and took off with her purse in the 100 block of Lakecrest Drive.

Disorderly conduct  Tuesday at 2:56 p.m., someone in the 100 block of Industrial Drive told police that a man was yelling at a woman.

Animal  Tuesday at 5:52 p.m., a 26-year-old man reported that a dog attacked his dog near the West Mill Street and Madison Street intersection.

Disorderly conduct  Tuesday at 6:11 p.m., a 23-year-old man reported that a 28-year-old man and a 36-year-old man tried to break into his apartment while his friends were there in the 1800 block of North Center Street. The men were advised to stay away.

Traffic  Tuesday at 6:34 p.m., an employee at Jimmy Johns, 803 Park Ave., told police that vehicles are cutting through their parking lot at a high rate of speed.

Traffic  Tuesday at 7:44 p.m., someone near the North Center Street and Fourth Street intersection reported that a political sign was blocking the view of traffic.

Intoxicated person  Tuesday at 8:28 p.m., a woman told police that a 27-year-old man was highly intoxicated and was throwing things in the 200 block of Henry Street.

Disorderly conduct  Tuesday at 11:06 p.m., someone in the 100 block of Lakecrest Drive reported hearing a lot of yelling.

Drugs  Wednesday at 12:42 a.m., a traffic stop near the Wisconsin Street and North University Avenue intersection resulted in police citing a man with possession of drugs without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and bail jumping.
Students at St. Patrick School in Mauston showed their patriotic pride during the annual State Fair event March 21 at the schools gymnasium.

Children worked in groups to create informational displays celebrating the uniqueness of all 50 states.

Each display showcased interesting facts about every state. Some students were creative, using toys and other props to tell the story of each state.

The event also featured plenty to eat. Students set up stations, selling food from every state. For instance, eighth graders Luke Kattenbraker and Cristian Butterfield had fresh crab cakes to complement their Maryland display, while first grade students Carson Demaske and Weston Pouille had caramel corn to go along with their Illinois exhibit.

Many students dressed in costume to represent their states, such as Maddy Scully and Brooke Clark who wore Statue of Liberty hats and handed out cheesecake during their day as New Yorkers. First graders Sophie Horn and Jillian Cook also dressed the part, donning princess gowns for their Florida exhibit, paying tribute to Disney World.

The fair also featured a parade where students could flash their costumes for parents, teachers and friends. The event was well attended and proceeds will benefit the Casa Hogar Mission in Lima, Peru.

St. Pats Principal Tiffany Kolb said the fair not only teachers students about the states, but also promotes creativity and teamwork.
State Senate Republicans plan to vote next week without a public committee meeting or debate on a controversial bill that would further loosen regulation of high-capacity wells that are linked to low water levels in lakes and streams.

After the plan for Labor and Regulatory Reform Committee members to vote by submitting paper ballots was announced Thursday, Democrats accused the GOP majority of trying to duck public discussion of the bill, which is favored by the agriculture industry, but unpopular with recreational users of lakes and streams.

Last week, a nine-hour public hearing drew more than 60 speakers for and against the proposal to eliminate environmental impact reviews of wells when they are replaced, repaired or sold. Those are the only times the state evaluates how an existing well pumping millions of gallons from the aquifer is affecting other water users.

A spokesman for the committee chairman acknowledged it was a hot issue but denied trying to avoid debate, saying the bill was debated last year when the Senate voted along party lines to pass a proposal with the same provisions.

The chairman, Sen. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, typically schedules votes by paper ballot as a convenience for committee members when there is only one item on a meeting agenda and there arent large numbers of amendments proposed, said spokesman Mike Mikalsen.

But Sen. Janis Ringhand said last years Senate debate didnt cover new scientific findings on the way excessive pumping by farmers takes water away from others, including businesses that depend on tourists who flock to lakes and streams for fishing, boating, swimming and camping.

More evidence has been presented for the committee to discuss, particularly in the Central Sands, Ringhand said, referring to the 1.75 million-acre region east of the Wisconsin River where a two-year state-funded study confirmed decades of research linking high-volume pumping to dwindling surface water that leaves docks high and dry and turns some lakes into fields of grass and weeds.

The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association and the state Potato and Vegetable Growers Association say wells arent the only reason surface water levels sometimes fall. Farmers need certainty in their water supplies, they said.

Senate Bill 76 and Assembly Bill 105 call for further study of several parts of the Central Sands. The studies could lead to pumping restrictions in three or four years.

But conservationists say years of increased pumping will damage more fish habitat when streams dry up and lakes recede, and it will mean an even longer period of time for the aquifer to recover.

High-capacity wells have pumped 291 billion gallons of ground water from the Central Sands from 2011 to 2015, according to state records. Statewide, vegetable farmers used about a third of the 1.2 trillion gallons pumped, second only to municipal water systems. Private industry and dairy farms used smaller amounts.

Voting by paper ballot fits the pattern being used by Republicans who control the Legislature to deliver well deregulation to farm interests while drawing as little attention as possible from the public, said Sen. Mark Miller, a Monona Democrat whose bill to provide more review of pumping in vulnerable areas hasnt drawn GOP support.

The Republican-sponsored bills went to Senate and Assembly committees that dont have members who represent Central Sands districts, and the panels held a single public hearing instead of two.

Attempts to pass similar bills last year failed when the Assembly wouldnt agree to the Senate version. An Assembly committee then voted by paper ballot to ask Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel for a formal opinion addressing yet another aspect of well regulation that the industry wanted removed but lawmakers couldnt agree upon.

Over the next four months, the DNR approved nearly 200 backlogged permit applications, including many that had been placed on hold for years by applicants unready to accept pumping restrictions or possible denial when the full impact on ground water was considered.

The DNRs water section chief said last week the department moved quickly on replacement well permits, and he couldnt remember one being denied.
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank is joining several top Republican lawmakers in questioning Gov. Scott Walkers proposal to cut University of Wisconsin System tuition.

Blank told the Chronicle of Higher Education that funding for the cut  which would reduce in-state undergraduate tuition by 5 percent in the 2018-19 school year and make up for it with $35 million in new state money  would be better spent on more targeted financial aid.

My sense is that, if youre going to put substantial money into the university of that sort, you really ought to focus it on the students who most need the access, as opposed to spreading it widely across all students, Blank said in a video the Chronicle posted Thursday.

Republican leaders in the Senate and Assembly have similarly taken issue with the tuition cut, which seems headed for an uphill battle as Walkers budget proposal moves to the Legislature.

Blanks comments echo criticism from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who said in February that he would rather see more funding for financial aid to help lower-income students than an across-the-board tuition cut.

I dont think theres as strong of support for the tuition cut in the Legislature, Blank said in the Chronicle interview. Some of it is that legislators want to use the money that would make us whole on that for other purposes. So that one is clearly on the table for discussion.

Walker has said the cut is necessary to reverse years of irresponsible and unnecessary cost increases in higher education.

A 5 percent tuition cut would save an in-state undergraduate at UW-Madison about $460 per year.
Thomas Allen Fred Cramer

Thomas Allen Cramer (known as Fred to many), 60, of Anna Maria, Florida, passed away Dec. 3, 2016, at Tidewell Hospice in Bradenton, Florida.

Tom suffered a debilitating stroke in April 2016. He worked extremely hard toward recovery, and started out making good progress. But even with his family consistently by his bedside, they could not be there to look out for him 24/7. Tom ultimately succumbed to a combination of sepsis and pneumonia. But he is now at peace, and we thank God for that.

Tom was born Nov. 21, 1956, in Elgin, Illinois, to Fredrick and Lorraine (Scheiber) Cramer. His dads job took the family to Portage in 1961. Tom graduated from St. Marys Catholic School, then from Portage High School in 1974. Following high school, he worked in painting and construction. In 1981, Tom followed his girlfriend, Linda Blau (of Portage), to Anna Maria Island in Florida, and he grew to love the island as Linda did. They married in Portage in 1982 and returned to Anna Maria. In 1986, they welcomed their daughter Jessica Lorraine, and in 1988, their son Michael Thomas.

Tom had a successful career in the pest control business, working his way up to supervisor. He was forced to retire early after having emergency spinal surgery, followed by both hip replacements. He credited his recoveries to Linda and his kids, saying they were his biggest cheerleaders, attending to his needs and his therapy, and always pushing him forward, especially when he didnt feel like it.

Tom was a very simple, humble, kind and unconditionally loving man. He always saw the best in people. Tom was all about sports, music, peace and harmony. He was intellectual and extremely independent, and never without a book, preferring non-fiction and Steven King.

Family was everything to Tom. His kids knew his love was unconditional and endless. He prided himself on being the Wingman for his kids and grandchildren; now hes their Wings, as his spirit follows and guides them.

Tom was preceded in death by his mom and dad in 1982 and 1983. He never got to know three of his grandparents, who had all passed by the time he was 3 years old. But Tom was blessed to spend time with his paternal grandmother, until her death when Tom was 18. He was also preceded in death by six aunts and uncles and some cousins, all from Watertown; and by a guy who Tom considered a brother, Bill Vearl Anacker of Portage, his next-door neighbor growing up.

Tom is survived by his loving family, daughter, Jessica Lorraine Cramer and her son, Terry Rue Louis-Cramer; son, Michael Thomas Cramer and his daughter, Harper Noelle Cramer; and his ex-wife and friend, Linda Lou (Blau) Cramer, all of Anna Maria Island, Florida; his sister, Patti Cramer and her husband, Doug Finger of Sun Prairie, Wis.; his sister from his dads first marriage, Judy (Cramer) Hicks, and her husband, Don of Bandera, Texas, and their 10 surviving children and 40-plus grandchildren and great-grandchildren, most all of Bandera, Texas (for the curious, check out mayanranch.com); one aunt, Bernice (Scheiber) (Harshbarger) Finley of Watertown, Wis.; and several cousins, most of Watertown, Wis. He is also survived by two cherished, life-long Portage friends, Vicky Hill-Rickey of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Dan Daley of Portage.

Per Toms wishes, he was cremated and no formal service was held. His ashes are with Jessi, Mike and Linda, who have held memorial services for Tom, one on the gulf beach that he so loved, and they will send some to Patti for internment with his parents graves in St. Henrys Catholic Cemetery in Watertown.
The Williams Companies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in the United States. It operates through Transmission & Gulf of Mexico, Northeast G&P, West, and Gas & NGL Marketing Services segments. The Transmission & Gulf of Mexico segment comprises Transco and Northwest natural gas pipelines; and natural gas gathering and processing, and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region, as well as various petrochemical and feedstock pipelines. The Northeast G&P segment engages in the midstream gathering, processing, and fractionation activities in the Marcellus Shale region primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, and the Utica Shale region of eastern Ohio. The West segment comprises gas gathering, processing, and treating operations in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming, the Barnett Shale region of north-central Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas, the Haynesville Shale region of northwest Louisiana, and the Mid-Continent region, which includes the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Permian basins; and operates natural gas liquid (NGL) fractionation and storage facilities in central Kansas near Conway. The Gas & NGL Marketing Services segment provides wholesale marketing, trading, storage, and transportation of natural gas for natural gas utilities, municipalities, power generators, and producers; risk and asset management; and NGL marketing services. The company owns and operates 30,000 miles of pipelines, 29 processing facilities, 7 fractionation facilities, and approximately 23 million barrels of NGL storage capacity. The Williams Companies, Inc. was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit

Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools:

Portfolio Monitoring

Top Stock Lists

Premium Reports

Stock Screeners

Live News Feed

Premium Support

Free for your first month.
BAE Systems plc provides defense, aerospace, and security solutions worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Electronic Systems, Cyber & Intelligence, Platforms & Services (US), Air, and Maritime. The Electronic Systems segment offers electronic warfare systems, navigation systems, electro-optical sensors, military and commercial digital engine and flight controls, precision guidance and seeker solutions, military communication systems and data links, persistent surveillance systems, space electronics, and electric drive propulsion systems. The Cyber & Intelligence segment provides solutions to modernize, maintain, and test cyber-harden aircraft, radars, missile systems, and mission applications that detect and deter threats to national security; systems engineering, integration, and sustainment services for critical weapons systems, C5ISR, and cyber security; and solutions and services to intelligence and federal/civilian agencies. It also offers data intelligence solutions to defend against national-scale threats, protect their networks, and data against attacks; security and intelligence solutions to the United Kingdom government and allied international governments; anti-fraud and regulatory compliance solutions; and enterprise-level data and digital services. The Platforms & Services (US) segment manufactures combat vehicles, weapons, and munitions, as well as provides ship repair services and the management of government-owned munitions facilities. The Air segment develops, manufactures, upgrades, and supports combat and jet trainer aircraft. The Maritime segment designs, manufactures, and supports surface ships, submarines, torpedoes, radars, and command and combat systems; and supplies naval gun systems. It also supplies naval weapon systems, missile launchers, and precision munitions. The company was founded in 1970 and is based in Farnborough, the United Kingdom.
AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
Halma plc, through its subsidiaries, provides technology solutions in the safety, health, and environmental markets. It operates through three segments: Safety, Environmental & Analysis, and Medical. The Safety segment provides fire detection, specialist fire suppression, elevator safety, security sensors, people and vehicle flow technologies, specialized interlocks that control critical processes safely, and explosion protection and corrosion monitoring systems. This segment serves elevator safety, fire suppression, people and vehicle flow, fire detection, pressure management, industrial access control, and safe storage and transfer markets. The Environmental & Analysis segment offers optical, optoelectronic, and spectral imaging systems; water, air and gases monitoring technologies; instruments that detect hazardous gases and analyses air quality; and systems for water analysis and treatment. It serves the optical analysis, water analysis and treatment, gas detection, and environmental monitoring markets. The Medical segment provides critical fluidic components used by medical diagnostics and original equipment manufacturers; laboratory devices and systems that provide information to understand patient health and enable providers to make decisions across the continuum of care; technologies and solutions to enable in-vitro diagnostic systems and life-science discoveries and development; and technologies that enable positive outcomes across clinical specialties. This segment serves the life sciences, health assessment, and therapeutic solutions market. The company was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Amersham, the United Kingdom.
At the Graduate Research Symposium: Continental Army soldiers not left destitute

Revolutionary research David Ward's research is dispelling the notion that Continental Army soldiers who settled away from their original homes wound up impoverished and without standing in their new communities. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

David Ward was keenly aware of the conclusions commonly held by the history-writing community: Soldiers who left the Continental Army and settled away from their homes never recovered their place in society and died in poverty.He also recognized that this conclusion was based on research into pension applications these soldiers filed 35 to 50 years after the Revolutionary War.As a retired 28-year Army veteran originally researching how the Continental Army might have helped form An American Identity, neither of those conclusions made sense to him. His research took a new direction.If they stayed where they were after the war, they didnt do so well because Britain cut off trade and the U.S. entered an economic recession, Ward explained. When these guys moved west and applied for their pensions 35 to 50 years later, the pensions were based purely on financial need. You had to make yourself look as bad as possible, to prove you were in dire need.They didnt talk about the positions they held, like being justice of the peace, a town founder, a religious leader, a local politician or a selectman  jobs that didnt pay a lot but were fundamental if you are going to start a new community.Ward a Ph.D. candidate in history at William & Mary, has earned three masters degrees. His thesis for one of them centered on five individuals whose memoirs didnt support the stereotype that Continental Army soldiers ended up broke and in desperate need of the pension.The five were all junior leaders -- sergeants, lieutenants, captains -- who were promoted based on merit and served at the local level in their new communities.I thought, Is this just anecdotal or are there more individuals out there?Its the pursuit of that project that won for Ward the Market Access International, Inc., award for Excellence in Scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. That came about after submitting his paper in January for consideration. He presented his work at William & Marys 16th annual Graduate Research Symposium.As far as I know I am the only one doing this research today, Ward said. There just arent a lot of people doing military history any more in the scholarly arena.Wards work begins In March 1778 at Valley Forge. George Washington assigned 100 men from various regiments to form a model company. Washingtons appointed inspector general and major general, Baron von Steuben, used them to demonstrate military training to the rest of the junior leaders. In turn, these men trained other men at the company and regimental levels. Some of them eventually moved west.Concurrently, von Steuben composed Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States. In late May of 1778, his book, edited by Washington and more commonly known as The Blue Book, was published and distributed by Congress to Continental Army units.The book was divided into three sections, the last one of which is the least known: the responsibilities and duties of leaders.Its how you take care of people, Ward said. Its almost like an executive MBA program. These guys are in these jobs, they have to be trained, and theyre learning leadership skills on the battlefield and management skills in the encampments.Most armies dont spend most of their time fighting. Theyre in encampments, so youre running small cities. You have discipline issues, health and sanitation issues. How do you maintain cohesion in a unit?In the early 20th century, Ward said, the Ohio chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution gathered data on Revolutionary War veterans buried in Ohio. Their work included short blurbs on the men, their name, rank, where they were born, what unit they served in and what they went on to become. Ward used their registries to find more people, now closing in on 400, in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky and a couple in Mississippi that he knows were sergeants through captains when they were in the Army.What did they do? Were they really a justice of the peace, or was that legend? he said. Now Im starting to go through newspapers and other records.One thing that has helped me in the last five years is the vast amount of information that has been digitized. Theres a group thats posted almost all of the pension applications from Virginia and the south online. I was able to search through 3,000 to 4,000 records in about 15 minutes and find all of the people who were sergeants, lieutenants and captains, which would have been impossible not so long ago.Ward acknowledged that he cant prove a causal relationship between von Steubens training lessons and soldiers future success.But I know they got the training from von Steuben, I know they were in these encampments, so its not like they were going to forget everything, he said. Im looking at the skills theyre using in their new communities and Im tracing it back to the training they got in the Continental Army.Ward will continue working this summer, and hopes to have the research portion completed by November.Ive read enough to know that theres something there, he said. I tell people, Its like the sculptor; hes got the block of granite and he knows something is in there. He just needs to chip away at it.
About Me

I'm a patent lawyer located in central New Jersey. I have a J.D. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, where I studied graphite intercalation compounds at the Center for Materials Research. I worked at Exxon Corporate Research in areas ranging from engine deposits through coal and petroleum to fullerenes. An article that I wrote in The Trademark Reporter, 1994, 84, 379-407 on color trademarks was cited by Supreme Court in Qualitex v. Jacobson, 514 US 159 (1995) and the methodology was adopted in the Capri case in N.D. Ill. An article that I wrote on DNA profiling was cited by the Colorado Supreme Court (Shreck case) and a Florida appellate court (Brim case). I was interviewed by NHK-TV about the Jan-Hendrik Schon affair. I am developing ipABC, an entity that combines rigorous IP analytics with study of business models, to optimize utilization of intellectual property. I can be reached at C8AsF5 at yahoo.com.

View my complete profile




China News on Women





Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page
[Merpel would also like to note that the Katonomist now uses this story in lecturers to demonstrate how digital content is often copied without attribution or incorrectly attributed.]

Buzzfeed screen shot, Photo

incorrectly attributed to Reddit

"Coffee Cat" was the punny headline that caught reader Chris Ellins's (Westminster Law School) eye. Chris wrote in to let us know that something was brewing in Swiss Cottage. In a Doppio-and-Goliath fight, Doppio had lost. Yes, a coffee kiosk named "Star Box" was being forced to change its name following action by the coffee giant Starbucks. After the fight, there were grounds on the ground.Looking under the lid of the matter, there are some interesting twists. According to the Camden New Journal , Nasser Kamali, the owner of the Camden Star Box, named his coffee kiosk in honour of Marxism, I do believe in Marxism and that is very important to me. That is why I had the red star logo on my stickers. I am in a box. Its my red, star box. Alas, this got Kamali into hot water with a global multinational corporation, and in the name of keeping its brand strong, Starbucks requested he no longer use "Star" and change his logo (which contains a red star). Kamali has complied.The case has attracted a latte of international attention. The Daily Mail noted Kamali's refusal of a 300 goodwill payment from Starbucks. Even Fox News has it covered, and includes a series of reader comments dissecting the role of Marxism and American politics in downfall of Star Box.Yet "Star Box" itself is not original. Oddly enough, this Kat has history with Star Box, and Starbucks. Her coffee roots go back to high school in the 90s in Washington State, when having a bumper sticker that said, "I drive espresso because I am latte" was considered cool, and Starbucks was a local business with less than 150 stores. The mermaid logo was only partially clothed.Fast forward to 2007, and now both a coffee and an IP fan, this Kat was delighted when she came across "Star Box" in Teheran, Iran. She sent a photo to IP Professor Susan Scafidi's Counterfeit Chic blog . It then got picked up in 2008 in an Iranian forum , again in 2010, hit Reddit in 2011, made it to Buzzfeed in 2014 and NewsDay in August 2015. The image is currently on at least 30 websites, all pointing to the amusing similarities with Starbucks."Star Box" clearly has brand appeal. Curiously, Kamali is Iranian, perhaps this Kat's photo caught his eye?While this make look like a heated and strong debate, the distilled version is simply large brand versus small brand. This Kat has previously written about the interaction between lookalikes and brands . It's hard to imagine any of Star Box's London customers mistook the kiosk for Starbucks. Using a homonym of Starbucks is useful for attracting attention, and Star Box has benefitted Kamali, both in current new coverage and customer appeal. Starbucks's pursuit of Star Box may have some negative impact on the Starbucks brand, but could have deterrent effects. The public pursuit of Star Box could dissuade lookalike brands, which may save Starbucks potential legal costs - assuming that legal action is necessary. However, the pursuit of lookalike brands for such a dominant global brand is questionable, and Starbucks recently lost a case to a small coffee roaster named Charbucks . The economic impact is unclear.And now, for gratuitous conspiracy theories. Could this be the start of a global political takedown of American capitalism - starting with the tarnishment of coffee brands? Is Big Tech making "tarnishment" autocorrect "garnishment" to annoy human beings whose jobs will be replaced with machines?However, Kamali isn't wasting time over spilled milk - he's back to selling coffee.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, sometimes referred to as the Mayan Reef, is situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is recognized as the largest barrier reef system in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest in the world (after the Great Barrier Reef). The system is an important region of biodiversity, hosting an array of important marine species.

Location Of The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

The Reef System begins at the Yucatan Peninsulas northern tip and stretches south for nearly 700 miles through to the Honduran Bay Islands. The system touches on the coastlines of Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. 80% of the reef lies on the coast of Belize where it is referred to as the Belize barrier reef. The Belize barrier reef prides in being the countrys top tourist destination, famous for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Flora And Fauna Of The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

The Mesoamerican barrier reef system features wetlands, mangroves, coral forms, sea grass, estuaries, and lagoons. The waters of the reef provide habitat to over 500 fish species ranging from lobster, snapper, tarpon, to grouper. Populations of the whale shark have been observed eating and mating. The whale shark is a naturally solitary animal, and it is the biggest known fish making its presence in the reef valuable. Also present in the reef are 350 species of mollusk. More than 65 stony coral species exist in the reef including the brain, black, hard, staghorn, and soft corals. The system supports other wildlife species such as manatees and endangered populations of the American crocodile, sea turtles, and the morelets crocodile. The mangroves serve as crucial nursery for fish while also acting as defense systems against strong storms and hurricanes. The mangrove forests also provide mulch which is critical to the reefs ecosystem. Along the reefs coast are populations of shorebirds.

Environmental Threats And Conservation

Over the years, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef has withstood natural disasters such as hurricanes and tropical storms, but it is currently threatened by human activities. The scenic beauty of the reef has created a prime tourist destination and fueled coastal development. Regions such as Cancun and Belize have sprung up as tourist epicenters along the system. The multi-billion dollar tourism industry has however threatened the sustainability of the fragile environment. The reef also supports thousands of fishing villages scattered across its length. Overfishing and poor fishing practices have emerged as serious environmental concerns while many livelihoods depend on the sustainability of fish species in the reef.

Pollution and sedimentation in the system have been attributed to human settlement and large-scale agriculture taking place inland. The effects of climate change in the reef have been witnessed in the rising water temperatures and sea levels, changing water PH and stronger storms. Invasive species such as lionfish negatively affect existing species. All of these issues continue to threaten the reefs sustainability as well as the livelihoods of the communities which depend on it. Some parks and other protected areas have been established in the system including the Cayos Cochinos marine park, Belize barrier reef, Hol Chan marine reserve, and the Arrecifes de Cozumel national park. Various environmental organizations have implemented efforts in conjunction with coastal communities to popularize sustainable practices and restore mangroves as well as coastal reefs.
In the world there exists much contest between countries over matters such as access to resources and land claims. Such areas have been designated battlefields because of the intensity of battles which take place at the site. While most of the historical battlefields have been turned into memorial sites for the heroes of wars and those who took part in the battle, some of the battlefields today are still danger zones. Some of the memorial battlefields include Rabaul, Antietam, and Fort Douaumont. The Siachen Glacier is perhaps one of the known battlefields because of the Siachen War between India and Pakistan. However, it is also the location for the highest battlefield.

The Cold And Harsh Siachen Glacier

Siachen Glacier has been under the administration of the Indians since 1984. It forms part of the Leh District of the Ladakh Division in the eastern Karakoram Range. It lies on the Line of control between India and Pakistan and forms the longest glacier in the Karakoram. Although the area is under the administration of India, Pakistan controls the region west of Saltoro Ridge. The region falls on an altitude of 18,875 feet above the sea level while the altitude of the crest of the Saltoro Ridge ranges from 17,880 feet to 25,300 feet above the sea level. The average winter fall on the Siachen Glacier is above 35 feet, and temperatures can drop down to -500C. The glacier covers an area of about 270 square miles including the tributary glaciers. The name Siachen means land with abundant roses, contrary to the ongoing conflict over the region. The melting glaciers are the source of water for Nubra River in the region of Ladakh in India. The water drains into Shyok Rive then joins Indus River which flows through Pakistan.

The Siachen Conflict

India and Pakistan both claim sovereignty over the Siachen Glacier. Both the US and Pakistan maps consistently showed a dotted line from Line of Control to Karakoram Pass, but India believed that the line was a cartographic error and a violation of the Shimla Agreement. India took over the administration of the region in 1984 through a military operation which was known as Operation Meghdoot. The action by the Indian military led to several skirmishes from 1984 to 1999 between India and Pakistan. Pakistan lost over 350 soldiers in different operations between 2003 and 2010 while 869 Indian soldiers have lost their lives since 1984. However, more soldiers from both camps have been lost to the harsh weather condition than from combat. In 2015 alone, over 30 Indian soldiers lost their lives because of the adverse weather. Both camps continue to deploy thousands of their military forces to the area in an attempt to demilitarize the area. However, such attempts have been unsuccessful, and the Siachen Glacier continues to be a major battlefield.

Environmental Effects Of The Battle At The Siachen Glacier

The Siachen Glacier was uninhabited before 1984 with the nearest civilian settlement being about 10 miles away from the glacier. However, the presence of troops and the several operations that have been carried out in the region has caused pollution and increased the rate of melting of the glacier. The ice has been cut and melted by several chemicals to facilitate the military operations. The glacier has receded by more than 800 meters since 1984. The waste material like garbage and plastics find their way into the Indus River which is a major source of water in Pakistan and neighboring countries. Flora and fauna such as the snow leopard and ibex have also been affected by the military activities
Where Is Devon Island Located?

Devon Island, the worlds largest uninhabited island, is located in the Baffin Bay in Nunavut's Qikiqtaaluk Region in northern Canada. It is the 27th largest island in the world. Ellesmere Island lies to the north of Devon Island and Baffin Bay lies to its east.

History Of The Devon Island

The island was discovered by William Baffin and Robert Bylot in 1616. It was initially named North Devon after Devon in England by W.E. Parry. In the 1800s, it was renamed as Devon Island.

In 1924, a small outpost was established at the Dundas Harbor on the island and, 9 years later, it was leased to the Hudson's Bay Company. When the fur trade collapsed, 53 Baffin Island Inuit families arrived on Devon Island in 1934 in the hope of building their homes here. All attempts were unsuccessful and the harsh conditions of the island forced them to flee in 1936. In the 1940s, fresh attempts to live here were made but discarded again in the 1950s. Since then, no permanent settlements have grown up on Devon Island, and the ruins of only a few buildings remain here.

The Geography Of The Devon Island

The Devon Island is about 320 miles in length and 80 to 100 miles in width. The area occupied by the island is 21,331 square miles. The island is at an elevation of about 2,000 feet in the west and gradually rises to 6,300 feet in the east. At 6,300 ft, the Devon Ice Cap is the highest point on the island. Several small mountain ranges are also present here. The southern coast of the island has several fjordlike inlets and the Grinnell Peninsula protrudes from the northwest of the island. The eastern third of the Devon Island remains permanently covered with an ice cap about 500 to 700 meters thick. The mean annual average temperature of the island is -16C.

Life On The Devon Island

Although completely devoid of human settlements, a few species reside on the island. The short growing season of only about 40 to 55 days and the low temperatures (2 to 8C in summer) discourage the growth of plants here. Winters are extremely harsh with temperatures being as low as 50 C. Invertebrates living on the island take 2 to 9 years to complete their life-cycle when similar animals in other more habitable places complete their life-cycle within a few weeks to a year. The limited solar energy input is also one of the factors influencing the existence of life on this island. Little precipitation is also received on the Devon Island.

A small population of musk oxen and small mammals and birds live here. The island also supports hypolith communities. The Truelove Lowland area is a more biodiverse area since it supports a relatively lush Arctic vegetation. Cape Liddon on Devon Island is regarded as an Important Bird Area (IBA) with a notable population of northern fulmar and black guillemot.

"About As Mars As It Gets"

Devon Island is home to a 14-mile wide Haughton Crater. The out-of-the-world-like landscape here is cold, dry, and rocky. Its location in isolation from the rest of the world and continues to exist as if located on another planet. Thus, no humans dare settle on this land although astronauts preparing for Mars missions do pay occasional visits to Devon Island to get used to extra-terrestrial conditions.

Researchers have tested robots, spacesuits, drills, and other objects on Devon Island that would help prepare for future missions to Mars. The unmapped land and brutal environment of the Devon Island allows the space crew to get a taste of what is would be like to land in a place where nothing is predictable.

In 1960, the Devon Island Research Station was established in the Truelove Lowland and is maintained by the Arctic Institute of North America. The island also served as the temporary home of 5 scientists and 2 journalists in July 2004. They were there to get used to the Mars-like environment on the island to simulate working on Mars. The Haughton crater on Devon Island is the site of NASA's Haughton Mars Project.
The website for the Committee to Protect Journalists reported on Friday that it had joined some 40 other human rights advocacy groups in releasing a document calling for the renewal of special rapporteurs mandate, which had previously been carried out by Ahmad Shaheed, before Jahangir took over the role late last year. The mandate for this and similar special rapporteur assignments must be regularly renewed, and the resolution concerning Irans is scheduled to be voted on before the Councils 34th session concludes on Friday.

The call for renewal reflects the lack of recognizable progress on human rights issues in the Islamic Republic, where the arbitrary detention and sentencing of political activists, journalists, dual nationals, and perceived social dissenters is not only ongoing but appears to be accelerating. This fact was highlighted by the Center for Human Rights in Iran last week, when it reported the names of several activists and journalists who have been arrested in just the past few weeks, apparently by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, which is under the control of the supposedly moderate president Hassan Rouhani.

The CHRI notes that the given arrests are part of a larger phenomenon in which the Iranian regimes repressive apparatus is worsening its crackdown on dissent in the run-up to Rouhanis bid for reelection in May. The article offers some speculation as to why this might be, and it appears to favor the conclusion that the Ministry of Intelligence is stepping up its law enforcement activities as part of an effort to compete with the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has been acquiring an ever greater share of domestic power and which had been prosecuting a slightly less vigorous crackdown ever since the conclusion of nuclear negotiations between Iran and six world powers.

Initial expectations surrounding those negotiations were that they would open the door to a more generally cooperative relationship between the Islamic Republic and its traditional enemies in the West. But the long-term crackdown seemed to highlight the fact that hardline authorities would not accept this. Now, the more recent acceleration in that crackdown serves to underscore the fact that the Rouhani administration, despite having spearheaded the nuclear negotiations on the Iranian side, has shown no willingness to oppose the repressive response of the IRGC and other acknowledged hardliners.

Another recent report by the Center for Human Rights in Iran seemed to call attention to other prospects for addressing the human rights situation, specifically by empowering the Iranian population to engage in constructive public dialogue and activist organizing. That is to say, the report sought to levy criticism against transnational technology companies that have made a habit in recent years of keeping their distance from the Iranian market even when doing so is not required by international sanctions.

The implication of that report is that the lack of access to online resources through these independent companies has allowed the Islamic Republic to keep a tighter stranglehold on information, thereby impeding domestic organizing. Pro-reform Iranians frequently circumvent government restrictions on the internet and social media, but deliberate international support for these activities could provide more space for Iranians to gain access to independent news and pro-democratic viewpoints, including information on the persistence of human rights abuses throughout the country.

On the other hand, the worsening crackdown suggests that regime authorities will be on the lookout for anything that they might portray as collaboration between foreign entities and individual Iranians  something that is frequently used as the basis for political imprisonment and sometimes for capital sentences on charges such as attempting to facilitate the soft overthrow of the Islamic Republic.

In the midst of the ongoing crackdown, the mere possession of dual citizenship in Iran and a Western country has been sufficient grounds for imprisonment and accusations of spying or plotting against national security. And although a number of dual nationals are currently in

Iranian jails as a result of that crackdown, their Western countries of residence have at times been criticized for a perceived failure to publicly address the crisis, even as groups like the CHRI, the CPJ, and the UN Human Rights Council seek to address the larger problem of human rights abuses.

Such criticisms has certainly swirled around the government of the United Kingdom since the arrest nearly one year ago of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an employee of the Thomson Reuters Charitable Foundation who had been visiting her family in Iran, accompanied by her two-year-old daughter. The woman was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison and the little girl remains in the care of her Iranian grandparents, barred from leaving the country. Her supporters in the UK have since accused the British authorities of neglect  an accusation that was repeated by her sister-in-law, Rebecca Jones, ahead of a recent event being held on her behalf, according to the BBC.

Jones noted that no one from the British government has publicly condemned the arrest, and she went on to speculate that the silence may be motivated by fear of jeopardizing prospective trade deals with the Islamic Republic in the post-Brexit economic environment. While it cannot be said with certainty that this interpretation is correct, Jones comments reflect a sentiment that has been expressed by a variety of human rights defenders when they have regarded Western governments as sidelining human rights concerns in favor of the pursuit of trade deals and direct talks with Iranian officials.

In the immediate aftermath of the nuclear agreement, some of these sorts of talks were justified on the basis of the perceived prospects for internal moderation. But the latest crackdown and the surrounding criticisms suggest that there is little such prospect, regardless of the outcome of the forthcoming Iranian presidential elections. This notion was seemingly highlighted by one of the political activists caught up in the crackdown.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran reported on Thursday that Hengameh Shahidi, a senior member of the National Trust Party and a former adviser to the imprisoned Green Movement leader Mehdi Karroubi, had predicted her own arrest in the form of two open letters which she released after she was jailed on March 9. The activists and former journalist characterized the accelerated crackdown as part of an effort to make sure that there would be no serious, reform-minded challenge to a presidential race that will be limited to Rouhani and an as yet unnamed hardline opponent.

Shahidis letters called attention to Rouhanis betrayal of pro-reform campaign promises, addressing him directly and saying, You were supposed to be a breath of fresh air for reformists after the oppressive years under (President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad, and not choke the air out of them to become president like he did.

Yet another CHRI report pointed out that Shahidi had initiated a hunger strike and had ceased taking her prescription medication in protest against her detention and its apparent political implications. In so doing, she has become one of the latest in a long series of hunger strikes undertaken by political prisoners in recent months, some of which have lasted in excess of two months while striving to bring both domestic and international attention to prison conditions, arbitrary detention, and related human rights issues.

Some of these actions have had limited successes, as when protests in solidarity with then-hunger striker Arash Sadeghi led to the judiciary agreeing to temporarily release his wife and review her case. But others have resulted in punitive actions by the judiciary and the regime, and with the protest actions being increasingly prevalent, this phenomenon also appears to be accelerating.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency highlighted one relevant situation last week when it pointed out that brothers and fellow political prisoners Mehdi and Hossein Rajabian were still being denied adequate access to medical care, weeks after the end of a hunger strike that had caused the worsening of medical conditions for both of them. HRANA reports that the two brothers have been arbitrarily and punitively separated and mixed into the general prison population, in violation of Iranian prison guidelines. Mehdi reportedly suffers from multiple sclerosis, and his brother is experiencing severe kidney disease. The denial of their requests for medical furlough highlights a longstanding practice of Iranian authorities using health problems as a weapon against political prisoners.

The brothers were arrested as a result of their involvement in an online music service, and their convictions were evidently based in large part on false confessions elicited under the threat of even worse punishment than the six year sentences they received. False confessions and the threat of torture were also evident in some of the very recent cases highlighted by the CHRI in its reporting on the accelerated crackdown.

In two other reports, HRANA touched upon the sorts of punishments that some of these arrestees may face in the current environment. Those reports note that three activists and two journalists were recently sentenced to receive lashes alongside their prison terms. Some of those sentences were reportedly justified by false accusations of drug use, reflecting the judicial intolerance of such crimes which consistently secures Irans status as the country with the highest per-capita rate of executions in the world. Meanwhile, one of the individuals who was sentenced for purely journalistic activities, or spreading lies, is set to receive a staggering 114 lashes, whereas less than one-third that number has been described as torturous by Iranians who have experienced it.
When Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the US and met with President Trump, there was a turning point in Saudi-US relations. The Deputy Crown Prince, is also the kingdoms Defense Minister. He has described Irans destabilizing nature across the globe and support for terrorism as a dangerous challenge for the Middle East and the world. He said in his recent meeting with his American predecessor James Mattis, that Saudi Arabia is at the front lines of these dilemmas. The fight against ISIS, confronting Irans activities in the region, and military cooperation between the two countries were amongst the main subjects in these talks.

In an article for Al Arabiya by Heshmat Alavi, a political and rights activist focusing on Iran, he writes, Irans support for the Lebanese Hezbollah has become a part of Middle East reality, with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nassrallah admitting receiving money and other support from Tehran. While this relationship has been constantly condemned over the years, a new voice has recently raised quite a few eyebrows.

In his first report to the Security Council, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, referred to the necessity of disarming the Lebanese Hezbollah. Guterres called on all other Lebanese groups to bring an end to their participation in Syrias war. He condemned Hezbollah crossing its forces into Syria as a violation of UNSC Resolution 1701. His report also condemns Hezbollahs continuing possession of weapons as a violation of Lebanons sovereignty and this countrys obligations in the face of UNSC resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006).

Irans Yemen campaign has suffered major setbacks with the Saudi-backed coalition taking the initiative in making major advances towards Sanaa, the capital.

In a sign of desperate times calling for desperate measures, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen targeted a gathering of coalition forces east of Sanaa by launching Iran-made Zelzal-1 missiles. This hideous attack resulted in the destruction of a local mosque in the targeted area and leaving at least 26 coalition fighters killed, writes Alavi, adding, As Tehran sees its measures failing in the strategic company of Yemen, strategically aimed to send messages to Riyadh, we will unfortunately have to brace for further episodes of heinous crimes against Yemens liberating forces and its innocent people.

Iran enjoyed the appeasement policy of the Obama administration on Syria. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner, when asked about Washingtons current view on Syrias Bashar Assad, made remarks that caught Iran off guard. We view him as a brutal man who has led his country into this morass We believe that will be a transition away from Assad, because we dont believe he can ever be an acceptable leader to all of the Syrian people, Toner stated, its our opinion, given what hes wrought, the devastation hes wrought on his own people. But it needs to be a decision by the Syrian people, and that includes moderate Syrian opposition, on how to transition to a new government. We think one that doesnt include Assad, obviously, but thats where were at on this. So its up to the Syrian people to decide. Our opinion is that hes not a credible leader.

The Iranian regime has serious trouble, with a high number of casualties in the proxy militias trained and dispatched by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) to Syria. A senior Iranian official has plead with the government to issue citizenship for Afghan nationals currently fighting under the so-called Fatemioun Division flag in Syria.

During the past 12 months 2,000 IRGC foot-soldiers from Afghanistan and Pakistan have been killed in Syria and Iraq, according to Mohammad Ali Shahidi Mahalati, head of the Martyrs Foundation. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) declared in July 2016 that approximately 15,000 to 20,000 Afghan nationals had been dispatched by the IRGC to Syria. In January Brigadier General Hossein Yekta verified this when he said that 18,000 Afghan nationals are fighting in Syria under IRGC command.

These developments lead to a conclusion about how Irans IRGC has affected the region.

Alavi writes, And as the tides are changing against Tehrans interests, the mullahs are weighing to up the ante on such provocative measures, or wind down the tone. The end result will especially be crucial as the regime finds itself in an extremely weak position before highly sensitive presidential elections in May. He believes that this is the right time to designate the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, and bring an end to its regional warmongering and domestic crackdown.
ANZAC Heroes, written by Maria Gill and illustrated by Marco Ivancic, is a glorification of war and nationalism aimed at children. Published by Scholastic in March 2016, and designed to be used in schools, it profiles 30 men and women who were in the Australia and New Zealand Army Corp (Anzac) during World War I and II, including soldiers, air force pilots, navy officers, and nurses.

Gill received $41,033 to write the book from the New Zealand government agency Creative NZ, which had a special $1.5 million fund for projects promoting the centenary of World War I. Wellington and Canberra have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on pro-war exhibitions, books and movies over the last three years, mainly aimed at young people, to encourage patriotism and respect for the military.

ANZAC Heroes received the 2016 Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, the national award for New Zealand childrens books. According to the awards web site, they are given to works that build national identity and cultural heritage and are funded by Creative NZ and the Wellington City Council. The judges described Gills book as personal, engaging, inspiring and sad and incredibly well-researched.

In fact, the book is not an objective work of history. As with other centenary-related productions, it is full of distortions and falsifications. While several of the people profiled were undoubtedly interesting and brave, their stories, filtered through the prism of nationalism, come across as lifeless and formulaic.

The primary purpose of the book is to glorify participation in imperialist wars. According to the introduction, the author aimed to show what [the Anzacs] endured and how their incredible spirit saw them rise to the challenge. It notes that every year their sacrifice is remembered on April 25, Anzac Day, in Australia and New Zealand. This holiday features nationalist parades and other patriotic ceremonies dedicated to the military.

Gill falsely characterises the entry of Australia and New Zealand into WWI as defensive. When Britain went to war, they committed themselves to defending the Empire. Politicians worried that the war would spread to their shores and wanted to support the Empires effort to prevent that from happening, she states.

In reality, both countries are minor imperialist powers that entered the war to expand their colonial possessions. Soon after war was declared in 1914, Australia invaded German Papua New Guinea and New Zealand troops seized German Samoa. These territories, along with Nauru, were brutally exploited by Australian and New Zealand capitalists for decades. The Anzacs took part in World War II not to fight for democracy but for predatory colonial interests.

Gill gives little sense of the immense scale of the destruction in both World Wars. The fact that tens of millions of people were slaughtered is not even mentioned, only the large death tolls for Australian and New Zealand troops: in WWI they were 60,000 and 18,000 respectively; in WWII, 27,073 and 11,928.

The books heroes are generally described as excited and eager to go to war. For instance: At 17 years old, Cyril [Bassett] couldnt wait to join the Territorial Force; Like many teenagers of that era, Robert [Little] dreamed of being a pilot; William Sanders always wanted a seafaring life after growing up hearing tales of his grandfather Captain Wilsons sailing adventures; Edward (Weary) Dunlop wanted to be like the heroes in the books and comics he read  and so on.

There was in 19141915 an initial period of war fever in which thousands of Australians and New Zealanders rushed to enlist to fight. Responsibility for the lack of organised opposition rests primarily with the trade union and Labour Party leaders in both countries, which, like their counterparts in Europe, enthusiastically supported the war and joined with the bourgeoisie in whipping up patriotism.

Following the reports of thousands of deaths, particularly at the battle of Gallipoli in 1915, enlistments began to fall sharply and anti-war sentiment spread rapidly throughout the working class. The Australian Labor government of Billy Hughes attempted to introduce conscription, but was defeated in two referenda. New Zealands conservative government led by William Massey imposed conscription without a referendum in 1916. In New Zealand the Labour Party was established in 1916 to contain the anti-war opposition in the working class.

There is no reference to this mass opposition in Gills book. Nor is there any profile of anyone who was conscripted or otherwise forced to go and fight.

Gill recounts the military exploits of each soldier, with particular emphasis on the number of enemies killed and the recognition and medals received. A typical passage describes how Australian soldier Albert Jacka killed many Germans in WWI and earned a Victoria Cross after he leapt into an Ottoman trench, shot five and bayoneted two, afterwards telling his commanding officer: Well, I managed to get the beggars, sir!

Australian pilot Hughie Edwards is praised for earning the Victoria Cross in July, 1941, after blowing up two factories and a warehouse. Edwards took part in the bombing of Berlin in 1943, which killed thousands of civilians.

The book notes that several Anzacs suffered disfiguring wounds and psychological disorders. There are also descriptions of the horrific conditions endured by prisoners of war during WWII. Australian Arthur Blackburn is said to have fought for the rights of POWs, striving to get them better living conditions, and suffered beatings for it. A thousand men, under the command of prisoner Edward Dunlop, were forced to work 18-hour days in a Japanese prison camp while suffering from diseases like malaria and cholera.

Gill shows no sympathy for German, Ottoman or Japanese soldiers, who are dehumanised as the enemy throughout the book. Nor is there any acknowledgement of war crimes committed by the British Empire, the US or their allies. In Cowra, Australia in 1944, 231 Japanese POWs were slaughtered following a breakout, while in New Zealand in 1943, 48 Japanese prisoners were massacred by machine-gun during a riot. These atrocities are not widely known, particularly among younger people.

Several profiles of women and indigenous soldiers have been included to depict WWI and WWII as central to the development of a progressive and egalitarian national identity.

Gill writes that Australian ambulance driver Olive King craved adventure and when she initially volunteered they told her war was no place for women, but Olive didnt let that stop her. The profile for New Zealand doctor Jessie Scott attempts to draw a direct line between New Zealand women winning the right to vote in 1893 and Scotts decision to become a doctor and join a military hospital in Serbia.

Working class women, however, played a major role in the anti-war movement in both countries. In Melbourne on October 21, 1916, an anti-conscription demonstration led by around 4,000 women attracted a crowd of 80,000 people. In the New Zealand city of Christchurch in 1918, a group of 2,000 women started what was reported as a riot to prevent their men being conscripted.

The statement in ANZAC Heroes that Maori volunteered to join [WWI] as soon as the war was declared is a gross distortion. In fact, Maori were among the bitterest opponents of war. A Native Contingent Committee was formed to co-ordinate the recruitment of Maori and included Maori parliamentarians such as Apirana Ngata. Yet only a third of the second and third drafts were actually Maori, with Pacific Islanders enlisted to meet the minimum quota.

Objectors were brutally repressed. In 1916, two were killed by police during the attempted arrest of Rua Kenana, a religious leader who discouraged Maori from recruitment. Hundreds were imprisoned and sentenced to two years of hard labour for resisting conscription.

Gills assertions that Aboriginal men were keen to enlist and were treated equally in the Australian army are also misleading. Laws banning Aboriginals from the armed forces were relaxed to allow enlistment by those with one parent of European descent in 1917, as a desperate measure to increase recruitment, especially after conscription was defeated in two referenda in 1916 and 1917.

Although they were paid the same as other troops, Aboriginal soldiers were kept in the lowest ranks. After the war, they were officially shunned, refused returned soldiers land grants and often denied war pensions and back pay. Indigenous people were among the most brutally repressed sections of Australian society, denied basic rights such as citizenship, the right to vote, to buy land or marry non-indigenous partners.

The book contains only one brief mention of opposition to war, in the profile of Australian Hugo Throssell. After recounting Throssells experiences in battle during WWI, Gill writes: Over the next ten years and through the Great Depression, Hugo had numerous jobs and became an anti-war socialist. His wounds healed but his mental health grew worse. With mounting debts, Throssell committed suicide in 1933.

This wording falsely implies that Throssell became a socialist during the Depression of the 1930s and that his decision was bound up with deteriorating mental health.

Speaking to a gathering of 1,500 people in Northam, Western Australia, on July 19, 1919, Throssell said: The war has made me a Socialist. It has made me think and inquire what are the causes of wars. And my thinking and reading have led me to the conclusion that we shall never be free of wars under a system of production for profit, with its consequent over-production, periodic crimes, unemployment and the struggle for markets.

[I]f we want to do the things which will make for a permanent peace, we must do away with the system of production for profit, and reorganise our life in common on the lines of production for use and for the well-being of the community as a whole.

In 1919 Throssell married the socialist writer Katherine Prichard, a founding member of the Communist Party of Australia in 1920. Both were inspired by the Russian Revolution of October, 1917, an earth-shaking event that took Russia out of the war and pointed the way forward for workers in every country. The threat of revolution throughout Europe forced the imperialist powers to agree to an armistice.

The fact that ANZAC Heroes has received such wide acclaim and won a national prize must be taken as a warning. As in the lead-up to World War I, xenophobia, militarism and extreme nationalism are being cultivated in every country. The world stands on the brink of a catastrophic war involving nuclear powers, as the US escalates its threats against Russia and China. New Zealand and Australia, both allies of the US, would inevitably be dragged into such a war.

Gills book is part of the strenuous efforts being made by governments, with the help of well-paid academics and hack writers, to overcome the deeply ingrained anti-war sentiment among young people.

The author also recommends:

The role of Australian schools in World War I

[25 April 2015]

New Zealand: WWI Home Front exhibition buries mass opposition to war

[22 August 2016]

Government-produced book describes WWI as successful and profitable

[24 April 2014]
Yesterday morning, the United Auto Workers union released the highlights flyer of its tentative agreement with Caterpillar, the construction and mining equipment giant. Although the document is an attempt to present the six-year contract proposal in the best possible light, it nevertheless reveals major givebacks to the company.

Caterpillar workers should reject the UAWs attempt to stampede them into accepting yet another sellout contract at ratification meetings scheduled for Sunday, March 26. They have a right to see and study the full contract before any vote takes place, including all letters of understanding and other memoranda used to hide the real content of the deal.

While the UAW claimed to have reached the six-year agreement over a week ago, on March 15, it has refused to release the full contract to workers. The UAW executives apparently intended to withhold their highlights flyer until the votes themselves, and only agreed to release it a few days early after facing angry questions from workers on social media and elsewhere over the weekend.

As the document makes clear, the unions only reason for keeping the full contract from workers is that they are afraid it would provoke even more explosive opposition than the highlights already have.

It begins with a letter from Norwood Jewell, the UAW vice president who was the architect of concessions agreements at both Fiat-Chrysler and John Deere in 2015. Seeking to lower workers expectations at the outset and justify the abysmal character of the documents contents, he writes, During the course of 2017 negotiations, your UAW Caterpillar National Policy Committee was faced with enormous challenges as sales of mining and construction equipment manufactured in UAW-represented Caterpillar facilities declined by 40 percent during the term of the 2011 agreement.

He continues, During the opening ceremony of these negotiations, the negotiating team was immediately faced with Caterpillar announcing the contemplation of closure of the Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing facility. This action would impact nearly 800 brothers and sisters working in Aurora. The cost of health care had been increasing on an upward trend throughout the 2011-2017 contract.

As a worker from the Caterpillar plant in Decatur, Illinois, told the World Socialist Web Site, It sounded to me like he felt sorry for Caterpillar, so were supposed to take it on the chin again. The whole letter was sympathetic to Caterpillar.

As has become standard operating procedure in union contracts throughout the US, signing bonuses and lump sum payments are used to get workerswho are facing economic hardships due to UAW-backed wage concessionsto swallow a new round of attacks on jobs, wages and benefits.

The contract entails the all-but-certain closure of the Aurora, Illinois plant. The highlights state that the factory is exempt from the moratorium on plant closures, and that Aurora workers are excluded from a $10,000 early-retirement bonus (which is itself intended as an incentive to force out older workers at other plants). To encourage Aurora workers to resign themselves to their fate, the UAW states they would receive a weeks worth of pay for each year theyve workedand will no doubt tell them Sunday that they will receive nothing if they vote "no."

A second-tier worker at the Aurora plant denounced the payout deal, telling the WSWS, Those 40 hours of pay, after taxes and the union take their part, they drop you down to simply nothing. Basically, its Caterpillars attempt to manipulate everybody. If you dont vote yes right now, theyre going to drop everything.

The UAWs highlights reveal further attacks on first-tier workers, i.e. those who were hired before 2005 and who had previously earned better pay and benefits.

The deal includes zero guaranteed base wage increases for workers hired before 2005, no cost-of-living adjustments, and an insulting lump-sum payment of $1,000 in 2020. By the end of the contract period in 2023, such a worker would have undergone a pay freeze for nearly 20 years.

As one worker noted bitterly on Facebook, Who works for a company for 18 years making the exact same wages?? Some of us... Go hide more of your billions... corporate greed at its finest

For workers hired after 2005, the situation is no better, despite initial appearances. These lower-paid workers will receive only two general wage increases of two percent each in 2018 and 2020, a miserly amount. While the highlights state that these workers will be eligible for market-based wage increasesan intentionally vague formulationin other years, this promise is worthless. Essentially, the UAW has negotiated that Caterpillar will unilaterally determine whether and how much of a raise workers receive.

Moreover, the highlights contain ominous implications for workers health care.

In the first contract proposal at Fiat-Chrysler in 2015, one of the main points that provoked workers opposition was the attempt by the UAW to create a health care co-op. This was to be modeled on the Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association (VEBA), the multibillion-dollar fund for retiree health care set up with a one-time payment by the companies. Under the control of the UAW, the union became the one to directly administer cuts to services and hikes in out-of-pocket costs.

In the contract with Caterpillar, the UAW is again invoking rising costs as a means to carry out a major restructuring of employer-paid health insurance. Having agreed to a doubling of workers shares of premiums over the life of the 2011-2017 agreement, the UAW is now claiming that workers health care contributions will be contained by shifting them onto the same plans as management, while giving no explicit guarantees of how much workers will be responsible for out of pocket over the life of the contract.

Finally, the highlights make no mention of a host of critical issues for workers, including the percentage of supplemental employees the company can employ, or any changes to workers retirement plans. In 2011, the company and union pushed through the effective end of the defined-contribution retirement plan (pensions) for pre-2005 employees, who were forced into a 401(k) at the end of last year.

The concessions revealed in the highlights have already provoked outrage among many workers. This contract is a slap in the face to all of us, said one on Facebook. This is a horrible offer. Cat can do a lot better, commented another.

The worker in Aurora told the WSWS, A lot of people feel overlooked. Personally, a lot of us dont have that much confidence in the UAW. Looking at the history of previous agreements, it is not a positive view of the union. And closed bargaining, that was no good for us. They try to keep all us ignorant. All we know is that Caterpillar said, this is what were going to do, and the union sits there and accepts it. Its the working class against the company.

The agricultural and heavy equipment industries, particularly Deere and Caterpillar, have long served as the testing ground for innovative attacks on the gains workers have made over generations of struggle, later to be deployed throughout the auto industry and beyond, all with the collusion of the unions.

Caterpillar is citing the downturn in global market conditionsover which workers have no controlto demand that workers give up what little they have left. But the company has earned tens of billions in profits over the last 10 years, showering its CEOs with multimillion-dollar stock options and bonuses, and issuing $1.8 billion in dividends to its investors last year. In years good or bad, the answer from the company and the union is the same: we have no money!

Workers should reject the tentative agreement with the contempt it deserves.

Nothing has ever been gained without mass struggle. Rank-and-file committeesdemocratically elected and run by the workers themselvesshould be organized at every plant to formulate real demands and a strategy to fight for them.

These demands should include:

 A 35 percent wage increase and the restoration of COLA

 Fully funded pensions and employer-paid health care for active and retired workers

 No plant closings

 Abolish multi-tier wage and benefit schemes

 Convert all temporary and supplemental workers into full-time employees

Rank-and-file committees should develop lines of communication with workers at other Caterpillar, Deere and auto plants in the US and throughout the world to initiate a counteroffensive in defense of jobs, wages and the social rights of the working class. In this fight the World Socialist Web Site and its Autoworker Newsletter will provide workers with all the assistance it can.
Over the last four days, the Senate Judiciary Committee conducted a charade of a hearing for Neil M. Gorsuch, president Donald Trumps nominee to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the 2016 death of arch-reactionary Antonin Scalia.

While more polished, tactful and amiable than the crass and bullying Scalia, Gorsuch is expected to vote along the same reactionary lines. Gorsuch will restore the dominant right-wing bloc that, when joined by the conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy, over the last decade destroyed the Voting Rights Act, opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate campaign contributions, empowered corporate bosses to impose their religious views and practices on employees, dismantled environmental protections, stripped workers and consumers of their rights to file lawsuits, stripped search-and-seizure protections, and expanded immunity for police murders and other official misconduct, among other things.

As a private lawyer, Gorsuch represented Colorado billionaire Phil Anschutz, a major contributor to archconservative groups including the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. In 2006 Anschultz intervened at the White House to advocate that President George W. Bush nominate Gorsuch to a vacancy on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah.

The Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society, an organization dedicated to the right-wing takeover of the United States judiciary, handpicked Gorsuch for Trump. Disclosing how these forces operate out of the public eye, Gorsuch acknowledged that he found out about Trumps nomination directly from Leonard Leo, the Federalist Society executive vice president widely considered a major right-wing kingmaker.

Gorsuch is relatively young at 49a major asset for a lifetime appointmentwith solid educational and legal credentials, including a coveted Supreme Court clerkship split between Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. More importantly, Gorsuch has proven time and again that he will support dismantling all restraints on corporate looting as well as the expansion of governmental power to suppress the social explosions that will inevitably result.

Writing in 2005 for the conservative National Review, Gorsuch denounced American liberals, as addicted to the courtroom, for effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage to assisted suicide to the use of vouchers for private-school education.

The hearings opened Monday, with Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican from Iowa, praising Gorsuch as the gold standard, labeling any attempt to probe his right-wing views as political posturing and grandstanding.

Virtually every Democrat who spoke during the hearing pointed out the hypocrisy after the Republicans refused to consider former president Barack Obamas nominee for the seat, Merrick Garland.

Gorsuch was introduced to the Judiciary Committee in glowing terms by both senators from his home state of Colorado, including Democrat Michael Bennet. Neal K. Katyal, who argued cases in the Supreme Court for the Obama administration, called Gorsuch a first-rate intellect and a fair and decent man.

Gorsuchs prepared opening remarks consisted solely of generalities and homilies, interlaced with occasional strained and corny attempts at humor. He studiously avoided any substance that would tend to confirm how he intends to vote on controversial issues he is likely to confront as a justice.

During two days of questioning Tuesday and Wednesday, Gorsuch refused to reveal his views on any substantive issues, denying that he had been asked to submit to any litmus test.

I would tell you that Roe vs. Wade, decided in 1973, is the precedent of the United States Supreme Court, Gorsuch said when asked about a womans right to terminate a pregnancy, adding, all of the other factors that go into analyzing precedent have to be considered, a hint that Gorsuch would be open to overturning the ruling.

The only new revelations raised during the four-day hearing arise from newly uncovered emails that demonstrate how, during his seven-month stint with the Department of Justice in 2005 and 2006, Gorsuch urged then-president George W. Bush to issue an unprecedented signing statement that essentially repudiated the Detainee Treatment Act, a law sponsored by Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war, that barred US agencies from inflicting cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment on people detained anywhere in the world.

When pressed on the documents by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, Gorsuch shifted responsibility to others, claiming that he was only their lawyer, not a policy maker. At the same time, Gorsuch refused to state whether he viewed torture techniques such as waterboarding and prolonged sleep deprivation to be illegal.

Later in the hearings, Feinstein asked Gorsuch about a memo where he scribbled yes next to the question whether CIA torture had yielded valuable information, knowing from her own Senate investigation that none was obtained.

I was a lawyer. My job was as an advocate, and we were dealing with detainee litigation. That was my job, Gorsuch responded.

Similarly, Feinstein pressed Gorsuch whether he actually believes the comments he wrote for Alberto Gonzales, Bushs attorney general, asserting that Congress lacked authority to require federal agents to always obtain warrants for national security surveillance. Goodness no, Senator, and I didnt believe it at the time, Judge Gorsuch replied, describing himself as only a speechwriter, and the scribe.

The final day of hearings on Thursday was dedicated to other witnesses, some of whom came to praise Gorsuch as bright, hardworking and fair, and others to condemn his record. Elisa Massimino of Human Rights First pointed out that Gorsuch joined the Bush administration shortly after the sickening images emerged from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Dominated by a Republican majority, the Committee will vote on April 3, most likely along party lines, to recommend Gorsuch to the full Senate, where the only suspense is likely to be whether the Democrats stage a meaningless filibuster before rolling over for his confirmation.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has pledged to muster the more than 40 Democratic votes needed to block the nomination on the Senate floor under the current rules, on the basis that Gorsuchs extreme right-wing views are out of the mainstream.

Senate Republicans, who control 52 of the 100 Senate seats plus the tiebreaker, can counter a filibuster by changing the rules by majority vote. There are implications to such a maneuver, however, and various media reports cite behind-the-scene negotiations that could affect votes on future judicial nominees or meet the parochial interests of certain senators.

Regardless, there is no reason to believe that Gorsuch will not be confirmed and join the other Supreme Court justices, probably before the current term ends in late June.

The author recommends:

The right-wing record of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch

[2 February 2017]

The CIA torture report and the crisis of legitimacy in the United States

[12 August 2014]
Under the pretext of combatting fake news and hate speech on the internet, Justice Minister Heiko Maas (Social Democratic Party, SPD) is planning a massive attack on free speech.

On March 14, Maas presented a draft of a so-called network enforcement law (NetzDG), which imposes extensive surveillance and censorship responsibilities on commercial social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If the draft becomes law, such sites will be required to react immediately to complaints and block obviously illegal content within 24 hours. Other illegal content must be erased within seven days.

The corporations will have to decide on their own what is illegal and, to this end, they will have to set up a contact office in Germany. The law would turn them into investigators, judges and executioners over free speech, as the platform Netzpolitik.org writes.

If they do not live up to their duty to delete content, they are threatened with draconian fines of up to 50 million. These fines are left to the discretion of the Federal Office of Justice and can be imposed even in the case of a single offense, regardless of whether it is intentional or the result of negligence.

The law would apply to social networks that have at least 2 million users registered in Germany. However, the definition of a social network is so broadly formulated that, in addition to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, other services such as Whatsapp and Skype, and even larger email providers and file hosting sites, could fall under its purview.

The providers would be required not only to delete content, but also all copies of it, and would have to prevent it from being uploaded once again. At the same time, the content would have to be saved, possibly indefinitely, for evidentiary purposes.

The provider would be required to inform the user about the deletion and would be required to justify the decision, but a multiple choice justification form would suffice. If the user does not agree with the deletion, he would have to spend months, or even years, on costly legal proceedings. During this time, the deletion would remain in force.

The draft legislation includes more than a dozen clauses whose violation would lead to deletion. In addition to open calls to commit crimes and related offenses, it lists libel, defamation, slander, disparagement of the German president, and insults to religious communities.

As the Berlin law professor Niko Harting remarked, the law is about unlawful and not punishable content. He insists that this is an important difference. Harting fears that the law will lead to a situation in which the scope of criminal prohibitions will be expanded considerably, and that the new law will make it much easier to forbid certain statements.

Whether a statement is insulting, disparaging or defamatory has often been the object of a lengthy process of legal dispute. Not infrequently, charges and court actions have been employed in an effort to criminalize and silence personal and political opponents. The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe has repeatedly, though not always consistently, come to decisions that emphasized the value of free speech.

A well-known example is a decision of the Federal Constitutional Court in 1995. It decided that the statement by the German-Jewish journalist, satirist and writer that soldiers are murderers does not constitute libel, and it authored a decision to this effect. The legal dispute over the poem by the satirist Jan Bohmermann about Turkish President Erdogan is ongoing.

The extremely short inspection period combined with the threat of draconian fines makes it likely that corporations like Facebook or Google will react to reports of supposedly criminal content by erring on the side of caution and deleting it. Every sharp, critical, polemic, ironic or satirical post on a social network would vanish in no time.

The internet and the social networks on which people publicly voice and exchange views independently of the official political institutions, parties and media, have long been a thorn in the side of the ruling elite, which views the right to freedom of speech as a threat.

The draft legislation addresses this quite openly. Hate criminalityaccording to this law almost everythingthat cannot be combatted and pursued effectively, threatens peaceful coexistence in a free, open and democratic society, it says. Then the American election is openly invoked as an example: After the experience in the US election, the combatting of punishable false reports (fake news) has also won high priority in Germany.

To this end, corporations valued in the billions will be tasked with suppressing disagreeable statements and opinions. A lengthy court process, in which a decision in favour of free speech might be reached once again, will be replaced with a short process: a report, followed by deletion and justification by multiple choice.

Several critical journalists have also noted that the real concern of the Justice Minister is the suppression of free speech and criticism. Harald Martenstein wrote an article for Tagesspiegel, Where the government decides what is truth and what is fake, we are in despotism. But precisely now, while we are still excited about Erdogan, Erdogan methods are being prepared here in this country. Justice Minister Heiko Maas has presented draft legislation that reads as though it came from the novel 1984. 

On the other hand, representatives of the two ruling parties, the SPD and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), welcomed the planned legislation. Moreover, in the view of the Green Party, which is an opposition party to the government, the law does not go far enough.

Green Party parliamentary representative, Renate Kunast, who is the president of the Parliamentary Committee for Law and Consumer Protection, told the German radio station Deutschlandfunk that it is a problem that the draft legislation only covers punishable content! She also wants to suppress free speech that is explicitly not punishable.

Kunast left no room for doubt that for her the point of the law is to silence oppositional voices in the population: With 30 million Facebook users in Germany, all of this vulgar behaviour, even when it is not punishable, has an impact on real and virtual life. It has an influence. Even mayors are resigning because they are being molested.

In addition, she advocated viewing social media providers like newspapers and radio stations, which are made directly responsible for the content they bring to the public. This would lead in effect to a comprehensive review of all content and self-censorship in advance of publication rather than afterwards.

The legislation proposed by Justice Minister Maas and the criticism of it by former Green Party Minister of the Environment Kunast are indicative of the attitude to basic democratic rights of a future red-red-green federal coalition government. Such a government would not have the slightest interest in defending democratic principles.
Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is exploiting the extremely tense situation on the Korean Peninsula to push for its military to be able to carry out pre-emptive strikes on an enemy such as North Korea. The acquisition of offensive weapons, such as cruise missiles, for the first time since the end of World War II would be another major step by Prime Minister Shinzo Abes government to rearm Japan, heightening the danger of war.

Commenting on North Korean missile tests, Defence Minister Tomomi Inada suggested on March 9 that Japan could acquire the capacity for pre-emptive attacks. I do not rule out any method and we consider various options, consistent of course with international law and the constitution of our country, she said.

Hiroshi Imazu, chairman of the LDPs policy council on security, was more forthright: It is time we acquired the capacity. I dont know whether that would be with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or even the F-35 [fighter], but without a deterrence North Korea will see us as weak. The policy council plans to submit a proposal in the current parliamentary session with a view to its inclusion in the next five-year defence plan.

Inadas caveat notwithstanding, the purchase of weapons of aggression would openly breach Article 9 of the Japanese post-war constitution, which renounces war  and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes and declares that land, sea and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. Such a move would also dispense with the longstanding legal fig leaf that Japans existing military forces are purely for self-defence.

To date, Japanese governments have baulked at the acquisition of obviously offensive weapons, such as ballistic missiles, aircraft carriers and long-range bombers, not least because of widespread anti-war opposition among Japanese workers and youth. On Wednesday, however, Japan commissioned the Kaga, its second helicopter carrier. The ships are the largest put into operation by the Japanese military since World War II and could be modified to carry fighter aircraft.

The Abe government, the most right-wing in post-war history, has greatly accelerated the drive to remilitarise Japan and remove legal and constitutional restraints on its armed forces. Since coming to office in 2012, Abe has used the slogan of pro-active pacifism to justify increased military budgets, the establishment of a US-style National Security Council to centralise war planning in the prime ministers office and a shift in the strategic focus of the military from the north to the southern island chain, adjacent to the Chinese mainland.

Abe underscored his confrontational stance toward Beijing at the 2014 World Economic Forum in Davos where he drew a false comparison between China today and German imperialism in 1914 so as to brand China as aggressive and expansionist. He deliberately heightened the dangerous standoff with China over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islets in the East China Sea by insisting his government would not enter negotiations over their status with Beijing.

In 2015, the Abe government provoked huge protests against legislation that, under the deceptive banner of collective self-defence, allows the Japanese military to participate in US-led wars of aggression.

Abe has campaigned on the program of making Japan a normal nation with a strong militaryin other words, for Japanese imperialism to prosecute its strategic and economic interests through all, including military, means. The LDP is pushing for a complete revision of the constitution, including the modification or removal of Article 9. The document has long been regarded in right-wing militarist circles as an occupiers constitution drawn up by the United States to render Japan impotent.

Abe and his cabinet have very strong links to ultra-right groupings such as Nippon Kaigi, which campaigns for a new constitution, promotes militarism and patriotism, and seeks to whitewash the crimes of Japanese militarism in the 1930s and 1940s. Nippon Kaigis parliamentary grouping includes 280 of the 717 parliamentarians in the lower and upper houses. Significantly, Abe is a special adviser to the organisation and 16 of his 20-member cabinet are members. He is now embroiled in scandal over claims that his wife, allegedly acting on his behalf, gave a cash donation to the ultra-nationalist operator of a private kindergarten in Osaka that indoctrinates pre-school children in Japanese patriotism.

The drive to remilitarise is being fuelled by the worsening crisis of Japanese and world capitalism, and the deep concern in Japanese ruling circles about the countrys historic decline, underlined by its relegation to the third largest world economy, behind China. As well as boosting the military, Abe has sought to extend Japanese influence, including military ties, especially in Asia, through the most active diplomatic drive of any post-war prime minister.

The Abe government has prosecuted remilitarisation under the umbrella of the US-Japan military alliance and with the active support of Washington. In part, this is to avoid stirring up memories of Japans wartime atrocities in Asia and generating opposition in the region to Japanese imperialism. Abe has also sought to continue to work closely with the Trump administration. He was one of the first world leaders to visit Trump after the US election, and again after Trump took office.

Trumps installation, however, has profoundly destabilised world politics, including in Asia. His repudiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was a blow to the Abe government, which had invested considerable political capital in overcoming opposition within the LDP, in order to ensure its ratification. Abe regarded the economic pact as critical to countering Chinese economic clout, ensuring a dominant position in Asia for Japan, in league with the US, and overcoming the protracted stagnation of the Japanese economy.

Moreover, Trumps America First demagogy and threats of trade war have not just been directed against China. He has a long history of denouncing Japan for its trade surplus with the United States and unfair trade practices. During the US presidential election campaign, Trump also called into question the US-Japan Security Treaty, threatening to walk away if Japan did not pay more toward the cost of US military bases in the country. He even suggested that Japan should protect itself by building its own nuclear weapons.

As in Europe, all the geo-political fault lines that led to two disastrous world wars in the 20th century are emerging again. The Abe governments determination to rearm Japan as rapidly as possible is not about countering the threat posed by North Korea, but defending the interests of Japanese imperialism by every means, compounding the danger of war. As in the 1940s, intense rivalry for markets, raw materials and cheap labour could fuel trade conflicts between US and Japan and a competition to dominate Asia, ending in a catastrophic war that would inevitably engulf the region and the world.
This article was published in the Russian-language New York newspaper Novy mir (New World) on January 20, 1917. It was published in Russian in Trotskys 1923 Voina i Revoliutsiia (War and Revolution), Vol 2, pp. 424-428. It appeared in English in Our Revolution (1918). Below is an original translation.

The article is translated by Fred Williams, who will be delivering an online lecture, The Legacy of 1905 and the Strategy of the Russian Revolution on Saturday, March 25, at 5:00 Eastern Daylight Time. For more information, wsws.org/1917.

Revolutionary anniversaries are not so much days of reminiscences, as days of learning. Especially for us Russians. Our history is poor. What has been called our uniqueness, consisted to a significant degree in being backward, poverty-stricken, ignorant and unwashed. Only the revolution of 1905 led us onto the great highway of political development. On January Ninth, the Petersburg worker knocked strongly on the gates of the Winter Palace. But it could be said that this was the entire Russian people knocking for the first time on the gates of history. The crowned janitor did not respond to the knocking. But nine months lateron 17 October 1905he was forced to open the heavy gates of autocracy, and, despite all the ensuing efforts of reaction, a small crack always remained. The revolution was not victorious. The same forces and almost the same figures remain in power who were there twelve years ago. But the revolution made Russia unrecognizable. The kingdom of immobility, servitude, Orthodoxy, vodka and submissiveness has become a kingdom of ferment, criticism and struggle. Where once there was only shapeless doughthe faceless, formless people, Holy Russianew classes have consciously opposed each other, and political parties with their programs and methods of struggle have arisen. The Ninth of January opens a new Russian history; from this line of blood there is no turning back. There is no return to the accursed Asiatic backwardness of previous centuries, and there will never be.

* * *

It was not the liberal bourgeoisie, nor the petty-bourgeois democracy, nor the radical intelligentsia, nor the many-millioned peasantry, but the proletariat in Russia that opened the new period of history in Russia with its struggle. This is a basic fact. And on this, as a foundation, we Social-Democrats are drawing our conclusions and are forging our tactics. On the Ninth of January, a priest, Georgi Gapon, ended up leading the Petersburg workers. He was a fantastic figure, combining in his person adventurism, hysteria and charlatanry. His priests robes were an umbilical cord still connecting the workers with the past, with Holy Russia [Rus]. But nine months later, during the October strike, the greatest political strike which history had ever known, the Petersburg workers were led by their own, elected, self-governing organization: the Council [Soviet] of Workers Deputies. Its members included many workers who earlier had been on Gapons staff, but in the few months of revolution they had grown considerably, just as the entire class which they represented had grown. Gapon, who had secretly returned by this time to Russia, tried to revive his organization and make it a weapon for Witte. Faithful Gaponov supporters gathered several times in Solyanoi gorodok, in the center of Petersburg, right next to the Council of Workers Deputies, and during our sessions, sounds of Eternal Memory frequently made their way to us: beyond funeral dirges for victims of January Ninth the Gaponovtsy did not go.

In the first period of the revolution, the activities of the proletariat met with sympathy and even support from liberal society. The Miliukovs figured that the workers would give tsarism a sound thrashing and make it inclined to compromise with the opposition bourgeoisie. But the tsarist bureaucracy, which had become accustomed over centuries to dominating the people, was by no means in a hurry to share their power with the liberals. Even in October 1905 the bourgeoisie became convinced that they could only come to power by breaking the backbone of tsarism. Apparently, this noble cause could only be carried out by a victorious revolution.

But essentially, the revolution moved the working class to the forefront, united it and hardened it with irreconcilable hostility not only to tsarism, but also to capitalism. During October, November, and December 1905in the epoch of the Soviet of Workers Deputieswe observe how every new, revolutionary step taken by the proletariat cast the liberals toward the monarchy. Hopes for revolutionary collaboration between the bourgeoisie and proletariat prove to be a hopeless utopia. Whoever failed to see this then, and did not understand it later, whoever still dreams about a national uprising against tsarismfor such people revolution and class struggle are a book behind seven seals.

At the end of 1905, the question had become urgent. The monarchy had already become convinced in practice that at a moment of decisive revolutionary battle, the bourgeoisie would not support the workers; the monarchy then decided to move against them with all its forces. The ominous December days began. The Council of Workers Deputies in Petersburg was arrested by the Izmailov Guards Regiment, which had remained loyal to the government. A magnificent response followed: the strike in Petersburg, the uprising in Moscow, the stormy revolutionary movements in all the industrial cities and centers, uprising in the Caucasus and in the Latvian areas. The revolutionary movement was crushed. And there were many a quasi-socialist who hastened to conclude from our December defeat that the revolution in Russia was impossible without the support of the liberal bourgeoisie. If this were true, it would mean that a revolution in Russia is generally impossible.

Our large industrial bourgeoisieand only they have true poweris separated from the proletariat by insurmountable class hostility and needs the monarchy as a pillar of order. The Guchkovs, Krestovnikovs and Riabushinskys cannot fail to see the revolutionary proletariat as their mortal enemy. Our middle and petty commercial-industrial bourgeoisie has little significance in the economic life of our country, and is entangled from head to foot in the nets of dependence on big capital. The Miliukovs, the leaders of the lower middle class, only play a political role to the extent that they operate as clerks for the big bourgeoisie. Precisely for this reason the Cadet leader called the banner of the revolution a red rag, repeatedly renounced it, and very recently, during the war, declared that if revolution were necessary for victory over the Germans, then he would refuse victory.

The peasantry occupies an enormous place in Russian life. In 1905 it was shaken to its very deepest layers. The peasants were driving out the landlords, burning estates and seizing the gentrys lands. But the curse of the peasantry is that it is scattered, disconnected and backward. In addition, the interests of various layers of the peasantry differ greatly. Against their local landlords, they rose up bravely, but they stopped in reverential fear before the all-Russian master. Moreover, the peasant soldiers did not understand that the proletarians were shedding their blood not only for themselves, but for them, and as a blind weapon of tsarist power they crushed the workers uprising in December 1905.

Whoever thinks carefully about the experience of 1905, and draws the threads from it to the present day, will understand how lifeless and pitiful are the hopes of our social-patriots for the revolutionary collaboration of the proletariat with the liberal bourgeoisie. Over the last twelve years, big capital in Russia has made enormous conquests. The middle and petty bourgeoisie has fallen into even greater dependence on the banks and trusts. The proletariat, which has grown numerically, is separated from the bourgeois classes by an even greater abyss than in 1905. If a national revolution did not succeed twelve years ago, then there are less hopes for it now. During this time, it is true, the cultural and political level of the Russian peasantry has greatly risen. But once again there are incomparably fewer hopes for the revolutionary role of the peasantry, as a class, than in 1905. The industrial proletariat can only find a truly reliable ally in the proletarian and semi-proletarian layers in the countryside. But in that case, are there any chances of a victory of the revolution in Russia?the skeptic may ask. This is a special question, and we will try to show on the pages of Novy mir [The New World] that such chances exist and that they are quite solid. But before approaching this question, we must clear the way of any superstitions regarding the possibility of revolutionary collaboration between labor and capital in the struggle against tsarism.

The experience of 1905 tells us that such collaboration is a pitiful Utopia. To become familiar with this experience, to study it, is the duty of every thinking worker who wants to avoid tragic mistakes. It is precisely in this sense that we said above that revolutionary anniversaries for us are not only days for reminiscences, but also days of great learning.

Novy mir, 20 January 1917.
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.
Much remains unclear about the terror attack on Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament in London that left five people dead and at least 40 others injured, some critically.

Unusually, it took more than 24 hours for the alleged perpetrator to be named. Khalid Masood, 52, a British citizen born in Kent and thought to have been living in the West Midlands, was killed in the incident.

Just before 3pm on Wednesday, he had driven a rented SUV at speed across Westminster Bridge, knocking pedestrians over, and causing one to jump into the River Thames, before the car struck a perimeter wall at the Houses of Parliament. He then jumped from his vehicle and attempted to force his way through an unlocked gate, fatally stabbing PC Keith Palmer with an 8-inch blade before he was shot by an armed police officer. He died later in hospital.

Parliament was placed on lockdown for several hours, and Prime Minister Theresa May was rushed to safety as armed police searched the building.

In her lunchtime statement before a reconvened Commons on Thursday, May only confirmed that the assailant was a British-born male who had acted alone. He was known to the domestic intelligence agency MI5, although only as a peripheral figure, and he was not part of the current intelligence picture.

Some 3,000 Britons are thought to be on MI5s anti-terror surveillance list, but it appears Masood was not among them. May said that his identity was known to the police and security services and that, when operational considerations allow, he would be identified. He had once been investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism.

According to the Guardian, the original text issued by Number 10 said only that he had been investigated over such concerns, but not by whom. May did not state what these concerns were based on, or whether the subject had ever been arrested. According to subsequent reports, Masood had previous convictions for assault, criminal damage and possession of offensive weapons, but none for terror-related offences.

The patchiness of the prime ministers statement was underscored by her assertion that the working assumption was that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology, but police have no reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public.

Despite this, police raided at least six properties in Birmingham, London and elsewhere, making eight arrests.

May also stated that in the absence of specific intelligence that a further attack is imminent, the UKs security level would not be raised and would remain at severe. Police patrols would be increased across the country as a precautionary measure, including armed police in major cities.

May struck a Churchillian pose, warning that in the face of the terrorists efforts to silence our democracy, the oldest of parliaments would not be cowed and that British democracy and the values it entails will always prevail.

There is something profoundly distasteful about the use of such a horror for political grandstanding. The reality is that the MPs gathered in Westminster were probably the safest people in the country at that moment. The Houses of Parliament is the most heavily fortified building in London, complete with concrete bollards, barriers and heavily armed police officers.

Masood only managed to attack PC Palmer because a side gate had been left unlocked. If not, he would have turned his knife, not just his car, on people outside parliament.

Wednesdays tragedy follows a pattern seen in Germany, France, Belgium and elsewhere.

A lone operative, known to the security services, launches an attack using a lorry, car, knife or some other unsophisticated weaponry to deadly effect. Once again, it is those going quietly about their daily lives who are the victims.

In Wednesdays incident, these included Aysha Frade, a college worker, and American tourist Kurt Cochran, celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife, who was injured in the attack. The fifth deceased individual was identified Thursday evening as a 75-year-old man.

In addition to the 12 Britons admitted to hospital, the injured include three French children, two Romanians, two Greeks, one Italian, one Pole, one German, one Irish, four South Koreans, one Chinese, one Italian and one American.

Mays statement, like the wall-to-wall media coverage, is aimed not at uncovering the truth of this incident, its origins and implications, but at concealing, confusing and ultimately silencing any discussion.

Jonathan Freedland in the Guardian wrote, The bastion of politics now has a human face, as vulnerable as the rest of us to an act of murderous violence.

Westminster, like Washington, DC or Brussels, had been shorthand for a loathed political establishment or distant, overmighty government, he wrote. Wednesday changed this. MPs locked in the Commons chamber trying desperately to contact loved ones, or the images of Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood giving CPR to PC Palmer; all contributed to parliament being seen not as the widely despised bastion of the political class, but a real place inhabited by office workers, tourists, security guards and groups of visiting schoolchildren.

Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon summed up the purpose of such wishful prattle, insisting that acts of terror were the responsibility only of the individuals who carried them out. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outdid the Archbishop of Canterbury in pious and saccharine platitudes as to how people must stand together in times of darkness and adversity, in order to defeat the poison and division of hatred.

The refusal to consider any political or social impulses for terror attacks goes hand-in-glove with the efforts to rehabilitate the discredited and loathed ruling elite, and to excuse the role its wars have played in fostering Islamist terrorism.

Just as the incident unfolded, foreign ministers from 68 countries were gathering in the US to step up their military intervention in Iraq, Syria and Libya. The day before, it was reported that a US-led airstrike had struck a school building in Raqqa, the ISIS capital of Syria, killing more than 33 people. Days earlier, a US strike on a mosque complex in the northwest of the country killed at least 52 people.

While there are no public reports of British involvement in these attacks, in December 2015 parliament voted to authorise UK military airstrikes in Syria.

Then there is the alliance between the US and the UK alongside Saudi Arabia and others, in financing, arming and training Islamic extremists in Syria, Libya and Iraq as its suits their interests. Not only does this increase the danger of terrorism, such reckless actions threaten a global conflagration. But any discussion on these questions is being ruled out of order.

Instead, the UK government follows Trumps White House in imposing ever more worthless security restrictions, such as insisting laptops and tablets carried on certain airlines from specified airports be placed in the hold, rather than in the cabin. This is accompanied by shrill demands for greater police powers.

Rupert Murdochs Sun newspaper demanded a massive increase in armed police, while the Daily Mail argued that such attacks make it seem increasingly perverse to deny the authorities power to eavesdrop on our electronic communications for the purpose of protecting the public.

As for Freedland and Corbyns calls for unity and solidarity, in reality the attack is being used to create an atmosphere redolent of the vicious anti-Muslim campaigns underway in the US, France, Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Katie Hopkins said London is a city of ghettoes behind a thin veneer of civility kept polished by a Muslim mayor [Labours Sadiq Khan]. She described a war taking place in the country, between those who think it is more important to tip-toe around the cultures of those who choose to join us, rather than defend our own culture.
The World Socialist Web Site calls on its readers to sign the online petition demanding the release of the 13 framed-up Maruti Suzuki workers!

More than 8,000 workers joined a protest in Manesar, Haryana yesterday to demand the immediate release of 13 Maruti Suzuki workers who have been sentenced to life in prison on trumped-up murder charges, as well four other workers sentenced to five-year jail terms on lesser charges.

The 13 include all 12 office-bearers of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union (MSWU). Workers at Maruti Suzukis Manesar car assembly plant established the MSWU in bitter struggle against a company-controlled union as part of their fight against poverty wages, contract labour jobs, and a brutal work regime.

Just months after Maruti Suzuki was forced to recognize the MSWU, the Japanese-owned automaker staged a provocation, working hand-in-glove with the police and Congress Party-led Haryana state government. Maruti Suzuki seized on a company-provoked factory-floor altercation and a fire, which mysteriously broke out in the middle of the melee, to mount a legal witch-hunt against the workers and purge its workforce.

In joining yesterdays march and rally, workers defied a blanket ban state authorities have imposed on all gatherings of five or more people in Gurgaon, the district in which Manesar is situated, until May 14.

An MSWU spokesperson told the World Socialist Web Site that police initially tried to prevent workers from marching from their respective plants, at the end of the day shift, to a Manesar park. However, when they saw the size of the protestespecially at the Manesar Maruti Suzuki plant where some 3,000 workers were gatheredthey decided to let it proceed.

The government deployed five hundred police on the streets of Manesar to surveille and intimidate workers. It also let it be known that two battalions of additional security forces were standing by.

Yesterdays protest involved workers from dozens of factories in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt, a huge auto-making and manufacturing centre on the outskirts of Delhi, Indias capital. There were also delegations from other industrial suburbs of Delhi, including Noida and Faridabad, and as far away as Alwar, in Rajasthan.

Addressing the rally, MSWU Provisional Working Committee member Ram Niwas said, We are holding peaceful protests, but that does not mean we are weak. We will hold an all-India protest against the state and the Maruti management on April 4 and will continue doing it until our 13 brothers are given justice.

Niwas went on to denounce the monstrous frame-up of the 13 workers for the death by asphyxiation of a Maruti Suzuki Human Resources (HR) manager, the arrest and years-long imprisonment of close to 150 other workers, and Maruti Suzukis firing of more than 500 permanent and 1,800 contract workers after the July 18, 2012 altercation.

When the post-mortem report held suffocation due to fire as the reason behind the death of the HR manager, how come the workers are charged for murder? asked Riwas. They ruined hundreds of lives by rendering them jobless, and now they have finished the lives of these 13 workers. We are in touch with international labour organisations to gather support.

Kuldeep Janghu, general-secretary of the Maruti Udyog Workers Union, told the rally, These convicts are innocent and we will appeal against the District Courts judgment in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. We will request the court to conduct a judicial inquiry as well so that the truth is revealed. We want all the 13 workers convicted of murder in the case to be released.

Both the rally speakers and workers interviewed by the press denounced as a sham the investigation that a police Special Investigation Team made of the 2012 events. They noted that even the judge who convicted the 13 had had to admit that the police had colluded with management and had fabricated evidence. They also pointed to the incontrovertible evidence that police beat and tortured many of the 148 workers with the aim of extracting phony confessions from them.

Khushi Ram, head of the MSWU Provisional Working Committee, said the union is fighting for the reinstatement of all 546 permanent workers the company fired during its August 2012 workforce purge. They terminated 546 workers, said Ram, despite the special investigating team naming only 214 of them in its report. Now, even the [District] Court has acquitted 117 of those who were implicated in the case. The company should now take them back.

The Maruti Suzuki workers are the victims of a company-state vendetta aimed at intimidating workers in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt and reassuring investors that Indias political establishment will ruthlessly suppress worker opposition to the sweatshop conditions that furnish their massive profits.

At the March 17 sentence hearing, the prosecution pointed to the Indian governments Make in India policy, which aims to entice foreign investors to turn from China to India for cheap labour, in arguing for the court to sentence the 13 to hang.

No time can be lost in rallying workers and all those who uphold democratic rights, in India and around the world, to demand the immediate release of the Maruti Suzuki workers, the vacating of all the convictions against them, and the reinstatement of all the victimized workers.

The Japanese-owned automaker has said it intends to press the authorities to appeal the acquittal of the 117 workers and to seek harsher penalties for those convicted. In other words, it is pressing to have the 13 men whose only crime was to have challenged their brutal exploitation executed.

There is intense anger among workers in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt and across India at the horrific class justice meted out to the Maruti Suzuki workers. However, the major labour federations, including those affiliated to the twin Stalinist parliamentary partiesthe Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPMare adamantly opposed to the struggle to mobilize the working class in defence of the Maruti Suzuki workers. Neither the CPI nor CPM has even issued a press release condemning the March 10 conviction or March 17 sentencing of the Maruti Suzuki workers.

During the nearly five years the Maruti Suzuki workers have been fighting the company-state frame-up, the Stalinists have used their influence to prevail on the MSWU to focus its efforts on appealing to the capitalist courts and big-business political establishment for justice.

Indian supporters of the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site intervened at a rally in Chennai yesterday to call for the mobilization of the independent strength of the Indian and international working class to fight to free the Maruti Suzuki workers.

The rally had been called by the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), which is affiliated to the Maoist Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML), to commemorate Bhagat Singh, a revolutionary terrorist executed by the British colonial regime on March 23, 1931.

The ICFI supporters distributed copies of the ICFI statement Free the Framed-up Maruti Suzuki Workers! and won a warm response from many of the nearly 300 workers in attendance, despite the AICCTU leaders attempts to impede their discussions.

Nadaraj, a 27-year-old Renault-Nissan worker, said, I am also working in a global company which manufactures cars. I believe it is important that through this international campaign we should develop interaction with global autoworkers. Since Maruti Suzuki is also a global company, challenging it would require the international mobilisation of workers.

Anandan, a driver said: The international campaign to defend the Maruti Suzuki workers is important. Keeping the workers who fought for legitimate rights, such as the right to form a union and wage hike, in jail for four years without bail shows the courts are not for workers. Rich people like Sekar Reddy could come out of jail in bail within a week even if he did carry out a murder. ... It is painful to imagine how the families of the jailed workers would have suffered. Now 13 are given life sentences. Their families will be thrown on the streets.C

Venkatesan said, In India the cheap labour contract system prevails in all industries including in public industries. The jobs are not secure even in the government-owned companies. Maruti Suzuki workers were framed up by the collusion of company, police and the government. The political parties serve the capitalist class. Workers and the masses dont get anything by these parties and the courts. Therefore, this international campaign is useful.

Another worker, Surender said, I strongly condemn this verdict. I am confident the Maruti Suzuki workers will win. The global companies think they can do anything with money. But the unity of the international workers is more powerful than that. We are not hesitant and we would like our comments and photos published. This will reflect the international unity of the workers and through the united struggles of the young workers a change can be made.
The funeral of Martin McGuinness, ex-Irish Republican Army (IRA) commander, Sinn Fein leader and former Northern Ireland deputy first minister, took place yesterday following his death Tuesday, aged 66.

Former United States President Bill Clinton, Irish President Michael Higgins and Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Enda Kenny attended alongside McGuinnesss unionist political opponents in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, represented the UK government.

McGuinnesss death has triggered a flood of eulogies praising his role as chief Sinn Fein negotiator in the Northern Ireland peace process. His role as leader of the IRA is mentioned only to the extent that it prepared him for this role.

Clinton described how Martin believed in a shared future, and refused to live in the past. Ex-US President Barack Obama called his leadership instrumental during the peace process.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May said McGuinness made an essential and historic contribution to the extraordinary journey of Northern Ireland from conflict to peace. Tony Blair, who was Labours UK prime minister during the Good Friday peace negotiations, spoke of his immense gratitude to and genuine affection for McGuinness.

In Northern Ireland, outgoing Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader, Mike Nesbitt, declared he was a man of his word, a straight-dealing individual, and he was a man of political integrity. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster said history would show that his contribution to the political and peace process was significant. Ian Paisley Jnr, who as a junior minister worked alongside his father and founder of the DUP, Reverend Ian Paisley, declared that McGuinness, once regarded as the godfather of the IRA, had become the necessary man in government to deliver a stable and necessary peace, and thats a complex and remarkable journey.

The effusive praise for McGuinnesss key role in stabilising the rule of British capitalism was embarrassingly close to the bone for Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, his co-collaborator in the peace process. Adams complained, Reading and watching some of the media reporting of his life and death, one could be forgiven for believing that Martin, at some undefined point in his life, had a road to Damascus conversion and abandoned his republican principles, his former comrades in the IRA and joined the political establishment.

In a way perhaps unintended by Adams, his complaint is correct. McGuinnesss evolution from gunman to bourgeois politician was not a break from his republican principles, but the outcome of the petty-bourgeois nationalist perspective of republicanism. Sinn Fein utilised socialist and anti-imperialist rhetoric, but this was based on an adoption by a bourgeois movement of the Stalinist two-stage theory, which insisted the immediate aim was to create a united capitalist Ireland to be followed at some later unspecified time by socialism. Sinn Fein never represented the interests of the working class, but rather a layer of the middle class who were denied social advancement by the old unionist setup.

The IRA, which McGuinness joined in 1970, was virtually re-created during the international eruption of the class struggle in the period 1968-75, which in Northern Ireland took the form of the civil rights movement. It sought to channel discontent away from an independent class solution into a national armed struggle. It was able to take the leadership in working class Catholic areas because of the protection it afforded against the British Army and Unionist thugs and because of its promotion as a national liberation movement by Pabloism. McGuinness rose rapidly through the ranks of the IRA, becoming in 1972, aged just 21, second-in-command in Derry.

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement revealed the essential class character of Republicanism. In a world undergoing the fundamental changes in capitalist production associated with globalisation, which had initially resulted in the collapse of the USSR and Eastern European states, the previous arrangements through which Ireland was governed had become unviable.

The Republic of Ireland had abandoned its policy of building a relatively isolated and independent economy and successfully transformed itself into a cheap labour investment platform for corporations seeking access to the European market, earning itself the nickname of the Celtic Tiger.

In contrast, the norths manufacturing base virtually collapsed, while three decades of military conflict and partition had forced Britain to spend vast sums on policing and welfare in order to preserve a measure of social stability.

The Agreement sought to create more favourable conditions for profitable investment by international capital, in the north as well as the south, in particular Irelands largest investor, the US. The Clinton administration became intensely involved in the peace process, seeing it as a means to develop its dominant economic power in Ireland, and safeguard its interests there and establish new ones.

The incorporation of Sinn Fein into the ruling structures was the essential prerequisite for this shift. Military conflict had to be brought to an end, cross-border trade and investment with the South developed and new political institutions created. At the same time, Irish workers had to be excluded from any real say over the future course of events. To that end, the Nationalist and Unionist parties were needed to control the working class while maintaining the old sectarian divisions that have prevented the emergence of any effective social and political opposition to the ruling elite.

The IRA, having proved incapable of securing the basic social interests of working class Catholics and no nearer to achieving its stated goal of a united Ireland, agreed to a ceasefire. McGuinness and Adams persuaded Sinn Fein to abandon its boycott of the Irish parliament and take its seats.

With the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the basis was laid for republicans to join the Stormont Assembly, under complex and sectarian power-sharing arrangements in which parties were defined as the representatives of two opposing communities.

In the absence of a genuine socialist alternative capable of unifying the working class in defence of their independent social and political interests, support for the peace process was widespread, as it was seen as a way to halt the civil war, end anti-Catholic discrimination, overcome religious divisions and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. Referenda on the Agreement won the support of an overwhelming majority in the South and of Catholics in the North, and a small but significant majority of Protestants.

The signing of the agreement did not overcome sectarian divisions, but institutionalised them. Since then, scores of peace walls have been erected at sectarian interfaces and the more moderate nationalist and Unionist parties have lost ground to Sinn Fein and the DUP, parties perceived to be most aggressive in standing up for the interests of their own community.

At the same time, the promised prosperity it was supposed to bring has failed to materialise. While a small upper middle class layer has profited, largely as a result of new jobs created by the peace agreement and new state structures, the experience of ordinary Catholics and Protestants has been one of continuing austerity, which Sinn Fein has helped impose as coalition partners to the DUP. Billions have been slashed from the Northern Ireland budget, cutting services, jobs and new infrastructure.

A key policy objective of Sinn Fein alongside the DUP is the transformation of Northern Ireland into a low-tax investment platform, a prerequisite of which is the devolution of powers so as to halve corporation tax to the levels in the Republic of Ireland. This can only mean further attacks on social conditions and increased poverty, already at higher levels than both Britain as a whole and the Republic of Ireland.

Weeks before he died, McGuinnesss official retirement from political life brought to a head a conflict between the DUP and Sinn Fein over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, which involved over half a billion pounds in handouts to businesses and which McGuinness declared had led to enormously damaging pressure on our public finances and a crisis of confidence in the political institutions. When DUP leader Foster refused to accept responsibility for the scheme, McGuinness resigned as Deputy First Minister, provoking new elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly earlier this month.

Sinn Fein was the main beneficiary. For the first time since Ireland was partitioned in 1921, following the Irish War of Independence, pro-British Ulster unionist parties lost their combined absolute political majority in the regional governmentmustering just 40 seats in the 90-seat assembly. It is now up to Sinn Fein and the DUP to agree another coalition before March 27, otherwise another round of elections will follow or direct rule from London will be imposed.

Overshadowing the election was the crisis surrounding Britains planned departure from the European Union (EU). Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU by 55 to 45 percent, reflecting the significance of EU subsidies to the local economy. Not only will Brexit disrupt the flow of these handouts but the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will become an external boundary of the EU.

Sinn Fein is using the Brexit threat as an argument for a border poll referendum on Irish unification, a provision allowed by the Good Friday Agreement, and a position that has been endorsed by Kenny. However, the allure of the Celtic Tiger model has been thoroughly tarnished. Since the 2008 global financial crash and collapse of its banking and property sector, the Irish bourgeoisie has carried out a massive political and social offensive on workers to impose the savage austerity measures demanded by the EU, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Workers on both sides of the border confront savage austerity imposed by their own rulers.

The nationalist movements led by disaffected layers of the radical petty-bourgeoisie and the national bourgeoisie have everywhere proved incapable of establishing any genuine independence from imperialism. In the Republic, both the main parties emanating from the War of Independence, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, have ended up completely dependent on their role as local representatives of international finance. Sinn Fein has only followed more recently in their footsteps.

As the World Socialist Web Site warned at the time of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement,

A resolution of the profound social and democratic problems facing Irish workers cannot and will not be overcome by attempts to refurbish the existing mechanisms of capitalist rule. Sweeping away the legacy of backwardness and religious antagonism requires a radical restructuring of economic and political life. The working class is the only social force capable of mobilizing all of the oppressed to carry out such a revolutionary change. The critical question is the development of a politically independent movement of the working class, and this requires a conscious break with the politics of nationalism and reformism. A new party of the working class must be built based on a programme that addresses the universal need of working people for decent jobs and living standards, champions the defence of democratic rights, and fights for social equality. On the basis of such a socialist programme, all sections of workersProtestant and Catholic, Irish and Britishcan and must be united in a struggle against the common oppressorcapitalism.
The Air Force general who supervises the US nuclear weapons stockpile made an unusual series of public appearances Tuesday in New York City, addressing the Harvard Club and giving an interview to editors of the New York Times at the newspapers offices.

Lieutenant General Jack Weinstein is deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration at the Pentagon, giving him responsibility for the overall readiness of the US nuclear arsenal, the most powerful in the world, able to destroy life on the planet many times over.

According to the Times report of his remarks to the newspaper, Weinstein expressed concern over much more aggressive behavior by Russia in the last few years, and cited this as justification for strengthening and upgrading US nuclear weapons.

The Obama administration launched a $1 trillion program to modernize US nuclear weapons, including particularly ominous efforts to make nuclear weapons more usable on the battlefield, and the Trump administration plans to continue and accelerate that build-up.

If you look at the Russian behavior since 2010 to the way they are now, its much more aggressivemuch more, Ill say, bellicose, he told the Times. I woke up one day, and the Russians had invaded a sovereign nation, which was not something that was on my scope. He also accused Russia of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed by the US and the Soviet Union in 1987.

Weinstein added that considering the relations between the United States and Russia historically, For me the most important thing we can really do is maintain a strong nuclear deterrent.

He added that the US doctrine of deterrence depended on a firm willingness to use nuclear weapons in war. My belief is that a strong nuclear force keeps this country safe, he said to the Harvard Club. Deterrence is capability times will, he continued. You need to have the will to use it.

The generals appearance before a group of New York Times editors was particularly remarkable since it came one day after the nationally televised hearing before the House Intelligence Committee, at which FBI Director James Comey confirmed that the bureau is investigating possible collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election.

The Times has been the media spearhead of the effort to depict Trump as a Russian stooge and suggest that his election was tainted by Russian interference, a campaign fueled by leaks from anonymous sources within the military-intelligence apparatus, hostile to Trumps seemingly less aggressive posture towards Russia.

The same issue of the Times that reported the interview with General Weinstein carried a diatribe by columnist Nicholas Kristof, headlined, Theres a Smell of Treason in the Air, and calling for the establishment of an independent commission to investigation Trumps alleged links with Russia.

These were the political conditions under which the general with top responsibility for nuclear weapons stopped by the offices of the Times for an interview bolstering the newspapers anti-Russian campaign, which targets his nominal commander-in-chief.

Weinstein also voiced differences with the Trump administration, at least in tone and emphasis, in his remarks at the Harvard Club the same day. He noted that basing US nuclear weapons in South Korea might be seen as provocative by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and might be unwise, only days after US officials suggested that course of action.

The general was hardly speaking as a pacifist, declaring flatly, If the North Koreans go south of the DMZ there will be war, and vowing that all military options remained on the table in dealing with North Koreas alleged effort to build a missile that could deliver a nuclear weapon against the US mainland.
The latest research on rising mortality rates by Princeton University economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton, presented this week at the Brookings Institution, shines new light on the depth of the social crisis which has devastated the American working class since the year 2000.

Building off their initial 2015 study which documented a sharp rise in the mortality rate for white, middle-aged working-class Americans, Case and Deaton conclude that the rising death rate is being driven by what they define as deaths of despair, those due to drug overdoses, complications from alcohol and suicide. The mortality rate for these causes grew by half a percent annually between 1999 and 2013.

During the course of the 20th century, the annual mortality rate for all middle-aged whites fell from 1,400 per 100,000 to 400 per 100,000. The US experienced a 100-year period of almost uninterrupted improvements in death rates and life expectancy. In this context Case and Deaton identify the recent rise in middle-aged mortality as extraordinary and unanticipated.

The epidemic of deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide was initially seen in the American Southwest in the year 2000 but soon spread to the Appalachian region and Florida and is now nationwide, affecting rural and urban areas alike.

While every region of the US has seen an increase in the rate of deaths of despair among middle-aged whites over the last 15 years, the hardest-hit states are in the South (Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi). Large urban and suburban areas have been the least affected, rural areas the most.

The mortality rate for working-class whites was also pushed up by a slowing and then stagnation of the decline in deaths from heart disease for white Americans between 2009 and 2015. On top of this the decline in mortality from lung cancer, caused by smoking and occupational hazards, slowed for white men 45-54 between 2000 and 2014, while mortality actually increased for white women 45-49 between 2000 and 2010.

Case and Deaton found that midlife mortality for middle-aged, working-class, white Americans surpassed the midlife mortality for all African Americans for the first time in 2008, and by 2015 mortality for working-class whites was 30 percent higher than for blacks. More significantly, their data shows that the gap in mortality between whites and blacks in the working class has all but disappeared. This is the outcome of a general decline in mortality for blacks and a rapid increase for whites over the last decade-and-a-half, though in recent years the mortality rate for working-class blacks has begun rising along with that of whites.

Case and Deatons report is supported by the most recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data concerning suicides and overdoses.

The CDC found that after declining between 1986 and 1999 the US suicide rate rose gradually between 2000 and 2015, with the rate growing most rapidly in smaller cities and rural areas after the 2007-2008 economic collapse. Whites and Native Americans had the highest suicide rates, with both groups seeing noticeable increases. All told there were 600,000 suicides in the US between 1999 and 2015the equivalent of the loss of a major city, more than the total estimated deaths in the Syrian civil war.

Another recent CDC report found that overdoses from all drugs has more than doubled since 1999, with middle-aged Americans having the highest rate of overdoses. The overdose rate for whites has more than tripled since 1999 and is now more than double the rate for blacks and Hispanics combined. Nearly 13,000 people died from heroin overdoses alone in 2015, more than four times the number of deaths recorded in 2010.

The data collected and analyzed by Case and Deaton reflects a deeply sick society, the outcome of a social counterrevolution which has accelerated since the 2008 crash.

Their research makes clear that the American working class, regardless of race, is being made to pay the price for the failure of capitalism, exposing the lie repeated by pseudo-left groups and the practitioners of identity politics about the privileged white working class.

In the period reviewed by Case and Deaton, the Democratic Party completed its repudiation of a political program which in any way addressed the needs or interests of the working class, in favor of middle-class identity politics. This found its culmination in the election of Barack Obama, the first black president, who funneled trillions of dollars into Wall Street and expanded the wars in the Middle East. In the last year of his presidency, which had seen such catastrophes as the lead poisoning of Flint and the BP oil spill, and seven years of wage stagnation, Obama asserted that things were pretty darn great in America.

The immiseration of the American working class has also been made possible by betrayals of the trade unions which over the last four decades have collaborated with and integrated themselves ever more closely with the corporations in order to shutter factories, eliminate jobs and enforce wage and benefit cuts.

The period in which the American working class has been subjected to unrelenting attacks has seen the growth of historically unprecedented levels of social inequality. The resources of society and the wealth created by the working class have been plundered and funneled into the hands of an ever wealthier financial aristocracy. This process will only accelerate under Trump.

While it is claimed there is no money to pay for decent wages or social services in the US, the country claims eight of the worlds 10 wealthiest billionaires and spends more than the next seven countries combined on its military. The health care overhaul and budget cuts being proposed by the Trump administration are guaranteed to accelerate the social counterrevolution.

In this regard it is striking to note the overlap between the areas of the country particularly devastated by deaths of despair in the period examined by Case and Deaton and those with a large vote for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. The anti-working class policies pursued in the Obama years paved the way for Trump.

The residents of these areas, either rural or devastated by years of factory closures, voted for Trump not out of racial animusan assertion often made by the mainstream media and pseudo-leftbut as a cry of desperation, incipient anger and complete disgust with the political establishment.

These people have been at the frontlines of the onslaught against the working class, facilitated by Democrats and Republicans alike. As far as Trump identified himself as an outsider, opposed to the political establishment which facilitated the plunder of the working class, he drew significant support. These same working people are quickly being disabused of any illusions they may have held in the billionaire businessman.

The fundamental question raised by Case and Deatons research is the struggle of the working class against the capitalist system and for socialism. Social inequality has never been higher and the rich have never been richer. The working class is the only force which can reverse this counterrevolution. Workers must turn to socialism and fight to build a mass independent movement which will fight for political power and take control of the wealth plundered from them, putting it to use for the common good.
In another example of the Trump administrations anti-immigrant campaign, roughly 30 Hispanic workers at the Tom Cat Bakery in Long Island City, a section of the New York City borough of Queens, have received letters from their employer informing them that they must produce papers documenting their status to legally work in the US or they will be fired with no severance compensation. The letter to the Tom Cat employees claims the companys action was prompted by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) audit targeted to identify undocumented workers.

The letter states that proper documentation must be produced within 10 business days of March 16, placing the deadline at March 30. Many of the workers have been employed at the bakery for a decade or more. The abruptness of the notice and the extremely short time frame for response appear intended to terrorize the workers and their families. Not only would they lose their jobs, but DHS could then notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of their undocumented status, exposing the workers to deportation.

On Thursday reporters from the World Socialist Web Site spoke with workers outside of the companys block-long Long Island City bakery. They had few illusions about Tom Cats attitude toward its workers or those of the entire capitalist political establishment.

Martin, an immigrant from Mexico who has lived in the US for 25 years, said, Im fairly new and I didnt know about what was going on. I was speaking with some people who have worked here 20 years and now they are just being told to go.

Juan, who has worked for Tom Cat for one-and-a-half years, said about the firing, I know people who have worked here for 15 years, and the company is just going to let them go without giving them any money. One of my friends has two kids to take care of. What will happen to them? I really feel bad for them. They might end up living in the streets.

The company just doesnt want to pay a fine [for employing undocumented workers], and the union just wants to keep the money.

Asked about his thoughts on the current political situation, he added, It is crazy, and Trump is crazy. His whole government is full of rich people, and he just signed all these things against immigrants. It is the immigrants who do all these jobs though, and it is going to bring down the country.

Jorge, a worker originally from Peru, said, The company just doesnt want to pay a fine, and they dont want to fight nobody. It is the government that is asking them to get rid of us, and the government is after everyone now.

I have been harassed by police. They go up to me and ask me the same questions all the time.

The kind of the thing that is going on here is going on around the country. I know it is happening in Buffalo, and New Jersey. I heard that three immigrants at another bakery in Brooklyn were fired because they didnt have papers. The mayor [Bill de Blasio] promised that he would protect us, and that nobody could just touch immigrants. It isnt true.

On Wednesday, Tom Cat workers demonstrated outside of the bakery and issued a call for nationwide solidarity protests. One worker, Sabino Milian, told the LIC Post, We work hard, pay taxes and have given so much to make Tom Cat into a hugely successful company. We refuse to be thrown away like the bakerys garbage, and we will advance forward together.

Another worker, Josias DAvilla, who has worked for Tom Cat for 10 years, explained to the Village Voice, Weve given so many years to the company, so many sacrifices that made this company go. We picked up this company from the ground as workers, with so many years that we gave to this company with our lives.

The company, established in 1987, began in a garage. It claims to be the oldest artisan bakery in New York. Since then, it has grown into an industrial-scale enterprise, operating 24 hours a day to supply 900 commercial clients, including retail stores, restaurants and hotels.

In 2008, the original owner sold the company to a pair of private equity companies, Ancor Capital and Merit Capital. The new owners then undertook an attack on workers health care and pay, which the workers resisted. Last year, Tom Cat Bakery was bought by Japan-based Yamizaki Baking, one of the largest multi-national baking companies.

The campaign of mass deportations is aimed at intimidating and silencing immigrant workers and forcing them to accept even more brutal conditions of exploitation. It is aimed at driving a wedge between immigrant and native born workers and to attack the entire working class.

Despite Trumps relentless xenophobic campaign a CNN poll released March 17 shows that 90 percent of Americans believe the government should give immigrants who have lived and worked in the US for a number of years the right to apply for US citizenship, including 84 percent of Trump voters. The total percent opposed to such a proposal has fallen by half since 2014.

Powerful conditions exist for the unity of immigrant and native born workers against these attacks. However, confusion is being sown by the unions and their pseudo-left supporters, such as the International Socialist Organization (ISO), which falsely present the Democratic Party as the bastion of opposition to the Trump administration.

In remarks cited without criticism in the ISOs socialistworker.org article, Democratic City Council member Mark Levine demagogically told protesters Wednesday, We reject the racist policies of Donald Trumps ICE which have targeted decent, hardworking New Yorkers who have done nothing but contribute to this community, contribute to this economy and made our city a better place. We demand that Tom Cat defend their workers in their time of need and that they offer the sponsorship that they need to remain here without this horrible threat standing over their heads.

Democrats like Mark Levine and Mayor Bill de Blasio are not allies of immigrant workers but their enemies. More immigrants were deported under former President Obama than all previous presidents. Nor should workers place their confidence in a multi-national corporation and its wealthy investors to protect them.

The defense of immigrant workers can only be advanced by mobilizing the independent strength of the working class against both big business parties and the profit system that both Trump and the Democrats defend. All workers must fight for the basic principle that every worker must have the right to live and work wherever they choose with full citizenship rights.
The campaign to censor and suppress Open Casket, white artist Dana Schutzs painting of murdered black youth Emmett Till, on racialist grounds is thoroughly reactionary. Artists must speak out against this anti-democratic effort, which has the most sinister implications. The arguments being used are worthy of the Nazi officials who banned Jewish artists from playing or conducting classical music on the grounds of their un-German spirit.

Schutzs painting, based on a photograph of the 14-year-old Till, who was savagely murdered in Mississippi in August 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman, is included in the current 2017 Whitney Biennial (at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City).

The protests began March 17, the first day the Biennial was open to the public, when one African American artist stood in front of Schutzs work, blocking it from view for several hours. Other individuals have taken similar action.

This was followed by an open letter to the Whitneys curators and staff, written by British-born artist Hannah Black and signed by two dozen other black artists. The letter, widely reported on in the media, demanded not only that the painting be removed from the Biennial, but that it be destroyed and not entered into any market or museum. Tellingly, the open letter was initially signed by both black and white artists and museum professionals, but, according to one media account, after consideration, the white cosigners were removed.

This deplorable communication contends that Open Casket should not be acceptable to anyone who cares or pretends to care about Black people because it is not acceptable for a white person to transmute Black suffering into profit and fun, though the practice has been normalized for a long time.

There are no grounds whatsoever for the malicious and slanderous claim that Schutz is making use of Black suffering for profit and fun. (In fact, the artist has indicated that the painting will not be sold.) On the contrary, Schutz is clearly responding to and seeking to direct the attention of the public toward an appalling crime. Her effort is an entirely legitimate and admirable protest against racist violence, with obvious political connotations in the present circumstances of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim bigotry whipped up by the Trump administration.

Schutz has the right to paint about whatever subject she chooses. The murder of Till outraged millions and helped ignite the civil rights movement, which also involved the participation of large numbers of white youth. Taking only white artists into account here, the heinous crime inspired Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and, more recently, Emmy Lou Harris to write songs, and others, like Joan Baez, to sing them. Rod Serling based an episode of the television program, the U.S. Steel Hour, on the case. Critics suggest that the murder helped inspire Harper Lee to write To Kill a Mockingbird. In 1956, novelist William Faulkner condemned the killing in an essay, On Fear. Should all those works by non-Black artists now be expunged from the culture as illegitimate and, if possible, destroyed?

The open letter continues: Although Schutzs intention may be to present white shame, this shame is not correctly represented as a painting of a dead Black boy by a white artistthose non-Black artists who sincerely wish to highlight the shameful nature of white violence should first of all stop treating Black pain as raw material. The subject matter is not Schutzs; white free speech and white creative freedom have been founded on the constraint of others, and are not natural rights. The painting must go.

Hannah Black and her co-signatories see the world entirely through the prism of race. This blinds them to the decisive social realities. They echo those extreme Zionists and similar tendencies who use a history of racial or religious oppression to justify their own reactionary communalism.

Schutz has no reason to feel shame for the murder of Till, who was a victim of Jim Crow racism, racism kept alive and incited by the American ruling elite for the purpose of dividing the working class and the poor. Behind the apartheid-like system in the South, and Tills killing, stood the oppressive and brutal reality of American capitalism, the same system that oppresses the working population of every color and national background.

The subject matter, Tills horrific death, does not belong to African American artists or anyone else. It is the common property and responsibility of those who oppose, in Lenins phrase, all cases of tyranny, oppression, violence, and abuse.

The claim that free speech and creative freedom, which, according to Black, have unfairly privileged white artists and constrained others, are not natural rights, is ominous and threatening. It suggests that Black and her racially obsessed colleagues have every intention of seeing to it that those rights are suppressed.

The program of ethnic or racial particularism in art and culture, which insists that the various peoples and nationalities are incapable of communicating with and understanding one another, is thoroughly repugnant. It is part of the anti-Enlightenment tradition, which rejects rationalism, democracy, egalitarianism and universality. As Richard Wolin observes in The Seduction of Unreason: The Intellectual Romance with Fascism from Nietzsche to Postmodernism, According to the Enlightenment worldview, the essence of human dignity lay in the ability of men and women to transcend particular attachments, which were perceived as intrinsically limiting. To accede to the promised land of Reason meant consciously abandoning all partial allegiances and elevating oneself to the standpoint of the universal.

Historically, such national-particularist views have been advanced by the political rightabove all, by the conservative French and German ideologists who helped inspire Hitler and Nazism. Today, the practitioners of identity politics follow in these extremely tainted footstepsand their views are fraudulently presented as leftist.

Leaving aside the quality of Schutzs painting, a central question is this: Can an artist cognize a reality that is not immediately, subjectively, his or her own?

All progressive art and philosophy of the last several centuries answers in the affirmative. Art answers it in abundant practice. Men have written (or painted or composed) about women, women about men, Jews about non-Jews and non-Jews about Jews, whites about blacks and blacks about whites, Westerners about Asians and Asians about Westerners.

The experience of other human beings is accessible to us, not absolutely, of course, but relatively. Human thinking, including artistic creative thinking, is capable of reflecting reality accurately and richly enough to form the basis of work that conveys essential truths. Otherwise, all artistic activity would cease; it would have no meaning and no possible audience. What serves as a bridge from soul to soul is not the unique, Trotsky pointed out, but the common.

Nor would we have world culture if artistic life were ethnically rooted, we would have a series of isolated, discrete narratives only comprehensible to the members of this or that tribe and impenetrable to the rest of humanity. Of course, class society and social inequality distort the situation, and have given to some a more advantageous position, but that is not the fault of art or the artists.

Without the permission of Hannah Black and her smug, postmodernist friends, people in various parts of the globe have been translating Shakespeares plays and performing them for many years. Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre has sold millions of copies over the past 170 years and been translated into dozens of languages, including Esperanto.

Richard Wrights Native Son has also been translated into many languages. Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin, which, for all its historically inevitable limitations, exposed the horrors of slavery, sold 300,000 copies in the US in its first year and one and a half million copies in Britain; it has been translated into 60 languages. Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn has been translated into over 50 languages and at least 700 editions have been published worldwide. Examples could be provided from every part of the globe. Indian, Chinese and Japanese cinema have spoken to men and women everywhere.

In the form of images, art contains objective, relatively universal truth. Dana Schutz is as intrinsically capable of grasping the truth of Emmett Tills murder, and perhaps more so, than Black and her co-signatories, who appear to be immune to genuine empathy or compassion. They seem to have sympathy only for themselves. They want the franchise, a monopoly on images of black people in torment and distress. The letter describes the issues as involving a high-stakes conversation, which hints at the money and prestige involved.

The issue of the kinship of this selfish, exclusivist-communalist chauvinism to the outlook of the Nazis is not raised lightly. This is where the irrationalist politics of blood and nation inevitably leads. And, in any event, Black and her allies bring the historical parallel to mind with their astounding and disgraceful demand that Schutzs Open Casket be destroyed. They dont indicate whether they have a bonfire in a public square in mind, but why not? Once you say A, you will eventually say B.

Let us recall how the German fascists reasoned.

Nazi cultural official Hans Severus Ziegler curated a Degenerate Music exhibition in 1938, directed against Jewish and Bolshevik influences, and argued in the accompanying brochure that Cultural politics calls upon us to care for the soul of the people, to foster its creative powers and all the values of character and conviction that we gather under the general term, the folk. The politician and the cultural politician have the same goal: the creation of a strong nation and the securing of its material and spiritual well-being, the safety of its external existence and the nurturing of its inner existence. The Jews, Ziegler claimed, had been hard at work attempting to infiltrate all German thought and feeling, and to palm off on the Germans all kinds of novel ideas stemming from the Jewish race.

No other law, asserted Ziegler, exists for a people but that its development be realized organically, i.e., without outside interference. He urged every individual who feels a creative urge within him [to] take counsel from [his] racial conscience.

In the same spirit, the Nazis prohibited Jews from playing or conducting the music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and other Aryan composers.

Changing what must be changed, how different is this from the outlook of our contemporary identity politics fanatics, who, like white supremacists, would call a halt to race mixing and who see racial (and gender) questions as the foundational consideration for art?
Over 500 people attended a Town Hall meeting on Saturday, hosted by Mike Doyle, Democrat congressman from Pittsburgh, to voice their opposition to the destruction of health care being pushed through Congress as well as the enormous cuts to social services proposed in the Trump budget.

The overall purpose of the Town Hall was not to mobilize the working class to oppose the Trump administration, but to allow the Democrats to posture as defenders of health care and opponents of the cuts while giving people the chance to let off steam. Doyle is seeking to keep the growing movement against Trumps policies under the control of the Democratic Party and to prevent workers from drawing the conclusion that the defense of health care requires a fight for socialism.

The House Republicans American Health Care Act (AHCA), the proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly called Obamacare, contains massive cuts to health care. The Republican bill would cut Medicaid by $880 billion and end the program as an entitlement by converting it to a block grant, drive 24 million people off of health insurance by 2026, including over 1 million in Pennsylvania, while cutting taxes on the rich by over $600 billion.

At the meeting, Mike Doyle, considered a liberal Democrat, held out the false promise that the measure could be defeated by putting pressure on Republican members of Congress. There is a 50-50 chance of defeating this bill, Doyle said. I know a lot of nervous Republicans. He urged those in attendance to call Republicans in Congress and light up their phones.

In reality, the only Republican opposition to the AHCA is from members of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, who are demanding even deeper cuts to Medicaid and limits on mandates for essential health benefits.

Doyle promoted his sponsorship of House Bill 676, which calls for a single-payer system. Doyle argued not that health care is a right that everyone should have, but that it is less expensive to send someone to a primary care doctor than to the emergency room.

Individuals are still going to get sick, Doyle said. They are still going to be involved in accidents. They are still going to end up in the health care system. And those individuals who decide not to buy insurance and find themselves in the health care system because they were in a car accident or whatever. That becomes like the old days, uncompensated care, and who do you think pays for uncompensated care?

But Doyles bill was only introduced in January, when he knew it had no chance of even being voted on, much less passed. From 2006 through 2010, when the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, the measure was never introduced or voted upon. Doyle backed the ACA, which provided billions to the insurance companies and the health insurance industry, allowed companies to eliminate health coverage for millions of workers, while forcing millions of people into buying insurance that provided only minimal coverage.

Many of the lowest cost bronze plans, which provide the least coverage and are purchased by those who cant afford the more expensive plans, come with a $6,000 deductible for an individual and a $12,000 deductible for a family. Even with the substandard coverage, premiums average $490 a month for someone in their 50s and $740 for a 60-year-old.

The further cuts to health care proposed by the House Republicans and supported by the Trump administration will have a devastating impact on people. In Pennsylvania alone, abolishing the ACAs expansion of Medicaid and its conversion to a block grant will force nearly 600,000 off of heath benefits. Changes to health care tax credits, along with granting insurance companies the freedom to charge even higher premiums for the elderly, will drive millions nationwide and hundreds of thousands in Pennsylvania to drop coverage altogether.

The WSWS spoke with those attending as to why they came to the town hall.

Michael Hogan, a retired federal employee from Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, explained how the cuts would affect him. I am adamantly opposed to the overturning of the ACA because the alternative is far worse, he said, primarily because it eliminates the Medicaid expansion, and favors the rich over the poor.

I am on both Medicare and Medicaid, and the proposal to make Medicaid a block grant program could affect me directly, because my health care depends on my being eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Michael suffers from many heart conditions and has had four heart attacks in the past few years.

He said, If I were denied continuous coverage under Medicaid, I would be forced to seek coverage from some other system. I only get $700 and change from my Social Security Disability Income and Supplemental Security Income a month. Thats even less than the premium I would probably have to pay should the ACA be abolished.

Im retired on Social Security Disability Income. I used to be a federal employee. I worked for the Department of Defense. I worked in upstate New York, Boston and Key West, Florida.

After a WSWS reporter cited a recent report that projects over 3,000 additional annual deaths in Pennsylvania as a result of the Republican proposal, Michael responded, That wouldnt be at all surprising. According to the president, Medicare is not being tampered with, but Medicaid would be turned into a block grant by the states. Theres talk of having a work requirement for Medicaid, so the prospects for it are dim in my opinion.

Paul Griffin, a service worker from the former steel mill town of McKeesport, expressed his opposition to the proposed health care cuts. The prospective number of people that are going to lose coverage over these coming years, I dont know why they would even consider something like that. If anything, Id think you would want to be getting more people covered.

One group of people that are going to get hit hard are those with opioid dependence, and other substance abuse programs, those are going to get hit hard as well. And you know with the crisis you have on that now nationwide, it seems that this is not the type of thing you want to do at this time.

Im still working, 30 years going on 31. Im 62. Thats one thing thats probably going to keep me working is the health care, because I certainly dont want to lose the health care that I have. Ive had a couple of health issues these last few years. I had a prostate cancer diagnosis, and I had to have a hip replacement. Those things fortunately were covered. I have good health care, and Im grateful for that. I dont know what I would have done without the health care for that.

Youve always got to be cognizant of the way things are now, and the way things are going to be in the future. In a couple of weeks, youre going to see people graduating from CMU [Carnegie Mellon University] and from Pitt [University of Pittsburgh], and Im always cognizant of what kind of world were leaving them, what kind of progress were making on social issues like health care. Im a ferocious advocate for health care.

With these deep EPA cuts they want, what kind of environment are we going to be leaving our children and grandchildren? Weve already seen over these past few years increases in childhood asthma.

Theres always that question, do you think health care is a right or a privilege? I think its a right. They want $54 billion for defense, and theyre cutting all these entitlements. You dont do that. You dont make a smaller safety net in times like this.

Kathleen explained her situation. Im retired. Im not 65. I dont have Medicare, dont have Medicaid. I get my health care through the exchange, and I pay for it.

I worked at a utility and Westinghouse, so I worked for 37 years total between Westinghouse and the utility. I shouldnt have to worry about it.

Asked how she felt about the proposed health care cut, Michelle Boyle replied, Im devastated. Im a home health nurse. I see patients struggling every day.

I worked down at Allegheny General for 14 years before the Affordable Care Act came in. At that time, she said, its no exaggeration at all to say that patients were in with their families praying, because they had no idea how they were going to pay for care. In one of her cases, a roofer fell. He fell off the ladder. How are we going to keep our house? How are we going to do this? You could just see this strain on their faces.

Also, personally, my mother-in-law lost her job, she lost her insurance, and then a year later she lost her life, and her granddaughters have never met her. We can only tell stories about her. They can only hold her picture, instead of her hand. Thats not the best of what we can be.

And people are going through worse. My friend cleans houses for a living. Her husband had committed suicide. She was trying to find a job that would let her spend time with her kids, because shes on her own. Shes working full-time. She was so relieved to get on the expanded

Medicaid program in Pennsylvania. Michelle said that beforehand she would have to decide when her daughters hurt themselves, whether to take them to the ER or not. Is it worth losing a payment on the house? Shes terrified right now.

I have an Iraq veteran who is struggling. For her service in Iraq, they said they would cover the back injury, but not the cancer, because you cant prove it. Shes struggling to go to school and pay for her health bills, and deal with the third round of cancer, and shes only 30 years old.

Asked her thoughts on universal health care, Michelle responded, Yes! Abso-freaking-lutely! Every other country has managed to do it. Theyre not impoverished. It works. Its not like its a big experiment.
From the archives of the Revolution
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee program is connecting students to a special opportunity to build skills in technology and computer science.

"Tech Success" is organized by the Children's Home Society of Florida.

The future of the tech industry could be right here. These students have spent weeks online, learning the basics and beyond.

"Technology, it's a big thing nowadays, and there's new developing technologies and I want to get in on it!" said Emily Hoffman.

Emily Hoffman got connected to "Tech Success" through "Big Brothers Big Sisters." The 15-year-old sophomore at Godby High School says this program built on skills she already has.

"The Microsoft softwares; I'm already certified, and I wanted to see if there was stuff I missed," said Hoffman.

A few months ago, Hoffman completed the program, which rewards students through a point system. Save up enough and the top prize is a Microsoft tablet.

"Usually at school, I use it for like Office 365 stuff, making emails, typing papers and stuff," said Hoffman.

She's considering a career in information technology or graphic design and credits this program as a step in the right direction.

"I want to teach people more about it. I've taught my mom a lot more things, because she uses Excel everyday at her job," said Hoffman. "So, I taught her a lot of things that she didn't even know."

While the program is geared toward students with interests in technology and computer science, graduates of "Tech Success" say they'd recommend it to anybody, regardless of age or career.

"I would say this is in line for everybody's career, because you need to be proficient in computer literacy for all jobs not just the tech field," said Justin Randolph.

Justin Randolph is an engineering student at TCC. He found "Tech Success" through Capital City Youth Services.

That's where you might recognize him. In 2015, we shared his story of being homeless, while spending a night on the streets.

"I can't be confident that I won't be homeless ever again in my lifetime, because stuff always happens. You have to learn that it is a journey throughout life," said Randolph.

Fast forward to now and Randolph has a much brighter situation.

"A few months ago, I saved up enough money to buy my own vehicle," said Randolph. "I've put away enough money to go move out and get my own place."

Having finished with "Tech Success" a few months ago, Randolph says he's on his way to a career in business administration or information technology.

"Education... that's what life is all about," said Randolph. "It's educating yourself on the possibilities and outcomes of the things around you. That's the benefit of CHS and the 'Tech Success' program."
YAKIMA, Wash.  Dan and Mollie Koommoo have built not just one  but two  restaurants from the ground up during their five years at the Rosar
Barry Beckford told a woman he befriended that he felt less guilty about his own affair when he learned his wife had one as well.
You are the owner of this article.
Submit An Obituary

Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.

Go to form
[March 23, 2017] Portwell Announces Neptune Alpha OpenBMC Development Kit Featuring Support for Facebooks OpenBMC

FREMONT, CALIF. March 23, 2017American Portwell Technology, Inc. (http://www.portwell.com) announces its new Neptune Alpha OpenBMC Development Kit, designed with Portwells Type 6 COM Express Basic module and carrier board in microATX form factor, featuring the 6th generation Intel Core processor family, DDR4 memory support (both ECC and non-ECC), Gen3 PCIe interface and 30 percent faster graphic performance than its predecessor.







Our new Neptune Alpha OpenBMC Development Kit is built with the latest OpenBMC from Facebook, says Robert Feng, American Portwells product marketing director. This is an open software framework designed to build a complete Linux image for a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC). Portwells Neptune Alpha OpenBMC development platform has been reviewed and tested by Facebook, Inc. and ASPEED Technology, Inc., and incorporates ASPEEDs AST2500 Advanced PCIe graphics and remote management processor that completely supports these advanced BMC features. By developing custom BMC from open source, Feng continues, means Portwells Neptune Alpha OpenBMC Development Kit enables customers to verify their custom-built BMC for speeding up time to market. And, he adds, because the development kit is designed with a COM Express module, it offers customers a flexible choice for future upgrades. Other benefits of the Portwell Neptune Alpha OpenBMC Development Kit include the ability to load open source IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) code and support video debug mode. Facebook validated OpenBMC on our development kit, Feng confirms, and it also features a reference board designed to allow customers to develop their own platform, including IPMI design. Driven by the mobile Intel QM170 chipset, the 9.6? x 9.6? (243.8 mm x 243.8 mm) kit supports dual channel memory up to 32GB DDR4; a watchdog timer programmable via the software from one second to 255 minutes; 3x SATA (6GB/s) and 1x M.2 storage interface; Intel Ethernet Controller I219 LM; 1x PCIe x16, 1x PCIe x4 and 2x PCIe x1; 4x USB 3.0 and 1x USB 2.0; 1x serial TX/RX port (supported from onboard EC) and 1x serial port for BMC; plus video support for HDMI, DP (DisplayPort), DVI and VGA.



Portwells Neptune Alpha OpenBMC Development Kit is the ideal choice for effectively implementing and maintaining a dynamic data center for applications in network server, network switch, network storage system and communication appliances.





The Number One Hardware Platform According to American Portwells product marketing director, Robert Feng, what makes Portwells new Neptune Alpha OpenBMC Development Kit different is that most of the existing IPMIs are pre-built, created and offered by IPMI providers with high license fees and development NRE (non-recurring engineering) charges. The new Neptune Alpha OpenBMC Development Kit, Feng explains, is the number one hardware platform designed and developed for supporting open source IPMI developments from OpenBMC. Whats more, we designed it with our inherently flexible and upgradeable COM Express module, a versatile embedded computing solution of separating the CPU-upgradable module from system specific I/O carrier board to further safeguard development investments and lowers total cost of ownership. # # # Product details: http://portwell.com/solutions/pdf/Portwell-Neptune-Alpha-OpenBMC-Development-Kit.pdf # # # About American Portwell Technology American Portwell Technology, Inc., is a world-leading innovator in the embedded and network computing markets and an Associate member of the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance. American Portwell Technology designs, manufactures and markets a complete range of PICMG computer boards, embedded computer boards and systems, rackmount systems and network communication appliances for both OEMs and ODMs. American Portwell is an ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001 and TL 9000 certified company. The company is located in Fremont, California. For more information about American Portwells extensive turnkey solutions and private-label branding service, visit us at http://www.portwell.com.



All products and company names referred to herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.



# # # Product Contact: Robert Feng Product Marketing Director American Portwell Technology, Inc.



510-403-3371 [email protected] Media Contact: Susan Wei Marketing Manager American Portwell Technology, Inc.



510-403-3354 [email protected] As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Two incidents from the past week call for a re-discussion of Israels policy vis-a-vis the situation in the northern arena. First, the strike in Syria, which was followed by the in terception of a long-range SA5 missile fired by the Syrian army. Later, there were reports of another Israeli strike, which killed a senior member of the militia supported by the Syrian regime and by Hezbollah.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



These incidents stand out against the consistent Israeli choice since 2011 not to intervene in the Syrian civil war. Until now, Israel has stuck to a policy of defining red lines and acting if these red lines were crossed. On the tactical level, the basket of responses was comprised of attacking sources of fire, attacking the Syrian army which failed to prevent the fire, and targeting terror organizations that are directed and funded by Hezbollah and Iran in the Syrian Golan Heights. On the strategic level, according to foreign sources, the IDF led a battle against Hezbollahs attempts to arm itself with high-quality military power components: Advanced Russian-made surface-to-air missile batteries, accurate Iranian-made ballistic missiles, advanced surface-to-sea missiles, and more.

Remains of the intercepted Syrian projectile in Jordan

The IDF carried out this battle while attempting to balance between the advantages concealed in harming Hezbollahs intensification and the risks of escalation involved in this activity. Israel made sure to maintain a level of vagueness, as it believed that would lower the risk of a response by Hezbollah or the Assad regime. What helped the Israeli activity get lost in the overall noise of the civil war in Syria were the ongoing strikes of the Russian, American and Turkish air forces. The fact that Israel admitted that it had struck in Syria last week does not reflect a new policy, but was because Israel could not hide the fact that it had used the Arrow anti-missile system to intercept the Syrian projectile.

Nevertheless, the trends taking shape in Syria right now require an update of the Israeli policy. The most significant variable is the Russian military presence and dominance in Syria, alongside Irans support, which helped the Syrian regime recover and rebuild its self-confidence.

In this context, Israel should clarify its strategic targets again and continuously and thoroughly review the benefit of its moves versus the risk of unwanted escalation. The basic component is establishing and reinforcing the deterrence, and Israel must also make it clear both to Lebanon and to Syria that putting their territory and infrastructure at the disposal of Iran and Hezbollahs terror infrastructure means serious future damage to the army, regime and national infrastructure of these countries.

As for preventing Hezbollah from growing stronger, an updated assessment is needed on whether the strikes disrupt the organizations power-building process in a way that justifies the risks of escalation: If the damage to Hezbollahs intensification is minimal, it is possible that the risks of escalation are unjustified; and if it is significant, Israel must keep preventing Hezbollah from arming itself with high-quality weapons.

As for preventing the establishment of terror infrastructures in the Golan Heights, it is definitely necessary to act against infrastrctures operated by Iran, Hezbollah or the Syrian regime in the Golan Heights based on high-quality intelligence. The calm in the Golan must be maintained, just the like calm on Israels border with Lebanon has been maintained since 2006, and Israel must make it impossible to open a terror front from the Syrian Golan Heights.

On the deeper strategic level, Israels important diplomatic and military objective is to prevent Iran from putting down roots in Syria. Creating Iranian sea or air bases in Syria would be a negative strategic change, and Israel must do everything to prevent that. The most efficient tool for that is, on the one hand, an Israeli dialogue with the Kremlin, while clarifying that Iranian presence could jeopardize stability in Syria, and on the other hand, a dialogue with the Trump administration, which may reach a global deal with Russia. The Israeli interest of keeping Iran away from Syria must be secured in any such deal.
The Trump administration reiterated its concerns about Israeli settlement activity, the two sides said on Thursday, as a round of talks ended without agreement over limiting future construction on land the Palestinians want for a state.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The four days of high-level meetings in Washington marked the latest step by President Donald Trumps aides aimed at opening the way to renewed peace diplomacy between Israel and the Palestinians, despite deep skepticism in the United States and Middle East over the chances for success.

Trumps Middle East envoy, Jason Greenblatt, who recently returned from a visit to the region, led the US delegation in what were described as intensive discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus chief of staff Yoav Horowitz and foreign policy adviser Jonathan Schachter.

Despite setting a more positive tone toward Israel than his predecessor Barack Obama, Trump urged Netanyahu during a White House visit last month to hold back on settlements for a little bit. The two then agreed that their aides would seek an accommodation on how much Israel can build and where.

The United States delegation reiterated President Trumps concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving towards a peace agreement, according to a joint statement released by the White House.

Netanyahu and Greenblatt (Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO)

The Israeli delegation made clear that Israels intent going forward is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes those concerns into consideration," it said. "The talks were serious and constructive, and they are ongoing."

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been frozen since 2014 and settlements are one of the most heated issues. Palestinians want the West Bank and east Jerusalem for their own state, along with the Gaza Strip.

Most countries consider Israeli settlements, built on land captured in the 1967 Six-Day-War, to be illegal. Israel disagrees, citing historical and political links to the land, as well as security interests.

Trump has expressed some ambivalence about a two-state solution, the mainstay of US policy for the past two decades. But he recently invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to visit.

Trump has not publicly detailed what kind of agreement he wants with Israel on settlements. But many supporters of a two-state solution have urged a formula that restricts construction to the large settlement blocs that Israel is expected to retain under any final peace accord.

In the talks, officials discussed measures for improving the climate for peace, according to the joint readout. It said a key focus was on steps that could have a meaningful impact on the economic environment in the West Bank and Gaza," and specifically a desire to advance efforts toward self-sustainability in electricity and water.
To an outsider, the Israelis who disembarked from a flight in early March from Ben Gurion Airport to Athens were regular tourists. Most of them were, but five were on a confidential mission: To build a school for children of Syrian refugees living in a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Israels humanitarian aid to victims of the Syrian Civil War has been well documented. Dozens of Syrian combatants and civilians have been treated at Ziv Medical Center in Safed, and a rash of Israeli relief organizations have conducted fund raising drives to ensure that refugees have sufficient food, clothes, medical supplies and more.

This time, however, the groups mission was far bolder, an unprecedented initiative aimed at opening a pedagogical center for refugee children so long estranged from the educational framework. Even more, the uniqueness of the project also shone through the mutual cooperation of its initiators.

(Photo: Hashomer Hatzair and Ajyal)

The school, an initiative of Hashomer Hatzair, a Zionist-Socialist youth movement founded over eight decades ago to spearhead the establishment of kibbutzim and other pioneering efforts in pre-state Palestine, was the brainchild of Noah Leibel, the movements coordinator for educational activities in development towns, poor neighborhoods, Arab villages and other deprived areas.

While watching media coverage of the civil war, I started thinking what I could do to provide meaningful help to the victims, Leibel, 32, told TPS. Then it hit me: What those kids needed more than anything was an educational framework, so they could at least continue with their education, and not end up as a lost generation.

To discuss the idea of creating a school, Leibel approached Hagai Mayork, head of the Hashomer Hatzair graduates division. Together, they contacted Renin Kahil, international projects coordinator for Ajyal, Hashomer Hatzairs Arab affiliate. They are our natural partners for such a venture, Leibel said.

Kahil agreed immediately to work together. We had no qualms whatsoever, we realized straight away this is a project worth doing, and immediately agreed to cooperate fully, Kahil told TPS.

The sister movements set up a joint task force to begin planning the project. They contacted Natan, a large Israeli NGO with logistics experience and a network of international contacts.

Natan connected us with a major Swiss humanitarian organization that was already operating intensively in refugee camps in Greece for years and successfully established a community center in Thessaloniki. The association was well versed in how to navigate the relevant bureaucracies and regulatory agencies, said Noah Leibel.

Within a few months, the dream started turning into reality. Dozens of educators, social workers, and counselors donated time, energy and knowledge while Hashomer Hatzair students embarked on an ambitious fund raising drive, raising over NIS 240,000 in a relatively short time. This was enough to allow us to move forward, Leibel said.

Noahs brother Yair, 28, also joined the project, taking responsibility for field operations. We got dozens of offers from people from all walks of Israeli life, people who were willing to help turn our dream into reality, he said.

The Israeli project coordinators say they understand they may have to tread carefully among the refugee population so as not to arouse any antagonism, but also added that they have yet to encounter any major problems. They said they do not hide the fact they are Israelis, but they also do not flaunt it needlessly.

(We behave) with sensitivity, tact and common sense. So far, its worked, said Yair Leibel to TPS.

To ensure optimal cost-effectiveness, the school programs adhere to guidelines mandated by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The core syllabus includes English, mathematics, history, and non-academic activities such as arts and sports.

Plans call for the school to accommodate approximately 500 students. Although almost all the refugees are Sunni Muslims, the student body is diverse, in terms of age, previous levels of schooling and levels of religious observance. Some refugees, especially those hailing from relatively small towns and villages, tend to be very conservative and traditional, while others, especially those who lived in large cities, are more secular.

We have been here for two months, and as we become part of the local landscape, the fact that we are from Israel becomes less of an issue, Yusuf Kabha, Ajyals 43-year old director (and resident of the northern Israeli Arab town of Ein as-Sahla), told TPS by phone from Greece.

The two organizations hope to be able to send out more groups of volunteers in the future. Each group would be composed of 6 participants, all of whom speak Hebrew and either English or Arabic. Additionally, they also aim to bring a group of professional social workers who can help the kids and their families deal with the trauma they have experienced, and maintain their emotional and mental health and well-being.

I believe in people and their capacity for good, said Leibel. The fantastic response we have gotten, and the number of people willing to voluntarily donate their time, skills and knowledge to this project has been overwhelming. It proves that Jews and Arabs can work together, can achieve great things, in this case materially helping Syrian refugees who had the bad luck to be the victims of a cruel and vicious civil war.
Israeli Police barred the Arab sector from holding a procession marking the Nakba on Israel's Independence Day, taking place in about a month. The procession, which was supposed to mark the "catastrophe" of the establishment of the State of Israel, was supposed to take place near the Kabri junction in the north, near Nahariya.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Public figures in the Arab sector have been working on organizing the procession for a long time. "We were surprised by the police decision refusing to approve the procession. Their reasoning was that based on information received, the number of participants in the parade would reach 25,000, and they do not have enough manpower to guard and secure the procession. We dont know where they got that number. Their decision is political, not professional. The police dont usually help us in processions. Their role is only to direct traffic, and nothing beyond that."

Nakba procession from years past (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The decision incurred wrath in the Arab sector. Many of them called on people to show up even if the police did not approve the procession.

Ali Mahamid, a resident of Umm al-Fahm: "We will not respect the police decision. In all the years since the Nakba Day procession, there has never been any change We will be there, and the police will not dictate to us what to do. Theyre just gunning for tensions.

Ibrahim Masarwa, a resident of Wadi Ara said, "The police will not decide for us how to hold the procession. We dont need them, and we dont need their approval. We will hold the procession no matter the consequences. Arrests and indictments will not deter us.

MK Dr. Ahmed Tibi (Photo: Knesset Channel)

MK Dr. Ahmed Tibi commented, "It is a political decision since the march has always taken place on this day. The purpose of the decision is not to allow a large march to be held that emphasizes our narrative. The decision must be reconsidered."

The Israel Police responded, "This decision was strictly based on professional considerations, and any attempt to infer other underlining motives, is twisted and false. We regret the decision of the organizers of the march to hold it on the very same day as the Independence Day, a time when there are hundreds of approved events throughout the country, and the police are investing all of their resources in securing the safety of millions of citizens throughout the country.

It is important to note that the resources required to secure a march of some 25,000 civilians, would require special police preparations, which, as noted, is not possible at this time."

"Unfortunately, the organizers of the march choose to put unnecessary pressure on the Israel Police through the media instead of changing the date of the march in light of the circumstances, thereby ensuring that it takes place in a safe and satisfactory manner," the police said.

(Translated and edited by N. Elias)
MK Rabbi Yehuda Glick (Likud) intends to file a petition to the High Court of Justice against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus ban on parliamentarians visiting the Temple Mount.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



For the past ten months, Glick has allegedly been trying to ascertain under what authority Netanyahu, who also leads the party of which the rabbi is a member, ordered the police to prevent MKs from visiting the controversial location, which is the holiest site in the Jewish religion and the third holiest to faithful Muslims.

Jews who do not serve in the Knesset are permitted to visit but are barred from praying for fear of tension with Muslims, and Israeli security forces control entry.

Glick (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Glick, who only took his Knesset seat in May following Moshe Yaalons resignation, has been meeting with the attorney general and the Knessets legal advisors on the matter. They apparently told him that Netanyahus ban would not pass High Court scrutiny.

The MK also summoned representatives of the Israel Police, including the commander of the Jerusalem District, to the Knesset to declare that no security risk would be posed by lifting the prime ministers ban.

Glick explained, For a long time, members of Knesset, in violation of the law, have not been allowed to visit the mount. This is in opposition to the Basic Laws of Freedom of Worship and Freedom of Movement.

While there are no such Basic Laws or explicit guarantees thereof in other semi-constitutional legislation in the State of Israel, the Supreme Court has previously held the former is included in the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. In 1997, then-Supreme Court President Aharon Barak wrote in his judgment on Horav v. Minister of Transport that the latter is among the most basic rights.

Glick further alleged that the ban violates the Knesset Members Immunity, Rights and Duties Law and the Protection of Holy Places Law

Though he claimed that his position was confirmed by the heads of the police and the legal advisors he had consulted, Glick said, The prime minister has been refusing to talk with me about the matter for many months. I sent him a message that Ill be forced to petition (the High Court), but it didnt help. This discrimination is intolerableThe prime minister cant issue an illegal order to the police.

As the ban applies to all members of the Knesset, Arab MKs have also opposed it. Some have outright flouted the ban or attempted to

Glick commented,  I would really like Arab MKs to submit the petition with me, but they unfortunately arent ready to collaborate with me on the Temple Mount issue.

In September 2014, when he was a private citizenthough a prominent right-wing activist who encouraged Jewish prayer on the Temple MountGlick was temporarily banned from the Temple Mount by a police order. This was following the allegations of a 67-year-old woman that the rabbi had pushed her over and broken her arm at the site.

The following month, Glick was seriously wounded after being shot at an event in Jerusalem entitled Israel Returns to the Temple Mount. A day later, police shot and killed his suspected attacker, Muataz Hijazi, a Palestinian from east Jerusalem.

Glick is expected to file his petition at the beginning of next week.
An unexpected discovery was made a few weeks ago in an archeological excavation of the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted in the vicinity of Ramla. Together with flint tools that are 250,000 years old from the Middle Paleolithic period, archaeologists were astounded to find a fascinating reminder from the First World War that included, among other things, hundreds of liquor bottles that are 100 years old. These were found near a building where British soldiers were garrisoned during the war.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The excavation was carried out in the fields of Kibbutz Netzer Sereni, as part of the construction of Highway 200 that was initiated and financed by the Netivei Israel Company.

Hundreds of liquor bottles belonging to British soldiers from World War I found near Ramla

X

According to Ron Toueg, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The written historical evidence regarding the soldiers activities in the British army in Israel usually consists of dry details, such as the number of soldiers, direction of attack, and the results of the battle. The discovery of this site and the finds in it provide us with an opportunity for a glimpse of the unwritten part of history, and reconstruct for the first time the everyday life and leisure of the soldiers. We exposed a building whose upper part was not preserved, which was apparently the foundations of a barracks. This structure was used for agricultural purposes in the Ottoman period, and during World War I the British converted it for military use and soldiers were housed in it.

The assemblage of bottles that was revealed in the excavation (Photo: Clara Amit, courtesy of IAA)

(Photo: Clara Amit, courtesy of IAA)

Bottles and other artifacts discovered in the refuse pit. (Photo: Assaf Peretz, courtesy of IAA)

"Inside the building we discovered dozens of uniform buttons, belt buckles, parts of riding equipment, and other artifacts that were the property of the British soldiers. The building caught fire and collapsed for a reason which at this point is unclear. The place where the soldiers discarded debris was revealed just a few meters from the building. We were surprised to discover that along with broken crockery and cutlery there was an enormous number of soft drink and liquor bottles. In fact, about 70% of the waste that was discarded in the refuse pit were liquor bottles. It seems that the soldiers took advantage of the respite given them to release the tension by frequently drinking alcohol.

Scotch whisky bottle with the label. (Photo: Assaf Peretz, courtesy of IAA)

A bottle of Gordons Dry Gin. (Photo: Assaf Peretz, courtesy of IAA)

Brigitte Ouahnouna, a researcher in the glass department of the Israel Antiquities Authority said, This is the first time in the history of archeology in Israel in which an assemblage of hundreds of glass bottles from a British army camp from World War I was uncovered. Interestingly, the glass bottles, which contained mainly wine, beer, soda and alcoholic beverages such as gin, liqueur and whiskey, came from Europe to supply soldiers and officers in the camp. It is a fascinating testimony of the everyday life of the British military camp a century ago.

A soda bottle with the manufacturer's name. (Photo: Assaf Peretz, courtesy of IAA)

An interesting item that was found in the excavation with the help of archeologist Shahar Crispin is the tip of a swagger stick that belonged to a Royal Flying Corps officer. Swagger sticks such as these were usually carried by senior officers as a symbol of authority. Its tip is made of silver and it is stamped with the symbol of the corps and the initials RFC. According to Assaf Peretz, a researcher of the period at the Israel Antiquities Authority, "To the best of my knowledge, this is the first item of its kind ever found in Israel."

The silver tip of the swagger stick that is stamped with the symbol of the corps and the initials RFC. (Photo: Ron Toueg, courtesy of IAA)

According to Sary Mark, an architect, conservator and an authority on the British armys occupation of the area, On November 15, 1917 the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under the command of General Allenby conquered the area around the towns of Lod and Ramla. Before occupying Jerusalem the army encamped in the area where the archeological excavation took place: the headquarters at Bir SalamRamla Camp and Sarafand Camp. The army was based there for about nine months until a decision was made to continue the conquest of the country further north. The building that was discovered in the excavation was used by the British soldiers, and it is rare authentic evidence and the first of its kind of the day-to-day life of the expeditionary forces for a very brief period during the First World War.
Switzerland has launched a criminal investigation into possible foreign spying on the country's Turkish community, federal prosecutors said on Friday.

The Swiss foreign minister told his Turkish counterpart on Thursday that Switzerland would "rigorously investigate" any illegal spying by Ankara on expatriate Turks before an April 16 referendum that could expand Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's powers.

For weeks, neutral Switzerland has been trying to avoid becoming entangled in a bitter dispute between Ankara and other European nations over campaigning by Turkish politicians to drum up support for Erdogan among Turks living abroad.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday she was concerned about Israel's building in settlements in the West Bank, which she said was undermining progress towards a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



"As before, I see no reasonable alternative to the goal of a two-state solution," Merkel told reporters before holding talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Berlin.





Merkel (Photo: EPA)

"Both the Israeli and the Palestinian people have the right to live in peace and security and none of the other options can deliver that credibly," she said.

Merkel's comments jar with past remarks by US President Donald Trump, who has expressed some ambivalence about a two-state solution. Most notably, he said that during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House in February, saying that he has no preferance to either a one or two-state solution. Trump has, however, recently invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to visit.

The German chancellor said the building in settlements posed "an impediment to the resolution of the conflict."

"I am very concerned about developments in the West Bank, which are leading to an erosion of the basis for a two-state solution," Merkel said.

A meeting between the governments of Germany and Israel that was scheduled to take place in May has been canceled amid rising frustration in Berlin with settlement activity in the West Bank.

German governments have made strong relations with Israel a top priority ever since World War Two, going to great lengths to make amends for the killing of six million Jews by the Nazis.

But relations have grown tense in recent years as Germany questioned Netanyahu's commitment to a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

On Thursday, talks between the United States and Israel ended without agreement over limiting future construction on land the Palestinians want for a state.

The four days of high-level meetings marked the latest step by Trump's aides aimed at opening the way to renewed peace diplomacy between Israel and the Palestinians, despite scepticism in the United States and Middle East over the chances for success.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been frozen since 2014 and settlements are one of the most heated issues. Palestinians want the West Bank and east Jerusalem for their own state, along with the Gaza Strip.
Questions have arisen about Manafort's previous work for the political party of the Kremlin-backed former Ukrainian leader, Viktor Yanukovich.

Federal investigators from the US Department of Justice are examining American ties to corruption in Ukraine, CNN reported on Friday. The investigation is looking at the work of Manafort's firm and another lobbying firm, the Podesta Group, headed by Tony Podesta, whose brother, John Podesta, is chairman of Clinton's presidential campaign.
UK Mission to the United Nations issued a condemnation of the United Nations Human Rights Council's anti-Israeli policy, after the council approved on Friday a series of decisions critical of Israeli actions, and called on countries to sever ties with the settlements. Britain's condemnation warned that if the council's general attitude toward Israel does not improve, Britain will adopt a decidedly pro-Israel stance when it comes to its votes on the council.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



"A just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue," began the statement. "The UK shares the deep frustration of Human Rights Council members at the lack of progress in the Middle East Peace Process. The bleak picture painted in the discussions this week underlines the urgency of progress.

May (L) and Netanyahu (Photo: AP)

"However, the persistence of bias, particularly the disproportionate volume of resolutions against Israel, undermines the Councils credibility as the globally focused and objective international human rights body we all want and need. The Council must adjudicate human rights impartially, without bias or favor, and demonstrate this in both the issues it prioritizes and the way in which they are dealt with."

The UK's statement continued to stress its traditional view in opposition to the settlements, while advocating for a two-state solution. That said, it made it a point to recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland while urging for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

United Nations Human Rights Council (Photo: AP)

"Today we have voted according to our principles and our long-standing policy on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. A just and lasting solution that helps end the occupation is long overdue. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the international community in the conviction that a two-state solution is the only sustainable path for delivering justice and human rights for both Israelis and Palestinians. We strongly encourage direct negotiations to realize the shared vision of Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people, standing alongside a sovereign Palestinian state, the homeland of the Palestinian people."

Theresa May speaking at the UN General Assembly (Photo: AFP)

Britain's statement called on the council to "recognize the continuing terrorism, incitement and violence that Israel faces. According to the Quartets report last year, there were 250 terrorist attacks, leading to the deaths of at least 30 Israelis. Renewed Hamas efforts to rebuild their tunnels are a grave concern. The scourge of anti-Semitic incitement and glorification of terrorism continue. And for as long as terrorists are treated as martyrs, peace will prove distant.

"Our enduring commitment to the universality of rights is also our source of enduring disappointment with the Councils bias against Israel. Israel is a population of eight million in a world of seven billion. Yet since its foundation, the Human Rights Council has adopted 135 country-specific resolutions; 68 of which against Israel. Justice is blind and impartial. This selective focus on Israel is neither.

"Israel is the only country permanently on the Human Rights Councils agenda. Indeed when the Council voted to include Israel as a permanent item in 2007the so-called agenda Item 7it was Ban Ki Moon who expressed his deep disappointment 'given the range and scope of allegations of human rights violations throughout the world.'

The UK also drew attention to a particular item that it had voted against earlier Fridayreturning the Golan Heights to Syria.

"Nowhere is the disproportionate focus on Israel starker and more absurd than in the case of todays resolution on the occupation of Syrias Golan. Syrias regime butchers and murders its people on a daily basis. But it is not Syria that is a permanent standing item on the Councils agenda; it is Israel."

The UK's statement ended by saying that "Today we are putting the Human Rights Council on notice. If things do not change, in the future we will adopt a policy of voting against all resolutions concerning Israels conduct in the Occupied Syrian and Palestinian Territories."

British Prime Minister Theresa May has long been a stout supporter of Israel. The UK's latest UN statement is in line not only with May's evident pro-Israel stance but also US President Donald Trump, whose chosen UN Ambassador Nikki Haley recently criticized the "double standard" the UN has exhibited toward Israel.
Terrorist group-turned-political party Hamas reported Friday that one of its top official had been shot to death outside his home by unknown assailants.

The official was part of the deal Israel made with Hamas in 2011, where over 1,000 convicted terrorists were exchanged for the release of a single Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
We have a tremendous amount of appreciation and respect for school board members.

Lets face it, our school boards and school board members across this state help make Nebraska a great place to live.

1,700 volunteers serving the students and patrons of their communities in a very selfless manner, all for no pay. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. It is school board members who often deal with the difficult policies and situations that can divide communities and create darned if you do and darned if you dont scenarios.

As parents, teachers, principals and now superintendents, weve been lucky to work with and for school boards all across Nebraska, and have found them all to be very conscientious, inquisitive, and dedicated to the children of their communities. One common thread of each school board weve worked with or for is pride in their school and community. They understand the important connection that communities and their public schools share.

School board members are extremely accountable, just like the school districts they serve.

Among all of their other duties they have to ensure their school district adheres to state mandated spending and tax levy lids; make sure they follow all of the Rule 10 guidelines that are laid out for public schools to meet or exceed; maintain all of the policies that meet special education guidelines, assessment and accountability measures, and more red tape than most folks can imagine; and remain accountable, as locally elected officials, to their patrons to provide a high quality education while also being wary of the local tax burden.

It is this issue that motivated us to write this. Were tired of seeing school board members blamed for high property taxes. Low levels of state funding for education is at the heart of Nebraskas property tax issues, not school spending.

The 2015 Legislative Fiscal Office report showed that school spending growth over the past decade was at its lowest level in the past 30 years. A number of districts have average annual spending increases of less than 1.6 percent.

Nebraska ranks 49th in the country in the percentage of K-12 funding that comes from the state. Nebraskans pay the seventh highest effective property tax rate in the nation.

Our school board members dont have a school spending problem. Our state has a school funding problem.

 Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33 percent of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47 percent.

 Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49 percent of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29 percent.

We need to reform the way Nebraskas schools are funded, with significantly less reliance on our local property taxes.

We need our elected officials inside the Capitol, the Governor, the 49 Senators, many of whom made campaign promises of lowering your local property taxes, to stay true to their word. Lets work to adequately fund our high performing schools without such an extreme over-reliance on our local property taxes.

Submitted by:

Mike Lucas  York Public Schools

Caroline Winchester  Chadron Public Schools

Stephen Grizzle  Fairbury Public Schools

Jami Jo Thompson  Norfolk Public Schools
YORK  The attorney generals office acknowledged this week that a co-defendant has also been charged in the case involving an in-prison assault allegedly led by convicted killer Erica Jenkins.

Priscilla P. Fields, 33, an inmate the Nebraska Center for Women who is serving a sentence of 16-18 years for second degree assault in Douglas County, was transported to the York County Court for her first appearance.

Jenkins and Fields are each charged with assault by a confined person, a Class 2A felony, and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, a Class 2 felony. The first count carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison while the second count carries a possible maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.

Judge Linda Caster-Senff appointed York County Public Defender Nancy Waldron to represent Fields, so she could not appoint Waldron to represent Jenkins because of the co-defendant situation and that would create a conflict of interest.

Both women will be prosecuted by the Nebraska Attorney Generals office.

Fields was convicted after being found guilty of shooting another woman in Omaha on Dec. 19, 2012. Fields told Judge Senff that she will not be eligible for a parole hearing until 2021.

This new case stems from the beating of an inmate who had helped law enforcement authorities convict Jenkins for murder. The inmate had been beaten with a padlock in a sock, causing facial injuries and a broken arm.

A preliminary hearing was set for Fields on April 26, the same day that Jenkins is scheduled to appear in court for the same.
YORK  Payment for two private dams that are completed and approval to begin a third earned the blessing of the Upper Big Blue NRD board last Thursday.

The new application is for $31,500 from the NRD to go with $10,500 paid by landowner Don Witte in a cost-share agreement.

Dams for Lynn Rich and Cyril Rhodes are completed and so payment for the NRDs share of those two projects of some $21,600 each will now be made. The landowner share for the finished dams is a bit over $7,000 each.

All three lie in York County and were developed by the Private Dams Program.

Staff reported to the board that the private dams project account is exhausted for this funding cycle. Other dam applications cannot be constructed or completed until the 2018 fiscal year.

In other business items on the Projects agenda the board:

 Authorized payment of $5,308 for two completed Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program land treatment cost-shares.

 Three Nebraska Buffer Strip Program contracts were approved for a total of $3,110.

 Received eight Variable Rate Irrigation Pilot Program applications that will add up to $21,645 in NRD funds. One lies in York County, one in Fillmore County and six in Clay County.

 Accepted a bid of $23,994 from M.E. Collins Contracting for tree removal, silt removal, grade restoration, seeding at the auxiliary spillway at Oxbow Trail near Ulysses. The contract also calls for tree removal and installation of fence on the north boundary of the property.

 Learned from staff that someone vandalized the boat dock at Recharge Lake by pelting it with large rocks from the adjacent shoreline.
YORK  The York County Sheriffs Department has been awarded a highway safety grant to assist in obtaining two mobile radar units.

According to the Nebraska Department of Roads (Highway Safety Office) Administrator Fred Zwonechek, The York County Sheriffs Department has been awarded the funding to help prevent traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities at various locations throughout the area.

The mobile radar speed detection equipment provides the agency with a state-of-the-art system that will enhance speed control efforts. The NDOR has awarded $1,800 to the YSO for these new units.

They should be commended for taking advantage of this funding assistance to equip their patrol units with the tools necessary to assure safer streets for the residents and visitors to York County, Zwonechek said. Utilizing this equipment has demonstrated proven success.
About Me William Kelly I am a freelance writer, journalist and historian whose major interests are music and history, with a special emphasis on the assassination of President Kennedy. View my complete profile

Blog Archive
Large population-based studies suggest MIA caused by infection during pregnancy are also associated with small increases in risk for psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a new study published today in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, University of Cyprus and Stanford University map the complex biological cascade caused by MIA: the expression of multiple genes involved in autism are turned up or down by MIA, affecting key aspects of prenatal brain development that may increase risk for atypical development later in life.

"We provide novel evidence that supports the link between prenatal infections and biology known to be important in the development of autism," said senior author Tiziano Pramparo, PhD, associate research scientist at the Autism Center of Excellence at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "There are different routes of importance. We highlight a specific pathway that seems to be key in driving downstream early abnormal brain development."

"Our work adds to growing evidence that prenatal development is an important window for understanding key biology of relevance to neurodevelopmental conditions like autism," added lead author Michael Lombardo, PhD, at the University of Cyprus. "MIA is an environmental route of influence on fundamental biological processes important for brain development. The influence it exerts overlaps with key processes known to be important in how the brain in autism develops."

Advertisement

Pramparo said the effects are not caused by the infectious agents themselves -- virus or bacterium -- but from the maternal immune response itself. "Although the mechanisms are not entirely known, it has to do with the cascade of altered events regulating production and function of neurons, their synapses and how they arrange themselves in the brain that are triggered when a mother's immune system is activated."

For example, increased levels of maternal cytokines (small signaling molecules driven by the immune response) may directly or indirectly alter gene expression in the fetus' brain.

"These up- and down-regulated genes may lead to an excess or reduction in the normal amounts of proteins required for normal brain development," Pramparo said. "Importantly, we have found that MIA-induced effects involve both single genes and pathways (many genes working in a coordinated way to serve some dedicated biological purpose) essential for early fetal neurodevelopment." Among the large number of genes whose activity is altered by the maternal immune response, are a few that, when mutated, are thought to cause more genetic forms of autism in a small subset of all ASD toddlers.

Pramparo suggested the findings have multiple clinical implications.

"In general, the more we know and understand about a disrupted mechanism, the higher the chance of finding amenable targets for potential therapeutic intervention or for informing how to prevent such risk from occurring in the first place."

Another implication, he said, is the potential to define the effects and clinical phenotypes based upon the underlying mechanisms: genetic, environmental or both.

"The MIA effects are transient but very potent during fetal development and perhaps even more potent than the effects induced by certain types of mutations in single gene forms of autism. Also, depending on when MIA occurs during gestation, the clinical characteristics may vary. The finding of MIA affecting the expression genes known to be important in autism supports the hypothesis that a genetic-by-environment interaction may lead to amplified effects at the clinical level. For example, more severe cases of autism."
ARCOLA -- St. John the Baptist Catholic Church will hold a fish fry from 5-7 p.m. March 31 at the Arcola Center, corner of U.S. Route 45 and Main Street.

The menu will include fried fish (Pollock), baked potato, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, applesauce, and iced tea or lemonade.

Dinners are $9, or $5 for kids 5 and under, and carryout is available for $9. Desserts are by donations. Beer and wine will be available.

St. Johns will also hold a drawing, with tickets available at Marcies Hair Styling, St. Johns parish office, and at the fish fry. People need not be present to win.

Prizes include:

Grand Prize  Char-Broil Performance Gas Grill

2nd Prize - Childs Pedal Combine

3rd Prize - American Girl Doll

4th Prize - Boys Bicycle

5th Prize - Arcola Valu Buy Gift Certificate

6th Prize - Car Wash, Key Auto Care

7th Prize - Oil Change, 3Js Transmission

8th Prize - Hair Supplies, Marcies Hair Styling

9th Prize - Cleaning Supplies Basket

10th Prize - Massey Ferguson 1080 - 2WD toy tractor

11th Prize - Massey Ferguson 8737 toy tractor

12th Prize - Igloo Cooler

For more information, contact Margaret Thompson, secretary, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, at johnbaptist@consolidated.net, 217-268-3766.
MATTOON -- Blake Fairchild, chief executive officer of the Mattoon Area Family YMCA, addressed the Mattoon Rotary Club at their March 1 meeting.

Fairchild reported that after seven years at the helm, he could report the Y is as strong as ever with 6,300 members. Usage of the YMCA facilities is at an all-time high with 21,719 visitors in January this year, and 21,727 visitors in the shorter month of February. This is the first time visitor counts have exceeded 21,000 in back-to-back months.

The YMCA is currently debt free, so Fairchilds energy is focused on retaining and engaging members. The Y is always looking for ways to be better and more responsive to members. Staff are encouraged to learn members names and build relationships. New classes are being added in response to demand. Youth development programs are becoming more popular with increasing participation in after school and summer camp programs.

In addition to a young and energetic staff, the YMCA relies on an army of volunteers. Programs and activities are periodically evaluated for their community impact, and may be modified to keep participants and volunteers engaged. The Girls On The Run and the Stride programs, for example, have had strong participation for many years but show signs of volunteer fatigue. The programs are being revamped to have only one event per year instead of the two events held in years past.

Chris Pilson took to the podium to discuss details of the YMCAs biggest fund-raising event of the year, May Merriment. This year for the first time the event will take place in the YMCA. The gym will be decorated and will feature eight different food stations catered by eight different area restaurants, a large silent auction, and valet parking. Proceeds from the event will go toward building an endowment. No one is turned away from the YMCA because of an inability to pay for membership.
March 27-31

Mid-Illinois Senior Services, Inc.

114 E. Jefferson, Sullivan, 217-728-8521

Monday  11:30 a.m., Peace Meal; 1 p.m., Wii Fit.

Tuesday  8:30 a.m., coffee and donuts; 11:30 a.m. Peace Meal; 12:30 p.m., Bridge/Quilters; 1 p.m., CHC bingo.

Wednesday  10 a.m., Sewing Club; 10 a.m., GRG Support Group; 11:30 a.m., Peace Meal; 1 p.m., Wii bowling.

Thursday  11:30 a.m., Peace Meal; 12:30 p.m., hand and foot cards.

Friday  11:30 a.m., Peace Meal; 1 p.m., pool tourney.

Shelby County Senior Center

325 E. N. Ninth St., Shelbyville, 217-774-2251.

Sunday, March 26  6 p.m., dance class.

Monday 8:30 a.m., coffee; 11:30 a.m., Peace Meal; 1 p.m., sewing class.

Tuesday  7:30 a.m., exercise; 8:30 a.m., coffee/shuffleboard; 11:30 a.m., Peace Meal.

Wednesday  8:30 a.m., coffee; 11:30 a.m., Peace Meal; 12:30 p.m., Canasta; 1 p.m., Medicare assistance.

Thursday  7:30 a.m., exercise; 8:30 a.m., coffee/shuffleboard; 11:30 a.m., Peace Meal.

Friday  11:30 a.m., Peace Meal.

Call Margery, 217-774-5595, to make reservations.

Arcola Senior Center

107 W. Main, Arcola, 217-268-3442

Senior Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-noon for anyone who wants to walk. For Meals on Wheels delivery, contact Arcola Health Care Center at 217-268-3022.

Wednesday  1-4:30 p.m., marbles.

Thursday  1-4 p.m., quilting

Life Center of Cumberland County

507 E. Main St., Toledo, 217-849-3965

Lunch, prepared by Peace meal staff, is served at noon each week day. Please RSVP at 217-849-3965 by 10:30 a.m.

Chairobics exercise available on requested basis.

Monday  8 a.m., coffee, Skip-Bo, jigsaw puzzles, games and visiting; 9 a.m., another session of making little dresses for Africa. Come join in the project. Bring scissors, tape measure, anything that might help; noon, Peace Meal.

Tuesday  8 a.m., coffee, Skip-Bo, jigsaw puzzles, games and visiting; 9 a.m, possibly second day of making little dresses for Africa; noon, Peace Meal.

Wednesday 8 a.m., coffee, Skip-Bo, jigsaw puzzles, games and visiting; noon, Peace Meal. Rides Mass Transit will take seniors shopping in Mattoon. Call 866-384-0503 by noon Monday before the trip.

Thursday  8 a.m., coffee, Skip-Bo, jigsaw puzzles, games and visiting; 10:30 a.m., Bingo; noon, Peace Meal; 1 p.m., a membership tea is planned with a second tea in the evening. For paid-up members and those who wish to help the Life Center by becoming a member. Dues are $5.

Friday  8 a.m., coffee, Skip-Bo, jigsaw puzzles, games and visiting; 10:30 a.m., brain games with U of I Extension, Cheri Burcham; noon, Peace Meal.

Board meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. The public is welcome to attend board meetings. Call 217-849-3965 for more information. To serve on the board, talk to one of the board members.

See Joannie Roberts, senior information specialist, for help in filling out forms or applying for insurance, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, license-plate sticker discounts or other information. Call 217-849-3965 for information or appointment.

Peace Meal menu

March 27-31

Monday  Chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, seasoned green beans, whole grain wheat, apricots.

Tuesday  Swissed beef pattie with green peppers, onions and tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, macaroni and cheese, whole grain wheat, applesauce.

Wednesday  Saucy ham loaf, creamed peas, baked squash, whole grain wheat, strawberry oatmeal bar.

Thursday  Settlers beef and beans, corn, roll, warm sliced pears with raisins.
CHARLESTON -- Eastern Illinois Universitys first candidate out of four seeking the top academic position on campus has a mission-centered but market-oriented view on how academics should function, according to a faculty open session Thursday.

Tim Crowley was the first provost and vice president of Academic Affairs candidate to come to Eastern for tours and interviews with the campus community.

Hailing from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., Crowley, current FHSU assistant provost for academic programs and student success, touched on his history and the history of his university as an example of the success that can come out of his university's rule of thinking.

Crowley said like in Illinois, albeit under different circumstances, the State of Kansas seems reluctant to fund higher education.

I live in a red state, he said. They are not interested in funding higher education Our latest administration has wanted to starve the beast. Higher education is a part of state government and the thought is to make state government smaller.

On top of this, his university is housed in a depopulating part of the state. Crowley said it is more and more clear and evident that the university cannot rely entirely on the state to fix its issues.

We have always looked at things through whether it is mission-centered, Crowley said. The second question we ask is if it is market smart. The idea that higher education has been above, on top of a mountain and never wanted to engage in the realities of the trading and the market is really a false one.

He said an institution can be market-smart as long as it does not negatively affect the mission.

During the open session with faculty, Crowley cited two programs that were implemented at his university, which he saw as successful avenues in enhancing academics to be more market-focused.

One avenue he mentioned was focused on adopting online programing. He said online programming opened up who the university could educate outside of their state.

However, Crowley said it is still just as important to maintain a strong on-campus community.

Crowley said forming international relationships also is a successful program his university undertook. FHSU formed relationships with Chinese universities, which Crowley said has been a fruitful venture.

However, international relationships and online academic courses and programs are only some pieces of the puzzle.

I think enrollment management is probably one of the critical things to be worked on here, Crowley said. I think that runs the gamut of which online learning is just a piece.

Crowley is coming from a bigger university, at least in terms of enrollment, with more than 12,000 students.

The second EIU provost candidate is expected to visit from March 27-29. He or she has not been named.

In the position, the incoming provost would oversee academic departments and various services including financial aid, admissions, the library, minority affairs and others. The provost is a second to the university president, according to a description of the position on the EIU provost search web page.
Most of the information that we get for our reports will be from books and websites. We also like to get information from people who live in the state, too. This is why I am writing to you. I was hoping that you would be willing to send me some items to help me learn more about the best things in your state. It could be things like postcards, maps, pictures, souvenirs, general information, this newspaper article, or any other items that would be useful. You can mail items to the address below. I really appreciate your help!
STEPANAKERT, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani forces made over 30 ceasefire violations on March 22 and overnight March 23 in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

Azerbaijan fired around 370 shots at Artsakh positions from various caliber firearms.

The defense ministry of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS the Defense Army is in full control of the frontline situation and confidently continue their service.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The presentation of a manual entitled Armenia: Great country, smart opportunities was held in the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments on March 23, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress.

The manual was prepared by the joint efforts of KPMG JSC which is one of the Big Four auditors and the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments.

Minister Suren Karayan said the manual provides comprehensive information on Armenias business and investment environment. He said the manual can serve as an effective tool for attracting investments, by providing the necessary information to potential investors. Karayan stated that the manual is a reliable and credible assessment for foreign investors over Armenias investment attractiveness.

Minister Karayan also attached importance to the memorandum signed with KPMG earlier in the Government based on which the Ministry will cooperate with the company on preparing new information materials to present Armenias investment and business environment. In the frames of this cooperation the Minister proposed the company representatives to actively take part in various international investment forums.

KPMG Russia and CIS country partner member Victor Akulyan thanked Suren Karayan for the Ministrys active involvement in the manual preparation works and productive cooperation. I want to state that the presentation of the manual during Armenia-UAE Investment Forum received positive reactions. We held discussions with various potential investors who were interested in the manual. I also want to note that our office in UAE expressed readiness to assist and cooperate in works of attracting investments in Armenia, Victor Akulyan said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that as long as Germany and Netherlands call him dictator, he will continue calling them Nazis, Erdogan said in an interview with CNN Turk and Kanal D, reports Armenpress.

They have a right to call Erdogan dictator, so I have no right to call them Nazis or fascists? As long as they call Erdogan dictator, I will call them Nazis, he said.

Erdogan stated that after the April 16 constitutional referendum, surprises are expected to Germany and Netherlands. There will be revisions in the political field. We cannot accept their attitude on banning our foreign ministers entry to their country, Erdogan said.

He also informed that in May he will meet with US President Donald Trump.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan on March 24 attended the event dedicated to Armenias becoming a candidate member state of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), press service of the Government told Armenpress.

The event was organized by Armenias Government, through the assistance of the USIAD Improving mining sector transparency program.

This is a beginning of new process for Armenia which aims at making one of the key sectors of the economy, mining industry more transparent, the work of state bodies and extractive organizations more accountable, and Armenias citizen more competent and informed. These are definitely in accordance with the Governments open and transparent activity and are integral part of our reforms, the PM said.

Karen Karapetyan said the mining sector is an important and complex field where public expectations, the interest of a businessman and the sustainable development priorities of the state are crossed. For us the important thing is to find the balance formula which will create a transparent and effectively governing field, will attract investments that will ensure stable economic growth by applying the best international experience and standards, the PM said, attaching importance to the formation of EITI platform.

He added that the Governments group, comprised of extractive companies and civil society representatives, under the supervision of Minister Davit Harutyunyan, completely fulfilled its tasks within a year as a result of which Armenia received a status of EITI candidate country.

At the same time I think that EITI membership is a measure, but not the end. It is necessary to launch the next stage of works the results of which must be visible to every citizen of Armenia. By making the issue more concrete, within the upcoming half a year we must have a high-level of financial transparency in Armenias metal mining industry with a report corresponding to the EITI standard and complete and affordable information available to public. But as a prospective goal, the platform can also serve as a potential on strengthening the best international experience and the idea of responsible mining sector, Karen Karapetyan said and thanked the international partners for the support shown to the carried out works and for the readiness to continue assisting the process.

By attaching importance to the installation of EITI standard, Minister-Chief of Staff of the Government Davit Harutyunyan said it will enable to ensure Armenian citizens right to freedom of information in the mining field. As a member of the group, I can state that a completely new, unprecedented management culture is being installed in Armenia. By reaching our goal to join the EITI, now we must start implementing the program. From now on, my only call will be to be guided with one common goal in the work, that is to increase transparency and accountability of the mining sector, Davit Harutyunyan said.

In his speech, US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills congratulated Armenia on becoming an EITI candidate country. The most important, however, is not becoming an EITI member, but the commitment that the Government, civil society and mining sector assume, which is to constantly unite efforts for ensuring greater transparency and contributing to clean, responsible mining sector development.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The government of Armenia intends to have a high level of financial transparency of metal mining in the country in the upcoming 1 and a half year.

The fact that Armenia became a candidate country of the EITI - Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, will contribute to this vision.

An event was held on March 24 entitled Improvement of transparency of the mining sector by the USAID. The initiative on making Armenias mining field more transparent and accountable was presented at the event, which will eventually contribute to investments and stable economic growth.

The event was attended by PM Karen Karapetyan, deputy ministers, UKs Ambassador to Armenia Judith Farnworth, US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, World Bank senior external affairs manager Vigen Sargsyan, representatives of international organizations, members of the EITI multi stakeholder group etc.

Karen Karapetyan delivered opening remarks at the event. According to him , the EITI candidate country fact is the beginning of the process for Armenia, which aims at making one of the most important sectors of Armenia, mining, more transparent and accountable for state bodies, and more competent and aware the citizens.

Karapetyan said during 1 and a half years Armenia must have a high level of financial transparency in metallic mining, with the corresponding EITI reports and complete information for the public.

I want to thank all our partners, and.lets go forward, he said.

The US Ambassador congratulated the Armenian government and the Armenian people in Armenia becoming an EITI candidate country. He highlighted this achievement.

I want to express special praise for the Armenian leadership and the prime ministers team, for taking very specific and active steps, which led to goals becoming reality. The US government, through the USAID, World Bank, as well as jointly with the UK embassy assisted the realization of this process. The assistance was made because it was taken into consideration that it will have important significance for the economic development of Armenia, Ambassador Richard Mills said.

UKs Ambassador to Armenia Judith Farnworth said Armenias membership to EITI is a serious achievement. According to her, the government of Great Britain is willing to continue practical assistance for Armenia, in order for the business environment to get improved, corruption and poverty to decrease. Id like to congratulate everyone and once again affirm our continuous assistance, she said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia and provide leadership for the OSCEs short-term observer mission, the OSCE PA office told ARMENPRESS.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sebastian Kurz has appointed Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain) as Special Co-ordinator to lead the expected 250 short-term OSCE observers for the 2 April vote. Geir Jorgen Bekkevold (MP, Norway) will serve as Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation, which will include some 55 members of parliament from 23 countries.

My fellow observers and I are following the electoral process in Armenia in great detail. These elections will be the first conducted under Armenias revised Constitution, marking a significant transition from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic. I look forward to observing how these important elections play out, Special Co-ordinator Sanchez Amor said.

Sanchez Amor serves as Chair of the OSCE PAs General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions and as Head of the Spanish Delegation to the OSCE PA. Since 2012, he has also been the OSCE PAs Special Representative on OSCE Border Issues. He will be in Yerevan next week for a series of meetings starting on 29 March prior to the elections.

Geir Jorgen Bekkevold, who will lead the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation of observers, is Head of the Norwegian Delegation to the OSCE PA and serves on the PAs Ad Hoc Committee on Migration. These elections not only represent a change in the constitutional system of Armenia, but will also include new voting registration and election day procedures being put into practice for the first time. As observers, we will pay close attention to the implementation of these new election administration measures, Bekkevold said.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly previously observed elections in Armenia in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2013. For the 2 April 2017 elections, the PA will be working closely with the mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan visited the Armenian PicsArt company on March 24. PicsArt is a photo editing app and a social media, which was created by Armenian IT professionals.

During the tour the PM was briefed on the activity of PicsArt and programs of expansion.

Co-founder of PicsArt Artavazd Mehrabyan and GM Michael Vardanyan notified the PM that the number of employees grew by 2.5 times in the last 2 years.

Currently the office employs 350 people.

PicsArt also employs more than 30 people in its San Francisco office in the US.

The PM welcomed the creative environment of PicsArts office, which contributes to the full use of creative potential.

Upon learning that the company has an issue of quality staffing, the PM expressed willingness to assist and urged to present proposals on further development and staff training.

The PM underscored that the government greatly highlights the development of the IT sector and is ready to discuss any proposal on expanding IT companies.
Yes, Simon's Cat is between the covers again The new book is called Simon's Cat vs the World and you can win your own copy, acco...
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan held a meeting on March 24 with executives of IT sector of Eurasian Economic Union member states.

The delegation arrived in Armenia to take part in the workshop organized at the initiative of minister of transportation, communication and IT Vahan Martirosyan.

The PM expresses conviction that the participation of the IT executives of EEU member states will boost the cooperation of the field.

We have jointly created a club having good potential and we highlight the implementation of the agreed policy in the information technologies and digitization in the EEU circle, he said, wishing productive work.

The IT executives thanked the Armenian government for the reception and the initiative on holding a meeting in Armenia. They mentioned that similar meetings are a good platform to discuss issues of the sector, as well as for forming prerequisites of developing economic growth in both each country of EEU as well as the circle of the union. The IT executives told the PM that it is planned to discuss the digitization and IT partnership during the workshop, as well as the issues of creating coordinating bodies in each country.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Regular consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Artsakh and Armenia took place on March 24. From the Artsakh side Deputy Foreign Ministers Armine Aleksanyan and Felix Khachatrian, as well as staff-members of the relevant departments of the Foreign Ministry took part at the consultations, while Deputy Foreign Minister Ashot Hovakimyan represented the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Armenpress was informed from the press service of the MFA Artsakh.

During the consultations, the sides discussed a wide range of issues related to the expansion and development of the existing cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries.

Issues related to conducting a coordinated policy within the frameworks of the international organizations and further expansion of the cooperation in this direction were a subject of special discussion.

The sides also touched upon the situation in peaceful settlement process of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, exchanged views on different regional and international issues.

In the frameworks of the consultations, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia Ashot Hovakimyan was also received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh Karen Mirzoyan. The Foreign Minister noted with satisfaction the high level of the current cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries and expressed confidence that it should be developed and deepened through joint efforts.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS/ARTSAKHPRESS. The US-based FOREIGN POLICY periodical has touched upon Nagorno Karabakh conflict, speaking with official representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan.

The article says that Nagorno-Karabakhs independence is not recognized by the international community. The country, however, claims sovereignty, and has its own parliament  which, last May, voted for Ruben Melikyan as its ombudsman for human rights.

In an interview with FOREIGN POLICY Artsakhs ombudsman Melikyan noted that the conflict is not frozen, both sides are at a tense but calm standstill.

In the past 10 months, Melikyan noted, 20 soldiers from the Nagorno Karabakh side were killed, and 95 were wounded. The Azerbaijani side has also suffered casualties, Melikyan said, adding that he is a human rights defender, not an Armenian rights defender. In this context he told about his efforts to allocate a lawyer of his choice to the Azerbaijani who entered Artsakh to incite unrest. But Azerbaijan, he said, does not recognize the rights of those in Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan does not recognize Nagorno Karabakh the humanity of the people therein. Rights must be universal, Melikyan stressed.

The situation is viewed somewhat differently from the Azerbaijani side. Vugar Gurbanov, counselor at the Embassy of Azerbaijan, said that Azerbaijanis have been displaced from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. Its not only about the occupation of territories, but how they are occupied, he told FP.

Artsakhs ombudsman Melikyan said talks and statements will be futile unless Azerbaijan changes its Armeniphobia. Meanwhile, Gurbanov dismissed that as Armenian nationalism, and cited OSCE co-chairs as saying, Without starting talks, no one should expect peace in the region.

Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesperson of Azerbaijans foreign ministry, said in an email to FP that the reality on the ground is that Armenia used force against territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and occupied 20 percent territories of Azerbaijan. Further, he said that Armenia, with its policy of occupation and notorious ethnic cleansing by all means tries to present the conflict as [a] self-determination issue of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

Artak Nersisyan, spokesperson of Nagorno-Karabakhs foreign ministry, said in response that this was not a territorial dispute, but an issue of self-determination, and that Azerbaijan not only violates the fundamental norms of the international law, but also undermines foundations of the negotiating process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.
Markets are looking at the repeal of Obamacare as a litmus test of Trump's ability to achieve his economic agenda

World markets wobbled Friday as investors looked to a key vote on US healthcare reform whose passage is seen as crucial to the future of Donald Trump's growth agenda.

The four-month rally in global stocks came to a juddering halt this week as the new president struggled to garner enough support from his own Republican party for a bill repealing ObamaCare.

There are fears the bill's failure would throw a spanner in the works for his other big-ticket pledges on infrastructure spending, tax cuts and deregulation -- key drivers of the markets' surge.

A vote on the reforms pencilled in for Thursday was put back a day, with the White House saying it would definitely pass. Nevertheless, Trump turned up the pressure on lawmakers on Friday.

"After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!," Trump tweeted.

"Global equities are on the back foot into the weekend as investors eschew risk following a 24-hour delay by US lawmakers to vote on a repeal of Obamacare due to lack of Republican support," said Mike van Dulken, analyst at Accendo Markets.

"Considered a key hurdle before moving forward with other bullish stimulus pledges (tax cuts, deregulation, infrastructure spending) the outcome could represent a turning point within the Trump rally, either reigniting it or possibly snuffing it out," the expert said.

"The threat of a rejection in Congress for Trump's Obamacare replacement has brought about significant doubts over his ability to pass his corporate tax cut this week," noted IG analyst Joshua Mahony.

- Move on to tax -

"However, Trump has indicated that should the healthcare reforms not pass, he would simply move on to his other plans, such as cutting corporate taxes."

The administration gave lawmakers an ultimatum Thursday, warning that if the bill failed then Obamacare -- which Republicans have vilified since its inception seven years ago -- would stay in place and Trump would move on to the rest of his agenda.

Story continues

Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at CFD and FX provider AxiTrader, added that the bill's success would be a major positive for Trump, who is struggling with a fractious Republican party, controversy over alleged links to Russia and record low popularity ratings.

And Toshihiko Matsuno, head of investment information at SMBC Friend Securities, told AFP: "Even though the vote was delayed, the fact that it will take place Friday probably means the Republican plan will pass."

However, McKenna added: "If it fails then the whole house of cards that's been built up since the election can come crashing down as traders and investors wonder what the heck will happen to tax and infrastructure plans."

- Key figures around 1640 GMT -

New York - Dow: UP 0.1 at 20,671.72 points

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.05 percent at 7,336.82 (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.2 percent at 12,064.27 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 5,020.90 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,444.15 (close)

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.9 percent at 19,262.53 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.1 percent at 24,358.27 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 3,269.45 (close)

Euro/dollar: FLAT at $1.0805

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2491 from $1.2484

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 111.03 yen from 111.21 yen

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 15 cents at $47.85 per barrel

Oil - Brent North Sea: UP 25 cents at $50.81

burs-spm/jh
With the larger Keystone XL pipeline, TransCanada aims to more than double the current capacity of the line and have a direct hookup with oil refineries on the US Gulf Coast, a move which has been staunchly protested against

True to his pledge, President Donald Trump gave final approval on Friday for TransCanada to build the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, overriding environmental concerns in favor of boosting jobs and energy supply.

"It's a great day for American jobs and a historic moment for North America and energy independence," Trump said at the White House.

He also promised to call the governor of Nebraska to help the company secure the necessary construction permits.

But the project continues to face stiff opposition from environmental groups.

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama blocked the project, first proposed in 2008, due to environmental concerns, but Trump says the pipeline will create thousands of jobs and provide affordable energy.

During the US presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to approve the pipeline, and one of his first acts after taking office in January was to give a conditional go-ahead, as well as approving the controversial Dakota Access pipeline that was subject to months of mass protests.

The projects are all part of his plan to boost the economy, improve infrastructure, slash regulations and reduce government interference he says is hindering business.

But the jobs promise is subject to dispute. The State Department estimated that the US portion of the pipeline would create 42,000 temporary jobs over a two-year construction period, but opponents note that less than 50 permanent jobs would be created for pipeline maintenance.

- Funneling crude -

Keystone XL is an expansion of TransCanada's existing system to funnel bitumen from Alberta's oil sands to refineries on the US Gulf Coast.

The portion Trump approved was a $5.3 billion proposal to build a 1,180-mile (1,900 kilometer) pipeline to Nebraska, which would carry 830,000 barrels of oil per day.

After a new US review of the project, Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon issued the presidential permit, concluding that it would "serve the national interest," the State Department said Friday.

Story continues

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has backed the Keystone project, said in French that his government was "very pleased" with the US announcement, according to an interpreter.

"Getting our products out to market is essential for Canadian economic growth," he said.

TransCanada thanked the US administration for reviewing and approving the delayed project.

"This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project," TransCanada president and chief executive Russ Girling, who was with Trump at the White House, said in a statement.

The company has a total of $15 billion in investment in oil and natural gas "that will create thousands of well-paying jobs and generate substantial economic benefits across the US."

But TransCanada still must work with authorities and residents to obtain the necessary permits and approvals for construction in Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota, the company said.

Protestors supporting the Standing Rock Sioux Native American tribe for many months blocked completion of a section of the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota, until the Trump administration overrode their concerns and approved the construction.

- Environmental protests continue -

Environmental groups immediately expressed outrage at the Keystone XL approval and vowed to continue to fight the project, so the company could face obstacles at the state and local level. One protest is set for Friday evening at the White House.

Michael Brune, head of the Sierra Club, the largest US environmental organization, called the pipeline approval "yet another decision made by Trump that would be disastrous for our climate, our communities, and our health."

He warned in a statement that the "dirty and dangerous" project "faces a long fight ahead in the states."

Greenpeace Canada's Mike Hudema released a statement saying the pipeline "won't see the light of day."

"The fight is far from over," he said, promising "widespread opposition in Canada and the US" to the company and the financial institutions that support the project.

Opponents object to the pipeline because it further promotes the use of fossil fuels -- although there already are hundreds of oil and gas pipelines crisscrossing the United States -- but also say Canada's oil sands are particularly harmful.

Canada is the world's sixth-largest oil producer thanks to the Alberta oil sands.

Unlike traditional crude which gushes from a well, bitumen from the oil sands must be dug up or extracted by underground heating, essentially using steaming hot water to separate it from the sandstone before it can be refined.

This takes vast amounts of water resources and results in huge ponds of polluted water and the strip-mining of once-pristine boreal forests.

Environmentalists also say the bitumen in oil sands is harmful and corrosive, which makes pipeline ruptures or leaks more likely and carries greater health and safety risks.

However, TransCanada defends its safety record and says buried pipelines are far safer for transporting oil than ships or trains.

Trump concurred, saying: "I think it's a lot safer to have pipelines than to use other forms of transportation for your product."
5 Causes of Nursing Home Resident Anxiety Unfortunately, for many reasons anxiety happens more often by long-term care residents than by those who live in


Founded in 1989, Mr Bongo is an exquisitely-curated indie record (and film) label that uncovers incredible Brazilian psych, rare soul, avant-jazz, and deeply groovy Afrobeat recordings and reissues them in beautiful and informative vinyl and CD packages. Based in Brighton, UK, the label's latest compilation is titled The Original Sound Of Mali and the clips I've heard drive me wild. These 1970s and 1980s cuts from the war-torn West African country are so deeply groovy and raw, culled from tapes that the performers never expected would be heard beyond their local scene. Have a listen below. From an interview with David 'Mr Bongo' Buttle at Ran$om Note:





Going back to the beginning, I've always been inspired by Mali music. There's a haunting, heavy quality to it. I used to work with Ali Farka Toure when I worked at World Circuit back in '88, and I found out about Mali music then. So over the last 20 or 30 years I've been getting into the artists featured on this album; Idris Soumaoro, The Rail Band and so on. That process helped me find some of the people involved and start to license stuff. It took a long time; it's taken about three or four years to put this together





To a certain extent; the record is a document of a certain time that isn't now. It's good to draw attention to things though. Just by talking about Mali it opens up a lot of new stories, and that's what inspired us initially. It's an ever changing situation. I was really disappointed that the Timbuktu library got destroyed, and all those great documents got destroyed. Mali's not a place you can go to that easily now. It's not that safe. It's really sad what's happening there. We dedicated the album to Malick Sadibe, and the situation in Mali hasn't been highlighted that much recently, I guess because we don't have that Francophone connection in this country. We had that first splurge when the French troops first went in but that was quite a while ago. Hopefully this record will trigger some new interest. 6 Music made this the biggest compilation of the week, and there was a lot of good feedback from people calling in saying they'd like to know more about Mali, so maybe there is a bit of a knowledge gap that this can help fill.
Friday, March 24, 2017 Friday Photo Blogging And Hanna's DC Detour Apparently Dead Sens. Smith and Wirth You might call them "Co-Majority Leaders." The one with the actual title is liberal Dem Senator Peter Wirth of Santa Fe, but conservative Dem Sen. John Arthur Smith of Deming holds at least as much sway, if not more when it comes to economic policy.



That's why the tax package the Senate and House sent the Governor does not include a politically popular increase in the income tax for the "one percenters." That would help bail out the budget. Instead, Smith ushered through a ten cent a gallon boost in the unpopular gas tax. It made sense from a policy perspective but the Governor will veto the gas tax, claiming she is again sparing "hard working New Mexicans." Could she say the same if she cast a veto against a very modest income tax increase on the wealthiest taxpayers?



Wouldn't it have been best for the Dems to include a bit of both in that package--the gas tax and the boost on the one percenters? Yes, but with "Co-Majority Leader" Smith unchallenged and controlling just enough other conservative Democratic votes to prevent passage, it was not to be. The tax policy they came up with wasn't bad but without something for those "hard working families" the Dems bombed in the messaging department.



Photo: Eddie Moore, ABQ Journal.



HANNA HELD BACK



One of our Senior Alligators (accuracy rate 99%) had it pretty much on the mark when he told us



That news is certainly devastating for Skandera who has close ties to the Bush political dynasty but none to the ruling Trump family. And it bodes poorly for Gov. Martinez if she pursues a ticket out of here via Trump. Martinez refused to endorse Trump for president and he is known to hold a grudge. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if word arrived soon that the White House had a hand in cancelling Hanna's escape from the Land of Entrapment.



SOMETHING POSITIVE







Joe, how about something positive? Take a look at the Best View in NM as reported by Travel and Leisure magazine...and it's in Albuquerque!



We like it, Marc. That view is nicely above the carjackings and the ART traffic jams.



Thanks for stopping by this week.



This is the home of New Mexico politics.







Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.



( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2017 One of our Senior Alligators (accuracy rate 99%) had it pretty much on the mark when he told us back in November that controversial NM Sec. of Education Hanna Skandera was planning to bolt to DC for a nice job with the federal Dept. of Education. Our report was shot down by Skandera, but Politico then reported she was indeed under consideration. Now comes word that Skandera is apparently stuck here and all those teachers who don't care for her are stuck with her. Conservative Senate Republicans, reportedly upset with her over her support of Common Core standards for education, have nixed her move to DC, again according to Politco.That news is certainly devastating for Skandera who has close ties to the Bush political dynasty but none to the ruling Trump family. And it bodes poorly for Gov. Martinez if she pursues a ticket out of here via Trump. Martinez refused to endorse Trump for president and he is known to hold a grudge. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if word arrived soon that the White House had a hand in cancelling Hanna's escape from the Land of Entrapment. Reader Marc writes:We like it, Marc. That view is nicely above the carjackings and the ART traffic jams.Thanks for stopping by this week.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) You might call them "Co-Majority Leaders." The one with the actual title is liberal Dem Senator Peter Wirth of Santa Fe, but conservative Dem Sen. John Arthur Smith of Deming holds at least as much sway, if not more when it comes to economic policy.That's why the tax package the Senate and House sent the Governor does not include a politically popular increase in the income tax for the "one percenters." That would help bail out the budget. Instead, Smith ushered through a ten cent a gallon boost in the unpopular gas tax. It made sense from a policy perspective but the Governor will veto the gas tax, claiming she is again sparing "hard working New Mexicans." Could she say the same if she cast a veto against a very modest income tax increase on the wealthiest taxpayers?Wouldn't it have been best for the Dems to include a bit of both in that package--the gas tax and the boost on the one percenters? Yes, but with "Co-Majority Leader" Smith unchallenged and controlling just enough other conservative Democratic votes to prevent passage, it was not to be. The tax policy they came up with wasn't bad but without something for those "hard working families" the Dems bombed in the messaging department.
Editor's note: Our three-part series this week on what to look for in financial advice, by Morningstar contributor David Aston, concludes today with an examination of advisors that serve the more affluent segments of the retail investor market.

Investors with medium-sized or large accounts tend to have more choices among advisors. Traditionally, investors who wanted non-discretionary management went with brokers, and those seeking discretionary management sought out investment counsellors. But there is a growing trend among brokers to offer discretionary services as well, so traditional distinctions are blurring.

Brokers have gradually outgrown their traditional image as fast-talking stock salesmen, and have generally transitioned into helping you to manage your overall wealth. There are 27,500 registered representatives in this channel in Canada. They seldom use broker as an official title any more, and typically go by "investment advisor." Also curbing their freewheeling ways is the need to comply with growing regulatory requirements, and the fact they usually must fit within the conforming structure of large investment dealers. Nonetheless, brokers retain a lot of independence. "Essentially the brokers are entrepreneurs," says Keith Sjogren, managing director of consulting services at Investor Economics. The brokerage channel is self-regulated by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), subject to oversight by provincial regulators.

Brokers have an advantage over mutual-fund advisors of being licensed to sell a larger range of investment products including exchange-traded funds, individual stocks and bonds, as well as mutual funds. Many brokers make good use of the dramatic growth in ETF choices, typically using them alongside other products. But this freedom sometimes results in controversy when brokers occasionally sell complex, structured products with high fees.

Story continues

You can generally find good brokers to take you on if you have several hundred thousand dollars to invest, although some brokers set their minimums at $500,000 or even $1 million.

The minimum requirements to be licensed as a broker are fairly basic. But many have additional credentials, particularly the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation, but also the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation or financial-planning designations.

What you pay: Brokers typically charge a fee of 1% to 1.75% of assets per year, although some still charge the traditional commission per trade instead. Accounts much over $1 million often pay less. (The fee doesn't include the management-expense ratios of the ETFs and mutual funds. Brokers generally sell F-class mutual funds with no embedded trailer fee if you're paying a fee as a percentage of overall assets.)

What to look for or avoid: The brokerage channel is gradually transitioning away from just being one that provides non-discretionary advice and requires the client to approve all trades, to also offering discretionary management, where they make all the day-to-day decisions subject to the client's overall direction. Roughly one-third of brokers are now licensed to offer discretionary management, says Sjogren.

Non-discretionary works well for clients who like to make all the day-to-day decisions themselves while using the broker as a sounding board, but can be problematic if the client also expects the broker to be intimately familiar with all aspects of the client's portfolio. A broker typically has around 200 client accounts, which makes it difficult to stay on top of the details of each portfolio if they're all different. And when the broker thinks it's a good time to buy or sell a holding common to many portfolios, the broker must contact each client individually to implement that change -- an enormously time-consuming task.

Discretionary direction, usually set out formally in an investment policy statement (IPS), is more efficient because it allows the broker to manage accounts with similar profiles in a similar way. The same portfolio adjustments can be done easily in accordance with the policy statements for similar accounts at the same time without the need to contact each client. The brokerage channel also provides leeway for small firms to pursue distinct innovative approaches. One such firm is PWL Capital, which provides discretionary management while following a classic passive approach, primarily using broadly based ETFs. "It's a straightforward approach but it takes discipline to execute it properly," says PWL Capital president Brenda Bartlett. Fees depend on account size and service needs, and range up to a maximum of 1% of assets per year.

PWL Capital has a long tradition of integrating financial planning with investment management and gets closely involved in related issues like tax-loss harvesting and determining a tax-efficient withdrawal strategy in retirement. "We look after everything financial for the client," says Bartlett. "It goes way beyond structuring the portfolio."

One knock against brokers has been that generally they require a few hundred thousand dollars in assets -- and sometimes much more -- for them to take you on. That leaves a gap between no advice (filled by discount brokerages) and full-service advice (filled by conventional brokerages). Robo-advisors have narrowed the gap with a discretionary approach. But the industry is also trying new non-discretionary approaches.

For example, Bank of Montreal's adviceDirect assists online-brokerage clients with at least $50,000 in assets (while charging 0.75% of assets per year over $100,000, with a $750 yearly minimum). The service provides a sounding board to clients who want to make their own investment decisions, provides continuous monitoring of client portfolios, and offers advice for getting back on track if the portfolio diverges from stated goals. There is no one-to-one relationship with a broker, but instead clients have access to different licensed advisors through a call centre (although effort is made to route clients who call in to familiar advisors when possible). Silvio Stroescu, head of online investing at BMO Financial Group, likens this service to that of an investment "co-pilot."

Investment counsellors take a team approach

Investment counsellors are a well regarded option for managing your money if you have a large amount to invest and want discretionary management. With 4,800 advisors (also known as portfolio managers), this investment model is offered by distinct divisions of each of the six major banks, by boutique firms and by institutional money managers that also handle pension funds. You can find good investment counsellors if you have $500,000, but many require at least $1 million or sometimes more. The discretionary approach requires a high level of expertise: it is very common for advisors to have the CFA designation.

What you pay. Investment counsellors typically charge 1% to 1.5% of assets per year, but often less for extremely large accounts. This generally makes them competitive in fees with brokerage firms, and substantially cheaper than the total fees for mutual funds that come with advice.

What to look for or avoid: While most investment counsellors use various types of active funds, the use of passive ETFs is beginning to make inroads.

HighView Financial Group is an investment counselling firm in Ontario which considers itself agnostic in choosing between active investments and passive ETFs for client portfolios. HighView vice-president Dan Hallett says the firm views itself as the portfolio architect and selects what it regards as the best external manager it can find for each broad asset category in their portfolios. In practice, most of the funds it uses are active, but it also uses passive ETFs. You just do what makes sense, either passive or active, says Hallett. Truly passive will be your default unless you find a compelling reason to do something different.

Increasingly, investment counsellors are competing with brokers that follow a discretionary approach. But the two approaches are distinct. With a brokerage firm, the individual broker is usually making the decisions, whereas investment counsellors adopt a firm-wide team approach.
Speaker Paul Ryan has been trying to whip the GOP into supporting the bill. Many members of congress will still vote no. Source: Getty Images

The Obamacare repeal bill, the American Health Care Act, has had a few makeovers on its way to the floor for a vote in an effort to make it more likeable.

This AHCA is one of the most universally detested bills, as one Republican member of Congress tweeted, and the bill has been earning the ire of moderate Republicans, conservative Freedom Caucus Republicans, and, of course, Democrats. This is a bill only a parent would love.

The parents, Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump, have scrambled to add more to the bill, though it may be like putting lipstick on a pig that will never pass the House if the GOP leadership cant whip the votes. In what the New York Times described as a back-room deal, the GOP re-wrote the bill to remove the ACAs essential health benefits provision, which require insurers to cover 10 basic services. Until recently, the GOP said it would keep this provision, which standardizes coverage, in the AHCA.

Now, the AHCA stipulates that states would decide what essential health benefits must be included in insurance plans.

The Congressional Budget Office updated its analysis of the bill Thursday, but it still scored the bill as including the essential health benefits. So the broad implications of making changes to these benefits are unclear.

But Trump and Ryan supporting a bill that removes standardizing what insurance is has many concerned. According to NBC Newss Benjy Sarlin, the Society of Actuaries noted the removal could create a race to the bottom as insurers offer leaner plans with skimpy coverage (since they wont be required to cover these benefits, which include things like maternity care, pediatric care and hospitalization). For perspective, Yahoos Garance Franke-Ruta noted that before the ACA, in 2009, only 13% of health plans for 30-year-old women buying their own plans covered maternity care.

On the flip side, however, is the fact that essential health benefits bumped up premiums by 13% to 17%, according to Axios. Translation: more coverage and better care was not free. Nevertheless, many consumers will probably dislike being stripped of a high standard of coverage after having enjoyed them for seven years. And the already terribly-polling billonly 17% of the public support it, according to Quinnipiacmay see its popularity sink further.

Story continues

Ryan and Trump have already made concessions to get more support for the bill. Earlier this week, changes were made to halt states that wanted to expand Medicaid, work requirements for Medicaid were put in, and the tax cuts were moved up one year to 2017. And late Thursday, President Trump issued an ultimatum to GOP holdouts: support the bill or else. Earlier, the President had told the Freedom Caucuss leader Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), Im going to come after you if you dont support the AHCA. Meadows currently does not support the bill.

Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumer issues, tech, and personal finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Got a tip? Send it to tips@yahoo-inc.com.

Read more:

These two companies lobby to make your taxes way harder

GOP healthcare bill betrays key Trump campaign promise

Chases Sapphire Reserve is very worth it, even with its slashed bonus

51% of all job tasks could be automated by todays technology

Johnny Depp proves why we need a fiduciary rule

The IRS pays whistleblowers to turn in tax-evaders
oil

The dust appears to be settling following a volatile two years in oil prices. Management throughout the industry seem to be breathing a bit easier (although cautiously) based on sentiment in recent management discussion and analysis reports. Selling, general, and administrative costs have shown an uptick among several energy firms?an indication of industry confidence (with perhaps a hint of greed). Yet with the energy sector in the tail end of recovery mode, can savvy investors still find an opportunity?

The most vulnerable during the oil crisis were the oil and gas equipment providers. On the periphery, these services were typically cut as clients struggled to survive. The result, for those fortunate enough to stay in business, was typically a staff reduction and desperate financing measures (high-interest debt or additional public offerings). Myopic as it was, these firms simply could not afford to plan for future growth.

Computer Modelling Group Ltd. (TSX:CMG), a software company focused on oil-reservoir simulation, followed a different path. Although exposed to the same risks, Computer Modelling did not require drastic changes to the balance sheet. Furthermore, while other providers were cutting dividends, Computer Modelling consistently raised its distributions. One can argue that a software company should not be compared to, say, Canyon Services Group Inc. (TSX:FRC), a provider of stimulation and fluid management services. However, when two companies are competing over the same waning budget, I?d suggest the contrary.

The long-term prospects of Computer Modelling appear to be sound. The greatest risk to the business would be customers bringing a similar technology in house. This seems unlikely given the company?s commitment to cutting-edge software, as evidenced by its 20% R&D budget. In fact, while other companies were slashing R&D (including customers), Computer Modelling has grown its department year over year.

Story continues

With the oil prices always an unknown, Computer Modelling is not impervious to risk. That said, should energy companies begin to open their wallet once again, Computer Modelling could stand to be a top beneficiary. An increase in global revenue from rising oil and gas spending would directly impact the bottom line, unlike other providers who face large interest payments. Should the price of oil lose its lustre, Computer Modelling has longer-term contracts to support much of its capital expenditures.

Valuation must always be the final checkmark. Trading at 33 times trailing 12-month earnings, Computer Modelling is no bargain relative to other software companies. That said, in comparison to other oil and gas equipment stocks, it looks to be a good value. The 4% current dividend yield signals a mature market; this company should not be selected for a growth portfolio. However, for speculators in the energy space, this unique angle could provide a strong upside should oil decide to rally.

For the savvy investor with a longer-term horizon and income in mind, the recent pullback in crude may support a good entry point for this oil and gas tech stock.

First Brexit... then Trump... Now, it's time for Pro...

To help investors like you navigate this historically uncertain -- yet high-flying -- market and prepare for an inevitable downturn, we're re-opening our Motley Fool Pro Canada service to a select few new members for a short time.

To discover how Pro Canada could help you to increase your upside potential... reduce your downside risk... and earn paycheque-like income in the process, simply click here -- before the small number of spots we have left are all gone!

More reading

Fool contributor Jared Shulman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of COMPUTER MODELLING GROUP LTD. Computer Modelling Group is a recommendation of Stock Advisor Canada.



First Brexit... then Trump... Now, it's time for Pro...

To help investors like you navigate this historically uncertain -- yet high-flying -- market and prepare for an inevitable downturn, we're re-opening our Motley Fool Pro Canada service to a select few new members for a short time.

To discover how Pro Canada could help you to increase your upside potential... reduce your downside risk... and earn paycheque-like income in the process, simply click here -- before the small number of spots we have left are all gone!

Fool contributor Jared Shulman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of COMPUTER MODELLING GROUP LTD. Computer Modelling Group is a recommendation of Stock Advisor Canada.


FILE PHOTO: The logo of Toshiba Corp. is seen at the company's facility in Kawasaki, Japan February 13, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo

By Taro Fuse

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba Corp has informed its main lenders it is planning for U.S. nuclear unit Westinghouse Electric Co LLC to file for bankruptcy on March 31, people briefed on the matter said on Friday.

Toshiba expects a Chapter 11 filing for Westinghouse would expand charges related to the U.S. unit in the current financial year to around 1 trillion yen ($9 billion) from its publicly flagged estimate of 712.5 billion yen, the people also said.

A move to file, however, allows the TVs-to-construction conglomerate to limit risks from future losses at Westinghouse, which has been plagued by huge cost overruns at two U.S. nuclear projects. The decision comes only three months after Toshiba first warned of multibillion dollar charges for Westinghouse.

The ensuing financial maelstrom has already caused Toshiba to put up its prized memory chip unit for sale, consider a sale of a majority stake in Westinghouse and miss deadlines to file earnings that have put it at risk of a delisting.

Toshiba is now in discussions with the lenders over financing after Westinghouse's potential Chapter 11 filing, said the people, who declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to media on the matter.

Toshiba said on Friday it was not appropriate to comment prematurely.

"Whether or not Westinghouse files for Chapter 11 is ultimately a decision for its board, and must take into account the various interests of all of its stakeholders, including Toshiba and its creditors," it said in a statement.

Toshiba's main creditor banks include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp and Mizuho Bank Ltd. Representatives for the bank were not immediately available for comment outside regular business hours.

Reuters reported earlier this week that Westinghouse was reviewing proposals for a debtor-in-possession loan exceeding $500 million to help finance a potential bankruptcy.

Shares in Toshiba soared 7.6 percent on Friday after Singapore-based fund Effissimo, established by former colleagues of Japan's most famous activist investor, became its largest shareholder with an 8.14 percent stake.

Story continues

The fund said the holding was for pure investment purposes and it expected long-term price gains to be driven by an increase in Toshiba's corporate value.

Separately the Japanese government said it would conduct rigorous screening of any potential buyer of Toshiba's chip unit based on foreign exchange and trade laws if need be.

The Japanese government is prepared to block the sale to bidders it deems a risk to national security, sources have said previously.

"Toshiba's chip business is highly competitive globally and it plays a key role for the nation's employment," Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko said at a media briefing on Friday.

"The seller needs to consider these issues before the buyer is decided if the business is going to be sold to foreigners," he added.

Toshiba also plans offer shares of the chip unit as collateral to its lenders, aiming to protect the unit from claims by Westinghouse creditors, sources have said.

(Reporting by Taro Fuse and Makiko Yamazaki; Additional reporting by Junko Fujita and Ami Miyazaki; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
By Stoyan Nenov KAPITAN ANDREEVO, Bulgaria (Reuters) - Bulgarian police on Friday removed nationalists who were blocking border checkpoints with Turkey in an effort to stop buses bringing Bulgarian ethnic Turks to vote in Sunday's election, amid growing tension between the two neighbors. The police operation to clear the roads at the checkpoints in Kapitan Andreevo, Lesovo and Malko Tarnovo came after the interim government's press office issued a statement that said "the free movement ... should be guaranteed immediately, in line with national and international law". "Traffic at the three border checkpoints is being restored," the interior ministry's spokeswoman told Reuters, adding the police has increased their presence. Sofia has accused Ankara of interference in its election on behalf of the DOST party that represents Bulgarian Turks, the country's largest ethnic minority. Polls suggest DOST will fall short of the four-percent vote needed to enter parliament. The nationalists, whose support has increased with the inflow of mainly Muslin migrants to Europe, are seen coming third in the snap election and are expected to play a kingmaker role in forming a new government. With slogans reading "Hands off Bulgaria" and "No to electoral tourism", about 100 supporters of the nationalist coalition United Patriots blocked the main checkpoint at Kapitan Andreevo-Kapikule and vowed to stay until the end of the vote. Tensions have risen also between Ankara and the broader European Union since Germany and the Netherlands blocked Turkish ministers campaigning among expatriate Turks in their countries for a referendum that would give Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan broader executive powers. The United Patriots said more than 1,000 buses with voters from Turkey were expected to cross the border - a movement they say is organized and paid for by the Turkish state to increase support for the DOST party. "It is not normal for a foreign country to interfere in the election of another sovereign state," Krasimir Karakachanov, co-leader of the United Patriots, told Reuters. "Turkey is now trying to provide voters for DOST, a pro-Turkish party, because it knows that the support for this party in Bulgaria is very low." Erdogan accused Bulgaria on Thursday of putting pressure on Bulgarian ethnic Turks living and working in Turkey and flouting democratic principles. Bulgarian security services have expelled two Turkish citizens and banned another three from entering the country, saying they were inciting anti-Bulgarian sentiment in areas of mixed population. European Union member Bulgaria stands out in the Balkans for its significant Muslim minority, some 12 percent among 7.2 million mainly Orthodox Christians - a legacy of almost 500 years of Ottoman Turkish rule that ended in the late 19th century. The resistance to the Muslim Ottomans is a core element of Bulgarian national identity. About 400,000 Bulgarian nationals live in Turkey, most of them Bulgarian Turks descended from Ottoman-era Turkish settlers in the Balkans. (Writing by Angel Krasimirov; Editing by Ralph Boulton, Larry King and Julia Glover)
Latvia's foreign minister says the moment Canada's troops land in Latvia to lead a NATO battle group deterring Russian aggression both his country and Canada need to be ready to "immediately counter" Russian-backed smear campaigns and fake news.

In an interview with CBC News, Edgars Rinkevics also shed further light on what circumstances might cause his country to trigger the Western military alliance's self-defence clause following a potential massive cyberattack.

Four multinational battalion-sized formations are setting up camp in eastern Europe as a check on Russian expansionism, and one of them will be led by Canada.

Roughly 400 German troops, who recently arrived in Lithuania, faced a series of bogus stories of sexual misconduct meant to drive a wedge between them and the local population.

"Of course, it was rubbish and nonsense, but if both governments and both militaries did not take immediate action  I think we would have been in quite a disaster," Rinkevics said Thursday after a series of meetings with Canadian officials.

He came away from a meeting with Canada's chief of defence, Gen. Jonathan Vance, reassured that "appropriate measures are being taken."

A series of defence experts, in Canada and elsewhere, have said the likelihood of a full-on Russian invasion of the Baltics is remote, and instead NATO troops will likely face attempts to discredit and destabilize the region through propaganda and cyberattacks.

Rinkevics said he agrees with those assessments.

The rules under which the four battle groups will operate, how they will be respond to provocation and what sort of authority military commanders have are still being hammered out at NATO.

"I am confident we are progressing well there," Rinkevics said.

Invoking Article 5

One of the most delicate discussions involves how to respond to a massive cyberattack, which the alliance now considers to be on par with a conventional attack using troops and tanks.

Story continues

The policy was adopted at the 2014 NATO leaders summit in Wales and solidified at the followup gathering of 28 member nations last summer in Warsaw.

But the leaders wouldn't say what circumstances would elicit a response in either cyberspace  or even the real world.

"We have deliberately decided to have vague language so a potential adversary doesn't mess with us," said Rinkevics.

"I think we all understand that if there is a cyberattack that take innocent lives; I think that this is an issue that would be of very serious concern to all of us. But we deliberately have chosen not to comment on what would be the red line."

An attack on infrastructure that takes down government servers is one thing, but "systems where you have people's lives at stake" is something that takes it to another level, he said. "I think in that case we would all treat such issues as Article 5 issues and we will come to defend each other."

Offensive capability

Canadian military officials have said troops deployed to Latvia  in both cyber and conventional terms  will operate in a defensive manner.

Conservative MP James Bezan, the party's defence critic, said he believes Canada needs to begin thinking clearly about how it moves from a defensive to an offensive posture.

"Russia or others, who are using the cyber world to destabilize, undermine and ultimately upset our Western democracies, if we continue to allow them to do it and get away with it without doing counter-cyberattacks to take out that capability, more and more of our partners, as well as Canada, are going to be at risk," he told CBC News in an interview.

Rinkevics is headed to Washington for further meetings with U.S. officials who have gone to great lengths to downplay the campaign rhetoric of President Donald Trump, who has called NATO obsolete, and the raised possibility he might not come to the defence of the Baltics.

The arguments have succeeded  for the moment.

"We believe we don't have any reason to doubt U.S. commitment to NATO," Rinkevics said.
Nearly 300 jobs could be eliminated at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as the automaker winds down its FCA Transport operations in Windsor.

"Retirement packages will be offered to eligible employees at the Windsor Assembly Plant, which includes FCA Transport," said a company spokesperson in a statement. "Those employees who elect not to take the package or are not eligible to retire will be offered positions at the Windsor Assembly Plant."

The company expects to contract its transport operations by the end of the year. The move could mean job cuts for 288 hourly employees and seven salary employees.

"We would be looking to outsource the business to outside carriers," said LouAnn Gossellin, an FCA spokesperson.

Union officials representing the workers said they will have plenty of discussions with the company before the end of the year as they try to mitigate the job losses.

Local 444 president Dino Chiodo said his group will not accept private transport companies at the plant.

"Non-unionized carriers, we're not interested in working with them," he said. "They're not going to be bringing products to our docks."

Chiodo said the union's national office and legal teams will be scrutinizing FCA's announcement in the coming months.

"There's a lot of dialogue and discussion that's going to have to take place before they get this done or achieved," he said.

Workers at the Windsor shop have been hearing rumours about the company's plans for weeks, according to driver Ryan Bilyk.

He said he's less worried than many of his colleagues because the union will do what it can to stop the move.

Even if FCA tries to contract out the work, there's no guarantee a company will be willing to bite, he said. A similar attempt was made in 2010 when a company came in, kicked the tires on the operation, but walked away in the end, Bilyk explained.

"I'm not saying it's not serious, but the writing's not on the wall," he said. "They're hoping to outsource us, but let's see where the numbers come in."
Diversity

Howard University to Open Campus at Googleplex

Google Thursday unveiled a new space at its corporate headquarters, Googleplex in Mountain View, CA, that expands its partnership with Howard University, a historically black college in Washington, D.C. The new campus dubbed Howard West, opening this summer, will enable juniors and seniors in Howards computer science (CS) program to stay three months at a time at Googleplex to learn from Howard and Google CS experts.

Senior Google engineers and Howard faculty will teach classes at Howard West, according to the Google blog post announcement by Bonita Stewart, VP of global partnerships for Google. The dedicated space builds on the Google in Residence (GIR) program, which embeds Google engineers into Howard and other historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

HBCUs are a pillar in the CS education community, producing more than a third of all Black CS graduates in the United States. Google already has a strong partnership with Howard through GIR, wrote Stewart, who attended Howard. Through GIR, weve learned a lot about the hurdles Black students face in acquiring full-time work in the tech industry.

Stewart cited a lack of exposure and access to mentors and role models as barriers facing Black CS students. Howard West seeks to overcome these challenges by connecting students with mentors who can help them gain real-world training.

Howard West will produce hundreds of industry-ready Black computer science graduates, future leaders with the power to transform the global technology space into a stronger, more accurate reflection of the world around us, said Wayne Frederick, president of Howard University, in the blog post. We envisioned this program with bold outcomes in mind  to advance a strategy that leverages Howards high-quality faculty and Googles expertise, while also rallying the tech industry and other thought leaders around the importance of diversity in business and the communities they serve.

To learn more, visit the Google blog site.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



Abuja, Nigeria, March 24, 2017Nigerian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release blogger Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo and newspaper publisher Samuel Welson, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The two have been held in a maximum security prison for more than a week as they await trial on charges of defamation and publishing false news.

Police on March 13 arrested Omololu-Olunloyo, who runs the blog HNN Africa, at her house in the southwestern city of Ibadan, for publishing on Instagram a letter purportedly from a churchgoer accusing a woman of using juju to convince a pastor and other men to sleep with her and to give her gifts, according to media reports. The post has since been removed from Instagram, but a legal document CPJ has reviewed indicates it was published first on or about February 17. When she published the letter, Omololu-Olunloyo wrote that neither the pastor nor the woman had responded to her request for comment.

Police on March 15 arrested Welson, the publisher of the Port Harcourt tabloid newspaper Rivers Today, after the newspaper republished the letter, according to Phoebe Fawehinmi, who is representing both journalists. The legal document lists the date Rivers Today published the document as on or about February 20.

On March 15, police drove Omololu-Olunloyo more than 600 kilometers (373 miles) across the country, from Ibadan to Port Harcourt, where a court ordered her and Welson jailed in a maximum security prison, pending trial on charges of criminal defamation and false news, according to news reports and the legal document.

Defamation allegations should never be a criminal matter, CPJ West Africa representative Peter Nkanga said. We call on Nigerian authorities to release Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo and Samuel Welson without condition or charge, and to cease prosecuting journalists on charges of defamation or publishing false news.

Fawehinmi, the journalists lawyer, told CPJ that a bail hearing yesterday was postponed until March 30. The court did not seat because we were told the magistrate was sick. So now they will have to remain in prison for another week, she said.

Nnamdi Omoni, a police spokesman in Rivers State, where Port Harcourt is located, referred CPJ to the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit, where an officer declined to comment.
Blasphemy is a criminal offense in Pakistan and can carry the death penalty.





ISLAMABAD (Dunya News)  An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday handed over three accused to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a seven-day remand for allegedly posting blasphemous contents on social media websites.





ATC Judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi has directed the authorities to present complete investigation report in the next hearing.





During the case hearing, FIA officials informed court that computers confiscated from the accused have been sent for forensic report.





Blasphemy is a criminal offense in Pakistan and can carry the death penalty.









He instructed foreign ministry to contact international foreign social media firms and demand the blocking of blasphemous posts.





He did not mention any company by name, but social networks such as Facebook Inc, its Instagram unit and rival Twitter Inc are popular in Pakistan.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; 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: dunyanews.tv , March 24, 2017
Medieval and barbaric: public beheading in Saudi Arabia (file photo) RIYADH: Saudi Arabia executed two convicted drug traffickers on Thursday, bringing the number of prisoners killed in the kingdom to 20 so far this year. RIYADH: Saudi Arabia executed two convicted drug traffickers on Thursday, bringing the number of prisoners killed in the kingdom to 20 so far this year.





The state-run SPA news agency named the two men as Saudi Arabian national Nasser Harshan and Pakistani national Namtallah Khasta Qul.





Both were put to death on Thursday after being convicted of drug trafficking in the kingdom.





SPA said Harshan was a repeat offender found guilty of dealing hashish. Qul was found guilty of dealing heroin.





More than 150 people were executed last year in Saudi Arabia, according to London-based rights group Amnesty International.



Saudi Arabia has a strict Islamic legal code (Sharia) under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape, homosexuality and apostasy are all punishable by death.





Amnesty reported 158 death penalties in the country for 2015, the highest annual rate in the past two decades.





Among those executed last year was Shia cleric Nimr al Nimr, a high-profile figure behind a string of Shia protests in 2011 demanding reform in the kingdom.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; 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: Agence France-Presse, March 23, 2017
AS DONALD TRUMP stood in the East Room of the White House on January 31, congratulating himself for delivering the very best judge in the country for the U.S. Supreme Court, a man in Missouri was lying on a gurney, with lethal injection drugs entering his veins. The man, 37-year-old Mark Christeson, was declared dead minutes later, at 7:05 Central time. In Washington, Trump continued to speak, with Judge Neil Gorsuch and his wife now standing behind him. With much of the country tuned in to watch Trumps much-hyped announcement that night, the execution in Missouri flew under the radar.





Convicted of a brutal rape and triple murder committed in 1998, Christeson was not someone likely to inspire widespread concern on any given evening. Yet his execution was a reminder of the kinds of cases Gorsuch would review if confirmed to the Supreme Court. Christeson  a lifelong victim of sexual abuse whose IQ hovered as low as 74  was abandoned by his own post-conviction attorneys, who missed a crucial deadline to file his federal habeas appeal in 2005. When outside lawyers tried to step in to correct their gross neglect, courts blocked them at every turn. As Christesons execution approached, a group of former state and federal judges raised alarm about his case, filing multiple amicus briefs to his petitions before the Supreme Court. They warned that Christeson had received no meaningful federal review of his sentence. When the stakes are this high, such failures unacceptably threaten the legitimacy of the judicial process, the judges wrote. Christeson won a last-minute stay of execution in 2014, with the justices remanding his case back to the lower court. But the reprieve was fleeting. As with many on death row who turn to the Supreme Court for relief, Christeson was ultimately executed, the deep flaws with his case barely addressed, let alone corrected.





Over two long days before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, Gorsuch was never asked his views on the death penalty. More time was spent discussing fly-fishing and rodeos, along with more serious (if redundant) questioning on life and death issues like abortion and euthanasia. This was not particularly surprising; confirmation hearings are mostly political theater  and Gorsuchs record on criminal justice has stirred little controversy compared to other hot-button issues. Many lawyers and experts expressed a measure of relief when Trump announced Gorsuch as his Supreme Court pick. I dont think hes a fire-breathing, law and order, pro-prosecutor guy, said Tejinder Singh, the appellate and Supreme Court litigator who won a stay of execution for Mark Christeson in 2014.









Glossip came up just once during Gorsuchs confirmation hearing, in a brief question from Republican Sen. Jeff Flake. Does Glossip deserve the respect of precedent, he asked? It does, Gorsuch said, and that was it. That no senator thought to probe any further was a missed opportunity. In his 10 years serving on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, Gorsuch presided over cases that embodied the pitfalls of capital punishment, and even helped pave the way for Glossip. A recent report by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund highlighted two particular areas of concern. One is his complicity in upholding Oklahomas disastrous lethal injection regimen, which became the law of the land in Glossip. And the other is complicity in a more systemic problem throughout the criminal justice system: a pattern of favoring finality over fairness. Gorsuch, the LDF warns, has proven all too willing to apply the most rigid barriers for those seeking to challenge unfair sentences, including in capital cases. Winning federal habeas relief from any judge is a challenge, the LDF report notes. Winning federal habeas relief from Judge Gorsuch is a near impossibility.








Actress and philanthropist, Tonto Dikeh shared lovely photos from her meet with Kebbi governor's wife, Hajiya Aisha Atiku Bagudu

Tonto Dikeh looking gorgeous as she meets Kebbi state governor's wife

Tonto Dikeh is a 31-year-old Nollywood actress who hails from Rivers state. The mother of one started her acting career in 2006 and is also a philanthropist.Tonto believes she will shine forever steps out looking super hot despite stories of marital issues.

READ ALSO: Meet Actress Ini Edo's "Twin Sister" (PHOTOS)

In a recent post, Tonto Dikeh shared photos from her meetings concerning the moving forward of her foundation (Tonto Dikeh Foundation).

Tonto Dikeh posing with Kebbi governor's wife Hajiya Aisha Atiku Bagudu and others

The photo featured the pretty wife of Kebbi state governor, Hajiya Aisha Atiku Bagudu in which Tonto looked glamorous.

READ ALSO: 11 pictures of Nigerian girls exposing themselves

Legit.ng met with young Nigerian who paints the likes of Tonto and Hajiya Aisha Atiku Bagudu

Source: Legit.ng
HAYWARD, Calif., March 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Primus Power (Primus), a leader in stationary energy storage systems, announced that it has secured $32 million in equity financing. New investors include Hong Kongs Success Dragon (HKG:1182) and Matador Capital, the investment office of a well known Saudi family. Existing investors Anglo American Platinum, DBL Partners, I2BF and the Russia Kazakhstan Nanotechnology Fund also participated. With this fundraising, Primus has raised $94 million in equity and $20 million in government grants since its founding in 2009.



The new funds will help accelerate the commercial momentum of EnergyPod 2 - a safe, low-cost and long-duration electrical energy storage system. These modular battery systems pair a unique zinc bromide chemistry with patented innovations to deliver a multi-hour performance and a multi-decade life at an industry-leading low total cost of ownership.

This is an incredibly exciting time for Primus customers, investors, employees and partners, said Tom Stepien, Primus Powers CEO. The Primus team has risen to the challenge of designing and delivering a safe, powerful and low cost battery system with a 20-year life to meet the expanding demand for energy storage, and investors around the world are recognizing our progress. This is especially true in China where we will leverage Success Dragons financial support and deep business network to build a leading position in the energy storage industry.

Ms. Li Xuehua, Chairman of Success Dragon, said, Our Primus Power partnership marks Success Dragons first step into the renewable energy business. We look forward to bringing Primus flow battery systems into China and helping them capitalize on the rapid development of the countrys renewable energy and energy storage markets. The new partnership will also help drive Success Dragons business growth.

Chinas efforts to develop renewable energy have accelerated in recent years. According to the 13th Five-Year Plan for Renewable Energy Development issued by Chinas National Energy Administration, China plans to invest $360 billion in the renewables sector over five years. Long-duration storage solutions, such as Primus Powers EnergyPod 2, are uniquely suited to integrate renewable energy. The power generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar fluctuates greatly depending on wind conditions and solar radiation. Long-duration energy storage systems can smooth out fluctuations in solar and wind power, and store excess renewable generation for later use during evening peak hours when energy is most valuable.

The energy storage market in China is still in its infancy, continued Ms. Li Xuehua, and is set for rapid growth, given the countrys large-scale investment in renewable energy. We are confident that our partnership with Primus will give us a pioneering advantage and will see us emerge as a key player in Chinas energy storage market.

About Primus Power

Primus Power is a California-headquartered provider of low-cost, long-life and long-duration energy storage systems. The Companys flow batteries are shipping to U.S. and international commercial/industrial, data center, microgrid, utility, and military customers. With technical innovations protected by 34 patents in 9 countries/regions, the Companys EnergyPod systems offer exceptional reliability, modularity, and energy density at an industry-leading low total cost of ownership. www.primuspower.com

About Success Dragon International Holdings Limited

Success Dragon International Holdings Limited (Success Dragon, HKEx stock code: 1182) is a provider of information technology and outsourced business process management services for an array of companies across different sectors. Success Dragon currently operates in Macau and Vietnam, and is actively exploring opportunities to expand into the renewable energy business in China. Success Dragon also operates its traditional long-standing Kingbox packaging business, serving a number of top brands in Hong Kong, Europe, USA and Asian countries. http://successdragonintl.com/

About Matador Capital Partners

Matador Capital Partners (MCP) was founded in 2016 as the London-based investment office of a well known Saudi family. MCP is a global investment company focused on real estate, listed securities, direct investments and special situations.

Registered and common law trademarks of Primus Power include Primus Power, EnergyPod, Primus Power Smart Grid Storage, No Fracking Worries and Duration without Degradation.
English Latvian

Kalvenes street 27, Aizpute, LV-3456, Latvia, 2017-03-24 16:16 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Management Board of the JSC KURZEMES ATSLEGA 1 (Reg. No 40003044007, legal address: Kalvenes 27, Aizpute, Aizpute region) convokes the annual general meeting of the shareholders on April 25, 2017.

The meeting will take place at 15.00 on company's club premise, 27 Kalvenes Street, Aizpute.

The registration of shareholders will start at 14.30 a.m. on the meeting day.

Total number of the companys voting stocks - 918144, including:

Public emission bearer shares  656356; Closed emission registered shares  261788.

The meeting is opened to the shareholders owning companys shares till the end of the day on the record date i.e. April 13, 2017.

On registration shareholder or representative should present identification document.

If the shareholder is represented by authorised person, a written power of attorney (Annex #1) should be submitted till the beginning of the meeting. The power of attorney is not required for shareholders representatives by law.

The Agenda:

1.On approval of reports of the board, certified auditor, the council-audit committee and annual report of the 2016.

2.On use of the profit of the 2016.

3.On elections of the certified auditor for report audit of the 2017.

4.On approval of the certified auditor remuneration.

Shareholders representing at least one twentieth of the companies fixed capital, has the right to request the board to include additional items into the meeting agenda within seven days after announcement publication day.

Shareholders initiating to include additional items are obliged to submit to the board draft resolutions on the issues theyre proposing to include into agenda.

Shareholders has the rights to submit to the board draft resolutions on agenda issues of the shareholders meeting within seven days from the date of notice of the meeting.

The Board
Amsterdam, 24 March 2017 - Heineken N.V. (EURONEXT: HEIA; OTCQX: HEINY) announced on 15 December 2016 that, through HEINEKEN UK, it had agreed a back-to-back deal with Vine Acquisitions Limited to acquire Punch Taverns Holdco (A) Limited ('Punch A') comprising approximately 1,900 pubs across the UK (the 'Transaction').

Completion of the Transaction remains subject to the satisfaction (or, if capable, waiver) of the remaining Conditions set out in the scheme document published by Punch Taverns plc ('Punch') on 17 January 2017 including clearance from the Competition & Markets Authority ('CMA').

On 20 February 2017, the CMA announced its intention to extend the preliminary assessment period of its Phase 1 review of the transaction. Following constructive engagement between the CMA, Punch and HEINEKEN UK, the CMA has confirmed today that the decision deadline has been extended from 24 April 2017 to 29 May 2017. The Transaction is now expected to complete by the end of August 2017.

ENDS

Press enquiries

John-Paul Schuirink

E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-355

Michael Fuchs

E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-355

Investor and analyst enquiries

Sonya Ghobrial

E-mail: investors@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-590

Marc Kanter / Gabriela Malczynska

E-mail: investors@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-590

Note to editors:

Further information is available in a section 2.7 Announcement which is available at: http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/other/13068712.html

Information relating to HEINEKEN UK and the HEINEKEN Group

HEINEKEN UK

HEINEKEN UK is one of the UK's leading cider and beer producers and the company behind brands such as Strongbow, Bulmers, Heineken, Foster's, John Smith's and Desperados. HEINEKEN UK is the HEINEKEN Group's main operating entity in the UK and employs around 2,000 people across seven sites in the UK with offices, breweries and cider production facilities in Edinburgh, Tadcaster, Manchester, London, Hereford and Ledbury. HEINEKEN UK operates the Star Pubs & Bars business with a UK-wide estate of 1,049 pubs which has delivered an attractive profit margin and cash return to HEINEKEN UK. HEINEKEN UK is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of HEINEKEN N.V.

HEINEKEN Group

HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a powerful portfolio of more than 250 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business and delivers value for all stakeholders. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ approximately 73,500 people and operate more than 165 breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY). Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us via @HEINEKENCorp.

Information relating to Patron Capital and Vine Acquisitions

Vine Acquisitions Limited is a newly incorporated company formed at the direction of Patron Capital. Established in 1999, Patron Capital has invested approximately 2.4 billion of capital across several funds and related co-investments, investing in property, corporate operating entities, credit-related businesses and debt-related instruments whose value is primarily supported by property assets. The investors in the Patron funds represent a variety of prominent universities, major institutions, private foundations and high net worth individuals located throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Since inception, the Patron funds have made more than 69 investments in 17 countries and together with its partners have owned and controlled over 10bn in gross assets. Patron is based in London with associated offices in Barcelona, Milan and Luxembourg and a team of over 75 people, with over 42 investment professionals. Patron aims to combine an institutional approach to fund management and reporting, while continuing to embrace an entrepreneurial culture. Patron favours the backing of management teams and coinvesting with its pan-European network of local partners who are familiar with the local market through joint venture structures. Many of Patron's private equity investments have backed existing management teams and achieved significant growth of the investee businesses and their employee bases.

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/39c1a4b4-c398-4db9-9f19-8ee297a53610
When I started business school, I had a lot of goals -- learn new skills, grow my network, advance my career and much more. Now, I'm ten weeks into this 3-year adventure, and I've already learned a lot -- not just from classes, but from several parts of the experience.







As I was applying to Haas last year, I wondered what going back to school to get an part-time MBA would really feel like. For anyone who's considering taking the plunge into the Evening & Weekend Berkeley program, here's a little insight into a few things (not related to accounting, marketing, or course content at all) I've learned so far:



1. Group work is even harder (but also more rewarding) than I thought it would be.



Whenever you talk about business school, people immediate say "Wow, I hear business school is a lot of group work" and so far, they're right. For both of our classes during Fall A we had significant group projects to complete. Wrangling 5 busy professionals to work on a school project is a challenge in itself -- but then you get started working on things and realize it's even harder than just scheduling logistics. My study group is an amazing mix of awesome people, who I've really enjoyed spending time with. But we also all work differently, and it's sometimes challenging to figure out how to navigate a big project. The group work has been as much of a learning experience as our classes this semester -- but I've had a blast working with my study group and I'm really proud of the projects we've produced



2. I can still make time for the things that matter in my life.



Another thing people always said once I told them I was doing this was "Oh, wow, get ready to never see your friends again!" but it's not really true. I've definitely had to prioritize things in my life between school, work, family, friends, exercise, and sleep. It's only been ten weeks, so I don't think I've nailed this yet. It's challenging to get everything done, but it's getting easier each week. I've made a point to see friends and family as much as I can, and I have a planned date night with my husband every week. One nice thing about the evening program is that I can still plan weekend trips to visit friends, as long as they don't mind me taking a chunk of time to study and do homework while I visit.



3. There are more events and opportunities than one person can possibly attend.



Haas has dozens of awesome events every week. There are lectures, panels, club meetings, case projects, happy hours, mixers, and parties. And it's hard to decide what to do and what to skip. Going hand-in-hand with #2 above, it's all about prioritizing. One of the best pieces of advice we heard at orientation weekend was: "Make a list of what you want to get out of this experience - and whenever you're in doubt about whether you should do something, refer back to that list." It's easier said than done, but focusing on what's important has helped my prioritize what I attend and what I skip -- and sometimes when it's ok to slack on reading for class in order to attend a really great event (just don't tell my professors!).



4. Even in a class of 60+ people, a class can still feel small and personal.



At Haas, EWMBA students are divided into 4 cohorts of about 65 students. We will be with our cohorts for half of our program, before we start choosing elective courses. Coming into the program, I wondered what it would be like to have class discussions with such a large group of people. In the past several weeks, I've realized that once you get to know your classmates a bit, a group of 65 no longer feels that large. Plus, our professors for Fall A have done a great job at making discussions friendly and welcoming. One of the most valuable parts of the experience so far has been hearing perspectives from other classmates' experiences. Whenever someone starts a sentence with "Well, where I work" I know that the contribution to class discussion is going to be valuable and interesting.



5. There are people who have jobs I didn't even know were jobs.



One of the other benefits of the EWMBA program is really getting to know the other professionals in the cohort. Between us, we probably have about 500 years of work experience, so there's a lot to learn from. One thing I realized is that people have jobs in industries and functions that I never even knew existed! One of my classmates buys and trades dairy for an international food company. Another chooses and plans the clothing inventory at a major national clothing chain. Another is a cardiac anesthesiologist (ok, I knew what that one means, but I never thought I'd get to know one in my MBA program!). Im looking forward to continuing to learn more about my classmates and all their experiences.



Overall, the first ten weeks of my MBA experience have been challenging, interesting, and invigorating. There's a lot of work, but a TON of learning -- so much more learning than you just get in the classroom.








PARALLELISM: IMPERFECT LIST

extending

A LITTLE TWEAK

Reference Article:

SIMPLE IMPERFECT LIST

EXPLANATION

decorated

resembling

decorated

resembled

decorating

resembling

decorated

that resembles

that is decorated

that resembles

APPLYING THE LOGIC TO OG12#42

extending

PRACTICE EXERCISES

22, was injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she had become

found in the Phillipines and that resembles

Imperfect List - Att.docx [113.94 KiB]

Downloaded 2678 times

To download please login or register as a user



Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago andfor more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.A. extendingB. extendsC. extendedD. it extendedE. is extendingThis is Q#42 from 12. It has been removed from 13. So if you want to solve this question first, go ahead. But my belief is that most of you have already solved this question before and will not forget the confusion it had created when you encountered it for the first time. This question can safely be said to be one the most confusing and extensively discussed official questions. Reason: The seemingly non-parallel grammatical structure of the entities. We classify the list as Imperfect List.The OA for this one is choice A. Did you ask, Hey, spawned and extending are parallel? They dont even look grammatically similar.This reminds me of a similar question that we are always asked. Can active voice be parallel to passive voice? The answer to all these questions is Yes. Spawned is parallel to extending and active and passive voices can also be parallel, another instance of Imperfect List.Logic and grammar run parallel in parallelism. Entities in a list must be Logically as well as Grammatically parallel. Many a times, it becomes difficult to maintain identical grammatical structure to convey the logical intended meaning. In these scenarios, the grammatical structures are not compromised but tweaked a bit to maintain logic in the sentence. Overall, logic trumps grammar. After all grammar is a tool to express logic!! (or shall I say intended meaning).This tweak results in Imperfect List where we see apparently non-parallel grammatical entities such as spawned and extending, active and passive voice entities, etc. Here are some structures of possible imperfect lists:1. Active and passive voice entities2. Verb-ed and Verb-ing modifiersHere is another article that you may want to refer to. Also, check out our concepts on parallelism for more explanations. Register at for the same.Lets take a few simple examples before analyzing the confusing problems. Look at these five example sentences below and mark the sentences that parallel. (You will need a pen and paper for that )1. The new lamp decorated with pink flowers and resembling a star brought a large smile on the childs face.2. The new lamp decorated with pink flowers and resembled a star brought a large smile on the childs face.3. The new lamp decorating with pink flowers and resembling a star brought a large smile on the childs face.4. The new lamp decorated with pink flowers and that resembles a star brought a large smile on the childs face.5. The new lamp that is decorated with pink flowers and that resembles a star brought a large smile on the childs face.Lets analyze one sentence at a time.1. The new lampwith pink flowers anda star brought a large smile on the childs face.This sentence is about a new lamp that made a child smile. Two characteristics of this lamp are mentioned here. The new lamp:a. is decorated with pink flower andb. resembles a star.Notice that decorated is the verb-ed modifier presenting one quality of the lamp. resembling is a verb-ing modifier presenting another quality of the lamp. So, both these words are modifiers that perform the same function. Hence, decorated and resembling are parallel. Yes, one is a Verb-ed Modifier and the other is Verb-ing Modifier. But they both are Modifiers and modify the same entity. This is the reason why these two are parallel.2. The new lampwith pink flowers anda star brought a large smile on the childs face.In this sentence, decorated and resembled are structurally identical but not parallel. Decorated is a verb-ed modifier but resembled is a simple past tense verb. They do not perform the same function. Hence, they are not parallel.Also notice that now The new lamp has two verbs resembled and brought that are not connected properly. So this sentence is INCORRECT.3. The new lampwith pink flowers anda star brought a large smile on the childs face.Here too, decorating and resembling are structurally identical but not parallel. The phrase decorating with flowers seems to suggest that the lamp was doing the action of decorating. Moreover, decorating by itself cannot be a continuous verb because it is not preceded by any helping verb (is/am/are/was/were). So, even if they look identical, these two entities are not parallel.4. The new lampwith pink flowers anda star brought a large smile on the childs face.Here, decorated is a verb-ed modifier and that resembles is also a modifier. They perform the same function. But there grammatical structure is not parallel. Decorated is a verb-ed modifier and that resembles is a clause. A word/phrase CANNOT be parallel to a clause.In this case, even if the list makes logical sense, grammar does not approve it as parallel because the clause can be written in the form to make it parallel to decorated. that resembles can be written as resembling and this will make the list parallel.5. The new lampwith pink flowers anda star brought a large smile on the childs face.This sentence rectifies the error of sentence 4. and turns single-word verb-ed modifier decorated into that is decorated, a that clause. Now the entities in the list are absolutely parallel.Did you just say, But these two entities are written in two different voices. Im glad you noticed.An active voice entity CAN very well be parallel to a passive voice as long as the subject of the verbs is same. Notice in both that clause, that stands for The new lamp. So the sentence says that:a. The new lamp is decorated with pink flowers. -->Passive Voice; Note the active voice will be Rosy decorated the lamp with pink flowers.b. The new lamp resembles a star. --> Active Voice.So now we can easily explain why spawned and extending are parallel.Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago andfor more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.Lets first understand the meaning of this sentence. Scientists have discovered a giant fungus that is a complex filigree. Two characteristics of this giant fungus are mentioned, and these two characteristics are the reason why scientists think this giant fungus can be the oldest and largest living organism on Earth.a. The filigree = the fungus is spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago.b. The filigree = the fungus extends for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.spawned is a verb-ed modifier that modifies the fungus. extending is a verb-ing modifier that modifies the same entity. They perform the same function. They both are modifiers, modify the same entity, and both are phrases. That is why these two are parallel. This sentence is correct as is.Choices B, C and E are verb entities that CANNOT be parallel to verb-ed modifiers. Choice D is a clause that again grammatically is not parallel to a single word modifier.Solve these two official problems and let us know why the correct answer is correct and why the incorrect ones are incorrect.1. Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff, Deborah Sampson, the first woman to draw a soldieras pension, joined the Continental Army in 1782 at the age oftoo ill to serve.A. 22, was injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she had becomeB. 22, was injured three times, while being discharged in 1783 because she had becomeC. 22, and was injured three times, and discharged in 1783, beingD. 22, injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she wasE. 22, having been injured three times and discharged in 1783, being2. First discovered more than 30 years ago, Lina's sunbird, a four-and-a-half-inch animala hummingbird, has shimmering metallic colors on its head; a brilliant orange patch, bordered with red tufts, in the center of its breast; and a red eye.a. found in the Phillipines and that resemblesb. found in the Phillipines and that, resemblingc. found in the Phillipines and resemblingd. that is found in the Phillipines and it resemblese. that is found in the Phillipines, resemblingWe will add 2 more official problems if the community desires and if we get more than 15 attempts on the official problems. Let us know how you feel about this article.Thanks.Shraddha_________________
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
When he started Spilker Ales in Cortland more than 20 years ago, Sam Spilker didn't have a lot of competition.

At the time, in 1996, the only other craft brewery in the state was Empyrean Brewing in Lincoln.

But the popularity of craft beers has exploded over the past decade or so, and there are now about three dozen breweries in Nebraska.

Three new breweries have opened in Lincoln just in the past year, and a fourth will open later this year.

That's made it really tough for a small brewery in a town of less than 500 people.

"The whole landscape has changed, and I just can't pencil out a way forward," Spilker said.

He said he looked at ways to keep going in Cortland, and the one that seemed to be most viable was to open up a taproom. But he said that's something that's "outside my wheelhouse" and would be a large financial risk that he's not willing to take.

So he made the decision to shut down the brewery next month, which he announced Friday in a blog post and email.

The good news for fans of Spilker Ales' signature beer, Hopaluia, is that it will live on.

Spilker sold the brand to Thunderhead Brewing in Kearney, which will continue to produce it in kegs for the time being. Hopluia bottles will cease to exist, but Spilker said Thunderhead may start producing it in cans later this year.

Spilker's other brews, which he just started brewing in the past couple of years, will cease to exist after current stocks run out, probably within a few months.

Those who want to make a last pilgrimage to the brewery at 300 W. Fourth St. in Cortland will have a few chances next month.

Spilker Ales will host open houses on April 6, 7 and 8 that will include brewery tours, beer sampling and food provided by vendors.

Spilker said he will continue to have some involvement with marketing Hopluia, but his brewing days are coming to an end.

As for his future: "I'm going to get a job somewhere."
Credit: George Hodan/Public Domain

Researchers from Emory University have found that specific patterns of activity on brain scans may help clinicians identify whether psychotherapy or antidepressant medication is more likely to help individual patients recover from depression.

The study, called PReDICT, randomly assigned patients to 12 weeks of treatment with one of two antidepressant medications or with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). At the start of the study, patients underwent a functional MRI brain scan, which was then analyzed to see whether the outcome from CBT or medication depended on the state of the brain prior to starting treatment. The study results are published as two papers in the March 24 online issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

The MRI scans identified that the degree of functional connectivity between an important emotion processing center (the subcallosal cingulate cortex) and three other areas of the brain was associated with the treatment outcomes. Specifically, patients with positive connectivity between the brain regions were significantly more likely to achieve remission with CBT, whereas patients with negative or absent connectivity were more likely to remit with antidepressant medication.

"All depressions are not equal and like different types of cancer, different types of depression will require specific treatments. Using these scans, we may be able to match a patient to the treatment that is most likely to help them, while avoiding treatments unlikely to provide benefit," says Helen Mayberg, MD, who led the imaging study. Mayberg is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology and the Dorothy C. Fuqua Chair in Psychiatric Imaging and Therapeutics at Emory University School of Medicine.

Mayberg and co- investigators Boadie Dunlop, MD, Director of the Emory Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, and W. Edward Craighead, PhD, J. Rex Fuqua Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, sought to develop methods for a more personalized approach to treating depression.

Current treatment guidelines for major depression recommend that a patient's preference for psychotherapy or medication be considered in selecting the initial treatment approach. However, in the PReDICT study patients' preferences were only weakly associated with outcomes; preferences predicted treatment drop-out but not improvement. These results are consistent with prior studies, suggesting that achieving personalized treatment for depressed patients will depend more on identifying specific biological characteristics in patients rather than relying on their symptoms or treatment preferences. The results from PReDICT suggest that brain scans may offer the best approach for personalizing treatment going forward.

In recruiting 344 patients for the study from across the metro Atlanta area, researchers were able to convene a more diverse group of patients than other previous studies, with roughly half of the participants self-identified as African-American or Hispanic.

"Our diverse sample demonstrated that the evidence-based psychotherapy and medication treatments recommended as first line treatments for depression can be extended with confidence beyond a white, non-Hispanic population," says Dunlop.

"Ultimately our studies show that clinical characteristics, such as age, gender, etc., and even patients' preferences regarding treatment, are not as good at identifying likely treatment outcomes as the brain measurement," adds Mayberg.
How a disease outbreak affects a group of animals depends on the breakdown of ages in the population, an animal study has shown. The findings could help scientists better understand how events such as disease outbreaks may affect certain groups in a population.

Scientists sought to examine how a spread of ages can influence a population's health, by simulating an outbreak of disease in small marine animals.

Age dependency

With lab experiments and computer modelling, they found that disease spread can vary depending on the age at which individuals are exposed to infection, and the age at which females in the group become mothers. Experiments in the latest study found that offspring of younger mothers were more at risk from infection. The finding builds upon previous knowledge that younger individuals are more at risk.

Taking these factors into account, computer models showed that when death rates are high, disease can spread faster  even as populations fall. This contradicts the expectation that disease should spread most easily in dense populations, in which individuals interact more.

Modelling response

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh carried out lab experiments with water fleas, examining how four generations of the small crustaceans responded to a common bacterial infection. Their results were used to build a mathematical model of how the organisms might respond in the long term to threats such as incidence of disease.

Their study is published in Ecology Letters.
A Female German Shepherd. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 4.0

Dogs can sniff out cancer from a piece of cloth which had touched the breast of a woman with a tumour, researchers said Friday, announcing the results of an unusual, but promising, diagnostic trial.

With just six months of training, a pair of German Shepherds became 100-percent accurate in their new role as breast cancer spotters, the team said.

The technique is simple, non-invasive and cheap, and may revolutionise cancer detection in countries where mammograms are hard to come by.

"In these countries, there are oncologists, there are surgeons, but in rural areas often there is limited access to diagnostics," Isabelle Fromantin, who leads project Kdog, told journalists in Paris.

This means that "people arrive too late," to receive life-saving treatment, she added. "If this works, we can roll it out rapidly."

Working on the assumption that breast cancer cells have a distinguishing smell which sensitive dog noses will pick up, the team collected samples from 31 cancer patients.

These were pieces of bandage that patients had held against their affected breast.

With the help of canine specialist Jacky Experton, the team trained German Shepherds Thor and Nykios to recognise cancerous rags from non-cancerous ones.

"It is all based on game-playing" and reward, he explained.

After six months, the dogs were put to the test over several days in January and February this year.

This time, the researchers used 31 bandages from different cancer patients than those the dogs had been trained on.

One bandage was used per experiment, along with three samples from women with no cancer.

Saving lives

Each bandage was placed in a box with a large cone which the dogs could stick their noses into, sniffing at each in turnfour boxes per test.

The exercise was repeated once with each sample, meaning there were 62 individual responses from the dogs in all.

In the first round, the dogs detected 28 out of the 31 cancerous bandagesa 90-percent pass rate, the researchers announced.

On the second try, they scored 100 percentsitting down in front of the box containing the cancerous sample with their muzzle pressed deep into the cone.

"There is technology that works very well, but sometimes simpler things, more obvious things, can also help," said Amaury Martin of the Curie Institute, citing the many untested stories of dogs having detected cancer in their owners.

"Our aim was see if we can move from conventional wisdom to... real science, with all the clinical and research validation that this entails."

This was the proof-of-concept phase of Kdog.

The next step will be a clinical trial with more patients and another two dogs, but the team is still in need of project funding.

The team believes that one day dogs may be replaced by "sniffing" machines, possibly armies of electronic diagnosticians dedicated to analysing samples that people far from clinics would send them by the post.

In the meantime, Experton said there is little danger of the trained dogs using their new-found skills to accost cancer sufferers outside the lab.

"These tests happen within a very specific work environment," he explained. "In a different context, these dogs are unlikely to simply pounce on random people in the street."

The team says it is the only one to work with breast cancer detection from skin-touch samples.

Other research projects are testing canines' ability to smell different types of cancer in samples of the skin itself, blood or urine, even the air people exhale.

In France, the chances of surviving ten years after a breast cancer diagnosis is about 85 percent, compared to around 50 percent in poorer countries.

 2017 AFP
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive condition that often results in mobility impairments and can lead to decreased health-related quality of life (HRQL) and death. There is evidence that physical activity can delay decline in PD patients. In a study in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, researchers determined that that people who exercised regularly had significantly slower declines in HRQL and mobility over a two-year period.

Lead investigator Miriam R. Rafferty, PhD, of Northwestern University and Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, describes the main findings of the study. "We found that people with Parkinson's disease who maintained exercise 150 minutes per week had a smaller decline in quality of life and mobility over two years compared to people who did not exercise or exercised less. The smaller decline was significant for people who started the study as regular exercisers, as well as for people who started to exercise 150 minutes per week after their first study-related visit."

The data came from the National Parkinson Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative (NPF-QII), an international, multicenter, prospective clinical study of care and outcomes that has recorded data from 21 sites in North America, the Netherlands, and Israel identified as Centers of Excellence by the National Parkinson Foundation. Over 3400 participants provided data over two years, with information collected during at least three clinic visits. The NPF-QII study collects demographics, disease duration, Hoehn and Yahr stage (HY), brief cognitive assessments, as well as data on pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management of PD symptoms. These observational study visits are scheduled on a yearly basis. At each visit, exercise is measured by the self-reported number of hours per week of exercise.

The Parkinson Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) is used to measure patient-reported, PD-specific HRQL. Functional mobility was measured by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, in which performance is tested by timing participants as they rise from a chair, walk three meters, turn, and return to a sitting position.

Although this study did not determine which type of exercise is best, it suggests that any type of exercise done with a "dose" of at least 150 minutes per week is better than not exercising. "People with PD should feel empowered to find the type of exercise they enjoy, even those with more advanced symptoms," remarked Dr. Rafferty.

An unanticipated finding from the study was that the HRQL benefit associated with 30-minute increases in exercise per week was greatest in people with advanced PD. These data have significant implications for making exercise and physical activity more accessible to people with more severe disability. People with more advanced PD may have poor access to regular exercise, as their mobility impairments would limit their independent participation in existing community and group exercise programs.

"The most important part of the study," according to Dr. Rafferty, "is that it suggests that people who are not currently achieving recommended levels of exercise could start to exercise today to lessen the declines in quality of life and mobility that can occur with this progressive disease."

More information: Miriam R. Rafferty et al, Regular Exercise, Quality of Life, and Mobility in Parkinson's Disease: A Longitudinal Analysis of National Parkinson Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative Data, Journal of Parkinson's Disease (2017). Journal information: Journal of Parkinson's Disease Miriam R. Rafferty et al, Regular Exercise, Quality of Life, and Mobility in Parkinson's Disease: A Longitudinal Analysis of National Parkinson Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative Data,(2017). DOI: 10.3233/JPD-160912
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

One day, patients may be able to monitor their body's response to cancer therapy just by having their blood drawn. A new study, led by bioengineers at UC Berkeley, has taken an important step in that direction by measuring a panel of cancer proteins in rare, individual tumor cells that float in the blood.

Berkeley researchers isolated circulating tumor cells from the blood of breast cancer patients, then used microscale physics to design a precision test for protein biomarkers, which are indicators of cancer. After isolating each cell, the microfluidic device breaks the cells open and tests the cellular contents for eight cancer protein biomarkers. The researchers are expanding the number of proteins identifiable with this technology to eventually allow pathologists to classify cancer cells more precisely than is possible using existing biomarkers.

"Tremendous advances have been made in DNA and RNA profiling in cells collected using a liquid biopsy. We extend those advances to highly selective measurement of proteins  the 'molecular machines' of the cell," said Amy Herr, Berkeley a bioengineering professor and leader of the study team. "We are working to create medicine that would allow a doctor to monitor a patient's treatment response through a blood draw, perhaps on a daily basis."

The study was published March 23 in the journal Nature Communications. The research was a collaboration with breast cancer surgeon Stefanie Jeffrey at Stanford University and with a University of California startup, Vortex Biosciences. Funding was provided by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

The study focuses on circulating tumor cells, a potentially rich source of information about a person's cancer. These cells are thought to break off from the original tumor and circulate in the blood, and may be a sign of an aggressive tumor. But studying these cells is difficult because the cells are rare, so few are collected even when enriched from the blood. The cells contain different proteins than the original tumor, so research is ongoing to unlock the secrets of these elusive cells.

To better study circulating tumor cells, the researchers collaborated with physician-scientists and industry engineers to develop a microfluidics system that separates these large cells into a concentrated sample. A key advance the team made was in devising a system to precisely handle and manipulate the concentrated cells from blood. The Berkeley researchers then analyzed each circulating tumor cell for the specific panel of cancer proteins.

To do so, they placed each rare cell in a microwell (with a diameter roughly half the width of a human hair). Once settled in the microwell, the circulating tumor cells were burst open and the proteins released from inside each cell were separated according to differences in size or mass. The scientists were then able to identify cancer proteins by introducing fluorescent probes that bind to and light up a specific protein target. By sorting and probing the protein targets, the test is more selective than existing pathology tools. Enhanced selectivity will be crucial in detecting subtle chemical modifications to biomarkers that can be important but difficult to measure, Herr said. The researchers plan to expand their approach to identify more proteins, and proteins with unique modifications, in circulating tumor cells.

"Microfluidic design was key in this study. We were able to integrate features needed for each measurement stage into one process," Herr said. "Systems integration allowed us to do every single measurement step very, very quickly while the biomarkers are still concentrated. If not performed exceptionally fast, the cell's proteins diffuse away and become undetectable."

More information: Elly Sinkala et al. Profiling protein expression in circulating tumour cells using microfluidic western blotting, Nature Communications (2017). Journal information: Nature Communications Elly Sinkala et al. Profiling protein expression in circulating tumour cells using microfluidic western blotting,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14622
BOSTON  The frightening pattern of sick patients emerged in 2012. First, two people died. Then it was eight. Then more. It was an outbreak of fungal meningitis, a rare disease that investigators linked to injections from a compounding pharmacy outside Boston.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that some 13,000 people in multiple states could have been injected with the possibly tainted medicine, and recipients waited anxiously to see if they developed symptoms.

In all, 732 people were sickened by the meningitis and other infections. Sixty-four people died. Many survivors live with constant pain.

On Wednesday, the first trial related to the outbreak ended in a split verdict: A jury here convicted Barry J. Cadden, 50, the owner and head pharmacist at the New England Compounding Center, of more than 50 counts of mail fraud and racketeering, but acquitted him of 25 counts of second-degree murder.
Mr. Trump mischaracterized the London mayors remarks. Mr. Khan did not describe terrorism as part of living in a big city, as if bombings and shootings were an inescapable fact of life. He said that terrorism preparedness, including providing sufficient support to the police, was part and parcel of living in a great global city.

That means being vigilant, having a police force that is in touch with communities; it means the security services being ready, but it also means exchanging ideas and best practice, Mr. Khan said in a video interview published by The Evening Standard, another British paper. (For the record, Mr. Khan did say the victims of the Chelsea bombing were in his thoughts and prayers.)

Nothing is more important to me than keeping Londoners safe, Mr. Khan added. I want to be reassured that every single agency and individual involved in protecting our city has the resources and expertise they need to respond in the event that London is attacked.

On Thursday morning, Mr. Khan said in an interview on CNN that he would not respond to Mr. Trumps tweet because he had been doing far more important things over the last 24 hours.

What I do know is that the threat level in London and across the country is severe, he said. That means an attack is highly likely. I was in New York last year when there was an attack in New York. And terrorists hate the fact that whether its New York, whether its London, whether its Paris, whether its Brussels, whether its Istanbul, whether its Madrid, we have diverse communities living together peacefully.

Mr. Trumps tweet was not well received by Britons, who were still learning details of the attack when he weighed in. On Twitter, Wes Streeting, a member of Parliament from the Labour Party, accused Mr. Trump of capitalizing on the attack in London and called him a disgrace.
Talks over a comprehensive tax-cut deal lurched closer to resolution in a Capitol hearing room Thursday as a panel of lawmakers signaled tentative support for two proposals by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

A working draft of the plan being hammered out by the Legislature's Revenue Committee includes phased-in cuts to Nebraska's personal and corporate income taxes, along with changes aimed at limiting property tax increases for farmers and ranchers.

But a key lawmaker warned of major tests to come.

"It may look like we're halfway there, but I think the heavy lifting will be at the end," said Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, chairman of the Revenue Committee.

Committee members have yet to discuss a proposal by Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte, which would use money from the state's property tax credit fund to offset new limits on property taxation by local schools. Talks on that component are expected to happen next week, when lawmakers return from a four-day weekend.

Smith described Groene's bill as a "pivotal piece" of any comprehensive plan the committee puts forth, saying it would bring "here-and-now property tax" relief that appears critical to winning support from rural senators.

Tempers flared at times during Thursday's 2 1/2-hour meeting, and Smith smirked and shook a bottle of Aleve at reporters as he left the room.

Two committee members, Sens. Burke Harr of Omaha and Paul Schumacher of Columbus, complained throughout the meeting about the lack of detail available on the proposals being discussed.

"This isn't Obamacare, where I have to pass it to find out what's in it," Harr said.

Specifically, Harr questioned whether wealthy Nebraskans would see bigger perks than anyone else from income tax cuts proposed in Ricketts' bill (LB337) and another proposal by Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha. An amended version of Lindstrom's bill (LB452) was also added to the overall package Thursday.

Ricketts' plan, which Smith sponsored on the governor's behalf, would gradually lower the state's top individual income tax rate from 6.84 percent to 5.99 percent over a minimum of eight years, with a cut triggered any year the state faces a projected revenue increase of more than 3.5 percent over the prior year.

Lindstrom's revised plan would make similar, phased-in cuts to the top corporate income tax rate, and would immediately combine the state's two lowest individual income tax brackets into one bracket with a rate of 3.1 percent.

Lindstrom and Smith said the cuts would benefit all Nebraskans, but Schumacher said they would "obviously" offer the most savings to people making six- to eight-figure salaries.

The third piece added to the package Thursday, sponsored by Sen. Lydia Brasch of Bancroft on the governor's behalf, would change how agricultural land is valued for tax purposes and would place a 3.5 percent annual cap on the aggregate growth of farm- and ranch-land valuations statewide.

Harr called the 3.5 percent cap arbitrary and said the "free market" should determine what land is worth.

But Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson said the cap is an appropriate way to prevent agricultural land values from soaring the way they have in recent years.

Harr and Schumacher were the committee's only holdouts on the three proposals, with Schumacher voting against them all and Harr opposing LB337 and LB452, but not voting on LB338.

The six other committee members  Smith, Brasch, Groene, Lindstrom, Friesen and Sen. Tyson Larson of O'Neill  all supported adding the bills to the overall package.

Smith called the governor's bills "forward-looking," while Lindstrom and Groene's proposals would have more immediate impacts on income and property taxation.

He also promised that the committee won't vote on the overall package until members get the analysis Harr requested on how each proposal would impact people of varying wealth.

Groene's proposal (LB640) is the final piece to be considered.

An amendment he finalized this week would allow school districts to fund no more than 55 percent of their budgets using local property taxes. The remaining 45 percent would need to come from other sources, including state and federal aid.

To help make up the difference, Groene would reroute all $221 million each year from the state's property tax credit fund to pay for additional state aid. Any remaining gap in a district's budget could be bridged by raising property taxes above the 55 percent limit, but only with a supermajority vote of the school board, Groene said.

He said funding schools to help lower property taxes is a better use of the state's money than providing credits that "hide" what school districts are really taxing their residents.

"I don't like the property tax credit fund," Groene said. "It isn't reliable. It's a Band-Aid."

It's unclear whether Groene will get the entire credit fund for his own proposal.

Smith said Lindstrom's income tax cuts would cost an estimated $50 million each year. And while Lindstrom's own bill accounts for about $10 million of that  eliminating personal tax exemptions for people making $125,000 a year, or $250,000 a year for couples  the remaining $40 million would need to come from someplace else.

Smith said he believes an amended version of a separate bill (LB233) he's introduced could raise $25 million to $30 million for income tax cuts. That bill would suspend several tax credits and exemptions until 2020.

Other funding for Lindstrom's bill might need to come from the property tax credit fund, Smith said.

Farm groups and others urging lawmakers to focus more on cutting property taxes have barraged Smith for months. This week, the group Reform for Nebraska's Future issued a statewide mailer featuring Smith's picture and contact information.

Smith took to the legislative floor Thursday to respond.

"I can only do so much myself," he said. "We are taxed too much in this state, and it's time for us to do something and stop the fighting and stop dividing."
Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!
President: UAE is a responsible energy supplier as long as the world needs oil and gas

EU has serious concerns about US inflation reduction act

Head of IMF: The global surge in consumer prices may be close to the high point

Germany wants EU to resume trade talks with US as soon as possible

Pashinyan's closed meeting with MPs of ruling Civil Contract faction is over

Hungary will not support EU efforts to help Ukraine with joint funds

Greece to soon ban sale of spyware

U.S. military delegation arrives in Turkey

German industry calls for postponement of global minimum corporate tax

Podolyak: Ukraine has never refused to negotiate

Elon Musk calls on 'independent-minded' voters to vote for Republicans

Bezos Earth Fund pledges $1 billion by 2030 to protect carbon stocks and biodiversity

7 people killed in collision between truck and passenger bus in Turkey

Nikol Pashinyan holds closed meeting with members of ruling party faction

Qatar's foreign minister calls criticism of West 'arrogant' and 'racist'

Algeria officially applies to join BRICS group

Delegations headed by Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs meet in Washington

French Finance Minister calls on EU to oppose U.S.

Armenian President: Aliyev's statements about intentional destruction of mosques have nothing to do with reality

German MFA reports constructive talks in EU on new sanctions against Iran

Kazakhstani President Tokayev instructs to increase oil supplies bypassing Russia

President of Artsakh holds expanded working meeting

Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports to receive more than 250 billion drams in 2023

Borrell says EU is dependent on supplies from China

Armenia official: Peace treaty implies restoration of sovereign territory

Guterres thinks mankind is heading for climate hell

Dollar, euro gain value in Armenia

General: Iran riots were US plan to derail nuclear deal

Minister: 'Lydian Armenia' may start exploitation of gold mine on Mountain Amulsar

Armenia political scientist: Balance is formed in region thanks to Iran

Minister: 70 schools will be repaired or newly built in Armenia in 2023

UAE lifts most COVID-19 restrictions for tourists

Political scientist: There is no Armenian-American agenda

President of Finland says country has no plans to host nuclear weapons

Russian Ambassador to Armenia: We are not used to making PR and playing games

Flight restrictions extended to 11 airports in Russia

Kopirkin: Spiritual core will help Armenia, Russia overcome difficulties, challenges

Armenia ranks among top 5 CIS countries for winter tourism

Envoy: Russian president awarded Armenian philologist with medal

Iranian intelligence arrests 26 terrorists: an Azerbaijani citizen among them

Russian Defense Ministry confirms: Azerbaijan fired at Khramort village in Artsakh

Number of oil and gas drilling rigs is up in US

Economy minister: Azerbaijan aggression prevented increase of Armenia wheat sowing areas

Gegharkunik governor: There are observers who recorded that Azerbaijan carried out aggression against Armenia

The National Interest: Iran turns attention to the Caucasus

Tokayev: Kazakhstan is ready to use other measures, besides diplomacy, for its defense

Economy minister: Primary agricultural products ensure 11%-13% of Armenia GDP

FAO: World grain prices rise in October

Kremlin urges Yerevan and Baku to refrain from destabilization

Governor of Armenias Tavush on possible handover of enclaves to Azerbaijan: Not being discussed now

Governor of Armenias Vayots Dzor: We have pastures that are monitored by Azerbaijan

WSJ: Sullivan is in contact with Ushakov and Patrushev on Ukraine

Vayots Dzor governor: Azerbaijan military that infiltrated Armenia can be seen with naked eye from Jermuk city

Armenia President: Military clashes, hostilities have direct impact on soil, air pollution

IRGC seizes over 1,500 weapons in Iran riots

Minister: $879 million worth of agricultural products exported from Armenia

Japan to exterminate 150 thousand chickens because of bird flu outbreak

Armenia informational online platform for promoting highly qualified specialists engagement is launched

South Korea's president apologizes for crush in downtown Seoul

Documento: Greek PM Mitsotakis used intelligence services to spy on dozens of people

Close to $98M to be allocated from Armenia state budget for agricultural projects in 2023

Man who set self on fire near Armenia government mansion is in severe condition

Anti-Iranian action to take place in Baku

UN promises to lift restrictions on Russian grain exports in near future

Fighter jet crashes in Saudi Arabia

About $770M to be assigned to Armenia territorial administration, infrastructure ministry next year

Armenia parliament vice-speaker: There is very important note in Sochi statement

Copper falls in price

New York bank robberies up 42% this year

Armenia President to attend climate change convention in Egypt

Gold prices change slightly

World oil prices falling

Mirzoyan, Blinken, Bayramov to meet in Washington today

How long will it take to know US midterm elections results?

Iranian Armenian MP: Iran-Armenia trade is expected to reach $1B

U.S. National Park Service urges against licking the Sonora desert toad

Azerbaijan army units open fire in direction of Armenia positions

Minister: Britain's government faces tough decisions

Pashinyan: Teachers in Armenia must get 800,000, 1,000,000 and 1,200,000 drams wages

Boris Johnson from fighting for Conservative Party leader over fears of losing income

Greece slams Turkish authorities' temporary ban on Greek official's entry

Scientifically proven: EU is inscrutable

OPEC: To avoid unrestrained volatility we need to invest in oil

U.S. arms sales in Europe are soaring

Turkmenistan becomes regional energy center

Kishida pledges to strengthen Japan's naval and military capabilities

Germany and eight other EU member states plan to expand sanctions against Iran

Iranian Parliament Speaker's visit to Azerbaijan postponed

NYT: Kyiv plans total evacuation in case of power outage

Iran reveals new air defense missile

IRGC neutralizes terrorist group in southwestern Iran

Bahrain to continue building relations with Israel after Netanyahu's victory

Iran says it confiscated a large batch of U.S.-made munitions

Civilian exploded on mine in Artsakh

Iran successfully launches Ghaem 100 rocket, making the US nervous

U.S. sends warplanes to Iran

Washington Post: US privately urges Ukraine to show willingness to negotiate with Russia

Parisien: French man wins  160 million in European lottery

U.S. decides to block number of seats on planes because of the increase in passenger weight

BMW M4 turned into a pickup truck
Twenty-one dogs were rescued from a home in Merrick County last weekend, according to Sheriff John Westman.

Deputies served a search warrant east of Grand Island at 156 Beck Road after receiving numerous complaints about the condition of the property and concerns for the people and animals living there, Westman said.

The dogs were placed with the Central Nebraska Humane Society. Westman said they were severely abused and neglected. Several were in need of veterinarian care.

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of felony animal neglect. Thomas Leetch Sr., 35; Michelle A. Vonohlen, 34; and Rolland Schleichardt, 50, were still in custody on Friday, according to jail records.

This property is not only a disgust to Merrick County, but it has been made very clear by the property owners that they are not willing, or capable of fostering animals or providing appropriate living conditions, or respect for their surrounding neighbors, Westman said in a news release.

Leetch was also cited on suspicion of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
COPENHAGEN, 24 March 2017  OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia and provide leadership for the OSCEs short-term observer mission.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sebastian Kurz has appointed Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain) as Special Co-ordinator to lead the expected 250 short-term OSCE observers for the 2 April vote. Geir Jorgen Bekkevold (MP, Norway) will serve as Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation, which will include some 55 members of parliament from 23 countries.

My fellow observers and I are following the electoral process in Armenia in great detail. These elections will be the first conducted under Armenias revised Constitution, marking a significant transition from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic. I look forward to observing how these important elections play out, Special Co-ordinator Sanchez Amor said.

Sanchez Amor serves as Chair of the OSCE PAs General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions and as Head of the Spanish Delegation to the OSCE PA. Since 2012, he has also been the OSCE PAs Special Representative on OSCE Border Issues. He will be in Yerevan next week for a series of meetings starting on 29 March prior to the elections.

Geir Jorgen Bekkevold, who will lead the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation of observers, is Head of the Norwegian Delegation to the OSCE PA and serves on the PAs Ad Hoc Committee on Migration.

These elections not only represent a change in the constitutional system of Armenia, but will also include new voting registration and election day procedures being put into practice for the first time. As observers, we will pay close attention to the implementation of these new election administration measures, Bekkevold said.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly previously observed elections in Armenia in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2013. For the 2 April 2017 elections, the PA will be working closely with the mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

The findings of the observers, who are assessing the elections based on criteria in the OSCEs 1990 Copenhagen Document, will be delivered at a press conference in Yerevan on 3 April.
The Russian FM claims, that reports about transiting S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems from Russia to Abkhazia are false, Interfax reports.

"The reason for this propaganda can be anything: the legitimate decision of Abkhazia to optimize the number of checkpoints on its border with Georgia, the bilateral agreement allowing citizens of the South Ossetia to serve under individual contracts in the Russian army, false rumors about the alleged deployment of C-300 additional division in Abkhazia, and finally, the imaginary fiction about the transit of the Russian military column through Georgia to Armenia, " reads the statement posted on the website of the Russian FM.

The Russian FM noted, that that entire political show has been staged for the forthcoming round of discussions in Geneva. "Apparently, Tbilisi is going to continue sabotaging the dialogue in Geneva. Therefore, theyve started creating a confrontational and hysterical atmosphere in advance, " says the message.

"In this regard, we would like to emphasize that the Russian delegation is predetermined for a calm and productive discussion in Switzerland about the vital issues of security and stability in the Transcaucasus. Thus, we urge our Georgian partners for a dialogue, "the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
A 27-year-old Lincoln man denied he took part in a Valentine's Day robbery last year but admitted he threatened the man who reported it.

On Thursday, the judge sent him to prison for it.

Steven A. Watkins pleaded guilty to terroristic threats.

At sentencing, Omaha attorney James Martin Davis called the victim a weed dealer. He said Watkins didn't rob him at gunpoint, as the 19-year-old claimed, but threatened the teen in a phone call after he kicked out a relative of Watkins' after she had paid $475 rent.

"There's no evidence at all a robbery took place," he said.

The night of Feb. 14, 2016, Lincoln police were sent out to the 5300 block of R Street on a report from the 19-year-old about a man coming up to him, putting a handgun to his neck and demanding money.

He told police the thief left with his wallet, a bag full of clothes, but not before making him go up to his apartment, open a safe and give him the marijuana inside.

In court records, police said he later identified Watkins as the man with the gun.

Lancaster County District Judge Kevin McManaman sentenced Watkins to three years in prison plus 18 months of post-release supervision, the most he could on the charge.
YEREVAN.  Schools and educational institutions should be free from any electoral campaigns, EU Ambassador to Armenia Piotr Switalski told reporters on Friday.

Speaking about the incidents that were registered during the campaign, Ambassador said they collect all this signals, and the OSCE/ODIHR observes are attentively following the incidents.

His comments came in response to a question about the recent interview of Daniel Ioannisyan, Coordinator of the Union of Informed Citizens NGO, where he said his organization had recorded a number of cases of misusing administrative resources. In particular, over 100 schools and kindergartens formed lists of voters that claim to support the ruling party.

It is responsibility of observes to examine signals, and they do their best, we will wait for their evaluation, he said. One should be clear, schools and educational institutions should be free from any electoral campaigns. This is a general rule in the democratic countries.

It is very important that education ministry and the local administration, including Yerevan city council, take every action to prevent any possible misuse of schools for purposes of electoral campaign, the diplomat believes.

The European Union has a clear interest that the schools remain clean, because they are now preparing a multimillion support project in the field of education working with secondary schools.

For us it is very important that schools are politically neutral. We have a project amounting to 10 million euros to upgrade the quality of Armenian schools, Switalski said.
The 200th anniversary of marine artist Ivan Aivazovsky was marked in Nikolayev town of Ukraine with the opening of an exhibition of the works of the artist and his pupils, Analitikaua reports.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition 200 years of triumph, organized by Nikolayev Art Museum after V. Vereshagina and Union of Armenians of Ukraine (UAU) in Nikolayev oblats (region) was attended by Consul General of Armenia to Odessa Hayk Gulyan, head of Culture, Nationalities and Relogions Department Mikhayil Dimitrov, Head of Historical Cultural Committee of UAU, Davit Davtyan, etc.

Highlighting the exhibition was the painting Pushkin farewell to the sea, which Aivazovsky painted and presented at his personal exhibition at the Imperial Academy of Arts. The canvas was handed to the gallery in 1914, the year when the Nikolayev Museum after V. Vereshagina opened.

Head of the Committee on Historical and Cultural Heritage of the UAU, Davit Davtyan, informed that 17 works of which 9 were the canvases of Aivazovsky, were demonstrated at the exhibition. The authors of the rest of the paintings were artists, which were his apprentices and contemporaries. Among the displayed works are those of Alexey Bogolyubov, Alexey Ganzen, Constantin Kryschitskij, Nikolay Dubovskoy, Vasily Polenov and Rufin Sudkovsky.
YEREVAN. - I cannot make some people in Armenia happy against their will, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Piotr Switalski, told the aforementioned to journalists Friday.

Responding to the question of Armenian News  NEWS.am reporter on the refusal of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to invite certain foreign NGOs for conducting observation mission during the parliamentary elections in the country and CEC arguments regarding this, the Ambassador said: You should judge by yourself whether this is good for the image of Armenia if strong statements are published on European websites. Whether it is good for the image of elections in Armenia if several important local NGOs associate themselves with such critical statements. But I want to wait for the voting day to see whether they are here or not because there are some signals that some of the people who wanted to come are registered through different channels. If they are here, that will be good. If not, no. I cannot make some people in Armenia happy against their will. If they want to do something that is really bad for the image of Armenia, I cant prevent them. Come on, this is a country of free will.

The Ambassador urged to come back to the issue after the elections. Then we will have more opportunity to talk about it. I can only repeat that it is in the interests of Armenia to be as transparent as possible. At least the absence of some people will not make a big difference in this observation efforts. Therefore, this reasoning is very difficult for me to understand. But well see: if they come here, there will be no problem to talk about after the elections, Piotr Switalski said.

The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) earlier rebuked the refusal of the Armenian authorities to invite its international observers to conduct an observation mission during the parliamentary elections slated for April 2.
Federal aid provided to Nebraskans who demonstrate the greatest financial need would be left largely untouched under a Trump administration budget blueprint released last week.

Trumps "America First" budget would hold funding flat for Pell Grants next year at a maximum of $5,815 per year for students who qualify under federal guidelines.

At the same time, Trumps plan shows $3.9 billion of a $10.6 billion carryover fund created by unspent Pell Grants would be reallocated to different areas of the federal government.

Nebraskans have received approximately $64 million in federal Pell Grants for the first half of the 2016-17 award year ending Dec. 31, according to data provided by the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.

But two other programs providing small grants to needy students attending Nebraskas colleges and universities -- the Federal Work Study program and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant -- would be eliminated entirely under the presidents plan.

Ritchie Morrow, the chief financial aid officer for the Coordinating Commission, said Work Study grants are used by institutions to offer on-campus employment.

Larger communities like Omaha and Lincoln have plenty of jobs that smaller communities dont, Morrow said. The federal Work Study allows students in those areas to work a part-time job and get paid for the hours.

Seventy-five percent of the wage paid to student workers comes from the federal government under the Work Study program, with the remaining 25 percent picked up by the college or university.

These grants allow us to provide many more on-campus jobs than we could without the funding, said Cheryl Reid, financial aid director at Peru State College in Southeast Nebraska. We are in a very rural location where off-campus jobs are hard to come by.

Some 62 students at Peru State are employed on campus in a variety of positions including food service, custodial services, computer repair or clerical duties through the program, Reid said. Most jobs on campus pay $9 per hour for 6-12 hours a week.

The biweekly paycheck those students receive can be used to pay for housing, bills or anything else the students need.

More than 3,800 students across the state were paid through the program in 2015-16, earning more than $5.8 million, according to data from the Coordinating Commission.

Southeast Community College, where about 180 students enrolled in Work Study in 2015-16, and Mid-Plains Community College in McCook, Imperial and North Platte, also utilized it.

At Mid-Plains, 35 students received Work Study grants to assist faculty, work a desk at the library or fitness center, and even work at a day care on campus that provides childcare to the public, according to Erinn Brauer, area director of financial aid.

Students earned an average of $1,200 per year, she added.

Cuts to the second targeted program, the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, would have a greater impact on the poorest students across the state, however.

The federal student aid program allocates between $100 and $4,000 annually to students who demonstrate the greatest financial need on the Free Application for Financial Student Aid, the application for government grants, according to Morrow.

More than 8,300 Nebraskans received an SEOG in 2015-16, also a total of approximately $5.8 million those students used to pay tuition and fees or other costs incurred attending college.

Brauer said 315 students attending Mid-Plains campus in North Platte received a small grant to put toward the cost of college, with another 150 students at the McCook campus also receiving grants. SCC provided SEOGs to 302 students last year.

On average, Mid-Plains students received between $100 and $500 -- in most cases just enough to cover the cost of a few extra credit hours each year.

Peru State College awarded $1,000 grants to 73 students with the greatest financial need through the SEOG program this year, Reid said, adding most colleges arent able to offer the $4,000 maximum amount to students.

We have enough students with need that we could use more funding in both these programs, Reid said. Less funding or no funding does not look good.
A long-beloved classic is returning to Milwaukees dining scene.

Osteria Del Mondo, the Italian restaurant founded by Marc and Marta Bianchini, will reopen Downtown at 330 E. Kilbourn Ave. under the moniker Osteria.

The restaurant, which is slated to open in spring of 2018, will do so with the help of business partner Daniel Schwartz as part of the revitalization of the 330 Kilbourn building.

The Bianchinis opened Osteria Del Mondo in 1994 at 1028 E. Juneau Ave., inside the Knickerbocker Hotel. And for nearly 17 years, the restaurant served some of the best authentic Italian fare in the city. Prior to closing in July 2011, it was named as one of Zagat's/USA Today's top 25 hotel restaurants in the nation.

The closing, which was prompted by a failure to reach terms on the restaurants lease, promised to be a mere hiccup in the restaurants trajectory. In fact, at the time, Bianchini anticipated he would reopen the restaurant within six months "in a smaller, higher-profile location Downtown." But months turned into years, and it wasn't until recently that Bianchini found the ideal location for the restaurant.

Bianchini, who also owns Cubanitas and Indulge with his wife, Marta, began in career in New York, where he cut his teeth at a variety of prominent fine dining restaurants.

His training in Italian cuisine began at the Culinary Institute of America, where he completed externships at the Locanda dellAngelo in Liguria, Italy, and at the San Domenico restaurants in New York City and Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It was, in fact, his work at San Domenico in New York, which brought him to Milwaukee; there he crossed paths with Paul Bartolotta, who invited him to help launch the inaugural Bartolottas restaurant, Ristorante Bartolotta.

Watch OnMilwaukee for more details about the restaurant as they develop.
A fossilized gecko allows insights into the environmental conditions in Western Siberia six million years ago. Credit: Davit Vasilyan

Together with an international team, Senckenberg scientist Professor Dr. Madelaine Bohme studied the development of the amphibian and reptile fauna in Western Siberia during the past twelve million years. In their study, published today in the scientific journal Peer J, the scientists demonstrate that the species diversity of both groups of animals was noticeably higher in the past than it is today. Among others, for the first time the researchers discovered an Asiatic representative of the extinct frog family Palaeobatrachidae as well as evidence of a giant salamander with a length of up to 1.80 meters.

The Siberian Salamander, four species of brown frogs (genus Rana), four species of toads, one green frog (genus Pelophylax), two lizards and five species of snakes  these 17 species represent the entire recent amphibian and reptile fauna of Western Siberia, which therefore counts among the regions with the lowest species diversity regarding these animal classes in all of Eurasia and Northern Africa. "But this was not always the case," explains Professor Dr. Madelaine Bohme, director of the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP) at the University of Tubingen, who continues, "Our most recent study shows that the number of amphibian and reptile species used to be much higher in the course of geological history."

The international team of scientists around the paleontologist from Tubingen and Dr. Davit Vasilyan of the JURASSICA Museum in Porrentruy examined fossils from more than 40 excavation sites in Western Siberia, spanning the past twelve million years. These fossils were collected during 40 years of research activity by their Russian colleague, Dr. Vladimir Zazhigin.

The common spadefoot. Credit: Davit Vasilyan

"We were able to identify more than 50 different species  from salamanders and frogs to scaled reptiles and turtles. This exceeded even our boldest expectations," says an elated Bohme. Among the team's findings was evidence of a giant salamander, a group of tailed amphibians with a length of up to 1.80 meters that today are only found in rainy regions of Japan and China. Equally unexpected were voucher specimens of several crocodile newts, whose surviving relatives live in modern-day China and Vietnam.

"In addition, for the first time we were able to discover an Asiatic representative of the extinct frog family Paleobatrachidae," adds Bohme, and she continues, "And we also rediscovered an 'old acquaintance' among the fossils: The Siberian Salamander already inhabited the region beyond the Ural Mountains as early as twelve million years ago." Modern representatives of this amphibian genus have adapted to the hostile climatic conditions and survive temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius frozen in the soil.

The Marsh Frog is one of the few amphibians that can be found both as fossils and as a recent species in Western Siberia. Credit: Davit Vasilyan

The fossil discoveries not only offer insights into the fauna of the past but also allow conclusions regarding climate, precipitation and vegetation. For example, the discovery of a six-million-year-old gecko of the genus Alsophylax indicates that the habitat at that time resembled the modern-day steppes in Kazakhstan. For this time period, during which the Western Siberian plains were also home to jumping mice, camels and ostriches, the team of scientists calculated an annual precipitation of only 250 millimeters. Moreover, the discovery of terrestrial and aquatic turtles, whose last representatives disappeared from Western Siberia around 5 million years ago, suggests a noticeably warmer climate.

"The total of our findings documents Siberia's varied biodiversity and the dynamic climate history of this region: Within a few hundred thousand years, extremely wet regions with four times the current precipitation transformed into areas with an arid steppe climate. The increasingly cooler temperatures likely led to the subsequent loss of numerous species of amphibians and reptiles," adds Bohme in conclusion.

More information: Davit Vasilyan et al. Neogene amphibians and reptiles (Caudata, Anura, Gekkota, Lacertilia, and Testudines) from the south of Western Siberia, Russia, and Northeastern Kazakhstan, PeerJ (2017). DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3025 Journal information: PeerJ
A completed forward pixel disk is installed in its service cylinder, where it will eventually be connected to electronics and cooling. Each of the 672 silicon sensors is connected to electronics boards via thin flexible cables (seen dangling below the disk). The map (seen on the table) is important for routing all the cables and making the right connections inside the service cylinder. From left: Stephanie Timpone, Greg Derylo, Otto Alvarez, all of Fermilab. Credit: Maximilien Brice, CERN

Sometimes big questions require big tools. That's why a global community of scientists designed and built gigantic detectors to monitor the high-energy particle collisions generated by CERN's Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. From these collisions, scientists can retrace the footsteps of the Big Bang and search for new properties of nature.

The CMS experiment is one such detector. In 2012, it co-discovered the elusive Higgs boson with its sister experiment, ATLAS. Now, CMS scientists want to push beyond the known laws of physics and search for new phenomena that could help answer fundamental questions about our universe. But to do this, the CMS detector needed an upgrade.

"Just like any other electronic device, over time parts of our detector wear down," said Steve Nahn, a researcher in the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermilab and the U.S. project manager for the CMS detector upgrades. "We've been planning and designing this upgrade since shortly after our experiment first started collecting data in 2010."

The CMS detector is built like a giant onion. It contains layers of instruments that track the trajectory, energy and momentum of particles produced in the LHC's collisions. The vast majority of the sensors in the massive detector are packed into its center, within what is called the pixel detector. The CMS pixel detector uses sensors like those inside digital cameras but with a lightning fast shutter speed: In three dimensions, they take 40 million pictures every second.

For the last several years, scientists and engineers at Fermilab and 21 U.S. universities have been assembling and testing a new pixel detector to replace the current one as part of the CMS upgrade, with funding provided by the Department of Energy Office of Science and National Science Foundation.

This shows the outermost section of the forward pixel detector. Each green wedge is a pixel module. Pixel modules are complex electronic sandwiches, Marco Verzocchi said. The silicon sensor is in the middle, the readout chips are on the bottom, and the green printed circuit is on top. The 66,650 pixels and 16 readout chips per module are all interconnected through delicate wiring and electronics. The flexible copper cables emanating from the pixel modules bring the data collected by the silicon sensors to the readout electronics (which are hidden behind the yellow covers.) The silvery object in the middle of the photograph is the beam pipe with its support wire below. Credit: Satoshi Hasegawa, Fermilab

The pixel detector consists of three sections: the innermost barrel section and two end caps called the forward pixel detectors. The tiered and can-like structure gives scientists a near-complete sphere of coverage around the collision point. Because the three pixel detectors fit on the beam pipe like three bulky bracelets, engineers designed each component as two half-moons, which latch together to form a ring around the beam pipe during the insertion process.

Over time, scientists have increased the rate of particle collisions at the LHC. In 2016 alone, the LHC produced about as many collisions as it had in the three years of its first run. To be able to differentiate between dozens of simultaneous collisions, CMS needed a brand new pixel detector.

The upgrade packs even more sensors into the heart of the CMS detector. It's as if CMS graduated from a 66-megapixel camera to a 124-megapixel camera.

Each of the two forward pixel detectors is a mosaic of 672 silicon sensors, robust electronics and bundles of cables and optical fibers that feed electricity and instructions in and carry raw data out, according to Marco Verzocchi, a Fermilab researcher on the CMS experiment.

The multipart, 6.5-meter-long pixel detector is as delicate as raw spaghetti. Installing the new components into a gap the size of a manhole required more than just finesse. It required months of planning and extreme coordination.

The CMS detector is currently open so that scientists can install the pixel detector into the very center of the experiment (around the beam pipe). A crane lowered the six pieces of the pixel detector through a 100-meter-deep pit onto the CMS cavern. A second crane then placed it on the yellow platform which was set up specially for this installation. Credit: Maximilien Brice, CERN

"We practiced this installation on mock-ups of our detector many times," said Greg Derylo, an engineer at Fermilab. "By the time we got to the actual installation, we knew exactly how we needed to slide this new component into the heart of CMS."

The most difficult part was maneuvering the delicate components around the pre-existing structures inside the CMS experiment.

"In total, the full three-part pixel detector consists of six separate segments, which fit together like a three-dimensional cylindrical puzzle around the beam pipe," said Stephanie Timpone, a Fermilab engineer. "Inserting the pieces in the right positions and right order without touching any of the pre-existing supports and protections was a well-choreographed dance."

For engineers like Timpone and Derylo, installing the pixel detector was the last step of a six-year process. But for the scientists working on the CMS experiment, it was just the beginning.

"Now we have to make it work," said Stefanos Leontsinis, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "We'll spend the next several weeks testing the components and preparing for the LHC restart."
Board members of a University of Nebraska-Lincoln fraternity are questioning a university-led investigation that resulted in a three-year suspension of the local chapter this week.

On Tuesday, UNL announced it had suspended Phi Gamma Delta -- whose members are known as FIJIs -- until 2020, citing reckless alcohol use, hazing and inappropriate sexually based behavior that violated the universitys Student Code of Conduct.

Juan Franco, UNLs vice chancellor for student affairs, said the investigation into the fraternity found a clear pattern of conduct that is inconsistent with expectations for a student organization at our university.

Trustees of Phi Gamma Delta's local chapter board said they will work with UNL on a plan to address issues found during the investigation and outlined in a reinstatement agreement between the fraternity and the university.

Were willing to work with the university, said John Osterholm, an Omaha businessman and 17-year member of the local chapter's board. But at the same time, working with them on that document doesnt mean were not going to have questions.

Responding to the suspension in a statement, the fraternity said members fully cooperated with the investigation launched by UNL following reports of sexually harassing behavior during the Jan. 21 Womens March in Lincoln.

Witnesses said FIJIs yelled No means yes in response to chants from marchers raising awareness of sexual assault as well as other euphemisms. Those complaints led to a Title IX investigation at UNL as required by federal law.

The Title IX investigation, completed independently, spun off a second investigation by Student Affairs at UNL that led to the suspension, the university said.

Osterholm, who spoke on behalf of the 14-member FIJI board, said UNL obfuscated the investigation, creating a complicated and confusing situation for Phi Gamma Delta that made it difficult for members and a lawyer representing the chapter to obtain even the most basic information.

Omaha attorney Todd Kinney, who represents the chapter, said the fraternity was exploring options to appeal the suspension.

Osterholm said members met with Franco and Matt Hecker, the dean of students, to discuss the allegations against the fraternity, and as many as 20 people to provide testimony to UNLs Title IX office.

According to Osterholm, Phi Gamma Delta was told UNL's Title IX office would not take 20 statements, so 5-6 members later gave their side of the story.

FIJI also said the university acted with indifference at protests against the fraternity following the Women's March, and that members were labeled as "racists and rapists without justification," according to Osterholm.

In a statement, Phi Gamma Delta alleged the university failed to follow its own process for investigating violations of the Student Code of Conduct.

UNL did not provide a report stating whether events alleged in connection with the Women's March violated the student conduct rules, and it did not supply Phi Gamma Delta with a list of charges against it after the investigation was completed, according to the statement.

The fraternity said it was also not given a formal hearing or allowed to present a statement and that UNL's Title IX office refused to discuss the investigation with an attorney hired by the chapter.

The fraternity is disturbed that the Universitys investigation did not seem to follow a process, the statement reads. Information was difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. Details were few and far between. The University did not seem interested in any viewpoint or evidence that ran contrary to the allegations.

UNL said in its own statement Thursday evening that it stood by both the investigation and the suspension.

Throughout its investigation into several instances of violations of the Student Code of Conduct within its chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, the university worked with the national office of the fraternity as well as members of the local chapters board, UNL said.

This resulted in the suspension and rehabilitation plan that was announced on March 21, to which both the university and the fraternity have agreed.

As part of the suspension, freshmen members of the fraternity can no longer live in the chapter house located at 1425 R St.

Typically, 60-65 members live in the chapter house. Without freshmen members, FIJI expects to house 40-45 upperclass members until it achieves reinstatement.

Osterholm said the fraternity expects to weather the suspension, despite what he called a campus climate decidedly, at this point, not favorable for fraternities.

Were not going anywhere, he said.
Skulls and bones in Paris Catacombs. Credit: Shutterstock images

A new study examines all robust, available data on how fearful we are of what happens once we shuffle off this mortal coil. They find that atheists are among those least afraid of dying... and, perhaps not surprisingly, the very religious.

Religion has long been thought to be a solution to the problem of death. Notions of an afterlife are nearly universal, though there is great diversity in the details. Given this close association between religion and death, researchers have long supposed that religion lessens fear about death. It stands to reason that religious believers should be less fearful of death than nonreligious individuals, or does it? A systematic review of high quality international studies led by researchers at the University of Oxford paints a more complicated picture. It shows that the very religious and atheists are the groups who do not fear death as much as much as those in-between in a paper published in the journal Religion, Brain and Behavior.

'Meta-analyses are statistical procedures used to extract and combine the findings of multiple studies. This produces a better estimate of the consensus in a field than looking at individual studies,' explains Dr Jonathan Jong, a Research Associate at the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology and Research Fellow at Coventry University. Jong led a team of researchers from Oxford, Coventry, Royal Holloway, Gordon College, Melbourne University and Otago University to search systematically for research on the relationship between death anxiety and religious belief.

The team found 100 relevant articles, published between 1961 and 2014, containing information about 26,000 people worldwide. Combining this data, they found that higher levels of religiosity were weakly linked with lower levels of death anxiety. The effects were similar whether they looked at religious beliefs such as belief in God, and an afterlife, or religious behaviour like going to church, and praying.

Some studies also distinguished between intrinsic religiosity and extrinsic religiosity. Extrinsic religiosity is when religious behaviour is motivated by pragmatic considerations such as the social or emotional benefits of following a religion, whereas intrinsic religiosity refers to religious behaviour driven by 'true belief'. The meta-analysis showed that while people who were intrinsically religious enjoyed lower levels of death anxiety, those who were extrinsically religious revealed higher levels of death anxiety.

The findings were mixed across the studies, with only 30% of the effects showing this finding. Surprisingly, perhaps, 18% of the studies found that religious people were more afraid of death than non-religious people; and over half the research showed no link at all between the fear of death and religiosity. This mixed picture shows that the relationship between religiosity and death anxiety may not be fixed, but may differ from context to context. Most of the studies were conducted in the United States, with a small number carried out in the Middle East and East Asia. This makes it difficult to estimate how the pattern varies from culture to culture, or religion to religion, says the paper.

Based on previous research, the team also checked for curvilinear patterns in the data. Rather than assuming that the religiosity is either positively or negatively related to death anxiety, some researchers have posited that the relationship is like an upside-down U shape, with religious believers and disbelievers showing less death anxiety than people in between. Out of the 100 studies, the team only found 11 studies that were robust enough to test this idea; however, of these, almost all (10) formed this pattern.

Dr Jong commented: 'It may be that other researchers would have found this inverse-U pattern too if they had looked for it. This definitely complicates the old view, that religious people are less afraid of death than nonreligious people. It may well be that atheism also provides comfort from death, or that people who are just not afraid of death aren't compelled to seek religion.'

More information: Jonathan Jong et al. The religious correlates of death anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Religion, Brain & Behavior (2017). DOI: 10.1080/2153599X.2016.1238844
Credit: NASA

A surprising new class of X-ray pulsating variable stars has been discovered by a team of American and Canadian astronomers led by Villanova University's Scott Engle and Edward Guinan. Part of the Villanova Secret Lives of Cepheids program, the new X-ray observations, obtained by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and published Thursday, March 23rd in the Astrophysical Journal, reveal that the bright prototype of Classical Cepheids, d Cephei, is a periodic pulsed X-ray source.

Research team members sharing in the discovery included Graham Harper, University of Colorado; Nancy Remage Evans, Harvard Center for Astrophysics; Manfred Cuntz, University of Texas, Arlington; and Hilding Neilson, University of Toronto.

The prototype star after which all Cepheids are named, d Cephei (d Cep) is, at a distance of 890 light years away, also one of the closest of its type. Cepheids are a famous class of pulsating variable stars and among the most astronomically important objects in the Universe. By measuring the pulsation periods and brightness of Cepheids astrophysicists can measure distances to other galaxies and calibrate the extragalactic distance scale. Cepheids also play an increasingly vital role in the effort to precisely measure the expansion rate of the Universe and to resolve the developing Hubble discrepancy.

Data recently returned for d Cep from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, combined with previous X-ray measures secured with the XMM-Newton X-ray satellite, have shown that d Cep has X-ray variations occurring in accord with the supergiant star's 5.4 day pulsation period. X-rays are observed at all phases of the star's pulsations, but sharply rise by ~400% near the times when the star swells to its maximum diameter of about 45 times that of the Sun.

"Our first X-ray observations of Cepheids were made in 2006, and our first detections were met with a good bit of skepticism. The notion that Cepheids could be X-ray active seemed far-fetched because these stars are only a few times more massive and a little hotter than the Sun," said Engle. "Over a decade later, we've finally shown that they can in fact be X-ray variable, but the work is far from over. Now we need to understand just how they generate and modulate their X-ray emissions, and what effect this could have on the Leavitt Period-Luminosity Law."

Delta Curves. Credit: Villanova University

d Cep is a bright star, easily seen without a telescope to the North in the constellation Cepheus. This yellow supergiant star, whose optical brightness variations were discovered in 1784, was one of the first variable stars known. Its light variations are the result of radial pulsations, in which the star contracts and expands with the same 5.4 day period as its brightness variations. The surface of d Cep reaches supersonic speeds of about 82,000 miles per hour, while the star shrinks and grows by roughly 2 million miles during each pulsation period. Thousands of Cepheids have been found in our galaxy as well as in other galaxies hundreds of millions of light years away.

Analyses of the X-ray data indicate the unexpected presence of very hot plasmas in d Cep, with temperatures above 10 million degrees Celsius. It is not certain yet whether the X-rays arise from pulsation-induced shock waves in the star's dynamic atmosphere, or from the generation of a stellar magnetic field that becomes tangled, emitting X-rays. Other Cepheids are being studied to understand the source of the heated, X-ray emitting plasmas. At least two additional Cepheids show potential X-ray variability.

The research team led by Engle and Guinan previously used the Hubble Space Telescope to study ultraviolet emission lines from d Cep and other Cepheids. These emission lines originate in plasmas of up to 300,000 degrees Celsius; cooler than X-ray emitting plasmas but still far hotter than the surfaces of the stars. The ultraviolet emissions also vary in accord with the Cepheids' pulsation periods but sharply rise after the Cepheid reaches minimum radius, as opposed to the X-ray emissions which peak just after maximum radius. The team is still studying exactly why the ultraviolet and X-ray emissions peak at such different phases of the star's pulsations.

"Classical Cepheid stars are considered to be the most important variable stars in the sky. These pulsating supergiant stars have been used since the mid-1920s by Edwin Hubble and other astronomers to measure the distances to galaxies and determine the expansion rate of the universe," said Guinan. "After many tries, the failure to detect X-rays from Cepheids during the 1980-90s led astronomers to give up on them as potential X-ray stars. So it was a big (but pleasant) surprise to find X-ray emission from d Cep and several other Cepheids."

This discovery of X-rays for d Cep and some other Cepheids is the newest in a list of recently discovered Cepheid properties. These include circumstellar gas and dusty environments, infrared excesses, ultraviolet emission lines, and cycle-to-cycle variations in the stars' periodic light changes. This combination of discoveries shows that Cepheids, after more than two centuries of study, still have their secrets. Given the astrophysical and cosmological importance of Cepheids, and the high precisions required to test cosmological models, these new discoveries should be better understood. X-ray observations of other bright Cepheids are planned to unravel their X-ray behavior.
Townsends bats (shown here) are one of the hibernating bat species in Texas testing positive for the Pseudogymnoascus destructans fugus that causes the deadly white-nose syndrome. Other bat species in the state that have tested positive for the fungus are tri-color and cave myotis bats. Credit: Chris Taylor

The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in hibernating bats has been detected on three species in the Texas counties of Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Hardeman, King and Scurry.

Bats play an important role in controlling insect populations that pose threats to Texas crops as well as assist in crop pollination. In 2011, the authors of the paper "Economic Importance of Bats in Agriculture" estimated the loss of bats to have a negative economic impact on U.S. agriculture of at least $3.7 billion annually. Recent studies indicate the value of insect control by bats to Texas agriculture is $1.4 billion annually, based on fewer crop losses from insects, reduced disease and less pesticide use.

The fungus was found in samples collected by a team from Texas A&M University's Institute of Renewable Natural Resources and wildlife and fisheries sciences department, along with Bat Conservation International. The tested samples showed the fungus was present on tri-colored, cave myotis and Townsend's big-eared bats.

"White-nose syndrome, which is caused by the Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus, has already caused catastrophic bat losses in the eastern U.S. and is projected to be in Texas within the next few years," said Melissa Meierhofer, a research associate at the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources in College Station. "The disease was first reported in New York 10 years ago and has been spreading to other bat populations at a distance of about 100 miles per year."

Texas, with 32 bat species, has the greatest bat fauna diversity in the U.S., according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. To date, bats with white-nose syndrome disease symptoms have been found in 30 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. The fungus causing the disease has been discovered in three additional states as it makes its way across North America.

Since 2011, the TPWD has worked with Bat Conservation International to monitor caves in the Panhandle for the disease. In 2015, the agency funded a statewide project with the IRNR and wildlife and fisheries sciences focused on early disease detection and identification of bat populations before white-nose syndrome appeared.

Meierhofer said the fungus had previously been discovered within the past three years in bats wintering in the neighboring states of Arkansas and Oklahoma and that it was "only a matter of time" before the fungus and disease came to Texas.

"White-nose syndrome is only known to affect hibernating bats and has no direct health impact on humans," she said. "The cold-adapted fungus causing the disease irritates the bat's skin, disrupting its hibernation and causing it to deplete its store of fat. And while instances of the fungus in nearby states may not have resulted in the death of the infected bat, they still demonstrated the potential for the disease to occur in Texas and the need to be vigilant."

Meierhofer said with assistance from the TPWD, Texas Cave Management Association, Texas Speleological Survey, Texas Department of Transportation, biologists and private landowners, the team surveyed a total of 223 sites in 2016 and 2017, which included caves, buildings, culverts, bridges and even one tree site.

A tri-colored bat is swabbed for testing. Credit: Institute of Renewable Natural Resources photo by Melissa Heierhofer

In 2016, the team took swab samples from bats at eight cave sites in eight counties, but all samples tested negative for the fungus. In 2017, the team swabbed another 10 sites  two culverts and eight cavesin eight counties. Four of the cave sites had bats that tested positive for the fungus.

"Data from these surveys will help characterize suitable habitats where the fungus could appear so the agencies and organizations involved will be better prepared to manage the disease," she said.

Maintaining healthy bat populations is critical, particularly for the agriculture industry, because certain bat species eat insects that can harm crops, said Dr. Michael Morrison, a professor of wildlife and fisheries sciences at Texas A&M in College Station and a co-primary investigator for the bat survey project.

"Also, without sufficient bat populations, there would be an increase in insects and that could lead to an increase in insect-vectored diseases," Morrison said. "So accurate data on the species and populations of bats throughout the state will be helpful in protecting the bats susceptible to white-nose syndrome once it crosses into Texas."

If the disease appears in Texas it could result in a much higher mortality for some bat species in the state, he said.

"Until we get a better handle on where the fungus and possible white-nose syndrome is located, we just cannot predict the ultimate consequences of how losing bats will affect the state's agriculture," Morrison said. "We're still early in this evaluation and we just have to get out there and determine how large this problem is. That said, when the fungus arrived in other states, bats did develop white-nose syndrome and the population size of some species saw substantial declines."

Fortunately, according to TPWD, the disease should not affect the Mexican free-tailed bat  the primary species in many popular Central Texas ecotourism sites  as this species has a short winter hibernation period.

Morrison said though there is no known cure for white-nose syndrome, numerous wildlife disease experts are actively working on treatments that may prove effective.

"There are some developing treatments for the fungus and the disease, but those will not be helpful if we cannot get a good handle on where the fungus is and how it is spreading," he said. "Unfortunately, our current funding is not sufficient to sample as intensively as needed now that the fungus has been found in Texas."

More information: For more information about white-nose syndrome, go to whitenosesyndrome.org
Gender discrimination can be found in the most unexpected fields. An international team, involving Demian Battaglia, a CNRS researcher at the Institut de neurosciences des systemes, as well as researchers from Yale and the Max Planck Institute (Germany), has just demonstrated that women are underrepresented in the peer review of scientific publications. This research is published in the journal eLife on March 21, 2017.

Gender discriminations are a well-known phenomenon. Scientific research is not immune to these issues, particularly academic publications, one of the cornerstones of scientific work. To be validated, an article must be approved by independent researchers, who are supposed to be selected on the basis of their skills rather than their gender. Yet an international team has found that women scientistsalready in a minority in their fieldare underselected for peer review. This is due to the natural and unconscious tendency of publishers, most of whom are men, to select a reviewer of their own sex.

Demian Battaglia, a CNRS researcher at the Institut de neurosciences des systemes (Inserm/AMU), alongside Markus Helmer and his collaborators, has worked on the journals of the publishing house Frontiers, the only one to make the names of its peer reviewers public. Based on a series of 41,000 publications in various fields (science, health, engineering, the social sciences), published between 2007 and 2015, and a dataset of 43,000 reviewers, they observed that women are underrepresented in various scientific domains, as well as being less often asked to act as peer reviewers than one would statistically expect.

The reason is simple: publishers, whether men or women, display a tendency, known as homophily, to select reviewers of their own sex. This is common practice both in terms of friendly and professional relationships. But it manifests itself differently between the sexes. This behavior is widespread among men (more than 50% of individuals), and limitedalbeit practiced to the extremeamong women (around 10% of women publishers are very strongly homophilic).

According to the authors, the result of this process is that even where a policy of parity is in effect, and women and men are equally represented in theory, this homophilic bias may persist. The real issue at stake, it seems, is to change behaviors. The authors of the study therefore put forward proposals, including the use of tables that would be displayed when publishing proofs, showing sexism-related figures.

The team now hopes to repeat its analyses in a few years' time in order to see whether its recommendations have been acted upon.

More information: Markus Helmer et al. Gender bias in scholarly peer review, eLife (2017). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.21718 Journal information: eLife

Provided by CNRS
California-based Google, which has seen a slew of companies withdraw ads fearing placement alongside extremist content, said this week it is introducing new tools to give firms greater control

Google's money-making foundation is strong enough to endure a current boycott by advertisers, but the movement could rattle the practice of software "programmed" ad placement, analysts said on Thursday.

The internet giant's core business of serving up advertising along with online search results appeared to be safe from the boycott, motivated by companies seeking assurances that their marketing messages won't be displayed along with hateful or outright terrorist content, particularly videos on Google-operated YouTube.

The "backlash" could broaden into a rebellion against the market practice of software programming ad placements, slowing not only Google's revenue but also that of other internet firms, according to Jackdaw chief analyst Jan Dawson.

"I would think Google (and parent company Alphabet) would be extremely lucky to emerge from all this with minimal financial impact," he said in a blog post.

"I think it's far more likely it sees both a short-term dent in its revenues and profits from the spreading boycotts and possibly a longer-term impact as brands reconsider their commitments to programmatic advertising in general."

California-based Google, which has seen a slew of companies withdraw ads fearing placement alongside extremist content, said this week it is introducing new tools to give firms greater control.

"We know advertisers don't want their ads next to content that doesn't align with their values," Google's chief business officer Philipp Schindler said in a blog post.

"We're taking a tougher stance on hateful, offensive and derogatory content."

Hateful videos

The boycott began last week after the Times newspaper of London found BBC programs were promoted alongside videos posted by American white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan member David Duke as well as Wagdi Ghoneim, an Islamist preacher banned from Britain for inciting hatred.

The analysis found more than 200 anti-Semitic videos, and that Google had failed to remove six of them within the 24-hour period mandated by the European Union after it anonymously signaled their presence.

The British government subsequently put its YouTube advertising on hold, saying in a statement, "it is totally unacceptable that taxpayer-funded advertising has appeared next to inappropriate internet content."

Others to pull the plug, temporarily at least, include the BBC, The Guardian newspaper group, McDonalds UK and the British arm of the major advertising agency Havas.

The movement spread to the United States this week, with AT&T and Verizon pulling ads from Google.

Google needs to strike a balance between pleasing advertisers and those who upload videos to YouTube and are free to take their creations elsewhere if unsatisfied with their shares of ad revenue

Google's parent Alphabet has lost slightly more than $20 billion in value since the start of this week based on a slip in its share price, in a sign the boycott has made investors nervous.

Limits of software

Still, analysts believe the boycott's overall financial impact should be relatively small given the breadth of Google's advertising activities.

Even a "draconian" estimate of fiscal damage was limited to whittling perhaps a percent off Alphabet's revenue, Morgan Stanley said in a note to investors.

"It is a hit on their revenue, but it is an even bigger hit on their brand; on their reputation," Altimeter Group principal analyst Charlene Li said. "Google hasn't taken it seriously enough."

She recommended that Google engage advertisers directly and openly.

A solution may not be easy. Google needs to strike a balance between pleasing advertisers and those who upload videos to YouTube and are free to take their creations elsewhere if unsatisfied with their shares of ad revenue.

Google's setbacks could benefit traditional television networks as ad dollars return there from YouTube or stall a shift to online, Morgan Stanley said.

Google rivals such as Facebook could also benefit if they prove safer havens for digital advertising.

Above all, the boycott highlights the limits of "programmatic" advertising, the practice of letting software algorithms decide pairing between marketing messages and content sought by online viewers.

The technology is broadly used by internet firms, which heavily rely on software and artificial intelligence to figure out what ads will interest people at any given moment.

Advertisers can chose "keywords" for targeting their ads, or sometimes use demographic options such as age groups or where people live.

Google and the leading social network Facebook stopped publishing ads on websites posting sensational and fabricated stories following controversy about the role "fake news" may have played in the US presidential election last year.

In February, YouTube ended an advertising partnership with its biggest star, PewDiePie, who had published videos containing anti-Semitic insults and Nazi references.

The boycott will push for programmatic ad software to become more precise and better understand the content offered for pairing in order to reduce risks for advertisers, Li said.

 2017 AFP
Formation of cemented sand located at Tunelboka. Credit: Nikole Arrieta / UPV/EHU

Researchers in the UPV/EHU's Department of Analytical Chemistry have published a study in which they analyse cemented sand formations that contain industrial waste produced as a result of metallurgical activities. These beachrocks bear witness to the impact of industrial development and its influence on the coastal environment.

"Because certain geological events record everything, studying them helps to reconstruct the environmental past and to determine how human beings have influenced the environment. They will even be able to offer valuable information to tackle possible effects of climate change," asserted Nikole Arrieta, author of the study analysing beachrocks.

They are rock formations that are produced in intertidal areas, normally in tropical and sub-tropical zones. Despite that, they can also be found on the Biscay coast. The beachrocks studied are recent formations located on the right bank of the Nerbioi-Ibaizabal estuary where they have been severely affected by human activity.

"Their presence in temperate latitudes like ours is rare. There are eight to 10 cases all over the world," added Arrieta. These sedimentary formations are produced by the intergranular precipitation of carbonate cements (CaCO3). "A cement has formed between the various sediments. So the sand, instead of being loose as on normal beaches, forms these rocks," explained Arrieta.

Yet even though the cements that the beachrocks are made of are carbonates, the geological formations on the coast also have ferruginous cements. The slag trapped in the cemented blocks has undergone dissolution processes as a result of meteorization or atmospheric events such as acid rain, and has even re-precipitated in the pores as insoluble iron salts. The research focused on the characterisation of these cements.

Firstly, to study the types of cements, innovative spectroscopic techniques were applied and which allowed the various mineral phases to be thoroughly analysed. "On a microscopic scale, various layers of cement appear, and each one provides information on the moment when they precipitated, the conditions that existed, etc.," said Arrieta.

Secondly, the researchers analysed the materials trapped in these cements where "we found foundry slag from the industrial revolution, even waste bearing the seals of European companies that used to dump their slag when they arrived with their vessels. That is why we can find the so-called technofossils or traces of human activity on the beaches, in this case the industrial waste of international companies, which helps to calculate the age of the beachrock."

Evidence of the Anthropocene

All this constitutes an example of the geological record of the Anthropocene epoch, currently discussed among specialists around the world. According to the scientific supporters of the Anthropocene, the Earth is in a new geological epoch, "the era of the human being," since human action is leading to major changes that are leaving their mark on the Earth's geological strata. Its detractors, by contrast, argue that it is a political rather than a scientific question.

This geological era would include the most recent period of the Quaternary, and right now, is of great interest for specialists all over the world. "The strata of the Tunelboka, a cove located on the right bank of the estuary that is the focus of the research, have been discussed across the world with a view to offering evidence of the Anthropocene," said Arrieta.

And besides the fact that there are very few locations in the world in temperate latitudes that display this phenomenon, "there are even fewer that display the characteristics of ours; the quantity of slag they contain is mind-boggling. I have collaborated with various researchers of recognised prestige at universities in the United States and Australia, and they are all fascinated when they see the photos or materials of the location."

Arrieta adds, "We have to keep alive the research into this geological event that is so special and unique and which we have on our coasts, for the geochemical, environmental and historical interest of these formations, their applications in the fields of engineering and restoration, their importance in defining the recent Anthropocene epoch and, why not, the industrial archaeological interest of the materials that form them."

More information: Nikole Arrieta et al. Characterization of ferruginous cements related with weathering of slag in a temperate anthropogenic beachrock, Science of The Total Environment (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.132 Journal information: Science of the Total Environment
Credit: Shutterstock

Introducing new security measures for the airline industry is rarely done lightly by governments. Certainly it's underpinned by the responsibility to ensure passenger safety. But it's not clear how effective the recent ban on laptops and large electronic devices in aircraft cabin baggage on flights from certain Middle Eastern airports to the US and UK will be.

There is evidence that airport baggage scanners in many developing world airports aren't sophisticated enough to detect the latest explosive devices that can be hidden in electronic devices. But limiting the restrictions to just ten specific airports leaves open significant other risks that could be exploited.

The laptop ban is reportedly due to "evaluated intelligence" about attempts to smuggle explosive devices in various consumer items. This is almost certainly linked to the attack on the Daallo Airlines Flight from Mogadishu, Somalia in February 2016, when an explosive device hidden in a laptop was detonated shortly after take-off.

Since this incident, there has been concern that the bomb-making capabilities of terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab, ISIS and Al-Qaeda may have become sophisticated enough to bypass airport X-ray machines.

However, CNN terror analyst Paul Cruikshank has argued that the "layered state-of-the-art detection systems that are now in place at most airports in the developed world make it very hard for terrorists to sneak bombs onto planes". He believes that, due to the levels of technology in place, it is unlikely that any explosive device would go undetected in the screening process used in many international airports.

But security threats must still be addressed and, given that many airports in the developing world do not have this level of screening, there is no doubt that banning electronic devices from the cabin goes some way towards addressing this threat. Yet perhaps the ban implemented across ten airports, including major hubs in Doha, Istanbul and Dubai (which has the world's third busiest airport), does not go far enough.

Nowhere to hide  with the right equipment. Credit: Shutterstock

Only outbound direct flights to the US and UK run by specifically named airline operators are bound by the restrictions. All the airports on the list are in countries that are either at risk from terrorism or are seen as a particular focus of terrorist activity.

But a number of the above airports operate the highly sophisticated state-of-the-art detection systems that Cruikshank refers to. If the ban is implemented at these airports, then what of those many airports in the developing world which do not have state-of-the-art machines, or benefit from highly qualified staff? And the threat of terrorism exists in other parts of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, where there is support for Al Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist networks.

We also need to consider potential terrorist behaviour. We can't ignore the fact that terrorists may simply take an alternative route to the US or UK that isn't subject to these restrictions. In this case, the vulnerability just shifts somewhere else.

Unresolved risks

It would also be very naive to assume that simply forcing customers to pack their electronic devices into hold baggage would be safer than taking them in the cabin. If a bomb would go undetected in carry-on luggage, there is a strong chance it wouldn't be found if it were screened for the cargo hold.

Another key security risk area is not just the technology used in airports but the vulnerabilities within it. If terrorist groups are intent on attacks on aircraft, they can do so from any airport in the world by recruiting sympathisers among airport staff. As happened during the Somali attack last year, some airports may place their staff under less scrutiny than others, allowing access to restricted areas where devices could be placed on aircraft.

There is no doubt that terrorists will continually try and find ways to avert detection and bypass security. But shifting the vulnerability is not the solution. Only by the whole of the international aviation industry working together will the threat be minimised.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Species native to Cuba has been identified in several areas on the Sao Paulo coast in Brazil. Credit: Ivan Prates

It all began with a photograph of a lizard posted on Facebook in August 2015 by the Brazilian Herpetology group. It was a strange lizard that had been observed in a residential area near the Port of Santos, Sao Paulo State, by Ricardo Samelo, a biology student at the Santos Coast campus of the Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP).

"Everyone in the group was excited about that photograph. It was different from any other lizard ever seen in Brazil," recalled herpetologist Ivan Prates, currently studying for a PhD at the City University of New York (CUNY), with Ana Carolina Carnaval, a professor at the same university, as his supervisor.

They immediately began trying to identify the species. The strongest candidate was Anolis carolinensis. The genus Anolis comprises 391 species, almost all of which live in the Caribbean and in Central and South America. A single species, A. carolinensis, is endemic to North America.

"I commented on the photograph to my supervisor, Prof. Carnaval, and we decided to find out what species it was," Prates said. "I contacted Ricardo Samelo and took the opportunity while attending a conference in Brazil to go into the field with him in Santos to try to solve the riddle."

The researchers could hardly imagine they were about to identify the first occurrence in South America of a species endemic to Cuba, A. porcatus, which is invasive, predatory and potentially harmful to Brazilian fauna.

The identification was published in the South American Journal of Herpetology. The study was supported by FAPESP and the US National Science Foundation (NSF) via the research project "Dimensions US-BIOTA Sao Paulo: a multidisciplinary framework for biodiversity prediction in the Brazilian Atlantic forest hotspot".

When they arrived at the place where Samelo had seen the lizard that caused a stir in their social network, the two biologists observed a large number of lizards.

"At that time, we still thought it was A. carolinensis and found dozens of the strange lizards," Prates said. "We decided to ask people living nearby if they were familiar with the lizards. They all said they were. The same thing happened when we went to investigate in Guaruja and Sao Vicente, where these lizards are also abundant. We expect the same thing to happen in Cubatao. We've found males, females and hatchlings, showing the invasive species is procreating and well established on the Sao Paulo coast."

Back in New York, Prates recruited biology student Leyla Hernandez to help study the DNA from samples collected from the lizards to determine whether they were really the US-native species A. carolinensis. They were not. The DNA belonged to the Cuban species A. porcatus.

"The genus Anolis is a complicated research subject," Prates said. "There are hundreds of species, many of which are very similar. Furthermore, they can hybridize by interbreeding, which makes identification particularly hard."

Invasive species are undesirable because they compete with native species for the available resources. Nevertheless, some invaders are worse than others. That may be the case on the Sao Paulo coast.

"A. carolinensis is sold as a pet in the US," Prates said. "Therefore, that was our first hypothesis to explain the introduction of a new species in the Santos area. Someone who had it as a pet must have released it. Alternatively, it might have escaped or been lost."

However, A. porcatus is not widely sold as a pet. "It's an exotic species and relatively large at about 15 cm in length," Prates said. "These lizards are generalist predators. They mainly eat arthropods, but they can also prey on small mammals, such as mice, and even on other lizards."

This species has been sighted in the Dominican Republic, he added, where it is also invasive and competes with native lizards. This suggests its introduction into the Santos area may threaten the survival of local lizard populations. Worse, it could take up residence in neighboring areas.

A. porcatus has also invaded Florida, which is near its original Cuban habitat. "In the US case, a few specimens might have gotten there by sea, as they're capable of surviving on branches or other pieces of floating plant debris, such as tree trunk fragments or palm leaves," said Brazilian-born Carnaval, a professor in CUNY's Biology Department.

The floating invasion hypothesis does not apply to the Brazilian case. The distance between Cuba and Santos is 6,100 km. "Our best hypothesis is that A. porcatus arrived in Brazil by ship, possibly in a container or in the cargo hold of a merchant vessel. This idea is reinforced by the fact that everywhere we've found communities of A. porcatus, they're close to a container yard in the Port of Santos," Carnaval said.

"Our DNA study suggests these lizards could have come here from Florida, where they're also exotic, rather than directly from Cuba," Prates added.

According to Carnaval, the identification of A. porcatus in the Baixada Santista area was a one-off study for her laboratory. "Like most of the team at my lab, Ivan Prates researches the demographic history of other species of Anolis that live in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes in Brazil and their responses to climate change," she said.

"Our project is a very large undertaking that involves biologists who are working on biodiversity systematics and documentation, population genetics and physiology with geologists, geographers, climatologists and environmental engineers."

The aim of this research is to understand the past in order to predict the future. "We document general patterns of species diversity and endemism including genetic lineages throughout the Atlantic Rainforest in order to understand how these patterns have emerged and changed in the last 120,000 years," Carnaval explained. "We strongly emphasize the responses of species in the Atlantic Rainforest to climate change in the past as a basis for more realistic predictions of potential responses to future climate change."

Provided by FAPESP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

In a new paper published in National Science Review, a team of scientists from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology (all in China) described the most exceptionally preserved fossil bird discovered to date.

The new specimen from the rich Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota (approximately 131 to 120 million years old) is referred to as Eoconfuciusornis, the oldest and most primitive member of the Confuciusornithiformes, a group of early birds characterized by the first occurrence of an avian beak. Its younger relative Confuciusornis is known from thousands of specimens but this is only the second specimen of Eoconfuciusornis found. This species comes only from the 130.7 Ma Huajiying Formation deposits in Hebei, which preserves the second oldest known fossil birds. Birds from this layer are very rare.

This new specimen of Eoconfuciusornis, housed in the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, in Eastern China, is a female. The ovary reveals developing yolks that vary in size, similar to living birds. This suggests that confuciusornithiforms evolved a period of rapid yolk deposition prior to egg-laying (crocodilians, which are archosaurs like birds, deposit yolks slowly in all eggs for months with no period of rapid yolk formation), which is indicative of complex energetic profiles similar to those observed in birds.

This means Eoconfuciusornis and its kin, like living birds, was able to cope with extremely high metabolic demands during early growth and reproduction (whereas energetic demands in crocodiles are even, lacking complexity). In contrast, other Cretaceous birds including the more advanced group the Enantiornithes appear to have lower metabolic rates and have required less energy similar to crocodilians and non-avian dinosaurs (their developing yolks show little size disparity indicating no strong peak in energy associated with reproduction, and much simpler energetic profiles, limited by simpler physiologies).

Traces of skin indicate that the wing was supplemented by flaps of skin called patagia. Living birds have numerous wing patagia that help the bird to fly. This fossil helps show how bird wings evolved. The propatagium (the flap of skin that connects the shoulder and wrist) and postpatagium (the flap of skin that extends off the back of the hand and ulna) evolved before the alular patagium (the flap of skin connecting the first digit to the rest of the hand), which is absent in Eoconfuciusornis. Even more unique is the preservation of the internal structure of the propatagium which reveal a collagenous network identical to that in living birds. This internal network gives the skin flap its shape, allowing it to generate aerodynamic lift and aid the bird in flight.

The nearly complete plumage preserves remnants of the original plumage pattern, revealing the presence of spots on the wings and the earliest documentation of sexual differences in plumage within birds. This new specimen suggests that female Eoconfuciusornis were smaller than males and lacked tail feathers, similar to many sexually dimorphic living birds and the younger Confuciusornis in which the plumage of the males and females are different from each other. Samples of the feathers viewed under a microscope reveal differences in color characteristics, allowing scientists to reconstruct the plumage. Female Eoconfuciusornis had black spotted wings and gray body with a red throat patch.

Researchers have not found fossils from any other bird from the Jehol period that reveal so many types of soft tissue (feathers, skin, collagen, ovarian follicles). These remains allow researchers to create the most accurate reconstruction of a primitive early bird (or dinosaur) to date. This information provides better understanding of flight function in the primitive confuciusornithiforms and of the evolution of advanced flight features within birds.

"This new fossil is incredible," said co-author Dr. Jingmai O'Connor. "With the amount of information we can glean from this specimen we can really bring this ancient species to life. We can understand how it grew, flew, reproduced, and what it looked like. Fossils like this one from the Jehol Biota continue to revolutionize our understanding of early birds."

More information: Xiaoting Zheng et al, Exceptional preservation of soft tissue in a new specimen of Eoconfuciusornis and its biological implications, National Science Review (2017). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwx004
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet displays his juggling and eating skills during a light moment on the International Space Station

A French and an American astronaut floated outside the International Space Station Friday on a successful spacewalk to upgrade the orbiting outpost for the arrival of future space crews.

Outfitted in bulky white spacesuits, helmets and gloves, France's Thomas Pesquet, 39, and American Shane Kimbrough, 49, completed their work right on schedule, after six hours and 34 minutes in the vacuum of space.

"Another great example of international collaboration and the work that we can do when we get a great team like this together," said Jessica Meir, a NASA astronaut who coordinated the spacewalk from mission control in Houston.

The goal for Friday's outing was to prepare for the installation of the second of two parking spots for space taxis, known as the International Docking Adapters.

New crew spaceships, being designed by SpaceX and Boeing, will use them when they begin flying astronauts to the station in the coming years, as early as 2018.

Currently, the only way the world's astronauts can reach orbit is by buying a ride aboard Russia's Soyuz capsules, at $81 million per seat.

Pesquet spent the first part of his spacewalk inspecting a radiator valve suspected of a small ammonia leak, but was unable to find evidence of any problems.

Then, he lubricated the space station's robotic arm, Dextre, which is employed to grab approaching cargo ships and move items around outside.

Meanwhile, Kimbrough disconnected cables and electrical connections on the pressurized mating adapter (PMA-3) to prepare for its move Thursday, March 30, during another spacewalk.

In its new location, it will become the home for the second of two International Docking Adapters, to be delivered on a future flight of a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship.

Kimbrough also worked on installing new cameras and computer equipment outside the space station.

Pesquet and Kimbrough worked separately on their tasks outside the space station, a symbol of international cooperation which has been continuously inhabited by global astronauts for the past 17 years.

'Gee-whiz moment'

Friday's spacewalk was the second of Pesquet's career, and the fifth for Kimbrough.

"Going outside is always a gee-whiz moment for me," Kimbrough said in an interview on NASA television this week, adding that it was also "really satisfying" to see Pesquet perform so well on his first spacewalk back in January.

Pesquet is the fourth Frenchman to ever walk in space, and the 11th European.

The next outing on March 30 will include Kimbrough and American astronaut Peggy Whitson, making the eighth spacewalk of her career.

A third spacewalk on April 6 is to include Pesquet and Whitson.

Next month, the 57-year-old Whitson will set a new record for spacewalks by a female astronaut, and will also break the record for most number of days spent in space by an American.

The current US record of 534 days is held by NASA astronaut Jeff Williams.

Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka holds the record for the most cumulative days ever in space, at 879 days over five career trips.

 2017 AFP
While most Nebraskans agree the state should make a greater investment in early childhood education, rural residents are more worried than their urban counterparts about finding quality day care, while city dwellers are more concerned about cost.

Still, urban and rural Nebraskans share many of the same opinions about early childhood education, according to a report released Friday by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute.

The uniform desire across the state to invest in early childhood education was striking to Sam Meisels, executive director of the Buffett Institute at the University of Nebraska.

I believe as a researcher and a scholar in this area if we can enhance and increase our investment in our children they will have a better future, he said. What we were hearing here is not from the scientific point of view, but consensus that the state needs to enhance its investment in young children.

The report, Urban and Rural Nebraskans Speak About Early Care and Education, is the third of four reports based on a statewide survey of 7,100 Nebraskans conducted by Gallup and the Buffett Institute.

Two-thirds of respondents agreed or strongly agreed the state should make early childhood education a priority, with slightly more support in urban areas (67 percent), than rural (65 percent).

And, while eight out of 10 people think the state is a good place for children  88 percent in rural Nebraska and 79 percent in urban areas  theyre significantly more pessimistic about the future.

Rural residents feel more strongly than those in urban areas that life for the states children has gotten worse over the past decade (72 percent to 66 percent). Just 8 percent of urban residents and 11 percent in rural areas feel strongly that Nebraska children are prepared for kindergarten. Only 6 percent across the state believe thats true for children of low-income families.

Meisels said the economy is largely to blame, and civic leaders need to respond.

While parents feel they can care for their children and do a good job of it, they have concerns for what the future holds for their children, he said. To me, this is something of a call. A call to action on behalf of our children.

Child care is connected to the economy in a number of ways, including as a driver of economic development in small communities, Meisels said. For instance, if theres no licensed child care in small towns, families with children may not be able to stay there.

The survey-based reports are an effort by the Buffett Institute to bring early childhood education to the forefront of Nebraska policy, community development and social justice discussions and lend statistical information to the debate.

The survey, mailed in English and Spanish to 28,000 homes in August 2015, was the largest public-opinion poll conducted about early childhood education in the state.

The first report, released last March, showed 68 percent of respondents support early childhood care and education, but just 15 percent are satisfied with the quality of child care programs in their communities. The second report looked at the respondents views on the child care workforce, and the fourth will examine parents perspectives.

The latest report divided respondents into three categories: communities with an urban core (Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy counties), 11 counties with a large rural town, and those with populations of less than 10,000.

Among the differences between rural and urban residents: how hard it is to find high-quality care.

Overall, just 10 percent of respondents found that to be the biggest challenge, but it was a bigger concern to rural residents (14 percent) than urban and large-town residents (9 percent).

Meisels said thats not surprising, given that 11 percent of Nebraskas counties have no licensed day care and 84 percent of the counties with child care facilities dont have enough spots available.

Meisels said the solutions are likely to be different in rural and urban areas. In rural areas, it could involve a network of home-based care, with planning and support for those caregivers.

Being in home-based child care doesnt mean it cant be excellent care, he said.

Kathleen Gallagher, professor and Williams Community Chair for Early Childhood Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the Buffett Institute, said building infrastructure to help rural communities is important to support children and young families.

Government cant pay the whole cost, families can't pay the whole cost, teachers (through low pay) cant pay the whole cost, she said. We have to look creatively at funding and mindfully at quality.

More urban residents  44 percent  felt that early child care costs were the biggest challenge, compared with 23 percent of rural residents and 28 percent of residents in large rural towns.

Sen. John Stinner of Gering, who is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion in Scottsbluff on Friday, said during a series of meetings last summer in Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff it became clear that there needs to be a unified vision about early childhood education.

Stinner says that may involve developing curriculum that can be used by people across the state involved in early childhood education.

There was a total acknowledgement that something needs to be done at the state level, from the Department of Education, he said. Then we need to find a funding source that would supply whatever is needed.
The Keystone XL pipeline would carry oil from Canadian tar sands to US refineries, but was put on hold by former president Barack Obama over environmental concerns

True to his pledge, President Donald Trump gave final approval on Friday for TransCanada to build the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, overriding environmental concerns in favor of boosting jobs and energy supply.

"It's a great day for American jobs and a historic moment for North America and energy independence," Trump said at the White House.

He also promised to call the governor of Nebraska to help the company secure the necessary construction permits.

But the project continues to face stiff opposition from environmental groups.

Barack Obama blocked the project, first proposed in 2008, due to environmental concerns, but Trump says the pipeline will create thousands of jobs and provide affordable energy.

During the US presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to approve the pipeline, and one of his first acts after taking office in January was to give a conditional go-ahead, as well as approving the controversial Dakota Access pipeline that was subject to months of mass protests.

The projects are all part of his plan to boost the economy, improve infrastructure, slash regulations and reduce government interference he says is hindering business.

But the jobs promise is subject to dispute. The State Department estimated that the US portion of the pipeline would create 42,000 temporary jobs over a two-year construction period, but opponents note that less than 50 permanent jobs would be created for pipeline maintenance.

The Keystone XL pipeline would carry oil from Canadian tar sands to US refineries, but was put on hold by former president Barack Obama over environmental concerns

Funneling crude

Keystone XL is an expansion of TransCanada's existing system to funnel bitumen from Alberta's oil sands to refineries on the US Gulf Coast.

The portion Trump approved was a $5.3 billion proposal to build a 1,180-mile (1,900 kilometer) pipeline to Nebraska, which would carry 830,000 barrels of oil per day.

After a new US review of the project, Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon issued the presidential permit, concluding that it would "serve the national interest," the State Department said Friday.

TransCanada thanked the US administration for reviewing and approving the delayed project.

"This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project," TransCanada president and chief executive officer Russ Girling, who was with Trump at the White House, said in a statement.

The company has a total of $15 billion in investment in oil and natural gas "that will create thousands of well-paying jobs and generate substantial economic benefits across the US."

But TransCanada still must work with authorities and residents to obtain the necessary permits and approvals for construction in Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota, the company said.

US President Donald Trump smiles after announcing the final approval of the XL Pipline in the Oval Office of the White House on March 24, 2017

Protestors supporting the Standing Rock Sioux Native American tribe for many months blocked completion of a section of the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota, until the Trump administration overrode their concerns and approved the construction.

Environmental protests continue

Environmental groups immediately expressed outrage at the Keystone XL approval and vowed to continue to fight the project, so the company could face obstacles at the state and local level. One protest is set for Friday evening at the White House.

Michael Brune, head of the Sierra Club, the largest US environmental organization, called the pipeline approval "yet another decision made by Trump that would be disastrous for our climate, our communities, and our health."

"The dirty and dangerous Keystone XL pipeline is one of the worst deals imaginable for the American people, so of course Donald Trump supports it," he said in a statement.

He warned that the project "faces a long fight ahead in the states."

Greenpeace Canada's Mike Hudema said in a statement: "The fight is far from over."

"This pipeline won't see the light of day," he said, promising "widespread opposition in Canada and the US" to the company and the financial institutions that support the project.

This photo taken on February 5, 2017 shows Native American and demonstrators marching to the Federal Building in Los Angeles in protest against President Donald Trump's executive order fast-tracking the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines

Opponents object to the pipeline because it further promotes the use of fossil fuelsalthough there already are hundreds of oil and gas pipelines crisscrossing the United Statesbut also say Canada's oil sands are particularly harmful.

Canada is the world's sixth-largest oil producer thanks to the Alberta oil sands.

Unlike traditional crude which gushes from a well, bitumen from the oil sands must be dug up or extracted by underground heating, essentially using steaming hot water to separate it from the sandstone before it can be refined.

This takes vast amounts of water resources and results in huge ponds of polluted water and the strip-mining of once-pristine boreal forests.

Environmentalists also say the bitumen in oil sands is harmful and corrosive, which makes pipeline ruptures or leaks more likely and carries greater health and safety risks.

However, TransCanada defends its safety record and says buried pipelines are far safer for transporting oil than ships or trains.

Trump concurred, saying: "I think it's a lot safer to have pipelines than to use other forms of transportation for your product."

 2017 AFP
Laura Mydlarz inspects corals at a reef off the coast of the US Virgin Islands in October 2016. Credit: Laura Mydlarz

A biologist from The University of Texas at Arlington is leading a new study aimed at quantifying how susceptible coral species are to disease by examining their immunity through a series of novel experiments and approaches.

Laura Mydlarz, associate professor of biology, is principal investigator of the project, titled "Immunity to Community: Can Quantifying Immune Traits Inform Reef Community Structure?" and funded by a two-year, $220,331 grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences. Co-principal investigators are Marilyn Brandt, research associate professor of marine and environmental science at the University of the Virgin Islands, and Erinn Muller, staff scientist at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Fla.

During the past three decades, environmental changes - including global warming - have likely led to the sharp increase in coral disease in reefs around the world. Unhealthy coral reefs cannot support the fish and other forms of life that make reefs such vibrant and diverse ecosystems. Coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea are disease hotspots and many reefs have experienced population collapses due to outbreaks of disease, Mydlarz explained. Coral species vary in their susceptibility to disease, but the reasons behind this variation are unknown.

"Coral diseases don't affect all coral species in a reef the same," Mydlarz said. "Some coral are more susceptible to certain diseases. A reef is made up of many different species of coral. If a disease kills off one species of coral in a reef, that's going to greatly affect the reef community as a whole. We want to learn why some coral species are more tolerant of certain diseases."

The project will focus on coral reefs in the Caribbean off the U.S. Virgin Islands. The site was chosen due to the high diversity of coral found there and the presence of "white plague" disease, which can cause rapid tissue loss in corals, affects many coral species and can cause partial or total colony mortality.

The project will use immune-challenge experiments that will quantify novel components of the innate immune system of corals, coupled with the application of a trait-based model, to fulfill three goals, Mydlarz said.

The first is to determine variability of coral immune traits in seven common coral species found on Caribbean reefs; the second is to determine the variability in resistance to white plague disease transmission in the same coral species; and the third is to develop a predictive model of coral community assemblage that incorporates immune traits.

The coral species which will be examined differ in disease susceptibility, growth rates and reproductive strategies. Susceptibility to white plague disease will be measured by exposing the corals to active white plague and calculating disease transmission rates in a laboratory setting. The immune responses of each species will be measured by exposing samples to bacterial immune stimulators. Samples will be collected and injected with lipopolysaccharides, which are molecules that elicit strong immune responses in some organisms.

"We want to see the coral in its natural state and in an immune-stimulated state," Mydlarz said.

The immune response and disease transmission data for each coral species will be used to develop a predictive model to determine how different coral communities will respond to disease threats under climate change scenarios, she said.

Mydlarz traveled to the Virgin Islands in October to visit the site where the research will be done and to meet with Brandt. She plans to return in June along with some of the graduate students from her laboratory to collect samples and conduct experiments.

Clay Clark, professor and chair of the UTA Department of Biology, said the project is an example of the important work Mydlarz is doing to shed more light on the ties between climate change and the delicate ecosystems which have been adversely affected by that change. He noted that her research is a prime example of global environmental impact, which is one of the four pillars of the University's Strategic Plan 2020 Bold Solutions|Global Impact.

"Dr. Mydlarz has been studying how environmental changes are affecting the ability of coral to fight disease for years and has contributed a great deal to our knowledge of coral immunity," Clark said. "This research will add to that knowledge and help us to better inform and encourage conservation."

The research will be highlighted at outreach events in Texas, Florida and the Virgin Islands, including Earth Day Texas 2017, scheduled for April 22 at Fair Park in Dallas; the Living Reef Exhibit and Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory; and Reef Fest and agricultural fairs at Coral World Ocean Park in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mydlarz earned bachelor's and master's of science degrees in Marine Biology from Florida Atlantic University in 1996 and 1998, respectively, and received her doctorate in Marine Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2004. She did postdoctoral work in ecology at Cornell University from 2004-06 before joining UTA in 2006. Much of the research in her lab focuses on coral immunity and disease.
Four Easy Ways to Merchandise Your Retail Store On A Small Budget

Attract Consumer Attention In-Store



In spite of the rise of online shopping, studies show that the majority of shoppers still prefer to make their purchases at physical stores. But with the endless choices available to consumers today, how do you hold the attention of shoppers and encourage them to make purchases in your store?

Aside from running endless promotions, with a little creativity, even small retailers can create powerful merchandising displays for in-store marketing that will draw shoppers to the tills.

Here are some examples of how retailers can better merchandise their stores without breaking the bank:

1) Drive traffic to the back of your store with Point-of-Purchase displays

Besides window signage, its important to always have clear Point-of-Purchase in-store displays, especially if you are running promotions. Place your promotional items deep within your store to encourage customers to walk through but always remember to have signage that is visible from the entrance to drive that traffic.

2) Group new & exciting products together to encourage impulse purchases

Highlight market trends by showcasing your latest products together with your best-selling SKUs in an attractive raised display near your entrance or check-out area. If you know certain items are popular, running group promotions together will encourage customers to top-up or impulse buy. Solid retail point of sale software will have built-in pos marketing tools that will allow you to group different products together for promotions or cumulative discounts that will ring up automatically at check-out.

3) Inspire gift-giving with beautiful packaging or tags

If you sell commonly gifted goods, you can offer gift tags or have a display of beautifully gift-wrapped products to inspire customers. For small businesses, offer to pack gifts in plain brown paper bags with tissue paper. Not only is that more convenient for the average customer, its more cost-effective than buying branded bags in small volumes and reduces waste since customers wont generally gift with a store bag.

4) Promote your Rewards Program



If you have a popular rewards program, have displays to encourage customers to sign-up or showcase your latest reward benefit. Besides allowing you to better track customers sales habits, a well-designed rewards program will give you a way to promote special offers and new products directly to customers. Having store displays about your program will also help your staff as it encourages customers to mention their membership or ask about joining during check-out.

By Karen Wong, Director, ACE POS Solutions



ACE POS Solutions Ltd. is a Canadian-based specialist for the ACE Retail Point of Sale system used by 10,000 stores worldwide since 1981. A workhorse of a POS system, the ACE Retail software was designed by an accountant to allow small business owners to take control of their business to deliver on the bottom line.



Save

Save

Save

Save
- Chief Paulinus Akpeki, a former member of the PDP in Delta who defected to the APC has again defected to the PDP

- His return to the party is coming on the heels of former Governor James Ibori's return to Delta state

- His defection to the PDP is believed to be due to Ibori's presence in the state and his endorsement of Governor Okowa for 2019

The future of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta state is becoming bleak as another political bigwig who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, Chief Paulinus Akpeki, has again, defected to the PDP.

Paulinus Akpeki, who was a former commissioner and chief of staff in the administration of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, dumped the PDP soon after the expiration of the government of Emmanuel Uduaghan.

He cited various anomalies and accusations against Uduaghan by the present administration as part of the reasons for defecting to the All Progressives Congress and vowed to bruise the PDP with his connections and bring the party to its knees.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Chief Pauilinus Akpeki who just defected from the APC to PDP in Delta state

He was wonderfully embraced by leaders and power brokers in the party and he has been in the party for over a year.

His defection to the PDP on Wednesday may not be unconnected with the return of Chief James Ibori to the state having served his jail term in London prisons.

READ ALSO: Certificate scandal: I have been abandoned, people no longer call me for important functions - Dino Melaye

In Delta state, Ibori is known to be the political decision maker and Akpeki being an Urhobo man from Sapele, the same senatorial district with Ibori, it cannot be argued why he traced his steps back to the PDP family.

Also, a few days back, Ibori endorsed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of the state for 2019, barring all Urhobo politicians from contesting the 2019 governorship election with Okowa, hence Akpeki may have seen that there is no need remaining in APC, a party which, in his calculation, may have no power in the 2019 general elections in delta state.

Less than two weeks ago, more than 1,000 members of the APC in Ughelli north and Aniocha north defected to PDP in Delta state.

Former media manager to the APC governorship candidate in the state, Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, also defected to PDP less than a month ago. It has been defection galore from APC to PDP in the state.

READ ALSO: 7 senators that called for Hameed Ali resignation

The defectors accused the leadership of the Delta APC for poor management of the party affairs and alleged acute corruption which they said finally crashed the executive members of the party.

It was further alleged that the $30,000 (N13 million) Christmas gift in December 2016 by Dr. Ibe Kachikwu was hijacked by some smart executive members of the party which cracked the rank and file of the party in the state.

The latest defector, Chief Akpeki was at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja where he had a brief discussion with Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh and in the process announced his return to the PDP.

He defected with his political associates, supporters and loyalists.

Source: Legit.ng
For days now, the topic on the lips of most Nigerians has been Senator Dino Melayes certificate scandal.

Malaye is not the only Nigerian politician that has been involved in certificate scandal. Some others have been caught up in this and have had to step down after reports surfaced that they used fake certificates to contest for elective office.

During the 4th assembly, Salisu Buhari was accused of certificate forgery shortly after he was elected by members of the House of Representatives elected him as speaker.

Some claimed to have attended certain schools only for the school to debunk their claims.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Army begins small arms competition in Sambisa as troops rescue hostages in Gambole

What is really needed to contest for an elective office in Nigeria that some politicians have to present fake certificates?

Legit.ng brings you a list of the requirements needed to run for elective offices according to the Nigerian constitution.

1. You must be a citizen of Nigeria.

2. You must possess/produce educational qualification of at least Secondary School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent.

READ ALSO: FEC approves N80bn for road projects in 12 states (see list)

3. The age differs for different position.

President/vice president  40 years

Governor/deputy governor  35 years

Senate  35 years

House of Representatives  30 years

House of Assembly  30 years

Chairman of area council  30 years

Councillor of area council  25 years

4. You must be a member of a political party and must be sponsored by that party.

Following reports that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state may ban motorcycles, the Lagosian in the video below said residents will not vote for him in 2019.

Source: Legit.ng
Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether 

Read more
Emirates airline President Tim Clark listens to a question during an interview overlooking Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday, March 22, 2017. The president of the Middle East's biggest airline says a ban on electronics other than mobile phones in the cabins of U.S.-bound flights came as a complete surprise as he defended security measures at its Dubai hub. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The president of Emirates, the Middle East's biggest airline, defended security measures at the carrier's Dubai hub on Wednesday and said the ban on personal electronics onboard U.S.-bound flights came without warning.

Tim Clark told The Associated Press that he only learned of the new U.S. regulations the previous day, saying the carrier "had no prior knowledge whatsoever." Emirates is now scrambling to ensure it is in compliance by a Saturday morning deadline - a target Clark said it would meet a day early.

Dubai was one of 10 cities in Muslim-majority countries affected by the new rule, which will force passengers to forego their tablets, laptops and other gadgets on direct flights to the U.S. Mobile phones and medical devices will be allowed onboard.

Clark said Emirates would fully comply with the directive, even as he questioned why his airline's hub was included.

"I do find that a little bit surprising to be quite honest," he said. "When I travel around even the United States or Europe or Asia, I don't see this level of scrutiny that goes on in Dubai."

Emirati authorities work closely with their U.S. counterparts to ensure that "the people that they are concerned about coming into the United States do not board our flights," he added.

"Emirates and its owner, the government of Dubai, and the airport ... (are) as safe as any airport or any airline could possibly be," he said.

Britain issued similar restrictions a few hours after U.S. officials announced theirs, though Dubai and Abu Dhabi - the two United Arab Emirates hubs on the U.S. list - were not included in the British ban.

Emirates has expanded rapidly in the U.S. and elsewhere in recent decades, and is one of the airlines most affected by the new U.S. rule.

It operates 18 daily flights to a dozen U.S. cities, including major destinations such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as smaller markets like Boston and Fort Lauderdale.

Story continues

Many of the passengers it carries are not going to or from the Middle East, but transit through Dubai International Airport to points all over Emirates' far-flung global network. The airport is the world's busiest air hub for international passenger traffic, and the third busiest overall.

Emirates' success and that of smaller rivals Qatar Airways and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has rattled big U.S. airlines, who accuse the Gulf carriers of receiving billions of dollars of unfair government subsidies. They deny the allegations.

Clark was unaware of any specific security threats that prompted the U.S. directive, but he dismissed suggestions that protectionist pressures were behind the move.

"I can only assume the United States government has reasons to do what they're doing," he said.

Emirates is the only carrier in Dubai affected by the new U.S. rules. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines stopped flying to the city last year.

The airline boss said Emirates was stung by the Trump administration's executive order to restrict travel for passengers from seven Muslim-majority nations, with demand for the U.S. less robust than before.

"Frankly it's not surprising given what has been going on," he said, adding that Emirates has no plans to scale back on its U.S. operations. "This is not going to stop us."

Emirates is racing to implement plans to let passengers use their laptops and other devices until they are ready to board their U.S.-bound flights.

The gadgets would be collected before takeoff and stowed securely in cargo holds before being handed back to passengers once they land, Clark said. Passengers on flights connecting in Dubai wouldn't need to hand them in until boarding the U.S.-bound leg.

That may be little consolation for business travelers hoping to get some work done on the long haul from Dubai to the U.S. - a journey that can last up to two-thirds of a day.

Clark suggested they try to look on the bright side.

"For once I don't have to bang out all the emails," he said. "I've got a perfect excuse to say to the boss, 'I couldn't do any work because of the ban.'"

___

Follow Adam Schreck on Twitter at www.twitter.com/adamschreck
Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices fell on Monday, paring gains after rising to more than two-month highs, on mixed signals over China, the world's top crude importer, potentially relaxing its strict COVID-19 restrictions. Prices climbed during the session on news that Chinese leaders are considering reopening the economy from strict COVID-19 restrictions but are proceeding slowly and have set no timeline, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. "The market seems to be thinking that if China opens the economy, that would tighten supply significantly and put further upward pressure on prices," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group.
President Vladimir Putin met French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen as she visited Moscow on Friday, with the Russian leader stressing that the Kremlin does not meddle in France's politics. Le Pen's meeting with Putin -- their first, according to Moscow -- comes a month before the first round of the French presidential vote and as she tries to boost her international status by meeting with world leaders. "We by no means want to influence the current events but we reserve the right to communicate with all representatives of all political forces of the country," Putin said, according to a Kremlin-issued transcript. Russia has been accused of interfering in the US election in an effort to sway results in President Donald Trump's favour, prompting a probe by American authorities. Last month an aide to staunchly pro-Europe French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of trying to derail his campaign by spreading false rumours through state media. Le Pen, leader of the National Front party, told AFP that she and Putin discussed ways to fight "fundamentalism". Speaking to reporters, she declined to say which issues Putin had raised during the encounter. She said Putin represented a "new vision" of the world. "A new world has emerged in the past years. This is Vladimir Putin's world, Donald Trump's world in the United States, Mr (Narendra) Modi's world in India," she told reporters. "I am probably the one who shares with all these great nations a vision, once again, of cooperation and not one of subservience, not the hawkish vision that has too often been expressed by the European Union." - 'Lifting sanctions' - Anti-EU Le Pen is among European politicians who have called for closer ties with Putin and approved of Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, which saw the United States and European Union impose sanctions against Russia. Le Pen said Friday that if she were elected, she would "ponder lifting sanctions" against Russia. "I have always been opposed to these sanctions that I thought were profoundly unfair and utterly counterproductive," she said. Le Pen has visited Moscow on several occasions, enjoying positive Russian state media coverage. Russia has offered praise for rightwing and eurosceptic politicians in Europe -- with Putin cementing closer ties with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, for example, in Budapest last month. But calls for a detente with Russia have drawn criticism in France, and Le Pen's conservative rival in the presidential race, Francois Fillon, has also been hit by charges of being too close to Putin. Media reports claim that Fillon introduced a Lebanese oil pipeline builder -- with whom he signed a $50,000 lobbying contract -- to Putin at a business forum in 2015. Benoit Hamon, the Socialist candidate, lashed out at what he called Le Pen's "subservience" to Putin, saying "Russia's interests are not France's interests". - Russian loan - It is rare for Putin to meet a foreign presidential candidate so close to an election. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin's meeting with Le Pen and his encounters with other representatives of foreign opposition forces were "normal practice". "Russia is ready to stay in contact with representatives of all political forces, with the current leadership, with representatives of the opposition," Peskov said. The meeting -- which lasted an hour and a half, according to a Le Pen advisor -- was not announced this week when the Russian parliament confirmed that she would be meeting with lawmakers Friday. Le Pen met Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, calling for increasing cooperation with Russia in the fight against "terrorism". She also posed for a selfie with federal lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, known for having drafted Russia's 2013 law banning "gay propaganda", which he posted to his Facebook page. In 2014, the National Front received a nine-million-euro ($9.7 million) loan from a Russian commercial bank that later collapsed. The party on Friday dismissed the possibility of seeking further funding from a Russian bank. Le Pen said in Moscow that financial aid to her party had "in no way" been discussed during her meeting with Putin. Le Pen has sought to capitalise on the anti-globalisation anger reflected by Brexit and the election of Trump -- both results that were welcomed by the Kremlin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said Le Pen was not a "populist" but a "realist or anti-globalist" figure.
HappyFresh Indonesia also revealed several milestones including new partnership, features, and even new interface

Online grocery platform HappyFresh celebrated it second anniversary in the Indonesian market on Thursday by launching several new features, partnership, and even a new user interface.

The startup launched a new B2B service HappyCorporate that enables corporations to shop for pantry supplies, from coffee, snacks, to tissue boxes. By far, it stated that 14 companies have signed up as users of the service.

HappyFresh also introduced new interface and features that includes delivery tracker, personal notes to shopper, and a favourite items list.

The startup has also secured partnership with banks such as Standard Chartered, supermarket chains such as PT Trans Retail Indonesia (Carrefour), and FMCG giant Unilever.

Launched in Indonesia in March 2015, HappyFresh currently has hundreds of employees and have partnered with seven supermarket chain and a special store. It claimed to have served 40,000 customers in Jakarta, Tangerang, Bekasi, Bandung, and Surabaya.

Also Read: 5 reasons why HappyFresh stands out among grocery delivery startups

We believe that the achievements that we have made in the past two years will continue to grow with the new technology that we have provided, as well as partnerships with new partners. This year we are optimistic about increasing quality of service and serving more customers compared to last year, said HappyFresh Indonesia MD Filippo Candrini in a press statement.

The HappyFresh service is currently available in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand as it has left the Philippines and Taiwan in August 2016.

In January, TechCrunch reported a change of leadership within the company, in which CEO Markus Bihler was replaced by former Senior VP of Operations Guillem Segarra.

Having been reported to take the position of vice chairman in the company, Bihler listed himself as an investor at Vertex Ventures in his LinkedIn profile. The Singapore-based venture capital firm also happens to be an investor at HappyFresh.

Story continues

When contacted by e27, Vertex declined to comment on the matter.



Image Credit: HappyFresh

Want to be part of the ecosystem?

Register for your Echelon Asia Summit access pass now! Enjoy +10% off Echelon Asia Summit Startup, Investor and Corporate passes just for being our favourite e27 reader

The post HappyFresh celebrates 2nd anniversary in Indonesia, embraces B2B with new service appeared first on e27.
A new Hungarian law on the systematic detention of all asylum seekers could expose migrant children to sexual exploitation, said Europe's top rights watchdog Friday, adding its voice to criticism of the measure from human rights groups. In a letter addressed to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban published Friday, the Council of Europe expressed concern that, under the new law, unaccompanied children would be treated as adult asylum applicants. "I understand that the legal implications ... will increase the already highly vulnerable situation of children on the move, exacerbating in particular the exposure of those aged 14 or more to sexual exploitation and sexual abuse," said Claude Janizzi, chairman of the Council of Europe's Lanzarote committee that deals with child protection issues. Under the new law, adopted by a large majority in Hungary's parliament on March 7, all asylum seekers in Hungary will be confined to container camps near the borders with Croatia and Serbia while their applications are processed. The Hungarian government says that all unaccompanied minors under 14 will be placed in care under the new law, as they are now. The UN and Amnesty International have both criticised the legislation, which has yet to be enacted. "The higher vulnerability of these children to sexual crimes, particularly during times of crisis, calls for more protection, not less," the Council of Europe said earlier this month. The Hungarian government says that the migrants will be free to leave the camps only if they return back over the border, which is an external frontier of Europe's borderless Schengen zone. The rightwing Orban, who has called immigration the "Trojan Horse of terrorism", says the measure is aimed at keeping both Hungary and the rest of the European Union safe from violent extremists.
(Bloomberg) -- OPEC and allies reviewing the impact of their oil cuts this weekend face a market with an unambiguous message: their work is far from done.

As producers meet in Kuwait to gauge how well theyve implemented output cuts agreed on last year, talks will be overshadowed by the question of whether the persisting glut requires the curbs to be extended beyond the summer. With U.S. crude stockpiles swelling to record levels and prices sinking below $50 a barrel, OPEC and its partners have little choice but to keep going, according to all 13 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Theyll probably think they need to grin and bear it longer, said Ed Morse, head of commodities research at Citigroup Inc. in New York. The glue that bound them together to begin with, which was higher prices, is the glue that will continue to bind them together.

Oil jumped 20 percent in the weeks following the decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and 11 allies to curtail output to end a three-year surplus. Even though OPEC has delivered almost all the promised cuts, prices have since slipped on concern the curbs arent clearing the oversupply quickly enough, and that U.S. shale producers are gearing up to fill any shortfall. West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $47.88 at 9:24 a.m. in New York on Friday.

A five-nation committee established to monitor implementation of the accord, finalized on Dec. 10 last year, will meet in Kuwait City on March 26. OPEC achieved 91 percent of its pledged cuts last month, while Russia and other allies delivered about 44 percent, according to data from the International Energy Agency.

The cost of a change of course for producers is simply too high, said Bill Farren-Price, chief executive officer of consultants Petroleum Policy Intelligence. They are committed to this course for now, and they will look for stocks to draw in the second half.

OPEC ministers will meet May 25 in Vienna to decide whether to extend the deal.

Story continues

Analysts at banks including Bank of America Corp., Commerzbank AG and Citigroup predict theyll prolong the cuts to the end of the year.

Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih, while insisting its too early to say what will be decided, signaled in a Bloomberg Television interview on March 17 that the kingdom has grown more willing to extend the curbs. The deal will be maintained if oil stockpiles are still above their five-year average, he said, shifting from his previous position that six months of cuts would be enough.

Read more: Saudi Mission Impossible Makes Longer OPEC Cuts Inevitable

Achieving the goal of bringing inventories down to normal levels by mid-year is impossible, according to consultants FGE. OPEC and its partners would deplete less than one-third of the 300 million-barrel surplus if they cut for just six months, data from the IEA indicate.

Because of the time lag in the release of global inventory data, OPEC wont know by late May if its objective has been fulfilled, according to DNB Bank ASA oil analyst Torbjorn Kjus, who said: May 25 could be comparable to maybe 30 meters into the 100-meter sprint at the Olympics.

Shale Revival

The danger of stimulating growth in rival U.S. shale-oil supplies means OPEC has an incentive to wrap up its intervention sooner rather than later, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which didnt participate in Bloombergs survey. The cuts have already had the unintended consequences of keeping credit flowing to shale explorers and a revival in drilling, the bank said. The number of rigs in operation in the country has almost doubled since May, according to Baker Hughes Inc.

It is not in OPECs interest to extend its cuts beyond six months as its goal is to normalize inventories, not support prices, Jeff Currie, Goldmans head of commodities research, said in a March 14 report.

To achieve higher prices without sending them too high, OPEC may opt for an extension that doesnt commit them so strictly to the full cutbacks, said Jafar Altaie, CEO of Manaar Energy Consulting in Abu Dhabi.

Everything points to an extension, but one that is more tentative in holding members to their pledged cuts, Altaie said.

(Updates with oil price in fourth paragraph.)

--With assistance from Sam Wilkin Anthony DiPaola and Javier Blas

To contact the reporter on this story: Grant Smith in London at gsmith52@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Herron at jherron9@bloomberg.net, Dylan Griffiths

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
Singapores employee engagement score fell by 4 points to 59%.

According to the 2017 Trends in Global Employee Engagement Report from Aon Hewitt, Singapores decline is significant when compared to the 3-point increase last year.



Perception scores amongst Singapores millennials fell by an alarming 7 points in the area of Talent and Staffing  which refers to the talent attraction, promotion, and retention practices of an organisation, as well as its ability to allocate appropriate and adequate resources to get the job done. Perception scores also fell by 5 points in the area of Employer Brand.



Employees in Singapore join their Malaysian counterparts in being the least engaged amongst major Asian markets. Engagement scores for India are 69%, followed by China (67%), Thailand (65%), Philippines (65%), Indonesia (61%), and Malaysia (59%).

Overall engagement scores for employees in Asia Pacific dropped from 65% to 62% a year ago. Aon Hewitts analysis found regional variations in engagement are driven by regional and country-specific economic, political, and cultural differences.



Improving engagement pays big dividends



Aon Hewitt research shows that a 5-point increase in employee engagement is linked to a 3-point increase in revenue growth in the subsequent year. The inverse happens when engagement levels fall  businesses experience greater turnover, higher absenteeism, and lower customer satisfaction, and ultimately, poor financial performance.



Employees in the region ranked rewards and recognition programmes as a top opportunity to improve engagement. Stephen Hickey, partner and executive sponsor, employee engagement practice  Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Aon Hewitt, said, As organisations strive to fuel growth, they must understand how their workforce productivity and pay programmes  both fixed and variable, compare to market. They must educate their people on how they implement pay for performance, and recognise top contributors using a blend of financial and non-financial rewards such as development opportunities.

Story continues





More From Singapore Business Review


AFP News

The UN's COP27 climate summit kicked off Sunday in Egypt with warnings against backsliding on efforts to cut emissions and calls for rich nations to compensate poor countries after a year of extreme weather disasters. Just in the past few months, climate-induced catastrophes have killed thousands, displaced millions and cost billions in damages across the world. Massive floods devastated swaths of Pakistan and Nigeria, droughts worsened in Africa and the western United States, cyclones whipped the Caribbean, and unprecedented heatwaves seared three continents. The conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh comes in a fraught year marked by Russia's war on Ukraine, an energy crunch, soaring inflation and the lingering effects from the Covid pandemic. But Simon Stiell, the UN's climate change executive secretary, said he would not be a "custodian of backsliding" on the goal of slashing greenhouse emissions 45 percent by 2030 to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above late-19th-century levels. "We will be holding people to account, be they presidents, prime ministers, CEOs," Stiell said as the 13-day summit opened. "The heart of implementation is everybody everywhere in the world every single day doing everything they possibly can to address the climate crisis," he said. Current trends would see carbon pollution increase 10 percent by the end of the decade and Earth's surface heat up 2.8C, according to findings unveiled last week. Promises made under the 2015 Paris Agreement would, if kept, only shave off a few tenths of a degree. "Whilst I do understand that leaders around the world have faced competing priorities this year, we must be clear: as challenging as our current moment is, inaction is myopic and can only defer climate catastrophe," said Alok Sharma, British president of the previous COP26 as he handed over the chairmanship to Egypt. "How many more wake-up calls does the world -- and world leaders -- actually need?", he said. In a dire warning, the UN's World Meteorological Organization said the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, with an acceleration in sea level rise, glacier melt and heatwaves. "As COP27 gets underway, our planet is sending a distress signal," UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement. - 'Loss and damage' - The COP27 summit will focus like never before on money -- a major sticking point that has soured relations between countries that got rich burning fossil fuels and the poorer ones suffering from the worst consequences of climate change. The United States and the European Union -- fearful of creating an open-ended reparations framework -- have dragged their feet and challenged the need for a separate funding stream. Delegates agreed on Sunday to put the "loss and damage" issue on the COP27 agenda, a first step toward what are sure to be fraught discussions. Inclusion of the agenda item "reflects a sense of solidarity and empathy for the suffering of the victims of climate induced disasters," said COP27 president Sameh Shoukry of Egypt. "We all owe a debt of gratitude to activists and civil society organisations who have persistently demanded the space to discuss funding for loss and damage," he said to applause. Shoukry also noted that rich nations have not fulfilled a separate pledge to deliver $100 billion per year to help developing countries green their economies and build resilience against future climate change. He also lamented that most climate financing is based on loans. "We do not have the luxury to continue this way. We have to change our approaches to this existential threat," he said, calling for solutions that "prove we are serious about not leaving anyone behind". - US-China tensions - After the first day of talks, more than 120 world leaders will join the summit on Monday and Tuesday. The most conspicuous no-show will be China's Xi Jinping, whose leadership was renewed last month at a Communist Party Congress. US President Joe Biden has said he will come, but only after legislative elections on Tuesday that could see either or both houses of Congress fall into the hands of Republicans hostile to international action on climate change. Cooperation between the United States and China -- the world's two largest economies and carbon polluters -- has been crucial to rare breakthroughs in the nearly 30-year saga of UN climate talks, including the 2015 Paris Agreement. But Sino-US relations have sunk to a 40-year low after a visit to Taiwan by House leader Nancy Pelosi and a US ban on the sale of high-level chip technology to China, leaving the outcome of COP27 in doubt. A meeting between Xi and Biden at the G20 summit in Bali days before the UN climate meeting ends, if it happens, could be decisive. One bright spot at COP27 will be the arrival of Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose campaign vowed to protect the Amazon and reverse the extractive policies of outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro. bur-lth/fz
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
AFP News

The UN's COP27 climate summit kicked off Sunday in Egypt with warnings against backsliding on efforts to cut emissions and calls for rich nations to compensate poor countries after a year of extreme weather disasters. An alarming UN report said the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, with an acceleration in sea level rise, glacier melt, heatwaves and other climate indicators. "As COP27 gets underway, our planet is sending a distress signal," UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement, calling the report a "chronicle of climate chaos". Just in the past few months, floods devastated Pakistan and Nigeria, droughts worsened in Africa and the United States, cyclones whipped the Caribbean, and unprecedented heatwaves seared three continents. The conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh also comes against the backdrop of Russia's war on Ukraine, an energy crunch, soaring inflation and the lingering effects from the Covid-19 pandemic. But Simon Stiell, the UN's climate change executive secretary, said he would not be a "custodian of backsliding" on the goal of slashing greenhouse emissions 45 percent by 2030 to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above late 19th-century levels. "We will be holding people to account, be they presidents, prime ministers, CEOs," Stiell said as the 13-day summit opened. "The heart of implementation is everybody everywhere in the world every single day doing everything they possibly can to address the climate crisis," he said, noting that only 29 of 194 nations have presented improved plans as called for at COP26 in Glasgow last year. Current trends would see carbon pollution increase 10 percent by the end of the decade and the Earth's surface heat up 2.8C, according to findings unveiled last week. Promises made under the 2015 Paris Agreement would, if kept, only shave off a few tenths of a degree. Britain's Alok Sharma, who handed the COP presidency to Egypt, said that while world leaders have faced "competing priorities" this year, "inaction is myopic and can only defer climate catastrophe." "How many more wake-up calls does the world -- and world leaders -- actually need?" he said. - 'Loss and damage' - The COP27 summit will focus like never before on money -- a major sticking point that has soured relations between countries that got rich burning fossil fuels and the poorer ones suffering from the worst consequences of climate change. The United States and the European Union -- fearful of creating an open-ended reparations framework -- have dragged their feet and challenged the need for a separate funding stream. After two days of intense pre-summit negotiations, delegates agreed on Sunday to put the "loss and damage" issue on the COP27 agenda, a first step towards what are sure to be difficult discussions. Stiell said inclusion of loss and damage on the agenda after three decades of debate on the issue showed progress. "The fact that it is there as a substantive agenda item I believe bodes well," he told reporters. COP27 president Sameh Shoukry of Egypt said it would be unproductive to speculate on what outcome the negotiations will lead to, "but certainly everybody is hopeful." "Anything that we do effectively has to be on the basis of our common efforts and that we leave no one behind," he said. Shoukry also noted that rich nations have not fulfilled a separate pledge to deliver $100 billion per year to help developing countries green their economies and build resilience against future climate change. He lamented that most climate financing is based on loans. "We do not have the luxury to continue this way. We have to change our approaches to this existential threat," he said. - US-China tensions - After the first day of talks, some 110 world leaders will join the summit on Monday and Tuesday. The most conspicuous no-show will be China's Xi Jinping, whose leadership was renewed last month at a Communist Party Congress. US President Joe Biden has said he will come, but only after legislative elections on Tuesday that could see either or both houses of Congress fall into the hands of Republicans hostile to international action on climate change. Cooperation between the United States and China -- the world's two largest economies and carbon polluters -- has been crucial to rare breakthroughs in the nearly 30-year saga of UN climate talks, including the 2015 Paris Agreement. But Sino-US relations have sunk to a 40-year low after a visit to Taiwan by House leader Nancy Pelosi and a US ban on the sale of high-level chip technology to China, leaving the outcome of COP27 in doubt. A meeting between Xi and Biden at the G20 summit in Bali days before the UN climate meeting ends, if it happens, could be decisive. One bright spot at COP27 will be the arrival of Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose campaign vowed to protect the Amazon and reverse the extractive policies of outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro. bur-lth/mh/lg
By Marton Dunai BUDAPEST (Reuters) - When his government lost a lawsuit in the European Court of Human Rights last week over its detention and expulsion of two migrants from Bangladesh, Hungary's rightwing prime minister blamed the usual suspect: a billionaire in New York. "It is a collusion of human traffickers, Brussels bureaucrats and the organisations that work in Hungary financed by foreign money," Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday. "Let's call a spade a spade: George Soros finances them." Across former Communist states of east and central Europe, leaders with a hardline bent have turned their wrath in recent months against Soros, a Hungarian-American financier who funds liberal charities and non-governmental organisations worldwide through his Open Society Foundations (OSF). The campaign against Soros in countries formerly dominated by Moscow appears to follow a template set by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose own crackdown on foreign-funded charities drove Soros's foundation out of Russia two years ago. And now, with President Donald Trump in the White House, anti-Soros campaigners in Eastern Europe say they have also drawn inspiration from the United States, particularly from rightwing U.S. media like the website Breitbart, which has long vilified Soros as a liberal hate figure. Breitbart's former chairman Steve Bannon now serves as a senior White House adviser to Trump. "Our inspiration comes from the United States, from the American conservative organisations, media and congressmen with the same views, especially the new administration of President Trump," said Cvetlin Cilimanov, the editor of the main state news agency in Macedonia, who co-founded a group called Operation Stop Soros in January. "THEY CRUSH YOU" Macedonia, a former Yugoslav republic north of Greece, has been embroiled in a political crisis that began two years ago with street demonstrations and forced nationalist prime minister Nikola Gruevski to resign last year after a decade in power. Gruevski, who still controls the biggest bloc in parliament and is expected to return to power, blames Soros for his downfall. "Soros turns Macedonian NGOs into a modern army," he told local magazine Republika in January. "They crush you. They make you a criminal, a thief, traitor, idiot, a monster, whatever they want. Then you have to go to elections." "He doesn't only do that in Macedonia but in a great number of countries." In Romania, ruling Social Democrat party leader Liviu Dragnea told a TV interviewer in January that Soros and "the foundations and structures that he has funded since 1990 have financed evil in Romania". Soros has also been attacked by members of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party and politicians elsewhere in the region. His charity says it is undaunted and has no intention of quitting his native Eastern Europe. "You cannot export democracy, you can only import it and build it locally," Chris Stone, who runs Soros's charitable enterprises from New York as president of the OSF, told Reuters, explaining the need to keep a presence on the ground. "We see our work (in Eastern Europe) continuing for decades. That work will ebb and flow." The OSF said Soros was not available to comment. THE MAN WHO BROKE THE BANK Soros, born in Hungary to a Jewish family that survived the Nazi occupation with fake documents, emigrated to Britain after World War Two and then to the United States. As a financier, he is best known for "breaking the Bank of England" with a huge bet against the British pound that forced London to abandon a fixed trading range with other European currencies in 1992, earning Soros more than $1 billion. The Open Society Foundations website says he has given away more than $12 billion as a philanthropist, with activities in more than 100 countries in a vast array of policy areas linked to democracy, free speech, human rights and the rule of law. The OSF mostly gives its money in the form of a large number of small grants to other charities, organisations or individuals for specific projects. That means hundreds of groups worldwide have accepted its money over the years, allowing conspiracy theorists and other foes to paint Soros as the centre of a vast web. In countries like Hungary, so many human rights groups have sought OSF grants at some point that politicians can use the association with Soros to attack whole swathes of civil society. "Fake NGOs of the Soros empire are sustained to suppress national governments in favour of global capital and the world of political correctness," Szilard Nemeth, a deputy leader of Orban's ruling Fidesz party, said in January. "These organisations must be repressed by all means and I think they must be culled altogether. I think there is an international opportunity to do that now." "PRETTY HUMAN RIGHTS NONSENSE" Veterans of the dissident movements of Eastern Europe's Communist-era, when dictatorships repressed all organisations outside state control, say the tactics are familiar. "The fact that NGOs are called the enemy of the government shows these are no longer democracies," said Maria Vasarhelyi, an opposition figure in Hungary whose father Miklos, a prominent Communist-era dissident, ran Soros's foundation in the 1990s. Bojan Maricik, head of Macedonia's Centre for European Strategies - Eurothink, a pro-EU think tank which has received Soros grants, said prosecutors, tax inspectors and police in Macedonia had launched investigations into the funding of charities since an anti-Soros speech by Gruevski in December. A "de-Sorosization purge" aims to bar civil society groups from participating in public life by delegitmising them, Maricik said. "There is no dialogue in a context where the government marks you as an enemy of the state," he said. The crackdown is particularly acute in Soros's native Hungary, where Orban has consolidated his grip on the media and judiciary, and regularly accuses liberals of trying to destroy Europe by flooding the continent with migrants. A new law proposed by Orban would require groups that receive foreign funding to register, a measure that critics say is drawn straight out of the Putin playbook. Opposition to immigration has been the core of Orban's political message since 2015, when more than a million migrants and refugees entered the EU through the Balkans. Hungary was initially their main entry point into the bloc's border-free zone, although nearly all proceeded on to Germany and other countries further north. Orban built a fence to keep them out. Meanwhile, Soros prioritised support for charities that help migrants and asylum seekers. At the height of the flow in 2015, his OSF put out a statement saying: "The Hungarian crisis demonstrates the dangers radical populist regimes pose not only to the hundreds of thousands of refugees, but also to the values of Europe and to the humanity of the local populations." The Balkan immigration route has since largely been shut, following an agreement secured by the EU for Turkey to take migrants back. But Orban's message still hammers home the need to keep out migrants, and he portrays rights groups as part of a plot to abolish nation states and flood Europe with foreigners. Hungary's Helsinki Committee, a rights group founded in 1989 that has accepted Soros funding, helped defeat the government in court in Strasbourg. It argued that two Bangladeshi migrants had been unlawfully detained at a makeshift transit zone on the Hungarian-Serbian border and expelled with no regard to their future safety, in violation of their rights. Orban has proposed new rules governing asylum due to take effect in coming days that his opponents say ignore the principles of the Strasbourg ruling. Helsinki co-Chair Marta Pardavi says she expects to file many more cases on behalf of migrants who are in similar positions, which could generate a systemic intervention by Strasbourg and a tooth-and-nail fight with the government. "Our position, which Orban has called 'pretty human rights nonsense' has just won in Strasbourg," she said. "If I were the Hungarian government I would be considering the necessary legislative amendments now." Pardavi said her organisation, made up mainly of lawyers, would not be intimidated by a government crackdown, but other groups were likely to be less resilient, and the crackdown could deter activism in the country more broadly. "Helping refugees has become stigmatised," she said. "Many organisations decide to keep it in the background. Old, trusted, large organisations are afraid to step up publicly to avoid the backlash on their other activities," she said. "If people feel there is going to be retaliation, negative consequences for their private lives, then this potentially could have a chilling effect, reduce the number of people interested not only taking part in civil society organisations but in general public affairs." (Additional reporting by Christian Lowe in MOSCOW, Luiza Ilie in BUCHAREST, Kole Casule in SKOPJE, Robert Muller in PRAGUE and Tatjana Tancarikova in BRATISLAVA; Editing by Matt Robinson and Peter Graff)
If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

Plants can add a lot of organic character to an otherwise drab office environment. Having small indoor plants will improve the air quality and remove impurities while adding a focal point to your work environment.

You can also use large house plants to create helpful separations between workplaces  and a source of peaceful contemplation during your hectic day.

A research (PDF) carried out by Dr. Roger S. Ulrich of Texas A&M University and Helen Russell, Surrey University, England as well as other studies conducted by Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University, have revealed plants significantly lower workplace stress and enhance productivity.

The participants in Dr. Lohrs study were 12 percent more productive and less stressed than participants who were working without plants in their environment.

Small Indoor Plants

One of the benefits of small indoor plants is they are easy to take care of, and they are resilient. With minimal care, you can keep the plant around your desk or in other parts of the office for a very long time. Key to making this happen is choosing the right plant.

Heres a list of 20 indoor plants to consider for your office environment. Be sure to choose one that fulfills the needs of your workspace. Enjoy!

1. Jade Plant



Jade, or Crassula ovata, is a small, succulent plant with small flowers. It requires minimal watering.

In Japanese folklore, the jade plant is known as the money plant. Legend has it its presence brings financial success. The reason for having this plant in your office should be crystal clear!

2. African Violet

The African violet, or Saintpaulia, is a flowering plant that requires a bit more maintenance than some of the others on this list. However, it takes up very little space, so it can be perfect for small desktops.

3. Peace Lily

The peace lily, or Spathiphyllum, is a large, space-filling plant that can also clean the air.

Better yet, it can grow even in low office lighting. The peace lily is ideal for an office space that lacks big windows.

4. Chinese Evergreen

Chinese Evergreen, or Aglaonema, makes a great office plant because it requires very little maintenance. It can also thrive in low light and remove toxins from the air.

5. English Ivy

English Ivy, also known as Hedera helix, is a clinging evergreen vine that can reduce airborne fecal matter particles and filter out formaldehyde.

As disturbing as it is to know those airborne particles exist, its good English Ivy can take care of it. This is another plant ideal for those stale office environments lacking a lot of fresh air circulating.

6. Parlor Palm

The parlor palm, or Chamaedorea elegans, is actually a small palm tree. This plant is ideal for creating natural separation of space in your office. And on those cold winter days, it can also add a bit of a tropical feel. The parlor palm is perfect for offices because it doesnt require a lot of light either.

7. Snake Plant

The snake plant, or Sansevieria trifasciata, has leaves that can grow fairly tall. The shooting dark green leaves have bands of a bright yellow-green on the outside. A healthy snake plant definitely attracts the eye. And a few together make another natural partition.

8. Gerber Daisy

This flowering plant, also known as Gerbara, is a plant that can filter toxins like benzene, a substance that can be emitted by some printing systems.

9. Philodendrons

These plants are large climbers, which means they can add some height to small areas. Philodendrons can also survive without a lot of maintenance.

10. Cactus

Cactus are small and come in several different varieties. They do require a significant amount of sunlight, so they are not recommended for dimly lit offices. If youve got a window sill that gets a lot of sunlight and tend to be forgetful, a cactus or multiple cacti would be ideal. More often than not, theyd prefer you forget to water them once in a while.

11. Warneck Dracaena

Warneck Dracaena, also known as Dracaena reflexa, can grow to be very tall. Its another plant that can provide separation of different office areas. And it also combats pollutants commonly found in varnishes and oils. If your office space has hardwood floors, this shooting plant would be ideal.

12. Ming Aralia

The Ming Aralia, or Polyscias fruticosa, is a tall, bushy plant. Its perfect for offices that require a bit of privacy between workstations. It also only requires water every couple of weeks.

13. Spider Plant

This plant, also known as Chlorophytum comosum, is one of the easiest plants to grow indoors. It is often displayed in hanging baskets, so it can also create some visual interest in an office space.

14. Weeping Fig

The weeping fig, or Ficus benjamina, is a large plant that can filter pollutants from carpets and furniture, such as formaldehyde and benzene. The waxy green leaves on the weeping fig even look the part of the plastic jungle that this plant should help replace.

15. ZZ Plant

The ZZ Plant, or Zamioculas zamiifolia, is one of the most low-maintenance plants you can find. In addition, it can add a tropical feel to your space. And, as a bonus, some of the plants even produce flowers.

16. Aloe

Aloe plants are small enough to easily fit on most desks. They also have air-filtering qualities, with the ability to remove things like formaldehyde and benzene from the air. The gel inside the plant can also be used to treat cuts and burns.

17. Umbrella Tree

The umbrella tree, or Schefflera arboricola, can grow to be quite tall. Its perfect for creating office privacy. But there are also smaller dwarf versions for desktops.

18. Fittonia

This Fittonia, which is sometimes also referred to as the nerve plant or mosaic plant, can work well in offices because it actually thrives on fluorescent light.

Plus, the over-sized, inside-out look on the leaves of the Fittonia can serve as quite a focal point in your office space.

19. Pothos

The Pothos Plant, or Epipremnum aureum, is a flowering plant that can fit perfectly on most desktops, though it may require occasional trimming. Aside from that, its very low maintenance and can be left on a desk for lengthy periods without needing much care.

20. Azalea

The Azalea is not only visually appealing, but it can also filter the air to combat formaldehyde. The plant thrives mainly in cool environments, so keep that thermostat low.

Whether your concern is air quality or simply a bit of visual appeal, there are a variety of choices for office plants. Start thinking about transforming your office environment today.

Qualify for discounts, special offers and more with a Business Prime account from Amazon. You can create a FREE account to get started today.
Font size: A - | A +

Having to read a report on the work of the ombudswoman to an empty parliament is not a problem, but MPs failure even to acknowledge it is. So says Jana Dubovcova, who leaves her role as public defender of rights  as the ombudswoman position is formally known  on March 28. She spoke to The Slovak Spectator about her five years in the job.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

Read also:

Read also: Discrimination, police brutality highlighted Read more

The Slovak Spectator (TSS): One of your priorities was to make people more aware of your offices work. Have you managed to achieve this goal?

Jana Dubovcova (JD): One of my priorities was to appoint a lawyer in each of Slovakias regions who would cooperate with the office of the public defender of rights, meet with people, and in case of need help them write and submit motions. People often address the public defender of rights with sensitive issues and in many cases, they would rather tell someone about it. If there were a lawyer, he/she could help them prepare a motion. Unfortunately, this hasnt happened, as we didnt receive enough money from the state budget.

Regarding the activities of the public defender of rights, we have used the full potential. We communicate with the public through all channels. Many people are aware of what the public defender of rights does and their motions more frequently concern matters within my scope of activity.

TSS: So the situation has improved during your term in the office?

JD: Regarding awareness, there is some progress. The press often addresses us, we organise press conferences and attend discussions. The situation, of course, could be better. But we received a slightly higher budget in 2017 for raising awareness, so I hope this trend will continue.

An increasing number of people now know how the public defender of rights can help them. More than half of the motions we received last year are legitimate. According to our information from the V4, it is normal for 50-60 percent of motions to concern matters that belong within the public defender of rights scope of activities. Of course, it can still be better.

Read also:

Read also: You dont bring me flowers Read more

TSS: What do you consider the biggest success you achieved during your tenure?

JD: We have succeeded with several issues concerning socio-legal protection of children. We have contributed to changes in widows and widowers pensions. Moreover, the Labour Ministry finally plans to address injustice against the oldest pensioners with low pensions. We have also forced the police to start using cameras to make video recordings of police actions. Regarding independent inspection of the police and police actions, the current government promised in its programme statement to deal with the issue, though they claimed in the past that this was not a problem.

Not only the public defender of rights, but also the European Commission, has called on Slovakia to start dealing with ongoing discrimination at schools. This concerns not only Roma children from excluded, poor communities, but also many others. To begin with, [the authorities] claimed that they dont discriminate against children. But over the course of three years we proved by means of various surveys that this is not true and that our education system needs to be fundamentally changed. Thanks to the public defender of rights, the number of teachers assistants has also increased, by 800 in 2014.

Also the sum budgeted for food for children placed in inpatient care has increased. This was preceded by our previous findings suggesting that the sum was so low that children were going hungry. It took one and half years to change the situation.

TSS: So the government didnt just reject your recommendations?

JD: The government has always had a rejectionist approach, but after some time it started implementing the measures. Without our pressure, the problems would not have been tackled at all.

TSS: It was probably also pressure from international institutions that influenced the government?

JD: Of course. I have been repeatedly submitting objections and recommendations at all levels in Slovakia. In case some of these were not accepted at the national level, we informed the international institutions, whose member Slovakia is and that deal with the protection of fundamental rights.

Read also:

Read also: Dubovcova spoke out even when they refused to listen Read more

TSS: What areas should your successor focus on?

JD: This always depends on the public defender of rights personality, priorities and goals. What remains unsolved and very serious is the operation of the police, and changes to the education system. We also often encounter problems in connection with the socio-legal protection of children.

We also opened several topics in 2016 that the public defender of rights had not dealt with before. There is a problem of access to affordable potable water, and thus hygiene, in several places across Slovakia. I consider it a problem, as it affects peoples living conditions and their opportunities to participate in society. Another area concerns the protection of environment and natural resources where we have uncovered bad treatment, especially concerning water and insufficient protection of rivers.

TSS: Do these topics represent some kind of recommendation for your successor?

JD: These areas should be scrutinised in more detail. Already, the first revelations suggest that the state is failing in these areas. This doesnt violate only the fundamental rights for favourable environment of the current generation, but also future ones. This is also the case in education. It is necessary to start dealing immediately with all violations of state duties that will have a negative impact, through our generation, on the future.

TSS: Parliament has ignored many of your reports that criticised the current state of society in various areas. Some of them have even resulted in disputes with government representatives. Would the situation be different if the author of these reports had been someone else, someone more amenable to the coalition?

JD: I dont think so. This is how parliament works. Most discussions about laws are attended only by MPs who focus on the topic. So I wouldnt personalise this. What I regret is that only a small number of MPs deal with the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms agenda.

What is not common is the practice of parliament ignoring and not acknowledging the public defender of rights report after it has been discussed in parliament. Parliament thus doesnt fulfil its oversight duties towards the executive power and doesnt adopt measures on serious issues, like the repeated wilfulness of the police, or discrimination in the education of thousands of children. It seems like the lawmakers dont respect the people who elected them.

Read also:

Read also: Firms divide rivers for eurofunds Read more

TSS: So you dont think its an expression of disagreement with you as ombudswoman?

JD: Similar findings had not been submitted to parliament before [I was appointed]. Part of this problem may be the approach of the current coalition, as well as the previous government, which considers everybody who disagrees with it, or who criticises it, an enemy. One example is the decision of the prime minister not to answer the questions of critical journalists and media. But it also occurs in cases where public administration bodies refuse to provide the public with information that is somehow sensitive or critical based on the law on free access to information.

TSS: The representatives of the current government that are members of Smer have often described you as a political candidate, while there has also been some criticism of you for dealing with Roma and LGBTI issues. How do you respond to such claims?

JD: I consider this to be deliberately misleading and diverting attention away from the topics I point to, as everybody knows I have never been a member of a political party. If somebody wants to become a public defender of rights or a constitutional judge, they have to be elected by parliament. In order to do so, they need to be nominated by the political parties, or MPs who are members of political parties. Theres no other way to be appointed to these posts. Its true that I was in parliament for one-and-a-half years, but I served as an independent candidate who was elected on the slate of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union [SDKU] in 2010. Currently, there are many independent MPs in parliament who were listed on the slates of political parties, and nobody says they are politicised. Also, the new ombudswoman was once a member of the Communist Party. However, the ruling coalition still nominated her for the post. So some people are political candidates and the others arent? I think this was only a deliberate ploy to conceal the serious findings of the public defender of rights.

As for the minorities, theres no other institution to exclusively protect fundamental rights and freedoms apart from the public defender of rights. If the state violates the fundamental rights of minorities, it is the public defender of rights who should deal with this.

TSS: Is the reason that the government simply does not want to deal with these problems?

JD: The problem lies in some politicians and their attitude, which is often reflected in government materials and official texts. For example, when the government responded to the European Commissions criticism of discrimination in childrens education, it wrote in an official statement that that many Roma children are mentally disabled and alleged that this is because they are the products of incest. Or when it responded to the Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committees findings on wrongful police methods by claiming that it is necessary to realise what kind of people they are dealing with. The criticism, however, concerned first contact with people who are then taken to a police station.

I will give you another example: when the public defender of rights pointed to inappropriate intervention by the police against Roma in the Budulovska settlement in Moldava nad Bodvou. One week after the raid, the prime minister and the interior minister visited the local police station, shook hands with police officers and encouraged them in their work. Without respecting any results of an investigation or even trying to investigate what had happened, they sided with police officers who had inappropriately interfered in the lives of dozens of people and their children. This is also the case with their attitude towards foreigners.

Also these gestures, as well as written, verbal and non-verbal expressions, indicate that the perception of the fundamental human rights of some public officials is different to what it should be in democratic and rule of law state.

Read also:

Read also: Slovakia has new ombudswoman Read more

TSS: In many of your reports you criticise the work of the police. Do you see any chance of the situation improving?

JD: The bigger problem is how parliament approaches its oversight function towards the government. If it receives the information that the whole system doesnt work, it should deal with it. But this isnt happening. The governing parties also have a majority in parliament. If the parliament doesnt deal with the gaffes of the government, it seems that the government controls parliament, and not vice versa.

TSS: You deal in your reports also with the socio-legal protection of children. Shouldnt this instead be the responsibility of the childrens ombudswoman?

JD: The ombudspersons for disabled people and children [positions] were established only last January, so their activities are just starting. The law stipulates that if this person deals with a case, the public defender of rights will choose whether he/she will review it too. So they dont have any impact on the public defender of rights activities. Moreover, the public defender of rights deals with the socio-legal protection of children due to the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

TSS: Have you already dealt with the same cases as the childrens ombudswoman?

JD: Just today I signed a letter whose author turned both to the public defender of rights and the childrens ombudswoman. After reading it I decided not to deal with the case.

TSS: What will you do after leaving the post?

JD: I wont deal with anything specific. I will follow the public events from my own home.
The Slovak Spectator reviews some of the cases which Ombudswoman Jana Dubovcova has cited in her reports.

Ombudswoman has often presented her findings to an empty parliament. (Source: Sme)

Font size: A - | A +

Despite pointing to serious breaches of citizens rights, Ombudswoman Jana Dubovcova has often presented her findings to an empty parliament, and MPs have repeatedly refused to acknowledge her reports.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

Read also:

Read also: Government seems to control parliament, not vice versa Read more

Her efforts, however, have been praised by international organisations. The US Embassy in Bratislava even presented her with a Human Rights Defender Award on April 2, 2014, in recognition of her efforts to defend and promote the rights of all Slovak citizens, and to ensure those rights are recognised and upheld by all relevant institutions throughout Slovakia.

The Slovak Spectator here reviews some of the cases which Dubovcova has cited in her reports.

Read also:

Read also: You dont bring me flowers Read more

Alleged police brutality

Among the most serious problems Dubovcova has pointed to is alleged police violence against Roma. This occurred, in particular, during two raids: one in the Budulovska settlement in Moldava nad Bodvou in June 2013, and another in the village of Vrbnica (both in Kosice Region) in April 2015.

In the former case, eyewitnesses claim some 50 SWAT unit police officers arrived in Budulovska in approximately 20 vehicles, and then raided homes in the settlement. The police detained 15 people. Some 30 people were reported injured during the raid, according to the ETP Slovensko non-governmental group.

Read also:

Read also: Roma from Moldava turn to the Constitutional Court Read more

Dubovcova, along with several human rights organisations, criticised the police, stating that the police seriously violated the fundamental rights of local people. However, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak said that the raid was a normal police action.

The ombudswoman also questioned the polices conduct in the 2015 Vrbnica raid, during which officers reportedly injured 20 Roma, of whom 15 had to be treated in hospital.

The head of the regional police station in Kosice, Juraj Lesko, said at the time that no violence was used, and the Interior Ministry claimed that Dubovcova had arrived at a premature conclusion.

Following the controversial raids, the ombudswoman urged the police to use cameras during operations and proposed that an independent body should be created to investigate police activities. National police chief Tibor Gaspar has since ordered that cameras should be used in raids, attached to the police officers uniforms.

Read also:

Read also: A police officer charged in the Vrbnica case Read more

Detention rooms illegal

Dubovcova has also repeatedly criticised the creation of special rooms for detaining people that are not proper police cells, meaning that no legal rules apply to them. As she explained, these cells are only parts of corridors separated off by bars. There is usually only a chair, a window and some straps for restraining prisoners. Such constructions are illegal, but the police use them on a daily basis.

Her office took a closer look at conditions in police stations in 2014. The survey included 19 facilities where it was found that police were using illegal cells. Dubovcova also registered four complaints from people who were held in such facilities.

Areas that are not proper cells but are used by the police to detain people can be found in almost every district police station, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak said in response to the criticism.

Read also:

Read also: Ombudswoman: Police facilities for detaining people are illegal Read more

Focus on foreigners

Some of the ombudswomans inspections also focused on foreigners and the polices approach to them.

In a report released in September 2015, she suggested that a police operation against protesting migrants in the Medvedov refugee camp (in Trnava Region), who had stopped accepting food, were refusing to leave the canteen, and were demanding to be deported back to Hungary, showed the unpreparedness of Slovak detention facilities to handle the refugee crisis.

She found that conditions there resembled a prison, and that such camps lacked interpreters and mediators able to help refugees with their daily frustrations and problems.

She also scrutinised the conditions for permitting stays in Slovakia at all branches of the Foreigners Police in Slovakia in 2014, asking foreigners about their experience with the availability of such offices, the language skills of the officers, and the refreshments available at the facilities. She also checked how officers handle foreigners and whether they do, or do not, violate foreigners fundamental rights and freedoms.

Read also:

Read also: Interior Ministry reprimands Ombudswoman for misquoting police Read more

Children still face discrimination

Rights activists, including Dubovcova, have also long pointed out that special education schools house a disproportionate number of children from Roma communities. They have alleged that these children are being over-diagnosed and are thus stripped of any real opportunities early in life, as they fall further and further behind others of the same age while studying in schools meant for children with mental disabilities.

Back in August 2014, Dubovcova presented the results of research which revealed that psychologists from pedagogical and psychological advisory centres diagnosing children do not take into account the different environment the children are growing up in, and noted that children are being tested in the state language, Slovak, rather than a language they actually understand. As a result, many children end up in special classes even though they do not really have special needs.

Following the revelations, the European Commission launched a legal action against Slovakia in 2015 for discrimination against Roma pupils. The government attempted to defend itself by claiming that many Roma children are mentally disabled and alleging that this is because they are the products of incest.

Read also:

Read also: Testing of Roma kids condemned Read more

Problems in reform centres

Back in May 2014, Dubovcova published a report claiming that children in reform centres and boarding schools were suffering from malnutrition. She reported that the amount being budgeted for breakfast for children aged 6-11 in these facilities was just 0.33, while the daily per-person budget for all meals was 2.28. Food for 18 year olds was budgeted to cost 2.69 per day.

Then-education minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer) later promised to increase the daily contributions to pay for food by 20 percent.

Moreover, at a press conference held in late September 2016, Dubovcova presented the results of her inspections of six re-education facilities in Slovakia, revealing that the entire system of youth correctional facilities did not respect childrens interests and should be reconsidered.

The probe, carried out during the course of 2013 and between March and May 2014, revealed serious shortcomings in nearly all the monitored facilities, including the practice of physical punishment, restrictions on the use of toilets, enforced gynaecological examinations, and children being forced to wear red items of clothing to indicate that they had broken the rules.

Read also:

Read also: Pellegrini promises to boost spending on food in reform schools Read more

Socio-legal protections insufficient

Dubovcova has also pointed to flaws in the management of a resocialisation centre in Galanta (Trnava Region), and other similar centres in a report issued in January 2017, questioning the whole decision-making process and its impacts on children. One of her most serious conclusions was that in some cases children and youths were being sent to facilities without any proper diagnosis.

Moreover, she found that in some cases the main reason for placing a child at a facility was merely a suspicion that the child might take drugs. After parents had met with a social worker, the respective labour office was in the habit of proposing to a court that the child be placed in a resocialisation centre.

Read also:

Read also: Report: Children placed in care without expert opinions Read more

Though some of the affected children were diagnosed after being placed at the centre, in the case of the Galanta centre, Cisty Den, this was done by facility employees. This was not right, according to Dubovcova, as employees may just have been following the instructions of their employers.

With press reports
The painting of the ruler hangs in the Primates Palace.

Font size: A - | A +

The painting depicting Maria Theresa in her coronation apparel as Hungarian ruler will be exhibited in Vienna between June 29 and November 5 within the exhibition Maria Theresa and the Arts  In honour of the 300th Anniversary of her Birth. The exhibition will take place in the Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere in the Austrian capital as part of the celebrations of the birth of this ruler and reformer.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

Lending the painting to Vienna is an honour for the city but also a good opportunity for promotion, said Bratislava Mayor Ivan Nesrovnal. Visitors to the Vienna exhibition will learn that this beautiful painting comes from Bratislava, a one time important coronation city. This will motivate them to come visit.

The larger-than-life-size painting depicts the ruler in her coronation apparel and with Hungarian coronation insignia  i.e. crown, sceptre, and orb. It is the oldest portrait of Maria Theresa of this kind, from 1742. Later other painters also depicted the ruler in a similar way. A very similar painting is the portrait by Johann Peter Kobler and the painting is currently held at the Gdlo manor house .

Read also:

Read also: Marking Maria Theresa Read more

Maria Theresa was crowned in the St Martin Cathedral in Bratislava, then Pressburg, on June 25, 1741. She was the only woman crowned here in the manner of a king. This is because Esztergom Archbishop, Imrich Esterhazy, placed the crown directly on her head and did not only touch her right shoulder with it as it was customary during the coronations of regal spouses. After the ceremony Maria Theresa granted her coronation apparel to the Church and it was later refashioned into liturgical apparel.

The painting is a work by Daniel Schmidely (1705-1780) and it was commissioned by the then city council. Now it is under the ownership of the Bratislava City Gallery (GMB) and is exhibited at the Primates Palace on Primacialne Square.

Those interested can see the painting during tours of the palace every day except Mondays from 10:00 until 17:00. The entrance fee is 3.
As Mrs Dubovcova has discovered, there is scant political passion when it comes to abuses of human rights  that is, the rights of each and every one of us

Font size: A - | A +

Ombudswoman Jana Dubovcova delivered her last report to parliament on March 22. The pictures from the house show some five or six isolated MPs listening to her speech. The rest of the 150 seats are empty.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

Read also:

Read also: MPs acknowledge ombudswomans last report Read more

This, it seems, is how much we care about human rights in Slovakia. Over the five years that Dubovcova has held her post this has become an all too familiar sight: the woman, her report, and an empty parliament.

After her final speech, some opposition MPs wanted to present flowers to the departing ombudswoman, but Speaker Andrej Danko, pointing to the parliamentary rule changes he recently imposed, and in particular a new dress code and a ban on food in the house, ordered the flowers out of the room.

Im not sure now; does he consider flowers to be food or weapons? commented MP Ondrej Dostal, who related the incident on Facebook.

Read also:

Read also: Government seems to control parliament, not vice versa Read more

In 2012, Dubovcova took over from her dormant predecessor, HZDS nominee Pavol Kandrac. Over her term she addressed a number of human rights concerns, some of which resonate within society to this day. She truly did try to stand up for the weak, the vulnerable, the victims of discrimination, who often go voiceless in the roar of everyday life.

While the responsible bodies in Slovakia might be reluctant to pay attention to her concerns, from time to time the world listens. Take the recent country report on human rights for 2016, issued annually by the US Department of State, which mentions not only the ever-present discrimination against Roma and the recent fashion for Islamophobic rhetoric by public officials, but also physical mistreatment of police detainees, the lack of independent oversight of the police, and the plight of children detained in educational rehabilitation centres enduring hunger and degrading treatment. All these issues were brought up by Dubovcova.

In its corruption and transparency section, the US report also pays attention to the Basternak case. The scandal around Basternak has been dragging on for a year and charges have finally been brought against the businessman. This development came just days before the Slovak media wrote about the American human rights report, which describes the events and links between Basternak and Interior Minister Robert Kalinak. While experts admit the charges might still be lifted without any proper clarification of the case, they show that the atmosphere is changing.

Scandals and suspicions of corruption are always guaranteed to fill seats in parliament, with politicians ready to debate day and night about guilt and punishment and political responsibility  although there is rarely much of those things in evidence once the rhetoric subsides.

But for now, as Mrs Dubovcova has discovered, there is scant political passion when it comes to abuses of human rights  that is, the rights of each and every one of us. To her credit, she never stopped trying to highlight these abuses, and demanding that MPs pay attention to them. Nor should we.
Nebraska corn farmer Art Tanderup was just about to head to his workshop Friday morning to overhaul his 30-year-old field sprayer in preparation for spring planting when his phone rang.

President Donald Trump had granted a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, the voice on the line said.

Pipeline manufacturer TransCanada wants to plant a half-mile of the crude-oil pipe across a field where Tanderup and wife Helen have planted red, blue, white and speckled corn sacred to the Ponca Tribe, part of their ongoing protest of the project.

While Tanderup knew it was coming, Trumps official reversal of former President Barack Obamas rejection of the Keystone XL struck a sour note.

Were quite disappointed, Tanderup said. Now were looking what we can do to stop it, and obviously that is through the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

Another Nebraska farmer, Bob Hilger of David City, took the opposite view saying its about time the final 1,179 miles of the Keystone XL project got a presidential green light.

The process is taking too long, said Hilger, who sold land to TransCanada for the construction of a pump house for the first Keystone pipeline, which began pumping oil in June 2010.

TransCanada first applied for a Keystone XL permit in 2008. Years of politicking, legal wrangling and disputes over the pipeline's route led up to Obama nixing the project in 2015.

While Trump has now given approval to build the $8 billion crude oil pipeline across Canada's border with the United States, the company still needs its route through Nebraska approved by the state PSC, a five-member, independent elected board that regulates phone service, pipelines, taxis, grain dealers and other services in the state.

The northern and final leg of the Keystone XL pipeline is designed to move 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Canada to Steele City on the Nebraska-Kansas border, where it would meet up with the existing Keystone network owned by TransCanada.

In the Oval Office Friday for the ceremonial permit approval, Trump asked TransCanada President Russ Girling when construction would start and seemed surprised to learn the company still needs to get its route approved in Nebraska.

The president -- who was flanked at the meeting by administration officials and building trades representatives -- told Girling: Ill give Nebraska a call.

He also praised Gov. Pete Ricketts and promised to call him Friday.

While Ricketts, a Republican, has no role in PSC decisions, he has been vocal about his support for the project. On Friday he thanked Trump and voiced confidence the PSC would do a thorough and fair review of the Keystone XL route.

The presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline is a welcome step forward to securing improved energy infrastructure in Nebraska and nationally, while also creating jobs and ensuring our energy independence. The project will also benefit Nebraska by bringing an estimated additional $11.8 million in property tax revenue in the first year to 12 Nebraska counties, Ricketts said.

TransCanada filed last month to get its 275-mile route through Nebraska approved and be granted eminent domain powers to force easements from landowners who have refused to sign agreements. The company already has more than 90 percent of the easements it needs to build the Keystone XL in Nebraska and all of the rights-of-way it needs in South Dakota and Montana.

The state PSC has until Sept. 14 to make a decision, although the deadline can be extended an additional five months for just cause. The process will include both public hearings, which have yet to be set, and a more formal quasi-judicial process.

Omaha-based Domina Law, lead by attorney Dave Domina, represents a group of about 90 landowners and had pledged to mount a legal challenge if the PSC green lights construction.

On Friday, supporters cheered Trump and detractors pledged to continue fighting to the bitter end.

Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Barry Kennedy welcomed the news.

The Nebraska Chamber fully supports the Keystone XL project because of the benefits it will provide to Nebraskas families and the states economy, as well as Americas long-term energy needs Kennedy said in an email. Nebraskans will always be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Susan Dunavan, who owns York County land in the path of the pipeline, said the tax and economic benefits dont outweigh the long-term liability of having a river of tar-sands oil running through the heartland. The pipeline threatens prairie land that Dunavan and her husband Bill have been working more than 35 years to restore.

Its all about corporate greed. It has nothing to do with benefiting the United States, said Dunavan.

Previous studies showed Nebraska stands to gain $16.5 million in sales or use tax due to the Keystone XL, as well as between $11 million and $13 million in property taxes the first year of operation. The amount of property taxes will decrease annually because Nebraska has a personal property tax depreciation allowance.

The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska blasted the pipeline saying it would threaten historic, cultural, sacred and archaeological sites and resources in both its federally recognized territory as well as its historical territory.

The pipeline has the potential to impact the economic and social interests of the Tribe as well as the development of the Tribes territory for itself, its members, and all Nebraskans, Tribe Chairman Larry Wright Jr. said in a statement.

In a statement issued Friday, TransCanada pledged to engage community members and elected officials in Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota as it seeks to get permits and approvals to advance construction.

This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project, Girling, TransCanadas president and chief executive, said in a statement released Friday. We greatly appreciate President Trumps administration for reviewing and approving this important initiative, and we look forward to working with them as we continue to invest in and strengthen North Americas energy infrastructure.

TransCanada also said it plans to drop a $15 billion damages claim filed against the United States under the North American Free Trade Agreement after Obama stopped the Keystone XL.

Michael Brune, executive director of the national environmental group the Sierra Club, promised to mount a legal challenge to Trumps permit approval, saying the administration used outdated information in evaluating the project.

The State Department relied on a 2014 supplemental environmental impact statement, as Trump ordered in a Jan. 24 presidential memorandum, to evaluate the project. On Friday, the State Department said there are no substantial changes or new information that would bring the continued reliability of the report into question.

Its the same report Obama relied on when he curbed construction plans in 2015 arguing to do otherwise would be antithetical to efforts for America to be a leader in the fight against climate change.

Trumps Friday reversal comes two months after he revived both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines with the flick of a pen signing executive orders aimed to clear away roadblocks and fast-track construction.

Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners expects oil to start moving through Dakota Access this week.

Jane Kleeb, founder of the Bold Alliance and Bold Nebraska, called Trump "arrogant" and pledged to fight the pipeline at every turn.

"We will never allow an inch of this foreign steel pipeline carrying foreign tar sands that can pollute our water and take away property rights and threaten treaty rights of tribes here in Nebraska. We will not allow that to happen," Kleeb said.

She also criticized Trump for going back on a campaign promises, including to only approve the Keystone XL if the United States gets a cut of profits and if the pipes are made with American steel.

TransCanada, which has miles of mothballed pipe sitting in storage yards ready to go, previously has said 50 percent of the steel for the Keystone XL would be milled by a Little Rock, Arkansas, company with the rest coming from Canada, Italy and India.

Trump made no mention of U.S. steel Friday as he touted the permit approval.
Smartphone applications bring additional value to internet banking via faster access and higher security.

The use of smartphones is on the rise. (Source: SME)

Font size: A - | A +

Smartphones offer applications that facilitate all aspects of life. In recent years, banking applications have changed from high-tech features to ordinary services, that help banks keep in touch with the young generation of clients.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

The essence of banking applications is to offer the client an overview of his account balance and transactions, and the function that enables making payments, said Lukas Kosno, editor at the website zive.sk.

Such functions have been available for long via internet banking, but applications put them on a new level, easing access and orientation.

Currently, 30 percent of the internet banking users at VUB log into their account from a mobile phone, said Maria Horecka, head of the e-business department at the bank.

Some banks even offer applications that can replace a bank card with NFC technology, which enables contactless payments.

The mobile phone becomes a fully functional wallet, said Kosno, adding that the only conditions are a compatible operating system and the option of touch payments in shops. At the same time, you dont have to turn on a computer; account access is available in a few seconds anywhere with a mobile phone.

Horecka confirmed that transferring a large part of typical banking operations into the online space improves the quality and effectiveness of the banks branches.

Mobile wallet

In February 2017, VUB introduced new practical innovations to its applications. Wave2pay is an application for payments directly by mobile phone, replacing the bank card.

The transaction is executed by touching the mobile phone to the POS terminal, explained Horecka.

Rising mobile banking usage has also been marked in the rest of Europe, where clients are using mobile phones for faster and safer payments.

We are trying to bring to clients modern payment methods that speed up the process and are more comfortable than cash payments, said Horecka.

Contactless payments are also available at Tatra Banka with MobilePay, using NFC technology.

Tatra Banka has been recognised as one of the the biggest innovators, as it constantly adds new features to the mobile banking options. Recently, the bank added payment reminder to the Viamo application.

The most widely used functions are the account balance view, overview of orders and payment set up, said Zuzana Povodova, spokeswoman of Tatra Banka. Clients also use the separate applications for Spending reports and mobile phone withdrawals.

Slovenska Sporitelna offers two separate mobile banking applications, depending on whether clients want to have only a passive overview of the transactions, or also be able to execute payments.

We are trying to customise the control and comprehensibility of the application to access information quickly, with a few touches, said Branislav Jarabek, head of the electronic banking department at Slovenska Sporitelna.

SmartBanking by CSOB also offers the option to execute a special payment on a mortgage, set up a standing order, find out the exchange rate or locate the nearest cash machine. The application has more than 80 functions and clients can carry out even more complex operations, specified Anna Jamborova, the spokesperson of CSOB.

Some banks have the advantage that part of their corporate group is also an insurance company and they can interconnect internet banking with insurance services, said Kosno.

Fingerprint login

The number of users of CSOB SmartBanking has doubled in the last two years, ranking it amongst the applications with the highest penetration of users of the client portfolio in central Europe.

The majority of clients are from the 22 to 46 age group, but clients over 80 are not an exception, either, said Jamborova.

The number of the Mobile Banking users at VUB is also growing rapidly, while the increasing number of users puts greater demands on their security.

I do not see any special risk in using banking applications, said Kosno. The data is protected by PIN code, lock pattern or fingerprint login. However, the degree of security might differ between banks, he pointed out.

Banks claim that security is their top priority. They employ the latest technologies at different levels to combat potential threats. For example, at Tatra Banka, communication between the mobile device and the bank is encrypted.

All information is verified on the server and there is no information in the application that could enable a potential attacker to access the four-digit PIN code, said Povodova.

Apart from that, the user can set limits on withdrawals and at their request the bank can restrict some of the operations.

The problem is that a criminal can take the log-in information for the application or get it from a client by using log-in form, which can be displayed on the mobile phone screen, explained Kosno.

To protect against online threats, banks recommend not downloading any suspicious application or applications from unknown sources.

Moreover, Slovenska Sporitelna advises their clients to update their operating system, be aware of the programmes they install and log into the banking application only in secure locations.

When accessing the banking applications, we advise clients not to use public Wi-Fi networks, to set up an automatic lock in the mobile phone during inactivity, and protect IT devices with up-to-date antivirus programme, said Jarabek.

To be absolutely sure, clients should call the bank and deactivate electronic banking in the case of potential attack, advised Kosno. Later, they can activate it on another device.

Future of banking

Internet bank Zuno was named the best banking application in 2016. Unlike other banking applications, with Zuno clients could even create a new bank account online. However, Zuno left the Slovak market in late-2016 after its mother company decided to shut down the online branches in order to simplify its structure and do away with duplicate activities. Raiffeisen Group controls Tatra Banka bank in Slovakia and Raiffeisen bank in the Czech Republic, which will take over ZUNOs clients.

Nevertheless, Kosno does not think that mobile banking applications will significantly affect the operation of brick and mortar branches.

The effect was already caused by the arrival of internet banking, he said, adding that it resulted in reduction of banking staff.

Mobile applications just replace internet banking, but for the more complex operations people will still go to the bank in person, Kosno explained.

VUB will continue developing their Mobile Banking, in order to facilitate the everyday contact between the client and the bank.

The same applies to the Wave2Pay application, which will get visual and functional updates, Horecka confirmed, adding that filtering the basic functions into the applications enables the brick and mortar branches to focus on consultancy and personal service.

The current rate of development suggests that the popularity of mobile banking and customer demand will grow in line with the improvements in quality and price affordability, said Jamborova. Such applications are expected to spread among watches, bracelets and glasses.

Changes will also take place in the field of security, with further utilisation of biometrics and other innovative security elements, Jamborova said.

Current applications provide only an overview of the investment, said Kosno.

In the future, banks should offer applications that will enable the management of mutual investment funds. However, he is not sure whether the mobile phone interface is suitable for this type of operation.

For a mortgage, people will still prefer a personal contact in a bank, Kosno concluded.
Two new elements were added to The Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Slovakia.

Font size: A - | A +

Tulle bobbin lace of Myjavska pahorkatina and the Vajnorsky ornament was enrolled into The Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Slovakia.

Tulle bobbin lace from Myjavska pahorkatina area is unique among the various kinds of bobbin lace across Slovakia. Its fragility and airiness came from knitting fine white yarn on tulle net with many sticks.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

The centre of the original deposit was in the village Krajne, where this kind of lace has been made since the 1880s. Tulle lace in this area kept designs of its Belgian tulle lace origins and is connected with the traditions of the local clothing style where aerial, fragile and white fabric is valued.

From the many ornamental styles which developed in the Slovak area in the 19th and first half of 20th century, the Vajnorsky ornament is among the most noticeable. In Vajnory and villages near Bratislava, ornaments marked embroidery, painted Easter eggs and interior wall paintings. Ornaments were developed by local designers, and the designs were then used by other artists in embroideries and paintings.

In these skills, traditions and the intangible cultural heritage are hidden characters and identity of Slovaks in general, but they also reveal special communities within the nation, summed up Culture Minister Marek Madaric, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Amazon GLobal Retail Revenue

BI Intelligence

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "E-Commerce Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.

Amazon has reportedly agreed to purchase Souq.com, a Dubai-based e-commerce company, according to Reuters.

Although the acquisition price has not been confirmed, TechCrunch reports that Amazon will pay $650 million for Souq, which was previously valued at $1 billion after raising $275 million in funding last February. Amazon was in talks to acquire Souq last December, but a deal never closed.

Extending its reach in overseas markets has been a focus of the e-commerce giant for several years now. While Amazon hasnt been successful as an e-commerce business in China, it's been developing a logistics business in the country. In fact, it recently expanded its freight-forwarding and logistics services to include air cargo services in addition to sea shipping  a move that could help it attract more merchants to its marketplace in China. Amazon also debuted its Prime subscription service in Mexico, aiming to grab market share by extending its efficient shipping and video streaming services in the country. Moreover, the e-commerce giant pledged to invest $5 billion in its Indian operations over the next few years.

This acquisition marks a departure from Amazons typical strategy to grow organically in a new market, but could allow for the e-commerce giant to rapidly expand in the Middle East. Souq is currently the market leader in the region, and receives more than 45 million site visits per month. As a result, Amazon wouldn't have to build a network of merchants and buyers, and it would gain brand recognition from Souq's popularity. Amazon would also be able to forgo the regulatory approvals needed to operate in the countries Souq sells in  United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait  facilitating cross-border sales.

The regions e-commerce market is in infancy stages, but Amazon could face considerable competition from soon-to-launch Noon.com. Noon is backed by retail tycoon Mohamed Alabbar, and plans to launch with 20 million products. In China, Amazon struggled to gain market share from a well-established Alibaba, so it's likely looking to get a head start on Noon through the Souq acquisition.

Story continues

To receive stories like this one directly to your inbox every morning, sign up for the E-Commerce Briefing newsletter. Click here to learn more about how you can gain risk-free access today.

See Also:
Somali soldiers walk near the wreckage of a car bomb attack in Mogadishu, Somalia Friday, March 24, 2017. A police official says the car bomb exploded near a restaurant and hotel in Somalia's capital killing at least one person and wounding others. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP)  A police official says a car bomb blast near a restaurant and hotel in Somalia's capital has killed at least one person and wounded two others.

Capt. Mohamed Hussein says the car bomb detonated in the middle of a road near the presidential palace.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but homegrown extremist group al-Shabab often claims deadly attacks in Mogadishu.

Another car bomb exploded Tuesday at a military checkpoint near the presidential palace, killing at least six people. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility.

The extremist group has denounced Somalia's new President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed as an "apostate" and warned Somalis against supporting him. Al-Shabab was kicked out of Mogadishu under Mohamed's brief term as prime minister in 2010-2011.
By Marine Pennetier and Madjiasra Nako PARIS/N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - A Frenchman was kidnapped in Chad in a remote region near the border with Sudan's Darfur region early on Thursday, France's foreign ministry said. The man was kidnapped south of Abeche, a mining area about 800 km (500 miles) east of the capital N'Djamena, a French military source told Reuters. There were no immediate reports of any group claiming responsibility or making demands in the area crossed by nomadic groups and rebels fighting the Sudanese government over the border in Darfur. A source close to the matter said officials were leaning towards a criminal act rather than linking it to militancy. Europe 1 radio said the man in his sixties had been working for a mining company and was seized carrying the staff's wages, without giving its sources. "I confirm that a French citizen was kidnapped in Chad and we are doing everything to find him," President Francois Hollande told reporters. "When it comes to hostages it's best to say the least possible in the interests of the person and the discussions that will take place." Madeleine Alingue, spokeswoman for the Chadian government, said search operations were underway. The last French national kidnapped in Chad was an aid worker taken in the eastern border area in 2009 and released nearly three months later inside Darfur. The foreign ministry said it was working with local authorities to secure the man's freedom. Chad, a landlocked former French colony, hosts the headquarters of France's 4,000-strong regional anti-militant operation, known as Barkhane. It closed its northern border with Libya in January to block militants fleeing the conflict there, and has said it is worried about Islamic State operating in its territory. Around 1,000 French troops are stationed in Chad, including a small detachment at Abeche. About 1,500 other French nationals also live in the country. Two other French nationals are being held in Africa. One was kidnapped in Mali in December by Islamist militants and the other was seized in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier in March. (Additional reporting by Edward McAllister and John Irish; Writing by John Irish; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Is Donald Trumps ban on laptops on planes really about money?

That is the question being posed by travel, security and technology experts after the US presidents controversial move.

There have been suggestions in some quarters that the laptop ban is a retaliatory move by Mr Trump against airlines with power bases in the Middle East.

Experts are divided on whether he wants to protect travellers or move them on to US airlines who wont be affected by the ban.

MORE: Facebook is rolling out a fact-checking tool in the fight against fake news

MORE: Donald Trump signs law that backs Nasa plans to send people to Mars

Civil liberties groups claim the ban is a further attack on Muslim travellers, following on from Mr Trumps previous attempts to stop visitors from certain countries entering the US.

The US ban has also been adopted by the UK  both countries have announced new carry-on restrictions that ban laptops on certain flights.

The US ban prohibits passengers on some international flights from mostly Middle Eastern and North African countries from taking laptops, tablets, electronic games and other devices on board in carry-on bags.

Passengers flying direct to the US from 10 airports in eight countries will be allowed only mobile phones in passenger cabins  larger electronic items must be checked in.

Is Donald Trump trying to protect US airlines? (Picture: Rex)

The rules took effect on Tuesday, and airlines have until Saturday to implement them or face being barred from flying to the US.

They said the decision was prompted by evaluated intelligence about potential threats to planes bound for the US.

The electronics ban affects flights from international airports to the US from Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Cairo, Egypt; Istanbul, Turkey; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

About 50 flights a day, all on foreign carriers, will be affected.

Qatar Airways is one of the airlines affected by the ban (Picture: Rex)

The UK rules bar passengers taking any phones, laptops or tablets larger than a normal-sized mobile or smartphone into the cabin and will apply to flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

Story continues

With the US order affecting flights from predominantly Muslim nations, the ban may invite comparisons to Donald Trumps orders barring travel from several Muslim-majority-nations, which have been blocked by courts.

Early in his candidacy, Mr Trump called for the barring of Muslims from entering the US.

The travel ban was more severe, separating families and barring students from studying in the US. The laptop ban is more of an inconvenience and its stated reason is to protect the travellers who are affected by it.

Smaller devices can be taken on board, but laptops are banned (Picture: Rex)

However, some travel experts claim Mr Trump may be more interested in protecting US business interests than passengers.

An article in The Washington Post argued that the laptop ban could be a tactical move against airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, who have been accused by their American competitors of receiving large subsidies from their respective governments.

Many business travellers could turn to those US airlines if they are not able to bring their devices on board planes operated by competitors in the Middle East.

In December, the big three US airlines  Delta, American and United  urged Mr Trump to help them fight financially against Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates.

The laptop ban has also been questioned from a security standpoint.

Its weird, because it doesnt match a conventional threat model, Nicholas Weaver, researcher at the International Computer Science Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, told The Guardian.

If you assume the attacker is interested in turning a laptop into a bomb, it would work just as well in the cargo hold. If youre worried about hacking, a [smartphone] is a computer.

Bruce Schneier, an American security technologist, also told The Guardian: From a technological perspective, nothing has changed between the last dozen years and today.

That is, there are no new technological breakthroughs that make this threat any more serious today.

And there is certainly nothing technological that would limit this newfound threat to a handful of Middle Eastern airlines.
By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A North Carolina man pleaded guilty on Friday to opening fire in a Washington pizzeria that fake news reports claimed housed a child sex ring linked to 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Edgar Welch, 28, of Salisbury, was accused of firing at least three shots from an AR-15 rifle inside the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in December and pointing the gun at an employee after showing up to investigate the online conspiracy rumours. No one was hurt. Welch pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a federal charge of interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit an offences and a local charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. Welch, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, said little more than "Yes, ma'am" in response to questions from Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Asked what he wanted to do, he said, "Plead guilty." He could face up to two years in prison on the federal charge and a maximum five years for the assault charge. Jackson scheduled sentencing for June 22. Welch also faces potential fines and must pay restitution for damage to a computer, door lock and a ping pong table at the restaurant. A local firearms charge was dropped as part of Welch's plea. He also carried a loaded .38-caliber revolver into the pizzeria, and police found a loaded shotgun in his car, according to court documents. Welch told police he was investigating a bogus conspiracy theory known as "pizzagate." Posts to social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and the Reddit online message board falsely claimed Comet was the centre of a child sex ring run by Clinton and her campaign chairman, John Podesta. The claims were part of a proliferation of false news reports during the U.S. presidential election campaign, often disseminated through websites purporting to be news outlets and quoting bogus sources. Scott Talan, a communications professor at Washington's American University, said Welch was an example of how mistrust of traditional news sources and of authorities' ability to investigate suspected crimes could prompt vigilante-style behaviour. "For more and more people, the source (of news) doesn't matter," he said in a telephone interview. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Dan Grebler)
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for SpikeJay Z will be producer of two projects about the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Variety reports that Jay and the Weinstein Company will produce both a six-part documentary series and a narrative feature film about the Martin shooting and it's aftermath.

Martin was 17 years old, an unarmed high school student walking home, when he was shot at killed by George Zimmerman, a member of a local neighborhood-watch group. Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder in the case, which touched off nationwide protests. Zimmerman claimed that he shot Martin in self defense following a physical altercation.

The projects are based on two books that Jay and the Weinstein Company won bidding for the rights to -- Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It by reporter Lisa Bloom and Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, by Trayvon's parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.

The two projects are part of Jay's development deal with the film studio. The deal has already resulted in one docu-series, the six-part Time: The Kalief Browder Story, which aired on Spike. That series detailed the story of a Bronx high school student who spent three years incarcerated at New York City's Rikers Island, two of them in solitary confinement, without being convicted of a crime, when his family could not make his $3,000 bail after he was accused of stealing a backpack. Browder committed suicide two years after his release.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The Nebraska Democratic Party is taking criticism from far-right media outlets for including voter-registration forms in welcome baskets for refugees.

Party Chairwoman Jane Kleeb posted video of the welcome baskets on Facebook following a meeting of party leaders March 16.

She said the baskets included information on the Democratic Party as well as voter registration forms.

"There's a big misconception that immigrants come to our country as unskilled," Kleeb says in the video. "The reality is there are some deep political leaders that are making Nebraska their own.

"We really want to make sure that folks are embraced by the Nebraska Democratic Party."

The video raised some chatter on online media outlets like the Conservative Review, which called it "eyebrow-raising" in an article Thursday, and among right-leaning social media circles that claimed the party was encouraging voter fraud.

Noncitizens aren't allowed to vote in most U.S. elections, including those in Nebraska. Refugees must generally wait five years to qualify for citizenship.

"Now people are calling me a traitor and (saying) I should be executed," Kleeb, a mother of three, said Friday.

Kleeb said she is "totally confused why people are up in arms about this."

The registration forms clearly state a person must be a U.S. citizen to register to vote, and there is nothing wrong about welcoming newcomers to become involved in the political process and legally vote once they are allowed to do so.

"From my perspective, this is the far-right yet again thinking that immigrants are immediately doing things illegal," Kleeb said.

Nebraska welcomed the most refugees per capita of any state last year, according to a study by Pew Research Center. But local refugee resettlement agencies are expecting a steep dropoff in the number of new arrivals this summer and fall.

While courts have halted a pair of executive orders by President Donald Trump that would temporarily suspend refugee resettlement across the U.S., the president still controls the overall number of refugees allowed into the country.

Trump has established a limit of 50,000 nationwide for the fiscal year ending in September, less than half the number allowed last year.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he does not want to "influence" the French presidential election after wishing far-right leader Marine Le Pen "good luck".

The two met in the Kremlin on Friday and "were on the same wavelength", according to one of Ms Le Pen's aides, Ludovic de Danne.

"We felt they understood each other, " he said.

The 90-minute meeting focused on global issues such as terrorism but very little was said about next month's election in France, Mr de Danne added.

Ms Le Pen has visited Russia many times, although this was her first meeting with Mr Putin.

She has previously called for closer ties with the Russian leader and approved of Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

After the meeting she said that one of her first actions if she wins will be to look at "swiftly" ending European Union sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

Speaking to reporters at a Moscow hotel, Ms Le Pen also denied discussing financial support for her party and said she was not meeting Putin an attempt to boost her chances in the election.

"He represents a sovereign nation," Ms Le Pen said. "I think he also represents a new vision.

"A new world has emerged in the past years. This is Vladimir Putin's world, Donald Trump's world in the United States, Mr (Narendra) Modi's world in India."

:: What you need to know about the French elections, and why

Mr Putin said: "We by no means want to influence the current events but we reserve the right to communicate with all representatives of all political forces of the country, as do our partners in Europe and the United States, for example.

"I know that you represent quite a fast-developing spectrum of European political forces."

:: How do French elections work?

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Russia is ready to stay in contact with representatives of all political forces, with the current leadership, with representatives of the opposition."

Story continues

He added it was "important" for Moscow to exchange with political forces that advocate "the need to engage in bilateral dialogue to find solutions to existing problems".

Last week, Ms Le Pen's rival and presidential favourite Emmanuel Macron met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

In response, Ms Le Pen's deputy Florian Philippot said Mr Macron was "in a competition with (fellow candidate Francois) Fillon to be Mrs Merkel's top vassal".

Mr de Danne said the Berlin meeting and the Moscow meeting were different because "Macron-Merkel it's the declining establishment, Le Pen and Putin represent the freedom of the people, cooperation in a multi-polar world".
Police divers have started searching a canal in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, hoping to find the remains of schoolgirl Moira Anderson who disappeared, suspected murdered, in 1957. The operation follows an investigation by my colleagues and me, identifying five areas of interest in the canal.

This kind of search is often challenging, as is the forensic recovery of a body. But by increasingly combining technology with traditional methods such as diving, we are getting better at it  greatly boosting our chances of discovering victims of homicide or accidental drowning. The techniques we use depends on the environment, ranging from ditches, canals and rivers to large lakes, estuaries and oceans.

I specialise in the first set of locations: bodies in small, enclosed spaces. These are common locations for bodies to end up in, due to their covert nature and ease of access without a boat.

Typically, the first step when searching for a missing person that is suspected to have ended up in water is to employ old-fashioned leads from police or search and rescue operations  such as points of access to the crime scene or the kind of distance the perpetrator and victim could have travelled. This may narrow down the search area.

Sonar, a technique that uses sound propagation to search for objects underwater, may then be used from a boat or held by a diver to image the pond or lake bed. If theres a chance that the body could have sunk into soft sediment, a ground penetrating radar, which uses radar pulses to image the subsurface, could be placed at the base of a small boat to search for it.

If the sonar and/or radar detects an object, specially trained victim recovery dogs may be deployed from the boat to detect any scent rising from a decaying body.

In fact, we typically use a numbered system (one to four) of prioritising targets for dive teams to investigate. Four means high priority  with (theoretically) location, sonar, radar and dogs all indicating a possible sunken body. Three, two or one all mean that there are fewer indications than this. The end aim is to save dive teams from crawling along large areas of water conducting a fingertip search, or indeed draining the water body, with consequent environmental implications. The size and intensity of an anomaly on the radar data gives some clues as to what the target or contact may be, providing some important information for me to give the dive teams.

Story continues

These techniques are extremely effective and apply to a large range of cases. For example, a few years ago we found a drowned victim in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, using sonar, victim recovery dogs and penetrating radar. I am currently also assisting police with a number of searches for historic missing persons cases in some dams south of Belfast in Northern Ireland and in a canal in Scotland.

There are some well-known cases of victims of homicide found in water. Gary Ridgway, the Green River serial killer, for example, disposed of some of his victims in the Green River in Seattle.

Water also is involved in some of the most bizarre and gruesome murders of recent times. The body of Elisa Lam, a Canadian tourist, was found inside a Los Angeles hotel rooftop water tank (readers will be drinking bottled water in hotels from now on). In 2013, sewage workers found the dismembered parts of an unknown female in Bassett, Los Angeles.

There are also some unusual criminal investigations where water needs to be searched. In a recent search by environment agencies in Ireland for illegally dumped and buried waste, the perpetrator had flooded the quarry in which the toxic waste was hidden. He was hoping the presence of a few metres depth of water would hinder the search. But the deployment of the radar in a boat (see figure above) by Lorna Dawson and me allowed us to identify the waste, drain the quarry and successfully prosecute the offender.

Future technologies

Future technological advances in the search of water will include the increased use of underwater autonomous vehicles, or aqueous drones. These either roam on the water bottom or are propelled along the sediment surface, just as those used in submarine surveys of telecommunications cables, offshore windfarms and oil rigs.

Another modern approach is gas chromatography  a technique that can separate and analyse gaseous substances in water. Recent work has shown that it is possible to detect human decomposition products down to parts per billion. But exactly how practical it is remains to be seen  it has yet to be fully tested against dogs or other technology.

The main advance will be the further integration of all such techniques. A multi-proxy approach has a better statistical chance of success than using one method, as was often the case in the past. All areas of forensic science benefit from advances in technology. DNA analysis is a good example: the search for buried items and victims of homicide in water are no exception.

Hopefully this will help us to find the body of Moira Anderson. Had we all this technology back in the late 1950s, and had the location being searched now been known at the time, we might have already found her remains.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Alastair Ruffell consults for Police Scotland. He receives funding from EPSRC, NERC, European Union.
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will withdraw troops from Colombia's side of the two countries' border, after his soldiers set up camp in the neighboring country, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Thursday. Santos, speaking on television, said the incursion of about 70 Venezuelan soldiers into the Colombian border province of Arauca was "totally unacceptable." "I have just spoken with President Maduro," Santos said. "He has assured me he has ordered the withdrawal of troops from Colombian territory." The neighbors would work together through diplomacy until the situation on the border normalizes, Santos said, adding that he was informed of the incursion on Wednesday. Relations between the South American neighbors have been tense for years. Venezuela has closed the border several times in a crackdown on smugglers. In 2015, it deported hundreds of Colombians it accused of criminal activities. (Reporting by Bogota newsroom; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Shutterstock

No one could have expected what was to hit New Zealand in 2016. The country is certainly no stranger to being shaken up by moving tectonic plates. Yet on November 14 2016, it was struck by what may be the most complex rupture ever recorded, overshadowing even the highly destructive sequence of earthquakes that hit Christchurch in 2010 and 2011. New research into the event shows we may have to rethink our understanding of how far earthquake ruptures can travel.

Around midnight, without warning, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake ripped through the countrys South Island, with the main rupture lying close to the coastal town of Kaikoura. As the rupture advanced to the north-east, it left a trail of devastation.

Submerged rocky plateaus beneath the coast rose up from the ocean and became new reefs, suddenly releasing thousands of tonnes of gushing seawater. This deafening cascade lasted minutes. Houses were sheared from their foundations and deposited into adjacent fields. Railway lines were dragged from their beds and re-routed.

Tens of thousands of landslides roared down slopes as mountains, hills, and cliffs could not stand up to the shaking. Huge volumes of mud, sand, and gravel rushed onto the abyssal plains of the Pacific Ocean. Within minutes, a three-metre-high tsunami inundated local coastlines. Two people were killed, although far more deaths could have been expected for an event of this size. This earthquake had everything.

New research, published in the journal Science, used evidence from satellites, ground sensors and field maps to show that the 2016 quake ruptured at least 12 major fault-lines. Like dominoes tumbling and crashing against each other, each fault unzipped and shifted blocks of the crust by more than 20 metres, the height of a four-storey building. Many quake records also tumbled. Never before has such a cascading rupture across so many faults been observed in such detail.

Dr Ian Hamling, the lead author on the study, is an earthquake scientist based at GNS Science in New Zealand. Based in nearby Wellington, Hamling experienced the shaking. Ive lived in New Zealand for four years and have felt a few earthquakes, he told me. I didnt expect this one to be as complex as it was. Within hours, the data coming into GNS told a unique story, leaving Hamling stunned.

Story continues

For earthquake scientists around the globe, the events of New Zealand raise key questions. How often does this type of quake occur and could it happen elsewhere?

The geology of this part of New Zealand is a labyrinth. It is the pivot point between two plate boundaries. To the north, one tectonic plate dives beneath the other. Further south, two plates slide alongside each other, forming the countrys Southern Alps. As a result, the crust in the Kaikoura region is highly broken up and fractured. Similar mazes of fractured rock can be found in many of the worlds earthquake-prone regions.

For areas around the world that host large earthquakes, scientists use a model they call segmentation. Segments are discrete areas of faults, tens to hundreds of kilometres long, that typically rupture on their own during large quakes. This concept comes from recent recordings of seismic shocks and descriptions of ancient quakes in historical records.

Satellite data source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

When excavating evidence left by past earthquakes, scientists have often assumed geological scars running across multiple segments were caused by separate events. The new research into the 2016 quake shows that a single rupture can even jump across large gaps between segments, which do not necessarily need a clear physical connection.

With advances in satellite imaging, scientists are now able to dissect complex quakes. The New Zealand quake occurred partly on land, where it could be easily monitored. Satellites were poised to detect tiny changes in ground movement, networks of monitoring instruments were in place, and dedicated teams were rapidly deployed to map out the plethora of faults. In this case, the complexity of the rupture was clear.

But what if an earthquake were to strike in the remotest parts of the planet, such as in the deserts of central Asia, or below the deepest oceans? In isolated areas, complex events may remain undetected and could occur more often than previously assumed.

Maps showing the estimated hazard posed by quakes in different regions are generally based on the assumption of single segment ruptures. In earthquake scenarios where fault segments link up, there is a bigger area available to rupture, ramping up the quakes energy. Magnitude seven quakes become magnitude eight; eights become nines. Hamling said: This event will definitely start to feed into our hazard models. New Zealand is now showing the world that calculations of earthquake hazard need a rethink.

These lessons will also affect early-warning systems for earthquakes. These systems rapidly assess the first few seconds of an incoming seismic signal to estimate the degree of shaking when potentially damaging waves arrive. Initial seismic waves during the Kaikoura earthquake probably gave no indication that the quake could develop into a magnitude 7.8 rupture due to the domino effect. So understanding the cascading process during the New Zealand rupture could improve our abilities to warn whether a quake is destined for greatness.

The Kaikoura quake will likely remain unparalleled for some time. Yet as our models better simulate the true complexity of Earth and new observations illuminate hidden parts of the planet, we may find that the 2016 events and the wisdom gained could be overshadowed in the not so distant future.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Stephen Hicks receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
A team of conservationists staged an expedition to the Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe to treat a lame bull elephant on March 14.

AWARE Trust Zimbabwe were called out to examine the elephant, who appeared to be at least 40-years-old, after safari guides reported that it had a visible swollen leg and was immobile.

Veterinarians darted the animal and examined the injured leg with X-rays and a metal detector to check for evidence of a bullet or a snare. The team found that the injury was natural, treated the swelling and administered an antidote to the tranquilizer dart .

The video shows the bull elephant wake up and walk away at a good pace. AWARE Trust Zimbabwe will continue monitoring the elephants recovery process.

Please note that the uploader has asked to be sent links if this footage is embedded online. (See contact information.) Credit: Facebook/Aware Trust Zimbabwe via Storyful
The Top Five Hands from PokerStars Festival London

March 24 2017 Paul Seaton

The inaugural PokerStars Festival London provided the kind of dramatic action associated with one of the theatrical capital cities of the world.

London is known to some as the "Big Smoke," and plenty of players were on fire at the felt in claiming career-high victories.

Thousands of hands were played out, and while many were on the rail or watching in the wings, you may have missed some of the greatest live performances. We're here to provide a curtain call for the drama as it happened.

Gonzalez One Outed On Day 1a

Brexo Pena Gonzalez had the worst bad beat to tell of the tournament, and he was ousted from the action after less than two levels of play at the Hippodrome Casino. On a flop of , Gonzalez and Clement Tripodi got all the chips in, with Gonzalez a massive favorite to double-up, holding against Tripodi's .

The turn was terrible for Gonzalez, however, as it came the to give a gobsmacked Tripodi quad deuces. The inconsequential river saw Gonzalez rise from the table to stagger free of the room in need of air. Tripodi found himself with practically double the average chips having not been in his seat an hour.

Sucked Out of the Door

Day 1b saw 164 players pitch up, but none of them probably felt as green with envy at the players bagging chips at the end of the day as David Urban. He was back on the streets after being given the cruelest thing in poker - false hope.

Urban three-bet to 6,800 at blinds of 500/1,000/100 in Level 9 after June Jenkins opened to 2,700. Jenkins jammed the lot into the middle and Urban called, but he was way behind and at risk.

Jenkins:

Urban: .

The flop came , putting Urban into the lead. But no sooner had the odds swung his way like like a saloon door had it slammed back into his face, as the turn came and the river fell . It was last orders for Urban, while Jenkins leapt to 110,000 chips at a vital stage of the day.

Mateos the Matador as Three Busted

An incredible four-way all-in on Day 1d saw Spanish pro Adrian Mateos knock out three players after moving all his chips into the middle with .

He was called by , and , with the latter two calls belonging to short-stacked players, but the board of gave Mateos a rivered flush to cull three tablemates in one fell swoop. Ole!

Ludo Lays Waste to the Field

Scottish poker professional Ludovic Geilich ran all the way to sixth place, and his heater was on Day 2, when he delivered knockout blows to two of them, chipping up considerably in the process.

First, Geilich called a raise from Masafumi Saito, who held pocket aces. Geilich's hole cards were {9-}{7-} and he flopped top two pair to eliminate the unfortunate Saito.

Eldad Bentov was next to feel the gale force of Geilich blow his chances away, when he moved all in when short with but Geilich called with in the small blind and managed to flop two pair again, even filling up on the river to rub salt into the wound.

Kassam Gifted the Chip Lead

Although both heads-up players held a ten in the final hand and got it in on the ten-high flop, with Rehman Kassam's king kicker winning the pot and the tournament, the heads-up battle went in Kassam's direction with a hand just a few deals earlier.

Daniel Harwood tried to end the event but only succeeded in doubling Rehman Kassam up, when he shoved with and Kassam called for his tournament life with .

The board of gave Kassam a 2:1 chip lead which he would never relinquish and led to him being crowned the victor, taking home 89,320 for the victory.

Harwood, who had been ahead when the two players made a deal, may not have lifted the trophy, but banked an even bigger payday of 95,000. Both players took down the biggest live results of their poker careers to date.

Sharelines Huge clashes, moody rivers and monster pots in five top hands from the #PSFLondon.

2017 kicked off with a mid-stakes bang at #PSFLondon.
The attorney for an embattled state regulator says she doesn't believe her client's second job violates his oath of office.

Jeff Pursley has drawn criticism from elected officials for working part-time with a telecommunications consulting firm while serving as executive director of the Nebraska Public Service Commission, which regulates telecommunications companies.

But allegations that Pursley's private work is forbidden by his oath of office run contrary to case law by the Nebraska Supreme Court, his attorney, Jeanette Stull, said this week.

Pursley's private work for Parrish, Blessing and Associates doesn't bring him into direct contact with any clients who are also regulated by the Public Service Commission, such as Windstream, Stull said. And his limited role at the firm doesn't appear to constitute "indirect interest" in those clients, based on her legal research.

Pursley, who makes about $150,000 a year at the Public Service Commission, says he hasn't quit his private job because it offers insurance coverage that is critical for certain health issues in his family.

He said the PSC's five elected commissioners were aware of the arrangement when they hired him two years ago, and dismissed a claim from Commissioner Crystal Rhoades of Omaha that it was supposed to be temporary.

"I will say this as nicely as I can: That is not correct," Pursley said Wednesday, joined by Stull in a 14th-floor conference room at the U.S. Bank building. "There was no timing component whatsoever."

Pursley's employment contract with the PSC allows him to "undertake other professional duties and obligations which do not represent a conflict or interfere" with his commission work. A copy of the contract provided by Pursley does not require him to end that outside work by a certain date.

Staff at the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission told Pursley in an informal opinion that his private job doesn't constitute a conflict of interest under state law.

But that review didn't cover separate statutes which address the PSC exclusively and are outside the Accountability and Disclosure Commission's jurisdiction. Those laws are up to the PSC, the attorney general's office and the courts to interpret.

Pursley said he will wait for a final decision to decide whether or not to leave his position with the consulting firm, but didn't say whose word he would consider final.

"It could get into the courts; I don't know," he said.

His contract also protects him from being fired without just cause.

State Sen. Jim Smith has said he believes Pursley's private work could be in violation of his oath, giving the commission cause to fire him. Pursley and his lawyer disagree.

PSC Chairman Tim Schram declined to comment Thursday through a spokeswoman, saying the commission is still reviewing the situation.

Pursley's contract secures his job with the PSC for five years, ending in 2020. Commissioners must notify Pursley a full year in advance if his contract won't be renewed; if they don't, it is automatically renewed for another five-year term.

The contract also grants Pursley vacation and sick leave that exceeds what is usually available to state employees.

Starting with 80 hours of vacation leave and 88 hours of sick leave, Pursley accrues an additional 14 hours of vacation and 14.67 hours of sick leave each month. That adds up to more than 12 weeks of paid leave in the first year, then eight weeks each following year.

People familiar with high-level state employment deals have said formal contracts are rare. State agency directors typically serve at the will of the elected officials who hire them.

Stull said just because directors don't usually have employment contracts doesn't mean her client's contract is invalid.

"This is not at-will employment," she said.
Shinedown is a band thats never satisfied. Its always looking to reach another milestone.

Were never ever really going to be satisfied, Shinedown frontman Brent Smith said. Were always looking for the next adventure.

The bands next adventure will take it across the world. The group is planning shows in India and South Africa next year, as well as return trips to South America and Japan, two places it visited for the first time last year. It also hopes to revisit Canada and Australia.

The biggest thing for us is just being able to do what we love to do, like from birth, that is the biggest gift that the world has given us is theyve given us a platform, and the audience is listening, Smith said. Theyve always allowed us to be ourselves and we take that responsibility very seriously and we take the music very seriously, and we take the performances and how we treat our audiences and how we treat the fans seriously. Literally, they are the boss, so we just want to continue to keep on having milestones.

Living life without constraints is at the center of Shinedowns song Cut the Cord, on its latest album, Threat to Survival.

Lyrically, the song is built around anything that would constrict you in your life, Smith said.  Anything that would be holding you back and constricting around you, youve got to cut it loose.

The band is about 11 songs deep into writing its next album, which is leaning toward being a concept album.

If youre going to do a concept record, its a whole different animal, Smith said. It can potentially be going in that direction. I can tell you that it is a super-fresh sound that were working with right now. It is definitely over the top, and its extremely modern.  Were hoping to have it finished by late October, as far as having it recorded and mixed and mastered. It probably wont be out until next year.  But believe me, it will be a Shinedown record, but it will be the next level.
LONDON  Sadiq Khan, the mayor of a bustling city that on Wednesday was hit by a deadly attack, came Thursday evening to a public square that commemorates a British naval triumph, the Battle of Trafalgar. But his visit had little to do with celebration. Instead, he was there to reassure his fellow Londoners.

With the acting police commissioner and the home secretary at this side, Khan told the crowd that London was strong.

Those evil and twisted individuals who try to destroy our shared way of life will never succeed, and we condemn them, he said to applause. This is a time to express our gratitude to the heroism of our police officers and emergency services, who ran towards danger to help at the same time that they encouraged others to run for safety.

A minute of silence followed his address, and then Khan spoke to a scrum of British and European journalists, repeatedly emphasizing that British defenses were robust and advanced.

Over the last four years, more than a dozen terrorist attacks have been thwarted because of the excellence of the police, the security services, and because of the intelligence we receive from members of the public, he said. Over the last few months, Ive seen how we plan and we prepare for these sorts of incidents.

But many residents at the event, a sprawling candlelight vigil for the victims of Wednesdays violence, said they did not need to be reassured. They were not afraid, they said defiantly  a day after a 52-year-old man plowed through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally stabbing a police officer at the gates to Parliament. The Islamic State militant group has asserted responsibility for the attack, which killed four people. The attacker was killed at the scene.

Why are they not afraid?

Because Im a Londoner. This is my city, said Geraldine Cook, who was born in London but lives in the suburbs. How can we be afraid?

She drew a comparison to her parents generation, which came of age during World War II.

Were talking about bombs going off in the city as they were growing up, said Cook, who works in publishing. Ive been thinking over the past day about what that must have been like.

Wednesdays attack, Londons deadliest since a set of subway bombings in 2005, has drawn international attention to Khan, who was elected last year to the mayors office. In the hours after the attack, he drew the ire of Donald Trump Jr., who posted on Twitter a link to a story from last year misconstruing Khans declaration that terror preparedness had to become customary in major cities. You have to be kidding me?! the U.S. presidents son wrote, suggesting that Khan was saying that terror itself was normal. British lawmakers swiftly rebuked Trump.

Khan is the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital. That made him an effective spokesman for the city as it faced down an attack inspired by Islamist extremism, said two imams at the vigil, Tahin Khalid and Musharaf Ahmed, both 25.

Hes a really good role model, Khalid said. He has credibility when he stands up and says that extremism has no religion and that religion is something that should put peace into peoples heart.

Ahmed said Khans position of influence and the decency he brings to it offer a clear counterpoint for young people who might be tempted to radicalize.

Others said the London mayor was making a wise decision to ramp up police presence in the city.

Its the uncertainty, said Tyler Dudman, 19, referring to the random nature of such attacks. Im not necessarily afraid, but its the way theyre going about it  its so difficult to predict.

He said the mayors message to those gathered in the square amounted to a show of strength.

For Sonia Sangra, 24, the show was poignant but not necessary.

Im not scared by this, she said. That would be giving the terrorists what they want. Instead, we have to make clear that their message isnt getting across. I mean, what religion would justify this? None.
The sharing economy, wherein private individuals provide services or their private property for a fee, has become a sizeable subset of New Mexicos overall economy, and its growing fast. As we saw with transportation networks Uber and Lyft, the statutory and regulatory environments surrounding such innovative sharing services are much slower to change in a right-now world made possible by the internet.

Such is the case with another sharing-economy service, short-term rental, such as when a person chooses to rent a house for a weekend getaway, rather than a hotel suite, in any number of New Mexico communities. And with the proliferation of online booking platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway, New Mexicos short-term rental market has exploded.

According to a January audit of the New Mexico short-term rental market, Southwest Planning and Marketing estimated there are 4,076 short-term rental properties and about 9,296 short-term rental rooms. The scope of the report, which incorporates other short-term rental portals beyond Airbnb, identified that, out of the 4,076 short-term rental properties, roughly 76 percent are owned by individuals who own multiple short-term rental properties. In other words, many of these short-term rentals are investment properties.

Airbnb also released a report in January that showed New Mexico short-term rentals made an estimated $16.5 million through its platform in revenue for 2016, and saw a 110 percent increase in guest rentals compared to the previous year.

Because of the reach and ease of Airbnb, tourists have thousands more rooms available to them to visit communities across New Mexico. The only downside to New Mexicos new-found lodging capacity is that, whereas a hotel is required to remit a lodgers tax assessed for a guests weekend stay, a property owner providing short-term rental is not.

Such an inequity has occurred because an antiquated exemption in the states Lodgers Tax Act currently prevents municipalities and counties from collecting and administering their respective lodgers taxes for short-term rentals with less than three rooms. On the books since 1969, long before someone could book a shared space with a mobile device, the exemption was originally intended to assist small motels and bed-and-breakfasts.

Southwest Planning and Marketing further estimated that New Mexico cities and counties could be missing out on $2.6 million in lodgers taxes annually, based on average occupancy rates for New Mexico. Lodgers taxes are the means by which communities fund the promotion of their tourism-related attractions, facilities and events.

Its time to trade in the 1969 model for the 2017.

Companion bills Senate Bill 254, sponsored by Sen. John Sapien, and House Bill 266, sponsored by Rep. Carl Trujillo, aim to remove the exemption and to compel short-term rentals to add their fair share of local-level lodgers tax dollars to the tourism-related marketing and promotional efforts from which they already benefit.

The business community, the hospitality industry, convention and visitors bureaus and local governments have voiced their support for the bills and for removing the exemption throughout the legislative session. Even Airbnb has officially endorsed the bills, after demonstrating a willingness to work with communities to find solutions that work for everyone.

Airbnb has already begun working with a couple of New Mexico cities  Taos and Santa Fe  to collect lodgers tax on short-term rental properties through its platform. This collaboration demonstrates there is already a willingness for communities, digital platforms, and the lodging and tourism industry to find solutions together that are pro-innovation and pro-business.

Both SB 254 and HB 266 have merited decisive approval by the House and the Senate. We urge Gov. Susana Martinez to also support removing the short-term rental exemption because doing so will increase lodgers tax fund revenue for cities and counties so they can double down on tourism and build upon the tremendous success the tourism industry has enjoyed in recent years.

#NMtrue.

The New Mexico Hospitality Association is a 501 (c)(6) nonprofit that is focused on serving its members and all segments of the hospitality industry by crafting public policy and workforce development strategy for a more prosperous economy.
DOVER  A Waterford man is facing his fourth operating while intoxicated charge after he was reportedly found slumped over under the influence of a drug inside his running vehicle early Friday morning.

The charge against Benjamin Ivan Dolphin, 28, of the 600 block of Foxmead Place, is a felony.

According to the criminal complaint:

At approximately 12:33 a.m. Friday, deputies responded to the area of Highway 20 and Britton Road for a report of a male motorist, who was allegedly slumped over and not moving in a running vehicle.

Upon arrival, deputies noticed that Dolphin was reportedly in a fog and his pupils did not respond to light. Dolphin was also allegedly unable to perform sobriety tests, although a preliminary breath test came back with no alcohol concentration.

Deputies reportedly discovered a syringe and a pack of Suboxone strips in Dolphin's car. Suboxone is used to treat people for opioid addiction. He was then placed under arrest and transported to Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine for a legal blood draw.

Dolphin was asked and consented to participate in a drug influence evaluation. After the evaluation was completed, deputies determined that Dolphin was allegedly under the influence of a drug.

His next scheduled court appearance is a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the county Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., Racine.
Those of us who identify as progressive see this as a time when speaking up and engaging on public policy is our duty. I am writing to express my deep concern and dismay about the state of the federal government under Donald Trump. Like others, I have marched, donated, and joined Wednesdays International Womens Day protests against the administration of Donald Trump.

Each day he adds to my disgust and worry. It is challenging to list everything that concerns me, but there are issues that are paramount, such as:

1. The meddling of the Russians in our election and the evermore apparent collusion with Trump and his minions during and after the campaign, all of which constitute an attack against our sovereignty and an undermining of the pillars of democracy.

2. The Muslim travel ban, which was so obviously overbroad and legally sloppy, and in its latest iteration is still unnecessary to our national security as declared by the intelligence community.

3. Trumps incessant insults and scorn toward Mexico and Mexicans  and by extension, Mexican-Americans  in proposing an expensive and useless wall with taunts that Mexico will pay, the undoing of trade relations, the threats about mass deportations followed by a juiced-up ICE empowered to stop, detain and deport our neighbors.

4. The weakening of the media, Trumps continual and pathological lying, the inconsistent messages about policy from him and his sycophantic Cabinet secretaries and advisors.

5. Trump and chief strategist Steve Bannons zeal and glee in instigating polarization as they articulate their dystopian vision of a white economic nationalism and the deconstruction of the administrative and regulatory state  what can this mean other than the dismantling of the architecture that protects ethnic, racial, sexual and religious minorities, women, the air, the land, the water, the old, the vulnerable; in short, a loss of the laws and regulations that give us an inchoate claim to being an exceptional nation?

6. The exclusion of women, especially women of color, from the centers of power as shown in so many photos of this administration should be noted; on the other hand, to be excluded from such disastrous policies and hurtful uses of state power may ultimately be a blessing.

7. Finally, we must remember that budgets are moral documents; budgets, including tax expenditures, expose and reveal our lawmakers values and commitments. Trump will soon invite the Congress to engage in further redistributions of wealth upward to the already obscenely rich.

Why am I writing? Because these are not normal times and Trump is not a normal office holder, even with a softer tone. It is incumbent upon me as a grand/mother, a lawyer, now semiretired UNM law professor and a citizen to vigorously dissent from the direction Trump would have us move as a polity and as a country. Its more important now than ever that we communicate with the urgency that these times demand.

I plan to do what I can to disrupt, to counter, to stand against what is the wholesale destruction of our way of life, our constitutional norms, our governing customs and a consensus about our national identity as an inclusive democracy. I hope our Congress will represent me and my family and those I hold dear with bold voices and courageous votes. I thank them for what they have already done to defend New Mexicans against the Trumpian onslaught. On behalf of my grandchildren, I further beseech them to do more, to use all of their congressional power and prerogatives to push back, to investigate, to delay, to say no, to resist and persist.

We should be counted among those who gave their all, who risked everything to save our place in the world. Does this sound apocalyptic? We are approaching a precipice, we are unraveling. We must speak up. We must be present. There is so much at stake.
WASHINGTON  This would be a good time to do something about the red menace of Vladimir Putins Russia. Instead, were talking about the Red Raiders of Texas Tech.

FBI Director James Comey, testifying Monday about his agencys investigation into Russias attempt to tilt the 2016 election to Donald Trump, explained why it was a fairly easy judgment that Trump was Putins favored candidate: Putin hated Secretary Clinton so much that the flip side of that coin was he had a clear preference for the person running against the person he hated so much.

But Rep. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, was having none of it. Yeah, that logic might work on Saturday afternoon when my wifes Red Raiders are playing the Texas Longhorns. Conaway doubted such reasoning all the rest of the time.

Comey tried to be patient. Whoever the Red Raiders are playing, you want the Red Raiders to win, he explained. By definition, you want their opponent to lose.

Conaway was fourth and long. He scrambled to formulate another question, then punted: Well, let me finish up then.

Comeys testimony confirmed what was widely suspected: The FBI is investigating whether the presidents campaign colluded with a powerful American adversary in an attempt to swing the election. But instead of being shaken from complacency and uniting to make sure this never happens again, the Republican majority on the House Intelligence Committee mounted a reflexive defense of Trump.

The partisan response made it plain that there will be no serious congressional investigation, nor any major repercussions for Russia. We were attacked by Russia  about this there is no doubt  and were too paralyzed by politics to respond.

Trump, whose claim that President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower was dismissed by Comey on Monday, continued to fire his weapons of mass distraction Monday morning, tweeting about ties between Hillary Clinton and Russia and claiming the real story is who leaked classified information.

This is to be expected from Trump. The disheartening part was that most Republicans on the panel, which is supposed to investigate Trump, instead slavishly echoed his excuses.

Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., underscored that there was no evidence that Russia cyber actors changed vote tallies. (There was also no allegation that they had.) He also pronounced himself extremely concerned about the widespread illegal leaks  much more so than the potentially illegal actions that the leaks exposed.

Reading from Trumps cue card, Nunes asked Comey to regard as serious the alleged Clinton campaign ties to Russia. In one exchange that sounded more sandbox than hearing room, Nunes asserted that its ridiculous for anyone to say that the Russians prefer Republicans over Democrats. The chairman urged Comey to tell his investigators not to believe that somehow the Republican Party watered down its platform on Russia.

Rep. Thomas Rooney, R-Fla., pronounced himself concerned about the unmasking of Gen. [Michael] Flynns identity, which denied him the constitutional protections that we all enjoy. (The unmasking of the former Trump national security adviser was in the service of demonstrating that he spoke falsely about his contacts with Russia.)

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who led a multiyear Benghazi investigation packed with innuendo and damaging leaks, repeatedly denounced the felonious dissemination of secrets, supposedly by the Obama administration, and the hearsay that is impugning the Trump team.

Comey may have handed Trump the presidency with his announcement just before the election that he was reopening the Clinton email investigation. But he redeemed himself somewhat Monday with a lyrical defense of our wonderful, often messy, but free and fair democratic system. Said Comey: When theres something from a foreign state to disrupt that, its very serious. It threatens what is America.

The Russians, Comey warned, will be back to disrupt future elections. And one of the lessons they may draw from this is that they were successful because they introduced chaos and division and discord and sowed doubt about the nature of this amazing country of ours and our democratic process.

The chairman seemed more concerned about the political threat. Nunes told Comey flatly that we dont have any evidence of wrongdoing by Trump and his associates and asked the FBI director to hurry the investigation. There is a big gray cloud that you have put over people who have very important work to do to lead this country, Nunes said.

But the FBI director didnt put the cloud there. The Russians did. And if Nunes would consider country before party, hed recognize that the cloud isnt over Trumps White House; its over all of us.

Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. E-mail: danamilbank@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
Fake news or real? Does our president know the difference?

On Monday, after President Donald Trump pooh-poohed the notion that his campaign or his associates might have colluded with Russian operatives to affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, his FBI director, James Comey, confirmed that his agency is investigating that very possibility and has been since last July.

Comeys revelation, while not totally unexpected in some circles, is nonetheless shocking.

The FBI rarely confirms or denies ongoing investigations  a notable recent exception is its investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons emails and her use of an unsecured server.

In confirming that the FBI is looking into potential links between Russia and the Trump campaign, Comey said it was in the public interest and appropriate because of the unusual circumstances. He did not detail the unusual circumstances.

Comey also said his agency and the U.S. Department of Justice have found no evidence that former President Barack Obama had Trump Tower phones tapped, an allegation Trump tweeted earlier this month and has continued to defend, with the aid of press secretary Sean Spicer.

With respect to the presidents tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, I have no information that supports those tweets, and we have looked carefully inside the FBI, Comey said in testimony to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Meanwhile, during Mondays hearing, a tweet from Trumps @POTUS account at one point said, The NSA and FBI tell Congress that Russia did not influence electoral process.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut, saw the tweet and read it to Comey during the hearing, asking if it was accurate. Comey replied that it wasnt quite right and the effect of Russian interference was outside the scope of the agencys investigation. Weve offered no opinion  on potential impact because its not something we looked at.

Comey also noted that looking into leaks of classified information, a point made repeatedly by the Republicans on the committee, is a serious priority.

On Wednesday, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the committee, dropped his own bombshell  that U.S. intelligence agencies may have incidentally collected information on members of Trumps transition team, ultimately putting it into various intelligence reports.

During a subsequent news conference Nunes said the conversations may have been collected during routine foreign intelligence gathering and that the names of Trump associates may have been improperly leaked. Usually, American citizens who are caught up in surveillance of foreign targets are not identified by name in intelligence reports.

Details about the U.S. persons involved in the incoming administration with little or no apparent foreign intelligence value were widely disseminated in intelligence community reports, he told reporters.

Nunes informed both the White House and news media before informing the committee, prompting sharp criticism from Democrats.

Trump says Nunes announcement bolsters his argument that he and his team were surveilled under the Obama administration.

So whats fake news and whats real?

In February, when Trump delivered his State of the Union address, the nation saw a glimmer of hope that our president would act presidential. Unfortunately, it didnt last. He soon reverted to his truth-stretching ways with his fingers at the ready on his cellphone.

Irresponsible statements without evidence to back them up only harm our nations credibility with allies and enemies alike.

Our president needs to grow a tougher skin, stop picking fights, abandon distracting conspiracy theories and seriously focus on bringing this country together.

editorials

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
With an hour to create a drawing or a painting at the fundraiser Render Bender on Saturday, more than a few artists of the 50 on hand are likely to embrace the Zen of graffiti.

Graffiti artist Joerael Elliott intends to channel his freestyle at the event.

Its not premeditated. I think Ill just see what happens, said Elliott.

All of the artists are assigned the same size sheet of paper  11 by 14 inches  on which they draw or paint during the three-hour event at the Munoz Waxman Gallery at the Center for Contemporary Arts. The event begins at 5 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

As a graffiti artist, the art itself is of the moment and intended to last no longer than the inspiration of the next artist, said Elliott, who is also completing a mural at the gallery for the event.

Unlike most graffiti, however, the artists work will be preserved and sold. For $75 each, the pieces will go to the first bidder as soon as theyre complete. Admission is $10, free for children, and the proceeds will benefit CCA.

Attendees witness the creation of the art, which is subsequently matted, wrapped and made ready to go home with buyers. Each artist is invited to participate in two one-hour rounds, so a total of no fewer than 100 pieces of art will be on offer throughout the evening. Artists may create more than one piece during the hour-long rounds, if they wish.

The live drawing-themed event will be circus-like, with Wise Fool performers, an emcee, food, drink and live music, said curator Angie Rizzo. There will be an art-making table for the children, as well as face painting. Participants are encouraged to walk around and witness art being made in front of them.

Some artists may pick up on participants presence and reactions, while others may wish to filter it out, said Rizzo, whose diverse background includes administration, education and conservation, as well her own artistic practice.

Interacting with artists at Render Bender is encouraged.

Its an excellent opportunity for new buyers to start collecting or for artists to build a new collector base, she said.

The event may also be a relaxed gateway for people interested in collecting art, but who may be intimidated by the high prices or the scrutiny of gallery owners. Strolling through a crowd of family-friendly people provides safety in numbers, said Aidan White, CCAs membership and development coordinator.

The artists represent a wide range of styles, Rizzo said. Most are from New Mexico, specifically Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Taos. But there are artists from the coasts, as well. About half of this years group of artists also participated in last years Render Bender.

I think theyll come up with something new. Weve asked the artists to let us know if theyre going to do something off the wall. I think it really adds to the energy, Rizzo said.

The emcee will be Westin McDowell of The Shiners Club Jazz Band. Last years event had a Mardi Gras feel; this years is jazzy. The crowd was large and fun last year, Rizzo said, and she is expecting even more people to come on Saturday.

Sponsorships have increased. This years sponsors include Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Artisans Santa Fe, Whoos Donuts, and Gavin Collier and Company, a framing company. Last years Render Bender generated a net of $7,500, she said.

One piece of art created for the event stays at the gallery, at least until it is painted over for the next CCA exhibit. Artist Elliott is using acrylic and water to create a huge mural.

And maybe a little spray paint, he said.

Hes calling on the rhythm, flow and structure of graffiti to present images from the Tohono Oodham Nation and the desert. The nations lands are split by the boundary between Mexico and Arizona. Theyve experienced nearly two centuries of other political entities trying to divide their homeland.

An electronic image of Elliotts work will become part of a global project organized by him as an alternative to the wall that seems to be on everyones minds  President Donald Trumps proposal for a 30-foot-tall structure along the southern border of the United States.

Its a destructive piece of land art, interrupting life paths, Elliott said of Trumps plan.

After Elliotts work is complete at CCA, the murals image will become  square foot by square foot  part of his Mobilize Walls action to electronically join walls of art, land art and donated blank walls to the exact scale of Trumps proposed wall, what he calls online an outlet and expression against the wall.

Go to mobilizewalls.com for more information about the project.

If You Go:

WHAT: Render Bender, with 50 artists drawing and painting on the spot

WHERE: Center for Contemporary Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe

WHEN: 5-9 p.m. Saturday

HOW MUCH: $10/free for children. Drawings/paintings will sell for $75 each.
Its always good to see people, and especially young people, getting involved in the political process.

But the leadership of Santa Fe Public Schools shouldnt have canceled school for a half-day last week in support of a well-attended rally at the Roundhouse to protest state education funding cuts, even with the prospect of bigger class sizes, loss of school days or even closing schools altogether if the governor and the Legislature cant agree on a way to find more money for public schools.

The loss of a couple of hours of classroom time on one afternoon wont make much difference in students academic lives in the long run. Without much snowfall this winter causing canceled classes, the district says it will easily exceed the required number of instructional hours for the school year. The afternoon off was called a snow day of action.

The main problem was that the closure injected resources of a public school district into a political fight.

The district says the local teachers union paid a standard field trip rate to cover the cost of the Santa Fe Public Schools buses used to take participants to the rally, and that bus drivers volunteered their time. District administrators werent given any leave time to attend the rally. Teachers did get the hours off, similar to what happens when schools are closed early during a snow storm.

But, at the very least, staff time was used to arrange for the afternoon off, provide notice and make sure children were looked after when the schools closed early. The district used its website for a poll on whether to close school for a whole day, a half-day or not at all.

There are other cases where students get out of school to show up at the Roundhouse  theres been a weekday, teen-organized anti-DWI march now for several years; public school students have participated and the event has been seen as a commendable civic exercise. There might not be a political argument about DWI being a bad thing, but New Mexico has certainly had some testy political arguments on how to deal with it.

Still, the district-wide school closure for the last weeks rally crossed a line onto the proverbial slippery slope. School funding is certainly a pressing issue deserving of intense advocacy right now in New Mexico, but not this way. What if a conservative rural school district somewhere (probably not in New Mexico) called off classes so students and parents could rally against teaching evolution, and public school buses were used to haul people in?

Gov. Susana Martinezs administration says its now investigating whether the Santa Fe Public Schools violated any laws regarding use of public resources for political purposes. Regardless of whether this probe is political tit for tat  the snow-day rally seemed aimed mostly at getting Martinez to back off her no-new-taxes stand  the Santa Fe schools certainly opened the door to this kind of scrutiny.

Theres no monopoly on misuses of public resources for political purposes  while not illegal, the governors decision to insert a doomed-to-fail effort to restore the death penalty into a special legislative session on fixing the state budget cost a lot, in terms of lawmakers per diem, legislative staff time and the deaths of many trees for paperwork.

But school leaders should leave the rallies for after-school hours from now on.
Big Soda has a lot of interest in Santa Fes upcoming special election to impose a soda tax to pay for pre-kindergarten education and so does former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, according to campaign finance reports.

The American Beverage Association has provided a $100,000 cash donation to Better Way for Santa Fe & Pre-K, a PAC that opposes the proposed 2-cent-per-once tax on soda, energy drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages, according to the first campaign finance statements that were due at City Hall on Thursday.

The ABA also spent $154,635 on in-kind contributions, which are for services rendered or paid for as opposed to cash donations, to fight the soda tax.

On the other side, Bloomberg  who has also supported taxes on sugary drinks elsewhere and tried to limit soda serving sizes in New York  contributed $96,750 in in-kind contributions, including $30,000 for media and $66,750 for research, to Pre-K for Santa Fe, a PAC supporting the tax-for-pre-K proposal.

Sandra Wechsler of Pre-K for Santa Fe said Bloomberg paid for a photo shoot and donated the photos to the PAC. She said he also paid for research and shared the findings.

The City Council voted earlier this month to put the tax before Santa Fe voters in a May 2 special election. The levy is expected to generate more than $7 million a year to improve and expand early childhood education programs in the city.

Mayor Javier Gonzales, who proposed the tax, has said the program would provide free or affordable pre-K slots for roughly 1,000 children ages 3 and 4 in the city who dont have access to early childhood education now, boosting education and professional success down the line.

Opponents say they support more pre-K services, but that a sweetened-beverage tax could cost jobs, would hit low-income families the hardest, and unfairly targets only certain consumers and businesses to pay for a community program.

Some of the services the ABA paid for include $96,451 for print and radio ads, and $42,880 for a mailer opposing the tax. Mailers on both sides of the tax issue were sent out before the City Council voted to put the tax on the ballot.

Coca-Cola Bottling of Santa Fe didnt make a monetary donation to Better Way for Santa Fe, but contributed $44,215 in in-kind contributions, including $38,411 for employee time and meals, according to the campaign statements. The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce covered employee time and travel expenses worth $2,000.

For the tax, Pre-K for Santa Fe got $101,855 in cash donations. The left-leaning Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLA) gave two separate checks for a total of $100,000, and the National Education Association-Santa Fe gave $1,000. The rest came from individual contributions.

OLA also contributed $30,208 in in-kind services for a field canvass. Wechsler said the group went door to door to campaign for the tax.

Better Way for Santa Fe & Pre-K spent has spent $95,564 to protest the tax, including $37,554.66 to the Dewey Square Group in Washington, D.C., for consulting, transportation and lodging.

Pre-K for Santa Fe spent $43,216 for the ballot proposals, leaving a balance of almost $59,000. Some expenditures include two separate payments worth $19,500 to Stephen Clermont of Burke, Va., for polling and $6,280 to an Austin company for mailers.
The longest active federal lawsuit in the country could be headed to resolution, but theres still much to be determined in the next six months before the New Mexico State Engineer vs. R. Lee Aamodt, et al. case is closed. And even then, the litigation over water rights in northern Santa Fe County in could drag on for several more years.

The situation is fluid, said Sandra Ely, project manager for Santa Fe Countys utilities department, said, not realizing the pun.

The case was brought 51 years ago to sort out what the lawsuit said was the co-mingling of water rights between Indian tribes and non-Indians living within the Pojoaque-Nambe-Tesuque stream system. That includes the pueblos of Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso and Tesuque, and non-Native people living in the Pojoaque Basin north of Santa Fe.

Though two settlement agreements were signed since 2010, the latest approved by a federal court a year ago, much needs to happen to meet a Sept. 15 deadline before the court can declare a final decree.

The final decree is the end of the lawsuit, Peter Chestnut, an attorney representing San Ildefonso Pueblo, said, though he cautioned that even that might not put an end the litigation.

There is a provision in the settlement agreement that a regional water system be built. If thats not done, one of the pueblos could take it back to court.

In an emailed response to submitted questions, County Attorney Gregory Shaffer said the lawsuit would not end with a final decree, saying it would be subject to appeal. But he made the same point as Chestnut about failing to meet the deadline for completing a new water system to serve the area.

In that event, the decree shall have no force or effect,  he wrote, quoting from the settlement agreement.  The Settlement Agreement shall no longer be effective, and title to other property acquired or constructed with federal funds appropriated or made available to carry out the activities authorized by (the federal act) shall be returned to the federal government, unless otherwise agreed to by the pueblos and the United States and approved by Congress. 

Shaffer said that provision creates substantial uncertainty and risk, potentially leaving property acquired with state and county funds effectively stranded.

However, he added that the county was working closely with the pueblos to minimize the risks of the system not being substantially complete before the county commits funds.

The deadline to complete the water system is still seven years away.

Before that, and what remains fluid now, are the results of an environmental assessment by the Department of Interiors Bureau of Reclamation, declarations by individual well owners as to whether theyll tap into the yet-to-be-built $260 million regional water system, securing the remaining funding to pay for it and, most importantly, the transfer of water rights to make it all possible.

The state Engineer has yet to approve the transfer of 1,752 acre-feet of groundwater from the Top of the World Farm in Taos County to Santa Fe County so that amount can be diverted from the Rio Grande. That represents about 44 percent of the water to be diverted from the river to supply a system that would serve 9,200 customers.

But Taos County protested the transfer. Hearings on that case were held in October and attorneys filed final paperwork in December. A hearing officer is to make a recommendation to State Engineer Tom Blaine, who will make a final decision.

A spokeswomen for the Office of the State Engineer said that decision should come some time this summer.

Also pending is the Bureau of Reclamations final Environmental Impact Statement for the water system. The comment period ended last month, and the final EIS should be published in a few months. Not subject to the September deadline, a record of decision spelling out details of how the regional water system will be built will likely come next year.

An achievable goal

Planning for the regional water system is well underway, with construction scheduled to begin a year from now.

In all, 4,000 acre-feet of water per year will be diverted from the Rio Grande north of the Otowi Bridge on N.M. 502 and treated at facilities on San Ildefonso Pueblo. The settlement calls for 2,500 acre-feet to go to the four pueblos and 1,500 to Santa Fe County.

Nearly 200 miles of underground pipeline will distribute the water, and storage tanks are to be built at various locations up and down the valley. The deadline for the system to be substantially complete is June 30, 2024.

The idea is to bring in additional water from outside the basin and reduce the reliance on groundwater so not to deplete the aquifer. Groundwater tests in some areas have shown traces of uranium.

The federal government will pay almost two-thirds of the $260 million cost. As part of the 2010 settlement, President Obama signed legislation providing $82 million in immediate funding, some of which is being used by the Bureau of Reclamation for the project design. Congress authorized another $92.5 million in future funding subject to approval. Chestnut said about $25 million in federal funding is expected to be appropriated this year.

The state is to provide about $72 million under the agreement, about $15 million of which has already been paid. The rest is subject to appropriation.

Santa Fe County, which is serving as the fiscal agent for the project, is obligated to pay $11.7 million, but that doesnt include an estimated $9 million it will pay after the system is substantially complete to bring water to county residents who elect to hook up with the system.

The utility will operate independent of any of the government entities and will be overseen by a board of directors. But the makeup of the board hasnt been finalized.

In December, County Commissioner Henry Roybal proposed to expand the board to include two water utility customers. Under the agreement, the board is to be made up of one representative from each pueblo and one from Santa Fe County. While Roybals proposal was accepted by the county commission, it is still subject to approval by each of the pueblos.

Roybals proposal was in response to concerns from non-Indian county residents who felt they were being under-represented and that the pueblos would have too much authority.

There has also been opposition and reluctance from people who want to keep using their wells and dont necessarily want to give up their water rights and hook up to a water system and have to start paying for the service. So, some time this summer, they will have to declare whether they will or not  or connect with the system, but still keep a portion of their water rights, allowing them to use at least 0.5 acre-feet of water per year from their wells.

While the case could still drag on for years, County Attorney Shaffer said hes confident the next major milestone of a final decree on Sept. 15 is in sight.

First, District Court Judge (William P.) Johnson has stated that he intends to meet that deadline, he said. Second, there are only a handful of inter se objections to non-Pueblo water rights, which makes doing so an achievable goal.
WASHINGTON  U.S. House Republicans on Thursday postponed a planned vote on a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act after the legislation failed to garner enough support from conservative Republicans.

The widely anticipated vote is now scheduled for this morning, but it still wasnt clear late Thursday that Republicans had the 216 votes needed to pass the bill in the House. The legislation faces an even steeper climb in the Senate, where about a half-dozen moderate Republicans have vowed to oppose it.

About two dozen House GOP conservatives in the Freedom Caucus, including Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., met with Trump at the White House on Thursday morning for a last-minute sales pitch from the president. The Freedom Caucus was pushing for changes in the bill that would rescind essential health benefits, such as maternity care and mental health coverage, mandated under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. But if the so-called essential health benefits are stripped, the bill would likely lose support from moderate Republicans and would still be in jeopardy. House Democrats, including Reps. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, are largely united in opposition to the GOP bill.

Pearce, who told the

Journal late Wednesday that he was unlikely to support the House bill, said Thursday that he wasnt sure the bill could be changed enough Thursday night to win passage today.

The position is still that we are looking for repeal of the essential health benefits and  some of the mandates, said Pearce, who hopes the price of health insurance will come down if insurers are not mandated by law to provide certain coverages.

If it takes time, lets get it right and not hurry it. I dont think anyone (among House Republicans) wants to give up on the bill.

The sentiment was different on the Democratic side of the House. Democrats contend the bill would cause millions of Americans to lose coverage they have gained under Obamacare.

President Trump and congressional Republicans hatched a bill in a back room and tried to slip it through the House with no hearings before anyone  even members of their own party  were able to understand the details, Lujan said. And when those details did come out  President Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan and House Republicans got caught pulling a fast one on the American people.

House Republicans planned to meet behind closed doors Thursday night to consider their next steps. Thursday marked seven years since then-President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law.

At the White House on Thursday, press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump is looking forward to seeing Republicans fulfill the pledge they made to repeal Obamacare.
SANTA FE  The state Public Education Department has launched an investigation into Santa Fe Public Schools promotion of a Save Our Schools rally at the Roundhouse on a school day last week  including closing schools early  as an improper use of public resources for political purposes.

The department is also asking SFPS Superintendent Veronica Garcia to conduct her own investigation and respond to a series of allegations within 30 days to determine if further action is necessary. PED said it has notified the Attorney General and the state Auditors office.

In a news release, Education Secretary Hanna Skandera said her department takes accountability seriously.

When the superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools directed releasing students early and then encouraged teachers to load school buses during the school day to protest at the Capitol, it raised a serious red flag for the department, Skandera said. We are concerned that funds meant for students were used instead for political purposes.

Garcia said in a phone interview Thursday that the school district did nothing wrong and she will comply with PEDs request. But I am confident that our actions were lawful and we did not violate any statutes or regulations, she said.

Garcia, who served in Skanderas position in former Gov. Bill Richardsons administration, said she did not take lightly her decision to call for an early student release so people could attend the March 16 rally, and that she sought in-house and outside legal counsel beforehand.

Prior to the rally  attended by more than 1,000 mostly SFPS staff, teachers, students and their parents  the school district announced that its purpose was to draw public attention to the dire financial crisis of public education in New Mexico and encourage compromise between branches of government.

In a letter to Garcia dated March 23, Skandera outlined complaints and concerns she had received from parents and community members regarding the rally. They include allegations about:

 Use of the school districts website, email lists and communication devices to organize the rally;

 Paying employees to participate in activities unrelated to their contracts;

 Supplying students with templates for writing letters to lawmakers; and

 Using school buses to transport people to and from the rally. Garcia has said that the local teachers union covered the cost of the bus service at a standard field-trip rate and bus drivers volunteered.

I am concerned that this effort on your part to influence the Legislature and the Governor amounts to political activity, which is prohibited under New Mexico statutes and further violated provisions regarding the use of government resources for political and nongovernmental activities, Skandera wrote.

Skandera also said she received a report that one principal announced that it was mandatory for teachers to attend the rally. As you know, classroom teachers are the most powerful influence on our students and to provide a one-sided view of any issue or to influence student behavior to align with a teachers political beliefs is not acceptable and warrants disciplinary action, Skandera said.

When asked, Garcia said she did not know the identity of the principal referred to in the letter. I pride myself on following the code of ethics for licensed professionals in education, and that all laws and statutes I am responsible for are enforced, she said. All that was taken into consideration.
A 71-year-old self-proclaimed sovereign citizen was sentenced to time served Wednesday after pleading guilty in federal court to filing a false federal income tax refund claim for $958,163,765 in 2010.

Frances Jo Mehner, a retired court reporter formerly of Rio Rancho, fled New Mexico after her 2014 indictment and was arrested in Illinois in August.

She was sentenced to 207 days, which she served awaiting trial, and was given a year of supervised probation.

Two other counts in the indictment were dismissed, including a charge of filing a false federal income tax refund for $211 million.

She received no money as the result of her false income tax filings and faced up to five years in prison for each charge of false returns.

Mehner filed court documents while she was on the run with her husband seeking to have the indictment dismissed on various grounds  including that she was not Frances Jo Mehner, but Frances Jo of the house of Mehner  while she was on the run with her husband.

So-called sovereign citizens dont recognize the authority of states or the federal government to impose income taxes, among other beliefs that vary widely.

In one court filing, Mehner wrote, I am a peace-loving woman injured by a predatory U.S. bank that stole my home and left my husband and I for months on the street without shelter.

And in the same document, she said, I am a human being in the private sector under Gods law, but possess a belief that I have no duty to the State.

She also tried to file a counter complaint against the government as a foreign corporation for overreaching its authority for the purpose of commercial gain.

Federal prosecutors called many of the legal documents Mehner filed on her own behalf incomprehensible.

But they agreed to a lower sentence because she agreed to plead guilty and avoid the cost of a trial. At her arraignment in Albuquerque after her arrest, she refused to answer questions from a U.S. magistrate judge, answering only, I dont understand.

She was found competent to stand trial after a court-ordered psychiatric examination.

Because of Mehners obstructive behavior toward the IRS, District Judge James Browning also ordered Mehner to comply with several special conditions during her term of supervised release, including filing timely, accurate and lawful tax returns.

Browning also ordered that Mehner may only communicate with the IRS through a licensed attorney.

She is also prohibited from filing any liens or other forms against any employee of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, the U.S. Attorneys Office, or the IRS.
DOVER  With a local couples assessment lawsuit in front of the state Supreme Court, a state senator is circulating a bill addressing an issue at the heart of the case.

Specifically, the bill co-sponsored by state Sen. David Craig allows people who deny assessors access to their homes the right to appeal to a municipalitys Board of Review and file a claim for excessive assessment.

The legislation comes after Vincent Milewski and Morganne MacDonald sued the Town of Dover, its Board of Review and the company that provides the towns assessor services, alleging their constitutional rights were violated when they refused to let an assessor into their home and then were not allowed to challenge the resulting assessment.

Craig: Bill of Rights issue

Under state law, residents are allowed to deny an assessor entry to their home. However, another law forbids residents who deny entry from appealing the assessed value.

Craig, R-Town of Vernon, argues the law violates the U.S. Constitution, specifically amendments prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure and allowing for due process of law.

Certainly the state has a role in making sure we have a tax system based on value, said Craig, who represents the Waterford area. But that has to be done within the auspices of the United States Constitution.

Dan McHugh, an assessor for the villages of Mount Pleasant and Waterford, defended the current assessment process, saying its difficult for assessors to ascertain the value of a property without knowing whats inside.

If a property owner remodeled a kitchen or finished a basement and didnt pull permits, an assessor has no way of knowing and cant estimate what a homes true value is, he said.

All we want is to truly reflect what the value of the property is, said McHugh, who has no involvement in the Dover case.

People should be allowed to appeal their assessment to the Board of Review, but thats something the Board of Review members should take into consideration as part of their deliberation, McHugh added.

Craig, who himself is a Realtor, argues an assessor should have all the information he or she needs without going into a home. Assessors have access to exterior views, aerial photos, permits pulled and, perhaps most importantly, sales of comparable homes, he said.

He added homeowners have an incentive to not do major interior work without permits because they have to show permits when selling their home and could get in trouble if they dont have them.

Craig says the bill, which is circulating for cosponsors until 5 p.m. today, also aims to prohibit an assessor from increasing the value of someones property because of a refused entry. Milewski and MacDonald allege their property im the Lorimar Estates subdivision north of Eagle Lake was reassessed at a pricier value in retaliation for refusing to allow an assessor to inspect the inside of their home in 2013.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a nonprofit law firm that focuses on constitutional and open government law, filed a lawsuit on behalf of the couple in 2014. A circuit court judge dismissed the couples complaint in 2015, but an appeal has made its way to the state Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments Jan. 19. A ruling is likely by summer, WILL said on its website.

Since we think the current law is unconstitutional, we certainly dont oppose legislative efforts to fix it, said Rick Esenberg, WILL president and general counsel. We are aware that special interests are likely to oppose that effort and look forward to the Supreme Courts decision.
Help celebrate the KiMos 90th anniversary and hear best-selling Western novelist C.J. Box tonight, and separately, a cowboy musical performance by a noted New Mexico ranching historian Steve Cormier on Sunday.

Both events are free.

New York Times best-selling author Box will discuss his book Vicious Circle at the KiMo Theatre, Fifth and Central, at 7 tonight as one of two signature events tied to the theaters 90th Anniversary Season of Celebration.

Box is the author of 21 novels including the popular Joe Pickett series, organizers said in a news release. Vicious Circle is the latest in that series.

His novels Open Season, Blue Heaven, Nowhere To Run, and The Highway have been optioned for film and television. More than 10 million copies of his novels have been sold in the U.S. alone.

His book will be available for sale in the lobby before and after the presentation.

The second signature event for the KiMo, in collaboration with the New Mexico Humanities Council, is a free Chautauqua musical performance featuring Steve Cormier at 2 p.m. Sunday. Music From the Ranch and the Open Range showcases how cowboy music has evolved from the open range, and the ranch employees who rode after cattle during the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries. (See todays Venue section for a feature on Cormier.)

The Albuquerque Journal is the title sponsor of the KiMos 90th Anniversary Season of Celebration.

We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.
A corrections officer has been charged with criminal sexual penetration involving a female inmate at the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Grants who is now pregnant.

The 29-year-old inmate is serving time for second-degree murder and child abuse, and is from two to three weeks pregnant.

New Mexico State Police arrested Benny Chee Jr., 39, at his apartment on Tramway NE in Albuquerque early Thursday, a day after the female inmate was medically evaluated and tested, according to a State Police report. It wasnt clear what will happen to the child.

Chee was being held Thursday in the Cibola County Detention Center on $100,000 bond. He had been a corrections officer since August 2014.

The inmate told State Police she and Chee had been sexually involved for about a month. She had originally been incarcerated in March 2011, was paroled in May 2015, but violated her parole and was returned to prison in December 2015. Her anticipated release date is December 2019.

The Corrections Department maintains a zero tolerance policy on all levels of sexual abuse and harassment against inmates, said David Jablonski, Corrections Department secretary, in a written statement. This is a serious break of trust and an affront to all our correctional officers who work in very difficult circumstances with utmost professionalism each and every day.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Christine Stump, a former Albuquerque paramedic saddled with a felony arrest record after a misunderstanding with an Albuquerque police officer, has lost her battle to get that record erased.

The state Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a decision by 2nd Judicial District Judge Clay Campbell, who ruled that while Stumps 2008 arrest was unfortunate, it was nonetheless a record of how law enforcement operates and as such is important for public accountability.

While that may be bad news for Stump, the city and government transparency advocates who argued against Stumps effort to erase her record said it was the correct decision.

In 2008, Stump, who was working as a paramedic for Presbyterian Healthcare Services ambulance company, and Albuquerque police officer Regina Sanchez were responding to a suicidal woman. According to reports of the encounter, the two women argued about who had priority over the scene, and while Stump asked Sanchez to move away from her flailing patient, Sanchez pushed the patients face, neck and arm into the gurney. Stump then grabbed Sanchezs arm.

The next day, a team of police officers arrested Stump at her home on a charge of battery on a police officer.

Stump, who was then 40, was booked into jail and charged with fourth-degree felony battery upon a peace officer, which is the unlawful, intentional touching or application of force to the person of a peace officer while he is in the lawful discharge of his (or her) duties, when done in a rude, insolent, or angry manner.

The city quickly pulled the case out of court and into mediation, where attorneys for police, Stump and Presbyterian agreed to dismiss it  accompanied by the citys promise to support Stumps effort to erase the incident from any database.

But that required going to court, and Campbell ultimately ruled that he didnt have the power to just make court records disappear, an act called expungement.

As a compromise to Stump, who Campbell said was wronged in the incident, the judge ordered the Albuquerque Police Department, the state of New Mexico Department of Public Safety Law Enforcement Records Bureau, and the Metropolitan Court to attach his ruling to Stumps case. That way, prospective employers doing a background check on Stump can see the circumstances surrounding the arrest and disposition of the case.

Since Campbells ruling, Stump has fought to force the court to erase the records.

But the Supreme Courts order issued Thursday, written by Justice Barbara Vigil, concludes Stumps case unless she plans to appeal. Jocelyn Drennan, Stumps attorney, did not return calls Thursday or for previous news reports of Stumps case.

The order affirms Campbells ruling, including the order that agencies attach the court rulings in Stumps files. But it doesnt set precedent, meaning it doesnt give other judges in the state guidance on when or how to erase records.

While it was probably a wrongful arrest  APD arrested her for basically doing her job  it is a record of something done by law enforcement that probably shouldnt have been done, said Greg Williams, president of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, which filed an amicus brief in the case. He said that while an expungement would help Stump, it wouldnt help the public hold law enforcement accountable. We would have no record of misconduct.

City Attorney Jessica Hernandez said Thursday that the city supports the ruling.

The city and APD believe that the availability of felony arrest records for public inspection is an important policy issue that should be decided in the legislative process, not in court cases, she said in an email. The New Mexico Legislature has allowed expungement only in limited misdemeanor cases, not for felony arrests. Because of the public interest in transparency and access to public records, felony arrest records should remain available to the public unless and until that law is changed through the legislative process.

State law allows a minors first drug offense to be expunged, as well as records wrongly attached to the names of victims of identity theft. DNA samples taken by law enforcement after a felony arrest can be removed from the system if the case is dismissed.

Legislators have tried to change the states expungement law 11 times since 2005, succeeding four times to pass a bill only to have Gov. Bill Richardson veto two of them and Gov. Susana Martinez veto the others, according a Court of Appeals opinion in Stumps case. Rep. Antonio Maestas, D-Albuquerque, attempted another such bill this year, but it didnt make it to a committee hearing.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is praising a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that bolsters the rights of millions of learning-disabled students.

The ruling issued this week requires public schools to offer special education programs that meet higher standards. The case involved a boy who attended public school outside Denver.

Balderas was among those who filed briefs in the case.

The New Mexico Democrat said Thursday the ruling reverses what had been the law in New Mexico and that educational plans for students with disabilities must be designed so that students can make progress.

School officials from across the country had cautioned the court that imposing higher standards could be too costly for some cash-strapped districts. They warned that it could also lead parents to make unrealistic demands.
CAIRO  Six years after his overthrow, former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was freed from detention Friday, dashing the hopes of many who saw Mubaraks downfall as a sign that Arab leaders could be held accountable for corruption and repression.

On Friday morning, Mubarak left the Maadi Military Hospital in Cairo, where he had been detained since 2013, and traveled to his mansion in the upscale northern suburb of Heliopolis, his lawyer said.

The 88-year-old leaders release comes weeks after the nations top appeals court cleared him of any role in the deaths of more than two hundred protesters at the hands of the countrys police in the 2011 populist revolts, part of the Arab Spring uprisings, that ended Mubaraks three-decade rule.

Yes, Mubarak has been released today, Mubaraks lawyer, Farid El Deeb, said in a brief telephone interview.

Mubaraks supporters predictably welcomed his release, describing it as a vindication of sorts.

I was certain from the beginning that the man who served his country and fought for it for 30 years could never kill his people, said Samir Abdulaziz Al-Aswany, 47, a bank employee who described herself as a co-founder of a Mubarak support group. Todays release proves he is an icon and that the Egyptian people are smart. . . . Mubarak is not a killer, but a respectable man.

But many activists who risked their lives to oust Mubarak viewed his release as the latest indication of how little change the revolution has brought in terms of its key goals of democracy, justice and eradicating corruption. Today, their unbridled dreams of six years ago have been replaced by a weariness that has tamped down efforts to confront power.

On key anniversaries, such as Jan. 25, when the uprisings began, there are no longer protests or even gatherings  and its highly unlikely that any demonstrations will erupt against Mubaraks release. President Abdel Fatah al-Sissis government has jailed tens of thousands of opponents and activists, a level of oppression that critics say exceeds that of the Mubarak regime. His release has further deepened a collective despondency.

I feel a little pain in my heart, but it will not interrupt my day anymore, said Mona Sief, a well-known activist, referring to Mubaraks release. Her sister, Alaa Abdelfattah, is serving a five-year prison sentence on charges of staging protests without official permission.

I no longer have hope in this judicial system and I am not waiting for it to prosecute any criminals or those who have ruled or committed crimes in their names, Sief added.

Mubarak was the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprising, arrested two months after he was ousted from office in an 18-day revolution that drew hundreds of thousands of Egyptians into the streets of Cairo and other cities.

The following year, Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison, along with his interior minister and six aides. But an appeals court later ordered a retrial. In 2014, the court dismissed the charges of killing protesters, citing the prosecution for technical flaws, and the ruling this month further absolved him of any accountability and paved the way for his release.

Mubarak, who became president in 1981 after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat, was initially held in Tora Prison before being transferred to the hospital due to his deteriorating health.

In addition to charges of complicity in the protesters deaths, Mubarak faced accusations of stealing tens of millions of dollars from the state. His sons, Alaa and Gamal, also were charged with embezzling millions through a network of official cronyism.

But even as Mubarak lay in his hospital bed, attending court visits in a wheelchair or a stretcher, the political tides were turning in his favor. The elected Islamist government of Mohamed Morsi that followed Mubaraks rule was overthrown in a 2013 military coup led by Sissi, then an army general.

Sissi swiftly began a crackdown on Morsis Muslim Brotherhood supporters, while targeting pro-democracy and human rights activists with arrests, travel bans and freezing bank accounts. These measures, as well as the enactment of strict anti-protest laws, quickly shrunk any appetite for protests or disruption, including those against Mubarak.

Initially, some observers had thought that the Sissi government would not allow Mubaraks release, fearing a public backlash. But the judicial rulings in Mubaraks favor have been widely viewed by government critics as the latest indication of the nations lack of judicial independence and that the old pre-revolutionary order has returned.

The only judicial victory occurred in May 2015 when a court sentenced Mubarak and his sons to three years in prison each and ordered then to reimburse $20 million to the state. But the judge also allowed for prison time served already. As a result, later that year, Mubaraks sons were released from custody. Today, they are seen in restaurants or dropping their children off at school. Many of Mubaraks allies have kept their wealth and remain influential.

Some activists say that Mubaraks release, while disappointing, will not end their struggle.

Whether Mubarak is at home or in prison, the revolution continues to be part of the hearts and minds and consciousness of millions of the young people of Egypt, said Ahmed Abdallah, head of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms. And they cannot change this.

On Friday, Deeb said that the former leaders health is good, and that Mubarak would continue to receive medical treatment at his home. He added that there were no other legal cases pending against Mubarak and that his legal situation is fine.

There is nothing wrong, Deeb added.

Mubarak, he sad, has no plans to hold a news conference or participate in media appearances. Nor does he have firm ideas yet on how he plans to spend his time in the weeks and months ahead.

He has no plans for the near future, Deeb said. He is just staying at home and resting.
Two weeks ago, I visited Iraqi troops in western Mosul as they prepared to liberate the last terrorist-controlled neighborhoods in the city. By any standard, they are heroes. I did not ask their religious, regional or ethnic origins. I saw them for what they were: Iraqis standing together against the cruelest killers on Earth.

Some of the soldiers I met may have fallen since then in house-to-house fighting. With their sacrifices, our troops have helped to deal a death blow to ISIS, and the terrorist organizationis losing its largest stronghold in Iraq and the aura of invincibility it once claimed.

Having spilled our blood together with the United States to win this war, we want to work together to win the peace.

On Monday, I visited President Donald Trump at his invitation and also this week attended the conference of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS. Trump and I discussed how to build upon the Strategic Framework Agreement our two countries signed in 2008.

We ask the United States to join us in urging the international community to fulfill its funding pledges to secure and stabilize our communities and prevent ISIS and al-Qaeda from reemerging. We also need U.S. know-how and investment as we revive our economy and renew our democracy. In the spirit of our 2008 agreement, we want to engage in a partnership that involves political, diplomatic, defense, security, educational and cultural cooperation.

Over the past few years, military advisers from the United States and other coalition countries have helped Iraqis turn around our armed forces so that we can fight and win our battles ourselves. Now, we ask Americans to assist us as we restore our infrastructure and diversity and partially privatize our economy. We need U.S. investment to rebuild our housing, hospitals, schools, sanitation facilities, roads, highways and bridges. We can also benefit from Americans technical expertise as we improve and expand our telecommunications, information technology and health-care sectors. Iraq needs U.S. financiers and corporate partners to help us develop agriculture, petrochemicals and other industries.

As Iraqis wind down the war and rebuild our communities and our economy, our challenges can be Americans opportunities. But, ultimately, we ourselves will write a new chapter in our history.

For more than half a century, we have endured a tyrannical dictatorship, international isolation, three wars and ceaseless, senseless violence. When Saddam Hussein was overthrown, Iraqis resolved never to allow one man, one political party or one segment of society to dominate our diverse nation. Now we have the opportunity to build an Iraq worthy of what we are: a pluralist people, steeped in history, striving to build one nation in peace and mutual respect.

As prime minister, I have seen that most Iraqis want Iraq to succeed. First, we must finish the job of defeating ISIS militarily. With more than 200,000 Mosul residents displaced, along with more than 3 million other Iraqis, we must restore public services and rebuild our infrastructure. We must reconcile our society across sectarian and ethnic lines. Houses of worship must be safe and sanctified. When all our citizens know that their voices are heard, their dignity is respected and their needs are recognized, then we can be sure that they will not turn to violence.

In a region whose sectarian divisions our own society strives to resist, Iraq must maintain friendly relations with all our neighbors, while preserving our sovereignty and ensuring that no neighbor exercises outsize influence within our country. That is why we welcome the United States continued engagement, consistent with the Strategic Framework Agreement, as well as strengthened ties with our neighbors, as exemplified by the recent visit to Baghdad by leaders and diplomats from throughout the Middle East.

We cannot stop senseless violence without the rule of law and security forces that represent and respect every segment of society. Our government strives to create an independent and impartial judiciary that applies the law without bias or favoritism. And we are incorporating into our security forces all Iraqis who have taken up arms to defend their families and communities.

But for our citizens to fight for the government, they need a government worth fighting for. In the midst of the war against ISIS, we have also waged war on corruption in civil and military institutions. Now that our nation is returning to peacetime, we need to resume the work of reducing the bloated bureaucracy, eliminating ethnic quotas and ceremonial positions, recruiting qualified professionals, and devolving decision-making and the delivery of services to local communities, where people can raise their voices and get results.

As we right-size government, we need to grow and diversify our economy, encouraging entrepreneurship and foreign investment, privatizing state-owned enterprises and reducing our reliance on oil. Earning a living peacefully is the best alternative to taking others lives violently.

Iraqis dont want to kill each other, to get blown up when they walk outside their doors or to be taught to hate their neighbors because of who they are or how they worship. Instead, we want what most of the world takes for granted: the opportunity to live in dignity and build better lives for our children.

Together with our international partners, we are working to build a new Iraq advancing this age-old dream. Americans have built that kind of country. With your help and goodwill, so will we.



al-Abadi is prime minister of Iraq.
You probably remember the day you got your drivers license. You went to the department of motor vehicles, took a driving test, stood for a photograph and then got your license. What if you  and most other teens in the United States  were then asked to submit your fingerprints for criminal investigations by the FBI or state police?

It sounds absurd,even Orwellian. Yet, one by one, over the past 15 years, 29 states have done something similar with our faces: They have allowed police or the FBI to use face-recognition technology to scan and search drivers faces for investigations  much like they would the fingerprints of criminals. In this way, most American adults can find themselves in a criminal face-recognition network.

In 1892, Sir Francis Galton published a treatise in which he argued that the patterns on our fingers were an incomparably surer criterion of identity than any other bodily feature. Today, fingerprinting is ubiquitous. But the limits of the technique are clear: Fingerprinting is a targeted, one-off process whereby a single person is identified, typically through an in-person or on-site interaction.

Advanced face recognition, on the other hand, lets police identify people from far away and without interacting with them. It also lets them remotely identify groups of people. Picture police using telescope-like cameras to surreptitiously photograph and identify organized-crime figures at a meeting. Imagine a street surveillance camera that scans the face of every person walking by. Now, picture a world in which body-worn police cameras are equipped with real-time face-scanning software.

This is real technology  on sale, in use or coming soon. These tools will catch dangerous criminals, but, left unchecked, they also create profound questions about the future of our society.

Will you attend a protest if you know the government can secretly scan your face and identify you  as police in Baltimore did during the Freddie Gray protests? Do you have the right to walk down your street without having your face scanned? If you dont, will you lead your life in the same way? Will you go to a psychiatrist? A marriage counselor? An Alcoholics Anonymous meeting?

In the future, will you call the police if, seconds after seeing you, an officers body camera will scan your face and search it against various government databases? What if you have a criminal record? What if you have overstayed your visa?

In scope, law-enforcement face-recognition systems recall the National Security Agencys call-records program, which logged all of our calls in the form of metadata. Face-recognition technology already scans some 125 million adult faces. This has never happened before  not with DNA or fingerprints, which are kept in smaller national networks made up mostly of known or suspected criminals.

Yet law-enforcement face-recognition systems have received a fraction of the NSAs oversight. No federal law governs face recognition. No court decision limits it. On Wednesday morning, a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will mark only the second congressional hearing on the subject.

Over 4 years, the FBI searched drivers faces more than 36,000 times  without warrants, audits or regular accuracy tests. Maryland and Ohio enrolled all of their drivers faces into criminal face-recognition networks without telling them. In Florida, the oldest and perhaps most frequently used system lets police search someones face even if that person is not suspected of a crime. In fact, officers are encouraged to use face recognition whenever practical.

This rules-free environment is made worse by the fact that face-recognition technology makes mistakes  far more than fingerprints. A 2012 study co-written by an FBI expert found that face recognition makes more mistakes when searching for the faces of African Americans, women and young people. Depending on how a system is configured, these errors could result in innocent people being investigated.

You may brush off modern privacy invasions. Perhaps you have nothing to hide. But do you resemble someone who does?



Bedoya is the founding executive director of Georgetown Laws Center on Privacy and Technology and co-author of The Perpetual Line-Up: Unregulated Police Face Recognition in America. Parts of this article are drawn from testimony the author was scheduled to provide to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday.
Should courts look behind the four corners of President Donald Trumps second executive order temporarily banning entry from a group of Muslim-majority countries in assessing its legality? The constitutionality of the order turns on the answer.

Both federal judges who have enjoined the order  Derrick Watson in Hawaii and Theodore Chuang in Maryland  concluded that it was appropriate to consider statements of Trump and his surrogates, and that those statements, made both before and after inauguration, doomed the order by showing that it was designed to target Muslims. But the Trump administration insists that judges cannot consider the purpose of those who drafted and promulgated the order. Last week, several conservative judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, dissenting from that courts refusal to reconsider its decision invalidating the first travel ban, backed the Trump administrations view. Who is right?

The issue is central because the executive order itself does not expressly cite Islam as a justification, but Trump and his aides and advisers could not have been clearer that the order is designed to effectuate the Muslim ban that Trump repeatedly promised during the campaign and after. If one looks only at the order, the government argues, it must be upheld, because it bars entry not of Muslims as such, but only of the nationals of six countries whose populations just happen to be between 90.7 percent and 99.8 percent Muslim. The government does not even try to argue that the order can survive anestablishment-clause challenge if one considers the statements of Trump and his agents, and the history of its adoption.

The question is made difficult by the fact that there are two apparently contradictory lines of relevant judicial precedent that have never yet met. On the one hand, the courts establishment-clause jurisprudence provides that the validity of a government action turns on its purpose, which is determined by whether a reasonable observer, aware of all the relevant facts and circumstances, would deem the government to be targeting a specific religion. Even formally neutral laws are invalid if context makes clear that they are aimed to favor or disfavor a particular religion. Accordingly, the court has directed that judges must not turn a blind eye to the context in which [the] policy arose, and has considered statements made in town hearings, and the manner in which laws have been adopted and implemented  evidence outside the text of a law or order itself.

In immigration, however, the government argues that as long as the order is facially legitimate and bona fide, it cannot be struck down, regardless of the surrounding circumstances. The Supreme Court has applied that deferential standard to U.S. citizens challenges to the exclusion of a communist economist, Ernest Mandel, who had violated the terms of his visa on an earlier visit, and to a law providing different immigration benefits to foreign children of unwed U.S. citizen mothers than to the foreign children of unwed U.S. citizen fathers.

The Trump administration says these cases mean the courts can never look behind an immigration executive order. On this theory, the courts would have to uphold the executive order even if Trump, upon signing it, had announced, I do this to make crystal clear that Christianity is Americas official religion, and that Islam has no place here.

That cannot be right. The establishment clause demands that the government remain neutral as between religious denominations, and makes no exception for border control. If it violates the establishment clause to put up the Ten Commandments in a courthouse because doing so impermissibly mixes politics and religion and makes non- adherents feel marginalized, surely a national immigration policy designed to bar Muslims does as well. And the effect of the governments action hinges on more than the four corners of a document, but on its purpose, which must be and always has been gleaned from the surrounding circumstances.

So does the immigration or the establishment-clause test govern? The answer should depend on the nature of the governments action. Deference is proper when the political branches draw customary and bona fide immigration lines, especially when there is no suggestion of an improper purpose. It makes sense to defer to immigration decisions based on family ties or adherence to visa conditions, because it is next to impossible to regulate immigration without drawing such lines. But the Trump administration has advanced no reason immigration law should be a tool for denigrating religion.

Establishing religion has never been a proper goal of immigration law  or any law. Targeting Islam violates the rights of Americans, whatever form it takes; there is no justification for giving the government a pass because it is regulating the border. When Trump signed the first travel ban, he said, We all know what that means. We do, indeed. And judges, no less than the rest of us, must not blind themselves to what we all know.

  

Cole is national legal director of the ACLU, which along with the National Immigration Law Center is representing the plaintiffs in the Maryland case challenging the travel ban.
WASHINGTON  After more than a year of wrangling, senators announced a bipartisan bill Thursday to impose mandatory sanctions on Iran over its spate of ballistic missile tests and support for a group that President Donald Trump may soon dub a terrorist organization.

The measure from top Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee comes despite Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khameneis repeated warnings that expanding sanctions against Iran would jeopardize the nuclear deal struck in 2015  a deal that Trump promised to undo during his presidential campaign.

Leading Democrats resisted an effort last year from Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and high-ranking Democrat Robert Menendez, D-N.J.,  both of whom opposed the Iran deal  to impose similar sanctions over fears that it would put the nuclear deal in a precarious position. The Obama administration also opposed efforts to expand sanctions against Iran, over fears it could adversely affect the controversial deal.

But since before the deal was implemented, members of both parties have clamored for stricter tools to sanction Iran over its repeated ballistic missile tests and the activities of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps. Lawmakers argue the military outfit  which has enormous political influence in Iran  functions as Irans terror-promotion arm, through the training and support it offers other groups like Lebanons Hezbollah, which the United States has already designated as a terrorist organization.

Corker and Menendez tried to tie their sanctions push to a must-pass ten-year extension of existing Iran sanctions, but came up short when Democrats resisted portions of the package they worried could undermine the nuclear deal.

Some of those provisions been left on the cutting room floor in the latest version of the Iran Sanctions legislation, unveiled Thursday.

They include the elimination of a report on the value of the sanctions relief Iran received in exchange for giving up its nuclear program under the pact; a focus on outlawing off-shore, third-party dollar transactions, and language that would have prevented the administration from using its case-by-case national security waiver to enter into any international agreements with Iran. Democrats saw the last piece as antagonistic toward the Obama Administration, even after the fact, said an aide to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

The aide added that those changes, which Cardin worked to strip from the deal, were critical for getting his boss  and several other Democrats  to sign on to the bill.

Democrats now supporting the legislation includes senators like Menendez and Cardin, who voted against the Iran nuclear deal, but also several senators who supported it, including Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.

Its unclear whether these changes will satisfy Tehran that the bill does not jeopardize the nuclear deal. Iran has argued that it has the right to conduct ballistic missile tests under the nuclear deal, which slightly watered down the legal prohibition by U.N. resolutions preventing Tehran from pursuing any nuclear-related activities  such as ballistic missile tests. Under the Iran deal, Iran is simply called upon not to engage in the practice.

Irans leaders have not yet weighed in on the legislation.

Still, the bipartisan deal still has the vigorous support of some of the Senates hardest-line Republicans when it comes to Iran, including Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and James Risch, R-Idaho, in addition to Corker, Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Todd Young, R-Ind. In 2015, all Republicans voted against the Iran deal  and see in Trump a chance to punish Iran for what it counts as infraction of it.

The president has said hes putting Iran on notice, and passing this bill would be an unmistakable sign of resolve, Cotton said in a statement. We will not tolerate Irans pursuit of supremacy in the Middle East or its sponsorship of terrorism, and we will make the regime in Tehran pay a steep price for its dangerous behavior.
PHOENIX  The Maricopa County Sheriffs Office says a man has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in a crash that left two detention officers who were driving a prisoner transport van injured.

Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez says 27-year-old Edwin Boice is facing charges of endangerment aggravated assault and DUI.

Officials say there were no prisoners in the van when it overturned in an intersection early Friday morning after dropping off prisoners at a county jail in downtown Phoenix.

Enriquez says the officer driving the van suffered minor injuries and that the other officer suffered head injuries that Enriquez called non-life threatening.

Boice, who was driving the other car, wasnt hurt and stayed at the scene.
RACINE  A Racine teen is facing charges after allegedly bringing a a knife to school.

Isaiah B. Cornell, 17, of the 1900 block of Hickory Grove Avenue, is facing a misdemeanor dangerous weapons on school premises charge.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Wednesday at approximately 10:24 a.m., police reported to Park High School, 1901 12th St., after the school's principal alerted them that a student, Cornell, reportedly had a knife during class. The student reportedly refused to hand the knife over to the teacher when it was requested.

In the principal's office, police reportedly heard Cornell admit to having the knife, and allegedly saw Cornell take the knife out of his backpack and handed it to the principal.

Cornell's next appearance is a pre-trail conference at 3:15 p.m. April 20.
A North Carolina man accused of commandeering a Washington pizza restaurant with an assault-style rifle in December pleaded guilty Friday to a federal charge of interstate transport of firearms and a local charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, allegedly came to D.C. intent on investigating the viral conspiracy theory known as Pizzagate, which falsely linked Hillary Clinton to an alleged child sex trafficking ring. The fake stories said the ring operated in the basement of Comet Ping Pong, where Clintons presidential campaign chairman, John Podesta, occasionally dined.

Welch, who is from Salisbury, N.C., pleaded not guilty Dec. 16 to a federal charge of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition and to two D.C. offenses: assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

Each count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, but both sides said nonbinding advisory guidelines would call for a sentence of 18 to 24 months on the federal charge and 18 to 60 months on the D.C. charge.

Welch also agreed to forfeit three firearms and a box of ammunition, pay restitution of $5,744.33 to the restaurant for damaged computer systems, a door, lock and ping-pong table.

The criminal complaint said Welch had grown increasingly angry about reports he read online about the supposed sex ring. And early in December, he drove to Washington in a Toyota Prius.

In charging documents, an FBI agent said it appeared that Welch contemplated a violent confrontation at the restaurant, citing text messages, call records and other information retrieved from his phone.

Welch prompted a panicked evacuation by customers on a Sunday afternoon, Dec. 4, police said, when he walked into the restaurant with a .38-caliber Colt revolver and a Colt AR-15 rifle strapped across his chest.

Welch fired the assault-style weapon two or three times inside the restaurant, police said. They said he also pointed the rifle toward an employee who had emerged from a back area of the restaurant after everyone else fled.

Welch did not shoot anyone and surrendered after he found no evidence of hidden rooms or sex trafficking, police said. Friends and family members had said they thought Welch was on a mission to save children, not to hurt anybody.

At Fridays hearing, U.S. District Judge Ketanji B. Jackson asked Welch, Did you in fact transport these firearms from North Carolina to the District of Columbia and  enter the Comet Ping Pong restaurant openly carrying [an AR-15 rifle] and point it in the direction of a person?

Yes maam, said Welch, wearing eyeglasses and an orange jail shirt and pants.

Police said in charging documents that Welch anticipated that his efforts could end in violence, and tried to recruit two co-conspirators, citing text and calling records.

Raiding a pedo ring, possible [sic] sacrificing the lives of a few for the lives of many, Welch texted a friend days before the incident, according to federal prosecutors. The text continued: Standing up against a corrupt system that kidnaps, tortures and rapes babies and children in our own backyard.



Dana Hedgpeth contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilsons official nomination to become secretary of the Air Force arrived on Capitol Hill this week, paving the way for a confirmation hearing Thursday.

The White House announced the Republicans nomination in late January but did not formally submit the paperwork to the Senate Armed Services Committee until Tuesday, leading some on Capitol Hill to wonder whether her nomination had run into trouble.

Although Wilson comes highly recommended for the position from the White House and many in the national defense community, shes likely to face questions at her hearing about a lucrative and controversial consulting contract she entered into with Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque after leaving Congress.

Wilson, 56, has been serving as president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City since 2013. She is an Air Force Academy graduate and Rhodes scholar who represented New Mexico in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1998 to 2009, serving on the Armed Forces and Intelligence committees. She lost a bid for the U.S. Senate to Democrat Martin Heinrich in the 2012 general election.

President Donald Trump has struggled to get top military leadership posts filled early in his administration. Army secretary nominee Vincent Viola withdrew in February, citing business conflicts. Navy secretary nominee Philip Bilden stepped aside earlier this month, also citing business conflicts.

Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both New Mexico Democrats who know Wilson well from her time in the U.S. House of Representatives, have declined to say whether they will support or oppose her nomination.

I want to watch what the Senate Armed Services Committee does, Udall told the Journal in a brief interview this week. Im going to let the committee do its work. The best thing to do is let the committee look hard and tough at those issues.

Heinrich, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said Friday that Wilson could be an asset for New Mexicos three Air Force bases.

Heather Wilsons distinguished service in the Air Force, experience working on the National Security Council, and her firsthand knowledge of New Mexicos Air Force installations would offer a unique and valuable perspective at the Pentagon, Heinrich said in a statement. I look forward to meeting with her and receiving her testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Wilson could not be reached for comment Friday.

A 2013 Department of Energy inspector generals report alleged Sandia, then run by defense giant Lockheed Martin, had inappropriately paid Wilson about $226,000 in consulting fees beginning in January 2009, to lobby for Sandia to take on new assignments for the federal government. Sandia and Wilson have said no prohibited lobbying occurred.

However, Sandia reimbursed the government more than $226,000 for fees paid to the consulting company run by Wilson, who was not mentioned in the settlement agreement between the Justice Department and Sandia Corp.

In 2015, Wilson told the Journal there was no impropriety.

There is no finding of any contact by me with any member of Congress or executive branch official concerning the Sandia contract extension, Wilson said. Thats because there was none. I was not a lobbyist for Sandia, and I was not a member of the contract strategy team criticized by the inspector generals report.

Wilsons financial paperwork and disclosures required of her by the Office of Government Ethics as part of the confirmation process have not yet been made public.

Lockheed Martin, which oversaw Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque before Honeywell nabbed the massive contract in a bidding contest late last year, is the Air Forces largest contractor. If confirmed, Wilson would oversee ongoing negotiations between the federal government and Lockheed Martin related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive weapons system in military history.

Jay Coghlan, director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, a nuclear and defense watchdog group, urged senators to vote against Wilsons nomination. He said her past lobbying work for Lockheed Martin should disqualify her.

Five days after nominating Wilson, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting administration officials from working on issues that are largely related to the work they did for private-sector clients, but it applies only to work done within the past two years. Wilsons former consulting firm  Heather Wilson and Company LLC  received $226,378 between January 2009 and March 2011 by Sandia Corp. LLC, according to a June 2013 report by the Energy Department inspector general.

Shes going to end up overseeing the Air Forces biggest ever contract (the F-35 fighter) with Lockheed Martin when she acted as a paid agent for Lockheed Martin, Coghlan said. Its reported to be a more than trillion-dollar contract, and its plagued with problems.

Some observers have suggested Wilson could recuse herself from negotiations with Lockheed Martin if confirmed as Air Force secretary to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Wilson would be the first Air Force Academy graduate to serve as secretary and the second consecutive woman in the position.
LONDON  Kensington Palace says Prince George will attend the Thomass Battersea prep school beginning in September.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced their choice Friday. The palace says the couple is delighted to have found a school where they are confident George will have a happy and successful start to his education.

Thomass Battersea is a private school with more than 500 children aged 4 to 13. George will be four in July.

The school says its most important rule is to be kind. It places emphasis on a set of core values, which include kindness, courtesy, confidence, humility and learning to be givers, not takers.

Ben Thomas, the headmaster, says the school is looking forward to welcoming him and all of our new pupils to the school in September.
MOSCOW  Not everyone who has a quarrel with Russian President Vladimir Putin dies in violent or suspicious circumstances  far from it. But enough loud critics of Putins policies have been murdered that Thursdays daylight shooting of a Russian who sought asylum in Ukraine has led to speculation of Kremlin involvement.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called the shooting in Kiev of Denis Voronenkov, a former Russian Communist Party member who began sharply criticizing Putin after fleeing Russia in 2016, an act of state terrorism by Russia.

That drew a sharp rebuke from Putins spokesman, who called the accusation absurd. Throughout the years, the Kremlin has always dismissed the notion of political killings with scorn.

But Putins critics couldnt help drawing parallels with the unexplained deaths of other Kremlin foes. I have an impression  I hope its only an impression  that the practice of killing political opponents has started spreading in Russia, said Gennady Gudkov, a former parliamentarian and ex-security services officer, to the Moscow Times.

Here are some outspoken critics of Putin who were killed or died mysteriously.

Boris Nemtsov, 2015

In the 1990s, Nemtsov was a political star of post-Soviet Russias young reformers. He became deputy prime minister and was, for a while, seen as possible presidential material  but it was Putin who succeeded former president Boris Yeltsin in 2000. Nemtsov publicly supported the choice, but he grew increasingly critical as Putin rolled back civil liberties and was eventually pushed to the margins of Russian political life. Nemstov led massive street rallies in protest of the 2011 parliamentary election results and wrote reports on official corruption. He also was arrested several times as the Kremlin cracked down on opposition rallies. In Feb. 2015, just hours after urging the public to join a march against Russias military involvement in Ukraine, Nemtsov was shot four times in the back by an unknown assailant within view of the Kremlin. Putin took personal control of the investigation into Nemtsovs murder, but the killer remains at large.

Boris Berezovsky, 2013

A self-styled tycoon who become a fixture in Yeltsins inner circle in the late 1990s, Berezovsky is believed to have been instrumental in Putins rise to power (including a media campaign that smeared Nemtsov). But Berezovsky was unable to exert the influence under the new president he had hoped. His falling out with Putin led to his self-exile in the United Kingdom, where he vowed to bring down the president. He also accused the Kremlin of orchestrating the killing of Alexander Litvinenko, a former intelligence officer and whistleblower poisoned to death in 2009. Berezovsky was found dead inside a locked bathroom at his home in the United Kingdom, a noose around his neck, in what was at first deemed a suicide. However, the coroners office could not determine the cause of death.

Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova, 2009

Markelov was a human rights lawyer known for representing Chechen civilians in human rights cases again the Russian military. He also represented journalists who found themselves in legal trouble after writing articles critical of Putin, including Novaya Gazeta reporter Anna Politkovskaya, who was slain in 2006. Markelov was shot by a masked gunman near the Kremlin. Baburova, also a journalist from Novaya Gazeta, was fatally shot as she tried to help him. Russian authorities said a neo-Nazi group was behind the killings, and two members were convicted of the deaths.

Sergei Magnitsky, 2009

Lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in police custody in November 2009 after allegedly being brutally beaten, then denied medical care. He had been working for British-American businessman William Browder to investigate a massive tax fraud case. Magnitsky was allegedly arrested after uncovering evidence suggesting that police officials were behind the fraud. In 2012, Magnitsky was posthumously convicted of tax evasion, and Browder lobbied the U.S. government to impose sanctions on those linked to his death. The sanctions bill bears his name and has since been applied to rights abusers in other cases.

Natalia Estemirova, 2009

Natalya Estemirova was a journalist who investigated abductions and murders that had become commonplace in Chechnya. There, pro-Russian security forces waged a brutal crackdown to weed out Islamic militants responsible for some of the countrys worst terrorist attacks. Like fellow journalist Anna Politkovskaya, Estemirova reported on civilians who often got caught between these two violent forces. Estemirova was kidnapped outside her home, shot several times  including a point-blank shot in the head  and dumped in the nearby woods. Nobody has been convicted of her murder.

Anna Politkovskaya, 2006

Anna Politkovskaya was a Russian reporter for Novaya Gazeta whose book, Putins Russia, accused the Kremlin leader of turning the country into a police state. She wrote extensively about abuse in Chechnya, and once or twice appeared on radio shows in Moscow with me. She was shot at point-blank range in an elevator in her building. Five men were convicted of her murder, but the judge found that it was a contract killing, with $150,000 of the fee paid by a person whose identity was never discovered. Putin denied any Kremlin involvement in Politkovskayas killing, saying that her death in itself is more damaging to the current authorities both in Russia and the Chechen Republic  than her activities.

Alexander Litvinenko, 2006

Alexander Litvinenko was a former KGB agent who died three weeks after drinking a cup of tea laced with deadly polonium-210 at a London hotel. A British inquiry found that Litvinenko was poisoned by Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, who were acting on orders that had probably been approved by President Putin. Russia refused to extradite them, and in 2015 the Russian president granted Lugovoi a medal for services to the motherland. After leaving the Russian Federal Security Service, Litvinenko became a vocal critic of the agency, which was run by Putin, and later blamed the security service for orchestrating a series of apartment bombings in Russia in 1999 that left hundreds dead. Russias invasion of Chechnya followed later that year  and with it, the rise to power of Putin. Berezovsky was suspected to be complicit in at least part of the plot to bring Putin to the Kremlin, but he later sought to implicate Putin for Litvinenkos killing. Litvinenko also accused Putin ordering the murder of Politkovskaya.

Sergei Yushenkov, 2003

The affable former army colonel was a favorite of parliamentary reporters in the early 1990s, when I was learning the trade for the Moscow Times. Sergei Yushenkov had just registered his Liberal Russia movement as a political party when he was gunned down outside his home in Moscow. Yushenkov was gathering evidence he believed proved that the Putin government was behind one of the apartment bombings in 1999.

Yuri Shchekochikhin, 2003

As a journalist and author who wrote about crime and corruption in the former Soviet Union when it was still very difficult to do so, Yuri Shchekochikhin once joined me on a police raid of crack houses in Philadelphia in 1988. He was investigating the 1999 apartment bombings for Novaya Gazeta when he contracted a mysterious illness in July 2003. He died suddenly, a few days before he was supposed to depart for the United States. His medical documents were deemed classified by Russian authorities.
When Secretary of State Rex Tillerson showed up in Asia this month, he announced that the United States would take a new approach to North Korea. Tillerson avoided any specifics of how he planned to get a different result, but he was well armed with platitudes  he spoke of decades of failed diplomatic and other efforts, joined the Japanese foreign minister in calling Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programs totally unacceptable, and urged the Norths leaders to change your path. Shortly after Tillerson departed, North Korea attempted yet another missile launch.

Poor Tillerson. Someone forgot to tell him that a new administration promising a new approach it cant quite articulate is, in fact, the old approach. Previous administrations even used the same words, calling North Koreas actions unacceptable and pointing to a different path. And yet, even though President Barack Obama pledged to break that pattern of North Korea getting away with belligerent behavior, and President George W. Bush compared the countrys dictatorship to a toddler who throws food on the floor, the sad truth is that promising to break the pattern is part of the pattern, and we always pick up the food. We, too, could choose a different path. But we dont.

North Koreas nuclear and missile programs have been racing ahead. After five apparently successful nuclear tests and with so many extended-range missiles at its disposal, few experts doubt that Pyongyang can make good on its promise to arm its missiles with nuclear weapons. It regularly rehearses missile launches against U.S. forces stationed in Japan and South Korea, is developing a new generation of solid-fuel missiles, and will soon begin testing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching Washington and other major U.S. cities. A thermonuclear weapon cannot be far behind.

We have accepted the development of a nuclear-armed North Korea, having neither the bravado to attack nor the courage to lower our expectations for a diplomatic settlement. Of course, military action would have been madness, even before the country was armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons. And the politics of negotiating with Pyongyang are terrible. What North Korea wants is recognition that it is a normal country. But it is not a normal country. It is a vicious police state that abducts and ransoms foreign citizens, terrorizes its neighbors with military provocations, and exploits every agreement to its benefit. The optics, to use a Washington word, of the president enjoying a state dinner with the rotund Kim Jong Un, while his people starve, are unappealing to say the least.

Still, even after it became clear in 2002 that Pyongyang was beginning a covert uranium enrichment program to open a second route to the bomb, it was a mistake to end negotiations over North Koreas missile programs and abandon the denuclearization deal that President Bill Clinton had won in 1994. Almost immediately, Bush regretted it  and he spent the rest of his time in office attempting to renegotiate, though six-party talks, a watered-down version of the deal he had discarded. The Obama administration, too, made halfhearted efforts at negotiating, including a comical attempt to strike a Leap Day deal. Veterans of both administrations will tell you that they tried. But those attempts were in service of an unrealistic hope for an agreement that was better than the one we had walked away from, even though that became less likely with each passing year as Pyongyangs nuclear and missile capabilities grew.

And so, what we have chosen is a policy of scolding and sanctions, letting North Korea do whatever it wants while sounding very cross about it and pretending that sanctions will solve the problem. Belligerent, provocative behavior that threatens neighbors will be met with significant, serious enforcement of sanctions that are in place, Obama said. Tillerson spoke of sending very strong messages to North Korea by way of the sanctions  sanctions which have already been imposed by the U.N. Security Council resolutions  and to ask that everyone fully implement those sanctions.

U.S. officials have made a fetish of sanctions. Ask any Obama administration officials how the United States secured the Iran nuclear deal, for instance, and they will say it was the pain of sanctions that forced Tehran to the table. Ask any opponents, and they will tell you that leaving sanctions in place longer and prolonging the pain would have yielded an even better deal.

While sanctions relief played into Hassan Rouhanis campaign for the Iranian presidency, there was another, more important factor in securing the nuclear agreement: The United States made significant concessions. The Bush and Obama administrations had both insisted that Iran abandon its uranium enrichment program and accept a limit of zero centrifuges. The nuclear deal, however, did not require Iran to eliminate its centrifuges but rather put in place a 10-year limit of 5,060 centrifuges enriching uranium. The result is a satisfactory agreement that mitigates the risk of proliferation while avoiding a war. But for many members of Congress, thats not good enough. They also need to hear about how the agreement was a humiliating defeat imposed on Iran by our power.

Refusing to admit that concessions played the crucial role with Iran makes it hard to see that they would be required with North Korea. Instead, we imagine that our sanctions are somehow insufficient or, more darkly, being undermined. We blame, as we so often do, the Chinese. North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been playing the United States for years, Trump wrote on Twitter. China has done little to help!

Its true that the Chinese dont have the same faith in the mythical power of sanctions. Until recently, Beijings approach was to use trade to cultivate a cadre of wealthy, powerful and pro-Chinese North Koreans. Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Uns uncle, was probably the most important figure in this faction  until Kim ordered his goons to drag Jang out of a meeting, beat him and then execute him, along with his top aides, reportedly with an antiaircraft machine gun. That was before North Korean agents assassinated Kim Jong Nam  the dictators half brother who for many years had been living under Chinese protection in Macau on an allowance reportedly provided by Uncle Jang  by rubbing VX nerve agent on his face in a crowded Malaysian airport.

With the pro-Chinese faction in North Korea obliterated, Chinas influence might be useful at specific moments, such as getting North Korea to attend a meeting. But even a complete Chinese break wouldnt compel North Korea to change course. If anything, it would reinforce Pyongyangs decision to look out for itself. We shouldnt expect pressure from Beijing to fix our North Korea problem.

Instead, we should consider how our policies need to change and what concessions we might trade for different behavior from North Korea. I dont believe that Pyongyang is going to abandon its nuclear or missile programs. But we might successfully seek a freeze in nuclear and missile testing that prevents North Korea from advancing those programs even further. Its leadership has been clear about what it might want in exchange for such a pause, including a reduction in military exercises, acceptance of their space launch program and an easing of the regimes isolation.

I know all the predictable protests against this approach. Well alarm our allies and embolden our enemies. Those arent unpersuasive objections, but they are also precisely how we ended up with todays policy. If we accept those objections, we are choosing to stay our current course, with the always-new old approach, the one in which we accept an unacceptable nuclear program and gently chide North Korea for walking with us down the path of confrontation.

  

Lewis is a scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
President Donald Trump wants to boost the militarys budget by billions of dollars. But given the chance, the public  even his fellow Republicans  would do just the opposite, according to a new poll out this week.

The University of Marylands Program for Public Consultation recently asked a nationally-representative sample of 1,800 Americans what theyd like to see the country spend on 31 key budgetary categories. Pollsters gave respondents current-year spending levels and asked them how theyd increase or decrease funding.

Now that Trumps budget is out, the poll allows us to pinpoint exactly where the publics budgetary priorities diverge the most from the presidents. And theres no greater point of divergence than defense spending.

The Trump administration calls for beefing up defense spending by $52.3 billion dollars next year (with an additional $1.4 billion increase going to nuclear weapons programs at the Department of Energy), and theyd completely eliminate a slew of other agencies and programs to make it deficit-neutral.

But when Marylands pollsters asked voters, they found that the typical voter would cut defense spending by $41 billion. All told, that adds up to a nearly $100 billion gap between what the public wants to spend on defense, and what Donald Trump wants to spend on it.

Perhaps more surprisingly, not even Republican voters wanted to see a big defense hike. The typical Republican respondent opted to cut defense spending by $5 billion. Democrats would cut it by a whopping $81 billion.

The gaps between the publics proposed budget and the Trump administrations budget are quite substantial, said survey director Steven Kull of the University of Maryland, especially when it comes to military spending.

Trumps big military hikes are in line with his emphasis on national security, as well as his demonstrated fixation with the trappings of the military state: This week the Huffington Post obtained emails showing the administration had looked into the possibility of including tanks and other heavy military equipment in Trumps inaugural parade.

There were gaps between Trump and the public in some other spending categories, but none as pronounced gap in military spending.

For instance, Trump has proposed drastic cuts to the Department of Education. This is generally in line with what Republicans would like to see, but Democrats would prefer to beef up education spending.

Theres a similar partisan split on funding the State Department  Republicans want cuts similar to what Trump has proposed, while Democrats would prefer to keep spending as it is.
A Virginia federal judge ruled in favor of President Donald Trumps revised travel ban Friday, saying the presidents inflammatory comments about banning Muslims do not erase his broad national security powers.

The decision hands the administration a symbolic victory, but the attempt to forbid travel from several majority-Muslim countries remains blocked by two other federal courts.

Unlike judges in Hawaii and Maryland, Judge Anthony Trenga concluded that the newer executive order differs enough from its predecessor that it is likely to pass constitutional muster.

This Court is no longer faced with a facially discriminatory order coupled with contemporaneous statements suggesting discriminatory intent, he wrote.

The newer order is free of explicit religious discrimination, offers a national security rationale for the six specific countries included, and offers exceptions for individuals in the form of waivers, he noted.

Trumps past statements, Trenga said, could not forever undermine the deference the president is legally owed in national security matters. Nor, he argued, did more recent comments made by both Trump and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller connecting the two orders.

The Court cannot conclude for the purposes of the Motion that these statements, together with the Presidents past statements, have effectively disqualified him from exercising his lawful presidential authority, the judge wrote.

Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokeswoman said officials there were pleased with the decision.

As the Court correctly explains, the Presidents Executive Order falls well within his authority to safeguard the nations security, Flores said in a statement.

On the other side of the argument, Gadeir Abbas, an attorney representing the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the ruling was disappointing but had little practical significance. CAIR plans to appeal.

It really doesnt change much for us, Abbas said. While we disagree with the decision, it doesnt affect any of the other injunctions that have been put in place, and it allows us now to take the next step which is to get the full hearing before the Fourth Circuit.

The Justice Department has already appealed the Maryland judges decision blocking the ban to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeal of Trengas ruling will go to the same court, where the two cases could be combined.

Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said it was not at all surprising that courts have divided on the newer travel ban.

The second version of the executive order is certainly on stronger legal footing than the original, he said. The ball is very much now in the Fourth Circuits court.

Defending the ban in a court hearing on Tuesday, Chad Readler, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Departments civil division, concurred with Trenga that the taint of Trumps comments on Muslims must at some point end.

The president has power to deny entry to this country, Readler said.

Abbas responded in court that both the order itself and the statements made around it were so discriminatory that national security deference cannot apply.

Theres no unringing of the bell; they cant erase history, he argued.What the government has done is so unprecedented. Weve never dealt with a president issuing an executive order restricting travel from certain countries on religious grounds. This order, because its so deviant, is not what it says it is.

The White Houses own comments form a single causal chain, he argued, from a desire to ban all Muslims to the latest order. After the judge in Hawaii issued his preliminary injunction, Trump called the new travel ban a watered-down version of the first one. Senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said there were mostly minor technical differences between the two but the same policy outcome.

Abbas also contended that the national security justification is flimsy and that makes the orders discriminatory purpose clear. A Department of Homeland Security report on the countries involved, Abbas noted, found that citizens from those countries are rarely implicated in U.S.-based terrorism, and citizenship itself is an unreliable indicator of terrorist threat to the United States.

Trenga concluded that such criticisms were not enough to overcome the presidents broad national security powers.

The issue is not whether [the executive order] is wise, necessary, under- or overinclusive, or even fair, he wrote. It is not whether [the order] could have been more usefully directed to populations living in particular geographical areas presenting even greater threats to national security or even whether it is politically motivated. Rather, the core substantive issue of law. . .is whether [the order] falls within the bounds of the Presidents statutory authority.

CAIR sued the president on behalf of activists who say that all Muslims are victims of an order designed to stigmatize Islam. The executive order violates the Constitutions ban on religious discrimination, they believe, as well as a 1965 law barring discrimination in visa approval based on nationality.

The plaintiffs also include two students in the United States on visas, two citizens who hope to bring their wives to the country, and several people who want family abroad to be able to visit. Readler argued that none of those plaintiffs had standing to challenge the ban, because they are not suffering imminent, irreparable harm. Assuming the order takes effect their relatives could apply for waivers, he said, which would be incorporated into the existing visa interview process.

Trenga did side with the plantiffs on that issue, saying they have standing as American Muslims to challenge the ban.
WASHINGTON  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin implored Congress on Friday to raise the federal debt ceiling and signaled an openness to negotiating changes to the tax code, illustrating how the Trump administration will have to work with Congress on other top issues even as an overhaul of health-care rules hangs in the balance.

Mnuchin, speaking at an event in Washington hosted by the news site Axios, also said that overhauling the tax code  which hasnt been done since 1986  should prove easier than the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Health care and tax reform are two very different things, Mnuchin said. Health care is a very, very complicated issue. In a way, [tax changes are] a lot simpler. It really is.

Mnuchin did walk back a commitment to ensure that any overhaul of the tax code would not reduce the tax burden for wealthier Americans. In the past, he has said that changes to the tax code would not allow the wealthiest Americans to lower the amount they pay in taxes. On Friday, he said this was the goal.

Were working towards that as a goal, Mnuchin said. Dont hold me to it at the penny, but that is the direction were heading, absolutely.

Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive and Hollywood producer, has expansive corporate experience, but  like many of President Donald Trumps top advisers  he has not had to negotiate a major piece of legislation with Congress. The White House and some House Republicans have sparred over how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and its unclear whether they will use a different negotiating style with changes to the tax code. Mnuchin, in his comments on Friday, made clear that he would play a prominent role in the White Houses tax plan, and he seemed eager to work with lawmakers to cut deals.

He said the goal of the tax overhaul would be to provide a large tax cut for middle-income Americans and to cut taxes for businesses in the hope that they would bring money back from overseas and invest more in their U.S. operations. Trump had proposed lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent, but Mnuchin said that was open for discussion with Congress. He also said that Trump planned to raise taxes for hedge fund managers and others who benefit from rules that allow them to pay lower rates than other Americans.

Still, what the final changes look like is still open for discussion, he said. I would say its premature to say precisely what the tax changes would look like, Mnuchin said. We want to get [tax rates] a lot lower than we are now.

Trump has said he wanted to work on the overhaul of the tax code before his administration tried to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but Mnuchin said Friday that this might not have been possible.

Weve been working the last two months on tax reform, Mnuchin said. This is something we are designing from scratch and running through a lot of scenarios. If they had tried to start the tax overhaul right away, he said, we would not have been ready. . .but now we are.

Mnuchin has said that the administration wanted to overhaul the tax code by Congresss August recess, but on Friday he acknowledged this might not be possible. If it isnt completed by the August recess, well get it afterwards, he said.

Overhauling the tax code is one of Washingtons most elusive challenges, which presidents from both parties have tried and failed to achieve for years. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama successfully managed to achieve some changes to tax rules. But none were as sweeping as Trump has proposed. He has said sharply reduced rates will grow the economy, but experts believe would widen the budget deficit for years.

Mnuchin also offered a wide range of views on trade and debt issues.

He said that Trump would soon begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement and also make sure we have strong enforcement of agreements. He didnt go into much more detail, but his comments suggested the White House could seek to penalize countries that Trump feels are seeking an unfair advantage against the United States. Mnuchin cited steel dumping, which U.S. officials have accused China of doing to harm the U.S. steel industry by selling excess Chinese steel at low prices.

As long as we can renegotiate deals that are good for us, we wont be protectionist, Mnuchin said. Otherwise, we will.

On the debt ceiling, Mnuchin said Congress needed to act by the end of the summer to ensure that the nation would not default on its obligations.

Everybody understands that the debt ceiling will be raised, Mnuchin said. Republicans have been reticent to raise the debt ceiling, demanding steep spending cuts in exchange for their vote. Trump has said that Republicans should use the debt ceiling as leverage in political negotiations, but Mnuchin has said that the debt ceiling must be raised.

The U.S. government spends more money each year than it brings in through revenue, and it borrows money to cover the difference. But it can only borrow as much money as the debt limit allows. In 2015, Congress suspended the debt ceiling until March 15, 2017, and the Treasury Department is now taking steps to delay certain payments, such as pension investments, so that the government can continue meeting its obligations.

But it will only be able to continue taking these emergency steps until August or September, budget experts anticipate, before Treasury will have to take more drastic steps and could run out of cash to finance basic government operations.
You might have seen some people on social media recently encouraging others to say Hey Siri, 108 into their iPhones . Dont do it.

Law enforcement agencies are urging users not to fall for the viral prank. Turns out, 108 is Indias equivalent to 9-1-1. If you say that number to Siri, the voice-controlled personal assistant will think youre trying to make an emergency call, and will put you through to emergency services in your area.

The Harris Country Sherrifs Office in Texas this week took to Facebook to urge iPhone users to stop saying 108 to Siri. The command, in fact, will instruct Siri to call emergency services, which could potentially tie up emergency lines, they wrote.

Meanwhile, the Denton, Texas police department has also issued a warning about this on Twitter, saying its a seemingly harmless prank, but one that could get you in a lot of trouble  or delay access to emergency services for someone in need.

Theres a social media prank floating around telling people to say, Hey Siri, 108 to their iPhone. Heres why you shouldnt fall for it pic.twitter.com/Z9pkvqTwxk

 DENTON POLICE DEPT (@DENTONPD) March 22, 2017

The prank has been circulating on Twitter for around two weeks already. Users have been coaxing others to say 108 to Siri with all kinds of lies. Some say the virtual assistant has a funny response while others claim that Siri will get mad, yell at you, or tell you a story. One person even claimed that Siri will respond by singing Baby by Justin Bieber.

Everyone say 108 to Siri and watch what happens

 Brennan (@Condor81_24) March 23, 2017

Say 108 to Siri, youre welcome ??

 RayClark EBK ++ (@DaReal_Rizzy) March 21, 2017

Say 108 to Siri she has the funniest response

 Grayson Roberts (@grayy22) March 24, 2017

If you tell Siri 108 shell start singing baby by Justin Bieber ??????

 LaCaldo Ball (@CaldonWaters) March 23, 2017

In reality, Siri waits five seconds then initiates an emergency call.

Its true that Siri sometimes has sassy and comical responses, but thats not the case in this situation. Theres nothing funny about wasting emergency services time.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
FORT WORTH, Texas  Prosecutors say a North Texas man must serve 10 years in federal prison for a cattle-buying scam that cost a Nebraska company more than $5 million.

Tony Eugene Lyon of Fort Worth was sentenced Friday in Fort Worth. The 52-year-old Lyon in November pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Lyon was known to be involved in the buying, fattening and sale of cattle.

Prosecutors say Lyon in 2015 scammed Midwestern Cattle Marketing of Sidney, Nebraska. The firm, which bought and sold cattle for third-party clients, went out of business after the $5.1 million loss.

Officials say Lyon became an MCM representative and was authorized to write company checks, using a signature stamp. Prosecutors say Lyon operated a check-kiting scheme involving a fictitious company and kept MCM funds for himself.
WASHINGTON  The Trump administration announced sanctions Friday on 30 foreign companies and people from 10 countries, including China, and accused the entities of engaging in proliferation activity.

These determinations underscore that the United States continues to regularly impose sanctions under existing authorities, as warranted, against entities and individuals that engage in proliferation activity with Iran, North Korea, and Syria, the State Department statement said in a statement.

The companies included under the newly imposed sanctions are based in China, North Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

The State Department said that 11 of the entities and people contribute to activity that serves to escalate regional conflicts further and poses a significant threat to regional security.

Eleven entities and individuals were sanctioned for transfers of sensitive items to Irans ballistic missile program.

The government also implemented sanctions on 19 companies or people found to have transferred to, or acquired from, Iran, North Korea, or Syria goods, services, or technology listed on multilateral export control lists, or on U.S. national control lists, or other items that could make a material contribution to the development of weapons of mass destruction or missile proliferation.

Most of the companies listed engage in export activity.

As consequence of the sanctions, which were officially implemented on March 21, no U.S. department or agency can procure or contract for any goods, services, or technology from the designated entities. New licenses will be denied and these companies are ineligible for any U.S. assistance.
ROME  The leader of European Union founding nation Luxembourg warned U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday that if he turns a cold shoulder on the EU it will be a lose-lose situation for both sides of the Atlantic.

Trump over the past months has angered EU leaders with his public support for the British Brexit decision to leave the EU, for showing no interest in pushing negotiations for the trans-Atlantic trade agreement with the bloc and for favoring bilateral relations.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said Mr. Trump will learn very fast that the EU is not a bunch of 27 grocery shops, where you knock at the door and start doing business.

Instead, it is something grand, if we stick together and continue to act together, Bettel said.

Bettel was in Rome with the other EU leaders  minus British Prime Minister Theresa May  to mark Saturdays 60th anniversary of the bloc, which is in crisis because of Britains impending departure.

Despite the difficult relations, the White House on Friday congratulated the EU, saying Our two continents share the same values and, above all, the same commitment to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

Together we look forward to another sixty years and more of shared security and shared prosperity, the statement said.

For Bettel, it is only normal that Trump would reach out to Brussels.

We perhaps need Europe, but he too needs Europe. So it is a two-way street, he said. If he thinks he doesnt need Europe, it is a lose-lose situation. But is now important for everyone to go for a win-win situation.
MOSCOW  A Ukrainian official said Friday that the killer of renegade Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov, who was gunned down in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, was a Russian agent, a claim quickly rejected by the Kremlin.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraines interior minister, identified the man who shot Voronenkov on Thursday as 28-year-old Pavel Parshov and said he had been trained in Russia by Russian security services. Parshov was badly wounded in the attack and died shortly after in a hospital without regaining consciousness.

He underwent a special course at a school for saboteurs, Gerashchenko wrote Friday in a Facebook post without explaining how that information was obtained.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that Gerashchenkos allegation was absurd.

Ukraines National Guard said in a statement that the 28-year old Parshov served in its ranks in 2015-2016 until being dismissed for an unspecified breach of contract.

Ukraines chief prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, said Voronenkov was killed shortly before meeting with another fugitive Russian lawmaker, Ilya Ponomaryov. Both men were scheduled to give testimony later Thursday at Ukraines Military Prosecutors Office. The purpose of the testimony was not immediately clear.

Voronenkov, who had toed the Kremlin line while serving as Russian lawmaker but turned a Kremlin critic after his move to Ukraine last fall, was shot dead near the entrance to an upscale hotel in the center of Kiev.

Ukrainian media on Friday published leaked CCTV footage of the attack. It shows the killer shooting Voronenkov from behind as he was walking down the street with his bodyguard.

When the bodyguard tries to intervene, he, too, is shot, leaving the killer free to shoot Voronenkov again as he is lying on the floor. The injured bodyguard then pulls out his gun and, while lying on the floor, fires on the killer.

The slaying has added to the strain in Russia-Ukraine ties that have soured badly following Russias 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and its support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko immediately called the killing an act of state terrorism by Russia even as Ukrainian police were still inspecting the scene. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded by describing Ukraine as the killer state and senior Russian lawmakers suggested that the Ukrainian spy agency staged the killing to blame Moscow.

Voronenkov, who had prized real estate in Moscow, was reportedly involved in business disputes, but saw off attempts to lift his parliamentary immunity amid criminal charges while in Russia. Russian investigators have filed fraud charges against him in connection with his business activities after his move to Ukraine.
MOSCOW  Russian President Vladimir Putin made his preferences in the French presidential election clear Friday by hosting far-right candidate Marine Le Pen at the Kremlin, but analysts are skeptical about Russias ability to sway the outcome of the vote.

Embracing Le Pen is part of Russias efforts to reach out to nationalist and anti-globalist forces to build up its influence in the West and help overcome the strains in relations with the U.S. and the European Union.

Donald Trumps victory in the U.S. presidential vote has emboldened the Kremlin, even though the ongoing U.S. Congressional scrutiny of his campaign ties with Russia has all but dashed Moscows hopes for a quick detente. U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of hacking to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

During Fridays meeting with National Front leader Le Pen, Putin insisted that Russia has no intention of meddling in the French election and only wants to have a dialogue with a variety of politicians. He praised Le Pen, saying she represents part of a quickly developing spectrum of European political forces.

Le Pens anti-immigration and anti-EU platform appeals to the Kremlin, which has postured as a defender of conservative national values against Western globalization. She also has called for strong security ties with Moscow to jointly combat radical Islamic groups, promised to work to repeal the EU sanctions on Moscow over its 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and pledged to recognize Crimea as part of Russia if shes elected.

I long have spoken for Russia and France to restore their cultural, economic and strategic ties, especially now, when we face a serious terror threat, Le Pen told Putin on Friday. The meeting was a surprise addition to her meeting with Russian lawmakers, which was announced earlier this week.

A Russia-friendly approach to geopolitics runs in the Le Pen family. Jean-Marie Le Pen, the National Fronts co-founder, his daughter Marine and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen have all made numerous visits to Moscow over the years.

Le Pen herself has repeatedly visited Russia, and her party borrowed 9 million euros in 2014 from the small First Czech Russian Bank, but the banks license was later revoked.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the prospect that Russian banks could offer Le Pen more loans to help fund her campaign.

Polls show Le Pen as the likely winner of the first round of Frances presidential vote on April 23, but indicate that she would lose presidential runoff on May 7 to centrist independent candidate Emmanuel Macron.

Once considered the front-runner in the French race, conservative candidate Francois Fillon has fallen behind Le Pen and Macron after facing preliminary charges in a probe of taxpayer-funded jobs his wife and children received but allegedly never performed.

Over the years, Putin has frequently met with Fillon, the French prime minister from 2007-2012. An unconfirmed report this week said Fillon was paid 50,000 euros ($54,000) to arrange a meeting between Putin and a Lebanese magnate, a claim rejected by the Kremlin as fake news. Fillon also called it a shameful lie.

Russian state-controlled television stations and other media have offered extensive, friendly coverage of Le Pen and Fillon while casting Macron in a more negative light, presenting him as a puppet of outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande.

Fillon on Thursday claimed that Hollande was manipulating the French justice system to discredit political rivals  a charge that Hollande vigorously denied.

Dmitry Kiselyov, the anchor of the main weekly news program on Russian state TV, has echoed that theme, saying that the French judiciary was working as swiftly as a guillotine during the bloody French Revolution to undermine Fillon and Le Pen.

Le Pen is also facing legal investigations around party finances.

There is an impression that they are bluntly clearing the political field for Emmanuel Macron, the project of Francois Hollande, Kiselyov said,

Gleb Pavlovsky, a political strategist who consulted for Kremlin in the past, said the coverage of the French campaign by Russian television stations reflects Putins view that nationalist forces will increasingly shape the global agenda.

The Kremlin keeps persuading itself and the population that it is right, its policy is shaping the future and its vision of the world will win, he said. The Kremlin has made more than one bet (in the French vote), but the question is if these bets are real. I believe its a delusion.

While Russian TV stations use the French election to buttress the Kremlin view of the world in domestic public opinion, Moscow appears to have little ability to influence the French agenda.

The Russian state-run Sputnik news agency and the TV network RT have French-language websites, but they are mostly aimed at those who already have a pro-Russia worldview. Its unclear if they have any impact on a broader French audience.

It is clear that at the moment the direct audience for Russian media in France is very marginal, said Christophe Deloire, head of Reporters Without Borders media rights watchdog.

He added, however, that Russian influence via social media networks could be more difficult to measure.

Macrons aides claimed in February that Russian groups were interfering with his campaign soon after a spike in social media claims that Macron is gay.

The married Macron denied the claims and within days his campaign officials blamed Russian media and Russian hackers for attempting to sway the French election, but did not provide proof of Russian hacking.

Macrons cybersecurity chief Mounir Mahjoubi told The Associated Press at the time that his campaign website was briefly knocked offline but that hackers had failed to open the door to its databases. He said the campaign registered thousands of attempted attacks from an IP address in Ukraine suspected to be part of a coordinated campaign from Russia.

Maria Katasonova, a pro-Kremlin political activist who admires Le Pen, dismissed talk about alleged Russian meddling in the French vote as utterly stupid.

We have seen how intensively they have played the Russian theme in the U.S. presidential campaign, and we now can see Le Pens rivals trying to exploit this theme in the French campaign, she said. We are witnessing an agony of the liberal clans after Trumps victory in the U.S., and we are seeing them publicly declaring a war on Marine Le Pen.

__

Elaine Ganley and Jeff Schaeffer in Paris, James Heintz and Iulia Subbotovska in Moscow contributed to this report.
NEW DELHI  U.S. authorities have begun pressing the Indian government to resolve more than 270 outstanding deportation cases involving Indian nationals, Indian officials said Friday.

Indian officials said they know little about the specifics of the cases and could not tell from their own data whether people had overstayed visas or were convicted of more serious criminal offenses.

This is an ongoing matter, Gopal Baglay, a spokesman for Indias Ministry of External Affairs, said in a statement. U.S. authorities had conveyed to India that the cases were pending, but no details of these cases were provided. We have asked for the same.

The request  which U.S. immigration officials insisted was routine  was nonetheless significant because it comes at a time when the administration of President Trump has launched raids and other wide-ranging efforts to arrest and deport many of the United States 11 million illegal immigrants, particularly those with criminal backgrounds.

Of particular concern, according to Trumps Jan. 25 immigration order, are countries that drag their feet accepting their wayward citizens back.

Each country has an obligation under international law to accept the return of its nationals who are not eligible to remain in the United States or any other country, said Brendan Raedy, a public affairs officer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He added that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly has made clear that ICE will no longer exempt classes or categories of illegal immigrants from potential enforcement.

A rising number of Indians are living illegally in the United States  an estimated half a million people  according to a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center.

Returning them to their home country  particularly if they are criminals  has not always been easy. India ranks near the top of a list of 20 countries, down from 23 late last year, labeled recalcitrant in accepting their citizens who have been convicted of crimes in the United States and have deportation orders issued by a court.

According to a list released last year by then-Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, now the U.S. attorney general, about 180,000 people have been ordered deported from the United States but are still here because their home countries wont issue travel documents so they can return. Among them are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Indians.

Not all have criminal convictions, but among those who do, traffic offenses, especially driving under the influence of alcohol, are the biggest category, followed by drug offenses and larceny.

Countries on the recalcitrant list are often slow to issue travel papers because original documents have been destroyed and because their economies rely in part on money sent home to relatives.

An Indian government official said that these particular cases were part of a tranche of about 300 that had been left over from previous administrations, 79 of which had been resolved.

Indias minister of external affairs, Sushma Swaraj, first raised the issue on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, saying that her country would not be providing return travel documentation for the deportees without their case information.

Until we verify the nationalities of these people, how do we believe the claims in the list? Swaraj said. We have asked the U.S. government for more information and told them that we will give an emergency certificate for their deportation only after establishing their Indian nationalities.



Morello reported from Washington.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The Latest on potential effects of health care reform in New Mexico (all times local):

2 p.m.

New Mexicos two senators have joined dozens of their colleagues in warning Republican leaders in the House that they will not support the current proposal to overhaul the Affordable Care Act.

Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich issued the statement Friday as House Speaker Paul Ryan withdrew the legislation after President Donald Trump asked him to halt debate without a vote.

Heinrich and Udall say the bill could have a devastating effect on New Mexico, where the Medicaid population has swelled to more than 40 percent in recent years.

The insurance superintendents office says tens of thousands of New Mexicans could lose out on coverage if changes are made, and the states uninsured rate could end up doubling over the next decade.

___

9:47 a.m.

State insurance regulators project a major potential impact for New Mexico from Republican plans to overhaul former President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act, according to an analysis released Friday.

If the changes are enacted, the regulators estimate more than 45,000 adults who had benefited from expanded Medicaid eligibility could be dropped from the program.

The analysis also shows the rolls of those with individual coverage plans would shrink by more than 22,000 if the federal government eliminates fines on those who do not obtain coverage and subsidies for those who purchase insurance.

The proposal also would end Medicaid expansion and trim future federal financing for the federal-state program.

The state Office of the Superintendent of Insurance released its report as Congress moved closer to a possible vote on the proposed overhaul.

Expansion in New Mexico  approved in 2013 by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez  has been a major driver for bringing more low-income New Mexico residents onto the rolls and slashing the rate of those who are uninsured.

Under the proposed health insurance changes, regulators said, the uninsured rate in New Mexico would double to 18 percent by 2026. Thats close to the rate of people without insurance before the current law took effect.

New Mexicos sole Republican on Capitol Hill, Rep. Steve Pearce, has been studying revisions to the GOP plan and has been among the lawmakers meeting with the White House in recent days.

I have serious concerns that the proposed legislation will not lower costs or give access to more health care for New Mexican families, he said Thursday. I will keep advocating for a viable solution that brings affordability and accessibility to New Mexicans.

The insurance superintendents analysis was based mostly on a review by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which found 24 million people nationwide would lose their health insurance over a decade.
President Donald Trump called me on my cellphone Friday afternoon at 3:31 p.m. At first I thought it was a reader with a complaint, since it was a blocked number.

Instead, it was the president calling from the Oval Office. His voice was even, his tone muted. He did not bury the lead.

Hello, Bob, Trump began. So, we just pulled it.

Trump was speaking, of course, of the Republican effort to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, a plan that had been languishing for days amid unrest throughout the party as the president and his allies courted members and pushed for a vote.

Before I could ask a question, Trump plunged into his explanation of the politics of deciding to call off a vote on a bill he had been touting.

The Democrats, he said, were to blame.

We couldnt get one Democratic vote, and we were a little bit shy, very little, but it was still a little bit shy, so we pulled it, Trump said.

Trump said he would not put the bill on the floor in the coming weeks. He is willing to wait and watch the current law continue and, in his view, encounter problems. And he believes that Democrats eventually will want to work with him on some kind of legislative fix to Obamacare, although he did not say when that will be.

As you know, Ive been saying for years that the best thing is to let Obamacare explode, and then go make a deal with the Democrats and have one unified deal. And they will come to us; we wont have to come to them, he said. After Obamacare explodes.

The beauty, Trump continued, is that they own Obamacare. So when it explodes, they come to us, and we make one beautiful deal for the people.

My question for the president: Are you really willing to wait to reengage on health care until the Democrats come and ask for your help?

Sure, Trump said. I never said I was going to repeal and replace in the first 61 days  contradicting his own statements and that of his adviser Kellyanne Conway, who told CNN in November that the then-president-elect was contemplating convening a special session on Inauguration Day to begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act.

Turning to an aide, Trump asked, How many days is it now? Whatever. He laughed.

Trump returned to the theme of blaming the Democrats.

Hey, we could have done this, he said. But we couldnt get one Democrat vote, not one. So that means they own Obamacare, and when that explodes, they will come to us wanting to save whatever is left, and well make a real deal.

There is little evidence that either Trump or House Republicans made a serious effort to reach out to Democrats.

Still, I wondered, why not whip some more votes this weekend and come back next week to the House with a revised piece of legislation?

Well, Trump said, we could do that, too. But we didnt do that. Its always possible, but we pulled it.

Trump brought up the vote count. We were close, he said.

How close?

I would say within anywhere from five to 12 votes, Trump said  although widespread reports indicated that at least three dozen Republicans opposed the measure.

That must have hurt after all of his attempts to rally Republicans, I said. He made calls, had people over to the White House, invited House members on Air Force One. He may not have loved the bill, but he embraced the negotiations.

Youre right, Trump said. Im a team player, but Ive also said the best thing politically is to let Obamacare explode.

Trump said he made the decision to pull the bill after meeting Friday at the White House with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis.

Was that a tense, tough conversation with Ryan, I asked?

No, not tough, Trump said. Its just life. We had great support among most Republicans but no Democratic votes. Zero. Not one.

I mentioned to Trump that some of his allies were frustrated with Ryan. Did he share those frustrations, and would he be able to work with Ryan moving forward on plans to cut taxes and build an infrastructure package?

I dont blame Paul, Trump said.

He then repeated the phrase: I dont blame Paul. He worked very hard on this.

And again.

I dont blame Paul at all.

As he waits for Democrats, I asked, whats next on health care, if anything, policy-wise?

Time will tell. Obamacare is in for some rough days. You understand that. Its in for some rough, rough days, Trump said.

Ill fix it as it explodes, he said. Theyre going to come to ask for help. Theyre going to have to. Heres the good news: Health care is now totally the property of the Democrats.

Speaking of premium increases, Trump said, When people get a 200 percent increase next year or a 100 percent or 70 percent, thats their fault.

He returned again to a partisan line on the turn of events.

To be honest, the biggest losers today are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, Trump said of the House minority leader and the Senate minority leader. Because now they own the disaster known as Obamacare.

Okay, I asked, they may own it, in his view, but he will at some point be tasked with shaping whatever comes forward as a partial replacement. What will that be? What kind of policy could he support?

Oh, lots of things can happen, Trump said. But the best would be if we could all get together and do a real health-care bill that would be good for the people, and that could very well happen.

Does Trump regret starting his agenda this year with health care?

No, I dont, he said. But in a way, Im glad I got it out of the way.

Look, Im a team player, Trump said of the Republican Party. Ive played this team. Ive played with the team. And they just fell a little bit short, and its very hard when you need almost 100 percent of the votes and we have no votes, zero, from the Democrats. Its unheard of.

What happened with the House Freedom Caucus, the hard-line conservatives he had wooed over and over again?

Ah, thats the big question, Trump said with a slight chuckle. Dont know. I have a good relationship with them, but I couldnt get them. They just wouldnt do it.

Trump alluded to long-running, simmering dramas on Capitol Hill, which he said had little to do with him, as a reason the Freedom Caucus could not back the bill.

Years of hatred and distrust, he said. Long before me.

Was Trump saying, perhaps, that the inability of Ryan and his team to work well with that caucus was part of why talks stalled?

Well, look, you can say what you want, Trump said. But there are years of problems, great hatred and distrust, and, you know, I came into the middle of it.

I think they made a mistake, but thats okay, Trump said of the Freedom Caucus.

As we wrapped up, I tried to get some clarity. The president was blaming the Democrats and was willing to let the law explode. Yet he also seemed to be teasing the possibility of doing something bipartisan down the road, a fresh start at some point.

I asked, would working on a bipartisan health-care deal a year from now be something he would find more agreeable than whipping the hard right?

A lot of people might say that, Trump said, laughing. Well end up with a better health-care plan, a great plan. And you wouldnt need the Freedom Caucus.

What about the moderates, the entity known as the Tuesday Group?

They were great, Trump said. They were really great.

He turned once more to the Democrats.

They own it, he said.

Youve said that, I told him.

This is a process, Trump concluded, and its going to work out very well. I was a team player, and I had an obligation to go along with this.

As Trump tried to hang up the phone and get back to work, I asked him to reflect, if at all possible, on lessons learned. Hes a few months into his presidency, and he had to pull a bill that he had invested time and energy into passing.

What was on his mind?

Just another day, Trump said flatly. Just another day in paradise, okay?

He paused.

Take care.
NEW YORK  Some Americans breathed a sigh of relief, others bubbled with frustration, and nearly all resigned themselves to the prospect that the latest chapter in the never-ending national debate over health care would not be the last.

The withdrawal of the Republican-sponsored health bill in the face of likely defeat Friday in the U.S. House seemed to ensure that the deep divisions over the Affordable Care Act and its possible replacement will continue to simmer.

As news spread, Americans fell into familiar camps, either happy to see a Democratic effort live another day, or eager to see Republicans regroup and follow through with their repeal Obamacare promises.

Yessssss, an elated 27-year-old artist, Alysa Diebolt of Eastpointe, Michigan, typed on Facebook in response to the news, saying she was relieved those she knows on Affordable Care Act plans wont lose their coverage. Im excited, I think its a good thing, she said.

Millions more shared her view, and #KillTheBill was a top trending topic on Twitter on Friday afternoon. Among those who have long sought to see Obamas health law dismantled, though, there was disappointment or chin-up resolve that they still could prevail.

Hopefully theyll get it right next time, said Anthony Canamucio, the 50-year-old owner of a barbershop in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania. He gave his vote to Trump in November and wanted to see Obamas health law repealed, but found himself rooting for the GOP replacement bill to fail. He is insured through his wifes employer, and laments the growing deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, blaming Obamas law even as health economists say those trends in employer-provided health coverage preceded the legislation.

For Canamucio, the Republicans bill didnt go far enough in dismantling the ACA. But he remains steadfast behind Trump and said he believes the president will still deliver.

Cliff Rouse, a 34-year-old banker from Kinston, North Carolina, likewise was willing to give the president he helped elect a chance to make good on his promise. He sees Obamas law as government overreach, even as he knows it could help people like his 64-year-old father, who was recently diagnosed with dementia but refused to buy coverage under a law he disagreed with. Rouse sees Trumps moves on health care as hasty, but believes the GOP will eventually come around with better legislation.

Theyve not had enough time to develop a good plan, Rouse said. They should keep going until they have a good plan that Americans can feel confident in.

It remained far more than a petty political debate, though, and some like Janella Williams, framed the issue as a question of life and death.

The 45-year-old graphic designer from Lawrence, Kansas, spent Friday in the hospital hooked up to an intravenous drip for a neurological disorder, getting the drugs that she says allow her to walk. Under her Affordable Care Act plan, she pays $480 a month for coverage and has an out-of-pocket maximum of $3,500 a year. If she were to lose it, she wouldnt be able to afford the $13,000-a-year out-of-pocket maximum under her husbands insurance. Her treatments cost about $90,000 every seven weeks.

As she followed the efforts to undo Obamas law, Williams found herself yelling at the TV a lot. She wrote her senators, telling how she felt helpless and out of control, and how her hope was dwindling.

After watching coverage on Friday while tethered to a port in an outpatient area, she said when the bill was withdrawn, I am thankful. I hope that this makes Trump the earliest lame duck ever.

Whatever comes of the developments, they became the latest chapter in a long-running policy debate  from Teddy Roosevelts call for national health insurance in 1912, through waves of New Deal and Great Society legislation that brought Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but no comprehensive health system for all, to an unsuccessful attempt at universal coverage at the start of Bill Clintons administration. For now at least, Trump joins a list of American presidents who sought but failed to bring major health reform.

Trump has railed against the 2010 ACA since the start, and GOP leaders in Congress have rallied for its repeal with dozens of votes during the Obama years. Republicans won the chance to replace the health law with Trumps win and control of both chambers of Congress.

This is our opportunity to do it, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Friday. Weve talked about this thing since 2010. Every Republican  has campaigned, from dogcatcher on up, that they would do everything they could to repeal and replace Obamacare.'

Meantime, the Affordable Care Act has enjoyed growing approval with Obamas departure from the White House and the emergence of details of Trumps plan. For the first time, the law drew majority approval in a Pew Research Center poll last month, with 54 percent of Americans in favor.

Even some of Trumps voters have come around to supporting the Obama law, or to a late realization that their coverage was made possible by it.

Walt Whitlow, a 57-year-old carpenter from Volente, Texas, gave Trump his vote even as he came to view Obamas law as an unbelievable godsend. He went without health coverage for nearly 20 years, but after the ACA passed, he signed up. Two months later, he was diagnosed with tongue cancer. He proclaims himself opposed to government handouts that he thinks people grow too dependent on, though he wouldnt say what he hoped would happen with the GOP bill. Still, its withdrawal brought relief for a man who says his ACA coverage kept him from massive debt and maybe worse.

It saved my life, he said. I really dont know what to say.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri; Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; P. Solomon Banda in Broomfield, Colorado; Mike Householder in Detroit; Rachel DOro in Anchorage, Alaska; and Carla K. Johnson in Chicago.

___

Sedensky can be reached at msedensky//twitter.com/sedensky
More than a third of U.S. jobs could be at high risk of automation by the early 2030s, a percentage thats greater than in Britain, Germany and Japan, according to a report released Friday.

The analysis, by accounting and consulting firm PwC, emphasized that its estimates are based on the anticipated capabilities of robotics and artificial intelligence, and that the pace and direction of technological progress are uncertain.

It said that in the U.S., 38 percent of jobs could be at risk of automation, compared with 30 percent in Britain, 35 percent in Germany and 21 percent in Japan.

The main reason is not that the U.S. has more jobs in sectors that are universally ripe for automation, the report says; rather, its that more U.S. jobs in certain sectors are potentially vulnerable than, say, British jobs in the same sectors.

For example, the report says the financial and insurance sector has much higher possibility of automation in the U.S. than in Britain. Thats because, it says, American finance workers are less educated than British ones.

While London finance employees work in international markets, their U.S. counterparts focus more on the domestic retail market, and workers do not need to have the same educational levels, the report said. Jobs that require less education are at higher potential risk of automation, according to the report.

Other industries that could be at high risk include hospitality and food service and transportation and storage.

Analysts have said truck driving probably will be the first form of driving in the U.S. to be fully automated, as long-range big rigs travel primarily on highways  the easiest roads to navigate without human intervention.

But robots wont necessarily replace so many human workers. The report highlights several economic, legal and regulatory hurdles that could prevent automation, even in jobs where it would be technologically feasible.

For one, the cost of robots  including maintenance and repairs  could still be too expensive compared with human workers. And in the case of self-driving vehicles, questions remain about who is liable in an accident.

In other words, moving robots outside of a controlled environment is still a big step, said John Hawksworth, chief economist at PwC in Britain.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that he wasnt worried about artificial intelligence taking over American jobs.

I think were so far away from that that its not even on my radar screen, he told Axios Media. I think its 50 or 100 more years.

Mnuchin also said automation would enable human workers to do more productive jobs at higher wages. Its taken jobs that are low-paying, he said. We need to make sure we are investing in education and training for the American worker.

Automation could end up creating some jobs, the PwC report said. Greater robotic productivity could boost the incomes of those behind the new technology, which Hawksworth said could flow into the larger economy.

Sectors that are harder to automate, such as health care, could also see a rise in jobs, he said.



2017 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WASHINGTON  Ivanka Trumps neighbors delivered a handwritten note welcoming her to their gilded Northwest Washington zip code after she and her husband, Jared Kushner, moved from New York with their three small children.

When the presidents daughter did not respond, Rhona Friedman, an attorney who lives next door, understood.

Ivanka was busy settling in, she figured.

But Friedman and other neighbors were far less patient when two No Parking signs appeared outsidethe Trump-Kushner house and Secret Service SUVS began swallowing spots on their block in the Kalorama neighborhood.

Their exasperation peaked Monday when city workers installed two additional No Parking signs  not in front of Trumps house, but outside Friedmans residence next door.

I started screaming, Friedman said.

Then she began writing emails.

On Friday, after discussions between the Secret Service and aides to District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, city workers removed the signs outside Friedmans house, liberating that portion of the block for any mere mortal seeking a spot for their car.

Score one for the resistance.

With their long history of hosting Washington dignitaries, Kalorama residents were largely unfazed when they learned that the Trump-Kushner clan, as well as former President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were moving to the neighborhood after President Donald Trumps election.

The neighbors are willing to put up with the Secret Service blockade on both ends of Belmont Road NW, the nearby street where Obama lives. Hes a former president, after all. And they appreciate that the Secret Service placed a few relatively unobstrusive orange cones outside Tillersons house on 24th Street NW.

But the security surrounding the six-bedroom house that Trump and Kushner rent?

Are you kidding me? asked Marti Robinson, a trial attorney who lives across the street. This is the adult child of the president. Sometimes there are 10 cars out here.

Metal barricades now make it impossible for pedestrians to use the sidewalk bordering the house. Neighbors talk of clusters of Secret Service agents lingering on the pavement, conversing in loud voices, and even changing their shirts in public view.

Theyve completely taken over the whole street  as if they have the authority! said Robinson, an Obama appointee to the U.S. Product Safety Commission. In her own email to the mayor, Robinson wrote that the Secret Service encampment has truly ruined my peaceful enjoyment of my house.

It is every bit as disruptive as if a very active business was allowed to come into this residential neighborhood, she wrote.

This being Washington, its no surprise that a former congressman lives in the neighborhood and that he frames the conflict in purely ideological terms.

Were just a little story in a cosmic, bigger story, which is the whole Trump phenomenon and how they push their way around, said Toby Moffett, a Democrat who represented Connecticut in the House. You have people coming and going. You have three or four, sometimes five, SUVs that are very big and that arent from the neighborhood.

Friedman has a garage for her own car. But she said parking can be challenging for people who visit.

If you happen to miss that moment before the spaces get filled, youre dead, she said. We were a nice, quiet residential community and weve become a neighborhood where people take pictures.

Hope Hicks, a White House spokesperson, referred questions to the Secret Service. A spokesman for the agency, in an email, wrote that the Secret Service makes every effort to collaborate with businesses and residents to minimize disruptions, while simultaneously maintaining the highest level of security for the individuals we are mandated to protect.

Kevin Harris, a spokesman for Bowser, said city workers installed the No Parking signs at the request of the Secret Service, prompting immediate complaints from five neighbors.

David Bender, chair of the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, said he has received frustrated emails from a dozen residents.

Even before Obama and Trump-Kushner moved to Kalorama, parking was a challenge. A nearby mosque draws large gatherings of worshippers, many of whom park their cars on neighborhood streets.

All this stuff that had been building up sort of boiled over, Harris said.

Harris said the neighbors complaints prompted mayoral aides to negotiate a deal with the Secret Service to remove two of the four No Parking signs on Friday.

In January, after Trump and Kushner moved into the house, Friedman and her husband wrote a note to the couple on engraved stationary. It said, Welcome to Kalorama, we know youre going to love it  we have,' Friedman recalled, adding that she threw in a line that her two dogs love children.

A few weeks ago, Friedmans husband, Don, was walking their dogs when he spotted Ivanka out for a stroll with one of her children.

Hi, Im Don, I live next door, he said.

Hi, Im Ivanka, she responded with a wave.

It was raining so there was no chance to linger.

There have been occasional sightings of Trump and Kushner, including last Sunday at a local playground with their children. For the most part, though, neighbors say they rarely see the couple.

When Ivanka moved in, we were all excited to shine a spotlight on our pretty neighborhood, said Kay Kendall, who lives on Tracy Place with her husband, AOL International founder Jack Davies.

Kendall, chair of D.C.s Commission on Fine Arts and Humanities, even envisioned throwing them a welcoming party.

I felt friendly, there was a friendliness, she said. I think those signs were not friendly. What can I say?
A conservative political group known for its provocative and, at times, controversial ads targeting minority voters has named Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race a priority for 2018.

"Ron Johnson, which we were involved in, heavily involved in, demonstrates quite frankly that there may be a shift underneath in the state of Wisconsin. Its no longer an automatic Democratic state," said Tom Donelson, head of the Iowa-based America's PAC, in an interview. "I would say, obviously, replacing Tammy Baldwin would be a goal."

No Republican candidates have formally entered the race to challenge Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is serving her first term in the Senate after representing Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District for seven terms.

Her re-election bid will come two years after an upset win by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, who defeated former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold for a second time in 2016.

America's PAC ran a Spanish-language radio ad during that race that accused Feingold of not wanting Hispanic babies to be born.

"I have a question for Feingold. Why should you have my vote if you dont want our babies?" a woman asked in the $66,000 spot that aired on Spanish-language and gospel radio stations in the Milwaukee and Racine markets.

Feingold's campaign, at the time, said the ad consisted of "racist, inflammatory and exploitative insults" and called it an "insult to Wisconsin's women."

The ad was similar to others run in past campaigns by the group, which used similar language to encourage black and Latino voters to support Gov. Scott Walker in his 2014 campaign against Democrat Mary Burke.

Asked whether the PAC would get involved in the 2018 gubernatorial race, in which Walker is expected to seek re-election, Donelson said the group will focus on federal contests.

America's PAC was formed with the goal of encouraging racial minority groups to vote Republican, but the group has expanded its focus now to include "Trump Republicans"  specifically single, white women, Donelson said.

"Our objective is basically expanding the conservative majority, getting enough minority voters to add to the mixture while enhancing the value of the base combination," Donelson said.

The group's ads aim to "take the fear out of voting Republican," he said.

A Democratic spokeswoman accused the group of engaging in voter suppression efforts.

"While Washington special interests brag about planned voter suppression tactics, Tammy Baldwin is in Neenah, Wisconsin announcing legislation to create and retain more jobs in Wisconsin. No matter what lies D.C. insiders spew at her, Tammy will continue her fight for the people of Wisconsin to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top," said Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokeswoman Gillian Drummond.

America's PAC's tactics have earned rebuke from the left and the right, particularly when the group was still led by its founder Richard Nadler, who died in 2009.

A 2000 school choice ad was called "racist or race-baiting in intent" by the Republican National Committee and denounced as "inappropriate" by George W. Bush's presidential campaign. The ad featured a white parent complaining that his child's public school was "a bit more diversity" than he could handle.

Donelson distanced himself from the 2000 school choice ad, which he said was "done on a local basis."

"As far as the abortion ads go, I would put it this way," Donelson said. "Were asking the question that minority voters need to ask: Why are you voting for a party that doesn't really want your babies?"

Donelson pointed to data that show the abortion rate among black women is five times higher than that of white women, and twice as high among Latina women.

Rather than asking America's PAC to explain or defend its ads, Donelson said, he would like to see reporters ask Democrats to defend those statistics.

"We tell the truth and we let the others deal with it, let them defend it," he said.

Ads in 2018 will focus on job creation, education and abortion, and may also highlight national security and health care, Donelson said.

Records show the group's largest funder is Richard Uihlein, CEO of the Uline shipping supply company headquartered in Pleasant Prairie. Mary Kohler, vice president of the Sheboygan-based Windway Foundation, is another major donor.

Rumored Republican challengers include businessman Eric Hovde; state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau; state Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa; state Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield; and Marine veteran Kevin Nicholson. U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy announced last month he will not run for the seat.

Baldwin's campaign has focused its opposition efforts on Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. Clarke, a top Trump surrogate during the campaign, has not announced a run, but several political action committees have launched efforts to "draft" him for the race.

Baldwin's approval rating among Wisconsin voters is 40 percent, according to a Marquette University Law School poll released earlier this week.
NATO has rescheduled its upcoming foreign-ministers meeting to accommodate Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after Tillerson said he was unable to attend on the original April 5 date.

The State Department said Friday the secretary would stop in Brussels on March 31, the day after he meets with Turkish leaders in Ankara. A NATO official said that consultations on scheduling among the alliances 27 other members for that date are ongoing but that an announcement was expected Monday.

Reports early this week that Tillerson had decided to skip the twice-yearly gathering of ministers, what would be his first formal meeting with NATO allies, brought sharp criticism from lawmakers and foreign policy experts who saw it as unwise from a security standpoint and as a sign of disrespect for the United States closest allies.

That criticism was compounded amid reports that Tillerson plans to travel to Moscow in mid-April.

The administration has been under bipartisan fire for President Trumps stated desire to improve relations with Russia and his declaration of NATO as obsolete during his campaign. He has since charged that alliance members owe vast sums of money to pay for U.S. security guarantees against Russia and other threats.

In an indication of competing priorities, Tillerson has been criticized and depicted as irrelevant for failing to attend Trumps meetings with visiting foreign leaders. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to be in Washington during the first week in April, when the alliance ministerial was initially scheduled.
Pakistans new ambassador to the United States, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, has only been in his post for 12 days, but already is busy trying to explain the profound changes in Washington to his government in Islamabad.

Chaudhry hosted a group of U.S. journalists at the Pakistani Embassy on Friday, where one asked what he was saying in his cables about the travails of President Donald Trump and his administration.

The ambassador let out a laugh and said, Ill be very candid about it. What I tell them is, the United States is an important country. And it is an important relationship. The administration is one part of it. Theres Congress, there are think tanks. We want to deal with all of them.

Asked specifically about Trump, who has made incendiary statements about Muslims and issued a travel ban from six majority-Muslim nations (not including Pakistan), Chaudhry was tight-lipped. He quipped, simply, Its your country, your choice.

Chaudhry took pains to issue no criticism of Trump, saying it was critical that Pakistan develop close ties with the new administration  both because of the two countries shared goal of defeating Islamic State terrorists and because of Pakistans strategic role as what he called a bridge between the United States and China.

Underscoring the importance Islamabad places on its relationship with Trumps Washington, Chaudhry was dispatched to the United States as an envoy after having served as foreign secretary for three and a half years. He noted that he could have gone to Beijing, one of the most critical postings for Pakistani diplomats, but came to Washington because of the vital importance of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.

Of utmost importance for Pakistan, Chaudhry said, is collaborating with the United States in the fight against the Islamic State. He said his government has zero tolerance for violence, both in Pakistan and in neighboring Afghanistan, where the terrorist group has gained a foothold.

Chaudhrys predecessor, Jalil Abbas Jilani, spoke optimistically about the Trump presidency in an interview with The Washington Post last month before his departure.

President Trump is getting very good media coverage in Pakistan, Jilani said. When people look at the elements of his foreign policy platform, the signals for the new administration are all seen as positive developments.
DALLAS  President Donald Trump is calling his administrations approval of the Keystone XL pipeline a new era for American energy policy.

As expected, the State Department reversed a decision by the Obama administration and favored energy development over environmentalists objections to the pipeline, which will carry thick Canadian crude oil to Nebraska, where it can flow on to refineries along the Gulf Coast.

Trump on Friday called it a great day for American jobs. The costs and benefits of the pipeline have been hotly debated, however, and many experts believe it will have only a small impact on the U.S. economy.

___

JOBS

The company proposing the pipeline, Calgary-based TransCanada Corp., estimates the project could create up to 6,500 construction jobs for two years. In a 2014 report, the State Department projected the pipeline would support 3,900 in construction jobs.

Including work indirectly related to the construction, the number of jobs balloons to 42,100, the State Department estimated. But once the pipeline is finished, it will create just 35 permanent jobs, according to the report.

___

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The State Department estimated that construction of Keystone XL would contribute $3.4 billion to the nations output. Thats about 0.02 percent of the $18 trillion U.S. economy.

___

TAXES

The State Department estimated that Keystone XL would generate $70 million in new state and local taxes along the route during construction and $55.6 million in property taxes once oil starts flowing.

___

COSTS

Environmental groups say TransCanada overstates the economic benefits of the pipeline and lowballs the impact of using tar-sands oil. They say it generates more carbon emissions to refine the heavy, thick crude than to process other oil types. A civil engineer at the University of Nebraska said that TransCanada also significantly underestimated the chance of a major oil spill from the 36-inch-diameter pipeline.

___

THE OIL

Keystone XL would carry up to 830,000 barrels a day from Alberta to Nebraska, where it would connect with the existing Keystone pipeline that flows to Gulf Coast refineries.

During an Oval Office ceremony Friday, TransCanada CEO Russell Girling thanked Trump for pushing the pipeline, and he called it a very, very important day for the company.

In a video on the company website, Girling said the pipeline is needed because North America needs oil so badly that it will continue to import crude for years to come. But in January he had leavened his optimism with some doubts because of uncertainty about demand from oil producers.

Canada is the largest exporter of oil to the U.S., at about 3.3 million barrels a day in 2016. Running at capacity, Keystone XL would equal about one-fourth of the current flow. U.S. oil production is around 9 million barrels per day.

Two other planned pipelines would carry Alberta oil to export markets, creating competition with Keystone XL for commitments from oil producers. Some analysts think only two of the three pipelines will get built.

___

THE COMPANIES

By providing a route to the Gulf Coast, Keystone XL could raise the price of tar sands oil. Among the oil companies that could benefit: Canadas Suncor Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp., whose former CEO, Rex Tillerson, is now the secretary of state. Tillerson recused himself from the pipeline decision.

A pipeline to Gulf refineries will make drilling in Alberta more attractive. The 2014 drop in oil prices hurt because production and processing are more expensive in the oil sands than in many other places. Last year Exxon wrote down the value of its Canadian reserves.

___

GASOLINE PRICES

The pipeline likely will not be completed for several years, so there will be no immediate effect on prices at the pump. Its not clear that Keystone XL will eventually lead to lower prices  it could have the reverse effect.

Patrick DeHaan, an analyst for the price-tracking service GasBuddy.com, said the pipeline could lead to higher prices for Canadian crude oil, which has long sold at a discount.

___

AMERICAN STEEL

Trump said in January, while announcing his support for Keystone XL and Dakota Access, that he would require pipelines to be made with American steel, but there is no such requirement for Keystone XL. A White House spokeswoman said this month that Trumps directive applied only to new pipelines, and since TransCanada had already stockpiled pipe, the steel is already literally sitting there. It would be hard to go back.

About half of the pipe is from the U.S. and the rest comes from Canada, Italy and India.
Edelman, a leading global communications marketing firm, has appointed Shane Jacob as head of its Bengaluru office. Jacob will lead a strong 65-member team that is currently leading national programs for Reputation and Brand clients in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru remains core to our India operations with several leading corporate, technology, consumer and start-up clients centrally managed from there. Shanes understanding and knowledge of the market, his experience in leading national teams and his ability to drive integrated campaigns will provide a further impetus to our clients and teams, said Bhavna Jagtiani, national director of operations & head of the western region, Edelman India. We see ourselves well-positioned to drive our communications marketing ambition under Shanes leadership.

Jacob comes with over 13 years of experience, managing communication campaigns for several multi-national companies and start-ups. Prior to joining Edelman, Shane was leading the consumer technology business at The PRactice driving communications programs for brands such as Microsoft, REVA, HP, BIAL and SanDisk among others. During the 11-year stint with The PRactice, Jacob also set-up and led the firms digital business.

Commenting on his appointment, Shane Jacob said, It is great to be part of the Edelman India team and join an organization that has some of the brightest talent in India and that has delivered strong integrated work. I look forward to further strengthening our offerings and impact across our reputation and brand clients in Bengaluru.

Jacob has been instrumental in building and promoting industry talent in his role as the Chairperson of Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) for the Southern region.
Keeping up with the credo of doing the impossible no matter what it takes, the latest campaign for Tata Motors crafted by FCB Ulka kicked off recently, titled, The Spirit of Hexa.

The Hexa is the flagship offering from Tata Motors and the latest campaign brings alive how people accomplish things by going beyond the extra mile and doing whatever it takes to achieve the impossible.

The campaign draws inspiration from the passion that has been put in to the making of the Hexa. Right from sourcing the material from different countries, engineering the product perfectly and finally testing it across different terrains to ensure enhanced performance and robustness that gives its customers a delightful drive quality.

The film shows a montage of individual stories that runs parallel to visuals of the Tata Hexa captured in different terrains like rocky paths, snow covered mountains, rivers and city roads. From a bare-bodied snow runner to a hurdler sprinting across geysers, from a mountain biker who races across its ridges to a female Samurai, the TVC showcases it all. It blends the indomitable spirit of the Tata Hexa with six individuals pushing their limits to achieve something perfectly.

Commenting on the TVC, Mr. Vivek Srivatsa, Head of Marketing, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, "The Hexa is truly capable of achieving the extraordinary. We are very confident that the car will live up to the challenge  Whatever it Takes, defining the indomitable spirit of the HEXA. Our new TVC emotes this very spirit. it brings out the true spirit of the Hexa and of the people for whom it is made. It shows how well the Hexa can perform across any terrain or condition and therefore deliver a great experience to delight our customers.

Keegan Pinto, Creative Head - FCB Ulka (West) and National Creative Director - Branded Content, FCB Ulka said, The premise of the campaign, The Spirit of Hexa came from the simple and primary insight of Tata Motors ardour and passion that went into the making of Hexa. Keeping in mind this background, we crafted the script by devising existing situations and showcasing real life, relatable instances where people show the will and vigour of achieving things by going beyond and doing whatever it takes that resonates with what Hexa does.

Keeping Hexa as the hero of the film, we shot the sequence across locations where a normal SUV couldn't go as such terrains would be impossible to achieve by a regular SUV. The shoot was executed across challenging terrains in Mumbai, Nashik, and Manali to give the TVC an edge along with a diverse latitude and an experience of extreme terrains Keegan added.

Nitin Karkare, CEO, FCB Ulka said, We knew the Hexa is a special vehicle the day we set our eyes on it. And the more we learnt about the Hexa the more we realized that Tata Motors has gone all out to design a vehicle like no other. Our task was to communicate this passion to the customer. Which this film does in many ways





Campaign Summary:

Campaign Elements : TVC, Print, OOH, Digital Client : Tata Motors Creative Agency : FCB Ulka National Creative Director : Keegan Pinto Creative Team : Donovan Dsouza, Rajdatta Ranade, Ranjit Debnath, Sandeep Urane, Reet Sawhney, Kushal Lalvani, Bhakti Kolge Account Management : Kulvinder Ahluwalia, Kailash Kondath, Khyati Anand, Neha Nandakumar, Trinolda Colaco, Juhi Jayaram, Siddhant Mukerjee Director (of the TVC) : Arun Gopalan Executive Producer : Zina Khan Production House : Story-tellers Post production studio : Famous Studio TVC Details : TVC and Digital Working title of film : The Spirit of Hexa Duration : 2.35 Digital. 60 and 30 for TVC Campaign breaks as of : March 4, 2017

Link of the TVC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpi5Wf6DraU
Just to bring you up to speed, my first novel The Wrong Turn, a sweeping saga set in the time of Netaji Subhash Bose and the tragic Battle of Kohima, was launched on February 28. Vidya Balan did the honors, with Rajat Kapoor and Simone Singh joining in to read from the book followed by a very stimulating discussion between Anil Dharker, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Arshad Warsi, Tisca Chopra and the authors on themes ranging from betrayal to what are the liberties that fiction can take with history. The book has got rather flattering reviews, with Jug Suraiya calling it A thundering good yarn and Shekhar Gupta saying it was Gripping reading. So how did I, ex-Creative Director of HTA [JWT], and full-time ad film director, running White Light [yes, that White Light], end up writing a historical novel, a big 488-page thumper on the Azad Hind Fauz and a largely forgotten battle in the last days of WW2 with generous dollops of love, betrayal, blood and derring-do thrown into the cauldron?

Well, like all good things in life, many bits and pieces sort of came together. Being Bong, I have grown up on the lore and legend of Netaji and the mysteries and silence surrounding him and the ill fated battle he and his men fought and lost, inexplicably. For me, it was a story waiting to be told. Then along came an article in 2013 about how the National War Museum in UK had declared the Battle of Kohima the greatest battle ever fought by the British, more significant than Dunkirk and Waterloo. How interesting. And on its heels came Sanjay, a friend with an idea, a what if  about what could very well have happened in that little gap in history. We traded thoughts, suppositions, theories, read up reams of history. And the research! Thank god for Google. I wonder how writers used to write historical fiction in the dark ages before the Net.

And then those years of writing thousands of scripts and a screenplay or two paid off. I found myself naturally visualising and structuring it as a film. And at the end of 10 months, it came out as a draft of a screenplay. And then along came a publisher, who fell in love with the story and said would you guys like to turn it into a novel? A novel??? Like, a real, honest to goodness your-name-on-the-front-cover novel??? You bet. And so the journey began. Of course, writing a novel is somewhat different from writing a screenplay. A screenplay is the bare bones of the where and how, relying on brief descriptions of action and dialogue. The final emotional impact of the film comes from the marriage of image and sound, the intangibles created through the collaboration of the director, the DOP, the production designer, the composer and the editor.

In a novel, its all up to that lonely person finally parked in front of that laptop, dreaming up everything  the rhythm, the long strokes of pacing, the atmospherics, the tension, the momentum, the patterns, the landscape of sounds, the inner landscape of thought. Everything has to be conjured  with words. And they follow, word after word, sentence after sentence, chapter on chapter, act followed by act until, inevitably, a whole universe is created, peopled by characters you cant even see. Thats how I did it  writing it down word by word, bringing it all together till it became tangible, real. Salman Rushdie once said that, in the end, only the words and sentences survive. Hes right. And I hope my words in The Wrong Turn will be enough, will survive in the heart and open the doors of the mind.

(NAMITA ROY GHOSE is an acclaimed film director and advertising luminary and a script /screenplay writer. During a school project on The most memorable day of my life, she wrote about a Russian girl on the day WW2 ended. She got her first rejection slip from the teacher for making things up. Ever since, Namita has established her storytelling skills through her scriptwriting, poetry, legendary advertising campaigns, and as a renowned advertising film director. She runs White Light, one of Indias top ad film outfits. A social activist, she is a co founder of Vanashakti, an NGO that works to protect the environment. Namita has done pro bono work on issues like domestic violence, child welfare, sexual harassment and forest preservation. She is an avid traveller, amateur photographer, foodie and teacher and lives in Mumbai with her husband, Pronab Ghose.)
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 24.03.2017 - The Human Rights Council brings its four-week March session to a close today in Geneva. Throughout the session, Switzerland advocated the assessment of the human rights situation by independent experts in various contexts, such as in Syria, South Sudan, Myanmar and Bahrain.

The Human Rights Council adopted over 40 resolutions between yesterday and today  including some on problematic country-specific situations. Concerning the Syrian Arab Republic, Switzerland supported extending the mandate of the Independent Commission of Inquiry. It called for the release of persons imprisoned on arbitrary grounds and the set-up of a mixed commission to enable the systematic exchange of prisoners and to establish the whereabouts of prisoners and persons who have been abducted or have been forcibly disappeared. In the case of South Sudan, Switzerland backed a mandate extension which also gives the existing commission of inquiry on human rights violations the task of gathering and retaining evidence and establishing responsibility  not least with a view to criminal proceedings. Switzerland also supported the creation of a fact-finding mission for Myanmar tasked with establishing the facts on suspected human rights violations, particularly in Rakhine state.

Switzerland prioritized the issues of conflict prevention and abolition of the death penalty. Countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and the Philippines were urged not to reintroduce the death penalty or to reinstitute the moratoriums they had previously introduced. At a panel discussion initiated by Switzerland on the death penalty, it was also evident that there is increasing recognition at international level that capital punishment violates the prohibition of torture. The prohibition of torture is binding on all states under international law.

For some time Switzerland has been calling for the UNs efforts in the fields of peace, security and human rights to be perceived as a whole to strengthen conflict prevention. In this vein Switzerland ensured that a high-ranking debate on the contribution of human rights to lasting peace could take place.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 24.03.2017 - What contribution is Switzerland making to prevent a whole generation from being lost to humanitarian crises? What is it doing to create new prospects for the more than 30 million children and young people worldwide who are currently refugees? These questions were the focus of the Annual Conference of Swiss Humanitarian Aid and the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) held at the Kursaal in Bern. During the conference entitled 'Generating hope for children and youth in humanitarian crises', Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Didier Burkhalter and the Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Manuel Sager spoke about Switzerland's commitment to restoring hope for the future to young people caught up in humanitarian crises.

Switzerland's humanitarian responsibility and the particular need to support young people in conflict situations were the key issues addressed at the conference in Bern. In his speech, Mr Burkhalter outlined Switzerland's three priorities in its foreign policy commitment to children and young people, namely providing protection, generating prospects and involving young people as actors. "Young people offer unlimited potential for peace and development and for shaping our future," Mr Burkhalter said, adding that the SDC would be investing even more in education in the field and increasing by 50% its commitment to developing basic education and vocational education and training.

Mr Burkhalter also discussed the crisis in Syria and welcomed the launch of the fifth round of talks on Syria in Geneva the previous day. He thanked UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura and his team for their unflagging commitment and pledged that Switzerland would continue to lend its strong support to the process. He also said that Switzerland would be attending the Syria conference in Brussels on 5 April. Mr Burkhalter went on to talk about the 20 million people at acute risk from hunger in Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. He announced that, at the UN's request, Switzerland together with Sweden would be holding a conference on Yemen in Geneva on 25 April, intended as a further contribution to tackling the hunger crisis in the region.

SDC Director-General Manuel Sager told the audience of over 1200  including five national councillors and around 80 representatives of foreign embassies and missions  about his personal experiences and encounters, most notably his visit to one of the biggest refugee camps in the world, in northern Kenya. "My trip to the Horn of Africa in February left me deeply moved, particularly the Kakuma camp, which is home to some 190,000 refugees. They had to leave everything behind and often have no opportunity to work or learn a trade," he said. The SDC's Skills for Life project, which was presented at the conference, aims to counter this worrying trend by giving both refugees and local people in Kakuma the chance to learn a trade. This will enable them not only to earn a living but also to take control of their own futures.

Schoolchildren have their say

A highlight of this year's conference was the opportunity to hear from young people themselves. Classes of schoolchildren from Zimbabwe and Rwanda sent video messages setting out their views on humanitarian principles, while students from Switzerland and Austria took to the stage in person to share their thoughts on humanitarian aid. The schoolchildren had learnt about humanitarian principles by completing learning modules as part of the SDC-initiated Humanity project developed in cooperation with the Swiss Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the University of Teacher Education in Zug.

Another highlight of the programme was the panel discussion, in which Pierre Krahenbuhl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Elhadj As Sy, Secretary General of the IFRC, SHA child protection specialist Petra Heusser and Nigerian government representative Dr Ayoade Olatunbosun-Alakija discussed projects that create prospects for young people.

In his closing speech, the Delegate for Humanitarian Aid Manuel Bessler again emphasised the need to look after young people in the here and now. "If their potential is not to be lost, the younger generation needs protection, support and education. After all, they are the ones who will determine our future."

As it does every year, the Annual Conference of Swiss Humanitarian Aid and the SHA offered humanitarian actors and other interested participants a varied programme, illustrating the various aspects of their work in relation to the younger generation. Discussions, presentations and interviews with external humanitarian aid workers and SHA staff gave those attending a range of opportunities to learn about the work undertaken by humanitarian Switzerland to support children and young people in crisis-hit areas.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




Secretariat-General FDF

Bern, 24.03.2017 - On 24 March 2017, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer will receive the Serbian Finance Minister, Dusan Vujovic, on a visit to Bern. The two finance ministers will address financial and economic policy issues, as well as collaboration in the Bretton Woods institutions. Thomas Jordan, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, will also take part in the discussions.

The two ministers will talk about the global economic outlook and economic developments in Europe. In particular, they will discuss developments since the Brexit referendum and its international implications. Bilateral relations with the EU will also be discussed.

A further topic will be the long-standing cooperation between the two countries in international financial institutions. Serbia is a member of the Swiss constituency in the Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank and International Monetary Fund). The Swiss constituency also includes Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

Address for enquiries

Roland Meier, Media Spokesperson FDF

Tel. 058 462 60 82, roland.meier@gs-efd.admin.ch

Publisher

Secretariat-General FDF

http://www.efd.admin.ch




We can help you make sense of the agribusiness industry, extending from chemicals and fertilizers used as inputs into agriculture, to the commodities, food and by-products that are an output to farming, with policy and regulation applied at every step of the value chain.
Alongside the Moto G5 Plus, Amazon has added another new smartphone to its ad-supported line of devices that are offered exclusively to Prime subscribers at subsidized prices. Called the Alcatel A30, the handset comes with modest hardware, but does carry an attractive price-tag. Two versions of the device are currently being offered by Amazon, both of which come unlocked, and are available at extremely affordable prices. While the standard version of the Alcatel A30 comes with a $99.99 price-tag, the ad-subsidized model on offer comes with a $40 discount. Which means buyers willing to put up with a few ads on their lockscreens could actually pick it up for just $59.99. Users will have to pick between a GSM option and a CDMA option based on their carrier, but both versions are sold unlocked, and will work on all carriers in the country using the same technology.

The Alcatel A30 is a decidedly entry-level handset that comes from Chinese technology company TCL, which owns exclusive rights to use the Alcatel brand for its Android smartphones. The company also designs and manufacturers BlackBerrys Android smartphones, including the DTEK 50 and the DTEK 60. The company is also believed to be in charge of the Canadian firms upcoming handset, the BlackBerry KEYone. Either way, the Alcatel A30 is available for pre-order from today, even though it will only be released officially on the 31st of this month. While the device doesnt offer any ground-breaking hardware, it does run Android Nougat out-of-the-box, which is certainly something to look forward to at this amazing price-point.

Taking a quick look at the hardware specs of the Alcatel A30, the device comes with a 5-inch 720p display, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 SoC that comes with a quad-core CPU clocked at 1.1GHz. The device also comes with 2GB of RAM and just 16GB of built-in storage that can, however, be increased by way of a microSD card of up to 32GB in capacity. Imaging options on the device include an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video chats. It will be interesting to see how well this device is received by consumers, given that the ad-subsidized BLU R1 HD was one of the best-selling devices on Amazon last year when it was introduced at a similar price-point.

Advertisement

Buy the Alcatel A30
Several sketches showcasing a new Nokia smartphone, supposedly taken from HMDs own drawing board, have leaked out of China today. The phone depicted in the images appears to be rocking a Zeiss-branded dual camera setup, so this might be the Nokia flagship consumers have been waiting for, maybe even the Nokia 8 thats been the subject of many rumors circulating the smartphone industry in recent months. The newly leaked sketches can be seen above in all of their glory, so make of them what you will.

Nokia and HMD took the stage at MWC 2017 to unveil the Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3. But while these phones brought forth premium designs, their specs left some consumers disappointed as a lot of people were hoping Nokia will launch a flagship device during the event in Barcelona. After sitting on the sidelines for the last few years, Nokia finally made a comeback to the world of smartphones, but it has yet to introduce a device that could compete with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and similar flagships. The sketch at hand doesnt reveal much, except that Nokia and HMD might be looking to differentiate the alleged flagships design from most devices that were introduced at MWC 2017. There have been conflicting rumors on whether Nokia will continue to rely on Carl Zeiss optics for imaging and video purposes, but recent information seems to indicate Carl Zeiss-branded lenses will indeed be a part of future Nokia products.

Regardless, the rumor mill continues to insist that a Nokia flagship is coming in the near future. A recent leak suggested Nokia and HMD are working on a premium smartphone with the Snapdragon 835 chipset on the inside, a full metal body, and a dual camera setup. Nokia is reportedly working on two version of the device, one with a smaller display and 4GB of RAM and another with a more spacious screen and 6GB of RAM. Whats more, the base model is said to come boasting a price tag of approximately $580, while the advanced version will be sold for $650, rumors suggested. More details on Nokias upcoming devices will hopefully follow in the coming months.
Samsung Electronics on Friday dismissed the idea of restructuring itself in the immediate future. While speaking at the companys annual shareholder meeting, Chief Executive Officer Kwon Oh-hyun said that its currently unlikely the Seoul-based conglomerate will split into two, citing negative effects that would follow as a result of such a move as the main reason for the firms reluctance to adopt a holding company structure. Kwon hasnt elaborated on what those consequences entail but noted that Samsung is still in the process of reviewing the restructuring proposal initially made by Elliott Associates in late 2016. The U.S. hedge fund and a minority shareholder of the company proposed that Samsung splits into two and adopts a holding company structure while also paying a $26.75 billion special dividend to its investors, all with the goal of unlocking shareholder value. Elliott Associates and several other investors in Samsung have previously stated that the companys stock is severely undervalued and a drastic restructuring theyre proposing is meant to alleviate that issue.

Following Kwons announcement that Samsung wont be transitioning to a holding company structure in the near future, Samsung C&Ts shares dropped by over seven percent during afternoon trading in South Korea. Industry watchers previously believed Samsung C&T and Samsung Electronics will merge as part of the restructuring given how the former is entirely controlled by the founding Lee family and such a move would potentially solidify its grasp on the company. Additionally, investors are hoping that transitioning to a holding company structure would also increase the overall value of Samsung. In light of that fact, it isnt surprising that many investors are unhappy with Samsungs latest announcement seeing how the company recently said the review of Elliott Associates proposal will be conducted in a straightforward manner but is now claiming the transition wont be simple and is vague when asked about specific timeframes.

Some investors believe that the restructuring was postponed by the arrest of Samsung Groups Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee who was recently caught in a major influence-peddling scandal that also saw Korean President Park impeached. Regardless, an update on the situation is expected to follow in the coming months.
It seems like LG is getting ready to start selling the unlocked variant of the LG G6 in the US. The companys official US website basically says that an unlocked variant is coming soon, which is something you can see if you follow the source link down below. Unfortunately, though, LG did not provide us with an exact launch date, nor the pricing of the device, so well basically have to wait until the company launches it in order to find out how much will it cost in the States.

Now, the LG G6 is already available for a pre-order from all major US carriers, just in case youd like to jump on that train before the company releases an unlocked variant of the device. That being said, the LG G6s pricing differs from carrier to carrier, you can get it for $600 from US Cellular, while youll have to splash out $700 if youd like to purchase it from AT&T or Sprint. Having that in mind, an unlocked variant of the device will probably cost $649 once it launches. Chances are that this variant of the device will arrive next month, as that is when all carriers will officially start selling the device, so it seems like the right timeframe for the company to kick off sales of the unlocked variant as well. That is more or less it, LG did not share any additional details about the phones availability.

The LG G6 was announced during this years Mobile World Congress last month, and initial impressions are actually quite good all around. The phone looks a lot better than its predecessor (at least that seems to be the general consensus), its made out of metal and glass, and its bezels are really thin all around. LGs all-new flagship is fueled by the Snapdragon 821 64-bit quad-core processor, while it packs in 4GB of RAM and 32GB / 64GB of expandable internal storage. The phone sport a 5.7-inch 2880 x 1440 display, and a 3,300mAh non-removable battery is also a part of this package. Android 7.0 Nougat comes pre-installed on the LG G6, along with the companys LG UX 6.0 UI on top of it. If youd like to know more about the LG G6, feel free to check out our device page of this smartphone.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Terrorism is evil which can occur at any time, thats why it is necessary to be always alert and take measures against it, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview to MIR TV, which is published on the website of the program.

President Sargsyan responded to a question regarding the role of CSTO countries in the fight against terrorist groups.

I think we can more actively help the Armed Forces of Russia in undertaking this big and important issue. Russia is making a very big contribution in this fight, and we must bear some part of either the responsibility or efforts, he said.

According to the President, it is especially important for Armenia, because a huge number of our compatriots live in the Middle East.

As we know, the Islamic State is treating with special cruelty against national minorities, especially against Christians. Our brothers and sisters living in Syria and Iraq suffered greatly from this. Of course, the sooner Islamic State militants are eliminated, the better it will be for entire mankind. We are ready to continue providing humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, which suffered greatly. I think, those efforts, which Russia is currently making, the Russian Armed Forces, are successful, he said.

He said it is understandable that many measures are taken in both London and Paris for security, however terrorism is a crime which is difficult to predict. Its one thing when groups are wanted, when a visible enemy exists, its another thing when under the mask of refugees people who have a very different task can enter any country, Sargsyan said.

He added it is very difficult to fight against it, stressing that terrorism is a very dangerous phenomena. First of all it is necessary to extend condolences to all victims and wish success to all who are fighting against this evil, the President said.
AMG

The replacement of the CLS is expected to change its name, and many reports point to CLE as the chosen designation of the next-generation four-door coupe from Mercedes-Benz.Evidently, the German automaker will make a Mercedes-derivative of the CLE/CLS, but we will get to that once our spy photographers spot one in the wild.Until then, we have a photo gallery of the prototype of the Mercedes-Benz CLS successor, and our friends at SB-Medien managed to capture it in various situations. These pictures were taken in several places in Germany, and it is not the first time when you get to see the prototype.This example was spotted with less camouflage on its body, and the front grille is unmistakably one from the three-pointed-star brand from Stuttgart. The silhouette of the prototype is consistent in shape to the ones of the previous vehicles, and the resulting production car will be a sleek four-door.The German brand will fit the successor of the CLS with more driver assistance technologies, a new interior, and a new lineup of engines. Mild-hybrid solutions could be integrated into this model, especially with the new line of inline-six cylinder engines.Mercedes-Benz has yet to announce its plan to make the CLE/CLS the worlds most aerodynamic automobile, but the brand did just that at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, when it presented the Concept IAA.It had a Cd value of just 0.19, and it was a sleek four-door coupe. The prototype of the CLS successor is close to the Concept IAA in both idea and silhouette, so we must wait for the announcement of the Cd numbers.Those of you who remember that Daimler AG has an aeroacoustic wind tunnel in Sindelfingen, which can operate at speeds of up to 265 km/h (165 mph), are sure to expect a suitable result from the brand.
Representatives of the Chinese company have announced they have retired from the discussion and will not submit a bid to purchase Proton . They have motivated the decision based on talks with the executives of the Malaysian brand, whom they accused of indecisiveness in their plans.These claims come from Li Shufu, the chairman of Geely Motors, who was clear in his statement that he feels that Protons leaders have not decided what they want. Any potential investor will tell you that one of the worst things they can encounter with a possible business partner is uncertainty.Every investment itself can be uncertain, and all are to some degree, but when things change from one day to another, the investor becomes discouraged to continue. As Autocar has learned from Geelys representatives, a situation like the one described above was encountered by the Chinese in their interaction with Proton.With the other potential bidder out of the way, the French at Groupe PSA have a clear road ahead if they decide to buy Proton. The move could help the parent company of Peugeot and Citroen to gain a brand that is recognized in the Asia-Pacific region, but it will also have to prepare to change everything it can to bring it back to profit.At this point, we should note that Proton owns Lotus , which could be the biggest asset of the Malaysian company. The British brand has an engineering consultancy department that was the desired acquisition by many European brands, and that may be the reason why the French would want to buy the company altogether.Interestingly, the representatives of the PSA Groupe have recently announced they have agreed to acquire GMs European brand, comprised of the Opel and Vauxhall brands.The decision could have affected the intention to buy Proton, but the conglomerate from the Hexagon could do it regardless. Expect to hear a final decision announced by the end of the summer.
The latest example of this comes from the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania, which held a rolling quarter-mile event. One of the stars of the velocity gathering was a 675LT, which decided to battle all sorts of opponents.Among others, the track special fought a built Nissan GT-R. Now, any such race involves enormous risks from Godzilla's rival. After almost a decade of market presence, the R35 has reached a level of aftermarket performance that seems difficult to believe for those outside this world.For one thing, the GT-R Alpha G, a customer car recently set a new 1,320 feet world record for R35 GT-Rs, while also becoming the first all-wheel-drive car to deliver a 6s run.Of course, the Nissan battling the 675LT isn't nearly as ferocious as the one mentioned above, which packs well above 2,500 ponies (some even expect the Alpha G to deliver 3,000 ponies). Nevertheless, this R35 still packs enough of a punch to one-up the British missile.One of the most interesting brawls saw the 675 hp Macca duking it out with an early McLaren, namely an MP4-12C gifted with aftermarket mods - we won't dig deeper into this matter, as we don't want to spoil the fun of the clip.No such series of battles would be complete without one of them involving a Porsche fight and the adventure we have here saw two rear-engined animals fighting the McLaren 675 Longtail.Keep in mind that we're looking at rolling races here, with the rivals entering the quarter-mile arena at different points. As such, you should pay close attention to the numbers delivered at the end of the races.
Since the company was born in the second half of the XIX century, its history has been interwoven with the economic, civil, and cultural growth of Italy and Europe. With the creation of the Vespa scooter, and having designed and produced a wide variety of cargo and passenger vehicles, Piaggio has become a worldwide symbol of Italian industry, revolutionizing the idea of mobility.The celebration held at the famous theater was also a great occasion to present the book that shows the company's past and future. FuturPiaggio - 6 lezioni italiene sulla mobilita e sulla vita moderna (FuturPiaggio - 6 Italian lessons on mobility and modern life) is a luxury book published in a limited number by Rizzoli.The book has a sophisticated graphic design, inspired by an example of excellence in the history of publishing, Fortunato Deperos bolted book from 1927, a clear reference to the Groups industrial vocation and innovative spirit.FuturPiaggio takes a look at milestones in the history of the company, examining its most iconic products and the story of its men and brands, names with a rich experience and innovation stuck to them.In line with the companys 130-year history, the book ranges from the roots of Moto Guzzi to the advanced motorcycle technology achievements at Aprilia Racing, from the creation of the Vespa to the worldwide success of the Piaggio brand.The pre-war period also has an important place and, like the other sections of the album, is illustrated with fascinating archive images, many never published until now.Lastly, the luxury book takes a look at the future, so youll meet the previously unveiled Gita and Kilo smart cargo bots, which are currently under development and testing.
The lightest element on the periodic table and the most abundant chemical substance in the universe, H can be converted into a solution for propulsion in two ways. You can burn it (see liquid-propellent rockets) or make it react with oxygen in a fuel cell in order to run electric motors. Implementing the latter of the two solutions in a road-going vehicle is far from being simple, but world-class automakers such as Hyundai, Honda, and Toyota did it.Toyota is especially proud of what it achieved with the Mirai , a mid-size sedan built in the factory where Lexus manufactured the LFA supercar . It costs $57,500 excluding destination, which is a lot of green dollar bills. To its defense, however, buyers are offered a purchase support of $7,500, three years worth of complimentary hydrogen fuel, plus a $5,000 CA rebate.The Japanese company would like the world to know how awesome its car is that Toyota actually overdid things in terms of advertising. Case in point: the automakers marketing division created Google Ads for the Mirai targeted at Tesla Model 3 reservation holders, which is some pretty low trickery if Im to be brutally honest. Then theres the advertisement displayed in an electric vehicle charging station, a tongue-in-cheek move thats somewhat redundant considering the deficits of the hydrogen refueling infrastructure.This time around, Toyota got its act together and produced one hell of an advertising stunt by installing 37 eco-billboards in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The billboards have built-in catalytic converters," and their purpose is to purify the surrounding air. Thats a very interesting and clever way of catching the eco-conscious crowds attention, alright!Toyota consistently searches for new environmental technologies across all operations. When Clear Channel Outdoor Americas brought us the opportunity, we saw it as a perfect match, said Mark Angelacos, advanced technology general manager at Toyota Motor North America. This new campaign delivers Toyota Mirais vehicle of change message on a medium that lives up to that promise.
You might recognize the latters name, as they build the reborn AC Cobra. The deal sounds like it was "made in Heaven," but there are many details to discuss.The transaction was done two months after the Zenos company went under administration, and the consortium now owns all of its assets, intellectual property, and even a stock of 10 completed vehicles As Autocar notes, the transactions details were not publicly revealed. The other investors in the consortium were not named, but at least we know that a deal was done, and that another company that builds cars has acquired the low-volume marque.The resulting products will probably be named AC Zenos, instead of just Zenos, but it is still good news that this company has not disappeared off the face of the Earth.Alan Lubinsky, the owner of AC Cars , has told the British magazine that a major problem with Zenos is the cost of production for its models. It is unclear if he meant the labor costs, supplier prices, or the overall situation, but he might compare things to the AC Cars factory in South Africa.The current Zenos factory in Norfolk will be evaluated for cost effectiveness, and if the results will be terrible, production is expected to move to the AC Cars facility. Zenos new owners refrained from announcing where they will build future models.The two companies will join forces for economies of scale, which could come from supply deals, joint production, and a shared dealer network. Regardless of the case, both Zenos and AC Cars will try to cut unnecessary expenses wherever they can, but this will be a priority for the former.Fortunately, the new owners of Zenos are euphoric with the products this company has built so far, and they congratulate the creators of the cars made in Norfolk . The engineering of Zenos models was described as fantastic, and the current car will continue to exist.
The choice quotes from Mike Allen's interview this morning with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin:

Trump's stamina: "He's got perfect genes. He has incredible energy and he's unbelievably healthy."

"He's got perfect genes. He has incredible energy and he's unbelievably healthy." Trump's diet : Mnuchin claimed Trump no longer eats KFC or McDonald's, as the White House food is "great."

: Mnuchin claimed Trump no longer eats KFC or McDonald's, as the White House food is "great." His joke on Trump: "I think we should look at putting President Trump on the thousand dollar bill."
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin joined Axios' Mike Allen this morning at the debut of his News Shapers event series to talk about his new role in the Trump Administration.

On AI supplanting human jobs: "it's not even on our radar screen.... 50-100 more years" away. "I'm not worried at all" about robots displacing humans in the near future, he said, adding: "In fact I'm optimistic."

Other big ticket items:

Trump:

Trump's stamina: "He's got perfect genes. He has incredible energy and he's unbelievably healthy."

"He's got perfect genes. He has incredible energy and he's unbelievably healthy." Trump's diet : Mnuchin claimed Trump no longer eats KFC or McDonald's, as the White House food is "great."

: Mnuchin claimed Trump no longer eats KFC or McDonald's, as the White House food is "great." The dollar bill: "I think we should look at putting President Trump on the thousand dollar bill."

"I think we should look at putting President Trump on the thousand dollar bill." Trump's views evolving: "He's the negotiator-in-chief... he wants big deals."

"He's the negotiator-in-chief... he wants big deals." Trump's leadership style: "He has an open door. People are coming and going, and he thinks about something and calls somebody on the phone... this is not a formal, scheduled president."

Tax reform:

"Much simpler" than health care reform , saying the Trump administration will do it comprehensively. Not going to break it up into more passable pieces.

, saying the Trump administration will do it comprehensively. Not going to break it up into more passable pieces. Corporate tax rate: Mnuchin declined to reiterate Trump's goal of a 15% corporate tax rate, vs. Ryan's 20% plan.

Mnuchin declined to reiterate Trump's goal of a 15% corporate tax rate, vs. Ryan's 20% plan. Carried interest loophole: Mnuchin said the loophole will be closed in our tax plan. But that's for hedge funds. No commitment on real estate, etc.

Mnuchin said the loophole will be closed in our tax plan. But that's for hedge funds. No commitment on real estate, etc. Border adjustment tax: It has certain aspects that are VAT-like, which much of the rest of the world uses.

It has certain aspects that are VAT-like, which much of the rest of the world uses. The focus of tax cuts: Mnuchin said the Trump administration's focus is on tax cuts for the middle class, not upper.

The global economy:

Renegotiating trade deals: "So long as we can renegotiate [trade] deals that are good for us, we won't be protectionist. Otherwise we will."

"So long as we can renegotiate [trade] deals that are good for us, we won't be protectionist. Otherwise we will." The one bad thing: We don't know how to predict the next bad thing.

We don't know how to predict the next bad thing. Trump's big objective: Keep people safe, per Mnuchin.

Keep people safe, per Mnuchin. Does Mnuchin worry about who is calling Trump? "No. Do you?"

On Silicon Valley, tech and jobs:

Valuations: "I don't understand these valuations."

Infrastructure:




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Modified On Mar 24, 2017 04:02 PM By Rachit Shad for Lexus RX

While the RX 450h is available in two variants, the ES 300h and LX 450d get one each

Heads up everyone! We have a new player in Indian automotive market. Owned by one of the biggest names in the business, Toyota, India now welcomes the renowned luxury brand Lexus. The company has launched three models, RX 450h, ES 300h and LX 450d, in India today. While the RX 450h has two variants and starts at Rs 1.07 crore, there is only one variant each for the ES 300h (priced at RS 55.27 lakh) and the LX 450d. Lexus say that prices for the LX 450d will be announced at a later date.

RX 450h:

The letter h means it is powered by a hybrid powertrain. In the Lexus RX 450h, power is harnessed from the combination of a 3.5-litre V6 with VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) tech and a 650V A/C permanent magnet synchronous motor. The petrol engine alone pumps out 262PS of power and 335Nm of torque. The electric motor, on the other hand, generates 68PS of power and 139Nm of torque. As a result, the total power output is capped at 313PS/361Nm. Transmission duties are handled by an e-CVT (Electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission) unit, which is mated to a four-wheel-drive system.

ES 300h:

The most affordable car in the companys Indian portfolio shares its platform with the Toyota Camry. The ES 300h is powered by an in-line 4-pot motor which has a cubic capacity of 2.5-litres. It alone produces 160PS of power and 233Nm of torque. To complete the hybrid powertrain, there is a high-output electric motor, which, all on its own, produces 143PS of power and 270Nm of torque. Like the RX 450h, the engine in the ES 300h is mated to an e-CVT unit and the power sent only to the front wheels. The car can complete the 0-100kmph sprint in 8.5 seconds and still claim fuel-efficiency figures of 17kmpl.

LX 450d:

The LX 450d is the biggest Lexus that has gone on sale in India. Although it shares its underpinnings with the Toyota Land Cruiser, the LX 450d has a lot more going for itself. It is powered by a turbocharged 4.5-litre diesel engine that belts out 265PS of power and 650Nm of torque. The engine is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission and the power is transferred to the road via all four wheels.

All three models will be brought into India via the CBU (completely built unit) route. This translates to a hefty tax on top of the actual price tags. At present, Lexus doesnt have an operational showroom anywhere in India, but will start with four dealerships, one each at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurugram. Additionally, after sales facilities will be available in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.

Heres the variant-wise price-list (ex-showroom Delhi):

Lexus RX Luxury: Rs 1.07 Crore

Lexus RX F-Sport: Rs 1.09 Crore

Lexus ES 300h: Rs 55.27 lakh
Modified On Mar 24, 2017 04:23 PM By Raunak for Mahindra Ssangyong Rexton

Mahindra-owned SsangYong will reveal the production-spec second-gen Rexton at the 2017 Seoul Motor Show.

South Korean automaker SsangYong has teased its new production-spec flagship SUV ahead of its world premiere on March 30 at the 2017 Seoul Motor Show. The SUV, codenamed Y400, is the successor to the over-a-decade-old Rexton.

For the uninitiated, the Y400s concept was first revealed at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show, christened the LIV-1. And its final concept was unveiled last September at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, christened the LIV-2. According to SsangYong, LIV is an abbreviation for Limitless Interface Vehicle. The automaker has not confirmed whether this new flagship SUV will carry forward the Rexton label or will get a different moniker since it still calls it by its codename  the Y400.

The new SUV is based on a brand-new platform, but still continues with body-on-frame construction, like the current Rexton. Dimensionally, it is longer, wider, and taller than the outgoing Rexton, featuring a longer wheelbase as well.

SsangYong Y400

Length : 4,850mm (+95mm over the Rexton)

: 4,850mm (+95mm over the Rexton) Width : 1,920mm (+20mm over the Rexton)

: 1,920mm (+20mm over the Rexton) Height : 1,800mm (+15mm over the Rexton)

: 1,800mm (+15mm over the Rexton) Wheelbase: 2,865mm (+30mm over the Rexton)

Mechanically, it will come with two engine options  a 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre turbo petrol. In terms of transmission, the diesel motor will offer a seven-speed automatic, while the petrol one will offer a six-speed automatic as an option. However, both the engines will come standard with a six-speed manual.

Speaking of its launch, the automaker highlighted in an official release that the Y400/second-gen Rexton will go on sale in Korea during the first half of this year, and internationally before the end of 2017. In India, it is believed that itll be available as a Mahindra product instead of a SsangYong offering, just like the upcoming compact SUV (codenamed S201) from the home-grown automaker, which will be based on the SsangYong Tivoli. If launched, the Y400 will go up against heavyweights such as the Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner. Stay tuned to CarDekho for its reveal next week!

Recommended Read: Mahindra Eyeing Creta & Duster With A New Tivoli-Based SUV

Read More on : Mahindra Ssangyong Rexton price
Modified On Mar 29, 2017 01:34 PM By Khan Mohd. for Tata Tigor 2017-2020

Presently, the Maruti Swift DZire leads the pack by clocking 16,000 plus monthly sales

Watch our quick review to know about the Tigor in under 300 seconds. Scroll right down to the bottom for a more in-depth review.

Update 29/3/2017: Tata Tigor Launched at Rs 4.70 Lakh

Tata Motors is gearing up to launch something in which it can take pride, and in a segment in which it is a pioneer. Just before the sub-4m car law was passed in the 2006 Union Budget, Tata was ready with its first compact sedan  the Indigo CS. Some said that Tata knew the new rule beforehand and had prepared for it in advance in order to cash in on the reduced taxes, but thats a different story. The carmaker slashed the extended boot of the Indigo and came up with a CS (Compact Sedan) version of the car. The surgery resulted in a price slash of up to Rs 50,000 at that time, which eventually set the sales charts on fire. The rest, as they say, is geometry.

Eleven years down the line, from being the leading player, the home-grown automakers share in the segment has shrunken to that of a mere spectator, thanks to the foray of potential cars in the segment. As a testament to it, the collective sales of the Indigo and the Manza for February 2017 read just 465 units, whereas the segment leader, the Maruti Swift Dzires numbers clock 16,613! The difference is only increasing with each passing day.

Tata went into hibernation for a few years and almost exited the passenger car realm with poor sales performance of its cars. However, it has come back strongly with the IMPACT design philosophy, which looks promising. The Tiago became the first car to boast this design language, while the Hexa was the second, and the upcoming Tigor, scheduled to launch on March 29, will be the third.

When asked which type of car succeeds in the sub-4m segment, you would say, the kind that has mesmerising looks, spacious interiors, a fuel-efficient engine, adequate boot space, strong after-sales network and aggressive pricing. Recently, buyers have started to show interest in the comfort and convenience features too. Ticking all these check boxes is the new Tata Tigor.

Once launched, the Tigor is likely to make life tough of its arch rival, the Dzire. However, itll take some time for the Tata notchback to really get going since, to build trust, the Tigor has to prove its mettle in the market. The carmaker is far more aggressive in its marketing and R&D techniques now, and is, therefore, more capable of taking on the competition, including the Maruti, now. The Tigor beats the Dzire in several areas and is likely to create panic in the Maruti camp. For the uninitiated, Maruti is also working on the facelift version of the Dzire, which will be launched soon.

Besides the Maruti sedan, other cars in the sub-4m segment are the Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent and the Ford Aspire, while in the compact SUV space, we have the Ford EcoSport and Maruti Vitara Brezza.

By offering substantial features in the Tigor, Tata Motors is looking to bite a large piece of the sub-4m segment pie. However, the pricing will be key and is expected to fall in the vicinity of Rs 4.20- 6.50 lakh. Whether it will be able to outperform its rivals, only the future can tell us.

Recommended Read:

Tata Tigor: First Drive Review

Tata Tigor: What It Offers Extra Over The Tiago

Tata Tigor: Complete Details Revealed
For your pleasure, an untraumatised raccoon. No, my face is up here... no, up here.

Another Friday is upon us and, frankly, it couldnt have come at a better time. This week, Diarys discovered that the House of Lords may have 99 problems, but publishing 100 recommendations aint one and a Moscow zoo sues ad company for damaging borrowed racoon.

Why make 99 recommendations, when 100 will do?!

So, as everyone Diarys sure is aware, the House of Lords charities committee is threatening to drop its big, 100-recommendation long report about the charity sector at some point.

At the risk of being perhaps found in contempt of the House of Lords, and thusly dragged from the Tower along the cobbled streets by horses, before being hung, drawn and quartered and scattered across the UK as a warning to others; this column will stay completely neutral and vague about the whole thing.

Yet, Diary cant help but think that the 100 recommendations figure seems a bit too, well, round. This column thinks the committee actually originally only got to about 93 recommendations, but soon realised collectively that they couldnt possibly publish a report with such an odd number of recommendations. And, so they brewed up the 10,000th pot of tea, took up their quills once more and bent their ermine-trimmed backs to their vellum scrolls.

Also, one cant help but speculate what some of these recommendations will be. Sure, there are bound to be good ones in there but, well, you could take a random sample of 100 of anything and youd come up with a few rotters.

What Diarys trying to say is, theres bound to be a bit of padding in there somewhere

Has this column already gone too far? Is treason afoot?! Is that the sound of an axe being sharpened, and the headsman being called?

On a final note, Diary would like to say thank you to Lord Foulkes for his input into this issue. It may not have been fair, but it was funny. More here.

Theres nothing erotic about a raccoon

To Russia now and, before we start, Diary should add a caveat of sorts to this story. This column is not entirely sure whether there are actually charities (at least, as we know them in the UK) in Russia. Also, this story concerns a zoo in Moscow which, is not in and of itself a charity but it is at least a non-profit organisation and, thus, is fair game.

Anyway, wrap your maculae around this headline, cause its an absolute ripper.

Russian zoo sues advertising firm for traumatising rented raccoon in erotic photo shoot.

Thank you, the Telegraph, thank you so very much.

Theres almost too much to dive into here, frankly. This column could happily spend the rest of today crushing out 4,000/5,000 words on this and what it means for every single one of us, out there on the coalface, struggling to get by day-to-day.

Alas, weve not got the time, so lets just pick out the three best things, in no particular order of preference.

However, a little background to begin: an advertising company approached the Moscow zoo asking to borrow a raccoon for an advertisement it was shooting. The ad company returned the raccoon, who they soon noticed seemed different then when hed left. The zoo then saw footage from the shoot, which involved a naked woman cradling the raccoon. Now the zoo are suing the ad company.

Now, the first best thing about this story is the caption below the photograph which reads, simply: The raccoon was said to be distressed. Understated genius.

Second: the fact that the raccoon, named as Tomas in reports, was said to be left traumatised by the experience of being cuddled to the bare bosoms of a Russian model and, apparently, subsequently developed an unhealthy obsession with human breasts. Incredible.

Quote: Tomas came back withdrawn, always slept in the corner, and snapped at people, said Viktor Kiryukhin, a zoo spokesman. "Furthermore, we began to notice that he reached for womens breasts. We think to perform several takes the film crew lured him onto the actress chest with treats. Now he thinks he can always expect a treat near womens breasts.

Third: the advertising company have refuted the claim and have, instead, effectively blamed the raccoon for being unmanageable and accused it of effectively being a lingerie fetishist who stole the underwear [of the model] and chewed it.

Valery Bogatov, spokesman for the ad company, reportedly said: When the zoo told us they would sue us, we told them wed file our own suit for the cost of the bra.

Also, commendation for the journalist who wrote this story, because the last line is worthy of note: Tomas the raccoon has made a full recovery and is back to his playful self. Thank heavens for that! Violating animal rights is never funny.
London police have released the name of the man who killed three people and injured 40 before he was shot to death in a suspected lone wolf terror attack on the Houses of Parliament.



One of those killed was an American who was visiting with his wife on their 25th wedding anniversary.

Khalid Masood, 52, was born in Kent in 1964 and was believed to have most recently lived in the Midlands, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement Thursday.

While Masood was not the subject of a current investigation and there was no sign that he was about to mount an attack, he was known to police, the statement said. Masood had a range of previous convictions to his name including assault and possession of offensive weapons.

Police said his first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.



Earlier, British police had searched six addresses and made eight arrests in raids as part of an investigation into the Wednesday's attack, which left four people.

Masood plowed his car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge and then fatally stabbed a police officer before being shot to death. Police had said five died but they revised it to four overnight.



Late Thursday, police said a 75-year-old man injured in the attack died after his life support was withdrawn.

@metpoliceuk: Detectives investigating the terrorist attack in #Westminster can confirm that a 75yo man died tonight after his life support was withdrawn.

In a statement to the House of Commons earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Theresa May gave details of the casualties' nationalities on top of the 12 injured Britons: One American, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian and two Greeks.

An official from the Mormon church in Utah identified the slain American as Kurt W. Cochran, who was on a wedding anniversary trip to London with his wife, Melissa. She was seriously wounded, The Associated Press reported.

Later Thursday the Islamic State group said through its Aamaq News Agency that the attacker was a soldier of the Islamic State who "carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of the coalition" of countries fighting IS in Syria and Iraq.

Speaking Thursday morning, U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said that Parliament is currently reviewing its already stringent security measures.


Silversea made history with the first-ever cruise ship call to Bangladesh on February 22, according to the Monaco-based company, when the Silver Discoverer visited Maheshkhali Island.

The three-day stopover in the country also included visits to Hiron Point, Charaputia, Harbaria and Kokilmoni. High points for guests included explorations of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its population of Bengal tigers.

The ship sailed again to Bangladesh last week on a 14-day voyage that continues this week with visits to several destinations in Myanmar.

"This is a major milestone in Silversea's history that underscores our commitment to exploring some of the world's most remote and secluded regions," said Conrad Combrink, global head of expedition planning and strategic development. "Our inaugural call in Bangladesh is just one example of themany once-in-a-lifetime adventures that can be enjoyed aboard our expedition ships, which sail to virtually every fascinating corner of the globe."
The China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA), which oversees the cruise business in China, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

The agreement was signed this week by Weihang Zheng, vice president and secretary, CCYIA; and David Herrera, president, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings China.

The Norwegian Joy will enter the Chinese cruise market this year on June 28, and Norwegian will continue to support China Cruise Shipping, the main cruise trade show for the Asia/Pacific market which is organized by the CCYIA.

This year, the conference takes place in Sanya, Nov. 5-7.

Learn more about the trade show and conference here.

Norwegian will actively participate in the CCYIA and help drive promotional activities and cruise consumer market research in China.
No one said managing others is easy and thats especially true when you dont care for those youre supervising. When your mind is already made up about your feelings toward the employee, no matter their performance, it can be hard to alter your bias against them. The key to being a successful leader, though, lies in the ability to put personal feelings aside and lead in a way thats fair and effective. Here are three tips to consider when you just dont like who youre leading.

Decipher the reason why

What it is about this particular employee that you dont like? Is it their work style, their personality or something else? Determining the root of your feelings for them can help you to understand why it is you feel the way you do. If its a personality conflict you may have to accept and move forward. Part of having a diverse team is accepting differences and using different skill sets to better the organization. But, if your feelings stem from the employees poor performance or inability to pull their weight within the organization, your feelings may be justified. If this is the case a true evaluation may be necessary for determining the individuals future in their position.

Remember youre the boss

Despite your feelings toward this particular employee, dont forget others are looking to you as an example. Its important not to let your personal thoughts on the employee overshadow your responsibilities as a manager. Be open-minded and patient; even though you may feel frustrated with this individual dont get caught up in petty annoyances, as there is still a job to be done. Your feelings may change down the road, so remember you have others to lead as well. Keep in mind why you were given the leadership position in the first place and continue to work together as a team with a common goal.

Handle conflict quickly

If it turns out the problem is not just a difference in personality, step up and get things settled right away. If the given employee is being disrespectful, is underperforming, or is causing workplace issues with other employees, its critical you meet with them directly to sort things out. Again, put any personal feelings aside and conduct a productive meeting to figure how to resolve the issues at hand. While meeting with the employee, be sure to start with positive feedback; also, remind them of their role in the company and what they bring to the organization. Address grievances at the end of the meeting and provide pointers on how to move forward as a team to avoid problems in the future.
For eight years, Michael LaJoice lived the lifestyle of the rich and famous supported by the $18 million he stole from his own credit union. He drove a $95,000 Cadillac Escalade, flew in a private jet and lived in a 5,800-square-foot multimillion-dollar custom-built home that included a nine-seat-movie theater.

LaJoice, 38, of Tyrone Township, Mich., will have a lot of time to think about how his greed ruined his life, devastated his wife, their three young children and merged the $68.5 million Clarkston Brandon Community Credit Union out of existence, including some of its jobs.

U.S. District Court Judge Gershwin A. Drain in Detroit sentenced the former CBCCU CFO Thursday to 11 years in federal prison. LaJoice also was ordered to pay restitution of $18.6 million.

He pleaded guilty to bank fraud in November.

LaJoice began stealing from the Clarkston, Mich.-based credit union in 2007 and continued siphoning funds through 2015, according to court records. Finally, on January 5, 2016 state regulators finally caught up to him and confronted the former CFO about discrepancies in the books. The next morning, LaJoice shocked the community when he walked into the Oakland County Sheriffs Office and confessed his crime to stunned police investigators.
Talking Points:

Crude oil prices wait on rig count, positioning data at key support

Gold prices snap six-day win streak before US House AHCA vote

Fate of healthcare reform may alter Fed interest rate hike outlook

Crude oil prices drifted to the bottom of their near-term range but the absence of top-tier news flow meant the absence of momentum needed for a conclusive breakdown or a spirited rebound. Fresh insight into supply dynamics may help break the stalemate as Baker Hughes rig count data comes across the wires.

Last week, the figures showed that the number of active oil extraction installations rose to the highest since September 2015. Another increase may fuel speculation that swelling swing supply will offset and possibly even overwhelm upside pressure from an OPEC production cut scheme.

The markets appear increasingly friendly to this view. The CFTC reportedthat large speculators cut long WTI crude oil futures bets by the most in at least 11 years last week. Meanwhile, short exposure grew by the most in nearly five months. More of the same in this weeks positioning update may prove self-fulfilling.

Gold prices snapped a six-day winning streak as US Treasury bond yields rose, tarnishing the appeal of non-interest-bearing assets. The metal had enjoyed a brisk recovery after last weeks FOMC rate decision. Its turn may reflect pre-positioning ahead of a vote on healthcare reform in the US House of Representatives.

The fate of the AHCA  a Republican replacement for so-called Obamacare  has emerged as a referendum on the Trump administrations ability to enact policy. Failure may dim hopes for tax cuts, deregulation and infrastructure spending. That may flatten the projected Fed rate hike path, boosting gold.

Retail traders are net buyers of gold. What does this hint about the price trend? Find out here !

GOLD TECHNICAL ANALYSIS  Gold prices put in a bearish Dark Cloud Cover candlestick pattern, hinting a turn lower may be ahead. A reversal below the 23.6% Fibonacci expansionat 1227.99 opens the door for retest of the 14.6% level at 1215.29. Alternatively, a daily close above resistance at 1248.58, the 38.2% Fib, exposes the 50% expansionat 1265.23.

Chart created using TradingView

CRUDE OIL TECHNICAL ANALYSIS  Crude oil prices continue to push up against key support at 47.22 (50% Fibonacci retracement, rising trend line) but a confirmed break remains elusive. A daily close below this barrier initially exposes the 61.8% levelat 45.33. Alternatively, a reversal above resistance at 49.11, the 38.2% Fib, targets the 23.6% retracementat 51.44 next.

Chart created using TradingView

--- Written by Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist for DailyFX.com

To receive Ilya's analysis directly via email, please SIGN UP HERE

Contact and follow Ilya on Twitter: @IlyaSpivak
6 dead, 3 injured in Pyuthan jeep accident

At least six people died and three others injured when a jeep met with an accident at Pyuthan on Friday.
The fireside lounge on the first floor of the McCain Arts and Social Sciences Building looked a lot like a library this past Tuesday afternoon.



An assortment of books touching on everything from Indigenous and gender issues to Russian Studies and U.S. foreign policy were on display as part of an event celebrating recent publications from researchers in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS).



The annual event is an opportunity to recognize the publications and research produced by our faculty, explained Howard Ramos, associate dean of research for FASS.



Publishing is an important step for scholars, particularly in arts and social sciences," he added.



Diversity was a common theme this year among the featured items, which included 18 full-length books, 39 peer-reviewed articles, five book chapters, three reports, and one review.



More than 20 faculty members came together to be recognized for their work, including Margaret Robinson, assistant professor of Indigenous Studies at Dal. She delved into the topic of two-spirited and bisexual people for the Journal of Bisexuality. One of the busiest authors at the event, Dr. Robinson had three different publications on display.



A recent book on productivity and prosperity by Karen Foster, a Sociology professor and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Rural Futures for Atlantic Canada, was also highlighted.



Dr. Foster spoke at the event about the importance of showcasing published research in the arts and social sciences. She compared it to some of the ways research is recognized in other fields.



Publishing is the primary way to measure academic success in our field, she said. In the technology fields for example, you can develop and release a product. We cant do that, but we still have to show our outputs somehow. We do that through publishing.



Dr. Foster had the opportunity to talks a bit about her own book, titled Productivity and Prosperity: A Historical Sociology of Productivist Thought, which explores the concept of productivity over the last 200 years and the future of productivity growth.



We need to re-evaluate productivity, said Dr. Foster, summarizing her research. The association between increased productivity and increased standard of living is falling.



Among the other scholars with work featured were Frank Harvey, dean of FASS, who teamed up with Dal PhD Candidate John Mitton to explore the topic of credibility as it relates to international politics in their book Fighting For Credibility: U.S. Reputation And International Politics. History professor Cynthia Neville had two publications featured, one a journal article on the beginnings of royal pardon in medieval Scotland and a book chapter on the image of kingship on Scottish royal seals.



Dal President Richard Florizone and Frank Harvey, dean of FASS, at the event.

For more information on the work produced by FASS, visit the Facultys research website.
Its not every day that drawings by a Group of Seven artist are discovered  but thats what happened when Dalhousie University Archives assistant Jennifer Lambert recently went searching for something in the oversize collection.



When I opened the lid and saw the word Lismer, I knew I had found something very special, says Lambert.



Inside the box were more than forty pen and ink drawings of various Dalhousie buildings, professors, presidents, and members of the Board of Governors  all drawn by prominent Canadian artist and Group of Seven member Arthur Lismer (1885-1969).



Looking back a century ago



The drawings were executed in 1918 when Lismer lived in Halifax and was serving as Principal of the Victoria College of Art (now NSCAD University). Lismer was commissioned by Dalhousie to create a series of illustrations for the book One Hundred Years of Dalhousie 18181918.



The timing of this find, with Dal 200 right around the corner, is nothing short of remarkable, said Donna Bourne-Tyson, university librarian. As soon as the illustrations were found, we began a series of consultations to assess the value of the drawings and determine the best place to house these treasures, while providing access for researchers and the appropriate level of security. (Left: The Macdonald Building)



Staff in the Archives quickly got to work digitizing them and creating a finding aid so they will be discoverable as part of the Dal Libraries collections.



Because the illustrations were done by such a well-known artist, questions about the value of the pieces immediately come to mind.



These illustrations, while interesting, are commercial art, not fine art, said Peter Dykhuis, director of the Dalhousie Art Gallery. Arthur Lismer did the drawings for a specific purpose; you can see the areas where he used gouache to remove some of the lines he drew in preparation for the publication process, so theyre not the kind of thing youll see hanging in the gallery. Having said that, the illustrations are certainly interesting to researchers and Arthur Lismer fans.



A suspected find





For those reasons, the drawings will stay in the Archives, though this time their exact location will be duly noted. Researcher Alan Ruffman, a Dal alumnus, honorary research associate as well as adjunct professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, and an adjunct professor in the School of Planning, was convinced the Archives had the drawings and had been searching for them for since 2015. I was glad I indulged my curious inclination that day in the oversize collection and opened the lid, finally solving the mystery of the location of the Lismer drawings, says Lambert. (Right: Founding Dean of Law Richard Weldon)



Since the illustrations have been found, Lambert and her colleagues at the Archives have been collaborating with staff from the Dalhousie Art Gallery and Mr. Ruffman for details to include in the finding aid.



Discussions are underway to possibly exhibit the illustrations in the Dalhousie Art Gallery as part of its exhibition program in 2018. Digitized versions of the illustrations will appear in the publicly searchable University Archives catalogue soon.



For now, a selection of the illustrations are available to view on the Dalhousie Archives Facebook page.

This article is part of an ongoing series highlighting planning for Dalhousies 200th anniversary celebrations in 2018. For more information on Dal 200, visit dal200.ca.
Beaver County identifies mail-in voters with undated ballots

Anyone on the list should visit the Beaver County elections office by 8 p.m. Tuesday to make the necessary corrections.
It looks like a spooky suicide when small, fluffy guillemot chicks leap from the cliffs and fall several hundred meters. Researchers have now discovered that there is good reason behind this seeming madness.

It looks like a spooky suicide when small, fluffy guillemot chicks leap from the cliffs and fall several hundred metres towards the sea - long before they are fully fledged. But researchers have now discovered that there is good reason behind this seeming madness.

And you ask yourself why when you on a calm Arctic night watch the spectacular sight of dozens of young guillemots who leave their safe nests and flutter past the towering cliffs into nothingness.

What is it that drives these young birds into something that to the eye seems an impossible survival strategy for the species?

Food deep in the ocean

Researchers from, among others, Aarhus University, Denmark and Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Greenland, have now discovered that there is good reason behind this seeming madness. They mounted small electronic loggers on the legs of a number of birds and recorded the birds' flight and diving behaviour in detail.

The guillemot (or thick-billed murre) is a seabird with a long life span. The female lays only one egg and thus has no more than one chick per year. Guillemots nest on cliffs in the Arctic, often in very large colonies with up to hundreds of thousands of birds -- including Saunders Island, Thule, Greenland, where researchers have now studied their behaviour.

The arctic summer is short and females must quickly produce an egg. After the chick is hatched and is still in the nest, both the mother and the father bring it food, which consists of small fish.

The small electronic dataloggers revealed that guillemots can dive very deep to find food -- down to about 200 m. This is deeper than for any other flying bird.

Males ensure the growth of their offspring

The distance from good fishing spots to the colony may be long, and in late summer the female is exhausted. This is when the male steps into character and guides his offspring to the sea and the indispensable pantry. And the male stays with his offspring for five to seven weeks at sea.

"Our measurements show that the male feeds the chick twice as much as both parents could if the chick remained in the colony. At sea, the male does not needs to spend time and strength on flying back with food, but can just dive for it," says Senior Scientist Morten Frederiksen from Aarhus University, Denmark, who is co-author of the recently published study revealing the survival strategy of guillemots.

"It is quite impressive that the male feeds the chick so extensively. The study also shows that the males are exploiting areas with significantly lower food availability than the areas from where the females collect food. This is because the males swim with the chick and therefore cannot fly to the best feeding areas," says Morten Frederiksen.

A strategic choice

At the same time, the scientists have killed the myth that the chicks have a better chance of survival in the colony than at sea.

"This explains why the chicks leave the colony so early -- just three weeks after hatching and being only a quarter of the size of an adult. The faster growth at sea ensures survival of the population," Morten Frederiksen explains.

The scientists believe that the chicks leap from the steep cliffs when their wings are just large enough to act as a primitive parachute.

While the male dives for food for his offspring during all daylight hours in late summer, the female has fun at the colony. Here, she copulates with potential suitors who can step in if her mate does not return the next breeding season. At the same time, she defends the couple's nest against other females showing an interest in acquiring it.

###

More information:

Senior scientist Morten Frederiksen

Department of Bioscience

Aarhus University, Denmark.

Tel.: +45 8715 8673 /+45 30822810

Email: mfr@bios.au.dk

Read more:

"Variation in Growth Drives the Duration of Parental Care: A Test of Ydenberg's Model" in The American Naturalist: http://www.amnat.org/an/newpapers/MayElliott.html
Tau pathology is one of the defining features of Alzheimer disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia in older age. While symptomatic treatments exist, there are currently no preventive therapies for AD. Investigators at BWH and Rush University Medical Center reported the discovery of a new gene that is associated with Tau accumulation. Published in Molecular Psychiatry, the paper describes the identification and validation of a genetic variant within the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type delta (PTPRD) gene.

Tau accumulates in several different conditions in addition to AD, including certain forms of dementia and Parkinsonian syndromes as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy that occurs with repeated head injuries.

"Aging leads to the accumulation of many different pathologies in the brain; one of the most common forms of pathology is the neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) that was at the center of our study," said co-principal investigator David Bennett, MD, who directs the Alzheimer Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "The NFT is thought to be more closely related to memory decline than other forms of aging-related pathologies, but there are still very few genes that have been implicated in the accumulation of this key feature of Alzheimer disease and other brain diseases."

Leveraging autopsies from 909 individuals participating in studies of aging based at Rush University, the team of investigators assessed the human genome for evidence that a genetic variant could affect NFT.

Lead author Lori Chibnik, PhD, of BWH said, "The variant that we discovered is common: most people have one or two copies of the version of the gene that is linked to accumulating more pathology as you get older. Interestingly, tangles can accumulate through several different mechanisms, and the variant that we discovered appears to affect more than one of these mechanism."

The reported results offer an important new lead as the field of neurodegeneration searches for robust novel targets for drug development. In addition, the advent of new techniques to measure Tau in the brains of living individuals with positron emission tomography (PET) offers a biomarker for therapies targeting Tau.

"This study is an important first step; however, the result needs further validation and the mechanism by which the PTPRD gene and the variant that we have discovered contribute to the accumulation of NFT remains elusive," said Phil De Jager, co-principal investigator at BWH. "Other studies in mice and flies implicate PTPRD in memory dysfunction and worsening of Tau pathology, suggesting that altering the level of PTPRD activity could be helpful in reducing an individual's burden of Tau pathology."

###

The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

Paper cited: Chibnik LB et al. "Susceptibility to neurofibrillary tangles: role of the PTPRD locus and limited pleiotropy with other neuropathologies" Molecular Psychiatry DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.20
Researchers in the United States have developed a computer program that can simultaneously detect cancer and identify where in the body the cancer is located, from a patient's blood sample. The program is described in research published this week in the open access journal Genome Biology.

Professor Jasmine Zhou, co-lead author from the University of California at Los Angeles, said: "Non-invasive diagnosis of cancer is important, as it allows the early diagnosis of cancer, and the earlier the cancer is caught, the higher chance a patient has of beating the disease. We have developed a computer-driven test that can detect cancer, and also identify the type of cancer, from a single blood sample. The technology is in its infancy and requires further validation, but the potential benefits to patients are huge."

The program works by looking for specific molecular patterns in cancer DNA that is free flowing in the patients' blood and comparing the patterns against a database of tumour epigenetics, from different cancer types, collated by the authors. DNA from tumour cells is known to end up in the bloodstream in the earliest stages of cancer so offers a unique target for early detection of the disease.

Professor Zhou explained: "We built a database of epigenetic markers, specifically methylation patterns, which are common across many types of cancer and also specific to cancers originating from specific tissue, such as the lung or liver. We also compiled the same 'molecular footprint' for non-cancerous samples so we had a baseline footprint to compare the cancer samples against. These markers can be used to deconvolute the DNA found freely in the blood into tumor DNA and non-tumor DNA."

In this study, the new computer program and two other methods (called Random Forest and Support Vector Machine) were tested with blood samples from 29 liver cancer patients, 12 lung cancer patients and 5 breast cancer patients. Tests were run 10 times on each sample to validate the results. The Random Forest and Support Vector Machine methods had an overall error rate (the chance that the test produces a false positive) of 0.646 and 0.604 respectively, while the new program obtained a lower error rate of 0.265.

Twenty-five out of the 29 liver cancer patients and 5 out of 12 lung cancer patients tested in this study had early stage cancers, which the program was able to detect in 80% of cases. Although the level of tumour DNA present in the blood is much lower during the early stages of these cancers, the program was still able to make a diagnosis demonstrating the potential of this method for the early detection of cancer, according to the researchers.

Professor Zhou added: "Owing to the limited number of blood samples, the results of this study are evaluated only on three cancer types (breast, liver and lung). In general, the higher the fraction of tumor DNAs in blood, the more accurate the program was at producing a diagnostic result. Therefore, tumors in well-circulated organs, such as the liver or lungs are easier to diagnose early using this approach, than in less-circulated organs such as the breast."

###

Media Contact

Matthew Lam

Press Manger

BioMed Central

T: +44 (0)20 3192 2722

M: +44 (0)75 4079 9187

E: matthew.lam@biomedcentral.com Notes to editor:

1. Research article:

CancerLocator: Non-Invasive Cancer Diagnosis and Tissue-of-Origin Prediction Using Methylation Profiles of Cell-Free DNA

Kang et al.

Genome Biology March 2017

DOI: 10.1186/s13059-017-1191-5

During embargo period, the article is available here: https://goo.gl/AwKseB

After the embargo lifts, the article will be available at the journal website here: http://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-017-1191-5

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

2. Genome Biology publishes outstanding research in all areas of biology and biomedicine studied from a genomic and post-genomic perspective. The current impact factor is 11.313 and the journal is ranked 4th among research journals in the Genetics and Heredity category by Thomson Reuters. Genome Biology is the highest ranked Open Access journal in the category.

3. BioMed Central is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Nature, a major new force in scientific, scholarly, professional and educational publishing, created in May 2015 through the combination of Nature Publishing Group, Palgrave Macmillan, Macmillan Education and Springer Science+Business Media. http://www.biomedcentral.com
Bismuth salts are used as medicinally active ingredients for the past many years due to their minimum toxicity and side effects. It is important to note that lead and antimony salts are much more toxic than bismuth salts. Reactions with less toxic reagents and catalysts are actively pursuing by many researchers following green protocols and environmentally friendly methods. Researchers around the globe are developing and maintaining chemical reactions environmentally safe and sustainable. Many procedures that utilize toxic materials are not acceptable for business development. Despite these improvements, a few hazardous processes are continuing because of lack of other green methods and as a result, the cost to manufacture useful compounds remains very high.

Bismuth salts-mediated reactions were reported by us 19 years ago. The preparation of organic compounds with bismuth salts was not routinely performed at that time and therefore, it was difficult to convince scientists that these salts may prove to be efficient catalysts or reagents in organic and medicinal chemistry. Nevertheless, we realized that numerous organic molecules and their immediate precursors can be synthesized using bismuth salts-mediated processes. Our continued efforts have culminated in the development of many new methods as well as the improvement of existing methods. Since then, the application of bismuth salts in the synthesis of organic compounds is increasing because of a number of factors. Bismuth salts possess excellent catalytic power and they can produce compounds following two distinct mechanistic routes. For example, they are able to generate mineral acids in the reaction systems and they are also good substrates for effective coordination with electronegative atoms and functional groups. Bismuth is heavier and bigger in atomic radius in comparison to group I and II metals. Due to these facts, the attraction of bismuth to numerous anions is much less. This property is further strengthened because of the presence of vacant d-orbitals in bismuth (III) salts. This vacant orbital is used by electronegative atoms of other reagents through their coordination activities and facilitates simultaneous nucleophilic reactions to occur.

The principal aim of this article is to describe the development of bismuth salts-induced reactions for the synthesis of useful organic compounds that we are pursuing for the past 19 years. Our endeavors in this area are proved to be attractive and these also uncover bismuth nitrate pentahydrate as an extremely active catalyst. During the course of this investigation, it is anticipated that microwave irradiation method coupled with bismuth salts are the choice for many effective chemical transformations. Since the discovery of microwave-induced chemistry, this method has received highly significant application in many areas. It is known that microwaves are non-ionizing radiations and because of dielectric heating exerted by microwave, successful reactions are performed within a few minutes instead of several hours. Many scientists believe microwave exposures alter conformation and configuration of reactant molecules instantly and activate polar solvents very quickly. Therefore, non polar solvents with low dipole moment are not suitable in microwave-induced chemistry. Polar solvents are able to activate non-polar reactants provided sufficient microwave energy is applied to the reaction vessels. Our group has reported numerous methods for the preparation of organic molecules effectively using polar solvents and in the absence of any solvents. It has been found that bismuth salts are highly compatible to microwave irradiation and they are efficient promoters for the synthesis of milligram to several hundred grams of compounds. For this reasons, bismuth salts-mediated reactions under microwave-induced methods remains one of the attractive strategies that we have been developing for many years.

Numerous articles have demonstrated the superiority of microwave-induced method over conventional heating in accelerating the rate of diverse reactions. In contrast, a few scientists argue that microwaves are only heating instruments and according to them radiation has no effects on chemical reactions. Our studies on microwave-induced bismuth salts-catalyzed reactions have become significant in the synthesis of organic compounds. The products obtained by this method are very important. Some of the products are also transformed to medicinally active compounds by chemical manipulations. For example, we have demonstrated synthesis of hormones, anticancer drug candidates, antibacterials and compounds for rare diseases. Notably, a number of expeditious methods are developed following this procedure. On the basis of our findings, this review is written to inform professionals working in academic institutions and industries.

###

For more information please visit: http://www.eurekaselect.com/151006/article

Debasish Bandyopadhyay,1* Ashlee Chavez1and Bimal K. Banik 2*

1Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg, Texas 78539, USA

2Community Health Systems of South Texas, 3135 Sugar Road, Edinburg Texas 78539, USA

*Corresponding authors; Phone: +1(956)5789414, Fax: +1(956)3845006, E-mail: debasish.bandyopadhyay@utrgv.edu (DB) and Phone: +1(281)8132104, Fax: +1(956)2798085, Email: bimalbanik10@gmail.com (BKB) and bimal.banik@chsst.org (BKB)
Binod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice.
Extreme space weather has a global footprint and the potential to damage critical infrastructure on the ground and in space. A new report from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) calls for bridging knowledge gaps and for better coordination at EU level to reduce the potential impact of space weather events.

The sun shapes the space environment around the Earth. This so-called space weather can affect space assets but also critical infrastructure on the ground, potentially causing service disruptions or infrastructure failures. Numerous space weather events affecting the power grid, aviation, communication, and navigation systems have already been documented.

The impact of severe space weather can cross national borders, which means that a crisis in one country can affect the infrastructure in the neighbouring countries. This raises concerns due to the increasing reliance of society on the services that these infrastructures provide.

New report identifies knowledge gaps

The JRC has investigated the impacts of space weather on critical infrastructure in the EU. A new report identifies the gaps in reducing risks linked to space weather and makes recommendations for policy, industry and science on how to close these gaps.

The report summarises the results of a summit organised in partnership with the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and the UK Met Office, with the support of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in November 2016. Representatives from European infrastructure operators, insurance, academia, ESA, and European and US government agencies attended the event.

Interdependencies and crisis response

The potential failure of critical infrastructures during extreme space weather can lead to cascading effects impacting other sectors.

New methodologies and tools, as well as a multi-risk governance approach are needed to assess these interdependencies and to enable the coordination of the many different actors that often manage risks in isolation from one other.

A pan-European vulnerability assessment of the power grid should be carried out to identify critical issues and transboundary effects in case of extreme space weather. Infrastructure operators should also assess whether their systems could be indirectly vulnerable to space weather, for instance due to dependencies on timing and positioning information provided by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

Better communication between science and industry is also needed to provide relevant and reliable information to operators for decision making.

Space weather forecasting

Early warning and preparedness are essential for limiting the effects of space-weather impacts.

In Europe and the USA, 24/7 space-weather forecasting capabilities are available to support the early warning of government and industry. However, it is important that the consistency of forecasts from different service providers are ensured.

There is a need to enhance forecasting capabilities for regional or local forecasts on the severity and duration of extreme space weather to ensure appropriate response from local operators.

Currently, geomagnetic storm forecasting is hampered by the limited understanding of the magnetic field orientation of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) before they hit the Earth, and there are still significant knowledge gaps in physical and impact modelling, which affect the early-warning capabilities and preparedness in industry.

The role of the EU

In the EU, the European Programme on Critical Infrastructure Protection provides a policy background for critical infrastructure protection, while the EU disaster risk management policy covers prevention, preparedness and response for all types of disasters.

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism requires EU Member States to prepare a national risk assessment and list the priority risks they are facing. Six countries have included space weather in their risk assessment.

The participants of the summit indicated that there is a need for for improving coordination between the different space weather actors and recommended the establishment of a strategic European decision-making capability to coordinate space-weather risk mitigation and response at pan-European level.

They also advised that the roles and responsibilities of the key players in Europe should be better defined and suggested that coordinated strategic investments for improving the scientific know-how in this area could be explored.

Background

Different types of solar activity can impact the operations of critical infrastructures: Solar flares trigger radio blackouts and affect radar, ground- and space-based communications, as well as the GPS network. Solar radiation storms are a threat to satellite operations, aviation and space flights. Geomagnetic storms, caused by the ejection of magnetised solar plasma which interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, affect satellite, GPS, aviation, rail transport and power-grid operations.

###

More information

JRC Report: Space Weather & Critical Infrastructures: Findings and Outlook
The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Richard C. Lewontin, PhD is the 2017 recipient of the Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal for lifetime achievement in the field of genetics. This award recognizes Lewontin's extensive impact on our understanding of evolution, a broad and deep influence that has shaped the field. An unprecedented 160 distinguished biologists co-signed a letter of support to nominate Lewontin for the Morgan Medal. Lewontin is the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Emeritus and a Professor of Biology Emeritus in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.

"While Richard Lewontin's research contributions to genetics have been immensely impactful, it is the rich vitality of his conceptual legacy that is impossible to overstate," says Andrew Clark, PhD (Cornell University).

In the 1960s, Lewontin worked on models that show how physical linkage between two genetic loci affect changes in allele and haplotype frequency during evolution. This work set the stage for today's wealth of studies that use linkage disequilibrium to make inferences about evolutionary change and relatedness.

In 1966, Lewontin and John Hubby published a pair of papers that revolutionized evolutionary biology. Their survey of differences in protein electrophoresis between individual wild fruit flies was the first to show that molecular variation was widespread in nature, and they were among the first to articulate the likelihood such variation might have little effect on the organism's evolutionary fitness. The study inspired a huge number of empirical population genetic studies and theoretical work to explain the findings. The 1966 papers were honored last year as among the most significant ever published in the 100-year history of the journal GENETICS.

Lewontin also contributed to the field of human genetics, showing in 1972 that the majority of human variation is shared between geographic groups and thus arguing that there is little genetic basis to race. He also discussed the challenges of inferring heritability in human genetic studies, an issue that has continued to plague the many genome-wide association studies performed in human populations.

Lewontin also changed the field of evolutionary biology through his writings. For example, his 1974 book The Genetic Basis for Evolutionary Change discussed how evolution occurs on the separate levels of the genotype and the phenotype. Andrew Clark describes its impact: "This book launched the career of dozens of today's more prominent population geneticists and framed the fundamental questions of the field." In 1979 Lewontin and Stephen Jay Gould published their enormously influential article "The spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian paradigm" which explains how some of an organism's traits may not be adaptive but only the side-effects of adaptation in other features. This paper has been cited over 6,000 times.

While his many scientific contributions to evolutionary biology, including others not mentioned here, are themselves worthy of recognition, Lewontin has also made a large impact as a mentor to young scientists. His 46 students and postdocs went on to have successful careers, and a large proportion of the population geneticists working today can trace their academic legacy back to Lewontin's vibrant group. "This success at mentoring is testament to the degree to which Lewontin was able to instill the importance of a rich exchange of ideas and support for people in his lab," says Clark.

The Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal is awarded to an individual GSA member for lifetime achievement in the field of genetics. It recognizes the full body of work of an exceptional geneticist. The Medal was established by GSA in 1981 and named in honor of Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866-1945), who won the Nobel Prize in 1933 for his studies of chromosomes and their role in heredity.

The award will be presented to a representative of Lewontin at the 58th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, March 29-April 2, 2017, San Diego, CA.

###

To learn more about the GSA awards, and to view a list of previous recipients, please see http://www.genetics-gsa.org/awards.
Friday, 24th of March, 2017, Baltimore, MD - Insilico Medicine, a Baltimore-based Big Data analytics company applying deep learning techniques to drug discovery, biomarker development and human longevity research will present and chair a panel at the BioDataWorld West, San Francisco, April 26-27. The CEO of Insilico Medicine, Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD will present new research applying generative adversarial networks (GANs) to developing new molecular structures for leads in oncology and other diseases.

"Our team publishes high-profile and sometimes seminal research publications in the field of drug discovery and biomarker development. This year we will be presenting at over 20 forums and conferences and co-organizing the Artificial Intelligence Forum in Basel as part of the EMBO/Basel Life. However, the number and the caliber of speakers at the BioDataWorld West eclipses everything we have seen to date. The organizers conducted interviews with almost every speaker to ensure the highest standards and fit. All the big players and some of the very promising startups will be there. I highly recommend attending this conference. We were fortunate to assist the organizers with the artificial intelligence track of the conference and will be presenting and chairing the panel", said Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, CEO of Insilico Medicine, Inc.

The Artificial Intelligence Track was tailored according to the specifications from the senior leadership of Merck. The conference organizers agreed to offer a 15% discount to delegates attending the AI Track courtesy of Insilico Medicine. To get more information about BioData World West and access a discount only for InSilico Medicine partners, download the brochure here: https://goo.gl/YeBhed

"BioDataWorld West Congress features over 100 speakers from across the globe. As of an international series designed to drive big data into the development of personalized medicines in the fastest way possible. We are bringing together the greatest innovators in Artificial Intelligence applied to healthcare, aging and drug development such as Google's Jeff Dean and Insilico Medicine's Alex Zhavoronkov. It is truly humbling to be working alongside these world-renowned figures. The work is inspiring, astonishing and thought provoking in equal measures", said Edward Glanville, founder and director of the BioDataWorld West Congress, part of Terrapinn conference portfolio.

Through its focus on aging research and drug discovery, Insilico Medicine is bringing the knowledge gap between the consumer and pharmaceutical industries and collaborates with some of the largest pharmaceutical, cosmetics and nutrition companies and academic institutions. In 2016 Insilico Medicine published several seminal proofs of concept papers demonstrating the applications of deep learning to drug discovery, biomarker development, and aging research. A study published in Aging proposed a short list of molecules with likely geroprotective effects. In a recently published article at Nature Communications, Insilico Medicine describes a tool that it uses to study the minute changes in gene expression between young and old tissues and tissues afflicted by disease. Another paper demonstrating the ability to predict the chronological age of the patient using a simple blood test, published in Aging, became the second most popular paper in the journal's history.

Insilico Medicine was the first company to apply deep generative adversarial networks (GANs) to generating anti-cancer drugs with given parameters and published a seminal paper in Oncotarget. The paper published in Molecular Pharmaceutics, demonstrating the applications of deep neural networks for predicting the therapeutic class of the molecule using the transcriptional response data, received the American Chemical Society Editors' Choice Award.

In March 2017 the company launched its first geroprotector with its exclusive partner, Life Extension: http://www.geroprotector.com .

###

About Insilico Medicine, Inc

Insilico Medicine, Inc. is a bioinformatics company located at the Emerging Technology Centers at the Johns Hopkins University Eastern campus in Baltimore with R&D resources in Belgium, Russia, and the UK hiring talent through hackathons and competitions. It utilizes advances in genomics, big data analysis and deep learning for in silico drug discovery and drug repurposing for aging and age-related diseases. The company pursues internal drug discovery programs in cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, diabetes, sarcopenia and geroprotector discovery. Through its Pharma.AI division, the company provides advanced machine learning services to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and skin care companies.

Brief company video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l62jlwgL3v8
All it takes is the flip of a protein "switch" within the tiny wire-like capillaries of the brain to increase the blood flow that ensures optimal brain function. New research has uncovered that capillaries have the capacity to both sense brain activity and generate an electrical vasodilatory signal to evoke blood flow and direct nutrients to nourish hard-working neurons.

These findings were reported online in Nature Neuroscience.

When there is an increase in brain activity, there is an increase in blood flow, says Thomas Longden, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and first author of the study. "The area of the brain covered by the capillaries--the smallest blood vessels in the body -- vastly surpasses the area covered by arterioles. This ideally positions them for monitoring neuronal activity and controlling blood flow."

Understanding the mechanisms that precisely direct cerebrovascular blood flow to satisfy the brain's ever-changing energy needs has, to date, eluded scientists. Neurons consume an enormous amount of the body's energy supplies -- about 20 percent -- yet lack their own reserves, so are reliant on blood to deliver nutrients. Previously, capillaries were thought to be passive tubes and the arterioles were thought to be the source of action. Now, Longden and colleagues have discovered that capillaries actively control blood flow by acting like a series of wires, transmitting electrical signals to direct blood to the areas that need it most.

To achieve this feat, the capillary sensory network relies on a protein (an ion channel) that detects increases in potassium during neuronal activity. Increased activity of this channel facilitates the flow of ions across the capillary membrane, thereby creating a small electrical current that generates a negative charge--a rapidly transmitted signal -- that communicates the need for additional blood flow to the upstream arterioles, which then results in increased blood flow to the capillaries.

The team's study also determined that if the potassium level is too high, this mechanism can be disabled, which may contribute to blood flow disturbances in a broad range of brain disorders.

"These findings open new avenues in the way we can investigate cerebral diseases with a vascular component," says co-first author Fabrice Dabertrand, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine. Cerebrovascular illnesses like Alzheimer's disease, CADASIL, and other conditions that cause cognitive decline can, in part, be a consequence of neurons not receiving enough blood flow and therefore not getting sufficient nutrients.

"If you're hungry, you're not able to do your best work; it may be the same for neurons," says Dabertrand, who adds that the group's next phase of research will focus on exploring potential pathological factors involved in disabling the capillary potassium-sensing mechanism.

An image from the Vermont team's research will be featured on the cover of the May 2017 issue of Nature Neuroscience.

###
New computational software developed by OIST researchers is hundreds of times faster than conventional tools, opening up new opportunities to understand how individual neurons and networks of neurons function

Unlike experimental neuroscientists who deal with real-life neurons, computational neuroscientists use model simulations to investigate how the brain functions. While many computational neuroscientists use simplified mathematical models of neurons, researchers in the Computational Neuroscience Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) develop software that models neurons to the detail of molecular interactions with the goal of eliciting new insights into neuronal function. Applications of the software were limited in scope up until now because of the intense computational power required for such detailed neuronal models, but recently Dr. Weiliang Chen, Dr. Iain Hepburn, and Professor Erik De Schutter published two related papers in which they outline the accuracy and scalability of their new high-speed computational software, "Parallel STEPS". The combined findings suggest that Parallel STEPS could be used to reveal new insights into how individual neurons function and communicate with each other.

The first paper, published in The Journal of Chemical Physics in August 2016, focusses on ensuring that the accuracy of Parallel STEPS is comparable with conventional methods. In conventional approaches, computations associate with neuronal chemical reactions and molecule diffusion are all calculated on one computational processing unit or 'core' sequentially. However, Dr. Iain Hepburn and colleagues introduced a new approach to perform computations of reaction and diffusion in parallel which can then be distributed over multiple computer cores, whilst maintaining simulation accuracy to a high degree. The key was to develop an original algorithm separated into two parts - one that computed chemical reaction events and the other diffusion events.

"We tested a range of model simulations from simple diffusion models to realistic biological models and found that we could achieve improved performance using a parallel approach with minimal loss of accuracy. This demonstrated the potential suitability of the method on a larger scale," says Dr. Hepburn.

In a related paper published in Frontiers in Neuroinformatics this February, Dr. Weiliang Chen presented the implementation details of Parallel STEPS and investigated its performance and potential applications. By breaking a partial model of a Purkinje cell - one of the largest neurons in the brain - into 50 to 1000 sections and simulating reaction and diffusion events for each section in parallel on the Sango supercomputer at OIST, Dr. Chen and colleagues saw dramatically increased computation speeds. They tested this approach on both simple models and more complicated models of calcium bursts in Purkinje cells and demonstrated that parallel simulation could speed up computations by more than several hundred times that of conventional methods.

"Together, our findings show that Parallel STEPS implementation achieves significant improvements in performance, and good scalability," says Dr. Chen. "Similar models that previously required months of simulation can now be completed within hours or minutes, meaning that we can develop and simulate more complex models, and learn more about the brain in a shorter amount of time."

Dr. Hepburn and Dr. Chen from OIST's Computational Neuroscience Unit, led by Professor Erik De Schutter, are actively collaborating with the Human Brain Project, a world-wide initiative based at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, to develop a more robust version of Parallel STEPS that incorporates electric field simulation of cell membranes.

So far STEPS is only realistically capable of modeling parts of neurons but with the support of Parallel STEPS, the Computational Neuroscience Unit hopes to develop a full-scale model of a whole neuron and subsequently the interactions between neurons in a network. By collaborating with the EPFL team and by making use of the IBM 'Blue Gene/Q' supercomputer located there, they aim to achieve these goals in the near future.

"Thanks to modern supercomputers we can study molecular events within neurons in a much more transparent way than before," says Prof. De Schutter. "Our research opens up interesting avenues in computational neuroscience that links biochemistry with electrophysiology for the first time."

###
A study published in Briefings in Functional Genomics investigated how epigenetics can modulate human's genetic program -- it can emphasize or silence genes. The new research shows that if epigenetics is disrupted, it might switch on oncogenes (genes that in certain circumstances transform cells into tumor cells) or shut down tumor suppressors. Both events will transform cells into tumor cells and cause cancer.

Pioneering experiments half a century ago showed that chemical modification affecting the packaging of our DNA can switch genes on or off. This introduced the idea of an epigenetic code, a language that does not change the basic code of our DNA but chemically labels active or inactive genetic information.

Epigenetics refers to changes caused by modification of gene expression, rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. It focuses on factors that write and erase such labels and processes that regulate how and when certain genes are turned on and off. In contrast, epigenomics refers to analysis of global epigenetic changes across many genes.

This paper indicates that complementary forces of writers and erasers keep each other in check. If one force overtakes, the system gets out of equilibrium. For the cells this means either unlimited growth, cancer, or death. Researchers argue that once we have a better understanding of epigenetic regulation, scientists can design drugs that counter-regulate these factors.

Recent multiomics data has identified an epigenetic writer, the methyltransferase EZH2, to be hyperactivated in many cancers including melanomas and lymphomas with poor prognosis owing to immune evasion and repression of tumor suppressors., The paper also showed that an epigenetic eraser, a member of the jumonji histone lysine demethylase family, KDM3A, takes on an oncogenic role by activating a network of tumor promoting genes.

A challenge is to identify cancer-specific vulnerabilities in biological pathways that are frequently disrupted under the control of epigenetics. In addition, epigenomic changes also contribute to the ability of tumor cells to escape detection by the human immune system, a concept that cancer immunotherapy tries to leverage.

The paper identified several layers of molecular communication where epigenetic regulators are involved in tumor metabolism and regulatory activity.

Taken together, precision medicine in combination with cancer systems biology may have the ability to reveal genome- and epigenome-wide alterations and identify molecular pathways suitable for drug targeting:

Epigenomic master regulators can cause cancer in two ways: too much epigenetic activation can trigger oncogenes; too much epigenetic safeguarding can block tumor suppressor genes. Eventually, both mechanisms promote and progress cancer.

Epigenomic changes and metabolites, human cellular chemistry, are tightly linked and rely on each other. Metabolites initiate, target, or maintain epigenetics, and vice versa. In addition, there is a strong cooperation of epigenetic factors with the transcriptional complex. Cooperation with metabolites can target, amplify, or mute these coded responses.

According to the paper's author, Fabian V. Filipp, "There is an intriguing crosstalk between metabolism and epigenetics. Although cancer and stem cells can be challenged by chemical inhibition, mechanistic details of how chromatin and metabolites interact are yet to be defined. With both fields maturing, further synergy between epigenetic and metabolomics may deliver new therapeutic agents as well as fundamental insights into how cellular chemistry regulates gene expression."

"This can become a paradigm for precision targeting in cancer," Filipp said, "where patients with mistuned epigenetics can benefit and epigenetic inhibition can overcome existing therapy resistance in cancer."

###

The paper "Crosstalk between epigenetics and metabolism--Yin and Yang of histone demethylases and methyltransferases in cancer" will be available at: https://academic.oup.com/bfg/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/bfgp/elx001

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bfgp/elx001

FUNDING: Grant CA154887 from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. This work is supported by University of California, Cancer Research Coordinating Committee CRN-17-427258, National Science Foundation, University of California Senate Graduate Research Council, and Health Science Research Institute program grants.

To request a copy of the study, please contact:

Daniel Luzer- daniel.luzer@oup.com or 212-743-6113
Researchers have shown for the first time that Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and schizophrenia have a shared genetic origin, indicating that the causes of these diverse conditions are biologically linked. The work has just been published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.

By analyzing the genetic profiles of almost 13,000 ALS/MND cases and over 30,000 schizophrenia cases, the research led by scientists from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland confirms that many of the genes that are associated with these two very different conditions are the same.

In fact, the research which involved collaborators from the University of Utrecht, Kings College London and members of the Project MinE and Psychiatric Genome Consortia has shown an overlap of 14% in genetic susceptibility to the adult onset neuro-degeneration condition ALS/MND and the developmental neuropsychiatric disorder schizophrenia.

While overlaps between schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric conditions including bipolar affective disorder and autism have been shown in the past, this is the first time that an overlap in genetic susceptibility between ALS/MND and psychiatric conditions has been shown.

Dr Russell McLaughlin, Ussher Assistant Professor in Genome Analysis at Trinity College Dublin, and lead author of the paper said: "This study demonstrates the power of genetics in understanding the causes of diseases. While neurological and psychiatric conditions may have very different characteristics and clinical presentations, our work has shown that the biological pathways that lead to these diverse conditions have much in common."

Professor of Neurology in Trinity and Consultant Neurologist at the National Neuroscience Centre, Orla Hardiman, who is the senior author and lead investigator on the project said: "Our work over the years has shown us that ALS/MND is a much more complex disease than we originally thought. Our recent observations of links with psychiatric conditions in some families have made us think differently about how we should study ALS/MND. When combined with our clinical work and our studies using MRI and EEG, it becomes clear that ALS/MND is not just a disorder of individual nerve cells, but a disorder of the way these nerve cells talk to one another as part of a larger network."

She continued: "So instead of thinking of ALS/MND as a degeneration of one cell at a time, and looking for a 'magic bullet' treatment that works, we should think about ALS/MND in the same way that we think about schizophrenia, which is a problem of disruptions in connectivity between different regions of the brain, and we should look for drugs that help to stabilize the failing brain networks".

"The other significant issue that this research brings up is that the divide between psychiatry and neurology is a false one. We need to recognise that brain disease has many different manifestations, and the best way to develop new treatments is to understand the biology of what is happening. This will have major implications for how we classify diseases going forward, and in turn how we train our future doctors in both psychiatry and neurology. That in itself will have knock on consequences for how society understands, approaches and treats people with psychiatric and neurological conditions," Professor Hardiman added.

The new research was prompted by earlier epidemiological studies by researchers at Trinity, led by Professor Hardiman. These studies showed that people with ALS/MND were more likely than expected to have other family members with schizophrenia, and to have had another family member who had committed suicide. This was first noted as family histories were ascertained from people with ALS/MND in the Irish National ALS Clinic and was subsequently investigated as part of case control studies in Ireland in which over 192 families with ALS/MND and 200 controls participated. Details of over 12,000 relatives were analysed and the rates of various neurological and psychiatric conditions calculated in family member of those with ALS/MND and controls. This work was subsequently published in the prestigious American journal the Annals of Neurology in 2013.

This led the Trinity group to team up with European collaborators in ALS/MND to see if these epidemiological observations could be due to a genetic overlap between ALS/MND and schizophrenia.

The Trinity group, along with their partners in the University of Utrecht, will continue to study the links between ALS/MND and psychiatric conditions using modern genetics, epidemiology and neuroimaging, and in this way will develop new and more effective treatments that are based on stabilizing disrupted brain networks.

The full paper is available here: http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14774

###
A biologist from The University of Texas at Arlington is leading a new study aimed at quantifying how susceptible coral species are to disease by examining their immunity through a series of novel experiments and approaches.

Laura Mydlarz, associate professor of biology, is principal investigator of the project, titled "Immunity to Community: Can Quantifying Immune Traits Inform Reef Community Structure?" and funded by a two-year, $220,331 grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences. Co-principal investigators are Marilyn Brandt, research associate professor of marine and environmental science at the University of the Virgin Islands, and Erinn Muller, staff scientist at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Fla.

During the past three decades, environmental changes - including global warming - have likely led to the sharp increase in coral disease in reefs around the world. Unhealthy coral reefs cannot support the fish and other forms of life that make reefs such vibrant and diverse ecosystems. Coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea are disease hotspots and many reefs have experienced population collapses due to outbreaks of disease, Mydlarz explained. Coral species vary in their susceptibility to disease, but the reasons behind this variation are unknown.

"Coral diseases don't affect all coral species in a reef the same," Mydlarz said. "Some coral are more susceptible to certain diseases. A reef is made up of many different species of coral. If a disease kills off one species of coral in a reef, that's going to greatly affect the reef community as a whole. We want to learn why some coral species are more tolerant of certain diseases."

The project will focus on coral reefs in the Caribbean off the U.S. Virgin Islands. The site was chosen due to the high diversity of coral found there and the presence of "white plague" disease, which can cause rapid tissue loss in corals, affects many coral species and can cause partial or total colony mortality.

The project will use immune-challenge experiments that will quantify novel components of the innate immune system of corals, coupled with the application of a trait-based model, to fulfill three goals, Mydlarz said.

The first is to determine variability of coral immune traits in seven common coral species found on Caribbean reefs; the second is to determine the variability in resistance to white plague disease transmission in the same coral species; and the third is to develop a predictive model of coral community assemblage that incorporates immune traits.

The coral species which will be examined differ in disease susceptibility, growth rates and reproductive strategies. Susceptibility to white plague disease will be measured by exposing the corals to active white plague and calculating disease transmission rates in a laboratory setting. The immune responses of each species will be measured by exposing samples to bacterial immune stimulators. Samples will be collected and injected with lipopolysaccharides, which are molecules that elicit strong immune responses in some organisms.

"We want to see the coral in its natural state and in an immune-stimulated state," Mydlarz said.

The immune response and disease transmission data for each coral species will be used to develop a predictive model to determine how different coral communities will respond to disease threats under climate change scenarios, she said.

Mydlarz traveled to the Virgin Islands in October to visit the site where the research will be done and to meet with Brandt. She plans to return in June along with some of the graduate students from her laboratory to collect samples and conduct experiments.

Clay Clark, professor and chair of the UTA Department of Biology, said the project is an example of the important work Mydlarz is doing to shed more light on the ties between climate change and the delicate ecosystems which have been adversely affected by that change. He noted that her research is a prime example of global environmental impact, which is one of the four pillars of the University's Strategic Plan 2020 Bold Solutions|Global Impact.

"Dr. Mydlarz has been studying how environmental changes are affecting the ability of coral to fight disease for years and has contributed a great deal to our knowledge of coral immunity," Clark said. "This research will add to that knowledge and help us to better inform and encourage conservation."

The research will be highlighted at outreach events in Texas, Florida and the Virgin Islands, including Earth Day Texas 2017, scheduled for April 22 at Fair Park in Dallas; the Living Reef Exhibit and Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory; and Reef Fest and agricultural fairs at Coral World Ocean Park in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mydlarz earned bachelor's and master's of science degrees in Marine Biology from Florida Atlantic University in 1996 and 1998, respectively, and received her doctorate in Marine Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2004. She did postdoctoral work in ecology at Cornell University from 2004-06 before joining UTA in 2006. Much of the research in her lab focuses on coral immunity and disease.

###

About the College of Science

The UTA College of Science is addressing the nation's pressing need for a larger and better-prepared STEM workforce. The College has 42 undergraduate and graduate degree offerings in six departments and is equipping future leaders in science through award-winning classroom teaching and lab training. The College's internationally acclaimed faculty is leading the way in innovative research and is finding solutions to some of the world's most challenging problems. Visit http://www.uta.edu/cos to learn more about how the College of Science is changing the world through education and research.

About The University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington is a Carnegie Research-1 "highest research activity" institution. With a projected global enrollment of close to 57,000, UTA is one of the largest institutions in the state of Texas. Guided by its Strategic Plan 2020 Bold Solutions|Global Impact, UTA fosters interdisciplinary research and education within four broad themes: health and the human condition, sustainable urban communities, global environmental impact, and data-driven discovery. UTA was recently cited by U.S. News & World Report as having the second lowest average student debt among U.S. universities. U.S. News & World Report lists UTA as having the fifth highest undergraduate diversity index among national universities. The University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is ranked as the top four-year college in Texas for veterans on Military Times' 2017 Best for Vets list.
The fact that men are overrepresented in psoriasis registers and consume more psoriasis care have long led researchers to believe that the common skin disease disproportionally affects men. A unique study with 5,438 Swedish psoriasis patients now reveals that women have a statistically significant lower incidence of severe psoriasis compared to men. The study, conducted by researchers at Umea University and Karolinska Institutet, is published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.

"Our results tell us that the well-established gender differences in the utilization of psoriasis care can at least partially be explained by a higher prevalence of more severe disease in men," says Marcus Schmitt-Egenolf, who is researcher at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umea University and senior author of the study.

The study of gender differences in severe psoriasis cases was based on the Swedish quality register for systemic treatment of psoriasis, PsoReg, which contains detailed disease measurement data on all patients measured with the standard method Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). In the analysis, the researchers found that women had significantly (p<0.001) lower median PASI values than men (5.4 for women versus 7.3 for men). The findings of more severe psoriasis in men were consistent across all ages and in all areas of the body except for the head.

"These findings should motivate a gender perspective in the management of severe psoriasis and its comorbidities, such as cardiovascular and metabolic disease," says Marcus Schmitt-Egenolf.

The researchers point out that the study found no differences between women and men in the use of medications before enrolment in the PsoReg register that may explain the observed sex difference. Instead, the researchers argue, the finding that women have less severe psoriasis can explain the well-known male dominance in systemic treatment of psoriasis.

"For over 70 years, psoriasis researchers have speculated that women have less severe psoriasis compared to men. Our study is the first to investigate sex differences in psoriasis severity using the golden standard of severity measurement, the PASI score. Furthermore, we have also looked more in-depth at distinct elements of the PASI score. The results allow us to verify this thesis in a nationwide population. However, further research is needed to substantiate our findings in different populations," says Marcus Schmitt-Egenolf.

Psoriasis is a common autoimmune skin disease affecting about three percent of the Swedish population. Moderate-to-severe psoriasis is associated with a dose-dependent risk for cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity. In contrast to the situation in severe psoriasis, most autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are more prevalent in women than in men.

###

About the article: The American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, article: Severity of psoriasis differs between men and women - a study of the clinical outcome measure Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) in 5438 Swedish register patients. Authors: D. Hagg, A. Sundstrom, M. Eriksson & M. Schmitt-Egenolf. DOI: 10.1007/s40257-017-0274-0.

For more information, please contact:

Marcus Schmitt-Egenolf, Department of Public Health & Clinical Medicine, Dermatology unit, Umea University

Phone: +46 (0)90 785 2875

Email: marcus.schmitt-egenolf@umu.se
About LMA Consulting Group  Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP

Lisa Anderson is a leading expert in selecting & implementing strategic priorities and ranked 16 most influential in supply chain by SAP. Anderson is Board approved in Supply Chain strategy by the Society for Advancement in Consulting, is an APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and won the APICS Southwest Districts Milt Cook Award in 2011. Named a top 100 supply chain blogger on SupplyChainOpz, she has the unique ability to zero in on the critical strategic priorities and bridge the gap between strategy and execution to achieve dramatically improved service levels, accelerated cash flow and increased profits. With a keen focus on elevating business performance, Anderson is passionate about not only synthesizing strategic priorities that will deliver business results but also in designing an implementation approach that delivers rapid results.

Anderson, also known as The Manufacturing ConnectorSM, is currently working on a book entitled The Amazon Effect detailing a business roadmap to thriving in an ultra-competitive marketplace. A regular content contributor in topics including supply chain, ERP and SIOP, she has been interviewed for articles in publications like Industry Week, tED Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. She actively posts educational blogs three times weekly and has two newsletters, Profit through PeopleSM and Ive Been Thinking.

Prior to founding LMA Consulting Group Inc., Anderson was the Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain of PaperPak, Inc. Her twelve-year tenure included transitions and promotions through the company transformation from a $100 million family-owned business, through a merger and acquisition of three businesses into one $350 million dollar global company, followed by a management leveraged buyout in combination with an investment banking group.

A sought-after writer and speaker, Anderson has spoken at the Global Supply Chain & Logistics Summit, the APICS International Conference and as a visiting lecturer at the University of Southern Californias Entrepreneurial Program. Anderson is the author of Leverage Social Networks to Drive Business Results, has published hundreds of articles and has been quoted in the media including The Wall Street Journal, ABC News and Industry Week.

With a blend of management, finance and operations, Lisa received her MBA with an emphasis in Finance from California State University Fullerton and her BSBA with an emphasis in Operations Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She has traveled extensively throughout North America, Central America and Europe, including a summer in Oxford when attending the University of North Carolina. Lisa tries to make as many stops as possible at in New Orleans to enjoy a beignet at the Cafe de Monde. And, in recognition of her extraordinary tenacity to accomplish goals, her colleagues fondly refer to her as pit terrier.
Chinese Defence Minister meets DPM Nidhi

Chinese Defence Minister General Chang Wanquan, who is on a three-day formal visit to Nepal, held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi on Friday.
Thursday, March 23, 2017

Todays Dear Abby column addresses how important it is to respond to friends who experience the death of beloved pets. Grief over pet loss can be more intense than reactions over people who die.

If you see news about a friends loss of a pet on Facebook, write a supportive comment. Even better, pick up the phone and talk to that person. If you are a card-sending person, send a sympathy card. There are cards specifically created for pet loss.

DEAR ABBY: We recently lost one of our cherished pets, our oldest cat, Mandy. We never had children, so our pets are our children.

I get that people who have never had pets dont understand the joy and unconditional love they can bring. But I dont understand why people we thought were close to us havent acknowledged our loss in any way. Some of them have  or had  pets at one time. A few did send cards or emails, and they were so appreciated. Their kindness will never be forgotten.

Mandy wasnt sickly. She just stopped eating one day. When we took her to the vet a few days after trying everything we could think of, the diagnosis was kidney cancer. A couple of days later we had to make the heartbreaking decision to put her to sleep.

My question is, am I expecting too much of people? After all, you wouldnt ignore the death of a human child. Im not only disappointed but resentful that these so-called friends and family dont seem to care.

I suppose to some Mandy was just a cat. But to us, she was our beloved furry child and we are devastated. Please inform people that a kind word or short note would mean the world to people like us who are suffering real grief.  DEEPLY GRIEVING IN ILLINOIS

DEAR DEEPLY GRIEVING: Please let me offer my condolences for the loss of Mandy. I know from personal experience what you are going through, and it is very painful. Thats why Im reminding readers that when they hear of someone losing a beloved pet, the kindest thing one can do is to offer sympathy with a phone call, an email or a card. Believe me, the effort will be appreciated and never forgotten.

Share this:
A convoy of over 50 trucks heading from Ohio to Kansas will deliver supplies to farmers in need

Its hard to imagine your livelihood being swept away in an instant, said Kelton Keller. Miles of cornfields scorched, utility poles with burn marks 8 feet up, and houses and barns burned to the ground. Thats what Keller, of Medina County, saw as he made the journey from Ohio to Colorado March 21-23.

Its really eye-opening and makes me think about all the little things that upset me, he said. I didnt lose my herd.

Wildfires

Earlier this month,wildfires swept through parts Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Colorado and Kansas, burning hundreds of thousands of acres of land and killing thousands of cattle and horses.

Mark Gardiner, a cattle farmer from Ashland, Kansas, lost his home, 550 cows, thousands of miles of fence, and 42,000 acres of pastureland. We had our hay spread out over a 20-mile area to prevent a disaster like this, said Gardiner. They had no idea the fire would take it all away.

Gardiner farms 48,000 acres total with his two brothers, his sons and nephews. A large portion of his cattle grazing in a wheat pasture was spared from the flames. But through it all he is just happy to have his family safe.

I lost my house, but we are fine, said Gardiner. I buried some cowsbut I didnt bury my kids.

Amy France, with the Kansas Young Farmers and Rancher program, said while she was not directly affected by the fires, she is not far from those who were. I just cannot really wrap my head around how that could affect me. Building a herd and getting it just how you want it and losing it all in an instant, said France.

She said one farmer shared a story with her of returning to the farm after the smoke had lifted and hearing the belbowing of calves lying beside their dead mothers. It takes my breath away, she said. Its very hard to comprehend.

But as the dust settles, farmers from near and far have been reaching out to offer assistance, including a large group of farmers from Ohio.

Ohio to Colorado

Keller, Cody Muhek, Steve Schafer and Jason Schriver, are just one group of many Ohioans reaching out. Once he saw the devastation being shared on Facebook, KEllen knew he wanted to do something to help.

It was keeping me up at night that farmers were losing everything  their cattle, their homes he said.

He picked up a Farm and Dairy newspaper at the Ohio Beef Expo that featured an article on the fires out west. I had to go out to the truck because I just started crying.

Keller felt moved to make a difference himself.

I asked my dad, what do you think about donating some hay? And he was immediately on board, said Keller. He started asking his friends if they would like to help out and put a post on Facebook to see if he could spark some interest.

Before he knew it, he had two trucks and trailers loaded with 48 square bales of hay, 800 pounds of horse and cattle feed, and truck seats full to the ceiling of tack supplies, clothing, food, bottles of water and more.

Community members offered to help with fuel costs and donated around $1,000 for Keller to take to the Colorado. People were doing whatever they could to get money to me before I left; people that I didnt even know, he said.

Keller chose to travel to Colorado because it was the state he had heard the least about. He got in touch with someone from the Colorado Farm Bureau who directed him to a farmer in need. The farmer told Keller he went to bed one night and woke up without any hay to feed his cattle.

He was fortunate not to lowe any cows, or his home, but he lost over 200 large square bales, said Keller. The farmer also told Keller four houses had burned down in his area including his cousins home. Its really eye-opening, and really humbling to have so many people come together to help, said Keller.

More relief on the way

Friday morning, March 24, a convoy of more than 50 trucks and trailers, and over 50 people from all over Ohio will set out for Ashland, Kansas, bringing hay, fencing supplies, feed and much more. The large fleet started out as a few friends from Huron County, tossing around the idea to make the trip themselves.

I really didnt see anything on the news about it, but I started to see some articles online said Jason Nuhfer, a dairy farmer in Huron County. He sent a message out to a friend, asking if he would want to make a trip to Kansas to deliver some hay.

A few Facebook posts later led to over 50 people volunteering to make the journey to Kansas. I think there are several young farmers across Ohio that we went to school with, all thinking about doing something, he said. Eventually, we all started talking and working together to get something together.

One of those calls was made to Nuhfers brother-in-law, John Lengacher, of Wayne County, who admits he knew little about the fires when he got the call. His wife showed him some of the videos and images being shared on Facebook, and he decided to call some friends who had relatives living in the areas that were affected. They told him how bad it really was and shared some contacts with John, including Gardiners phone number.

When John decided to give Gardiner a call, he said Gardiner sounded very tired, but also humbled. He told me about the land that was burned and the miles of fencing that needed replaced and it really threw me back, said John.

I got to thinking about it later and, that same storm came through a day later here and I lost three pieces of tin off my barn. And I thought, wow, I cant keep up around here, he said. It really makes you feel thankful for what you have.

John decided he was going to load up the truck and called up his cousin, Neal Lengacher, to see if he would be interested in coming along. Neal knew about the fires and had contemplated going out himself, and as soon as his cousin called him, he was all in.

To me, it was to help people out out there because they have lost everything, said Neal. Everybody who farms is family, it dont matter how far you are..to go out there and help those people, its no questions asked.

Between John and Neal, they were able to purchase around $4,000 in fencing materials, 23 bags of calf feed and minerals, and other items the people stressed they needed, all from donations they received around the community. These people are very giving and we all feel very blessed and thankful to be able to do this for (the farmers of Kansas), said John.

Three semi loads will be leaving from Creston to meet up with Nuhfers crew and the rest of the Ohioans headed to Kansas Friday morning.

Connected

Its crazy how many people have come together, said Neal. Especially through social media, which was how a group of farmers from the Portage County area joined in on the efforts.

Daniel Duma had seen the post shared through a friend of his from the Huron County area, and gathered a convoy of over 20 trucks in a matter of days. Dozens of his fellow farmers came out to Duma Meats the day before the planned trip to Kansas, to help load the trucks.

This all started with my son Daniel, said Dave Duma, owner of Duma Meats, looking out over the scene of local farmers coming together to load trucks and supplies. Two weeks ago, Daniel and a friend were going to haul two loads of hay out, but after putting a post on Facebook, theyve attracted around 30 trucks, said Dave.

Daniel said when he reached out on Facebook, he had hoped to get at least three or four trucks to help haul hay down. He had no idea it would take off as much as it did. Community members have come forward to donate hay, milk replacer and feed for the animals, household items, and local businesses and community members donated money toward fuel.

There is a lot of people that are coming with us that are donating their own hay, but we had more hay than we need and we saw there was a need in Ashland, Kansas, said Daniel. The Dumas were able to donate 500 round bales of their own because, they need it more than we do and we can get by without it.

Daniel said he knows if the roles were reversed, someone would do the same for Ohio farmers. We are just doing this as a favor to help out the ranchers.

Ohioans helping Kansas

Rose Hartschuh, who runs a dairy operation with her husband, Greg, in Crawford County, has been one of the key coordinators in the Ohio-Kansas relief efforts. She and her husband had been discussing how they could help out when they got in touch with Nuhfer and decided to gather a group of their own to join the ranks.

I think several of us were kind of doing this at the same time and came together to make it one big effort, she said. She launched Ohios Kansas Ranchers Wildfire Relief Efforts blog and Facebook page to share the groups story as they travel to Kansas.

Upon arriving in Kansas, Hartschuh has put together a group of 25 individuals who will stay for a few days and help area farmers with fence repairs and other farm work in the area. Sara Tallmadge, who works at the OARDC in Wooster, and Candace Lease, a territory sales and reproductive manager for ST Genetics in Wayne County, are both volunteering.

Tallmadge, like many others, saw a posting for the group of volunteers on Facebook and immediately felt she needed to be a part of the group. I had been following (the wildfire coverage) through other agricultural platforms and I felt that Roses group was something that I needed to be a part of, she said.

Lease had also been following the events on Facebook and began to think to herself, I hope there is something I can do to help. She had planned to make a monetary donation, but when she discovered a group was going she said, why just make a (monetary) donation when I can make a bigger donation with my time.

Tallmadge also agreed that money just didnt seem like enough. She has been running a non-perishable food drive at Ohio State ATI and OARDC to bring with her on the trip. I think its just one of those things, we know how farm communities band together and I am excited to be a part of it, said Lease.

Humbled

Hartschuh connected with France  through Facebook  to secure a place to stay once the group arrived. France said she contacted her youth pastor, 30 minutes from the Clark County area where the group will be working, and by the following Sunday, four churches in the community had offered to help and found housing for all those coming.

In my community, we are helping with dinner two of the nights, said France. She said she put up a Facebook post explaining what she was hoping to do and within an hour I had everything I needed to prepare these meals.

That just gives you a sense of the heart of these people, she said. Its been amazing and a true blessing to me to just be this tiny linking  linking them up with those that need them.

Gardiner said it has been very humbling to hear of the efforts coming from Ohio to help. I lectured my family because we are not good at accepting help from others, we are better at giving it, he said. Gardiner told his family we are gonna need to accept from these good people.

Along with an estimated $50,000 of hay, feed and fencing supplies, Hartschuh also received alfalfa and cover crop seed. Hartschuh also set up a donation site where the money raised will go towards fuel and trucking expenses with any extra going directly to the ranchers who need it.

When God has a need, what he does is raise up people who are generous to fulfill the need and thats what he did here. The good Lord put the word out and everybody stepped forward and said what can I do. Its just amazing, said Dave Duma.

You can help

There are several places to offer donations towards the farmers affected by the wildfire. Hartschuh said they will continue to collect monetary donations at Ohios Kansas Ranchers Wildfire Relief Efforts site, but will no longer accept donations of hay and supplies.

If you would still like to donate supplies, click here for a flyer on how to donate to Kansas farmers.

The National Cattlemens Beef Association has a list of relief resources including: The Kansas Livestock Association, call 785-273-5115 for more information; the Colorado Farm Bureau, call 970-520-3565; the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, call 405-235-4391; and many more.
Northern Irish farm leaders have been in Brussels this week to meet senior dairy officials in the European Commission where they said 'dropping off the cliff edge' was not an option post-Brexit.

The movement of goods and access to labour across the Irish border after Brexit are 'key concerns' for farmers, according to the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU).

UFU dairy chairman, William Irvine said that Northern Ireland's unique situation and the complexities of what will be a land border between the UK and the EU are 'well recognised.'

"A large number of dairy farmers here are members of co-ops in the South," he said, "clearly, there are strong links between farmers here and processors south of the border, and indeed vice versa.

"This applies to other sectors as well as dairy, and we were encouraged that the will seems to exist in Brussels for a soft border."

'Cliff edge is not an option'

Trade after Brexit was also on the agenda, with the focus on the importance of minimising barriers.

Mr Irvine said tariffs on agriculture products would have a significant impact on the dairy industry. Farm leaders said being able to trade with the EU tariff free is 'crucial.'

"There are also non-tariff barriers to consider as well. New UK trade deals with other countries, like the US or New Zealand, must not use agriculture as a bargaining chip," Mr Irvine said.

The UFU said that 'dropping off the cliff edge' is not an option.

Mr Irvine said: "We are interested in UK food companies' plans to maintain trade after Brexit  and, based on what they have told us, we believe the pan-European business Arla, which is a key UK player, has some interesting ideas."
A committee looking at the future of the Welsh farming sector, chaired by UKIP's Mark Reckless, says rural communities must not lose out as a result of Brexit and access to the European single market is a "critical priority" once Britain leaves.

The recommendations of the National Assembly for Wales committee report has been 'broadly welcomed' by farmers.

Mark Reckless, chairman of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, has been looking at the potential impact leaving the EU will have on the sector.

In the report Mr Reckless says: For over four decades, the way in which agricultural produce is farmed, sold and financially supported has been decided primarily at a European level.

Following the referendum outcome last June, Wales now has a chance to mould those policies closer to home.

But we can only take advantage of this opportunity to reinvigorate our rural communities by ensuring that we, in Wales, do not lose out as a result of the vote to leave.

In the shorter term we have heard clear evidence that access to the Single Market place, continuation of financial support and assurances over migrant labour are critical priorities.

'New policy framework'

NFU Cymru President Stephen James, who provided evidence to the committee on behalf of NFU Cymru in January, said he 'broadly welcomes' the report.

He said: I feel that the committee has correctly identified the key areas of concern for the industry with regards to leaving the EU, while also highlighting the opportunities that now exist to create a new policy framework that underpins the production of food produced to the highest standards and also rewards farmers for the full range of goods and services that we deliver for society.

The recommendations of this cross-party National Assembly for Wales committee report shows that presently there is much common ground between politicians from all parties and the industry in Wales. This is important given the future challenges we face to achieve a fair deal on trade and the design and implementation of a new policy and regulatory framework for Welsh agriculture.

'Quota free access'

The Committee has made 26 recommendations in total and has divided the report into two sections - Part One looking at land management and Brexit: the immediate challenges; Part Two focussing on proposals for the future of agriculture and the rural economy in Wales.

Mr James added: The Committee has correctly picked up the main immediate challenges for us in terms of seeking tariff and quota free access to the EU Single Market for Welsh agricultural and food products, along with the need for a mutually agreed regulatory and policy framework to be put in place across the UK with funding for agriculture not subject to the Barnett formula.

The committee also goes on to say that an ambitious and innovative 'made in Wales' policies will be critical to the future success of agriculture in Wales post-Brexit.

The committee said that farmers in Wales should be no worse off as a result of the vote to leave. By this the committee means the UK Government should commit to spending present levels of funding on agriculture in Wales.
Brazil, the worlds biggest exporter of red meat, is at the centre of international attention due to a widespread beef scandal that could seriously damage the countrys reputable sector.

Top meat-packers in Brazil have been accused of selling rotten produce for years.

Raids by police on Friday (17 March) investigated whether companies paid bribes to conceal unsanitary conditions at meatpackers.

Meat giants JBS, the world's largest meat producer, and BRF were among more than 20 companies targeted in the raids.

Brazil's President Michel Temer tried to reassure partners on Sunday 19 March

President Michel Temer, confronting the corruption scandal tarnishing Brazil's lucrative meat industry, met on Sunday (19 March) with executives and foreign diplomats to assuage health concerns tarnishing a sector responsible for $12 billion in annual exports.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has today highlighted the importance of securing trade deals which uphold the high standards of British food production amid these allegations about Brazil.

The NFU says that Britain has one of the safest and most traceable food systems of any country in the world.

Post-Brexit, it says, it is vital that trade deals which involve importing food products from other countries, such as Brazil, do not undermine this.

'Safe and secure food source'

NFU President Meurig Raymond said: Trade is an incredibly important issue for the future of British food in this country and for the people who produce it.

News that the worlds largest red meat exporter could be involved in exporting rotten meat shows how important it is to have a secure and safe source of food in the UK.

We have some of the highest animal welfare and environmental standards in the world. Food produced in this country is traceable and how its produced is independently audited by assured schemes like the Red Tractor.

Trade agreements with countries across the globe must be balanced  with the same conditions applying to food imports and exports. Protecting the standards adhered to by British farmers and the transparency across the supply chain is essential for the public who want to buy safe and traceable food.

Independent surveys show that 86% of shoppers want to buy more British food. This demand can be met by Britains farmers. But any trade deal entered into post-Brexit must ensure farming can be profitable, competitive and productive.
The European Commission has proposed a ban on widely used insecticides from all fields across Europe under draft regulations, and cite them as having high acute risks to bees.

The decision by Brussels, in documents seen by The Guardian, could shock the farming industry which is fearful that a ban on the substances could deplete crop yields across Europe.

If proposals are approved by a majority of EU member states, a complete ban could be in place this year.

The European Commission has cited a risk to bees as one of the reasons for the ban proposal.

The latest proposal is based on opinions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published in 2016.

These opinions concur with independent scientific assessments of the dangers associated with neonicotinoid pesticides.

There is some scientific consensus that bees are exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides in fields and suffer harm from the doses they receive.

For example, Stirling University researchers have said bees exposed to neonicotinoids fail to learn how to buzz properly and in turn they fail to release the pollen from some flowers, such as those of crops like tomatoes and potatoes.

Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska Achterberg said it was good news for the environment but even if the pesticides are banned 'similar chemicals will still be permitted.'

"The EU must apply the same strict standards to all pesticides and support the transition to ecological methods of pest control."

'Over-zealous'

However, MEPs in Brussels have been warned against 'over-zealous' and 'ill-considered' banning of important pesticides in the European Parliament.

UK's Centre for Applied Crop Science said the EU was not performing well when approving or banning plant protection products.

Chairman John Chinn told a hearing at the European Parliament: "A failure to distinguish between hazard and risk is an essential part of the confusion about perceived threats from or to our environment; in general hazard identification is easy and often speculative; risk evaluation is generally complex and demanding.

"Rational responses are not invariable. There is an extraordinary disregard for well documented risks while others, of marginal significance, distort public and private spending decisions.

"These factors, coupled with a perverse preference for natural toxicity over synthetic safety, lead to an indifferent performance in risk management in the community."

'Disappointed'

The National Farmers' Union said farmers across the country have already suffered heavy losses through oilseed rape crop damage following restrictions to the availability of neonicotinoids.

A recent survey of 400 arable farmers who all grow winter oilseed rape (OSR) reports that 8.3 per cent of the crop this year has failed.

But Paul de Zylva, of Friends of the Earth, said: "The science is catching up with the pesticide industry  the EU and UK government must call time on neonics. Going neonic-free puts farmers more in control of their land instead of having to defer to advice from pesticide companies."

However, Sarah Mukherjee, chief executive of the Crop Protection Association, which represents pesticide makers, said: "We are disappointed with this proposal, which seems more of a political judgement than sound science.

"The proposal is based on an assessment using the unapproved Bee Guidance document and perfectly illustrates the consequences of using this guidance. Most crop protection products, including those used in organic agriculture, would not pass the criteria."
The National Farmers Union has held talks on Brexit with the Defra Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom, in which was described as 'constructive'.

NFU President Meurig Raymond has welcomed the assurances given by the Secretary of State that Defra is fully resourced and primed for the complex negotiations about to get underway once the Article 50 notification is sent next week.

The meeting. held yesterday (23 March), brought together Andrea Leadsom, Farming Minister George Eustice, Mr Raymond and NFU Director for EU Exit and International Trade, Nick von Westenholz.

The group emphasised the crucial role food production will continue to play in the life and economy of the UK and the need for government to ensure food and farming is at the forefront of their priorities as they negotiate the UK's exit from the EU.

Defra Secretary Andrea Leadsom with NFU President Meurig Raymond at the talks (Photo: @NFUTweets)

Free and open trade

Mr Raymond said he was 'delighted' that Defra share British farmers' ambitions to maintain free and open trade with the EU.

He said: They also acknowledge the need to ensure that future reforms to the immigration system accommodate the labour requirements of the food and farming sectors.

We had an encouraging discussion about the form of a future domestic agricultural policy once we are no longer subject to the CAP. I am pleased that the Secretary of State and Farming Minister are in broad agreement with us that farmers should continue to be supported after 2020 to mitigate volatility, reward environmental delivery, and to promote greater productivity and competitiveness in their businesses. This will allow us to secure a resilient future for UK farming that delivers for both farmers and the wider public.

Rotten beef

Mr Raymond turned to the news of Brazilian meat processors trading rotten meat, and how this emphasises the UK to support domestic producers.

He continued: The news stories over the weekend about the activities of Brazilian meat processors trading rotten beef and poultry have reminded us of the importance of supporting domestic producers who uphold the high standards of British food production and enjoy the trust of UK consumers.

Mr Raymond said he was reassured by the Secretary of States positive assessment of the readiness of her department for the task ahead.

He added: She has good reason to believe that Defra is attracting some of the best talent, both within and outside Whitehall, to manage its Brexit workload and to ensure food, farming and the environment continue to be at the heart of the Governments thinking in its Brexit negotiations.

Its crucial that this continues to be the case, and we will be working closely with Defra to make sure our priorities are also the Governments priorities in the weeks and months ahead.
The National Trust is to reduce food production on some of its 1,500 tenant farms in order to benefit wildlife.

The plans aim to ensure half of all Trust farmland is nature-friendly by 2025 to put nature, which has been squeezed out to the margins, back in the heart of the countryside.

It said that the measures, such as removing grazing animals from some places, creating wetlands and widening wild areas set aside for birds and bees, could result in some farms producing less food.

Peter Nixon, Director of Conservation of the National Trust, said the charity had a duty to help prevent wildlife decline, which currently affects 56 per cent of British species.

National Trust says the future of farming and the environment were inextricably linked and they wanted both to thrive (Photo: Large Blue Butterflies)

Nature has been squeezed out to the margins for far too long. We want to help bring it back to the heart of our countryside, he said.

Our charity was founded to protect our natural heritage and we believe we should be playing an active role in reviving it by doing what we can on our own land.

Despite the battering its taken over many decades, nature has an incredible ability to rejuvenate and revive if given the conditions to thrive.

Birds such as the cuckoo, lapwing and curlew are part of the fabric of our rural heritage. But theyve virtually disappeared from the countryside. We want to see them return to the fields, woods and meadows again, along with other wildlife which was once common and is now rare.

'Inextricably linked'

Many of the Trusts 1,500 tenant farms are already run in a way that benefits wildlife, and the organisation insisted farming remained vital to its approach to countryside management.

The Trust said it would work in partnership with its farmers to deliver wildlife-rich, productive landscapes  which will require support for sustainable farming.

Mr Nixon said the future of farming and the environment were inextricably linked and they wanted both to thrive.

George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association, said: Farm tenants will be heartened by the National Trusts clearly expressed position that good environmental management in the countryside cannot be divorced from the achievement of productive and sustainable farming.

The Trust owns almost 250,000 hectares of land, more than one per cent of land in the UK, and cares for 775 miles of coast.

Around 10 per cent of land owned by the Trust has been identified as priority habitat which is threatened and projects are already ongoing to help revive Britains wildlife on Trust land.

The announcement comes after farmers criticised National Trust Director Dame Helen Ghost, who took part in a debate at the Oxford Farming Conference, explaining that should would farm 'beauty' if she had the chance to run her own farming business.
March 24, 2017

The Effect of Sales-Tax Holidays on Consumer Spending

Aditya Aladangady, Shifrah Aron-Dine, Wendy Dunn, Laura Feiveson, Paul Lengermann, and Claudia Sahm 1

Over the past decade, many U.S. states have enacted policies that temporarily exempt consumer purchases of certain goods from state sales taxes.2 Many of these sales-tax holidays occur just before the start of the school year and apply to purchases of school supplies, computers, and/or clothing and shoes. Some states also implement tax holidays for purchases related to hurricane preparedness, energy conservation, and hunting. Two states--Massachusetts and Louisiana--have even implemented broad tax holidays that exempt the first $2,500 of most purchases of goods.

Often, these tax holidays are timed so they coincide with heavy shopping periods for necessities, such as school supplies. In such cases, these policies tend to be especially beneficial to low-income households, since necessities comprise a relatively large share of their overall spending (Henry, 2014). Retail businesses view sales-tax holidays favorably because they purportedly encourage shopping activity, and some policy makers have argued that these temporary fiscal policies provide a net stimulus to economic activity. Understanding how consumers respond to these policies is therefore important, both for evaluating the likely impact on state budgets and for understanding the magnitude and timing of their economic effects.

In a previous FEDS Note, we studied the effects of unforeseen weather events like hurricanes on the spending behavior of consumers using daily, state-level transaction volumes. In this note, we use the same dataset to investigate whether the pre-announced sales-tax holidays noticeably alter the spending behavior of consumers. Specifically, we investigate whether there are shifts in the level and/or composition of consumer spending before, during, and after these sales-tax holidays.

To summarize, we find the timing of consumer spending is often extremely responsive to tax holidays. In particular, small reductions in after-tax prices were associated with large increases in the volume of purchases in a variety of spending categories, especially durable goods. Evidence from a natural experiment in Massachusetts suggest the sales-tax holiday provided a net boost to retail spending over the month as a whole, as opposed to only a re-timing of spending within the month. Whether sales-tax holidays add to spending over a longer horizon likely depends on a number of factors outside the scope of our current analysis, including the breadth of the tax policy and its salience among consumers.

Description of the Payment Transactions Data

The data we use for this analysis are the outcome of a collaboration between the Federal Reserve Board, Palantir Technologies, and First Data Merchant Services, LLC (First Data). Our state-level aggregates originate from anonymized transactions recorded by First Data, an electronic payments processor that provides merchants with the technology to process credit, debit, and electronic payment transactions. Palantir constructed daily indexes of purchases by state and by merchant groupings for the Board, with historical data available back to 2013.3

We classify spending into broad categories using information on the type of merchant where the transaction occurred, e.g. restaurants, gasoline stations, and department stores. We also focus on a broad spending measure that we refer to as the "retail sales group."4 The retail sales group accounts for about one third of total consumer spending as defined in the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs) and appears to be well measured by the First Data transactions.

An Event Study: Massachusetts

We begin by examining the pattern of spending around the sales-tax holidays enacted in Massachusetts in 2014 and 2015. These tax holidays present an interesting case because Massachusetts offered a tax exemption on a very broad set of purchases, including almost all consumer purchases of tangible personal property with a unit cost of $2,500 or less.5 Given the state's sales-tax rate of 6.25 percent, the potential cost savings for consumers from this tax holiday amounted to as much as $156 per item.

The six panels in figure 1 show the timing of daily spending for several categories of stores in August 2014 and August 2015, when the Massachusetts tax holidays occurred, along with the same period in 2016, when there was no tax holiday.6 Comparing across years, we can observe that the average daily spending rates during the tax-holiday weekends were much higher than sales over the same (non-tax-holiday) weekend in 2016; indeed, the pattern of daily sales in 2016 appears to align more closely with the other August weekends in that year.

The top two panels of figure 1 show spending for two categories of stores--furniture and electronics and appliances--that mainly sell high-priced durable consumer goods that were eligible for the tax holiday. Sales at both of these so-called "high exposure" store categories jumped noticeably, with the level of Saturday sales more than double the average daily sales level for the month as a whole. Sales at clothing and accessory stores and at general merchandise stores (the middle two panels) also surged, suggesting that consumers reacted to the tax holiday by increasing their purchases of relatively inexpensive, semi-durable items as well. In contrast, the bottom two panels show that spending at categories of stores that tend not to sell goods eligible for the tax exemption--such as restaurants and gasoline stations--exhibit similar daily movements in all three years, a pattern that is consistent with our hypothesis that differences in the other store categories can be attributed to the tax holiday.

Figure 1. Daily Spending in Massachusetts, August 2014, 2015 and 2016

Cross-sectional comparisons of spending in Massachusetts with other nearby states provide another gauge of the effects of the sales-tax holiday. In figure 2, we plot the daily aggregate of retail sales group spending in August 2015 for Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island; the latter two states did not have a sales-tax holiday during this period. In addition to having similar non-holiday sales-tax rates, the close geographical proximity of these states suggests they are likely to have similar seasonal fluctuations in demand.7 These states should, therefore, provide a reasonable benchmark for what spending in Massachusetts would look like in the absence of a sales-tax holiday. The figure illustrates that increases in spending in Massachusetts over the tax-holiday weekend are absent in the data for Vermont and Rhode Island. Although these differences may partly reflect shifts in purchases across state lines, we view the patterns as suggestive that consumers adjust their spending behavior noticeably to take advantage of the temporarily lower prices.

Figure 2. Daily Retail Sales Group Spending During the Massachusetts Tax Holiday, August 2015

Regression analysis

To quantify these spending responses a little more formally, we estimated a regression in which we compare the daily Massachusetts data to those in bordering states, controlling for regular monthly seasonality and day-of-week effects.8 As shown in figure 3, for the broad retail sales group aggregate, the estimated coefficients imply that daily spending in Massachusetts over the tax-holiday weekend was about 40 percent higher than it would have been without the tax holiday.9

Figure 3. Estimated Effects of the Massachusetts Sales-tax Holiday

As illustrated by the dots outside of the shaded tax-holiday period in figure 3, the coefficients on lags and leads of the tax-holiday indicator variable are close to zero. Taking these point estimates literally, we would conclude that the net effect of the tax holiday on spending for the month as a whole was moderately positive. That said, the standard errors are large, so we cannot definitively rule out that the tax holiday merely shifted the timing of purchases and had no net effect on spending over the two-week horizon. In addition, some of the negative offsets in spending may have occurred outside the assumed time horizon. In particular, very long-lived durable goods such as furniture are likely purchased only intermittently, and these categories are where the spending response appears to have been concentrated (figure 1).

Discussion

The pronounced spending response to the Massachusetts tax holiday likely reflects a number of factors that may not be relevant for all sales-tax holidays, or for temporary price changes more generally. For instance, the actual cost savings consumers could potentially face depends on the breadth of purchases that are eligible for the tax exemption, and on the extent to which the tax savings feed through to lower consumer prices. As noted earlier, the Massachusetts tax holiday exempted an unusually broad array of tangible personal property (valued up to $2,500 per item), purchases of which comprise an appreciable share of the typical household's annual spending. Most occurrences of tax holidays in other states have encompassed a narrower set of purchases, and perhaps as a result, the evidence of spending effects in these other instances appears more mixed. For instance, during Louisiana's annual "Second Amendment" sales-tax holiday on purchases of firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies, the index of spending at sporting goods stores (where firearms are usually sold) in Louisiana jumped well above the spending indexes for Texas and Arkansas (figure 4, left panel). Elsewhere, a tax holiday on clothing and school supplies in Ohio left no visible imprint on spending, even for the most relevant category of clothing and accessory stores (figure 4, right panel).10

Figure 4. Daily Spending During Other 2015 Sales-Tax Holidays

Another factor that may affect the magnitude of the spending response is its salience to consumers; see, for example, Chetty, Looney, and Kroft (2009). Depending on how widely advertised the holidays are, and how aware consumers are of their existence, even similarly-structured tax holidays could have disparate effects on spending. Figure 5 provides some evidence of variation in salience by showing the relative search intensity for the words "tax holiday" in states that had some form of tax holiday in 2015. Perhaps not surprisingly, the two states that enacted relatively broad-based tax holidays--Massachusetts and Louisiana--show high rates of search intensity.11 Elsewhere, states that implemented tax holidays on a narrower set of purchases seem to generate less interest among potential shoppers.

Figure 5. Relative Internet Search Intensity for "Tax Holiday" in 2015

Conclusion

Our analysis of anonymized state-level aggregates of daily transactions data indicate that sales-tax holidays are associated with significant shifts in the timing of purchases by consumers. Our results suggest sharpest responses are in purchases of durable goods such as furniture or consumer electronics. However, the exact magnitude of the spending effect from a sales-tax holiday depends crucially on details of its implementation, including the breadth of purchases covered and salience of the policy.

References

Aladangady, Aditya, Shifrah Aron-Dine, Wendy Dunn, Laura Feiveson, Paul Lengermann, and Claudia Sahm (2016). "The Effect of Hurricane Matthew on Consumer Spending," FEDS Notes. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, December 2, 2016. https://doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.1888.

Agarwal, Sumit, Nathan Marwell, and Leslie McGranahan (forthcoming). "Consumption Responses to Temporary Tax Incentives: Evidence from State Sales Holidays" American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. Available at SSRN: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2178753.

Chetty, Raj, Adam Looney, and Kory Kroft (2009). "Salience and Taxation: Theory and Evidence" American Economic Review. 99:4, p. 1145-1177.

First Data Merchant Services, LLC. Retail volume aggregates, https://www.firstdata.com/en_us/home.html.

Google Trends, https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2015-01-01%202015-12-31&geo=US&q=tax%20holiday.

Henry, LaVaughn M. (2014). "Income Inequality and Income-Class Consumption Patterns." Economic Commentary. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland https://www.clevelandfed.org/newsroom-and-events/publications/economic-commentary/2014-economic-commentaries/ec-201418-income-inequality-and-income-class-consumption-patterns.aspx

Massachusetts Department of Revenue (2015). TIR 15-7: The 2015 Massachusetts Sales Tax Holiday Weekend.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, controls a significant portion of the world's oil reserves. These 12 countries have historically used this position as the global energy gorilla to affect oil prices and to move markets.

And while the emergence of shale oil production, driven by technological advances including horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, has led to a resurgent North American oil and gas production industry and shifted the balance of power slightly away from OPEC, the oil cartel continues to dominate global oil markets.

Here's a closer look at just how much oil comes out of these 13 countries, and how the different OPEC countries are affected by oil prices.

OPEC's oil production and how it compares to the rest of the world

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 96 different countries produce crude oil, with estimates ranging between 90 and 96 million barrels per day produced in February 2017. Of this total, the 13 OPEC nations produced one-third of that oil:

Here's some added context on how outsized OPEC's position really is

If we further parse OPEC by its share of global landmass and population, it becomes even more striking how much power these 13 countries wield over global energy. First, population:

When it comes to land area, OPEC's share of the world's oil is even more dominant:

Breaking down production by member country

When most people hear "OPEC," they think of the Middle East, and an outsize portion of OPEC's total production does come from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. But the consortium also includes African nations Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, and Gabon, as well as the Central and South American countries of Ecuador and Venezuela.

Here's a breakdown of oil production from each country in February 2017:

As the table above shows, the individual size of OPEC member's oil production varies greatly. Yet six of the 10 largest oil-producing countries in the world are OPEC members. Combined, these six countries -- Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela -- account for over 80% of OPEC's total output.

All OPEC oil isn't equal

While OPEC produces a significant amount of the planet's total oil, there are significant differences in production capabilities, the kind of oil produced, and the costs of production from one OPEC country to the next.

For instance, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq have some of the cheapest oil production in the world. Sitting on massive, shallow, land-based oilfields, these countries have cash production costs less than $10 per barrel in many areas. On the other hand, many of OPEC's other countries struggle to make money when oil prices fall below $50 per barrel.

This has historically been a challenge for OPEC, as member states fight internal battles over maintaining global market share versus cutting production in order to increase prices. This is especially true considering that its biggest producers also have some of its lowest production costs, while many of its smaller members have much higher per-barrel costs.

National politics may be equalizing the need for higher prices

During the oil downturn, OPEC maintained a policy of steady output in order to keep market share. However, low oil prices have steadily weighed on even the low-cost producers. The Saudi ruling family has made major social commitments in recent years, essentially all of which were funded by oil revenues. Some experts estimate the country would need oil to sell for $80 per barrel or above to balance its national budget.

This was one of the key drivers behind a late-2016 agreement between OPEC and several major non-OPEC countries to cut oil output for the first time in years, in an effort to restore balance to global oil markets and push prices higher. Combined, the agreement, which included OPEC, Russia, and several other oil-producing nations, was to cut total oil production by nearly 2 million barrels per day.

But history says not to expect OPEC to reach its promised cuts

According to a combination of primary and secondary sources as reported to date, February output was down a half-million barrels per day from December, well short of the 1.5 million barrel cut OPEC agreed to take. Using past production cuts as a guide, it's probably overly optimistic to expect OPEC to cut its output by anything more than two-thirds of the level its member states agreed to in 2016. This is particularly true with Iran working hard to add as much as 1 million barrels per day to its production from 2015 levels as it attempts to recover from years of sanctions.

At the end of the day, OPEC is a bizarre mix of countries ranging from close allies to nearly at-war enemies. Yet they all have a common interest in wielding a significant amount of influence on global oil markets. Whether that influence will drive a rebalancing of global supply and demand after years of oversupply and low prices remains to be seen.
Corruption cure

Nepals state of affairs is bleak, and unless we hold local level elections, what is in store for us could be worse
Dahal, Xi may finalise text on OBOR

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who left for China on Thursday to participate in the Boao Forum for Asia, is likely to finalise the text on Nepals participation in Chinas One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday in Beijing.




Haiti - Politics : New Ministry of Education promises changes





Wednesday in Pacot, at the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) in Pacot, Jude Alix Patrick Salomon, the new Minister of Economy and Finance, proceeded to the installation of Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet as Minister of Education replacing the outgoing Minister, Jean Beauvois Dorsonne.



Minister Salomon invited Minister Cadet to place his expertise and experience at the service of the educational community without reserve. He said he believes that with the rich career and experience of the new Minister, he will bring a plus in the sector that so badly needs it.



In his speech, the outgoing Minister Dorsonne, who spent nearly 12 months in this post, recalled the highlights of his time at the head of the Ministry and the difficulties encountered in his management stressing "It is up to the new incumbent to ensure the follow-up of a few projects in the education sector and to initiate others [...]"



The new Minister Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet, a former professor of social sciences at the Institution of the Sacred Heart in Turgeau and Saint-Louis de Gonzague in particular, recognizes the scale of the challenges ahead, notably the question of wage arrears of teachers.



He pledged to bring novelties in the education system for effective success, to the quality for all efforts made for decision makers, specifying that new technologies and school canteen are two of his priorities in his management.



Also, he promised to straighten the Haitian school that has operated at several speeds for decades. He said that teachers will be better accompanied, but he will also be required that children in the classroom have the time it takes in the teaching-learning process.



Finally, he explained the crucial role that education plays in the development and progress of modern societies.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politics : Jovenel Moise wants rational water management





On Wednesday, 22 March, as part of World Water Day, which was celebrated this year under the theme "Why waste water ?" President Jovenel Moise took the opportunity to draw the attention of public opinion to the issues related to this vital resource and the ways and means to be implemented for its rational management to the benefit inter alia of a modern agricultural production in Haiti.



It is also an opportunity to educate citizens about the need to behave responsibly towards drinking water, a resource to which 35% of Haitians in urban areas and 48% in rural areas have only a limited access, while 7.6 million Haitians (72%) lack sanitation facilities (source WHO and UNICEF) and rely heavily on international financial assistance.



"During my 22 months of campaigning, I basically promised to put together the sun, land, people and water in order to lead the country on the path to sustainable development. Water and its control are therefore an important foundation of my vision. I believe that Haiti must imperatively become self-sufficient in agriculture through a public policy oriented towards the modernization of agriculture," declared President Moise.



Convinced that freshwater resources can be a real asset for the development of the country, he advocates the rational management of our water resources and intends to take all necessary measures to support the Government in the actions to be taken in this framework.



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politics : Major projects of the Ministry of Tourism





Wednesday, Jude Alix Patrick Salomon, the new Minister of Finance proceeded to the installation of his colleague Ms. Colombe Emilie Jessy Menos to the position of Minister of Tourism (MDT). She replaces the outgoing Minister Guy Didier Hyppolite.



In her remarks for the occasion, the Minister Menos, highlighted the vision of the President Moise and Prime Minister Lafontant and promised as stated in the General Policy Statement to pursue the promotion of the destination, the establishment of a high-level commission to draw up a master plan for the development of the tourism sector for the next 25 years and the tabling of a draft law of orientation.



The new Minister of Tourism has indicated that the government will encourage the construction of retirement villages for the Haitian diaspora. In addition, she nnounced that, in agreement with the town councils and the Boards of Communal Sections (CASEC), potential new attractions will be identified, developed and valued in the context of public-private partnerships. She also mentioned the major project to build a cable car linking Labadee to the Citadelle La Ferriere, which will be implemented in concert with the private sector.



It should be noted that prior to this position, Ms. Menos was Director of Public Relations and Secretary of State within the MDT.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Diplomacy : New ambassador of Chile accredited in Haiti





Thursday morning at the National Palace, as a prelude to the official visit of the President of the Republic of Chile, Mrs. Michele Bachelet, President Jovenel Moise, received the credentials of the new Ambassador of Chile accredited to Haiti, Patricio Utreras Diaz.



The new Ambassador was formerly Deputy Director of Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile. He replaces Ambassador Raul Fernandez Daza.



President Moise, while wishing most cordially welcome to the new Ambassador, reassured him of his willingness to work of a common agreement to the harmonious development of relations between the two friendly countries.



Patricio Utreras Diaz, renewed Chile's commitment to maintaining friendly ties and strengthening cooperation between the two countries.



Thursday afternoon, at the Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon (MUPANAH), Ambassador Uteras, presented a floral offering in honor of the Fathers of Haitian Independence. Then, at the invitation of Michele Frisch, the General Director of the Museum, he made a guided tour in the museum's exhibition rooms.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Is is it not the failure of Indian government that Pakistani diplomat can dare to says such words and that too in the capital of our nation ? Indians expect strong, tough and swift action against Pakistan so as to end terrorism and territory disputes !  Editor, Hindujagruti

New Delhi : Islamabad and its jehadi cohorts ratcheted up anti-India rhetoric on Pakistan Day on Thursday, prompting a strong reaction from the Indian Government which said that the only issue of dispute as far as Jammu & Kashmir was concerned was Pakistans illegal occupation of Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Earlier, the Pakistani side launched a calibrated anti-India campaign spearheaded by Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit, and a new jehadi front floated by terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

In Islamabad, raking up the Kashmir issue as an unfinished agenda of the Partition, Mamnoon Hussain accused India of jeopardising regional peace through consistent ceasefire violations.

Speaking at the annual Republic Day military parade attended for the first time by troops from China and Saudi Arabia, Hussain said, Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India and wants resolution of the Kashmir dispute, which is the unfinished agenda of the Partition.

We want peace and friendship with the whole world, specially our neighbours. But Indias irresponsible attitude and consistent violations of the Line of Control and Working Boundary have jeopardised peace in the region, he said at the parade during which Pakistans indigenously-developed missiles and air-defence systems were showcased.

On the other hand, at a Pakistan Day event in New Delhi, Abdul Basit said his Government supports Kashmiri separatists while terming their activities as a struggle for freedom. He added Pakistan favours resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per the aspirations of Kashmiris.

Reacting strongly to Basits statement Union Minister Jitendra Singh reiterated Indias demand that Pakistan should vacate illegal occupation of POK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The only issue of dispute between India and Pakistan as far as Jammu & Kashmir is concerned is the illegal occupation of POK and Gilgit-Baltistan by Pakistan, he said.

Taking up the issue, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said the envoys remarks were not in keeping with diplomatic niceties and amount to interference in Indias internal affairs.

We have seen media reports about Pakistan High Commissioners remarks today regarding the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir. They are not in keeping with diplomatic niceties and tantamount to interference in our internal affairs. Pakistan would be well-advised to effectively address the challenge of terrorism emanating from that country, which has adversely affected peace and stability in the entire neighbourhood as well as Pakistans relations with other countries, Baglay said.

While raising the Kashmir issue once again, Basit termed it as an unresolved dispute between India and Pakistan. At the same time, he also expressed Islamabads desire to have good relations with India.

The issue of Jammu & Kashmir must be resolved as per aspirations of Kashmiris. We hope that we will be able to solve our differences and issues, especially the Kashmir issue. Basit said.

The Pakistani envoy extended support for Kashmiri separatists, saying their struggle is for freedom. Struggle for freedom of Kashmiri people will one day succeed by the grace of God, he added.

In Islamabad, Mamnoon Hussain said that Pakistan was ready to hold talks with India on all issues, including Kashmir.

In Lahore, Hafiz Saeeds newly-floated terror outfit Tehreek-e-Azadi Jammu Kashmir staged a huge rally on Pakistan Resolution Day. The rally started on the Mall Road of Lahore and was attended by members of Jamat-ud-Dawa including its senior leaders. The JuD members reportedly raised anti-India slogans and delivered anti-India speeches.

Source : Daily Pioneer
ACCC Describes the Different Types of Online Scams Consumers Should Avoid

Posted by Press Releases on Friday, 03-24-2017 4:28 am

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 0.0 from 0 votes

National nonprofit American Consumer Credit Counseling highlights what consumers should know about five of the most common types of online scamsThere are different types of online scams that criminals use to defraud millions of consumers. They use tricks and technology to convince consumers to send money or give out their personal information. In an effort to help consumers avoid these scams, national nonprofit American Consumer Credit Counseling describes different types of scams and what they might look like.Each year millions of consumers fall victim to online scams, said Steve Trumble, President and CEO of American Consumer Credit Counseling, which is based in Newton, MA. Fraudsters and other criminals use the internet to take advantage of consumers by creating scams to trick them into giving out their personal information, which can lead to identity theft. Its important that consumers know what to look for so they can protect their financial security.According to the Identity...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
Costless and Extendible HR Software Platform Air Launches

Posted by Press Releases on Friday, 03-24-2017 2:31 am

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 0.0 from 0 votes

Air reboots HR Software space with hub-and-spoke model, promising to tackle manual and disconnected processes for small and medium sized businesses.BIRMINGHAM, UK (PRWEB) MARCH 23, 2017HR software startup Air has announced its launch today, unveiling a new approach to HR software.Air offers various HR features like a central employee directory, time off booking, smart notifications and native iOS and Android apps so businesses can manage HR on the go. But according to Air CEO Nick Holzherr, Airs USP lies at the heart of the model. Managing HR is too hard right now - most processes are manual and different processes or software usually dont link together. Small business owners spend an average of four days each month battling internal admin (FSB) and even then, most business owners dont have access to basic tools that can help them manage their people and culture better.Air is built around a hub-and-spoke model. Airs simple core offers all the basic things that small businesse...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
Dahals bid to break deadlock fails again

Hours before leaving for China, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday held discussions with leaders of the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha in a bid to find a way to break the deadlock.
Maritz Motivation Solutions Introduces Decision Sciences to Consumer Brand Loyalty

Posted by Press Releases on Friday, 03-24-2017 2:56 am

Currently 5.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 5.0 from 1 votes

Decision Sciences combines data analytics with behavioral science and machine learning.ST. LOUIS, MO (PRWEB) MARCH 22, 2017Maritz Motivation Solutions, a leading provider of loyalty programs to major companies and brands, has introduced decision sciences to the loyalty space, providing marketers with next generation insights to predict consumer behavior. Decision sciences combines traditional data analytics with behavioral science to uncover leading indicators so marketers can read between the lines, predicting customer defection before consumers even know they are thinking of disengaging, said Barry Kirk, vice president of loyalty solutions for Maritz Motivation Solutions.While Maritz utilizes its expertise in neuroscience across the company, the companys application of decision sciences specifically to yield insights in the loyalty space is new, Kirk said. Decision sciences integrates cutting-edge machine learning and behavior science to understand consumers at a far deeper level,...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
New Penn Financial Hires Brian Turner to Head New Kansas City Area Branch

Posted by Press Releases on Friday, 03-24-2017 2:59 am

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 0.0 from 0 votes

The national private mortgage lenders newest office will be located in Overland Park, Kansas.PHILADELPHIA, PA (PRWEB) MARCH 23, 2017New Penn Financial announced today the hiring of Brian Turner as branch manager in Overland Park, Kansas. Brian has over 25 years of sales experience. He joined the mortgage industry in 2009 and finished in the top ten percent for production at his first mortgage company. Since then he has been involved in many aspects of the industry, training mortgage bankers, counseling borrowers, and analyzing credit for pre-approvals, among other roles.I joined New Penn Financial because the products they offer allow me to be a complete loan officer and leader, Mr. Turner said. I take pride in my reputation as an honest, straightforward professional, and I take pride in all of the repeat customers Ive gained over the years. New Penn will allow me to continue offering them the service they expect and deserve.Brian is a committed originator and leader, said Rober...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
Senior Hires Support Keypath Educations European Expansion

Posted by Press Releases on Friday, 03-24-2017 6:13 am

Currently 3.2/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 3.2 from 4 votes

Keypath Education, a global specialist in online higher education, has announced three senior hires to support the continuing expansion of its European operations.The US-based business, which facilitates the marketing and delivery of online degree programs on behalf of universities, will shortly announce a range of new partnerships with UK higher education institutions.As a result, it has expanded the leadership of its European division including adding two senior executives from Pearson, each with years of experience in the higher education sector.Catalina Rossellini - previously senior vice president, academic partnerships at Pearson - has joined Keypath as chief operating officer and will oversee all functions of the companys university partnerships.Vinita Sood - who was previously head of course launch and program management at Pearson - joins as director of student operations and launch having worked on partnerships with British universities, for the past two years combined with ...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
Uber Senior Executives Sexual Harassment History Highlights the Value of Background Screening

Posted by Urvesh Vyas on Friday, 03-24-2017 4:39 am

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.

1

2

3

4

5 0.0 from 0 votes

The recent episode of Uber asking a senior executive to resign because he had withheld information about complaints of sexual harassment against him in his previous organization, merely highlights what has been SecURs experience over the past decade employee misbehaviour is not restricted to front-line or less educated employees, but is pervasive across organisations, industries and ranks. Employee background checks across organisation ranks enable companies to thoroughly scan educational, personal, and professional background of an employee, saving the company from such credibility threats. What is the Significance of Employee Background Screening? Every employer needs to understand the significance of a stringent background screening process to promote an honest work environment and maintain credibility of the organisation. Recently, anentry-level executive in India lied on his CV, claiming that he scored 78% in his PG course, while in reality he only scored 58%. The employee ...

Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web.

If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator.

Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue

Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue

Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile
San Francisco, March 23, 2017 - Dozens of California school districts and leading education organizations today announced the filing of an amicus brief supporting Santa Clara County in its legal challenge to President Trumps executive order threatening to withhold funding from so-called sanctuary cities.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, a global law firm representing the school districts pro bono, submitted the brief on behalf of 18 public school districts, including the states largest in Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco and San Diego; 13 charter schools and three community college districts; and education leaders such as the California Teachers Association and Association of California School Administrators.The brief urges a federal court to side with Santa Clara County, which argues that the executive order is an unconstitutional attempt to retaliate against cities, counties and states that decline to participate directly in federal immigration enforcement under the executive order.The school districts argue in the brief that the administrations executive order poses a direct threat to Californias educational environment.The Executive Order transforms schools from inclusive, safe spaces to places of fear and uncertainty, ultimately undermining our entire public education system, the Orrick brief states. By expansively targeting any State or political subdivision of a State, the Executive Order is causing sweeping, profound and irreparable harm to our children and their families, our public education system, and ultimately, the future of our country.Steve Zimmer, president of the Los Angeles Unified School District school board, praised the joint effort to side with Santa Clara County.President Trumps Executive Order that targets school districts and municipalities who are simply trying to uphold every students access to public education and every familys access to public safety must be challenged in the courts, he said. I appreciate the legal efforts now under way to protect cities and districts that have taken this necessary step. No school district should be punished for assuring families of their safety while accessing public education.No child in California should fear going to school because they or their families may be deported, added Richard Barrera, president of the San Diego Unified School Board of Trustees. Neither should school administrators be forced to choose between critical funding and violating students rights.Darren Teshima, an Orrick partner heading the pro bono effort, said he is hopeful the federal court will consider the implications for California schoolchildren in weighing Santa Clara Countys challenge.Were proud to represent the interests of the states schools and students in this important case, Darren said. The stakes could not be higher. If the federal government is permitted to move forward with this policy, it will cast a pall over our states public schools and create lasting damage to our school communities, most importantly our young students who deserve better.Santa Clara County and the City and County of San Francisco have both filed lawsuits to block implementation of the executive order. The Orrick pro bono team intends to file a similar amicus brief on behalf of California school districts in the San Francisco case next week.The ACLU has also filed a motion to intervene in the Santa Clara case on behalf of the YMCA of Silicon Valley. We applaud California school districts and educators for coming forward to say they will not see their mission undermined by pressure or punishment to act as pawns of federal immigration enforcement, said Sylvia Torres-Guillen, statewide director of Education Equity for the ACLU of California.ACLU of Northern California
Burma At Least 15 Arrested for Armed Attack Plot in Maungdaw

Suspect Mawlawi Adulamein was arrested on March 7, 2017. / State Counselors Office

RANGOON  Authorities have arrested at least 15 people allegedly involved in planning armed attacks in northern Arakan States Maungdaw Township, according to a State Counselors Office statement on Thursday.

Of those arrested, seven were among 36 people alleged to have attended armed attack training on March 1, according to authorities.

Trainees reportedly planned to attack border guard posts in their villages after acquiring weapons from a neighboring country.

At least 15 people were arrested in recent security operations, according to the statement, including one man who was charged under the import/export law for illegal use of a SIM card.

Two of those arrested reportedly admitted to donating 100,000 kyats (US$70) each to the training. Attendees of the March 1 lecture were paid 3,000 kyats for the day.
Burma Child Abuse on the Rise, Says Mon Human Rights Group

Girls walk to school at the outskirts of Rangoon on November 4, 2015. / Jorge Silva / Reuters

Cases of sexual violence, particularly rape, against girls have increased dramatically since 2013, said an ethnic Mon rights groups highlighting such cases in southeastern Burma.

The Human Rights Foundation Monland (HURFOM) published a report on Thursday, titled Cracks in the Silence. In it, the organization documented and analyzed 20 cases of violence against children in Mon State and the surrounding areas between Dec. 2013 and Jan. 2017.

The types of violence ranged from rape to human trafficking; however, in the majority of cases, sexual violence was identified as the primary motive, the report said.

The perpetrators were often persons close to the victims and were frequently fellow community members or family members. In a small number of cases, the perpetrators were strangers or Burma Army soldiers.

The report also documented two cases of young girls killed after rape; one case highlighted had occurred in Tenasserim Divisions Yebyu Township in June 2014.

HURFOM said, there had been a significant increase in the number of cases of violence toward children reported between 2013 and 2016.

Mi Htaw Chan, the coordinator of Women and Child Rights Project of HURFOM, said the number of incidents is likely to be much higher than what is actually documented. The report, she added, aims to provide a platform for community perspectives on issues that the communities deemed important, like that of sexual violence against minors.

Reports of child abuse, especially cases of rape, can be brought before courts with the help of local civil society organizations in the region. However, social workers helping the victims say that only in very few of the cases is justice adequately delivered.

HURFOM said they also want parliamentarians to pay attention to these issues as they try to amend the existing 1993 child law and draft national policy on the prevention of violence against women.

Access to justice is still a challenge for victims, despite an increase in those speaking out about abuses they have suffered, Mi Htaw Chan added.

We have to keep up our advocacy work toward the lawmakers and the decision-makers in the government as well as raise awareness within the communities, she said. Thanks to our partner civil society groups in the communities who provide the victims with legal counseling, consultation and support, victims raise their voices more.

The child rape cases are still happening because there is no harsh punishment against the rapists, said Daw Tin Win, a volunteer helping vulnerable women and young children, from Ye Township, in southern Mon state.

She remembered one case in particular, in which a young girl reported that she had been gang raped but was later compensated with 500,000 kyats (US$366). Acts like this, she said, make it easier for perpetrators to commit, and get away with, such crimes.

Rapists do not care about a prison sentence of two or three years. The punishment must be harsherup to ten years, so that rape cases will be reduced, she added.
Burma Hundreds Suffer Food Poisoning After Ordination Ceremony

Myaungmya General Hospital. / Compassionate Youths Association-Myaungmya / Facebook

RANGOON  About 400 people were hospitalized from an outbreak of food poisoning on Thursday evening after eating at a Buddhist ordination ceremony in Myaungmya Township, Irrawaddy Division.

Wai Lin Aung, founder of the Compassionate Youths Association Myaungmyawhich transported the patients to the hospitalsaid there had been no problem with the food served at the morning ordination ceremony, but that many of those who ate in the evening suffered from food poisoning.

Rice, hilsa fish curry and maezali bud soup were served.

Wai Lin Aung said there were not enough ambulances and that private cars, trucks and vehicles from other social service organizations were used to get all of the patients to the hospital.

Myaungmya General Hospital could not accommodate all of the patients so authorities built makeshift tents in the hospital precinct, he said.

Dr. Kyaw Zwa Lwin, superintendent of the Myaungmya General Hospital, said 79 children and 288 adults were hospitalized overnight. Among them, 270 patients said they felt seriously ill.

Most of them were vomiting, feeling faint and experiencing diarrhea. Luckily, we could control the outbreak within 24 hours and there were no fatalities, he said.

He said that the symptoms pointed to an E. coli infection.

Samples of foods served at the ceremony were sent to a national lab in Rangoon to be examined.

The hospital superintendent said for now, only six children and two adults were still being monitored at the hospital for residual symptoms of shock.

He said public health, hand-washing, environmental sanitation and food safety awareness campaigns were being conducted in the region as food poisoning occurs frequently, particularly in the hot season.

We need more awareness for protection, he said.
Burma Northern Alliance Member Rejects Defense Ministry Report on Kokang Conflict

Members of the MNDAA demonstrate weapons and supplies seized from the Burma Army following the March 6 attack in Laukkai; photo shared on March 10, 2017. / Myanmar War News / Facebook

RANGOON  Twenty-eight Kokang rebels have been killed, along with an unspecified number of Burma Army soldiers, according to a report issued Thursday by the Ministry of Defense, in reference to recent clashes between state forces and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).

The Burma Army has seized multiple bases from MNDAA, as well as weapons, according to the report.

From March 6 up to today, 28 insurgents have been killed. Some Tatmadaw members, including officers, have been killed and wounded, the report stated.

Brig-Gen Tar Phone Kyaw of the Taang National Liberation Armyan ally of the MNDAA and fellow member of the ethnic coalition the Northern Alliancerejected the assertions in the defense ministrys report, calling it a white lie to the people of the country in preparation for Armed Forces Day, a national holiday observed on March 27.

It is not true. Our troops are still attacking them, Brig-Gen Tar Phone Kyaw said, adding that both sides have experienced casualties, but that the number given28was too high. It was likely closer to 10, he said.

Fighting continued on Friday at mountain outposts, according to the TNLA general.

The Northern Allianceto which the Kachin Independence Army and the Arakan Army belong, in addition to the TNLA and MNDAAhas lost some bases, Tar Phone Kyaw said, citing artillery fire by the Burma Army, which caused ethnic armed organizations troops to withdraw.

Fighting broke out on March 6, when members of the MNDAA and AA launched an attack in the town of Laukkaithe administrative capital of the Kokang regionkilling at least 10 people.

Thousands people in the Kokang area have fled across the Chinese border following the clashes.

The report also accused the MNDAA tried to damage China-Burma relations in the Laukkai attack, creating a political and military crisis.

We cannot damage their relationship. We, too, care about having a better relationship with China, as we also have to deal with China, said Brig-Gen Tar Phone Kyaw.
Looks can be deceiving

Recent rise in anti-immigrant sentiments has made the Nepali community in the US fearful
Burma Trial Begins for Men Charged in Prominent NLD Lawyers Assassination

Four detained suspects, accused of involvement in the assassination of lawyer U Ko Ni, appeared at Rangoon's Northern District Court in Insein on March 24. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  Rangoons Northern District Court commenced examination of the assassination of prominent lawyer U Ko Ni as the trial began on Friday.

Among multiple offenses the alleged suspects were charged with, the trial opened with illegal arms possession and transportation charges against the gunman and one of the alleged co-perpetrators.

According to the police report, two of the suspects; gunman Kyi Lin and an alleged co-conspirator Aung Win Zaw, are being charged under Article 19(d) and (f) of the countrys 1878 Arms Act, in addition to Article 302 of the Penal Code for homicide.

Defense attorney U Aung Khaing, who represented Aung Win Zaw in court, examined the Mingalardon Township police official Mya Tun Kyaw who submitted the case, regarding the arms offense with which his client is charged.

U Aung Khaing told The Irrawaddy that there was no police report showing that the guns and bullets seized from the shooter Kyi Lin were associated with his client Aung Win Zaw.

Without such a police statement, Aung Win Zaw could not be indicted on charges of illegal arms possession or transportation, according to his attorney.

Confessions made to the police are invalid in trial. [Suspects] have to make statements in court, the attorney said.

However, lawyer U Nay La, who represents U Ko Nis family, told the media after the court hearing that the Friday trial was just an initial examination and that questions from the defense attorney denying Aung Win Zaws alleged association with the seized arms were not effective.

Regarding illegal arms offenses, there are still a lot of other witnesses and evidence, U Nay La said.

As a defense attorney representing suspects who are accused of involvement in a high profile murder, U Aung Khaing said he is only helping the court in finding the truth rather than the suspects.

No matter which crimes they are accused of committing, we will make a determination according to the law, he said.

U Aung Khaing will also represent Aung Win Tun, who is being charged under Article 212 of the Penal Code for harboring an offender.

There are around 80 witnesses who will testify, according to the lawyers handling the case. The next court hearing is scheduled for March 31.

Gunman Kyi Lin shot Muslim lawyer U Ko Ni outside Rangoon International Airport on the afternoon of Jan. 29. He also fatally shot an airport taxi driver, U Nay Win, while attempting to flee the scene. Kyi Lin was immediately apprehended at the crime scene.

Authorities have so far named five suspects in the assassination of U Ko Ni; gunman Kyi Lin, alleged co-perpetrators Aung Win Zaw, Aung Win Khaing and Zeya Phyo, and a recently revealed Aung Win Tun, who is accused of harboring a criminal.

Four suspects are currently detained, however, Aung Win Khaing, a former lieutenant colonel in the Burma Army, remains at large and is charged under Article 302 of the Penal Code, but has so far eluded police.

Zeya Phyo, a former military intelligence officer, is also charged Article 302 as well as Article 67 of the Telecommunications Law for the possession of restricted telecommunications equipment and Article 468 of the Penal Code for the forgery of national identity cards.
Burma UN Launches Fact-Finding Mission on Burma

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the 34th session of the Human Rights Council at UN in Geneva, Switzerland, in February, 2017. / Denis Balibouse / Reuters

GENEVA, Switzerland  The top UN human rights body agreed on Friday to send an international fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations in Burma, with a particular focus on widespread allegations of killings, rape and torture by security forces in northern Arakan State.

Burma ambassador U Htin Lynn, speaking before the decision was taken by consensus, rejected the move as not acceptable. Burmas national commission had just interviewed alleged victims who fled to Bangladesh and would issue its findings by August, he said.

The UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution without a vote, brought by the European Union and supported by countries including the United States, that called for ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims.

A UN report issued last month, based on interviews with 220 Rohingya among 75,000 who have fled to Bangladesh since October, said that Burmas security forces have committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya in a campaign that very likely amounts to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing.

Burmas Htin Lynn, referring to the resolution, said: Such kind of action is not acceptable to Burma as it not in harmony with the situation on the ground and our national circumstances. Let the Burma people choose the best and the most effective course of action to address the challenges in Burma.

We will be doing what needs to be done and we will do it with great prudence and probity, he added.

China and India said they would disassociate themselves from the consensus, with Chinas delegation saying the issue cannot be solved overnight.

Activists welcomed what they called a landmark decision by the 47-member forum, while regretting that it was not a full international commission of inquiry, and called on the government to cooperate.

It is unfortunate that the government of Myanmar/Burma has chosen to disassociate itself from this resolution, John Samuel, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA, said in a statement.

It is important for the National League for Democracy led government in Myanmar/Burma to see international human rights mechanisms as an ally in its arduous struggle with the military, which still maintains effective control in the country and stands implicated in allegations of gross violations. This resolution is a great opportunity for the government to move in the right direction. It should cooperate fully with the international fact finding mission.
Specials The Last Pipe-Makers of Belu Island

Craftsman Mann Ngwe Win smokes a 10-headed ogre pipe. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

CHAUNG ZON, Mon State  Crafting smoking pipes in Burma has never been a big business, although it has endured through generations. Now the dwindling cottage industry relies on a handful of people in Ywalut village of Chaungzon Township to keep it alive.

As part of Mon States Belu Islands, Ywalut is a tourist attraction for its handcrafted pipes and wooden walking sticks, while its neighbor, Mudoon, has made itself a name for producing writing slates (known in Burmese as kyauk thin bone).

A 10-minute ferry trip from Moulmein (Mawlamyine), the capital of Mon State, Chaungzon Township is a collection of more than 70 villages, with a population of 120,000.

Standing in the middle of Ywalut is a three-meter high Made in Ywalut pipe, flanked by three Brahminy Ducks, a cultural symbol for ethnic Mon people. Craftsman Mann Ngwe Win, who has a rich heritage of pipe making, created the sculpture in 2014.

He has been making pipes for four and a half decades, inheriting the business, the 555 Special Walking Stick and Wooden Cottage Industry, from his father and working from his own two-story home.

The 60-year-old proudly reflects on the legacy of his grandfather, U Nyunt, the first person in the area to make wooden pipes. Working during the colonial era, U Nyunts innovative approach to the craft earned him an award in Moulmein, says his grandson.

Mann Ngwe Wins pipes are getting noticed for their quality and distinctive carvings; depicting portraits of former US President Barack Obama, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to name a few, as well as the legendary ten-headed ogre pipe.

Intricate portraits take at least two days to complete, the old man explains, while a simple pipe could be finished within hours.

But it takes 10 days to finish a ten-headed ogre pipe, he says, showing how to smoke it. This is my tenth one. I only start making a new one once Ive sold the last.

Meghan Menchhofer, an educator and immigration activist from the US state of Indiana, who was visiting Mon State with Moulmein-Fort Wayne Sister City International, examined some carvings in the workshop.

We like to shop locally and meet the local community, she says. We found out this is one of the local factories, so we came here to support the business and see what type of things they make  its beautiful here.

The pipes are made from quality ironwood, ideally from the kino (gum) tree or teak, which is transported from central Burma towns such as Pyinmana.

A few families in Ywalut still make pipes and sell them at national markets, mainly west in Arakan State or south in Dawei. Some entrepreneurial spirits produce simple pipes, lower quality than the carved pipes but easier and quicker to make if the orders are there.

The pipe-making business slumped in the late 20th century because of a lack of raw materials, says Mann Ngwe Win, and many families moved to Pegu and other areas or migrated to neighboring countries like Thailand in search of work.

Even though the logo Made in Ywalut is well known, very few people work in this industry anymore, he says. Especially compared to the past.

Lamenting that these cottage industries never received strong support from the government, Mann Ngwe Win adds, Were all on our own.

But this has not finished Ywaluts pipe makers. His eldest son, Aung San Oo, helps him to make pipes and walking sticks.

I learned how to make those pipes in my childhood, says Aung San Oo, while carving. Ive always been interested in it, and picked it up after school.

He says a simple pipe will take at least three hours to finish. Walking sticks in the workshop are just as beautiful as the pipes and can be ordered, as can wooden scabbards, too.
Reddit Email 175 Shares

David Holdridge | (Informed Comment) |  

The current debate between liberals and the Trump Administration on American soft power abroad is not being framed correctly. Liberals should be arguing for more American citizen engagement overseas rather than for maintaining and extending into the future a dependency on USAID and the State Department.

Since World War II, Americas influence overseas has become dependent on two forces, working in tandem. One was our military ability ( aka, Hard Power) to keep sea lanes open, protect treaty partners from external threats, and stall or prevent disruptions by adversaries meant to interrupt American economic eminence.

The Avant Garde of Western Civ

Without question, there have been flaws in America s performance  sometimes or perhaps even often, tragic flaws. Nevertheless, Pax Americana arguably allowed post-War Western Europe to flourish and it contributed to peace and prosperity for Japan, South Korea and some ASEAN countries as well.

The second force is Americas soft power (a term coined by diplomat/scholar Joseph Nye), which has entailed the purveyance of American values overseas; to be that city on the hill for aspiring citizens of foreign countries worldwide. This power is diffuse and includes everything from cultural exchanges to cross-border knowledge transfers to overseas relief and development programs  often financed by the State Department (USAID) and implemented by large American Charities.

And, yes, this presumption of influencing and developing the world according to the American narrative has also been shamed by our own domestic behavior on issues like race, as opposed to our ideals. But, in the main, America as Beacon still persisted.

Few experts in International Relations question that both Soft and Hard Power are critical to American led global stability.

Nowin the most threatening ways since WW II, the purveyors of Soft Power overseas are having their legs knocked out from under them. Whatever resonance they had for teaching and encouraging Right Relations and Rights is fast disappearing in light of what is now emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The current messages of fear and exclusions throughout our national community not only serve to rip America apart but also destroy the possibilities of our foundational values finding roots outside our bordersa grave issue for the ultimate security of America as well as for nation states and their citizens across the globe.

In effect, those humanitarian efforts which are managed by USAID, an agency within the executive branch of government and tied to prevailing government policy, are left with no credible platform from which to preach traditional American values. Those contractors and charities which are dependent on funds from USAID are similarly compromised.

With the aforementioned in mind, I  as someone who spent 40 years overseas as that purveyor of American values  want to laud the current effort of those private charitable agencies who have removed themselves from their dependency on the executive branch and implement their work solely on the basis of direct citizen donations.

It was always a slippery slope for overseas charities to use a US government entity like USAID for sustenance not only for reasons attached to the partisan management of such but equally for the ever growing bureaucracy and associated costs assigned to the humanitarian effort overseas.

David Holdrige is the author of the memoir, The Avant Garde of Western Civ. He spent thirty-five years working with humanitarian organizations amidst populations suffering from war, exploitation, and impoverishment, including assignments in West Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. From 2010 to 2012, he directed an advocacy effort in Washington D.C., which argued for significant transformation of the current systems and approaches of American assistance abroad. He received the Prize Americana in 2015 for his memoir. He served as Middle East regional director for Mercy Corps, as the Vietnam director for Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation in Hanoi, and as regional Director for the Balkans & Middle East of Catholic Relief Services, among other development-related positions. He was wounded in Vietnam while serving as a platoon commander.
Reddit Email 445 Shares

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The terrorist organization known as Daesh in the Middle East and Europe but as ISIS or ISIL in the US is in a death spiral.

Daesh hit its peak of territory in 2015 on taking Ramadi, the capital of Iraqs al-Anbar province.

Since then, it has virtually been rolled up in Iraq, having lost all of al-Anbar except a small town on the Syrian border, having lost all of Diayala and Salahuddin provinces, and having lost most of Ninewah, including 75% of Mosul, its last remaining metropolis.

(Its capital, of Raqqa in Syria, is a town of about 100,000, the capital of Raqqa Province, which had 900,000 people before the Syrian civil war broke out but about half of those fled to Turkey, especially the Kurds in the north).

Daesh still holds Hawija, a town of 100,000 before its occupation that is likely half that now; and Tel Afar, a largely Turkmen town that was likewise smallish before the Daesh onslaught. It is likely even smaller now, since all the Shiite Turkmen will have fled. I wonder if Daesh has as many as a million people living under its rule in Iraq any more. Some 400,000 of those are in West Mosul, which will likely fall to the Iraqi central government within a few months. At that point Daesh and its phony caliphate will fairly quickly be completely rolled up as a governmental entity. They will continue to be strong in some villages and city neighborhoods and will continue to carry out terrorist bombings in Baghdad and elsewhere, but they wont be a government.

Once it has lost the small amount of territory it now has in northern Iraq and a slightly larger swathe of eastern Syria that is still under its authority, what will Daesh do?

Many adherents will defect and just go home in disappointment. Many have already been disappointed by the brutality and inhumanity of Daesh rule, and have fled. Daesh tries to stop such defections at present, but its ability to do so is rapidly declining. You often meet with a meme that once a young man has served in a radical organization he is thereafter always dangerous. In fact, many former radicals have abandoned their radicalism for a perfectly normal life back home.

Some former members of the caliphal mafia state will go underground, forming cells, and attempting to continue to run extortion rackets and carry out terrorist bombings in Baghdad and Damascus.

Yet others will try to haunt the West, which they will blame for their defeat. Daesh propaganda on the internet has already worked its way into the dreams and nightmares of a handful of petty criminals and neer-do-wells who have pulled off terrorist attacks in Europe.

It was such a loner and minor criminal, Khalid Masood, who drove his vehicle into people on Westminster Bridge and then stabbed a policeman guarding parliament. He wounded some 40 people, some of them catastrophically, and killed 3, in addition to committing suicide by cop.

Although Daesh claimed to have been behind the plot, the diction of their message makes experts suspicious that Masood had little or nothing to do with the organization. He had been a misfit and deviant for some time.

Daesh, as it sinks into obscurity and loses the shooting war, will likely turn to terrorism and attempts to win the civilizational war (not between Christianity and Islam but between humaneness and ruthlessness). In some instances, it will plot out attacks, using its own command and control. In others, it will just try to get into the heads of rebellious adolescents or far right wing religious nuts and convince them to carry out attacks.

But the big play for Daesh is a long game in which the organization manages to herd Europes tens of millions of Muslims into radicalism, using the European far right such as Marine LePen. It will attack Christian Europeans and secular ones in an attempt to get them to mistreat European Muslims. Then it will offer itself to the latter as their protection, as their muscle in the face of white hostility. This strategy was the one Daesh pursued in Iraq, with a great deal of success over a decade, allowing it to grab 40% of Iraqi territory.

A lot of politicians will fall for this ploy, and give Daesh what it wants by enacting unfair and discriminatory policies toward Western Muslims. Our own Donald J. Trump is a dupe collaborating with this Daesh plot as we speak.

A lot of media fall for Daesh tricks, too. Giving them 24/7 coverage for a stupid technique like running down helpless pedestrians with a vehicle is unwise. The Masood attack in London had no military implications at all and never actually threatened British national security. Some 1700 pedestrians are run over and killed every year in the UK. The attack by a white nationalist youth on Quebec Muslims in a mosque, which killed more people though it wounded fewer, did not attract wall to wall coverage.

Daesh wants you to be afraid. Refuse fear. Daesh wants you to hate Muslims. Find a Muslim and show them some love. Keep doing this and after a while there wont be any Daesh. Nonviolence, peace and love are the only way to defeat stochastic or random radicalism and terror, whether those diseases have taken hold in white supremacists or in stray Muslims.

-

Related video:

ABC News: London attack | 8 arrested in deadly terror attack
Reddit Email 546 Shares

By Lauren McCauley, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org ) |

House vote moved to Friday, but with Republicans across the political spectrum unhappy with details of the AHCA, and mounting public opposition, the bills passage seems tenuous.

Republican lawmakers on Thursday were met with a deluge of outrage and calls to stand against the American Health Care Act (ACHA) while the planned House vote was thrown into disarray as defections mounted.

House Speaker Paul Ryan postponed a 3:30pm press conference shortly before it was reported that Thursdays vote was cancelled after he and President Donald Trump held a series of meetings with GOP lawmakers to pressure the plans skeptics. But with Republicans across the political spectrum unhappy with details of the AHCA, and mounting public opposition, the bills passage seems tenuous.

hard to see how having members go home to get pounded about health bill all weekend would improve chances of passage in a few days  John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) March 23, 2017

According to CNN, the White House is confident the vote will take place Friday morning.

At the same time, a new Quinnipiac University poll out Thursday found that only 17 percent of voters currently approve of the AHCA, while 56 disapprove and 26 percent remain undecided. The survey was taken even before it was revealed that Trump and Ryan had promised the ultraconservative Freedom Party they would consider a proposal to repeal the essential health benefits (EHBs), such as maternity care and wellness visits, that were central to the ACA.

Further, 46 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a lawmaker who votes to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, with the Republican plan.

Replacing Obamacare will come with a price for elected representatives who vote to scrap it, remarked Tim Malloy, assistant director of the poll, who noted that many Americans clearly feel their health is in peril under the Republican alternative.

For weeks, with overflowing town halls, call-ins, office visits, and demonstrations, the resistance movement has made it clear to Republican lawmakers that there would be retribution for stripping millions of voters of their healthcare. On Thursday, that promise was strongly reiterated.

Its go time, the Indivisible movement declared early Thursday, encouraging voters to contact to their Republican officials, particularly those identified as being on the fence in their support of the American Health Care Act (ACHA).

That call to arms was answered swiftly with people posting images of protests outside lawmakers offices, including the White House. After it was announced that the vote would no take place Thursday, organizers celebrated the news, telling the grassroots movement: This is all you.

Friends: you should know just how incredible this is. House leadership can usually push through anything that they want. This is all you. https://t.co/44zsqN6sk9  Indivisible Guide (@IndivisibleTeam) March 23, 2017

Heres the small #AHCA protest outside of the White House right now. pic.twitter.com/9LZ3lEeYOG  Emily Jashinsky (@emilyjashinsky) March 23, 2017

. . .

Resistance group CAP Action has put together a TrumpCare toolkit, which identifies potential swing vote Republicans, as well as sample scripts for phone calls and information about local protests.

[W]ere not done, Indivisible cautioned. Keep calling. Keep visiting. Bring friends with you. We can take down TrumpCare.
Reddit Email 403 Shares

By Mohammed Nuruzzaman | (Informed Comment) |  

Top 5 Lessons Saudi Arabia Learns from the Yemen War

Saudi Arabias Yemen war has reached a dead end. Launched in late March 2015 to restore President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power, either by subduing or by eliminating the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and their allies, the war is entering its third year. The top political and strategic goal of reinstating President Hadi to power is still remaining a goal on paper. Contrary to expected politico-strategic gains, the Houthis are controlling most parts of north and northwestern Yemen, with a tight grip over Sanaa, the Yemeni capital.

Diplomatic maneuvers to find a way out of the war have not yielded any positive outcomes so far either. The UN-mediated peace talks, hosted by Kuwait from late April to early August 2016, ended up in failures, as gaps between the warring sides did not close enough to hammer out a lasting solution. Yemen is now run by two rival governments  the Hadi government based in the southwestern seaport of Aden, and the Sanaa-based Supreme Political Council, jointly controlled by the Houthis and former President Ali Abdullah Salehs General Peoples Congress party. Since no side is capable of overpowering the other, a divided Yemen looks set to continue in the foreseeable future, until and unless the UN succeeds in pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

For Saudi Arabia, the war has been a bizarre experience, however. Being the largest and most powerful country in the Gulf Arab region, the kingdom is losing the Yemen war militarily, diplomatically and financially. The incapacity to strike a favorable change in the battlefield, even after being directly aided by a 9-nation Arab coalition and indirectly assisted by the U.S., or create enough diplomatic pressures to bear down on the Houthi rebels to accept a negotiated settlement of the war are no less than a telling blow to the military prowess and diplomatic feat of the Saudis, not to speak of the huge financial losses they continue to incur (an estimated $200 million costs per day). A snapshot at the war situation speaks of at least five lessons Riyadh stands to learn from its abortive war on Yemen.

To start with, German military theorist Carl von Clausewitz once said: War is the continuation of politics by other means. But a miscalculated (or probably an unnecessary) war is bound to be counterproductive, dragging the invading and the invaded states down the road to political, economic and military ruins. Saudi Arabia has traditionally considered Yemen its underbelly, a backwater state that has heavily depended on Saudi financial aid and assistance, especially after the reunification of North Yemen and South Yemen in May 1990 (with the exception of temporary aid cuts in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War). Before the invasion was launched in March 2015, the Saudis had the perceptions that their mighty army and air force would quickly sweep away the impoverished, aid-dependent Yemen by forcing the Houthi rebels to surrender. The reality turned out different though. The war has, in fact, brought a new opportunity for the Houthis and their allies to prove their political and military resilience. The Houthis are now a formidable force to reckon with and an indispensable party to future peace settlements in Yemen.

It appears that the Saudis learned nothing from Americas military debacle in Iraq: what the neocons in the George W. Bush administration saw as a brief invasion of Iraq in March 2003 subsequently proved to be a very long and costly war in terms of unforeseen human and material losses  thousands of American lives along with nearly a million Iraqis killed and wounded, and 1.7 trillion dollars lost as direct war expenses, according to a study by the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University.

Similarly, the poor Yemenis are paying the ultimate price of the war: more than 10,000 Yemenis are killed so far, with children being the principal victims of the war, and the destruction of schools, hospitals and power plants by Saudi airstrikes. More ominously, a humanitarian disaster of unspeakable proportions is threatening the total collapse of Yemen.

That political problems defy military solutions aptly appears as the second lesson of the war. The Houthi rebellion in Yemen was/is a political issue, with ramifications for the entire Yemeni political system. The Houthis, named after a Yemeni Shia legal scholar Husayn Al-Houthi, started their movement in the early 1990s to preach tolerance and peace but the movement gradually turned violent to protest the socio-economic and political marginalization of the Zaydi Shias by the central government of Yemen. Over time the Houthi movement created more political complexities threatening traditional Saudi interests in Yemen. Traditionally, Riyadh has sought to buy Yemeni loyalty for generous economic handouts, either to curb Yemens independent role in regional and international affairs or to punish Sanaa whenever it has tried to move out of the Saudi sphere of influence. The Houthis, who fought a brief war against Riyadh in 2009, decry such undue Saudi influence; they want to minimize, if not eliminate, Saudi influence over their country.

Empowered by the pro-democracy movements of the Arab Spring, they managed to overpower the Al-Islah Party and the Hashid Tribal Federation in eastern Yemen, two Saudi-supported Sunni political groups, that seriously undermined Saudi influence in Yemeni politics.

On top of that, the Houthi military push towards the south of the country in February 2015, being supported by Yemeni military units loyal to the former President Saleh, made the Saudis nervous that they were being completely shut out of Yemen. Riyadh immediately implicated Iran in the Houthi military campaign and opted for air operations to strike a massive blow to the Houthi rebels, instead of exhausting all available options for a negotiated settlement of the issue. This was a desperate attempt to put Yemen back on the Saudi orbit by any means whatsoever but it exposed the kingdoms failure to build a strong Yemeni political coalition to challenge the Houthis from inside Yemen. The end result has been a disaster. The Houthi power is on the rise.

Military prowess is an essential tool to back up foreign policy objectives but there are limits to it. The stalemate in the Yemen war and the Iran and Russia-backed Bashar Al-Assad governments recent military victory in Aleppo probably underscore another useful lesson (the third here) for Saudi Arabia. The Saudis see Iran as a fierce competitor for power and dominance in the Gulf neighborhood and in the wider Middle East region; they also denounce Irans role in the Arab world. But the use of military power presumably to beat back Iran, as in Yemen and Syria, has hardly worked. Riyadhs dependence on its Western allies, particularly the U.S., for military operations in Yemen and Syria has pushed Iran to seek Russian intervention in support of the beleaguered Al-Assad government in Damascus, thus making the already unstable strategic landscape of the Middle East much more complex and volatile. At the same time, Irans deep military engagements in Iraq after the proclamation of the Islamic State in June 2014 and in Syria since 2011 largely precipitated Saudi military actions. What was missing is a process of diplomatic engagements to restrain military competitions between the two countries and to limit external involvements in regional conflicts.

Often as not, Saudi Arabia projects itself as an anti-Shia Sunni power creating a sectarian image and identity of the state. This might be a direct influence of the Wahhabi clerics and a part of the state formation process of Saudi Arabia but it sounds awkward to Muslims worldwide. Scared by the prospects of the rise of Shia power across the Middle East, late King Abdullah bin Abd Al-Aziz sent troops to Bahrain in March 2011 to quell the Shia-led pro-democracy movements, funded and equipped various Sunni rebel groups under the rubric of Islamic Army (a coalition of Islamist and Salafist armed groups) to topple the Shia Alawites-led Bashar Al-Assad government in Syria, and King Salman bin Abd Al-Aziz launched an air war on Yemen to force the Shia Houthi rebels into submission. Such sectarian roles undercut Saudi Arabias standing in the Muslim world. The kingdom is the birthplace of the Islamic religion, hosts and protects the two holiest sites of Mecca and Medina for all Muslim pilgrims from all over the world. In that sense, Saudi Arabia belongs to all Muslims, regardless of their sects, creeds and diverse traditions. The projection of a Sunni image of the state deprives it of a cosmopolitan Islamic/Muslim image to look after Muslim interests on a global scale  the fourth lesson derived from Riyadhs recent regional foreign policy agenda in Yemen or Syria.

Last but not the least, false threat projections are proving dangerous to Saudi Arabias interests. It sees the Houthi rebels as Iranian puppets out to give Tehran a foothold in the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. In fact, the Houthis repudiate all foreign influences in their country  Saudi, Iranian or American. Irans involvement in the Yemeni war, if any, is very limited. Similarly, singling out Iran as a source of threat to Saudi Arabia is less than convincing. Iran is definitely a regional competitor, may not be a threat to Saudi interest outright. Separated by the Persian Gulf, there exists no serious territorial or resource sharing conflict between the two countries that would justify enemy image projections by either side. The ideological threat of export of revolution Ayatollah Khomeini made after the 1979 Islamic Revolution was effectively nullified by former President Mohammad Khatami in 1998. The use of Iran threat, apparently to conceal Riyadhs political failures in Yemen, to declare war on the Houthis has got the Saudis bogged down in that country and there is hardly a way to get out of it quickly.

Mohammed Nuruzzaman is Associate Professor of International Relations at the Gulf University for Science and Technology, Mishref, Kuwait



Related video added by Juan Cole:

AFP: Yemen: Yemen
Madhes-centric parties urged to take part in election

Leaders of various political parties have urged the agitating Madhes-centric political parties to take part in the local level elections scheduled for May 14.
While many people are concerned about the new health care bill supported by Republicans, one provision stands out as a continued benefit for mesothelioma patients and other victims of asbestos exposure. Specifically, a special provision in the proposed piece of legislation, known as the American Health Care Act (ACHA), will provide support to those who live in Libby and were exposed to asbestos from the former W.R. Grace & Co. mine.

It is well known that W.R. Grace Company illegally dumped industrial waste containing large amounts of asbestos at several of their facilities in Libby. The vermiculite it contained is a naturally occurring mineral used in the production of insulating materials. The vermiculite ore also contained tremolite asbestos, which is extremely toxic.

During the mines 70 years of operation, the ore was shipped to more than 50 processing plants throughout North America. Much of the Libby vermiculite was used to produce Zonolite attic insulation but was also used in surfacing materials, window glazing compounds, waterproofing compounds, cements, adhesives, and plaster.

Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) was a major factor in the inclusion of this provision in the ACHA. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare, included similar medical-care benefits for these patients effective in 2011. The new bill likewise includes ongoing screening and Medicare coverage for those diagnosed with asbestos disease as a result of living or working in Libby.

In 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched an investigation of the Libby mines and surrounding communities. Those afflicted with asbestos disease not only included miners and mill workers, but also their families and neighbors who were exposed to ore dust which contained tremolite asbestos. This deadly mineral invaded every aspect of life in Libbyair, water, clothing, and food.

Mesothelioma cancer is one of the asbestos diseases that resulted. Treating this type of cancer is very expensive and the survival rate is poor.

Thousands of people have benefited from the Libby provisions. This includes 4,500 new people being screened for asbestos disease at the Center for Asbestos-Related Disease (CARD) clinic with over 2,000 individuals being diagnosed. As many as 1,846 victims under 65 years old have Medicare support as part of these provisions, and around 1,300 people are in the pilot program.

Even with these provisions, however, the ACHA could still be detrimental to mesothelioma patients and their families, especially for those patients who could lose their health care coverage under the new legislation. Outside of Libby, thousands of people each year are diagnosed with mesothelioma and are faced with the need to pay for critical cancer treatment. It is unclear at this point whether the Republicans have enough support to pass the ACHA in the House of Representatives.

Earlier this year, the EPA gave its final call for residents to request asbestos inspections in Libby. Financial assistance was offered in instances where an inspection uncovered the need to clean up asbestos from a property. If not cleaned up, it poses a health risk to even more Libby residents.
Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving metals market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets.

Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials.

If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details.
Man in his late 20s held after major drug seizure in Dharan

Police on Friday made public a youth arrested with a huge cache of controlled psychoactive drugs worth Rs 1 million from Dharan, Sunsari district. This was the largest seizure of drugs in the eastern town.
Chevron Corporation, through a network of subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy and chemicals operations worldwide. The company is the 7th largest integrated oil company worldwide, the 2nd largest in the US, and has been in operation since 1879. Chevron was part of the original Standard Oil Company and is one of the 34 successor companies that were formed when it was broken up. Today, the company brings in roughly $160 billion in annual revenues and is the last remaining oil and gas component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Originally called Standard Oil Of California the company grew quickly via mergers and acquisitions. It was hailed as one of the Seven Sisters to dominate the US and global production throughout the mid-20th century and became even bigger in 1985 when it merged with Gulf Oil. The merger with Gulf Oil resulted in the rebranding from Standard Oil Of California to Chevron (a brand used by the company outside its California jurisdiction) and then ChevronTexaco Corporation in 2005 when that merger took place. The company rebranded again in 2005 to what we know today as Chevron Corporation.

Chevron Corporation is now based in San Ramone, California, and has operations in 180 countries. The company employs more than 42,500 people who operate 5 refineries and 8,000+ Texaco, Chevron, and Standard Oil service stations in the US alone. The company's Exploration and Drilling operations produced a record 3.1 million barrels per day and its US refineries process more than 1 million barrels per day. At the end of 2021, the company has more than 11.3 billion barrels of proven oil and liquid-equivalent reserves and boasted a 112% reserve replacement rate.

The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment explores new reserves, develops known reserves, produces petroleum and gas products as needed, transports, processes, pipes, stores, and markets petroleum worldwide. The Downstream segment refines and markets the full line of petroleum-based products including but not limited to fuels such as gas, diesel, and aviation fuel, as well as lubricants, petrochemicals, and plastics. The company transports products via pipeline, rail, marine vessels, and truck.

Chevron recognizes the need to lower the worlds carbon output and is working toward that end. The companys strategy is two-pronged and includes reducing its own carbon output while investing in green and lower-carbon technologies. The companys goal is to invest $10 billion or more into lower carbon energy sources and technologies by 2028.

Chevron is a Dividend Aristocrat. The company has been paying a dividend since 1989 and it has raised it every year since its inception.






GameStop Corp. is a specialty retailer founded in 1999 and headquartered in Grapevine, Texas. The company was originally known as GSC Holdings Corp. but later changed its name following its IPO. Originally a brand of then dominant Babbages, Gamestop altered the way video games were distributed and it is now the world's largest retailer of video games and video game accessories. The company went public in 2004 and operated 4,573 stores at the start of 2022. Brands under the company umbrella include Gamestop, EB Games, and Micromania as well as 50 pop-culture-themed Zing Pop locations.

Gamestop Corp. provides video games and entertainment products through its global network of e-commerce properties and stores. The company sells new and pre-owned gaming platforms and accessories like controllers, headsets, memory cards, and gaming software as well as in-game products like digital currency, downloadable content, and games. The company also sells new and used memorabilia and collectibles. Genres include TV, movie, comic book, and game characters as well as many other items from pop culture. GameStop Corp. also operates Game Informer, a magazine and website dedicated to the gaming industry including reviews, updates, and new developments in technologies.

Game enthusiasts enjoy two primary benefits of using Gamestop. The first is access to the full range of games and gaming accessories. The second is the ability to sell or trade their old equipment and games for fair prices. All old equipment is refurbished to a like-new state before resale.

In 2021 Gamestop announced it was entering the world of cryptocurrency. The company revealed plans to build an NFT (non-fungible token) platform for listing, selling, and holding digital or digitized artwork and collectibles. The beta version launched in 2022 and has so far seen great success with an average daily volume exceeding $1 million. The NFT marketplace also featured Web3.0 games in which characters and in-game items are held forever on the blockchain. As of September 2022, the most successful retailer on the NFT marketplace was Gamestop Presents, a collaboration of cover art from Game Informer Magazine. Sales at the time were just under 168 ETH or about $221,500.00.

GameStop began a slide in 2016 following a series of bad investments that included a foray into the world of mobile phones. The slide came to an end in late 2021 when shareholders using the Reddit thread Wallstreet Bets orchestrated a short-squeeze and brought on the age of meme stocks.
Maoist, RPP cadres clash in Dhading

Three persons were injured in a clash between the supporters of the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) in Dhadingbesi, the district headquarters of Dhading, on Thursday.
Government has announced a partnership arrangement with Exclusive Events Ghana to stage the 2017 edition of Miss Ghana pageant dubbed 'Miss Ghana @60'.

Deputy Chief of Staff Samuel Abu Jinapo gave the announcement and said this years pageant will be treated as one of the official events to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Ghana's independence from colonial rule.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture to officially announce the partnership on Wednesday, Mr Jinapo stated that Miss Ghana has, over the last 60 years, celebrated the beauty of Ghanaian women and the countrys rich culture.

He said the organisers have also taken several social and charity-related projects that have not only enhanced livelihoods, but also empowered women.

Mr Jinapo added that President Akufo-Addo endorses the pageant not only because of its socio-cultural and economic benefits to the people of Ghana, but also because it is challenging young women and men, particularly young women, to greater heights.

We are not just making this years Miss Ghana an official event of the celebration simply because of the beauty of Ghanaian women but also because of the work of past winners of the Miss Ghana pageant have done for the social cultural and economic well-being of our people, he said, acknowledging Miss Ghana organisation's efforts in supporting the aged and also helping society through projects in education, health and environmental sectors of the Ghanaian economy.

One of the flagship projects undertaken by the Miss Ghana organisation is the Don Bosco Street Child Project. The organisation helped acquired a 10-acre land and built a hostel, where a lot of street children and those who cannot afford to pay their fees are given technical and vocational education. In the last 10 years, it has trained a lot of youth who can also contribute their quota to society.

Indicating he is enthusiastic about plans by Exclusive Events Ghana to host Miss World pageant in Ghana in two or three years' time, Mr Jinapor implored corporate Ghana, individual Ghanaians and the private sector to support the pageantry.

The Minister for Tourism Art and Culture, Catherine Afeku, launching the partnership, also urged Ghanaians to support Miss Ghana, adding that the pageant is significant to Ghana @60 celebrations.

According to her, the public should support this endeavour because the president is excited and passionate about showcasing what we have.

She encouraged the media to help ignite the passion in our young people to celebrate who we are: that if you are a young dynamic woman or man bring out the qualities of your God-given talent and take that step to showcase whatyou can also do for Mother Ghana.

Reiterating the essence of Miss Ghana organisation, Inna Patty, CEO of Exclusive Events Ghana, organisers of the pageant, said, The Miss Ghana brand moulds Ghanaian women from all walks of life and enables them to freely express their values, concerns and help find solutions to issues affecting their communities.

We would like to gracefully and profusely thank the President of the Republic of Ghana H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his government, the Deputy Chief of Staff Hon Abu Jinapor, the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Culture and Arts, Hon Mrs Catherine Afeku, the Chairman of the Ghana @60 committee, Mr Ken Amankwa, Office of the President, for believing in the values of the Miss Ghana brand (which is total beauty with A PURPOSE) and partnering with us as we commemorate our 60th anniversary, she added.

Ms Patty continuedWe are more grateful to them because we appreciate the diverse, huge and present responsibility of their office. We cannot thank them enough because they have prioritised our belief in empowering the younger and next generation despite the time constraints, inadequate resources and economic restraints.

She also thanked all sponsors and the media for their support.

This years Miss Ghana is slated for August 2017. Prior to that, there will be further communication on details of the Miss Ghana @60 events.

By Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50 Email: [email protected]
I have a dream! To travel around the world and experience different cultures. To taste amazing foods and drink funny looking cocktails. To go sky diving from the highest mountains, ziplining from the tallest trees and swim in the deepest parts of the blue oceans. However, anytime i begin to plan my trip, one very important thing holds me back. Is this country safe? Are there no epidemics there? I heard about the outbreak of some deadly virus and so on. If all these doubts are amazingly put to bed, another one quickly springs up.

Is there proper healthcare in that country? What if i fall ill? Will I have access to good quality healthcare? As a traveler,you always need assurances of quality healthcare before you make that trip. Jumia Travel, Africas leading online travel agency takes a look at healthcare and its importance to hospitality.

Safety : With growing concerns of deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Ebola, many tourists and travelers have been stigmatized and therefore are sceptical about traveling to many parts of Africa. One very important thing they look out for is safety. How safe the country or region is will either inspire the traveler or demoralize him/her from traveling. In many developing African countries such as Ghana, health is paramount on their agendas which positively impacts tourism and hospitality because of increased development in healthcare and medical infrastructure. Tourists are now confident of traveling to such countries because they can trust the health systems and access ultra modern healthcare facilities.

Standards and Regulations : Who is allowed into the country? What processes do you have to go through before you step foot in a country . These are many questions that you need to answer before traveling as a tourist or business traveler. On the part of hotels, restaurants and tourist sites, conformity to certain standards and attaining certain legal documents helps to properly evaluate facilities and ensure that all hotels and guest houses open to foreign and local nations meet the appropriate requirements. When a guest is comfortable with a hotel and is sure that the restaurant is licensed, he/she is very comfortable there and will readily spend more time and more money there hence boosting the hospitality industry.

Vaccination : One very popular test many foreigners are required to take before entering into Africa is the yellow fever test. Due to the high rate of yellow fever cases in many parts of Africa, immigration services have become very strict on travelers taking a yellow fever test before entering or exiting a country. This has helped reduce the risk of foreigners contracting this disease because they get immunized before they travel. Many other vaccines are administered also to foreigners who plan on traveling to Africa. This makes the traveler feel safe to travel for business or leisure and spend a lot of time and money in country.This also means more revenue for hotels, restaurants and tourist sites. A boom for the hospitality industry.

There is nothing more frustrating than falling ill when on vacation or on a business trip. With little or no access to quality healthcare, you are more than likely in danger. The importance of healthcare to hospitality cannot be overemphasized and it is imperative that stakeholders in the health and hospitality industries work together to ensure that there is harmony between them. A win for one, is a win for all.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Somalia's new president appealed to the international community Thursday for more aid to avert a famine threatening his country that could also undermine fledgling political hopes born in his peaceful election.

"Almost half of our people are facing acute food shortages and about 15 percent are facing famine" amid a severe drought, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmajo, said in a video conference with the United Nations Security Council.

"Among the many pressing priorities for my administration, responding effectively to the current humanitarian crisis tops the agenda," he said.

Somalia, a Horn of Africa country of 12 million people, is facing its third famine in 25 years of civil war and anarchy.

At least 260,000 people died in the 2011 famine in Somalia -- half of them children under the age of five, according to the UN World Food Program.

"The response from the Somali people and international community has been tremendous," the president told the council. "We kindly request that all those who can -- support this effort further."

Farmajo is a popular leader whose recent election has sparked hope among Somalis of a more stable future for a country notorious for being the world's foremost failed state.

He assured the council that his administration would pursue good governance and economic renewal.

In addition, he pledged to develop the country's own defenses against Al-Shabaab, a jihadist group linked to Al-Qaeda that was forced out of the capital in 2011 by African Union troops but still controls parts of the country.

Most of the participants in the discussion praised the electoral process that resulted in the February 8 election of Farmajo, a dual US-Somali citizen, and his administration's plans.

British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, who chaired the council meeting, also pleaded with members to increase their aid to Somalia.

"The crisis risks undermining the hard-won political progress that has been made. If we learn the lessons of 2011, and act early and decisively, the famine can still be prevented," he said.

Only 32 percent of the $864 million needed this year to prevent famine has been raised, said Michael Keating, the UN special representative for Somalia.

The delivery of the funds is especially urgent to halt the spread of cholera, which now affects 11 of the country's 18 regions, he said.

"More resources are needed by the end of March... to reach affected people before it's too late," Keating warned.

No new aid was announced.

Somalia, along with Yemen and Nigeria, are on the verge of famine, while the disaster has already been declared in South Sudan.

The United Nations has called on the international community for an urgent mobilization of funds -- $4.4 billion by July -- for the four countries to avert a catastrophe.
"God don bless we tiday," one of preacher Emmanuel Momoh's workers in Sierra Leone shouted brandishing a honey-coloured rock which turned out to be a 706-carat diamond. By SAIDU BAH (AFP)

24.03.2017 LISTEN

Freetown (AFP) - Evangelical preacher Emmanuel Momoh prayed for five years that he would discover the diamond he needed to pull his family out of poverty in eastern Sierra Leone.

The 39-year-old pastor obtained his first mining licence in 2012 when the paltry income he received from the Deeper Life Church in Kono, the country's key mining district, was stretched too thin for his growing family.

Momoh went on to build a small business of 18 employees, digging and sifting through gravel with pickaxes and hoes day after day, never finding gems larger than a speck in the dirt.

"Diamonds are extremely hard to find on the ground, it requires patience, hard work and prayers," Momoh told AFP by telephone in Freetown, where his life is now taking a very different direction after finding what he believes was a gift from God.

The preacher declined to meet in person, citing security reasons, but pictures he provided to AFP show an angular, wide-eyed man wearing a suit that is too large, adding to his overall air of boyishness.

On March 13, the pastor was working in a village named Koryadu when a cry went up from one of his men in Krio, the most widely spoken language in Sierra Leone and used by Momoh throughout the phone interview.

"God don bless we tiday," the worker shouted, brandishing a rock the colour of pale honey and as large as a child's fist.

"We washed the diamond properly and put down our tools. Every one of us was in a jubilant mood," the pastor said.

"I couldn't sleep that night, we were all praying for what God has done for us."

Ethical dilemma

Finds of major diamonds by so-called artisanal miners, the term for workers who use basic tools or their bare hands to sift the earth, is exceedingly rare

Momoh took the diamond the next day to be weighed by the kind of Lebanese dealer who once purchased the single-carat gems he sold to buy food, supplies and to pay his workers' wages.

At 706 carats, an amount that would later rise to 709 when it was placed on the government's official scales, Momoh's diamond was between the 10th and 15th largest ever found worldwide, experts told AFP.

Such a find by a so-called artisanal miner, the term for workers who use basic tools or their bare hands to sift the earth, is exceedingly rare, and Momoh faced an ethical dilemma.

"I was tempted by many close friends who told me to smuggle the diamond to neighbouring Guinea Conakry," he said, thereby avoiding paying any tax on the diamond.

Diamond smuggling has harrowing associations for many in Sierra Leone.

Cross-border diamond trafficking fuelled the country's civil war of 1991-2002, when rebels allowed traders to exploit diamond mines and ship the gems abroad, largely via Liberia.

These became known as "blood diamonds", since most of the labour was done by enslaved members of the population, who were killed or maimed if they refused.

Momoh thought of his workers and the degradation mining had wreaked on their bodies.

The hard physical labour usually caused hernias and exhaustion, he said, while injuries are also common during digging in pits and washing the dirt.

When a pit suddenly collapses in the unregulated informal mines of Sierra Leone, deaths are common, he said, though nobody has died at any of the sites he mines.

Most of the diggers are also vulnerable to malaria and often contract parasites by drinking from polluted streams. Momoh paid their medical bills.

He made a decision about the diamond.

"Being a man of God, I decided to hand it over to local authorities," Momoh said, a choice that caused a global sensation, and he was soon invited to Freetown to meet President Ernest Bai Koroma.

Imminent sale

As a self-employed miner with a valid government permit, Momoh is entitled to the proceeds of the sale due on April 5 in Freetown, apart from the four percent the government legally takes for valuation and export, plus an undetermined level of income tax.

Momoh has emphasised that his workers will also benefit from what could be an astronomical sum of money.

Without a professional assessment of the diamond's potential flaws and colouring, it is impossible to value the stone.

However, a polished stone cut from the Jonker, which is the 10th largest gem-diamond ever recovered at 726 carats, will go on sale in Hong Kong in May.

A single 25-carat portion of that stone is likely to sell for $2.2 million to $3.6 million (2 million to 3.4 million euros), or $88,000 to $144,000 for a single carat, according to one expert consulted by AFP.

Momoh is clear where the money will go: straight back to Kono, where he was born, to develop his mining business, support his wife and three children, and to the local community where so many live in desperate circumstances.

"The people dealing with the diamond," he said, "I hope they are as honest with me as I have been with them."
The Ghana Insurance Brokers Association (GIBA) say it is important for Brokers to compete professionally on the market in compliance with the code of ethics of the association.

President of the association and CEO of Akoto Risk Management Limited, Mr Nathan Adu, says professionalism was the key to a successful business.

He is also advocating for deeper collaboration and mergers among firms in the Broking fraternity.

He was speaking at the fourth annual conference and exhibition (ACE), 2017 at Chances Hotel in Ho.

This years four-day program which is expected to end on Saturday 25th March 2017 is based on the theme Enhancing Market Capacity through Commitment to Effective Collaboration and Networking.

Mr Adu said after the conference, he hopes members of GIBA will come up with strategies by which Brokers and Insurers can collectively enhance local market capacity by relying solely on the National Insurance Commission (NIC) and its directives to do their work.

He urged the collaboration between Brokers and Insurers, in areas of Bancassurance where Brokers can be included in the supply chain.

He believes when insurers include brokers when formulating their marketing strategy, the brokers are able to bring their expertise to bear to enhance customer service and promote Insurance trust.

Mr Adu in an interview said GIBA is looking forward to deepening their relationship with the insurers.

He, however, laments Brokers lack of interest to join the association and poor penetration into the insurance sector.

Highlighting some of the challenges facing Brokers, he revealed that although members of the association pay taxes and some of their competitors (who are not members of the association) do not pay taxes.

Madam Lydia Lariba Bawa, Commissioner of Insurance at the National Insurance Commission in an interview at the conference also said there is a need for collaboration so that the local capacity can be exhausted.

She also called for government properties to be insured.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Net debt owed banks and fuel suppliers alone under the energy sector debt hit 1.2 billion cedis at the end of 2016.

According to documents cited by Citi Business News as at 31st December, 2016 Governments net debt in the Energy sector was 2.3 billion dollars.

A breakdown of the debt shows that the banks are owed 782 million dollars, while fuel suppliers are owed 440 million dollars.

The 782 million is debt owed the banks by state owned power producer Volta River Authority (VRA).

VRA also contributed 278 million dollars to the 440 million dollars owed fuel suppliers, while TOR contributed 162 million dollars.

Other entities owed

Other entities owed include GRIDCo, NEDCo, Asogli, CENIT, Bui, Ghana Gas, BOST, GNPC and other power producers.

Under the total debt Government owes GRIDCo 62 million dollars, NEDCo 19 million dollars, Asogli also 19 million dollars.

The others owed are CENIT which is owed 77 million dollars, Bui 2016 million dollars, Ghana Gas 314 million dollars, BOST 122 million dollars and GNPC 226 million dollars, while other power producers are owed 124 million dollars.

Ghana energy sector for years has been hit with financial and managerial challenges which pushed the industry into crisis.

Impact of debt on banks

A huge chunk of the sectors debt which is owed banks in the country has negatively affected the balance sheet of the banks and is the main cause of the banks continuous rise in nonperforming loans.

The Bank of Ghana in its January, 2017 report on the banking industry said the banking industry remains positive, especially after the successful restructuring arrangements to reduce debts owed by energy-related SOEs to the banks.

Similar arrangements have also been put in place to pay down debts owed by the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs).

As the repayments continue and the debt structure of the affected banks is reclassified, the non-performing loans (NPL) ratios in the banking industry are projected to improve further.

This will subsequently have a positive impact on the solvency of the banking industry.

Restructuring of debts

Early this week the President of the Ghana Association of Bankers, Alhassan Andani told Citi Business News about 160 million cedis will be paid to banks that are owed the energy sector debts, by the end of March 2017.

It's a restructured facility it's about coming in at 160 million cedis at the end of March, he said.

Mr. Andani added, Government is on schedule with the reductions as was agreed, we have received our advanced payments. We have two hundred and fifty million; we have received the September quarterly payments and also received the December quarterly payments with invoices for March and there is every indication that we will get paid so that is really coming down.

The payment will be the first to be made this year since the erstwhile NDC government commenced payments to the affected banks in August last year.



By: Vivian Kai Lokko/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
Accra, Ghana, 23 March 2017  Emirates will introduce a new service to enable customers to use their laptops and tablet devices until just before they board their flights to the US.

Emirates customers travelling to the US via Dubai will be able to utilise their laptops and tablet devices on the first part of their journeys, and also during transit in Dubai. They must then declare and hand over their laptops, tablets, and other banned electronic devices to security staff at the gate just before boarding their US-bound flight. The devices will be carefully packed into boxes, loaded into the aircraft hold, and returned to the customer at their US destination. There will not be any charge for this service.

Passengers on US-bound flights starting their journeys in Dubai are encouraged to pack their electronic devices into their check-in luggage in the first instance, to avoid delays.

Customers should be aware that there will be a detailed search of all hand baggage on non-stop flights to the US from Dubai. They should therefore declare their devices before the search, or ensure their electronic devices are packed into their check-in luggage in the first instance.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: Our aim is to ensure compliance with the new rules, while minimising disruption to passenger flow and impact on customer experience. Our new complimentary service enables passengers, particularly those flying for business, to have the flexibility to use their devices until the last possible moment.

Once on board they can still stay connected on their mobile phones. Our historical data shows that on Emirates US flights, 90% of passengers using our onboard mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity services do so via their smart phones. Only 6% connect via their laptops, and 4% via their tablets. That is not to say that other passengers are not using their devices offline, but perhaps the silver lining to this is that they can now justifiably give themselves a break from their devices, enjoy our onboard service and catch up on the latest movies, music, and TV box sets that we have on offer.

Emirates is working to ensure that its operations comply with the latest restrictions on electronic devices in the cabin, for when the rules take effect on 25 March. Emirates will deploy extra staff at the airport to ease and assist passengers, especially in the first days of the new rules being implemented.

From Saturday, 25 March, travellers on non-stop flights to the US from Dubai International airport (DXB) will not be allowed to carry any electronic device larger than a cell phone or smartphone, excluding medical devices, into the aircraft cabin. Travellers must pack these electronic devices in their checked-in baggage.

This new security directive, issued by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), applies to all passengers travelling on non-stop flights to the US from Dubai, including those in transit. It does not apply to passengers travelling on Emirates US-bound flights via Milan and Athens, or Emirates flights to/from any other destination.

Emirates customers flying to the US can find out more about how the new TSA rules impact them at www.emirates.com/electronicsban .
The attention of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) has been called to a publication by the Ghana Business News (www.ghanabusinessnews.com) titled: Ghana Risks Being Blacklisted Over Anti-Money Laundering Policy.

A rejoinder from the GIABA Secretariat indicated that the publication gave the impression that Ghana is on the verge of being blacklisted for lack of efforts with regards to anti-money laundering.

It says for the avoidance of doubt and for the attention of the general public, the following should be noted with regards to Ghanas AML/CFT regime:

Ghana is the first GIABA Member State to be evaluated under the on-going GIABA Second Round of Mutual Evaluations.

The draft report of the Mutual Evaluation is being finalised and would be discussed at the GIABA Technical Commission / plenary in May 2017.

In preparation for the mutual evaluation, Ghana with the support of World Bank and GIABA successfully conducted a National Risk Assessment. During the evaluation process, the assessment team received full support and cooperation from the Ghanaian authorities.

It is therefore false and out of context for anyone to suggest that Ghana risks being blacklisted because there is no reason or condition for such a suggestion with respect to Ghana.

The journalist who wrote the report was granted an interview with regard to the Mutual Evaluation Process on the sidelines of the workshop for assessors on the New FATF Assessment Methodology currently taking place in Accra.

GIABA wishes to admonish all journalists to be circumspect with regard to reporting on money laundering and terrorist financing because of the sensitivity of the matter to the general public and the country in particular.

It is worthy of note that blacklisting is a very serious matter with regard to AML/CFT regimes of countries. For any country to be blacklisted, that country would have passed several stages of monitoring and review to the extent that it is concluded that such a country is lacking in political commitment and is not making any significant effort to overcome identified strategic deficiencies in its AMLCFT systems.

8. The general public is hereby called upon to discountenance that story and any story that will at the moment portray Ghana in a negative light as there are no basis for such affirmation.
The CEO of GYE, Mr.Sherif Ghana was appointed national coordinator for CAYE-WA following the launch at Accra Ghana.

The Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs (CAYE) is an initiative of the Commonwealth Secretariat which seeks to strengthen and support the ambitions of young entrepreneurs in Commonwealth regions. These regional networks ensure they have a combined voice and representation at forums to influence policy development on youth entrepreneurship.

The West African Regional chapter which was the last to be formed seeks to champion the cause of young entrepreneurs at the national and regional level, through its engagement with governments, the media, the public, and other relevant stakeholders. It will commit to achieving measurable progress towards the development of youth entrepreneurship and innovation within West African sub region.

Speaking at the forum, Katherine Ellis, the Director of Youth at the Commonwealth Secretariat, commended the establishment of CAYE-WA, remarking that it would help drive trade and give young entrepreneurs a stronger voice with policy-makers. This initiative will help young entrepreneurs to build opportunities and networks, share knowledge and become a united voice on the mechanisms they need for success, which is so important to the economies of Commonwealth countries, she added that, the Commonwealth Secretariat is committed to the cause of youth entrepreneurship, and will continue to support and connect young entrepreneurs.

The C.E.O of National Youth Authority (Mr. Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri), who hosted the program said; I see this as a great opportunity for young Entrepreneurs in West Africa especially in my country. I will use this opportunity to invite all youth entrepreneurship groups in Ghana to join CAYE-WA and I promise to work with the Ghana chapter in ensuring the objective of the coalitions met.

The Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah express thanks to the delegation from Commonwealth Secretariat and the representatives from the other 3 countries thus Nigeria, Cameroon and Sire Leon for accepting to come to Ghana to launch the CAYE-WA. He reechoed the Presidents commitment to support entrepreneurship and promise to do his best in promoting youth entrepreneurship in the country and beyond. He also tabled some of the opportunities already accessible for young entrepreneurs.

The inaugural CAYE-WA Executive Committee comprises of two coordinators from each country:

Chair: Mr. Bernard Oduro Takyi, Young Entrepreneurs Club (YEC) (Ghana)

Mr. Sherif Ghali, Ghanas Young Entrepreneurs (GYE), (Ghana)

Mr OlalekanOshunkoya, Nigeria

Ms Andidion Okok, Nigeria

Ms Fatima Sessay- Sierra Leone

Ms Arianna - Sierra Leone

Mr Gabriel Mokate Ashu-Arrey, Cameroon

Mr Dominique, Cameroon Cameroon
Ministry of forest told to supply timber to victims of earthquake

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has asked the Ministry of Forest and other concerned stakeholders to supply timber to the quake affected households at a subsidised price.
I wish I could publish a whole book on this topic and with the above title. You know why? I actually have a gazillion things to talk about regarding writing, particularly its art, philosophy and business. That is what Sircle Communications, the start-up writing firm I founded, stands for. Well, everybody knows I am a writer  of course, a really rare one. The editor of my first book had the following to say in his foreword: "Allan K. Buah (Sir Article) is a budding writer and a seeker after excellence... It is, therefore, not surprising that he has had to cut short his university education in order to pursue his passion for writing. The fact that he has over three hundred articles published to his credit, all written with a mobile phone, as he neither had a desktop nor laptop computer, speaks volumes of his passion and determination to defy the odds to succeed in his writing career."

Alright, writing is an art; it is a creative activity that requires the expression of a person's creative skill. The elements of writing include theme, organisation, content, diction, punctuation, and the like. My incredible experience  as a highly prolific yet very young writer  has shown that punctuation largely differentiates mediocre writers from excellent writers. I assess a writer's work, firstly, by his punctuations because everyone can write but few people can punctuate excellently. Mechanical accuracy, therefore, is the prime priority of every excellent writer  everything else is secondary. Besides, there is nothing like absolute perfection in writing, and a fully perfect writing is an illusion. Stephen King, in his book 'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,' wrote that, "...for all have sinned and fallen short of editorial perfection." However, writers of excellence like me strive for perfectionism and not perfection; they are perfectionists and never perfect.

To prove this, I would say I wrote many articles and constantly improved until I reached the level of excellence not long ago. I have written about 400 pieces now; about 50 recent write-ups have a touch of excellence, and the rest are technically mediocre. When I discovered my talent of writing and began to practise it, I fancied mere expressions for a very long time out of technical ignorance of the craft. Many budding writers abide by such an illusive thinking too. But as I advanced in the art of writing through smartness and discipline, I realised that writing goes far beyond fanciful expressions. And in fact, expression is no proof of a great writing; organisation even outweighs expression. Let me now assert that not anyone who writes is a writer. After all, not all bloggers are and can become true writers.

Also, "[As a writer], you learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself" (King, 1999). It is a popular misconception that a writer can only be the best only if he is academically inclined. No wonder, my critics have undermined my writing potential, simply because I rejected academia in my writing career as a university dropout learning and practising on my own. No one dares gainsay the fact that being schooled in writing at a higher learning institution will make one a well equipped writer. What folks fail to realise is that acquiring a tertiary education in writing limits creative writing abilities and teaches a writer the rules, conventions, and practices. The rare writers in the world such as Richard Branson rose above those school-bound limitations and practised their crafts in entirely different, unusual, new and special ways.

Remember, the laws in the art of writing taught in schools are universally binding  the philosophy of writing is not. Every writer has his own writing philosophy, and every writer has his own style. Sadly, the philosophy and style of many writers are heavily influenced by general standards in literature. In Ghana especially, many young writers shy away from demonstrating pride in their writings because they would be branded as proud, cocky or arrogant writers. So their style of writing is basically self-effacing, modest and diffident. But my kind of writing is at variance with societal expectations and a departure from the literary norm, because I am a freakish and self-aggrandising writer. The reason is simple: I value brand positioning as a writing entrepreneur. Again, a writer's writing philosophy must be supreme; it should be capable of effecting real change in society. Yes, it needs to positively influence the mindsets and attitudes of people, i.e. the audience or readers. The surest way to ascertain the supremacy of your writing philosophy is through the level of negativity that your works attract.

Furthermore, I would like to touch on the business of writing. Interestingly, the slogan of Sircle Communications is, "Writing is serious business." Writing is indeed a serious business. Sceptics have downplayed our business goal of making a huge fortune by revolutionising our backward-looking African system through rare literature. They think  and they may be right in their thinking  that writing is a less bankable venture in our part of the world. As a Ghanaian writing firm with a global focus, we are working towards capitalising on international writing opportunities. Researchandmarkets.com once published that, "The global publishing industry has experienced positive growth over the last five years and is expected to reach an estimated US $348 billion in 2017 with a CAGR of 2.3% over the next five years." And the global publishing revenue amounted to over $100 billion in 2016. And if Sircle Communications could possibly gain 5% market share within the next two decades, we would be a billion dollar business.

Source: sirarticle.blogspot.com
The death of 18 students of Wenchi Methodist Senior High School who were on an excursion at the Kintampo Water Falls is considered extraordinary. For that matter it has shaken the very foundation of the nation and beyond. Not only families of the dead students were stunned by the tragedy that occurred through a falling tree as the students were enjoying the water falls, people high and low in the nation have expressed and continue to express sadness over the tragedy.

The President of Ghana Nana Akufo Addo, his Vice Dr. Mahmoud Bawumia, the former President John Mahama and their wives jumped into the fray by expressing their condolences and the offer of support for the affected families towards medical care of the injured and burial of the dead.

The reason for this show of sympathy by the whole nation hinges on the fact that this is the first time that as many as 18 students have lost their lives while on excursion at a tourist site and not through motor accident.

While some traditionalists have blamed the occurrence on unholy activities that offended the gods of the river others attribute the sad happenings to lack of good maintenance culture in our tourist sites and for that matter important establishments in Ghana including the water falls. The Kintampo Water Falls being a natural site is one of the oldest sites which is said to have seen little or no facelift with very little attention given by the tourist guards to those visitors to the site.

Although the authorities have ordered the closure of the Kintampo water falls for enquiry to be made on it for the time being, a lot more needs to be done to improve on it in future. There is the need for an immediate step to embark on a face lift of the site to ensure safety standards.

Being a water fall surrounded by a river and trees an audit is needed to determine the ages of the trees with the view to cutting down the matured ones. Being a tourist site excursions and visits are to be permitted. But students should be allowed to go there for site seeing and not be allowed to swim in the river close by. All Ghanaians are naturally sad about what happened to our students at Kintampo.

Since all the political parties and their leaders have a common stand over the unfortunate happening in kintampo we should not attribute the death of the students to any political party or deity. All we have to do is to work together to avoid the recurrence of what happened at kintampo in any part of the country in future.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

eanfoworld for sustainable development

[email protected]/[email protected]
Guwahati: Journalists Forum Assam (JFA) expresses happiness and gratefulness over the recent Gauhati High Court directive to the management of Janasadharan, an Assamese daily newspaper to clear all the unpaid wages of the employees till January and also make an endeavour to pay the current wages accordingly.

The court also asked the management of Janasadharan Printing and Publication Ltd to restart publishing the newspaper, which has already been honoured by the proprietor with full cooperation of the employees.

Janasadharan, owned by Congress leader Rockybul Hussain and then edited by Left intellectual Dr Shivnath Barman, was suddenly stopped from publication by the management in last November, following which the employees lodged a complaint in the legal authority.

Few employees had already left with the newspaper with some financial benefits offered by the management but many did not resign and vowed to fight legally against the shut down. The agitating employees also continued attending the office of Janasadharan without any salary from the management since December.

We hope that the renewed initiative to publish Janasadharan regularly will be fruitful for the dedicated employees of the newspaper in particular and thousands of its committed readers in general, said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria.

The statement argues that many newspaper house-owners in northeast India started closing their outlets fearing of the Supreme Courts verdict over the implementation of Majithia Wage Board recommendations for the benefit of the print media employees with affect from November 2011.

According to the apex court of the country, each and every newspaper & news agency in India must hike the salary & other benefits to their employees under the new wage board recommendations. As the media houses in the region, except the Assam Tribune group, have not implemented the recommendations, every employee can claim over 60 months outstanding payments from their respective managements, added the statement.
Its March 13, 2017 and we all just heard from the Ghana Meteorological Agency that the rains will be very severe this year. I watched and listened to the news on tv with my mouth wide open, and I asked myself, how prepared are we for the coming rains as predicted? Then thoughts of last two years flood and fuel explosion at a fuel station near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle started flooding my mind. Sorry for taking your minds back to that tragedy in which many people lost their lives. Are we really ready and prepared for the coming rains?

Are we ready to clear the choked drains? Will we be able to make sure that all structures on water ways are demolished? Can we find out those who issued the permits for such structures and let them face the full rigors of the law? Do our leaders have the political will to crack the whip on these law breakers to serve as a deterrent to other citizens? It is time for us to get it right and put our acts together and make sure that not a single Ghanaian life is lost during this years rainy season.

We can also do our part by not dumping rubbish into the drains, desilting choked drains, disposing off rubbish properly, and reporting people who go contrary to the sanitation laws in our communities. We should not wait for disasters to strike before we call on the government to come to our aid. Anytime I hear that phrase, I become very much annoyed to the core. We also dont want to see the annual ritual of politicians touring disaster zones and sharing relief items to victims. Those relief items will never be enough for the disaster victims.

In my candid opinion, the name of the National Disaster Management Organization should be changed to National Disaster Prevention Organization. The warning signs are all over the place, the earlier we act, the better for this country. The future generations will like to see a Ghana that is devoid of floods. A Ghana where our city authorities will walk the talk and have the political will to take the right actions to cleanse our cities of filth.
Gregory Afoko

24.03.2017 LISTEN

An Accra high court has once again dismissed a bail application filed by Defence lawyers for 52-year-old Gregory Afoko.

The renewed attempt at bail yesterday followed an earlier botched attempt on July 28, last year.

The court, presided over by Justice L.L. Mensah, in a ruling said the refusal of the bail was in the interest of justice and that of the accused person  who is being tried over the murder of Adams Mahama, Upper East Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He said that there was no doubt that the accused had been in custody since his arrest.

The court held that that was the first time the case was being adjourned at the instance of Hajia Zainabu Adams, wife of Adams Mahama, who was said to be indisposed.

The court stated that previous adjournments had been occasioned by the ill-health of Gregory, until two weeks ago when doctors had declared the accused fit for trial.

Moving the application, Osafo Boabeng, lawyer for the accused person, said the defence had taken cognizance of the fact that an earlier application was refused by the court and that the request was interlocutory which could be repeated subsequently.

Mr Boabeng contended that his client had been in custody since May 21, 2015 when he was arrested, adding that he (client) had not given the court any reason to doubt his preparedness to defend the charges against him.

Gregory's lawyer among other issues, noted that the trial appeared to have stalled for the reason that the witness was indisposed.

Matthew Amponsah, chief state attorney, opposing the bail, said the trial had not delayed and that even if it had, it was a result of the ill-health of Gregory.

He said the prosecution obliged and accommodated the defence when the accused was indisposed, indicating that that was in line with his (Afoko's) rights.

The chief state attorney said since July 19, 2015 when the evidence-in-chief of Zainabu was taken, the case had suffered adjournments after adjournments at the instance of the Gregory Afoko.

Matthew said the court ought not to grant the bail because there was still insecurity in Bolgatanga and that one more suspect in the case had not yet been arrested.

He said the dust over the case was yet to settle, urging the court to decline the bail, bearing in mind the emotion of the family and the national interest.

Gregory has been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and murder of Adams Mahama in May 2015.

The accused has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Adams Mahama died of extensive acid burns and shock lungs (acute respiratory distress syndrome), an autopsy report has indicated.

Gregory's alleged accomplice, Asabke, is still on the run.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson

[email protected]
Cairo (AFP) - Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian autocrat toppled during the 2011 Arab Spring, left a military hospital on Friday where he spent much of the last six years in detention.

The release of the 88-year old who ruled Egypt for three decades would have been unthinkable several years ago, but revolutionary fervour gave way to exhaustion and even nostalgia in the uprising's chaotic aftermath.

Mubarak had been cleared for release earlier this month after a top court finally acquitted him of involvement in protester deaths during the 2011 revolt that ousted him.

"Yes," his lawyer Farid al-Deeb told AFP when asked if Mubarak had left the hospital on Friday.

He added the Mubarak had gone home to a villa in Cairo's Heliopolis district.

Egyptian anti-government demonstrators (bottom) clash with pro-regime supporters in Cairo's Tahrir Square during the 2011 revolt that deposed Hosni Mubarak

Mubarak was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt, in which about 850 people were killed as police clashed with demonstrators.

He was sentenced to life in jail in 2012 in the case, but an appeals court ordered a retrial which dismissed the charges two years later.

Egypt's top appeals court on March 2 acquitted him of involvement in the killings.

Throughout his trial prosecutors had been unable to provide conclusive evidence of Mubarak's complicity -- a result, lawyers said, of having hastily put together the case against him in 2011 following demonstrations.

In January 2016, the appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons on corruption charges.

Supporters of Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak chant slogans outside Maadi military hospital in Cairo on March 2, 2017

But the sentence took into account time served. Both of his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were freed.

On Thursday, a court ordered a renewed corruption investigation into Mubarak for allegedly receiving gifts from the state owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

He is also banned from travel.

Nostalgia

Meanwhile several key activists in the 2011 uprising are now serving lengthy jail terms, and rights groups say hundreds of others have been forcibly disappeared.

The anti-Mubarak revolt ushered in instability that drove away tourists and investors, taking a heavy toll on the economy and leading to nostalgia for his rule.

Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak is transported from a military helicopter to an ambulance in Cairo on March 2, 2017

His successor Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist, ruled for only a year after his 2012 election before the military overthrew him, prompted by massive protests against his Muslim Brotherhood group.

Morsi's overthrow ushered in a deadly police crackdown that killed hundreds of protesters demanding his reinstatement.

The military chief who toppled him, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, won election as president the following year.

Morsi's overthrow helped rehabilitate some Mubarak-era politicians, including a former senior member of his National Democratic Party who served as prime minister under Sisi.

Most of Mubarak's associates have been cleared in corruption trials, and police officers charged with violence during the revolt have been acquitted.

About 850 people were killed during the 2011 clashes between Egyptian police and protesters

"Mubarak's trial lasted six years and public opinion became bored of it," said Mostafa Kamel al-Sayed, an analyst and political science professor in Cairo University.

Sisi and the powerful military have not fully embraced the former regime, and continue to praise the January-February revolt that brought it down.

But critics say they have limited freedoms even more than Mubarak.

Some who participated in the protests against Mubarak said they felt the uprising was in vain.

"Honestly, I found that all of that was useless," said Ahmed Mohamed, 29.

Mohamed had been among the thousands of protesters who took to Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding Mubarak's fall.

"Mubarak's time was a lot better in all aspects," he said after the prosecution ordered Mubarak's release.

In the few years before his overthrow, Mubarak had begun to loosen his grip on political life and the media, allowing for some protests and criticism.

But police abuses and economic grievances remained.
Cairo (AFP) - Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak left a military hospital on Friday where he had spent much of his six-year detention, his lawyer said.

Mubarak had been cleared for release earlier this month after a top court finally acquitted him of involvement in protester deaths during the 2011 revolt that ousted him.

Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak is transported from a military helicopter to an ambulance in Cairo on March 2, 2017

"Yes," his lawyer Farid al-Deeb told AFP when asked if Mubarak had left the hospital on Friday.

Mubarak was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt, in which about 850 people were killed as police clashed with demonstrators.

He was sentenced to life in 2012 in the case, but an appeals court ordered a retrial which dismissed the charges two years later.

Egypt's top appeals court on March 2 acquitted him of involvement in the killings.

In January 2016, the appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons on corruption charges.

Supporters of Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak chant slogans outside Maadi military hospital in Cairo on March 2, 2017

But the sentence took into account time served. Both of his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were freed.

On Thursday, a court ordered a renewed corruption investigation into Mubarak for allegedly receiving gifts from the state owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Meanwhile several key activists in the 2011 uprising are now serving lengthy jail terms, and rights groups say hundreds of others have been forcibly disappeared.
Chairman of Parliament's Appointment Committee says working with Minority members of the Committee who accused him of facilitating an attempt to bribe them has been difficult.

Joseph Osei Owusu said he was, however, able to apply the rules of Parliament and had managed to rise above the emotions in order to ensure fairness among the 26-member committee.

Speaking in an interview with Joy News, the Member of Parliament for Bekwai said It's not been easy, whether you like it or not, you are human. You look at people who have falsely accused you. If you had your own way, you will pretend they don't exist, but you can't because it's no longer about you. It's about the state.

It's about your leadership style. It's about leadership of Parliament, if it was left to my emotions, probably the situation would have been difficult, Mr Osei Owusu added.

Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga, alleged in January that the then Energy Minister-designate, Boakye Agyarko attempted bribing minority members of the appointments committee with GHS3,000 each to facilitate his approval.

According to the MP, the money was given to Mr. Osei Owusu, who then passed it on to Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarack for disbursement to them.

Both men have denied the allegation. Two other members of the Appointment's Committee on the Minority side; MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and MP for Tamale North Alhassan Suhuyini, have publicly backed Mr. Ayariga's claim, insisting they were offered money.

Related: I wasn't myself after Ayariga's bribery allegation  Joe Osei Owusu

To bring a closure to the issue, however, the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Ocquaye set up a five-member Committee to investigate the allegations. The Committee is yet to present its report.

Since then, the Appointments Committee has continued its work, vetting more than 30 of President Akufo-Addo's ministerial nominees, with more expected to be evaluated soon.

In a response to whether he is confident about his chances of being exonerated, Mr Osei Owusu said he has no doubts at all that he will be.

I think sometimes people misconstrue what this is about. This committee was set up as a result of my complaint to the speaker that I have been defamed, so, it is my complaint that is being investigated, whether I have been defamed. If those who made the allegation cannot prove it, then indeed, it means I have been defamed. If they can prove it, then I have no case.

Related: Ayariga made bribery allegation up - Joseph Osei Owusu

For him, it is the responsibility of those making the allegations to show that they have a basis for making those allegations.

On suggestions Parliament has disappointed the President, Mr. Osei Owusu disagrees.

He said the President understands the rules and he expects Parliament to work within the rules and within its timetable.

Mr. Osei Owusu's concern is the ability of the Committee to vet and decide the fate of the new nominees in time before Parliament rises.

Brouhaha over 110 Ministers

The MP for Bekwai also defended President Akufo-Addo's decision to appoint 110 ministers, which many believe will be a burden on the public purse.

He said the argument that it would cost the nation more is not exactly accurate.

Related: Appointing 110 ministers a bad idea, it's unjustifiable  Kofi Bentil

You can't do the same thing all the time and expect different results. We should probably look at what value addition we get in the end; that will be the basis for criticizing the number.

If in the end, we are not able to add any more value, then probably the numbers were not justifiable I am convinced that this government is poised to create more value for Ghanaians, he added.

Commenting on his role as first Deputy Speaker of Parliament which has allowed him to preside over sittings on a number of occasions, Mr. Osei Owusu said the role is sometimes unexciting.

I have to confess though that the job of a speaker is sometimes boring. I am an active person. I am a goal getter. So when I have to sit put and watch people talking, it's boring. But it's also a major learning curve for me, he indicated.

Below is the link to the full interview Joseph Osei Owusu granted Joseph Opoku Gakpo
The Ghana Economic Outlook and Business Strategy (EOBS)Conference 2017, themed: Unlocking Ghanas Potential with Mobile Money and Payment System, has ended successfully in Accra.

This years conference which was the 5th edition took place in Accra attracting banking financials Mobile telecom Operators ,Governmental officials , Central Bank , the Ministry of Finance ,Banks, Insurance companies and others and other related stakeholders, to brainstorm on how mobile money and payment systems will contribute to financial inclusion and economic growth.

In his delivery , H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana noted that in 2009, Ghana officially launched the mobile money service in the country targeted at the unbanked population.

This he said, coincided with the growth in mobile phone penetration rates in the country.

At the end of December 2009, Ghana had a mobile phone subscriber population of 15,100,000 and a mobile phone penetration rate of 65.9 percent, according to the National Communications Authority (NCA).

By December 2016, the total number of mobile voice subscribers had shot up to 38,300,000, representing a total penetration rate of 136.3 percent.

This means from 2009-2016 (a seven-year period), mobile phone subscriptions and ownership has grown by more than 50 percent.

In July 2015, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) introduced new E-money Issuer (EMI) guidelines to govern the mobile money sector.

A key part of the guidelines was that banks should pay interest on the float kept by the banks on behalf of the EMIs.

"I am happy to note that banks are paying interest to subscribers on their floats held in their mobile money wallets", he stated.

According to the Vice President, the government is keen on developing the financing sector to deepen financial inclusion and bring more Ghanaians out of extreme poverty.

This informed the decision of the president to abolish the burdensome 17.5 percent VAT on financial services as announced by the Finance Minister in his budget statement to parliament on 2nd March.

In the last five years, however, mobile money has seen an astronomical growth, drawing thousands of the unbanked households into the financial inclusion net.

According to BoG data, as at 2012, the total value of mobile money transactions totalled GHS594.12 million.

Significantly, as at December last year the value of transactions had reached GHS78.5 billion, indicating that within five years, mobile money transactions has grown by more than 13,000 percent. This is huge and promises a better future.

Regarding employment by mobile money, as at end of last year, the cumulative registered mobile money agents in the country was 136, 769. Of this number, 107, 415 are active mobile money agents.

Some banks now offer the ability to buy government Treasury Bills using mobile money, ability to contribute to insurance products and pay bills.

Dr. Bawumia added that, for citizens to register and use mobile money and digital payment systems, they need an Identification instrument.

In January this year, I inaugurated a committee to start work on the country having a National ID system.

The government of Nana Akuffo-Addo is convinced that the National ID scheme would help formalise the economy through the establishment of a national database, using the National Identification System as the primary identifier so, we call on the support of all in this regard.

The Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana Dr. Johnson Asiama, disclosed that as at the end -January this year( 2017), total electronic money account balances with banks was Gh 1,274 million compared with Gh 537 million in January 2016.

Similarly , we are witnessing a number of strategic alliances among banks, telcos and fintechs in the delivery of financial services.

Touching on the Guidelines for Electronic Money Issuers, he indicated that , the bank of Ghana has commenced stakeholder engagements in January 2012 with a view to soliciting views to address the identified challenges in the Branchless Banking Guidelines.

The consensus reached with stakeholders resulted in the publication of the Guidelines the for Electronic Money Issuers and Agent Guidelines in July 2015.

This he said, one of the significant changes in the new Guidelines is the removal of restrictions on non-bank entities such as telcos to issue electronic money.

Telcos intending to issue electronic money are required , under the Guidelines to establish a separate company to be licensed by the bank to lead in the provision of electronic money issuance was therefore discouraged.

The Second Deputy Governor, added that regulatory and supervisory reforms in digital payments are aimed at eliminating payroll fraud, financial inclusion , reduction in money in circulation , efficiency , safety , competition , transparency , consumer protection and also lower cost of service delivery.

The Bank has therefore had provided a regulatory framework that seeks a fair balance among the aforementioned qualities.

According to Dr. Asiama, as part of measures to encourage innovation in digital payments , the bank will be establishing a regulatory sandbox.

This he said, the purpose of the regulatory sandbox is to allow innovators to test their ideas in a live but controlled environment under the supervision of the bank.

This approach is to encourage innovation and also to proactively identify any risk that may be associated with it.


First Atlantic Bank has presented a cheque for GH100,000.00 to the [email protected] Anniversary Committee.

Presenting the cheque on behalf of the bank, Executive Director, Risk and Controls, Patience Asante, reiterated the bank's commitment to contributing its quota to the development of the country.

We are excited to be part of this milestone in the history of Ghana and as a bank we are committed to supporting the growth and developmental agenda of the country. We deem it very necessary to support the National Planning Committee with this sponsorship towards the successful organization of activities marking the 60th Anniversary, she added.

Ken Amankwah, Chairman, National Planning Committee, on his part, said that First Atlantic Bank, an indigenous bank, responded to the call of the President with exemplary munificence as part of its social investment in Ghana.

We further convey to you the thanks of the President, he declared.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on January 26,2017 launched the National Planning Committee and appealed to corporate institutions to support it in raising an estimated GH20 million for a year-long celebration of activities for the Diamond Jubilee.

First Atlantic Bank is a full-scale commercial bank with over 20 years' experience in the Ghanaian market.

Originally founded as a merchant bank, First Atlantic Bank has won several awards that have recognized its leadership in customer care, trade finance and corporate banking.

At First Atlantic Bank, we have set broad objectives to create an institution that competes effectively in the local and sub-regional financial market place in a manner that showcases the best of our collective talents. Our aspiration is to become the bank of choice for transactions, especially within Ghana and the West African Sub-region.

A business desk report


Nepal capable enough to solve its internal problems: Chinese Vice-Premier

Vice-Premier of China Zhang Gaoli has said that Nepal is capable enough to solve its internal problems.
One of the community extension officers receiving his laptop from Mrs. Amekudzi

Mondelez International has presented Dell laptops to 39 community extension agents in the Eastern, Western, Central, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions under its cocoa sustainability programme, dubbed Cocoa Life.

The laptops are expected to be used by the community extension officers in various districts for data collection and transfer to the appropriate authorities in real time.

Yaa Peprah Agyeman Amekudzi, country leader, Cocoa Life, Mondelez International, presenting the devices to the community extension agents, said the programme would empower thriving cocoa communities by supporting farmers to improve yields.

She said through partnerships with both government and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), the programme has equipped cocoa farmers with the needed knowledge and other equipment to enable them boost production.

The challenge facing the programme is the untimely transfer of data by the community extension agents, whose work is to support cocoa farmers in the crop production process, she added.

She said they have to rely on third parties to send field data.

Data collection is really important to us, we need it for accountability of funds, measurement of programme progress and performance, programme review and retooling, as well as documentary and reference purposes, she said.

Mrs. Amekudzi was hopeful the laptops would help the programme meet its target in least eight communities.

Asante Lopez from Amansie West District, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, said the laptops have come at the right time.

In partnership with the cocoa health and extension division of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), 39 community extension agents are deployed in 331 communities to provide critical training and other technical support to 16,255 males and 9224 female cocoa farmers.

The work of the community extension officers is to ensure the adaptation of good agricultural practices to increase productivity and ensure disease control and proper farmer organization.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri


Members of the Association in a group photograph with Kofi Osei-Ameyaw

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has indicated that it will soon clamp down on the activities of illegal lotto operators, popularly called banker-to-banker, to help generate revenue for national development.

Director-General of NLA, Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, disclosed this in a discourse with members of the Association of Lotto Marketing Companies (ALMC), who paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra to applaud him on his appointment.

He said the NLA would establish and deploy a Lotto Taskforce to arrest the wayside operators.

Those who would flout the law would be prosecuted in Lotto Courts to be established nationwide.

Dan Mensah, Chairman of ALMC, said the association would work closely with him to support his vision to promote the operations of NLA.

Members of ALMC also appealed to the Director-General to address some bottlenecks hampering their business.

According to them, banker-to-banker operators do not honour taxes on their earnings and swindle patrons by refusing to pay them each time they win.

Members of the Association also decried the tax on lotto wins, which discourages players from patronizing NLA products and encourages them to rather play Banker to Banker.

Mr. Osei-Ameyaw thanked the members of ALMC for their support and promised to work with them to further develop NLA in line with the vision of President Akufo-Addo to generate revenue for the country.

He further assured them that he would address the issue of taxes on wins, commissions and other issues stifling their business.

We would provide them with model kiosks which will appeal to the player while decentralizing the business in all regions and districts, he said.

He promised to hold periodic meetings with ALMC to update them on progress made so far.
Zahra Langhi, co-founder of the Libyan Womens Platform for Peace, tells The Stream on Al Jazeera:

 Congresswomen were threatened and bullied physically and verbally by other representatives.

 The root cause its the unchecked militarization.

 The need to demilitarize, demobilize, and to have a rehab programme for those who are traumatized by war has not been addressed by the UN-led peace process.

 There is proxy war at the moment in Libya

 The special envoys so far have failed miserably in Libya

We had a democracy with arms; that is the worst kind of hypocrisy, Libyan activist Zahra Langhi told The Stream on Al Jazeera this week.

Women were at the forefront of the Day of Rage movement that lead to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafis removal from power in 2011. Langhi was one of their leaders, helping to organise protests.

As a new government began to form, Langhi co-founded the Libyan Womens Platform for Peace and began lobbying for a more gender-inclusive electoral law. The end result? Women won 17% of the seats in congress in the first election in 52 years.

But they soon discovered that exclusion was the least of their problems. There was also systematic violence against women. We had congressmen who were either affiliated with militias or who were themselves militias We started seeing that congresswomen were threatened and bullied physically and verbally by other representatives, she told The Stream. This negatively impacted on the involvement of women in later governments and at voter turnouts.

In the six years since Gaddafis removal, eight prime ministers have come and gone while armed factions battle for power. The root cause its the unchecked militarization, its the flow of arms, its the arms anarchy, she said. The need to demilitarize, demobilize, and to have a rehab programme for those who are traumatized by war has not been addressed by the UN-led peace process.

She criticized the international communitys initial roadmap, saying the democratic toolkit focuses on rushing to elections and having a multi-party system when you dont have real constituencies or comprehension of the idea of political parties and programmes. She added that even the international pressure to have a free press and to draft a constitution actually caused a further divisiveness and polarization in society.

She said the approach so far had fluctuated between looking for military resolutions or political compromises. Weve been appeasing warlords, Langhi told The Stream ahead of her appearance on the show. Its only created a weak centralised government that is not addressing any other issues.

Nobody attacked the issue in Libya from a holistic approach, she expanded during this weeks show. By that I mean, addressing the humanitarian crisis in Libya, addressing the human rights violations, addressing the lack of justice in Libya, the lack of a rule of law in Libya.

She called for a politics of inclusion. We need to have a fair representation in terms of gender, a fair representation in terms of generation, a fair representation in terms of culture, a fair representation in terms of all Libyans of diaspora and inside of Libya, a fair representation as well of urban and rural areas of the capital and more disenfranchised regions and cities. I cannot only focus on womens empowerment; I need to address the other issues as well.

While she said the right of movement, civil society activists and ordinary citizens were all under attack in Libya, she added that it was important to talk about the external as well as the internal factors driving the instability in Libya. There is proxy war at the moment in Libya, she said. We need to end the unilateral interference in Libya Libya is not a piece of cake.

Speaking about the imminent Human Rights Council resolution on Libya, she said, Its about time we had either a commission of enquiry or a panel of experts that monitors the situation and ends impunity in all of Libya.

She also addressed the pending appointment of a new special envoy for UNSMIL: Its disappointing that weve never seen the appointment of a female special envoy, someone who knows the region, who has a different kind of approach to peacebuilding We need to lobby the secretary general to make the process of the appointment of special envoys a process that is transparent  and not only influenced by the super powers Women and the local communities should have a say. And our say is that the special envoys so far have failed miserably in Libya.

Watch and embed the full interview below
Platinum Montessori School, located in the Ga Central Municipality of the Greater Accra Region has been adjudged the overall winner in academic excellence within its area of operation.

Taking up the 1st position out of 201 schools at the district level, the school was also 5th at the regional level (Greater Accra) and further obtained the 11th position at the national level, all in the 2016 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results.

The Director of Education at the Ghana Education Service (G.E.S) for Ga Central Municipal Assembly, Madam Diana Dennis Oye Welbeck, who presented an award to the school during a short ceremony to commemorate Ghanas 60th Independence Day celebrations in Accra, advised parents to prioritize their wards education to inspire the children to give off their best in academics and other school related activities.

She said the future of our nation depends on these little ones and so I will plead that we do not sideline education. Lets focus on the importance of education and the future of our children to make our country a better place.

In her keynote address, Madam Welbeck also mentioned that the GES with support from the Assembly would do its best to improve the educational infrastructures in the municipality.

She further encouraged all present to unite in their activities, and also demonstrate some sense of Ghanas culture at all levels to promote national development.

The Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Charles Djany, who delivered a speech on behalf of the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, said Ghana has a bright future in development and can only excel through unity.

We will achieve these goals when we move and act as a united people. We must take pride in our diversity by all means, but the Ghanaian must always rise above the ethnic or sectional interest. We have a bright future, and we must mobilize all our resources and all our strengths, here and in the Ghanaian Diaspora, to get to that promised land of prosperity faster.

According to him, The challenge before us is to build our economy and generate a prosperous, progressive and dignified life for the mass of our people. Hard work, enterprise, creativity, discipline and a consistent and effective fight against corruption in public life would bring the transformation we seek.

He, therefore, urged all to exhibit the pride of being a Ghanaian to realize our potential, and build lives of dignity to make Ghanas independence meaningful.

The Headmistress and Proprietress of Platinum Montessori School, Madam Beatrice Adoh, on behalf of the school, expressed appreciation for being recognized in their efforts to improve formal education in the municipality.

According to her This award comes as a challenge for us at Platinum Montessori School to even do better in future as we continue to supporting the community through education for development.

Three students from the school- Selina Antwi, Theodore Kwatey and Nyira Maison were also awarded for outstanding performances in the 2016 B.E.C.E, and are currently first year students at Wesley Girls and Achimota Senior High Schools.
The Interior Minister says investigations have started into the role of the governing New Patriotic Party's (NPP) 'Invincible Forces' in the Kintampo Waterfalls disaster, the outcome of which will inform what action to take.

Ambrose Dery said the President has been clear and consistent about reacting to every situation regarding any respective sector and that is how they [Ministers] have reacted to any situation reported to them.

"We have reacted to every situation reported to us about people misbehaving regardless of what political party they are from. All the takeovers that have been reported once we are informed, we go over to take over," he said.

Shortly after winning power, a pro-NPP group, Invisible Forces, attacked statutory institutions including the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), some women under the School Feeding Program, the Passport Office in Accra as well as some toll booths across the country.

The police who have been helpless in their attempt to control the attacks.

During his maiden State of the Nation Address, President Nana Akufo-Addo said his government would not countenance anyone breaking the law and charged the police to apply the same rule to every citizen who fouls the law.

In the latest Kintampo Waterfall disaster, the role played by the 'Invisible Forces', has once again become a topic of discussion.

The group forcibly took over management of the Kintampo Waterfall when the NPP won power in December 2016.

With their lack of expertise many have suggested the victims were exposed to danger largely because of the Invisible Forces and that contributed to the deaths even if the most immediate cause of the disaster was the tumbling down of a tree after a heavy downpour.

Some 19 persons lost their lives on Sunday after they were hit by broken trees during a rain storm at the waterfall.

The Deputy General Secretary of the NPP however justified the takeover of the facility by the invisible forces, describing it as nothing more than sweet revenge for what happened to him in 2009.

According to him, his company managed the Kintampo Waterfall in 2008 until hoodlums in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) forcibly took over the facility in 2009 when the party won elections.

However, Mr. Dery told Joy News' parliamentary correspondent Joseph Opoku Gakpo he would ensure all persons involved in the latest takeover and other illegal takeovers are dealt with.

"I want to emphasise that it is not every time that when there is a misbehaviour it is necessarily a party matter. An offender is an offender there is no party colour to it," he said.

He said regarding the Kintampo Waterfall, it is an allegation for now, but he would investigate and any one deemed to have played a role in th edisaster will be dealt with.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim |[email protected]
It has emerged that urban men in the Western region of Ghana demand the highest minimum salary in Ghana.

The latest Ghana Labour Force Survey Report by the Ghana Statistical Service said the men in the urban localities of the region demand as much as 1,604 cedis a month as pay.

According to the report, women in the Ashanti region, demand the highest minimum wage per month.

The survey, which adopts the relaxed definition of unemployment in Ghana, puts Ghana's unemployment rate at 11.9 percent as at 2015.

It noted that, on the average, the unemployed want a monthly salary of 297.25 cedis. This represents about thirteen percent more compared to the national daily minimum wage of 264 cedis.

Men in the urban locality of the Upper West region were the second highest quoting 687.63 cedis.

The third, fourth and fifth, are quoted by men in Brong Ahafo, Volta and Central regions at 573.29, 573.08 and 507.45 cedis respectively.

Shockingly, men in the urban areas of the Greater Accra region quoted the 6th highest figure of 225.91 cedis.

However, men in the urban areas of the Eastern Region demand the lowest monthly minimum wage of 128.32 cedis.

This is immediately preceded by Northern region, Upper East region and Ashanti region at 160.19, 164.55 and 213. 59 cedis respectively.

Meanwhile unemployed women in the Ashanti Region quoted the highest monthly minimum wage of 407.53 cedis.

The second highest was quoted by women in the Volta Region at 268.54 cedis.

The third, fourth and fifth, were quoted by women in the Brong Ahafo, Upper East and Eastern regions with 215.08, 206.17 and 198.76 cedis respectively.

In sharp contrast, women in urban areas of the Western region demand the lowest monthly minimum wage of 132. 34 cedis.

They are immediately preceded by women in the Upper West, Northern and Central regions with 183. 35, 187.03 and 188 cedis respectively.

Like their male counterparts, women in urban areas of the Greater Accra region emerged at the eighth position with 183.43 cedis.

According to the coordinators of the project, the differences in economic conditions partly accounted for the wage quotations for the respective areas.

Commenting on the development, Labour Analyst, Austin Gammey, cautioned that it will be challenging for employers as Ghana's economy compels businesses to offer lower wages due to high cost of operations.

How much an employer afford to pay is based upon his or her income; that will have to be considered, and that is why I mentioned trade unions, employers, and government would have to take a look at the way we negotiate and engage with one another.



By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana


President Akufo-Addo has expressed satisfaction with the amicable settlement to relocate the French embassy as he cut the sod for the construction of a new embassy at Cantonment in Accra.

The current French embassy shares a wall with the Flagstaff House, seat of Ghana's government, raising security concerns since the construction of the latter facility by the John Agyekum Kufour administration.

Per the new arrangement, the multipurpose facility is to be built next to the current residence of the French ambassador to Ghana in Cantonment.

The French Ambassador to Ghana, Pujolas Francois Pujolas, says the building is scheduled to be completed within 18 months.

He was optimistic that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will be strengthened as Ghana marks its 60th anniversary, with the French also celebrating 60 years of friendship between France and Ghana.

The embassy was designed by Claude Guyon, a French registered architect, with Micheletti & Co Limited expected to execute the project.

-Classfmonline


The Hague (AFP) - In its first such decision, the International Criminal Court on Friday awarded $250 dollars as "symbolic" damages to each victim of a former Congolese warlord, a sum swiftly dismissed as meaningless by those who lost homes and loved ones in a militia attack on their village 14 years ago.

The reparations order was a landmark step for the tribunal, set up in 2002 to prosecute the world's worst atrocities, marking the first time it has placed monetary values on the harm caused by such crimes.

Presiding judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut acknowledged at the tribunal in The Hague that the amount of $250 to each of the 297 victims of Germain Katanga "does not make up for the totality of the crimes", estimating the total damage caused at $3.7 million.

But in unveiling the collective and individual reparations, he said he hoped it would bring some "measure of relief" and help victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo rebuild their lives.

The ICC sentenced Katanga to 12 years in jail in 2014 after convicting him of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the February 2003 ethnic attack on Bogoro, a village in troubled Ituri Province.

He was accused of supplying weapons to his militia which went on a rampage, shooting and hacking to death with machetes some 200 people.

Katanga, who watched the proceedings by video-link from a jail in Kinshasa where he is on trial over separate charges, was also found liable for $1 million in compensation, though the court recognised that he was penniless, or "indigent", and had no home or possessions.

It asked that he consider making a public apology or writing a letter to the victims, or even attending a public reconciliation ceremony.

'Two days of beer'

"These individual reparations don't have any symbolic value. Today $250 doesn't mean anything in the DRC," Salomon Kisembo Byaruhanga, a local tribal chief, told AFP.

"Those who will get it will most likely waste it all away on beer in two days," he added, saying it would be far better to rebuild a village or construct a memorial.

Perrin de Brichambaut said the court had assessed the total damage at $3,752,620, and said collective reparations should go towards projects to help the victims with housing, education and "income-generating activities".

The court asked the Trust Fund for Victims, an independent body set up under the tribunal's founding guidelines, to consider using its resources to pay for the reparations and to come up with a plan by late June.

Court officials said the fund could release up to $1 million for reparations in the case.

Legal representatives for the victims had assessed the damage at $16.4 million in a filing to the court last year. They calculated that 228 homes were destroyed, that the school was lost and that hundreds of cattle and other livestock had fled or been killed.

In its ruling, also watched via video-link by victims in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri Province, the court set the cost of each destroyed Bogoro home at $600, while the value of each harvest lost that year was $150.

Victims who suffered psychological harm after the death of a loved one were entitled to $8,000 for a close family member, or $4,000 for a more distant relative.

'We've buried our dead'

"What will $250 change in our lives?" asked Jean Bosco Lalo, a coordinator for the Ituri Civil Society group of local associations.

"Our communities have already turned the page. Everyone has rebuilt their homes. We've buried our dead."

The Trust Fund for Victims has $5 million available, of which $1 million has been set aside for the case of Thomas Lubanga, sentenced in 2012 to 14 years for conscripting child soldiers in the DRC.

In October, judges approved "symbolic reparations" to create a "living memorial" to remember and raise awareness about child soldiers. But a final decision on collective reparations for Lubanga's victims is still awaited.
A leading member of the National Democratic Congress has blamed former Vice President Amissah Arthur and former Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission of largely contributing to the party's defeat in the last elections.

According to Alhaji Mohammed Saani, the two leading economists of the NDC failed to respond appropriately when the then running mate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was busily punching the NDC government's economic policies.

Speaking in an interview, Alhaji Sani said Prof. Kwesi Botwe should therefore capture in his own committee's report that they failed to face Dr. Bawumia's economic prowess which also contributed to their defeat.

He was responding to the ongoing internal wrangling and blame games as NDC stalwarts have been embroiled in pointing accusing fingers to their own leadership for actions and inactions that sent the party to opposition.

The former Ashanti Regional Vice Chairman of the NDC said, we must not look far in identifying who and who made us lose the electionslet's blame Prof. Kwesi Botwe and Amissah-Arthur.

Amissah-Arthur was a whole governor of the Bank of Ghana and he couldn't even face BawumiaBawumia was just a second deputy and ask yourself, between a whole governor and second deputy, who should be powerful in terms of economic knowledge and figures, he charged.

Look at the stature of Kwesi Botwe, a former finance minister, a professor of international recognition and he also failed to counter Bawumia's economic lectures and the young man subjected the whole NDC government to series of attacks using figures and economics.

Bawumia is a small boya little boy for that matter yet Kwesi Botwe and Amissah-Arthur allowed him to constantly embarrass our government without a single reaction to him, angry Alhaji Saani said.

Alhaji Saani said, the most lame and annoying part is that, Amissah-Arthur told us his friend advised him not respond to Bawumia and I am asking him, did the friend do good or bad.

-abusuafmonline
By Stephen Asante, GNA

Ejisu (Ash), Mar 24, GNA - Polling station executives and supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ejisu-Juaben have expressed fury and strong opposition to what they claim to be moves by the party's national leadership to get Madam Serwaah Derchie appointed as the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).

They insist the woman is unknown to them and made zero contribution to the party's election success in the municipality.

Addressing journalists after they had defied heavy rainfall to protest on the streets of Ejisu, Ms. Bridget Akosa Antwi, their Spokesperson, vowed fierce resistance of any attempt to force her on the area.

'We would like to state unequivocally that we would not be disrespected or ignored.'

She said 'we do not want to believe that Ejisu-Juaben lacks equally loyal, capable, trusted, resourceful and qualified people for that office'.

She added that 'if for whatever reason the leadership of the party is eager to reward her with DCE appointment, it is only reasonable to assume that the right place, should be Sekyere East, her district'.

Ms. Antwi said they found it difficult to rationalize why anybody would want to stir trouble - cause resentment among the rank and file of the party, the chiefs and people by taking such an unpopular decision.

'We have no doubt that this would even upset the constituency officers. They would be unable to publicly voice their disappointment but deep within them, they would be hurt.'

She indicated that it was always prudent for leaders to listen to the 'very people they are leading', adding that, this was how they could continue to sustain their trust and carry them along with them.

Ms. Antwi said 'we fought hard and made sacrifices to bring the NPP to power and we remain unwavering in our determination to ensure that the government puts its right foot forward'.

Separately, the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD), has appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider persons with disability (PWDs) in his ongoing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) appointments.

This adds to the earlier call by the Ghana Federation of Disabled Organizations (GFD).

A press statement signed by the President of the Society, the Reverend John Mefful, said 'fortunately, these two members, Mr. Kwaku Ntim Twumasi - Ejisu-Juaben Municipal, and Mr. Martin Obeng, Sunyani West, have expressed interest and successfully undergone vetting at the Flagstaff house'.

It noted that there were about five million PWDs among the nation's 28 million population and said out of 216 MMDCEs required, only the pair had the chance to be part and could therefore not be denied.

'We are appealing to the President to consider Mr. Twumasi and Mr. Obeng for Ejisu-Juaben and Sunyani West, respectively, which has come to our notice and others which we are yet to know for the All Inclusiveness to be realized in your governance.'

GNA
Nepal condemns terror attack in London

Nepal on Thursday condemned and denounced Wednesdays terrorist attack in London in which an assailant killed three people before being shot dead.
By Ken Sackey, GNA

Accra, March 24, GNA- President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo returned home on Thursday evening after participating in the 5th edition of the Africa CEO's forum in Geneva, Switzerland.

The forum, which is an important event on the African business calendar, draws the most influential political and economic heads in Africa, captains of industry, the media, and the biggest companies on the continent.

It allows for exchange of views, opinions and solutions to issues affecting the continents' economic development.

During the forum, President Akufo-Addo, who co-debated Senegal's Macky Sal, urged his colleague African heads to seek domestic solutions in addressing the continents' myriad challenges, rather than depend on foreign aid.

He charged them to create independent systems to harness the continents' human and material resources to build nations without aid, expressing the importance of positioning African economies on the path of self-sustaining growth.

President Akufo-Addo also used the forum to rally investors to harness the opportunities inherent in Ghana's business climate, and gave the assurance that his government's policies were geared towards facilitating business and industrial growth and providing a framework guided by the rule of law to ensure the sanctity of genuine contracts to create the needed prosperity for Ghanaians.

The President also met with the Ghanaian community in Switzerland, who are largely professionals, apprising on goings-on in Ghana and asked for their support in the process of national reconstruction.

President Akufo-Addo said he was optimistic that his participation in the forum, which was largely dedicated to the development of the African private sector, and would yield dividends, as he had explained his government's policies and measures to position the country as a good investment destination to participants at the event. GNA
24.03.2017 LISTEN

To say that Ghana is gripped with lawlessness is an understatement. Indeed, without a doubt, the cancer is a direct result of a failing educational system. The ignorance promoted on national TV and in national newspapers epitomises the gravity of the situation. For example, a simple question of the difference between honoris causa and earned PhDs, and thesis and a dissertation could render the entire Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) jobless if failing the test means losing one's job. How low have we sunk as a country that those working in our media institutions lack knowledge on such simple things? What better explains this than our dysfunctional educational system?

A few months ago, we wrote to the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) and its leadership, via Mr Affail Monney, to bring to the attention of the public and the educational authorities the epidemic proportions the problem of diploma mills and questionable academic credentials have assumed in Ghana. Some of the letters were copied to the National Media Commission (NMC) to make the coordination between the GJA and the NMC effective. The reasons for writing to the GJA were multifold. Among our requests were: (a) to encourage the NMC and the GJA to coordinate their efforts to ensure that their members are well-informed about the accreditation status of institutions that confer PhDs and other forms of educational awards on individuals. This was on the back of Gifty Anti, former presidential candidate Hassan Ayariga, and former IGP John Kudalor's, continuous use of the title of a Dr. in the media in Ghana. We hoped that if the media is well-informed, then, as gatekeepers of the media, they will be in a position to question individuals who continue to hold themselves out under questionable titles and accolades, particularly the title of a Dr. (b) that the Daily Graphic, which has provided its platforms for the NAB and its Executive Secretary, Mr. Kwame Dattey, to publish contradictory and ill-informed articles on the subject matter under discussion, by constitutional proviso, provides the same platform for our rejoinder to educate the public and correct the inaccuracies of the Executive Secretary of the NAB. (c) that the Daily Graphic publishes an apology to its numerous readership for commercialising and availing its platform for publicising falsehood.

While the Daily Graphic, on the instigation or the intervention of the NMC, published our rejoinder (with some crucial information to the debate expunged), the Daily Graphic never published an apology to its readership. Even though we could have continued to press on and ensure that an apology was published by the Daily Graphic, we concluded that you cannot fight the illogical from a logical standpoint. If we are to draw lessons from some of the global media industry leaders such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and many other credible newspapers, readers will agree with us that the prompting for the publication of an apology to readership would not have even stemmed from us. It is part and parcel of the practice of journalism. When falsehood is published by a newspaper knowingly or unintentionally, the notion of disgorgement, whereby a newspaper retracts the news item and apologise to the public is the next action of the newspaper. Disgorgement, applied to unethical financial gains in economics in which the beneficiary returns what is acquired through falsehood, the author, just like the beneficiary of the unethical financial gains, retracts and apologises to the public. But we know Daily Graphic is not New York Times or Washington Post

( https://www.modernghana.com/news/317713/checking-the-ethical-component-of-a-story.html ).

On the first score of the demands, both the NMC and the GJA have failed to impress upon their members to seek information on, e.g., the difference between a PhD and an honorary doctorate. This we have clearly defined and explained in our numerous articles and rejoinders, starting with the investigative report (Available at:

http://www.dailygraphiconline.com/images/pdf/acreditation_challenges_full_paper.pdf ).

The NMC and the GJA have equally failed to rein media houses to abide by the edicts of the NAB. As a clear case to demonstrate the lack of trust among Ghanaian state institutions, the NAB looks on while these individuals adorn these honours with whatever social, cultural, and political capitals they can accumulate with these accolades. As recently as February 25, many months after Gifty Anti confessed her lack of knowledge about the status of a diploma mill that conferred a doctor honoris causa on her, she could still be seen boldly but unashamedly appending the title of a Dr. to her name in publicising her TV program. Here are a few questions needing answers: has the NAB seen this and what has it done about this? Who are the gatekeepers of the media house and the producers who produce her program and what do they know about this story? Has the public shown any interest or concern in this issue? What is the role of the Minister of Education and the Education Ministry in these matters?

On the back of this came Affail Monney who is seeking to lead the GJA for a second term. In the poster that advertises his candidacy are the inscriptions: Dr Affail Monney. On reading this, it became clear that there was no way the GJA, represented by Affail Monney, was going to respond to our petitions urging it to educate its members on the unethical use of academic credentials among Ghanaians to help curb the practice. Clearly, Mr Monney believes that by appending the title of a Dr. to his name, there is something he must be bringing to the contest for the GJA presidency that his competitors do not have. But unfortunately, the institution that conferred that questionable doctorate on him is one of those diploma mills that do not have the capacity to confer doctoral degrees on anyone by the edicts of the NAB.

What is even more disturbing is that it is no longer only the Daily Graphic that is offering its platform to some of these diploma mills and their beneficiaries to perpetrate their lawless acts. It seems that the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has also joined the bandwagon. It is very disturbing to hear the newscaster present Monney's honorary doctoral degree as a thesis-based honour, which followed the satisfactory completion of a properly researched thesis, earning him the doctorate of humanities degree (Please follow the news announcing the award of Mr Affail Monney's doctoral degree here: ). What is evident in the news is that the newscaster and those who wrote the news do not only lack knowledge of the difference between honoris causa and earned PhDs, but they also lack knowledge of the difference between a thesis and a dissertation. Interestingly, these forms of ignorance are being promoted on national TV to the benefit of a director of radio and president of the GJA. How low have we sunk as a country that those working in our media institutions, citadels of knowledge, and the institutions that regulate accreditation, lack knowledge on some of these pertinent issues?

The point is that as academics who are exploring issues of accreditation in Ghana, we have done our part. It is up to the Ghanaian public to decide what to do with these issues and the persons involved. We are not under any obligations to send people to court. We will only be ready to expose our research findings and if anyone feel maligned about them, they have the right to go to court and we will respond to them appropriately.

Dr Prosper Yao Tsikata

Assistant Professor of Communication

Valdosta State University

Dr A Kobla Dotse

Director of Chemical Research & Development
24.03.2017 LISTEN

As the African Union marks 2017 as the Year of Harnessing the Demographic Dividend Through Investments in Youth, this special edition looks at the many challenges and opportunities facing Africas youth today in the fields of skills training, technology, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, advocacy and political activism, among others.

People talk about a demographic dividend for Africa. What we have now in Africa is not the dividend, it is just a youth population bulge, Ahmad Alhendawi, the former United Nations youth envoy, told Africa Renewal. A dividend is the result of your investments. If you invest well, you get results. But that doesnt happen by itself.

UN data leads us to look at Africa as the continent where countries have more people under 18 than on any other continent in the world. Further, the youth population in Africa is projected to double by 2050, which will place more and more stress on already strained resources for the region.

Depending on how governments respond to this reality, an exponentially expanding population of youth can turn into a ticking time bomb or a demographic dividend, defined by UN experts as the economic growth that ensues when there are more working-age people (15 to 64) than the non-working people (14 and younger, and 65 and older).

The alternative to a youth dividend is a youth bulge, which is characterized by high youth unemployment and widespread protestsa recipe for political instability. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities, many of Africas young people are risking their lives on perilous journeys in search of a better life in Europe. Pools of idle youth are a magnet for recruiters from rebel or extremist groups.

A ticking time bomb can be defused when governments invest well and can reap demographic dividends. But how can they achieve the desired results? Experts from many corners of the world have proffered suggestions.

Governments should invest in projects that create jobs or enable youth to start their own businesses. They should also make agriculture more attractive to youth, promote technology, improve young peoples skills and make school curricula relevant to the needs of job markets. Furthermore, they should pass and implement laws that end cultural practices which promote child marriages or keep girls away from school. Governments need to support gender equality, empower women and girls, crack down on teenage pregnancies and tackle communicable diseases.

Leaders frequently say they are keen to listen to young people, engage them when they design policies and make decisions on matters that affect them. The reality is that these decisions are often made with little or no input from youth. What the leaders end up with are policies that purport to improve the lives of young people when in fact they lack the perspective of what youth really want.
24.03.2017 LISTEN

What would you think of a university that provides you with world-class education, pays for your internship abroad and, when you graduate, gives you a cool $100,000 to start your own business?

Welcome to the world of entrepreneurial universities, a new trend among institutions of higher learning worldwide of going beyond their traditional role of providing education to incorporate research, innovation, commercialization of knowledge and entrepreneurship.

There is no one-size-fits-all definition of the entrepreneurial university, but rather a plurality of approaches, inventive, creative and yet practical, that distinguishes the entrepreneurial style.

Tired of churning out thousands of graduates each year who cannot find jobs, universities are gravitating towards innovation and entrepreneurship. These universities go by different names: some call them entrepreneurial universities, others innovation universities, and others refer to the business incubators that take students through the rigours of running a business. The common thread is the emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Ronnie Washington, a 28-year-old American graduate, understands well the benefits of attending entrepreneurial universities. In 2014 he joined Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Business for a two-year master of business administration (MBA) degree. Near the end of his course, he travelled to Ghana for a five-week internship, sponsored by the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies, otherwise known as Seed. It paid for his ticket and accommodation.

While in Ghana, Mr. Washington worked under Michael Amankwa, the founder and chief executive officer of CoreNett, a tech company that creates electronic payment processing programmes for financial institutions, retailers and governments. Here he learned the ropes of running a business. No challenge he faced during his time in Ghana, from infrastructure problems to power outages, could stop the young graduate from seeing the bigger picturewhat it takes to be an entrepreneur.

On his return to the United States, Mr. Washington created Onward, a computer application that makes it easier for low-income workers to save and also to borrow money from a revolving credit line for small family emergencies. In late 2016 he was named the Stanford Social Innovation Fellow and was given a $110,000 grant to start his own business. Mr. Washington is now the CEO of Onward, based in Washington, DC.

In traditional universities a student attends lectures, writes exams and submits a thesis before graduating. But at entrepreneurial universities, students are trained to go a step further and turn their research papers into business ventures. Some universities also liaise with industries interested in using their type of research.

In their book Engines of Innovation: The Entrepreneurial University in the 21st Century, American authors Holden Thorp and Buck Goldstein say universities should use their vast intellectual and financial resources to confront global challenges such as climate change, extreme poverty, childhood diseases, and an impending worldwide shortage of clean water.

Hastened by globalization and increased competition, the industrial mode of production has run out of steam in many countries. And so has the traditional scheme for post-secondary education, with its emphasis on theory over practice. Far more emphasis is needed in practical experience, academics are starting to say, in a real working environment.

This entrepreneurial phenomenon is not limited to business schools, but also occurs in universities specializing in such fields as agriculture, science, medicine and information technology.

Some of the many US universities that have been quick to embrace the innovation and entrepreneurship model include Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, the University of California and the University of Wisconsin. Stanford University in 2015 opened two centres in Africa (in Ghana and Kenya) to offer internship programmes to young entrepreneurs.

Brazil, China, Europe and North and Latin America, as well as some newly industrialized or industrializing countries, have embraced it.

Calestous Juma, professor of practice of international development at Harvard Kennedy School, says African universities should embrace innovations to be able to respond to local needs.

In February 2016, African leaders invited Professor Juma to the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to present a paper on how universities can integrate education, research and innovation.

One of the objectives of AUs Agenda 2063, Africas development blueprint for the next 50 years, is to reposition the continent as a strategic player in the global economy through improved education and the application of science and technology in development. Achieving these objectives will require aligning education, research and innovation with long-term socioeconomic objectives.

So far only a couple of universities in Africa have embraced innovation and entrepreneurship. Professor Juma gives an example of Stellenbosch University in South Africa, which built and launched a satellite as one of its innovations.

Kenyas Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Professor Juma says, pioneered in commercializing tissue culture bananas, hence bringing together teaching, research and product commercialization. Tissue culture is a method whereby plants are produced from roots, leaves or stems in a lab in great numbers to increase yields. The university also recently created the Nairobi Industrial and Technology Park in a public-private partnership with the Kenyas Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development to facilitate uptake of university research results by industry players. It will also provide a shopping mall space to incubated firms started by the students.

In West Africa, the University of Ghana is implementing the same innovation and entrepreneurship model. While acknowledging the need to [change] the orientation of universities in Africa to be able to put research and knowledge into actual use, the universitys Professor James Dzisah told Africa Renewal that some of the challenges of implementing this model include the high costs of reorienting students and integrating the new thinking into traditional universities.

Whatever the cost, it is time Africa invested in these universities, says Professor Dzisah.

These universities benefit not just the students but themselves. Creating such universities will have two important budgetary implications. First, it will broaden the base for funding innovation by enabling specialized actors and industry to design and operate new universities using their own budgets, Professor Juma told AU leaders. Second, this will reduce the need to rely on funding from ministries of education.

Thandwa Mthembu, the vice-chancellor and principal of the Durban Institute of Technology in South Africa, told the University World News of his plans for embedding entrepreneurship into the curricula and internal systems of universities.

After touring 10 institutions in seven countries that have successful entrepreneurship education programmes, including Finland, Germany, Mexico and Spain, Professor Mthembu liked the idea of embedding entrepreneurship education into the curriculum from the first year of study, and the idea of emphasizing practical skills, real-life challenges and group work. He believes these things can make students ready to start viable businesses by the time they graduate.

We need to shift the emphasis from theory to practice from day one, asking ourselves: How can we add value to society rather than to our brains only? says Professor Mthembu.

While traditional universities have climbed onto the entrepreneurship bandwagon, such programmes often focus on postgraduate MBAs that produce intrapreneurspeople who drive innovations within their current companiesrather than entrepreneurs who come from outside the system to create something new, he said.

We need to get beyond the point of simply identifying a few students with good ideas and working with them, to the point at which every student is taken through a well-designed methodology in a fully-fledged programme.

At Harvard University, economic and social entrepreneurship in Africa is one of the most robust and fastest-growing areas of interest. In the 201415 academic year, the Center for African Studies consolidated multiple initiatives along with some new ones into its African Entrepreneurship Program.

This programme creates and facilitates a range of activities at Harvard and in Africa, incubating innovative ideas, introducing entrepreneurship into classrooms and study-abroad programmes, offering direct mentorship and internship opportunities for undergraduate and professional school students, and cultivating collaborative opportunities for the production and execution of game-changing ideas.

The origin

Professor Henry Etzkowitz of State University of New Yorks Purchase College, the man credited with coining the term entrepreneurial universities in the 1980s, told Africa Renewal that he first noticed at the time that some universities in the United States, such as MIT, were gravitating towards the entrepreneurial model. He decided to do further research on this model while at MIT.

These universities aim to put their knowledge to teaching students, conducting research and taking a more active role in society with different actors and companies, said Professor Etzkowitz.

Terming it a second academic revolution, Professor Etzkowitz notes that entrepreneurial universities are transforming the traditional teaching and research university by encouraging interaction among university, industry, government, which is the key to improving the conditions for innovation in a knowledge-based society.

Of the major changes that have occurred in the scientific world, a scholar at the Royal Society of London observed: Many top academics are now also top entrepreneurs, forming their own companies, collaborating with big business, exploiting their inventions and contributing to the wealth of the nation.
The committee tasked to investigate the National Democratic Congress (NDC) defeat in the 2016 general elections, has called on members to desist from expressing their concerns in the media.

According to the Election Review Committee chaired by Kwesi Botchwey, members should instead direct their concerns to the committee.

The Election Review Committee in a statement signed by Kwesi Botchwey, urged members of the NDC to resist the temptation of engaging in recriminations and finger pointing, so as not to undermine the integrity of the committees final report and recommendations,[and also not to] sour the atmosphere for the conduct of the committees work.

The committees doors are open and we urge all party members who have issues to raise or concerns to express to direct them to the committee to help the search for solutions to the challenges confronting the party.

Accusations and counter accusations

Some members of the NDC have in recent times been pointing accusing fingers at each for contributing to the party's defeat in the elections.

For instance, the NDC Member of Parliament for Yunyoo in the Northern Region, Joseph Bipoba Naabu, recently blamed former President John Mahama for their electoral defeat.

According him, the former President surrounded himself with inexperienced people who only misled him.

NDC members trade blows at Kwesi Botchwey committee sitting

Some of the committees discussions across the country have also been characterized by confusion from some angry members .

Below is the full statement from the NDC Election Review Committee:

The NDC Election Review Committee (ERC) has noted with some regret that a number of Party functionaries and leading party members have lately take to media houses to air their views on party matters, including matters that the Committee was set up to investigate, namely the causes of the partys electoral defeat.

The Committee would like to urge party members to resist the temptation to engaging in recriminations and finger pointing, so as not to undermine the integrity of the committees final report and recommendations, sour the atmosphere for the conduct of the committees work.

The committees doors are open and we urge all party members who have issues to raise or concerns to express to direct them to the committee to help the search for solutions to the challenges confronting the party.

Signed

Kwesi Botchwey

Committee Chairman





By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
24.03.2017 LISTEN

Hundreds of university students in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa and other African countries took to the streets last year to protest against high tuition fees, lack of equal access to education and inferior learning environments at their learning institutions. The clashes, which disrupted the universities academic calendars, highlighted the harsh conditions students face on the continent.

To put it into perspective, only about 6% of young people in sub-Saharan Africa are enrolled in higher education institutions, according to a 2015 report by the Africa-America Institute (AAI), a US-based organization that seeks to foster relations between Africa and the United States through higher education.

The introduction of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) may, however, provide a lifeline for African students who desire to circumvent college entry difficulties. MOOCs are freely accessible online courses on various subjects that can be taken by anyone from anywhere in the world. One of the advantages of these courses is that they are accessible to unlimited number of students.

They are very valuable if you consider that MOOCs means access to some of the best experts in the world about a certain topic, and access to knowledge that one cannot otherwise find easily, Carmine Paolo De Salvo told Africa Renewal.

Mr. De Salvo is an instructor for a 2016 MOOCs focusing on agricultural policies produced by the Inter-American Development Bank on edX, an online learning platform.

Online education or e-learning is not new to Africa and many institutions, including the African Virtual University, have made university education from accredited schools available online since the late 90s. Countries such as Mauritius, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe have embraced the e-learning movement using various online instruction methods.

While traditional e-learning makes tertiary education more accessible, it can still be limiting due to high fees, and because courses are only open at specific times of the year. As a result, students who intend to pursue specialized and flexible post-graduate education are now turning to open online courses.

say that MOOCs can complement traditional education. But because access to higher education in sub-Saharan Africa is lower than the global average by at least 20%, according to the Africa-America Institute, open online courses could actually be the only means for those who lack other opportunities for advancing their education.

In addition to edX, MOOCs are available through providers such as Coursera and Udacity, both of which are also employed by prominent US universities such as Princeton, Stanford and Harvard. Institutions using MOOCs present learning materials through a variety of methods, including articles, videos, discussion threads and infographics and they typically last between five and twelve weeks. While most courses are not available for credit, individuals who are successful in a course can receive a free certificate or pay a relatively small fee, usually about $25, to get the certificate after completion.

African universities have recently begun to embrace MOOCs, following in the footsteps of prominent American and European universities. In 2016, the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, became the first African university to offer MOOCs on the edX platform. A year earlier, the University of Cape Town, also in South Africa, was the first in Africa to offer MOOCs through the Coursera platform. More universities in other countries are expected to join the bandwagon in the coming years.

Although Africa still has grounds to make up, a 2016 study by the Technology and Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington Information School, a US-based network of tech researchers, found that the highest completion rates for MOOCs are in developing countries. According to the study, low- and middle-income populations make up 80% of MOOCs users, and 82% of South African participants are 30 years or younger.

2015 survey by Coursera, a prominent MOOCs platform, found that as a result of taking online courses, an overwhelming 87% of participants reported career benefits, with 33% mentioning tangible career benefits.

Usually, the feedback we receive is very positive. Some people told us that their lives had changed, thanks to MOOCs," said Mr. De Salvo.

Africa Renewal
24.03.2017 LISTEN

Run a quick Google search on African women making it in business, and you will rarely find a young woman engaged in rural farming. But Mavis Nduchwa has challenged norms by founding and successfully managing a commercial animal feed farm in Botswana.

Thirty-three-year-old Ms. Nduchwa, who was born on a farm in rural Francistown in eastern Botswana, near the border with Zimbabwe, developed an interest in agriculture at an early age. However, as she grew older, the allure of city life drove her to earn a degree in real estate and hospitality management. She later worked as a journalist.

But given the high cost of agricultural inputs strangling her farming community, Ms. Nduchwa sensed that affordable, locally produced animal feed as a substitute for the expensive imported kind, could boost the agribusiness sector. She quit her job in the hospitality industry and teamed up with her husband Brighton Chabana to found Chabana Farms in 2011.

Six years later, Chabana Farms has become a successful agribusiness enterprise. Ms. Nduchwa believes that women, when empowered, can achieve as much as men do. We are all humans and thus should be given equal opportunities, she told Africa Renewal, noting that the future of Africa lies in agribusiness, which must be championed by the youth.

It is important to make agriculture cool in order to attract more youngsters to the sector, she says.

How cool it can become will depend on how profitable the agribusiness sector is and the needs it is able to meet. Chabana Farms occupies 247 acres, and grows grains and legumes such as lablab (a legume that produces high-quality forage for livestock), maize, sunflower, sorghum, beans and groundnuts.

The Botswana government recently awarded Chabana Farms a $2 million contract to supply jugo beans to the local market.

When the rains are good, the company can easily supply the grains; but when the rains are in short supply, it becomes difficult, Ms. Nduchwa says.

Because Botswana is largely semiarid, cultivation takes place during the rainy season, between October and April. The scarcity of grains between May and Septemberthe dry seasonmakes it difficult to meet the commercial demand.

In a good rainy season, Chabana Farms can take in up to $1.5 million in profits.

Beyond its day-to-day operations, the farm, which employs 10 full-time staff, also provides six weeks training in managing a poultry business for unemployed single mothers. Those who receive the training are able to start their own businesses.

Ms. Nduchwa says formal education has been one of her keys to success. Her degree in hospitality management equipped her with the skills needed to jump-start her agribusiness and afforded her the credibility to seek and receive funding. In 2015 she was accepted to the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP), the $100 million flagship entrepreneurship programme of the Nigerian billionaires Tony Elumelu Foundation. The foundation aims to support businesses that can contribute over a 10-year period to creating about a million new jobs and generating at least $10 billion in revenue across Africa.

TEEP entrepreneurs take part in a nine-month training programme that includes a 12-week online business plan, development training and mentoring programme, followed by a two-day boot camp. After successfully completing a business plan, each entrepreneur receives a seed capital investment of $5,000. This investment does not have to be repaid. The entrepreneurs are also entitled to a second round of funding, structured as a loan of $5,000 or the equivalent in equity.

Chabana Farms also produces poultry and eggs, a branch of business that employs women in Francistown and beyond. Educating and employing women in neighbouring towns and villages allows Ms. Nduchwa to expand her business far beyond Francistown: Our primary markets include surrounding villages, to which we sell staples like maize, beans, eggs and the like, she says.

Ms. Nduchwa says that women entrepreneurs face unique challenges: a lack of access to land, and government policies she describes as patriarchal because traditionally land is owned by men.

Another challenge is that people generally deride agriculture, particularly animal husbandry. She recommends policies that shift the perception of agriculture from uncool to cool. She adds that youth education curricula should be restructured to make it relevant to the current job market and to promote agriculture, as this is the bedrock of economic growth in Africa.

To achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2), which is to end hunger, Ms. Nduchwa adds that an agripreneur (an agriculture entrepreneur) needs ease of access to financing and subsidies, as this would solve most of the problems we currently face.

Reflecting on her own experience and outlook on womens empowerment, she says, There is no special career for a man; its not a mans world. The future of Africa is in our [womens] hands.

Ms. Nduchwa believes the future is bright for agribusiness in Botswana. Her venture continues to employ women, while her training projects equip farmers in neighbouring villages with the skills and resources to expand other sectors of agribusiness.
The Vice President has disclosed that government would soon roll out comprehensive housing programme for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to address the accommodation challenge.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said under the project dubbed Barack Regeneration Project, old accommodation facilities would be renovated while new ones would be built to accommodate more military personnel.

He, therefore, asked the military to exercise patience as the government was putting measures in place to remedy the situation.

The Vice President, who was the Reviewing Officer at the Graduation Parade of the Special Medical Intake Three of the Ghana Military Academy in Accra Friday, said the government would complete the third phase of the 37 Military Hospital project and upgrade its equipment to meet modern medical needs.

In all, 99 cadets comprising 56 males and 43 females with professional background in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dental care, and psychology were commissioned into the GAF at a colourful ceremony after undergoing five months intensive training.

The Vice President gave the assurance that other infrastructure needs of the military would receive equal attention and that with the necessary interventions the infrastructure challenges of the military would be resolved.

He said the government would build another military hospital in Tamale to cater for the medical needs of personnel in the northern sector as it was committed to implementing policies to enhance their wellbeing.

Dr Bawumia said the military had played a crucial role in sustaining the countrys democracy, saying,the Armed Forces remained an important pillar in our democratic journey, particularly during the beginning of the Fourth Republic by contributing towards the consolidation of our democracy.

He said the military had provided the conducive environment for other state institutions to function and, therefore, commended the Military High Command for the invaluable role they played during the 2016 general election.

The commissioning of the cadets into the military, he said, would help resolve the manpower needs of the personnel, especially at the ongoing construction works at the Kumasi Military Hospital, to take care of the medical needs of the personnel in the southern and northern sectors of the country.

I have no doubt that with the addition of these newly commissioned officers, the Kumasi Military Hospital will have the requisite staff to operate effectively.

The government will provide the necessary support to ensure the facility is adequately resourced to augment the several medical facilities in the country, he said.

Dr Bawumia said the Kumasi Military Hospital would be designated as an emergency hospital to cater for emergency situations in the northern part of the country.

The Vice President used the occasion to thank the Military High Command for the prompt response in deploying soldiers to The Gambia to assist in creating a peaceful atmosphere there and ensure the enforcement of the rule of law.

He advised the newly commissioned officers to maintain the pride and the niche the military had carved for itself over the years as a professional and dedicated state institution.

He urged the personnel to continue to safeguard the image and the reputation of the GAF by exhibiting the highest standards of discipline in all their endeavours.

The Vice President presented awards to the cadets that excelled during the training with the Overall Best Cadet going to Junior Under Officer Teng Yengbil Bernard, while Junior Under Officer Lasdji Belinda Narh received the Best Female Cadet Officer and C/SGT Nyarko Dennis was adjudged the Second Best Cadet Officer.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Ghana has been ranked the seventh dirtiest country in the world.

The same country has been ranked second in open defecation.

Ghana, a Lower Middle Income Country.

Ghana, a Middle Income Country.

Ghana, a giant heap of human feces.

Seriously?

Whether this stinking Ghana is a Lower Middle Income Country or a Middle Income Country, the World Bank has itself partly to blame for contributing to the fabrication of this dubious label.

Now, the World Bank is threatening to pull out of an arrangement it has with the country to clean it up of open defecation which has been sinking the country for some time now.

The World Bank appears to be blaming the entrenched presence of open defecation in the Ghanaian body politic on a lack of political will on the ruling class to deal effectively with the problem.

This is understandable.

But what should we expect otherwise?

The neurons in the prosthetic brains of members of the ruling class are recycled from open defecation.

Or could it be that the neurons are directly made of open defecation?

And then our pseudo-scholars, political criminals and thieves pocket funds from international donors meant for combatting sanitation problems, while turning around and making a hyperbolic claim that nearly sixty percent of Ghanaians drink water laced with human waste, and we wonder why this dangerous cabal of pseudo-scholars and wicked politicians dont have cholera, dysentery, polio, and typhoid in their prosthetic brains.

We organize elaborate independence anniversary celebrations while the open hands of plagiarized inaugural speeches, institutional corruption, democratization of mediocrity, and duopolistic dictatorship engulf the nation in a mournful chorus of galamsey-driven pollution and open defecation.

A nation of sanctimonious religious men and women, a nation that is drenched in universal filthyes.

Is open defecation a mindset?

Or absence of political will?

Must the international communitythe World Bank for that matterprovide us with toilet paper to wipe our dirty behinds?

Are we truly independent when we are surrounded by an ocean of open defecation?

Is Ghana a land of laws?

A land ruled by Eurocentric public dogs is bound to embrace open defecators.

Of course the World Bank cannot continue to provide with us funds to eradicate a national problem of our own making, funds that eventually end up in private pockets, when at the same time Akufo-Addos bloated government says to the international community his country is not poor, that the public treasury he inherited from his predecessor was not that starved of available cash as he has been trumpeting.

One hundred ministersand we still have the effrontery to claim the public treasury is a desert?

And what if Ghanaians use the fleet of luxury cars they purchase for politicians as public toilets?

Open defecation has become a national badge of honor.

Very sad indeed, disgracing the gracious face of a great nation Kwame Nkrumah founded with open defecation!

In this day and age when Japanese, Chinese, North Korean, Cuban, and Indian crying babies are exploring and playing on the moon, as all babies do, ours are all over the place with leaking bowls doing just the opposite of what a Dung Beetle will doenvironmental cleanliness.

Yet we have put in place a clueless government with as many ministers as the scarlet sins of Rev. Owusu Bempah and Bishop Obinim, which cannot also solve a simple problem as open defecation.

A government that ran its pre-election campaign banner as the Battle is the Lords is now telling us it cannot employ just one or two of Rev. Owusu Bempahs omniscient angels to solve all our problems, including open defecation.

A boastful country sitting on a time-bomb, and in leaking begging-bowls, of open defecation and galamsey-driven pollution and political madness says it knows it all, even about not knowing what to do with open defecation.

Ghana, the Gateway to Africa!

The same Ghana Akufo-Addos plagiarized inaugural speech called Third World Standards.

That Ghana has beaten many countries to become the seventh dirtiest country in the world, and the second in Africa.

Ghana, the sixth fake drug producer in the world.

Thanks to Almighty Open Defecation.

Long story short, the Akufo-Addo-led government does not believe in this thing called foreign aid and should welcome the World Banks positionaccordingly!

In any case what have we been doing with our mineral resources, oil/gas, cocoa and so forth?

But then again we must always remember that open defecation is as much a national crises and responsibility as it is a personal problem and responsibility.

Oh yes, the World Bank itself has always been our open defecation.

And the World Banks sister institution, the predatory IMF?

Is open defecation what Akufo-Addo's plagiarized speech called "Third World Standards" or "First World Standards"?

Ghana, now under the leadership of property-owning open-defecation democrats.

How can Akufo-Addo use the same mouth for open defecation and the Battle is the Lords?

Those politicians who underperform must be forced to taste open defecation.

How about landlords who dont have toilets in their houses? And open defecators?

Well, Akufo-Addo should send his Invincible Forces to the nooks and crannies of the country to clean up the giant mess we call open defecation.

Must we expect more from these pseudo-democrats?

We shall return
Washington (AFP) - Russia is trying to expand its influence in Libya through a combination of military means and oil and weapons sales, a top US general said Friday.

General Thomas Tom Waldhauser, who heads the US military's Africa Command, said Russia is "on the ground" in the border region between Egypt and Libya.

"They are trying to influence the action, we watch what they do with great concern," Waldhauser told Pentagon reporters.

"In addition to the military side of this, we've seen some recent activity in business ventures -- whether it's oil, whether it's weapon sales that perhaps were stopped when the (Moamer) Kadhafi regime took place."

A US official this month told AFP that Moscow apparently has deployed military forces to a base in western Egypt.

The official said Russia appears to have sent special operations forces to an air base at Sid Barrani, which is located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of the Libyan border.

The Russian Defense Ministry has denied special forces were in Sidi Barrani, but the Kremlin has said Russia is interested in Libya's stabilization so the country "does not become a breeding ground for terrorist recruits."

Following the ouster and killing of dictator Kadhafi in 2011, an array of rivals has been vying for control of Libya.

The Government of National Accord currently is supported by the United States and the United Nations, but a rival administration in the country's far east has refused to cede power to the GNA.

That group is supported by strongman Khalifa Haftar, who has visited Russia, Waldhauser said.

"The Russians and Haftar, the linkage I think is undeniable at this point in time," he said.

The United States, which last year helped GNA forces push Islamic State fighters from the coastal town of Sirte, still has a small number of troops in Libya to "develop intelligence and take out targets when they arise," the general said.

He added that between 100 and 200 IS fighters remain in western Libya.

"They're staying off the communication lines, they don't want to surface and talk, they're just trying to maintain a presence," he said.
Nepali man dies falling off 23rd floor in Malaysia

A Nepali man died after falling off the 23rd floor of an under construction building in Putrajaya in Malaysia on Friday.
Do you know what a traditional attire of the Efik tribe consists of? What do they wear for festive occasions and where do these pieces of clothing originate from? You can learn all this here.

Efik traditional wedding attire

Efik people not only have a great history but also fabulous traditional clothes which make them stand out of the crowd. However, before we dive into the clothing items, lets talk more about the origin and lifestyle of the Efik people who shaped them into being who they are today.

Efik traditional wedding attire

Who are the Efik people?

The Efik people live in the Southern and Eastern parts of Nigeria. They say that they came here when were looking for places to settle down in the middle of the Cross River area. Apart from the Nigerian states, the Efik people also live in the territory of Cameroon, particularly that one which was previously occupied by Germany.

Later when these two territories were separated, the Efik people were split up politically. Later in 1954, they got their own autonomy which only increased the gap.

READ ALSO: Check out Becky and Nduese's spectacular wedding pictures

The work efik means to oppress as the people are known to be rather aggressive no matter what neighbors they had. These individuals speak their own Efik language which was officially established in 1812 after its orthography was described by King Eyo Nsa Honesty.

Efik traditional wedding attire

In fact, this was the first of numerous Nigerian languages which were use to translate the Bible into it fifty years after it got its written description, grammar rules, and other details essential to such a translation.

These people are very unique and have a very rich culture. Thus, no wonder, they have special Nigerian native attire styles which differ from those worn by the other ethnic groups. So, now, lets talk more about the Efik traditional attire and its different details you will find interesting.

Efik traditional dress

The dress a girl gets to wear on a regular basis is bright and unusual. It has so many colors and shades that you cannot even imagine. It takes a long time for professionals to create such dressed and it takes skillfulness and desire to outdo yourself to craft such a masterpiece.

The dresses are usually long and loose-fitting. Apart from that women often wear colorful beaded necklaces on top of these dressed which match the color of the dress and serve as an additional attention-grabber. Besides, an interesting fact is that women also wear special beaded shoes which match the rest of their general outfit.

Efik traditional wedding attire

Efik traditional wedding attire

Efik people have particular Efik traditional marriage attire which is different from what they wear on other occasions. Thus, they dress in such a beautiful and unique way that no other culture comes even close to them here.

Usually, Efik people choose outfits which would make them look as if they were a part of a royal family. Weddings are usually very intimate and held in the atmosphere of family bonds and values, but they dress up like they are going to have thousands of guests to impress with their looks.

Efik traditional wedding attire

Here is a short quote by a person familiar with the matter describing what an Efik bride would wear on her wedding day as a part of the Efik dressing suitable for the occasion.

READ ALSO: 7 beautiful Efik brides

Bear in mind that there are two types of marriage outfits for women from this ethnic group. The first one is known as the Ofod Ukod Anwang,  and it serves one goal to demonstrate what a beautiful lady the bride is.

Efik traditional wedding attire

This outfit consists of a skirt which goes as far as a knee of the bride, a blouse which goes as far as the knee of the lady. Then, she is also wearing a blouse which is not too long but reveals the brides waist. She is wearing lots of jewelry, beads, and even body paint.

In the meantime, there is another outfit you should know about. It is called Onyonyo, and it consists of a simple wide dress which is decorated with lots of beads.

Efik traditional wedding attire

However, you probably know the Efik female traditional attire for the unique hairstyle women have on their wedding day. They usually wear their special hairdos decorated with jewelry. They have special women weave different patterns out of their hair and add different unique items into the hair. It is only defined by the preferences of the bride herself.

However, they tend to add all types of royal-looking pins, combs, and brushes to emphasize the gorgeous look of a bride and the wealth along with the social status of her family.

Efik traditional wedding attire

Efik traditional wedding attire

This is all the information we wanted to introduce you to. For now, enjoy the beautiful pictures and explore the Efik culture and what they traditionally wear for festive occasions like weddings.

Source: Legit.ng
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) updates its website regularly as regards news and people currently being investigated or wanted for fraud.

Legit.ng brings you some of the people most wanted for crimes by the EFCC as posted on their website and their photos:

1. Aisha Shettima

Aisha Shettima is one of the many bankers convicted and on the run from the EFCC

Aisha Nur Shettima who is also known as Yagana Ibrahim Bukar is wanted by the EFCC for money laundering.

On November 14, 2016, Nur, a former banker, was convicted (in absentia) on a 10 count charge of money laundering and forgery.

READ ALSO: Magu cannot be acting EFCC chairman again - Senate

2. Durojaiye Ishola

Durojaiye Ishola is wanted for stealing

Durojaiye Ishola was born on November 12, 1970. The 47-year-old man is from Oyo state and wanted by the EFCC for conspiracy, forgery and stealing.

His last known address is 36, Mushin Road, Aye Bus-Stop, Isolo, Lagos.

3. Godwin Etim

Godwin Etim is wanted by the EFCC

The public is hereby notified that Godwin Etim whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for illegally dealing on petroleum products.

READ ALSO: Drama as EFCC lawyer is scolded for 'lying' in court

4. Shogbesan Ajoke Bolanle

Ajoke Bolanle is part of a team, most of who are currently on the run

Shogbesan Ajoke Bolanle who lived at No 10 Church Road, Sabon-Gari, Kano, is wanted in a case which involves conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and fraudulent transfer of funds.

The 38-year-old banker allegedly connived with eight others to fraudulently transfer millions of naira from a customers account.

5. Dekunle Abiodun Runsewe

Runsewe has been accused of conspiracy

46-year-old Dekunle Abiodun Runsewe who lived at No 10 Church Road, Sabon-Gari, Kano, is wanted in a case which involves conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and fraudulent transfer of funds.

6. Victoria Ishaya

Victoria Ishaya is part of an eight-man conspiracy

33-year-old Victoria Ishaya who lived at No 10 Church Road, Sabon-Gari, Kano, is wanted in a case which involves conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and fraudulent transfer of funds.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently made a video of a former NNPC director arrested for fraud, watch the video below:

Source: Legit.ng
Editor's note: Nigeria has been riddled religious conflict for a very long time which has threatened to tear the fabric of the countrys unity.

In this opinion by Abdulganiy Abdullah, he highlights some of the causes of religious conflict in the country and advocates for tolerance in order to foster peace

Introduction

It is worth noting that conflict and terrorism are two destructive and deteriorative variables everywhere in the Cosmo as no country would perceive or view conflict or terrorism to be of good outcome. It largely and mostly leads to destruction and hinders the development of a developing nation. Therefore this text will introduce the conceptualisation of conflict and terrorism to the entire readers and as well proffer possible solutions to religious conflict and terrorism in Nigeria.

Content

Conflict according to Merriam Webster is a strong disagreement between two individuals or groups. From this it could be categorically said that when clash of interest exists between two distinctive individuals or groups, conflict is believed to occur. Conflict exists in every part of the world as no country will attain total agreement, peace, and cooperation, Even within brothers of the same mother conflict exists and that is why Halarho 2016 posited that in every society there is always cooperation, conflict, and adjustment. From this, one can deduce that there is possibility adjustment occurs after conflict but not in all ramifications. The best option is that when conflict occurs, one should adjust and settle it before leading to mass killing and destruction.

READ ALSO: Osinbajo, El-Rufai meet briefly at Kaduna Airport

Terrorism on the one hand is the use of violent act to frighten and disturb people in an area. Terrorism stems out from unresolved conflict.

In other words, terrorism is the consequence and result of unsettled conflict.

Religious Conflict therefore presupposes the act of strong disagreement between two or more religious groups or bodies. For instance when there is a disagreement between the Muslims of Kano and its Christians that occurrence is said to be religious conflict.

As it has been stated that terrorism is the result of unsettled conflict, invariably religious terrorism will also be the consequence of unresolved religious conflict.

Causes of religious conflict and terrorism in Nigeria:

-Provocative statements

-Protect religious/self interest

-Blind imitation of religious leaders

-Misinterpretation of scriptural verses

Consequences of religious conflict and terrorism in Nigeria

-Division of a united nation

-Destruction of a nation -mass death

-Fear of entering religious places

-Mistrust of religious leaders

READ ALSO: Osinbajo visits Abia after meeting with Governor El-Rufai in Kaduna

Possible solutions to religious conflict and terrorism in Nigeria

-Tolerance

-Perfect understanding of scriptures as no religion preaches conflict and terrorism

-Prevention of provocative statements

Conclusion

Religious Conflict is a constant phenomenon but can be reduced if the aforementioned procedures are followed and effectively used.

Source: Legit.ng
- For more than one years, Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, has been in detention for alleged treason

- Peter Obi, the immediate past governor of Anambra state, has stated reasons why the IPOB leader should be freed immediately

Immediate past governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, has joined other top Igbo leaders currently demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention for more than a year

Nnadmi Kanu has spent over a year in detention on charges of treason. Some courts have ruled that he be granted bail but this has not been allegedly respected by the federal government.

While speaking with journalists in Enugu on Thursday, March 23, 2017, Obi noted that the use of force cannot win the current tension between the Igbos and the federal government.

READ ALSO: Certificate scandal: I have been abandoned, people no longer call me for important functions - Dino Melaye

According to him, the best way to resolve the tension is through dialogue.

I wish to appeal to the Federal Government to change its hardline posture on this issue and yield to the persistent clamour for the release of Nnamdi Kanu and other Biafra activists so as to douse the tension in the country, especially in the soth-east and south-south geopolitical zones.

The federal government should engage them in dialogue.

Every agitation in the world is resolved through dialogue and not by means of force.

This has been my consistent position, and I remember making the same point when I spoke at an event organised in Enugu in February 2016 by the Igbo Youth Movement, Obi said warning the federal government to realise that the agitators in the eastern part of the country have their rights as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.

To the best of my knowledge, the agitation for Biafra is not violent and does not violate either the Nigerian constitution or international laws.

Peter Obi says Nnamdi Kanu must be released immediately

I, therefore, condemn the use of force against the agitators.

READ ALSO: Kanus lawyer writes Buhari, demands the release of IPOB leader

The fact that they had been granted bails that were not obeyed makes it even more pertinent to set them free now."

We are in a democratic regime and it is important that the rule of law should be obeyed no matter whose case is involved, he said noting that Nnamdi Kanu and others had been granted bail by some courts.

Many Nigerians who reacted expressed belief that Biafra as a country would be achieved.

Source: Legit.ng
- A teenage boy has been killed by the stray bullets of soldiers in Benue state

- Some other persons also sustained injuries in the incident

- The soldiers reportedly engaged local vigilantes in a duel to free suspected herdsmen

A cloud of tension and fear hangs over Benue state, even as tears again flow, following the death of a teenage boy killed by soldiers stray bullets in Jato Aka village.

Several others were reportedly wounded in the incident which stemmed from an altercation between soldiers attached to the 707 Special Forces Brigade in Makurdi, and a vigilance group.

The Guardian reports that it all began when a vigilance group arrested some gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

Just In: Tears flow in Benue, as soldiers' stray bullet kills teenager, injures others

According to a source in the village, the suspects were said to have called some soldiers stationed in Kashimbila camp whose attempt to forcibly free them was resisted by the youths.

This, the source added, led the soldiers to shoot into air to disperse the crowed, leading to the death of the boy, whose name was given as Ayem Atume. The late boy, a student, was said to be taking his lunch in his compound near the scene of the incident when the bullet killed him.

The tragedy has reportedly created tension in the village as it happened a day after some unidentified gunmen in military uniform attacked a yam market in Zaki Biam, in Ukum Local Council area, killing many people.

Others who reportedly sustained injuries in the attack were Gbenda Lukera, Orngu Aondoga, Kator Atime, Aondongu Amenga, Terseer Deban Igbalumun Sam Aya and two others yet to be identified.

When the police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, was contacted for confirmation, he referred our correspondent to the army spokesperson. The army representative, Major Olabisi Ayeni, who is an Assistant Director, 707 Army Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi, confirmed the incident.

He explained that some youths had mounted an illegal roadblock on the Jato-Taraba road and arrested some innocent road users. He said: They were indiscriminately lynching the suspects on the allegation that they were Fulani herdsmen. When our soldiers got a distress call, they moved into the scene and were able to rescue seven of the people whom we evacuated to our base in Jato.

While this was going on, the aggrieved youths regrouped and surrounded the military base camp, demanding that the seven commuters be handed over to them. They became aggressive by throwing stones into the camp and later fired gunshots., which killed the boy and destroyed our operational vehicles. Olabisi denied the claim that the troops were protecting the Fulani herdsmen

This development is coming on the his of reports that a police special forces team has landed in Benue to ensure tranquility in the state.

Legit.ng had earlier reported that the death toll between 10th to 20th March has risen to 60 in Benue state, following alleged attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

A special tactical force assigned by the Nigerias police chief, Ibrahim K Idris, to deal with the continuing violence, has landed in the state.

The police special tactical force is to comprise of Police Mobile Force (PMF specially trained Anti Riot Policemen), Counter Terrorism Units, Conventional Policemen, Special Anti Robbery Squad, SIB, detachment of EOD, Police K9 (Sniffer Dogs Section), Police Air wing (Aerial Surveillance Helicopters) and other undercover operatives.

According to a police statement obtained by Legit.ng, the police special tactical force is led by the commissioner of police in charge of PMF, Force Headquarters in Abuja, under the supervision of deputy Inspector General of Police, department of operations.

Ben Ahmed, the leader, assured people of the state on Thursday, March 23, that the situation will be brought under control.

Source: Legit.ng
- Babatunde Fashola applauded Fayose's project in Ekiti

- He said the governor was collaborating well with the federal government

- Fayose described the minister's visit as timely

Babatunde Fashola who is the minister of power works and housing has applauded Governor Ayodele Fayose when the duo inspected some projects in Ekiti.

The Punch reports that the minister also berated the federal controller of works in Ekiti State, Hezekiah Kehinde, for siting the ongoing national housing project in a location far from the heart of Ado Ekiti.

Some of the ongoing projects in Ekiti

READ ALSO: Daura youths warn Governor Fayose over attacks on President Buhari

Fashola said sitting the project in an insecure location was not right.

He however applauded Fayose for executing some projects along federal roads describing it as the kind of collaboration that should be emulated by other states with the federal government.

He particularly pointed out the expansion of the Ado-Akure highway at Ikere Ekiti as a great project.

He said: We saw all the projects being executed by the state government; this is the kind of collaboration that the Federal Government welcomes. What is important is how much service we deliver to the people we are to serve. Of course, roads are shared among the tiers of government, but what is important is the service to the people.

In the area of housing, the state ought to lead, but there is nothing wrong with the Federal Government coming in to support. It will create job opportunities for different categories of people and it will boost the local economy too.

The minister said Kehinde should have given a professional advice to the state on the location of the housing project.

We will have to discuss a possible relocation of this place when I get to Abuja. You said you were given this site, even if this is where the government had allocated for it, I expect you to give a professional advice that this place is not likely to be suitable.

He controller however said he made attempt to reach the governor to no avail.

Fayose applauded the visit of the minister and noted that it was timely considering the projects ongoing along the Ado-Aramoko-Ita Ure and Ado-Ikere-Akure roads.

READ ALSO: Daura youths warn Governor Fayose over attacks on President Buhari

He faulted the claim by the controller that he tried to reach him.

Fayose said: You said you came to my office and you didnt see me, why couldnt you make effort to send a message? I was not even aware that such a project was ongoing in that far area.

We have submitted our papers and I think the Federal Government will pay us when it is convenient. The minister had done on-the-spot assessments, he knows the situation and what we expect is the rehabilitation of these dilapidated roads and Ekiti is ready to partner in this regard.

Source: Legit.ng
- Senator Dino Melaye is in a web of scandal over his academic qualification

- The Senator claimed he graduated from several universities

- The LSE said there was no record of his name in the school

Senator Dino Melayes current scandal concerning his academic qualification took another wrong turn after the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) denied that he got a degree from the institution.

The senator from Kogi has been accused of not graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University where he studied geography although he has insisted that he did while also claiming that he has several degrees from various universities in Nigeria and abroad.

READ ALSO: Saraki, Senators move to suspend ex-majority leader Ndume

Senator Ali Ndume had raised a point of order asking the Senate to probe the allegation that Melaye did not graduate from ABU as claimed.

In response, Melaye had lashed out at the Senator saying not only did he graduate from Abu but claimed he also has a degree from Harvard.

He had said: I and here to respond to the issue raised by the Boko Haram suspect (and) senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ali Ndume. I want to say, to me, it is a welcome development. Democracy is about investigation and no senator is above investigation. To me, it is a welcome development and it will finally clear the air on all the malicious and vindictive allegations.

To say that I did not graduate from ABU is to say that I am not a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ABU is a very prestigious university in this country and it is not possible for one to be running a masters programme in the university when one did not graduate from a university. I have successfully completed one and I am doing the second one.

I want to announce that this is the eighth degree that I am pursuing. I am also a graduate of University of Abuja, where I did Masters in Policy Analysis. I am a graduate of London School of Economics and Political Science. I am also a graduate of Harvard University. The course I am pursuing now will make it my eighth degree.

READ ALSO: Just In: Tears flow in Benue, as soldiers' stray bullet kills teenager, injures others

According to Sahara Reporters however, the LSE denied that the Melaye attended the institution.

Candy Gibson who is the senior media relations officer at the institution said: We have checked our records and can find no evidence of Dino Melaye having any degree qualification from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

This is coming just as Harvard University also said he did not obtain a degree but only did a one-week course.

Some persons who commented on the issue urged the senator who publish his certificate

Source: Legit.ng
Probe into Maleth incident begins

A parliamentary team has arrived in Saptari district to investigate into the Maleth clash that claimed five lives.
- President Buhari has ordered the sack of a permanent secretary accused of awarding fake contracts to himself

- The permanent secretary was appointed by President Buhari in 2015

- The permanent secretary was said to have presided over the affairs of one of the strategic ministries handling intervention programmes in the country until his dismissal

President Buhari has ordered the sack of a permanent secretary accused of awarding fake contracts to himself

President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked a Permanent Secretary who has been allegedly defrauding the Federal Government through the award of fake contracts worth billions of Naira to himself.

The permanent secretary, who was appointed by Buhari in 2015, was relieved of his duties on the orders of the President on Tuesday.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Dogara fires 22 ad-hoc committee chairmen

Legit.ng learnt that two police officers drove the sacked permanent secretary from the Federal Secretariat.

Meanwhile, according to Vanguard, President Buhari ordered the immediate sack of the top civil servant following evidence that he awarded contracts to companies belonging to him.

The yet-to -be named permanent secretary was said to have presided over the affairs of one of the strategic ministries handling intervention programmes in the country until his dismissal.

It was reported that key officials of the ministry, who got wind of the dishonest activities of the permanent secretary alerted security agencies to the mans shady dealings.

According to one of the security agency officials who handled the investigation of the sacked permanent secretary: We have been monitoring the man and the various companies being used by him to siphon huge sums of money from the ministry, which handles intervention programmes in the Niger Delta region but he has been very smart and suspicious of our movement, thereby making it impossible for us to arrest him despite the ambush we laid for him and his cronies, one of the operatives told Vanguard last night.

READ ALSO: Just In: Tears flow in Benue, as soldiers' stray bullet kills teenager, injures others

He said: But Mr. President did not waste time in asking the Head of Service of the Federation to sack the man with immediate effect as soon as he got to know that the man had used over 500 companies to award fake contracts to himself and move huge sums of money from the ministry in question.

In fact, the discovery of the large scale fraud in the ministry, which has suffered a lot of project failure and the subsequent sacking of the permanent secretary by Mr. President, followed painstaking investigation by the anti-corruption agencies, which will soon charge the man to court, the source added.

Meanwhile, despite the return of President Buhari back to the country, Nigerians continue to react to his home coming in the video below by Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng
- The comptroller general of the Nigerian Customs Service Hameed Ali has released number to help motorist verify their papers

- The numbers released by the customs could be used to reach the NCS help desk fir immediate confirmation of vehicle duty papers

Customs boss Hameed Ali has released three number to help Nigerians verify their vehicle duty papers

Despite his recent brawl with the Nigerian Senate on the verification of vehicle papers by the Nigeria Customs Service, the comptroller general of the service Hameed Ali has released number to help motorist verify their papers.

Legit.ng gathered that the three numbers released by the customs could be used to reach the NCS help desk fir immediate confirmation of vehicle duty papers.

READ ALSO: London School of Economics reacts to Dino Melaye's claim of attending the institution

The numbers to call for the verification are: 09-4621597, 09-4621598, 09-4621599.

Ali also noted that those interested in verifying the genuineness of their papers or intend to buy vehicles from dealers can also take advantage of the new approach of verification.

Likely, if you want to buy a vehicle used by an individual in Nigeria the numbers can also be called to easy verification before purchase.

READ ALSO: About 20 workers escape death as Speakers house collapses

The Nigerian customs advised individuals who intend to use the verification approach to make the following information available to the service: the C-Number of the vehicle, the year of payment, the command duty.

"As you are reading out the C- Number on the top right of the Single Goods Declaration (SGD) and giving the year of payment and the Command (where the duty was paid), the information are being keyed in for prompt answer that will enable you make appropriate purchase decision," the Nigerian Customs Service said.

READ ALSO: Exposed: How Saraki rewarded director involved in Range Rover scandal

The service added that the NCS under the leadership of Ali is determined to explore ways of easing customs processes and procedures in the interest of the general public.

Watch this Legit.ng video of an experience on the Abuja-Kaduna railway below:

Source: Legit.ng
Taiwan top court hears landmark gay marriage case

A panel of judges at Taiwan's top court are hearing a case that could make the island the first place in Asia to introduce gay marriage.
President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated 27 people as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He sent the names to the Nigerian Senate for approval.

The letter from Buhari requesting the confirmation of the 27 nominees was read on Thursday, March 23, by Senate president Bukola Saraki.

READ ALSO: London School of Economic denies Melaye attended institution

The letter read: In compliance with the provisions of Section 14 (3) (a) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I write to request the confirmation of the following nominees for appointment as Resident Electoral Commissioners.

Legit.ng brings you the full list of 27 nominees and their states:

Godswill Obioma, Abia (new appointment) Ibrahim Abdullahi, Adamawa (new appointment) Ahmed Makama, Bauchi (reappointment) James Apam, Benue (new appointment) Mike Igini, Delta (reappointment) Nwachukwu Orji, Ebonyi (new appointment) Iloh Chuks, Enugu (new appointment) Hussaini Pai, FCT (reappointment) Sadiq Musa, Kaduna (reappointment) Jibrin Zarewa, Kano (reappointment) Asmau Maikudi, Katsina (new appointment) Mahmuda Isah Kebbi (new appointment) Samuel Egwu, Kogi (new appointment) Rufus Akeju, Lagos (reappointment) Mustapha Zubairu, Niger (new appointment) Agboke Olaleke, Ogun (new appointment) Sam Olumekun, Ondo (reappointment) Abdulganiyu Raji, Oyo (new appointment) Riskuwa Shehu, Sokoto (new appointment) Kasim Geidam, Yobe (reappointment) Bello Mahmud, Zamfara (new appointment) Nentawe Yilwada, Plateau (new appointment) Umar Ibrahim, Taraba (new appointment) Emeka Joseph, Imo (new appointment) Obo Effanga, Cross River (new appointment) Francis Ezeonu, Anambra (new appointment) Briyai Frankland, Bayelsa (new appointment)

READ ALSO: Customs boss Hameed Ali releases 3 numbers for verification of vehicle papers

The constitution states that each state must have a Resident Electoral Commissioner and it is Buharis prerogative to appoint them.

Report has it that not less than 33 states of the federation do not have RECs, who head the operations of the Independent National Electoral Commission at sub-national units.

READ ALSO: FEC approves N80bn for road projects in 12 states (see list)

With the nomination of 27 people, six states will still not have RECs.

Some INEC officials appeared before a Federal High Court Abuja over allegations of bribery and corruption during the Rivers state rerun election.

Source: Legit.ng
Babatunde Fashola, the minister of power, works and housing, has inspected the Omotosho Generation Company Limited's Generation Plant in Ondo state.

Fashola and his team inspected the plant which is located at Omotosho in Okitipupa Local Government Area (LGA).

Fashola storms Ondo state for crucial power inspection

Legit.ng gathered that the people within the region have not properly benefited from the availability of plant, in that, they have been without electricity for the past 3 years.

Fashola's visit was part of the minister's itinerary for "Day One" of his inspection tour of highway projects in the South-west zone of the country.

Fashola storms Ondo state for crucial power inspection

Recall that Fashola was in Ekiti state on Thursday, March 23, where he lauded the efforts of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

The minister applauded Fayose when the duo inspected some projects within the state.

Legit.ng reported that the minister also berated the federal controller of works in Ekiti State, Hezekiah Kehinde, for siting the ongoing national housing project in a location far from the heart of Ado Ekiti.

Fashola storms Ondo state for crucial power inspection

Fashola said sitting the project in an insecure location was not right.

He however applauded Fayose for executing some projects along federal roads describing it as the kind of collaboration that should be emulated by other states with the federal government.

Fashola storms Ondo state for crucial power inspection

Legit.ng recently went about inquiring from Nigerians what they feel about the performance of this present government, below is a video of what Nigerians feel.

Source: Legit.ng
UML finalises candidate selection criteria

The main opposition CPN-UML has finalised the criteria to select partys candidates for the local elections scheduled for May 14.
Following the unending mystery that trailed the death of Dr Allwell Orji, the doctor who reportedly jumped into the Lagos lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge, the police has allegedly rescued a woman who tried jumping into the lagoon from the same bridge.

Police rescues woman who allegedly tried jumping into the lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge

The news of the death of Dr Orji rocked every nook and cranny of the society as people kept wondering what could have made the doctor do it and the things that could have been done to avert it.

While people are yet to come to terms with the incident, another woman purportedly tried taking her own life on the Third Mainland Bridge on Friday, March 24.

READ ALSO: Young lady shows off armpit and belly hairs, her reasons will leave you stunned

According to PM news, the Lagos state police command rescued one woman identified as Taiwo Titilayo Momoh when she tried jumping into the lagoon from the popular bridge.

Fatai Owoseni, the Lagos state police commissioner, having a discussion with the 58-year-old woman who attempted suicide.

Fatai Owoseni, the Lagos state commissioner of police, stated that Momoh was going towards Oworonshoki when she asked the driver of the taxi to stop on the bridge.

The 58-year-old woman was about to jump into the lagoon when a police patrol team saw her and rushed to stop her from taking her life.

She attempted suicide by attempting to jump into the Lagoon around Oworonshoki inward Mainland on Third Mainland Bridge. Unfortunately for her, she was rescued. The woman was in a taxi and alighted on the bridge and wanted to commit suicide by jumping into the Lagoon.

The police patrol team sighted her and rushed to rescue her before she jumped into the Lagoon, he said.

The commissioner revealed that she was depressed as a result of the debt she has incurred from unpaid loans. From his interaction with her, he said she insisted on taking her life again.

Owoseni stated that it was wrong for her to try to take her own life. It is also an offence under the law according to him. He said the police would try to talk the woman out of it.

Momoh, the textile trader revealed that she attempted suicide because of the N18.7 million debt she owed her Swiss partner.

The commissioner of police also said the subject would be made to go through post-trauma programme in order to drive the thought of committing suicide far from her mind. He also revealed that the police would conduct a medical evaluation on her in order to know the real state of her mind.

READ ALSO: FEC approves N80bn for road projects in 12 states (see list)

Legit.ng gathered that the commissioner of police was embittered with the situation of things in the nation as he considered the rate at which people try to take their own lives now. He found it worrisome and said the police has started working on the bridges in the state in order to minimize the number of cases that may sprout in the nearest future.

Owoseni further said it has become an offence for people to walk on bridges in Lagos state;he also said no vehicle would be allowed to stop on the bridges again in order to prevent such incidents.

Right now, the woman is still in trauma and she still insists that she wants to end her life, he said.

Many people from media houses tried taking her picture while as she was being accompanied into a waiting vehicle of the police. She reacted to this by asking them not to as she was ot a criminal.

Recall that Mudashiru Obasa, a speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly gave reasons people would continue to take their lives. He dissected the situation and came up with solutions.

Check out how Nigerians reacted to the news below:

1. Lagos people and their wahala...

2. No hope for survival?

3. Why is it always the Lagos lagoon?

More updates to follow shortly.

Meanwhile, a vulcaniser presumed dead during the Hausa and Yoruba clash in Ile-Ife has debunked the news of his death. Watch the video from Legit.ng TV below to get more news about the state of things there:

Source: Legit.ng
Forbes has once again released the billionaires list. The list for the year 2017 has many surprises, with many people dropping, while others have risen in the ranks.

Legit.ng made a list of the richest Nigerians on the list, especially the drop of Aliko Dangote. Below is the list of the 12 wealthiest women in the world as at March 2017 according to Forbes:

1. Liliane Bettencourt (#14 on Forbes)

Liliane Bettencourt suffers from dementia

The world's richest woman, Bettencourt owns 33% of makeup giant L'Oreal with her children. Her father, Eugene Schueller, founded the cosmetics empire in 1907.

Her father, Eugene Schueller, founded the cosmetics empire in 1907. The elderly widow, who suffers from dementia, was replaced on L'Oreal's board by a grandson in 2012.

2. Alice Walton (#17 on Forbes)

Alice Walton is the heiress of Walmart

Alice Walton is the only daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. She has focused on curating art, rather than working for Wal-Mart like her siblings, Rob and Jim.

In 2011 she opened the Crystal Bridges museum in the family's hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. Crystal Bridges features works from the likes of Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell and Mark Rothko.

Her personal art collection is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

3. Jacqueline Mars (#26 on Forbes)

Jacqueline Mars is the CEO of the world's largest candymaker, Mars

Jacqueline Mars owns a third of the world's largest candymaker, Mars Inc., the company her grandfather started in his kitchen in 1911.

Mars owns five billion-dollar pet brands, including Iams and Whiskas, and in January 2017 agreed to pay $7.7 billion for VCA Inc., an operator of nearly 800 animal hospitals and 137 pet day care centers.

Jacqueline joined the family business in 1982, where she oversaw the development and marketing of new food products. She retired in 2001 but remained on the board until 2016.

READ ALSO: Who is the richest woman in Africa? - Top 5

4. Maria Franca Fissolo (#29 on Forbes)

Maria Franca Fissolo's husband is known to be the founder of the chocolate manufacturing company, Ferrero Spa

Maria Franca Fissolo is the widow of Michele Ferrero, who built Ferrero Group into one of the world's leading sweets companies, best known for its iconic Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread, Kinder chocolates and Tic-Tac mints.

Ferrero died in February 2015, but the family business lives on. Her son Giovanni, who took over as co-CEO in 1987, continues to lead the company and has reiterated plans to keep it in family hands.

5. Susanne Klatten (#38 on Forbes)

Susanne Klatten inherited BMW from her parents

Susanne Klatten ranks as Germany's richest woman thanks primarily to the interests she inherited in automaker BMW from her deceased parents, Herbert and Johanna Quandt. Susanne and her brother, Stefan Quandt, together own almost 50% of BMW.

6. Laurene Powell Jobs (#40 on Forbes)

Laurene Powell Jobs is Steve Jobs widow

Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, is founder and chair of the Emerson Collective, an organization that uses entrepreneurship to advance social reform and to assist under-resourced students.

She also cofounded College Track, a nonprofit program that helps disadvantaged students prepare for and graduate from college.

READ ALSO: 7 richest female fashion designers in Nigeria

7. Gina Rinehart (#69 on Forbes)

Gina Rinehart is Australia's richest citizen

Gina Rinehart is Australia's richest citizen but her wealth is built on iron ore and her fortune can either jump or plummet depending on the price of the commodity.

The daughter of a high-profile iron-ore explorer, Lang Hancock, Rinehart took her late father's bankrupted estate and rebuilt it into something much larger.

8. Abigail Johnson (#75 on Forbes)

Abigail Johnson is CEO of Fidelity Investments

Her grandfather Edward Johnson II founded mutual fund giant Fidelity Investments in 1946. She worked summers at Fidelity through college and joined full-time as an analyst in 1988 after receiving a Harvard M.B.A.

She took over as CEO in 2014 and chairman in 2016 and owns an estimated 24% stake of the firm, which has $2.1 trillion in managed assets.

9. Iris Fontbona (#84 on Forbes)

Iris Fontbona and her 3 sons manage a chain of businesses

Iris Fontbona is the widow of Andronico Luksic, who built a fortune in mining and beverages before dying of cancer in 2005.

He left his businesses to Fontbona and their three sons: Jean-Paul, Andronico and Guillermo (who died of lung cancer in 2013 of at age 57).

Fontbona and her children control Antofagasta Plc, which trades on the London Stock Exchange and owns copper mines in Chile.

Fontbona and her children also own a majority stake in Quinenco, a publicly-traded Chilean conglomerate active in banking, beer, manufacturing, energy, transportation and port services.

Their other assets include two chains of hotels in Croatia, Adriatic Luxury Resorts and Laguna Porec.

10. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken (#95 on Forbes)

Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken inherited Heineken from her husband

De Carvalho-Heineken is one of the world's richest women thanks to her 23% controlling stake in Heineken.

Now an executive director, she inherited the stake in 2002 from her late father, longtime CEO Freddy Heineken.

11. Blair Parry-Okeden (#105 on Forbes)

Blair Parry Okeden is the granddaughter of James Cox

Blair Parry-Okeden is the granddaughter of James M. Cox, who founded what has become Cox Enterprises, an automotive and media conglomerate.

James, failed Democratic presidential candidate in 1920 and started the company. Parry-Okeden's stepfather ran it for a time, and now her brother, Jim, a billionaire in his own right, manages the massive firm.

12. Massimiliana Landini Aleotti (#133 on Forbes)

Massimiliana Landini Aleotti is connected to Italy's leading drug companies

Massimiliana Landini Aleotti and her three children inherited medical giant Menarini from her late husband, Alberto Aleotti, who passed away in May 2014 at age 91.

Alberto built Menarini into one of Italy's leading drug companies, with 14 manufacturing sites around the world and more than 16,000 employees.

Legit.ng recently covered a protest by Nigerian women, watch the video below:

Source: Legit.ng
- The Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha on Friday, March 24, said there is a need to Nigerian to unify against all odds and happenings in the country

- Okorocha said in the spirit of reconciliation, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu should be forgiven

- The governor said this while receiving the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who was en-route to Abia state for a stakeholders consultation in the Niger Delta region

Governor Okorocha sympathized with Nnamdi Kanu

The Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha on Friday, March 24, said there is a need to Nigerian to unify against all odds and happenings in the country.

Speaking to journalists while receiving the vice president Yemi Osinbajo who was en-route to Abia state from Imo Airport, Okorocha said in the spirit of reconciliation, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu should be forgiven.

The Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha has said there is a need for Nigerians to unify against all odds

READ ALSO: London School of Economics reacts to Dino Melaye's claim of attending the institution Scandal!

Legit.ng gathered that Osinbajo was received by Okorocha alongside the Imo state deputy governor Prince Madumere, the minister among other dignitaries.

Governor Okorocha said Kanu acted out of youth exuberance

He was slated to attend the stakeholders consultation across states in the Niger Delta region.

READ ALSO: You lied! Nnamdi Kanu never insulted elders, IPOB blasts Governor Okorocha

According to the Facebook Page of the Imo state Liaison office in Abuja, the governor said, although the IPOB leader exhibited some youthful exuberance while making his agitation for the freedom of Biafra, now is the time for reconciliation.

Governor Okorocha called for national reconciliation

READ ALSO: Apostle Suleman adultery scandal: Daniella Okeke finally breaks her long silence, read what she had to say

What he is agitating for, is what others are agitating for too. But he used the wrong language and insulted leaders including myself. But this is the time for national reconciliation," Okorocha said.

See the Facebook post below:

Watch Legit.ng video of Nnamdi Kanu speaking in court below:

Source: Legit.ng
Visit important in furthering ties: PM

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that his visit to China is important in furthering the bilateral ties with the northern neighbor.
WASHINGTON  The two Islamic extremist groups that claimed responsibility for the assault on the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali on Friday are among the most dangerous and resilient in a hodgepodge of terrorist organizations in northwest Africa that have ties to nomadic tribesmen as well as Al Qaeda.

One of the groups, Al Mourabitoun, based in the ungoverned triangle of desert between Libya, Mali and Niger, was founded by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed mastermind of the 2013 terrorist seizure of an Algerian gas plant that left 38 foreign hostages dead. Frances defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said Mr. Belmokhtar was likely behind Fridays deadly attack.

The other group, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is the Qaeda offshoot on the southern flank of the Sahara stretching from Senegal to Chad. Until Friday, it had been largely eclipsed on the jihadist landscape in Africa in recent years by Boko Haram in Nigeria and Mr. Belmokhtars fighters. But the Qaeda wing most likely still has millions of dollars in ransoms from kidnapped Westerners, making it one of the wealthiest Qaeda franchises.
BEIJING  Three senior executives of a Chinese state-owned rail construction company and six Russian employees of a cargo company were among the 19 victims of the gunmen who attacked a hotel in the capital of the West African nation of Mali.

The three Chinese victims, all men, were killed at the start of the siege of the hotel, their employer, China Railway Construction said Saturday. The six Russian men, employees of the airline Volga-Dnepr, were killed in the hotel restaurant when the gunman first opened fire, according to Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Israels Foreign Ministry said Saturday that an Israeli man had also been killed in the attack but that officials still needed to gather evidence before confirming his identity. An American aid worker and two Belgians were among other foreigners killed.

The Chinese Embassy in the Malian capital, Bamako, said that seven Chinese citizens, all of them on business trips, were inside the Radisson Blu Hotel at the time of the attack on Friday. Four were rescued with the help of French special forces, the embassy said.
When Time magazine published the transcript of an interview with President Trump on Thursday, many readers zeroed in on a particular detail: his insistence that his continued allegations of wiretapping by President Barack Obama were corroborated by a headline and an article in The New York Times, which he claimed the newspaper subsequently changed.

The New York Times had a front-page story, which they actually reduced, they took it, they took it the word wiretapping out of the title, but its first story in the front page of the paper was wiretapping, Mr. Trump said, according to the Time article. They changed the title. They took the wiretap word out.

As Times reporter Linda Qiu explained, The Times did not change the headline. Rather, the version of the story that appeared in print, on Jan. 20, had a different headline from the one published online the night before. (Andrew C. McCarthy, a columnist for National Review, made the same mistake this month, and subsequently issued an apology to The Times.)

Headlines in the newspaper differ from digital ones more often than not, for a variety of reasons. Generally, The Times publishes articles on its website first, before they are printed in the following days newspaper. Editors are afforded more freedom with the digital version of a headline, because theyre not constrained by the space available on a given page. Often we have to boil down a lengthy web head to three lines just a column wide, which can mean just six words, said Lew Serviss, a senior news editor at The Times. (That was the case in the instance of the January article.) The Times has strict standards, too, for how a headline breaks across multiple lines; each line should contain a complete thought, without separating a preposition and object or an adverb and verb, for example.
Mayor Bill de Blasio walked out on his own news conference on Thursday without answering any questions, irked that reporters were not asking what he wanted them to ask.

In an extraordinary test of wills with the City Hall press corps, Mr. de Blasio refused to respond to questions that might ordinarily be considered well within the bounds of what the mayor of New York City would be expected to address. He was asked about the murder of a black man who police said was stabbed to death in Manhattan by a white man who had come to the city to harm black people, and the arrest in Israel of a man accused of making a string of telephone threats against Jewish community centers and other sites in the United States.

The mayor had called reporters to a chilly block of East 56th Street to make a pitch about his proposal for a so-called mansion tax on the sale of apartments or houses of more than $2 million, to pay for rent relief for older New Yorkers. The plan would need approval by the state legislature and is seen as having little hope of success in a State Senate that has generally responded with hostility to both new taxes and the mayors initiatives.

Against the backdrop of a luxury high-rise (with a handwritten sign in one window reading, De Blasio doesnt care about the working middle class), the mayor spoke about the tax over the din of construction, passing trucks and a heckler who shouted, Everyone hates you, de Blasio!
Student protesters held up signs saying No Eugenicists on Campus and Eugenics Is a Fascists Favorite Subject as Charles Murray, the conservative scholar, spoke at New York University on Friday afternoon, but his talk proceeded, interrupted only by the chants of annoyance coming from outside the building.

The event, along with an even quieter appearance at Columbia on Thursday evening, offered a contrast with Mr. Murrays more raucous reception at Middlebury College in Vermont this month. There, violent demonstrations led to a planned onstage interview being conducted via live stream and to a professor sustaining a concussion as she tried to protect Mr. Murray from protesters, events that came to symbolize to some the unwillingness of elite college students to engage with those with whom they disagree.

Mr. Murray, a political scientist and libertarian, is known mostly for his 1994 book, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life, written with Richard J. Herrnstein, which argued that economic and social success in America is partly a matter of genetics. The book did not advocate the practice of eugenics.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has called Mr. Murray a white nationalist, a label others have disputed.
Works on 30MW Nyadi Hyropower Project commence

Construction of the 30 MW Nyadi Hydropower Project on Nyadi River at Bahundanda of Lamjung has begun. Zhejiang Hydropower Construction and Installation Co, the Chinese company which was awarded the construction contract on January, began the construction amid a formal programme at the project site on Thursday.
Draped in the clouds of his white spacesuit, James Harris Jackson, 28, trim light hair above a shaved, doughy face, was led in handcuffs out of a police station house in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday morning, then driven downtown for his arraignment.

Prosecutors say Mr. Jackson traveled to New York from Baltimore with a single intention, that of killing black men  no one in particular, just blacks in general  and that he plunged an 18-inch blade into Timothy Caughman, 66, late on Monday evening.

In December 2014, a little more than two years ago, another person crazed over color came to New York, also from Baltimore, and made his way to Brooklyn. That man, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, walked up to the passenger-side window of a police car parked in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn and emptied a silver semiautomatic handgun, killing officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. A few minutes later, Mr. Brinsley turned his gun on himself as he was chased into a subway station. His fixation was neither black, white nor any other hues of human skin; it was blue.

Same motive, different weaponry.

Mr. Jackson, the authorities say, is a white supremacist obsessed with black men mixing with white women; Mr. Brinsley proclaimed himself an avenger of black lives cut down by police officers, and on social media declared his intention to kill some.
Since he was a boy he has hated black men. A bitter hatred of black men that boiled in his mind and consumed him. Then last week, apparently, he decided to kill them.

This was the mind-set investigators say they gathered of James Harris Jackson, a morose and seemingly directionless 28-year-old white man who lived in Baltimore and had been having trouble getting rooted since leaving the Army. He had registered few obvious traces of who he was and what he stood for. Those who intersected with him found him to be a disagreeable and solitary figure who waved away contact with others.

By all accounts, Timothy Caughman, 66, was a benevolent man content with an unassuming life. He lived in a former single room occupancy residence that had been his longtime home. The son of a home health care aide and a pastor, he had worked in antipoverty programs in Queens. Religion and philosophy were constants in his conversations over unhurried meals of turkey bacon and grits at local diners. In recent years, he had caught the familiar New York infatuation with celebrities and delighted in collecting their autographs and pictures.

On St. Patricks Day, Mr. Jackson boarded a bus in Washington and rode it to New York. There were black men everywhere, and he told investigators he contemplated going elsewhere, but settled on New York because of the flood of media there. His goal was to draw the widest possible attention to his murderous plan.
Integrating feminism into our marketing is not a ploy, and its not exploitative; its a reclamation of how brands treat and speak to women, proclaimed Miki Agrawal, a founder of Thinx, in a Medium post last year.

But last week, Thinx, the period-proof underwear and feminine hygiene company based in New York, entered the growing canon of employers that have been accused of failing to live up to their socially conscious branding. Former Thinx employees, many of them women in their 20s and 30s, allege some very un-feminist practices, including substandard pay, verbal abuse and sexual harassment. Thinx has denied the harassment allegations, made by a former employee in a legal complaint, and says other allegations about the companys culture are inaccurate. Still, the story of Thinx has broader implications for all workers.

Some former employees saw their experiences at Thinx as personal betrayals, given the companys ethos of female empowerment, Racked reported. The initial maternity leave policy  just two weeks at full pay plus one week at half  seemed unconscionably meager for a company promoting its feminist, body-positive bona fides. Worse, Ms. Agrawal has been accused by a former employee of unwanted physical contact, which, if true, would constitute a violation of everything the company stands for.

Ms. Agrawal founded Thinx with her twin sister, Radha, and Antonia Saint Dunbar in 2011. Through savvy marketing, Thinx linked its principal product, absorbent underwear, with a mission to break social taboos about menstruation. To that end, Thinx sells T-shirts emblazoned Real Menstruating Human and has created charitable partnerships and initiatives aimed at providing hygiene products and education to girls in the developing world.
Republicans seem to have an evil genius for tone-deafness when it comes to women.

On Thursday, a photograph that was widely circulated on Twitter showed a room packed with white men cutting a deal to eliminate maternity care and mammograms from the package of essential benefits that insurers are required to provide in the Republican bill to replace the Affordable Care Act. There were some women out of camera range, including Kellyanne Conway, the White House counselor.

Earlier in the day, Senator Pat Roberts, Republican of Kansas, made an ill-judged quip that he quickly had to apologize for: I wouldnt want to lose my mammograms, he said to a reporter from Talking Points Memo.

And Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, noted during his daily briefing Thursday, Well, I think if youre an older man, you can generally say youre not going to need maternity care.

Image Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, commenting on Twitter on Thursday.

Indeed. Whats essential is in the eye of the beholder, and the deciders here are overwhelmingly men. Theyre not at risk if these benefits are dropped from required coverage (with the rare exception of male breast cancer).
WASHINGTON  The Republican chairman of the House committee investigating Russian interference in the election apologized in a private meeting on Thursday for not sharing intelligence with the panels top Democrat before giving it to President Trump and the news media, Democratic lawmakers said.

But the expression of contrition from Representative Devin Nunes of California, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, to members of the panel did little to quiet criticism from Democrats who said he had proved himself unable to conduct an unbiased inquiry.

On Wednesday, Mr. Nunes announced that he had received information that Mr. Trump or members of his transition team may have been incidentally caught up in foreign surveillance by American agencies. He said at a news conference that he had briefed Speaker Paul D. Ryan and planned to inform Mr. Trump. The top Democrat on the panel, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, was notably absent.

Democrats said that the disclosure by Mr. Nunes, who served on Mr. Trumps transition team, was intended to throw a lifeline to the president after his unfounded claim that President Barack Obama had tapped his phones during the election. Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, said Mr. Nunes had either been manipulated by Mr. Trump or been a willing stooge.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into a California congressman who faces allegations that he spent tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds on family trips to Hawaii and Italy, private school tuition and dance competitions for his children, and even video games, officials disclosed Thursday.

Representative Duncan D. Hunter, a Republican from San Diego who was considered for several top national security posts in President Trumps administration, became the latest in a string of at least eight current or former members of Congress to face criminal investigations over ethics issues in the last several years.

A five-term congressman, Mr. Hunter has already paid back $60,000 to his political campaign to correct what he said were mistaken payments for personal items.

But that has not cleared him of scrutiny.

The House Ethics Committee, which has been examining Mr. Hunters possible misuse of campaign funds, said in a statement on Thursday that it would put its review on hold at the request of the Justice Department.
Crashing on the shoals of Congress marks Mr. Trumps first true encounter with legislative realities and the realization that a presidents power is less limitless than it appears, particularly in the face of an intransigent voting bloc. Mr. Trump is not used to a hard no  but that was the word of the week.

Before he sent Mr. Mulvaney to Capitol Hill to deliver his message Thursday night, the president met with recalcitrant lawmakers at the White House. Mr. Trump reiterated his veiled threat that Republicans who voted no would be punished by constituents who demand they fulfill their promises to roll back the law. He made clear to members of the House Freedom Caucus during a testy hourlong face-off in the Cabinet Room that they were going to have only one chance to fulfill their vows of repealing and replacing the health law, and this was it, according to people who were in the room.

If Mr. Trump has any advantage in the negotiations, it is his ideological flexibility: He is more interested in a win, or avoiding a loss, than any of the arcane policy specifics of the complicated measure, according to a dozen aides and allies interviewed over the past week who described his mood as impatient and jittery. Already, he has shown that flexibility by going back on campaign promises that no one would lose coverage when the Affordable Care Act was replaced and he would not cut Medicaid.

To Mr. Trump and his team, the health care repeal is a troublesome stepchild. His son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, who is vacationing with his family in Aspen this week, has said for days that the bill was a mistake to support. Yet Mr. Trump wants to fulfill his partys pledge to roll back President Obamas signature accomplishment, but only as a prelude to building his wall, cutting taxes and pushing his $1 trillion infrastructure package.

But resistance from his own party forced Mr. Ryan to delay the vote  even if he cast it as a take-it-or-leave-it deal.

Until this week, Mr. Trump was slow to recognize the high stakes of the fight, or the implications of losing. He approved the agenda putting health care first late last year, almost in passing, in meetings with Mr. Ryan, Vice President Mike Pence and Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff.

Staff members agreed on a hasty rollout strategy during weekend meetings earlier this month  with Mr. Pence suggesting that the president maintain distance from the proposal, urging him to refer to the bill as Mr. Ryans creation, according to senior Republicans.
WASHINGTON  The Trump Organization scored a major victory on Thursday when the agency in charge of overseeing federal government property ruled that its Trump International Hotel in a historic government building on Pennsylvania Avenue did not violate the terms of its lease when Donald J. Trump became president.

The tenant is in full compliance, Kevin M. Terry, a contracting officer at the agency, the General Services Administration, wrote in a 166-page ruling.

The decision came after Democrats in Congress and several government contracting experts and ethics groups had questioned if language in the 2013 lease between the G.S.A. and Mr. Trump and three of his children prohibited an elected federal official from participating in the deal.

No member or delegate to Congress, or elected official of the Government of the United States or the Government of the District of Columbia, shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom, the lease says, referring to the Old Post Office building, which the Trump Organization converted into the hotel late last year.
There are legitimate reasons someone might be targeted, such as evidence of a connection to terrorism or crime. But advocates also said they worry about people being profiled for extra scrutiny because of their name or nationality.

This will certainly slow down the screening process and impose a substantial burden on these applicants, said Greg Chen, the director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. It will make it much harder and create substantial delays.

The cables from Mr. Tillerson, which were reported by Reuters, make clear that the Trump administration wants a more intense focus on the potential for a serious threat when making decisions about who should receive a visa.

Consular officers should not hesitate to refuse any case presenting security concerns, Mr. Tillerson wrote in the cables, titled Implementing Immediate Heightened Screening and Vetting of Visa Applications.

All visa decisions are national security decisions, the secretary of state added.

During his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump accused the Obama administration of failing to properly screen people coming into the United States, a claim former officials in that administration reject. As a candidate, Mr. Trump vowed to ban all incoming Muslims until leaders could figure out what the hell is going on. Later, he backed away from a total ban on Muslims but promised extreme vetting of those trying to come to the United States.

The presidents first attempt to put tougher screening in place was the executive order aimed at temporarily blocking refugees and people whom Mr. Trump called bad dudes from predominantly Muslim countries. Courts blocked the first version of the presidents order after a chaotic rollout just days into his term. A second order was blocked this month.

But on March 6, the same day that Mr. Trump issued his revised travel ban, he also wrote a presidential memorandum ordering the secretary of state, the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security to implement protocols and procedures to enhance visa screening.
The bodies of five people were found near two capsized dinghies off the coast of Libya on Thursday, and the aid organization that recovered the bodies said it feared that more than 200 migrants may have drowned.

Laura Lanuza, a spokeswoman for the organization, Proactiva Open Arms, said in a telephone interview that a search was underway for another migrant vessel believed to have run into trouble in the same part of the Mediterranean.

While it was not clear how many people were aboard the capsized dinghies, she said that boats of that type often get overloaded with 120 to 140 migrants hoping to reach southern Europe.

We fear the worst, Ms. Lanuza said.

The discovery and the search come amid signs that the number of African migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean increased over the winter compared with a year ago  with tragic consequences.
Anatoly S. Chernyaev, a crucial adviser to Mikhail S. Gorbachev as he tried to refashion the Soviet Unions relations with the West, died on March 12 in Moscow. He was 95.

The Gorbachev Foundation announced his death. He had been treated for a respiratory ailment for several weeks, a friend said.

As a close aide to Mr. Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, on both foreign and domestic affairs, Mr. Chernyaev (pronounced churn-YAI-yev) played a central role in his bold attempt to modernize and liberalize the Soviet Union and was with him at a vacation house during the short-lived coup against him in 1991 and when he stepped down at the end of that year.

Mr. Chernyaev went on to become deeply disillusioned by the revanchist rule in Russia of President Vladimir V. Putin, acquaintances said.
ROME  Pope Francis on Thursday officially recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of a young brother and sister who said, 100 years ago, that the Virgin Mary had appeared to them in the Portuguese village of Fatima.

The approval of the miracle was the final step needed before the siblings, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, could be made saints. By signing the decree, the pope increased the likelihood that he could canonize the two when he visits the Fatima shrine in May, 100 years to the day that the children said that a vision of Mary had appeared to them for the first time. Officially, no date has been set for the canonization ceremony.

The Marto children and their cousin Lucia de Jesus dos Santos said they had seen the apparitions six times between May 13, 1917, and Oct. 13, 1917, when Jacinta was 7, Francisco was 9 and Lucia was 10.

By the time of the last apparition  in 1917  50,000 to 70,000 people had gathered to pray with the children, according to the website of the Shrine of Fatima.
Bloodlines: Mamas and Papas

My question is, was Anna the source? Mr. Petronio said after a recent rehearsal.

It was unsurprising that Mr. Petronio began Bloodlines in 2015 with a Cunningham piece (Rainforest,) from 1968. Cunningham is the aesthetic grandfather that just about every postmodern choreographer wants to claim; the connections to Mr. Petronios own choreography were clear and illuminating. And it made even more sense that Mr. Petronio would next turn to Glacial Decoy, a 1979 classic by Trisha Brown in whose company he danced from 1979 to 1986. (Ms. Brown died on March 19.)

Likewise the inclusion this season of Steve Paxton (his extraordinary improvisations to Bachs Goldberg Variations), whose Contact Improvisation class was Mr. Petronios introduction to dance in the 1970s. Ms. Brown and Mr. Paxton were members of Judson Dance Theater, as was Ms. Rainer, whose signature work, Trio A, will be danced by Mr. Petronios company  in its 1970 anti-Vietnam War version, performed in the buff, apart from American flags worn as giant bibs.

The connection to Ms. Halprin isnt so obvious. Mr. Petronio recalled hearing Ms. Brown tell a story about doing an exercise in momentum on Ms. Halprins deck in 1960, sweeping with a broom until she found herself flying through the air horizontally. I started to realize that everybody had been on that deck, Mr. Petronio said  Ms. Brown, Ms. Rainer, even Cunningham, many branches of his artistic family tree.

And so, a few years ago, Mr. Petronios curiosity carried him there, too. In one of Ms. Halprins regular classes, he had another realization: It was the class that I had taken from everybody in the 70s, he said.

What happens there feels profound, Mr. Petronio added, suddenly sounding pretty touchy-feely for a New Yorker once known for his punk attitude. Everything you do is magic. It slowed me down. I had a conversation with a redwood tree.
Hays has weathered the uncertainty better than many places. Generations here have enjoyed band concerts and theater on the campus of Fort Hays State University, and the Arts Council claims to be the oldest arts-supporting organization of its type in Kansas. Both the city and county governments provide funding for the council, which has an annual budget of roughly $125,000, and residents of all political stripes cite the creative scene as a point of pride.

A lot of my good Republican friends are out there, conservative and moderates, and theyre taking it in, theyre going to all of the venues and taking in the live music and the art, said Henry Schwaller IV, a Democrat who serves on the Hays City Commission and who was chairman of the Kansas Arts Commission when Governor Brownback withdrew its funding. Its just part of our DNA here. And thats hard to replicate in other communities.

The board president of the Arts Council, Mike Morley, 47, is a registered Republican who voted for Mr. Trump in November. Ms. Meder, 60, is a Democrat who voted for Hillary Clinton.

On the political spectrum, were right to left and everything in between, said Mr. Morley, who moved to Hays about five years ago and works in the utility industry. But the one thing that we all have in common is an appreciation for the importance of the arts.

Here in Ellis County, nearly 71 percent of voters favored Mr. Trump, part of his sweep of 103 of Kansass 105 counties. In interviews, some of those voters cited the presidents commitment to deregulation, their frustration with traditional politicians and concerns about government spending. But when it came to arts financing, the conversations were more nuanced among Trump voters. Some said they supported the proposed cuts, but others questioned whether eviscerating the endowment was the right approach.

Jacob Brubaker, a sophomore at Fort Hays State and a member of the College Republicans, said that the federal government should perhaps stop funding the arts eventually but that the drawdown should be gradual so that artists could find other money.
Will Olivia side with a lover whose social whirl she adores or a son whose generation she cant quite seem to grasp? The quandary is played out across nearly three hours and a bewildering array of styles that tilt at times in the direction of Noel Coward, J. B. Priestley and flat-out farce, Mr. Head reaching a nadir of sorts when he is required for comic effect to bang his head in disbelief against the wall. Through it all, Ms. Best coos and purrs and even, on occasion, catches at the heart. Shes a force of nature in a production that feels not a little forced.

Politics are central to Limehouse, Steve Waterss punchy new play about the origins of the Social Democratic Party, started in Britain in 1981 by four Labour Party defectors who became known as the Gang of Four. Although their initiative eventually flamed out, the four are viewed as emblems of a time rife with possibility, when principle took center-stage  and when a genuine opposition party seemed viable to a degree that doesnt always appear to be the case today. The play, vibrantly directed by Polly Findlay, is at the Donmar Warehouse through April 15.

Mr. Waters was last represented at the Donmar in 2015 with Temple, which told the story of the Occupy London movement from an unusual vantage point inside the Chapter House of St. Pauls Cathedral while social tumult raged on the steps outside. Limehouse focuses on another inner sanctum  the kitchen of the onetime Labour foreign secretary, David Owen (a blustery Tom Goodman-Hill), and his American wife, Debbie (Nathalie Armin)  from where decisions are made that will affect the citizenry at large.

Limehouse takes its title from the London quarter that is mostly fantastically trendy nowadays but that, back then, represented an adventuresome journey for the Owens intrepid guests. Very far east, notes Bill Rodgers (the sweet-faced Paul Chahidi), the senior politico who accompanies his mock-triumphant arrival by producing some whiffy  theres a British adjective for you!  Camembert.
On a freezing February afternoon in 1963, the photographer Don Hunstein asked Bob Dylan and his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, to walk along a slush-covered Jones Street in Greenwich Village, near Mr. Dylans small apartment. Mr. Dylan, in a thin jacket, and Ms. Rotolo, bundled in a coat over bulky sweaters, strolled arm in arm past cars and trucks and into music history.

One of the pictures that Mr. Hunstein took that day became the cover of Mr. Dylans second album, The Freewheelin Bob Dylan. It is the most recognizable image in the archive of musical giants that Mr. Hunstein shot as a staff photographer for Columbia Records from the late 1950s to 1986, when the label shut down its in-house photo studio.

Mr. Hunstein had already photographed Mr. Dylan and Ms. Rotolo inside the apartment, but was not yet satisfied. I said I wanted to get some outside stuff, and I looked out the window and saw it was getting darker and darker, he told Rockarchive, a collective of rock music photographers, in 2007. Once downstairs, he told them to walk up and down the street.

There wasnt very much thought to it, he said in 1997 about his instructions to Mr. Dylan and Ms. Rotolo.
But he was also pushed in several radical directions: from Flynt, toward a leftist critique of institutional art as elitist and imperialist; from Smith, toward an understanding of emerging queer and camp aesthetics; from Cale, toward an immersion in the liberating sound of country music and rock. Mr. Conrad synthesized these perspectives into a worldview: The Theater represented a newly communal form of music-making that signaled the death of the traditional composer.

I wasnt interested in propagating the culture of musical composition as a professional undertaking, Mr. Conrad recalls in Mr. Hubbys film. Whereas people like Philip Glass and Steve Reich and La Monte Young, they studied composition and wanted to be big composers. I wanted to end composing, get rid of it. I wanted it to die out.

For decades, Mr. Young insisted that he would provide archival recordings of the Theaters improvisations to Mr. Conrad and Mr. Cale only if they signed an agreement acknowledging that Mr. Young was the true author of their music. But for Mr. Conrad, the Theater  which he preferred to call the Dream Syndicate  was a radical project that dissolved hierarchies between composer, performer and listener.

At their core, he wrote, these hundred or so recordings of Dream Music emblematically deny composition its authoritarian function as a modern activity.
A mutual friend introduced Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern in front of a restaurant in the Brentwood Country Mart complex in Santa Monica, Calif. They were already aware of each other; it was 2011, and both were movie stars of many years. They had also each played antiheroines in back-to-back late-1990s Alexander Payne films to unforgettable effect: Ms. Dern as Ruth Stoops in Citizen Ruth and Ms. Witherspoon as Tracy Flick in Election. But it was merely a quick hello.

They reunited in 2014 to play mother and daughter in Wild, a film based on Cheryl Strayeds memoir that garnered them both Oscar nominations. A friendship blossomed quickly  playing family, as luck would have it, made them so. They now star (and spar) as rival Monterey power mothers in the new HBO mini-series Big Little Lies, of which Ms. Witherspoon is also an executive producer.

Speaking by telephone and email, Ms. Witherspoon and Ms. Dern talked about their fast-tracked friendship, multiple collaborations and conversations with their mothers (Ms. Derns is the actress Diane Ladd). This conversation has been edited and condensed.

REESE WITHERSPOON I was with Howell outside a restaurant. Howell Caldwells our friend whos a first assistant director, whod worked with Laura, and hes this big, funny guy from Texas, and hes like: You gotta meet Laura Dern. Youre gonna love her, youre gonna love her mom. Her mom is, like, the quintessential Southern mom, and I have a real Southern mother, too. He said, You guys are gonna be best friends. And I remember thinking: Could I be best friends with her? I dont know.
PARADISE: LOVE (2013) on Mubi. The streaming site unfurls Ulrich Seidls Paradise Trilogy across the weekend, starting with this tale of Teresa (Margarete Tiesel), a 50-year-old Austrian who celebrates her birthday at a Kenyan beach resort and ends up a sugar mama  as European women seeking out African prostitutes are known. Only shes looking for something more than just sex. Writing in The Times, A. O. Scott called the film a tour de force of meticulous cruelty, a comic melodrama that elicits laughter and empathy and then replaces those responses with squirming discomfort.

Whats on TV

TANGLED: THE SERIES 7:30 p.m. on Disney. Mandy Moore reprises the role of Rapunzel in this animated spinoff of the film Tangled, which finds her venturing beyond the castle walls on a journey of self-discovery before accepting the title of Princess of Corona. Zachary Levi is back as Eugene, her partner in life.
When Dustin was 8, his parents adopted the orphaned, teenage Rusty (whose foster family had died in a fire), unaware that this act of goodness would have irrevocable consequences. From the beginning, Rusty displayed abusive, sociopathic tendencies that tormented his adoptive brother; Chaon brilliantly conveys Dustins childhood shame and the subtle ways it survives in the damaged adult he becomes.

Image

Adoption figures into much of Chaons work, and he has spoken openly of his own adoption. I too am adopted, very happily so, and I believe that inside some of us adopted novelists theres a small dark box we take out and open when we write. The mystery of identity sowed the seeds of our craft. For many of Chaons characters, identity is elusive as water. The missing limbs that so frequently feature in his work speak to the sense of loss and displacement many of us suffer when unexpected events disrupt our lives. This isnt unique to adoptees, of course, but it may explain the visceral undercurrent that runs through Chaons books. Here is a writer who doesnt shy away from difficult, confusing subjects or the troubling feelings that result.

He also doesnt shy away from plot. When one of Dustins patients, a police officer on medical leave, begins investigating the seemingly accidental drowning deaths of a series of drunken college men, Dustin is unwittingly reeled into the drama, grateful for the distraction from his own realities: his wifes terminal cancer; his ineffectual status as a husband and father; the probability of losing his rapidly maturing sons, Dennis and Aaron, to whatever baleful destinies they choose. The police officer develops a convincing theory that the serial drownings are being committed by a satanic cult  an association to Dustins past that devotes him to the cause just as his life seems to be falling apart.

The little island that Id built for myself, this family that had seemed so safe and stable, was dissipating beneath my feet, Dustin says. I watched as Aaron forked noodles into his mouth, and they were yellow like warning signs on a construction site. I felt a gaze pressing on my back. Aaron, a freshman at Cleveland State whos living at home, grows more detached, hanging out in his best friends basement instead of going to class. The boys share a grim outlook that promotes their heroin use and summarizes the lackluster gestalt of a generation. What do you call that feeling when youre certain that the world is doomed? Its one of those feelings thats physical, like low blood sugar or too much caffeine, a message from the lizard brain. When the friend eventually disappears, potentially a victim of the serial killings, Aaron tries to track him down, hitting up his scary dealer at the ominous House of Wills, a former funeral home in the Cleveland slums and a circus of wickedness. The events that follow are rife with peril.

This is a dark, disturbing novel. Murder occurs not as a reactionary crime but as sadistic routine, carried out for some bizarre, unknown purpose. The characters are unapologetically flawed, in some ways exceptionally ordinary, damaged, unfulfilled and not particularly motivated to change. Were not really sure what they long for, and Im guessing neither are they. There is little pleasure in their lives, not even in Aarons drug use, which offers him only a sparkling, jagged sort of aliveness. Their language is real, authentic, broken. Emails, lists and emojis highlight their cryptic attempts to communicate. At some points their thoughts are printed in inch-wide columns running side by side down the page; at another, Aarons perceptions are conveyed in first, second and third person. The purpose is unclear, but the effect is stunning.
HIMSELF

By Jess Kidd

375 pp. Atria, $26.

Image

Kidds debut novel is a variation on a theme long favored in Irish fiction, the quest for truth by someone whose origins have been concealed. When an insouciant car thief named Mahony receives an unexpected letter telling him more than he ever knew about how his life began  he was a foundling left on the steps of an orphanage  he leaves Dublin to go back to Mulderrig, the village in County Mayo where he was abandoned, and discover for himself whatever he can.

Mahony has no idea that his mother was murdered, though this is where the novel begins, in a single horrifying scene set soon after his birth. These first pages establish the magic realism that percolates through the narrative, since the infants life is saved by the forest itself, which hides him from his mothers killer: Great ferns had unfurled all around the child, tree roots had surrounded him, and ivy had sprung up to cloak him. . . . Badgers had banked earth all around him with their strong claws, shifting the soil furiously.

When Mahony arrives in Mulderrig to begin delving into his past, a dead old woman hovers nearby as he has a pint in Kerrigans Bar. This isnt a surprise to him because the dead are always close by, . . . drawn to the confused and the unwritten, the damaged and the fractured, to those with big cracks and gaps in their tales. Though he used to be startled by the presence of the departed  dogs as well as people  these days he has stopped bothering to notice them. Hes grown accustomed to the wobble now and then in his peripheral vision as they continue to hover around him.
SPACEMAN OF BOHEMIA

By Jaroslav Kalfar

276 pp. Little, Brown & Company. $26.

In December 1972, as Apollo 17 flew toward the moon, one of the astronauts (no one seems to remember who) picked up one of the missions 70-millimeter Hasselblad cameras and took the first-ever complete photograph of the Earth. The so-called blue marble picture became possibly the most widely distributed image in history. It is credited with a profound shift in global environmental consciousness, the view of Earth against the absolute darkness of space giving a simple form to our sense of the planets beauty and fragility, and our absolute dependence on its ecology.

The same era, the golden age of manned spaceflight, also saw a cultural preoccupation with the extraordinary psychological situation of the astronaut. What did it feel like to find yourself outside Earths life support system, far from the fellowship of other humans? The flip side of the profound loneliness of space is the tantalizing possibility that by transcending physical boundaries, spiritual forms of transcendence will follow. Figures like David Bowies Major Tom, the spaceman who refuses to come back to Earth in the song Space Oddity, and Bowman, the astronaut in 2001: A Space Odyssey who is pulled by the alien monolith across vast reaches of space and time, are only the most prominent representatives of a genre that, judging by the success of recent Hollywood movies like Gravity and The Martian, retains its enduring fascination. The lonely astronaut can be a modern Robinson Crusoe, a white-knuckled survivalist, an existential freak and seer. For J.G. Ballard, who used the morbid figure of a dead astronaut orbiting the Earth in several short stories, the corpses become monuments, Ozymandias-like ruins that condemn the spiritual and intellectual failure of the military-industrial space program.

Jakub Prochazka, the Czech hero of Jaroslav Kalfars zany first novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, is an astronaut who has left a lot of baggage back on Earth. He is the shining hope of an entire nation, the biggest celebrity in his home country, so excruciatingly aware that his endeavor will carry the soul of the republic to the stars that he refuses water before liftoff lest he should inadvertently urinate and the purity of my mission become stained by such an undignified gesture.

Image Credit... Patricia Wall/The New York Times

The reason the Czech Republic is launching a manned spacecraft is the arrival of a strange comet that has swept our solar system with a sandstorm of intergalactic cosmic dust. A cloud, named Chopra by its Indian discoverers, now floats between Earth and Venus, turning the night sky purple. Unmanned probes sent out to take samples have returned mysteriously empty. Likewise a German chimpanzee has returned to Earth with no information save the evidence that survival is possible. The Americans, the Russians and the Chinese show no sign of wishing to risk their citizens, so the Czechs have stepped up, with a rocket named for the Protestant reformer and national hero Jan Hus. At many points in the novel, Kalfar sketches key moments in Czech history, and the very premise of a Czech space mission is clearly a satire on the nationalist pretensions of a small post-Communist nation. Financed by local corporations whose branding is placed on his equipment, Jakub is the epitome of the scrappy underdog, grasping for fame by doing something too crazy or dangerous for the major players.
THE BARROWFIELDS

By Phillip Lewis

349 pp. Hogarth. $26.

Its useful in fiction when people dont get over things. In Phillip Lewiss debut novel, The Barrowfields, the central figure, Henry Aster, has a troubled family history, and even when he forgets he doesnt forget.

The familys roots are in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, where the few paltry shops  an aging hardware store, a feed store, a cobbler, a discount clothier, a cafe and a headstone maker  scarcely see enough business for a living and close early in the dark days of winter before the snow falls. A resident greeted on the street says: What do I know? Hell, I dont even suspect anything. Its a great place except when it isnt. The town library is proud of banning Faulkner.

Henry is raised in an architects folly of a house, made of glass and iron, shadowed in rock  At night, it brooded in darkness like an ember-eyed bird of prey  whose vast bookshelves are presided over by his father, a hard-drinking lost genius of a writer. The fathers disappearance, when Henry is a teenager, is the spectral baggage Henry keeps thinking hes not carrying.

Image

When Henry takes off for college, he vows to his beloved little sister that he will call every day, come home often, bring her to Connecticut to visit, but within months he has broken ties with his family utterly. The longer I stayed away, the harder it was to return. Years go by, with unpaid visits and unanswered phone calls. His mother tries to alert him to his sisters teenage fragility: Be quiet for a minute and listen to what Im saying. . . . Shes not O.K.
The Old Man And The C.C.C.P.: The military historian Nicholas Reynolds considers himself a lifelong fan of Ernest Hemingway. I started reading Hemingway when I was in junior high, he told me in a recent email exchange, and even at that precocious age he admired all the things you might expect a future military historian to admire in Hemingways work. The characters he created embodied so many American values we still cherish, Reynolds explains in the introduction to his new Hemingway biography, Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy, which enters the hardcover nonfiction list at No. 14. Truth, bravery, independence, grace under pressure, standing up for the underdog.

So it was only natural, when Reynolds was curating a 2010 exhibition at the C.I.A. Museum about the agencys roots in World War II, to wonder if Hemingway, with his love of adventure, had ever spied for his country. And then I learned something that surprised me, Reynolds writes in the book: He had signed on with another intelligence service, one that did not fit the conventional narrative of his life. That service turned out to be the Soviet N.K.V.D., the Peoples Commissariat for Internal Affairs, the predecessor of the better-known K.G.B.

Hemingway, a Soviet spy? I was a traditional product of the Cold War, Reynolds told me. There was little sympathy for Communism in our house. So I felt like le Carres character George Smiley, who learns of yet another betrayal: I felt like I had taken an elbow deep in the gut. But the more Reynolds dug, the murkier the picture became. Hemingway seems never to have provided any secrets to the Soviets, and was probably motivated more by anti-fascist politics than by any love for the Soviet Union or antipathy to America. The biography, then, is Reynoldss attempt to tease out how his subjects undercover life fit into the more familiar world of his work. Hemingway did not write much about his spying, at least not for public consumption, he told me. His interest in intelligence emerges mostly from his letters, especially those to his close friend Gen. Buck Lanham, which include comments on Cold War espionage and the Red Scare of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Hemingways voice, he added, was uniquely American  and revolutionary only for its effect on the English language.

Personal Trainer: The Devils Triangle, the fourth thriller in the Brit in the F.B.I. series co-written by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison, is new on the hardcover fiction list at No. 4. Coulter lives in Sausalito, Calif., in a 6,000-square-foot house she calls the Pink Palace, where a writer for The Sacramento Bee visited her last year. Among the other tidbits he gathered is that she writes to her fans every day on Facebook. Im always preaching at them to stay fit  its one thing to do for yourself, she said. (Coulter herself goes to the gym three days a week.) But I try to be funny, she added.
(Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Heres what you need to know:

 Its now or never, Trump tells G.O.P.

Calling for a vote today in the House, President Trump sent a blunt message to Republicans in Congress: Support the bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, or leave former President Barack Obamas signature domestic achievement in place.

The ultimatum came after Speaker Paul Ryan postponed an initial vote on the measure, which appeared to lack a majority to pass.
 The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the deadly attack outside the British Parliament, which the London police said was carried out by Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old British-born man with a long criminal record.

His victims  four dead and dozens injured  came from a total of 10 countries. And there was collateral damage, as a man misidentified as the attacker was pilloried on social media.

Prime Minister Theresa May said Mr. Masood had been examined in the past as a peripheral figure of extremism by British intelligence. London carried on.
When I was about 27, I started to think about those early lessons from Sam at the warehouse. He did none of the things that people were telling me to do. And so I started to adopt the concepts I learned from Sam.

How do you hire?

Im trying to find people who are passionate, and I can learn something from them. Whether youre an intern or an executive, I need to feel like I can learn something from you. It doesnt even have to be in the context of work. Some people have great resumes, but theres just nothing beyond that.

Ill watch how were interacting in the interview. Are we having a conversation? Are they just on autopilot?

When youre interviewing someone, its kind of like the first date. When you make a bad hire and then reflect back on the first interview, theyve always told you everything that turned out to be a problem later on. But you didnt hear it at the time because you were ignoring them. Unless theyre a complete sociopath, they cannot hide everything in the interview process.

So the first test is, do I want to be around this person? If you dont like them in that first-date, unstressed scenario, its just going to get harder later on. Just think about all the people you meet in a week. How many of them would you like to talk to again? That list is usually very small. So why isnt that the first-order filter when youre trying to hire someone?

I call my version of it the morning-after test. If you have a great meeting or conversation with this person, and they reach out to you the next day and send you an email, is your first instinct to answer that email? Or do you say, Ill get back to this later, Im busy right now. Its like that test of whether you would want to be stuck in an airport with this person for 24 hours.

In the interview, Im also looking for passion and thinking about what the progression might be for this person. I think about my own progression and how I always want to feel Im growing and not stagnant.
Cornell Law School, one of the top-ranked law schools in the nation, plans to offer a new juris doctorate program at the soon-to-be opened Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City.

Students at Cornell Law  which is in Ithaca, northwest of New York City  will be able to study legal issues including technology information, especially privacy and cybersecurity, at Cornells new technology campus starting in the spring semester of 2018.

The new program in information and technology law will accommodate up to 20 full-time law students each semester.

The law school is No. 3 in job placement among law schools, but establishing a beachhead in Manhattan will put its students closer to a major tech center at a time when more legal employment is centered in and near cities.
And it was Mr. Kekst who oversaw the public relations side of Citicorps merger with Travelers in the late 90s, giving birth to the financial colossus Citigroup. Mr. Kekst had been a longtime public relations adviser to the deals maestro, Mr. Weill.

He was wise, always spoke the truth, even as unpleasant as that can sometimes be, and over time became a trusted adviser whose opinion was sought after by C.E.O.s, lawyers and bankers alike, Maurice Levy, the chairman of Publicis, the advertising giant that owns Kekst & Company, wrote in a memorandum to employees.

Gershon Kekst was born on Oct. 12, 1934, in Salem, Mass. His parents were immigrants: his mother, Hannah, from Palestine and his father, Jacob Joseph, from Lithuania. Both parents taught in Hebrew school. His father died when he was 4.

By the time Mr. Kekst attended the University of Maryland, he was set on becoming a radio journalist; he told The New York Times in 1989, I didnt just want to be a radio broadcaster; I wanted to be Edward R. Murrow.

But upon graduating, Mr. Kekst switched his career path to public relations, first in Washington and then in New York at Ruder & Finn. By the time he struck out on his own, in 1971, he had begun to focus on the nascent field of financial communications.

In the 1989 interview with The Times, he suggested that the focus had evolved as much out of necessity as anything else.

The first deals that came to us were financial, he said. If the first deals had been with the fashion industry, I think its fair to say that wed be a fashion P.R. firm.
LONDON  A High Court judge has blocked Reuters from publishing an article about the hedge fund manager Brevan Howard Asset Management, citing the confidential nature of information at issue in the story.

In Britain, companies and individuals can seek civil injunctions to prevent journalists from publishing articles that may contain confidential information or infringe on their privacy. The tactic is often used to prevent tabloids from reporting details about the personal lives of celebrities.

But last week, Brevan Howard, one of Britains largest hedge funds, sought the injunction as Reuters prepared to publish an article about the firm. It is not known what information the article contained.

In a statement made public on Friday, the judge did not indicate the nature of the article but said he had issued an injunction against Reuters, its reporter and an unnamed person, or people, who leaked investment documents belonging to the claimant.
In an interview, Mr. Adoboli insisted that there was little about his old life that he missed except his relationship with his former girlfriend. I lost the love of my life, he said. She stuck with him almost until the end of his time in prison, he said, and the two remain friends.

Speaking at the conference on Tuesday, Mr. Adoboli acknowledged that some view his appearances before groups like the Oxford Students Union and the Forward Institute, a British think tank, as a cynical ploy to avoid deportation on grounds that there is a public interest in having him remain in Britain. The British authorities have served a deportation order on Mr. Adoboli, who came to England from Ghana at the age of 12.

Yet Mr. Adoboli, 36, believes that his experience offers a valuable lesson to regulators and financial institutions on the need for robust controls at investment banks and a change in their profits-at-all-costs work culture.

I dont want some kid to go through what I went through, he said. It is heartbreaking, and the only way we change that is we fix the system.

In a wide-ranging talk, Mr. Adoboli touched on his childhood. His father was a United Nations employee and, in the early 1990s, he says, the Adobolis were evacuated from Iraq. At the age of 12, Mr. Adoboli was sent to a Quaker boarding school in Yorkshire, in northern England, where he took inspiration from the schools motto Non Sibi Sed Omnibus, Latin for Not for Himself but for All.
Californias clean-air agency voted on Friday to push ahead with stricter emissions standards for cars and trucks, setting up a potential legal battle with the Trump administration over the states plan to reduce planet-warming gases.

The vote, by the California Air Resources Board, is the boldest indication yet of Californias plan to stand up to President Trumps agenda. Leading politicians in the state, from the governor down to many mayors, have promised to lead the resistance to Mr. Trumps policies.

Mr. Trump, backing industry over environmental concerns, said easing emissions rules would help stimulate auto manufacturing. He vowed last week to loosen the regulations. Automakers are aggressively pursuing those changes after years of supporting stricter standards.

But California can write its own standards because of a longstanding waiver granted under the Clean Air Act, giving the state  the countrys biggest auto market  major sway over the auto industry. Twelve other states, including New York and Pennsylvania, as well as Washington, D.C., follow Californias standards, a coalition that covers more than 130 million residents and more than a third of the vehicle market in the United States.
The announcement on Friday said the State Department considered a range of factors, including, but not limited to, foreign policy; energy security; environmental, cultural and economic impacts; and compliance with applicable law and policy.

The new secretary of state, Rex W. Tillerson, formerly the chief executive of Exxon Mobil, had recused himself from the decision. The announcement said the permit was signed by the under secretary of state for political affairs, Thomas A. Shannon Jr.

The pipeline still faces hurdles before it can be built. It needs the approval of the Nebraska Public Service Commission and local landowners who are concerned about their water and land rights. Protests are likely since the project has become an important symbol for the environmental movement, with the Canadian oil sands among the most carbon-intensive oil supplies. Mining the oil sands requires vast amounts of energy for extraction and processing.

In addition, interest among many oil companies in the oil sands is waning amid sluggish oil prices. Extraction from the oil sands, situated in the sub-Arctic boreal forest, is expensive. Statoil and Total, two European energy giants, have abandoned their production projects. In recent weeks, Royal Dutch Shell agreed to sell most of its oil sands assets for $8.5 billion. And Exxon Mobil wrote down 3.5 billion barrels of reserves, conceding the oil sands were not economically attractive enough to develop for the next few years at least.

Nevertheless, Canadian production continues to grow as projects that were conceived when prices were higher begin to operate. And the Keystone effort is central to the future of TransCanada, a major force in the Canadian oil patch.
Theres never been a better time to address these issues, whether as an institutional investor or an individual, said Nell Minow, vice chairwoman at ValueEdge Advisors, a firm that guides institutional shareholders on how to reduce risk in their portfolios. If you are worried that your company is lobbying to weaken environmental rules, for example, then its really a fabulous opportunity for you to join in with the institutions and other economic forces making it clear to companies that they cant get away with it.

As was the case last year, the topic of climate change will again appear on shareholder proxies this year. One proposal that gained a lot of traction among investors in 2016 asked energy companies to publish an analysis of how their holdings would be affected in the long term by measures limiting the global increase in temperature to 2 degrees Celsius  a goal agreed to by nations in the 2015 Paris accord.

That kind of analysis may force a company to alert shareholders that its assets would not be worth as much under those conditions. (BHP Billiton, the Australia-based mining giant, undertook such a study in 2015 and concluded that while its asset value would be affected, it would continue to create value for shareholders.)

Management at the companies whose proxies included these proposals generally urged investors to vote against them. Still, they received substantial support at some companies  38.1 percent of votes cast at Exxon Mobil favored the proposals, as did 40.8 percent at Chevron, and almost half the votes at Occidental Petroleum.

None of these companies have published a proxy statement yet, but similar proposals are likely again this year at those and other energy companies, governance experts said. Fresh support from investors could put the proposals over the top.
Sam Sifton emails readers of Cooking five days a week to talk about food and suggest recipes. That email also appears here. To receive it in your inbox, register here.

Good morning. There are times in New York City when the air is cold and clammy and the sky low and everyone appears twitchy, anxious, hearts pounding, minds racing, on the verge of panic. Its just you, though. You might be in a field in Nebraska, in a strip mall outside Chicago, on a highway encircling Washington, on the hills of San Francisco, listening to the news, looking for parking, wondering whats the point. Black dogs are everywhere, biting. There is no better time to cook.

Regina Schrambling wrote a recipe for just such a state back in the dark days that followed the attacks of 9/11: beef stew with Dijon mustard and cognac. Long before there were antidepressants, she wrote at the time, there was stew. So maybe give her recipe a run this weekend as a kind of meditation, labor therapy over the stove.
Artificial intelligence is not something found every day in the jewelry and watch sectors  but then De Grisogono doesnt consider itself to be one of your everyday brands.

Last year the Geneva house made a splash at the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair with the Samsung Gear S2, a connected watch developed with Samsung Electronics. The Wi-Fi-enabled timepiece, with a rotating black- and white-diamond bezel and sharkskin strap, came with a host of applications.

Now the company has introduced the De Grisogono Botler, a Facebook Messenger application that delivers real-time advice and insider tips about the Swiss resort of St. Moritz. The ski destination is a beloved haunt of Fawaz Gruosi, the houses founder and creative director, and the Botler is designed around his lifestyle and artistic inspirations. (The name Botler is a play on bot, for robot, and butler.)

The idea was to share Fawazs secret  or not so secret  addresses, said Gianluca Maina, the companys marketing director.
AMSTERDAM  Why make a necklace with the faces of famous people, organized by skin tone from lightest to darkest or, depending on how you look at it, darkest to lightest?

Gijs Bakker, 75, the celebrated Dutch designer of industrial products and jewelry, said he was concerned about the rising tide of racial hatred in the Netherlands and elsewhere in the world.

I put all my heroes together, Mr. Bakker, interviewed in his Canal District studio, said recently. I did that intuitively. All categories are there: actors, composers, musicians, politicians. And, of course, they have all different skin colors.

Theres a moment in the chain when David Bowie, the most white figure, meets Miles Davis, the most black figure, in the loop, he added. I liked that.
A select customer base really suits Glenn Spiro, the independent jeweler, with ateliers in London and Geneva. He has decided to showcase his pieces this month at the Madison Avenue salon of Lauren Santo Domingo, founder of the fashion website Moda Operandi.

Jewelers today follow trends, becoming so big theres no way to concentrate on customers and their needs, Mr. Spiro said in a telephone interview. I can only serve 30 customers well. We have a relationship. We argue across the table, and theres this whole banter.

For more than 25 years he created couture pieces for many large brands, though for legal reasons he cannot identify them. He started a line under his own name in 2014, with prices ranging from $10,000 into the millions.

Image Papillon rings, made of cognac-colored diamonds, have lever-like mechanisms that make the wings move.

Mr. Spiro, who expects to show at Ms. Santo Domingos salon about three times this year, said he could now create by mood.
One imperial commission, a peacock feather brooch with calibrated diamonds, sapphires and rubies surrounding a large emerald, purchased in 1867 by the Empress Eugenie Bonaparte, was among the 35 Mellerio pieces showcased in the Spectacular Second Empire exhibition that closed in January at the Musee dOrsay. Another was a corsage made of 2,659 diamonds that once belonged to Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, who was a frequent patron of the brand.

That exhibition was a timely reminder. In the last several decades, Mellerio dits Meller has drowsed along, propped up by its reputation for impeccably made, tasteful jewelry that perhaps too often erred on the side of classicism. Now, one woman is out to change all that.

Laure-Isabelle Mellerio, an interior decorator by training and a freshly minted gemologist, quietly took over as artistic director of the Mellerio dits Meller design studio last summer. She is the first woman to direct the houses artistic creations. (Of Mellerios 30 employees, a dozen are artisans.) Her husband, Laurent, oversees the business side as president and managing director.

Ms. Mellerio has the demeanor of someone who would rather do almost anything than put herself forward. In the Mellerio milieu, dinner table conversation is about culture, not business or (even worse) money.

Image Empress Eugenies peacock feather brooch served as the baseline for the new Indra collection in sapphires, tourmalines, spinels and spessartite garnets, which the house unveiled in March. Credit... Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times

Laure-Isabelle comes from this very Old World background with a deep culture in beautiful things, and at the same time she really has a sense of people, said Clementine Vidal-Laury, a set designer who is a friend and classmate from the Ecole du Louvre. If anyone can turn that Old World culture into a new way of being modern, its her.
PARIS  Successfully reviving a legend is not easy. But for Olivier Reza, son of the renowned gem dealer and master jeweler Alexandre Reza, the houses renaissance over the last eight years has been a crusade.

He closed retail outlets worldwide to concentrate on creativity in the Reza atelier and its gilded 18th-century salon in the Hotel de Fontpertuis on the Place Vendome here, home of many of jewelrys major names.

In 2014, Mr. Reza put together a traveling exhibition, a mix of his fathers pieces and his own new, contemporary designs, to announce the comeback of the Reza brand.

And in August, he opened Reza at the Ritz, a boutique with a smooth modern look at the recently renovated luxury hotel. While the hotel gallery that links the Place Vendome to the Cambon side is lined with jewel-stuffed vitrines, Reza is one of only two jewelers with a boutique there. And it now is the houses only public retail space.
MILAN  Amid the boom and revolution of Milan in 1967, artists, writers and eccentrics of all stripes fueled their creative ferment with drinks at the legendary Bar Jamaica. There, the son of a Milanese goldsmith hatched a bar-side plan for a new kind of jewelry: Aimed at the eras freewheeling feminists, it would be expressive yet easy to wear, blending Italian artisanship with the kind of pret-a-porter nonchalance that was replacing haute coutures fussy supremacy in fashion. Pino Rabolini called his jewelry line Pomellato.

This year, Pomellato celebrates its 50th anniversary, and has made appreciable progress from those Bar Jamaica origins. The company now has more than 60 shops in 50 countries. And while its parent company, Kering, does not break out financial figures by brand and Pomellato will not disclose its sales, Womens Wear Daily has reported that Pomellato is Europes fifth-largest jewelry company in terms of revenue.

With all that has changed, the original 60s spirit remains relevant. The anniversary is a chance to go back to our roots, said Sabina Belli, who has led the company since December 2015. Pomellato for women, we like to say, and these days, by some historical accident, the original idea is worth returning to because the question of womens rights is alive again.

Since 2013, when Kering bought Pomellato from the Rabolini family for an undisclosed price (the companys value was estimated by analysts at Kepler Cheuvreux at $372 million to $413 million at the time), the house has focused on expansion, opening 20 stores in the last three years, including a flagship on Milans Via Montenapoleone.
A hairstylist offered to do Ms. Weekss hair and makeup, then worked in tandem with a sound engineer to photograph the event. Ms. Kennedys dresser hemmed the wedding gown. A member of the cast and his wife (an actress who has a baking business on the side called stagedoorcakes.com) stayed up until 4 that morning to bake cupcakes. An assistant stage manager coordinated the onstage action. Ms. Abel, a stagehand at other Broadway shows, decorated the lobby.

On March 1, immediately after the Wednesday matinee, the cast and crew of Beautiful, family and friends filled about 60 orchestra seats in front of the stage, buzzing with excitement. Mr. Bryant waited in a suit and tie onstage, having just arrived from work on Dear Evan Hansen.

On the arm of her brother, Stephen Weeks, Ms. Weeks stepped out of the shadows onto the stage in a champagne gown, and in full makeup (complete with the odd sensation, at least for her, of false eyelashes) and curls cascading down her neck.

Clapping and howling their approval, the cast and crew rose to their feet. They were all in  for a love spawned in the theater and a real wedding on their very own stage. This is the best company on Broadway, Ms. Smith said, beaming.

The couple glowed in the spotlight. Nothing melted. A few hearts, maybe.

ON THIS DAY

When March 1, 2017

Where Stephen Sondheim Theater in New York

The Union When it came time to figure out the music for her wedding, her bridezilla moment, Ms. Weeks said, union rules forbade her from using the theaters sound system or even plugging a cord into an electrical outlet. A friend found a Bluetooth speaker and hooked it up. Theres nothing more awkward than a bunch of people sitting or standing around without any background music, she said. The wedding playlist: Bruno Mars, the Avett Brothers, Lady Gaga, Sting and, as a nod to her deceased father, Elvis Presley and Queen.

Written Word The songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil in Beautiful repeat to one another a particular line that pays tribute to their success at work and at home. Ms. Weeks had Mr. Bryants wedding ring engraved with the same words: Were good in all the rooms.
At one point, during a live video interview near Parliament, it was too dark for me to read the time on my watch clearly. Then behind me came seven bongs from Big Ben  which is the bell, not the clock, as every Londoner knows. It is a symbol, and yet it is also Westminsters working timepiece.

Of course, the symbolic status of the Parliament building and its democratic institutions also make the landmark site a target for those who want to send a loud message by attacking it.

The first witness I met was Robert Vaudry, a fund manager who missed being caught up in the attack by only moments. He had been heading to Parliament when he was grabbed by armed police officers and pushed away to safety. Mr. Vaudry, quintessentially English, is from William Shakespeares hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon. The member of Parliament he was there to meet, Nadhim Zahawi, is an immigrant whose Kurdish parents left Iraq in the 1970s, fearing persecution by Saddam Hussein.

So far, so very, very London.

Past us walked Kirsten Hurrell, who sold newspapers opposite the Parliament building. She was moving briskly, carrying for refreshment a glass containing an ample measure of some amber liquid. Behind her, police officers emerged from Parliament Square pushing everyone back and shouting, Move back, back, all the way back past Downing Street.

I was asked by Facebook Live viewers and radio interviewers how London was coping, were people nervous, was there panic? Perhaps fueled by last years sensationalist movie London Has Fallen.

But London and Britain are no strangers to conflict. When slicing through traffic on my motorcycle to Parliament Square minutes after the attack, I drove through Trafalgar Square, dominated by the giant column commemorating Lord Nelson from an era when present allies were past enemies. I went past the site of the poll tax riots that Id accidentally walked into on my brothers birthday in 1990. I weaved around the red double-decker buses filled with tourists and raced down Whitehall past the statue to Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, a British commander in World War II, past Downing Street (into which the I.R.A. launched mortar shells in 1991) and past the Cenotaph memorial honoring the legions of those who have died in wars gone by.

Just ahead was the jarring sight of a scarlet ambulance helicopter parked on the grass of Parliament Square itself, right next to the bronze statue of Sir Winston Churchill.
Watch the Times video on the London attacks, above. What do you notice about the footage of the attack and the stories of the witnesses? What stands out?

What have you heard in the news this week about the London attack, and what questions remain in your mind?

Questions for Comprehension and Analysis

1. Who is responsible for the deadly attack outside the British Parliament in London? What group said the assailant was their hero for carrying out the attack?
As the judicial secretary in a court devoted to domestic-violence cases in Nicaragua, I transcribe everything said in our hearings. So I remember the day this one couple came in. They arrived at the courthouse well dressed. The husband was large and stocky, and the wife was in slacks and a blouse, thin and fair-skinned, with curly hair and a delicate face. She looked frightened.

I typed as the prosecutor laid out the details of the case. They were each college-educated. They owned a farm outside town. The wife had gone to church without her husbands permission. When the husband found out, he went to the church and dragged her out by the hair. He took her home, forced her onto their bed, hit her and began to squeeze her neck. Luckily one of their children showed up at the house just then and interrupted him. He might have choked her to death.

Then it was time for the wife to speak.

It was my fault, your honor, she said. I didnt ask his permission to go to church.

Thats when I said to myself: This poor woman is exactly how I used to be.

When I was in high school, I met and fell in love with a schoolmate. He was religious and hardworking. He didnt drink, and he belonged to a good family. Even though my mother didnt approve  she scolded me for going out to see him  I left school and moved in with him. We married and had three children very quickly.
As a longtime film writer, I have considered it a failing that I couldnt answer the simple question Whats your favorite movie? My responses felt like punts, whether I was touting the buoyant energy of A Hard Days Night or the spell that 2001: A Space Odyssey has cast on me since I was young or how movies from Blue Velvet to the Three Colors trilogy to Babe hit me just right upon their releases.

Theyre all great movies, sure, but none felt like a lifelong favorite. And the thing is, there was a movie that I did consider my favorite for many years, but Id parked it on some side ramp in my mind. Id seen this movie 10 times by the end of college, then took a break. A long break. Long enough that I became anxious about revisiting it.

What if it didnt hold up? What if my obsession had been a sign of callow youth? Some respected critics considered it sappy. Id outgrown sap, hadnt I?

Its dicey business to set up your older self to pass judgment on your younger self. My younger self was a passionate guy who wouldnt shut up about his favorite movies and bands.
Mr. Leaud played a crucial role as the epitome of the 1968 generation for French and international cinephiles. He was featured in five Jean-Luc Godard movies, starting with the 1966 portrait of contemporary youth, Masculin Feminin. (Impressed by Mr. Leauds feverish intensity, the critic Manny Farber wrote, His declaration of love in an instant-recording booth should live longer than the movie itself.) And he appeared in movies directed by other new wave and post-New Wave directors, including Jacques Rivette; Bernardo Bertolucci, who cast Mr. Leaud as an aspiring filmmaker in Last Tango in Paris (1973); and Jean Eustache (for whom the seldom smiling actor gave his darkest performance in The Mother and the Whore, from 1973).

At once hyper-alert and self-absorbed, Mr. Leaud typically played romantic, somewhat bewildered idealists, and a profile in 1970 in The New York Times described him as the actor that young engage and/or enrage young Frenchmen most identify with.

I had no technique, and have none now. Everything I do is empirical, he said at the time. The only thing that counts for me is the camera.

Often high-strung and increasingly eccentric, Mr. Leaud lost his bearings after Truffauts death in 1984, according to accounts in Cahiers du Cinema in France and Sight & Sound in Britain. Still, he appeared in several more Godard films and served as a talismanic figure for younger directors. Mr. Assayas gave him his definitive middle-aged role in Irma Vep (1996), playing an unstable, once-celebrated New Wave director who is hired to remake a silent serial. Jean-Pierre is at once an actor and his aura, Mr. Assayas wrote at the time, explaining that Mr. Leauds personal magnetism overwhelms the character.

In The Death of Louis XIV, Mr. Leaud appears, with an impressively outsize wig, as a holy relic  both Frances long-reigning monarch, known as the Sun King, and, as always, himself. The film, which concerns the final days of Louiss life, had its premiere last May at Cannes, where Mr. Leaud received an honorary Palme dOr from the festival he had captivated almost 60 years before. (Presenting the award, the director Arnaud Desplechin told Mr. Leaud: You have changed my life. Without you, I would have been so alone.)

The Death of Louis XIV was initially conceived as a 15-day performance for the Pompidou Center in Paris and filmed as if it were one, Mr. Serra said at a New York Film Festival news conference. Although not a solo production, The Death of Louis XIV is a movie of long takes, many focused on Mr. Leaud, bedridden and staring into the camera with regal authority, as his characters bodily functions shut down one after another. Mr. Serra said he could not imagine another actor going to such depth.
New York City officials issued a summons to the owner of a condominium at Trump Tower that gained notoriety after being rented out on Airbnb, determining that the unit was being illegally advertised for rent.

The civil summons, given to Lena Yelagina, whose 30th floor apartment was available on Airbnb for at least six months in the time before, during and after the presidential election and inauguration, seeks a penalty of $1,000 for the offense.

The listing, which gave hints but did not explicitly advertise that it was located in Trump Tower, was taken down in early March in the weeks after a New York Times reporter made a reservation with the goal of staying there. It had been available for about $300 to $450 a night for stays as short as three nights.

It has been illegal since 2010 to rent out most apartments in New York if the owner is not present for less than 30 days.
In the past two years, the Justice Department has issued statements to announce and explain the lack of federal charges after investigations into the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla.; the death of a teenager whose body was found in a rolled-up gym mat in a Georgia high school; and the use of force by a white sheriffs deputy, who flipped a black female student out of her chair and threw her across a high school classroom floor in South Carolina.

On occasion, the authorities have gone even further, calling conduct into question even when the actions were not prosecutable.

Perhaps the most notable example occurred last year, when the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, announced that the bureau was closing an investigation into the handling of classified information by Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate. Although the bureau found no evidence that Ms. Clinton or her colleagues had intended to violate the law, Mr. Comey said, there was evidence that they had been extremely careless.

Mr. Comey acknowledged that his statement was unusual and that he was including more detail about our process than I ordinarily would, because I think the American people deserve those details in a case of intense public interest.

The fact that prosecutors and investigators are speaking more freely has fueled debate among legal experts over whether the authorities, when closing their investigations without filing charges, should issue such comments.
Photographs relate history in two ways: through the subject matter inside the frame, and the voice of the photographer framing it. Is that voice empathetic or cautionary? Does it probe its subjects or linger objectively on their surfaces? In the late 1940s and 1950s, a small number of photographers from the Magnum agency turned their cameras on New York, capturing both the changing city and the changing role of the image in its residents lives.

Photography used to be thought of as a quasi-objective medium, simply transferring the world onto paper, said Fred Ritchin, dean of the school at the International Center for Photography. With Magnum in that period, what you see is photographers gaining the autonomy and independence to show things the way they saw them.

Early Magnum: On & in New York is an exhibition that will be shown at the National Arts Club and on the agencys website starting March 27 as part of the agencys 70th anniversary program. The exhibition shows a city not quite visible to the naked eye: alternately pensive and quick to fight, a place where people disappear in crowds or seem exposed when theyre alone. Just a few years before, photographers had brought home images of devastation from Europe. Now they found a city bursting with new life.

Theyre pictures of hope and of vision, said David Kogan, Magnums executive director. Theres a sense of romance so different from the war photographs.
Crammed with 56,326 words and more than 200 amendments, New York States bloated Constitution is about seven times as long as the amended United States Constitution and well over twice the average length of the constitutions of the other 49 states.

With Washington abdicating responsibilities to states and localities, the authors of two new books argue convincingly that New Yorks Constitution is so riddled with anachronisms and has been so circumvented by legislative exceptions that it finally needs to be overhauled. Next November, for the first time in two decades, voters will be empowered to do just that.

Image In this book, Seymour P. Lachman, a former state senator, laments that recent criminal convictions of legislative leaders have resulted in insufficient reforms.

In Failed State: Dysfunction and Corruption in an American Statehouse (Excelsior Editions, State University of New York Press, $29.95), Seymour P. Lachman, a former state senator, (with Robert Polner) laments that the publication in 2006 of their Three Men in a Room about the lack of democracy in Albany, and the criminal convictions of legislative leaders since then, have resulted in insufficient reforms.
This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive more briefings and a guide to the section daily in your inbox.

Sometimes, democracy works.

Throughout the day on Thursday, members of Congress spoke publicly about the constituent calls their offices had received on the Republican health care bill. Those calls overwhelmingly opposed the bill.

Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said hed received 275 calls against the bill and only four in favor. Why are we voting on this? he tweeted alongside those totals.

Dan Donovan, a New York Republican, said the calls to his office were running about 1,000-to-1 against the bill.
Senate Republicans had to know there would be a price for their unprecedented theft of President Barack Obamas final Supreme Court pick last year.

On Thursday, Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, named it: Either find 60 votes to overcome a filibuster of President Trumps extremely conservative nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, or find another, more moderate choice.

The last four Supreme Court nominees  two from Mr. Obama and two from President George W. Bush  all met the 60-vote threshold, Mr. Schumer said, so it was fair to require the same of Judge Gorsuch.
President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines relishes his image as a defiant crusader, willing to encourage the slaughter of thousands in the name of saving his nation from the scourge of drugs. More than 7,000 suspected drug users and dealers, witnesses and bystanders  including children  have been killed by the police or vigilantes in the Philippines since last July.

The man is impervious to moral criticism, but he may not be immune forever from legal action. Last Thursday, the Philippine lawmaker Gary Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against Mr. Duterte, accusing him of corruption, murder and crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody antidrug campaign. We are of the firm belief that he is unfit to hold the highest office of the land, Mr. Alejano said.

With Mr. Dutertes allies holding an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives, there is little chance he will be impeached. But exhausting domestic remedies, such as impeachment, could clear the way for jurisdiction by the International Criminal Court. Jude Josue Sabio, a lawyer for two men who say they belonged to a death squad that operated under Mr. Duterte when he was the mayor of the city of Davao, says he intends to bring a case against Mr. Duterte in The Hague. Ever defiant, Mr. Duterte said on Sunday that he welcomed a trial by the court, and vowed his drug war will continue and it will be brutal.
To the Editor:

Re 135 Years Ago: Travel Ban News, by David W. Dunlap (Times Insider, March 17):

Thank you for featuring the photograph of Asian women and children detained at the immigration station on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. The stark image is a timely reminder that our country has always struggled with each wave of new immigrants and can often be seduced to fear and denigrate differences.

For Asian immigrants landing in San Francisco, Angel Island was the first stop. Opened in 1910 specifically to enforce a populist ban on most Asian immigration, the islands immigration station, until 1940, processed and detained over 500,000 new arrivals.

Immigrants were locked up in cramped quarters, fed inferior food, and subjected to long medical exams, interrogation and detention for as long as two years. While waiting for their ordeal to be over, Chinese immigrants carved poems into the barracks walls to forever etch their feelings of sadness, loneliness and fear while imprisoned on Angel Island.

As a fifth-generation American, I deeply hope that our country will remember the lessons from its history of Asian immigrants 100 years ago so we do not repeat the errors of the 20th century in the 21st.
Counterintelligence is long, hard work. Investigators need time to string along suspects  seeking the who, what, when, where and why of the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation tries to build 3-D chronologies of who did what to whom. Agents usually follow the money, the best evidence. Thats how the feds got Al Capone: for tax evasion.

The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, is running the most explosive counterintelligence case since Soviet spies stole the secrets of the atom bomb more than 70 years ago. Some of those atomic spies didnt speak Russian: They were Americans. We now know that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia attacked American democracy by meddling in the 2016 election. Did he enlist American mercenaries?

A tantalizing clue came at the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Monday.

First, Democrats named names: the former Trump campaign director, Paul Manafort, dismissed shortly after the F.B.I.s investigation started in late July; then the former Trump national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, who lost his job last month. Both appear to have had pecuniary ties to Mr. Putins allies  in Mr. Manaforts case, a politician and an oligarch; in Mr. Flynns case, RT, the news and propaganda network.
Hong Kongs new leader will be selected on Sunday. Since Britain handed the territory back to China in 1997, the election of the chief executive  which is performed by a special 1,200-member committee stacked in Beijings favor  has generally been a foregone conclusion. But this year Chinas leaders may not be able to dictate the outcome. A faction of powerful local business interests sidelined during the last election, in 2012, will come out on top no matter the result of the vote itself.

In December, the unpopular current chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, suddenly announced that he would not seek a second term. Mr. Leung, long regarded as Beijings loyal henchman, apparently lost its favors after overplaying his hand. His hard-line rule precipitated the momentous pro-democracy Umbrella Movement of 2014. And although those protests failed to achieve their immediate goals  real universal suffrage and Mr. Leungs removal from office  they have spawned a bold separatist movement that has made headway in recent months, including in the local legislature.

The Central Liaison Office, Beijings formal representation in Hong Kong, has nonetheless come out strongly in support of Carrie Lam-Cheng Yuet-Ngor, Mr. Leungs trusted and equally hard-line number two, as his replacement. Chinas leaders may want to reduce anti-Beijing sentiment in Hong Kong by adopting a softer line, but endorsing a more liberal candidate might come across as a tacit admission that choosing Mr. Leung in 2012 was a mistake, and may mean too great a loss of face for those supposedly infallible leaders.

Ms. Lams two competitors include the dark-horse candidate Woo Kok-hing, a retired high court judge with a sharp intellect. Mr. Woo is admired by many for his fair, sometimes even democratic, views, but he lacks visible support from major political blocs.
ZHENGDING, China  In 1982, two men arrived in this dusty provincial town. One was Shi Youming, a Buddhist monk who was taking up a post in the ruins of one of Zhengdings legendary temples. The other was Xi Jinping, the 29-year-old son of a top Communist Party official putting in a mandatory stint in the provinces as a bureaucrat in the government he would eventually lead.

The two forged an unusual alliance that resonates today. With Mr. Xis backing, Youming, who like most Buddhist monks preferred to go by one name, rebuilt the citys Linji Temple, the birthplace of one of the best-known schools of Buddhism. Even after Mr. Xi was transferred, he regularly visited Youming in Zhengding and sent officials there to study the partnership between the party and religion.

Mr. Xis early encounters with religious life give insight into a man who has run China with a firmer hand than any other leader since Mao Zedong. Although he is best known abroad for his efforts to expand Chinas territorial reach in the South China Sea or his high-profile campaign against corruption, at home the president is engineering a remarkable about-face for the Communist Party: an effort to rejuvenate Chinas spiritual life through an embrace of some religions.

As an organization that has tried to squelch religion, the Communist Party under Mr. Xi is now backing it in ways that echo the approach of strongmen like Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who use faith to legitimize their rule. Faced with growing social tensions and slowing economic growth, the government is turning to religion to bolster its hold on power.
There is plenty of democratic energy behind these movements. But because populists like President Trump value only the support of a narrow segment of citizens and claim an exclusive right to speak on behalf of the people, they are a real danger to the norms and institutions that are necessary to sustain democracy.

Like Mr. Trump, democratically elected dictators have often believed that they dont owe political consideration to the minorities they vilify. And like Mr. Trump, they have often claimed that all those who challenge their rule  independent judges, critical journalists  are enemies of the people. For anybody who has studied how democracies die, the presidents dark rhetoric sounds familiar.

One of the things I most admire about the United States is its fierce attachment to the Constitution. Americans have as deep a commitment to democratic institutions, and as active a civil society, as the citizens of any other country in the world. If the defenders of democracy dont make it here, it is doubtful that they will make it anywhere.

But one of the things I most fear about the United States is that the veneration of the Constitution is always in danger of turning into complacency. While the countrys system of checks and balances gives Americans the tools to safeguard their freedoms, the Constitution cannot defend itself. The defenses it puts in place will work only if citizens are prepared to use them.

As this realization dawned on many Americans in the past months, and a valiant fight for the soul of the country got underway, I felt increasingly self-conscious about my status as a resident alien. While I had plenty of opportunity to speak to Americans, I could not speak as an American. And that is why the election of a dangerous demagogue to the presidency of the United States made me more, not less, determined to take on citizenship. Now more than ever I want to be a fully paid-up member of this society  and fight for the survival of liberal democracy alongside my new compatriots.

The oath of citizenship moved me more than I had expected. For a moment, I choked up and found it difficult to get the words out. But then my voice took on a new resolve: proud and determined, I swore to defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Give Donald Trump this: His travel ban enraged only half the country. The House Republicans attempt to replace the Affordable Care Act, meanwhile, has alienated everyone, including members of the Republican Party itself.

The bill was supposed to go to a vote on Friday, but the leadership, facing a likely defeat, was forced to pull it when it became clear it didnt have the necessary support. It was perhaps better off dead: Already a rushed, Rube Goldberg solution in search of a problem, by the time it neared the House floor it had so many compromises woven into it to win votes that, even if it passed, it would have probably gone down in defeat in the Senate.

Its not simply that President Trump and the Republicans are incompetent and inexperienced, though they are: The overwhelming majority of the partys congressional delegation wasnt even in the House of Representatives when Barack Obama was first elected to the White House, and despite his reputation as a savvy pol, Paul Ryan, who became House speaker only in 2015, has almost no record of legislative achievement. (In his time in the House, which he joined in 1999, hes managed to get signed into law only three of the bills he originally sponsored.)

Nor is it that their time in the opposition has left the Republicans ill equipped to govern: After years of wandering in the wilderness, neither the Reagan administration nor George W. Bushs people were at a loss, when suddenly given the keys to the castle, about what to do. And as demonstrated by the travel ban and the Republican division over Mr. Trumps budget (despite its fulfilling long-held conservative dreams), the meltdown over Obamacare repeal cant be chalked up solely to the byzantine complexities of American health care.
States have two other options: They can choose to reject federal funding entirely and give up on the whole A.C.A. project or seek innovation waivers to devise their own federally funded program.

Senate Democrats should engage with the Cassidy-Collins sponsors and other Republican senators who have expressed qualms about the Ryan proposal. Many of those senators are in states that embraced the A.C.A. Medicaid expansion, collectively slashing the ranks of their uninsured by 45 percent.

But they generally call for delaying Medicaids phaseout, not stopping it. Even the Republican governors in states that embraced the A.C.A.s Medicaid expansion, posing as champions of its beneficiaries, floated an alternative plan that left expansion states with a Catch-22: either accept per capita caps on the federal Medicaid contribution, or give up enhanced federal funding for the expansions beneficiaries. Left to their own devices, the Senate moderates are likely to prove equally limp champions of the expansion, or of the federal commitment to making health insurance affordable for all Americans.

This is why its urgent for Democrats to act now. If a quorum of three or more of this demurring dozen is to block these destructive changes  and defy the president  they need an alternative path. Democrats can provide it by working with Senators Cassidy and Collins, and others who wish to devote Obamacare-level resources to extending coverage.

Of course they will have to overcome some natural aversion. Allowing states to junk the A.C.A.s coverage rules, channel subsidies through health savings accounts (which generally work only for people with significant resources), distribute a reduced subsidy pot to wealthier individuals or opt out of subsidizing coverage may strike many as a poison pill.

But Republican governors and legislatures that wish to do these things can do them right now, with the exception of opting out of subsidizing coverage entirely. The A.C.A. allows states to seek innovation waivers from the Department of Health and Human Services to remake their marketplaces, proposing alternatives to the laws coverage rules, subsidy formulas and employer and individual mandates. The state must show that the alternative scheme will cover as many people as Obamacare would, as comprehensively and at comparable cost. With Tom Price as the secretary of Health and Human Services, conservative state governments could doubtless win approval for any plan they proposed.
Donald Trump Jr. came in for some merciless mocking when he posed in this newspaper in a grunge-era flannel shirt, sitting awkwardly atop a tree stump at the family estate, looking glum and lonely. A rejected Cialis ad was one of the kinder suggestions.

But look deeper. Buried in that profile was something  a saffron-thin thread of hope  that could keep his father from hastening the early death of the planet. The elder Trump has repeatedly indicated his intent to withdraw American cooperation from the global agreement to negate climate change, yet another middle finger from this president to the rest of the world, and to his grandchildren. His budget would let poisons flow through American rivers and be belched into the sky overhead.

The other Donald Trump, the kid with the burden of going through life with that name, may be the only person who can stop him. In the profile, junior comes across as a little boy lost, emotionally abandoned after the divorce of parents whose every hour is spent in bold face. Sent away to boarding school. Finding some solace hunting and fishing with a grandfather in Czechoslovakia. As he tries to navigate around the toxic swagger of the old man, he relishes his time in nature. Its not, mind you, listening to yellow-rump warblers on spring days. Its killing things. Pheasant and deer. And bigger things, elephants and leopards, creatures so magnificent that most people cringe at the thought of ending their lives in a sporting pursuit.

But there was another famous New Yorker who did much the same thing after going through a long stretch of emotional trauma  Teddy Roosevelt. And there you find the saffron-thin thread of hope. For on the desk of Donald Trump Jr. is a bronze statue of T.R.  the most muscular defender of creation in this nations history.
Legislation can be crafted bottom up or top down. In bottom up you ask, What problems do voters have and how can they be addressed. In top down, you ask, What problems do elite politicians have and how can they be addressed?

The House Republican health care bill is a pure top-down document. It was not molded to the actual health care needs of regular voters. It does not have support from actual American voters or much interest in those voters. It was written by elites to serve the needs of elites. Donald Trump vowed to drain the swamp, but this bill is pure swamp.

First, the new Republican establishment leaders needed something they could call Obamacare repeal  anything that they could call Obamacare repeal.

It became clear as the legislative process rushed forward that there was no overarching vision in this legislation on how to reform health care or even an organizing thought about how to improve the lives of voters. There was no core health care priority that Republicans identified and were trying to solve.
On Thursday, President Trump sent prayers and condolences via Twitter to the family and friends of Kurt Cochran, an American killed in a terrorist rampage in London. He called Mr. Cochran a great American. He did not tweet about his fellow New Yorker, Mr. Caughman.

Mr. Trump is easily provoked to outrage. But he seems unable to summon that emotion on behalf of Mr. Caughman, who was poor and black and lived in a shelter for homeless people with H.I.V. and AIDS. Maybe hes not that kind of president. So the next best thing is to turn to his predecessor Barack Obama, who confronted senseless violence with healing words again and again. In January he said this, to a Chicago TV news station:

We dont benefit from pretending that racism doesnt exist and hate doesnt exist. We dont benefit from not talking about it. The fact that these things are being surfaced means we can solve them. But over all, what Ive seen as president in traveling around the country is, particularly, the next generation, young people, their appreciation of people who are different than them, come from different places, have different backgrounds, my daughters generation, theyre far more sophisticated about race, far more tolerant and embracing of diversity. So I think that over the long arc, America will keep on getting better.

Yet suspicion and hatred are stoked daily; intolerance is federal policy; white nationalists serve in the White House. Mr. Obama is right to believe in a tolerant America  but with crimes like these, keeping faith in that vision can be difficult over the long arc that seems to get longer every day.
 A battle over school choice in Iowa may be a preview for a larger national fight over the White Houses vision for American education, according to Dana Goldstein, who covers education for the Times.

Background reading:

 Even if the health care bill passes the House, it still has a way to go. This graphic explains.

 Ms. Goldsteins article about a school choice fight in Iowa.

Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at thedaily@nytimes.com. Tweet me at @mikiebarb. And if that isnt enough, we can even text.

How do I listen?

If you dont see an audio player on this page or to subscribe to The Daily for free, follow the instructions below.

On your iPhone or iPad:

Open the preloaded app called Podcasts; it has a purple icon. If youre reading this from your phone, tap this link, which will take you straight there. (You can also use the magnifying glass icon to search; type The Daily.)
The Times and news outlets around the world rushed to cover a bloody rampage in London on Wednesday after a man plowed through pedestrians with a sport utility vehicle, then stabbed and killed a police officer outside Parliament. The Times produced a large breaking news package, featuring articles, photos and videos at the top of the homepage.

One of the photographs from the attack, however, raised readers eyebrows. The image, of an injured woman being tended to as she lay in her own blood on the bridge, appeared in the body of a story and in a slideshow on the homepage.

I am appalled that you have chosen to feature a woman who is terribly injured in the attack in London today and show her face. Where is her dignity? Its unforgivable intrusion. People here dont know if their relatives are safe. They are googling. What if that was your sister, mother daughter? Helen Jones, London

I am shocked by the non blurred photo which appears on todays front page. I think of her family, relatives and friends. I think her face should not be visible but blurred. Gilles Klein, Paris

We went to David Furst, the international photo editor, for his response:

There was a robust discussion in the newsroom about the photograph that appeared on the front page. Ultimately, there was agreement to use the image because it really captured the horror and capriciousness of terrorism. It is because the photo was so revealing, that it might have felt inappropriate to some readers. That is understandable. But we routinely show images of victims of terror from around the world  in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia  as part of our mission to bear witness. Think of the defining images of Vietnam, or the drumbeat of heart wrenching photos from Syria. Indeed, we also often go many steps beyond showing victims in the moment, commemorating the lives of those who died (examples may be found here, and here). We always strive to be conscientious, not to be exploitative, and to maintain our subjects humanity and dignity.

The public editors take: I think the many readers who wrote in make a good point. This image was particularly gruesome because the womans face, tilted toward the camera, made her plainly identifiable. Was that necessary when compelling photos of the scene were not in short supply? Whats more, the photo wasnt easy to avoid. Because it was embedded in the piece, readers surely would have come upon it before they saw a line of text warning of graphic images of victims lying on the ground.

An investigation on SWAT officer drug raids ran last weekend. It was featured at the top of the homepage with an autoplay video of one such raid  that is, the video automatically played when readers landed on the Times site.

Just sharing that I dont like disturbing videos like the one showing SWAT members breaking down a front door on the very front page of todays online paper. Its newsworthy, and a snapshot of what our new reality is, but please  not front and center and in your face as you navigate all else the days newspaper has to offer. Ron Gleason, San Diego

You are making it impossible for me to access your website when there is autoplay video of police raids shoved in my face. Casey Hamilton, Seattle

Nancy Gauss, executive director of video, offered this explanation:

Video is becoming an increasingly critical part of our news report. From the 2015 Paris terror attacks to this weeks deadly rampage in London, edited video can enhance our audiences grasp of complex events. Our readers more clearly understand what were writing about if they see it themselves, especially when it is evidence of an event. So thats what we intended with this long-form investigative project by veteran Times writer Kevin Sack. We provided readers with clips of forcible entry police raids because they are powerful pieces of visual evidence in a story about the controversy over this particular police tactic. We want to lead with our best material and these videos take our readers to the event we want them to understand. The written portion of the story starts similarly, At 2:15 a.m. on a moonless night in May 2014, 10 officers rolled up a driveway in an armored Humvee, three of them poised to leap off the running boards. Is it disturbing? Yes, and our intention is never to offend or upset readers with gratuitous, unwanted visuals. We did label the clips with graphic violence warnings where warranted. We run the autoplay occasionally, as a powerful promotional tool to our best journalism. In the end, we wanted our readers to fully engage with the reality of this subject. We feel the video complemented and enhanced Sacks powerful investigative reporting.

The public editors take: I agree with Gauss that the video component of this investigation was essential to the package, delivering a visual dimension that words simply cant. Having the autoplay did, I confess, draw me to the coverage, but by the third or fourth time I went to the homepage that day it was turning into a distraction.

On Tuesday, The Times profiled the campaign of Bill de Blasios one notable challenger in New York Citys mayoral election, Paul Massey, a Republican. The piece said Massey was still on a steep learning curve after generous spending and some early stumbles. After the piece ran, one of Masseys campaign aides, David Goldin, wrote in to the editors and to this office, disputing parts of the story. Specifically, the aide took issue with the storys claim that Massey did not take any City Hall reporters with him on what his team said was a five-borough tour to launch his campaign. Goldin also challenged the storys description of Massey as appearing seemingly bland at a St. Patricks Day parade, pointing out that a Times reporter did not attend the event.
The actress Lena Hall has a big, infectious chortle. It would fill a space far larger than the immaculate 500-square-foot alcove studio she rents in the theater district, and a card on a table by the window pays fitting tribute: You have the best laugh in the history of best laughs.

Ive always been really self-conscious about my laugh. I felt I had a witchs cackle, said the charmingly giddy Ms. Hall, a 2014 Tony Award winner for Hedwig and the Angry Inch,  who is now appearing in the Lincoln Center Theater production How to Transcend a Happy Marriage. And then a friend said, I love your laugh. And he found that card, and I framed it because it made me feel so good.

Unlike many space-challenged New Yorkers, Ms. Hall, 37, has no recurring fantasy about opening a cupboard or closet and finding that the apartment, stunningly, has another room. Not for a second does she mourn the huge two-bedroom co-op in Washington Heights that she bought in 2000 and sold for a nice profit just before the financial crisis. It was lovely to live in, but the commute  said Ms. Hall, who moved for a time to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, then to Long Island City, where she shared an apartment with a boyfriend.

When the relationship ended, Ms. Hall voted herself back on the island. I asked myself, Where have you wanted to live and never lived? Now that Im single, where can I be by myself and have my own sanctuary? So I decided I would try Midtown, to be closer to work.
Roger Vivier may have invented the stiletto in 1954, but Manolo Blahnik gave it legs. His handiwork is easy to spot: the spindly heel that flares subtly at the base, resembling the stem of a champagne flute where it widens to kiss the cup; the elongated pointy toe, with its ever-so-slightly rounded tip, like the smooth beak of a swan.

Blahnik  the son of a banana plantation owner  grew up in the tropics, in the Canary Islands; as a child, he made tinfoil shoes for iguanas. After a try at studying law in Switzerland and art in Paris, he landed in London in the late 60s, hoping to become a set designer. Seeing his sketch for a production of A Midsummer Nights Dream (which somehow included a high-heeled sandal with ivy and cherries), Diana Vreeland told him he should be making shoes. This year, Blahnik, who is still based in London, is finally allowing his personal collection of over 30,000 pairs  previously stored in his Bath estate  to be properly cataloged in a temperature-controlled vault near his Chelsea headquarters. Still, at 74, he resists the word archive. My legacy is not important to me, he says. I want to have fun now.
Hours after the terrorist attack in London, online sleuths thought they had identified the assailant.

In Twitter posts, Facebook messages and a live British television news program, people pointed to Abu Izzadeen, a radical British cleric who was imprisoned last year for running afoul of British terrorism rules. His photos were shared on the internet. His Wikipedia page was updated with the information.

But they were wrong.

Not only was Mr. Izzadeen not the assailant in Wednesdays attack, but he was also in a British prison, according to his lawyer, Tanveer Qureshi.

He was not responsible for these terrible and unjustified attacks, Mr. Qureshi said by email.

The real assailant was identified on Thursday as Khalid Masood, 52, a British-born man who had been previously investigated for potential ties to violent extremism and had a lengthy criminal record.
Those rules meant to protect the privacy of your internet activity that you may have heard about? Never mind.

In a 50-48 vote mostly along party lines on Thursday, the Senate moved to strip consumer privacy rules that had just been created in October. Next week, the House is expected to go along with the Senate measure, and the rule changes would then head to President Trump for his signature.

The move by the Senate means telecommunications carriers can continue tracking and sharing peoples browsing and app activity without asking their permission, Cecilia Kang writes. An individuals data collected by these companies also does not need to be secured with reasonable measures against hackers.

The rules were supposed to go into effect at the end of this year.

Washingtons zeal for privacy protection may have cooled, but that doesnt mean you dont have other means to keep what you do out of other peoples hands.
Theres a wheelchair onstage at the Belasco Theater, and its drawing an abundance of attention. Theres also a wheelchair onstage at a small theater not far away, and its drawing practically no attention at all. The gulf between the two says quite a lot.

At the Belasco, the Broadway house on West 44th Street, the wheelchair is one of the conspicuous elaborations the director Sam Gold has brought to his production of The Glass Menagerie, the beloved Tennessee Williams drama. The chair isnt just a prop; its a necessity for the actress playing Laura, Madison Ferris, who has muscular dystrophy.

That bit of casting is, of course, a significant change from the shy girl with a limp that Williams called for in his play. And Mr. Golds staging leaves no doubt that Ms. Ferris is not some able-bodied actress pretending to have a disability. He has her enter by painstakingly climbing stairs, one of several times that he takes her out of the wheelchair and confronts the audience with the difficulties of having severely limited mobility.

Some leading critics have objected to the transformation of Williamss subtle play about a family enveloped in denial into something more strident. The kindest objections say that Mr. Golds interpretation simply doesnt mesh well with the text; harsher ones on theater chat boards have called his use of Ms. Ferris exploitative.
The unbounded fury of Emperor Brutus Jones blasts into the room before he does. It is the sound of a powerful man in a dangerous fit of temper. Who dare wake up the emperor? he roars.

That would be the director Ciaran OReilly, who has revived his gorgeous, astonishing production of Eugene ONeills The Emperor Jones at Irish Repertory Theater, with largely the same creative team but an almost entirely new cast. Revelatory in 2009, when it starred the commanding John Douglas Thompson, its now both ferocious and blindsidingly affecting with the British newcomer Obi Abili in the title role.

The play, from 1920, unfolds into a fractured dark night of the American soul, but it begins in daylight in the palace of the West Indies island that Jones rules. A black American with a murderous past and an avaricious present, hes a former Pullman porter. Reckless and mercurial, a bully when he wants to feel his own strength, he luxuriates in the perks of the office hes grabbed for himself: the throne, the golden crown, the money he is milking from it.
Now I work here  to realize that this is my history, this is my story, blows me away, said Mr. Alexander, 45, an executive assistant in Georgetowns office of technology commercialization. I have been really emotional as I learned about my ties to the university.

The journey began with Mr. Alexanders own digging to find out more about his lineage, to find out more about the ties that bind. He wanted to know more not just for himself, but for his 9-year-old son.

Mr. Alexander had his DNA tested in 2014, along with that of his wife and parents, and worked on a family tree on an ancestry website. But that search ended at the name of his great-grandmother, Anna Jones  the granddaughter of Anna Mahoney Jones. But for Mr. Alexander, it was just a name, no story attached.

The path backward might have stopped there, if not for an unexpected email. Last fall, Mr. Alexander heard from a woman in Boston, Melissa Kemp, who turned out to be a distant cousin. They had a conversation on the day before Thanksgiving, each recounting the century-old names of relatives they shared, including Anna Jones.

Ms. Kemp went back two more generations and introduced Mr. Alexander to the name that would come to define his earliest known roots and reveal his connection to Georgetown: Anna Mahoney Jones.
WASHINGTON  A 28-year-old North Carolina man pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to firing a military-style assault rifle inside a Washington pizza restaurant as he investigated spurious claims in online articles that the pizzeria was at the center of a child sex-slave ring.

The man, Edgar Maddison Welch, of Salisbury, N.C., also admitted that he transported a firearm and ammunition across state lines, a federal charge. He faces up to two decades in prison on both felony charges, but prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed he should serve no more than a maximum of seven years.

Mr. Welch, who remains in custody, is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

According to prosecutors, Mr. Welch traveled on Dec. 4 from North Carolina to the Comet Ping Pong restaurant in Northwest Washington after reading unfounded online reports that the restaurant had been harboring child sex slaves as part of a child-abuse ring led by Hillary Clinton, then the Democratic nominee for president. Prosecutors said Mr. Welch also watched YouTube videos about the false stories.

The authorities said Mr. Welch told friends that he was sacrificing the lives of a few for the lives of many and standing up against a corrupt system that kidnaps, tortures and rapes babies and children in our own backyard. Prosecutors said his friends declined to help carry out his mission.
It was not always thus. Mr. Nunes was 23 when he was first elected to public office, as a board member of a local community college where he had started his higher education. Eyeing his first campaign, Mr. Nunes sought advice from Representative Jim Costa, a Democrat who is also from the Central Valley in California and was serving in the State Legislature at the time.

Both belonged to the areas tight-knit Portuguese community. Mr. Costa said he recognized a familiar drive. We all show that kind of interest when were in our 20s and 30s, and we want to try to get an opportunity to see if we can make a difference, Mr. Costa said.

Until recently, Mr. Nuness most memorable flourish in the House was his blistering assessment in 2013 of Republicans who were willing to shut down the federal government over President Obamas health law: lemmings with suicide vests.

Now, he has largely retained the support of his colleagues, despite complaints from Republicans like Senator John McCain of Arizona over his committee stewardship, amplifying calls for an independent commission to investigate Mr. Trumps connections to Russia.

On Friday, Mr. Nunes summoned reporters once more to relay information that Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman with questionable ties to Russia, had volunteered to appear before the committee. Mr. Nunes also announced the cancellation of a public meeting with former intelligence and law enforcement leaders, citing a desire to bring in James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, and Michael S. Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency, for a closed session instead. Both testified before the committee this week.

Representative Adam Schiff of California, the committees top Democrat, suggested that once again the chairman had acted unilaterally, this time to scuttle the hearing. And in a sign of how far their relationship has fallen, Mr. Schiff  who for weeks stood by Mr. Nuness side before reporters and defended him  accused him of taking that action because the White House had told him to.

This was the capper to an eventful few days for Mr. Nunes.

Presiding over a committee hearing on Monday  when Mr. Comey took the extraordinary step of announcing the agencys investigation into whether the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election  Mr. Nunes mustered deeper alarm over anonymous sources revealing an inquirys details to journalists than over the contents of the investigation.
NASHVILLE  It is the latest chapter in one of the more tangled stories of an American presidential corpse  a tale of love and cholera, betrayal and real estate, honor and probate law.

But having been interred in three different places since his death in 1849, James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States, now faces the prospect of having his sleep disturbed yet again.

A new proposal making its way through the Tennessee legislature calls for digging up the bodies of Polk and his wife, Sarah Childress Polk, both of which have been buried on the grounds of the state Capitol for more than a century. They would then be relocated to a final resting place at a Polk family home and museum in the small city of Columbia.

Supporters say the move will properly honor an unjustly overlooked president, a man who expanded the territory of the United States by a third, signed a law establishing the Smithsonian Institution and created the Naval Academy.
CAIRO  Six years after roaring crowds ousted him at the peak of the Arab Spring, former President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt was freed early Friday from the Cairo hospital where he had been detained, capping a long and largely fruitless effort to hold him accountable for human rights abuses and endemic corruption during his three decades of rule.

Mr. Mubarak, 88, was taken under armed escort from the Maadi Military Hospital in southern Cairo, where he had been living under guard in a room with a view of the Nile, to his mansion in the upmarket suburb of Heliopolis.

He went home at 8:30 this morning, his longtime lawyer, Farid el-Deeb, who has stewarded Mr. Mubarak through a tangled cluster of prosecutions since 2011, said by telephone. Mr. Mubarak celebrated his release by having breakfast with his wife, Suzanne, and sons, Alaa and Gamal.

The release begins a third act for Mr. Mubarak, a once unassailable Arab ruler and American ally who came to power in 1981 after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat during a military parade. Thirty years later, Mr. Mubaraks own rule ended abruptly as multitudes thronged Tahrir Square for 18 days in the heady, hopeful early months of the Arab Spring.
PARIS  The International Criminal Court on Friday found a former militia leader liable for $1 million in reparations to his victims and their relatives in a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It ordered that payments be made in small amounts of cash to individuals and used for projects benefiting the wider community.

Noting that the militia leader, Germain Katanga, is imprisoned and penniless, the judges requested that the awards be paid out by the courts Trust Fund for Victims, which was created for this purpose.

The ruling is notable for the court because it identifies the victims, estimates losses, sets amounts and directs the spending of funds. The court had ordered reparations in an earlier case involving Thomas Lubanga, a rebel leader, but those details have not been worked out.

Unlike international tribunals that adjudicate war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, stands apart because its mandate specifies that reparations to victims must be part of international justice.
Toronto schools have stopped planning field trips to the United States, citing concerns that some students may be turned away at the border in the wake of President Trumps latest travel ban and the American immigration authorities newly implemented extreme vetting procedures.

At the same time, many Canadian universities are seeing a sharp increase in international student applications while foreign applications to many colleges in the United States have declined.

The field trip decision by the Toronto District School Board, the largest board in the country, was the latest disruption in travel from Canada to the United States as the Trump administration tightens the borders. Canadas Girl Guides and the Greater Essex County District School Board in Windsor, Ontario, earlier suspended trips across the border given the uncertainties surrounding the ban.

We dont want to put our students in the position of traveling down to the border with their friends and classmates on a trip and then being told they cannot enter the U.S. for no legitimate reason, said Ryan Bird, a spokesman for the Toronto board.
Modi has said he wants economic development for everyone, Mr. Akhtar said. This job has allowed my children to eat and go to school. All we want is peace, to be allowed to work in peace.

Life in this strip of villages had changed drastically with the advent of the meat factories a decade ago, people here said. Mud huts, which routinely collapsed during the monsoon, had been replaced by solid brick buildings. Men working in the factories had begun to invest in motor scooters. Women had been pulled into the work force, abruptly doubling family incomes.

Mr. Akhtar said he could afford to remain in Uttar Pradesh for two weeks without pay, and then he would have no choice but to return to his native village, along with thousands of other migrant workers who gravitated here for jobs. Other men clustered around him  peddlers, truck dispatchers, factory supervisors, cleaners, butchers. Some of them warned that further pressure on the industry would lead to violence.

Suppose that there are five people in a single family working here, and they are all jobless, said Muhammad Majid, 21, who has been working at a slaughterhouse since he was 15. If there are riots, they will be difficult to contain.

Most Indians were not aware that buffalo meat overtook rice as the countrys largest food export in 2015.

The industrys growth has gone unnoticed mainly because of religious sensitivities: Meatpacking, like leather, is a sector dominated by Muslims, who make up around 19 percent of this states population. Though it is legal to slaughter buffalo when they are old and can no longer give milk, right-wing Hindu groups have long suggested that cows were being spirited into the facilities, and they have routinely intercepted supply vehicles for aggressive searches.
Bao Bao is not the first American-born panda to face the challenges of a new life. In November, when Mei Lun and Mei Huan, the first surviving panda twins to have been born in the United States, at Zoo Atlanta, came to China, the Chinese news media reported that they, too, had difficulties with the local language and food.

According to the conservation and research center, 25 pandas have been born abroad since the 1990s, when China set up panda breeding programs in collaboration with 17 zoos in 12 countries. Of these, 18 have survived. By agreement, pandas provided by China are considered loans, and their offspring must be sent to China before their fourth birthday in preparation for breeding.

Bao Bao was born on Aug. 23, 2013, to Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, two pandas on loan to the National Zoo. Her older brother, Tai Shan, who was born in 2005 and sent to China in 2010, is now her neighbor at the Dujiangyan base. A younger brother, Bei Bei, was born in 2015 and is still in Washington.

A 2016 report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature put the total number of giant pandas around 2,060. While that is up from the 1,596 counted in a 2000-4 census, the health of the population depends on continued conservation efforts. Each panda has a mission to spread the genes, and Bao Bao is no exception. Once she reaches sexual maturity, around 5 or 6 years old, she will acquire a boyfriend.

When Bao Bao gets to that age, we will arrange for her to meet many young males, Mr. Tang said, and their relationship will be based on love.
DHAKA, Bangladesh  A man detonated explosives at a police checkpoint near the international airport here in Bangladeshs capital on Friday evening, killing only himself, the police said.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blast in an announcement over social media, said the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors communications by extremist groups.

The attack was the third botched suicide bombing in Dhaka in a week. The three episodes suggested that militant activity was re-emerging after a major police crackdown and a lull of many months.

Around 7 p.m. on Friday, a young man approached a checkpoint at an intersection near the airport and detonated a device that was strapped to his body, said Abdul Baten, the joint commissioner of the Dhaka police detective branch.
In a statement on Twitter, a spokesman, Zaw Htay, said that the government did not agree with the resolution and that it disassociated itself from the councils action.

The resolution poses a quandary for Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. She leads Myanmars civilian government but has little authority over the army, which ruled the country for more than half a century and still has considerable power. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate whose party won a majority in elections in 2015, has been criticized by rights activists for failing to speak out on the politically delicate issue of Rohingya Muslims, a long-persecuted minority in a country that is predominantly Buddhist.

Last month, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, called for an international commission of inquiry into the violence in Rakhine. A United Nations report had found that Myanmars army had probably committed crimes against humanity in the state, where it began a counterinsurgency operation in October after insurgents killed nine guards on the border with Bangladesh.

The resolution adopted on Friday calls for a fact-finding mission, not a commission of inquiry  a change made by the measures sponsors, which include the United States, after Myanmar objected to the original language. Human rights experts and diplomats said a fact-finding mission supported by the United Nations rights office in Geneva would achieve essentially the same objectives. The resolution stipulated that the mission should include experts on forensics and sexual violence.

Myanmar has appointed its own commission of inquiry into the Rakhine unrest, led by Vice President Myint Swe, and it has set up an advisory panel on ethnic strife and poverty in the state led by the former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan, which is to submit its report in August. But government statements disparaging accounts of atrocities in Rakhine as false or exaggerated have led to doubts that the national inquiry will be impartial, and United Nations officials have said that the work of the inquiry falls far short of international standards. Human rights groups have also expressed skepticism that the national advisory panel will achieve much.
Boris V. Shekhtman, a Soviet emigre who taught conversational Russian to a generation of American journalists, diplomats and entrepreneurs  from the grim lingo of Cold War aggression to the beguiling argot of capitalist negotiation  died on March 18 in Silver Spring, Md. He was 77.

The cause was complications of lymphoma, his wife, Enna Dubrovsky, said.

If asked whether he was a conventional linguist, Mr. Shekhtman would have replied with a resounding nyet. But, in his own way, as he expanded his service from its base in Rockville, Md., he was instrumental in recasting the way foreign languages were taught, and in bringing about a higher level of understanding to colloquies in which every word counts.

The first time I met Boris he didnt talk at all about language, Lucian Pugliaresi, a former National Security Council official in the Reagan administration, told The New York Times in 2001. He talked about power relationships and fascinated me instantly. He said, When you dont speak the language over there, you have no power. 

Mr. Shekhtmans methods were intended for everyday face-to-face exchanges  like two guys on a park bench, as Strobe Talbott, the president of the Brookings Institution and a former journalist and diplomat, described the technique in an email.
Britain, its second-largest economy and one of two nuclear powers, has voted to leave. The countries of Central Europe are flirting with authoritarianism and Russia. Candidate countries like Turkey and Serbia have lost enthusiasm. Even core countries, like France, Germany and the Netherlands, are dealing with strong populist movements that are fiercely anti-European Union.

For many, the European Union no longer stands for democracy and a better future, but instead a hindrance to national identity and economic opportunity. It has created a powerful transnational bureaucracy that by its nature becomes enamored of bureaucratic solutions, creating an ethos of faceless clerks and late-night crisis meetings of national leaders, most of whom worry more about perceptions at home than solving the problems of their neighbors.

Just this week, Poland and Greece were threatening, at least, to block the Rome Declaration meant to support the blocs renewed aspirations. Poland remains concerned the newer members outside the euro will be marginalized in the future, and suggested that the London attacks were linked to lax European Union migration policies. Greece wants more explicit reference to the protection of workers, even as its debt crisis festers. The disunity threatens to weaken Europes hand as Brexit negotiations approach next Wednesday.

Not all the problems the bloc faces are of its own making, but they need to be faced nonetheless. Mr. Vimont, now a visiting fellow at Carnegie Europe, sees the new strains as reflective of a more individualistic society, which has also become selfish and nationalistic.
BERLIN  While families and friends gathered in Germany and southern France to mourn the victims of the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, Gunter Lubitz broke his silence on Friday to challenge the authorities conclusion that his son Andreas deliberately crashed the plane into the face of a mountain two years ago.

Mr. Lubitz sat stiffly in his dark suit, flanked by two lawyers, and faced journalists questions about why he had chosen this, of all days, to try to cast doubt on the execution and findings of the investigation into the crash, in which his son and 149 others died.

His decision to use the second anniversary of the crash to defend his son outraged many. But Mr. Lubitz, 63, insisted that he would have been subjected to criticism on any day for his decision to question whether experts and the authorities had leapt too quickly to the conclusion that his son deliberately caused the crash because he was mentally ill.

We did not choose this day to hurt the other families, Mr. Lubitz said, reading deliberately from a prepared statement. We chose this day because it promised the greatest attention.
PARIS  Marine Le Pen, the French far rights presidential candidate, has never hidden her admiration for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and on Friday she met with him in the Kremlin.

Russian television broadcast images of Ms. Le Pen, gesticulating energetically across the table from a disengaged-looking Mr. Putin. Earlier, she called for developing relations with Russia and cooperation in antiterrorism. Both were nods to her presidential campaign platform, which advocates closer ties with Mr. Putin, friendliness toward President Trump and rejection of the European Union.

The meeting highlighted the potential for a general realignment of relations with Russia, even at a time when it has been accused of meddling in Western elections through computer hacking and the promotion of fake news, sowing alarm on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Trump administration has shown itself sympathetic to Moscow, to the extent that pre-election contacts between the two sides are being investigated in the United States. In a crucial election year in Europe, campaigns are now peppered with parties and candidates that could sharply redirect ties with Moscow.
ROME  On the eve of celebrations commemorating the 60th anniversary of treaties that led to the creation of the European Union, Pope Francis warned the blocs leaders on Friday that while their countries may be inseparably linked, the project could still fail.

Francis, addressing leaders including Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Francois Hollande of France at the Vatican, offered a blessing for the Continent and a warning about the forces of populism and extremism. He said that too many Europeans took the benefits of peace for granted and that the unification project could run aground as nations, and citizens, turned inward.

There is fearfulness in Europe, the pontiff said, according to his prepared remarks. Todays prosperity seems to have clipped the continents wings and lowered its gaze.

Francis, a staunch advocate of migrants rights, said that although European civilization had its roots in Christianity, Europeans must embrace a multicultural world. He urged leaders and citizens to rediscover a deeper capacity for empathy and tolerance.
I have interviewed more than a dozen smugglers on three continents. Like most of them, Abu Mohammed is more complex than journalists and politicians usually suggest in their portrayal of the human-smuggling industry.

He grew up in Syria, and became a surgeons assistant  someone who once saved lives instead of, as some say, endangering them. He turned to smuggling only once he had fled to Turkey, after he himself almost drowned trying to reach Europe as a passenger. Later, his own passengers were not simply his customers: They included relatives, and even his young son. Sending them to sea, he says, was stressful and sometimes frightening.

It was also shameful, he says. Though he acknowledges a quiet pride in his role in such an extraordinary flow of people, which was not an ordinary thing, its now not something he wants to be associated with. Its a dirty business, he says. Its hard to find someone whos honest in this work.
BIRMINGHAM, England  He described himself as friendly and approachable. He had a degree in economics, and said he was a good listener.

Adrian Russell Ajao, the man who drove a car into pedestrians in the shadow of Big Ben and then killed a police officer with a knife in Britains worst act of terrorism since 2005, and who called himself Khalid Masood after converting to Islam in his late 30s, was a 52-year-old husband and father.

Prone to violent outbursts as a younger man, he had led a quiet life in recent years, usually attracting notice from the neighbors only when he washed his car in the driveway or mowed his lawn. Most afternoons he would pick up his two youngest children from primary school in a quiet suburban part of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England.

Occasionally, though, a darker side broke through. When he spoke about religion, said a neighbor who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals, he suddenly was a different man, describing in those moments a fierce and uncompromising anger about the treatment of Muslims.

Image Khalid Masood Credit... Metropolitan Police, via Associated Press

As a portrait began to emerge of Mr. Masood, investigators were trying to piece together how a former English teacher with a penchant for bodybuilding  who had used half a dozen aliases, spent two years living in Saudi Arabia and served two jail sentences  had been set on the path of extremism, and whether he acted alone.

On Friday, the police provided some hints that answers would be forthcoming, announcing two significant arrests. But by the end of the day, seven of the 11 people arrested since Wednesday had been released with no further police action. Two women have been freed on bail. Two men, both from Birmingham, remained in custody and were being questioned as part of the investigation.

The police were still searching five addresses, had concluded 16 searches and were sifting through 2,700 seized items, including huge amounts of computer data and video footage taken by passers-by on Westminster Bridge at the time of the attack, said Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Mr. Rowley said the death toll from the attack had risen to four as Leslie Rhodes, 75, from the Streatham area of south London, succumbed to his injuries. The victims included at least 50 wounded and came from around the world, a poignant reminder Mr. Rowley said, of the global reach of the assault.

Only minutes before Mr. Masood pressed down on the accelerator at 2:41 p.m. on Wednesday as he mounted the sidewalk on Westminster Bridge, his WhatsApp account on his phone was active, security officials said. Whether he was receiving direction from someone at home or overseas, or just saying goodbye to his wife, is not yet known.
ISTANBUL  When 22 Christian refugees gathered in the basement of an apartment in Istanbul early on a recent Sunday afternoon, it was quickly clear that this was no ordinary prayer meeting. Several of them had Islamic names. There was an Abdelrahman and even a couple of Mohammads. Strangest of all, they jokingly referred to their host  one of the two Mohammads  as an irhabi. A terrorist.

If Bashir Mohammad took the joke well, it was because there was once some truth to it. Today, Mr. Mohammad, 25, has a cross on his wall and invites other recent converts to weekly Bible readings in his purple-walled living room. Less than four years ago, however, he says he fought on the front lines of the Syrian civil war for the Nusra Front, an offshoot of Al Qaeda. He is, he says, a jihadi who turned to Jesus.

It is a transition that has surprised everyone, not least of all himself. Four years ago, Mr. Mohammad tells me, Frankly I would have slaughtered anyone who suggested it. Not only have his beliefs changed, but his temperament has, too. Today, his wife, Hevin Rashid, confirms, with a hint of understatement, that he is much better to be around.

The conversion of Muslim refugees to Christianity is not a new phenomenon, particularly in majority-Christian countries. Converts sometimes stand accused of trying to enhance their chances of asylum by making it dangerous to deport them back to places with a history of Islamist persecution.
BAGHDAD  The American-led military coalition in Iraq said Friday that it was investigating reports that scores of civilians  perhaps as many as 200, residents said  had been killed in recent American airstrikes in Mosul, the northern Iraqi city at the center of an offensive to drive out the Islamic State.

If confirmed, the series of airstrikes would rank among the highest civilian death tolls in an American air mission since the United States went to war in Iraq in 2003. And the reports of civilian deaths in Mosul came immediately after two recent incidents in Syria, where the coalition is also battling the Islamic State from the air, in which activists and local residents said dozens of civilians had been killed.

Taken together, the surge of reported civilian deaths raised questions about whether once-strict rules of engagement meant to minimize civilian casualties were being relaxed under the Trump administration, which has vowed to fight the Islamic State more aggressively.

American military officials insisted on Friday that the rules of engagement had not changed. They acknowledged, however, that American airstrikes in Syria and Iraq had been heavier in an effort to press the Islamic State on multiple fronts.
WASHINGTON  John J. Sullivan, a prominent Republican lawyer who served in the administration of President George W. Bush, is expected to be nominated to serve as the State Departments No. 2 officer, according to a senior White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of an official announcement.

Mr. Sullivans selection as deputy secretary will begin the long process of filling out Secretary of State Rex W. Tillersons top leadership at the department, which is facing a proposed 31 percent budget cut and growing worries about its relevance in President Trumps national security infrastructure.

Mr. Sullivan served in the Bush administration in top legal jobs at both the Defense Department and the Commerce Department before being confirmed in 2007 as the No. 2 official in the Commerce Department. He also served in the Justice Department during the administration of the elder President George Bush.

Image John J. Sullivan. Credit... Department of Commerce

But Mr. Sullivan has no experience at the State Department. Neither did Mr. Tillerson before his selection. That means that the departments top two officials would both need a map to navigate a complicated diplomatic terrain  and an equally complex bureaucracy.
The drive to revamp peacekeeping represents Ms. Haleys first foray into the changes she says she wants at the United Nations. Her first challenge, set to unfold in the coming days, is over how to deal with the United Nations biggest mission: in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the largest peacekeeping operation with 18,700 troops and police officers.

Ms. Haley is pushing to pare it down, and soon. France has warned against making deep cuts now, with elections in Congo coming up at the end of the year and civilians still subject to grisly killings and rapes. Closing the mission now, the French ambassador to the United Nations, Francois Delattre, said this past week, would be like playing with fire.

Mr. Delattre said he was all for making operations more efficient, but not at the expense of protecting civilians.

Do we want to downsize U.N. peacekeeping operations so they are no longer able to react in case of massacres or when terrorists threaten the existence of fragile states and even our own security? he said. Or do we want to make U.N. peacekeeping operations more efficient and right-sizing so they can help stabilize countries and protect civilians when they are in real danger? For France, theres only one option.

The United States move comes at a time when China has stepped up its support for peacekeeping  deploying an infantry battalion to South Sudan, for instance, and pledging to build a 8,000-strong standby force. And it stands in sharp contrast to the Obama administrations approach: Two years ago, President Barack Obama leaned on other countries to deploy their troops for peacekeeping, and in turn promised more American logistical support, including air and sea lift capacity.

For the United Nations, the stakes are not just about money.

By the world bodys own admission, peacekeepers have not always been effective in protecting civilians. Cases of sexual abuse have sullied the organizations reputation, and United Nations forces are blamed for bringing cholera to Haiti, and then bringing little relief to Haitians. Still, cutting back forces from conflict zones carries enormous risks; the memory of Rwanda, where a genocide unfolded after United Nations peacekeepers pulled out, looms large.

The note prepared by Ms. Haleys office asks fundamental questions about the value of peacekeeping operations. It asks whether it is advisable to deploy troops to a country where the government does not want them. This echoes the national sovereignty arguments that China and Russia often make in seeking to minimize United Nations involvement in other countries affairs.
Wedding planners and philanthropic advisers say the interest in including a charity on a wedding registry has paralleled the growth of internet registries. In essence, when guests can click online boxes for wine glasses, vases, china sets, silverware and silver picture frames, it is just as simple to add a link to a charity of the couples choice.

Its easy for people who dont have the dream of a registry for gifts in the traditional way, said Anthony Taccetta, a wedding and event planner in New York.

He said he recently worked with one couple who wanted donations to go to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in New York and raised over $10,000. Another couple, who had their dog in their wedding, were able to raise more than $15,000 for the Humane Society of New York.

Lindsay McKay, 37, and James Nero, 38, who are to be married in September in Santa Barbara, Calif., are making the rescue dog that brought them together a focus of their wedding. While they are registered at traditional places like Williams-Sonoma, they are also asking people to make donations to a no-kill animal shelter in Los Angeles.

Ms. McKay credits the dog she adopted from the shelter with leading her to slow down in her life  shes a Hollywood costume designer  and making herself more open to a relationship.

Adding a nonprofit organization to a registry is fairly simple. The Culvers simply put a link on their wedding website to Sail to Prevail. Ms. McKay and Mr. Nero broached the idea with their wedding planner, Beth Helmstetter, who about a year ago started a website called the Good Beginning, to ease the process of charitable gift-giving for guests and make gifts trackable the way they are in a regular registry for couples.

Image Ms. McKay shared a picture of her dog Sansa on her phone. Credit... Oriana Koren for The New York Times

What is important to couples is they want to be able to thank people for those donations, said Ms. Helmstetter, who charges 10 percent of the donation for the service.
On March 9, Sarah Lauch received an email from a company called OpticsFast that left her shaking with anger. It read: Good news! I finally found the 3115b glasses for you, that you originally wanted. I know its been a while, I always follow up on my good customers.

To understand why this seemingly banal pitch upset Ms. Lauch, some background is needed. In 2012, she testified in a Manhattan federal court at a sentencing hearing for Vitaly Borker, an online eyewear seller and owner of DecorMyEyes, a website operated out of his home in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Mr. Borker had come up with a very novel  and very awful  way to increase profits. He would threaten his customers, sometimes with lawsuits, other times with physical harm, including sexual assault. He emailed the workplace of one customer to say that the customer sold drugs.

His theory, it later emerged, was that the fear and fury he ginned up would increase postings to complaint sites by appalled customers, hubbub that improved his ranking on Google, because the search engine did not distinguish between positive and negative feedback.

(Two days after an article about Mr. Borker ran in The New York Times in 2010, Google announced that making customers furious should never have an upside, and that it had already tweaked its algorithm.)
NYTimes.com no longer supports Internet Explorer 9 or earlier. Please upgrade your browser.
See original here

As confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch wrap up and Senate Democrats vow to filibuster his nomination, we look at Gorsuch's ruling in a case known as the "frozen trucker." Truck driver Alphonse Maddin was fired after he disobeyed a supervisor and abandoned the trailer that he was driving, because he was on the verge of freezing to death. We speak with Robert Fetter, the attorney who represented Maddin in his wrongful termination lawsuit.

TRANSCRIPT

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: We turn to the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, which wrapped up Thursday on Capitol Hill as Senate Democrats vowed to filibuster his nomination. This is Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: The Supreme Court matters a great, great deal. It matters for workers, who want to protect both their lives and their jobs; for employees, who need to be able to seek redress for discrimination; for parents, who want their kids to get a fair shake in the education system. It is with all this in mind that I have come to a decision about the current nominee. After careful deliberation, I have concluded that I cannot support Judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court. His nomination will have a cloture vote. He will have to earn 60 votes for confirmation. My vote will be no, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

AMY GOODMAN: Senate rules require 60 votes to break a filibuster, meaning Gorsuch would have to earn the support of eight Democrats to overcome the Democratic effort to block his nomination. In return, Republicans have threatened to activate the so-called nuclear option of eliminating the filibuster entirely for Supreme Court nominations.

Throughout this week's four days of hearings, one of the most contentious issues was Gorsuch's ruling in a case known as the "frozen trucker." The case involves truck driver Alphonse Maddin, who was fired after he disobeyed a supervisor and abandoned his tractor-trailer that he was driving, because he was on the verge of freezing to death. This is Maddin speaking at a recent event in Washington, D.C.

ALPHONSE MADDIN: In January of 2009, I was working as a commercial truck driver for TransAm Trucking Incorporated of Olathe, Kansas. I was hauling a load of meat through the state of Illinois. After stopping to resolve a discrepancy in the location to refuel, the brakes on the trailer froze. I contacted my employer, and they arranged for a repair unit to come to my location. I expected that help would arrive within an hour.

I awoke three hours later to discover that I could not feel my feet, my skin was burning and cracking, my speech was slurred, and I was having trouble breathing. The temperature that night was roughly 27 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. The heater in the cabin was not producing heat, and the temperature gauge in the truck was reading minus-7 degrees below zero. After informing my employer of my physical condition, they responded by telling me to simply hang in there.

As I sat there physically suffering in the cold, I started having thoughts that I was going to die. My physical condition was fading rapidly. I decided to try to detach the trailer from the truck and drive to safety. When I stepped out of the truck, I was concerned that I may fall, because I was on the verge of passing out. I feared that if I fell, I would not have the strength to stand up, and would die. I walked to the back of the trailer to place a lock on the cargo doors. The distance that I walked to the back of the trailer seemed like an eternity, as my feet absolutely had no feeling at all.

I eventually was able to detach the tractor from the trailer. Before I left, I called my employer to notify them that I had decided to head for shelter. And they ordered me to either drag the trailer or stay put. In my opinion, clearly, their cargo was more important than my life. My employer fired me for disobeying their orders. And I'd like to make it clear that although I detached the tractor from the trailer, I returned, and I completed my job. And I was still fired.

OK, I disputed my termination from TransAm Trucking and ultimately won. This was a seven-year battle. Seven different judges heard my case. One of those judges found against me. That judge was Neil Gorsuch.

AMY GOODMAN: That was Alphonse Maddin. For more, we're joined by Maddin's attorney in his wrongful termination lawsuit. Robert Fetter is a labor lawyer. He joins us from Detroit, Michigan.

Bob, welcome to Democracy Now! This is an astounding case. This happened in 2009. As Alphonse Maddin said, this case was heard by seven judges. Only one ruled against him, and that judge was the current Supreme Court nominee, Judge Gorsuch. Can you explain the course that this case took?

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
From Consortium News

Caught up in the frenzy to delegitimize Donald Trump by blaming his victory on Russian meddling, national Democrats are finishing the transformation of their party from one that was relatively supportive of peace to one pushing for war, including a confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia.

This "trading places" moment was obvious in watching the belligerent tone of Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee on Monday as they impugned the patriotism of any Trump adviser who may have communicated with anyone connected to Russia.

Ranking Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, acknowledged that there was no hard evidence of any Trump-Russia cabal, but he pressed ahead with what he called "circumstantial evidence of collusion," a kind of guilt-by-association conspiracy theory that made him look like a mild-mannered version of Joe McCarthy.

Schiff cited by name a number of Trump's aides and associates who -- as The New York Times reported -- were "believed to have some kind of contact or communications with Russians." These Americans, whose patriotism was being questioned, included foreign policy adviser Carter Page, Trump's second campaign manager Paul Manafort, political adviser Roger Stone and Trump's first national security adviser retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.

In a 15-minute opening statement, Schiff summed up his circumstantial case by asking: "Is it possible that all of these events and reports are completely unrelated and nothing more than an entirely unhappy coincidence? Yes, it is possible. But it is also possible, maybe more than possible, that they are not coincidental, not disconnected and not unrelated."

As an investigative journalist who has covered (and uncovered) national security scandals for several decades, I would never accuse people of something as serious as betraying their country based on nothing more than coincidences that, who knows, might not be coincidental.

Before we published anything on such topics, the news organizations that I worked for required multiple layers of information from a variety of sources including insiders who could describe what had happened and why. Such stories included Nicaraguan Contra cocaine smuggling, Oliver North's secret Contra supply operation, and the Reagan campaign's undermining of President Carter's Iran-hostage negotiations in 1980.

For breaking those stories, we still took enormous heat from Republicans, some Democrats who wanted to show how bipartisan they were, and many establishment-protecting journalists, but the stories contained strong evidence that misconduct occurred -- and we were highly circumspect in how the allegations were framed.

Going Whole-Hog

By contrast, national Democrats, some super-hawk Republicans and the establishment media are going whole-hog on these vague suspicions of contacts between some Russians and some Americans who have provided some help or advice to Trump.



U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry listens to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting room at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, at the outset of a bilateral meeting on July 14, 2016.

(Image by [State Department Photo]) Details DMCA



Given the paucity of evidence -- both regarding the claims that Russia hacked Democratic emails and slipped them to WikiLeaks, and the allegations that somehow Trump's advisers colluded in that process -- it would appear that what is happening is a political maneuver to damage Trump politically and possibly remove him from office.

But those machinations require the Democratic Party's continued demonization of Russia and implicitly put the Democrats on the side of escalating New Cold War tensions, such as military support for the fiercely anti-Russian regime in Ukraine which seized power in a 2014 U.S.-backed putsch overthrowing elected President Viktor Yanukovych.

One of the attack lines that Democrats have used against Trump is that his people toned down language in the Republican platform about shipping arms to the Ukrainian military, which includes battalions of neo-Nazi fighters and has killed thousands of ethnic Russian Ukrainians in the east in what is officially called an Anti-Terrorism Operation (or ATO).

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
From Wallwritings

In a 1935 stage production of Billy Rose's Jumbo, Jimmy Durante is leading an elephant down the street. A policeman stops him and asks, "What are you doing with that elephant?"

Durante responds, "What elephant"? That line became a 1935 nightly show-stopper. Durante repeated the same question in the 1962 film version of Jumbo (above).

Wikipedia speculates that this line may have contributed to the phrase, "the elephant in the room," which refers to the denial of something as a reality, when that something is obviously in the room.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week became the latest official to deny the obvious presence of the apartheid elephant enforced by the state of Israel.

He joined the parade and said, "What elephant?" when he instructed Rima Khalaf, Executive Director of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), to withdraw a report written for her agency.

The report concluded that Israel imposes an apartheid regime on Palestinians. She refused to withdraw the report. Then she resigned as ESCWA's Executive Director.

The Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported that Dr. Khalaf told reporters in Beirut that the report was the "first of its kind" from a UN agency.

She also said the report sheds light on "the crimes that Israel continues to commit against the Palestinian people, which amount to war crimes against humanity."

The ESCWA, which is comprised of 18 Arab states from western Asia, said in the report that Israel was guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt" of imposing apartheid policies against Palestinians.

Richard Falk, who co-authored the original ESCWA report with fellow American academic, Virginia Tilley, has an important article in The Nation magazine, about the preparation and impact of the report.

Falk explained the final careful steps of the report from draft to the finished document:

"ESCWA, for its part, took steps to ensure that the report lived up to scholarly standards, submitting the draft text to three prominent international jurists, who anonymously submitted strong positive appraisals along with some suggestions for revision, which we gratefully incorporated before the final text was released. For government officials and others to dismiss our report as a biased polemic is irresponsible, with respect both to the authority of the UN and to international law."

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
From Consortium News

President Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan are twisting congressional arms to get enough votes to push through repeal of the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a scheme that relies heavily on tax credits and would, according to the Congressional Budget Office, leave 24 million more uninsured Americans in 10 years. But there is also an army of activists and progressive healthcare workers who are opposing repeal without a real plan for providing broad-based health insurance.

On the front lines of this information battle is Dr. Carol Paris, president of Physicians for a National Health Program and a member of the steering committee for Health Over Profit for Everyone. She confronted Trump in Nashville, at a recent campaign style rally for "Repeal and Replace."

"I meant no disrespect to the President or his supporters," said Dr. Paris, after she was "rather roughly" taken out of the mostly pro-Trump gathering. "I simply did what I felt I had to do as a physician and American. Tens of thousands of people are dying needlessly due to lack of health insurance, and millions are suffering with financial burdens due to unaffordable health insurance and unaffordable health care. I know that a simple solution has already been introduced into the House of Representatives called H.R. 676 -- Expanded and Improved Medicare for All."

I spoke with Dr. Paris about her actions at the Trump rally and her concerns about what is in store for the 24 million additional people who will end up outside the America's profit-oriented heath insurance system.

Dennis Bernstein: You're from Nashville, tell us why you decided to go there and actually make a scene in public.

Carol Paris: Well, I want to acknowledge first that there were 2,500, approximately, 2,500 protesters outside of the rally. And these are hard working people who stood out in the cold, and took time at the end of their day to protest. I happen to be 64 and retired, so I have the freedom to get in line at 9:30 in the morning, and stand in the cold all day to make sure that I get a seat upfront. And I made that decision partly because I have the freedom to do that, and mostly because I really felt from a strategic standpoint, that this was the time to take a direct action.

DB: And, you were definitely a strong critic of Obamacare. And you were vocal with the groups that you work with, in terms of the failures of Obamacare. And so this is just a continuum, a resistance to, I guess, Obamacare on steroids. But, tell us about the confrontation. What exactly happened, and how did it feel to stand up? Were you afraid? Tell us about that.

CP: Well, of course, I was afraid. I wasn't raised to be confrontational, and so standing up to the President of the United States, and interrupting him was frankly, terrifying. But, it also was overshadowed, that fear was overshadowed by just an abiding conviction, we have people dying in this country because they can't get health insurance, and health care. I'm a physician, and I can't abide that. I really felt compelled to do this.

DB: And what did you do?

CP: Well, I knew that I was not going to be able to say very much, because I was really just waiting for him to take a breather, and find a quiet, relatively quiet moment in-between people cheering for every other word he said. So, when I thought that that moment had arrived I just stood up, held my sign as high as I could, and what I said was "Put your name on a plan that works, Medicare for all." And I just kept chanting that. There was so much more I would have liked to have said. But I knew that I wasn't going to get the opportunity at that point.

DB: I watched the video. " You repeated it a number of times and then you were approached by security. How did they treat you?

CP: The police officers were polite. One of them kind of pushed me a bit, because I was trying to exit past the press table, and he was not inclined to allow me to do that. So, he did sort of forcibly move me into an exit aisle. But, beyond that it was fine.

DB: And what did the people around you... did they start... they started to boo right? There was a lot of discontent with your expression. And how did the President react?

CP: Well, at that point I was distracted, and didn't actually... had stopped looking at the President. When I began, I looked right at him. He wasn't looking at me at that point. And, then I really just focused on saying what I was saying, as loudly as I could, and was more interested in trying to direct some attention to the press table because I wanted the press to see that I was protesting. So, I don't really know, it's only in watching the video afterwards that I see that he actually acknowledged that someone was protesting, and made a comment, I guess.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
From Paul Craig Roberts Website



How long will life survive on planet Earth?

(Image by bbc.com) Details DMCA



"Change you can believe in" disappeared in the early days of the Obama regime as the same Washington insiders filled the new government's ranks. David Brooks sung the praises of those who made change impossible: "the best of the Washington insiders, Achievetrons who got double 800s on their SATs."

Eight years later Donald Trump was specific about the changes he intended, the two most important being normalized relations with Russia and the return home of the middle class jobs and associated state and local tax base that US corporations had moved offshore to foreign locations. But Trump's government quickly became home to corporate polluters, Wall Street executives, defense contractors, and Russophobic generals.

Obama's disappointed supporters held firm to their conviction that their man would set the agenda and not the Washington insiders who occupied his government. Trump's disheartened deplorables are currently finding refuge in this same conviction. But it looks like we will not get the good part from Trump, only the bad part of more pollution and more damage to the social safety net.

Those who agree about this disagree over the explanation. Some insist that Trump, not Hillary, was the establishment's choice from the beginning and that the fierce opposition to Trump played out in the press and on the airwaves was only an orchestration to convince flyover America that Trump stood for them. My view is different. Trump threatened the power and budget of the military/security complex and the profits of Wall Street before he had an organization and a team in place to impose his agenda. Unlike Michael Corleone, Trump was rash.

Consequently, the CIA, FBI, NSA, Democrats, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and the presstitute media boxed Trump in by portraying him in collusion with Russian President Putin to steal the election from Hillary. Marches worldwide were instantly choreographed, and there were constant and escalating accusations portraying Trump and his associates as puppets on Putin's string. Lists were made of Internet media sites that took exception to Washington's wars and dangerous provocations of Russia, China, and Iran.

The attack on Trump seems to have succeeded. Trump lost his National Security Adviser who favored normalized relations with Russia. Trump was forced to prove he was not working for Putin by appointing a Russophobe as National Security Adviser. Trump backed off from an early meeting with Putin to reduce the tensions in the relationship caused by the past three US presidents.

The CIA won the fight by creating an atmosphere hostile to any thought that Russia is not a dangerous adversary and the main threat that the US faces. In other words, a preference for reduced tensions between nuclear powers has become evidence that one is a Russian agent or Putin's dupe.

The CIA's victory means that the prospect of nuclear Armageddon remains on the table, but the budget of the military/security complex is safe and rising. Is this an acceptable trade-off for you?

I was astonished to see the liberal/progressive/left line up with the CIA against peace and with globalism and Identity Politics against the working class. The liberal/progressive/left has turned against heterosexual white males and transformed the working class from a victim group into alleged victimizers of women, blacks, homosexuals, and Muslim refugees. The American left has degenerated into the Identity Politics that originated with Zionism. (See for example the article by Eric Draitser, the host of CounterPunch Radio.)

The political left, once a force for peace, has transitioned into a force for war, as war is the likely outcome of the high level of tension that now exists between the US and Russia. By helping the CIA handicap President Trump and prevent him from reducing these tensions, the liberal/progressive/left has responsibility for the impending danger.

These tensions are very dangerous. They have resulted in high-readiness nuclear alert postures, which together with short warning times, false signals of incoming missiles and distrust, create a dangerous strategic nuclear situation.

It is reckless for Washington to convince Russia (and China) that the US is preparing a preemptive nuclear strike against them. But that is what Washington is doing when it puts anti-ballistic missiles on Russia's border and tells the Russians the lie that the missiles are there to protect Europe from Iranian ICBMs. The entire world knows that Iran does not have nukes or ICBMs. All Washington's lie does is to make the purpose of the missiles obvious to the Russians.

The continuous anti-Russian propaganda issuing from Washington, NATO and the despicable Western presstitutes has the purpose of orchestrating a Russian Threat and preventing a reduction of tensions between the nuclear powers. The demonization of Russia's president and the clearly false charges against Russia, such as interference in the US presidential election, invasion of Ukraine, reconstruction of the Soviet empire -- are understood by the Russians as a propaganda campaign to prepare Western populations for a preemptive nuclear attack on Russia. The conventional NATO forces conducting military exercises and deployed on Russia's border are understood by the Russians as being too small and lacking in strength to be of any consequence. They are merely an orchestration to emphasize the Russian Threat for insouciant Western populations. The Russian government understands that all of this is preparation for an attack on Russia. Just as Saddam Hussein, Gadaffi, and Assad were demonized by US government officials, now it is Putin. The dangerous situation could not be more obvious.

Yet Hillary supporters are completely blind to what is occurring in front of their noses, as is the liberal/progressive/left, the idiot EU governments, and the Western presstitute media. As President Putin himself has stated, "no one listens to us when we point out the impending danger."

As environmentally damaging as a pipeline can be, it is nothing compared to nuclear war. In the opposition to Trump, emotion has prevailed over reason and hate has prevailed over judgment. The consequences for life on earth will be dire.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
The first point I'd like to touch on is the idea that the Middle East is a culturally violent place that can be made less violent by bombing it. The first problem with this is that bombing places makes them more violent, not less. Nobody is shocked or awed into nonviolence, not 14 years ago and not for the past century. The second problem is that the Middle East's violence cannot be compared with that of other cultures without figuring out how to factor out the influence of the West. A hundred years ago, Britain and France carved up Western Asia, and not to spread democracy.

The West has been propping up brutal kings and dictators ever since. Outside of Israel, which is essentially a Western colony, the Middle East does not manufacture weapons. Just as the West once pushed opium on China or alcohol on the native peoples of this land we're sitting on, the West pushes weapons on Western Asia, and the top weapons dealer to the world, to poor nations, and to the Middle East is the United States -- with records set under President Obama likely to be smashed under Trump. Virtually all the weapons used in all the wars around the world -- and all the major wars around the world, apart from Afghanistan and Mexico, are in the Middle East and Northeast Africa -- come from six nations. They are the five permanent members and saboteurs of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany. These are the nations that will be working hard to defeat and disrupt the treaty negotiations beginning Monday in New York to ban nuclear weapons. They are also the nations whose weapons dealers profit from the blood of millions of innocent people too far away to see and too valueless to be reported on U.S. television.

Yesterday a racist drove up to New York to kill black men, thinking that would make big news. He forgot that someone white might be attacked in London. At the same time, the U.S. government was busy murdering scores of people in the Middle East. Guess which of these three killing sprees is labeled terrorism, and which other two see the media slander the victims and completely ignore the terror and trauma to the survivors. Imagine being a black man walking in Manhattan today. Imagine being anyone living in the Middle East today. U.S. weapons flow to Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Turkey, not to mention Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, and to non-governmental organizations that the U.S. government itself calls terrorists in places like Syria. Most if not all forces against which these weapons are used also use U.S. weapons previously given, sold, traded, or stolen. The U.S. military brings its own weapons to Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, and in fact every single nation of the region, plus the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the skies above, with the possible exception of what's left of Palestine to which genocidal cause the United States philanthropically donates billions of dollars of weapons to the Orwellianly named Israeli Defense Forces. Each overthrow that the U.S. leads, including those in Iraq and Libya, leads to massive proliferation of weapons, creating chaos and death as far off as places like Mali. But of course the people of the region appreciate the effort, right? Yeah, about as much as the people of Fergusson appreciate the police.

The global policeman headquartered in Arlington is less popular in the places policed than a congressman at a healthcare rally. In December 2013, Gallup surveyed 65 countries around the world, and most said the United States was the greatest threat to peace on earth. In eight countries in or near the Middle East, four said the United States was the greatest threat to peace, three placed the U.S. second behind Israel, and in Afghanistan those surveyed placed the U.S. second behind Pakistan. It's nice to be appreciated. It wouldn't take much to actually be appreciated. Stop selling weapons. Stop giving weapons. Stop bringing weapons. Withdraw troops. Send food, medicine, farm equipment, clean energy equipment. Doing that would cost a tiny fraction of what it costs to keep making everything worse.

Trump says the U.S.-initiated wars of the past 16 years have made everything worse, so we should have more of them. He's drone murdering at 4 times Obama's pace. He's moving more troops into Syria and Kuwait. And he wants to defund everything else to fund a yet more expensive military. Charlottesville City Council to its great credit has opposed this, but one of its five members would only do so if the resolution pretended that all the killing protects U.S. rights. When we get to Q&A I'd love someone to explain to me how murdering Yemeni children gives me more rights, and how demonstrating inside a free speech cage instead of in the open the way we used to constitutes an expansion of freedom. The mayor of Charlottesville refused to support the resolution because it mentioned the U.S. military, and he wants to have some higher office purchased for him some day. Several weeks back both the ACLU and the Council on American-Islamic Relations on the same day sent out national fundraiser emails quoting a Gold Star father from Charlottesville claiming that U.S. warmaking in Iraq serves to protect the Bill of Rights. These are organizations whose entire purpose is to oppose some of the symptoms of the wars, yet they promote the wars because they have so internalized the propaganda that they literally cannot imagine questioning it.

That's the purpose of my book War Is A Lie, which Helena's company was good enough to publish, to encourage questioning -- questioning of the sort that stopped a bombing of Syria in 2013 and supported a treaty with Iran in 2015, but completely fell apart and inserted its head into its posterior the moment an ISIS video was shown on television. Mike Signer is not the only coward among us. Our entire foreign policy and public budget are shaped by irrational fear. More likely than ISIS killing you are each of the following: a U.S. police officer killing you, the stairs in your house killing you, pollutants in your environment killing you, a toddler who finds a gun killing you, or Donald Trump retweeting you. I make no comment on which of those fates would be the worst.

As you've heard about Yemen and Syria, let me add a couple of comments about Afghanistan and -- if there's time -- Iraq. The current U.S. war in Afghanistan is well into its 16th year, though U.S. violence there began much earlier. The U.S. military now has approximately 8,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan , plus 6,000 other NATO troops, 1,000 mercenaries, and another 26,000 contractors (of whom about 8,000 are from the United States). That's 41,000 people engaged in a foreign occupation of a country 15 years after the accomplishment of their stated mission to overthrow the Taliban government. Afghanistan is the most heavily bombed country of all current U.S. wars, the bulk of that bombing done under President Barack Obama, who also tripled the level of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, before reducing them. During each of the past 15 years, our government in Washington has informed us that success was imminent. During each of the past 15 years, Afghanistan has continued its descent into poverty, violence, environmental degradation, and instability.

The United States is spending $4 million an hour on planes, drones, bombs, guns, and over-priced contractors in a country that needs food and agricultural equipment. Thus far, the United States has spent nearly $800 billion with virtually nothing to show for it except the death, injury and displacement of millions of Afghans, and the death of thousands of U.S. soldiers plus the injury of tens of thousands and the endangerment of people in the United States, the erosion of our rights, the shame of Guantanamo, and destruction of the earth's environment.

Before Faisal Shahzad tried to blow up a car in Times Square, he had tried to join the war against the United States in Afghanistan. In numerous other incidents, terrorists targeting the United States have stated their motives as including revenge for the U.S. terrorism in Afghanistan, along with other U.S. wars in the region. In addition, Afghanistan is the one nation where the United States is engaged in major warfare in a country that is a member of the International Criminal Court. That body has now announced that it is investigating possible prosecutions for U.S. crimes in Afghanistan. Over the past 15 years, we have been treated to an almost routine repetition of scandals: hunting children from helicopters, blowing up hospitals with drones, urinating on corpses -- all fueling anti-U.S. propaganda, all brutalizing and shaming the United States. U.S. and allied soldiers now being ordered into Afghanistan were in pre-school on September 11, 2001. Ordering young American men and women into a kill-or-die mission that was accomplished 15 years ago is a lot to ask. Expecting them to believe in that mission is too much. That fact may help explain this one: the top killer of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is suicide. The second highest killer of American military is green on blue, or the Afghan youth who the U.S. is training turning their weapons on their trainers. Candidate Trump said: "Let's get out of Afghanistan. Our troops are being killed by the Afghans we train and we waste billions there. Nonsense! Rebuild the USA." President Trump is acting contrary to every part of that.

At 14 years since the launch of Operation Iraqi Liberation (to use the original name with the appropriate acronym, OIL) and over 26 years since Operation Desert Storm, there is little evidence that any significant number of people in the United States have a realistic idea of what our government has done to the people of Iraq, or of how these actions compare to other horrors of world history. A majority of Americans believe the war since 2003 has hurt the United States but benefitted Iraq. A plurality of Americans believe, not only that Iraqis should be grateful, but that Iraqis are in fact grateful.

A number of U.S. academics have advanced the dubious claim that war making is declining around the world. Misinterpreting what has happened in Iraq is central to their argument. By the most scientifically respected measures available, as of some years ago, though the death and destruction has continued, Iraq had lost 1.4 million lives as a result of OIL, had seen 4.2 million additional people injured, and 4.5 million people become refugees. The 1.4 million dead was 5% of the population. That compares to 2.5% lost in the U.S. Civil War, or 3 to 4% in Japan in World War II, 1% in France and Italy in World War II, less than 1% in the U.K. and 0.3% in the United States in World War II. The 1.4 million dead is higher as an absolute number as well as a percentage of population than these other horrific losses. U.S. deaths in Iraq since 2003 have been 0.3% of the dead, even if they've taken up the vast majority of the news coverage, preventing U.S. news consumers from understanding the extent of Iraqi suffering.

In a very American parallel, the U.S. government has only been willing to value the life of an Iraqi at that same 0.3% of the financial value it assigns to the life of a U.S. citizen.

The 2003 invasion included 29,200 air strikes, followed by another 3,900 over the next eight years. The U.S. military targeted civilians, journalists, hospitals, and ambulances It also made use of what some might call "weapons of mass destruction," using cluster bombs, white phosphorous, depleted uranium, and a new kind of napalm in densely settled urban areas.

Birth defects, cancer rates, and infant mortality are through the roof. Water supplies, sewage treatment plants, hospitals, bridges, and electricity supplies have been devastated, and not repaired. Healthcare and nutrition and education are nothing like they were before the war. And we should remember that healthcare and nutrition had already deteriorated during years of economic warfare waged through the most comprehensive economic sanctions ever imposed in modern history.

Money spent by the United States to "reconstruct" Iraq was always less than 10% of what was being spent adding to the damage, and most of it was never actually put to any useful purpose. At least a third was spent on so-called "security," while much of the rest was spent on corruption in the U.S. military and its contractors.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Wonderful work! An insightful, integrative adventure into what makes humans flourish. Rob Kall shows us that we know how to do this, that most of human history was about connection and that there are ways to make it happen again. He offers real solutions and practical suggestions for taking back the world for community, connection and well-beingaway from hierarchy, exclusion, and destruction. A new handbook for the necessary revolution!"



Darcia Narvaez, Professor of psychology, Notre Dame, University, author of Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture and Wisdom
Quicklink Not Found

Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them.



To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here.
Progressive Content Not Found

Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing.



To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here.


Black Panther demonstration

(Image by CIRonline) Details DMCA



Yet, for the sake of social justice outcomes, I've concluded: we have to keep empathizing with at least some of this apparent middle ground. I see the utility of this approach particularly in one of our country's fieriest cultural debates: gun violence -- a field in which I work, as a minority attorney in Atlanta where I grew up, focusing on Southern and Midwestern states.

It's no surprise how far gun rights advocates have advanced their agenda. Tellingly, the Executive Director of the ACLU -- an organization protecting the entire Constitution -- recently revealed that the ACLU's membership is still only half the NRA's -- an organization dedicated to the Second Amendment alone.

But opinions on guns aren't monolithic, even among the NRA. For example, many gun owners believe guns don't belong in schools, despite what a vocal minority (and Trump) might have people think. Equally underappreciated is that racial minorities, too, hold differing opinions on guns. Despite bearing the brunt of gun violence, many see an appeal in gun ownership, driven, among other things, by mistrust of police. To them, this view on guns isn't regressive, but radical, as radical as the armed Black Panthers.

The existence of complex beliefs on guns is why I've launched a Call to Arms Empathy -- an initiative calling people to understand diverse perspectives about guns across geographical, cultural, and racial divides. Despite shootings from Sandy Hook to Orlando, our country hasn't come even close to a "tipping point" on guns. In states like Georgia, gun policy has actually gotten worse. It's clear that, to have any chance of moving the needle, we must appeal to people who do see some -- though not absolute -- value in firearms.

In my view, this alternative "third" way of approaching guns is ultimately consistent with the concept of resistance -- here, resistance against our country's tragic levels of gun violence. People who want to repeal the Second Amendment are frustrated with how some have interpreted this right. But their goals need not be inconsistent with those who say they "support" the Second Amendment, either. One can recognize that self-defense is an important principle, and that many gun owners don't harm others -- while also believing that firearms restrictions are valid, for limiting hurt others do cause.

Reconciling these beliefs is admittedly challenging, because it requires acknowledging a radical and nuanced concept of what being "pro-life" means: self-defense matters, though not for its own sake, but because it is situated within a broader right to human life that all people possess -- whether they carry a gun or not. Each person is unique in constitution, yet all possess arguably the most powerful force known to us -- the will to live. So, each human life has immutable, infinite, irreplaceable, and yet somehow equal value, irrespective of even repugnant belief or action.

If all lives matter equally, then, our morality should permit the taking of life where a physical threat to another exists. Force should absolutely not be permissible otherwise, of course -- which happens far too frequently with guns. Yet, it's also necessary to acknowledge that the crimes (and the oft-underappreciated accidents and suicides) involving guns are also results of systemic racism, economic and health disparities, and other social cleavages. It's ironic, then, that many policy proposals to end gun violence often only stigmatize minorities, people with mental health problems, and those with prior convictions -- people who actually pose no greater risk armed than anyone else.

Is this kind of affirmation tantamount to tolerating what is fundamentally contrary to principles of right? I maintain: no. Some people have somewhat, but not totally different viewpoints on how to value and protect human life. By understanding rather than oversimplifying their deepest moral commitments, we can encourage them to speak, rather than sit out. In doing so, we can overcome the vocal minority -- particularly in the places I work, where there are simply more of them.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob Kall is tapping in, exploring, assessing, and clarifying this important new way of thinking that has been influenced by the civil rights movement; women's movement; and new, more effective ways of doing business. This will be an important book that can make changes in our world."



Dr. Linda Seger, author of twelve books, including the best-selling Making a Good Script Great, Spiritual Steps on the Road to Success and The Better Way to Win.
Reprinted from readersupportednews.org

-- FBI Director James Comey, Congressional testimony, March 20, 2017

The dominant narrative for the March 20 open hearing of the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence was set in the committee's naming of "its investigation into Russian active measures during the 2016 election campaign." Committee chairman Devin Nunes, a California Republican who has resisted any investigation into Russian ties with the Trump campaign or administration, set a sharp anti-Russian tone with his opening statement that blames the Obama administration for ignoring the committee's warnings. Nunes framed the hearing with his limited exoneration of the Trump operation: "Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said publicly he's seen no evidence of collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign, and I can say that the Committee, too, has seen no evidence to date that officials from any campaign conspired with Russian agents."

Ohio Republican Mike Turner had a darker view, saying, "There is now a cloud over our [election] system". The goal of the Russians is to put a cloud on our system." Mike Rogers, Director of the National Security Agency, agreed that 2016 campaign activities were "calling into question our democratic process." And Comey said Russian efforts "introduced chaos and discord and sowed doubt" and have worked to undermine and threaten our "wonderful free and fair election system."

These sentiments, echoed over and over like a conventional wisdom mantra, are really ridiculous. Yes, the Russians interfered with the 2016 election, and maybe even influenced it. Yes, Trump operatives had contact with Russian operatives, and they may even have colluded. Yes, these are real problems, but it's a groupthink deception, and self-deception, to treat them as if they comprise the entire problem with the American election system.

American elections went off the rails more than two decades ago and they're been getting worse ever since. Everyone knows this, the government knows this, Congress knows this -- and they do nothing to make it better, they work only to make it seem better. The history is in plain sight for anyone who wants to see it, starting well before the 2000 election.

Money in Politics

Corrupt fundraising from corporations and individuals was one of the major elements in Nixon's 1972 Watergate scandal, in spite of reform attempted through the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. Post-Watergate reforms that passed Congress were inadequate, leading to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (informally known as the McCain-Feingold Act), that also failed to control campaign spending in a rational, democratic way.

Voter Caging

Florida's efforts to take Democratic voters off the rolls and to intimidate them at the polls were state policy under Governor Jeb Bush, carried out by his secretary of state, Katherine Harris, both beneficiaries of great inherited wealth. Without that corrupt preparation of the state, George Bush likely would have lost it outright. The closeness of the vote led to the chaotic recount, also abetted by Bush and Harris, setting up the opportunity to win the presidency in the courts.

Bush v. Gore

The 2000 Supreme Court's 5-4 partisan decision awarded the presidency to the loser of the popular vote. Al Gore, another beneficiary of great inherited wealth, and the wealthy leadership of the Democratic Party chose not to contest this all-American effort to undermine the American electoral system. The Supreme Court ruled, in effect, that elections could be fairly decided without counting all the votes. That continues to be a cloud over the election system.

Citizens United

In January 2010, another partisan 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court upheld the notion that somehow money is speech, and those who have the most money are entitled to the most speech, allowing an already corrupted system to spin out of control. Despite their control of both houses of Congress, Democrats responded impotently and went on to lose the House in the fall.

Voter Suppression

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
The month of March that straddles winter and spring and tends to display characteristics of both, has brought no cheer to China.

The Muslim majority southern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has become unusually restive. And Xinhua admits frankly that the southern Xinjiang is "terror-plagued". The Chinese media has moved into an overdrive in matters of Islam and Muslims. Dragon's disquiet is understandable.

Guns, drugs and terrorist media are being continuously smuggled into the area from Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass border post, which was opened in 1982. From snow covered boundary marker No.7 at Khunjerab Pass, one can see Pakistan stretching beyond the horizon.

The narcotics producer is Afghanistan. But refining and packaging takes place in Peshawar, the gate-way to Pakistan's Taliban infested tribal land that borders Afghanistan.

From Khunjerab Pass, the drugs make their clandestine way to Kashgar city and then travel to Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province. The Af-Pak heroin is more than ninety percent pure, and has ready buyers all over the Chinese mainland and beyond.

Islamist militant groups control the narcotics and arms trade in Pakistan. Most of them are the proxies of the military establishment led by the GHQ Shura and further its strategic and security agenda.

Their gaze was initially India centric and Afghan fixed. Not any longer. It has been encompassing Middle East, and Far East these days. Also the "Communist Satan" thanks to Uyghur separatists' claim that southern Xinjiang is the Second East Turkestan Republic and that it was illegally incorporated into the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The present phase of Islamist militant resurgence in Pakistan (also across the globe) has coincided with the integration of Uyghur militants into global networks, which are mostly Af-Pak based.

A manifestation of this development, as Australian Chinese expert, Dr. Michael Clarke, (his 2011 book, 'Xinjiang and China's Rise in Central Asia -- A History', is a must read for all Sinologists), points out, is the attack on the Chinese embassy on the outskirts of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek,on Aug 30, 2016.

According to the Kyrgyz State National Security Committee, the suicide bomber was a Uyghur and "a member of the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement" (ETIM).Another suspect was an ethnic Uzbek, Izzotillo Mashrapovich Sattybayev, who "underwent training in Syria in carrying out acts of terrorism and sabotage."

Many Chinese 'in-house'egg-heads, notably, Li Wei (an anti-terrorism expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations), have also put the blame for the Bishkek attack at the door-step of Uyghur militants.

Put simply, they have spiked China's official assertion, articulated by Global Times,that Beijing is simply being "dragged into international disputes as its global footprint grows".

The drugs- arms syndicates' trade in Pakistan enjoys a security blanket at home. There is no secret about it.

The Chinese leadership knows this truism from the first-hand accounts provided by the Chinese companies working in Pakistan for the past several decades. Some of these companies are victims of kidnappings for ransom or ambush as the price for their exuberance.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Hawaiian Republican Leader Rep. Beth Fukumoto has officially announced her decision to leave the GOP. Fukumoto cited racism, sexism and xenophobia in the Republican party as the driving forces behind her decision.

Fukumoto said that when she joined the Republican party eight years ago, it was to add diversity to the party and change the status quo. She served as Hawaii House minority leader from 2014 to early 2017, and was considering a rising star in Republican circles. However, she faced severe criticism from her Republican peers for participating in the Womens March on Honolulu on Jan. 21, where she spoke out against the bigoted rhetoric and actions of Donald Trump. Since then, it seemed likely Fukumoto would move away from the GOP. Now, in a letter to the Hawaiian Republican Party, Fukumoto has announced her official departure from the party.

This election, I saw members of my party marginalizing and condemning minorities, ethnic or otherwise, and making demeaning comments towards women, she wrote. So, when I listened as our now top office holder refused to condemn the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, speaking out didnt seem like a choice. Fukumoto also posted a YouTube video explaining her decision to join the party in the first place, and her subsequence regrets and misconceptions about the GOP. She now plans to try and join the Democratic party. Ive found significant common ground with my Democratic colleagues. Enough common ground that I believe that we can fit comfortably in the same tent, said Fukumoto. Democrats that want to change the status quo in Hawaii are still fighting to do it, and I want to help them.

Will anti-Trump Republicans follow Fukumotos lead? We can only hope so. You can watch Fukumotos departure announcement video below, as well as the video of her speaking at the Womens March on Honolulu.
Allen Smith didnt always know he wanted to work in the rum industry. The Master Blender at Mount Gay actually found his way to Barbados when he decided after college to buy a one-way ticket to the island to stay with his mother. A British passport holder, the folks at immigration were initially a little suspicious of the twenty-something. They interrogated him for half an hour and called his mom, whom he had neglected to tell he was coming. Luckily for him, she told officers he was, in fact, staying with her and he was let go. Otherwise, his story might be a little different.

When money started running out, Smith headed out to get a job, first working in the sugar industry for six months. When he saw an ad for a job at Mount Gay in the paper, he applied, eventually joining the company in 1991 as a Quality Assurance Assistant, working in Mount Gays lab.

Working in the lab is probably the best way to progress in the company, says Smith. You can transition from Lab Assistant to Quality Assurance to Master Blender, which is what I did basically.

Today, Smith is responsible for blending Mount Gays entire lineup of rum, a position that has been held by very few.

Part of Smiths job is to blend together rum distilled in Mount Gays pot stills with those that are done in a single column. He strikes the perfect balance between those pot and single column rums, and rums that have been aging varying amounts of time in barrels to get the ultimate bottle for consumers.

The art of blending is to have an expression where you have everything in harmony with everything else, so we tend to use the pot still a little bit sparingly, Smith says. Just to boost the aromaticity and the flavor and the complexity and also the retention of the pallet, but we dont add it so it swamps the other one.

When it comes to new blends, Smith says the amount of time they take to make varies. Most commercial blends at the company, however, start with marketers coming to him with a particular flavor theyre trying to achieve.

It depends on whats being asked for. I usually try to work ahead. I usually try to anticipate what they may be looking for, says Smith. Sometimes I can do that and get a close approximation. If Im doing it on my own, I just work to produce blends that I like. From what Ive found, usually what I like a lot of other people like it as well.

As for making that perfect blend, the barrels that they use in the aging process, including the char on the inside and how long the rum stays inside, play a key role. Mount Gay uses American oak to age its rums, different chars done at different temperatures result in a different finish for the rum inside.

For instance, if you gently heat the barrel to 50 degrees, you get a sweet oaky type aromatic, Smith says. If you heat to about 100-degrees, you get a lot of caramelization of the sugars in the sap, so youre going to get the sweet caramel type aromatic.

Wood was actually the inspiration for one of Mount Gays Origin Series boxes.

We were looking at the effect of different types of wood. We matured stuff in virgin french oak barrels, and we also did it in heavily charred bourbon barrels, basically to look at the difference you can get just for placing the liquid in different types of wood, says Smith.

That was followed by the Origin Series 2 that looked at the difference in flavor between pot still distilled rum versus single column. For those bottles, the rums were matured for the same level of time, made with the same molasses, and produced identically except for the stills.

Currently in his seventh year as Master Blender, Smith plans on sticking around for quite a bit longer. If youve got your heart set on a Master Blender gig, he says the best way to get it is to start at the bottom at the distillery and work your way up.

You join the company and you work in the lab, youre being groomed automatically, says Smith. You may never become the Master Blender, but you have everything you need to become the Master Blender.
Did anyone know that Mike Huckabee dabbles in comedy? Well, hes obviously a genius, as his Twitter will prove. But maybe the jokes are lost in translation, so he really just needs a platformsomeone to prove that hes funny. Maybe even a professional to help with his delivery. Well, thats just what happened last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with the aid of Patton Oswalt to deliver a few tasty one-liners.

Unsurprisingly, these jokes still dont land. But even so, its really great to see Oswalt segue between each tweet with things like, Travelings weird, before Huckabees frustrated tweet that hes stuck with BBC in Norway, aka Biased Boring Crap. Theres also that tweet about the whole Snoop Dogg thing, which you can see below.

Poop Dogg has nephew named Bow Wow; both bad dogs who advocate murder and sex slavery for @POTUS and First Lady;Who let the dogs out?  Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) March 17, 2017

Check out the embedded video above. Huckabee even joked about it on Twitter, which you can see below, because of course he did.
As were combing the aisles of the Nangang Exhibition Center at the Taipei Cycle Show in search of all that is new and noteworthy, its impossible to escape the fact that were at ground zero for the bike business. Taiwan, China and, increasingly, places such as Vietnam and Indonesia are the point of origin for more than 90 percent of the bikes that youll find rolling around Europe and North America.



Weve been to factories and seen bike frames nestled alongside one another. These are frames welded by the same people, right here in the same factory





Photo by Mike Levy
Cash Game Festival Heads to Tallinn April 26-30

March 24, 2017 Jason Glatzer Editor

For the first time this year, the Cash Game Festival will return to where it all began in Tallinn, Estonia April 26-30 at Olympic Park Casino for five days and more than 120 hours of nonstop ring games.

The Cash Game Festival is a relatively new tour starting out in Tallinn in 2014 when the tour's co-founders Martin "Franke" von Zweigbergk and Enri Orav recognized that while there are many poker tournament festivals, there wasn't anything to accommodate players that love cash games.

After the first Cash Game Festival proved its success, the poker festival returned to Tallinn for a second stop in 2015 before going international in 2016 with stops in London (twice), Malta, Bulgaria and Tallinn.

This year, Cash Game Festival organizers plan for at least 10 stops. Before Tallinn, the Cash Game Festival hit Aspers Casino Westfield Stratford City in London in February and Perla Casino at the border of Italy in Nova Gorica, Slovenia in March. After Tallinn, the Cash Game Festival will head to Sunborn Yacht Hotel & Casino in Gibraltar May 17-21.

As has been the case at previous festivals, the Cash Game Festival Tallinn will allow players to enjoy a variety of games at stakes both high and low. Past festivals have featured no-limit hold'em, dealer's choice pot-limit Omaha, dealer's choice mixed games, Sviten Special (also known as drawmaha), open-face Chinese Poker and more.

In Slovenia, there were even players playing a pot-limit hold'em game where they held two cards on their head and only their opponents could see their cards.

The Cash Game Festival Tallinn will also host two televised feature tables each day hosted by Brandon Allen. Players can reserve a spot on the feature table on the Cash Game Festival website as well as other tables throughout the festival.

One great thing about the Cash Game Festival is that like-minded players can get together to socialize both on and off the felt. There will be plenty of activities planned each day for those either winning or purchasing the world-class hospitality package that will include welcome drinks, a sporting event, a city tour, a VIP dinner and a party.

Cash Game Festival Marketing and Content Creator Manager Inga Raudsepp confirmed that one activity will be shooting at a gun range.

Players can also inquire about purchasing hospitality package on the Cash Game Festival website or alternatively can win a package online at NordicBet now or at Triobet starting in April.

Flights are convenient to Tallinn from many destinations including London, Dublin and Stockholm. The festival's travel partner, Main Event Travel, can also assist in finding the right package for you.

As will be the case for all of the at least 10 stops of the 2017 Cash Game Festival tour, the PokerNews Live Reporting team will be on hand to report highlights and player interviews each day.

Here is a look at some of the action from the first two Cash Game Festival stops this year in London and Slovenia.

*Lead image and videos courtesy of Cash Game Festival.
Miami: the city of sun, sand, and swimwear has inspired several up-and-coming designers to create outlandish, colorful collections.

Ninotchka Barrios Hecht started out as an actress, even heading to London to study the craft. Brimming with creative energy, she turned her eye to couture. Inspired by the colors and culture of the city she calls home, as well as local indie funk band and close personal friends Magic City Hippies, she recently released a line of swimwear called Pink Water. It's always summer in Miami, and the chic, high-quality garments Barrios Hecht designs are illuminations of the body at its most beautiful, with lines and cuts of fabric in just the right places. She veers between muted tones and highlighted colors, between sand and LED Ocean Drive lights. Collaborating with local collective The Line, her collection launched alongside three other designers with a party at Macaya Gallery. After having her moment in the sun, she looks toward the next project.

Popdust caught up with Barrios Hecht via email to discuss her first collection, what comes next, and finding inspiration amid the sun, sand, and surf of the Magic City.

How did you come up with the idea for Pink Water's first collection?

I wanted to mix things up just a little bit. I used the same styles that you see in many swim lines nowadays, but started mixing and matching color combinations and cutting the fabric differently.

Tell me about the launch of your line at Macaya.

I couldn't have asked for a better way to launch a line. The people from The Line and I got connected through mutual friends and spent two weeks casting models, planning, choosing music and lighting. They were extremely organized and helpful. The night of the show, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many makeup and hair artists helping out. It's just kind of crazy how things worked out: I wasn't even looking to showcase my things and then out of nowhere there I was, lining up all these beautiful models wearing my garments. It felt amazing. There was an open bar, and so many friends showed up. I had posted about it a couple times on Instagram and Facebook, but I really didn't expect so many people to come out.

Your site says Miami itself was a big inspiration for the collection; tell me about that.

For the past three years, I feel like I've experienced the most incredible life that a young adult could ask for. I really do have the greatest friends, and Miami is such a perfect setting for it. I don't see myself living here after I get my B.A., but things like the beach, all the Magic City Hippies gigs and long sunny days in Doral with childhood friends drench my heart in happiness and good memories. It's weird; I'm already nostalgic for something I still have.

When I came back from my study abroad in London, I realized how beautiful Miami was. We really do live in the sexiest place in the world: I look around and damn, we've got some insanely good looking people. I guess I just wanted to add on to that. I feel my pieces really show the beauty of a woman's body. I kept things simple with nude shades, white and pastelstan skin looks delicious in white lycra. The image of a girl with red lips and a nude one piece is just so perfect in my head. The scenery here really inspired that color palette. Also, the lifestyle here can get pretty exciting: one moment, you're hanging out at the beach with your friends, and then out of nowhere you're all on your way to some party. With my pieces, you put on high-waisted black skinnies and some lipstick, and you're ready for the night.

Josezph Ulysse

You've also worked with DEADCULTURE; have you thought about expanding Pink Water outside of swimwear?

Yes! I'm adding maxi skirts, chokers and body accessories very soon; things that can really give girls a completely different, dressed up look in seconds.

Have you started work on the next collection? Any new projects fermenting?

I love this question because the thought of new projects is what keeps me going. I crave days of sitting in my studio, drawing a quick sketch, making a pattern, cutting the fabric, sewing it and having a new garment in my hands right away. I've already made a couple of new pieces I will put up very soon.

What was the most exciting part of the entire process?

Creating the pieces. Sketching it all on paper and thinking of the color palette.

What collections or brands have inspired you?

American Apparel and Minimale Animale.

What's next for you as a designer?

Staying creative and sharing my ideas quickly. I really do feel I spent the past couple of years hiding in my garage, not really telling anyone what I was up to. Only the closest people to me knew about this project. It was really fun surprising the people on my social network with Pink Water, but from now on I want to post about a new garment as soon as I finish making it.

Josezph Ulysse

Follow Ninotchka on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To buy her designs, visit Pink Water's official website.
Illegal drugs and firearms were confiscated during a raid at a Sinajana home yesterday, resulting in the arrest of three men.

Joseph Perez Rosario and Peter Perez Rosario were arrested on charges of illegal possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm without a firearms ID and possession of an unregistered firearm.

Police also arrested George Eclavea Perez II, 39, on charges of illegal possession of Schedule II controlled substance, conspiracy, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute and active bench warrant.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

Search warrant

Guam Police Department spokeswoman Capt. Kim Santos said officers with the Mandana Drug Task Force, along with SWAT and GPD's K9 Unit, executed a search warrant for alleged illegal drug trafficking.

Officers seized $21,000 worth of crystal methamphetamine; 25 grams of marijuana; $1,400 cash; four modified pistols and one shotgun; as well as drug paraphernalia, Santos said.
The best thing about this market research report is that the significance and application scope of this market has been defined. Besides, various market dynamics and buying criteria has been enhanced in the report. Hence, this market research report is a great scope for identifying new investment projects, identifying how to deal with the market trends etc. of the Stretch Walls market.

Stretch Walls Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-03-24 19:59:58

Press Information

Research N Reports

10916, Gold Point, Dr,





Houston, TX,





Pin:- 77064



Mr. Sunny Denis

(Sales Manger)

+1-888-631-6977

email

http://www.researchnreports.com





# 866 Words

10916, Gold Point, Dr,Houston, TX,Pin:- 77064(Sales Manger)+1-888-631-6977

Japan Stretch Walls Market Report 2016 Purchase This Report by calling ResearchnReports.com at +1-888-631-6977.The report analyzes Stretch Walls Market, by component, delivery mode, end user, application, and medical area. Detailed insights on research and development activities and new product launches in the Stretch Walls Market are studied in detail. The report analyzes the Stretch Walls Market across various regions.Stretch Walls industry market research report focuses on the major players in this market throughout the world. This section of the report includes the company profiles, specification and product pictures, production, capacity, contact information, cost and revenue. Likewise, equipment & upstream raw materials and downstream demand analysis is also dealt with.The Japan Stretch Walls Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Stretch Walls industry. The study answers several questions for the stakeholders, primarily which market segments to focus in the next 25 years for prioritizing efforts and investments. The report analyzes Stretch Walls Market has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report helps to understand important changes in market dynamics.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Stretch Walls market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Companies profiled in this report are Alyos BARRISOL Serge Ferrari Architecture Stretch Ceilings DPS Group Ltd. Newmat Arta WallDeco Extenzo Saros EST OU Procedes Chenel International SODEM System Trademark ArtGet Discount on This Report: https://www.researchnreports.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=20188 Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (Japan, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.The report focuses on Japan major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information.Get Sample Copy of This Report: https://www.researchnreports.com/request_sample.php?id=20188 Following points provide a concrete description of the report content and the topics covered in the report: This report identifies the Japan Stretch Walls market in different segments such as: by its application, its caliber, and revenue generated by different regions The market size of the sub segments of the above mentioned divisions is also mentioned in the report The study includes the market analysis and forecast of Japan commercial small caliber market from 2016 to 2022 in terms of value. The report also highlights the year-on-year growth of the market The study talks about the prime supply and demand side factors affecting the growth of the market along with the current and future trends in Stretch Walls market The study also presents a detailed examination of Stretch Walls market along the lines of market drivers, growth opportunities, and challenges The report also highlights the market share analysis, R&D analysis of the key players, porter analysis of the Stretch Walls market along with the key products offered by the major manufacturers with their application A detailed competitive analysis has been included in this report which focuses on the key market developments & strategies followed by the key players in the market. Stretch Walls market analysis and forecast with respect to its commercial applications. The applications include self-defense, and hunting and shooting activities Stretch Walls market has been analyzed for all geographies including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America with further analysis with respect to several major countries The key trends in Stretch Walls market are included in this report The key market players are analyzed and profiled in detail in the report. This section covers the business financials, key insights company snapshots, key products & services, and major developments. Furthermore, detailed SWOT analysis of the major public players is provided in this reportComplete Report Available at: https://www.researchnreports.com/manufacturing-construction/Japan-Stretch-Walls-Market-Report-2016-20188 The report provides insights on the following pointers:Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on products offered by the top players in the Stretch Walls marketProduct Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on the upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product launches in the Stretch Walls marketMarket Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging marketsthe report analyzes the markets for Stretch Walls products across various regionsMarket Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, and recent developments in the Stretch Walls marketCompetitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market ranking, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the Stretch Walls marketTable of ContentsJapan Stretch Walls Market Report 2016Japan Stretch Walls Market Research Report 20161 Stretch Walls Overview2 Japan Stretch Walls Competition by Manufacturers3 Japan Stretch Walls Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)4 Japan Stretch Walls Sales (Volume) by Application (2011-2016)5 Japan Stretch Walls Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis6 Stretch Walls Manufacturing Cost Analysis7 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers8 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders9 Market Effect Factors Analysis10 Japan Stretch Walls Market Forecast (2016-2021)
Breathing Circuits Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-03-24 06:04:58

Press Information

Future Market Insights

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,



Valley Cottage, NY 10989,



United States



T: +1-347-918-3531



F: +1-845-579-5705



Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com



Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com









email





Published by

Abhishek Budholiya

+1-347-918-3531

e-mail

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com







# 695 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Breathing Circuits are the devices that delivers anesthetic gases from the supply machine to the patients lungs. These devices can also be defined as an assemblage of the specific components in such a way that it creates an artificial breathing atmosphere for the patient by connecting patients air way and the anesthetic machine. The basic components of the breathing devices are gas entry port, gas reservoir, expiration port, carbon dioxide absorber, patient airway connecting port and corrugated tubes for connections. The devices are designed in such a way that the anesthetic gases are delivered either by controlled ventilation or by spontaneous ventilation. In case of controlled ventilation, squeezing the bag results in pop off valve actuation and fresh gas release. In case of Spontaneous respiration, dead space gas moves towards the reservoir bag while fresh gas is stored in the reservoir gas. The breathing circuits may be broadly used in two cases i.e for inducing anesthetic to the patient for surgical process and for patient with breathing problem. With respect to the breathing circuits the terminology of re-breathing is recurrently faced and states a condition in which some expired alveolar gas is inspired in the subsequent tidal volume. There are some anesthetic breathing circuits that minimizes re breathing effect due to the possibility of significant rise of blood carbon dioxide. There are four types of breathing circuits namely Open breathing circuits, Semi open breathing circuits, closed breathing circuits and semi open breathing circuits.Breathing Circuits Market: Drivers and RestraintsAdvances in anesthesia and breathing devices, and growing demand for the more efficient and revolutionary patient management approaches are the factors expected to drive the growth of breathing circuits market. Increasing prevalence of surgeries involving general anesthesia,increasing geriatric population susceptible to chronic diseases, increase in the number of emergency cases and mounting demand for short stay ambulatory day care surgical procedure, are few factors expected to fuel the growth of global breathing circuits market. According to American society of Anesthesiologist, the demand for breathing circuits pertaining to inhalation anesthesia will experience a gradual increase in the coming years.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1935 Breathing Circuits Market: SegmentationThe global Breathing Circuits Market has been classified on the basis of product type, application, end user and geography.Based on product type, the global Breathing Circuits Market is divided into following:Open breathing circuits, Semi open breathing circuitsClosed breathing circuits, Semi open breathing circuitsBased on application, the global breathing circuits market is divided into following:Anesthesia, Respiratory dysfunctionOthersBased on the end user type, the global breathing circuits market is divided into following:Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical CentersClinics, Home Care SettingsBreathing Circuits Market: OverviewAn advancement in breathing circuit has been introduced through microcell technology. It is an advanced breathing circuit that minimizes mobile condensate which allows vapors to diffuse through a robust tube walls. This results in an easy in handling the system and also increases the effectiveness of patient care along with minimum intervention in a closed system. This technology has been widely used owing to various advantages and ease of use. Other type of breathing circuits like the heated circuits are used for mechanically ventilated patients which is an essential requirement in the intensive care environment.Breathing Circuits Market: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the global Breathing Circuits Market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America leads the global breathing circuitsmarket followed by Europe. An advancement in breathing circuit has been introduced through microcell technology. It is an advanced breathing circuit that minimizes mobile condensate which allows vapors to diffuse through a robust tube walls. This results in an easy in handling the system and also increases the effectiveness of patient care along with minimum intervention in a closed system.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1935 Breathing Circuits Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global Breathing Circuits Market are Dragerwerk AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Altera Corporation, Braun & Company Ltd, Bio-Med Devices, Smiths Group plc, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited., Marcus Corporationand others.
Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Endocavity Transducer Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2016-2026report to their offering.

Endocavity Transducer Market Value

PR-Inside.com: 2017-03-24 06:29:50

Press Information

Future Market Insights

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,



Valley Cottage, NY 10989,



United States



T: +1-347-918-3531



F: +1-845-579-5705



Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com



Press: press@futuremarketinsights.com



Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com









email





Published by

Abhishek Budholiya

+1-347-918-3531

e-mail

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com







# 579 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Endocavity transducer is a device which is used to visualize the colorectal and transvaginal areas internally by the help of ultrasonic sound waves.They are inserted into body cavities to diagnose problems associated with colorectal and transvaginal body parts. Endocavity transducer is combination of sensor and actuator. Endocavity transducer is device which converts electrical signal into ultrasonic energy that can be transferred into tissue and emit ultrasonic energy back from the tissue into an electrical signal which can be displayed as an image. A corresponding layer of material is placed on the tip of transducer to increase the effectiveness of energy transmission into patient.Endocavity transducer is a device that has ultrasound capabilities and is different from other imaging devices such as MRI, traditional X-rays which are used for diagnosis and monitoring internal organs. Endocavity transducer produces real-time images during surgical procedures allowing the surgeons to see into patients anatomy leading the procedures to be less disturbing and more efficient. Endocavity transducer is a specific and precise device that reduces uncomfortable patient experience in several types of surgical and non-surgical (diagnosis) procedures.Endocavity Transducer Market: Drivers and RestraintsGlobal endocavity transducers market is driven by the technological advancement, rapid innovation in production technologies and increase in surgical process across the globe. Increasing privatization in healthcare sector and adoption of new technologies in emerging countries are also fuelling the global market for endocavity transducers devices. Along with this rapid market authorizations, increase in awareness through education, increase in research and development activities are playing key role in driving the global market for endocavity transducer. Although, absence of regulation and harmonization of guidelines and lack of expert professionals act as a major barriers for global endocavity transducers market.Endocavity Transducer Market: SegmentationGlobal endocavity transducer devices market is classified on the basis of application type and product type:Based on application type endocavity transducer market is segmented into the following:By Application typeObstetrics/ GynaecologyUrologyBased on product type endocavity transducer market is segmented into the following:By Product TypeCurvilinearPhased arrayEndocavityLinearBy End UserHospitalsAmbulatory Surgical CentresClinicsDiagnostic CentresRequest Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1256 Endocavity TransducerMarket: OverviewThe global endocavity transducer market is expected to register a healthy CAGR during the forecast perioddue to its better quality over generic clinical diagnosis. Also, factors such asrapid technological advancement, increase in the number of surgical process and demand for advance diagnosis are expected to boost the growth of global endocavity transducer market across the globe.Endocavity Transducer Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic regions, global endocavity transducermarket is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.North America endocavity transducer market is estimated to hold maximum revenue share due to increase in awareness for endocavity transducer devices, increase in adoption of innovative products and growing infrastructure investment to support medical and healthcare development. Whereas, Europe is estimated to be second most lucrative market for endocavity transducer devices. The market for endocavity transducer in various regions is specifically driven by progressively rising awareness and increase in adoption of advance clinical diagnosis.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1256 Endocavity Transducer Market: Key PlayersSome of the key participating global players in endocavity transducer global market are Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Mindray ZONARE, Toshiba Medical Systems, FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc., Hitachi Medical Systems,Providian Medical and others.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-03-24 10:02:01

French Health Authority ANSM grants approval in the Mutual Recognition Procedure; the relevant health authorities are required to implement the new indication within 30 days

EPREX (epoetin alfa) Marketing Authorisation Extended to Include Treatment of Symptomatic Anaemia in Patients with Low or Intermediate-1-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes

For Janssen

Media Enquiries:

Natalie Buhl

Mobile: +353 (0)85-744-6696

Email: nbuhl@its.jnj.com

or

Investor Relations:

Lesley Fishman

Phone: +1 732-524-3922

or

Joseph J. Wolk

Phone: +1 732-524-1142

Janssen-Cilag International NV today announced the French health authority Agence Nationale de Securite du Medicament et des Produits de Sante (ANSM), has approved EPREX (epoetin alfa) for the treatment of symptomatic anaemia (haemoglobin concentration of 10 g/dL) in adults with low- or intermediate-1-risk primary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who have low serum erythropoietin (<200 mU/mL).

The ANSM acted as the reference Member State within the Mutual Recognition Procedure (MRP), which has now concluded and resulted in an extension to the marketing authorisation for EPREX. Upon the conclusion of the extension procedure within the MRP the other European health authorities are required to implement the new indication into their national Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and package leaflet within 30 days.

This approval was based on results from the international Phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study, EPOANE 3021 along with three registry studies from across Europe. EPOANE 3021 demonstrated the efficacy and safety of EPREX as a treatment for anaemia, in adult patients with low or intermediate-1-risk MDS, as classified by an International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS).1 EPOANE 3021 data were presented at the 21st Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in 2016. Janssen have data exclusivity for one year.

This announcement is extremely welcome, as there have been no erythropoiesis stimulating agents approved to treat anaemia in patients with MDS until now, despite the fact that it contributes significantly to their symptoms, said Pierre Fenaux, M.D., PhD., principal investigator of EPOANE 3021, and Professor of Hematology, Hopital St Louis/Universite, Paris, France.

We are pleased with the outcome of the MRP which brings us one step closer to offering a new treatment option to patients with MDS-related anaemia throughout Europe. This approval is a testament to our long-standing commitment to patients living with cancer, said Dr Catherine Taylor, Haematology Therapeutic Area Lead, Janssen Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

#ENDS#

About the EPOANE 3021 Study1

EPOANE 3021 was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre clinical trial investigating the efficacy and safety of EPREX (epoetin alfa) as a treatment for anaemia, in adult patients with low or intermediate-1-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), as classified by an International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS). Results demonstrated that 31.8 percent of patients treated with epoetin alfa achieved the primary endpoint of erythroid response versus 4.4 percent of placebo patients (p<0.001). An ad hoc analysis, accounting for the dose adjustments as per the protocol, confirmed a statistically significant erythroid response for the epoetin alfa arm, with 45.9 percent of epoetin alfa patients, versus 4.4 percent of placebo patients achieving an erythroid response (p<0.001). Median erythroid response duration for epoetin alfa patients was 197 days. The number of patients needing transfusion in the epoetin alfa arm steadily decreased from 51.8 percent in the eight weeks prior to baseline, to 24.7 percent by week-24. Transfusion need remained unchanged in the placebo patients (48.9 percent - 54.1 percent) over the same interval. Time to first transfusion was longer in the epoetin alfa group (p=0.046). Epoetin alfa demonstrated a statistically significant improvement of quality of life in responding patients.

There were no new safety signals for epoetin alfa from the study and safety findings are consistent with the known safety profile of epoetin alfa. The proportion of patients with at least one treatment emergent adverse event was numerically higher in the placebo group compared with the epoetin alfa group (88.9 percent vs. 77.6 percent). Drug discontinuation due to adverse events was 10.6 percent in the epoetin alfa group versus 13.3 percent in placebo. Four patients in the epoetin alfa arm (4.7 percent) and none in placebo reported a thrombovascular event. There were four fatal outcomes in the epoetin alfa arm versus one in the placebo arm; none were reported to be related to the study drug. During the study, progression to acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) was similar between groups (3.5 percent in epoetin alfa; 4.4 percent in placebo).

About Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of diverse bone marrow disorders in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells.2 The low numbers of normal blood cells (cytopenias) eventually cause symptoms, including infection, anaemia, spontaneous bleeding, or easy bruising.2,3 The natural course of MDS is highly variable, with overall survival ranging from a few weeks to several years.4 MDS is primarily a disease of the elderly with a median age at diagnosis of 70 years, but it can affect younger patients as well.4 The incidence in Europe is about four cases per 100,000 per year, reaching 40-50 per 100,000 in patients aged 70 years and over.4

Approximately 60-80 percent of patients with MDS experience symptomatic anaemia, which can significantly reduce quality of life and often requires repeated blood transfusions.5 Controlling anaemia and improving quality of life are the principal aims of treatment in lower risk MDS patients.4 At present, blood transfusions are currently the only approved treatment option; however these lead to iron overload, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.4,5

About EPREX

EPREX (epoetin alfa) is an erythreopoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) that works by stimulating the production of red blood cells (RBCs).6 ESAs are an important treatment option for patients with certain types of anaemia, including chemotherapy-induced anaemia and anaemia due to chronic kidney disease. Without ESAs, patients with certain types of anaemia may require regular blood transfusions to maintain RBCs at concentrations necessary to sustain normal oxygen levels throughout the body.4

EPREX is currently indicated for the treatment of:6

Symptomatic anaemia associated with chronic renal failure (CRF): In adult and paediatric patients aged 1 to 18 years on haemodialysis and adult patients on peritoneal dialysis. In adults with renal insufficiency not yet undergoing dialysis for the treatment of severe anaemia of renal origin accompanied by clinical symptoms in patients.

Adults receiving chemotherapy for solid tumours, malignant lymphoma or multiple myeloma, and at risk of transfusion as assessed by the patients general status (e.g. cardiovascular status, pre-existing anaemia at the start of chemotherapy) for the treatment of anaemia and reduction of transfusion requirements.

Adults in a predonation programme to increase the yield of autologous blood. Treatment should only be given to patients with moderate anaemia (haemoglobin concentration range between 10 to 13 g/dl [6.2 to 8.1 mmol/l], no iron deficiency) if blood saving procedures are not available or insufficient when the scheduled major elective surgery requires a large volume of blood (4 or more units of blood for females or 5 or more units for males).

Non-iron deficient adults prior to major elective orthopaedic surgery having a high perceived risk for transfusion complications to reduce exposure to allogeneic blood transfusions. Use should be restricted to patients with moderate anaemia (e.g. haemoglobin concentration range between 10 to 13 g/dl) who do not have an autologous predonation programme available and with expected moderate blood loss (900 to 1,800 ml).

About the Mutual Recognition Procedure after the Granting of a Marketing Authorisation

The Mutual Recognition Procedure (MRP) is based on the principle of the mutual recognition by EU Member States of their respective national marketing authorisations. An application for a marketing authorisation within the MRP may be addressed to one or more Member States. The submitted dossier must be identical to the one in the Member State that already granted a marketing authorisation. This Member State is called Reference Member State (RMS). Any subsequent changes to the marketing authorisation that occur post authorisation must be submitted to all Member States that are part of the MRP and will be evaluated by the RMS.7

This application was submitted under the Variations Regulation which governs the procedures for the amendment of the decision granting the marketing authorisation and of the technical dossier.8 The evaluation procedure of post authorisation changes, including a new variation, undertaken by the RMS may take up to 120 days, and ends with the positive outcome of the procedure. Following the closure all involved Member States then have 30 days to implement the decision into the SmPC and package leaflet.7

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 at www.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 an extended marketing authorisation for EPREX (epoetin alfa). 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-Cilag International NV and/or 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; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns or financial distress of purchasers of health care products and services; 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 1, 2017, including in the sections captioned Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Item 1A. Risk Factors, 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.

###

References

1. Fenaux P, Santini V, Aloe Spiriti MA, et al. Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study evaluating epoetin alfa versus placebo in anemic patients with IPSS Low-Int1 risk MDS. Haematologica. 2016;101(Suppl.1):71 (abstract P248).

2. MDS Foundation. Understanding myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Available at: http://www.mds-foundation.org/what-is-mds/ Last accessed March 2017.

3. Cancer Research UK. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Available at: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cance Last accessed March 2017.

4. Fenaux P, Haase D, Sanz GF, et al. Myelodysplastic syndromes: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2014;25(Suppl.3):iii57iii69.

5. Shenoy N, Vallumsetla N, Rachmilewitz E, Verma A, Ginzburg Y. Impact of iron overload and potential benefit from chelation in low risk myelodysplastic syndrome. Blood. 2014;124:873-81.

6. Electronic Medicines Compendium. Eprex 10,000 IU/ml solution for injection in pre-filled syringe, updated 1 July 2016. Available at: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/29446 Last accessed March 2017.

7. European Commission. Authorisation procedures - the mutual recognition procedure. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/health/authorisation-procedures-mutual-recognition_en Last [..].

8. European Commission. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1234/2008 of 24 November 2008 concerning the examination of variations to the terms of marketing authorisations for medicinal products for human use and veterinary medicinal products. Official journal of the European Union. 2013;C223/3. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/health//sites/health/files/files/eudralex/vol-1/c_2013_223/c_2013_2804_en.pdf Last accessed March 2017.

March 2017

PHEM/EPR/0317/0001

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201703240051
Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the  Drug Delivery Technology Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2016-2026report to their offering.

Drug Delivery Technology Market Share

PR-Inside.com: 2017-03-24 06:08:13

Press Information

Future Market Insights

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,



Valley Cottage, NY 10989,



United States



T: +1-347-918-3531



F: +1-845-579-5705



Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com



Press: press@futuremarketinsights.com



Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com









email





Published by

Abhishek Budholiya

+1-347-918-3531

e-mail

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com







# 480 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Drug delivery system is the process of administering therapeutic substance through common route of administration to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans or animals. Drugs release the active ingredients in the target area so that in the period of time it controls though its formulation. The most important driving factor for drug delivery technology market is the increasing demand for effective delivery mechanisms of novel biopharmaceuticals.Recently, AstraZeneca signed a licensing agreement with Starpharma for the use of its DEP drug delivery technology aiming to enhancing the dosing and efficacy characteristics of pharmaceuticals. AstraZeneca agreed to fund all development and commercialization costs, including ongoing and future collaborative work conducted with Starpharma.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1166 Drug Delivery Technology Market: Drivers & RestraintsGrowing incidence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer, technological advancement, innovation, the growing focus on pediatric and geriatric patients, change in lifestyle due to growing urbanization, the increasing demand for minimally invasive surgeries, are the most important driving factors in drug delivery technology market. Since growth of biopharmaceutical market is fast, the demand for drug delivery technology market has increased.With so many advantages and splendid features of drug delivery technology, it has few disadvantages too. Side-effects related to drugs, patents expiry and regulatory hurdles are acting as key barrier for drug delivery technology.Drug Delivery Technology Market: SegmentationDrug delivery technology market is broadly classified on the basis of the following segments By Route of Administration :Oral RouteParenteral RouteIntramuscularIntravenousIntra-arterialSubcutaneous routeTransdermal RouteInhalation RouteNasal Drug DeliveryBy End User:HospitalsClinicsDiagnostic CentresHome care settingsOthersRequest For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1166 Drug Delivery Technology Market: OverviewThe drug delivery technology market has grown substantially at a healthy CAGR due to growing incidence of chronic diseases and change in lifestyle. With rapid technological advancement and innovation, drug delivery technology market is expected to grow globally. North America is the largest market for drug delivery technology and Asia Pacific would be the fastest growing market in the forecast period.Drug Delivery Technology Market: Region-wise OutlookThe drug delivery technology market is expected to register a double-digit CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, drug delivery technology is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the largest market for drug delivery technology market and is contributing the most as compare to other regions. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the forecast period.Drug Delivery Technology Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players in drug delivery technology market are Johnson and Johnson Pvt Ltd, 3M, Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc, Glaxosmithkline PLC, Merck & Co., Inc, Antares Pharma, Generex Biotechnology, pSivida Corppration, Alkermes, Aradigm Corp., Vectura Group plc, NanoPass Technologies Ltd.
Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the  Molecular Diagnostics Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2016-2026report to their offering.

Molecular Diagnostics Market Share

PR-Inside.com: 2017-03-24 06:33:24

Press Information

Future Market Insights

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,



Valley Cottage, NY 10989,



United States



T: +1-347-918-3531



F: +1-845-579-5705



Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com



Press: press@futuremarketinsights.com



Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com









email





Published by

Abhishek Budholiya

+1-347-918-3531

e-mail

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com







# 568 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Molecular diagnostics is a method of analyzing and identifying the biological markers in the genome and proteome in order to identify gene expression by applying molecular biology. Molecular diagnostics are used to diagnose disease and risk involved. Molecular Diagnostics helps to decide the therapies are suitable for individual patients. The new advanced technologies has qualified the instruments in providing accurate results. This ability of the diagnostic tool resulted in increased rate of acceptance of the molecular diagnostics. The concept of personalized medicine has emerged out of molecular diagnostics.Molecular Diagnostics Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe factors driving molecular diagnostic market are increase in demand for care facilities, favorable regulatory policies which aims at promoting the care diagnosis, acceptance of personalized medicine, development in biomarkers, advancements in proteomics, increasing awareness of the diagnostic procedures. However rising cost of molecular diagnostics, obligation of skilled labors to handle the complexity of instruments are the factors restraining the growth of molecular diagnostics market.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1262 Molecular Diagnostics Market: SegmentationMolecular diagnostic market is classified on the basis of product, technology, application, end use and geography.Based on product, the global molecular diagnostic market is segmented into the following:InstrumentsReagentsOthers (service and software)Based on technology, the global molecular diagnostic market is segmented into the following:DNA sequencingPolymerase chain reactionIsothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification TechnologyTranscription Mediated Amplification (TMA)In situ hybridizationSequencingMicroarraysMass spectrometryDNA sequencingOthers (southern blotting, northern blotting, electrophoresis)Based on application, the global molecular diagnostic market is segmented into following:CancerPharmacogenomicsGenetic testingInfectious diseasePrenatalNeurological diseaseCardiovascular diseaseBased on end use, the global molecular diagnostic market is segmented into following:Diagnostic laboratoriesHospitalsOthers( nursing home, blood banks, point of care)Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1262 Molecular Diagnostics Market: OverviewThe awareness of diagnosis is giving rise to the trend of self-care management. The early diagnosis of disease or disorder helps the patient in getting better treatment and cure. Infectious disease and Oncology is estimated to be the fastest growing application owing to the increased prevalence of cancer and demand for early diagnosis. The introduction to specific biomarkers for the treatment has a positive impact over the molecular diagnosis market. However maximum use of reagents is estimated owing to their accurate results. Commonly used reagents are salts, formamide, sodium dodecyl sulfate and dextran sulphate heparin. Growing awareness about the prenatal genetic testing for early detection of chromosomal abnormalities during pregnancy has enhanced the use of molecular diagnostics.Molecular Diagnostics Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic regions, the Global Molecular Diagnostics market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to be the largest player in molecular diagnostic market owing to the technological advancements and innovations, increase in R&D investments by large pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries and demand for early diagnosis. Asia Pacific is estimated in rising molecular diagnostic market due to increase in the prevalence of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases and large population suffering from diabetes.Molecular diagnostics Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the molecular diagnostic market are Abbott laboratories, Becton Dickinson, Novartis, Roche Diagnostics, Johnson and Johnson, Bio-Rad Laboratories, bioMerieux, Danaher Corporation, Qiagen N.V, Siemens Healthcare, Cepheid, Hologic, Inc,.
Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Thermal Printing Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.

Thermal Printing Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-03-24 08:21:09

Press Information

Future Market Insights

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,



Valley Cottage, NY 10989,



United States



T: +1-347-918-3531



F: +1-845-579-5705



Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com



Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com









email





Published by

Abhishek Budholiya

+1-347-918-3531

e-mail

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com







# 556 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Thermal printing is defined as a digital printing process that utilises heat from a thermal print head to produce an image or text on chemically treated paper, also termed as thermal or thermo chromic paper. There are two main types of thermal printers, namely, direct thermal printers and thermal transfer printers. In direct thermal printers, heat sensitive or thermal paper is used, wherein characters are printed onto the thermal paper by applying varying amounts of heat. Thermal transfer printers use ribbon as their cartridges. Thermal paper is fed through the slot located between the roller and the print head and the heat then melts the substance present in the ribbon and prints the character onto the paper.Market Value and ForecastThe global thermal printing market is anticipated to expand at a promising CAGR during the forecast period. Growth of the thermal printing market is mainly driven by expanding retail industry, increasing disposable income, rising global population, rapid industrialisation of emerging markets and strong distribution network of thermal printer manufacturers. Moreover, trends fueling growth of the thermal printing market are transition across various sectors to portable thermal printers, rising adoption in healthcare industry, significant growth potential in developing regions and increasing competition from Chinese vendors.Segmentation by TechnologyThe global thermal printing market can be segmented on the basis of technology into direct thermal and thermal transfer.Request For Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-687 Segmentation by End-use IndustryOn the basis of end-use industry, the global thermal printing market can be segmented into retail, transportation & logistics, healthcare, manufacturing and others. Out of these segments, retail segment dominated the global thermal printing market in 2014, and is expected to continue its dominance in the market through 2025. The healthcare segment is anticipated to record highest CAGR during the forecast period, as utilization of thermal printing technology in this segment is in its early phase of adoption in the emerging economies and is expected to gain traction across various industries in the near future.Segmentation by Printer typeOn the basis of printer types, the global thermal printing market is segmented into POS printer, label & tag printer and RFID printer. Out of these segments, the POS printer segment dominated the global thermal printing market in 2014. However, the POS printer segment is anticipated to lose market share to the RFID printer segment by 2025.Important RegionsThe report provides detailed analysis of the thermal printing market across seven major regions, namely, North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the market with over 24% share of the overall thermal printing market in 2014. Western Europe ranked second with over 21% market share in 2014, followed by APEJ. APEJ is anticipated to emerge as the fastest growing region in the thermal printing market over the forecast period.Send An Enquiry@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-687 Key PlayersKey players identified in the global thermal printing market are Zebra Technologies Corporation, Honeywell International Inc, Seiko Epson Corporation, SATO Holdings Corporation, Star Micronics Co., Ltd. Zebra Technologies Corporation and Star Micronics Co., Ltd. These players focus on research and development initiatives to introduce innovative products to attain sustainable advantage over the competition. Moreover, these players also focus on expanding their global presence through strategic mergers and acquisitions and new product development.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-03-24 17:02:01

Amsterdam, 24 March 2017 - Heineken N.V. (EURONEXT: HEIA; OTCQX: HEINY) announced on 15 December 2016 that, through HEINEKEN UK, it had agreed a back-to-back deal with Vine Acquisitions Limited to acquire Punch Taverns Holdco (A) Limited ('Punch A') comprising approximately 1,900 pubs across the UK (the 'Transaction').

Completion of the Transaction remains subject to the satisfaction (or, if capable, waiver) of the remaining Conditions set out in the scheme document published by Punch Taverns plc ('Punch') on 17 January 2017 including clearance from the Competition & Markets Authority ('CMA').

On 20 February 2017, the CMA announced its intention to extend the preliminary assessment period of its Phase 1 review of the transaction. Following constructive engagement between the CMA, Punch and HEINEKEN UK, the CMA has confirmed today that the decision deadline has been extended from 24 April 2017 to 29 May 2017. The Transaction is now expected to complete by the end of August 2017.

ENDS

Press enquiries

John-Paul Schuirink

E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-355

Michael Fuchs

E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-355

Investor and analyst enquiries

Sonya Ghobrial

E-mail: investors@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-590

Marc Kanter / Gabriela Malczynska

E-mail: investors@heineken.com

Tel: +31-20-5239-590

Note to editors:

Further information is available in a section 2.7 Announcement which is available at: http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/other/13068712.html

Information relating to HEINEKEN UK and the HEINEKEN Group

HEINEKEN UK

HEINEKEN UK is one of the UK's leading cider and beer producers and the company behind brands such as Strongbow, Bulmers, Heineken, Foster's, John Smith's and Desperados. HEINEKEN UK is the HEINEKEN Group's main operating entity in the UK and employs around 2,000 people across seven sites in the UK with offices, breweries and cider production facilities in Edinburgh, Tadcaster, Manchester, London, Hereford and Ledbury. HEINEKEN UK operates the Star Pubs & Bars business with a UK-wide estate of 1,049 pubs which has delivered an attractive profit margin and cash return to HEINEKEN UK. HEINEKEN UK is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of HEINEKEN N.V.

HEINEKEN Group

HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a powerful portfolio of more than 250 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business and delivers value for all stakeholders. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ approximately 73,500 people and operate more than 165 breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY). Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us via @HEINEKENCorp.

Information relating to Patron Capital and Vine Acquisitions

Vine Acquisitions Limited is a newly incorporated company formed at the direction of Patron Capital. Established in 1999, Patron Capital has invested approximately 2.4 billion of capital across several funds and related co-investments, investing in property, corporate operating entities, credit-related businesses and debt-related instruments whose value is primarily supported by property assets. The investors in the Patron funds represent a variety of prominent universities, major institutions, private foundations and high net worth individuals located throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Since inception, the Patron funds have made more than 69 investments in 17 countries and together with its partners have owned and controlled over 10bn in gross assets. Patron is based in London with associated offices in Barcelona, Milan and Luxembourg and a team of over 75 people, with over 42 investment professionals. Patron aims to combine an institutional approach to fund management and reporting, while continuing to embrace an entrepreneurial culture. Patron favours the backing of management teams and coinvesting with its pan-European network of local partners who are familiar with the local market through joint venture structures. Many of Patron's private equity investments have backed existing management teams and achieved significant growth of the investee businesses and their employee bases.

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Heineken NV via Globenewswire


The 75th Anniversary K-9 Veteran 2.5 Inch Magnum Coin was designed to honor this nation's military and law enforcement K-9's and their handlers. Thank you for your service!

By: devildogshirts.com

75th Anniversary K-9 Veteran 2.5 Inch Magnum Coin

End

-- The Marines are not strangers to using K-9s in warfare. Marines used K-9s very effectively during the campaigns in Haiti before the official program even began in 1942. In Haiti K-9s were used to sniff out ambushes in the dense jungle. Dogs were so successful in that campaign they were added to the Small Wars Operations Guide.The program to train and integrate service dogs into our nation's military began on March 13, 1942. Since then, man's best friend has served with us side-by-side at times.The Marine Corps K-9 fills many missions in our Corps. K-9s are used for police work, guard-duty, and IED warfare. A great debt is owed to our K-9 counterparts for their selfless work. The 75th Anniversary K-9 Veteran 2.5 Inch Magnum Coin is a design by Devil Dog Shirts that pays homage to our K-9 Marines and their fellow Marine handlers.Devil Dog Shirts has the Courage to be Honorable and Committed to our fellow Marines. We strive to perpetuate the Warrior Ethos in our Corps by creating the best gear a war-fighter can buy! All of our apperal is made in the United States of America. We stand by our country and our fellow Marines as our nation moves forward.All of Devil Dog Shirts apparel is made and printed in the United States of America. Even in a competitive marketplace Devil Dog Shirts stands by this decision out of principle. Getting materials and printing locally in CONUS helps us to ensure customer quality for our fellow Marines and family.-The original 75th Anniversary K-9 Veteran 2.5 Inch Magnum Coin-Deep 3D relief with metallic accents-2.5 inch, 4 mm thick, highly detailed commemorative coin-Coins sold individuallyOur team of Marine Corps vets play an important role in the designs created by devildogshirts.com . Devil Dog Shirts is licensed by the United States Marine Corps Trademark and Licensing Office. Our art depicts the Honor, Courage, and Commitment of Marines worldwide! Semper Fi!To get this item visit: http://devildogshirts.com/ product/doggy- bag/75th-annivers... For more information on this and more bad-ass gear, visitat www.devildogshirts.com
Interview with the Chief of the Combat Training Division, Czech Air Force Has Been Released

By: SMi Group

Colonel Jaroslav Mika

Contact

Shannon Cargan

***@smi-online.co.uk



Photo:

https://www.prlog.org/ 12628576/1 Shannon Cargan

End

-- SMi have released an exclusive interview with, Chief A7 Branch and Chief of Combat Training,, ahead of him chairing at the second annual Fast Jet Pilot Training Central Eastern Europe conference in Prague on 5th and 6th June 2017.With extensive experience in flying fast jet fighters for combat training and air policing, Colonel Mika has served in the USA, Sweden, Lithuania and Czech Republic, where he is currently assigned to the Czech Air Force Headquarters as Chief of the Combat Training Division.His keynote address at the conference will explore 'creating the next generation Czech Air Force', covering current modernisation plans and roadmaps, the importance of regional and international cooperation, plans for new fast jet trainers and extended use of the Gripen platform, and selection and training priorities for the modern Czech Air Force.When asked,Colonel Mika said:The full interview is available to read in the event download centre at http://www.fastjettraining.com Sponsored by:and, he will be joining an array of expert speakers representing Central and Eastern Europe and selected military leaders from the rest of world.A detailed agenda and full speaker line-up can be viewed on the website and 6June 2017Prague, Czech Republic---- END ----For sponsorship enquiries, contact Justin Predescu on +44 (0) 207 827 6130 or email jpredescu@smi- online.co.uk
Reno-Tahoe International Airport Supports Historic Installation

By: Civil Air Patrol, Nevada Wing

1st Lt Maryan Tooker, 75th Anniversary Display Coordinator

Contact

1st Lt Maryan Tooker, NVWG Public Affairs Officer

***@yahoo.com



Photo:

https://www.prlog.org/ 12628654/1 1st Lt Maryan Tooker, NVWG Public Affairs Officer

End

-- After nearly two years in the planning, the display at the Reno Tahoe International Airport was installed in Concourse C on December 21, 2016. As the 66th busiest commercial airport in the nation and served by eight airlines, Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) serves nearly four million passengers per year. The airport served 300,543 passengers in December 2016 alone. The display will remain in place until April 30, 2017, just in time for the Civil Air Patrol Pacific Region Conference, which will take place at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada.First Lieutenant Maryan Tooker, Nevada Wing Public Affairs Officer said, "Planning for the display began in 2014. The question was whether the display would be a permanent installation extending beyond the 75anniversary, or be a short-term display. Numerous possibilities were explored until the RNO Airport Authority granted use of the beautiful and highly visible space in Concourse C for six months." Once the installation was completed on December 21 2016, Tooker added, "We couldn't have asked for a better location along the concourse, and deeply appreciate the amazing support from the airport authority staff."In the meantime, the display team began collecting historic items for the display. Contributors include CAP National Archives, Reno Composite Squadron, Nevada Wing Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol members Lt Col Doris North, Lt Col Shawn Brewer, Lt Col Deborah Pierce, Major Ted Riek, Capt Marisia Makowski, 1st Lt Maryan Tooker, and Kim Matthews of the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority. Of special note, just two weeks before the installation date, a complete WWII CAP senior uniform in pristine condition, that included all the original insignia and flight cap, was donated to the Nevada Wing and is now a part of the display.Nevada Wing also received a total seven proclamations, six of which are prominently displayed above the World War II display case. Proclamations received included former President Barack Obama, former Nevada Senator Harry Reid, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, Congressman Mark Amodei, Congressman Dean Heller, City of Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, and City of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman. Lt Michael Atkin, Deputy Commander Nellis Composite Squadron, spearheaded this effort.The display cases include historic items and uniforms from World War II era, Cold War era, the CAP Cadet program history, and memorabilia from the Reno Air Squadron (now Reno Composite Squadron). Vintage electronic items include: D V-730 Dosimeter (1954 - 1956); High-range gamma radon detector & charger, RCD V-715  1970s; and a Nova-Tech Air-O-Ear TR-102 VHS Radio, 1950s -1960sThe final display case shows the tools that were commonly utilized in primary and advanced flight training before the recent transition to glass cockpits, GPS, the internet, iPads and tablets, and other electronic fight planning tools and software.There is a table dedicated to recruiting and information. There is a literature rack full of informative brochures and booklets. Close by is a 24-7 looping video, and a guest book.The bright yellow replica model of a Civil Air Patrol 1930s biplane is a prominent display piece. By the mid-1930s they had reached their performance limits, although a few biplanes were still used late into World War II. This model was built by the Truckee Composite Squadron, later acquired by the Reno Composite Squadron. The biplane is "hangered" at Nevada Wing Headquarters. It has been seen in many local parades over the years, most recently the annual Sparks Hometown Christmas Parade.Civil Air Patrol has a rich history of selfless public service throughout America. While thousands traveled overseas to fight, there were many who volunteered to protect America's coasts -- and Civil Air Patrol was born 1 December 1941. CAP's founders flew patrols that discouraged and eventually stopped the U-boat attacks. They also patrolled the country's borders by air, towed targets for military trainees, spotted forest fires, conducted search and rescue missions, provided disaster relief and emergency transport of people and parts and conducted orientation flights for future pilots.Today, Civil Air Patrol is congressionally chartered and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. CAP performs services for the federal government as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and for states/local communities as a nonprofit organization. CAP is made up of eight geographic regions consisting of 52 wings (the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia), consisting of 56,000 volunteer youth and adult members nationwide. It is a strategic partner of the Air Force, serving as a member of its Total Force. CAP has three primary missions  Emergency Services, Cadet Programs and Aerospace Education. For more information, go to www.gocivilairpatrol.com or http://www.nvwg.cap.gov
By: IAGHS

Contact

Office the Acting President of the IAGHS

***@iaghsregister.org Office the Acting President of the IAGHS

End

-- His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi has become the Patron and Honorary President of the International Academy for Genealogical and Heraldic Studies (IAGHS). This will be the first time His Excellency has been the Patron of an organisation working outside of the Republic of Malawi.President Mutharika is Malawian poltician, educator and lawyer, who has been President of Malawi since May 31, 2014.Hon. Lord Fulivai, Vice-President of IAGHS, said: "We are absolutely delighted that The President of Malawi has agreed to become IAGHS's Patron. The support of His Excellency demonstrates the close connection between the Republic of Malawi and the IAGHS."H.E. Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi, said in his acceptance letter dated 28th February, 2017: " It is my great pleasure to accept your invitation for me to be the Honorary Patron. I look forward to working with you in this noble endeavor so that we can advance the goals of the Academy, and more importantly, raise its profile at he global level."
Presented by Founding Sponsor White House Black Market, Dress for Success SW Florida rolls out the red carpet for its annual signature event

By: Dress For Success SWFlorida

Contact

Nickole Hendra

***@dfsswflorida.org Nickole Hendra

End

-- Dress for Success SW Florida is excited to once again roll out the red carpet for its annual signature event: A Fashion Night in Black & White. The event will be held on Friday, May 12, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs, Florida. Guests are invited to wear their finest black and white cocktail attire for an evening of fun and fashion to support Dress for Success SW Florida. The evening will include hors d'oeuvres, champagne, dinner, live and silent auctions, and a fashion show with a preview of the White House Black Market (WHBM) summer collection. Tickets are $125 each and $1200 for a table.Barbara Dell, CEO of Dress for Success SW Florida, is thrilled for this year's theme "Never Give Up," a key phrase used to encourage and empower clients. Money raised from this annual event will benefit the new Women Empowered Through Employment Series (W.E.T.E.S.)for unemployed and underemployed women in the community. W.E.T.E.S. is a new employer-driven program designed by Dress for Success SW Florida to empower women through sessions including "How to Dress for Success," resume preparation, consultations, and mock interviews. Karen Anderson, President of the Board of Directors for Dress for Success of SW Florida, is the chairman for this exciting program that will begin in June.The fashion models for the evening will be Dress for Success SW Florida clients who will be styled at a local White House Black Market boutique. Following the fashion presentation, WHBM will donate the outfits to the women for their personal and professional needs.The Founding Sponsor is White House Black Market. Elizabeth K. Galeana Charitable Foundation, Inc. is the Career Center Champion. Other sponsors to date are: 227 Partners, Arthrex, Card Systems, Conric PR & Marketing, Edison National Bank,eBella Magazine, entech, First Florida Integrity Bank, Hodges University, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point and Spa, Jaguar of Fort Myers, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company, P.A., MidWestOne Bank, Stevens Construction, and Windfall. Sponsorships are still available.For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Nickole Hendra at 239.689.4992 ( tel:(239)%20689- 4992 ) or visit www.dfsswflorida.org
With Financial Literacy Month in April, Patriot Bank finds young people are not receiving financial education, offers opportunities to gain skills

By: Patriot Bank, N.A.

End

-- Nearly half of Americans lack basic financial literacy, and many young people are not being educated in this crucial topic, according to a new report from Patriot Bank, N.A. Overall, 43% of U.S. adults lack a basic understanding of financial skills, including proficiency in simple concepts of saving, investing, and debt, according to Patriot.American teens fall behind their international counterparts in an 18-country assessment by the Organization for Economic Cooperations, with 18% of American teens not reaching basic proficiency in financial literacy, as compared to 15% globally.Locally, Connecticut earned an "F" in providing financial literacy education. Additionally, half its residents are not saving for retirement.The report, by Patriot Bank, N.A., sounds the alarm on this urgent problem and helps identify opportunities for young people to acquire the financial skills that will help better secure their future. It outlines:- What financial literacy is and its lifelong importance- Financial literacy impacts on everyday life- Why financial literacy education in Connecticut was graded "F" and New York "B"- Free resources & educational tools for educators and parents"Patriot Bank is launching this important effort in the communities we serve to help provide the next generation with tools and resources to make smarter financial decisions," said"Financial literacy is a critical skill that is valuable at every stage of life and can have significant long-term effects. We are proud to partner with local schools and community organizations to help empower the younger generation to realize a stronger financial future."Among the topics covered in the 24-page report is the fact that Americans are beginning to experience the so-called "Great Transfer" of wealth, in which Baby Boomers will pass along an estimated $30 trillion of life savings to their children. Patriot Bank believes it is essential to equip the next generation with the financial literacy skills they need.Financial literacy helps people judge and balance budgets, be they a teen managing a cell phone plan or dreaming of college or an adult struggling to make rent or mortgage payments, or saving for retirement.There are no national educational standards for financial literacy, with requirements being determined at the state and local levels. In Connecticut, high schools do not require personal finance courses. In New York, the subject is incorporated in a half-year economics course.To address some of these problems, Patriot Bank is offering educational seminars and resources to help local schools, veterans groups, community organizations, and parents teach this critical skill, including at Housatonic Community College, Trinity Catholic High School, Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and more.To learn more and download the report, visit https://bankpatriot.com/ white-paper/ commitment-financial- ... Patriot Bank, N.A. is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut and provides consumer and commercial banking services to individuals, government and nonprofit entities, small- and medium-sized businesses and professionals. Patriot Bank currently operates 10 full-service branches, 8 in Connecticut and 2 in New York. Patriot Bank was founded in 1994.
Leading Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon of Fayetteville, North Carolina Awarded For Enduring Commitment to Cosmetic Patient Education

Contact

Liza Womack, Marketing

Cape Fear Aesthetics MedSpa

info@capefearaesthetics.com

(910) 323-3757 Liza Womack, MarketingCape Fear Aesthetics MedSpa(910) 323-3757

End

-- Local physician Edward E. Dickerson, IV, MD is one of only 500 doctors worldwide to receive theAward, a prestigious award honoring the top influencers on RealSelfthe most trusted online destination to get informed about elective cosmetic procedures and to find and connect with doctors and clinics.The RealSelf 500 Award honors the top rated and most engaged board-certified aesthetic doctors who consistently demonstrated a commitment to patient education and positive patient outcomes throughout 2016. Winners of the award excel at sharing their expertise, free of charge, with tens of millions of RealSelf community members.Dr. Dickerson was previously awarded the 2015 RealSelf 100 award, and has held the title of Top Doctor for several years in recognition of his contributions and consistently positive patient feedback.Dr. Dickerson is the owner and Medical Director of Fayetteville Plastic Surgery Specialists and Cape Fear Aesthetics MedSpa, a leading combination cosmetic surgery and medical spa practice in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Known by his patients as "Dr. D", the welcoming doctor makes every effort to make his patients feel like part of "the family". Dr. Dickerson is a Double-Board Certified Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon whose specialties include a wide range of surgical and non-surgical procedures for the face and body, as well as options for hair restoration. As a decorated veteran of the Army, he takes special measures to ensure that his military patients, and all patients, receive discreet and professional service. To ensure the comfort of his patients, surgical procedures are conducted at his in-office private AAAHC certified surgical suite whenever possible.His MedSpa specialties include injectable anti-aging treatments, laser tattoo removal, laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, and physician supervised weight loss. In addition, Dr. Dickerson is the Chief Medical Officer for Skinphonic, the breakthrough skin care regimen that is specifically formulated for men and women with pigmented skin and which is backed by Motown legend Smokey Robinson. Dr. Dickerson strives to expand his knowledge by participating in ongoing education so that he may provide innovative procedures for his patients. He shares his knowledge by conducting training and education opportunities for other cosmetic surgeons, by hosting local events and seminars for prospective patients, and by contributing to online patient communities like RealSelf.Dr. Dickerson is honored to accept the 2016 RealSelf 500 award. In addition to this award, the founder and CEO of RealSelf, Tom Seery, recently made an exclusive video address during Dr. Dickerson's 5Annual Evening of Excellence to welcome guests and to highlight the incredible contributions Dr. Dickerson has made to the RealSelf community. The shared goal between RealSelf and Dr. Dickerson is the desire to connect patients to information that helps them not only make educated decisions about cosmetic procedures, but to find confidence and empowerment on their journey to self-improvement.
End

-- Eurotech (http://www.eurotech.com/en/), a long-time leading provider of embedded systems and a global leader in Internet of Things (IoT) enablement, announces its partnership with Comtrade Digital Services (http://comtradedigital.com/), a global software engineering services and solutions company.After a successful collaboration in the context of the Eurotech initiated Eclipse IoT projects Eclipse Kura (http://www.eclipse.org/kura/)  the open source Java/OSGi Middleware for IoT Gateways (http://www.eurotech.com/en/products/devices/iot+gateways)  and Eclipse Kapua (http://www.eclipse.org/kapua/)  the open source IoT Cloud Platform  Eurotech and Comtrade Digital Services are extending their cooperation by making their joint expertise available to customers interested in adopting, developing, and deploying end-to-end IoT Solutions.Eurotech Everyware IoT technology offers the proven building blocks necessary to assemble IoT solutions and applications. A broad family of Multi-service IoT Gateways ( http://www.eurotech.com/ en/products/ devices/iot+ gateways ), a secure enterprise-ready middleware ( http://www.eurotech.com/ en/products/ software+services/ eve... ) for IoT gateways based on Eclipse Kura and and IoT integration platform (http://www.eurotech.com/en/products/software+services/everyware+cloud+m2m+platform)provides the ready-to-use components necessary to meet the needs of IoT applications including edge computing, edge analytics, device management and data integration.Comtrade Digital Services has developed a strong expertise at every level of the IoT solution  from sensors, microprocessors, and protocols up to the cloud. With numerous successfully implemented projects Comtrade Digital Services is a valuable contributor to the IoT community. Its latest Predictive Maintenance Platform leverages IoT data to prevent future failure in mission-critical operations. The Platform collects, aggregates and analyzes real-time data using a machine learning enabled system that triggers actions in real-time or based on predictive analysis.Comtrade Digital Services expertise and deep knowledge of Eurotech Everyware IoT stack will make it an invaluable partner for the integration of Eurotech's technology in the design and development of customers' applications. The collaboration will provide customers' projects with a more predictable and faster time to market from the initial proof-of-concept all the way to the field deployment.Bojan Sneberger, GM of Industry business unit at Comtrade Digital Services, commented on the partnership:"We are extremely proud to be part of the Eurotech's IoT ecosystem and to contribute with our knowledge to the open-source community around Eurotech Everyware IoT. We believe this partnership will help companies innovate faster and reduce time to market  they will stay one step ahead of the competition by leveraging the power of IoT.""We are very excited to add another IoT Solutions Partner in our ecosystem. Comtrade expertise and intimate knowledge of Eurotech Everyware IoT stack make it a perfect partner to accelerate IoT Solutions deployments,"said Marco Carrer, Eurotech Group CTO.Eurotech is a global company (ETH:IM) that provides hardware and software solutions, together with professional services and expertise to deliver embedded computing platforms and sub-systems to leading OEMs, system integrators and enterprise customers for successful and efficient deployment of their products and services. Drawing on concepts of minimalist computing, Eurotech lowers power draw, minimizes physical size and reduces coding complexity to bring sensors, embedded platforms, sub-systems, ready-to-use devices and high performance computers to market, specializing in the defense, transportation, industrial and medical segments. By combining domain expertise in wireless connectivity as well as communications protocols, Eurotech architects platforms that simplify data capture, processing and transfer over unified communications networks. Our customers rely on Eurotech to simplify their access to state-of-the-art embedded technologies so they can focus on their core competencies. Learn more about Eurotech at www.eurotech.com.
If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move.
UAE telco du has expanded its capacity on Eutelsat 7W to provide broadcasters with a high definition (HD) direct-to-home (DTH) delivery service.





Du is aiming the DTH platform at free-to-air networks across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), as well as international broadcasters. It will use dus newly leased DVB-S2 transponder, optimised for the regions high growth markets, on Eutelsats 7W satellite . Our customer is at the core of all our operations, and we are wholly committed to innovating and working with various partners to create and deliver solutions that optimize the end-user experience, said Fahad AlHassawi (pictured), chief commercial officer, du. Through our New HD DTH Platform, we aim to enhance broadcast services for over 56 million homes across the Middle East and North Africa Region.Speaking with Rapid TV News at CABSAT 2017, Ghassan Murat, VP of business development & strategy at Eutelsat Dubai, said:  Eutelsat is dedicated to accompanying the uptake of HD and a diversity of free-to-air channels on our satellites. Our 2016 survey in MENA confirmed the pole position of the 7/8 West neighbourhood we share with Nilesat, which serves 52.3 million homes, up from 49.7 million in 2014.
Content services protection and enhancement firm Viaccess-Orca is teaming with the Encoding.com cloud-based video processing service to streamline the preparation of video-on-demand (VOD) content for over-the-top (OTT) multiscreen applications.





The partnership will see Viaccess-Orca's cloud-based TV everywhere as a service (TVaaS) integrated with Encoding.com's cloud media processing platform, enabling pay-TV operators to prepare and manage video content for multiscreen viewing from a single pane. The joint solution can be fully managed in the cloud, with monitoring and control enabled by the operator. Viaccess-Orca adds that by employing Encoding.com's media processing platform with TVaaS, operators can scale up and down as needed, with sub-ten-second average queue times and guaranteed queue time SLAs.Speed to market and video quality are critical requirements in today's OTT world, said Encoding.com president Jeff Malkin. "Our cloud media processing platform is designed to accommodate the ebbs and flows in media processing workflows. Whether operators are working with a few or thousands of files, we can automatically scale the necessary resources to process files simultaneously and in a fraction of real-time.With OTT delivery heating up in the pay-TV market, cloud infrastructure has become a fundamental requirement, added Viaccess-Orca CEO Paul Molinier. Collaborating with Encoding.com, we're one of the first providers to offer an end-to-end, cloud-based solution for OTT multiscreen content preparation and delivery.
A team spanning Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, Texas Children's Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has developed a new way to sequence genomes, which can assemble the genome of an organism, entirely from scratch, dramatically cheaper and faster. While there is much excitement about the so-called "$1000 genome" in medicine, when a doctor orders the DNA sequence of a patient, the test merely compares fragments of DNA from the patient to a reference genome. The task of generating a reference genome from scratch is an entirely different matter; for instance, the original human genome project took 10 years and cost $4 billion. The ability to quickly and easily generate a reference genome from scratch would open the door to creating reference genomes for everything from patients to tumors to all species on earth. Today in Science, the multi-institutional team reports a method -- called 3D genome assembly -- that can create a human reference genome, entirely from scratch, for less than $10,000.

To illustrate the power of 3D genome assembly, the researchers have assembled the 1.2 billion letter genome of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries the Zika virus, producing the first end-to-end assembly of each of its three chromosomes. The new genome will enable scientists to better combat the Zika outbreak by identifying vulnerabilities in the mosquito that the virus uses to spread.

The human genome is a sequence of 6 billion chemical letters, called base-pairs, divided up among 23 pairs of chromosomes. Despite the decline in the cost of DNA sequencing, determining the sequence of each chromosome from scratch, a process called de novo genome assembly, remains extremely expensive because chromosomes can be hundreds of millions of base-pairs long. In contrast, today's inexpensive DNA sequencing technologies produce short reads, or hundred-base-pair-long snippets of DNA sequence, which are designed to be compared to an existing reference genome. Actually generating a reference genome and assembling all those long chromosomes involves combining many different technologies at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, because human genomes differ from one another, the use of a reference genome generated from one person in the process of diagnosing a different person can mask the true genetic changes responsible for a patient's condition.

"As physicians, we sometimes encounter patients who we know must carry some sort of genetic change, but we can't figure out what it is," said Dr. Aviva Presser Aiden, a physician-scientist in the Pediatric Global Health Program at Texas Children's Hospital, and a co-author of the new study. "To figure out what's going on, we need technologies that can report a patient's entire genome. But, we also can't afford to spend millions of dollars on every patient's genome."

To tackle the challenge, the team developed a new approach, called 3D assembly, which determines the sequence of each chromosome by studying how the chromosomes fold inside the nucleus of a cell.

"Our method is quite different from traditional genome assembly," said Olga Dudchenko, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Genome Architecture at Baylor College of Medicine, who led the research. "Several years ago, our team developed an experimental approach that allows us to determine how the 2-meter-long human genome folds up to fit inside the nucleus of a human cell. In this new study, we show that, just as these folding maps trace the contour of the genome as it folds inside the nucleus, they can also guide us through the sequence itself."

By carefully tracing the genome as it folds, the team found that they could stitch together hundreds of millions of short DNA reads into the sequences of entire chromosomes. Since the method only uses short reads, it dramatically reduces the cost of de novo genome assembly, which is likely to accelerate the use of de novo genomes in the clinic. "Sequencing a patient's genome from scratch using 3D assembly is so inexpensive that it's comparable in cost to an MRI," said Dudchenko, who also is a fellow at Rice University's Center for Theoretical Biological Physics. "Generating a de novo genome for a sick patient has become realistic."

advertisement

Unlike the genetic tests used in the clinic today, de novo assembly of a patient genome does not rely on the reference genome produced by the Human Genome Project. "Our new method doesn't depend on previous knowledge about the individual or the species that is being sequenced," Dudchenko said. "It's like being able to perform a human genome project on whoever you want, whenever you want."

"Or whatever you want," said Dr. Erez Lieberman Aiden, director of the Center for Genome Architecture at Baylor and corresponding author on the new work. "Because the genome is generated from scratch, 3D assembly can be applied to a wide array of species, from grizzly bears to tomato plants. And it is pretty easy. A motivated high school student with access to a nearby biology lab can assemble a reference-quality genome of an actual species, like a butterfly, for the cost of a science fair project."

The effort took on added urgency with the outbreak of Zika virus, which is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Researchers hoped to use the mosquito's genome to identify a strategy to combat the disease, but the Aedes genome had not been well characterized, and its chromosomes are much longer than those of humans.

"We had been discussing these ideas for years -- writing a chunk of code here, doing a proof-of-principle assembly there," said Lieberman Aiden, also assistant professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor, computer science at Rice and a senior investigator at the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics. "So we had assembly data for Aedes aegypti just sitting on our computers. Suddenly, there's an outbreak of Zika virus, and the genomics community was galvanized to get going on Aedes. That was a turning point."

"With the Zika outbreak, we knew that we needed to do everything in our power to share the Aedes genome assembly, and our methods, as soon as possible," Dudchenko said. "This de novo genome assembly is just a first step in the battle against Zika, but it's one that can help inform the community's broader effort."

The team also assembled the genome of the Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito, the principal vector for West Nile virus. "Culex is another important genome to have, since it is responsible for transmitting so many diseases," said Lieberman Aiden. "Still, trying to guess what genome is going to be critical ahead of time is not a good plan. Instead, we need to be able to respond quickly to unexpected events. Whether it is a patient with a medical emergency or the outbreak of an epidemic, these methods will allow us to assemble de novo genomes in days, instead of years."
(Various)

Exiled Writers Ink with SOAS, Centre for Centre for Culture, Literature and Postcolonial Studies present: The Danger of Words in the Age of Danger

This one day symposium sets out to examine the contemporary danger of words as it affects exiled writers. It will interrogate diverse aspects of the 'Danger of Words' from denying exiled writers the freedom to write about the ills in their societies, to the manipulation of words, as it affects exiled writers, by dark and sinister forces in our established democracies.

Exiled Writers and scholars will examine the ramifications of the country of origins continuing censorship of exiled writers literary production post exile and of the silencing in the country of destination, in relation to the writers literary, aesthetic and ontological negotiation and resistance to it. Exiled literary voices will articulate their response to the implosion of liberalism in the country of origin and the crisis of liberalism in the countries of destination throughout Europe with the rise of the xenophobic right, and of the US right. In a further session on the danger of words, Jewish and Muslim poets will express their own nuanced and varied personal subjectivities and narratives resisting the simplistic and dangerous identities imposed on them.

The symposium will conclude with an exiled writers poetry recital.

Abstracts

For information and to send your title and abstract ( deadline 15 March ) please contact Dr Jennifer Langer: jennifer@exiledwriters.fsnet.co.uk

www.exiledwriters.co.uk

Symposium

Time Activity 10.15am to 10.30am Tea and coffee 10.30am to 10.40am Welcome and introduction 10.40am to 12.00pm Panel 1: Censorship Post Exile, discussant/chair: Dr Abol Froushan 1.30pm to 2.30pm Panel 2: Literary Voices and the Implosion of Liberalism, discussant/chair: Dr Nadia Faydh 1.30pm to 2.30pm Lunch 2.30pm to 4.00 Panel 3: The Danger of Words in the Country of Destination, discussant/chair: Abbas Faiz 4.00pm to 4.15pm Tea and coffee 4.20pm to 5.00pm Round Table: The Danger of Words in the Country of Destination: On The Frontline: Jewish and Muslim writers literary representation of the self  discussant/chair: Dr Jennifer Langer 5.15pm to 6.00pm Poetry recital by exiled poets on the Danger of Words in the Age of Danger

Tickets

Register for your ticket on Eventbrite . 12 for non-Exiled Writers Ink members; 8 for EWI members; asylum seekers and students free.

Or alternatively pay on the door or send cheque payable to: Exiled Writers Ink, 31 Hallswelle Road, London NW11 0DH

ALL WELCOME.

Information: jennifer@exiledwriters.fsnetc.o.uk www.exiledwriters.co.uk

Organiser: Dr Jennifer Langer, Exiled Writers Ink with CCLPS, SOAS

Contact email: jennifer@exiledwriters.fsnet.co.uk
This page may have been moved, deleted, or is otherwise unavailable. To help you find what you are looking for:

Enter Search Term(s):

Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL.

Thank you for visiting state.gov.
More information about Haiti is available on the Haiti Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.

When Haiti is more prosperous, secure, and firmly rooted in democracy, Haitians and Americans benefit. U.S. policy toward this close neighbor is designed to foster the institutions and infrastructure necessary to achieve strong democratic foundations and meaningful poverty reduction through sustainable development. The United States is the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Haiti, helping to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Haitians through health care, shelter, food, nutrition, water/sanitation, protection and other relief. Another pillar of U.S.-Haiti bilateral cooperation is assistance for long-term development and institution building. Priority areas include support for economic growth and poverty reduction, improved healthcare and food security, promoting respect for human rights, building stronger democratic institutions, and strengthening the Haitian National Police (HNP) so that Haiti can provide its own security and be a stronger partner against transnational crime. To help combat poverty and tackle chronic unemployment, which requires job creation, the United States facilitates bilateral trade with and investment in Haiti. The large Haitian diaspora in the United States is a potentially powerful ally in the effort to expand business opportunities and build on the many links that unite Haitians and Americans.

For decades, Haiti has faced significant challenges, including natural disasters and environmental shocks as well as multiple political crises. Despite these challenges and with support from the United States, Haiti significantly improved basic health indicators, including reaching the critical milestone of zero laboratory-confirmed case of cholera since February, 2019. Programs to improve private sector competitiveness created more than 27,000 jobs and almost 14,000 jobs have been created at the Caracol Industrial Park, thanks in part to Haitis growing export apparel sector and trade preference programs for Haitian-made textiles and apparel.

Nonetheless, Haiti continues to face many challenges. Intensified gang violence and recurring political and civil unrest since July 2018 have severely exacerbated Haitis dire economic and humanitarian conditions: unemployment and inflation are high; the national currency is volatile; fuel shortages are recurring and severe; foreign reserves are dangerously low; about 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and more than one-third face crisis- or emergency-level food insecurity. In addition to grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and an economic recession, President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on July 7, 2021, and weeks later a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit southern Haiti on August 14.

While humanitarian assistance will help alleviate some urgent needs, it will not, and cannot, address the root causes of the current economic and political paralysis in Haiti.

Political Overview

Haitis transition to a functional democracy is important to the United States. Strong democratic institutions, including holding regular free and fair elections, can help guarantee Haitis democratic traditions and ensure a voice for the Haitian people in their governance. A commitment to democracy, security and the rule of law ensures that human rights and fundamental freedoms are better protected. The stability and predictability that come with these institutions are essential for Haiti to achieve sustained economic growth and attract needed foreign investment. However, Haiti suffered another setback in its democratic development with the assassination of President Moise, who had been ruling by decree since Parliament lapsed in January 2020 but was set to leave office February 2022. Prime Minister Ariel Henry then became head of a unity government, but Haiti still lacks fully functioning legislative and judicial branches. Only one-third of the Senate remains in office (10 senators), after the October 2019 local and parliamentary elections did not take place as scheduled. The eight-person Supreme Court lost its president to COVID-19, and three members were dismissed by President Moise in February.

The exacerbation of Haitis humanitarian and political crises has also led to an uptick in the outward flow of Haitians from Haiti, a number of whom attempt to migrate illegally to the United States. These irregular migrant flows, frequently over dangerous land and sea routes, are often facilitated through illegal smuggling

networks, and many result in the loss of money, possessions, and even life. The United States and the Government of Haiti strongly discourage Haitians from undertaking dangerous journeys, by both land and sea, to the United States. In 2016, in an effort to dissuade illegal migration attempts to the United States, DHS resumed regular removals of Haitians who enter the United States illegally. The United States is also committed to apprehending and prosecuting the human smugglers who profit by organizing and carrying out illegal sea voyages and land movements. In addition to deterring illegal migration and preserving life, the United States works to address the root causes of illegal migration from Haiti by helping to create more economic opportunity for Haitians in their own country.

U.S. Assistance to Haiti

Since the 2010 earthquake, the United States has provided over $5.1 billion for assistance to Haiti to support life-saving post-disaster relief as well as longer-term recovery, reconstruction, and development programs. After the 2021 earthquake, the United States again mobilized a whole-of-government effort to provide immediate assistance at the Haitian governments request. Even before the 2010 earthquake, Haiti was among the least developed nations and faced chronic challenges to meaningful poverty reduction. Against this background, the countrys reconstruction and development will continue for many years. Highlights of results of U.S. assistance to Haiti include:

U.S. assistance helped over 40 partner financial institutions that enabled the network to disburse over $100 million in loans to over 50,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises, and helped participating SME businesses generate $110 million in sales.

In the agricultural sector, U.S. assistance has helped 105,000 farmers increase crop yields through improved techniques and seeds, generating nearly $30 million in agricultural sales and $15 million in private sector investments into the agriculture sector.

In the Water Supply and Sanitation sector, U.S. assistance, in conjunction with the National Potable Water and Sanitation Directorate (DINEPA), helped mitigate cholera and other waterborne diseases by targeting water governance and systems improvements in cholera-prone communes across Haiti, increasing access to water services to over 240,000 Haitians since 2018.

The Haitian National Police is stronger, and U.S. assistance has helped increase the HNP to nearly 15,000 officers from less than 10,000 in 2010.

More Haitians have access to police services following the construction of new police commissariats, and a community policing unit was implemented geared at gaining public trust and improving community relations. In addition, the role of women within the force has been amplified. This is reflected by the robust recruitment efforts to target more women to make the HNP more gender inclusive.

U.S. assistance has contributed to measured improvements in basic health indicators, including child nutrition and mortality, improved access to maternal healthcare, and the containment of the spread of HIV/AIDS. Over the past 15 years, infant mortality has dropped from 80 to 59 deaths per 1,000 live births; and under-five mortality has dropped from 119 to 81 deaths per 1,000 live births.

U.S. assistance has helped increase access to basic healthcare with 164 hospitals and clinics across the country. Our assistance has increased access to and quality of basic healthcare in those clinics, reaching over 4 million of the most vulnerable among Haitis population of 11 million.

Through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. government assistance has further strengthened the health infrastructure in Haiti through establishing the national public health reference laboratory and the creation of an early warning surveillance system that screens a subset of all biological specimen from 67 hospitals across the country for high-risk contagions.

The U.S. government has supported the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) in Haiti for the past 10 years, facilitating intensified response training for more than 130 public health leaders and frontline workers. These cadres were first responders for the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in Haiti, including deployments to all 10 departments and the high-risk border region with the Dominican Republic.

The U.S. government contributed funding towards a solar energy program, initiated by the Inter-American Development Bank, for the construction of two solar power plants in northern Haiti. These plants aim to provide an increased supply of sustainable and affordable renewable energy in the region. These plants will help expand support to energy grids being serviced by the existing U.S.-funded 10-megawatt thermal power plant that provides 24/7 electricity to five industrial clients operating 14 factories inside the Caracol Industrial Park and more than 14,000 households and businesses in five neighboring communes.

Under the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDs Relief (PEPFAR), U.S. government interventions have helped reduce the HIV prevalence rate in Haiti to under 2 percent in the past decade. The U.S. Government offers life-saving antiretroviral treatment to more than 80 percent (123,000) of people living with HIV (PLHIV). USAID has helped Haiti to adopt innovative drug distribution and dispensing methods, and limit unnecessary COVID-19 risk exposure to PLHIV. These methods include multi-month dispensing, community drug distribution, group services such as psycho-social support groups, and mothers clubs implemented remotely online or by phone.

USAID continues to build the foundation for credible legislative and presidential elections. USAID is providing more than $3 million to the Consortium for Elections and Political Processes Strengthening, which includes the National Democratic Institute, International Republican Institute, and International Foundation for Electoral Systems. These activities will improve electoral administration, strengthen the competitiveness of political parties, educate voters on electoral processes, promote electoral transparency, and ensure inclusive voter participation.

USAID is helping strengthen and restore judicial systems in Haiti through technical assistance to the Superior Judiciary Council (CSPJ), the institution in charge of the management, oversight, and evaluation of judiciary members. With USAID support, the CSPJ has vetted 44 judges and prosecutors to ascertain if they have the moral and professional integrity to serve in the justice system. Through this system a total of 25 judges and prosecutors were approved; helping renew accountability of judicial members and build public trust in the justice sector.

To address a lack of transparency within the court system, USAID supported the installation of a digitized Case Management Information System (CMIS) to reduce Haitis prolonged pretrial detention. This system permits chief judges and chief prosecutors to monitor case processing time enabling improved transparency and accountability in case recording and processing. The system is now operational in 13 jurisdictions, including two new locations. Approximately 5,320 cases were entered in the system this year for nearly 46,800 cases.

The United States, through USAID, is improving transparency, oversight, and accountability of local government actors and institutions by increasing public involvement at the commune-level investment and development planning process. During FY 2021, USAIDs Community Driven Development activity helped 15 communes create municipal investment plans with local stakeholders by working to reach consensus on the prioritization of projects to be implemented and on long-term strategic planning in the targeted communes.

For more information on the strategy and budget, please visit: https://www.state.gov/haiti-reports/.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Since 2011, the Government of Haiti has emphasized encouraging foreign investment and developing private-led, market-based economic growth. The Haitian government encourages the inflow of new capital and technological innovations and has articulated a commitment to improve the business environment and attract foreign investors. However, recurring fuel shortages and the Haitian governments unilateral actions to stop payment on and cancel contracts with independent power producers have begun to discourage investment. U.S. companies considering investing in Haitis energy sector have expressed concern about the Haitian governments lack of adherence to its contractual obligations.

Haitis Center of Investment Facilitation aims to facilitate and promote investment in the local economy by reducing administrative delays, streamlining the creation of enterprises, and facilitating the provision of inducements. Nevertheless, overall costs to start and operate a new business in Haiti remain high, and access to credit as well as structures for investor protection are still insufficient. The United States and Haiti have a bilateral agreement on investment guarantees that permits the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to offer programs in Haiti.

The United States is Haitis largest trading partner. A number of U.S. firms maintain operations in Haiti, including commercial banks, airlines, oil, and agribusiness companies, and U.S.-owned assembly plants. Opportunities for U.S. businesses in Haiti include: light manufacturing, in particular textile and clothing production; the development and trade of raw and processed agricultural products; medical supplies and equipment; building and modernizing Haitis infrastructure; developing tourism and allied sectors such as arts and crafts; business process outsourcing; and improving capacity in waste disposal, transportation, energy, telecommunications, and export assembly operations.

Grinding poverty remains a challenge for the Haitian people, the government, and the international donor community. Three-quarters of the population lives on approximately $2.41 per day; the poorest live in extreme poverty, surviving on only $1.23 per day. Remittances to Haiti amount to over $3.11 billion per year, equivalent to about 23 percent of GDP in 2020; however, a large percentage of these funds are used for consumption of imported goods and basic household support (e.g., education, health, nutrition). Meaningful poverty reduction in Haiti will depend on job creation through economic activity and foreign investment. Toward that end, the United States promotes needed reforms in Haiti to make it easier and more predictable for businesses to operate and to create the kind of stable environment needed for investors.

Additional information on business opportunities in Haiti can be found at www.export.gov , under the subheadings of Market Intelligence and Country Commercial Guides.

U.S. Trade Preferences for Haiti

Both Haitian and American importers and exporters can benefit under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act  the successor program of the Caribbean Basin Initiative  that provides for duty-free export of many Haitian products assembled from U.S. components or materials. The 2008 Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE II) Act and the 2010 Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP legislation) provide duty-free preferences for certain light-manufacturing products produced in Haiti, in particular apparel products. The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 extended trade benefits provided to Haiti in the HOPE and HELP Acts through September 2025. Haitian apparel factories eligible for duty-free entry into the United States under HOPE II and HELP must comply with international core labor standards and Haitian labor law. The HOPE and HELP Acts have been instrumental in the redevelopment of Haitis apparel industry which accounts for over 90 percent of national export earnings and provides over 50,000 jobs (2019).

Haitis Membership in International Organizations

Haiti and the United States are partners in promoting core values such as democracy, respect for human rights, and economic development both in the region and around the world. Both nations belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), Organization of American States (OAS), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), and World Trade Organization (WTO). The United States works closely with the OAS, UN, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and individual countries to advance its policy goals in Haiti.

Bilateral Representation

Principal U.S. embassy officials are listed in the Departments Key Officers List.

Haiti maintains an embassy in the United States at 2311 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-332-4090).

More information about Haiti is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:

CIA World Factbook Haiti Page

U.S. Embassy

USAID Haiti Page

History of U.S. Bilateral Relations

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Countries Page

U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics

Export.gov International Offices Page

Library of Congress Country Studies

Travel Information
Countries & Areas

Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe
In the north (Shan State) fighting between soldiers and the rebel Northern Alliance has killed nearly 200 soldiers (including some pro-government tribal militiamen), rebels and civilians since it flared up again in late November 2o16. Despite government efforts to negotiate a general peace deal with the tribal rebels four of the rebel groups have chosen to fight and have come to be known as the northern alliance. The MNDAA (Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army), TNLA (Tang National Liberation Army), KIA (Kachin Independence Army) and AA (Arakan Army) the rebel tribes all have serious territorial, political and economic disputes with the army. In Shan state, for example, the army and tribes are fighting over lucrative coal mining operations. In Kachin state the army violence is connected with the illegal gold mining and the tribal fear that the army cannot be trusted to observe the terms of any peace deal. Along the west coast (Arakan and Chin states) its about the army effort to control (tax) illegal logging by tribesmen. The tribes have been mistreated by the military for so long it is difficult to generate a lot of trust for a new peace agreement.

The number of Burmese refugees fleeing from the Northern Alliance violence has increased again this month with over 5,000 a week crossing into China. This is happening despite the Chinese government ordering soldiers and police to stop Burmese refugees at the border in addition to finding those illegally inside China and forcing them to leave. These new policies (as of January) made entering China more difficult and forced those already in China to hide (or pay bribes). China complains that the latest outbreak of tribal rebel violence in Shan and Kachin States had driven over 50,000 Burmese into China since October and interfered with trade and movement across the border.

Rohingya Refugees Return

Since January Bangladesh has persuaded Burma to deal more forcefully with their border control problems. Burma is the cause of this mess by not controlling ethnic violence in the northwest that has sent over half a million Burmese fleeing, mostly to Bangladesh. In response Bangladesh this year has reinforced border security to try and stem the illegal migration. Bangladesh wants Burma to take back some or all of the more than 400,000 Burmese Rohingya Moslems who have fled across the border, usually as illegal migrants, since 2011. The situation got worse in late 2016 and over 40,000 Burmese Moslems have fled to Bangladesh since then. Bangladesh borders Burmas Rakhine State which contains most of the Burmese Rohingya. Burma insists the Rohingya are Bangladeshis who are in Burma illegally. So far in 2017 the new Bangladesh policy has persuaded over 5,000 Rohingya to return to Burma. Most of these left Bangladesh because they thought the refugee camps were more dangerous (because of seasonal flooding) than Burmese bullets.

Burma also fears the Rohingya will be a source of Islamic terrorists. While Bangladesh has arrested a few Pakistan trained Rohingya Islamic terrorists the Rohingya have largely avoided Islamic terrorism. Some 400 Rohingya in Bangladesh were arrested since October 2016 as suspected members of Rohingya terrorist groups organized to attack Burmese security forces. Meanwhile in Burma the Rohingya, who trace their origin to Bangladesh, have suffered increased persecution in Burma since the 1980s, and especially since the 2011 elections that restored democracy and got lot of anti-Moslem Buddhist nationalists elected. Most Rohingyas are Bengalis, or people from Bengal (now Bangladesh) who began migrating to Burma during the 19th century. At that time the British colonial government ran Bangladesh and Burma, and allowed this movement, even though the Buddhist Burmese opposed it. Britain recognized the problem too late, and the Bengali Moslems were still in Burma when Britain gave up its South Asian colonies after World War II (1939-45). Any kind of peace deal with the Rohingya is unlikely as far as most Burmese are concerned. There is growing popular anger among Burmese towards Moslems in general and the Rohingya in particular. This is fed by the continuing reports of Islamic terrorism word-wide and especially in the region (Thailand, India, Bangladesh and China). Foreign criticism, especially from Moslem majority nations is largely ignored, in part because Burma depends on non-Moslem nations (like China, Thailand and India) for most of its trade and foreign investments.

March 13, 2017: Burma paid attention as neighbor Thailand revealed that a joint operations with Malaysia had led to the January 19th arrest of the Laotian leader of a major drug cartel (based in Laos) and several of his key associates. Captured documents and interrogations of those arrested revealed details of how this gang moved major quantities of yaba ("crazy drug") methamphetamine pills into Thailand where some was sold locally but most was moved into Malaysia using Moslem smugglers who have long moved illegal goods back and forth across the Malaysian border. Production of yaba has soared since 2010 and most of it is produced in and smuggled out of Burma via Thailand. The meth labs are easier to conceal than poppy fields and the meth labs are believed to produce several hundred million tablets a year. A lot of the separatist and Islamic terrorist violence in southern Thailand was known to have been financed or carried out by gangs down there and the recent arrests of Laotian gangsters revealed the extent to which yaba profits were sustaining the southern violence. Burma has long recognized these drug profits as a major reason the tribal rebels in the north persists.

February 24, 2017: In the north (Shan State) a three day ceasefire meeting ended with no agreement by additional tribal groups to sign the 2015 NCA (nationwide ceasefire agreement). The government has been trying to get seven rebel groups that would not sign in 2015 to change their minds. Eight other rebel groups did sign but there can be no real peace along the borders until all (or nearly all) the rebel groups agree.

This meeting was held in the headquarters of the UWSA (United Wa State Army) and the UWSA again made it clear that it was the leading rebel group, especially along the Chinese border. The Wa live in Shan state near the Chinese border. Along the Chinese border (Kachin and Shan states) the UWSA is a major factor and the Burmese army tends to respect UWSA military capabilities. Half the tribal militiamen in the far north belong to the UWSA, which has over 20,000 armed men operating along the Chinese border. The Wa are ethnic (Han) Chinese, and many other Wa live across the border in China. The Chinese have made it clear to the Burmese government that any attack on the Wa would not be appreciated and have pressured the Burmese on behalf of the Wa in the past. The Wa have long been recognized as the leader of a loose coalition of tribal rebels in the north who have, like the Wa, refused to sign any of the peace deals the army has offered. The Wa coalition includes the KIA, the MNDAA, the SSA-N, the Arakan Army and the TNLA. Without the cooperation of this powerful coalition there can never be peace in the north. Thus there has been nearly continuous fighting in Shan state for years. This led to a ban on voting in much of Shan state. The fighting has been rather low level but there have been several thousand casualties each year and over 100,000 more refugees fleeing their homes since 2014.

Efforts to get everyone to sign the NCA have been going on since the 1990s. The main obstacle is finding ceasefire terms that everyone can agree to and, more importantly, that the government, especially the army, can be trusted to abide by. Decades of military rule ended in 2011 but many of the rebel tribes didnt believe it meant soldiers would behave in tribal areas. They were right because in the border areas the military still did as they pleased. The elected government has made some progress in curbing the military misbehavior and the August NCA meeting is supposed to take advantage of that. This is not a sure thing as there have been NCA meetings in 2012, 2013 and 2015 and none of those deals were completely effective. That said, since 2011 there has been more peace and less army misbehavior in the border areas where lawlessness was long the norm. This is costing corrupt army officers a lot of money as they got rich by taxing or controlling a lot of illegal activities (mining, lumbering, smuggling in general). The corrupt officers also arranged for the illegal removal of tribes on land that had been sold to the Chinese for major development projects (mines, hydroelectric dams, pipelines). A new and improved NCA doesnt make the Chinese happy either but officially they cant express that because the official Chinese attitude is that they are doing everything legally.

February 2, 2017: The government signed sixteen economic agreements with neighbor Thailand, which is a major investor in Burma (although China invests over six times as much) but a lot of Burmese also work in Thailand.

January 29, 2017: Outside the capital Ko Ni, a prominent Moslem lawyer and government advisor, was assassinated at the airport by a gunman hired by a retired army officer who believed the current government was damaging Burmese culture and harming the country. There are a lot of older army officers who feel that way.

January 26, 2017: In the northeast, across the border in Thailands Chiang Mai province soldiers on night patrol encountered a group of at least six armed men apparently from Burma. When ordered to stop the intruders opened fire and fled. The soldiers returned fire but were unable to pursue in the dark. Soon after dawn the troops searched the area and found one dead body (apparently from one of the Burmese tribes active in the drug trade) and two backpacks containing 290,000 methamphetamine pills. Thailand continues having problems with the drug trade in neighboring Burma, where the northern tribes fight to successfully resist government efforts to suppress the drug trade. The largest state in the north (Shan state) has illegal drugs as the mainstay of the economy. The Burmese methamphetamine trade is a regional problem and in each of the last few years over a billion dollars worth of meth (usually in pill form) was seized in neighboring countries. After 2008 annual seizures rapidly increased and are now several hundred million doses of methamphetamine, worth over a billion dollars a year. Methamphetamine is the most popular drug in Southeast Asia and there are believed to be nearly a million meth addicts in Thailand, plus many tourists who indulge. Most (nearly half) of the seized pills are taken in China, followed by Thailand and most of it is coming from meth labs in northern Burma. The Burmese meth has become hugely popular in China, which is pressuring the Burmese government to do more about the problem and that has resulted in more police activity up there, but not enough to put a dent in the drug business.
A completely exhausted donkey collapsed on the streets of Segorbe, Spain, earlier this month - only to be returned to his neglectful owner.

When police investigated the situation, they found that the owner also had a dog. The neglected dog was immediately confiscated and taken to a rescue organization, but the donkey had no such luck. But a Good Samaritan knew that the donkey deserved to be rescued, too. So he called El Refugio del Burrito (RDB). "It is frustrating that, although both animals are protected under the same law, and it is very clear on how to act when the life of an animal is at risk, we still find that authorities hesitate," Veronica Sanchez, country manager for RDB, said in a statement. "This is a negligence and omission of duty."

The case had been reported to the local department of animal welfare, but got bogged down in bureaucracy. No one realized that a life was on the line. So, just days after the donkey had collapsed, on March 13, RBD sent an urgent request to the local court and local police. But still nothing happened. So the animal lovers at RBD tried something else: They started a campaign on Change.org. In less than 13 hours, over 12,000 people had signed the petition.

Dodo Shows Wild Hearts Guy And Wild Shark Have Been Best Friends For Decades

Change.org

This campaign helped push the local court to take action, and on the morning of March 14, rescuers arrived for the donkey. The owner refused to hand the animal over, even though he was obviously suffering. A later veterinary exam would confirm that the donkey needed treatment for severe malnutrition, a hoof infection, multiple skin lesions caused by using inappropriate harnesses, internal and external parasites and other infections.

And this time, the law was on the donkey's side, and authorities confiscated the animal to save him. Rescuers named the donkey Vida, which means "Life."

The donkey was immediately hydrated intravenously. He had his hooves trimmed and treated. And he's already eating well, so that he can put on some weight.

"The donkey is provisionally in a foster home in Castellon, as he is not fit to travel," Rosa Chaparro, communications and fundraising manager for RBD, told The Dodo. "As soon as he can travel he will come to our sanctuary in Fuente de Piedra, Malaga."

At his new home he will meet over 300 abandoned and formerly mistreated donkeys who found new lives at the sanctuary.

This browser does not support the video tag. El Refugio del Burrito

Life is finally looking brighter for Vida.
This is Andrew Klein, a first responder with the Santa Monica Fire Department in California. But for one little dog named Marley, he'll be forever known as a hero. And you'll soon see why.

Billy Fernando

Earlier this week, a fire broke out in the apartment building where Marley lives with his mom, trapping the little dog inside. Billy Fernando, a portrait photographer, happened to be driving by when he spotted firefighters rushing into the burning structure, so he decided to pull over to watch them work. That's when he witnessed a life being saved. "As I was standing outside, I saw the firefighter, Mr. Klein, running toward the curbside grass area carrying something," Fernando told The Dodo. "I didn't know what it was at first, but then I realized that it was a pet who had been trapped in the fire. The dog was unconscious, limp and not moving at all." Klein stayed by the dog's side and began to work.

Dodo Shows Comeback Kids Family Stops At Nothing To Help Their Great Dane Run

Billy Fernando

After initially attempting to revive the dog using an oxygen mask, it apparently became clear that more drastic measures were needed. "Just a minute after, he began performing CPR on the pet without any hesitation," Fernando said, adding: "It was an awe-inspiring moment."

Billy Fernando

The dog's owner looked on as the firefighter continued to fight for Marley's life. "She was watching it in horror," said Fernando. "She was terrified the dog wouldn't make it."

Billy Fernando

Klein, though visibly exhausted, refused to give up.

Billy Fernando

Amazingly, about 20 minutes into his efforts, the once-lifeless dog slowly began to stir. Marley's owner wasn't the only one breathing a huge sigh of relief. "It's as if the big weight lifted off my chest. I was overwhelmed with joy and tears," Fernando said. "I witnessed the dog come back to life."

Billy Fernando

Marley gradually began to regain his strength, and aside from seeming disoriented, appeared to be out of immediate danger. "The owner was in tears. Everyone was very happy with the ending. We are very proud of the efforts done by Andrew Klein from Santa Monica Fire Department," Fernando said. "Firefighters have always been a role model for me, and I admire them deeply for what they do for the community. Being able to see this moment was really a privilege!"

Billy Fernando

While it might all be in a day's work for Klein, and other first responders who save lives for a living, his dedication to the little dog won't soon be forgotten. In fact, Marley recently got to thank his hero personally.
The State owes all its citizens a secure subsistence, food, suitable clothes and a way of life that does not damage their health. Montesquieu, Enlightenment philosopher whose theory on separation of powers underpins the constitutions of many countries, including the U.S., in a 1748 essay.

The proposition that no one should be deprived of the basics of life for simple lack of money is about to be made real this year in Ontario, with pilot projects that make cash payments to Canadians in economic distress.

The Canadian projects join a record number of experiments with universal basic income (UBI) worldwide. These initiatives are not radical. The principles of UBI date from Thomas Mores Utopia (1516), if not earlier. Today, some 83 per cent of developing economies use unconditional cash transfer programs, according to the World Bank, though the small payouts are inadequate.

In Western economies, unconditional payout schemes include Canadas Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), and the U.S.s Social Security.

Read more:

Pilot project to introduce a basic income in Ontario gets strong public support

As robots take jobs, Europeans mull free money for all

But pre-retirement assistance is an increasingly dysfunctional patchwork of schemes. Some are directed at certain groups while ignoring others. Many are tied to employment. And many others provide relief through tax credits.

Tax credits are useless to those not earning a taxable income  adults whove returned to college, for instance, or people caring for elderly parents. And tax credits dont help the estimated 70 per cent of people below the poverty line who work  often at more than one job  but whose meagre earnings fall short of the lowest tax bracket.

The current UBI impetus is a reaction to shortcomings in traditional social supports; to mounting job loss due to factory and office automation; and to the social ills  poor health, substandard education, crime  that are abetted by the widening gap between rich and poor.

UBI experiments are taking place, or planned, in advanced economies such as Canada, the U.S. Scotland, the Netherlands and Finland; and in developing-world jurisdictions including India, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda. There are now clearing houses for updates on UBI developments, including the Basic Income Canada Network and the Belgium-based Basic Income Earth Network.

Public support in Ontario for the provinces three-year UBI project to be launched this spring in three Ontario communities is remarkably strong. The 35,000 Ontarians canvassed by Queens Park for their input were near-unanimous in supporting the UBI projects. And they insisted that a UBI augment, rather than replace, existing welfare, medical and other social supports.

UBI experiments in Ontario and elsewhere are the most forceful attack yet on income inequality, whose end point, if it is not addressed, is potentially violent social unrest. By contrast, if UBI works, it could be the beginning of a seminal change in how modern societies inclusively and economically reduce the negative and broad impact of poverty, former senator Hugh Segal, charged by Queens Park with devising a UBI scheme, told the Star last week.

A UBI would be pointless in the absence of existing supports. In the Ontario pilot projects, the payout for a single person will be $1,689 per month. Thats still short of living costs. Average Toronto rent for a two-bedroom apartment ($1,450 per month) and a Metropass ($134 per month) leaves just $116 per month for food, clothing, prescriptions and other costs.

The model devised by Segal, a longtime advocate of UBI, is a sound and cautious one. Its payout is not that much higher than current welfare support under Ontario Works, whose payouts equal about 45 per cent of the Low Income Measure.

But the Segal payout, combined with existing welfare, is enough to lift recipients above the poverty line, ensuring substantial income for workers in precarious jobs and for those in the unpaid workforce. The latter includes tens of thousands of volunteers, whose social contribution is of immense value but doesnt show up in GDP stats.

A well-designed UBI equates to freedom. Freedom from exploitative employers. Freedom to launch a small business or develop an invention despite a lack of employment income. Liberation from the poverty trap, where taking a paying job means surrendering welfare and other benefits. And freedom to escape an abusive partner relied upon for room and board.

There are several UBI models. Some have disappointed, notably in offering no evidence that improved living conditions during the experiment are sustainable. And Scotlands proposed UBI is an anti-poverty advocates nightmare, as it unwisely scraps existing welfare benefits, replacing them with a single UBI payment for all citizens.

But one of the consistencies among UBI projects is that they have encouraged both work and high-risk entrepreneurialism. An example is the ambitious UNICEF-funded UBI initiative in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Skeptics have said a UBI amounts to paying people not to work. Actually, UBI schemes function to make work more attractive, by raising incomes and removing stress induced by job insecurity.

But what of paying people who dont work?

Fact is, job scarcity in traditional vocations is acute, worsening and permanent. In 2013, two Oxford professors forecast that about 45 per cent of U.S. jobs could be eliminated by automation within the next 20 years.

And a more recent report by researchers at Indianas Ball State University found that 88 per cent of U.S. job loss has been caused by automation, not globalization.

Bill Gates has called for a tax on every robot that steals jobs, with proceeds going to job retraining. And Tesla founder Elon Musk, convinced that eventually most jobs will be automated, has called UBI inevitable and imperative.

If conventional paid work is disappearing, how are we to prevent the global economy from grinding to a halt as scores of millions of workers lose their income? Effective alternatives to UBI schemes are welcome, but so far none are forthcoming.

Getting UBI right may be our best hope of eradicating poverty. Only 2 per cent of traditional foreign aid goes directly to poor people; the balance is spent on infrastructure. And the World Bank reports that skills training and microfinance have shown little impact on poverty or stability in developing economies.

Cash is king for most UBI advocates. Ban Ki-moon, the former UN secretary general, has argued that cash-based programming should be the preferred and default method of support. And the European Commission (EC) has suggested that designers of anti-poverty programs should always ask the question, Why not cash? 

Current developing-world relief efforts consist largely of state-subsidized food, fuel and other staples. Cash, rather than the vouchers now in use, enables people to spend as they choose. They can, for instance, turn away from the limited goods available at often corrupt government dispensaries.

Were coming back to UBI now because the social contract between employers and workers lies in ruins. The decline of unions has consigned powerless workers to exploitative workplaces. And the tax system has been perverted to liberate the wealthiest 1 per cent from paying their fair share.

Income inequality is a widespread crisis. How we handle it will be a defining factor in shaping the 21st century.

SHARE:
The company behind the controversial expansion of the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa has bought one of Toronto's heritage landmarks.

The Dominion Public Building at 1 Front St. W., was purchased by Larco Investments, a Vancouver-based developer for $275.1 million, Canada Lands Company confirmed on Thursday.

It also owns the Chateau Laurier.

But it is unclear what plans the developer has for Toronto's curved Beaux Arts building beside Union Station, which was declared surplus by the federal government and houses about 1,500 employees, including Canada Revenue Agency workers.

A Canada Lands spokeswoman referred questions about the building's future to Larco, which did not return the Star's call. BMO Capital Markets, which acted as agent for the sale, said the bank does not comment on client business.

Its heritage designation means that significant interior and exterior features of the five-storey, flat-roofed building will be protected.

Larco is owned by the Lalji family.

The company's holdings include retail, hotel, residential, office, and industrial properties, according to its website, which also lists it as the largest franchisee of full-service Marriott Hotels in Canada.

Its proposed redesign and expansion of the Ottawa Chateau Laurier announced last year was widely criticized. One social media commenter, quoted by the CBC, called it "the ugliest building downtown."

The Dominion Public building served as the government's first customs house, where imports and exports were administered and inspected. The first of two phases was built from 1929 to 1931. The west pavilion was added in 1934 and 1935.

It was touted for its "exceptional development potential" when advertised by BMO in January.

A developer who spoke with the Star at that time suggested that the 2-acre site could accommodate a skyscraper at least as tall as some nearby buildings that stand 55 and 65 storeys.

Barry Fenton, CEO of Lanterra Group, said the Dominion Public building could work as a hotel, residential or commercial property.

Read more about:

SHARE:
If Samsung has its way, well all be bellowing voice commands to Bixby, the companys new voice assistant. Yet Bixby could be hard for some users to call upon because of the placement of one letter: the X.

The X in Bixby sounds essentially like a K and an S combined, which is difficult for many people around the world to say, according to linguists, including for those in Samsungs native South Korea.

Lots of languages do not allow for certain kinds of consonant clusters, William Idsardi, head of the linguistics department at the University of Maryland, said in an email.

Read more:

Samsung is taking on Apples Siri with its new smartphone, the Galaxy S8

Samsung hopes AI-enabled Galaxy S8 resuscitates business after Note 7 fiasco

The problem, he said, is also exacerbated by the fact that a B comes right after the X, making it a three-consonant cluster (K, S and the B). In languages such as Korean and Japanese, speakers would have to put an extra vowel in between the X and B to make it possible for them to say. Thats something that competitor Amazons Alexa manages to avoid, despite having an X in its name. So does Samsungs Galaxy line. (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns the Washington Post.)

The company hasnt released much information on how it chose the name and Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Samsung isnt alone in naming woes. When Siri came out, Apple took some flak when people noticed the si in English becomes a shi in Japanese pronunciation  and shiri is the Japanese word for ones posterior. (Its more commonly oshiri, but the association sticks.)

While it is easy to pile onto Samsung for its linguistic hiccup, the truth is that its very difficult to choose a name for anything, said Barbara Kahn, a professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvanias the Wharton School.

First, companies must choose a name that isnt trademarked anywhere else, or at least not in a way that will conflict with their own products. Then, she said, they must conduct an exhaustive test to make sure that the word they choose isnt associated with anything bad or laughably damaging to the product. Think of the cautionary (though apparently apocryphal) tale of the Chevy Nova, which was said to sell poorly in Spanish-speaking countries because its name sounded like doesnt go.

Finally, companies must also choose a word that gives them the opportunity to make their own brand. Even if that word is hard to pronounce, Kahn said, companies can make it their own. She pointed to Aflac, the insurance company which turned its original acronym into a new word, as an example of a company that has embraced the weirdness of its name to great effect.

Bixby can also be a good brand for Samsung because it doesnt have many pre-existing associations with it, said Laurel Sutton, co-founder of the naming firm Catchword, linguist and information officer for the American Name Society. Sutton said that some may remember Incredible Hulk actor Bill Bixby, or know another person with that name, but its not a particularly common word.

And when it comes to voice assistants, picking an uncommon word is important. Tech firms must choose names that wont be confused easily with other words, so that the assistant doesnt trigger by accident. But it also must be a word that is easy for an assistants microphone to hear.

In that way, Sutton said, Samsung chose a good word. Having a consonant cluster flanked by two vowel sounds, she said, makes Bixby both unique and easy to pick up for a computer. Alexa, she said, also uses this trick. The pattern is also repeated in another trademark, Kestra, that Samsung registered for voice assistants in the U.S. Trademark Offices public database.

Overall, Kahn says that Samsung did a good job picking a name. And, in the end, the name is only part of the equation. If Samsung proves Bixby has value to its customers  however they say it  thats what will make or break the assistant.

Ultimately, what your brand name means is what consumers think it means, she said.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Despite unprecedented spending for indigenous issues, the new federal budget doesnt promise a penny more for fire prevention in First Nations communities.

The words fire protection, fire prevention, and fire services do not appear once in the 90,000-word document, which does include $3.4 billion in new spending for indigenous people in Canada, on top of the $8.4 billion announced last year.

There really hasnt been that much dollars allocated to indigenous peoples, basically ever, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde told reporters in Ottawa on Thursday. It is in that sense unprecedented, no question.

Our challenge now is to make sure that these resources get out to the communities to have a real, substantive impact on the ground, Bellegarde said.

Read more on the 2017 federal budget

There is new money for indigenous health, languages, off-reserve housing and more. On-reserve infrastructure however, which includes fire protection services, will see no new money from budget 2017 despite the governments own figures showing a $1.7-billion need.

Earlier this winter a Star investigation revealed that at least 173 people have died in house fires on First Nations reserves since the federal government stopped keeping track of the data in 2010.

Many of the houses that burn to the ground with people inside them do not meet basic building or fire codes. Overcrowding and inadequate construction means people are often sleeping in very dangerous situations, said Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day.

If our people continue to live in tinderbox situations, we will continue to see more lives lost, Day said.

On the heels of the Stars investigation, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett committed to implementing two long-standing recommendations that could help save lives: creating a national indigenous fire marshals office and tracking fire-related data again.

There is, however, a third recommendation that has been repeatedly sought by the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada  the creation of national legislation enforcing basic fire and building codes on reserves.

We need that statutory certainty, Day said. If the government doesnt step up on that, it might be time for someone to take them to court.

Bennetts commitments are contingent upon those recommendations being echoed in an upcoming report from the Aboriginal Firefighters Association, which is currently being finalized. Association executive director Blaine Wiggins said he couldnt discuss exactly what the recommendations are yet but early discussions with the government about that report have been encouraging. His association already has the green light to start working on an implementation strategy for the recommendations contained in the report.

Were happy that were seeing action, Wiggins said.

Wiggins also said problems with the current funding model for on-reserve fire protection means that even if new funding was announced in the budget, theres no guarantee it would get to fire departments that need it.

We want to see a new funding model, Wiggins said, one that ensures money meant for fire protection and prevention isnt redirected to other needs.

The federal government spends an average of $27 million a year for on-reserve fire protection services. The money is doled out based on the size of each First Nation, an average of about $43,000 per community.

Last years federal budget did promise $255 million over two years for on-reserve infrastructure, including everything from roads and bridges to energy systems, disaster infrastructure, broadband Internet connectivity and fire protection.

But according to the 2017 budget, most of the infrastructure money wont start rolling out until the 2018-19 fiscal year.

Day said he worries that many communities may never see all of the promised money.

It could become a fiscal shell game if were not careful, he said.

When it comes to the other measures announced in Wednesdays budget, Day said hes cautiously optimistic about the funding.

Its not what we were looking for, but we can work with it, Day said.

There is $255 million over five years to support housing for indigenous people not living on reserves. Another $250 million over five years will go toward increasing indigenous participation in the fishing industry, and $89.9 million over five years to support indigenous languages.

The budget also promises $828.2 million over five years to help improve medical outcomes for indigenous people, including $86 million to expand the Non-insured Health Benefits Program including  for the first time  covering traditional healers to address mental health needs.

Day praised federal Health Minister Jane Philpott for her role in securing that money.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, however, was less than impressed.

He was hoping to see money specifically allocated for fire protection and prevention, possibly building on the Amber Fire Safety campaign his nation created in the wake of a devastating fire a year ago that killed nine people.

That should have been highlighted, Fiddler said. That, to me, is a model that other communities could use. We need to make it a permanent campaign.

SHARE:
WINNIPEGA Winnipeg woman is recovering in hospital after developing a rare type of strep throat that forced doctors to amputate both her legs and one of her arms.

Cari Kirkness, 28, thought she had come down with the flu when she went to the emergency room at Health Sciences Centre last month.

But doctors diagnosed her with Group A Strepococcus, a rare type of bacterium that can cause different infections.

Within 24 hours, Kirkness was told they needed to amputate one of her arms and a leg due to complications from the infection.

Her mother, Loretta Kirkness, says shortly after the amputations her daughters organs started to shut down and medical staff noticed discolouration on her other leg.

So they took it, too.

They told us we had 15 minutes to decide if we wanted to amputate her other leg or let her go, says Loretta Kirkness. There was no decision there. Obviously we chose life.

Cari Kirkness is finally on the mend, and is scheduled to begin a rehab program to teach her how to deal with her new disabilities.

Theres no reason to feel sorry for yourself, because it wont change. she says. This is it, this is the life I was given.

However, the single mother of an 11-year-old and a two-year-old boy has many financial challenges ahead of her. She will move in with her mother when she is eventually discharged from the hospital, but right now the home is not wheelchair accessible.

Loretta Kirkness says shell probably have to buy a new home to accommodate the needs and her daughter and grandchildren.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the immediate financial challenges and to raise enough money for a down payment on a new home.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Toronto is still more than $7 billion short of what it requires to pay for urgently needed transit projects, despite an injection of funding from the 2017 federal budget.

Following the release of the Liberals spending plan Wednesday, Mayor John Torys office praised what it estimated would be a $5-billion investment for Toronto under the second phase of the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. A statement from Tory said the money would provide major benefits for residents of the traffic-clogged city.

The federal government would not verify the mayors $5-billion estimate Thursday, but did confirm the funding would include $660 million that Ottawa had already pledged towards the one-stop Scarborough subway extension.

If the mayors math is right, that would leave the city with about $4.3 billion to spend on other priority projects that are partially or completely unfunded, including the relief line subway, the Eglinton East LRT, and Torys SmartTrack plan.

Speaking by phone from India, where he has been conducting a trade mission, Tory put the burden on the province, telling reporters it was time for Queens Park to step in and do its part.

The federal contribution is most welcome, he said, but now we have to move forward and see what the provincial budget does.

The provincial Liberals are set to table their own spending plan next month. A spokesperson for Finance Minister Charles Sousa would make no commitments about contributing more to Torontos transit projects.

Its important to remember that no provincial government in the history of Ontario has invested more in Toronto transit, wrote Jessica Martin in an email, citing provincial spending on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the Spadina subway extension, the Union Pearson Express, GO Transits regional express rail program, and a sum previously committed for the Scarborough subway project.

Ottawa committed to funding a share of the Scarborough subway extension under the former Conservative government.

The project wasnt on the list of priority projects that council voted in December to submit to the federal transit fund, and the subway also wasnt mentioned in a press release the mayors office issued Wednesday trumpeting Ottawas $5-billion investment. This led to initial uncertainty about whether the subway money was included in that sum.

Both the federal government and the mayors office said that including money for the Scarborough extension in the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund didnt dislodge money for the other Toronto projects.

We added previously allocated money into the new larger transit fund. Because of that, the citys Scarborough commitment does not displace any new funding, said a spokesperson for the federal infrastructure minister in an email.

But the fact that other transit projects will have to split the infrastructure funding with the underground extension has critics renewing their calls for councillors to reject the Scarborough subway when it comes up for a vote at next weeks council meeting.

The estimated cost of the six-kilometre extension of Line 2 to Scarborough Town Centre has already ballooned from $2 billion to at least $3.4 billion, even as the number of stations has dwindled from three to one and estimates of the number of new riders the project would attract have been slashed.

Council has prioritized the politically charged project over other lines and it remains fully funded at the new, higher cost.

Councillor Josh Matlow said the city should abandon the extension and use the money to build a 24-stop network of LRT lines in Scarborough instead. It would include Eglinton East and the seven-stop route that council scrapped in 2013.

Matlow asserted that we could serve so many more Scarborough residents, along with residents across Toronto, with the funds we currently have, but the mayor and other supporters of the subway extension on council are deciding to put politics before people.

According to the budget released this week, over the next 11 years, Ottawa is planning to spent $20.1 billion on public transit across the country through the second phase of the transit infrastructure fund.

The projects the city submitted for funding were: SmartTrack, estimated at $3.7 billion; the relief subway line ($6.8 billion); Eglinton East LRT (about $1.6 billion); and Waterfront transit ($1.5 billion).

Together, the projects are estimated to cost at least $13.6 billion.

The citys 2017 capital plan included close to $2 billion for SmartTrack, which, in addition to the federal funding announced Wednesday, would leave the remaining projects more than $7 billion short.

Its not yet clear whether the city could decide to use the federal money to prioritize some projects over others, or whether the money would be spread across all of them equally.

Tory said Thursday that how the funding would be allocated was one of those things that has not yet been sorted out.

With files from David Rider and Jennifer Pagliaro

SHARE:
MONTREALIt was shoddy journalism not a debatable take on Quebec society that cost former Ottawa Citizen editor Andrew Potter his dream job as head of McGill universitys prestigious Institute for the Study of Canada this week.

He failed to let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

Potter wanted to make the case that Quebec  contrary to its collective belief  suffers from a chronic deficit of solidarity. He had statistics that he believed demonstrated he was on to something.

Maybe he was, maybe he was not: that was not the real point of the exercise.

A public intellectual should stir the occasional hornets nest, even at the risk of painful stings.

Like all good columnists Potter looked for a peg for his arguments. Piggybacking a story that already has a lot of traction is a sure shortcut to a large audience. It pays to pick ones moment.

One will, for instance, write about Finance Minister Bill Morneaus learning curve as a political communicator around the time of the budget and not in the dead of summer.

From Potters perspective the episode that saw hundreds of motorists left stranded on the Montreal section of a provincial highway for an entire night at the time of last weeks massive snowstorm fit the bill. It is not clear why he would have come to that conclusion.

By all accounts those left stranded by the authorities on Highway 13 managed to avoid serious harm by going out of their way to help each other.

As a Montrealer by adoption, I have never found the kindness of strangers to be in shorter supply in Quebec than in my Ontario birthplace. Last weeks storm was no exception.

Absent any evidence to back up his core contention that the Highway 13 saga was a manifestation of widespread societal alienation, Potter fell back on sloppy generalizations about routine double-billing on Montreal restaurant bills (for tax evasion purposes) and ATM machines that spout out $50 bills by default.

Those were demonstrably false. It begged the question of whether Potter was confusing Montreal with Absurdistan.

Contrary to what is becoming popular belief in some media circles, Quebecs political class did not rush to the barricades to denounce the column. The media dragged it there.

The first to voice serious concerns about Potters arguments were journalists who had cause to know better. On social media, the Montreal Gazettes veteran restaurant critic Lesley Chesterman was among those who led the charge.

McGill University waded in to the fray with a tweet dissociating itself from Potters column.

That should never have happened.

But before concluding that political pressure forced the university to intervene, consider that McGill  a Montreal institution that more than most reflects Canadas language duality  was also probably reacting to internal stresses among its staff.

Judging from some of the letters-to-the-editor published this week, some of Potters academic colleagues were up in arms over his column.

Universities should not be in the business of endorsing or repudiating the views of the academics they employ. But by the same token, nor should McGill have defended an indefensible column.

Potter himself retracted part of it the next day. Any columnist working for a serious media organization would have had to do the same thing or else ended up having a public editor do it in his or her place.

Alternative facts should not be the stuff that acts of journalistic courage or martyrdom are based on.

At the end of a week from hell Potter is out of his job as director of McGills Institute for the Study of Canada. It is not clear that he resigned of his own free will or under duress from his employer.

But even if the university had gone on bended knees to beg him to stay on, Potter should still have relinquished the position.

McGills Institute for the Study of Canada is not a run-of-the-mill university department. A significant part of its mission is to contribute to the larger Quebec conversation. McGills rather unique position at one of the key junction points on the language map makes that contribution essential.

It would have been hard going forward for someone who is  for now at least  widely perceived as willing to think the worst of Quebec and Quebecers to operate the institute to its full potential.

In closing, I hope Potter stays on in Montreal and at McGill where he continues to hold his teaching position and discovers why so many of us would not live anywhere else, even if we do have to pay the taxes on our restaurant bills.

Chantal Hebert is a national affairs writer. Her column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

SHARE:
See Trump run! See Ivanka run! See Trump give her a toy!

And in the childrens story that is the Trump Administration, the toy was a job. Yes, it is unethical for Ivanka Trump to have accepted it. The most immediate problems are laws against presidential nepotism and her lack of a blind and very distant trust. But whos there to enforce it?

Those laws are for normal times. Donald Trump is a walking ethics violation in a baggy suit, a presidential abnormality. So are his cabinet, his hotels, and everything that comes out of his mouth. In the portrait of American corruption in 2017, Trump is the rococo, gilded gaudy frame.

Ivankas presence helps civilize the look of the White House to some degree. This isnt a compliment, just an assessment of how thick and hot that swamp really is.

So what is her job exactly? It is new. It is singular, at least in the Oval Office of modern times.

What interests me is the maleness of the Trump cabinet as well as their business backgrounds, sexism, extreme ideology and lack of public service experience. Into this mess steps Ivanka, raised in this milieu. She seems to be of it, yet not of it at all.

She is female. Survival in this White House makes different demands on her than it does on older men. Her job, as an adviser of sorts, is to make them look better while backing her own causes, whatever they are.

The American sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild devised the term emotional labour to describe a growing work sector as manufacturing faded. It was work based on human interactions, covering nannies, daycare workers, eldercare workers, nurses, teachers, therapists and police officers among others.

Ivanka is doing all these jobs for her demented daddy. It is delicate work.

Emotion is at the heart of sociological study, Hochschild has said. Political sociologists, for instance, ask about the feelings behind political belief. Hochschilds most recent book on Trump-voting poor whites in southern Louisiana, Strangers in their Own Land, is a tour de force of this kind of investigation. Trump voters felt a kind of secular rapture, a quasi-religious faith in rescue. They wanted ruination for others; now they presumably foresee their own, without irony.

Another case study: Hochschild watched women move into the workforce in the 1970s in large numbers. Many were crushed. Many took on a male persona. Sometimes women had to change  it didnt do to be a shy and deferential trial lawyer  and sometimes women changed the office atmosphere by legitimizing care.

When you see photos or videos of Ivanka surrounded by hardline Republican males, you see a degree of acquiescence. She is asexual, her default facial expression is blank, and she is often seen bending her head or her body slightly.

Ivanka is Everywoman trying to survive in a male workplace. Her survival is emotional labour in action. A determined woman who wants to be her own person despite a controlling husband and father, she has cased the room.

The gig economy  hers is two years tops  is based on emotional labour, what has been called the work of evoking or suppressing feeling so as to feel the right feeling for the job. It is the outsourced self, as Hochschild calls it. Freelancers must please, must bid lowest for the contract. Interns must smile. Uber drivers must offer bottled water and acquiescence.

The basic unit of emotional labour is the smile. Ivanka doesnt need that. Kellyanne Conway does. She helped get Donald Trump elected, she will survive as long as he remembers that, and her girlishness is the extreme emotional labour demanded of an incompetent woman.

Equally incompetent Sean Spicer doesnt smile. He belabours and bullies while sweating with fear. A successful press secretary performs extreme emotional labour. Spicey doesnt know how.

Ivanka became animated at one event. She offered a genuinely welcoming smile at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as he held her chair at the so-called United States Canada Council for the Advancement of Women Business Leaders-Female Entrepreneurs. I was impressed by this meeting, attended by singular women like Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and T&T Supermarkets Tina Lee. The meeting was criticized by mainstream journalists, the least entrepreneurial people around, but I was a convert.

Trudeau treated Ivanka Trump with respect. A friend to women, he conveyed that he was her guest and honoured to be so. He didnt parade or mansplain, he listened. For once, Ivanka was seen out of Trump context, trying to snap the chains for other women too.

I dont approve of anything Trump, yet I admire Ivanka for trying to get the tone right in an incoherent crazed circus of a government. Striking the right tone is emotional labour at its apex. It is a thankless job.

hmallick@thestar.ca

SHARE:
VANCOUVERThe chief of the Vancouver Police Department and several of his officers are facing legal action alleging they violated their duty to co-operate with an independent civilian investigation of a fatal police-involved shooting.

Albert Phipps, interim director of the Independent Investigations Office, has filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court seeking an order forcing Chief Adam Palmer to compel seven officers to take part in interviews with civilian investigators.

The IIO is examining the shooting of 38-year-old Daniel Rintoul during an alleged robbery and stabbing at a Canadian Tire store on Nov. 10, 2016.

According to the petition, the seven officers will not speak to independent investigators without first reviewing videos of the shooting, though the office has rejected the request, saying the videos could distort their memories.

Read more:

Man shot by Vancouver police during Canadian Tire robbery had criminal intentions

B.C. officials issue overdose alert after 11 deaths in one day

The petition says lawyer Ravi Hira, who represents one of the constables, wrote the office an email saying his client was concerned about not being allowed to refresh his memory and wanted immunity from any potential charges, including obstruction of justice.

But the Independent Investigations Office says police have a statutory duty to co-operate and it wants the court to force Palmer to require his members to do that.

No discretion can be said to exist when it comes to the chief constables powers to compel his members to comply with their statutory duty to co-operate with an external investigative agency tasked in the public interest with investigation of incidents involving police-related death or serious harm, the petition says.

It adds that if a police chief had the power to control his officers participation in an independent investigation, it would fundamentally undermine the purpose of the Independent Investigations Office.

The history of this matter reveals a misapprehension as to the (police departments) legal duties, the petition concludes, adding that a court decision in its favour would assist in addressing that misapprehension.

None of the allegations in the petition have been proven in court.

In a request for comment, police spokesman Staff Sgt. Randy Fincham says in an email statement that the force respects the independent civilian oversight process.

This is a complex legal issue that has been filed in court. Due to the legal process, we cannot elaborate further at this time.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Toronto police arrested a man who had escaped from police custody last week after a member of the public spotted him at a downtown cafe.

Andrew Smith, 36, escaped from police custody while receiving medical treatment at Mount Sinai Hospital on the morning of Mar. 15.

He was arrested without incident after being spotted near King St. and Charlotte St. on Thursday.

We have to take our hats off to the citizens of Toronto; if it wasnt for them, we wouldnt have caught him tonight, said Const. David Hopkinson of Toronto Police.

Smith was originally charged with threatening death, possessing dangerous weapons, failing to comply with probation, and failing to attend court. He will now be charged with escaping custody, too.

SHARE:
Rev. Terence Edward Finlay was a long-serving Toronto Anglican Church leader who championed reconciliation efforts with indigenous communities. He also made headlines for defrocking a gay priest in 1992 but later became an advocate for the LGBTQ community.

Finlay died Monday in Toronto. He was 79.

One of the things I remember most about him was his smile and laughter, said current Toronto Archbishop Colin Johnson in a statement posted to the diocese of Torontos website.

Essentially, right at the heart of things, he was a joyful, hopeful, happy person, and deeply faithful . . . He loved people and met them from all walks of life.

Born in London, Ont., on May 19, 1937, Finlay was ordained a deacon in 1961 and then a priest a year later. He served at the diocese of Huron before leaving for the diocese of Toronto in 1982, where he was elected a suffragan bishop in 1986, coadjutor bishop in 1987 and installed as the 10th Bishop of Toronto in 1989.

In 2000, Finlay was elected Metropolitan of Ontario and Archbishop of Toronto, a role in which he led the dioceses support for the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement; the diocese of Toronto went on to give $5 million to the fund.

He had the gift of being able to bring people with different points of view together and to talk through issues, said Finlays wife of 55 years, Alice Jean. And not so much to force anybody to change their opinion, but for people to understand where they did have common ground and how they could continue to work together.

Finlay retired as a bishop in 2004 but continued working as an interim priest for several parishes, also serving as Chaplain to the National House of Bishops, Episcopal visitor to the Mission to Seafarers in Canada and the special envoy for the church on residential schools for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

None of us will ever forget his broad smile and his hearty laugh. None of us will forget those moments when his eyes danced with delight over someones happiness or great accomplishment, Archbishop and Primate Fred Hiltz wrote in a tribute posted to the Anglican Church of Canadas website.

Nor will we forget those moments when his eyes welled up with tears over the great pain or grief someone was bearing . . . Nor will we forget seeing his head bowed in shame and contrition for the suffering inflicted upon hundreds and hundreds of children through the Indian Residential Schools.

Along with working with indigenous communities on reconciliation efforts, Finlay was also known in recent years for his commitment to justice for the LGBTQ community, but that wasnt always so  earlier in his career, hed defrocked a gay priest for refusing to end his same-sex relationship.

In 1988, James Ferry, a priest at St. Philips Church in Unionville, fell in love with a man and began a relationship with him. As the news spread through the parish, Finlay, then the Bishop of Toronto, ordered Ferry to end the relationship. Ferry refused, at which point Finlay issued a letter to be read at all Anglican parishes outing Ferry and preventing him from performing pastoral duties. A bishops court found Ferry guilty of disobeying a superior, and Finlay defrocked him in 1992.

Twenty years later, in 2012, Finlay formally apologized to Ferry in a rare public reconciliation service at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto.

Ive moved in different directions, Finlay told the Star at the time about his views on the LGBTQ community.

. . . I have been very supportive of the gay and lesbian community, and also the whole question of gay marriage.

In 2006, Finlay officiated at a same-sex marriage for two close friends at a United Church in Toronto, a move he was admonished for by the Anglican church and that cost him his licence to officiate at weddings in the diocese of Toronto.

He was always supportive of his gay friends and colleagues, but was constrained by his position at that time and yet it ended up being an opportunity for the topic to be discussed and brought forward in the church to be dealt with, said his wife Alice Jean.

Finlay is survived by his wife, their two daughters and four grandchildren.

Finlays funeral will be held at St. James Cathedral 10 a.m. Saturday, following a visitation and overnight vigil that begins Friday evening.

With files from Azzura Lalani

SHARE:
A registered Florida sex offender, who spent two years in prison on a child pornography conviction, has been deemed to be of good character for a licence to practise law in Ontario.

Ronald Ori Davidovic, 44, appeared before a three-member panel of the Law Society of Upper Canada tribunal last December in what is known as a good character hearing, where he sought to prove that he is rehabilitated and committed to upholding the law if allowed to practise.

Counsel for the law society ultimately decided not to oppose his application, and Davidovics wish was granted by the panel in a 2-1 decision released last week.

As an individual educated outside of Canada, Davidovic must still satisfy other criteria before being granted a licence to practise.

The applicant has thoroughly understood what he has done. He has worked very hard since (his arrest) to reach this point in terms of rehabilitation, wrote panel members Raj Anand and Jan Richardson. We therefore find that the applicant is of good character and grant his application for licensing as a lawyer in Ontario.

But the dissenting panel member, criminal defence lawyer Paul Cooper, found that there simply wasnt enough evidence of rehabilitation before the tribunal, and said he would not have granted Davidovics application.

In this case, the applicants statements of regret at the hearing focused on the nightmare he suffers or the shame he suffers and as he describes in his testimony the handicap of him being labeled as a consumer of child pornography by the community. Mr. Davidovic failed to recognize what he has done and only provides lip service to any victim empathy, Cooper wrote.

There is insufficient evidence that the applicant is rehabilitated. The misconduct was sexually motivated and he possessed a magnetic attraction. He has been diagnosed with non-specified paraphilia and this diagnosis remains unresolved.

Davidovic, who was born in Montreal and moved to Florida with his family when he was a child, pleaded guilty in 2004 to one count of receiving material containing the visual depiction of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to an agreed statement of fact filed at the tribunal.

He had practised in Florida for eight years, including estate and financial planning and then as general counsel for a large telecommunications company. He was permitted to resign from the Florida bar after his conviction.

Davidovic told the law society panel that he has many close relatives in Toronto, and wants to practise criminal law. He believes that his experience will enable him to assist others, the majority wrote.

He told the Star in an email this week that he is grateful for the majoritys decision. I am naturally pleased with the outcome, which was the culmination of a long investigative process, he wrote.

I respect Mr. Coopers opinion but look forward to the opportunity to prove otherwise. My position, right now, is to focus on the positive news and commit myself to being an asset to the practice.

Davidovic began viewing child porn in 1998, according to the statement of fact, and admitted to the panel having viewed hundreds or thousands of images, although his viewing frequency lessened somewhat after his first marriage.

The majority wrote that Davidovic satisfied his probation requirements including counselling and has not been found guilty of a crime since then or committed improper conduct.

A therapist who saw Davidovic after his release from prison told the law society that he worked very hard to understand his disorder, took complete responsibility and his chance of reoffending is small.

The applicants misconduct was very serious, and justified elevated concern from a public protection standpoint, the majority wrote.

Although there is a reference in one of the Florida court documents to a victimless crime, we view it as anything but that. The underage victims were nameless, vulnerable and perhaps distant from the computer screen, but they suffered exploitation and incalculable harm to satisfy the sexual urges of viewers such as the applicant.

As a lawyer, occupying a crucial role in upholding the rule of law, the applicants offence constituted a breach of trust.

The panel chose not to rely on evidence in the agreed statement of fact from an Anglican reverend and analytical psychologist who began seeing Davidovic in the year preceding his time in prison and after his release.

The majority said they found Rev. Fred Fleischers opinions were not sufficiently precise to be of assistance to us in making this decision.

Fleischer saw Davidovic to help him understand why he had a magnetic pull to child pornography, as well as to help him cope with his divorce from his first wife and the death of his father, according to the agreed statement of fact.

The applicants parents were Holocaust survivors and his father in particular had never connected with his parents. His father was an emotional wreck who felt he was never good enough and as such placed the burden on the applicant to be his redeemer, says the agreed statement of fact regarding Fleischers opinions on Davidovic.

Therefore, from the time the applicant was a small child, a lot was projected on him by his father to be the golden boy. He had to carry his fathers acceptability and respectability from the time he was an infant and, he was robbed his childhood. The images of the children having sex forced on them was symbolic, as these images represented the applicant as a child having to carry his fathers burden.

Cooper, in his dissent, took issue with the fact that the expert reports that were relied on by the panel were all quite dated, some more than a decade old.

He also called Fleischers description of his opinion of Davidovic callous and insensitive.

It is outrageous for Rev. Fleischer to suggest the applicants upbringing was akin to having his mind raped with the backdrop of children aged 5 to 17 who were in fact exploited, abused, and raped, Cooper wrote.

SHARE:
Its a one-stop-shop, offering the full range of essential services to Ontarios deaf community  a model unique in North America.

But employees at the Canadian Hearing Society, many of whom are deaf themselves, say their essential needs are not being met on the job  pushing them, for the past two weeks, onto the picket line after years of dead-end labour negotiations.

At stake, workers say, is the protection of sick pay and a long overdue wage increase. At risk, management retorts, is the financial viability of the seventy-seven-year-old non-profit organization. At a loss, both agree, are thousands of deaf and hard-of-hearing clients across the province who rely on the CHS for counseling, employment help, interpretation, hearing aids and communication devices.

Not only do I work for the organization, I also use the services that it provides, said Stacey Connor, who is one of CHSs 227 employees, the president of her local chapter of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and deaf.

(At CHS) I feel like Im where I belong. All my life Ive encountered barriers and frustrations and difficulties. Audism and ableism is what we often encounter out in the world on a daily basis, she said, referring to discrimination against people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The union and the organization started negotiating three years ago, but talks broke down and workers have not received a wage increase since. While employees have traditionally maintained a sick bank that allowed them to carry over unused sick days into the following year, CHS has proposed cutting back to around six paid sick days a year and introducing a short-term disability plan for anything longer.

Gary Malkowski, the vice-president of CHS, told the Star that government funding had flat-lined and donor dollars to non-profit organizations across the province have also dropped, adding that workers proposals for improved entitlements on the job would cost CHS millions of dollars and could result in substantial layoffs.

He said CHS had proposed a modest wage increase and that its prospective short-term disability program would modernize the organization.

Our offer is fiscally responsible and sustainable, he said.

Alison Davidson, a negotiator with CUPE, said the union had agreed to wind down the sick bank policy and work toward a short-term sick leave plan  but said the proposal on the table was one of the worst examples of such a plan she had ever seen in Ontario.

Over 90 per cent of our membership are women and so this is having a huge impact on them, Connor said. Additionally, the interpreters are subject to physical demands of the work  repetitive strain injuries.

Health is impossible to predict, she added.

Its the first time CHS workers have ever been on strike, having been unionized since 1943.

The dispute has attracted attention from the Ontario Association of the Deaf, which says it has received numerous complaints about disruption to services. In a rare move, the organizations president George A. Postlethwait Jr. has also taken to social media to voice support for striking workers.

It is unconscionable for us to watch our deaf community suffer further while seeing a couple of CHS managers who have a huge privilege and have received huge financial raises as posted on the Sunshine List, he told the Star.

Connor said she and her colleagues were also concerned about the overall direction of CHS, which she says is moving away from a social service organization to a more profit-driven model. Management says its revenue-generating services are essential to fund free programs.

Nothing has changed from what weve always done, said Malkowski. We do have to manage the liability and the fiscal responsibility that we have. We have to be creative with our resources.

As the dispute drags on, Postlethwait says resources for members of the Deaf community are increasingly stretched.

Its a heartbreak to see the struggle and the frustration theyre living with without these services, Connor said. But Im experiencing the same frustrations because of the loss of service that I have as well.

Correction  March 27, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said Canadian Hearing Society is a forty-year-old organization.

SHARE:
A constitutional challenge scheduled to play out in a Brampton court on Friday hinges on two little words: I Do.

The case involves a single mother who claims Ontarios child support law discriminates against disabled children of unmarried parents.

If a couple is divorced, a disabled child is eligible for support into adulthood. But if the parents were never married, support ends when the child is 18 or no longer in school full-time.

I am very excited this case is going forward, said Robyn Coates, who has been fighting her sons estranged father for continued child support for the past four years.

Initially, it was just for myself, she said. But when I see how many other women and their families could potentially benefit from this in terms of being able to provide the kind of quality of life I want to provide for my son, its very exciting.

Coates says her developmentally disabled son, Joshua, who is 22 but reads and writes at a Grade 2 level, will likely continue to live with her and require her financial support indefinitely.

She believes his father, Wayne Watson, should continue to pay support, as he has been doing since Joshua was 4.

If Coates and Watson had been married and divorced, he wouldnt be off the hook because under the federal Divorce Act, disabled adult children are eligible for child support whether or not they are still in school.

But Ontarios Family Law Act, which covers child support for unmarried parents, makes no provision for adult disabled children.

If children of divorced parents can claim support for both education and disability beyond age 18, then children born to parents who were never married should enjoy the same rights, Coates said.

If the case succeeds, thousands of single parents and their adult disabled children would gain the right to claim child support in Ontario, says a lawyer acting on behalf of two groups with intervener status in the case, including Sherbourne Health Centre, which supports LGBTQ parents and children.

Since same-sex marriage was not legal in Canada until 2003, disabled young adult children of LGBTQ parents also face discrimination under Ontarios child support laws, the clinic argues.

The current legislative scheme sends the message that children of unmarried parents are less worthy of the non-custodial parents support, says clinic lawyer Joanna Radbord, who is also representing Family Alliance Ontario, an organization that supports individuals with disabilities and their families.

The potential availability of limited public benefits for adults with disabilities does not extinguish the non-custodial parents obligation where a child is unable to withdraw from the custodial parents charge . . . by reason of disability, illness, coming out, gender transition, or other cause, Radbord writes in her affidavit before the Ontario Court of Justice.

As a result, Ontarios child support law should be declared unconstitutional and replaced to reflect the equality of all children, writes Radbord.

Coates currently receives about $800 a month from Watson to support Joshua. Although the parents never lived together or married, Watson has paid court-ordered child support of varying amounts since Joshua was 4.

Watson, who married another woman after Joshua was born and is raising two other children with his wife, previously told the Star he has never missed a court-ordered support payment.

But now that Joshua is no longer in school and is receiving provincial social assistance for adults with disabilities, Watson says his legal obligation has ended.

It is the legislature which has the ability to expand the class of people entitled to child support. It is not the role of the court to legislate, says lawyer Michael Tweyman, who is acting pro bono as a friend of the court and is arguing Watsons side in the case. Watson did not return a request for comment Thursday.

When a disabled person becomes an adult, the burden of his or her care shifts from the parents to society as a whole, Tweyman writes, quoting an earlier Supreme Court case from British Columbia on the courts approach to the care of disabled adults.

Coates, an educational resource worker for students with special needs in the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board, says she needs child support to help defray the costs of day programs for Joshua that can run as high as $1,400 a month.

Its very exciting to have society as a whole see what costs are involved in looking after an adult with a disability, she said.

People dont realize that parents are on their own to pay for day programs if their disabled adult child is unable to work or cant find paid employment when school ends, she said.

The Ontario Disability Support Program provides some support, Coates said. But many of Joshuas expenses such as orthotics, massage therapy and his sleeping medication are not covered under the programs benefits, she said. Coates cant claim those costs under her own work-based health benefits because the insurer doesnt cover children over age 21, she added.

Adult children with disabilities are eligible for child support in every province except Ontario and Alberta, regardless of the parents previous marital status and whether children are in school or not, said Coatess lawyer Robert Shawyer, who is also working pro bono on the case.

Ontarios attorney generals office is not intervening. But a spokeswoman said the ministry is always willing to consider proposals for reforms to Ontarios family laws.

In addition to provincial social assistance, Ontarios Passport program provides funding for activities and for parents of an adult with a developmental disability to take a break from their care-giving responsibilities.

Note, March 24, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version that referred to Sherbourne Health Centre as Sherbourne Health Clinic.

SHARE:
Premier Kathleen Wynne is downplaying polls that show her popularity in decline and a warning from former finance minister Greg Sorbara that the Liberals are in grave danger of losing the 2018 election.

Theres no secret there have always been people in the Liberal party who werent keen on me, Wynne told reporters Friday after meeting with auto industry executives and union leaders.

The premier said she hopes public opinion will improve once Ontarians feel the full effect of her promised 25 per cent cut to skyrocketing hydro rates this summer.

I know that the issue around electricity prices has been very, very hard for people, said Wynne, who added she has no plans to step aside.

I made a commitment to the people of Ontario in 2014, added the premier, who led the minority Liberals she inherited from her predecessor Dalton McGuinty to a majority in that provincial election and enjoyed solid approval ratings.

Im doing that job and Im going to continue to do that job.

Liberals are placing second to Patrick Browns Progressive Conservatives in most polls and Wynnes personal popularity is in the low double digits. The latest Angus Reid Institute survey has her at 12 per cent.

Sorbara, a key architect of Liberal majorities under McGuinty, raised concerns this week about the partys prospects for the provincial election next year and whether Wynne should step down.

The fact is this is going to be a very difficult campaign, he said on TVOs The Agenda.

The (poll) numbers today are the same and getting worsethe fact is the numbers do not lie and the ability to win the next election is in grave, grave doubt.

Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid came to Wynnes rescue in a news conference, saying Ontarios economy is the strongest in Canada and the jobless rate is at its lowest in years.

Energy rates became a lightning rod for all the discontent in the province and when youre premier of a province and thats happening you become a part of that lightning rod.

There is talk in the corridors of Queens Park about who might replace Wynne as leader if the hydro rate cut doesnt lead to a bounce in the polls.

At the meeting with auto industry types, Wynne said efforts continued to forge a comment front as the Trump administration pushes renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement  particularly with companies taking advantage of lower wages in Mexico.

The aim is to protect the provinces auto industry, which accounts for 15 per cent of North American production.

Don Walker, chief executive of auto parts giant Magna International, said its important to keep Mexico in NAFTA without punitive tariffs.

If you look at North America, the real competition in the automotive industry is China, is Europe, is Asiahaving open access to low-cost labour in Mexico actually helps us be more competitive.

Unifor president Jerry Dias said nine of the last major auto assembly plants to be announced are for Mexico and its time to reverse that trend.

Im not afraid of the renegotiation of NAFTAall of the investment has been leaving Canada and going to Mexico. So there has to be an opportunity to start to turn that around.

Dias said hes like to see more major components of autos built closer to the assembly plants where they are used, instead of crossing borders or shipping over long distances.

Read more about:

SHARE:
NEW YORKSince he was a boy he has hated black men. A bitter hatred of black men that boiled in his mind and consumed him. Then last week, apparently, he decided to kill them.

This was the mindset investigators say they gathered of James Harris Jackson, a morose and seemingly directionless 28-year-old white man who lived in Baltimore and had been having trouble getting rooted since leaving the Army. He had registered few obvious traces of who he was and what he stood for. Those who intersected with him found him to be a disagreeable and solitary figure who waved away contact with others.

By all accounts, Timothy Caughman, 66, was a benevolent man content with an unassuming life. He lived in a former single-room occupancy residence that had been his longtime home. The son of a home health-care aide and a pastor, he had worked in anti-poverty programs in Queens. Religion and philosophy were constants in his conversations over unhurried meals of turkey bacon and grits at local diners. In recent years, he had caught the familiar New York infatuation with celebrities and delighted in collecting their autographs and pictures.

On St. Patricks Day, Jackson boarded a bus in Washington and rode it to New York. There were black men everywhere, and he told investigators he contemplated going elsewhere, but settled on New York because of the flood of media there. His goal was to draw the widest possible attention to his murderous plan.

He made his statement of what hate looks like late Monday night when authorities say he pulled out a sword and fatally stabbed Caughman. He had been scavenging for cans in Midtown Manhattan around the corner from his home.

Presumably, Jackson had little intention of getting away with it. Just after midnight Wednesday, he surrendered to the police and took responsibility for the murder. He was arraigned Thursday in Supreme Court in Manhattan and charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime. He was ordered held without bail.

The attack comes at a particularly anxious moment in America as hate crimes are on the rise in the country and especially in New York City. Both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo forcefully condemned the killing.

At the arraignment, Joan Illuzzi, the prosecutor, said Jackson was particularly offended by black men who were with white women. She told the judge that additional charges may be filed, including murder in the first degree, as this is an act, most likely, of terrorism.

Dressed in a Tyvek suit, handcuffed and his legs in shackles, Jackson sneered several times as the charges were read. At one point, he gazed at the ceiling as if bored. He did not enter a plea.

Sam Talkin, Jacksons defence lawyer, declined to comment on the specifics of the case. We just need for the dust to settle, he said. If the information put forth by the authorities is accurate, he added, they will have to deal with Jacksons obvious psychological issues.

The investigation into Jackson is still in its early stages and much remains unknown. But pieces of his life  and of the man he is accused of killing  were beginning to come together.

Thus far, investigators have not linked Jackson to any white supremacy or hate group. Their sense is that hes a discontent, not unlike many others who carry out senseless killings.

But he was blunt about his prejudices when questioned by detectives. According to a law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity since the investigation is continuing, He told the cops, Ive hated black men since I was a kid. Ive had these feelings since I was a young person. I hate black men. 

Jackson told detectives, according to the official, that his intention was to keep on killing, the first attack being a springboard.

Investigators have not yet determined the origins of this hate. Jackson told them that he had written his beliefs down and was going to deliver his writings to the New York Times. He said, Listen, I wrote this all down, its in my laptop,  the law enforcement official said.

In March 2009, Jackson joined the Army and served at various locations in the U.S., working in military intelligence. He was deployed to Afghanistan between December 2010 and November 2011. Afterward, he was stationed in Baumholder, Germany, before being discharged in August 2012, when his rank was specialist. During his service, the Army said, he received several awards.

Its unclear what he did after leaving the Army, though he seemed lost. In the spring of 2015, he was nearly evicted from an apartment building in Baltimores Mount Vernon neighbourhood for falling behind on his rent, according to Marcus Dagan, who was filling in then as the buildings manager.

Speaking by phone from Omaha, Neb., where he now lives, Dagan said Jackson occupied a one-bedroom apartment and was at least six months in arrears. Dagan described him as a slob and a deadbeat, who refused to let anyone inside his apartment and never engaged in the buildings social atmosphere. He turned into the tenant from hell, Dagan said.

He began eviction proceedings, but Jackson left before they were completed. The apartment, Dagan said, was the most disgusting thing the person hired to clean it had ever seen.

He definitely had some issues of some kind, Dagan said. How do you describe it? He was off.

Yet he said he had never heard Jackson say anything that could be construed as racist.

Jacksons most recent address was a three-story house wedged into a narrow street lined with row houses in the Hampden neighbourhood of Baltimore, just west of Johns Hopkins University, a historic area that is filled with restaurants and shops.

No one answered the door at the home Thursday. A patrol car from the Baltimore Police Department was posted outside. Members of Jacksons family appeared to be together in his parents home in a gated community several miles away.

Like many New Yorkers living spare lives in their retirement years, Caughman was once someone else, his identity not defined by empty pockets and a modest address.

He was born in Jamaica, Queens, and grew up in a comfortable apartment in the South Jamaica Houses. One of his cousins said the family has roots in Georgia dating to the 1700s when their ancestors were first brought to America as slaves.

He was the son of Tula Caughman, a home health-care aide for wealthy residents of nearby Jamaica Estates, and Russell Henry Caughman, the pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church.

According to Seth Peek, another cousin, Caughman earned an associate degree at Brooklyn College and went on to further schooling in Staten Island.

For several years in Queens, Caughman ran a division of the Neighborhood Youth Corps, a federal anti-poverty program designed to provide part-time jobs to poor youths. He probably gave out about two or three thousand jobs to people in the community, said one of his cousins.

Later, he held a succession of jobs, including as a concert promoter. He was particularly proud of booking an early gig by Earth Wind & Fire, before they attained fame, his cousin said.

For the last 20 years, he lived in a room at the Barbour Hotel on West 36th Street that now houses formerly homeless people transitioning to permanent housing.

Svein Jorgensen, the chief executive of Praxis Housing Initiatives, which manages the Barbour, said that of the 100-odd residents, Caughman was one of the few who were actually permanent tenants and not part of the transient program. In reports of the murder, Caughman was incorrectly assumed to be homeless.

He was an extremely gracious individual and respectful of his neighbours, Jorgensen said.

He read avidly, and mainly kept to himself. He was a recycler of redeemables, his currency for his modest wants. His relatives said he viewed this as an entrepreneurial undertaking, a way to keep active and help pay for his room.

He did maintain a social media presence. He had a Twitter account, and in his profile he defined himself as a can and bottle recycler, autograph collector and a good businessman. He said he aspired to visit California.

Late Monday evening, as Caughman rooted through trash on Ninth Avenue, near his home, a white man in a dark coat approached him from behind. He said nothing. The man withdrew a sword from beneath his coat.

A woman heard commotion, but didnt realize what was actually happening and she ran off. But she told detectives she heard Caughman say, Why are you doing this? What are you doing?

SHARE:
MOSCOWA senior Ukrainian official says the killer of Kremlin critic Denis Voronenkov, who was gunned down in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was a Russian agent.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraines interior minister, identified the man who shot Voronenkov on Thursday as 28-year-old Pavel Parshov and said he had been trained in Russia by Russian security services. He was killed in the attack.

He underwent a special course at a school for saboteurs, Gerashchenko wrote Friday in a Facebook post.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that Gerashchenkos allegation was absurd.

Read more:Exiled Russian politician shot dead in Ukraine

Voronenkov, a former Russian lawmaker who became a vociferous critic of Moscow following his recent move to Ukraine, was shot dead near the entrance to an upscale hotel in the centre of Kyiv.

Ukraines chief prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, said Voronenkov was killed shortly before meeting with another fugitive Russian lawmaker, Ilya Ponomaryov. Both men were scheduled to give testimony later Thursday at Ukraines Military Prosecutors Office. The purpose of the testimony was not immediately clear.

Ukrainian media on Friday published leaked CCTV footage of the attack. It shows the killer shooting Voronenkov from behind as he was walking down the street with his bodyguard.

When the bodyguard tries to intervene, he, too, is shot, leaving the killer free to shoot Voronenkov again as he is lying on the floor. The injured bodyguard then pulls out his gun and, while lying on the floor, opens fire on the killer, who died later in the hospital.

The slaying ignited an uproar between Moscow and Kyiv, with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko immediately calling the killing an act of state terrorism by Russia. Russian officials angrily denied the charge, suggesting that Ukraine was organizing a coverup.

Read more about:

SHARE:
MOSCOWRussian President Vladimir Putin made his preferences in the French presidential election clear Friday by hosting far-right candidate Marine Le Pen at the Kremlin, but analysts are skeptical about Russias ability to sway the outcome of the vote.

Embracing Le Pen is part of Russias efforts to reach out to nationalist and anti-globalist forces to build up its influence in the West and help overcome the strains in relations with the U.S. and the European Union.

Donald Trumps victory in the U.S. presidential vote has emboldened the Kremlin, even though the ongoing U.S. Congressional scrutiny of his campaign ties with Russia has all but dashed Moscows hopes for a quick detente. U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of hacking to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

During Fridays meeting with National Front leader Le Pen, Putin insisted that Russia has no intention of meddling in the French election and only wants to have a dialogue with a variety of politicians. He praised Le Pen, saying she represents part of a quickly developing spectrum of European political forces.

Read more:

Official says trained Russian agent killed exiled Kremlin critic in Ukraine

EU trade chief decries populism, hopes Canada-EU trade deal will show merits of free trade

Marine Le Pen, French far-right presidential hopeful, heaps praise on Trump

Le Pens anti-immigration and anti-EU platform appeals to the Kremlin, which has postured as a defender of conservative national values against Western globalization. She also has called for strong security ties with Moscow to jointly combat radical Islamic groups, promised to work to repeal the EU sanctions on Moscow over its 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and pledged to recognize Crimea as part of Russia if shes elected.

I long have spoken for Russia and France to restore their cultural, economic and strategic ties, especially now, when we face a serious terror threat, Le Pen told Putin on Friday. The meeting was a surprise addition to her meeting with Russian lawmakers, which was announced earlier this week.

A Russia-friendly approach to geopolitics runs in the Le Pen family. Jean-Marie Le Pen, the National Fronts co-founder, his daughter Marine and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen have all made numerous visits to Moscow over the years.

Le Pen herself has repeatedly visited Russia, and her party borrowed 9 million euros in 2014 from the small First Czech Russian Bank, but the banks license was later revoked.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the prospect that Russian banks could offer Le Pen more loans to help fund her campaign.

Polls show Le Pen as the likely winner of the first round of Frances presidential vote on April 23, but indicate that she would lose presidential runoff on May 7 to centrist independent candidate Emmanuel Macron.

Once considered the front-runner in the French race, conservative candidate Francois Fillon has fallen behind Le Pen and Macron after facing preliminary charges in a probe of taxpayer-funded jobs his wife and children received but allegedly never performed.

Over the years, Putin has frequently met with Fillon, the French prime minister from 2007-2012. An unconfirmed report this week said Fillon was paid 50,000 euros ($54,000 U.S.) to arrange a meeting between Putin and a Lebanese magnate, a claim rejected by the Kremlin as fake news. Fillon also called it a shameful lie.

Russian state-controlled television stations and other media have offered extensive, friendly coverage of Le Pen and Fillon while casting Macron in a more negative light, presenting him as a puppet of outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande.

Fillon on Thursday claimed that Hollande was manipulating the French justice system to discredit political rivals  a charge that Hollande vigorously denied.

Dmitry Kiselyov, the anchor of the main weekly news program on Russian state TV, has echoed that theme, saying that the French judiciary was working as swiftly as a guillotine during the bloody French Revolution to undermine Fillon and Le Pen.

Le Pen is also facing legal investigations around party finances.

There is an impression that they are bluntly clearing the political field for Emmanuel Macron, the project of Francois Hollande, Kiselyov said,

Gleb Pavlovsky, a political strategist who consulted for Kremlin in the past, said the coverage of the French campaign by Russian television stations reflects Putins view that nationalist forces will increasingly shape the global agenda.

The Kremlin keeps persuading itself and the population that it is right, its policy is shaping the future and its vision of the world will win, he said. The Kremlin has made more than one bet (in the French vote), but the question is if these bets are real. I believe its a delusion.

While Russian TV stations use the French election to buttress the Kremlin view of the world in domestic public opinion, Moscow appears to have little ability to influence the French agenda.

The Russian state-run Sputnik news agency and the TV network RT have French-language websites, but they are mostly aimed at those who already have a pro-Russia world view. Its unclear if they have any impact on a broader French audience.

It is clear that at the moment the direct audience for Russian media in France is very marginal, said Christophe Deloire, head of Reporters Without Borders media rights watchdog.

He added, however, that Russian influence via social media networks could be more difficult to measure.

Macrons aides claimed in February that Russian groups were interfering with his campaign soon after a spike in social media claims that Macron is gay.

The married Macron denied the claims and within days his campaign officials blamed Russian media and Russian hackers for attempting to sway the French election, but did not provide proof of Russian hacking.

Macrons cybersecurity chief Mounir Mahjoubi told The Associated Press at the time that his campaign website was briefly knocked offline but that hackers had failed to open the door to its databases. He said the campaign registered thousands of attempted attacks from an IP address in Ukraine suspected to be part of a co-ordinated campaign from Russia.

Maria Katasonova, a pro-Kremlin political activist who admires Le Pen, dismissed talk about alleged Russian meddling in the French vote as utterly stupid.

We have seen how intensively they have played the Russian theme in the U.S. presidential campaign, and we now can see Le Pens rivals trying to exploit this theme in the French campaign, she said. We are witnessing an agony of the liberal clans after Trumps victory in the U.S., and we are seeing them publicly declaring a war on Marine Le Pen.

Read more about:

SHARE:
U.S. President Donald Trump, author of The Art of the Deal, has been projecting his usual bravado in public this week about the prospects of repealing the Affordable Care Act. Privately he is grappling with rare bouts of self-doubt.

Trump has told four people close to him that he regrets going along with House Speaker Paul Ryans plan to push a health care overhaul before unveiling a tax cut proposal more politically palatable to Republicans.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

He said ruefully this week that he should have done tax reform first when it became clear that the quick-hit health care victory he had hoped for was not going to materialize Thursday, the seventh anniversary of the acts passage, when the legislation was scheduled for a vote.

Two of his most influential advisers  Stephen Bannon, his chief strategist, and Gary Cohn, the National Economic Council director, who had a major role in pushing the bill  came to agree, and did not like the compromise that was emerging. So on Thursday night, Trump delivered an ultimatum.

He dispatched his budget adviser, Mick Mulvaney, to a conference of House Republicans and told them they had to vote Friday. And if the bill fails, he said, Trump will move on.

Read more: Its do-or-die day for Trumpcare

A president who prefers unilateral executive action and takes intense pride in his ability to cut deals finds himself in a humbling negotiation unlike any other in his career, pinned between moderates who believe the health care measure is too harsh, and a larger group of fiscal conservatives adept at using their leverage to scuttle big deals cut by other Republican leaders.

Over the years, Trump has proved to be a resilient operator, and even his most scathing critics do not rule out his ability to pull off some kind of a deal, even at a late hour.

I dont know whether he will ultimately succeed or fail, but I will tell you that President Trump is so transactional, who knows what transactions he will be willing to make to pass this, said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader, who passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010 as speaker.

So far hes acting like a rookie. Its really been amateur hour, she added. He seems to think that a charm offensive or a threat will work  that saying I can do this for you or I can do this against you will work. Thats not the way it works. You have to build real consensus, and you have to gain a real knowledge of the policy  and the president hasnt done either of those things.

Crashing on the shoals of Congress marks Trumps first true encounter with legislative realities and the realization that a presidents power is less limitless than it appears, particularly in the face of an intransigent voting bloc. Trump is not used to a hard no  but that was the word of the week.

Before he sent Mulvaney to Capitol Hill to deliver his message Thursday night, the president met with recalcitrant lawmakers at the White House. Trump reiterated his veiled threat that Republicans who voted no would be punished by constituents who demand they fulfil their promises to roll back the law. He made clear to members of the House Freedom Caucus during a testy hour-long faceoff in the Cabinet Room that they were going to have only one chance to fulfil their vows of repealing and replacing the health law, and this was it, according to people who were in the room.

Read more: In a risky move, Trump demands make-or-break vote on Obamacare

If Trump has any advantage in the negotiations, it is his ideological flexibility: He is more interested in a win, or avoiding a loss, than any of the arcane policy specifics of the complicated measure, according to a dozen aides and allies interviewed over the past week who described his mood as impatient and jittery. Already, he has shown that flexibility by going back on campaign promises that no one would lose coverage when the Affordable Care Acrt was replaced and he wouldnt cut Medicaid.

To Trump and his team, the health care repeal is a troublesome stepchild. His son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, who is vacationing with his family in Aspen this week, has said for days that the bill was a mistake to support. Yet Trump wants to fulfil his partys pledge to roll back President Barack Obamas signature accomplishment, but only as a prelude to building his wall, cutting taxes and pushing his $1 trillion infrastructure package.

But resistance from his own party forced Ryan to delay the vote  even if he cast it as a take-it-or-leave-it deal.

Until this week, Trump was slow to recognize the high stakes of the fight, or the implications of losing. He approved the agenda putting health care first late last year, almost in passing, in meetings with Ryan, Vice-President Mike Pence and Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff.

Staff members agreed on a hasty rollout strategy during weekend meetings earlier this month  with Pence suggesting that the president maintain distance from the proposal, urging him to refer to the bill as Ryans creation, according to senior Republicans.

Only in the past two weeks, as Trump focused on his ongoing defence of accusations that his presidential campaign colluded with Russia, has he focused his energies and powers of persuasion on ramming through a proposal that is likely to result in the loss of health insurance for millions, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.

Read more: 24 million will lose coverage under Trumps health bill, says congressional budget office

On Wednesday, Trump made a key concession to fiscal hawks by agreeing to scrap the health care laws provision mandating essential benefits  like outpatient visits, mental health services and some maternity care  in a bid to lower premiums. But that was not enough. Rep. Mark Meadows who leads the Freedom Caucus, said he was still a no.

That concession also risked alienating centre-right Republicans in the House and Senate, where the bill already faced an uncertain fate.

In order to get this bill out of the House, they have pushed this bill too far to the right, said Rep. Charlie Dent, a moderate Pennsylvania Republican who planned to vote against the legislation, and who was singled out for pressure by Trump at a meeting Thursday. Its a mistake. Even if it passes, the Senate will never accept it.

David Winston, a pollster who works with the House Republican leadership, said any delay could block Trumps entire agenda. Youre not looking at health care in isolation; youre looking at an agenda that they want to pursue, and obviously the next big one coming up is going to be tax reform, he said. Whichever came first was going to set up the other.

But Thursdays reality check came with a Trumpian dose of the surreal.

Trump appeared almost oblivious to the dire situation unfolding in the hours after he hosted a meeting with members of the House Freedom Caucus at the White House, where he made the case Winston pointed to  that not passing the health bill risks the rest of the Republican agenda.

Read more: Donald Trumps breezy Obamacare promises meet hard reality

In the midafternoon, a beaming Trump climbed into the rig of a black tractor-trailer, which had been driven to the White House for an event with trucking industry executives, honking the horn and posing for a series of tough-guy photos  one with his fists held aloft, another staring straight ahead, hands gripping the large wheel, his face compressed into an excited scream.

At a meeting inside shortly after, Trump announced that he was pressed for time and needed to go make calls for more votes.

A reporter informed him that the vote had already been called off.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Last Friday, which was the end of the school March break in Ontario, the federal government quietly announced the settlement of a major lawsuit brought by Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad El Maati and Muayyed Nureddin for very significant damages arising from the Canadian complicity and malfeasance related to their torture by the Syrian government many years ago.

The claim was based on the improper actions of members of CSIS, the RCMP and Foreign Affairs officials. The government apologized to the three men. The timing of the announcement appears to have been calculated to reduce public attention to the settlement.

That settlement, after more than a decade since their return to Canada, allows the men and their families to start to re-establish their lives in Canada.

The terms of the settlement are confidential and at this point only government officials and the Department of Justice lawyers know the extent of Canadian involvement in responsibility for the torture of the three men.

In my view, it is critically important steps are taken to ensure the type of government activities by CSIS, the RCMP and foreign affairs officials that contributed to the torture of the men in Syria do not reoccur.

Parliament is in the process of establishing, under Bill C-22, a parliamentary oversight committee for Canadian security and intelligence services. It appears, as that Bill makes its way through the parliamentary process the Trudeau government is seeking to ensure the parliamentary committee will be prevented from having meaningful oversight of any of the actions of the Canadian national security agencies.

Earlier this month, Murray Rankin, an NDP MP, spoke on Bill C-22 in the Commons. He said the public safety committee, with the help of expert advice, had recognized the flaws in the governments first draft of Bill C-22 and came together around evidence-based amendments. Rankin, based on the testimony of many experts at the committee, was extremely concerned that without the amendments, the committee to be established under Bill C-22 would not be able to effectively do its job.

After receiving the proposed amendments, the government came up with new proposals:

The first would remove the oversight committees power to subpoena witnesses and documents.

The second would allow cabinet ministers to withhold information from the oversight committee.

The third was to add a senator and another government MP to the committee so the votes of the government MPs will always outnumber the votes of the non-government MPs.

The fourth was to stop the committee from receiving information about all active law-enforcement investigations, all the time.

The revelations of the McDonald Commission, the Keable Inquiry, the Arar Inquiry and the Iacobucci inquiry revealed some details of the very serious wrongdoing over many years by members of the Canadian national security agencies.

In the lawsuit brought by the three men, the government of Canada strenuously resisted, through section 38 of the Canada Evidence Act proceedings, any revelations of serious wrongdoings by Canadian government officials in relation to the three men.

Justice Mosley of the Federal Court of Canada, with the assistance of two lawyers acting as amici curiae (friends of the court), allowed some of the information that the government lawyers wanted to remain secret to be known to the lawyers for the three men.

I presume the release of some of that secret information persuaded the national security agencies and the government lawyers to conclude that letting this case go to trial would prove to be highly embarrassing. The confidential settlement ensured that the information would not be made public.

The new National Security and Intelligence Committee to be created under Bill C-22 must be able to fully examine each and every detail of what was done by Canadian government officials that led to the torture of the three men.

The torture was significantly the result of activities carried out by a branch of the RCMP known as Project A-O Canada. That branch was headed by Mike Cabana. Cabana testified as a witness at the Arar Inquiry. Sometime after the report of Justice OConnor from that inquiry, Mike Cabana was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP.

In my view, it is critical that the National Security and Intelligence Committee be able to examine in detail the actions of Cabana that led to and contributed to the torture of the three men, and be able to review whether his promotion to deputy commissioner was appropriate.

It is only through such detailed oversight that the new parliamentary committee will be able to ensure that similar torture and human rights abuses do not again result from the work of Canadas national security agencies.

Paul Copeland has been involved in national security work through most of his 50 years of practising law. He was a special advocate in the Harkat and Almrei security certificate cases and was counsel for Abdullah Almalki in the Arar Inquiry and the Iacobucci Inquiry.

SHARE:
Canadians like to think were more enlightened than most other countries, especially these days when we look south to Donald Trumps America. But this country is lagging badly in at least one area  how we treat unwanted migrants.

Shockingly, Canadas immigration authorities continue to jail hundreds of would-be immigrants indefinitely  sometimes for years  even though they have committed no crime.

Our system allows the Canada Border Services Agency to put unwanted migrants, such as failed refugee claimants, behind bars without any effective limit on their stay. Its an appalling practice that is way out of step with how other countries (including the United States) handle this problem.

The Liberal government made a big noise last August about overhauling the system, which got steadily worse during the Harper decade. Under the Conservatives, indefinite detention for unwanted migrants went from rare to routine.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale promised change, and he set aside $138 million last year to transform the immigration detention system in Canada. That included money to replace two aging immigration detention centres and to improve medical and mental health services for those being held.

Goodale won praise for the move, including from the Star. But seven months later its apparent that little has changed. Most importantly, the government has failed to address the issue of indefinite detention, a practice that has brought condemnation from the United Nations, human rights organizations, and many others.

All this was made clear in a recent series of articles by Brendan Kennedy of the Star, which put faces on the reality of indefinite detention in Canada.

Kennedy reported on the case of Ebrahim Toure, who has just marked four years behind bars in a maximum-security jail in Lindsay, Ont., because the government cant figure out how to deport him. Neither The Gambia nor Guinea, the countries where Toure says he was born and grew up, will take him because he doesnt have proper documentation. So he languishes in jail, treated like a serious criminal even though he has committed no crime.

Another detainee, Kashif Ali, has been behind bars for an incredible seven years. Hes from Ghana but that country wont take him back either because, once again, he cant produce the right documents. He says his situation is like torture.

Other countries face the same awkward issue  unwanted migrants and failed refugee applicants who cant be quickly deported. But most comparable countries have put limits on the length of time that detainees can be routinely held behind bars  the so-called presumptive period of release.

In the United States its just 90 days, which can be renewed for another 90. In Britain, a parliamentary committee recommended 28 days but the British government has not adopted it. Most European Community countries limit detention to 18 months. And the United Nations recommends a reasonable time limit.

Canada detained just under 6,600 unwanted migrants in the last fiscal year (down from more than 10,000 in the late Harper years), and the average time they are held is just 23 days. But in some cases it can stretch on for years because there is no mandated time for release and the system is loaded against detainees.

The longer they spend behind bars, the harder it is for them to make a case for release. So they remain in jail, at substantial cost to the Canadian taxpayer and, often, to their physical and mental health.

The problem isnt new. Advocates for detainees have been pressing for better conditions and limits on their time behind bars for years.

Goodale seemed to be listening last summer when he announced his change in policy. But it will take years to build new detention centres, and while better health services are needed they dont address the problem of indefinite detention.

The minister did set aside $5 million for alternatives to detention. That could include performance bonds, cash deposits or other forms of monitoring to avoid detention at all.

But the government has not come to grips with the issue of indefinite detention, a retrograde practice that puts Canada badly out of step with its closest allies. The government should join the mainstream and set a reasonable time limit  a few months, at most  before detainees must be released.

Exceptions could be made for those who pose a threat to public safety, but it would be up to authorities to prove that.

The current system is expensive, cumbersome and unjust. The Liberal government should live up to its rhetoric and make a definitive break with past policy.

Correction  March 28, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said the United Nations recommends that a reasonable limit be set on the length of time that unwanted migrants can be detained. The previous version incorrectly said the UN recommends a limit of 90 days. As well, the previous version mistakenly said Britain limits detention to 28 days. In fact, a parliamentary committee recommended that limit, but the British government has not adopted it.

SHARE:
McGill University is at the centre of an uproar over academic freedom, and it deserves all the flak thats coming its way.

When the head of one of its most prestigious institutes came under fire for writing something unpopular, the university made exactly the wrong choice. Instead simply shrugging off the criticism, it by all appearances pressured him to resign.

The man involved is Andrew Potter, a philosopher, former newspaper editor (most recently of the Ottawa Citizen), and until Thursday the director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada.

Potters very bad week began when he reverted to his journalistic habits and published a column on Macleans magazines website. Prompted by the fiasco of motorists left stranded overnight on a local highway during a blizzard, he diagnosed a malaise eating away at the foundations of Quebec society.

It was a pretty lousy column, even by the standards of journalistic instant analysis. Potter pieced together some questionable anecdotes and made dubious generalizations about Quebec as a whole.

By Wednesday, he had apologized on Facebook and retracted most of the piece. He confessed to a sloppy use of anecdotes and regretted his negative tone about Quebec. A top columnist in La Presse, Patrick Lagace, colorfully and appropriately dismissed it asun pet de cerveau  a brain fart.

But, all too predictably, it didnt stop there. A social media frenzy ensued; other columnists condemned Potter and the politicians jumped in as well. Premier Philippe Couillard said the column aims to paint a negative picture of Quebec, based on prejudices. Opposition politicians rushed to agree.

The next day Potter announced he was quitting as director of the McGill institute but will stay on to teach for the remainder of his contract. This, amid rumours that unnamed influential people had pressured McGill to force Potter out.

What happened behind the scenes isnt known, and McGill denies political meddling. But the fact is that the university first disavowed Potters article in a tweet and then accepted his resignation from a high-profile position, albeit reluctantly.

The all-too-clear message was that the university was so spooked by the furor over Potters article that it preferred to chop off his head rather than brave the storm. Instead of defending his freedom to speak  even when what he had to say was foolish or just flat-out wrong  it cut him loose at the first whiff of controversy.

This is a sad commentary on the state of one of Canadas leading academic institutions. Its elementary, or should be, that universities should be places where free speech is particularly valued.

These days, however, that idea is increasingly under attack in the name of avoiding offence to one group or another. Here, the offence would be to Quebecers who are ever-vigilant about being the targets of so-called Quebec bashing from outsiders  in this case an English-speaking academic writing in an English-language publication based in Toronto.

Quebecs hyper-sensitivity about this kind of criticism is well-known. In this case it has led to at least two bad outcomes, aside from the damage to Potter himself.

Rather than focusing on why hundreds of people were abandoned on the public roads in a raging blizzard, Quebecs decision-makers prefer to turn their fury on a columnist who wrote a sub-standard article about it all.

And McGill has sent a message that it isnt prepared to stand by its academic voices if they stumble and utter something that the wrong people dont like. That will linger long after Andrew Potters brain fart is forgotten.

Read more about:

SHARE:
This story has been updated with a comment from American Airlines.

Pilots at American Airlines (AAL) said the airline is so committed to making sure airplanes take off on time that in February it left 20,000 passengers stranded at the gate as the door closed on airplanes that had empty seats.

The number was provided to American pilots Thursday in a letter from Dan Carey, president of the Allied Pilots Association.

American, which operates about 6,500 daily flights, boarded about 14.4 million passengers in February.

The carrier's policy is that at D-10, which is 10 minutes before a scheduled departure, the jet bridge door must close. D-0 is the scheduled departure time.

Carey said management is committed to D0 departures "at all costs.

"APA has learned that management's D-0/D-10 (jet bridge door closing) binary measure of operational success led to nearly 20,000 standby passengers being left standing at the gate in February," Carey wrote.

"On almost 13,000 flights, standby passengers were denied boarding even though the aircraft had open seats," he said. "Up to 16% of all AA flights experienced this failure.

"While our union brother and sister gate agents are under extraordinary pressure to close the jet bridge and aircraft doors no matter what, we must do everything possible to ensure that no passengers are left behind while seats are empty," Carey wrote.

"Management's preoccupation with delays has turned into an obsession," he said, noting that the high number of passengers left behind in February reflects "a dramatic uptick in "pilot pushing," he said.

Carey's comments refer to a number, tracked internally by American, of standby passengers who do not board when there's an open seat.

American spokesman Matt Miller said the number includes all standby passengers, some of whom do not actually appear at the gate before a departure.

The number "is imprecise and not representative of reality because it reflects passengers on the electronic standby list, many of whom are not physically present at the gate area during the boarding process," Miller said. "This and many other factors cause any reporting on unaccommodated passengers to be significantly inflated."

The number is tracked as part of "policies and procedures in place to ensure standby and non-revenue passengers are accommodated when we have open seats," he said.

At Philadelphia International Airport, the percentage of American departures that left passengers behind in February was 16%, the highest for all the carrier's hubs, according to American's tracking, pilots said.

At Reagan National, Miami International and Dallas-Fort Worth International, 14% of departures left passengers behind. The percentage was 13% at LaGuardia; about 12% at Charlotte, Los Angeles International and Chicago O'Hare International; and about 10% at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, pilots said.

In a 2016 interview, Robert Isom, then American's chief operating officer and now president, said the airline is committed to safety, to the principle of captain's authority, and to on-time operations.

By holding a flight, even for a minute, "you may have handled one customer, but you may have delayed hundreds if not thousands of passengers," Isom said.

"We don't want to put that burden solely in our pilots' hands," he said. "There's no way anybody can know what has to happen with that aircraft throughout the day. It's a complex dance {involving} maintenance, customer service, the {operations} center, flight service, inflight, catering, customs -- a lot of different groups have to come together.

"What we try to do is to connect our pilots with ramp operations control then connect to {the operations center} so we have all the information coming together that no one person could keep straight, then give that feedback to the folks that need it," he said. "When things break down, if we leave a passenger off for some reason, we {typically} have someone who has already taken a look at that and taken care of that passenger."

As for captain's authority, "once the aircraft is loaded and ready to go, there has never been a question of captain's authority," Isom said. "That captain is in charge -- no ifs, ands or buts."

In the 12 months ended in January 2017, American ranked seventh among the 12 largest airlines with a 79.3% on-time performance, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. However, American ranked third in both December and January, the most recent months reported.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
Amazon (AMZN) may have just successfully shipped its first package by drone in the United States, but Walmart (WMT) is also showing it won't be a slouch in the drone area by any means.

The e-commerce giant revealed on Friday that it successfully delivered a four pound package in California using an Amazon Prime Air delivery drone on Monday (video below). The delivery follows Amazon's private drone trial in the U.K. in December.

Walmart, similarly, was granted a patent on March 16 for a system where airborne drones locate an item "within a retailing shopping facility" and then carry that item to a delivery area within the same facility.

Walmart said in its application that drones would relieve pressure on overwhelmed store staff.

"There may not always be enough employees available to assist customers in as timely a manner as the customer might wish," the company said. "For example, an item that a customer wishes to purchase (or already has purchased) may be located in a non-public part of the retail shopping facility such as a back storeroom," requiring an employee to deliver that item by hand.

"With increasing competition from non-traditional shopping mechanisms, such as online shopping provided by e-commerce merchants and alternative store formats, it can be important for 'brick and mortar' retailers to focus on improving the overall customer experience and/or convenience," Walmart added.

Such improvements, both in stores and in e-commerce, are a renewed focus for Walmart as it competes with Amazon. The retailer has owned e-commerce startup Jet.com, which it acquired for $3.3 billion, for about six months. Jet.com founder Marc Lore, who now heads Walmart's e-commerce division, is snapping up niche online retailers like Moosejaw and ModCloth.

Even before Lore's arrival, Walmart began experimenting with autonomous and remote controlled drones in distribution centers to automate inventory checks.
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.
The situation in eastern Ukraine escalates. Militants launched 94 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day. Violating the existing agreements, Russian-backed militants shelled Ukrainian positions, using weapons of over 100mm caliber.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

In Mariupol direction, the tensest situation was observed near Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), where militants fired at Ukrainian positions, using 120mm mortars, grenade launchers, antiaircraft mounts, tanks and Grad-P multiple rocket launchers. ATO troops also came under tank, 120mm and 82mm mortar fire in Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk).

In Donetsk direction, the largest number of militants attacks was launched on Ukrainian strongholds outside Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk) and Butovka coal mine (11.4km north-west of Donetsk) from heavy machine guns, grenade launchers of various systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars.

In Luhansk direction, positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine came under 120mm mortar and heavy machine gun fire near Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk). Terrorists also shelled ATO troops near Krymske (42.5km north-west of Luhansk), Novotoshkivske (53km north-west of Luhansk) and Popasna (90 km north-west of Luhansk), using machine guns and grenade launchers of various systems.

ol
The Government of Ukraine will examine the issue of establishing an energy security center of NATO in Ukraine, which has been initiated by the Ukrainian MPs.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this during the hour of questions to the Government in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Ive had no information on the establishment of such a center. I will familiarize with the proposals. However, I want to mention that we are able now to respond institutionally to all the energy threats, we are working with the international experts in this field, we have a clear program for ensuring energy independence and security," Groysman said.

ol
The Ukrainian State Aviation Administration intends to apply to the air agencies of the member states of the European Union to consider an issue of lifting the current restrictions imposed on regular flights on a bilateral basis.

This has been reported by the press service of the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry.

On March 22, 2017, the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry and the Ukrainian State Aviation Administration approved a plan of the liberalization of air communication with the European Union. The Ukrainian State Aviation Administration will apply to the air agencies of the member states of the European Union to consider an issue of lifting the current restrictions imposed on regular flights on a bilateral basis, the report states.

According to the ministry, the liberalization plan is an actual step towards the open skies with EU countries, which is confirmed by the entry of new airline companies, an increase in air traffic and investments in Ukraines aviation industry.

The plan is intended to liberalize air communication prior to signing the Open Skies Agreement between Ukraine and the member states of the European Union.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held a phone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the presidents press service reported on Thursday evening.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held a telephone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. The parties discussed the state and prospects for the development of bilateral relations. The presidents stressed the importance of full implementation of the agreements reached during a meeting of the joint intergovernmental Ukrainian-Belarusian commission on trade and economic cooperation, which took place at the end of the last year, reads a statement.

The Presidents agreed to enhance a bilateral political dialogue at all levels.

In addition, President Lukashenko welcomed the appointment of the Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus.

iy


People wait in line during the opening of a Cabelas store March 9 in Gainesville, Va. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

The camouflage ribbon was in place. Fifteen yards away and 21 feet off the ground, archer Jeff Ware pumped his fist into the air, cocked his bow and released. The arrow pierced the ribbon in one go, and the crowd went wild.

Yall ready to go shopping? Ware shouted. Whoo!

And with that, the doors of the regions first Cabelas  the chain of hunting, fishing and camping gear stores  swung open and 2,000 people streamed in, clapping and cheering.

This opening, many shoppers said, was proof that Donald Trumps America is thriving, even near the nations capital. The megastore  about 35 miles up the road from the White House  is the companys 86th location and its closest to Washington. Among its offerings: an indoor archery range, a gun library with antiques that cost as much as $6,500, and a display of special firearms donated by the National Rifle Association. Opening weekend festivities included an all-ages BB gun shooting range in the parking lot.

In short, shoppers heralded the new store as a victory for Virginia gun owners. Many said they feel underrepresented in a state that would have put Hillary Clinton in office (she skimmed past Donald Trump here with 50 percent of the vote). Meanwhile, back in Sidney, Neb., where Cabelas is headquartered, 79 percent of residents had voted for Trump.

Its a constant battle, keeping our gun rights, said William Fisher, 71, of Haymarket, Va., who got his first gun at age 16. The fact that Cabelas is here now, and that they carry firearms, is another step in the right direction.

[French manicures, Bud Light and fly fishing: How Trump staffers are changing Washington]

Among the first in the door was Dustin Heinssen from Culpeper, Va., who had been waiting outside for 13 hours in a sleeping bag. He held his 6-month-old daughter, McKenzie, who had joined him in the morning wearing a pink camouflage cap that said, I hunt for hugs.

Cabelas is awesome, he said. I was hoping to possibly get some more guns.

In a region full of them, Cabelas stands as its own monument to gun rights. Among the first things customers see when they walk in is the Second Amendment, etched floor-to-ceiling in stone at the stores entrance: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

There are other patriotic displays throughout the 79,999-square-foot space, too: A Bill of Rights mural at the front of the store flanked by buffalo and bald eagle mounts, and an homage to President Teddy Roosevelt in the gun library.

We wanted to do a patriotic theme for this store, since this is the nations capital, said Nathan Borowski, a spokesman for the company. Theres a lot of outdoor heritage here  and seeing how the NRAs headquarters are just down the street, it just made a lot of sense.



Rob Freyer, left, instructs Connor Duffus on using a bow and arrow in the archery range during Cabelas opening. Freyer works for a company that helps represent Bear Archery. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Breathing easier with Trump at the helm

The U.S. Constitution matters a lot to shoppers like Guy Arndt, 63. He had driven more than two hours from Augusta, W.Va., to see the store.

Arndt was buying two chairs, rifle primers and a dog collar for his German coonhound mix.

No guns today, though. You name it and I already have it, he said. But he couldnt remember how many.

Hey, Bradley, he shouted to his son, how many guns do we have altogether?

Bradley shrugged. 60?

Like many others here, Arndt says he is breathing a sigh of relief after President Trumps victory. For weeks before the election, he had worried that Clinton would win the presidency and threaten his gun rights. To prepare, he bought a rifle and stocked up on ammunition.

I really dont know what wouldve happened had she gotten in there and done what she said she was going to do to, Arndt said. It wouldve killed the Second Amendment.

Clinton had called for closing loopholes that allow people to buy guns online or at gun shows without undergoing criminal background checks. She also vowed to keep military-style weapons off our streets. (Its quite complicated to kill a constitutional amendment, requiring action by both houses of Congress and state lawmakers.)

It is well-documented that gun sales ebb and flow depending on who is in the White House. A Democratic president  or the expectation of one  can send gun sales soaring to record highs. A Republican president generally has the opposite effect, and Trump is no exception.

In the two months since Trump took office, gun-sale background checks have fallen 18 percent compared with a year earlier, according to FBI data.

[Gun sales have dropped since Trumps election, except among people scared of his administration]

Gunmakers stocks have also tumbled: Share prices of American Outdoor Brands, formerly Smith & Wesson Holding, have fallen as much as 34 percent since election night. Sturm, Ruger & Co.s stock, meanwhile, is down about 20 percent.

Youve never had a better administration for the gun industry than Obama, Bob Evans, an analyst for Pennington Capital said on a recent call with Sturm, Ruger executives. And now, never a worse one for the gun industry than Trump.

Fisher, the 71-year-old from Haymarket, doesnt see it that way. Right after the election, he went out and bought another handgun. (He declined to say how many he owns but said he also has two hunting rifles and a shotgun.) He takes the 9mm with him most everywhere he goes.

He worries. People seem on edge these days. Its more important than ever, he said, to be armed.

I hate to say this, but I wont be surprised if we start to see some major attacks in this country, Fisher said. Ive never seen people as divided as they are now.

The retired machine maintenance worker says hes glad Trump is in the White House  he donated $200 to his campaign, and most days he wears a camouflage Make America Great Again cap.

Trump, he said, is the first president who talks like he does and seems to understand the issues important to him, like clamping down on illegal immigration and loosening gun laws. His biggest hope, Fisher said, is that Trump will deliver on his promise to make concealed-carry permits valid in all 50 states. Right now, Fisher said, it is difficult to take road trips across the country with his gun in tow.

If I want to drive up to Niagara Falls, Ive got to check every state to make sure Im compliant, he said. Its a big hassle, and completely unnecessary.



Employees are seen through a window before the opening of the Cabela's store in Gainesville. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

They love this store

Cabelas executives said they homed in on Gainesville because they knew the demand was there. Thousands of locals were already customers of the companys website and catalogues, and many others had visited its other stores. And it didnt hurt that Virginia has more than 2 million acres of public hunting land. This is the third Cabelas in the state to open in as many years. The others are in Bristol and Short Pump.

We knew we had a lot of customers here, said Borowski, the spokesman. This crowd  5,000 people in two hours  definitely shows we made the right choice.

The first customers had arrived, he said, by Tuesday at 4 p.m. Now it was Thursday morning at 10, and the crowd had swelled to thousands. The night before, more than 200 people had slept outside, scattering tents, cots and sleeping bags along the perimeter of the store, waiting for it to open.

Its almost like they were tailgating, Borowski said. They love this store.

[A Trump voters message to retailers: Keep your mouths shut about our president]

Chris S., who is 41 and declined to give his last name, had driven nearly five hours from Lebanon, N.J., to be at the opening. He wore a red Make America Great Again cap and was looking to add an air rifle to his collection of a dozen pistols.

This is like Toys R Us for me, he said, standing under an antler chandelier in the stores gun library. Since Im here, maybe Ill buy some ammo and scopes, some other gear, too.

Over by the stores archery range, Michael Thompson, 22, and two friends were eyeing a display of crossbows. Between the three of them, they had 14 guns and were considering buying more.

Coming here when youre a gun enthusiast is kind of like going to a grocery store while youre hungry, said Thompson, from Bristow, Va. You just want to buy everything.



Jeff Ware reacts after using a bow and arrow to cut the ribbon for the opening of the Cabela's store. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Firearms are seen in the gun library room. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

A multibillion-dollar industry

Since its founding in 1961 as a mail-order fishing bait service, Cabelas has built a loyal following at its 86 stores, which have become a one-stop shop for all types of outdoors gear. Last year, the company had sales of $4.13 billion, double what it did a decade earlier.

In October, rival Bass Pro Shops announced plans to take over the company for about $5.5 billion. Antitrust regulators have since raised concerns about the merger. The deal has yet to be finalized.

But business at Cabelas has slipped in recent years because of competition from smaller outfitters and online retailers. In the first half of 2016, the number of purchases at the companys stores fell by more than 8 percent. New megastores like the one in Gainesville are part of Cabelas plans to attract large swaths of customers from new parts of the country.

A couple of hours in, it seemed to be working. More than 5,000 people had been through the stores front doors. Another hundred or so waited outside.

This is unreal, just unreal, said Gary Lawrence, 70, who has about 25 guns. The lines were so long we could see them from the interstate.

By the time Jennifer McClure made it to the checkout counter, she had been at Cabelas for nearly four hours. She and her 2-year-old daughter had arrived at 7:50 a.m. My husband got called into work; otherwise, hed have been there, too, she said.

A few yards away, a man pushed a boy in a shopping cart through a display of 3-D shooting targets.

Deer, deer, duckie, gobble gobble, said the child, wearing a camouflage pullover. Deer, deer, deer. So many deer.

Back in the gun library, 25-year-old Carissa Phillips picked up a rifle. Her Smith & Wesson pistol was tucked into her denim skirt. Her 12-gauge shotgun was at home.

This is one of my favorite guns, she said, moving her fingers down the barrel of the lever-action 30-30. Its got that Old Western-y feel that I love.

The rifle  which costs between $500 and $700  is the next big purchase on her list. Sometimes, she said, she borrows her friends to hunt deer in her familys back yard in Warrenton, Va. But really, shed like to buy her own.

Today, though, is not the day. She leaves Cabelas with just one item: a coffee mug printed with the Bill of Rights, for $6.99.

But Ill definitely be back, she said. Im going to buy that rifle.



Carissa Phillips, right, holds a firearm in the gun library room. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Read more:

A Trump voters message to retailers: Keep your mouths shut about our president

French manicures, Bud Light and fly fishing: How Trump staffers are changing Washington

It wasnt even a question: The simple calculation for pulling advertising off Breitbart

Steelworker wins $100,000 in Warren Buffetts March Madness pool
FirstCapital Bank of Texas Chairman Kenneth Burgess, Jr., left, President Donald Trump, and Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank CEO Dorothy Savarese, listen during a meeting with leaders from small community banks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C. on March 9, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Packed into a ritzy Washington hotel ballroom, a meeting of nearly 1,500 bankers momentarily turned into a pep rally. Be proud of being a banker and of the industrys record profits, the speaker implored the assembled. In fact, he urged, its time to ask Congress for help so the industry can do even better.

I dont want a seat at the table. I want the table, James Ballentine, chief lobbyist of the American Bankers Association, told the crowd.

After spending years humbled by the fallout from the financial crisis, the banking industry is suddenly feeling emboldened. Attendance at the annual association gathering jumped 50 percent this year as bankers sense a rare opportunity with the election of Donald Trump and Republicans control of Congress to upend dozens of regulations put in place after the financial meltdown.

Critics argued banks are doing well enough without the help. But that has not stopped Trump from directing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to prepare a report this summer outlining which rules should be scraped. Already the administration has begun replacing some of the industrys toughest regulators with business-friendly officials.

To keep up the momentum, the visiting bankers descended on Capitol Hill this week to make personal appeals for repealing regulations they say have gone too far and make it difficult to loan money to consumers. Many wore blue Americas Banks pins as they recounted their stories of regulatory woe. Some scored meetings with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and cruised government buildings with pamphlets outlining their concerns. Others signed up for ABAs first school to train bankers to run for public office.

The faces of the effort are community bankers such as Robert Jones, the longtime president of United Bank in Atmore, Ala., a $500 million community bank that specializes in serving the type of poor, rural customers that supported Trumps election. I know a lot about cotton and peanut farms, he said.

For the last eight years, it didnt matter what was said, we werent going to get things done, said Jones, adding that despondency had set in. Now there is some optimism.

The industrys aggressive lobbying push, though, comes with an inconvenient reality: the banking business has rarely been better.

They are doing great under the current system, said Marcus Stanley, policy director for Americans for Financial Reform.

The countrys nearly 6,000 banks  from large players such as Bank of America to the small community and regional banks packed into the hotel conference room  pulled in more than $171 billion in profits last year  a new record, according to recently released Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data. Wall Street bonuses rose for the first time in three years in 2016 to an average of $138,210, and big banks such as Goldman Sachs have seen their stock prices surge since Trumps election, even after a pullback this week.

Ballentine, the lobbyist, told bankers they should not be embarrassed by that success. Profit is not a four-letter word. Youre supposed to be profitable, he said.

Besides, industry officials say, the data do not tell the full story. The banking industry has been shrinking for years, but the pace accelerated as 2010s financial reform package, known as Dodd-Frank, was implemented, they say. And many of the rules meant to rein in large bankers, such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, have also been applied to much smaller players that are struggling to comply. Community banks, which typically have $10 billion or less in assets compared with large, global banks such as JPMorgan, which has more than $2 trillion in assets, are facing the same regulatory tests in some cases.

Banks are not looking for a pity party, Jones said. We are not anti-regulation. We are pro-regulation that helps us to do our job.

Small banks that struggled to afford the cost of complying with the new rules have been forced to merge with bigger players or go out of business, industry officials say. In Virginias Hampton Roads, there used to be 10 to 12 community banks, but now just Old Point National Bank is left, said Jennifer Register, 32, vice president of retail lending.

Before the avalanche of new regulations, the nearly 100-year-old bank could approve a new equity line of credit for customers within 48 hours, said Register, who attended the conference for the first time this year. Now that process takes three to four weeks, she said.

We never did loans for people who could not afford it, Register said, referring to larger banks that sustained huge losses during the financial crisis. We are a community bank. Everyone is our neighbor.

That might be true, but largely absent from this weeks push are the big banks that could benefit the most from a regulatory rollback.

Any effort to loosen banking regulations will probably face resistance from many Democrats and advocacy groups that say Dodd-Frank has made the financial system safer. Banks record profits show that despite the tougher regulatory landscape, the industry has adapted, they say.

If community banks need more regulatory relief, they will need to better separate their interests from those of their larger competitors, critics say.

Despite bankers complaints, government data shows an industry in the throes of a revival: There are fewer bank failures, fewer institutions labeled troubled banks by regulators and fewer unprofitable institutions. The FDIC found that of the countrys 5,913 banks, only 248 were unprofitable last year. That is lower than pre-financial-crisis levels and down significantly from the more than 2,000 banks that were losing money in 2007 and 2008. Community banks, which have complained the most about new regulations, have seen their profits grow the fastest, according to the FDIC.

What were seeing is big-bank bills dressed up in community-bank clothing. said Stanley of Americans for Financial Reform.

Trump has given the industry significant hope. At a recent listening session with community bankers, Trump peppered the group with questions about how regulators were affecting them. During the hour-long meeting, Trump encouraged Mnuchin and Gary Cohn, another top economic adviser, to address the regulatory burdens mentioned by the bankers within the next six months, according to industry officials who attended but spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what was said at the private meeting. The White House is very, very close to announcing a nominee for a Federal Reserve Board seat reserved for a community banker, a position that has been vacant for more than two years, Trump told the bankers. It will be someone the bankers would like, he said, according to several people who attended the meeting.

And the industry has another avenue for regulatory relief  the various regulators that police the industry will soon be getting new leadership.

At the Securities and Exchange Commission, one of Wall Streets chief regulators, the transformation has already begun. The acting chair, Michael S. Piwowar, is reconsidering rules called for by Dodd Frank to require companies to disclose the gap between what CEOs and their employees earn. And he has added a new step before SEC investigators can launch an official investigation into a corporation or issue a subpoena.

He has disregarded decades of precedent where the acting chairs job was to maintain the status quo. He is one of the most active acting chairs in anyones memory, said Dennis Kelleher, chief executive of Better Markets, a nonprofit advocacy group.

As the ABAs annual conference neared its close, the ballroom once again began to resemble a pep rally as Rep. Jeb Hensarling, the Republican chair of the House Financial Services Committee, spoke of the damage done by Dodd-Frank. Hensarling, who is preparing to introduce legislation that would encompass many of the changes the industry wants, was repeatedly interrupted by applause as he lamented that some banks have had to fire loan officers to afford to pay for more compliance staff. Others, he said, were getting out of mortgage business because of the regulatory headaches.

Change is coming, Hensarling said. We will free you to be the best bankers you can be, free you to help rebuild our economy and free to be successful, he said. Yes, we will honor your success, not vilify it, and let freedom ring again.

As he finished, the bankers stood and cheered.
Bill Ackman, seen in 2013, is chief executive of Pershing Square and one of Wall Streets best-known hedge fund managers. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Wall Street math can be a wonderful thing. If youre on the right side of it, that is.

Consider, if you will, the case of Bill Ackman, one of Wall Streets best-known hedge fund managers, who did one fabulously profitable deal involving the now-disgraced and distressed Valeant drug company and one horribly unprofitable Valeant-related deal.

The profitable deal produced a $350 million payday for Ackman, whose management company gets 16 percent of the profits  in this case, $2.2 billion  that investors in his Pershing Square funds make. The unprofitable deal has generated a $4.2 billion loss, all of which is being borne by Pershings investors.

How can this be? Wall Street math. Because the Valeant-related profit was earned in 2014 and the Valeant-related losses did not start until 2015, Ackman got to keep the $350 million fee generated by the 2014 profit.

Now, lets back up a bit, and Ill take you through this.

In 2014, a year in which Ackmans private hedge fund  he also runs a fund with publicly traded shares  earned a stunning 37 percent (after fees) for his investors, Ackman made a controversial but wildly successful deal with Valeant. That was before Valeants price-gouging strategy made it a national pariah and its finances turned into a shambles.

Valeant wanted to buy another drug company, Allergan, but knew it would be difficult.

So it made a deal with Ackman for his funds to buy a large Allergan stake before Valeant announced its takeover intentions.

It was like shooting fish in a barrel for Ackman because he knew that Allergans price would run up after Valeant made its offer. Which it did. A battle ensued, and Allergan sold out to a Valeant rival. But Ackmans Pershing Square funds emerged with that $2.2 billion profit.

Then, in 2015, Ackman decided that Valeant itself was a great investment. Which it wasnt. Valeants price gouging and fragile finances drove the stock down and down. So Ackman, who had done everything he could to boost Valeants share price  including joining Valeants board and picking fights with the likes of Charlie Munger, Warren Buffetts partner and one of Wall Streets most revered figures  recently sold Pershings final Valeant stake.

Pershing ended up $4.2 billion behind. Pershings investors, that is.

Overall, Pershings investors lost a combined $2 billion on Valeant deals. But because the $2.2 billion gain came in 2014 and the $4.2 billion loss came in 2015, 2016 and 2017, Pershings two Valeant-related deals are treated separately for purposes of calculating carried interest fees for Ackmans management company.

Even though Ackman, who has become one of Wall Streets most mocked managers, wouldnt talk to me, its only fair to point out that a good part of his piece of the $350 million fee was probably reinvested in Pershing Square. Ackman probably has a good part of his net worth tied up in Pershings funds and feels some of the fund investors pain.

Even with his disastrous 2015 and 2016 performances  his private fund lost 16 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively, according to people who have seen the figures  his investors have still earned 14.8 percent annually, compounded, from the funds launch in 2004 through the end of last year. (The fund is about even this year.) But thats down from the 24 percent annual return the fund had posted through 2014.

Ackman is now struggling with a different piece of Wall Street math  whats called the high-water mark.

The big, big money that hedgies make comes from their piece of their investors profits. But in a case like Ackmans, profits dont begin to get counted until Pershing Square tops its previous high, which was in 2014.

Ackmans private fund is about 24 percent below its high-water mark. That means it has to rise about 32 percent from its current level just to get back to where it was at year-end 2014 before it can resume generating carried interest fees for Ackman. (The math: 100 divided by 76 is about 1.32.)

Thats a daunting obstacle. Another problem is a civil suit, currently pending, that charges that the $2.2 billion of profit Pershing made on Allergan was illicit because it stemmed from material nonpublic information that Ackman got from Valeant.

Valeant has agreed to bear 60 percent of any loss that Pershing might incur as a result of the suit. That leaves Pershing Square investors at risk for 40 percent.

If Pershing holders have to shell out money as the result of the suit, will Ackmans management company kick in 16 percent of any outlays, given that it took 16 percent of the profits?

Some day, we may find out. And well all get another example of how Wall Street math works.
FEDERAL RESERVE

Yellen: Survey shows impact of child poverty

A new Federal Reserve survey has found that children who grew up in poverty were twice as likely to struggle with financial challenges later in life, Federal Reserve Chair Janet L. Yellen said Thursday.

The survey showed that more than half of young people age 25 to 39 who reported that as children they worried over issues like having enough food were currently facing financial challenges, Yellen said. That was double the number with financial troubles who did not face such concerns as children.

Yellen told a Fed conference that the findings underscored the need to provide children with the resources to achieve financial success later in life.

In the survey, which the Fed will publish later this spring, Yellen said there was a clear connection between childhood struggles and financial problems later in life.

Young adults who regularly or sometimes worried when they were children about care, safety or having enough to eat are also less likely to be employed, less likely to have consistent income month-to-month and less likely to pay all of their current monthly bills in full, compared with those who never or rarely worried about these concerns as children, Yellen said.

 Associated Press

TECHNOLOGY

Johnson & Johnson halts YouTube ads

U.S. health-care conglomerate Johnson & Johnson is the latest company to suspend all digital advertising on Googles YouTube, over concerns that its ads may have appeared on channels that broadcast offensive videos.

Wireless carriers Verizon and AT&T said Wednesday that they would suspend digital ads on YouTube, joining a list of well-known British brands that are deserting Alphabets Google.

Google has come under intense scrutiny for ads appearing alongside videos on YouTube carrying homophobic or anti-Semitic messages. The company said Wednesday that it has started an extensive review of its advertising policies.

J&J said it wanted to ensure that its product advertising did not appear on channels that promote offensive content.

The suspensions do not affect Googles biggest ad product  search. According to eMarketer, Googles 2017 global ad revenue is projected to be $73.75 billion, grabbing 62 percent of the $99.62 billion search market. Search accounts for 83 percent of Googles overall ad revenue.

 Reuters

Also in Business

Long-term U.S. mortgage rates slid this week from their highest levels of 2017. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on 30-year, fixed-rate home loans fell to 4.23 percent from 4.30 percent last week. The benchmark rate stood at 3.71 percent a year ago and averaged 3.65 percent in 2016, lowest in records dating to 1971. The rate on 15-year mortgages tumbled to 3.44 percent from 3.5 percent.

The trial between bankrupt brokerage MF Global, run by former New Jersey governor

Jon Corzine, and its former accounting firm, PwC, came to an end Thursday, with both parties saying they have reached a settlement. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. MF Global had been suing PwC for as much as $3 billion, alleging that negligence by the firms accountants led to confusion about the current financial health of MF Global at a time of global market turmoil. That confusion led MF Global to file for bankruptcy in late 2011.

ABC News said three of its Twitter accounts were hacked Thursday morning, sending out profanity-filled tweets to its millions of followers. The tweets have since been deleted, and ABC News said that it resolved the issue quickly. The hacked accounts included the main ABC News one, which has nearly 10 million followers, and two accounts related to its morning show Good Morning America. Twitter declined to comment, saying that it does not discuss individual accounts for privacy and security reasons.

Disney chief executive Bob Iger is getting a one-year contract extension. The Walt Disney Co. on Thursday ended speculation that Iger, 66, would retire this year, extending his contract to July 2, 2019. Igers base salary of $2.5 million will remain, but he gets a $5 million signing bonus, according to filings with the Security Exchange Commission. Iger made a total of $43.9 million in 2016, when tacking on stock awards and other perks.

Alaska Airlines has bad news for loyal customers of Virgin America: Their airlines name is being dumped. Alaska says it will retire the Virgin brand, probably in 2019. Alaska Airlines bought the carrier last year for $2.6 billion.

German candymaker Haribo, famous for its fruit-flavored gummy bears, plans to build its first production facility in the United States and start making confectionery here in 2020. Family-owned Haribo, which employs 7,000 people worldwide in 10 countries, said Thursday that it has decided to acquire property in Wisconsin for the factory.

 From news reports

Coming today

8:30 a.m.: Commerce Department releases report on durable-goods orders for February.
John Ellis, president of Optics For Hire, was dismayed to discover that ads for his engineering company were helping fund right-wing websites including one owned by white nationalist leader Richard Spencer. (Josh Reynolds/For The Washington Post)

Correction: An earlier version of this story said The Post sent an e-mail seeking comment to the website My Posting Career. The Post sent the e-mail to the wrong address. The Post did seek comment via a phone number affiliated with My Posting Career in a domain registration database but did not receive a response. This story has been updated with a comment.

As the owner of a small business in liberal Massachusetts, John Ellis was a natural sympathizer of the nationwide call for advertisers to boycott Breitbart News, with its hard-edge conservative politics and close ties to President Trump. But it made Ellis wonder about other, more extreme right-wing sites: Who is placing ads on them?

A few clicks around the Internet revealed a troubling answer: He was.

On a website owned by white nationalist leader Richard Spencer, Ellis saw an ad for his engineering company, Optics for Hire, pop up on the screen  even though he had never knowingly bought the ad.

What Ellis had stumbled on was a little-known facet of the booming world of Internet advertising. Businesses using the latest in online advertising technology offered by Google, Yahoo and major competitors are also increasingly finding their ads placed alongside politically extreme and derogatory content.

Thats because the ad networks offered by Google, Yahoo and others can display ads on vast numbers of third-party websites based on peoples search and browsing histories. Although the strategy gives advertisers an unprecedented ability to reach customers who fit a narrow profile, it dramatically curtails their ability to control where their advertisements appear.

No one has any idea where their ads are going, said Ellis. In some cases, he added, ad networks are monetizing hate.

In a sign of growing frustration, AT&T, Verizon and other leading companies this week pulled their business from Googles AdSense network in response to news reports that ads had appeared with propaganda from the Islamic State and violent groups.

But the issue is broader. A Washington Post examination of dozens of sites with politically extreme and derogatory content found that many were customers of leading ad networks, which share a portion of revenue gleaned from advertisers with the sites operators.

The Posts examination found that the networks had displayed ads for Allstate, IBM, DirectTV and dozens of other household brand names on websites with content containing racial and ethnic slurs, Holocaust denial and disparaging comments about African Americans, Jews, women and gay people.

Some of these sites, the Post found, featured hateful and derogatory content throughout. In others, it was confined to comment sections, where users went far beyond the language used by the sites writers, whose expressed views fell closer to the political mainstream.

Googles AdSense, for example, last month ran ads for several companies alongside comments using a slur for African Americans, saying hang them all. Other Google-displayed ads, for Macys and the genetics company 23andMe, appeared on the website My Posting Career, which describes itself as a white privilege zone, next to a notice saying the site would offer a referral bonus for each member related to Adolf Hitler.

No business wants to be associated with sites like that, said Andy Kill, spokesman for genetic testing company 23andMe. If youre trusting an ad algorithm to do this, this is what can happen, he said. Its frustrating.

A person identifying himself as Stephen J. Krune III, who is the registered owner of the My Posting Career domain name, called the site a radical comedy forum in a statement.

MPC uses avant garde humor to tweak the political establishment in the long tradition of radical comedy, the statement read. MPC is anti-white nationalist, anti-white supremacist, and highly critical of Adolf Hitler.

The problem has emerged as Web advertising strategies have evolved. Advertisers sometimes choose to place their ads on particular sites  or avoid sites they dislike  but a growing share of advertising budgets go to what the industry calls programmatic buys. These ads are aimed at people whose demographic or consumer profile is receptive to a marketing message, no matter where they browse on the Internet. Algorithms decide where to place ads, based on peoples prior Web usage, across vastly different types of sites.

The technology companies behind ad networks have slowly begun to address the issue, but warn it wont be easy to solve. They say their algorithms struggle to distinguish between content that is truly offensive and language that is not offensive in context. For example, it can be hard for computers to determine the difference between the use of a racial slur on a white-supremacy site and a website about history.

The tech companies have also long been reluctant to put themselves in the position of an arbiter of speech  given the subjectivity involved and the legal risk of making decisions about what content deserves to be read or not. Its a situation that tech giants are increasingly encountering in related spheres, too, with the proliferation of false and highly politicized news sites spreading misinformation on social networks.

On Monday, following inquiries from The Post and requests from advertisers who also had been contacted by The Post, Google apologized to advertisers. It announced it would be conducting an extensive review of ad policies with the goal of taking a tougher stance on hateful, offensive, and derogatory content.

Google said such comments violate its hate-speech policies but would not say whether it had taken action against the sites. The company said it reviews thousands of sites each day for violations and booted more than 100,000 publishers  including many single-author publishers  from its AdSense network in 2016.

Yahoo, which blocked one site that was the subject of a query by The Post, said it condemns racist or other hateful speech, adding, Of the billions of ads served on a daily basis, there are rare instances when automated ad platforms serve ads in places they shouldnt.

(The Washington Post sometimes uses such networks to place ads touting its offerings, such as subscriptions, and also generates revenue featuring ads sold through advertising networks.)

Many of the companies contacted for this story  including IBM, bareMinerals, Macys, Everquote and Allstate  expressed surprise and dismay that their ads appeared near derogatory content.

Several said they had requested that networks blacklist those pages, which is easy to do for individual sites but not for entire categories of sites. Automated filters typically miss certain kinds of derogatory speech, and tech companies traditionally have not hired the massive number of people necessary to carefully monitor content on billions of Web pages.

Some advertisers also expressed frustration that ad networks had failed to keep marketing messages from appearing alongside reader comments that might upset customers  even on sites that themselves do not promote extremist content.

Googles AdSense, for example, displayed an ad for cosmetics company bareMinerals in the comments section of Weaselzippers.us, an aggregator of conservative news. A user comment on the site used a derogatory word for gay men and said they should be lying in a pool of blood.

When The Post emailed an image of the Web page to bareMinerals spokeswoman Joanne Chiu Sulit, she said, I was shocked that we were on that site.

An email to the operators of Weaselzippers.us was not returned.

Its whack-a-mole

The issue of ad placements has become charged in an era of rising political polarization. The number of right-wing hate sites, as well as sites that traffic in sensationalist news and hoaxes, has doubled over the past year, according to ad auditing firm DoubleVerify.

With so many new sites, its difficult for advertisers to avoid having their ads appear in unwelcome places. Its whack-a-mole, said Wayne Gattinella, chief executive of DoubleVerify. You can flag keywords. You can use algorithmic decision-making to minimize it, but there is no way to filter the word choice in real time.

Advertisers generally have little choice but to depend on ad networks. The major ones have policies prohibiting advertising on sites featuring discriminatory or hateful speech, but The Post found dozens of apparent violations. Many of the sites where The Post found violations are considered hate sites by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an advocacy group that tracks hate speech.

[Ad networks] have rules in place but they dont enforce them, said Jillian York, an advocate with the Electronic Freedom Foundation, which runs Online Censorship, a program pushing technology companies to clarify why they remove content.

Last month, an ad for insurance company Allstate appeared on Alternative-Right.BlogSpot.com, whose comments section praised Hitler and his National Socialists as a visionary.

Allstate said it has tried to avoid such sites through filters. Allstate does not knowingly advertise on media that provokes hate or includes threatening, discriminatory or offensive language, spokeswoman Laura Strykowski said.

Everquote and DirectTV ads appeared on Spencers site, RadixJournal.com, alongside comments decrying the Catholic Church for advocating racial mixing and deluging white, Christian countries with savages of the worst kind.

DirectTV declined to comment. Everquote said that although it uses ad networks, We specifically require that these advertising networks refrain from placing our ads on any sites containing and/or relating to, among other things, violence, sex, racism, sexism, pornography, illegal or potentially illegal subject matter, negative publicity or any other highly explosive subject matter.

Ads for Macys, Amazon.com, and even Planned Parenthood, appeared on the racially inflammatory website My Posting Career. Ads to shop on Amazon.com appeared on a site with an article headlined Yes, I am a Nazi, and a comments sections peppered with profanity and racial slurs.

Amazon, which also runs an ad network, declined to comment. (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Post).

Crisis of our time

Silicon Valley companies long have resisted calls to more aggressively police content on their platforms, saying a free and open Internet is the underpinning of the Web itself. With the exception of child pornography, Congress largely has agreed with the Silicon Valley viewpoint, leaving tech companies substantial legal leeway to monitor  or not  the content that appears on the sites and platforms that they operate.

But advertisers are demanding changes.

[Tech companies] are struggling to adjust to a reality where the same tools that enabled them to connect the world are now being used to drive it apart, entrepreneur and venture capitalist Noah Lichtenstein said. This is the crisis of our time: How do you balance the desire to have the Web be open and connected with a rising tide of institutionalized hate and the protection of those who are being attacked?

Its not clear how effective the push to deprive such sites of advertising will be. Spencer said targeting Radix Journal and similar sites is unfair to advertisers because they have so little control over where their ads appear. And if the goal is to deprive extreme sites of money, he predicted the effort would have little effect because the revenue from Web ads is so small, totaling at most a few thousand dollars a year.

If I were kicked off of all of these things, it would have no effect on my life whatsoever, Spencer said.

Emails to contact information listed for Alternative-Right.blogspot.com received no reply. Breitbart News also did not return emails seeking comment about the advertising boycott directed against the site.

Disqus, a Silicon Valley start-up that manages comments sections for 4 million sites, including those for Breitbart News, Radix Journal and Occidental Dissent, sells advertising alongside the comments. It has been trying to work through the issues raised by inflammatory content, said chief executive Daniel Ha, adding that the company has been flooded with complaints about hate speech from users, advertisers and employees.

User-generated content has always been extremely chaotic, and thats part of what makes the Internet so amazing  you can share very unpopular ideas, Ha said. I think, however, that weve seen in the last year that theres a bigger responsibility for how that affects society.

The companys terms and conditions prohibit instances of extreme discrimination on its comment boards, and a team of 10 reviewers makes the judgment calls. He said the line between targeted harassment that feels violent vs. someone making an off-color joke isnt always clear.

In a blog post last month, the company announced a new tool that allows users to flag offensive comments. But the software is still largely untested.

Ha said he had blocked three of the extremist sites after being contacted by The Post. One of them, the neo-Confederate site Occidental Dissent, used the development to make a public call for more donations, earning what site founder Brad Griffin said was about $1,000  several times more than the advertisements had produced in recent months.

It worked out nice for me, Griffin said.
Although the requested cuts are not likely to pass, the proposal would return the responsibility of both these efforts back to state-level and local entities. However, without a federal agency tasked with holding states accountable, many goals may not be met. In the Chesapeake Bay, states have proved in the past they were not able to reach cleanup goals by themselves without federal intervention.

More than 150 major rivers and streams flow into Americas largest estuary with a watershed extending from Virginia into southern New York and throughout six Mid-Atlantic states. More than 17 million people live in the 64,000-square-mile bay watershed. All precipitation and runoff from this watershed drains into the Chesapeake Bay and onward to the Atlantic Ocean.





The Chesapeake is an economic powerhouse, serving as a major link in the intercoastal waterway as well as supporting a robust fishing industry famous for its blue crabs and oysters. Its also a major draw for tourism, attracting boaters, outdoor enthusiasts and sport fishermen.

The bay has recently found itself struggling to coexist with the population centers and agricultural hubs that are within its watershed. Through efforts by the EPA and other organizations, the bay has started to rebound and is the healthiest its been in years, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

In 2014, the six governors of the watershed states and the mayor of the District of Columbia signed an agreement along with the administrator of the EPA to set goals and track the progress of the bays restoration. This agreement holds several states accountable and allows collaboration across state lines.

One part of the agreement is maintaining healthy blue crab populations and restoring oyster populations and habitat. The agreement maintains a population target of 215 million female blue crabs in the bay and has facilitated an annual gathering of the various federal and local jurisdictions. If the population fell near or below the established threshold of 70 million, it would prompt management action from the jurisdictions.





If were just talking about blue crabs among the [local jurisdictions], were sort of only talking about what they can do, and what they can do is control harvest, said Bruce Vogt, a manager of National Oceanic & Atmospheric Associations Chesapeake Bay Office and coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay programs sustainable fisheries goal implementation team. What the partnership in the bay program provides thats valuable is, were able to say we think these other factors  habitat, water quality  are also important.

But the bays health is still not perfect. In 2010, the EPA established total maximum daily loads of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment in the bay, providing a goal for each of the jurisdictions to work toward to decrease the levels of these pollutants. Without the EPA to hold local governments accountable, water pollutants could go unchecked.





The EPA limits set a goal of implementing strategies by 2025 to decrease nitrogen and phosphorus levels, with acknowledgement that the actual reduction process may take longer. According to data from the United States Geological Survey, although most jurisdiction areas have improved their pollutant levels since 2005 and some have met the goals, the majority of them have not yet reached them.

In addition to nutrient pollution, sediment that is washed into rivers that feed the bay also cause problems. The fine, silty dust covers underwater grasses, harming an important part of the ecosystem. Part of the cleanup plan across the watershed states is to reduce runoff from farms and municipalities by upgrading dated sewer infrastructure.





The Conowingo Dam, on the Susquehanna River in Maryland, is ground zero for the sediment problem in the bay. Over the years, sediment has accumulated behind the dam, filling it to the point where it can hold no more. When major storms bring heavy rain, tons of sediment is washed into the bay. After particularly heavy rains associated with Tropical Storm Lee, in 2011, the sediment plume was visible from space. Its not uncommon for some parts of the bay to be shut down after storms because of the increased levels of pollution. When this happens, fishing, boating, tourism and recreation all suffer.

Trumps budget proposal also cuts the EPAs Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which was launched in 2010 to protect and restore the lakes. The Great Lakes region stretches across eights states and affects more than 30 million people in the United States and Canada. The lakes hold 84 percent of all surface freshwater in North America. Efforts to restore the lakes also represent a diplomatic collaboration via the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the two nations. With the EPA spearheading U.S. activities, the agreement was first introduced in 1972 and was updated most recently in 2012.





The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1987 identified 43 geographic areas of concern: 26 in the U.S., 12 in Canada and five shared between the two countries. These were locations suffering environmental degradation as a result of human activity. In 2012, the updated agreement reaffirmed these areas and the effort to restore them.

Since being identified, four areas in the U.S. and three areas in Canada have been removed from the list, because they have been restored. Two of the recovered U.S. sites received nearly $13 million total funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Restoration of White Lake, Mich., an area of concern delisted in 2014, spurred new real estate development, said Richard Hobrla, head of the Great Lakes Coordination Program within the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

If [the budget] went through as its proposed, it would be fairly catastrophic, Hobrla said. Although he expects some funding cuts, Hobrla doesnt think the GLRI will be completely shut down. Theres just too much support for the EPA and for the program and for the general goals of clean water and clean air.

Nevertheless, some areas could be heavily affected if funding stopped. Torch Lake, Mich., on the shore of Lake Superior, is one example of a trouble spot that needs more work, according to Hobrla, who speculates that a loss of funding from GLRI would mean it might never get cleaned up. For similar areas of concern that have not significantly improved, Hobrla thinks its unlikely there would be state funding to support these initiatives if federal funding were to be drained.

A 2011 study by the University of Michigan found that more than 1.5 million jobs are directly connected to the lakes, generating $62 billion in wages annually. The Rust Belt states that border the Great Lakes rely on them for shipping and transporting manufacturing goods. But the lakes impact on the region extends beyond the factories. According to the Brookings Institution, every dollar spent on the GLRI will bring in $2 of long-term economic gains.





Among other things, the EPA fights the spread of invasive species within the lakes. These non-native animals out-compete native species and disrupt the ecological balance of the lakes. Many, like the Asian carp, have voracious appetites and no natural predators in the ecosystem.





The EPA has been fighting a number of invasive species over the years. Some have already infiltrated the lakes. Its estimated that aquatic invasive species cost the region $100 million a year.

Asian carp were introduced into Arkansas lakes in the 1970s and have been spotted as close as six miles from the lakes in the Chicago River. When startled, the fishwhich can grow to be up to 50 poundshave been known to leap out of the water, high into the air. This behavior can be dangerous, risking the safety of recreational boaters and property.

Another invasive species, the zebra mussel, attach themselves to surfaces and can cause problems when they block intake pipelines. They also attach themselves to docks, buoys and the lake bed. Their sharp shells have led to beach closings to protect swimmers, which hurts local tourism.





The EPA is also responsible for monitoring the water quality of the lakes. When bacteria is high, local areas might close swimming at beaches. A major problem for the lakes is phosphorous pollution and associated algae blooms, which can deplete oxygen. Low oxygen levels can kill fish, putting vital fisheries at risk.

In addition to funding, the EPA provides research that helps local jurisdictions make decisions as well as coordination to hold them accountable. While Trumps proposed cuts may not pass, a significant reduction in the EPAs budget may have wide-ranging effects.

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, USGS Chesapeake Bay River Input Monitoring stations data, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database, USDA, Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Brookings Institution, Office of Management and Budget.
Many of Donald Trumps campaign promises involved repealing President Barack Obama-era rules and regulations.

Now, Trump is working with Congress and the executive branch to undo his predecessors legacy in seven key policy areas: environment, immigration, civil rights, labor and finance, health care, education and government reform.

They are using three common tools of governing to do this: executive actions issued by Trump, which have the force of law; cabinet-level agency decisions from Trumps executive branch; new legislation passed by Congress

The legislative window for Republicans to use the Congressional Review Act to abolish rules adopted by the previous administration ended on May 11. The 1996 law allows Congress to target recently issued federal regulations via a joint resolution of disapproval, which requires a majority vote and the presidents signature to nullify a rule and prohibit the federal government from issuing a substantially similar one in the future.

Before this year, Congress had only eliminated one rule--a regulation on ergonomics Bill Clinton enacted during his final year in officein this way. In less than four months, Republicans have wiped away at least 13 rules covering everything from limits on the dumping of waste from surface-mining operations to expanding states power to offer retirement accounts to private-sector workers. Most of the overturned rules were related to labor and finance, and 17 more proposed resolutions about environmental rules did not get a vote.

[This story has been optimized for offline reading on our apps. For a richer experience, you can find the full version of this story at wapo.st/overturning-obama. An Internet connection is required.]
A new study rearranges the dinosaur family tree, proposing a new theory for how big animals such as T. rex evolved over time. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Tyrannosaurus rex and his buddies could be on the move as a new study proposes a massive shake-up of the dinosaur family tree.

Scientists who took a deeper look at dinosaur fossils suggest a different evolutionary history for dinosaurs, moving meat-eating theropods such as T. rex to a new branch of the family tree and hinting at an earlier and more northern origin for dinosaurs.

The revised dinosaur tree makes more sense than the old one, initially designed more than a century ago based on hip shape, said Matthew Baron, a paleontology doctoral student at the University of Cambridge in England. He is the lead author of the study in Wednesdays journal Nature.

If the authors are correct, this really turns our long-standing understanding of dinosaur evolution upside down, Kristi Curry Rogers, a paleontologist at Macalester College in Minnesota who wasnt part of the study, wrote in an email.

Dinosaurs are split into two groups. One group has birdlike hips and is called Ornithischia (pronounced or-ni-THISS-kee-a). It includes the spiky-tailed stegosaurus. The group with reptilelike hips is called Saurischia (saw-RIS-kee-a), and includes the long-necked brontosaurus.

T. rex and other theropods, which later evolved into modern-day birds, were considered an offshoot from the group that includes the brontosaurus. The new study moves them to the group that includes the stegosaurus, but on a different branch.

It means that animals that weve always thought were very closely related to each other might not be, said Rogers, who praised the study, saying it prompts a whole bunch of new questions.

Baron and his colleagues looked at 450 characteristics of 75 dinosaur species. They used computer simulations to group together those with similar characteristics, creating tens of thousands of potential dinosaur family trees. The proposed family tree combines the 80 most likely scenarios, he said.

The grouping is important because it helps explain how big animals changed with time, Baron said, noting that the dinosaurs ruled Earth for more than 150 million years.

His research suggests that dinosaurs popped up 247 million years ago  10 million years earlier than the standard theory says  with a plant-eating dinosaur from Tanzania in East Africa. Its called Nyasasaurus and was six to 10 feet tall.

He also found a reptilian ancestor thats not quite a dinosaur, but as close as you can get. Surprisingly, it was in Scotland. Previous theories pointed to dinosaurs first evolving out of the Southern Hemisphere. Many outside scientists said there wasnt enough evidence to support Barons northern concept.

The paper is already dividing dinosaur experts.

Famed University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno called the basis of the Baron family tree weak and said the central question the paper leaves unanswered for me is Why?

Matthew Carrano, dinosaur curator at the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History, said its hard to side with any theory because early dinosaur fossil records are so incomplete.
A Secret Service agent guards the rented Kalorama home of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, where No Parking signs have been installed. (J. Lawler Duggan/For The Washington Post)

Ivanka Trumps neighbors delivered a handwritten note welcoming her to their gilded Northwest Washington Zip code after she and her husband, Jared Kushner, moved from New York with their three small children.

When the presidents daughter did not respond, Rhona Friedman, an attorney who lives next door, understood.

Ivanka was busy settling in, she figured.

But Friedman and other neighbors were far less patient when two No Parking signs appeared outside the TrumpKushner house and Secret Service SUVs began swallowing spots on Tracy Place NW, their block in the Kalorama neighborhood.

Their exasperation peaked Monday when city workers installed two additional No Parking signs  not in front of Trumps house, but outside Friedmans residence next door.

Ivanka Trump leaves her Kalorama home for one of the SUVs often found outside. (J. Lawler Duggan/For The Washington Post)

I started screaming, Friedman said.

Then she began writing emails.

On Friday, after discussions between the Secret Service and aides to Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), city workers removed the signs outside Friedmans house, liberating that portion of the block for any mere mortal seeking a spot for their car.

Score one for the resistance.

With their long history of hosting Washington dignitaries, Kalorama residents were largely unfazed when they learned that the Trump-Kushner clan, as well as former president Barack Obama and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, were moving to the neighborhood after President Trumps election.

[There goes the neighborhood: Obamas, Ivanka Trump, Jeff Bezos moving in]

The neighbors are willing to put up with the Secret Service blockade on both ends of Belmont Road NW, the nearby street where Obama lives. Hes a former president, after all. And they appreciate that the State Departments security detail placed a few relatively unobtrusive orange cones outside Tillersons house on 24th Street NW.

(Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

But the security surrounding the six-bedroom house that Trump and Kushner rent?

Are you kidding me? asked Marti Robinson, a trial attorney who lives across the street. This is the adult child of the president. Sometimes there are 10 cars out here.

Metal barricades along Tracy Place and Kalorama Road now make it impossible for pedestrians to use the sidewalk bordering the house. Neighbors talk of clusters of Secret Service agents lingering on the pavement, conversing in loud voices and even changing their shirts in public view.

Theyve completely taken over the whole street  as if they have the authority! said Robinson, an Obama appointee to the U.S. Product Safety Commission. In her own email to the mayor, Robinson wrote that the Secret Service encampment has truly ruined my peaceful enjoyment of my house.

It is every bit as disruptive as if a very active business was allowed to come into this residential neighborhood, she wrote.

This being Washington, its no surprise that a former congressman lives in the neighborhood and that he frames the conflict in purely ideological terms.

Were just a little story in a cosmic, bigger story, which is the whole Trump phenomenon and how they push their way around, said Toby Moffett, a Democrat who represented Connecticut in the House. You have people coming and going. You have three or four, sometimes five, SUVs that are very big and that arent from the neighborhood.

Friedman has a garage for her own car. But she said parking can be challenging for people who visit.

If you happen to miss that moment before the spaces get filled, youre dead, she said. We were a nice, quiet residential community and weve become a neighborhood where people take pictures.

Hope Hicks, a White House spokeswoman, referred questions to the Secret Service. A spokesman for the agency, in an email, wrote that the Secret Service makes every effort to collaborate with businesses and residents to minimize disruptions, while simultaneously maintaining the highest level of security for the individuals we are mandated to protect.

Kevin Harris, a spokesman for Bowser, said city workers installed the No Parking signs at the request of the Secret Service, prompting immediate complaints from five neighbors.

David Bender, chair of the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, said he has received frustrated emails from a dozen residents.

Even before Obama, Trump and Kushner moved to Kalorama, parking was a challenge. A nearby mosque draws large gatherings of worshipers, many of whom park their cars on neighborhood streets.

All this stuff that had been building up sort of boiled over, Harris said.

Harris said the neighbors complaints prompted mayoral aides to negotiate a deal with the Secret Service to remove two of the four No Parking signs Friday.

In January, after Trump and Kushner moved into the house, Friedman and her husband wrote a note to the couple on engraved stationery. It said, Welcome to Kalorama, we know youre going to love it  we have,  Friedman recalled, adding that she threw in a line that her two dogs love children.

A few weeks ago, Friedmans husband, Don, was walking their dogs when he spotted Ivanka out for a stroll with one of her children.

Hi, Im Don, I live next door, he said.

Hi, Im Ivanka, she responded with a wave.

It was raining, so there was no chance to linger.

There have been occasional sightings of Trump and Kushner, including last Sunday at a local playground with their children. For the most part, though, neighbors say they rarely see the couple.

When Ivanka moved in, we were all excited to shine a spotlight on our pretty neighborhood, said Kay Kendall, who lives on Tracy Place with her husband, AOL International founder Jack Davies.

Kendall, chair of the Districts Commission on the Arts and Humanities, even envisioned throwing them a welcoming party.

I felt friendly, there was a friendliness, she said. I think those signs were not friendly. What can I say?

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misstated the agency responsible for placing orange cones outside the house of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
One caller threatened to burn down Rockville High School. Another vowed to show up to shoot the illegals. Hundreds more have weighed in with emails, calls or tweets bashing immigrant students, assailing school policies, demanding the ouster of the superintendent.

The anger and vitriol that flooded a suburban Maryland school system have not let up in the days since a 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two classmates who are undocumented immigrants, fueling the contentious national immigration debate.

Montgomery County school officials have pushed back on immigration issues, saying the school system, like others in Maryland and nationally, admits all children, regardless of their status, in keeping with U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

We are a public school system, and we serve all of our students when they come to us, Schools Superintendent Jack Smith said.

[Rockville High rape case draws attention at White House briefing]

Rockville High School. (The Washington Post)

But the outpouring of the past week has also included pointed questions about safety. How could a rape happen at 9 a.m. in a school of 1,450 students? Where were the adults when the victim was allegedly pushed into a boys bathroom? Did anyone notice the students were out of class?

School officials have voiced horror and regret about the March 16 incident but have not provided detailed answers, saying they cannot do so while police are investigating because it might jeopardize the prosecution.

As far as explaining how this could happen, that information will come out . . . as the judicial process unfolds, Smith told reporters.

[Suspects in rape case came to U.S. last year to join relatives]

Smith said the school district is reviewing every single aspect of its safety plans to address any gaps in security. Rockville High is one of the systems smaller high schools. It has five security staff members in addition to a sworn school resource officer who is on the county police force and 105 surveillance cameras.

Looking to reassure parents, Rockville Principal Billie-Jean Bensen said this week the school is making small but significant changes so staff members know where our students are all the time. Teachers will take attendance several times during class and keep closer track of hallway passes and absences, she said.

We are being very vigilant about making sure your children are safe in school, she said at a Tuesday night meeting attended by 600 to 700 people that was closed to the news media. Officials later made a recording public.

Henry E. Sanchez Milian (Montgomery County Police)

One county resident suggested the school monitor its hallway cameras in real time, rather than using them mostly to examine incidents after the fact. That might prevent a tragedy like this from happening, she said, to applause.

[Outraged parents descend on Rockville High after alleged rape at school]

School officials said they do not have nearly enough staff members to monitor the thousands of cameras placed in schools across the district but are assessing how they are used.

The suspects in the case were arrested at Rockville High last week. An attorney for Henry Sanchez Milian, 18, has said his client was wrongly accused. Attorneys for Jose Montano, 17, have not commented. Court documents allege the two teens took turns raping the victim as she cried out in pain and repeatedly told them to stop.

Amid community outrage, many have focused on the immigration status of the students, and on their ages. Both arrived at Rockville High earlier in the school year and were ninth-

graders enrolled in classes for English learners.

While their grade level has been a flash point, school officials say such designations are based on credits earned, not age. High schools have long brought together teenagers ranging in age from 14 to 18 or even older, they said. Students are eligible to enroll by law if they are under 21.

The suspects were not in the same classes as the victim, school officials said. The victim knew one suspect but not the other, police said.

Paul Geller, president of the countywide council of PTAs, called the situation beyond tragicand said he has been hearing plenty from parents. The folks Ive talked to so far, they just want it fixed, he said.

The attack took place 75 minutes into the school day in a boys restroom in a less-traveled part of the school, police said. At this weeks meeting, one community member raised questions about a particular restroom that is often locked.

School officials did not comment on whether the incident took place there, citing the investigation, but said the restroom is being converted to a walk-in style like others on campus.

This is every school systems worst nightmare, said school board member Patricia ONeill, noting that families expect children to be safe during the school day. She said she had not heard of another Montgomery case like the one at Rockville High in nearly two decades on the board.

Last school year, there were 250 sex-related serious incidents in Montgomerys 200-plus schools, according to a district safety report. The category includes unwelcome sexual advances, verbal and written harassment, assault and rape. Sixty-four of the incidents resulted in calls to police, the report said.

Jennifer Alvaro, an activist on school sexual abuse issues in Montgomery, said she has found the reports numbers are far lower than what actually occurs. She called on the district to do better tracking. Without accurately understanding the full scope of the problem, you cant begin to solve it, she said.

At Rockville High, additional police were on campus this week as hostile calls and emails came in. PTSA leaders closed their meeting to reporters. Bensen, the principal, declined most interviews, saying she wanted to focus on her community, officials said.

On Thursday, Rockville High students and staff members dressed in orange, a school color, to show unity as part of an effort they called Rockville Strong. Several other schools joined in to show support, said Alejandra Crawley, head of Rockvilles counseling department.

It was difficult to go through such a horrific experience, but were just trying to come together. . . . Were trying to heal, she said.

School officials said they would provide more information next week about enhancing security.

Itll be an impetus to look at all our schools, said Michael A. Durso, school board president.

Other community leaders worried about fallout from the case. One parent at the Rockville meeting said she had heard Latino students had gotten comments like, Why are you here? and This is why we need to build the wall.

[Trump casts immigrants as dangerous criminals. Evidence shows otherwise.]

I just really encourage the parents to reach out and help that not become a thing, she said.

Rockville Highs student body is 41 percent Hispanic, 30 percent white, 13 percent black and 12 percent Asian. Students who are in classes for English learners accounted for 10 percent of enrollment last year.

Diego Uriburu, a Latino community leader, described the incident as horrible and said its important to make sure the actions of the alleged offenders do not cast a negative cloud on other students who are recent arrivals, or on the larger community.

There are thousands and thousands of other kids who are working extremely hard to contribute to society, he said. They love this country. They have nothing to do with crime.
THE DISTRICT

Kennedy Center

volunteer is charged

A Kennedy Center volunteer was arrested Thursday and accused of stealing two presidential seals from the venue, authorities said.

Officers recovered two allegedly stolen seals from the Northwest Washington home of Daniel S. Lewin, a volunteer driver at the Kennedy Center who was identified from surveillance footage there, the U.S. Park Police said in a statement. One seal was reported missing in 2015, and another was reported missing last year. Lewin was charged with first-degree theft.

The presidential seal, which depicts an eagle holding arrows and an olive branch, is the official symbol of the presidency and is seen on presidential correspondence, at lecterns when the president speaks and in architectural features at the White House, according to a 2013 article in Smithsonian magazine.

The seals were about two feet in diameter and were concrete, a Park Police spokeswoman said.

The Kennedy Center was not available for comment.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

MARYLAND

Officer is accused

of striking suspect

A Prince Georges County police officer accused of striking a handcuffed suspect was indicted Thursday on counts of assault and misconduct in office, police and prosecutors said.

Cpl. Levi Vaughn was suspended in November after police learned of the alleged incident, according to a statement from the department.

The alleged assault occurred on July 15, according to a statement from the Prince Georges County States Attorneys Office.

Vaughn and other officers were transporting an uncooperative suspect to the county jail, prosecutors said.

The officers had handcuffed him and secured his legs . . . when he spit in Officer Vaughns face, the statement said. In retaliation, Vaughn struck the suspect twice.

Police launched an investigation and brought the case to the county states attorneys office for review. Vaughn, a patrol officer, has been with the department since 2007.

 Lynh Bui

Officer crashes car,

is charged with DUI

A Prince Georges County police officer has been charged with driving under the influence after he crashed his cruiser into a tractor-trailer Thursday morning and briefly left the scene, authorities said.

It was the second time that Officer Christopher A. Brown has been charged with driving under the influence, police said. In 2012, he was charged with driving under the influence and pleaded guilty, according to police and online court records.

In the most recent incident, Brown, 31, was off duty and driving his cruiser along Interstate 495 near Pennsylvania Avenue at about 2:30 a.m. when he clipped the back of a tractor-trailer, lost control and hit a guardrail, a police statement said.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, who was not injured, called for help.

When officers arrived, they found the cruiser empty, police said. They later learned that Brown had walked away from the scene; he came back on his own a short time later while officers investigated the crash, police said.

Brown, who has been a Prince Georges officer since 2009, has been charged with several counts, including driving under the influence and speeding in Thursdays crash. He has been suspended with pay.

 Lynh Bui

THE REGION

Bears are back,

and theyre hungry

Spring is here. Hibernation is over. And bears are coming out of their winter dens, officials in Northern Virginia are warning area residents.

Officials in Prince William County said they received several calls in late February about bear sightings in two areas in Manassas, including near Balls Ford Road and along Sudley Road. And the bears are probably hungry.

Experts said bears are most active from late March through May. They gave reminders about how to deal with hungry bears, including taking away food sources, such as pet food, and keeping trash bins in a secured place.

And what to do if you see a bear? Keep your distance. Bring pets inside. Leave the area where the bear is. Dont feed it.

 Dana Hedgpeth
For almost 100 years, two parks in Charlottesville have honored two Confederate generals: Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson, the visage of each enshrined in bronze.

After white supremacist Dylann Roof killed nine black parishioners at a church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015, some Confederate symbols across the South began to come down. In February, the Charlottesville City Council voted to rename Lee Park and Jackson Park, remove the statue of Lee and include a memorial to those who suffered under slavery.

[A Virginia city votes to remove a Confederate statue, but doing so may prove difficult]

But this week, Virginias Sons of Confederate Veterans, a fund dedicated to defending our historic monuments, and 11 citizens sued Charlottesville and its city council, saying the councils vote on the issue showed total disregard for Virginia law.

The Lee statue and the Jackson statue are Confederate monuments and memorials of the War Between the States, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in Charlottesville Circuit Court. Defendants are required by law to protect and to preserve the aforesaid historic monuments.

The lawsuit asked for an injunction to freeze the status quo in both parks and stop any potential destruction while this complex litigation moves forward, according to a statement from the Monument Fund, a plaintiff in the suit.

Plaintiffs also sought $500 each and $100,000 in punitive damages, and said the price of removing and relocating the Lee monument would be $330,000.

[Charlottesville was right to want to remove a Robert E. Lee statue]

Other plaintiffs in the suit include a relative of the sculptor of the Lee statue, a woman who personally expended money and effort removing graffiti from the statue, and a man who donated money for the restoration of both statues in the 1990s, according to the suit.

Charlottesvilles city attorney didnt respond to a request for comment. The plaintiffs attorneys also declined to comment but referred to a post on the website of the Monument Fund.

If we remove the monuments, we are trying to hide our own history, destroying irreplaceable historical evidence, works of art, and for what? the statement said. What do we gain? An empty lawn teaches nothing.

Charles L. Weber Jr., a Charlottesville attorney and plaintiff in the suit, said those who wish to defend the statues had no recourse but to proceed in a court of law.

Kathleen M. Galvin, an architect and city council member who voted against removing the Lee statue, said the lawsuit was unfortunate because it preserved a status quo no one on the council was happy with. Noting that the statues were well-respected works of art, she preferred placing a memorial to slaves near the Lee statue.

Removing the statues erases and mitigates history; failing to alter the parks so as to tell a more complete story, however, obscures and biases history, she wrote in an email.

Bob Fenwick, a Charlottesville council member who voted to remove the Lee statue, said he was partly swayed by a commissions recommendation last year that the park be changed  and also was disturbed by the behavior of some Confederate enthusiasts who showed up to city council meetings armed.

They dont act anything like what a Southern gentleman would act like, he said. Theres something a lot deeper and darker going on there.


Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) has introduced ethics reform legislation after several scandals involving members of his body. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Nearly a third of Maryland residents see corruption as a major problem in state government, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll, a perception that coincides with a push by lawmakers and Gov. Larry Hogan to strengthen ethics laws.

The House of Delegates gave final approval Friday to compromise legislation crafted by Hogan (R) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) that would increase financial disclosure requirements and expand the definition of what constitutes a conflict of interest.

The legislation  part of an effort to address a string of scandals involving Democratic lawmakers  will now be considered in the Senate.

State lawmakers are also negotiating bills to overhaul the structure of the Prince Georges County liquor board, an agency at the center of a federal corruption probe that resulted in bribery charges against two former delegates from Prince Georges earlier this year.

A third Democrat, who had been chosen to fill an empty seat in the House of Delegates, lost that position after he was indicted on charges of illegal campaign contributions. And Del. Dan K. Morhaim (D-Baltimore County) received a rare public reprimand from his House colleagues for violating the spirit of ethics laws by taking stances on the states nascent medical marijuana industry without publicly making clear that he was a consultant for a marijuana-related business.

[House reprimands lawmaker over marijuana business ties]

The Post-U-Md. poll finds stark regional differences in concern about corruption in both Annapolis and in local government. A 57 percent majority of Baltimore City residents say corruption in state government is a big problem, compared with 22 percent of residents in Montgomery County and 32 percent of Marylanders overall. In 2004, 27 percent of Maryland residents said they were concerned about statewide corruption. Among likely voters in 2002, the figure was 37 percent.

A smaller 24 percent of Marylanders say corruption is a big problem in their own jurisdiction. Concerns peak at 59 percent in Baltimore City and 39 percent in Prince Georges County. Major concerns about county-level corruption fall to 21 percent in Baltimore County, 17 percent among residents of Anne Arundel or Howard counties and 9 percent in Montgomery.

[Read full poll results | How it was conducted]

India Patterson, who lives in the Prince Georges town of Brentwood, said she was floored by the recent charges against former delegates Michael L. Vaughn (D) and William A. Campos (D), especially since they came from her county, which has been dogged by high-profile corruption cases.

Its an embarrassment, said Patterson, a 39-year-old health-care worker. Prince Georges has come so far, but yet we are still so behind.

Federal authorities have accused Vaughn, Campos, the liquor board administrator and an appointed commissioner of accepting or arranging bribes for actions relating to liquor laws or board decisions.

In response to the case, Hogan proposed legislation to cut local party officials from the process of choosing liquor board commissioners, while requiring the regulators to undergo criminal background checks.

[Hogan warns a culture of corruption could be taking root in Annapolis]

State lawmakers did not take action on the governors proposal, but they are advancing alternative bills that would subject liquor inspectors, commissioners and board staff to more stringent public ethics laws.

Legislators agree in their proposals that the Prince Georges county executive should appoint the commissioners, instead of the governor. They are negotiating whether state senators should still have a say.

While that debate is ongoing, lawmakers are on the verge of passing a revised version of Hogans Public Integrity Act, which is aimed at closing gaps in state ethics laws exposed by the ethics committee investigation and subsequent House reprimand of Morhaim.

The longtime lawmaker urged marijuana regulators to change rules affecting the medical marijuana industry without fully disclosing he had become affiliated with a cannabis company, and he also spoke out on marijuana issues in the legislature without making his work for the company known to fellow lawmakers.

The Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics found no violations of disclosure rules or evidence that Morhaim intentionally tried to use his public office to his financial advantage but nevertheless concluded his actions were improper and tarnished the legislative bodys reputation.

The bill, tentatively approved by the House on Thursday, would make similar conduct by lawmakers illegal, not just improper. If passed, the legislation would require lawmakers to disclose any arrangements in which they are being paid or will be paid by companies vying for state licenses or awards.

Lawmakers are generally barred from taking legislative action on bills that could have a direct financial benefit to them or their employer, and the ethics committee criticized Morhaim for asking the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to change the rules for awarding licenses to companies in a way that could have benefited Doctors Orders.

The bill awaiting final action in the House expands the definition of legislative action to include testimony before state regulators.

As we went through some issues this year with the ethics committee, I believe there were some things that we could do a little bit better, Busch said at a hearing on his ethics bill, which has since been merged with the governors. Theres got to be more transparency.

The legislation makes comprehensive financial disclosures filed by lawmakers available online, instead of requiring an in-person trip to the State Ethics Commission in Annapolis. Those who view the filings still must provide their name and home address, which are forwarded to lawmakers whose disclosures have been viewed.

The legislature rejected several ethics provisions pushed by Hogans administration, including stripping the General Assembly of the power to police its members adherence to ethics rules.

If legislators are not policing ourselves, theres accountability at the polling place, state Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery) said at a hearing on Hogans bill.

As a compromise, Democrats agreed to create a citizen advisory panel that could recommend changes to legislative ethics laws and policies but would have no investigatory power.

Is it as strong as we wanted? No. That doesnt mean that the bill going forward wont do a lot of good for the people of the state in helping to restore some of that trust that was lost, Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer said. With the very public indictments and ethical lapses that have occurred over the last couple of months, something needed to get done.

Separately, Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) are pushing to bar lawmakers from working with medical cannabis companies as part of a regulatory overhaul of the industry.

Stacy Fraser, who lives in Upper Marlboro in Prince Georges, said the recent corruption cases have left her focused more on candidates character than their political affiliation.

Its not about the party anymore, said Fraser, 41. Its the person and what their intentions are.

Scott Clement and Emily Guskin contributed to this report.
Maryland is on track to become the third state in the nation to ban hydraulic fracturing, after the Senate gave preliminary approval Friday to a House bill that would prohibit the controversial gas-extraction method.

The legislation is expected to face a final vote in the Senate on Monday before advancing to the desk of Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who endorsed it this month in a move that surprised advocates and disappointed pro-fracking Republican lawmakers from Western Maryland.

Meanwhile, a major fight is brewing between Hogan and the Democratic-majority legislature over an education-accountability bill that the governor is threatening to veto.

At a news conference Friday morning, Hogan called the bill, which has been approved by the House and is awaiting action in the Senate, one of the most outrageous and irresponsible moves taken by the General Assembly.

The measure is the legislatures response to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which allows state boards of education to determine how schools should be rated to determine performance. It would force the Maryland State Board of Education to reduce the weight of some academic markers, including standardized testing, and prohibit the state from turning a low-performing neighborhood school into a charter school.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R). (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

The bill has strong backing from the Maryland State Educators Association but is opposed by the State Board of Education.

Hogan, a charter school proponent, said the bill would eliminate an opportunity to move beyond outdated practices and to embrace innovative strategies that are producing results across the country. Citing a legislative analysis, Hogan also said the bill could put $250 million in federal funding in jeopardy. But its supporters said the proposal adheres to all federal rules.

Del. Eric G. Luedtke (D-Montgomery), the bills sponsor, dismissed Hogans comments as political rhetoric.

We all want better schools and we all want to make sure every kid has access to a great education every single day, but there are other options than just privatizing schools, he said.

The fracking bill needs support from 24 Senate lawmakers to pass; 23 have already signaled their support by sponsoring a companion measure in their chamber.

The fate of the legislation was in doubt before Hogans endorsement, with advocates convinced that the Senate environmental committee chair, Joan Carter Conway (D-Baltimore), would not allow her panel to vote on the proposal unless it had at least 29 Senate votes, a veto-proof majority.

Hogan had previously said he would support hydraulic fracturing in Maryland if it could be done in a way that wouldnt seriously harm the environment and public health. On March 17, he said he was no longer convinced that was possible.

Fracking, as the extraction method is known, involves injecting water, sand and chemicals deep into the ground at high pressure to break up rock and release natural gas. Advocates say the practice provides a cleaner energy source than coal, but opponents have raised concerns about the potential for water contamination, greenhouse-gas emissions and earthquakes.

Garrett and Allegany counties have the greatest potential for fracking in Maryland, due to their location along the massive Marcellus Shale rock formation, which gas companies have tapped extensively in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

New York and Vermont are the other states that have banned fracking, with an executive order and with legislation, respectively.

Also on Friday, the Senate unanimously approved an emergency bill establishing an independent safety agency to oversee Metro. Last month the federal government began withholding millions of dollars from Maryland, Virginia and the District because they missed a deadline to create the agency.

The Senate gave final approval to a bill that makes it a civil offense to carry a gun on public college campuses. The measure now heads to the House.

The Senate also passed a measure that increases the window of time a victim of child sexual abuse has to file a lawsuit, from seven years after reaching adulthood to 20 years.

Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery) thanked Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles), the bills sponsor, for having the courage to share his own experience of being abused as a child as he pushed for the measure over the years.
Obituaries of residents from the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Sally Hanlon, health clinic worker

Sally Hanlon, 81, a onetime Maryknoll nun who later spent more than 30 years as an interpreter and clinic worker at La Clinica del Pueblo, a health center serving Latino and immigrant groups in Washington, died Jan. 26 at a care center in Greensburg, Pa. She had complications from dementia, said a sister, Sister Colette Hanlon, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill.

Ms. Hanlon was born in Boston. She taught in Massachusetts, New Mexico and Peru before joining the Maryknoll order in 1963. While living in Bolivia and Peru for more than a decade, she served as an interpreter and community organizer for young people. She left her religious order in the late 1970s and settled in Washington. She served as an interpreter for La Clinicas executive director, Juan Romagoza, a surgeon who had been tortured in his native El Salvador.

Ms. Hanlon also helped organize the Community of Christ, an interfaith prayer group, and was part of a group of people who prayed for peace outside the Pentagon each Monday. She attended the Shrine of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in the Districts Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

Pablita Abeyta, congressional liaison

Pablita Abeyta, 63, a Navajo who retired in 2011 from the National Museum of the American Indian after many years as a congressional liaison, died Jan. 31 at her home in Washington. The cause was complications from brain surgeries, said her partner, Shaun Conway.

Ms. Abeyta, a native of Gallup, N.M., settled in the Washington area in the mid-1980s as a lobbyist for the Navajo Nation. After working on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant, she spent the 1990s in the Smithsonian Institutions government affairs office. She then joined the Indian museum, which opened in 2004. Over the years, she helped draft legislation authorizing the museum and worked on funding appropriations for its operation.

She came from a family of notable artists, and many of her works were included in exhibitions, including in the museum.

Everett Lyon Jr.,physician

Everett Lyon Jr., 86, who worked for 25 years as a general practitioner in Gainesville, Va., and treated county police officers and firefighters until his retirement in 2009, died Jan. 24 at his home in Manassas, Va. The cause was complications from pneumonia, said a grandson, Harry Fulwiler.

Dr. Lyon was born in Newport News, Va., and worked as a pharmacist and then as a doctor in Chesapeake, Va., before relocating to Gainesville in 1965. He was retired for several years before joining the Virginia Department of Health in 1993 and treating employees of Prince William County. He sang in the mens quartet at the Church of the Nazarene in Manassas and for many years flew a Cessna single-engine propeller plane.

Joan Gidding, stenographer

Joan Gidding, 93, a stenographer for the U.S. Army in India during World War II and a secretary at the Pentagon from 1949 to 1952, died Feb. 9 at an assisted-living center in Bethesda, Md. The cause was a stroke, said a son, Michael Gidding.

Mrs. Gidding was born Joan Hamilton-Littlewood in what was then Calcutta to British parents. She settled in Chevy Chase, Md., after the war. In the mid-1980s, she wrote novels and short stories. Her memberships included the Womans Club of Chevy Chase, Md.

Moses McCray, shoe repair shop owner

Moses McCray, 92, who owned and operated Modern Shoe Repair in Arlington, Va., from 1954 until it closed about six years ago, died Feb. 8 at a nursing home in Arlington. The cause was complications from pneumonia, said a friend, Arleas Kea.

Mr. McCray, an Arlington resident, was born in Rhems, S.C. He was board chairman of Lomax AME Zion Church in Arlington and helped raise money for church renovations. His memberships included Shriners International, the Masons and the board of the Arlington YMCA branch.

 From staff reports
Prince Georges County Circuit Court Judge Hassan El-Amin was reprimanded last year after his former administrative assistant filed a sexual harassment complaint against him, according to a letter from the countys administrative judge that acknowledged the discipline.

But the exact nature of the reprimand El-Amin received remains undisclosed, even to Denise Lowe-Williams, the woman who filed the grievance.

Williams now is seeking more transparency in the judicial discipline process, saying that as someone who struggled to speak out against a person in a position of power she is frustrated by the confidentiality that cloaks the outcome.

If they want to keep it hush, at least tell the victim what has been done, Williams, 52, said. It can really ruin a persons self-esteem, and it can make it seem like they did something wrong when theyre sticking their neck out.

Williams filed the complaint against El-Amin in September, accusing him of subjecting her to a sexually charged work environment since at least 2012. Williams said the judge would call her while he was on vacation to tell her he missed her, according to copies of the complaint she shared with The Washington Post. The complaint was first reported by WRC-TV (NBC4).

Judge Hassan El-Amin in 2000. (Mark Gail/The Washington Post)

In her complaint, Williams asserted the judge showed her graphic photos that served as evidence in cases he presided over and commented on how she looked in certain clothing  pieces of her wardrobe she promptly donated to charity after hearing his remarks.

It always ended up with some theme or something with sex, Williams said in an interview. I would get tired of it. It was emotionally draining. She said she sought therapy to cope with the harassment.

[Former Md. judge charged with a civil rights violation]

El-Amin has been a Prince Georges circuit court judge since 2011 and previously was a district court judge. A woman who answered the phone in El-Amins chambers Thursday said he had no comment on the matter.

Williams would tell the judge that his comments or actions made her uncomfortable, but he persisted, she said in an interview.

After four years of worrying that she, an at-will employee, would be fired if she spoke up, she decided to step forward.

Two weeks after sending her complaint to Administrative Judge Sheila Tillerson Adams, Williams, Adams and another court official met, according to emails retained by Williams. At the Oct. 5 meeting, Adams approved transferring Williams to a different administrative position within the court at her current salary and benefits, according to Williams and to a letter she shared that was signed by Adams.

Please be advised that, based on its investigation, the Court has taken prompt remedial action to redress and prevent any harassing or discriminatory behavior, Adams wrote in the Oct. 11 letter to Williams.

[Former Md. judge sentenced for ordering electrical shock for defendant]

When Williams asked the administrative judge and court administrators office what remedial action the judge faced in connection with her case, she was told the information was confidential.

Terri Charles, a spokeswoman for the Maryland judiciary, said that because the issue is a personnel matter, state law prevents her from commenting on the specific case against El-Amin or addressing Williamss concerns over transparency. The offices of the Maryland judiciary did not respond to questions about how many times judges in the state have been disciplined internally over the past year.

Any employee may file a complaint of discrimination or harassment directly with his or her employer, or with a state or federal fair employment practices agency, Charles said in a statement. Those complaints are investigated internally and the employer may take prompt remedial action to redress or prevent any potential discriminatory or harassing conduct.

Williams hired an attorney in hopes of getting more answers, but she still hasnt learned more.

Ms. Williams was advised by Administrative Judge Adams that remedial action was taken to both redress and prevent any potential harassing conduct, according to a letter Williams and her attorney received in December from the attorney generals Office of Courts and Judicial Affairs. To the extent that such remedial action involves confidential personnel matters, Judge Adams is not at liberty to disclose any further information.

The letter went on to say that in light of Williamss complaint, all circuit court judges in Prince Georges County and neighboring Charles, Calvert and St. Marys counties received additional training on harassment and discrimination.

Mindy Farber, an attorney who briefly represented Williams in her harassment case, said it is not easy for Williams and others who file similar complaints against judges to come forward against someone in a position of power. Farber that a process that is shrouded in secrecy could act as a deterrent to reporting concerns.

Its very disadvantageous to a person who has the courage to speak up, she said. You dont know whether they took you seriously enough so you can be at peace with a resolution. It shouldnt be a guessing game.

But attorneys who have represented judges facing reprimand in Maryland said the details of such investigations are often kept confidential to protect judges from claims that are not credible and could unfairly ruin a reputation.

Andrew T. Stephenson, a Baltimore-based attorney who has represented judges in the past, said it appears Williams wasnt ignored. Obviously, they took her seriously if he was reprimanded, Stephenson said.

But Williams said she wants to know the final outcome of her case and why El-Amin remains on the bench.

Williams said she has filed a new complaint with the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities, which also reviews allegations against judges.

Im praying that this makes a difference for victims and the accused, Williams said. They really need to redo that policy where the victim is not allowed to know what sanctions are placed against the defendant. It makes it seem like nobody cares.
Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, of Salisbury, N.C., surrenders to police on Dec. 4 in Washington. Welch had fired an assault rifle inside Comet Ping Pong restaurant, injuring no one. (Sathi Soma)

A North Carolina man who commandeered a Washington pizza restaurant with an assault-style rifle in December pleaded guilty Friday to weapons and assault charges in a deal with U.S. prosecutors.

Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, admitted traveling to the District anticipating a violent confrontation over his personal investigation of a viral Internet rumor known as Pizzagate, an unfounded conspiracy theory that linked Hillary Clinton to an alleged child-sex-trafficking ring. The false stories said the ring operated in the basement of Comet Ping Pong, where Clintons presidential campaign chairman, John Podesta, occasionally dined.

In a case that drew national headlines, Welch, who is from Salisbury, N.C., showed up at the popular restaurant on a Sunday afternoon, carrying a fully loaded AR-15 rifle and revolver in plain view. He pleaded guilty to a federal charge of transporting firearms and ammunition across state lines and a District count of assault with a dangerous weapon.

[Pizzagate: From rumor, to hashtag, to gunfire in D.C.]

At Fridays hearing, U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of Washington asked Welch: Did you in fact transport these firearms from North Carolina to the District of Columbia and . . . enter the Comet Ping Pong restaurant openly carrying [an AR-15 rifle] and point it in the direction of a person?

(Whitney Shefte/The Washington Post)

Yes maam, Welch, wearing eyeglasses, a beard and an orange jail shirt and pants, said during a series of brief answers to the judge.

Each count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, but prosecutors and Welchs federal defender agreed that nonbinding guidelines would probably call for a federal sentence of 18 to 24 months and a District penalty of 18 to 60 months, which could run consecutively. The sides did not agree on a sentencing recommendation.

Welch agreed to forfeit the rifle, revolver, a shotgun and ammunition he carried with him that day and to pay restitution of $5,744.33 to the restaurant for damaged computer systems, a door, lock and ping-pong table.

Prosecutors agreed to drop a District charge of possessing a firearm while committing a crime of violence, which carried a 15-year maximum penalty.

Welch will remain jailed until sentencing, which Jackson set for June 22.

Also Friday, conservative radio host and Infowars website operator Alex Jones apologized for promoting the Pizzagate conspiracy. Jones posted a six-minute video on his website in which he read a prepared statement stating that neither the restaurant nor its owner, James Alefantis, had anything to do with human trafficking. The statement came after Alefantiss attorneys had requested a retraction.

In our commentary about what had become known as Pizzagate, I made comments about Mr. Alefantis that in hindsight I regret, and for which I apologize to him, Jones said. We apologize to the extent our commentaries could be considered as negative statements about Mr. Alefantis or Comet Ping Pong, and we hope that anyone else involved in commenting on Pizzagate will do the same thing.

(Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

In plea papers, Welch, a father to two young girls, acknowledged that he had become agitated by reports and videos he read and saw online about the supposed sex ring. Welch drove to Washington in a Toyota Prius on Dec. 4.

The defendant then took it upon himself to act in what he believed would be a violent confrontation at the restaurant, assistant U.S. attorneys Demian S. Ahn and Sonali D. Patel wrote, drawing from text messages and other information captured on Welchs cellphone as he unsuccessfully tried to recruit friends for what he said could be a one-way mission.

Raiding a pedo ring, possible [sic] sacrificing the lives of a few for the lives of many, Welch wrote in one text. He continued: Standing up against a corrupt system that kidnaps, tortures and rapes babies and children in our own back yard.

Shortly before 3 p.m., Welch parked and left a loaded 12-gauge shotgun and box of shells in the car, he admitted in plea papers.

Welch acknowledged walking into the restaurant carrying a fully loaded, six-shot .38-caliber Colt revolver on his hip, and holding the 9mm AR-15 Colt rifle with about 29 rounds of ammunition across his chest, with his hands on the pistol-style grip and around the barrel.

After a panicky evacuation by workers and customers, including children, Welch fired the rifle multiple times at a locked closet door, striking computer equipment inside, court documents said. He also pointed the rifle toward an unwitting employee retrieving pizza dough from a nearby business who entered the back of the restaurant, then immediately turned and ran for his life, according to the governments evidence signed off by Welch.

Welch ultimately did not shoot anyone and surrendered after he found no evidence of hidden rooms or sex trafficking. Friends and family members had said they thought Welch was on a mission to save children, not to hurt anybody.

Dana Hedgpeth contributed to this report.
Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby said Thursday that her office will begin working to vacate any criminal convictions since 2015 that relied solely on the word of seven Baltimore police officers recently indicted on federal racketeering charges.

Her office has already identified 150 closed and adjudicated cases that are possibly tainted by the involvement of the officers, including 45 in which the defendants are incarcerated, she said.

If prosecutors cannot identify additional, independent, corroborative evidence separate and apart from the credibility of these officers  such as forensic evidence, videos or statements from witnesses  they will join with the Office of the Public Defender or the defendants private counsel to file joint motions to vacate the convictions, Mosby said.

[Federal officials indict seven Baltimore police officers on racketeering]

Mosby said her office also identified 50 active cases for review, and it has already dropped the charges in more than 30 of them. Another 18 are set to be resolved by next week, she said.

Thirteen of the active cases involved incarcerated defendants, she said. Ten have had their charges dropped and been released.

Natalie Finegar, a deputy public defender, said Mosbys consent to dismiss these cases was a necessary response to the allegations against the indicted officers.

The seven officers  Sgt. Wayne Jenkins and detectives Momodu Gondo, Evodio Hendrix, Daniel Hersl, Jemell Rayam, Marcus Taylor and Maurice Ward  were part of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force.

The federal indictment accuses the officers of shaking down citizens, filing false court paperwork and making fraudulent overtime claims.

They have pleaded not guilty and are in detention pending trial.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced Friday that the city will dedicate more resources to city children who go missing. The mayors statement comes in the wake of a public outcry about the number of children, particularly teenage girls, who go missing in the District. It also follows a call by members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday asking the FBI to assist D.C. police in their investigation of missing children.

Bowser will increase the number of police officers assigned to find missing children and establish a task force to determine what social services teenagers who run away need to stabilize their home lives. The city would also allocate more money to nonprofit organizations that work with vulnerable teenagers. Her office said the goal is to ensure that city agencies work together to protect children and that the onus doesnt fall entirely on the police department.

[D.C. police make greater use of social-media accounts for missing-person alerts]

Often times, these girls are repeat runaways, said Kevin Harris, a spokesman for the mayor. So if we really want to help solve this problem and bring down the numbers, we have to break the cycle of young people, especially young girls, who repeatedly run away from home.

On Friday afternoon, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the citys nonvoting representative in Congress, said she would introduce national legislation requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to publish detailed demographic characteristics  including race, gender and sexual orientation  of missing children.

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser at a housing event earlier this month. She has formed a task force to address the issue of missing children. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

D.C. police insist that there has not been an increase in missing teenagers but rather that the law enforcement agency has made a more concerted effort to publicize these cases. Last week, acting police chief Peter Newsham said his department has recently started tweeting out the name and photo of every missing person in the city whose case is deemed critical.

[Black teens are reporting missing  and far too few people notice.]

That definition includes anyone age 15 and under, including chronic runaways, and people 65 and over. In the past, publicizing such cases was discretionary. Bowser also plans to update a city website to include more information on each missing child.

Deborah Shore, founder of the Sasha Bruce Youth Network, has been working with homeless and displaced young people in the District for more than 40 years. She said her organization has seen a slight uptick this year in young people reaching out to their hotline or visiting their drop-in centers.

We are a city of many disparities, Shore said. Young people who dont have a lot of resources and are in a situation that is unstable, they are pretty vulnerable.

When young people run away from home, they typically will stay with someone they know and sleep on a couch, Shore said.

Theres a view out there that this is a friendly kind of situation, she said. But there are people who prey on young people. We have just seen and heard from so many young people that these arrangements are not friendly. They require some kind of payment, and often its for some kind of sexual favor.

National media outlets, including the New York Daily News and ABCs Good Morning America have run stories on the Districts missing teenagers. A headline in the Root, an African American culture and news website, demanded to know if anyone even cares about the Districts missing black and Hispanic teens.

On Thursday, black members of Congress called for the Justice Department to help local police investigate missing children in the nations capital.

Even if some of the medias coverage is misleading, Harris said the mayor thinks that the attention the issue is receiving is positive and could help bring these children home quickly and safely. Harris said that if jurisdictions across the country adopted the Districts social media policy, every missing child could receive the attention that those in D.C. are getting.

Harris said these new initiatives arent a response to the alarm raised by media coverage, although he said she announced it Friday because of the attention it is receiving.

This is what the [social media] policy was intended to do, Harris said. It was intended to get these teens faces out there. It was intended to provoke conversation. We dont ever want this to become the norm.
District crime lab officials are reviewing more than 150 firearm examinations for accuracy after the lab discovered errors by three D.C. forensic analysts who incorrectly matched bullets or shell casings recovered at crime scenes to individual weapons.

The examinations date to at least August 2015, according to federal prosecutors in Washington and the three former ballistics examiners.

The errors and retesting by the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) were disclosed in Feb. 17 and March 17 letters to defense attorneys by the U.S. Attorneys Office of the District, copies of which were obtained by The Washington Post.

The department said that of 44 cases reviewed so far, two contained errors and that the errors were not in high-priority cases and had not led to an arrest, charge or conviction, as far as lab officials know.

Federal prosecutors declined to comment on whether the identified mistakes had led to arrests or prosecutions and would not say how many defendants have been notified that work done by the three examiners was part of their cases.

Prosecutors wrote in the letters that they would no longer sponsor one of the examiners as an expert witness, and the other two are no longer employed by the department.

The Firearms Examination Unit at the D.C. Consolidated Forensic Laboratory is the second-busiest unit of the lab, ranking behind only the fingerprint section, and had 10 examiners as of December 2015  three of them full time, a department spokeswoman said. The unit conducted 559 examinations from December 2015 to December 2016 and had a backlog of 156 cases.

The review for mismatches is the latest setback for the $220 million lab that opened in 2012 and underwent a management overhaul in 2015 after prosecutors found numerous errors in the labs DNA testing.

[D.C. crime lab restarts DNA testing on limited basis after shutdown cast doubts over analysis]

The shake-up also led to questions about the independence of the lab, which suspended DNA forensic work for 10 months until March 2016.

[Prosecutors criticize D.C. crime labs handling of some DNA evidence]

Last month, department officials also announced that federal regulators were auditing the labs public health operations after testing for the Zika virus in hundreds of residents was mishandled for months. At least nine pregnant women who had been exposed to the virus were wrongly told they were negative for the infection, which can cause serious defects in developing fetuses.

[Botched Zika testing at D.C. public health lab was a failure of basic arithmetic]

The ballistics errors also come at a time of high tension  with firearms examiners and their supporters in law enforcement on one side, and many scientists, legal defense organizations and law professors on the other  over the scientific validity of ballistics tracing evidence.

In a 2014 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in and noted the importance of defendants obtaining independent ballistics testing. The court opinion was in a case that granted a retrial to an Alabama death row inmate who was then exonerated after 30 years when new firearms experts disagreed with the original examiners findings that sent him to prison.

Janet E. Mitchell, special counsel to the D.C. Public Defender Service, praised the forensic department for launching the inquiry but said all firearms tracing results should be viewed with skepticism because of the subjectivity of comparisons and lack of research into how often marks made by different weapons may look alike. Some national studies, she noted, estimated examiner error rates as high as 1 in 20.

While we are pleased that DFS is undertaking this review, these errors are likely not unique to these examiners or to these cases, Mitchell said. To the extent that this type of evidence continues to be admitted in court, judges and juries should be made fully aware of the error rates uncovered in the single appropriately designed study to date.

U.S. attorneys office spokesman Bill Miller said the office is working closely with the forensics department and awaiting the outcomes of reviews by the lab on accuracy, as well as reviews by prosecutors about any effects on cases. To ensure that every criminal defendant receives a fair trial, the U.S. attorneys office has made disclosures to defense counsel, and we will continue to share results of the findings, Miller said.

The labs internal quality controls detected the problems, said LaShon Beamon, a spokeswoman for the forensic sciences department. The lab then reported the errors to prosecutors and others, she said. This incident demonstrates some of the critical changes made at the forensics department, which Beamon said is undergoing a tremendous reform.

The current review of lab matching by the three examiners was triggered when veteran firearms examiner Daniel Barrett failed an annual proficiency test in August 2016, according to details in the letter sent by prosecutors. The letter from Michael T. Ambrosino, special counsel for DNA and forensics for the U.S. attorney, went to Betty Ballester, chief of the D.C. Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association, and to the federal and D.C. public defenders.

Barretts failed skills test prompted the lab to check a sample of his recent work in criminal cases, where officials uncovered a serious error in which he incorrectly linked shell casings to a weapon.

Lab officials then expanded the re-examination to all 120 cases Barrett has handled since August 2015  when he last passed a skills test  and that bigger, ongoing sweep turned up a second mistake, prosecutors said in a March 17 letter.

The two cases in which Barrett reached the wrong conclusions had each been confirmed by another colleague as part of a routine verification system used in the lab  meaning three examiners are part of the errors.

Cases by all three are now being investigated, although how the review is being conducted and which cases are being examined is not clear.

Prosecutors and the Districts lab would not say exactly how many cases are being studied or whether the review of the three examiners is limited only to cases in which each was the first to report a result.

Reached at his Virginia home, Barrett, 65, confirmed prosecutors account of his errors and said, I was wrong, I dont want to embarrass the unit. A certified firearms examiner for more than 40 years, Barrett said he joined the D.C. police in 2007 as a civilian analyst and moved to the forensic sciences department in 2012.

Most of his reviewed lab work involved homicides and police shootings, he said, and he was a senior examiner who trained others.

Once prosecutors barred him from being used as an expert witness, Barrett said, he decided to retire, which takes effect in the summer, and is no longer working on cases.

Its very painful for me. I had quite a reputation. And then this happened. I lost everything, he said with a sigh. Maybe Im a dinosaur. I lost confidence in myself, and I feel I let my co-workers down.

The two examiners who confirmed Barretts erroneous cases were Luciano Morales and Kevin Webster, longtime D.C. police officers and firearms examiners who also moved to the citys forensic sciences lab in 2012.

Morales, 50, defended himself and Barrett, saying their error was the result of an administrative mix-up. He blamed managers for poor record-keeping and reporting, saying, I think the issue here is management at DFS. I dont believe that things were done right within [the] firearms unit.

Morales worked 27 years as a D.C. officer, was certified as a firearms examiner in 1998 and later detailed to the forensic department. He worked there until last year, then became a contractor until September. Prosecutors did not specify which of his cases are being reviewed, but Morales said he conducted only about 24 examinations in recent years.

Webster, 55, spent 25 years as a D.C. police officer and was a firearms examiner for two years before returning under a contract in 2015. He rejoined the police department in February as a senior police officer teaching cadets.

Webster said he learned only in the past week that his cases for the District lab since August 2016  the last time he passed a proficiency test  were being scrutinized. He estimated he had worked on ballistics matches in about 25 cases since then and said he was notified that his results were being investigated because one of his cases was going to trial.

As far as my abilities, I was trained by Morales, and Morales is an excellent, excellent trainer, and hes an excellent examiner, Webster said.

Ballester, the trial lawyer association chief, called the lab errors disheartening, particularly because the units process of having a second examiner verify test results proved fallible. Ballester said that because of the cost and because requests require court approval, defense attorneys often do not order their own forensic firearms testing. As a result, defendants often rely on DFS examinations.

They are supposed to be independent. We are supposed to trust in their results, Ballester said.

The review of the D.C. lab results comes months after a White House scientific advisory panel renewed scientists challenge to whether firearms testing and other forensic techniques should be admitted as scientific evidence, reinforcing criticism by the National Research Council that matched bullets, hair or tire treads to a single source are overstated.

The Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said that the one valid study, funded by the Pentagon in 2014, established a likely error rate in firearms testing at no more than 1 in 46. Two less rigorous recent studies found a 1 in 20 error rate, the White House panel said.

Expressions of consensus among practitioners  [are] no substitute for error rates, the council said.

A leading standard-setting group of firearms analysis practitioners sponsored by the National Institute for Standards and Technology fundamentally disagreed, saying the council disregarded less rigorous studies that more accurately reflect casework as well as methods and training developed over hundreds of years, in favor of a purely statistical approach.
Threats, vandalism and recent shootings across the country have sparked outrage and have been quickly decried as hate crimes:

The fatal stabbing of a homeless black man in New York City on Monday by a white Maryland man who police said traveled to the city to act on his long-harbored hatred of black men.

The killing in Kansas of a man from India and the wounding of another. Bomb threats against Jewish schools nationwide and the desecration of Jewish cemeteries. The wounding of a Sikh man near Seattle.

But condemning a repugnant act as a hate crime is far easier than making that charge stick in court, and prosecutions could be even less frequent if the Justice Department shifts its approach under a new attorney general who has indicated that states should take the lead.

Some states do not have hate crime laws. The majority that do dont agree on what acts qualify. And atop conflicting and cumbersome language, a court ruling in a case involving Amish beard-cutting has raised hurdles to prosecutions even higher.

(Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

Winning a conviction means proving that a person was motivated, for instance, by the victims religion, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Yet arrests in a spate of bomb threats called in to Jewish schools and centers nationwide show how hard it can be to pin down motivation. Police say an Israeli teen arrested Thursday was behind the bulk of the threats, his motives unclear. Several earlier threats were made by a man trying to harass his girlfriend, according to law enforcement.

Sometimes motivation is obvious, sometimes not, said Steven M. Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio who has prosecuted hate crimes. Its an additional burden in a case, he said, but it can be done.

Federal hate crime charges generally carry stiffer penalties than state statutes, which is one reason they are used. But as important, prosecutors said, is that a federal presence makes a broad public statement that the crime is different in its intent and impact, extending well beyond an individual victim to strike at an entire community.

Treating a hate crime in the same way as other crimes belittles and minimizes it, said Dettelbach, who prosecuted the Amish case.

Federal prosecutors long have been the backstop for state officials when it comes to bringing hate crime cases. But Attorney General Jeff Sessions opposed expanding federal hate crime protections as a U.S. senator and has signaled his preference for having states be the spearhead  a stance that could have significant impact, given the patchwork of laws.

During the Obama administration, federal prosecutors filed a succession of hate crime cases. One was against Dylann Roof, who was sentenced to death in January for killing nine black parishioners in a church in Charleston, S.C. A conviction late last year in the murder of a transgender woman in Mississippi was the first to rely on federal protections based on a victims gender identity.

Some advocates and academics who track hate crimes say they are concerned that the Trump administration will intervene less, even as their organizations record a rapid rise in threats and attacks, particularly against Muslims. Reported hate crimes against Muslims surged in 2015 by nearly 67 percent at 257 incidents, according to FBI statistics released in November.

A new report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University at San Bernardino shows an overall increase of 13 percent in hate crimes reported in 2016 with 1,812 incidents, according to data collected from 15 U.S. cities and New York state.

At Sessionss confirmation hearing in January, Democrats pressed him about his vote against the 2009 hate crimes law that created protections for people targeted because of sexual orientation and gender identity. Hate crimes, Sessions said, are being prosecuted effectively in state courts where they would normally be expected to be prosecuted.

We are extraordinarily concerned that there will be a significant cut in prosecutions, training, mediation, research and data collection initiatives, at the federal level, said Brian Levin director of the center in San Bernardino.

Threats, laws and complications

Most hate crime cases are handled at the state and local level, with federal prosecutors deferring to local law enforcement.

Five states  South Carolina, Georgia, Wyoming, Indiana and Arkansas  have no hate crime laws. Others, including the District of Columbia and Kansas, leave it to judges to decide whether to impose stiffer penalties for hate crimes at sentencing.

Most federal prosecutions of crimes involving race, religion or gender require sign-off from the attorney general or a hand-picked representative. Thomas Wheeler, who was general counsel to Vice President Pence when Pence was Indiana governor, has been designated by Sessions as the acting assistant attorney general overseeing civil rights cases.

After the bomb threats reported by Jewish schools and community centers in at least 33 states and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, all 100 senators on March 7 signed a letter urging swift action including investigating and prosecuting those making these threats. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on the letter, which was addressed to Sessions, FBI Director James B. Comey and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly.

[Dozens of headstones vandalized at Philadelphia Jewish cemetery]

Beyond prosecutions, the Obama-era Justice Department began mandatory bias training for more than 28,000 employees, formed hate crime task forces through U.S. attorneys offices and provided grants to local organizations working to prevent hate-motivated violence.

Thats the level of involvement that were hoping and pressing for, said Michael Lieberman, Washington counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, one of the groups that pushed for passage of the federal 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

[All 100 senators ask Trump officials for swift action after bomb threats]

The challenge in bringing federal hate crime cases has much to do with how the laws are written.

A homophobic slur scrawled on the side of a gay club, for instance, is more difficult to charge as a hate crime than the vandalism of a church, synagogue or mosque because religious institutions have special protections as places of worship under federal law.

A 2014 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in the Amish beard-cutting case added another element to the calculations on when to move federally, prosecutors say.

The ruling came in the 2012 convictions of more than a dozen members of a breakaway Amish sect in Ohio who cut off the beards of other Amish who had criticized their leader in what prosecutors said was an attempt to punish and humiliate the victims.

The appeals court decision overturned the hate crimes convictions, saying the instructions given to jurors had been too broad. For the attacks to have been hate crimes, the court said, the religion of the victims had to be the prime motivation behind an attack, not just a significant factor, as jurors had been told.

A strong and clear message

On Feb. 23, the day after the fatal shooting in Kansas of an Indian engineer by a white man who witnesses said had shouted, Get out of my country, the Council on American-Islamic Relations called for state and federal hate crime charges to send a strong message that violence targeting religious or ethnic minorities will not be tolerated.

[FBI investigates shooting of two Indian men in Kansas as hate crime]

In Kansas, Johnson County District Attorney Stephen M. Howe has worked closely since then with federal agents who are investigating the shooting as a hate crime. Howe said, however, that federal hate crime charges may not be necessary as a means to enhance penalties when a suspect can face a death sentence for a killing in state court.

Were more nimble than the federal government. We can move a lot quicker, he said.

But federal prosecutors have at times decided it is uniquely imperative for the federal government to send a strong and clear message against particularly vicious acts of hate that terrorize vulnerable communities and reverberate nationally, said Vanita Gupta, the former head of the civil rights division in Obamas Justice Department.

To underscore a broader statement about tolerance, the division pursued hate crimes even when local authorities had filed charges with similar penalties, especially when states do not have robust hate crimes laws on the books or have weak enforcement, Gupta said.

In South Carolina, which has no hate crime statute, the local district attorney had already charged Roof with capital murder, making him eligible for the death penalty, before the Justice Department also decided to act.

[Dylann Roof guilty on 33 counts of federal hate crimes for Charleston church shooting]

In another recent case, Joshua Brandon Vallum already had been convicted on state murder charges in coastal Mississippi when federal investigators got involved at the urging of the local district attorney. Mississippi does not have a hate crimes statute that protects people from bias crimes based on gender identity.

Vallum pleaded guilty in the federal case to the brutal 2015 murder of Mercedes Williamson, a transgender woman he had dated in a relationship he tried to hide.

Tony Lawrence, the district attorney, said that the joint investigation yielded critical cellphone evidence and that the separate federal prosecution made clear that whatever life Mercedes chose to live, she had a right to live it.
A 38-year-old man was fatally shot in Southeast Washington early Thursday, police said.

At about 4:45 a.m., officers responded to the 1900 block of 13th Street SE for a reported shooting, D.C. police said in a statement. They found Daquan Hooks of Northeast Washington suffering from an apparent head wound, and he was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the statement said.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death a gunshot wound to the base of the head, according to the statement, and the manner of death to be homicide.

Police ask that anyone with information about the incident contact them at 202-727-9099.
A 19-year-old man, wearing gloves, entered the bedroom of a teenager sleeping on an air mattress in suburban Maryland and choked him to death, authorities said Friday.

The attack, just after midnight on Tuesday, claimed the life of Christian Leroy Matthews, 17, who lived in a townhouse in the Colesville area of Montgomery County. Police said he knew the suspect, who had dated his sister and had a child with her.

Detectives working the case got their big break Thursday when the suspect, Tysean A. Lipford, confessed to going into Matthewss bedroom in the basement and placing him in a choke hold until he was unresponsive, according to a police affidavit filed in court.

Lipford, who did not live in the townhouse, told detectives that he disposed of the gloves after the attack, authorities said.

And he allegedly spoke about a possible motive. Lipford said that sometime before the attack, he overheard Matthews telling someone on the phone that he intended to kill Lipford, Lipfords daughter and other family members, according to police accounts.

Matthews was kind to neighbors. Here he reads to Matias Jones, center, and Lucian Jones. (Kevin Jones)

Lipford claimed he feared the victim would carry out the threat, detectives wrote in court papers.

Lipford was ordered held without bond Friday. He has been charged with first-degree murder. It was unclear whether he has retained an attorney.

Matthews, who lived in the townhouse with his mother and sisters, had gone through bumps in his young life and was attending a public school for students who had struggled either academically or behaviorally. At the same time, people who knew him were quick to describe him Friday as outgoing and compassionate.

He was always wanting to talk with someone. He had the biggest smile, said Jessie Tressler, a member of International Community Church in Frederick, where Matthews went to services.

Matthews moved into the townhouse a little less than a year ago, said a next-door neighbor, Kevin William Jones, 37.

A short time later, Jones lost his 6-month-old daughter when the girl got stuck and suffocated. Something about having the friendly teenager coming over often, helping Jones with his other children, telling Jones how much he admired him as a father, drew them together, Jones said.

He helped us get through our loss, Jones said. He was a real agent for good.

Christian Matthews, 17, who lived in this Montgomery County townhouse, was killed March 21 in the basement. (Dan Morse/The Washington Post)

Jones said he slowly became a mentor to Matthews. That led to discussions about problems that Matthews had at school, including an altercation with another student motivated, Jones said, by Matthewss desire to show others he wasnt going to be messed with.

Jones said he felt perfectly fine leaving Matthews alone to care for his sons, 2 and 4. They loved him, he said.

Christian had many circles, Jones said, but I knew the circle we had always retained a sense of honor.

Jones knew the suspect, Lipford, from his visits to the neighborhood, and knew there was bad blood between him and his young friend. Christian considered him his enemy, Jones said.

But Jones said Lipford could show a softer side. He would see him and Matthewss sister go on walks holding hands

Court records in the case describe a violent attack.

According to arrest records, police were called to the Mondrian Terrace residence at 2:25 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a suspicious situation. Once there, officers spoke with several occupants, who said that just before calling police they heard a loud commotion coming from the basement area, the records state.

In the basement, police found Matthews unresponsive, with bruises around his neck. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

The investigation revealed that the victim did not get along with the father of his niece, detectives wrote. That man, they said, was Lipford.

On Thursday, Lipford came to police headquarters for what detectives described as a noncustodial interview, meaning that, initially at least, he would have been free to leave.

During the interview, Lipford stated that the victim despised him and had intimidated him on numerous occasions, detectives wrote. According to Lipford, he recently overhead the victim talking on the telephone, stating he was going to kill Lipford, his daughter, and the rest of his family.

Lipford confessed to killing the victim, detectives wrote. Lipford stated that he entered the victims bedroom, while the victim was asleep. Lipford placed the victim in a chokehold until the victim became unresponsive.

Lipford then left the house without trying to revive Matthews or calling 911, police said.

Friends of Matthewss talked Friday about the last time they saw him. For Jones, it was late Monday night, when the teenager saw his lights on and knocked on the back door. They spoke about Matthews trying to stay on a narrow path.

Tressler, at the church in Frederick, recalled seeing him after the service on Sunday, at the altar praying.

Jennifer Jenkins and Julie Tate contributed to this report.
For five years, a top official at the General Services Administration used her post to steer jobs to her unqualified husband.

Helen Renee Ballard, 51, and Robert S. Ballard, 56, pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria on Thursday to submitting more than 100 fake employment applications to federal agencies.

According to court documents, Renee Ballard was director of the GSAs Central Office Contracting Division in April 2010 when she essentially created a senior acquisition and program strategy job for her husband at an Arlington-based federal contractor, CACI. She falsely claimed to have recused herself from the contract, which paid $140,000 a year, while helping her husband falsify his education history and credentials. Robert Ballard was fired from the job after 17 months for lack of work.

Earlier in this case, prosecutors said Renee Ballard also helped put several members of her husbands family on CACIs payroll.

Renee Ballard admitted she also tried to hire her husband for a procurement job at the GSA, after again helping him falsify his resume and changing her home address to obscure their relationship. She was negotiating the highest possible salary for him when a nepotism investigation was opened. Her husband backed out of the post, while she claimed to have no connection to him and nothing to do with the hire.

In fact, she was regularly helping him doctor his resume with qualifications and education he did not have, then applying for government jobs on his behalf.

Two other government contractors hired Robert Ballard, according to court documents, but quickly fired him when it was clear he did not have the expertise he claimed.

Renee Ballard lost her directorship after the May 2011 nepotism probe, but she continued to work for the GSA until she and her husband were charged in 2016, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The Ballards each face up to five years in prison; they are set to be sentenced on July 28.
Ivan Teleguz, 38, was sentenced to death in 2006 for the capital murder-for-hire slaying of his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Yvonne Sipe, the mother of their 23-month-old son. (Virginia Dept. of Corrections)

Virginia is set to carry out a death sentence for the first time under a new protocol that shields more of the execution from public view.

Ivan Teleguz, who was convicted in the murder of his former girlfriend, is scheduled to die April 25.

Prosecutors contend that Teleguz paid to have Stephanie Sipe, the mother of his young son, killed in 2001. They said he showed the assailants Sipes Harrisonburg apartment, took them to Walmart to buy a fillet knife to use as the murder weapon and drove to Pennsylvania so he would have an alibi.

Teleguz has maintained his innocence, and two of the key witnesses against him have recanted. There is evidence to bolster the recantations, his attorneys say, that has never been heard in court.

Last October, the Supreme Court declined to take his case after Teleguz argued his trial attorneys were inadequate. Teleguz is appealing again on the grounds that his claims of inadequate counsel have never gotten a full hearing. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has declined to delay Teleguzs execution for that appeal. Attorneys for Teleguz would like Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to issue a pardon or a commutation.

Multiple witnesses have come forward that both his conviction and his death sentence are based on statements that they now admit to be lies, attorney Elizabeth Peiffer said. Justice would not be served by his execution.

A British group that assists Europeans facing the death penalty in America has also worked extensively on behalf of Teleguz, who is originally from Ukraine.

If the execution goes forward, witnesses  who could include lawyers, family members of the victim and journalists  will not be able to see Teleguz until he is restrained and IV lines have been set. The change comes after the January execution of Ricky Gray, when administering the drugs took an unusually long 33 minutes.

[Ricky Grays execution took more than 30 minutes. His attorneys want to know why.]

The ACLU of Virginia has pushed back against the policy change, expressing concern about transparency and asking McAuliffe to halt Teleguzs execution.

Such secrecy makes it nearly impossible for the observers or the public to judge whether an execution constitutes cruel and unusual punishment because of the specific method of execution employed or the suffering it causes, Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, the state ACLUs executive director, wrote in a letter to the governor.

McAuliffes office did not respond to a request for comment.

But in recent court papers, Virginias senior assistant attorney general, Alice T. Armstrong, wrote that Teleguz has not identified any grave, unforeseen contingencies; only a desire to avoid the trial courts lawful judgment.

More than a decade has passed since Teleguzs jury pronounced its moral judgment, she wrote. The bereaved Sipe family is entitled to real finality. 

Sipe was found dead in her apartment July 23, 2001, her throat slashed. Her 2-year-old son was sitting in a bathtub in the next room, unharmed. It took three years for investigators to charge Teleguz, who was convicted of hiring two men, Edward Gilkes and Michael Hetrick, to kill the mother of his child. Aleksey Safanov, an associate, testified that Teleguz was tired of paying child support.

Hetrick cut his own hand while struggling with Sipe. As he was leaving, he saw Sipes young son in the bathtub. He turned off the water and left.

Safanov also testified that after the slaying, Teleguz complained that the killer had left his own blood at the scene. Safanov said that Teleguz offered him money to eliminate the first hired killer.

But after the 2006 conviction, Gilkes and Safanov recanted, writing that they had falsely implicated Teleguz under pressure from prosecutors. Safanov said he was promised a visa to stay in the country.

I dont have any reason to lie about all of this anymore, Gilkes wrote in a deposition. I feel bad about what I did to Teleguz.

But Gilkes refused to testify again after appointed counsel warned him that he was at risk of being tried for perjury or losing his plea agreement. Safanov, who was living in Kazakhstan, never appeared in court during the appeal. Hetrick maintained that he had been paid $2,000 by Teleguz to murder Sipe.

Attorneys for Teleguz argued that Hetrick, who had his own criminal background and history of threatening to stab women, was fed information by interrogators.

Teleguzs attorneys also argued that the trial was flawed because their client was implicated in a supposed Ephrata, Pa., killing that never occurred. Gilkes testified that he was with Teleguz in Ephrata one day when two men, apparently Russian, came up and said that if they werent paid, another man would soon be killed. He said a man was killed in the town a few days later, and prosecutors referred to that case in arguing for the death penalty. But no such murder actually happened.

An appeals court deemed the recantations unreliable and upheld Teleguzs conviction.

While Gilkes retracted his trial testimony implicating Teleguz, he failed to provide any explanation why he and Hetrick traveled to Harrisonburg to murder Sipe, who drove them there or how they ultimately located Sipe, U.S. District Judge James P. Jones wrote.

Teleguzs attorneys say that Sipe could have been killed because of drug dealing in her family and that both Gilkes and Hetrick were involved in drugs.

Teleguz is one of six men on death row in Virginia, all of whom committed their crimes over a decade ago. Like other states, Virginia has struggled with a shortage of drugs for executions. Gray was killed with a previously unused cocktail of drugs that included midazolam, a sedative experts say is not strong enough to eliminate the pain of the other two drugs used.
Protesters chant during a rally against the travel ban at San Diego International Airport on Monday, March 6, 2017. (Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images)

A Virginia federal judge ruled in favor of President Trumps revised travel ban Friday, saying the presidents inflammatory comments about banning Muslims do not erase his broad national security powers.

The decision hands the administration a symbolic victory, but the attempt to forbid travel from several majority-Muslim countries remains blocked by two other federal courts.

[Second federal judge blocks revised Trump travel ban]

Unlike judges in Hawaii and Maryland, Judge Anthony J. Trenga concluded that the newer executive order differs enough from its predecessor that it is likely to pass constitutional muster.

This Court is no longer faced with a facially discriminatory order coupled with contemporaneous statements suggesting discriminatory intent, he wrote.

The newer order is free of explicit religious discrimination, offers a national-security rationale for the six specific countries included and offers exceptions for individuals in the form of waivers, he noted.

Trumps past statements, Trenga said, could not forever undermine the deference the president is legally owed in national-security matters. Nor, he argued, did more recent comments made by Trump and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller connecting the two orders.

The Court cannot conclude for the purposes of the Motion that these statements, together with the Presidents past statements, have effectively disqualified him from exercising his lawful presidential authority, the judge wrote.

Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said officials there were pleased with the decision.

As the Court correctly explains, the Presidents Executive Order falls well within his authority to safeguard the nations security, Flores said in a statement.

On the other side of the argument, Gadeir Abbas, an attorney representing the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the ruling was disappointing but had little practical significance. CAIR plans to appeal.

It really doesnt change much for us, Abbas said. While we disagree with the decision, it doesnt affect any of the other injunctions that have been put in place, and it allows us now to take the next step, which is to get the full hearing before the Fourth Circuit.

The Justice Department has already appealed the Maryland judges decision blocking the ban to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. The appeal of Trengas ruling will go to the same court, where the cases could be combined.

Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said it was not at all surprising that courts have been divided on the newer travel ban.

The second version of the executive order is certainly on stronger legal footing than the original, he said. The ball is very much now in the 4th Circuits court.

Defending the ban in a court hearing on Tuesday, Chad Readler, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Departments civil division, concurred with Trenga that the taint of Trumps comments on Muslims must at some point end.

The president has power to deny entry to this country, Readler said.

Abbas responded in court that both the order itself and the statements made around it were so discriminatory that national-security deference cannot apply.

Theres no unringing of the bell; they cant erase history, he argued. What the government has done is so unprecedented. Weve never dealt with a president issuing an executive order restricting travel from certain countries on religious grounds. This order, because its so deviant, is not what it says it is.

The White Houses own comments form a single causal chain, he argued, from a desire to ban all Muslims to the latest order. After the judge in Hawaii issued his preliminary injunction, Trump called the new travel ban a watered-down version of the first one. Miller said there were mostly minor technical differences between the two but the same policy outcome.

Abbas also contended that the national-security justification is flimsy and that it makes the orders discriminatory purpose clear. A Department of Homeland Security report on the countries involved, Abbas noted, found that citizens from those countries are rarely implicated in U.S.-based terrorism and that citizenship itself is an unreliable indicator of terrorist threat to the United States.

Trenga concluded that such criticisms were not enough to overcome the presidents broad national-security powers.

The issue is not whether [the executive order] is wise, necessary, under- or overinclusive, or even fair, he wrote. It is not whether [the order] could have been more usefully directed to populations living in particular geographical areas presenting even greater threats to national security or even whether it is politically motivated. Rather, the core substantive issue of law  is whether [the order] falls within the bounds of the Presidents statutory authority.

CAIR sued the president on behalf of activists who say that all Muslims are victims of an order designed to stigmatize Islam. The executive order violates the Constitutions ban on religious discrimination, they believe, as well as a 1965 law barring discrimination in visa approval based on nationality.

The plaintiffs also include two students in the United States on visas, two citizens who hope to bring their wives to the country and several people who want family abroad to be able to visit. Readler argued that none of those plaintiffs had standing to challenge the ban because they are not suffering imminent, irreparable harm. Assuming the order takes effect, their relatives could apply for waivers, he said, which would be incorporated into the existing visa interview process.

Trenga did side with the plaintiffs on that issue, saying they have standing as American Muslims to challenge the ban.
Diamante Travon Ellis (Courtesy of the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney in Loudoun County)

A 24-year-old Leesburg man was convicted of homicide in the death of his 9-month-old daughter.

Diamante Travon Ellis was found guilty after a seven-day jury trial. Ellis was also convicted of child abuse and neglect, authorities said.

The jury said he should be sentenced to 13 years. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for late May.

The case dates back to 2014 when the baby girl was taken by Ellis and his grandfather to a local hospital. She was unresponsive, officials said, and she was airlifted to Childrens National Medical Center in the District.

[Father charged with killing his 9-month-old daughter]

Because of suspicious injuries to the baby, hospital officials contacted Loudoun County Child Protective Services, prosecutor said.

Three days after she was taken in, the child was taken off life support. An autopsy found the cause of death was blunt impact head trauma, according to the Office of the Commonwealths Attorney in Loudoun County.


Republican candidate for Virginia governor, Corey Stewart, gestures at a campaign kickoff rally at a resturaunt in Occoquan, Va., on Jan. 23. (Steve Helber/AP)

Corey Stewart, a Republican running for Virginia governor in the style of Donald Trump, made this offer to some of the presidents most ardent fans: Ask me anything.

And for the next hour on a Reddit comment board Thursday, he responded to whatever came his way.

What car do you drive daily? he was asked. Pickup truck! he replied. Asked if he supported mass deportation of illegal immigrants, he said: YES. I will kick them all out.

He remained game and breezy as the queries veered into territory like this: Is Bill Clinton a rapist? Yes, Stewart replied.

Can you confirm that [Virginia Gov.] Terry McAuliffe is a cuck? someone wrote. CONFIRMED! Stewart wrote back.

Stewart, who prides himself on his brash, politically incorrect persona, introduced cuck  a slur derived from cuckold and popularized by the far right  into the discussion from the start.

Hey Reddit, Im Corey Stewart. Republican Candidate for Governor of Virginia and former State Chair for Donald Trump for President, he began. The primary election is June 13th. I am opposing the establishments handpicked candidate, former Bush guy, RNC chairman, and cuckservative, Ed Gillespie.

Stewarts Reddit outing drew a rebuke Friday from the states GOP chairman, John Whitbeck, who called some of Stewarts language racist.

In a written message to The Washington Post, Whitbeck said the term was not acceptable in political discourse under any circumstances...No Republican should ever use this type of language in a campaign.

Whitbeck noted that the term is used by white nationalists.

Gillespie spokesman Matthew Moran said: This is just sad. Its certainly no way to build a party, no way to win elections, and no way to advance conservative principles.

Stewart said he unaware of any racial overtones to the term cuck, but he also questioned Whitbecks authority to declare a word unacceptable for political discourse.

What is he, the word pope? Stewart said. Who is he to say that? Thats just ridiculous.

At the same time, Stewart welcomed the attention. Trailing Gillespie in money and endorsements, Stewart has relied on controversy to fuel to his underdog bid in the June 13 primary. He also faces state Sen. Frank Wagner (Virginia Beach). Stewart is chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and was chairman of Trumps Virginia campaign until late last year, when he was ousted for participating in an unauthorized protest against the Republican National Committee.

In another attention-grabbing move this week, Stewart declared at an appearance in Roanoke that the most important thing in this campaign is the preservation of Charlottesvilles Robert E. Lee statue, which the City Council wants removed. He then encouraged a woman in the crowd to unfurl a Confederate battle flag.

Folks, this is a symbol of heritage, he said at the Roanoke gathering. It is not a symbol of racism. It is not a symbol of slavery. Im proud to be here with this flag.

In an interview Friday, Stewart said, I dont fly the Confederate flag on my property, but Im not going to try to belittle or embarrass anybody who wants to do that.  I think these cultural issues are very important. I really do. I just think political correctness is a limitation on our First Amendment freedoms.

Stewarts use of term cuckservative were seen by some as another bid for outrage and attention. Stewart said he thought they were just slightly hipper terms for RINO, an insult for establishment Republicans that stands for Republican In Name Only.

Stewart has been attacking Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee who worked as a counselor to President George W. Bush, as Establishment Ed.

He said hed never heard the words until a few weeks ago, when he started making arrangements to do the Reddit forum.

When I first started talking to Reddit, they dropped the word cuckservative. They were asking me to describe Gillespie. I said, Hes a RINO, Stewart said. They said, Is he a cuck? . . . I said, Hey, whats that? Thats a fake conservative.

Stewart said he adopted the term for the forum because thats the lingo of young conservatives who are on Reddit.

In Washington Post story on political insults sdescribes cuck as an arch-conservative insult that has come to mean, essentially, a girly man.

[From nasty woman to failing pile of garbage, when an insult becomes a badge of honor]

Stewart also stood by his comments about former President Clinton. He said he was referring to a former campaign volunteers accusation that Clinton raped her in 1978, when he was Arkansas attorney general running for governor. She later denied the accusation, and then recanted the denial. Clinton has denied the allegation, which surfaced 20 years later.

Yeah, I think he is a rapist, I really do, he said.  They asked for my opinion. Im not a judge in the court of law here.
WASHINGTON, DC - (L-R) Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA), Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) at the U.S. Capitol. Comstock, an ally of Ryans, broke with him on Friday and announced she would oppose his health care bill. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) on Friday said she would have voted against the American Health Care Act, breaking her silence on the measure hours before the bill was pulled from the floor.

Comstock, an ally of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, had been grappling with a dilemma: she campaigned for re-election to a second term on a pledge to revise the current health care law, but Hillary Clinton won her northern Virginia swing district by 10 points and her seat is being targeted by the national Democratic Party.

[Comstock still mum on health care bill ]

In a statement, Comstock said she liked parts of the bill, but could not support the final version, in part, because on the eve of the scheduled vote, Republicans stripped requirements for maternity care, mental health services and other basic benefits.

While this bill addressed important principles like covering pre-existing conditions and not having lifetime limits imposed on the sick, and reducing costs and increasing choices for many working families, the uncertainties in the current version of the bill caused me not to be able to support it today, she said.

View Graphic Which Republicans forced Trump to pull the health-care bill

Comstock said she appreciated the hundreds of people from a variety of viewpoints who shared their concerns and experiences with the health care system with her over the past few weeks.

She attacked the Affordable Care Act, saying it was in a death spiral that Democrats refuse to acknowledge and she expects providers to hike rates by double digits this year.

This is unsustainable and I am still committed to a 21st century health care system that will help working families get better and more affordable health care. We can continue to work on reform initiatives, she said, referring to two health care insurance bills that the House voted on this week.

Democrats assailed Comstock for not making her position known until just hours before the scheduled vote, when it appeared that the bill did not have the votes to pass.

She has declined constituents requests for an in-person town hall and did not attend a forum activists convened on their own in February. For weeks, her Capitol Hill and district offices have been flooded with phone calls from residents seeking more access to her.

Comstock revealed her plans to vote no shortly after 1 p.m. Friday, just as activists from Planned Parenthood were wrapping up a protest in her district office about 30 miles away from the Capitol. They called on her to oppose the bill.

The only people who deserve credit today are Barbara Comstocks constituents who held town halls, even when she wouldnt show her face in public, and who made their voices heard, even when her staff wouldnt answer the phone, Cole Leiter, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Dan Scandling, a longtime aide to Comstocks predecessor and former boss, Republican congressman Frank R. Wolf, said Comstock could not agree to the bill after concessions were made to appease the hard-line Freedom Caucus.

It became a bridge too far, he said. Thats not her district. Thats not the way the people of the 10th district think. There comes a point where governing is about compromise. You cant just give away, give away, give away and not punch back.

Comstock won a first term in 2014 by double-digits, but faced a tougher re-election challenge in November, with Trump at the top of her ticket. She won reelection by 6 points.

She represents a huge swath of northern Virginia that stretches from the Washington suburbs to the border with West Virginia, but most of her constituents live in Loudoun County were voters strongly supported Clinton.

The realities of Comstocks district have forced complicated political calculations during Trumps campaign and now his presidency. She waited until a month before Election Day to strongly denounce him and urge him to drop out of the race.

But she stood directly behind President Trump and next to Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump last month as the president signed a bill that Comstock sponsored calling on NASA to encourage women to pursue careers in science and engineering.

Three other Republicans in the Virginia congressional delegation planned to vote against the bill: Reps. Dave Brat and Tom Garrett, both members of the Freedom Caucus, as well as Rep. Rob. Wittman, who is considered a moderate but last week announced his opposition to the bill.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, the senior Virginia Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Scott Taylor, a freshman from Virginia Beach, had consistently said they would have voted yes. Rep. Morgan Griffith, another Freedom Caucus member, did not reveal definitively how he would have vote.

Obamacare has failed far to many in the 6th District of Virginia, Goodlatte said in a floor speech. The status quo cannot continue.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, responded that the bill would have resulted in 56,100 people from Goodlattes district losing health care.

Shortly after that, Republicans withdrew the bill from the floor.
HAWAII

Judge who halted travel ban faces threats

The federal judge who brought President Trumps revised travel ban to a national halt last week has become the target of threats.

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson has received the threats since his March 15 ruling, FBI spokeswoman Michele Ernst said.

Ernst said the FBI is ready to assist but declined to provide more information.

The U.S. Marshals Service, which protects federal judges, also said it would not give details.

Watson, a judge in U.S. District Court of Hawaii in Honolulu, issued a scathing 43-page opinion against the travel ban the day before it was to go into effect.

He wrote that, despite the bans stated secular purpose, Trumps own words marked the executive order as a fulfillment of the presidents campaign promise to temporarily bar Muslims from coming to the United States.

In response, Trump said Watsons ruling was terrible and makes us look weak.

Trump has vowed to take the case over the travel ban to the U.S. Supreme Court. An appeal of a separate Maryland federal judges ruling against the travel ban is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

 Los Angeles Times

North Dakota governor signs new gun law: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) has signed legislation that will allow most adults to carry a hidden firearm without a permit, making it one of about a dozen constitutional carry states. The bill signed into law late Thursday will allow law-abiding people 18 and older to forgo background checks and classes that are now required. The legislation only requires someone carrying a concealed weapon to have a valid ID and notify law enforcement of the weapon during instances such as traffic stops. The legislation comes into force Aug. 1.

 Associated Press
LIBYA

Link seen between Russia, Libyan chief

The head of U.S. forces in Africa told reporters Friday that there was an undeniable link between Russia and powerful Libyan commander Khalifa Hiftar, something that is likely to add to U.S. concerns about Moscows deepening role in Libya.

Reuters reported this month that Russia appeared to have deployed special forces to an air base in western Egypt near the border with Libya. Russia has denied the report.

When asked about the presence of Russian troops in Libya, Marine Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, the top U.S. military commander overseeing troops in Africa, said there are Russians on the ground in the area, adding that Russias attempts to influence Libya were concerning.

Reuters reported that the United States has observed what appeared to be Russian special operations forces and drones at Sidi Barrani in Egypt, about 60 miles from the border with Libya.

 Reuters

FRANCE

Hollande denounces rivals chicanery claim

French President Francois Hollande vigorously denounced suggestions by the conservative presidential hopeful that Hollande is trying to discredit political rivals behind the scenes by using dirty tricks.

The clash between the Socialist Hollande and right-wing candidate Francois Fillon threatens to further stain the French presidential campaign, already tainted by corruption scandals and voter frustration with the establishment.

Fillon, whose presidential bid is flailing, told France 2 television Thursday night that he wants an investigation into suggestions included in an upcoming book that Hollande intervenes in legal cases for political reasons.

I am going to accuse the president of the republic, Fillon said. If we are looking for a cabinet noir, we found the cabinet noir, referring to an alleged secret bureau tasked with damaging political rivals.

Hollande condemned these false allegations with the greatest firmness and insisted he had never intervened in a judicial procedure, including the recent probe into accusations that Fillon employed family members for parliamentary jobs they never performed.

 Associated Press

RUSSIA

6 militants, 6 soldiers killed in Chechen fight

Russian authorities say six suspected militants and six soldiers were killed during a firefight in the volatile North Caucasus region.

The National Anti-terrorism Committee said in a statement that militants, including two with suicide belts, tried to break into a National Guard base in Chechnya on Friday. The National Guard, a powerful security agency created last year by President Vladimir Putin, said the attack took place in fog.

The Amaq News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic State, said six soldiers of the caliphate were killed in the attack, a reference to the militant group. There was no independent confirmation of Islamic State involvement.

 Associated Press

Aid group fears hundreds of migrants drowned off Libya: Hundreds of migrants may have died off Libyas coast, a Spanish aid organization said, and Turkish news groups reported that 11 migrants died after a boat sank in the Aegean. Concerns about the missing migrants near Libya rose after Spains Proactiva Open Arms group found five bodies near two capsized boats Thursday. Proactiva spokeswoman Laura Lanuza said the German aid organization Jugend Rettet found a sixth body in the area Friday.

Suspected suicide bomber dies in blast near Dhaka airport: A man detonated a bomb near a police post on a busy road near Dhakas airport, killing himself but causing no other injuries, according to Bangladeshi police. Officer Nure Azam Mia said it appeared to have been an attempted suicide attack. Authorities have yet to identify the man, described as 25 to 30 years old.

Israel didnt comply with U.N. call to stop settlements: Israel took no steps to comply with a U.N. Security Council call to stop settlement activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, and instead authorized a high rate of settlement expansions in violation of international law, the United Nations said. U.N. envoy Nickolay Mladenov told the council that the large number of settlement announcements and legislative action by Israel indicates a clear intent to continue expanding the settlement enterprise in the occupied Palestinian territory.

 From news services
To make a case that Virginia is engaged in a war on the poor would not require a stellar prosecutor. The evidence is available to all, and it was persuasively cited via the examples provided in the March 20 editorial Virginias war on the poor, especially the creation of a Catch-22 situation for the poor by suspending the drivers licenses of those too impoverished to pay court fines and fees.

However, for those of us tracking legislation making its way through the Virginia General Assembly, the fate of Senate Bill 838 wins the crown for cruelty in this war. Sen. William M. Stanley Jr. (R-Franklin), who represents a very poor district in Virginia, was the patron of this legislation, which would have helped many of his young constituents.

The legislation would have used unspent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds from the federal government to provide community college scholarships for qualified students living in poverty. The bill made it through the Senate with bipartisan support and was making its way through the various House committees until it got to the Appropriations Committee. There, a bill that would help the poor and cost the state nothing was tabled without a vote, killing the legislation by neglect, again hurting the poor in this merciless Virginia conflict.

The bill was left on the table, as were the unspent federal funds.

Katherine Lins, Reston

The writer is a member of the

St. John Neumann Social Justice Ministry.
Aram Goudsouzian is the chair of the Department of History at the University of Memphis. His most recent book is Down to the Crossroads: Civil Rights, Black Power, and the Meredith March against Fear.

Never forget, the press is the enemy, lectured the president of the United States.

It was Dec. 14, 1972  right after Richard Nixons reelection and just before his negotiation of peace in Vietnam. Surrounded by his aides, he bared his animosities. The press is the enemy. The press is the enemy. The establishment is the enemy. The professors are the enemy. Professors are the enemy. Write that on the blackboard 100 times and never forget it.

Nixons shadow looms longer and darker than ever. As the current occupant of the White House demonizes the political and intellectual establishment, he harvests the grievances planted by his disgraced predecessor. Donald Trumps campaign even resuscitated some of Nixons signature phrases: The Silent Majority Stands With Trump, read one popular poster, while the candidate bellowed for law and order.

Yet it would be simplistic to render Nixon as just a founding father of Trumpism. From the late 1940s through the mid-1970s, he helped steer the course of the Cold War and the evolution of the Republican Party. In Richard Nixon: The Life, John A. Farrell narrates this story with punch and insight.

"Richard Nixon: The Life," by John A. Farrell (Doubleday)

[Woodward and Bernstein: 40 years after Watergate, Nixon was far worse than we thought]

A stack of good books about Nixon could reach the ceiling, but Farrell has written the best one-volume, cradle-to-grave biography that we could expect about such a famously elusive subject. By employing recently released government documents and oral histories, he adds layers of understanding to a complex man and his dastardly decisions.

Farrell avoids one conventional assumption: that Nixon was always Tricky Dick, a tortured schemer who mastered the dark arts of politics. He does follow the trail of liberal derision throughout Nixons life, but he sticks close to the man, depicting not only his anxieties and anger, but also his sincerity and self-discipline. That approach helps explain Nixons resonance in American politics over nearly three decades.

The biography illuminates a man of sharp mind and soaring ambition. Farrell sympathizes with a boy who thought he was hard to love and compensated with an iron will. He understands Nixons frustrations with the lack of respect for his accomplishments. But in the end, this portrait is more damning. His Nixon is doomed by his own insecurities, destroyed by his own treachery, damned by his own words.

Nixons dazzling rise exposed the rifts in Cold War America. As a freshman congressman, his audacious investigation of Alger Hiss stirred conservative passions about communist spies and their liberal enablers. In Californias 1950 Senate race, he smeared Helen Gahagan Douglas with pink sheets suggesting her communist-inspired voting record.

With his 1952 Checkers speech, Nixon painted himself as a man of the striving middle class, as well as a victim of the elitist press. It preserved his spot on Dwight Eisenhowers ticket, even as it disgusted his critics. Foreshadowing his later success, Nixon won political battles by summoning cultural resentments.

Yet his own resentments festered. The vice president could stand toe-to-toe with Nikita Khrushchev, but Eisenhowers praise or belittlement might reduce him to blubbering tears. When he lost the 1960 presidential election to John F. Kennedy and the 1962 race for California governor to Edmund Pat Brown, he moaned about the press treatment. Politics favored those with comfortable charisma. To succeed, he had to struggle.

That sense of persecution fed Nixons penchant for chicanery. Farrells deep research exposes new evidence of this tendency. In his first campaign, the 1946 congressional race against incumbent Jerry Voorhis, Nixons personal notes included a plan to set up . . . spies in his opponents camp.

[Bob Woodward reviews The Nixon Defense, by John W. Dean]

During the 1968 presidential election, amid his hard-fought comeback onto the national scene, Nixon almost certainly helped derail a peace settlement in Vietnam, which would have helped his Democratic opponent, Hubert Humphrey. Anna Chennault of the China Lobby, communicating with the Nixon campaign, urged South Vietnam to thwart negotiations until after the election. Farrell uncovers new archival evidence that suggests Nixons direct knowledge and encouragement of this scheme.

Farrell sees tragic promise in the Nixon presidency. Despite a progressive record on issues such as the environment and workplace safety, Nixon endured abuse from both liberals and conservatives. His administration advanced school desegregation but forfeited moral authority on race with a manufactured war on drugs and cynical appeals to the Silent Majority.

Similarly, Nixons earth-shattering visit to China and arms limitation treaties with the Soviet Union illustrated his vision in world affairs. But Vietnam haunted him. Rather than cut his losses on a war inherited from Democratic presidents, he prolonged the conflict, seeking a decent interval before the fall of South Vietnam. The war intensified his paranoia. With the 1972 election looming, he indulged his worst instincts for self-doubt and dirty tricks.

The Watergate saga may be familiar, but Farrell dramatically situates Nixon in time and place, illuminating his political circumstances and emotional state with each wiretapping, burglary, payoff, investigation and coverup. Farrell condemns the larger corruption of American institutions such as the FBI and the CIA, but the president bears personal responsibility. The voice-activated recording system in the Oval Office provided the smoking gun that forced Nixons embarrassing resignation in August 1974.

The White House tapes also shrink Nixons reputation. They reveal him at his worst, as a skulking liar. He puffs with false confidence, shrivels with self-pity, spews hateful opinions of Jews and blacks, and entertains a host of underhanded plots. His words expose a man who sowed the wind of political division and reaped the whirlwind of his enemies.

On the final day of his historic visit to China, Nixon reflected with Zhou Enlai on a career filled with conquests and crises. I found that I had learned more from defeats than from victories, he wrote in his diary. And that all I wanted was a life in which I had just one more victory than defeat. He instead suffered one more defeat. He stained his reputation and that of the presidency. As Farrells outstanding biography reminds us, the consequences have endured. They remain toxic.
REP. DEVIN NUNES (R-Calif.) on Monday denounced what he described as the illegal leak of classified information concerning conversations between associates of Donald Trump and Russian officials. He insisted that those who described those contacts to the press be tracked down and prosecuted. He demanded that FBI Director James B. Comey confirm that such revelations violate . . . a section of the Espionage Act that criminalizes the disclosure of information concerning the communication and intelligence activities of the United States.

Forty-eight hours later, Mr. Nunes himself held a news conference in which he cited a confidential source to describe what clearly appeared to be classified information about intercepted communications involving Trump associates. He did this outside the White House, where he had rushed to brief the president about the intercepts  even though the House Intelligence Committee he chairs is supposed to be investigating the Trump campaigns possible connections with Russia.

[Some things are clear enough that you dont need a wiretap to pick them up]

Weve said before that it was doubtful that an investigation headed by Mr. Nunes into Russias interference in the election could be adequate or credible. The chairmans contradictory and clownish grandstanding makes that a certainty. His committees investigation should be halted immediately  and Mr. Nunes deserves to be subject to the same leaking probe he demanded for the previous disclosures.

Mr. Nuness behavior provoked head-scratching from Republican colleagues, in addition to denunciations from Democrats; Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called it bizarre. But there was nothing really irrational about the representatives actions: He was simply doing everything in his power to protect President Trump, for whom he has become a fierce, if erratic, guard dog. In denouncing leaks Monday, Mr. Nunes was doing his best to deflect attention from what appears to be a substantial ongoing FBI investigation into whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.

In offering his own leak Wednesday, Mr. Nunes was trying to provide cover for Mr. Trumps false claim that his campaign had been wiretapped on orders of President Barack Obama  a statement that Mr. Comey flatly described as groundless. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Trump declared hours later  again, falsely  that Mr. Nunes had proved him right.

[Nunes shows why hes incapable of running an investigation]

In fact, as Mr. Nunes himself acknowledged, the intercepts he described were legal and appropriate, the result of routine surveillance of foreign targets, or that were approved by a secret court. The identities of the Americans who were picked up in the conversations were mostly masked  Mr. Nunes said he was able to figure out they were Trump associates because of the context. Quite possibly, the chairman revealed the same intelligence that sources described to The Post when it reported on conversations between Michael Flynn, then Mr. Trumps nominee for national security adviser, and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak  a disclosure Mr. Nunes tarred as criminal.

Mr. Nuness antics serve only to underline the urgency of a serious, nonpartisan and uncompromising investigation into Russias interference in the election and any contacts between Moscows agents and the Trump campaign. The Senate Intelligence Committee, which is also conducting a probe, may make a useful contribution, but as Mr. McCain said, no longer does the Congress have the credibility to handle this alone. It is time to discuss the formation of an independent, nonpartisan commission with full subpoena power, like those that investigated the attacks of 9/11 and the intelligence failures in Iraq. In the meantime, House leaders should put an end to the embarrassing travesty being directed by Mr. Nunes.
Steven Pearlstein is a Washington Post business and economics columnist. He is also Robison Professor of Public Affairs at George Mason University.

Over the last three decades, technology and globalization have combined to eliminate millions of jobs in advanced industrial countries, shifting an increasing share of national wealth to those at the top while incomes at the bottom stagnate or decline. And if you believe the talk in technology circles, robots and intelligent software are quickly becoming so sophisticated and so ubiquitous that they are about to take over the work done by millions more. How will we deal with a world where leisure is abundant and there arent enough good-paying jobs to go around?

To meet this political and economic meta-challenge, the hot new idea is the universal basic income  using some of the wealth generated by all this new technology to guarantee everyone a baseline income, whether they are working or not.

Its not as crazy as it may sound. In recent years, a guaranteed income has been proposed on the right by Charles Murray at the American Enterprise Institute and Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute, and on the left by former labor secretary Robert Reich and labor leader Andrew Stern. Switzerland gave it serious consideration last year before three-quarters of its voters turned down the idea in a nationwide referendum. And beginning this year, well-funded, large-scale, long-term experiments in Finland and Kenya will examine whether providing a guaranteed income is an effective way to relieve poverty and cushion the effects of economic dislocation without encouraging idleness and sloth.

[Opinion: Universal basic income wont make America great again, either]

"Basic Income: A Radical Proposal for a Free Society and a Sane Economy," by Philippe Van Parijs and Yannick Vanderborght (Harvard Univ.)

To capitalize on this sudden surge of interest, Phillippe Van Parijs and Yannick Vanderborght have reprised and updated their decade-old study in Basic Income: A Radical Proposal for a Free Society and a Sane Economy. The two Belgian academics are charter members of a global network of activists and thinkers who for decades have been trying to build the intellectual and political foundation for the idea.

Guaranteed-income schemes can take various forms, but in its simplest the government sends every citizen an annual check in an amount sufficient to keep the wolf from the door when misfortune strikes but not large enough to satisfy anyones idea of a good life. Paying for it would require raising taxes in some fashion that would have the effect of clawing some or all of the money back from most households while hitting up the wealthy for even more.

For Van Parijs and Vanderborght, the case for a guaranteed income begins and ends with freedom. There is the freedom from want, despair and psychological insecurity that would come from having income sufficient to provide the necessities of life. But there is also the freedom to choose not to work for a time in order to take care of family members, pursue a passion, acquire education or contribute to a worthwhile community project. There is the freedom to start a new business with an uncertain future, the freedom to say yes to a job that pays little but yields joy and satisfaction  and the freedom to say no to a job that pays too little or is demeaning and unpleasant. Why, they ask, should such freedoms be reserved only for the wealthy?

Its point is not just to soothe misery but to liberate us all, they write. It is not simply a way of making life on earth tolerable for the destitute but a key ingredient of a transformed society and a world we can look forward to.

Van Parijs and Vanderborght trace the political roots of guaranteed basic income to England in the late 18th century, when Prime Minister William Pitt proposed to replace the countrys poor law, which channeled public generosity through gruesome workhouses, with cash supplements to low-wage workers. Pitts proposal drew the opposition of the leading economists of the day, Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo, who predicted that rather than making the poor rich, they would wind up making the rich  and everyone else  poor by reducing incentives to work and invest. And so the economic argument against it has been framed ever since.

Proponents, however, prefer to frame the debate in moral terms. In proposing a national trust fund that would award every American 15 pounds upon reaching the age of 18, Thomas Paine said, It is not charity but a right, not bounty but justice, that I am pleading for. The British philosopher John Stuart Mill argued for a legal guarantee of subsistence for all the destitute . . . whether deserving or not. Then, as now, schemes that would have allowed able-bodied men to live off the hard work of others were as apt to prompt moral outrage as moral sympathy.

With the growing affluence generated by the Industrial Revolution, however, came the gradual rise of the welfare state, a safety net woven from myriad programs offering cash and services to anyone who was poor, disabled or involuntarily unemployed. Enforcing such conditionality not only required a large and expensive bureaucracy, but created a perverse incentive for beneficiaries to remain poor and unemployed so as not to lose their benefits. It was the desire to free the poor from this welfare trap and eliminate the bureaucratic middlemen that revived interest in a universal guaranteed income in the 1960s and attracted support from across the ideological spectrum.

As free-market champion Friedrich Hayek saw it, guaranteeing everyone a subsistence income was the moral precondition for opposing broader socialist schemes to equalize incomes. For Milton Friedman, it was an opportunity to eliminate expensive layers of government bureaucracy.

[Opinion: Is a guaranteed minimum income just money for nothing?]

On the left, a guaranteed income won the support of economists James Tobin, Paul Samuelson and the sharp-tongued John Kenneth Galbraith, who chided the idle rich about their outrage at the prospect of being joined by a new class of idle poor. Among American political leaders, populist Huey Long was first to embrace it, followed later by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1972, Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern proposed sending an annual check of $1,000 to every American but changed his mind after it became the subject of attack ads run by his Republican opponent, Richard Nixon, who himself had previously flirted with the idea.

Although their goal is utopian, Van Parijs and Vanderborght aim to infuse it with economic and political realism.

They are strongest when framing the guaranteed income as an economic dividend to which all citizens are entitled. In any country, they argue, only a small portion of the income earned in any year is a result of individual work effort, ingenuity and risk-taking. The rest is explained by the natural resources with which that country is endowed, the physical infrastructure, the collective know-how of fellow citizens, the quality of public and private institutions, and the degree of trust that greases the wheels of commerce, politics and everyday life. This social capital, as the economist Herbert Simon once called it, was developed by many people over many generations and provides a collective inheritance that is now unequally and unfairly apportioned by markets in setting wages and salaries.

What a basic income does is ensure that everyone receives a fair share of what none of us today did anything for, Van Parijs and Vanderborght write.

Giving some a fairer share, of course, means taking a share away from others, and these Belgian academics certainly dont shy away from the redistributionist nature of their project. In their ideal setup, every adult would get the equivalent of an annual unconditional allowance from the government equal to one-quarter of the countrys average personal income (in the United States, that would be about $12,000). Exactly who would win and lose, and by how much, would be depend on the structure of the tax regime used to finance it.

While this give-with-one-hand, take-away-with-the-other quality strikes some as inefficient, it is that structure that allows guaranteed-income plans to avoid the welfare trap caused by todays conditional welfare programs. But it also makes them a tough sell politically. The sums involved would be enormous. And the ripple effects  on wages, labor participation and the fate of other social benefits  make it difficult for many people to imagine how it would all turn out. Indeed, after a labored chapter assessing the political challenges, even Van Parijs and Vanderborght acknowledge that it is unlikely any country will adopt a generous, unconditional basic-income plan, at least all at once. The best they can hope for are slow, incremental steps in that direction.

Although not a technical book, Basic Income is more academic than most readers would prefer. Americans will not fail to notice the authors abiding enmity for the dictatorship of market or the European left-wing filter through which they view political reality. The more philosophical sections are given to hair-splitting, while those on financing beg for more specifics.

What Van Parijs and Vanderborght bring to this topic is a deep understanding, an enduring passion and a disarming optimism. It is no more utopian, they argue, for us to imagine the liberation that a guaranteed income would deliver than it was for earlier generations to imagine the abolition of slavery, universal suffrage or adoption of progressive income taxes. And while the coming debate over the guaranteed income will inevitably focus on political and economic viability, in the end the authors believe we will embrace it, as we embraced those others, because it is the right thing to do.
Haider al-Abadi is prime minister of Iraq.

Two weeks ago, I visited Iraqi troops in western Mosul as they prepared to liberate the last terrorist-controlled neighborhoods in the city. By any standard, they are heroes. I did not ask their religious, regional or ethnic origins. I saw them for what they were: Iraqis standing together against the cruelest killers on Earth.

Some of the soldiers I met may have fallen since then in house-to-house fighting. With their sacrifices, our troops have helped to deal a death blow to ISIS, and the terrorist organization is losing its largest stronghold in Iraq and the aura of invincibility it once claimed.

Having spilled our blood together with the United States to win this war, we want to work together to win the peace.

On Monday, I visited President Trump at his invitation and also this week attended the conference of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS. President Trump and I discussed how to build upon the Strategic Framework Agreement our two countries signed in 2008. We ask the United States to join us in urging the international community to fulfill its funding pledges to secure and stabilize our communities and prevent ISIS and al-Qaeda from reemerging. We also need U.S. know-how and investment as we revive our economy and renew our democracy. In the spirit of our 2008 agreement, we want to engage in a partnership that involves political, diplomatic, defense, security, educational and cultural cooperation.

Over the past few years, military advisers from the United States and other coalition countries have helped Iraqis turn around our armed forces so that we can fight and win our battles ourselves. Now, we ask Americans to assist us as we restore our infrastructure and diversity and partially privatize our economy. We need U.S. investment to rebuild our housing, hospitals, schools, sanitation facilities, roads, highways and bridges. We can also benefit from Americans technical expertise as we improve and expand our telecommunications, information technology and health-care sectors. Iraq needs U.S. financiers and corporate partners to help us develop agriculture, petrochemicals and other industries.

As Iraqis wind down the war and rebuild our communities and our economy, our challenges can be Americans opportunities. But, ultimately, we ourselves will write a new chapter in our history.

(The Washington Post)

For more than half a century, we have endured a tyrannical dictatorship, international isolation, three wars and ceaseless, senseless violence. When Saddam Hussein was overthrown, Iraqis resolved never to allow one man, one political party or one segment of society to dominate our diverse nation. Now we have the opportunity to build an Iraq worthy of what we are: a pluralist people, steeped in history, striving to build one nation in peace and mutual respect.

As prime minister, I have seen that most Iraqis want Iraq to succeed. First, we must finish the job of defeating ISIS militarily. With more than 200,000 Mosul residents displaced, along with more than 3 million other Iraqis, we must restore public services and rebuild our infrastructure. We must reconcile our society across sectarian and ethnic lines. Houses of worship must be safe and sanctified. When all our citizens know that their voices are heard, their dignity is respected and their needs are recognized, then we can be sure that they will not turn to violence.

In a region whose sectarian divisions our own society strives to resist, Iraq must maintain friendly relations with all our neighbors, while preserving our sovereignty and ensuring that no neighbor exercises outsize influence within our country. That is why we welcome the United States continued engagement, consistent with the Strategic Framework Agreement, as well as strengthened ties with our neighbors, as exemplified by the recent visit to Baghdad by leaders and diplomats from throughout the Middle East.

We cannot stop senseless violence without the rule of law and security forces that represent and respect every segment of society. Our government strives to create an independent and impartial judiciary that applies the law without bias or favoritism. And we are incorporating into our security forces all Iraqis who have taken up arms to defend their families and communities.

But for our citizens to fight for the government, they need a government worth fighting for. In the midst of the war against ISIS, we have also waged war on corruption in civil and military institutions. Now that our nation is returning to peacetime, we need to resume the work of reducing the bloated bureaucracy, eliminating ethnic quotas and ceremonial positions, recruiting qualified professionals, and devolving decision-making and the delivery of services to local communities, where people can raise their voices and get results.

As we right-size government, we need to grow and diversify our economy, encouraging entrepreneurship and foreign investment, privatizing state-owned enterprises and reducing our reliance on oil. Earning a living peacefully is the best alternative to taking others lives violently.

Iraqis dont want to kill each other, to get blown up when they walk outside their doors or to be taught to hate their neighbors because of who they are or how they worship. Instead, we want what most of the world takes for granted: the opportunity to live in dignity and build better lives for our children.

Together with our international partners, we are working to build a new Iraq advancing this age-old dream. Americans have built that kind of country. With your help and goodwill, so will we.
The March 19 Business article Coal in the Trump age  rushed to accentuate the negatives for an industry that is recovering from a multiyear trough. The coal sector has been devastated by lower demand and job loss in recent years as regulations have significantly increased the cost of coal for electricity generation and industrial use, made it less competitive against other fuels and resulted in many coal power plants closing.

Energy markets went through periods of extreme weakness in the post-recession years because of a tepid economy and slow growth. The article pointed out bankruptcies and job losses in coal, but they also occurred in oil and natural gas.

The United States is privileged to have abundant domestic fossil energy resources. Enabling their responsible development and use is a key tenet of the new administration. President Trump recognizes the importance of energy security and the value of energy diversity. Coal is essential to affordable, reliable electricity for Americans.

Mr. Trump has quickly begun to address regulatory relief and reform, as he said he would. Congress recently eradicated one of the most punitive coal regulations, the stream rule. Other anticipated actions to reduce bureaucracy and excessive regulation would not instantly translate to more coal jobs but would provide the opportunity for coal to compete and grow again. Thats a great place to start after the years of a playing field purposely tilted against coal.

Betsy Monseu, Washington

The writer is chief executive of the

American Coal Council.
AMONG THE factors that have helped Maryland develop a national reputation for its education system is the authority the State Board of Education enjoys to set policy and make decisions that best serve student interests without political interference. Sadly, that may soon become a thing of the past. The General Assembly is set to gut the boards power to establish key educational standards in a move that threatens to cripple efforts for further school improvement.

At issue is legislation that would tie the hands of the state board as it devises a new accountability system for school performance, which is required under the Every Student Succeeds Act federal education law. Under the proposal, the board would be barred from emphasizing student achievement. Among the restrictions being advanced by lawmakers: limiting measures of actual school effectiveness (student achievement, student growth and graduation) to 55 percent of a schools accountability rating, in favor of factors such as teacher satisfaction; forbidding easy-to-understand letter grades for schools; and barring the state from taking significant actions to reform the worst-performing schools, even after districts have had years to set them straight.

Put bluntly, if this legislation becomes law, the state board wont be able to prioritize student learning or be clear about school performance or do meaningful things when schools fail. That may serve the interests of the teachers unions, which predictably have been the main pushers of this legislation, but it would not help students, particularly those  minority and low-income  who lag behind their more affluent counterparts.

The legislation, House Bill 978 and Senate Bill 871, is moving quickly through the legislature, and is seen as having a good chance of winning final approval. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has vowed to veto the measure, but unfortunately there may be sufficient votes in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly for a successful override. Lawmakers need to put aside their partisan animus toward the governor as well as their obeisance to the teachers unions and realize the damage that this ill-conceived proposal poses for the state and its schoolchildren. For a good example of placing student interests first, they should look to the neighboring District of Columbia, where the State Board of Education this week approved an accountability plan that emphasizes rigor and transparency.

The Maryland board is in the midst of a fact-finding effort, including getting input from a variety of experts and stakeholders, to help it determine the contours of Marylands accountability system. It should be allowed to do so  unimpeded and unhindered. If not, the reputation Maryland will earn will be as a national leader in de-prioritizing student achievement and success.
President Trump called himself instinctual this week, but the word he must have been groping for was untruthful. He lies incessantly, shamelessly, perhaps even pathologically, and his lying corrodes and dishonors our democracy.

Of course weve had presidents who lied  to name a few, Lyndon Johnson about Vietnam, Richard Nixon about Watergate, Bill Clinton about Monica Lewinsky. But the key word in these examples is about. Other presidents had comprehensible though illegitimate reasons for lying about specific things. Trump often lies for no discernible purpose other than to pump up his own fragile ego.

He even lies about his own lies. In an interview with Time magazine, he made the instinctual claim and portrayed himself as a modern-day Nostradamus. I predicted a lot of things, he claimed. Some things that came to you a little bit later. But, you know, we just rolled out a list.

His list begins with Sweden. At a rally in Florida last month, Trump made an ominous reference to whats happening last night in Sweden. In fact, nothing remarkable had happened in Sweden the previous night; Trump apparently saw a news report about immigration issues there, and must have mistakenly thought he heard a reference to a specific recent event  an honest mistake, for most people.

But Trump cant admit it was a mistake at all. Two days after his rally, Sweden did see unrest in immigrant neighborhoods. So he counts that as a win, as if he had somehow seen the future.

Trump often uses clairvoyance as a justification for falsehoods. The most vivid recent example  and perhaps the most damaging to the dignity and credibility of the presidency  was the string of tweets that began with this: Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!

A host of present and former intelligence officials, including FBI Director James B. Comey and National Security Agency Director Michael S. Rogers, state categorically that there is no evidence any such thing took place. Trump initially sent press secretary Sean Spicer out to stand by the claim and demand a congressional investigation. The White House finally admitted that one version of the allegation came from a Fox News legal analyst who was promptly refuted by his own network and pulled off the air.

But on Wednesday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) dashed to the White House to tell Trump he had learned  from unnamed sources  that there may have been some incidental collection of intelligence from members of the Trump transition team. Asked by reporters if this supported Trumps wiretapping claim, Nunes acknowledged that no, it did not.

Not one of the facts Trump claimed was backed up  there is no evidence that President Barack Obama ordered anything, no evidence that Trump Tower was wiretapped, no evidence that any of the incidental information was collected before the victory. But the president continues to insist he was right, because a lot of information has just been learned, and a lot of information may be learned over the next coming period of time. We will see what happens.

Trump offered to Time that same Im-a-soothsayer defense for his ridiculous claim that millions of people voted fraudulently in the election, thus causing him to lose the popular vote. No election official in any state has reported seeing voter fraud of this magnitude, or in fact of any magnitude. It did not happen.

Except, of course, in Trumps imagination. You have tremendous numbers of people who committed fraud, Trump said. In fact Im forming a committee on it. . . . Well see after the committee. I have people [who] say it was more than that.

Trump also claimed that I predicted Brexit, except I can find no record of any such thing. When asked beforehand whether Britain would vote to leave the European Union, he said he didnt know what would happen. Thats a shrug, not a forecast.

The Wall Street Journals editorial page, a conservative bastion, had this to say on Tuesday: If President Trump announces that North Korea launched a missile that landed within 100 miles of Hawaii, would most Americans believe him? Would the rest of the world? Were not sure, which speaks to the damage that Mr. Trump is doing to his presidency with his seemingly endless stream of exaggerations, evidence-free accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods.

The presidents response: I thought it was a disgrace that they could write that. But no, Mr. Trump, the disgrace is all yours.

Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
Lally Weymouth is a senior associate editor at The Washington Post.

Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid is treading carefully. Sitting in her office this past week, she said she believes Vice President Pences assurances that, despite President Trumps skepticism, the United States is committed to NATO. A NATO battalion just arrived to make this small and vulnerable Baltic nation feel safer from Russia, a powerful neighbor historically ambivalent about its independence. Kaljulaid, chosen last year as a compromise candidate, spoke to The Washington Posts Lally Weymouth about Vladimir Putin, NATO and a childhood spent under Soviet occupation. Edited excerpts follow.

Q. Is Russia a threat? Are you worried?

A. Yes, I am worried. Russia is a threat. Not a physical threat to any NATO country but [a threat] to the international security architecture. In 2008, they moved on Georgia.

Q. When Russia occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia?

A. That was the first sign. It blew over very quickly  European countries went back to business and life continued. This, of course, taught President Putin a lesson: He could push a little more.

Q. He got the message he could do whatever he wants?

A. If he does it bit by bit, yes. When he went into Crimea, it stopped for a while because the European countries and America this time recognized that they needed to draw a red line. I am afraid now that the resolve of the Western countries may not hold in the case of Ukraine. We need to stand very firm against giving again a message to Putin that it will blow over. Sometimes politicians say, Lets build a new security architecture. Do you build anything on shifting ground? I dont think so.

Q. Are you referring to President Trump?

A. No, I am not referring to anyone in particular, but every now and then you hear, Sanctions are not working, we need to try a different approach, we need to talk to Russia. We need to restore our security architecture and then talk to Russia.

Q. So you want the sanctions to stay on Russia?

A. Absolutely.

Q. Do you think the Europeans will go along with this?

A. Right now, yes. Because Russia is [in] Syria, Libya and the Balkans. We need to recognize there is a wish and a will to destroy the Western security model.

Q. You mean the E.U. and NATO?

A. I mean the overall value-based understanding that states are all equal  that big countries do not make deals over the heads of small countries. You do not attack other countries; you do not change borders. The Soviet Union signed the Helsinki Final Act, and Russia inherited their signature. So they have actually signed not to threaten anybodys borders.

Q. Youre talking about Crimea?

A. Yes  not to establish war bases in another country unless asked to do so. They basically violated all of this in Ukraine. Russia has shown that it doesnt care about the value-based world where you do not exercise your power over smaller countries because you can. That is worrisome.

Q. Are you worried Russia will do something here?

A. Actually, no, because of NATO.

Q. So the NATO forward deployments here, in Latvia, in Lithuania and in Poland make you feel safer?

A. We feel safer, and we also feel that in case there are different developments in Russia, the NATO deterrence is adequate. During the Cold War, the NATO umbrella was not just an umbrella on paper. It consisted of equipment and troops. It is exactly the same here now.

Q. Except, of course, now the United States has significantly fewer troops in Europe. It would take America a long time to move troops here.

A. Yes, that is true. NATO troops here are just a tripwire.

Q. How do you see President Trump? Initially he made various statements questioning the value of NATO. Are you concerned that he wont stand up for NATO?

A. I havent met President Trump, but I met Vice President Pence.

Q. Right, but what do you think about Trump?

A. I think what he knows about Europe and the European Union  there are a lot of briefs to be read and learning to be done, which is natural because he is not the first American leader to come into [office] who doesnt know that much about Europe. About NATO, I think he was quite clear quite early on, and said that NATO needs to think about its strategy as far as fighting against terrorism is concerned and that NATO members should make sure they carry out Article 3 payments.

Q. You mean by paying 2 percent of their GDP toward defense spending? Which you have done, of course.

A. Yes, so we were not threatened by that statement at all. We spend 2.2 percent altogether. We have fought [with NATO] in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have contributed. We dont plan to consume only.

Q. One possible threat here is that, among the Russian-speaking minority, there is a group of pro-Kremlin radicals.

A. Some Putin radicals speak very good Estonian. We have to make sure we do not take anybodys language as a primer for what they think. Yana Toom, one of the most prominent Estonian-Russian politicians, said that nobody in Narva wants to wake up one morning in the Russian Federation. I trust her on that. In Estonia, the Russian minority can move freely, travel freely, work anywhere in Europe. Of course we know that Russian [disinformation campaigns] are ongoing everywhere. If we see false news about, lets say, soldiers attacking a young lady in Lithuania, and then it is wrong, then in whose interest is it to peddle this kind of story? There is only one potential beneficiary. That is Russia.

Q. Your country has more experience than the United States does in recognizing fake news.

A. Yes, we do not run away with the first news, but we try to better understand the facts behind it.

Q. Former president Toomas Hendrik Ilves said to me that Estonia has had 30 years of the fake news that the United States is just now experiencing.

A. Precisely. If you read the materials in Germany [about] how the KGB and Stasi tried to influence the reelection of Willy Brandt, it is the same story. It is nothing new  just that the technical means make it easier to reach out to a very wide public.

Q. What did you think of this weeks congressional testimony about people in the White House having Russian connections?

A. People everywhere in the world have Russian connections. There is nothing wrong with having Russian connections as long as youre transparent about it.

Q. But they are basically saying the Russians tried to fix the U.S. election.

A. That is, of course, a whole different story, and I am sure your political system will take care of that. But it also taught a lesson to the European countries facing elections, Im sure.

Q. Russia is reportedly very interested in the European elections.

A. Yes, definitely. Because the European Union is the protected base of the hated liberal values.

Q. So Russia wants to break up the E.U.?

A. I think they would be happy to see it disintegrate.

Q. Or to see the U.S. split from the E.U.?

A. Precisely. If transatlantic relations are good, we know we can protect our thinking of how the world should look. If they break down, its divide and conquer.

Q. When will you meet Trump?

A. I have no idea.

Q. If you could have your wish, would you like more troops and equipment here?

A. I would say that first we need to make sure that NATOs command structure knows how it would react to [any Russian actions]. They have to agree on how to get the follow-up troops in. This is what, in fact, makes our deterrence believable. Again, I do not think there is danger to any NATO country physically. If the danger comes, it is more probably a communication attack  maybe cutting off some of the power system.

Q. I heard you are very interested in shifting Estonia away from dependence on the Russian power grid?

A. Definitely. We do not buy Russian electricity, [but] we are connected to the Russian grid. We think it would be better if we were connected to the European energy grid. It is just an additional layer of security.

Q. You previously spent 12 years in the E.U.s Court of Auditors. Then, last fall, Estonia couldnt find a president, and you were brought back as a compromise candidate?

A. Probably something like this, yes.

Q. Did you ever imagine you would be president?

A. No, of course not. There had been discussions with the party of Christian Democrats  the center-right  asking if I would consider being their candidate. But I knew our system needed a compromise candidate. I was not ready to be a one-party candidate.

Q. So you stayed in the E.U. during these discussions?

A. Yes.

Q. Then they called and told you they could not agree on a candidate? And you said?

A. It took some soul-searching to see if I was ready to take on this responsibility. I had been away from the country for 12 years, and even if I had regularly written articles about the economy and politics and the European Union, nevertheless, to the wider public, I was an unknown figure.

Q. And you have a lot of children?

A. Yes, I do. But two are grown-ups  I am a grandmother already. And two are small. Right now, there is a 12-year-old and a soon-to-be 8-year-old. My husband mostly takes care of them.

Q. Estonia is going to assume the presidency of the E.U. this summer, right? Will this make Estonia more of a target for Russia?

A. If there are attacks on social media against the E.U. institutions during that period, it could also be an attack on our presidency.

Q. What would you like to achieve as president of the E.U.?

A. The first priority is to deal with security of our borders, as far as terrorism is concerned. To recognize who comes into and out of the Schengen Area, E.U. countries must be interconnected and allowed to share information. . . . If you want to have Schengen borders open, you need to make sure that the external borders are fully controlled.

Q. Did you grow up in Tallinn?

A. I went to primary school in Tallinn and to university in Tartu. I started university when Estonia was part of the Soviet Union and studied natural sciences because I did not want to participate in the system. My mother was a doctor, and I grew up with her in a little apartment belonging to my grandmother, because the Soviet Union never saw fit to let our family have its own apartment. They made my grandmother serve nine years in prison in Siberia for having done nothing  it was my grandfather, not my grandmother, who had worked for the Estonian republic before the second war.

Q. What happened to him?

A. He escaped to Australia. My grandmother came back from Siberia and lived until 1987  only a few more years and she would have seen Estonia regain independence. From kindergarten, I knew that politics is something that you talk about only at home, because if you werent quiet, your parents might be taken to prison. All Estonian families have these kind of stories.

Twitter: @LallyWeymouth

Read more from Outlook and follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
Many people do crazy things in middle age. I decided to write the libretto for an opera about Niccolo Machiavelli. Its called The New Prince, premiering here this weekend at the Dutch National Opera.

When I began work on this project in 2014 with composer Mohammed Fairouz, the possibility that Donald Trump would be president of the United States  or that the Machiavellian aspects of his personality would be a subject of global concern  was nearly unimaginable. But that was then.

Two days after Trumps election, I wrote that he embodied some of the amoral qualities that the Florentine philosopher recommended in his masterpiece, The Prince. Certainly, Trump is ruthless. He lies, deceives and manipulates where necessary. And he is lucky, a quality Machiavelli thought was crucial in politics, but one that he rarely experienced in his own life.

But on further consideration (which, surely, a librettist is allowed), I dont think that Trump, with his braggadocio and contempt for fact, really embodies the spirit of virtue that Machiavelli regarded as essential for political success. Machiavelli believed in the fact-based life. He insisted on telling the truth to his princes, no matter how painful or scandalous it might be. In this sense, Trump, the serial fabricator, may be the anti-Machiavelli.

Trump often seems to be embracing one of the ideas that Machiavelli feared most, which is that politics can transform culture and, indeed, human character. Theres a distant echo in his populism of Girolamo Savonarola, the fanatical friar who sought to cleanse Florence of the contamination brought by the Medici banking family that had ruled the city-state before. This call to deconstruction and reformation has been summed up by Trump in the phrase Drain the swamp.

The clearest advocate of Trumps revolutionary ideology has been Stephen K. Bannon, his chief strategist. Bannon has expressed admiration for Thomas Cromwell, the shrewd Machiavellian adviser to King Henry VIII who is featured in Hilary Mantels Wolf Hall trilogy. But Bannon sounds to my ear less like the supple, calculating Cromwell, and more like his idealistic, die-hard nemesis, Thomas More.

We hear Bannons voice in nearly every proclamation and executive order from the White House. But perhaps the clearest distillation was a 2014 address to a conference at the Vatican that was, in effect, a mobilization for cultural war. I quote Bannon:

Were at the very beginning stages of a very brutal and bloody conflict . . . to fight for our beliefs against this new barbarity thats starting, that will completely eradicate everything that weve been bequeathed over the last 2,000, 2,500 years.

Bannon warned about what he called the jihadist Islamic fascism of the Islamic State, and also about the immense secularization of the West. He told the Vatican audience: As youre in a city like Rome, and in a place like the Vatican, see whats been bequeathed to us  ask yourself, 500 years from today, what are they going to say about me? What are they going to say about what I did at the beginning stages of this crisis?

How would Machiavelli respond to this call to arms? We can only guess. But everything Ive learned over the past few years of research tells me that he would have been skeptical of such extremism. He didnt believe in either the elites or the fanatics who would overthrow them. As Erica Benner, a leading modern scholar of Machiavelli, writes:

The Medici and Savonarola in Florence offered their rival brands of redemption. Throngs of citizens who should have known better rushed to embrace one or the other, hoping in vain for some great man or prophet to pick them up. The Prince reminds readers of all these exhilarating princely promises  and their sorry results.

1 of 83 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  See what President Trump has been doing since taking office View Photos The new president is expected to make his mark on an aggressive legislative agenda. Caption The beginning of the presidents term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. March 17, 2017 President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One at the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Richard Daley, the infamous boss who ruled Chicago for decades, is supposed to have declared once that politics is about picking up the garbage. That may have been a bit prosaic, but basically, he was right. Politics isnt about saving souls or battling civilizations. Its about maintaining the orderly state and defending it vigorously when its attacked.

The sturdy citizens of the Netherlands might be offended if I described them as Machiavellian. But as I visit Amsterdam, the Dutch have just rejected the right-wing nationalist party of Geert Wilders. If 2016 was the year of populisms rise, the year of Brexit and Trump, of deconstruction of the liberal political order, then 2017 has begun here in the Netherlands with the rejection of an extremist party and the continuation of the orderly, tolerant state. May this trend continue.

Read more from David Ignatiuss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
The March 18 editorial A principled appeal to action asserted that the Obama administration ignored a 2016 appeal from Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro to apply the Inter-American Democratic Charter against Venezuela. The reality is that the Obama administration supported Mr. Almagros initiative and made repeated public statements to this effect. Additionally, the United States was one of 20 countries that voted in favor of discussing Mr. Almagros report in June 2016, even though it was clear the proposal would not get the two-thirds vote needed to advance.

Mr. Almagros latest invocation of the charter has a greater likelihood of success. While several Latin American leaders have expressed reservations about suspending Venezuela from the OAS without prior consultation, there is renewed interest in regional solutions to the countrys crisis. Rather than seeking vociferous leadership, as the editorial board encouraged, the Trump administration should be strategic. OAS members on the fence will need convincing from their regional neighbors, and the latter should be given the support and space to lead.

David Smilde, New Orleans

The writer is a senior fellow at the

Washington Office on Latin America.
The March 20 Education article States widely differ in college aid offers reported on a study that showed that states vary in how much they provide to lower-income students for college tuition. It seems low-income students lack awareness of where that money comes from. State scholarship money and federal Pell grants are my money and your money. One student said that asking students to take on debt would be suppressing their potential. Oh!

All this taxpayer money is being handed out so that some lower-income students dont have to take on debt. The average debt among indebted graduates of state universities is about $29,000. That is not too much to borrow for a college education. It would not suppress anyones potential, but it would limit the suppressing of my retirement.

Rick Heald, Potomac
Members of the Secret Service Uniformed Division patrol alongside the security fence around the perimeter of the White House. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

A Virginia man arrested after falsely reporting his car trunk contained a bomb at a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint outside the White House late March 18 has been ordered held by a federal judge for at least 30 days for a full mental competency evaluation.

Sean Patrick Keoughan, 29, of Roanoke, will be transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons for a full psychiatric screening, U.S. Magistrate Robin M. Meriweather of the District ordered late Thursday. A competency hearing is set for May 10, prosecutors and Keoughans defense said.

Keoughan faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted of making a false bomb threat. An initial District examination found Keoughan incompetent at present, and he has not yet entered a plea.

Prosecutors said Keoughan pulled up to a checkpoint at 15th and E streets NW at 11:05 p.m. Saturday and told officers he was carrying a bomb in a black Chevrolet Impala that was reported stolen the day before. Keoughan then said the bomb was an asteroid and that he was in telepathic communication with President Trump, the Secret Service and Delta Force through a system called Think Talk, according to an arrest affidavit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik M. Kenerson said in a court filing that there was probable cause to believe Keoughan stole the car and that he committed the offense while under court order not to leave Virginia because of a Feb. 26 traffic stop and arrest on Interstate 66, after being found wanted pending extraditable bench warrant from Kitsap County in Washington state for allegedly operating a vehicle on June 19, 2016, while under the influence of several drugs.

The car was recovered, missing a reported $800, but containing an empty six-pack carton of Keystone beer and a metallic-looking spherical object that initial testing by the Smithsonian Institution do not show characteristics of meteoric metal, Kenerson wrote.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley of the Metropolitan Police makes a statement outside of New Scotland Yard on March 24 in London. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

On the final night of a troubled, disjointed life that began in the affluent English countryside and ended in a deadly rampage on the streets of London, Khalid Masood returned to his roots.

He had lived for years in the British Midlands, known to neighbors as a devoted gardener but otherwise all but invisible, an urban ghost who left few traces after a series of criminal convictions and a mysterious trip to Saudi Arabia.

Yet on Tuesday night, at age of 52, Masood rented a car and drove to southeast England, where he was raised. At a hotel in the seaside town of Brighton  not far from the gentle and well-to-do towns where classmates from his prep school days remembered him as a happy, soccer-loving teenager  he exchanged jokes with the manager and went to sleep.

He was friendly and smiley and said he was visiting friends, the manager, Sabeur Toumi, told British broadcasters on Friday.

The next morning, Masood checked out and drove to London to commit the worst act of terrorism on British soil in more than a decade. By the time he was shot dead by security forces inside the gates of Parliament, more than 50 people lay wounded in the shadow of Big Ben, four of them mortally.

A handout photo made available by the Metropolitan Police shows Khalid Masood, the man behind the terror attack in London. (Metropolitan Police Handout/EPA)

[London mayor reassures a city that says it doesnt need re]

Whether Masood truly acted alone  or whether he had accomplices who aided or encouraged him  was the focus of the police investigation on Friday. So, too, was the question of what had motivated a middle-aged man with no known ties to extremist groups to turn his rental car and a knife into instruments of terror.

Our determination is to find out if either he acted totally alone, inspired by perhaps terrorist propaganda, or if others had encouraged, supported or directed him, said Mark Rowley, the acting deputy police commissioner.

Adding to the theory that he may have had help were two arrests Friday that police called significant. That brought the number of people in custody in connection with Wednesdays attack to nine.

Few details about the latest arrests were made public. But they reflected the widening effort to piece together a portrait of the suspect  from his upbringing around England, to his years of small-time crime and his emergence as Khalid Masood, the name he adopted along with other aliases.

[A bang, then screams: Khalid Masoods attack on the center of British government]

As of late Friday, 17 people remained hospitalized  including two who were in critical condition.

(Jason Aldag,Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

Most of the injured  and three of the dead  were struck by Masoods Hyundai SUV as it sped along the sidewalk on the tourist-crowded Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon. After the vehicle crashed into an iron gate that rings Parliament, Masood used a knife to attack and kill an unarmed London police officer, Keith Palmer.

The other three dead were civilians. London police identified the latest fatality as 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London, who died of injuries late Thursday.

Britains Sky News and other outlets reported Friday that Masood was on his phones Whatsapp messaging program minutes before carrying out his rampage.

Police have said their theory is that Masood, a Muslim convert born in Britain under the name Adrian Russell Ajao, was carrying out Islamist-related terrorism that was inspired by jihadist groups overseas.

The Islamic State claimed on Thursday that Masood was a soldier of its self-proclaimed caliphate. But the group often makes similar proclamations without providing evidence of direct links to attackers.

There were more questions than answers Friday as to when or how Masood had become radicalized. Rowley said that influences in our community, influences from overseas and online propaganda were all being examined.

As part of their inquiry, police said they have seized 2,700 items, including massive amounts of computer data.

Analysts cast doubt on the idea that Masood had acted without support, even if he ultimately carried out the attack by himself.

We need to get away from this lone-wolf thing, Chris Phillips, former head of the national counterterrorism security office, told the BBC. Theres almost always someone else involved.

The attack was just the latest in a major European city, following a string of such mass-casualty events in recent years in Paris, Brussels, Nice, Berlin and beyond.

In Belgium on Friday, a man who had driven a car carrying weapons at high speed in a pedestrian shopping street in Antwerp on Thursday was charged with terrorism offenses. Federal prosecutors charged a man they identified only as Mohamed R., 39, with attempted murder in a terror context.

Belgium has been on elevated security alerts since suicide bombers attacked the Brussels airport and a subway station a year ago, killing 32 people. Memorial events to mark the anniversary were taking place across Belgium when Wednesdays attack in London unfolded

[I immediately recognized him: What we know about the London attacker]

Details were still emerging Friday about Masood, who was born on Christmas Day in 1964 in Kent, southeast of London.

But the overall picture was of a life divided into at least three phases: a childhood set in the posh countryside in which he was considered popular and outgoing by friends, followed by a two-decade stretch of run-ins with the law and finally a period of more than a decade in which he seemed to all but disappear  until Wednesday.

Im in deep shock, said Stuart Knight, a classmate for five years at Huntleys, an all-boys school in the leafy and prosperous town of Royal Tunbridge Wells. I knew him as Adrian Ajao.

Photos from the era show a teenage Ajao dressed in coat and tie, the only black student in a sea of white faces.

Knight said that the teens mother, Janet, was a religious Christian and that the family attended the local church.

He was a very nice lad, very sporty, very well-liked by all the other students, said Knight, 52, who runs a butcher shop. A fun guy to be around. He liked football and he played rugby.

Knight said the two lost touch after they left the school in 1981, and the attack certainly doesnt relate the person I knew all those years ago.

As an adult, the man who would become Masood racked up a string of criminal convictions, including for assault, and served time in jail. His last conviction came in 2003, for possession of a knife.

It was unclear when he converted to Islam, when he changed his name and what he did professionally.

British news outlets reported Friday that Masood had lived in Saudi Arabia for a time around 2008.

Former neighbors of Masood in Luton, north of London, told broadcasters that he enjoyed gardening, and one thought he stayed at home and looked after his three children. In the Midlands city of Birmingham, where he last lived, community leaders said he was unknown.

He had been investigated by intelligence services. But in a statement, Scotland Yard said Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and had not been convicted of any terrorism offenses.

It is not clear why he drove 180 miles from Birmingham to Brighton, bypassing London, to spend the night at a budget hotel before staging his attack in the capital

The manager of the Preston Park Hotel said his guest was laughing and joking after checking into room 228 on Tuesday.

He talked about his family, his mom, his dad, his wife. He said his dad is ill, and his mom is upset because his dad is ill, Sabeur Toumi told Sky News.

After Masood paid by credit card and drove away Wednesday morning, Toumi told the BBC, the receptionist noted in the hotels systems that he was a nice guest.

Murphy reported from Washington.

Read more:

Family of Utah man killed in London heartbroken

Britons are denouncing Donald Trump Jr.s attack on Londons mayor

In the aftermath of London attack, some Brits praise their strict gun laws

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Police recruits salute in London on March 24 as a mark of respect for police officer Keith Palmer, who was killed in the attack on the British Parliament two days before. (Nick Ansell/AFP/Getty Images)

The man who brought terror to the heart of London on Wednesday was British-born, and authorities have given no indication his planning unfolded transnationally. But the attack at the Palace of Westminster had instant ramifications for Europe and for the globe, not least because of the international profile of those killed or injured, among them Britons, Americans, Romanians and Italians.

Another reason the attack sowed wider uncertainty was that it underscored questions about the terms of Britains planned exit from the European Union. At stake, analysts said, may be the future of police cooperation and intelligence sharing, which have been hallmarks of European counterterrorism efforts. Strikes similar to the one at the center of the British government Wednesday have frequently involved people or weapons traversing state lines.

Whats now obvious is that when a motor vehicle is used as a weapon, were all at risk, said Benjamin Bowling, a scholar of global policing at Kings College London. Whether the case is domestic or international, he said, you need proper sharing of information and a strategy in relation to people who are committing acts of this kind across borders. Without lawful processes for sharing information and working together post-Brexit, that kind of cooperation becomes much more difficult.

[A bang, then screams: The attack on the center of British government]

The attack immediately renewed debates over immigration and border policy, dominant issues in last years referendum in which British voters decided to leave the bloc. This week, then, was another occasion for far-right politicians and pundits to argue for tightened controls. Nigel Farage, the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party, asked on Fox Business: We already have a problem with homegrown terrorism. Why on Earth would you add to it by bringing people in?

The shadow of Brexit was perhaps clearest, though, in a meeting Thursday between British Prime Minister Theresa May and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who chairs Polands right-wing Law and Justice Party, about the terms of the British departure. Earlier in the day, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo told a Polish television station that it is impossible not to connect terrorism and immigration policy. It was the same day British officials identified the perpetrator, who was shot dead at the gates to Parliament, as 52-year-old Khalid Masood, a Briton whose birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao.

Kaczynski told media outside Downing Street that the meeting focused on the fate of Polish citizens in Britain. But the most pressing question about Brexit following Wednesdays attack is not about work visas, analysts and former diplomats said. At risk, depending on the outcome of exit negotiations, are core law enforcement and security institutions, they said.

In the event of a decisive break from Europe, Britain would retain bilateral intelligence relationships but lose access to multilateral analytic tools, as well as bilateral mechanisms involving police and judicial authorities, said Gijs de Vries, a former E.U. counterterrorism coordinator and Netherlands politician and a fellow at the London School of Economics. Various British intelligence agencies, such as MI5 and MI6, would continue to cooperate with European partners, he said.

What would change is the complementary exchanges at the analytical level, he said. For example, what patterns do we see throughout Europe of travel by potential terrorist suspects? These questions are discussed in the European Union Intelligence and Situation Center.

[British police identify attacker who killed four in London rampage]

In the area of police and judicial cooperation, Britain could lose access to numerous vehicles of information exchange, said de Vries, who helped write the E.U.s counterterrorism strategy in 2005. Those include the associations law enforcement and judicial agencies, as well as databases that store security details, such as DNA, fingerprints and vehicle information. It could lose access to legal instruments that allow member states to quickly extradite criminal suspects, as Britain did with a suspect who fled to Italy after a failed second attempt at subway bombings in 2005. The first round killed more than 50 people.

Britain must decide whether to request access to these instruments as part of its negotiations, de Vries said. If it does, that will entail continued political affiliation with European partners.

If you want to opt in to these things, it means you stay part of the club in a number of particular areas, he said. If the Brits put sovereignty above security, everybody loses.

Other experts suggested that Britains participation in police and security cooperation would outlast Brexit, particularly given that the organs of intelligence-sharing were not the source of Euroskepticism powering the leave campaign.

My starting point is that theres no concrete reason why intelligence cooperation shouldnt continue and be quite good, said James de Waal, a former British diplomat and a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, a research institution based in London. These are things that will have to be settled and negotiated.

In a report released in December, the E.U. committee of the House of Lords labeled security cooperation one of the governments top four overarching objectives in the forthcoming negotiations.

A spokesman for the Home Office said preserving security and stopping terrorism are among the prime ministers 12 negotiating objectives.

As part of the negotiations, we will discuss with the E.U. and member states how best to continue cooperating on security, law enforcement and criminal justice, the spokesman said.

To label something a priority is not the same as guaranteeing a solution, Bowling said.

The government does not want to reveal its hand  fair enough, he said. Meanwhile, the actual practical negotiations of how this is going to work  what the U.K.s relationship with Europol and the Schengen Information System is going to be, how it will run the European Arrest Warrant, which depends on the regulatory framework of the European Court of Justice  these are all really important questions.

And this weeks attack brought a stark reality into focus: We are moving rapidly toward the edge of a cliff, he said.

Read more

Londons mayor reassures a city that says it needs no reassurance

Four killed, 40 injured in vehicle and knife assault near British Parliament

How ramming cars into crowds became a major terrorism tactic

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Sen. John McCain has not met Donald Trump in years, McCain said Friday, a measure of the degree to which the president has frozen out his most biting Republican critics.

McCain (R-Ariz.), who has sharply attacked Trumps message on a host of international issues, most notably his approach to Russia, is a former GOP standard-bearer who remains chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. His exclusion from the Oval Office may suggest that Trump is focusing on wooing allies already sympathetic to him while spurning dissenters, even if they could potentially provide political cover and support.

I have not talked to the president, McCain said at the Brussels Forum, a conference organized by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. I met him some years ago. I have not met him since.

[McCain turns into Trumps chief antagonist in the Senate]

McCain said he speaks almost daily to Trumps national security team, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and national security adviser H.R. McMaster. But the Republican senator added that he was not positive who the president listens to, and he expressed worry that Stephen K. Bannon, Trumps chief political strategist, was more influential than the presidents more conventional foreign policy hands.

McCains comments come at a delicate political moment for the president. Trump has struggled  and, so far, failed  to assemble a workable Republican coalition to pass an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. Though McCains criticisms focused more on international affairs than domestic policy, the splits over health care have made clear that Trump still needs to woo all sides of his fractious party if he is to enact his ambitious political agenda.

[House Speaker Ryan telling Trump he lacks votes for health-care bill]

McCain, asked what advice he had for Trump, told him to stop tweeting and to reach across the aisle.

In trying to explain many Republicans avoidance of world affairs, he cited prominent Americans known for isolationist views in the 1930s. McCain pointed to Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh as examples of a persistent strain of isolationism in U.S. politics.

McCain repeated a call for a select committee to investigate alleged ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Right now there is great skepticism, actually, as to whether Congress can conduct an investigation in a thorough and efficient fashion, he said.

[Paul Manafort to testify before House committee in Russia probe]

This is a most serious issue, McCain said. The question is how significant were those ties.

His call for an independent investigation came after Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he had briefed Trump on the committees probe, prompting critics to charge he was acting more like an advocate for the president than an independent investigator.

Its bizarre, McCain said.

Read more:

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Iraqi rescue workers on Friday pulled dozens of bodies from the ruins of a building in Mosul where residents allege a U.S.-led coalition strike killed 137 people a week ago.

If confirmed, the number would mark the biggest loss of civilian life in a single incident since the coalitions air campaign began 2 years ago.

Equipped with a bulldozer and chain saws, men in red overalls picked their way through the rubble of the large house in the citys heavily bombarded neighborhood of Mosul al-Jadida.

Brig. Gen. Mohammed Mahmoud, Mosuls civil defense chief, said families had gathered in the building because it was one of the few with a basement. His team had retrieved the bodies of 61 people, including two babies, from the rubble over the past two days. But he said he expected dozens more bodies to be found as the excavation continued, with rescue workers yet to reach the basement or other collapsed rooms.

Theres a whole room at the back full of women, he said. They are all burned. We are trying to get them out.





The leg of a dead man protruded from the detritus nearby, a sock still on his foot.

Mahmoud said the building was evidently hit by an airstrike. We are experts in this field, he said. We know its the coalition. We demand an investigation.

While Iraqi jets also carry out strikes in Mosul, the coalition usually gives close air support to the counterterrorism forces that were advancing in the area at the time.

In a statement, the U.S.-led coalition said that it had received multiple conflicting allegations placing a strike in the area sometime between March 17 and 23, and that it was investigating the reports. It added that the process takes time  especially when the date of the alleged strike is in question.

We will continue to assess the allegations and determine what if any role a coalition strike may have had in that area, the statement said. Coalition forces work diligently to be precise in our airstrikes.

Residents said there were strikes over several days as Iraqi government forces advanced against Islamic State fighters.

On the adjacent street, where building after building had been destroyed, families dug bodies from the rubble, zipped them into blue body bags and pushed them away on wooden carts.

Members of the civil defense search for bodies in the rubble of a building in the Mosul al-Jadidah neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq, on March 24, 2017. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post)

Mahmoud said a total of 156 bodies had been recovered from about 10 houses so far. He added, though, that it was not clear who was responsible for all of the destruction because fighting has been heavy in the neighborhood, with militants using car bombs and heavy weaponry. Residents said the Islamic State fighters would not let people leave and had moved families from outside into the area to use as human shields as they fought from residents roofs.

As U.S.-backed forces close in on both Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqa, allegations of heavy civilian casualties have soared. Airwars, an organization based in Britain that monitors claims of civilian casualties, said Friday that 1,000 civilians were allegedly killed in coalition airstrikes in the two countries this month. The group said it had suspended its detailed case-by-case assessments of Russian airstrikes to focus its limited resources.

President Trump has asked for a reassessment of battlefield rules of engagement as part of his plan to defeat the Islamic State, although U.S. and Iraqi officials say the rules have not changed.

Instead, Iraqi commanders say, the militants are increasingly putting civilians in harms way, rounding up families and keeping them inside houses as the militants fight from the rooftops.

Marwan Salem, 50, said that six of his relatives  including his daughter, her husband and their 1-month-old baby  were among the 137 killed last week in the Friday morning strike. None of their bodies had been recovered a week later.

They are deep inside, he said, looking toward the destroyed building across the street.

Next to him sat Faris Hussein, 51, who said he had lost 30 family members. Twelve bodies had been recovered, he said.

Iraqs Joint Operations Command did not directly confirm or deny the strike but said Islamic State militants have been heinous in their treatment of civilians, fighting from their houses or using the residences as bases from which to launch suicide attacks.

Brig. Gen. Falah al-Obaidi, a commander with counterterrorism forces that were advancing at the time, said the buildings in the area collapsed when a guided missile hit a car bomb, causing a large explosion near the homes.

These things happen, but we try to reduce casualties as much as we can, he said. The forces in his sector had paused operations Friday to allow civilians to leave safely. Residents made their way through bombed-out streets to safety, carrying what they could with them.

Obaidi said that the Islamic State was trying to increase civilian casualties to mislead public opinion.

There was no car-bomb crater on the street, and amid the conflicting allegations, Iraqi security forces tried to restrict access to the area and asked journalists to leave.

The civil defense operation had brought workers up from the capital, Baghdad, to assist with pulling people from the crumpled remains of buildings, but had a team of only 50 and one bulldozer and crane, not enough to deal with the needs of the entire city, Mahmoud said.

On the adjacent street, residents described more misery as the smell of decomposing bodies hung in the air. Ihab Adnan was finishing removing 27 of his relatives who had been killed in his grandfathers house in an airstrike on March 14  a date outside the time frame the U.S.-led coalition is investigating.

His relatives, wearing medical masks to block the smell, carted seven of the bodies down the bombed-out street for burial. Other remains lay in body bags nearby. The 31-year-old said he was in his house on the opposite side of the street when the missile hit. He rushed outside and pulled 10 people from the rubble, he said, describing the scene as hell.

There were so many explosions, he said. It was truly terrifying.

The militants had positioned a sniper on a roof nearby and had been moving in and out of the houses before the airstrike, Adnan said, adding that militants prevented families from leaving the area and had gathered others from nearby neighborhoods.

The blast that killed his grandfather, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces ripped the sides off his house, too, although no one inside was seriously injured.

About 50 meters farther along the street, Mohammed Tinuq said his two brothers and their families  a total of 19 people  were also killed.

The bombing was very tough, he said. They used them as human shields.

The United Nations said it expects the plight of civilians to worsen as security forces reach the packed and narrow streets of Mosuls Old City  where U.N. estimates say 400,000 civilians are trapped. Some 150,000 have fled the western side of the city into camps.

It was like World War Three, said Ibrahim Ahmed Taher, 51, who walked several miles out of the area Thursday. His son was killed in an airstrike, he said.

So many families are trapped under the rubble.

Read more:

Airstrike monitoring group overwhelmed by claims of U.S.-caused civilian casualties

Away from Iraqs front lines, the Islamic State is creeping back in

I thought, this is it: One mans escape from an Islamic State mass execution

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Nickolay Mladenov, front left, U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, briefs the U.N. Security Council on Israeli acceleration of settlements in the West Bank during a meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York on March 24, 2017. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

The Trump administration is strongly condemning what it calls a systemic anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, arguing Friday that U.N. monitoring of West Bank settlement activity allowed by the Obama administration is the latest example.

Michele Sison, the No. 2 U.S. diplomat at the United Nations, spoke against what the United States says is the unfair singling out of Israel during a closed session of the U.N. Security Council on Friday. There and elsewhere, the Trump administration is arguing that the United Nations has allowed valuable time and attention to be hijacked for bashing Israel.

Sison spoke during the session to hear the first U.N. report issued under a resolution condemning settlements that the Obama administration allowed to take effect in December. In a pointed and highly unusual critique of Israeli actions, the United States had abstained, allowing the resolution to pass, instead of vetoing it as U.S. envoys have done in the past.

The change in U.S. administrations, and the shift in positions on Israeli settlements flavored the discussion Friday.

It is clear from what the U.S. representative said today that the U.S. administration is continuing to develop its thinking on some of the points of detail about settlements and a peace negotiation, British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters.

In presenting the report, U.N. Middle East peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov told the U.N. Security Council that Israel has vastly accelerated the pace of housing announcements for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, endangering the territorial viability of a potential sovereign Palestine.

The spike demonstrates that Israel has a clear intent to continue expanding the settlement enterprise in the occupied West Bank, Mladenov said.

Such actions are in breach of international law and they must stop.

The United Nations, European Union and many individual countries call Israels settlement activity illegal under international law. The United States has long sought not to use that terminology, instead calling settlements illegitimate and unhelpful to peace.

There can be no moral equivalency between the building of homes and murderous terrorism, Israels U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said Friday. The only impediment to peace is Palestinian violence and incitement. This obsessive focus on Israel must end.

For years, successive U.S. administrations have vetoed Security Council condemnations of Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.

The Trump administration strongly disagrees with the December resolution and the Obama administrations rebuke but cannot quickly undo the U.N. action. Instead, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley and other U.S. officials are taking every opportunity to point out what they say is institutional mistreatment of Israel at the United Nations and its member bodies, and the United States is expected to use its presidency of the U.N. Security Council next month as a megaphone.

Earlier Friday, the United States voted against five resolutions it calls anti-Israel at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. The Trump administration lobbied allies to also vote no. No major U.S. ally did so, but Britain issued a warning that it would follow the United States suit if the U.N. body continues to single out Israel for opprobrium.

Today we are putting the Human Rights Council on notice, British Ambassador Julian Braithwaite said. If things do not change, in the future we will adopt a policy of voting against all resolutions concerning Israels conduct in the occupied Syrian and Palestinian territories.

The human rights body approved four resolutions condemning Israeli actions against the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and one calling on Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria.

Haley had warned ahead of the vote that the United States would boycott discussions of what she called outrageous, one-sided, anti-Israel resolutions.

The U.S. denunciation of the U.N. focus on Israel comes even as the Trump administration is seeking curbs on Israeli settlement building as part of its effort to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. The White House expressed its concerns with settlement construction after talks with senior Israeli officials in Washington ended Thursday night with a joint statement showing the two governments were unable to agree on a settlement policy that could pave the way to peace talks resuming.

As the Israelis left Washington after four days of talks, the White House released a statement saying they had discussed concrete, near-term measures to improve the overall climate to improve prospects for peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Among the topics were ways to improve the reliability of water and electricity in the West Bank and Gaza.

But the most closely watched part of talks between the Trump administration and the Israeli government concerned settlement activity. In two sentences, the statement laid out positions that made it clear that issue was unresolved.

The United States delegation reiterated President Trumps concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving toward a peace agreement, it said. The Israeli delegation made clear that Israels intent going forward is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes those concerns into consideration.

The wording may be politically useful to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under unrelenting pressure from his right-wing coalition to forge ahead expanding settlements. Many Jewish settlers and their advocates in Netanyahus government cheered Trumps election as a green light for rapid building that could functionally doom a contiguous, economically viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. While he does not welcome criticism from his most powerful ally, Netanyahu has in the past used U.S. objection to settlement activity to rein in his own coalition members.

The new Trump White House has sent mixed signals on settlements. Trump publicly endorsed a hiatus on settlement building during Netanyahus visit to Washington last month, but the White House has also said it does not necessarily see the issue as a hindrance to peace. Trumps newly confirmed ambassador to Israel, David M. Friedman, is a longtime advocate of settlements and headed a U.S. organization that supports education and other activities in a walled Israeli enclave built deep in the West Bank.

Trump plans a push toward a peace settlement, an elusive goal of many past U.S. presidents. The Trump effort is focused on Arab states that support the Palestinian cause applying pressure on leadership in the West Bank to make a deal. Trump has said the deal may not include a separate sovereign Palestinian state as sought by the past three U.S. presidents.

Israels Channel Two television reported that to set the ground for talks, the Trump administration has demanded Israel not build outside the major settlement blocs and proposed placing a yearly cap on the volume of other construction projects.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Trumps demand that Netanyahu declare a construction freeze was a precondition for having Saudi Arabia join a regional peace process. Officials said Trump believes in enlisting the Saudis to play a role in a regional process and thinks that they will bring other moderate Arab states to the table as well.

Carol Morello in Washington and Ruth Eglash in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
President Trump listens as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 15. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The White House expressed its concerns with settlement construction after talks with senior Israeli officials in Washington ended Thursday night with a joint statement showing the two governments unable to agree on a settlement policy that could pave the way to peace talks resuming.

As the Israelis left Washington to return home, the White House released a statement saying they had discussed concrete, near-term measures to improve the overall climate to improve prospects for peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Among the topics were ways to improve the reliability of water and electricity in the West Bank and Gaza.

But the most closely watched part of talks between the Trump administration and the Israeli government concerned settlement activity. In two sentences, the statement laid out positions that made it clear that issue was unresolved.

The United States delegation reiterated President Trumps concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving toward a peace agreement, it said. The Israeli delegation made clear that Israels intent going forward is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes those concerns into consideration.

In contrast to the carefully worded U.S.-Israeli statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday she feared settlement building in the occupied West Bank is narrowing the potential for a two-state solution, one for Israelis and one for Palestinians.

As before, I see no reasonable alternative to the goal of a two-state solution, Merkel told reporters before holding talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Berlin.

I am very concerned about developments in the West Bank, which are leading to an erosion of the basis for a two-state solution, she added.

The wording is politically useful to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under unrelenting pressure from his right-wing coalition to forge ahead expanding settlements even though it would anger Palestinians whose aspirations to create their own nation on the land would be blocked.

Trumps election brought jubilation to many settlers who predicted they would have carte blanche under an administration more sympathetic to them than the Obama administration, which issued statements sharply critical of every new settlement announcement.

The White House expression of concern over settlements allows Netanyahu to push back against the settlers, arguing that any expansion would alienate Israels closest ally. Ironically, the statement was issued on the day Congress confirmed the appointment of a new U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman. The new U.S. envoy was once Trumps bankruptcy lawyer and is known as a major supporter of Israeli settlements and an opponent of Palestinian statehood.

The joint statement followed four days of intensive negotiations between the Trump administration, Israels ambassador to the United States and a visiting Israeli delegation. Trumps team, led by aide Jason D. Greenblatt, surprised Israel by insisting on a temporary freeze on West Bank settlements as a starting point for negotiations with Palestinians, two people familiar with the discussions said Thursday.

Trump plans a push toward a peace settlement, an elusive goal of many past U.S. presidents. The Trump effort is focused on Arab states that support the Palestinian cause, applying pressure on Palestinian leadership in the West Bank to make a deal. Trump has said the deal may not include a separate sovereign Palestinian state as sought by the past three U.S. presidents.

To get talks started, he is pushing Israel to make a good-faith gesture on settlements that is similar in many ways to one former president Barack Obama tried in his first year in office in 2009.

Trump publicly endorsed a hiatus on settlement building during Netanyahus visit to the White House last month. But Israeli officials have argued that Netanyahu has limited room to maneuver on the settlement issue because of political pressure from the right.

Israeli media reported Thursday that the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government were at odds over the scope and geographical limits of Israeli construction in the settlements. Israeli officials denied the reports, but many in Israel gave them great credence.

Greenblatt, who holds the title of international negotiator, met this week with Ron Dermer, Israels ambassador, and Netanyahu advisers Yoav Horowitz and Jonathan Schachter.

Israels Channel Two television reported that the Trump administration has demanded Israel not build outside the major settlement blocs and proposed placing a yearly cap on the volume of other construction projects.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Trumps demand that Netanyahu declare a construction freeze was a precondition for having Saudi Arabia join a regional peace process. Officials said Trump believes in enlisting the Saudis to play a role in a regional process and thinks that they will bring other moderate Arab states to the table as well.

For Netanyahu, agreeing to such a moratorium could threaten the stability of his government.

Already, his agriculture minister, Uri Ariel, from the ultra-right-wing Jewish Home party, said in an interview to Israel Army Radio on Thursday that his party could not continue being part of the government under what it sees as an open-ended limitation.

If a construction moratorium gains a foothold, tomorrow it will apply to the blocs too, he said.

Jacob Dayan, a former Israeli consul general in Los Angeles, said he believed that the Trump administration was attempting to base its policy on that of George W. Bush, allowing Israel to build in the settlement blocs but not more than that.

At issue is the expansion of settlements or the building of more apartments and houses within existing Israeli settlement towns in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on land the Palestinians claim for a future state. Trump is not demanding a blanket ban, but it is not clear where he draws the line.

Obama requested a complete moratorium to get talks started, something that Netanyahu agreed to for a limited time but which subsequently poisoned his relationship with Obama. Still, the basic idea of a settlement moratorium as a sweetener for talks is the predicate for any progress Trump makes.

Ruth Eglash in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak looks toward supporters outside the area where he is hospitalized during the celebrations of the 43rd anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, at Maadi military hospital on the outskirts of Cairo, on Oct. 6, 2016. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)

Six years after his overthrow, former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was freed from detention Friday, dashing the hopes of many who saw Mubaraks downfall as a sign that Arab leaders could be held accountable for corruption and repression.

On Friday morning, Mubarak left Maadi Military Hospital in Cairo, where he had been held since 2013, and went to his mansion in the upscale northern suburb of Heliopolis, his lawyer said.

The 88-year-old leaders release comes weeks after the nations top appeals court cleared him of any role in the deaths of more than 200 protesters at the hands of the countrys police in the 2011 populist revolt  part of the Arab Spring uprisings  that ended Mubaraks three-decade rule.

Yes, Mubarak has been released today, his lawyer, Farid El Deeb, said in a brief telephone interview.

Mubaraks supporters predictably welcomed his release, describing it as a vindication of sorts.

1 of 34 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  A timeline of Mubarak's rise and rule View Photos Hosni Mubarak came to power in Egypt nearly 30 years ago. Here's a look at his tenure. Caption Hosni Mubarak came to power in Egypt nearly 30 years ago. Dec. 14, 1977 President Anwar Sadat, left, confers with Hosni Mubarak, then Egypt's vice president, during a trip aboard Sadat's helicopter. Eddie Adams/AP Wait 1 second to continue.

I was certain from the beginning that the man who served his country and fought for it for 30 years could never kill his people, said Samir Abdulaziz al-Aswany, 47, a bank employee who described herself as a co-founder of a Mubarak support group. Todays release proves he is an icon and that the Egyptian people are smart. . . . Mubarak is not a killer but a respectable man.

Many activists who risked their lives to oust Mubarak viewed his release as the latest indication of how little change the revolution has brought in terms of its key goals of democracy, justice and eradicating corruption. Today, their unbridled dreams of six years ago have been replaced by a weariness that has tamped down efforts to confront power.

[From the archives: With peace, Egyptians overthrow a dictator]

On key anniversaries, such as Jan. 25, when the uprising began, there are no longer protests or even gatherings  and its highly unlikely that any protests against Mubaraks release will erupt. President Abdel Fatah al-Sissis government has jailed tens of thousands of foes and activists, a level of oppression that critics say exceeds that of the Mubarak regime.

The former presidents release has further deepened a collective despondency.

I feel a little pain in my heart, but it will not interrupt my day anymore, said Mona Sief, a well-known activist, referring to Mubaraks release. Her brother, Alaa Abdel Fattah, is serving a five-year prison sentence on charges of staging protests without official permission.

I no longer have hope in this judicial system, and I am not waiting for it to prosecute any criminals or those who have ruled or committed crimes in their names, Sief added.

Mubarak was the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprising, arrested two months after he was ousted in an 18-day revolution that drew hundreds of thousands of Egyptians into the streets of Cairo and other cities.

The following year, Mubarak, his interior minister and six aides were sentenced to life in prison. But an appeals court later ordered a retrial of Mubarak. In 2014, the court dismissed the charges of killing protesters, citing technical flaws in the prosecution. The ruling this month further absolved him of any accountability and paved the way for his release.

Mubarak, who became president in 1981 after the assassination of Anwar Sadat, was initially held in Tora prison before being transferred to the hospital because of his deteriorating health.

In addition to charges of complicity in the protesters deaths, Mubarak faced accusations of stealing tens of millions of dollars from the state. His sons, Alaa and Gamal, also were charged with embezzling millions through a network of official cronyism.

But even as Mubarak lay in his hospital bed, attending court hearings in a wheelchair or on a stretcher, the political tides were turning in his favor. The elected Islamist government of Mohamed Morsi that followed Mubaraks rule was overthrown in a 2013 military coup led by Sissi, then an army general.

Sissi swiftly began a crackdown on Morsis Muslim Brotherhood supporters and targeted pro-democracy and human rights activists with arrests, travel bans and the freezing of bank accounts. These measures, as well as the enactment of strict anti-protest laws, quickly shrunk any appetite for protests or disruption, including those against Mubarak.

Initially, some observers had thought that the Sissi government would not allow Mubaraks release, fearing a public backlash. But the judicial rulings in Mubaraks favor have been widely viewed by government critics as the latest indication of the nations lack of judicial independence and the return of the pre-revolutionary order.

The only judicial victory was in May 2015 when a court sentenced Mubarak and his sons to three years in prison each and ordered them to reimburse $20 million to the state. But the judge allowed for prison time served already. As a result, Mubaraks sons were released from custody later that year. Today, they are seen in restaurants or dropping their children off at school. Many of Mubaraks allies have kept their wealth and remain influential.

Some activists say Mubaraks release, while disappointing, will not end their struggle.

Whether Mubarak is at home or in prison, the revolution continues to be part of the hearts and minds and consciousness of millions of the young people of Egypt, said Ahmed Abdallah, head of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms. And they cannot change this.

On Friday, Deeb said that the former leaders health is good and that Mubarak would continue to receive medical treatment at his home. He added that there were no other legal cases pending against Mubarak and that his legal situation is fine.

There is nothing wrong, Deeb added.

Mubarak, he sad, has no plans to hold a news conference or participate in media appearances. Nor does he have firm ideas on how he plans to spend his time in the weeks and months ahead.

He has no plans for the near future, Deeb said. He is just staying at home and resting.

Read more:

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Indian activists protest in front of the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata demanding a probe into recent attacks Indians in United Sttes, on March 7. (Bikas Das/AP)

U.S. authorities have begun pressing the Indian government to resolve more than 270 outstanding deportation cases involving Indian nationals, Indian officials said Friday.

Indian officials said they know little about the specifics of the cases and could not tell from their own data whether people had overstayed visas or were convicted of more serious criminal offenses.

This is an ongoing matter, Gopal Baglay, a spokesman for Indias Ministry of External Affairs, said in a statement. U.S. authorities had conveyed to India that the cases were pending, but no details of these cases were provided. We have asked for the same, Baglay said.

The request  which U.S. immigration officials insisted was routine  was nonetheless significant because it comes at a time when the administration of President Trump has launched raids and other wide-ranging efforts to arrest and deport many of the United States 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, particularly those with criminal backgrounds.

Of particular concern, according to Trumps Jan. 25 immigration order, are countries that drag their feet accepting their wayward citizens back.

Each country has an obligation under international law to accept the return of its nationals who are not eligible to remain in the United States or any other country, said Brendan Raedy, a public affairs officer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He added that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly has made clear that ICE will no longer exempt classes or categories of illegal immigrants from potential enforcement.

A rising number of Indians are living illegally in the United States  an estimated half a million people  according to a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center.

Returning them to their home country, particularly if they are criminals, has not always been easy. India has been dropped from a list of 20 countries labeled recalcitrant in accepting their citizens who have been convicted of crimes in the United States or overstayed their visas, and have deportation orders issued by a court.

According to a list released last year by then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), now the U.S. attorney general, about 180,000 people have been ordered deported from the United States but are still in the country because their home countries wont issue travel documents so they can return. Among them are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Indians.

Not all have criminal convictions, but among those who do, traffic offenses, especially driving under the influence of alcohol, are the biggest category, followed by drug offenses and larceny.

Countries on the recalcitrant list are often slow to issue travel papers because original documents have been destroyed and because their economies rely in part on money sent home to relatives.

An Indian government official said that the 271 cases in question were part of a tranche of more than 300 that had been left over from previous administrations, 79 of which had been resolved.

Indias minister of external affairs, Sushma Swaraj, first raised the issue on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, saying that her country would not be providing return travel documentation for the deportees without their case information.

Until we verify the nationalities of these people, how do we believe the claims in the list? Swaraj said. We have asked the U.S. government for more information and told them that we will give an emergency certificate for their deportation only after establishing their Indian nationalities.

Morello reported from Washington.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story said that India was on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement list of countries that were slow to accept deportees. India was removed from that list in December.

Read more

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
With the expectation that the lower house of the Brazilian Congress will vote in favor of the pension reform proposed by President Michel Temer (PMDB) within the next few weeks, on March 15, one million workers and youth protested across all of the countrys 26 states. It was the largest demonstration in Brazil since the impeachment of Workers Party (PT) President Dilma Rousseff last August.

The demonstrations were organized by the popular fronts Brasil Popular (Popular Brazil) and Povo sem medo (People without fear). Created in the end of 2015 by the unions federations, social movements and pseudo-left parties like the PT, PSOL (Socialism and Liberty Party) and PCdoB (Communist Party of Brazil), the fronts initially diverged in their politics: while Povo sem medo insisted on the struggle against Dilmas austerity measures, Brasil Popular, of which PT is part, focused strictly on an anti-impeachment campaign.

With the initiation of the impeachment procedures and Dilma Rousseffs suspension from office last May, the two fronts joined efforts against Temers government and his austerity measures, of which the pension reform is the latest example. Today in Brazil, the struggle of the two popular fronts represents the unity of the left against Temers attacks. This unity has been built upon the protagonism of the social movements to radicalize our democracy, defending taxation of large fortunes and profit, according to the Povo sem medo program. There is not a hint, therefore, of a socialist and internationalist perspective in their struggle, which certainly will be coopted and defeated.

The March 15 demonstrations were called by the slogans Pensions stay, Temer out! and Elections now! The call Fora Temer (Temer out) has united all the pseudo-left organizations since the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, not preparing the working class against Temers attacks and ignoring the Workers Partys responsibility for attacks on the working class and in paving the way to Rousseffs impeachment.

After the impeachment, as Temers government sent congress a constitutional amendment limiting social spending for the next 20 years and a pro-corporate high school reform, no effective resistance was mounted by the unions and social movements orbiting around the popular fronts Brasil Popular and Povo sem medo. Instead, they have raised the slogan Elections now!, trying to rebuild the 1984 mass movement for presidential elections after 20 years of Brazilian military dictatorship. The popular fronts are attempting to channel the growing social discontent with the Temer governments anti-working class measures towards the 2018 elections.

On the day before the March 15 demonstrations, the PT-aligned media announced Lulas plan to be present at the Sao Paulo rally. After touring a series of workers congresses linked to the CUT, the national union controlled by the PT, such as the education workers, in January, and the rural workers days before the demonstration, it was the first time Lula took part in a public workers demonstration after Rousseff's impeachment. A February electoral poll on the 2018 election showed Lula ahead of his rivals in all possible scenarios.

The demonstrations of the March 15 were also a call for a general strike of workers after three failed attempts between September and November of last year to organize such an action. This time, besides the major union federations that are taking part in the popular fronts, the CUT and the CTB (Brazilian Workers Confederation, controlled by PCdoB), the ultra-right Forca Sindical, which was linked to the military dictatorship, joined the protest against Temers pension reform.

On the March 15 demonstration, there were strikes of metallurgical and chemical workers, bus and metro workers, post office workers, bank workers, teachers and public sector workers, with protests beginning in the early morning, along with road and street blockades.

In Sao Paulo, around 200,000 people took part in the demonstration. Before the rally of the popular fronts in Paulista Avenue, Brazils financial center, 50,000 state public school teachers and 30,000 municipal teachers held their assembly in the city center as part of a one-day national education strike. Then, they walked up to Paulista Avenue to join the others at the rally, where WSWS reporters talked to the demonstrators.

All of them expressed strong opposition not only to Temers pension reform, but to his whole austerity agenda. Luis, an architect, said, A government that is not democratically elected has no commitment to the peoples interests. This government is trying to use the time it has until the 2018 elections to push through the interests of the market against those of the people.

The harsh austerity measures Temers government is trying to implement following the impeachment of Rousseff on trumped-up charges led many demonstrators to call Temers government golpista (putschist).

Rachel, a biology teacher from the rural town of Valinhos, said, The impeachment of Dilma was not legitimate, there was no crime that justified the ouster of a president elected by the popular vote. A government that has taken power in an illegitimate way cant realize such deep changes in Brazilian society.

Talking particularly about the pension reform and its harsh measures led two demonstrators to associate it with Brazils slavery period. Neueli, a public school teacher from Sao Paulo, said, If we do not unify ourselves to bar the reform, we will come back to total slavery, without any rights. Gabriel, an architect, also said, Temers pension reform is something that reminds us of the sexagenarian law (a pre-slavery abolition law of 1885 which freed slaves over 65 years of age); no one will be able to retire with this proposal.

Among workers and youth, there was a broad solidarity with the most vulnerable layers of the working class in Brazil. Ulisses, a public school teacher, said, I believe that this reform will harm the whole Brazilian working class, but especially the poor and the rural workers.

Leila, a 35-year-old teacher at a private school in Sao Paulo, said, Im not going to work 49 years of my life in a classroom with the same health of today. Imagine others categories whose work is extremely exhausting. Her friend Tiago, also a teacher, completed her thought, saying, considering the periods of unemployment, there is a high chance of working until you are 75 or 80 years old.

The demonstrators also didnt believe in the alleged pension deficit Temers government is using to justify its reform. Eduardo, a post office worker, said, I dont believe that this deficit is real, they only want to put it on the workers account. The architect Luis explained, the deficit the government has been attributing to the pension system is only to guarantee the debt payment.

The demonstrators also expressed their disbelief that the pension reform will do anything to help Brazil overcome its economic crisis. The solution they are adopting to say we are coming out of the crisis is taking everything away from workers, taking away from the retirees, said Diego, another postal worker who attended the demonstration.

The architect Luis also complained about the major impact that Operation Car Wash (the criminal probe into the massive bribes and kickbacks scandal surrounding the state-run energy conglomerate Petrobras) is having on the Brazilian economy: Operation Car Wash has stopped the Brazilian economy. We who work in civil construction are seeing a lot of good professionals becoming unemployed, with major architectural firms being closed.

Bruna, a book editor also attending the demonstration, said, there were few perspectives last year, and this year, that things seemed to be getting better, but there have already been layoffs in the book publishing industry. She complained that, publishers terceirizam (outsource) the editing work, paying less. Leonardo, Brunas editor colleague, said, the number of freelancers is growing every day over the CLT (formally registered) workers.

The situation facing Bruna and Leonardo is the same as that of almost 13 million terceirizados (informal) workers in Brazil, a figure that increased three times since the beginning of the Worker Party government of Lula, in 2003. One of the consequences of a three-decade-long deindustrialization in Brazil, and acting mainly in the services sector, the terceirzados earn 75 percent of what their counterparts in the formal sector make, and work three more hours per week. Continuing and intensifying the Workers Partys attacks on jobs, Temers labor reform, also to be voted on by the Brazilian Congress in the coming weeks, is expected to expand the terceirados to all categories of labor.

When asked if Rousseff would have carried on the reforms Temer is pushing through, most of the interviewees said yes, but not as harshly as Temer. Dilma was already implementing neoliberal measures to save her government, but she would not go that far, Gabriel said. Bruna agreed: If Dilma would have continued, maybe the golpe (coup) would not have been so deep, but we were already making our way to this situation, including with Dilmas pension reform, which was not as horrible as Temers, but was bad.

Bruna referred to Dilmas intention last year to implement a pension reform, with the increase of the minimum retirement age. It is not possible that the average retirement age in Brazil is 55 years old, she said in January 2016.

Despite the demonstration being the largest held against Temers attacks, many of those who participated were skeptical that such mobilizations would be able to halt the pension reform. Marlei, a history teacher at a public school in Sao Paulo, said she hoped the mobilization would stop the pension reform, but added that today, we know that the unions are as much involved in corruption as the politicians.

Rachel also said, that lately, I cant say for sure that this kind of mobilization could be enough to turn into a real struggle. I havent seen such a thing in the last two years, when the people took the streets to protest and it did not work.

The distrustfulness of demonstrators in such mobilizations was also caused by Lulas presence. Wesley, Rachels colleague and a geography teacher, said, Lulas presence doesnt help the mobilization, a lot of people dont see him as a way out of crisis, but what divides the mobilization.

About Lula and PT, the architect Luis said, after so many years in power, PT has entered in the realpolitik, and it is difficult to support either PT or Lula. Bruna also said that Lulas comeback is far from being the right way, and it is sad that the left did not break from him. He wasnt left even in his best days.

She also compared Lulas possible candidature in the 2018 election with the experience with Syriza in Greece, which was not a very positive one, and I think that it is what PT represents. It channels the left forces against the attacks of the right, but those attacks were also implemented by Syriza, and will be implemented with Lula if he wins the next election.
With the end of the waiting period for the Brazilian deputies and senators to present amendments to President Michel Temer's pension reform on Friday, March 17, the Lower House of the National Congress has scheduled to discuss and vote on the measure by April 6.

For the approval of the pension reform, the government needs a two-thirds majority in two rounds of voting in both houses of the Congress, where it has a majority. Once it is approved by the lower house, Temers government expects to get the pension reform passed by the Brazilian Senate by mid-year.

One of the main and most polemical measures of the pension reform is the increase of the retirement age from age 55 for women, and 60 for men, to 65 for both sexes. This measure not only disregards the fact that women on average work 7.5 more hours weekly than men, but also the difference in life expectancy in the cities of one of the most unequal countries in the world, which varies from 65 to 78 years old.

The pension reform also increases the minimum contribution period from 15 to 25 years, imposes a 49-year contribution period for retirement with full salary and increases the pension contribution of public workers from 11 to 14 percent. Affecting all workers, it institutes a transitional norm, which makes women above 45 years old and men above 50 years work 50 percent more until their retirement.

A particular category harshly affected by the pension reform are rural workers, whose labor conditions are the most precarious in Brazil, with 30 percent working in temporary crops and 59 percent working informally. For those workers, Temers pension reform also increases the retirement age from 60 to 65 years old, and creates a contribution of 5 percent.

Brazilian government pension reform also dramatically affects categories with special retirement plans, such as teachers, civil policemen and disabled people, effectively scrapping them. For teachers, the Brazilian university degree category with the lowest wages and 85 percent female, it increases the retirement age from 45 years old for women, and 50 years old for men, to 65 for both, and also increases the contribution period from 25 years for women, and30 years for men to an equal 49 years to qualify for a full retirement wage.

Temers pension reform was announced amid Brazils worst ever economic recession. Data released on March 7 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported an unprecedented second year in a row of falling GDP, and a 10 percent decrease in family income since 2014.

At the end of January, data from the Central Bank had already showed a primary deficit of 156 billions reais ($50.3 billion). It was the greatest primary deficit since 2001 and also followed rising deficits in 2014 and 2015.

The financial markets and their regulatory agencies are welcoming not only the Temer administrations pension reform, but its entire neoliberal agenda. The increasingly clear signs that the Brazilian government is doing everything possible to place the full burden of the economic crisis on the shoulders of the working class led Brazils credit default swap spreads to drop to their lowest level in two years at the end of February.

Despite the governments majority in the Brazilian Congress, it has launched an aggressive and threatening campaign for the approval of its pension reform. In the beginning of March, the presidents party, the PMDB, began an Internet campaign saying, Without the pension reform, goodbye to Bolsa Familia (minimum income assistance for the poorest Brazilian families), FIES (university student loans), new roads and social programs.

At the same time, the Brazilian government started a massive campaign on the TV, radio, Internet and public spaces with the slogan Reform today to secure tomorrow. It repeated PMDB campaign claims, saying, the pension benefits may end without the reform, because there is no money to pay the retirement wages for so long. Ruling the campaign unconstitutional, on March 15 a federal judge ordered its immediate suspension.

The government has relentlessly insisted on the necessity of a pension reform due to the pension deficit and also to Brazils public deficit. These claims disregard not only the surplus in social security, of which Brazils pension system is part, but also the fact that almost half of the federal budget is used to pay the corrupt public debt to the international financial institutions.

The threatening tone of Temers campaign is not only a message to satisfy the financial markets, but also to pressure the Brazilian deputies and senators of the government-allied parties. Many congressmen are reluctant to vote in favor of the pension reform in the face of massive popular opposition to both the government and the pension reform, which may lead them to lose their electoral support in the states.

Until last Friday, March 17, government-allied legislators filed 120 of the 164 amendments to the pension reform, contradicting Temers desire for the bill to be approved without any changes. These amendments change important measures of the reform, such as the minimum age for retirement and the minimum contribution period, and, according to the government, undermine the reform.

However, this is not the first time that Congress has resisted voting in favor of Temers austerity reforms. The high point of this conflict occurred at the end of last year, when the congressmen of the government-aligned parties rejected all of the austerity measures included in Temers fiscal recovery plan for the indebted Brazilian states, which led the government to veto the bill approved by the Congress.

The opportunistic electoral calculations of Temers congressional allies in both cases are not based on any consideration for the interests of the working class, and there are no grounds for any illusions in parliamentary resistance blocking Temers reforms.

On the other hand, there is also a growing concern within the Congress and in Temers own government that its unpopular austerity agenda may cause a popular uprising like the one that erupted in 2013, which may get out of control, threatening both the federal and state governments.

This is the case of Rio de Janeiro, the most indebted state in Brazil, which is increasingly dependent on federal loans to pay its public sector workers. Since last year, it has seen ferocious repression by both state military police and the national security forces against opposition to the austerity measures of Temer and Governor Luiz Carlos Pezao (PMDB).

Last February, when Rio de Janeiros Legislative Assembly approved the privatization of the lucrative State Water and Sewage Company (CEDAE), the pre-condition for a federal bailout loan, Temers government sent army and marine troops to Rio de Janeiro to, according to the Defense Minister, Raul Jungman, free the military police to intervene in the protests against the privatization of CEDAE.

This intervention is only preparation for similar repressive measures nationwide as Temers austerity reforms unfold.

The demonstrations against the pension reform had already begun on March 15, with protests all over the country. Insofar as the pension reform advances in the Congress and the popular mobilization increases, it will face brutal repression by both the state military police and Temers armed forces, the only two sections of the public sector workforce exempted from the pension reform.
Are we in Italy, or is it Las Vegas? Well, we did arrive to St. Marks Square by walking past the Eiffel Tower, so it has to be Las Vegas. The Venetian Hotel, Resort, and Casino transports us to the splendor and ambience of Old World Italy. The recreated St. Marks Square has a ceiling fresco that...

Are we in Italy, or is it Las Vegas? Well, we did arrive to St. Marks Square by walking past the Eiffel Tower, so it has to be Las Vegas. The Venetian Hotel, Resort, and Casino transports us to the splendor and ambience of Old World Italy. The recreated St. Marks Square has a ceiling fresco that looks like twilight, and street performers hold court in the center of the action while ample outside dining venues lure hungry tourists to sit a while and savor the moment. One of those alluring dining spaces represents the true essence of an Italian seafood market and restaurant: Mercato della Pescheria.

Mercato has great service and authentic cuisine while boasting that each customer leaves with a taste of history. The menu showcases the legacy of Italian cooking, from its bevy of house-made pastas to its Roman-style pizzas, such as the Margherita or the mouthwatering four-cheese. The Carpaccio di Manzo  thinly sliced tenderloin, raw pizzola, wild arugula, and Grana Padano  is a fabulous way to jettison the taste buds into another culture. The delicate calamari and shrimp are perfectly breaded in a golden-brown batter, and the house-made potato chips provide an extra crunch in between the tasty components. To paraphrase The Godfather, we say dont forget Mamas Lasagna, with a rich Bolognese between layers of homemade pasta, ricotta, and of course, Grana Padano. For an entree, try the Veal Chop Parmigana with San Marzano tomatoes and fior de latte mozzarella or the Salmone Con Limone, a gorgeous piece of salmon accented only by lemon oil and Italian greens.

After a meal like this, a little Italian sweetness goes a long way. Begin with the classic tiramisu that is prepared tableside. The waiter whips up the mascarpone and spoons it gingerly onto the delicate lady fingers. Try it with one of the hardy Portos or a nip of grappa, and youll feel like youre floating in a gondola in no time. With a lovely wine and cocktail list to whet your appetite and sumptuous Italian fare, Mercato della Pescheria may be just the respite you will seek on your visit Las Vegas slice of Italy.
A mother of two who was on her way to pick up her children from school is the second victim identified in the deadly car and stabbing attack outside U.K. Parliament in London Wednesday.

Aysha Frade, 43, was struck by a bus while crossing Westminster Bridge on her way to collect her daughters, ages 8 and 11.

Frade, whose family hails from Spain, worked as head of the Spanish department in the nearby DLD College. The school sits on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Westminster Palace, where a lone attacker drove a car nearby pedestrians before crashing and fatally stabbing 48-year-old police officer Keith Palmer with a knife.

We are deeply shocked and saddened at the news that of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade, DLD College principal Rachel Borland said in a statement Thursday before going on to describe her as a highly regarded and loved member of the staff.

According to reports in La Voz de Galicia newspaper, Frade was born in London but was a regular visitor to her family home in Betanzos, Spain, where her elder sister run a language academy.

In an address to the House of Commons Thursday morning, British Prime Minister Theresa May said 40 were injured in the attack, including one American.

In addition to twelve Britons admitted to hospital, we know that the victims include three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks, she said.

May also confirmed the attacker, who has not been identified by Scotland Yard, was born in Britain and was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism.

The Prime Minister condemned the attacks and insisted Britons would push forward.

Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy. But today we meet as normal - as generations have done before us, and as future generations will continue to do - to deliver a simple message: we are not afraid. And our resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism, she said. And we meet here, in the oldest of all Parliaments, because we know that democracy - and the values it entails - will always prevail.



Story continues

Early Thursday, a Twitter account associated with the terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, calling the British-born attacker a soldier of the Islamic State.

The assailant careened a car through one of the busiest and most recognizable parts of London at about 2:40 p.m. local time, hitting dozens of pedestrians before crashing into the gate outside the Palace of Westminster during Prime Ministers Questions time. The attacker then got out and fatally stabbed a police officer before being shot dead by guards.

British police made eight arrests in connection with the attack overnight, following a series of raids in Birmingham and London. Scotland Yard has also confirmed that four people died in the attack, including the suspect, with 29 treated in the hospital.

RELATED VIDEO: Terror in London: 4 Dead After Car and Knife Attack Outside U.K. Parliament

We are still collating numbers of walking wounded and of those in the hospital sadly seven of them are in a critical condition, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said in a statement from Scotland Yard.

Tragically the deaths included PC Keith Palmer who was protecting Parliament and two members of the public - a woman aged in her mid 40s and a man aged in his mid 50s.

He added, We must not allow terrorists to create discord, distrust and fear.

Londons Metropolitan Police continue to work on the assumption that the attacker acted alone and was inspired by international terrorism. A meeting of faith leaders from all communities will be held at New Scotland Yard on Thursday afternoon. A candlelight vigil is also scheduled to take place at Londons Leicester Square at 6 p.m.

This article was originally published on PEOPLE.com
A Utah husband and wife celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary are among the victims of Wednesdays terror attack near the U.K.s Parliament in London, PEOPLE confirms.

Kurt Cochran died in the car and knife assault, his brother-in-law Clint Payne said in a statement.

Payne said his sister Melissa, Kurts wife, received serious injuries and has been hospitalized. Metropolitan police in London confirmed Kurts death later Thursday.

The couple had traveled to Europe to celebrate their anniversary and were planning to return home on Thursday - one day after the violence. They were visiting Melissas parents, who are missionaries with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in London.

Our family is heartbroken, Payne said in his statement.

Kurt was a good man and a loving husband, he said, adding, We express our gratitude to the emergency and medical personnel who have cared for them and ask for your prayers on behalf of Melissa and our family.

President Donald Trump reacted to Kurts death, writing Thursday morning on Twitter that he was a great American.

My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends, Trump wrote.

From left: Melissa and Kurt Cochran.

From left: Kurt and Melissa Cochran.

Kurt Cochran

Relatives told KSTU that Kurt died Thursday morning and that the couple was on a dream vacation, traveling to Germany and Austria as well as Britain.

Melissa suffered a broken leg, broken rib and a cut to her head but will recover, Payne wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

Our hearts ache for her and their children in losing their loving companion and father, he wrote. Please continue to pray for our family.

The Cochrans were on Westminster Bridge Wednesday afternoon when an armed attacker plowed through dozens of pedestrians in his SUV, according to KSTU. The attacker than crashed into a gate near the Palace of Westminster and fatally stabbed a police officer, authorities said.

Story continues

Police said five people were killed, including the assailant and officer, and 40 more were injured, including an American. Investigators have described the incident as terrorism.

Other victims include a mom of two who was killed while heading to pick up her daughters from school.

RELATED VIDEO: Princess Kate Speaks Out After London Terror Attack

A GoFundMe, administered by Payne, has since been created to raise money for Melissa, to cover expenses and her loss of income.

Payne wrote that Kurt and Melissa were self-employed, having built a recording studio business from the ground up over the last 10 years.

During that time they donated their recording and sound skills to the Summerfest celebration in Bountiful, Utah, to local school productions, and many other worthy causes, he wrote.

The Cochran family has asked for privacy, a church spokesman tells PEOPLE.

British Prime Minster Theresa May said that the attacker, later identified as Khalid Masood, was born in Britain and was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism.

A Twitter account associated with ISIS has claimed responsibility.

With reporting by PHIL BOUCHER

This article was originally published on PEOPLE.com
A self-proclaimed white supremacist from Baltimore allegedly murdered a New York City homeless man this week in a racially targeted attack, police tell PEOPLE.

James Jackson allegedly told investigators he traveled from Maryland and was looking to harm black men when he encountered Timothy Caughman at around 11:15 p.m. Monday in Manhattan, a New York Police Department spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE.

Jackson then allegedly attacked Caughman with a large sword, stabbing him repeatedly.

Caughman, who was reportedly homeless, stumbled into a police department with stab wounds to his chest and back and died later at a hospital, according to a police statement obtained by PEOPLE.

James Jackson

Jackson turned himself in to police on Wednesday after his image was circulated in the media, the New York Times reports. Surveillance footage obtained by PEOPLE appears to show Jackson jogging through the streets with a sword on the night of the attack.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

It is believed that [Jackson] was specifically intending to target male blacks, the NYPDs Assistant Chief William Aubry said at a news conference.

Its well over 10 years that he has been harboring these feelings of hate, Aubry said.

Aubry added that Jackson allegedly chose New York because it is the media capital of the world.

Jackson wanted to make a statement, he said.

Standing on line waiting to vote I love america pic.twitter.com/jVAeLXtUAq  timothy caughman (@timrock715) November 8, 2016

Jackson was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, but police are looking to upgrade the count to first-degree by classifying it as a hate crime, according to the Times.

He has not been arraigned and has not yet entered a plea; it was unclear if he has retained an attorney.

Story continues

Jackson allegedly traveled to the city by bus on Friday and stayed at a hotel over the weekend, ABC News reports.

Pick up PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases That Shocked America, on sale now, for the latest on Casey Anthony, JonBent Ramsey and more.

Police claim Jackson admitted to his crime after turning himself in and described himself as a white supremacist.

He was very forthcoming with us, Assistant Chief Aubry said. He knew what he was doing when he was coming up here, and he relayed all of that information to us.

Caughman lived in a homeless shelter on West 36th Street and was looking through garbage when Jackson allegedly attacked, the Times reports. Jackson allegedly exchanged words with the victim before stabbing him and then throwing the sword in the garbage and washing the blood off of himself in a restaurant bathroom.

Caughmans Twitter account is full with photos of the smiling man meeting some of Hollywoods biggest stars.

In fact, he described himself on the page as an autograph collector in New York city.

He wrote of his dreams of visiting California and snapped a photo of himself apparently preparing to vote in the 2016 election, writing, Standing on line waiting to vote I love america.

This article was originally published on PEOPLE.com
Mulan director Niki Caro (Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

If there was any suspicion that moviegoers might not embrace Disneys new penchant for live action remakes of its past animated favorites, Beauty and the Beasts monster opening weekend put them to rest. With moviegoers under the spell of Bill Condons new version of the 1991 animated classic, the studio is moving full steam ahead on matching up top filmmakers with other hits from the Disney Vault. Tim Burton is working on Dumbo, Jon Favreau is switching animal kingdoms from The Jungle Book to The Lion King, and now Niki Caro confirmed to Yahoo Movies previous reports that shes going to be the director putting the mythical Chinese warrior, Mulan, through her paces.

Mulan from the 1998 animated film (Photo: Everett)

Thats locked and loaded, Caro remarks of her involvement with the live action Mulan, which is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on Nov. 2, 2018  20 years after the title characters animated adventure became a summer 1998 blockbuster. The original film featured Ming-Na Wen as the voice of Mulan, while Eddie Murphy played her wisecracking dragon sidekick, Mushu. And while Caros film is still in the casting process, she has a strong vision for what she wants her new Mulan to be. My intention is for it to stand alongside these amazing reboots of classic animations like Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, she says. The princess movies have a new relevance, and of all the princesses, Mulan is the best one. Shes kick-ass, and I love her.

To understand Caros affection for the female soldier known as Hua Mulan in Chinese lore, Caro says you only have to look at her filmography. The New Zealand-born filmmaker has a demonstrated passion for telling stories about women who defy the conventions and expectations of their respective eras and cultures. That theme underlines her breakout 2002 feature, Whale Rider, as well as 2005s North Country, starring Charlize Theron as a mine worker who launches a successful legal campaign to challenge the endemic sexual harassment at her company. (The film was inspired by a true story, but fictionalized certain elements.) Its also very much part of Caros latest film, The Zookeepers Wife, starring Jessica Chastain as Antonina Zabinski, who operated Polands Warsaw Zoo during World War II and hid numerous Jews on its grounds out of sight of Nazi soldiers.

Story continues

Each of those films also highlight Caros willingness to travel the world in search of great stories: North Country took her to Minnesotas mining country, while The Zookeepers Wife re-created World War II-era Poland in the Czech Republic. For Mulan, she hopes to shoot as much of the film as possible on location in China. Nothing is as good as a real landscape, and China has extraordinary landscapes. Im really looking forward to that, but to also bring visual effects and magic to that [landscape] makes it a great challenge. It will allow me to flex my filmmaking muscles on a much bigger scale. Im sure it will be a great joy.

The Zookeepers Wife: Niki Caro On Her Attraction To The Material

Read More from Yahoo Movies:
By Matthew Strauss.

Former Boston drummer Sib Hashian has died, TMZ reports. According to his son, Hashian was performing on stage at the Legends of Rock Cruise when he collapsed and died. He was 67 years old.

Hashian joined Boston in 1975. He played on the bands 1976 self-titled debut, which includes More Than a Feeling, perhaps their best known song. Rolling Stone named Boston the 41st best debut album of all time, praising Hashians climactic drum fills in the final fade-out on More Than a Feeling. He also played on the follow-up (1978s Dont Look Back) and began recording on their third LP1986s Third Stagebefore leaving the band.

In addition to his work with Boston, Hashian played on bandmate Barry Goudreaus 1980 self-titled record. He also sang backing vocals on Sammy Hagars 1979 Sittin On (The Dock of the Bay) cover.

This story originally appeared on Pitchfork.

More from Pitchfork:

Michelle Obamas 5 Best Music Moments

The 50 Best Rap Mixtapes of the Millennium

30 Artists You Need to Follow on Social Media

Does College Radio Even Matter Anymore?

The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s

The Influence of Kanye Wests 808s & Heartbreak
GENEVA (Reuters) - An average of 100 civilians a month are dying in Yemen's war which enters its third year this weekend, most killed by the Saudi-led coalition's air strikes and shelling, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday. In a statement marking the second anniversary on Sunday, it said it had confirmed 4,773 civilians killed and 8,272 injured in the conflict pitting Iran-allied Houthi rebels against the ousted Yemeni government backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition. The latest victims included 32 Somali refugees and a Yemeni civilian killed by "shelling from a coalition warship" and shooting by an Apache helicopter in an attack on their boat off the coast a week ago, it said. A further 10 are missing. Civilians in Taiz were suffering "desperate shortages" of food and water due to Popular Committees allied to the Houthis who encircle the city and prevent aid deliveries, it said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Tom Miles)
Ankara (AFP) - Eleven Syrian refugees drowned after a migrant boat sank off Turkey's Aegean coast on Friday, the coast guard command said, with local media reporting that five children were among the dead.

The bodies of the migrants, including two women, were discovered in the western province of Aydin, the private Dogan news agency reported.

"Nine migrants were rescued while 11 migrants' bodies were taken from the sea," the coast guard said in a statement on its website.

"According to the rescued migrants' statements, it was learned that 20 people (migrants) were on the boat," it added.

One of those rescued was a baby who remained in a "critical condition", district governor Muammer Aksoy was quoted as saying by Dogan.

Two Turkish suspected people-smugglers who had also been on the boat were detained, the agency added, which earlier reported that 12 Syrian refugees had died.

The boat capsized after strong waves and winds, Dogan reported, as it was probably attempting to reach the Greek island of Samos.

The deaths come less than a week after the first anniversary of an EU-Turkey agreement to halt migrant arrivals in Europe, which has sharply reduced the number of crossings to the bloc from Turkey.

But Ankara has raised alarms in Brussels by threatening in recent weeks to scrap the agreement, which came into force after an estimated 1.26 million migrants reached Europe in 2015.

Europe and Turkey are locked in a bitter dispute after Turkish ministers were blocked from campaigning on the continent for a "yes" vote in next month's referendum on boosting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers.

According to the International Organization for Migration, there were around 363,000 migrant arrivals in Greece in 2016 after the Turkey-EU accord.

Under the deal, Turkey undertook to tighten its maritime borders and break up the people-smuggling networks that help migrants to make the risky crossing, in exchange for billions of euros in support for refugees in Turkey.

Ankara has also criticised the EU for failing to fulfil its promise to give visa-free travel in the Schengen zone nations to Turks as part of the agreement.
A group of 14 nations urged Venezuela on Thursday to hold elections and release political prisoners, in a joint statement that kept open the option of seeking to suspend the South American country from the Organization of American States.

The statement, which Mexicos Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said was aimed at encouraging Venezuela to re-establish democracy, called for dialogue and negotiation to resolve a crisis in the oil-exporting country, which is suffering severe food and fuel shortages.

Suspending Venezuela from the OAS was a last resort, the nations said, and something that should be avoided unless other diplomatic efforts have been exhausted.

We reiterate that inclusive and effective dialogue is the right path to achieve lasting solutions to the challenges faced by the Venezuelan people, the statement said.

Venezuela has jailed around 100 government opponents it accuses of inciting violence and planning the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro. Opposition activists and human rights groups say they are prisoners of conscience.

In October, Venezuelas election board suspended the opposition drive for a recall referendum against Maduro despite the countrys crushing economic crisis, the governments unpopularity and public opinion in favor of a plebiscite.

Venezuela has also delayed until 2017 elections due in December for state governorships.

The declaration by the 14 nations called for the separation of powers, the rule of law and the establishment of an electoral calendar for postponed elections.

The group that signed the declaration, which includes regional powerhouses the United States, Mexico, Canada and Brazil, also called on Venezuela to recognize the legitimacy of the countrys national assembly, which has been defanged by Maduros government since the opposition won a majority in 2015.

Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuelas foreign minister, called Videgaray servile and a traitor for siding with Washington in a new push to isolate her country, which has been at loggerheads with the United States since the left-wing government of the late President Hugo Chavez.

Story continues

Foreign Minister @LVidegaray attacks Venezuela to please his imperial owners, Rodriguez said on Twitter. He is building walls with Latin America instead of defending the sovereign rights and interests of its people.

VIOLATING RULES

The pressure by countries, including several former Venezuelan allies who have elected right-of-center governments in recent years, follows a call by the head of the OAS to expel Venezuela if it does not hold general elections quickly, a move that would require the support of two-thirds of the Washington-based bodys 34 General Assembly members.

Luis Almagro, secretary general of the OAS and a former foreign minister of Uruguay, calls Maduros government a dictatorship. He said earlier this month that, if Venezuela did not comply quickly, it should be suspended for violating rules that require members to adhere to democratic norms.

In the past the OAS suspended Cuba and Honduras for breaking with democracy but was criticized for not taking such action against right-wing dictatorships during the Cold War.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States was concerned by the state of democracy in Venezuela.

We urge the Venezuelan government to comply with the constitution and hold elections as soon as possible, Toner told a briefing for reporters.

Were not pushing for Venezuelas expulsion from the OAS at this time. We do think that the OAS is the appropriate venue to deal with the situation in Venezuela, he said.

However, a senior White House official said suspension from the regional body remained an option. Although numbers supporting Thursdays declaration fell well short of the requirement to take strong action through the OAS, the official said the statement was a significant first step.

If Venezuela continues down the path that its on, the notion that its going to belong to an organization committed to democratic principles doesnt make much sense, the official told Reuters, adding that the United Sates could also consider sanctions. There are going to be ramifications, the official said.

Mexicos decision to openly take a stance on the situation in Venezuela is a shift from a usual preference by Latin Americas second-largest economy not to interfere in other countries affairs.

We should not continue to be indifferent, we cannot continue to be indifferent, Videgaray said earlier on Thursday, emphasizing that Mexico would respect Venezuelas sovereignty and act according to international law and in agreement with the countries of the Americas.

Mexicos change in tack may reflect an effort to have constructive relations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly antagonized Mexico.

It reinforces what has been a general comment throughout these past weeks and months about how important Mexico is to the United States, not only bilaterally but as a regional player, said Andres Rozental, former deputy foreign minister for Mexico.

This article was originally published on FORTUNE.com
At each new hydrogen-fuel-cell car introduction comes the assertion from the proud maker that its car is no longer a science experiment. The 2017 Honda Clarity fuel cell finally gives credence to that platitude. It actually realizes the potential that hydrogen-fuel-cell engineers have long worked toward: to make the fuel-cell hardware entirely invisible from the driving experience. Built on a dedicated platform that also will spawn a battery-electric version and a plug-in hybrid later this year, the fuel-cell Clarity drives just like a battery-powered electric car. Nearly all of the deal-breakers that have branded previous efforts as science experimentsthe strident vacuum-cleaner sounds, poor packaging, sluggish performancehave been purged.

Hit the start button and theres little to be heard from the drivers seat. Press the accelerator moderately and the response is instantaneous and confidence inspiringalthough the Claritys sprightliness fades somewhat above 60 mph or so. After all, the fuel-cell Clarity is an electric car; there are no dueling power sources sending torque to the wheels, just a single AC motor that delivers its peak 221 lb-ft right from the start. Step into it a little more and what you do hear, perhaps delayed by a second or two, is a turbulent whoosh of air from an electrically driven air compressor, force-feeding fresh air into this electric cars onboard generator, the fuel-cell stack. The sounds lack any semblance of the whine made by the feline shriek of the Roots-type blower in the previous model, yet it supplies air at up to 70 percent greater pressure. Its certainly a notch quieter than the Toyota Mirai, and ride quality isnt bad either.

Otherwise, the fuel-cell Clarity drives like a very heavy Accord that is entirely aware of the added girth and doesnt try any fancy dance moves. It tops 4000 pounds, despite an aluminum hood, doors, fenders, and trunklid. Honda says the Claritys center of mass is slightly lower than that of the Accord hybrid, but the prevailing impression is that it feels far more nose-heavy in tight corners than its claimed 57/43 front/rear weight distribution suggests. The steering is precise, but it could be weighted stronger on-center. Selecting Sport modesignaled by red highlighting for the gauge clustergives you sharper accelerator response as well as what will be welcomed on mountain roads: more regenerative braking. The brakes themselves are precise and easy to modulate.

Honda doesnt disclose the Claritys coefficient of drag, but you definitely dont hear wind turbulence around the cowl and side glass at fast cruising speeds the way you do in the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Thats partly due to Hondas comprehensive approach for keeping the cabin quiet. Theres acoustic glass used not just for the windshield but also for the door glass plus other noise-abating strategies that keep everything from road coarseness to motor whine at bay. Active noise cancellation was deemed unnecessary.

Stash the Stack

A fuel-cell stack consists of many waferlike layers, each of which harnesses a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, producing some waste heat, water vapor, and electricity. Honda has been working on hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles for 20 years, and in that time the fuel-cell stacks have gone from nearly steamer-chest sized to the volume of a modest carry-on suitcase. With this latest generation, Honda has pushed the efficiency of the stack over the 60 percent mark, increasing power to 103 kW, while cutting its physical volume by one-third. With the drive units height reduced, too, the whole assembly (cell stack and motor) can fit under the hood for the first time, essentially taking up the same space as a V-6 engine and transaxle.

That rights some packaging weirdness of its predecessor, the FCX Clarity, in which Honda put the suitcase-sized fuel-cell stack between the front seats, cutting into interior space and making that vehicle a four-seater. With more space reserved for occupants, Honda has worked to normalize the interior packaging in the 2017 Clarity. Theres excellent space for four adults, with decent legroom all around and even reasonable headroom in back; five occupants fit, provided those in back dont mind sitting close together. The front seats have long cushions and good support as well. There is one packaging sore point: The hydrogen is stored in two aluminum-lined, composite-reinforced cylindrical tanks; the larger of them (31 gallons) sits just behind the rear seatbacks and the smaller one (6 gallons) lies under the rear seats. The large hydrogen tanks enable a claimed 366-mile range, at the expense of cargo space. The trunks meager 12-cubic-foot volume is even worse than it sounds, as the space is deep only at the rearmost portion while one can only stuff softer items in what amounts to a ledge at the forward section. Also, theres no folding rear seatback or pass-through.

Because the fuel cell still takes a few seconds to ramp up to its peak generation, an air-cooled, 1.7-kWh lithium-ion battery pack (the size of a couple of laptops and located under the front seats) ensures that full power is always on tap. The pack acts as an energy buffer and has its own monitor at the far left side of the gauge cluster. Blast up to speed, foot to the flooractually waft is a better term for it here, with apologies to Rolls-Royceafter youve been puttering along, and its the secret to the Claritys consistent, strong responses. You can churn through more than half of the batterys reserves in well under a minute, but once the fuel cell has been whooshing away and you ease off the accelerator, the battery recovers rapidly, fed both from the stacks and from regenerative braking.

Clean Inside, Functionally Cluttered on the Outside

The design and styling of the Clarity are polarizing from the outside. From some angles it looks like it could be a future-generation Accord, while at other angles the Citroen DS comes to mind, and its peppered with hints of the original Insightmost notably in the two-piece rear glass that aids visibility. The design surely has more grace than that of the Toyota Mirai, and a few of the things that might look gimmicky are actually functional: For instance, the carved-out ducts in the lower rear doors are the first of their kind in any production sedan, Honda says.

The cabin is superbly trimmed, with high-quality finishes that would look at home in an Acura. Honda calls the interior concept Advanced Modern Lounge, which after some time in the car we read to mean mature and luxurious. Materials with a reduced environmental footprint have been used for nearly 80 percent of interior surface areas. The matte-finish, open-pore woodgrain on the dash isnt real, Honda confessed, but it looks like it is.

Getting Ones Fill

One serious issue weve had with previous fuel-cell vehicles was getting a true fillimportant if you need the vehicles maximum range. Honda claims to have solved this problem. The 10,000-psi tanks take just three to five minutes to fill, with full support from SAEs J2601 protocol and its two-way communication to compensate for ambient air conditions.

Yet when we hopped into the car, with the tank having been filled less than 10 miles previous, the gauge cluster indicated 221 miles to emptyfar less than the claimed 366-mile range. Again that afternoon, after another refilling, the estimated range briefly indicated around 260 miles before plummeting again. Officials said that the trip computer was responding to the way the car had been driven. Nevertheless, thats a big gap, especially considering the trip computer indicated an average of about 55 miles per kilogram of hydrogen on a hilly, curvy route, followed by just over 60 miles per kilogram in more relaxed driving. The fuel-cell Claritys range estimate is based on an EPA-rated 68 MPGe city and 66 MPGe highway (one kilogram of hydrogen has roughly the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline, and the Clarity can hold 5.5 kilos).

At $16.47 per kilogram, based on the station we visited, those fill-ups would cost about $90. But as part of the Claritys $369-per-month leasethe only way you can get one, so never mind its $59,365 sticker priceHonda is throwing in both $15,000 worth of hydrogen (good for more than 50,000 miles, by our estimate) as well as up to 21 days of complimentary luxury-vehicle rentals for when you want to escape the Golden State or go out of town and not be in a cold sweat about range. The Clarity is also eligible for the sought-after California High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) sticker, which grants access to carpool lanes even when driving solo.

Locations, Locations, Locations

Its unfortunate timing that such fuel-cell vehicles are arriving just as long-range electric cars are starting to make sense. Thats a sticking point. Honda officials are pragmatic about the prospects for fuel cells, given that in the foreseeable future no single technology is likely to win out. As one spokesperson put it, the FCX Clarity sold in the hundreds. Honda wants to sell the fuel-cell Clarity in the thousands, over several model years. Through a partnership with General Motors, a higher order of magnitude is within sight, as these automakers are collaboratively developing a smaller next-generation stack that will be assembled in Michigan.

The hydrogen fuel cell has come a long way, but its supporting infrastructure has not. Consider that there are about 150,000 places to refuel a gasoline-powered vehicle today in the U.S.and jerry cans and AAA fills if you cant seem to work with that. Go electric, and there are more than 2000 publicly accessible fast-charging locations in the U.S., where most electric cars can get the better part of a recharge in the time it takes to grab lunch; less ideally, there are more than 14,000 Level 2 charging locations where you could plug in for a few hours. And the 120-volt outlets at home or at work are a snails-pace backup. By contrast, there are just 26 publicly accessible hydrogen stations in California todayand California is the only state with retail pumps capable of delivering the 10,000 psi needed to properly fill the Clarity.

Each hydrogen fueling station has a price tag of nearly $1 million. There are 23 more hydrogen stations under construction in California that are expected to open by the end of the year. A dozen Air Liquide hydrogen stations will open in the Northeast this year just in time for fuel-cell-favorable California ZEV mandate requirements that will soon extend to several of those states.

We cant predict whether hydrogen vehicles will go down as a failed experiment or the start of a sea change. Provided youre okay in the living laboratory, which is essentially the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas (plus a waypoint in between at Harris Ranch and an outpost near Lake Tahoe), the fuel-cell Clarity makes a viable second carnot just because Honda has subsidized it so heavily but because its pleasant to drive. Perhaps most compelling of all, though, is the sheer science of it.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan



LEASE PRICE: $369/month with a $2868 down payment



MOTOR TYPE: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 174 hp, 221 lb-ft; 1.7-kWh lithium-ion battery pack



FUEL-CELL TYPE: proton-exchange membrane, 103 kW



TRANSMISSION: 1-speed direct drive



DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: 108.3 in

Length: 192.7 in

Width: 73.9 in Height: 58.2 in

Passenger volume: 102 cu ft

Trunk volume: 12 cu ft

Curb weight (C/D est): 4150 lb



PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):

Zero to 60 mph: 8.3 sec

Zero to 100 mph: 27.0 sec

Standing -mile: 16.5 sec

Top speed: 105 mph



FUEL ECONOMY:

EPA combined/city/highway driving: 67/68/66 MPGe




I have a condition called chimerism, explains Taylor. Basically, it means I am my own twin.

The first indication that there was something unusual about Taylor was present at birth  a straight line down the center of her torso divides it into two halves with different skin tones. Doctors dismissed it as a birthmark.

She began to get sick in her early teens, but doctors were mystified by the cause until one correctly diagnosed Taylor as a chimera. The rare condition occurs when two fraternal fertilized eggs fuse in the womb  in a sense, Taylor absorbed her own twin sister. She still carries her sisters DNA and genetic makeup in addition to her own.

Watch: Is Your Body Attacking Itself?

I have two different immune systems, and I have two different bloodstreams. My body treats my sisters DNA and cells as foreign matter and wants to get rid of them, but it cant, she tells The Doctors. The result has been repeated immune flare-ups, and Taylor has multiple allergies.

Even before she was diagnosed, Taylor says, she was unusually interested in twins as a child. I used to ask my mom, Do I have a twin sister? Do I have a twin sister? she admits.

Since her condition is so rare its been hard for her to find information about it, and shes hoping The Doctors have some tips for her. Geneticist Dr. Brandon Colby has answers for Taylor.

Watch: Finding a Cure Through Gene Mapping

Dr. Colby confirms that Taylors symptoms are consistent with chimerism. One of the effects of the condition is that, because she has two immune systems and a double set of DNA, shes likely to get abnormal results on many medical tests. Its important for Taylor throughout life to inform doctors that she has chimerism, so when they get these strange test results back they know how to quickly interpret them correctly. This may save her life.

Two companies that Dr. Colby works with, Sequencing.com and Diagnomics, would like to offer Taylor free genetic testing and analysis. Im going to be your doctor through the process, Dr. Colby assures her, And were going to create a personalized plan that will help optimize your health throughout your life.

He also assures Taylor that chimerism is not inherited, and her children should not be affected.
TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Albanian police say they have detained an Israeli citizen who was found with a suspicious electronic device.

A statement Friday said the Israeli citizen, a 51 year-old-man identified as F.Y., was stopped at the Rinasi international Airport Mother Teresa before leaving the country. Police have sequestered his electronic device and cellphone.

The Israeli suspect is being questioned at the presence of a legal interpreter.

The experts are checking the electronic device to see if it has been used for wiretapping or other illegal actions.
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Chinese, Saudi and Turkish troops for the first time joined the Pakistan Day parade in the capital Islamabad on Thursday, in a sign of deepening ties. Before Pakistan showed off long-range rockets, tanks and other military hardware, armed Chinese troops marched past Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the chief of Pakistan's powerful military. Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain said it was the first time Chinese troops participated in a parade in a foreign country, terming it a "historic event", with the two countries embarking on building vast infrastructure together. Soldiers from Saudi Arabia, a long-time Pakistan ally, also joined the parade, as did a military band from Turkey, another largely Muslim nation that has strengthened ties with nuclear-armed Pakistan in recent years. Islamabad considers China an "all-weather friend" and in recent years the countries have grown even closer on the back of the $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a Beijing-funded network of road, rail and pipelines that will link western China with Pakistan's Arabian Sea port of Gwadar. The militaries of the two countries have in recent years also increased cooperation, with Chinese officials urging Pakistan to do more to improve security to help CPEC work. China has long pressed Pakistan to do more to rein in Islamist militants, saying they have connections with extremists and separatists in China's unruly far western region of Xinjiang. The United States also has a strategic relationship with Pakistan, but the ties appear transactional at times, with Washington periodically cutting off funding for the Pakistani military to penalize it for failing to do enough to curb Islamist militants destabilizing the region. (Reporting by Syed Raza Hassan; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
The Daily Beast

GettyAnti-Russia activists and former Russian lawmakers opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin have been gathering in Poland in recent days to discuss what removing Putin from power would look like nearly nine months into his war in Ukraine.Some of the scenarios the anti-Russia group discussed include Russians staging a civil war, taking up arms, and killing Putin, according to Euractiv.A guerrilla fight may be the only way to take down Putin, said opposition activist Viacheslav Maltsev. T
The first federal appeals courts review of President Trumps revised order limiting immigration from six Mideast nations will go forward on an expedited schedule, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decided Thursday.

immigration

The appeals court gave itself the option of ruling even more swiftly on the Trump Administrations plea to begin enforcing the policy that was announced on March 6 but is now blocked by a federal trial judge in Maryland. The policy would suspend for 90 days any entry into the U.S. of foreign nationals from the listed nations.

Federal government lawyers will get the review schedule under way on Friday when they file two separate documents: a formal request to put on hold the Maryland judges bar to enforcement, and a brief laying out the Administrations full defense of the legality of the immigration limits.

Earlier, the government lawyers had wanted the Circuit Court to consider and rule simultaneously on both of those requests, arguing that doing so would give that court a chance to more fully explore the policy.

In its scheduling order on Thursday, the Circuit Court did not explicitly reject the idea of simultaneous consideration, but it did issue separate schedules for the filing of briefs on each of the two filings. It told the challengers to file their response to the government postponement request by March 31, with a government reply due by April 5.

April 5 was the date by which the government had wanted all of the written arguments to be filed, but the challengers to the policy objected to that.

The Circuit Court gave the challengers until April 14 to file their brief answering the governments brief defending the Trump policy on the merits. It set an April 21 deadline for the governments reply brief.

The Circuit Court set May 8 as the date for a hearing. The order did not say whether the court might rule on the governments plea to lift the Maryland judges enforcement bar while the appeal proceeds. With all of the briefs on that part of the case due to be filed more than a month before the hearing date, the court will have the option of ruling on that without waiting for the hearing.

Story continues

If the Circuit Court were to rule separately on the timing of the enforcement question without waiting for the hearing in May, the Administration would have the option of appealing to the Supreme Court right away on that aspect of the case. The Maryland jurist. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang, issued a temporary nationwide ban on enforcement of the suspension of immigration from the six Mideast nations.

In Hawaii, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson has issued a nationwide order against both key aspects of the revised Trump order  the planned 90-day suspension of immigrants from the listed nations, as well as a plan for a 120-day suspension of entry into the U.S. of refugees from any nation.

Government lawyers have not yet signaled that they will appeal the Hawaii judges order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit  the appeals court that refused last month to let the Administration enforce any provisions of the first version of the Administrations immigration restrictions.

However, government lawyers mentioned the Hawaii case in one of their filings this week in the Maryland case, and said they would appeal the Hawaii case, too, if the Honolulu judge takes the step of turning his temporary bar on enforcement into a sturdier prohibition. That could come at any time.

Legendary journalist Lyle Denniston is Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent. Denniston has written for us as a contributor since June 2011 and has covered the Supreme Court since 1958. His work also appears on lyldenlawnews.com.
Many prospective MBA students feel intimidated by the amount of work involved in applying to business school.

"Fear is the primary reason applicants lose the energy to continue," MBA admissions consultant Stacy Blackman wrote in a blog post for U.S. News. "Self-doubt, anxiety, procrastination and generally feeling overwhelmed by this process are often the roadblocks to success."

One way to mitigate the stress of the business school admissions process is to take a step-by-step approach to MBA applications, experts say. Below is a to-do list for people who are contemplating business school.

[Find out the typical traits of MBA students at ranked programs.]

1. Assess whether an MBA is a good fit: Experts say although it is common for people who are unsure about their career goals to apply to business school, prospective students should only apply to MBA programs if they have a clear answer to the question of why they want an MBA and how an MBA will help them in the future.

"The answer should show focus, direction and sufficient self-reflection," Blackman wrote in a different post . "If you aren't 100 percent sure that an MBA is what you need to succeed, the admissions committee isn't going to take a chance on you either."

The case to pursue an MBA is strong for workers who hope to become leaders in industries where executives usually have MBAs, Blackman wrote in a blog post. "If your sights are set on working for companies such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase & Co., McKinsey & Co. or Boston Consulting Group, know that having the MBA credential is typically an unspoken requirement."

[Read two successful MBA admissions essays.]

2. Prepare for either the GRE or GMAT: Experts say MBA applicants should take diagnostic exams for both the GRE and GMAT, so they can compare their performance before choosing which standardized test to take since many business schools accept both GRE and GMAT scores.

Story continues

"I would only ever recommend preparing for one of the two tests," Dan Edmonds, a test prep tutor with the New York-based admissions consulting firm IvyWise, said in an email. "If students don't see the kind of improvement or score they expected from one test, it might make sense to switch to the other test."

It's also important to allow sufficient time for test preparation, experts say. "Most applicants devote at least 100 hours to test preparation, and depending on where you are in the process, you may have to take a prep class and perhaps take the test more than once," Blackman wrote in a blog post.

[Avoid these 10 common mistakes in MBA applications.]

3. Research schools: Experts say it is important for prospective students to investigate the academic credentials of admitted students at various business schools in order to gauge their competitiveness in the business school applicant pool.

"Not all programs are the same, so I suggest applicants do a lot of research as well as soul-searching prior to the school selection process," Blackman wrote in a blog post. "Being realistic about your profile and aligning yourself with programs that mesh with your particular academic and professional background is the surest recipe for success."

4. Decide where to apply: Experts recommend that prospective business students apply to a mix of business schools, including at least one reach school, at least one safety school and a school where their test scores, grades and work experience match with that of the typical student, except in rare cases where only one school matches a prospective student's requirements. Applying to a variety of business schools increases the odds of acceptance to an MBA program assuming that each application is carefully constructed, experts say, but applying to an excessive number of schools often results in sloppy applications.

" Don't apply to more than six schools," Blackman wrote in a blog post. "This is an intense and time-consuming process. Applying to too many schools leads to burnout and diminishing returns."

5. Understand deadlines: Some business schools split their application season into three rounds, so prospective students have the option of applying to these schools during round one, round two or round three. Understanding the timeline of the MBA application process can help prospective students stay organized.

At schools with an early action or early decision program during round one, prospective students who apply during round one have a higher chance of admission than those who apply later on, experts say.

"Early applications show serious interest and planning," Blackman wrote in a blog post. " In this round, you may have the greatest statistical chance, since you're only being compared to the current candidate pool."

The other advantage of applying to an MBA program during round one, Blackman wrote, is that prospective students can respond to a rejection or wait-list decision by applying elsewhere for admission.

However, prospective students who want to retake a standardized test or who are receiving grades for quantitative courses after the round one deadline should consider waiting to submit their application until round two, Blackman wrote.

6. Visit business schools: A campus visit can help prospective students assess whether an MBA program is worth the investment.

"Spring is an ideal time to schedule your school visits," Blackman wrote in a blog post. "It makes little sense to check out the campus during summer, when classes aren't in session, because one key characteristic you want to observe is the interaction between students and faculty."

Conversations with current students can also be illuminating, Blackman wrote. "Often you'll learn more about your fit with a particular school over these types of encounters than during an official admissions tour."

7. Craft a compelling resume: Business school admissions consultants say an MBA resume should highlight soft skills that are essential for business executives, such as leadership, communication and teamwork skills. It's also important, experts say, to show evidence of meaningful personal growth.

8. Write a standout essay: Experts say that an MBA essay should express the author's personality and clearly communicate his or her reasons for wanting to attend business school.

It's also vital to establish a cordial tone throughout the essay, experts say. "How you communicate is often more important than what you communicate," Don Martin, a higher education admissions expert and former admissions dean at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, wrote in blog post for U.S. News. "In other words, your tone needs to be positive but not pompous; conversational but not colloquial; thoughtful but not trivial."

9. Take time to revise: Once the MBA application is complete, it's essential to take a second look at the application a few days later, experts say.

"If you can come back to your essays days later with fresh eyes, you'll often think of a better example or more inspired language to illustrate a certain point," Blackman wrote in a blog post. "This won't happen if you're forced to work at warp speed."

10. Anticipate admissions interviews: Not all applicants will receive an invitation to interview at each program. Schools generally invite strong applicants to interview within a month of their application.

It's important to directly and fully answer questions that come up during an admissions interview, Martin wrote in a U.S. News blog post.

"Do not yield to the temptation to veer off track or avoid answering a question. This leaves a very negative impression and makes it look like you are not listening, have something to hide, or are taking control of the interview."

Searching for a business school? Get our complete rankings of Best Business Schools.

Ilana Kowarski covers graduate schools for U.S. News. You can reach her via email at ikowarski@usnews.com.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  Arkansas' governor signed a measure Friday requiring voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot, reinstating a voter ID law that was struck down by the state's highest court more than two years ago.

The bill signed by Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson closely mirrors the law enacted by the Legislature in 2013 that was found unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court the following year. The latest law is aimed at addressing the argument by some justices that the 2013 law didn't receive enough votes in the Legislature to be enacted.

Unlike that measure, the latest version of the requirement allows voters with a photo ID to cast a provisional ballot if they sign a sworn statement confirming their identity.

"This law is different, in a number of ways, than the previous law, which was struck down by the Supreme Court. It should hold up under any court review. For those reasons, I signed the bill into law," Hutchinson said.

The legislation is one of two efforts by lawmakers to revive the voter ID requirement. Earlier this month, they voted to put a proposed constitutional amendment imposing the requirement on next year's ballot.

Four of the justices who struck down the 2013 law are no longer on the court, and one of the new justices is a former Republican state legislator. The three justices who said the 2013 law didn't get the two-thirds vote needed to change voter registration requirements remain on the court.

The justices no longer on the court weren't voted out of office because of the ruling. Three retired and the fourth was an interim justice appointed to the court whose term expired at the end of 2014.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit that led to the previous law being stricken, said the latest measure raises the same concerns that voters will be disenfranchised. Holly Dickson, legal director for the ACLU of Arkansas, said the sworn statement provision in the latest law is an improvement but that the measure still will risk hurting voters.

Story continues

"Of course we have concerns that voter ID is going to do harm because that's been Arkansas' experience so far with voter ID," Dickson said.

Like the previous law, the new measure requires election officials to provide photo identification to voters free of charge if they don't have any other photo ID. The measure will take effect 90 days after the Legislature formally adjourns, which is expected in May.

___

Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo
WASHINGTON  House Republicans on Friday appeared to be short of the votes they need to pass a Donald Trump-pushed bill to overhaul the nations health care system mere hours before they were scheduled to vote on the package.

The Associated Press reported early Friday afternoon that the bill had yet to obtain enough votes to pass, according to House lawmakers and staffers, with a vote scheduled for 3:30 p.m. that afternoon.

Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., left the Capitol for the White House to brief Trump on his progress whipping votes for the American Health Care Act, which would repeal Obamacare and replace it with a Republican alternative that the House caucus conservative and moderate wings have objected to.

Its unclear if Ryan will still hold the vote and force members to go on record with where they stand, as the White House reportedly wanted. A Ryan spokeswoman said she had no update on whether the bill would be pulled or a vote would still take place.

I advised leadership not to put it on the floor unless they had the votes, so I certainly hope we have them, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told Yahoo News on Friday afternoon. He said the vote would be a cliffhanger as it currently stands.

House leadership were coy all day about whether they could pass the bill under the hard terms the president demanded late Thursday night. Mobbed by reporters asking him whether he had the votes, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said, Why cant we be positive? Im an optimistic man.

Earlier Friday, members of Congress expressed doubt about whether the bill, which has sharply divided its caucus, could pass on Friday as the president demanded.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., told Yahoo News that the bills chances were too close to call, and that he was still mulling his vote a few hours ahead of decision time.

I dont think we go to the floor with any certainty of success, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., after emerging from an early morning Rules Committee meeting.

Story continues

House Speaker Paul Ryan delivers brief remarks and takes no questions following a Thursday meeting of the House Republican caucus. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The legislation now would allow states to decide whether insurers should be allowed to sell plans that do not offer essential health benefits, such as maternity care and hospitalization, by 2020. But it also would set up a fund by delaying the repeal of Obamacares Medicare tax on high earners that would let states bankroll some benefits, such as maternity care and mental health services, if they choose.

Asked whether there were enough votes to pass the American Health Care Act as he left the meeting, Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said, Were doing our best.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said he was an optimist and believed it would pass. I feel pretty good about where were at. When asked by this reporter about what would happen if it failed, the lawmaker replied, Stop that! and suggested drinking some coffee.

The troubled bill got a boost late Thursday night when members of the administration, including top adviser Steve Bannon and chief of staff Reince Priebus, descended on Capitol Hill to give a stern pep talk to the leadership and the conservative House Freedom Caucus. After that gathering, the GOP conference went downstairs for a family meeting to sort out their differences, which Cole described as extremely emotional.

Some conservative holdouts on the bill stood up during that meeting and said they would now support it. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., told reporters Thursday night he switched from undecided to leaning yes. It was a family meeting: It was emotional, it was intense, he said. Others said they wanted to ponder it further. I think it was important to think on it overnight and sort through this and make some fundamental decisions, Cole said.

Mick Mulvaney, Trumps budget director, delivered the message that the Republicans had to vote on the bill Friday or Trump would move on from the issue and they would be stuck with Obamacare, further adding pressure on the caucus. Trump has previously said he thinks the smartest political move would be to let Obamacare exchanges fail and then blame Democrats. But Mulvaneys message, as well as a tweet calling out the Freedom Caucus on Friday morning, raised the possibility that the president would blame House Republicans, not Democrats, if the legislation falls short.

The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2017

Cole agrees with the president that if the measure fails Friday, GOP members of Congress will get the blame, not Trump.

The Republican conference gets the blame, he said. I dont think its the presidents fault. Hes done everything he could do.  A great mistake would be to go vote no.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has been taunting Trump as his conference scrambles to whip votes, calling him a rookie who neglected to build consensus before announcing a floor vote.
An upcoming auction of John F. Kennedys little-known diary has put a focus on his view of Adolf Hitler.

The 61-page diary, which historians believe is the only one Kennedy ever kept, comes from his days as a Hearst newspaper reporter shortly after World War II. Fresh off his time in the Navy, then-28-year-old Kennedy headed to Europe, where he traveled with English Prime Minister Winston Churchill and then to the Potsdam Conference in Germany with Navy Secretary James Forrestal.

You can easily understand how that within a few years Hitler will emerge from the hatred that surrounds him now as one of the most significant figures who ever lived, Kennedy wrote in his diary in 1945.

He had boundless ambition for his country which rendered him a menace to the peace of the world, but he had a mystery about him in the way he lived and in the manner of his death that will live and grow after him, he added. He had in him the stuff of which legends are made.

Kennedy made his notes about Hitler after visiting what had been the dictators mountaintop retreat, just months after Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces. Years later, Kennedy would address crowds in Berlin as U.S. President.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

The diary will be sold at RR Auction in Boston by Deidre Henderson, who served as Kennedys research assistant when he was a Senator. Kennedy gave the diary to Henderson. Though Henderson published its contents in a 1995 book, the upcoming auction is the first time the original pages have been up for sale.

But, though Kennedys comments about Hitler could be misinterpreted to imply that he was impressed by the Nazi dictator, further examination of Kennedys views reveals that he was addressing the objective importance Hitlers place in history, Henderson explains in the auction description. When JFK said that Hitler had in him the stuff of which legends are made, he was speaking to the mystery surrounding him, not the evil he demonstrated to the world. Nowhere in the diary, or in any of his writings, is there any indication of sympathy for Nazi crimes or causes, she wrote.

Story continues

Other passages in the diary include Kennedys thoughts on Russia, radicals at home and Churchill.

The diary will go on the auction block on April 26, and the winning bid is expected to be around $200,000, according to CBS News.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
By Ian Simpson

(Reuters) - Baltimore's mayor said on Friday she would veto legislation that would nearly double the Maryland city's minimum wage to $15 an hour in a setback for advocates of a "living wage" for restaurant workers and other low-wage earners.

The legislation raising the minimum wage from $8.75 an hour would have put the city at a competitive disadvantage with neighboring cities and suburban counties, Mayor Catherine Pugh said.

Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would have linked Baltimore, a port city that once had a vibrant steelmaking industry, to efforts across the United States to boost the standard of living of many low-wage service workers.

A fourth of the residents of Maryland's biggest city live below the federal poverty level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Maryland has already mandated a minimum wage increase to $9.25 an hour in July and to $10.10 in 2018.

Baltimore would become a "hole in the doughnut" if it required a $15-an-hour increase, the Democratic mayor said at a news conference.

The measure would boost pay for about 100,000 workers, or 27 percent of the city's workforce, according to an estimate from the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan Washington think tank.

The City Council voted 11-3 this week to approve the increase, with one supporter of the measure absent. Lawmakers need 12 votes to pass it over Pugh's veto.

Even so, the legislation's sponsor, Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, said she was not confident that fellow lawmakers would be able to override the veto.

"To vote against a mayor's wishes sometimes changes people's minds, whatever the subject," she said in a telephone interview.

The vetoed measure would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022 for businesses with 50 or more employees and by 2026 for businesses with fewer than 50 workers.

Elsewhere, New York and California are raising their statewide minimum wages to $15 an hour, along with such cities as Seattle, San Francisco and the District of Columbia.

Story continues

Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington approved increases in minimum wages in November, but at rates below the $15 level. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

But in Montgomery County, Maryland, a Washington suburb, the county executive vetoed a $15-an-hour basic wage measure in January.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
BOSTON (Reuters) - A Boston man was sentenced on Friday to serve almost five years in federal prison for having helped to sell weapons including six machine guns stolen from a Massachusetts U.S. Army Reserve facility in 2015.

Tyrone James, 29, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years' supervised release after pleading guilty in December to charges including conspiracy to possess, store and sell stolen firearms.

He was one of two men who admitted to receiving guns stolen from an Army Reserve facility in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (70 km) west of Boston, in November 2015.

Federal prosecutors have charged James Morales with carrying out that heist, alleging he broke into the building through a kitchen window a few days after he noticed a cache of weapons while visiting the facility to pick up copies of his discharge papers. The cache included six M-4 carbine rifles and 10 handguns.

The M-4 rifle is considered a machine gun under federal law because it can fire a burst of three bullets with one pull of the trigger, prosecutors said.

Morales went on to share those guns with James and a third man, Ashley Bigsbee, who arranged to sell them illegally. Bigsbee has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and last week was sentenced to serve 21 months in federal prison.

In January, Morales briefly escaped from the maximum security detention facility in Rhode Island where is being held awaiting trial, a feat officials say he pulled off by scaling a building and climbing over razor-wire fencing before stealing a getaway vehicle.

He was captured days later in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after robbing a bank.

Morales, who has pleaded not guilty, is due to stand trial in April for charges including theft of government property and conspiracy.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Sofia (AFP) - Bulgaria's Socialists hope Sunday to win power and end years of dominance by karate-kicking former premier Boyko Borisov, in elections that could tilt the EU and NATO member more towards Russia.

The third election in four years in the European Union's poorest country could also see the nationalist United Patriots emerge as the third-biggest party and kingmaker in tough coalition talks.

Opinion polls put the centre-right GERB party of ex-firefighter Borisov neck-and-neck with the Socialist Party (BSP) on between 25 and 31 percent.

Some analysts distrust the polls however, saying that many voters are fed up with Borisov, 57, and may hand him a much worse result.

"There is always a great surprise in each elections here and maybe this time it will be a catastrophic loss for Borisov," analyst Evgeni Daynov told AFP.

Borisov, once a bodyguard for Bulgaria's last communist leader, was prime minister between 2009 and 2013 and again from 2014 and 2017. In between the BSP were in power for barely a year.

On both occasions the burly Borisov threw in the towel before his term was up, the first time after mass protests against poverty and corruption and most recently last November.

- Ninova's new impulse -

His latest resignation came after Rumen Radev, a former air force commander backed by the BSP, was unexpectedly elected president, seeing off Borisov's hand-picked candidate.

This was a major success for Kornelia Ninova, 48, who has energised the BSP base since becoming its first female leader last year.

If Ninova can become premier, this raises the prospect of Bulgaria, which has long walked a tightrope between East and West, drifting more towards Moscow.

Ninova has lashed out at Brussels, saying she is not content with Bulgaria being a "second-class member" of the EU and that she will veto an extension of sanctions on Russia.

Russia, with which Bulgaria has close cultural and economic ties, has also been accused of seeking to expand its influence in other Balkan countries in recent months.

Story continues

"No one thinks Bulgaria is about to leave the EU or NATO," said political scientist Antony Galabov.

"But it risks becoming a representative for outside views and to become a Trojan Horse within these organisations."

But the more pro-EU Borisov has also said that he wants more "pragmatic" ties with Russia and to revive two joint projects -- a controversial gas pipeline and a nuclear plant.

- 'Bulgarian Trump' -

Forming a coalition will be difficult for either Borisov or Ninova, however, with as many as seven parties expected to have seats in a fragmented new parliament.

Both leaders have ruled out a tie-up with the main MRF party representing Bulgaria's Turkish minority, expected to garner between eight and 11 percent of the vote.

This leaves the United Patriots, a new anti-immigration, anti-Muslim grouping that includes the ultra-nationalist Ataka party and which could leapfrog the MRF into third place.

Another potential partner is Veselin Mareshki, 49, a colourful populist who likes being called the Bulgarian Donald Trump with promises to turn politics upside down and help the poor.

But many voters remained undecided amid widespread apathy in a country where the average monthly wage is just 500 euros ($540) even after a decade of EU membership.

"I will back neither Borisov nor his opposition Socialists. I do not believe them any more. I did not see any of their pledges materialising," teacher Tsvetomira Tosheva, 47, said in Sofia.

"I would rather vote for any of the new and still uncompromised faces, for some change, hoping it will bring something good."
Canadas largest school board is not happy with President Donald Trumps travel bans.

The Toronto District School Board said Thursday it was stopping any new school trips to the U.S. until further notice, citing uncertainty around who may be impacted by the U.S. Presidents executive orders.

After federal judges blocked Trumps first executive order banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries as well as Syrian refugees, he issued a second order targeting fewer countries, which a judge in Hawaii blocked as well. However, Trump has said he will fight the latest ruling and called the halt an unprecedented judicial overreach.

Twenty-four school trips already scheduled to come to the U.S. will go ahead, the school said. But if students with appropriate documentation are denied entry, the whole trip will stop with them.

The Toronto District School Board consists of 246,000 students in 584 schools throughout Toronto, making this a high-profile move. But a few other schools have made similar choices, according to the BBC, and the Girl Guides of Canada recently said they were canceling all trips to the U.S.

The school districts director of education John Malloy said this was a difficult decision and explained the school board wanted to balance its commitment to equity and inclusion with the financial losses that would occur if it canceled already scheduled trips.

We strongly believe that our students should not be placed into these situations of potentially being turned away at the border, he said in a statement on Thursday. The TDSB remains committed to ensuring that fairness, equity, and inclusion are essential principles of our school system and are integrated into all our policies, programs, operations, and practices, including school trips.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Ottawa (AFP) - Lawmakers in Canada's House of Commons, with strong encouragement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, passed a motion paving the way for future measures to combat Islamophobia.

The motion, which passed easily, asks the government to "recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear" and "condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination."

In the wake of the January attack on a Quebec mosque that left six Muslim men dead, Trudeau's government has come under pressure to denounce all forms of religious discrimination.

In recent months, several mosques and synagogues have been vandalized in towns across Canada.

Nearly all of the deputies from Trudeau's Liberal party and the leftist New Democratic Party approved the measure, which is non-binding, while Conservative Party lawmakers voted against it.

It tasks a parliamentary committee to launch a study on how the government could address the issue, with recommendations due in mid-November.

The study should look at how to "develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia," the motion says.

The measure was put forth by Iqra Khalid, a deputy from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, a city of 700,000 people with a major concentration of immigrants.

The motion has divided public opinion: a poll from the Angus Reid Institute published Thursday showed that 42 percent of respondents would have voted against the measure and just 29 percent would have approved it.

Other respondents did not give an opinion.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - China is not militarizing the South China Sea, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday, although he acknowledged that defense equipment on islands in the disputed waterway had been placed there to maintain "freedom of navigation". China has drawn international criticism for large-scale building in the South China Sea, although Li told reporters in Australia the development was for civilian purposes only. "China's facilities, Chinese islands and reefs, are primarily for civilian purposes and, even if there is a certain amount of defense equipment or facilities, it is for maintaining the freedom of navigation," Li said. China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the strategic waterway. The United States estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment. The United States has conducted a series of freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, raising tensions between Washington and Beijing. (Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Paul Tait)
Shares in a Hong Kong-listed Chinese dairy crashed more than 90 percent Friday, in one of the city's biggest sell-offs that wiped billions from its market capitalisation.

China Huishan Dairy collapsed 91 percent in late morning trade before paring back marginally and heading into the break 85 percent down at HK$0.42.

Trading in the shares, which scratched about $4.1 billion off its market value, was suspended by the start of the afternoon session.

It was not initially clear what caused the sudden sell-off but Bloomberg News reported that hedge fund Muddy Waters had said in December the firm was "worth close to zero" and raised questions about its profitability.

The fund, created by short-seller Carson Block, said Huishan had been overstating how much it had spent on cow farms in order to "support the companys income statement".

The dairy at the time called for a brief trading halt but dismissed the claims as groundless. It also said chairman Yang Kai had even built on his holdings in the firm, according to the Financial Times.

Until Friday, Huishan had enjoyed a relatively stable performance since its 2013 listing.

"This kind of volatility in individual stocks will alert investors of the potential risk about investing in private Chinese companies," Ben Kwong, executive director of KGI Asia Ltd in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg.

"Sharp volatility is sometimes related to margin calls from brokers so if they fail to settle margin calls there may be forced liquidation and that would increase selling pressure."

Margin trading, where investors use borrowed funds to buy stock, has become synonymous with volatile markets in China as it potentially generates bigger profits but also exposes traders to bigger losses.

It was behind a stock market boom that sent the Shanghai bourse up 150 percent in 12 months, before it plummeted in June 2015 after regulators moved to tighten rules on the practice.

Huishan has so far declined to comment.
How does a prospective student make a choice among graduate schools? Here, seven former students tell U.S. News why they chose to attend their particular schools.

Why I Picked Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing (Cleveland)

Maureen Sweeney, 2012 graduate and associate medical director

Cleveland has a world-class health care system, and one of Case Western Reserve University nursing school's strengths is that it finds amazing clinical placements for students. Many schools require you to find your own. I wanted to go into mental health and was able to do psychiatric rotations at the Cleveland Clinic and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Case Western works closely with each student's preceptor, or clinical instructor, to ensure you get great feedback as you gain real-world experience. The program also goes beyond the basics of treatment and medications. It taught me how to be a leader, whether supervising a team or helping direct a health care system.

The school ensures students are prepared for changes in nursing requirements and is vocal about the need for national uniformity in nursing education. Case gave me exactly the prep I needed for my current role as associate medical director of a community mental health facility.

[Follow a graduate school application timeline.]

Why I Picked the University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Annie Medaglia, 2015 graduate and co-founder of DreamWakers

After working at the State Department, I sought a business school that combined public and private sector thinking to more innovatively address 21st-century policy challenges. I chose the Darden School of Business because it emphasizes general management, teaching quality, entrepreneurial thinking and community.

Through Darden's case method -- students solve a company's problems with a product launch, for example -- I've developed the problem-solving skills to start a business or to innovate from within.

Story continues

Initiative is encouraged. When I proposed the Tri-Sector Leadership Fellows program to bring law, public policy and business students together to learn from distinguished leaders, the school and classmates moved mountains to make it happen. The i.Lab, Darden's startup incubator, provides students with advice and connections that enabled a friend and me to launch DreamWakers, a nonprofit that uses technology to connect students in high-need schools with professionals to discuss different careers. Through Darden, I feel that I can have a transformative impact on any environment.

[Quiz: Are you ready to take the grad school plunge?]

Why I Picked the University of Michigan--Ann Arbor's College of Engineering

Frank Sedlar, 2015 graduate and owner of Vela Aerial

University of Michigan's College of Engineering had several strengths that appealed to me. In my area, civil engineering, professors are often professionals actively carrying on projects, many with an international focus -- a particular interest of mine.

The experiential learning opportunities are superb. Instead of a formal thesis, students are encouraged to engage in independent research. For example, I studied how precipitation into Lake Superior affects the availability of water in the region.

I prototyped a low-cost water sensor to measure the rise of water levels in connecting rivers and canals. My prototype later became the basis of a successful Fulbright scholarship application for me to devise an early flood-warning system in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The school gave me an engineering grant after my first year to study flooding in Indonesia more closely, and it helped me build language studies into my master's program. All of these experiences gave me a great foundation to start my own drone and aerial mapping company and to continue my engineering work in Indonesia.

Why I Picked Pepperdine University Law School (Malibu, California)

Jeffrey Majors, 2013 graduate and operations attorney

Before law school, I served in the military and earned my master's in crisis and emergency management, where I learned how critical it was to solve problems before they deteriorate into conflicts. That's something Pepperdine University, through its Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, excels at teaching.

Through Straus, Pepperdine trains future lawyers to be peacemakers, negotiators and problem solvers -- rare and in-demand skills. Offerings range from negotiation to specialized courses in securities arbitration. Students can combine a J.D. with a certificate or a master's in dispute resolution. I chose the latter.

Pepperdine provides plenty of clinical experience, like the Investor Advocacy Clinic, where I argued cases for low-income investors against broker-dealers. Straus gave me a better understanding of how to manage disputes, reduce risk and find leverage points in negotiations. I use these skills every day now as an operations attorney for Schlumberger, a global oilfield services company, to avoid crises before they occur and mitigate them when they arise.

[Seek a law school with hands-on learning opportunities.]

Why I Picked the University of Alabama--Birmingham School of Medicine

Stacey Watkins, 2013 graduate and resident, UAB, Internal Medicine

I was accepted to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences' Medical Scientist Training Program that fully funds the M.D.-Ph.D. programs of future researchers at various medical schools. After going through two days of rigorous interviews at UAB's med and graduate schools, I was sure it was a great fit as it seemed strong in every research area from microbiology to immunology to neurobiology.

The first two years of medical school, UAB has students cycle through different labs each summer to choose a specialty. After stints in pathology and microbiology, I found my "family" in the neurobiology lab, where I spent four years looking at how malignant brain cancer spreads.

I always found colleagues willing to collaborate and t help me get the resources I needed for my research, because people at UAB are so committed to advancing treatments and techniques. I plan to pursue a fellowship in hematology and oncology and eventually hope to work at an academic institution where I can see firsthand the problems patients struggle with and then go back to the lab to solve those problems. UAB has prepared me to do just that.

Why I Picked the University of Washington

Christy Harris, 2012 graduate and elementary school teacher

When I decided to pursue teaching, I knew I wanted to work in a Title I school. UW's College of Education was ideal for me as it emphasizes preparing teachers to serve disadvantaged communities and partners up with many area schools.

UW's pipeline program allows students to learn theory and then apply it immediately. Starting in the summer, I was trained to do reading assessments and then to tutor individual students.

In the fall , my classmates and I took courses four days a week and began teaching classes once a week. Guided by mentor teachers, we learned to evaluate and instruct kids with diverse abilities. By January , we had moved to full-time teaching, while still meeting regularly with our mentors.

UW also matched us with after-school programs so we could understand the life challenges of many students -- for example, kids whose parents worked night shifts or who had a language barrier that prevented them from helping with homework. I learned to apply these insights, discussing new concepts in class and using homework solely for review. Now with my master's, I still take advantage of UW's excellent summer programs for teachers to keep up with best practices.

This story is excerpted from the U.S. News "Best Graduate Schools 2018" guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.
Change is definitely not welcome in this case.

200 employees from a bus company were surprised on payday  not by the amount of money they got, but by their weight.

SEE ALSO: Need cash? Let me Slack it to you

The Baoying Car and Transport Company from Yangzhou, China, decided to pay employees their wages of up to hundreds of dollars each, in 1 yuan coins  the lowest denomination, worth about 15 cents USD.

Rolls of coins paid out.

Image: weibo

Local papers reported that staff were paid in bundles of 100 coins.

"Well, coins may also be money, but people get their pay transferred into the bank," an anonymous employee told Jiangsu China. "It wasn't very convenient."

The company had paid out a total of 200,000 yuan ($29,010.31) in coins to clear out change that was paid to the company over the spring festival rush, according to Gu Fengyun, chair of the employees' union.

Image: Weibo

The company had been unable to bank in the coins because it would have involved a lot of manpower and specialised equipment. It had been storing over 500,000 yuan ($72,525.78) in a warehouse.

A bank representative echoed those sentiments, saying company and bank staff would have been required to count, pack and disinfect the coins. "It's not like they could just come in and dump them here, we still have to count the coins," said a bank stuff. "Every time we receive coins, it's like a war."

It later decided that employees could return the coins, after backlash.

Over 347 million people  half of all smartphone users in China  used their phones to pay for goods in real life last year. Perhaps it's time to switch away from coins.

WATCH: This coin-sorting wallet will save you from fumbling with change
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  The company building the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline and the Army Corps of Engineers want a judge to reject a request by American Indian tribes to revoke permission for the project to cross a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota.

Oil might already be flowing under Lake Oahe, but the Standing Rock, Cheyenne River, Yankton and Oglala Sioux tribes are continuing their legal battle against the pipeline in the hope that a judge will order it shut down.

The 1,200-mile (1930-kilometer) pipeline is to deliver North Dakota oil to a distribution point in Illinois. Texas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners said in court documents filed Monday that it expected to have the pipeline operating sometime this week. ETP spokeswoman Vicki Granado on Friday declined to comment on whether oil was flowing, saying the company's next update will come Monday in a required report to the court.

The company is not required to report the start of operations to regulators, according to officials with the North Dakota Public Service Commission and the U.S. Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The tribes say the pipeline threatens their drinking water, cultural sites and ability to practice their religion, which depends on pure water. ETP rejects those claims. The Standing Rock and Cheyenne River tribes last month asked U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to overturn the federal government's permission for the Lake Oahe crossing that the Trump administration granted to ETP.

ETP and the Corps, which manages the lake for the U.S. government, filed responses with the court on Thursday. They both asked Boasberg to reject the tribes' request, saying the process that resulted in permission for the lake crossing was properly handled.

"The Corps reasonably concluded that the pipeline would not impact tribal hunting, fishing and consumption rights in Lake Oahe given the extremely low risk of a spill," Scherman wrote.

___

Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake
By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday refused to overturn the conviction of two nephews of Venezuela's first lady on charges that they tried to carry out a multimillion-dollar drug deal to help their family stay in power.

Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas and Efrain Antonio Campo Flores had argued in a motion challenging their conviction that they were entrapped in a sting operation and that their trial was tainted by a witness who perjured himself.

But U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty in Manhattan rejected those arguments.

"The Court is not in any better a position than the jury was to find the facts of this case, nor do the interests of justice require that the verdict be set aside," he wrote.

Attorneys for Flores de Freitas and Campo Flores did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Flores de Freitas, 31, and Campo Flores, 30, were convicted by a Manhattan jury in November of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. The two men are nephews of Cilia Flores, the wife of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Days later, Maduro blasted the conviction in a speech as an instance of "U.S. imperialism."

The two men were arrested in Haiti in November 2015 and flown to the United States following a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation.

Prosecutors said the two men plotted to use a Venezuelan airport's presidential hangar to send 800 kgs of cocaine to Honduras for shipment into the United States.

They said recordings of meetings with two DEA informants showed the nephews wanted the cash to counteract money they believed the United States was supplying to Maduro's opposition before Venezuela's December 2015 National Assembly elections.

Maduro's Socialist Party lost its parliamentary majority in the election.

At trial, defense lawyers said neither man was sophisticated enough to have carried out the transaction and did not intend for drugs to be shipped into the United States.

Story continues

One of the government's witnesses was a DEA informant posing as a Mexican cartel member who later pleaded guilty to lying to the government to engage in drug trafficking himself. He testified under a cooperation agreement with prosecutors.

In an unusual twist, that witness, Jose Santos-Pena, was revealed at trial to be lying on the stand, and prosecutors threw out his cooperation agreement. Flores de Freitas and Campo Flores argued that they should get a new trial in light of Santos-Pena's perjury.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson and Nate Raymond; editing by Grant McCool)
With the vote on the American Health Care Act looming, conservative media personalities and outlets that were backers of President Trump throughout the campaign are attacking the Obamacare replacement bill the White House supports.

Ann Coulter, right-wing provocateur and an avid supporter of the Trump campaign, has been attacking the bill as Obamacare Lite since its text became public, hammering House Speaker Paul Ryan along the way. Could some investigative reporter write a piece explaining why Ryan is so hellbent on this deeply unpopular healthcare bill? she wrote earlier this week, before criticizing Trump and Ryan for making tax cuts next on their legislative agenda instead of trade and immigration.

Could some investigative reporter write a piece explaining why Ryan is so hellbent on this deeply unpopular healthcare bill?  Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) March 22, 2017

Only way @realDonaldTrump can fulfill his promises on healthcare is to sign a law saying:"There shall be a free market in health insurance."  Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) March 16, 2017

Despite her support, Coulter has been critical of Trump in the past, but the critique became more pointed this week in an interview with Sean Hannity:

This is beginning to look like every other Republican administration: massive spending on the military, which wastes $125 billion a year, according to a McKinsey report. Hes moving money from one swamp to another. We dont want war; we want more jobs, a wall and lots of deportations, not all of this stuff that is indistinguishable from the Jeb Bush administration.

Matt Drudge, who had mostly stayed out of the AHCA fray, turned the banner of his website against Ryan on Friday morning. The line Drudge chose echoes a 2010 Nancy Pelosi quote, in which the then-House speaker said of the Affordable Care Act, we have to pass the [health care] bill so that you can find out whats in it, a quote that was played often on Fox News and defended by Pelosi.

Story continues

The banner of the Drudge Report Friday morning.

Breitbart News  formerly headed by Trumps chief strategist, Steve Bannon  has also been hammering the bill, which the right-wing site dubbed Ryancare. On Friday, it promoted a New York magazine story stating that Bannon had expressed concerns over the fact the bill was written by the insurance industry. The site has also been hammering Ryan, including releasing audio of the speaker during the 2016 campaign saying he wouldnt support Trump and publishing so many stories criticizing Ryan and the bill that its journalists were scolded by the conservative National Review.

Earlier this month the conservative outlet Newsmax published a story urging the president to abandon the Freedom Caucus and work on a bipartisan plan to pass a Medicaid for All bill. Christopher Ruddy, the founder of the site and a longtime Trump friend, wrote the piece.

Read more from Yahoo News:
When it comes to retirement and succession planning, a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey suggests that business owners aren't necessarily as prepared as they ought to be. Seventy percent of business owners surveyed say they don't have a formal written plan in place outlining what they'll do with their business if they decide to retire or can no longer continue working.

"Ideally, the best time to develop your exit strategy for retirement is the day you open the business," says Joe Fahey, senior business transition strategist for Wells Fargo Private Bank in McLean, Virginia.

If you own a small business but you've given relatively little thought to how you'll handle the shift into retirement, now's the time to begin working on your plan.

Identify your end goal. Before you can begin creating your succession road map, the first thing to consider is what you plan to do with your business.

Brian Pearson, president and CEO of American Benefits Exchange in Austin, Texas, says if selling is on the horizon, it's important to leave room for flexibility in your plan.

"One of the things I think is paramount, even before looking long-term at the sale of a business, is knowing that things can change," Pearson says. "Small business owners can't rely solely on the money from selling their business [to fund their retirement]."

Pearson says small business owners need to maximize all the retirement savings options available to them, including individual retirement accounts and 401(k)s, as well as funding taxable investment accounts.

[See: 10 Tips to Boost Your IRA Balance.]

"It's important to have a backup plan or a safety net, should things not play out as intended with the business," Pearson says.

Mark Tepper, a certified financial planner and president of Strategic Wealth Partners in Independence, Ohio, says one potential roadblock to proper planning lies in how some entrepreneurs view their business.

Story continues

"Way too many entrepreneurs operate their businesses with the primary goal of generating cash flow to sustain their lifestyle," Tepper says. "A business should be viewed as an investment -- something that will have real, tangible value."

Tepper says getting a start on succession planning as early as possible can ensure that you have enough time to improve inefficiencies in the business so that when and if you opt to sell, you can land the highest sale price.

Choose your investments carefully. If you've decided that selling your business is the right path, it's important to think about how you'll invest the proceeds as part of your larger retirement strategy.

Ben Gadon, managing director at CBIZ MHM in New York, reminds small business owners to keep diversification firmly in sight. "Leaving all of your eggs in one basket is not a good idea," Gadon says. "Once you monetize your retirement, you want to keep it on the path of continued, steady return with minimization of volatility. Diversification is key."

Tepper says a well-designed financial plan should indicate the required rate of return your portfolio needs to generate for your money to last throughout your lifetime.

"Once that's determined, it's important to build a portfolio that minimizes volatility and draw down," Tepper says. "It's been proven through simulations that minimizing volatility is more important than gross rate of return when it comes to capital preservation during the distribution phase of retirement."

Fahey says a sound approach would be to develop a keep-versus-sell snapshot of your financial picture before pulling the trigger on a sale. That means examining your financial balance sheet, cash flow, liquidity and risk profile on a before and after basis.

"Often, clients are surprised by the cash flow decline after they sell the business," Fahey says. "If the price is insufficient to meet your financial objectives, you may need to continue to invest the excess cash flow for a few more years, then sell."

Fahey also says business owners should be mindful of a sudden shift in the liquidity of their portfolio, as well as the condition of the markets.

[See: 9 Ways to Avoid 401(k) Fees and Penalties.]

"If you sell your business at the peak of the market, pay taxes and invest the net into an all equity portfolio, you run the risk that the liquid portfolio may hit a downturn in the cycle," Fahey says. "If you have a long-term time horizon, take your time and develop a long-term strategy to dollar cost average and transition from all cash into the optimal asset allocation that meets your income and risk profile."

Cover all the bases. Having a succession plan in place is a step in the right direction but you need to be sure that you're prepared for more than just the transition to retirement.

Michael Beriss, an advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services in Bethesda, Maryland, says having the right type of insurance coverage can minimize the potential for unexpected setbacks.

"Insurance can be a powerful tool to both provide protection and help the business transition," Beriss says. "Key person life and disability insurance can provide the company with money to help replace critical employees if they die or become disabled."

For example, you may choose to purchase a life insurance policy for yourself as part of a buy-sell agreement, with the buyer serving as beneficiary. This would ensure that the buyer has the money to purchase the business if something were to happen to you prematurely.

Mike Repak, vice president and senior estate planner at Philadelphia-based Janney Montgomery Scott, says that that regardless of whether your business is organized as a partnership, LLC, S-corp or C-corp, a buy-sell agreement should be part of the succession planning discussion.

"Although the plan may be to continue the business, questions around what happens if this proves to be impossible should be addressed sooner rather than later," Repak says.

[See: 10 Skills the Best Investors Have.]

Repak says there are additional reasons to consider putting a buy-sell agreement in place. He points to disability, divorce, bankruptcy and criminal conviction as scenarios where a buy-sell agreement would offer protection to the business and its owners.

Don't just set it and forget it. One important caveat to keep in mind is that succession planning is not so much a once-and-and done proposition as it is a fluid and ongoing process when you own a business.

"It's important for small business owners to revisit their succession plan often," Pearson says. "Things can change in terms of who the partners are, where the business is located and the value of the business. It's not just a one-time event, but it's something you want to go back and update to make sure everything that was done legally is still suitable and makes sense for the business."

Rebecca Lake is a freelance Investing & Retirement reporter at U.S. News & World Report. She's been reporting on personal finance, investing and small business for nearly a decade and her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, Business Insider, CBS News and Investopedia. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter or email her at rlake0836@gmail.com.
After spending nearly five years on Mars, NASAs Curiosity rover is finally showing signs of wear and tear. The space agency announced Tuesday that the latest routine check of the rovers aluminum wheels, carried out Sunday, had revealed two small breaks on the left middle wheel.

However, the damage, which scientists and engineers associated with the project said was an expected part of the wheels life cycle, is unlikely to change NASAs current science plans vis-a-vis the Curiosity mission.

All six wheels have more than enough working lifespan remaining to get the vehicle to all destinations planned for the mission, Curiosity Project Manager Jim Erickson from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a statement released Tuesday. While not unexpected, this damage is the first sign that the left middle wheel is nearing a wheel-wear milestone.

Curiositys wheels are each about 20 inches in diameter and are made of solid aluminium. Each wheel contains raised treads called grousers  structures that not only bear most of the rovers weight, but also allow it to traverse uneven and rocky terrain.

The monitoring of wheel damage on Curiosity, plus a program of wheel-longevity testing on Earth, was initiated after dents and holes in the wheels were seen to be accumulating faster than anticipated in 2013, NASA said in the statement. Testing showed that at the point when three grousers on a wheel have broken, that wheel has reached about 60 percent of its useful life. Curiosity already has driven well over that fraction of the total distance needed for reaching the key regions of scientific interest on Mars' Mount Sharp.

The rover, which landed on Mars in August 2012, is currently less than halfway through its two-year extended mission that commenced October 1. It is currently examining sand dunes partway up a structure called the Murray formation (located on the lower reaches of Mount Sharp), and will, in the coming months, explore the hematite-containing Vera Rubin Ridge, a clay-containing geological structure located above that ridge, and a sulfate-containing region above that.

Story continues

The rover is climbing to sequentially higher and younger layers of lower Mount Sharp to investigate how the region's ancient climate changed billions of years ago, NASA said in the statement.

For Curiosity, the Martian adventure is far from over.

Related Articles
Guatemala City (AFP) - Guatemala busted a ring of at least 15 customs agents, port workers and transport company workers on Friday accused of using falsified documents to avoid paying customs duties.

The revelation by prosecutors came two years after the previous government fell when it was discovered senior officials took bribes to allow businessmen to escape import taxes.

The president and vice president from that administration, Otto Perez and Roxana Baldetti, are in jail pending possible trial.

A spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office said the 15 suspects arrested Friday used falsified documents to retrieve goods from the southern port of Quetzal, depriving the government of $570,000 in duties.

The investigation started in December after a tip-off about a container being removed from the port without respecting rules, the spokeswoman, Yecenia Enriquez, told reporters.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus said Friday it won't give up a search for oil and gas off its shores despite a call to stop by Turkey which warned that it would "take all necessary measures to protect its interests" in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as those of breakaway Turkish Cypriots.

Cyprus' government said it's regrettable that Turkey is resorting to "threats" to advance its own interests under the guise of concern for the rights of Turkish Cypriots.

"The Republic of Cyprus will resolutely continue its policy in the field of hydrocarbons, in full respect of international and European law," the Cyprus government said in a statement.

The Turkish government said earlier Friday that it expects Greek Cypriots to cease their gas search and to stop acting as if they're the sole owners of the ethnically divided island's natural resources.

It also implied that a continued search for gas could further jeopardize stalled talks aimed at reunifying the island as a federation.

A 1974 Turkish invasion triggered by a coup by supporters of union with Greece cleaved the island along ethnic lines. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and keeps more than 35,000 troops in the breakaway north.

Turkey doesn't recognize Cyprus as a state and insists any "unilateral" Greek Cypriot gas search flouts the rights of Turkish Cypriots to the island's mineral wealth.

Cyprus said it's acting in line with international law which Turkey disregards and is proceeding with the oil and gas exploration as the lawful custodian of the island's natural resources. It said it's been agreed as part of peace talks that Turkish Cypriots will benefit from any oil and gas proceeds after the island is reunified.

Major oil and gas companies including Italy's Eni, France's Total and ExxonMobil have won licenses to carry out exploratory drilling in eight areas, or blocks, off Cyprus' southern coast.

Story continues

Cypriot Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis said last week that Eni, in partnership with Total, will drill in one block later this year. Eni is planning another two drilling attempts in other blocks also within 2017, Lakkotrypis added.

Eni officials said their recent discovery of a big gas field off Egypt offers hope of more finds in Cypriot waters.

In earlier drilling, Texas-based Noble Energy discovered a field off Cyprus estimated to contain over 4 trillion cubic feet in reserves.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed David Friedman as the U.S. ambassador to Israel in a Tweet, Thursday. Senators voted 52-46 and approved the first of President Donald Trump's pick for ambassadors. Netanyahu said that Friedman would be warmly welcomed by Israel.

Israeli envoy to the U.S. Ron Dermer also posted on Twitter congratulating Friedman.

Friedman previously served as Trump's bankruptcy lawyer. He has been criticized for his earlier comments on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Being an Orthodox Jew, he accused the State Department of anti-Semitism and compared the Left-wing Jewish activists to "Kapos." He had also accused former president Barack Obama of being "anti-Semitic"  a term referred to the Jews, who were appointed by Nazis to keep a check on prisoners at concentration camps. Friedman later apologized for his past comments during his confirmation hearing and also promised to uphold the U.S. policy under the Trump administration, according to NBC News.

Friedman needed a simple majority for the confirmation of his nomination. Although several Democrats opposed it, Republicans showed support. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Bob Melendez (D-N.J.) among the Republicans, voted for Friedman during the senate hearing. They also supported him during a procedural vote that took place earlier Thursday.

Friedman's nomination has been through a lot of controversies. Democrats voiced their concerns about Friedman's comments earlier opposing a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Friedman also advocated for Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) did not support the nomination.

Story continues

"Taken together, Mr. Friedmans statements and affiliations make it clear that he does not believe the two-state solution is necessary for a just and lasting peace," Cardin said.

Cardin added that he believes Friedman's past opinions would affect "his ability to represent the United States as a credible facilitator of the peace process," the Hill reported.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., also expressed his concern over the nomination and said Friedman's "past conduct demonstrates that he lacks the tools one needs to be a good diplomat," according to NBC News.

Related Articles
A "breathing" Fidel Castro is among several ex-communist leaders gathered in Hong Kong this week -- one of the world's centres of capitalism -- as part of a cheeky exhibition at Art Basel.

Lifelike replicas of Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin, Kim Il-Sung, Ho Chi Minh and the former Cuban leader are lying in state in the city's harbourfront convention centre, drawing curious, smartphone-snapping art enthusiasts.

Made from acrylic and silica gel and dressed in their signature uniforms, all lie in glass coffins, except for Castro, who can be seen "breathing" almost imperceptibly on his deathbed.

The installation, called "Summit", was created by Chinese artist Shen Shaomin who said the work was conceived as a response to the global financial crisis of 2008.

It was originally commissioned for the Sydney Biennale contemporary art festival in 2010 -- when Castro was still alive -- as an imaginary meeting of former dictators to parody the now defunct G8 grouping of wealthy industrialised nations.

"Many Western scholars have become suspicious about capitalism, and compared and discussed theories of communism, so I have created the 'G5'," Shen told AFP at the Hong Kong fair.

"People from different countries, different cultural backgrounds, different experiences have their own ways to interpret it," said Shen, who jokingly inserted his iPhone into Castro's hand.

Gallerist Agnes Lin, who is representing the work at Art Basel, said she had been doubtful whether the exhibit would be allowed into semi-autonomous Hong Kong, where concerns are growing that China is tightening its grip.

Mao remains a controversial figure on the mainland and there is general sensitivity about his image there.

Despite that, Mao's replica and the other bodies were made in Beijing, where Shen has a base.

"(Art Basel) really fought hard to have this piece in," Lin said.

"I think Hong Kong is still free... we can still have the freedom to show this work and I'm so happy about that."

Story continues

Shen said the bodies took a team of seven to eight artisans six months to create after intensively studying the leaders' appearances, from their moles to their hair.

"It makes people want to learn more about them," said Tiernan Breen, 18, a student from Fiji browsing Art Basel.

"You ask yourself questions which you wouldn't ask if you hadn't actually seen them."

Shen is not expecting a private collector to take home the bodies, but hopes the work finds a place in a museum.

Since the Sydney Biennale, the installation has toured museums in Singapore and France.

"It's very unique, I love it... You get goosebumps, you know?" said Nesli Vetter, 54, visiting Art Basel from Germany.

"All good old boys."
ATLANTA  Just three years ago, a tuberculosis outbreak here put Georgia on the verge of a public health emergency.

The drug-resistant TB had quietly spread for the better part of a decade among this citys homeless population. Then in 2014, the stubborn strain turned fatal, killing at least three men and infecting dozens. The deadly Atlanta strain also cropped up in more than a dozen states nationwide. Alarmed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intervened with emergency aid.

A multimillion dollar effort to screen and treat vulnerable residents has worked: Officials announced this week that TB cases in Fulton County, which includes most of Atlanta and and some of its surrounding suburbs, have dropped by nearly a third. They say the approach here can offer valuable lessons to other communities battling public outbreaks.

The spread of TB was below the radar screen, said Fulton County Chairman John Eaves. Then, boom! It put us in the crossfires of national blame.

Tuberculosis is the worlds deadliest infectious disease  killing an estimated 1.8 million people worldwide in 2015. The number of cases in the United States, just under 9,300 last year, has steadily declined since the early 1990s. But health officials warn that were not on pace to eradicate the disease from the US. And drug-resistant strains can wreak havoc in a community.

That seemed to be happening in Georgia in 2013 and 2014. Eighty percent of the states TB cases linked to this strain were coming from a county thats home to just a tenth of the states population. Fulton County was responsible for more than half of all reported US tuberculosis cases caused by this strain during those two years.

Read more: Night sweats, bloody cough  and a diagnosis that turned a doctor into an activist

The largest reason was thought to be homeless shelters. During 2013 and 2014, the CDC found that more than 50 people infected by this drug-resistant strain had stayed at four different shelters. Health officials said it had originated at the citys largest shelter, Peachtree-Pine, which can house up to 700 homeless individuals. The homeless tend to be more susceptible to contracting tuberculosis, due to in part to exposure to harsh weather conditions  and also to the rapid spread of the disease through the cramped quarters of shelters.

Story continues

TB always affects people on the margins of society, said Dr. David Holland, chief clinical officer of Fultons health and wellness department. In 2014, we had a really rough winter, and that contributed to a gigantic rise in cases among the homeless.

Though officials knew how dangerous the situation was, they responded slowly. Bureaucratic dysfunction plagued local health workers. And some homeless service providers worried about political motivations of government agencies. (Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed later called for the closure of Peachtree-Pine, the citys largest homeless shelter, citing the TB outbreak.)

We always wanted TB screenings but didnt want [the homeless] to be refused admission because they havent been screened, said Anita Beaty, executive director of the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, a group that oversees the operation of Peachtree-Pine.

Read more: Anger and suspicion fuel big tuberculosis outbreak in rural Alabama

Finally, in 2015, Eaves launched a TB task force that sought to ease tensions between health workers and shelter staffers in service of a shared goal: saving lives.

They agreed, for instance, that TB screenings should mostly be conducted in shelters, rather than forcing the homeless to travel to the health department. The county now sends a team to Peachtree-Pine three days a week to test new arrivals. They also visit other shelters, too. As incentive for clients to cooperate, many shelters require TB tests for anyone seeking a bed in their facility.

Tuberculosis patients often reflect disenfranchised populations, former CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said. Effective TB control programs figure out a way to establish a bond with patients and people and programs and organizations that are important to those patients lives.

If a client tests positive, health workers can administer medicine  a handful of pills a day, taken for months  right at the shelter. Local and state health departments also trained shelter staffers to recognize TB symptoms; when necessary, they they hand out masks or move TB-positive clients away from the general population to prevent outbreaks.

Every quarter, county officials perform unannounced spot checks to ensure shelters comply with the new guidelines.

Read more: Spread of highly drug-resistant tuberculosis sparks concerns

If we have workers who go to every single person, ensuring that person is taking their meds, we can have high success rate, said Dr. Patrick ONeal, director of health protection with the Georgia Department of Public Health. The consequences [of not acting] wouldve been the further spread of a very dangerous germ that could been [even more] fatal.

So far, its worked: Fulton recorded just 44 TB cases last year, the lowest total in nearly three decades and a decline of nearly half from 2009 levels. More importantly, all but two of those individuals received treatment of some kind after they tested positive. But ONeal does caution that a brutal winter, one in which the homeless are crammed in shelters again, could trigger another outbreak without constant vigilance.

To be successful in the long run, Frieden suggests taking a page from the playbook of that stubborn Atlanta strain.

The fundamental characteristics of TB bacteria is persistence, he said. Persistence is how the bacteria succeeds. Persistence is how we beat it.
By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS (Reuters) - By upsetting southern Europeans with remarks about drinking and womanizing, Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem has damaged his hopes of retaining his job and raised the possibility of a round of horse-trading over key economic posts in the euro zone. Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister, chairs meetings of the 19 euro zone finance ministers who make decisions for the single currency area. Known for his firm line on bailout terms for Greece, he was clear favorite until this week to be renamed to the post once his current term ends in January. Then came the row over an interview in which Dijsselbloem suggested the southern EU states could not expect aid if they squandered their money on "booze and women", triggering a furious reaction from Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece. Some euro zone officials said the affair would blow over and would not affect the decision on the Eurogroup chairman role. But others said it was a good excuse for some governments to push for replacing Dijsselbloem. "It is more than a storm in a teacup, because he has a lot of enemies in the South and they have just been waiting for something like this to use against him," one euro zone official said. With no obvious candidate to replace him, uncertainty over Dijsselbloem's succession could disrupt difficult euro zone talks with Greece on terms for releasing more bailout funds. And if the role does become vacant, negotiations over a replacement would be complicated by national and political party interests as the EU also prepares to fill two other top jobs. Spanish Finance Minister Luis de Guindos has competed with Dijsselbloem for the Eurogroup role in the past, and Spain has long complained that despite being the euro zone's number four economy it does not hold major posts in the EU at the moment. Madrid would welcome the Eurogroup job for de Guindos, although it might be more interested in securing the position of European Central Bank vice president next year, when the eight-year term of Portugal's Vitor Constancio comes to an end. Spain has good candidates for the ECB - former senior IMF and Spanish central bank official Jose Vinals and the general manager of the Bank for International Settlements, Jaime Caruana. LEFT VS RIGHT One factor in favor of Dijsselbloem, a socialist, is that EU leaders want to review the sharing-out of top jobs. Socialists are the second-biggest force in the European Parliament, but nearly all the main EU posts are filled by center-right politicians. De Guindos is center-right, which would favor Spain's bidding for the central bank role, where party backing is much less important then the nationality of the expert candidate. Other socialist finance ministers who could be considered instead of Dijsselbloem are Slovakia's Peter Kazimir, Malta's Edward Scicluna and Portugal's Mario Centeno, but officials said for now none of them had backing as strong as the Dutchman. Another top economics job that could enter into the bargaining in January 2018 is the president of the European Investment Bank, the EU's lending arm, as the six-year term of Germany's Werner Hoyer comes to an end. To stay as head of the Eurogroup, Dijsselbloem needs a simple majority of votes among the 19 ministers. So far the custom has been to choose the president by consensus for a renewable 2-1/2-year term. Another complication is that Dijsselbloem's party did poorly in this month's Dutch election and he will be replaced as finance minister in a matter of weeks or months. Eurogroup regulations say the president must be a sitting minister. So if Dijsselbloem's peers wanted him to stay on, they would have to change the rules and create a new permanent position. "The uproar about the remarks will surely have an impact on his chances of becoming the permanent Eurogroup president, if a decision on a permanent president is taken," a second euro zone official said. Under the rules, if Dijsselbloem was unable to fulfill his duties he could be replaced by the finance minister of the country that holds the EU presidency. That would mean Malta until the end of June and Estonia in the second half of the year, until a new Eurogroup president is chosen. Ministers have yet to discuss Dijsselbloem's future, and he plans to call each of them over the coming weeks to find out their views. But some sources said the group was unlikely to go for the permanent option. "Ministers want one of their own, somebody who faces the same pressures and troubles as them," a third official said. "Advice on budgets from somebody who doesn't have to make a budget does not go down well." (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Rome (AFP) - The EU is falling apart so quickly it might not last another decade, Greece's former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said Friday as leaders descended on Rome for the bloc's 60th birthday party.

Varoufakis, in the Italian capital for the launch of his new grassroots movement DiEM25's proposals, insisted the EU had no cause to party.

"What exactly are they celebrating? The fact that they are talking about a multi-speed Europe shows they have accepted defeat. They don't have a clue about how to create a unified Europe," Varoufakis said.

As the finance minister who attempted, unsuccessfully, to defy Germany and international lenders at the height of Greece's debt crisis, Varoufakis is liked by critics of the EU's economic "austerity" policies.

Ahead of unveiling his plans for a pro-growth European New Deal on Saturday, he hit out at EU leaders' "business as usual" approach, which he said "is fanning the flames of xenophobia and populism."

He said his New Deal proposals -- coinciding with the official EU event marking 60 years after the Treaty of Rome launched the process of European integration -- involved issuing European Investment Bank bonds to promote growth.

These could be used to fund green technologies and guarantee employment in struggling areas of Europe, reducing the migration that has created tensions and contributed to Britain's vote to leave the EU, he said.

"It's not just a bunch of idealistic goals," he said of the plans, which were drawn up by a 20-strong team of economists, also insisting that DiEM25 (Democracy in Europe 2025) "is not a left-wing movement".

"It is trying to do what European democrats should have done in 1930, after the Wall Street crash and just before Europe descended into an abyss," he added.

He said a crisis was looming when European Central Bank governor Mario Draghi turns off the quantitative easing taps.

Story continues

"There is a serious risk of the tapering of quantitative easing threatening the integrity of the eurozone, especially at the periphery."

Varoufakis said DiEM25 was an open platform to develop policies that established political parties could adopt, but he did not rule out it presenting its own candidates at the 2019 elections to the European Parliament.

"Europe is disintegrating and we have at most a decade to save it."
You may hear about a lot of potential causes of multiple sclerosis, the progressive, incurable disease that damages the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Theories have ranged from genetic to environmental triggers, some as simple as living with a pet.

In reality, it's difficult to say exactly what causes the condition. "If there were just one thing that caused MS, I believe we would have figured it out by now," says Dr. Robert Shin, a professor of neurology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

[See: 9 Ways to Boost Your Immune System.]

Understanding MS

MS starts when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the nerves and their protective covering. "I use the analogy of friendly fire. It's like we have soldiers in the field fighting the enemy. Sometimes they can get confused and accidentally shoot allies," Shin says.

The damage interrupts the signals being transmitted throughout the body, resulting in symptoms ranging from numbness and tingling in the extremities to vision problems, muscle weakness, trouble walking and even paralysis.

The disabling nature of the condition has motivated scientists to try to pinpoint why the immune system takes aim at a healthy central nervous system. Researchers are also seeking to understand what causes people with the most common type of MS -- called relapsing-remitting MS -- to experience symptom flare-ups periodically.

Eliminating MS Causes

It was only the 1960s when scientists began unraveling how the MS disease process works, according to the National Institutes of Health. In the six decades since, researchers have studied many potential causes of MS, and come up with few answers.

Scientists are at least beginning to understand what doesn't lead to MS onset. For example, scientists suspected for years that a virus carried by dogs, called canine distemper, was associated with the onset of MS in dog owners. A 1982 New York Times article recounts how two neurologists made the connection after three sisters developed MS in 1974, not long after the family's dog contracted distemper.

Story continues

But there has not been enough clinical evidence to support a link between MS and canine distemper, reports the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The group notes that there is also a lack of evidence supporting an association between MS and:

-- Environmental allergens (allergies).

-- Exposure to the heavy metals mercury, lead or manganese.

-- Consumption of the artificial sweetener aspartame.

[See: What's the Healthiest Month to Be Born In?]

Nixed Relapse Triggers

When Dr. Colin Bamford began researching MS in 1976, scientists already knew the immune system was involved in the development of MS. But it wasn't clear what triggered MS relapses or the progression of disability.

One question, Bamford recalls, was whether physical trauma could lead to deterioration. "There was even a hypothesis put forward that the more trivial the physical trauma, the more likely it would exacerbate MS. The patient might have been involved in a minor fender bender. But how far do you take that? A breeze? A ping-pong ball?" says Bamford, a neurologist at Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona.

Research conducted by Bamford and his colleagues at the University of Arizona, published in 1991, suggested there was no association between mild to moderate physical trauma and MS relapses or progression of disability. Similar studies supported the findings. "I'm comfortable in saying we've eliminated mild and moderate trauma as a cause of deterioration. But we did not get a clear answer about whether severe injuries to certain parts of the brain could have a negative impact," he says. "We didn't have it then, and we don't have it now."

He says the observational nature of recording relapse triggers can be misleading. "People have a tendency to remember and blame events just prior to a worsening of MS," Bamford explains. "For example, they'll remember the breakfast before the relapse, but forget all the other breakfasts that had no effect on MS."

In other words, what one person reports as a "cause" of his or her deterioration is likely unrelated to what actually triggered it.

Where Does That Leave Us?

While some causes have been eliminated, others are gaining credibility.

According to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, we do have evidence that the risk for developing MS may be associated with:

-- Smoking.

-- Reduced sunlight exposure.

-- Vitamin D deficiency.

-- Too much saturated fat in the diet.

But it may be a combination of factors that actually sets MS in motion. "People may have different predispositions to developing MS based on genetics or family history," Shin explains, "but a predisposition doesn't mean you'll get MS. There has to be something that triggers this immune system error. What's most likely is that the triggers are different for everyone."

Possibilities currently being investigated include consumption of salt; slow-acting viruses, such as measles or herpes; and whether geography plays a part, since the likelihood of developing MS is much higher in temperate and colder latitudes than in hot, tropical ones.

"Some people are interested in the role of hormones in MS," Shin says. "Women are more affected by MS than men. The age in which women are commonly diagnosed, between 20 to 40, is the time when women are typically most fertile. That hints that estrogen or hormones may play a part in MS."

The Hygiene Hypothesis

Another theory about what causes MS focuses on hygiene. It applies to the developed world, where people frequently wash their hands, use hand sanitizer and sterilize baby bottles.

Shin explains that some scientists theorize human beings have evolved in an environment that is dirty; if we're exposed to parasites, viruses or bacteria at young ages, then perhaps our immune systems adapt to fight those agents. If we're too clean, the theory goes, the immune system may attack other targets and make mistakes.

[See: 5 Rare Diseases You've Never Heard of (Until Now).]

"People have observed that we seem to have an increased incidence of immune-mediated disorders in the developed world. I don't think it's crystal clear that hygiene is behind this for MS. It's worth investigation, but I'd argue that for MS, the causes are multifactorial and the interactions are complex," Shin says.

The Takeaway

Shin points out we've come a long way in understanding MS, especially in the last two decades. "Twenty-five years ago, MS was a completely untreatable disease. We had no idea how to help people. Yet here we are with more than a dozen treatment options that are getting increasingly effective," he says.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society notes that scientists continue investigating how MS occurs, and how to develop new approaches to repair and protect the nervous system against it. Ultimately, the search for answers may one day help scientists zero in on ways to prevent or cure the disease.

Heidi Godman is a freelance health reporter for U.S. News. Her work has appeared in dozens of online and print publications, including the Harvard Health Letter (where she serves as executive editor), the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel and Cleveland Clinic Heart Advisor. Heidi also spent more than 20 years as a TV news anchor and health reporter. She's interviewed surgeons in operating rooms, scientists in laboratories and patients in all phases of treatment. Heidi has earned numerous awards for outstanding health reporting and was the first TV broadcaster in the nation to be named a journalism fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. Email Heidi at health@heidigodman.com.
President Donald Trump climbed into a truck in front of the White House Thursday and pretended to drive it. He got into the driver's seat and gave the horn a good honking. The president also made all sorts of whimsical faces while posing for pictures, riding the 18- wheeler.

Trump was busy at the White House, meeting CEOs and drivers from the largest trucking companies in the country while the House Republicans were struggling to get support for the American Health Care Act (AHCA). According to a White House pool report, the president and Vice President Mike Pence met with drivers and CEOs. Two 18-wheelers were parked outside, one with an U.S. flag and the other had a photograph of a trucker and a boy with the words "It takes 7 million people to move America. ...like my dad."

Trump also joked during his meting that he could not spend too much with the truckers because of the AHCA vote discussions. "I'm not going to make it too long, because I have to get votes. I don't want to spend too much time with you. I'm going to lose by one vote and then I'm going to blame the truckers," he said laughing.

Trump's photo of pretending to drive a truck had hilarious reactions on the social media. Twitter users made funny "memes" out of his photos. Some users even went to the extent of comparing the president to Arnold Schwarzenegger in movies. Some interpreted his facial expressions in extremely amusing ways.

Earlier this week Arnold Schwarzenegger mocked Trump after a Gallup poll put the president's approval rating at 37 percent. Schwarzenegger posted a video of himself commenting on the president on Twitter. "Poor Donald, the ratings are in, and you got swamped," said the "Commando" star. This tweet was in response to Trump's tweet in January speaking about the DJT ratings on movie stars where Schwarzenegger did not do well. Their feud started when Schwarzenegger became the host of "Celebrity Apperentice."

Story continues

Schwarzenegger also had some advice for the president in his Twitter video.

"I mean, to take away after-school programs from children and Meals on Wheels from poor people  thats not what you call making America great again. Let me give you some advice. Go to a middle school, the Hart Middle School right in Washington, six minutes away from the White House. Ill take you there so you can see the fantastic work theyve been doing for the children. Lets do it," he said.

Related Articles
A 21-year-old East Germantown man has been arrested in the drive-by paintball gun shootings of five victims in the northwest section of Philadelphia earlier this month, police said Friday.



Kadene Bryant was taken into custody without incident Thursday at his home on the 6200 block of Homer Street. He has been charged with five counts each of aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and unlawful discharge of a paintball gun.

The victims in the five cases were all males, ranging in age from 16 to 57. They were walking, biking or jogging in the Roxborough, Upper Roxborough or Germantown neighborhoods when they were approached by someone in a white minivan, then shot with a paintball gun. Four of the paintball gun shootings occurred March 7; the fifth occurred March 8.



Lt. Dan Brooks of the Northwest Detective Division said Friday that police were led to Bryant by a tipster who saw an article about the shootings on Philly.com. He said the investigation remains ongoing and police are trying to determine if another person was involved in the shootings.



Police found the white minivan parked on Bryant's block. It has markings on it from paintball pellets, Brooks said. The van is now in police custody. Police, however, have not recovered the paintball gun that was allegedly used in the shootings.



Bryant was arraigned on his charges early Friday. Bail was set at $25,000. He faces an April 6 preliminary hearing.

Two victims had reported serious injuries, including the 16-year-old boy, who was walking in the area of the 6600 block of Ridge Avenue in Roxborough about 8:40 p.m. March 7 when a person in a white minivan shot him in the left leg and stomach with a paintball gun. He was treated at Roxborough Memorial Hospital.

Another victim, a 44-year-old man who was riding his bike near the 6000 block of Ridge Avenue in Roxborough just after 11 p.m. March 7 reported that he was approached by a male in a white minivan and then was shot with a paintball gun in his left eye area. This victim requiring hospitalization and six stitches.



Anyone with information on these paintball shootings is asked to contact the Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3353 or -3354 or call 911.

Most Popular on Philly.com
By Pavel Polityuk and Alessandra Prentice AVDIYIVKA/KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian government troops and separatist fighters have drawn closer to each other at several places along the tense front line in eastern Ukraine, monitors say, raising the risk of violent flare-ups that could wreck a shaky ceasefire. At some points, the sides have drawn within shouting distance of each other. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitors a ceasefire agreed in the Belarus capital Minsk in 2015, says such advances violate the spirit of the accord. Alexander Hug, deputy head of the OSCE mission, said its monitors struggle to verify if the accord is being respected because both sides refuse to disclose their units' locations and limit access to their positions. "There is only one reason why the sides restrict us, it's because they do not want us to see what they are doing," he said. With the two forces so close, the slightest movement on one side can provoke the other side into a violent reaction -- a scenario that caused one of the deadliest flare-ups of fighting in two years at the end of January. The three-year-old conflict has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced 1.6 million and brought relations between Russia and the West to a level of hostility unseen since the Cold War. Pro-Russian separatists control a swathe of eastern Ukraine that they seized in 2014. The inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has not joined in the public criticism of Russia shared by his predecessor and European leaders, has added to uncertainty, giving both sides reasons to test whether the truce will hold. But Western diplomats say the sides also share an interest in preventing a full-scale escalation into renewed war. OSCE monitors say there is a risk of further flare-ups because forces loyal to Ukraine's government and the separatists are within such dangerous proximity. "The Minsk agreements didn't say you can move up to the line and stand on each other's toes," said Hug. "As long as these root causes are not dealt with ... then a renewed escalation is just a matter of time." He said the arrival of spring made it harder for monitors to verify the location of positions, because snow makes it easier to spot fresh fortifications from the ground or with drones. FLARE-UP The flare-up in the town of Avdiyivka earlier this year, which began a week after Trump's inauguration, showed how easily new fighting can be provoked. Intense shelling during the week-long escalation around the government-controlled town killed more than 40 soldiers, civilians and rebel fighters. Civilians were trapped with no heat in bitter cold after shelling halted a power station. Both sides blamed the other for causing the fighting, and described it at the time as an attempt to test the new Trump administration by provoking clashes. Before the worst of the fighting started in Avdiyivka, the OSCE said one of its drones had spotted a Ukrainian military position being constructed in the no-man's-land, closer to separatist forces than previous Ukrainian positions. Ukrainian officials acknowledge that some of their troops had moved forward, but said the separatists responded by opening fire with heavy artillery unprovoked. Moscow and the rebels accused Kiev of staging an advance into separatist territory. The U.S. government, including state department officials held over from the outgoing Obama administration, largely backed the Ukrainian position, blaming "Russian aggression" for the fighting. A Ukrainian defense ministry source said Ukrainian forces had not intended to provoke combat, but had moved forward as part of a strategy of strengthening positions in a "grey zone" between the sides. He acknowledged Ukraine was moving some positions forward elsewhere as well. "Over the past three to four months, Ukraine has very slowly, gradually been moving forward to take up positions in the grey zone," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "If earlier the distance between our positions was 5-7 kilometers (3-4 miles), then today in many places it's 150 meters," he said. The Ukrainians say the rebels have also moved forward. Rebels deny this. This information is not true. Were not permitted to move ahead, its forbidden by the agreements," said senior separatist official Eduard Basurin, who acknowledged that the rebels used heavy weapons during the surge in fighting. "We were forced to use heavy weapons in January-February, when there was shelling on Donetsk and Makiyivka. The OSCE knows about this. We were forced. It was a question of the security of the civilian population." Hug named five points on the front line most at risk of future clashes, including the area around Avdiyivka, nearby Horlivka and territory east of the government-held port city of Mariupol. These tallied with places where the Ukrainian defense official also described opposing forces drawing closer together. In Avdiyivka, although the flare-up has passed, sporadic shelling still breaks out. For the thousands of civilians living in the crossfire, the fighting often starts without warning, forcing many to take shelter in basements to escape the shelling that gouges holes out of apartment blocks and severs power and water supplies. "Nobody knows who fires first and it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that we just want to get on with life here," 65-year-old Avdiyivka resident Mikhail said, declining to give his surname like others in the frontline town. (Additional reporting by Anton Zverev; Editing by Peter Graff)
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)  Police in El Salvador say two sisters aged 21 and 7 have been slain and a 2-month-old girl is missing and believed to have been kidnapped by the killers.

National police Commissioner Howard Cotto says the victims' bodies were found in a rural area outside San Salvador. They disappeared after being seen helping their mother at a market in the capital on Thursday. Both were shot once in the head.

The 21-year-old was the mother of the missing infant, and an imprisoned gang member is believed to be the father. Cotto says she had broken up with him and begun a new relationship.

Cotto said Friday that the gangster had apparently threatened her life. At least two suspects in the killings may belong to the same gang.
"Dessert" is not French for "butter, sugar, and cream," but as far as most people are concerned, it could be. For centuries, the word itself conjured images of sweet macarons, decadent custards, buttery cakes, and picture-perfect pies. But there must be a healthier way to make dessert, right?

With its sweet, salty, and creamy components, this panna cotta dessert is a dish you can feel good about serving and good about eating. It also happens to include that all-time favorite flavor combination of banana, chocolate, and pecans, which basically makes this a banana split.

You will recognize the components of this dish, but set aside your expectations. Most panna cottas you've enjoyed have likely contained cream, eggs, and plenty of added sugar. This recipe contains none of those things, and while the result is shockingly delicious (no cream!), it won't behave like other panna cottas in terms of texture and your ability to unmold it. We've given you some handling advice in the recipe.

We've plated ours like a snazzy restaurant dessert, but there's no pressure for you to do the same. You can serve this dish like a classic ice cream sundae, if you'd like. Then, start experimenting.

THREE PLEASURES CHOCOLATE-BANANA PANNA COTTA

Start to finish: 8 hours (Active time: 1 hour)

Servings: 12

Pecan Butter (recipe below)

Chocolate-Banana Panna Cotta (recipe below)

Roasted Pecan and Chocolate Shards (recipe below)

Coconut-Banana Sorbet (recipe below)

Bananas, for garnish (optional)

Prepare the pecan butter for use in the chocolate-banana panna cotta and roasted pecan and chocolate shards.

Prepare the chocolate-banana panna cotta and freeze or refrigerate, as desired.

Prepare the roasted pecan and chocolate shards and refrigerate while you prepare the sorbet.

Prepare the coconut-banana sorbet mixture. Wait to process in your ice cream machine until as close to serving as possible (no more than 2 hours, for ideal results).

Story continues

To serve as a plated dish: Place a round roasted pecan and chocolate shard on a plate. Unmold the panna cotta from its silicone mold and place on top of the chocolate round.

Scoop a portion of sorbet (about 2 tablespoons) and place it beside the panna cotta. Top with chocolate shards, and garnish with diced and pureed bananas and leftover pecan butter, if desired.

To serve in a container: Scoop a portion of sorbet (about 2 tablespoons) and place on top of the panna cotta. Garnish with chocolate shards. Top with diced and pureed bananas and leftover pecan butter, if desired.

PECAN BUTTER

Makes about 2 cups (about 32 servings)

8 ounces (about 2 cups) pecans

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until they begin to brown, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the hot pecans to a food processor, add the salt, and blend until a butter consistency forms, about 3 minutes. The mixture will seem too dry to start, but with a few minutes, it will come together. Scrape the sides of the bowl, as needed.

Set aside until needed, and refrigerate leftovers in a covered container.

CHOCOLATE-BANANA PANNA COTTA

Makes 12 servings

1 tablespoon powdered gelatin (from about 1 packets)

2 tablespoons cold water

8 ounces (about 1 cups) chopped dark chocolate, about 56%

1 tablespoon Pecan Butter (recipe above)

1 1/4 cups coconut water

2 bananas

Set out 12 molds or serving vessels. For panna cottas that can be unmolded and plated on a dish, use silicone molds large enough to hold  cup of filling. Otherwise, prepare bowls, jars, or other containers that are large enough to top with sorbet and chocolate pieces.

In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and water. Mix with a fork until the gelatin is moistened. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Place the chocolate and pecan butter in a medium heat-safe bowl and set aside.

Add the coconut water and bananas to a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the soaked gelatin. Stir until it is completely melted.

Pour the banana mixture over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into molds or containers. For silicone molds, freeze at least 6 hours or overnight, then unmold and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. If using bowls or other serving dishes, freeze for at least 3 hours (thaw at least 1 hour before serving), or refrigerate overnight.

ROASTED PECAN AND CHOCOLATE SHARDS

Makes 12 servings

9 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) finely chopped dark chocolate, about 56 percent

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Pecan Butter

Prepare a hot water bath with barely simmering water. Place the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and melt over the hot water bath until about halfway melted.

Add the pecan butter and stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the pecan butter is incorporated.

Line a baking pan with a silicone baking mat. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the pan and spread into a thin, even layer. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

If desired, use a round cutter about the same size as your panna cotta mold to cut bases for your unmolded panna cotta. Break up the scraps to use as garnish. If serving in dishes, break up the chilled chocolate to use as garnish. Refrigerate until ready to use.

COCONUT-BANANA SORBET

Makes 12 servings

4 bananas

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)

Place the bananas, coconut, lime juice, and rum (if using) in a blender and puree until smooth.

Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Transfer to a covered container and freeze until needed. This sorbet should be made as closely to serving as possible. Due to its lower sugar content, it will become icy after about 2 hours.

Nutrition information per serving of pecan butter: 114 calories; 107 calories from fat; 12 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 80 mg sodium; 2 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 2 g protein.

Nutrition information per serving of the panna cotta: 120 calories; 67 calories from fat; 7 g fat (4 g saturated; X0g trans fats); 3 mg cholesterol; 7 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 3 g protein.

Nutrition information per serving of the pecan and chocolate: 157 calories; 117 calories from fat; 13 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 0 mg sodium; 11 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 3 g protein.

Nutrition information per serving of the sorbet: 117 calories; 66 calories from fat; 7 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 3 mg sodium; 12 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 1 g protein

___

This article was provided to The Associated Press by The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
What Were Following

Terrors Aftermath: ISIS has claimed responsibility for yesterdays deadly attack outside the U.K. Parliament. The suspected terrorist, a 52-year-old British national, has also been identified. Were tracking the latest developments here. Prime Minister Theresa May urged citizens to go about their lives as usuala philosophy of resilience thats carried the U.K. through war and terror in the past. Those past attacks also shaped Londons emergency response system, which showed yesterday it was well prepared for the attack. Meanwhile in the U.S., the FBI made headway in another terror investigation, arresting an Israeli American teenager for calling in numerous bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers and schools.

Health-Care Hold-Up: House Republican leaders postponed tonights scheduled vote on their new health-care bill after failing to gather enough support to pass it. For the past week, President Trump and Speaker Ryan have been scrambling to convince conservative holdouts by offering right-leaning tweaks to the law, including a work requirement for Medicaid coverage. That particular change might not work as planned, though, since poor health (and no access to treatment) can keep people from holding a job. On the other hand, a new poll suggests that people who do have jobs would rather get health benefits from their employers than from the government.

Recommended: The Management Myth

Trump and the Truth: This afternoon, Sean Spicer dismissed reports that the FBI has information suggesting that Trumps associates colluded with Russia to undermine Hillary Clintons campaign. The House Intelligence Committee is investigating those allegations too, but their inquiry is already getting mired in politics, and the Benghazi probe offers a serious warning for how partisanship could undermine the results. But this is a tricky time for evidence: In a Time interview this week, Trump seemed to claim that his statements are true simply because he says themwhich raises the question: How can anyone change his mind?

Story continues

Snapshot

In honor of National Puppy Day, we present two dachshund puppies playing in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, on July 19, 2009. See more pups from around the world here. (Desmond Boylan / Reuters)

Evening Read

Megan Garber on advertising empathy:

Heady promises, warm feelings, better things for better livingits on the one hand the extremely typical stuff of ads, so longstanding an element of commercial messaging that we can safely assume that Neanderthals, once they realized they could rent out space in their caves, spread the news about Lairbnb via grunted renditions of We Are the World. But when InterContinental summons the InterPersonal to sell its hotel rooms (or when Cadillac summons the same to sell cars; or when Expedia airs ads celebrating the aiding of refugees; or when Honey Maid, maker of graham crackers, airs spots promoting cross-cultural understanding; or when Panera, the fast-casual purveyor of Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwiches, adopts as its tagline, Food as It Should Be), what is being invoked is not merely blithe aspiration, cultural ideals fit to be transformed into corporate profits. The ads are, instead, profoundly political. And they are explicitly moral. They are making claims not just about what we should buy, but about who we should be.

Keep reading here, as Megan considers what it means when brands start acting as arbiters of morality. And for more on empathy in unlikely places, check out a new video game that seeks to show players a personal relationship with everything in the universe.

Recommended: The Trouble With Killing Obamacare's 'Essential Health Benefits'

What Do You Know?

1. In 2013, a typical worker in New York City earned ____________ percent more than the national average.

Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.

2. A new report finds that ____________ percent of U.S. colleges are unaffordable for students whose families earn less than $69,000 a year.

Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.

3. Since 2000, Americas per capita consumption of alcohol has risen by about ____________ percent.

Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.

Urban Developments

Our partner site CityLab explores the cities of the future and investigates the biggest ideas and issues facing city dwellers around the world. Adam Sneed shares three of todays top stories:

If your kids school day starts too early in the morning, theres a clear culprit: suburban sprawl. Theres a long-established trend of Snowbelt residents moving to warmer, sunnier climates. New census data shows that pattern is only getting stronger, and that spells trouble for the Midwest. What if concentrations of people were mapped on the Earth like mountains? The result is this weird geography of population density.

For more updates from the urban world, subscribe to CityLabs daily newsletter.

America by Air

Jane Selverstone serves up a scene that looks like it could be from Mars:

I took this photo while on an early morning flight from Albuquerque to Portland, OR. I am pretty sure that we were somewhere in Arizona between Chinle and Kayenta, flying over Jurassic-age rocks. The low sun created strong shadows that emphasized the mesas and canyons. The extreme aridity of this part of the Colorado Plateau is obvious, and the brightly colored Mesozoic rocks are unobscured by vegetation. The northeast-trending, linear features are jointsfractures in the rocks. Whenever I fly over this part of the country, I see the landscape below as a beautiful combination of geology and abstract art.

Reader Response

In the TAD group, a reader reacts to James Somerss piece on how Like buttons fueled the race to the bottom in media:

We decry the way Trump monopolized the news last year, but on the one hand its hard to fault the media when it was clearly what the public wanted (on the other hand, its literally their jobs to choose content based on what they feel is important for the public to know rather than rely just on metrics, so I do still fault them for their part as well). Metrics seem to drive so much these days, and while I think sites like The Atlantic still post interesting/thoughtful articles, so much seems to be driven by what will garner clicks. Incidentally, this is also my biggest issue with Reddit, and with upvote systems in generalit rewards low-effort/copycat content, posting something people will like rather than perhaps being honest, and I think lowers the overall quality of content. The point about podcasts was interesting; I hadnt thought about them and the way they bundled content. But I wonder if what well see instead is the rise of must-listen podcast episodes, rather than must-listen podcast series.

Read the full discussion here. Speaking of podcasts, Missing Richard Simmons has been on a lot of must-listen lists latelybut its conclusion raises some difficult ethical questions.

Verbs

Mosquito portraits shot, financial feelings flipped, divers ears ring, Power Rangers go go.

The Atlantic Daily is written by Rosa Inocencio Smith. To contact us, email hello@theatlantic.com.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
(Reuters) - A panel of the European Medicines Agency said it recommended granting marketing approval to Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's hemophilia B drug. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use gave a positive opinion on the drug, Refixia, intended for the treatment and prevention of bleeding in patients 12 years and above with hemophilia B. http://bit.ly/2n1edgs Hemophilia B is caused by the deficiency of the factor IX gene that is instrumental in blood clotting. The panel's opinion will now be reviewed by the EMA. The positive recommendation comes at a time when Novo Nordisk struggles with declining sales from its aging diabetes franchise. Last month, the Danish group warned that sales and profits might actually slip in 2017, a remarkable change in fortune for a company that was previously renowned for its sector-beating growth. Outside diabetes, Novo Nordisk already has a significant blood products business focused on hemophilia. (Reporting by Rahul B in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
By Ilze Filks

STOCKHOLM, March 24 (Reuters) - From "Sense and Sensibility" to "Love Actually" and "Nanny McPhee", British actress Emma Thompson is known for her memorable roles in costumes dramas, comedies and fantasy films.

But like fellow Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio, the 57-year-old is also an avid environmental campaigner, seeking to raise awareness on issues such as fracking and climate change.

"I think that we've all got to shout as loudly as we can," Thompson told Reuters in an interview. "Ordinary people now need to know more. They need to inform themselves. You can't just sit back and go 'look, I recycle'."

The actress was speaking in Sweden, where she is adding her voice to fellow activists' criticism of Norway's plans to open up more oil and gas exploration in the Arctic.

Last year, Oslo opened up new grounds for exploration for the first time in two decades, and this month, announced preliminary plans to nominate a record number of blocks in the Barents Sea, drawing ire from environmentalists.

Thompson said Norway had long been a "green beacon" to her, saying it was one of the first countries to sign the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and to provide a constitutional right to a healthy environment.

"You can't say you want to safeguard future generations and then drill for more of the stuff that has already put our planet in danger," she said. "We already have."

In 2014, Thompson, who said she joined Greenpeace in her youth, travelled to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, roughly midway between the North Pole and northernmost tip of Europe.

"To see the ice that is sadly melting changed me actually on quite a molecular level," she said. "But also to see the grief of the scientists who have been visiting the place for 25 years and to stand on a glacier and to see...the marks of where it used to be is a terrible thing."

Currently in cinemas in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" remake, Thompson said her next project was directing a film about the 1665 London plague.

"What is interesting about it is that like so many plagues that affect the world it affected only the poor which is why we don't know much about it", she said, when asked what next for her.

"But on my 60th birthday I want to be putting up a Greenpeace banner." (Reporting By Ilze Filks, Writing by Marine Hass)
In medical research centers around the country working to fight cancer, birth defects and infectious disease like HIV/AIDS, dismay is in the air around executive orders on travel bans. International medical, research and patient organizations are pushing back with concerns about the chilling effects of losing the talents of foreign-born scientists in U.S. labs. And within these labs, budding scientists who come here to learn and contribute must take time out to worry about visa documents and airport interviews.

The contribution of scientists from other countries is on everyone's radar right now, says Dr. Ben Park, an oncology professor at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore. "To put travel bans and limitations on visas to work here -- for the biomedical community, it's really akin to taking a leg off," he says. "And that's probably not hyperbole."

The notion that only those from the six currently targeted countries need worry isn't the reality, says Park, who heads up the center's hematology-oncology fellowship training program as well as the program for research training and education. "Many people who are international trainees and students are fearful," he says. And for researchers who are putting up to 60 painstaking hours in the lab some weeks, or working until midnight to see experiments through, distractions like these don't help.

Nearly 70,000 immigrants are estimated to be working in medical, life and other science occupations across the country, according to the Institute for Immigration Research. Immigrants comprise 40 percent of U.S. medical scientists in manufacturing research and development, and 50 percent of those in strong biotechnology states.

Of researchers at the top seven U.S. cancer research centers in 2013, 42 percent were foreign-born, according to the latest-available figures from the National Foundation for American Policy. And in a 2016 policy brief, the NFAP found immigrants were awarded 40 percent of the Nobel Prizes won by Americans in chemistry, medicine and physics since 2000. Last year, all six American winners in economic and scientific fields were immigrants, according to the NFAP.

Story continues

In Park's office down the hall from his lab, where he serves as both leader and mentor of his internationally diverse team, he has just obtained figures from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine on its nonclinical postdoctoral fellows -- those who focus on research. "Almost 70 percent are international trainees," he says. "I didn't even know it was that high."

Dedicated Scientists

Inside Park's breast cancer research lab at Hopkins, some 15 scientists and trainees work side by side at their benches, among pipettes, test tubes, petri dishes, beakers, water baths, computers, refrigerators for storing samples and an RNA-extraction system to isolate genetic material from cells.

[See: 8 Cool Uses for 3-D Printers in Health Care.]

One of them, Karen Cravero, a doctoral candidate and newly naturalized U.S. citizen, pulls off her purple synthetic-rubber gloves. Cravero is using gene-editing techniques to study what's called the NOTCH1 gene, which is associated with several types of cancer, including aggressive and hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer.

Cravero has loved science since childhood. "When I was younger, I watched CSI with my mom," she recalls. "One time they got a cheek swab and they were able to find the killer and I was like, 'Wow, science is cool.'"

At 11, Cravero moved to the U.S. from Peru, where she had lived through the nation's 1991 cholera epidemic. "I remember walking around and seeing people that I knew unfortunately dying on the streets," she recalls. "My mom would say, 'Don't talk to anybody; don't touch anybody. Just go into the house.' The commercials were all about making sure not to drink any unboiled water. Because cholera is a waterborne pathogen."

As a college undergraduate in Pensacola, Florida, Cravero says, "I did a lot of microbiology, which included collecting sewage in the mornings, which was not pretty," she says. "We wanted to test contamination in the water, because that's the water people swim in and drink." They analyzed the water for cholera, among other organisms, which, thankfully, they didn't find.

After graduating, Cravero moved on. Johns Hopkins offered her an opportunity to rotate through different laboratories and participate in studies on conditions such as cystic fibrosis and HIV/AIDS. For Cravero, who has a strong family history of cancer, joining Park's research team was particularly meaningful.

Last November, Cravero attained her U.S. citizenship after at least 10 years here as a permanent resident. She's happy and relieved to be a citizen, she says, along with her two small sons who were born in the U.S. Only she hopes it's not a false sense of security in these uncertain times.

Diversity benefits science, especially medical science, Cravero says, where cures can be elusive. "When it comes to a complex scientific problem, the more points of view you have, the higher likelihood of actually coming up with a solution."

[See: What Not to Say to a Breast Cancer Patient.]

Barrier to Breakthroughs

In biomedical research labs across the country, a significant portion of postdoctoral fellows are noncitizens who come here to work on research projects through professional visas, says Dr. Carlos Arteaga, the associate director for clinical research and co-leader of the breast cancer research program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

While the impact would vary across institutions, if people weren't allowed to travel freely, a considerable proportion of the workforce would be lost, says Arteaga, who is a past president of the American Association for Cancer Research. Among the missing, he says, would be "a number of people doing the hands-on bench work. Pursuing discoveries and thinking of breakthroughs. These are people doing real work and making real contributions."

Applying for a job in a top-flight U.S. research university is not a simple undertaking. "There's a natural selection that goes on," Arteaga says. "You need someone who's ambitious and is willing to leave his or her country to come here for professional, educational and training reasons."

Vetting takes place at the facility to which the person is applying, Arteaga points out. "If the applicant is not that great, he or she doesn't receive an [offer]," he says. "There is a rigorous selection [process]."

Translating Science to Patient Care

Swathi Karthikeyan, 26, a doctoral candidate at Hopkins who is eager to translate scientific findings to breast cancer treatments, works at her bench. She's creating models to determine how mutations in separate cells come together to form a malignant tumor.

During her junior year at college in India, Karthikeyan had a personal breast-cancer scare. Fortunately, what she and her family feared was a malignant growth turned out to be benign. But she still remembers her own emotional upheaval and the plight of patients with cancer whom she encountered during clinic checkups.

[See: 9 Things You Didn't Know About Sickle Cell Disease.]

An internship with a biotech firm in India helped Karthikeyan realize that a lab environment was where she belonged. But U.S.-based facilities provided the best opportunities for the research she most wanted to do. Her U.S. journey has included a stint in a lab doing liver cancer research, and now she's on the Johns Hopkins breast-cancer team.

"This disease is probably the worst battle mankind is ever fighting," Karthikeyan says. "There are so many research lines which are flourishing in this field. But there is nothing concrete. It still needs more scientists. It still needs more people."

Early this year, Karthikeyan renewed her F-1 student visa, an intense process that required her to fly back to the American embassy in India with supporting documents crammed into her carry-on bag. She's glad to be back. "When I came here it was such a pleasant surprise," she says. "I genuinely feel that Americans are very accepting as people."

Once their visas expire, scientists may return to their home countries to share their knowledge. Others stay, however, renewing their visas and eventually, in some cases, applying for U.S. citizenship. For some people, Park says, that's been the pathway to illustrious careers in elite U.S. facilities, contributing to the betterment of science and human health for not only Americans, but people around the world.

Lisa Esposito is a Patient Advice reporter at U.S. News. She covers health conditions, drawing on experience as an RN in oncology and other areas and as a research coordinator at the National Institutes of Health. Esposito previously reported on health care with Gannett, and she received her journalism master's degree at Georgetown University. You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at lesposito@usnews.com.
Rome (AFP) - The European Union celebrates its 60th birthday on Saturday, the anniversary of its six founder members signing the Treaty of Rome which gave birth to the European Economic Community.

Ahead of the ceremonies, AFP talked to Brigid Laffan, an Irish expert on European integration who is currently director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies and the Global Governance Programme at the European Institute in Florence.

Q: This anniversary is happening as the European Union grapples with the aftermath of the financial crisis, Brexit, the rise in populism and a major migration crisis. What happened?

A: Two main things. Firstly the EU became a more powerful institution and had greater impact on its member states, and secondly we had the great recession.

The global financial crisis really tested Europe's capacity to stay together, and just as the EU came out of that crisis -- at least its acute phase -- then it was hit by the refugee crisis.

So, arguably, the EU has faced its most testing period over the last 60 years in its recent past.

Q: Who is to blame?

A: Responsibility lies all over. European institutions, Brussels... but of course, governments must also take responsibility for what they do in Brussels, and quite frequently they don't.

Added to that you had a rise of populism and parties that combine being anti-EU and anti-migrants ... and that's very powerful. It's populist, it's easy politics and blaming the EU is the easiest politics of all.

Q: European integration was driven by France and Germany working together, but the partnership seems to have faltered. Can it get back on track?

A: The Franco-German relationship is the core relationship in the EU, the motor of integration and now there is some bad petrol in the engine and so both sides need to change.

France needs to become serious about its economic reforms, it can't survive unless it is.

Germany, in the way it handled the crisis, was too wedded to a model of austerity, too wedded to a model of cutbacks, imposing adjustments on other countries.

Story continues

I think 2017 will a very important year for the EU, and I think it will be a good one.

If someone like (Emmanuel) Macron is elected in France and there is a shift in domestic politics in Germany, there is a new bargain available between France and Germany.

Q: And what if far-right leader Marine Le Pen wins the French presidential election in May?

A: I would be absolutely terrified by a Le Pen win in France. If that happens, then I think the EU would face an impossible future.

But I don't think she will win. One of the impacts of Brexit is that people on the continent and in other member states are beginning to realise we can also lose a lot if the EU disintegrates.

Q: In a 27-member EU, is multi-speed integration inevitable?

A: We already have a multi-speed Europe; some countries are members of the euro and some are not.

I think we'll see more of that -- more integration in the eurozone, but also in the area of defence, security and border controls .... You will see some countries going further than others.

Q: What impact will Brexit have?

A: It is an enormous challenge to the EU. The EU can survive Brexit, I am not sure that the UK can because I think it will end up with a disunited kingdom and a very high cost to the British.

It's far too complicated. They are too dependent and interdependent with the EU. This makes no sense at all.

Q: Without Britain, can the rest of Europe go faster?

I don't see a dramatic transformation of the EU because it's never dramatic. It has always moved quite slowly.

But I do think once you have all of the elections of 2017 completed and a different political complexion in Europe, what you will see is what I would call reformist reform. In other words, movement that is cumulative and will bring the EU to a safer place.

Apart from the UK, I see no other country where a majority of the citizens want to leave the EU.... Look at the Dutch elections (where voters rallied to mainstream, pro-European parties).

But of course there are segments of the population who are sceptical, worried about the EU and the governments have a responsibility to them as well.
Rome (AFP) - European Union leaders celebrating the bloc's 60th birthday in Rome will issue a declaration designed to show their unity, but in many ways it just shows how divided they are.

Poland and Greece have in recent days both threatened to torpedo the statement, which has undergone a number of crucial changes as diplomats worked frantically on it.

Here are the key points, according to a final draft seen by AFP, and how they have evolved:

- SOCIAL EUROPE -

The declaration starts with the 27 leaders -- without Britain -- and the heads of the EU's institutions declaring their "pride in the achievements" of the "unique" union in rebuilding the continent after two world wars.

It hails the "peace, freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law" in Europe over the past 60 years.

But bailed-out Greece, leading the charge against the austerity policies of northern Europe, threatened to hold up the declaration if there was not also a mention of the protection of European social rights.

Compared with the original draft on March 16, the final draft adds, at Greece's request, a mention of the fact that the EU is not just a "a major economic power" but one with "unparalleled levels of social protection and welfare."

- CHANGING WORLD -

The Rome declaration says the EU is facing "unprecedented challenges", listing "regional conflicts, terrorism, growing migratory pressures, protectionism and social and economic inequalities".

Britain's shock vote to leave does not get a mention.

Compared with the first draft, the final version adds the crucial word "Together" at the start of a paragraph about being "determined to address the challenges of a rapidly changing world".

- MULTI-SPEED -

This is one of the most difficult issues. The EU is deeply split over plans for a "multi-speed" union in which some countries can push ahead with integration, for example on the euro or defence. Poland in particular opposes it, fearing France and Germany will try to bully the rest.

Story continues

The leaders will say that "unity is both a necessity and our free choice".

The final declaration then goes on to say that "We will act together, at different paces and intensity where necessary, while moving in the same direction, as we have done in the past."

The phrase "while moving in the same direction" has been added from the first draft to make it clear that countries that don't opt in will not be left out. The final draft also omits the words "wherever possible" when it comes to acting together.

The statement says they will leave the "door open to those who want to join later."

- MIGRATION -

With Europe's biggest ever wave of refugees and migrants helping to boost populist parties, the word "humanely" has been cut from the final statement when it talks about an "efficient, responsible and sustainable migration policy".

- GROWTH -

The northern countries get their own back: a section on "A Social Europe" calling for the promotion of economic and social progress adds the key caveat "based on sustainable growth" -- that is, what debt-strapped southern Europe can afford.

- GENDER EQUALITY -

Diplomats said several countries demanded the dropping of the words "gender equality" from the Rome statement.

Instead the final declaration talks of "a union which promotes equality between women and men."

Similarly, the text says the EU "preserves our cultural heritage and promotes cultural diversity" -- in the original version diversity came before heritage.

- EUROPE IS OUR FUTURE -

One part that stayed unchanged throughout was the end -- "We have united for the better. Europe is our common future."

This is partly because it directly echoes the coda of the 2007 Berlin declaration marking the EU's 50th anniversary.
ROME (AP)  Posing with Pope Francis before Michelangelo's masterpiece "The Last Judgment" at the Vatican, European Union leaders started their weekend pilgrimage in Rome hoping that a visit to the cradle of their unity project could somehow rekindle the vigor of the bloc's youth.

More and more, it looks like the EU's future will have less unanimity and more areas where groups of EU nations advance on their own when faced with resistance from others on specific issues, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of founding EU nation Luxembourg told The Associated Press.

Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the signature of their solemn bond in Rome, which started with six founding nations but steadily grew to 28. But the biggest setback in the EU's history looms next week, when Britain officially triggers negotiations to become the first nation to leave the bloc.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is staying away from this weekend's ceremonies.

Francis said the EU was called "to care for the ailments that inevitably come with age, and to find new ways to steer its course. Yet unlike human beings, the European Union does not face an inevitable old age, but the possibility of a new youthfulness."

At the Sistine Chapel, EU leaders posed with Francis in front of the Michelangelo fresco, which depicts the end of the world. Six decades ago, few would have imagined the end of the EU could even be discussed.

Long the mantra of the EU, the "ever closer union" pointed toward a seamless continent and an economic and political juggernaut. Now others, beyond Britain with its divorce plans, are looking for more of a "living apart together" relationship.

The EU's Rome summit, while vowing unity, could instead be a watershed moment in moving away from it and toward a more practical road of partial alliances on certain issues.

"I'd rather have a two-speed Europe than a dead-end and no speed," Bettel said. "When a country says 'I don't want to,' I can say 'Well, too bad. Don't block me. Let me get on with it with others.'"

Story continues

The bloc has proven in the past to be less than unified in decision-making on issues such as the single euro currency or the Schengen zone of unfettered travel, but it always left a taste of being less than ideal. Some call the future a two-speed Europe, or a Europe of concentric circles, but still it would allow nations to move ahead or closer who want to, no longer being held back by others.

Bettel said the two-speed idea, first pushed by Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands, is catching on.

"We were alone at the beginning with the Benelux. Then we had country after country, because we saw that certain ones tried to take us hostage," he said, referring to the Polish government, which sought to sabotage the last summit two weeks ago by refusing to approve conclusions because the 27 other EU nations appointed Donald Tusk, a local political rival, for another term as EU president.

Bettel said it would be unworkable in the future.

"Can you imagine, 27 or 28 around a table and each, for an appointment, or because he disagrees with a sentence, refuses and blocks Europe and 500 million citizens? If they are unhappy, they should tell us," Bettel said.

Poland, which seems poised to take over Britain's mantle of the most recalcitrant member, wanted more assurances that all its requirements were met and only agreed to the text on Friday, the eve of the summit.

The highlight of Saturday's ceremonies will be the adoption of a Rome Declaration, a blueprint for the way ahead.

Poland and Greece long had objections to what many would consider a harmless statement to rally all member states but swung around on Friday. It is that concern about paralysis that pushed the EU to look for other options.

With Britain not showing up this weekend in Rome, leaders will be looking at France, a major EU power, with concern. Since French President Francois Hollande is leaving in May, there's the specter of a possible presidential election victory by far-right leader Marine Le Pen, another anti-EU populist.

Further down the road is Germany's general election in September, where the far-right Alternative for Germany could become a factor.

Even in the heart of Italy, another founding member, the EU is no longer at peace. The 5-Star Movement founded by comic Beppe Grillo is riding highest in the polls and wants a referendum on whether to stay in the 19-nation eurozone. The movement has been highly critical of most things EU.

Even the pope sensed the unease.

"Sadly, one frequently has the sense that there is a growing split between the citizenry and the European institutions, which are often perceived as distant and inattentive to the different sensibilities present in the union," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Frances D'Emilio and Nicole Winfield contributed from Rome.
Details about The Last Jedi, the Star Wars franchises upcoming Episode VIII, are still few and far between. But the cast, along with Disney and Lucasfilm, have dropped several clues for fans to chew on until the film hits theaters Dec. 15.

Not to mention that a new trailer and teaser poster for the movie were recently released at this years Star Wars Celebration, giving galaxy far, far away devotees even more material to speculate over.

Heres everything we know so far about the Rian Johnson-directed installment in the so-called Skywalker saga.

Rey finds Luke and then...

The Last Jedi will reportedly pick up right where The Force Awakens left off, with Rey (Daisy Ridley) offering Luke (Mark Hamill) his old lightsaber after finding him living in self-imposed exile at the site of the first Jedi temple on the planet of Ahch-To. His first words to her will supposedly be, Who are you?

This tracks with what Johnson has said about the film, as he told USA Today that Whats going on with Luke Skywalker? is the question at the heart of the story and that Luke is the movies emotional entry point.

Hamill added his own thoughts on how his character will come into play, noting that the phrase, the last Jedi, appears to directly refer to Luke in the opening crawl of Episode VII. When you read The Force Awakens script, the very first words are, Luke Skywalker has vanished,' he told Uproxx. But down later in the crawl, and I cant quote it exactly, I saw on Twitter this morning, until Skywalker, the last Jedi, is destroyed,...And I was wondering why they would use that phrase if it was used that way, because it specifies me. And I think its very ambiguous. Is the last Jedi Leia? Is it me?

Hamill also hinted that the title could be referring to Rey, who is shown in the trailer being trained in the ways of the Force by Luke. The teaser poster even seems to suggest that Rey is destined to become a Gray Jedi, meaning she will walk the line between light and dark while possessing abilities from both sides.

Story continues

If nothing else, we know the title references multiple people, as its translation in other languages is plural rather than singular.

NOT A DRILL I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

"THE LAST JEDI" IS PLURAL. #StarWars pic.twitter.com/kkVGLK9mT0 - queen of winter (@argonautiche) February 17, 2017

The story as a whole will be darker, according to several involved, with a tone similar to that of The Empire Strikes Back.

MORE Heres What Every Scene in the New Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer Means

The return of Finn, Poe and even Captain Phasma

Along with Rey and Luke, several other familiar faces from both The Force Awakens and previous Star Wars movies will return in The Last Jedi, including Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Princess-Now-General Leia (Carrie Fisher), whose scenes were filmed before Fisher passed away in December.

We had to deal with tragedy at the end of 2016, said Disney CEO Bob Iger during a March talk at the University of Southern California. Carrie appears throughout VIII. We are not changing VIII to deal with her passing. Her performance remains as it is in VIII. In Rogue One, we had some digital character. We are not doing that with Carrie.

In honor of Fisher, her daughter, Billie Lourd, made her first public appearance since her mothers death at Star Wars celebration. She delivered a heartfelt tribute that was followed by a montage video showcasing Fishers incredible impact on the galaxy far, far away.

As for the rest of the characters, The Last Jedi will delve deeper than Force Awakens into exactly what makes them who they are. I wanted to know more about each of them, and that doesnt just mean information or backstory, Johnson told USA Today. Figure out whats the most difficult thing each of them could be challenged with now-lets throw that at them and dig into what really makes them tick by seeing how they handle that.

One example of this may come in a revelation about Snoke, who some fans speculate is going to turn out to be Darth Plagueis - the Sith Lord master of Darth Sidious, a.k.a. Emperor Palpatine, who was said to have been killed by his apprentice. In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine tells Anakin that Plagueis was powerful enough to bring people back from the dead...Did someone say Darth Vader?

Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern are also joining the cast, along with newcomer Kelly Marie Tran - who will play a Resistance maintenance worker named Rose. Its even rumored that Tom Hardy will have a cameo as a First Order Stormtrooper.

MORE How Rogue One Fits Into the Star Wars Timeline

As told by Rian Johnson

The movies script was written by Johnson - who began working on it while J.J. Abrams was still completing The Force Awakens - and has been described as next level and clear by Driver. John Williams is returning for the eighth time in the series to compose the score.

The majority of filming took place in Ireland, Croatia and Englands Pinewood Studios.

MORE Here Are the 101 Characters Whove Died in Star Wars

Disney

Hype or hype not there is no try

The countdown has begun for Star Wars Force Friday II, a global fan event celebrating the world-wide release of The Last Jedi merchandise that will take place Sept. 1, according to Disney and Lucasfilm. Plans for this years world-wide event are top secret but expect something befitting the excitement around the next episode of the Star Wars saga, said Jimmy Pitaro, Disneys chairman of consumer products and interactive media.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
By Jonathan Saul, Parisa Hafezi and Michael Georgy LONDON/ANKARA/DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran is sending advanced weapons and military advisers to Yemen's rebel Houthi movement, stepping up support for its Shi'ite ally in a civil war whose outcome could sway the balance of power in the Middle East, regional and Western sources say. Iran's enemy Saudi Arabia is leading a Sunni Arab coalition fighting the Houthis in the impoverished state on the tip of the Arabian peninsula - part of the same regional power struggle that is fuelling the war in Syria. Sources with knowledge of the military movements, who declined to be identified, said that in recent months Iran has taken a greater role in the two-year-old conflict by stepping up arms supplies and other support. This mirrors the strategy it has used to support its Lebanese ally Hezbollah in Syria. A senior Iranian official said Major General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Qods Force - the external arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - met top IRGC officials in Tehran last month to look at ways to "empower" the Houthis. "At this meeting, they agreed to increase the amount of help, through training, arms and financial support," the official said. "Yemen is where the real proxy war is going on and winning the battle in Yemen will help define the balance of power in the Middle East." Iran rejects accusations from Saudi Arabia that it is giving financial and military support to the Houthis in the struggle for Yemen, blaming the deepening crisis on Riyadh. But Iran's actions in Yemen seem to reflect the growing influence of hardliners in Tehran, keen to pre-empt a tougher policy toward Iran signaled by U.S. President Donald Trump. Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, spokesman for the Arab coalition fighting the Houthis, told Reuters: "We don't lack information or evidence that the Iranians, by various means, are smuggling weapons into the area. "We observe that the Kornet anti-tank weapon is on the ground, whereas before it wasn't in the arsenal of the Yemeni army or of the Houthis. It came later." A Houthi leader said coalition accusations that Iran was smuggling weapons into Yemen were an attempt to cover up Saudi Arabia's failure to prevail in an intractable war in which at least 10,000 people have been killed and the country is on the brink of famine. "The Saudis don't want to admit their failings so they are searching for false justifications ... after two years of the aggression that the United States and Britain are involved in," the Houthi leader, who declined to be named, told Reuters. Iran's activities have alarmed Sunni Muslim countries in the Middle East, with one senior official from a neighboring country saying: "We want Iran to stop exporting Shi'ism in the region, whether in Yemen or elsewhere." Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 to back President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after he was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Houthis. Government forces in the south and east hold most of Yemen's territory, while the Houthis control most population centers in the northwest, including Sanaa. A former senior Iranian security official said Iran's hardline rulers planned to empower Houthi militia in Yemen to "strengthen their hand in the region". "They are planning to create a Hezbollah-like militia in Yemen. To confront Riyadh's hostile policies ... Iran needs to use all its cards," the former official said. A Western diplomat in the Middle East agreed: "Iran has long been trying to cultivate portions of the Houthi militias as a disruptive force in Yemen. "This is not to say that the Houthis are Hezbollah, but they do not need to be to achieve Iran's goals, which is to encircle the Saudis, expand its influence and power projection in the region and develop levers of unconventional pressure." A spokeswoman for Britain's Foreign Office said it was "concerned by Iranian support to the Houthis, including reports that Iran has transferred weapons to Yemen which would be contrary to a UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and the Security Councils embargo on the export of weapons by Iran". SHIPPING SUPPLIES Sources say Iran is using ships to deliver supplies to Yemen either directly or via Somalia, bypassing coalition efforts to intercept shipments. Western sources say once the ships arrive in the region, the cargoes are transferred to small fishing boats, which are hard to spot because they are so common in these waters. Favored areas are believed to include fishing coves around the port of Mukalla, even though that would require smuggled men or equipment to make a long risky journey to the main Houthi-controlled districts. The coalition ejected al Qaeda from the area last year, but still cannot prevent the smuggling of weapons and people, according to sources familiar with the waters. The Arab coalition's General Asseri acknowledged the difficulties of policing 2,700 km of coastline around Yemen. "You cannot observe this length of coast even if you bring in all the navies of the world," he said. "If we stop movement of those small boats, this will affect fishing by normal people." From September 2015 until March 2016, the French and Australian navies frequently intercepted weapons which officials said were most likely bound for the Houthis. A U.S. defense official said Iranian weapons smuggling to the Houthis had continued apace since March last year, when the seizures stopped. The equipment included long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching deep into Saudi Arabia. "There is no plausible explanation for these weapons' appearance other than outside assistance. We assess that assistance has likely come from Iran," the U.S. official said. Nic Jenzen-Jones, a military arms specialist and director of Armament Research Services, which has tracked Iranian equipment ending up in Yemen, also said quantities had increased. "We have seen some more success in sea-based transfers over the last few months and I suspect the general uptick in the frequency of Iranian arms that we are documenting is partially a result of more successful deliveries by sea," Jenzen-Jones said. DEVASTATING IMPACT In a study of Iranian technology transfers to Yemen released on Wednesday, Conflict Armament Research (CAR) said it had evidence showing that the Qasef-1 UAV drone was made in Iran and was not of indigenous design and construction in contrast to Houthi statements. The drones were used by the Houthis and forces aligned to ex-Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh to target coalition missile defense systems in kamikaze attacks, the monitoring group said. It said this showed the Houthis' ability to use cheap technology against the coalition's sophisticated military assets. Evidence of the kind of equipment suspected of being used by the Houthis has emerged in recent attacks. On Jan. 30, a Saudi frigate was attacked near the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, in an operation that Saudi official media blamed on the Houthis. The U.S. Navy said an unmanned remote-controlled boat laden with explosives rammed the Saudi vessel in the first known strike by a "drone" attack boat, and the Houthis had likely used technology supplied by Iran. In another development this month, a Yemeni government source told Reuters a coast guard boat was destroyed near al-Mokha by mines laid by the Houthis. Jenzen-Jones said the quality of Iranian munitions had improved of late. "Recent transfers of arms and munitions have also included Iranian Ababil series UAVs (drones), fitted with high explosive warheads and used by Houthis to engage high-value targets, such as radar and Patriot missile batteries," he said. Anti-ship and man-portable missiles were also suspected to have been transferred, he said. In addition to the weapons, Iranian and regional sources said Tehran was providing Afghan and Shi'ite Arab specialists to train Houthi units and act as logistical advisers. These included Afghans who had fought in Syria under Qods Force commanders. Reuters has reported this same covert approach was used in Syria in 2014 before Iran took a more open role in that war. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi and Jonathan Saul, additional reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Sanaa and William Maclean in Dubai; editing by Giles Elgood and Anna Willard)
By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is coming under fire for possible links to a nationalist school whose principal says Abe's wife donated 1 million yen, or about $9,000, in 2015. Here's a closer look at this emerging scandal and implications. What brought the school to attention? Moritomo Gakuen runs a kindergarten that teaches students a curriculum reminiscent of pre-World War Two Japan, including devotion to the emperor and sacrifice for country. Principal Yasunori Kagoike heads the Osaka branch of Nippon Kaigi or Japan Conference, a nationalist lobby group with close ties to Abe. Last month, it was forced to apologize for online comments described as possible hate speech against Koreans and Chinese people. Abe was also grilled in parliament about possible ties to the school, including whether he knew his name had been used to solicit donations for a new elementary school. What's at the center of the scandal? Moritomo Gakuen bought state-owned land for the school for just 14 percent of the appraisal price, raising questions. Officials say the discount was to account for cleanup costs. Abe has said that neither he nor his wife intervened in the land deal or helped the school get accredited, and that he would resign if evidence to the contrary were found. How did Abe's wife, Akie, get involved? Akie was set to be the honorary principal of the elementary school and had visited several times. She cut her ties with the school when the controversy erupted. Kagoike told parliament Thursday that in 2015 she gave him an envelope containing 1 million yen, saying, "Please, this is from Shinzo Abe." If it turns out he lied, he could face perjury charges. Akie denied this on social media, and her husband repeated the denial Friday in parliament. How could it affect Abe? The controversy is the biggest crisis to face Abe since he returned to office in 2012 for a rare second term. It has eroded his support rating some, although it remains above 50 percent, and could threaten his ambition to be the country's longest-serving premier. For now, Abe looks likely to ride out the scandal, although his defense minister, Tomomi Inada, has links to the school, having appeared in court on the school's behalf years ago. How is it affecting markets? Investors said concern about the controversy weighed on stocks Thursday before Kagoike testified, sending the Nikkei stock index to a 1 1/2-month low. On Friday the index gained as attention shifted to a weakening in the yen. ($1 = 111.2900 yen) (Reporting and writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by Malcolm Foster and Michael Perry)
Berlin (AFP) - Two years to the day after the deadly Germanwings crash in the French Alps, the father of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz spoke out Friday to dispute official findings that his son deliberately downed the plane.

Both the message and the timing of the first public appearance by a member of Lubitz's close family since the 2015 disaster that claimed 150 lives were criticised by victims' families, who held their own sombre events to mark the tragedy.

German prosecutors in January closed their investigation after determining that Lubitz, 27, was suicidal and bore sole responsibility for the catastrophe, following similar conclusions from a French probe.

The co-pilot's father, 63-year-old Guenter Lubitz, called a press conference in Berlin to challenge those findings alongside a journalist he hired, Tim van Beveren, whom he called "an internationally recognised aerospace expert".

Lubitz senior argued that the image of the suicidal loner or cold-blooded killer did not correspond with the son he knew, and called for a new investigation into the cause of the crash.

"We have to live with the fact that we not only lost our son, but also that it was concluded two days after the fact that he was a depressed mass murderer," Lubitz, who bears a striking physical resemblance to his son, told the packed hotel conference room.

"I would like to stress that we experienced our son in the six years before the crash as someone who said yes to life. Our son was not depressed at the time of the crash."

Mourners in the western German town of Haltern am See, which lost 16 students and two teachers who were returning from an exchange programme in Spain, expressed outrage as the school held a commemorative ceremony.

Its principal, Ulrich Wessel, told DPA news agency the press conference had been a "provocation" and "an affront to the parents" of the dead schoolchildren and said Lubitz senior appeared to have "lost touch with reality".

Story continues

Meanwhile a spokesman for the German transport ministry told reporters there were "no grounds to doubt the results" of the official investigations.

- 'My grief is different' -

Lubitz, wearing a black suit and a black necktie, defended his decision to speak out on the anniversary, saying it had ensured that his viewpoint would be heard.

"Just like all the other families, we are looking for the truth," he said, fighting back tears. But he added that his suffering was unique because of his son's role in the disaster.

"I say this with great caution because it can easily be misunderstood: my grief is different. It is special."

Van Beveren did not present an alternative theory of what led to the crash but accused investigators, in particular Marseille public prosecutor Brice Robin, of zeroing in on Lubitz from the start of the probe.

"Everyone heard that and wrote it -- and everyone believed it," he said. "We all have theories but theories are not proof."

- Disbelief -

Lubitz's parents had already angered the victims' families last year when they placed a heartfelt newspaper advert in their son's memory to mark the first anniversary of the crash.

Entitled simply "Andreas" and featuring a smiling photograph of the co-pilot, the brief text ended with a message to their son in bold letters: "We miss you very much but you are and will remain in our hearts".

They spoke of a year "filled with horror and fear" but did not explicitly mention the 149 other people killed in the crash.

Meanwhile, the victims' families devoted the second anniversary to remembering their loved ones.

Around 500 people gathered in the French Alpine town of Digne-les-Bains near the crash site for an ecumenical church service as a light rain fell. At the moment of the crash, 10:41 am, they observed a minute of silence.

Here too, mourners expressed disbelief at Lubitz's new allegations.

The head of Germanwings parent company Lufthansa, Carsten Spohr, said it was "not the day to speculate", while the mayor of neighbouring town Prads, Bernard Bertolini, called the statements a "provocation".
Berlin (AFP) - Two years to the day after the deadly Germanwings crash in the French Alps, the father of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz will hold a press conference Friday to dispute that his son deliberately downed the plane.

Both the message and the timing of the first public appearance by a member of Lubitz's close family since the 2015 disaster that claimed 150 lives have been criticised by victims' families, who will be holding their own anniversary events to mark the tragedy.

German prosecutors in January closed their investigation after concluding that Lubitz, 27, was suicidal and bore sole responsibility for the catastrophe.

Now his father, 63-year-old Guenter Lubitz, will present his own findings to reporters alongside journalist Tim van Beveren, whom he called "an internationally recognised aerospace expert".

"Up to now, everyone has believed the theory of a co-pilot who was depressed for a long time, who deliberately crashed his plane into a mountain in a planned act. We are convinced this is false," the father said in a press release.

The daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said that the two men would present the theory of a carbon monoxide leak in the cabin which disabled the co-pilot, who was alone at the controls at the time of the crash.

- 'A very responsible person' -

Lubitz senior told news weekly Die Zeit that the image of the suicidal loner or cold-blooded killer did not correspond with the man he knew.

"Our son was a very responsible person. He had no reason to plan and carry out a suicide, and certainly not to take another 149 innocent people with him," he said.

He accused investigators of gross negligence, and called for a new probe.

"There were very clearly things that weren't even looked into, perhaps because they didn't want to look into them," he said.

Lubitz insisted he was simply seeking answers "just like the other relatives who lost a loved one".

Story continues

Elmar Giemulla, a lawyer representing several of the victims' families, said this week that Lubitz was waging an "irresponsible" campaign that would be rip open old wounds.

"I imagine that Mr Lubitz wants to promote a theory that would absolve his son of any responsibility," Giemulla told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

Prosecutor Christoph Kumpa, whose office led the German investigation, also dismissed Lubitz's accusations.

"There are no indications of a cause of the crash that is not linked to deliberate -- presumably suicidal -- behaviour," he told DPA news agency.

- Disbelief -

Lubitz's parents had already angered the families last year when they placed a heartfelt newspaper advert in their son's memory to mark the first anniversary of the crash.

Entitled simply "Andreas" and featuring a smiling photograph of the co-pilot, the brief text ended with a message to their son in bold letters: "We miss you very much but you are and will remain in our hearts".

They spoke of a year "filled with horror and fear" but did not explicitly mention the 149 other people killed in the crash.

Meanwhile the victims' families will devote the anniversary on Friday to remembering their loved ones.

Five hundred people are expected to travel to the French Alpine town of Digne-les-Bains for an ecumenical church service.

Later in the nearby village of Vernet, where the unidentified human remains from the disaster are buried, a memorial will be inaugurated before some relatives continue on the crash site.

And in the western German town of Haltern am See, which lost 16 students and two teachers who were returning from an exchange programme in Spain, their school will hold a commemorative ceremony.

Its principal, Ulrich Wessel, expressed disbelief about Lubitz's planned press conference.

"There are various ways to deal with grief -- perhaps also different ways to perceive reality, or not perceive it," he told public broadcaster SWR.


The House of Representatives pushed back its vote on the health care repeal bill scheduled for Thursday evening. Cindy Whitehead, the woman behind female viagra, fears that whatever plan ends up getting implemented would thwart, if not reverse, the progress the US has made when it comes to protecting and representing womens rights.

Also known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the GOPs replacement plan for Obamacare has drawn criticism for a variety of reasons, including its cuts to Medicare and Medicaid coverage, which directly contradicts President Donald Trumps campaign promises. And, as many anticipated, it puts funding for Planned Parenthood on the chopping block.

As a champion of womens sexual health, Whitehead expressed her concern with the looming plan that would make it harder for women to feel empowered about their reproductive rights and sexuality overall.

I 100% believe reproductive rights are human rights, she told Yahoo Finance at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

Under the proposed plan, the ACHA would cut off funding for nonprofits that focus on family planning and reproductive health; provide abortions (except in cases of rape or incest or when a womans life is in danger); and had Medicaid expenditures that exceeded $350 million in 2014.

ACHA & Planned Parenthood

But, according to a CBO report on the AHCA, this language targets Planned Parenthood.

CBO expects that, according to those criteria, only Planned Parenthood of America and its affiliates and clinics would be affected. Most federal funds received by such entities come from payments for services provided to enrollees in states Medicaid programs. CBO estimates that the prohibition would reduce direct spending by $178 million in 2017 and by $234 million over the 2017-2026 period. Those savings would be partially offset by increased spending for other Medicaid service, it reads.

To the extent that there would be reductions in access to care under the legislation, they would affect services that help women avert pregnancies. The people most likely to experience reduced access to care would probably reside in areas without other health care clinics or medical practitioners who serve low-income populations.

Story continues

The government funds $553.7 million, or 43%, of Planned Parenthoods total revenue. It receives the federal funding in two distinct ways  through Medicaid and public family planning services.

Making good on the sexual revolution

Whitehead is perhaps best known for being the founder and CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the company that manufactured Addyi, a female libido pill that was frequently referred to as the female Viagra. She sold the company to Valeant (VRX) in 2015 for $1 billion, making her one of the only women in history to have a billion-dollar exit.

In many ways with Addyi, I felt like we were making good on the sexual revolution  that this was the next step, that we had addressed reproductive rights. And though we dont always get it right  its still controversial  [I felt] that we were moving on, if you will, to satisfaction as a basic right of women as well, she added.

Whitehead is no longer affiliated with the company, but she said she wakes up every day thinking about Addyi and cheering it on. The product has not actually launched, but she was hoping that both the public and private sectors could build off Addyis momentum.

Since leaving Sprout, Whitehead has built The Pink Ceiling, a personal fund that invests in and consults for female-led and female-focused companies like Undercover Colors, a nail polish that identifies the presence of common date rape drugs in various drinks via color change.

Im most excited about propelling these other companies to break through. I love the firsts. I love the things that change the conversation and frankly. I hope that I will make a lot of women very wealthy in the process. We talk a lot about women having a voice. I think women need power and I think money in their hands will do a lot of good. We know it by the data  theyll go back, theyll reinvest it, theyll propel other women to success, she explained.

Whitehead said she was startled by how many pink ceilings women still have to crash through, including the right to feeling in control of her own reproductive rights.

But, perhaps private ventures like The Pink Ceiling will offer a faster route there.

Melody Hahm is a writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm.

Read more:

Facebook head of counterterrorism: We need everybodys help

How this ride-hailing startup is learning from Ubers mistakes

How a 114-year-old automaker is taking cars off the road

Why one Apple expert says to look beyond the iPhone
ZURICH (AP)  FIFA has taken down a monolithic reminder of former president Sepp Blatter from its headquarters.

Since the building officially opened at a cost of $200 million in 2007, a meter-plus (4-feet) high silver metal plaque listing members of that year's Blatter-chaired FIFA Executive Committee was fixed to a stone column in the reception area.

Visitors could read an inauguration message in French above names headed by Blatter, who is serving a six-year ban for unethical conduct.

Most men on the list have since been sanctioned by FIFA's ethics committee, indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice or are under investigation by Swiss federal prosecutors.

Four medal-sized circles of gray stone have replaced the plaque's settings in the wall.

FIFA did not immediately provide a reason for the plaque's absence.
Beirut (AFP) - The international coalition battling the Islamic State group will begin a final push on the jihadists' Syrian stronghold Raqa in the coming days, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday.

But on the ground, the US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance spearheading the fight for the jihadist group's de facto Syrian capital expressed caution about how soon the battle for Raqa would begin.

IS has come under growing pressure from twin US-backed ground offensives targeting Raqa and its other main stronghold, Mosul in Iraq.

"Today, we can say that Raqa is surrounded and the battle will begin in the coming days," Le Drian told France's CNEWS television.

"This will be a very hard battle but essential."

The jihadists are under attack from several directions in northern Syria, with Russia supporting its Syrian ally President Bashar al-Assad on one front and Turkey providing air cover for rebel groups battling the jihadists on another.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-Arab alliance, has been working for months to encircle Raqa.

But a spokesman for the alliance said there was still work to do.

"The operation to besiege Raqa will take several weeks and that will then lead to the official launch of the operation," Talal Sello told AFP.

- Strategic dam reached -

For now, the alliance is focused on the strategically important Tabqa Dam near Raqa and the adjacent town of Tabqa and its airport.

On Friday, they reached the dam's entrance, fighting IS in clashes that left jihadists dead and wounded, said Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokeswoman for the SDF's Raqa operation.

The US military has provided air and artillery support involving Apache helicopter gunships to help the SDF in the battle for the dam and the surrounding area, as well as airlifting in fighters.

"The operation is proceeding as expected on two fronts, the east and west," Ahmad told AFP.

"But the liberation of Raqa will take several months."

Story continues

The United States has hundreds of troops on the ground in Syria supporting the SDF.

But the alliance is still around eight kilometres (five miles) from Raqa at its closest point, to the northeast, and is mostly stationed further away, between 18 and 29 kilometres from the city, according to the Observatory.

A US official said last week that up to 1,000 additional American troops could deploy to northern Syria under provisional plans drawn up by the Pentagon.

- 'Complex situation' -

A European diplomat, who did not want to be named, said the situation surrounding the Raqa offensive remained "complex".

"The Americans are still in the review process," said the diplomat.

President Donald "Trump did not make a decision (on who will take Raqa), but it is clear that on the ground it is the SDF option that is developing."

The anti-IS coalition estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 jihadists are in Raqa, a city of about 300,000.

Years of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in March 2011 with protests against Assad's regime.

The latest round of UN-backed Syria peace talks entered a second day in Geneva on Friday but there was little hope of a breakthrough.

Deadlock remains over most of the toughest issues, notably Assad's fate, with the opposition insisting he cede power and the government declaring the subject off limits.

The talks are meant to focus on a political transition, the constitution and elections, as well as counter-terrorism, at the request of Damascus.

UN mediator Steffan de Mistura, who has been meeting separately with the Syrian rivals, said Friday the two sides agreed to tackle all agenda items, including political transition.

"I am not expecting miracles, I am not expecting breakthroughs ... and I am not expecting breakdowns," he said.

Lead government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari earlier said the talks should begin with the issue of "terrorism".

Rebels and allied jihadist have in recent days launched surprise offensives against government positions in central Hama province and the east of the capital Damascus.

On Friday, Syria's army command said the government had recaptured all the points lost during the offensive in east Damascus, which began Sunday from the Jobar neighbourhood, divided between regime and opposition control.
A lucky pup is breathing again thanks to a California firefighter who performed mouth-to-snout resuscitation for 20 minutes after pulling his motionless body from a blaze.

Read: Pug and Kisses: Elderly Pooch Becomes Unlikely Hero After Alerting Family to House Fire

There wasnt time to think, just react, said Santa Monica Fire Departments Andrew Klein, who performed lifesaving CPR on the dog. Being a dog lover and owner myself, it was a proud moment.

Crystal Lamirande, 35, told InsideEdition.com she realized Nalu, her 10-year-old Bichon Frise Shih Tzu mix was in trouble when her neighbors shouted her apartment was on fire.

The smoke was so thick, like it was a huge black cloud you couldnt even see, Lamirande said. I was in shock, panicked.

Firefighters arrived moments later, and pulled her dog out of the blaze.

As a nurse, I knew he was probably dead, she said, but the firefighters wouldnt give up. Andrew [the firefighter] was so calm and he said, We have a pulse, dont worry, we have a pulse, were going to get him back.

Twenty minutes later, Nalu came back to life.

Read: Happy National Puppy Day! Celebrate With These Adorable Dog Stories

Failure wasnt an option, Klein told InsideEdition.com. This was my first official pet save with CPR.

The pup was treated in an oxygen chamber for the next 24 hours, but Lamirande said, other than a bit of a cough, Nalu is expected to make a full recovery.

Lamirande said officials are still investigating the source of the fire.

Watch: Girl, 4, Hailed a Hero After Calmly Alerting Family to Smoke In Her Room, Stopping Potential Fire

Related Articles:
Russia wants better relations with the US; Donald Trump wants better relations with Russia, too. But as Trumps campaign theme music continues to remind us, you cant always get what you want. Here are the top 5 reasons no one should expect a Russia-US rapprochement.

1. NATO

Getting NATO countries to pay more on defense has been one of Trumps few consistent foreign policy proposals-and one of the least controversial, given that just five of NATOs 28 countries (US, Greece, the UK, Estonia and Poland) meet the 2-percent-of-GDP defense spending target. But heres the thing-if you demand that other NATO members pay more money, and then those NATO countries agree, the alliance becomes stronger, not weaker.

Russia doesnt want a stronger NATO-as evidenced by Moscow sending a spy ship 30 miles off the US eastern seaboard and Russian jets buzzing an American warship in the Black Sea, both in February. Provocative military actions dont build good relations.

2. Trumps Cabinet

Defense establishment figures within the Trump administration also limit the potential for US-Russian security cooperation, the center of any potential warming of US-Russia relations, since there is already very little trade between the two countries. During his confirmation hearings, Defense Secretary James Mattis pointed to Russia and Vladimir Putin as one of the principal geopolitical threats facing the US today. Trumps choice for CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, began his own confirmation hearings by decrying Russias interference in the 2016 US presidential election. The resignation of pro-Russia National Security Adviser Michael Flynn less than a month later (at 24 days, the shortest tenure in history) only compounded the issue-his replacement, Lt. General H.R. McMaster, called Russia a hostile revisionist power during a talk he gave this past November at the Virginia Military Institute. And Trumps interest in the Kremlin led the White House to appoint well-regarded Russia scholar and former intelligence officer Fiona Hill as White House Senior Director for Europe and Russia. Hill wrote a book on the Russian president titled Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin back in 2013.

Story continues

And as the White House lurches from one PR crisis to another, Trump is burning through the political capital he would need to override these widely-respected defense figures, making the prospect of US-Russia rapprochement that much more distant.

3. Russian Domestic Politics

Aware of these issues, Russian official attitudes toward the White House are changing. Much was made of the early positive press Trump received from Russian TV stations, from which 80 percent of Russians get their news. For a moment, Trump seemed to be getting better press coverage than Putin-in January, Trump was mentioned 202,000 times in Russian mainstream media news coverage compared to Putins 147,7000. It was the first time in six years that anybody surpassed Putin for that honor.

But things began to sour in February on the heels of Flynns resignation, coupled with damage-control comments from the White House that Trump expected the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea. Flynn resigned on February 13th; between February 5th and February 19th, Trump mentions fell by 88 percent on those all-important Russian Sunday news shows. It wouldnt be surprising if the cutback in Trump coverage was ordered directly from the Kremlin, which cant continue to praise Trump and raise public expectations for better relations if they arent actually going to improve.

4. Oil

Donald Trump is a pro-oil president, for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with Russia but impact its government just the same. Trumps bid to eliminate Obamas environmental rules and push for more production is close to the last thing that oil-export-dependent Russia needs right now. The Russian economy relied on oil and natural gas to fund nearly 50 percent of its fiscal revenues last year. Given that level of exposure, even small fluctuations in oil prices have big implications for the Russian economy-one thats been reeling since 2013 and thats lost more than 40 percent of its GDP as oil has tumbled from its mid-2014 high of $115 per barrel to $50 today. The world is already facing an oversupply of oil, and though market factors are driving production decisions for US oil companies, Trumps oil-friendly environmental policies could boost production at the margins and help push prices lower. This is a good reminder that, though Trump and Putin may admire one another and want warmer relations, divergent national interests still matter.

5. The Elephant in the Room

Questions about Russias role in the US election arent going away. FBI Director James Comey confirmed this week that the FBI is investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 election, as well as possible cooperation between Russian intelligence and the Trump campaign. The White House maintains that theres no fire, only smoke generated by illegal leaks and a biased mainstream media. Thats certainly possible-but its worth remembering that most fire deaths arent caused by burns, but by smoke inhalation.

***

The good news for Trump? Better relations with Putin would probably drag his already historically-low approval ratings down even further. You cant always get what you want-but sometimes you get what you need. For Trump in this case, whether he knows it or not, thats greater distance from Russia and Putin.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
President Trumps failure to push a repeal of Obamacare through the House on Friday was a major setback in his first real test as president.

Its a good moment to take stock of lessons learned. Here are five:

1. This is a blow to Trumps presidency, but lets not get carried away.

The bills defeat is not a mortal wound to Trump. Disregard the Chicken Littles who describe the health care failure as the end-all of everything. Trump has only been president for two months. There is plenty of time for him and for Republicans to learn their lessons, regroup and recover.

But the admission of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that the United States will be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future means that its unlikely Republicans will repeal the Affordable Care Act any time soon, if at all, during the next two years. They had a limited window of time to do this now, for complex procedural reasons, and because of Trumps insistence that they do it quickly.

Now, Trump wants to move on to tax reform, which means that they cant do health care reform this year. And its unlikely theyd want to touch such a controversial topic next year, when every member of the House is up for reelection.

As for Trump and Ryans relationship, which was rocky at best during the presidential election, Trump gave Ryan a vote of confidence. I like Speaker Ryan. He worked very, very hard, he said. A House Republican leadership aide added: The president and speaker have a solid relationship. He knows Ryan worked his butt off to get these votes.

President Trump talks to journalists in the Oval Office of the White House after the AHCA health care bill was pulled before a vote. (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)

2. Trump didnt lead from the beginning, because he didnt have a clue what he was doing, and it cost him.

Nobody knew health care could be so complicated, Trump famously said five weeks after his inauguration. The new president did not grasp the process of passing a health care bill, the politics or the policy.

Trump is notorious for scorning details. And so he provided no leadership on what the bill should look like at the front end of the process, leaving the entire venture to Ryan, who will also come in for plenty of criticism for drafting a bill that was widely criticized for its incoherence  even by some of the speakers close allies.

Story continues

Voxs Ezra Klein documented all the ways that Trump repeatedly made statements about what the health bill would do  promises that were completely at odds with what was actually in the legislation. And yet Trump continued to push ahead for a law that contradicted his very goals for health care reform.

Trumps insistence on rushing ahead also complicated the process. Ryan and others in congressional leadership had preferred to focus on a process that dealt first with repeal, and then with replacement. Trump wasnt the only impatient one. Many members of Congress wanted to do both at the same time, fearful of political blowback if they passed a bill that would kick millions off Medicaid  even if that would be delayed  without an answer for what would they would do instead.

But theres no question that Trump pushed Congress to both repeal the ACA and replace it on a timeline that was wildly out of touch with reality. On Jan. 10, Trump told the New York Times that he expected Congress to pass a repeal bill probably some time next week and to replace it very quickly or simultaneously, very shortly thereafter.

Trump vastly underestimated the challenge involved in passing any major bill, much less one devoted to health care. Because of that, he created expectations that forced Republicans in Congress  who painstakingly built consensus last year around a replacement bill through Ryans Better Way plan  to try to rush a bill through Congress that quickly attracted opposition.

3. Ryans failure to win over conservatives was both inexplicable and unsurprising.

Ryan spent all of 2016 creating consensus about how to replace the ACA, in a widely praised process. Then he rushed the actual legislation through the House, without trying to win over conservative groups and lawmakers beforehand.

In one sense, Ryan had to hurry because Trump was announcing to the American people that repealing Obamacare would be done quickly, and because the process necessary for passing its replacement, known as budget reconciliation, also meant Republicans had to be done with health care before they moved on to tax reform.

But the resistance of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and outside groups like Heritage Action hurt the rollout of the bill from the beginning, and it never recovered. Ryan and GOP leadership probably should have done more to try to win them over ahead of time, but on the other hand, there was never an expectation that they would be able to win them over no matter what they did.

Given that Heritage Action was going to say, Hell no, and the establishment press was going to run to them and cover them, you couldnt get around that, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, told Yahoo News two weeks ago.

Ryan noted Friday that it is going to be a process for Republican hardliners to learn how to compromise. This is a group of people who have done little but oppose things for the last decade and been rewarded for it with fundraising dollars, notoriety and reelection.

House Speaker Paul Ryan holds a news conference after Republicans pull the American Health Care Act bill. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

4. Tax reform is not going to be any easier.

Trump, after the failure of the health measure, moved immediately to talking about tax reform. That, however, is an even more challenging topic for Congress to address, largely because there are so many interests arrayed against it.

The GOP tax reform bill in its current form raises revenue to offset the cost of tax cuts through a tax on imports. That proposal is opposed by big retailers like Walmart, and by the powerful Koch Brothers political organization. A large number of senators have signaled that they are opposed to the border trade adjustment tax.

But if the revenue stream were changed to closing tax loopholes for corporations and individuals, then opponents of the bill would really come out of the woodwork.

Health care is like a 30-yard chip shot, compared to tax reform, said Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

President Trump earlier in the day Friday. (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)

5. Trump, so far, is looking a lot like Jimmy Carter

Several journalists have noted a number of similarities between Trump and Carter, many of which have been on display during the battle over health care. But the comparison goes only so far.

Carter and Trump both ran as Washington outsiders, and against the political establishment. Carter in 1976 said the government was disorganized, wasteful, has no purpose and its policies  when they exist  are incomprehensible or devised by special interest groups with little regard for the welfare of the average American citizen.

And both men also entered the presidency with little use for Congress. I alone can fix it, Trump boasted during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. Carter also assured then-Speaker Tip ONeill that he would treat Congress as he had treated the Georgia Legislature, and that if they did not go along with his agenda, he would go over the heads of the representatives by appealing directly to the voters.

Its still quite possible that Trump does this very same thing, using his celebrity and his social media bully pulpit to hammer members of Congress for voting against the health bill. He might also campaign in their districts and promote primary challengers.

But if this health fight has taught Trump anything, it is that the challenges of governance are tougher than he had expected, because Congress is a complicated and formidable institution.

Trump did do something in the last week or so that Carter avoided, seeking to win over lawmakers face to face, with both charm and threats. Carter preferred to explain and reason, and scorned the more personal approach to dealing with lawmakers.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Mexico City (AFP) - Fourteen countries from North and South America, including the United States, called on Venezuela Thursday to release political prisoners and "re-establish democracy" by holding elections.

However they moved away from an earlier threat by the head of the Organization of American States (OAS) to suspend Venezuela from the regional group.

The joint statement -- signed by Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay -- was issued by the Mexican Foreign Ministry.

"We consider it urgent for priority to be given to releasing political prisoners, recognizing the legitimacy of decisions by the National Assembly, according to the constitution, and establishing an electoral calendar that includes postponed elections," the document said.

A presidential election is scheduled for December 2018, while gubernatorial polls originally set for last December have been delayed until this year, although no date has been fixed.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, who has called Venezuela a "dictatorship", issued a 75-page report on the country's political situation last week, indicating Venezuela's membership in the group could be suspended if it does not hold a general election in the near future.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government accused Almagro of promoting "international intervention" in the country.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests as it struggles to emerge from political and economic crises. The country has been hit by devastating shortages of food, medicine and basic goods after global prices plummeted for its chief export, oil.

Maduro says the crisis is the result of an "economic war" by US-backed business interests.

His opponents however blame the failure of 18 years of socialist "revolution" under former president Hugo Chavez and Maduro, who succeeded his mentor in 2013.

Story continues

In their statement, the 14 countries said they were "deeply concerned" about Venezuela's political, economic and social crises.

They would "carefully" evaluate Almagro's report "with a view to agreeing on a coordinated course of action."

The countries also asked Venezuela to guarantee the effective separation of powers and respect the rule of law and democratic institutions.

However, suspending Venezuela from the OAS should be a "last resort," they added, to be taken only after all diplomatic efforts have been exhausted.
Paris (AFP) - French centre-right presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday accused President Francois Hollande, a Socialist, of orchestrating media leaks that have dented his image as a scandal free leader a month ahead of the key vote.

Hollande immediately condemned in the "strongest terms the untruthful allegations of Francois Fillon," the presidency said in a statement.

"The executive has never intervened in any judicial process," the Elysee presidential palace said.

Fillon in a television interview late Thursday said Hollande headed a "secret cell" that was responsible for sensational leaks and called it a "scandal involving the state."

"It's been two months that the press had been flinging mud at me," he told France 2, saying he often thought of former Socialist prime minister Pierre Beregovoy who had been investigated for an interest-free loan and later committed suicide.

Fillon said that, according to a soon-to-be-published book by "journalists who are far from being my friends", Hollande had obtained the contents of wiretaps linked to judicial investigations "which is totally illegal."

"We were seeking a secret cell and we have found it," he said, referring to the source behind a slew of accusations of wrongdoing revealed by the media, notably by the Canard Enchaine newspaper.

One of the authors of the book, Didier Hassoux, disputed this claim, saying Fillon was a candidate on the ropes who was making untenable claims.

"The only person who believes there is a secret cell at the Elysee is Francois Fillon," he said, adding that the secret cell "does not exist."

-- Scandals mount --

Fillon flaunted a squeaky clean image last year as he sought the nomination for the centre-right Republicans party last year against his party rivals, former president Nicolas Sarkozy and ex-PM Alain Juppe.

But that has unravelled. The 63-year-old was charged last week with misuse of public money and corporate assets over the employment of his wife as a parliamentary assistant for 15 years.

Story continues

Though an MP employing a family member is not illegal in France, Penelope Fillon is accused of doing little for the 680,000 euros ($725,000) she received in salary.

Fillon has also been hit by media revelations that he had introduced a Lebanese oil pipeline builder -- with whom he signed a $50,000 lobbying contract -- to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a business forum in St. Petersburg in 2015 and accepting pricey suits worth thousands of euros from a "friend."

Fillon on Thursday also accused Hollande of using the finance ministry to collect information on politicians, including his former prime minister Manuel Valls, which was then leaked to the press.

The French presidency responded that there "is only one scandal which does not concern the state but an individual who has to appear before justice."

The French justice ministry issued a statement saying that "this presidential candidate has systematically voted against every proposal to protect the independence of the judiciary and the transparency of political life," which they said spoke more strongly than his current allegations.

Fillon was initially seen to be a front-runner. But the latest polls show that far-right leader Marine Le Pen shares pole position in the run-up to the April 23 first round with Emmanuel Macron, who professes to be neither left nor right.

Polls show that Macron, 39, would rout the 48-year-old Le Pen in the decisive run-off on May 7 if the election were held now.
Paris (AFP) - French right-wing presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday accused President Francois Hollande, a Socialist, of orchestrating media leaks that have dented his image as a scandal free leader a month ahead of the key vote.

Hollande immediately condemned in the "strongest terms the untruthful allegations of Francois Fillon," the presidency said in a statement.

"The executive has never intervened in any judicial process," the Elysee presidential palace said.

Fillon in a television interview late Thursday said Hollande headed a "secret cell" that was responsible for sensational leaks and called it a "scandal involving the state."

"It's been two months that the press had been flinging mud at me," he told France 2, saying he often thought of former Socialist prime minister Pierre Beregovoy who had been investigated for an interest-free loan and later committed suicide.

Fillon said that, according to a soon-to-be-published book by "journalists who are far from being my friends", Hollande had obtained the contents of wiretaps linked to judicial investigations "which is totally illegal."

"We were seeking a secret cell and we have found it," he said, referring to the source behind a slew of accusations of wrongdoing revealed by the media, notably by the Canard Enchaine newspaper.

Fillon flaunted a squeaky clean image last year as sought the nomination for the rightwing Republicans party last year against his party rivals, former president Nicolas Sarkozy and ex-PM Alain Juppe.

But that has unravelled. The 63-year-old was charged last week with misuse of public money and corporate assets over the employment of his wife as a parliamentary assistant for 15 years.

Though an MP employing a family member is not illegal in France, Penelope Fillon is accused of doing little for the 680,000 euros ($725,000) she received in salary.

Fillon has also been hit by media revelations that he had introduced a Lebanese oil pipeline builder -- with whom he signed a $50,000 lobbying contract -- to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a business forum in St. Petersburg in 2015 and accepting pricey suits worth thousands of euros from a "friend."

Story continues

Fillon on Thursday also accused Hollande of spying on the finance ministry and even on his former prime minister Manuel Valls.

The French presidency responded that there "is only one scandal which does not concern the state but an individual who has to appear before justice."

Fillon was initially seen to be a front-runner. But the latest polls show that far-right leader Marine Le Pen shares pole position in the run-up to the April 23 first round with Emmanuel Macron, who professes to be neither left nor right.

Polls show that Macron, 39, would rout the 48-year-old Le Pen in the decisive run-off on May 7 if the election were held now.
PARIS (Reuters) - A battle against Islamic State to recapture the Syrian city of Raqqa is likely to start in the coming days, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday. "France has always said that Raqqa was a major objective," Le Drian told CNews television station. "Today, one can say that Raqqa is encircled, that the battle for Raqqa will start in the coming days." "It will be a very hard battle, but a battle that is going to be of utmost importance," he added. Earlier this week, the U.S. Pentagon department had said that the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State had for the first time airdropped local ground forces behind enemy lines near the ISIS-held town of Tabqa in northern Syria, opening up a new front in the campaign to recapture Raqqa. (Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey; Writing by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Ingrid Melander)
Defending a controversial bill that would put extreme limitations on access to abortion, an Oklahoma state lawmaker reluctantly admitted he believes that rape and incest may represent the will of God.

Rep. George Faught, a Republican from Oklahomas 14th District, is the author of House Bill 1549, or the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2017. The bill proposes to prohibit abortions on the basis of genetic anomalies, such as Down syndrome.

The debate over the bill Tuesday got sidetracked into a discussion of the morality of abortion in cases of rape and incest. One of Faughts Democratic colleagues, Rep. Cory Williams, asked pointedly, Representative, is rape the will of God?

After an extended pause, Faught replied cautiously, but affirmatively.

Well, you know, if you read the Bible, theres actually a couple circumstances where that happened, he began. And the Lord uses all circumstances. I mean, you know, you can go down that path, but, uh, its a reality unfortunately.

Is incest the will of God? Williams lobbed back.

Faught replied that the question doesnt deal with this bill.

With all due respect, I think it absolutely is on point, Williams responded. You wont make any exceptions for rape, you wont make any exceptions for incest in this, and you are proffering divine intervention as the reason why you wont do that.

And so I think it is very important, Williams continued. This body wants to know, myself personally, whether you believe rape and incest are actually the will of God.

You know, its a great question to ask, Faught began.

And obviously if it happens in someones life, it may not be the best thing that ever happened, you know, but uh

Abandoning his thought, Faught tried to steer the debate back onto more favorable grounds.

So youre saying that God is not sovereign with every activity that happens in someones life and cant use anything and everything in someones life, and I disagree with that.

Story continues

Faught sent a lengthy statement to Yahoo News Friday, reading, in part, The media has been grossly mischaracterizing my statements and imputing their own meaning into my words. I never said, implied, or meant that God wills, approves of, or orders rape and incest. God never approves of rape or incest. Evil men do evil things of their own free will, no question about it, and believe me  you dont want to be them on Judgment Day when God punishes them for their evil deeds.

Faught also contended, We live in a sinful world. Men and women do horrible things, but God can bring beauty out of ashes, and He has time and again.

The bill passed in the House by a vote of 67 to 16 and will now go to the Senate.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Ford Motor Company (ticker: F) shares are down 6 percent this week after the company said its first-quarter earnings will be roughly 50 percent lower than they were in the same quarter a year ago.

On Thursday, a new regulatory filing from Ford projected first-quarter earnings per share in the range of 30 to 35 cents, well short of the 47-cent consensus estimates of Wall Street analysts. Ford reported earnings of 68 cents per share in the first quarter of 2016.

Ford had previously warned investors that 2017 could be a transition year for the company, but investors now seemed concerned that the business slump could be a bit more serious. Ford and rival General Motors Co. ( GM) shares have both declined more than 7 percent in the past five trading sessions, as a new batch of data on used car prices could be an early indication the U.S. auto market has peaked.

[See: 7 of the Best Cheap Stocks to Buy Under $10.]

The National Automobile Dealers Used Vehicle Price Index indicates used car prices declined 3.8 percent month-over-month in February, their eighth consecutive monthly decline.

According to Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, used car prices have a major impact on Ford's financing business, which accounted for 18 percent of the company's total profits in 2016.

"We see Ford as particularly vulnerable given the size of its Finco program," Jonas wrote on March 20.

[See: Car Companies and the Race to Profits.]

Ford's chief financial officer Bob Shanks says that Ford is currently suffering from declining demand for cars and trucks and rising commodity prices for materials such as steel.

"We believe Ford's announcement [Thursday] is the initial confirmation of our investment thesis that pricing is deteriorating in North America and in select international markets, particularly China," Buckingham Research Group analyst Joseph Amaturo wrote in response to the filing.

In addition to Ford and GM, Height Securities analyst Edwin Groshans says subprime auto lenders such as Credit Acceptance Corp. ( CACC), Santander Consumer USA Holdings ( SC) and Ally Financial ( ALLY) could be hit hard by further declines in the auto market.

Story continues

"The combination of lower used car auction prices and weakening credit quality will manifest in the operations of auto finance companies with subprime lending concentrations," Groshans wrote this week.

[See: 7 Companies That People Are Boycotting Because of the Trump Family.]

The auto industry delivered its seventh consecutive year of record sales in 2016, leaving investors increasingly concerned that the dip in demand and used car prices in 2017 are the first signs of a potential extended cyclical market downturn.

Wayne Duggan is a freelance investment strategy reporter with a focus on energy and emerging market stocks. He has a degree in brain and cognitive sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and specializes in the psychological challenges of investing. He is a senior financial market reporter for Benzinga and has contributed financial market analysis to Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha and InvestorPlace. He is also the author of the book "Beating Wall Street With Common Sense," which focuses on the practical strategies he has used to outperform the stock market. You can follow him on Twitter @DugganSense, check out his latest content at tradingcommonsense.com or email him at wpd@tradingcommonsense.com.
Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - German confectionary giant Haribo plans to open its first US factory in Wisconsin by 2020, the maker of gummy bears said in a statement Friday.

"We're planning to build one of the biggest facilities in the confectionary industry," said Haribo of America chief financial officer Wes Saber in a statement.

Haribo executives in Germany gave the go-ahead to buy a lot in Kenosha County, southeast Wisconsin, to host the new factory.

"Haribo is building a $242 million manufacturing facility in SE WI with 400 good-paying jobs! Sweet," Wisconsin governor Scott Walker tweeted on Thursday.

Present in the US since 1982, Haribo's American division currently operates from offices in Rosemont, Illinois.

The firm had been "searching for a site for its first US production facility for several years already," said Haribo of America chief operating officer Rick LaBerge.

But its move comes as many German firms are troubled by the prospect of import tariffs after tough talk on trade from President Donald Trump.

Chancellor Angela Merkel brought business leaders on her first visit to the White House last week, hoping to convince the Republican chief of German industry's contribution to the US economy with production and jobs as well as imports.

Founded in Bonn, western Germany in 1920, Haribo today employs around 7,000 people worldwide and makes 100 million gummy bears a day.
By Angus MacSwan MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State gunmen are opening fire on men, women and children as they try to flee Mosul under cover of darkness, civilians who escaped the besieged Iraqi city said on Friday. Hungry and exhausted, thousands sloshed through the mud, past wrecked buildings and shattered pavements, to reach an army checkpoint. Some carried suitcases or bags, others had fled with just the clothes on their backs. They came by foot or piled into carts, and some pushed relatives in wheelchairs. A black-uniformed intelligence officer said about 6,000 people had come through on Thursday, the most he had seen at this exit, and a similar flow had poured in on Friday since about 4 a.m. Relieved to reach the safety of the checkpoint, some of those escaping described running a gauntlet of fire. "The snipers are professional, they do not care. Anybody that moves, they kill," said Faris Khader, from al-Abar district. The battle for Mosul, Islamic State's last major urban stronghold in Iraq, has now lasted more than five months. Government forces recaptured the east side in January and are besieging the militants on the western side of the Tigris river. At least 500,000 civilians are trapped inside, battered by government and U.S.-led air strikes and artillery, caught in the crossfire of ground fighting, or targeted by IS gunmen. The militants sometimes use residents as human shields. Khader blamed the government and international coalition for some of the death and mayhem. An IS sniper had been firing from the roof of his home when an air strike hit, he said. "There are many people dead under the rubble. Some in my family died. Nobody can take the bodies out. They were killed by an air strike." 'NO FOOD, NO WATER' Omar, a car mechanic, described life under IS. "It's very difficult. There's no food, no water. They are killing a lot of people. They kill anyone who goes out, they kill them in the street. "We have no money. We have suffered for three years," he said, clutching his young son to his shoulder. Salwan, 19, pushed his sister Noor, 21, who is paralyzed and deaf, for more than two hours in her wheelchair to reach safety after their house was blown up. They were shot at during the trek, he said. Sweat poured from the face of Khaled Khalil as he trudged up the last stretch of the debris-strewn boulevard with his young son slung on his shoulder and his wife and three other children behind. He had no coat, no bag, and just a pair of plastic sandals on his mud-spattered feet. "I came like this. We had the chance so we fled," said the 36-year-old. "We have been traveling since yesterday. We are very tired but now we are safe." He was a carpenter but his shop had been destroyed. TAKING THE RISK Then an army jeep drove up with a wounded man on a stretcher. He was laid on the ground by an abandoned building. Bashar Hazem, 43, and Ali, 29, had carried out their brother Maan, 32, overnight. He was shot in the right thigh 20 days ago. He was bandaged up in the Jamhori hospital inside an IS-held area but left for home after three days because it was dangerous. He had no painkillers and grimaced as his brothers spoke. "We had no food. That's why we decided to risk escaping," Bashar said. They made a run with a big group in the early hours of Friday. But IS gunmen starting shooting at them and the group was split up. They saw three women shot in the legs. "Even if you are injured, they shoot at you. Our family is still inside but they are coming soon, God willing," Ali said. At the checkpoint, soldiers separated the women and children from the men. They waited, tired but visibly relieved, for buses to take them to a United Nations reception camp at Hamman al-Alil about 20 km (15 miles) away. The men were gathered in a park, sitting on the ground under guard by soldiers and awaiting questioning. "We do a first check here. Anyone we suspect of working with Daesh (IS), we pull to one side," the intelligence officer said. Some IS fighters had tried to leave disguised as women, their faces concealed by veils, he said, scrutinizing arrivals. The men were then loaded onto trucks and taken to a center for more thorough checks. An avuncular Sergeant Hussam Imad told jokes to a group of women and children waiting to be transported to the reception camp. They boarded the bus with smiles on their faces. Map of Mosul: http://tmsnrt.rs/2fd0nGE (Reporting by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
1. Yes. Taxpayers are funding its operation; they should have a voice in the naming process.

2. Yes. The city should operate with a spirit of inclusivity. Residents will be responsive.

3. No. Public input can be problematic; rejection of suggestions can be divisive for residents.

4. No. Residents elect council members to make decisions on their behalf. No input is needed.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say whether public input would be more of a benefit or a hindrance.

Vote

View Results
By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - A senior Hamas militant was shot dead near his home in the Gaza Strip on Friday, the group said, blaming Israel for the killing. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the incident in the Hamas-run Palestinian coastal enclave. Mazen Fuqaha, a militant from the occupied West Bank whom Israel released in a prisoner swap in 2011 and exiled to the Gaza Strip, was shot several times, said Hamas police. Another senior Hamas official, Izzat El-Reshiq, said the killers used silencers. Thousands of people were expected to turn out for Fuqaha's funeral on Saturday. "Hamas and its (military wing) hold (Israel) and its collaborators responsible for this despicable crime... (Israel) knows that the blood of fighters is not spilled in vain and Hamas will know how to act," the group said in a statement. Khalil al-Haya, Hamas's deputy chief in the Gaza Strip said only Israel would have had something to gain from the death. Fuqaha, 38, was one of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners that Israel released in exchange for soldier Gilad Shalit whom Gaza militants had held captive in the coastal enclave after abducting him in a cross-border raid in 2006. Israel jailed Fuqaha in 2003 for planning attacks against Israelis and sentenced him to nine life terms. Israeli media said that after his release while in exile in Gaza, he continued to plan attacks by West Bank militants. Cross-border violence between Gaza militants and Israel has largely died down since a 2014 war in which militants launched thousands of rockets into Israel. According to Gaza health officials, more than 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in 50 days of fighting. Israel put its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians. Militants from small Jihadist Salafi groups have continued to fire an occasional rocket into Israel from Gaza despite Hamas's efforts to rein them in but Israel says it holds Hamas responsible and responds with air strikes and tank fire. Hamas has recently said it is becoming impatient with Israel's bombing of its facilities and has hinted that it may end the current state of relative calm. (Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Get pumped, kids (and grown-ups)  the world is about to get a little sweeter.

The iconic German candy maker Haribo  famous for all sorts of delicious treats, but mainly those classically adorable, fruity gummy bears we all love to love  is opening a factory in the United States.

  

SEE ALSO: Kit Kat sushi is all of our cravings wrapped into one, for better or worse

On Thursday, the company, which was founded in the 1920s, announced plans to build its first production facility in "America's Dairyland," the great state of Wisconsin.

Haribo spans more than 25 countries worldwide, and though it opened its first U.S. sales office in Baltimore, Maryland back in 1982, this is the first U.S. factory. The only catch? We'll have to wait a few more years before the confections are officially "Made in the U.S."

"Haribo of America is the fastest-growing candymaker in the United States. That is why the step to start with local production from 2020 is important to us," Haribo's managing partner, Hans Guido Riegel, told Fortune.

BRB, going to watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory until 2020 and stare at those giant gummy bears.

WATCH: This machine knows how to sort your Skittles by color
NEW YORK (AP)  Some Americans breathed a sigh of relief, others bubbled with frustration, and nearly all resigned themselves to the prospect that the latest chapter in the never-ending national debate over health care would not be the last.

The withdrawal of the Republican-sponsored health bill in the face of likely defeat Friday in the U.S. House seemed to ensure that the deep divisions over the Affordable Care Act and its possible replacement will continue to simmer.

As news spread, Americans fell into familiar camps, either happy to see a Democratic effort live another day, or eager to see Republicans regroup and follow through with their "repeal Obamacare" promises.

"Yessssss," an elated 27-year-old artist, Alysa Diebolt of Eastpointe, Michigan, typed on Facebook in response to the news, saying she was relieved those she knows on Affordable Care Act plans won't lose their coverage. "I'm excited, I think it's a good thing," she said.

Millions more shared her view, and #KillTheBill was a top trending topic on Twitter on Friday afternoon. Among those who have long sought to see Obama's health law dismantled, though, there was disappointment or chin-up resolve that they still could prevail.

"Hopefully they'll get it right next time," said Anthony Canamucio, the 50-year-old owner of a barbershop in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania. He gave his vote to Trump in November and wanted to see Obama's health law repealed, but found himself rooting for the GOP replacement bill to fail. He is insured through his wife's employer, and laments the growing deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, blaming Obama's law even as health economists say those trends in employer-provided health coverage preceded the legislation.

For Canamucio, the Republicans' bill didn't go far enough in dismantling the ACA. But he remains steadfast behind Trump and said he believes the president will still deliver.

Story continues

Cliff Rouse, a 34-year-old banker from Kinston, North Carolina, likewise was willing to give the president he helped elect a chance to make good on his promise. He sees Obama's law as government overreach, even as he knows it could help people like his 64-year-old father, who was recently diagnosed with dementia but refused to buy coverage under a law he disagreed with. Rouse sees Trump's moves on health care as hasty, but believes the GOP will eventually come around with better legislation.

"They've not had enough time to develop a good plan," Rouse said. "They should keep going until they have a good plan that Americans can feel confident in."

It remained far more than a petty political debate, though, and some like Janella Williams, framed the issue as a question of life and death.

The 45-year-old graphic designer from Lawrence, Kansas, spent Friday in the hospital hooked up to an intravenous drip for a neurological disorder, getting the drugs that she says allow her to walk. Under her Affordable Care Act plan, she pays $480 a month for coverage and has an out-of-pocket maximum of $3,500 a year. If she were to lose it, she wouldn't be able to afford the $13,000-a-year out-of-pocket maximum under her husband's insurance. Her treatments cost about $90,000 every seven weeks.

As she followed the efforts to undo Obama's law, Williams found herself yelling at the TV a lot. She wrote her senators, telling how she felt "helpless and out of control," and how her hope was dwindling.

After watching coverage on Friday while tethered to a port in an outpatient area, she said when the bill was withdrawn, "I am thankful. I hope that this makes Trump the earliest lame duck ever."

Whatever comes of the developments, they became the latest chapter in a long-running policy debate  from Teddy Roosevelt's call for national health insurance in 1912, through waves of New Deal and Great Society legislation that brought Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but no comprehensive health system for all, to an unsuccessful attempt at universal coverage at the start of Bill Clinton's administration. For now at least, Trump joins a list of American presidents who sought but failed to bring major health reform.

Trump has railed against the 2010 ACA since the start, and GOP leaders in Congress have rallied for its repeal with dozens of votes during the Obama years. Republicans won the chance to replace the health law with Trump's win and control of both chambers of Congress.

"This is our opportunity to do it," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Friday. "We've talked about this thing since 2010. Every Republican ... has campaigned, from dogcatcher on up, that they would do everything they could to repeal and replace 'Obamacare.'"

Meantime, the Affordable Care Act has enjoyed growing approval with Obama's departure from the White House and the emergence of details of Trump's plan. For the first time, the law drew majority approval in a Pew Research Center poll last month, with 54 percent of Americans in favor.

Even some of Trump's voters have come around to supporting the Obama law, or to a late realization that their coverage was made possible by it.

Walt Whitlow, a 57-year-old carpenter from Volente, Texas, gave Trump his vote even as he came to view Obama's law as "an unbelievable godsend." He went without health coverage for nearly 20 years, but after the ACA passed, he signed up. Two months later, he was diagnosed with tongue cancer. He proclaims himself opposed to government handouts that he thinks people grow too dependent on, though he wouldn't say what he hoped would happen with the GOP bill. Still, its withdrawal brought relief for a man who says his ACA coverage kept him from massive debt and maybe worse.

"It saved my life," he said. "I really don't know what to say."

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri; Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; P. Solomon Banda in Broomfield, Colorado; Mike Householder in Detroit; Rachel D'Oro in Anchorage, Alaska; and Carla K. Johnson in Chicago.

___

Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org or https://twitter.com/sedensky
DUBLIN (AP)  Ireland duo Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney have limited chances left - if any - to impress the British and Irish Lions selectors to be picked for their third tours.

Both players have undergone minor surgeries following the Six Nations, in which Ireland finished second.

No. 8 Heaslip hurt his lower back against Wales but was chosen to play England in the finale last weekend. However, he failed to get through the warmup before the match and was withdrawn. He had a minor operation on a disc on Friday, the first surgery of his professional career, and was out for an unknown number of weeks.

Fullback Kearney injured his knee in training last week, and after surgery will be sidelined for up to six weeks.

The Lions squad to tour New Zealand will be revealed on April 19, in less than four weeks.

Heaslip and Kearney were involved in the last two Lions tours, in 2009 to South Africa, and in 2013 to Australia.
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Friday said Home Depot Inc must face a lawsuit claiming that the retailer's negligence led to a supervisor's murdering a pregnant employee by strangulation and raping her corpse.

Reversing a lower court ruling, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said Alisha Bromfield's mother may pursue claims that Home Depot should not have employed the supervisor, given his known history of sexually harassing, verbally abusing and physically intimidating female subordinates.

Home Depot spokesman Stephen Holmes said the Atlanta-based company is reviewing the decision. "Our deepest sympathies remain with the family, first and foremost," he said.

"We are very pleased with the reversal," Kristin Barnette, the lawyer for Bromfield's mother, Sherry Anicich, said in an interview.

Bromfield, 21, was seven months pregnant in August 2012 when she was killed by Brian Cooper, for whom she had worked in Home Depot stores in Illinois since 2006, court papers show.

Her unborn baby did not survive. Cooper was later convicted of intentional homicide and sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison without parole.

The complaint said Bromfield had repeatedly complained to management about how Cooper treated women, including calling her a "slut" and "whore" in front of customers.

Cooper eventually forced Bromfield to attend his sister's wedding in Wisconsin or risk being fired, and killed her after she refused to enter a relationship, the complaint said.

Last March, a lower court judge said Bromfield's mother failed to plausibly allege that Home Depot had a duty to protect her from Cooper's criminal conduct, justifying damages.

But the appeals court said a reasonable jury could find that Home Depot and Grand Flower Growers, which the mother said jointly employed Cooper, should have foreseen he might "take the small further step" to violence.

Story continues

"Alisha's story is an old story that has been told too many times," Circuit Judge David Hamilton wrote. "Its ending is both shocking and predictable. Alisha's family is entitled to try to prove its truth."

Grand Flower's lawyers did not respond to requests for comment.

Hamilton also criticized Home Depot's argument that it would be "illogical and unworkable" to fire or demote workers because of their "usage of inappropriate language, or sexual misconduct," to prevent a "future (hypothetical) murder."

"Home Depot asserts in its brief that it employs 'thousands' of such people," Hamilton wrote in a footnote. "We hope this insult to the character of Home Depot's employees and to the judgment of its managers was just an ill-advised exaggeration."

The case is Anicich v Home Depot USA Inc et al, 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 16-1693.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard Chang)
Hong Kong (AFP) - Hong Kong said Friday it will recall Brazilian meat from 21 processing plants under investigation over a rotten meat scandal.

The city, which is the biggest market for Brazilian beef, already issued a ban on all meat imports from the country earlier this week.

It comes after police in Brazil said they had uncovered a scheme to bribe corrupt health inspectors at processing plants to certify tainted meat.

China has also suspended all imports and Brazilian officials say exports have dropped from $63 million a day to just $74,000.

Hong Kong's health secretary Ko Wing-man announced a "comprehensive recall" of all "chilled, frozen and poultry meats" which had already been imported from the factories at the heart of the crisis.

"We couldn't completely eliminate hidden dangers in terms of food safety," Ko told reporters when explaining the decision.

Ko said six of the affected Brazilian plants had exported meat to Hong Kong.

He hoped the move would help restore customer confidence in Brazilian meat that had not been brought in from the factories involved.

Hong Kong imported $718 million worth of beef in 2016, according to Brazilian government figures.

It is the second biggest importer of all Brazilian meat behind China, which has also suspended imports.

Other important markets, notably the European Union, have stopped any imports from the 21 businesses under investigation.

Japan, Brazil's third-biggest market for chicken with $720 million in sales, imposed a similar limited ban, while Mexico has stopped imports of chicken produced by the 21 companies under scrutiny.

Brazil's government has appealed to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) 163 other members not to impose "arbitrary" bans on the country's more than $13 billion meat export industry.

Officials have been scrambling to contain the damage since police announced the results of the two-year investigation last week.

Story continues

According to police, the health inspectors involved were bribed to certify meat no longer fit for consumption, while additives were used to mask problems in the produce.

Exports have been stopped from all 21 meat processors under investigation, and at least 30 people have been arrested.

Hong Kong's Ko said the city's blanket ban on imports of Brazilian meat would stand.

"If we get assurance from the Brazilian departments that their investigation is limited to the 21 factories, we will respond accordingly by limiting the ban," he told reporters.

Ko said any products that were on their way to Hong Kong would be allowed into the city but would be sealed until the investigation was over.

In its letter to the WTO, Brazil pressed its message that a few bad apples were at fault for the scandal and that the Brazilian food industry itself was in good health.

It pointed out that of 11,000 employees at the agriculture ministry, 2,300 work as inspectors on animal products and "only 33 individuals are being investigated for improper conduct".
The top Republican and Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee escalated their feud on Friday, with GOP Chairman Devin Nunes announcing that he wished to cancel a public hearing next week and Ranking Member Adam Schiff charging Nunes with bad faith and attempting to choke off an independent hearing.

In a press conference at the Capitol Friday morning, Nunes announced that Paul Manafort, Donald Trumps former campaign manager, had offered through his attorney to testify before the committee as it investigates Russian interference in the presidential election. But Nunes also announced he wanted to cancel an open hearing scheduled for next week, with former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, until the committee had a chance to have a closed hearing with FBI Director James Comey and NSA Director Mike Rogers. He said his decision did not have anything to do with new documents he received this week.

Related Story

What Devin Nunes's Bombshell Does and Doesn't Say

About an hour later, Schiff held his own press conference, calling Nuness announcement a serous mistake and accusing him of bowing to White House pressure.

I think that there must have been a very strong pushback from the White House about the nature of Mondays hearing, he said. Its hard to come to any other conclusion about why an agreed-upon meeting was canceled.

Recommended: The Republicans Fold on Health-Care

While Schiff did not say Democrats would pull out of the investigation, he call for an independent commission and said anyone watching this weeks drama would have very legitimate concerns about whether the House investigation would be credible.

The dueling press conferences cap an astonishing week in the Russia investigation. On Monday, the committee held hearings with Rogers and Comey, in which Comey confirmed for the first time that the FBI is investigating potential collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russia to interfere in the election.

Story continues

On Wednesday, Nunes made a strange announcement in which he said he had obtained documents about surveillance of Trump team officials. But Nuness revelation was extremely vague: First, he repeatedly said he did not yet have all the facts. Second, he said that all surveillance appeared to have been lawful, and involved Trump transition team officials whose information was incidentally collected in the course of communication with foreign nationals under legal surveillance. He said he was concerned about unmasking of U.S. personscitizens names and information are generally redacted, or masked, unless somehow relevant. But Nunes could not or would not say who or why it appeared inappropriate, in his words.

Even stranger was Nuness handling of this revelation, which came from a source he would not reveal. Despite having only partial information, he did not inform Schiff or other members of the committee. Instead, he briefed Speaker Paul Ryan, made a public announcement, and then went to the White House to brief Trump. Although Nunes continued to say that Trumps claims of having been wiretapped by President Obama were baseless, the cloak-and-dagger handling, along with Nuness close ties to the president, elicited accusations that he was trying to throw Trump a political lifeline. Whether or not that was true, the president took it that way. He said on Wednesday that he felt somewhat vindicated, and Press Secretary Sean Spicer again used the v-word on Thursday.

Recommended: Trump Thinks He Can Bounce Back From a Health-Care Rout. Here's Why He's Probably Wrong.

Schiff was furious. He blasted Nunes in a press conference, accusing him of act[ing] as a White House surrogate. Then Schiff went on MNSBCs Meet the Press Daily, where he announced that there was evidence that was more than circumstantial of collusion between Russia and the Trump administration.

On Thursday, Nunes gestured toward making nice, apologizing to the committee for going to Trump before he spoke with Schiff. But in a contradictory move, he later told reporters he did not regret handling the situation in the way he did. Nunes also seemed to back away from some of his comments on Wednesday, with a spokesman telling ABC News the chairman did not know for sure whether Trump or any of his associates were even on the communications he had cited.

Later Thursday, he went on the Fox News show of close Trump confidant Sean Hannity, where he explained that he had felt a duty and obligation to brief the president because as you know hes taking a lot of heat in the news media. The answer seems to validates concerns that Nunes is acting more as a Trump ally then as the head of an independent congressional investigation.

Meanwhile, Schiff built on his evidence comments in an interview with CNN. I do think that it's appropriate to say that it's the kind of evidence that you would submit to a grand jury at the beginning of an investigation, the former federal prosecutor said. It's not the kind of evidence that you take to a trial jury when you're trying to prove something beyond a reasonable doubt.

Recommended: What Exactly Did Paul Manafort Do Wrong?

Finally, Fox News reported that GOP investigators in Congress expect a potential smoking gun establishing that the Obama administration spied on the Trump transition team, and possibly the president-elect himself.

That brings things to Friday, and the latest public bout between Schiff and Nunes. Nunes has put himself in an apparently untenable situation, in which he feels compelled to act as both investigator and ally of the president. By coming forth with new information, he has opened up an enormous set of questions, but because the information is incomplete and, presumably, classified, he cannot and will not put any of those questions to rest, as his increasingly quizzical exchanges with reporters show. Meanwhile, the sniping between the chair and ranking member casts doubt on whether the House investigation can proceed, or whether it can be perceived as credible. Its hard to imagine that the committee could become any more dysfunctionalbut given the weeks pattern, just wait a few hours.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned House Republican lawmakers that he will leave Obamacare in place and move on to tax reform if they do not get behind new healthcare legislation and support it in a vote on Friday.

It was not clear late on Thursday evening that Trump and the Republican leaders who crafted the bill had enough support to pass it, meaning they now risk defeat in their first attempt at major legislation and may fail to deliver on a key campaign pledge.

"We have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because its collapsing and its failing families, and tomorrow were proceeding," House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters after an evening all-hands meeting. He ignored reporters who asked if he had secured the votes to pass the bill.

Ryan and leaders in the House of Representatives were forced to postpone a vote on their healthcare bill, formally called the American Health Care Act, earlier on Thursday, dealing Trump an embarrassing setback.

The vote had been symbolically planned for the anniversary of former Democratic President Barack Obama signing his namesake healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, in 2010. It was supposed to have been Trump's first legislative victory.

Trump and his fellow Republicans had pledged to replace Obamacare, which they view as too intrusive and too expensive.

But, after a week of calling Republican lawmakers and bringing them into the Oval Office for meetings, Trump failed to close the deal with two different factions within his party on time for the planned Thursday vote.

Conservatives felt the bill did not go far enough to repeal Obamacare and moderates felt the plan could hurt their constituents. House Republican leaders had signaled they were ready to work through the weekend to figure out a way to reconcile their differences.

As the healthcare drama unfolded on Capitol Hill, Trump played it cool, taking a break from negotiations to hang out with some truckers, climbing into the cab of a long-haul transport truck parked on the back driveway of the White House, and blowing the horn a few times.

Story continues

He told reporters the vote would be close but he remained optimistic. "I think were doing well. Well find out in about three hours," he said, just as reports began to surface that the vote had been postponed.

By evening, Trump sent his top lieutenants to a dramatic meeting on Capitol Hill on Thursday night with an ultimatum: he was done talking. According to Representative Chris Collins of New York, a top Trump ally, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told House Republicans that Trump wanted a vote.

"The president has said he wants a vote tomorrow, up or down," Collins said.

"If for any reason it is down, we are just going to move forward with additional parts of his agenda" such as tax reform, Collins told reporters after leaving the meeting.

However, the vote has been seen by financial markets as a crucial test of Trump's ability to work with Congress to deliver on his other priorities, such as tax cuts and infrastructure spending.

Even if their replacement plan does eventually get approval from the House, the legislation faces a potentially tough fight in the Republican-controlled Senate.

The House and Senate had hoped to deliver a new healthcare bill to Trump by April 8, when Congress is scheduled to begin a two-week spring break.

GETTING TO YES?

The Republicans have a majority in the House but, because of united Democratic opposition, can afford to lose only 21 Republican votes. By Thursday morning, NBC News said that 30 Republicans had planned to vote "no" or were leaning that way.

North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, the chairman of the pivotal conservative bloc known as the Freedom Caucus, said he and others were struggling to support the plan.

"I am desperately trying to get to yes and I think the president knows that. I told him that personally," Meadows said. However, after Thursday night's meeting, he was still a 'no'.

Obamacare aimed to boost the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. Some 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law.

The House replacement plan would rescind the taxes created by Obamacare, repeal a penalty against people who do not buy coverage, slash funding for the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled, and modify tax subsidies that help individuals buy plans.

House leaders agreed to four pages of last-minute amendments to the bill, including allowing states to choose which "essential benefits" are required in healthcare insurance plans, and keeping a 0.9 percent surcharge on Medicare for high-income Americans for six years. It was unclear whether that was enough.

Representative Trent Franks, a Freedom Caucus member who had been undeclared on his position on the bill, said he liked the changes. Its going in the right direction, Franks said outside the House.

The amendments will give states more money for maternal health and mental health, said Representative Jeff Fortenberry, a Nebraska moderate who still has not said how he will vote.

MARKETS WATCHING CLOSELY

Uncertainty over the healthcare bill rattled financial markets this week. The delay in the house vote is likely to extend the ups and downs in the stocks of some hospital groups and health insurers.

U.S. stock markets rose steadily in recent months on optimism over a pro-business Trump agenda but fell back sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that failure to push through the healthcare bill could postpone other business-friendly Trump priorities.

"Delay on healthcare equates to delay on tax cuts. That is why the market turned red when the news flow suggested they didn't have a deal," said David Kotok, chairman and chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, a money management firm.

Others said it was too soon to panic.

"If this thing gets materially delayed or if we get a 'no' vote, we're going to see a horrific market reaction. But if they vote in the morning and it passes, we'll have a hell of a rally," said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Graphic on Obamacare and Republican healthcare bill (http://tmsnrt.rs/2n0ZMKf)

Graphic on shifting positions in the U.S. Senate on Republican healthcare bill (http://tmsnrt.rs/2mUE4Xf)

Graphic on poll on Americans' views of the Republican healthcare bill ( http://tmsnrt.rs/2n7f3e4)

(Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, David Morgan, David Lawder, Amanda Becker, Eric Beech, Eric Walsh, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Caroline Humer, Megan Davies, Emily Stephenson, Yasmeen Abutaleb, Jennifer Ablan, Noel Randewich, Lewis Krauskopf, and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Frances Kerry and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Michael Perry, Bill Trott and Bill Rigby)
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - A new Hungarian law on the systematic detention of all asylum seekers could expose migrant children to sexual exploitation, said Europe's top rights watchdog Friday, adding its voice to criticism of the measure from human rights groups.

In a letter addressed to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban published Friday, the Council of Europe expressed concern that, under the new law, unaccompanied children would be treated as adult asylum applicants.

"I understand that the legal implications ... will increase the already highly vulnerable situation of children on the move, exacerbating in particular the exposure of those aged 14 or more to sexual exploitation and sexual abuse," said Claude Janizzi, chairman of the Council of Europe's Lanzarote committee that deals with child protection issues.

Under the new law, adopted by a large majority in Hungary's parliament on March 7, all asylum seekers in Hungary will be confined to container camps near the borders with Croatia and Serbia while their applications are processed.

The Hungarian government says that all unaccompanied minors under 14 will be placed in care under the new law, as they are now.

The UN and Amnesty International have both criticised the legislation, which has yet to be enacted.

"The higher vulnerability of these children to sexual crimes, particularly during times of crisis, calls for more protection, not less," the Council of Europe said earlier this month.

The Hungarian government says that the migrants will be free to leave the camps only if they return back over the border, which is an external frontier of Europe's borderless Schengen zone.

The rightwing Orban, who has called immigration the "Trojan Horse of terrorism", says the measure is aimed at keeping both Hungary and the rest of the European Union safe from violent extremists.
Former Congolese warlord Germain Katanga was jailed for warcimes by the ICC in 2014. On Friday the Hague-based court took the landmark step of awarding compensation to some of his victims (AFP Photo/)

The Hague (AFP) - In its first such decision, the International Criminal Court on Friday awarded $250 dollars as "symbolic" damages to each victim of a former Congolese warlord, a sum swiftly dismissed as meaningless by those who lost homes and loved ones in a militia attack on their village 14 years ago.

The order was a landmark step for the tribunal, set up in 2002 to prosecute the world's worst atrocities, marking the first time it has awarded individual reparations and placed monetary values on the harm caused by such crimes.

Presiding judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut acknowledged the amount of $250 to each of the 297 victims of Germain Katanga "does not make up for the totality of the crimes", estimating the total damage caused in the 2003 attack at $3.7 million.

But in announcing both collective and individual reparations, he said he hoped it would bring some "measure of relief" and help victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo rebuild their lives.

The ICC sentenced Katanga to 12 years in jail in 2014 after convicting him of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the February 2003 ethnic attack on Bogoro, a village in troubled Ituri Province.

He was accused of supplying weapons to his militia which went on a rampage, shooting and hacking to death with machetes some 200 people.

Katanga, who watched the proceedings by video-link from a jail in Kinshasa where he is on trial on separate charges, was also found liable for $1 million of the total compensation, though the court recognised that he was penniless, or "indigent", and had no home or possessions.

It asked that he consider making a public apology or writing a letter to the victims, or even attending a public reconciliation ceremony.

- 'Two days of beer' -

"These individual reparations don't have any symbolic value. Today $250 doesn't mean anything in the DRC," Salomon Kisembo Byaruhanga, a local tribal chief, told AFP.

Story continues

"Those who will get it will most likely waste it all away on beer in two days," he added, saying it would be far better to rebuild a village or construct a memorial.

In its 1,000-page reparations order, the court said it had assessed the total damage at $3,752,620. For instance it had valued each destroyed Bogoro home at $600, while the cost of each harvest lost that year was $150.

It also estimated that the psychological harm suffered by a person for the death of a close family member was $8,000, or $4,000 for a more distant relative. Most of the order is confidential to protect the identity of victims.

While no total sum was given for the collective reparations, the court said it should go towards projects to help the victims with housing, education and "income-generating activities" as well as counselling.

The Trust Fund for Victims, an independent body set up under the tribunal's founding guidelines, has now been asked to consider using its resources to pay the reparations and to come up with a plan by late June.

Court officials said the fund could release up to $1 million in the Katanga case.

Legal representatives for the victims had assessed the damage at $16.4 million in a filing to the court last year. They calculated that 228 homes were destroyed, that the school was lost and that hundreds of cattle and other livestock had fled or been killed.

- 'We've buried our dead' -

"What will $250 change in our lives?" asked Jean Bosco Lalo, a coordinator for the Ituri Civil Society group of local associations.

"Our communities have already turned the page. Everyone has rebuilt their homes. We've buried our dead."

Rights groups however welcomed the award as an "important decision."

"Progressively, the ICC is developing the ways and means to respond to victims needs through its jurisprudence," said Carla Ferstman, director of the victims advocacy group REDRESS.

The Trust Fund for Victims has $5 million available, of which $1 million has been set aside for the case of Thomas Lubanga, sentenced in 2012 to 14 years for conscripting child soldiers in the DRC.

In October, judges approved "symbolic reparations" to create a "living memorial". But a final decision on collective reparations for Lubanga's victims is still awaited.
By Dave McKinney CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner on Friday vetoed a legislative fix favored by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for two of the citys struggling pension funds and castigated it as a kick-the-can approach. The financial footing and credit ratings for the nations third-largest city have slipped precipitously as its unfunded pension liabilities grew to $33.8 billion for Chicagos four retirement systems in the most recent accounting. The plan that passed the Illinois Senate unanimously in January and cleared the House overwhelmingly last December would have granted the states blessing to alter the citys pension repayment schedule for its municipal and laborers' retirement systems. The systems are projected to run out of money in the coming decade and were depending on legislative sign-off of the citys enactment of a water and sewer usage tax and telephone surcharge designed to help get them 90 percent funded in 40 years. City officials have acknowledged that more money will be needed starting in 2023 when payments will reach actuarially required levels. But Rauner rejected the package, saying it created a payment schedule that eventually would necessitate a tax increase for Chicago. He said it needed to be part of a broader, statewide pension funding strategy to address Illinois $129.8 billion unfunded pension liability. "This is another kick-the-can approach to pension funding that landed Chicago in fiscal crisis in the first place, Rauner said in a prepared statement. This bill will create an unsustainable funding schedule that will lead to tax increases without solving the real problem. A spokesman for the Democratic mayor slammed the Republican governors action as an irresponsible and irrational decision. Instead of helping secure the future of our taxpayers and middle-class retirees, the governor chose to hold them hostage  just as he has done to social service providers, schoolchildren and universities across the state, Emanuel spokesman Adam Collins said in a statement, referring to Rauners inability to broker a state budget deal for 21 months. Rauners action left Democrats with no ability to block his veto because the pension bailout passed in the previous session of the state General Assembly, which ended in mid-January, and the governors only options were to approve or reject the measure. But the city is pinning its hopes on an identical piece of legislation that passed the newly seated state Senate in late January and is awaiting action in the House, Collins said. (Editing by Matthew Lewis)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian police said on Friday they were launching an investigation into a Hindu-nationalist lawmaker a day after he acknowledged hitting an Air India official 25 times with his sandals in a row over a business class seat. The state carrier and other airlines said they would bar Ravindra Gaikwad from flying after the fracas which has triggered a debate on the behavior of members of the political elite, and calls for a no-fly list for unruly passengers. Gaikwad, from the Shiv Sena party, allies of India's ruling BJP, did not apologize for Thursday's confrontation and told reporters he had been badly treated. "I hit him 25 times with my sandals ... I hit an Air India employee ... Let them complain," he said in a video clip published by the Hindustan Times. "I won't apologize. It's their fault ... For what? When I have not made any mistake, why should I repent?," Gaikwad told NDTV. He said his office had booked a business class seat for him on a Pune-Delhi flight, and he was angry when he failed to get one. He refused to leave his seat in protest after the plane landed and said he hit an Air India official who came on board to try and persuade him to move. Air India said that service did not have any business class seats and Gaikwad's refusal to leave had delayed other flights. Delhi Police said they had registered a preliminary case against Gaikwad on Friday. "We are transferring the case to our Crime Branch for a thorough investigation," special commissioner Dependra Pathak told reporters. Air India and the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) - a body that includes India's biggest carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air - said on Friday they had barred Gaikwad from their flights. "Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the government and security agencies to enforce ... a 'no fly' list," FIA added in a statement. The incident triggered outrage on social media where #RavindraGaikwad was a top trending topic on Friday. "This is how lawmakers make mockery of rule of law," said Twitter user Yashwant (@yashwant_7). (Reporting by Aditi Shah and Mayank Bhardwaj; Additional reporting by Malini Menon; Editing by Susan Thomas and Andrew Heavens)
A woman from India and her 7-year-old son were found dead in their home, Indian media reported Friday, citing the deceaseds family. The woman has been identified as N. Sasikala and her son as Anish Sai, reports said.

Sasikalas husband N. Hanumantha Rao found their bodies Thursday evening after he returned home from work, according to Indo-Asian News Service (IANS). The family hailed from the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and had reportedly been living in the U.S. for nine years.

According to politician Y. Sambasiva Rao from Andhra Pradesh, the mother-son duo was strangulated to death, IANS reported. Sasikala, 40, was a software professional and worked from home, Indian media reported.

No other details surrounding the deaths were immediately available.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu tweeted condolences.

This follows the killing of Indian software engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in Kansas last month. Adam Purinton, a 52-year-old Navy veteran, shot dead Kuchibhotla at the Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe after shouting "get out of my country."

Kuchibhotlas killing triggered uproar in the U.S. with several blaming President Donald Trump for triggering racist attacks.

"Anti-Muslim hate has been expanding rapidly for more than two years now, driven by radical Islamist attacks including the June mass murder of 49 people at an Orlando, Florida, gay nightclub, the unrelenting propaganda of a growing circle of well-paid ideologues, and the incendiary rhetoric of Trump  his threats to ban Muslim immigration, mandate a registry of Muslims in America, and more," the Southern Poverty Law Center said last month.

On March 2, a store owner from India was found dead outside his home in South California. The following day, a gunman shot a Sikh American in Washington after shouting go back to your country. The man sustained injuries and local police are looking into the incident as a hate crime. On March 12, a Florida man reportedly set a shop owned by a person of Indian origin on fire.

Related Articles
By Sudarshan Varadhan and Mayank Bhardwaj NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is likely to emerge unscathed from the El Nino weather pattern as it is expected to set in only during the latter part of the four-month monsoon season, a top weather official said, indicating a timely arrival of crop-nourishing rains. Monsoon rains, the lifeblood for India's farm-dependent $2 trillion economy, arrive on the southern tip of Kerala state by around June 1 and retreat from the western state of Rajasthan by September. "We are not worried about El Nino at the moment because this weather pattern is likely to emerge only after July," K. J. Ramesh, director general of the India Meteorological Department, told Reuters in an interview. The emergence of El Nino after July does not either indicate a weak start or deficient rains, as this weather pattern is only one of the many variables influencing the south-west monsoon, Ramesh said. A U.S. government weather forecaster earlier this month said La Nina conditions had disappeared and projected the possibility of El Nino developing later this year. Forecasters in Japan and Australia also see a 40-50 chance of the El Nino weather pattern later this year. El Nino, a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific that typically occurs every few years, faded in 2016 and was linked to crop damage, fires and flash floods. Despite forecasts of La Nina leading to heavy bursts of rains, India only received average monsoon rainfall last year, not surplus as previously expected, Ramesh said, alluding to the limited impact of both El Nino and La Nina on India's monsoon. Typically less damaging than El Nino, La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and tends to occur unpredictably every two to seven years. Severe occurrences have been linked to floods and droughts. India defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96 percent and 104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 cm for the entire four-month season. A weak El Nino, forecast to develop across Asia this year, would have only slight impact on crops such as wheat, palm oil, rice and oilseeds, Kyle Tapley, an agricultural meteorologist with U.S.-based MDA Weather Services, said this month. The monsoon, which delivers 70 percent of India's annual rainfall, is critical for the country's 263 million farmers and their rice, cane, corn, cotton and soybean crops because nearly half of its farmland lacks irrigation. Before receiving average rains in 2016, India suffered back-to-back drought years for only the fourth time in over a century, hurting incomes and driving some farmers to suicide. (Editing by Keith Weir)
Jakarta (AFP) - From galloping horses to Indonesia's hero Husni Thamrin and a flame atop a tall tower, statues and monuments across the huge Indonesian capital Jakarta light up at night, adding some sparkle to the city.

Statues and monuments can be found across Jakarta, rare public art in a megacity of 10 million better known for drab tower blocks, chaotic slums and monster traffic jams.

Most are illuminated at night, and the lights go on automatically as darkness falls.

City officials work hard to keep the sites clean and in good shape, a difficult task as many of them sit at busy traffic intersections with lines of pollution-belching cars and buses streaming past.

The 22 statues in the city, most put up in the 1960s to 80s, are cleaned with water once a month, and sometimes soap if workers need to wipe off graffiti, said Nuraida Levianti, a Jakarta government official who deals with maintaining with sites.

One of the city's most famous statues is also one of the most challenging to keep clean.

The Dirgantara statue in south Jakarta, erected in the 1960s during the presidency of Sukarno, consists of a figure pointing to the sky on a tall, curving tower that juts out over a road.

"In order to clean the statue, one needs to climb it very carefully and understand how to clean it -- otherwise you will fall off," Levianti said.

Perhaps the best-known monument in the capital is the National Monument, a 130-metre (425-foot) tower topped with a gold model of a flame that looms over downtown Jakarta and commemorates Indonesia's struggle for independence from Dutch colonial rule.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters is not one to mince words.

"Get ready for impeachment," she recently tweeted, to the tune of 104,000 likes. Waters' tweet came after FBI Director James Comey's testimony in front of Congress this week about the Trump campaign being investigated for their ties with Russian government officials.

"[Trump] has no self-control . . . I don't think he can even do the cover up," Waters (D-CA) later told me in an interview.

SEE ALSO: The 10 most iconic Maxine Waters moments

It's the kind of combative language that's landed Waters in trouble in the past, And yet: They're also the reason the long-serving California congresswoman has become, at the age of 78, a rising political star among her growing millennial fanbase.

Waters joined the U.S. Congress in 1991 she's now the most senior black woman in Congress. She was surprised to see her popularity rocket following the November election, after having spent years battling so many other important enemies, most notably Daryl Gates, the former Los Angeles police chief who handled the Rodney King case.

"Millennials are too young to connect to that," Waters said, but the historical disconnect hasn't stopped the growing numbers of her young admirers, who seem to connect more with Waters than leaders their own age.

But even though Waters has made plenty of headlines before, the past few months have pushed her into the spotlight for millennials and their political discussions, where she's now known, lovingly, as "Auntie Maxine." Of course, the congresswoman has a large and loyal fan base outside of millennials, and routinely enjoys around 70 percent of her largely liberal district's vote. Yet, it appears to be progressive millennialspeople of color, women, and those otherwise disaffected by the Democratic party establishmentwho are driving her rise to social media prominence.

Story continues

It all started when Waters walked out of a confidential meeting with FBI Director James Comey and set an entire room of reporters on fire:

Since then, her Twitter following shot up, from 33,000 to over 199,000, the largest following of any representative in the House, besides Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

And it hasn't stopped. Waters' Democratic colleagues generally criticize the president through the lens of politics (e.g. Trump, as a threat to liberal democratic institutions). Waters, meanwhile, throws that critique into harsh relief, by taking it several steps further: she makes Trump a personal issue that goes beyond the political. And she brings her emotions riding shotgun with her.

It's not exactly what you'd characterize as a typical politician's approach.

"We can't be handling this as if it's normal. Patting each other on the back, talking about gentle lady and gentleman," Waters said. "It's not a human response ... I felt that way when he was running for President of United States, [bragging about] grabbing private partsI've never seen anything like it. And making fun of a disabled reporter. Kids might do that ... I've never seen an adult do that."

Image: Alex Brandon/AP/REX/Shutterstock

And Waters is nothing if not someone adamant about following her rhetoric with substantial actions. She didn't go to the president's inauguration because it was "a waste" of her time. She didn't attend his joint address because she couldn't "control her enthusiasm" against him.

I never ever contemplated attending the inauguration or any activities associated w/ @realDonaldTrump. I wouldn't waste my time.  Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) January 15, 2017

In Waters' eyes, powerful figures like Sean Spicer shouldn't be feared. The congresswoman says the people who make fun of Sean Spicer actually have more power than he does, so, she insists, "let's have have fun with him while he's here."

Again: Not exactly the most politick of ideas. But for Waters, both the actions she's taking and the way they're being received add up to a pretty self-evident no-brainer.

"[Millennials] like the outspoken way that I handle dealing with the issues," Waters said. "They like the no-holds-barred confrontation. A lot of young people don't have a lot of faith in politicians. You can't depend on what they say. They talk in circles. They dont speak the kind of language that has truth to them. I'm speaking differently."

In the few months after the election, more than 8,000 millennials have told Run for Something, which recruits progressive candidates under the age of 35, that they want to run for public office. Many of these people don't have traditional political experience, and weren't exactly culled from a talent pool of young D.C. insiders.

Waters, who was born in Missouri as the fifth of 13 children, and who didn't exactly come from a political dynasty herself, can identify. The congresswoman says she got her start in politics not in the state legislatures but when she worked as an assistant teacher for Head Start, the federal program focusing on early education in underserved, working-class communities. It was there that Waters learned about the impact a government program can haveif there are politicians willing to support it, and young people willing to support them, that is.

"I saw the real difference between politicians who supported programs like Head Start, and those who didn't," Waters said. "I started getting really excited about politics."

Waters held onto that feeling all the way through college until 1976, when she decided to run for the California State Assembly. It was women, Waters stressed repeatedly, who encouraged her to run.

"They all came together to support me," the congresswoman said.

Flashback: In 1977, I stood with Coretta Scott King at the 1st National Women's Conference #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/Xr473DPyTX  Maxine Waters (@MaxineWaters) March 8, 2017

Even though Waters represented the "anti-establishment" and was considered an outsider activist, she won the election and proceeded to find her place in it. Once in office, she turned some of the proposals she received on the board into actual legislation.

She brought the outside world in.

The anti-establishment activism, largely led by women and people of color, that helped carry the congresswoman to power mirrors the energy Waters saw at the Women's March. It's a burst of young enthusiasm she hopes her own party takes advantage of.

Image: Bernstein/AP/REX/Shutterstock

"Let's bring them in. Create advisories. Create millennial events. I'm going to find millennial lawyers to see if they can bring in a new perspective," Waters said. "It's very important that people who are feeling the need to do something ... get activated."

Of course, the political landscape Waters grew up is very different from the one we have today. And there's a key difference between the activism that helped bring Waters to power and the one on display at places like the Women's March: Americans are more polarized than ever before. People of different political persuasions barely have the strength to talk to one another on Facebook.

And this is precisely the climate Waters thinks millennials can make their biggest impact inside of.

"Many of our conservatives do believe they're more patriotic than anyone else," Waters said. "I think it's time for those who they don't think are patriotic, young people, minorities, I think it's time for them to step up and show leadership"

"There are people who love and appreciate this country, but they don't talk about it that way. Now is the time to talk."

It's hard to see many millennials planning to organize with "the other side," especially when the country's two leading parties seem so hellbent on obliterating the other's political agenda.

And you'd imagine that Waters, who once generously offered to help the conservative Tea Party "go straight to hell," would be part of that school. After all, the very program that started her career, Head Start, is now on the Republican chopping block. More than ever before, it seems, the opposing party poses an imminent threat to the people she serves.

Yet Waters stressed that she always tries to reach out behind the scenes to those Republicans who are willing to listen. When John Boehner, the former conservative speaker of the House who Waters once called a "demon" for threatening President Barack Obama's agenda, finally retired, she let some of that past go, and called him to tell him she was proud of him.

Spoken, seemingly, like the teacher she once was.

At the time, Boehner could barely seem to believe it.

"I saw him when he tried to stand against [the Tea Party]," Waters said of the former congressman. "He did favor some of the work I was doing, but I let him know when he pushed it. I wanted to let him know he didn't do anything to be ashamed of."

It's the kind of sensitive relationship-building Waters hopes she can pass onto her millennial fan base, who might be otherwise be resistant to reaching out. It's not that Waters has abandoned her beliefshe's attracted something of a reputation in Washington, as it were, for her unflappable left-wing worldviewshe just believes in operating on the most human level possible.

"I tell them when I like something they're doing. And I let them in know in no uncertain terms when I think something they're doing inhumane or wrong," Waters said.

The congresswoman doesn't see this as simple politicking. Her politics, and the anger she's so often accused of by critics, is driven by empathy. She's the teacher who grew up and became a congresswoman, but never seems to have left the profession. She gets disappointed when people let her down, and thrilled when they exceed her expectations. She can't imagine operating any other way.

"I mean, I can't make this up. I can't contrive it. I just do what my heart tells me to do," Waters said.

She hopes her young fans do, too.

WATCH: Trump never has to buy sunglasses again because Obama's photographer will shade him forever
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Israel has ignored a demand by the United Nations Security Council to halt settlement building and some Palestinian groups are continuing to incite violence against Jews, U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov told the 15-member body on Friday. It was Mladenov's first report on the implementation a Dec. 23 resolution adopted by the council with 14 votes in favour and a U.S. abstention. Then President-elect Donald Trump and Israel had urged Washington to wield its veto. "The resolution calls on Israel to take steps 'to cease all settlements activities in the occupied Palestinian territory including east Jerusalem.' No such steps have been taken during the reporting period," Mladenov told the council. Israel for decades has pursued a policy of constructing Jewish settlements on territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war with its Arab neighbours. Most countries view Israeli settlement activity as illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel disagrees. The Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. "Many of the advancements that were made in the past three months will further sever the territorial contiguity of a future Palestinian state and accelerate the fragmentation of the West Bank," said Mladenov of settlements, adding that they were "one of the main obstacles to peace." Mladenov also said an increase in rockets fired from Gaza toward Israel was a "worrying development" and described it as regrettable that Palestinian Authority officials had not condemned attacks against Israelis. "The continued incitement to violence against Jews emanating from Hamas extremists and some Palestinian groups is unacceptable and undermines trust and the prospects for peace," he said. "Reactions by Hamas officials to terror attacks against Israelis have been particularly reprehensible and deserve condemnation," Mladenov said. The United States traditionally shields Israel, Washington's long-time ally that receives more than $3 billion in annual U.S. military aid, from council action. The five council veto powers are the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China. The resolution, put forward by New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal a day after Egypt withdrew it under pressure from Israel and Trump, was the first adopted by the council on Israel and the Palestinians in nearly eight years. Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Michael Flynn, who at the time had been chosen by Trump to be his national security adviser, called the U.N. missions of Malaysia and Uruguay before the vote in a bid to stop council action, U.N. diplomats said. Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Friday: "There can be no moral equivalency between the building of homes and murderous terrorism. The only impediment to peace is Palestinian violence and incitement." Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters: "Settlements need to be stopped, not only because they are illegal, but they are the main obstacle in the path of the two-state solution." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel and the United States concluded talks in Washington on advancing peace with the Palestinians, without agreeing on one of the thorniest issues -- Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

The US delegation, led by President Donald Trump's special representative Jason Greenblatt, reiterated the president's "concerns regarding settlement activity," a joint statement read of the four-day talks, which ended late Thursday.

The Israelis "made clear that Israel's intent going forward is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes these concerns into consideration," the statement read.

The Trump administration is looking for ways to revive peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli settlement building in east Jerusalem and the West Bank is seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Much of the international community has raised increasing alarm over settlement expansion, saying it is gradually eating away at prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from members of his coalition to advance settlement construction, which was a major source of contention with the Obama administration.

The new administration has been slow to curb Israeli settlement announcements and has yet to set a clear policy on the subject. When meeting Netanyahu at the White House in February, Trump called for Israel to "hold back on settlements for a little bit".

A "principal focus" of the talks was ways to alleviate the faltering Palestinian economy in Gaza and the West Bank, the statement read.
Japan deployed hundreds of soldiers to help cull more than 280,000 chickens on Friday, officials said as they try to contain further outbreaks of a highly contagious strain of avian flu.

The latest slaughter means more than 1.67 million birds will have been killed in a dozen mass culls at several farms across the country since November when the virus was detected in the northern Aomori prefecture.

Troops have been sent to a farm in Miyagi prefecture in the northeast where about 220,000 birds are to be killed, and to a property southeast of Tokyo where 68,000 chickens will be destroyed.

"The local government has requested the Self-Defence Forces to help the culling operation while setting a limit on shipping chickens and eggs surrounding the farm (in Miyagi)," a farm ministry official said.

The defence ministry confirmed it had dispatched 370 troops to the two locations to help in the slaughter.
Tokyo (AFP) - He's been hailed a "fresh new voice" by Vogue, won admiration from Giorgio Armani and bagged an award: Mitsuru Nishizaki is hot fashion talent in Japan. But that doesn't guarantee international stardom.

Loud applause and uncharacteristic cheers erupted from the usually restrained Japanese fashion crowd at the 38-year-old's packed autumn/winter 2017 collection for brand Ujoh at Tokyo Fashion Week.

The models strode out to upbeat techno tempo, tearing up a multi-lane catwalk in a high-energy show starring preppy-grunge, sporty-tailored chic that would not look out of place in New York.

It was eminently wearable with bright high-necked ribbed sweaters slashed at the side, a deconstructed pale pink trench coat and crisp shirts that button front and back to be styled how the wearer desires.

Shoes were trainer-meets-loafer -- black with white soles and a yellow serrated grip, which he calls shark soles, worn with gypsy-style skirts, pin-stripped suits or slouchy velvet track bottoms.

Nishizaki set up Ujoh in 2009 after seven years as a Yohji Yamamoto pattern cutter. Six years later he won a design award sponsored by DHL and then in 2016 staged a show in Milan.

Armani provided his theatre for the venue, though Nishizaki didn't meet the veteran Italian designer in person. Vogue wrote afterwards: "this is how cool girls dress now" and predicted a bright future for him.

But what does it take to make it outside Japan? To follow in the footsteps of Issey Miyake, Yamamoto -- Nishizaki's former boss -- and Rei Kawakubo, 20th century masters who have flown the nest to take their place among the greats in the fashion pantheon of Paris?

What are the hurdles that need to be overcome in a country where the fashion industry is embedded in exacting standards of tailoring, where creativity at times can take a back seat to doing it the right way?

Ujoh is already stocked in more than a dozen foreign cities such as Barcelona, New York and Seoul. Still, Nishizaki's chief ambition is to expand further abroad.

Story continues

But it's a tough road to take domestic success to the next level.

- 'Give me ideas' -

In an interview at his showroom in Omotesando, a chic neighbourhood heaving with high-fashion boutiques, he was polite and earnest, but also shy and nervous behind the wide brim of a black floppy hat.

Nishizaki appears reluctant to present a compelling personal narrative in the rags-to-riches or fashion-ruled-my-childhood style that has helped many celebrated US designers market pret-a-porter to a mass audience.

When it comes to his collections, he says he works in the style to which he became accustomed at Yamamoto: having an open mind and designing freely without pre-selecting a particular inspiration.

"It is a difficult question to answer and I wish you could give me some ideas," Nishizaki ventured when asked if he thought it was harder to break through as a designer from Japan than from Europe or America.

But he does admit that the Japanese calendar is stacked against quick success on the international circuit.

Tokyo's bi-annual style fest in March and October comes several weeks after the main fashion merry-go-round in New York, London, Milan and Paris comes to an end.

By then most international editors and buyers are too exhausted and saturated to board a long-haul flight to Tokyo.

"What I really should do now is rearrange my brand schedule for press and sales not only in Japan but overseas," Nishizaki said.

Misha Janette, a Tokyo-based stylist, creative director and blogger who has lived in Japan since 2004, said a major challenge for many Japanese designers trying to cut it in the West are different tastes.

She summed up the Japanese market as conservative and casual, rather than expensive and high fashion, warning that simple clothes were "not going to sell" in Paris.

"I think the most important thing is to have a balance of show pieces, interesting things that show their viewpoint with simple off the rack to satisfy both. That's hard," she told AFP.

"Most Japanese brands don't have the investment, it's just girls and boys doing it alone out of their garage," she said. "Instead of having this balance of show pieces and wearable pieces it becomes either or."
Jay Z is bringing Trayvon Martin's story to both the big screen and the small screen.

He and The Weinstein Company have just scooped up the rights to two books about Martin, with the intention of creating both a narrative feature film and a TV docuseries.

SEE ALSO: 5 years later, celebrities put their hoodies up for Trayvon Martin

Martin, a black Florida teenager, was unarmed when he was killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 2012. His death  and Zimmerman's eventual acquittal  sparked nationwide outcry and helped give rise to the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the two books picked up by Jay Z and the The Weinstein Co. focus on different aspects of Martin's life and death. Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, written by Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, offers an intimate look at the slain teen and his family's experiences of his death and its aftermath.

Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It mainly focuses on Zimmerman's murder trial. It was written by attorney Lisa Bloom (who recently made headlines for representing actress and revenge porn victim Mischa Barton).

Jay Z and The Weinstein Co. previously teamed up for another true tale of criminal injustice, Time: The Kalief Browder Story. The six-part docuseries, about the black teenager held without trial for three years inside Rikers Island, is currently airing on Spike.

WATCH: A History of America Fighting Back Against the Police
London (AFP) - Khalid Masood's criminal past is a common marker for recent jihadists, but the London attacker's age of 52 is unusual and there was little in his profile that could have given an early warning, experts said.

"There aren't any surprises," said Brooke Rogers, a terrorism researcher at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King's College London.

"The link to past criminality, we have seen that before," she told AFP, adding that if his reported stints in prison were confirmed, they could have been "a potential entry point for radicalisation".

Masood's age is the only outlier, as younger jihadists are "more the norm", but even that has been changing in recent years, Rogers said.

But Jason Burke, a Guardian journalist who has written extensively about Islamic extremism, said Masood's age was a "standout detail" as it made him nearly twice as old as most contemporary attackers.

Masood ploughed through dozens of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday, then ran out of his car armed with a knife and stabbed a police officer guarding parliament before being shot and killed.

Four people died in the attack.

Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday said Masood had been known to the domestic intelligence agency MI5 as a "peripheral" figure several years ago "in relation to concerns about violent extremism".

But she said there was no early warning of his threat.

The history of jihadists with non terror-related criminal backgrounds is well documented.

In a report last year, the ICSR said prisons in Europe were a "breeding ground" for jihadist groups.

Some criminals see violent extremism as a form of redemption for their crimes, according to the study.

ICSR director Peter Neumann said at the time that "a lot of networking" for jihadists happens in prison.

Researchers from the ICSR compiled profiles of 79 European jihadists with criminal pasts from Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany and The Netherlands.

Story continues

Of those studied, 57 percent had been incarcerated before being radicalised and 27 percent of those who spent time in prison were radicalised behind bars.

On Friday, Neumann said that "except for his age, Masood is exactly the kind of person" in the report.

- 'Community awareness' -

Still, experts said there was little in his profile that could have marked him out as a threat ahead of time, after British media outlets reported that he was not on a list of 3,000 suspected extremists who were being regularly monitored by intelligence services.

James de Waal, a senior fellow in international security at the Chatham House think-tank, said the trouble was that the number of people radicalised in prison was "a very large group of people".

The answer, according to some experts, is greater monitoring of online activity and better communication with the public to encourage people to come forward about anyone with extremist views.

"We can step up security measures, we can have more armed police, but unless community engagement measures are as good, people like this man can fall through the cracks," said Lina Khatib, head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House.

Britain's counter-terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST, includes the Prevent programme aimed at countering radicalisation.

As of 2015, there is now a legal obligation on doctors and teachers to report people showing signs of radicalisation.

But getting the public on board is more difficult.

Announcing investigation details on Friday, Britain's top counter-terrorism officer, Mark Rowley, made a strong appeal for anyone with information.

"There might well be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but weren't sure or didn't feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing information to us," he told reporters.

Rogers, at King's College, said that Britain did not have "thought police" and that the emphasis should be on more "upstream" intervention and community engagement.

"This is a lot about community awareness," she said.
Kaley Cuoco recently expressed her love and support for her boyfriend, Karl Cook.

On her Instagram account, the Big Bang Theory actress shared a snap of her and Cook cuddling with each other and looking very smitten. Cuoco also said in the caption of the photo that she needs Cook and shes got him, implying she already has what she needs the most and thats her boyfriend.

The couple, who went public with their relationship in March of last year, has been attending various award shows together. Most recently, they were spotted at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards earlier this year, as well as the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards in the same month.

Read: Kaley Cuoco congratulates Karl Cook for qualifying in World Cup Omaha 2017

Cuoco just loves talking about her boyfriend during her interviews. Last year, she opened up during her guest appearance on The Talk about their relationship and revealed that they met at a horse show.

The actress has also detailed one of their most memorable dates. While speaking with People, she said, Recently we did go on a little trail ride date. It was adorable. When you share something so special, some sort of connection  for us, its horses, but anything two people share  you have that common goal and you know you want the same things in life, day to day, and in the future, she said.

Cuoco got out of her rocky marriage with her estranged husband Ryan Sweeting in 2015. The ex-couple got married after just three months of dating. They were husband and wife for almost two years. Following their divorce, Cuoco was able to keep her $72 million earnings from Big Bang Theory because of their pre-nuptial agreement.

Karl Cook, Kaley Cuoco

Photo: Reuters/Danny Moloshok

Related Articles
The Heart Part 4, the song Kendrick Lamar posted online Thursday night, sounds like a preview for two things. One is the acclaimed Compton rappers fourth album, whose release date may or may not be tipped in the final line Yall got till April the 7th to get yall shit together. The other is the apocalypse.

The whole world goin mad / Bodies is adding up, markets about to crash, Lamar raps. After listing some signs of civilizational decline including whites that do the dab, Lamar mentions Donald Trump (a chump), Russia (yall up to somethin), and electorial votes (look like memorial votes). Things are seeming sketchy, but Lamar counsels, Tell 'em that God comin'.

Recommended: The Republican Waterloo

God is always coming in Lamars songs. His first two albums, Section.80 and Good Kid, M.A.A.D City were grounded in narratives about surviving gangs and drugs and police scrutiny in Compton, then 2015s jazz opus To Pimp a Butterfly and last years EP-sized untitled.unmastered saw him exploring more allegorical realms. But throughout the phases of his career, catastrophe has loomed. 2010s one-off The Heart Part 1which todays track is a sequel toinvoked the Mayans prophecy about the year 2012. To Pimp a Butterfly closed with a recording of Tupac predicting a brutal race war.

The specter of Revelations informs a lot of Lamars music, including the traits on display in the thrilling, unpredictable The Heart Part 4. Theres the frantic energy ever-present in his voice, the way the beat and flow repeatedly mutates as if there isnt enough time to fit in all of his ideas, and the continual focus on reconciling his material success with his suspicion that wealth, the hip-hop world, and America itself is touched by the devil. That final tension has increasingly come to the fore in his work, including on this song.

Story continues

The Heart Part 4 is widely being talked about as a nettle of subliminal thorns against other rappers, prime among them Drake, whose latest release Lamar now threatens to overshadow. Dont tell a lie on me / and I wont tell the truth on you, Lamar sings in the chorus, interpolating James Brown. Two verses and one beat switch-up in, he starts describing an unnamed rapper who (ironically, perhaps) is tiptoeing around Lamars name, begging forgiveness in private after seeming to throw shade in public. The boasts here are excellent, with a fun countdown (One, two, three, four, five / I am the greatest rapper alive), insinuations of messianic status, and a mention of the difference between accomplishments and astonishments.

Recommended: The Republicans Fold on Health Care

Longtime fans will realize that these ego-driven, rap-world mind games were exactly the sort of thing he warned against in The Heart Part 2: We used to beefing over turf, fuck beefing over a verse / Niggas dying, motherfuck a double entendre. Yet Lamars work is so exciting in part because he barrels headlong into contradiction, indulging the earthly and then describing the spiritual toll he pays for doing so. I aint sanctified enough to say that I wont shoot ya, he raps today, which is to say that until the world ends he cant help but battle.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
In Ukraine, things have taken another turn for the worse. In January, Ukrainian army veterans began an unofficial blockade of rail traffic into the countrys breakaway eastern provinces to protest their governments willingness to do business with the pro-Russian separatists holding power there. On March 15, Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko, anxious to regain control of the situation and to keep the confidence of his supporters, made the blockade official. Separatists remain defiant. Russia is reportedly recognizing travel documents from the breakaway provinces for entry into Russia, and were getting closer to the moment when Moscow will move to formalize trade and economic links with the separatist territories.

In other words, the Ukrainian stalemate has deepened. Ukraine has fallen behind Western neighbors like Poland and Hungary over the past 25 years. A higher standard of living depends on closer engagement with Europe, but peace and security still demand stable relations with Moscow. This puts Poroshenko in a bind. The conflict with Russia has killed about 10,000 people, and Poroshenko knows that many Ukrainians would denounce any move to shift the rest of the country toward Europe by simply accepting the independence of Ukraines breakaway provinces as a surrender to Russia.

Russia wants to ensure that Ukraine remains within its orbit, because the loss of Ukraine to the West would be the final indignity in a chain of postCold War humiliations. Still, Russia cant invade the rest of Ukraine, because major Russian losses might well undermine Russian President Vladimir Putins support at home. The cost of occupying Ukraine, a nation of about 42 million people, is also far beyond Russias means. Instead, Putin has kept Ukraine unstable to force its government to give the breakaway provincesand, by extension, the Kremlina veto over Ukraines national foreign and trade policies.

Many elected Western officials want to defend Ukraine from Russian manipulation, but they dont want to bear the costs of defending a country their citizens dont care about.

The stalemate is also becoming more expensive for both Russia and Ukraine. The blockade could shave another 1.3 percentage points off Ukraines beleaguered economy. On the Russian side, poor prospects for oil prices will force the Kremlin to think hard about the wisdom of investing large sums in Ukraines breakaway provinces for the indefinite future.

Somethings got to give, but it has never been less clear what that might be.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Kyle Katsandris Southern California Highway Jump Getting Heat

Back at the start of March 2017 there was a video of some crazy bastard jumping his KX over California SR 60 in Southern California. Over the next few weeks the video has drawn some unwanted attention to the ever-fragile relationship between California OHV proponents and its perpetual antagonists. While the stunt was bad-ass in the eyes of the crazy mullets across the West Coast, it does show a lack of respect for the safety of others and thats what has drawn the ire of local officials.

As far as 24-year-old Kyle Katsandris and his band of merry men are concerned, this jump was a simple rite of passage and a way to share their awesome riding skills with the rest of the world. It is not a particularly difficult 100-foot leap for a rider who clearly has the freeriding chops to pull it off. Its not as if some dumbass novice simply went out and bought a dirt bike and decided to try this stunt. On the other hand, it does have potential to cause real harm to the unsuspecting motorists on the freeway below. The video has accumulated more than 150K in views (and counting), not including the additional videos that have pirated the footage in an effort to capitalize on Katsandris' five minutes of fame.

A more harmful side effect is the damage it has caused in regards to relations between the general public, law enforcement, and the hordes of off-road riders among us who are not capable of such feats. In an effort to make sure the stunt is not replicated anytime soon, CalTrans has destroyed the launch area and fortified it with logs and boulders.

Of course, the California Highway Patrol and the Riverside County Sheriff Department are investigating the incident, so the odds are the poor kid is going to take some heat for this before it is all said and done.
So it appears that some Uber recruiters are aware of the sexism problems at the ride-hailing giant.

After Mashable published an interview with senior software engineer Kamilah Taylor, who publicly shared (on Twitter) her awkward interaction with Uber, another potential recruit sent his experience.

SEE ALSO: Uber's Travis Kalanick: Yep, I'm a jerk, basically

Genady Okrain is the founder of an app called Momento GIFs and is based in San Francisco, where Uber is headquartered. It's no secret that the company is aggressively hiring. Uber reported having more than 9,000 employees in early January. That changed to more than 11,000 in late February.

While the female recruiter speaking to Taylor blamed industries, including the tech industry, with having a systemic issue with sexism, this recruiter apparently knows it's a hard time at Uber.

Here's the email exchange from February 10 to March 15, with the name and personal information of the recruiter redacted. These emails were provided by Okrain.

Seems like pretty standard recruiting behavior until you look at this line:

"However, in light of current events, I understand if you have concerns or questions. I would be glad to be a resource for you and share any information that I can," she wrote.

What's also intriguing about that line is it's in a faded grey, as Okrain confirmed. That most likely means it's copied and pasted.

But hey, at least, Uber is aware of the problem and wanting to talk about it no matter whether they are taking the time to type it out every time or pasting the same language over and over again.

Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment if this is language used and suggested by the company from the top.

Uber HR is at least doing something. Liane Hornsey, Uber's head of human resources, told reporters earlier this week, "The focus of the company has been on the business not the employees ... Many employees dont find our performance management system transparent or equitable."

"Weve updated 1,500 Uber job descriptions to ensure they are free from unconscious bias. In addition were focusing on improving candidate experience, ensuring we have diverse panels of trained interviewers. We are running interview training for women in tech to ensure that all our female employees are really well equipped to be involved," she continued.

WATCH: This Lego camera actually works
WASHINGTON (AP)  Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday in pressuring the Trump administration to surrender records of former national security adviser Michael Flynn's payments and contacts with foreign officials during the past three years.

In a sign of deepening interest among congressional investigators, leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee asked for materials on Flynn's communications and payments from Russian, Turkish and other foreign sources since Flynn retired as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in August 2014.

The request came as a Flynn spokesman said the retired general filled out all of his security clearance paperwork, but did not sign a mandatory ethics pledge during his time as national security adviser.

Also sought by the committee chairman, GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, and the top Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, is any available material on Flynn's security clearance, which would have been required to allow him access to highly classified government documents and information. The two congressmen made the requests in letters to White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, FBI Director James Comey, Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats.

President Donald Trump fired Flynn last month for misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other top administration officials about Flynn's postelection conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

The committee's move is significant because of the bipartisan front and the effort to gain broad information about Flynn's foreign-related work and communications for an extended period before Trump appointed him in January. Chaffetz and Cummings cooperated on a February inquiry that led to revelations last week that Flynn had been paid more than $33,000 by Russia's government-backed television network.

Cummings said the goal is to learn whether Flynn "was untruthful on his security clearance forms, his vetting materials, and in other documents  conduct that could carry a criminal penalty  and we want to know what the White House knew when they hired him as national security adviser."

Story continues

The committee also wants to determine whether Flynn violated the constitutional prohibition against foreign payments to former military officials who could be called back into service.

The FBI has interviewed Flynn about his Russia contacts as part of its inquiry into meetings, phone calls and electronic contacts last year between Trump campaign aides and Russian officials and others representing Russian interests.

The House request comes a week after the committee released documents showing Flynn accepted more than $33,750 from the Russian government-backed RT network for a trip to Moscow in 2015, before he joined the Trump campaign. U.S. intelligence agencies have described that network a propaganda arm of the Russian government.

Cummings and Chaffetz cited Flynn's payments from RT in their letters as they sought information about the retired Army lieutenant general's responses to security clearance questions, as well as "any other security clearance applications, certifications, or requests for periodic reinvestigation."

The letters also ask for any "investigative and adjudicative" files concerning Flynn's clearance. The lawmakers want to see "documents referring or relating to Lt. Gen. Flynn's contact with foreign nationals," including any direct or indirect contacts between Flynn "and foreign government officials, representatives, affiliates, or agents."

Price Floyd, a spokesman for Flynn, said Flynn met the disclosure requirement for national security adviser. "Everything that was supposed to be included was included," Floyd said.

He said Flynn last came up for a security clearance review in January 2016, and disclosed his trip to Russia to attend an RT event. Flynn also took a polygraph  required of someone with his level of security clearance  and passed, Floyd said.

Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 28 prohibiting political appointees from lobbying the government in any way for five years after serving in his administration. That same order instituted a lifetime ban on outgoing officials representing foreign governments.

Floyd said Flynn "didn't have the opportunity to sign" the ethics pledge, "but he is going to abide by the pledge." Floyd said Flynn has not engaged in any lobbying work since leaving the White House that would have violated the pledge.

White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said Wednesday that "all applicable employees have signed the ethics pledge." She did not answer questions about why Flynn had not. The White House did not immediately respond to a request to review those documents. The Daily Beast first reported on Flynn's failure to sign the pledge.

In addition to his RT contacts, Flynn filed paperwork this month with the Justice Department as a foreign agent whose lobbying work between August and November last year may have aided the government of Turkey. Flynn's consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, registered as a lobbyist last year for Inovo BV, a Dutch-based company owned by a Turkish businessman.

After Flynn's lawyers consulted Trump's legal team during the transition and after Flynn's appointment, he and his firm re-filed as foreign agents, a distinction that requires much more detailed documentation with the Justice Department.

The owner of Inovo BV, Ekim Alptekin, told The Associated Press that Flynn and his firm did so due to pressure from Justice Department officials.

The committee letters also ask for Flynn's "receipt of funds from any foreign source," as well as documentation of any efforts by Flynn to seek government approval for payments from foreign sources.

The committee also asked the agencies for new documents relating to Flynn's work for Leading Authorities Inc., which handles Flynn's speaking requests.

Last week, the committee posted material from the firm, including copies of checks Flynn received from RT and two other Russian companies, as well as emails between Leading Authorities, RT officials, and Flynn and his adult son, Michael Flynn Jr., who accompanied his father on the Moscow trip.

___

Associated Press writer Julie Bykowicz contributed to this report.

___

Submit reporting tips to The Associated Press: https://www.ap.org/tips
The family of a New Jersey woman who died after using a prescription version of the potent opioid fentanyl filed a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday against the drugs maker, her doctor, and a specialty pharmacy that provided the drug.

The lawsuit, filed in a New Jersey state court, alleges 32-year-old Sarah Fuller was the victim of a nationwide push by Insys Therapeutics to entice doctors to prescribe its Subsys fentanyl spray for patients for which the drug was not suitable.

Insys infiltrated the medical community with lies, misinformation, kickbacks and financial rewards which led to a large span of the medical community to prescribe Subsys for off-label indications for which there was no proven safe use, according to the complaint. Insys did not respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Former execs charged with bribing doctors to prescribe potent painkiller

Subsys is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for patients with cancer who suffer from breakthrough pain that doesnt respond to other treatments, though physicians are permitted to prescribe drugs for unapproved, or off-label uses. Fuller did not have cancer, and her doctor nevertheless prescribed it to her. At the time of her death, she was taking a heavy dose of the drug around-the-clock.

The lawsuit also accuses a specialty pharmacy company, Linden Care of Woodbury, N.Y., of abetting the effort by Insys to push the use of Subsys in patients who did not have cancer. The lawsuit claims the pharmacy company, which shipped Subsys to Fuller via FedEx, should not have dispensed the drug to her. Fullers family claims the pharmacy company did not have possession of the original prescription as required and was mandated by a special federal program to only dispense the drug to patients with breakthrough pain due to cancer.

Insys needed a pharmacy to turn a blind eye to what it was doing and dispense Subsys throughout the country, the complaint alleges. Linden Care declined comment.

Story continues

Read more: A potent painkiller, and the drug makers marketing, are faulted in a womans death

Fuller became a patient of Dr. Vivienne Matalon in August 2014. At the time, Fuller was not taking any narcotic medications for the pain caused by two auto accidents. By October, according to the complaint, Matalon had Fuller on a regimen of oxycodone and OxyContin. In January 2015, Fuller and her father met with Matalon at her office. Also in the room was an Insys saleswoman, who was there to convince Fuller that Subsys would help treat her neck and back pain, the lawsuit charges.

She was prescribed the drug, and within three weeks, her dosage was tripled in strength. In October 2015, Fuller was admitted to the hospital, suffering from hyper-sedation, according to the lawsuit. She was immediately taken off Subsys and at discharge was told to discontinue use of it, along with weaning herself off OxyContin. Despite Matalon being notified by the hospital of the event and the instructions for Fuller, the lawsuit claims the doctor again prescribed Subsys for Fuller.

On March 25, 2016, Fuller died as a result of taking Subsys and the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam, the lawsuit charges. Both were prescribed by Matalon.

In the wake of the Fuller case, the New Jersey attorney general accused Matalon of indiscriminately prescribing Subsys and she agreed to a suspension of her medical license while her conduct is investigated by the state medical board. Attempts to contact Matalons attorney for comment were unsuccessful.
NEW YORK (AP)  For years, family members of those killed on Sept. 11 and insurance companies tried unsuccessfully through the courts to hold Saudi Arabia or businesses and organizations there responsible for the terrorist attacks. Now that Congress has cleared the way, they're making a fresh effort.

In the next year, the Manhattan federal courts will make rulings signaling to thousands of family members of those killed and injured first responders whether passage of the 2016 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act was largely a symbolic exercise or a catalyst to getting them to trial.

Timothy Litzenburg, a Richmond, Virginia, lawyer, said his firm raced to court hours after Congress overrode former President Barack Obama's veto in late September, hoping to get an early start on winning damages for litigants.

"We thought maybe we could do the first trial," he said. But now that the lawsuits have been consolidated before a New York federal court, Litzenburg predicts it could be a decade before there is a resolution for over a dozen lawsuits filed against the kingdom.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn tried to put the litigation on a faster track Thursday, telling dozens of lawyers at a Manhattan conference that she believes some of the lawsuits can be combined because they make identical or similar claims. She noted the latest lawsuit had been filed just hours earlier.

James Kreindler, a plaintiffs' lawyer in one new lawsuit, told her he expects the lawsuits may be combined into two legal actions, perhaps within a month.

Michael Kellogg, a lawyer for Saudi Arabia, said at Thursday's hearing that lawyers for plaintiffs were unfairly using mostly the same plaintiffs in 9/11 cases brought 14 years ago to make new claims against Saudi Arabia.

"They've added a number of different allegations, which will complicate the process," he said.

Saudi Arabia, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East, had lobbied against the new law.

Story continues

President Donald Trump had called Obama's veto "shameful." Obama said he rejected it because it could open up the U.S. government to lawsuits around the world claiming that the United States has supported terrorism.

Sovereign immunity usually protects governments from lawsuits, but the bill creates an exception that lets litigants hold foreign governments responsible if they support a terrorist attack that kills U.S. citizens on American soil.

Previous efforts to hold Saudi Arabia, its officials, and banks and charitable organizations responsible for the attacks have failed in the courts. Not all of the cases have been tossed out solely for sovereign immunity reasons.

In 2008, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that four Saudi princes cannot be held liable in the Sept. 11 attacks even if they were aware that charitable donations to Muslim groups would be funneled to al-Qaida.

The court said the plaintiffs would need to prove the princes engaged in intentional actions aimed at U.S. residents.

A lower court judge had earlier cited the Sept. 11 commission, saying it found no evidence Saudi Arabia  the birthplace of Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 hijackers  funded or supported the Sept. 11 terrorists.

Saudi lawyers have not responded to requests to comment on the new lawsuits. In the past, they've said in court papers that families are relying on the submission of "thousands of pages of inadmissible and irrelevant materials."
Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - At least 50 people have been killed and dozens more injured since Tuesday after armed men attacked three villages in the central Bambari region of the Central African Republic, local residents who fled their homes told AFP.

Prosper Tchoulekrayo, who escaped from Yasseneme village, said the attackers had "fired indiscriminately on the inhabitants".

"The provisional toll of the attacks in the Agoudou Manga, Yasseneme and Ngouyanza is at least 50 dead. Dozens more have been injured," said Isaac Arata-Naba, an Agoudou Manga resident.

Tchoulekrayo said the attacks were staged by members of the UPC, a faction of the former rebel and mainly Muslim Seleka movement "which is continuing to stage reprisal attacks against natives."

But a UPC (Unity of Central African People) source denied the group was involved in the latest attacks.

The source said a rival Seleka faction called the Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic had raided the villages, adding that they were targeting UPC positions.

One of the world's poorest nations, the Central African Republic has been struggling to recover from a three-year civil war between the Muslim and Christian militias that started in 2013.

President Faustin-Archange Touadera took office in March 2016 with a mandate to lead a transition to peace but much of the country remains under the control of armed groups.

Deadly clashes between rival factions have regularly broken out near the central town of Bambari, where a contingent of the UN peacekeeping force is based.

The fighting is linked to the control of lucrative mines in the mineral-rich country and racketeering.

An independent UN expert on Central Africa, Marie-Therese Keita-Bocoum, had in February deplored that "armed groups have taken over more than 60 percent of the country."
WASHINGTON (AP)  A Lebanese businessman who the United States says has provided millions of dollars to the Hezbollah militant group has pleaded not guilty to federal criminal charges that he violated sanctions.

Kassim Tajideen, who was arrested in Morocco earlier this month, made his first court appearance in Washington on Friday and was ordered detained after Justice Department prosecutors called him a flight risk.

An 11-count indictment unsealed Friday accuses Tajideen, 62, of violating sanctions that barred him from doing business with U.S. people and companies because of his support for Hezbollah.

"Those sanctions are designed to protect our national security and public safety by limiting terrorists' access to resources, and this extradition sends a clear message that we are resolved to find and hold accountable those who violate these laws," Mary McCord, the acting assistant general in charge of the Justice Department's national security division, said in a statement.

A lawyer for Tajideen, Matt Jones, declined to comment after the court appearance.

The U.S. Treasury Department in 2009 imposed sanctions on Tajideen that prohibited U.S. companies from doing business with him or with any companies that are operated for his benefit. But the Justice Department indictment said Tajideen restructured his business operations to evade sanctions and continue doing business with U.S. companies.

Hezbollah, which has members in Lebanon's parliament and Cabinet, is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
WASHINGTON  A surprise offer by Paul Manafort, President Trumps former campaign manager, to provide information to congressional committees investigating links between the Trump campaign and Russia may be far more limited than it first appeared, according to congressional sources and others familiar with the matter.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., revealed the offer in a press conference Friday, saying that Manaforts lawyer had contacted his panel and offered the committee the opportunity to interview his client.

That quickly led many to assume there had been a major breakthrough and that Manafort would soon be under the television lights raising his right hand to testify under oath about what he knew about contacts between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Paul Manafort to Testify Before House Intelligence Panel, read the headline in the New York Times.

But congressional sources say that the offer by Manaforts lawyer, Reginald Brown, a former White House lawyer under President George W. Bush, was carefully hedged. There was no explicit promise to testify in public or address a broad range of questions that have been raised about Manaforts business and lobbying work over the years for figures closely associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This is an interview, not testimony, Jason Maloni, Manaforts spokesman, told Yahoo News. A statement by Maloni says only that Manafort is willing to provide information about recent allegations about Russian interference in the election. It says nothing about recent accusations regarding disguised payments made to Manafort from the political party of the pro-Putin former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, or his past work for Oleg Deripaska, a prominent pro-Putin oligarch  both of which have been cited by Democrats as evidence of close ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

Moreover, there were immediate signs that the Senate intelligence committee, which is conducting its own investigation into the Russian matter, was in no rush to take up Manafort on his offer to talk behind closed doors.

Story continues

This is a PR stunt, said one Senate source familiar with the offer made by Manaforts lawyer. Although the panel will at some point want to hear from Manafort, the source added, I doubt this will be on his terms.

The limitation on Manaforts offer is perhaps not surprising. His work for Yanukovych is reportedly under investigation by the FBI over questions about whether it was in compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act. In addition, the AP this week reported that Treasury Department officials have obtained financial records from Cyprus relating to Manaforts business dealings with Deripaska.

But whether Manafort will be willing to answer questions about those matters is far from clear. Asked whether Manafort will ask for immunity for anything he tells Congress, Maloni did not respond.

Read more from Yahoo News:
By Dominic Evans and Omar Fahmy CAIRO (Reuters) - The "Islamic State soldier" who killed four people in an attack on the British parliament may have been inspired by calls to arms against the West but the militant group has given no evidence yet that he acted on specific instructions. British-born Muslim convert Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians in his car and stabbed a policeman to death in a high-profile killing which echoed other deadly attacks in Europe claimed by the ultra-hardline Islamists. Almost 24 hours after the killings the group issued a brief statement calling Masood one of its soldiers. But it offered no details to suggest that Islamic State's leadership - losing ground to enemies in Syria and Iraq - knew of his plans in advance. That in itself does not rule out coordination between Masood and militants in the shrinking, self-styled caliphate. Islamic State frequently delays releasing video footage or other material showing the planning and implementation of operations. But the nature of Wednesday's killings, carried out by a single assailant armed only with a hire car and a knife, matched a pattern of recent attacks which require no training, military expertise or outside guidance. Islamic State spokesman Abu Mohammed al Adnani called on sympathizers across the world to carry out exactly those kind of attacks in an appeal issued when the group was at the peak of its power in late 2014. "If you can kill a disbelieving American or European ... smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him," said Adnani, who was killed in a U.S. air strike in Syria last August. ISLAMIC STATE "SIGNATURE" British counter-terrorism police say they are still trying to establish whether Masood, a criminal with militant links, acted alone, with support or under instruction of others. He had shown up on the periphery of previous terrorism investigations that brought him to the attention of Britain's MI5 spy agency, but the 52-year-old was not under investigation at the time of the attack. Khaled Okasha, an Egyptian security analyst and former police officer, said Masood appeared to be the latest in a series of attackers he described as "sympathetic and loyal from afar" rather than central figures in Islamic State. Those assailants are inspired by Islamic State's online campaigns, Okasha said, and often leave behind the Islamic State materials from which they drew their inspiration. "So the operation has an Islamic State signature on it, and straight after the operation ... the Daesh (Islamic State) leadership in Syria put out a statement claiming responsibility" even though they may have had no advance knowledge, he said. A French judicial source said last month that an Egyptian man who attacked soldiers with machetes at the Louvre museum in Paris told police he identified with the beliefs of Islamic State but had not received instructions from - or sworn allegiance to - the group. That type of "lone wolf" attack contrasts with the November 2015 suicide assaults on Paris and bombings at Brussels airport and the metro four months later - waves of coordinated killings carried out by Syrian-trained militant cells. Rita Katz, founder of the intelligence firm SITE which monitors Islamist militants, said there was no evidence yet that Masood had been in direct contact with Islamic State. Shortly after the attack, Katz tweeted that some Islamic State supporters were celebrating. "However, unlike #Paris & #Brussels, no organized media campaign from #ISIS yet which may suggest no coordination w ISIS , if linked at all". That may in part reflect the reduced activities of Islamic State and its sympathizers on social media - a decline which coincides with its territorial losses in Iraq and Syria. The group's presence on Telegram, a social media network that had become its main platform for announcements and speeches, has tapered off recently. The U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition estimates that its activity on Twitter has fallen by 45 percent since 2014, with 360,000 of the group's Twitter accounts suspended so far and new ones usually shut down within two days. But even on the group's own media there has been little fanfare for an attack which struck at the heart of one of its main international enemies. Friday's daily news broadcast on Islamic State's Albayan Radio, which carried reports of fighting in Mosul, Aleppo and the Egyptian Sinai peninsula, made no mention of the London attack or the group's claim of responsibility. (Editing by Giles Elgood)
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May wants social media firms to do more to prevent the spread of extremist material online, her spokesman said on Friday, two days after a British-born Muslim convert killed at least four people in London. "The fight against terrorism and hate speech has to be a joint one," the spokesman said. "The government and the security services are doing everything that they can, and it's clear that social companies can and must do more." Earlier this week, Google vowed to better police its website after several companies deserted the internet giant for failing to keep their adverts off hate-filled videos. Facebook and others have also been criticized for not doing enough to moderate content on their platforms. The comments from May's office echo those of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who on Thursday said internet providers and social media companies have "got to look at the stuff that's going up on their sites, they've got to take steps to invigilate it, to take it down where they can." May, a former interior minister who spent six years before she became prime minister putting in place policies to try and prevent the radicalization of British citizens, has consistently urged social media firms to take a tougher stance. "We don't want this material to appear in the first place and when it does appear we want it to be taken down as quickly as possible," May's spokesman said. "The ball is now in their court, let's see how they respond." (Reporting by William James; editing by Stephen Addison)
A team of seven forensic police officers, tightly packed, on their knees and covered in blue plastic overalls, carefully dusted every millimeter of the cobbled stones in New Palace Yard Thursday.

It was here, just within the grounds of the Palace of Westminster, where PC Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old married father of two, was stabbed to death by a British terrorist claimed by ISIS, Khalid Masood on Wednesday.

Masood had already injured at least 40 people having sped along the sidewalk of Westminster Bridge, before crashing into the carriage gates of Britains Parliamentary estate. At least two were killed on the bridge: 54-year-old U.S. tourist Kurt Cochrane and Aysha Frade, a mother of two. A third man, 75, died of his injuries on Thursday, officials said.

Masood was shot dead, but there was immediate chaos and then a lockdown of around five to six hours as authorities and police worked tirelessly to make sure there were no further threats.

Speaking in the House of Commons today, Prime Minister Theresa May was defiant. Our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism, she said. As I speak millions will be boarding trains and airplanes to travel to London, and to see for themselves the greatest city on Earth.

But outside the chamber there was a 1 to 2 block cordon guarded by police. An area where tens of thousands of tourists, politicians and Londoners pass through everyday was empty and eerily silent.

Lawmakers and their staff were already wondering how to beef up their security now that they are all too aware of the havoc one madman with a car and two knives can cause in what is supposed to be the mother of all parliaments.

Tom Brake, the chief whip of the Liberal Democrats who sits on the Commons commission that oversees parliament security, says the carriage gates have been a particular weak point for some time. Tourists often accidentally wander into the palace past these barriers, a loosely defended entrance that is used to quickly drive ministers in and out of Parliament.

Story continues

A short-term remedy will be for cars to only go through a more secure entrance, with bollards, at the other end of the estate. The entrance to New Palace Yard is likely to be fitted with permanent barriers.

Brake also thinks the attack will see a rethink of the plans to renovate a palace that is riddled with asbestos, overrun by rodents, and blighted by sewage leaks, to name only a small handful of its problems. Lawmakers are due to debate whether to go-ahead with a restoration that is expected to take several years shortly after Easter recess.

Security is potentially an extra element in the Restoration & Renewal of Parliament project, Brake said. The need to tighten security policy to protect M.P.s and staff. There is a cost issue, but that can be addressed by looking at security early and designing it in to the plans.

That cost of the revamp - estimated, highly conservatively, at 4 billion (about $5 billion) - has resulted in many lawmakers arguing it is too costly for the public to swallow. They say there should be a new Parliament with more solid foundations and better use of modern technology, unlike WiFi that moves at a sloths pace in Westminster. They have argued for the palace to be turned into a museum.

However, senior critics are already reconsidering this challenge, because the terrorist only made it a few yards beyond the gates. The other options may not be as secure as the palace, said one lawmaker who has previously argued for a move.

Indeed, police minister Brandon Lewis told TIME: The systems in place did work yesterday. There was a phenomenal show of heroism from Keith Palmer and the police.

Another senior lawmaker, former justice secretary Dominic Raab, warned against knee-jerk reactions its what the terrorists want.

However, both of these politicians admit here will have to be a security review.

Max Freedman, a senior political researcher who leads the labor union branch for staff, will be pushing for improved communication. Some researchers who are located in a distant but nevertheless linked part of Parliament, known as the Northern Estate, have complained they were not instructed by police on how to remain safe for about two hours. Instead, they watched events unfold on television and assumed they should stay in their offices. This was despite there being public address systems in these buildings, which were not used.

Sources also said that in one of these older buildings around 50 Labour Party lawmakers and staff were bundled into the office of the leader of the opposition, the far left veteran Jeremy Corbyn. However, police were rarely on the door.

There was a blitz spirit according to a source who was present. Corbyn introduced a young researcher to the room who had been told to go to this safe room - despite being rather out of place given he works for the governing Conservative Party.

Hes spoken to his employer, who told him it was alright for him to stay here: provided he doesnt return a socialist, Corbyn said.

As security started to relax Thursday , with entrances to Parliament slowly re-opened, Robin Walker, one of the ministers charged with conducting the U.K.s negotiations to leave the European Union arrived with a suitcase.

He had just come back from Brussels. The previous morning he had been consoling lawmakers in the European Parliament over the one year anniversary of terrorist attacks in Brussels.

By the afternoon, they were comforting me, sighs Walker.

His is not the only poignant story. Clive Lewis, touted as a future Labour leader, was a sunnier afternoon away from possible death. After an interview and minutes before Masood drove into view, a photographer wanted to take a picture of him on the sidewalk soon to be mounted by the terrorist, but they turned back because the light wasnt good enough.

Security will get tighter, but luck, both good and bad, played its part in who lost their lives yesterday.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Caretaker Deepak Shrestha padlocked shut the quake-ravaged remains of the Trailokya Mohan Narayan temple in Nepal's capital Kathmandu to keep out the contractors who are meant to be rebuilding it.

The 17th century monument's three-tiered pagoda completely collapsed in a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the Himalayan nation in April 2015, leaving the main statue standing exposed on a high plinth.

Shrestha, whose family has looked after the Hindu temple for generations, is now on a mission to protect it from a government system that grants contracts to rebuild the quake-damaged heritage sites to the lowest bidder.

"We had our doubts about the contractors but it was confirmed when they started digging the foundations haphazardly, disregarding the community's involvement and our sacred rituals," Shrestha, 56, told AFP.

"We don't believe the cheapest contractors will rebuild our temple sincerely. We demand that the government dismiss such a system."

The temple was among more than 700 heritage sites damaged in the disaster which killed nearly 9,000 people and destroyed half a million homes.

Nepal's laws state that construction contracts valued at more than 500,000 rupees (S4,670) must be granted through a tender process to the lowest bidder -- and the same rules govern the restoration of ancient temples and buildings.

The system has raised alarm over the quality and techniques being used to rebuild historical sites -- with experts saying the Kathmandu valley's status as a UNESCO World Heritage site could be under threat.

"The lowest bidder is not necessarily the best," Christian Manhart, head of UNESCO in Nepal, told AFP.

"There are strong chances that it can be in the world heritage in danger (list)," he added.

When the UNESCO World Heritage committee met in July last year, it narrowly avoided putting the Kathmandu Valley on its "List of World Heritage in Danger", but warned it could be added in 2017 if progress is not made.

Story continues

- 'Attack on our heritage' -

The government estimates that rebuilding the centuries-old temples and monuments damaged by the quake will cost over $300 million.

Several countries who have pledged support to help Nepal rebuild its cultural heritage have also expressed concerns about the tender process and the slow pace of work.

Nearly two years since the earthquake struck, only ten monuments have so far been rebuilt -- some totally bypassing the government's rules.

In November last year, the Boudhanath stupa -- the country's largest and one of the holiest sites of pilgrimage in Tibetan Buddhism -- reopened having been restored with donations from international Buddhist groups.

The restoration was largely community-led and cost $2.1 million, including over 30 kilogrammes (66 pounds) of gold.

Bhesh Narayan Dahal, chief of Nepal's archaeology department, said he is aware of concerns regarding the construction contract system and is hopeful the government will respond.

"The demands of local communities are justified... but we are helpless, we cannot work beyond the limits of the government's laws, acts and rules," Dahal said.

In deeply religious Nepal, where temples and heritage sites are an integral part of people's lives, other communities are now demanding that the government process be scrapped and they be allowed to take lead in rebuilding.

However, dozens of contracts to rebuild cultural monuments have already been granted and more are in the process.

Experts also worry that contractors who lack experience of working on heritage projects won't have the contacts to hire traditional wood carvers, stone sculptors and metal workers.

Birendra Bhakta Shrestha, who is leading a campaign to rebuild Kathmandu's Kasthamandap temple with community involvement, said locals will continue to battle against the tender process.

"Our ancestors have made it and it is our moral right to rebuild it," Shrestha said.

"Lowest bidders cannot maintain quality... Residents of Kathmandu can tolerate anything, but cannot tolerate an attack on our heritage."
ROME (AP)  The leader of European Union founding nation Luxembourg warned U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday that if he turns a cold shoulder on the EU it will be "a lose-lose situation" for both sides of the Atlantic.

Trump over the past months has angered EU leaders with his public support for the British Brexit decision to leave the EU, for showing no interest in pushing negotiations for the trans-Atlantic trade agreement with the bloc and for favoring bilateral relations.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said "Mr. Trump will learn very fast that the EU is not a bunch of 27 grocery shops, where you knock at the door and start doing business."

"Instead, it is something grand, if we stick together and continue to act together," Bettel said.

Bettel was in Rome with the other EU leaders  minus British Prime Minister Theresa May  to mark Saturday's 60th anniversary of the bloc, which is in crisis because of Britain's impending departure.

Despite the difficult relations, the White House on Friday congratulated the EU, saying "Our two continents share the same values and, above all, the same commitment to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy, and the rule of law."

"Together we look forward to another sixty years and more of shared security and shared prosperity," the statement said.

For Bettel, it is only normal that Trump would reach out to Brussels.

"We perhaps need Europe, but he too needs Europe. So it is a two-way street," he said. "If he thinks he doesn't need Europe, it is a lose-lose situation. But is now important for everyone to go for a win-win situation."
Caracas (AFP) - President Nicolas Maduro said Friday he had asked the United Nations to help address severe shortages of medicine in Venezuela, a rare acknowledgement of the crisis-hit country's desperate situation.

"I have asked the United Nations to regularize the whole medicine issue. The United Nations has the most advanced plans to recover the pharmaceutical industry's productive capacity," the leftist leader said in a speech broadcast on national television.

With Venezuela stuck in the fourth year of a deep recession, shortages of food and many essential goods, including medicine, have become rampant.

Venezuelans tell of desperately hunting for their medication at depleted pharmacies, or paying small fortunes to buy it on the black market or abroad.

Horror stories have emerged from hospitals of patients losing limbs for lack of antibiotics or dying for lack of cancer drugs.

The Venezuelan Medical Federation says hospitals have just three percent of the medicine and supplies they need.

Maduro said he had made the request in a meeting with Jessica Faieta, Latin America director for the United Nations Development Programme.

He said the medicine shortage is one of the "wounds" sustained in what he calls an "economic war" waged by business interests allegedly trying to destabilize his government.

"Resisting has been worth it. Socialism is worth it," he said.

Venezuela is home to the world's largest oil reserves, but has been hit hard by low oil prices in recent years.

The fractured opposition is trying to force Maduro from power, but despite sinking popularity he has so far managed to stymie their efforts.
Spelling out the grim details of years of extreme torture, a high-profile detainee at Guantanamo Bay is asking the Supreme Court to block his war crimes trial until he can contest its legality in a civilian court  a challenge based heavily on the impact on his physical and mental health of his treatment in custody.

The appeal by Abd Al-Rahim Al-Nashiri, a Saudi Arabian national, could lead to one of the courts most significant rulings in a modern terrorism case, if the Justices agree to rule on it.

His case is a test of when Americas war on terrorism began, because that point is crucial to whether a military commission has any authority to put him on trial for alleged war crimes that occurred in 2000 and 2002  years before Congress set up a system of war crimes tribunals at Guantanamo in 2006.

The case is also framed as a challenge to the Executive Branchs authority to keep criminal cases away from the civilian courts and transfer those prosecutions to military tribunals that function very differently. In effect, that aspect of the Al-Nashiri case is a not-so-subtle invitation to the Supreme Court to come to the aid of the civilian judiciary, to protect its primary role in America when those courts are open and fully functioning.

His lawyers are asking the Justices to revitalize the ancient writ of habeas corpus  the right of a person to challenge government power to justify detention  as the Supreme Court attempted to do in the last major ruling on Guantanamo detainees rights nine years ago.

That 2008 ruling in Boumediene v. Bush has led directly to few releases of detainees through civilian court action, and Al-Nashiris attempt to pursue a habeas challenge has been blocked by federal civilian courts in order not to interfere with his military commission trial. Those lower court rulings are the immediate point of his Supreme Court appeal.

As a result of government-approved transfers out of Guantanamo, the population there has dwindled, so that now only 41 foreign nationals remain. President Obama was not able to achieve his goal of closing Guantanamo, but no one has been sent there since March 2008. Now, President Trump has vowed to resume sending any terrorist captives to that prison, rather than having them prosecuted in civilian courts. If the Justices were to take on Al-Nashiris case and rule for him, the Trump policy could face resistance in the civilian courts.

Story continues

Al-Nashiri has been held by U.S. civilian or military authorities since he was captured in Dubai in 2002 and turned over to U.S. authorities. He spent the next four years at so-called black sites operated overseas by the Central Intelligence Agency. The federal government has conceded that he was subjected there to severe torture techniques, including waterboarding. His appeal to the Supreme Court has page after page in a gruesome recital of the techniques used against him, but some of that recital has been blacked out by intelligence agencies that screened the document before his lawyers could file it and make public a version of it.

The document summarized the mistreatment as the most extreme forms of torture and abuse in which our country has ever engaged. Undergoing an unauthorized trial with a death penalty hovering over it, the filing argued, would subject Al-Nashiri to injuries of health and mental stability that would flow directly from the governments own misconduct during years of physical, psychological and sexual torture.

The mistreatment did not stop, his lawyers have said, after he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006 (he has remained there since). In 2008, the Pentagon charged him with war crimes for an alleged role in plotting the bombing of a Navy warship, the U.S.S. Cole, in Yemen in 2000 and a similar alleged plot against a French oil tanker in Yemen in 2002. If convicted by a military commission, he could be sentenced to death.

He also has been charged in civilian federal court in New York City, but there is no prospect that a trial in that case would occur before his military trial.

The military court system that would try him, set up under a 2006 federal law, has been plagued by legal and procedural problems for years, and has resulted in only eight convictions; half of those have been ovcrturned on appeal, wholly or in part. Al-Nashiris lawyers have estimated that, if his military trial goes forward, all phases of the case would not be completed until well beyond 2024.

The law creating the military commissions specifies that those tribunals have authority to try charges only if the offense is committed in the context of and associated with hostilities. It says that hostilities are conflicts subject to the laws of war.

Al-Nashiris lawyers have been attempting to pursue, in civilian court, their claim that the charges against him involved alleged plots that occurred before America was engaged in anything like the war-like activity covered by the military commission law. The challenges have been based on a plea for a writ of habeas corpus and on a plea for a writ of mandamus  two separate modes for testing the legality of his military trial.

When he lost his challenge last August in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a divided panel of that court ruled that his habeas challenge had to wait until after he was tried, and if convicted and then used any appeal rights he would have under the 2006 law. It blocked his mandamus plea by finding that the question of when hostilities began for purposes of military commission trials was an open question, and no such question can be raised in a mandamus plea.

In the petition for review, his lawyers are challenging both rulings against him. More broadly, the petition argued that the 2006 law has created a novel and permanent system of rump criminal courts that operate free from the most basic requirements of [the Constitutions] Article III.

Under the Circuit Court decision in his case, the filing said, civilian leaders in the Executive Branch now have the unilateral authority to remove capital prosecutions from the federal court to this system on a case-by-case basis.

It would take the votes of four Justices to grant review of Al-Nashiris appeal. A vote on whether to hear the case could come before the Justices recess for the summer in late June. If granted review, the case would not be heard until the courts new term, which opens in October.

It is unclear whether there will be a ninth Justice on the court when this case comes up for initial consideration, but it is quite likely that there will be a full bench for the courts next term.

Legendary journalist Lyle Denniston is Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent. Denniston has written for us as a contributor since June 2011 and has covered the Supreme Court since 1958. His work also appears on lyldenlawnews.com.
By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A North Carolina man pleaded guilty on Friday to opening fire in a Washington pizzeria that fake news reports claimed housed a child sex ring linked to 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Edgar Welch, 28, of Salisbury, was accused of firing at least three shots from an AR-15 rifle inside the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in December and pointing the gun at an employee after showing up to investigate the online conspiracy rumors. No one was hurt.

Welch pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a federal charge of interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit an offense and a local charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Welch, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, said little more than "Yes, ma'am" in response to questions from Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Asked what he wanted to do, he said, "Plead guilty."

He could face up to two years in prison on the federal charge and a maximum five years for the assault charge. Jackson scheduled sentencing for June 22.

Welch also faces potential fines and must pay restitution for damage to a computer, door lock and a ping pong table at the restaurant.

A local firearms charge was dropped as part of Welch's plea. He also carried a loaded .38-caliber revolver into the pizzeria, and police found a loaded shotgun in his car, according to court documents.

Welch told police he was investigating a bogus conspiracy theory known as "pizzagate." Posts to social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and the Reddit online message board falsely claimed Comet was the center of a child sex ring run by Clinton and her campaign chairman, John Podesta.

The claims were part of a proliferation of false news reports during the U.S. presidential election campaign, often disseminated through websites purporting to be news outlets and quoting bogus sources.

Scott Talan, a communications professor at Washington's American University, said Welch was an example of how mistrust of traditional news sources and of authorities' ability to investigate suspected crimes could prompt vigilante-style behavior.

"For more and more people, the source (of news) doesn't matter," he said in a telephone interview.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Dan Grebler)
The first round of voting in the French presidential election is a month away. It seems only natural, then, that Marine Le Pen, far-right presidential candidate and leader of the National Front Party, would spend this week in Chad and Russia.

If this timing doesnt make sense to you, consider this: Le Pen is spending her time in Moscow speaking to a French expat community. No, no, just kidding  she met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said Russia has no intention of meddling in French elections, which should assuage everyones fears.

We do not want to influence events in any way, but we retain the right to meet with all the different political forces, just like our European and American partners do, Putin said. He added, I know that you represent a European political force that is growing quickly. Mais oui.

Le Pen was in Russia at the invitation of Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Dumas foreign affairs committee, who called her visit courageous. Presumably Slutsky also found it courageous that Le Pen told Duma spokesperson Vyacheslav Volodin that she is opposed to EU sanctions on Russia over the annexation of Crimea (she finds them counterproductive).

Le Pen was allegedly at the Kremlin to see French Gothic art and to hold a press conference at the Russian parliament, but apparently those plans were scrapped and she met with Putin. Perhaps they just happened upon each other in the Kremlin. Quelle chance.

The visit comes amid speculation Le Pen may be seeking Russian money for her campaign. French law doesnt bar foreigners from contributing in its political campaigns. A Len Pen campaign got an assist in 2014 in the form of a 9 million euro loan from Russias First Czech-Russia Bank. Her her party insists it has to look for foreign funding because French banks wont give them loans.

On Friday, Russian newswire sent out notice that the Kremlin said Russian banks would fund Le Pen, further fanning the speculation. But shortly thereafter sent out a retraction. National Front treasurer Wallerand de Saint-Just said the trip is not for campaign fundraising, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Story continues

Le Pen isnt the only candidate who has taken Russian cash. Center-right candidate Francois Fillion, who has been dogged by corruption allegations in the race, took $50,000 to arrange a meeting between Putin and a Lebanese billionaire in 2015. Tres chic.

In contrast to her Russia visit, the impetus for the Chad trip seems more straightforward. Le Pen went to central Africa Wednesday to speak with some 3,000 French troops who are stationed in Chad on a counter-terrorism mission. A trip to visit the troopsis a traditional thing to build up your commander-in-chief cred, said Martin Michelot, a French election expert at Europeum Research Institute. He added Le Pen enjoys a quite high level of support among the armed forces.

But given her anti-immigrant views and record of defending French colonialism in Africa, the visit didnt go down well with Chadians. (Though it didnt stop Chad president Idriss Deby from meeting her.) During the visit she panned Francafrique, the loose web of relations France maintains with its former colonies, and the CFA franc, a currency former French colonies in Africa use thats pegged to the Euro.

Her stance on Francafrique actually gained some traction among Africans, who see her protectionism and nationalism as a way of wresting their countries from French meddling. But those were overshadowed by accusations of Le Pens xenophobia and racism. (Thats a family affair: Le Pens father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, rose to political prominence on the same controversial platforms of his daughter).

The far right continues to promote the idea that if there are problems in France, its because of the foreigners, especially Africans, a spokesperson for Chads opposition party Laring Baou told Deutsche Welle. I remember her fathers words: I like Africans  but only in Africa.

Photo credit: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images
BETHESDA, Md. (AP)  Outside a Maryland high school dragged into the national immigration debate by an alleged rape, a makeshift sign reflects that strain: "Rockville Strong."

Rockville High School students and parents declined to comment Thursday about the case involving a 14-year-old girl and a suspect authorities say came to the U.S. illegally from Central America.

One mother would only point to the sign made of red plastic cups in a ballpark fence.

Protesters on both sides of the debate converged on a nearby elementary school earlier Thursday during a visit by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. And the White House has weighed in, saying President Donald Trump has made a crackdown on illegal immigration a priority "because of tragedies like this."

The Montgomery County school system has been besieged by hundreds of racist and xenophobic calls. In response, schools beefed up police presence in an attempt to reassure the anxious community.

"Now we're starting to receive calls that are threatening, saying they're going to shoot up the illegals in our school," said Derek Turner, a school system spokesman. He noted that the calls marked "a whole new level of vitriol that we haven't seen before."

The latest flashpoint in the immigration debate started out as a sexual assault case. Last Friday, 18-year-old Henry Sanchez and 17-year-old Jose Montano were charged with first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual offense.

Police said the girl was walking in a hallway when one of them asked her to have sex and she refused. Montano forced her into a boy's bathroom stall and they raped her, police said.

Sanchez, who is from Guatemala, came to the U.S. illegally in August and was encountered by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Texas, federal immigration officials said. He was eventually released to live with his father.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials wouldn't comment on Montano, who is a minor but is charged criminally as an adult.

Story continues

Federal law requires public schools to admit students even if they are in the country illegally.

"As a mother of two daughters and grandmother of four young girls, my heart aches for the young woman and her family at the center of these terrible circumstances," DeVos said in a statement before her visit to the elementary school. "We all have a common responsibility to ensure every student has access to a safe and nurturing learning environment."

DeVos was there with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan for National Reading Month.

The county of Montgomery is Maryland's largest, with a population of 1 million people. It's considered politically progressive and voted overwhelming for Hillary Clinton during the past presidential election.

More than half its residents identify themselves as black, Hispanic or Latino, Asian or Pacific islander, or an ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white, according to the 2010 census.

Rosa Segura was one of the demonstrators at Carderock Springs Elementary School. The Takoma Park woman said she came to stand up for immigrants at a time when the Trump administration is cracking down on them.

"Whatever the case may be, they cannot stand up for themselves, so I thought it was important for me to come out here today as a person with more privilege than some of these students may have to make sure their voices are heard," Segura said.

Trump has signed a pair of executive orders aimed at illegal immigration, and his Homeland Security Department has made clear that just about any immigrant in the country illegally is a priority for deportation. Included in one of those orders was a directive to publicly disclose, on a weekly basis, crimes attributed to immigrants and details about jails that aren't cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

The Homeland Security Department has also announced plans to establish an office dedicated to helping victims of immigrant crimes. Critics of the president's effort have argued that he is unjustifiably vilifying immigrants.

Other protesters at the elementary school voiced their displeasure with a bill in the Maryland Legislature that would prevent authorities from stopping or detaining people solely to ask about their immigration status. It also would block corrections officials from holding arrestees in jail at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Supporters call it the Maryland Trust Act, designed to boost trust between immigrants and police. Critics say it would help protect people who have been deported after committing crimes and returned to the state.

The Republican governor promised to veto it earlier this week.

"The Maryland House of Delegates tonight passed an outrageously irresponsible bill that will make Maryland a sanctuary state and endanger our citizens," Hogan said in a statement Monday night.

Eleni Dorian, a mother of two girls in Montgomery County schools, supports the governor's veto and worries there are too many immigrants coming into the country. She said the bill would "open the floodgates" in a state that she believes already has lax immigration policies.

"Our schools would be overwhelmed," Dorian said.

___

Associated Press writers Alicia Caldwell in Washington and Matthew Barakat in Alexandria, Virginia, contributed to this report.
Before she co-founded ClassPass, Mary Biggins sold subscriptions for leather-bound books.

"I love the subscription space," Biggins said in an interview on Mashable's Biz Please podcast. "From really early in my career, I've been thinking about subscription unit economics and how you acquire customers. The thing that's really cool about subscriptions is there are so many different levers to think about."

Biggins joined Mashable social media producer Tracey Edouard and me in our New York headquarters to talk about her history in the subscription space and her new venture, MealPal.

MealPal, which lets customers pay a set monthly fee to pick up weekday lunches from participating restaurants, is growing. The startup just went international with a launch in London and raised another $15 million in venture funding. And even as the subscription space gets more crowded, and startups struggle to make as much of a mark as the boutique fitness subscription service ClassPass once did, Biggins says MealPal is built to last.

"In the yesteryear of Groupon, the sell to a merchant was, 'Join our platform, we're going to bring you a new customer and theyre going to buy again.' The reality is that's just not what happens," Biggins said. "With MealPal we knew going into it that that couldnt be the value proposition. We had to understand how we could bring value to a merchant if the consumer only came one time and they never bought directly from them."

Instead, MealPal tells merchants who sign on that it'll make their labor more efficient, so they can make more money from one MealPal order than they would from a regular order.

Besides MealPal, Biggins sees more potential in the subscription space for activities and services, if not for subscription boxes and other things you buy.

Startups still haven't fully tapped the potential of subscriptions for food, and customers in the suburbs are still waiting for subscription models to serve them. Even airlines and subways are ripe for subscription innovation, she said.

Story continues

"For consumers, subscriptions make sense in ways where you can really bucket an expense," Biggins said.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about MealPal, the origin story of ClassPass and the potential still out there for subscription services. For more Biz Please, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and find us here on Stitcher.

WATCH: Adrian Grenier wants you to help our planet by not using straws
By Tuvan Gumrukcu ANKARA (Reuters) - Five children were among 11 Syrians killed after their plastic boat sank off Turkey's Aegean coast on Friday, the Dogan news agency said, the first such reported incident in months on an illegal migrant route meant to have been all but shut down. Television footage showed rescue workers standing next to bodies washed up on a beach near the coastal town of Kusadasi. The boat, believed to have been carrying 22 Syrian migrants, had been heading for Greece. A baby in a critical condition was among the 11 people rescued alive, Dogan quoted district governor Muammer Aksoy as saying. He said 11 bodies had been recovered. Dogan earlier said the authorities had detained two Turks suspected of organizing the voyage after they swam ashore. The news agency initially said 12 people had been killed. A deal between Turkey and the European Union on curbing illegal migration, struck a year ago, helped significantly reduce the migrant flow to Europe via the Greek islands. Some, however, are still trying to make the perilous voyage. More than 3,620 refugees and migrants have crossed to Greece from Turkey so far this year, according to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, and about 60 arrive on Greek islands each day. At least 173,000 people, mostly Syrians, arrived in 2016. Europe's deteriorating relations with Turkey could endanger the migrant deal, under which Ankara is supposed to help control migration in return for the promise of accelerated EU membership talks and aid. President Tayyip Erdogan, who accuses Brussels of failing to keep its promises, said on Thursday that Turkey would review all political and administrative ties with the EU after an April referendum, including the migrant deal. Erdogan has been angered by Germany and the Netherlands cancelling planned rallies on their territory by Turkish officials seeking to drum up support for a "yes" vote in the referendum, which is on constitutional changes that would extend the powers of the presidency. (Additional reporting by Yesim Dikmen and Ebru Tuncay in Istanbul, Karolina Tagaris in Athens; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Toby Davis)
She had twice beaten cancer, once while pregnant, and had just delivered 33-week-old twins.

The babies were teeny-tiny, each weighing about 3.5 pounds, but they were healthy and pink and their mother was overjoyed.

Read: See Couple's Emotional Reunion After Being Diagnosed with Terminal Cancer Within a Week

Jamie Snider, 30, had a C-section last Thursday, then a radical hysterectomy just to make sure that every bit of cervical cancer was gone from her body.

Things seemed fine, her family said. Until the next morning, when Jamie woke up with a failing heart. She was rushed into surgery, but died on the operating table.

The father is bereft, said a family friend. Hes emotional. Hes having a hard time. Hes definitely scared, Christine Oliver told InsideEdition.com Thursday. Hes alone with two tiny infants who are both fragile.

The infants remain hospitalized in Palo Alto, Calif. Dad Heath Coigny is keeping watch over his wee ones, Camila and Nico.

Jamie had been diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer, lost an ovary, recovered, and then became pregnant. At the beginning of her term, the horrible disease returned, and Jamie underwent intensive treatment at Stanford Medical Center, her friends said.

She moved into the hospital in the last months before her delivery so she could be constantly monitored. The cancer appeared to be in remission.

Everything was going really well and she had pretty much gotten out of the woods, Oliver said.

Read: Dad Shares Heartbreaking Photo of Cancer-Stricken Daughter, 4, After She Was Given Weeks to Live

But 24 hours after the twins arrived, her heart - perhaps overburdened by all her body had been through - just gave out.

The twins father is waiting for them to be released from the hospital, then he plans to take them all to New Hampshire, where he will move in with his sister, her husband and their two young sons.

Coigny is working towards establishing a stable and loving environment to raise his infant son and daughter, reads a GoFundMe page established to help cover the babies medical bills and the familys relocation costs.

Story continues

We would be eternally grateful for any donations to help the Coigny family provide Camila and Nico with the funds needed to start their lives on solid ground, the site says.

Watch: How This Dad Discovered His 1-Year-Old Son's Cancer in Photograph

Related Articles:
Warsaw (AFP) - Eleven men and women in their twenties on Friday slaughtered a sheep and took their clothes off at the former Nazi German death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, according to police and the museum at the site in southern Poland.

The individuals aged 20 to 27, whose identities and motives are unknown, then chained themselves together in front of the camp's infamous "Arbeit macht frei" ("Work makes you free") gate, the museum said in a statement.

Regional police spokesman Sebastian Glen said the seven men and four women draped a white banner with the red text "love" over the infamous gate.

They also used a drone to film the incident, according to local media.

Museum guards at the site in the southern city of Oswiecim immediately intervened, and police said all those involved have been detained.

They include six Poles, four Belarusians and one German, according to Glen, who told AFP that "a knife was found at the scene."

Oswiecim police said in a statement that "one of the men used a sharp tool to kill the sheep on the premises."

Local police spokeswoman Malgorzata Jurecka told AFP that the individuals were being questioned at a police station and police officers were investigating on site.

She said they plan to inform prosecutors of the incident, adding that the people involved "will likely be charged with desecrating a monument or other historical site".

Oswiecim police said the individuals were also being investigated for the "unfounded killing of an animal".

- 'Shocked and outraged' -

"We're shocked and outraged by this attempt to use this memorial site for a protest and which mars the memory of thousands of victims. It's a reprehensible act," museum spokesman Bartosz Bartyzel told AFP.

"This is the first time something like this has happened at Auschwitz," added museum director Piotr Cywinski.

"I have no idea what their motives were," he told AFP.

Story continues

Unconfirmed local media reports said the incident was intended as a protest against the armed conflict in Ukraine.

Nazi Germany built the Auschwitz death camp after occupying Poland during World War II.

The Holocaust site has become a symbol of Nazi Germany's genocide of six million European Jews, one million of whom were killed at the camp from 1940 to 1945.

Poland's chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich said the actions of those involved were wrong, regardless of the group's motives.

"Any use of Auschwitz for political statements, even using Auschwitz for moral statements, is not how Auschwitz should be remembered," he told AFP.

"The Germans used Auschwitz to try to eliminate the Jewish people. Any happenings are a desecration of the memory of all those killed at Auschwitz: Jews, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, Roma and others."

More than 100,000 non-Jews also died at the death camp, according to the museum.

An estimated 232,000 of Auschwitz's victims were children.
Both of Earths poles are looking at record low sea ice extent levels, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

Every year, sea ice in the Arctic grows and expands throughout the winter, but the region saw a record low wintertime maximum extent on March 7.

Read: New Zealand's Glaciers Are Retreating NASA Images Show

Meanwhile, on March 3, Antarctica had its lowest extent at the end of the summer ever recorded by satellites. Antarctica's event is surprising NASA said, since the region has had decades of moderate sea ice expansion.

Last month, the combined sea ice number for the Arctic and Antarctica were also at record low levels. There was less sea ice than there ever was around the world since 1979, when satellites began tracking levels, NASA said. The total polar sea ice spanned 6.26 million square miles, 790,000 square miles less than the average global minimum extent for 1981-2010. Thats the same as losing a chunk of sea ice bigger than Mexico, according to NASA.

seaice_trends_chart nasa

Photo: Joshua Stevens/NASA Earth Observatory

Sea ice maximum extent in the Arctic has declined by an average of 2.8 percent per decade since 1979, but the summertime minimum extent losses are almost five times larger, 13.5 percent per decade, according to NASA.

The space agency released a video showing sea ice levels:

A warm winter and a low September minimum extent contributed to the record low sea ice levels in the Arctic, NASA said.

We started from a low September minimum extent, said NASA sea ice scientist Walt Meier in a statement. There was a lot of open ocean water and we saw periods of very slow ice growth in late October and into November, because the water had a lot of accumulated heat that had to be dissipated before ice could grow. The ice formation got a late start and everything lagged behind  it was hard for the sea ice cover to catch up.

Read: Climate Change Impacts: American's Health Hurt By Global Warming, Doctors Say

Story continues

However, its too early to tell if the record levels this year signals a shift in the behavior of Antarctic sea ice.

It is tempting to say that the record low we are seeing this year is global warming finally catching up with Antarctica, added Meier. However, this might just be an extreme case of pushing the envelope of year-to-year variability. Well need to have several more years of data to be able to say there has been a significant change in the trend.

Besides the shrinking levels, the sea ice cap is thinning and at risk to the action of ocean waters, winds and rising temperatures, NASA said.

Related Articles
By Frank Jack Daniel and Matt Spetalnick MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of 14 nations on Thursday urged Venezuela to hold elections and release "political prisoners," in a joint statement that kept open the option of seeking to suspend the South American country from the Organization of American States. The statement, which Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said was aimed at encouraging Venezuela to "re-establish democracy," called for dialogue and negotiation to resolve a crisis in the oil-exporting country, which is suffering severe food and fuel shortages. Suspending Venezuela from the OAS was a last resort, the nations said, and something that should be avoided unless other diplomatic efforts have been exhausted. "We reiterate that inclusive and effective dialogue is the right path to achieve lasting solutions to the challenges faced by the Venezuelan people," the statement said. Venezuela has jailed around 100 government opponents it accuses of inciting violence and planning the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro. Opposition activists and human rights groups say they are prisoners of conscience. Venezuela's election board in October suspended the opposition drive for a recall referendum against Maduro despite the country's crushing economic crisis, the government's unpopularity and public opinion in favor of a plebiscite. Venezuela has also delayed until 2017 elections due in December for state governorships. The declaration by the 14 nations called for the separation of powers, the rule of law and the establishment of an electoral calendar for postponed elections. The group that signed the declaration, which includes regional powerhouses the United States, Mexico, Canada and Brazil, also called on Venezuela to recognize the legitimacy of the country's national assembly, which has been defanged by Maduro's government since the opposition won a majority in 2015. Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's foreign minister, accused Washington of leading the new push to isolate her country, which has been at loggerheads with the United States since the left-wing government of the late President Hugo Chavez. "What are they trying? To wound Venezuela?" Rodriguez said on Twitter shortly before the statement was released. "We will denounce these actions country by country. We will not allow any aggression against our sacred homeland." The pressure by countries including several former Venezuelan allies follows a call by the head of the OAS to expel Venezuela if it does not quickly hold general elections, a move that would require the support of two thirds of the Washington based body's 34 General Assembly members. Luis Almagro, secretary general of the OAS and a former foreign minister of Uruguay, calls Maduro's government a dictatorship. Earlier this month he said if Venezuela did not quickly comply it should be suspended for violating rules that require members to adhere to democratic norms. In the past the OAS suspended Cuba and Honduras for breaking with democracy, but was criticized for not taking such action against right-wing dictatorships during the Cold War. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States was concerned by the state of democracy in Venezuela. "We urge the Venezuelan government to comply with the constitution ... and hold elections as soon as possible," Toner told a briefing for reporters. "We're not pushing for Venezuela's expulsion from the OAS at this time. We do think that the OAS is the appropriate venue to deal with the situation in Venezuela." However, a senior White House official said suspension from the regional body remained an option. Although numbers supporting Thursday's declaration fell well short of the requirement to take strong action through the OAS, the official said the statement was a significant first step. "If Venezuela continues down the path that it's on, the notion that it's going to belong to an organization committed to democratic principles doesn't make much sense," the official told Reuters, adding that the United Sates could also consider sanctions. "There are going to be ramifications," the official said. Mexico's decision to openly take a stance on the situation in Venezuela is a shift from a usual preference by Latin America's second-largest economy not to interfere in other countries' affairs. "We should not continue to be indifferent, we cannot continue to be indifferent," Videgaray said earlier on Thursday, emphasizing that Mexico would respect Venezuela's sovereignty and act according to international law and in agreement with the countries of the Americas. Mexico's change in tack may reflect an effort to have constructive relations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly antagonized Mexico. "Having the Mexicans in the lead is beneficial for us in attracting additional support," the White House official said. (Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Lesley Wroughton in Washington, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Daniela Desantis in Asuncion and Girish Gupta and Diego Ore in Caracas; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler)
By Robin Emmott and Lesley Wroughton BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet NATO foreign ministers at a rescheduled gathering on March 31, a senior State Department official said on Friday, ending a furor over his earlier decision to skip the event. Reuters exclusively reported on Monday that Tillerson had decided not to attend his first meeting with the ministers, originally scheduled for April 5-6 - raising fears about the new U.S. administration's commitment to the military alliance. But the State Department official said the meeting in Brussels had been brought forward and would now go ahead. There was no official statement from NATO. Tillerson's potential no-show had increased unease caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's description of NATO as "obsolete" during his election campaign. Trump has since said he strongly supports the alliance, but in interviews and speeches he continues to air grievances over what he see as Europe's failure to pay its fair share of protecting the West. Tillerson met many of the NATO foreign ministers in Washington this week at a gathering of the coalition fighting Islamic State militants, but the meeting in Brussels would be his first formal NATO ministerial. Given the U.S. role as the de facto head of the alliance, it is rare for the United States' top diplomat to miss a NATO meeting. The last time was during the Iraq war in 2003, when Colin Powell was forced to cancel at the last moment. Tillerson, a former top executive at Exxon Mobil Corp who worked with the Russian government, originally decided to attend a U.S. visit by the Chinese president instead of the April NATO meeting, Reuters reported. "The Secretary of State will visit NATO in Brussels on Friday, March 31st. The visit will come after his trip to Ankara, Turkey. Details about his schedule are forthcoming," the State Department official said on Friday. (Editing by Julia Fioretti and Andrew Heavens)
By Alex Dobuzinskis

(Reuters) - North Dakotans will no longer need a permit to carry a concealed weapon after Republican Governor Doug Burgum signed legislation lifting restrictions, a victory for gun rights advocates that came a week after South Dakota's governor vetoed a similar bill.

The law, which takes effect on Aug. 1, mandates that gun owners only need a North Dakota driver's license or state identification card for at least a year before they can carry a concealed firearm in public.

Under current regulations, applicants must take a test to obtain a permit which entails fees of more than $100.

The measure, signed late on Thursday, was approved by the

Republican-controlled legislature despite concerns over public safety if the state made it easier to carry hidden weapons. Advocates framed the issue in terms of the constitutional right to bear arms.

"North Dakota has a rich heritage of hunting and a culture of deep respect for firearm safety," Burgum said. "As a hunter and gun owner myself, I strongly support gun rights for law-abiding citizens."

The legislation makes North Dakota the 12th state to allow gun owners to carry their weapons without a concealed-carry permit, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which opposes the practice.

"There's kind of a mythology around this idea that if you're going armed in public, you're going to be able to save the day, but actually it's more likely you will get yourself hurt or hurt an innocent person," said Laura Cutilletta, a managing attorney with the center.

Burgum said his state's bill would not make it easier for criminals to obtain guns. Firearms dealers still must comply with federal background checks to ensure purchasers are not convicted felons, he said.

Last week, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, vetoed a measure to allow carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. He defended existing rules as reasonable, saying lawful gun owners have easily obtained concealed carry permits.

Story continues

Last year, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the U.S. Constitution does not grant any fundamental right to carry a concealed firearm in public.

The ruling upheld the authority of officials to grant permits to those facing a specific danger but only applied to states in the western United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 declined to accept a case that involved the issue of whether firearm owners have a constitutional right to carry concealed guns.

Thirty-one states have "open carry" laws, allowing handgun owners to carry weapons in full view without a license, according to the center.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supporters of Obamacare staged rallies across the country on Thursday denouncing efforts by President Donald Trump and Republican congressional leaders to repeal the landmark law that has extended medical insurance coverage to some 20 million Americans.

Hundreds of demonstrators turned out in Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles marking the seventh anniversary of enactment of Obamacare, as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has become widely known.

Many talked about a very personal stake in the outcome of the healthcare debate roiling Capitol Hill.

"I feel sick today, but I came here because I'm terrified," said Steve Martin, 27, an unemployed Los Angeles resident who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. "The legislators have the best healthcare in the world, and we deserve the same."

The ACA, considered former Democratic President Barack Obama's premiere domestic achievement, has drawn unrelenting scorn from Republicans, with promises to repeal and replace it a centerpiece of Trump's presidential campaign.

Thursday's rallies coincided with planned action in the House of Representatives on a Republican-backed bill to begin dismantling Obamacare, but the vote was indefinitely postponed as Republican leaders and the White House scrambled to muster enough votes for passage.

Many moderate Republicans as well as Democrats have raised concerns that repeal-and-replace would leave too many Americans without health coverage.

Supporters of the bill say it would lower premiums, but critics counter that those savings would in many cases be more than offset by higher co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs.

Obamacare backers also worry about the fate of millions who gained insurance under the bill's major expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state program providing coverage for the needy, the elderly and the disabled.

In the nation's capital, several hundred chanting protesters gathered at Freedom Plaza, a few blocks from the White House, carrying signs with slogans such as We Fight Back" and "Keep America Healthy.

Story continues

Robinette Barmer, 61, a former seamstress and caterer from Baltimore now on a disability pension, said that without Obamacare she could not afford the various medications she takes for ailments such as asthma and high blood pressure.

Its co-pay this, co-pay that. I cant pay that. Im struggling as it is right now, she said.

After the rally, protesters marched a block to the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, where several dozen sprawled on the sidewalk in a "die-in" symbolizing the effect of rolling back Obamacare. Some 24 protesters were arrested in front of the White House after they refused get off the ground, organizers said.

Protest organizers said smaller gatherings were also held outside the congressional district offices of various Republican lawmakers around the country.

(Additional reporting by Olga Grigoryants in Los Angeles and Robert Chiarito in Chicago; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Leslie Adler and Michael Perry)
By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supporters of Obamacare staged rallies across the country on Thursday denouncing efforts by President Donald Trump and Republican congressional leaders to repeal the landmark law that has extended medical insurance coverage to some 20 million Americans. Hundreds of demonstrators turned out in Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles marking the seventh anniversary of enactment of Obamacare, as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has become widely known. Many talked about a very personal stake in the outcome of the healthcare debate roiling Capitol Hill. "I feel sick today, but I came here because I'm terrified," said Steve Martin, 27, an unemployed Los Angeles resident who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. "The legislators have the best healthcare in the world, and we deserve the same." The ACA, considered former Democratic President Barack Obama's premiere domestic achievement, has drawn unrelenting scorn from Republicans, with promises to repeal and replace a centerpiece of Trump's presidential campaign. Thursday's rallies coincided with planned action in the House of Representatives on a Republican-backed bill to begin dismantling Obamacare, but the vote was indefinitely postponed as Republican leaders and the White House scrambled to muster enough votes for passage. Many moderate Republicans as well as Democrats have raised concerns that repeal-and-replace would leave too many Americans without health coverage. Supporters of the bill say it would lower premiums, but critics counter that those savings would in many cases be more than offset by higher co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs. Obamacare backers also worry about the fate of millions who gained insurance under the bill's major expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state program providing coverage for the needy, the elderly and the disabled. In the nation's capital, several hundred chanting protesters gathered at Freedom Plaza, a few blocks from the White House, carrying signs with slogans such as We Fight Back" and "Keep America Healthy. Robinette Barmer, 61, a former seamstress and caterer from Baltimore now on a disability pension, said that without Obamacare she could not afford the various medications she takes for ailments such as asthma and high blood pressure. Its co-pay this, co-pay that. I cant pay that. Im struggling as it is right now, she said. After the rally, protesters marched a block to the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, where several dozen sprawled on the sidewalk in a "die-in" symbolizing the effect of rolling back Obamacare. Protest organizers said smaller gatherings were held outside the congressional district offices of various Republican lawmakers around the country. (Additional reporting by Olga Grigoryants in Los Angeles and Robert Chiarito in Chicago; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Leslie Adler)
In recent weeks, Trump and his new Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, with some Senate allies, have reportedly begun exploring ways to open the U.S. Arctic to new oil and gas drilling projects. Its part of the presidents so-called America First Energy Plan to unlock vast untapped domestic energy reserves from environmental protection and begin drilling.

But in the Arctic, energy experts are throwing freakishly-warm-but-still-cold water on those plans. And its not regulations that are making Arctic drilling unappealing: Its market forces themselves, especially crude oil prices that have spent the last two years in the doldrums.

We think there is almost no rationale for Arctic exploration, Goldman Sachs commodity expert Michele Della Vigna said on CNBCs Squawk Box Thursday. Immensely complex, expensive projects like the Arctic we think can move too high on the cost curve to be economically doable, he said.

Part of the reason is the shale revolution in the United States, which undercut frontier projects like deepwater or the Arctic.

Shale is more accessible and is going to come ahead of the Arctic, said Bud Coote of the Atlantic Council, formerly a CIA energy analyst. When oil companies like Shell did venture to the waters off Alaska several years ago, oil went for more than $100 a barrel. That made all the extra costs involved in drilling at the edge of the earth a bit more bearable. I think it has to be back up in that range for companies to head north again, he told Foreign Policy. Yet crude has hovered around $50 a barrel since late 2014.

Big oil gave up on some $2.5 billion in drilling rights in the U.S. Arctic in 2016; expensive plays as oil prices dropped just werent worth the cost anymore. High-cost frontiers, like the Arctic will be shunned, energy intelligence firm Wood Mackenzie said in December last year.

Former President Barack Obama didnt help. He threw a wrench into Trumps energy plans when he signed a series of midnight regulations on his way out the door designed to lock up the Arctic from drilling, with little consultation from Alaskan lawmakers.

Story continues

But despite the clear signals from the market, Trump is stubbornly pursuing Arctic energy plays. Trump and Zinke met with Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R.-Alaska) and Dan Coates (R.-Alaska) earlier this month to lay down plans for opening Alaskas coast to offshore drilling. (The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the Alaska coast are the only bits of the offshore U.S. Arctic that have been open at all for drilling.) That has energized Alaska lawmakers, whose state draws much of its revenue from drilling and land leases for oil exploration.

Economics and legal battles aside, national security experts (and Alaskan lawmakers and lobbyists) are framing Arctic drilling as a national security issue  with an eye on Russia. Energy can be a (profitable) wedge to drive greater U.S. presence into a largely empty region, they say.

The United States may have plenty of easy oil to tap before it is forced to weather the tough Arctic offshore. But Russia faces a big decline in crude production from old oil fields as soon as the next decade  unless it can line up some big plays in its own frozen north. Thats why Russia is ramping up its Arctic energy exploration and boosting its military infrastructure there. For the United States, many experts say keeping the energy pilot light lit is a good way for the United States to maintain its footprint and assert its sovereignty in the Arctic.

Even if Arctic energy ventures dont pan out, energy companies are still poised to have a grand old time during the Trump administration. (Well, maybe not coal companies.) Hot on the heels of the election, the Republican-controlled Congress rolled back anti-corruption regulations for the oil and mining industries. And on Friday, the State Department green-lighted the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, reversing Obamas orders to scrap the project meant to pipe Canadian crude to U.S. Gulf coast refineries.

Trump touted it as a huge win for his scandal-plagued White House. Its going to be an incredible pipeline, he said Friday from the Oval Office. He added it would be built with the greatest technology known to man or woman, apparently referring to foreign-made steel pipes. Once completed, the pipeline could provide up to 35 jobs.

Photo credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
Madrid (AFP) - One in five youths in several North African countries and Lebanon would like to emigrate in search of better prospects, including those with university degrees, according to a survey conducted for the European Commission.

The survey of 10,000 people in Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia found a deep sense of "frustration and social exclusion", according to Elena Sanchez-Montijano at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), who coordinated the study.

In Tunisia, 53 percent of youths said they wanted to emigrate, according to the report released on Thursday, six years after the "Arab Spring" revolts that swept the region starting in Tunisia in late 2010.

"The main cause that is pushing these young people to want to leave is, once again, economics: find a decent job and a better standard of living," according to a summary of the "Sahwa" project's report, from the Arabic word for "Awakening".

"The indifference to politics is worrisome -- nearly 60 percent of young people eligible to vote didn't do so in the most recent elections," Sanchez-Montijano said.

"But for them, that's not the main problem, but rather the feeling that they're unable to become an adult," she added.

"They see that they are not going to become self-sufficient quickly -- find a job, leave their parents' house, get married."

For 28 percent of respondents, a low standard of living was the biggest problem, followed by the economic situation (22 percent), jobs (12 percent) and education (10 percent).

- Gloomy prospects -

In Algeria, about 25 percent of youths want to leave, said Nacer-Eddine Hammouda, of the CREAD economic research centre in Algiers.

"And significantly, getting into university increases the desire to emigrate," said Hammouda, who carried out the survey in Algeria.

For young Tunisians, the ouster of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the country's first free elections in 2011 gave many young people hope that they would break into the public and political realms.

Story continues

"Unfortunately, it has been the opposite," said Fadhila Najah, who oversaw the country's survey. "More and more they are being governed by very old people."

Sanchez-Montijano also said that when asked questions about self-identity, most youths claimed their nationality first -- Moroccan or Lebanese, for example -- and their religion second.

About 18 percent of respondents said they went to pray each day, and when asked about how they spent their free time, the most common response was "Go out with friends", she said, followed by "Go to the mosque".

In terms of schooling, the broad opinion was that education systems were "rigid, too theoretical and out of sync with the job market".

But for Hammouda, there was cause for optimism in Algeria: "Women are encouraging their daughters much more to pursue their studies", with a third of young women reaching university, compared with just a quarter of young men.
mattis

Top Pentagon leaders are warning that the long war is going to get even longer.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford told Senate leaders on Wednesday that even after ISIS is defeated in Syria and Iraq, US troops will be stationed in the region for at least a few years afterward.

"I believe its in our national interest that we keep Iraqi security forces in a position to keep our mutual enemies on their back foot, Mattis told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Defense. "I dont see any reason to pull out again and face the same lesson," he added, referencing the removal of all US forces from Iraq in 2011.

Though President Barack Obama in 2008 campaigned on a promise to pull troops out of Iraq, the move has been criticized by conservatives in the years since as helping fuel the rise of ISIS.

In 2014, as ISIS militants seized vast swaths of Iraq and Syria, one senior military officer told Business Insider the rise of the terror group in the wake of US troop departures was inevitable.

"We said we won some success but this is reversible," the retired senior U.S. military officer said, on condition of anonymity. "So what we're seeing now is exactly what we forecasted."

So far, Mattis seems more comfortable placing troops closer to harm's way than his predecessor. Though the Pentagon has long downplayed the role of US ground troops in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, recent deployments of many more "boots on the ground" suggest they may be front-and-center in the coming months.

Close quarters combat rehearsal

In addition to roughly 500 US special operations forces, the military has sent conventional ground troops inside Syria, to include a contingent of Army Rangers, soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, and artillerymen from 1st Battalion, 4th Marines to provide fire support just 20-30 miles from Raqqa, the ISIS capital.

Story continues

"The Iraqi security forces will need that kind of support for years to come," Dunford told the Senate committee.

NOW WATCH: Here's footage of the US military's new helicopter that'll cost as much as an F-35





More From Business Insider


Vatican City (AFP) - European Union leaders will receive guidance from Pope Francis Friday, on the eve of the troubled bloc's 60th anniversary celebrations in Rome.

On past form, the Argentine pontiff is unlikely to pull his punches in a Friday evening audience with 27 heads of state or government tasked with charting a "common future" for a union soon to lose Britain from its ranks.

Francis has made it clear he believes that the EU's future should include a much greater emphasis on combatting social injustice than there has been in six decades of integration driven primarily by trade liberalisation and monetary union.

Today's Europe needs to adopt "new, more inclusive and equitable economic models, aimed not at serving the few, but at benefiting ordinary people and society as a whole," he said in a speech last year.

Some EU governments and also a significant bloc in the European Parliament agree with him.

But there is no consensus among the 27 member states on this or almost any other issue to do with the bloc's next steps.

The future, too, is clouded by the advances of far-right and populist parties -- a trend the pope has highlighted as a danger on both sides of the Atlantic.

- Migrant crisis -

"Crises provoke fear, alarm," he said in a January interview, recalling that the "obvious example of European populism" was Germany in 1933, the year Adolf Hitler seized power.

Francis's most senior lieutenant, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, said this week that populism was a "sign of a profound malaise felt by many people in Europe".

This, he said, was based on genuine concerns about migration and the economic crisis to which the EU had to respond with concrete action.

Among the questions facing the EU is whether it should adopt a two-speed model, allowing some countries to deepen cooperation and pool sovereignty in various areas faster than others?

Is it time the EU finally realised the ambition of having some kind of military capacity?

Story continues

Does the euro need to be underpinned by a banking union and greater fiscal harmonisation?

These issues form the backdrop to Saturday's anniversary summit, at which both Poland and Greece have threatened to block the final statement.

However, they are not the most pressing concerns as Francis sees it.

The 80-year-old pontiff reiterated again this week that Europe is currently confronted with its biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

And it seems inevitable that he will remind the leaders of his view that they have a responsibility to address it, with compassion, as he did at the European Parliament in November 2014.

- 'Dare to change' -

"I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime but a summons to greater commitment on behalf of the dignity of every human being," he told an audience of EU big-wigs, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, last year.

In that speech, delivered as he accepted the EU's Charlemagne Prize for his contribution to European unification, Francis implored today's leaders to learn from the bloc's founding fathers.

In the aftermath of war, they had inspired because they had "dared to change radically the models" that led to conflict.

Officially, the Vatican has always supported the idea of European integration, despite disappointment over repeated failures to enshrine an explicit commitment to Christian values in the bloc's founding treaties.

"The celebrations (this weekend) remind us that it is still possible today to work together because that which unites us is stronger than that which divides us," Parolin said.

"The vision of the founding fathers was rooted in the cultural, religious, judicial, political and human heritage of Europe, built over centuries. That is why Rome was chosen for the signature of the treaties. It is the symbol of this shared heritage in which Christianity was certainly a fundamental component.

"Today we have to rethink the EU along these lines, more a community on a journey than a static, bureaucratic entity."
Is President Donald Trump considering a career change?

The commander in chief got behind the wheel of a big rig, which was parked on the White House lawn as he hosted truck drivers and trucking CEOs to discuss health care on Thursday.

Read: Actress Emma Thompson Reveals Donald Trump Once Asked Her Out On A Date

He was photographed pulling a series of faces while in the cab of the 18-wheeler, apparently having the time of his life.

"It was an honor to welcome so many truckers and trucking industry leaders to the @WhiteHouse today!" he later tweeted.

After photos emerged showing Trump apparently yelling behind the wheel, social media went into overdrive.

"When you missed the exit for Wendy's," one wrote.

"When your mommy tells you to get out of the truck, but you don't want to go, said another.

Read: Ivanka Trump Sports Flashy $1,200 Snowsuit While On Vacation With Her Family

The president is also getting heat for what he told Time magazine, which has the controversial cover: Is Truth Dead?

In an interview, he told the reporter: I can't be doing so badly, because I'm president, and you're not.

Seth Meyers has even claimed the president stole the line from the early days of "Saturday Night Live," in which Chevy Chase said, Im Chevy Chase, and youre not!

I didn't mind when you talked dirty with Billy Bush, or told Russia to hack Hillarys emails, Meyers said on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" on Thursday. But when you start stealing bits from 'Weekend Update' anchors, it is on!

Watch: Why Nordstrom is Dropping Ivanka's Fashion Line

Related Articles:
One of the great constitutional myths is the principle of executive privilege. Though the term is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, every President has called upon it when necessary.

As George Mason University professor Mark Rozell explained in a 1999 article for the Minnesota Law Review, executive privilege is the right of the President and high-level executive branch officers to withhold information from Congress, the courts, and ultimately the public. This power can be used in two circumstances: (1) certain national security needs and (2) protecting the privacy of White House deliberations when it is in the public interest to do so. The second part is especially valuable, as it allows presidential advisors to freely speak their minds without the threat of a subpoena.

Every President to date has used this power in one way or another, although some have used it more famously than others. Here are some of the biggest examples.

George Washington

As with so much of the presidency, George Washington set the precedent for executive privilege. After a failed military operation against Native Americans, Congress wanted to know what happened. They sought records and testimony from White House officials. Washington and his cabinet agreed that a President had the right to refuse to these requests in the name of national security. Washington also later argued that the House of Representatives had no right to see the Jay Treaty signed between the U.S. and Great Britain. Eventually, he relented in both of these cases, but the precedent of asserting such authority was set.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower was the first President to coin the term executive privilege. During Senator Joseph McCarthys crusade against communism, the President prevented Cabinet members and other advisors from being questioned in the famous McCarthy-Army hearings. He said, Any man who testifies as to the advice he gave me wont be working for me that night. This was designed to protect sensitive documents from coming into public view, especially the view of Senator Joseph McCarthy, and to continue the tradition of allowing advisors to speak freely without the threat of a subpoena.

Story continues

Some, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, believe that Eisenhower went too far with executive privilege. It was recorded that the privilege was used 44 times, sometimes by other members of the executive branch to not even talk about daily routines without Eisenhowers approval. Johnson made a point to say that if his administration were to use executive privilege, he would be the sole one to invoke it, much like his predecessor John F. Kennedy. Both Presidents used it sparingly.

Richard Nixon

While the previous two presidents helped to define executive privilege, President Nixon was the one who really brought it to the forefront of American politics.

Executive privilege had always been nominally used in defense of the public interest, but Nixon attempted to use it to protect himself and other advisors during the Watergate investigation. In the landmark Supreme Court case U.S. v. Nixon, the Supreme Court unanimously declared that executive privilege is constitutional and sometimes necessary for national security. But the Court also held that it is not all-encompassing. If requested documents and testimonies are a key part of an investigation, then they must be brought forward. Therefore, the Watergate tapes were turned over to the special prosecutor. Shortly after this decision, Nixon resigned.

Nixon forever changed how Americans view executive privilege. His questionable use of the power led many Americans to believe that all uses are for the same undisclosed reasons. This may have led Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush to use the privilege sparinglyespecially Ford, who had to deal with many congressmen using the Nixon saga as leverage to make the White House as transparent as possible. Reagan was so cautious that he did not use the privilege during the investigation of the Iran-Contra affair. There would not be another controversy regarding executive privilege until 1998.

Bill Clinton

The Clinton White House was mired in two major scandals, Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky. During these investigations, President Clinton used executive privilege 14 times, which included protecting First Lady Hillary Clinton from testifying during the Whitewater hearings and protecting himself from testifying in both cases.

His executive privilege claims, as well as his attorney-client claims in the Lewinsky investigation, were challenged in federal court. Citing U.S. v. Nixon, the courts determined that the prosecutors needs outweighed the confidentiality of executive documents and discussions. This ruling was not appealed to the Supreme Court, as the White House sought to avoid a headline-grabbing legal loss.

Clinton was eventually impeached by the House but not convicted the Senate, allowing him to finish his second term.

Barack Obama

President Obamas most famous use of executive privilege came during the Fast and Furious scandal. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms had run an operation to sell guns to Mexico, in the hope that they could track those weapons to major drug cartels and apprehend some of their members. The guns were not able to be tracked and one was eventually used in the killing of a border patrol agent.

Representative Darrell Issa and Senator Chuck Grassley held hearings to determine what went wrong during the mission. Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder both said they did not know about it until a few weeks prior to the killing and did not authorize it. Congress and the Department of Justice ended up in a standoff over the sharing of 1,300 documents, leading Obama to assert executive privilege in order to keep them private. In retaliation, Congress voted to make Holder the first Cabinet member held in contempt of Congress.

Much like Nixon and Clinton, Obamas claim of executive privilege was rejected by a federal court, and the documents were turned over.

Clearly, in the last half-century, executive privilege has lost some of its luster. With popular distrust of Washington at record highs, using this power appears less like protecting the public interest and more like hiding from the public for your own interest. But while executive privilege may be on the ropes after several defeats in court over the years, history indicates that President Donald J. Trump and future Presidents will continue to call upon this powerand the courts will continue to judge its necessity.

Chris Calabrese is an intern at the National Constitution Center. He is also a recent graduate of St. Josephs University.
Zagreb (AFP) - Croatian medics on Friday slammed the health minister for saying a hospital priest can sometimes do 20 times more good than a doctor, warning that their sector faces a deep crisis.

Health Minister Milan Kujundzic -- himself also a doctor -- said earlier this week that in his experience, "sometimes one hospital priest is worth more than 20 doctors".

"A priest's smile, words of comfort and encouragement mean an infinite amount to both patient and family," the minister told a discussion on the role of religion and politics in education and health in the deeply Catholic country.

The comments, made at an event held at a Zagreb monastery, angered national hospital doctors' association HUBOL.

"The public health sector will collapse within the next five to seven years since there will not be enough doctors," they said in a statement.

In a message to Kujundzic, they added: "We ask you, will you call up 215 priests to fill in the shortage of 4,300 doctors?"

Kujundzic said Friday that his words had been "taken out of context".

"The topic was religion and politics... also whether there is place for priests in hospital," he said.

"In that context, I said: Sometimes."

Croatia's public health sector is facing serious financial problems and a medical brain-drain.

Since the country joined the European Union in 2013, more than 500 doctors -- some three percent of their overall number -- have left the country to work abroad, according to figures from the doctors' licensing body.

Croatian doctors heading abroad frequently cite higher wages and better working conditions among their reasons for the move.
LONDON (AP)  Kensington Palace says Prince George will attend the Thomas's Battersea prep school beginning in September.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced their choice Friday. The palace says the couple is "delighted to have found a school where they are confident George will have a happy and successful start to his education."

Thomas's Battersea is a private school with more than 500 children aged 4 to 13. George will be four in July.

The school says its most important rule is to "be kind." It places emphasis "on a set of core values, which include kindness, courtesy, confidence, humility and learning to be givers, not takers."

Ben Thomas, the headmaster, says the school is looking "forward to welcoming him and all of our new pupils to the school in September."
Princess Sofia made her first appearance since announcing her second pregnancy on Thursday, March 23. The expectant mom looked regal stepping out in a full-length red wine-colored gown for the first official dinner of the year at Swedens Royal Palace of Stockholm. Prince Alexanders mom completed her look sweeping her brunette tresses back with an elegant tiara.

Sofia was accompanied to the dinner by her dapper husband Prince Carl Philip. King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria  who dazzled in a green gown and tiara  and Prince Daniel were also in attendance for the event that included guests that the royal family had met while traveling.

A post shared by Kungahuset (@kungahuset) on Mar 23, 2017 at 12:53pm PDT

Earlier in the day, the Swedish Royal Court announced that Sofia and Carl were expecting their second child together. "We are happy to announce that we are expecting a child, a sibling to Prince Alexander. We are looking forward to welcoming a new little member to our family," the couple said in a statement. The royals's impending bundle of joy is due this September and will join big brother, Prince Alexander, who was born last April.

GALLERY: MEET SWEDEN'S ROYAL TOTS

The pairs second child will mark the sixth grandchild for Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf. Aside from Sofia and Carls young son Alexander, the monarchs are also grandparents to daughter Crown Princess Victorias children Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, in addition to Princess Madeleines kids Princess Leonore and Prince Nicolas.
Remy Ma appears to be back at throwing shade at Nicki Minaj yet again. The shETHER rapper just took to social media to share a strong message about jealousy, then claimed shes staying humble and grateful.

On Thursday, Remy Ma shared on Instagram a post she spotted on Love & Hip Hop star Young B. or Bianca Duprees social media account. While the post seems harmless, it may have served its purpose of expressing Remy Mas thoughts about Minaj. For one thing, the main message of the post is how some people are jealous not because of material things, but because of what other people have going on in their lives that they do not have.

Previously, Remy Ma took a jab at Minaj and the latters failed relationships with Meek Mill and Safaree Samuels by flaunting the love and support of her husband, Papoose, in the wake of their highly publicized feud. The All The Way Up hitmaker mostly targeted Minajs failed romance with Samuels when she advised her fans via social media that they should marry [their] best friend. The advice was, of course, an obvious attack at Minaj, who is known for throwing away a 12-year romance with her best friend and hype man Samuels before hitting it off with Mill.

READ: Nicki Minajs feuds from past to present

In her latest Instagram post, Remy Ma may have been once again subliminally hinting at Minajs jealousy of what she has and of the love her man and the people around her are showering her. And despite having all these non-materialistic possessions, Remy Ma claims shes staying humble and grateful because shes blessed.

Remy Mas caption about humility also appears to be another diss aimed at Minaj whos been flaunting her achievements on social media. The latest of which is Queen Barbzs big milestone for having the most Billboard Hot 100 songs  76 to be exact by any female artist, beating Aretha Franklins record of 73 hits.

After learning about the good news, Minaj shared on Instagram a clip of her twerking to celebrate the milestone. She also thanked her fans for their unwavering love and support all throughout these years. Prior to setting the new record, Minaj was also posting nonstop about how her new songs, No Frauds, Changed It and Regrets In Your Tears, were snagging the top spots of several digital charts.

Story continues

Remy Ma

Photo: Reuters/Danny Moloshok

Related Articles
Ever since the National Park Service's main Twitter account appeared to "go rogue" on President Donald Trump's inauguration day, people have been using the department and its various park-specific social media accounts as a rallying point in the anti-Trump resistance.

However, according to emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, that's not the full story.

SEE ALSO: Twitter users finding hope in 'badass' national parks

The emails show that staff at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area were actually coloring inside the lines of their guidance from the Trump administration when the park's official Twitter account tweeted climate change facts on Jan. 23, three days after the inauguration.

2016 was the hottest year on record for the 3rd year in a row. Check out this @NASA & @NOAA report: https://t.co/rLJUC56xqi pic.twitter.com/AKhFzYw6l6  Golden Gate NPS (@GoldenGateNPS) January 23, 2017

Based on a review of Park Service emails concerning social media policies during the presidential transition, at the time the tweets were sent, there didn't appear to be specific guidance directing the park not to tweet about this subject.

"As far as I know, there hasn't been any guidance related to avoiding that subject sent out from us or NRSS [the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate]," National Park Service public affairs specialist Amber Smigiel wrote in an email sent on Jan. 23.

Users on Twitter didn't know that at the time, however. The tweets came amid news of a social media gag order imposed at the Environmental Protection Agency and rumors of similar communication bans at other agencies as the Trump team moved in.

Story continues

In addition, the Trump administration's new White House website had omitted climate change from its list of priorities, which made the Park Service tweets stand out even more.

@GoldenGateNPS @Only1marcia @NASA @NOAA We need to preserve and get these out quickly before they are deleted. Employees are risking jobs!  Thomas Almirall (@DRUMR48) January 24, 2017

@GoldenGateNPS @NASA @NOAA Thank you for your service. We will fight for you.  Greg van Eekhout (@gregvaneekhout) January 24, 2017

Thanks to its tweets on climate change, Golden Gate was hailed as a beacon of resistance shining from within the federal government itself alongside Badlands National Park's Twitter account.

Rallying around the Park Service makes sense, too, considering other concurrent events.

The service itself was on-edge after the department's main Twitter account retweeted two seemingly anti-Trump posts related to the size of the crowd attending the inauguration.

Those tweets sparked a full investigation into the matter and a sweeping order to stop tweeting from official accounts across the agency. The Park Service's crowd size estimate of the inauguration even prompted a highly unusual call from Trump himself to the agency's acting director the morning after the inauguration.

But things didn't quite calm down for the service after those initial retweets were deleted and the Twitter moratorium was lifted on Jan 21.

Effectively, the floodgates opened and Twitter users across the social network started reading intent into tweets that would have been relatively innocuous if not for Trump's inauguration. Twitter users were also primed for this kind of reaction thanks to the reported gag orders at other government agencies.

Using tweets to peek inside government

While the tweets sent by Golden Gate do appear to be in line with other posts sent out from the account before the inauguration, under the current administration, they appeared to troll a new president who has famously claimed that climate change is a hoax.

Plus, to make matters worse, the Badlands National Park Twitter account also tweeted out information about climate change, yet its tweets were deleted on Jan. 24.

Deleted tweets from Badlands National Park on Jan. 24.

Image: twitter

It's unclear exactly what separated the tweets from Badlands from Golden Gate and why the Badlands tweets were removed. We might get more clarity on that in the coming weeks when a set of Badlands-specific emails are expected to be released.

But emails released this week make it clear that even people in the agency weren't exactly sure what to expect of the new administration.

One exchange between National Park Service employee Matt Holly and Smigiel is indicative of the fraught transition between administrations.

In an email sent on Jan. 23, Holly, who works in the NRSS, explained that going forward, Park Service staff would need to be even more diligent about shying away from advocacy on topics like climate change.

"There were a couple times I knew I was pushing it but felt like we had that support for wiggle room in the past," Holly wrote. "Now we know we just have to play it slightly safer."

A drastic change in the political climate

Holly was right to expect a shift on climate change with the new administration.

Trump's proposed budget guts climate research across the federal government and reduces the Park Service's budget as well, including the agency's climate change programs.

In fact, when the budget was rolled out on March 16, Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters that the administration won't spend money on climate anymore.

"Regarding the question as to climate change, I think the president was fairly straightforward," Mulvaney told reporters on March 16. "We're not spending money on that anymore. We consider that to be a waste of your money."

Our national parks represent some of the places in the United States that are most vulnerable to the worst effects of human-caused climate change.

As glaciers retreat and sea levels rise, they threaten the national parks and other areas maintained by the National Park Service. For example, Glacier National Park in Montana is not expected to contain actual glaciers by the middle to end of this century, due to increasing temperatures.

WATCH: Mick Mulvaney on climate change.
The Irish director's sixth movie, "Burning Rainbow Farm," will be based on the true story of a marijuana-growing hippie couple gunned down by the FBI a few days before the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Back in the 1990s, Tom Crossline and Rollie Rohm set up Rainbow Farm, a pro-marijuana campground in Michigan in the US. The farm went on to host two annual hemp and music festivals, well-known to users of the drug. In the space of 10 years, Rainbow Farm became a hub of marijuana activism in Michigan.

In April 2001, a young festival-goer was killed in a serious road traffic accident when his car collided with a school bus. The death led police to raid the farm, where 200 marijuana plants were being grown. As a result, Tom Crossline and Rollie Rohm saw their son placed into foster care and faced a 20-year prison sentence. But instead of attending their appointed court date, the couple defiantly skipped the hearing and torched Rainbow Farm. County officials called in the FBI, leading to a standoff situation. Tom was shot dead on September 3, 2001, with Rollie was shot and killed the following day.

This true story will be the focus of Lenny Abrahamson's sixth movie. The Irish filmmaker broke into the mainstream with his 2014 movie "Frank," starring Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal. His talent was confirmed the following year with "Room," the story of a young mother held captive in a room with her five-year-old son. The film secured four Oscars nominations in 2016 and its lead actress, Brie Larson, won for the first time in her career for her compelling performance.
Dalia Grybauskaite, the president of Lithuania, is on the front line of a non-conventional war against an expansionist Moscow. In an interview in Vilnius this week, she spells out the reasons that U.S. troops should be stationed on Lithuanian soil to prevent a Russian attack. Excerpts follow:

Foreign Policy: You have been asking for a permanent deployment of U.S. troops in Lithuania?

Dalia Grybauskaite: Yes, the American troops in Europe are still located mainly in Germany and Western Europe, while the threat is now mainly in the east  in Poland and the Baltic states. That is why our recommendation is to have U.S. troops here on a permanent basis. We also need air defense.

FP: Which you dont have now?

DG: No and its necessary. You cannot defend your territory or protect troops on the ground if you have no air defense.

FP: How big a threat is Russia today to Lithuania?

DG: Russia is a threat not only to Lithuania but to the whole region and to all of Europe. We see how Russia is behaving in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave on our border. There they have deployed nuclear-capable missiles that can reach European capitals. It is not just about the Baltic region anymore.

FP: Do you worry about little green men  suspected Russian soldiers  coming in here the way they did in Ukraine?

DG: It could be done in different ways  one of which is Zapad 2017, a large Russian military exercise in Belarus, which we expect in the autumn. Putting so-called green men on our territory would be very difficult because they do not speak the Lithuanian language, and we do not have many Russian-speaking people.

FP: Do you worry that Russia might seal off the Suwalki Gap [a 60-mile piece of territory on the Lithuania-Polish border] making it hard for NATO to send additional troops into the Baltics in a crisis?

DG: Yes, they could cut access. That is why we are asking for a permanent presence on our territory and we also need air-defense capabilities [as Russia controls the skies].

Story continues

FP: What does the U.S. say?

DG: We are slowly finding an agreement.

FP: With the U.S. or with NATO?

DG: With both. In 2010, we started to discuss defense plans for the Baltic countries with NATO. We finally got them, but they are not sufficient for such aggressive behavior by our neighbor [Russia].

We need troops on our territory. Last year at the Warsaw Summit, we agreed that Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia would each receive one battalion, and we got them. The one here is German-led but seven nations will participate.

FP: Do you believe the West will uphold Article 5 of NATOs treaty regarding collective defense?

DG: I think that Article 5 is already on our territory  the members of the battalion are obliged to protect our country. At least seven NATO nations are here.

FP: How do you feel about President Donald Trumps views on NATO?

DG: I think that some of the presidents criticism is grounded, especially on defense spending. All NATO members need to invest more. In Lithuania this year we are spending 1.8 percent of our GDP [on defense] and next year it will be 2.1 percent. This criticism from President Trump is justified.

FP: Hasnt President Trump also questioned the validity of NATO?

DG: I do not interpret it that way.

FP: What do you think will be Russian President Vladimir Putins next move?

DG: Nobody knows, but it is clear that he will use any space left to him to provoke us. He will go as far as we will allow him to go. He has huge pressure internally, and he needs external enemies. We see how periodically he finds new enemies in one region or another. Europe is one of the regions where he would like to export destabilization.

FP: Are you referring to his intervention in the elections in France?

DG: Everywhere he is supporting the ultra-right and ultra-left political forces. We also see cyber, information, and propaganda attacks everywhere.

FP: Have those kinds of attacks increased since the invasion of Crimea?

DG: Oh yes. After Crimea, the investment into propaganda and information warfare was massively increased by the Kremlin. In our territory, we are already in a non-conventional war situation because of the [constant] cyber attacks, TV propaganda, and information attacks from Russia. We see this all the time. They try to invest in some politicians. They plant fake news stories.

FP: Russia gives money to some politicians?

DG: Yes. That is their standard behavior everywhere.

FP: How do you counter that?

DG: For three months, we blocked the broadcast of some TV channels that were very aggressive. We are trying to deconstruct the propaganda myths on our territory. For example, at the time of the arrival of the German-led battalion, false information was created that a German soldier raped a Lithuanian girl. We immediately reacted, saying that it was false. We checked the name and it appeared that there was no such person.

FP: Do you feel you can rely on the U.S.?

DG: We trust the United States and no matter what administration is in place, our partnership is strong.

FP: What is going on in Ukraine right now?

DG: We are trying to support them as much as we can with humanitarian, military and political assistance.

FP: Do you think Ukraines government can survive?

DG: I dont care about governments. I care about the countrys future and its people. This is the third president of Ukraine Ive worked with. Our goal is to support Ukraine and get them out of corruption and free from dependence on Russia  to help them be more European. They have a war on their territory, and we have to be patient with them.

FP: Do you think the sanctions are working?

DG: Sanctions were introduced after Crimea, and I dont think we have any reason to lift sanctions.

FP: Will the Europeans agree with you?

DG: We will see. It is not easy. Different countries have different opinions. But Russia always gives new examples of its behavior.

FP: Are you referring to Syria?

DG: Yes and now they also pose a threat in Libya. There is a [Russian] military concentration in Egypt close to Libyas border.

FP: Would you say Putin has a strategy?

DG: He is improvising his strategy. If a space is opening, he enters it. He is fast in his decisions.

FP: Does he want to recreate the former Soviet Union?

DG: He has nostalgia [for it] but knows it is not possible. He would like to have more influence and to destabilize more countries.

FP: Including yours?

DG: We are his nearest neighbors. He attacks not only us but also Germany and your country with cyber attacks and thefts of information. You can imagine if Russia can influence your public discourse, how large its influence is on smaller, neighboring countries.

The protection of America lies in the Baltic states. If you stop him here, he will not be a threat to you. With todays technology, territory is not so important. The deconstruction of his methods and lies is important. Putin is learning how to do [hybrid attacks] on our territory and then exporting this knowledge to other countries.

We need to know what Putins Russia is capable of  that they can now reach even the United States. Even to us, that was a surprise. We thought they would know not to go so far with their attempts to influence global politics.

FP: Putin sent his troops into Syria and nothing happened.

DG: We allowed him to do it and Libya could be next. If Russia goes in, there will be an even larger flow of immigrants to Europe. He uses immigration as an instrument to destabilize the unity of the European Union. This is cynical and brutal.

FP: What is most important to you?

DG: Not to have the U.S. withdraw from the global stage. If the U.S. closes itself off on its own continent, there will be too much space left for Russia to take its place.

Photo credit: DAN KITWOOD/Getty Images
By Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Russia, Iran and Turkey need to convene more Syrian ceasefire talks as soon as possible to bring the situation on the ground under control, U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Friday. De Mistura is mediating political talks in Geneva, while a separate series of talks in the Kazakh capital Astana - arranged by Russia, Iran and Turkey - are supposed to guarantee the ceasefire. De Mistura said he had made a strong suggestion "that they do retake the situation in hand and hopefully there will be an Astana meeting as soon as possible in order to control the situation which at the moment is worrisome". Syria's "cessation of hostilities" was shaky from the moment it took effect on Dec. 30 last year, and three rounds of Astana talks have not managed to stem the fighting. This week rebels launched their biggest offensive in months, attacking government-held areas around Damascus and near Hama city. While the ceasefire talks have made no ground, a first round of political talks in Geneva was procedural, producing only an agenda for the current round, which will encompass four topics: a new constitution, new elections, reformed governance and the fight against terrorism. "I am not expecting miracles, I am not expecting breakthroughs and I am not expecting a breakdown," said de Mistura, adding he hoped to see "incremental steps". After meeting de Mistura, Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Ja'afari branded all the opposition and their backers "terrorists" and said discussing the fight against terrorism would be his top priority for the talks. His opposite number, opposition negotiator Nasr al-Hariri, vowed to keep pushing for a political transition in Syria and said he wanted a signal from Ja'afari that he was serious about discussing one. "We are still committed to political transition with a very clear objective which is to respond to the needs of the Syrian people, to end their suffering. And the key to all of that is through political transition," he said. The previous Geneva round began with an opening ceremony attended by both sides - a rare and symbolic coming together of the warring sides under one roof. But they have not come face-to-face again. They take turns to meet de Mistura. (Reporting by Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Moscow (AFP) - Six Russian soldiers were killed in Chechnya Friday when gunmen tried to storm their base in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

The base belongs to Russia's National Guard, a branch established last year to defend borders and counter extremism.

It is subordinate directly to President Vladimir Putin and has bases in the country's volatile North Caucasus regions, including Chechnya.

In a statement, the National Guard said the rebels tried to storm the base in heavy fog at around 2:30 am local time (2330 GMT on Thursday) but were spotted by a group of soldiers who opened fire.

"Six of the attackers were destroyed," the statement said. "During the armed combat, six military were killed and there are wounded."

None of the insurgents managed to enter the base, the National Guard said.

Counter-terrorism troops, investigators and explosives experts are at the scene, it said.

The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist communications, said the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday.

The assailants attacked "a military base of the Russian National Guard close to Naurskaya village in northwestern Grozny in Chechnya," the IS statement said. "They clashed with those at the base with light weapons for several hours."

Chechnya was the scene of two separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s, but violence in the region has largely been suppressed under the iron-fisted rule of strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

On Friday Kadyrov promised to wage a "ferocious fight" against the jihadists.

"These demons have treacherous intentions: as we have seen they do not want to stop," he said, according to the Interfax news agency.

Two National Guard soldiers were killed in a Chechen village in January during a joint operation with police and special forces in which four suspected militants were also killed.

The Russian North Caucasus is one of the major sources of foreign jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq.

In January, Kadyrov said his forces had detained more than 50 insurgents linked to the Islamic State group in a security operation.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Communication channels between Russia and the United States on flight safety over Syrian airspace are working, Interfax news agency reported on Friday, citing Russia's Defence Ministry. The ministry said that its officials held a video conference with the U.S. counterparts on Friday and discussed possible measures to develop their memorandum of understanding on flight safety over Syria approved in 2015. "The absence of significant incidents due to actions of Russian airforce and U.S.-led coalition in Syria was stated," the ministry was quoted as saying. Top U.S. and Russian military leaders had agreed at a meeting in Azerbaijan in February to enhance communication to avoid "unintended incidents", in an apparent attempt to avoid encounters in the skies over Syria. Russia and the United States back opposing sides in the conflict, with Moscow supporting President Bashar al-Assad and Washington providing backing to some Sunni Muslim rebels. The United States is leading an international coalition carrying out air strikes against Islamic State. Russia's warplanes have been taking part in air strikes against rebels opposing Assad. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Alison Williams)
By Se Young Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Friday said it will not adopt a holding company structure for now, rejecting demands from U.S. activist hedge fund Elliott Management and putting off a long-anticipated restructuring. Investors had expected the global leader in smartphones and memory chips to adopt a holding company structure, as the founding Lee family tries to solidify its control of the Samsung Group flagship. But Chief Executive Kwon Oh-hyun told the annual shareholder meeting this was unlikely at present, deflating some investors' hopes that an ongoing review of the company's organisation will lead to Samsung setting up a holding company. "Samsung had been saying the review would proceed without issues, so the market had accepted that, but now they are saying the transition will be difficult," said CJ Heo, a fund manager at Alpha Asset Management. "This will hurt investor sentiment for a while. The South Korean tech giant used the general meeting to give investors a sense of how it is approaching the mooted restructuring, which has been thrown into doubt by a political scandal that has embroiled Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee. "There are negative effects that would arise from transitioning to a holding company so it does not appear it will be easy to do so at present," Kwon said, without elaborating what those negatives were. The company is continuing its review and will report the results to shareholders when it is completed, he said. The comments sent shares of Samsung C&T Corp down more than 7 percent in afternoon trade. Some analysts believed the Lee family would seek to merge C&T, Samsung Group's de facto holding company that Lee heirs control, with the Samsung Electronics holding company. Elliott in October called for Samsung Electronics to adopt a holding company structure by splitting itself in two and pay out a 30 trillion won ($26.75 billion) special dividend. Samsung announced the review in November but until now has stayed neutral on the holding structure issue. An Elliott spokesman declined to comment. POWER SHIFT Some investors said any restructuring appeared to have been delayed with Lee's arrest on charges of bribery, embezzlement and other offences in a corruption scandal that led to the removal of President Park Geun-hye from office. The 48-year-old leader of Samsung Group and Samsung Electronics' vice chairman could face more than 20 years in prison. He denies the allegations. The political turmoil has come at a sensitive time for the Lee family, with Samsung Group patriarch Lee Kun-hee, 75, in hospital since a May 2014 heart attack and his children facing a multi-billion dollar inheritance tax when he dies. Lee Kun-hee's frail health appears to have hastened his heirs' efforts to restructure the group and tighten their grip on key affiliates such as Samsung Electronics. Many Samsung Electronics investors hope a restructuring will streamline the company, improve its governance and boost its value. ($1 = 1,121.3000 won) (Reporting by Se Young Lee; additional reporting by Dahee Kim and Heekyong Yang; Editing by Stephen Coates)
The fight roiling the House Intelligence Committee shows no signs of abating, with ranking member Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) accusing chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) of undermining the investigation into President Donald Trumps ties to Russia, after Nunes cancelled an open hearing scheduled for next week.

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Nunes announced Friday that the House Intelligence Committees open hearing on March 28 would be postponed and replaced by a closed session featuring FBI director James Comey and NSA chief Mike Rogers, who testified in an open session Monday. Former Obama administration officials had been set to testify during the March 28 hearing.

Schiff immediately attacked the move by Nunes and accused the Republican chairman of running political interference for the White House.

I think this is a serious mistake, Schiff said of the cancellation. He suggested that Nunes may have cancelled the hearing as a result of push back from the White House after Mondays open hearing.

Its hard for me to come to any other conclusion about why an agreed-upon hearing would be suddenly cancelled, Schiff said.

He called once again for an independent commission to investigate Trumps potential ties to Russia. Anyone watching the events of this week, Schiff said, has legitimate, profound concerns about whether this Congress indeed can do a credible investigation.

In Mondays hearing, Comey announced that the FBI is investigating Russias campaign to influence the 2016 election, and that the investigation includes an examination of Trump and his lieutenants possible coordination with the Kremlin. The supposed links between Trump associates and Russia have become clearer this week, after several media outlets reported that U.S. officials have evidence linking the Trump campaign to Russia.

Comey and Rogers may have incurred the White Houses wrath after they both said that they have no evidence to corroborate Trumps unsubstantiated claims that his predecessor, U.S. President Barack Obama, ordered him wiretapped.

Story continues

On Wednesday, Nunes held two press briefings without Schiff, one on the Hill and one at the White House, to reveal that the intelligence community incidentally collected information on individuals involved in the Trump campaign. Nunes spoke to the press, the White House, and then the press again before speaking to Schiff, who said Nuness actions were politically motivated and said that he had severely undermined the credibility of their investigation.

In an effort to further justify the unjustifiable, Schiff said on Friday of Nunes and Trumps wiretap claims, he is now interfering in this investigation.

Nunes also said on Friday that Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chair in the spotlight for his links to Russia, offered to testify before the House Intelligence Committee. He did not specify whether that would be in an open or closed session.

Since Mondays hearing, Manafort, who ran Trumps campaign for several months last year, has been accused of hiding a $750,000 payment in 2009 from his former client, Ukraines ex-president Viktor Yanukovych. He also reportedly worked as far back as 2005 to further Russian President Vladimir Putins interests by quashing anti-Russian opposition in countries that were once the Soviet Union for millions of dollars a year.

Later Friday, Trump advisers Roger Stone and Carter Page also volunteered to speak to the House Intelligence Committee. Stones attorney specified his preference for an open session.

Despite offers to testify in the House, Schiff suggested the political infighting on his committee may be making it impossible for the panel to do its work.

I think that one of the profound takeaways of the past couple days is we really do need an independent commission here. Because the public at the end of the day needs to have confidence that someone has done a thorough investigation untainted by political considerations, Schiff said.

Hes not alone. On Friday, after Nuness briefing, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said, I have significant concerns about the intelligence committees ability to get to the bottom of this issue. Earlier this week, he said that Congress lost credibility to investigate, and called for an independent investigation.

Update, March 24 2017, 2:32 pm ET: This post was updated to include Stone and Pages offers to testify.

Photo credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Researchers have found a way to protect a mouses DNA from the damage that comes with aging, and theyre ready to test it in people.

Dr. David Sinclair, from Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues reveal their new findings in the latest issue of Science. They focused on an intriguing compound with anti-aging properties called NAD+, short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Its been known that younger mice had more of it than older mice and back in 2013, the researchers found that when they boosted the NAD+ levels in older mice, they looked, biologically, like much younger animals.

In the latest paper, the scientists revealed new details on how NAD+ works to keep cells young. Sinclair put drops of NAD+ into the water of a group of mice, and within a couple of hours, their NAD+ levels started to rise. Within the first week, the scientists saw obvious age reversal in muscle and improvements in DNA repair. We cant tell the difference between the tissues from an old mouse that is two years old versus a young mouse that is three to four months old, Sinclair says.

The reason they think NAD+ has these effects is because the compound is linked to DNA repair functions in the body. Each time cells divide, DNA copies itself-but its not always a perfect process, and errors are sometimes introduced, causing damage to the DNA. (Exposure to certain chemicals, environmental pollutants and medical radiation from CT scans can also damage DNA.) Normally, most of these insults can be repaired, as long as theres enough of the a DNA-repair compound, called PARP1.

This repair compound and NAD+ are intimately linked. When NAD+ levels are high, PARP1 is activated and can do its job. But when NAD+ levels drop-as they do in older people-PARP1 also starts to decline, which leads to accumulating DNA damage.

Scientists have harnessed this to target cancer cells. A class of cancer drugs called PARP inhibitors, which are prescribed for breast cancer, interfere with PARPs ability to repair DNA in the tumor, which ultimately leads to their demise. But not all people who take the drug respond well to it, and manipulating NAD+ levels may be one way to enhance their response.

Story continues

The ultimate test, of course, will be to see if such quick reversal of aging in tissues is also possible in people. Sinclair co-founded a company in Boston, called MetroBiotech, to take the leap of developing and testing a human-grade version of NAD+. He has formulated a capsule version of a precursor to NAD+ called nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN)-a naturally occurring compound found in small amounts in foods like broccoli, cucumber, avocado and edamame-and plans to test 25 people to see if the compound is safe.

If those studies are positive, Sinclair hopes the idea of using NAD+ to protect DNA from age-related damage might have broader applications, such as shielding cancer patients from the side effects of radiation treatments or even protecting people who are exposed to higher radiation work environments from DNA damage.

The idea is to protect the body from radiation exposure here on earth, either naturally occurring or doctor-inflicted, he says. If I were going to have an X-ray or a CT scan, I would take NMN beforehand. He already has plans to go even farther than earth: NASA is collaborating with Sinclairs group on the human tests to see if its possible to insulate astronauts from the effects of cosmic radiation in space.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
London (AFP) - Royal Dutch Shell has sold its onshore oil and gas interests in the central African nation of Gabon for $587 million to private equity firm Carlyle Group, it said Friday.

The Anglo-Dutch energy giant announced in a statement that it has sold the assets to Carlyle for the equivalent of 544 million euros in a deal expected to complete in mid-2017.

Carlyle will also take on debt of $285 million as part of the deal. It will make extra payments up to a maximum of $150 million depending on production performance and commodity prices.

Shell will however retain exploration licences for two offshore blocks west of Gabon, a company spokesman added.

"Shell is very proud of the strong legacy we have built in Gabon over the past 55 years," said Upstream Director Andy Brown in the statement.

"The decision to divest was not taken lightly, but it is consistent with Shell's strategy to concentrate our upstream footprint where we can be most competitive. Shell will continue to pursue opportunities in Sub Saharan Africa.

"Together with recent divestments in the UK, Gulf of Mexico and Canada, this transaction shows the clear momentum behind Shell's $30-billion divestment programme, and it helps us to high-grade and simplify our upstream portfolio following the acquisition of BG."

The downstream business includes refining, marketing and distribution, while upstream comprises exploration and production.

Friday's sale is part of a huge $30-billion divestment plan as Shell streamlines its portfolio and cuts debt following the vast takeover of rival BG Group last year.

"I think it illustrates management's ongoing success of pivoting the company toward a more sustainable future, and their commitment to normalising debt levels," Cantor analyst David Donnelly told AFP.

"It's notable that the disposals tend to be focused on mature, oil based assets, thereby boosting the prominence of natural gas within Shellas portfolio, particularly following the BG deal."
New York (AFP) - An anti-Trump art project by actor Shia LaBeouf was shut down for a fourth time on Friday a day after it opened in its latest location, the British city of Liverpool.

The project "He Will Not Divide US," by LaBeouf and two other artists, began the day of Donald Trump's January 20 presidential inauguration as a streaming video performance installation that aimed to provide a forum for anti-Trump expression outside New York's Museum of the Moving Image.

The digital art project consisted of a microphone-equipped camera mounted on a wall, where visitors were invited to chant the words "he will not divide us." The footage was live-streamed on the project's website, intended to broadcast for the duration of Trump's four-year term.

But the museum -- located in the city's Queens borough -- shut the project down, saying the controversial exhibit "had become a flashpoint for violence and was disrupted from its original intent."

LaBeouf's collective moved the "He Will Not Divide Us" project to a movie theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before removing it following reports of gunshots nearby.

In March, it was moved to an undisclosed location, where it took the form of a flag emblazoned with the project's title -- until far-right activists stole the flag.

On Wednesday, Liverpool's Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) center said it would display the flag after the artists said that "events have shown that America is simply not safe enough for this artwork to exist."

But the exhibit's new lease on life proved to be short-lived. The center removed it on the advice of police, citing "dangerous illegal trespassing."

The Twitter account @ReadyPlayerOn posted a photograph purporting to show two masked people on the institution's roof.
By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Influential Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Friday that only Iraq's military should hold territory recaptured from Islamic State, an apparent sign of concern that rival militias might use the gains to expand their influence. "It is necessary to support the Iraqi army and security forces to complete their victories in the usurped areas," Sadr told thousands of supporters at a rally in Baghdad. "They should be the only ones that hold ground after liberating it - no others, whether the occupier, foreign forces or others," he said. The ongoing U.S.-backed offensive to recapture the northern city of Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq, involves a force of 100,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish and Shi'ite fighters. The Shi'ite paramilitary groups, which include rivals of Sadr's own militia, have played a key role in encircling the extremist group in areas around predominantly-Sunni Mosul. There was no immediate reaction from Kurdish officials and other Shi'ite militia leaders. Some Sunni officials fear the Shi'ite groups will aim to hold territory in the region as the battle against Islamic State winds down, raising sectarian tension. Sadr's fears are more political, analysts say - he is concerned about rival Shi'ite militias gaining strength by taking ground in the north. Sadr's Saraya al-Islam, or Peace Brigades, are only deployed in and around the northern city of Samarra where the shrine of a holy Shi'ite Imam is located. Baghdad-based political analyst Ahmed Younis said Sadr's speech was a clear message to Shi'ite rivals. "It's quite a clear message for other Shi'ite armed groups not to take on the role of government forces and control lands under the pretext of fighting Daesh (Islamic State). Moqtada is trying to draw a line in the sand for his rivals," he said. Sadr's supporters in their tens of thousands waved Iraqi flags and chanted support for their leader as he spoke. Sadr, whose opinion holds sway over tens of thousands of Shi'ites, including fighters who battled U.S. troops in 2006-7, also threatened to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections, accusing Iraq's Election Commission of bias toward some parties. He is calling for a new commission and a review of the current election law, saying it allows influential parties to maintain their grip on power. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; writing by John Davison; editing by Richard Lough)
Seoul (AFP) - The world's biggest smartphone maker Samsung, assailed by a shambolic recall and embroiled in South Korea's wide-ranging corruption scandal, on Friday backed away from a planned corporate restructuring.

Following the embarrassing recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and under pressure from activist shareholders to improve corporate governance, Samsung Electronics said last year that it was considering splitting the company in two.

Its vice-chairman Lee Jae-Yong, heir to the parent Samsung group, has since been arrested and indicted for bribery, along with four other senior executives, in connection with the graft scandal that saw ex-president Park Geun-Hye impeached.

But at the Samsung Electronics annual general meeting in Seoul, board chairman Kwon Oh-Hyun said the firm had reviewed legal and tax issues around proposed division into a holding company and an operating unit, and identified "some negative effects".

He did not elaborate, but told shareholders: "At this moment, it seems difficult to carry it out."

Shares in Samsung Electronics -- the group's flagship subsidiary -- sank 1.4 percent in morning trade, having hit record highs this year on expectations of higher profits.

Samsung SDS and Samsung C&T were down more than six percent.

Various Samsung units have cross-shareholdings in other parts of the group, a byzantine structure that enables the Lee family to control the business empire, which has revenues equivalent to a fifth of South Korea's GDP.

A promised new governance committee, made up of independent outside directors, will still be set up by the end of April, Kwon said.

- Corruption scandal -

But Samsung Electronics had so far been unable to recruit "foreign directors who have experience as chief executive officers of global companies" to join it, he said "due to uncertainties in the internal and external environment surrounding the company".

Story continues

Vice-chairman Lee has effectively been at the helm of the Samsung group since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014.

His indictment sent shockwaves through the company and triggered the announcement of a major reform of its top-down management style.

The corruption scandal centres on the former president's secret confidante Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her ties with the head of state to force local firms to "donate" nearly $70 million to non-profit foundations, which Choi allegedly used for personal gain.

Samsung was the single biggest donor to the foundations and is also accused of separately giving millions of euros to Choi to bankroll her daughter's equestrian training in Germany.

In total it handed over nearly $40 million.

One of the favours Lee allegedly sought from Park was state approval for a controversial merger of two Samsung units in 2015, seen as a key step to ensure a smooth transfer of power to him.

The deal was opposed by many shareholders who said it had wilfully undervalued one of the firms. But it eventually went through after the national pension fund -- a major Samsung shareholder -- approved it.

- We're sorry' -

Samsung has insisted the payments were charitable contributions it was obliged to make under pressure from officials, and not bribes.

But Kwon apologised at the meeting, saying: "We're sorry that we have created a stir in society."

The firm would review all its charitable donations, he said. "We've come to realise that our donations could be used for other purposes than we had intended."

Campaigners say that the controversy could complicate Samsung's proposed corporate split, as it has cast a renewed light on the cosy ties traditionally enjoyed by the government and family-controlled conglomerates known as "chaebols" that dominate the economy.

Groups including Samsung have increasingly become objects of public scorn as criticisms mount over their management practices, including rapid promotions for family members -- some of whose antics have battered the firms' images.

Millions of South Koreans who took part in weekly street rallies demanding Park's removal also called for the arrest of the tycoons involved in the scandal, among them the leaders of Hyundai, SK and Lotte.

Chung Sun-Sup, the head of chaebol.com, a private watchdog on conglomerates, said the split plan could enhance the Lee family's control over Samsung operating units, and was coming at a time of greater public and parliamentary scrutiny.

"The company is unlikely to push it through for a considerable time," Chung told AFP.
America is a naturally narcissistic nation. From exceptionalism to being the last best hope of Earth, we are raised to believe that life on this planet revolves around those of us who live somewhere here in Gods country. But even with a history of believing that we are the sun around which all other countries orbit, it has fallen to our nations narcissist-in-chief to take us to a level of self-obsession that makes Kanye West look like Thomas Merton.

It is not just that Donald Trump is an egomaniac. Most presidents have a pathological need for approval and attention. Its why they suffer the slings and arrows that come with seeking the countrys top office. Egomania is for Hollywood actors and House committee chairmen who think the rule of law doesnt apply to them. Trump is a Transcendental Solipsist. It is not just that he has a strong sense of self. His view of the universe does not extend a single inch beyond the boundaries of his own interests. That is why normative concepts like truth or commonly held values or the national interest are completely alien to him. There is Trump world, and then there is oblivion.

Of course, the fact that our president is so psychologically broken would not automatically mean that the rest of us would become infected with a new, Trumpian me-me-me-ism. No, perhaps the sole notable achievement of his record-breakingly bad first couple of months in office has been his ability to make his pathology our pathology, by invoking the multiplicative principle of narcissism. If you take a nation of narcissists and place the ur-narcissist at their center of attention and he behaves in a way that makes it impossible for them to look away then all of a sudden we become like him, the world falls away, the universe evaporates, and we enter whatever is the opposite of the Buddhist ideal of enlightenment. Unlightenment? This is Transcendental Solipsism. Its all about us being all about him being all about himself.

Story continues

This is bad. As I write this, I am in Shenzhen, China  a city that barely existed when Donald Trump began his fabled, checkered career as a real-estate developer. While he was producing garish properties and casino failures, this city grew to be 50 percent larger than New York. It is one of the richest cities in China, a thriving economic hub that is part of the Pearl River Delta megalopolis that is home to Hong Kong, Macao, and 60 million people who all seem so attentive to their booming businesses that they barely can spare a thought for Trump. And, as Trump sucks America into his egos gravitational field, into the swirling black hole of his neediness and delusions of grandeur, our country, too, seems less relevant. As one Chinese business leader said to me recently, You have become preoccupied. That is not necessarily a bad thing for us.

The Chinese did not mind when we were preoccupied with the Middle East and willing to spend blood and treasure in that region; it enabled them to roll out their coherent regional strategy for influence and interdependence without much interference from us. And President Xi Jinping did not seem to mind too much at Davos this year when, sensing the onset of Trumpism (the isolationism that comes from not caring about anyone or anything other than yourself) he offered China as an alternative leader in the international system.

But there is another dimension to the Trump phenomenon that has Chinese observers uneasy. As the same business leader said to me, We dont mind it when you leave more room for us to grow. But you do play an important role in keeping the world safe. The world needs the United States. And right now when we look at threats in our region or the unpreparedness of your leaders (a reference to the recent not very well-received trip of Americas phantom Secretary of State Rex Tillerson) we are getting more and more worried.

This is a far cry from the enthusiasm for Trump that I heard here in the fall. And it is a feeling that I have heard echoed by leaders from the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. People are concerned that something different and troubling is happening in America. That, of course, is because it is.

Trump may have thought he would mesmerize us with his glory and his winning. Instead what has happened is that America has become addicted to the 24-hour-a-day reality television show that is his not-so-slow-motion downfall. Every day, there are lies and gaffes and insults to allies and legislative blunders and awful policies made worse by horrible execution. And then, beyond that there are ethical lapses and an ever-growing hint of something very much like treason in the air. With the FBI acknowledging that they are investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to influence the outcome of last years election  and with senior congressional figures like Rep. Adam Schiff indicating that there is more than circumstantial evidence to support the idea of that collusion  it seems this last story is only likely to grow more irresistible in the months ahead.

Indeed, the more we know about the behavior of Trump cronies, family, and cabinet colleagues with respect to their ties to Moscow, the more it seems we are on the verge of a constitutional crisis that may be greater than any faced in the United States since the Civil War. Its a political scandal that may make Watergate seem like small potatoes. And if you think the 24-hour news cycle is sucking away your time and attention today, just imagine what a media spectacle the decline and fall of this American embarrassment might be.

If you doubt that the impact of the shift to All Trump, All the Time News is making it hard to focus on much of what might otherwise be worthy of our attention consider this: Since taking office, the Trump administration has ramped up military operations in Yemen and Iraq; committed to deploying over 1,000 additional troops in Syria; stood by as civilian casualties have soared and watched as a strategically important province in Afghanistan fell to the Taliban  all without making so much as a ripple in the public consciousness of the United States. Trump was very nearly mute on North Korea (save for some ill-considered tweeting, of course).

He cant seem to find the time to condemn the Russians for violence against voices of dissent or ramping up of activities in Ukraine. And we cant seem to care. Europe faces major political tests by populist groups in France and Germany. The costs of climate change are getting higher. And China  well, China is quietly showing up for work every morning building an economy and a role in the world that is largely indifferent to Trump except when he blusters about trade wars (wars they know that the U.S. business community is unlikely to let him engage in for long).

In short, Trump is very likely a short-timer whose moment on our national stage  even if it lasts four years  will not have warranted the degree to which it has shifted our attention from the important long-term issues that do not go away simply because we stop paying attention to them or, as in the case of climate change or Russian wrongdoing, our president continues to pretend they dont exist. Just as the greatest cost of the Iraq War and much of the war on terrorism has been their opportunity cost, the damage done by Trump sucking all the oxygen out of the room is likely to be the areas where the resulting oxygen deprivation is causing us to black out and not attend to the issues posing long-term threats to American leadership and security  or those presenting long-term opportunities.

Trump will not inadvertently or otherwise damage the fundamentals of what makes America great. Indeed, recent events have restored hope that perhaps his story may one day be seen as proof that the American system works and that bad actors are ultimately brought down. But we need to tear our eyes away from the spectacle of this clusterfuck of a presidency and its daily dramas and periodically look up and out to our horizons, recognizing that the narcissism aside, there remains real greatness in America that needs tending, planning, and nurturing in the context of the real world  even if, at the moment, there is very little evidence of that greatness at the center of our government.

Photo credit: MOLLY RILEY-POOL/Getty Images
Sydney (AFP) - China is not militarising the disputed South China Sea, the country's premier insisted in Australia on Friday, claiming defence equipment Beijing has installed on artificial islands is "primarily" for civilian use.

The sea is a source of growing regional tension, with Beijing insisting it has sovereignty over virtually all the resource-rich waters, which are also claimed in part by a handful of other countries, and deemed international waters by most of the world.

"Even if there is a certain amount of defence equipment or facilities, it is for maintaining the freedom of navigation," Premier Li Keqiang told reporters in Canberra during a press conference with Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"Because without such freedom, or without stability in the South China Sea, the Chinese side would be among the first to bear the brunt of it."

China "never has any intention to engage in militarisation in the South China Sea", he said, adding installations -- which include airstrips and missile batteries -- are "primarily for civilian purposes".

Li said aircraft and ships that transit through the South China Sea were from trading partners with Beijing, "so one can easily imagine how many Chinese interests are at stake here".

Australia has followed key ally the United States in carrying out several so-called "Freedom of Navigation" over-flights and sail-bys in the region, which China previously described as "provocations".

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has also said the building of artificial islands and possible militarisation by China create regional mistrust.

Turnbull reiterated his call for all parties to resolve their differences peacefully under international law.

"We encourage all parties to refrain from taking any actions which would add to tensions, including actions of militarisation of disputed features," he added.
Americans are no strangers to medical debt, and the burden is most severe in Mississippi, where nearly 40 percent of adults under age 65 owe hospitals or doctors, according to the Urban Institute. But the men and women carrying that debt are not always poor  theyre increasingly middle class.

And their inability, or refusal, to pay their bills is straining hospital budgets and threatening the availability of care.

Youd be surprised when you look through our bad debt rolls, said Alvin Hoover, CEO of Kings Daughters Medical Center in Brookhaven, Miss. Some drive a 2002 pickup truck, and some drive a 2016 pickup truck. Those are the ones that get under your skin  where you went to buy a 2016 truck when you still owe the hospital $4,000.

Mississippi, where the median household income hovers near $40,000, has one of nations highest rates of uninsured and underinsured adults. As a result, the state has one of the highest percentage of adults who avoid doctors due to potential costs, said Therese Hanna, executive director at the Center for Mississippi Health Policy.

At the same time, medical debt remains the leading cause of bankruptcies, according to Roy Mitchell, executive director of the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program.

Thomas Ash, a bankruptcy lawyer based in Jackson, said more than half his clients carry medical debt. He often sees this kind of debt accumulate because residents have purchased catastrophic insurance plans but have failed to set aside savings to cover high deductibles or expenses not covered by the policy.

If they couldnt pay the deductible, said Mississippi Hospital Association CEO and President Tim Moore, theres a high probability theyre not going to pay the hospital.

Collection agencies are most likely to go after past-due medical bills first, according to a recent study from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Over the past five years, James Henley Jr., a bankruptcy trustee in Jackson, said he has seen a sharp increase in the number of middle-class residents with bankruptcy claims after extending their lines of credit, maxing out credit cards, [robbing] Peter to pay Paul.

Story continues

Henley said the people he works with have to make hard choices, and that new car may not signify that theyre thumbing their nose at their debt.

You have medical debt, a mortgage, and utilities  and those costs are rising, Henley said. Your 2005 pickup truck is getting old. Your maintenance costs are going up. You can pay those, or you can buy a new car to ensure you show up to work.

It wasnt that long ago that Cheryl Trosclair and her husband brought home a combined annual income of over $100,000. Then a few years ago, Trosclair found herself unable to work in the wake of fibromyalgia, kidney disease, and clogged arteries. After that, her husband was laid off from his supervising job on an offshore oil rig. They lost medical coverage. Dealing with chronic health issues, she racked up thousands of dollars in medical debt.

They eventually moved to tiny Silver Creek, Miss., where her husbands family lives, to figure out their next step. Theyre living off proceeds from property they once owned in Louisiana. Meanwhile, Trosclair is awaiting word about her disability claim. For now, she has a high-deductible plan purchased through the states insurance exchange. In short, times have stayed tough.

I just go to the doctor in cases of an emergency, Trosclair said. I dont like to owe anybody.

Read more: Drug shortages in emergency rooms rising

A few months ago, Trosclairs right knee gave out, and she fell, face-first, into a fire at her friends house. She spent four hours trying to avoid a hospital visit. When the pain from burns to her face grew intolerable, she went to Kings Daughterss emergency department.

Trosclair said she received excellent care. But it cost $1,500.

After much uncertainty, Kings Daughters wrote off the bill as charity care. Since then, Trosclair has experienced pain from her rheumatoid arthritis and a separate episode of chest pains. Her husband asked if she wanted to go to the doctor. But she worries about increasing her medical debt beyond the thousands of dollars she still owes from back in Louisiana.

Lets just wait, she told her husband.

Hoover has plenty of patients like Trosclair at Kings Daughters. He also has people who havent paid five-figure bills despite making more than $70,000 a year. Ultimately, he knows hospitals suffer when millions of dollars in bills go unpaid  no matter if thats the result of bad luck or bad financial decisions.

Delta Regional Medical Center, a 325-bed hospital in Greenville, struggled to stay in the black in 2016. CEO Scott Christensen said the hospital was left in a tenuous position when it posted only a net profit of $1.5 million even though it collected $125 million last year. The tight margin, he said, was largely due to $31 million that went uncollected. Half of that amount is from bills that middle-class patients have yet to pay.

Read more: Hospitals could bear the financial brunt of the American Health Care Act

I dont want to judge their life choices, but in an age of expediency, theres no savings for a serious health care bill a year from now, said Christensen.

Christensen said he considers hospitals to be the bedrock of Mississippis communities. So when people dont pay, he said, entire communities suffer. Henley pointed to recent layoffs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, a hospital that has struggled to collect bad debt, as one such example. A UMMC spokesperson declined to make hospital officials available for this story.

Over the past five years, Hoover has instructed Kings Daughters staffers to collect payments up front from patients who come in for non-emergency treatment. They have also tried to divert patients away from the emergency room unless they absolutely need critical care. And theyve tried to negotiate payment plans with patients for a fraction of their outstanding debt.

The strategy has worked to a degree  the hospital cut its bad debt nearly in half, from $22.5 million in fiscal year 2012 to $12.6 million in fiscal year 2016, adding close to $10 million to its profit margin.

Elsewhere in Mississippi, there are plenty of opinions from experts and advocates on how to reduce past-due medical debt: expand Medicaid, create jobs, let providers become insurers. But right now, with no clear solution, hospitals are likely to remain mired in debt, just like their patients.

Were just trying to survive, Christensen said.
Nairobi (AFP) - South Sudan's famine is a disaster created by its leaders, say analysts who argue that while food may save some lives now it is only peace that can bring lasting relief.

But peace is as distant as ever with an international community that appears paralysed, while the men ruling over the country's misery are unmoved by pleas for them to lay down their weapons.

There is no catastrophic drought in South Sudan, no natural driver for the famine afflicting 100,000 and threatening a million others.

Rather there is a nasty, stop-start three-year civil war in which starvation has become a battlefield tactic.

"Only a political plan to end South Sudan's national crisis, not food aid, can bring actual famine relief to South Sudanese," said Alan Boswell, a conflict analyst and writer on South Sudan.

The crisis is "not accidental but by design" Boswell said, adding that the government uses "food blockades as a weapon of war".

It is no coincidence that areas afflicted by famine are opposition areas, home to mostly ethnic Nuer and controlled for the most part by rebels, as a leaked report by United Nations investigators said.

"The bulk of evidence suggests that the famine in Unity State has resulted from protracted conflict and, in particular, the cumulative toll of repeated military operations undertaken by the government in southern Unity beginning in 2014," said the confidential 48-page report.

South Sudan government forces and allied militias have denied access to - and sometimes attacked - aid workers and looted relief supplies.

Michele Sison, the US deputy representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting on Thursday that the government's obstacles to humanitarian work in the famine-struck areas "may amount to deliberate starvation tactics."

The United States, Britain and France on Thursday once again raised the idea of sanctions or a weapons embargo which was rejected by the Security Council in December with eight of the 15 members abstaining.

Story continues

- Downward spiral -

South Sudan's leaders fought for decades for independence, but once they got it in 2011, the fighting turned inward.

A long-standing power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar sparked fighting in Juba in December 2013 which quickly turned into a conflict throughout the country between Kiir's Dinka supporters and Machar's Nuer community.

It has been characterised by appalling brutality on both sides with ethnic massacres, the use of child soldiers, mass rape, sexual slavery, murder, torture, abduction and, in a few recorded cases, forced cannibalism.

Roughly a third of the population - 2.5 million people - have been forced from their homes while 5.5 million rely on food aid to survive.

East Africa's regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was tasked with leading peace efforts, however these collapsed along with a 2015 power-sharing peace deal when conflict again erupted in Juba in July last year.

Since then the fighting has metastasised, spreading across the country and among ethnic groups jockeying for political and military advantage and to protect their communities.

Regional peace efforts have borne no fruit and the UN has been unable to push through an arms embargo or compel Kiir's government to accept the deployment of a regional protection force.

- War lucrative for leaders -

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Thursday denounced "a refusal by the leadership to even acknowledge the crisis or to fulfill its responsibilities to end it."

Instead, just days after famine was declared on February 20, triggering a ramping up of humanitarian efforts, Juba raised foreign worker visa fees a hundred-fold to as much as $10,000 (9,300 euros).

Foreign media access to South Sudan has also been curtailed with new bureaucratic barriers erected to deny access to journalists who have reported critically on the government in the past.

Critics say the silence of South Sudan's government and rebel leaders is fuelled by corruption.

"The ultimate prize is control of a kleptocratic, winner-take-all state with institutions that have been hijacked by government officials and their commercial collaborators for the purposes of self-enrichment and brutal repression of dissent," said John Prendergast, founder of the Enough Project advocacy group, who has many years' experience of South Sudan and knows its leaders personally.

Meanwhile, reports, including from the Enough Project, have exposed the squirreling away of money and the purchase of properties and luxury goods by leaders and their associates on both sides of the conflict.

"War has been hell for South Sudan's people, but it has been very lucrative for the country's leaders," said Prendergast.
DHAKA (Reuters) - A man carrying a bomb blew himself up in front of a police checkpoint near Bangladesh's international airport on Friday, in a blast claimed by Islamic State. The militant group said it killed many officers and wounded others, an account not confirmed by authorities. The blast was the third incident involving explosives in the capital in a week. Police shot and killed a suspected militant who tried to cross a security checkpoint on a motorcycle armed with explosives in Dhaka's Khilgaon area on Saturday. A day before that, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a security forces base, again near Dhaka's airport, injuring two police officers. The militants named this Friday's attacker as Abu Mohammed al-Bengali and said he had detonated his explosive jacket in the midst of police officers it dismissed as "apostates" in a message posted on supporters' social media accounts. Dhaka city police chief, Asaduzzaman Mia, gave a different account at the scene, telling reporters the man had been carrying the bomb which exploded as he tried to hide it from police. Islamic State and Al Qaeda have made competing claims over killings of foreigners, liberals and members of religious minorities in Bangladesh, a mostly Muslim country of 160 million people. Authorities have consistently ruled out the presence of such groups, blaming domestic militants instead. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean ferry that sank nearly three years ago, killing 304 people, most of them children on a school trip, slowly emerged from a gray sea on Thursday, a somber reminder of a tragedy that traumatized the country. The ferry, the Sewol, was structurally unsound, overloaded and traveling too fast on a turn when it capsized and sank during a routine voyage off the southwest coast on April 16, 2014. Bereaved families have been calling for the ship to be raised and for a more thorough investigation into the disaster. Officials also hope to find the last nine missing bodies. "We can't help but feel stunned seeing the ship being raised," Lee Kum-hee, whose daughter Cho Eun-hwa was one of the nine, told reporters. "My Eun-hwa has been in that dirty place. My poor Eun-hwa. It's been heart-breaking, how cold she's been there," Lee said in tears. Salvagers started to bring up the vessel, which has been lying on its side at a depth of 44 meters (144 feet), late on Wednesday, and worked through the night. Television pictures taken from the air early on Thursday showed the white 140-metre (460-foot) long hull, coated in mud and sediment, breaking above the surface, flanked by winching barges. "The work needs to be done very cautiously," Lee Cheol-jo, an official at the Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries, which is in charge of the operation, told a briefing. A Chinese salvage company has fitted 33 beams beneath the hull with 66 hydraulic jacks inching the ship up. Salvage workers in orange overalls and white hard-hats clambers over the hull fixing cables. The name Sewol could just be made out through the grime. Lee said the ferry would be raised as high as 13 meters (42 feet) above the sea and then moved onto a semi-submersible vessel. That operation was expected to take until Friday and it would then be taken to a nearby port, but that could take up to 12 or 13 days, he said. Once the sunken ferry had been secured on the semi-submersible vessel, bereaved families would be allowed to observe from a closer distance, another official said. Only when the ferry has been brought to port will it be inspected, media reported. Of those killed, 250 were teenagers from the same high-school, many of whom obeyed crew instructions to remain in their cabins even as crew members were escaping the sinking ship. The botched rescue and toll of children in one of Asia's most technically advanced economies shocked and angered the country, with former President Park Geun-hye and her administration the focus of much of the ire at the time. Park denied accusations that she failed to act decisively but for many South Korans, she has never fully explained what she was doing during the seven hours between the first news reports and her first television appearance that day. Her response to the disaster was again raised in recent months after she came under suspicion in the course of an investigation into a corruption scandal that led to her dismissal from office on March 10. The captain of the ferry was found guilty of homicide in 2015 and jailed for life. More than a dozen other crew members got shorter sentences. The salvage is costing about 85 billion won ($75 million), another ministry official said this week. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Robert Birsel and Michael Perry)
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The husband of one of four people killed in a string of shootings by a suspect who is Hmong urged community members not to "get caught up in colors" in reacting to the attack.

Nengmy Vang, 45, is accused of launching a rampage that spanned three northern Wisconsin towns on Wednesday, killing his wife's divorce attorney, a police detective and two people at the bank where his wife worked.

"This person could've been any gender, any color, any religion and they could've acted in other ways of violence to make their point," Scott Sann wrote in an emotional letter posted on his employer's Facebook page. "Don't get trapped in the details."

Sann's wife, Sara Quirt Sann, was the attorney who died in the attack.

According to the U.S. Census, nearly 50,000 Hmong live in Wisconsin. Tensions between them and whites in the state's northern reaches have occasionally flared, most notably in 2004, when a Hmong hunter fatally shot six white hunters and wounded two more in northwestern Wisconsin.

The Hmong are mainly from the mountain regions of Laos, which borders Vietnam on the west. They began immigrating to the U.S. in the 1970s after the Vietnam War because had had helped the U.S. during the war. They settled mostly in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

That 2004 shooting of hunters took place hundreds of miles from the Wausau area. Nothing has emerged so far to suggest the shootings were motivated by anything more than Vang's anger toward his wife. The two are embroiled in a bitter divorce proceeding.

Vang's brother, Vajloogzeb Vaj, told The Associated Press that the Hmong population will come together to help the victims' families.

"I feel sorry for the families," he said.

Kahm Yang, board president of the Wausau Area Hmong Association, didn't return messages. Sann did not respond to phone messages from the AP.

Investigators have released few details about what happened during the shooting spree. They haven't officially identified Vang as the suspect. A person close to the investigation gave his name to the AP Friday on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak. Vang's divorce attorney, David Gardner Casey, didn't return messages Friday.

Story continues

Police have said that the spree was sparked by a domestic dispute between Vang and his wife, Naly Vang. Nengmy Vang filed a petition to divorce her in 2015.

She continued to live in the couple's home during the divorce proceeding but he moved to an apartment. Vaj told the AP that his brother is an avid squirrel and deer hunter but showed signs of being mentally ill since he and his wife separated. Vaj said he hadn't spoken with his brother for weeks and he thinks he's become a loner. He once hit their mother "like a crazy person," Vaj said.

Court records show Nengmy Vang has struggled with debt as well as marital problems. He's been sued five times since 2009 by various lenders seeking thousands of dollars and had his wages garnished three times while he worked at Foot Locker; Coby Dogs, a Medford restaurant; the Marathon Cheese Corporation in Marathon City and the Kolbe and Kolbe Millwork Co. in Wausau. The couple was issued a garnishment notice to repay $9,370 to a credit union on Tuesday, a day before the shootings.

According to investigators, Nengmy Vang showed up at the Rothschild bank where his wife worked on Wednesday. It's unclear what happened, but he allegedly shot two workers, Dianne Look and Karen Barclay. Naly Vang managed to escape unhurt, Vaj said.

Nengmy Vang then traveled to nearby Schofield, where he shot Sara Quirt Sann in her office. He then barricaded himself in his Weston apartment, fatally shooting Everest Metro Police detective Jason Weiland as Weiland was setting up a perimeter. A standoff with police ended when officers shot Nengmy Vang and took him into custody.

Vaj said his brother called him from inside his apartment after he was shot to say goodbye. Vaj said he was so shocked that "I almost got a heart attack."

Vaj said doctors have told him his brother is expected to survive his wounds.

___

Associated Press writer Cara Lombardo contributed to this report.

___

Follow Cara Lombardo on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cararlombardo . Follow Todd Richmond at https://twitter.com/trichmond1
(Corrects raids in Germany to last month, not last week) ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland has launched a criminal investigation into possible foreign spying on the country's Turkish community, federal prosecutors said on Friday. The Swiss foreign minister told his Turkish counterpart on Thursday that Switzerland would "rigorously investigate" any illegal spying by Ankara on expatriate Turks before an April 16 referendum that could expand Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's powers. "The Office of the Attorney General has been made aware of concrete suspicion that political espionage has likely been conducted involving the Turkish community in Switzerland," the office said on Friday, giving no other details about the probe that began on March 16. For weeks, neutral Switzerland has been trying to avoid becoming entangled in a bitter dispute between Ankara and other European nations over campaigning by Turkish politicians to drum up support for Erdogan among Turks living abroad. Turkey's president has accused Germany and the Netherlands of behaving like Nazis for halting rallies by Turkish ministers, comments that both countries have called unacceptable. The Swiss investigation follows alleged political intelligence gathering in which participants at events at the University of Zurich in late 2016 and early 2017 were filmed or photographed. One instance was in December, where Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet's chief editor was honoured, Swiss media have reported. The second incident was in January during an academic forum on the massacre of Armenians in Turkey 100 years ago that Armenians consider genocide, a term Ankara rejects. The university in Switzerland's financial capital did not immediately return phone calls and emails seeking comment. The prosecutors' statement cited a Swiss law that forbids intelligence gathering in the interest of a foreign state that harms Switzerland or its people. Punishments include up to three years in prison or fines. Allegations of intelligence gathering by Erdogan supporters have arisen elsewhere in Europe. Last month, German police raided the apartments of four imams suspected of spying for Turkey's government on followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of organising a failed coup last July. The head of Turkey's Diyanet religious authority, Mehmet Gormez, denied its imams had been involved in illegal activities and said espionage investigations had defamed the organisation. Swiss government statistics show 68,000 Turkish citizens live in Switzerland. The Turkish embassy's website refers to 130,000 Turkish citizens. (Reporting by John Miller and John Revill,; Editing by Michael Shields and Ed Osmond)
Geneva (AFP) - Swiss prosecutors said Friday they had opened an investigation into alleged spying on members of the Turkish community in Switzerland by an unspecified "intelligence service".

The Office of the Attorney General told AFP it had "concrete suspicions (of espionage) against the Turkish community in Switzerland (by) a political intelligence service," and said it had opened its probe on March 16, after receiving a green light from the Swiss government.

The prosecution authority however refused to provide details on which specific people or organisation the investigation was targeting.

Earlier this month, Swiss media reported suspicions that espionage activities targeting Turks critical of the Turkish government was taking place at the University of Zurich.

According to the reports, two men at a seminar on World War I-era Armenian genocide -- a term Ankara vehemently rejects -- systematically photographed the participants.

And in mid-March, a member of Switzerland's upper house of parliament Josef Dittli filed a lawsuit accusing two Turkish organisations of spying on Turkish citizens and dual nationals living in Switzerland, and requested an investigation.

His suit singled out the Swiss Turkish-Islamic Foundation (TISS) and the Union of European Turkish Democrats, and said Turkish diplomatic institutions might also be involved, according to the ATS news agency.

The Swiss investigation comes a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discretely visited Switzerland and met with his Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter, at a time when Ankara finds itself locked in a bitter row with a number of European countries.

Relations between Turkey and Europe have been severely strained since several Turkish ministers were blocked from campaigning on the continent for a 'yes' vote in next month's referendum on boosting the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Switzerland has not blocked the campaign events, but Cavusoglu did call off a visit earlier this month after the hotel he had booked for a rally refused to host it, and another Turkish politician was forced to change locations several times for a separate rally.

During their meeting on Thursday, Burkhalter "underscored the validity of Swiss law on Swiss soil, urged Turkey to comply with it," according to a statement, which also stressed "Switzerland would rigorously investigate illegal intelligence activities" on its soil.
GENEVA (AP)  Swiss federal prosecutors say they have "concrete indications" pointing to alleged political espionage by people linked to the Turkish community in Switzerland.

Attorney General Michael Lauber's office says it opened a criminal investigation into suspicions of such spying on March 16, after having received permission from the federal government.

Under Swiss law, prosecution of political offenses generally requires authorization by Switzerland's seven-member executive, the Federal Council, according to Lauber's office.

Friday's announcement comes a day after Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter told his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, that Swiss authorities would investigate any illegal intelligence activities in Switzerland.

Turkish voters face a referendum next month on constitutional changes that could grant sweeping new powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has fanned tensions between Turkey and some European countries.
Geneva (AFP) - Syrian rivals will tackle all agenda items at peace talks this week, including political transition, the United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura said Friday, warning not to expect "miracles."

The fifth round of stalled UN-backed negotiations have started in Geneva, with a mandate to discuss governance, drafting a new constitution, elections and combating terrorism in the war-ravaged country.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's delegation has sought to keep terrorism as the focus, accusing the main opposition High Negotiations Committee of partnering with extremists.

For the HNC, the issue of governance and especially Assad's removal is the top priority.

"All of them have to talk about all four (issues)", de Mistura told reporters after meeting the government and HNC. "That is (the) deal", he added, following the first full day of the round.

Speaking earlier, the regime's lead negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari said his camp had begun talks on the terrorism issue, given "developments on the ground."

Rebels and allied jihadists this week launched two surprise offensives on government positions in Damascus and central Hama province.

The HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri told reporters the opposition had focused on political transition first.

The sides are meeting separately with the UN.

De Mistura said he would aim to mesh the ideas shared on all subjects by both sides when the round ends next Friday.

"I am not expecting miracles, I am not expecting breakthroughs ... and I am not expecting breakdowns," the UN envoy said, reiterating that agreement on the agenda was itself a mark of progress.

The fact that talks were going ahead despite an escalation of violence was also a "sign of maturity" among the rival camps, he said.

De Mistura added that he will fly to Jordan's capital for one day on Monday to brief an Arab League meeting on the negotiations, with his deputy Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy leading the round for a day.

Four previous rounds have yielded little with the government emboldened following major military victories in recent months helped partly by strong support from its ally Russia.

Years of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in March 2011 with protests against Assad's regime.
Taiwan's constitutional court heard a landmark case Friday that could make the island the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage.

A panel of 14 grand justices heard a debate over a disputed law that critics say is unconstitutional because it prevents unions between gay couples.

Campaigners for and against same-sex marriage gathered outside the court in Taipei, which was heavily guarded for the hearing.

Two petitions for a special interpretation of Taiwan's constitution were presented to the court by veteran gay rights activist Chi Chia-wei and the Taipei city government, which has been receiving a growing number of requests to register same-sex marriages.

The Taipei government's representative Liao Yuan-hao argued legally allowing gay unions would "not change the essence of marriage, but would solidify its values".

"Society recognises gay people have the same needs. They are normal people wanting to build normal relations and the law should include them," he told the court.

At the centre of the case is a clause in Taiwan's Civil Code which says an agreement to marry should be made between a man and a woman.

Authorities in Taiwan have been rejecting applications for same-sex marriages based on this clause.

The petitioners want the court to rule whether that part of the Civil Code contravenes elements in Taiwan's constitution which guarantee equality and freedom of marriage.

But justice minister Chiu Tai-san argued the code does not violate the constitution because it does not specifically bar same-sex unions.

He also said more time needed to be taken to achieve a wider consensus on gay marriage in Taiwan.

"Abruptly changing (the law) will impact social order," Chiu added.

- Cautious optimism -

The hearing came after the first draft of a bill to legalise gay marriage was passed by Taiwan's parliament in December.

That bill is now due for a second reading.

But the process could be overtaken by the court ruling, which is expected within two months.

Story continues

"The constitutional court's decision is legally-binding," Hsieh Kuo-lien, a law professor at National University of Kaohsiung, told AFP.

"If its decision is favourable to gay rights activists, it would be effectively legalising same-sex marriage."

Taiwan is considered progressive on many issues including gay rights, but its roots in Confucianism translate into a strong sense of adherence to traditional mores.

There has been growing momentum behind the campaign to change the law.

However, the debate has also split society, with conservative groups saying allowing same-sex unions would destroy family values.

Both sides have staged huge marches in recent months, with tens of thousands taking to the streets.

Outside court Friday gay rights supporters waved rainbow flags while opponents chanted "marriage is between a husband and wife".

Activist Chi brought the petition to the constitutional court after multiple failed legal bids to seek recognition of his marriage.

"I am cautiously optimistic as the world trend is to recognise same-sex marriage and the grand justices are unlikely to bar it," Chi told AFP ahead of the hearing Friday.

Past attempts to legalise same-sex marriage stalled under the Kuomintang party, which dominated politics for decades until it was unseated by President Tsai Ing-wen's Democratic Progressive Party last year.

Campaigners were given new hope when Tsai was elected as she has openly supported marriage equality.
An outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin was shot dead in broad daylight in Kiev Thursday, just two days after a lawyer for the family of a slain Russian whistleblower was injured in a mysterious fall from his fourth-story apartment near Moscow.

Denis Voronenkov was a former Russian Communist Party member whod become increasingly critical of Putins policies after fleeing to Ukraine in 2016.

In light of his murder, which Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called an act of state terrorism by Russia, the Washington Posts Moscow Bureau Chief David Filipov compiled a list of nine other Putin critics who died violently or in suspicious ways.

As it has after similar incidents, the Kremlin swiftly rejected any suggestion it was involved in Voronenkovs murder. Still, Filipov argued, the people on his list had more in common than simply disapproving of the president.

Theres a specific group of people who have ended up dead in suspicious circumstances, he told Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga Friday.

Whether they were journalists, oligarchs or former KGB agents, almost all of the people on Filipovs list had either been investigating alleged human rights abuses by the Russian military in Chechnya or the suspicious 1999 Moscow apartment bombings that prompted Russia to declare war on Chechnya and ultimately paved the way for Putin to become president in 2000, or they were raising questions about deaths of other people whod tried to investigate these things.

Essentially, its all about the rise to power of Putin in the late 90s and the Chechen [war] that provided the sort of impetus for his presidency, said Filipov.

Forensic experts and police officers work following the killing of Denis Voronenkov in Kiev, Ukraine, March 23, 2017. Police said Voronenkov was shot dead Thursday by an unidentified gunman. (Photo: Sergei Chuzavkov/AP)

This pattern, he said, compounded by the fact that these cases have never been solved, creates a perception that if you criticize the Kremlin, youre risking your life.

However, despite plenty of circumstantial evidence that critics of Putin end up dead, Filipov clarified that its impossible to say whether he actually ordered that they be murdered or, in some cases, even wanted them dead.

Story continues

For example, Putin expressed shock and outrage over the mysterious shooting of former political ally-turned-opposition leader Boris Nemtsov outside the Kremlin in 2015, vowing to ensure punishment for the perpetrators of this vile and cynical crime.

Over the course of Putins presidency, Nemtsov had become increasingly critical of the government, speaking out against human rights abuses in Chechnya, corruption, and, shortly before his death, Russian military involvement in Ukraine.

Still, Filipov said he believes Nemtsovs murder, with four shots to the back outside the Kremlin, was not orchestrated by Putin.

One thing people have to always consider when something goes wrong in Russia: While Putin might be ultimate authority, there are people going around hoping to get Putins approval, he said, suggesting that this interest may drive people who run private security companies or work for oligarchs to think, If we get rid of this guy, it will be good for the boss.

The way they say it in Russia is, Nothing happens until one guy makes up his mind, but theres 10 guys standing in line with a piece of paper saying, please make up your mind in my direction, Filipov said. One theory is people do things to get attention, to get [to] the head of that line.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Even though the GOP for the second day in row decided against putting its health insurance plan up for a vote in the House, major changes to health insurance already are afoot.

The Trump administration has a great deal of flexibility to make changes that dont require congressional approval, says Elizabeth Carpenter, a senior vice president at Avalere Health, a healthcare consulting company.

The changes could result in sharply higher premiums and less coverage for many. For example, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has said he wants to water down regulations requiring insurers to offer comprehensive coverage in 10 areas, including maternity care, prescription drugs and mental health services.

Consumers already are worried they could be priced out of the market. In a recent nationally representative CR Consumer Voices Survey, 55 percent said theyre not sure they or their loved ones could afford insurance to get quality healthcare.

The GOP plan, called the American Health Care Act, appeared to be headed for a vote. But the controversial bill was causing defections from the conservative and moderate wings of the party, and ultimately GOP officials decided to pull the bill just before a scheduled vote.

"The American Health Care Act was pulled from the floor because it is a hugely flawed bill that would do nothing to lower healthcare costs for Americans," said Laura MacCleery, vice president of policy for Consumer Reports. She added, "We are hopeful that today will be a wake-up call for Congress. Americans deserve real improvements to the care and coverage essential to our health and lives, not hurried, partisan politics."

Without the help of Congress, President Trump is limited in how much he can change the ACA. But heres a rundown of what his administration already is doing to reshape parts of the current law.

Taking Executive Action

Trump on his first day in office issued an executive order for government agencies to change, waive or delay Affordable Care Act provisions considered a burden to insurers, doctors, drug companies, patients and states. The vaguely worded order pointedly undercuts the ACAs individual mandate.

Story continues

The mandate requires most people to buy insurance or pay a penalty to the IRS ($695 per adult and $347.50 per child under 18 but no more than 2.5 percent of your gross income). In February, the IRS followed Trumps order when it announced it would no longer automatically reject the tax return of someone who didnt check the box confirming health coverage or fill out the form to pay a penalty. People who dont have insurance still owe the penalty but the IRS isnt going to hold up your return if you dont provide the information.

Another executive action took aim at the ACAs most recent open-enrollment period. Just five days before the January 31 signup deadline, the Trump administration directed Health and Human Services to halt TV ads encouraging people to sign up and ended other outreach efforts.

These moves show that the administration has the power to make changes without jumping through a lot of hoops, says Sara Rosenbaum, a professor of health law at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University.



Wielding Administrative Power

HHS Secretary Price has made it clear he will use the departments regulatory authority to chip away at the ACA. Last month, his department created a special section on its website detailing the actions it has taken and what it plans to do.

One such rule would involve a stricter verification process for people who want to sign up for health insurance outside of open enrollment because they claim a life event, such as getting married or having a baby. This change could mean delays in getting enrolled quickly.

HHS has also proposed shortening the open-enrollment period from three months to six weeks. For this year, that means sign-up would run from November 1 through December 15. Last year, the enrollment period ran from November 1 through January 31.

Price has also said he would like to water down the ACA mandate that insurers cover 10 essential health benefits, including maternity care, prescription drugs, doctors visits, emergency room care, lab tests, and mental health services. The original bill left those essential health benefits in place, but last minute amendments in the just-pulled bill would have removed them.

Price can't make the change without legislation, but he can issue new regulations that more narrowly define what coverage means.

Changes to the essential health benefit mandate could have a devastating effect, says Linda Blumberg, senior fellow in the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan health and health policy research group.

If the essential health benefit rules do change, insurers could sell what used to be called junk insurance, which offers limited coverage and may not even cover major illnesses. Your premiums may be lower, but if you need care, you might have to pay out of your own pocket to get what you need, says Blumberg.

People with pre-existing conditions could have needed treatments left uncovered, forcing them to pay for expensive treatments out of their own pocket. Yes, you cant be denied insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition. But if you have cancer, your insurer doesnt have to cover chemotherapy, or if you have a hospital stay, they may only cover one day, she says.

Unintended Consequences

Even though the GOP bill is in limbo, the ACA's future remains unclear. Consumers could still end up with fewer choices as insurance companies try to figure out whether theyll participate in the ACA exchanges next year, what coverage their plans will offer, and how much theyll charge.

The uncertainty has already driven out some players. Humana announced in February that it will exit all 11 states where it offered ACA plans, leaving 16 counties in Tennessee without an insurer offering a plan on the exchanges. If the federal government doesnt step in, people in some places may not have access to any insurance on the individual market, Carpenter says.

Other major insurance companies, including Anthem, Aetna and Molina Healthcare, have warned that they cant commit to participating in the ACA exchanges in 2018.

Just neglect and lack of action can do enormous damage to the insurance market and the ability for people to get affordable access to care, says Blumberg.







More from Consumer Reports:

Top pick tires for 2016

Best used cars for $25,000 and less

7 best mattresses for couples





Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright  2006-2017 Consumer Reports, Inc.
Geneva (AFP) - A third of Yemen's 22 provinces are on the brink of famine, the UN said Friday, warning that 60 percent of the war-ravaged country's population was going hungry.

Yemen, long one of the world's poorest nations, has seen its food security deteriorate dramatically since its civil war escalated two years ago after the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition.

"We are deeply concerned that Yemen is on the brink of famine," Bettina Luescher, a spokeswoman for the UN's World Food Programme, told reporters in Geneva.

"Out of the 22 (provinces), seven are in emergency phase four, and that is one level before declaring a famine," she said.

The WFP is currently providing food to around seven million in Yemen each month, she said, pointing out though that they account for fewer than half the 17 million said to be going hungry.

And even those lucky enough to get aid are not receiving all the nutrients they need, Luescher said, because full rations cannot be afforded.

"Lack of funding, the ongoing conflict, restricted movement of humanitarian aid workers are the major obstacles to get food and other assistance to the people," she said.

The Yemen conflict has left more than 7,400 dead and 40,000 wounded since the Saudi-led coalition joined the government side against Iran-backed rebels in March 2015, according to UN figures.

The UN human rights agency said Friday that at least 4,773 civilians had been killed over the past two years.

The conflict has dramatically affected food supply, with around 60 percent of Yemen's population now considered to be struggling to find enough, up 20 percent from a year ago, Luescher said.

"That is why we are so concerned about the fact that the fighting is going on, that the ports often can't operate, that bridges are being blown up, that trucks cannot go to areas," she said.

A famine is declared when 20 percent of the population faces "extreme food shortages with limited ability to cope", World Health Organization spokesman Christian Lindmeier explained.

Story continues

In addition, for a famine to be declared, acute malnutrition rates must exceed 30 percent for children under five, and there must be more than two deaths per 10,000 people or four deaths per 10,000 children per day, he said.

Yemen is one of four countries currently facing the risk of famine, alongside Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria, with more than 20 million facing starvation, according to the UN.

UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien earlier this month described the situation in Yemen as "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world".
Tel Aviv (AFP) - Thousands of Israelis and foreigners got filthy and battled through miles of obstacles on Friday to take part in the country's first "Mud Day" race.

Around 5,000 people took part in the event, organisers said, held in the main park of Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv.

Visitors from France, America, Poland, Ukraine and other countries joined thousands of Israelis in pushing their way through a course of up to 13 kilometres (eight miles).

Contestants had to battle up to 22 obstacles, including swinging between ropes, climbing mud hills and crawling through icy water.

At the end, men and women caked in mud collapsed in the late morning sun.

Among the attendees were the mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Huldai, and French ambassador Helene Le Gal, though a picture posted on Twitter showed them both distinctly mud-free.

Founded in Paris in 2013, the Mud Day phenomena has now spread to Spain, Belgium and Switzerland as well as Israel.

Contestants can race alone or as part of a team, in an event the organisers say is "like no other".

"No fine chocolate on the menu but a deliciously thick mud and immense pride at crossing the finish line," a statement said.
Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with NATO members next week in Brussels, officials said Friday, as alliance diplomats worked to nail down the date.

"We are currently planning to hold the meeting of NATO foreign ministers on 31 March. Consultations on scheduling among Allies are ongoing," a NATO official in Brussels said.

The NATO foreign ministers meeting had been planned for April 5-6, but that was thrown into chaos on Tuesday when Tillerson revealed he would not be attending.

Skipping the meeting was especially awkward because the former Exxon-Mobil CEO is to travel later in April to Russia, which has had fraught relations with NATO since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2014.

So Tillerson will head to Brussels on Friday next week, a day after meeting in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to "discuss the way forward with our campaign to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq," acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

- Long-planned talks -

Officials suggested that a complicating factor for the NATO meeting might be the agenda of Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who might not be able to make it to Brussels on March 31.

"The date is almost certain. It's now mainly a question of timing," a diplomat in Brussels said Saturday.

The alliance's 28 member states have until Monday to work out the details of their plans.

The last minute preparations are not typical for NATO which normally has plans in place weeks ahead of time for these highly orchestrated meetings.

"The allies are trying to find a solution. It is understood that there are substantive reasons why Tillerson cannot come April 5 and 6," a diplomat told AFP.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit President Donald Trump in the United States in early April, and Tillerson would be expected to attend their meetings.

But his office has not confirmed that engagement, and word that Tillerson would stay away from the NATO talks stirred doubt about US commitment to its allies.

Story continues

"Everyone is aware that this would send a bad message and people were not eager to have a meeting with a downgraded (US) representation," said the diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.

After almost two months in the job, Tillerson has yet to appoint a deputy or any assistant secretaries, has largely avoided the media and works with a small inner circle of advisers.

The administration, meanwhile, has been scrambling to reaffirm its commitment to US military alliances after Trump called into question their usefulness during the presidential campaign.

Last week, after meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump claimed Germany owes "vast sums of money to NATO and the United States," reviving his charge that allies do not pay their way.

- Obsolete alliance? -

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a former Marine general, has declared US support for NATO, and last week Tillerson reaffirmed ties with Asian allies Japan and South Korea.

The United States has worked with NATO to shore up support for the pro-western government in Kiev after Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for a bloody uprising in eastern Ukraine.

Combined with economic sanctions, the deployment of more NATO troops from Western members to frontline Eastern allies in the Baltics and Poland was intended to send a signal to Moscow.

But during his presidential campaign, Trump raised eyebrows by expressing admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and dismissing NATO as "obsolete".
Photo credit: Getty

From Road & Track

This past Tuesday evening, the central-Ohio thermometers struggled their reluctant way up to fifty-one degrees, so I saddled up my Kawasaki ZX-14R and headed out to meet my wife for dinner on her way back from the hair salon. After a long winter of riding an occasionally cranky air-cooled motorcycle to work in sub-freezing temperatures, it's a true luxury to twist the throttle on the big Kwacker and get the kind of forward thrust that makes a McLaren 675LT feel like my old VW Fox. But it also takes a while to reset my reflexes and expectations to that sort of capability, so right now I'm taking my stoplight departures very easy. That's probably what saved my life.

About 1.25 seconds after I got the green on my side, right as I was declutching to roll into the intersection in the very posh suburb where my restaurant destination was located, a middle-aged fellow in a Lexus ES350 appeared on my left side and ran the red light at about fifty miles per hour. I wasn't in his pathI'd caught the oncoming car in my peripheral vision and stopped the bike, causing a chorus of angry honking from the Yukon Denali behind mebut I was still terrified because if another car entered the intersection there was a solid chance that I'd be sitting right where Mr. Entry-Luxury needed to swerve in order to avoid said car.

Luckily for me, there was nobody coming from the other direction. I had the chance to watch the driver's face as he sailed through the intersection. I saw him looking up at the light then look forward again. He didn't look panicked or angry or upset. His face fairly gleamed with that placid self-satisfaction that I recognize from the mildly-successful fathers of my private-school youth. He knew perfectly well that he was running the light. He also knew perfectly well that I was going to stop and let him through. While the law was on my side, the laws of physics were on his side and that's a set of laws that never yields to a successful appeal or even an activist judge.

Story continues

Photo credit: Getty

That's what I want to believe, anyway. I want to believe that if I'd been behind the Denali instead of ahead of it, the fellow in the ES350 wouldn't have center-punched the left rear door next to where the children sit watching their DVDs. I want to believe that it was a conscious decision on his part to disrespect me and my bright-green, 1441-cubic-centimeter middle-finger to people like him. I don't want to believe that he was careless or stupid enough to unknowingly blow a five-second yellow and more than one second of the red light that followed. Because if that is truly the case, then my decision to not chase him down and break his jaw means that someone else will eventually be severely hurt, or killed, by his inattention.

It was the third flagrant running of a red light that I've seen in the past week. I think the frequency of that behavior is going up. It's certainly going up in my immediate vicinity. The reasons for it are many and varied: the oft-pilloried distractions behind the wheel, the ever-tightening vise of twenty-first-century work-life balance in which showing up three minutes late to a meeting can derail a career and put you on the fast train to Layofftown, the creeping narcissism of our modern society that tells us a thousand times a day to put ourselves first and everybody else a distant last. Whatever the reasons, deliberate red-light running is a thing nowadays.

My long-suffering wife has had two vehicles totaled by red-light runners in the twenty years she's held a driver's license. Having been back to her hometown in New Mexico with her, I don't know how it only happened twice. Down there, the appearance of a red light is taken by most drivers as a mild advisory to be disregarded without consequence, like the "25mph" sign on a freeway entrance ramp when the sun is shining and you're behind the wheel of a Corvette Z51.

My childhood auto-writing hero, Patrick Bedard, had very little patience with the red-light-industrial-complex that burst onto the scene back around the time Mrs. Baruth turned sixteen. He called it a "boondoggle" and "bounty hunting," pointing out that the cameras were typically installed as part of public/private partnerships that were intended to mint limitless amounts of cash for all parties involved except the motorist. In the cause of lining pockets and scratching backs, a lot of reprehensible things were done. Yellow lights were dropped from five seconds to three. The cameras were set to trigger on normal and harmless driving behaviors like right turns on red or stopping on the white line instead of behind it.

Photo credit: Getty

Worst of all, however, was the decision to ease the fleecing of the public sheep by making red-light running a no-points civil violation, like overstaying a parking meter or leaving your car out on the street during a snow emergency. This was done to prevent motorists from receiving due process. If you've ever tried to fight a parking ticket, you know what I'm talking about. At the behest of the camera companies, the laws were rewritten to make the owners of the cars liable for red-light tickets, which is frankly bizarre when you think about it. In most municipalities, running a red light was treated exactly like blowing through an EZ-Pass lane without the proper transponder.

The good news is that a veritable Justice League of intelligent, involved jurists has managed to restore some sanity to the situation. Red-light companies are being kicked out of town after town. Sometimes they get a golden parachute, and sometimes they get slapped with fines, and sometimes people even go to jail, as was the case here in Ohio recently. The era of milking motorists for extra cash by ginning-up fraudulent red-light tickets is mostly over, and that's good news.

Here's the problem that accompanies that good news: For better or worse, red-light cameras were the only enforcement mechanism that we really had to prevent people from running red lights. Well, that and the fear of a grisly death, but in many cases that doesn't seem to be enough. I've never personally seen a cop actually go after a red-light runner, even when they are present to witness the offense. I suspect it's because speeding tickets are more profitable and easier to issue. You can write fifty tickets in the time it takes you to catch one person running a lightand in most cases you have the radar or lidar ticker tape to argue the case for you if the perp decides to demand his day in court.

Photo credit: Getty

The solution to all of this is right in front of us: Bring the cameras back. But this time, do it right. Make it a moving violation, and ensure that the cameras capture all the information needed to make the charge stick. Don't ticket for rolling right turns or picayune positioning errors. Set the cameras up so they nab the people who simply disregard the light or drive in an exceptionally careless method. Send a cop to their house to deliver the ticket, along with a stern warning.

Nobody's going to get rich off that kind of enforcement. It might evengasp!cost the municipalities a few bucks to put a working system into place. But the payoff is plain to see. Collisions will decrease. We will all be safer. The message will get out: if you don't take a red light seriously, you're going to get two points on your license and a proper reaming from your insurance company, the same way you do if you decide to blast past a highway cop doing 90 in a 65.

Who knows? If the programs produce a tangible decrease in fatalities, we might even see this idea of intelligent, safety-centric traffic enforcement expand beyond red-light cameras. It's a crazy dream, I know, but it could come true. The next time you have a chance to harangue one of your elected officials, I suggest you mention the idea. As they say, the life you save could be your own.

Born in Brooklyn but banished to Ohio, Jack Baruth has won races on four different kinds of bicycles and in seven different kinds of cars. Everything he writes should probably come with a trigger warning. His column, Avoidable Contact, runs twice a week.

You Might Also Like
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  Hazardous, heavily polluting tanneries, with workers as young as 14, supplied leather to companies that make shoes and handbags for a host of Western brands, a nonprofit group that investigates supply chains says. The report by New York-based Transparentem, released to The Associated Press on Friday, didn't say leather from the tanneries ends up in American and European companies' products, only that the manufacturers of some of those goods receive it. Some companies say they're certain the leather used to make their products was imported from outside Bangladesh, and the manufacturers concur. Still, in response to the report most brands had switched factories, banned Bangladesh leather or demanded improvements and audits.

HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong is poised to choose a new leader on Sunday when members of a committee dominated by elites favored by Beijing cast their ballots in the first such vote since 2014's huge pro-democracy protests. Here's a look at the electoral system, which critics have dubbed a "small-circle" or "fake" election because of its strict limits on popular participation: ___ THE BACKGROUND: Current leader Leung Chun-ying, a deeply polarizing and highly unpopular figure, said he would not seek a second term after his current one expires on June 30, citing family reasons. Political analysts suspect he had to make a face-saving exit because Beijing asked him to step aside for someone better liked.

HONG KONG (AP)  On Sunday morning, a select group of tycoons, business leaders, politicians and trade and industry group representatives will gather in a cavernous exhibition center to vote for the next leader of Hong Kong. Three candidates are on the ballot but there's little uncertainty about who the winner will be, with China's communist leaders already signaling early on their preference to the election committee, which is stacked with pro-Beijing loyalists. The winner will replace the outgoing leader, deeply unpopular Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, who won with barely half the committee's votes five years ago. The system was at the heart of 2014's unprecedented pro-democracy protests, with student leaders demanding full democracy but Beijing insisting that candidates be screened.

Story continues

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Salvage crews towed a corroded 6,800-ton South Korean ferry and loaded it onto a semi-submersible transport vessel Saturday, completing what was seen as the most difficult part of the massive effort to bring the ship back to shore. Government officials say it will take a week or two to bring the vessel to a port 90 kilometers (55 miles) away so that investigators could search for the remains of nine missing people, who were among the 304 who died when the Sewol capsized on April 16, 2014. Most of the victims were students on a high school trip, touching off an outpouring of national grief and soul searching about long-ignored public safety and regulatory failures.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  How do you lift a corroded, 6,800-ton ferry lying more than 40 meters (130 feet) undersea, keeping it in one piece? It's a massive, delicate operation. Salvaging the Sewol ferry which sank off South Korea's coast in April 2014 began Wednesday, and by Thursday morning, some parts of the ship emerged above the surface and were visible on live TV footage. But fully retrieving the ship and moving it to port will still take two weeks. An overview of the salvaging process for the Sewol: ___ THE SITE The ferry sank in the Maenggol Channel off the southwestern coast.

TOKYO (AP)  International sanctions on North Korea are taking a serious toll on humanitarian aid activities, according to a United Nations-led report. The report issued this week by the U.N.'s senior resident official in Pyongyang said sanctions are inadvertently hindering legitimate operations on the ground and have indirectly contributed to a "radical decline" in donations it said are badly needed by millions of North Korean women and children. It said "chronic food insecurity, early childhood malnutrition and nutrition insecurity" continue to be widespread in the North, which it noted ranked 98th out of 118 countries in the 2016 Global Hunger Index.

GENEVA (AP)  The U.N.-backed Human Rights Council on Friday approved a resolution by consensus to "dispatch urgently" an international fact-finding mission to Myanmar to probe alleged abuses by military and security forces, particularly against the minority Rohingya Muslim community. In a move bound to put pressure on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's government, the 47-member body threw its weight behind existing efforts to investigate alleged rights abuses such as torture, rape, arbitrary killings and forced displacement of the Rohingya in western Rakhine state. Zaw Htay, a presidential spokesman, said Myanmar "cannot accept" the council's decision. "What the U.N. Human Rights Council did to us is totally not fair and not right under international practices," Htay said by phone, citing a domestic investigation.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australia does not have to choose between the United States and China, the Australian prime minister said Friday as he announced a new beef export deal with the Chinese. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang oversaw signing of bilateral agreements that will expand their two-year-old free trade pact. China also agreed to remove a cap that allows only 11 Australian beef exporters to sell 400 million Australian dollars ($300 million) in frozen meat to the burgeoning ranks of the Chinese middleclass. China will be open to all eligible Australian beef exporters. "Australia is the only country in the world with this market access," Turnbull told reporters.

BEKASI, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian police fired tear gas on Friday to disperse hard-line Muslims protesting against the construction of a Catholic church in a satellite city of the capital, Jakarta. Several hundred protesters from a group called Forum for Bekasi Muslim Friendship staged a rowdy demonstration in front of the Santa Clara church in Kaliabang, a neighborhood of Bekasi city, after Friday prayers. Witnesses said police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to force their way into the church, which has been under construction since November. Some also threw rocks and bottles into the site. Raymundus Sianipar, a Catholic priest, said police asked him to leave the area for safety reasons.

CHICAGO (AP)  A teenage blogger from Singapore whose online posts blasting his government landed in him jail was granted asylum to remain in the United States, an immigration judge in Chicago ruled Friday. Amos Yee has been detained by federal immigration authorities since December when he was taken into custody at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Attorneys said the 18-year-old could be released from a Wisconsin detention center as early as Monday. Judge Samuel Cole issued a 13-page decision more than two weeks after Yee's closed-door hearing on the asylum application. "Yee has met his burden of showing that he suffered past persecution on account of his political opinion and has a well-founded fear of future persecution in Singapore," Cole wrote.
After the Republican replacement for Obamacare was dramatically pulled at the last minute Friday due to lack of support, top Washington Democrats took a victory lap, mocking President Trump and claiming the bills failure as a win for their party and the American public.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement blaming the bills failure on what he characterized as two hallmarks of the Trump administration: incompetence and broken promises.

In my life, I have never seen an administration as incompetent as the one occupying the White House today, Schumer said.

They cant write policy that actually makes sense, they cant implement the policies they do manage to write, they cant get their stories straight, and today weve learned that they cant close a deal and they cant count votes.

So much for the Art of the Deal.

In a press conference, surrounded by other congressional Democrats, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who was serving as House speaker when the Affordable Care Act was passed, was buoyant.

Today is a great day for our country, Pelosi said. Its a victory. What happened on the floor is a victory for the American people  for our seniors, for people with disabilities, for our children, for our veterans.

Pelosi charged the Republicans with spite for originally scheduling a vote on the replacement legislation for Thursday, the seventh anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Speaking from the Oval Office later Friday, Trump, predicting the imminent failure of the Affordable Care Act, was eager to associate its continuance with both Schumer and Pelosi.

I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer because now they own Obamacare. They own it, 100 percent own it.

Read more from Yahoo News
Washington (AFP) - True to his pledge, President Donald Trump gave final approval on Friday for TransCanada to build the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, overriding environmental concerns in favor of boosting jobs and energy supply.

"It's a great day for American jobs and a historic moment for North America and energy independence," Trump said at the White House.

He also promised to call the governor of Nebraska to help the company secure the necessary construction permits.

But the project continues to face stiff opposition from environmental groups.

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama blocked the project, first proposed in 2008, due to environmental concerns, but Trump says the pipeline will create thousands of jobs and provide affordable energy.

During the US presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to approve the pipeline, and one of his first acts after taking office in January was to give a conditional go-ahead, as well as approving the controversial Dakota Access pipeline that was subject to months of mass protests.

The projects are all part of his plan to boost the economy, improve infrastructure, slash regulations and reduce government interference he says is hindering business.

But the jobs promise is subject to dispute. The State Department estimated that the US portion of the pipeline would create 42,000 temporary jobs over a two-year construction period, but opponents note that less than 50 permanent jobs would be created for pipeline maintenance.

- Funneling crude -

Keystone XL is an expansion of TransCanada's existing system to funnel bitumen from Alberta's oil sands to refineries on the US Gulf Coast.

The portion Trump approved was a $5.3 billion proposal to build a 1,180-mile (1,900 kilometer) pipeline to Nebraska, which would carry 830,000 barrels of oil per day.

After a new US review of the project, Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon issued the presidential permit, concluding that it would "serve the national interest," the State Department said Friday.

Story continues

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has backed the Keystone project, said in French that his government was "very pleased" with the US announcement, according to an interpreter.

"Getting our products out to market is essential for Canadian economic growth," he said.

TransCanada thanked the US administration for reviewing and approving the delayed project.

"This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project," TransCanada president and chief executive Russ Girling, who was with Trump at the White House, said in a statement.

The company has a total of $15 billion in investment in oil and natural gas "that will create thousands of well-paying jobs and generate substantial economic benefits across the US."

But TransCanada still must work with authorities and residents to obtain the necessary permits and approvals for construction in Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota, the company said.

Protestors supporting the Standing Rock Sioux Native American tribe for many months blocked completion of a section of the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota, until the Trump administration overrode their concerns and approved the construction.

- Environmental protests continue -

Environmental groups immediately expressed outrage at the Keystone XL approval and vowed to continue to fight the project, so the company could face obstacles at the state and local level. One protest is set for Friday evening at the White House.

Michael Brune, head of the Sierra Club, the largest US environmental organization, called the pipeline approval "yet another decision made by Trump that would be disastrous for our climate, our communities, and our health."

He warned in a statement that the "dirty and dangerous" project "faces a long fight ahead in the states."

Greenpeace Canada's Mike Hudema released a statement saying the pipeline "won't see the light of day."

"The fight is far from over," he said, promising "widespread opposition in Canada and the US" to the company and the financial institutions that support the project.

Opponents object to the pipeline because it further promotes the use of fossil fuels -- although there already are hundreds of oil and gas pipelines crisscrossing the United States -- but also say Canada's oil sands are particularly harmful.

Canada is the world's sixth-largest oil producer thanks to the Alberta oil sands.

Unlike traditional crude which gushes from a well, bitumen from the oil sands must be dug up or extracted by underground heating, essentially using steaming hot water to separate it from the sandstone before it can be refined.

This takes vast amounts of water resources and results in huge ponds of polluted water and the strip-mining of once-pristine boreal forests.

Environmentalists also say the bitumen in oil sands is harmful and corrosive, which makes pipeline ruptures or leaks more likely and carries greater health and safety risks.

However, TransCanada defends its safety record and says buried pipelines are far safer for transporting oil than ships or trains.

Trump concurred, saying: "I think it's a lot safer to have pipelines than to use other forms of transportation for your product."
Paul Manafort, who briefly managed the presidential campaign of Donald Trump last year, has been accused of money laundering by a Ukrainian official and is the focus of a federal probe over his banking in the region, according to the Associated Press.

The AP reported that the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which was set up after the 9/11 attacks to crack down on the financing terrorism and and incorporated into the Treasury Department soon afterwards, recently asked Cyprus for information about Manaforts offshore financial transactions as part of a federal anti-corruption investigation into his work in eastern Europe.

The APs story is a long way short of saying that Manafort may have received money or instructions to further Moscows political agenda--potentially even during the 2016 campaign. It adds to suggestions of improper connections between Trump and Russian interests, and casts suspicion on Manforts roughly four-month tenure leading the campaign, during which time Trump made some of his most conspicuously pro-Russian comments. Those included considering the recognition of Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014, a key objective of President Vladimir Putins policy.

The news comes only a day after the AP reported that Manafort had had extensive contact with Russian metals magnate Oleg Deripaska in the course of his PR and lobbying work since 2005 (for more on Deripaska, click here). It cited pitch documents drafted by Manaforts company that his services would greatly benefit the Putin Government--reflecting an assumption common at the time that Deripaska was close enough to Putin to function informally as an agent of Russian economic policy abroad.

Deripaskas aluminum company, Rusal, had long had a specific business interest in Ukraine--an alumina refinery that had traditionally supplied feedstock to smelters elsewhere in the former Soviet Union. But he was also one of numerous Russian businessmen hoping to use their newfound wealth to expand abroad, with Ukraine being an obvious first port of call due to the countries historic ties. Such ambitions dovetailed with Putins policy of restoring Russias economic influence over its backyard (but naturally clashed with nationalist sentiment in places like Ukraine).

Story continues

In later years, Deripaska reportedly invested in an offshore fund, called Pericles Emerging Markets, that was managed by Manafort, in the hope of buying other assets in Ukraine in media, retail and infrastructure. One deal in particular was the planned $18.9 million acquisition of a TV company, Black Sea Cable. He later sued in the Cayman Islands to recover his investment and $7.3 million in management fees.

Its not clear whether this is the deal at the center of the FinCen investigation. It has been common for a long time for Russian businessmen to route their dealings through offshore centers, even when investing in their own companies, and drawing the line between money-laundering and tax evasion (of which Russian government officials constantly complained) and legitimate investment activity has never been entirely clear-cut.

Russian investors in Cypriot banks were badly caught out by the island nations financial collapse in 2014, with 80,000 depositors in its largest bank, Bank of Cyprus, having their offshore accounts turned into equity as part of a bail-in imposed by the Eurozone and International Monetary Fund. Bank of Cyprus, famously, was one of a number of collapsed Eurozone banks into which Wilbur Ross, now Commerce Secretary, invested in during the Eurozones four-year streak of bailouts. Ross was vice-chairman of the bank until February.

There is no suggestion that Ross was involved in any improper activity. Deripaska and Manafort couldnt immediately be reached for comment. FinCen as a matter of policy doesnt comment on its ongoing investigations.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
Courting the Midwest voters who proved pivotal in his election win, Donald Trump has consistently reiterated his campaign promise to rebuild Americas infrastructure and protect domestic jobs. "We will have two simple rules when it comes to this massive rebuilding effort, he told an audience at a post-election rally in December. Buy American and hire American.

Within days, though, House Republicans -- under pressure from lobbyists for foreign companies -- had killed legislation that would have directed government infrastructure contracts to American manufacturing companies. It was a bold act of defiance against the rhetoric of the newly elected president, and now a top Democrat is attempting to force Trump to put his Buy America promises into action -- against his own party in Congress.

On Friday, Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin will reintroduce legislation requiring billions of dollars of the governments spending on water infrastructure to go only to projects that use American steel. Baldwins move is particularly notable because she hails from a state that proved critical to Trumps win. It is also the home state of House Speaker Paul Ryan, the Republican whose office helped kill the initiative in December.

Now is the time for President Trump to decide if he will keep his promises by supporting this legislation, or will he go along to get along with Congressional Republicans who have embraced the status quo and blocked this legislation that puts in place a strong Buy America standard, said Baldwin, who planned to announce the bill at a Wisconsin foundry that makes manhole covers for cities throughout the United States. The choice for the Republican establishment in Washington is clear: Do you stand with American manufacturers and workers or do you support spending taxpayer dollars on Chinese and Russian steel for American water infrastructure projects?

Baldwins bill deals with the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which in the last two decades has delivered nearly $28 billion in financing for more than 12,000 drinking-water projects across the country. Her legislation would mandate that moving forward, the program targets its funding to projects that use only American-made iron and steel.

Story continues

The domestic steel industry has shed tens of thousands of jobs in the past decades as both Democratic and Republican presidents pushed more free trade deals, which critics say have opened the country to unfair competition from state-subsidized foreign companies.

Those trade pacts have not only opened the U.S. market to competition, they have also typically included provisions threatening signatories with sanctions if they give preference to domestic contractors in government spending decisions. The provisions are designed to create a level playing field for domestic and foreign contractors in competition for government contracts, but the playing field may not be as level as the deals promised.

The Government Accountability Office issued a report last month showing that compared to 57 of its trading partners covered by procurement agreements, the United States is opening up far more of its government spending to foreign contractors. In all, the report found that the United States opened up $837 billion of its government spending to foreign contractors, while its next five largest trading partners opened up less than half that amount to U.S. contractors. Percentage-wise, the U.S. federal government opened up 80 percent of its procurement to foreign contractors -- far higher than major trading partners such as Japan (30 percent) and South Korea (13 percent).

In a number of our bilateral and multilateral trade deals, the trading partner gets to compete as though they were a domestic manufacturer; thats part of what gets written into these trade deals, Baldwin told International Business Times. What you are finding is that these trade deals are opening up more domestic procurement opportunities for businesses in foreign countries than those deals afford U.S. companies to bid overseas with the trading partner.

Baldwin

Photo: REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

Baldwins legislation is designed to begin addressing that imbalance. However, her legislation -- like other Buy America laws on the federal books -- may run up against superseding trade treaties.

[Baldwins] proposal could conflict with various bans and limits on Buy American imposed by the WTO and various FTAs, said Lori Wallach, referring to the World Trade Organization and Free Trade Agreements. Wallach's watchdog group Public Citizen has mounted opposition to the current free trade model. Even if aspects of [the proposal] might be protected by some of the exceptions, other countries certainly would attack it ferociously in Congress, claiming they would bring cases and the U.S. would face billions in trade sanctions, she said.

Wallach has asserted that the way to comprehensively strengthen Buy America laws is for Trump to use his presidential power to renegotiate the basic procurement rules in all U.S. trade agreements so that they universally permit targeting government spending to domestic contractors.

Major trade associations representing multinational corporations have long opposed that idea, arguing that Buy America provisions could provoke a trade war.

"An expansion of the current 'Buy American' rules would be a dumb idea, it would be a bad idea because the natural reaction would be for our trade partners to react in kind," said U.S. Chamber of Commerce president Thomas Donahue in 2009 during the debate over the federal stimulus bill. After Obama campaigned on Buy America themes, his administration weakened Buy America provisions of the final stimulus bill.

Theyre A Form Of Protectionism

Amid a presidential campaign focused on trade issues, Baldwin introduced a first version of her Buy America bill last July. It appeared headed for approval when the Republican-controlled Senate overwhelmingly passed an infrastructure bill that included the language.

House Republicans, though, did not include the language in their version of the bill. A senior House Republican on the committee that crafted that bill argued that preferences for domestic firms would ultimately harm Americans.

Quotas in any form and in any sort ultimately hurt the consumer, South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford told the Wall Street Journal. Theyre a form of protectionism, plain and simple.

During the House-Senate negotiations over the final bill, Ryan was lobbied by representatives of foreign steelmakers to block Baldwins provision from being included in the final legislation. At the time, the Wall Street Journal noted that the lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs was representing two major foreign steel producers -- Russias NLMK Inc. and California Steel Industries, which is owned by Brazilian and Japanese conglomerates. According to federal disclosures, in 2016 Squire Patton Boggs was paid $520,000 to lobby for the two foreign companies.

Federal records show that in 2016, two of Squire Patton Boggs' registered lobbyists for the two foreign-owned companies have ties to Ryan and Republican lawmakers: Natasha Hammond had been Ryans assistant for policy and Jack Kingston is a former longtime Republican congressman.

Squire Patton Boggs also is the immediate past employer of Ryans chief of staff; it now employs former Republican House Speaker John Boehner and it delivered more than $550,000 to Republican candidates and federal party committees in the 2016 election cycle, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. That includes more than $65,000 to Republicans on the two House panels that crafted the chambers version of the bill.

I Want A Solid Commitment From Washington

In the months since House Republicans first blocked the Buy America language, Trumps administration has sent mixed signals about how -- and whether -- it will advocate for policies that preference U.S. companies.

During his first week in office, Trump issued an executive order directing his administration to make sure all new pipelines are built with American-made steel. But then just days after Wilbur Ross was confirmed as Commerce Secretary, that department exempted the Keystone XL project from its mandates. Ross assumed the Cabinet post after serving on the board of the Luxembourg-based steel company ArcelorMittal, which was previously slated to provide steel for the project. The company has spent more than $1.7 million on federal lobbying in the last year, according to disclosure records.

In public, Trump has continued to echo Buy America themes, most recently reiterating them at a rally in Kentucky where he argued that Americans are being taken advantage of.

Like Henry Clay, we want to put our own people to work," he said. We believe in two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American, he told the audience in Louisville. From now on, it's going to be America first. America first. We will be, I promise you, a rich nation once again. And we will do what we have to do, and we will not allow other countries to take advantage of us like they've been doing to a level that's hard to believe.

In reintroducing the bill, Baldwin is trying to force Trump into acting on that rhetoric. She told IBT that Trump won her state promising to support the kind of legislation that she is pushing -- but that she has not seen evidence that he is following through on his promises.

I have no doubt that he won Wisconsin narrowly in part because of his focus on Buy America, she said. It was what I ran on and what I focus on and clearly it had an impact on workers voting for Donald Trump. Now I think the real mission is to hold him accountable to those words... There are too many instances right now where he is not following through on that word. I want a solid commitment from Washington and Donald Trump on a strong Buy America standard and I hope Ill get that."

Related Articles
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that retired Gen. Michael Flynn, former National Security Advisor and head of a consulting firm that filed as a foreign agent representing the Turkish government, discussed removing controversial cleric Fethullah Gulen back to Turkey without going through the U.S. extradition process.

At a Sept. 2016 meeting in New York, Flynn reportedly met with top Turkish ministers as they discussed ways to move Gulen back to Turkey, according to ex-Central Intelligence Agency Director James Woolsey, and others who were at the meeting. According to Woolsey, the participants in the meeting talked of ways to spirit Gulen out of his Poconos Mountains retreat without going through the U.S. extraditions process.

Flynn was advising the Trump campaign at the time  just two months after a bloody coup attempt in Turkey that rattled Ankara and redoubled calls for the United States to extradite Gulen, who Turkey blamed for the botched coup.

A Flynn spokesperson told the WSJ, at no time did Gen. Flynn discuss any illegal actions, nonjudicial physical removal or any other such activities.

Gulen, a cleric who built an influential network of schools and cultural institutions inside and outside Turkey, is an ally turned enemy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He has lived in exile in the United States since 1999. Erdogan accused him of orchestrating the July military coup and, while detaining thousands and cracking down on civil society, demanded his extradition from the United States.

Then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that the United States could not approve that without proof that Gulen was, in fact, behind the attempted coup. We have consistently said to our friends in Turkey and allies in Turkey that we need evidence. We have a very strict set of requirements that have to be met for an extradition to take place, Kerry said in July. Judging by the WSJ report, Flynn was more willing to engage in talks.

Story continues

This is only the latest scandal to embroil the former national security advisor. He resigned in February after news emerged that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with Moscows ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, and then misled the Trump administration about those talks.

And on March 2, Flynns consulting group, the Flynn Intel Group, filed with the Department of Justice as a foreign agent retroactively for work it did last year, while he was also advising the Republican nominee. Flynns firm said its work could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey from August to November.

Flynns also attracted all sorts of the wrong kinds of attention for taking payments from Russian-state owned media to attend events in Moscow in 2015, which for a military officer is a violation of the Emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Photo credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
Kamza (Albania) (AFP) - A town in central Albania has renamed a boulevard in honour of Donald Trump, calling the US president "a revolutionary model" for the world.

Kamza, a few miles north of the capital, Tirana, had already made Trump an honorary citizen after his election victory last year.

"Donald Trump is a revolutionary model of the new democratic order, a great leader of modern times," Mayor Xhelal Mziu, of the main rightwing opposition Democratic Party, told AFP.

The party's national leader, Lulzim Basha, attended the renaming of Liria ("Liberty") Avenue this month, telling the crowd: "By electing Mr Trump, the US gave the world another lesson in democracy."

He also praised Trump's victory as "act of love for the champions of freedom".

The town's admiration contrasts sharply with the opinion of Albania's Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, who made no secret of his preference for Hillary Clinton during the US campaign.

She had won over many ethnic Albanians because of her husband Bill's role in the NATO campaign against Serbia during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war.

Not all of the 100,000 inhabitants of Kamza were enthusiastic about the new street, even in a town known for bestowing similar honours on former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Italy's ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi and others.

The town has grown sporadically in recent years as poverty in mountainous regions has led to an influx of newcomers.

"We gave a street to Sarkozy, Berlusconi, Bush, the World Bank, Paris and Tokyo, but why?" said Haxhi Hyra, 52, who supports his extended family of 12 by selling cigarettes and popcorn on a corner of what is now Donald Trump Boulevard.

"It serve us only for dreaming since the daily reality is nothing but a nightmare," Hyra said.

"I only hope that if he visits Kamza one day he will buy my popcorn," he said. "They will be fresh and at the right price."

Compared with Paris Street, a muddy road littered with garbage, or Tokyo Street, barely more than a country track, Trump Boulevard is paved and clean, bordered by a groomed lawn.
By Steve Holland and David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday touted Charter Communications Inc's decision to invest $25 billion in the United States and a plan the company announced before he was elected to hire 20,000 workers over four years. At a White House event with the second-largest U.S. cable company's Chief Executive Thomas Rutledge and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Trump praised Charter for planning to close its offshore call centers and move them to the United States. Much of the announcement was not new. Charter said last May that it planned to add 20,000 jobs as part of its merger with Time Warner Cable and acquisition of Bright House Networks. As early as June 2015, Rutledge said Charter would need an additional 20,000 employees after those deals. On a number of occasions, Trump has touted job announcements at the White House that had been previously planned or announced The company said more than a year ago in February 2016 that it planned to close foreign Time Warner Cable call centers and move the jobs to the United States. On Friday, Trump said, "We're embracing a new economic model - the American Model. Were going to massively eliminate job-killing regulations - that has started already, big league - reduce government burdens, and lower taxes that are crushing American businesses and American workers. "Youre going to see thousands and thousands and thousands of jobs, of companies, and everything coming back into our country." Charter, which has 24 million residential and business customers in 41 states, said on Friday it had committed to Trump to hiring those workers within four years. It plans to invest $25 billion in broadband infrastructure and technology in the next four years. In May 2016 Rutledge said in a recorded interview there would be some overlap in management positions (after the TWC merger) but said the company would hire about 20,000 people over four years. Rutledge said the broadband investment was being made "in the right regulatory climate and right tax climate ... Were committed to spending that predicated on the kind of regulatory consistency and efficiency that we expect as a country." Charter agreed in May 2016 to make significant broadband investment under a deal with the Federal Communications Commission that was part of winning approval to acquire the cable networks. At that time Charter agreed to extend high-speed internet access to another two million customers within five years, with one million served by a broadband competitor. Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement on Friday that the commission was "working to set rules of the road that encourage companies to build and upgrade broadband networks across the country." He credited the FCC's "investment-friendly policies" in part for Charter's commitments. The agency is considering a petition by the American Cable Association to strike the requirement Charter extend service to areas already served by companies because it could harm smaller competitors. Charter also touted its plans to open a new bilingual call center in McAllen, Texas and said it expects to employ 600 there by the end of 2018. Plans to open a call center in Texas were announced last October. In December, Trump announced that telecommunications group Sprint Corp and U.S. satellite company OneWeb would bring 8,000 jobs to the United States, and the companies said the positions were part of a previously disclosed pledge by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp. In January, Sprint Chief Executive Marcelo Claure said of its decision to shift 5,000 call center jobs to the United States that the company "had plans to do this for a while." (Reporting By Steve Holland and David Shepardson in Washinggton Additional reporting by Anjali Athavaley in New York; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
The wealthiest Americans will see the biggest benefit from the Republican plan to repeal the tax on investments and additional Medicare tax in the Republican American Health Care Act, a state-by-state analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy indicates, with California and the District of Columbia the biggest winners.

The analysis indicated the wealthiest Americans will see a $31 billion tax cut if the Obamacare replacement measure is approved, with the wealthiest 1 percent reaping as much as 96 percent of the benefit.

The bottom line is that this is another proposed tax giveaway to the wealthiest Americans, said Matt Gardner, a senior fellow at the institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization. Just like Congress proposed tax plan, the health care bill focuses on ensuring the wealthy have to contribute as little as possible to fund the services on which we all rely.

Read: Senators Predict Defeat Of 'Obamacare-Lite'

The House is scheduled to vote on the AHCA Thursday, but about two dozen conservatives are balking at approving the measure, and Senate conservatives have labeled the bill Obamacare-lite and unacceptable. House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump have been lobbying hard for the measure.

Former Vice President Joe Biden returned to Capitol Hill Wednesday to condemn the Republican effort to repeal former President Barack Obamas signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

Read: Obamacare Replacement Defended By Paul Ryan, Tom Price

When you cut to the chase, were talking about eliminating close to $1 trillion in benefits that go to people  and transferring all of that to the wealthy. Thats what this is all about, Biden, flanked by scores of other Democrats, told a cheering crowd to mark the seventh anniversary of the signing of Obamacare.

Thats classic Republican politics. This is a tax bill for them.

The institutes analysis bolsters Democrats position that the AHCA would gut the central elements of Obamacare while threatening coverage for low- and middle-income Americans, especially older workers not yet eligible for Medicare.

Story continues

The analysis indicates 5.7 percent of District of Columbia taxpayers, earning an average $984,000 to more than $2.9 million, would benefit from repeal of the investment tax, the largest percentage in the country, while California had the most beneficiaries at 697,600, earning an average $786,000 to $2.5 million. The state seeing the least benefit would be West Virginia, where the top 1 percent earns an average $346,000 to $762,000, where only 1.1 percent would see a benefit while Wyoming, where the top 1 percent earns an average $530,000 to $3 million, had the fewest beneficiaries at 6,800.

The District of Columbia also sees the greatest percentage of the population benefiting from repeal of the additional Medicare tax, 6.1 percent, while California again had the most beneficiaries at 637,000. West Virginia again saw the lowest percentage at 0.8 percent and Wyoming had the fewest at 3,400.

Related Articles
Public television stations across the country have begun airing a documentary about pain treatment produced by a doctor with significant financial ties to the manufacturers of opioid medications  a fact not disclosed in the program.

The Painful Truth chronicles the plight of several patients struggling to find effective treatment for chronic pain. Throughout the 57-minute-long program, politicians, federal agencies, and others are depicted as having overreacted to the epidemic of opioid-related overdoses; the documentary suggests pain specialists have been discouraged from prescribing opioids to patients who genuinely need them.

The program accuses the US Drug Enforcement Agency of unfairly targeting pain doctors and putting a bounty on pain clinics the agency aims to shut down.

The political culture has declared war against opioids and those who prescribe them, the narrator of the program says. The DEA is the army. The pain patients are the civilians caught in the middle.

The producer, Dr. Lynn Webster of Utah, and several of the experts he quotes in the program, have long-standing and extensive financial relationships with pain medicine makers. When asked why these relationships are not disclosed to viewers, Webster told STAT that he did not receive any drug industry funding for the documentary. He said it was funded entirely by himself and his wife.

I am cognizant of that issue, but I think I dealt with it as carefully as I could, he said in an interview. If viewers want to know whether any of the individual doctors associated with the documentary have financial relationships with pharmaceutical makers, Webster said they can search for that information on the web.

Webster has been paid by dozens of pharmaceutical companies for research, consulting, advisory board positions, speaking engagements, and travel expenses. From 1990 to 2010, Webster operated a pain clinic in Salt Lake City. In 2003, he cofounded a research facility that operated out of the same building as his pain clinic. He has focused on research since closing the clinic in 2010, most recently as vice president of scientific affairs at PRA Health Sciences.

Story continues

Not referenced in the documentary is the role of pharmaceutical companies that misleadingly marketed opioids by downplaying addiction risks and convinced doctors to prescribe the potent painkillers for conditions the drugs are not approved to treat. Physicians who treat pain patients are described as victims  of overzealous authorities and coldhearted insurance companies. Also criticized is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which last year issued voluntary guidelines that advise doctors that the use of non-opioid treatment is preferred for chronic pain. An undercurrent of resentment regarding media coverage of opioid addiction runs throughout the program.

There are dozens of important stories about people with opioid addiction almost daily but rarely is there a story about people in pain, Webster said in an email to STAT.

The program is being distributed by the National Educational Telecommunications Association, which makes the documentary available to public television stations across the country. Public television stations pay an annual fee to NETA for the rights to broadcast the programming it offers. The Painful Truth was brought to NETA by MontanaPBS, which acts as the presenting station and helps Webster and his co-producer market the program to other stations.

The documentary was first offered on March 1 and has been booked for broadcast in 20 markets. It is scheduled to air in the countrys largest market when it runs on WNYE in New York City Monday and has already aired on stations in Ohio, Montana, New Mexico, and Georgia, according to the documentarys website. It can be viewed online on the PBS website.

Aaron Pruitt, director of content at MontanaPBS, said he was not aware of any financial connections between Webster and companies that make opioid pain relievers. If there is some evidence of that, I have seen nothing, he said. After being directed to public disclosures of those relationships, Pruitt wrote in an email, As far as I can tell, he has been working with companies to find safer, less addictive treatments for patients.

In a pitch to television stations offered the documentary, the distributors write that NETA and MontanaPBS have carefully reviewed The Painful Truth, and the credentials of Dr. Webster. We have found Dr. Webster to be one of the countrys experts on pain treatment, a past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and an advocate for the safe prescription of opioids.

Read more: A potent painkiller, and the drug makers marketing, are faulted in a womans death

Pruitt said he and the director of programming at NETA did look into a DEA investigation of Websters pain clinic after several patient deaths. Government officials never disclosed what they were investigating. Webster said he received a letter informing him the investigation was closed with no action taken. The US attorneys office in Utah was quoted in 2014 confirming there would be no prosecution of Webster.

Some of Websters industry relationships are detailed in the federal governments Open Payments database. From 2013-2015, Webster was listed as the principal researcher on just over $9 million worth of contracts with pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer Inc., Mallinckrodt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Orexo US, Inc.

While much of the research is opioid-related, the nature of the work ranges from a study of a medication to treat opioid dependence to examining the abuse potential of certain opioids. Webster said the research money is paid to whatever research company he is working for and he is not privy to details of contracts with the drug makers.

Webster has also received direct payments from industry  more than $100,000 from several companies in the 2013-2015 period reported on the government website. He received $11,400 in consulting fees and other compensation from Insys Therapeutics, an Arizona company whose marketing of a powerful prescription opioid called Subsys is the subject of numerous investigations. He was also reimbursed by the company for travel to Las Vegas, Miami Beach, and Chicago.

He was paid $3,000 by Zogenix Inc. for speaking at a non-accredited medical education event related to the companys controversial opioid painkiller Zohydro ER, which it later sold to another company. He has received $6,000 for consulting for Depomed Inc., which makes a long-acting opioid pain medication.

The government database does not include all of Websters recent financial relationships with industry, and his work for pharmaceutical companies in prior years is not disclosed on the site. Webster has in earlier years reported industry relationships in medical journal articles and at speaking engagements, but the amounts and specific nature of payments are not public.

For instance, Webster reported in 2010 that he was a member of the advisory board at Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, whose aggressive marketing of the prescription painkiller has been blamed for helping seed the opioid addiction crisis. Three company executives pleaded guilty to charges Purdue fraudulently marketed the drug by falsely claiming it was less addictive.

Read more: Fatal drug overdoses in US on the rise, CDC says

Webster also reported being a consultant for Cepahlon Inc., which at the time sold a fentanyl product called Actiq. Cephalon, which was acquired by Teva in 2011, paid a $425 million fine to resolve allegations it improperly marketed Actiq and two other drugs.

Webster was the president in 2013 and 2014 of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, which has received significant funding from pharmaceutical companies.

Among the physicians featured in the documentary is Dr. Russell Portenoy, who helped write a 1996 consensus statement on behalf of two pain societies that has been criticized for allegedly playing down the risk of addiction and overdose with opioids when prescribed to treat chronic pain. Portenoy was a frequent lecturer on the topic, although he later acknowledged that some talks he gave about the risk of opioid addiction were not true.

Both Portenoy and Webster are named as defendants in ongoing lawsuits filed by three counties in New York alleging they were part of a conspiracy with drug makers to deceptively market opioids as safe and effective in the treatment of chronic pain. The doctors, in a court filing, strongly denied the charge and called it an attack on their free speech rights to express medical opinions.

Webster said he attempted to include differing views of opioid treatment in his documentary and reached out to a member of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, a group that has called for more cautious use of the medications. He declined to identify the person he contacted, but said it was by email and he never received a response.

Read more: A civil war over painkillers rips apart the medical community  and leaves patients in fear

Jane Ballantyne, the president of PROP and a professor of pain medicine at the University of Washington, said she was never contacted by Webster and doesnt know of other members of her group who were. She has not viewed the documentary.

The message should be that opioid treatment of chronic pain is the exception not the rule, she wrote in an email. Lynn Webster would like it to be the rule, I think  and so would pharma who keep pushing that way. Ballantyne said she did not have any financial relationships with industry. In 2015, she reported receiving consultancy fees from a law firm that has sued prescription opioid makers.

The Painful Truth is critical of the DEA and features a doctor who was found innocent of charges related to illegal prescribing following a federal government investigation. Webster said he has served as an expert witness or consultant in more than a dozen cases on behalf of pain doctors charged with improper prescribing of opioids. His own case with the DEA and his expert witness work for doctors is not disclosed in the documentary.

There is a lot in the media and press about the bad doctors and the overprescribing and the pill mills, Webster said in an interview. What there isnt, and the reason for the documentary, is to bring something out that is not well-known. That is there are doctors being accused of wrongdoing when there is probably not justification. And that has had a negative impact on the ability of physicians and their interest and willingness to treat people in pain whether with an opioid or not.

A former DEA agent is shown in the documentary saying the agency is often used as a bogeyman. A DEA spokesman, Russell Baer, said the allegation in the documentary that the agency has placed a bounty on pain clinics or that agents receive bonuses for successfully going after pain doctors is false. Baer said he took offense to that allegation and the accusation in the documentary that the agency views pharmaceutical companies and pain doctors as the enemy. He said the DEA actively works with both drug manufacturers and prescribers to find ways to address the opioid epidemic.

The patients featured in The Painful Truth include some who are fearful of losing access to opioid treatment, as well as those who say some doctors have refused to treat them and pharmacies have balked at filling their prescriptions. The apprehension among some pain patients that they wont be able to get opioids has been reported in several media outlets, including STAT.

Webster acknowledged that several of the patients in his documentary are miserable even while taking opioids, and the documentary makes the point that better treatments are desperately needed. For now, however, he said opioid medications are often the best of several flawed options.

With all of the focus on opioid addiction, we are forgetting many people with pain who have benefited, he said. Its the only thing that keeps them from suicide.
Don't hold a blank piece of paper to your computer screen, unless you really want to be made fun of.

In the wake of the Westminster attacks in London, some far-right politicians have predictably used the event to try and support their bid for a trump-style ban on immigration from Muslim majority naions.

SEE ALSO: Here's where that viral defiant meme about the London attack came from

Among them was Australia's very own conservative politician Pauline Hanson, who hit up social media in a bid to try to convince people to get behind a Muslim ban. Um, no thanks.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has responded to the London terror attack https://t.co/a80ZC5vmQw pic.twitter.com/Qi6pv2LVHx  SBS Australia (@SBS) March 23, 2017

Part of her pitch included a hashtag suggestion: #Pray4MuslimBan, a response to #Pray4London. Nah, we're good.

But her white sheet of paper also made for an excellent Photoshop opportunity. And the people took full advantage.

no real surprises from hanson here #pray4muslimban pic.twitter.com/7AD66JYye6  Maddison Connaughton (@madconnaughton) March 23, 2017

One Nation leader hard at work on her cheeky new #Pray4MuslimBan colouring book.



Careful, crossing the lines a bit there @PaulineHansonOz! pic.twitter.com/hDVWqZ3LsR  Nick Lo (@nickjlo) March 23, 2017

Just a little something to demonstrate the flaws in her argument... #Pray4MuslimBan #auspol pic.twitter.com/UuKmlZWm3A  Adam Spence (@AdamSpenceAU) March 23, 2017

Never stick white paper in front of a camera, folks.

[h/t Pedestrian]

WATCH: Robotic glove lets people with limited hand mobility perform daily tasks
By Joel Schectman

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. authorities charged a Lebanese businessman with evading sanctions placed against him because of his alleged support for the Hezbollah militant movement.

Kassim Tajideen, 62, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Friday, and will be held in jail until a detention hearing next week, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that Tajideen had been arrested on March 12 in Morocco on an international warrant issued by Interpol's Washington office.

U.S. authorities say Tajideen ran a multi-billion-dollar "global business empire" that traded in commodities across the Middle East and Africa. In 2009, U.S. authorities placed Tajideen on a sanction blacklist because of his alleged support for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Tajideen's arrest and indictment followed a two-year investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and assisted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Tajideen acted as a key source of funds for (Hezbollah's) global terror network," Raymond Donovan, a DEA special agent in charge of the Special Operations Division, said in the statement.

By restructuring the company and using a complex web of trade names, U.S. authorities say Tajideen was able to hide his involvement and continue doing business with U.S. companies.

(Reporting by Joel Schectman; Editing by Leslie Adler)
(WASHINGTON) - The State Department has ordered American embassies and consulates around the world to draw up criteria for population sets needing extra scrutiny before receiving visas to travel to the United States, according to a recent diplomatic cable.

The message also instructed U.S. posts overseas to review the social media accounts of visa applicants who are suspected of terrorist ties or of having been in Islamic State group-controlled areas.

The guidance was sent in a March 17 cable to all U.S. diplomatic missions to help American officials satisfy President Donald Trumps memorandum for enhanced vetting of visa applicants. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the cable. The State Department wouldnt comment beyond saying it was working to meet the Trump memorandums requirements and that visitor screening and vetting procedures are designed to effectively identify individuals who could pose a threat to the United States.

The cable, which was first reported by Reuters, does not define population sets. But it quickly drew criticism from rights groups and others whove accused Trump of discriminating against Muslims through his now-suspended ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries.

The cable calls for consular chiefs at each post to immediately convene working groups to develop a list of criteria identifying sets of post applicant populations warranting increased scrutiny and attempt to identify individual applicants that fall within the population set during the course of a consular visa interview. Even if the applicant otherwise qualifies for a visa, those identified as meeting the criteria would require additional scrutiny and possible denial.

Amnesty International on Thursday called for the department to publicize the guidance.

These measures could provide license for discrimination based on national origin and religion, the human rights group said in a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. They could provide a pretext for barring individuals based on their nonviolent beliefs and expression. Social media checks, as well as demands for social media passwords at U.S. borders, have significant implications for privacy and freedom of expression.

Story continues

The instructions tells posts to refer any visa applicant who may have ties to ISIS or to other terrorist organizations or has ever been present in an ISIS-controlled territory to a Fraud Prevent Unit for a mandatory social media review. The results of that review are to be flagged and entered into the applicants file.

Additionally, the cable says consular officers must take into account if an Iraqi visa applicant was ever present in a territory at the time it was controlled by ISIS. If the applicant was, such information must be flagged for additional review.

The Trump administration originally included Iraq among the countries affected by its proposed travel ban. After a court blocked the effort, a second executive order removed Iraq from the travel ban. That order also has been suspended by a court.

The cable anticipates the new requirements may cause backlogs in visa processing.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
By Tom Perry and Ellen Francis BEIRUT (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State is helping to train a police force for the Syrian city of Raqqa in anticipation of its capture from the militants, two Kurdish officials said on Friday. They said the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, also had advanced plans to install a civilian council in the city once it falls. It would consist mainly of Arabs, in line with Raqqa's demography, but also include Kurds and other ethnic groups. The extent of Kurdish influence in the future running of the city is sensitive both for residents and for NATO member Turkey, which has fought its own Kurdish insurgency for three decades and fears growing Kurdish ascendancy just over the border in northern Syria. The United States, which backs the SDF, says a final decision has yet to be taken on how and when Raqqa - the de facto capital of Islamic State in Syria - will be captured. But the SDF's campaign near the city is continuing apace, and the plans for civilian rule indicate its determination to take Raqqa regardless. The U.S. military declined to comment on any specific police training activities. One U.S. official, however, said the United States believed that whoever provides internal security should reflect the ethnic make-up of the population. SPHERE OF INFLUENCE Kurdish official Awas Ali, who comes from Raqqa province, said the city council, of which he will be a member, would be unveiled in April. It would include local tribal sheikhs and people currently living in the city who would be identified when it was safe to do so. The establishment of a local government allied to the SDF in Raqqa would expand the sphere of Kurdish influence in northern Syria, mirroring governing arrangements put in place in the city of Manbij after its capture by the SDF last year. Ali said hundreds of people had already been trained at Ain Issa, north of Raqqa, to join the Raqqa police, which he described as a purely civilian force with no paramilitary role. The training was being carried out with help from SDF-allied security forces from Manbij and other areas in northern Syria, and from the U.S.-led coalition. "There will be a department of internal security for Raqqa ... and there are also people from the international coalition overseeing the training," he told Reuters from the Kurdish-controlled town of Kobani. Senior Kurdish politician Ilham Ahmed, speaking separately to Reuters, confirmed the police training at Ain Issa. "As for preparing the local council to run the city, it is almost complete," said Ahmed, who co-chairs the SDF's political arm, the Syrian Democratic Council. "They are ready to run the city until it is completely liberated," she told Reuters. Local authorities would expand the council after Raqqa's capture, as happened in Manbij, she added. The head of the Kurdish YPG militia, which is a major part of the SDF, told Reuters last week the final assault on Raqqa would start in early April. The French defense minister said on Friday that it was expected to start in days. Ali said that he is one of two Kurds on a 10-person committee setting up the Raqqa council, and that invitations to join the council had been sent to around 100 notable figures from Raqqa. "The most important thing is that they have no ties to the regime and that the people who have been picked are socially acceptable," he said. (Additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations' top human rights body agreed on Friday to widen its investigation into widespread violations in North Korea with a view to documenting alleged crimes against humanity for future prosecution. North Korea said it "categorically and totally" rejected the resolution adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council. The text was "a product of the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) from A to Z," its envoy said after boycotting the debate. The 47-member state forum adopted a resolution, brought by Japan and the European Union and backed by the United States, on the final day of its four-week session without a vote. It called for North Korea to cooperate and allow access for U.N. investigators, which the reclusive state has never done. International pressure is building on the country ruled by Kim Jong Un over its nuclear tests - Fox news reported on Thursday North Korea was in the final stages of launching another one, possibly within days. The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on foreign companies or individuals for violating export controls on North Korea, as well as Iran and Syria, the State Department said on Friday. The U.N. human rights office in Seoul would be strengthened for two years with international criminal justice experts to establish a central repository for testimony and evidence "with a view to developing possible strategies to be used in any future accountability process". The Seoul office's current six-strong staff record testimony from interviews with dozens of North Korean defectors each week, a U.N. official told Reuters. "This not only brings North Koreans one step closer to justice for human rights crimes they have suffered, but should also make North Korean government officials think twice before inflicting more abuse," John Fisher from Human Rights Watch said in a statement. A U.N. commission of inquiry, in a landmark 2014 report based on interviews and hearings with defectors, catalogued massive violations - including large prison camps, starvation and executions - that it said should be brought to the International Criminal Court. "The 'resolution' is nothing more than a document for interference in internal affairs of sovereign states and represents the culmination of politicisation, selectivity and double standards of human rights," Mun Jong Chol, a counsellor at North Korea's mission to the U.N. in Geneva, told reporters. It was a fraudulent document full of "lies, fabrications and plots", Mun said. China said it "dissociated" itself from the council's decision and called for dialogue. The situation on the divided Korean peninsula is "complex and sensitive" and all sides should avoid provocation that might lead to an escalation, Chinese diplomat Jiang Yingfeng said. The world should "focus on the bigger picture," he added. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Ralph Boulton and Andrew Heavens)
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The top United Nations human rights body agreed on Friday to send an international fact-finding mission to investigate widespread allegations of killings, rape and torture by security forces against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state. But Myanmar ambassador Htin Lynn, speaking before the decision was taken by consensus, rejected the move as "not acceptable". Myanmar's national commission had just interviewed alleged victims who fled to Bangladesh and would issue its findings by August, he said. The U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution without a vote, brought by the European Union and supported by countries including the United States, that called for "ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims". A U.N. report issued last month, based on interviews with 220 Rohingya among 75,000 who have fled to Bangladesh since October, said that Myanmar's security forces have committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya in a campaign that "very likely" amounts to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing. Myanmar's Lynn, referring to the resolution, said: "Such kind of action is not acceptable to Myanmar as it not in harmony with the situation on the ground and our national circumstances. Let the Myanmar people choose the best and the most effective course of action to address the challenges in Myanmar. "We will be doing what needs to be done and we will do it with great prudence and probity," he added. China and India said they would "disassociate" themselves from the consensus, with China's delegation saying the issue "cannot be solved overnight". Activists welcomed what they called a "landmark decision" by the 47-member forum, while regretting that it was not a full international commission of inquiry, and called on the government to cooperate. "It is unfortunate that the government of Burma/Myanmar has chosen to disassociate itself from this resolution," John Samuel, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA, said in a statement. "It is important for the National League for Democracy led government in Burma/Myanmar to see international human rights mechanisms as an ally in its arduous struggle with the military, which still maintains effective control in the country and stands implicated in allegations of gross violations. This resolution is a great opportunity for the government to move in the right direction. It should cooperate fully with the international fact finding mission. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Julia Glover)
By Chris Prentice NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. oil refining executives met with a senior official in President Donald Trump's administration at the White House last week to argue their position for an overhaul of the nation's biofuels program, two people in the meeting told Reuters. While it is not unusual for the White House to meet with stakeholders on key issues, the meeting is a sign the Trump administration is actively considering possible changes to the wide-reaching program. Executives from Valero Energy Corp, Delta Airlines' refiner Monroe Energy, CVR Energy Inc. and several others met with Michael Catanzaro, Trump's senior energy policy aide, on March 16, the two attendees said. The executives argued that Trump should change the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program to lift the onus of blending biofuels into gasoline away from refiners, placing it instead further down the supply chain to gasoline marketers. They said the program was costing the oil refining industry money and jobs. "The policy needs to adapt to a changing market," said Roy Houseman, a legislative representative for the United Steelworkers union, who was in the meeting. "We wanted to highlight the larger issue: We represent 30,000 workers in the refining industry." It was not clear who initiated the meeting. The RFS, a 2005 policy ushered in by former Republican President George W. Bush, requires that energy companies use increasing volumes of biofuels like ethanol each year with gasoline and diesel. It was designed to boost the use of ethanol and other renewables in gasoline and diesel in a bid to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The policy is a boon for the agriculture industry, particularly corn growers that produce the feedstock for biofuels like ethanol, but some independent oil refiners have said it is threatening their operations. The debate over shifting the point of obligation for blending fuels intensified in recent weeks after Trump's informal adviser on regulatory issues, billionaire Carl Icahn, said in February that he believed Trump would issue an order revamping the biofuels policy. The White House has denied that any executive order on biofuels is in the works. Icahn owns a majority stake in CVR Energy. Bill Douglass, head of the Small Retailers Coalition, who was also at the meeting, said Catanzaro spoke with the group for about 40 minutes and spent half that time asking how fuel retailers are being affected by the biofuels program. Douglass, whose trade group represents small, independent petroleum retailers and convenience stores, said Catanzaro did not say what the White House was planning to do with the policy. Catanzaro could not be reached for comment. Other companies represented in the meeting included HollyFrontier Corp, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, PBF Energy, Douglass said. A spokeswoman for Philadelphia Energy Solutions declined to comment while the review process is underway. Officials for the other companies did not respond to requests for comment. Biofuels advocates, including ethanol producers and Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa - the country's biggest corn-producing state - oppose changes to the program, saying they could overcomplicate it. Large, integrated oil companies also oppose the change, saying it would be more effective to reform or repeal the legislation. (Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Uber is failing at step one: Admit you have a problem.

SEE ALSO: Why sexual harassment scandals like Uber's are bound to persist in tech

The latest example comes via a tweet from Kamilah Taylor, a senior software engineer and coauthor of Women In Tech, who was recently approached by Uber hiring's team with a job offer.

@nrrrdcore  You should see this actual exchange I had with a hiring manager there a couple weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/yrabqc7e7k  kamilah taylor  (@kamilah) March 22, 2017

So per Uber HR, they do "understand" the concern of "Uber's questionable business practices and sexism," as Taylor brilliantly phrased it.

But rather than immediately accept that and share what they are doing to change the problem, the representative instead decides to blame... society?

"I just want to say that sexism is systemic in tech and other industries," the rep said.

Wow.

We have a five-question interview with Taylor below but first, let's unpack Uber's response.

First, sexism CAN BE a systemic problem at companies. I am not here to deny that. But, why in god's name are you throwing the whole industry under the bus instead of saying how YOU will fix things?

@nrrrdcore So is the argument that there is no systemic sexism or is it that Uber is just one of many with systemic sexism? pic.twitter.com/gGoOt0C2sU  kamilah taylor  (@kamilah) March 22, 2017

Second, you say you've met "some of the most inspiring people here." Alright, same. But I've met a ton of female engineers and product managers in Silicon Valley who have interviewed at Uber and would never work there, even before former Uber engineer Susan Fowler Rigetti blew the whistle.

Story continues

One former engineer I spoke to told me, "I knew two women engineers who both experienced psychological trauma after being at Uber."

The Huffington Post founder and Uber board member Arianna Huffington has said she will put "feet to the fire" to get the apparent problems fixed.

Huffington is not leading the investigation into the workplace culture at Uber and Rigetti's allegation, rather it's Eric Holder (you're welcome, Uber PR!). But if she's having conversations with employees at Uber, she might want to start talking to Uber recruiters.

Here's what Uber PR had to say in response to Taylor's claims, first reported by The Guardian:

Here's what Uber PR added in an email to Mashable:

And lastly, here's our interview with Taylor:

1. Take me through what you experienced in Uber's recruiting

"So it's not the first time that Uber has reached out to me. They hire a lot of people so they've reached out to a lot of engineers recently. I was surprised that they did the cold reach out right now in midst of the scandal. I thought they would have toned down their process.

That's why I responded. I was shocked they were carrying on business as usual. They cant just pretend that nothing has happened. This is now completely out in the open. Everything that has been whispered about for years. She [the recruiter] didnt respond for awhile. In that I found out that my friend had been contacted as well and she responded to him. Then, she responded to me."

2. Why did you respond the way you did?

"Ive had many friends that have worked at Uber over the years, some of whom are still employed, and I have not heard great things. It's a deeply personal issue for me. I know that the situation is bad internally. I wanted to get that message through, that this is not normal."

3. What was your first reaction to the #DeleteUber movement and then Susan's letter?

"I was not that surprised with [Uber's actions] following the Muslim ban because it seemed like Uber's standard business practices. I think i was sort of unfazed. Thats Uber.

With Susans story, I had sort of started to hear some of it again [from] internal sources so when it came out I was not that surprised sadly, but I was surprised by how much traction the story was gaining, in a good way."

4. Do you agree to the claim that sexism is 'systemic' throughout the tech industry?

"I agree with the claims that there is a lot of sexism in industry and tech is an industry. Yes, there is sexism, but I dont agree with her claim that this I just what you find anywhere, that this is no different than anywhere else. Thats where I draw the line."

5. What do you think Uber should do now, in regards to recruiting and other operations?

"I think they really need to sort of take this as a moment to reflect on their entire process and realize that until its actually very clear to us in the industry that theyre actually trying to fix this internally, nothing's going to change.

Right now the efforts do not feel sincere. As long as that is true, they cant act like this is normal. My male friend independently had sent a similar response. This isnt just women in the tech industry. We all are watching if your efforts sincere."

WATCH: Instagram captures stunning electric blue 'sea sparkle' phenomenon
By Aditi Shah NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Global ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies is rethinking its car leasing strategy in India, its second-biggest market, as drivers have returned dozens of leased cars early after the company cut incentives, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Uber had planned to buy 15,000 new cars last year and lease them out in a bid to attract more drivers - a strategy it has used in other markets - but it suspended the scheme for a while in December after leasing just a third of that total. After burning through millions of dollars over three years in a battle for market share with local rival Ola, backed by Japan's Softbank, Uber has cut the incentives it gives to drivers and raised the fares it charges passengers. The incentives - from free smartphones to cash bonuses worth as much as double a day's fares - meant drivers could earn as much as 120,000 rupees ($1,838) a month. Those incentive payments have been pared back, in some cases to as little as 10 percent of fare income. Ride fares have risen to 1.5 rupees per minute of travel from 1 rupee. The incentives and, to an extent, the leasing scheme aimed at drivers without their own cars, boosted Uber's driver numbers, helping it rapidly gain around 30 percent market share. Uber has faced challenges elsewhere in Asia, but the stakes are high in India's $12 billion taxi market, a key area after it exited China last year, and one where CEO Travis Kalanick has said it expects to be profitable soon. Uber has said its services are in 29 Indian cities and it has more than 250,000 drivers on its platform, but it lags Ola, which says it operates in more than 100 cities with about 550,000 drivers. BUSINESS SHIFT Two people with knowledge of the matter said Uber miscalculated the impact that the reduced incentives would have on drivers' earnings, especially those making lease payments. At an open meeting for staff in December, around the time the incentives were being reduced, Uber's India chief Amit Jain said the buying-for-lease scheme was being temporarily suspended while the company evaluated its leasing strategy, one of the sources said. Uber did not comment on Reuters queries related to Jain's announcement or the impact of the incentives cuts on its leasing programme. Raj Beri, business head for leasing in India, said the scheme was set up to help drivers without cars get on its platform and make money. "We are very pleased with our progress toward this goal so far, and look forward to introducing the opportunity to more prospective driver partners this year," he said in a statement. In a recent blog post on Uber's website, Jain defended the cuts to driver incentives and signalled a strategic shift for India. "We can shift from start-up mode to a more sustainable business model," he wrote. "NO BENEFIT IN LEASING" Leasing is only a small part of Uber's overall supply in India, but is seen as a way to lock drivers on to its platform for longer, and stop them switching to Ola. To lease a new small car through Uber's scheme, drivers pay a 33,000 rupee ($499) deposit - less than what they would pay to buy a car from a dealer with a bank loan. But weekly payments of about 5,500 rupees over three years add up to nearly double what drivers would pay to service a car loan. That wasn't an issue when incentives were high. Several Uber drivers said they feel trapped as a surge in the number of cars on Uber's platform has led to fewer rides, at a time when incentives have been cut, making it harder to keep up lease payments. "I'll not be able to save even 10,000 rupees a month," said Arjun Chouhan, 38, an Uber driver in Delhi who has leased a car. "There's no benefit in leasing. What if I'm unwell? They don't listen." In a dusty car lot on Delhi's outskirts, guards told Reuters that dozens of cars standing idle belonged to Uber and had been returned by drivers. When Reuters phoned Xchange Leasing, Uber's local leasing arm that has an office near the car park, officials said no new cars were currently being leased out. One said the priority was to lease those cars returned by drivers, and it could be 2-3 months before new cars would again be offered. An Uber spokesman said the company doesn't comment on "anonymous speculation". As part of its review, Uber may reduce the three-year lease term and let two drivers share the rent on a car, one of the sources said. Uber did not comment on its leasing targets or the future of the scheme. "People left well-paying jobs to drive an Uber," said Sandeep, another Delhi driver, adding his monthly ride income has nearly halved to 60,000 rupees in two years, despite working longer hours. "We were tempted at the thought of becoming millionaires." ($1 = 65.6550 rupees) (Additional reporting by Euan Rocha and Rahul Bhatia in MUMBAI; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)
MOSCOW (AP)  A Ukrainian official said Friday that the killer of renegade Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov, who was gunned down in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, was a Russian agent, a claim quickly rejected by the Kremlin.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, identified the man who shot Voronenkov on Thursday as 28-year-old Pavel Parshov and said he had been trained in Russia by Russian security services. Parshov was badly wounded in the attack and died shortly after in a hospital without regaining consciousness.

"He underwent a special course at a school for saboteurs," Gerashchenko wrote Friday in a Facebook post without explaining how that information was obtained.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that Gerashchenko's allegation was "absurd."

Ukraine's National Guard said in a statement that the 28-year old Parshov served in its ranks in 2015-2016 until being dismissed for an unspecified breach of contract.

Ukraine's chief prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, said Voronenkov was killed shortly before meeting with another fugitive Russian lawmaker, Ilya Ponomaryov. Both men were scheduled to give testimony later Thursday at Ukraine's Military Prosecutor's Office. The purpose of the testimony was not immediately clear.

Voronenkov, who had toed the Kremlin line while serving as Russian lawmaker but turned a Kremlin critic after his move to Ukraine last fall, was shot dead near the entrance to an upscale hotel in the center of Kiev.

Ukrainian media on Friday published leaked CCTV footage of the attack. It shows the killer shooting Voronenkov from behind as he was walking down the street with his bodyguard.

When the bodyguard tries to intervene, he, too, is shot, leaving the killer free to shoot Voronenkov again as he is lying on the floor. The injured bodyguard then pulls out his gun and, while lying on the floor, fires on the killer.

Story continues

The slaying has added to the strain in Russia-Ukraine ties that have soured badly following Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and its support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko immediately called the killing an "act of state terrorism" by Russia even as Ukrainian police were still inspecting the scene. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded by describing Ukraine as the "killer state" and senior Russian lawmakers suggested that the Ukrainian spy agency staged the killing to blame Moscow.

Voronenkov, who had prized real estate in Moscow, was reportedly involved in business disputes, but saw off attempts to lift his parliamentary immunity amid criminal charges while in Russia. Russian investigators have filed fraud charges against him in connection with his business activities after his move to Ukraine.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - United Nations peacekeeping missions, under threat from budget cuts if Washington's promise to slash its UN spending goes ahead, are already costing as little as possible, a UN official said Friday.

The comments come after US President Donald Trump this month proposed to cut Washington's contribution to UN peacekeeping operations -- the largest share of funding for the organization's missions -- to 25 percent of their total budget, compared to just under 30 percent today.

"We are doing our utmost to spend as little as possible" and "modernize," Herve Ladsous, the outgoing head of peacekeeping operations, said during his final news conference after six years in his post.

"We diminished the cost per peacekeeper by 16 percent without a diminution of their quality," he added, noting that the US-based Rand Corporation think-tank recently calculated that UN-managed operations cost four times less than it would cost a large Western country.

"Sixteen missions and 120,000 men deployed around the world for 0.4 percent of the world's military expenditure, it's still very little," Ladsous said.

"We have always tried to reformat missions, whenever possible, to be as economical as possible," he added.

"We review mandates, staffing and equipment on a regular basis," he said, pointing to the closure of missions to Ivory Coast, Liberia and Haiti, which would result in "hundreds of millions of dollars in savings."

Ladsous is set to be replaced by another French diplomat, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who takes office for a one-year term in April after Ladsous declined an offer to stay on.

Ladsous also criticized what he called a lack of support from members of the UN Security Council who he said are sometimes too lenient toward governments that obstruct the work of peacekeeping missions, including South Sudan's.

He had recommended an arms embargo against Africa's newest country, a measure supported by Britain, France and the United States but rejected by the Security Council in December thanks to opposition by China and Russia.

Story continues

Discussed at the council on Thursday, a resolution could still be put to a vote.

The Security Council should also continue the UN's mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, its largest -- at 19,000 troops -- and one of its oldest, Ladsous said. Maintaining the operation at the current force is necessary because of electoral turmoil in the country, he added.

Trump's plan for severe cuts to US funding has alarmed the United Nations, along with US allies and international NGOs. US military officials and diplomats also worry the cuts will reduce Washington's ability to play a leading role in the world.
GENEVA (AP)  The U.N.-backed Human Rights Council on Friday approved a resolution by consensus to "dispatch urgently" an international fact-finding mission to Myanmar to probe alleged abuses by military and security forces, particularly against the minority Rohingya Muslim community.

In a move bound to put pressure on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's government, the 47-member body threw its weight behind existing efforts to investigate alleged rights abuses such as torture, rape, arbitrary killings and forced displacement of the Rohingya in western Rakhine state. Zaw Htay, a presidential spokesman, said Myanmar "cannot accept" the council's decision.

"What the U.N. Human Rights Council did to us is totally not fair and not right under international practices," Htay said by phone, citing a domestic investigation. "They should have waited and watched the correspondent country's investigation, and the result coming out from that," and only then offer possible criticism of its work, he added.

Last week, a commission chaired by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, created at the behest of Suu Kyi, presented interim recommendations to the government about long-term solutions to tensions between Rohingya and Rakhine Buddhists in Rakhine state. The recommendations included allowing journalists free access to the western part of the country.

The Rohingya face severe discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and were the targets of inter-communal violence in 2012 that killed hundreds and drove about 140,000 people  predominantly Rohingya  from their homes to camps for the internally displaced, where most remain.

The army launched counterinsurgency operations in Rohingya areas in northern Rakhine in October after the killing of nine border guards. U.N. human rights investigators and independent rights organizations charge that soldiers and police killed and raped civilians and burned down more than 1,000 homes during the operations.

Story continues

The HRC resolution says the council's president will appoint the independent, international fact-finding mission, which is to provide an oral update on its work in the council's autumn session followed by a written report a year from now. Some countries including China, India and Cuba dissociated themselves from the resolution, brought by Malta on behalf of the European Union.

The U.N. human rights office's special rapporteur for Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, had urged the council to go further than a fact-finding mission by authorizing the creation of a full commission of inquiry to investigate the alleged crimes. A 25-page report from her office this month cited "continued and escalating violence" in parts of Myanmar. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Lee said she had been told "the situation is currently worse than at any point in the past few years."

Lee also said a domestic investigative panel focusing on Rakhine state was "flawed" and that Annan's commission didn't have an all-encompassing mandate.

In a statement Friday, Lee said she was "disappointed" that the commission of inquiry was not established, and added, "I trust the government of Myanmar will cooperate with this mission, including granting it full access as called for in the Human Rights Council resolution."

The resolution was one of 42 voted on over two days as the Geneva-based council neared the end of its latest session. Other resolutions decried alleged crimes as diverse as violence that could devolve into genocide in South Sudan; "extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape" and other violence in North Korean prisons; and alleged war crimes and terrorist acts in Syria.

___

Htusan reported from Yangon, Myanmar.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council voiced alarm about the deepening humanitarian crisis and famine in South Sudan, with the United States, Britain and France raising anew the idea of sanctions and a weapons embargo.

Attacks on humanitarian and UN missions, serial rapes, recruitment of child soldiers and famine: Six years after independence, "all the optimism that accompanied the birth of South Sudan has been shattered by internal divisions, rivalries and the irresponsible behavior of some of its leaders," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"Despite the alarm sounded by the United Nations and the international community over this crisis, the government has yet to express any meaningful concern or take any tangible steps to address the plight of its people," said Guterres, who participated in the council meeting on South Sudan.

The UN chief denounced "a refusal by the leadership to even acknowledge the crisis or to fulfill its responsibilities to end it."

While concern about continued fighting, atrocities and the worsening humanitarian crisis seemed to be unanimously shared, at issue is what the Security Council can do to compel the forces of President Salva Kiir and those of his rival Riek Machar to restore a cease-fire and political dialogue under a 2015 peace agreement.

The United States, which unsuccessfully pushed for an arms embargo in December, raised that possibility again Thursday, supported by Britain and France.

"We are outraged by the events unfolding in South Sudan," said Michele Sison, the US deputy representative to the United Nations. The United States had backed the country's independence from Sudan in 2011.

"We have had warning after warning about the prospect of future mass atrocities," she said.

"Last December some colleagues in the Security Council argued that pressure would be counterproductive because it would block the political process but there has been no progress since December, instead the situation has deteriorated," she lamented.

Story continues

- 'Deliberate starvation tactics' -

Sison appeared to be taking the position of the prior Barack Obama administration, which had sought a ban on weapons sales.

According to the US diplomat, the government's obstacles to humanitarian work in the famine-struck areas "may amount to deliberate starvation tactics."

"An arms embargo is one tool the council could use to address the continued violence," Sison urged, pointing out that the council could also impose sanctions on the officials responsible.

The 15-member council rejected a proposed resolution including an arms embargo and sanctions against certain leaders in December, after failing to get the nine votes necessary for adoption.

Angola, China, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Senegal and Venezuela abstained.

Britain's foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, who chaired the council meeting Thursday, said an arms embargo proposal would be submitted to the council, without specifying a timeframe.

According to data cited by Guterres, 100,000 people in South Sudan are already suffering famine. A million others are near starvation and some 5.5 million could face starvation within the next few months.

After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan descended into war in December 2013, leaving tens of thousands dead and 3.5 million people displaced, despite the deployment of some 12,000 UN peacekeepers.

Half of those displaced have fled to neighboring countries, many of them to Uganda. More than 220,000 are sheltered on UN sites.
Ten minutes had passed before the boy appeared out of nowhere and into the frame. Felipe Dana, an Associated Press photographer shadowing Iraqi forces in western Mosul, was naturally drawn to this surreal scene: the shell of a car somehow perched atop the shell of a house in this shell of a neighborhood. The guts of another vehicle, on ground level, were on full display. Then, the boy on the bike.

The way Dana tells the story, it sounds like he saw a ghost. Judging by the way the boy gazes toward the man behind the camera, it appears he saw one too.

It was more than a week into his second stint of the offensive to wrestle control from Islamic State fighters. His first jaunt in Iraq came late last year during the initial push into the eastern section, which Iraqi officials announced in late January had been liberated. The current fight for the western half, with its dense civilian population and narrow streets, was expected to be far more brutal. Blood has spilled with every inch gained.

At a train station about a kilometer from a nearby front line, Dana says residents who fled their homes told of bodies in the streets. More than 750 civilians have been killed in the month of fighting in the western areas, the AP reports, citing medics along the front line. Thats in addition to the 1,600 estimated killed in the 100-day offensive for the eastern half of the city.

It was on his way out of Mosul, around 2 p.m. on March 19, that he came across the car resting atop the house. His vehicle drove past the scene, then parked a block away. The street appeared to be abandoned. Dana double-checked a map to make sure it was secure to walk in the area, and then asked some officers he saw nearby, who confirmed it.

At one point, angling for a better vantage point alongside a cameraman, Dana climbed onto a house across the street. After pointing his lens back toward the scene, the boy on the bike rode by. It was a kind of reaction and I shot a couple of frames, Dana says. We didnt expect to see anyone, especially a boy, riding peacefully through this. In a normal situation, it would be full of people everywhere. When you walk through it [now], you think its a ghost town.

Story continues

The dangers of working amid street warfare have made it difficult for Dana to get too close to the action: One of the biggest challenges I have is to show how dramatic, and how massive, the destruction is. What this picture does well is illustrate the horrors from which thousands have fled-and the unfathomable idea that many, in fact, have stayed in their homes.

This boy is clearly not fleeing, Dana says. Hes living in this place.

Felipe Dana is an Associated Press photographer based in Brazil.

Follow TIME LightBox on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Washington (AFP) - The United States warned its citizens Friday to avoid travel to French Guiana, France's South American territory now in the grip of labor unrest.

Striking workers in the territory, which is administered as a region of France, have set up barricades on several roads and forced the postponement of an Ariane rocket.

The State Department warned of "widespread protests throughout French Guiana and along the roads leading to the neighboring countries of Suriname and Brazil."

The US embassy in neighboring Suriname can only provide limited assistance to travelers, it said, and added: "US citizens should avoid travel to French Guyana at this time.

"Protests in the cities of Kourou and Cayenne have the potential to become violent," the statement warned.

On Thursday, the Guiana Space Center, a French and European launch site near Kourou, cancelled the planned launch of an Ariane 5 rocket carrying a Brazilian telecoms satellite.

Workers in several sectors, including the energy giant EDF and public hospitals, have launched protests this week demanding pay raises and improved public safety and health coverage.
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will withdraw troops from Colombia's side of the two countries' border, after his soldiers set up camp in the neighboring country, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Thursday. Santos, speaking on television, said the incursion of about 70 Venezuelan soldiers into the Colombian border province of Arauca was "totally unacceptable." "I have just spoken with President Maduro," Santos said. "He has assured me he has ordered the withdrawal of troops from Colombian territory." The neighbors would work together through diplomacy until the situation on the border normalizes, Santos said, adding that he was informed of the incursion on Wednesday. Later, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said that the incursion was due to the Arauca River changing its channel, given the rain. "In this area, the river's route changes with the flooding of the river," said Rodriguez, adding that diplomats from the two countries would soon meet. Relations between the South American neighbors have been tense for years. Venezuela has closed the border several times in a crackdown on smugglers. In 2015, it deported hundreds of Colombians it accused of criminal activities. (Reporting by Bogota newsroom; Additional reporting by Girish Gupta in Caracas; Editing by Peter Cooney and Sandra Maler)
By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration reiterated its concerns about Israeli settlement activity, the two sides said on Thursday, as a round of talks ended without agreement over limiting future construction on land the Palestinians want for a state. The four days of high-level meetings in Washington marked the latest step by President Donald Trumps aides aimed at opening the way to renewed peace diplomacy between Israel and the Palestinians, despite deep skepticism in the United States and Middle East over the chances for success. Trumps Middle East envoy, Jason Greenblatt, who recently returned from a visit to the region, led the U.S. delegation in what were described as intensive discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus chief of staff Yoav Horowitz and foreign policy adviser Jonathan Schachter. Despite setting a more positive tone toward Israel than his predecessor Barack Obama, Trump urged Netanyahu during a White House visit last month to hold back on settlements for a little bit. The two then agreed that their aides would seek an accommodation on how much Israel can build and where. The United States delegation reiterated President Trumps concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving towards a peace agreement, according to a joint statement released by the White House. The Israeli delegation made clear that Israels intent going forward is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes those concerns into consideration," it said. "The talks were serious and constructive, and they are ongoing." Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been frozen since 2014 and settlements are one of the most heated issues. Palestinians want the West Bank and East Jerusalem for their own state, along with the Gaza Strip. Most countries consider Israeli settlements, built on land captured in the 1967 Middle East war, to be illegal. Israel disagrees, citing historical and political links to the land, as well as security interests. Trump has expressed some ambivalence about a two-state solution, the mainstay of U.S. policy for the past two decades. But he recently invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to visit. Trump has not publicly detailed what kind of agreement he wants with Israel on settlements. But many supporters of a two-state solution have urged a formula that restricts construction to the large settlement blocs that Israel is expected to retain under any final peace accord. In the talks, officials discussed measures for improving the climate for peace, according to the joint readout. It said a key focus was on steps that could have a meaningful impact on the economic environment in the West Bank and Gaza," and specifically a desire to advance efforts toward self-sustainability in electricity and water. (Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
A Florida fast food employee has reportedly been fired after a cop said he saw an old receipt with a racist word at the top.

The State Highway Patrol trooper told WKMG that he didn't see the word on the Orlando Wendy's receipt at first, but when he did he was appalled.

Watch: Customer Tells Restaurant 'Don't Judge Me' After Mozzarella Sticks in Takeout Order

"If my kids were here eating dinner, and I had to show them this receipt or say they saw it?" said the trooper about ticket that had the "N" word printed above his burger order.

The trooper said the employee was perfectly kind to him, which unnerves him even more.

"He was very cordial with me, and that really shocked me because I thought for sure that if this is sitting here for an hour or however long it was, how is he going to treat me?" the trooper said.

Upon investigating the incident, the franchise owner told WKMG that the receipt wasn't specifically for the trooper.

"While this receipt wasn't directed toward anyone in particular, we take this very seriously and find the language to be offensive and not in line with our values. This was a terrible judgment call by one of our employees, it's completely unacceptable and we no longer employ this individual," the franchise owner said in a statement.

Read: Restaurant Owner Gives Customers Discount Because Their Children Were Well Behaved

The trooper worried about who might have seen the word other than himself.

"My 6-year-old is learning to read and the first thing he would say is, 'What is this word?'" he said.

Watch: Manager of Restaurant Called 'Disgusting' By Cat Deeley: 'They Ate Everything'

Related Articles:
Washington (AFP) - The White House on Friday congratulated the European Union on the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties, which furthered continental integration.

It is a notable shift in tone for Donald Trump's administration, which has voiced deep skepticism about Brussels.

"The United States congratulates the European Union on the sixtieth anniversary of the 1957 Treaties of Rome and the founding of the European Economic Community," the statement said.

"Our two continents share the same values and, above all, the same commitment to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy, and the rule of law."

"Together we look forward to another sixty years and more of shared security and shared prosperity."
This week at Wellesley College, six professors who serve on the Commission on Race, Ethnicity, and Equity, a committee at the highly selective liberal arts school, sent an email to fellow faculty members urging a radical shift in campus culture. Under the status quo, the Northwestern professor Laura Kipnis, a feminist cultural critic, was invited to speak on campus, despite her controversial view that academias approach to regulating sexual conduct is doing harm to female students.

The Wellesley professors find that status quo too permissive.

So they urged new norms that would eschew invitations to speakers like Kipnis. Their premise: There is no doubt that the speakers in question impose on the liberty of students, staff, and faculty. Knowing many will be skeptical of that premise, I present their argument at length, in their words, in the order that they appear.

Recommended: The Trouble With Killing Obamacare's 'Essential Health Benefits'

Their email first expressed particular concern for Wellesley students, who often feel the injury most acutely and invest time and energy in rebutting the speakers arguments. In their telling, students object in order to affirm their humanity, and lest you think otherwise, this work is not optional; students feel they would be unable to carry out their responsibilities as students without standing up for themselves.

The expressed feelings of students are not to be questioned, for who is qualified to know their minds?

...we object to the notion that onlookers who are part of the faculty or administration are qualified to adjudicate the harm described by students, especially when so many students have come forward. When dozens of students tell us they are in distress as a result of a speakers words, we must take these complaints at face value.

Yet failing to anticipate their feelings may constitute negligence:

Story continues

What is especially disturbing about this pattern of harm is that in many cases, the damage could have been avoided. The speakers who appeared on campus presented ideas that they had published, and those who hosted the speakers could certainly anticipate that these ideas would be painful to significant portions of the Wellesley community.

Before Kipnis spoke, for example, three Wellesley students posted a video, Shutting Down Bullshit, taking issue with her ideas.* Then a Wellesley professor disparaged the video. In light of these events, the email states, we recommend the following: First, those who invite speakers to campus should consider whether, in their zeal for promoting debate, they might, in fact, stifle productive debate by enabling the bullying of disempowered groups  Second, standards of respect and rigor must remain paramount when considering whether a speaker is actually qualified for the platform granted by an invitation to Wellesley.

Recommended: Who Can Tell the Emperor He Has No Clothes?

Heres how they flesh out who is actually qualified:

In the case of an academic speaker, we ask that the Wellesley host not only consider whether the speaker holds credentials, but whether the presenter has standing in his/her/their discipline. This is not a matter of ideological bias. Pseudoscience suggesting that men are more naturally equipped to excel in STEM fields than women, for example, has no place at Wellesley. Similar arguments pertaining to race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, and other identity markers are equally inappropriate.

Finally, they write, faculty and administrators should step up in defense of themselves and all members of the Wellesley community. The responsibility to defend the disempowered does not rest solely with students, and the injuries suffered by students, faculty, and staff are not contained within the specific identity group in question; they ripple throughout our community and prevent Wellesley from living out its mission. That is a nearly comprehensive account of their arguments.

But those arguments fail. While they certainly do not reflect the beliefs of most faculty members or students on American campuses, they deserve to be challenged, to prevent their spread. Adopting them would do grave harm to Wellesley and its students, as one might expect of a framework literally inspired by an impulse to shut down a feminist intellectual.

In fact, I would wager that none of the signatories would urge this same approach if they were teaching at a different institution where their world views did not enjoy a place of privilege.

Recommended: Republicans Can't Find the Votes for Their Health-Care Bill

Consider the implications of their approach.

Most curiously, their email denounces the hypothesis that men are more equipped than women to excel in STEM fieldsand similar arguments pertaining to race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, and other identity markersonly to embrace the implicit assumption that women (the identity marker germane to the Kipnis controversy) are somehow unequipped to hear critiques of Title IX, so much so that a talk given by a dissident feminist will predictably cause distress, damage, and injury.

This is pernicious nonsense that smacks of long discredited sexist stereotypes. Wellesley women are formidable. They can get through a Laura Kipnis lecture unharmed.

Second, it is preposterous to imply that Kipniss ideas are an attack on the humanity of students, requiring them to rebut her in order to affirm their humanity, as if she has ever argued that any subset of Wellesley women are subhuman. That formulation adds unearned rhetorical heft; it is totally inaccurate.

Whats more, the notion that college students are injured by the work of formulating rebuttals to arguments that strike them as wrongheaded or offensive is backwards. Such work is the surest way to acquire a superlatively empowering skill.

Such work is core to a residential colleges learning model.

And so, the faculty members err again when declaring that such work is not optional. Every day, on college campuses throughout the United States, speakers assert beliefs or arguments that many students regard as deeply wrongheaded.

For better or worse, the vast majority opt to forgo any further action.

A reality so obvious can only be lost on faculty members and students who so rarely encounter views on campus with which they profoundly disagree that they can conceive of having time to rebut them all. Talk to an orthodox Christian or Jew or a devout Muslim at a secular college, or a conservative or libertarian at an Ivy League college, or a radical feminist at Hillsdale College or Liberty University. Youll find that even the few who speak up in defense of their values or identity with relative frequency nevertheless opt to let many things pass in the course of four years, including scores if not hundreds of speeches that they simply do not attend.

The canard such a commonplace is not possible can only overburden Wellesleys most over-scrupulous young minds. Let them abide some things they cannot change.

As to the premise that a students feeling of distress must not be questioned and that ideas likely to cause distress to students should be preemptively kept off campus, I find it hard to believe the signatories would adhere to their own standards. Surely Hillary Clinton, the most famous Wellesley alumna, has the capacity, on her occasional visits to her alma mater, to say some things that cause distress to, say, an international student from a Muslim country, who might object to Clintons support for drone strikes, sanctions, repressive dictators, and military invasions. If some students preemptively claimed distress would that be reason to never ask her back?

The New York Times Magazine highlighted a sensitive subject in its 2014 article When Women Become Men at Wellesley. Should the campus avoid inviting any outside speakers who would distress students on either side of that debate? By the logic of the email, those students would have no option but to do the injurious work of formulating counterarguments, robbing them of their liberty itself.

As for the advice that Wellesley should consider not only whether a speaker holds academic credentials, but also whether the presenter has standing in his/her/their discipline, the signatories to the letter have unwittingly illustrated a core incoherence in their projecteven while conceiving of themselves as advocating on behalf of the relatively disempowered, they insist, without seeing a contradiction, on a protocol that inherently advantages the relatively powerful.

The signatories are, in fact, confident that they inhabit a system where credentials and professional standing reliably accrue to the sorts of speakers that they find enlighteningeven as the unenlightened sort is relatively disempowered within academia.

Credentials and standing do not reliably accrue to the marginalized!

Whats more, if they applied their standard, they would have to refrain from extending a speaking invitation to, say, a feminist economist whose radical ideas put her far out of the mainstream among her largely male colleagues, causing her to lack standing in her discipline. But it is hard to imagine the signatories applying their suggested standard in that case. It is hard to believe they really believe in it beyond its perceived utility for excluding the sorts of speakers they dislike.

In bygone eras, many college students have expressed genuine, deeply held distress at ideas as varied as the equality of races, humankinds evolution from apes, the wisdom of extending the franchise to women, the injustice of punishing gay sex, and the propriety of allowing gays to marry (a position that Wellesleys most famous alumna came to many decades after graduating, and some years after Dick Cheney).

Today, six Wellesley faculty members are urging that their students be kept from ideas on the basis of finding them distressful, a standard that, applied with sufficient success, would have delayed or prevented all of the aforementioned advances. That context underscores the hubristic arrogance in their framework: They write as if, uniquely in history, the feelings of their students, shaped by their guidance, will prove so infallible that they can abandon the enlightenment idea that it is folly to close oneself to rebuttals as if certain one is right.

The framework of the signatories, who misunderstand the nature of hierarchy and power, imposes high risks indeed on the marginalized, with precious few benefits in return. It is exceedingly rare for a faction to be so marginalized as to be imperiled by mere speech, yet simultaneously powerful enough to have it suppressed; even as it is very common for the powerful to leverage any framework that restricts speech, often in a manner that adds to the repression of the disempowered.

Faculty at a womens college ought to know this better than most. Surveying the equality of women, or lack thereof, across eras and countries, for all of recorded history, peaks of empowerment occur under liberal, post-enlightenment regimes, where formerly radical ideas, deeply offensive to many, could be asserted by feminist trailblazers with nothing powerful on their side save superior strength of reason. So long as that tradition persists, Wellesleys women will excel, even if a misguided faction of their professors push a disempowering, anti-intellectual message: that events with speakers like Kipnis can prevent Wellesley from living out its mission.

On the contrary, they are indispensable to its mission.

*This article originally stated that the student video was posted after Laura Kipnis spoke. We regret the error.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
A group of environmental health researchers is calling for federal regulators to reassess the safety of the worlds most commonly used herbicide following a series of news stories damaging to the chemicals manufacturer.

The researchers writing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health argue that the chemical glyphosate, sold around the world as Roundup by Monsanto, should be subject to further safety review about whether it causes cancer. U.S. and European regulators have determined that it likely does not, while a United Nations body has found that it likely does.

The researchers behind this weeks paper argue that the debate over glyphosate remains unsettled and requires further review. The recommended assessments include better testing of glyphosate levels in the human body and improved tracking of occupation exposure for people in particularly vulnerable professions. The current safety standards are outdated, they write, and may fail to protect public health and the environment.

The essay does not address recent headlines but it follows closely a disclosure of some of the companys internal emails, which were unsealed by a federal judge earlier this month. The emails suggest that Monsanto had written some research for publication by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a New York Times report. In other emails, company officials also say that they would try to kill a separate review of the chemical by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Read More: How Activists Are Restricting Use of a Major Pesticide

In a statement emailed to TIME, representatives from Monsanto said: These lawsuits have no merit. In an attempt to mischaracterize the safety of glyphosate, the plaintiffs attorneys are sifting through millions of pages of internal Monsanto documents and emails, cherry picking comments, and taking those comments out of context to paint an inaccurate picture of glyphosate.

In the new journal report, the researchers reference the issue of industry influence, noting that industry scientists have conducted much of the relevant research. It is incongruous that safety assessments of the most widely used herbicide on the planet rely largely on fewer than 300 unpublished, non-peer reviewed studies while excluding the vast modern literature on glyphosate effects, the study authors write.

The EPA issued a report in September suggesting that glyphosate is not likely to cause cancer. That determination is consistent with the view of the European Food Safety Agency, the relevant regulator in the European Union. Still, many scientists remain concerned. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, found the chemical to be a probable human carcinogen in 2015.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
In 1985, Donald Trump bought West Side Yards*, a huge real-estate parcel on the West Side of Manhattan. (Actually, it was his second try at the property, which hed failed to develop in the 1970s.) Trump paid $115 million to buy the parcel, with huge plans to create a sparkling center on one of the few remaining undeveloped parts of the island.

It didnt work. Trump quarreled with Mayor Ed Koch, failed to start the work, and steadily lost tens of millions of dollars. In 1989, he declined an offer to sell the land for a more than $400 million profit. Five years later, he finally threw in the towel, selling it for just $82 millionand on condition that the buyer take on a quarter of a billion in debt. But Trump was right about the commercial potential of West Side Yards. The developers who bought the land from him sold it for $1.8 billion in 2005, the largest residential real-estate deal in New York history. A sparkling new neighborhood is finally rising on the site.

Related Story

Trump's Obamacare Ultimatum

The point of this story is not that Trump blew the deal of a lifetime, though he did. The point is that from Trumps perspective, who cares? Yes, he could have been richer; but hes still extremely rich, his reputation as a business mogul remained unscathed outside of actual business circles; and, as he put it to Time this week, Im president, and youre not. Trumps bounce back from the West Side Yards fiasco seems to be a useful key for understanding Trumps approach to negotiations over repealing and replacing Obamacare.

The presidents approach has even experienced Trump watchers nursing a case of whiplash. One week ago Friday, the president was meeting with conservative skeptics of the Republican leadership health-care plan and declaring, I am 100 percent behind this. Speaker Paul Ryans communications director was lauding Trump as the ultimate closer.

Story continues

Recommended: The Republican Waterloo

Then things fell apart. With resistance to the bill coming from both the moderate and conservative wings of the House Republican caucus, GOP leadership canceled a vote scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Trump was at an event when it happened; he told a reporter he had to go lobby for votes, only to be told that the vote had been canceled, with plans to hold it on Friday instead. The president issued an ultimatum: Negotiations were over, and it was time to get in line behind the bill.

The leaks started to come quickly. The New York Times dynamic duo of Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman reported that Trump was privately regretful of the decision to move forward on Obamacare repeal first, and did not like the deal that was emerging. His ultimatum was designed to bring the matter to a quick conclusionfavorable or not. New York reported that though Bannon was publicly supportive, he was eager to kill the bill behind the scenes. Breitbart, the palace organ of the Trump administration, promptly aggregated the New York story.

By Friday morning, it was clear that the White Houseor at least some influential members of the White Housewanted the bill to go down:

senior WH aide, asked if decisive health care defeat today is best for Team Trump: "100%"  John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) March 24, 2017

Bloomberg reported on the increasingly apparent strategy: Let the bill fail, then blame Speaker Paul Ryan for the scheduling and design. (Trump even magnanimously declared that Ryan should remain speaker if the bill failedthus opening up for discussion the question of whether Ryan should remain. Bannon and an aide, Julia Hahn, reportedly detest Ryan.) How else to explain Trump threatening the House Freedom Caucus, nexus of the conservative votes he desperately needed, in a Friday morning tweet?

The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2017

This also explained why the White House was demanding that a vote be held on Friday, whether or not Ryan and his team had the votes to pass it out.

Recommended: The Republicans Fold on Health Care

Trump seems to regard a defeat in health-care fight the way he did the West Side Yards fiasco: An unfortunate occurrence on a potential crown jewel, but also a loss to be shrugged off and forgotten in the pursuit of bigger and better things. But this approach would only seem promising to someone who spent his career in the business world and didnt really have a strong understanding of Republican Party politics around health care.

One problem with letting the bill dieespecially if Republicans then simply move on to other matters, rather than trying a new approachis that it would represent a brazen betrayal of the Republican Partys biggest single promise to its voters over the last seven years. Republicans took first the House, in 2010, and steadily the Senate and now the White House while telling voters they would repeal Obamacare.

Trump was especially well-suited to make this promise on the campaign trail for a few reasons. First, he had no real ideological attachments to any health policy, so he could rail against the bill without any bounds of nuance or realism. He could blithely promise voters hed repeal the hated ACA while also keeping everything they liked about it and even expanding coverage. The GOP House voted for repeal dozens of times, secure in the knowledge that the plans they were voting on, which would have been politically toxic, would never pass.

Even if the bill fails on Friday, Trump and Ryan could try a second time. But the White House is indicating the president has no interest in that, and with each day that goes by its harder to repealboth because of timelines specific to the budget, but also because of other looming urgent issues like passing a spending bill. That doesnt even get to the problem of trying to push whatever the House would pass through the Senate.

Recommended: What Exactly Did Paul Manafort Do Wrong?

Perhaps Trump can survive a defeat of the repeal package politicallyafter all, hes not on the ballot again until 2020but giving up will be catastrophic for some Republicans, who have staked their careers on repeal. This is one reason the House Freedom Caucus has been so adamantly opposed to the current package: They dont see it as true repeal. So by admitting defeat, Trump is endangering his partys edge on the Hill.

A second problem is that a defeat now will make it much harder for Trump to pass the rest of his agenda. He wants to move on quickly to other priorities like tax reform, but that could go even worse. Republicans were at least all in agreement about whether or not to repeal Obamacare. Tax reform is perhaps even more complicated. And Trump would head into that debate much weaker. He will no longer have the goodwill and political capital a president receives to begin his term. Ryan would be weakened within Congress by the health-care defeat, especially if Trump moves to pin the whole collapse on him. Ryans relationship with the White House will be more strained. And each week seems to produce a worse approval rating and deeper scandals for Trump.

Meanwhile, the House Freedom Caucus, having seen its clout on health care in action, would be emboldened to fight against any proposal it doesnt find entirely ideal. Other Republicans, having seen the HFCs success, and the lack of repercussions for other members who bucked Ryan, would see little reason to stay in line. Trumps aides are speaking darkly about keeping a list of defectors to punish them, but his leverage on them is steadily diminishing.

The least tangible, but perhaps most stinging, damage would be to Trumps reputation as a dealmaker. No matter how he was regarded in the business world, many Americans viewed his name as synonymous with the word deal. But on Obamacare repeal, Trump has tried every tactic: Persuasion, arm-twisting, threats. None of them has gotten the GOP caucus to yes.

With his final moves on Friday, Trump attempted to use one last dealmakers tool: walking away. That can work in the business world, where both sides have incentives to reach an agreement, and the only thing to be lost is money. But politics, and especially this bill, are different. Theres little incentive for conservatives to back a bill that doesnt meet their principles, and little incentive for moderates to back a paring back of benefits their constituents will hate.

And if the repeal plan does fail, Trump is likely to discover that recovering his reputation as the ultimate closer is even tougher. It could make recovering from West Side Yards look like a cakewalk.

* This article originally referred to West Side Yards as Hudson Yards. We regret the error.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
A college student ended up stranded in the desert for five days after she says her GPS led the wrong way  and she's not the first.

Read: Woman Stranded in Grand Canyon For 5 Days Recorded Tearful Messages to Family Before Rescue

Amber VanHecke, 24, was driving to the Grand Canyon when she says her GPS told her to turn down a road that didn't exist. She ran out of gas and was stranded for five days in the desert before she was finally rescued.

I wanna leave messages for you guys but every time I think about it I just start crying, she said in a video diary she recorded before she was rescued 5 days later.

While GPS may be a marvel of modern technology, AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair told Inside Edition it can sometimes lead you astray.

These devices have taken people to non-existent roads, taken them to cliffs. I was using one once looking for a hotel  it took me to a cemetery, he said.

Read: Mom and 8-Year-Old Daughter Killed In Separate Crashes Just 30 Minutes Apart

VanHecke is just the latest example of someone putting too much faith in GPS.

In 2010, an Oregon couple followed their GPS directions and got stranded on a snow-covered road before they were found.

We have literally been stuck in the snow for 12 hours, they said in a video. It's 19 degrees and we have the baby with us.

In another case last May, a driver followed GPS directions straight into a lake.

So what should you do to prevent a GPS disaster?

Before you go out with your GPS, it's good to track your location  either with an online map, turn-by-turn directions, or a paper map, Sinclair said.

And as for the Grand Canyon, reading a tour book might have alerted VanHecke as to what to expect.

Be prepared for adverse and isolated conditions. Most of the monument has no cellphone coverage, Sinclair said, adding that people should not turn off their brain while driving with GPS.

Story continues

Watch: Firefighter Killed In Car Accident While Driving To Fire That Killed Girl, 2

Related Articles:
A Florida woman who sued police after she said she was tasered and slammed to the ground by officers has settled her case.

Aranda Wendell was awarded $20,000 after settling with the City of Stuart over what she said was their use of excessive force following her 2015 arrest.

Read: Police Bodycam Footage Captures Naked Woman Who Allegedly Stole Cop Car While 'Poisoned'

Wendell's interaction with police was caught in bodycam footage that she says proves she was treated with excessive force.

"I had nothing to do with it. I was just driving to work," Wendell told police in the video after they responded to the scene of a motor vehicle accident.

According to WPEC, police say Wendell drove off, and when questioned, admitted to leaving the scene of an accident.

When cops caught up with Wendell, she denied knowing that leaving the scene was a crime and in the ensuing disagreement, calls an officer "honey."

"Please don't call me honey," the officer replies.

"Don't call me... then don't talk to me, how's that?" Wendell says.

At that point in the video, the officer tells Wendell she is under arrest. The video subsequently goes dark and a woman's scream can be heard.

"Put your hands behind your back! police yell.

No, stop it! Wendell screams.

You are going to get tased. You are under arrest!" police yell.

Wendell filed a lawsuit against the city claiming unprovoked and untaunted, the officers violently slammed her into a corner and forced her down to the floor, tasing her.

While admitting no wrongdoing, Stuart Police say the city settled in order to save taxpayers money and the expense of legal fees.

Watch: Sheriff's Deputies Pull Disabled Man from Burning Home on Bodycam Video

Cops say an internal investigation revealed no wrongdoing. "Police officers have to do their job and sometimes when they do their job properly it's not pretty," said Stuart Police Cpl. Brian Bossio.

Story continues

The officers involved were not disciplined.

Watch: Craziest Convertible Police Chase Ends with Selfies, High-Fives and Hugs

Related Articles:
For some investors, owning shares of a stock is about something more than financial gain. These investors want to feel that they are a small part of a company that serves as a force of good in the world.

Fortune just released its annual list of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders, and the list highlights just how much of a positive impact several well-known tech leaders are making.

In considering its list, Fortune looks at how these leaders provide hope and optimism, encourage personal connections and facilitate the free exchange of ideas that can contribute to personal growth.

[See: 7 of the Best Socially Responsible Funds.]

This year's list is full of political, religious and military leaders, but a surprising number of the business leaders on the list are from the tech sector.

The highest-ranking tech leader is Alibaba Group Holding (ticker: BABA) chairman Jack Ma, who came in at No. 2 on the list.

Ma's leadership goes far beyond calling the shots at Alibaba. Ma has made the most of his visibility since Alibaba's initial public offering by championing causes that transcend share price and merchandise volume. Ma graciously met with President Donald Trump after the U.S. election to help promote job creation in both the U.S. and China. Ma is also a generous philanthropist and an advocate for free trade and the expansion of digital capitalism.

At No. 4 on the list, the highest-ranking female representative from the tech industry is Melinda Gates, founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gates and her husband Bill used their incredible financial success at Microsoft Corp. ( MSFT) as a springboard to launch their foundation, which supports education and health initiatives around the world. Earlier this year, Gates penned an essay in which she reiterated the foundation's goal of providing birth control to 120 million women around the world by 2020.

Other tech industry representatives on the Fortune leaders list include Amazon.com ( AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos (No. 5), Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky (18), Tesla ( TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (30), salesforce.com ( CRM) CEO Marc Benioff (43) and Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD) CEO Lisa Su (50).

Story continues

[See: 6 Things to Know About Mark Zuckerberg's Manifesto.]

As the Internet Age matures, tech stocks have a real opportunity to continue to provide some of the best returns in the stock market for investors. At the same time, tech investors can feel good about the positive impact the new generation of tech leaders is making on the world.

Wayne Duggan is a freelance investment strategy reporter with a focus on energy and emerging market stocks. He has a degree in brain and cognitive sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and specializes in the psychological challenges of investing. He is a senior financial market reporter for Benzinga and has contributed financial market analysis to Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha and InvestorPlace. He is also the author of the book "Beating Wall Street With Common Sense," which focuses on the practical strategies he has used to outperform the stock market. You can follow him on Twitter @DugganSense, check out his latest content at tradingcommonsense.com or email him at wpd@tradingcommonsense.com.
Sanaa (AFP) - Roua Ahmed's classes ended abruptly when her school in Yemen was bombed, but she still clings to her dream of getting an education.

She is one of hundreds of thousands of young Yemenis forced out of school since fighting escalated with a Saudi-led intervention against Shiite Huthi rebels two years ago.

The war has since killed around 7,700 people, including nearly 1,550 children, and shut down hundreds of schools.

After hers was bombed, Roua sought out classes at a mosque in her home city of Taez. But as clashes escalated, her family saw little choice but to flee.

Braving sniper fire, they walked 10 kilometres (six miles) before finding a taxi to the capital.

"I tried to register myself at a school here, but my application was rejected because the classes are overcrowded," Roua said.

"My education has stopped because of the war. I don't know what I did wrong -- I didn't do anything."

The slender 12-year-old, who loves painting and dreams of becoming a teacher, is one of 3.5 million Yemeni children out of school, according to the United Nations children's agency UNICEF.

The fighting has halted the education of nearly two million children on top of the 1.6 million already out of school before the conflict, it said.

"If Yemen's current generation misses out on school, the long-term consequences will be another generation that is likely to perpetuate the cycle of violence," it warned in a November report.

As a result, "an entire generation of children risk losing out on their future," said Shabia Mantoo, Yemen spokeswoman for the UN's refugee agency UNHCR.

- Direct attacks on schools -

Huthi rebels seized control of Yemen's capital in September 2014 and went on to expand their clout across the country.

As they closed in on Aden-based President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, forcing him into exile, the Arab coalition launched a military operation in his defence on March 26, 2015.

Story continues

UNICEF has since counted 212 direct attacks on schools, including air strikes that killed pupils.

The fighting has put 1,640 Yemeni schools out of service, with 1,470 destroyed or damaged and others converted into refugee shelters or barracks for fighters, it said.

Meanwhile, in a country on the brink of famine, necessity has forced many children to beg or seek informal jobs to support their families.

Some end up joining armed groups -- the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights says nearly 1,500 children have been recruited as fighters, mostly by the Huthis.

Ahmed Salem has lived in a camp for displaced people in Marib, east of Sanaa, since fleeing the nearby town of Sarwah. Instead of going to school, the 16-year-old spends his days trying to provide for his siblings.

"I left my education the day the fighting started in our area," he said. "Now, I go out every morning to try to get food for my family. I go to organisations again and again to try to get aid."

Although schools do operate in some areas, their work is hampered by overcrowding and frequent staff strikes over unpaid salaries. Many parents cannot afford stationery for their children.

People also fear air raids. One strike attributed to the Saudi-led coalition hit a school in northern Yemen in August, killing 10 children.

"The students are traumatised," said Abdullah al-Ezzi, a teacher at Al-Hussein school in Sanaa. "They get scared when warplanes fly over their neighbourhoods. They are scared of air strikes."

Those who drop out of school are easy prey for extremists, who have taken advantage of the conflict in Yemen to strengthen their hold on parts of the south and east.

"In the best case, (dropouts) go to unregulated, religious study centres or training courses at mosques, thinking they offer an alternative to a formal education," said Ibrahim Nagi, a teacher in Taez.

But many fear that such places are used by jihadists to radicalise and recruit young people.

Meanwhile, Roua Ahmed continues to dream of going back to school.

"Memories of my teachers and my classmates bring me to tears," she said. "I want my calm life back."

bur-jj-faw-mah/ak/par/dr/amj
Photo credit: AP







From Harper's BAZAAR

Earlier today, former Vice President Joe Biden made an address outside the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Among those present for the speech were House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senator Chuck Schumer, California Governor Jerry Brown, a crowd of viewers and a special guest-Biden the golden retriever.

The adorable four-month-old ball of fur was named after the former VP because his owner was such a fan, and he finally got to meet his namesake today after his address. Biden (the dog) and his owner Sydney arrived at the Capitol early this morning and waited for four hours before the politician made an appearance, according to Buzzfeed News.

"As soon as he saw the dog during the actual speech, he pointed at the dog, tapped his friend and then started like cracking up," Sydney told Buzzfeed. She said she signaled to him towards the end of his speech, and he came over after making his remarks.

"As soon as I told him his name was Biden, he started kissing the dog, which is like exactly what I expected Biden would do," she added. And that's when this happened:

"As soon as I told him, his face lit up," Sydney added. She was lucky enough to also get a selfie, squeezed between both Bidens.

We want more Biden-and-Biden meet-ups please!









You Might Also Like
































Even as the Indian government refuses to entertain most of Apples demands, the Cupertino-based company will soon take a major step that could bolster its business in the nation.

Mashable reported last month that Apple intends to start manufacturing in India by as early as late April, starting with last years iPhone SE model for the first several months.

It appears, Apple has since chalked out bigger plans.

SEE ALSO: The next iPhone's battery might be getting a Plus-sized boost

The company will also be assembling the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s models in the nation, reports WSJ, citing a government official.

Unlike in China, where Apple relies on domestic firm Foxconn, the company's work in India will be led by Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron for the assembly task in India. The manufacturing will begin in "four to six" weeks, the report added.

"Almost all preparations have been done for launching Apple's first phase project in Bangalore through Wistron," a government official was quoted as saying.

It's a big move for Apple, which sees "huge potential" in India. The iPhone models the company assembles at its India factory will not be subjected to local import duties.

This is big, given that heavy import duty imposed on iPhones makes the smartphone especially expensive in India.

The locally-assembled iPhones will allow Apple to sell to Indians at much cheaper price points.

Apple has been exploring the opportunity to expand in India for quite some time now. The company last year wanted to sell refurbished iPhones. This would have allowed Apple to sell some iPhones at much lower price points. The Indian government rejected the proposal, however.

Last year, the company expressed its intentions to manufacture locally. However, the company wanted the Indian government to offer it a range of other things including duty exemption for 15 years, something Indian officials found "unprecedented." Earlier this week, commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman told Rajya Sabha (Council of States) that the ministry has said "no" to "most" of them.

WATCH: Watch what happens when an iPhone 7 is drowned in toothpaste
MarketWatch

To attract new customers, many banks are now offering lucrative cash bonuses  anywhere from $100 to $2,000  for simply moving money into their various savings and checking accounts. A recent Reddit thread highlighted dozens of first-hand accounts of people earning thousands of dollars by moving their money to various bank accounts to get the bonuses, and then moving on. Indeed, you may simply be better off with a high-interest savings account as many of those are paying more than they have in a decade (see some of the best savings account rates you can get now here).
Google has unveiled new measures aimed at helping news organizations drive more subscriptions and generate revenues (AFP Photo/LOIC VENANCE)

San Francisco (AFP) - Google's money-making foundation is strong enough to endure a current boycott by advertisers, but the movement could rattle the practice of software "programmed" ad placement, analysts said on Thursday.

The internet giant's core business of serving up advertising along with online search results appeared to be safe from the boycott, motivated by companies seeking assurances that their marketing messages won't be displayed along with hateful or outright terrorist content, particularly videos on Google-operated YouTube.

The "backlash" could broaden into a rebellion against the market practice of software programming ad placements, slowing not only Google's revenue but also that of other internet firms, according to Jackdaw chief analyst Jan Dawson.

"I would think Google (and parent company Alphabet) would be extremely lucky to emerge from all this with minimal financial impact," he said in a blog post.

"I think it's far more likely it sees both a short-term dent in its revenues and profits from the spreading boycotts and possibly a longer-term impact as brands reconsider their commitments to programmatic advertising in general."

California-based Google, which has seen a slew of companies withdraw ads fearing placement alongside extremist content, said this week it is introducing new tools to give firms greater control.

"We know advertisers don't want their ads next to content that doesn't align with their values," Google's chief business officer Philipp Schindler said in a blog post.

"We're taking a tougher stance on hateful, offensive and derogatory content."

- Hateful videos -

The boycott began last week after the Times newspaper of London found BBC programs were promoted alongside videos posted by American white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan member David Duke as well as Wagdi Ghoneim, an Islamist preacher banned from Britain for inciting hatred.

Story continues

The analysis found more than 200 anti-Semitic videos, and that Google had failed to remove six of them within the 24-hour period mandated by the European Union after it anonymously signaled their presence.

The British government subsequently put its YouTube advertising on hold, saying in a statement, "it is totally unacceptable that taxpayer-funded advertising has appeared next to inappropriate internet content."

Others to pull the plug, temporarily at least, include the BBC, The Guardian newspaper group, McDonalds UK and the British arm of the major advertising agency Havas.

The movement spread to the United States this week, with AT&T and Verizon pulling ads from Google.

Google's parent Alphabet has lost slightly more than $20 billion in value since the start of this week based on a slip in its share price, in a sign the boycott has made investors nervous.

- Limits of software -

Still, analysts believe the boycott's overall financial impact should be relatively small given the breadth of Google's advertising activities.

Even a "draconian" estimate of fiscal damage was limited to whittling perhaps a percent off Alphabet's revenue, Morgan Stanley said in a note to investors.

"It is a hit on their revenue, but it is an even bigger hit on their brand; on their reputation," Altimeter Group principal analyst Charlene Li said. "Google hasn't taken it seriously enough."

She recommended that Google engage advertisers directly and openly.

A solution may not be easy. Google needs to strike a balance between pleasing advertisers and those who upload videos to YouTube and are free to take their creations elsewhere if unsatisfied with their shares of ad revenue.

Google's setbacks could benefit traditional television networks as ad dollars return there from YouTube or stall a shift to online, Morgan Stanley said.

Google rivals such as Facebook could also benefit if they prove safer havens for digital advertising.

Above all, the boycott highlights the limits of "programmatic" advertising, the practice of letting software algorithms decide pairing between marketing messages and content sought by online viewers.

The technology is broadly used by internet firms, which heavily rely on software and artificial intelligence to figure out what ads will interest people at any given moment.

Advertisers can chose "keywords" for targeting their ads, or sometimes use demographic options such as age groups or where people live.

Google and the leading social network Facebook stopped publishing ads on websites posting sensational and fabricated stories following controversy about the role "fake news" may have played in the US presidential election last year.

In February, YouTube ended an advertising partnership with its biggest star, PewDiePie, who had published videos containing anti-Semitic insults and Nazi references.

The boycott will push for programmatic ad software to become more precise and better understand the content offered for pairing in order to reduce risks for advertisers, Li said.
The ban was imposed amid fears the Islamic State group was developing a bomb concealed in a laptop (AFP Photo/JOHN MOORE) (GETTY/AFP/File)

Amman (AFP) - While Middle Eastern airlines grapple with carry-on bans for laptops on flights to the US and Britain, one carrier is encouraging passengers to do the unthinkable: actually talk to each other.

Royal Jordanian, one of the airlines affected by new restrictions on electronic devices bigger than mobile phones on direct flights to the US and UK, has released a tongue-in-cheek list of in-flight alternatives to staring at a screen.

"Read a book. Say hello to the person next to you. Meditate," are among the 12 lighthearted suggestions posted on its Facebook page this week.

The post, which has received close to 10,000 likes, also advises customers to "enjoy the miracle of flight" and "analyse the meaning of life".

The US ban will affect around 50 flights per day from nine airlines, and the British ban will hit 14 carriers.

Royal Jordanian, which operates direct flights to London, New York, Detroit and Chicago, followed up its popular post with another alternative in-flight activity: "Or do what we Jordanians do best... stare at each other!"
Royal Jordanian Airlines suggested its passengers flying to the U.S. contemplate the meaning of life to pass the time on flights.

Flying can be pretty boring, especially if you cant bring a laptop, tablet, e-reader or any other electronic devices bigger than a cellphone into the passenger cabin as the latest edict from the Department of Homeland Security for flights involving 10 Middle Eastern and North African airports demands.

So Royal Jordanian Airlines, one of the carriers impacted by the order, which takes effect early Friday, has a few suggestions for passengers traveling from Amman to Chicago, Detroit and New York, including appreciate the miracle of flight, pretend tray table is a keyboard and analyze the meaning of life.



The airline also suggested passengers do what we Jordanians do best: Stare at each other!

Read: Credible Terror Threats Cited In Airplane Electronics Ban

Royal Jordanian took a swipe at President Donald Trumps travel ban against six Muslim-majority countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen), tweeting, every week a new ban.

Under the hashtag #electronicban, Royal Jordanian promised Thursdays tweets were just the beginning and more mocking was in the offing.

Read: America Less Safe During Trump Administration?

DHS issued a notice Tuesday banning laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras, portable DVD players, travel printers/scanners and electronic game units larger than a smartphone from the passenger cabin on flights headed to and from the United States involving 10 airports in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. It gave airlines 96 hours to comply. Cellphones and medical devices are exempt from the ban.

The British government issued a similar order for flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Tunisia.

The Economist reported the ban stems a shift in the balance of power among international carriers. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways have become what the Economist described as super-connectors, that along with Turkish Airlines are dominating long-haul routes between Europe and Asia at the expense of legacy carriers.

Story continues

Tuesdays order grew out of last years laptop bombing of an airliner out of Mogadishu, Somalia, CBS reported. Intelligence agencies have concluded al Qaeda has developed a method of hiding explosives in batteries the size of those used in laptops and tablets, CBS said.

People tweeted their unhappiness with the ban.

The Hill reported Royal Jordanian has mocked Trump in the past. Before the election, the airline urged passengers to book flights while youre still allowed to, a swipe at Trumps rhetoric regarding Muslims.

Related Articles
The company has come out with exclusive deals for its first voice-shopping weekend.

Apples Siri and Amazons Alexa are currently in a showdown over which will be the AI assistant of choice for travelers, according to a Bloomberg report.

Marriott International Inc. is testing the voice assistants at its Aloft hotel in Bostons Seaport district and will choose which it will launch more broadly across its locations.

Read: Siri vs Alexa: Amazon AI Assistant Penetrates Apple iOS Through Official App

The hotel group is testing the digital assistants to see which is better for guest services, such as turning on lights, closing drapes, controlling room temperature and changing TV channels through voice commands.

Marriotts Toni Stoeckl told Bloomberg the company is looking for the ideal solution to make this a global platform. He added that Aloft hotels act as a tech incubator for new concepts and a positive trial may determine whether digital assistants, and which one, will be integrated at other Marriott chains.

Marriott is expected to make a decision by the middle of the year. Whether the company picks Siri or Amazon, the decision could potentially boosts sales for either Apple or Amazon.

Read: Cortana vs. Siri: Microsoft Revamps AI Assistant In An Attempt To One-Up Apples iOS Assistant

However, Alexa seems to have a head start. Wynn Resorts Ltd. installed Echo devices powered by Alexa in suites at its Wynn Las Vegas hotel last December. The company plans to equip all of its 4,748 rooms at the hotel with the Amazon device by the summer, and is considering installing the Amazon Echo at other resorts.

Meanwhile, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in Texas has been testing Amazons assistant since October 2016 and has installed Alexa devices in 10 of its most popular rooms. The hotel, which has 1,002 rooms, plans to add the digital assistant to 100 more rooms next month. In that location, Alexa can be used to control lights in five of the rooms, but the company is focusing on using the voice assistant as a personal concierge for tasks such as, ordering room service and requesting towels, toothpaste or housekeeping.

Story continues

Apple has been reportedly working to boost Siris capabilities to compete with Alexa, according to a January report. Apple is not only competing with Alexa, but also with Google Assistant, Samsungs Bixby and Microsofts Cortana.

In a move to revamp Siri, Apple acquired Australian start-up Turi last August for $200 million. Turi lets developers create apps with machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities.

Rumors suggest Apples 2017 iPhone generation will feature an improved version of Siri to compete against Samsung and Huawei.

Related Articles
Ghana's Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, attended a graduation ceremony at the Ghana Military Academy and Training School for it's Special Medical Intake 3.

YEN's got more news on politics here

READ ALSO: Tracy Boakye says all her ex's wouldn't miss a chance to date her again

The ceremony saw 99 officer recruits graduate from the military academy. Out of the total number of fresh graduates, 51 cadets join the Ghana Army's ranks, while the Ghana Navy and Ghana Air Force received 24 cadets respectively.

Speaking at the ceremony on behalf of President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia observed that the cadet's graduation comes at a fortuitous time as construction of the Kumasi Military Hospital was now under way.

Pay Attention: Get the all the latest news on YEN.com.gh

The commissioning of these medical personnel today is timely, taking into consideration the manpower needs of the ongoing new construction of the military hospital in Kumasi, he stated.

Pay Attention: Get news whenever and wherever you go with YEN NEWS android app here

The facility is expected to take care of the medical needs of military personnel of the middle and northern sectors of the country. I have no doubt that with the addition of these newly commissioned officers, the Kumasi Military Hospital will have the requisite staff to operate effectively.

My government will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure the facility is well resourced to augment the several medical facilities in the country. The hospital in Kumasi will also be designated as an emergency hospital to cater for emergency situations in the northern part of Ghana.

Vice President Bawumia further urged the new cadets to uphold the good name of the Ghana Armed Forces as they go forward into the various stations.

Safeguard the image and reputation of the Ghana Armed Forces," he said.

READ ALSO: Government protecting Invincible Forces pair - Suhuyini

DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE WITH YEN NEWS, OR MAYBE YOU'D PREFER TO BE FEATURED YEN.COM.GH?

Contact us on Facebook:yencomgh

Twitter: @yencomgh

Viber: Ghana News Yen

Or drop us a line at info@yen.com Attach pictures, videos. info.

Source: YEN.com.gh
ABC/ Lou Rocco; ABC/Randy HolmesMariah Carey and Remy Ma -- who both have beef with Nicki Minaj -- have joined forces to record a remix of Mimi's track, "I Don't."

The original version of the song features rapper YG and details Mariah's feelings about her split from Australian billionaire James Packer.

Mimi called attention to the remix via Instagram with a video that features a mock text conversation between herself and Remy.

"Plans for Friday? I have an idea," she writes to Remy in the clip, before the screen fades to the cover art for "I Don't."

Remy also shared the same visual on her Instagram account, writing in the caption, "When @mariahcarey calls...Don't REM-mix featuring @yg & Me!!"

Neither Remy nor Mimi are actually heard dissing Nicki on the remix, but you can't mistake the significance of two of Nicki's most famous enemies working together.

Nicki has not yet responded to Mariah and Remy's remix, but she did release a lyric video for her breakup song "Regret in Your Tears" on Friday.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
No

Yes, a light case

Yes, two or more light cases

One serious case

Two or more serious bouts

Vote

View Results
A week after she was fired, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse police dispatcher was back on the job Monday.

UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow and the dispatchers lawyer, Lee Fehr of Onalaska, said Kimberly Dearman resumed her duties in the campus police department. While she may be back at work, Fehr said Tuesday the dispute with the university over her termination is not over.

It is important to know what this is really about, Fehr said. When the government can fire a person without due process for their free speech, it should be frightening to everyone.

Gow said that the universitys position on the whole matter has been that the university erred in its procedure in firing Dearman, and now that she has come back to work, the matter should be put to rest. Gow says the university would have been justified in terminating Dearman, which he said included a history of poor work performance as well as making offensive comments to an employee she was supervising.

For us, this is the end of the situation, Gow said. She didnt express an idea in her speech  she expressed an insult.

The story so far

The dispute between Dearman and UW-L came to light March 13 when Fehr sent a letter to the UW System Board of Regents accusing UW-L of punishing Dearman for political comments she made at work in support of President Donald Trumps travel ban. Fehr accused the campus of showing favoritism to the chancellor, saying Gow should face similar scrutiny for opinions he shared in emails about the travel ban that sparked Dearmans comments.

The letter to the regents included a copy of the letter UW-L Human Resources Director Madeline Holzem sent Dearman on March 13, offering her the choice of resigning or being fired. The letter said the decision was based on an investigation that found Dearman violated workplace policies about unbecoming conduct and threatening and abusive language.

UW-L defines unbecoming conduct as conduct, on or off the job, that adversely affects an employees ability to continue to perform assigned duties or the universitys ability to carry out its assigned mission, or that tends to promote mistrust or embarrassment of the university. Threatening or abusive language directed toward a supervisor, fellow employee or any other person is not allowed, and that includes offensive language, regardless of whether its directed at anyone in particular and regardless of the intent.

Reached on March 14, Fehr stated he was only interested in getting his client her job back. He also brought up concerns about the climate of political speech on campus and said he hoped the regents would investigate the matter.

I want to be very clear, Gow said the same day. We would never let someone go based on their political beliefs. We always follow due process and policy if anyone is let go.

The next day, March 15, Gow reversed course, saying UW System attorneys had advised UW-L to offer Dearman her job back. Staff involved in firing Dearman had made due process errors, Gow said, including not giving her the opportunity to have a hearing and he added that all further firings would be reviewed by his office.

During the rest of the week, Dearmans lawyer said he and his client were considering the universitys offer. On Saturday, he sent another letter to the regents, saying Dearman wanted to go back to work but was still concerned about the state of free speech on campus and Gows comments in regard to the dispute.

According to the report, Dearman was placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation into the incident, which took place Feb. 1. According to a March 10 interview with Dearman, she told investigators she only told the student employee that she thought the travel ban was a good idea and repeatedly denied saying anything more.

According to the complaint submitted to UW-L police Sgt. Jordan Schaller, the student said Dearman, who was her supervisor and training her on her first day of work, reacted to a series of emails in which Gow first commented on the travel ban signed by President Donald Trump and then apologized for any political tone in the first email. According to the complaint, Dearman initiated the conversation about the emails, saying Gow deserved the backlash he got. During the conversation, the student asked Dearman her opinion of the travel ban, to which Dearman said people should respect the president and that people who dont belong here should leave.

The complaint further states that the student debated with Dearman about the countries included on the travel ban list, and Dearman spent several minutes saying immigrants dont belong here, that she wasnt a racist and she wasnt trying to offend the student. The complaint said the student, who Gow said was of Asian descent, didnt know what to say in response, so she sat quietly until she left for class before subsequently resigning her position.

In multiple interviews, Fehr never disputed that Dearman made these comments to her subordinate. Instead, he argued that her statements were not racist. There is nothing racial about being an immigrant, he said, as immigrants come from all over and the university was punishing her client for sharing an opposing view over the travel ban.

According to the conclusion of the report, university staff were concerned this behavior occurred between a direct supervisor and subordinate on the employees first day of work, escalating the situation to a level that caused fear and intimidation in someone who had no recourse.

The investigators concluded this behavior was not acceptable to the mission and values of the university and its police department. The investigation report also mentioned previous disciplinary actions Dearman has received, including a performance improvement plan, and stated McCullough made the decision to terminate Dearman.

On Monday, Gow stated Fehr had asked for a $250,000 settlement from the university. Fehr disputes this, saying he asked the university to propose a number then threw the $250,000 suggestion out when the university wouldnt respond. Gow has repeatedly said the university will not pay any amount to Dearman or her lawyer.

We did not start this, Gow said. But when someone questions the integrity of the university, we are going to respond.
Prosecutors Friday charged a rural Coon Valley man with forcing a 9-year-old girl to perform oral sex in exchange for gummy bears.

Anthony Creasy, 33, also threatened the child that she would be homeless if she reported the assault, according to the complaint filed in La Crosse County Circuit Court.

The victim said Creasy forced her to view child pornography. Prosecutors charged him with first-degree sexual assault of a child younger than 12 and causing a child to view sexual activity for conduct between Sept. 1 and Jan. 1.

A second girl, now 14, reported to Illinois authorities earlier this month that Creasy molested and raped her from the time she was in elementary school until middle school, twice capturing the assaults on video, according to the complaint. In exchange, he cleaned the victims room and bought her a dog.

Charges in that case are pending in Illinois, prosecutors said in court. Creasy also is jailed on a $500,000 warrant from Illinois and a $10,000 cash bond.

Creasy denies assaulting both girls.
This is expected to be a challenging year for corn and soybean farmers, but there still should be opportunities to make a profit, rural West Salem farmer Kevin Hoyer says.

Hoyer, who also assists other farmers as a certified crop adviser with Melrose Farm Service, was on the American Soybean Association board for nine years and on the Wisconsin Soybean Association board for five years. He is a past president of the WSA board.

He farms about 550 acres near West Salem. Ill probably keep my normal (corn-soybean) rotation of 50-50, Hoyer said. So a little over 250 acres of each will be planted this spring.

U.S. corn prices are expected to average about $3.50 per bushel this year, up 3 percent from last year, but down 50 percent from 2012s record high price, U.S. Department of Agriculture Chief Economist Robert Johansson said at the agencys annual Agricultural Outlook Forum in late February.

U.S. soybean prices are expected to average about $9.60 per bushel this year, up 1.1 percent from last year abut down about 35 percent from the record in 2012, Johansson said.

Corn and soybean prices are relatively low considering the last seven years or so, Hoyer said. But they arent the lowest prices weve experienced, he added. Weve experienced sub- $2 corn and sub- $6 beans in the past. But given weve come off record high years within the last four, five or six years, this does seem to be a challenge to remain economically sustainable.

But Hoyer thinks corn and soybean farmers still will have opportunities to make money this year.

There are profit opportunities out there with both corn and soybeans, he said. But you have to be ready to pull the trigger (in deciding when to sell corn and soybeans). Costs are lower this year. Some of the rents have trickled down a bit in some areas, which has made overall costs or production lower. And there are higher yields with the newer genetics.

The prices of fuel and most fertilizers have declined, while seed prices are about the same as last year, Hoyer said.

Im not overly concerned about the market as long as I have my costs and my budgets in line, Hoyer said. Im fairly comfortable that there will be opportunities to make a profit and to be able to continue farming in the future.

There are some challenges out there with some growers that maybe overextended themselves and didnt watch the markets that close and may be sitting on crop from last year, Hoyer added.

It isnt unusual for a farmer to go into an I-cant-believe-it mode of Im not selling my crop that low because I got a dollar higher last year, Hoyer said. But you have to look at the big picture. You cant just look at the price of the crop. Youve (also) got to look at what its going to take to get us to that crop. What the costs are to help the economic sustainability.

Fortunately, soil moisture doesnt seem to be an issue as area farmers prepare for spring planting.

Right now Id say soil moisture is in pretty good shape in the area, said Bill Halfman, University of Wisconsin-Extension agriculture agent in Monroe County.

But prices are not in pretty good shape, Halfman said of corn and soybean prices. The corn and soybean price forecasts he has seen suggest farmers will face pretty tight margins this year, he said.

Halfman noted significant weather events can affect corn and soybean prices.

At this point, Halfman said, concerned seems a good way to summarize the mood of area corn and soybean farmers.
Soldiers would have locked down streets for blocks Thursday night around Viterbo University if the Rev. Patrick Desbois had been speaking about the Holocaust in a European city instead of La Crosse.

Such precautions are necessary to protect Jewish people at such events because anti-Semitism remains so rampant in Europe, the French Catholic priest said during an interview before his presentation as part of a continuing lecture series sponsored by Viterbos D.B. Institute for Leadership in Ethics.

Desbois specializes in a below-the-radar aspect of the Nazi slaughter of millions during the war, reflected in the title of his book, The Holocaust by Bullets.

As Desbois chronicles in the book and spoke about to a full house of more than 1,000 people in Viterbos Fine Arts Center, those deaths came at the hands of the Einsatzgruppen  Nazi mobile killing units that shot more than 2.2 million Jews, Roma and others in Eastern Europe between 1941 and 44 during World War II. Those are in addition to those slaughtered in Nazi death camps.

The shooting sprees are less well known because the events were advertised and accomplished in public, with non-Jewish men, women and children invited to witness the carnage.

The more you make public, the more people are afraid to talk, and it invites complicity, Desbois said. Its a huge trick to show the killings.

Himmler encouraged killing competitions

SS leader Heinrich Himmler established killing competitions between army units, but shooters also included German police and even civilians, he said.

Virtually anybody could shoot Jews, as long as the shooter could prove anti-Semitism as the motive, Desbois said.

If they proved they hated Jews, it was an order and an authorization. It was legal to kill Jews, he said.

Desbois curiosity about the issue was piqued when he was a child, wondering about the circumstances of his grandfathers deportation from France to Ukraine during the war. His grandfather, who helped raise him, spoke little of his experience as a French soldier sent to a Nazi prison camp near Rawa-Ruska, Ukraine.

After visiting Ukraine in 2002 to visit the site of his grandfathers incarceration, Desbois co-founded Yahad-In Unum in 2004 because the city had no memorial to those slain there, and information about that site and others was almost impossible to find.

The organizations name is a combination of the Hebrew word yahad, meaning together, and the Latin phrase in unum meaning in one. It is the only Christian organization in the world dedicated to the cause of finding mass gravesites of Holocaust victims.

Desbois and Yahad-In Unums 25 full-time employees comb the continent in search forensic evidence of mass graves and have discovered the burial sites of 1 million people, he said.

Biggest grave so far held 54,000 bodies

The biggest we have found had 54,000 people buried, he said.

In the process, the organization also finds townspeople who may have been alive at the time and ask them to recount the scenes, said Desbois, who has pulled together an extensive display of photos, paintings and testimonials that is being exhibited in the lobby of Viterbos Fine Arts Center through March 31.

One display features the reproduction of a painting of an execution scene, with the victims lined up along a pit where they will fall after a soldier shoots each in the back of the head. The painting, which includes the towns mayor looking on, doesnt include much of a crowd, but Desbois speculates that townspeople probably surrounded the pit.

Everybody wanted to watch, he said. Like today, with a big fire, everybody runs to see it, or a car accident, everybody slows down to watch.

One of the victims relatives who saw the painting was able to pick out her grandmother and grandfather shortly before they were killed, he said.

Some of the photos are actual shooting scenes, while others show people shortly before they were shot and still other show soldiers rooting through the murdered victims belongings.

The killers wanted their pictures taken. They would send them to their wives or lovers and say, Look, Im shooting the Jews. They were proud of it, he said.

Many of the women who realized what was happening took off their jewelry and threw it as far as they could in a final, defiant attempt to cheat the soldiers of their plunder, Desbois said.

Yahad-In Unum investigators use metal detectors around burial sites to recover such items as further evidence of the slaughter, he said.

Girl forced to help bury classmates

Desbois told of a woman who said she was 14 and working in a field when passing Nazi soldiers summoned her to come to town and bring her shovel.

Mom, do I have to go? she said. And her mom said, If you dont, they will kill you, he said. The girl had to help pack the corpses to go down to make room  including walking on her classmates who had been shot.

Some of the children were still alive, squirming as she walked on them, she told Desbois.

Nazi soldiers always took their victims belongings and frequently raped the women before killing them or raped them and made them Gestapo slaves.

People ask me where and how Grandma died, but I wont tell them the details. How do you tell someone that their grandma was raped? he said.

We are trying to reconnect people (with the sites of their slain relatives), he said. It is to provide dignity, and so they can realize they have a place where they are.

The evidence also is intended to refute the claims of Holocaust deniers that the stories are fabricated.

Yahad-In Unums investigations are on the clock, because the numbers of people who were alive at the time are dwindling and soon, testimony and assistance in finding sites will be lost forever, he said.

Desbois decried a wave of terrorism-related violence that seems to be increasing, citing Tuesdays killings in London, as well as incidents in Brussels, Belgium and France, among others.

Referring to the 84 killed and dozens injured when a terrorist used a truck to barrel through Bastille Day celebrants July 14, Desbois said.

When they use a truck to kill, how can you stop that? You cant.

Desbois also cited the slayings of 49 people and injuries to more than 50 people in the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando on June 16 and other cases, adding, I hope you dont have more here. In Europe, we are now saying, Whos next? Whos next? 
Holmens fire chief was arrested earlier this year for his second drunken driving offense, according to court records.

Paul Menches, 60, was driving with a 0.11 percent preliminary alcohol level about 10:45 p.m. Jan. 31 when he lost control on a snow-covered Hwy. 53 just south of the Hwy. MH exit and another vehicle struck his drivers side door, according to the complaint filed in La Crosse County Circuit Court.

Menches encouraged the other driver to contact police to file a report.

Menches admitted drinking four beers earlier that evening. His prior drunken driving conviction was in 2013.

The fire chief informed the Holmen Area Fire District Association Board and his agency of the arrest immediately, board chairman Rolly Bogert said.

La Crosse County prosecutors on Feb. 23 charged Menches, of Holmen, with second-offense operating while intoxicated and with a prohibited alcohol concentration.

No disciplinary action has been taken pending the outcome of the case, Bogert said.

Hes still working full-time, Bogert said. Hes there every day, even on Saturdays.

The board in July selected Menches, a former Onalaska fire chief, to lead the agency. He took over in September.

Menches also previously served as the Milwaukee County fire chief, and as deputy chief and the chief for Wisconsins Department of Military Affairs. He was recognized as fire chief of the year in 2006 by the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. He served 20 years in the military, becoming the fire chief for the U.S. Air Force.
Mayor Tim Kabat will host the 2017 La Crosse Mayors Neighborhood Expo, Living Well in the City: Together We Can, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the La Crosse Center South Hall. The annual event promotes community building and quality of life in the La Crosse area.

The event will include more than 80 exhibitors, a keynote presentation from Lisa Hadden, executive director of the Mid Central Area Health Education Center at the CMU College of Medicine, and several health and wellness sessions on nutrition, activity and aging.

The event is free, and free bike safety checks will be available from 8 to 9 a.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Organic Valley, coming off its second record-setting year with sales topping $1.1 billion, celebrated that milestone  as well as its 15 percent growth in membership and 5.8 percent growth in sales last year  during its annual meeting in La Crosse this week.

The Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, as the La Farge-based co-ops parent company is known, realized a profit of $6.3 million on the $1.1 billion in sales, according to its annual report.

Like the conventional dairy producers, the company is weathering a spell of low milk prices, CEO George Siemon said at a press conference Friday before the official closed annual meeting of more than 450 farmer-owners from across the country at the La Crosse Center.

Two years ago, we were short on milk, and today, were long on milk  and eggs, too, Siemon said. Youd think wed be good at it by now, after so many years, but variables also buffet the market.

But the organic market is strong, permitting the co-op to continue its pattern of investments, including buying a powder/butter facility in McMinnville, Ore., and breaking ground on a new cheese-cutting and labeling and ghee production facility in Cashton June 1.

Now more than ever, its time to cooperate, Siemon said. Our strength has always been in our unity and belief in the collective good. In a world of divisiveness, cooperation continues to be the key to success.

Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the co-op that Siemon and a handful of other farmers founded in 1988 and now is the largest cooperative of organic farmers in the country.

CROPPs addition of more than 250 family farms lifted its membership to 2,013 in 36 states, making it the largest organic cooperative in the United States and accounting for 15.6 percent of all certified organic farmers in the country.

One issue on the agenda at cooperative headquarters is the matter of succession, as Siemon plans to retire in five years. Leadership in the cooperative is strong, he said, adding that he is working on a five-year plan to continue its success into the future.

A boon to that growth will be its new 50-50 partnership with Dallas-based Dean Foods. The venture, announced in December, is expected to take advantage of Deans massive milk distribution network to add Organic Valley products to refrigerated cases and shelves in more than 140,000 stores nationwide.

The venture is projected to vault Organic Valley products beyond their substantial niche in grocery stores nationwide and place them in drugstores, convenience stores, mom-and-pop markets and discount outlets such as Dollar Stores, company officials have said.
Dave Skogen says servant leadership is a responsibility, not a choice.

Skogen, chairman of the board for Festival Foods, and Sue Christopherson, principal and president emeritus at Fowler & Hammer, shared their views on community involvement and philanthropy at this springs Economic Indicators Breakfast, hosted Thursday by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Both spoke of their parents instilling an ethic of charity and how important building ties with a community is for a business and its leaders.

Theyre our customers, too, Christopherson said. If we are out and in the community, we can understand our customers better.

UW-L economics professor Taggert Brooks also shared his regular update on national and local economic data. Brooks focused on a number of topics, from the bump in global stock markets and the Republican proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act to infrastructure spending and proposed restrictions on free trade.

He spent a lot of time on income inequality, awareness of which is growing and might have contributed to President Donald Trumps victory in November. Since 1940, it has become less likely for those born to earn more in real dollars than their parents generation.

The American Dream we have this attachment to has eroded, Brooks said. There is a lot of dissatisfaction to this change.

Locally, data continue reflect economic strength, Brooks told the audience: Unemployment is at or near a 20-year low and the median home price continues to rise. The number of job openings continues to increase, he said, and, as a result, wages are beginning to rise.

Brooks also shared national data on trends in philanthropy, where 70 percent of the donations received come from individuals. People tend to give about 2 percent of their income, the data showed and philanthropic foundations are taking up a larger share of the pie as their role as trusted intermediaries between peoples money and good causes grows.

What people donate to has also changed, with the share of donations going toward religious charities down from nearly 60 percent in the 1980s to 33 percent in recent years. Religion is still the largest recipient of donations, followed by education at 15 percent, and Brooks predicted that proportion will increase.

Answering questions posed by Brooks, Christopherson said philanthropy is something that is learned. Children learn about the power of giving from family and role models and being the recipient of donated time and treasure themselves.

She said the reason the La Crosse region is so special is because so many people give back, especially those with leadership roles in business or the community. Skogen added that building strong community relationships helps energize a company and its employees, which makes good business sense.

Its not rocket science folks, he said. This is how we were brought up.

The Indicators series is sponsored by State Bank Financial, the UW-L College of Business Administration and the La Crosse Tribune.
MILWAUKEE  Curious toddlers find the drugs in a mothers purse or accidentally dropped on the floor. Sometimes a parent fails to secure the child-resistant cap on a bottle of painkillers.

No matter how it happens, if a 35-pound toddler grabs just one opioid pill, chews it and releases the full concentration of a time-released adult drug into their small bodies, death can come swiftly.

These are some of the youngest victims of the nations opioid epidemic  children under age 5 who die after swallowing opioids. The number of childrens deaths is still small relative to the overall toll from opioids, but toddler fatalities have climbed steadily over the past 10 years.

In 2000, 14 children in the U.S. under age 5 died after ingesting opioids. By 2015, that number climbed to 51, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Milwaukee County alone, four children died last year of accidental overdoses. Another 2-year-old perished in January.

Each family who loses a toddler to opioids confronts a death that probably could have been prevented. Here are a few of their stories:

A METHADONE MYSTERY

Cataleya Tamekia-Damiah Wimberly couldnt sit still. She spent most of her first birthday party in Milwaukee dancing and diving into the cake. But her first birthday party was also her last. Nearly three weeks later, she was found dead of a cause her mother never suspected  a methadone overdose.

Helen Jackson, 24, was styling her older daughters hair when she got a call from Cataleyas father, who shared custody of the little girl. He sobbed on the phone as he explained how he found their daughter unresponsive the morning of Feb. 16, 2016.

I screamed so hard and so loud, Jackson said. The screams that came out of me took all my strength, all my wind. It was just terrible.

Police were puzzled. They looked into whether the toddler was smothered while co-sleeping with her father and his girlfriend. They also investigated carbon monoxide poisoning because of a gas smell. Toxicology tests eventually revealed the methadone in her system.

Jackson said her daughter, while in the care of her father, was at a relatives house when she swallowed the methadone that took her life.

Police are still investigating how Cataleya got the methadone. The case could be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office for consideration of criminal charges, said Sgt. Timothy Gauerke.

Since Cataleyas death, friends and family have commented on what they perceive as Jacksons strength in dealing with her loss. In reality, she said, she feels fragile and weak.

I dont know when Im going to fall apart, she said. I dont know when Im going to explode. Its all still in there.

MOMS RX PROVES FATAL

At just 2 years old, Londyn Raine Robinson Sack was protective of her baby brother, Liam.

She thought she was his mother, said Londyns grandmother, Shauna Etheredge. She liked to be the boss of her little brother.

Londyns own mother was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child in connection with the Oct. 19, 2014, death of her daughter, who ingested an opioid known as Suboxone that was packaged in the form of a dissolving strip.

Prosecutors in New Britain, Conn., said the drug was obtained illegally by her mother and was dispensed in a box, not a child-resistant container.

Rebekah Robinson entered a plea in which she did not accept or deny responsibility for the charges but agreed to accept punishment. In June 2016, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years of probation.

Robinson apparently knew Londyn had ingested the opioid but did not call for medical help, according to prosecutors. It was an older sibling who called 911 to say her little sister was not breathing.

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families was cited in a 2015 report for failing to adequately identify risks to Londyn and Robinsons three other children, given her history of mental health, substance abuse and child-welfare complaints.

Besides her protective nature, Londyn loved making people laugh, Etheredge said.

She would put underwear on her head and act goofy and silly, her grandmother said. She loved to explore.

Etheredge, of Indian Trail, North Carolina, said one of her lasting memories of her grandchild was a visit to the local park.

The last time I saw her, she was running around and trying to catch up with the birds, she said.

PRECOCIOUS LIL REG DIES

Curious and energetic, Reginald Kendall Harris Jr. would hold conversations beyond those of a typical toddler.

If he was talking to his mom, you would think he was five or six years old, said his great-uncle Calvin Harris, of Portland, Oregon. If you would talk to him, you would engage in a full conversation. It was hilarious for his age, Harris said.

The boy died on Oct. 10, 2016, after swallowing methadone. Portland police soon issued a warning, saying the case was a reminder to keep all prescription drugs away from children.

Reginalds uncle, Willie Lee Harris Jr., is behind bars, accused of leaving methadone in a place accessible to his nephew. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter.

Harris mother, Pamela Harris, of Vancouver, Wash., said her grandson got hold of the drug while riding in her sons car.

Lil Reg was so touchy and curious, she recalled. The methadone was in a cup.

The boy whose family affectionately called him Lil Reg would say some crazy stuff sometimes, somethings you wouldnt expect a 2-year-old to say, great-grandmother Lucy Lee Harris recalled. He would answer the door: What up, dawg?

Instead of the way he died, Pamela Harris chooses to remember how her grandson lived, such as his joy when the family made plans to visit his favorite hangout, Chuck E. Cheese.

Harris said his death was almost too much to bear after losing her home in Hurricane Katrina and receiving a breast cancer diagnosis.

Now Ive got a grandson thats not here and a son thats being charged, Harris said. I couldnt breathe. It was like I was being smothered.

In 2000, 14 children in the U.S. under age 5 died after ingesting opioids. By 2015, that number climbed to 51, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
House Speaker Paul Ryan conceded the biggest defeat of his political career Friday: Republicans have failed to repeal and replace Obamacare.

The painful acknowledgment marked a stunning setback for the 47-year-old, who ascended to the powerful position of House speaker in fall 2015. The shocking turn of events this week -- culminating in the last-minute decision to pull the GOP health care bill from the House floor Friday afternoon -- was particularly excruciating for Ryan, who made his name in Washington as a conservative policy wonk committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act.

The bill that too many of his fellow colleagues ultimately rejected was based on Ryan's signature policy agenda, called "A Better Way."

"We came really close today, but we came up short," Ryan said at a news conference. "I will not sugarcoat this. This is a disappointing day for us."

Ryan spoke alone from behind the podium, and he was not flanked by any of the Republican colleagues or White House officials who had furiously worked with him for weeks to try to get the health care legislation through the House.

The Wisconsin Republican said he had directly informed President Donald Trump that he did not have the votes, and that the President accepted his recommendation that Republicans yank the bill.

Ryan said he simply that did not know if or when Obamacare would ever go away.

"I don't know what else to say other than Obamacare is the law of the land. It'll remain law of the land until it's replaced," he said. "We're going to be living with Obamacre for the foreseeable future."
Facing no challengers on the April ballot, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said Friday he is looking forward to serving another four years in that office.

Will his term include a campaign for governor of Wisconsin?

Parisi said in an interview with the Cap Times that he would have a definite decision within a month on if he plans to run for governor in 2018.

As Ive said in the past, it isnt something I have ruled out, Parisi said. I am 100 percent focused on being county executive."

Parisi was first elected to the county executive position in 2011 during a special election to serve out the remainder of a term after the previous county executive, Kathleen Falk, resigned. He was elected to his first full term in 2013.

Parisi served as Dane County clerk from 1996 to 2004. He served in the state Assembly, representing an east side Madison district, from 2004 to 2011.
If you were to ask a typical Wisconsin resident how to fix health care in America, you can be sure he or she would not suggest that Washington allow insurance companies to price people out of affordable coverage.

Yet Congress is now considering the American Health Care Act  a bill that would do just that. The bill would impose an age tax on older Americans. That means people in their 50s and 60s who are buying health insurance on their own might have to pay up to $8,400 per year more than they do now.

Right now, insurance companies are allowed to charge people over three times what other people have to pay. If this legislation passes, insurance companies could charge older Americans five times or more what other people have to pay.

Such a policy change fails to take into consideration that a typical older American seeking private health insurance has a median annual income of under $25,000. Having to pay thousands more for health insurance could force many to make hard choices between food, medicine, housing and other basic necessities.

The legislation also reduces tax credits that help older Americans with low and moderate incomes pay for their health care premiums. The legislation could price more than 3 million older Americans age 50-64 out of health insurance.

Additionally, the legislation would allow insurance companies to overcharge older Americans while giving $200 billion in tax breaks to big drug and insurance companies. Thats the wrong way to fix our healthcare system.

The legislation includes other provisions that would harm older Wisconsinites. The bill would weaken Medicare by causing Medicares trust fund to dry up four years earlier than forecast. And it would end the guarantee of coverage for people who receive care in nursing homes and those whose families depend on Medicaid to help seniors and people with disabilities live independently in their homes.

Health care costs are out of control. But this bill would mean higher prices, less coverage, and billions in tax breaks for big drug and insurance companies. Wisconsinites need a health care system that lowers costs, protects consumers, and offers everyone access to quality care.

AARP is ready to work with members of both political parties on responsible ways to move forward. If you agree, please tell your elected representatives to vote a resounding No on the American Health Care Act.
Friday, March 24, 2017

The Indiana Supreme Court affirmed the denial of summary judgment in favor of defendant law firms

Consumer Attorney Services, P.A., The McCann Law Group, LLP, and Brenda McCann (collectively Defendants) appeal the trial courts denial of their motion for summary judgment, claiming they are all expressly or impliedly exempt from liability under each of the four statutes cited by the State in this civil suit. Finding that none of the Defendants properly fit within these statutory exemptions, we affirm.

The story

CAS is a Florida corporation that purports to specialize in foreclosure- and mortgage related legal defense work, requiring non-refundable retainers and monthly fees up front to be automatically deducted from bank accounts. McCann was an attorney licensed in Florida, who acted as CASs manager. CAS subcontracted with at least five Indiana attorneys to provide local services, who executed Of Counsel, Associate, and/or Partnership agreements with CAS. Under the Partnership agreement, the attorney acquired a 1% non-voting interest in CAS, and was to be involved with client intake and screening, to administer the referral of Indiana cases to other Indiana lawyers employed by CAS, and to provide clients with direct legal services as needed. Under the Associate agreements, CAS handled all aspects of client intake and communication, document preparation, and billing, with the attorneys role limited to speaking with clients only when directly asked by the client, and meeting with them only once prior to filing any legal documents such as a bankruptcy petition (in order to obtain appropriate signatures), and speaking with opposing counsel only when necessitated. Appellants App. at 86. Under the Of Counsel agreements, the lawyer was a completely independent contractor, but was to perform essentially the same functions as under the Associate agreement. All of these agreements were entered into before CAS registered as a foreign entity authorized to do business in Indiana.

Complaints against the firms came quickly and the state filed this civil case.

The court found the claims were properly brought

This Court has not previously interpreted the CSOA, but as discussed above, it is designed to serve the humane purpose of protecting vulnerable Hoosiers from further financial depletion by predators, and its specific protections exceed those contained in our common law. It is thus appropriate that the CSOA be liberally construed, in favor of those invoking its protections...

[Our] interpretation also compliments this Courts disciplinary authority. In its argument supporting a CSOA law firm exemption, CAS asserts that such a ruling would uphold[] the authority of the Indiana Supreme Court to discipline attorneys [and] regulate the practice of law[.] Appellants Br. at 21. But the case for this construction of our Admission and Disciplinary Rules does not persuade. Rule 23 governs the discipline of attorneys, as individuals  it contains no provisions for the discipline of an entire firm as a whole. See Ind. Admis. Disc. R. 23 Sec. 3(a) (2017) (listing types of discipline [which] may be imposed upon any attorney found to have committed professional misconduct) (emphasis added). Indeed, with respect to law firms specifically, we have only three significant provisions regulating their conduct: (1) the unauthorized practice of law, Ind. Admis. Disc. R. 24; (2) registration as a Professional Company, Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership practicing law in the State of Indiana, Ind. Admis. Disc. R. 27 Sec. 1, 1(b); and (3) maintaining adequate professional liability insurance for the firm, Ind. Admis. Disc. R. 27 Sec. 1(g). We thus find it reasonable that our General Assembly would choose to exempt attorneys specifically (who are subject to far more extensive disciplinary action by this Court5 ) while not exempting their firms.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/03/the-indiana-supreme-court-affirmed-the-denial-of-summary-judgment-in-favor-of-defendant-law-firms-consumer-attorney-services.html
Thursday, March 23, 2017

Rewire (March 21, 2017): Mississippi Finally Stops Defending Clinic Shutdown Law, by Jessica Mason Pieklo:

Eight months after the Supreme Court's decision in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, Mississippi dropped its defense of an admitting privilege requirement that would have required doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. The provision would have forced the only abortion clinic in Mississippi to close. Following the state's concession that it could not "identify any meaningful distinction" between the law struck down in Whole Woman's Health and the Mississippi admitting privilege requirement, the district court permanently enjoined the law.

However, litigation continues over another Mississippi law that requires that all doctors performing abortions be OB-GYNs. Mississippi is the only state with such a requirement.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights/2017/03/mississippi-drops-defense-of-admitting-privilege-requirement-litigation-on-obgyn-requirement-continu.html
A new public opinion study shows many Canadians are unhappy about people entering Canada illegally from the United States.

Such border-crossers are mostly people from the Middle East and Africa. Some say they traveled to Canada because they were afraid the U.S. government would return them to their home countries.

News services report that the number of refugees entering Canada rose sharply in the first two months of 2017.

In January and February, Canadian police caught over 1,000 people crossing into Canada without permission. In all of 2016, that number was just over 2,000.

So far this year, about 5,500 people have requested Canada accept them as refugees. Only 20 percent of them have been stopped at the border.

If the trend continues, more than 30,000 people will attempt to get refugee status in Canada this year. That would be 40 percent more than last year.

Due to the surge of refugees, the Reuters news agency asked Canadians what they think of people who come into Canada without permission.

The study found that many Canadians think the country will not be as safe as in the past if the foreigners are permitted to stay.

About 1,000 people were questioned.

Almost half said the migrants should be returned to the U.S. About the same number said they did not agree with the way Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is dealing with the issue.

About 400 people said they thought migrants coming into Canada from the U.S. would make the country less safe.

Last month, Reuters went to the small central border town of Emerson, Manitoba. The U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota are south of the town.

Jamie French lives in Emerson. She says last month, a group of 16 migrants came to the door of her house early in the morning. She said she was frightened.

Emersons emergency coordinator said none of the migrants have caused any trouble, so far. Some, however, have needed medical treatment after spending hours outside in freezing temperatures.

The increasing numbers of people crossing into Canada can be costly for these border towns.

For example, it costs Emerson $500 every time police call firefighters to help treat the health problems of migrants.

Jacqueline Reimer runs a restaurant in Emerson. She has fed some of the migrants for free. She says she wants them to feel welcome. But she also says she wonders why the Canadian government does not do more to help Canadas homeless citizens.

Some Canadians also expressed worry that even larger number of people will try to cross the border as the weather warms.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press. Caty Weaver was the editor.

What do you think of migrants crossing into Canada? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

trend  n. a general direction of change : a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common

status - n. the position of a person or thing according to the law

surge -- n. a sudden, large increase

migrant  n. a person who goes from one place to another, especially to find work

coordinator  n. a person who organizes people or groups so that they work together properly and well
Doctors at an American hospital have successfully operated on a baby born with four legs and two spines.



The 10-month old baby girl is known only as Dominique from Ivory Coast. She is reported to be recovering well.

Doctors separated her from a parasitic twin in a complex operation on March 8 at Advocate Childrens Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois.

Hospital officials say the operation lasted six hours. It involved five surgeons and many other healthcare workers.

The bottom half of the not-fully-developed twins body was sticking out from Dominques neck and back. The twin was dependent on Dominques body and could not survive independently.

Dr. John Ruge is a child care specialist.



"This is a situation where identical twins failed to separate. And, the separation, it can be connected in a variety of different manners."

Dominique was born with two spinal columns. Without an operation her life would likely not be a long one with physical problems and pain, doctors said. They were concerned about the pressure put upon Dominiques back and organs.

Doctor Ruge says her heart and lungs were working to support two bodies.

"It is as if the twin, from the waist down, had been attached to the back of Dominique's neck. And, there was a pelvis and bladder, and functional legs that moved, and feet coming out of the back of Dominique's neck. Now, this made it extremely dangerous for Dominique."



Doctors used imaging equipment to create a three-dimensional model of her two spines. A second bladder behind the extra legs had to be removed.



The team of surgeons performed a test operation to prepare for the surgery. In the real operation, doctors disconnected nerves and blood passages to prevent feelings of numbness or even paralysis.

Dr. Frank Vicari was also part of the surgical team.



"So, we took her to the operating room. We approached the problem, the critical part being at the base of the junction of the two spines and the abnormal pelvis. And, once we had control of that, I think it was pretty clear to most people in the operating room that we were going to be able to accomplish this surgery."

Dominique was able to sit up the day after the surgery and was released from the hospital five days later. She is now recovering at the home of a foster family in Chicago. They will care for her until she is well enough to return home to her family in Africa.

Doctors do believe that baby Dominique will be able to have a normal and productive life.

Im Marsha James.

Victor Beattie reported on this story. Marsha James adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

spine  n. backbone; the connected bones down the middle of the back

parasitic  n. of or related to an organism living in, with or on another organism

twin  n. one of two persons produced at a birth

three-dimensional  adj. having or appearing to have length, width and depth

numbness  n. the not able to move

paralysis  n. a condition in which you are unable to move or feel all or part of your body

approach  v. to move or become nearer to something or someone

junction  n. a place where two things join

foster family  n. a family that cares for a child for a short time

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.


The life story of Private First Class Maria Daume is very different from anyone else in the United States Marines.

She was born in a prison in Siberia. Her parents died when she was two years old.

Two years later, she was adopted by Americans. They agreed to take Maria in and treat her as their own child. She moved to the United States, and was raised in New York.

Last week, the 19-year-old Maria Daume made history. She completed special training at the Marine School of Infantry in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Daume has done what many people said a woman would never do. She is the first female Marine to join the infantry through the traditional entry-level training process. The system was opened to women just six months ago.

Daume told VOA she knows what she did was historic.

I like to prove people wrong and just because you are a female doesnt mean you cant do what a male can do.

The Mortar Marine class that she completed is one of the most difficult in the Marines. And Marine officials say it is becoming even more difficult.

Marine Sargent Matthew Schneider was one of Daumes instructors. He says Daume was a good student.

She was right at the top of the pack.

To pass the training, Daume climbed a 142 centimeter-high wall while carrying all of her equipment. She had to lift a 36 kilogram MK19 heavy machine gun above her head. And she had to complete other gun exercises and skill tests.

The completion of Daumes training came at the same time as a scandal has hit the U.S. Marine Corps.

A private Facebook group called Marines United has been linked to photographs of military women on social media. The photos show the women wearing little or no clothing.

Tens of thousands of Marines and retired Marines reportedly belonged to the Facebook group. Their posts often had sexist, derogatory comments. Some even talked about rape and molestation.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has launched an investigation, which has reportedly spread to other U.S. military services.

General Robert Neller is the Commandant of the Marine Corps. He told members of Congress this month that he was shocked and angered when he heard about the Facebook group. He said some members of the group appeared to have forgotten that every member of our team is an equal and valued member of our Corps.

How much more do the females of our Corps have to do to be accepted? We all have to commit to getting rid of this perversion to our culture. Enough is enough!

Experts hope Private First Class Daumes success will persuade more women to join the Marines despite the scandal.

Katherine Kidder is with the Military, Veterans and Society Program of the Center for a New American Security.

This may be the way to bridge the gap and bring more women into the infantry, and therefore make them feel like colleagues with their infantry counterparts.

The U.S. Marines now have four women serving in the infantry. Three are based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Daume and four Marines who completed their infantry training at the same time are now based at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, California.

Im Dorothy Gundy.

VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb reported this story from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. John Smith adapted her reporting for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

adopt  v. to take a child of other parents legally as your own child

infantry  n. the part of an army that has soldiers who fight on foot

instructor  n. a person who teaches a subject or skill; someone who instructs people

pack  n. a group of similar people or things

scandal  n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong

derogatory  adj. expressing a low opinion of someone or something; showing a lack of respect for someone or something

molest  v. to harm (someone) through sexual contact; to touch (someone) in a sexual and improper way

perversion  n. sexual behavior that people think is not normal or natural

bridge the gap  expression to make a bridge over or across (something) -- usually used figuratively

counterpart  n. someone or something that has the same job or purpose as another


An electoral committee will meet on Sunday to choose a new chief executive for Hong Kong.

That person will serve for five years.

Most of the committees almost 1,200 members are loyal to the Chinese leadership in Beijing. They are expected to support Carrie Lam, Chinas choice for chief executive. Her opponent, John Tsang, is more popular with people in Hong Kong.

However, some observers believe the committee is divided. Many people are wondering what effect the election results might have on calls for political reform.

The British returned control of Hong Kong to China 20 years ago. Today the former colony remains a mix of East and West. It has its own culture and traditions. Large buses travel through narrow streets. The smell of dried seafood fills the air in many places. And horse racing is popular, just as it was when Hong Kong was a British colony.

But some things have changed. Instead of being able to directly elect Hong Kongs leader, city residents must accept the decision of the committee. China is increasing its control of the city.

At the same time, residents seem increasingly disconnected with the government in Beijing. Young people are wondering about the delay of political reforms.

Many people in Hong Kong say they want the rule of law, a strong economy and the right to vote for the chief executive.

They want someone who will protect the interests of the city of seven million people. Many people believe Hong Kongs current chief, C.Y. Leung, failed to do so. They launched a series of demonstrations that lasted for months. The protests were called the Occupy Central campaign or Umbrella Movement.

In late 2015, some booksellers disappeared. This increased concerns that Chinas one country, two systems for Hong Kong was becoming one country, one system.

Pro-democracy activists say they are not afraid to continue their protests if Chinese officials do not listen to them.

Yvonne Leung is a former president of the Hong Kong University Students Union. She was a leader of students during the Occupy Central campaign.

"The Chinese government is trying very hard to combat any democratization movement. But I believe it is very important for Hong Kong people to uphold the core value, because the more aggressive the Chinese government are, the more people will be affected.

Most observers believe Carrie Lam will get a majority of the votes on Sunday. Only about 25% of the electoral committees members are supporters of John Tsang.

Political observer Dixon Sing says the election is not likely to end political unrest in Hong Kong.

The division will continue, but then it's also a matter of making compromises, including respecting the mainstream public opinions.

Correspondent Joyce Huang reported this story from Hong Kong. John Smith adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

resident  n. someone who lives in a particular place

rule of law  n. a situation in which the laws of a country are obeyed by everyone

combat  v. to try to stop (something) from happening or getting worse

core  adj. most important or most basic

mainstream  n. the thoughts, beliefs and choices that are accepted by the largest number of people
Handout via WLFI(DELPHI, Ind.) -- Authorities searching for the killer of two Indiana teen girls are "scaling back" manpower in the over month-long investigation, but stress that they aren't giving up and the case isn't going cold.

Each day there have been as many as 40 to 50 officers, and sometimes up to 100 officers, working to solve the double murder of Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, in the more than five weeks since the teens were found dead, said Sgt. Kim Riley of Indiana State Police.

But now, the number of officers working each day will drop to about 20 to 30, Riley told ABC News.

Police explained that the steady stream of tips coming in has become more manageable. For the most part, tips have slowed down recently to about 100 to 125 per day, Riley said, which has allowed police to get caught up.

Now, the Delphi police and the Indiana State Police's Lafayette office are aiming to have not as many outside agencies helping day to day, Riley said.

The FBI is pulling out some of its resources, Riley said, and some state police officers who came from outside the Lafayette area will return to their own communities. Riley said the operation to scale back has been going on for the past week or week and a half.

While police have received a total of about 15,000 to 16,000 tips, no arrests have been made since the girls' murders shook the rural small town of Delphi, Indiana, in February. The eighth-graders disappeared Feb. 13 while on a hiking trail near their hometown and their bodies were found nearby the next day.

As police hunt for the killer, the only clues that have been released to the public are this photo of a man who police say is the prime suspect in the investigation and a chilling recording found on Libby's phone with just three audible words: "down the hill."

While Riley said they are "scaling back" manpower, he stressed that authorities are "not giving up" on the case.

It doesnt take as many officers to do the work, Riley said. "We are not giving up on this case whatsoever, its just that we are utilizing manpower a little bit better than we had before."

Riley added, "We're still committed to this. Just because were scaling back doesnt mean we're not committed to finding the perpetrator."

State police explained in a statement Friday that "investigators who may return to their 'home base' will still be within a phone calls reach and could potentially return to this assignment. ... Those investigators are simply returning to their respective areas to follow up on investigations which have been temporarily delayed" since the Delphi case began.

State police stressed that "this does not mean the investigation is going 'cold.' To the contrary, each investigator remains strongly committed to reaching resolution."

Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby agreed, telling ABC News Friday the case is not going cold.

Leazenby said in a statement, "We stress this investigation is ongoing and is not without resolve as we will find those responsible and reach proper closure for Abby and Libby and their families.

State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said in a statement, "We remain committed to this investigation and the Carroll County and Delphi community until 'this evil' is eradicated."

People can provide information by calling the tip line at (844) 459-5786. Information can be reported anonymously. Tips can also be emailed to abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Movenpick has signed a deal with the Civil Service Employees Pension Fund to operate its first property in Oman's capital city, Muscat. Part of a design-led upscale mixed-used development, the Movenpick Hotel & Apartments Al Azaiba Muscat will capitalise on its prime location in Muscat's commercial hub, the Ghala District, adjacent to the Sultan Qaboos Highway and close to the new international airport and Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Movenpick Hotel & Apartments Al Azaiba Muscat will feature 274 guest rooms and suites and 50 serviced apartments.

Facilities will include six market-oriented F&B outlets, a rooftop restaurant, swimming pool, meeting and event space, a ballroom, a rooftop gym with spa, executive lounge and a residents' lounge.

"This new property will be a welcome addition to our already extensive portfolio of hotels in the Middle East," said Andreas Mattmuller, Chief Operating Officer, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East and Africa. "With Muscat undergoing rapid development and significant funds being invested into major tourism infrastructure projects, the time is right to put the Movenpick brand on the map in this important regional city."

Oman is considered a market brimming with opportunities for the hospitality sector, with some US$ 640 million ploughed into travel and tourism projects in 2015, or 3.1% of total investment, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) statistics reveal.

In 2016, the Sultanate was on track to receive more than 1.8 million international tourists  a figure expected to almost double to 3.34 million by 2026.

"Oman's tourism industry is flourishing, and we are enormously encouraged by the government and private sector's commitment to exploit its true potential," said Amir Lababedi, Vice President Development  Middle East and Africa. "This management agreement consolidates Movenpick's position as one of the region's leading hotel operators and marks another milestone in our strategy to maximise our exposure in every major Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market ... As we accelerate our regional expansion, signing management deals at a record pace, we will certainly be seeing more opportunities to grow our footprint in the Sultanate."

The Movenpick Hotel & Apartments Al Azaiba Muscat is scheduled to open in 2019.

About Movenpick Hotels & Resorts

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international

upscale hotel management company with over 16"000 staff members, is represented in 24 countries with 83 hotels, resorts and Nile cruisers currently in operation. Around 20 properties are planned or under construction, including Chiang Mai (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia) and Nairobi (Kenia). Focusing on expansion in its core markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts specialises in business and conference hotels, as well as holiday resorts, all reflecting a sense of place and respect for their local communities.

Of Swiss heritage and headquartered in central Switzerland (Baar), Movenpick Hotels & Resorts is

passionate about delivering premium service and culinary enjoyment  all with a personal touch. Committed to sustainable environments, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts has become the most Green Globe certified hotel company in the world. The hotel company is owned by the Movenpick Holding (66.7%) and the Kingdom Group (33.3%). For more information please visit www.movenpick.com
Chinas premier yesterday warned against protectionism, saying his country planned to close its USD50 billion a year deficit with Australia by expanding the trading relationship rather than retreating from it.

Premier Li Keqiang said in a speech in Australias Parliament House that globalization created some problems, but that free trade was not to blame.

China cannot close our doors to solve its trade imbalance with Australia, which last year left the Chinese with a $50 billion deficit largely through industrial demand for iron ore and coal, he said.

We believe that to resolve trade imbalance, we need to continue to expand trade, Li said through an interpreter.

Li and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will today detail an expansion of their two-year-old bilateral free trade pact in the areas of investment and services.

President Donald Trumps election promises to change the dynamics of global trade. Australia was an enthusiastic advocate of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, an ambitious trading bloc of Pacific Rim countries that the Obama administration had committed the United States to joining. China never intended to join.

As well as pulling the United States out of that pact, Trump  who campaigned on an America First platform  has said he will renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. Australias 12-year-old free trade deal with the United States could also be reviewed.

Lis visit to Australia and New Zealand, which started late Wednesday, is the first by a Chinese premier in 11 years. He is also the most senior Chinese official to visit Australia since 2014, when President Xi Jinping finalized the free trade deal.

Turnbull suggested that as well as trade, the two leaders will discuss tensions in the South China Sea over competing territorial claims.

Premier Li and I will discuss, as we have before, the importance of upholding and maintaining stability in our region, Turnbull said. We believe China has much to contribute to global peace and prosperity in this time of rapid change.

Li said China would work with Australia to ensure freedom of navigation in distributed regions.

China will never seek hegemony and dominance, he said, adding China needed a stable world environment to grow its economy.

Li was welcomed to Parliament House by a 19-gun salute and distant protest chants of anti-China demonstrators who were kept well away from the Chinese leader.

About 100 Tibet and Xinjiang separatists along with Falun Gong supporters were cordoned off from a similar number of China fans who wielded national flags and beat drums on the front lawn of Parliament House.

The protesters carried placards including China stop bribing Australia, Free Tibet and Stop persecuting Falun Gong. Rod McGuirk, Canberra, AP

PM condemns London attacks

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says the terrorist attack outside the British Parliament in London was the first subject of discussion when he met with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia yesterday morning in Canberra. Li says that together, we send our condolences to the prime minister of the U.K. and together we condemn terrorism and we stand against all forms of terrorism. The Chinese leader says that there cannot be continued instability in the world, adding: We must cherish peace and stability.
Portugal led calls yesterday [Macau time] for the eurozones top official to resign for what many saw as derogatory comments about debt-ridden southern nations spending foolishly and relying on their northern partners to bail them out.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonia Costa said he was outraged by comments earlier this week from Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister who chairs discussions of his peers in the 19-country eurozone.

I cannot spend all my money on liquor and women and then ask for your support, Dijsselbloem said in reference to European countries that needed bailouts.

The comments, made in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, drew outrage in southern European nations and also from Dijsselbloems own socialist allies.

We regard it as absolutely unacceptable for him to stay in his post, Portugals Costa said. Mr. Dijsselbloem has insulted us. Mr. Dijsselbloem has shown himself to be sexist, racist, xenophobic and an embarrassment for Europe, and because of that he cannot hold any EU post.

And MEP Kathleen Van Brempt said top officials from the EUs S&D group were unanimous and that hed better withdraw as chairman of the eurogroup.

She added that the denigrating tone reminds us of the way that people, regions or countries in trouble are increasingly addressed.

The embarrassing spat comes just as Rome prepares to host an EU leaders summit marking 60 years since the founding of the forerunner of the European Union.

Dijsselbloems comments also revived a sense of a north-south divide in Europe. Supposedly thrifty northern Europeans have shouldered most of the cost of bailing out eurozone governments, mostly in the south: Greece, Portugal and Cyprus among them. Spain got loans for its banks but also had to impose painful austerity to meet EU deficit limits.

The austerity demanded has bruised their economies, most notably Greeces, which has endured a recession that saw the country lose a quarter of its national output.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said Dijsselbloem adopted stereotypes that widen the gap between north and south and in reality pave the way, one would say, for extremist views.

Tzanakopoulos added that at a time when Europe is in an intense political quest for its next political steps, statements that expand the gap between north and south are not helpful at all.

Dijsselbloem refused to apologize for his statement and insisted that financial solidarity comes with obligations, including budgetary rigor that sometimes was found wanting.

His failure to apologize irked Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos, who told reporters the remarks were unfortunate in every way, and that hed been counting on an apology.

The EUs antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager of Denmark, also made clear she opposed Dijsselbloems remark. I would not have said it, and I think its wrong, she said.

Germany was an exception to the rule, with the finance ministry saying minister Wolfgang Schaeuble greatly values Dijsselbloems work as head of the eurogroup. Raf Casert & Barry Hatton, AP
The honoring of Sun Yat Sen, the revered 20th-century Chinese revolutionary who spent some time living in Portuguese-administered Macau, has been the motivation behind the preservation of numerous buildings, monuments and relics across the greater China area for almost a century.

Some of these, such as the statue outside Macaus Kiang Wu hospital or the Memorial Hall in central Guangzhou, were constructed to protect the memory of the early modern Chinese leader. Others  used, lived or worked in by Sun  have been revamped and opened to the public in a bid to preserve the memory of the revolutionary, considered by Beijing to be the forerunner of democratic revolution and a prototype for the communist insurgents of the early 20th century.

However, while authorities in Macau, mainland China and Taiwan have dedicated significant resources to commemorating Sun, neighboring Hong Kong has fallen into disrepute over its authorities handling of Sun Yat Sen heritage sites.

Earlier this month, the South China Morning Post reported that an old building in Hong Kongs Tuen Mun, allegedly used as a secret revolutionary base for Sun and his followers, had narrowly escaped the wrecking ball.

The so-called Red House, built between 1905 and 1910, was formerly designated a grade one heritage site, meaning that it was not legally protected from demolition. Hong Kongs heritage grading system ranges from one to three, with the higher numbers denoting a more imperative need for preservation.

Earlier this month, however, Hong Kongs Development Bureau declared the Red House a proposed monument, though not before some of the buildings windows were dismantled and the sites outer walls torn down.

The latest declaration does not guarantee that the building will be protected, but it does prevent it from being demolished and altered during a grace period of one year. This, according to Hong Kong authorities, will allow the government to negotiate how to preserve the historic site with the buildings current owner.

The decision was welcomed by Hong Kong residents, who were alarmed and concerned for the fate of the heritage site, after a video depicting its alteration was released online.

However, the last-minute decision by Hong Kong authorities prompts comparisons between the approach to Sun Yat Sen heritage in the neighboring SAR and in the rest of the greater China area.

In Macau, a memorial house of the revolutionary leader has been converted into a museum that exhibits relics of Suns life (pictured above). This was complemented late last year with the opening of a newly-renovated clinic in the territory, thought to have been used in the 1890s by Sun to treat patients using both Western and Chinese medicine, and was advertised and promoted by cultural authorities in the city seeking to emphasize its importance as a historical site.

Joao Guedes, a journalist and writer who is knowledgeable about Macaus history, explains the differing efforts to preserve the memory of Sun in the two SARs as the natural result of the particularly strong ties the revolutionary  and his family  had with Macau.

Macau is the birthplace of the Sun Yat Sen family, he said. So Sun is very much connected with Macau.

[Some people] say that he had a connection with Hong Kong, but the link is not so strong. [Sun] was actually afraid to live in Hong Kong because he was frightened of suppression he was a leftist [left-wing], explained Guedes.

The respect for the revolutionary Chinese leader is not limited to Macau, however.

In most major Chinese cities, at least one of the major streets is named after Sun, as well as frequently parks, schools, universities and various geographical features. His hometown in Guangdong Province was renamed Zhongshan in his honor.

Meanwhile, in Guangzhou, there is a large monument-

park dedicated to his memory. Known as the Dr Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall and constructed between 1929 and 1931, the museum houses many memorabilia of Sun and his family.

Taiwan, whose opposition nationalist party, the Kuomintang, was founded by Sun Yat Sen, arguably harbors the deepest links with the revolutionary leader. Broadly considered by the Taiwanese as the National Father of the Republic of China, the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, is also home to a memorial hall for Sun.

The connection is so profound on the island-state that when Taiwans Ministry of Education and several lawmakers proposed in 2004 that Sun was not the National Father, but a foreigner from mainland China, a 70-year-old retired soldier committed suicide at a Sun Yat Sen statue in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung.

This connection is perhaps the underlying reason why Taiwanese flags were flown at the site of Hong Kongs Red House this month in response to the governments decision to  at least temporarily  protect the site.

Taiwanese flags also adorn the interior of the Sun Yat Sens memorial house in Macau; a rare oddity for a semi-autonomous territory of mainland China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has made public displays of the flag illegal in the Peoples Republic of China.

In Macau, after [the riots of] 1966, the Taiwanese flags were not allowed anymore, Guedes told the Times, only the symbols of the Peoples Republic of China [were allowed].

The memorial house is the only place that is allowed to have them  not by law, but by consensus the Communists dont say anything, he continued. This was by the agreement with the [former] Portuguese administration and was the only way to keep the house open after 1966, otherwise it would have been turned into a communist party base. [] The Communists think it is not a good idea to prevent the flags [from being hoisted].

Sun Yat Sen was a Chinese physician, writer and revolutionary who rose up against the late Qing dynasty in the years leading up to the 1911 Chinese Revolution. Although he later become Chinas first president of the republic, Sun struggled throughout his political life to balance the various warlord factions in early 20th century China and did not live to see the Chinese nationalist party consolidate its power over the country.

He remains an influential figure in the greater China region for his modernizing influence on the country and the legacy of his philosophical writings embodying three key principles; non-ethnic Chinese nationalism, modern government and the betterment of the peoples livelihood.
Noted author Jia Pingwa was conferred an honorary doctorate degree by the University of Macau (UM) on Wednesday, in recognition for his outstanding contributions to contemporary Chinese literature. Hong Gang Jin, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, read the citation for Jia. The citation said Jia is a renowned writer with great talent, energy, and charisma. His works, no matter how imaginative, are unfailingly rooted in reality, which gives him an almost Hercules-like strength, said Hong. Jia delivered a lecture on the current and future development of contemporary Chinese literature in his unique Shaanxi dialect. Jia is one of the most prolific and influential authors in China. His works have been translated into more than 20 languages.
The head of an ultra-nationalistic Japanese school operator at the center of a land and political scandal testified in parliament yesterday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe donated 1 million yen (USD9,000) through his wife for an elementary school where she once was honorary principal.

Yasunori Kagoike, head of the Moritomo Gakuen group, said First Lady Akie Abe handed him the cash in an envelope on behalf of her husband during her September 2015 visit to Kagoikes kindergarten in Osaka.

The outspoken Kagoike, who is affiliated with Japans powerful political lobby Nippon Kaigi and known as a big fan and supporter of Abe, said in sworn testimony at parliament that he believed there was political influence over his land purchase and a plan to open an elementary school.

Kagoikes school is known for a curriculum that resembles that of pre-World War II militaristic Japan.

I believe there political influence one way or the other at every occasion and place (during approval process), Kagoike said, without elaborating.

Abe has denied the donation or any influence in the scandal stemming from a 2016 state property sale to Kagoike at one-seventh of its appraised price.

Such a donation is not illegal because Abes own electoral constituency is in Yamaguchi, southern Japan, not in Osaka.

Abe, who had spoken fondly about Kagoikes education policies, has distanced himself from the man, criticizing him for being too persistent. Akie also resigned from her honorary post.

Still, Abe and his wifes relationship with the man known for his extreme views on history and derogatory expressions about Chinese and Koreans have raised questions, and Abes support ratings have declined over the scandal that has dominated Japanese media over the past month.

Kagoike said he is now revealing the truth about Abe, who he thought was on his side and supportive of his school project, before apparently turned his back on him abruptly once the scandal emerged. Mari Yamaguchi, Tokyo, AP
A spokesman for Chinas commerce ministry confirmed yesterday his government has banned imports of Brazilian beef.

Brazils agriculture minister said earlier China suspended imports after investigators accused Brazilian inspectors of taking bribes to overlook expired meat and chemicals. But until now Chinese officials have said only that they took unspecified precautions.

The responsible departments of the Chinese government have taken timely and temporary measures to suspend the import of beef from Brazil, said the spokesman, Sun Jiwen, at a regular briefing.

A written version of Suns comment given to reporters repeated the official statement that Beijing was taking temporary measures, with no mention of an import ban.

The Chinese food safety agency, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, has yet to respond to questions about what action it is taking.

Brazilian investigators say health inspectors also were bribed to overlook other products that were added to meat to improve its appearance and smell.

Other governments including the European Union, Japan and Mexico have limited or banned imports of Brazilian meat.

In Macau, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) reaffirmed in a statement to the press that the measure decided for promoting an embargo on imports of meat from Brazil is only a precautionary measure.

The region has temporarily suspended import applications for both frozen and chilled meat from Brazil and is said to be awaiting the most up-to-date information to decide whether any other measures are required, in regards to the case that reportedly affects 21 companies currently under investigation by the Brazilian authorities.

Regarding these companies, the IACM has already notified food establishments, wholesale importers and retail establishments to remove any detected products by the mentioned companies from the market.

The bureau added that so far there are no reports of any affected meat entering the territory, and all products with their respective certifications are being inspected, in order to guarantee the safety and quality of products available for consumption in Macau. MDT/Agencies
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility yesterday for an attack by a man who plowed an SUV into pedestrians on one of Londons famous bridges and then stabbed a police officer to death at Britains Parliament. In a somber but defiant statement, Britains prime minister declared that we are not afraid.

The man who killed three people Wednesday and was shot to death by police was born in Britain and once came under investigation for links to religious extremism, British Prime Minister Theresa May said yesterday in a sweeping speech before the House of Commons.

Police raided properties in London and Birmingham, and made eight arrests.

An Utah man visiting London with his wife for their 25th anniversary and a British woman who was a school administrator were killed by the SUV attack on Westminster Bridge and at least 29 others were hospitalized, seven critically.

May set an unyielding tone yesterday, saluting the heroism of police as well as the ordinary actions of everyone who went about their lives in the aftermath.

As I speak millions will be boarding trains and airplanes to travel to London, and to see for themselves the greatest city on Earth, she told the House of Commons. It is in these actions  millions of acts of normality  that we find the best response to terrorism a response that denies our enemies their victory, that refuses to let them win, that shows we will never give in.

Parliament began its moment of silence at 9:33 a.m., honoring the shoulder number of the slain officer, Keith Palmer, a 15-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police and a former soldier. Then Parliament, which was locked down after the attack, returned to business  a counter to those who had attacked British democracy.

In 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall, the oldest part of Parliaments buildings, politicians, journalists and parliamentary staff lined up to sign a book of condolences for the victims. Among them was a uniformed policeman, who wrote: Keith, my friend, will miss you.

The rampage was the first deadly incident at Parliament since 1979, when Conservative lawmaker Airey Neave was killed in a car bombing by Irish militants.

Some parliamentarians said they were shaken, and all were somber. But they were also determined. There is no such thing as 100 percent security, said Menzies Campbell, a member of the House of Lords. We have to learn to live with that.

The London attack echoed deadly vehicle rampages in Nice, France, and Berlin last year that IS has claimed. The Islamic State group said through its Aamaq News Agency that the London attacker was a soldier of the Islamic State who carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of the coalition of countries fighting IS in Syria and Iraq.

The IS group has been responsible for numerous bloody attacks around the globe and has specifically called for Western followers to carry out this kind of attack in their own countries, though the group has also claimed events later found to have no clear links to it.

Police believe the attacker acted alone and there is no reason to believe imminent further attacks are planned, May said. He had been investigated before but police believed he was a peripheral figure, May said.

Labour Party lawmaker Khalid Mahmood, who represents part of Birmingham, condemned the barbaric attack and urged his fellow Muslims to report concerns about radicalization to the police.

We have to condemn this outright, he said. There are no ifs or buts. This is a hugely tragic incident. These people do not belong to any faith. They certainly dont belong to my faith of Islam.

Mahmood said the attacker and those like him should be condemned by everybody and this shouldnt serve as a tool for division within our community.

Many suspects in British terror attacks and plots have roots in the city, which has been described in a recent terror analysis by the Henry Jackson Society conservative think tank as a center for Islamist extremism. Several local mosques have also been linked to extremist clerics.

British security forces have foiled 13 plots in the past four years. There are currently thousands of extremists in the U.K. who are known to officials but only a fraction of whom are under surveillance, according to a security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about ongoing security operations. It takes dozens of officers to watch just one terror suspect.

Witnesses said the attacker went straight after the police officer after ramming into the pedestrians.

This man got out of the car with two knives in his hands and while he was running he was stabbing people. He arrived in front of the entrance to the parliament and he started to stab a policeman, said Vincenzo Mangiacarpe, an Italian boxer who was visiting Parliament. You can imagine if someone was playing a drum on your back with 2 knives  he gave him around 10 stabs in the back, then he left the policeman and he came toward us.

Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Mark Rowley revised the death toll from five to four, including the attacker. He said 29 people required hospitalization and seven of them were in critical condition. He also said that authorities were still working out the number of walking wounded. Police had previously given the total number of wounded in Wednesdays attack as around 40.

London has been a target for terrorism many times over past decades and the threat level for the British capital was already listed at severe, meaning an attack was highly likely.

May said the attack in London targeted free people everywhere, and she said she had a response for those behind it: You will not defeat us. AP

A look at victims of the attack outside Parliament

Heres whats known about the victims of an attack in London where a man plowed a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing two people and injuring scores of others. He then stabbed a policeman to death on the grounds of Britains Parliament before other officers fatally shot him.

The man the police believe to be responsible for the attack in Westminster has been formally identified as Khalid Masood, Scotland Yard said yesterday. BBC reported that Masood, aged 52, was born in Kent, and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands.

Police Officer Keith Palmer, 48, was on duty protecting Parliament Wednesday when he was stabbed to death. He had been a member of the parliamentary and diplomatic protection forces for 15 years, and a soldier in the Royal Artillery before that. Honoring Palmer, Prime Minister Theresa May said he was a husband, a father  he was every inch a hero. His actions will never be forgotten.

Praise for Palmers bravery also poured in from politicians and colleagues, and Britain held a minutes silence Thursday at 9:33 a.m. in honor of his shoulder number, 933. Aysha Frade, a British national whose mother is Spanish, was one of two people killed on the bridge.

Rachel Borland, the principal of DLD College  a school in Westminster a stones throw from Parliament  said she was a highly regarded and loved member of staff who worked in the schools administration team.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry says Spanish consular officials have made contact with Frades relatives in Spains northwestern region of Galicia, when her identity was confirmed. Frade was 43 and had two daughters, Spains regional Voz de Galicia newspaper reported.

Kurt Cochran, a Utah man visiting London with his wife Melissa for their 25th anniversary, was named as among the dead by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was seriously injured in the attack as is still hospitalized.

In addition to the dead, at least 30 people from 12 countries were injured. Of those who required hospital treatment, 12 were British, three were French, two were Romanian, four were South Korean, two were Greek, and one each were from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the U.S. Portuguese officials also said one person from Portugal was injured. Police earlier said that seven people were in critical condition.
SINGAPORE-VIETNAM Vietnam and Singapore signed several business agreements yesterday during a visit by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong aimed at boosting the island states investment and trade with the communist country. Singapore, one of Vietnams top investors and trading partners, hopes to step up investments in the country, Lee said.

INDONESIA About 50 farmers and activists opposed to a cement factory in Indonesias Central Java province have encased their feet in concrete during a dayslong protest in Jakarta, the capital. Farmers in the village of Kendeng have battled against plans for the factory for years, saying it could taint their water.

JAPAN Prime Minister Shinzo Abe donated 1 million yen (USD9,000) through his wife to a school run by a group of ultranationalist educators, the groups leader told Parliament yesterday, while also suggesting there was political influence in a land-buying scandal involving the school.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE A former Russian lawmaker who became a vociferous critic of Moscow following his recent move to Ukraine was shot and killed in Kiev yesterday, prompting another war of words between the two countries. Denis Voronenkov was shot dead by an unidentified gunman near the entrance of an upscale hotel in the Ukrainian capital.

AFGHANISTAN The Taliban captured a key district center in Afghanistans southern Helmand province yesterday, officials said. The fall of Sangin district, once considered the deadliest battlefield for British and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, comes amid the insurgents year-long push to expand their footprint in the Taliban heartland.

BELGIUM A French national of North African origin was arrested in Belgium yesterday, after officials suspected he was planning to drive at a crowd at high speed. There were no reports of injuries but police found knives and a non-lethal gun in the car.

FRANCE Far right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is headed to Moscow for meetings with lawmakers less than a month before the election, officials from her National Front party said yesterday.

EU-TURKEY The European Union has summoned Turkeys permanent representative to the bloc to explain what many have seen as threatening language by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said that Europeans would not be able to walk the streets safely if European nations persist in what he called arrogant conduct.

UNITED NATIONS The inspections regime put in place to closely monitor Irans nuclear activity is in jeopardy unless the U.S. and other nations contribute more money, the head of the U.N.s International Atomic Energy Agency said.
BURLEY  A felony kidnapping charge has been dropped against a Burley man accused of trying to lure young girls away from White Pine Elementary School.

The incident caused a scare at schools across the Magic Valley when it happened in April, leading some to increase security measures.

Vadian Dougal, 51, was originally charged with second-degree kidnapping. Now that the charge has been dropped, his jury trial for later this month has been canceled, and hes facing only misdemeanor charges of battery and enticing children.

Its not clear why the charge was dropped.

The case was assigned to the Jerome County Prosecutors Office in November when Cassia County Prosecutor Doug Abenroth disclosed he had a conflict of interest with a witness and other prosecutors declined to pick up the case. The Jerome County prosecutor has a policy of not speaking with reporters and did not return phone calls from the Times-News on Thursday.

Abenroth said he didnt know why the felony kidnapping charge was dropped.

Shortly after the incident, deputies arrested Dougal at his home not far from the school in conjunction with another man, whose charges were later dismissed. The girls said the two men tried to grab them and lure them off school grounds.

One girl said Dougal had been loitering near a light pole close to the school and offered her money and candy after she got off the school bus. As she started to walk away, the girl told police, Dougal ran up to her and grabbed her arm, letting go only when she hit him.
BOISE  A federal judge this week sentenced a Wendell man to more than 2  years in federal prison and a Twin Falls man to more than four years in separate drug cases from last year.

Michael Ray Stone, 25, of Twin Falls was already in the state penitentiary until at least February 2021 on convictions for drug possession, aggravated assault and grand theft.

Stone pleaded guilty in January to a federal count of methamphetamine distribution, and U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge sentenced him Wednesday to four years and three months in prison on that charge. His sentence will run concurrently to his other cases out of Twin Falls, meaning hell still be eligible for parole in 2021.

Prosecutors said if the case went to trial, they would have proved that on March 9, 2016, Stone sold more than a gram of methamphetamine to a woman while an undercover officer waited nearby.

Stones case was prosecuted by a special assistant U.S. attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecutors Office whose focus is to address regional trafficking organizations in Ada and Canyon counties and Malheur County in Oregon.

Hired in June 2015, the special assistant U.S. attorney has facilitated the prosecution of 39 drug trafficking cases, resulting in 51 individuals being convicted and sentenced for drug trafficking crimes, acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez said in a statement.

The same special assistant U.S. attorney prosecuted Oscar Javier Rosas, 23, of Wendell who was sentenced Thursday to two years and nine months in federal prison.

Rosas pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge for collecting payments from an undercover officer who purchased a pound of methamphetamine from his co-defendants in Twin Falls.
Twin Falls County

Thursday arraignments

Dayna R. Canales, 26, Gooding; possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, introduction of major contraband into a correctional facility, five counts grand theft by possession of stolen property, destruction of evidence, $50,000 bond, public defender appointed, preliminary hearing March 31.

Krystal Yvonne Kinney, 31, Twin Falls; driving under the influence, own recognizance release, public defender appointed, pretrial May 16.

Jeffrey Alan Ross, 57, Buhl; driving under the influence  second offense, driving without privileges, $25,000 bond, public defender appointed, pretrial May 2.

Joshua Jerome Martinez, 35, Filer; two counts battery, own recognizance release, public defender appointed, pretrial May 31.
TWIN FALLS  Construction crews are in the home stretch of building a new middle school in Twin Falls.

South Hills Middle School, a nearly $31 million project, is slated for completion this spring. Crews plan to turn the facility over June 20 to the Twin Falls School District.

It will help alleviate overcrowding at Twin Falls other two middle schools, which are both over capacity. Students will arrive at the new middle school in August.

Its just a real push now to get everything done in the next couple of months, said Brady Dickinson, operations director for the Twin Falls School District.

The school  at 3600 North and Harrison Street South  is paid for using a $74 million bond voters approved in 2014. The money was also used for two new elementary schools, Rock Creek and Pillar Falls, which opened in August.

The school district recently mailed a letter to next years middle school parents with a reminder about new school attendance zones.

The Twin Falls school board gave final approval for new elementary and middle school zones in January. It followed a recommendation from a 26-member committee, which included parents and educators.

Parents who live outside the South Hills zone and want their children to attend the new school will need to file a transfer request at the school district office.

Want to see the new school? A grand opening will happen this summer, but an exact date hasnt been set.

We really want to get the community out in the building, Dickinson said.

At the school site, finishing touches are underway. Those include painting, installing cabinets and lockers, grounding and polishing flooring, putting in carpet, and installing flooring in the main gymnasium. Furniture has also been ordered.

Things are moving right along, Dickinson said. Our biggest concern remains with the site work because of how wet it was this spring early on.

For staffing, current middle school teachers have their teaching assignments for next school year, and were shuffled among South Hills Middle School, Vera C. OLeary Middle School and Robert Stuart Middle School.

But all the transfers were voluntary, Dickinson said. You want people to be in the building they want to be in.

Even with voluntary moves, it will be challenging to split up teachers whove worked together for years, Dickinson said. It was a tough process to go through.

There are 11 open teaching positions left at South Hills Middle School and those are being advertised. Then, hiring will start in about a month for non-certified positions such as paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers and custodians. In December, the school district hired Ryan Ellsworth as the schools first principal.

Currently the Jerome Middle School principal, Ellsworth doesnt start until July 1, but he has been helping with preparations to open the new school.
TWIN FALLS  College of Southern Idaho freshman Emma Burbie was pushed outside her comfort zone this spring break.

In a good way.

The 18-year-old is among seven CSI students who volunteered this week at the Guadalupe School in Salt Lake City. The group left Monday and returned home Thursday evening.

The concept of an alternative spring break is new for CSI, but its common at four-year universities.

Burbie, whos studying digital media at CSI, said being at the Guadalupe School opened her eyes to the challenges students face while learning English.

Also, I find myself getting out of my comfort zone a lot on this trip, she said earlier this week.

Its nice students are willing to give up their spring break, said Samra Culum, a trip adviser and CSIs student development coordinator. I think that speaks to the type of students we have at CSI.

Guadalupe School, an approximately 50-year-old charter school, serves low-income families, with programs free to participants. About 95 percent are Hispanic, but participants also include immigrants and refugees.

The nonprofit organization has five educational programs: in-home for pregnant women, toddler beginnings, preschool, a kindergarten through sixth-grade charter school and adult education.

CSI students helped with needs in classrooms, the school library and with games during recess.

Its the second year CSIs Office of Student Affairs organized an alternative spring break trip.

I think theres a pretty large interest to figure out How do I become a more engaged community member? Culum said.

A service trip meets the need for students to experience things for themselves, while also helping others, she added.

Burbie said the concept interested her.

I didnt really know what it was, but I wanted to go and put in some volunteer hours, she said. Ive always been interested in how the language barrier works.

Two of her most memorable experiences: pushing herself to approach children at recess and play with them, and helping teach a math class while working with a boy who doesnt speak English fluently. Those opportunities, she said, provide a look at different diverse populations and helps you grow as a person.

Last year, CSI students went to Portland to work with the homeless community. This year, school leaders chose Salt Lake City.

Our original intent was to try to do a couple different service sites, Culum said.

Shortly after arriving in Salt Lake City, students volunteered at The Road Home, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless individuals and families.

Then, they volunteered at Guadalupe School. We wanted to see what the school atmosphere is like, Culum said.

The trip attracted CSI education majors, as well as students studying political science, digital media, liberal arts and engineering.

At Guadalupe School, theres a focus on one-on-one tutoring and a recognition that in classrooms, students may have a bit more of a struggle than their peers at other schools, said Princess Gutierrez, the schools development officer.

The school typically has volunteers every day, Gutierrez said, including parents, community members, organizations and businesses.

Guadalupe School receives state funding, and school officials raise their own money to keep programs going.
BOISE  The Idaho Legislatures session, which leadership had hoped would end on Friday, will continue into next week.

The House spent much of its day deadlocked, with Republicans at odds with leadership demanding to have bills read out loud in full, where typically the full text of bills isnt read aloud before a vote.

By the end of Thursday, the House had passed just three bills.

The chamber has about 60 still pending that need to be sent to the Senate, meaning lawmakers might be in session deep into next week, said Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis.

We will be back here on Monday, Davis said. Well see how long it takes us to get our work done.

Besides the scattering of tidy-up bills customarily finished toward the end of legislative sessions, the years Legislature still hasnt figured out two of its major policy goals: tax cuts and transportation funding. The tax cuts are stalled in the House, where progress appears to be slow-going.

Leaders met to discuss their differences for almost an hour during the morning session, after having passed one bill, then stayed at ease through lunchtime and came back a little before 2 p.m. The House then passed two bills, with someone objecting and demanding a full reading every time. When a third came up and Rep. Karey Hanks, R-Saint Anthony, demanded it be read in full, the chamber went at ease and the House Republicans went into caucus to discuss the holdup.

While the House GOP powwowed, the Senate passed most of the bills it had left on its calendar and adjourned until Friday morning. Theres not much to do until the House acts.

The senators werent the only ones waiting. Patrick McGourty of Boise had come to testify against a wage garnishment bill that had been scheduled for a hearing in the House Judiciary and Rules Committee at 1:30 p.m.

Parked outside and got a parking ticket while I was trying to feed the meters, he said a little after 3 p.m. Just a little frustrating, I think.

The bill, he said, has to do with ability of collection agencies to collect money, and theyre proposing some changes that may not be beneficial to those who are on the paying side. McGourty said he had expected the process to be slow but said he was frustrated with not knowing what was going to happen.

The lack of discipline shown by the Republicans this session shows an indifference toward completing the peoples work, said House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise. The in-fighting on display not only tarnishes the image of the Idaho Statehouse, it will cost Idahoans over $30,000 for every extra day we are here dealing with Republican shenanigans  which is nearly an entire years salary for a teacher in Idaho.

The Republicans came out after caucusing for about three hours and quickly adjourned the House until Friday morning. House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, told reporters they will definitely still be in session on Monday  at least.

Bedke said he did a lot of listening in caucus and hoped others did as well.

Whats important to remember is that everyones view of the world is as valid as the next person, he said. When legislative bodies start disregarding that, thats when we start to have problems.

The path forward, he said, would be for lawmakers to come back on Friday and try again.

You got to cowboy up here, he said. And thats a concept ... that means you do what it takes to finish the job. And weve got unfinished business in a couple of major areas.

Namely taxes and transportation.

In the morning, Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, amended a bill cutting unemployment insurance taxes to also include a $28 million income tax cut. It was voted out of committee, but the full House has yet to take it up.

Moyle introduced a $51 million income tax cut earlier in the session that the House passed, but the Senate transformed into a grocery tax repeal bill instead. Bedke said the House Revenue and Taxation Committee would likely hold a hearing on that bill Monday.

As for transportation, the Senate has left hanging on its calendar a bill to borrow money for highway projects and repay it with future federal highway funds. These are known as GARVEE bonds. A similar but more expansive bill failed Wednesday in the Senate, and meanwhile the House Republicans from Canyon County have said they wont go home unless there is some provision to fix and expand Interstate 84 around Nampa, which the bill would have done.

Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, said he still thinks a transportation funding deal between the two chambers is possible. That, he said, is why he is leaving that bill on the calendar, in case it needs to be amended as part of such an agreement.

Hill said he doesnt plan to adjourn the Senate for the year until the House is done, too.

We cant sine die, he said, using the Latin term thats come to mean the close of the legislative session, until we balance our budget, and there are budget bills that need to be considered.

Bedke said he is still committed to doing something about infrastructure funding before leaving town.

I still feel strongly that we cant leave without addressing the roads issue, he said.
TWIN FALLS  Nearly a third of job-seeker accounts with the Idaho Department of Labors search engine have been compromised by hacking, the department reported Wednesday.

About 170,000 of the 530,000 accounts on IdahoWorks were affected March 12-13 when hackers breached Americas Job Link, a Kansas-based, multi-state system that operates the IdahoWorks job search engine.

The Department of Labor is sending direct notification, via email or regular mail, to customers whose accounts may have been compromised.

The breach means information such as customers names, Social Security numbers and birth dates may have been accessed. Anyone whose account may have been viewed should place a fraud alert on credit reports and notify law enforcement of any suspicious activity.

Americas Job Link serves 10 states job search engines, and 4.8 million accounts are believed to be affected in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Oklahoma and Vermont.

The matter is under criminal investigation and the vulnerability that allowed the unauthorized access has been eliminated. Idaho accounts created on and after March 14 were not affected.

For information on protecting yourself from identity theft, and a phone number you can call for information, visit labor.idaho.gov/security.
BURLEY  Brian Addis was dressed in his full firefighting gear, struggling with overwhelming heat and the knowledge he still had to climb 69 flights of stairs. But he had only one thing on his mind: His father, who died earlier this year.

Addis was one of three Mini-Cassia firefighters who took on 788 vertical feet earlier this month at the Columbia Center in Seattle to help raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Pictures of friends and relatives suffering from the diseases they were climbing for were clipped to their chests as they scaled floor after floor in full turn-out gear and breathing apparatuses during the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb on March 12.

This year 1,800 firefighters participated from 26 states and eight countries.

Its incredible to look up at that building. We were in Seattle for four days and everywhere we went we could see that tower, said Addis, a Burley firefighter who had participated in the climb once before.

This year, he said, he knew what he was getting into and tried not to overthink it.

He climbed for his father.

I thought about him as I climbed, Addis said. He made me who I am.

A four-year veteran at the event, Burley firefighter Justin Jensen made a three-minute improvement from last year on his time at 36 minutes 54 seconds.

Addis completed it in 21 minutes 54 seconds, and Stetzen Bailey, a Heyburn firefighter, took on the 1,356 steps for the first time in 20 minutes and 54 seconds.

Its really emotional when you get to the top and see all the survivors and kids fighting the disease below, Jensen said.

The team finished sixth in fundraising against similar-sized departments.

Jensen came in 16th in individual fundraising by raising $6,000, scoring a place in The Elite 25.

All told, the trio raised $9,807 to help develop cancer therapies and advance drug treatments. Over 26 years, the stair climb has raised more than $12 million for LLS.

We canceled one of our fundraisers during the flooding because we didnt think it was right to ask people for money when they were losing their homes, Jensen said.

Jensen plowed snow from sidewalks and driveways during storms this winter and collected money in his boot during fundraising efforts.

The firefighters cover all their own travel expenses, which does not come out of the money they raise for the cause.

Jensen said the event is grueling, and they begin training for it months in advance.

For Addis, the physical exertion during the climb is made even more intense because the turn-out gear tends to trap heat. The firefighters are carrying about 60 pounds of gear.

It is non-stop pain from the get-go, he said. You are feeling the heat and using your leg muscles for the entire time and you are carrying more than your body weight.

Addis said he began training on a Stairmaster but noticed that climbing a couple flights of actual stairs was much more difficult, so he started training using his basement stairs and at the gym on actual stairs using a 50-pound weight belt and heavy clothing.

The training, he said, has put him in the best condition of his life.

All in all its a great experience and its for a great cause, Addis said. And you get to do something that not many people are willing to take on.
As House Republican leadership furiously searched for a way out of competing immigration uprisings from both ends of their own party, they committed Thursday to hold a vote on a conservative bill that has been demanded by their right flank for months.

But even after meetings stretching late into the evening with both moderate and conservative members, no one emerged with a path forward.

"Every option is on the table right now," said conservative Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows as he emerged from two meetings with his leadership, one with moderates included and one with just a group of conservatives.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, told reporters that he informed conservative members who are threatening an unrelated bill caught up in the fight that he would hold a vote on the hardline measure, which by all accounts, still lacks enough votes to pass the House.

The commitment comes as GOP leadership has been squeezed by frustrated Republican members from both sides of the ideological spectrum. Moderate Republicans are as few as five GOP signatures away from forcing a series of votes on the House floor to save the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, including the conservative bill and a bipartisan proposal that is the one almost guaranteed to prevail instead under that plan.

Meanwhile, in response to the momentum that effort is gathering, the conservative Freedom Caucus has been holding up another bill -- the so-called "farm bill" that sets agriculture policy as well as a host of other high-profile issues for up to five years -- that has a razor thin margin to pass with Republican votes, saying they demand a path forward on immigration.

"I've already told them we're going to vote on Goodlatte, so I don't understand the difficulty here," McCarthy told reporters as he left a meeting of GOP leadership Thursday afternoon, referring to the hardline bill led by Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte.

Meadows acknowledged that promise as "progress" but said there remain "a lot of details to be worked out."

Goodlatte's proposal would have just three-year renewals of permits like those under DACA, which protected young undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children, with no path to citizenship for those immigrants in exchange for a host of aggressive anti-illegal immigration measures as well as steep cuts to legal immigration. Though there may be further changes to the bill, it remains the most aggressive and farthest to the right of any legislative proposal on the issue.

Meadows had earlier Thursday told reporters as he left a Freedom Caucus meeting that the group had spoken by phone with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, and it was clear the House would not be able to pass the farm bill without immigration movement.

"At this point there is no deal to be made," Meadows told reporters as he emerged. "For us, immigration and farm bill go together. ... Our caucus was very supportive of continuing conversations with leadership, but at this point there aren't enough votes for the farm bill."

Even after the smaller group meeting with leadership Thursday evening, little had been decided, with members planning a late-night conference call to see if any consensus could be reached among the Freedom Caucus.

Similarly, the leader of the moderate effort to force the DACA vote, California Rep. Jeff Denham, said his group was still full steam ahead -- though he declined to directly answer whether leadership had made a commitment or promise to his side of the equation about a path forward.

"Until we have an agreement on a piece of legislation, I think it's important to continue the discharge," Denham said, a reference to the procedural motion used to force the vote on DACA called a "discharge petition." That method requires a majority of the House of Representatives to sign the petition in order to bypass the typical procedure of a bill going through committee or a host of other legislative roadblocks that GOP leadership could use to stop it.

Denham and Meadows both said they believe the moderate's vote-forcing effort finally put pressure on a process that has sputtered for months without resolution. Meadows included the farm bill threat as a forcing pressure.

As it tries to find a way forward, Republican leadership is making a pitch to get in front of the brewing storm, according to two sources with direct knowledge.

Their offer, according to the sources, is to hold a vote on the hardline measure but structure it in a way that allows moderates a fair vote on a proposal of their choice, as well.

It's unclear, though, if the plan will work and come together in time to save the farm bill that leadership is pushing to pass on Friday.

"We're still working in good faith to try to get this resolved," Scalise said as he left Thursday night's meeting. "We want to get a farm bill passed obviously to get the work requirements in place. And we also want to get an agreement on how to address the immigration problem and we've been making a lot of headway."

Still, the ultimate path for any immigration legislation, even if it were to pass the House, was unresolved. The White House views the House situation as a mess for the chamber's GOP leadership to clean up, and there remains to be serious negotiations regarding a DACA bill that could not only pass the House, but also the Senate and get signed by the President.

"I think the aim is something that has the potential of becoming law, and I think that's something everybody agrees on," Meadows said.

CNN's Phil Mattingly and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.
To make a deal, you have to know when it's time to walk.

President Donald Trump ripped that classic move from his boardroom playbook Thursday night, seeking to splinter the resistance of House Republicans refusing to pass the health care bill that has left his new administration in limbo.

After days of trying to charm members of Congress, Trump gave them an ultimatum: If they don't vote yes Friday, he will move on and saddle them with the shame of failing to repeal Obamacare, a cherished GOP goal.

If Trump's decision to call the lawmakers' bluff delivers victory on Friday, he will establish his authority over the GOP on Capitol Hill and deliver a much-needed victory for a White House under siege.

But if his gamble fails, he will taste a humiliating defeat that suggests that the same GOP infighting that handicapped the party while Democrats held the White House is immune to the outsider shakeup he promised for Washington.

Trump's bet represents his most audacious risk yet in a presidency built on his own conviction that his superior negotiating skills can unlock an era of congressional inertia and pass laws that will reshape the nation.

Since its supporters still don't have the votes to pass the bill, it also amounted to the first and perhaps most crucial test of the idea that his "Art of the Deal" business approach can translate to politics.

Repeatedly on the campaign trail, Trump boasted that he makes "great deals" and lambasted the negotiating skills of his predecessor President Barack Obama -- for instance over the Iran nuclear deal, as he argued he would have driven a much harder bargain.

"In negotiation, you must be willing to walk," Trump said in a major foreign policy speech in April 2016.

"The Iran deal, like so many of our worst agreements, is the result of not being willing to leave the table."

On Thursday night, Trump turned those tactics on his own side.

But the scale of his wager was clear when House Speaker Paul Ryan could not say whether the bill would pass or fail.

"We have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law, and tomorrow we're proceeding," a terse Ryan told reporters.

Winning is easy, governing is harder

The high-stakes meeting of Republicans Thursday night, including dueling factions of Freedom Caucus conservatives and Tuesday Group moderates, followed days of intense political intrigue as the bill's fate hung in the balance, and came after repeated changes to the legislation designed to win over holdouts.

This was not how the new Republican order was supposed to dawn. Instead of a united push towards a GOP holy grail, repealing Obamacare, the drama exposed a dangerous fault line in the party.

The desperate scramble for votes, conflicting signals, factional intra-party warfare, and the defiance shown by rank-and-file members to their leaders signaled that one-party rule may turn out to be just as complicated as life in a Congress where Democrats and Republicans share power.

But really, it shouldn't have been this hard.

The idea of repealing Obamacare has galvanized the GOP for years, is demanded by the party's raucous base and looked certain to be one of the easiest lifts for the new White House and its Republican majorities.

After all, the GOP voted more than 50 times to repeal Obamacare or parts of it -- though always knew it would ultimately be thwarted by the Senate or Obama's veto.

But Trump and Republicans are learning that votes cast by a governing party are tougher than those made in futile protest.

Until a vote occurs, Ryan is in a position familiar to his often infuriated predecessor John Boehner -- who endured political and fiscal cliffs and running showdowns with the ultra conservative Freedom Caucus while he was speaker.

Boehner predicted last month that Republicans would never repeal Obamacare, but would end up fixing it -- because they would "never ever agree what the bill should be."

"Perfect always becomes the enemy of the good," he said, prophetically.

Ryan's difficulty in changing the equation that often frustrated Boehner suggests that his caucus remains as unsuited to governing as the one that eventually brought Boehner down.

Not everyone charmed by Trump

All day on Thursday, there came word of increasing frustration among party leaders on the Hill and the President's associates in the White House at the malcontents of the ultra-right Freedom Caucus.

"It's fairly amazing that even after meeting with President Trump, they are holding out for removing health care from people with preexisting conditions, something they know could never pass and goes against everything President Trump promised during the campaign," one GOP aide told CNN's Lauren Fox.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows diagnosed the problem: "We have not gotten enough of our members to get to yes at this point."

The situation placed the political interests of Freedom Caucus members, who fear primary challenges from their right, and Tuesday Group members who fear the price to be paid if the bill ejects millions from health care rolls, against those of the new President.

It may be that repealing Obamacare will come back to haunt Trump in the long term. But for now, the President needs a political win to steady his administration, which is reeling from speculation about his campaign's ties to Russia, the double failure of his travel ban and his own penchant for setting off self-defeating political controversies.

The high stakes for Trump were evident on Thursday night, when top aides including Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway were spotted heading into the meetings with Republican lawmakers.

His budget director, former Rep. Mick Mulvaney, delivered the threat: Vote for the bill or be "stuck with Obamacare."

Trump has hosted multiple meetings at the White House and blitzed lawmakers with charm and persuasion.

But every concession Ryan and Trump mooted to members of the most conservative faction, they risked ebbing support from moderates.

And it looked for hours on Thursday that the White House was oblivious to the ebbing support for the bill.

The tug-of-war between the factions angered some other Republicans who are not part of either faction and resent their influence, like Alabama Rep. Bradley Byrne.

But Byrne predicted that when the bill finally came to the floor, political reality would kick in.

"If you are a Republican you have one choice. You're either going to vote with Donald Trump to repeal and replace Obamacare or you're going to vote with Nancy Pelosi to defeat the only bill that will repeal and replace Obamacare. And if you're a Republican, that's a pretty simple choice."
Three years ago Chips Drake was unemployed, homeless and suffering from both physical and mental health issues.

Today it is different. Chips says his life changed when he received care through the Medicaid expansion. He got glasses and dentures: small things, but essential. He also received mental health care that helped him work through years of emotional issues. He got back on his feet, returning to school and completing his coursework for a masters degree in professional counseling.

Now Chips, 58, works full-time for Hope Network, a mental health facility in Flint, Mich., and credits Healthy Michigan with making it possible for him to give back to others. Getting health care through the Medicaid expansion changed his life and the lives of the people he works with every day.

Chips and many others like him are why I went into the mental health field more than 40 years ago. The threat to the Affordable Care Acts Medicaid expansion is the worst crisis I have seen in my four decades years on the ground supporting the improved delivery of mental health and substance use services.

In recent years, the National Council and our partners in the behavioral health field have made strides toward an America where everyone can get the health care they need, not just for their bodies, but for their minds, too. The Affordable Care Acts Medicaid expansion helped 11 million people take better care of themselves, but as Congress considers changes to our health-care system, we cannot overlook what a success story the Medicaid expansion has been for people facing behavioral health issues, too.

Repealing the Medicaid expansion would leave millions of Americans with mental health problems in serious danger. In fact, Americans with mental health and substance-use disorders are the single largest beneficiaries of the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Nearly 1 in 3 people who receive health insurance coverage through the Medicaid expansion either have a mental illness, substance-use disorder or both. If the expansion is repealed, these 1.29 million vulnerable Americans will be left without access to lifesaving treatment.

In that case, states will lose an estimated $4.5 billion a year that currently goes to support addiction and mental-health treatment services for enrollees, money that cannot easily be replaced by states that are already struggling under revenue shortfalls and budget gaps. Removing access to mental-health care would also harm the employment prospects of people like Chip, who rely on treatment or medication to keep them well enough to go to work.

On top of that, repealing the Medicaid expansion would halt fledgling progress to combat the opioid epidemic because of the sheer number of people who get treatment for addictions through the ACAs Medicaid expansion. Cutting spending for addiction treatment in the midst of a catastrophic drug crisis is shortsighted and dangerous.

As Sen. Sherrod Brown, R-Ohio, said: Repealing the law would immediately interrupt treatment for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans who are struggling with addiction and fighting for their lives. Local communities all across Ohio are doing their part to combat the opioid crisis. We cannot let the federal government pull the rug out from under their work with so many lives at stake.

The American Health Care Act is not the National Councils vision for health care in America. The real result is that people will die.

Luckily, many are unitingacross party linesto protect behavioral health and keep our promise to the millions of people like Chip. The National Governors Association has called for Congress to ensure a meaningful federal role in financing Medicaid. In fact, sixteen of the states that broadened Medicaid eligibility are led by Republican governors who are standing for its continuation. That includes Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, R, who said his state saw a huge increase in coverage, combined with a huge drop in the number of people showing up at hospitals without insurancea financial burden that cost hospitals nationwide $50 billion in uncompensated care in 2013. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, R, stood up for the 400,000 Arizonans covered as a result of the Medicaid expansion, with a clear message to Capitol Hill: I dont want to see any Arizonans have the rug pulled out from under them. I just want to know whats going to happen to all those people who find themselves left out in the cold, said Ohio Gov. John Kasich, R.

As Congress votes on these issues, theyre also voting on the hopes, dreams and lives of millions of Americans grappling with mental illnesses and addiction disorders. For all of them and for advocates like myself who have devoted their lives to caring for people struggling with these challenges, I hope our government doesnt vote to abandon its most vulnerable citizens.
THE governments of the Philippines and Japan have signed a cooperation agreement to support the health component of the Duterte administrations war on drugs, Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa told the Makati Business Club Friday.

Ishikawa said he signed the program for the Consolidated Rehabilitation of Illegal Drug Users with Acting Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo Thursday.

The Japanese envoy noted that the program involves developing treatment facilities, formulating treatment programs, developing human resources, and conducting promotional activities.

He did not state the value of Japans support for the program.

During his state visit here in January, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to give the Philippines one trillion yen or less than $9 billion as official development assistance, which will include help in the form of facilities and treatment program.

ADVERTISEMENT

Prior to the signing of the program to support the drug rehabilitation component of the administration, Ishikawa said Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial and other senior officials of the Department of Health visited Japan from Feb. 26 to March 3.

Aside from Japan, China had earlier committed some $D50 million to build two drug rehabilitation centers in Mindanao, with each facility having 150 beds.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected in Moscow Monday for a visit at the official invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Iranian TV reported Friday.

President Rouhani, who will be heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, will confer with President Putin and other senior officials on bilateral relations, and topical regional and international issues, the TV said, quoting the Iranian presidents deputy chief of staff for communications and information, Parviz Esmaeili.

Ways to promote regional stability and security and the fight against terrorism would be among the main topics on the agenda of the talks, the TV said.

The visit will be marked by the signing of several agreements to bolster cooperation in legal and judicial sectors, roads and urban development, technology and communications, energy and sports, Parviz Esmaeili said, adding that the two countries private sectors would also strike deals.

Tehran and Moscow are bound by strategic relations and are both involved in the complex and chaotic Syrian civil war at the side of the Bashar Al Assad regime.

While Russia has been carrying out an aerial campaign against militants in Syria, Iran has been offering Damascus advisory military help.
Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) who was visiting Tripoli Thursday to discuss the complex migration and displacement situation drew a grim picture of the situation in Libya, once a booming economy, which many hopeful migrants viewed as a prized destination.

The top United Nations migration official, William Lacy Swing, visited Tripoli in a bid to shore up technical support to foster a stable environment, and discuss how IOM can strengthen its technical support to the migrant communities in Libya. He issued a press statement pointing out that the North African country is beset by a grave security situation, a collapsing economy and virtually no service provision which is worsening an increasingly complex migration situation.

William Lacy Swing who was scheduled to meet the Chairman of the Presidency Council and head of the Government of National Accord, Fayez Al Sarraj, and other members of the GNA, emphasized that fostering a stable environment to bring about a much-needed holistic approach to migration governance is now a priority.

There are different migratory flows moving through and towards Libya, driven by underdevelopment, State fragility, marginalization and security threats in West Africa, East Africa and the Middle East. These are compounded by political insecurity and conflict, which further exacerbate existing vulnerabilities of the affected communities, including Libyans themselves, according to IOM.

There are an estimated 303,608 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Libya, according to IOMs Displacement Tracking Matrix. A majority have been displaced from areas in the northeast and northwest of the country, particularly in Sirte and some parts of Benghazi.

The UN migration agency is launching an Action Plan for Libya to work with the authorities to address the many challenges faced by migrants, IDPs, returnees and the affected Libyan population. The two key objectives of the approach are to urgently provide humanitarian assistance and protection to affected populations in Libya and contribute to stability, build capacities and resilience of Libyan authorities, as well as the affected populations themselves, Swings statement said.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
The former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, has reportedly disclosed plans to take up farming full time in Equatorial Guinea.

The long-time leader, wearing his habitual white flowing robes, was pictured on Wednesday farming in the Central African nation, where he is living in Exile.

Jammeh was ousted in an election in December and forced to flee Gambia after ECOWAS troops marched towards the capital to flush him out of power.

Since Jammeh came to power in 1994, his approach towards farming was to put agriculture as the basis of the countrys development.

He led as the Number One farmer in the country. His farm in Farato, 19 miles southwest of the Gambian capital Banjul is home to crossbreed cattle and hectares of rice, groundnut and other products.

Opponents describe him as a serial land grabber who owns pockets of farms worth millions of dollars across the country.

The new regime of Banjul has not said what would happen to Jammehs private properties.

Yet, the new president Adama Barrow has recently urged people whose businesses and properties were forcefully taken by Jammeh to come forward with documentation to reclaim their properties and businesses.

The agricultural sector is the most important sector of the tiny West African nations economy, contributing 32% of the gross domestic product, providing employment and income for 80% of the population

It remains the prime sector to raise income levels, for investments, to improve food security and reduce poverty.
South Africas Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has suspended some meat imports from Brazil amid a scandal over adulterated meat in the Latin American country.

Police launched a corruption probe into the meat industry earlier this week, alleging that industry members had bribed officials to turn a blind eye to shipments of contaminated meat.

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) said it has requested Brazilian authorities to provide official information about the establishments that have been identified in the meat scandal.

DAFF has also advised Brazilian authorities to ban all exportation of meat from such establishments until the issue has been resolved to the satisfaction of the South African Veterinary Authority the departments statement reads.

It is not known how many consignments may have already left Brazil and are on their way to South Africa, however, DAFF is in the process of ensuring that the establishments implicated are suspended from exporting meat to South Africa, the statement says. The ban will remain in place until the Brazilian Veterinary Authority has fully investigated the matter and can give the necessary assurances for compliance to the requirements for importation of meat into South Africa.

China, the EU, South Korea, Chile and Canada also suspended some meat imports from Brazil on Wednesday.
ABC7 reporter Kevin Lewis posted a statement of probable cause from the Montgomery County Police Department on Mar. 17 on Twitter that quickly went viral:

A detective from the Special Victims Investigations Division Child Abuse/Sex Assault (SVID CA/SA) interviewed the victim, identified as Victim A, on Mar. 16. The young victim was allegedly orally, anally, and vaginally raped. Below is a transcript from three of the four available pages from the detectives statement of probable cause:

One March 16, 2017, your affiant, a duly sworn Montgomery County Police Detective, currently assigned to the Special Victims Investigations Division Child Abuse/Sex Assault (SVID CA/SA), began an investigation into the allegation of rape of a minor, known to your affiant, and referred to as Victim A from this point forward.

Victim A is a 14-year-old female (DOB: 4/16/2002) who attends Rockville High School located at 2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland 20851.

On March 16, 2017, Victim A told school staff that she was sexually assaulted by two boys in the school bathroom. Victim A was interviewed by Detective K. Carvajal and your affiant. During the interview Victim A disclosed the following:





























































































Questions raised after Rockville HS student raped WTTG - Washington, DC Autoplay: On | Off

Victim A was in the school hallways when she met with the two other students later identified as Jose O. Montano and Henry E. Sanchez Milian. Victim A knew Montano as a friend and did not know Sanchez Milian personally. Montano and Victim A engaged in a conversation and Montano asked Victim A for a hug. Then Montano slapped her butt and asked her to come with him and his friend, Sanchez Milian. They were walking near the gym area when they passed by the bathroom. Montano asked Victim A for sex, which she refused. Montano asked again, more persistently and pushed Victim A into the boys bathroom. Montano then pushed Victim A into the one bathroom stall with a door. Sanchez Milian came in and left.

Victim A was holding a sink to avoid going into the bathroom when Montano grabbed her hand and pulled her into the stall. Montano pushed Victim A into the corner of the stall and kissed her neck. Montano then unzipped Victim As top and and pulled her breasts out to play with. Victim A again told Montano to stop.

Sanchez Milian came into the stall. Montano unbuckled Victim As pants and pulled it down. Montano pressed his body against Victim A. Victim A tried to push Montano off. Montano grabbed Victim As arms and turned her around. Montano bent Victim A over the toilet. Victim A again said to stop.

Montano and Sanchez Milian spoke to each other in Spanish. Then Sanchez Milian sat in front of Victim A on the toilet with his penis pulled out. Sanchez Milian forced his penis inside Victim As mouth and forced oral sex. Victim A tried to lift up but Sanchez Milian held the back of Victim As head. During the same time, Montano attempted to force anal intercourse with Victim A. Victim A felt Montanos penis against her butt and felt pain. Victim A cried out in pain. Sanchez Milian told Victim A to calm down. Montano then forced vaginal intercourse with Victim A from behind. Montano pulled Victim As hands behind her back. Montano also grabbed her breasts. Montano moved faster. Victim A was able to lift her head to say stop. Montano replied that he was almost there. Montano took a deep breath and stopped. Once Montano pulled his penis from Victim As vagina, Montano and Sanchez Milian switched positions.

Montano sat down on the toilet in front of Victim A. Victim A observed blood on Montanos penis. Victim A stated she was on her menstrual cycle. Montano took Victim As head and forced his penis inside her mouth, forcing oral sex. Montano held the back of Victim As head. At the same time, Sanchez Milian penetrated Victim As anus with his penis and forced anal intercourse with Victim A. Then Sanchez Milian pulled out and penetrated Victim As vagina with his penis. Sanchez Milian forced vaginal intercourse with Victim A. Sanchez Milian held onto Victim As hands against her waist while he forced anal and vaginal intercourse. Victim A repeatedly said to stop.

They heard the door. Sanchez Milian left and Montano told Victim A to be quiet. Montano also put his hand over Victim As mouth to keep her quiet. Sanchez Milian returned. Montano and Sanchez Milian again talked to each other again in Spanish. Sanchez Milian gave Victim A his jacket and put it over her head. They act like body guards and walk out of the bathroom. Then Montano and Sanchez Milian leave. Victim A enter [sic] girls bathroom. When Victim A exited the girls bathroom, she saw Montano and Sanchez Milian returning towards her. Victim A drop [sic] Sanchez Milians jacket on a railing and left the area to go to class, where she told staff.

On March 16, 2017, Montano was interviewed at which time he denied having any sexual contact with Victim A. Montano stated they went into the bathroom to tell jokes.

On March 16, 2017, the MCPD Forensic Specialist processed the boys bathroom and suspected blood that may be mixed with male fluid.
More than a dozen conservative groups sent an appeal to House Speaker Richard Corcoran, Senate President Joe Negron and the chairs of several legislative committees Friday, urging them to get behind legislation reforming the state's minimum mandatory sentencing law, which they have concluded are "costly to taxpayers" and "harm families and communities."

"In the last 15 years, more than 30 states around the country  Florida among them  have reconsidered the wisdom of disproportional mandatory minimum sentencing laws.'' the coalition wrote. "These centralized, one-size-fits-all laws undermine individualized consideration in the American justice system. They also waste taxpayer dollars locking up for far too long some people who pose little to no threat to public safety." Download 2017 Florida Sentencing Reform Support Letter (Corcoran)

The letter was signed by presidents and officers of FreedomWorks, the American Conservative Union, the James Madison Institute, Florida TaxWatch, Prison Fellowship, Right on Crime, Reason Foundation, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration and R Street Institute, Deason Foundation, Coalition for Public Safety and Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

"These excessive punishments fill prisons, are costly to taxpayers, and divert scarce resources away from investigating more serious crimes, supporting local law enforcement, and compensating victims. Disproportional mandatory minimum sentences also harm families and communities by depriving children of their parents for far longer than public safety demands."

The letter does not mention the pending bills they support but, according to Greg Newburn, state policy director for Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM,) the proposals that most align with their goals are HB 731 by Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, and Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth. The legislation would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug trafficking offenses. Neither bill has been given a hearing and there is no staff analysis developed for them.

The group notes "Floridas neighbors and other conservative states have already adopted substantive drug sentencing reforms" and names Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Iowa.

"The result has been uniform: smaller prison populations, smaller corrections budgets, and lower crime. Floridas families and taxpayers deserve the benefits of this proportional and restorative approach,'' they said.

Newburn said they are supportive of other legislation that has gotten a hearing in the Senate, such as SB 458 by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, that would create a criminal-justice reform task force to make recommendations about sentencing and corrections policy.


via @lesleyclark

WASHINGTON -- Miami Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart said Friday he will vote for the American Health Care Act, after saying for a week that he was leaning against it.

The congressman said the bill isn't perfect.

"There are still some issues," he said. But he credited the centrist House GOP "Tuesday Group" with making some modifications, such as adding $15 billion for certain healthcare services. That was "a really big improvement," according to Diaz-Balart.

"I've been focused on trying to get changes," he said. "We had some success. Did I get everything I wanted? No, by any stretch of the imagination."

Diaz-Balart was among the lawmakers who met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday.

"It's pretty clear that this president is very serious about fulfilling what he said he was going to do," Diaz-Balart said, and the AHCA's failure would put a "big damper" on tax reform.

"If this fails, it's a big hit," he said. "It makes it very difficult to do the tax reform that a lot of us think that we need to do."

One of the issues Diaz-Balart previously raised with White House officials during the healthcare debate was the administration's inaction on Cuba policy.

Though Diaz-Balart insisted his vote isn't about politics, he said sinking health care would be "a big blow to the agenda -- and that means everything."

"In the legislative process, every day there is a tough issue, and the reality is that once this is done, we go on to the next issue," he said. "The repeal and replace is dead if it dies today... This is the one shot to deal with health care."

--with Patricia Mazzei

Photo credit: Al Diaz, Miami Herald staff
@ByKristenMClark

Next week would have been make-or-break for this years efforts by the Florida Legislature to implement mandatory daily recess in public elementary schools.

While the Senate bill (SB 78) sailed through committees and awaits a floor vote, the House bill had yet to move  and next week is the last week policy subcommittees are expected to meet.

But recess moms are in luck.

Clearwater Republican Rep. Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater, has scheduled the recess bill (HB 67) to be heard Tuesday morning in his House Pre-K-12 Innovation Subcommittee.

However, Latvalas committee is proposing some hefty changes, which might not leave all recess moms happy.

More here.

Photo credit: Patrick Farrell / Miami Herald
By Carol Marbin Miller, David Neal and Alex Harris

When a Miami psychologist examined Naika Venant in June 2015, she found a depressed, angry and fearful young girl who thought often about death and dying. She expects people to abandon and betray her, the psychologist wrote.

Terilee Wunderman diagnosed Naika with significant depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and recommended that she see a specially trained therapist to mend her broken psyche. Wunderman also warned against filling the 12-year-old with pills, because the medication she was taking sometimes can cause the side-effect of depression.

During the next 18 months, however, Naikas doctors reached for the prescription pad again and again, increasing the dose of an ADHD medication, and adding another drug, Zoloft, records indicate. The anti-depressant comes with a critical warning: an increased risk of suicide in children. Story here.

Photo: Naika Venant and and her mother, Gina Alexis, smile in a photo posted on Facebook. Facebooky
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation(NEW YORK)  As police in Texas and Alabama followed-up Thursday on leads to locate Elizabeth Thomas  the Tennessee high school student allegedly kidnapped by former teacher Tad Cummins  her family issued a lengthy statement saying they are "desperate" for additional information to find the 15-year-old.



She has been missing since March 13.



"The last ten days have been the most difficult in the life of the Thomas family," the statement reads. "We humbly ask that you continue to pray as we do our best to cope with the emotional weight of Elizabeth's abduction."

Family releases letter amid ongoing AMBER Alert for daughter https://t.co/TJ0jzcA5pp  WKRN (@WKRN) March 24, 2017

Join us in holding out hope. It only takes one solid lead. pic.twitter.com/VShoOaUksX  TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 21, 2017

The family does not only ask for information that may result in finding Elizabeth, but they are also seeking details about the relationship between their daughter and Cummins.



"We are desperate for any information that might lead to our daughter," the family's statement reads. "The information that we need is not only from what people have seen and heard after Elizabeth's disappearance, but also from before. Facts about prior events, especially interaction between Elizabeth and Tad Cummins and statements made by both parties to third parties, may very well contain clues to lead to Elizabeth's return."



The family pleads, "Elizabeth must be found. Time is of the essence."

It's been a week, but we're not giving up hope. Stay vigilant, stay alert, and let us know if you spot these individuals or this vehicle. pic.twitter.com/jDACuW1iUg  TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 20, 2017

The family also urged the public not to place blame on school officials for the relationship or how it was dealt with.



"We know that each teacher and administrator at Maury County Schools mourns as we do over this tragedy and wishes daily for Elizabeth's safe return," the family urged in the statement. "Whatever questions about how issues were handled when Elizabeth was in school are distant and secondary and, in many ways, distracting, to the core issue of dinging her."



The family added, "It is important to the Thomas family to emphasize that none of the reports about possible mistakes made regarding Tad Cummins prior to Elizabeth's disappearance are relevant to what we are doing now ... Our focus should be on finding Elizabeth. Period."

NEW PICTURE: Here's Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas at school in January, days before his alleged inappropriate contact with her. pic.twitter.com/BzyIz8KPpY  TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 21, 2017

In Alabama's Morgan County, the Sheriff's Department said Elizabeth and Cummins may have stayed at a motel in Decatur, reported ABC affiliate WAAY on Thursday.



Motels in Decatur were raised as a possibility after investigators from the Maury County Sheriff's Office visited Decatur last week to search for the pair.



Ashley Hitt, a manager of a local motel, told WAAY that she has asked her staff to be on alert, telling them "just in case you do see [Elizabeth and Cummins], definitely to let me know or to call the police and let them know."



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.


via @KyraGurney

Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday said he is "encouraged" by House Republicans' bill to replace the Affordable Care Act but still wouldn't endorse it, saying he wants to "keep working to improve it."

Speaking at Coral Way K-8 Center in Miami, where he was touting his education budget, Scott told reporters the state needs more flexibility to improve Medicaid and that lawmakers in Congress should focus on driving down healthcare costs.

"We need to let people buy the insurance they want," he said. "We need to reward people for taking care of themselves."

Eight Republican governors -- but notably not Scott, a big Obamacare critic -- sent Congress a letter Thursday supporting the House GOP's American Health Care Act. A vote planned for Thursday night was postponed until Friday.

Accompanied by Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and two local school board members, Scott promoted his education proposals  almost $21 billion in combined state and local funding for schools, of which he hopes to spend $58 million on teacher recruitment and retention.

Asked if he was concerned about Florida House Speaker Corcoran's opposition to his education budget, Scott said he was confident the state had enough revenue to invest more in schools. "We have the money to do this," Scott said. "There's nothing more important."

--KYRA GURNEY
@amysherman1

President Donald Trump's housing chief comes to Broward today to promote a future affordable housing development while Trump has proposed slashing $6 billion from housing programs.

Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development, will speak at the Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Pompano Beach. The church is located near a future 77-home Habitat for Humanity development, the largest Habitat project ever in Broward.

Trump's budget proposal calls for getting rid of decades-long housing programs, including Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Program. Those cuts would be "devastating" to low- and moderate-income families in Broward, said the county's housing chief Ralph Stone.

"The Broward metro area is one of the least affordable housing markets in the nation," Stone told the Herald in a statement. "Only one in five moderate and below income families can afford to buy the median priced home. Also Broward is one of the worst markets for affordable and avaiabjr rental units. There is a defiency of over 70,000 low income rental units."

The national Habitat for Humanity program sent the Miami Herald a statement criticizing the proposed cut:

"Federal housing programs currently reach about 1 in 4 income eligible households. With the proposed budget, many fewer would receive assistance, leading to even more families to choose paying housing costs over purchasing food, health care, and meeting other basic needs. ... Eliminating or reducing funding for these housing programs would exacerbate local housing shortages and increase the burden of housing costs on families in need of housing stability."

South Florida lags behind other major metro areas in wages, making affordable housing out of reach to many residents.

See Carson's Truth-O-Meter record from PolitiFact.
@amysherman1

President Donald Trumps housing chief, Ben Carson, visited the future site of a Habitat for Humanity site in Broward County on Friday  as the administration is proposing to slashing billions for affordable housing.

Housing experts say the cuts, should they occur, will hurt South Florida, one of the most unaffordable metro areas in the nation.

Speaking at the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Pompano Beach, Carson praised the Habitat development that will include 77 homes.

This project right here is one of the things that works because of public-private partnerships and how incredible they are at leveraging dollars, he told the audience of local government officials and housing activists. Thats how we become a success as a nation. The government cant do everything, but the government can do things to get things started and then the private sector and faith community comes in and leverages that.

Carson was confirmed by the Senate earlier this month as the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Carsons visit comes as Trump has proposed slashing about $6 billion from HUD, a cut of about 13 percent. That includes eliminating funding for programs that help people buy or rent homes. Among them: Community Development Block Grant and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program.




@JeremySWallace

If Governor Rick Scott really wants to save jobs, hes focusing on the wrong issues while he travels the state bashing Republicans, House Speaker Richard Corcoran told reporters Thursday.

Corcoran, R-Land OLakes, said too much energy is being paid to saving Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida under the guise of saving jobs when the real crisis for Florida businesses is the threat of dramatically higher workers compensation insurance rates and increasing rates on property insurance because of lawsuits related to water losses under a program called Assignment of Benefits.

If I were to give encouragement to the governor Id say: go keep traveling. Start talking about workers comp and assignment of benefits which have far more effect than Enterprise and Visit Florida on jobs, Corcoran said as part of wide ranging press conference in Tallahassee.

Corcoran said if the House succeeds and kills Enterprise Florida and scales back Visit Florida it will be about $100 million in savings to taxpayers. But if unchanged, the two insurance issues could cost businesses and homeowners hundreds of millions of dollars he said. On both issues he said there doesnt seem to be tremendous movement in the Senate. He said the governor needs to start working the senate to get those bills moving.

How can you just be silent on what really will hit jobs, Corcoran said.

Scott has been touring the state going to the districts of Florida House members who voted to kill Enterprise Florida accusing them of hurting the states economic momentum. Hes also funded robo-calls and television ads arguing against the cuts. Hes also funded videos that mock Corcoran for trying to kill Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida. Corcoran for his part has been unapologetic in taking on the governors top priority, calling Enterprise Florida a cesspool that cannot be reformed.
State Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, was charged with driving under the influence early Friday after a state trooper stopped his Jeep on Florida's Turnpike in St. Lucie County and a Breathalyzer test showed that his blood alcohol level was .15, nearly twice the legal limit.

A Florida Highway Patrol arrest affidavit said Pigman's vehicle, with the Florida license tag H55, was weaving in and out of its southbound lane as the lawmaker headed home to Okeechobee County after the third week of the legislative session in Tallahassee.

"Once I got to the front passenger window, I could immediately smell an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from within the vehicle," Trooper Abe Dacosta wrote in his arrest report. "That was confirmed when I saw an open wine bottle in the front passenger seat."

The trooper's report said: "I noticed that his pupils were constricted, his eyes were bloodshot and watery while the defendant was standing in front of me. I asked the defendant if he had anything to drink tonight. He stated, 'No.' I then placed the defendant in the rear of my patrol car for his safety." The trooper said Pigman was so off balance that he "almost fell" while being given a field sobriety test. He was booked into the St. Lucie County jail in Fort Pierce and his Jeep was towed away.

Pigman, 58, is an emergency medicine physician and is chairman of the Health Quality Subcommittee in the House. Married with five children, he's a veteran of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army reserves who saw duty in Iraq, Guatemala and Kuwait from 2011-2013.

Pigman has engaged in spirited debate on Twitter because of his skepticism about the effectiveness of medical marijuana. "There's an old adage," Pigman tweeted last Tuesday. "Any substance which is claimed to cure everything rarely cures anything."


via @glenngarvin

Roger Stone, the legendarily hardball Republican operative who for years has lustily embraced such media epithets as the dapper don of dirty deeds and the undisputed master of the black arts of electioneering, now finds himself on the receiving end of what he calls a political dirty trick  allegations that he helped mastermind Russian leaks of hacked Democratic Party emails  and hes not liking it much.

You just wake up one day and a bunch of congressmen are kicking your balls across the field, Stone said reflectively. Based on nothing more than a Hillary Clinton campaign meme.... I understand. Its politics. Its the democratic process. All I want is the same open forum to respond.

A steady drumbeat of accusations against Stone that had been building for months  since a Jan. 19 story in The New York Times identified him as one of three associates of President Donald Trump under FBI investigation for links between Trumps presidential campaign and Russia  reached a crescendo this week, when Stones name was mentioned 19 times during a hearing of the House Intelligence Committee.

None of the references to Stone were flattering. And most ran along the lines of an attack by Rep. Denny Heck, D-Washington, who included Stone among a rogues gallery of Trump operatives who fall somewhere on that spectrum from mere naivete ... to unwitting Russian dupes, to willing blindness, to active coordination.

Since then, the Senate Intelligence Committee has warned Stone not to destroy any written records that could pertain to the investigation. And its scarcely been possible to turn on a TV set without hearing calls for Stone to be politically tarred and feathered, or at least subpoenaed.

The latter would be fine with Stone, who would love a nationally televised forum to counterattack accusations that he labels acts of fact-free political vengeance by enemies he helped whip in the election. The only thing hes guilty of, he says, is political showmanship.

Dont confuse me with the character I sometimes play, Roger Stone, he said. Millions of people buy my books and watch me on [right-wing radio and streaming-video show] Info Wars. They like my style, and yeah, theres a certain element of over-the-top to my style. But in todays rapid-cycle media universe, if you dont have some political flamboyance, youre nowhere, youre left behind.

More here.

Photo credit: Carl Juste, Miami Herald staff


via @KyraGurney

At 17, Mark Merwitzer might be Floridas youngest lobbyist.

The Miami high school junior is on a mission to keep drivers from texting behind the wheel and he says he wont stop until its a state law.

Over the past year, the teen has met with youth councils, county officials and state legislators to argue that texting behind the wheel should be a primary offense  meaning police can pull drivers over just for using their phones, instead of issuing a ticket only if they are stopped for another infraction. With the help of Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, Merwitzer has championed a bill that has so far cleared several hurdles. Similar efforts in past years have struggled to advance, but on Wednesday the bill got unanimous support from the Senate transportation committee.

Im personally very tired of seeing peoples lives thrown away because of texting while driving, said Merwitzer, who does not yet have his drivers license, but said he sees motorists on their phones all the time on Miami highways.

More here.

Photo credit: Patrick Farrell, Miami Herald staff


via @learyreports

WASHINGTON - Democrats are lining up to oppose Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, but Florida Sen. Bill Nelson isn't saying where he stands.

"Still undecided on both," Nelson's spokesman tells The Tampa Bay Times on whether how he will vote or whether he supports growing Democratic calls for a filibuster.

A filibuster, which New York Sen. Charles Schumer called for yesterday, would force Republicans to upend Senate rules to allow for a simple majority.

Nelson oppossed a filibuster for Sameul Alito in 2006, though voted against him. Yet Nelson previously told us he supports 60-vote threshold for a Supreme Court nominee.

"You bet I do. The filibuster has always forced the political extremes to come of the middle to build consensus," Nelson said in February, adding it was a "mistake" for former Democratic leader Harry Reid to lower the threshold on other nominees that were stymied by Republicans.

The NRSC says Nelson should tell voters where he stands.

"Floridians made it clear when they hit the polls in November that they trusted President Trump to appoint the next Supreme Court Justice. Bill Nelson needs to tell his constituents whether he will side with them and vote to confirm President Trumps nominee, or join Chuck Schumer and Washington liberals and filibuster Judge Gorsuch."

--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times

Photo credit: Associated Press
@JeremySWallace

The children killed and tortured at the hands of the state at a reform school in north Florida just might get an apology after all.

Although a pair of bills apologizing to hundreds of then-children sent to the Dozier School for Boys for decades has yet to move in either of the House or Senate, one of the top leaders in the Florida Legislature said it is one of his priorities.

We know those children were abused and tortured, House Speaker Richard Corcoran said. And the question is, how do you try to find some way to close that door in a healthy way that allows people to move on and recognizes the gross injustice that was done.

Corcoran said he wants to move forward with a bill on both Dozier and another to address the Groveland Four," a quartet of African-American men accused of raping a white woman in 1949.

"To the extent that we can move forward on both would be great," Corcoran said

Stories had swirled for decades about harsh conditions at Dozier, open from 1900 to 2011 in Marianna in the Florida Panhandle. In 2012, University of South Florida anthropologists began investigating burial grounds on the campus, where pipe crosses marked what was said to be the final resting place for 31 boys who died there. Using ground penetrating radar and excavation techniques, they found 55 graves, many in the woods outside the marked cemetery. Remains were found buried under trees and brush and under an old road.

USF anthropologists last year presented a report to the Florida Cabinet that showed most of the deaths were caused by illness, but others involved shootings, drownings and beatings.

After USF presented their findings last year, members of the Cabinet issued their own apologies to men who survived beatings at the school when they were children. Now. State Sen. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, wants a formal apology from the state of Florida. In Senate Bill 1440 he calls for the apology to the boys sent to the Dozier School for Boys and their family members for the wrongs committed against them during the 111-year operation of the school.

The Senate bill has not been heard by any of three committees it has to get through to even make it to the floor of the Senate. A House version of the same bill, sponsored by Jacksonville Rep. Tracie Davis, a Democrat, similarly hasnt been heard in any committees yet.

PHOTO: A University of South Florida assistant professor steps among the more than 50 grave sites that were found at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna. Tampa Bay Times files (2013)
Bare Bait Dance company's spring show, "Surge," covers the gamut from birth to death, with an eclectic program of original choreography by veteran local dancers.

The contemporary modern dance company, now in its sixth season in Missoula, specializes in original works, performed by paid professional dancers. Each season features a choreographer showcase like "Surge," in which the company brings in guest choreographers, whether from the local community or farther afield.

Covering the "birth" end of the program, University of Montana professor Heidi Eggert created a new solo work for Bare Bait founder Joy French called "Expecting Expectations."

While the label or idea of contemporary modern dance can seem intimidating to those who aren't familiar, Bare Bait is known for using playful themes that can remind audiences the freedom of movement in contemporary dance can express levity as well.

"Expecting" falls into that category  and appropriately enough, French is pregnant and due in June.

"It's our way of playing with outside expectations, and what I should and shouldn't be doing," said French, who earned an MFA in dance before moving to Missoula and founding the company.

Eggert, who has three children and danced through all three pregnancies, used some of her own experiences in the piece.

"We're playing with some stereotypes of pregnancy in Western civilization," Eggert said.

For one, "if you're pregnant, maybe you shouldn't do anything. You need to be propped up on a pedestal and just cook that baby," she said. Other tropes include moodiness, irrationality and continuous consumption of milkshakes and doughnuts. (Both of those make appearances as props.)

French said there are limitations to her movement, but the arc of the piece likely will surprise viewers.

"That's part of what the piece is about: what you expect a pregnant lady to do on stage, versus what I can actually do," she said.

The score was written and performed by Naomi Moon Siegel, a jazz-trained trombone player and composer whose work draws on a variety of music styles, including world music, classical and indie rock. Siegel lived and worked in the Seattle jazz scene for years before re-locating to Missoula as her new home-base. (She was featured in Downbeat, the flagship jazz magazine, not long before moving here.)

***

Another of the guest choreographers on "Surge" is Amy Ragsdale, the director of Headwaters Dance Co., a long-running company that produced dance concerts from the national-international repertory, a rarity in Montana. For this concert, Ragsdale partnered with Lindsey Stormo, a vocalist who's performed at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center. She's now back in her hometown, teaching at Sussex School. French said she's a "powerhouse" vocalist who will perform her parts live.

French choreographed a piece for eight dancers that expresses ideas about community support, particularly between women. At times, the group moves in a circle, with some women doing floor-work and "supporting" the other dancers' legs, seemingly unnoticed.

"I kept on having these images of this idea of women unwittingly supporting each other, being empathetic," she said.

She recruited local musicians Ian Smith and Roger Johnson, who played together in indie band Spider + Octopus, to write a score. (Smith was a member of the late, great Missoula band Oblio Joes.)

The program is rounded out by Arts and Above, a dance duet company comprising Bruno Augusto and Kate Jordan, who moved to Missoula last year after working in dance communities in Oakland. Jordan choreographed the piece for three of Bare Bait's dancers, while Augusto worked on the sound design.
HELENA  Montanans will continue to change their clocks twice a year after a legislative committee voted Thursday not to abandon Daylight Saving Time.

Senate Bill 206, which would have kept Montana on standard time year-round, was tabled by the House State Administration Committee by a unanimous vote and after no discussion.

The measure carried by Rep. Ryan Osmundson, R-Buffalo, had sailed through the Senate, securing an 8-0 vote from the committee and then 36-14 from the full body. He said he proposed the bill at the behest of farm and ranch constituents frustrated by time changes. Their schedules, he said, were more dictated by the sun than necessarily the clock.

But as the proposal gained attention, opposition piled up. Earlier this month, about two dozen people testified against the bill, including school officials who said eliminating Daylight Saving Time would make it difficult, if not impossible, to have outdoor, after-school practices for sports. Two spoke in support of the bill.

In 1916, Germany became the first country to implement daylight saving time as WWI energy conservation, according the U.S. Department of Energy.

Other European countries followed suit, and the U.S. adopted daylight saving time as well toward the end of the war, and again during WWII until 1945. Until 1966 no federal law regulated it with varying observance between states, according to the Energy department, but the 1966 Uniform Time Act established uniform dates while allowing states to opt out.

Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that do not observe daylight saving time, although more than 10 others have considered exemptions in recent years.

By 2005, Congress expanded daylight saving time by a month, beginning the second Sunday of March and ending the first Sunday of November.

Reporter Tom Kuglin contributed to this report.
HELENA  A bill seeking to ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy has won endorsement from the Montana Senate.

It is the second abortion bill wending its way through the Legislature and moved forward on a 33-17 vote mostly along party lines.

In sponsoring the bill, Republican Sen. Keith Regier of Kalispell argued that fetuses beyond 20 weeks of development are capable of feeling pain.

If approved, Montana would join more than a dozen states adopting laws protecting so-called "pain-capable" fetuses.

But opponents called the ban a violation of a woman's right to an abortion.

Meanwhile a House committee earlier this week moved forward a bill that would effectively ban all abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy by requiring doctors to try and save a fetus.
Another 4-acre chunk of the Route of the Olympian rails-to-trails project has moved into public ownership with the transfer of a crucial link near Saltese.

On March 15, Five Valleys Land Trust handed over the deed to the property that connects upper and lower railroad grades by the Saltese Trestle, a notable landmark in the middle of the 30-mile Montana portion of the route.

Much of the important land acquisition work completed to make the Route of the Olympian an on-the-ground reality for all recreation users is directly linked to the persistent efforts and generous contributions of Five Valleys Land Trust, Lolo National Forest Supervisor Tim Garcia wrote in an email. We are grateful to have them as a valued partner in creating new recreation opportunities that are both highly valued by the public and also increasingly important in promoting economic vitality in local communities.

This trail is quickly becoming an icon of recreation in western Montana, benefiting local community members who love to recreate outdoors and those invested in economic development by attracting visitors from near and far, Five Valleys Land Trust Executive Director Grant Kier wrote in an email. The nonprofit group acquired the property in 2013 with help from a $15,000 grant from the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recreational trails program. It has also helped acquire eight other parcels of the rail line.

The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad had one line running across the Montana-Idaho border while the Burlington Northern Railroad had a roughly parallel track. The Forest Service has acquired about 45 miles of those former lines to form the Route of the Hiawatha bike trail into Idaho and the Route of the Olympian mixed-use trail into Montana. The latest acquisition improves access to the trail section between Saltese and the main border junction at Taft, just below Lookout Pass.

We still have a little work to do before its ready for public access, Superior District Ranger Carole Johnson said Thursday. The jump-up road takes you all the way to Taft, about five miles, or you can go across the Saltese Trestle and all the way back to Haugan, about 10 miles.
Montana's share of special education funding has dropped from 81.5 percent in 1990 to around 30 percent today. Federal contributions have also ticked lower, with local district general funds and taxpayers filling the growing gap. The situation is even more dire for special education co-ops that serve rural districts, officials say, as they have fewer resources to turn to when funding runs low.
When we consider what it means to be a Montanan, whether native-born or recent arrival, near the top of the list is a generous commitment to help our neighbors. This tradition of service to those among us not only provides a caring hand (and heaven knows, we each need a hand now and again), it draws us closer, fills our hearts and creates an identity of strength. Perhaps more importantly, when opportunities for service are presented to young people, they forge character.

Today we are confronted with a defiant challenge to our tradition of service. We find ourselves consumed by national leaders obsessed with selfishness. Instead of considering the merits of Montana traditions of service, leaders in Washington float disturbing proposals that would undermine the organizations and institutions of service that have benefited us all. Suggestions to gut the national budget of its support to young Americans who volunteer or work on minimal stipends in programs like AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps would deprive young Montanans of their chance to show their mettle and make contributions to their community and the world. Yet there seems to be a hearty appetite for increased military spending at the expense of these service programs. Is this the right choice? I dont think so. Look at what former military leaders have said.

First, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in 2008: It has become clear that Americas civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and under-funded for far too long, relative to what we spend on the military. Second, see what retired general Stanley McChrystal wrote in a 2013 Wall Street Journal opinion: In 2011 there were nearly 600,000 applications to AmeriCorps, a program with only 80,000 positions, only half of which are full time. The Peace Corps received 150,000 requests for applications but has funding for only 4,000 positions each year. This gap represents democratic energy wasted and a generation of patriotism needlessly squandered.

The service and youth development opportunities offered through Americorps affect Montana in another vital way: the protection and maintenance of our public lands. AmeriCorps enrollees provide the backbone of the field crews of the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC), who supply critical labor on our forests and grasslands. Each summer MCC crews maintain trails (roughly 800 miles each year), restore lands (11,600 acres in 2015), and engage in countless other projects across the state to allow us to enjoy our outdoor natural heritage. What happens if all this work goes away?

From personal experience I know that these service programs are effective. I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala over 40 years ago, and Ive never forgotten the dignity, resiliency and incredible efforts exerted by the Guatemalan people to better their lives. What I didnt realize was how much they would better mine. In addition, my sons first job was with the Montana Conservation Corps. It taught him the value of work and how to contribute to a team. What better way to utilize our public resources than investing in our children?

By denying funding to the parent organization of AmeriCorps, the Corporation for National Community Service, through a slash and burn assault on the best elements of the federal budget, Washingtons leaders are cutting off the future. I urge our elected representatives to provide leadership in Congress on the continuation of funding for national service organizations like AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. Young Montanans have participated in these remarkable programs at some of the highest levels in the nation. They deserve the opportunity to show the world what it means to be a Montanan.
Montanas U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester need to stop blocking conservation groups in Montana from protecting hunting opportunities on public lands in Montana.

Cottonwood Environmental Law Center has now won two Endangered Species Act (ESA) lawsuits against a federal facility known as the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station. In response, former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack tried to open over 16,000 acres of Sheep Station land in Montana along the Continental Divide Trail to elk hunting. Commissioners for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks sent a letter to the two senators asking them to open the area to hunting. Daines did not listen and instead passed two appropriations riders that overturned the court rulings and kept the potential elk hunting area closed to the public.

The Sheep Station is now in the process of deciding whether to stop grazing domestic sheep in the area and open it to the public for hunting, hiking and camping. Cottonwood recovered emails through a Freedom of Information Act request in which the lead researcher for the Sheep Station said the area is not needed to conduct sheep research.

Daines and Tester should take this opportunity to advocate for opening the area to public hunting instead of continuing to pass appropriations riders that block public access to the federal land.

Daines and Tester have also introduced legislation to overturn a court win that Cottonwood secured for hunters. Cottonwood won an Endangered Species Act lawsuit in the Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 and 2016 that resulted in four timber sales being stopped in critical habitat for Canada lynx. The courts ruled that the Forest Service must determine whether its lynx management plan will violate the Endangered Species Act by allowing forest management project that result in the adverse modification of over 700,000 acres of newly designated critical habitat. The Forest Service previously determined that its lynx management plan would allow management activities to go forward that would have adverse effects to those 700,000 acres of public land. The four timber sales that were stopped because of the Cottonwood case would have constructed new roads on Forest Service land.

Ask any real hunter where the best public lands hunting is and they will tell you it starts a mile away from where the roads stop. According to the National Wildlife Federation and one of Daines press releases, the Cottonwood case that stopped new road building is disastrous.

Tester recently sent me a letter and envelope asking me to donate to his re-election campaign. I might think about it if he withdrew his legislation to overturn the Cottonwood case, reduce elk hunting opportunities on public land and weaken the Endangered Species Act.
Our predatory corporate opponent abandoned their legislative effort to legalize assisted suicide in Montana after record lobbying spending.

Thank you, legislators, for holding the line since 2011. Thank you for your prayers.

What we have learned so far in this Montana 2017 session is that the administration believes in "choice and rational suicide." Even though the non-transparent Oregon model assisted suicide laws do not honor our choices and in fact ignore them by empowering others.

These model laws are disqualified from flying under the choice banner (see second-thoughts.org).

The assisted suicide corporation claimed during the hearing that there are no problems in Montana nine years after the court ruled that if doctors are charged, they have a possible defense based on consent. The administration's Board of Medical Examiners has dismissed complaints of euthanasia, so to say there are no problems is incorrect.

The administration's Department of Public Health and Human Services also rejected the language in House Joint Resolution 14 that included a specific recommendation to "address ... the mistaken assumption that suicide is a rational response to disability."

Please ask the administration to request statistics on suicide of people with disabilities and include them in our Montana Suicide Prevention Plan 2018 rather than ignoring people with disabilities.

Bradley Williams,

president,

Montanans Against Assisted Suicide,

Hamilton
Our nation needs an independent watchdog committed to defending the American people from predatory and unfair lending practices. We have this in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has returned $12 billion to nearly 29 million Americans.

Unfortunately, the Trump administration and many Senate Republicans are working to tear apart the CFPB and reverse the essential consumer protections that they have put in place. We cannot stand for this kind of blatant disregard for the best interest of the American people, and the time has come to let our Senators in Washington know that we support the CFPB under the leadership of Director Richard Cordray.
DEER LODGE  A Deer Lodge man who slashed a man with a knife in the lobby of the sheriffs office last summer was sentenced this week in district court to 15 years with the Department of Corrections with five suspended.

Anthony Ray Keys, 24, who was high on drugs and paranoid about people following him when he slashed John M. Dunne, earlier pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon, a felony. In addition to the sentence, he must pay $80 in court fees, but no restitution was ordered because Dunne inadequately substantiated his claim for lost wages or other restitution requirements, Judge Ray Dayton said.

Keys was initially charged with attempted deliberate homicide, but the charges were later reduced.

According to court records, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2016, Keys was in the lobby of the sheriffs office in Deer Lodge waiting for a ride to Butte to catch a bus to Oregon.

Dunne, 27, also of Deer Lodge, entered the sheriffs office on official business when, without provocation, Keys pulled a knife and slashed him on the arm and face.

Sheriff Scott Howard, who was in his office, rushed to the lobby, drew his gun, and ordered Anthony Ray Keys, 24, to drop the weapon and arrested him.

After the incident, the sheriff called the response team, which determined Keys does not have a mental illness.

Dunne's injuries did not require medical treatment, Howard said.
Dillon folks are hard at work creating a healthier community.

The Beaverhead County ACEs Task Force  going gangbusters since February 2016  has coalesced into a driving force for the wider trauma-informed community movement taking hold across the state.

We have been moving and working like mad, said Melainya Ryan, task force chairwoman. Our community is ripe.

ACEs stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences that affect health and wellness across the life span, as Helena-based expert Katie Loveland told a full house at a Butte Community Action Team-sponsored talk to 50 healthcare professionals Thursday at the Butte Justice Center.

For us, its been so exciting to see people respond, see light bulbs go off, to collaborate and see a shift of culture in Dillon in how we react to people who appear to be struggling, Ryan told the Standard later.

The task force has trained nearly 2,000 Dillon residents  elementary educators, counselors, parents, grandparents raising grandkids, and healthcare workers  in how to recognize and respond to a wide range of behaviors, from suicidal tendencies to behavioral issues that stem from bad experiences and other tell-tale signs of personal struggle.

One initiative, one educational event at a time, the task force is gradually changing how folks look at others struggling with depression, substance abuse, or other problems.

Maybe their behavior isnt so culturally acceptable, but  theres much more compassion and understanding now, added Ryan, a licensed counselor at the Womens Resource and Community Support Center.

Responding to household abuse, neglect and dysfunction, chemical dependency, behavioral issues, and mental health problems, groups like the ACEs task force are springing up around the state.

Resiliency is a key piece where you can start thinking about solutions, said Loveland, author of Montana's ACEs report, a tool that gauges a communitys trauma risk. To learn more, see the full report at the Montana Health Care Foundation website, www.mthcf.org.

Learning and teaching coping skills  the ability to deal with adversity and provide traumatized youngsters with a stable environment at home or school  is merely the tip of the iceberg for ACEs teams.

THE ACEs SURVEY

A 10-question ACEs survey asks takers if theyve suffered any kind of abuse, including physical, emotional, or sexual. To take the test, see www.acestoohigh.com and click on Got Your ACE Score?

Among the findings, she said: folks exposed to these experiences may have trouble quitting smoking or suffering from long-term substance abuse problems in adulthood  even cancer or health problems.

Montana is No. 1 in the nation for those younger than 18 raised by parents who suffered from substance abuse, according to ACEs test results, said Loveland.

The states frequent No. 1 ranking in rate of suicides also plays into the dangerous behaviors that Dillon and Butte are trying to reduce.

Its not surprising, Loveland said, when combining the two high-risk factors for kids and adults.

Problems of substance abuse, mental health, domestic abuse, and divorce are main driving forces, she added.

This research is very, very strong and has been repeated over and over again. Montana has some of the highest ACEs scores in the country.

Transforming into a trauma-informed community takes time and broad input. Buttes CAT and Dillons task force continue to invest more volunteer power into the movement.

Someone who has suffered trauma, said Loveland, has difficulty functioning.

For example, siblings may experience their parents divorce differently.

How that individual processes an event determines how traumatic it is for them, said Loveland.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The groups follow the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administrations guiding principles of providing trauma-informed care in trainings for all community members:

 Safety

 Trustworthiness and transparency

 Peer support and mutual self-help

 Empowerment, voice, and choice

 Cultural, historical, and gender issues

Jim ONeill, a CAT member and curriculum director for the Butte school district, which uses a SOARS grant to train teachers and students in Youth Mental Health First Aid, helped bring in Loveland after hearing her speak in Helena.

Her message hits all the right chords, he said.

Its very powerful and fits right into the mission of our Community Action Team, said ONeill.

Folks of any age can suffer a broad spectrum of problems that dont magically disappear in childhood or adulthood. But the Dillon ACEs Task Force and CAT are drawing more engaged people into the fold.

Were just so passionate about (the) training, said Kim Martinell, lead prevention specialist with Southwest Chemical Dependency in Dillon who heard Loveland speak. Martinell is a Beaverhead ACEs Task Force leader.

The benefits include increasing awareness, speaking the same language, and sharing training tools, said Loveland.

Barriers to overcome include implementing such programs after trainings, getting leadership to buy into ACEs, costs of some programs  especially in rural areas where resources are few  and securing time commitments from volunteers.

Theres so much going on in the state right now, but not everyones sharing, Loveland told the professionals gathered on Thursday. I think the work you are all doing every day is important.
The Butte Public Library at 226 W. Broadway will host Montana Tech professor Henry Gonshak in a film screening and discussion series based on his latest book: Hollywood and the Holocaust.

Each Wednesday, 5:30 to 8 p.m., April 12 through May 3, a film will be featured and then Gonshak will lead a talk on how these films shaped our perceptions of history.

Attendees are encouraged to read the relevant chapters before the screening, but it is not necessarily a requirement. A copy of Gonshak's book will be available at the reference desk on the second floor.

The movie schedule is  Cabaret on April 12; Sophies Choice on April 19; The Grey Zone on April 26; and Defiance on May 3.
With the assistance of money from the Butte-Silver Bow Superfund Advisory and Redevelopment Trust Authority, the World Museum of Mining and the Montana Tech mining engineering department have partnered to allow access to the Orphan Girls 100-foot level.

Larry Hoffman will preview the 100-foot underground renovations for the World Museum of Mining Members on Saturday, March 25, with tours at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

Highlights include the original Orphan Girl Shaft Station and a look at the Orphan Girl Vein one of the only underground mineral veins available for public viewing. Reservations required. Tickets are $6 and you must be a museum member. Call 406-723-7211 or purchase your tickets online at https://events.ticketprinting.com/event/22868. Memberships are available.
BILLINGS -- The words typed across the simulated yellow pad are decidedly provocative: Were gonna have to kill Him.

Water marks ring the left corner of the page, and a web address KillHim.tv sits toward the bottom. In truth, the single sheet is a promotional piece Harvest Church created for its series of sermons leading up to Easter.

The Heights church, which also has satellites in Lockwood, Plentywood and Butte and Cody, Wyoming, planned to send out 38,000 mailers to the cities it serves. It hoped to draw people to the website for a preview, and to church for the full sermons.

But the United States Postal Service refused to mail the piece. According to the church, local postal officials cited 9.5.5. of the federal agencys mailability standards.

That section, titled Matter Inciting Violence, reads: Any matter of a character tending to incite arson, murder, assassination, treason, insurrection or forcible resistance to any law of the United States, or containing any threat to take the life of, or to inflict harm upon, the President of the United States is nonmailable.

An emailed statement released Friday, March 17, by the Ernie Swanson of the USPS Corporate Communications Office in Seattle, gave a different answer.

He wrote: When presented for mailing, this item did not meet mailing standards for a variety of reasons, including mail thickness, absence of a return address, mailing address, no postage indicia and no name of the nonprofit. The mail piece was properly rejected based on those concerns.

Leann Bennett, communications director for the church, disputes that was the reason. After multiple conversations with local USPS officials, ascertaining the requirements for the mailer, Bennett was told Thursday that the mailer would not be accepted.

They came back and said it was not mailable, Bennett said Friday. They said were not willing to put our name on this.

'Why they got so mad'

The sermon series deals with four incidents in the Gospels that spurred religious leaders to seek the death of Jesus, said the Rev. Vern Streeter, lead pastor at Harvest.

These are four pivotal events that caused God-fearing men to decide the solution was murder, Streeter said. What I want to do in the series is get some perspective on why they got so mad.

Streeter cant resist sharing some of what hell be preaching from the pulpit. Jesus death didnt result from a riot gone bad, he said, but was a long, brooding plot that began a year before Jesus death.

The religious leaders wanted to hold onto their institutional, political, financial and religious power, Streeter said. Hence the plot  and hence the sentence in the mailer.

That sentence summarizes these clandestine, illegal back-office meetings the religious elite had, Streeter said. Where they looked each other in the eye and concluded weve got to kill him, its the only way to solve our problem. 

Drawing interest

Streeter admits the marketing piece is edgy. Its not the first time the Heights church has gone that route to draw interest.

One previous sermon series was titled One Hell of a Day, focusing on the day of Jesus crucifixion and what a hellish experience it was for him, Streeter said.

Another time, Heights billboards proclaimed that Harvest Church is Full of Hypocrites, making the ads appear critical of the church.

But we were admitting that we all have hypocrisy in our lives and others do, too, Streeter said. And we welcomed them to join us.

In the case of this mailer, the church hoped to send out the pieces as single unfolded sheets, where each person gets that startling headline, he said.

But that idea was shot down, Bennett said. Normally for these types of mailers, Harvest works with Mailing Technical Services in Billings. MTS handles large mailings and the permits they require, she said.

Bennett sat down with MTS to explore the best way to send the mailer. When MTS approached the USPS with the idea of a flat postcard-like mailer akin to a political flyer, the USPS contacted Harvest and left a voice mail saying the mailer wouldnt work because it went against the violence section, she said.

Mailing standards

In a conversation with a USPS employee, Bennett discussed different options, including folding and stapling the mailer with the message inside or placing it inside an envelope. Thinking the problem was solved, the mailers were printed and Bennett took them to MTS Wednesday.

When they went to go process them on Thursday, MTS contacted me and said were not allowed to process this, the post office is putting a hold on it, she said. Theyre saying they never gave approval.

So Bennett called the post office to find out what needed to happen next. Did the mailer need to be stuffed in an envelope? Did the postage amount need to change? Could they mail it first class, which is far more expensive than the nonprofit rate?

The final answer Bennett got was the USPS would not mail it. After the USPS released its statement Friday afternoon, Swanson was asked in an email if the content of the mailer had anything to do with the decision.

I believe the decision was based on not meeting mailing standards, he wrote back.

Whatever the reason, the result is disappointing, Streeter said, because the church paid $2,000 to print them. Instead, Harvest will find other ways to get the word out, including relying heavily on social media.

The church, which is holding its Easter service this year at the Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark, is hoping the series will draw people who might not otherwise attend church on Easter.

Without these mailers, we lost a major strategy of getting the word out, he said.
BILLINGS  A House bill that would fund nearly half of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden budget with federal dollars for the next two years has put the agency at odds with members of the Legislature.

House Bill 2, the state budget bill, would take $5.1 million next year and $5.4 million in 2019 from federal tax dollars collected from the sale of fishing and hunting gear to help fund FWPs law enforcement division  almost half of the $11.6 million warden budget. The measure passed the House on its third reading by a vote of 58-40 on March 17 and goes before the Senate for hearings on March 27 and 28.

In testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, FWP director Martha Williams told the legislators that law enforcement activities are specifically excluded from use of federal Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funds.

Pittman-Robertson funds have been collected by the federal government from the sales of guns and ammunition since Congress passed the act in 1937. Dingell-Johnson monies are collected from a tax on fishing gear and some boat sales. A portion of the revenue is given to state wildlife agencies for conservation efforts, requiring a 25 percent state match, and with strict stipulations on how the money can be spent. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees distribution of the funds.

Committee action

Rep. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, oversaw the subcommittee that came up with the use of the federal funds for FWPs warden budget. He told the House Appropriations Committee that the group received an email from USFWS staff saying the allotment was allowed under the act.

Its a generally accepted principle from the Fish and Wildlife Service, he told the committee during a March 7 hearing.

What he didnt say is that a USFWS employee contacted by the committees fiscal analyst wrote in an email: When bills are proposed or passed that require the State fish and wildlife agency to spend money in a certain way, there is legitimate concern as to whether it is a diversion of funds under the Acts. The email was later provided to the committee.

Written in HB2 is an explanation justifying use of the federal funding by saying that it would be for wardens when they conduct fish and wildlife surveys/inventories, research and relations with landowners and other individuals regarding the status of fish and wildlife, research into fish and wildlife problems, and education on hunting and fishing.

Calls to Glimm for more information about the committees decision were not returned by press time. A USFWS official contacted by the Billings Gazette said he knew of no state that uses the federal funds to pay for half of its warden budget.

Repercussions

FWP and the USFWS agree that the funds cannot be used for law enforcement, but they can go to warden funding for any incidental work they may do that would relate to such activities, like negotiating Block Management Program contracts, collecting biological data or for managing urban deer populations in towns like Helena.

Tying almost 50 percent of the wardens funding to such activities, and the requirement to document that work to the satisfaction of the feds, would create several problems, though.

How do you tease that out when they go from law enforcement to being a biologist? questioned Bob Curry, deputy assistant director of the USFWSs Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. The opportunity for things to go awry are very high.

In a March 6 opinion, FWP chief legal counsel Becky Dockter wrote that requiring wardens to devote so much of their time to nonenforcement would contradict their duties as defined under state statute.

Wardens are required by statute to devote all their time for which they are appointed to their official duties, Dockter wrote. Those duties are primarily enforcement in nature. The statute outlining warden official duties lists, first and foremost, enforcement of the laws of this state and the rules of the department

Wardens, therefore, are authorized by law to conduct very little nonenforcement duties, she added.

Right now, wardens spend 93 percent of their time on enforcement or duties not eligible for federal funding, Dockter wrote.

The result of a 50 percent federal funding requirement would be to cut at least 43 percent of its law enforcement activities in order to comply with the conditions for use of PR dollars, she added.

Such a change could lead to the reclassification of the wardens and a pay cut, could jeopardize programs meant to catch poachers, and with certain wardens dedicated strictly to enforcement activities  such as regional investigators  the change could require other wardens to devote all of their time to nonenforcement activities, Dockter wrote.

Dollar signs

Curry said its not uncommon for states to see the federal dollars as an appealing cash cow. Last year Montana FWP collected about $28 million in Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funds along with state wildlife grants. That money went to fund FWP biologists, wildlife management and habitat acquisition.

That funding is critical to a lot of what we do, said Ron Aasheim, FWP administrator of Communication and Education.

FWP receives no state general fund dollars for its operation, instead acquiring its income from hunting and fishing license sales, along with the federal funding which fluctuates based on those excise tax collections.

Curry also noted that loss of control by state wildlife agencies over the federal money, whats called a diversion, can jeopardize all of the states federal wildlife dollars.

The regional offices deal with that on a fairly regular basis, Curry said. Loss of control is an issue and concern.

Williams told the House Appropriations Committee that she doesnt see the Legislatures allocation of the federal money as a diversion, its simply not authorized.

Already used

FWP has tapped the federal funds for a portion of its enforcement budget in the past. According to Williams, the agency negotiated with the USFWS during the last Legislature to push that as high as we could to reach an agreed upon 7 percent of federal funds going to the warden budget. In 2016 and 2017 that amounted to more than $587,000, a far cry from $5.1 million.

Mike Korn, retired assistant chief of law enforcement, told the Independent Record newspaper in Helena that the initial decision to use federal excise taxes in the enforcement division came in 2013. It was at that time, and through the recognition that wardens perform a number of duties outside of enforcing laws, that the department felt use of the funding was appropriate.

There are a finite number of things we do thats non-law enforcement, say trapping bears or assisting biologists, he said, and Im really proud that we were able to do that. But it is absolutely unequivocal that you cant use (Pittman-Robertson) dollars for law enforcement, so it was maybe 20 percent at the most at the time.

We think its a bad idea, said Nick Gevock, of the Montana Wildlife Federation. It would affect how game wardens do their jobs. Its something we hope to fix on the Senate side.

Also brought up by one legislator was the question of how diverting wardens from enforcement could affect income generated by citations, a question to which Williams did not have an answer.

Glimm told the full House during a floor session on March 16 that it was a policy decision to use the federal money and that it would not change the wardens job classification.

It keeps them in the same general law enforcement activities that theyve been in, he said.
A House bill that would fund nearly half of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden budget with federal dollars for the next two years has put the agency at odds with members of the Legislature.

House Bill 2, the state budget bill, would take $5.1 million next year and $5.4 million in 2019 from federal tax dollars collected from the sale of fishing and hunting gear to help fund FWPs law enforcement division  almost half of the $11.6 million warden budget. The measure passed the House on its third reading by a vote of 58-40 on March 17 and goes before the Senate for hearings on March 27 and 28.

In testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, FWP director Martha Williams told the legislators that law enforcement activities are specifically excluded from use of federal Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funds.

Pittman-Robertson funds have been collected by the federal government from the sales of guns and ammunition since Congress passed the act in 1937. Dingell-Johnson monies are collected from a tax on fishing gear and some boat sales. A portion of the revenue is given to state wildlife agencies for conservation efforts, requiring a 25 percent state match, and with strict stipulations on how the money can be spent. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees distribution of the funds.

Committee action

Rep. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, oversaw the subcommittee that came up with the use of the federal funds for FWPs warden budget. He told the House Appropriations Committee that the group received an email from USFWS staff saying the allotment was allowed under the act.

Its a generally accepted principle from the Fish and Wildlife Service, he told the committee during a March 7 hearing.

What he didnt say is that a USFWS employee contacted by the committees fiscal analyst wrote in an email: When bills are proposed or passed that require the State fish and wildlife agency to spend money in a certain way, there is legitimate concern as to whether it is a diversion of funds under the Acts. The email was later provided to the committee.

Written in HB2 is an explanation justifying use of the federal funding by saying that it would be for wardens when they conduct fish and wildlife surveys/inventories, research and relations with landowners and other individuals regarding the status of fish and wildlife, research into fish and wildlife problems, and education on hunting and fishing.

Calls to Glimm for more information about the committees decision were not returned by press time. A USFWS official contacted by the Billings Gazette said he knew of no state that uses the federal funds to pay for half of its warden budget.

Repercussions

FWP and the USFWS agree that the funds cannot be used for law enforcement, but they can go to warden funding for any incidental work they may do that would relate to such activities, like negotiating Block Management Program contracts, collecting biological data or for managing urban deer populations in towns like Helena.

Tying almost 50 percent of the wardens funding to such activities, and the requirement to document that work to the satisfaction of the feds, would create several problems, though.

How do you tease that out when they go from law enforcement to being a biologist? questioned Bob Curry, deputy assistant director of the USFWSs Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. The opportunity for things to go awry are very high.

In a March 6 opinion, FWP chief legal counsel Becky Dockter wrote that requiring wardens to devote so much of their time to nonenforcement would contradict their duties as defined under state statute.

Wardens are required by statute to devote all their time for which they are appointed to their official duties, Dockter wrote. Those duties are primarily enforcement in nature. The statute outlining warden official duties lists, first and foremost, enforcement of the laws of this state and the rules of the department

Wardens, therefore, are authorized by law to conduct very little nonenforcement duties, she added.

Right now, wardens spend 93 percent of their time on enforcement or duties not eligible for federal funding, Dockter wrote.

The result of a 50 percent federal funding requirement would be to cut at least 43 percent of its law enforcement activities in order to comply with the conditions for use of PR dollars, she added.

Such a change could lead to the reclassification of the wardens and a pay cut, could jeopardize programs meant to catch poachers, and with certain wardens dedicated strictly to enforcement activities  such as regional investigators  the change could require other wardens to devote all of their time to nonenforcement activities, Dockter wrote.

Dollar signs

Curry said its not uncommon for states to see the federal dollars as an appealing cash cow. Last year Montana FWP collected about $28 million in Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funds along with state wildlife grants. That money went to fund FWP biologists, wildlife management and habitat acquisition.

That funding is critical to a lot of what we do, said Ron Aasheim, FWP administrator of Communication and Education.

FWP receives no state general fund dollars for its operation, instead acquiring its income from hunting and fishing license sales, along with the federal funding which fluctuates based on those excise tax collections.

Curry also noted that loss of control by state wildlife agencies over the federal money, whats called a diversion, can jeopardize all of the states federal wildlife dollars.

The regional offices deal with that on a fairly regular basis, Curry said. Loss of control is an issue and concern.

Williams told the House Appropriations Committee that she doesnt see the Legislatures allocation of the federal money as a diversion, its simply not authorized.

Already used

FWP has tapped the federal funds for a portion of its enforcement budget in the past. According to Williams, the agency negotiated with the USFWS during the last Legislature to push that as high as we could to reach an agreed upon 7 percent of federal funds going to the warden budget. In 2016 and 2017 that amounted to more than $587,000, a far cry from $5.1 million.

Mike Korn, retired assistant chief of law enforcement, told the Independent Record newspaper in Helena that the initial decision to use federal excise taxes in the enforcement division came in 2013. It was at that time, and through the recognition that wardens perform a number of duties outside of enforcing laws, that the department felt use of the funding was appropriate.

There are a finite number of things we do thats non-law enforcement, say trapping bears or assisting biologists, he said, and Im really proud that we were able to do that. But it is absolutely unequivocal that you cant use (Pittman-Robertson) dollars for law enforcement, so it was maybe 20 percent at the most at the time.

We think its a bad idea, said Nick Gevock, of the Montana Wildlife Federation. It would affect how game wardens do their jobs. Its something we hope to fix on the Senate side.

Also brought up by one legislator was the question of how diverting wardens from enforcement could affect income generated by citations, a question to which Williams did not have an answer.

Glimm told the full House during a floor session on March 16 that it was a policy decision to use the federal money and that it would not change the wardens job classification.

It keeps them in the same general law enforcement activities that theyve been in, he said.

-- Brett French is outdoors editor for The Billings Gazette
Animal Control impounds listed

These animals have been picked up by Butte Animal Control. Details, call Chelsea Bailey Butte-Silver Bow Animal Shelter, 699 Centennial Ave., at 406-497-6528 or stop by between 1 and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Dog:

 Six-year-old female pit bull terrier, dark brindle with white, picked up Friday on the 200 block of Pacific.

Cat:

 One-year-old female shorthaired, black, picked up Thursday at Silver Bow Homes.

Democrats to meet for Quist Saturday

The Butte-Silver Bow Democrats Central Committee, Butte Area Rising Coalition, Big Sky Democrats, and the Young Democrats of Montana will meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at Carpenters Union Hall for coffee, company, and canvassing to help elect Rob Quist to Congress.

Johnny Fauerbach of the Quist campaign will do training on the "minivan" along with Marian Jensen who will give a quick breakdown training for those who are new to working on a campaign.

Walking sheets will be picked up and dropped off for data entry at the same location. For those of you who are not comfortable walking and knocking, bring your phones. Details: Geoff Gallus, 406-490-3499.

Forest Service roads closed temporarily

To protect forest roads #9413 and #9439 in the Boulder Lowlands Salvage timber sale area, a temporary emergency closure order has been instituted to prohibit all motorized traffic until April 15 unless rescinded sooner.

Due to the warmer temperatures and melting snow, haul roads within the sale area are wet, soft and will be damaged if motorized traffic is allowed to use them until they dry out, said Butte-Jefferson District Ranger Dave Sabo. We want to prevent damage to these roads and will re-open them as soon as the roads dry out.

The sale is located north of Butte and west of I-15 (Elk Park exit #138) along forest road #442 (Trask Lowland), approximately two miles north of the Konda Ranch trailhead. R-Y Timber has completed one-half of the 352-acre sale of dead and dying lodgepole pine trees this winter. Details: 406-494-2147.

The Pintler Ranger District is also temporarily closing road #5165 in the Girard Perkins timber sale area located east of Deer Lodge. Additionally, a portion of road #707 and roads #1550 and #78490 south of Drummond will also be temporarily closed in the Douglas Gird timber sale area. These closures will be in effect until April 30 unless rescinded earlier. Details: Pintler Ranger District at 406-859-3211.

NRA banquet set for April 14

WHITEHALL  Jefferson Valley Friends of the National Rifle Association banquet will be at 6 p.m. Friday, April 14, at the Whitehall Community Center, 11 N. Division, Whitehall. Tickets are $35. Details: Patty Howser, 406-490-9738.

Homebuyers education classes April 10-11

Headwaters RC&D Area Inc. will hold a homebuyers education workshop, Realizing the American Dream, from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, April 10 and 11, at the Thornton Building, 65 E. Broadway. The cost is $25 a person or $35 per household, and preregistration is required.

The eight-hour workshop will assess participants readiness to buy a home and assist them with money management and other related issues.

Details: Jene Matzkanin, 406-533-6781.

Terrific Tree Trimming program back

Terrific Tree Trimming is back. From April 6 to May 11, Butte-Silver Bow Urban Forest Board, MSU Extension Butte-Silver Bow, and Parks and Recreation will host a free tree-trimming activity each Thursday for the community. The program is for individuals interested in learning how to properly prune trees while helping to maintain Buttes urban forest.

Interested parties will meet at noon Thursdays at Emma Park, 300 S. Dakota St., for a short tutorial with certified arborist Kellee Anderson on proper pruning methods and then reconvene at a designated location to put those methods to use. Bring essentials for working outside for two hours and a pair of pruners. Each week, participants names will be collected for a drawing at the end of the program. The more you participate, the better your chances of winning. The grand prize is a new pair of pruning shears.

Details: Kellee Anderson, 406-723-0217 or kellee.anderson@montana.edu.
FRIDAY, MARCH 24

ADULT SPELLING BEE

The Butte Education Foundation's Get-Stung  an adult spelling bee  is at the Butte Country Club. Teams will compete in three swarms to determine the final teams competing for the title and $500. Doors open at 6 p.m. with team check-in at 6:30 p.m., and the competition starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35, and Bottomless Beer Glasses are $15. Details: email bef@bresnan.net or call Susanne at 406-498-3471.

COMMUNITY CONCERT

International pianist and chamber musician Alina Kiryayeva will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Mother Lode Theatre, 316 W. Park St. Tickets are by season membership or $30 at the door. Educational outreach starts at 10 a.m.

FISH FRY

The Dillon Knights of Columbus Fr. Kellehar Council 4069 will prepare and serve a Community Lenten Fish Fry Buffet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the St. Rose Family Center. Prices are $25/family, $8/adult, $6/child, and free for children 6 and under.

MASS AT ST. PATS

To enrich the Lenten experience, St. Patricks Church announces the visit of guest speaker Father Harry Clarke of County Mayo, Ireland, who will speak at Masses at 12:10 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Friday and at all Masses Saturday and Sunday, March 25 and 26.

OPEN HOUSE

The Deer Lodge Fire Department will host an open house at 7 p.m. at 300 Main St., Deer Lodge, at 300 Main St., Deer Lodge. Residents are asked to stop by and meet the firefighters, see the new equipment, and check out the new truck.

SPORTSMENS BANQUET

The Skyline Sportsmen's Family Banquet will be held at the Butte Civic Center, 1340 Harrison Ave. No-host cocktails start at 6 p.m. with the catered buffet dinner starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for youth and can be purchased at Bugs and Bullets, Stone Fly Sport Shop, Three Bears Alaska, Rocky Mountain Archery, from Skyline members, or at the door. Details: Leroy Mehring, 406-723-5996.

WOMEN IN HISTORY

In recognition of March as Womens History Month, the Elling House Arts and Humanities Center at 404 E. Idaho St., Virginia City, present Climbing Mountains in Skirts at 7 p.m. Presenting the stories of these women will be Karen McMullin, Mary Oliver, and Gary Forney. Admission is by donation. Details: 406-843-5507.

DILLON FILM FESTIVAL

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the University of Montana-Westerns STC Great Room. Ticket prices are adults, $15 for one night, $20 for two; kids (5-17), $8 for one night, $10 for two; UMW students free with current ID. Details: Mandy Maass, 406-683-6208 or SMACarts@gmail.com.

LIVE THEATER IN DILLON

The University of Montana-Western will present Agatha Christie's famous whodunit, And Then There Were None, Friday and Saturday and March 30 and April 1 at 7:30 p.m. at 710 S. Atlanta St., Dillon. Tickets are $8. Students get in free. Details: 406-683-7101.

CLUBS AND MEETINGS

BUTTE

Chess club meets from 2 to 4:45 p.m. Fridays at the Butte Public Library, 226 W. Broadway St. Details: 406-723-3361.

ANACONDA

Anaconda Elks Club will not have its Friday night dinner because of the high school prom.
WASHINGTON -- Seeking and winning the presidency has been a magical voyage of discovery for Donald Trump.

Tuesday night, he divulged a most remarkable finding: Abraham Lincoln was -- are you sitting down for this? -- a Republican.

"Most people don't even know he was a Republican," Trump told a group of Republicans. "Right? Does anyone know? A lot of people don't know that."

It's possible that somebody doesn't know that Lincoln, the first Republican president, was a member of the Republican Party, also known as "the Party of Lincoln." But it has not been for lack of effort on Trump's part. He has repeatedly tried to educate the populace on this little-known fact.

August 2016: "Most people don't know this. The Republican Party is  the party of Abraham Lincoln."

September 2016: "A lot of people don't realize that Abraham Lincoln, the great Abraham Lincoln, was a Republican."

October 2016: "A lot of people don't know that it's the party of Abraham Lincoln."

Beyond this Lincoln revelation, Trump has happened upon many other things that people didn't know. Such as the complexity of health care: "Nobody knew health care could be so complicated," he said recently. And the existence of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who died in 1895: "Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice."

Later, touring the new African American history museum in Washington, Trump discovered that slavery was bad. Spying a stone auction block, Trump said, according to Alveda King, a part of his entourage: "Boy, that is just not good. That is not good." King also told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that upon seeing shackles for children, Trump remarked: "That is really bad. That is really bad."

Who knew?

Trump's discoveries of seemingly obvious things raise two possibilities: 1) He thinks people are awfully stupid, or 2) he is discovering for himself things the rest of us already knew. Which is true? Nobody knows. But we do know that there are many other things Trump thinks people don't know about.

Sunday school: "I talk about Sunday school and people don't even know what I'm talking about anymore. It's true."

That Bill Clinton signed NAFTA: "A lot of people don't know that."

What a value-added tax is: "A lot of people don't know what that means."

That we have a trade deficit with Mexico: "People don't know that."

That Iraq has large oil reserves: "People don't know this about Iraq."

That war is expensive: "People don't realize it is a very, very expensive process."

That the country is divided: "People don't realize we are an unbelievably divided country."

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Trump, in his bid to educate the public about things he has learned, takes on a professorial tone. Talking about the Johnson Amendment on church-state separation, Professor Trump told an audience that it's something "people don't know in the kind of detail and depth that I have explained it to you today." Trump had just explained to them the Johnson Amendment's provenance: "This was Lyndon Johnson in the 1970s."

The Johnson Amendment was passed in 1954. Johnson retired in 1969 and died in 1973.

Trump claims that "a lot of people don't know" that U.S. taxes are the world's highest and that "nobody knows" the U.S. murder rate is the highest in 45 years. For good reason: Those things aren't true. Conversely, just about everybody knows that Russia was behind the election hacking, but Trump long asserted that "nobody knows if it's Russia."

While Trump has said "nobody knows everything," he claims to come pretty close. In his own words:

"Nobody knows health care better than Donald Trump."

"Nobody knows the tax code better than I do."

"Nobody knows politics better than I do."

"Nobody knows more about debt. I'm like the king."

By contrast, Trump's list of things other people don't know about is extensive: the heroin problem in New Hampshire, President Obama's record on deportations, the number injured in the Paris terrorist attacks, eminent domain, the existence of two Air Force One planes, Afghanistan's mineral deposits, Hillary Clinton flunking a bar exam and the authenticity of Trump's hair.

Trump may be correct when he says most people don't know how much he's worth and don't know that he's a "nice person." But he's surely wrong when he says people don't know how bad things are.

"A lot of people don't know it, but our country's in trouble," he has said.

If we didn't know it before, we do now.

Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
Ovando rancher Jim Stone said it best when he mentioned neighbors working together to craft the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project, which has resulted in the introduction of the bill to create the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA). And he's referred to "conservation and community."

That is the essence of the BCSA: a community of diverse interests coming together to negotiate a conservation effort.

Is the BCSA perfect? No. But if it were, then negotiation would not have been needed, and a prime virtue of that negotiation process is instilling ownership of the result to all who were involved.

The BCSA balances both the concepts of multiple use management in certain areas, and wilderness values in others. The method of collaboration was the architect of that balance. And regarding wilderness designation, some individuals and groups wanted more and some wanted none. This bill is a compromise reached through negotiated effort by the diverse groups involved

I drafted this letter while parked at Browns Lake near Ovando, where I could look directly into the peaks of the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat wilderness areas. And as I was sitting there, a bald eagle landed on the still-frozen lake about 100 feet from fishermen, each representing community and conservation.

-- Carleen Gonder, Seeley Lake
HELENA  A bill that would require the Montana Historical Society to fund an expansion project by selling artifacts was tabled on a 14-6 vote Friday.

House Bill 594, carried by Rep. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, would require the Montana Historical Societys Board of Trustees to sell objects that do not possess outstanding historical value relative to Montana, do not display exceptional qualities of Montanas history worth preserving, or do not tell the story of Montana. The proceeds, which could not exceed $50 million, would fund the construction of the Montana Heritage Center.

Lenz said he introduced the bill to encourage the museum to get creative since its project has been eliminated from this sessions infrastructure package.

The Montana Historical Society has asked the Legislature to partially fund the project since the 2005 session. With each session, the expansion project gets more expensive. When the museum asked for funding in 2005, the total cost was $37.5 million. In 2017, it will cost $44 million.

During a hearing on the bill Thursday, numerous opponents said the bill would risk the museums reputation and accreditation, discourage families from donating and would cost nearly $30 million from the general fund to catalog and appraise the 60,000 item collection.

In executive action on Friday, Lenz said he appreciated the indulgence of the committee for listening to a proposal intended to be innovative.

Before making a motion to table the bill, Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, said he recognized the proposal was an inventive way to try and solve a problem, but he couldnt support it.

I think everybody heard your heart and knows your intentions were good, Garner said.
Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) is among the Muscatine companies celebrating rapid growth due to increased customer demand worldwide for its products. The spike in activity between Iowa and the Muscatine-based company, and China, the most populous country in the world, has opened up rich revenue and business streams and led to expansion locally.

In 2015, GPC announced a major alcohol expansion in Muscatine that continues on track to be a boon to the area and the company, according to Janet Sichterman, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Communications for the Kent Corporation, parent company of GPC.

The new $48 million plant will expand ethyl alcohol production capacity to meet increased customer demand in the beverage and industrial alcohol markets, focusing on increasing alcohol production at Muscatines corn wet milling plant.

This investment provides expanded production to meet the growing demands of our domestic and export customers, said Gage A. Kent, CEO and Chairman of Kent Corporation. GPC has been producing quality alcohol right here in Muscatine since 1943. The Muscatine alcohol expansion is yet another demonstration of GPCs long-term commitment to the economic well-being of our community.

In addition to increasing production, the project reduces energy usage, improves yield and upgrades infrastructure in the distillery area of the plant. GPCs expanded capacity will provide product to the market in phases over the next two to five years.

Our products are sold around the world for use in applications demanding the highest degree of purity, said Mark Ricketts, Vice President, GPC Alcohol Sales. GPC has earned the reputation as a reliable supplier of high quality ethyl alcohol that provides exceptional customer service and regulatory expertise. This expansion provides opportunities to not only grow with our current customers but the ability to grow our distribution and export channels.

The plants retooling is in line with GPCs commitment to increasing energy efficiency and productivity, Sichterman said.

Last year, GPC was awarded a Leadership in Energy Efficiency award by the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities after a nomination from Muscatine Power and Water (MPW). Muscatine Power and Water nominated GPC for reducing energy use 10,231,425 kilowatt-hours over the past year. A significant factor of the reduction in energy use is GPCs new dryer house. The new energy-efficient dryer house is one of the largest dryers of its kind and has replaced 11 existing dryers.

We were happy to nominate GPC, said Erika Cox, Director of Employee and Community Relations for MP&W. GPC has done a fantastic job and its rewarding to know that we are able to assist in making Muscatine an even more energy-efficient community.

We thank MPW for the nominating GPC and we are thrilled to be recognized by the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities for our dedication toward energy-savings, Sichterman said. GPC is proud to have made this investment in people and jobs in our community.

GPC produces a wide array of products primarily derived from an Iowa farm staple  corn. The products manufactured include maltodextrins, corn syrup solids and starches for the food, nutraceutical and personal care markets; ethyl alcohol for beverage and industrial use; starches for the paper, corrugated box, textile and wallboard industries; corn oil; and animal nutrition ingredients.
There has been a surge from Iowa in exports to China from 2006 to 2015, according to the U.S.-China Business Council. Figures from 2015 indicate that Iowa sold $1.4 billion in agriculture products to China. Growth in goods exports to China was 257 percent from 2006 to 2015. Growth in goods exports to the rest of the world is 31 percent, during the same time period. Growth in services exports to China was up 488 percent from 2006 to 2014. Growth in services exports to the rest of the world was up 89 percent, during the same time period.

In 2015, the top exports to China were Crop Production at $1.4 billion, Machinery at $297 million, Beverages and Tobacco Products at $294 million, Chemicals at $92 million and Computers and Electronics at $56 million.

Iowa has a very big agricultural economy, and as such we have ties to major markets around the world, said Gary Carlson, Vice President of Community Relations for HNI Muscatine and Iowa State Representative of District 91, which includes Muscatine. Hogs, corn, soybeans ... these are all products which are very much in demand around the world, especially in a country like China with billions of people who use them.

Carlson mentioned several Muscatine companies, including HNI and Musco, which have plants in China that manufacture and sell products within the country and employ thousands of people. Thats just creating stronger relationships between the two countries, Carlson said.

He also noted the expected confirmation of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as Ambassador to China as a move that will likely increase the economic and social relationship between Iowa and the most populous country in the world.

I see the relationship only getting stronger over the years, Carlson said. If, as expected, Gov. Branstad is named, youre only going to see that relationship between China and the U.S., particularly Iowa, being further enhanced.

Of course, what helps Iowa is going to help Muscatine, particularly our local businesses, said DeWayne Hopkins, former Muscatine mayor and current mayoral candidate. In general, Midwest grain is an extremely popular export around the world. There is a huge demand for the goods and products we create in Iowa. That can only help our economy.

Hopkins, mayor from 2012 to 2016, has watched the explosion of exports and synergies between China and Iowa, and by connection, to Muscatine and its businesses.

I certainly support it, it started long before I became mayor, but it grew quite a bit while I was in office, he said. I think it helps in a lot of ways. Obviously, it helps the economy and helps bring in jobs and more money to our area. But when you have a strong trade relationship, a lot of imports and exports, it builds stronger bonds between countries and between people. The Chinese people are good, hard-working people who like to have fun and live their lives just like we do. And I think when you have those relationships and people traveling and the two cultures combining, it brings together the things that we have in common, and thats a good thing.
Business is growing faster than summer wheat for the Muscatine-based Kent Corporation family of companies, which now employs approximately 1,800 employees and does business in the United States, Canada, and around the world.

In October 2016, Kent Nutrition Group, a division of the company, acquired the Deluxe Feeds organization, including its feed mills, retail business, and Midwest EnRG Flakes operations.

We are very pleased to have Deluxe join our family of companies as we both share a passion and long tradition for providing customers with quality products and service, said Gage A. Kent, chairman and CEO, Kent Corporation. Our company has always been a strong supporter of U.S. and Iowa agriculture. The acquisition of Deluxe will continue to position us well in the industry and enhance our long-term ability to serve customers with trusted brands, superior customer service and competitive ingredient sourcing.

That wasnt all to hit in the last six months for Kent.

In August 2016, Kent Corporations subsidiary Kent Pet Group moved forward on a major expansion to its Worlds Best Cat Litter manufacturing facility, to meet rising consumer demand and growth in the pet industry. The $17.3 million expansion project at the existing Muscatine-based facility will be completed by late 2018. The project will benefit the local economy by creating construction jobs and up to a dozen new permanent production staff positions.

Muscatine is the right location to expand the production of Worlds Best Cat Litter due to quality workforce in place and available to us, said Gage Kent, CEO and Chairman for Kent Corporation. The litter we produce right here in Muscatine is shipped to over 25 countries around the world. This new expansion is the latest commitment by Kent Corporation to the growth and expansion of Muscatines economy.

Demand for Worlds Best Cat Litter continues to increase in the United States and internationally. This expansion will allow us to keep pace with growing customer demand for this innovative and effective litter product, said Mike Eversmeyer, Kent Pet Group President.

In August 2016, Kent continued its expansion, acquiring privately held PouchTec Industries, a food and liquid packaging company based in Foley, Minnesota.

Gage Kent said, On two important levels, we are pleased to bring PouchTec Industries into our Kent Precision Foods Group business. First, the core values of quality and service align very nicely between the two companies. And secondly, this acquisition will strengthen our growth plans for Kent Precision Foods Group.

The company gives back to the community, not just in jobs and economic productivity, but in donations and partnerships, said Janet Sichterman, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Communications.

In April 2016, the company gave a $50,000 donation to the Muscatine County Fair for the construction of a new restroom/shower facility at the south end of the fairgrounds. These improvements will allow the fair to expand its service to fairgoers, race fans, and the hundreds of youth that participate in the fair each year. And in September 2016, Muscatine Community College received a donation of $150,000 from Kent Corporation for its Loper Hall renovation project.

Also, Kent Pet Group partners with animal shelters and has donated more than 500,000 pounds of cat litter to approximately 100 shelters across the country through its GiveLitter program.

In addition, Kent Nutrition Group (KNG), a division of Kent Corporation, made its largest one-year gift to date to Iowa Agriculture, as Kent Corp and KNG donated $20,000 to the I Believe Campaign  an Iowa FFA Foundation giving program to help support the mission of Iowa FFA Enrichment Center by raising $5 million toward debt retirement of the facility construction in Ankeny. This facility serves FFA members, agricultural education students and Iowa FFA State officer teams.

''Young people are the key to a strong U.S. agriculture industry as we look to supply the food and fiber needed for our growing global population," said John Thorpe, President, Kent Nutrition Group. "We are proud to be investing in the future of Iowa agriculture by sharing this gift with the Iowa FFA Foundation through the 'I Believe' campaign."

For more information on the company, visit www.kentww.com.
If you ever find yourself in China on tourism or business, and you feel a little homesick for Muscatine, dont worry. Youll find a bit of home even on the other side of the world.

International businessman Glad Cheng has opened Muscatine centers in the cities of Jinan and Yiwu in China.

These are big cities, said Daniel P. Stein, Senior Vice President and Senior Loan Officer of CBI Bank & Trust, Muscatine. In 2014, Jinan had more than 7 million people and Yiwu had a population of more than 1.2 million.

There are many benefits to it, and, of course, it builds positive and friendly relationships between our city, our state and our country, and the biggest country in the world in China, said DeWayne Hopkins, who was mayor of Muscatine during the building of both centers.

Hopkins attended the openings of both and was impressed by the hospitality and enthusiasm of the Chinese people about Muscatine culture.

They are genuinely interested in Muscatine and the American Midwest, he said. The events were very well attended and there remains significant interest in them.

Current Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Muscatine in 1985.

The Chinese people have a lot of respect for their president and they like to go where hes been and make that connection to follow in his footsteps, so theyre fascinated by Muscatine and Iowa, Hopkins said.

Theres also a literary connection, he added.

Chinese people are very fascinated by American culture, and one of their favorite authors is Mark Twain, who wrote a lot about the Mississippi and Iowa, and spent time in Muscatine, Hopkins said.

What is on display in China about Muscatine?

There are displays about Muscatine and full-scale models of our city, Stein said. Most Chinese people have not seen a small, typical American town. They find it amazing how calm it is, and they love the river.

Its more of a museum than anything else, Hopkins said. It has displays of Muscatine arts and artifacts and displays from our farm industries and businesses like HNI, Stanley Consultants, Kent Corporation and others.

Muscatine has likewise returned the favor. In 2015, a Sino-U.S. Friendship House opened at 2911 Bonnie Drive, where Jinping stayed as a guest in 1985, and a second Sino-U.S. Friendship House will be opened downtown, on Second Street, next to the Muscatine History and Industry Center.

Were very much looking forward to them being our neighbors, said Mary Wildermuth, director of the Muscatine History and Industry Center. I think it will be wonderful for our downtown and will increase visitors and interest in our city.

Stein said Glad Chengs whole point in opening these centers is to educate the Chinese person on what is normal in America.

I cant see where this is anything but a good thing, said Gary Carlson, Vice President of Community Relations for HNI Muscatine and Iowa state Representative of District 91, which includes Muscatine. I think whenever you develop a greater understanding of another culture, it helps connect us, not just in business, but in peace and life.
MUSCATINE  Community and business leaders look forward to continuing a strong relationship with their Chinese friends in the wake of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstads nomination by President Donald Trump as U.S. ambassador to China.

Confirmation proceedings have yet to be scheduled in Washington, D.C. Ben Hammes, communications director for Branstad, said there will be no official comment on the process until after the confirmation hearing. Branstad said in January that he was humbled and honored to accept Trumps nomination.

Iowas exports to China, predominantly agricultural products, have boomed under Branstads administration. He has long been considered a friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping, dating back from Xis first visit to the state as a student in 1985, shortly after Branstad took office. The governor has made six trade missions to China.

Tony Joseph, president and founder of Joseph International Freight Service in Muscatine, has been doing business in China for 14 years.

He said Branstads appointment gives the state of Iowa a good seeding compared with other states who are vying for Chinese attention, particularly other Midwest states like Michigan and Wisconsin.

In Muscatine, we also have a great opportunity because of our standing in the Chinese mind, said Joseph, who was chairman of the Muscatine-China Initiatives Committee until fall 2016. He continues as a committee member.

Current committee Chairman Daniel P. Stein, Senior Vice President and Senior Loan Officer at CBI Bank & Trust, said he believes Branstads position in Beijing will help Muscatine.

I think as a committee we were obviously excited by the nomination of Branstad by Trump, Stein said.

It will be a very tough job; the Trump administration wants to rebalance trade, Stein said. But Im optimistic. Both countries have so much to lose if they dont deal with each other.

Greg Jenkins, president and CEO of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that organization is looking forward to our governor being in such a prominent position (in China) because he has such a great relationship there.

Sarah Lande, a longtime friend of Branstads who has been instrumental in Muscatines relationship with Xi Jinping, said she and her husband, Roger, called Branstad after he visited the president-elect at Trump Tower in December.

We asked him, Well, what do you think about it? she said. I was so excited when President Trump nominated him.
MUSCATINE  The return visit of Xi Jinping, then vice president of China, to Muscatine in 2012 set off a flurry of activity and cast a spotlight of media and diplomatic attention on the community.

It also spurred the formation of a community group to facilitate and monitor programs and initiatives related to the unique relationship between a small Mississippi River town and the largest country in the world.

The Muscatine-China Initiatives Committee is a diverse group comprised of representatives from business, education and government. Some members are retirees, and several were instrumental in the visits to Muscatine in 1985 and 2012 of Xi Jinping, now president of China.

We knew there was an onslaught of activity and interest in Muscatine after the 2012 visit, said Daniel P. Stein, who took over as committee chairman last fall. Stein is senior vice president & senior loan officer at CBI Bank & Trust. He also is president of Midwest Import & Export, a young company that exports food products to China.

At any given time, there are numerous opportunities relating to the relationship between Muscatine and China.

Earlier this month, Stein said, a group of five businesspeople from China visited the community, touring an assisted living facility and farm property, as well as dining with local business leaders.

Typically, when we bring people here, its to learn, he said. I see that continuing.

I think what theyre drawn to is that original story of Xi Jinpings 1985 visit with a delegation from China to study agricultural practices in Iowa, Stein said. Thats the bedrock that gave us our boost.

Glad Cheng, a Chinese businessman who lives half the time in Muscatine now, said it was the story of Xis friendship with Muscatine that brought him to the community.

After we knew the story, I came to Muscatine, he said. That was in 2013.

He wants Muscatine residents to know more about his country, and so he plans to open up a friendship and cultural center in downtown Muscatine. He already has opened two centers about Muscatine in China.

Knowing more about each other, we can do something together, he said.

In the coming days, at least a dozen students associated with Muscatine High School or Muscatine Community College will hear of their acceptance to a program to study in China this summer, with all expenses except the cost of their passport financed by the Wanxiang Group, a Chinese multinational company with operations in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.

The company donated $300,000 for the program, which will also send Muscatine students abroad in the summer of 2018.

More than 1,000 students from the United States have been to China as part of the program. Most students in the program are from much larger communities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

Jeremy Pickard, dean of instruction at Muscatine Community College and a member of the Muscatine-China Initiatives Committee, said the communitys relationship with China has opened up educational opportunities in several areas.

MCC has hosted delegations from China who were interested in looking at the community college system here, and has four sister institutions in China. Pickard has traveled to China twice to foster those relationships.

He said the delegations enjoy their visits to Muscatine.

Its just real America, he said. They feel welcome.

Tony Joseph, president and founder of Joseph International Freight Service in Muscatine, was the first chairman of the Muscatine-China Initiatives Committee. He has done business in China for 14 years, giving him perspective on the Muscatine-China friendship.

In 2012, I was asked to chair the committee when it first started, he said. I was familiar with China and had friends in China.

When he travels to China for business, he said he makes a special effort to visit Muscatines friends in that country.

One reason for that is to keep Muscatine in their minds, he said.

He referred to a Chinese word  guanxi  which means a relationship in the Chinese business world, but could also be expanded to mean any relationship in which parties support one another.

From my 14 years of dealing with China, its a critical piece, Joseph said, a foundation you can build from.

He advised people not to look at China solely through the lens of the national media.

What they need to look at is the Chinese people as people, he said. People in China and people in Muscatine have a lot in common.

They want to have a good life, want their kids to have a good education, want clean air and water. They want to have peace, he said. I think we forget that. We all want to have a safe home and a better life.
MUSCATINE  News agencies across the world carried photos recently of the historic first meeting between new U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi is one of the most powerful men in the world, and yet a group of Muscatine residents fondly refer to him as one of their old friends.

For, indeed, thats what Xi is to them. They are assured that the feeling is mutual.

The city of Muscatine and its people have enjoyed a special relationship with the Chinese leader, and to his country, since he visited the community with a delegation of young people in 1985.

Xi was the leader of the delegation of five representatives who came to Iowa from its Sister State of Hebei Province to study agricultural methods. Little did the Muscatine community realize at the time that it was hosting the future president of China.

Sarah Lande was one of the coordinators of that 1985 visit, witnessing these remarks by Xi to Muscatine residents: The impression of the U.S. is very good, I think. We have seen a lot of your advanced technology. The people here are very warm and very friendly. They, too, have left us a very deep impression.

A smiling Xi is pictured in Muscatine Journal clips receiving a key to the city then.

The visit, which included overnight stays for the guests in several Muscatine homes, tours of farms, industrial plants and a boat ride on the Mississippi River, left such an impression on Xi Jinping that he returned to the community, this time as vice president of China, in 2012.

This is the Xi Jinping room, Lande told visitors from the Muscatine Journal as she showed them into her living room.

And it truly is, for thats where an hour-long reception for Xi was held in 2012. Today, the room painted in a deep blue is full of artwork and mementoes of Landes connections to China. A photo from the reception takes center stage on the fireplace mantel.

Old friends shared memories of 1985, Lande said of the gathering in her home that drew international media attention to Muscatine.

Xi reciprocated just three months later, inviting his Muscatine friends to China for a trip that culminated in a banquet in their honor. Commemorative plates, featuring photos of the group, sit on a grand piano in Landes home.

Lande said she was privileged to sit between Xi and his wife at the banquet.

Mrs. Jinping said to me, I just had to meet these old friends,' Lande said.

The friendship has benefited Muscatine in numerous ways, from cultural and educational exchanges to opportunities for students to travel to China in a program that pays their expenses, to a heightened interest in business relationships between citizens of the two countries.

Long before Muscatine forged a relationship to China, the community was well-connected in international circles through the global work of The Stanley Foundation, which marked its 60th anniversary in December, continuing its mission of creating a world in which there is a secure peace with freedom and justice.

The foundation has been supportive of the Muscatine-China connection, and assisted particularly during Xis 2012 visit with the intense media interest, dealing with the U.S. State Department and with protocol issues, said Keith Porter, president and CEO of The Stanley Foundation.

I really feel like the U.S.-China relationship is one of the most important relationships in the world, Porter said.

He noted that many problems cannot be solved by dealing with one country alone, and cited the three specific areas for which The Stanley Foundation advocates. As he described them in writing about the 60th anniversary of the foundation: We advocate for the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities, avoiding the use of nuclear weapons in an era of rapid technological development, and efforts to keep global temperature increases to just 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.

Porter noted that the U.S.-China agreement on climate change preceded the historic Paris accord and set the example for other countries.

And while The Stanley Foundations work goes on throughout the world, as a resident of Muscatine, Porter acknowledged the many arts and cultural benefits the community has seen because of its friendship with Chinas president.

A recent example was the free concert in early February by the Shaanxi Province Song and Dance Theater National Orchestra. About 1,200 people attended the performance at Calvary Church, including Gov. Terry Branstad, President Donald Trumps nominee as the next U.S. ambassador to China, and Hong Lei, Chinese Consul General in Chicago. The performers were hosted in Muscatine homes during their stay.

Porter said a community the size of Muscatine would not come to the attention of the Chinese Consul General were it not for its relationship with Xi Jinping.

Former Muscatine Mayor DeWayne Hopkins, who was at the 2012 reception in the Lande home and has visited China several times, reflected on what the communitys connection to China and its president means.

Im just a simple guy born and raised in Muscatine, and when the vice president of China pays a visit to your hometown, you know its a big thing and its going to lead to big things, he said.

Sean Leary contributed to this story.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
For a parent, there's nothing amusing about finding a racial slur casually thrown around in your kid's text messages.

But it's an opportunity to have an honest conversation -- and if you're "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris, you can have that conversation with about 7 million people at once.

That's what happened when Barris discovered an exchange on his daughter's phone in which a friend was conversationally using the N-word.

First, he talked to his daughter -- "I was like, 'I don't think Asher should be saying the N-word,' " Barris recalled when CNN visited his set earlier this year -- and then he raised it with his co-workers: Who gets to say the racial epithet, and who doesn't?

The result of that conversation was "The Word," the lauded second season premiere of his ABC series following an affluent African-American family living in a not-so-diverse environment.

"We put it in the show and the kid's real name was Asher, and he called my daughter, like, 'Did you tell your dad that I say the N-word?' "

Sorry, Asher -- that's what happens when your friend's dad runs one of TV's hottest comedies.

Barris and his team aren't the only ones effortlessly molding thorny, difficult subjects into award-winning humor.

CNN went inside the writers' rooms of "Black-ish" and other diverse comedy hits to see how they do it.

'Insecure'

For a show about uncertainty, the first season of "Insecure" left no doubt that creator and star Issa Rae brought audiences an inventive, fresh comedy.

Its network, HBO, realized that within weeks of the show's fall debut and renewed it for a second season. (HBO, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner.)

Back in Los Angeles at the start of 2017, the writers for "Insecure" were already at work on scenes for the second season.

Sitting around a table on the studio lot waiting for a Mexican lunch to be brought in, the diverse group was discussing the character of Molly Carter, played by Yvonne Orji.

On the show, Molly is Issa's best friend who's been having a bit of a romantic dry spell. Trying to plot out what comes next for the character, the writers at times talked over each other in their exuberance to share their experiences.

When they get to a potential scene where it's assumed that Molly doesn't have a plus one to bring to an event, one female writer piped up, "My mom did that to me once and it pisses you off. Like, you think I can't get a plus one? I'm getting mad at my mom now just thinking about it."

Cue laughter from the entire room.

It may seem like a small detail, but that level of authenticity is crucial, "Insecure" showrunner Prentice Penny said. It's why when he found out Rae was doing a show set in Inglewood, California, he knew he had to be a part of it.

Like Rae's character, Issa Dee, Penny has worked for a nonprofit and even had an "on fleek moment" in which a white person sought out his knowledge of hip-hop lingo.

Once those yes-it-happened-to-me stories are shared, the real work begins. "It's almost like taking Play-Doh," Penny said. "You put it in your hands and you say, 'This could be anything.' Then your hands start to shape it into a story. You talk about if this feels predictable (and) how do you turn it on its head. ... How do you make it unique or take something they have seen and do it in our way?"

'Fresh Off the Boat'

ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat" has become especially poignant as it gives viewers the chance to see themselves in a show about a Taiwanese family in the US at a time when immigration is front and center on the minds of many Americans.

The series follows Louis Huang (Randall Park), who moves his family from Washington to Orlando to open up a restaurant as they embrace the American dream. It's a network comedy, but one that values authenticity over the comfort of viewers at home.

Writer Sanjay Shah is particularly proud of an episode titled "Taiwan" in which Louis wonders whether he made the right choice moving to America after a trip back home shows him new opportunities and makes him realize he's not an "other" there.

"We had this line where he says, 'Why did I leave? We are the white people of here,' " Shah said. "I can't tell you how many of my minority friends who watch the show reference that line because they felt that way when they have visited their families' home countries."

The emphasis on immigration this season has been very personal for showrunner Nahnatchka Khan, whose family is from Iran. It's easy, she said, to forget that before "Fresh Off the Boat's" 2015 premiere it had been 20 years since a sitcom had been built around an Asian family.

"If anything, I want 'Fresh Off the Boat' to be remembered as the series that showed people that the experience they hadn't seen before was (still) relatable," Khan said. "I think that would be an amazing thing."

'Black-ish'

Back on the set of "Black-ish," Barris said he doesn't necessarily go looking for story ideas in his everyday life, but they always seem to find him. From there, they make it to the white board in the "Black-ish" writers' room, where ideas are fleshed out and stories begin to take shape.

Yet his life isn't the only one that they mine for gold. The room is filled with talented writers who all want their ideas and stories to end up on the small screen.

Getting there, though, can sometimes mean opening up with deeply personal stories.

For writer Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, that's how the critically praised episode "Being Bow-racial" came to be.

The story involves the family's biracial matriarch, Rainbow, meeting her son Junior's white girlfriend, Megan, and things go less than smoothly.

"I spoke about being biracial and my feelings of not being completely open to the idea of my black son dating a white woman," Henry said. "I think the room was really confused as to how I, as a biracial woman, could say that I had a preference for my black son to date a black woman."

Not only did the conversation get intense in the writers' room, but Henry said after the episode she brought her white father to the set and had what was for her an uncomfortable conversation.

It's those types of stories and the reactions from viewers that thrill Barris.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Below is Emmanuel Kattos view on the growing popularity of solar panels. Emmanuel Katto is one of Africas heavy investors in the energy sector.

The solar panel is becoming an increasingly popular form of alternative energy around the world, using photovoltaic and silicon solar cells to convert radiation into power. Solar power has had a long history of failed starts and limited distribution. As an alternative to the burning of fossil fuels, solar panels rank alongside wind and hydropower as essential energy options for the future of the planet, and offer the additional benefit of being easier to integrate into the home.

Recent rises in popularity and use can be linked to lower costs for installation and operation, with small and medium sized panels becoming more practical for home use over more remote locations and larger buildings. At the same time, companies offering solar power solutions have been able to lower their fees for usage, with most deriving profits from extended leases, as well as from tax credits and deductions.

Benefits

Those who install solar panels benefit from more efficient energy usage than electricity, as well as decreasing prices after initial installation. With coal, gas and oil prices continuing to rise, finding an alternative platform for energy is going to become more essential as consumers look to reduce rather than fuel spiraling demand.

The more recent practicality of solar power prices should consequently continue to draw more people and businesses into renewable energy schemes. Solar panel companies with large stocks have also had to make some concessions towards a slow moving market, while businesses are being attracted by the energy-saving potential of solar roofs and green storage of data.

Worldwide Usage

A recent International Energy Agency report suggests that a quarter of energy usage and supply may derive from solar power by 2050, and various governments have been investing in subsidies for solar power expansion to emulate, or at least complement the capacity of energy grids currently handled by electricity and traditional fossil fuel sources.

The United States has experienced an average growth of 40% in residential solar power usage in tandem with state federal incentives; high sun areas like Florida enjoying particular growth. The United Kingdom has similarly benefited from shifts away from solar power being used in areas like the South West of England and richer regions towards more general application, with the energy regulator Ofgem noting steady rises nationwide over the past few years. However, the UK still lags behind longer term implementation of solar panels in countries like Germany, Spain and Belgium, as well as the development of environmentally friendly solutions in Scandinavia.

Further afield, China is continuing to expand its photovoltaic use, with an expanding grid system and growth around major cities and towns. Chinas development into one of the worlds leading solar power producers and users is also being accelerated by an oligopoly of manufacturers, which include CHINT Group Corporation and Jinniu Energy. China is also at the forefront of developing more efficient silicon cells for energy conversion. Given the potential for large countries to deliver super grids of solar energy, with India reported to have a 5,000 trillion kilowatt capacity, speeding up these systems will ultimately result in a long lasting energy option.

Emmanuel Katto Emka is a Ugandan business magnate, entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist and a rally Ace.
Raila Odinga has addressed claims by President Uhuru Kenyatta that the opposition leader was at the centre of the 2007/8 post-election violence.

The President while on a tour of Kisii claimed that Raila played a central role in the violence but he blamed it on DP Ruto.

Raila was at the centre of the 2007 chaos in which Kenyans fought but he blamed it on Ruto, he told a gathering of leaders at Nyanturago Stadium in Kisii county.

Yeye ndio aliwasha moto (He is the one who lit the fire) he said calling for national reconciliation.

The president also said Internally Displaced People from the community will be compensated next month.

In his statement on Wednesday, Raila challenged Uhuru to compensate families affected by the violence and claimed that Kenya has stagnated because of the empire his family and associates assembled corruptly using public resources.

Read the full statement below:

I have learnt of claims by President Uhuru Kenyatta while visiting Kisii earlier today that I played a central role in the 2007/2008 post-election violence and that I am responsible for Kenyas stagnation. We wish to state as follows:

1. We understand the desperation of the President for something to hang on to and reenergise his depressed 2013 voting bloc. We however advise the President to look around his entourage as he visits Kisii and also look into the mirror if he is interested in the truth on the 2007/2008 violence.

2. We remind the President that the Gusii land he is visiting is littered with post-election violence victims who are yet to be compensated, including a widow who had only her husbands skull to burry. We hope the President has had time to ask whether she has been at his rallies and if she believes his story.

3. The President needs to look no further than the empire his family and associates assembled corruptly using public resources, if he is keen to understand why Kenya stagnated while the Republic of Korea moved forward. In the ill-acquired wealth of the family and associates lies Kenyas lost years.

4. The Gusii people need no lecture on who initiated the infrastructural transformation in their county. Neither do they need to be told who the high priest of corruption in the country is. They are only too aware.

THE RT. HON RAILA ODINGA

ODM PARTY/ CORD COALITION LEADER

MARCH 22, 2017
A former Napa taqueria owner remains on the list of the top 500 California businesses that owe the most state sales tax.

Isaias Ayala Aguilar, who owned the former Tacos La Playita restaurant on Old Sonoma Road, owes a reported $952,492 in state sales tax, according to a Board of Equalization news release. Hes been on the list since 2012.

A taxpayer will stay on the list as long as they meet the qualifications to be posted, according to Paul Cambra in the office of public affairs for the BOE.

If they never pay and the amount continues to grow, they will remain on the list, said Cambra. The only way to be removed is an accepted offer in compromise, payment plan, bankruptcy, or account approved for write off.

The total delinquency amount of all the businesses and individuals on the list is $455,360,469.

The 37 new taxpayers added to the list this quarter owe a combined amount of $32,127,017. The BOE releases the list quarterly.

Since the list began with the top 250 delinquencies in 2007, $17.27 million has been collected from 237 taxpayers.

A list of the Top 500 Tax Delinquencies has been provided to participating state licensing agencies.

Those on the list could have driver and other professional licenses suspended until they pay the amount owed or enter into a payment plan with the BOE.

Aguilar currently ranks as number 144 out of the top 500 tax scofflaws. A Carson business called Lomita Mobil was listed as number one, owing a reported $6.6 million in sales tax to the state.
Napa County intends to go all vote-by-mail for the June 2018 election, two years before the state is pushing for such a move.

Gone will be the days of Election Day polling places. Instead, all voters will receive their ballots by mail about a month before the election or get them at eight proposed vote centers.

For most voters, changes will be minimal. Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said 90 percent of Napa County voters already use vote-by-mail. Only 11 polling places remained for the November 2016 election, forcing many voters to use vote-by-mail whether they wanted to or not.

Still, the era of Election Day polling places that has long been dying a slow death locally will officially end.

There are big changes in elections and and I just wanted to cover them with you briefly, Tuteur told the Napa County Board of Supervisors during a presentation on Tuesday.

The caveat is the Board of Supervisors must agree to fund the changes with the 2017-18 budget it will pass in June. No supervisor opposed the proposed moves, though some voiced concerns about the details.

Philosophically, what were really doing is changing Election Day to Election Month  its a fundamental change in how were going to engage our electorate, Supervisor Belia Ramos said.

Napa County for the June 2018 election will have seven ballot drop boxes in local cities and Angwin where people can leave their ballots instead of mailing them, if they choose. The boxes will be established 28 days before the election.

Six will be indoors and open during business hours. One will be an outdoor box in downtown Napa and open at least 12 hours a day.

It will be designed for security and will also promptly be emptied as time goes by, Tuteur said.

Still, Supervisor Diane Dillon wanted to learn more about security for that outdoor box in coming months.

Tuteur also plans to have eight vote centers available for the June 2018 election, with two opening 10 days before the election and six opening three days before the election.

Among other things, the centers will have tablet-like devices that voters can use to fill out ballots. Voters will then print the ballot at the center, put it into a vote-by-mail envelope and drop it in a ballot box.

This electronic system will be the new way people can vote if the ballot mailed to their home is damaged.

Literally, weve had dogs chew up ballots, Tuteur said.

The system will also allow people who are just registering to vote to vote immediately, even on Election Day. No longer will people have to register at least 15 days before the election to cast a ballot, in light of a new statewide conditional voting law.

There is a whole new group of voters were going to be dealing with, Tuteur said.

Resident James Hinton had concerns about someone possibly hacking into these computer voting systems, given the Russian hacking activities in the 2016 election.

Theres no way to get voter data out of them, theres no way to get voter data into them, Tuteur said. Theyre just a ballot marking device.

On Election Night on June 5, 2018, the county elections division at 8:01 p.m. will announce the results of vote-by-mail ballots received by noon the previous Saturday. That will be the same as in recent elections.

But that will be the only Election Night results announced, given there will be no polling place results to count and the additional vote-by-mail ballots will take more time to check and tally.

That initial 8:01 p.m. count in recent elections has accounted for about 50 percent of the vote. With the upcoming changes, Tuteur expects the figure to rise to 60 percent or 70 percent.

Ramos wants to see details of Tuteurs plan for voter outreach before budgeting for the changes.

For a person like herself whos used vote-by-mail for years, none of this is a big change, Ramos said.

But it will be a big change for some people. She mentioned the experience of her parents, who saw their Browns Valley Election Day polling place eliminated. They liked the Election Day polling place experience that included having an I voted today sticker handed to them by a person.

Tuteur said state law requires two direct communications with voters beyond the election materials telling them of the changes. In addition, he wants to hold community meetings.

The entire Board will be deeply involved in that process, he told supervisors.

Californias 58 counties can go to all vote-by-mail in the June 2020 election, Tuteur said, though Los Angeles County because of its size has special provisions.

But Napa County is one of 14 pilot counties that can go all vote-by-mail in June 2018, he said. That is a gubernatorial primary election, which should see lighter turnout than the presidential primary election in June 2020.

Getting our feet wet and our teeth cut on a lower turnout election I think will be good for our voters, staff and the county as a whole, Tuteur said.

All of this is being done to increase turnout and improve the voter experience, he said.
Anibal Parrado passed away March 10, 2017, from injuries received in an industrial work accident. As a husband, father, brother and son, Anibal leaves a behind a legacy of love and compassion, and a commitment to do good in the world. Those of us who adored him feel blessed with having been a part of his life. Anibal was a renaissance man, a seeker of knowledge and truth and goodness, and someone who thought deeply about the world. With a philosophers consideration towards the issues of the day, he had a preference for getting to the heart of the matter instead of engaging in small talk, and truly enjoyed exploring new ideas with his friends and family. Born in Oruro, Bolivia in 1966, Anibal was the youngest of five children. With no TV, tiny Anibal enjoyed spending time with his siblings in the kitchen, where his mother would tell stories and sing songs. This was the start to Anibals life-long love of storytelling, cooking and music. Later, as a student at the University, Anibals eyes were opened to the difficult political and economic challenges in Bolivia. He also became passionate about traditional Bolivian music and that became his forum for expressing his politics and support for the indigenous people of his country. His band name was named Sartanani, meaning we will rise above from the strength of those who came before us. They played widely throughout Bolivia, Europe and ultimately the United States where he found his way to Long Beach, CA, and met his wife, Virginia Rangel. Anibal enrolled in the local college and earned an Airplane Mechanics degree and 12 different licenses required for a Master Mechanic distinction. With the birth of their daughter, Isabel, the couple relocated to Napa and Anibal began work for AT&T while also making time to play musical gigs around the Bay Area. Anibal was an active part of the Stone Bridge School community for ten years while his daughter attended, serving on the Parent Council and volunteering whenever a need arose. Anibal also worked with the Napa Valley Swim Team as a parent volunteer, as the NVST Vice President and also as a certified officiate for The USA Swim association in many high and low level swim competitions. Leaving AT&T, Anibal worked at the Military Ocean Terminal Concord, as one of 5 Master Mechanics on this large base. He was a person who led a beautiful life where he loved those closest to him, and enjoyed his work tremendously. Anibal is survived by his wife Virginia, his daughter Isabel, and his brothers Fernando and Nelson, and sisters Maria and Nilda, all in Bolivia. According to Anibals wishes, no funeral services will be held. A potluck memorial celebration of life will be held at noon on Saturday, March 25, at the Parrado home, 1691 Carol Drive in Napa. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Anibal Parrado Family Fund (www.gofundme.com/anibal-parrado-family-fund). Memories and notes of sympathy may be shared at www.claffeyandrota.com.
iStock/Thinkstock(LONDON)  The man police believe was responsible for Wednesday's terrorist attack in London has been identified as Khalid Masood  a U.K. native with a number of criminal convictions.



Four people, including a police officer, were killed, and at least 28 others were injured in Wednesday's attack, which authorities have declared a terrorist incident. The fourth victim was identified by as a 75-year-old man, who died from his injuries Thursday evening after he was pulled from life support.



Masood was fatally shot by police at the scene, according to the Metropolitan Police Service.



What we know about the suspect



Police said Masood, 52, was known to authorities and has a range of convictions, including for assault, grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offenses. His most recent conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, according to the Metropolitan Police Service in London.



Massod was born in Kent in southeastern England, and detectives believe he was most recently residing in the West Midlands in west-central England. He was also known by a number of aliases, according to police.



He was not convicted of any terrorism offenses, police noted.



Police said Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence regarding his intent to launch a terrorist attack.



ISIS claims responsibility



Police said they believe the attack was "inspired by international terrorism" and they are looking at the suspect's possible associates.



In a statement published Thursday by its media outlet, Amaq News Agency, ISIS called the attacker "a soldier of the Islamic State" and said he "carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the international coalition."



During a press conference Thursday morning, Metropolitan Police acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said eight people were arrested in connection with the attack after raids at various locations in England.



Overnight Wednesday, police arrested a 39-year-old woman at an address in East London, a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man at an address in Birmingham and a 26-year-old woman and three men ages 26 to 28 at a separate address in Birmingham. This morning, police arrested a 58-year-old man at a separate address in Birmingham. All eight were arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, according to the Metropolitan Police Service.



Detectives are searching a number of addresses linked to the investigation, including one in Carmarthenshire, three in Birmingham and one in East London. Authorities have concluded searches at addresses in Brighton and Southeast London, police said.



How the attack unfolded



The attack began around 2:40 p.m. local time Wednesday, when a car struck pedestrians and three police officers on Westminster Bridge. The car then crashed into the fence around the Houses of Parliament, and a man armed with a knife attacked an officer who was standing guard. The suspect, who authorities believe acted alone, was then shot and killed by police, according to the Metropolitan Police Service.



In an initial news conference Wednesday night, Rowley said the suspect tried to enter Parliament but was stopped "very close to the gate."



Authorities said they initially received different reports Wednesday of a person in the River Thames, a car that collided with pedestrians and a man armed with a knife.



A seriously injured woman was pulled from the Thames and was among those who received medical treatment, an official with the Port of London Authority told ABC News.



Earlier Thursday, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May addressed members of Parliament, speaking solemnly about the "act of terrorism that tried to silence our democracy."



"But today we meet as normal  as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do  to deliver a simple message: We are not afraid," she said at the U.K.'s House of Commons. "And our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism."



May discussed what intelligence and security officials had so far gleaned about the attack, noting that the assailant was born in the United Kingdom and had been on the radar of security services.



What we know about the victims



A fourth victim, a 75-year-old man, died Thursday from injuries he sustained in the attack, according to police. The man died after his life support was withdrawn, police said. They did not offer any details on the man's identity.



A 54-year-old American who died in the attack, Kurt Cochran, was celebrating his wedding anniversary, a family member told ABC News. He and his wife, Melissa Cochran, traveled to Europe to celebrate their 25th anniversary and had plans to return home to Utah today, according to a statement by her brother, Clint Payne.



She was injured in the attack and remains in a hospital. President Donald Trump took to Twitter today to express his condolences to the Cochran family.

A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2017

The officer who died, identified as 48-year-old Keith Palmer, was not armed. Palmer, a husband and father, served for 15 years with the Metropolitan Police Service, according to police.



In a statement released through the Metropolitan Police Service, his family described him as "a wonderful dad and husband," "a friend to everyone who knew him" and "dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous."



"He will be deeply missed. We love him so much," Palmer's family said in the statement. "His friends and family are shocked and devastated by his loss and ask that they are left to grieve alone in peace."



An American tourist, Staci Martin of Wellington, Florida, happen to take a photo with Palmer 48 minutes before he was fatally stabbed.



"I liked his funny hat so I asked him if he would take a picture with me," Martin wrote on Facebook. "He obliged. He was very polite."



Another victim was identified today as 43-year-old Aysha Frade, a staff member of DLD College London.



In a statement, the school confirmed that she died in the attack.



"We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the news that one of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade. All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family," said Rachel Borland, the principal of DLD College London. "We will be offering every support we can to them as they try to come to terms with their devastating loss."



Frade was a member of the college's administration team and had two daughters. At the time of the attack, she was about to pick up her daughters from their school, which is near Westminster Bridge, the school told ABC News.



Witnesses described a hectic scene



Eyewitnesses described the attack for ABC News. Richard Tice said he saw injured people lying on the pavement on Westminster Bridge. The car involved in the attack appeared to have jumped the curb, knocking people over, he added.



Bradford and Joanne Buck, who are visiting London from Connecticut, just emerged from the city's subway system when they saw the crashed car.



"We saw all of this commotion going on. Looked over, there was a car crashed into the gate, door opened, and there was a man down right next to the car, all curled up," Bradford Buck said in an interview Thursday on Good Morning America.



"The next thing I saw was a few police officers with machine guns," he added. "Very, very hectic. This must have just happened when we came up from the Underground."



The Bucks said they were in shock at first but quickly took cover. After a few minutes, they felt safe enough to leave the area.



"Just couldn't believe it was happening," Joanne Buck told GMA. "Just saw the machine guns and knew we had to take cover quickly."



Despite a heavy police presence, the couple said Londoners appeared to be doing well after the attack.



"The people are great. They're going about their business. There's a lot of police officers with machine guns walking around, which we hadn't seen before this happened, but the mood of the people is great," Bradford Buck told GMA.



He added, "We're going to carry on with our vacation. We're not going to let it stop us and hope to finish our sightseeing while we are here in London."



The attack was similar to one in Nice



Wednesday's attack, which occurred on the first anniversary of attacks in Brussels that killed 32 people and wounded hundreds of others, was reminiscent of vehicle attacks last year in Berlin and Nice, France.



A spokesperson for Enterprise Rent-a-Car, an American company headquartered in Missouri, confirmed to ABC News that the vehicle used in Wednesday's attack in London was rented from one of its branches in Birmingham, England. The spokesperson refused to provide additional details about the individual who rented the car, when it was rented and how it was paid for.



"We can confirm that the car used in the tragic attack in London yesterday afternoon was one of ours. An employee identified the vehicle after seeing the license plate in an image online. We ran another check to verify and immediately contacted the authorities," the spokesperson in a statement today. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities and will provide any assistance that we can to the investigation."



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
On March 7, The Washington Post reported that the National Confectioners Association (NCA), representing candy giants such as Nestle, Hershey, Mars, Jelly Belly, etc., recently hosted a gathering of 600 at the Trump National Doral Resort near Miami. It has also booked two more at the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C.: one next September and another in 2018. The Post story states: Big Candy is lobbying the Trump administration. Its also holding events at Trump hotels. A visit to the NCA website (candyusa.com) confirms this.

Thats a lot of candy money ending up, one way or another, in the pockets of the president and his family.

Whats equally disturbing is what the NCA hopes to gain by this affiliation. According to The Post, the NCA is optimistic about scoring big, early policy wins from the Trump administration. Among its priorities: a long-sought rollback of government sugar subsidies that candy firms say drive up the costs of making their products. They are also hoping to take advantage of significant opportunities to go on offense on other matters, including its push to end Obama-era regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and food labeling.

What better way to get the ear of the president, than to mention how much you enjoyed your stay (make that, money you spent) at his hotel?

This news comes at a time when store shelves are filling up with Easter candy. But, if you are offended by any of the news above you might want to pay attention to the candy you are about to throw in your cart and reject any made by the companies that belong to the NCA.

For me, giving up the occasional Snickers and M&Ms is not a huge sacrifice. And Nestles has been on my avoid whenever possible list ever since I found out their CEO thinks water is a commodity that should be privatized.

But when I found out that my beloved Toblerone is actually distributed by a member of the NCA, Mondelez International, Inc., formerly known as Kraft Foods, I had to come to grips with the reality of even this minuscule act of resistance on my part.

I asked myself, would anyone even notice if I stopped buying my weekly Tobler, Swiss Dark Chocolate with Honey & Almond Nougat, carefully proportioned to a last me seven days -- provided I kept it well-hidden from the family?

A quick visit to the Mondelez website and I realized I needed to do even more. Right there, in bold pixels, Mondelez claims to be a world leader in womens empowerment, to believe well-being is holistic. That the health of individuals, communities and the planet are inextricably linked, and that they want to create a global conversation centered on the well-being of the world.

I want to be part of that conversation. And Im pretty sure many of you want to be part of it, as well.

Mars has already heard from me and soon, so will Mondelez. Im a customer. They should listen to me. Among other things, I want them to tell me how they reconcile their stated core values with their support of the man in the White House  a man who has shown nothing but the most revolting disrespect for women and total disregard for the health of individuals of all ages, communities, and the planet  by contributing to his personal fortune.

And if everyone else who is offended by their hypocrisy and the money that they and other candy manufacturers are pouring into the presidents coffers (money they make off the candy you buy) perhaps my little whisper in their ear will soon become a roar.

If they dont acknowledge my concerns and encourage the NCA to discontinue their patronage of the Trump organization, I will continue to do my best to boycott their products whenever I can. And if everyone who marched last January took the next step and thought twice before tossing a bag of Easter treats into their shopping cart, that message will start to be heard loud and clear.

Yes, itll be tough forgoing the occasional Hersheys Kiss. But real kisses are better, anyway.

Elaine de Man

St. Helena
On 24 March 2017, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) and the Political and Security Committee (PSC) met to discuss NATO-EU cooperation, in particular the implementation of the Joint declaration signed by the NATO Secretary General, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission in Warsaw in July 2016, materialising in the common set of proposals endorsed by the respective Councils of both organisations in December 2016.

Both NATO and EU Ambassadors expressed strong will to take the NATO-EU partnership forward, focusing on concrete and practical cooperation.
(Natural News) For an illustrative example of the federal governments outdated approach to marijuana policy, one need look no further than the poor quality of the cannabis provided by the feds to scientists engaged in marijuana research.

Since the 1960s, the only legal way to obtain marijuana samples for research purposes has been through the federal government, which grows all of its marijuana at one facility at the University of Mississippi.

And just as federal cannabis policy has remained virtually unchanged since the anti-marijuana hysteria years of the late 60s, so apparently have the cultivation methods at the Ole Miss facility  at least according to some experts who have had a chance to compare the government weed to the high quality product available in todays legal marijuana market.

One such expert is Sue Sisley, lead researcher in a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of marijuana as a treatment for PTSD among military veterans.

From PBS:

Sue Sisley  recalls the moment she picked up the carefully wrapped package fresh from the delivery truck. Nearly two years after Sisley and her colleagues were awarded a grant to study marijuana as a treatment for 76 military veterans suffering from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, her shipment of the drug was finally in hand.

But minutes later, as she opened the packets to weigh the drug  as required by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration  her enthusiasm turned to dismay. It didnt look like marijuana. Most of it looked like green talcum powder.

It didnt resemble cannabis. It didnt smell like cannabis, Sisley says.

In fact, part of the shipment was contaminated with mold, and some samples contained less THC than required for the study; some of the samples even tested positive for lead.

In keeping with protocol for the clinical trial, the government weed was sent to an independent lab in Colorado for analysis. The lab found a high level of total yeast and mold (TYM) in several samples, as well as samples marked as having a 13 percent THC content that tested as low as 8 percent.

The lab also detected trace amounts of lead in all four samples tested.

Photographs of the government marijuana samples received by Sisley show a substance that bears almost no resemblance to commercial marijuana.

High-quality marijuana flower-tops, or buds, are usually dense, dark-green in color, and made up of plant material covered with sticky, resinous THC crystals.

The government samples, however, are stringy, light-colored and full of what appear to be leaves and stems  parts of the plant usually discarded by marijuana smokers.

People typically smoke the flower of the plant, but here you can clearly see stems and leaves in there as well, parts that should be discarded, said Denver Times cannabis critic Jake Browne. Inhaling that would be like eating an apple, including the seeds inside it and the branch it grew on.

Researchers like Sisley have no choice other than to work with the substandard marijuana samples sent to them from the federal government. The government weed may be sufficient for some types of research, but for highly-controlled medical experiments like those involved in Sisleys trial, the samples are woefully inadequate.

Another problem is the fact that some commercial marijuana strains now contain as much as 30 percent THC or more, meaning that anyone wishing to study the effects of such potent marijuana is out of luck since the THC levels in government-grown weed max out at far below that amount.

The bottom line is that the federal government  consistent with its policies for at least the last half a century  continues to make the conducting of marijuana research as difficult as possible; first by maintaining the Schedule I drug classification  which makes approval for any such projects extremely difficult to obtain  and second by making sure that anyone who dares to conduct marijuana research will be forced to work with the most substandard product imaginable.

Sources:

WashingtonPost.com

PBS.org

IBTimes.com
Thursday, March 23, 2017 by: Vicki Batts Tags: EPA , glyphosate , Monsanto This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Will Monsanto finally get what they deserve for their crimes against humanity? The Miller Firm hopes to bring the corporate giant to their knees by pursuing a lawsuit that shows Roundup can cause non-Hodgkins lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

And perhaps, in their pursuance of this litigation, the EPA will be taken down, too.

Email evidence indicates that not only did Monsanto help write the so-called cancer studies on Roundup, but that EPA officials colluded to keep reports on glyphosates carcinogenic status in favor of the industry. Former EPA scientist Marion Copleys heartbreaking email not only illustrates the cancer-causing capacity, but that the EPA is riddled with corruption and greed.

Copleys letter describes a host of ways in which glyphosate can cause cancer:

Endocrine disruption

Free radical formation and inhibition of free radical-scavenging enzymes

Genotoxicity  which is key in cancer onset

Inhibition of certain DNA repairing enzymes

Inhibiting the absorption of essential nutrients

Renal and pancreatic damage that may lead to cancer

Destruction of gut bacteria and suppression of the immune system

Any one of these mechanisms alone listed can cause tumors, but glyphosate causes all of them simultaneously. It is essentially certain that glyphosate causes cancer. With all of the evidence listed above, the CARC category should be changed to probable human carcinogen,' Copley states. Copley passed away in 2014, before the IARC finally did come to reach this conclusion.

And as The Miller Firm notes, recent independent studies have shown that farm workers exposed to glyphosate or Roundup are at least twice as likely to develop lymphoma. Monsanto is, at the very least, guilty of engaging in deceptive marketing tactics by making claims that their deadly herbicide is safer than table salt and practically non-toxic. Worse still, several scientists have gone to federal prisons for falsifying data on the toxicity of glyphosate. According to The Miller Firm, the issues with Roundups safety testing date back to 1976. In spite of this, Monsanto has spent the last few decades convincing the public that glyphosate is totally safe.

Farm workers are particularly susceptible to the adverse health effects of glyphosate exposure. The Miller Firm has launched their lawsuit against Monsanto and taken aim at the EPA as well, citing that farmers were intentionally led to believe the cancer-causing chemical was safe  and if they had known the product was toxic, theyd have at least have known of the risks and been able to better protect themselves and further minimize contact with the herbicide.

The legal team also notes that Marion Copleys letter points to corruption and collusion occurring between Monsanto and the EPA to protect glyphosate from being exposed as toxic.

For once in your life, listen to me and dont play your political conniving games with the science to favor the registrants. For once do the right thing and dont make decisions based on how it affects your bonus. You and Anna Lowit intimidated staff on CARC and changed MI ARC and IIASPOC final reports to favor industry. The CARC category should be changed to probable human carcinogen, Copley writes in her email to fellow EPA scientist Jess Roland.

Court documents have continued to point to a not-so-innocent relationship between Roland and Monsanto. UPI reports that emails between Roland and Monsanto scientist Dr. William Heydens reveal that Heydens offered to write a 2013 report on glyphosate for the EPA. Roland purportedly then used the reports to conclude glyphosate should not be classified as carcinogenic.

Emails have also shown that Monsanto sought Roland out to stop the Agency of Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR)  another federal agency  from investigating glyphosate further. A conversation relayed to coworkers by Monsanto regulatory affairs manager, Dan Jenkins shows that Rowland said,If I can kill this I should get a medal.

Bloomberg reports that the ATDSR never did publish a toxicological profile on the substance.

All signs point to one thing: both the EPA and Monsanto know glyphosate is toxic and carcinogenic, but theyre doing whatever they can to keep that fact under wraps.

Will The Miller Firm be able to convince the courts to mete out the appropriate punishment in the face of such corruption? One can only hope.

Sources:

Glyphosate.news

MillerFirmLLC.com

UPI.com

Bloomberg.com
The steady drumbeat of news about the alleged Russian interference in the American presidential election draws regular critiques of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strongman or dictator.

But inside room 205 of White Hall, 60 students in Emory College of Arts & Sciences learn why Russians routinely give Putin high approval ratings.

If you want to understand populism and nationalism under Putin, why he could win any election on his platform that was essentially Make Russia Great Again, you have to see the collapse that starts in 1989 and deepens in 1991, Matthew Payne, associate professor of history, explains to students taking The History of Now," an introductory course offered the Department of History.

Payne isnt talking about the collapse of the Soviet countries to the east and full-fledged end of the Soviet Union in those years. He displays a chart showing the gross domestic product (GDP) in Russia.

The economy bottomed out under Russias first president, recovering only when Putin served his first term as president between 1999 and 2008. GDP plunged again in 2009, when Putin was prime minister, but it has climbed since his second presidential term, which started in 2012.

You would like anyone who would help feed you, says Samantha Carp, a senior in Emory College double majoring in history and business, who decided to take History of Now as her last history course in college. We werent alive when the Berlin Wall fell, when communism collapsed, but we cant overlook how the events that happened since World War II explain how we got here.

Helping students understand those connections in postwar Europe  from both eastern and western European perspectives  was the goal Astrid M. Eckert, associate professor of history, had in mind when she conceived the course.

Eckert and Payne tag team the course, lecturing on events at different ends of Europe through time, as well as the different reactions to topical events, such as the Chernobyl nuclear crisis and German reunification.

I started with the idea of Brexit as our last lecture and worked backwards, so we could understand how that came to be, says Eckert, who spent last year in Germany watching the profound changes happening in Europe such as the refugee crisis, the Turkish coup and the British referendum to leave the European Union.

The class is less about rehearsing names and dates than about the broader contours of postwar European history, she adds.

I dont expect anyone to remember all the factual detail, but if they encounter the shifts that the various European economics and societies have seen, they will understand the larger trajectory of the postwar development of the continent, she says.

Broader understanding of history

Junior Shea Fallick, who is majoring in math and economics, has had his light-bulb moment in the course, just as he considers whether he will pursue a graduate degree in public policy or potential data analysis work in government or business.

Fallick says most of his economics courses go over the models and formulas, and the math coursework covers applications, but they dont offer the perspective on those theories the way the history course has.

The History of Now gave him his first readings by John Maynard Keynes, who overturned the economic world, challenging the notion that free markets will always provide a job for those who want one by arguing for state intervention.

The pendulum swing to neo-liberalism, with its push for unrestricted markets and privatization, widened income inequality  and helped usher in a return to the nationalism now making headlines here and abroad.

Its a cycle, he says. I hope that what Ive learned about the 1940s  about globalization with innovation  will come back and we wont repeat the same mistakes. A broader understanding of history makes for a better understanding of the economics.

Matt Gorin, a first-year student who has not declared a major, also thinks understanding the economics explains why governments takes the actions they do.

Getting perspectives from both the East and the West further explains how Europe, and the world, moved together over time.

When you have more sides of the story, you can see how they connect now, Gorin says. Look at how Stalins desire to take over the Ukraine is a territorial dispute that still continues today. It connects to the United States and what we still think of Russia.

Recognizing patterns of the past

Eckert and Payne have discussed offering the course again in the future, given the broad interest in trying to make sense of todays events through the lens of history.

Kendall Chan, a first-year student who is undecided on her major, may be the best advertisement for continuing. Chan was interested in using the course to help her understand the context of the presidential election and other news.

She delved deeply into the history, arguing in her midterm that the postwar period in Europe was a chance for former colonial powers, weakened by war, to focus inward on their countries.

But when former colonial subjects turned up at their doorstep as part of postwar migration, those countries were forced to confront their racist and xenophobic responses, Chan wrote.

Whether that same provincialism could become common in the United States, she says, would depend on factors that battered Europe, like mass migration following war and struggles with national identity.

Im in the class because I wanted to understand the world around me, and in that regard, it has really paid off, Chan says. If you want to talk more fluently about current events, it helps to know what has really come out of the blue and what is another pattern weve seen before.
Alumna and Rear Admiral Pamela M. Schweitzer, chief professional officer of pharmacy in the U.S. Public Health Service, visits with students during her recent return to campus.

Have you ever heard of Ebola or Zika? Or Flint, Michigan, and Hurricane Katrina? Rear Admiral Pamela M. Schweitzer posed these questions to the Cal State Fullerton students she met with during a recent visit to her alma mater.

As the first female chief professional officer of pharmacy and assistant surgeon general in the U.S. Public Health Service, Schweitzer helps to improve and advance the health of the countrys population. She also leads Americas public health responders  commissioned public health officers deployed to such places as West Africa during the Ebola virus outbreak, Puerto Rico to tackle the spread of the Zika virus, New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, or other public health emergency responses and needs.

The biological science alumna recently returned to campus to meet with students interested in pursuing health profession careers, as well as ROTC cadets and science faculty mentors.

The Public Health Services team of more than 6,700 public health professionals  including pharmacists, physicians, nurses, dentists, scientists, engineers and veterinarians, among others  work with over 22 federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Indian Health Service.

Appointed to her four-year post in 2014, Schweitzer leads 1,300 commissioned pharmacists within the Public Health Service. She provides leadership and coordination of the pharmacy program and professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and Department of Health and Human Services.

Early in her career, Schweitzer joined the Public Health Service because of the promise of adventure, she told students, encouraging them to risk going beyond their comfort zone to find their lifes work. She signed up for a two-year commitment as a clinical pharmacist with the Indian Health Service and served at an Indian reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Once I got there and saw what it meant to impact someones life, I was hooked on public health and making a difference to improve the health of that particular population, she said.

After two years, she left for a post with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Hot Springs, South Dakota. After several years, she re-enlisted with the Public Health Service and has served 24 years in various assignments. She currently is stationed in Baltimore, serving at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in which she assisted in implementing the Affordable Care Act.

Schweitzer grew up in Yorba Linda, graduated from Troy High School, rode her bike to Cal State Fullerton and earned her bachelors degree in 1982. She received her doctor of pharmacy from the University of California, San Francisco, School of Pharmacy. She currently is pursuing a masters degree in health administration at USC.

It had been more than three decades since the married, mother of two college graduates walked the corridors of McCarthy Hall. During her campus visit, she recalled how she knew and admired late biology professor Miles D. McCarthy, founder of the Universitys health professions program and for whom the building is named.

Dr. McCarthy was so nice and encouraging. He and my other professors were so passionate about teaching  they got me excited about science and learning.

College is a time to grow up, she added. I feel lucky that I was here at Cal State Fullerton and pursued a career that I love  to help people and improve the health of communities in our country.
The requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

Back to [RTHK News Homepage]
SIU to close Schneider Hall to prepare for demolition

by Crystal Bouhl

CARBONDALE, Ill.  To prepare for the construction of new residence halls, Southern Illinois University Carbondale will close Schneider Hall, one of three halls commonly referred to as the towers, following the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse.

The SIU Board of Trustees on Feb. 9 approved the exploration of financing and construction of one or two new residence halls on the Carbondale campus. The closing of Schneider is one step in a long-term master plan for campus housing.

Jon Shaffer, director of University Housing, said Schneider Hall will be decommissioned for the fall 2017 semester, allowing time to remove the buildings furnishings, fixtures and fittings before demolition. Items removed from Schneider will be reused in other campus housing areas, including the newly expanded undergraduate student apartments at Evergreen Terrace.

Before the hall is closed, however, the university will rent rooms to visitors coming to town for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. Details are still in development but will be posted at eclipse.siu.edu.

Shaffer said that while a timeline for demolition of Schneider and construction of new housing has not been finalized, closing the hall this fall will not displace many students. He noted that three floors of the hall were not utilized for the current academic year. When at capacity, the hall could house up to 719 students, but only 385 students are living in Schneider at this time due to the recent decline in enrollment. Of these, 81 students have contracted for on-campus housing for 2017-18. These students will be offered other on-campus housing options.

The efficient use of other residence hall space has provided the opportunity to get a planned head start on the process of taking Schneider down. he said. Having time to prepare for new housing will allow us to be strategic with this transition.

He added that the housing staff has developed a plan to relocate Schneider-based Living Learning Communities, which give students the chance to live with others who share similar majors or interests, as well as a few other students who may have planned to return to the hall next year.

He added that closing the hall is likely to have minimal impact on University Housing staffing.

With more than 250 full-time employees and more than 700 student employees, University Housing remains one of the largest employers on campus, he said. We normally have staff turnover between academic years, which will allow us to relocate many returning Schneider staff into similar roles in other buildings.

The closing of Schneider follows a decision by the SIU Board of Trustees to explore a private funding arrangement, commonly referred to as a public/private partnership, for the construction of new housing. In this model, a private developer invests in building the new residence halls on university property. That investment is then repaid through room and board payments over a period of time similar to the traditional funding model for building campus buildings. This type of funding has been successful at other universities in Illinois and across the country.

University Housing derives revenue exclusively through room and board paid by residents of the residence halls and apartments. No state funds or tuition dollars are utilized in housing operations, including building new residence halls.

Shaffer said he is optimistic about the future of on-campus housing on the Carbondale campus.

We are looking forward to creating new housing on campus that will meet the needs of todays student, he said. The towers have housed tens of thousands of students over the past 50 years, but its time to look to the future.

(For more information: Contact Crystal Bouhl, assistant director of University Housing  Marketing, at 618/453-2301.)
High school students to learn how to create theater

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Fast, fun and loud  thats the description of Drama Daze at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The SIU Department of Theater Drama Daze, set for Tuesday, March 28, in the McLeod Theater, is a day of workshops and performances from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Three hundred or so students from nine area high schools and Shawnee Community College, plus a few home-school students, will attend.

The idea is to help students understand what it takes to create theater. Workshops include stage combat, playwriting and musical theater dance. A technical theater Olympics turns puppet making, mini-costume design and stage lighting into competitive activities, along with a tool-using relay. When the students have a moment to sit, theyll see select scenes from this years Big Muddy New Play Festival highlight, Torak the Inadequate.

The loud part is the spirit award, chosen by decibel level.

SIU theater students serve as supervisors, coordinators, workshop presenters and group leaders for the day. The students will also have a chance to meet College of Liberal Arts Dean Meera Komarraju and representatives from the Office of Admissions. Susan Patrick Benson, director of undergraduate studies for theater, organizes this event.

High schools from the following communities are participating: Carbondale, Elverado, Flora, Freeburg, Herrin, Johnston City, Mount Vernon, Nashville and Ramsey.

For more information, contact Vincent Rhomberg at mcldpub@siu.edu.
Poll: Half of Illinois voters want to keep Obamacare

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A poll by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute shows Illinois voters are divided on whether to repeal and replace the existing federal health care law.

Another part of the poll, conducted March 4-11, also found that about 40 percent of those surveyed blame the government for poverty. The sample included 1,000 registered voters and a margin for error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Sixty percent of the interviews were conducted on cell phones.

Since the landmark Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, was enacted in 2010, many congressional Republican members have vowed to repeal and replace the program. Under President Donald Trumps administration, Congress is now debating the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the House Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the existing law.

When asked, Do you think Congress should vote to repeal the 2010 health care law, or should they not vote to repeal it?, responses were varied. Just over one-third of those asked supported repeal (35 percent), half were in favor of retaining the current ACA (50 percent), and 15 percent had no opinion.

Within the 35 percent who supported a repeal, 29 percent wanted Congress to vote to repeal the legislation immediately, 68 percent supported repeal once an alternative was in place, and 3 percent either didnt know or refused to answer.

Voters in Chicago were most supportive (60 percent) of the ACA, with those in suburban Chicago and the collar counties the second most supportive (52 percent). The lowest levels of support (39 percent) was in downstate areas of Illinois. Chicago residents were only 25 percent in support of repealing the law, while 34 percent of suburban residents and 44 percent of downstate residents responded yes to repealing. The disparity was even more marked among those identifying with a specific political party. Only 13 percent of Democrats supported repealing the ACA; 31 percent of independents and 66 percent of Republicans supported repeal.

The ultimate future of Obamacare, while unpopular with many people, has dramatic implications for the state of Illinois, Linda Baker, university professor at the institute, said. As a state that added more than 650,000 people to its Medicaid program through the ACA, if the Act is repealed and the state is expected to assume costs currently being borne by the federal government for those recipients, there will be enormous consequences for the state and for those who may lose coverage.

The current health care reform debate is occurring at a time when Illinois legislators have the herculean task of solving an increasing structural deficit in the midst of almost a two-year budget stalemate. With Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrat leadership in the General Assembly at odds with how to deal with that deficit and ultimately enact a budget, survey respondents were also asked how the budget stalemate was impacting their lives.

Respondents were asked, Have you or someone in your immediate family been affected by the Illinois budget stalemate Thirty-three percent said the budget crisis had affected them, with 62 percent responding that it had not. Of those affected, the largest groups of respondents argued that it resulted in K-12 funding cuts, job loss and cuts to needed social services. Finally, the respondents were asked if families living in poverty are more or less affected by the impasse. More than half (56 percent) said families in poverty had been more impacted, with 22 percent saying that families in poverty were impacted less and another 22 percent saying they did not know.

Realizing there is a divide in the nations ideology on poverty, manifested in the debate on affordable and accessible health care coverage, the institute asked the same 1,000 Illinois voters about their opinions on causes of poverty. When asked, Thinking about the causes of poverty in your area, please tell me one major reason that people are poor, a plurality (41.4 percent) of respondents blamed the government. About one-fourth (23.3 percent) blamed social or cultural factors, and 16 percent viewed a lack of employment as the cause. The remaining respondents placed blamed on medical factors (10.4 percent), educational factors (2.5 percent), and other factors (6.3 percent).

Asking for a secondary cause of poverty, respondents cited, in descending order, employment, social/cultural, education, government, medical and other. About 27 percent of respondents indicated employment as the secondary cause of poverty; 15.1 percent social/cultural factors; 13.2 percent education or relative lack of it; 12.5 percent government; 7.1 percent medical issues, and 24.9 percent listed some other secondary cause.

In both the initial and secondary questions, there were subcategories associated with the key causes. Under the cause of employment, job shortages and wage levels were the primary causes listed. There was no singularly significant factor mentioned in the social/cultural category, while in the education category, the poor quality of public schools was cited as the most significant factor.

The survey next asked respondents what types of government interventions would best alleviate poverty. Respondents offered a variety of answers, in the topical areas of employment, education, social services, and social/cultural. As with prior questions, each response had several subcategories. With respect to the area of employment, the most significant responses were in support of government intervention to create jobs/prevent outsourcing and to increase funding for jobs programs, at 8.8 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Under the heading of education, the two most significant responses were at 13.9 percent for increased funding for job training programs and 12.8 percent in favor of improving the quality of education.

The survey next asked if respondents would be willing to pay more in taxes for poverty alleviation measures. Slightly more than 59 percent said they would be in support, with 35 percent opposed and 6 percent undecided.

Poll results are available here.

For more information, contact Baker at 217/553-6660 or John Jackson, institute visiting professor, at 618/453-3106.

The margin of error for the entire sample of 1,000 voters is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. This means that if we conducted the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the population proportion would be within plus or minus the reported margin of error for each subsample. For subsamples, the margin of error increases as the sample size goes down. The margin of error was not adjusted for design effects.

Live telephone interviews were conducted by Customer Research International of San Marcos, Texas using the random digit dialing method. The telephone sample was provided to Customer Research International by Scientific Telephone Samples. Potential interviewees were screened based on whether they were registered voters and quotas based on area code and sex (<60% female). The sample obtained 51% male and 49% female respondents. Interviewers asked to speak to the youngest registered voter at home at the time of the call. Cell phone interviews accounted for 60 percent of the sample. A Spanish language version of the questionnaire and a Spanish-speaking interviewer were made available.

Field work was conducted from March 4 through March 11. No auto-dial or robo polling is included. Customer Research International reports no Illinois political clients. The survey was paid for with non-tax dollars from the Institutes endowment fund. The data were not weighted in any way. Crosstabs for the referenced questions will be on the institutes polling website, http://paulsimoninstitute.siu.edu/opinion-polls/index.php

The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Researchs (AAPOR) Transparency Initiative. AAPOR works to encourage objective survey standards for practice and disclosure. Membership in the Transparency Initiative reflects a pledge to practice transparency in reporting survey-based findings.

Simon Institute polling data are archived by four academic institutions for use by scholars and the public. The four open source data repositories are: the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research (http://ropercenter.cornell.edu/polls/), the University of Michigans Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (http://home.isr.umich.edu/centers/icpsr/), the University of North Carolinas Odum Institute Dataverse Network (https://dataverse.unc.edu/), and the Simon Institute Collection at OpenSIUC (http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ppi/).

Note: The Simon Poll and the Southern Illinois Poll are the copyrighted trademarks of the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University. Use and publication of these polls is encouraged- but only with credit to the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU Carbondale.
Da Vinci Days highlight research, creative activity

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Southern Illinois University Carbondale will honor the spirit of research and creativity next month when Da Vinci Days arrive again on campus.

Da Vinci Days is a celebration of SIUs innovation and creativity in the sciences, humanities, and arts, organizers said. It is administered by the vice chancellor for research office and features a variety of faculty, students and staff members presenting their research and creative work.

The weeklong event takes its name from Renaissance-age inventor, artist, scientist and architect Leonardo da Vinci, who epitomized this rebirth in education, art, science, philosophy and literature, and helped usher in the Modern Age. The event runs April 3-7, with each day highlighting various activities around campus with lectures, keynote addresses, music, demonstrations and more.

H.D. Motyl, interim chair of the Department of Radio, Television and Digital Media at SIU, said SIU recognizes the work of all dedicated students, whether they are involved in sciences, engineering, mass communications, arts, education or technology studies. When tapped to coordinate this years events, Motyl said he thought about da Vinci himself, and how he combined art and science in his work.

We worked to focus on that aspect of research and creative communities on campus, Motyl said. So, what the aim is, specifically, is to highlight some of the most innovative and creative research done on campus. We are maintaining some of the traditional aspects of the research week with a wider cast of the celebration to include more humanities and arts, and even to include the intersection of all of the areas of research. We want to really bring together the art and sciences and see how they complement one another or feed off of one another.

A prime example of synergistic approaches, Motyl said, is the event titled A Bard and Some Beer.

It will feature Matt McCarroll, director of the SIU Fermentation Institute and professor of chemistry and biochemistry, who will discuss the history of beer and beer-making (including a tasting) while Ryan Netzley, professor in the Department of English, reads poems of Robert Herrick, whose own work talked about beer as a catalyst for collective creativity. The event is set for 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, in the John C. Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library.

In another presentation, Angela Aguayo, associate professor of cinema and photography, and Bruce DeRuntz, professor of technology, will talk about leadership in the two very distinct communities, Motyl said. The event begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, in the Guyon Auditorium.

A major part of Da Vinci Days features the 15th Annual Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Forum, set for the Student Center Ballrooms on Monday, April 3. Poster judging will run in two sessions: 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by an open session for the public that runs 1-3 p.m. The awards presentation is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

Other events will feature the nationally award-winning SIU robotics team and its inventions along with the SIU Concert Choir, which will serenade the contestants of Morris Librarys Edible Book Contest. Student filmmakers will be feted during Friday nights Little Muddy Film Festival.

Motyl said while the week of events will showcase an impressive swath of activities, it only covers a small portion of the work that goes on at SIU each day.

Were hoping that the spirit of Da Vinci Days becomes infectious and that other folks will want to be part of the event, and that the week will grow to be almost too full of events, Motyl said. So full, maybe, that well have to go to two weeks, or a month. We know the innovation and creativity is out there, and were ready to celebrate it, year after year.
More than 10 million UK workers are at high risk of being replaced by robots within 15 years as the automation of routine tasks gathers pace in a new machine age, a report said on Friday. The report by the consultancy firm PwC found that 30 per cent of jobs in Britain were potentially under threat from breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI). In some sectors, half the jobs could go, the Guardian reported. The report predicted that automation would boost productivity and create fresh job opportunities, but it said action was needed to prevent the widening of inequality that would result from robots increasingly being used for low-skill tasks. PwC said 2.25 million jobs were at high risk in wholesale and retailing - the sector that employs most people in the UK - and 1.2 million were under threat in manufacturing, 1.1 million in administrative and support services and 950,000 in transport and storage. Jon Andrews, the head of technology and investments at PwC, said: "There's no doubt that AI and robotics will rebalance what jobs look like in the future, and that some are more susceptible than others." Education and health and social care were the two sectors seen as least threatened by robots because of the high proportion of tasks seen as hard to automate, the report added. The PwC study is the latest to assess the potential for job losses and heightened inequality from AI, the Guardian added. --IANS ksk/dg ( 254 Words) 2017-03-24-15:42:07 (IANS)
In an unprecedented step, Air India and all private carriers on Friday refused to fly Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an airline employee. The Delhi Police has booked him for attempted culpable homicide. The MP, who has been summoned by party chief Uddhav Thackeray, had to catch a train to Mumbai later in the day. However, Gaikwad -- Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad in Maharashtra -- remained defiant and refused to apologise for repeatedly beating and trying to push down Air India officer R. Sukumar from the aircraft on Thursday. A Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) statement said: "Air India and member airlines have decided to ban this MP from flying on all our flights with immediate effect." "We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," added FIA Associate Director Ujjwal Dey. Air India has said it was examining the possibility of creating a 'no fly' list of unruly passengers. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association also sought an unconditional apology from Gaikwad and threatened to direct its members "not to operate any flight which has Gaikwad on board". The Sena leader earlier vowed to fly back to Pune but Air India cancelled his ticket. Besides Air India, the airlines which won't allow Gaikwad to fly as FIA members are IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air. AirAsia and Vistara, which are not with FIA, joined them. The decision was taken a day after Gaikwad thrashed Sukumar repeatedly with a slipper after he was forced to travel in economy class from Pune to Delhi despite holding a business class ticket. Amid speculation that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had sought an explanation from Gaikwad, the MP dared Delhi Police to arrest him and also alleged that it was Sukumar who hit him first. Special Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathak said that an FIR had been registered a FIR :and the case has been transferred to the Crime Branch for a through probe". Pathak said Gaikwad had been booked on charges of attempt to commit culpable homicide and assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person under the Indian Penal Code. Air India had lodged a complaint with police on Thursday, but Delhi Police took legal opinion before finally registering an FIR on Friday. On Thursday, when Gaikwad refused to de-board, Sukumar said he first requested the MP in English to get off the plane but was told to speak in Hindi. When he began to speak in Hindi, Gaikwad flared up and hit him with his slipper. All though Thursday, Gaikwad boasted how he had hit the staffer with his slipper "25 times". "I will not apologise. Why should I? It's not my mistake. They should apologise first, then (we) will see." Gaikwad also shot off complaints to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding an inquiry into the incident. FIA's Dey said: "We believe an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living." Vistara said it was "in full solidarity" with Air India. Gaikwad "will be barred from flying in any of our flights with immediate effect", it said. "Disruptive and abusive behaviour by passengers is a serious issue and cannot be tolerated." AirAsia said it "does not tolerate abusive or unruly behaviour by passengers that puts the safety of other guests and crew members on board at risk". Gaikwad finally left for Mumbai onboard Sampark Kranti Express on Friday evening. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju added: "Politicians are not above law." --IANS mak/vd ( 631 Words) 2017-03-24-22:40:07 (IANS)
China registers around 900,000 new cases of tuberculosis every year and remains among the 30 countries with the highest incidence of the disease, despite a decline in cases since 2011, health authorities said here on Friday. The National Health and Family Planning Commission said that by the end of 2016, 65 out of every 100,000 people were infected with tuberculosis, a figure that experts consider high despite having dropped by 14 per cent in the last six years, the China Daily reported Friday. "China also plans to intensify research in the prevention and control of TB in the next few years," the commission said, adding that "a focus will be on research in preventive and curable vaccines for the disease." Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. It usually affects the lungs but can occur anywhere in the body. The country's western regions are the most affected by the disease, with Xinjiang, in the northwest, leading the list with 184.5 infected per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015. China's First Lady Peng Liyuan visited a high school in Tianjin city on Thursday to raise awareness about the prevention of TB. Peng, a World Health Organization (WHO) goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, joined a class meeting about fighting the disease, and looked over an exhibition of students' work promoting prevention. According to the WHO, 10.4 million people fell ill with TB in 2015 and 1.8 million died. Eradicating TB by 2030 is one of the UN's sustainable development goals, an initiative that WHO supports under the umbrella of its End TB Strategy. --IANS ksk/vt ( 278 Words) 2017-03-24-12:56:06 (IANS)
The shocking incident of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulting an Air India Duty Manager is not under the domain of the Speaker, leaving the matter almost entirely in the hands of the police. According to sources, the matter is not in the Speaker's domain because the incident took place outside the Parliament. According to the procedure the police is supposed to inform the Speaker's office on the action against the MP. Yesterday, Gaikwad wrote a letter to Civil Aviation Minsiter Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, while listing out the problems faced by him in the flight. Gaikwad in his letter said that he was misled by the Air India and stated that he was given business class ticket, but later he came to know that there was no business class section in the flight. Listing his problems, the Shiv Sena MP asked the Aviation Minsiter and the Speaker to probe the matter and to find the reason behind these issues highlighted by him. Meanwhile, Air India registered two FIRs against Gaikwad for hitting an Air India staffer with his slipper over sitting issue and for forcibly holding the flight and delaying it for 40 minutes. (ANI)
Members belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were suspended from the Telangana Legislative Assembly for the current weak for obstructing the proceedings of the house,today. When the BJP members sought to raise certain issues, Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao objected saying that any issue could be raised only after the question hour was gone through. The Minister maintained that the question hour was the right of all members of the house. Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary announced that the BJP members including the party's floor leader G Kishen Reddy and BJP State Unit President K Laxman were suspended for the current week. Congress members staged a walk out protesting against the suspension of the BJP members.UNI VV SMS CS 1214 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1201308.Xml
Kerala Governor Justice (Retd) P Sathasivam today urged people in the State to observe 'Earth Hour' in support of the Nation's effort to mitigate emissions and move towards renewable energy. In a statement here, the Governor has appealed to the people and various institutions of the state to render support to this noble venture by switching off non-essential lights and other electrical devices from 2030 hrs 2130 hrs on March 25. The observance of Earth Hour in India, since 2009, has been inspiring individuals, organisations, corporations and Governments to move towards a more responsible consumption and conservation of energy, the statement said. WWF India has urged the people to observe Earth Hour from 2030 hrs to 2130 hrs on March 25.UNI DS CS 1130 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0324-1201274.Xml
The Trinamool Congress received a serious blow as at least 55 workers, including 15 top leaders of the Tripura state committee, joined the BJP last evening in presence of Minister of state for Railways Rajen Gohin here. Another 15 leaders of the Congress also joined the saffron party. The Trinamool Congress workers who joined BJP include it's coordination committee chairman and former minister Ratan Chakraborty and senior most member of the party Nitai Choudhury. After joining the BJP, Chakraborty accused TMC MLA Sudip Roybarman of harming the Mamata Banerjee led party in Tripura. He accused Roybarman and his family, including his father former CM Samir Ranjan Barman, of serving personal interest. "This family is always prioritizing their individual interest at the cost of opposition politics, which has been capitalized by the CPI-M to remain in power. I am confident whichever party they join it will ruin the prospect of that party," Chakraborty said. He said, "I had to leave Congress due to them and we brought them in Trinamool less than a year ago. But now this team made us non-entity. Trinamool Congress doesn't have any chance in Tripura and we feel the BJP is the only alternative to the CPI-M in the next election." Chakraborty said of those who left the party at least 15 are state committee members and as many as seven were elected members of TMC in the three-tire panchayat. Two weeks ago the immediate past chief of TMC Surajit Datta had joined the saffron party raising same allegation against the Roybarman group.UNI BB PL CJ NS1223 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1201324.Xml
The Railways will soon introduce a Rajdhani Express from Agartala to connect the national capital, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said here today. Admitting the importance of rail services from Tripura, he said, "We received several demands for a Rajdhani Express from the state government. The Ministry is also trying to introduce the train, but had not fixed any date for it. Similarly, the ministry is also actively considering the demand of other express and superfast trains connecting important destinations." On a two-day visit to Tripura, the minister inspected Agartala Railway station and other ongoing work. Besides, he held meetings with Governor Tathagata Roy and Chief Minister Manik Sarkar last evening on the demands of the state. The state government, he said, had also demanded linking of Jawharnagar in Dhalai district of Tripura with Kalay in Mizoram and Myanmar to bring Tripura in the Trans Asian railway map besides, improving connectivity in the state in a time bound manner. According to him, apart from laying 15.054 km long railway tracks to spread connectivity, various development work had taken place in the state recently. Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey submitted an 11-point charter of demands to the Union minister. These included installation of pantry cars in trains, early completion of Agartala Akhuara and Udaipur Sabroom railway tracks and sanctioning of alternative tracks between Dharmanagar and Agartala via Kailashahar, Kamalpur, Khowai and Mohonpur. Dey said the minister had assured him that Akhuara in Bangladesh will be connected in two years. Work for laying of tracks would begin immediately after acquisition of land. In the 15 km tracks of Agartala Akhuara, a stretch of five km will be on the Indian side and rest 10 km in Bangladesh. He also said the Ministry of Railways is also exploring the possibility of connecting Tripura with Bangladesh on three sides, including Agartala-Akhuara and Belonia in Tripura, with Chittagong Port of Bangladesh through Feni district of that country.UNI BB PL CJ PM1330 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1201393.Xml
Yogi also gave a cheque of Rs. one lakh as compensation to the victim's husband. He also directed the police officials to immediately nab the accused and initiate strict action against the guilty.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who confirmed the Chief Minister's visit to the KGMU Hospital, attacked the previous Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party regime for not taking appropriate action in the matter.

"The victim is pleading for justice from the last eight years. However, no action was taken in the case during the tenure of Samajwadi Party Government and the culprits continued to move freely," the BJP leader told the media.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police has launched a probe into the matter.

The Dalit victim was attacked yet again on Thursday by the same group of suspects, marking the fourth such attack on her. This time she was forced to drink a 'corrosive liquid' by unidentified persons, on train while she was returning to Lucknow from her village.

She was gang-raped in earlier 2009 and a case was registered in this regard in Unchahar town of Raebareli district.

She was first acid attacked in 2011 followed by other serious attacks again in 2011, twice in 2012 and another in 2013. (ANI)
Doctors of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here wore helmets to work today as a mark of protest against crisis incidents of attacks on doctors and medical workers across the country. The doctors attended their duty wearing helmets to register their protest without disrupting work. The doctors said it was a mark of solidarity with medical workers across the country as they were being targeted by aggrieved families of patients. They demanded a central legislation to protect doctors and others at medical establishments. UNI SG SJC -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1201490.Xml
President Pranab Mukherjee arrived here today on a day's visit to inaugurate the third and final international conference marking the silver jubilee celebrations of the Asian Development Research Institute(ADRI). Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind,Chief Minister Nitish Kumar , his ministerial colleagues and top officials accorded a warm welcome to the President at Jay Prakash International airport here. Over 150 scholars from India and abroad including those from prestigious universities like Oxford,Cambridge,London School of Economics,National University of Singapore are likely to deliver talks and present papers at the five-day conference on the theme of Bihar and Jharkhand-Shared history to shared vision. UNI IS SJC -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1201496.Xml
Hundreds of contractual lecturers this morning assembled outside the Press Club of Jammu to hold demonstration march.

Carrying placards and banners, the protestors amid slogans, took out march but heavy deployment of police force restricted them.

The protestors later staged sit-in at Dogra Chowk and disrupted the traffic.

They were demanding their regularisation in their respective department.

Police contingent forcibly tried to lift up demonstrators, which also led to mild clash.

Meanwhile, five of the members of protesting contractual lecturers were taken into custody as preventive measure.

The traffic was restored later as agitating lecturers dispersed off peacefully.UNI VBH JW ADG 1447

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201478.Xml
"Over 160 kanals of land was yesterday allotted to Patanjali to set up its unit in the state," sources here today said.

Sources said that the land transfer case was pending at civil secretariat for the last two months following some legal formalities.

"The formal orders of allotment were issued yesterday," sources said.

In view of rise in the sale of Patanjali products in recent years in the state of Jammu and Kashmir the land has been allotted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industries.

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev established the Patanjali Ayurved Limited in 2006 along with Acharya Balkrishna with the objective of establishing science of Ayurveda in accordance and coordination with the latest technology and ancient wisdom.

Patanjali Food and Herbal Park at Haridwar is the main production facility operated by Patanjali Ayurved.UNI VBH CJ ADG 1433

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1201418.Xml
Two women were run over and killed by a train near Raghunathpur station on the Mughalsarai-Danapur section of East Central Railways near here today.Train services were affected on the man Delhi-Patna line for nearly fortyfive minutes. Police said the women came under the wheels of Patna bound Sampoorna Kranti Express when they were trying to cross the tracks. Both women,whose identity could not be established, died on the spot.The bodies have been sent to the Buxar Government Hospital for autopsy.UNI XC IS PL CJ PM1403 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1201437.Xml
According to sources, when Narra Hanumanth Rao reached home after work on Thursday, he found his wife Shashikala and son Aneesh murdered in their apartment.

Rao works in CTS and has been living in New Jersey for nine years. An investigation is underway.

The incident comes when there has been a recent surge of hate crimes against Indians in the U.S.

Earlier this month, a Sikh man was shot and wounded in Washington State by an attacker who approached him in his driveway and told him to leave the country. (ANI)
Expressing solidarity with the farmers of Tamil Nadu, Tamil actors Prakash Raj and Vishal on Friday urged the Centre to declare a drought relief package and loan waiver for peasants from the southern state. Joining the farmers' protest at the Jantar Mantar here, Prakash Raj said: "I am here to tell the farmers they are not alone. They have been fasting for the last seven days and I believe that the grievances of the farmers would be addressed at the earliest with our support." The 'Dabangg 2' actor further urged the government to come up with a permanent solution so that the farmers do not have to face the same problems again. "This time we also want to represent a solution with a vision from the government, not just waving off their loans. They need to understand the issue because every year this is coming up," he told ANI. Resonating similar views, Vishal demanded that farmers' loans should be waived off while stating that heavy interest on loans is compelling the farming community to take adverse steps. "It's an alarming situation for the farmers and the agriculture industry. We request the concerned ministry to come forward and waive off the loans of the farmers. They want to get back to work but the heavy interest on loans is killing them," he said. The farmers from Tamil Nadu have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar, wearing green dhotis and carrying skulls of allegedly other farmers who have committed suicide in one of the worst droughts in the state. (ANI)
"They are public servants, who are elected by the people. They need to behave in a decent manner be it indoors or out," Sukumar told ANI.

"I am not scared at all, either with Gaikwad or with the Shiv Sena. I have been serving public and have also faced many who get irritated on such issues. It's a common thing for me," he added.

Sukumar further said that he had requested Gaikwad to deboard the aircraft as cleaning staff had to complete their work following which he got angry.

"I had requested him (Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad) to de-board the aircraft as the cleaning staff had to complete their work. On which he got furious and raised his hands," said Sukumar.

Earlier in the day, the Centre also took cognizance of the incident and assured a thorough probe into the matter.

Meanwhile, Gaikwad today remained unapologetic about the incident and dared the Delhi Police to arrest him.

The MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra also downplayed reports suggesting that Air India is considering banning him from boarding its flights.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has sought a report to determine the facts before he decides on what happens next for Gaikwad.

The Shiv Sena yesterday said that it does not tolerate violence.

Gaikwad was travelling from Pune to New Delhi when scuffle broke out over the sitting arrangement.

The MP claimed that his ticket was for business class but Air India provided him economy class. (ANI)
The CM, who is also the state home minister has ordered that the culprits should be put behind the bars as soon as possible and a precedent should be set for those who dare to commit such crimes against women.

Yogi told media persons at the hospital that none would be spared. The CM also accounted Rs one lakh compensation to the ailing girl.

He stayed at the hospital for about 15 minutes and enquired from the doctors about the health of the girl. Earlier ADG (Railway) Gopal Gupta was summoned by the CM to enquire into the incident.

According to reports, the victim girl was coming to Lucknow on train from Rae Bareli yesterday when someone forcefully administered acid through her throat.

She was rushed to the trauma centre after the train reached Lucknow, where her condition was stated to be critical.

The girl was also provided with a police security, but the attacker was found missing during the incident.UNI MB JW SHK 1544

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1201427.Xml
The police have arrested three people, including a woman who was leading the gang.

30 weapons, including two carbine and 26 pistols have been recovered from their possession. 20 pistols were found hidden in the battery of the truck.

The arms were being transported from Madhya Pradesh and some of these were to be delivered to Mohammed Hafiz, a residence of Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. (ANI)
President Pranab Mukherjee today emphasised the need for evolving its own model of development by Bihar, Jharkhand and other eastern states by taking lessons from Bangladesh which had successfully chalked out development path as per its requirement shunning extreme backwardness. Mr Mukherjee while inaugurating International Conference on "Bihar and Jharkhand, Shared history to shared vision" to mark silver jubilee celebrations of Asian Development Research Institute(ADRI) here, said Bangladesh, like Bihar was also once part of Bengal presidency and got a separate identity in 1971. "Taking into account its requirements, potentials and prevailing circumstance, Bangladesh evolved its own model of development and the country is successfully implementing it", Mr Mukherjee said and added that taking lesson from Bangladesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and other eastern states should also strive for chalking out its own development model. The President while giving emphasis on developing Human potential, said it was an important factor to accelerate the pace of development. It could be achieved by providing required facilities for education and skill development, he added. "A State can do many things but it cannot do every thing", Mr Mukherjee pointed out and called for greater participation of private sectors to achieve the goal.Service sector was an important component playing its vital role in increasing the growth rate in Jharkhand, while Bihar was still largely an agriculture state, he noted. MORE UNI KKS-IS SJC -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1201851.Xml
India today expressed ignorance about any endorsement by the UNSC of the China-Pakistan economic corridor that passes through the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), as reported in the media. ''I am not aware of any endorsement,'' External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said here while replying to a question on the issue at the weekly media briefing. The media reports about the UNSC endorsement were based on a resolution passed by the UN body on March 17. Para 34 of the Resolution said the Council, ''Welcomes and urges further efforts to strengthen the process of regional economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate regional connectivity, trade and transit, including through regional development initiatives such as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road) Initiative, and regional development projects, such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000), the Chabahar port project, agreed between Afghanistan, India and the Islamic Republic of Iran,'' India has refused to join the Chinese Belt and Road initiative of which CPEC is the flagship project on the ground that it passes through a territory which was under illegal occupation of Pakistan. Joining the BRI would mean accepting Pakistan's control over the Land. Foreign Secretary during his visit to China last month had explained the Indian position to the Chinese Government.UNI NAZ SHK 1829 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-1201932.Xml
The Puducherry unit of the communist Party of India (Marxist) today urged chief minister V Narayanasamy to take action against the BJP volunteers who burnt the CPM flags. A CPM delegation led by state secretary Rajangam called on the chief minister and submitted a memorandum in this regard. The party in it's memorandum alleged that soon after the BJP came to power at the Centre, the attack on minorities,dalits and women increased.The BJP is unleashing violence on the CPM which is striving to protect the national unity and integrity and fighting against modern liberalization policy.The BJP and communal forces are deliberately creating tension and violence in Puducherry,it charged.The party also recalled the attack on a private school at Lawspet and attack on the Periyar nagar mosque.Subsequent to these,the flags of the CPI and CPI(M) were burnt.This act of the BJP is to spoil the prevailing peace here and the state government should suppress this "anti-democratic" act with an iron hand,they demanded. They urged the intervention of the chief minister to initiate action against those who burnt the party flags and also against those who instigated the same to ensure peace and harmony in the society. Later ,Mr.Rajangam told media persons that the chief minister was apprised of the incident and urged to initiate action and he also had assured to take action. Meanwhile,12 BJP workers were arrested in connection with the incident. It may be noted that in the demonstration held by the democratic Youth Federation of India held here to condemn the alleged suicide of Muthu Krishnan of JNU,the BJP government at the Centre was sharply criticised.In an action to counter this,the BJP last evening held a demonstration in which the flags of the CPI and CPI(M) were reportedly burnt,forcing the CPM to picket the Grand bazaar police. Following this,police arrested 12 BJP workers and cases under five sections including non-bailable sections were registered against them.UNI PAB JW ADG 1755 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201856.Xml
Supreme Court today asked the Centre to file its reply in a week's time to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking life-time ban on contesting election against those convicted of serious offences, as the Union of India told the court that matter has already been referred to the constitution bench. A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha granted the Centre a week's time as Centre's counsel told the court that the response has been finalised adding that the matter has already been referred to the constitution bench. The court has fixed April 18 as the next date of hearing in the case. Petitioner BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay's counsel Vikas Singh told the Court that the Election Commission (EC) had also supported the plea of banning a convicted person from contesting election for life.The petitioner has sought direction to the Centre to provide adequate infrastructure to set up special courts to decide criminal cases against elected representatives, public servants and members of judiciary within one year and to debar the convicted persons from legislature, executive and judiciary for life in spirit of Article 14 read with Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution.As of now, convicts are debarred from contesting elections for six years after serving their sentences. The poll panel made its stand clear in an affidavit to a PIL filed by BJP leader and advocate Upadhyay.The EC said it is "alive to the issues that concern the conduct of free and fair elections and functioning of healthy democracy" and is "asserting for bringing in electoral reforms which further the cause of free and fair elections". The poll panel maintained that most of its recommendations have been approved by the Law Commission in its 244th and 255th reports.The petitioner pointed out that in the executive and the judiciary, a person convicted of any criminal offence is automatically suspended and debarred from service for life. But this rule is applied differently in the case of a convicted person in the legislature."Even after conviction and undergoing sentence, a convicted person can form his own political party and is eligible to become the office-bearer of any political party. In addition, a convicted person is eligible to contest the election and eligible to become a member of the legislature and even minister after expiry of a six-year period from the date of conviction," the plea said.The Election Commission today filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court supporting a PIL for setting up special courts to decide criminal cases related to people's representatives, public servants and members of judiciary within a year and to debar the convicted persons from legislature, executive and judiciary for life.The Supreme Court granted the government and the Election Commission an opportunity to find out their stand on the plea for debarring convicts from contesting polls for life."Apart from terrorism and naxalism, the most serious problem our country is facing is extensive corruption and criminalisation of politics. In executive and judiciary, when a person is convicted for any criminal offence, he/she is suspended automatically and debarred from his services for life. This rule, however, is applied differently in case of convicted persons in the legislature," the petition said. The petitioner submitted that decriminalisation of the polity was impossible without debarring convicted persons from electoral politics for life, as done in the case of convicted persons being barred from the executive and judiciary."We cannot apply different rules to debar convicted persons from judiciary, executive and legislature," he said, adding "even after conviction and undergoing sentence, a convicted person can form his own political party and is eligible to become the office bearer of any political party", the petition claimed. UNI XC SHK 1852 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201940.Xml
Earlier in February, steps were initiated to attach the properties of the two MPs of the Congress Party to recover outstanding dues of their stay at Rajasthan House in Delhi between 2004 and 2014.

This came after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by K. B Agarwal against the MPs.

The petitioner had said that 26 MPs and MLAs from Rajasthan had not paid their dues of their stay at Rajasthan House in Delhi between 2004 and 2014.

After the court's intervention, 22 of the former ministers of Rajasthan cleared their accounts, with four others defaulting.

According to the petition, an outstanding amount of Rs. 45, 82,593 is due from former Union minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and Mahesh Joshi had to pay Rs. 27, 41,223. (ANI)
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy today called for amendment of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, saying that the unacceptable onus of reporting of such offences fell on them. Seeking deletion of Section 19 that was causing harassment to judicial officers, he said his private members'legislation was aimed at removing this section which was causing harassment of judicial officers as in divorce cases wives were demanding separation on the grounds of child molestation. He blamed the ''badly drafted law'' saying it was one of the ways to ''terrorise the judiciary'' who were now increasingly refusing to take up divorce cases. According to him, the law now forced even court judges to provide information to police authorities on knowledge of child molestation. ''If judiciary does not file report, the husband or wife makes a complaint that it should have gone to police, making it a cognisable offence.'' Mr Swamy said the law should actually have exempted judicial officers and the whole section needed to be struck down. The debate will continue.UNI SD SHK 1900 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-1202032.Xml
Governor Najma Heptulla has called upon all stakeholders to pursue vigorously to contain and eliminate Tuberculosis, while addressing at the 36th World Tuberculosis Day observation at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science Auditorium Hall here today. The observation, under the theme 'Unite to end TB - Leave No One Behind', was organised by the State TB Cell, NHM, DTC Imphal East and West, VIHAAN. The day is observed every year on March 24 to commemorate the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch discovered the TB bacillus. Addressing the gathering, the governor said, "The purpose of the observance is well reflected in the theme: Unite to end TB: Leave No One Behind." "We all know that the prevalence of TB among the people, particularly among the poor, is always a matter of concern for the public health authorities," Dr Heptulla said, adding that public perception of the disease is such that it creates panic in the minds of the people. Observing that "This disease is curable", the governor said proper awareness needs to be taken up to disseminate this information. Many a times, we have seen that those who are suffering from TB like to hide it, she said expressing concern. More UNI NS AD1859 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1202045.Xml
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken today vowed to bring transparency in all the three MCDs, if the party is voted to power in the coming Civic polls. "There is a lot of corruption and mismanagement in the BJP ruled MCD. We will ensure transparency," Mr Maken, who held Q&A session on the social networking site Facebook looking ahead of the MCD polls told a user after he asked whether there was corruption in the Corporations. On being asked about garbage, the Congress leader took a dig at the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party by saying that both have hoodwinked people of Delhi as they have not fulfilled even a single promise. He also said that because of the MCD, 407 people died in 2015 and more than 300 in 2016 died due to dengue. "Its surprising that the Delhi Municipal Corporations do not have money even to pay salaries, and Mumbai Municipal Corporation has a fixed deposit of Rs 50,000 crores. This is because of gross mismanagement and lack of transparency. Now, the BJP itself agrees with the same," the Delhi Congress Chief said on being asked to comment on the financial status of the Corporations. Mr Maken also said to improve the condition, the party will make timely payment of salaries to MCD workers so that there are no strikes, focus on sanitation and solid waste management to fight disease and improve the health and education sector, if they win the polls. Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal also held a live interaction to the woo the voters. The polling for the MCD will be held on April 23.UNI DS SHK 1902 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0177-1202005.Xml
The Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) today filed a petition in the District Munsif Court at Kumbakonam here against actor Kamal Haasan for his alleged derogatory remarks against epic Mahabharatha and Hinduism. The petitioner K.Balu, District Secretary of HMK demanded that the court, besides slapping a fine, should award maximum punishment for Kamal Haasan for having made derogatory remarks against the 'Mahabharatha.' The actor keeps making derogatory remarks about Hinduism and false remarks on the ancient epics thus hurting the sentiments and feelings of Hindu people, he said. It may be recalled that Kamal Haasan made the controversial comments, while participating in a programme hosted by a Tamil television news channel on March 12. When the anchor asked the actor's opinion about violence meted out to women, particularly those in the film industry, in recent times, the Kamal Haasan replied that Mahabharatha narrates a gambling tale in which a woman is used as a pawn and pledged. This book (epic) is appreciated in this land and thus, it is not surprising that such incidents of violence take place against women, he had said. This is the second case filed against the actor for making derogatory remarks against Mahabharatha and Hinduism. Earlier, a similar complaint was lodged before the Judicial Magistrate (JM) Court in Valliyoor in Tirunelveli district on March 21. Based on the complaint filed by one V.Authinatha Sundaram, Judge M.Senthil Kumar directed the Palavoor police to inquire the issue and file a report before it within a month. UNI GSM CS 1930 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1202122.Xml
The M K Nambyar SAARC Law Centre, NALSAR University of Law, will organise a two-day International Conference on 'Water Sharing in the SAARC Region: Legal Issues and Challenges' on March 25-26 at NALSAR University campus, an official statement said here today. Ambassador A N Ram, Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India & Former Ambassador of India will inaugurate the programme. Prof. B C Upreti, Member, Prime Minister's Eminent Persons Group, Government of India and a very renowned South Asian scholar is the Key Note Speaker for the programme. Prof. Saligram Bhatt, Adjunct professor, NALSAR and Prof. G S Sachdeva, Adjunct Professor, NALSAR are the Guest of Honour for the occasion, the statement said. The proposed conference aims at debating the wide range of issues relating to regional water resources such as the profiles of South Asian water bodies, sources of water-sharing disputes, legal conventions/instruments, of water management, major issues and disputes, water as a source of regional energy security, sustainable and ecological dimensions of water resources. It is intended to bring together leading academicians, students, specialists, policy analysts, defense personnel and think tanks from India and abroad, SAARC states in particular. The conference has received a huge response from Universities across the country as well from other SAARC Countries including Professors from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the statement added.UNI VV JW ADG 1900 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201890.Xml
Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today said that the Central government undertakings like Indian Oil Corporation and ONGC will promote 'smart classes' in rural areas in Union Territory, under their corporate social responsibility programme.Handing over books on various subjects donated by the Delhi based book publishing house M/s S. Chand and Company the government school libraries here the Chief Minister said that the government was keen to promote education and make it accessible to the poor students particularly in rural areas.Pondicherry Heritage Round Table 167 (PHRT 167) a constituent of the Round Table India had collaborated with the publishing house to make the books available to the government school libraries here.He said that the Central government owned ONGC and Indian Oil Corporation have already expressed interest in implementing `smart classes` scheme in the Union Territory which would meet the education requirements and academic uplift of the students particularly in rural areas. He said that the books handed over to libraries in government schools should be used by students to hone their skills.Chairman of the PHRT 167 N.Venkataramani said that the books would go a long way to ensure educational uplift of the students in Union Territory. He said that the PHRT 167 had been taking up important projects. Very soon `Seemai karuvela trees` would be removed in rural areas through a project of the PHRT 167, he said. A pond was desilted in Lourdes Nagar in Villianoor commune Panchayat limits in January this year.Mr.T.Jayamoorthy MLA, Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu, the chairman of PHRT 167 N.Venkataramani, the Secretary of Round Table Area -Two (Chennai) Mr.Rahul and the Joint Director of Education J. Krishnaraj were among those present.Chief Minister handed over symbolically books to the heads of some government schools from Puducherry. Around 10,000 books worth Rs 40 lakhs were donated to the libraries in various government schools in Puducherry and Karaikal regions under the `Read India` scheme of the Delhi based book publishing house. UNI PAB JW ADG 1952 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201989.Xml
"The Hyderabad court cited the bail orders in the Samjhauta Express blast case and Ajmer blast case to give conditional bail to Aseemanand in the Mecca Masjid case," advocate J.P.Sharma told ANI.

Sharma stated that the documents verification process will decide Aseemanand's release from jail.

"If the bail bonds are accepted, the accused may be released in the evening. If some verification is required then the court will grant some date, perhaps Monday or Tuesday," Sharma added.

Aseemanand has been asked to surrender his passport and not leave Hyderabad without permission from the court.

In August 2014, the Punjab and Haryana Court had granted bail to Aseemanand in the 2007 Samjhauta train blast and on March 8 this month, he was granted bail by a Jaipur court in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case as well.

As many as nine people were killed and several others injured when an IED exploded inside the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad on May 18, 2007. (ANI)
Urging global community to eradicate terrorism, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said there can be no justification for terrorism under any circumstances, adding that the international community must work together. "Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of the victims who succumbed to the grievous injuries suffered by Westminster terrorist violence. The news of the appalling acts of violence against innocent civilians that took place in London yesterday has been received in India with shock and sadness," President Mukherjee expressed pity in a message to Queen Elizabeth II. The President said India is confident that citizens of the United Kingdom would not allow their way of life to be affected by those who attempt to undermine democracy and the values of free, open and pluralistic societies. President Mukherjee expressed deepest condolences at the tragic loss of life in Thursday's incidents and conveyed his sincere wishes for the full and speedy recovery of the injured. (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir Government has initiated a process of scrutinising documents possessed by the population of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in this winter capital of state. "We received inputs regarding one particular family belonging to this particular community," Simrandeep Singh, Deputy Commissioner Jammu here told UNI. Mr Singh said the matter was inquired and later went to the house to find out as it seemed to be serious and concerning. "The allegations were confirmed based on which we will scan our databases to weed out these illegal immigrants if there are more cases of these migrants possessing these Proofs of Identity which they are not supposed to have," said the Deputy Commissioner. He further said, "our teams will do a complete scan of documents of all these people." "They allegedly (Rohingyas/Bangladeshis) had managed proof of local identity or address following which all the services were being availed," Mr Singh asserted. He further said that after Proof of Identity and Proof of Address would be deleted, then all the service providers have to take action against them. "There are nearly 30 locations identified where the population of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas is residing in either rented or encroached accommodations," he added. Jammu-based political parties were up in arms against the illegal settlement of the population in the winter capital while protests were also lodged demanding their repatriation.UNI VBH PY RJ 2115 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1202259.Xml
India today indicated that it had no plan as of now of participating in Washington with Pakistan on the Indus water Treaty. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said here there had been no change in the previous Indian position on any of the matters discussed at the permanent Commission on Indus Water Treaty, which met in Pakistan this week. "At this stage, it would be premature to talk of hypothetical contingencies," Mr Baglay said. He was responding to a question on Pakistan water and power minister Khwaja Asif's announcement during the Indus Water Treaty meeting between the two countries that they would hold a three-day way forward meeting on Ratle and Kishengang projects in Washington in April. Mr Baglay said the meeting of the permanent Indus Water Commission which took place on 20-21 March in Pakistan is a mandatory Treaty requirement. So long as India was a party to the Treaty, it wasitsr legal obligation to attend the Treaty-mandated meetings which was held at least once every financial year,he said. "The Commission is a bilateral body of engineers and technical experts. They had detailed technical discussions. Our team has since returned and the deliberations and discussions at the meeting are being assessed," he said. UNI NAZ PY RJ 2104 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1202312.Xml
The firing was carried out in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, against a live low flying high speed target.

The firing was conducted as part of the Operational Readiness Inspection.

It's a reappropriated short range SAM system Barak from a front line frigate which got decommissioned recently.

The missile marks a significant milestone in providing Air Interception and Defence capabilities and enhancing operational capabilities of the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier and the fleet. (ANI)
The parents of an Indian woman who along with her seven-year-old son found dead in their home in New Jersey, suspect the involvement of their son-in-law. N. Hanumantha Rao allegedly found the bodies of his wife N. Sasikala (40) and son Anish Sai when he returned home from work on Thursday evening, his family said in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. Sasikala's parents, who live on the outskirts of Vijayawada, however said they suspect the involvement of their son-in-law. Venkateshwarlu and Krishna Kumari alleged that he was not treating their daughter well for last two years and he was also carrying on an extramarital affair. Sasikala's parents said she had told them over phone several times that he is not looking after her well and was continuing the affair with another woman. They said Hanumantha Rao telephoned them Friday just to say that his wife and son have died and did not say anything more. Y. Sambasiva Rao, the lawmaker from Prakasam district, meanwhile spoke to representatives of Telugu Association of North America (TANA) over phone about the incident. He said the mother and her son were strangulated to death. Hanumantha Rao and Sasikala both were software professionals. Sasikala used to work from home for an IT company while Hanumantha Rao is working as an associate director in another firm. The couple married in Vijayawada in 2004 and had been living in the US for nine years. This is the latest in a series of incidents involving Indian techies. Telangana aeronautical engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed when Adam W. Purinton, who earlier served in the US Navy, shot him in Olathe, Kansas, on February 23. Vamshi Reddy Mamidala, also from Telangana, was shot dead in Milpitas, California, on February 10 in a garage in his apartment building. --IANS ms/vd ( 315 Words) 2017-03-24-22:54:06 (IANS)
Spanish Defence Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal has reaffirmed Madrid's commitment to spend two per cent of its GDP on defence, but not before the 2024 deadline established by NATO. Cospedal on Thursday met US Defence Secretary James Mattis at the Pentagon here, Efe news reported. The Spanish official said at a press conference afterwards that Spain, one of the NATO countries with the lowest military spending was committed to increasing spending on defence by 2024, when the 10-year period agreed to in September 2014 by the alliance's members expires. "We spoke about reaching that (two per cent) commitment. Obviously, internal US policy changes, but Spain's policy does, too," Cospedal said. Cospedal had earlier on Wednesday attended a ministerial meeting to discuss combating jihadism, organised by the Department of State where Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis also participated. US President Donald Trump has insisted that NATO partners who are not meeting the minimum percentage agreed to within the Atlantic Alliance must increase their defence spending, given that the US, in his judgment, is shouldering too much of the burden. During the 2016 election campaign, Trump said that NATO was obsolete and that the US should not bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of other nations' defence, remarks he moderated upon winning the November election, but which continue to spark controversy. After last week's visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House, Trump tweeted that Germany "owes money" to the US for the contribution Washington has made to collective European defence, one of the pillars of the Western international order. Cospedal acknowledged that Spain spends less than one percent of its GDP on defence, making it one of the NATO members farthest from the two per cent threshold, ahead of only Luxemburg, according to NATO figures. The US, UK, Greece, Estonia and Poland are at or above the two per cent mark, while Mattis recently said that he hopes that four other countries will join that group within a year. "I relayed to (Mattis) the Spanish commitment to fulfil that percentage ... within a decade," the Spanish minister said. "Mattis informed me that he is aware of Spain's promise and that fulfilling it is important for the maintenance of the Atlantic Alliance," she said. Cospedal added that she had reminded Mattis of Spain's contribution to international missions. "Spain is one of the European Union countries with the highest percentage of defence spending devoted to international missions," she said. Spain sends troops on peacekeeping missions abroad, including the US-led mission against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Iraq, where Madrid recently increased its troop contingent by 150, adding to the 300 soldiers already deployed on a training mission. The minister also said that US military bases in Spain, including Moron and Rota, provide an "incalculable" benefit. Meanwhile, Mattis emphasised the threat to NATO's "southern flank" and noted that Spain is a key ally due to its geographic location in pursuing operations in Libya, where the IS has an important presence. He also emphasised the two countries' common front against "growing" threats elsewhere in Europe. --IANS in/ ( 530 Words) 2017-03-24-09:10:07 (IANS)
The United States has warned that the militant Islamic State (IS) group has stepped up its efforts in recruiting young people from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Speaking at the 10th Global Coalition ministerial meeting on IS in Washington on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson hinted at establishing a safe zone in the Middle East for sheltering Syrian refugees, reports Dawn. "The United States will increase pressure on ISIS and Al Qaeda and will work to establish interim zones of stability, through ceasefires, to allow refugees to return home," he said, adding that Mr Tillerson said that since the United States and its allies had broken their back in the Middle East, IS militants were moving to other regions to recruit fighters. "Today, . Daesh (IS) is resorting to many terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and many other places in Europe in order to send a message that they are still standing and they want for those young people to go fight in its ranks," he said. The 68-member global coalition against the IS is the largest in history and 23 of its partners have over 9,000 troops in Iraq and Syria to back the effort to defeat IS militants. Since Pakistan is not a member, it did not attend the ministerial conference. US General John Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, for a few thousand more troops to help Kabul defeat the militants. At recent briefings in Washington, US General John Nicholson Gen Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, said that almost 70 per cent of IS fighters in Afghanistan were Pakistani Taliban who joined the group after they were forced out of their country. (ANI)
Environmental organisation Greenpeace on Friday released a video showing the "silent and high-speed destruction" of the Great Barrier Reef, caused by coral bleaching that has occurred for two years in a row. The images were captured by short-range drones on March 17 above the central zone of the 2,300-km-long Great Barrier Reef, a marine ecosystem stretching along the Queensland coast, Efe news reported. "Almost all of the coral we saw was dead or bleached," a Greenpeace Australia official said in a statement. "I've seen previous bleaching on the Reef but nothing could have prepared me to see the reality of the destruction up close," he said. When facing an increase in water temperature, corals eject the zooxanthallae algae which provide the host corals with oxygen and a portion of the organic compounds produced through its photosynthesis process. The coral polyps are then left without pigmentation, which is a phenomenon known as coral-bleaching. The increase in seawater temperatures recorded between 2015 and 2016 has worsened the effects of the cyclical natural phenomenon El Nino, which caused 93 per cent of the Great Barrier coral to bleach, 22 per cent of which has died. Scientists and activists point out that the Great Barrier Reef, an ecosystem which was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, has suffered from coral bleaching for two consecutive years without having time to recover. The recent coral deterioration is considered more severe than cases in 1998 and 2002. "What is most heartbreaking about this footage is that it shows a lot of the coral that managed to survive last year is now totally bleached and on its way to dying," the spokesman added. Unesco placed the Great Barrier Reef under observation in 2015 due to the improper management of the ecosystem by the Australian government. However, Greenpeace criticised Australian Government's plans to invest $760 million in developing a huge coal mine in the area, demanding that the project be abandoned. The Great Barrier Reef began to deteriorate in the 1990s as a result of the double impact of the increase in water temperature and in water acidity caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. --IANS ksk/vt ( 370 Words) 2017-03-24-12:38:08 (IANS)
A battle against Islamic State to recapture the Syrian city of Raqqa is likely to start in the coming days, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday."France has always said that Raqqa was a major objective," Le Drian told CNews television station. "Today, one can say that Raqqa is encircled, that the battle for Raqqa will start in the coming days.""It will be a very hard battle, but a battle that is going to be of utmost importance," he added.Earlier this week, the U.S. Pentagon department had said that the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State had for the first time airdropped local ground forces behind enemy lines near the ISIS-held town of Tabqa in northern Syria, opening up a new front in the campaign to recapture Raqqa.Reuters CJ PM1349 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1201420.Xml
The top United Nations human rights body agreed today to send an international fact-finding mission to investigate widespread allegations of killings, rape and torture by security forces against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state.The 47-member state forum adopted a resolution by consensus, brought by the European Union (EU), that called for "ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims".A UN report issued last month, based on interviews with 220 Rohingya among 75,000 who have fled to Bangladesh since October, said that Myanmar's security forces have committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya in a campaign that "very likely" amounts to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing.Myanmar's delegation, referring to the resolution, said that "such kind of action is not acceptable". Reuters JW NS1550 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201609.Xml
Advocate Farid el-Dib told Efe news the former leader left Maadi hospital on Friday early morning and returned to his home in Cairo.

In May 2014, Mubarak was sentenced to three years in jail after he was found guilty of appropriating millions of Egyptian pounds which had been allocated to the presidential palaces.

Mubarak, 89, spent his entire detention period at a military hospital in Cairo.

On March 2, an Egyptian upper court issued a final verdict affirming Mubarak's acquittal of charges of the murder of protestors demonstrating in the 2011 uprising which ended his 30-year rule.

Mubarak was previously acquitted of similar charges in 2015, however, the prosecution later appealed the verdict.

--IANS ksk/dg

( 158 Words)

2017-03-24-16:28:08 (IANS)
At least one person was killed and three others were injured after an explosion in a suburb of the Egyptian capital of Cairo today interestingly on the same day as ousted former president Hosni Mubarak was released from prison. The incident in Maadi occurred around the same time Mubarak left Maadi Military Hospital, where he had been detained after six years behind bars, reports the Independent. Security services said that the cause of the blast was not immediately known. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Earlier on March 2, Egypt's top appeals court acquitted Mubarak, 88, of involvement in the killing of protesters during the 2011 revolt that ended his 30-year rule. (ANI)
Switzerland has opened a criminal probe into possible spying involving Switzerland's Turkish community, federal prosecutors said today."The Office of the Attorney General has been made aware of concrete suspicion that political espionage has likely been conducted involving the Turkish community in Switzerland," the agency said in a statement, giving no details about the probe launched on March 16.The Swiss foreign minister told his Turkish counterpart on Thursday that Switzerland would "rigorously investigate" any illegal spying by Ankara on expatriate Turks before an April 16 referendum that could expand Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's powers. REUTERS JW BD1731 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201806.Xml
A French citizen kidnapped in Chad near the border with Sudan's Darfur region has been taken into Sudan, a senior Chadian security source said today."We have a mixed Chadian-Sudanese force continuing the search," the source told Reuters. REUTERS JW BL1746 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201821.Xml
The Russian Foreign Ministry said today that the United States had told Moscow it would not take part in a conference on Afghanistan in the Russian capital in April, a decision the ministry said it regretted, the Interfax news agency reported.Moscow is still unaware of the new US administration's stance on Afghanistan, the ministry was cited as saying. REUTERS PY AN1943 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1202108.Xml
The leader of the France's National Front political party, Marine Le Pen today lambasted the European Union's diplomacy of ''threats and blackmail'' towards Russia.Le Pen is on a visit to Moscow on the invitation of Russia's State Duma International Affairs Committee , Vyacheslav Volodin."As for the sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union and my attitude towards them, you know that we have always opposed the sanctions. I believe they are unfair and silly, to say the least," she said during a meeting with Volodin. "However, this made it possible to reveal the opposition, which is countering this phenomenon in the EU," Le Pen added."We reject the diplomacy of threats, the diplomacy of sanctions, the diplomacy of blackmail that the European Union has been using increasingly often, not only against Russia, but also against its own members," she noted.She also expressed the hope that France will eventually cancel the blacklists of Russian citizens on its territory."I have always pressed for the abolition of sanctions, which I regard as counter-productive," she said."I do hope that France will be able to achieve a solution when we will be able to cancel the blacklists at least on the territory of our country.""I believe that the ban preventing members of parliaments from meeting each other and working together is a violation of democratic rights and freedoms," Le Pen said, adding that the blacklists of Russian citizens still remained in effect largely under pressure from Brussels. Le Pen said that her stance on the conflict in Ukraine remains identical to Russia's."As far as the situation in Ukraine is concerned, I have been one of the few politicians in France who have pressed for their own viewpoint on Ukraine, identical to Russia's. My stance has remained unchanged ever since the conflict began," Le Pen said.UNI XC JW ADG 1907 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1201949.Xml
President Donald Trump today unveiled his administration's official go-ahead for the Keystone XL pipeline, a controversial project that was rejected by his predecessor, former President Barack Obama."I'm pleased to announce the official approval of the presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office."We're working out the final details as we speak," he said.REUTERS PY PR2031 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1202262.Xml
by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of doctors in India's western state of Maharashtra Thursday continued their strike to protest assaults on them at the hands of relatives of patients.

The doctors went on strike in Mumbai on Monday demanding adequate security measures inside hospitals. Thursday marked the fourth-straight day of strike sending local government into a tizzy.

Last week three doctors were attacked inside hospital wards by relatives of patients.

The protests erupted on Sunday evening after Rohith Kumar, a junior doctor was beaten by relatives of a woman patient, who died in Lokmanya Tilak hospital. Kumar according to witnesses was attacked by over a dozen people following her death and the two hospital guards on duty were outnumbered by the crowd accompanying the woman. Doctors said the woman was suffering from chronic kidney failure.

Attack on Kumar was the seventh of its kind in the last fortnight and alerted the medical community especially doctors in India.

Reports said junior doctors in over two dozen government hospitals took unpaid leave to protest the government apathy over the rising assaults.

The junior doctors began their strike with hundreds of them staying away from work by going on mass casual leave. The absence triggered chaos inside hospitals and forced senior doctors to tackle the rush of patients.

The protesting doctors staged protests outside hospitals in Mumbai holding placards that read "save the saviours" and shouted "we want safety".

"On an average we work for 14-18 hours a day and in return, we are being bullied and thrashed," said Atul, a junior doctor told Xinhua over telephone from Mumbai. "We are totally unsafe inside hospitals and we simply want a secure workplace."

The doctors strike has badly hit the patient care inside hospitals and distressed patients were being turned away.

"The doctors were not present inside ward and hospital staff told me to come back next week," Sakhshi Malhotra accompanying her mother to hospital said. Malhotra's mother is suffering for Parkinson's diseases.

The local government had asked striking doctors to resume duties by Wednesday evening or face stern action, including a salary cut for six months.

However, on Thursday in India's capital city New Delhi around 20,000 resident doctors in government-run hospitals went on a mass casual leave to express their solidarity with the Maharashtra doctors.

On Wednesday 1,200 doctors at India's premier health institute - All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) turned up in hospital wearing helmets in a bid to support their counterparts in Maharashtra.

The Bombay high court Thursday asked striking resident doctors to end their strike and join duties immediately. The court asked local government to make adequate security arrangements for the safety of doctors at government hospitals within 15 days, so they can work without fear.

The court's judgement came in a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking action against the protesting doctors.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the state's lawmaking body that government will take every possible step to ensure protection of doctors.

Meanwhile, India's federal Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda expressed concern about the security issues relating to doctors and urged state governments to ensure safe working conditions inside hospitals.

"Deeply concerned about security issues relating to doctors. I would request state Govts to take proactive measure to ensure their security," Nadda wrote on twitter. "I would also urge upon the doctors to continue to provide their best services to people, so that they don't suffer."

However, striking doctors are yet to call off their protest despite government assurance.

The Indian government spends 1.15 per cent of its GDP on public healthcare, among the lowest in the world. Last week, the government introduced a new national health bill that promises to raise public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the GDP in a time-bound manner.
JERUSALEM, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel's cyber police arrested on Thursday an Israeli-American teen suspected of sending bomb threats to "hundreds" of Jewish institutions around the world.

The 19-year-old youth holds a dual Israeli and U.S. citizenship.

He was arrested Thursday morning at home in Ashkelon, a town in southern Israel. His father was also detained for questioning. A court remanded their arrest until March 30.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said that the arrests by the Israel Police's International Crime Investigations Unit were made at the request of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law-enforcement authorities after traces of the threats lead to Israel.

The police believed the suspect carried out hundreds of fake bomb calls to synagogues, schools, and other Jewish community buildings in several countries including the United States, New Zealand and Australia.

He allegedly warned the U.S.-based Delta Air Lines of a bomb on one of its airplanes, which led to an emergency landing of the flight.

The teen used "advanced technologies to mask" his traces, said Samri.

His lawyer, Galit Bash, said that the youth suffers from a "medical condition" that affects his cognitive functioning.

Samri added that the court has accepted the request for the teen to go through a medical examination.
KHARTOUM, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour and South Sudan Ambassador in Khartoum Mayan Dot on Thursday reviewed arrangements relating to visit of South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to Sudan.

"Foreign Minister Ghandour and Ambassador Mayan reviewed arrangements relating to visit of President Salva Kiir to Khartoum," said Sudan's Foreign Ministry in a press release Thursday, without fixing a date for the visit.

The meeting also reviewed cooperation between the two countries and speeding up implementation of outcome of recent meetings of the joint political and security committee besides the communication program between the two countries' oil ministries, it said.

Ghandour, according to the release, urged South Sudan government to reactivate the results of talks and agreements reached during the recent visit by South Sudan's First Vice-President to Khartoum.

He reiterated Sudan's keenness to support South Sudan to face its current circumstances.

On Aug. 22 last year, South Sudan's First Vice-President Taban Deng announced during a visit to Khartoum that the two countries have agreed not to support or harbour the rebel groups in the two countries.

However, Khartoum says Juba is still hosting the fighters of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector, which is fighting the government at South Kordofan and Blue Nile, besides other rebel groups which are fighting the government in Darfur. Enditem
SANTIAGO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Chilean miners on Thursday ended a strike that paralyzed operations at the world's largest copper mine for 43 days.

The miners accepted a deal "to extend the current collective contract for 18 months," the regional daily Cooperativa said, adding the decision was seen as "a victory" by the union despite a failure to secure a wage increase.

Union leader Patricio Tapia hailed the decision for strengthening the collective contract and for calling for a new round of negotiations starting "on June 1, 2018 under the norms of the labor reform," which will include both existing and new workers and be based on the current contract terms.

Tapia called the strike "the most important union struggle in recent decades."

The more than month-long strike led to losses of some 700 million U.S. dollars at La Escondida mine in the northern Antofagasta region.

Company president Marcelo Castillo described the strike as "damaging to both the workers and the company."

With copper being Chile's No. 1 export, the strike is expected to put a dent in monthly gross domestic product figures.

Miners are expected to be back at work on Saturday, the daily said.
UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday called for immediate efforts by the parties in South Sudan to fully honor their commitment to carry out an agreement for a permanent ceasefire in the world's youngest country.

The 15-nation UN body, in a presidential statement adopted at an open meeting on South Sudan, "expresses its deep concern at the failure of the parties to fully adhere to their commitments to implement the agreement," known as the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

The Security Council called for the "immediate adhere to the permanent ceasefire by all forces of the parties to the conflict and all other armed groups," the statement said.

The council urges all the parties to "urgently address the challenges faced by humanitarian personnel in the delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout South Sudan and specifically to famine-affected ares, including through meetings of the Humanitarian High Level Oversight Committee and urgent implement of its decisions," the statement said.

"The Security Council expresses deep concern at the situation in South Sudan, stresses again that there is no military solution to the conflict, and renews its condemnation of continued fighting across the country," the statement said.

"The Security Council is deeply alarmed that famine was declared in parts of South Sudan, that many more South Sudanese face severe food insecurity, and is deeply concerned about the actions of all parties to the conflict that are perpetuating the humanitarian crisis," the statement said.

Intense fighting in South Sudan has displaced 1.5 million people who have been forced to leave the country and seek safety since conflict erupted in December 2013.

The intense fighting broke out in South Sudan in July 2016 following the collapse of a peace deal between the government and opposition forces.

The United Nations said that more than 760,000 refugees fled the country in 2016, as the conflict intensified in the second half of the year -- on an average of 63,000 people were forced to leave the country per month.

South Sudan has faced ongoing challenges since a political face-off between President Salva Kiir and his former Vice-President Riek Machar erupted into full conflict in December 2013.

The crisis has produced one of the world's worst displacement situations with immense suffering for civilians.

Despite the August 2015 peace agreement that formally ended the war, conflict and instability have also spread to previously unaffected areas.
HELSINKI, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A plan to build a major mosque here using foreign financing has become a national issue in Finland with local elections under two weeks away.

The final decision would fall upon Helsinki Councilors to be elected in April.

Over two years ago, three local Islamic organizations filed an application to the city of Helsinki to be given an area on the eastern waterfront to build a large mosque.

Financing for the 140-million-euro (151 million U.S. dollars) project was said to come from a Middle East country.

The 20,000-square meter building would be erected at a location within two kilometers from the city center and would be twice as big as the neoclassical Lutheran Christian cathedral of Helsinki.

The debate concerns both the alleged security risks in foreign financing as well as the question how a major mosque would be accommodated to the Helsinki skyline.

There are some 80 small mosques in Finland, 30 of them in the capital area. However, only one of them was originally built as a mosque, and the rest have been converted from other use. Currently, some 60,000 Muslims live in Finland.

The proposal to put the monumental building on a piece of land owned by the city made it an issue in local politics.

Decision-makers who are opposed to the plan have suggested that Finland follow the example of Austria in restricting foreign financing of mosques. They also noted the initiators of the plan in Finland had no way of handling such a major project on their own.

Conservative mayoral candidate Jan Vapaavuori said he opposed the construction, irrespective of Finnish or foreign financing, as it would be "too big to be in Helsinki".

Ujuni Ahmed, a local city council candidate of the conservative party, said Helsinki would need "a mosque that looks like a mosque".

Some politicians of Middle Eastern background acknowledged the need for a mosque, but were cautious about the risk that Shiite and Sunni Muslims might not be treated equally in the establishment.

Nasima Razmyar, a Finnish Member of Parliament of Muslim background, told news service Uusi Suomi this week that a mosque that would promote dialogue with other religions should be open to all Muslims. She also asked how the running costs of the mosque would be met.

The plan received high profile backing recently. Heikki Pursiainen, director of the liberal think tank Libera, issued a strongly worded write-up in favor the plan.

He said that in a free country a person was allowed to build any size of church or mosque on his or her own land. "If the project purchases an area at the market price, no one would have the right to complain," he noted.

Pursiainen admitted the real estate leasing policies of the city complicated the situation. "The city should not rent out space to religious organizations at a discount rate. If it does, all religions must be eligible."
UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Climate change is an unprecedented and growing threat to peace, prosperity and development and addressing it presents an economic opportunity for governments and business, top UN officials said here Thursday, calling upon UN member states to remain committed to Paris climate accord.

The statement came at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly poised in the coming days to announce his plans to dismantle the centerpiece of former President Barack Obama's climate change legacy, which includes his efforts to help bring the Paris Agreement into being in December 2015.

Trump's moves are intended to send an unmistakable signal to the nation and the world that he intends to follow through on his campaign vows to rip apart every element of what the current U.S. president has called Obama's "stupid" policies to deal with climate change.

"We are dealing with scientific facts, not politics. And the facts are clear. Climate change is a direct threat in itself, and a multiplier of many other threats," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said while addressing a UN General Assembly high-level action event aimed at invigorating political momentum on climate change, highlighting its deep links to the UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

Guterres said his messages to the meeting are simple.

"First, climate change is an unprecedented and growing threat -- to peace and prosperity and the same in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," a guideline for the global development efforts for the years running up to 2030, Guterres said. "Second, addressing climate change is a massive opportunity that we cannot afford to miss."

The Paris Agreement on climate change adopted in December 2015 is unique in its universality, with every single government having signed it. The pact entered force in less than a year. To date more than 130 Parties have ratified it, and the numbers are growing monthly.

The countries that supported the Paris Agreement are the same that adopted the 2030 Agenda -- they comprise all the 193 UN member states.

The reason for this consensus is clear: all nations recognize that implementing the 2030 Agenda goes hand-in-glove with limiting global temperature rise and increasing climate resilience.

Guterres said that last year was once again the hottest on record. Sea ice is at a historic low and sea levels at a historic high. These trends are indisputable, he stressed, explaining that consequences of climate change include food insecurity, water scarcity, poverty and displacement.

Tackling climate change is a tremendous opportunity for governments and business as there is no trade-off between a healthy environment and a healthy economy.

"We can have both. Green business is good business," he said.

"How we go about it can be the subject of scientific and political debate. But there is no question that we must act, urgently and decisively, now," Guterres said. "And it remains the only viable way to safeguard peace, prosperity and a sustainable future."

Also addressing the event were Peter Thomson, the president of the General Assembly, and Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Thomson said that he had recently met with Petteri Taalas, the secretary-general of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), who confirmed that the world is currently on track towards a 3-to-4 Celsius-degree increase in global temperatures.

"I have always understood ... that once we reach the 3C - 4C range, humanity's survival on this planet will be put in jeopardy," the president said.

Cyclone Winston and Cyclone Pam which devastated Fiji and Vanuatu in recent years were among the strongest tropical cyclones to ever make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Fiji, an island nation where Thomson is from, has already begun relocating low-lying villages to higher ground, away from the encroaching shoreline and the rising threat of storm surges.

"While the prognosis is dire, the scientific community assures us it is possible to bend the curve on current trajectories, if we work together to curb the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions," Thomson said, reiterating his call for all parties to the Paris Agreement to ratify it without delay and for those that have already done so to deliver on their commitments.

Echoing the president's statement, Espinosa said that it is a necessity to bend the emissions curve, build societies resilient to climate impacts and reduce risk by limiting warming to safe levels.

"And the policies that accomplish these goals must be developed with a focus on the sustained wellbeing of people, sound stewardship of the planet and responsible economic growth," she said, noting that such a transformation opens the door to a future where growing human needs are reconciled against the need for a stable climate and healthy ecosystems.

"This challenge is immense. Inaction or insufficient action will destabilize the natural systems that underpin all social and economic development," she said, urging concerted effort to overcome this challenge.

"We have truly entered the era of implementation," she said. "It is up to us, collectively as one community of nations, to accelerate action that builds a better future for all."
SAN FRANCISCO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A new study has taken a step forward to monitoring patients' response to cancer therapy by simply having their blood drawn and protein biomarkers measured.

The new probe starts with isolating cancer proteins in rare, individual tumor cells that float in the blood, and then using a microfluidic device to break the cells open and test the cellular contents for protein biomarkers, which are indicators of cancer.

In the study led by the University of California, Berkeley, researchers have isolated circulating tumor cells from the blood of breast cancer patients and used microscale physics to design a precision test for eight protein biomarkers while tring to expand the number of proteins identifiable with this technology.

"Tremendous advances have been made in DNA and RNA profiling in cells collected using a liquid biopsy. We extend those advances to highly selective measurement of proteins -- the 'molecular machines' of the cell," said Amy Herr, a UC Berkeley bioengineering professor. "We are working to create medicine that would allow a doctor to monitor a patient's treatment response through a blood draw, perhaps on a daily basis."

Circulating tumor cells are believed to be a potentially rich source of information about a person's cancer. These cells are thought to break off from the original tumor and circulate in the blood, and may be a sign of an aggressive tumor.

But studying these cells is difficult because the cells are rare, so few are collected even when enriched from the blood. The cells contain different proteins than the original tumor, so research is ongoing to unlock their secrets.

To better study these cells, the researchers collaborated with physician-scientists and industry engineers to develop a microfluidics system that separates these large cells into a concentrated sample.

A key advance made by the team headed by Herr was in devising a system to precisely handle and manipulate the concentrated cells from blood, according to a news release from UC Berkeley. The researchers then analyzed each circulating tumor cell for the specific panel of cancer proteins.

To be analyzed, each cell was place in a microwell with a diameter roughly half the width of a human hair. Once settled in the microwell, the circulating tumor cells were burst open and the proteins released from inside each cell were separated according to differences in size or mass.

The researchers were then able to identify cancer proteins by introducing fluorescent probes that bind to and light up a specific protein target. By sorting and probing the protein targets, the test is more selective than existing pathology tools.

Enhanced selectivity will be crucial in detecting subtle chemical modifications to biomarkers that can be important but difficult to measure, Herr was quoted as saying.

"Microfluidic design was key in this study. We were able to integrate features needed for each measurement stage into one process," she said. "Systems integration allowed us to do every single measurement step very, very quickly while the biomarkers are still concentrated. If not performed exceptionally fast, the cell's proteins diffuse away and become undetectable."

The study was published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications.
Your digital subscription includes access to all content on our agricultural websites across the nation. Access unlimited content and the digital versions of our print editions - This Week's Paper.
CARACAS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela has been officially approved to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Thursday, which has brought its total approved membership to 70.

President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro told business leaders the approval of the AIIB membership at the opening of the 2017 Venezuela Power Expo, an industrial trade show being held in the capital Caracas.

Membership in the development bank will facilitate access to financing and technical support for public works, said Maduro.

Launched in January 2015 and headquartered in Beijing, AIIB's mission is to improve economic and social development in Asia by investing in high quality, financially viable and environmentally friendly infrastructure projects.

The AIIB announced Thursday its board of governors had approved 13 applications to join the bank.

The approved applicants are five regional prospective members -- Afghanistan, Armenia, Fiji, Hong Kong of China and Timor Leste -- and eight non-regional: Belgium, Canada, Ethiopia, Hungary, Ireland, Peru, the Republic of Sudan and Venezuela.

The 13 prospective members will officially join the bank once they complete the required domestic processes and deposit their first capital. The shares allocated to them come from an existing pool of unallocated shares.
Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 7, 2017 shows top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (unseen) recently supervising a ballistic rocket launching drill of the Korean People's Army (KPA). (Xinhua/KCNA)

UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned the most recent ballistic missile launch conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on March 21 and a ballistic missile engine test on March 19.

"The launch and engine test are in grave violation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's international obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), and 2321 (2016)," according to a Security Council press statement.

The members of the Security Council deplore all the DPRK ballistic missile activities, including this launch and the engine test, noting that such activities contribute to the DPRK's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension in the region and beyond as well as the risk of a regional arms race," it says.

They "further regretted" that the DPRK is diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles while DPRK citizens "have great unmet needs," according to the statement.

They reiterated that the DPRK shall refrain from further actions, including nuclear tests, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions," says the statement.

They called upon all Member States to "redouble their efforts" to implement fully the measures imposed on the DPRK by the Security Council, particularly the comprehensive measures contained in resolutions 2321 (2016) and 2270 (2016), the statement says.

They agreed that the Security Council would continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures, in line with the Council's previously expressed determination, according to the statement.

Related:

DPRK sends letter to UN chief on situation in Korean Peninsula

PYONGYANG, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The permanent representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the United Nations has sent a letter to the UN chief regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, blaming the United States and South Korea for stoking tension there.

According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday, the DPRK permanent representative to the UN said in the letter that the Korean Peninsula is on the brink of war due to the largest ever joint military drills being staged by the United States and South Korea. Full story

DPRK slams Japan for launching spy satellite

PYONGYANG, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Thursday slammed Japan for launching a spy satellite as a revelation of Tokyo's ambition to invade Korea again as it did more than one century ago.
LONDON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese automaker Geely has invested 300 million pounds (373.59 million U.S. dollars) in a new factory to build electric versions of the famous black London taxi cabs.

The new R&D and manufacturing facility, ran by the Geely subsidiary the London Taxi Company (LTC), held an official opening on Wednesday in the English Midlands city of Coventry.

The company also announced that the second vehicle to come off the line will be a dedicated, range extended electric light commercial van (LCV).

This all new, highly flexible, commercially competitive electric vehicle will help fleet owners lower their running costs, improve air quality and support cities in tackling the pollution crisis in urban areas.

The factory opening comes ahead of legislation due to take effect from January next year which means all new London black cabs must be electric.

British Business Secretary Greg Clark said: "Our iconic black cabs are famous across the world. The London Taxi Company's impressive new factory and R&D facility showcases the innovation that makes the UK a world leader in the development of new automotive technologies."

LTC chief executive Chris Gubbey said the opening of the new plant, which would help create and safeguard 1,000 jobs, marked the "rebirth of the LTC".

Carl-Peter Forster, chairman of LTC, said the new plant was the first new automotive manufacturing facility in Britain for over a decade and also "the first dedicated electric vehicle factory in the UK; and the first major Chinese investment in UK automotive".

The largest British trade union Unite was delighted with the resurgence of the taxi brand, which protects high-skilled jobs and will create more in the future.

Unite regional officer Peter Coulson said the company was on its knees in 2013 but "thanks to the commitment of Geely's top management and accompanying large-scale investment the iconic London taxi is set for its continued renaissance".

"Unite has worked very closely and successfully with the company to contribute to this success story which is one of the great comebacks in Britain's long industrial history," said Coulson.

"Geely sees great potential for the iconic London taxi which is famous across the world with its cameo appearances at the 2012 London Olympics and in the James Bond film franchise. The company is already exporting to the Middle East and is eyeing up the Australian market."

The current fleet of black London taxis is 23,000 strong.
Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 7, 2017 shows top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (unseen) recently supervising a ballistic rocket launching drill of the Korean People's Army (KPA). (Xinhua/KCNA)

UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned the most recent ballistic missile launch conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on March 21 and a ballistic missile engine test on March 19.

"The launch and engine test are in grave violation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's international obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), and 2321 (2016)," according to a Security Council press statement.

The members of the Security Council deplore all the DPRK ballistic missile activities, including this launch and the engine test, noting that such activities contribute to the DPRK's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension in the region and beyond as well as the risk of a regional arms race," it says.

They "further regretted" that the DPRK is diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles while DPRK citizens "have great unmet needs," according to the statement.

They reiterated that the DPRK shall refrain from further actions, including nuclear tests, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions," says the statement.

They called upon all Member States to "redouble their efforts" to implement fully the measures imposed on the DPRK by the Security Council, particularly the comprehensive measures contained in resolutions 2321 (2016) and 2270 (2016), the statement says.

They agreed that the Security Council would continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures, in line with the Council's previously expressed determination, according to the statement.
A man lights candles on a red ribbon-shaped cloth in observance of the World AIDS Day in Quezon City, the Philippines, Dec. 1, 2016. People around the world are observing the World AIDS Day to raise awareness and prevention onHIV/AIDS. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

by Xinhua writer Gu Zhenqiu

UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Yinjun, who founded a non-profit program to help young people across China to prevent HIV/AIDS, told Xinhua that as a mother, she was very much saddened and worried to read heart-rending news stories about the growing number of Chinese young people who have contracted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes the killer disease AIDS.

Zhang quit her job at the Chinese Ministry of Public Health 12 years ago to set up the AIDS Prevention Education Project for Chinese Youth (APEPCY). She has dedicated the past years to HIV/AIDS prevention education and poverty alleviation among Chinese youth.

"We primarily offer education focused on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, comprehensive sex education and personal development training," said Zhang, who was at UN Headquarters in New York to attend a two-week meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which began on March 13.

The CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Zhang and her team carried out the program by offering classes and lectures.

The class, known as "Youth Love Cabin," is sponsored by the APEPCY to promote sex education in Chinese schools, including kindergarten, primary school, middle school and universities all around China to help prevent HIV/AIDS transmission among youths.

Zhang said that she started this program because she believed that effective HIV/AIDS prevention lies in better sex education for youngsters.

"We aim to prevent the transmission of AIDS from the root source, and to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, especially among adolescents," she said.

However, the program did not have a happy beginning in a country where sex education has been a taboo subject for centuries, she said.

"Initially, people shied away from us just like what they did to plagues," she said. "Some people even called me 'Dr. Porn'."

In order to reach out to more people, Zhang had to sustain the program with her own money and turned her apartment in Beijing into the program office in her early years of the endeavor.

Against a backdrop of the rising number of Chinese living with HIV/AIDS, there has been no official sex education in schools to teach students how to protect themselves, she said.

Her unremitting efforts paid off as a moved headmaster was willing to introduce the program into his school, marking the beginning of the national recognition of the benefit of the program.

Since its establishment in 2006, APEPCY has set up more than 1,000 AIDS prevention centers, or cabins, in more than 20 provinces and cities in China to explore a new way to teach AIDS prevention and sex education, she said. In total, more than 10 million students, teachers and parents have directly benefited from this work.

"In particular, our work in China's Yunnan province has received the attention and support of UNAIDS, where we carry out cross-border as well as cross-sector cooperation," Zhang said.

In September 2016, Michel Sidibe, the UN under-secretary-general and UNAIDS executive director, traveled to Yunnan in South China and visited the local APEPCY stations.

He commended the efforts and expressed the hope that Zhang and her team can share their experience in sexuality education with schools in other parts of the world.

AIDS prevention and treatment were also incorporated into the 2030 Agenda, a guideline for global sustainable development efforts for the years running up to 2030, Zhang noted.

"In my 12 years of this charitable work, I have had the most contact with women and children," Zhang said, adding that she and her team have helped more than 12,000 families in poverty, most of whom live near the border areas of China.

"I feel that I need to motivate more women, and more mothers to be involved in this endeavor," she said.
CANBERRA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Australia experienced its fastest growth in migration in four years in 2016, something which could put further strain on infrastructure and services in the nation's major cities, according to a leading PricewaterhouseCoopers economist.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia's population grew by almost 350,000 people in 2016. Notably, around 200,000 of those were migrants, meaning Australia experienced an unusually high an overall growth rate of 1.5 percent - faster than all other OECD nations except New Zealand.

Rob Tyson from PricewaterhouseCoopers told News Corp on Friday that many of those migrants were moving to Australia's big cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, and a higher growth rate could mean vital infrastructure could lag behind.

"Such growth means we need five new hospitals, 31 new schools and 35 new childcare centers every three months," Tyson said.

"Big cities are already experiencing the challenges of accommodating a rapidly growing population such as strongly and persistently rising house prices, more congestion and strained infrastructure."

The state of Victoria was the fastest-growing state in 2016, with a population growth of 127,000, or 2.1 percent.

"That's adding a city larger than (Victoria's third largest city) Ballarat every year," Tyson said.

According to the ABS, net overall migration (NOM) increased by almost 9 percent in the year ending Sept. 2016 compared with the year prior.

"This is in contrast to the declines of NOM of over 10 percent experienced during 2014 and early 2015," Demography Director Beidar Cho said.

"But the current growth of NOM is well short of the record during 2009, when over 300,000 people were added to the population."

Overall, the ABS said, Australia's population grew by 348,700 people to reach 24.2 million by Sept. 2016.
YANGON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government troops have overrun three outposts of Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) along the border area during the clearance operation this month, according to a statement released by the military Friday.

The three MNDAA outposts -- Hill points 1269, 1052 and 1088 has been occupied by the government troops since March 8.

The government side claimed 28 bodies of the MNDAA and seized 59 various kinds of firearms, ammunition and more than 130,000 tablets of amphetamine in attacking the three hill bases with some casualties suffering from its side.

With the occupation of the Hill Point-1269, the government forces said that the key route of Laukkai-Yanlongkyaik has been under their control, prompting the possibility of restoring peace in the eastern part of Laukkai.

Renewed armed clashes broke out in the Kokang region on March 6 before dawn, with MNDAA launching offensive on Laukkai, resulting in dozens of casualties including civilians.

At least five Kokang traffic police and five civilians were killed when the MNDAA attacked police posts and residential area in Laukkai with four other Kokang traffic police being also taken away by the MNDAA as hostages.

MNDAA attacked Laukkai with small and heavy weapons , destroying some residential buildings, hotels and military camps with vehicles burned.

The Myanmar government troops have been making area clearance operation following the incident.

Meanwhile, curfew has been imposed on two townships -- Laukkai and Kongyang hit by armed conflicts with effect from March 10 night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time.
by Xinhua Writer Xu Haijing

CANBERRA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- When Bernard Wright retired from his position of clerk, the most senior official in the House of Representatives, four years ago, he began to run a family farm 140 km north of Canberra.

For the first time in four years, he was able to invest in a new yard and shed for the farm thanks to the increased revenue brought by the free trade agreement Australia has signed with China.

In his farm of 810 hectares, Wright keeps 2,200 sheep for wool. Of the 10,000 to 12,000 kg of wool produced every year, 75 percent will go to China. For the 200 beef cattle at the farm, he got a better price as a result of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), signed by the two countries in June 2015.

Ratified by the legislative bodies of the two countries, ChAFTA went into effect on Dec. 20, 2015, immediately bringing down tariffs for Australian beef, wine, fruits and other products to enable them easier access to the Chinese market.

Wright told Xinhua that ChAFTA eliminated the quota for Australian wool to be exported to China. The volume of wool production in his farm in 2016 increased more than 50 percent compared to that of a year ago.

Before ChAFTA, China already provided virtually duty-free access for wool, under a large World Trade Organization (WTO) tariff rate quota of 287,000 tons. Under ChAFTA, in addition to the existing WTO quota, Australia received an exclusive duty-free Country Specific Quota of 30,000 tons of clean wool from Jan. 1, 2016.

This volume will grow by 5 percent each year to 44,324 tons of clean wool by 2024, all at duty-free rates. This is the best outcome China has provided in any of its FTAs to date.

Wright has used the increased revenue from more wool and beef sales to build the new yard and shed, and provide better veterinary treatment for the cattle. With new machinery and more fertilizer, he is optimistic he will have an even better year ahead.

His son harbors the ambition to begin planting grape vines on the farm, aiming to export wine in a few years to the Chinese market.

The wine industry is another of ChAFTA's success stories.

Before ChAFTA, China was Australia's second-largest export market for wine, worth 415 million Australian dollars (about 320 million U.S. dollars) in 2015 to 2016. Australian wine was subject to a 14-percent tariff before it hit Chinese shelves.

Now just a year later, with the tariff reduced to 5.6 percent, China has already become Australia's largest export market for wine, with the export industry now worth almost 375 million U.S. dollars annually. ChAFTA also gives Australian wine makers a significant edge in the competition against fellow wine exporters from the Old World.

Tony Battaglene from the Winemakers' Federation said as the tariff rate continues to decrease before hitting zero by 2019, Australian winemakers and exporters can get a real leg up on the competition.

"We've got around 24 percent, 25 percent of their (Chinese) market ahead of France. We're now beating the Old World at their game so that's a really good outcome for us," Battaglene said in an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) interview.

There are many similar success stories.

In a statement on March 17, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: "China is our largest trading partner, with two-way trade of 150 billion AU dollars (about 116 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016."

ChAFTA "has greatly strengthened trade and investment between our two countries, driving growth and job creation. We continue to see record bilateral investment, education exchanges and a booming tourism sector with close to 2 million journeys between our two countries in 2016," said Turnbull.

While the previous model of China-Australia economic cooperation can be called a mining boom, now it is more appropriate to speak of a free trade boom.

New opportunities have been created in the fields of agriculture, services, innovation and investment, among others. As both countries are in the midst of an economic transition, ChAFTA opens new windows of opportunity for both China and Australia.
VIENTIANE, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Lao-Thai Railway Construction Project Phase II (Section I) is now completed and ready for service, local daily Vientiane Times reported Friday.

The project handover ceremony was held Thursday between Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Thailand's Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA).

Section I was financially supported by NEDA, which provides over 656 million Thai baht (nearly 19 million U.S. dollars) by NEDA. Of the money, 30 percent is a grant and 70 percent is low interest loan, the Lao Railway Department Director General Sompong Pholsena said at the ceremony.

The project began in September, 2013. The Section I comprises a siding track at Thanalaeng Station in Laos, 5,800 meters of railway mainline expansion from Thanalaeng station to a container yard, along with upgrading of the signalling and telecommunications system from analogue to digital allowing computer controls, he said.

There is also a 38,000--square meter container yard and more than 2,000 meters of concrete access roads, an over 5,000--square meter warehouse, three floors of administration offices, weight entry gate and other facilities such as electrical system, water supply, fire prevention system and waste management facility.

The railway is one of the projects to boost close cooperation between Laos and Thailand. It is also to promote trading and investment as well as tourism between the two countries in order to link with Asia and the region, said NEDA President Newin Sinsiri.

Section II, which comprises a 7.5 km railway expansion from Thanalaeng station to Vientiane station at Khamsavath village in Laos and other facilities, will begin at the end of 2017.
VANCOUVER, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Fewer Chinese prospective buyers are considering Vancouver properties in the Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.), following its implementation eight months ago of a 15-percent tax on foreign residential real estate buyers.

Brad Henderson, president and CEO of Sotheby's International Realty Canada, told Xinhua on Tuesday that the B.C. foreign buyers tax, which was levied for the first time in Vancouver, has scared off prospective Chinese buyers from Vancouver.

His remarks were based on a new study entitled China to Canada: International Home Buyer Insights, which was co-released on March 7 by Sotheby's International Realty Canada and Juwai.com, an international property website for Chinese buyers of overseas property.

"I think what've seen is a consistent, not only drop in interest from people looking on Juwai, but also from people in buying in the Vancouver marketplace as a result of that tax," Henderson said.

According to the study, Chinese inquiries for listings in the Vancouver property market fell by 81 percent year-over-year in July 2016, the month the B.C. government unveiled its 15-percent tax on foreign buyers of residential property.

The tax aimed to cool a regional housing market that saw extremely high prices and crisis-level shortages of affordable housing.

The drop of queries by Chinese prospective buyers fell throughout the remainder of 2016, down the most by 78 percent year-over-year in August and the least by 9 percent in November.

The study also found that Chinese interest in Canadian real estate has shifted to other major Canadian cities following the B.C. foreign buyers tax.

For instance, queries in the city of Calgary in the province of Alberta increased by 1,050 percent in August year-over-year and by 420 percent in September.

Meanwhile, searches on Juwai for Toronto, Canada's largest city in the province of Ontario, rose by 62 percent year-over-year in August and by 72 percent in September.

Yet Henderson stressed that the Vancouver market still appears healthy despite less interest from Chinese buyers.

"The Gross Domestic Product growth in Vancouver is better than that in Canada," Henderson said. "The same is true with the unemployment rate. Business confidence continues to be very high. It continues to be an attractive market (for those) who want to live and work, whether they're from Canada or from outside Canada."

A major problem facing Vancouver is a shortage of developable land for housing, he said. "So, when you have a strong demand and you add to it a constrained supply, you have a market that will have increasing pressures on price."

The market still appears to be digesting the foreign buyers tax, according to Henderson. "We think a number of people sitting on the sidelines just want to make sure that there's no additional policies coming down the pipe or that this is going to have an adverse effect on the market."

Based on the study, nearly 44 percent of potential property buyers from China cited education among their top motivations to search for property in Vancouver.

The data also indicated that the majority of properties searched for on Juwai were listed at below 600,000 Canadian dollars (450,011 U.S. dollars).

Last week, the B.C. government announced it loosened the foreign buyers tax to exempt international residents from provincial work permits, and would provide refunds to some who already paid the tax.

Meanwhile, homes prices in Vancouver remain high. The composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently 906,700 Canadian dollars (680,042 U.S. dollars), according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. That represents a 2.8-percent decrease over the past six months and a 1.2-percent increase compared with January 2017.

Adil Dinani, a Vancouver realtor with Royal LePage, told Xinhua on Tuesday that the interest in the luxury-end of real estates in the region does seem to be wavering, but deals worth less than 1 million Canadian dollars (750,019 U.S. dollars) remain robust.

"Every condo I've listed, every townhouse I've listed in the past 30 days, I've had multiple listings on," he said.

"We're still seeing a lot of people get excited about new construction developments in Vancouver and in the surrounding suburb areas: Burnaby, Richmond and corridors even further east," he said. "Every time a new project comes up, it's establishing a new (price) benchmark."
WELLINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government is ramping up spending on trade initiatives with the goal of having free trade agreements (FTAs) covering 90 percent of the country's goods exports by 2030.

Unveiling the government's updated trade strategy, Prime Minister Bill English said Friday that FTAs covered just 53 percent exported goods now.

The Trade Agenda 2020 strategy would see the government spend 91.3 million NZ dollars (63.98 million U.S. dollars) on initiatives to boost trade.

"It's important that we remain an open and outward-facing country focused on creating and embracing trading opportunities, and Trade Agenda 2030 outlines our plan for achieving that," English said.

"It will see us seek to forge new trade agreements, maximize the benefits of existing ones, focus more on tackling non-tariff barriers, put more emphasis on services, investment and digital trade issues, and work even more closely with our exporters to help them create and succeed in new markets."

The Trade Agenda 2030 package included a new embassy in Dublin and a new high commission in Colombo, as well as the strengthening of international networks and consular services.

The Ministry for Primary Industries would receive 35.3 million NZ dollars (24.74 million U.S. dollars) to boost the value of primary sector exports and to target non-tariff barriers.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade would get 20.3 million NZ dollars (14.23 million U.S. dollars) to focus on improving market access, maximizing benefits of existing FTAs and negotiating new ones, and helping business "internationalize" and tackling non-tariff barriers.

"There is so much to gain from advances in free trade, in terms of jobs and higher incomes for New Zealanders," said English.

Trade Minister Todd McClay said funding for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade would increase the resources available to work in the Asia-Pacific region, which took more than 70 percent of New Zealand's exports.

The ministry would also establish a Clearing House for exporters to report non-tariff barriers (NTBs).

"We know non-tariff barriers can impose significant delays and costs on New Zealand exporters, making them less competitive, so the quicker we learn about and act on them, the better," McClay said in a statement.

"We will be creating an online portal for businesses who have NTB concerns to more easily access vital information and interact with government agencies."

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said the primary sector was vitally important to the New Zealand economy, earning around 36 billion NZ dollars (25.23 billion U.S. dollars) a year, supporting thousands of jobs and exporting to around 130 countries.

"Barriers to trade cost our exporters billions, and entering new markets can be complex so Trade Agenda 2030 brings a renewed focus on helping our exporters address these issues and making them more competitive," Guy said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the embassy in Ireland would support New Zealand's interests in Europe, including its negotiation of a comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union.

The high commission in Sri Lanka would show New Zealand's commitment to supporting the country's rebuilding after its civil war, McCully said in a statement.

"It is a growing economy, has a major dairy market and has expressed its interest in learning further about farming from New Zealand," he said.

"Sri Lanka offers increasing value and diversity to our exporters, and is a trade gateway to a fast-growing part of Asia."
VANCOUVER, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Only about one-fifth of a sample of marriages in Shanghai took place between residents with local "hukou" -- or household registration -- and migrants without Shanghai hukou, according to a new sociology study.

The study, jointly conducted by sociologists from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver and Brown University in the United States, and released this week in the Chinese Sociological Review, reveals how China's "hukou" system is creating wider inequality between migrants and locals, and between the educated and less educated in Shanghai.

The researchers used data from a 2013-population-survey in Shanghai, asking the respondents born in the 1980s about their own and their spouses' hukou and education when they first got married. The sample included 1,247 couples. Half of Shanghai's population comprising migrants.

The study found that when "hukou" intermarriage -- where one partner has local "hukou" and the other is a migrant -- happens, other socioeconomic factors are usually at play. Couples were more likely to involve a Shanghai husband and a migrant wife (14 percent) than a Shanghai wife and a migrant husband (6 percent).

Education also proved to be an important factor in marital decisions, with the probability of a migrant marrying a spouse with Shanghai hukou increasing with the migrant's own education level.

"It's a bit of a tradeoff," said Yue Qian, the study's lead author and assistant professor of sociology at UBC.

"If someone with Shanghai hukou marries a migrant, then their migrant spouse needs to at least have the same or a higher education level," she told Xinhua on Thursday. "Otherwise, it seems they have nothing to gain economically from marriage."

"In the North American context, hukou is very similar to having a green card in the United States or a permanent residence card in Canada," Qian noted.

She said the assumption is that most people choose marriage partners based on love, shared values and interests, but they've found that "hukou" status plays a major role in selecting a spouse in their study.

"We find a strong tendency for individuals to marry within their "hukou" group," she said. "In other words, migrants tend to marry migrants and locals tend to locals. This finding suggest strong... social boundaries between migrants and locals because they don't marry out of their hukou group."

Qian says the research shows the need for continued "hukou" reform. "China is in the process of revisiting its hukou system so a lot of the local governments are thinking about reform," she said. "We think that it's very important that policymakers are aware of the impact of the current system."
VIENNA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Austrian Minister of Defence Hans Peter Doskozil on Thursday rejected a plan announced by his fellow minister to accept asylum seekers from neighboring Italy.

Doskozil was responding to an Italian media report which said that Italian Minister of the Interior Marco Minniti claimed that his Austrian counterpart, Wolfgang Sobotka, had promised his country would accept "a significant number" of refugees from Italy.

Sobotka later confirmed the report, saying the plan only targets unaccompanied minor refugees who might have their asylum applications approved in Austria.

Sobotka's proposal was reportedly to align with European Union (EU)'s refugee relocation system outlined in 2015 regarding an even distribution of refugees among member states.

The EU plan aims to reduce the burden of Italy and Greece, which are the top points of arrival for the relentless flow of migrants and asylum-seekers heading to Europe.

But Sobotka's refugee plan was denied by Doskozil.

In comments to the Austria Press Agency, Doskozil said as long as "illegal and uncontrolled migration" continues to exist, creating a burden to Austria, there "cannot be an additional legal path for asylum seekers."

Doskozil further pointed out that Austria's population is only one-seventh that of Italy, but it takes in about one-third of the number of asylum seekers that its southern neighbor does.

"That shows that Austria suffers from a heavier burden for accepting refugees than Italy does," the minister added.

Instead, Doskozil suggested establishing asylum processing centers outside of Europe. He also urged opening a new legal channel for asylum seekers.

In response to Doskozil's rejections, the office of the Ministry of the Interior said the refugee acceptance issue had already been agreed upon by EU interior ministers in 2015, before Doskozil became a cabinet minister.
UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China hopes the international community will forcefully push for a political settlement of the South Sudan conflict, a Chinese envoy to the United Nations (UN) said Thursday.

Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks at a Security Council meeting on South Sudan, which was attended by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"Political settlement is the only solution," he said, adding that "the international community should push all the parties in South Sudan to cease hostilities and come back to the track of political settlement, and effectively implement their peace agreement."

China welcomes President Salva Kiir's initiative of holding national dialogue, and hopes that all the parties in South Sudan will actively participate in the process to settle their differences through dialogue and consultations and promote reconciliation in a joint effort to achieve national peace, stability and development, Wu said.

The ambassador also called on the international community to bring into full play the role of regional and sub-regional organizations such as the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

On the sidelines of the AU's 28th conference in January this year, the AU, IGAD and the UN agreed that a peaceful political solution to the ongoing civil war in South Sudan could only be achieved if parties concerned stick to the August 2015 compromise peace agreement.

At the Security Council meeting, Wu also urged the international community to help South Sudan address famine and provide South Sudanese government with disaster relief support.

He encouraged all parties to the conflict in South Sudan to proceed from the interests of the people and create favorable conditions for a speedy delivery of disaster relief goods to the affected areas.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but a political face-off between Kiir and his former Vice-President Riek Machar erupted in December 2013, plunging the country into a full-blown conflict.

Although the August 2015 peace agreement formally ended the war, conflict and instability have also spread to previously unaffected areas.
MANILA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines has begun to reap economic gains following President Rodrigo Duterte rekindling the country's ties with China after taking office last June, a Philippine expert has noted.

Beneto Lim, political science professor at Ateneo de Manila University, told Xinhua in an interview on Thursday that Duterte has given emphasis on rebuilding trust and confidence between the Philippines and China.

"Both sides have decided to set aside the source of conflict and proceed with what is mutually beneficial to both countries," the expert said.

Four months into his presidency, Duterte made a four-day visit to China. After returning from Beijing, Duterte said his visit "signaled a turning point" in diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"We acknowledged the need to address disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law," he said.

During his recent visit to Thailand, Duterte reaffirmed that he believes the South China Sea should be a sea of peace, stability and sustainable development for the sake of the region and its peoples.
SEOUL, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The sunken South Korean passenger ferry Sewol was lifted 13 meters above the sea on Friday morning and will be transported to a port to find the cause of the country's worst maritime disaster.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the ill-fated vessel was brought the targeted 13 meters above the surface of the water at about 11:10 a.m. local time (0210 GMT).

The salvaging operation, which started late Wednesday, was supposed to be done Thursday morning, but it was delayed for technical problems.

The salvaged ship would be transported to a semi-submersible barge, some 3 km southeast of the site. The barge will carry the wreckage to a port in Mokpo, about 90 km away from the site.

The wreckage is forecast to make it to the port as early as April 4.

The 6,825-ton ferry Sewol capsized and sank in waters off Jindo Island, South Jeolla province on April 16, 2014. It claimed the lives of 304 people, mostly high school students on a school trip.

Among 476 passengers on board, only 172 were rescued. Nine bodies are still unaccounted for.

If the ship is safely carried to the Mokpo port, search operations for the nine bodies will be conducted inside the wreckage filled with sand and stones as well as near the site where the ship sank. Nets have been installed to ban the possible loss of the missing bodies.

Inspection will be carried out to find the clear cause of the sinking. At the time, the government had cited various reasons, including the overloading and an insufficient supervision, but numerous doubts have been raised about the findings announced by the Park Geun-hye administration.

Just hours after the constitutional court's decision on March 10 to permanently remove President Park from office, the oceans ministry announced a plan to bring the Sewol ferry to the ground. Two weeks later, the ship was lifted after having lain some 40 meters underneath the sea surface for nearly three years.

Suspicions were raised that the government had intentionally delayed the salvaging operation for three years.

The bereaved families have claimed an insufficient investigation into the accident and an intentional concealment by the Park government of the truth behind the disaster.

Park's whereabouts for the first seven hours right after the maritime tragedy occurred in 2014 was one of the key subjects of an investigation by special prosecutors, who had probed the corruption scandal embroiling Park for 70 days through the end of February, but they found little clues to it.
NANJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A retired Chinese tax official has been returned from Zimbabwe to China less than four months after he fled a corruption probe and hid in the southern African country.

It is Jiangsu Province's fastest repatriation of a corrupt fugitive, provincial anti-graft officials said.

Yang Xingfu, who retired as the deputy head of Local Taxation Bureau of Nantong City in 2015, fled to Zimbabwe last December, fearing a graft investigation.

Initial probes revealed evidence of Yang's abuse of power and acceptance of bribes in construction projects, corporate financing, and handling tax transfers since 2010 during his term of office.

The local procuratorate issued detention orders for Yang in January 2017. Learning he was in Zimbabwe, a law enforcement team was promptly assembled and dispatched, the officials said. Police in Zimbabwe held Yang and transferred him to the team in accordance with the law.

The case is still being investigated.

"The operation shows that there is no haven for corrupt officials abroad," said Yao Aishan, deputy head of the Jiangsu provincial procuratorate's anti-corruption bureau. "They won't escape punishment by the law, no matter where they flee."

Yao urged other fugitives on the run to turn themselves in to be considered for leniency.

China has stepped up efforts in international cooperation to hunt criminal fugitives. Operation "Sky Net," for example, repatriated 908 fugitives, including 122 officials, from over 70 countries or regions in 11 months last year.

Most fugitives have fled to developed countries, including Canada, the United States, and Australia, but a few have also taken refugee in Africa.
BOAO, Hainan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Friday expressed his confidence in China's economy when meeting with global entrepreneurs during the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

China's sound economic fundamentals remain unchanged as the economy has entered the new normal period, Zhang said in a meeting on the sidelines of the BFA annual conference held in the southernmost island province of Hainan.

Corporate executives from companies including Tata Sons, Mitsui Fudosan and Qualcomm attended the symposium.
WELLINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's upcoming visit to New Zealand will bring new vitality to the bilateral relationship, New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English said.

New Zealand officials and businesses would review progress on the upgrade of the bilateral free trade agreement and the opportunities posed by China's Belt and Road Initiative, he said in an interview with Xinhua.

"There's some real momentum in this relationship," said the New Zealand leader.

"The trade agreement has ended up with trade growing about three times between New Zealand and China and what goes with that is greater flows in investment, and, of course, people-to-people connections just keep growing," he said.

He cited the registration of Chinese banks in New Zealand as an example of how the relationship had changed since New Zealand became the first developed nation to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with China in 2008.

"The top priority for us is to agree on progress on the upgrade," said English. "There is a whole range of things that can be more enabling in the agreement."

The rapid growth of New Zealand's dairy industry and its exports has motivated New Zealand to look for easier access for its products to the Chinese market.

"But it's all within the context of a good agreement that everyone, I think, wants to see modernized so it can serve us well for the next ten years," he said.

The visit would also highlight opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative, which was boosting investment in many countries, not just in China and its immediate neighbors.

"Premier Li's visit will highlight the view of the Chinese government that it extends well beyond that and there are opportunities for a wider range of countries and businesses to participate," said English.

"Because we've got a big infrastructure investment here going on at the moment, there's a high degree of awareness of the economic significance of the infrastructure and the whole industry that's developed around the investment and construction of it," he said.

The New Zealand prime minister said New Zealand also took an optimistic view of relations between China and the United States.

"It's distinctly in the interests of the U.S. and China to have a sound relationship and one where they can sort out disagreements, because there's bound to be some," he said.

"We think that because they both have such a strong interest in that, that we'll see the U.S.-China relationship remain constructive if sometimes a bit tense," he said.

Yet New Zealand is able to maintain positive relationships with both countries.

"The decisions we make aren't one at the expense of one or another. We benefit from the dynamism of both of these large dynamic economies," he said.

Li will hold official talks in Wellington, and meet business leaders in Auckland together with his New Zealand counterpart during his visit to the country on March 26-29.

The visit marks the 45th year of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand, and comes three years after China and New Zealand formed a comprehensive strategic partnership during a visit to New Zealand by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China is New Zealand's second-largest trading partner after Australia.

Two-way trade reached an all-time high of 23 billion NZ dollars (16.19 billion U.S. dollars) last year and more than 400,000 Chinese tourists visited New Zealand.
TALUQAN, Afghanistan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces repelled an overnight attack by Taliban militants on a district headquarters in northern Takhar province, killing five attackers and four police also wounded, police said on Friday.
TALUQAN, Afghanistan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces repelled an overnight attack by Taliban militants on a district headquarters in northern Takhar province, killing five attackers; four police were also wounded, police said on Friday.

"The attack occurred midnight on Thursday after dozens of militants stormed Khwaja Bahawuddin district center. But security forces fought back the attackers after hours of heavy clashes, killing five," Gen. Shir Aziz Kamawal, commander of 808 Spin Zaar Police Zone based in the region, told Xinhua.

He said four members of Afghan Border Police and three militants also wounded during the exchange of fire.

The government office buildings were damaged following the clashes in the district near the border with Tajikistan.

The Taliban has intensified attacks around the country recently, as spring and summer known as fighting season, are drawing near in the Central Asian country.
RIO DE JANEIRO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Brazil on Thursday privatized two Amazonian ports to raise some 22 million U.S. dollars.

It is part of President Michel Temer's Investment Partnerships Program (PPI), which aims to revive the national infrastructure sector through a series of tenders and privatizations.

Private-sector companies won the concessions to operate the two ports in Santarem, in northern Para state.

"The (bid's) outcome shows confidence the private sector has in the government," said Mauricio Qunitella, the minister of transport, ports and civil aviation, in a statement. "This partnership with the sector is essential for the development of the country."

Temer announced his PPI plan in September 2016 to restore an attractive business environment as Brazil struggles to emerge from its worst-ever recession.

Latest data showed a surprise acceleration in Brazil's deep economic downturn in the final quarter of 2016, stepping up pressure on President Temer to do more to promote growth.

Earlier this month, Temer launched an infrastructure concessions program. He said it would raise 45 billion reais (14.43 billion U.S. dollars) in investment in building infrastructure.
Tibetans gather to celebrate the beginning of spring plowing near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

For every year when spring begins, Tibetans in Moinzhongang Village dressed in traditional costume would come together, singing and dancing, to mark the beginning of spring plowing.

Tibetans gather to celebrate the beginning of spring plowing near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

Tibetans gather to celebrate the beginning of spring plowing near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

They have been observing this tradition for thousands of years. This village in Shannan of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region boasts "the earliest farmland" in Tibet. The legend says that about 2,100 years ago, grains were planted here, so began the history of farming on "the roof of the world".

Tibetans gather to celebrate the beginning of spring plowing near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

Tibetans gather to celebrate the beginning of spring plowing near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

On the 19th day of the first month on Tibetan calendar, prayer flags are set before the gathering begins at the foot of Mount Tashitseri , where stands the Yumbu-Lha Khang, the earliest palace in Tibet.

Tibetans celebrate the beginning of spring plowing near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

Tibetans begin their spring plowing at a ceremony near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

In this small village, people have been living on farming for generations.

Tibetans celebrate the beginning of spring plowing near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

Tibetans begin their spring plowing at a ceremony near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

In 2016, grain yield in Tibet topped 1 million tons, a result of the development of modern agricultural technology.

Tibetans celebrate the beginning of spring plowing near the Yumbu-Lha Khang Palace on March 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)
TALUQAN, Afghanistan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces repelled an overnight attack by Taliban militants on a district headquarters in northern Takhar province, killing five attackers while four police were wounded, police said on Friday.

"The attack occurred at midnight on Thursday after dozens of militants stormed Khwaja Bahawuddin district center. But security forces fought back the attackers after hours of heavy clashes, killing five," Gen. Shir Aziz Kamawal, commander of 808 Spin Zaar Police Zone based in the region, told Xinhua.

He said four members of Afghan Border Police and three militants also wounded during the exchange of fire in the district near the border with Tajikistan.

The government office buildings were damaged following the clashes in the province, 245 km north of national capital of Kabul.

In addition, five militants were killed after a pilotless plane of the NATO-led coalition forces struck a vehicle running in Erganak locality of Charhar Dara district in neighboring Kunduz province also on Thursday night, district Gov. Zulmai Farooqi told Xinhua earlier on Friday.

Among the killed was Mullah Hashimi, a local Taliban commander, and the militants' vehicle was also destroyed by the airstrike in the province, 250 km north of Kabul.

Taliban militant group has yet to make comments.

The Taliban has intensified attacks around the country recently, as spring and summer known as fighting season, are drawing near in the Central Asian country.

On Wednesday night, the Taliban took control of Sangin district center in restive southern Helmand province but the Afghan officials said that the troops retreated from the district center after government relocated the district headquarters into outer side of the strategic district to avoid civilian casualties there.
PYONGYANG, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has expressed sympathy to Britain over the terror attack in London earlier this week, local media reported Friday.

DPRK premier Pak Pong Ju sent a message of sympathy to British Prime Minister Theresa May regarding the attack near the British Parliament, said Korean Central News Agency.

In the message, Pak reaffirmed that the DPRK opposes all forms of terrorism, said the report.

On Wednesday, a terrorist rammed his car into pedestrians in central London killing three and injuring over 40. He stabbed a police officer to death before being fatally shot..
UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China will work with the international community to turn the challenge of climate change into opportunities, a Chinese envoy to the UN said Thursday.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks at a General Assembly high-level action event aimed at invigorating political momentum on climate change.

"We will work together with the rest of the international community to implement the Paris Agreement, turn the challenge of climate change into an opportunity of transition to green and low-carbon development so as to realize sustainable development," he said.

The Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 "marked a milestone" in our journey towards the protection of mankind's common home and the establishment of a community of shared future, and created a roadmap for realizing that goal, Liu said.

"It was extraordinary that the whole process of the adoption, signing, ratification and coming into force of the Paris Agreement was completed within one year, which demonstrated the fact that green and low-carbon development has become the general trend of today's world," said the ambassador.

In his keynote address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the Paris Agreement is a hard-won achievement which is in keeping with the underlying trend of global development.

"All signatories should stick to it instead of walking away from it as this is a responsibility we must assume for future generations," Xi said.

"This is a powerful signal from the Chinese leader to the international community that China will fully and thoroughly implement the Paris Agreement and fulfill its international obligations. We will honor our commitment and take action to produce results," said Liu.

Liu urged the international community to stay focused on development, and promote cooperation to achieve win-for-all results.

"The fundamental way to respond to climate change at the global level lies in cooperation to achieve win-for-all results," he said.

"In the follow-up negotiations for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, there is a need to create a constructive atmosphere featuring mutual understanding, mutual appreciation, mutual learning and mutual promotion with a view to facilitating the sharing of best practices and pragmatic cooperation," the ambassador said.

Liu told that meeting that the vision of global green and low-carbon development contained in the Paris Agreement corresponds with China's strategic choice of building an ecological civilization.

"Whatever the vicissitudes of the international situation, China will remain committed to its development concepts of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing and actively respond to climate change," he said.
BOAO, Hainan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli highlighted economic globalization on Friday while meeting with entrepreneurs attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

"We will firmly push forward economic globalization, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and oppose all forms of trade protectionism," he said at a symposium on the sidelines of the BFA annual conference in Hainan Province.

China will promote economic globalization through reform and innovation, and grasp the opportunities offered by the digital economy to promote structural reform and enhance global economic cooperation, he said.

Zhang also expressed confidence in Asian regional cooperation.

Countries in the region should jointly maintain peaceful and stable development environment, establish the concept of cooperation and mutual benefits, and hold the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and balance, said Zhang.
By Will Koulouris

SYDNEY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative has been lauded by Australian experts as being the catalyst for a new era in economic and trade cooperation between Australia and China.

In an interview on Friday, former Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb sat down with Xinhua on the sidelines of an economic forum attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Sydney, and said the Belt and Road Initiative will play a pivotal role in both China's and Australia's economic success well into the future.

"Without a doubt. There is growing contact as people get to understand what the Belt and Road Initiative is," Robb said. "It is the potential for Australia."

Robb shared his hope that both Australia and China will be able to work side by side in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, utilising their "complementary" abilities.

"A lot of the projects that Australia can bring, especially expertise in the social infrastructure; hospitals, schools, aged care facilities, all of these sorts of things. And of course we have construction capabilities which will complement China's," Robb said.

So, I think there are opportunities for huge partnerships throughout the region, Robb said.

Robb stressed that there has been real progress in Australia recently concerning the Belt and Road Initiative, and as businesses in Australia see the further elements of the strategy being actioned, more will sign up to take part.

"Once that impression takes hold there will be a lot of interest in the Belt and Road Initiative from Australia." Robb said.

The former trade minister is not the only voice in the chorus of those who believe the economic future lies with both countries driving the initiative.

The NSW President of the Australia China Business Council, Craig Emerson, who also served as the federal trade minister on the opposite side of politics in Australia from 2010 to 2013, agreed with Robb, and told Xinhua, the initiative is, in a way, turning back the clock on trade.

"China is physically, as well as metaphysically, reaching out to other parts of the world, re-establishing trade routes and maritime routes, that is the next stage of China's opening', where it is going back to where it was centuries ago, but to no doubt enable trade into the future," Emerson said.

The chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott told Xinhua on Thursday she believed that not only will the Belt and Road Initiative be beneficial to both countries through its operation, but also as part of a broader trade context.

"It really does cement trade between the two countries, trade across the globe, that openness that we are seeking, and building on the huge success of the two markets working together," Westacott said.

Westacott explained that in order for the initiative to be completely successful in providing mutually beneficial outcomes for both sides, it will be important to further educate Australian businesses of the benefits of participating in the ambitious strategic project.

"One of the things we do need to do is explain to businesses what the initiative is, how it is going to roll out, and what are the investment opportunities," Westacott said.

"People will invest in good ideas, and things that have a return, and people will see the bigger strategic issues."

Peter Drysdale, head of the East Asia Bureau of Economic Research, wrote in the Australian Financial Review on Wednesday that the Belt and Road Initiative is a profound opportunity for Australia to not only "strengthen open economic arrangements" with China, but also, play a role in developing the infrastructure that supports the initiative.

"The two countries can work to strengthen investment arrangements; improve air transport connectivity; jointly study opportunities for cooperation on infrastructure; and seek to promote economic cooperation and regional infrastructure investment through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other regional financial institutions," Drysdale said.

The opportunities to be a part of the infrastructure investment are immense according to Emerson, with a "very large amount of infrastructure investment" being needed to ensure the initiative's success.

"I'm absolutely certain that Australian construction companies, financiers, and Australian superannuation funds will be very interested in that," Emerson said.

While the Belt and Road Initiative will lead China and Australia into a new era of trade cooperation, both countries will also benefit on a more global scale, as world-renowned economist, Jim O'Neill, told Xinhua earlier this month. The Belt and Road Initiative will "completely transform" the economic outlook for all the countries involved, leading to "exciting" opportunities for China and Australia.

Robb agreed, and explained that the initiative's potential positive impact on a global scale is limitless, as countries, left to their own devices, are unable to achieve the same growth capability.

"If they get help with important infrastructure which aids trade, and investment, and growth; you will see a great acceleration across all of those countries they will create markets themselves, they will invest in other countries," Robb said.

"It could be absolutely transformative for a very large part of the world; and that is good for peace, and stability, in the world as a whole."
MOSCOW, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Russia has finished building an alternative inter-bank payment system that could function if the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) is shut down in Russia, local media reported Friday.

There were threats that we can be disconnected from SWIFT, Russia Today cited Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina as saying.

"And if something happens, all operations in SWIFT format will work inside the country. We have created a substitute," said Nabiullina.

Some 330 Russian banks have been connected to the SWIFT alternative, called SPFS, which ensures "guaranteed and uninterrupted provision of services for the transmission of the electronic messages on financial transactions," Russia's Central Bank says on its website.

Russia has prepared for any of monetary crisis, such as a dollar collapse or sanctions that might be used to attack the Russian currency the ruble, said Nabiullina.

The SPFS began operations in December 2014, when relations between Russia and the West worsened. Some Western politicians urged disconnecting Russia from SWIFT.
BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) - In the new global realities that seem to be tilting towards protectionism and anti-globalization, China and Australia offer a perfect example of how free trade does not lead to tit-for-tat combat, but generates handsome gains for both.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is currently visiting Australia, where he is seeking closer economic ties with Australia. The visit is expected to consolidate these gains and lift the reciprocal ties to a new height.

China has been Australia's largest trading partner for the past 8 years. It is a loyal buyer of Australian goods, from iron ore to red wine. China exports clothing, telecom equipment and parts to Australia.

The trade structure has put China in a negative balance for years.

Last year, trade between the two countries reached 107.8 billion U.S. dollars, with China seeing a deficit of more than 30 billion dollars.

In the thinking of some economists and politicians who claim trade deficits cost jobs and hurt local industries, the persistent trade deficit with Australia should have easily unnerved Chinese policymakers and prompted action to restrict free trade.

But instead of resorting to convenient moves such as building walls and barriers, China has been a staunch champion of free trade, as it knows all too well that the benefits outweigh the costs for countries at either end of the balance sheet.

The key to address trade imbalance lies not in closing the doors, but otherwise.

In the case of China and Australia, strong China commodity demand supported the latter's export growth, and helped Australia withstand the shocks of the global financial crisis.

Although China has run a trade deficit so far, its economy has benefited from Australia's ample supply of commodities and Chinese consumers are getting a good deal from Australia's consumer goods.

A third round of tariff cuts under the bilateral free trade agreement was put in place in January 2017, and Premier Li's visit will continue to push two-way openness in services, innovation and investment.

According to research by the Australia China Business Council, under a conservative growth scenario for China, one million new Australian jobs could be created in service sector by 2026, thanks to closer economic ties with China.

With Australia seeking to develop its northern region while China promotes its Belt and Road Initiative, the two countries could capitalize on each other's experience and expertise in infrastructure construction and financial services.

Such deeper engagement shows that free trade is not a zero-sum game, but could make China and Australia better off.

While the global economic quagmire persists, it is easy for countries to scapegoat globalization for their own economic woes and resort to protectionism, although their prosperity has been built on the free flow of trade and investment in past decades.

History has proved that a trade war will not make trade fairer, while protectionism offers no genuine protection.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping has put it, any attempt to cut off the flow of capital, technologies, products, industries and people between economies, and channel the waters in the ocean back into isolated lakes and creeks is simply not possible.

The question should not be whether to promote globalization or not, but how to make it more inclusive and ensure its benefits are shared.

Over the next five years, China will import goods worth around 8 trillion U.S. dollars. Inbound and outbound investment is expected to hit 600 billion and 750 billion U.S. dollars.

Countries should join China and Australia to keep an open mind and keep their doors open.

Related:

China, Australia pledge closer trade ties

CANBERRA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China will open up wider to the outside world and work with Australia for greater development of bilateral economic and trade relations, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday.
SEOUL, March 24 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's foreign ministry on Friday protested Japan's history textbooks for high school students, which reflect Japan's repeated territorial claims to a pair of rocky islets lying halfway between the two countries.

Seoul's foreign ministry said in a spokesman's statement that South Korea strongly protests against the approval in Japan of high school textbooks representing a distorted recognition of history such as Japan's unfair claims to the Dokdo islets, an inherent territory of South Korea.

The statement urged Japan to immediately revise the distorted textbooks, saying the biggest victims to the wrong view of history will become Japan's next generations.

It said Japan should face squarely up to history and take a responsible action on education of next generations.

Earlier in the day, Japan's education ministry announced the approval of high school textbooks reflecting Japan's territorial claims to Dokdo, called Takeshima in Japan.

South Korea has controlled its easternmost islets since the Korean Peninsula's liberation from the 1910-45 colonial rule of Japan. The rocky outcroppings were forcibly incorporated into Japan during the colonization.

The territorial disputes are forecast to worsen the already strained South Korea-Japan ties further.

Japan recalled its ambassador to South Korea and its consul-general in January in protest against the erecting of a girl statue in South Korea's southern port city of Busan.

The girl statue was set up by South Korean civic group activists outside the Japanese consulate in Busan late last year to symbolize the victims of so-called comfort women, a euphemism for Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese military brothels before and during World War II.
HANOI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- China invested a total of 823.6 million U.S. dollars in Vietnam in the first quarter of 2017, being the third largest foreign direct investor of the country, reported the Vietnam's Foreign Investment Agency on Friday.

Accordingly, China accounted for 10.86 percent of the total registered foreign direct investment (FDI) poured into Vietnam in the first three months (Q1).

South Korea was the largest foreign investor of Vietnam with 3.74 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 48.62 percent of the total registered capital in the mentioned period, tailed by Singapore with 910.8 million U.S. dollars and 11.81 percent, respectively.

In the first three months, Vietnam attracted 7.71 billion U.S. dollars in FDI, up 77.6 percent year-on-year, while disbursement reached 3.62 billion U.S. dollars, up 3.4 percent against the same period last year, said the agency.

The manufacturing sector received the largest FDI capital, with 6.54 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 84.9 percent of the total capital registered in Q1, followed by the real estate sector with 343.69 million U.S. dollars and 4.4 percent, respectively.

As of March 20, 2017, Vietnam has had a total of 23,071 valid FDI projects with 300.7 billion U.S. dollars pledged, of which 158.45 billion U.S. dollars had been disbursed, said the agency, which is under the Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment.
by Levi J Parsons

SYDNEY, March. 24 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Australia comes at a time when the two countries celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations.

In a column for The Australian newspaper, Li said: "Advance is a key word in both the Chinese and Australian national anthems."

"I am fully confident that China and Australia will continue to move forward in our own way while working with each other, and jointly help to counter global instability with the stability that is created through our steady development and cooperation."

The premier noted that over the past 45 years, Australia and China have risen above their differences, "gradually built up trust and properly managed disagreements in the spirit of equality and mutual respect."

Similarly, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wrote an article in the Australian Financial Review that shared the sentiments of the visiting Chinese leader, saying "Australia's ties with China have never been more important or dynamic than they are today."

"The relationship enriches both nations, improving the lives of our people and we could not imagine modern Australia, the most successful multicultural society in the world, without the extraordinary contribution of Chinese Australians to our Australian families."

As Australia's largest trading partner, the significance of bilateral relationship can not be understated, with Turnbull adding that China has directly aided Australia's prosperity by "supporting the jobs and growth agenda that is at the heart of my government," he said.

"The natural one to gravitate to is the free trade agreement at the end of 2015, because that is producing tangible gains for Australia-China trade," James Laurenceson, deputy director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, told Xinhua.

For Laurie Pearcey, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of New South Wales, Australia, it is vital to remember Gough Whitlam.

"The first Prime Minister that officially recognized the People's Republic of China and established the framework for the Australia-China bilateral relationship," he told Xinhua.

Australia and China established diplomatic relations on December 21, 1972.

Since then the two countries have continued to cooperate and grow together, with around 30 percent of Australia's exports going to China.

Pearcey feels this cooperation will lay the foundation to tackle future challenges that lie ahead.

"China's economy is in transition. So both of our economies are adjusting to our own new normals. Through our own new normals we are forging a new shared partnership," he said.

"And that is all about innovation, research, people to people ties, it's about a new era of cooperation between our governments," Pearcey said.
SHENYANG, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Police in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang said that they have arrested 20 people for distributing an addictive cough syrup.

More than 6,700 bottles of a compound containing codeine phosphate, a potentially addictive prescription drug, have been seized, according to Shenyang police on Thursday.

The syrup is manufactured in Shenyang.

Preliminary investigation showed that an employee from a retailer in north China's Hebei Province sold the cough syrup for profit by falsifying orders from clients, most of which are rural medical institutions.

Codeine, which is extracted from opium or synthesized from morphine, can lead to drug addiction. Using codeine-based drugs in excessive amounts can also cause problems including stomach ulcers and liver damage.

Substances containing codeine are strictly controlled by China.
LHASA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region will plant more forests in the next few years, the regional department of forestry said Friday.

The region's average annual expansion forest cover is scheduled to surpass 60,000 hectares by 2020.

A total of 55,000 hectares of forests were planted in 2016, more than 3,000 hectares of which were under a program to return farmland to forest, according to Tsultrim Gyatso, secretary of the department party committee.

The region also created 93,000 hectares in 2016 to combat desertification.

Tibet is striving to attain 15 square meters of urban green area per capita by 2020.

The region spent close to 4 billion yuan (580 million U.S. dollars) in creating around 350,000 hectares of new forests from 2011 to 2015.
BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland's trade with Hong Kong totaled 19.81 billion U.S. dollars in the first month of this year, down 18.8 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The value accounted for 6.3 percent of the mainland's total overseas trade in January, the ministry's figures show.

The mainland's exports to Hong Kong hit 19.24 billion U.S. dollars, a decrease of 15.4 percent year on year, while the mainland's imports from the region saw a sharp decrease of 65.5 percent to 570 million U.S. dollars.

Hong Kong is the mainland's sixth-largest trade partner and third-largest export market, according to the ministry.

The mainland approved 885 Hong Kong-invested projects in January this year, with the actual use of Hong Kong capital reaching 8.42 billion U.S. dollars, up nearly 30 percent from the same period of last year.
OTTAWA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Legislators in the Canadian House of Commons passed a non-binding motion on Thursday that condemns Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination.

Iqra Khalid, a Member of Parliament for the governing Liberal Party and a Muslim, tabled M-103, as the motion is known, in the House last December. It easily passed the Commons by a 201-91 vote, and based on its messaging should have received unanimous support from MPs as a petition did last year that called on the Commons to "condemn all forms of Islamophobia."

M-103 does not create law or change an existing one, and it gathered special significance following an attack on a mosque in the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec in late January that left six Muslim shot dead.

But the opposition Conservatives, most of whom voted against the motion on Thursday, argued that it failed to define "Islamophobia" and could stifle free speech for anyone who criticized the more radical forms of Islam. So the Tories introduced a counter-motion.

It removed the word "Islamophobia" and replaced it with a broader motion that called on MPs to "condemn all forms of systemic racism, religious intolerance and discrimination of Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and other religious communities." The Liberals rejected the amended motion, and their leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, recently said that "we have to expose" those "who still have problems with the idea that we would condemn discrimination against Muslims" identified as Islamophobia.

Anti-Muslim hatred in Canada is not uncommon, and particularly in Quebec. Police in the province's largest city of Montreal received 29 reports of hate incidents in the three days following the shooting at the mosque.

But most Canadians don't seem to support M-103, with a recent public-opinion poll showing that 42 percent of Canadians would have voted against it, compared to 29 percent who would have voted for it and an equal percentage who were unsure. The Angus Reid survey also found that 31 percent of the 1,511 Canadian polled felt that it would either threaten freedom of speech or would not have "any real impact."

The motion recommends that the Canadian government should "recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear," and asks the House Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to develop a government-wide, community-centered approach to reduce, or ideally eliminate, systemic racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia in Canada.

M-103 also requires that the committee collect data on hate-crime reports and conduct "needs assessments for impacted communities," and within eight months from now, present its findings and recommendations to the Commons.

Trudeau was in Toronto and not in the House on Thursday to vote for the motion.
LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- For those who are worried that the face-recognition cameras at every street corner may invade their privacy, there could be another cause for concern -- a camera that keeps track of people's feet.

Amid concerns that face-recognition cameras "are kind of invasive," British retail analysis firm Hoxton Analytics has come up with a novel way of measuring footfall - literally by filming people's shoes.

The system can deduce a remarkable amount of information such as age, gender and social class of shoppers from their footwear,the BBC report on Thursday.

"We have cameras at about 50 cm off the ground and it points down so it is less invasive than facial recognition," Duncan Mann, the chief operating officer at Hoxton Analytics, was quoted as saying by the BBC.

It is surprisingly accurate. It spots the correct gender 80 percent of the time, better than some facial recognition technologies, according to Mann.

The face-recognition cameras coupled with the new feet-tracking cameras are certainly something to worry about.

As more than 66 percent of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2050, a massive campaign to install CCTV cameras in every street corner has already begun.

The London-based security firm IHS suggest that there were 245 million professionally installed video surveillance cameras active and operational globally in 2014 and more cities are turning to monitoring technology to help reduce crime and anti-social behavior, the BBC reported.

The CCTV cameras have significantly reduce crime rates in Mexico City by 48 percent Mexico City after 15,000 security cameras were installed, according to the security firm Thales. But some people are not happy with these cameras as far as their privacy is concerned.

Citing the example of Google which is currently using Google Map data to assess the traffic flow in Stockholm as part of its Better Cities programme, Nick Millman, managing director at consultancy firm Accenture, thinks the key to solving the privacy issue is to control statistics.

"It is using what is known as differential privacy," he was quoted as saying by the BBC, adding that "It is basically adding privacy controls to statistics so that you only see the data you need to know about."

In the case of Stockholm, that means Google can retrieve sufficient data to improve traffic flow but not so much that it reveals individual journey patterns, according to the BBC.
by Liu Tian, Ji Wei

KARACHI, Pakistan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- During a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Hub coal-fire power plant built in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan recently, Wang Binghua, chairman of a Chinese power enterprise that is participating in the project's construction, said the plant will benefit both the Pakistani government and local people after its completion in 2019.

The coal-fire power plant project, which is one of the "priority projects" under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is being constructed and invested in by the China Power International Holding Ltd., a subsidiary of China's State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), and Pakistan's Hub Power Company Ltd., with a total cost of some 2 billion U.S. dollars.

Wang said that after the fulfillment of the project, local people will enjoy cheaper electricity and about 4 million Pakistani families will benefit from the power plant, adding that the coal-fire power plant also adds variety to Pakistan's energy consumption system so as to help the country ensure its energy security.

"Any country cannot only rely on one sort of energy. Coal fire power plants, gas filed power plants, solar farms, wind energy, bio-energy or other new energies should all be utilized in order to guarantee its energy security. Therefore, it is necessary for Pakistan to build the coal fire power plant," Wang told Xinhua on Monday.

"As to the Hub project, our company attached a great number of importance to five issues, namely the plant's safety, operation reliability, environment friendly standard, economy and adjustability. And I'm confident to say that we are providing an excellent and responsible service to Pakistan since all of the equipment to be used in the project is top class globally," said the Chinese entrepreneur.

The SPIC chairman emphasized that although the Hub project is a coal fire power plant, top international technologies on environmental protection or emission curbing will be used in the complex so as to meet local or even stricter legislation on coal fire power plants.

"We are adopting a super clean' emission technology which could make the emissions at the plant the same as a gas filed power plant. And with the Hub project, we also plan to build a cement factory nearby so as to utilize all wasted dust produced by the power plant," he added.

He went on to explain that sensing devices would be installed on the top of chimneys of the Hub power plant and all data regarding chemicals such as sulfur dioxide or nitric oxide in waste gas detected by the devices will be sent to local environment department.

"I asked to open this plant to the Pakistani public after its completion so that the local people could experience for themselves the eco-friendliness of our coal fire plant. We are confident in our environmental protection technologies."

According to Wang, the Hub coal fire power plant is expected to be fully operational in August 2019 and it will generate about 9 billion kwh of electricity to the Pakistani national grid annually. It will also create about 10,000 jobs for local people during its construction.

"We come to Pakistan not for the installation of our equipment and to gain profits. We pay more importance to better improving the development of local high-end manufacturing industries so as to make the development sustainable. We also try to group more and more local communities into our project to dispel their worries."

"We plan to enroll a number of Pakistani graduates and to provide training to them to make them skilled. These local employees will be an important human resource for the country. If they leave the Hub plant, they will likely get another opportunity in other plants. It will make this industry in Pakistan more sustainable," Wang said.

Wang also said his enterprise did a lot of work before entering the Pakistani market on how to follow the country's supervision and industry requirements. "We signed a power purchase agreement with the Pakistani government. This document satisfies both sides and sets a code for our market behavior."

Talking about the security about the project in Balochistan, Wang expressed his confidence and trust toward the Pakistani government, saying that the Pakistani side is very considerate regarding security issues and can provide the necessary security for power plants.

During his opening speech in Tuesday's ceremony, the entrepreneur vowed to expedite the project construction with high standards, high quality and high efficiency, and to build the project safely as a benchmark of "China-Pakistan friendship project," "morale project" and "model project" under the CPEC.
TIANJIN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Goubuli, one of China's longest established food brands from the northern city of Tianjin, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Australian health product company Blooms Bluesky Holding.

Goubuli, has adopted the English name "Go Believe," will acquire 78 percent of the latter, said Zhang Yansen, president of the Tianjin Goubuli Group Corporation.

Zhang told Xinhua that through the cooperation, Goubuli will introduce technology and products from Blooms Bluesky to China, while promoting its own stuffed buns overseas.

This is not Goubuli's first cooperation with an Australian enterprise.

In 2014, it joined with Australia's coffee shop franchise Gloria Jean's Coffees and now owns more than 100 Gloria Jean's Coffee shops and Goubuli restaurants in China.
COLOMBO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday informed his parliament that the spread of dengue in the island country was part of a health crises looming in Asia.

A report quoting Wickremesinghe said that the spread of dengue in Sri Lanka and the spread of diseases in other Asian countries were a part of one health crisis in the region.

"Diseases such as fever and even bird flu are spreading in Asia, and millions of poultry are being destroyed in South Korea today. And the spread of diseases in Sri Lanka may be a part of this crisis," Wickremesinghe said.

He said his government had taken several measures to control the spread of dengue in Sri Lanka and nearly 800 members from the security forces had been deployed throughout the country to curb the situation.

According to statistics from the Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka, over 20,000 people have been infected with dengue within the first three months of this year with 41.38 percent of dengue cases reported from the Western province.

Thirteen deaths have also been reported.

The highest numbers of dengue cases were reported during the third week of 2017.

"This situation warrants regular removal of possible mosquito breeding sites from the environment. It is also important to seek medical attention in the event of dengue fever," the Epidimiology Unit said in a statement.

Earlier this month, at least 66 schools were forced to remain close for three days in the Trincomalee District, in Eastern Sri Lanka due to the spread of dengue.
PHNOM PENH, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Council of Ministers of Cambodia on Friday approved a draft law on anti-dumping, which was designed to shield domestic producers from the impact of dumping by foreign exporters, a spokesman said.

The approval was made during a weekly cabinet meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the spokesman for the Council of Ministers, Phay Siphan wrote on his Facebook page.

"The draft law on anti-dumping is aimed at protecting domestic producers from the impact of dumping by foreign exporters," he said, adding that it would ensure a fair competition atmosphere between domestic producers and foreign producers.

The law will allow the government to raise tariffs or restrict imports to counteract the dumpers.

"Dumping" is a form of predatory pricing, where foreign exporters sell goods below costs into a country with an aim of driving domestic producers out of business. Once the domestic producers go bankrupt, the dumpers can increase prices and recoup their losses.

The draft legislation needs to be adopted by the National Assembly and finally reviewed by the Senate before being submitted to King Norodom Sihamoni for promulgation.
MOGADISHU, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The African Union mission has arrived in Somalia to assess progress made in defence and security institutions, especially in building a national army capable of stabilizing the Horn of Africa nation.

A statement from the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Friday said the 24-member delegation from the AU Peace and Security Council is holding consultations with key leaders on the best ways to secure Somalia.

"The consultations would focus on efforts to build national defence and security institution, which would ultimately have the primary responsibility of maintaining peace and security in Somalia," said Ntshinga Ndumiso, Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council who is leading the delegation.

The mission held talks with Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, shortly after their arrival in Mogadishu on Thursday.

"The area we are interested in is the transparency, coordination and complementary efforts among all partners who are providing capacity-building support to the Somali National Army," Ndumiso told the PM and other senior government leaders.

During the meeting, Khaire agreed with the delegation that the national army needed strengthening to satisfactorily provide peace and security in the country.

He said the new government had set a two-year target to achieve its priority goals, of which security takes precedence.

The prime minister also acknowledged the critical support provided to the country by the AMISOM and said Somalia would "forever be grateful."
by Will Koulouris

SYDNEY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative has been lauded by experts here in Australia as being the catalyst for economic and trade cooperation between Australia and China.

In an interview on Friday, former Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb sat down with Xinhua on the sidelines of an economic forum attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Sydney, and said the Belt and Road Initiative will play a pivotal role in both China and Australia's economic success well into the future.

"Without a doubt. There is growing contact as people get to understand what the Belt and Road Initiative is," Robb said. "It is the potential for Australia."

Robb shared his hope that both Australia and China will be able to work side by side in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, utilizing their "complementary" abilities.

"Australia can bring a lot of projects, especially expertise in social infrastructure, hospitals, schools, aged care facilities, all of these sorts of things. And of course we have construction capabilities which will compliment China's," Robb said.

Robb stressed that there has been real progress in Australia recently concerning the Belt and Road Initiative. And after people see related businesses booming, more will take part in it.

New South Wales President of the Australia China Business Council, Craig Emerson, agreed with Robb, and told Xinhua the initiative is, in a way, turning back the clock on trade.

"China is physically, as well as metaphysically, reaching out to other parts of the world, re-establishing trade routes and maritime routes, that is the next stage of China's 'opening'," Emerson said.

Chief executive of Australia's Business Council Jennifer Westacott told Xinhua on Thursday that she believed that the Belt and Road Initiative will not only be beneficial to both countries, but become part of a broader trade context.

She explained that in order for the initiative to be completely successful in providing mutually beneficial outcomes for both sides, it will be important to further educate Australian businesses of the benefits of participating in the ambitious project.

"One of the things we do need to do is explain to businesses what the initiative is, how it is going to roll out, and what are the investment opportunities." Westacott said.

"People will invest in good ideas, and things that have a return, and people will see the bigger strategic issues."

Peter Drysdale, head of the East Asia Bureau of Economic Research, wrote in the Australian Financial Review on Wednesday that Australia not only "strengthen open economic arrangements" with China, but also play a role in developing infrastructure with China to support the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The two countries can work to strengthen investment arrangements, improve air transport connectivity, jointly study opportunities for cooperation on infrastructure, and seek to promote economic cooperation and regional infrastructure investment through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other regional financial institutions," Drysdale suggested.

The opportunities to be a part of this infrastructure investment are immense according to Emerson, with a "very large amount of infrastructure investment" needed to ensure the initiative's success.

"I'm absolutely certain that Australian construction companies, financiers, and Australian superannuation funds will be very interested in that," Emerson said.

While the Belt and Road Initiative will lead China and Australia into a new era of trade cooperation, both countries will also benefit on a more global scale. As world-renowned economist Jim O'Neill told Xinhua earlier this month, the Belt and Road Initiative will "completely transform" the economic outlook for all the countries involved, leading to "exciting" opportunities for China and Australia.

Robb agreed, and explained that since more than 100 countries will come into contact with the initiative, the potential positive impact on a global scale is limitless.

"If they get help with important infrastructure which aids trade, and investment, and growth, you will see a great acceleration across all of those countries. They will create markets themselves, they will invest in other countries," he said.

"It could be absolutely transformative for a very large part of the world," Robb said, "and that is good for peace and stability in the world as a whole."
LIMA, March 23, 2017 (Xinhua) -- Chiness Ambassador to Peru Jia Guide (L) and President of the Peruvian Red Cross Maria Garcia pose with a check donated by the Chinese Red Cross (CRC) in Lima, Peru, on March 22, 2017. (Xinhua/Luis Camacho)

Hi, here's what you need to know about China.

LIMA -- The Chinese Red Cross (CRC) on Wednesday donated 100,000 U.S. dollars to the Peruvian Red Cross, to help the country deal with the damage caused by El Nino phenomenon.

Chinese ambassador to Peru, Jia Guide, presented the cheque to the president of the Peruvian Red Cross, Maria Garcia, in a brief ceremony.

Jia expressed belief that the Peru government's efforts, backed by international aid, would succeed in overcoming the difficult time. He hoped the financial relief would reach the populations of the most vulnerable areas.

- - - -

CANBERRA -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met here Thursday with Australian parliament leaders, saying China is willing to strengthen exchanges between the legislatures of the two countries to promote bilateral ties.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Australian Senate President Stephen Parry and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith in the Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday afternoon.

- - - -

BEIJING -- China will launch a new meteorological satellite in the second half of this year, which will be capable of detecting auroras, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced Thursday.

The satellite, the country's fourth Fengyun-III meteorological satellite, is expected to improve weather disaster forecasting ability as well as environmental monitoring.

- - - -

UNITED NATIONS -- A Chinese envoy to the UN Thursday called for support for the building of African Standby Force and rapid reaction force, so as to enhance the continent's collection security capacity.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the world body, made the remarks at a UN Security Council meeting on Somalia.

"Somalia has entered a crucial stage of national rebuilding," said Liu, noting that its security and humanitarian situation remains precarious, coupled with rampant terrorism activities and a recent famine.

- - - -

UNITED NATIONS -- China hopes the international community will forcefully push for a political settlement of the South Sudan conflict, a Chinese envoy to the United Nations (UN) said Thursday.

Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks at a Security Council meeting on South Sudan, which was attended by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"Political settlement is the only solution," he said, adding that "the international community should push all the parties in South Sudan to cease hostilities and come back to the track of political settlement, and effectively implement their peace agreement."
BANGKOK, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A man was busted for hiding more than 800,000 meth pills and six kilograms of heroin in his house area in northern Thailand's Lopburi Province, local media Friday reported.

The garland seller, 38, was arrested on Thursday after 852,000 methamphetamine pills, six kilograms of heroin and nine guns were found hidden in an iced container in the banana orchard behind his house, according to Khao Sod.

The drugs were reportedly worth about 57,000 dollars.

Police from the Narcotic Suppression Bureau said they have staked out around the area for four days. They believed that the drugs were to be delivered from northern Thailand to the country's central plains.

Local media said the man admitted that he was hired to store the drugs for another person, but declined to reveal the drug owner's name.

Lopburi Province is about 150 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. The province has many times been brought to media exposure as a transfer station of drug delivery from northern Thailand to the south.

Thailand has been marred with drug smuggling, as it borders countries like Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia, where narcotics are produced and trafficked.
NEW YORK, March 24 (Xinhua) -- California, the U.S. tourism-heavy state, is mounting a charm offensive for deep-pocketed Chinese tourists against the backdrop of a strong dollar and a travel ban that could shy away potential international tourists, said tourism professionals.

"It's a global message we're carrying out, and I think the Chinese market is first and foremost," Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of Visit California, told Xinhua recently. "We invite you, we welcome you, come and be bold to dream."

Beteta was on a marketing tour in New York to promote "California, All Dreams Welcome", a tourism promotion campaign of the Golden State, where the total direct travel spending in 2016 reached 126 billion U.S. dollars, directly supporting more than one million jobs.

"China is a very important economic contributor in that quotation, it's our fastest growing market," Beteta said, who has been to China over 20 times. She added that California has historical ties with China with the presence of Chinese immigrants early on during the state's early forming years.

Over the past decade, Chinese visitors to the U.S. have grown nearly 10-fold from 320,000 arrivals in 2006 to over three million in 2016, designated the "China-US Tourism Year."

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the number is projected to grow to 5.7 million arrivals by 2021.

California currently attracts 45.5 percent of all Chinese visitors to the United States. That led to 1.3 million Chinese visitors spending 2.6 billion U.S. dollars in California in 2016, Beteta said.

California's tourism industry might experience slower-than-normal growth in 2017 due to lingering uncertainties over President Donald Trump, including his immigration policy, according to a recent report by the UCLA Anderson Forecast. The rising dollar would also make American services more expensive.

The newly revised travel ban that Trump signed early March blocks citizens of six Muslim-dominated countries from entering the country for 90 days. Tourism experts warned that international travelers from other nations would watch the news and think that they, too, are not welcome in the United States.

"In California we live and kind of think to a different beat in philosophy and (from) a different vision of culture, because we are so multicultural in California. We just want to reinforce that message (of) all dreams being welcome," Beteta said.

It is "too early to tell," she said in the UCLA report. "But I can almost assuredly say with a great amount of confidence that the Chinese market will continue to grow at a double-digit rate for the next couple of years."

"By 2020, it will be our largest international market," Beteta said. "It's neck and neck with Canada now, but it's growing at double-digit rates and we will see about two million Chinese visitors by 2020, spending over three billion dollars."

Driven by a rapidly growing middle class, the number of Chinese outbound tourists is expected to reach 150 million in 2020 from 122 million in 2016, with an estimated average annual growth rate of 5.09 percent, according to China National Tourism Administration.

Beteta said Visit California is making multidimensional promotional plans to get a big share of the critical China market. It plans to spend 9.8 million dollars in the current fiscal year to welcome Chinese visitors.

Furthermore, it has taken innovative approaches to reach Chinese consumers, including partnerships with Chinese celebrities like Jay Chou and Sun Nan, localized video content on China's video streaming site Youku and co-branded television spots with China Southern Airlines and online tour operator Tuniu.

Talking about broader China-U.S. trade and people-to-people relations, Beteta told Xinhua: "I'm just ever hopeful that the relationship and the trade status, as it relates to the tourism industry, stay intact, because it's been very, very fruitful for both countries and for our state."

"The bilateral trade with regard to tourism actually helps balance the trade deficit the U.S. has with China," she said.

Currently 124 non-stop, weekly flights arrive in California from 11 Chinese cities with a capacity of 36,955 seats. Both United Airlines and Hainan Airlines launched new routes in 2016.

"Every day we're working to, frankly, educate our own industry about the particulars, the protocols on how to better service Chinese tourists, so we call it China Ready and we are constantly working with communities throughout California to hopefully enhance the visitor experience of (the) Chinese,"

Over the past two years, Visit California has managed 17 "China Ready" seminars in partnership with Union Pay International. Over 1,800 tourism industry professionals across the state have taken the two-hour seminar, which helps prepare them to welcome Chinese visitors.

"We're trying to carry out the loveliness of the Chinese culture and the California culture and encouraging that connection," said Beteta.
LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Women are usually encouraged to have children as early in life as possible, yet a new study suggests that older mothers are more likely to raise happier and well-adjusted children.

The study, conducted by experts at Aarhus University in Demark, monitored 4,741 mothers in the country and assessed their children's behavior at the ages of 7, 11 and 15.

The findings, published in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology, indicated that older mothers generally resorted less to verbal and physical punishment than younger mothers did, and consequently, their children tended to have fewer behavioral, social and emotional problems than those of younger mothers.

"We know that people become more mentally flexible with age, are more tolerant of other people," Dion Sommer, author of the study, was quoted as saying.

"That's why psychological maturity may explain why older mothers do not scold and physically discipline their children as much," he added.

In a separate study, American researchers discovered that women can boost their brainpower if they have children when they are older, adding to the potential benefits of having a baby later in life.

In the United States, maternal age at the time of first birth has risen from 25 to 26 since 2000. In Denmark, the share of children born to women over 40 has quadrupled since 1985.
NEW DELHI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- All Indian airlines Friday unanimously banned an Indian lawmaker from all their flights, a day after he hit an employee of national carrier Air India "25 times with his slipper" as he was denied a business class seat in a Delhi-bound flight.

An association of airlines has decided that Ravindra Gaikwad, the parliamentarian of the western state of Maharashtra's regional Hindu fundamentalist Shiv Sena party who assaulted a staff member of Air India, will not be allowed on flights "with immediate effect", a statement said.

The statement by the Federation of Indian Airlines also demanded that "strict action be taken against the Member of Parliament by law enforcement agencies. We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us."

Meanwhile, Air India has also cancelled the lawmaker's return ticket fearing backlash from its employees, sources said.

Gaikwad, who Friday bragged about beating the 60-year-old Air India staffer, displayed no remorse even 24 hours after the incident. "I will return in the same flight this afternoon. Let the airline stop me from boarding its flight to Maharashtra's Pune city," he told the media.

The incident took place when Gaikwad was coming to Delhi from Pune on an Air India flight that apparently did not have a business class.

After thrashing the Air India employee, the Shiv Sena parliamentarian even bragged about in when local TV channels sought his reaction to the incident. "He was arrogant. I hit him 25 times with my sandal," he told the media.

The Air India flight crew has, however, alleged that he was "humiliated in front of the entire crew and his spectacles were broken".

As the chorus for action against the 57-year-old lawmaker grew stronger, Indian Aviation Minister had quipped, "No citizen should ever resort to any kind of physical assault let alone an Member of Parliament."

The BJP has strongly condemned the incident, despite Shiv Sena being its alliance partner in the Maharashtra government. "Elected representatives need to respect people who are doing their job, irrespective of whether the Air India man was rude," said Shaina NC, the BJP spokesperson.
BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A series of books of selected transcripts of press conferences held during this year's two sessions have been published by the People's Publishing House, the publisher said Friday.

Among the transcripts and video clips are remarks made by Premier Li Keqiang at a press conference after the conclusion of the national legislature's annual session.

The two sessions are the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Other material in the books include reports of ministers taking questions from the media, as well as charts and diagrams to help readers grasp the essence of the two sessions.

The books are available nationwide.
DHAKA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A team of Bangladesh police Friday cordoned off a building in the country's Sylhet city, some 241 km northeast of capital Dhaka, suspecting presence of militants there.

A police official told Xinhua that the law enforcers had surrounded the five-storied building since the hours of Thursday.

Several gunshots and explosions were heard from the spot. Law enforcers are seen to retaliate after a grenade was hurled towards them from the house.

Jedan Al Musa, a senior Sylhet police official, said the militants rented the ground floor flat of the building "Achia Villa" three months ago.

"A man and a woman identified themselves as husband and wife and rented the ground floor flat three months ago".

He said residents from adjacent houses have been moved to safety.

Law enforcers from capital Dhaka have already reached the scene to boost local police efforts to catch them.

The raid came days after four suspected militants were killed as Bangladeshi law enforcers on Thursday stormed a militant hideout at Sitakunda on the outskirts of the country's seaport city Chittagong, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka. Since the cafe attack Bangladesh law enforcers apparently have gone tough against Neo-JMB (an offshoot of the banned militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh) which is blamed for July 1 last year attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter in which 20 hostages, mostly foreigners, were killed.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull hold a joint press conference after their annual talks in Canberra, Australia, March 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

CANBERRA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- China-Australia cooperation is not targeted at any third party and there is no such issue as taking sides in Australia' s relations with China and the United States, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday.

Li, who is on an official visit to Australia from Wednesday through Sunday, made the comment at a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull after their annual talks in Canberra.

"As for China-U.S. relations and China-Australia relations, China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and we know that Australia also decides its own foreign policy in the light of Australia's national conditions," Li said.

Li said China has always maintained that countries, big or small, are equals and should respect and treat each other on an equal footing and that China develops relations with other countries in an open and inclusive approach.

China hopes that China-Australia cooperation will not just do good to the two countries, but also bring good to other countries. This cooperation will not bring harm to other countries, still less will this cooperation be targeted at any third party, Li said.

"We believe that we are both guided by the vision of global peace, regional stability, and free trade, and we will each make our own decisions on the merits of each case. There is no such issue as taking sides," the premier said.

The bilateral relationship between China and the United States is the single most important one for the prosperity, security and stability of the world, Turnbull said.

"But we have a staunch, strong ally in Washington, a good friend in Washington, and we have a very good friend in Beijing," Turnbull said. "The idea that Australia has to choose between China and the United States is not correct." During Li's visit, China and Australia finalized major agreements in agriculture including a meat export package which expands chilled meat access from 11 exporters to all eligible Australian exporters. This new agreement will drive significant future growth.

As China transitions to a consumer-driven economy, Australia is well placed to meet Chinese demands for high quality, safe food, beverages, consumer items and services, Turnbull said.

China and Australia should bring forward the review of China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to expand trade and facilitate investment and jointly maintain free trade, regional stability and world peace, Li said.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents ranging from FTA, trade and investment, quarantine, climate change, agriculture to culture and education.

Li will pay an official visit to New Zealand after wrapping up his tour to Australia. Li's visits to the two Oceanian countries are the first by a Chinese premier in 11 years.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at a meeting of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) in Manila, the Philippines, March 24, 2017. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday that he is looking forward to his second trip to China this May to attend the "One Belt, One Road" summit organized by the Chinese government. (Xinhua/Wang Yu)

MANILA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday that he is looking forward to his second trip to China this May to attend the "One Belt, One Road" summit organized by the Chinese government.

"I'm going there. I was invited by the president himself... It's a very ambitious project of China," he said in a speech to a meeting of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) in Manila.

"I'd like to thank China again. Our exports of banana have doubled and the pineapple increased by 50 percent," Duterte said.

Duterte said China has also promised to "open the floodgates" for more Philippine products.

The president reiterated that he has no plan to enter into a military alliance with any country right now.

"But certainly I can choose friends who are kind to us and those who understand us and those who do not make imposition," he said, alluding to China.
BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) - China is maintaining contact with the Philippines over a possible visit by a Chinese naval ship to the Southeast Asian country, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Friday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday that the Philippines would invite a Chinese naval ship for a visit.

"China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with the Philippines in relevant areas," said Hua, adding that military exchanges and cooperation are important components of bilateral relations.
A supporter of Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak holds a poster of him in front of Maadi Armed Forces Hospital where he is put under house arrest in Cairo, Egypt, on March 19, 2015. (Xinhua/Pan Chaoyue)

CAIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak walked free on Friday for the first time in six years, his lawyer said.

He left the Maadi Military Hospital where he had been detained at 08:00 local time, heading to his home in Heliopolis.
YINCHUAN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Tying the knot can be complicated in China. Sometimes there are family issues, and sometimes it is a matter of money.

In China, the groom's family traditionally offers a betrothal gift, known as "caili," to the bride's family before they marry. This can be cash, houses, cars or other assets.

In the past, caili may only have been a few hundred yuan (100 yuan equals 14.5 U.S. dollars), but as standards of living have risen, so have expectations for caili. A betrothal gift can cost hundreds of thousands of yuan, or even a million, in addition to other gifts. Getting married has become such a burden that many families have been left impoverished by the process.

In northwest China, however, the situation is changing, as a poverty-relief campaign brings down bride prices.

Hongsibao district government of Wuzhong City in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region recently issued an open letter to the public, encouraging them to simplify marriage ceremonies and cut bride prices and gifts.

Hongsibao is a large community of ecomigration, where residents formerly living in environmentally vulnerable areas are relocated. There are about 230,000 relocated residents, mostly from Ningxia's poorest counties. Even after the move, around a quarter of them still live under the national poverty line.

In Hongsibao' Dongfang Community, residents have been advised to cut the bride price to no more than 60,000 yuan, while gift money from friends and relatives should not exceed 500 yuan, the local Xinzhixun Newspaper reported Thursday.

It is a merciful relief to the many cash-strapped families there.

"EVERYBODY BEARS A BURDEN"

The joy of getting married was often eaten away by high bride prices in Hongsibao.

"The average annual income is 5,400 yuan per capita in our village, but bride price could be as high as 200,000 yuan," said Guo Rui, head of Xiangyuan Village. "Getting married on loans and repaying the loans after marriage was nothing unusual here."

As many rural families have several children, a family might take the bride money given for their daughter and use it to help their son get married, Guo said.

"Everybody is bearing a heavy burden, but if you want to help your children get married, you have to charge more and more."

And it was not just the happy couple who suffered. Relatives and friends also had to pitch in increasing gift money to show that they "attached great importance" to the nuptials.

"Gift money was maybe 10 yuan or 50 yuan in the past, but now it has risen to hundreds or even thousands of yuan," Guo said.

Ma Yingxiao, of Dongfang Community, said the family's combined income was 74,000 yuan last year, but their gift money to relatives and friends reached a staggering 80,000 yuan, leaving the family in debt.

"Gift money was an expression of congratulation, but it had distorted such feelings," Ma said.

BACK TO BASICS

Realizing many families have run up debt due to the tradition, the government used the poverty-relief campaign to ease the pressure.

In Dongfang Community, a "wedding and funeral council" was set up to carry out educational work, urging residents to go frugal in weddings and funerals, according to the Xinzhixun Newspaper.

According to the council's advice, bride prices should not exceed 60,000 yuan, while gift money from relatives and friends should be below 500 yuan.

Liu Jie, also a resident of Dongfang Community, said that when his daughter recently got married, the groom's family sent 68,000 yuan to them. But instead of taking the money, Liu gave it back and gave 20,000 yuan in cash to the couple.

Liu, who has a daughter and a son, said his idea even influenced the family of his daughter-in-law.

"When her family heard that I did not take a dime from my son-in-law, they also declined to take my money," Liu said.

The campaign is also spreading to other localities in Ningxia. Tongxin County is using self-made movies and opera to attack the high bride prices, while in Qingtongxia City is downplaying the need for high bride wealth through pop songs.

In Tongxin County, the family of Ma Zhanhai were honored for acting thriftily.

"My son and daughter-in-law celebrated their wedding by traveling together," said Ma, 58, in Xinhua Village.

In Yanchi County, lectures and group weddings have been held to promote the spirit of frugality.

"Our ideas about marriage are changing," Liu Jie said. "It does not matter how high the bride price is, what matters is the happiness of your children."
ISLAMABAD, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan will participate in the next month's international conference on Afghanistan in Moscow, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Russia will hold the conference on April 14 that will be the third of its kind in five months.

Russian Foreign Minister said this month that 12 countries, including the U.S. and four Central Asian states, will be invited to the upcoming meeting to discuss peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

Speaking at a weekly briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said that no decision has been taken as to who will represent the country.

To a question, Zakaria said he has no information as whether or not the Afghan Taliban have been invited to the conference.

Earlier some Pakistani media reported that the Taliban have hinted at giving positive response if their political negotiators were formally invited to the conference.

"Pakistan supports all efforts for peace and security in Afghanistan," the spokesman said.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani told a news conference in Kabul last week that Russia has assured his country that its contacts with the Taliban are aimed at encouraging them to join peace process.

Rabbani, who travelled to Moscow last month, said that Russia'a interaction with the Taliban will not harm the dignity and sovereignty of Afghanistan.

Afghan affairs experts are of the view that the Moscow meeting could pave the way for Afghan gov't and the Taliban to interact to each other.

"I think it is best chance for the Taliban and the Afghan government to use this chance and steer the country from the current situation," an Afghan analyst Najam Burhani said.

Burhani said the involvement and seriousness of the regional countries, including Russia and China, in the reconciliation process will encourage the Afghan gov't to focus on political process.

He said concerns of the regional countries are growing about the emerging threat of Daesh in Afghanistan and that is why they are showing more interest in Taliban reconciliation.
BOAO, China, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese economy is healthy and its structural reform is heading in the right direction, said Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President Stephen Groff on Friday at an Asian economic cooperation forum.

The 6.5-percent growth rate forecast for 2017 by the Chinese government fell in line with estimation of the ADB, said Groff at the on-going Boao Forum for Asia.

This is a deceleration from the 6.7 percent recorded for last year. However, the ADB is not concerned as it believes this is reflective of the structural reform in the country, he said.

He believed the gradual decelerating growth is natural for any economy as it evolves from the investment-driven type to a risk-managing one.

"We're not at all concerned about this deceleration, and we think it's healthy and the structural transformation that the country continues to go through is the right direction," he said.

On development across Asia, Groff said the need for infrastructure investment for the Asia-Pacific up until 2030 amounts to 26 trillion U.S. dollars, which breaks down to 1.7 trillion dollars a year, while the current investment across the region are 880 billion U.S. dollars a year.

Calling for more investment for the infrastructure development across Asia, Groff said he has taken note of the "incredible progress" in the development of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

"It's now a fully operating institution in just a couple of years," said Groff, adding that the AIIB currently has investments in a number of different countries and it is working hard to develop cooperative relations with many Asian countries and other similar institutions.

"I think the progress has been terrific," Groff said.

He said he looks forward to working with the AIIB in the future.

The Boao Forum for Asia opened on Thursday at the seaside resort of Boao, Hainan, a province in southern China. The four-day annual event is focused on free trade and efforts to combat deglobalization.
A supporter of Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak attends a gathering outside Maadi Military Hospital in Cairo, Egypt, March 19, 2017. Dozens of supporters of Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak held a gathering outside the hospital where he has been held. An Egyptian attorney general ordered on March 13, 2017 the release of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak after he served his maximum pre-trial detention sentence. Mubarak still had not left the hospital as of Sunday. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)

CAIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak walked free on Friday for the first time in six years, his lawyer said.

He left the Maadi Military Hospital where he had been detained at 08:00 local time, heading to his home in Heliopolis.

Mubarak, 88 years old, who was overthrown as president of Egypt in 2011 in response to mass protests against his rule, was acquitted by the country's top appeals court on March 2 of murder charges.

Initially arrested in April 2011, two months after stepping down, Mubarak stood trial on charges ranging from corruption to involvement in the killing of protesters who ended his 30-year rule.

Since then, he has spent almost six years in prison and military hospitals.

Mubarak has already served a three-year sentence for embezzling state funds allocated for maintaining presidential palaces, but time he had spent in detention in connection with the murder charges was subtracted from it.

He was originally sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for ordering the murder of 239 demonstrators during the 18-day revolt.

In 2014, an appeals court ordered his retrial along with his senior officials. But the charges were dropped.

Then the public prosecution appealed the retrial and the Court of Cassation, the highest in the country ordered his acquittal on March 2.
CAPE TOWN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Friday condemned a "resurgence of racist posts" on social media and vowed to pursue the offenders.

"Whilst government respects freedom of expression, it will not allow racism to disrupt the gains we have made as a country," the government said in a statement in response to the recent spate of racist utterances on social media.

In the latest incident, a Limpopo man posted on Facebook about crowded beaches in Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, while calling black beachgoers "cockroaches" who stole money to go on holiday.

This came almost a year after a similar post by an estate agent calling black beachgoers "monkeys".

"The government condemns the resurgence of racist posts on Twitter and Facebook which deliberately undermine the gains made towards social cohesion, nation building and strengthening democracy," said Donald Liphoko, Acting Director General of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).

The government, he said, "will actively pursue offenders through all available mechanisms including confronting employers and will not allow incidents of racism to define us as a country."

Victims of racism can seek recourse by opening a case at any local police station, or through the South African Human Rights Commission and the Equality Courts, said Liphoko.

The Department of Justice is finalizing the National Action Plan against Racism and Related Intolerances, which will strengthen the fight against racism and related intolerances, according to Liphoko.
MALDIVES, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of people tested positive for the H1N1 influenza virus in the Maldives has risen to 176, statistics released by the Health Protection Agency showed here Friday.

Seven more people tested positive with the virus on Thursday with 23 patients in total being hospitalized with H1N1 to date.

At least two patients have died from the virus with the Health Ministry putting in place strict measures to control the disease.

However the Health Ministry on Friday said that the number of people seeking treatment for flu had been receding.

The Education Ministry also in a statement on Friday said that it would reopen schools next week after it had been closed under the advise of the Health Protection Agency (HPA) due to the H1N1 outbreak.

However the Education Ministry urged parents not to send children to school if they had any symptoms of the flu.

The Maldives government recently said that the H1N1 virus in the island country was not similar to a swine flu pandemic.

It added that after the 2009 influenza pandemic, the H1N1 had been circulating as normal seasonal influenza and had been causing seasonal outbreaks every year around the world.

Therefore the government said health authorities were currently working with clinicians, health facilities and other related authorities to take measures to control the spread of influenza, as per its usual epidemic control measures.

Meanwhile neighbouring Sri Lanka said that its international airport's quarantine division had stepped up surveillance for passengers with H1N1 influenza amid reports of a major increase in the number of people affected by the disease in the Maldives.

The Director of the Division said an increase in Maldivian passenger arrivals was likely after that country reported an outbreak of influenza and some respiratory ailments.

Sri Lankan Airlines also announced it had activated, on its flights operating in and out of Male, communicable disease procedures in accordance with the travel advisory of the Maldivian Health Protection Agency (HPA).

The airlines said the crew would be wearing face masks and would provide a face mask to any passenger who wish to wear one.
WINDHOEK, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Namibian research firm IJG Securities said Friday that they expect further contractions in the construction sector in 2017 and beyond.

The research firm said in a report that 2017 was off to a slow start with only 231 building plans having been approved in the first two months while 48 were completed, the lowest numbers in the last seven years.

"As a leading indicator for economic activity in the country this implies that the whole economy could remain under pressure for the foreseeable future," IJG said.

IJG said with government spending on infrastructure slowing and the current economic situation that makes it increasingly difficult for banks to extend credit, it is a cause for concern as the sector provides a substantial number of jobs.

"This decline is worrying as construction has been a major driver of growth in the last couple of years, and our overall GDP growth figures are likely to slow," IJG added.
KUNMING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in southwest China's Yunnan province found a previously unknown population of green peafowl after two months of survey.

The bird which has first-class state protection in China was caught on camera in Xinping County in the city of Yuxi.

"Green peafowl are in their courtship period now and the cameras recorded that process," said Chen Mingyong of the School of Life Sciences at Yunnan University, on Friday.

A research team organized by the School of Life Sciences and the Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve began their work on Jan. 16. and have since taken 8,600 pictures of the bird.

There are at least 20 green peafowl in Xinping.

Green peafowl, found in the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia, is listed as "endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with a total world population of 20,000 - 30,000. In China, the species is only found in Yunnan Province.

"They are large and chirp loudly so they fall easy prey to felids," Chen said. "Poachers and damaged habitat have made the species extinct in many parts of Yunnan and they are rarely seen now."
PARIS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday that an international military offensive to retake Syrian city of Raqqa from the IS is likely to start "in the coming days."

"Today, one can say that Raqqa is encircled, that the battle for Raqqa will start in the coming days," Le Drian told local Cnews television, adding that liberating Raqqa was France's "major objective."

"It will be a very hard battle, but a battle that is going to be of utmost importance because once the (Islamic State's) two strongholds are taken over by Iraqi forces on one side and by the Arab-Kurdish forces on the other, Daesh will really have difficulties existing," he added.

Noting it is necessary to "continue applying pressure" on Islamic insurgents in Syria and Iraq, Le Drian said he would meet his American counterpart over the next few days in Washington to discuss the development of the U.S.-led coalition operation in the region.

Speaking on the offensive in Iraq, French minister stressed, "Daesh will lose."

"The combined action of the Iraqi forces and the coalition of which France is participating, will gradually lead to the Mosul's reconquest," he added.

Mosul, 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (2nd R) shakes hands with Syrian Ambassador to the UN and head of the government delegation Bashar al-Jaafari (3rd L) before meeting at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, March. 24, 2017. The UN-mediated latest round of intra-Syrian peace talks kicked off in Geneva. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

DAMASCUS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- It seems like the one who wins the upper hand in the battles on ground gets to dictate his conditions for a political settlement, and that's what is basically happening in Syria.

Last Sunday, and just days ahead of the resumption of the Syria talks in Geneva, several rebel groups, including jihadists with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, unleashed a massive offensive on government-controlled areas in the east of the capital Damascus, rattling the residents there with many suicide bombings in the hope of breaking through the fortifications of the Syrian army.

Mortar shells and explosive bullets rained down the capital, particularly the eastern neighborhoods that are close to the rebel-held areas on the eastern outskirts of the city, from which the rebels unleashed their attacks.

The Syrian forces, taken by surprise, scrambled to stand in the face of the attacks as the rebels succeeded to advance and take areas on the frontline between the government-controlled areas and the rebel-held ones.

Airstrikes and artillery shelling were relentless against rebel positions to thwart their largest attack against the capital in more than two years.

On Sunday, the army said it completely foiled the attack, but the rebels later announced the second wave of the attack, which started on Monday morning.

The rebel attack is aimed to open a road between rebel-held areas of Jobar, Qaboun and Barzeh, which would thwart the recent government offensive that has cut the road between those areas to make rebels weaker and the surroundings of the capital safer.

On Friday, airstrikes were still pounding rebel positions in the the countryside of Eastern Ghouta, mainly the neighborhood of Jobar, the main launching pad of the attacks on Damascus.

Not only in Damascus, the rebels from the Nusra Front and likeminded groups also unleashed a major offensive against the government positions two days ago in the central city of Hama, hoping to reach the city from its countryside.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels were just four kilometers from Hama, while government officials said they were seven kilometers from the city.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists on ground, said the rebels were making progress against the government forces in Hama after reinforcements were brought in.

It said the northeastern countryside of Hama is witnessing intense battles, with jihadi groups targeting government forces' positions in several areas amid airstrikes by the Syrian air forces against the rebel positions in areas they captured in northern Hama countryside.

It added that the Syrian forces also brought in supporting forces and deployed them near the military airport of Hama to prevent jihadi groups from approaching.

Observers believe the two offensives on Damascus and Hama have more political aims than territorial ones, particularly at the time when the Geneva talks is taking place.

Ahmad Ashqar, a political analyst and journalist, said the rebels who are fighting on both fronts are backed by Turkey, which aims to activate its allies on ground at this particular time to gain a political role for the rebels it's backing in the future of Syria.

The move came after the United States has apparently backed the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, and has clearly chosen the group to be the one representing the U.S. interests in Syria.

The United States has recently deployed new ground forces to help Kurdish groups in their push toward Syria's northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group.

The attacks also coincided with the recent advance of the Syrian army in several areas. Analysts say these attacks aim to keep the Syrian forces preoccupied with defense in Hama and Damascus rather than offense against Turkey and Gulf-backed rebels elsewhere.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the real aim of the attacks in Hama and Damascus is to affect Geneva talks and foil Astana talks as well as the results that have been reached, adding that the information available indicate that Turkish, Saudi and Qatari intelligence are involved in these events.

In Geneva, the Syrian government delegation is scheduled to meet with the UN envoy and mediator Staffan de Mistura later on Friday, marking the beginning of the fresh round of Geneva talks, which have so far failed to achieve any breakthrough in resolving the Syrian war politically.
by Njoroge Kaburo

NAIROBI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A group of non-government organizations (NGOs) on Friday called on African leaders to find practical solutions to protect and assist Somali refugees and asylum seekers facing ongoing conflict and a humanitarian crisis in Somalia.

In a joint statement issued on the eve of the regional summit on refugees, members of the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS), Somalia NGO Consortium and the Inter-agency Working Group (IAWG) expressed hope that the leaders will take practical steps towards the development and implementation of a comprehensive regional approach.

"It is hoped that such an approach, developed in the spirit of the New York Declaration, will support countries and communities that host Somali refugees in improving asylum space, integrated access to services, inclusive economic opportunities and infrastructure for all," the organizations said.

Kenya will on Saturday host an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) summit that will bring together Eastern African heads of state to discuss the situation of Somali refugees in the region.

Kenya's role as a refugee host has been marred by its continued insistence on closing Dadaab refugee camp, host to over 300,000 Somali refugees, by May.

The vast majority of Somali refugees have been hosted in neighboring countries for decades.

"It is critical to support host countries to include displacement in their National Development Plans to complement humanitarian interventions, addressing displacement-affected communities' needs and contributing to a comprehensive effort," the NGOs said.

"This Summit provides a unique opportunity to call on the international community to demonstrate solidarity with IGAD member states through responsibility sharing and increased resettlement quotas for Somali refugees," the statement said.

The summit comes at a time when the East and Horn of Africa region is facing a severe drought that has already caused a famine in parts of South Sudan and that threatens to do the same in Somalia.

Abdurahman Sharif, Director of the Somalia NGO Consortium, said the threat of famine in Somalia is real and hoped that the African leaders will commit themselves to averting it.

"If we don't collectively act now, the consequences can be catastrophic not only for Somalia but also for the region," he warned.

Over 260,000 Somalis have already been internally displaced since the end of 2016 due to the pre-famine situation.

The agencies called for international financial institutions to cancel Somalia's debts to support and accelerate the country's development and to mitigate the long-term effects of the current pre-famine situation.

NGOs are concerned that the population movement is happening within a backdrop of continuing returns of Somalis from Kenya and suspension of registration of new arrivals.

"The organizations urged Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR to suspend the return process given the impending humanitarian crisis and the adverse consequences that sustained repatriation may create and urge the government of Kenya to resume registration of new arrivals," they said.
PARIS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande rejected allegations by presidential candidate Francois Fillon that he was behind a government plot to dash his chances to win the race to the Elysee Palace, after ordering a damaging media leak over his wife's fake job.

In a statement issued by his office late on Thursday, Hollande "condemns with the greatest firmness the false allegations of Fillon."

"Since 2012 ... the executive has never intervened in any judicial process and has always strictly respected the independence of the judiciary," the statement said.

According to Hollande, Fillon's allegations of ordering leaks of compromising materials about his wife's fake job as a parliamentary aide "have no basis" and "cause an intolerable disturbance in the presidential campaign which calls for dignity, serenity and responsibility."

In a television interview late on Thursday, the conservative candidate accused Hollande of heading a "secret cell" aimed at leaking sensitive data.

Citing a soon-to-be-published book by some journalists, Fillon said the French president had the contents of all phone taps linked to judicial investigations which interested him, "which is totally illegal."

Fillon, 63, once the presidential front-runner, has been trailing in the third place after French satirical weekly, Le Canard Enchaine, reported on January 25 that Fillon had paid his wife and two of his five children about one million euros (roughly 1.1 million U.S. dollars) for their jobs as parliamentary assistants.

However, there was no evidence showing his wife had really worked, the report added. Fillon has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and denounced a judicial bias in the investigation of his wife's fake job allegation.

The former prime minister was also placed under formal investigation on suspicion of misusing public funds. The fraud probe has been widened to include luxury suits he received as gifts.

France's 2017 two-round presidential election is scheduled for April 23 and May 7.
Zambian Kwacha notes. (Xinhua)

LUSAKA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A bank in Zambia on Wednesday launched a program aimed at helping women have improved access to finance.

Stanbic Zambia, a member of Standard Bank Group of South Africa, said its program called Anakazi which means women, was a banking solution that will place strong emphasis on women's access to finance and business education.

The new program will deliver the tools women need to succeed in business, including easier access to convenient banking, finance as well as business knowledge.

"This initiative will go a long way in reaching out to women, enhancing their financial knowledge and therefore increasing their ability of accessing credit and formal banking services," said Mwansa Mutati, the bank's Head of Business Banking, according to an emailed press release.

Under the new program, the bank will provide training, mentorship and networking events to build knowledge in business management and access to markets, as well as assistance in business formalization.

According to the press release, it is Stanbic's bold move to boost Zambian women's involvement in business and entrepreneurship since the bank became the first Zambian financial institution to join the Global Banking Alliance for Women (GBA) in February.

The GBA is the only global consortium of financial institutions dedicated to supporting banks as they capture the opportunity of women's market.

With the new program, the bank will serve women as individual customers, targeting students, public workers and women professionals.

According to the bank's market research, most women had inadequate information to be able to formalize their businesses or inadequate access to finance.

The program will also leverage its support to agriculture, an industry that supports more than 70 percent of Zambian households.
JAKARTA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A total of 154 guerrilla fighters in Papua province have surrendered to the Indonesian government, the Indonesian army said in a statement on Friday.

The fighters were members of the Free Papua Movement which has long engaged in rebellion and sought diplomatic ways to separate from Indonesia.

The surrender happened following a humanitarian approach undertaken by the Indonesia army.

"Finally, the humanitarian approach has successfully led 154 members of the Free Papua Movement give up their insurgency," the statement said.

In a ceremony in Puncak district, head of the district Wilem Wandik handed Indonesia's red-and-white flag to a representative of the rebels as a symbol of their return, it said.

President Joko Widodo's administration has been trying to create equality in development across the archipelago country, including creating a uniform price for fuel and cement, building toll roads in Papua province to help spur economic growth.

The Free Papua Movement frequently targeted civilians, soldiers and staff of a U.S. mining company in the province, leaving dozens of casualties.
JAKARTA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Maritime Affairs Coordinating Ministry said Friday the coral reefs massively damaged by a foreign cruise ship in Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua province, will take 50 to 150 years to recover.

Based on a joint survey, nearly 19,000 square meters of coral reefs were damaged by the Caledonian Sky at the beginning of this month, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said.

"We are carefully evaluating the economic losses together with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry as well as the insurance company," Pandjaitan said in Jakarta, adding that this case is pretty complex which involves many parties.

He said that the case should be settled the sooner the better, without elaborating on the deadline.

Earlier this week, Arif Havas Oegroseno, the deputy minister at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs, said the damaged 18,882 square meters could be classified into two levels.

Oegroseno explained that nearly 13,300 square meters suffered damages that were fatal to the coral. Another 5,600 square meters sustained lesser damages and had 50 percent chance of dying.

He said the insurance company, P&I Club London, has agreed to compensate every legal loss.

The Caledonian Sky cruise ship ran aground on March 4 at Dampier strait of Raja Ampat islands and brought severe damage to one of the world's best pristine coral reefs.
by Ronald Njoroge and David Musyoka

NAIROBI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has planned to benchmark its Special Economic Zones (SEZs) on successful ones in China that have transformed the Asian country's economy.

National Economic and Social Council (NESC) Advisor Victor Koh told Xinhua Friday that Kenya's 2,000-square-kilometer SEZ in the coastal town of Mombasa can be benchmarked to Shenzhen's SEZ.

"Kenya can borrow the practices and experiences that have made China transform its economy in the past 30 years in order to create job opportunities," the SEZ expert said.

"Our assessment indicates that when fully operational, the port of Mombasa SEZ can generate 10 million jobs by the year 2030," Koh said during a forum on Fast Tracking Special Economic Zones.

A Special Economic Zone is a designated geographical area of high economic importance to a country, with liberal economic laws and highly developed infrastructure.

The designated trading zones are expected to help investors cut down on key cost drivers such as transport, with the hope that surplus funds would go towards value addition.

Koh said that Chinese SEZs have been very effective in attracting manufacturing industries that have made China emerge as a leading producer of goods globally.

Kenya's SEZ Act was operationalized in December 2015 and will provide various tax incentives for companies that establish their operations in the zones.

The zones are set to host companies that produce goods for export but can also sell locally if they pay domestic taxes.

According to NESC, Kenya currently has 8.3 million unemployed people and this figure is projected to increase to 15 million unless interventions are made.

Koh said that if Kenya operates the SEZs effectively, it can solve its current unemployment crisis.

"SEZs are ideal because they can be used to attract labor intensive industries that will help to absorb unemployed people," he added.

Koh said the government is rolling out SEZs which will enjoy lower taxes to boost Kenya's investment profile.

"SEZs are a very effective strategy for igniting the growth and development of the country with the potential to transform Kenya within a short time. This strategy was employed by Singapore, China and the United Arab Emirates and that is why they are where they are today," he said.

It is estimated that by the year 2003, there were 116 countries implementing SEZ programs, employing 43 million workers and accounting for annual world trade worth 400 billion U.S. dollars.

Julius Muia, Director General of Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat noted that SEZ is primed to create jobs to address the major socio-economic challenge of unemployment.

"The focus of the new policy on SEZs is that goods be produced closer to raw material sources and investors be handed preferential terms on matters such as licensing," Muia said.

"We have over 10 million citizens without jobs. The SEZ model in and of itself will be able to address the issue of unemployment to a very significant degree which will be felt," he added.

Kenya's special economic zones law provides incentives for industries to operate in designated SEZs in the Greater Mombasa, Lamu and the Greater Kisumu.
File photo shows Michael Chilufya Sata (C), former Zambian president, at a praying ceremony at st. Ignatius church in Lusaka, Zambia, on Sept. 25, 2011. (Xinhua/Meng Jing)

LUSAKA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government has announced tough measures to deal with mushrooming churches amid calls to curb "fake churches" and mercenary clergymen.

Godfridah Sumaili, Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affair, said Wednesday no church would be registered without clearance from her ministry.

In a ministerial statement delivered in parliament, the minister said a legal instrument would soon be announced that would compel all churches to be registered under the Registrar of Societies.

According to Sumaili, currently some churches hide under the guise of companies by registering under the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA).

"This scrutiny will be extended to foreign mission. Foreigners who come into the country for missionary work will be subjected to this same scrutiny before travel visas are issued for them to travel to Zambia for their missionary work to avoid fake people," she said.

The government, she said, was concerned with the mushrooming of churches and fake church leaders who were deceiving people.

There has to be a minimum standard for churches in the country, and the ministry is working with the existing church organizations to empower them so that they can regulate these churches, she added.

The conduct of some churches and clergymen has been a source of concern in Zambia for some time, with stakeholders calling on the government to come up with regulatory measures.

Some churches and their leaders have been accused of taking advantage of the gullibility of people to make quick money on the pretext that they were able to end all their problems.

News headlines of clergymen engaging in illegal and clandestine activities in the name of the church are common in this nation, where about 87 percent of the people are Christians.

Some clergymen were reportedly demanding for money and sexual favors in exchange for miracles to change people's lives.

Last week, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), one of the church mother bodies, called on the government to protect citizens from unscrupulous individuals pretending to have powers to deal with people's problems.

The organization urged the government to come up with measures to control the operation of churches in the country, saying the conduct of some churches was tarnishing the image of the church.
BERLIN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Billowing clouds of black smoke could be seen for miles around the western German city of Monchengladbach Thursday after a container, which was being used to house refugees, was set alight on Thursday morning.

Local police has confirmed that an arrest has been made after arson was suspected as the cause of the fire. The police department has not yet released the identity of the suspect but has confirmed that the detainee is a 21-year-old male. The arrest was made after other local witnesses accused the man of starting the fire.

The container area is being used to house some 100 refugees who are waiting for their asylum application to be processed. Locals have been advised to close all doors and windows after the incident, to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes emanating from the container.

The local fire department dealt with the scene and the fire was under control by midday. There are no reports of anyone seriously injured and the reason for the fire is still unclear.

There are similar locations in the Monchengladbach, as well as other German cities and towns, where asylum seekers wait for their paperwork to be processed.

Since 2015, Germany has been under the spotlight for its immigrant integration policies and has suffered from right wing backlash in government as well as rising civil tension.

In response to the global refugee crisis, Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany's doors in 2015 to asylum seekers and received over 1 million refugee applications in one year and subsequently accepted 890,000 applications.

Germany has continued to accept large amounts of refugees in 2016, however the number has sharply declined since 2015 to 305,000.

Pressure on the government has been mounting since 2015 and intensified after the December 2016 terrorist attack on a Christmas market in downtown Berlin where 12 people died. Attacks against refugees or hate related crimes as well as extreme right-wing protests are also on the rise.

According to The Washington Post, a poll conducted by GlobeScan in 2016 and commissioned by the BBC found that Germans were less likely to consider themselves "global citizens" compared with other citizens in large countries.
WINDHOEK, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Speaker of the National Assembly has denounced terrorism and extremism following the attack near London's Parliament building.

Peter Katjavivi in a statement on Friday condemned the acts, saying what is troubling is the fact that the attack targeted the very foundation pillar of democracy of the society.

"It is against this background that we express our sincere condolences to the victims, their families as well as to our sister Parliament and its leadership," he said.

On Wednesday, four people were killed and 40 others were injured in the attack near London's Parliament building.

Katjavivi said that Namibia stands with the rest of the global family to denounce the acts of terrorism and extremism.

"We will contribute in whatever way possible within our power as a democratic society to root out this vice from the ideologies that govern the sustainable future of mankind," he added.
Photo taken on March 21, 2017 shows the equipment handover ceremony. (Xinhua)

LUSAKA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Medical Team working in Zambia on Tuesday donated three sets of tele-medicine equipment aimed at improving health care services in Zambian hospitals.

The 18th Chinese Medical Team donated three sets of telemedicine equipment to be installed at three other public hospitals after the success of the first equipment donated at one hospital -- the Levy Mwanawasa Hospital in Lusaka, the country's capital.

Team Leader Dr. Jianjun Gou told Xinhua after the donations of the equipment at the Ministry of Health that the equipment will be installed at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Livingstone Hospital in the southern part of the country and Ndola Hospital on the Copperbelt Province.

"We established the first telemedicine center at the Levy Mwanawasa Hospital last year which has really worked very well because it has improved collaboration between doctors in China and here in Zambia. Today, we donated three sets of equipment which will be donated to three other hospitals," Guo said.

According to him, the system has helped improve healthcare delivery as doctors from China and Zambia were able to work on complicated cases together through telecast, adding that the establishment of the equipment in all four hospitals in Zambia will also help improve interaction among local health personnel.

The system, he said, has also helped in imparting new medical techniques to Zambian doctors as well as developing academic exchange system between the two countries.

Dr. Jabin Mulwanda, permanent secretary in Zambia's Ministry of Health, said while receiving the equipment that Zambia will forever be grateful to China for its support in various sectors, including the health sector.

China, he said, has supported Zambia in various areas of the health sector such as infrastructure development, training of health personnel and donation of equipment.

The donated equipment will help Zambia modernize its healthcare delivery system, he added.

The 18th Medical Team came to Zambia in April last year and the team leader said a lot has been achieved in this period to help improve healthcare delivery.

As of February this year, the team had conducted 1,216 operations in the four hospitals, anesthetized 1,530 patients, diagnosed 9,495 outpatients and produced 16,754 various reports.

The team has also been conducted free healthcare services in small health care centers and in rural areas during week-ends.
by Larry Neild

LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- It will be the biggest party in Europe for 60 years, celebrating the anniversary of the creation of what is now the European Union (EU).

As leaders of member states of the EU converge in Rome where the original treaty was signed on March 25 of 1957, it poses the question -- Will Brexit and the emergence of populism be seen as party poopers?

British Prime Minister Theresa May has already said she won't be heading to Italy's capital to join the leaders of the other 27 EU member states. Instead she'll be busy finalizing her letter to Brussels to inform the EU next Wednesday of Britain's decision to leave what is one of the world's biggest trading blocs.

In exclusive interviews with Xinhua, two experts give their views on what impact Brexit, and populism, will have on the EU as it starts to look ahead to its next 60 years.

BREXIT, POPULISM

Prof. Erika Harris is an international expert on nations and nationalism, based at the University of Liverpool. She is also co-director of the Europe and the World Centre (EWC).

Harris, born in Slovakia when it was known as Czechoslovakia, believes Brexit will frustrate European integration, but not completely as she believes Britain was always a reluctant member of the EU.

She believes Brexit will be particularly regretted by central European countries that always look towards Britain as a champion of liberal economic reforms.

"Nevertheless, the departure of Britain gives a lot of ground to other anti-European politicians. We have seen this with Geert Wilders of the PVV party in Holland and Marine Le Pen, (and) president of the National Front in France," she said.

"I'm afraid that Brexit has certain overlaps with what is happening in the United States. But we are seeing that throughout Europe," she added.

Populism sprung up particularly after the 2008 economic crisis, "though I don't think Brexit sprung up necessarily from the same source. I think it has been brewing in British politics for a very long time," Harris said.

"Populism appears to have been instigated by the global economic crisis, but there are other reasons. There is a sense among people that they can no longer trust politics. There is a blurring of boundaries about what is true, not true, right or wrong," she added.

In Britain there is not much room for new parties to establish themselves. UKIP, with all the media coverage they get, have just one member of parliament, she said.

"But in continental Europe with proportional representation systems, the populist parties are not going anywhere. The populist right-wing party in Denmark has been in the government coalition for the past 10 years. In Austria, populists are slowly becoming part of the political landscape," Harris pointed out.

INTEGRATION QUESTION

Harris feels there will be attempts by the EU to co-ordinate defense policy, migration, and seek more agreement among member states on migrant quotas.

"The EU is very resilient, it is not the first crisis for it. I don't believe that when Britain leaves in two years time people will be better off or happier; I can't see what the difference will be," she said.

Dr Michael Holmes, senior lecturer in politics at Liverpool Hope University and senior visiting researcher at the European School of Politics in Lille of France, is a leading spokesman on British relations with Europe, and on political parties and euro skepticism.

He described Brexit as an opportunity and a challenge. "There are plenty of politicians and activists who see integration not as some kind of a march of history but as a practical solution to day-to-day challenges of governance. They are the ones who view Brexit as something of an opportunity."

Britain was always seen as an awkward partner in the EU system, constantly drawing red lines and opting out of deals and just saying no. So its departure might give a bit more room for some effective, and much needed reform of the EU, Holmes said.

"Brexit and populism are not synonymous. There are some very sensible, non-populist reasons for some people to have voted for the UK to leave. Populists elsewhere do not all espouse the same ideas as UKIP or the other UK Leavers.

Italy's Beppe Grillo from the Five Star Movement wants a referendum on exiting the euro, but not on exiting the EU, just like Marine Le Pen. Many others are somewhere in the euroskeptic camp, but not actually looking to head to the door, he said.

"On several occasions, the EU has responded to apparent crises and setbacks not by wringing its hands and worrying in a corner, but by trying to use the challenge as a sling-shot to launch a new, more ambitious step. Not just to overcome the initial problem, but actively to promote further, deeper integration," Holmes said.

If the French, German and Italian elections go like the recent Dutch elections, a renewed European initiative is not out of the question.

"The difficulty is what direction that might take. A Merkel-Macron axis might go one path; (Benoit) Hamon-Schulz one would be quite different," Holmes noted.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (C) speaks at a symposium with entrepreneurs attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2017 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BOAO, Hainan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Friday expressed his confidence in China's economy when meeting with global entrepreneurs during the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), reassuring them that China would guarantee easier entry for foreign investment.

China's sound economic fundamentals remain unchanged, Zhang told business people from the world's industrial giants at a symposium on the sidelines of the BFA annual conference held in the southern island province of Hainan.

"The Chinese economy has long-term prosperity and achieved development miracles," Zhang said.

Despite downward pressures, the world's second largest economy expanded 6.7 percent year on year in 2016, contributing to more than 30 percent of global economic growth.

"Job increases surpassed expectations, economic restructuring accelerated and people's livelihood continued to improve," Zhang said, noting the economy is stabilizing.

The Chinese economy has seen a good start in 2017 as significant improvements have been made in major indicators, including trade and factory activity. Analysts expect the economy to maintain this momentum during the remainder of the year to realize the official annual growth target of 6.5 percent.

A BFA report on Asian emerging economies predicts China will grow by 6.5 percent to 6.7 percent year on year in 2017.

"China appeared excellent in terms of overall economic strength, with the highest score among 37 Asian economies," said Wang Jun, researcher with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

"The Chinese economy is resilient, and has great potential," Zhang said, adding that growth would be backed by sufficient human resources, an enormous market, a strong real economy, technological improvements and complete infrastructure.

"There have been increasing bright spots in the economy," Zhang said, citing new growth momentum, new technology and new business models. "China has seen robust outbound and inbound investment, and ongoing urbanization will create room for further development."

Zhang said that in face of cumulative structural problems, China would push forward supply-side structural reform to realize economic transformation, and improve quality and general competitiveness, pledging more efforts to cut excess capacity, reduce inventories, bring down leverage, relieve corporate burdens and fix weak links.

China will downsize the steel and coal sectors by 50 million tonnes and 150 million tonnes in 2017, respectively, according to Zhang.

Kent Calder, director of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, Johns Hopkins University, praised China's efforts, saying that he was positive about the supply-side structural reform.

Thanks to the reform and opening up, China maintained an average annual GDP growth of 9.9 percent from 1978 to 2010. In the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), the pace slowed to 7.8 percent, still an enviable growth rate throughout the world.

Executives from companies, including Tata Sons, Mitsui Fudosan and Qualcomm, attended the symposium. Zhang reassured them that China would deepen its opening up and further ease access for foreign investment.

Zhang said the country would vigorously create a fair environment for investors, and that foreign and domestic players would be treated equally. He said he expected that China would remain one of the top destinations for foreign investment.

Zhang encouraged foreign investors to participate in China's major regional strategies and invest more in manufacturing, ecological and environmental management, and under-developed areas.

GLOBALIZATION HIGHLIGHTED

Economic globalization was also highlighted by the vice premier in the meeting, which is expected to be a hot topic during the forum, as many parts of the world, including Asia, are suffering from setbacks in globalization.

"We will firmly push forward economic globalization, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and oppose all forms of trade protectionism," he said.

He said China would promote economic globalization through reform and innovation, and grasp the opportunities offered by the digital economy to promote structural reform and enhance global economic cooperation.

"Globalization must not be reversed," said Zhou Wenzhong, BFA's secretary general.

Under the theme "Globalization and Free Trade: The Asian Perspectives," the four-day conference runs until March 26 and is expected to rally support for inclusive globalization.

"The forum will focus on how developed and developing economies should cope with globalization," Zhou said.
YANGON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- This year's Thingyan water festival in Myanmar will be celebrated in a more traditional way, U Phyo Min Thein, Chief Minister of Yangon region said on Friday.

Among Myanmar's 12 seasonal festivals throughout the year, the Thingyan water festival represents the grandest which is believed to bring peace and prosperity to everyone.

In recent years, with the influence of western culture, Thingyan festival had been celebrated in a modern way with stage shows, electronic music and modern dancing.

This year, traditional dance performances and Thingyan music will be featured during the festival instead.

The regional government will also impose stronger security measures across the region.

The Thingyan water festival will run on April 12 to 15, and the Myanmar new year will fall on April 16.

All government offices, private businesses and banks will be closed for five days during the festival.
ISTANBUL, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Eleven refugees drowned on Friday when their boat capsized off Turkey's Aegean coast while attempting to reach a Greek island, Turkish media reported.

The boat carrying 22 illegal refugees departed from Turkey's southwestern city of Aydin, the private Dogan news agency said, noting Turkish coast guards had rescued seven refugees and were continuing the search for four others.

The cause of the sinking was not immediately clear, the report said.

In 2016, around 5,000 refugees lost their lives in the Aegean Sea on their way to Greek islands, according to press reports.

Irregular migration to Europe through Turkish shores has sharply fallen thanks largely to measures taken by Turkey along its Aegean coast under a deal inked with the European Union last year.
Photo shows the famous black London taxi cabs. (Xinhua/Gong Lei)

LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese automaker Geely has invested 300 million pounds (373.59 million U.S. dollars) in a new factory to build electric versions of the famous black London taxi cabs.

The new R&D and manufacturing facility, ran by the Geely subsidiary the London Taxi Company (LTC), held an official opening on Wednesday in the English Midlands city of Coventry.

The company also announced that the second vehicle to come off the line will be a dedicated, range extended electric light commercial van (LCV).

This all new, highly flexible, commercially competitive electric vehicle will help fleet owners lower their running costs, improve air quality and support cities in tackling the pollution crisis in urban areas.

The factory opening comes ahead of legislation due to take effect from January next year which means all new London black cabs must be electric.

British Business Secretary Greg Clark said: "Our iconic black cabs are famous across the world. The London Taxi Company's impressive new factory and R&D facility showcases the innovation that makes the UK a world leader in the development of new automotive technologies."

LTC chief executive Chris Gubbey said the opening of the new plant, which would help create and safeguard 1,000 jobs, marked the "rebirth of the LTC".

Carl-Peter Forster, chairman of LTC, said the new plant was the first new automotive manufacturing facility in Britain for over a decade and also "the first dedicated electric vehicle factory in the UK; and the first major Chinese investment in UK automotive".

The largest British trade union Unite was delighted with the resurgence of the taxi brand, which protects high-skilled jobs and will create more in the future.

Unite regional officer Peter Coulson said the company was on its knees in 2013 but "thanks to the commitment of Geely's top management and accompanying large-scale investment the iconic London taxi is set for its continued renaissance".

"Unite has worked very closely and successfully with the company to contribute to this success story which is one of the great comebacks in Britain's long industrial history," said Coulson.

"Geely sees great potential for the iconic London taxi which is famous across the world with its cameo appearances at the 2012 London Olympics and in the James Bond film franchise. The company is already exporting to the Middle East and is eyeing up the Australian market."

The current fleet of black London taxis is 23,000 strong.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (2nd R) meets with Vincent Siew (2nd L), honorary chairman of the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2017 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BOAO, Hainan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Friday pledged efforts on integrated economic and social development between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan to deepen exchanges.

Zhang made the remarks while meeting a delegation headed by Vincent Siew, honorary chairman of the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, at the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2017 conference.

"Our major policies and measures on Taiwan are clear and consistent," Zhang said, pledging to continue to uphold the 1992 Consensus, which reflects the one-China principle, and oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities.

Zhang said new policies would be launched to provide convenience for Taiwan compatriots on the mainland in their study, work, business and lives.

"We are willing to share development opportunities with Taiwan compatriots to enhance affection and well-being among the compatriots on both sides of the Strait," he said.

Zhang expressed his hope that the industrial and commercial circles from Taiwan would actively participate in cross-Strait economic exchanges and cooperation, maintain the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The BFA is a non-governmental and non-profit international institution founded in 2001 to promote regional economic development and cooperation. This year's theme is "Globalization and Free Trade: The Asian Perspective."
WINDHOEK, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Speaker of the National Assembly has denounced terrorism and extremism following the Wednesday attack near London's Parliament building.

Peter Katjavivi in a statement on Friday condemned the acts, saying what is troubling is the fact that the attack targeted the very foundation pillar of democracy of the society.

"It is against this background that we express our sincere condolences to the victims, their families as well as to our sister Parliament and its leadership," he said.

On Wednesday, four people were killed and 40 others were injured when an attacker rammed his car into pedestrians and then stabbed a police officer before being fatally shot. Another injured man died later, bringing the death toll to five.

Katjavivi said that Namibia stands with the rest of the global family to denounce the acts of terrorism and extremism.

"We will contribute in whatever way possible within our power as a democratic society to root out this vice from the ideologies that govern the sustainable future of mankind," he added.

A number of countries, including China, Singapore, Germany, Egypt and Iran, have condemned the attack. The UN Security Council on Thursday observed a minute of silence for the victims.
TOKYO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday denied that he or his wife Akie was involved in a cut-price sale of state-owned land to a school operator in Osaka Prefecture last year.

Speaking at an Upper House Budget Committee, Abe said that the testimony given a day earlier by Yasunori Kagoike, the head of school operator Moritomo Gakuen, was regrettable and against the truth.

"It's extremely regrettable that Kagoike has made statements that go against the truth by reeling off a bunch of things that cannot be verified, such as the one-million-yen issue and talk of backroom dealings," Abe said.

The testimony provided by Kagoike stating that Akie handed him one million yen (8,900 U.S. dollars) as a donation from the prime minister was false and deeply contradicted facts, Abe said.

Regarding a fax that Kagoike claimed he received after he left a voice message for Akie Abe seeking help to secure the plot to build an elementary school, Abe said that the fax was just a note from his wife's aide about the result of his inquiry.

But Kagoike had claimed that the fax was evidence of the fact that Akie Abe's aide, Saeko Tani, had made inquiries to the Finance Ministry about the land specifically on his behalf.

Abe's office on Thursday admitted that the Finance Ministry had been contacted by Tani on Kagoike's behalf regarding the land in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture.

Moritomo Gakuen, known for its imperialistic-style edification and disseminating hate speech about Korean and Chinese residents of Japan, was leasing the land from the government at the time.

"The inquiry was asking what would happen to the land lease institutionally and legally, and there was no request, lobbying or of course any inappropriate press," Abe said Friday.

Abe said he was disappointed that Kagoike, under oath, had not denied that moves had been made via email exchanges between Kagoike's wife Junko and his wife, to silence Kagoike.

A day earlier, Akie Abe also refuted Kagoike's testimony on her Facebook page, although she is known to have visited Moritomo Gakuen's schools on three occasions and Kagoike claimed he gave her 100,000 yen the last time for a speech she made there.

Calls have been rife from the opposition camp for Akie Abe to be summoned to parliament to give testimony along with Osaka Governor Ichiro Matsui whom Kagoike has also implicated in the land deal.

Opposition parties believe that along with summoning Akie Abe more investigation into the matter is needed, particularly with regard to whether Akie's aide was involved in the sale of the state-owned land to the operator at just 14 percent of its appraised value.

Providing false testimony in parliament carries a charge of perjury in Japan. (1 Japanese yen = 0.009 U.S. dollar)
Stephen McCaffrey, trailblazer in international water law, wins 2017 Stockholm Water Prize.(Photo courtesy of Stockholm International Water Institute )

STOCKHOLM, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Stephen McCaffrey, trailblazer in international water law, wins 2017 Stockholm Water Prize, announced Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) on Wednesday.

Professor Stephen McCaffrey of the United States is named 2017 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate for his unparalleled contribution to the evolution and progressive realization of international water law, according to a press release from SIWI on Wednesday.

McCaffrey, Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of the Pacific, the United States, is the single most respected authority on International Water Law. His work continues to influence scholars, legal practitioners and policy-makers and contribute to the sustainable and peaceful management of shared waters, the release said.

On receiving news of the prize, McCaffrey was quoted as saying "I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been selected for this prestigious award. But one also stands on the shoulders of others, and I am most grateful to those who have paved the way for me."

In its citation, the Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee recognizes Professor McCaffrey's "path-breaking leadership and legal scholarship in international water law. He has made a unique contribution in three specific areas: his seminal work on Treaty negotiation; his major scholarly works, including his book The Law of International Watercourses and; his leadership providing expert legal advice, wise counsel, training and facilitation of complex negotiations with a wide range of stakeholders."

Nearly 40 percent of the world's population lives in countries that share river basins. Increasing stress on water resources globally will require the reasonable and equitable use of transboundary waters. Improved management of transboundary waters reduces the potential for conflict, fosters socio-economic development, promotes shared benefits, and supports healthy ecosystems and services.

H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Patron of Stockholm Water Prize, will present the prize to Stephen McCaffrey at a Royal Award Ceremony on August 30, during the 2017 World Water Week in Stockholm.
Photo shows the lower leg of a Confuciusornis bird, which was fossilized in volcanic ash and lake sediments in China 125-145 million years ago. (Photo courtesy of University of Manchester)

LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A 145-million-year-old fossil discovered in China has helped scientists discover for the first time the evolution of bird legs.

A report published Wednesday by the University of Manchester has reinforced evidence of how birds evolved gradually from early dinosaurs.

Researchers from Manchester, the Royal Veterinary College and China's Nanjing University, carried out a study of the lower leg of a Confuciusornis bird, which was fossilized in volcanic ash and lake sediments in China 125-145 million years ago.

They found that living birds have a more crouched leg posture than their ancestors, who are generally thought to have moved with straighter limbs similar to those of humans.

Professor John R. Hutchinson from the Royal Veterinary College, who led the study, said: "The new information we gained about the anatomy of the cartilages and tendons show that this early bird had an ankle whose form fit an intermediate function between that of early dinosaurs and modern birds.

"Overall, this reinforced other lines of evidence that the more crouched, zigzag limb posture of birds evolved gradually from early dinosaurs to birds, with even these early birds having limbs that were built and worked differently from those of living birds, but were approaching the modern condition."

Professor Jiang Baoyu, a co-author of the study from Nanjing University, said: "It was found that the fossil had amazingly well-preserved soft tissues around the ankle joint, including cartilage and ligaments.

"These soft tissues were not just preserved as an ashen replacement of the former tissue, as sometimes happens -- rather, the structure of the tissues was preserved at a microscopic level."

Professor Roy Wogelius from the University of Manchester, one of the collaborators on the project, said: "The preservation in this fossil was exceptional, and allowed us to resolve subtle but important chemical and structural details within this critical early species of bird."

Imaging methods showed that the detailed anatomical preservation extended to the molecular level, with some of the original chemistry of the bird's tissues remaining.

The research team found evidence of fragments of the collagen proteins that made up the leg ligaments, which matched the preservation at the microscopic tissue level of detail.

The findings are in line with an expanding body of evidence that, under special conditions, some biological molecules, including even amino acids or partial proteins, can survive over millions of years in the fossil record.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation of China, Leverhulme Trust, and the British Natural Environment Research Council. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
TOKYO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Friday ordered Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to withdraw from a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in South Sudan by the end of May.

Following a meeting of senior defense ministry officials, Inada made the announcement saying that a milestone had been reached and the SDF personnel taking part in the UN peacekeeping activities had been highly regarded by UN and the government of South Sudan.

Inada said the ministry is making preparations for the SDF troops to pull out, adding that their safe return is now of utmost importance.

The government has said it planned to pull its troops out of South Sudan earlier this month, amid controversy regarding the expansion of the forces' operational scope.

Legal groups and scholars believed the forces' expanded mandate contravenes Japan's pacifist Constitution.

Inada in February came under scrutiny for possibly diluting the severity of the security situation in South Sudan and in doing so allowing Japanese troops to stay there.

Opposition lawmakers at that time accused the government of attempting to hide the real situation in South Sudan and accused Inada of not using the term "fighting" as that would have required the Japanese troops to be withdrawn.

Inada and the Defense Ministry were in hot water previously in February as the ministry said it had found the daily activity logs of the troops stationed there having previously stated that they had been lost completely.

The opposition camp said the defense ministry had tried to intentionally conceal the potentially damaging records of the troop's activities during a time when 270 people died in fighting between government forces and rebels in Juba, between July 7 and 12, 2016.

In the recovered logs, the troops said they must be "careful about getting drawn into sudden fighting in the city." The record also refers to the possible "suspension of UN activities amid intensifying clashes in Juba."

In November last year the government controversially assigned SDF members in South Sudan a new role, amid heated debate as to whether their responsibilities should be expanded further to come to the aid of peacekeepers and other non-combatants if they are under attack.

Japan has deployed engineers to South Sudan since 2012 as part of the UN infrastructure-building mission there.
BERLIN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A warning by German new President Frank-Walter Steinmeier indicated "an unprecedented degree of concern" about the damage of the German-Turkish ties, an expert has said.

"On the other hand, one of Steinmeier's key messages is that he wants to be the president of all Germans, including German citizens of Turkish origin," said Michael Mertes, chief speechwriter of former German chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Mertes told Xinhua that there had been several occasions in the past when German presidents "felt an urge to resort to tough rhetoric".

Steinmeier, who was sworn in German President on Wednesday, in his inaugural speech called on Turkey to stop comparing Berlin to Nazis and issued the warning against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Credible signals to ease tensions are welcome... But end the unspeakable Nazi comparisons. Do not cut the ties to those people who want partnership with Turkey. Respect the rule of law and the freedom of media and journalists. And release Deniz Yucel," Steinmeier said.

Deniz Yucel is a Turkish-German journalist, detained in Turkey since January on charges of terrorist propaganda and incitement to hatred.

German public opinion poll claimed that Steinmeier was able to speak on behalf of an overwhelming majority of the German voters -- between 80 and 90 percent.

Asked whether the president's remarks signal a harder line on Erdogan, Mertes said, "Let's wait and see what happens April 16 (when the referendum is held) and thereafter.

"It's up to Erdogan to clean up the mess he has caused. I am sure Germany will not reject an offer from Erdogan to make up for that damage, and to return to normal," Mertes said.

Erdogan is in the midst of campaigning for a referendum, set for April 16, which would considerably strengthen Erdogan's powers. The dispute began when Germany prevented Turkish politicians from campaigning on its soil.

There are around 1.4 million Turks in Germany who are eligible to vote in the referendum and these votes could prove vital.
GENEVA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura on Friday held bilateral discussions with rival Syrian delegations involved in the latest round of peace talks seeking to broker a political end to the six-year Syrian crisis.

Alessandra Vellucci, the spokesperson of United Nations Office in Geneva, confirmed that de Mistura is slated to convene with the Syrian government delegation and its opposition counterpart as UN-mediated negotiations resumed after a three-week hiatus.

The envoy's deputy held preliminary discussions with the invitees in three Geneva-based hotels Thursday.

All those who participated in the latest round of talks, which ended earlier this month, are carrying forward the conversation which are expected to focus on governance, constitutional issues, elections, as well as counter terrorism, security and confidence building measures.

The special envoy is expected to brief the press later on Friday.
LESKOVAC, Serbia, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Serbia marked the Remembrance Day for victims of the NATO bombing that started 18 years ago, at Railway Bridge near the city of Leskovac that was destroyed with two bombs, which killed around 15 civilians.

The state ceremony organized near the village of Grdelica was attended by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, government and parliament members, members of army and police as well as several thousand people.

The beginning of the ceremony was marked with the whistle of the train number 393 that started crossing the reconstructed bridge with sounds of airplanes coming from the speakers, resembling the tragic event from April 12, 1999, when two projectiles struck moving train that crossed the South Morava River.

After laying wreaths at the monument dedicated to the killed civilians, Vucic said that Serbia will never be harmed again in the way that it was in 1999, and stressed that it will "never become a part of NATO nor any other alliance"

He reminded that on this day 18 years ago, NATO started "a tragic war in which 19 countries had a need to show that they are richer and better armed than our small Serbia".

Vucic said that in 78 days more than 50,000 projectiles struck Serbia, causing damages of around 30 billion U.S. dollars, loss of between 1,200 and 2,500 civilian lives.

"Serbia today celebrates that it is able to walk again and that from today it can only go forward," Vucic said.

The NATO bombing, which started on March 24, 1999, heavily damaged infrastructure, schools, hospitals and other civilian objects in Serbia, as well as the building of the Chinese embassy with staff inside.
KIGALI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda is set to deploy a new contingent of 160 police officers to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan early next month.

Equipment for the sixth Formed Police Unit (FPU) to serve under the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has already reached Juba, where the officers will be stationed, according to police statement released on Friday.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) William Kayitare, the Commissioner for Peace Support Operations in Police, said the advance party will depart on Friday.

Rwanda already has Formed Police Unit contingents deployed in Central African Republic (CAR) and Haiti, each consisting of 140 officers.

"The mandate of the Formed Police Unit contingent will be protecting civilians from eminent threats, public order management, protection of UN key installations and personnel, and humanitarian assistance," Kayitare said.

Once the contingent is deployed, it will bring the number of Rwandan police peacekeepers in all missions to about 1,200, according to Rwandan police.

Rwanda currently maintains 1,650 troops as part of UNMISS.

Conflicts, occasioned by food shortage, have sent thousands of South Sudanese fleeing the country.

The UN High Commission for Refugees on Thursday appealed to the international community for urgent and massive support for the thousands of South Sudan refugees who continue to arrive in Uganda.

The UN Security Council on Thursday also expressed deep alarm at the situation in South Sudan, reiterating that there is no military solution to the conflict.

It renewed its condemnation of continued fighting across the country, and called upon all parties to immediately adhere to the permanent ceasefire. Enditem
GENEVA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration said Friday that as many as 240 migrants are feared dead after two vessels reportedly capsized off the Libyan coast on Thursday.

IOM spokesman Joel Millman warned that while "little updated information" was available, a Spanish aid group had notified the Geneva-based organization that it had retrieved five bodies floating near two capsized boasts, each of which can hold as many as 150 people.

According to Spanish media reports, Spanish NGO "Proactiva Open Arms", which works to rescue refugees, said its staff found two empty and half-sunken rubber dinghies, about 15 miles away from the coast of Libya.

Laura Lanuza, the NGO's spokeswoman, said that she believed the two dinghies were full of people before the tragedy.

According to her, these kinds of dinghies usually have around 120-140 people on board.

If verified, this would the largest tragedy in 2017. So far this year, 559 men, women and children have already lost their lives attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores.

Latest IOM figures show that there has been a spike in migrant maritime arrivals this week, with as many as 5,580 migrants and refugees reaching Europe by sea between March 20 and March 23.

This brings the number of individuals who have arrived by sea to Italy, Greece and Spain to 25,170, far short of the 163,273 entries recorded in the same period last year.
TOKYO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities in northeastern and western Japan began the culling on Friday of around 300,000 chickens after a highly virulent stain of the H5 strain of bird flu was detected in dead birds at poultry farms in the regions.

At a farm in Miyagi Prefecture in Japan's northeast, local officials began culling 220,000 chickens after 96 chickens were found dead between Tuesday and Thursday.

After genetic testing, some of the dead birds were found to have been infected by the H5 strain of the virus.

In Chiba Prefecture, 68,000 chickens will be culled after authorities found 118 dead birds at a farm there.

In both prefectures, local officials asked for the assistance of the Self-Defense Forces to help in the culling process.

Other poultry farms in the vicinity of the farms where the virus has been detected have been banned from moving chickens and eggs.

Local authorities from both prefecture said they hoped the cull would be completed by Monday.

The latest bird flu outbreak follows others recently in the southwestern prefectures of Miyazaki and Saga.
HONG KONG, March 24 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) decided to recall all the frozen and chilled meat and poultry imported from the 21 Brazilian plants that are under investigation for a massive meat adulteration scheme, the food safety authority said Friday.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department made the decision "in view of a notification from the Brazilian authorities today that the country will extend its scope of export ban to the 21 plants which are under investigation," it said.

According to information gathered by the CFS so far, among the 21 plants, six of them were involved in the import licenses issued by the CFS in the past six weeks. The CFS will liaise with local importers to follow up on the recall, it said.

The Brazilian police uncovered last week a massive meat adulteration scheme involving some of the country's largest meat producers. According to the police, the adulterated meat was sold in the domestic market as well as exported. The Brazilian authorities later imposed an export ban on 21 plants.

The CFS announce Tuesday an import ban on all the frozen and chilled meat and poultry from Brazil as a "precautionary measure."

It said Friday that the temporary import suspension will be maintained. Once the Brazilian authorities provide more detailed information, the CFS will conduct further risk assessment and suitably review its follow-up actions, including narrowing the scope of the import ban.

As for meat and poultry that has been shipped from Brazil prior to the import ban but has not yet arrived in Hong Kong, the CFS will also make special arrangements, marking and sealing the products upon their arrival for proper handling after the completion of the relevant investigation.

Ko Wing-man, secretary for food and health of the Hong Kong SAR government, said Friday that the recall is with an immediate effect, calling on meat importers and dealers in Hong Kong to cooperate with the CFS to reassure consumers.

"We are keeping in close contact with the Consulate General of Brazil in Hong Kong," Ko said, adding that once the Brazilian authorities confirm the scandal only involves the 21 plants, the scope of Hong Kong's import ban could be narrowed down.
MOSCOW, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin urged joint international efforts to fight terrorism on Friday at a meeting in Moscow with French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

"We all live in very difficult conditions. We must realize the reality of this danger and unite efforts in the fight against terrorism," Putin told the French right-wing leader, according to an official Kremlin transcript.

Putin said Russia has no intention of influencing domestic affairs in France but reserves the right to maintain contacts with representatives of all political forces in that country.

"I know that you represent a fairly rapidly developing range of European political forces," Putin told the presidential hopeful, adding that Russian officials are interested in exchanging opinions with her on bilateral relations and the situation in Europe.

"I have long advocated that Russia and France should restore cultural, economic and strategic ties, especially at the moment when a serious terrorist threat looms over us," Le Pen said at the meeting.

Earlier on Friday, she said that she opposes a European Union blacklist banning several Russian nationals, including lawmakers, from entering its member countries.

"I have always called for lifting the sanctions, which are counterproductive. Prohibiting lawmakers from talking with each other is an abuse of democratic rights," Le Pen was quoted by RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

Le Pen is now running for the French presidency on behalf of the far-right National Front party. The first round of presidential elections in France is scheduled for April 23.

Le Pen is visiting Russia at the invitation of the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's trade surplus for January amounted to 263.7 million U.S. dollars, according to the latest statistics released Friday by the country's Department of Economic Planning and Development, Prime Minister's Office.

Total exports amounted to 694.9 million Brunei dollars, while imports were valued at 325.8 million Brunei dollars.

Mineral fuels recorded the highest contribution of 92.7 percent of total exports, comprising crude oil (309.7 million Brunei dollars) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) (334.8 million Brunei dollars).

According to the department, the highest export market was Japan with 31.2 percent of total exports, followed by South Korea (21.6 percent), India (20.4 percent) and Thailand (11.0 percent).

In January, imports of goods increased by 5.2 percent from 309.6 million Brunei dollars in December 2016 to 325.8 million Brunei dollars. Top contributions of imports by commodity were machinery and transport equipment (38.1 percent), food (16.8 percent), manufactured goods (16.5 percent), mineral fuels (10.1 percent) and miscellaneous manufactured articles (8.1 percent).

The highest imports came from Malaysia with 17.7 percent of total imports, followed by Singapore (17.0 percent), China (14.5 percent) and Britain (12.6 percent). Enditem (1 U.S. dollar equals to 1.40 Brunei dollars)
DHAKA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A suspected suicide bomber died after blowing himself up near Bangladesh's principal airport in capital Dhaka on Friday night, a police official said.

"A youth (aged about 25) blew himself up with a bomb inside his bag," a Dhaka Metropolitan Police official said, on condition of anonymity.

No others were injured in the blast.

No one has yet to claim responsibility for the attack.

A high alert was put on strategically important places including airports and prisons in Bangladesh last Friday, following a "suicide blast" at the proposed headquarters of the country's elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in capital Dhaka.

The suicide bomber died and two cops were injured in last Friday's blast, as the bomb the suspected militant was carrying exploded at the proposed headquarters of Bangladesh's elite force RAB near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Last Friday's incident took place a day after Bangladesh police stormed a militant hideout at Sitakunda on the outskirts of the country's seaport city Chittagong, some 242 km southeast of Dhaka.

Five including four militants of Neo-JMB, an offshoot of the banned militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, were killed during the raid.

At least two of them reportedly blew themselves up in suicide explosions and two others were shot by the police.

Neo-JMB has been blamed for an attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter last July, in which 20 hostages, mostly foreigners, were killed.

In the wake of the Dhaka cafe attack, Bangladesh police have conducted series of large-scale operations against militants.
VILNIUS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The European Union will find ways to let Britain leave the bloc in a "peaceful and friendly way", Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said Friday before leaving for the EU summit in Rome.

"We will find ways how to divorce peacefully, friendly, and mutually beneficially. Britain will remain the EU's partner and will never become an enemy," Grybauskaite was quoted as saying by local media.

Grybauskaite will participate in events marking the 60th anniversary of the European Union.

"EU member states have demonstrated time and again that working together can overcome the toughest challenges," she added, calling for a "strong political will" in order to renew the EU and develop into a stronger community.

The president said that EU membership provided Lithuania with a "powerful engine of economic progress".

According to the presidency's statement, Lithuania's GDP per capita now amounts to 75 percent of the EU average, compared to 46 percent in 2004, the year when the Baltic country joined the EU.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang addresses the 2nd Australia-China State/Provincial Leaders Forum in Sydney, Australia, March 24, 2017. Li attended the forum together with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

SYDNEY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called on more Australian states and territories to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China's central and western regions, so as to benefit from China's grand development drive of the western region.

Li made the remarks when attending the second Australia-China State/Provincial Leaders Forum together with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Li said that local-level cooperation is an inseparable part of China-Australia relations, about 100 pairs of cities of the two countries have cemented friendly ties, and the fruitful local-level cooperation ushered the bilateral ties into a new realm.

The Chinese premier hoped the two sides will expand cooperation to explore business opportunities in more areas such as agriculture, science and technology, education, logistics and some new businesses.

Li said that the China-Australia friendship is based on people-to-people and regional exchanges.

Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, as well as the China-Australia Year of Tourism, Li called on the two countries' local regions to enhance cooperation in education, culture, science and technology, tourism, youth and media, and organize more friendly activities at the local level, so as to make the friendship deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples.

Turnbull said that Australia and China enjoy a long history of local-level exchanges as well as close cooperation in various areas, which have brought concrete benefits to the two peoples.

Noting that Australia and China are reliable partners, and the bilateral relations cannot go ahead without the participation by each country's local regions, Turnbull called for joint efforts to promote local-level exchanges and cooperation between the two countries to make new contributions to the two countries' prosperity and free trade in the Asia-Pacific region.

Officials from Australia's six states and two territories, and those from Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei, Guangdong, Shaanxi, Shanxi and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, as well as the municipality of Chongqing, attended the forum.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (3rd R) and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (2nd R) attend the sixth Australia-China CEO roundtable meeting in Sydney, Australia, March 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

SYDNEY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that the Chinese and Australian governments should create a better trade and investment environment in order to expand two-way open-up in services and investment.

Chinese enterprises, said Li, are ready to participate in infrastructure construction in Australia, expand investment in the country and encourage Australian firms to invest in China, adding that he hopes the Oceanic country will work in the same direction and achieve a win-win outcome.

Li, who is on an official visit to Australia from Wednesday through Sunday, made the remarks during the sixth Australia-China CEO roundtable meeting held here in the economic hub of the Oceanian country.

The CEO roundtable has served as a platform for communication not only within the business community, but also between the business community and the government, Li told more than 100 business leaders from both countries.

Noting that bilateral trade has grown at an annual rate of 9 percent in the past decade, surpassing that of economic output, Li stressed that removing trade barriers and promoting two-way open-up would stimulate economic growth and improve people's livelihood.

The Chinese premier reaffirmed that his country stands ready to work with other parties, including Australia, to uphold trade liberalization and promote fairer, more transparent and sustainable international trade.

For his part, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that in the context of significant changes in the global economy, free trade has promoted not only goods and capital exchanges, but also that of technology and culture.

In the face of new opportunities, the two countries must work to benefit from open markets and global trade, actively expand free trade, and encourage the participation of small businesses, said Turnbull, adding that innovation and investment are also paramount to create new jobs and lift growth to benefit the two peoples.

The Chinese premier will pay an official visit to New Zealand after wrapping up his tour to Australia. Li's visits to the two Oceanian countries are the first by a Chinese premier in 11 years.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) delivers a speech at the China-Australia Cooperation on Economy and Trade Forum in Sydney, Australia, March 24, 2017. Li attended the forum together with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

SYDNEY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday attended the China-Australia Cooperation on Economy and Trade Forum with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, during which they agreed to promote trade facilitation and liberalization.

China is ready to work with Australia to further open markets to each other while following the spirit of fair trade, said Li at the forum.

Li also expressed the will to push forward negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the construction of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

Turnbull said that protectionism is "not a ladder to get out of the low-growth trap," but "a shovel to dig it deeper."

Turnbull agreed to work with the Chinese side to tap the potential of bilateral cooperation in service trade and investment, and advance innovation and research cooperation.

Noting the two countries enjoy different resources endowment and their industries are highly complementary to each other, Li agreed to work with the Australian side to further relax investment access, and stimulate two-way investment.

Li also briefed the forum on China's economy, saying that China will guide all sectors to focus more on promoting the supply-side structural reform and advancing the open-up, while working to shape a fair, transparent and standardized business environment, and attract more foreign investment.

Li said China, the world's biggest developing country, regards it a priority to promote healthy development and improve people's living standards.

Moreover, China is willing to work with Australia for promoting the concept of the community of shared future and to serve as the bedrock of the Asia-Pacific security and the propeller for world peace, he added.

China is Australia's largest trading partner. A free trade agreement between the two countries, known as ChAFTA, took effect in December 2015.
Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli called for firm commitment to globalization during a meeting with corporate leaders on the sideline of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference on Friday.

Global trade has been a strong driver for economic growth worldwide, and is an inevitable result of technology innovation, Zhang said.

"We can't stop our pace when faced with difficulty," said Zhang, vowing to fight any form of protectionism and promote free trade and investment.

The world economy is undergoing a shift and has to rely on reform and innovation to enhance international cooperation, Zhang added.

The commitment comes as China's GDP grew 6.7 percent last year, contributing to over 30 percent of global growth.

The vice-premier said he is confident in the Chinese economy. "The positive fundamentals haven't changed."

"We will spare no efforts in deepening reform, while pressing ahead coordinated development strategy and shifting government's role to ease burden on companies and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship."

The four-day Boao conference, themed "Globalization & Free Trade: The Asian Perspectives," is dedicated to championing a more inclusive globalization process through cooperation and dialogue.
BRUSSELS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The man arrested on Thursday in Belgian city of Antwerp has been charged with attempted terrorism, prosecutors said Friday.

Mohamed R., a French national, was arrested by soldiers after he drove at a fast speed at crowds in a major shopping street in the city, with his vehicle in which weapons have been found.

The local media also said the driver was under the influence of alcohol, making it impossible to interrogate him until Friday.

However, the man was charged Friday with "an attempt to murder in a terrorist manner, an attempt to hit and wound in a terrorist manner and arms infractions."

Interrogated by prosecutors, Mohamed R. denied being the driver in the vehicle, but did not manage to have logical explanations. The police raid at his home did not lead to a terrorist threat either.
ANKARA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The turbulence between the European Union and Turkey, whose membership talks with the bloc have already been moribund, is likely to escalate within the next three weeks until constitutional referendum.

Moreover, Turkey's EU accession process could get into long term danger if a constitutional amendment granting president extended powers passes the referendum on April 16, according to local experts.

"Domestic policy considerations of both the Turkish government and prominent European countries may unexpectedly damage EU-Turkey relations even after the latter's constitutional referendum on April 16," a retired ambassador Uluc Ozulker told Xinhua.

On Thursday, the European Commission summoned the Turkish ambassador to explain comments by President Erdogan that Europeans would not be able to "walk safely on the streets" if they kept up their current attitude towards Turkey.

The European countries could be faced with a surprise depending on the results of the April 16 referendum, Erdogan stated Thursday adding "We may need to look at some things in political terms."

Erdogan recently said Turkey would emerge stronger after the referendum and may reconsider its relationship with European Union. "Once April 16 is over, we will sit at the table. This cannot continue this way. We, as Turkey, will do what is necessary," he said last week.

A spat with Germany, followed a diplomatic tension with the Netherlands, was triggered after the Turkish government insisted its ministers to campaign for the referendum among the diaspora in these countries.

Rallies of the Turkish politicians were banned by German and Dutch authorities, who criticized the Turkish government's drive to take its referendum campaign to Turks based in their countries.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's accusation to European states of "Nazi" tactics has led to war of words, but Ankara's expectation from the EU to take side with Turkey was not met by Brussels; on the contrary, the bloc urged the Turkish government to avoid inflammatory rhetoric.

The European Commission's warning escalated feud between Turkey and the EU which was already in steady deterioration after the Turkish government launched mass arrests and purges for more than 100,000 civil servants under state of emergency since a failed coup attempt in July 2016.

Erdogan has staked all on passing a constitutional amendment that will transform the country from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency giving him extended powers perceived by the EU as "excessive."

The ambassador said that states such as Germany and France are through election process in 2017 as well with rising xenophobia and Islamophobia across the continent.

"In my perspective, Turkey's relations with the EU have ended. After all these tensions, what I understand from Erdogan's remarks is that Ankara is very likely to suspend membership talks," Ozulker said.

The negotiations for Turkey's EU membership bid began in 2005 but few Turks believe their country will ever actually be allowed to join the union.

The European Parliament has already decided in November to advise governments and the commission to freeze full membership negotiations.

The Venice Commission's advisory body to the Council of Europe issued a highly critical report on Turkey's constitutional amendments and defined the proposed charter draft as "representing a dangerous step backwards in the constitutional democratic tradition of Turkey."

The EU has linked its institutional stance about Turkey's constitutional change to the report of Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, according to Sedat Ergin, a columnist of daily Hurriyet.

In the case of a "yes" in referendum, the EU will assess the compliance of the constitutional amendments with the Copenhagen political criteria that constitute the basis for full membership negotiations in the light of the critical analysis of Venice Commission, he stated.

"Whatever the outcome from the polls is, all signs indicate to us that after the referendum, relations between Turkey and the EU will pass through a new chapter," Ergin said, adding "We are now in a state where the EU's options are ranging from the freezing of negotiations to the implementation of economic sanctions, which is beginning to be discussed with a loud voice."

"It will not surprising that Erdogan will respond the EU, which he sees as a party to referendum, with an unfavorable reaction after April 16," Ergin argued.
A Russian sapper detects mines in the Republic of Chechnya on October 19, 2016. (Sputnik Photo)

MOSCOW, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Six Russian servicemen were killed and several wounded in an attack targeting a National Guard unit stationed in the country's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, official statements said Friday.

Six militants, with two wearing dummy suicide belts, attacked the outpost early on Friday and all of them were eliminated by the defenders, according to separate statements by the National Guard and the National Anti-Terrorist Committee.

An investigation team and the explosives experts of the Federal Security Service are working at the site, and an operational group of the Central Staff of the National Guard has been sent to Chechnya.

Currently, the process of identification of the assailants is being carried out.

RIA Novosti news agency reported that three Russian troops were wounded in the attack, quoting an unnamed source in one of the law enforcement agencies as saying.

The Russian National Guard, a paramilitary force, was created last year on the basis of the interior troops to fight terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking.

Violence has been plaguing the Northern Caucasus regions in Russia since the mid-1990s, with separatists and extremists frequently attacking government, military and police facilities.
KIEV, March 24 (Xinhua) -- At least one person has been killed and another one was injured in Thursday's explosions at an ammunition warehouse in Ukraine's eastern Kharkov region, the State Service for Emergencies said Friday.

A body of a 66-year-old woman was found in the debris of a private house, which was destroyed by the blasts, while another woman was taken to a hospital with injuries, the emergency agency said in a statement.

Although the intensity of the explosions has dropped significantly over the past 24 hours, the situation in the area still remains tense, the statement said.

The explosions started at artillery storage sites at the military base near the town of Balakleya on early Thursday, triggering a massive fire and the subsequent detonation of the ammunition.

More than 20,000 people living in Balakleya and nine surrounding villages have been evacuated. Many private houses and public infrastructure facilities have been either damaged or destroyed by the explosions.

The Balakleya military base, which lies about 100 kilometers from the conflict area in eastern Ukraine, contains about 138,000 tons of ammunition.

The Ukrainian authorities are investigating whether the negligence or sabotage was behind the blasts.
KIEV, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) said on Friday it has allocated an additional 3 million euros (about 3.2 million U.S. dollars) for the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the situation in eastern Ukraine.

The funds, which are provided under the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), will support the work of the OSCE special monitoring mission (SMM) in Ukraine in the area of satellite imagery, the European Commission said in a press release.

The aid will help the OSCE observers to map inaccessible areas and to report on infrastructure damage as well as on the presence and movement of people and equipment, the press release said.

The OSCE mission that was sent to Ukraine in 2014 at a request of the Ukrainian government has received about 32 million dollars from the EU under the IcSP initiative.

Currently, more than 700 unarmed OSCE observers are deployed in Ukraine, with the majority of them monitoring the ceasefire between government troops and pro-independence insurgents.

The OSCE SMM has repeatedly said it is experiencing limited access to some territories in eastern Ukraine, including the storage sites of the withdrawn weapons and the disengagement areas.
KIEV, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will invest at least 150 million euros (about 162 million U.S. dollars) into Ukraine's agricultural sector this year, the bank's director for Ukraine Sevki Acuner said on Friday.

"We expect the investment in the amount of between 150 and 200 million euros. We anticipate the restoration of economic activity, which will result in the increased needs of companies in capital injections and investment," Acuner was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry's press service.

The EBRD aid will be directed to the diversification of farming business and implementation of new technologies in the agricultural sector, he said.

Besides, the bank will provide consultations to Ukraine on the issues regarding the governance of the agricultural sector and technical support on creating a platform for farmers to exchange their views on the development of meat and dairy industries.

Capital investment in Ukraine's agricultural sector reached a record high of 1.6 billion dollars last year due to the improved profitability of doing agribusiness in Ukraine, new exports opportunities and overall stabilization in the country due to the easing of the conflict in the eastern regions. Enditem
ATHI RIVER, Kenya, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has opened its first undergarment production facility to ramp up production to the attractive global market.

Hela Clothing, a 6 million U.S. dollar investment, located in Athi River, about 30 km east of Nairobi, has exported 1.5 million dollars worth of undergarment in six months for Calvin Klein, Victoria Secrets and other licensed brands owned by U.S. clothing conglomerate Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (PVH Corp).

Speaking during a textile and apparel stakeholders meeting, Industry, Trade and Investment Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed said the government has partnered with Kenya's textile and apparel sector to serve the local market with locally produced textile in line with enforcing the "Buy Kenya, Build Kenya" policy.

"Kenyans will buy export quality wear for as low as between 1-6 dollars through a discounted clothing fair set for next week in Nairobi and other major cities throughout the year," Mohamed said.

He said the facility portends good news for the sector at a time when the textile and apparel industry globally expects a tougher year due to uncertainties of the global economy.

"Their export target of 50 million dollars worth of intimate goods to the United States and Europe in 2017 is representative of the type of new investments we encourage. That the company will be employing 5,500 workers by 2018 is the direct effect of our efforts to spur industrialization," Mohamed said.

The Export Processing Zones have hugely contributed to the industrialization agenda in fiscal terms with the annual wages bill paid to Kenyan EPZ employees in 2015 standing at 84 million dollars, local sourcing of supplies and services stood at 239 million dollars from manufacturing investments worth 74 million dollars.

He said the ongoing initiative will also help in establishing a new supply-chain of export quality clothes whilst creating 100,000 new jobs from the current 179,000 the sector employs.

It will also help reduce Kenya's clothing import bill that stands at over 815 million dollars worth of textiles and apparel.

Mohamed assured Kenyan textile and apparel manufacturers of government support ahead of a tougher year complicated by the strong U.S dollar, implications of U.S. new administration's new policy regime on AGOA and the EU-EPA deal.

"We haven't got the indication yet that there will be any change of policy direction on AGOA but if theirs is need we will renegotiate the deal," said Mohamed.

Buoyed by the AGOA extension for another decade, Kenya expects to protect and grow its share of U.S. markets from the 0.4 percent, increasing exports by 1 billion dollars in the next three years.

Mohamed was confident that Kenya's decision to sign EU-EPA deal and ratify the deal would not affect the manufacturer's European markets.

He said the effect of BREXIT vote on Kenya as related to Britain will not be a problem because "we can always have bilateral talks on trade."

"However, in the long-term, Kenya and Britain have a great relationship due to their colonial bond, so I do not see a significant challenge to our markets," Mohamed said. Enditem
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (R) meets with President of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina, at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2017 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BOAO, Hainan Province, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Friday met with foreign leaders attending the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), held in the southern island province of Hainan.

During his meeting with Hery Rajaonarimampianina, president of Madagascar, Zhang said that cooperation plans proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 2015 Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) opened a new era of win-win cooperation for common development between China and Africa.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Madagascar. Zhang said that China was willing to work with Madagascar to implement the FOCAC results and advance the Belt and Road Initiative through enhanced cooperation in agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing.

Rajaonarimampianina said it was in the interest of both countries to increase cooperation. Hailing China's role as an engine for global growth, he said China's support would help with development in African countries, including Madagascar.

Advancing economic globalization and free trade would bring more opportunities for all countries, he said.

During his meeting with Micronesian President Peter M. Christian, Zhang said China was ready to enhance exchanges and mutual trust with Micronesia, and expand cooperation in fisheries, agriculture, tourism, maritime exploration and environmental protection.

China welcomes Micronesia to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, Zhang said.

Calling China a "lighthouse of hope" for island countries, Christian said Micronesia appreciated China's long-term support for his country and would take an active part in the Belt and Road Initiative.

In a meeting with Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Zhang called on the two countries to strengthen connectivity, deepen cooperation on economy and trade, investment, energy and production capacity, and intensify people-to-people exchanges.

Calling China a close and sincere friend of Nepal, Dahal said Nepal was willing to enhance connectivity and advance cooperation with China in various fields.

During his meeting with Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, chairman of Mushrano Jirga, the upper house of the Afghan parliament, Zhang said the China-Afghan strategic partnership had maintained good momentum in recent years.

Important consensus was reached between President Xi and his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Ashraf Ghani during their meeting last year, Zhang said, adding that China hoped the two countries would cooperate on the Belt and Road Initiative and deepen cooperation in various areas.

Muslimyar expressed Afghanistan's willingness to strengthen high-level exchanges with China, deepen mutual understanding and enhance coordination on regional issues to safeguard regional peace and stability.

During his meeting with Myanmar's Vice President U Myint Swe, Zhang said China placed high importance on developing relations with Myanmar and wanted to increase political trust.

Calling on both sides to align development strategies by advancing the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar economic corridor, Zhang said that he hoped the two countries would further cooperate and strengthen friendship.

Myanmar is committed to pressing ahead its comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China, Swe said.

Also on Friday, Zhang met with BFA Chairman Yasuo Fukuda, Vice Chairman Zeng Peiyan and other members of the BFA Board of Directors.

"The BFA has become a comprehensive platform with Asian features and global influence," Zhang said, adding that it had played a distinctive role in reaching consensus, advancing cooperation, boosting confidence in integration and building a community of shared future in Asia.

Zhang said he hoped the BFA would speak for Asia on major regional and international issues, expand its scope of discussions, and build wider partnerships to boost its global influence.

Fukuda said the BFA has become an open forum for elites from worldwide and an important platform for China to play an active role in international affairs.

"Asian economies' dedication to economic globalization and free trade is of high importance in light of the current international situation," he said, stressing that the far-sighted Belt and Road Initiative would win support around the globe.

Under the theme "Globalization and Free Trade: The Asian Perspectives," the four-day conference runs until March 26 and is expected to rally support for inclusive globalization. Zhang will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony Saturday morning.
By Chrispinus Omar

NAIROBI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A ministerial conference to prepare a regional agreement to facilitate the return of Somali refugees kicked off in Nairobi on Friday ahead a regional Heads of State Summit on the status of one million Somali refugees displaced by nearly three decades of fighting.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Special Summit seeking durable solutions to the Somali refugee situation, reintegration and sustainable returnees in Somalia, brings together ministers in charge of social services, security, interior and foreign affairs from East Africa.

The ministers met to discuss the Nairobi Comprehensive Plan of Action for Durable Solutions for Somali Refugees, outlining the most comprehensive plan so far, to help lessen the suffering of the refugees.

"Somalia is now moving towards consolidation of peace after the recent elections and the transition. This step will further enhance the ability of Somalia to handle the resettlement of the refugees," said Abdulfetah Abdullahi, Ethiopia's Minister of Labor and Social affairs, chair the ministerial meeting.

Ethiopia declared its readiness to work with partners to find a solution to the problems facing Somalia.

The Ethiopian authorities believe fighting the Al-Shabaab is a key step towards enhancing the ability of the Somali authorities to effectively handle the services required by returning Somali refugees.

The Ethiopian government official said enhancing the ability of the Somali security services was also important.

At the Summit, the heads of state are gathering to discuss how the plight of some 900,000 Somali refugees could be addressed through comprehensive plan of action, building on previous commitments.

The Heads of State will consider a report on the stabilization of Somalia, which is considered an important first step in creating the social, legal and the socio-economic conditions in Somalia.

IGAD ministers say at least 2 million Somali refugees have been displaced due to the fighting in Somalia over the last 26 years.

"We need to renew our efforts to find solution to the refugees," said Joseph Nkaissery, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for the Interior.

Nkaissery said ensuring the voluntary return of the Somali refugees would enhance their dignity. He said the refugee status was a dehumanizing experience and should be ended.

However, the countries of the region have made proposals aiming to lessen the suffering of the Somali refugees. In Nairobi, the government has agreed to begin setting up youth training centres in refugee camps.

"We need to support the self-reliance of Somali refugees. We need to put into consideration the issue of forced displacement," Nkaissery told the ministers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen in the Kremlin on March 24, 2017. (Kremlin Photo)

MOSCOW, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin urged joint international efforts to fight terrorism on Friday at a meeting in Moscow with French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

"We all live in very difficult conditions. We must realize the reality of this danger and unite efforts in the fight against terrorism," Putin told the French right-wing leader, according to an official Kremlin transcript.

Putin said Russia has no intention of influencing domestic affairs in France but reserves the right to maintain contacts with representatives of all political forces in that country.

"I know that you represent a fairly rapidly developing range of European political forces," Putin told the presidential hopeful, adding that Russian officials are interested in exchanging opinions with her on bilateral relations and the situation in Europe.

"I have long advocated that Russia and France should restore cultural, economic and strategic ties, especially at the moment when a serious terrorist threat looms over us," Le Pen said at the meeting.

Earlier on Friday, she said that she opposes a European Union blacklist banning several Russian nationals, including lawmakers, from entering its member countries.

"I have always called for lifting the sanctions, which are counterproductive. Prohibiting lawmakers from talking with each other is an abuse of democratic rights," Le Pen was quoted by RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

Le Pen is now running for the French presidency on behalf of the far-right National Front party. The first round of presidential elections in France is scheduled for April 23.

Le Pen is visiting Russia at the invitation of the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament.
TEHRAN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry criticized the UN Human Rights Council's resolution to renew the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic republic, Press TV reported on Friday.

The UN Human Rights Council's extension of the mandate comes under the pressure of some countries which are themselves clearly violators of human rights at regional and international levels, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Friday.

The council on Friday decided to extend the mandate of the special rapporteur, Asma Jahangir, on the situation of human rights in Iran for another one year.

Such a "confrontational policy and destructive and failed approach" is pursued through the "exertion of pressure on other countries through these selective and spiteful resolutions," Qasemi was quoted as saying.

"In the eyes of the Islamic Republic of Iran...this resolution lacks necessity, legal validity and professional support," the Iranian spokesperson said.

Iran has continuously refuted reports by the UN special rapporteurs about the human rights situation in Iran as "unjust" and "politically motivated."

Earlier this month, the UN rapporteur criticized Iran over a range of allegations, including execution of juveniles, imprisonment of religious minorities, and torture of political prisoners.
LAGOS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has approved a 200 million U.S. dollars credit facility to further support Nigeria, in its efforts to enhance agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers.

The loan is in recognition of agriculture as the key to long-term economic growth and diversification, the Word Bank Country Director, Rachid Benmessaoud said in a statement reaching Xinhua in Lagos, the nation's economic hub Friday.

He said the credit is being financed from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group's grant and low-interest arm.

According to him, it will be on standard IDA terms, with a maturity of 25 years, including a grace period of 5 years.

Benmessaoud said the project will tackle the key constraints of the Nigeria agriculture sector, such as low productivity, lack of seed funds for establishing agro-processing plants and lack of access to supportive infrastructure.

He said it will also solve the problems of low level of technology and limited access to markets.

Benmessaoud added that the project would benefit women and youth businesses in areas such as horticulture, poultry and aquaculture. Enditem
DAMASCUS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Force (SDF) made a fresh progress on Friday against the Islamic State (IS) group in the countryside of the northern city of Raqqa, a Kurdish official told Mayadeen TV.

The Kurdish-led SDF is on an offensive against Raqqa from different directions, and captured eight villages in the countryside of that area on Friday.

Sharfan Darwish, the spokesman of the Kurdish-led Manbij Military Council (MMC), said the attack focused on the outskirts of Raqqa and the Tabaqa city in Raqqa countryside.

Darwish said there are several powers in the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition that are taking part in the Raqqa battle, whether through aerial support or consultation.

Other Kurdish activists said that the SDF has reached the strategic Tabaqa Dam in the western countryside of Raqqa following battles with the IS militants.

Reaching Tabaqa came only hours after the French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday the battle against IS to recapture the Syrian city of Raqqa is likely to start in the coming days.

Meanwhile, activists also reported a large displacement movement of the civilians from Tabaqa.

Tabaqa city contains the strategic Dam, which the IS threatens to blow up recently, as well as an airbase used to belong to the Syrian army before the downfall of Raqqa to the IS in 2014.

Observers in Syria believe that the U.S. has placed its bets on the Kurdish groups in Syria to secure its interests.

The push toward Raqqa came just a couple of days after U.S. forces were airdropped on Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Syria near Raqqa to aid the SDF in their push toward the city.

The ground forces were airdropped after midnight Wednesday in the town of Krein, some five kilometers west of the city of Tabaqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The London-based watchdog group said the U.S. ground forces came to help the SDF fighters to cut the road between Raqqa and the northern province of Aleppo, and to isolate Tabaqa from Raqqa city, and thus to tighten the noose on the IS militants in the two cities.

Still, it wasn't the first air drop of ground forces in Syria.

The U.S.-led coalition has recently sent forces to help the SDF near the northern city of Manbij in the countryside of Aleppo.

The U.S.-led coalition also airdropped forces near the eastern city of Deir al-Zour last January, killing 25 IS militants.

But regarding Raqqa, the SDF has for months announced an offensive to separate the city from its countryside and from the IS-held areas in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour.

The SDF succeeded to lay a siege on some parts of Raqqa recently.

Earlier this month, the Washington Post said several hundred U.S. Marines have been deployed to Raqqa to assist local forces on the ground in a bid to recapture the city.

The newspaper said that the troops will help in the upcoming battle to oust IS from Raqqa, adding that U.S. Marines will be temporarily stationed at "an outpost from which they can fire artillery guns."

Also this month, the SDF said it has enough forces to capture Raqqa from the IS with the support of the U.S.-led coalition.

"The number of our forces is now increasing, particularly from among the people of the area, and we have enough strength to liberate Raqqa with support from the coalition forces," the SDF spokeswoman, Jihan Ahmed, said.

Joseph Abu-Fadel, a Lebanese political analysis, said that the U.S. aims to take the Tabaqa airbase and make it as a U.S. airbase in northern Syria.
By Chris Mgidu

NAIROBI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Friday called on the international community to continue supporting voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees as a sustainable solution to the crisis.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaiserry said Kenya believes that there is no better place like home and, thus the saying "East or West home is best" should be the clarion call to restore dignity to the Somali people.

"In order to restore dignity to the Somali refugees, Kenya recommends and supports voluntary repatriation as the best durable and sustainable solution," he told the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers in Nairobi.

"We as a country have learnt that refugee status is a degrading and dehumanizing status any human being can be subjected to for even a single day. It is therefore time that the region finds durable solutions for the Somali people, who have lived in dehumanizing conditions for more than a quarter a century," Nkaiserry added.

His remarks came after the UN refugee agency said Wednesday it has repatriated some 57,329 Somali refugees in Kenya since the return exercise begun in December 2014.

The UN agency said out of the figure, some 17,359 refugees who have been living at the world's largest human settlement in northeast Kenya were supported in 2017 alone.

Nkaissery who urged the East Africa region to promote self-reliance of returnees inside Somalia, stressed the need to adhere to the principle of international burden and responsibility sharing.

He said the refugee problem is an international problem and, therefore, requires international cooperation in finding solutions.

"A peaceful and stable Somalia means a stable region and this provides the most durable solution to the Somali refugees," he said.

The CS said the international community needs to find effective, fair and sustainable mechanism for burden sharing with regard to asylum seekers and refugees by fulfilling their pledges to support refugee hosting nations in the region to address the needs of refugees as well as those of host communities.

Kenya will on Saturday host an IGAD summit that will bring together Eastern African Heads of State to discuss the situation of Somali refugees in the region, as the threat of pervasive drought and food insecurity in Somalia looms.

The east African nation's role as host is spoiled by its continued insistence on closing Dadaab refugee camp, host to over 300,000 Somali refugees, by May.

In order for IGAD to respond effectively and find long term solutions to the Somali refugees, Nkaissery said the bloc needs to address the root causes of forced displacement of populations in the IGAD region by concentrating efforts in strengthening political dialogue and enhance mutual cooperation in peace building in Somalia and the region.

"We must as a region put measures in place to address further environmental degradation and also restore degraded environment in refugee hosting areas. This is because environmental degradation is a source of conflict over resources," he said.

The Kenyan official urged the international community to open and expand their asylum space for the Somali refugees on the basis of resettlement as one of the durable solutions for refugees since IGAD member states are already shouldering a huge burden.
by Fuad Rajeh

SANAA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- As war has been continuing in Yemen for two years since a Saudi-led military intervention, observers started to argue that the goal of the military intervention became unclear, resulting in no military victory yet.

According to media reports quoting spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, Ahmed Al-Asiri, the coalition has carried out 90,000 airstrikes since March 26, 2015.

The consequences of the civil war and the airstrikes are catastrophic as the UN said that Yemen has the world's largest humanitarian crisis since 1945, besides the fact that the war has taken a huge toll on civilians.

The goal of the Saudi-led military intervention was said to be restoring the legitimacy of the Yemeni internationally recognized government ousted by the Houthi militia with support from forces loyal to the former president, which won't take long.

But now as the war has been continuing for two years, no sign shows it will come to an end soon, and the government still can't resume its activities inside the country.

Adil Al-Shuja'a, a politics professor at Sanaa University, said that "the Saudi-led coalition does not have a strategic and clear goal from the war in Yemen. It seems Saudi Arabia has been focused on an ideological war with the Zaidi sect which is controlling north Yemen, not on a war for the legitimacy of Yemen."

"Such a confusion makes Saudi Arabia sometimes think of a victory through tough demands for the Houthi-Saleh alliance including that this alliance hands over the capital Sanaa and takes a strict stance toward Iran," he added.

Al-Shuja'a saw the alliance between the General People's Congress and the Houthi group really complicated, which means Saudi demands can't be met at least by one of the two parties of the alliance, if not both.

The Saudi-led coalition of five Gulf Coorperation Council states has been receiving logistical and intelligence support from the U.S., Britain and other western and Islamic countries.

Yaseen Al-Tamimi, a political writer and analyst, said that "conflicting goals of member countries within the Saudi-led coalition represent a challenge to bringing an end to the war. While the coalition should focus on retaking the capital Sanaa, some of its members have placed a bet on the coup forces and then shifted their war on factions fighting them."

The U.S. and Britain have been playing key roles in the war on Yemen either through logistical and intelligence support or arms sales to coalition members.

Yemeni observers argued that the U.S. has been engaged in war strategies as well as it is backing the coalition to target and weaken factions backing the government on allegations of their links to Al-Qaida. "The U.S. role is one of the key reasons for failure or slowness to achieve a military victory," Al-Tamimi said.

Ahmed Noman, an expert at the Red Sea and East Africa Research Center, said confluence of local, regional and international factors and confusion is to blame for the prolonged war in Yemen.

Locally, observers said the factions have been taking advantage of the chaos as well as regional and international interventions to exhaust each other.

Noman said that the most important problem lies in the many slogans and disagreements among popular pro-government resistance factions.

"There is not good war planning and coordination among them. There is treason by some pro-government factions which have been putting their own interests and interests of their political parties ahead of winning a war for the country," Noman added.

Noman also said that "the coalition will not give up this war until all goals are met topped by retaking the capital Sanaa and defeating Iran."

Internationally, observers believe that key countries engaged in Yemen war are now afraid of Islamists and Jihadists who have been strengthened by the chaos.

The U.S. and Britain, are seeking to exhaust all factions, said Noman, adding that they want the war to continue "because they will never accept that Islamists take the lead in the future."

"They will continue to fuel the war until they find a better alternative to the defeated factions," he said.
SKOPJE, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) and Alliance for Albanians agreed on Friday to form a new government in Macedonia which will led by head of SDSM, Zoran Zaev, local media reported.

Zaev told reporters that the three parties had agreed on a joint government coalition. He stressed that the new government would focus on delivering a number of major reforms and restoring confidence in institutions.

According to him, the new government of Macedonia is determined for unity, sovereignty and stability of the country.

Meanwhile, the head of DUI Ali Ahmeti said that all issues concerning the voting of the new government had already been harmonized.

On the other hand, DUI spokesman Bujar Osmani told local media on Friday that the DUI had nominated Talat Xhaferi for the post of the speaker of Macedonia's Parliament.

"We believe Xhaferi will efficiently perform his duty as head of parliament in times of deep divisions in parliament. This appointment is one of the DUI's pledges that one of the three top state positions in the country to be taken up by an (ethnic) Albanian," DUI spokesperson said. Enditem
BEIRUT, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri condemned Friday the terrorist attack that targeted London on Wednesday where four people were killed and at least 50 people wounded, including tourists from 12 different countries.

According to a statement by the PM's media office, Hariri sent a letter to the British Prime Minister Theresa May expressing his condolences and condemnation of the attack.

"It is with deep shock and utter sorrow that we received the news of the terrorist attack that struck the heart of London on Wednesday," said Hariri.

He added that the assault on Westminster, home of British democracy, is a "blatant onslaught on the values cherished by the free and enlightened world."

He urged all states to establish "an effective international cooperation mechanism to meet the challenges of the spread of terrorism."

The Islamist State (IS) claimed responsibility of the attack outside the parliament in London when a British-born assailant rammed his car into pedestrians and stabbed a police officer before being shot dead.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters hold up their weapons in the north of Raqqa city, Syria. (Reuters photo)

DAMASCUS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Force (SDF) made a fresh progress on Friday against the Islamic State (IS) group in the countryside of the northern city of Raqqa, a Kurdish official told Mayadeen TV.

The Kurdish-led SDF is on an offensive against Raqqa from different directions, and captured eight villages in the countryside of that area on Friday.

Sharfan Darwish, the spokesman of the Kurdish-led Manbij Military Council (MMC), said the attack focused on the outskirts of Raqqa and the Tabaqa city in Raqqa countryside.

Darwish said there are several powers in the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition that are taking part in the Raqqa battle, whether through aerial support or consultation.

Other Kurdish activists said that the SDF has reached the strategic Tabaqa Dam in the western countryside of Raqqa following battles with the IS militants.

Reaching Tabaqa came only hours after the French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday the battle against IS to recapture the Syrian city of Raqqa is likely to start in the coming days.

Meanwhile, activists also reported a large displacement movement of the civilians from Tabaqa.

Tabaqa city contains the strategic Dam, which the IS threatens to blow up recently, as well as an airbase used to belong to the Syrian army before the downfall of Raqqa to the IS in 2014.

Observers in Syria believe that the U.S. has placed its bets on the Kurdish groups in Syria to secure its interests.

The push toward Raqqa came just a couple of days after U.S. forces were airdropped on Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Syria near Raqqa to aid the SDF in their push toward the city.

The ground forces were airdropped after midnight Wednesday in the town of Krein, some five kilometers west of the city of Tabaqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The London-based watchdog group said the U.S. ground forces came to help the SDF fighters to cut the road between Raqqa and the northern province of Aleppo, and to isolate Tabaqa from Raqqa city, and thus to tighten the noose on the IS militants in the two cities.

Still, it wasn't the first air drop of ground forces in Syria.

The U.S.-led coalition has recently sent forces to help the SDF near the northern city of Manbij in the countryside of Aleppo.

The U.S.-led coalition also airdropped forces near the eastern city of Deir al-Zour last January, killing 25 IS militants.

But regarding Raqqa, the SDF has for months announced an offensive to separate the city from its countryside and from the IS-held areas in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour.

The SDF succeeded to lay a siege on some parts of Raqqa recently.

Earlier this month, the Washington Post said several hundred U.S. Marines have been deployed to Raqqa to assist local forces on the ground in a bid to recapture the city.

The newspaper said that the troops will help in the upcoming battle to oust IS from Raqqa, adding that U.S. Marines will be temporarily stationed at "an outpost from which they can fire artillery guns."

Also this month, the SDF said it has enough forces to capture Raqqa from the IS with the support of the U.S.-led coalition.

"The number of our forces is now increasing, particularly from among the people of the area, and we have enough strength to liberate Raqqa with support from the coalition forces," the SDF spokeswoman, Jihan Ahmed, said.

Joseph Abu-Fadel, a Lebanese political analysis, said that the U.S. aims to take the Tabaqa airbase and make it as a U.S. airbase in northern Syria.
UNITED NATIONS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- After weeks of intense negotiations, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reached the embattled district of Mokha in Yemen's western governorate of Taizz, where hostilities between the warring parties have escalated since January, a UN spokesman said here Friday.

Intensified fighting has led to more than 48,000 people being displaced from Taizz in the past six weeks alone, the deputy UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, said at a daily news briefing here.

"Humanitarian access to Mokha, a flashpoint of hostilities and one of the worst affected areas within the governorate, has been particularly challenging owing to ongoing clashes and movement restrictions imposed by parties to the conflict."

UNHCR teams went on mission to Mokha this week and started distributions on Monday in an area close to the frontlines, Haq said.

In early February, Yemeni government forces backed by the coalition of Gulf Arab troops and warplanes led by Saudi Arabia stormed Mokha, the coast city, from the northwestern part and paved the way for an advance on neighboring main port city of Hodeidah.

However, the battles have since intensified and trapped thousands of civilian residents in the city, as well as hampered the humanitarian operation to import vital food and fuel supplies, according to a recent statement by the United Nations.

More than 3,416 individuals affected by the conflict received non-food assistance from UNHCR, which included mattresses, sleeping mats, blankets, kitchen sets and wash buckets, he added.

According to a new UN report, since the beginning of the conflict in March 2015, more than 11 percent of Yemen's population -- some 3 million people -- has been forced to flee their homes for safety.

Almost two years later, prolonged hostilities and worsening conditions are forcing 1 million of those uprooted to return to the homes from which they fled, despite danger and insecurity across the country.
Sorry, this news has been deleted.
MEXICO CITY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's Foreign Minister, Luis Videgaray, said Friday that formal renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would take place "halfway through the year" and that Mexico would take part "without fear."

Participating in a banking convention in Acapulco, Videgaray noted that Mexico's foreign policy was based on clear principles and that "the agenda cannot only be set by the other party. It is not just the United States that want to change things."

"In the actual negotiation, we have to have a lot of confidence in ourselves. We will enter into the negotiation without fear," he said, adding that Mexicans "should be ready" for changes.

Equally, he reiterated that the most important principle for the Mexican government is for negotiations to be complete.

"We are ready to discuss all topics. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. The relation with the United State is the broadest and most complex relation Mexico has in the world," said Videgaray.

The minister added that, beyond defending its sovereignty in commercial ties with Washington, Mexico would insists that remittances not be affected, including extra tariffs.

According to Videgaray, these remittances play an important economic role but also have a social dimension, as they are usually sent to low-income families who depend on them.

Videgaray also said that Mexico will seek a renegotiation which allows its competitiveness not to be based on cheap labor, as the agreement must benefit all sides, especially Mexican workers.

On the security front, the Mexican diplomat said a commitment would be sought from the U.S. to stem the flow of weapons and money entering Mexico illegally.
HARARE, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government announced Friday that it had suspended with immediate effect importation of meat and meat products from Brazil following reports that some meat processors in the south American country were selling and exporting rotten and substandard meat.

"Following reports that some Brazilian meat processors/packers have been selling and especially exporting rotten and substandard produce for several years, the Government of Zimbabwe is suspending with immediate effect the importation of all meat and meat products from Brazil until further notice and pending the outcome of investigations in Brazil," Abigail Shonhiwa, the permanent secretary in the Zimbabwean Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said in a statement.

Shonhiwa did not elaborate on the investigations in Brazil but media reports say police in Brazil have launched raids to investigate alleged bribes paid to conceal unsanitary conditions in Brazil's meat packing facilities.

South Africa this week suspended some meat imports from Brazil citing the scandal in the south America's meat processing industry.

Zimbabwe imports some of its poultry products from neighboring South Africa and Brazil but the local industry has been complaining in recent years that the imports were hurting them.

Government in 2012 imposed a duty of 1.50 U.S. dollar per kg on imported chicken but this has failed to curb the imports that continue to flood the market. Enditem
GAZA, March 24 (March) -- Senior Islamic Hamas movement officials accused Israel on Friday of assassinating one Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip.

The movement said in a short text message sent to reporters that the collaborators of the Israeli occupation shot dead Mazen Fuqaha'a, a Hamas leader who was released from occupation jail in 2011.

Izzat al-Resheq, a senior Hamas movement leader, said in an emailed press statement that "it is a coward assassination operation committed by the collaborators of the (Israeli) occupation that killed the leader."

Al-Resheq said that unknown militants gunned down Fuqaha'a at the entrance of a building where he lived in one of Gaza city's neighborhood.

Hamas movement mourned Fuqaha'a, saying that his blood won't go cheaply and "the (Israeli) occupation will pay a heavy price for its crimes."

Fuqaha'a was released in the Egyptian-brokered prisoners' swap deal reached in October 2011 between Israel and Hamas. Israel deported Fuqaha'a to Gaza right after he was released.

Fuqaha'a was from the town of Tubas near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and he was responsible for the killing of nine Israelis in 2002 in revenge for the assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Gaza.

There has been no immediate Israeli army response to Hamas accusations that it stands behind the killing of Fuqaha'a.
VIENNA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, sharply criticized on Friday the efforts of NGOs in the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, claiming they lead to more deaths instead of fewer.

According to Austria Press Agency, Kurz made the comments to the media in Valletta, Malta, as part of his visit to observe the operations of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, in the region.

The minister acknowledged that while some of the aid organizations conducted good work, there were many "that are partners of the people smugglers."

"The NGO madness must be stopped," he stated.

He was joined by Frontex director of operations Klaus Roesler, who agreed that the activities of criminal networks and people smugglers are often supported in this way.

In addition, he said migrants were being picked up by European ships increasingly closer to the Libyan coast. They board hazardous vessels and make a trip of only 12 nautical miles into international waters where they can then make a distress call.

Kurz reiterated his long-standing calls for the Australian model to be followed, in which boats are stopped and diverted to off-shore asylum processing centers.

"If it is clear that one will be stopped on islands like Lampedusa or Lesbos, then within a few weeks hardly anyone will make the journey," he said.

He also called for asylum centers to be established in North Africa. Doing so in countries such as Tunisia or Egypt would be more realistic than in presently-unstable Libya, he added, saying he believed that with an appropriate offer from the EU, both of these countries would be willing to cooperate.
BRATISLAVA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Friday that EU needs Turkey to help maintain the shutdown of the Balkans migration route.

"Looking at the previous period, we can see that only 2 percent of migrants are now getting to Europe via the Balkans route. This is a huge decline," said Fico, admitting that the running of internal affairs in Turkey is far from the ideals of the EU.

EU-Turkey relations suffered a sharp decline in recent days, after some EU countries banned rallies of the Turkish politicians in their countries.

But Slovak prime minister believes that there will be no big change in EU-Turkey relations in the future.

"Nothing will happen, we'll keep pelting each other. What matters for Europe is to keep the migration wave halted. I believe that in the spirit of this realistic politics, we'll certainly respect and even swallow certain things that we otherwise wouldn't respect. Unfortunately, this is how world politics works," said Fico.

EU and Turkey signed an agreement to stem the refugee-migrant flows to Europe, which includes the closure of the Balkan route to central Europe.
BRATISLAVA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Slovakia will help Cuba in reconstruction of its Felton thermal power plant in line with an agreement signed here between the two sides on Friday.

The deal was signed by Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir and the Cuban Energy and Mining Minister Alfredo Lopez Valdes.

"The multi-day talks led to signing of two documents related to the reconstruction of the first block of the Felton thermal power plant, which needs a complete overhaul after a breakdown last year," said Kazimir.

According to the Slovak minister, further projects concerning the food sector and renewable energy with Slovak involvement are also planned in Cuba.

Cuba's Felton thermal power plant has an output of 500 Megawatt-hours and almost 800 employees.
From left to right: Zheng Ailun, Zhu Danna, Keren Wong (Photo provided by the author and founders of this program)

This is my uphill battle and my deadline: before June 30, we should attract at least 10,000 followers.

Zhu Danna wrote on April 15, 2016, the day she became the CEO of a Beijing-registered startup company dedicated to online programs in English teaching for teachers.

Like many others, it is a small team founded by three young women in their twenties.

What connects them is a firm belief that Chinese teachers of English should be better supported and equipped as they greatly influence the students.

Harboring this belief, Zhu joined as a co-founder when she graduated from China Foreign Affairs University in 2013

From villages to top universities, Ive seen Chinese students struggle with English learning. It made me realize that teachers also need professional training and support, like doctors and lawyers, she said.

While the available teachers training programs were arguably out-dated and bit too grammatically-oriented.

Zhu wanted to make teacher training fun, practical and accessible to every educator.

Her company started off as a NGO dedicated to rural teachers in 2013. Between 2013 and 2014, it trained more than 30 teachers in rural areas on projects worth less than 1,000 yuan.

In 2015, it started test online courses after its survey found that a large number of rural teachers use smartphones to access Internet.

It now runs several online chat groups, each hosting up to 300 teachers, upon whom the team charges premium service fees for programs including online courses designed by the team.

Every month, three or four courses on different themes would be uploaded for teachers of different levels.

Most of the teachers in the chat groups are from third tier cities or faraway, explained Zheng Ailun, the other co-founder.

Zheng had taught two years at a primary school at a township in Chaozhou, South Chinas Guangdong Province, before joining the team in 2016.

Keren Wong, 27, a Chinese American graduate from the Cornell University and another co-founder of the organization, pointed out that it is common to see introduction of overseas curriculum into China ending with little effect.

It is the best resources, but it cant fit the context. If you decide to stay, hopefully at the end of the day, you are someone who doesnt need us. You are learning how to learn, Wong noted.

Nearly one year has passed after Zhu declared the goal of 10,000 followers, over half of which has been reached.

Zhu smiled and admitted, It is true that we are not making profits yet, but we dont mind paying ourselves with less salary. Also, we can borrow money from our family (for operation).

But there is hope. The education bureaus of two counties in northwest China's Gansu Province have agreed to cooperate with the organization.

Zhu insisted that what her team has been doing could also be a commercial success and all the problems could be overcome if they work harder on a business development mode.

I chose to take the post last March because I thought everything worth it. Even if there was one day that we failed and I was in huge debt, I believe that we would still believe that this is the right thing to do and we would continue to do it, just maybe via another organization, Zhu said.
ANSA McAL rolls out $1B profits despite downturn

He made the statement yesterday after announcing that the Group recorded $1.1 billion in profit before tax in 2016 for the fourth consecutive year and that its net assets grew by $605 million, an increase of 8.7 percent. Taxation was $304,177,000, yielding profit after tax of $803,108,000.

Sabga made the announcement as he met with stockbrokers to present the Groups results for the 2016 year end at the ANSAMcAl flagship TATIL Building on Maraval Road, Port-of-Spain. He said the profit would have been higher if not for a few items which affected Group companies.

One was a fire which knocked out a furnace at Carib Glass Limited, causing a $38 million drop in profit; another was an increase in the rate of corporate tax which affected the Groups deferred tax position causing another $38 million loss and there was a decline in the Groups media business because of a drop in corporate spending and advertising. He said there has been a contraction in the marketplace and consumer spending has declined by $2.3 million but stressed that if it were not for these onetime reversals, the companys profits would have been higher, adding that he does not expect to experience those situations again in the current year. He said the Groups profit margin remains healthy at 18.5 percent and for the fourth year in a row, the company has decided to increase to $1.50 the dividend it will pay to shareholders, which means the Group will pay a total of $258.7 million in dividends.

Asked by stockbrokers about the Groups outlook for the current year, Sabga said ANSA McAL continues to invest in 2017 and is spending more than $300 million in information technology systems over the next five years including at the ANSA Merchant Bank, at TATIL and TATIL Life. He said Standard Distributors is upgrading its retail business and within six months will open a 40,000 square foot megastore.

He said the company is looking at two acquisitions, one of which is close to being finalised. He said it is in the manufacturing sector and will give the Group greater reach in the manufacturing sector in the Caribbean and significantly strengthen one of its existing businesses.

He said although the economy has shrunk, ANSA McAL intends to carve out a larger piece of the pie for itself. Its not in our DNA to take our foot off the accelerator. He said the Group has also invested in executive training and is seeing the results of that training.

We are looking at acquisitions aggressively and we are looking at expanding our existing businesses. Stockbrokers attending the session were generally pleased with the results.

Don Mullings of Bourse Securities was happy with the dividends being paid by the Group and said the results were not bad given that there was economic decline and foreign exchange shortage in the country.
Royal reading room for prisoners

It was the opening ceremony for the Royal Reading Room, a warm, cosy space carved out amidst the dreary monotony of cells and bars, to give incarcerated fathers the chance to read, do homework, bond, or surf the Internet with their children.

Under the sweltering tent, prisoners sat tall in their Sunday best, next to their wives and children, who were free to connect with them for a few precious hours.

Little girls wore flouncy organza dresses with big bows, brightly- coloured clips attached to every braid. Boys itched and sweated in their well-pressed, long-sleeved shirts. It felt like Christmas.

The Reading Room was first proposed by writer and literacy teacher, Debbie Jacob, who has been actively involved in teaching CXC English and promoting a love of books and reading amongst young boys at the Youth Training Centre for over ten years. Moved by the simple ambitions of her young students  or sons, as she calls them  to do something meaningful with their lives, Jacob wrote Wishing for Wings, a book that raised awareness of the potential of these young boys, if only someone would give them a chance.

Turning her interest to the inmates of the Port-of-Spain prison, she began dreaming of establishing a room/library where fathers could sit with their children and bond over a book, help with homework, and repair the frayed edges of family relationships that prison tends to inflict.

Commissioner of Prisons Sterling Stewart, who, like Jacob, viewed many of his charges as sons, threw himself behind the idea, designating a block of death-row cells to be redesigned, renewed and rededicated to a humane and life-affirming purpose.

The Childrens Ark, led by founder Simone De La Bastide and supported by members such as Kathy Ann Waterman, Vicki Assevero Mottley and April Bermudez and the board, immediately recognised the potential for healing and strengthening of family relationships, and brought its tremendous clout to the fund-raising and facilitation of the entire project, complete with furnishings and special books.

Inmates were eager to help, contributing the labour required to knock down those restrictive walls and opening it up to the free flow of hope and new life. Now, the pastel walls are decorated with original artwork done by prisoners from The Carrera Art Collective and lined with comfy couches and armchairs.

The space was named The Sterling Stewart Royal Reading Room in honour of Stewart, just hours before he proceeded on retirement.

He left with the thanks and blessings of all those whose lives he had touched. Ironically, three of the artists who painted the artwork were put in prison when President Anthony Carmona was Assistant DPP in the office of Director of Public Prosecutions.

When inmate Mark Hernandez rose and spoke passionately about the impact of books upon his life, my tears began flowing anew.

Although he was already literate, Jacob  this human angel  ignited a fire in him for learning, debating and self-development.

Reading is knowledge, he said, and knowledge is power. Speaking at the ceremony, Carmona who is patron of the Childrens Ark, reflected on his years on the bench as a judge. He expressed his belief that exposure to good books can have a huge impact on inmates, both in terms of helping them to mentally escape the walls, and also in educating and uplifting them, thus reducing the possibility of recidivism once they are re-integrated into society.

Books let the caged bird sing, he stated. Carmona said: I wish to publicly commend the Commissioner of Prisons, Sterling Stewart, Debbie Jacob, a journalist among journalists and the Childrens Ark, of which I am the proud patron, under the distinguished leadership of Mrs Simone De La Bastide and her hard-working executive. The Childrens Ark continues to engage out-of-the-box solutions to the social problems we face, building awareness and taking action. Mrs De La Bastide, your ark provides that safe haven and shelter for the marginalised, the voiceless and the hopeless from the tempest and the storms of a world burdened by commercialism and sometimes a lack of compassion. Trinidad and Tobago can never forget that initiative of the Childrens Ark, bringing world renowned activist and champion from human trafficking from Nepal in the form of Ms Anuradha Koirala. At that conference, we all agreed that human trafficking is taking place as I speak, in the brothels to be found in the north, south, east and west of Trinidad and Tobago. De La Bastide is confident that initiatives such as this, which help strengthen family ties, can reduce the impact of these violent times upon children, cut down on bullying, and help them to overcome the stigma and embarrassment of an incarcerated parent. Adding to their long list of significant other completed projects, The Childrens Ark has done so much work to date, to change and boost the lives of hundreds of at-risk youth in our society. In recognition of their support, both Jacob and The Ark were presented with paintings done by inmates, the latter being an image of a large ark, surrounded by children. It was a moving and apt tribute.

With their thoughts firmly focused on the benefits such a reading room can bring to inmates, children, and society as a whole, Jacob, The Childrens Ark, and the TT Prison Services are now discussing a new target: The Womens Prison at Golden Grove in Arouca.

This will mean more lives to be touched, more families to heal and more smiles on young faces which is what the ark is all about.

The Childrens Ark can be found on Facebook, or at thechildrensarktt.

com. Address: 7 Fitzblackman Drive, Woodbrook, 389-9772.

Donations and any form of support are welcomed.
Poetry Slam prize goes to $50,000

He said that not only does the National Poetry Slam segment of the festival empower participants literally, but those exposed to the offering become equipped with sufficient knowledge to broaden their horizon and help others build a better life.

He then announced that First Citizens would retain the lead sponsor title of the National Poetry Slam. The first place winner will receive $50,000  more than double the 2016 prize money.

Julien also called on participants to be responsible when crafting their pieces and that quality should remain their top priority.

Before him, Lisa Burkett, manager corporate communications of the National Gas Company said: For us at NGC, its always been a thrill to partner with Bocas, now even more so, as the event keeps evolving and expanding. It was named among the worlds top 20 literary festivals by Penguin Random House - The Writers Academy.

Next months edition of the festival will take on the extremely topical issue of human rights.

Violence against women, against children, human trafficking and general aggression upon our freedom to move and do as we please.

These are all top-of-mind concerns for Trinbagonians, and Bocas promises to build on the national conversation around them through insightful panel discussions. Festival founder and director Marina Salandy-Brown revealed that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will also be taking part in the festival. She said: There are so many poets, novelists and other writers in our festival lineup, ranging from eminences like Jamaican poet Edward Baugh, Cuban poet and translator Nancy Morej?n, and Guyanese David Dabydeen, to the exciting younger talent, like the Jamaicans Ishion Hutchinson and Safiya Sinclair, Guyanese-American Rajiv Mohabir and homegrown Trinidadian talent like Kevin Jared Hosein and Aaliyah Eniath.

Well be welcoming the Kenyan author Peter Kimani whose debut novel is making waves internationally, and the American writer Eliot Weinberger, best known for his incisive political essays.

Well also be launching a new novel by our own Jennifer Rahim, Curfew Chronicles, a penetrating look at very recent events in TT s history.

And well host a one-on-one conversation with a recent debut author from TT who is perhaps better known for his political career, one Dr Keith Rowley, wholl join us, not in his capacity as prime minister, but as a writer, discussing his memoir From Mason Hall to Whitehall. The NGC Bocas Lit Fest is Trinidad and Tobagos annual festival of books, writers, and ideas and the Anglophone Caribbeans largest celebration of literature.

This year, it takes place from April 26 to 30. The festival also includes a full programme of activities for younger readers via the NGC Bocas Childrens Lit Fest when there will be a month-long, nationwide storytelling caravan on Saturdays during April, plus readings, creative writing workshops and performances by childrens authors at the core five-day festival.

The core activities of Bocas 2017 take place at the Nalis and the adjoining Old Fire Station on Abercromby Street, Portof- Spain.

Salandy-Brown stated the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Arts has come on board as a main sponsor for the 2017 festival. She announced the 2017 winner of the Bocas Henry Swanzy Award for Distinguished Service to Caribbean Letters, is Joan Dayal of Paper Based Bookshop located at The Normandie, St Anns.

She said since the 2016 festival, Andr? Alexis who is based in Canada but was born in Port-of-Spain will be awarded the prestigious Windham- Campbell Prize, administered by Yale University, while poet Vahni Capildeo, was named the winner of the Forward Prize, a leading international award for poetry.
BAG OVER HEAD

That was how relatives found 23-year-old Chaguanas mother, Sharlene Somai yesterday - two days after a relative reported her missing.

In less than an hour after the discovery, police detained a 35-yearold close male relative who, up to last night, remained in custody.

Relatives said he is originally from Sangre Grande and assisted in the search for Somai.

Police reports state that shortly after 1pm yesterday, officers went to an access road off Petersfield Main Road, Chaguanas and found the body in some bushes in a parcel of land belonging to the now defunct Caroni (1975) Limited.

Somai was clad only in a pink teeshirt and black bra with the bag over her head and a piece of wire around her neck. She lived with her common- law husband, Suraj Toolsie, and other relatives a short distance away along Petersfield Main Road in Chaguanas.

Although relatives say they believe that she may have been abducted for unknown reasons, police investigators are working on the theory that she was killed by someone she knew.

On Wednesday, Toolsie reported to Chaguanas police that the night before, at about 8 pm, she left home to go to a nearby parlour. However, she did not return home and all calls to her cellular phone went unanswered. Somai, the mother of a four-year-old boy, was last seen wearing a brown vest, short pants and brown slippers.

At the scene of the discovery yesterday, Somais mother Kamla Rampersad wept uncontrollably and kept repeating that she wanted to see her daughters body - a request which was denied by police.

Aunt Wendy Singh explained that Somai normally frequented and spent time at the parlour. So when a male relative told them that she had gone there, no one paid much attention. The relative said he was getting the child ready for bed and subsequently he fell asleep.

Singh added that he told relatives that at about 9 pm that same night, he woke up but Somai was nowhere to be seen. He then enquired from her brother her whereabouts.

They looked outside and the lights were still on at the parlour so they assumed she was still there.

The relative went back to bed and at about 11.45 pm he again woke and discovered she was not there, Singh added.

At that time the parlour was already closed and relatives became concerned and began to telephone her. During a frantic search for Somai, relatives discovered that she never made it to the parlour the night she was last seen alive.

However, she was taken from the compound, the phone fell down in the gallery. They (relatives) found it at about 8 am the next morning and they knew immediately that something was wrong. About three weeks ago, Somai and a relative began operating a fast food outlet at Bamboo, near the Grand Bazaar interchange. Singh does not believe that the killing is linked to the business.

It is not as if they have money put away or anything. We were hoping to find here alive. She was in a relationship for nine years. They had a good relationship. They did not have any problems that we knew about. She did not have enemies that we knew about, Singh added.

She called on neighbours to look out for each other adding that praying and fasting alone will not solve the crime situation.

Even when we were asking neighbours for help, no one was willing to come forward. No one was willing to say, this is what we saw. Everybody was hush-hush.

Sharlene was a jolly, lively person.

Everyone around her seemed to have liked her a lot. Somais brother, Christopher Somai, 21, said relatives did not observe any strange activities the night she went missing.

Sharlene and I had the best bond in the family. It is real sad. I cannot believe this happened. This is shocking, it is weird for something like this to happen to her. She was just so nice, just like me. Another sibling, Anthony Somai, 24, said he believes that the death was some sort of jealousy thing.

Friend of the family, pastor Keith Ramdass of the Redemption Worship Centre at St Thomas Village in Chaguanas called on the authorities to stop the blame game.

Ramdass said, If you are in power, you have the responsibility to govern and the blame game has to stop. Somebody has to act. Other than prayer, we need all arms to get on board and say enough is enough.

There is too much tears falling, too much bloodshed. An autopsy is expected to be performed today at the Forensic Sciences Centre at St James.
Businesswoman stabbed to death in La Romaine

The woman, 65-year-old Petra Manwaring, was manager of her own firm, Industrial Contracting Company, which undertook repairs of facilities at Petrotrin. Her death came as a shock to neighbours and villagers who had seen her the day before.

She was a wonderful person who would take time to stop and talk to people on the street, one neighbour told Newsday yesterday.

Manwaring was last seen alive by her neighbours at about 5 pm on Wednesday.

Her bloody corpse was found in her living room shortly after 10 am yesterday. Villagers rushed to her Southern Main Road, La Romaine home in disbelief on hearing of her death Manwarings driver Maurice White was in shock more so because he had gone to her home a couple hours before the body was found to undertake an errand for her. He told Newsday that Manwaring had asked him to pick up a vehicle and take it to the garage for repair.

I came here at her home at 8.30am and called out to her, White said. Her relative told me she will be out in a moment. White said he waited for an entire hour but Manwaring did not come out of her house so he decided to leave. He said he found this to be very strange but dismissed the thought, thinking that she may have been ill. He also telephoned Manwaring several times but the calls went to voice mail.

Police were yesterday interviewing two of Manwarings relatives, one of them who lived with her full time, and the other who White knew was from Chaguanas and visited from time to time.

White said he met Manwaring three years ago and she gave him the job as her chauffeur.

When work became slow at her company she told me to find another daytime job, he said, adding that she gave him the work to repair the companys vehicles when he had the time.
Police set up fund for murdered PC Josephs daughter

Joseph, 22, was murdered two weeks ago and her body dumped in the Gulf of Paria, near Sea Lots. She is to be laid to rest with full military rights after a funeral service this morning at the Daybreak Assembly Church, Poinsettia Drive, Morvant. Kenneth Browne, 38, and his ex-wife Melissa Browne, 28, have been charged with murdering Joseph who lived at Marie Road, Morvant and had joined the police service just four months ago. Her mother, Paula Guy, is taking care of her infant daughter.

On Wednesday, president of the Police Social and Welfare Association (PSWA) Michael Seales and the associations central committee representative, went to the Port-of-Spain branch of Unit Trust and established the fund by contributing $80,000 which represents the stipends paid to the associations executive members.

The account number is 6016383-2. Special Reserve Police officers who will also benefit from the back pay are being asked to contribute only $100 per person. Yesterday Seales said that the setting up of the fund has received the full blessings of Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams and members of his executive are also being asked to contribute.

He said he was told by Williams that the fund is an excellent idea since it will mean that a childs life could be brightened in the future as a result of the assistance.

I have contacted president of the Fire Services Association Leo Ramkissoon and president of the Prison Services Association Ceron Richards who both committed to contributing to the fund and will rally their membership who are also benefitting from back pay to make a contribution, Seales said.

Corporate citizens and other concerned members of the public are also being asked to support the fund.

Asked by Newsday why this fund was never set up for children of other police officers who were murdered, Seales said unfortunately he was not the president then. He said similar funds will be set up in similar circumstances.

I want to do more for the membership and this is a start. Newsday understands that Josephs family will benefit from payment of three months of her salary initially, and the Police Service will make a one year contribution of her salary as well.
CWU wants full payment for workers

Yesterday, outside the companys building at Mulchan Seuchan Road, Chaguanas, 35 workers and union representatives engaged in a peaceful protest with the anticipation that the company will respond to the union to have discussions on a proper separation package for the workers.

Speaking with Newsday, Elder said even though they are not the recognised majority union for the company, it was their hope that the director of the company would meet with the union in keeping with good industrial relations.

We are not the recognised majority for the Government Human Resource Service Company Limited workers, in fact they have no union. We were approached by a couple of the workers, who are now members of the union and we did in fact write a letter to the Acting CEO, Mr Jeffrey Lewis yesterday which he admitted to us that he received the letter yesterday (Wednesday) morning. He added, When there are top men in the company saying that all they are going to pay the workers was one month notice and a prorated gratuity, we have people with contracts that is going to end in February 2019 and in fact the only contract that is coming to an end is in January next year. We are saying that these people should be paid the full terms of their contracts. Elder said during the protest, the workers were informed that one of the directors wanted to meet with the workers.

...the workers informed the director that they were not in a frame of mind to attend such a meeting and the workers left.
Imbert outlines plans to split HSF

Reminding reporters that the countrys annual expenditure was $63 billion under the former Peoples Partnership (PP) government, Imbert said that level of expenditure is no longer possible.

As he explained that the Government is the major injector of funds into the economy, Imbert said, There is a point below which you should not go, because if you crunch it down too low, you will collapse the economy. Indicating that point is $52 billion, Imbert stated, Were at that point right now. The minister said people calling for expenditure to be reduced past that point are, not being honest. He questioned what else can be cut when everything has been cut, almost down to the bone. Reminding reporters that the net value of the HSF is US$5.47 billion, Imbert said the amendments to the HSF legislation would involve a separation of deposits. He explained one portion of monies would go to the heritage component of the fund, while the other portion would go to the funds stabilisation component.

Indicating that Government will soon receive the final advice of the technocrats on amending the HSF legislation, Imbert said, This government and any future government would only be able to withdraw from the stabilisation component. As he reminded reporters that Government withdrew US$251 million from the Fund, Imbert said money in the heritage component, would not be touched unless very special criteria are satisfied. He said the PP ignored advice from technocrats about borrowing money to deposit into the HSF.

Imbert said it made no sense, borrowing money and putting it into a fund that you cannot touch. In this regard, Imbert said the new rules governing the Fund, will have to be based on reality. On property tax, Imbert said the ministry will hire 248 new persons to do field assessments and supervise the implementation of the property tax legislation. Saying this was the equivalent of two and a half medium size state enterprises, Imbert said, Within a 12-month period, we will have every property in TT on the books. He said within the next two weeks, notices of assessment will be posted or delivered to owners and occupiers of property throughout TT in accordance with the Property Tax Act. Stating this was the first step in the exercise to initiate the collection of property tax, Imbert said a comprehensive communication plan will be rolled out over the next two months to address all issues concerning the tax.

He reiterated that property tax, is based on the annual rental value of a property, not the sale price or purchase price or the value of a property per se.
Govt will implement TTs laws

Noting that citizens express their views daily about the countrys laws, Young said Government remains committed to enforcing all of TTs laws. The Government has not fallen short, he added. Extending the Governments condolences to the family of murdered schoolboy Jesse Beephan, Young said, We dont have as yet before us a report on the facts surrounding the death of the schoolboy. However, he disclosed that at a National Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley called upon the heads of the countrys law enforcement agencies to provide more, accountability on these issues that we are seeing taking place. Young added that Government expects to receive a report on this issue shortly.

He said the Education and National Security Ministries continue to collaborate to plug any holes as it pertains to security in the school system. Young also said the Beetham waste water treatment plant issue is currently in arbitration and a matter involving persons formerly employed at the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), is moving forward. Recalling that massive overpricing was found on the Beetham project under the former Peoples Partnership government, Young said the National Gas Company (NGC), is pursuing and protecting the taxpayers rights in that arbitration against SIS (Super Industrial Services).
Paray wants bullying task-force

Paray in a statement yesterday said it is not enough to just condemn bullying, but action is direly needed.

He called on the Ministry of Education to set up a national taskforce on bullying and school violence, to be comprised of independent members, officers of the protective services, PTAs, psychologists, social workers and religious bodies.

Paray said a strong correlation exists between an active PTA and good student success rates and behaviour.

Parents need to be more involved in the lives of students and always keep in mind that children practice what they see. He urged PTAs to partner with religious bodies to provide children with moral direction.
Shamfa: TDC discussions ongoing

Responding to a question in the House of Representatives, Cudjoe stated, Discussions with the union are ongoing. She also indicated that the CWU had filed an industrial relations order with the Industrial Court.

Reminding MPs that Government sanctioned a review of the company, Cudjoe said such a review was also sanctioned by the former Peoples Partnership administration.

She added, The Cabinet of TT always observes the laws of TT. Earlier in the sitting, Finance Minis- ter Colm Imbert said the Planning Ministry advised him that of the $5.1 billion allocated for the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), $1.34 billion has been spent to date and the quantum of the PSIP implemented was 26 percent.

However Imbert added, That does not include commitments already made for work done where invoices are being processed. On this basis, Imbert said this figure would be higher.

On Tuesday in the Senate, Imbert said the withdrawal of $1,712,200,000 (US$251 million) from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) will be used to partially fund hundreds of projects listed under the 2017 PSIP.

Planning Minister Camille Robinson- Regis indicated that efforts are being made to pay CEPEP contractors and workers, outstanding contract fees and wages respectively, in the shortest possible time.
TT, China strengthen ties

Rowley did so when he met on Wednesday with Chinese Ambassador to TT, Song Yumin.

A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said Rowley and Yumin discussed a wide range of issues such as economic, trade and security matters.

Rowley was accompanied by Minister in the OPM Stuart Young and Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses.
Problems have always arisen when it comes to Election Day  whether it be voting fraud, the location of the voting precinct or just simply registering to vote. For the upcoming 2022 election, Nebraska is facing one of the toughest choices for the voting process: Voter IDs. While some believe
We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.
President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz announced that a referendum would be held to vote for the amendment to the constitution providing notably for abolishing the senate and changing the flag.

The amendments to the constitution, which has been in force since 1991, were approved by the lower house but rejected by a majority of Senate members earlier this month.

Due to this rejection, we have arrived at an impasse. But there is one way out: we will hold a referendum, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told the press.

We cannot allow 33 senators who voted against these amendments to hold the whole country hostage, he said, adding that an exit exists, which is to go straight to a popular referendum.

The new amendments provide for abolishing the senate and replacing it with regional councils as well as changing the flag by adding two red strips to the green and yellow flag to honor the blood split for the independence of the country from France.

Mauritanias current bicameral legislature consists of a newly expanded 147-seat National Assembly, elected by popular vote to five-year terms, and a 56-seat Senate, with 53 members elected by mayors and municipal councils and 3 members chosen by the chamber to represent Mauritanian expatriates. One-third of the Senate is elected on a rotating basis every two years

President Abdel Aziz first came to power through a military coup in 2008. After winning the presidential election in 2009, Abdel Aziz won a second term in June 2014.
Nasser Bourita, Moroccos Minister Delegate of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation highlighted the pertinence and effectiveness of the comprehensive approach adopted by the Kingdom in countering terrorism and addressing its root causes during the ministerial meeting of the anti-ISIS Global Coalition Meeting in Washington.

The event, convened by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, represents the first contact between the Moroccan and US diplomacy after the election of Donald Trump.

Speaking at the meeting, Bourita explained that Morocco adopts a multi-layered counter-terrorism strategy including preventive and repressive aspects.

He said Morocco has undertaken efforts to address the breeding grounds of terrorism through favoring economic development and fostering the rule of law adding that the legal frameworks have been updated to respond to anti-terrorism efforts.

In this respect, the Moroccan diplomat shed light on the anti-terrorism law approved by the Parliament in January 2015 providing for prison sentences against those who have taken part in training within a terrorist organization or those who condone terrorism. The same law criminalizes the act of joining or attempt to join terrorist groups at home and abroad.

Speaking on the same occasion, Secretary Tillerson stressed the need to develop four countermeasures to defeat ISIS: persisting with in-country counterterrorism and law enforcement operations; greater intelligence and information sharing within our own domestic intelligence agencies and among our nations; combating a warped interpretation of Islam; and breaking ISISs ability to spread its messages and recruit new followers online.

Morocco, designated a major non-NATO ally by President George W. Bush in 2004, was the first Maghreb country to join the anti-ISIS global coalition.

The event brought together representatives from the coalitions 68 member countries and organizations.
King Mohammed VI and his guest King Abdallah II of Jordan inaugurated at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat the cultural and artistic event Africa in Capital, which celebrates African artistic creation.

Africa in Capital, which runs until April 28, features a panoply of events including art exhibition, concerts, film projection and conferences with the aim to bring African art closer to the Moroccan public.

In this respect, King Mohammed VI and his distinguished guest visited exhibitions themed: Contemporary Look into African Art, Joint Presence, and Memorial.

The Contemporary Look into African Art exhibition features paintings, sculptures and design items made by famous African artists such as Congos Cheri Samba and Cheri Cherin, Benins Cyprien Tokoudagba, Nigerias Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya and Ben Osaghae and Ghanas Kwame Akoto. The exhibition helps with exploring the trends marking the African contemporary art.

The Joint Presence is an exhibition narrating two experiences of a return to the roots in the African land by artists Kouka Ntadi (French-Congolese painter) and Wahib Chehata (Tunisian).

The third exhibition Memorial is a tribute to three inspiring photographers who passed away: Malek Sidibe Malian Coverages, Laila Alaoui the Moroccans and Othmane Dilami Trance Musicians.

Held under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI, Africa in Capital events are organized by the National Foundation for Museums in collaboration with several Moroccan cultural and institutional partners.

Besides Mohammed VI museum for modern arts, the events will take place in different cultural venues including the exhibition halls of Bab Rouah and Bab El Kebir, as well as the exhibition halls of the ONA and CDG.

Africa in Capital also reflects the particular attention attached by the Moroccan Monarch to art and culture as a bridge between cultures and civilizations and as a vector for promoting openness and coexistence.
President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, highlighted on Thursday the importance of ruling party exchanges amid the two sides' efforts to deepen comprehensive and strategic cooperation.

Both leaders sent congratulatory letters to the sixth meeting of the China-Russia ruling party dialogue mechanism and the fifth China-Russia political party forum held in the Russian city of Kazan.

In his letter, Xi said he and Putin have reached an important consensus that the two countries should uphold the spirit of strategic cooperation and everlasting friendship and firmly deepen the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

Xi noted that the Communist Party of China and the United Russia party have maintained frequent close exchanges, which has made positive contributions to strengthening both parties' development, boosting bilateral strategic mutual trust, pushing forward pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and safeguarding global peace.

After development of nearly 10 years, the China-Russia ruling party dialogue mechanism and the China-Russia political party forum have become important platforms for the frequent exchanges between the two parties, Xi said, adding that the meeting and the forum will push forward practical cooperation between the two countries.

Putin said in his letter that the Russia-China relationship has reached an unprecedented high level, which he called a good example for cooperation between great powers.

The joint efforts made by Moscow and Beijing in addressing major regional and global issues have become a key factor to safeguard world peace and stability, he said.

The ruling party exchanges are key parts of the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership of coordination, Putin said, adding that the two parties have maintained fruitful exchanges in the areas of legislation and party establishment.
A defeated-looking Paul Ryan may be thinking about how to explain to Donald Trump why they dont have the votes for their health-care bill. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

We havent heard any official congressional GOP or White House explanation for the abrupt cancellation of Thursdays House vote on the American Heath Care Act. Indeed, Paul Ryans scheduled press conference for this afternoon has been postponed, too.

But it was not terribly surprising given the news from a White House meeting earlier today between Donald Trump and members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, wherein Trump made a final offer and very few HFC folk bought it.

It had appeared Wednesday night that Trump and Paul Ryan might have found a way to blow this flawed bill out of the House by promising to include the repeal of Obamacares list of essential benefits heath plans needed to provide to qualify for federal subsidies (the list includes ten key categories, such as hospitalization, emergency services, and pregnancy care). That had previously been thought to be an unavailable concession thanks to Senate rules limiting budget reconciliation bills to budget-germane provisions. But those backing Trumpcare were now offering assurances (backed up by Senator Mike Lee, a key Senate conservative who had opposed the original AHCA) the Senate parliamentarian would play ball with this broader bill. So presumably conservatives who wanted more of a complete repeal of Obamacare could, in theory, vote for the bill in the House and then vote against the final House-Senate conference report in case the reports about the parliamentarians flexibility were in error or just a ruse.

But the gambit backfired when HFC members meeting with Trump pocketed the essential benefits concession and demanded more. According to one account, they wanted even highly popular provisions like protections for people with preexisting provisions and allowing dependents up to age 26 going on their parents policies to be repealed. Regardless of the exact demands, its clear conservatives called Trumps and Ryans bluff: If all Obamacare regulations are now on the table, why stop with one or two?

Indeed, even before the vote cancellation, influential conservative commentator Ramesh Ponnuru was arguing that the new information about the parliamentarian meant Republicans should rethink the whole bill, not rush it out of the House. And if nothing shakes loose in the next few days, that may be the new GOP excuse for additional delay.

The trouble is this: Even if these reports are right and Republicans dont have to wait for some improbable second or third prong of regulatory or legislative action to get rid of Obamacare, GOP conservatives and moderates dont agree at all on which provisions to trash and which to keep. And the search for a compromise wont be improved by a fight over features of the bill that could easily be understood and scored as making life worse for real-live categories of people now benefiting from the Affordable Care Act.

For now, Republicans at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue have reached a cul-de-sac on health care and need either to turn around and try a different path or pull off some sort of politically dangerous minor miracle. This very bad week for Donald Trump has gotten a lot worse, and for once Paul Ryan is his full partner in misery.
The Supreme Court. Photo: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Though the Constitution forbids federal judges from offering their views on issues that arent essential to deciding cases before them  known as advisory opinions  five Republican-appointed judges on the famously liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals did just that last week. They jury-rigged a mechanism to enable them to vent about three colleagues controversial travel-ban ruling more than a month earlier, upholding the opinion of a Seattle judge, who took a high-profile stand against President Trumps travel ban. The timing of the unofficial dissents is odd, since the Justice Department was no longer trying to appeal that decision. Pushing the strangeness of their action even further, they also seemed to be weighing in about two recent district-court cases that werent before them by any stretch of the imagination.

Regardless of the unorthodox circumstances of their issuance, these dissenting opinions are important, because they provide a preview of how, at a minimum, the conservative justices on the Supreme Court may see the issues. With Judge Neil Gorsuch looking likely to be confirmed by the Senate, there could well be five such justices in place by the time the latest travel ban cases reach that Court. Its not a pretty picture.

Though even the five dissenting Ninth Circuit judges nominally rejected the autocratic posture adopted by the Trump administration that the presidents decrees in the immigration context are simply unreviewable the limited judicial oversight they would permit, and the evidentiary blinders they would require judges to wear while engaging in it, amount to the same thing.

To quickly review, on January 27 President Donald Trump issued his first travel ban, which, among other things, suspended entry for at least 90 days by aliens from seven countries that have more than 90 percent Muslim populations. It triggered chaos at airports around the world, led to the summary revocation of tens of thousands of visas, and prompted detentions of more than a thousand apparently innocent people. (A senior Trump administration official declared the rollout to be a massive success story.) On February 3, Seattle federal judge James Robart entered a temporary restraining order in a case called Washington v. Trump, suspending the impact of the order until a fuller hearing could be held. On February 9, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit unanimously upheld Robarts preliminary order.

Though the Justice Department could have appealed the panels ruling to a larger contingent of Ninth Circuit judges in whats known as an en banc rehearing, it chose not to. Instead, it asked for a stay until a better-crafted executive order could be drafted. After a new, much narrower one was issued, on March 6, the department withdrew its appeal.

At least one Ninth Circuit judge, however, wanted to express his opinion anyway. That judge (who isnt identified in court records) asked that the 25 active appellate judges of the court be polled on whether to hold an en banc hearing on whether to vacate the three-judge panels ruling, even though no party was asking for that relief. When the majority declined, five dissenters took the opportunity to publish three opinions dissenting from the refusal to grant their own request.

The first of these dissents was rushed to publication on March 15, in an apparent attempt to influence the several district judges that were then deliberating whether to block the new travel ban. The other two dissents werent docketed until two days later, by which time two of those courts one in Hawaii and one in Maryland  had, in fact, blocked key provisions of the second ban from taking effect.

The most important dissent is that of Judge Jay Bybee, whose name may ring a bell. Bybee was appointed to lead the Office of Legal Counsel of President George W. Bushs Justice Department in late 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks. In 2002 he was one of the signatories to the so-called torture memos, which gave the departments blessing to the C.I.A.s use of enhanced interrogation techniques against terrorism suspects, including water-boarding, a decision that later led the New York Times editorial board, among others, to call for his criminal investigation. (The memos, and Bybees role in them, emerged only after the Senate had already affirmed his nomination to the Ninth Circuit, in 2003.)

Judge Jay Bybee.

While some might feel that this history taints Judge Bybees authority, his firsthand experiences actually do leave him unusually well-versed in the precedents relating to the extremes to which our government can constitutionally go when fighting terrorism. In his dissent, Bybee recounts, for instance, a measure, instituted shortly after 9/11, which required all nonimmigrant alien males then in the U.S. who were over the age of 16 and from any of 25 countries  24 majority-Muslim countries plus North Korea  to report for registration and fingerprinting. The program was challenged under the Equal Protection Clause in numerous courts for discriminating on the basis of religion, ethnicity, gender, and race, but was upheld by each of the six appellate courts that examined the issue. Since the government had put forward a facially legitimate and bona fide reason for the categories of people affected by the program, the courts found, the measure was lawful.

The key legal finding  that there was a facially legitimate and bona fide reason for the challenged categories  tracked a legal test articulated in a 1972 Supreme Court ruling called Kleindienst v. Mandel, which is also the key precedent Bybee believes the Ninth Circuit panel that affirmed Judge Robarts order, in Washington v. Trump, failed to heed. In that case a Marxist journalist from Belgium, who had been invited to speak at Stanford and other universities, was barred from entering the country. Notwithstanding the First Amendment issues, the Supreme Court upheld Mandels exclusion under an immigration statute authorizing exclusion of aliens who advocate the doctrines of world communism.

In the cases concerning Trumps travel ban, the Justice Department relies on a different but broad provision of the immigration law, codified at Section 1182(f) of Title 8 of the United States Code:

Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.

When the Mandel standard of review is combined with the broad language of Section 1182(f), Judge Bybee concluded, there was very little left for courts to do. Even if we have questions about the basis for the Presidents ultimate findingswhether it was a Muslim ban or something elsewe do not get to peek behind the curtain. So long as there is one facially legitimate and bona fide reason behind for the Presidents actions, our inquiry is at an end. (Emphasis in the original.)

A key question that other appeals courts and, likely, the Supreme Court will eventually be deciding is whether that very minimal Mandel standard of review is the right one for courts to use in the face of an executive order as sweeping as the travel ban. Those judges who have blocked either ban so far have found, for various reasons, that it wasnt.

Another issue is whether even the Mandel standard saves the travel ban. For that standard has two parts. Bybee found that judges hands were tied by its first half, but he then ignored the second half. While the government has unquestionably articulated a facially legitimate reason for the presidents actions  that the countries whose nationals are subject to the ban have been compromised by terrorism, war, or civil unrest  it has not necessarily shown that this is a bona fide reason for the ban (i.e., the genuine, good-faith reason), rather than a pretextual one. To determine that, one would need to look at the context in which it arose.

And once you start looking at context, thats when any defense of the ban begins to crumble. At this stage  because the second ban has cleaned up most of the due-process issues presented by the first one  the strongest arguments against the ban are based on the First Amendments Establishment Clause, which forbids the government or states from favoring one religion over another.

Because of this well-known constitutional bar, politicians who try to exalt their religion over someone elses  requiring, say, the Lords Prayer to be read in public schools or erecting a creche on public property  usually try to hide their religious purpose behind a claimed secular one. Accordingly, courts analyzing Establishment Clause claims traditionally do, to borrow Bybees words, peek behind the curtain to figure out the measures real-world motivation.

In the past, this has meant, among other things, looking at press reports of politicians words and actions including, where appropriate, campaign statements. In 2003, for instance, in finding that an Alabama chief justice had violated the Establishment Clause by installing a monument to the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama State Judicial Building, the federal appeals court in Atlanta relied upon, among other evidence, the justices campaign committee statements, his campaign ads, his campaign platform, and his campaign promises.

When you subject Trumps travel bans to this conventional analysis, youre confronted with the following sequence of events.

In December 2015, the Trump campaign posted an official Statement on Preventing Muslim Immigration on its web site, calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our representatives can figure out what is going on. In a tweet the same day, thenprimary candidate Trump drew attention to this very important policy statement on the extraordinary influx of hatred and danger coming into our country.

Demonstrators protest President Donald Trumps executive immigration ban at OHare International Airport on January 29, 2017, in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images

In March 2016, in an interview with CNN, Trump said that Islam hates us, and complained that the U.S. had allowed this propaganda to spread all through the country that [Islam] is a religion of peace. Later that month, in an interview with Fox Business News, he said, Were having problems with the Muslims, and were having problems with Muslims coming into the country.

After winning the Republican nomination, in July, Trumps Muslim ban began metamorphosing into a ban on people from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism. Asked if this was a rollback from the Muslim ban, Trump responded that, on the contrary, it was actually an expansion  People were upset when I used the word Muslim, so he was now talking territory instead of Muslim.

On January 25 of this year, during his first week in office, President Trump discussed his plans to implement extreme vetting, saying, No, its not the Muslim ban  Its countries that people are going to come in and cause us tremendous problems.

On January 27, during the signing ceremony for the first travel ban, Trump read its title aloud  Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States  and then said, We all know what that means.

The next day, Trump adviser and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani told Fox News, When [Trump] first announced it, he said, Muslim ban. He called me up. He said, Put a commission together. Show me the right way to do it legally.

Against this backdrop, thenDeputy Attorney General Sally Yates refused to defend the constitutionality of the ban, and was fired. Since then, three district courts have found that there is a very serious question about what the primary reason really was for these travel bans, especially given the extraordinarily thin evidence that had been produced of any pressing national-security need. (For the first ban, the Justice Department offered no evidence of inadequacies with existing visa-vetting procedures; for the second, it cited two terrorist incidents, one involving the 2013 conviction of two Iraqis whod entered as refugees in 2009  though Iraq had, by then, been deleted from the list of countries impacted  and another involving the 2014 conviction of a naturalized U.S. citizen, whose arrest came years after his entry into the U.S. as a Somalian refugee, when he was a child.)

In the face of this small mountain of damning evidence raised by Trumps overtly anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric, and negligible countervailing evidence that the existing visa-vetting procedures were flawed, the travel bans look vulnerable.

Evidently hoping to forestall judges from heading down this path, Judge Bybee dropped a footnote in his opinion urging that conventional Establishment Clause analysis should be thrown out the window in immigration cases. The unreasoned assumption that courts should simply plop Establishment Clause cases from the domestic context over to the foreign affairs context ignores the realities of our world, he wrote.

Perhaps because Washington v. Trump, the case Bybee was writing about, had not, itself, been even decided on Establishment Clause grounds  that appeal, remember, was from the ruling of Judge Robart, who had blocked the first travel ban on due-process grounds  Bybee did not elaborate on what he meant.

But those scruples did not stop another of last weeks dissenters, Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski, from taking up the cudgel. Writing separately, Kozinski devoted almost his whole opinion to attacking the reasoning of the rulings in the Hawaii and Maryland cases, though neither of those was before him. He offered a strange, quasi-First Amendment argument, stating that if judges started looking into Trumps campaign statements  which he termed an evidentiary snark hunt  they would chill campaign speech in the future. (Its an odd argument. Generations of domestic Establishment Clause inquiries in the past dont seem to have noticeably hampered politicians willingness to speak freely. And if future officials will have to think twice before stooping to anti-Muslim hate speech on the campaign trail, bring it on.)

I dont mean to suggest that the travel-ban cases are easy. They arent, and no judge to date has said that they are. Between the broad language of Section 1182(f) and the minimal judicial oversight the Supreme Court provided in the Mandel precedent, it seems quite probable that the four conservative Supreme Court justices will see these cases much the way Judge Bybee did. And a Justice Gorsuch would make five.

The stakes are high. The narrow question is whether courts can play any meaningful role in ensuring that a president cant abuse immigration decrees to score political points by harassing and denigrating Muslims. The broader one is whether the Supreme Court will endorse and encourage President Trumps autocratic instincts and conception of Executive power.

Delicately put, we have an unusual president right now  one of the most dishonest and impulsive the country has ever had. Now is not the time to be curtailing judicial review. No president needs or deserves constitutional protection from his own mouth.
Devin Nunes, loyalist. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes has come under fire this week for personally briefing President Trump on what he said was evidence that members of the Trump transition were legally surveilled by U.S. intelligence agencies. Nuness briefing to Trump, which came before he told Democrats on the committee about the information, led the ranking member Adam Schiff, to question whether Nunes was working as a surrogate of the White House.

New comments Nunes made to Sean Hannity Thursday about why he briefed Trump wont make Schiff feel any better.

I felt I had a duty and obligation to tell him because as you know hes been taking a lot of heat in the news media, Nunes said on Hannitys Fox News show. I think to some degree there are some things that he should look at to see whether in fact he thinks the collection was proper or not.

Devin Nunes just said this to Sean Hannity. Party over country... #RepealAndReplaceNunes pic.twitter.com/palddE5nqe  SeriouslyUS? (@USseriously) March 23, 2017

There are at least two problems with what Nunes says here. The first, and most obvious, is that Nunes, who was a member of Trumps transition, admits to feeling a duty and obligation to someone he is supposed to be investigating.

I think he sent a signal that as a member of the Trump transition team himself, he probably should not be intricately involved in this investigation, Nancy Pelosi said at a news conference Thursday. She added that he was either duped or a willing stooge of the White House and called on an independent committee to investigate Russian meddling into the 2016 election.

The second problem is Nuness suggestion that the information he shared with Trump would help the president defend himself from the heat hes taking in the news media. But as Nunes himself said on Wednesday, none of the information he has validates Trumps baseless claims that President Obama tapped his phones. The heat remains warranted.

Of course, that hasnt stop Trump from saying Nunes helped him feel vindicated. And the president is not the only one distorting Nuness information and using it to back up Trumps wholly different wiretapping claim. Check out the chyron running on Hannity during the interview.
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Just because Republicans cant figure out a health-care plan that lowers premiums, covers everyone, and, most importantly, reduces taxes on the rich doesnt mean theyre not getting anything done. Today, the Senate voted 50-48, along party lines, to roll back an FCC rule that required internet-service providers to obtain customers permission before selling their information to third parties. And not just your address and phone number: That information includes location information, browsing history, and the contents of unencrypted messages.

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pais defense of this reversal  which is not entirely unfair  is that it unfairly targets ISPs for exploiting user data, but not edge providers like Facebook and Google, which also profit substantially from information gathered while you use their services. Its just that, well, in a situation where one set of giant companies is allowed to exploit consumers and another isnt, the solution should probably be to prevent all the giant companies from exploiting consumers. Instead, the FCCs response is to just let every company sell that information, unregulated  an immense violation of user privacy. But, hey, so long as every corporation gets treated equally.

The ruling is the first major move by an FCC regime expected to be much more friendly to the internet-service providers and telecom companies that control the material infrastructure over which the internet moves, and much more hostile to the large software companies that have grown up on that infrastructure. Pai, a former Verizon lawyer, is an open foe of net neutrality  the internet-beloved principle that requires ISPs to treat all traffic equally  and companies like Netflix are already gearing up for a world in which telecoms are legally allowed to throttle (or accelerate) their connections. This isnt to say the best possible world is one in which infrastructure companies are heavily regulated, and software providers are free to operate as they choose  ideally, the FCC would be an aggressive advocate for consumers in dealings with Google and Comcast equally. But an FCC primed to deregulate internet service seems like the worst of all possible worlds for consumer safety, privacy, and cost.

ISPs began lobbying the FCC to approve their ability to surreptitiously profit off of sensitive customer data as the Trump administration took hold. The congressional effort was spearheaded by Republican senator Jeff Flake of Arizona. Earlier this week, Flake asked Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch if he would rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck, a popular thought problem on Reddit that has become a meme in itself. The question came from Flakes teenage son; Flake himself admitted ignorance about the internet. Didnt stop him from regulating it though.
Splitting the bill can be stressful. Photo: WALTER SANDERS/Getty Images/The LIFE Picture Co

Vanessa, 31, is a Charleston-based nurse whos never liked to spend money. Splitting the check at group outings can cause her anxiety (she just wants to pay for what she ordered, not Nancys steak!), and sometimes she stays home just to avoid that panic-inducing moment when everyone tosses in their credit cards. Objectively, shes in decent financial shape  she saves good chunk of every paycheck, contributes to her 401(k), and paid off her student loans years ago  but that doesnt put her at ease. She knows that some people roll their eyes when she says she cant afford to do something, or remarks on how expensive something is, but it feels almost reflexive, like she cant help it.

Recently, a former roommate told Vanessa that her cheapskate tendencies made other people uncomfortable, and that she needs to be more considerate and learn to loosen up. What should Vanessa do about this  if anything? Shed prefer not to be so awkward about money, but she also doesnt want to compromise her savings and spend more. Isnt being careful with money a good thing?

Youre right, Vanessa  a certain amount of financial anxiety is healthy. Its what forces us to keep an eye on the future when the present is so full of cashmere sweaters, suede whatever-we-wants, and other immediate-gratification stuff that were tempted to blow our paychecks and figure out the rest later. In the right doses, financial anxiety can make us smart and keep us secure. Frankly, many of us could use more of it  or, at the very least, learn to recognize and heed it wisely.

However, it sounds like your financial anxiety is teetering on the edge of compulsion, particularly if its annoying your friends and keeping you cooped up at home. Whats the point of saving cash if you never enjoy spending it?

In her mid-20s, my friend Frances started getting panic attacks whenever she went out to eat. I would be at a restaurant with a friend or a group, and halfway through the meal, Id feel mad anxiety and the need to leave, she told me. I stopped going out for a while, even to really fun events, thinking that the anxiety was connected to the crowd size or something. I didnt realize it was tied to money until I went to therapy, and now its so obvious to me. The tipping point came when she had daily panic attacks during a vacation that shed saved for and looked forward to: Thats when I realized there were deeper causes, and they would not be fixed by avoiding things or trying to control my surroundings.

Francess example is extreme but her story shows that theres a fine line between being conscientious and taking it too far. How do you know when youve crossed over from shrewd to scrooge-y? And most importantly, how do you fix it?

Look at the root causes.

So many of our money habits are unconscious, says Dr. Brad Klontz, a psychologist, financial advisor, and founder of the Financial Psychology Institute. How much anxiety do you carry around money? Where do you think it came from? What happened? Many people have no idea  its just their family culture. I think its valuable to get a clear picture of the origins of your beliefs about money.

In Francess case, money was often tight when she was growing up. My parents were mostly self-employed, so there wasnt a biweekly paycheck to count on, she says. Ive been privy to those fluctuations from a very young age, so Ive always been conscious about spending. Im also a child of immigrants, so the notion that I need to help my family has been ingrained since birth  a fun extra layer of guilt.

This is a classic recipe for money vigilance, according to Klontz. If parents are constantly penny-pinching, then their children are going to get the message that theres not enough, and then they wont learn to enjoy the money they earn, he explains. Alternatively, these tendencies might create room to swing towards the opposite extreme. For example, the Depression-era generation spawned the consumer-culture baby boomers. If youre always worrying, then your kids can inherit a sense of helplessness, which leads to an outlook of, There will never be enough money, so why bother trying? Which is followed by overspending, he says. In some situations, this cocktail of financial fear can lead to accumulation  in a scary way. Theres a type of person who will hoard cash, he says. Not just stuff and cats. Money.

When talking to clients, Klontz seeks out past events that have shaped their current financial patterns (which he refers to as money scripts).For some people, its growing up in poverty, or encountering a very significant financial loss in early life, he says. Maybe your dad got sick, or your parents got evicted  those things affect your long-term thinking. Think back on your own formative years and see if you can find a link  self-awareness helps break the cycle.

Make a plan.

A positive aspect of being money-vigilant is that youre naturally inclined towards budgeting; use it as a tool to ease anxiety. One of the best things underspenders can do is make fun a regular part of their budget, says Liz Weston, a personal-finance researcher at NerdWallet. (Shes also quick to add that we regular folks  and overspenders  should do this, too.) If money is earmarked for a purpose, it tends to be easier for the underspender to let go of it. Better yet, shift your perspective: Frame it as an investment in happiness. Underspenders like saving and investing; they dont like the word spend because it implies waste.

John Foley, a certified financial planner and president of wealth management and advisory company SoFi, agrees. Some people find that petting their money makes them feel less anxious, he says. Check your balances and your spending against your budget. Do it several times a day if you must. If youre on track, relax.

Of course, thats easier said than done. For Frances, staving off panic requires constant self-monitoring. Its very much a work in progress, and Im not sure how close Ill ever get to being anxiety-free around money, she says. If I have something big coming up, like a friends wedding or a trip, then Ill go into hibernation mode for a month or so  cooking and staying in  to make sure I save enough. I keep a well-stocked emergency fund at all times, and add to it automatically with every paycheck.

Another self-soothing method, according to Dr. Klontz, is to take a close look at your values: What do you choose to spend your money on? Instead of thinking, Thats too expensive for me, reframe it as, I dont want to spend my money on that, he says. Most anxiety is caused by the anticipation of losing control; when you remind yourself that you are in control, the white-knuckled grip on your wallet will give way to something more balanced.

Now, spend some money.

No ones suggesting you run out and buy a Porsche  instead, take baby steps. Dr. Klontz advises minor behavioral experiments that expose your anxieties within a manageable setting. For example, go pay for a massage for yourself, and keep a journal about the thoughts that come up, he says. Are you thinking, This is ridiculous, what are you doing, you cant afford this? Follow that train, and watch all those intense emotional thoughts about worst-case scenarios that obviously dont come true.

Also, if your anxiety feels acute, it might be helpful to try therapy. Its been indispensable to me, says Frances. It helped me to identify the sources of my anxiety, as well as coping mechanisms, like remembering that I will be okay  I have a good job and great people in my life who would help if I really needed it. I can now think rationally instead of spiraling into a hypothetical doomsday.

Ultimately, once you rein it in, your financial scrupulousness will serve you well. Ill never be the person who says, Wait, where did my cash go? says Frances. For better or for worse, Im responsible, and I know that I can take care of myself.
A police cruiser in Washington, D.C. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Black members of Congress sent a letter Tuesday asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey for help locating missing children in Washington, D.C. According to the Associated Press, the District logged 501 cases of missing juveniles, many of them black or Latino, in the first three months of this year. Of those, 22 were unsolved as of March 22, according to D.C. police.

Ten children of color went missing in our nations capital in a period of two weeks and at first garnered very little media attention, read the letter, penned by Congressional Black Caucus chairman Cedric Richmond and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. Thats deeply disturbing,

They asked that the Justice Department and the FBI devote the resources necessary to determine whether these developments are an anomaly or whether they are indicative of an underlying trend that must be addressed.

But D.C. police say there hasnt been an increase in missing persons in their jurisdiction; according to local data, the number of missing children dropped from 2,433 in 2015 to 2,242 in 2016. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the increased attention in the cases was because theyd been posting them to social media.

Nevertheless, the apparent trend has sparked concern in the District. According to the AP, hundreds of people packed a town-hall style meeting at a neighborhood school on Wednesday to express concern about the missing-children cases, and the hashtag #FindOurGirls has taken off on Twitter and Instagram.

Derrica Wilson, co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, added that one missing child is too many.
Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size

Article body

The Harrison School of Pharmacy at Auburn University is helping the state of Alabama fight a growing national problemthe abuse of prescribed and illicit drugs.

With a grant from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, the school teamed up with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, or ADECA, to offer a conference for those individuals who would typically have the first opportunity to intervene in drug abuse matterslaw enforcement, first responders and health care professionals.

After four days, nearly 1,000 pharmacists, physicians, nurses, EMTs, first responders, educators and members of law enforcement had learned more about their role in combatting the abuse problem.

"The response was fantastic," said Haley Phillippe, associate clinical professor with the Harrison School of Pharmacy. "Working with ADECA was great, especially connecting us to law enforcement to share knowledge with them and learn about what they see on a day-to-day basis. Several attendees thanked us for putting this together because they never would have learned about these things otherwise."

Conference presenters included Auburn pharmacy faculty and representatives from the Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama State Board of Pharmacy, Alabama District Attorney's Association and law enforcement members from drug task forces around the state.

Alabama has one of the highest rates of prescription pain medications sold per 10,000 residents. The problem reached the point that Gov. Robert Bentley recently signed an executive order establishing a council to find ways to bring the state's opioid addiction problem under control.

In 2015, more than 700 Alabamians died of opioid overdoses and 5.8 million opioid prescriptions were written in Alabama.

The rise of opioid prescriptions has been seen in part due to an increased recognition of the impact of pain within the state and region. In 2011, at least 100 million adult Americans had common chronic pain conditions. Pain is a significant public health problem, which is estimated to cost society $560-$635 billion annually.

While the use of these medications provides necessary pain relief for many residents, the illegal use has reached near epidemic levels in Alabama.

"This isn't a problem we can arrest our way out of," said Brian Forster of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs' Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division. "Doctors, nurses, mental health professionals and law enforcement have to communicate effectively with one another if we're going to find real solutions to this problem."

"It is important that we work together to identify community-based solutions for patients and their families," added Karen Marlowe, assistant dean with the Harrison School of Pharmacy. "Solutions need to balance patient treatment for pain management and the need to prevent misuse of opioids."

Of all drugs leading to overdoses, only 17 percent were prescribed to the individual by a doctor with the most common source of the drugs being the family medicine cabinet. Additionally, only 10 percent of those with addictions in Alabama receive treatment.

"Addiction is a disease and needs to be treated as such," said Brent Fox, associate professor with the Harrison School of Pharmacy and one of the program leaders. "With more education about the problems through programs such as this, it will allow those at the front line to be better equipped to identify the issue and get assistance."

Those involved with the planning and execution of the conference are already seeing the benefits.

"Not everyone has access to the kind of information the doctors and pharmacists have and this was great for all of us to start really talking to each other," said Alabama State Trooper Jay Penton. "If we can help them to spot potential abuse, then it's a good first step."
"Mr. Fielder immediately recognized a need in the marketplace for an outdoor apparel company that openly promoted the true story of the Holocaust."



what a world we live in

Reply

Thread

Link

That's lovely! What a nice man :]

Reply

Thread

Link

If the mayor wants to give Mr. Fielder the Key to the City, please contact: keytothecity@summiticeapparel.com



lol



edit:

Summit Ice T-Shirt

$24.99

This high-quality 100% cotton tee provides maximum comfort while making a statement about the Holocaust.



edit2: The celeb gallery is killing me softly with their captions.

http://www.summiticeapparel.com/gallery/







Edited at 2017-03-24 12:42 am (UTC) loledit:edit: The celeb gallery is killing me softly with their captions.

Reply

Thread

Link





Why did I think Jack Black was a really bloated Leo for a second? Why did I think Jack Black was a really bloated Leo for a second?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

because one dye job and Leo's there.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This bit got me in the description when I was making the post:



Mr. Fielder will be opening Summit Ices first retail pop-up store at 138 East Broadway, in Vancouvers historic outdoor apparel district.





Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i laughed for a full minute at the seth rogan one

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link









It's so odd to a ~science-y image of the material of a jacket and then...Auschwitz.



Edited at 2017-03-24 12:45 am (UTC) I went to the website to see what the jackets are like and saw this:It's so odd to a ~science-y image of the material of a jacket and then...Auschwitz.

Reply

Thread

Link

it's kind of the tone of the whole website and his comedy.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This is very cool of him. Lately I've been watching a lot of documentaries on Hitler, the holocaust and the ways he created propaganda. There are so many parallels with today's antisemitism and the lies that are pushed. Now more than ever people (especially children) need to continue to be educated on what happened.



/not long ago somebody at work brought in a bunch of stuff for breakfast and the watermelon was cut really thin and all I wanted to do was laugh but nobody else would get it.

Reply

Thread

Link

yeah i think ppl would always jump to hitler/nazi comparisons in totally inappropriate scenarios, so ppl got used to calling it out and it became inappropriate to compare anyone to hitler, if that makes sense?



like if anything now is the time we should definitely be emphasizing the parallels with 30s germany, yet ppl hesitate because they're afraid it's offensive



sry if this comment makes no sense lol i cant articulate rn

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

tell me what the watermelon means so I can laugh with you if it ever happens to me.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

You know in Germany children learn so much about the Holocaust and Nazis. We had so many years of it. But a lot of those children still love when someone says "are you a Jew or what?"

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

does this mean a new season of Nathan For You is coming

Reply

Thread

Link





Chicago: I'll be doing a special Nathan for You "sneak peek" show on June 3. Tix on sale today https://t.co/5z9Se8FAOf  nathan fielder (@nathanfielder) March 10, 2017

It is! He's doing a preview in Chicago this summer.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

nathan for you looks so funny but im too lazy to find a way to watch stuff thats not on netflix

Reply

Thread

Link





You can watch full episodes on the comedy central website if you're American: http://www.cc.com/shows/nathan-for-you

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

well damn i probably should have checked there lol. thank u!!

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

he is perfect in every way

Reply

Thread

Link

lmfao i love him so much. i don't think i've ever laughed at anything harder than i've laughed at nathan for you. i love the ep where the gas station guy just randomly volunteers that he drinks his grandson's piss and nathan can't help but break character to be like "WHAT"

Reply

Thread

Link

lmfao yes! That moment is so iconic.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I love when he breaks. "Shout out to J Squad!"



Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmfao those guys were fucking outrageous.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lmao that's amazing, I have to watch more of this

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Ugh I'm in love with him

Reply

Thread

Link

this fucking angel.

Reply

Thread

Link

i love him! i haven't laughed so hard at a show in years

Reply

Thread

Link

brb buying 700

Reply

Thread

Link

RESIDENT ONTD OBNOXIOUS CANADIAN CHECKING IN~~~~~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~

Reply

Thread

Link
From casual observation, one might be forgiven for referring to the OPEC production cut in place since November 2016 as the Saudi production cut. Thats because Saudi Arabia, OPECs leading producer and de facto leader, has reduced its crude production by the biggest margin, shouldering the bulk of the burden for the rest of OPEC and striving the hardest to bring prices back up.

But how long will Riyadh choose to maintain this strategy? Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said definitively that his country will abide no free riders hoping to take advantage of Saudi cuts to ramp up their own production, as OPEC and non-OPEC producers did in the 1980s. It now seems possible that OPEC may agree on an extension of the production cuts past June 2017, but with its own agenda and an eye towards an oil-less future, Saudi Arabia may choose to pull back from its over-exertions on behalf of world oil markets and look after its own interests.

Analysis found that Saudi cuts were actually deeper than the OPEC deal had stipulated. In February, Riyadh reported that it cut 717,600 bpd, bringing production down to 9.748 million bpd, which was more than 300,000 bpd below the limit specified by the OPEC deal. Reported cuts in January totaled 3.8 percent of OPEC output, and Saud exports fell to 7.7 million bpd.

In the aftermath of the deal, WTI and Brent shot up and confidence in long-term price outlooks were boosted. Yet bullish gave way to bearish in March when high inventories and signs of a resurgent U.S. shale sector sent prices down ten percent.

Events in Libya, including the imminent re-opening of a major oil port, as well as the increasing U.S. rig count indicates that the initial effect of the OPEC deal has worn off. On March 16 Al-Falih said that OPEC would extend cuts past June to return prices above their five-year average.

Related: Venezuela In Dire Straits As Oil Production Falls Further

But realistically, for that to happen, Saudi cuts will have to deepen. This will hurt the countrys financial situation. In 2015 the official budget deficit was $98 billion, though cuts to infrastructure projects, slashed salaries, wage freezes and the introduction of new taxes, including the Persian Gulfs first value-added tax, brought the deficit down to $79 billion in 2016.

Major moves towards austerity were slowed in the 2017 budget, which called for increased spending, including 268 billion rials, or $71 billion, on the National Transformation Plan through 2020. The budget deficit is expected to fall 33 percent on the back of higher oil prices, which are expected to average above $50.

To reach these goals, Saudi oil revenues have to remain high, even as the country plans to wean itself off of oil as the major foundation of its economy. In 2016 oil accounted for 62 percent of government revenues, while in 2017 its expected to account for 69 percent, according to Bloomberg.

Saudi losses from the two-year war over market share with U.S. producers has cut into its once-dominant market position. Saudi imports to the U.S., formerly its largest export market, have declined to around 30,000 barrels per month, from over 50,000 barrels per month in April 2014 according to EIA data. Responding to this decline in Western Hemisphere import demand, Riyadh is planning to ramp up exports to China, its second largest export market. A visit by King Salman to Beijing this week was a step towards solidifying Saudi-Chinese cooperation in energy matters.

While fighting off shale in the West, Riyadh has had to contend with Russia in the East. Russian output exceeded that of Saudi Arabia in January, exceeding 11 million bpd and reaching its highest level in thirty years. After lagging behind Saudi Arabia for years, Russia now ties it for 14 percent of the Chinese crude oil market, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Russia has vowed to cut production by 300,000 bpd by April as part of its agreement with OPEC, but it has nevertheless taken the opportunity to horn into Saudi markets in recent years, placing additional pressure on Riyadh. Related: The Upcoming Surge In U.S. Oil Demand Explained In One Chart

Then there is Vision 2030, the long-term plan to redirect the Saudi economy. Also known as the National Transformation Plan, the project calls for a sale of Saudi oil and gas assets, including the massive state-owned Saudi Aramco. Boisterous claims that the company was worth $2 trillion have been tempered in the last few months, with analysts suggesting the company could be worth anywhere from $400 billion to $1 trillion. If Saudi market share continues to drop, or if prices continue to stagnate past 2017 into next year, when the first 5 percent of Saudi Aramco will be offered, it could seriously affect the Saudi governments ability to realize gains from the companys IPO. Nobody wants a trillion-dollar oil company if there are no markets to go with it.

Given the relative strength of the Saudi position, as well as confidence that prices will recover this year despite a surge in U.S. shale, it looks likely that Riyadh will choose to double-down on the production deal and extend it past June. But that depends on getting the rest of OPEC to cooperate. That includes a recalcitrant Iran, a rebellious Iraq, an unstable Libya and a broke Venezuela. The OPEC leader doesnt want any more free riders, and with compliance among members high, it looks like its getting its wish. But this is unlikely to last for long, and once it ends, the Saudis may not be willing to pick up the slack.

By Gregory Brew for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Oil prices fell this week on oversupply concerns and while certain OPEC members have showed interest in extending the current deal, a new deal is far from certain

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

Friday, March 24, 2017

Oil prices fell slightly this week on another crude inventory build in the U.S., although the report was slightly tempered by another decline in gasoline stocks.

Saudi Arabias credit rating cut. Fitch Ratings slashed Saudi Arabias credit rating by one notch to A+ from AA- over concerns about public finances. The downgrade comes as Saudi Arabia and other major oil producers struggle with the dilemma of allowing oil prices to sink lower or make painful production cuts in order to keep prices elevated. Fitch also questioned whether or not the proposed economic reforms in Riyadh will be implemented. The scale of the reform agenda risks overwhelming the governments administrative capacity, Fitch said.

Saudi Arabia might demand Iran cutback if OPEC is to extend deal. Speculation about whether or not OPEC will extend its production cut deal for another six months will be one of the most significant variables affecting oil prices in the short run. S&P Global Platts reports that Saudi Arabia might only agree to an extension if Iran agrees to cut its production, something that it did not have to do as part of the initial deal. Iran agreed to a cap on production slightly higher than its October baseline for the January to June period, but Saudi Arabia is growing tired of taking on the bulk of the sacrifice for the market adjustment and might stipulate that other countries make a larger sacrifice if the deal is to be extended through the end of the year.

OPEC meets in Kuwait to assess progress. OPEC officials are huddling in Kuwait this weekend to gauge the health of the oil market and figure out next steps. They wont make any decisions until May at least, but they will likely discuss the painfully slow pace of market adjustment. A survey of 13 oil market analysts by Bloomberg concludes that OPEC has little choice but to continue their production cuts. Theyll probably think they need to grin and bear it longer, Citis Ed Morse said. The glue that bound them together to begin with, which was higher prices, is the glue that will continue to bind them together.

Libyan oil production back up to 700,000 bpd. Libya offered oil bulls a glimmer of hope in early March when it lost nearly 100,000 bpd in production because of fighting between competing factions over the countrys largest oil export terminals. However, production is back up to 700,000 bpd and Libyas National Oil Company (NOC) has hopes of making much larger gains this year. "We are working very hard to reach 800,000 barrels by the end of April 2017, and, God willing, we will reach 1.1 million barrels next August," NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla said in a statement. If Libya adds another 400,000 bpd by August, it will be hugely bearish for oil prices. The markets are not taking into account this supply potential, and it could blindside investors. Related: Are Banks About To Derail The New U.S. Shale Boom?

Frac sand prices rising. Sand prices are rising, raising the cost of drilling and eating into some of the savings that shale drillers have achieved over the last three years. The supply of sand is tightening as drillers rush back to the shale patch. Companies are worried about it, James West, a managing director at Evercore ISI, told the WSJ. I think the threat of a bottleneck, at this point, is probably understated. Sand prices have jumped to $40 per ton, more than double the $15 to $20 per ton that prevailed last year.

Trump approves Keystone XL. The nearly decade-old saga continues as President Trump revived the Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, granting a federal approval for TransCanadas (NYSE: TRP) controversial $8 billion project. However, the pipeline still faces a variety of legal challenges at the state level, with Nebraska as a particular headache. Moreover, the pipeline also faces market pressure  two competing pipeline expansions have already been approved by the Canadian government, which, if completed, will add upwards of 1 million barrels per day of pipeline capacity. Kinder Morgans (NYSE: KMI) Trans Mountain Expansion and Enbridges (NYSE: ENB) Line 3 expansion might ruin the business case for Keystone XL, but that remains to be seen.

Interest in Gulf of Mexico picks up. The U.S. government received 189 bids on 163 blocks from 28 companies for its latest auction for offshore tracts in the Gulf of Mexico. The bids were worth an estimated $275 million. That represents a sharp increase in interest from a year ago. Royal Dutch Shells (NYSE: RDS.A) subsidiary Shell Offshore Inc. led all companies in bidding. The results of the auction suggest that even as companies are concentrating more resources on shale plays these days, interest in offshore drilling is still alive.

Eni makes Mexican oil discovery. Italian oil giant Eni (NYSE: E) announced a meaningful discovery in Mexican waters this week, the first well drilled by a private international company. The discovery is a boost to Mexicans energy reform, which began years ago and is starting to bear fruit. It will also likely spark more interest in Mexicos next auction in June for deepwater offshore acreage. Related: Tech Miracle In U.S. Shale Is A Media Myth

Shell responsible for astonishingly high levels of pollution in Nigeria. A new report finds that Shells Nigerian operations spilled oil in enormous volumes back in 2008, and the environmental damage continues to this day. The oil spills and leaks have ruined mangroves and creeks years after the events, endangering local communities. The head of the UNs Environmental Program calls the situation as one of the biggest environmental scandals and catastrophes anywhere in the world. Shell says the report offers no new information, and in any event, the bulk of the spills are the result of sabotage, not wrongdoing by the company.

Venezuela suffering through gasoline shortage. Gasoline lines are growing in Caracas as Venezuelas state-owned PDVSA is rumored to be struggling to pay for imported fuel. Theyre not importing enough because they are saving up to pay the debt, Jose Brito, an opposition lawmaker in Venezuela told Bloomberg. Its unbelievable that this is happening in an oil producing country. The economic crisis in Venezuela is worsening and there are growing fears of a default this year.

By Tom Kool of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Algerias state oil company released plans to ramp up production by 14 percent by in four years while making massive investment in the nations struggling energy sector, according to a new report by The National.

The Sonatrach Group has budgeted $9 billion for the 2017-2021 term to hunt for new oil and gas reserves in the North African countrys desert areas, according to Farid Djettou, the companys foreign contracts head. By investing roughly $50 billion in the outlined period, Algeria will gain roughly 100 wells a year.



Sonatrachs oil and gas exports make up nearly all of Algiers revenues, which are used to pay the employees of the countrys large public sector. Red tape prevents strong private enterprises from emerging, concentrating the consequences of economic gains and losses in the national governments coffers.

The worst consequence of this structure has become clear since oil prices dropped in 2014 due to the international supply glut. In November 2016, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which Algeria is a member, decided to cut production by roughly 1.2 million barrels per day. Eleven non-OPEC nations committed to reducing output by an additional 600,000 barrels per day for the first half of 2017.

Still, the oil market recovery has been slow, and Algeria needs to diversify and liberalize its economy to gain access to much needed funds from the World Bank and other lending institutions.

Related: Venezuela In Dire Straits As Oil Production Falls Further

The Algerian government also installed Hocini Arezki as the acting head of federal energy regulator Alnaft on Thursday.

Among other concerns for Algeria is the failing health of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013. Since then, members of his family and other close allies have been running the country on his behalf, according to reports from the capital city.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
In a bid to attract more foreign investment, Nigerias government has introduced a new, faster visa application procedure that will allow executives traveling there on business to collect their visa within 48 hours of applying for it.

The West African country and former top oil producer on the continent suffered a double blow from oil international crude prices and militant attacks on infrastructure in the oil-rich Niger Delta, which led to a recession and desperate attempts to put the economy back on its feet. Last year, GDP shrank by 1.5 percent, which was the first contraction for the last 25 years.

Among the governments efforts to overcome its troubles were intensive negotiations with the militants and Delta communities, which seem to have worked, for now. In addition to these, the government pledged $20 billion for a gas infrastructure project that would create thousands of jobs in the area. Earlier this week, Abuja also gave building contractors with unfinished projects in the Delta a 30-day ultimatum to resume construction of roads and other infrastructure or face prosecution.

Now, Nigeria is also seeking a diversification away from oil, which is another reason to want more business executives to be able to enter the country without hassle. The countrys Trade Minister Okechukwu Enelamah told CNN last week that he has plans to transform Nigeria from a raw materials exporter into a manufacturing nation. In this, the government will seek foreign assistancefrom the UK, for onewhich Enelamah hopes will help with industrialization.



Related: Venezuela In Dire Straits As Oil Production Falls Further

Besides the UK, Nigeria is also looking to the U.S. and China as major partners. In fact, the latter could take the place of the former as a top business partner if for some reason the U.S. goes back on $1 billion in financing commitments to the Nigerian power industry. This could happen if the draft 2018 budget is passed by Congress. The draft stipulates a 28-percent cut in the State Departments budget, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has pledged the money for Nigeria.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Pioneer Natural Resources signed a contract to sell a $266 million acreage package in Martin Country, Texas, to an undisclosed buyer, according to a new article by World Oil.

Roughly 1,500 barrels per day of crude are currently produced on the land. By selling the productive land, Pioneer has continued its recent pattern of high-grading by selling its most valuable assets and keeping the rest.

The sale, set to go into effect on January 1, 2017, will be subject to normal closing adjustments, which will occur by the end of April.

Pioneer is a Texas-based shale oil and gas driller. Its CEO, Scott Sheffield, said in Houston earlier this month that oil prices could fall as low as $40 if the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) does not agree to cut production for at least another six months.

"If OPEC does not extend, we will see $40 oil," Sheffield said. "That will have a major impact on future investments in the U.S. shale business."

The U.S. domestic rig count has seen consistent growth over the past 18 months due to the stability of oil prices in the $55 to $60 range.

Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of OPEC, has warned shale drillers like Pioneer they should limit heightened production to protect the price gains made at the expense of the bloc and other non-U.S. partners.

Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said oil investors should not engage in wishful thinking that OPEC or the kingdom will underwrite the investments of others at our own expense and long-term interests. Saudi Arabia will not allow itself to be used by others.

Related: Saudis Bet Big On Houston As Drilling Activity Picks Up

So far, engagement from OPEC officials has been received well in the U.S. "Theyre trying to understand our business model," Pioneers Sheffield said of OPEC. "I think theyre trying to understand more about our ability to produce, what the cost structure is and whats going to happen over the next several years."

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
As something that could have been simple like an Obamacare repeal instead goes down in flames because a President with an R next to his name campaigned on universal coverage and promised to keep intact the ACAs core regulations, its important to remember that the occupant of the Oval Office has never been what has made America great. Life gets better, because we have people with liberating ideas, people like Fred Eckhardt.

As a follow-up to what I wrote last week, its important to understand why we have a thriving craft beer economy in this state. Its not due to the vision of some grand statesman, but it can be traced to a visionary.

When Eckhardt enlisted in the Marine Corps as a teenager, the American prohibition of alcohol had been repealed for barely a decade. When the hard-fought island of Okinawa was secured, Eckhardt drank the same bland, watered-down American beer in celebration of that bloody victory he had survived.

During the Korean War, Eckhardt was stationed in Japan and discovered something new, an imported bottle of Turbog Beer from Denmark: beer that can be dank for its taste and not just for inebriation. Like most Americans of his generation, hed never experienced that before.

When Eckhardt retired from the Marine Corps in the 1960s, he moved to Portland. There wasnt a market for quality beer in Oregon then. Instead we had a heavily regulated cartel of national beer companies producing the same mediocrity.

Eckhardt had a taste for something better, but he had to brew it at home which was against the law. In 1972, Eckhardt self-published what is now the classic founding text of Oregons beer economy, A Treatise on Lager Beer.

Page 6 had a required warning: Its illegal. He went on to say:

After Prohibition, it remained illegal to make homebrew (it still is) and so even then there was no light to be shed on the subject. Now more than 35 years after the end of Prohibition we are just beginning to explore the possibilities of home brewing. . . . There are almost no quality beers made in this country, so if you want good old-country style beer you must make it yourself. Even the German beers imported into this country are being made to the so-called American taste. Pablum and pap for babies. You actually can make beer just as good as the great European master brews in your home. This book is only a start.

Indeed it was. Eckhardt started a beer revolution in America that quickly spread from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine. Being ground zero for these changing American tastes and consumption options, Oregon retains a competitive advantage in the craft beer market.

For years people bought Eckhardts book and broke the law. Only later did the regulatory environment get reformed to conform to what people were already doing.

We can generalize from this story. From Uber to Airbnb, markets get freer not from electing some messiah but by bending and often breaking the limits of market limiting laws.

Obamacare looks like its here to stay, but there will be entrepreneurs in the health care sector that will leverage technology to push the limits of the stagnant status quo. Legislative reforms will follow regardless of what party holds the levers of power.

Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of A Brief History of Political Cultural Change.
British-born Khalid Masood killed three ppl in London attack 24 March, 2017



Related News Imran Khan distributed loan cheques under Kamyab Jawan Programme PTI govt to face all challenges coming its way: Imran khan More on this View All Top 2021 Accessories We Know You Will Love

Types of Casino Payment Methods

Tips for Taking Incredible iPhone Travel Photos

Are Slot Developers Important for players?

Best Poker Hands ever played on a Casino

Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo The attacker who killed three people near parliament in London before being shot dead was named on Thursday as British-born Khalid Masood, who was once investigated by MI5 intelligence officers over concerns about violent extremism.



The militant Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued by its Amaq news agency, but did not name Masood and gave no details. It was not clear whether the attacker was directly connected to the militant group.



Police said Masood, 52, was born in the county of Kent in southeast England and was most recently living in the West Midlands region of central England.



"Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.



"However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH (grievous bodily harm), possession of offensive weapons and public order offences."



Prime Minister Theresa May told parliament the attacker had once been investigated by the MI5 intelligence agency over concerns about violent extremism, but was a peripheral figure.



Police said Masood had never been convicted of a terrorism offence. His first conviction was in 1983 for criminal damage and his last one was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.



During five minutes of mayhem in the heart of London on Wednesday, Masood sped across Westminster Bridge in a car, ploughing into pedestrians. He then ran through the gates of the nearby parliament building and fatally stabbed an unarmed policeman before being shot dead.



Police arrested eight people at six locations in London and Birmingham in the investigation into the attack, which May said was inspired by a warped Islamist ideology.



The Enterprise rental car company said the vehicle used in the attack had been rented from its Spring Hill branch in Birmingham, which is located in the West Midlands.



"An employee identified the vehicle after seeing the license plate in an image online. We ran another check to verify, and immediately contacted the authorities," said company spokesman John Davies.



About 40 people were injured in the attack, of whom 29 remain in hospital, seven in critical condition.



May visited some of the wounded in hospital on Thursday, her spokesman said. She also chaired a meeting of the government's crisis response committee, and spoke to several leaders of countries whose nationals were caught up in the attack.



The bloodshed in London took place on the first anniversary of attacks that killed 32 people in Brussels, and resembled IS-inspired attacks in France and Germany where vehicles were driven into crowds.



The dead were Masood, two members of the public, and Keith Palmer, the 48-year-old policeman stabbed by Masood.



"He will be deeply missed. We love him so much," Palmer's family said in a statement. He was married with a five-year-old daughter.



It was the deadliest attack in Britain since 2005, when 52 people were killed by Islamist militant suicide bombers on London's public transport system. Police had given Wednesday's death toll as five but revised it to four on Thursday.



The casualties included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Chinese, one American and two Greeks, May said.



"My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by yesterday's awful violence," Queen Elizabeth said in a message.



US tourist Kurt Cochran was named as one of the dead in a Facebook post by family member Shantell Payne.



"With a heavy heart I must pass the sad news of our beautiful brother, father, husband, son and friend Kurt Cochran, he could not overcome the injuries he received in the London terror attacks," Payne wrote.



Her post said Cochran's wife, Melissa Payne Cochran, was in hospital with a broken leg and rib and a cut on her head.



US President Donald Trump paid homage to Cochran in a tweet, calling him "a great American".



A government minister was widely praised for trying to resuscitate Palmer, walking away from the scene with blood on his hands and face.



Many have been shocked that the attacker was able to cause such mayhem in the heart of the capital equipped with nothing more than a hired car and a knife.



"This kind of attack, this lone-wolf attack, using things from daily life, a vehicle, a knife, are much more difficult to forestall," Defence Minister Michael Fallon told the BBC.



Three French high-school students aged 15 or 16 and on a school trip to London with fellow students from Brittany were among the injured.



French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault traveled to London to show solidarity and met some of the other students who were on the school trip and their families.
PPP will form the next government: Asif Zardari

LAHORE: Former president Asif Ali Zardari has expressed hope that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will form the next government in the Centre as well as Punjab, asking workers to gear up for the 2018 election to defeat the PML-N.



Zardari hit out at the Sharifs saying they are only interested in constructing roads to pocket commission. He also talked about former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhrys controversial role in the 2013 election.



He was speaking at a party gathering in connection with the 88th birth anniversary of the late Begum Nusrat Bhutto at Bilawal House, Bahria Town, on Thursday.



I had met Saddam Hussein and some other kings and found arrogance in them. Today similar arrogance I find in rulers here (a reference to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and some members of his cabinet) who have no regard for the poor, farmers and the youth who have been rendered jobless. They are only interested in construction of roads to get commission. They only choose those projects in which they get commission. They seem to have forgotten to die, Zardari said.



Terming the 2013 election as that of ROs, Zardari said: We knew that 2013 election were manipulated by Iftikhar Chaudhry and ROs (returning officers) but we accepted the results for the sake of democracy and Pakistan. In history PPP will remain alive.



He said the PPP derived its power from its martyrs and those workers who served jail terms on political grounds. We always raised the slogan of Pakistan Khappay, in difficult times too. When workers raised the slogan of Zardari teray jan nisar baishumar, the PPP-P president asked them to chant Pakistan teray jan nisar baishumar in connection with Pakistan Day.



Zardari also took credit of transferring power to the prime minister from presidency. Some people raised objection when I shifted power from presidency to the prime minister and apologised from Balochistan and named Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on peoples wish, he said, adding his government abstained from joining the Syrian war for integrity of Pakistan.



Earlier, during a meeting with PPP senior leader Shaukat Basra, Zardari said: We will not only form the federal but also Punjab government after winning the 2018 election. In Punjab we will form coalition government.



Critical of the government policies, Zardari said: The PML-N government has failed to deliver. It has disappointed the people as it could not fulfill the promises it made to them.



He further said the Bilawal House Lahore would be the centre of politics in next years general election and soon a Bilawal House in Multan would also be set up which would be centre of politics in south Punjab.



As for attack on Shaukat Basra and killing of a PPP worker in Lahore, Zardari said: PPP workers will not be intimidated by the PML-N governments arm-twisting.



Zardari paid tribute to Begum Nusrat Bhutto for her contributions to democracy and welfare of people. As a towering woman of great courage and conviction and enduring indescribable personal tragedies in the pursuit of democratic struggle she illumined the path, Zardari said.



Begum Sahiba stood tall in adversity and in doing so she has imparted lessons in tolerance and endurance that will lift the democracy-loving people to higher goals in life and is worth emulating. It is an irony of fate that when democratic struggle triumphed over the dark forces of dictatorship she was not around to savor the glory, he said.



Former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor, Sardar Latif Khosa, Bashir Riaz, Sadiq Umrani, Samina Ghurki and Munawar Anjum also paid tributes to her.



Meanwhile, PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervaiz Elahi called on Zardari at the Bilawal House.
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,
Interested to export coconut charcoal briquettes for the shisha.

I like to know more about ur product and information about the specs op the types u offer.

We are waiting for your inquiry.

That will makes things easyer to discuss.
Millions of people should have their state pension age pushed back a year to 68 to cut the UKs 100bn a year pension costs, according to an independent review commissioned by the government.



John Cridland was appointed to review the state pension age and has recommended it should rise from 67 to 68 by 2039, seven years earlier than currently timetabled .



Experts said this would affect about 5.4m people aged under 45. The current pensionable age is 63 for women and 65 for men, rising to 65 for both by late 2018, 66 by 2020, and age 67 by 2028.



Mr Cridland has also recommended that the triple lock  which raises the state pension by whichever is the highest of average earnings, prices or 2.5 per cent  be scrapped in the next parliament and replaced with a link to earnings .



This report is going to be particularly unwelcome for anyone in their early 40s, as theyre now likely to see their state pension age pushed back another year, said Tom McPhail, head of retirement policy at Hargreaves Lansdown.



Mr Cridland said his timetable would reduce state pension spending to 6.7 per cent of gross domestic product in 2066-67  0.3 per cent less than forecast by the government's fiscal watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility  or 5.9 per cent of GDP if the triple lock is also abolished. This financial year, state pension spending was 5.2 per cent of GDP .



My review considers the consequences of an ageing society, said Mr Cridland, a former head of the CBI business lobby group. The aim is to smooth the transition for tomorrows pensioners, and to try and make the future both fair and sustainable.



Britains demographic profile is of an ageing society in which people are also living longer: the number of 100-year-olds is expected to rise from 6,000 today to 56,000 by 2050 .



Along with Mr Cridlands recommendations, ministers will also consider a report from the Government Actuarys Department, which projected state pension age rises on the basis of everybody being in receipt of the state pension for either 32 or 33.3 per cent of their adult life.



Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister, said that if the government went ahead with a more radical timetable for pension age increases (based on 32 per cent of adult life in retirement) they would be guilty of misleading parliament.



In the last parliament, MPs voted for the new arrangements on state pension age increases, on the basis that people would spend two years in work for every one year in retirement, said Sir Steve, now director of policy at insurance company Royal London.



On this basis, no one at work today would have a pension age of 70. But on the more aggressive schedule that the government is considering, everyone in their twenties would have a pension age of 70.



Mr Cridlands report does not recommend any changes before 2028.



He has rejected calls for early access to the state pension for people in poor health. But said additional means-tested support should be made available one year before state pension age  effective from when state pension age reaches 68  for those who are unable to work longer because of ill health or caring responsibilitie s.



As government goes about making its decision on the future state pension age in May of this year, these contributions and recommendations will provide important insight, said Damian Green, secretary of state for work and pensions.

A review of the age at which people can receive their state pensions also recommended the axing of the triple lock which guarantees that pensions rise by the same as average earnings, the consumer price index, or 2.5 per cent, whichever is the highest.



But the UKs biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention described the Cridland Review as asking all the right questions, but coming up with the wrong answers .



Jan Shortt, the new general secretary of the NPC, said: It seems strange that in his first report, John Cridland went a long way to dispel the myth of generational unfairness , showing that the majority of baby boomers, and those from generations X, born in the 60s and 70s, will get the bulk of their income in retirement from the state pension.



"But he bizarrely ends up recommending that everyone should see the value of their state pension fall by axing the triple lock."



"He has clearly asked the right questions, but come up with the wrong answers."



There can be little doubt that the future of the triple lock will now become a key election issue in 2020 for all generations.



Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK agreed, saying: We are firmly of the view that the triple lock needs to stay in place, because it is not yet job done when it comes to eradicating pensioner poverty.



Sixteen per cent of older people are still poor and figures published just last week suggest a rise in pensioner poverty."



"Looking ahead to 2039 and beyond, we think it is crucial that the state pension continues to retain its value so that the people who retire then can look forward to their later lives with confidence, not fear."



Research has shown that abandoning the triple lock would reduce the chance that someone with low earnings retires with an adequate retirement income. The same older people who also stand to lose the most from any rise in the state pension age.



However the triple lock should be abandoned in order to reduce the impact on future government finances, argued Mr Cridland, the former CBI director general who was appointed as the Governments independent reviewer of state pension age last year,According to the reviews estimates, the UK - which currently spends 100bn a year on pensions - would spend the equivalent of 6.7 per cent of its GDP on the state pension in the 2066-67 financial year if it adopts the reviews age increase.



Abandoning the triple lock and just linking pension increases to earnings data would reduce this figure to an estimated 5.9 per cent of GDP .



Many pension experts broadly agreed with his recommendation. Former pension minister Baroness Altmann said there was no economic or social rationale for the triple lock, adding the 2.5 per cent increase was not related to any economic variables and is politically motivated.



The longer the triple lock stays in place, the more disadvantaged those who are not covered will become and the greater the pressure to increase state pension age even further, she said.



The government has promised to keep the triple lock in place until 2020, but has not revealed its intentions beyond that.Mr Cridland also recommended raising the state pension age to 68 between 2037 and 2039 - seven years earlier than currently planned .



His review coincided with an independent Government Actuarys Department report, which pointed to a possible state pension age of 70 for anyone currently aged 30 or under.

Millions of young people could face having to work an extra year before being able to draw a state pension, according to two separate reports.



Under projections drawn up by the Government Actuarys Department (GAD), people aged under 30, face working until the age of 70 to qualify for a state pension compared to the age of 68 under current legislation .



A separate official review published by John Cridland, former director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), proposed that state pension age should rise to from 67 to 68 between 2037 and 2039, seven years earlier than originally planned .



The current state pension age  the earliest age that a person can start receiving their state pension - is 63 for women and 65 for men. It is due to rise to 65 for both by late 2018, 66 by 2020, and 67 by 2028.



However, experts said if the new recommendations were adopted , people in their 40s would face their state pension age being pushed back by an extra year. They warned those in their 30s and younger may eventually face the possibility of having to wait until they are 70 before being able to draw their pension .



The Government is under pressure to address the spiralling cost of the 100bn-a-year state pension, which is expected to increased further as a result of rising life expectancy and therefore the increasing ratio of pensioners to workers .



In Thursdays report, Mr Cridland said the change is necessary to keep the State Pension fair and sustainable.



My review considers the consequences of an ageing society[]. The aim is to smooth the transition for tomorrows pensioners, and to try and make the future both fair and sustainable.



Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement expert at Prudential, said that as a result of the proposed changes younger people will need to plan ahead.



They are likely to find their state pension age is significantly higher than they currently assume, he said.



Steven Cameron, pensions director at Aegon said requiring everyone to wait until an ever increasing age to draw a state pension is inflexible and increasingly outdated.



This is a missed opportunity to meet the needs of those who through health concerns, job pressures or lack of employment opportunity simply cant keep working into their late 60s. We call on the Government to keep the door open to future change, Mr Cameron said.



Prudential research earlier this week found that at least one in seven people retiring last this year made no financial provision for their retirement . The survey found that many rely heavily on the State Pension to provide an income when they stop working.

"Please repeat after me: The global (not just American) pension crisis is deflationary because it exacerbates income inequality and will condemn hundreds of millions of workers to pension poverty."

The UK government would save even more and would greatly improve inter-generational equity if in addition to increase the pensionable age by 1 from 67 to 68, it would afterwards pursue a permanent slow gradual increase based on the calendar of birth .



Indeed, as statistics generally show that longevity in the developed countries has on average steadily increased over the last few decades by about 2 months (i.e. any generation lives longer than the previous one, i.e. the higher the calendar year of birth, the higher the longevity at age 68) and is expected to pursue doing so, there is a case to keep increasing each coming calendar year the pensionable age by setting it as follows on the basis of the calendar year of birth (CYB, click on image):





Josephine Cumbo of the Financial times reports, Pensions review recommends later retirement age Sarah O of the Express reports the new proposals to reform UK's state pension isn't going well with retirees furious over planned cuts And it's not just retirees that are furious. Zlata Rodinova of the Independent reports, Millenials could have to wait until they are 70 until they get a state pension, says Government review My advice to those thirty something workers in the UK and everywhere, start planning for your retirement early on so you can deal with unexpected policy shifts like this one where the state pension age is gradually pushed up and benefits are potentially cut.Last week I discussed how collapsing US pensions might fuel the next crisis , beginning my analysis by noting the following:The thing to keep in mind is pensions are important, especially in an ageing population, because they allow people to live out their life after retiring on a modest fixed income. This means they can spend accordingly, allowing governments to collect more sales taxes and boosting overall economic activity in the process.The UK is trying to slay its pension dragon and this fellow you see above, John Cridland, was appointed to review the pension system and recommended to raise the retirement age faster than previously recommended and to scrap the "triple lock" and link pensions to earnings.If you ask my opinion, this is just more tinkering at the margins. The real fundamental problem with the UK state pension system is it's grossly antiquated and needs a major overhaul to make it function more like the Canada Pension Plan Canada Pension Plan Investment Board model.In fact, I recommend every country in the world adopts the governance that has allowed Canada's large pensions to flourish while most of their global counterparts are witnessing their pension deficits skyrocket.When I met Mark Machin, President and CEO of CPPIB, last fall, he told me flat out: "What Canada has achieved with the CPPIB is quite amazing, no other country in the world has this state pension system."And Machin is a UK citizen so he knows what he's talking about. The model we have for our state pension in Canada is unique and we have a similar model for some some large provincial pensions (like the Caisse managing the assets of the Quebec Pension Plan).There are other countries with great state pensions, like Denmark and the Netherlands, but very few can claim they have achieved a model based on what Canada has done with the CPP and CPPIB.This is why I keep telling critics and skeptical Canadians to never bash the Canada Pension Plan and plans to enhance it. We Canadians don't realize just how good we have it over the long run with this system.As far as UK pension reform, it's too late, all these measures to address the growing pension crisis in that country are doomed to fail. All of a sudden, the Brits are waking up to realize how unsustainable and poorly managed their state pension system truly is.Look, fine, we can openly debate whether the state pension system is unsustainable and whether raising the retirement age makes sense since people are living longer, but at one point there needs to be a much more meaningful discussion on whether the system itself needs much deeper reforms to make it truly sustainable and equitable over the long run.And it's not like the UK pension system is terrible, it's actually pretty decent, but it's been slipping down the global pensions rankings in the last year, mostly owing to the fact that future retirees can expect a less generous income from state and workplace pensions.I will end this comment with a true story from Greece. A few years ago, before the crisis hit, a friend of mine who is a doctor was swimming at the beach and noticed and elderly man who was in "phenomenal shape."My friend approached him and asked him how old he was, thinking the guy was around 65 years old. The elderly man told him he was 85 years old, which just floored my friend. He asked him how he has maintained his youth and strength.The guy looked at my friend and told him flat out: "I retired at age 40 and never worked another day of my life."And then we wonder why the Greek pension system was unsustainable.Why am I bringing this up? Because no matter where you live, there needs to be an honest, adult discussion on state and other public sector pensions to make sure they are sustainable and to avoid rampant abuses like the one I just mentioned above. And trust me, abuses happen everywhere, not just in Greece.Below, former pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann tells BBC Today some people who have contributed to National insurance for fifty years might still have to wait longer to get the state pension. Smart lady, she knows what she's talking about.And Marcus Hurd, Conduent HR Services talks to BBC Breakfast News about the planned increases to the state pension age. The discussion is pretty standard, ie. UK pensioners are living longer so they need to raise the retirement age (and possibly raise contributions and cut benefits).Still, he gives a good overview of the problem and why something needs to be done to address the UK's ongoing pension crisis Unfortunately, these measures are not addressing a more fundamental problem, namely, the entire UK pension system needs a major overhaul to truly make it sustainable and equitable for future generations, one that looks more like what we have here in Canada.Bernard Dussault, Canada's former chief Actuary, shared these insights with me:I thank Bernard for sharing his thoughts with my readers.
The deadline to sign up for this free community event that is open to all is Nov. 16.

Kennebunk Post

"We need to invest in our kids," said resident Brenda Robinson. "That's how we keep graffiti out of Waterhouse Center and mischief out of the downtown on Saturday night."
The state wants to offer more free fishing days to residents.

The DEC wants to expand the annual from two to six, with a winter weekend added and two additional late-season days to go along with the longstanding June free fishing weekend.

The DEC is looking for public comments on the proposal, though I'm not sure who they are going to find who will oppose it. From what I have seen, it's generally families with young children and seniors who take advantage of these days, as those of us who fish regularly buy our licenses annually.

The state also hopes to "better promote" the free days.

-- Don Lehman

Here is the state's press release on the proposal:

Based on Governor Andrew M. Cuomos signed legislation in 2014 authorizing additional statewide free fishing days, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is proposing four free sport fishing days be added to complement the states existing free sport fishing days. DEC is seeking public comments on the proposed changes.

First established in 1991, free sport fishing days allow New York residents and non-residents to fish for free without a fishing license at any of the states 7,500 lakes and ponds or 70,000 miles of rivers and streams.

The free events give people who might not fish a chance to try the rewarding sport at no cost, introduce people to a new hobby, and encourage people to support the sport by purchasing a New York State fishing license.

The proposed additions are:

 Presidents Day Weekend (the weekend immediately preceding Presidents Day in the month of February)  These two days generally coincide with winter recess for schools, making it ideal for families to try ice fishing.

 National Hunting and Fishing Day (one day) - Takes place annually on the 4th Saturday in September and links to events taking place nationwide. Fishing at this time of year is generally good for many species, including fall salmon fishing in the Great Lakes tributaries.

 Veterans Day (one day)  Fishing is considered one of the most therapeutic outdoor activities, making it an excellent tribute to veterans and those currently serving. Governor Cuomo specified Veterans Day as a free fishing day in 2015, and this proposal would make it a permanent free fishing day.

In addition, to avoid confusion concerning the existing free fishing days in June, DEC is proposing the regulation be changed from the weekend which includes the last Saturday in June, to the last full weekend in June.

Defining specific free fishing days allows DEC to more effectively promote these days well in advance of their occurrence, ultimately increasing public participation. Furthermore, having a designated set of free fishing days allows those planning vacations around these dates to do so without issue.

Public comments will be accepted through May 6, 2017. Comments can be sent to the address below or emailed to fwfish@dec.ny.gov - enter "Free Sport Fishing Days" in the subject line.
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, and four New York Republican colleagues, on Friday said Gov. Andrew Cuomo is incorrectly portraying an amendment to Republican health care legislation as cuts to Medicaid funding for hospitals and nursing homes.

Stefanik and her colleagues said the amendment shifts the county share of Medicaid costs to the state. It does not reduce the total maximum federal Medicaid payments.

The amendment would prohibit federal reimbursement to New York for county funding of Medicaid.

The state could still receive full funding if the state picks up the county share.

This commonsense amendment would simply make New York state finally take responsibilty for their own budgeting instead of passing these costs down to the county level, Stefanik said, in a joint press release with Reps. Tom Reed, R-Corning, John Faso, R-Kinderhook, Lee Zeldin, R-Long Island, and Claudia Tenney, R-Clinton.

Cuomo, continuing his criticism of the amendemnt, said in a press release late Thursday that Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., in remarks to the House Rules Committee, said the proposed amendment is an unconstitional violation of equal sovereignty enjoyed by states.

Click here to read more about the proposed amendment.

Click here and here to read more about recent developments in the debate over repealing and replacing former President Obamas health care law.
Fallout from a New York House Republican attempt to force the state to pick up the county share of Medicaid costs has complicated dialogue about health care reform, said Dr. John Rugge, chief executive officer of Hudson Headwaters Health Network.

Its one more example of how unfortunately the focus has become on scoring partisan points instead of how to give the best care to people, Rugge said in a telephone interview on Friday. So somehow weve got to get back to a better place to discource about policy instead of politics.

U.S. Reps. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, and John Faso, R-Kinderhook, proposed, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, endorsed, an amendment to the Republican health care bill that would have prohibited the federal government from reimbursing New York for county Medicaid costs.

In order to continue receiving the same level of federal reimbursement, the state would have had to pick up the county share going forward.

Rugge said the amendment was risky.

In a setting where there is so much division between Democrats and Republicans, between upstate and downstate, this kind of move, I think, could have backfired. If there is going to be no federal match to the county funds but the funds are still provided in part to the county, we could have seen upstate with an even bigger Medicaid shortfall, said Rugge, who heads a system of health care centers in six area counties.

Its good to have a start over  a start over again to a better way, Rugge said.

Click here to read the most recent previous post on the topic.
QUEENSBURY | A Corinth man who was sentenced to probation for cashing a fake check at a business in Lake Luzerne in 2015 has been sentenced to up to 4 years in state prison

Jeffrey B. Hamblin Jr., 26, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony, in connection with the cashing of a $1,390 counterfeit check in April 2015 at Luzerne Market. The check had been issued in the name of a legitimate business in California, but was not legitimate, police said.

Warren County Judge John Hall put Hamblin on interim probation for a year after his plea, with the possibility of avoiding a jail sentence if he did well. But Hamblin violated the terms of probation, and Hall sentenced him Wednesday to 2 to 4 years in state prison. He has a prior felony conviction stemming from a 2012 forgery case in Saratoga County.
SCHROON  Two state troopers were hurt when they were involved in a crash while chasing a stolen vehicle on Route 74 late Thursday, leading to the arrest of a Vermont man on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, officials said.

The troopers suffered minor injuries and were treated at Moses Ludington Hospital and released. The suspect is accused of hitting two State Police vehicles.

State Police Capt. Robert LaFountain said both troopers were off Friday for regularly scheduled pass days, and it was unclear whether they would miss any work shifts because of the injuries.

The crash happened at about 6:25 p.m. as troopers pursued a vehicle that had fled from a traffic stop, which they later determined had been reported stolen.

State Police described the incident as follows:

Trooper David Hennessy stopped a Toyota sedan after seeing it being driven erratically on Route 74. The driver said he did not have any identification, and as the trooper ran a computer check on the vehicle, the driver sped off heading west.

Police had determined the vehicle had been reported stolen in South Burlington, Vermont, and Hennessy pursued it, joined by two other State Police patrols.

The short pursuit ended when the driver allegedly drove into the back of a State Police car, then careened into another before coming to rest against a guard rail.

Troopers Daniel Albee and Leston Sheeley were hurt and transported to the hospital by Schroon Lake Rescue Squad. Hennessy and Trooper Paul Hill were not hurt.

The suspect, Iliya J. Light, 32, of North Hero, Vermont, was arrested at the crash scene and charged with felony counts of reckless endangerment, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief and misdemeanor driving while ability impaired by drugs, fleeing a police officer, criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal impersonation, police records show.

The latter charge accuses him of giving police a false name after his arrest.

Were still trying to figure out who he is, if thats the right name, LaFountain said.

Police did not say what drugs he allegedly possessed. The State Police vehicles sustained more than $1,000 in damage.

Light, who has an extensive criminal record in Vermont and Massachusetts that includes prior assault and drug arrests, was arraigned and sent to Essex County Jail for lack of $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bail bond.
The abrupt cancellation of the House vote on health care legislation on Friday is a great relief, said Dr. John Rugge, chief executive officer of Hudson Headwaters Health Network.

This is a bill that has been really hurried and is enormously complicated, said Rugge, who heads a chain of community health centers in six area counties.

A third of all health care expenditures in New York are Medicaid now. To try to do this on a few days notice without vetting just doesnt seem right, he said.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, who did not take a public stance on the legislation before or after the vote was canceled, said she remains committed to repealing and replacing Obamas health care law.

Throughout this process, Ive fought for the needs of the North Country and negotiated better access for critical issues like womens health and maternity care, she said in a prepared statement.

Earlier on Friday, Stefanik announced that she and three Republican colleagues successfully negotiated with House leadership and President Trump to add $15 billion in supplemental funding to the bill for states to provide maternity, mental health and substance-abuse treatment services during the transition to a new health care system.

It really does seem that Elise has been trying to fix flaws in a very complicated bill that, to many, it is a great relief has been stalled, Rugge said.

Democratic congressional candidate Patrick Nelson, on Friday, criticized Stefanik for not disclosing her intentions before the vote was canceled.

It should not take this long to form an opinion, said Nelson, who called The Post-Star shortly before it was announced the vote had been canceled.

The North Country deserves a representative that is leading on this issue, not waiting until 30 minutes before the vote to make up her mind, said Nelson, of Stillwater.

Nelson, a political activist and Bernie Sanders delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention, is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Stefanik in 2018.

Stefanik said she remains committed to improving the health care system.

We need to continue working to find solutions we can agree on that will help continue to replace Obamacare with reforms that lower costs, increase access and improve quality for hard-working North Country families, she said.

New Yorks two senators also pledged to continue working on health care.

We should continue to work to improve our health care system, but this was a bad bill, and I am glad it was stopped, said U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in a prepared statement.

Ultimately, the TrumpCare bill failed because of two traits that have plagued the Trump presidency since he took office: incompetence and broken promises, said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., in a prepared statement.

Much is at stake locally, Rugge said, in a telephone interview.

For the North Country region, generally, we would have had much more damage than would have been the case around the nation  more older people and more people working for small businesses or working for themselves that depend on something other than insurance by big employers, he said. We need a better solution, and its evident that the nation doesnt have one yet.
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, was still undecided, as of Thursday evening, on her vote on House Republican legislation to repeal and replace former President Barack Obamas health care plan.

The legislation is still being finalized and she is waiting to review the final text that is passed through all committees and negotiated by Congress and the White House, said Tom Flanagin, the congresswomans spokesman.

House leaders had scheduled a vote on the legislation Thursday, but delayed the vote as negotiation on final details continued.

Participants in a demonstration outside Stefaniks Glens Falls district office on Thursday had mixed reactions to the delay in voting.

I feel very hopeful that maybe our representatives will put the needs of the people first, said Mimi Phillips of Saratoga Springs, who was among more than 60 demonstrators voicing opposition to the Republican plan.

A coalition of organizations, including MoveOn.org, Citizen Action of New York and Indivisible, organized the demonstration.

Beth Shropshire of Glens Falls said delaying the vote merely dragged out the inevitable.

Shropshire said members of Congress should begin talking seriously about a single-payer health care, such as opening the federal Medicare program for the elderly and disabled to everyone.

Shropshire said Hudson Headwater Health Network already operates a modern community health system that could be integrated into a single-payer system.

We have a lot of things in place already, she said.

Demonstrators on Thursday chanted, Health care, not wealth care, and, Hey, hey, ho, ho, dont replace the ACA, which stands for the Affordable Care Act, the formal name of Obamas health-care plan.

At one point, many of the demonstrators laid down on the sidewalk and held cardboard tombstones in front of their faces to dramatize a mass death.

Joe Seeman, one of the organizers, said the die in symbolized people that will die if they do not receive necessary health care.

Some demonstrators remained standing.

I didnt bring a blanket, so Im probably going to stay on my feet, said Phillips, the demonstrator from Saratoga Springs.
An amendment to the Republican health-care plan, the latest stab at making the alternative to Obamacare more palatable to lawmakers, will decimate health-care coverage for the states oldest and most frail residents, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a press briefing on Thursday afternoon.

Introduced late Wednesday by U.S. Reps. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, and John Faso, R-Kinderhook, the amendment to the American Health Care Act prohibits federal reimbursement of the local share of Medicaid funds paid by counties.

Reps. Tom Reed, R-Corning, and Claudia Tenney, R-Clinton, endorsed the amendment earlier this week.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, said in a press release on Thursday that she supported the Faso/Collins amendment.

Counties across my district and across New York are being unfairly subjected to massive financial liabilities being imposed by the state that can have severe impact on our local property taxes, Stefanik said. This amendment would make New York State take responsibility for their own budgeting, freeing up needed funds at the county level for local governments to use in our communities. I thank my colleagues in the New York delegation for their work on this important issue and will continue to work in Congress to serve the needs of my district."

Stefanik also listed on her website 11 local officials who support the amendment because the say it offers property tax relief to residents.

Nonetheless, the governor said on Thursday that this belief is false, pointing to an analysis by the state Department of Health that shows 26 nursing homes in the 21st Congressional District would lose $29.8 million in funding if the Ryan/Collins/Faso health-care repeal is passed.

"It would cripple their ability to provide critical services for seniors, hurting New Yorks most vulnerable citizens and jeopardizing hundreds of jobs across the district," he said. "The massive cuts in funding to nursing homes in Congresswoman Stefanik's district underscore the devastating impact the combination of the Collins/Faso amendment and Paul Ryan health care replacement plan will have on New Yorkers across the state."

Cuomo continued: "The Faso/Collins amendment is really a despicable attempt to buy votes at the cost of their constituents," Cuomo said. "These devastating cuts will cripple health-care services in communities across New York, with $29.8 million in cuts to nursing homes in the 21st District alone.

According to Stephen Hanse, president and CEO of the New York State Health Facilities Association, the states nursing homes are already in dire financial straits.

Almost 75 percent of the states nursing home resident care is funded by Medicaid, he said. At the current time, there is a $46 per patient per day shortfall in what nursing homes are paid and what it costs to care for patients.

The New York State Health Facilities Association represents the states public, private and not-for-profit nursing homes.

Hanse said that as the bill stands right now, there will be $401 million in cuts to New York nursing homes.

If the cuts would go through, this will really have the potential to devastate nursing homes, Hanse said. Add to that the silver tsunami that is already coming to New York nursing homes  the margins are so close there is the potential to negatively impact area facilities.

State Department of Health estimates claim that in this region, millions of dollars are at stake for area facilities. For example, Saratoga Center for Rehab and Skilled Nursing Care faces $2,207,830 in cuts; The Pines at Glens Falls Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation, $862,265 in cuts; and Fort Hudson Nursing Center Inc., $1,765,671 in cuts.

These are significant cuts, Hanse said. We have presented our concerns to our two senators and to congressmen to help members of Congress understand.

During his conference call with reporters, the governor said that this amendment means that New York will be left with few options and, if passed, it could mean significantly raising taxes, but he refuses to take that step.

"I am not going to allow their political schemes to make New Yorkers pay more taxes ... I am not going to allow this state to be hurt by this," he said. "I am seriously considering a lawsuit on behalf of the people of New York."
CAMBRIDGE  Mayor Carman Bogle finally knows who the new owners of the former Mary McClellan Hospital property are, but she does not yet know what the nonprofit organization that is taking control of the more than 120-acre site has in store for it.

I am not sure what they are hoping to do up there, but I plan on reaching out to the new owners, Bogle said Thursday in an email, after she was notified by the former owners that they had transferred ownership of the site to North Eastern Expansion Development Corp. of Dover.

Attempts to contact North Eastern on Friday afternoon were unsuccessful.

The former hospital complex, which is on a hill, includes 11 buildings. Almost all of the land is within the village, but a small section is in the town of Cambridge.

The hospital opened in 1918 and closed in 2003. The property was sold in 2006 and the new owner opened an adult home in the newest wing of the hospital. The home closed in early 2008 and the owner eventually lost the property to foreclosure.

A Virginia couple with ties to Cambridge, Frank and Nicole Klebieko, paid $300,000 for the property in 2010. They had ideas of reopening the buildings for a medical facility, school or offices, but nothing came of it.

Last year, the Klebiekos contacted Bogle to offer the property to the village, but with a Jan. 1 deadline.

A village meeting in mid-December made it clear most residents did not want the property. Some were concerned about the cleanup cost or what the village could do with it, and others pointed out that the site generates about $17,000 annually in taxes.
An online fund has been set up to help a widow who police believe was defrauded of thousands of dollars by a friend of her late husband.

The page on Go Fund Me was set up by a friend of Bruce Sherman, the late Queensbury man whose wife and children were allegedly victimized by a former friend of his.

The suspect, Patrick Burch of South Glens Falls, is being sought by police on a felony charge of third-degree grand larceny in the case. He is accused of stealing and selling a Jeep that he was supposed to be fixing up for Shermans stepdaughter, and taking thousands of dollars that were to be used to repair a motorcycle for Shermans wife, Keri Sherman.

Police asked that anyone with information as to Burchs whereabouts contact the Warren County Sheriffs Office at 743-2500. He is also wanted on a Family Court arrest warrant in Washington County for tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid child support.

Former local businessman Jason Geras, a longtime friend of the family, said he was motivated to help after reading about what happened with the family in a Post-Star article earlier this week.

Its just an awful situation, he said. Keri is such a nice person, and its such a shame this happened to her.

A link to the fundraiser can be found at www.gofundme.com/bruces-one-last-wish-unfulfilled.

 Don Lehman

Local band releases single

Theyre a young band with an old soul, and they have a new single out.

Citizens Treasure, a Whitehall-based rock band, released its new single Shes in Love With the OK on Wednesday.

We wanted to drop another new original track for people to get a better grasp on what we sound like, said the bands vocalist, PJ Ferguson. Ignite was one of our favorites that we recorded, however it doesnt properly represent the albums sound as a whole.

This is the second single off the bands debut album, which is expected to be released later this year.

So far the band has recorded five songs for the album, and they plan to record another five or six.

We dont want to name it until we listen to it all finished, Ferguson added.

In its shows, the band plays covers of classic rock and more modern rock, as well as its own original music.

The bands two singles that are already out, Ignite and Shes in Love With the OK can be heard on the bands website, www.citizenstreasure.com.

 Dan King

Jumping rope for heart health

Queensbury Elementary School raised $11,313 for the American Heart Association during its Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser this winter.

A total of 240 students in kindergarten through third grade participated in the event, which was organized by physical education teacher Joseph Hubert, according to a news release.

Four classes had the most students signed up. They included the classes of first-grade teacher William Morris, second-grade teachers Jennifer Heydrick and Robyn Magee and third-grade teacher Hollie Combs.

Students earned prizes for collecting donations.

The top fundraising classes were that of kindergarten teacher Michele Lafasciano with $690, second-grade teacher Nicole Doak with $829 and Jennifer Heydrick with $910.

Top student fundraisers were kindergartner Annabelle Bremser, first-grader Eliana Burke and second-graders Addison Boecher, Kendall McKernon, Danika Morgan and Sayde Tessino. They got to spray Hubert and David Huth, also a physical education teacher, with silly string during the schools morning announcements. A video can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/209756521.

 Michael Goot

Donation helps BackPack Program

Hartford Central School has received a $600 donation to support its BackPack Program.

Superintendent Andrew Cook received the money from Hartford Food Pantry Director Pete Klaiber on Wednesday. The money was donated to the pantry by Stewarts Shop through the stores Holiday Match Program.

Klaiber said Stewarts wants the money to be used to serve youth younger than 18 in the geographic area the store serves. The pantry is located in the Hartford Baptist Church and is sponsored by the Hartford Yoked Parish, which is a combination of the Hartford Baptist Church and South Hartford Congregational Church. It is open every other Saturday.

Since our pantry has no residency restrictions, serving people throughout Washington County, we felt donating the money to the Hartford Central School District BackPack Program was a great way to ensure it served Hartford youth, fulfilling Stewarts wishes, and went toward providing food, fulfilling ours, he said in a news release.

Cook said the school is appreciative of the donation, which will help many students.

The BackPack Program provides 15 students with food to take home for meals on weekends. The program is run in conjunction with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.

 Michael Goot

Addiction forum scheduled

Hometown vs. Heroin and Addiction is holding another community forum next week at Hadley-Luzerne Central School.

The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Hadley-Luzerne High School auditorium. Refreshments will be served from 5:30 to 6 p.m. The program begins at 6 p.m. with introductory remarks from Superintendent of Schools Beecher Baker. There will also be remarks from the schools Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter, Warren County Sheriff Bud York and Undersheriff Shawn Lamouree, Joe San Antonio from the Council for Preventions Challenge Program and Jennifer Neifield of Baywood Center. Also speaking will be Karine Montanye, whose 20-year-old son Nicholas James Nico Scroggy died in April 2015 from bronchial pneumonia, an illness brought on by heroin use, and Katrina Fox, a person in recovery.

The evening will conclude with a question-and-answer session.

The event is sponsored by the Hadley-Luzerne High School Parent Teacher Student Association and SADD.

A program for students will be held Friday morning at the school.

 Michael Goot
Our nation is in the grips of an opioid epidemic unlike anything weve seen before. Just a few short years ago, heroin was thought to be a drug of past decades. Now, people are overdosing and dying in record numbers.

Substance abuse and the far-reaching impact it has on our nation, our communities and our families is nothing new in the American experience. It has been around since the dawn of our nation. Social experiments in our efforts to address the problem have usually centered on strong government control, increasingly harsh criminal penalties for those who dare stray against the strong arm of the law, and prohibition.

Different approaches, from prohibition and incarceration to less punitive measures that focus on treatment instead of criminality, have been taken over the years to greater or lesser extremes. Much of that is up for debate and should be debated.

But there are three points that new U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions made about the problem of substance abuse this week that show he is incredibly out of touch. The former U.S. senator from Alabama was speaking Wednesday in Richmond, Virginia when he said that medical marijuana is overhyped. He then said marijuana is only slightly less awful than heroin. He also said the answer to our nations drug problems is a return to the 1980s abstinence programs, when our government urged people to Just Say No to drug use.

He couldnt be any more wrong on all points.

Regardless of your opinion on whether marijuana is good or bad, it is simply not factually correct to say that recent discoveries on how it can legitimately help a wide range of medical issues are anything less than significant.

To say marijuana is slightly less bad than heroin is absolutely bizarre. According to the Centers for Disease Control, national death rates attributed to heroin overdoses have increased by greater than 50 percent since 2010. The rapid rise in heroin overdose deaths follows nearly 2 decades of increasing drug overdose deaths in the United States primarily driven by prescription opioid pain relievers, according to a CDC report from 2014. There has never been an overdose death attributed to marijuana.

To compare the two harkens back to the anti-marijuana propaganda that was built upon lies. When Sessions uses that same tired rhetoric, it makes people, particularly young people, distrust anything the government says about the dangers of particular drugs.

Meanwhile, Just Say No preceded one of the darkest periods in our nations history with regard to drug abuse. Without a doubt, abstinence efforts were massive failures that did little to nothing to curb drug abuse but did much to lead to mass incarceration.

Were faced with a serious problem. People are dying in record numbers because of heroin and abuse of legal prescription opioid medications. Sessions answer is to double down on misinformation and policies that have failed for decades.
BEIJING -- China's cabinet, the State Council, has approved a plan for nuclear power safety and radioactive pollution control.

By the end of 2020, China aims to have 58 million kilowatts of nuclear power capacity in operation and more than 30 million kilowatts under construction.

China currently operates 36 nuclear reactors, and is building 20 new ones, world's largest number of reactors under construction, according to an official with the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The safety of the country's nuclear facilities should be markedly enhanced by 2020, with lower occurrence rate of radiation accidents and better capabilities in emergency response and safety supervision, according to the plan.

By 2025, China should have modernized its supervision system and capacity on nuclear safety and radioactive pollution control, the plan said.

The plan also pledged to improve China's radioactive waste disposal capacity to match the development of its nuclear industry.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
"Today was a victory for the 24,000,000 people at risk of losing their health insurance, for seniors, for families battling the quiet epidemic of addiction, for new moms and women everywhere," Clinton said in a tweeted statement. "Most of all, it's a victory for anyone who believes affordable health care is a human right."

She continued: "We cannot forget: This victory happened because people in every corner of our country committed their time and energy to calling their representatives, showing up at town hall meetings, and making their voices heard. The fight isn't over yet  we will have to push back on future bad ideas and embrace good ones to make health care more affordable  but we are reminded today that there is no substitute for standing up and defending our values."

GOP leadership pulled its bill to overhaul the US healthcare system from what looked almost certain to be a failed floor vote in the House on Friday, in a blow to President Donald Trump's agenda and House Speaker Paul Ryan's leadership of his caucus.

It was pulled after it became clear that Republicans did not have enough votes to pass the bill, which was meant to repeal and replace Obamacare, the law formally known as the Affordable Care Act.

Clinton also tweeted photos from the campaign trail of people who she said would have been negatively affected by the Republican healthcare act:

"Let's not be distracted," Clinton concluded. "Let's continue to stand up, organize, resist, put forth good ideas to improve the existing system & peoples' lives."
Manafort's ties to foreign oligarchs and dictators have raised questions for decades, but his work for the Trump campaign likely has him under FBI investigation.

Manafort was born in 1949 and raised in New Britain, Connecticut, a majority Democratic town where his father served three terms as a popular Republican mayor.

Like Trump, Manafort comes from a real-estate family. Alongside his political work, his father also ran the family construction company, Manafort Brothers Inc., founded by his Italian immigrant father.

Instead of taking over the family business, Manafort decided to pursue his interest in politics and moved to Washington, DC, where he earned both an undergraduate business degree and a law degree at Georgetown University.

While working at a private law firm two years after graduating from law school, Manafort began advising Republican president Gerald Ford's 1976 campaign. Since the 1970s, he has established deep and sometimes murky, connections in Washington and around the world, serving as political lobbyist, adviser, and an international political consultant for leaders around the world, including dictators Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines.

Manafort's international work has long raised eyebrows among Democrats in Washington. In 2004, he became a top adviser to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian strongman whom Manafort is widely credited with helping win the presidency in 2010.

Yanukovych was ousted in 2014 after widespread demonstrations again this decision to back out of a deal with the EU that would have distanced Ukraine from Russia and fostered closer ties with the West. On February 20, 2014, Ukrainian riot police opened fire on thousands of demonstrators who had gathered in central Kiev. Fifty-three protesters were killed that day, and dozens more over the next few days.

Ukrainian prosecutors have said Yanukovych ordered the security forces' attack on protesters, and at least one human-rights lawyer representing the victims is investigating what role, if any, Manafort played in encouraging Yanukovych's crackdown. Yanukovych fled to Russia amid the protests and is now living under the protection of the Kremlin.

Manaforts Trump connections

In March 2016, Trump hired Manafort to manage the Republican National Convention and wrangle delegates into supporting Trump. Manafort had experience convincing delegates to support Gerald Ford in 1976  the last time the Republican Party began a convention without having selected its presidential nominee.

In May 2016, Manafort was promoted to the position of campaign chairman and chief strategist. He became the campaign's de facto manager after Trump fired Corey Lewandowski in late June. Manafort served in this senior role until August 2016, when he resigned over reports about his legally questionable work mixing politics and business in Ukraine.

The New York Times, citing ledgers uncovered by an anticorruption center in Kiev, reported on August 16 that $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments from Yanukovych's pro-Russia Party of Regions had been earmarked for Manafort for his work with the party from 2007 to 2012.

According to a Politico report, Trump's family was also unhappy with changes made to the Republican Party platform that many saw as pro-Russian and in which they believed Manafort played a role.

On March 22, the Associated Press reported that Manafort was paid $10 million between 2006 and 2009 to lobby on behalf of Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, a close Putin ally, using a strategic "model" that would "greatly benefit the Putin Government if employed at the correct levels with the appropriate commitment to success."

AP reporter Jeff Horwitz told Fox News that Manafort was "a gun for hire" who was willing to work explicitly "on behalf of Russian interests."

Manafort's name had been connected to Deripaska's before the AP reported on their lucrative contract. The two were involved in a partnership that went south, and wound up with Deripaska accusing Manafort of "disappearing" with nearly $19 million intended for investments. Deripaska filed a lawsuit against Manafort in the Cayman Islands in 2014, and was still trying to get his money back in August 2015, according to documents obtained by Politico.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer denied on March 22 that Trump had been aware that Manafort had lobbied on behalf of Deripaska.

On top of this, Ukrainian member of parliament has accused Manafort of accepting nearly $1 million from Ukraine's pro-Russia Party of Regions, and then laundering it through a company that claims to sell computers. Ukrainian lawyers also want to question Manafort about what role he played, if any, in the 2014 police killings of protesters in Kiev.

In another bizarre twist, late last month, hackers broke into Manafort's daughter's iPhone and published four years' worth of purported text messages  roughly 300,000 messages  on the dark web.

In a series of texts reviewed by Business Insider that appear to have been sent by Andrea to her sister, Jessica, in March 2015, Andrea said their father had "no moral or legal compass."

"Don't fool yourself," Andrea wrote to her sister, according to the texts. "That money we have is blood money."

"You know he has killed people in Ukraine? Knowingly," she continued, according to the reviewed texts. "As a tactic to outrage the world and get focus on Ukraine. Remember when there were all those deaths taking place. A while back. About a year ago. Revolts and what not. Do you know whose strategy that was to cause that, to send those people out and get them slaughtered."

In another text to her cousin, who was also her father's business partner, Andrea called Manafort "a sick f---ing tyrant."

Are Trump and Manafort still aligned?

Manafort and Trump have been connected since the 1980s when Trump hired Manafort's lobbying firm to help the Trump Organization. Trump became close with Manafort's business partner at the time, Roger Stone, a self-proclaimed "dirty trickster" who served as an early adviser to Trump's presidential campaign.

Earlier this month, Stone said he had exchanged private messages on Twitter with a hacker implicated in a massive cyberattack that targeted the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election.

In 2006, Manafort and his wife bought a Trump Tower apartment, which Manafort still owns and resides in when he's in Manhattan.

Manafort has denied all the allegations against him. In February, Manafort said he had "never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration."

The White House appears to be creating as much distance between Manafort and the Trump campaign as possible. On Monday, Spicer told reporters that Manafort "played a very limited role for a very limited amount of time" in the campaign, despite having spent five months on the campaign and nearly three of those months as the chairman.

Others close to Trump have made opposing claims about Manafort's influence.

"We couldn't be more happy with the work that he's doing, the way he's tackling these things, the way he's handling the organization of everything going forward," Donald Trump Jr. told the AP last July.

In August, former House Speaker and Trump loyalist Newt Gingrich told Fox News host Sean Hannity that "nobody should underestimate how much Paul Manafort did to get this campaign to where it is right now."

The revelations about Manafort's work with a Russian oligarch come amid reports that the FBI has evidence to suggest that Trump campaign associates colluded with Russia during the presidential election to undermine Hillary Clinton.

During a hearing before Congress on Monday, FBI Director James Comey said publicly for the first time that the bureau was conducting a counterintelligence investigation that included an examination of whether Trump associates worked with Russian officials to influence the election.

Comey declined to say whether Manafort was under investigation, but it has been reported that he and Roger Stone are both subjects of FBI scrutiny. Trump's former national-security adviser and top campaign surrogate, Michael Flynn, is also reportedly under FBI investigation. Flynn was paid $35,000 to speak at a gala celebrating state-sponsored news agency Russia Today in December 2015. A few months earlier, he was paid $11,250 to speak at an event hosted by Russia's top cybersecurity firm, Kasperky Lab.
President Donald Trump and the Republican Party's efforts achieve a consensus on an alternative to the Affordable Care Act has hit a number of roadblocks in recent weeks, clashing with Trump's reputation as a dealmaker.

In a report published Thursday night, The New York Times reported the turmoil was rattling Trump, which led the president to issue an ultimatum on the matter to his own party.

The policymaking process has been uncomfortable for Trump, The Times' Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman reported, adding that Trump's reputation for real-estate and business deal-making appeared to have little effect in the halls of Congress.

After realizing the Obamacare replacement effort was not going smoothly, Trump reportedly told close associates he "regrets" going along with House Speaker Paul Ryans plan to push for that first instead of tax reform, The Times wrote.

Trump himself has received low marks from some Democrats and Republicans for his involvement in the process. "So far hes acting like a rookie. Its really been amateur hour, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California told the newspaper.

He seems to think that a charm offensive or a threat will work  that saying I can do this for you or I can do this against you will work. Thats not the way it works.

"You have to build real consensus, and you have a to gain a real knowledge of the policy  and the president hasnt done either of those things." Pelosi said.
The agreement was signed on Friday at the Head Office of ACCA in Accra.

The partnership would enable Jobberman supply the ACCA Careers and Job Board portal with vacancies within its catalogue.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Doris Ahiati, the country manager for ACCA said as the most forward thinking accountancy professionals body-grooming and producing accountancy management professionals for Ghana and the world at large - we are very happy to have this partnership which would provide the support in one direction.

"At ACCA, we are not interested in seeing students trained and then pass out with the qualification; but we are also interested in supporting them for life. One stage of this support is ensuring that they are matched with jobs that would bring out the best in them, she added.

On his part, Babajide Otoki, the CEO of Jobberman Ghana said his company would be fulfilling its core mandate with this partnership.

At Jobberman, we pride ourselves as being the meeting place for employers and job seekers. We connect qualified job seekers with the appropriate employersBy partnering with ACCA is a step in the right direction for us. We will be helping employers reach more qualified job seekers, and also we would be helping the members of ACCA Ghana; access a lot more opportunities that before now would probably have been difficult to find.
READ ALSO: John Dumelo allegedly gave out government car to his girlfriend

A report by Daily Guide said the 33-year-old actor confessed that former First Lady Lordina Mahama had gifted him with the vehicles which were part of the pool of 200 vehicles which were reportedly missing after the change of government on January 7th, 2017.

Ghanaians on social media have not spared the Baby Thief star after the story surfaced online earlier in the day with several jabs and memes sent his way.

Others have however expressed shock at the actions of the gentleman who is seen as a role model to many young people across Ghana and Africa.
Victoria Lebene posted a photo of herself and Kofi Adjorlolo staring seductively into each others each at an event captioned, All I have always wished for you is long life and prosperity, to enable you to see my smiles everyday H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y papa lolo.....live long to declare the Glory of the lord.

READ ALSO: Here are 9 beautiful Ghanaian female celebrities who are not married

Outspoken Ghanaian counselor, Lutherodt has publicly condemned their relationship due to their age difference.

According to him, the Veteran actor is using Victoria as an energy drink.

You are in love with your father. Small girl like you, you want to kill Kofi Adjorlolo. You want to kill the man for us. The only actor we have?.

READ ALSO: John Dumelo allegedly gave out government car to his girlfriend
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
In the north-eastern of Miyagi, about 200 local officials and 180 troops culled about 220,000 chickens at a poultry farm in the city of Kurihara after an H5 type of virus was detected in dead birds.

A total of 96 chickens were found dead at the farm between Tuesday and Thursday.

In the city of Asahi in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, about 600 officials started to slaughter about 68,000 chickens at a poultry farm.

At the farm, 118 of them were found dead in the past three days.

The outbreaks prompted the two prefectural governments to restrict the movements of poultry and eggs in areas near the farms.
The man, Naphtali Agyimah, was charged on a count of possessing Narcotic drugs contrary to section 2(1) of PNDCL 236/90.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

READ ALSO:

According to the prosecutor, Deputy Regional state Attorney, Cyril Boateng Keteku, the farmer was arrested on February 24, 2016, at about 4 pm during Police Operational duty to flush out suspected drug dealers in Somanya in the Eastern region.

He said the convict was found in a bush with a black bag and tried to escape upon seeing the police.
The current French Embassy shares the premises with the Flagstaff House, the seat of government.

READ ALSO: Rubbish collector rapes disabled woman

He further assured them that the relocation exercise will be done without political difficulties.

On his part, the French ambassador to Ghana, Pujolas Francois Pujolas assured that the new edifice will be completed within 18 months.

He added that the building of the French embassy in Ghana is a symbol of the confidence France has in Ghana.

Many Ghanaians have spoken about the security threats it poses to the country even before the construction of the building was completed.
According to Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Parliament as an organ of state requires some level of protection and the security of this house is as important as the security of the judiciary and the executive.

"As a matter of fact, not less than 500 police officers provide security for the judiciary; for the executive, I am unable to tell, but I believe they are sufficiently covered. If you come to parliament, the situation is different and I think it is important that this is brought to the attention of the House considering what happened three days ago in the UK I dont think we have to wait for an unpalatable situation to occur before we take steps.
According to him, the arrogant posture of some communicators of the party if not checked will keep the party in opposition for long.

Some leading members of the NDC have criticised each other with supporters accusing the officials of amassing wealth and doing very little to help the partys fortune in the elections.

Yaw Boateng Gyan, former National Organiser has also revealed that the party suffered an excruciating defeat because supporters of the party have been seething with anger and pointing accusing fingers at party hierarchy.

Indiscipline and arrogance of power caused the defeat of the NDC of winning power in the general elections.

READ ALSO: Kwabena Adjei reveals why NDC lost election 2016

The Member of Parliament for Yunyoo constituency, Joseph Bipoba Naabu blamed the partys defeat in the December polls because of the arrogance of some Ministers.

Former National Chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei also said the party lost the elections after delegates failed to give him the mandate for another term as national chairman of the party.

He said Mr Mahama surrounded himself with inexperienced handlers and that caused their defeat.

But Professor Ransford Gyampoh said allegations of corruption were levelled against some party officials and that caused the NDC.

"Before the elections of 2016, there were so many allegations of corruption that were levelled against some party officials of theNDC and I am sure the NPP will put in place measures to investigate some of these allegations and send people to jail. The more party officials and appointees soil their image by being found culpable of corruption, the longer the party will remain in opposition," he said in an interview on Accra-based Class FM.

"Again, listening to some party communicators, it appears they do not seem remorseful of their display of arrogance in their public utterances that contributed to their defeat. The more they go this way, the longer they will remain in opposition. So, in my view, there are so many things that are now currently working against them and there are so many things that they will have to work hard to surmount.
The latest to join the queue is the NPP Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa South Constituency, Kofi Okyere Agyekum who said former President John Mahama should be blamed for the defeat of the NDC in the general elections.

READ MORE: Kwabena Adjei reveals why NDC lost election 2016

Earlier, Joseph Bipoba Naabu blamed the party because of the arrogance of some Ministers whiles Dr. Kwabena Adjei said the party lost the elections after delegates failed to give him the mandate for another term as national chairman of the party.

He said Mr Mahama surrounded himself with inexperienced handlers and that caused their defeat.

Mr Kofi Okyere Agyekum expressing his views on the development said Mahama is the best person to be blamed for the defeat.

He said "It is the core responsibility of a president to check around him the kind of people he works with because he chose them himself and not even the leaders of the party did that for him.

"Frankly, looking around former President Mahamas communicators and other key personalities who helped him on his daily dealings, you will bear with me that none of them were equipped enough to occupy such a position of which he should have been aware and act accordingly to save his party and fame."

Speaking on UTV, he noted that the NDC are very aware of the consequences that led to their loss but they have refused to face facts.

"The NDC needs to get a fresh candidate than wanting to throw a challenge of maintaining former President Mahama as their 2020 elections candidate," the NPP MP added.
The US Census Bureau releases annual estimates of the populations of each of America's 3,142 counties and county equivalents. Using those estimates, we found the percent change in each county's population between July 1, 2015 and July 1, 2016, the Census Bureau's reference dates.

Continuing a trend that has been ongoing for decades, the South and West are growing rapidly. Most counties in the Northeast and Midwest saw little population change last year. Meanwhile oil-rich counties in North Dakota and Oklahoma saw significant drops in population.

This map shows each county's total population change. Red indicates a decline in population, while blue indicates an increase:

Four of the ten fastest-growing counties were in Texas, with tiny Hudspeth County seeing an incredible 18% increase from 3,425 residents in 2015 to 4,053 in 2016:
Rep. Adam Schiff told reporters that the committee's chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes, a Republican, had canceled an open intelligence committee hearing. The hearing, with former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, was set to take place next week.

"We don't welcome cutting off the public access to information when we have witnesses who are willing to testify in an open session," Schiff said Friday.

Schiff spoke with reporters minutes after Nunes held an unexpected press conference of his own announcing that Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort had agreed to be interviewed by the committee.

With regard to Manafort's testimony, Schiff said he would "welcome it" if Manafort agreed to be interviewed in an open session, while Nunes said he would allow Manafort to decide whether that hearing would be open or closed.

Nunes, in his earlier statements, did not mention canceling the open hearing with Clapper, Brennan, and Yates. But he said he invited FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers back to the committee next week to testify before members in a closed session.

Comey and Rogers testified before the committee in a public hearing on Monday and disclosed the existence of an investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the election.

Schiff said he was "not encouraged" by the events that unfolded in the days after the public hearing, beginning on Wednesday when Nunes announced that he had obtained documents from "a source" relating to surveillance of Trump's transition team.

Nunes then went to the White House to brief the president on the information without showing the documents to Schiff, or anyone else on the committee, beforehand. Nunes later said he could not brief Schiff or his fellow committee members because he did not have the documents in his possession and was expecting to receive them from the NSA next week.

Schiff, however, appeared unnerved by Nunes' actions.

"To take evidence that may or may not be related to an investigation into Trump and his associates to the White House was wholly inappropriate," Schiff said. "All of us are essentially in the dark."

When asked whether he thought that Nunes should recuse himself from the investigation into Trump's Russia ties, Schiff replied that "that's a decision that Paul Ryan," the House speaker, "needs to make."
"President Trump talks about winning? Right now, Putin is winning," Ridge said in an interview with The Hill published Thursday.

Ridge said that partisan squabbling in Congress has turned the investigation into a distraction  a dream scenario for a leader like Putin, who he said thrives on "destabilization."

"Let's create chaos, let's create uncertainty, let's destabilize the political environment. [The Russians] have done a wonderful job. If that was their goal, they have done it," Ridge said.

Amidst the chaos, he argued, US lawmakers have lost sight of key domestic issues.

"We see evidence every day. Instead of focusing in on the actor, we're pointing accusatory fingers at each other about politics. We are the victim of this process to delegitimize our self-governance, Ridge said.

"This accusatory finger pointing has been a major distraction to other important issues  we've got a Supreme Court nominee. We've got a health care bill. There are conversations about tax reform. But look what we are talking about all of the time?"
"I've never been so nervous in my lifetime about what may or may not happen in Washington," Panetta, who served as President Barack Obama's defense secretary from 2011 to 2013, said in a Tuesday interview with The New York Times.

Panetta, a Democrat, has served nine presidents  Democrat and Republican  in various high-profile positions, including as chief of staff, CIA director, and secretary of defense in a career spanning decades.

"I don't know whether this White House is capable of responding in a thoughtful or careful way should a crisis erupt," Panetta told The Times. "You can do hit-and-miss stuff over a period of time. But at some point, I don't give a damn what your particular sense of change is all about, you cannot afford to have change become chaos."

Panetta's comments came a day after Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the contents of a December phone call with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak.

Flynn reportedly discussed the Obama administration's sanctions on Russia with Kislyak during the call, giving the impression that the sanctions would be "revisited" at a later time.

Sally Yates, the acting attorney general at the time, in January informed the White House that Flynn's conversation with Kislyak was "potentially illegal," though Trump took no immediate action. Yates was fired January 30 after refusing to enforce the Trump administration's temporary travel ban on people from seven majority-Muslim countries.

The Trump campaign also had repeated contact with Russian officials before the general election in November, The Times reported on Tuesday evening, citing US intelligence sources.

The head of US Special Operations Command, Gen. Raymond Thomas, echoed Panetta's sentiments, telling a military conference on Tuesday that the government was in "unbelievable turmoil."
one statement from a rental supervisor stood out:

He also gave this account after a colleague received a black couple's application:

Another interview from a former doorman of a Trump building in Brooklyn provided the following account:

Although some of the allegations were damning, the majority of those interviewed in the investigation said they were unaware of discrimination, according to Politico.

Trump eventually filed a $100 million countersuit, accusing the government of defamation, alleging that they were saying
Speaking to Wolf Blitzer immediately after a press conference, Acosta suggested Trump was intentionally seeking "very conservative" outlets, hoping to dodge questions about his former campaign associates' reported communications with Russian officials.

"In the last three news conferences, Wolf, all of the questions to the American news media have been handled by conservative press. I think, Wolf, there's no other way to describe it, but the fix is in," Acosta said. "This president does not want to answer questions, critical questions about his associates, his aide's contacts with the Russians during the course of that campaign, just as his national security adviser is being run out of the White House on a rail."

He added: "They may think this is being cute, or being strategic in trying to shield the president from questions, but those questions can only be shielded for so long."

Indeed, over the last several press conferences, the reporters and commentators whom Trump has called on have not asked him about major controversies hanging over the administration, including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's private statements to Russia government officials and connections between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.

Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody alluded to the Trump campaign's connections with Russia, but did not attempt to dig further into Trump's knowledge of the communications or the ongoing investigation. Instead, he asked if "some of those events with those communications to Russia would hamper the nuclear deal."

During a press conference on Monday before Flynn's resignation, Trump selected reporters from The Daily Caller and Sinclair media, outlets generally considered sympathetic to Trump's presidency. Scott Thurman from ABC7 Sinclair asked about the "philosophical differences" between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, while the Caller's Kaitlan Collins asked Trump to name the biggest security threat to the US.

And the White House previously raised eyebrows after the president only took questions during his press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from outlets owned by Rupert Murdoch, who has longstanding personal and financial ties to Trump.

Some reporters on Wednesday did attempt to ask Trump about the FBI investigation into the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Acosta and other reporters shouted questions about the reports at Trump as he left the stage, but the president did not answer.

Some questioners defended their approach.

In an email to Business Insider, Pavlich noted that the press conference was billed as a discussion about relations between the US and Israel, dismissing criticism and snark about the unwillingness to ask about Russia.

"The presser was about Israeli/U.S. relations, so I asked about Israeli/U.S. relations," Pavlich said. "I was there as a reporter doing my job and have no interest in becoming the story."
"It's possible that you may see conventional forces hit the ground in Syria for some period of time," a defense official told CNN.

There are currently hundreds of US troops in Syria offering training and assistance to US-backed local forces there. But conventional forces would likely be on the ground in larger numbers, according to CNN.

CNN reported last month that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was taking control of a Pentagon review to determine which options the Defense Department would present to President Donald Trump on the fight against ISIS.

The defense official CNN cites in Wednesday's report stressed that any decision on Syria would ultimately be up to Trump.

Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and an expert on Syria, said he's "not surprised" to see that the US is considering ground troops in Syria to fight ISIS.
"It was clear that Google was not evolving to be a social company," Reddy told Business Insider.

That was a problem for Reddy, who sees social media as a crucial mechanism for anyone, anywhere to have a voice. That's especially true during these politically turbulent times, she said, when social media is enabling people to speak up for what they believe in. Not to mention, having a personal brand can increase career opportunities.

The problem, as Reddy sees it, is that in its current form, social media can be overwhelming for anybody who's not a millennial power user. Given the ultimate power to say anything, people often find themselves speechless.

"For normal human beings, social media is always sort of difficult," said Reddy. But at the same time, "if you're not active, you'll get laughed at."

That's why, on Thursday, Reddy launched her new venture, Post Intelligence: A free artificial intelligence-powered personal assistant for social media, designed to turn anybody from zero to hero on Facebook (with Facebook Pages support to start) and Twitter, with more social network support likely coming down the line.

Social pivot

Post Intelligence is actually one of those famous Silicon Valley pivots: Back in 2010, Reddy and her team launched MyLikes, a platform for helping social media influencers and sponsored content publishers team up. That product gets rolled into Post Intelligence, and taken a step further.

Right off the top, Post Intelligence has some key features to help your posts do better: It can suggest times for your social media post to go up to be seen by the most people, as well as give it a score of how well it's likely to perform with your followers.

But Bindu says that there's a more existential problem that Post Intelligence is working to solve: "What do you want to expose to your friends?"

Everybody wants to establish themselves as an expert, or at least as someone with something insightful to say. The problem is that there's always too much going on in the world to even know where to start. That's why Post Intelligence also prompts you with news articles and tweets that are relevant to your interests  basically, things that act as conversation starters.

Combine the two, Reddy says, and you have a set of tools for establishing yourself as an expert in front of a broad audience. In the future, Reddy says, she sees Post Intelligence getting smarter, with better prompts and additional suggestions on how to make yourself into a viral social media superstar.

"There are things that people can do easily, but AI lets them go further and faster," Reddy says.
Victor Best known for his role as Fred Ade-Williams in the long-running television drama Tinsel, Mr Olaotans legs may reportedly be cut off in order to save his life.

Sources close to the family say his health status is being closely guarded.

Although Victor is stable condition but his legs may have to be cut off to allow him any chance of recovery.

The veteran was involved in a car crash on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday, October 31, 2016.

In 1974 he starred in a soap opera by Laolu Ogunniyi called Candles In The Wind alongside Kehinde Craig. He also once worked with NTA Ibadan where he produced Yoruba and English dramas.

In 1981, Olaotan joined a group of 8 Nigerian performers who escorted former Nigerian President Shehu Shagari to the United States to have a meeting with Ronald Regan.
The judge, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, said the punishment would serve as deterrent to others. Sadiq also ordered the convict to pay N10, 000 as restitution to the complainant

Haruna who resides at Aprofim, Life Camp, Abuja, was sentenced on a two-count charge of causing grievous hurt.

He begged the court for leniency and was given N10,000 option of fine.

The prosecutor, Mrs Florence Auhioboh, told the court that the matter was lodged at Life Camp Police Station, Abuja, by one Jibrin Isah of Aprofim, Life Camp on March 22.

Auhioboh said that the convict and the complainants cousin, Isah Yusuf had an argument and the convict violently attacked Yusuf.

The prosecutor said the convict used a plank and inflicted injury on Yusufs forehead.

She said that Yusuf raised an alarm which attracted other neighbours and the convict took to his heels, but was caught.

Auhioboh told the court that the complainant spent N 15, 000 on Yusuf treatment at Gwarinpa and Maitama General Hospitals.
Micah, who resides at Daki Biyu village, was arraigned on a two-count charge of house-breaking and theft, offences he admitted committing.

The judge, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, however, gave the convict N15, 000 option of fine.

Sadiq said that the punishment would have been more severe if he had not pleaded guilty and saved the court the pains of prolonged prosecution.

He warned him against taking to crimes again.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Dalhatu Zannah, had told the court that on March 21, one Sunday Taka of Jabi Daki Biyu village, reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station.

Zannah told the court that the convict broke into the complainants house sometime in January and stole his 32- inch LG plasma television, valued at N74, 500 and one home theatre DVD valued at N39, 900.

He told the court that the complainant travelled to Kaduna and came back on Feb. 10 and discovered that his house was burgled and raised an alarm.

Zannah said that during police investigation, the DVD was recovered from the convict and he admitted committing the offence.

He said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 346 and 288 of the Penal Code.
In January, Infinix announced the four customers selected from the Zero 4 Dubai trip raffle as Aqoleb Clephas, Eluoyibo Hope Prosper, Chukwuma Ebis, Asiwaju & Olamelekan Ridwan. All four Infinix Zero 4 customers embarked on a short stay all expense paid shopping trip to Dubai in March courtesy of Infinix Nigeria.

The Infinix customers got the opportunity to tour Dubai visiting some of the popular tourist sites like and the all in one adventure world  in Dubai and capturing the best scenery with their Infinix Zero 4.

See pictures from the Infinix Dubai trip captured with Infinix Zero 4.

Follow on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram to participate in upcoming activities for fans and customers to win free gifts.
The convicts, Okwuom Nwabufo and Olisaeloka Ezike, were found guilty by the trial judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, who pronounced that they should be hung by the neck until they were dead.

The two convicts were charged with the murder of Osokogu who was then a 25-year-old postgraduate student of Nasarawa State University, at a hotel in FESTAC Town after they had lured her from her base in Abuja to Lagos.

The case was very much celebrated then due to the method the men used in luring the lady on July 21, 2012, by Nwabufo who she had met and befriended on the social media.

The pretty Cynthia Osokuga before her death

Photo Credit: Total Media

Nwabufo was said to have paid for the deceaseds flight ticket from Abuja and lodged her in Room C1 at Cosmilla Hotel, Lake View Estate, Festac Town, where he later, in connivance with his cousin, Ezike, murdered her and stole her valuables.

It was gathered that the convicts had drugged the lady by putting Rohypnol (a powerful tranquilizer which is about 10 times more potent than Valium), which they put in a pack of Ribena drink and gave to her.

After she drank the drug-laced drink, the accused allegedly chained her hands to her back and secured them with a padlock.

They also chained her legs, stuffed her mouth with a handkerchief and fastened a tape across her mouth to prevent her from making any sound.

After that, they were said to have raped her severally before stealing her two Blackberry mobile phones, jewelry, sex vibrator, international passport, money and a pair of shoes.

Nwabufo and Ezike were later arrested following evidence from the CCTV installed in the hotel and arranged by the Lagos State Government on February 8, 2013, on six counts of conspiracy, murder, and stealing, contrary to sections 231, 221 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

They were arraigned along with a pharmacist, Orji Osita, who was accused of dispensing Rohypnol to the convicts without a doctors prescription as well as Ezike's brother, Nonso, who was accused of being in possession of the two stolen Blackberry mobile phones.

Cynthia Osokuga before her death

Photo Credit: Total Media

In the judgment delivered on Thursday, March 23, 2017, Justice Akinlade convicted Nwabufo and Ezike as charged by the state while discharging and acquitting Osita and Nonso on the grounds that the state did not prove the charges of recklessness and negligence preferred against them beyond reasonable doubts.

Justice Akinlade relied on the oral evidence of 10 witnesses called and the 17 exhibits tendered by the prosecution as well as the confessional statements of the accused persons, among whom were two receptionists at the Cosmilla Hotel who booked the convicts into the hotel on the night of July 21, 2012.

In her judgment, Justice Akinlade held that the circumstantial evidence placed before the court by the state were 'cogent, complete, unequivocal, compelling and leads to the irresistible conclusion that the accused persons and no one else committed the crime.'

The first and second defendants were positioned at the scene of the crime at Cosmilla Hotel. The circumstantial evidence against the first and second defendants is compelling and cogent and leaves no doubt in anyones mind that they killed the deceased.

It is on record that the first and second defendants made confessional statements describing how they caused the death of the deceased.

I pronounce the judgment of this court upon you, Okwumo Nwabufo and Olisaeloka Ezike, that both of you be hung by the neck until you are dead, Justice Akinlade declared.

There is justice at last for Cynthia Osokuga

Photo Credit: Total Media
The judge, Alhaji Ahmed Ado, however, gave the convict, a resident of Utako village, Abuja, an option of N12,000 fine and warned him to desist from committing crimes.

Ado also ordered him to refund N450,000 to the nominal complainant.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Zannah Dalhatu, told the court that one Ikechukwu Henry of G. U. O Plaza, Utako, reported the matter at the Utako Police Station on Feb. 23.

Dalhatu said: The complainant said that Moses broke into his store and stole 50 engine seats valued at N450,000.

During police investigation, Moses confessed that he sold the engine seats for N10,000 each, and converted the money to his personal use.
Punch reports that the woman who is a resident of No. 40 Ifelodun Street, Onifade-Itele, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.

According to the State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the incident occurred on Friday, March 17, 2017, in their home.

He said that the suspect hit the deceased on the head with a plank while she was beating him and he immediately fell down and died.

The spokesman said that as soon as the suspect realized what she had done, she connived with her husband to bury the deceased and abandoned the house.

According to Oyeyemi, as soon as the information reached the Divisional Police Officer, Itele Division, Lukmon Adejumo, reportedly led the detectives to investigate the case and the suspect was subsequently tracked down and arrested at Iyana Ipaja in Lagos.

Punch reports that the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has commended the men of the Itele Division for the arrest and has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.
At 52, she thinks they could have had enough sex but Damian feels this is the time they should have more sex and experiment with different styles and positions.

Bertha thinks Damian is seeing other women because he had never been so sexually active in years.

Read her story:

"My name is Bertha, a 46-year-old mother of four children. I have been married for the past 25 years with four children who have all left home for either the university or the boarding school.

I am left with my husband, Damian and our two house helps but I am worried that my husband is going crazy about sex now he knows that getting pregnant is 90% out of the way.

According to him, he needs sex on a daily basis so as to keep him in the right frame of mind. I have been a conservative woman who sees sex as just a necessity for married people and for procreation but my husband is not thinking in that light.

Damian is 52 and it seems he is afraid of losing his libido soon and wants to get all the sex he wants before that time comes.

In the past six months, we have been having sex like five times a week and Damian has introduced another aspect into it by insisting we try out different styles and positions even when he knows that I have never been comfortable doing those kinky sex things.

I was shocked the other day when he said I should give him a blow-job, ride him and do some other things that I would cringe at.

I think he is watching some pornographic movies or he is seeing a younger woman who does ll these things to him and he wants to practice them on me.

Some friends I confided in said I should even be happy that my husband wants to have sex with me every time even as we are advancing in age but I am worried that he is getting so crazy with age.

How do I tame Damian?

Bertha."

The teaser for the day was:

How Nigeria voted:

Yes, he must be sleeping with younger women and needs variation - 25%

No, he is just behaving like a normal man - 21%

He may be taking sex-enhancing drugs - 13%

Bertha should be happy that her husband still desires her - 45%
Rabiu, a resident of Jabi Park, Abuja, was convicted on a one-count charge of mischief. The offence is contrary to Section 327 of the Penal code.

Rabiu pleaded guilty to the count and begged for leniency.

The Presiding Judge, Sadiq Abubakar, however, gave the convict an option of N10, 000 fine saying that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others.

The Prosecutor, Mr Dalhatu Zannah, had told the court that one Farid Mohammed, the complainant of Wushishi Crescent, CBN quarters, Utako Abuja, reported the matter at Utako Police Station on March 22.

Zannah told the court that the convict committed the offence on March, 22, at Jabi area about 1.30 a.m.

The prosecutor said the convict criminally broke the complainants car door glass and was trying to remove the car stereo when he was caught and handed over to the police.
An Apapa Magistrates Court which gave the ruling, also granted 31-year-old Dada two sureties in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mr Titus Abolarinwa Abolarinwa, said the sureties must be gainfully employed with an evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The accused, who resides in Apapa area of Lagos, had pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of dangerous driving and manslaughter brought against him.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Tony Elibeh, told the court that the accused committed the offences on March 15 at Ile-Epo area of Old Ojo Road, Lagos.

According to him, the accused drove a truck with registration no. KJA 261 XC recklessly and knocked down the pedestrian.

A team of traffic management officials rushed to the scene of the accident and took the victim to the hospital where he was confirmed dead,  he said.

The offences contravened Sections 19 and 20 of the Road Traffic Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The prosecutor, Insp. Simeon Inuoha told the court that the accused committed the offence on Feb. 28 at Layeni Junction, Ikorodu.

Inuoha said the accused was stopped by some policemen on patrol and when he was searched, a pistol and two cartridges were found on him.

When he was asked how he came about the pistol or what he intended to do with it, he could not give a satisfactory explanation.

The offence contravened Section 310 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, according to the prosecutor.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Ezenwa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday that the inflammation could be as a result of irritation, infection or injury to cells that line the cervix.

According to him, the irritated or infected tissues might become red, swollen, ooze mucus and pus, and might also bleed easily when touched.

Severe cases of inflammation are usually caused by infections that are passed during sexual activity and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) that may cause cervicitis include gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, trichomoniasis, mycoplasma and ureaplasma.

But many women with cervicitis dont test positive for any type of infection; other causes of the inflammation may include allergies to chemicals in spermicides, douches or the latex rubber in condoms.

Another cause can be hormonal imbalance such as having relatively low estrogen or high progesterone which may interfere with the bodys ability to maintain healthy cervical tissue.

Rarely, radiation therapy or cancer may cause changes to the cervix consistent with cervicitis.

Furthermore, Ezenwa said that many women with cervicitis do not have any symptoms, adding that the condition might be discovered only after a routine examination or test.

He identified symptoms of cervicitis as grayish or pale yellow vaginal discharge, abnormal vaginal bleeding, such as bleeding after sex or between periods or pain during sex.

According to him, extreme symptoms of cervicitis include difficult, painful or frequent urination, pelvic or abdominal pain or fever, in rare cases.

Those who are at a higher risk of contracting cervicitis are women who recently had sexual intercourse without a condom and women with multiple sexual partners.

Studies show that cervicitis will recur in eight per cent to 25 per cent of women.

The expert explained that if an infection was suspected, the main goal of treatment was to eliminate the infection and prevent it from spreading to the uterus and fallopian tubes, or to the baby, in the case of a pregnant woman.

Depending on what organism is causing the infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, anti-fungal medications or anti-viral medications.

Your doctor may also recommend that your partner be treated to make sure you dont get infected again. You should not have sex until you and your partner have finished treatment.

Treatment is especially important if you are HIV positive because cervicitis increases the amount of virus that is shed from the cervix and it may increase your chances of infecting a partner.

Ezenwa, therefore, urged women to limit their sex partners and always use condoms during sex.

He also advised women to desist from using feminine hygiene products as they might cause irritation in the vagina and cervix.
Adeolu, who works with the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

According to him, consuming fish with high mercury content puts the individual at risk of having mercury toxicity, which causes some form of neurological damage.

The doctor said that Shark, Angler Fish, Tuna and the Whale were fishes with very high mercury content.

Fishes low in mercury content are Tilapia, Sardine, Catfish, Croaker Fish, Salmon and Shrimps, saying that they were relatively safe for consumption, he said.

The expert described mercury as a heavy metal known to be toxic to the human body when consumed, even in small amounts.

He said that excessive exposure to mercury would affect cells of the central nervous system with a risk of neurological deficit in an individual.

Adeolu said that some humans were exposed to the substance through consumption of sea foods, while others were exposed to it due to the kind of job they do.

Some groups of people whose jobs involve handling of mercury are sometimes exposed to the substance.

Studies have shown that fishes have mercury in them and the kind of mercury found in fish is called `Methylmercury.

Methylmercury is a very poisonous form of mercury. It is a metal that is liquid at room temperature. It forms when bacteria reacts with mercury in water.

Mercury is usually found in water due to human activities like coal burning, iron mining and so on.

Fishes, depending on their species and position on the food chain, contain different amounts of mercury.

Usually, the higher the fish is on the food chain, the more likely it is to have a high mercury content, because when they feed on smaller fishes, they also retain whatever mercury the small fishes have, the expert said.

Adeolu, however, said the nature has a good way of balancing itself.

The fishes mentioned, all contain Selenium, which is an element that counteracts the effects of mercury in the body.
Fashola made the call during a courtesy visit to Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Friday in Osogbo.

He noted that the controllers were the Federal Government representatives in the various states.

According to him, their presence is to support state governments towards achieving infrastructural developmental programmes for the citizens.

I have gone round many states asking governors to treat federal controllers the same way they treat ambassadors from other countries.

They are Federal Government ambassadors in various states and their role is to support state governments to deliver on projects within the framework of the Nigerian constitution.

The Federal Government is not in any competition with state governments but to assist in achieving their goals.

Fashola, however, commended Aregbesola for the cooperation and support to the controllers of works and housing in the state over the years.

He also commended the state government for releasing land for the National Housing Programme project, adding that the purpose of his visit was to inspect ongoing Federal Government projects.

The minister said the Federal Government was making efforts to ensure that state governments get reimbursement for the expenses incurred in the execution of federal projects.

Responding, Aregbesola commended the minister for going round to see the challenges and needs of citizens.

He said the state had no reason to doubt the minister, considering his passion for the welfare of Nigerians and his antecedents as a former governor of Lagos State.

The governor urged Fashola to extend the ongoing project on Itioni-Ilesha road to Ogbomosho because that part was also a federal road.

He also appealed to the minister to ensure urgent release of refunds for the execution of federal projects, adding that Osun was cash trapped.
She made the comments via a post on her Facebook page titled These Attacks On the President Must Stop.

The post reads:

At the risk of Sounding like a broken record, I will continue to insist that there are people who are uncomfortable with a President Buhari-led Presidency in our nation.

This is because he has shown that he has the political will to tackle, especially, the corruption that created insecurity and economic recession in our nation.

Their tactics include, hurling mud at those he appointed to be part of his team. From the Vice President to the SGF, from the Minister of Finance to the A Chairman of EFCC, CG Customs to COAS. Those they cannot label Corrupt, they label inefficient, immature and arrogant.

But are they acting in the overall interest of Nigerians? The facts point to a No. Its a war against President Muhammadu Buhari and the war he is ably leading Nigerians to wage against Corruption. Where there are no issues, they manufacture one.

DID THE SENATE SUMMON THE SGF? My answer would be, No! They invited him to an Open Hearing. It was the same invitation extended to members of the public. ONCE MORE?

The first was a request for documents which were sent to them. This one is an invitation to a Public hearing. No mention was made in the letter, the reason why the SGF was invited to this hearing.

Unless I do not understand English language, when you are invited to a Public hearing, its similar to being invited to a wedding or a Chieftaincy ceremony. You have a choice to attend, send a representative or not attend at all.

If it was a SUMMON, it will say so, somewhere in the body of the letter. The content of the letter would be specifically tailored to ORDER or COMPEL the addressee to attend. He will be told what he was expected to do at the hearing.

What I see in this letter is like inviting one to a hearing as an observer OR A VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTOR. This is what happens when you want to be the lawmaker and the law enforcer. They have stepped beyond themselves and they are struggling to wipe the mud they have on their faces.

This is nothing but harassment and its great news the issue is now before a court of competent jurisdiction. And I hope Engr. Babachir Lawal is suing for serious damages and compensation too. The Senate is now falling into the habit of calling on the President to sack those he chose to work with him.

The latest is Col. Hameed Ali, CG Custom. The President can sack anyone but it has to be his decision based on credible evidence of wrong-doing. He shouldnt be hounded with Sack this, sack that because they want to give the impression that all the Presidents men are corrupt.

This war against the Presidents war on corruption is bound to fail. Its a war Nigerians elected President Muhammadu Buhari to wage and the wars insecticides only kill insects! And there are a lot of insects in Nigeria, including the Senate.

ALSO READ: Buhari advices Nigerians to shun self medication
We have been monitoring the man and the various companies being used by him to siphon huge sums of money from the ministry, which handles intervention programmes in the Niger Delta region but he has been very smart and suspicious of our movement, thereby making it impossible for us to arrest him despite the ambush we laid for him and his cronies, a source told Vanguard.

But Mr. President did not waste time in asking the Head of Service of the Federation to sack the man with immediate effect as soon as he got to know that the man had used over 500 companies to award fake contracts to himself and move huge sums of money from the ministry in question.

In fact, the discovery of the large scale fraud in the ministry, which has suffered a lot of project failure and the subsequent sacking of the permanent secretary by Mr. President, followed painstaking investigation by the anti-corruption agencies, which will soon charge the man to court, the source added.

ALSO READ: 10 Missiles El-Rufai fired at Buhari
The accused Okwumo Nwabufo, and Olisaeloka Ezike, the judge ruled, will die by hanging.

Osokogu was murdered on 22 July 2012 at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Festac Town, Lagos, after she was lured to Lagos by her Facebook lover.

The other accused were: Orji Osita, 33, who is a pharmacist and Ezike Nonso, 25. the younger brother of Olisaeloka Ezike.

They were, discharged and acquitted by Justice Akinlade.

All the accused faced a six-count charge of conspiracy, murder, stealing, recklessness, negligence and possession of stolen goods.

Justice Akinlade found Nwabufo and Olisaeloka guilty of four counts of stealing, murder, conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to murder preferred against them.

Before passing judgment, the judge asked the accused if they had anything to say.

Victor Okpara and Emeka Eze, counsel for the first and second accused, made pleas for mercy.

Okpara said the first accused was a first time offender and had "tremendous energy to do something worthwhile with his life. I urge this court to grant him a reformative sentence.

But in her response, Justice Akinlade said Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State says clearly that a person who commits murder, shall, be sentenced to death.

She sentenced the duo to 14 years imprisonment for the first count, three years imprisonment each for the third and fourth counts.

Akinlade, thereafter, sentenced the duo to death for the second count of murder.

I pronounce the sentence of this court upon you Nwabufo and Olisaeloka, that both of you be hanged by the neck until you be dead. May God have mercy on you, Akinlade said.

In judgment, justice is required not only for the victim, but also for the society. In their attempt to steal Cynthias property, they stole her life.

They were not even remorseful. But for the efforts of the police and the Ministry of Justice, we wouldnt have been able to do anything. This court cannot change the law, she said.

The judge said that the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt by providing all the evidence needed to prove the ingredients of murder and stealing.

She said that the testimony of the ten witnesses was corroboratory.

The first prosecution witness (PW1) evidence, who was the hotel receptionist corroborated the PW3, the hotel managers testimony.

Akinlade said that PW1 told the court that the two accused were seen in the hotel and they lodged in the particular room where the body of Cynthia was found.

The judge, after reviewing all evidence, discharged and acquitted Orji Osita and Nonso Ezike.

Osita, the pharmacist was charged with the offence of selling a drug called Rohypnol which was used in drugging the deceased, Cynthia, without a doctors prescription.

The court could not find him guilty because there was no evidence to corroborate the second accused testimony that it was the pharmacist that sold the drug to him.

The court discharged the fourth accused, Nonso, saying that the prosecution could not prove the case of receipt of stolen phones of the deceased..

The website drugfreeworld.org, explains the power of the drug used by the convicts on Osokogu.

It says that Rohypnol is a tranquilizer about ten times more potent than Valium.

The drug is available as a white or olive-green pill and is usually sold in the manufacturers bubble packaging. Users crush the pills and snort the powder, sprinkle it on marijuana and smoke it, dissolve it in a drink or inject it.

Rohypnol has been used to commit sexual assaults because it renders the victim incapable of resisting, giving it the reputation of a date-rape drug.

Rohypnol users often describe its effects as paralysing.

The effects start twenty to thirty minutes after taking the drug, peak within two hours and may persist for eight or even twelve hours. A person can be so incapacitated (made unable to act) they collapse.

"They lie on the floor, eyes open, able to observe events but completely unable to move. Afterwards, memory is impaired and they cannot recall any of what happened.

The person experiences loss of muscle control, confusion, drowsiness and amnesia.
Melaye made the allegation in a petition which he sent to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris.

Sahara Reporters had earlier reported that the Senator did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

It also published a story stating that Melayes classmate in ABU revealed that he stole a brand new television set.

In his letter to the IG, the flamboyant Senator said I will like to draw your attention to the recent cyberstalking acts committed against my person by the following individuals and organisations.

Sir, this act is highly vexatious, an insult and an attempt to impair, harm, damage and assassinate my character.
Fayose said this while reacting to the face-off between the Customs boss, Hameed Ali and members of the Senate.

The Governor said Governance has been reduced to a theatre of the absurd. These appointees of yours are needlessly and embarrassingly flexing muscles and are heating up the polity; they appear to be having fun and regaling themselves at the expense of the nation. The economy has collapsed and the people are suffering. There is hunger and anger never before witnessed in the land.

Yet, Presidential appointees are preoccupied with trivialities and inanities. Wearing of uniform has suddenly become a Supreme Court matter. Why a man who will not wear uniform went to take a uniformed job beggars belief. How someone who has so little respect and scanty regard for an organisation like the Nigeria Customs Service should be made to head the same organisation must baffle right-thinking Nigerians.
Governor Ayo Fayose had earlier accused the police of ethnic bias, adding that only Yorubas were arrested in a clash that involved Hausa also.

According to Vanguard, the police boss also told newsmen that crime has no tribe or face.

Idris said this on Friday, while speaking to journalists at the Presidential Villa, after a meeting with President Buhari.

The police boss also said I came to see the President to update him on the deployment of the police in our effort to ensure that we have security all over the country.

Obviously, its to share with him our deployment strategies on ground, our deployment to some of these flash points all over the country, especially Benue which is the current one, deployment to Kaduna state which started some few weeks back and deployment to the Ile-Ife crisis where recently, we have a lot of police officers both special squads and investigation team on ground to conduct investigation on the matter.

You know we are police officers. Crime has no tribe. If you are a criminal you are a criminal. Crime has no face. we dont look at crime in the identity of where you are coming from. As far as you are a criminal and the police find you wanting, we apply the law.

You know some of these crises, we have to look at the origin of these crises and the immediate cause for you to make a proper classification of these crimes. If you follow some of these crimes, they are just crimes that happened without any warning. If you look at that Ife crisis, if you see how it started, its just a disagreement between two people selling food along the road.

ALSO READ: Fayose accuses police of ethnic bias

So, you have to look at the dynamics of the country itself. Obviously when you have such situation we have to react to it. We had to move in to ensure we provide some security to the people.
Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCCs) confirmation was rejected by the Senate based on a DSS report that said he was not fit.

You will recall that Malami had earlier written to the security agency requesting for evidence of the allegations levelled against Magu.

Read the complete letter with implicating facts against Magu, which was obtained from Premium Times, below:

The leaked letter is said to have about 11 documents showing why Magu should not be confirmed.

The documents was however not attached to the letter which was sent out to various journalists.

The Attorney General of Federation,

Federal Ministry of Justice,

Plot 7B, Shehu Shagari Way,

Abuja  FCT.

RE: REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/INFORMATION

Your letter with reference number .HAGF/ DSS/ 2016/ VOL.I/ 7 dated 19th December, 2016 on the above subject, refers.

2. I am directed to forward the attached documents in respect of the report earlier dispatched, by this Service to the Presidency on the Acting Chair,,an of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim MAGU. They are marked annexures A to L and are highlighted as follows:

i. Annexure A  This is a copy of minutes of the 20th Plenary Meeting of the Police Service Commission on 20th December, 2010, chaired by Mr. Parry B. 0. OSAYANDE (DIG/ Rtd) who was then Chairman of the( Commission. The minutes indicate that MAGU was indicted after a disciplinary process and awarded Severe Reprimand for Action prejudicial to state security, Withholding of EFFC files, Sabotage, Unauthorized removal of EFCC files and Acts unbecoming of a Police Officer. It is worthy to note here that Severe Reprimand is the second highest punishment to be given to an erring officer, other than compulsory retirement or dismissal from Service.

ii. Annexure B  This is a copy of the confessional statement of Air Commodore Mohammmed UMAR (Rtd), a suspect hitherto detained and currently being prosecuted by the Service. The statement affirms his ownership of Valcour S.A Nigeria Limited, a company awarded the contract of securing and furnishing an official residence for Ibrahim MAGU by the FCTA. Investigation revealed that this was facilitated after MAGU was earlier shown the residence by one Uche ALEKA, a close business associate of UMAR, who was introduced to MAGU by the former.

iii. Annexure C  This is a forged Memo which supposedly originated from the Office of the Vice President and addressed to Mr. President. This was recovered from the private residence of U1VIAR during a search operation by this Service. The document is a request for approval to commence further investigation into financial activities of Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe KACHIKWU. Also attached to the Memo are two (2) genuine investigation reports by EFCC on the Honourable Minister, dated 24th March, 2016 & 13th April, 2016 and duly signed by 1VIAGU. One of the two (2) attachments indicates that the original investigation report earlier was purportedly received in the VPs office by one Folabo KAY.

iv. Ann.exure D  This is a letter from the Office of the Vice President affirming that Annexure C is a forged document.

v. Annexure E  This is a copy of Progress report with reference number SH/ COS/ 24/ A/ 7277 dated 25th May, 2016 on NNPC/ NLG Brass Investment Accounts in Nigerian Commercial Banks from Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Abba KYARI to the Acting EFCC Chairman. The letter is an official/ classified document of the EFCC which was duly received by the Commission as indicated by the stamp on the document. However, it was recovered at UMARs residence.

vi. Annexure F  These are photocopies of Managers cheques of First Bank PLC and Zenith Bank PLC, issued in favour of EFCC Recovery Funds Account on 13/ 05/2016 and 16/65/ 2016, respectively. These are all sensitive official documents of the EFCC found in UMARs residence during the search.

vii. Annexure G A classified letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to the EFCC Chairman titled Re: Request to Freeze Accounts Messers Bebey: Merchant Ltd and 20 others, dated 7th March, 2016. This document was also duly received by EFCC but found in Commodore U1VIARs house during the search.

viii. Annexure H  A document which emanated from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and addressed to the EFCC Chairman on 6th May, 2016 with the subject, Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- A case for Joint Venture & NNPC Pension Funds Accounts. The document was recovered at UMARs residence.

ix. Annexure I  NNPC Letter GED/ F86A/ 08.26 dated 5th May, 2016 addressed to the EFCC Chairman and titled Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries. This was also discovered during the search of UMARs residence.

x. Annexure J  This is a copy of NNPC correspondence with reference number GED/ F86A/ 08.26 dated May 5th, 2016 and titled Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- Transfer of FCT Balances to NNPCs TSA Accounts, addressed to the EFCC Chairman. The document was found in UMARs residence.

xi. Annexure K  A copy of an NNPC letter with reference number GED/ F&A/ 08.26 dated May 5th, 2016 and titled Re: Stop Debit on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- Critical Accounts for immediate operations to the EFCC Chairman. The document was also recovered during the search of UMARs house.

xii. Annexure L  Copy of Confessional Statement by UMAR to the Service stating that his trip to Maiduguri for condolence visit to Ibrahim MAGU, sequel to the loss of a close relative, was made on behalf of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Arms Purchase. Cross examination of the Chairman of the Committee, AVM John ODE (Rtd) revealed that the committee did not send any of its members on such an assignment. The visit of UMAR to MAGU is therefore assessed as an expression of their close sinister relationship at the detriment of National Security interests.

3. An officer appointed as Ag. Chairman of EFCC should by all means be one of impeccable credentials, with proven integrity and capacity to lead the nations fight against graft in high and low places. Thus far, it is evident from MAGUs antecedents that he is by no means that kind of

officer.

His relationship with Umar MOHAMMED which involved disclosure of very sensitive and classified official documents in his possession shows lack of professionalism and assails his integrity. Moreso, for an officer who was indicted and nearly dismissed six (6) years ago, to again be involved in similar circumstances, it is clear that MAGU is a perennial offender and cannot change.

4. Also worthy of note is the fact that MAGU exhibited a total lack of judgment where it matters most. He accepted to move into a tastily furnished accommodation without any scrutiny of how it was furnished. This is curious and speaks volumes of his personality.

5. The recovery of sensitive and classified documents from the residence of UMAR further underlays his close affinity to MAGU and an apparent penchant for sabotaging official processes and administrative protocols, just to further the latters personal material and pecuniary agenda. Such mutually beneficial relationships as with UMAR, who by his confession, approaches clients for possible exploitation, favours and associated returns is unprecedented and very damning for an anti-graft top official. It has exposed MAGU as a fraudulent officer and betrays the high confidence reposed in him by Mr. President.

6. A further demonstration of MAGUs questionable credibility as an untainted anti-corruption official is his failed bid to settle personal scores with one Stanley Inye LAWSON b lacing him on Security Watch Action. It was however discovered that LAWSON was actually working in the interest of the Federal Government and the Action was subsequently expunged.

7. This reinforces the view that MAGU may continue to exploit his official position, if confirmed as EFCC Chairman and indulge in other unprofessional and criminal conducts for personal aggrandizement contrary to his oath of office.

8. Accept the assurances of the high consideration and esteem of the DGSS, please.

Folashadre BELLO

For: Director-General, SSS

Below is Mr Magus response to the allegations

EFCC/EC/JUS/07/263 21st December, 2016

THE HONOURABLE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE Federation & MINISTER OF JUSTICE

Federal Ministry of Justice,

Shehu Shagari Way,

Abuja.

RE: REQUEST FOR COMMENTS

RE: REPORT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES

I most respectfully refer to your letter referenced HAGF/EFCC/2016/Vol.1/23 dated 19th December, 2016, asking me to respond within 48 hours to the allegations contained in a report written by the Department of State Service, DSS, and which provided the basis for the non-consideration of my confirmation on December 15, 2016, by the Senate.

2. Having carefully considered all the issues, I hereby present a point-by-point response as follows:

i. Missing EFCC Files

It is true that my residence was searched on the orders of Mrs. Farida Waziri, shortly after she succeeded Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as Chairman of the EFCC and some documents relating to cases under investigation were found in my house. At the time of the raid, I was yet to formally hand over to my successor, Umar Sanda, as head of the Economic Governance Unit.

My schedule at the time warranted that I work round the clock and it was impossible to conclude all assignments without working at home. The documents found in my house were actually found in my office bag where I kept documents relating to investigations. I was in the process of handing over and it would be wrong to suggest that I willfully kept the Commissions files at home.

Nevertheless, the incident was thoroughly investigated by the police as I was placed on suspension without pay for 20 months. But in the end, I was reprimanded, recalled and promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police.

It is important sir, to draw your attention to the fact that some of us that worked closely with Ribadu were victimized after his exit. And my ordeal was orchestrated as punishment for being the chief investigative officer for most of the high profile cases involving politically exposed persons some of whom became very influential in government at the time.

ii. Return to EFCC under Lamorde

I was Assistant Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations at the Anambra State Police Command when I was recalled to the EFCC in 2012. I did not lobby to return to the EFCC. It is preposterous for anyone to suggest that I was recalled to do a hatchet job for Lamorde as alleged in the DSS Report. My job schedule as Deputy Director, Department of Internal Affairs, under Lamorde, was simply handling issues of professional responsibility in the Commission. I had no inputs in core operations duties of the Commission.

iii. Tenancy of My Official Residence

I live in the official residence of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This accommodation, contrary to the report of the DSS is not my private home, neither was it rented and furnished for me by Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd). It was rented and furnished by the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory through the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, under the safe house scheme.

It is also false that the house was rented for N20million per annum and furnished for N43million. The entire cost for both two-year rent and the furnishing of the house is N39.628million.

Details of the transaction are contained in the contract award letter and payment schedule which are attached to this letter.

iv. Expensive Air Travels

Honourable Minister, the claim that I have a penchant for expensive air travels in a private jet belonging to Commodore Mohammed is baseless. The two times I can recall travelling in Commodore Umars aircraft, were on a trip from Kano to Abuja, and Abuja to Maiduguri. In the first instance, I had gone to Kano on an official assignment with two of my directors, and Mohammed who was on his way back to Abuja offered us a ride in his jet. The second occasion was when I was going to see my sick mother in Maiduguri. These, for me, were harmless gesture as we were both members of the presidential investigative committee on arms procurement. At the time I had no knowledge that he was under investigation for any alleged crimes.

v. High Profile/Dual Lifestyle

The allegation that I live a flamboyant lifestyle is also surprising to me. While it is true that I did travel first class on Emirates Airline to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, this action to the best of my knowledge, did not contravene the directive of Mr. President on First Class travels as suggested by the DSS Report.

My trip to Saudi Arabia was a private journey to perform my religious obligation and it was not financed with public funds. More importantly, my decision to fly first class was not borne out of quest for luxury but compelled by necessity. The trip was made during the last ten days of the Ramadan and other classes of ticket were not available.I had no other choice

That I flew first class in one instance is not enough evidence to suggest an extravagant lifestyle as alleged by the DSS Report. It is also not enough to suggest a dual personality. Any one that has associated closely with me will attest to the fact that I am not known for ostentatious living. And my new office as acting chairman of the EFCC has not changed this.

vi. Mutually Beneficial Relationship with Commodore Mohammed Umar (rtd)

Sir, it is important to situate my relationship with Commodore Mohammed Umar (rtd), in proper perspective. Our paths crossed when we became members of the Presidential Committee on the investigation on arms procurement. He was instrumental in getting some of the information that helped the committee to make significant breakthrough in its assignment.

Beyond that, the relationship between Umar and myself is one of professional acquaintance, devoid of issues of conflict of interest. So, it comes to me with shock, the imputation by the DSS that we have a mutually beneficial relationship. This appears suggestive that Mohammed and I were involved in activities that could be said to be untoward. I certainly have no knowledge of such activities.

The claim that EFCC documents, including EFCC letters addressed to the Vice President and being investigation reports on the activities of Emmanuel Kachikwu and his brother Demebi Kachikwu, were found in his home during a search by the DSS came to me as a surprise. If that is correct, he should be made to disclose how he came by such documents. I never discussed my official duties with him let alone give him documents pertaining to investigations being conducted by the Commission.

Interestingly, Mohammed was detained for several months by the DSS. In all those months, did he claim that I mandated him to commit any crime or that I was an accomplice to any crime? If there is any such claim, I will wholeheartedly like to be confronted with the allegation.

It is interesting to note that when Mohammed was eventually charged to court, the charges against him were money laundering and illegal possession of firearms, and nothing related to my purported shady relationship with him.

vii. Perceived Reluctance to Arraign Vice Marshall Adesola Amosun

The DSS Report that the reason EFCC delayed the arraignment of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Adesola Amosun, was because Mohammed never wanted Amosun to be prosecuted is astonishing. Anyone familiar with the EFCC under my watch knows that I perform my duties with the highest sense of responsibility. The reason Amosun was not arraigned when the likes of Alex Badeh and Umar were arraigned was because he cooperated with the Commission in terms of assisting the process of recovering the proceeds of crime.

Indeed, among the suspects arrested over the arms procurement scandal, he was most cooperative. The Commission recovered N2.835billion cash from him, aside from property worth One Billion Five Hundred and Eighty One Million Naira (N1,581, 000, 000), Two Million One Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars ($2,150, 000) and One Million Pounds Sterling (1, 000, 000).

Since a key focus of the investigation was to recover as much proceeds of crime as possible, the Commission took its time to ensure it had recovered what was possible before arraigning the suspect in court. This had nothing to do with the wish of any individual. Moreover, the suspect has since been arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

viii. Alleged Vendetta Against Stanley Lawson

The suggestion by the DSS Report that Stanley Lawson, a former Group Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was placed on a watch list, to settle scores with him is strange. It may interest you to know that I do not know Stanley Lawson personally and could not be settling personal scores by framing somebody that I do not know.

Lawsons encounter with the EFCC is in relation to the investigation into the mismanagement of $118million public funds for electioneering campaign involving former petroleum resources minister, Diezani Alison Madueke. It was discovered that he made payment of $25million into Fidelity Bank and also facilitated the purchase of Ogeyi Place Le Meridien Hotel in Port Harcourt for Mrs. Alison Madueke, for which he collected Ninety Four Million Five Hundred and Sixteen Thousand Naira (N94, 516,000) as commission. Lawson was arrested and he made a refund of the N94.5million traced to him. He was never placed on any watch list.

ix. Work through Police Cronies in EFCC

I do not understand what the report meant by working with cronies. If what was implied is that I have preferred officers that I work with and who go about their work in unethical manner, my response is that nothing of such exists in the EFCC. Officers who work with me know that the easiest way to lose your job is to be found to be involved in unethical or corrupt activities. Indeed, when I assumed office as acting chairman, my first action was to return police officers with integrity issues back to the Nigeria Police Force. If the DSS finds that there are police officers in the EFCC who are working closely with me and have properties that their incomes cannot support, the Service is at liberty to expose them.

3. Conclusion

Honourable Minister, Sir, I invite you to take notice of the fact that the DSS authored two separate vetting reports on me, one referenced SV.114/3 addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly and the other referenced SV.114/3 addressed to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate). Both letters were dated 3rd October, 2016, and signed by the same Officer, Folashade Bello, on behalf of the Director General. While one of the reports advised the senate against my confirmation, the other asked it to favourably consider my confirmation. The two reports emanating from the same agency raises questions of sincerity and motive.

You will want to find out why they came up with two conflicting reports on the same subject on the same day.

It is important to note that in all this, I was not given the opportunity of fair hearing.

Above all sir, I am persuaded by my conviction in my innocence that in all the issues supposedly raised against me, no one has accused me of receiving gratification to act against my conscience or the interest of the country.

I have attached to this letter all supporting documents and materials that would enable you arrive at fair position on all the issues raised.

4. Be assured of my usual respect and highest consideration.

IBRAHIM MAGU

Ag. EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
The Governor also wondered why only 20 Yoruba people were arrested in a clash that involved Yorubas and Hausas.

Fayose also said the way which the police is handling the issue, will not build unity in Nigeria.

According to Punch, he said If there was a clash between Yoruba people and Hausas in Ile-Ife, are the police now saying that only the Yorubas took part in the crisis?

Both Yorubas and Hausa were attacked. Properties belonging to both Yorubas and Hausas were destroyed. Are the police sayings that those 20 Yorubas that they paraded in Abuja were the ones who attacked the Yoruba people that were also victims of the crisis and destroyed those houses belonging to the indigenes of Ile-Ife that were destroyed?

In my own opinion, the investigation so far conducted by the police was done with ethnic bias and I demand a thorough investigation that is devoid of ethnic sentiments.

Also, to prevent future reoccurrence of such crisis, I call on the Osun State Government to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the crisis, as well as identify the masterminds of the crisis.

Most importantly, security agencies in the country must treat all crimes as the same, irrespective of those perpetrating them. As it appears, crimes committed by Fulani herdsmen against other Nigerians are not being treated as crimes that should be given attention by the security agencies and this is worrisome.
The Secretary of the council, Bello Ifo, said in a statement on Thursday that the suspension was with immediate effect.

Kofar-bai was standing trial for an alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl in Katsina two weeks ago.

The victim informed her parents who took her to the hospital for medical treatment.

The parents reported the matter to police, which led to the arrest and detention of the suspect for investigations.
Aderanti said that the move was part of proactive measures to forestall situations that could result in ethnic clash among the residents similar to the recent one in Ile-ife, Osun, between the Hausas and the Yorubas.

The AIG explained that the choice of Sagamu was informed by its cosmopolitan nature which plays host to different nationalities in the country.

We in Zone 2, one of our policies is to be proactive.

We are here to meet all the ethnic leaders because we believe that without peace, there will not be any meaningful development.

Sagamu has the largest concentration of different ethnic groups in the country.

We want everyone to live in peace and so we are hereby encouraging you people to live as brothers and sisters.

It is in the interest of our national security that you live in peace.

There is nothing government can do when there is anarchy.

 I urge you the leaders in this community to ensure that you enlighten your people on the need to live in peace and harmony, he said.

The Sarkin Hausa of Sagamu, Alhaji Inuwa Garba, who spoke on behalf of the ethnic leaders, assured the AIG that they would partner the police in ensuring continued peace in the area.

Other leaders at the meeting are the Eze-Ndigbo of Sagamu, Chief Gilbert Chukwuma and Sarkin Fulani of Sagamu, Alhaji Salisu Garba.

The Chairman Police Community Relations Committee in Ogun, Mr Ibrahim Olaniyan also attended the meeting.
THE GUARDIAN

Arik Air shuts as workers, unionists clash

True to their threat, aviation unions, comprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), yesterday grounded operations of Arik Air in Lagos.

Sheriff, Markarfi agree to work for peace in PDP

The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be over soon. This followed the agreement reached by the two factions after a meeting yesterday to halt all forms of hostilities against each other.

Investors in equities lose N2.3trn to bonds, others

The rise in the issuance of bonds and other debts instruments by governments and corporate organisations has taken a heavy toll on the fortunes of the equities sector. Market investors may have lost about N2.3trillion in recent years.

THE NATION NEWSPAPER

SGF to explain how fake firms got N1.3bn contracts

Many companies awarded contracts by the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) cannot be located, a senator alleged yesterday.

Cynthia Osokogus killers to die by hanging

Two of the four men tried for the 2012 murder of a generals daughter, Cynthia Osokogu, are to pay the supreme price for the offence

CBN gets bids for $100m

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has received bids for $100 million from dealers in the interbank market to meet customers requests. The sale will be settled today

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

Contract Probe: SGF, Babachir reverses self, seeks new date to appear before Senate

STRONG indications emerged, yesterday, that following the intervention of powerful Nigerians in the ongoing face-off between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, David Babachir Lawal, and the Senate over the controversial grass-cutting contract scandal, Lawal may have reversed his earlier position not to appear before the Senate because he was in court.

Ortom berates Wike over call for emergency rule

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, yesterday, berated his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, over the latters call for the declaration of a state of emergency in Benue, describing the call as laughable and unfortunate

N5bn libel suit: I will tender my certificate in evidence, Dino Melaye tells court

Determined to prove that he was awarded a Bachelors Degree by the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Senator Dino Melaye, on Thursday, pledged to tender his certificate before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Maitama

__________________________________________________

THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Kaduna Airport, disaster waiting to happen, say Reps

Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday condemned aviation operations at the Kaduna International Airport, thereby making a dramatic U-turn from their earlier position.

Grass-cutting probe: Contracts awarded to 20 ghost firms  Senate Panel

The Senate, on Thursday, said it had not been able to trace the addresses of about 20 contractors engaged for the execution of various projects in the rehabilitation of the North-East.

Wike, Ortom clash over killings in Rivers, Benue
My attention has been drawn to a fabricated report on some online media in which I was said to have spoken on behalf of Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki and threatened that Senate would go to court and stop the entire government from working, Abdullahi said via a statement.

There was no time I made the statement attributed to me by these mischievous element. The story is outright falsehood and should therefore be disregarded by all members of the public, he added.
What better way to ease off the stress of the week than watch a good movie.

With that in mind, check out our list of movies currently showing in cinemas across Lagos and Abuja.

Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans

Synopsis: An adaptation of the Disney fairy tale about a monstrous-looking prince and a young woman who fall in love.

Friday - Thursday: 10:50am, 12:35pm, 1:30pm, 3:55pm, 6:20pm

Fri: 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 7:00 PM

Sat: 12:30 PM, 1:50 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 7:00 PM

Sun: 12:30 PM, 1:50 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM

Mon - Thu: 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM

(--VIP SHOWS @ {3D} [3D]--)

Daily: 4:30 PM

Daily: 10:20AM, 7:05PM

Daily: 11:45am, 2:10pm, 4:35pm, 7:00pm

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae

Synopsis: Based on a true story. A team of African-American women provide NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program's first successful space missions.

Friday - Thursday: 10:50am

Daily: 11:00 AM

Daily: 4:40pm,

Daily: 11:10AM, 1:40PM, 4:10PM, 6:40PM, 9:10PM

Starring: Nicole Ndigwe, Efe Irele, Shawn Faqua, Patience Ozokwor and Segun Arinze.

Synopsis: ZAHRA (15), a young girl in the North of Nigeria, dreams of career success and happiness in marriage. when terrorists attack her village, she ends up in an IDP camp where she hopes to find succour and a comfortable space to grieve the loss of her kin and dreams.

Showing:

Friday - Thursday: 10:25AM

Synopsis: Basira in London is a comedy about an African woman who travels to London on holiday. Upon meeting with her friends, she decides she wants to stay and gain employment.

However, she is shocked at the type of job they find for her and her attempts at getting a British passport and trying to fit in with the 'in crowd' results in hilarious consequences.

Daily: 2:45PM, 6:30PM

Friday -Thursday: 12:00PM, 2:00PM, 4:00PM, 18:00PM

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson

Synopsis: A team of explorers and soldiers travel to an uncharted island in the Pacific, unaware that they are crossing into the domain of monsters, including the mythic Kong.

Showing:

Fri - Sat: 12:50 PM, 1:20 PM, 3:50 PM, 6:20 PM, 8:45 PM

Sun - Thu: 12:50 PM, 3:50 PM, 6:20 PM, 8:45 PM

Daily: 1:30pm, 3:45pm, 6:10pm, 8:15pm

Daily: 10:30AM, 4:45PM, 9:25PM

Friday -Thursday: 12:00PM, 2:20PM, 4:40PM, 7:00PM, 9:20PM

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen

Synopsis: In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

Showing:

Fri & Sat:1:30 PM, 2:20 PM, 3:10 PM, 4:20 PM, 7:10 PM, 8:00 PM, 9:50 PM

Sun - Thu: 1:30 PM, 2:20 PM, 4:20 PM, 7:10 PM, 9:50 PM

Friday -Thursday: 3:00pm, 5:35pm, 7:15pm, 8:10pm

Daily: 3:10pm, 6:00pm, 8:30pm

Daily: 12:05PM, 6:50pm,8:30PM

Starring:Majid Michel, Hafiz Saka Oyetoro, Mercy Johnson Okojie

Synopsis: Light Will Come tells the story of Lukas (Hafiz Oyetoro) a bumbling and comical personal assistant to his chronic bachelor boss Raymond (Majid Michel).

Raymonds parents have mandated him to get married and the desperate search together with Lukas to find the ideal wife his elite parents would approve of repeatedly goes wrong. Times running out on Raymond and he secretly engages the services of an escort agency who presents Jessica (Nuella Njubigbo Chikere) to pose before his parents as his fiancee but a fall out shatters the plan.

Showing:

Friday -Thursday: 3:05PM,

Friday - Thursday:12:00PM, 4:10PM, 8:10PM

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Anthony Hopkins

Synopsis: An American backpacker gets involved with a ring of drug smugglers as their driver, though he winds up on the run from his employers across Cologne high-speed Autobahn

Showing:

Friday -Thursday: 12:45pm, 9:15pm

Friday -Thursday: 12:50PM,

Friday - Thursday:2:20PM, 4:20PM, 6:20PM, 8PM

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ian McShane

Synopsis: After returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.

Friday - Thursday: 11:45AM, 14:10PM, 4:30PM, 6:50PM, 9:10PM, 20:20PM

Friday -Thursday: 11:20am, 1:40pm, 4:00pm, 6:20pm, 8:40pm

Friday -Thursday: 12:45PM, 2:45PM, 7:05PM, 9:30PM

Starring: AY Makun, Nadia Buari, Emma Nyra, Evan King, Anita Chris

Synopsis: An exuberant, adventurous young, white American man in search of a job lands himself a drivers job of transporting African films stars coming to America for an award show in this extremely funny comedy.

Showing:

Friday - 1:00PM,4:45PM

Saturday - Sunday: 1:00PM

Monday - Thursday: 1:00PM,4:45PM

Starring: Linda Ejiofor, Zainab Balogun, Ali Nuhu, Kayode Olaya, Kunle Remi, Gbolahan Olatunde Somkele Idhalama, Hafiz Ayetoro and Wale Ojo

Synopsis: The movie unwraps an intriguing tale about a money-strapped manager of a shady Petrol Station who decides to rob his employers but along the line finds out in a sudden twist that he is not alone in his ambition and that a good reason isnt always a right one.

Showing:

Friday - Thursday: 4:45PM, 9:35PM

Friday - Thursday: 12:00PM, 2:10PM, 4:20PM

Daily: 2:30pm, 6:35pm, 8:40pm

Daily: 4:55 PM, 7:15 PM, 9:30 PM

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jenny Slate, Rosario Dawson

Synopsis: : Bruce Wayne must not only deal with the criminals of Gotham City, but also the responsibility of raising a boy he adopted.

Showing:

Daily: 12:00 PM

Friday -Thursday: 10:30AM,

Friday - Thursday: 12:00PM

Daily: 10:30am

Starring: Enyinna Nwigwe, IK Ogbonna, Nancy Isime, Bayray Mc Nwizu, Keppy Ekpeyong, Shaffy Bello and Daniel Lloyd.

Synopsis: The movie was directed by Desmond Elliot (who also plays a role in the movie) and tells the story of a young lady who hires a man to pose as her fiance at a family event, after her younger sisters engagement.

Showing:

Friday -Thursday: 12:50pm,2:45pm
At what was supposed to be the premiere of "Okafor's Law," the Group Executive Director of FilmOne, Moses Babatope, said the company is solidly behind the producer and director of the controversial movie, "Okafor's Law."

"Filmone Distribution and Filmhouse cinemas are firm behind Omoni Oboli and "Okafor's Law," he said.

"So, continue supporting African cinema," he added.

The movie which was scheduled to premiere on March 24, 2017, at IMAX Cinema, Lekki Phase 1, was halted after Oboli, Dioni Visions and Filmone Distribution were served an injunction to stop the premiere and nationwide release of the movie.

The complaint was filed by Raconteur Productions. According to document, the actress will be guilty of contempt of court if she goes ahead with a premiere or release.

This injunction comes after a Canada-based writer, Jude Idada, for the movie.

Oboli and Babatope assured the guests that movie will screen on the scheduled nationwide release date, March 31, 2017.
Sheriff and Makarfi groups on Thursday met with the Gov. Seriake Dickson-led Reconciliation Committee and issued joint statement to cease fire and work with the committee for true reconciliation.

Makarfi said that the agreement was only to stop further media attacks on PDP officers, elders and other stakeholders across the internal political divide.

He said the clarification was important following some media reports that the parties had reached a political solution, and said that reports were untrue.

For the record, the agreement was not a political solution but rather an understanding reached urging representatives of `the key actors from both groups not to dissipate energy among themselves.

It was to focus on how to unite as a formidable force capable of regaining power from the failed All Progressive Congress (APC) led government in 2019.

The agreement also implored both groups to desist from making public derogatory remarks against each other that could cause inflammatory reactions capable of dragging the party to the mud.

 It is instructive to note that the National Caretaker Committee and all the organs of the party are working hard with Gov. Dickson-led committee with other stakeholders to reach a lasting political solution.

However, this effort is without prejudice to the appeal before the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal judgment of February 17, 2017," he added.
Oba Akiolu gave the warning on Thursday, March 23, during the 21st convocation of Lagos State University (LASU) in Ojo.

Few days ago, one of the aspirants greeted me. After greeting, he alleged that I halted his ambition. No one should come out in 2019 and declare his ambition, he said according to ThisDay.

The only way to avoid not wasting their money is to support Ambode and his deputy to rule Lagos for the next six years. That was why about nine months to the 2015 governorship election, I said Ambode would be the next governor whether they vote or not.

But all of them doubted me. I often pray before and after leaving the bed. That is one of few things I learnt from the late father of Prof. Peter Okebukola, who served as my cadet officer then. Even though he was much older than I am, he was very humble.

The prayer has helped me a lot. The state of Nigeria indicates the type of police it gets. As a police officer, I served for 32 years. That is why I can confidently say I never collected money from anyone before performing my duties as a law enforcement officer, he added.
Fayose also said that Nigerians have begun to believe that a cabal has taken over Buharis presidency.

The governor made the comments via a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi.

The statement reads:

Governance has been reduced to a theatre of the absurd. These appointees of yours are needlessly and embarrassingly flexing muscles and are heating up the polity; they appear to be having fun and regaling themselves at the expense of the nation. The economy has collapsed and the people are suffering. There is hunger and anger never before witnessed in the land.

Yet, Presidential appointees are preoccupied with trivialities and inanities. Wearing of uniform has suddenly become a Supreme Court matter. Why a man who will not wear uniform went to take a uniformed job beggars belief. How someone who has so little respect and scanty regard for an organization like the Nigeria Customs Service should be made to head the same organization must baffle right-thinking Nigerians.

In other societies where people have a sense of decency and decorum, people with such irreconcilable differences would honourably resign their position. And where a government finds itself unable to effectively govern, as we appear to have here on our hands, it behooves the head of that government to do the needful.

Mr. President, let it not be said that you have lost grip of your government. Nigerians are beginning to believe, as a statement of fact, your wifes allegation that a cabal has taken over your government. Your defence that your wife belongs to the other room now rings hollow in the ears of Nigerians.

The saying is that he who appoints can also disappoint. Your appointees are your creation and it is an aberration when they become greater and more powerful than you. Mr. President, the tail is wagging the dog right now. You must take effective and firm action to reverse this ugly and unwholesome trend.

I am also the head of a government and I know how it works. The consortium of presidents around you, as Nigerians now derisively refer to those powerful and larger-than-life appointees of yours who take delight in riding roughshod over the polity and desecrating the hallowed chambers of justice, must be cut to size.

If you need help, Nigerians are ready to queue behind you on this issue to put an end to your appointees shenanigans. Mr. President, I, Ayo Fayose, volunteer to help you in this regard. As a state governor, I cannot brook a tenth of what you are taking from your appointees. None of my appointees can disrespect and disparage the Ekiti State House of Assembly like your appointees are doing to the National Assembly.

Did you listen to what a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic said this week on the floor of the red chamber; that for the 59 days that you were away on medical leave in London, your appointees were gentle and behaved themselves and there were no killings in any part of the country by rampaging herdsmen; but now you are back and the troubles are back with us again? We all prayed for your quick recovery and swift return to office. Must we now regret doing so?

ALSO READ: 10 Missiles El-Rufai fired at Buhari
The chairman gave the commendation on Thursday at a meeting between the partys National Working Committee (NWC) members and APC caucus in the House at the National Assembly complex.

Fielding questions from journalists after the about three-hour meeting, he said the leadership of the party was impressed with the performance of the lawmakers and that the visit was to commend them.

Odigie-Oyegun said that the House under the leadership of Mr Yakubu Dogara as speaker had been very supportive of the Federal Government and deserved to be appreciated.

He disclosed that the meeting also discussed the level of consideration of the 2017 Appropriations Bill before the National Assembly.

As you can see, we are all smiling; we discussed general issues, the budget and the progress it is making.

The fact that the House has been very supportive of the government and the party, we congratulate the speaker and members, he said.

The APC chairman also confirmed that the party members in the House were indebted on subscription and other dues and commended them for their show of loyalty.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, gathered that the loan request from Buhari still before the National Assembly were some of the key issues discussed at the meeting.

NAN also learnt that party loyalty also featured prominently at the meeting with the NWC members seeking the understanding of the lawmakers on party supremacy.
According to Ilmfeed, a new research has discovered that this prayer, done five times by Muslims, is capable of reducing lower back pain and is generally great for the back.

However, the benefits can only be gotten if the prostration position, known as the Sajdah, is done the right way, with the right knee and back angles.

If done right, this praying position also increases the elasticity of joints.

The research was carried out on computer-generated models of people in prayer positions.

Prof Khasawneh, co-author of the study said: One way to think about the movements is that they are similar to those of yoga or physical therapy intervention exercises used to treat low back pain.

Physical health is influenced by socio-economic, lifestyle and religious factors.

Moreover, studies indicate that there is a strong association between prayer and vigilance about maintaining a physically healthy lifestyle.

Prayer can eliminate physical stress and anxiety, while there is also research that indicates prayer rituals can be considered an effective clinical treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal dysfunction.

The results of the study have been published in a paper titled, 'An ergonomic study of body motions during Muslim prayer using digital human modelling.'

Apart from these physical benefits, the spiritual benefits of Salat include:

guaranteeing forgiveness from God,

everlasting paradise,

moral elevation,

patience, humility,

sincerity and so much more.

ALSO READ: 7 Islamic prayers you can recite for extensive rewards
The only time you see something different is during the Ramadan, if the Sultan of Sokoto or Emir or someone highly placed in the Islamic world makes a statement.

This is really sad considering the fact that Nigeria is dominated by two religions, Christianity and Islam.

Worldwide, Islam is the second largest religion with 1.3 billion, as documented by The Register.

According to a new report, this number is only going to get bigger, since Islam is going to replace Christianity as the World's most popular religion in 53 years!

With all of these, why is there barely anything related to Islam in the Nigeria online space?

I took this concern to my friends, who are Muslims, and we came up with these three reasons.

1. Muslims do not rely on the Internet for religious knowledge: According to my friends, the Internet is not where Muslims go to for knowledge. Rather, they turn to scholars, Imams, Qu'rans and other Islamic texts. This implies that no serious Muslim is going to turn to Google for answers, when they have other, better ways.

2. The need to verify and state your sources: With Muslims, there is a need to know the source of your information. This means you can not just say anything without having proof. I learnt that every Hadith (sayings of the prophet) can still be traced to the prophet Muhammad himself, who lived about 1400 years ago!!!! Wow. So, you have to be able to prove what you are saying.

Also, anything that is said has to be backed by scholarly opinion because Muslims regard scholars as the successors and inheritors of the prophets. Abu Darda reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,  This long chain of transmission of knowledge, combined with the need to be completely sure, definitely prevents the Internet from being overly jam-packed with information.

3. The fear of online bullying: My friends say that there is nothing as scary as not getting something wrong in Islam. This is because the religion is very structured, leaving little room for personal opinion. Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would praise Allah in his sermon as He deserves to be praised and then he would say, Whoever Allah guides, no one can lead him astray. Whoever Allah sends astray, no one can guide him. The truest word is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil matters are those that are newly invented

This means everything HAS to be based on the Qu'ran. When this is not the case, the person will be seriously criticised. In the words of my friend, "there is an eggshell approach to addressing Islamic issues." This means the fear of being criticised/bullied is strong enough to prevent anyone from saying or writing just anything on the Internet.

Basically, this is why we do not have enough Islam online presence as compared to Christainity.

Is this a bad thing? I don't think so.

I wish we had some of this kind of structure with Christians, then maybe we would not just have churches anywhere and everywhere, or people, who can just come with their own version of Christianity, which is usually different from what Jesus Christ stood for.

ALSO READ: 10 times South African pastors have embarrassed Christianity

Kudos to Muslims for doing their very best to stay true to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
The bone of contention is Etisalats Kwik Cash loan service product which V-Exchange says the telco stole. Speaking to journalists in Lagos, Samuel Ajiboyede, co-founder at V-Exchange, said he met with Etisalat officials in November 2016 concerning his companys product and partnership options.

Etisalat officials were impressed, Ajiboyede said, and asked for more details. The Etisalat reps then asked Ajiboyede to secure a short code license from the NCC so a deal could be put in place, he said.

His short code application to the NCC was never attended to but, to his surprise, Etisalat went ahead to launch the product without his companys knowledge, Ajiboyede said.

Also speaking to journalists, Kemi Ayinde, V-Exchanges CEO, said people were even calling to congratulate her on getting her companys product launched without knowing that her company had nothing to do with the launch.

In a letter addressed to the CEO of Etisalat from the chambers of Ubani & Co dated January 10, 2017, V-Exchange demanded N2 billion in compensation from Etisalat for alleged copyright infringement.

An excerpt of the letter read: Our client has tested your product on several customers of your company and confirmed that the said product was the exact product for which it has exclusive right.

That this abysmal unlawful conduct of your company as highlighted above, has infringed our clients products for which copyright subsisted despite the caveat by known owners being our client that no part of this shall be reproduced or copied in any material form without its prior authorisation.

In response, Etisalat has since denied the claims saying its Kwik Cash solution was already launched before the meeting with V-Exchange.

In a text sent to The Guardian, Oluseyi Osuntedo, Etisalats Head of Corporate Communication, said Kwikcash is a financial service owned and operated by a licensed financial institution with all relevant approvals from NCC and CBN to offer service, stressing that the owner of the product merely offers the service on Etisalats network platform.

Even during the meeting with V-Exchange in November 2016, the discussions were for a different product, which purported to use airtime for payment or to transfer monetary value. Etisalat could not proceed with that as its not a permitted transaction going by mobile payments guideline, Osuntedo said, according to The Guardian.

In addition, V-Exchange could not provide relevant approvals allowing it to provide the service. KwickCash was deployed on Etisalats network platform well before the proposal by V-Exchange.
They used both speedboats and ground fighters, attacking the city, but our troops inflicted heavy losses on them, said Madobe.

According to the mayor among the 10 dead were eight al-Shabaab fighters and two soldiers.Al-Shabaab meanwhile claimed on pro-insurgent radio station Andalus it killed numerous soldiers, set two military vehicles ablaze and looted ammunition.

The group, which is seeking an Islamist state in Somalia and is affiliated with the international al-Qaeda terrorist network, launches regular attacks within the volatile East African nation.

NAN recalls that Al-Shabab once controlled much of southern and central Somalia and imposed a harsh form of Islamic law that banned music and led to public amputations for accused thieves.

Government and African Union troops have recaptured most of the territory, but the militants were still able to kill several members of parliament last year, and launch two major assaults on the presidential palace.

The Somali government first offered amnesty to al-Shabab fighters last September, after al-Shababs top leader Ahmed Godane was killed in a U.S. airstrike.

Since Godanes death, al-Shababs leaders have been divided, but it has remained a strong fighting force and challenge to the Somali government.

In words directed at the militants , then president Hassan Mohamud said he knows many al-Shabab members joined for reasons that made sense at the time, including the need for money, or a sense they were proving themselves to be good Muslims or good Somalis.

But, he added, What you did does not have to dictate the rest of your life.

Mohamud acknowledged some Somalis are uneasy about amnesty for al-Shabab members. He said those who defect go through a process of supervised rehabilitation and are monitored by Somali security forces to ensure they continue to reject the militant group.
"The provisional toll of the attacks in the Agoudou Manga, Yasseneme and Ngouyanza is at least 50 dead. Dozens more have been injured," said Isaac Arata-Naba, an Agoudou Manga resident.

Tchoulekrayo said the attacks were staged by members of the UPC, a faction of the former rebel and mainly Muslim Seleka movement "which is continuing to stage reprisal attacks against natives."

But a UPC (Unity of Central African People) source denied the group was involved in the latest attacks.

The source said a rival Seleka faction called the Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic had raided the villages, adding that they were targeting UPC positions.

One of the world's poorest nations, the Central African Republic has been struggling to recover from a three-year civil war between the Muslim and Christian militias that started in 2013.

President Faustin-Archange Touadera took office in March 2016 with a mandate to lead a transition to peace but much of the country remains under the control of armed groups.

Deadly clashes between rival factions have regularly broken out near the central town of Bambari, where a contingent of the UN peacekeeping force is based.

The fighting is linked to the control of lucrative mines in the mineral-rich country and racketeering.
Groysman said 550 emergency workers, medics and police officers had been dispatched to the scene to keep the fire from spreading to nearby populated areas.

However the fire's reach was still expanding, with the emergency workers unable to contain it.

Earlier in the day the crackling sound of detonations thought to be exploding munitions could be heard from some 20 kilometres away.

The fire broke out overnight in the town of Balakliya at a depot where missiles and munitions were kept, causing them to detonate.

Ukraine's Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios said in a statement that the blaze had been caused "as a result of an act of sabotage."

Matios said witnesses had heard a sound resembling a drone in flight before the blasts began in Balakliya, which is located some 100 kilometres from the pro-Russian insurgent stronghold of Donetsk.

Cloud of smoke

Ukraine Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said authorities were considering the theory that "explosive devices dropped from an unmanned aerial vehicle" could have caused the fire, Interfax Ukraine news agency reported.

He added that there appeared to be no casualties in the explosions.

A 54-year-old woman sustained shrapnel wounds and was transported to a local hospital, the regional police force said in a statement.

An AFP reporter who accessed Balakliya saw it almost completely deserted following evacuation, with the silence broken by occasional blasts while clouds of grey smoke rose above residential buildings.

In Yakovenkove, a village five kilometres north of town, locals said their homes had been hit by shapnel from the burning depot.

Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko has ordered increased security controls at the nation's military facilities, presidential spokesman Svyatoslav Tsegolko said.

The Ukrainian military has been fighting pro-Russian separatists in the country's east since April 2014 in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people.

The depot in Balakliya housed munitions and arms used by Ukrainian troops fighting the insurgents, according to Ukrainian television.

At least two civilians were killed and eight people injured in a similar incident in October 2015 in the government-held city of Svatove, some 60 kilometres outside rebel-held territory.
The move reverses a decision in 2015 by his predecessor Barack Obama to block the project, which was first proposed in 2008.

Here are key facts about the project:

Keystone XL was an expansion of TransCanada's existing system to funnel bitumen from Alberta's oil sands to refineries on the US Gulf Coast.

The portion blocked by the Obama administration was a $5.3 billion proposal to build a 1,179-mile (1,900 kilometer) pipeline from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska.

The pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of oil per day.

For many, the objections to the pipeline were a proxy for their fight against climate change. Environmental activists say Alberta's oil sands are the "dirtiest" oil on the planet.

Unlike traditional crude which gushes from a well, bitumen from the oil sands must be dug up or extracted by underground heating, essentially using steaming hot water to separate it from the sandstone before it can be refined.

This means more fossil fuels need to be burned as part of the extraction process, which further contributes to climate change.

It also takes vast amounts of water resources and results in huge ponds of polluted water and the strip-mining of once-pristine boreal forests.

The oil sands underlie 142,000 square kilometers (55,000 square miles) but the industry says only two percent of the surface area is affected by open pit mines.

Environmentalists argue that crude bitumen also contains a corrosive component, which makes pipeline ruptures or leaks more likely and carries greater health and safety risks.

TransCanada says Keystone would provide a $3.4 billion boost to US gross domestic product (GDP), including $55.6 billion in annual property taxes spread across 27 counties in three states.

The State Department estimated the route would create 42,000 temporary jobs over a two-year construction period.

Opponents note that less than 50 permanent jobs would be created for pipeline maintenance and argued that the project would kill more jobs than it creates by diverting investment away from more labor-intensive green energy alternatives like wind and solar power.

TransCanada argued that bringing another 830,000 barrels of oil a day from friendly, neighboring Canada would reduce US dependence on the Middle East and Venezuela by up to 40 percent.

TransCanada argued that buried pipelines are far safer for transporting oil than ships or trains and claims to have "one of the best safety records in the industry." It also notes that there are more than 2.6 million miles of oil and gas pipelines in the United States "that deliver 99.9998 percent of their products safely and reliably every day."

The pipeline would be equipped with 21,000 sensors that provide updates every five seconds via satellite and the ability to isolate a problem within minutes through remote-controlled valves.
Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter "underscored the validity of Swiss law on Swiss soil, urged Turkey to comply with it," a statement said.

"Freedom of expression is a universal value recognised by Switzerland, which hopes that this freedom will also hold true for Turkish citizens whether they cast their votes in Switzerland or in their own country," it quoted Burkhalter as saying.

Cavusoglu's visit comes after the Swiss government rejected a request from Zurich authorities to cancel a previously planned visit by the minister earlier this month, after the canton's security spokesman warned that a rally he was due to attend could be hit by "heavy demonstrations".

However, the organisers cancelled the event after the hotel they had booked refused to host it.

Swiss police on March 10 also blocked a rally in the northern canton of Argau supporting a "yes" vote in the referendum.

Ankara has said such behaviour was reminiscent of Nazi Germany, and Erdogan warned on Wednesday that Europeans risk being unsafe on the world's streets if they did not modify their behaviour.

On April 16, Turks will decide whether to approve constitutional changes that would axe the role of prime minister and could see Erdogan in power until 2029.

While the government argues it is necessary for stability, critics claim it will lead to one-man rule.

Burkhalter expressed concern about a crackdown in Turkey following a failed July 15 coup that the government has blamed on US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Burkhalter expressed "concern about the large number of dismissals and arrests in Turkey, and underscored that the declaration of a state of emergency does not exempt Turkey from its international human rights obligations," the Swiss foreign ministry said.
And while he said problems such as the economic and migration crises and the rise of populism could be overcome by the remaining 27 members, he said they could prove fatal if not treated.

"When a body loses its sense of direction and is no longer able to look ahead, it experiences a regression and, in the long run, risks dying," he said in a speech to EU leaders at the Vatican.

Francis said the leaders of the six countries who founded the European Economic Community on March 25, 1957 had shown faith in the future after the destruction of World War II.

"They did not lack boldness, nor did they act too late," he said.

"It was clear from the outset, that the heart of the European political project could only be man himself.

"The first element of European vitality must be solidarity," he added, describing the principle as "the most effective antidote to modern forms of populism."

Deep divisions

Francis added: "That spirit remains as necessary as ever today" as "centrifugal" pressures mount and the founding ideals are forgotten.

Some EU governments and a significant bloc in the European Parliament agree with the pope's desire for the EU to put more emphasis on combatting social injustice.

"Now is the time to make our welfare model truly European," Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said at Friday's meeting with the pontiff.

But there is no consensus among the 27 on this, nor on almost any other issue to do with the bloc's next steps.

A "Rome declaration" due to be adopted on Saturday papers over deep divisions over founding member states France and Germany's desire to move to a multi-speed union, allowing some countries to forge closer ties, for example in the military sphere, while others lag behind.

On social policy, the declaration restricts itself to recalling that the bloc is one with "unparalleled levels of social protection and welfare," according to an approved final draft seen by AFP.

Francis also upbraided the modern-day EU for forgetting the damage the Cold War division of Europe had done -- in a reference to the barriers he sees the EU erecting to migrants arriving from Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

'No peace without jobs'

"What efforts were made to tear down that wall (the iron curtain)!" he said. "Yet today the memory of those efforts has been lost.

"Forgotten too is the tragedy of separated families, poverty and destitution born of that division.

"Where generations longed to see the fall of those signs of forced hostility, these days we debate how to keep out the 'dangers' of our time: beginning with the long file of women, men and children fleeing war and poverty, seeking only a future for themselves and their loved ones."

Francis said the EU needed to recover a sense of community and close the gap between its citizens and institutions "often perceived as distant and inattentive."

He went on to underline how the long peace in Europe, generally seen as the greatest achievement of the EU, had been underpinned by a new social settlement and high employment levels.

"There is no peace without employment and the prospect of earning a dignified wage," he said.

"There is no peace in the peripheries of our cities, with their rampant drug abuse and violence.
Earlier this week, Tillerson caused dismay among Washington's European allies when his office announced that he would not be able to attend the meeting of the 28-member alliance.

But diplomats have been scrambling to find another date to accommodate the envoy from NATO's leading member.

"The Secretary of State will visit NATO in Brussels on Friday, March 31. The visit will come after his trip to Ankara, Turkey. Details about his schedule are forthcoming," a spokesman said.

Another official told AFP it was not yet clear whether the full foreign ministers' meeting would be brought forward to Tillerson's preferred date or if his talks would be separate.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit President Donald Trump in the United States in early April, and Tillerson would be expected to attend their meetings.

But his office has not confirmed that engagement, and word that Tillerson would stay away from the long-planned NATO talks raised questions about the United States' commitment to its allies.

NATO member Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavasoglu has already announced that he expects to meet Tillerson in Ankara on Thursday, March 30.

On Tuesday, the State Department said that Tillerson would be represented in Brussels on April 5 and 6 by his acting deputy, career diplomat Tom Shannon.

After almost two months in the job, Tillerson has yet to appoint a deputy or any assistant secretaries, has largely avoided the media and works with a small inner circle of advisers.

The administration, meanwhile, has been scrambling to reaffirm its commitment to US military alliances after Trump called into question their usefulness during the presidential campaign.

Last week, after meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump claimed Germany owes "vast sums of money to NATO and the United States," reviving his charge that allies do not pay their way.

Defense Secretary James Mattis, a former Marine general, has declared US support for NATO, and last week Tillerson reaffirmed ties with Asian allies Japan and South Korea.

But Tillerson's absence from the alliance foreign ministers' meeting would have been noted with concern, especially by newer East European members on its exposed east flank.

The United States has worked with NATO to shore up support for the pro-western government in Kiev after Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for a bloody uprising in eastern Ukraine.

Combined with economic sanctions, the deployment of more NATO troops from Western members to frontline Eastern allies in the Baltics and Poland was intended to send a signal to Moscow.
The Geneva-based body decided to "dispatch urgently an independent international fact-finding mission" to Myanmar, particularly focused in northern Rahkine state, in a resolution adopted by consensus.

The mission must provide an oral update in September and a full report by this time next year, said the resolution backed by the European Union.

The decision marks a partial diplomatic victory for Myanmar's new civilian government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The United Nations special rapporteur on rights in Myanmar, European Union, had urged the council to set up a Commission of Inquiry -- the world body's highest level probe -- to document anti-Rohingya violations.

But Lee's call found little support, including among EU powers with major influence in the council.

Earlier this month, Lee told reporters that European leaders wanted to give Suu Kyi's nascent government more time before launching a top-level inquiry, which may have implicated top military officials in crimes against humanity.

Myanmar has been staunchly opposed to a Commission of Inquiry. The country's rights council ambassador, Htin Lynn, also called the move to send a lower level investigation "unacceptable".

Myanmar has launched its own domestic probe into possible crimes in Rahkine and appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to head a commission tasked with healing long-simmering divisions between Buddhists and Muslims.

Japan, which supported Friday's resolution, said in a statement that the UN should wait until the national probe led by Vice-President U Myint Swe reports and only dispatch international investigators "if necessary".

Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh have told the UN rights office that soldiers executed babies in front of their mothers in Rakhine state as part of campaign to terrorise the Muslim minority.

Myanmar has long faced international condemnation for its treatment of the Rohingya, who many in the Buddhist majority reject as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
"Donald Trump is a revolutionary model of the new democratic order, a great leader of modern times," Mayor Xhelal Mziu, of the main rightwing opposition Democratic Party, told AFP.

The party's national leader, Lulzim Basha, attended the renaming of Liria ("Liberty") Avenue this month, telling the crowd: "By electing Mr Trump, the US gave the world another lesson in democracy."

He also praised Trump's victory as "act of love for the champions of freedom".

The town's admiration contrasts sharply with the opinion of Albania's Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, who made no secret of his preference for Hillary Clinton during the US campaign.

She had won over many ethnic Albanians because of her husband Bill's role in the NATO campaign against Serbia during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war.

Not all of the 100,000 inhabitants of Kamza were enthusiastic about the new street, even in a town known for bestowing similar honours on former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Italy's ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi and others.

The town has grown sporadically in recent years as poverty in mountainous regions has led to an influx of newcomers.

"We gave a street to Sarkozy, Berlusconi, Bush, the World Bank, Paris and Tokyo, but why?" said Haxhi Hyra, 52, who supports his extended family of 12 by selling cigarettes and popcorn on a corner of what is now Donald Trump Boulevard.

"It serve us only for dreaming since the daily reality is nothing but a nightmare," Hyra said.

"I only hope that if he visits Kamza one day he will buy my popcorn," he said. "They will be fresh and at the right price."
Attorneys representing the city of Moline and interim City Administrator J.D. Schulte have submitted a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by City Clerk Tracy Koranda.

Michael Atkus, one of the attorneys for the the city and Schulte, filed documents with the Rock Island County District Court on Tuesday arguing against the four counts Koranda claimed in her suit, including a preliminary injunction against placing Koranda on paid administrative leave, violation of the Open Meetings Act, damages pursuant to the Illinois Whistleblower Protection Act and damages for retaliation.

Koranda was put on paid administrative leave Jan. 25 "pending an investigation into several allegations that she mishandled paperwork related to the upcoming April 2017 local election, lied under oath during an Electoral Board hearing in December 2016 and gave preferential treatment to some candidates for local office in her official capacity as city clerk," according to the city's filing.

Koranda's attorney, John Doak, said he received the city's filing late Thursday and has not had an opportunity to review, so he declined comment.

In December, the Moline election board upheld challenges to the nominating petitions of mayoral candidates Stephanie Acri and Bob Vogelbaugh and City Council candidates John Zelnio and Sonia Berg for not numbering their petitions.

The board came to 2-1 decision to uphold the challenges despite the candidates being given sheets with a numbering space cut off by Koranda.

Two days before being placed on leave, Koranda emailed City Attorney Maureen Riggs with a request for investigation into misconduct by the City Council.

As to the violations Koranda claimed, Atkus stated she has no right to continue to perform her duties as city clerk, and under section 2-3111 of city policy, she "has no clearly ascertainable right to not have personnel actions taken against her."

Atkus disputed the characterization of Schulte's decision to place Koranda on paid leave as "arbitrary or capricious" when it was "to investigate allegations against her and investigate allegations that she made against the City Council."

Atkus also argued that claims of damage to reputation and retaliation charges should be dismissed because Koranda has not been terminated.

With regard to Opens Meeting Act violations, Koranda claimed the city erred in appointing Schulte as interim city administrator on Jan. 24 because the appointment was not on the council's agenda that day.

The attorneys for the plaintiffs contend, however, that the council's action was legal and that the council also passed a resolution on Schulte's appointment on Feb. 7 retroactive to Jan. 24.

In Koranda's whistleblowing claim, Atkus did not dispute Koranda's request for investigation as a whistleblowing activity, but he argued there were no facts to suggest she suffered "a materially adverse act" or the decision to place her on leave was a result of it.
Their hands finally forced, we learned this past week where Iowas Congressional Republicans stood on their partys plan to dismantle the Democrats health care reforms.

Even if they never got to cast their vote.

Iowas three Republican U.S. House members never went officially on the House record because GOP legislation to repeal much of the health care reform implemented by Democrats under former President Barack Obama was pulled by leaders Friday just minutes before a planned vote.

But the Iowa delegation had stated their intentions earlier in the week.

Rod Blum, from the eastern Iowa 1st District, and David Young, from the central Iowa 3rd District, said they planned to vote against the proposal, placing them among the roughly two dozen House Republicans to make such a pledge.

Steve King, from the western Iowa 4th District, said he planned to vote in support of the legislation on the promise of alterations to be made in the Senate.

Each vote is interesting in its own right, and worth exploring.

Blum had been noncommittal regarding his vote until Tuesday, just days before Friday's debate in the U.S. House. Blum said he opposed the GOP plan because it did not sufficiently drive down health care costs.

Blum is in his second term representing a district that has roughly 20,000 more Democratic voters than Republicans. Perhaps his vote was motivated by surviving re-election in such a district.

However, Blum also is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, which consists of some of the Houses most conservative members. Many members of that group had said they were opposed to the GOP health care bill.

Young also kept his vote close to the vest until revealing his feelings on Wednesday.

Young represents a district that has roughly 10,000 more Republican voters than Democrats. In a statement, Young called the GOP bill a very good start but said the bill does not yet get it right.

Youngs statement seemed to indicate a willingness to support an updated bill when he added, This conversation is not over.

King announced in a live video posted on Facebook that he would support the bill after receiving assurances that, eventually, it will strip mandated benefits for insurance coverage.

King represents Iowas most conservative district. Iowa's 4th Congressional has roughly 40,000 more Republican voters than Democrats.

It was an interesting week for congressional Republicans as they inched closer to taking significant action on health care reform but ultimately bailed. After spending much of the past eight years and two national elections promising to repeal Obamas health care law, Republicans in Washington have been dealing with the reality of the significant effort it will take to make that happen without upsetting their constituents.

Republican leaders at the very top --- President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan --- spent the week encouraging Republicans to support the legislation. National media reports said Trump threatened to help promote primary election candidates against Republicans who declined to support the GOP health care bill.

But as Republican efforts to demolish Obamas health care law intensified, the law grew increasingly popular in public opinion polls. The law --- properly known as the Affordable Care Act and more commonly known as Obamacare --- started March with its best-ever average on Real Clear Politics at plus-5.3.

So Republicans are left to deal with their conservative base that still wants the law ripped off the books, but also growing support from others --- including some Republicans --- who want it preserved.

All of this helped to make this weeks House GOP vote-wrangling so interesting.

And it never even made it to the Senate.
Basic fairness will die in Appropriations. And Iowa's busted tax policy will kill it.

That's the fate of school equity legislation now sitting in the Iowa House, according to predictions of a half-dozen state lawmakers representing the Quad-Cities. The bipartisan soothsaying late Wednesday and early Thursday put a cloud over what, until now, had been a high-point of the legislative cycle.

The bill passed earlier this month in the state Senate, SF 455, was the "best opportunity yet" for fairness among all public school students in Iowa, Davenport Community School District Superintendent Art Tate told us. For too long, Iowa has touted a grossly unjust funding model where some districts receive more state funding than others. But, as we predicted earlier this week, years of tax cuts, exemptions and corporate welfare has hamstrung Iowa's ability to do much of anything.

And that's the reality faced by proponents of the equity bill, which breezed through the House Education Committee on Wednesday. Now, the $203 million, 10-year package heads to the House Appropriations Committee. And that's where Quad-Cities Reps. Norlin Mommsen, Republican, and Democrats Phyllis Thede and Cindy Winckler -- all committee members -- predicted the legislation's demise, in light of yet another revenue shortfall of more than $100 million.

For their part, all House members surveyed support the bill, at least in concept. Reps. Winckler and Monica Kurth would back it should it ever reach the floor. Republicans Ross Paustian and Gary Mohr, too, would back it in concept. But they just don't see Appropriations freeing up the $14 million needed for its first year.

"It's unfortunate that the Senate rushed a bill over to us without any idea on how to fund it," Paustian said.

So, now what?

The legislation's very existence is a moral victory, some will say. It's an acknowledgement that the system is broken. It's an official recognition that more than 300 districts statewide, including Davenport and Maquoketa, can't compete with their neighbors and, as a result, are further hamstrung by incessant middle class flight and sagging property values, they'll contend.

There can be no moral victory until the structural injustice is undone. Still, Tate would find himself facing career-ending sanctions because of his budgetary protests against an inequitable funding model. His district would continue to live under a mandate that bilks it of $2.4 million every year.

It's possible that lawmakers will forgive Tate's legal transgressions as a consolation prize. Bills kicking around both chambers would legalize the budgetary maneuver he enacted. A simple retroactive provision could clear Tate and salvage his career. That's the least lawmakers could do. In so doing, they'd provide themselves political cover by avoiding a public spat with a respected school official standing on principle.

But, as Tate would tell you, this isn't about him. It's about his students.

And that's who, yet again, gets failed by a state that's gutted its revenue to the tune of $12 billion a year through tax hand-outs to special interests.

SF 455 wasn't perfect, which the Democrats will tell you. The decade-long roll-out opens the door for future legislatures to kill it. It was, however, the most politically feasible path forward.

The fact remains, tens of thousands of children in Iowa will continue to be second-class citizens if the bill dies. And it's those students who would pay for the state handouts for the well connected.
The official headcount will not be available until the end of the month, but a good look int
Law enforcement and federal officials are releasing little information about what may have caused the plane crash that killed an Opal man.

The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the crash did include a few more details about the day Barry Vig died.

According to the report, following an annual inspection of his airplane, a Cessna 210B, Vig planned to return to the Faith Municipal Airport where the airplane was normally stored.

Investigators say Vig left Rapid City Regional Airport without a flight plan just after 4 p.m. on Thursday. They say that while en route to Faith, the pilot flew to the Vig Limousin Ranch Airstrip, which was adjacent to his ranch home.

"The airplane subsequently impacted a hill 275 yards from the departure end of Runway 31 at 1SD4 and came to rest 175 feet beyond the initial impact crater," the report said. There were no witnesses, officials said.

The crash happened about 4:40 p.m., according to the report.

The pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed, the report said. The airplane was registered to and operated by Groves Vig & Vig LLP.

Lt. Col. Bruce Kipp, Director of Public Affairs for the South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, said that at about 10:40 p.m. on March 16, Col. Mike Beason of CAP received a phone call reporting that the aircraft was missing.

Using data provided by the FAA, the Meade County deputy sheriff on duty, SDWG aircrews, the family of the missing pilot and CAP's radar, CAP began to search for the plan on a route roughly between Rapid City and Faith, Kipp said.

"Using their on-board radio-direction-finding system they quickly detected an active aircraft emergency locator transmitter and flew to the area," he said. "They were able to refine the location of the aircraft's emergency beacon, and helped guide local law enforcement and rescue personnel to the aircraft wreckage east-south-east of Opal."

Local authorities on the ground confirmed that the wreckage was that of the missing aircraft and recovered Vig's body, Kipp said.

Funeral services for Vig, 67, will be 1:30 p.m. Monday, March 27, at the Faith Community Center. Burial follows at the Opal Cemetery.
A Custer County man died Wednesday from injuries suffered in a vehicle fire off Sylvan Lake Road near Custer on Monday.

Matt Morgan, 56, was a Rapid City Journal newspaper carrier who served the Custer area.

The fire occurred around 6:55 a.m. Monday. Morgan was transported to Custer Regional Hospital and later airlifted to a burn center in Colorado, Custer Volunteer Fire Department first assistant chief Bill Bell told the Custer County Chronicle.

An employee of Hespen Excavation initially responded to the fire, pulling Morgan from the vehicle, which was engulfed in flames. Four Custer firefighters and two U.S. Forest Service firefighters later responded to the scene. Deputies from the Custer County Sheriffs Office and the Office of Emergency Management also assisted.

Morgan's injuries included burn wounds and excessive smoke inhalation.

The State Fire Marshall's Office, part of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, is investigating the fire but declined to comment on the incident.
Law enforcement and federal officials are releasing little information about what caused the March 16 plane crash that killed an Opal man.

The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the crash that includes a few more details about the day Barry Vig died.

According to the report, following an annual inspection of his airplane, a Cessna 210B, Vig planned to return to Faith Municipal Airport, where the airplane was normally stored.

Investigators say Vig left Rapid City Regional Airport without a flight plan just after 4 p.m. Thursday. They say that while en route to Faith, the pilot flew to the Vig Limousin Ranch Airstrip, which was adjacent to his ranch home.

"The airplane subsequently impacted a hill 275 yards from the departure end of Runway 31 at 1SD4 and came to rest 175 feet beyond the initial impact crater," the report said. There were no witnesses, officials said.

The crash occurred around 4:40 p.m., according to the report.

The pilot died as a result of his injuries and the airplane was destroyed, the report said. The airplane was registered to and operated by Groves Vig & Vig LLP.

Lt. Col. Bruce Kipp, director of Public Affairs for the South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, said that about 10:40 p.m. on March 16, Col. Mike Beason of CAP received a phone call reporting that the aircraft was missing.

Using data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Meade County deputy sheriff on duty, South Dakota Wing aircrews, the family of the missing pilot and CAP's radar, CAP began to search for the plane on a route roughly between Rapid City and Faith, Kipp said.

"Using their on-board radio direction finding system they quickly detected an active aircraft emergency locator transmitter and flew to the area," he said. "They were able to refine the location of the aircraft's emergency beacon and helped guide local law enforcement and rescue personnel to the aircraft wreckage east-southeast of Opal."

Local authorities on the ground confirmed that the wreckage was that of the missing aircraft and recovered Vig's body, Kipp said.

Funeral services for Vig, 67, will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Faith Community Center. Burial follows at the Opal Cemetery.
I love what Bridger Gordon, a student from Whitewood, wrote about agriculture: Agriculture encompasses  and enhances  the entire environment, harnessing soil, water, sunlight to produce food, habitat, employment. That observation helped Bridger win a national essay contest this year, which came with a $1,000 prize and a trip to Washington, DC, to celebrate National Ag Day on March 21.

Bridger is right. The impact of agriculture is expansive, which is why America has offered producers a safety net for decades in the Farm Bill. While the deadline is still more than a year away, work on the next Farm Bill is already underway. Hearings have begun and Im working closely with Ag Committee Chairman Conaway to be sure South Dakota producers have the support they need.

The 2014 Farm Bill was one of the most reformed weve seen. It maintained strong risk-management programs, strengthened the livestock disaster program, and invested in ag-related research. But improvements are needed. Im working on legislation, for instance, that would streamline the process for wetland determinations, ensuring producers get a timely response and have an efficient path for appeals.

We also must make sure commodity programs work as they were intended. Ive heard many concerns about how ARC-county was administered, so were looking at possible improvements there.

Changes to conservation programs, like CRP, are also being discussed. During the last general sign up, only 101 acres were accepted into CRP in South Dakota even though producers submitted applications for thousands more. The numbers dont add up.

In addition to the Farm Bill, I want to make the regulatory environment work better for agriculture. Already, Congress and President Trump have delayed, suspended, or reversed more than 90 Obama-era regulations, including many impacting rural South Dakota. The president announced steps to roll back the controversial Waters of the U.S. rule, for example, just weeks after I sent a letter urging him to do so.

Ive also been in touch with the administration on the importance of maintaining a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which helps get ethanol and biodiesel into gas pumps around the country. This is something the Obama administration often fell short on, but Im encouraged by the Trump administrations repeated commitments to the RFS.

Were also working on comprehensive tax reform. In 2015, we permanently extended Section 179, which many use when purchasing equipment. Ive also been supportive of a $1-per-gallon tax credit for biodiesel to help decrease our reliance on foreign oil and increase support for American-grown fuels. More must be done though.

In the Houses blueprint for tax reform, were looking to lower tax rates for small businesses, simplify the tax code, and repeal the taxes that make it more difficult to pass an ag operation from one generation to the next (this includes the death tax).

I am incredibly proud to represent so many farmers and ranchers, the very people who  as Bridger Gordon observed  grow the worlds food, preserve our local habitat, and provide employment for more than 120,000 people in South Dakota. Thank you for all you do.
Ukrainian Interior Ministers adviser declares identity of Russian ex-MPs alleged killer

MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI) - Adviser to the Interior Minister of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko disclosed identity of an alleged killer of former Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov on his Facebook page on Friday.

Voronenkovs murderer is a Ukrainian citizen Pavel Parshov, born in 1988, Gerashchenko announced.

Parshov served in the Ukrainian National Guard for 13 months but he did not participate in military operations, the official said.

Parshov has been put on the wanted list for fictitious business activity and money laundering, according to a statement issued on the Ukrainian Interior Ministrys website.

Voronenkov was shot dead in the central part of Ukrainian capital Kiev on Thursday. The incident took place just outside the Premier Palace Hotel in downtown Kiev around 11.25 am local time.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko told journalists that the assailant was hospitalized. He added that there are two potential motives for murder: either it was related to Voronenkovs role as witness in a case against ex-president of Ukraine Yanukovych or to former MPs investigations into smuggling cases.

Later, press-secretary of the Prosecutor General, Larisa Sargan, wrote on her Twitter account that the assailant died in the hospital.

Voronenkov, a former member of the Communist Party, moved to Ukraine last October together with his wife Maria Maksakova, also an ex-lawmaker, and was granted Ukrainian citizenship in December 2016.

In Russia, Voronenkov faced numerous criminal charges, among them of fraud, and was arrested in absentia by a Moscow court; his name was put on the federal wanted list.

Investigators believe that in August 2010 through June 2011 Voronenkov assisted a group of accomplices in defrauding an owner of a building in Moscow of his property and its illegal sale. Voronenkov allegedly was paid over $1,2 million for his role in the fraud.

According to the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee, it was established that Voronenkov ensured financing of criminal activities and gave instructions to the accomplices. He also allegedly laundered the criminal proceeds and distributed the money among other participants in the fraud.
Those following the canola markets were excited to hear the news at the end of February that the White House was thinking of issuing a bio-fuels executive order that would have increased the demand for U.S. produced bio-fuels from both canola and soybeans, as well as ethanol, according to Barry Coleman, executive director of the Northern Canola Growers Association. As a result, prices for vegetable oil from both crops saw a significant increase.This caught everyone by surprise and of course the markets really jumped that week, Coleman said. But since then the oilseeds complex has given up all of the gains that came about because of that.But there is still some talk that there is going to be a move to possibly change the bio-diesel tax credit from a blender credit to a producer credit, and that will basically limit the bio-diesel imports into the U.S. We bring in a lot of bio-diesel from Argentina into the U.S., which displaces U.S. production of bio-diesel.If they would change that tax credit, that would effectively shut off those imports and would create more demand domestically.The rationale behind switching from a blender credit to a producer credit would be President Trumps desire to encourage the use of what we produce domestically over that which is imported.It seems kind of crazy that the tax credits would be given to an imported product, he said. It defies common sense-there have been many people saying that for a number of years, so hopefully we will see that change.The rumors about the possibility of a new executive order bumped soybean oil prices up two cents a pound, which Coleman termed a crazy jump in a short period of time. But since then they have given up the gains.To further increase the downward price pressure, Coleman said the USDA report that came out on March 9, was negative for beans due to an increase in the ending stocks of soybeans. This has resulted in many in the market asking if the canola and soybean markets have topped out.However, all eyes will now turn to the acreage report that is due out at the end of March and the trends in weather. This will be driving the markets in the next few weeks.He noted there is still indications of an increase in canola acres this spring, and a marketer from Canada recently predicted they could see a half million more acres of canola seeded in Canada this spring due to the bio-diesel discussion going on in Washington, D.C. a couple weeks ago. That prediction should be a cause for concern, since Ag Canada recently lowered their ending stocks to 1.1 million, which places them with a fairly low carryout figure.The latest cash canola prices for May delivery ranged from a low of $17.01 per hundredweight at the crushing plant in Velva, ND to a high of $18.20 in West Fargo. All crushing plant prices are updated daily on the Northern Canola Growers webpage.
As the heavy snow from winter melts, freezes and re-melts, hay bales stored out in the field or in the yard can suffer from excess moisture.It is always a good idea to test hay before feeding it to your livestock, especially if it has been stored outside, said Emily Glunk, Montana State University forage specialist.Whenever precipitation is introduced to the bale, there is always the potential for mold to form.There are many factors, however, that determine if a bale gets mold.Bale density, stack formation, net wrap versus twine, being stored on bare ground or elevated, left in standing water  these can all have major implications on if and how much mold will form, Glunk said.For example, bales that are dense; those that are kept off the soil surface, and bales that don't have moisture sitting on them for long periods of time have a lower risk of mold forming.I always recommend producers to keep an eye on their bales and look for mold, and be on the lookout for what type of mold it is, she said.For instance, if producers notice red mold, they need to be especially careful around these bales and wear a mask with a respirator.Bales with red mold should not be fed to your cattle or other livestock, as this type of mold can cause major health issues, Glunk said.If producers suspect mold, they can take a sample of the hay and send it in to the state lab or a commercial lab. In Montana, producers can send their sample to the Schutter Lab, which is easier and usually less expensive than using a commercial lab.Not all hay needs to be tested for mold, as not all hay will have mold, but if you do see mold damage, it is always a good idea to get it checked at the lab, said Glunk.The lab will be able to identify the mold species, and give a mold count, Glunk said.Horses are typically more sensitive to mold than cows, but both can have issues.A safe hay to feed is characterized by mold counts, she added, explaining hay should be less than 500,000 colony forming units (cfu) per gram.When a hay sample is rising above that number, producers need to start watching their livestock feeding, and dilute moldy hay with non-moldy hay.If you are over 5 million cfu per gram, then you should not feed at all, Glunk said.Horses can develop respiratory issues more easily than cows and sheep, and for that reason it is recommended to not feed horses any moldy hay.Molds can decrease the energy availability of hay, and thus decrease the overall quality of the hay. Animals with elevated nutrient requirements, such as lactating animals, will need to be supplemented or fed more to make up for this lower quality hay.A lot of times, we discount the energy availability to only 95 percent of what the hay tests at, as that is estimated to be the approximate amount that mold can decrease it by, Glunk said. If your mold count is over 1 million cfu/gram, you would need to start discounting.All livestock with elevated requirements usually need a higher-quality forage than when they are at maintenance.The best way to ensure they are getting the necessary nutrients is to test your hay and compare that to published values of what they require, she added.
The so-called centennial light has been burning nearly continuously since it was installed in 1901. Now located at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California, the bulb has been in at least four different locations over the years. In 1976, the fire department housing the bulb moved to Fire Station #6. Out of fear that unscrewing the bulb would permanently damage it, its power cord was severed. Lying in a specially designed box, the bulb was transferred to its new location with a full firetruck escort where it was reconnected.

The bulbs 100th anniversary was celebrated in 2001 with a community barbecue and live music. The light bulb passed 1,000,000 hours in service in 2015 and has been recognized by Guinness as the longest lasting light bulb in the world. Originally a 60-watt bulb, it is now very dim, emitting the equivalent light of a 4-watt blub.

So, you might ask, why dont bulbs manufactured today last as long as the centennial bulb? You can thank the Phoebus group which was a cartel formed in 1924 by the worlds largest manufacturers of light bulbs. Through advances in lighting technology, light bulbs were lasting longer and longer, many up to 2500 hours. This lead to a general reduction in overall sales as consumers had no need to frequently replace light bulbs. Alarmed by this trend, the major light bulb producers formed the worlds first global cartel with its primary aim to depress lamp life to a 1,000-hour standard.

It actually took lighting engineers some time to come up with a design such that a bulb would burn out at around 1000 hours of service. The cartels members tried to persuade consumers that even though the new bulbs didnt last as long as previous ones, they were higher quality, more efficient, and produced a more pleasing light.

To insure that light bulbs met the cartels standards, every factory bound by the Phoebus group had to regularly send their bulbs to

a central testing lab in Switzerland. If any factory had bulbs lasting longer (or shorter) that the specified life span, it had to pay a fine. Some of the companies tried to do an end-run around the restrictions by producing bulbs that lasted longer at higher voltages. Reacting to such enhancements, Anton Philips of Philips Electric complained, This, is a very dangerous practice and is having a most detrimental influence on the total turnover of the Phoebus Parties. After the very strenuous efforts we made to emerge from a period of long life lamps, it is of the greatest importance that we do not sink back into the same mire by paying no attention to voltages and supplying lamps that will have a very prolonged life.

Similar restrictions pertained to flashlights as well. For instance, a GE flashlight bulb in the pre-cartel days was designed to last longer than three change outs of batteries. This life span was subsequently cut to two battery changes, and in 1932 GE engineers proposed a bulb that lasted no longer than one battery. They also suggested increasing amperage that would boost brightness but at the expense of shortening the life of both the bulb and the battery.

The Phoebus Cartel is now considered one of the earliest examples of planned obsolescence. However, with increased competition, the original agreement signed in 1924 was nullified in 1940.
HELENA - A county commissioner who drove more than 400 miles to testify told lawmakers Thursday a vote-by-mail election to fill Montanas vacant U.S. House seat would save his rural county money and alleviate concerns over a lack of election judges.

Its convenient for people and saving us a pile of money, said Gary MacDonald, a commissioner for Roosevelt County, told the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing in which feelings ran so hot that the room briefly was cleared.

How Montana conducts its election to replace former U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, who resigned at the start of the year to become Secretary of the Interior, has come under the national spotlight after Gov. Steve Bullock set election for May 25.

Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, brought a bill to conduct the election by mail in an effort to save counties money. His proposal would allow counties to automatically send absentee ballots to all registered voters. Ballots could still be cast at the county courthouse in the 29 days leading up to the election as well as on Election Day. Satellite offices on reservations would remain open.

Montana Republican Party chairman and state Rep. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, sent a letter to party members last month saying a mail-in election would "give the Democrats an inherent advantage."

Essmanns letter brought Montana under the national spotlight, with a spot on the Rachel Maddow Show featuring the state.

Thursdays hearing on the bill went off the rails before proponents could finish testifying.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Alan Doane, R-Bloomfield, limited the time for testimony as is allowed by legislative rules. When that passed, he directed the remaining supporters of SB 305 to simply state their name and hometown for the record.

But when Carole Mackin of Helena stepped to the lectern, she read her testimony, too. Doane gaveled her down. She refused to leave unless escorted out, saying a police officer would have to remove her. Dozens of people in the hallway crowded a TV monitor showing the room a few feet away.

Doane asked people to clear the room and Mackin held her ground until the officer walked her to the door. When she stepped into the hallway, supporters cheered.

As Doane chastised committee members for encouraging the interruptions, supporters  some lifting signs, started to chant  SB 305. Keep it alive. They stopped under direction from a sergeant at arms.

Several people who came to testify were county commissioners from around the state and told the committee how long they had traveled to Helena, with some, like MacDonald, driving several hours and hundreds of miles.

Before the committee had stalled, Rep. Ellie Hill Smith, D-Missoula, called for a vote to allow for more time for testimony, but the committee voted it down on party lines. Hill Smith was also not allowed to ask a final question of a proponent of the bill before the committee ended.

Democrats from the committee have spoken out against time limits on testimony over the last couple months, although Smith's motion was the first to effort to extend speaking time. She accused Doane of scheduling several controversial bills on the same day as a way to limit time for testimony.

Mackin, standing in the hallway, said she understands the need for legislative rules that allow committee chairs to set time limits on testimony, but said it should be "used judiciously," unlike the current common practice.

Asked when it would be appropriate to cut off public testimony, she said with a chuckle: "When they don't have me in front of them."

Mackin, a writer and retired geochemist who has worked as an election judge, has testified frequently before the Legislature on bills about the election process. She planned to ask the committee to support the bill as something that "holds down the cost of government."

Members of the public were later let back in to finish testimony. Most did as directed, simply stating their name and hometown, though Eric Stern, a chief adviser to Gov. Steve Bullock, briefly violated Doane's order to say, "Some of these people drove three or four hours. It's outrageous."

The committee took no action on the bill Thursday. Proponents included county commissioners who said they were struggling to afford the election on tight budgets and would struggle to find polling places and election judges.

Blaine County Commissioner Frank DePriest said his county has cut $600,000 out of its budget this year and froze wages. He said they anticipate spending $20,000 on the election but voting by mail could save $8,000 to $10,000.

Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg said she was disappointed in the way the hearing was handled.

It was crazy, Plettenberg said. It was not a well-run meeting.

Plettenberg said nearly 150 people turned out to testify at the meeting. Nearly all were proponents of the bill that would allow a mail ballot.

I think there were only eight or 10 opponents, she said. There were a lot of people there who were just taxpayers. I really wasnt expecting that. It had overwhelming support, but they kind of stopped proponents from even going into the hearing.

Plettenberg, who is the president of the Montana Association of Clerk and Recorders, said Ravalli County commissioners and the local Republican Central Committee voiced support for the mail ballot.

Its the money that it will save that has peoples support, she said. This hearing turned out to be contentious from the start. I was very disappointed in the way it was handled.

Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, who took office in January, took his first public position on the bill Thursday in opposing it. He argued a vote-by-mail election would open Montana up to accusations of fraud and that the tight timeline of the election makes it difficult.

We are not here to run the cheapest elections. We are here to run the best elections," he said. "The whole country is watching Montana run our special election and you would think from the line of proponents to the bill we can't live without this idea weve never done before. Let's run an election the same as we did in November."

Several people who live on Montana's Indian reservations said the bill could limit their access to voting.

George Real Bird III, a Big Horn County commissioner and Crow tribal member, said voting would be more difficult for his community if the election were held by mail.

"We don't have mailboxes at our homes like many of you do in Billings or Missoula. My biggest question was how am I going to get the most people to the polls in my area and for me that's a poll(ing place)."

Ravalli Republic reporter Perry Backus contributed to this report
Montana State Senator Fred Thomas penned a guest editorial that appeared in the March 22nd Ravalli Republic urging a robust public discourse over management of Montana public lands.

Public lands in Montana include US Forest Service and other federal lands as well as Montana State lands managed by different state agencies including the Department of Natural Resources as well as Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks.

Clearly Mr. Thomas is most interested in a debate over the federal lands no matter who actually owns them. As we learned in eighth grade civics class, federal lands belong to all United States citizens. This is a fact and need not be debated.

Comparing federal land management to Montana State land management is not as simple as he and others like to state it. The lands are managed to meet different objectives under the law.

State lands can be managed for a simpler objective because the law directs that simpler objective of providing sustainable funds for the state to use primarily for schools. I believe the state of Montana does an excellent job in sustainably meeting that objective.

However, that is not the objective U.S. Forest Service lands are managed to meet. The Multiple Use and Sustained Yield act as well as the National Forest Management Act direct a more complicated and sustainable objectives. That multiple use mandate requires at a minimum consideration of water, wildlife, recreation, timber and grassland resources that those lands provide for the American people who own them whether they live in Montana or Kansas.

I know Mr. Thomas would like a simple answer such as do it like the state does. Saying that misleads and misinforms the citizens. It is not that simple. Following an over simplified objective can lead one down a dangerous path.

As an example, deregulating Montana Power sounded simple and the competition on the open market was hoped to reduce power rates. However it was not that simple and the result has been higher energy costs to Montanans. I thoroughly believe in robust discourse (which happens regularly during agency public involvement) but it should be based on the facts and not an overly simplified version that insults the intelligence of the citizenry.

 Dave Campbell, Hamilton
HELENA - A county commissioner who drove more than 400 miles to testify told lawmakers Thursday a vote-by-mail election to fill Montanas vacant U.S. House seat would save his rural county money and alleviate concerns over a lack of election judges.

Its convenient for people and saving us a pile of money, said Gary MacDonald, a commissioner for Roosevelt County, told the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing in which feelings ran so hot that the room briefly was cleared.

How Montana conducts its election to replace former U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, who resigned at the start of the year to become Secretary of the Interior, has come under the national spotlight after Gov. Steve Bullock set election for May 25.

Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, brought a bill to conduct the election by mail in an effort to save counties money. His proposal would allow counties to automatically send absentee ballots to all registered voters. Ballots could still be cast at the county courthouse in the 29 days leading up to the election as well as on Election Day. Satellite offices on reservations would remain open.

Montana Republican Party chairman and state Rep. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, sent a letter to party members last month saying a mail-in election would "give the Democrats an inherent advantage."

Essmanns letter brought Montana under the national spotlight, with a spot on the Rachel Maddow Show featuring the state.

Thursdays hearing on the bill went off the rails before proponents could finish testifying.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Alan Doane, R-Bloomfield, limited the time for testimony as is allowed by legislative rules. When that passed, he directed the remaining supporters of SB 305 to simply state their name and hometown for the record.

But when Carole Mackin of Helena stepped to the lectern, she read her testimony, too. Doane gaveled her down. She refused to leave unless escorted out, saying a police officer would have to remove her. Dozens of people in the hallway crowded a TV monitor showing the room a few feet away.

Doane asked people to clear the room and Mackin held her ground until the officer walked her to the door. When she stepped into the hallway, supporters cheered.

As Doane chastised committee members for encouraging the interruptions, supporters  some lifting signs, started to chant  SB 305. Keep it alive. They stopped under direction from a sergeant at arms.

Several people who came to testify were county commissioners from around the state and told the committee how long they had traveled to Helena, with some, like MacDonald, driving several hours and hundreds of miles.

Before the committee had stalled, Rep. Ellie Hill Smith, D-Missoula, called for a vote to allow for more time for testimony, but the committee voted it down on party lines. Hill Smith was also not allowed to ask a final question of a proponent of the bill before the committee ended.

Democrats from the committee have spoken out against time limits on testimony over the last couple months, although Smith's motion was the first to effort to extend speaking time. She accused Doane of scheduling several controversial bills on the same day as a way to limit time for testimony.

Mackin, standing in the hallway, said she understands the need for legislative rules that allow committee chairs to set time limits on testimony, but said it should be "used judiciously," unlike the current common practice.

Asked when it would be appropriate to cut off public testimony, she said with a chuckle: "When they don't have me in front of them."

Mackin, a writer and retired geochemist who has worked as an election judge, has testified frequently before the Legislature on bills about the election process. She planned to ask the committee to support the bill as something that "holds down the cost of government."

Members of the public were later let back in to finish testimony. Most did as directed, simply stating their name and hometown, though Eric Stern, a chief adviser to Gov. Steve Bullock, briefly violated Doane's order to say, "Some of these people drove three or four hours. It's outrageous."

The committee took no action on the bill Thursday. Proponents included county commissioners who said they were struggling to afford the election on tight budgets and would struggle to find polling places and election judges.

Blaine County Commissioner Frank DePriest said his county has cut $600,000 out of its budget this year and froze wages. He said they anticipate spending $20,000 on the election but voting by mail could save $8,000 to $10,000.

Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg said she was disappointed in the way the hearing was handled.

It was crazy, Plettenberg said. It was not a well-run meeting.

Plettenberg said nearly 150 people turned out to testify at the meeting. Nearly all were proponents of the bill that would allow a mail ballot.

I think there were only eight or 10 opponents, she said. There were a lot of people there who were just taxpayers. I really wasnt expecting that. It had overwhelming support, but they kind of stopped proponents from even going into the hearing.

Plettenberg, who is the president of the Montana Association of Clerk and Recorders, said Ravalli County commissioners and the local Republican Central Committee voiced support for the mail ballot.

Its the money that it will save that has peoples support, she said. This hearing turned out to be contentious from the start. I was very disappointed in the way it was handled.

Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, who took office in January, took his first public position on the bill Thursday in opposing it. He argued a vote-by-mail election would open Montana up to accusations of fraud and that the tight timeline of the election makes it difficult.

We are not here to run the cheapest elections. We are here to run the best elections," he said. "The whole country is watching Montana run our special election and you would think from the line of proponents to the bill we can't live without this idea weve never done before. Let's run an election the same as we did in November."

Several people who live on Montana's Indian reservations said the bill could limit their access to voting because many people in their communities don't have mailboxes at their homes.

George Real Bird III, a Big Horn County commissioner and Crow tribal member, said voting would be more difficult for his community if the election were held by mail.

"We don't have mailboxes at our homes like many of you do in Billings or Missoula. My biggest question was how am I going to get the most people to the polls in my area and for me that's a poll(ing place)."

Ravalli Republic reporter Perry Backus contributed to this report
Guwahati : After Manipur, another setback to Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) after over 400 TMC members including former chairman of the TMC Tripura unit had joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday.

The TMC members including 16 of the total 65 state committee members and former chairman of TMC Tripura unit Ratan Chakraborty had joined the saffron party in Agartala.

During a meeting held in the capital city of the north eastern Indian state, the TMC members joined BJP in presence of Union minister of state for Railways Rajen Gohain, BJP's Tripura unit president Biplab Deb.

Rajen Gohain and Biplab Deb jointly handed over the saffron party flag to Ratan Chakraborty.

After joining the saffron party Ratan Chakraborty said to the media that, BJP is only political party in the country, which interested for development in the north eastern region.

'I am confidence that, BJP will form the next government in Tripura in 2018. Only BJP would be able to free Tripura from the clutches from CPI (M),'A Chakraborty said.

Ratan Chakraborty further said that, he had joined the saffron party unconditionally.

On the other hand, Union minister Rajen Gohain said that, his party will form the next government in Tripura and the ruling party CPI (M) would be washed away in the next assembly poll.

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faces setback in Manipur after its lone legislator had joined BJP and help to form the first BJP government in the state.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati: Arunachal Pradesh governor PB Acharya appealed to the state government departments, civil society, NGOs and student organizations to create awareness on tuberculosis on the occasion of World TB Day.

The governor in a message said that World TB Day, falling on March 24 each year, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly one-and-a-half million people each year, mostly in developing countries.

He called on organized groups like Ex Servicemen, university students, Bharat Scouts & Guides, Red Cross Society, enlighten citizens and others to come forward in their individual and organizational capacities to banish TB as a National Agenda.

The governor said that in a democracy it is not only the Government but also enlightened groups that play a role in nation building.

Acharya underscored that TB is a completely curable disease at very low-cost through the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) treatment administered by the government. However treatments and diagnostic tests should be accessible by each and every person affected by tuberculosis all over the world and death rate of this disease should be brought to zero.

The governor said that India has a large burden of the world's TB and called on to take measures to prevent spreading TB by getting the right treatment quickly and follow it through to completion.

He also added studies reveal that each year, about 2.2 million people develop TB in India and an estimated 2,20,000 people expire due to the disease. In North East five percent of TB patients die annually on an average.

'These data clearly indicate that we need to take more steps to eradicate this killing ailment from the world,'A Acharya said.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : The sleuths of Assam police Vigilance and Anti Corruption (V&AC) on Wednesday had raided at the Social Welfare department office in Dispur Janata Bhawan in connection with the Rs 2250 crore scam in the department.

According to the reports, the V&AC team had raided the office and seized 24 files of ICDS and SNP schemes under the department.

Earlier, the V&AC had arrested six officials of social welfare department on February 27 in connection with a multi crore rupees scam of the department.

The arrested officials are District officer of Goalpara Hemi Borah, District officer of Kamrup Kishori Dutta, Accounts officer RS Bhattacharya, UD assistant Debasish Dey, LD assistant Sajid Hussain and Programme officer Kulen Saikia.

The six officials are among the 11 officials, who were interrogated by the V&AC sleuths.

In connection with the multi crore scam, the V&AC team had also grilled three former Congress ministers including Akon Bora, Gautam Roy and Ajanta Neog.

The vigilance team had grilled at least 32 officials including three IAS officials into the scam.

Last year, Assam CM had directed to probe the multi crore scam during the previous Congress regime.

During the investigation it is revealed that an amount of Rs 150 crore was siphoned off every year from the social welfare department of the state for the past 15 years.

The investigation also detected nine lakh fake entries of 'ghost children' in the ICDS list.

The top official of V&AC said that 390 fake Anganwadi centres have been identified, which were fraudulently entered for siphoning off the money.

The V&AC sleuths had arrested an employee of Social Welfare department last year.

The investigating team had also seized several dozen files in connection with the multi crore rupees scam.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : The kingpin of the local office of All Assam Students Union (AASU) attack in Silapathar on March 6, Subodh Biswas revealed that his team is still working in Assam and as many as several thousand activists of Nikhil Bharat Bangali Udbastu Samanvay Samiti (NIBBUSS) are active in the state.

During the Assam police interrogation at Suhasini guest house in the 4th APBN premise in Guwahati, Subodh Biswas revealed that, he has made close relations with several political leaders of Assam and others parts of the country.

The Most Wanted person of Assam police and national president of NIBBUSS, Subodh Biswas was arrested by a Special Investion Team (SIT) of Assam police led by ADGP (Law and Order) Mukesh Agarwala with help of West Bengal police from a bordering village with Bangladesh on Wednesday wee hours.

Police also arrested his close aide Subash Biswas, who were took shelter at a house of a retired teacher at Bajitpur near Bijoy Nagar under North 24 Parganas district.

The Assam police team had brought them to Guwahati in five days tranjit remand.

Meanwhile, Assam police ADGP Mukesh Agarwala said that, Subodh and his associate were took shelter in different locations in the West Bengal district.

'Both had changed locations after two days, but they were sheltered at the house at Bajitpur for three days and police had managed to catch him following intelligence input,' the top police cops said.

Meanwhile, several organizations including All Assam Students Union (AASU) demanded the state government to take stern action against Subodh Biswas and his team, who were allegedly involved in the student body office attack.

On the other hand, Assam police would likely to produce Subodh Biswas and his associate before the Dhemaji court before March 28.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Kathmandu, Nepal: Four Thai citizens, including a nun have been arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on the charge smuggling foreign currencies on Friday.

Nepal police team arrested them with US $ 286,162 and Indian Rupees 273,180 and 46,800 Thai baht while they were scheduled to fly to Thailand on Thai Airlines flight at 2pm.

Police have said that they have initiated investigation over the source of the foreign currency though the arrestees have a claim that they were carrying the foreign currencies to build a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya and they were unaware of the Nepal's law.
English



Print JAN 23, 2017 Chinas Debt-Trap Diplomacy

in Share 200





NEW DELHI  If there is one thing at which Chinas leaders truly excel, it is the use of economic tools to advance their countrys geostrategic interests. Through its $1 trillion one belt, one road initiative, China is supporting infrastructure projects in strategically located developing countries, often by extending huge loans to their governments. As a result, countries are becoming ensnared in a debt trap that leaves them vulnerable to Chinas influence. Of course, extending loans for infrastructure projects is not inherently bad. But the projects that China is supporting are often intended not to support the local economy, but to facilitate Chinese access to natural resources, or to open the market for its low-cost and shoddy export goods. In many cases, China even sends its own construction workers, minimizing the number of local jobs that are created. DONATE NOW Several of the projects that have been completed are now bleeding money. For example, Sri Lankas Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, which opened in 2013 near Hambantota, has been dubbed the worlds emptiest. Likewise, Hambantotas Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port remains largely idle, as does the multibillion-dollar Gwadar port in Pakistan. For China, however, these projects are operating exactly as needed: Chinese attack submarines have twice docked at Sri Lankan ports, and two Chinese warships were recently pressed into service for Gwadar port security In a sense, it is even better for China that the projects dont do well. After all, the heavier the debt burden on smaller countries, the greater Chinas own leverage becomes. Already, China has used its clout to push Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand to block a united ASEAN stand against Chinas aggressive pursuit of its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Moreover, some countries, overwhelmed by their debts to China, are being forced to sell to it stakes in Chinese-financed projects or hand over their management to Chinese state-owned firms. In financially risky countries, China now demands majority ownership up front. For example, China clinched a deal with Nepal this month to build another largely Chinese-owned dam there, with its state-run China Three Gorges Corporation taking a 75% stake As if that were not enough, China is taking steps to ensure that countries will not be able to escape their debts. In exchange for rescheduling repayment, China is requiring countries to award it contracts for additional projects, thereby making their debt crises interminable. Last October, China canceled $90 million of Cambodias debt, only to secure major new contracts. Some developing economies are regretting their decision to accept Chinese loans. Protests have erupted over widespread joblessness, purportedly caused by Chinese dumping of goods, which is killing off local manufacturing, and exacerbated by Chinas import of workers for its own projects. New governments in several countries, from Nigeria to Sri Lanka, have ordered investigations into alleged Chinese bribery of the previous leadership. Last month, Chinas acting ambassador to Pakistan, Zhao Lijian , was involved in a Twitter spat with Pakistani journalists over accusations of project-related corruption and the use of Chinese convicts as laborers in Pakistan (not a new practice for China). Zhao described the accusations as nonsense. In retrospect, Chinas designs might seem obvious. But the decision by many developing countries to accept Chinese loans was, in many ways, understandable. Neglected by institutional investors, they had major unmet infrastructure needs. So when China showed up, promising benevolent investment and easy credit, they were all in. It became clear only later that Chinas real objectives were commercial penetration and strategic leverage; by then, it was too late, and countries were trapped in a vicious cycle. Sri Lanka is Exhibit A. Though small, the country is strategically located between Chinas eastern ports and the Mediterranean. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called it vital to the completion of the maritime Silk Road. China began investing heavily in Sri Lanka during the quasi-autocratic nine-year rule of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and China shielded Rajapaksa at the United Nations from allegations of war crimes. China quickly became Sri Lankas leading investor and lender, and its second-largest trading partner, giving it substantial diplomatic leverage. It was smooth sailing for China, until Rajapaksa was unexpectedly defeated in the early 2015 election by Maithripala Sirisena, who had campaigned on the promise to extricate Sri Lanka from the Chinese debt trap. True to his word, he suspended work on major Chinese projects. But it was too late: Sri Lankas government was already on the brink of default. So, as a Chinese state mouthpiece crowed , Sri Lanka had no choice but to turn around and embrace China again. Sirisena, in need of more time to repay old loans, as well as fresh credit, acquiesced to a series of Chinese demands, restarting suspended initiatives, like the $1.4 billion Colombo Port City, and awarding China new projects. Sirisena also recently agreed to sell an 80% stake in the Hambantota port to China for about $1.1 billion. According to Chinas ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, the sale of stakes in other projects is also under discussion, in order to help Sri Lanka solve its finance problems. Now, Rajapaksa is accusing Sirisena of granting China undue concessions. By integrating its foreign, economic, and security policies, China is advancing its goal of fashioning a hegemonic sphere of trade, communication, transportation, and security links. If states are saddled with onerous levels of debt as a result, their financial woes only aid Chinas neocolonial designs. Countries that are not yet ensnared in Chinas debt trap should take note  and take whatever steps they can to avoid it.

Golez: Debt Trap - this is food for thought.We have a seasoned, very judicious economic team in the Philippines (Finance Sec. Dominguez, NEDA Sec. Pernia and Budget Sec. Diokno) that for sure will scrutinize with a fine tooth comb China's financial package for the Philippines to avoid the Debt Trap mentioned here by Brahma Chellaney, Professor of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research and Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin, and author of nine books:"If there is one thing at which Chinas leaders truly excel, it is the use of economic tools to advance their countrys geostrategic interests. Through its $1 trillion one belt, one road initiative, China is supporting infrastructure projects in strategically located developing countries, often by extending huge loans to their governments. As a result, countries are becoming ensnared in a debt trap that leaves them vulnerable to Chinas influence."Of course, extending loans for infrastructure projects is not inherently bad. But the projects that China is supporting are often intended not to support the local economy, but to facilitate Chinese access to natural resources, or to open the market for its low-cost and shoddy export goods. In many cases, China even sends its own construction workers, minimizing the number of local jobs that are created."Several of the projects that have been completed are now bleeding money. For example, Sri Lankas Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, which opened in 2013 near Hambantota, has been dubbed the worlds emptiest. Likewise, Hambantotas Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port remains largely idle, as does the multibillion-dollar Gwadar port in Pakistan. For China, however, these projects are operating exactly as needed: Chinese attack submarines have twice docked at Sri Lankan ports, and two Chinese warships were recently pressed into service for Gwadar port security."In a sense, it is even better for China that the projects dont do well. After all, the heavier the debt burden on smaller countries, the greater Chinas own leverage becomes. Already, China has used its clout to push Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand to block a united ASEAN stand against Chinas aggressive pursuit of its territorial claims in the South China Sea.Moreover, some countries, overwhelmed by their debts to China, are being forced to sell to it stakes in Chinese-financed projects or hand over their management to Chinese state-owned firms. In financially risky countries, China now demands majority ownership up front. For example, China clinched a deal with Nepal this month to build another largely Chinese-owned dam there, with its state-run China Three Gorges Corporation taking a 75% stake."As if that were not enough, China is taking steps to ensure that countries will not be able to escape their debts. In exchange for rescheduling repayment, China is requiring countries to award it contracts for additional projects, thereby making their debt crises interminable. Last October, China canceled $90 million of Cambodias debt, only to secure major new contracts.Some developing economies are regretting their decision to accept Chinese loans. Protests have erupted over widespread joblessness, purportedly caused by Chinese dumping of goods, which is killing off local manufacturing, and exacerbated by Chinas import of workers for its own projects."New governments in several countries, from Nigeria to Sri Lanka, have ordered investigations into alleged Chinese bribery of the previous leadership. Last month, Chinas acting ambassador to Pakistan, Zhao Lijian, was involved in a Twitter spat with Pakistani journalists over accusations of project-related corruption and the use of Chinese convicts as laborers in Pakistan (not a new practice for China). Zhao described the accusations as nonsense."In retrospect, Chinas designs might seem obvious. But the decision by many developing countries to accept Chinese loans was, in many ways, understandable. Neglected by institutional investors, they had major unmet infrastructure needs. So when China showed up, promising benevolent investment and easy credit, they were all in. It became clear only later that Chinas real objectives were commercial penetration and strategic leverage; by then, it was too late, and countries were trapped in a vicious cycle."
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
You have permission to edit this html.

Edit Close
Republican leaders in the state Senate have proposed a two-year spending plan that would profoundly weaken that framework by slashing vital investments that help Washingtons communities and people prosper  and by failing to come up with the revenue needed to fund schools and other key priorities. Their plan would turn the state budget into a house of cards, at risk of collapsing at the first sign of a slowdown in the economy. And the human cost in terms of the well-being of Washingtonians would be staggering.



Whats more, Senate Republicans actually propose creating or extending nine tax breaks, totaling $13.5 million in giveaways in the 2017-2019 budget cycle.



While the Senates proposed budget increases K-12 education funding by $1.8 billion, or by 7 percent, it makes huge cuts to early learning  slashing $36 million from child care program.

SB 5875

end local levies that fund basic education

a state property tax

But Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, argued that numerous areas, especially in the Puget Sound area, would get hit with much higher property tax increases while others will see decreases. Inslee said that the GOP plan assumes King County residents are much wealthier than the rest of the state and can easily pay a disproportionate share of property taxes.

it is unclear if this bill truly fully funds schools

from a proto-type school funding to per pupil funding

Democrats plan

House Democrats are set to release and pass their own budget proposal next week, and then both chambers will begin the work of negotiating a final compromise that must satisfy a state Supreme Court mandate on education funding.



If lawmakers are unable to complete their work by the time the current 105-day legislative session ends April 23, they'll have to go into overtime sessions, something they have had to do frequently in recent years.



About half of the more than 20 additional amendments debated on the floor were rejected, including an effort to restore funding to the temporary assistance for needy families program, which sees a cut of $96 million under the budget, including $1.2 million from requiring applicants to the program to search for a job before applying for benefits. Another rejected amendment would have frozen undergraduate tuition at the state's college and universities for the next two years.



But the chamber accepted several floor amendments Thursday night, including one that restored $1 million a year in funding to a program that links homeless students and their families with housing.

One way to look at Tuesdays action is that, with less than five weeks left in the regular legislative session, the GOP unveiled an apples budget. The Democrats will unleash an oranges budget at roughly the four-weeks-to-go mark.



Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article140503223.html#storylink=cpy



The real budget talks deadline is June 30, because the state government will otherwise partly shut down on July 1 without a budget passed by the Legislature and signed by Inslee.



In 2013 and 2015, Democrats and Republicans did not agree on a biennial budget until three days or less prior to July 1.



Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article140503223.html#storylink=cpy

Monday, March 27 at 10:00 am

public testimony at 3:30 pm

onday, April 27 at 3:30 PM. We need to demand that massively wealthy companies and individuals to pay their fair share towards educating Washingtons children. We need to testify to new, sustainable revenue for fully funding education that does not take from vital state services and instead asks the wealthiest Washingtonians to pay their fair share.

great analysis from the Washington Budget and Policy Center on the GOP bill.end of update.Here's the latest.The GOP-majority Senate passed their budget plan,, two days ago after many hours of debate with the vote coming in the middle of the night. It passed 25-24.In terms of fulfilling McCleary, here are their main points:. The Republicans find the money to fund public education by cutting (some would say slash and burn) many different programs like the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program and early learning programs. It also does not fund the proposed Department of Children, Youth and Families that would consolidate programs for families in crisis.- theyand, instead, createthat would fund some of education spending. (This wouldend local levies for other purposes.) While all districts would see an increase, districts like Seattle would see fewer dollars in order to support districts in other parts of the state that are not "property-rich."From Crosscut: per the Supreme Court ruling. It appears that it falls short by at least a couple of billion dollars.- they move. I'll note right up front this iswhat charter and voucher supporters want.Each child - $12,500 (tIf Special Ed - plus $7,500If ELL - plus $1,000If F/RL - between $2000-$5,000If homeless - plus $1,500 (but they also cut funding for assistance for homeless youth)As well,- repeals 1351 for reduced class sizes (probably will not change class size for K-2)- nothing to expand access to higher ed for low-income students- the GOP bill will not fund pay raises for general state workers that have already been negotiated. They will only fund state correction workers and state patrol workers.On the, from The Olympian:I suspect the Dems plan will include a capital gains tax and possible tax cuts. It is interesting that Boeing continues to get tax cuts and yet just announced the layoffs of 245 employees.Here's what Crosscut had to say (bold mine):From Washington's Paramount Duty:
If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE).
 Former Penn State Prez convicted of single misdemeanor court of child endangerment for role in Sandusky sex offense scandal | Main | "End the death penalty for mentally ill criminals" 

March 24, 2017

Thanks to voter approval of Prop 57, "California prisons to free 9,500 inmates in 4 years" based on new early-release credit rules

The middle title of this post quotes the title of this new AP article and provides a bit of context. For more explanation, here is more from the AP article:

Corrections officials adopted new criminal sentencing rules on Friday that aim to trim Californias prison population by 9,500 inmates after four years. They include steps like reducing inmates sentences up to six months for earning a college degree and by up to a month each year for participating in self-help programs such as alcohol and substance abuse support groups and counseling, anger management, life skills, victim awareness, restorative justice, and parenting classes. Virtually any inmate except those on death row or those serving life-without-parole sentences is eligible to earn the credits and lower the sentence. Its the latest step in a years-long drive to dramatically lower the states prison population in response to federal court orders stemming from lawsuits by prison advocates and pressure to turn away from mass incarceration. The changes follow voters approval of Proposition 57 in November. The initiative lets certain felons seek parole more quickly and gave corrections officials broad discretion to grant early release credits. I think that its a monumental change for the organization and I think across the state, across the nation, I dont think that anybody has altered how they are incarcerating offenders as much as what Prop 57 does, Corrections Secretary Scott Kernan told The Associated Press. The goal, he said, is to encourage inmates to start doing something with their incarceration and not just sitting on their bunks. The changes in parole eligibility will take effect April 12 if they win initial approval from state regulators, with final approval by October after a public comment period. The earlier release credits and earlier parole consideration will be phased in starting May 1 while the public review is underway. Police and particularly prosecutors fought the ballot initiative, arguing that it will release dangerous offenders sometimes years earlier than called for in their sentences. It also will put convicts more quickly into county probation systems that already are stretched. Kernan said he took some of their objections into account, for instance by barring sex offenders and third-strike career criminals from seeking earlier parole. The changes are projected to eventually lower Californias prison population by about 7 percent and keep the state below the federal court-ordered population of about 116,000 inmates in the 34 adult prisons. The changes also will let the state phase out a long-running program that currently keeps nearly 4,300 inmates in private prisons in other states. [T]he bulk of the reductions would come from steps like doubling the credits inmates receive for completing education and training programs, to a maximum of three months in any 12-month period, and expanding them to include violent offenders. Inmates would also start getting expanded credits for not violating prison rules starting May 1. That would typically reduce a violent offenders sentence by 19 days each year, Kernan said, calling the reduction relatively modest.

March 24, 2017 at 06:03 PM | Permalink

Comments

It should be mandatory to spend 10% of any savings to follow up the released, and to count the increase in crime attributable to them. The best would be to follow individuals, and to interview them about their criminal activity, holding a certificate of absolute legal immunity from the Justice Department.

At the macro level, a decarceration of 3% resulted in a spike of 15% more murders in 20 big cities. The number of lesser crimes is probably more increased, and is being covered up by the lawyer profession.

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 24, 2017 11:26:53 PM

They can't do that. Once they start that the numbers would quickly the sex offender regime for the total criminal fraud it always has been

Posted by: rodsmith | Mar 25, 2017 12:59:17 AM

Rod. I am not sure. Once absolute immunity is guaranteed, you get some surprising results. I once had to use a calculator. We figured out, this exhibitionist had 7000 victims. We were in a town of 70,000 people.

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 25, 2017 2:15:35 PM

Yes and he is one of the execs that price the rule. Most are one shot wonders. Do something stupid for whatever reason..get caught the never reoffend. They have been fighting about sex offender defense rates for decades now. The real numbers have been available since just a few years after 1994. Thanks all the thousands out on the registry....nice forward to 2027 23 years later..how many have a new Sex CRIME Conviction. There is your rate broken down by years since 1994. Fight is over and so is the Fraud the govt has pulled in the course and the American people

Posted by: rodsmith | Mar 26, 2017 1:51:11 AM

Rod. If you referring to the Sex offender registries, and even to sex offender laws, I agree. Really stupid stealing of tax money. The originators and all the employees should be criminally prosecuted for fraud. They list the teens in love, the kid who peed in an alley, the junior high school girl who texted a oicture of herself in a bath towel, showing no private part, and even the viewers of child porn who did not molest a real child sexually. These registries do nothing but steal tax money.

Sex offender registries. Add them to the list of lawyer quackery, lawyer worthless rent seeking, and outright lawyer thieving of tax money.

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 26, 2017 9:52:14 AM

I am the wife of an inmate. My husband of 27 years was approved for parole October 25th, 2016. His parole was approved by Governor Brown on February 23, 2017. He was then notified he will be serving an additional three years for a weapons possession that he got in 1983. His original sentence was 15 to life for second degree murder. He started that sentence in 1980. Will proposition 57 help my husband in any way, and if so, what can he do???? What can I do to help him? We both realize at our ages we don't have that much time left and any time together will be a huge blessing. Thank you for any insight or information you can provide me with.

Posted by: Jeri Cook | Mar 27, 2017 6:23:46 PM



My Name is JOHN RICHMOND .I will love to share my testimony to all the people in the forum cos i never thought i will have my girlfriend back and she means so much to me..The girl i want to get marry to left me 4 weeks to our wedding for another man..,When i called her she never picked my calls,She deleted me on her facebook and she changed her facebook status from engage to Single...when i went to her place of work she told her boss she never want to see me..I lost my job as a result of this cos i cant get myself anymore,my life was upside down and everything did not go smooth with my life...I tried all i could do to have her back to all did not work out until i met a Man when i Travel to Africa to execute some business have been developing some years back..I told him my problem and all have passed through in getting her back and how i lost my job...he told me he gonna help me...i don't believe that in the first place.but he swore he will help me out and he told me the reason why my girlfriend left me and also told me some hidden secrets.i was amazed when i heard that from him..he said he will cast a spell for me and i will see the results in the next couple of days..then i travel back to Germany the following day and i called him when i got home and he said he's busy casting those spells and he has bought all the materials needed for the spells,he said am gonna see positive results in the next 2 days that is Thursday...My girlfriend called me at exactly 12:35pm on Thursday and apologies for all she had done ..she said,she never knew what she's doing and her sudden behavior was not intentional and she promised not to do that again.it was like am dreaming when i heard that from her and when we ended the call,i called the man and told him my my girl friend called and he said i haven't seen anything yet... he said i will also get my job back in 3 days time..and when its Sunday,they called me at my place of work that i should resume work on Monday and they gonna compensate me for the time limit i have spent at home without working..My life is back into shape,i have my girlfriend back and we are happily married now with a baby boy and i have my job back too.This man is really powerful..if we have up to 20 people like him in the world,the world would have been a better place..he has also helped many of my friends to solve many problems and they are all happy now..Am posting this to the forum for anybody that is interested in meeting the man for help.you can mail him uzorspelltemple@gmail.com I cant give out his number cos he told me he don't want to be disturbed by many people across the world..he said his email is okay and he also have a web site if you want to visit him there' he will replied to any emails asap..hope he helped u out too..good luck. his web site is/ www.uzorspelltemple.webs.com

Posted by: john richmond | Apr 29, 2017 10:22:32 AM

my ex is serving 37 to life for a 3rd strike robbery conviction, which is a "violent" offense per PC 667.5(c). he also got 2 5 year enhancements for prior serious felonies...and a 2 year dissuading a witness conviction...not "violent"...he is now eligible for early parole, as he has served the "full term" without enhancements, consecutive, or alternative sentences...of 6 years...learned that inmates with mix of violent/nonviolent felonies can still qualify as long as they've completed serving the term for the violent felony (longest base term)...i wrote a petition today and it's on care2.com called "STAND UP FOR INMATES' RIGHTS UNDER PROP 57!!" the public comment period ends 9/1/17 and the cdcr is trying to exclude all 3 strikers and registered sex offenders illegally and unconstitutionally~please sign the petition as there's strength in numbers...cdcr and scott kernan secretary were already sued 4/27/17 by alliance for constitutional sex charge laws in sacramento...follow that case and help me fight the cdcr before the proposed regs become final~god bless, judy p.s. i'm missing my ex so much...just an ex spouse...



Posted by: judilee325 | Aug 19, 2017 11:13:02 PM

just to clarify, he got 25 to life for the 3rd strike...robbery PC 212.5(A), 5 years each for two priors, and 2 years for the 136.1 dissuading a witness...total 37 years...the DA dropped the grand theft auto charge and left in the robbery...if it had been reversed, he could have come home after prop 36 passed as gta is nonviolent, nonserious felony...now cdcr trying to illegally exclude all 3 strikers when prop 57 did not do so...very stressful but we'll persevere...please pray for us! haven't seen him in more than 10 years and going to visit in 2 weeks! can barely breathe! goodnight, judy p.s. just an ex spouse.

Posted by: judilee325 | Aug 19, 2017 11:18:03 PM

Post a comment
 Notable discussion of federal criminal justice issues at new Take Care blog | Main | Former Penn State Prez convicted of single misdemeanor court of child endangerment for role in Sandusky sex offense scandal 

Especially because I come from a family of teachers, I have always found bemusing the old idiom "Those Who Cant Do, Teach." In this context, my latest bemusement (and the title of this post) is prompted by this new New Jersey Law Journal article headlined "Prosecutors Find Refuge in Law School Posts." Here is how the article starts:

Whats a federal prosecutor forced to resign by a new president to do? Rub elbows with the next generation of lawyers, apparently.

Three of the 46 recently ousted U.S. attorneys have in the past week unveiled plans to join law schools, eschewing  for now  the more well-traveled and lucrative path into Big Law. A fourth U.S. attorney jumped over to the legal academy after resigning several months before President Donald Trump took office.

Its not unheard of for former U.S. attorneys to find refuge on law campuses, though the concentration of such announcements over the past week is unusual and due to the simultaneous housecleaning of all holdover prosecutors appointed by former President Barack Obama. Joining a law school can offer former prosecutors a way station as they mull their future endeavors, be it running for public office or diving into private practice. Or the academy can be their desired destinationseveral former federal prosecutors have gone on to serve as law deans or faculty fixtures.

I think there will be more, said David Hickton, the former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania who resigned in November and two months later accepted a position at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. There are two reasons for that: First, I think these things catch a little bit like a fever, and now that three of us have done it, others will look at it more closely than they would have before. Secondly, the private practice of law is in a reshuffling and rebalancing. There seems to be an oversupply of lawyers.

The University of Michigan Law School kicked off the mini-trend on March 14 with an announcement that Barbara McQuade, who spent seven years as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, is joining the faculty in May to teach national security, criminal law, and criminal procedure.

Two days later, Seton Hall University School of Law announced that former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul Fishman will be a visiting fellow at the school. Then on Tuesday, New York University School of Law announced that Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and perhaps the most high-profile of the fired prosecutors, would join the school as a scholar in residence on April 1.
If you see something that looks more like art, or like the hand-painted poster above, in a spot that would usually be home to home to an advertisement somewhere around the city, this is not an isolated incident. March 22 to 25 has been declared an international period of resistance against advertising and consumerism with the hashtag #SubvertTheCity. Examples are popping up on social media in multiple cities, and feel free to add any others you may see in the comments.

As the blog Public Ad Campaign explains, this is the work of "a huge group of activists and artists around the world," and "a transnational partnership called the Subvertisers International."

According to organizer Jordan Seiler:

Commercial advertising invades our public spaces and all forms of media in order to influence our behaviours and serve corporate interests... #SubvertTheCity will challenge corporate advertising all over the world in order to imagine and rebuild the cities and societies we want to live in so that we can meet our shared human needs, and those of the planet.

Some more examples, culled from Twitter, below.
A quadruple homicide involving two children led to an arrest in San Francisco Thursday and is already making national headlines. Following up on a request for a welfare check from a relative early Thursday morning, Sacramento police discovered the bodies of four people in a home on the 1100 block of 35th Avenue in that city's South Land Park neighborhood, which led quickly to the arrest of a man who had apparently fled to the Bay Area. San Francisco police were called in to arrest 56-year-old Salvador Vasquez-Oliva later on Thursday, who was detained near the intersection of Golden Gate Avenue and Pierce Streets, near Alamo Square, as CBS 5 reports. Vasquez-Oliva has since been remanded to the custody of Sacramento police who say he's being held on "homicide-related" charges.

Sacramento's KCRA reports that the victims are Vasquez-Oliva's wife and their two children, as well as the wife's niece, though police have yet to reveal their identities. Police have only said that the victims were two adults and two juveniles, and they have not revealed how they were killed.

According to KCRA and ABC 7, investigators in the case were also in San Pablo on Thursday, though it's unclear what lead they were following there, or whom they questioned, but it seems that it was only a matter of hours before Vasquez-Oliva was identified as a person of interest and located in San Francisco.

The Sacramento Bee spoke to several neighbors in the neighborhood where the victims were found and learned that Vasquez-Oliva and his wife had two children living there, a 14-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. They also learned that Vasquez-Oliva had once resided in San Francisco in an apartment on Turk Street not far from where police found him Thursday.

The names of the dead have not yet been released.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg issued a statement saying, "This was a horrifying incident but thanks to the rapid response and good work of our Police Department, the suspect has already been arrested. All our hearts here at City hall go out to the victims, their families, schools and community. As a city, we stand ready to embrace the families and community in anything we can do to help. Its extremely tragic.
Apparently aware that everyone sounds more like a dangerous suspect when their middle name is in play, the San Francisco Police Department has identified the man accused of attempting to kidnap a teen as Lee Mason Eigl, a 27-year-old man who lives with his mother in the Inner Sunset.

As previously reported, the abduction attempt occurred at around 5 p.m. Wednesday, on Forest Side Avenue in West Portal. According to the SFPD, the 13-year-old female victim was walking down the street when Eigl allegedly grabbed her and attempted to force her into his car. The girl's screams alerted nearby witnesses, who came to the child's aid, as the suspect sped off.

Witnesses that got a partial plate number and surveillance video from the scene helped police identify the black Volkswagen Passat used by the suspect, KTVU reports. Police circulated the vehicle information, and here's where the situation gets a little hazy: according to SFPD's statement on the arrest:

At approximately 10:30 PM, two Taraval officers spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the vehicle involved in the kidnapping. The vehicle was located in the Taraval District. The officers subsequently conducted a felony stop on the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, 26 year-old San Francisco resident Lee Mason Eigl, was positively identified as the suspect involved in the kidnapping. Eigl was taken into custody without incident and was booked for kidnapping and assault with intent to commit rape on a person under 18 years old.

But, according to the Chron, when officers first spotted the car at 10:30, they only "followed him for a while."

Eigls mother, a teacher for the San Francisco Unified School District, said police came to her door at 12:30 a.m. Thursday asking for her son. She said she told police that he was at a friends house and that she immediately called him on his cell phone and both she and police officers spoke to him. Eigl told officers he would drive to Taraval Police Station to be questioned, his mother said. As he was heading there, the officers who were following him pulled him over and arrested him, his mother said.

He was arrested at around 1 a.m., KTVU quotes Assistant Chief Toney Chaplin as saying, after "he emerged from a residence" at an apartment complex near SF State "and started to drive the vehicle."

Gail Eigl, whose residence near 10th Avenue and Lincoln Way was searched following her son's arrest, spoke to multiple news outlets gathered outside her home Thursday. "He was driving into Taraval station to try to talk to them. He was not given a lawyer at any time. He was read his Miranda, he said he had been drinking a little bit and smoking marijuana and he was out of it."

Clearly agitated by an unimaginable situation for any parent, Gail Eigl told a reporter who asked if she was surprised by the allegations, "yeah, yeah, every single person I've talked to..." then, sarcastically, "Yeah, I knew I was hiding a closet rapist in my house! Yeah. Yeah."

A teacher with SFUSD, Eigl declined to offer an immediate defense of her son, saying The only thing I can think of is the Brock (Turner) case. I dont want to be one of those parents, like, Oh hes such a special boy. Of course, I love him dearly and I hope that theyre wrong.

I have never seen him do anything like this, Gail Eigl said. He has a loving girlfriend."

The Chron reports that Lee Eigl attended San Francsico's Galileo High School and graduated from San Diego State in 2013 with a civil engineering degree. He was most recently employed at BKF Engineers, a company that provides infrastructure planning, but had been laid off in August of 2016. As of publication time, he remains in San Francisco County Jail, with bail set at $400,000.

Previously: Man Arrested After Allegedly Attempting To Kidnap Teen In West Portal
A man who allegedly menaced a woman and child playing in a San Francisco park because he believed they were Muslims was arrested last week, but has since been released from custody.

In a press release sent Thursday, the San Francisco Police Department said that on Friday March 17 at around 7:20 p.m., 27-year-old Joshua Ruano allegedly approached a woman and her toddler son in a park located near Fourth and Howard Streets "the childrens play area near the Moscone Convention Center," the Chron reports.

The woman, who police say "was wearing a veil traditionally worn by Muslim women," said that Ruano "approached her and made anti-Muslim remarks and threatened to shoot her."

The woman and her child fled the scene "to get away from the suspect." Following a search of the area, police detained Ruano, a San Francisco resident, near the scene. He was identified as the suspect, and was arrested.

According to the Chron, Ruano did not have a gun on his person when he was arrested.

SFPD spokesperson Officer Grace Gatpandan tells the Chron that Ruano wasn't acquainted with the victim, and that it appears "to be a random instance of hate crime violence." Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area, seems unsurprised by that fact when speaking to the LA Times, saying "this incident in San Francisco reminds all of us of the critical work to be done in our own communities to prevent hate crimes and protect each other....We applaud this woman who was targeted while with her child for bravely coming forward and hope it will encourage others to also seek help."

Police say that Ruano was booked into San Francisco County Jail on "charges of criminal threats with a hate crime enhancement and other unrelated charges." However, a spokesperson with the San Francisco Sheriff's Department confirmed today that he is no longer in custody, but declined to provide additional details. According to the Chron, he was released on bail, and "the district attorneys office did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether Ruano had been charged."
Terrence Malick, the auteur who used to spend a decade or so between film projects, returns to the screen this week with , his fifth film in six years. It follows 2016's Knight of Cups and 2012's To the Wonder, and if you've seen either of those films, well, you've basically seen Song To Song.

Like those previous works, it focuses on the romantic relationships between some barely fleshed out men and women, this time centered in the Austin, Texas, music scene. Rooney Mara is in a band, and once worked for a music producer (Michael Fassbender) before becoming his lover. At a party, she meets another songwriter and musician (Ryan Gosling). They fall in love, though Mara can't bring herself to end things with Fassbender, who has promised to boost both of their careers.

For a while, they all wander around Texas and Mexico, a Jules and Jim-esque trio. But truth and lies are revealed, with the lovers realizing the producer has essentially been screwing them both. The trio parts ways, finding hope for new love in the forms of Cate Blanchett, Berenice Marlohe, and Natalie Portman.

Now, all of this plot is only vaguely hinted at, and for the most part, has to be inferred. (Also requiring inference: All of the characters' names, which you wouldn't know they actually had until they're revealed in the ending credits.)

Malick hasn't had much interest in plot for years now, and of his last three movies, this one is the most obviously script-less, with scene after scene that feels like he brought his actors to a location and told them to do whatever they wanted. I guess what they wanted to do was lean against walls and into each other, wander rooms, and occasionally chase each other across a beautiful backdrop, because that's basically all we get. I bet at least 90 of its almost 145 minute running time is just wall-leaning.

There's not much dialogue in Song To Song, and what is there is often fragmentary and muffled. Instead, we get the usual bit of "Malickian" narration, with the characters questioning their lives, choices, and futures, but too often sounding like they're reciting bad high school poetry.

These people are supposed to be so focused on their music that they're messing up their personal lives for it, but we never hear any of them actually perform anything. Malick relies on footage shot during Austin's SXSW and Fun Fun Fun Fest to fill in for the lack of original music, so we get plenty of backstage moments featuring the likes of Johnny Rotten, Iggy Pop, Flea, and Patti Smith, who has several scenes where she can be heard talking about her marriage with Fred Smith to Mara's character.

Having ill-defined characters means you'd better cast actors who can do a lot with a little, but only Ryan Gosling and Cate Blanchett are able to rise to the level needed. Both are actors that can command a scene through the sheer strength of their natural charisma, no words needed. I would gladly watch Gosling fold napkins that look like roasted chickens with Blanchett for hours, but sadly, we only get a few seconds of that in Song To Song.

Rooney Mara and Natalie Portman, two actresses that are remarkably similar physically, are also similar in their acting styles, and don't flourish well in roles that don't require them to do much talking. Portman is also badly cast as someone who is supposed to be a simple Texas gal with big blonde hair and bigger boobs, someone who would catch the eye of a rich cad like Fassbender. She doesn't pull it off.

Mara is equally void. In one scene, she starts to make out with her hot new French girlfriend as the girlfriend's dog sits in the background of the shot, just looking at the scene in front of him. So dull was this supposedly hot make-out session that I just kept my eye on that dog, dying to see what he might do next. Alas, Malick's inability to let any shot linger for long means I never did get to see what that dog eventually did.

The first half of Malick's career centered on period pieces with tough, working class characters, like the teenage killers in Badlands, the farm workers of Days of Heaven, and the soldiers of The Thin Red Line. The juxtaposition between these seemingly simple people, their lyrical inner monologues, and the beauty of the often hard world around them helped audiences see history in a new way. That Malick took so long between pictures also helped; it's hard to grow tired of a cinematic style you only see every ten years of so.

But we have officially reached Malick fatigue. The modern stories he's choosing to tell, minimal as they may be, just don't lend themselves well to the Malick style. Instead of archetypes, the films are filled with barely defined types; pretty faces, wandering through pretty rooms, speaking pretty words. Pretty vacant.
State Senator Scott Wiener demonstrated his ability to provide popular liberal soundbites in 2015, when the then Castro Supervisor told a Fox News TV crew, cameras rolling, that they were a "fringe propaganda machine" (today's equivalent diss would be "fake news"). Now in Sacramento, Wiener is trying to make claims tying Russia to President Trump stick with a Senate resolution  and also by invoking the Manchurian Candidate, the 1959 novel and 1962 neo-noir film about a brainwashed soldier who becomes an unwitting pawn in the Cold War.

In Senate Resolution 23 (SR23), which is co-authored by Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat, Weiner and Dodd express a desire  one carrying no legal demand  that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate Russian ties to President Trump. SR23 passed 24-9, the Chronicle reports, with Wiener working in the Manchurian Candidate reference from the State Senate floor.

Senate just passed my resolution calling for independent investigation into Vladimir Putin's efforts to elect Manchurian Candidate Trump. pic.twitter.com/iUVqoV9mnE  Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) March 23, 2017

Wiener was workshopping the remark since at least March 22, when he wrote on his Facebook page "With Manchurian candidate Donald Trump's connections to puppeteer Vladimir Putin in the news again, its clear we need a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate Trump/Russia like the one I've called for in Senate Resolution 23."

Republican State Senators, however, would prefer that Wiener and his fellows "move on" from the "partisan" issue.

Manchurian candidate? Folks thats way over the top, Senator Jim Nielsen, a Republican from Gerber in Tehama County, reportedly said. If we want to have heated rhetoric and diminish the collegiality in this house, then lets just keep up this almost daily and weekly tirade against the president.

Related: Scott Wiener Introduces State Bill To Reduce Felony For HIV-Positive People Not Telling Partners Their Status
This week we chose our favorite wine bars in the city, followed the case of some toxic Chinatown tea, and were relieved to see that the end of Pauline's Pizza is not yet nigh. We also mulled food delivery robots and the ethics of reservation making (and breaking), learned of a lawsuit on behalf of blind people against Eatsa, bid a fond farewell to 3 a.m. Safeway trips andthe now-shuttered Marina fave Mamacita, and caught wind of the Residence bar's coming closure  it's being sold to the Horsefeather team. But that's not all that happened in the business of putting food into ovens then onto containers from which you will eat! Here's the deal:

Mamacita isn't the only loss the Marina's suffering: Mezes Greek Kitchen and Wine Bar, which has been serving Greek food on Chestnut for the last 17 years, will close its doors on April 30, according to Inside Scoop. Get chef and owner Nikos Maheras' gyros while you can!

Moving on to openings, Richmond District denizens are super-psyched about the advent of Little Taqueria at 200 Sixth Avenue. As the Richmond District Blog reports, co-owners including Emrah Kilicoglu of Kitchen Istanbul softly opened the Yucatan-themed place last week. Saturday's their official grand opening party, with free chips and guoc all day.

Speaking of Latin food, Glena's, the new casual tacos-and-margs place from Plow's Stephanie Gaines and Kin Khao opening chef Michael Gaines, opened a few weeks ago at 632 20th Street sans margs (and only for lunch) following liquor license delays. While they're still apparently boozeless, at least for the next couple weeks, Inside Scoop reports that they're now serving dinner until 10 p.m. on weeknights, 11 on Friday and Saturday.

In other Dogpatch news, the team behind Piccino (Margherita Stewart Sagan, Sher Rogat, and Kerry Glancy) have snapped up a 1,100-square-foot space at 690 Indiana Street, near Esprit Park and the Dogpatch Arts Plaza. It's going to be Noon All Day, Tablehopper reports, a fast-casualish joint with a "small and focused menu." They're shooting for an opening in June or July, so stay tuned.

Hitachino Beer & Wagyu, which I'll note was expected to open during the long-past Beer Week, is now in soft open mode. The bar is fully open, writes Inside Scoop, and Eater has nerded out big time over the beers served by the company's first US location, at 639 Post Street.

Since we're talking about Japanese food, how about sushi? Kuma Sushi and Sake, slated to open in May at 1040 Polk Street, comes from Pink Zebra chef Ryo Sakai and Cory Jackson, Tablehopper reports. Expect "a neighborhood sushi restaurant that can work for all kinds of budgets," and I guess you can do more that "expect," as they're currently offering preview dinners and menu testing via Feastly. Those events might be the closest thing you'll get to earmarking Sakai and Jackson's creations, as they say "We're a small, neighborhood restaurant and wont be able to accept reservations."

Clement Street Bar & Grill (708 Clement Street) has been on the market for a long-ass time, while Harold Baum weighed offers for his nearly 34-year-old baby. He apparently deemed Spago vet Cameron Lewark and partner Caroline McLaughlin worthy, as they'll be opening a place called Heritage in the spot, per Hoodline. Baum says he expects the new kids to rebrand the place but run the same style restaurant  Californian American. Just keep the booths, you guys. The booths are the bomb.

Eater has word that SF restaurant magnate Dennis Leary (who is not the comic actor, I only figured out about 10 years ago) is increasing his hold on the city with yet another bar, this one located at 86 Second Street at Dada Bar's old digs. To be named Tequila Mockingbird (groan), it "will be a straight-up bar, with no food and plenty of strong drinks." It's expected to open on Thursday, March 30.

Fans of cute, sweet things will be pleased to learn that Berkeley's UJI Time will be opening a location in Japantown's Peace Plaza some time in mid-April, Hoodline reports. Just look at this stuff:

I  you so matcha ! | Black Sesame + matcha soft serve, red bean mochi balls & choc wafers in a freshly made taiyaki cone  A post shared by Emily Choo (@emilyychoo) on Mar 15, 2017 at 7:43pm PDT

No need to wait until next month for ice cream, though, as Smitten Ice Cream opened its 904 Valencia outpost this week, with "four new flavor collaborations from Mission favorites Samovar Tea lounge, Mission Cheese, and Dandelion Chocolate," SF Weekly reports. Mission Local reminds us that Smitten actually got its start in the Mission, when founder Robyn Sue Fisher started selling ice cream "out of a Radio Flyer."

OK, one last ice cream thing: Hoodline reports that SoMa's Steep Coffee and Tea is spinning off a dessert offering called Steep Creamery and Tea at 270 Brannan Street. Specialties are the near-ubiquitious boba tea and Thai-style rolled ice cream, which looks like this:

In the future, will all restaurants be Boba Guys? (See, I told you it was ubiquitous!) I ask because they're opening yet another location in SF, this one at 1002 16th Street, Hoodline reports. They've got four others in SF, plus they're trying to open at 838 Divisadero, so this one in the Potrero 1010 apartment complex could potentially give them six spots. No timeline yet on an opening, and life is full of surprises, so we'll see.

But if they do get that Divis spot open, it doesn't look like they'll have La Urbana as a neighbor. You might recall that they suddenly shuttered last November "for small renovations." We noted then that their phone number no longer worked, and apparently, neither did their rent-writing hand, as Hoodline reports a "pay rent or quit" notice has been posted on the still-shuttered space to the painful tune of $75,086. So far, co-owners Alessandra Bonisoli, Eduardo Rallo and Juan Garduno have not emerged to tell their side of the story, but we're listening!

A spot that's in no visible danger of closing is Yountville's The French Laundry, which just showed its fancy remodel to the Associated Press and this week moved to a prepaid ticket system that Inside Scoop believes is "good news for anyone who has tried (and failed) to snag one of the 4-star restaurant's elusive reservations."

Change is also in the works for Scala's Bistro, where new chef Justin Deering (Darwin Cafe, Doc Ricketts, 15 Romolo, Conduit) promises "a pretty significant revamp" for the Sir Francis Drake Hotel restaurant. Renovations begin in April, expect the new menu in May, Inside Scoop reports.

As noted last week, the fake-meat-that-bleeds Impossible Burger is launching an Oakland production facility, opening the door to more restaurants that want to serve the treat. Locally, that means Oakland's KronnerBurger, the Public House and Vina Enoteca in Palo Alto will start serving it this Thursday.

Or, screw it, you can just go to National Corndog Day at the SoMa StrEat Food Park Saturday. Billed as "the world's biggest" celebration of the event, the first 200 who arrive having RSVPed on Facebook get in free, the rest of the gang will have to pony up $5 for the privilege of purchasing variations on the theme of hot dog, stick, and breading.

This Week In Reviews

The Chronicle's Justin Phillips had a nice profile on Oakland spot Big Mommas Kitchen, Esther Mobley wrote up Half Moon Bays Miramar Beach Restaurant, and Carl Nolte waved at the food section from across the paper with this nice piece on longstanding Mission dive bar Elixir. Oh, and new kid Chris Ying went to Fremont in search of kabobs, and frustratingly appears to have his beat meal in a private home.

SF Weekly's review machine Peter Lawrence Kane doesn't let us down this week, though. First, he visits new Hayes Valley bar Anina, where he was a fan of their big, strong $12 cocktails and marveled at their $46 punch bowls.

Then, he sat down at The Gastropig in Oakland for porcine "highbrow vulgarity." He seemed pleasantly diverted by their breakfast offerings, calls their lunchtime sloppy joe "the Platonic ideal of that school-cafeteria staple" and loved Ode to Genova, their "perfectly proportioned Italian sub."

But the big review of the week, coming in Sunday's paper, is Michael Bauer's four-star rave for Healdsburg newcomer SingleThread. He notes that not even the French Laundry earned four stars from him out of the gate, and others that hold four stars from the Chronicle like Saison, Quince, Benu, and Manresa all "evolved until each perfected a unique vision" and did not get their fourth star right away. SingleThread is different, though, perhaps because "Ive never seen a husband-and-wife team [Kyle and Katina Connaughton] with such a focused and well-formed idea of what they wanted and how to get there." From the opening course of bites to a dish of black cod and chanterelles in a donabe contained "with shaved radishes, carrots, lacy greens, miners lettuce and flower petals that replicated an early spring hillside in bloom," Bauer is consistently blown away, and he says, "By the third dinner I realized I had only glimpsed what the Connaughtons and their crew can do. I cant wait to see what inspires them in spring, summer and fall." He also comments on the bespoke steak knives that SF Mag's Josh Sens previously joked about, but Bauer writes only, "It was an impressive flourish, but the knives really werent needed for the perfectly round slice of leg and loin of lamb." The under-three-hour experience he says "feels relaxed and restorative," and it's "a flawless four-star experience."
Gilgamesh Taggett didnt see Annie until he suffered an injury two-and-a-half years ago.

Unable to play Daddy Warbucks in the national touring company, he decided to watch the show from the audience and see it from an audiences perspective. I cried my eyes out, he says.

A lot of productions tend to gild the lily and view the show as this silly, campy thing. But its really this beautiful story about this lovely little girl with can-do spirit and this closed-off confused man who become the best part of each others lives.

Adopted at birth, Taggett found plenty to relate to and renewed reason to do the show, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

With the Annie touring company for more than three years, the Michigan native says hell stick with it until director Martin Charnin tells him to go home. Im a firm believer in a steady paycheck and insurance. Hes also a proponent of its message and story arcs.

On stage, he says, its like going through a catharsis every show.

Raised on a farm, Taggett did his first professional show when he was 10 (he was in Bye Bye Birdie), went back to school and envisioned a life off the stage. He acted in small productions but never considered chucking a career because I liked a roof over my head and food in my belly.

I was trying to do everything I could not to be an actor. I knew I was good at acting. I enjoyed it a whole lot but I thought I needed that factory job so Id have stability. I sabotaged myself on several occasions, but I realized there was nothing I could do quite as well as playing pretend.

Four years ago, Taggett took the leap, wound up in Annie and hasnt looked back. One cant do something brave without facing ones fears, he says.

Now, with hundreds of performances under his belt (hes the veteran in the company), Taggett has played stage dad to seven different girls as Annie.

Its wonderful whenever a new one comes in because a new person brings a fresh perspective.

The kids, he says, are all talented, energetic and smart. Its extremely infuriating. Sometimes my vanity gets in the way and I think, Maybe if I had that opportunity earlier, Id be doing something different now. But I had no concept at that age. I had no idea I was doing something I could do professionally.

Yes, he says, the children are often more adult than the adults.

To look like the comic strips billionaire, Taggett shaves his head once, sometimes twice, a day.

He originally shaved his head for a role in 2005 (to play a wrestler in a production of As You Like It) and liked the look. Women I trusted thought it was very sexy. Now, Ive looked like this for 12 years.

To find the heart of Annie, Taggett says he just looks at the circumstances surrounding his life. Adoption is life, he says. Its exciting to get to adopt a little girl eight times a week.

The musical, too, has resonance in other ways.

Set during the Great Depression, it was a source of hope for Americans when it opened in 1977. Its songs of a better tomorrow resonate today. And, Taggett says, there are lots of audience members who view Annie in a new light after President Trump took office.

Historically, FDR and Warbucks couldnt stand each other. The message of bipartisanship does deliver in the end.

Charnin, who co-wrote the musical and directs this edition, has made some tweaks to the latest staging.

Between the two productions, he also had a sequel, Annie Warbucks, that could see the light of a stage again. It was produced off-Broadway, got great reviews and was expected to open on Broadway but never got the backing.

He has a lot of love for it and hed like to retool it, Taggett says. If that happens, the actor is ready to begin another round.

I am Oliver Warbucks, he says, proudly. Itd be quite an honor to keep playing him.
SIOUX CITY | The Sioux City Art Center will celebrate the 20-year anniversary of its facility with a new exhibition featuring works by 18 local artists.

Titled "Creativity: Sioux City Style," the exhibition will open Saturday, with a free public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Included will be complimentary hors d'oeuvres, beverages and a 6 p.m. gallery talk to introduce the artists and their work.

March 2017 is the 20th anniversary of the Sioux City Art Center's building at 225 Nebraska St. An Art Center news release said the exhibition was organized "to recognize the anniversary of the bold, innovative thinking that led to this building."

The exhibit will continue through June 25.

The Art Center's normal hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
This week the podcast crew discusses the potential American Health Care Act, and how the Iowa Representatives are likely to vote. They also discuss the League of Women Voters' forums and how some Republican legislators have not been in attendance.

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast which re-creates the conversations that happen when Iowa's political reporters get together after deadlines have been met. This week's show features Erin Murphy, Christinia Crippes, Bret Hayworth, Todd Dorman and Ed Tibbetts.

This week's show was produced by Max Freund and the music heard in the podcast is courtesy of Austin Taft. Chat with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @OnIowaPolitics, and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Know an Iowa musician who should be on our show? Send their band sound files to oniowapolitics@gmail.com
DES MOINES | A crippling blow, as one advocate put it, could be dealt to low-income and disabled Iowans who receive services from a public health care program if a payment dispute involving one of Iowas largest hospital networks is not resolved.

AmeriHealth Caritas is attempting to renegotiate its Medicaid contract with Mercy Health Network, which includes 13 facilities across Iowa, including the Sioux City-based Mercy system.

AmeriHealth Caritas sent a letter to its clients this month warning that if the company is unable to negotiate a new contract with Mercy Health Network by July 1, the Mercy Health Network system would no longer be included in AmeriHealth Caritas provider network.

The dispute does not immediately affect any Iowans who receive Medicaid services, as members are still able to see their providers while the negotiations continue.

AmeriHealth Caritas is one of the three companies being paid by the state to administer Iowas $5 billion Medicaid program. The company says it must renegotiate its rates to create a more sustainable Medicaid program.

The companies have reported operating losses since taking over the Medicaid program in April 2016. AmeriHealth Caritas reported the most anticipated losses at more than $200 million.

In order to change its current rates and establish a sustainable Medicaid program, we issued a termination notice to Mercy Health Network, AmeriHealth Caritas spokesman Joshua Brett said in an email. "AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa is taking this action now so that there is no impact on our members, as they can continue to see their providers while we work to agree on new contract terms."

Brett did not respond to a question about how many AmeriHealth Caritas members receive Medicaid services at Mercy Health Network facilities. Nearly 213,000 Iowans are enrolled in a Medicaid plan through AmeriHealth Caritas, but not all would necessarily receive services at Mercy Health Network facilities.

The Mercy Health Network, which also has contracts with the two other Medicaid management companies that operate in Iowa, includes 13 facilities and more than 2,000 physicians and advanced practice providers in Iowa, according to the company.

Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City, the only Level II Trauma Center in western Iowa, serves 33 counties in the tri-state area. In addition to the main hospital in downtown Sioux City, the network owns rural hospitals in Primghar, Iowa, and Oakland, Nebraska, manages hospitals in Pender, Nebraska and Hawarden, Iowa, and operates a primary care clinic network, specialty care clinics and home health services.

AmeriHealth Caritas and Mercy Health Network negotiated a three-year contract less than a year ago, according to Janell Pittman, vice president of marketing and communications for Mercy Health Network. Pittman said that contract helped AmeriHealth Caritas to enroll its 213,000 members.

Now just a few months after getting this accomplished, they are requesting reduced payment levels. This will significantly disrupt the lives of thousands of Iowans who have counted on this commitment from AmeriHealth Caritas, Pittman said in an email. (Mercy Health Network) has performed and continues to perform our duties under the contract. (Mercy) was and is very willing to continue at the payment levels agreed to. (Mercy) is disappointed that AmeriHealth Caritas has chosen to terminate the contract so quickly.

Both said they continue to negotiate in hopes of finding a resolution.

Because of our commitment to our patients we will be working very hard to come to mutually acceptable terms with AmeriHealth Caritas with the hope that participants will continue to receive affordable care from (Mercys) award-winning providers in metro and rural communities across the state, Pittman said.

If an agreement is not reached and those AmeriHealth Caritas members no longer are able to use Mercy Health Network to receive Medicaid services, that would be a crippling blow, said Don Dew, executive director of Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland. The nonprofit center works with individuals with disabilities.

It still is an if, but if that would happen, that would be so damaging to so many people because Mercy and all of its affiliates are so widespread throughout not only our area but throughout the state, Dew said. And so many people on Medicaid rely on going to Mercy and have services with Mercy.

The Iowa Department of Human Services is monitoring the situation. Department spokeswoman Amy McCoy said it is not uncommon for insurance plans to renegotiate rates with providers on an annual basis.

The MCOs may have negotiated rates above the fee-for-service equivalent as they built their networks, and now  a year into managed care  may wish to renegotiate those rates under their contracts with providers, McCoy said in an email. The health plans must, at a minimum, offer providers the rate floor that is a fee-for-service equivalent, and maintain adequate network access. Iowa Medicaid is monitoring this process.

Some members potentially affected by the dispute may be eligible to switch their health plans, McCoy said.

Dew said he worries some members, if affected, may not have sufficient time to react and adjust to any changes in their coverage.

You cant really even imagine how many people who would have consequences that are even, I always hate to say that theyre life-threatening, but they can be, Dew said. When something like that happens, they find out, and all of a sudden, they dont have that type of coverage.
SIOUX CITY | An organizational meeting will be held Wednesday for people interested in being vendors at the Sioux City Farmers Market in 2017.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Wilbur Aalfs Public Library downtown. The meeting is open to all interested vendors and the general public.

For an eighth year, the farmers market returns to the Tyson Events Center parking location. From May 3 to Oct. 28, the market will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both Saturdays and Wednesdays.

Market officials are seeking additional vendors of produce, fruit, art, crafts, dried or fresh flowers, plants, and dairy products, plus other compatible products.

Buy Fresh Buy LocalSiouxland, Inc. is the non-profit operator of the market. BFBL-S is a member of both the Iowa Buy Fresh Buy Local Initiative and the Food Routes organization, bringing fresh, locally produced products to tables in Siouxland.

Vendor regulations and applications are available on the Sioux City Farmers Market website at www.farmersmarketsiouxcity.com.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to firing shots at a sheriff's deputy.

Melvin Spencer, 24, entered his plea Friday before District Judge Jeffrey Poulson in Woodbury County District Court to one count of attempted murder. In a rarity, Spencer entered his plea in person rather than in written form, which is how the majority of arraignments take place.

Poulson scheduled Spencer's trial for May 9 after Spencer asked for a trial within 90 days.

Spencer is accused of leading Woodbury County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Lenz on a vehicle pursuit on Feb. 26 that ended as he turned off of 225th Street south of Sioux City and got stuck in a ditch at a dead end on Allison Avenue.

Prior to Lenz exiting his vehicle, authorities said, Spencer leaned out of the driver's side window of the car and exchanged gunfire with the deputy. At least five rounds struck Lenz's vehicle. A male passenger in Spencer's vehicle was struck by the gunfire, and Spencer then fled on foot while Lenz administered first aid to the shooting victim. Spencer was spotted three hours later and arrested.

Brittney Hood, 27, of Sioux City, has pleaded not guilty to eluding in the incident. She was driving the car initially before she stopped it and fled on foot into a field, where she was apprehended.

Spencer then drove off in the car, and Lenz, who was responding to the pursuit, spotted it and pursued it.

Authorities have not publicly identified the shooting victim, but court documents identify him as Justin Spencer, 34, who was hospitalized for what authorities described as non-life-threatening wounds.
SIOUX CITY | Metro Sioux City saw slight population growth in the past year, while half the counties in Siouxland lost residents, the latest census data shows.

The tri-state metro grew by 430 people, or 0.3 percent, in the 12 months ending on July 1, 2016, elevating the total population to 169,140, according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Marty Dougherty, Sioux City's economic development director, welcomed news of the area's population growth. He noted the city has made an active effort to bring more people, skilled laborers in particular, to the region.

"We've had a goal of growing our population for a long time and I think that lot of the positive economic growth that has occurred in Sioux City, we would expect to see some new population growth," he said. "Hopefully, that's a sign of the good things that are happening here."

Recently, and for the second straight year, metro Sioux City topped Site Selection magazine's list of small metro areas with the most new or expanded business projects.

Thousands of out-of-state construction workers assigned to the CF Industries expansion at Port Neal were living in the metro area during the 12-month period used by the Census Bureau for the most recent estimate. With completion of the more than $2 billion project last fall, the temporary workers have since returned home.

The Sioux City Metropolitan Statistical Area now includes Woodbury and Plymouth counties in Iowa, Dakota and Dixon counties in Nebraska and Union County in South Dakota. Although the metro grew as a whole, the two northeast Nebraska counties, neighboring Dakota and Dixon, lost a combined 275 residents. Dakota County took the brunt of that with a loss of 248 residents, lowering its estimated population to 20,465. Dixon's estimated population fell to 5,762.

Woodbury and Plymouth recorded increases of 315 and 287, respectively. Plymouth's population now stands above 25,000 for the first time in history, while Woodbury's count increased to 102,779. Union County, home to the upscale Dakota Dunes community, added 103 residents, raising its estimated total population to 14,934.

Other metro areas in the region posted more robust growth in the past year. With a 2 percent increase, Des Moines was the fastest-growing metro in the Midwest. Sioux Falls was third with 1.5 percent, while Lincoln, Nebraska, clocked in at fourth with a 1.3 percent increase.

In addition to Dakota and Dixon, nine other Siouxland counties, all in more rural areas, lost population in the past year, continuing a decades-long trend that has seen a decrease in the number of family farms and main street businesses, an exodus of college graduates to larger cities and a greying of the residents left behind. In each county, the losses were around 0.01 percent or less.

The population of Sac County, Iowa, dipped by 133 to 9,876, falling below the 10,000 mark for the first time since 1880, according to historical census data.

Clay County, Iowa, lost the most residents, 158, dropping its estimated population to 16,333 residents.

The biggest gainers in Northwest Iowa were Dickinson and Sioux counties. The population in Dickinson, home to the Iowa Great Lakes, one of the state's largest tourist draws, grew by 121 to 17,243. With an increase of 146, the population in Sioux County, a bastion of agri-business industries, rose to 34,898, inching closer to the 35,000 mark for the first time.

In southeast South Dakota, the population in Clay County, home to the main University of South Dakota campus, rose above 14,000 for the first time in history. After experiencing growth from 2010 to 2014, Yankton County saw its second consecutive year of decline and fell to 22,616.

In northeast Nebraska, Wayne County's population remained flat at 9,365. Neighboring Thurston County experienced a second consecutive year of growth and elevated to 7,127.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City Police officer was injured early Friday morning after his patrol car was T-boned by a truck driven by a woman believed to be intoxicated. Both drivers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The accident occurred around 2 a.m. when Sgt. Terry Ivener was traveling northbound on South Rustin Street, and a Chevy truck -- driven by Stephanie Adams, 29 -- was heading eastbound on Leech Avenue, a press release said.

Adams failed to obey a yield sign and broadsided the police vehicle's driver side. Sioux City Fire Rescue was called to extract Ivener from the mangled SUV by cutting off the driver's side doors. The patrol vehicle is considered to be a total loss, the release said.

Ivener was transported to Mercy Medical Center -- Sioux City, where he was treated and released for non-life-threatening injuries.

Adams, of Moorhead, Iowa, was also taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Police believe she was operating the truck while under the influence of alcohol. Charges against her are pending as the investigation continues, the release said.

"We are thankful that (Ivener's) injuries are not worse, and for the assistance provided by Sioux City Fire Rescue and Paramedics," the department posted on its Facebook page Friday.
SIOUX CITY | A Council Bluffs, Iowa, woman has pleaded not guilty to possession of a stolen car that was located at WinnaVegas Casino Resort.

Samantha McCain, 20, entered her written plea Friday in Woodbury County District Court to second-degree theft.

McCain and James Souba were arrested March 7 inside the Sloan, Iowa, casino after a Woodbury County Sheriff's deputy witnessed the two getting out of a 1997 Saturn that had been reported stolen in Council Bluffs.

Deputies found a baggie of methamphetamine in Souba's pants and a sword inside the stolen vehicle.

Souba, 23, of Omaha, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree theft, carrying a dangerous weapon and possession of a controlled substance.
SIOUX CITY | A pallet company and a logistics company plan to purchase portions of a 21.4-acre parcel of land in Sioux City's Bridgeport West Business Park.

Both businesses would support the Seaboard Triumph Foods pork plant under construction at an adjacent site, and are expected to create at least 63 direct jobs combined.

Economic development staff will request the council approve a resolution Monday showing the city's intent to accept proposals for the land, which sits adjacent to the nearly $300 million pork plant, expected to start up in late July.

Tritz Pallet Inc. plans to build a new industrial and manufacturing facility on approximately 12 acres of the property, an investment of $6 million.

Monterey Management LLC plans to construct a four-building logistics complex to service inbound and outbound hog trucks on an approximately 9.5-acre portion of the property, an investment of $11.7 million.

Tritz Pallet Inc. is a pallet management company with corporate offices in Le Mars, Iowa. It operates facilities in Denver, Kansas City, Sioux Falls and at 2301 Bridgeport Drive in Sioux City. The company has about 25 customers in Siouxland, including Seaboard Triumph.

President Frank Tritz said the company's current Sioux City facility is not semi truck accessible and has no loading docks, and the new facility will substantially increase its productivity.

"It'll help us centralize our business closer to our customers and take some pressure off of our Kansas City facility," he said. "We do like 36 semi loads a day out of the Kansas City facility."

The company plans to purchase a speculative building and 4.78 acres on the property for $1.2 million, as well as 3.78 acres north of the building for $94,500, and another 3.3 acres for $99,000.

The company also plans to construct a 140,000-square-foot building north of the spec building and to build out the existing spec building, a $6 million investment.

The expansion will allow the company to add 15-25 more employees. It currently employs fewer than 10 at its Sioux City location, Tritz said.

Monterey Management LLC has proposed to purchase 9.52 acres for $325,000 to develop a 3,200-square-foot logistics facility, a 19,000-square-foot bio-security facility, a 6,400 maintenance facility and an 8,000-square-foot convenience store -- a total investment of $11.7 million. The company would offer fuel, wash bays and other services to trucks entering and exiting the pork plant, according to city documents.

The economic impact is expected to create 38 direct jobs. It will add about $4.6 million in new tax base.

Well be adding jobs and new investments, and were pleased with that," said economic development director Marty Dougherty. "We were pleased that we were able to accommodate the two proposed developments on the ground that is available."

Sioux City began accepting proposals for the site, located at the intersection of Oehlerking Drive and Boulevard of Champions, in early February.

The speculative building on the property was a joint effort between Sioux City and South Sioux City-based H&R Construction. The city provided 4.5 acres of land for the building, which was completed at a cost of $2.1 million in 2015.

If the council passes the resolution, staff will work with the developers to negotiate a development agreement and move toward completion of the property sale. Staff expect that would occur at the council's May 8 meeting.
DES MOINES | Days after Gov. Terry Branstad warned that Democratic prying into state child welfare services could negatively impact a criminal prosecution, a House Republican announced the Government Oversight Committee will launch its own investigation.

Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, chairman of the Government Oversight Committee, said he doesnt want to interfere with the Polk County Attorneys Office prosecution in the case of Natalie Finn, a 16-year-old West Des Moines girl who died from emaciation last October because of the denial of critical care.

But Kaufmann said told the committee he is exploring the possibility of bringing in the Department of Human Services to have them walk committee members through the process of how reports for child placement, follow-up, child abuse, or neglect are handled. The committee wants to understand how this process works so that we can look at ways to prevent another tragic situation like the Natalie Finn case.

We are not interested in politicizing this tragic situation or jeopardizing an ongoing criminal investigation, Kaufmann continued.

DHS spokeswoman Amy McCoy said the department welcomes a discussion with the House panel about the authority the Legislature provides DHS to investigate allegations, about how our policies and procedures are established, as well as discussing our efforts toward continuous quality improvement,

Branstad is not happy with the Democrats on the Senate Government Oversight Committee having informal hearings to look into the states child welfare system. So far, DHS officials have declined to appear to answer questions, they said.

However, as long as they dont jeopardize the prosecution in the Finn case, Branstad also would support an effort by legislators to learn more information about the overall adoption, child welfare and foster care systems as DHS, his spokesman Ben Hammes said.

Kaufmann will invite the Senate Government Oversight Committee, chaired by Sen. Michael Breitbach, R-Strawberry Point, to join the investigation.

Breitbach wasnt sure if senators will work with the House panel and was hesitant about how deep they could delve into child-welfare issues at this time.

Its a very delicate situation right now. There is a legal case going on, and the last thing I want to do is interfere with that proceeding and murder trial, Breitbach said.

He and Kaufmann agree on that. The investigation should be thoughtful and prudent without politicizing the Finn case or being conducted with a gotcha attitude.

Breitbach seemed to see a more limited scope of investigation than Kaufmann.

I believe that the DHS has reviewed all of their staffing options over the past years, and I think they feel comfortable with where theyre at and the training that theyre doing, but otherwise I just cant go further, Breitbach said.

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, agreed that lawmakers role is not the criminal investigation, but to look at the system to see if it meets Iowans needs. House Republicans, she said, are very interested in knowing whether the state has an adequate system that serves the needs of Iowa children.

Our job is the function of state government, House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, said. While he wants to see the criminal case proceed, we also want to look at state government and the overall process that DHS or others have to try to prevent that in the future.

House Government Oversight Committee member Rep. Vicki Lensing, D-Iowa City, suggested inviting law enforcement to explain its role in child welfare cases in order to understand whether there are gaps in the law.
DES MOINES | Top Republicans in the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate said Thursday they do not expect the Legislature to consider increasing the statewide minimum wage of $7.25 an hour this session.

GOP senators held out the possibility of a separate minimum wage bill this week during a committee discussion of legislation to void higher county-level wage minimums, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, and House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said that wont happen.

I anticipate no separate minimum wage bill, Dix told reporters.

Upmeyer said representatives approved the local pre-emption bill earlier this month after turning back Democratic amendments to do just that. Members of the House GOP caucus, she said, are not asking to take up a bill to increase the minimum wage this session.

Thats not been one of their priorities this year, Upmeyer told reporters.

House File 295, which currently is eligible for debate in the Senate, includes provisions to immediately bar cities and counties from usurping state authority in business and employment matters and the sale or marketing of consumer merchandise.

That would include prohibiting cities and counties from setting minimum wages higher than the statewide $7.25 hourly level and nullify the higher minimum wages approved by officials in Johnson, Linn, Polk and Wapello counties.

Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, said he anticipates Democrats will offer amendments to raise the statewide minimum wage if Republicans bring up House File 295 for consideration.

I would imagine there are members of the Republican caucus who dont think they should be voting for bills that drive down wages for Iowans, he said.

Gov. Terry Branstad has told reporters he would be open to considering a modest increase in the states minimum wage, but Upmeyer said Thursday the governor and I have not discussed that topic.
DES MOINES  Iowa senators approved GOP-backed election law changes Thursday that proponents say will improve election integrity but that critics insist will suppress turnout and raise costs to county taxpayers.

Majority Republicans made several changes to a House-passed bill before voting 26-21 to pass House File 516 and return it to the House for consideration.

The bill was opposed by 20 minority Democrats and Ocheyedan independent Sen. David Johnson.

The bill would require all voters voting at the polls to provide proof of eligibility, as well as all absentee ballot requests to contain a personal voter identification number on the request form, said Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, the bills floor manager.

The public realizes that they have to show their photo ID to get on an airplane, buy a beer or open a checking account. This legislation is common sense, he said.

Democrats countered that the bill would put up barriers to elderly, disabled, minority and other Iowa voters that would discourage participation in a fundamental American right. They argued it would increase costs to the state and counties and create unintended consequences in a state with a track record of clean elections with high participation rates.

They also said it likely would trigger a legal challenge.

I think its an unnecessary political document, said Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines.

Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, called the bill a very expensive solution in search of a problem.

Smith countered by pointing to 27 cases of first-degree election misconduct in the past five years and eight instances where people voted twice as evidence of a problem.

We have voter fraud in Iowa, that is a fact, he said. With so many close elections in the past, including members of this chamber (who won by 22, 17 and 10 votes in three races), we need to do everything we can to prevent fraud and this bill has safeguards.

Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, dismissed Smiths fraud contentions, saying there is not a bogeyman out there, while Johnson called the election bill a farce that was not for the peoples interests but rather for special interests.

This isnt a welcoming place right now, this 87th General Assembly, Johnson said.

House File 516 would make several changes to state election administration, including voter registration, absentee voting and requiring voters to present an ID to vote.

Other provisions would eliminate the option for voters to check a single box for straight-party voting, put money toward helping precincts purchase digital poll books, and establish post-election audits.

Also, the bill would provide for technology upgrades and additional poll worker training for consistency throughout the state and provide additional resources for those system upgrades.

Republicans made changes that would reduce the time for sending out absentee ballots before an election from 40 days to 29; would allow teenagers who turn 18 by the general election to vote in the earlier primary; and would establish four-digit voter ID cards.

Sen. Tod Bowman, D-Maquoketa, offered an amendment to strike the entire bill and replace it with a voter identification verification process, but his proposal lost 27-20.

This is something Iowans want, Smith said. This is something that we have delivered for them to make sure that elections are fair, Smith said.
One day a week, Austin Foster tends bar at The Diving Elk, serving customers numerous mixed drinks and beer behind the counter. Every libation served contains a secret ingredient only Foster and other experienced bartenders possess: passion.

Its that unbridled passion for spirits which drives Foster to educate customers about what it is theyre drinking (or not drinking).

Last week, while I sat at the bar waiting to speak with Foster in between service breaks, my eyes and ears were fixated on the bearded bar man speaking with an older couple three chairs down from where I was seated. In front of them were glasses of craft beer, but they asked questions about whiskey. Foster was happy to inform, taking his time to explain each and every detail.

All the while, he tended to his customers every need. Refilling drinks and completing new orders whenever possible. In his hands was a cocktail shaker. He dipped a new straw into the mixture and placed a finger over the top to trap the liquid. He tasted the straws contents before pouring it into a glass.

It was for me.

DRINK #1: CAMERONS KICK

Foster served me the drink -- a Camerons Kick. This particular cocktail has been around for many, many years. It was comprised of Scotch whiskey, Irish whiskey, orgeat and freshly squeezed lemon juice, all of which Foster meticulously measured with a metal jigger.

I find that a lot of bartenders shun the use of jiggers and things of that nature when making their drinks because they feel that makes them look more amateur, he said. Ive been doing this for a very long time, and I find that balance is important to cocktails. You cant find balance if you dont have consistency.

The drink was pale yellow in color and served in a thin goblet glass. The scent of vibrant citrus tinged my nostrils as I took my first sip. Not too sweet. Not too boozy. Perfectly balanced. Delicious, I told Foster.

He nodded his head. People have been drinking really well for a long time, my friend.

Foster moved to Sioux City from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July 2016, and began working at The Diving Elk around the same time. Owner C.J. Perera brought him onboard to run a cocktail program at the predominantly craft beer-centered bar.

The 37-year-old bartender said hes had the opportunity to work in a lot of different cocktail bars in the past. Three years ago, Foster got back into cocktail bartending, which allowed him to develop connections with the members of his community.

I think that is one of the coolest experiences that you can have in a bar, he said. You get to experience a community that is very diverse. We got all walks of life that come in, all experiences of drinking, all manner of different tastes and palates. I find that when you have that much of a diverse population, it makes it easy to keep life interesting.

Making those connections was a huge drive for Foster, but admittedly hes also a fan of spirits, particularly the educational aspects.

DRINK #2: IRISH OLD FASHIONED

Im mostly a beer drinker. I dont necessarily order mixed drinks or cocktails on a regular basis. Occasionally, Ill order a White Russian or a Moscow Mule, but thats it. My knowledge and experience with cocktails is rather limited, but Foster was kind enough to enlighten me on my next drink  an Irish Old Fashioned

Foster introduced an odd twist to the classic cocktail traditionally made with sugar, bitters, whiskey and a touch of citrus rind. He added a Guinness reduction to his Irish Old Fashioned. He poured a sample of the reduction into a shot glass for me to taste. The rich flavors of the Irish stout were heightened and vaguely tasted of maple syrup  I definitely wouldnt hesitate to put that on my pancakes.

An Old Fashioned, Foster said, is one of the oldest cocktails in existence.

Theyre pretty basic cocktails, he said. Theyre essentially the first cocktails. Thats why its called an Old Fashioned. You get into the 1800s and people got used to drinking and started seeing more cocktails on the scene. People would say, Nah, I just want that old fashioned cocktail.

Back then, he added, water was added to drink because there wasnt ice to dilute the drink.

Now we stir it to dilute it. If you ever see me stirring or shaking, Im watching adding water to the cocktail. Water is a very important part of a cocktail. Its what brings balance.

Theres that word again: balance. Its a crucial element in cocktail making. An unbalanced cocktail can end up being too sour or too boozy. Those experiences can actually hinder people from ever ordering cocktails again, which is why Foster focuses on being consistent.

With here, you know youre going to get a balanced product, he said. When youre rolling the dice for the cocktail, youre really hoping that the establishment and the person doing it have some level of training or understanding of it and you have to believe that they have great product, too.

So there has to be a certain level of trust?

Foster pointed to himself and then at me. This right here is a relationship, right? Bartending and the patron experience is really a relationship based on

Trust?

Nope. Alcohol. You were very close though.

DRINK #3: DAIQUIRI

Foster made two servings of the last drink to be share between the two of us. He chose one of his favorites: a daiquiri. Rum, lime and sugar.

Its so simple, he said. And it is so f***ing delicious.

I agree.

But although it may be a simple drink, it still requires skill and a sense of Fosters favorite word: balance. To him, thats the hallmark of a good cocktail. But Foster realizes that not everyone will like a daiquiri or an Old Fashioned.

Thats the beauty about this business because its so module, he said. You can make anything.

With a bevy of fresh ingredients and top-notch equipment at his disposal, Foster feels confident that he can make just about anything at The Diving Elk. At home, he has his own basement bar to hone his skills and enjoy the many variations of liquor stored in his cabinets.

His skills were put to the test in late February when he competed in the Perfect Pour: A Craft Cocktail Competition in Omaha. Foster was one of eight finalists representing bars from all around the Midwest and tasked with creating one-of-a-kind cocktails. Foster won the competition and received the Judges Choice award for his Havana Nights cocktail.

While skill is a very important factor in bartending, Foster said it ultimately comes down to the experience the customer is given.

If I can provide a good experience, then Ive done my job, he said. Thats whats important to me. Thats the big win.

Although Sioux City may be considered by some to be a beer town, Foster is working hard to broaden the areas palate or at least develop an interest and spread education about cocktails.

We make cocktails here. We try to make them properly. Beyond just enjoying it, if you ask questions and you can get an education from it, thats what I would really love. I would love someone to come in and order a drink and leave that much smarter about the drink.

Education is what will make the entire culture rise.
PVH Corp. operates as an apparel company worldwide. The company operates through six segments: Tommy Hilfiger North America, Tommy Hilfiger International, Calvin Klein North America, Calvin Klein International, Heritage Brands Wholesale, and Heritage Brands Retail. It designs, markets, and retails men's, women's, and children's apparel and accessories, including branded dress shirts, neckwear, sportswear, jeans wear, performance apparel, intimate apparel, underwear, swimwear, swim-related products, handbags, accessories, footwear, outerwear, home furnishings, luggage products, sleepwear, loungewear, hats, scarves, gloves, socks, watches and jewelry, eyeglasses and non-ophthalmic sunglasses, fragrance, home bed and bath furnishings, small leather goods, and other products. The company offers its products under its own brands, such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, Warner's, Olga, Geoffrey Beene, and True&Co., as well as various other owned, licensed, and private label brands. It also licenses its own brands over various products. The company distributes its products at wholesale in department, chain, and specialty stores, as well as through warehouse clubs, mass market, and off-price and independent retailers; and through company-operated full-price, outlet stores, and concession locations, as well as through digital commerce sites. It markets its products to approximately 40 countries. PVH Corp. was founded in 1881 and is based in New York, New York.
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
LA PLATA, Md.

or (301) 609-6515 . Tipsters wishing to remain anonymous may contact Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS , texting CHARLES + the tip to CRIMES (274637) or submitting tips online at www.tipsubmit.com/webtipsstart.aspx. A $1,000 cash reward is being offered for the tip that leads to an arrest in this case. The victims' identities will be released once next of kin have been notified.

Charles County Sheriff's detectives have released additional information relating to the domestic-related quadruple shooting that occurred on March 23. At 8:07 p.m., officers responded to 3305 Westdale Court in Waldorf for multiple calls for the sound of gunshots and a shooting. When officers arrived, they found a woman, 36, outside with multiple gunshot wounds. They received information that the shooter  the woman's husband  was inside along with their two children. Officers made a quick, tactical entry and immediately found, of that address, deceased on the living room floor; a gun was beside him and he had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers continued searching the house and located the couple's daughter,, in an upstairs bedroom; she was deceased. Another daughter,, was located in the upstairs bathroom suffering from several gunshot wounds. She was flown to a hospital where she later died. Their mother was flown to a hospital with serious injuries. The initial investigation revealed Goodwin shot his wife and daughters and then turned the gun on himself. Investigators are working to establish a motive, but at this time it is unclear what prompted the shootings. Det. J. Elliott is investigating.(March 24, 2017)On Thursday, March 23 at 8:17 p.m., officers responded to the 3300 block of Westdale Court, Waldorf, for the report of multiple shots fired. Upon entering the residence, officers located an adult male who was deceased. As officers further searched the townhome, they located a young female child who was also deceased, and two additional females, one who appeared to be a teenager and one adult, suffering from gunshot wounds.Both the teenage and adult females were flown out to an area hospital in critical condition.The juvenile female was pronounced deceased late last night; she was 17-years-old. Her name, as well as the other victim and suspect's name will be released when all next of kin have been notified.Officers also located a gun near the deceased man. This appears to be a domestic-related incident.The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. J. Elliott at (301) 932-2222
Thomas Austin Goldring III, aka "Junk," age 37, of Lexington Park, and Stanley Albert Gange, age 67, of Upper Marlboro were arrested on March 22.

LEONARDTOWN, Md.

(March 24, 2017)In November of 2015, Thomas Austin Goldring III, aka "Junk," age 37, of Lexington Park, was indicted by a grand jury for distribution of crack cocaine. Goldring failed to appear in the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County reference these charges in February 2017, resulting in two active warrants for his arrest.On March 22, detectives from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Vice/Narcotics Division observed Goldring as a passenger in a vehicle stopped in the 21000 block of Castaway Circle in Lexington Park. Detectives approached the vehicle and identified themselves as police with badges clearly visible. Goldring immediately instructed the vehicle's operator, later identified as Stanley Albert Gange, age 67, of Upper Marlboro, to flee the area in an attempt to elude detectives. The vehicle began accelerating towards a detective, who had to take immediate action to avoid being struck. To stop the vehicle, deputies had to break into the front side of the driver's side window.Gange and Goldring were placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. Through their investigation, detectives also discovered Goldring attempted to hide approximately 20.9 grams (street value of $2,091) of suspected crack cocaine on the rear passenger side floorboard and beneath the rear passenger seat of the marked police cruiser. The in-car camera in the police cruiser captured Goldring moving around in an attempt to hide the drugs.Detectives also recovered over $2,000.00 in U.S. currency on Goldring during a search and a plastic bag containing approximately 6.2 grams (street value of $30) of suspected marijuana from inside the suspect's vehicle.Goldring was served the two warrants and charged with one count each of attempted First Degree Assault, Second Degree Assault, and CDS possession; not marijuana (crack cocaine).Gagne was charged with one count of Attempted First Degree Assault and Second Degree Assault.Additional charges are pending a review with the State's Attorney.
In the 21 years from 1995 to 2016, Florida convicted 99 people under HIV criminalization laws. These 99 convictions differed by region. For example, Miami-Dade County had only one conviction, but the Jacksonville area had 31. These differences could result from differences in behavior, in prosecutor attitudes, or in local political culture.

Florida obtained convictions for 53 women and 46 men over these 21 years. Women accounted for 28 percent of all people living with HIV (PLWH) in Florida in 2014. In contrast, women accounted for 54 percent of those convicted under these HIV laws. Despite the argument that these laws protect women, Florida has convicted more women than men. Among current inmates, however, women constitute 17 percent of HIV convictions. As of January 1, 2017, Floridas prisons hold 24 people convicted under these laws: 20 men and 4 women.

Sexual orientation and gender identity data were not available.

Over these 21 years, racial data showed a strange pattern. About 56 percent of those convicted were Blacks, 1 percent Latino, and 43 percent White. In 2014, the HIV epidemic in Florida showed a different pattern. About 47 percent of PLWH were Black, 21 percent Latino, 30 percent White, and 2 percent other. The low number of convicted Latinos may result from confusion between racial and ethnic identities. Several White inmates had Spanish-language names and appeared Latino in their mug shots.

Regional Differences

The Health Resources Services Administration has identified those areas with large numbers of PLWH, as Eligible Metropolitan Areas (EMAs). Florida has six EMAs. The Jacksonville EMA consists of Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns Counties. The Orlando EMA consists of Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. The Tampa EMA consists of Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties. While these three EMAs contain multiple counties, each of the three other EMAs contains only one county. Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties each form their own EMA.

As shown in the chart HIV Criminalization Convictions in Florida 1995 to 2016 Differ by Region, these EMAs differ in their conviction rates. Two EMAs, Tampa and Jacksonville, accounted for 57 percent of convictions, over these 21 years. These two EMAs, however, did not have the largest number of PLWH among the six EMAs.

Florida has 67 counties. Together all six EMAs contain 15 counties and have convicted 76 people. Of the remaining 52 counties, 10 counties have convicted 23 people under these HIV laws. While every county in Florida has at least one PLWH, only 25 counties have convicted people under these laws.

Male / Female differences

In a binary system of gender, over-representation of women requires an under-representation of men. This may result from confusion about the legal definition of sexual intercourse in Florida. Florida courts have issued conflicting rulings about whether the legal term sexual intercourse includes anal intercourse. The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments about this issue in 2014, but has yet to rule. Prosecutors may be reluctant to bring a male-male HIV criminalization case to trial until that matter is resolved.

HIV criminalization laws over these 21 years have resulted in few convictions. That could change drastically, if the legal definition of sexual intercourse were to include anal intercourse.

The Florida HIV Justice Coalition has posted a Sign-on Statement to fight to modernize HIV criminalization laws. To sign-on is also the first step to becoming involved in that effort.

Please visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UcFGh3A_nyeX0A3GdFWJApr830KrZ2hMTeguklWN3vM/prefill or Bit.ly/2leC1wx

For more on the legal question of whether anal intercourse constitutes sexual intercourse under Florida law, please visit http://southfloridagaynews.com/Local/is-supreme-court-s-same-sex-hiv-disclosure-ruling-on-its-way.html or http://bit.ly/2mqezML

This article is part of an on-going research project into HIV Criminalization in Florida.

Follow Sean McShee on Twitter @SeanMcShee
HIV in Palm Beach County (PBC) differs demographically from HIV in Broward or Miami-Dade. HIV in PBC mostly affects straight people. In PBC, 56 percent of HIV cases result from male-female sexual contact, but in Broward, most HIV cases result from male-male sexual contact. Miami-Dade has a similar demographic pattern to that of Broward. In 2014 in PBC, 8,020 people were living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA). Of the 8,020 PLWHA in PBC, 81 percent were Black.

PBC has collaborated with the Florida Department of Health to use geographical information systems. These systems identify locations where clusters of PLWHA live. When planners know where PLWHA live, they can locate services to minimize transportation problems. Large numbers of PLWHA cluster in three urban areas of PBC, Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach, and Delray Beach. Unlike other South Florida counties, rural areas in PBC also have large numbers of PLWHA. These areas are near Lake Okeechobee in Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay, and Canal Point.

HIV service delivery in rural areas presents many unique challenges. The low population density of rural areas increases transportation difficulties. Rural areas also lack the protection against stigma that urban anonymity provides. Some rural HIV providers have begun to use telehealth technology to reduce these challenges.

PBC and the Continuum of Care

As a suppressed viral load has become the standard measure of HIV control at an individual level, the Continuum of Care has become the standard measure of HIV control at a group level. The diagnosis-based Continuum of Care consists of five sequential steps: diagnosis of HIV infection, linkage to care, retention in care, prescription of antiretrovirals, and suppression of HIV load. Each step leads to the next with the goal of viral suppression. When someone has suppressed their viral load, they maintain their own health and reduce the risk of transmission to others. Large declines in participation between steps indicate areas for improvement.

The Continuum of Care in PBC combines data for Ryan White Care clients with data for private sector clients. In PBC, 53 percent of PLWHA have achieved a suppressed viral load. PBC shows a 30 percent drop in participation between the steps Linkage-to-care and Retention-in-Care. Large drop-offs between these two points occur in Broward County as well.

In a survey of 366 PLWHA in PBC, 42 percent reported that they were not currently in care. When people reported their reasons for being out-of-care, an odd pattern emerged. Money issues did not dominate the reasons. Neither did cultural clashes with providers. Most of the out-of-care, 57.4 percent, felt no need to seek care, as they did not feel sick. A second large group, 38.7 percent, reported depression, which may refer to a fatalistic attitude to HIV infection. A third large group, 37.4 percent, reported a fear of others learning that they were living with HIV, or stigma.

Unlike Broward and Miami-Dade, PBC did not include baseline data with their goals. As a result, it is difficult to compare the plans for the three counties. All three counties, however, plan to incorporate PEP and PrEP in their HIV Prevention campaigns.

To read the full Florida 5-year plan for HIV treatment and prevention, please visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/aids/prevention/_documents/community_mobalization/florida-integrated-hiv-prevention-care-plan-09-29-16v2.pdf. The PBC 5-year plan is on pages 476-516.

For more information on HIV in PBC, please visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/aids/surveillance/partnership-slide-sets1.html, and select Partnership 9.

Follow Sean McShee on Twitter @SeanMcShee
West Palm Beach could declare itself a Welcoming City for immigrants.

City commissioners on Monday are scheduled to discuss a resolution stating it treats immigrants fairly. City police will only investigate someones citizenship status if required by law, warrant or court order. City government will not discriminate against immigrants when it comes to providing city services.

Not good enough, say left-wing groups Womens March West Palm Beach and South Florida Activism. On Monday both groups, and others, plan to gather outside city hall to protest the resolution since it has no legal binding.

Both groups Facebook pages state, we must be adamant in our insistence that a resolution is NOT ENOUGH, and that we will not be quieted, nor will we forget their unwillingness to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Part of the issue is there is not enough ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents to do what the president wants us to do, Mayor Jeri Muio told commissioners and city staff at a Wednesday meeting to review Mondays commission meeting agenda. ICE might come to municipalities and say, Youre going to enforce this. But we cannot, she said. President Donald Trump in January signed an executive order that aims to cut off federal grants to cities that do not comply with ICE requests.

When someone is arrested by city police, they are booked into Palm Beach County jail, which is run by Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office. If ICE asks PBSO, without a court order or warrant, to hold a detainee longer than local police need to, PBSO does not have to honor that request.

Even though police policy is in line with an ordinance demanded by protesters, its no guarantee, said Star Fae, the Lake Worth activist who founded South Florida Activism.

Without the ordinance, should the commission have a change of heart, or should the police force act outside of the commission and communities interests, there would be nothing stopping them from doing so on a legal level, Fae wrote in an email.

The phrase Welcoming City is effectively no different from sanctuary city, Mayor Jeri Muio said at the Wednesday meeting. She also mentioned the idea of a city identification card, called community ID. Immigrants with no state ID could present the community ID card to police when questioned, instead of their green card.

The city commission meeting and protests are both scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at city hall, 401 Clematis Street.
Rick Perry punched down this week.

The U.S. Secretary of Energy is accused of bully tactics at  of all places  his alma mater.

It takes a lot of nerve for 67 year old @SecretaryPerry to bully a college junior for fairly winning an election #TXLege, tweeted Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, on Thursday.

In an op-ed published Wednesday in the Houston Chronicle, Perry wrote that he is deeply troubled by the election of Bobby Brooks, 21, the first openly gay student body president in Texas A&M history.

Brooks won the election after his opponent, Robert McIntosh, was disqualified for failing to disclose campaign expenses. McIntosh is the son of a prominent Republican fundraiser from Dallas.

It is difficult to escape the perception that this quest for diversity is the real reason the election outcome was overturned, Perry wrote. Does the principle of diversity override and supersede all other values of our Aggie Honor Code?

A&M election officials caught McIntosh via a campaign video in which glow sticks were used but never reported on financial documents.

The desire of the electorate is overturned, and thousands of student votes are disqualified because of free glow sticks that appeared for 11 seconds of a months-long campaign. Apparently, glow sticks merit the same punishment as voter intimidation, Perry wrote.

Perry went on to question if McIntosh would have been disqualified had he been a minority student.

A Texas A&M graduate and former Texas Governor, Perry campaigned for U.S. President in 2012 and 2016. In 2012 he filmed a campaign video blasting the Obama administrations decision to lift the ban on openly gay people to serve in the military.

Brooks has not responded to Perry's op-ed, but Ellis is furious.

"As a mother who works daily to protect children, I am disgusted that a father like @SecretaryPerry would stoop this low," Ellis tweeted, adding "Some advice for @SecretaryPerry: Kids like Bobby Brooks are the future, and should be encouraged and not harrassed."
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




3C 186 STSCI

Astronomers have uncovered a supermassive black hole that has been propelled out of the center of a distant galaxy by what could be the awesome power of gravitational waves.

Though there have been several other suspected, similarly booted black holes elsewhere, none has been confirmed so far. Astronomers think this object, detected by NASAs Hubble Space Telescope, is a very strong case. Weighing more than 1 billion Suns, the rogue black hole is the most massive black hole ever detected to have been kicked out of its central home.

Researchers estimate that it took the equivalent energy of 100 million supernovas exploding simultaneously to jettison the black hole. The most plausible explanation for this propulsive energy is that the monster object was given a kick by gravitational waves unleashed by the merger of two hefty black holes at the center of the host galaxy.

First predicted by Albert Einstein, gravitational waves are ripples in space that are created when two massive objects collide. The ripples are similar to the concentric circles produced when a hefty rock is thrown into a pond. Last year, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) helped astronomers prove that gravitational waves exist by detecting them emanating from the union of two stellar-mass black holes, which are several times more massive than the Sun.

Hubbles observations of the wayward black hole surprised the research team. When I first saw this, I thought we were seeing something very peculiar, said team leader Marco Chiaberge of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland. When we combined observations from Hubble, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, it all pointed towards the same scenario. The amount of data we collected, from X-rays to ultraviolet to near-infrared light, is definitely larger than for any of the other candidate rogue black holes.

Chiaberges paper will appear on March 30 in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Hubble images taken in visible and near-infrared light provided the first clue that the galaxy was unusual. The images revealed a bright quasar, the energetic signature of a black hole, residing far from the galactic core. Black holes cannot be observed directly, but they are the energy source at the heart of quasars  intense, compact gushers of radiation that can outshine an entire galaxy. The quasar, named 3C 186, and its host galaxy reside 8 billion light-years away in a galaxy cluster. The team discovered the galaxys peculiar features while conducting a Hubble survey of distant galaxies unleashing powerful blasts of radiation in the throes of galaxy mergers.

I was anticipating seeing a lot of merging galaxies, and I was expecting to see messy host galaxies around the quasars, but I wasnt really expecting to see a quasar that was clearly offset from the core of a regularly shaped galaxy, Chiaberge recalled. Black holes reside in the center of galaxies, so its unusual to see a quasar not in the center.

The team calculated the black holes distance from the core by comparing the distribution of starlight in the host galaxy with that of a normal elliptical galaxy from a computer model. The black hole had traveled more than 35,000 light-years from the center, which is more than the distance between the Sun and the center of the Milky Way.

Based on spectroscopic observations taken by Hubble and the Sloan survey, the researchers estimated the black holes mass and measured the speed of gas trapped near the behemoth object. Spectroscopy divides light into its component colors, which can be used to measure velocities in space. To our surprise, we discovered that the gas around the black hole was flying away from the galaxys center at 4.7 million miles an hour, said team member Justin Ely of STScI. This measurement is also a gauge of the black holes velocity, because the gas is gravitationally locked to the monster object.

The astronomers calculated that the black hole is moving so fast it would travel from Earth to the Moon in three minutes. Thats fast enough for the black hole to escape the galaxy in 20 million years and roam through the universe forever.

The Hubble image revealed an interesting clue that helped explain the black holes wayward location. The host galaxy has faint arc-shaped features called tidal tails, produced by a gravitational tug between two colliding galaxies. This evidence suggests a possible union between the 3C 186 system and another galaxy, each with central, massive black holes that may have eventually merged.

Based on this visible evidence, along with theoretical work, the researchers developed a scenario to describe how the behemoth black hole could be expelled from its central home. According to their theory, two galaxies merge, and their black holes settle into the center of the newly formed elliptical galaxy. As the black holes whirl around each other, gravity waves are flung out like water from a lawn sprinkler. The hefty objects move closer to each other over time as they radiate away gravitational energy. If the two black holes do not have the same mass and rotation rate, they emit gravitational waves more strongly along one direction. When the two black holes collide, they stop producing gravitational waves. The newly merged black hole then recoils in the opposite direction of the strongest gravitational waves and shoots off like a rocket.

The researchers are lucky to have caught this unique event because not every black-hole merger produces imbalanced gravitational waves that propel a black hole in the opposite direction. This asymmetry depends on properties such as the mass and the relative orientation of the back holes rotation axes before the merger, said team member Colin Norman of STScI and Johns Hopkins University. Thats why these objects are so rare.

An alternative explanation for the offset quasar, although unlikely, proposes that the bright object does not reside within the galaxy. Instead, the quasar is located behind the galaxy, but the Hubble image gives the illusion that it is at the same distance as the galaxy. If this were the case, the researchers should have detected a galaxy in the background hosting the quasar.

If the researchers interpretation is correct, the observations may provide strong evidence that supermassive black holes can actually merge. Astronomers have evidence of black-hole collisions for stellar-mass black holes, but the process regulating supermassive black holes is more complex and not completely understood.

The team hopes to use Hubble again, in combination with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and other facilities, to more accurately measure the speed of the black hole and its gas disk, which may yield more insight into the nature of this bizarre object.

Reference: A Gravitational Wave Recoiling Black Hole in a Young Powerful Radio Loud Quasar, Marco Chiaberge et al., 2017, to appear in Astronomy & Astrophysics [http://www.aanda.org, preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.0550]. The international team of astronomers in this study consists of M. Chiaberge (STScI and Johns Hopkins University), J. Ely (STScI), E. Meyer (University of Maryland Baltimore County), M. Georganopoulos (University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), A. Marinucci and S. Bianchi (Universita degli Studi Roma Tre, Italy), G. Tremblay (Yale University), B. Hilbert and J. Kotyla (STScI), A. Capetti (INAF  Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Italy), S. Baum (University of Manitoba, Canada), F. D. Macchetto (STScI), G. Miley (University of Leiden, Netherlands), C. ODea (University of Manitoba), E. Perlman (Florida Institute of Technology), W. Sparks (STScI) and C. Norman (STScI and Johns Hopkins University).
Last Snow (6.4% ABV)

Funky Buddha of Oakland Park, FL

A Coconut and Coffee Porter.

On tap, growlers, and bottles with limited FL distribution.

In the great big world of coffee beers, this is one of my favorite beers of all-time. Funky Buddhas Last Snow has exactly the kind of balance in flavors that so many breweries go for with coffee and other ingredients, yet few can fully hit. I immediately fell in love with this beer at first sip.

Launched as a tiny one barrel brewhouse in 2010, founder Ryan Sentz has helped grow Funky Buddha into a real leader in the growing Florida craft beer scene, known especially for early successes like their Maple Bacon Coffee Porter. Today theyre still independently owned, but have grown from humble origins to become a regional brewery, selling more than 15,000 barrels of beer each year. Funky Buddha is now known for much more than porters, including a popular Floridian Hefeweizen and Moro Moro Blood Orange IPA, but porters remain a core strength, and are a focus of the brewerys Little Buddha Small Batch program.

Last Snow is part of that program, and comes steeped with cacao nibs, toasted coconut, and a Guatemalan coffee from Cafe Vidal in nearby Miami. Cafe Vidal Roastmaster Chris Conover has been working with Sentz and his team to develop coffee beers for the last half decadethough in the beginning he had some concerns. I was hesitant at first because every time I eat or drink something that has coffee in it, like ice cream or beer it tastes like stale coffee to me, Conover tells me. We feel you need to draw out your roasts for the coffee to develop.

Id say mission accomplished. Pop the cap off, and you immediately get the aroma of fresh coconut and chocolate. It pours dark brown, almost black, and finishes with a nice creamy head that dissipates quickly thanks to the coffeecoffee can impact head retention in beers, likely because of the oils in brewed coffee, and this beer is no different. Upon your first taste, its a liquid version of a Mounds Bar, straight chocolate and coconut, with the coffee poking its head as a subtle aftertaste. Coffee adds some depth to the beer, but doesnt it push it into roasty territory, instead blending in so well with the chocolate that you hardly notice it until that aftertaste hits.

This is simply excellent beer, and the critics agree: Last Snow earned a silver medal as the #2 Best Porter in the country in the 2015 Rate Beer Awards, and it boasts a perfect 100 overall score in that sites user rankings. Beer Advocate calls it world-class, and a simple Google search reveals dozens more declarations of love for Last Snow. You can add mine to that list.

Last Snow is released twice a year from Funky Buddha, in September and February. Like most of the coffee beers featured on Sprudge, this one has limited availability, and is very much worth hunting for. If you can get your hands on a bottle, Im confident youll have found a new favorite coffee beer for your collection. Or you could just drink itI wont judge.

Jason Dominy is a content marketing specialist at Pardot, co-host of The Last Beer Show podcast, and freelance writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. Read more Jason Dominy on Sprudge.
Coffee Design is proudly sponsored by Savor Brands , your boost in coffeedence through maximizing designs in packaging, sustainability and tech.

Some of the best artists I know are baristas. Take Joey Bareither, a Spokane-based graphic artist and barista responsible for the gorgeous art upon the bags of Indaba Coffee. Bareither now runs JMB Design & Illustration, and has worked with a number of local coffee companies. For Indaba, Bareither went with a block print aesthetic and we totally dig it.

We spoke to Bareither over email, who explained that he wanted to be intentional about where each bean we use is from, using that region to inform and influence the style that I work in [and] the textiles, landscapes, etc. that are depicted in the labels.

We first featured Indaba in our Spokane coffee guide in 2013, and again in 2015 on their second location. We spoke digitally with founder, owner, barista, roaster, trainer, speaker, and consultant Bobby Enslow to catch up.

As told to Sprudge by Bobby Enslow.

Tell us a bit about your company.

Indaba Coffee first opened in 2009 with the goal to create a positive change in a tough neighborhood. Weve evolved over the years from a single roaster cafe, to a multi-roaster cafe, into a roastery cafe, and finally in 2017 we are set to build out a larger roasting and wholesale operation. As a social benefit company we strive to train at risk youth in our neighborhood, provide supportive employment to the marginalized, and provide a meal for every bag of coffee we sell. We are also the founders of Spokane Barista Academy, which is a not for profit job readiness coffee training program.

When did the coffee package design debut?

In the Fall of 2016 we had the pleasure of employing a talented barista and friend, Joey Bareither. After returning from mission work in Thailand, he wanted to start his own design company. He picks up barista shifts when not designing.

Who designed the package?

Joey Bareither Design. Checkout his work @jmb.designs on instagram or http://www.joeymb.com/ Hes also the man behind the labels @honeybeecoffeeco

What coffee information do you share on the package?

The front label is pretty general with just a country, farm, or mill name along with some basic flavor notes. The back has more detail into the specific story of the sourcing of the coffee. It also speaks to how we provide a meal for every bag of coffee sold. We want to communicate not just global, but local impact.

Whats the motivation behind that?

We want the front label to be focused more on the art and simple approach to origin information. We found with our customers that having too many specifics on the front caused confusion and clutter. We also want to tell as much of the story of the coffee as we can on the back so that people can feel more connected to the hard work of the farmers.

Where is the bag manufactured?

We source our bags from Pacific Bag Inc out of Woodinville, WA.

Where is it currently available?

Our retail coffee is currently available on our website at indabacoffee.com, in our two cafes, and with our wholesale partners like @vergecoffeeco, @ephatacafe, @thewellatlibertylake, @thekitchenengine, @caffedolcemissoula, @roostcoffeepullman, and some other rotating cafes and restaurants. With the construction of our larger roastery cafe this summer, we plan to expand our wholesale operations to more outlets.

Coffee Design is a feature series by Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge. Read more Coffee Design here.
Despite being assigned the outside post and battling through a wardrobe malfunction, Hldontghttoyurdrms came up huge in winning Thursdays $11,000 Preferred 2 for trotters at Flamboro Downs.

With Alfie Carroll barking out orders from the bike, Hldontghttoyurdrms shot to the top from Post 7 and sliced out splits of :28.1, :59.2 and 1:29.2 before using a :29.4 closing panel to win by a length over Seeyou Men in 1:59.1. Allies Gift took home the show dough.

Sent off as the 8-5 favourite in the seven-horse affair, the Richard Moreau-trained eight-year-old son of Muscles Yankee-Sweet Gabriella improved his 2017 record to 3-1-0 from seven trips postward. The 28-time winner, who bumped his bankroll to $426,815, is owned by Frank Spagnolo of Ottawa, Ont.

In the $7,500 Preferred 3 for trotters, Dragin The Wagon powered to the lead and kept on trucking en route to a 1:57.4 score for driver Anthony Haughan and trainer Jeff Byron.

Haughan put the pedal to the metal and the gelding whacked out fractions of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:28.1 before scooting home in :29.3 to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Avuncular. Third prize went to Azucar.

Sent off as the even-money choice, the seven-year-old son of Angus Hall-Bridgeannika posted the win for owner James Cantelon of Thornton, Ont. The gelding owns 32 lifetime wins and a bankroll that sits at $223,416.

To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results  Flamboro Downs.
The Ontario Harness Horse Association has scheduled a meeting to be held in the Ottawa district on Tuesday, March 28.

The meeting will take place at 6:00 pm at the Ramada Inn located at 2259 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa. This is intended to be a general information meeting and all horsepeople are invited to attend.

For further information, please contact the OHHA office at 905-854-6442.

(with files from OHHA)
Judicial Watch to Broadcast a Special Presentation: 'House Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz to Address Government Oversight Challenges'

Broadcast Available on Facebook Live and at JudicialWatch.org



Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch, 202-646-5172



WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Judicial Watch announced it will host a March 30 presentation by U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: "Government Oversight Challenges."

Date: Thursday, March 30



Time: 2-3 pm ET



*Location: Judicial Watch

Main Conference Room

425 Third Street SW, Suite 800

Washington, DC 20024



Confirmed Speaker:

U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)

Chairman, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform



Moderator:

Tom Fitton

President, Judicial Watch

A mult box will be available for media in attendance, and the event will be carried live at www.judicialwatch.org/live. We will also livestream the panel on Facebook Live. Visit our Facebook page to watch.



MORE: www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-broadcast-special-presentation-house-government-reform-committee-chairman-jason-chaffetz-address-government-oversight-challenges
Contact: Liberty Counsel, 407-875-1776, Media@LC.org; Press Kit



JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 24, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Liberty Counsel filed a Motion for Summary Judgment today in John Parsons v. City of Jacksonville, Florida, a lawsuit to invalidate a city ordinance that adds "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as "protected categories" under Jacksonville law. Liberty Counsel's motion shows the court that the ordinance, dubbed the "Human Rights Ordinance" or "HRO," is so clearly illegal that it should be invalidated without the need for a trial.

Yesterday, the City of Jacksonville filed a Motion to Dismiss Liberty Counsel's lawsuit against the HRO, on the theory that the plaintiff lacks legal standing to file the lawsuit because he has no "special injury." However, Liberty Counsel is prepared to show the court that any resident of Jacksonville can file suit challenging the validity of the HRO under the applicable statutes and well-settled precedent. Notably, the city's motion makes no attempt to defend the validity of the HRO under Florida law.

Prior versions of the HRO were defeated twice in Jacksonville with help from Liberty Counsel and others. Radical LGBT activists chose the language of the current HRO, which violates Florida and Jacksonville law, and, with the help of their allies on the City Council, deceived other city officials and the public into believing the "new" HRO was somehow different from the previously defeated versions.

"The violations of Florida and Jacksonville law by the HRO authors and sponsors are so clear that no trial is necessary," said Liberty Counsel's Assistant Vice President of Legal Affairs, Roger Gannam, a former long-time Jacksonville resident. "City officials were wrong to choose the radical LGBT agenda over the rule of law and the fair and honest people of Jacksonville. This law deceptively and unnecessarily puts women in harm's way, by opening their facilities to men, and forces Jacksonville's businesses and citizens to celebrate the same-sex relationships of others under threat of fines and even loss of their businesses," said Gannam.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
Dit schreef ik ruim 20 jaar geleden over Paul Cliteur Het recht om Cliteur te kwetsen Ik vermoed dat het de drie sloten op zijn voordeur zij...
This is my second post about Moebius, in which I wanted to tell my story how I came to discover him, love his comics and all the things I di...
Friday, March 24, 2017

Edward Adams, Howard E. Buhse Professor of Finance and Law at the University of Minnesota Law School, has been indicted for stealing $4.4 million from investors and paying $2.5 million to his own law firm.

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2017/03/university-of-minnesota-law-professor-charged-in-multi-million-dollar-corporate-fraud-scheme.html
More than 60 businesses have benefitted from the program, which was extended through May 1 while a permanent program is in the works.
Forever young, James Soto, 25, of Kelso passed away March 14, 2017, at Oregon Health Science & University Hospital in Portland.

He was born Feb. 11, 1992, in Clackamas, Ore., and attended R.A. Long High School. James spent his short life fighting cystic fibrosis and helped others who were battling the same. He never gave up.

James was fond of children and childrens books, video games, cars and spending time with friends and family. He was easy-going and went with the flow - always on his time. He was forgiving, sensitive, funny, caring, honest and compassionate.

Survivors include his mother, Sheryl (Depoe) Gonzalez; his father, Alberto Soto-Sotelo; three sisters, Kimberley Gonzalez and her husband, Skyler Moilanen, Suzie Gonzalez and Nia Soto; a niece, Mia Moilanen; a nephew, Adrian Martinez-Gonzalez; and his extended family members and friends.

James was preceded in death by a niece, Viola Burchett; and his best canine friend, Minnie.

A celebration of his life is planned from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Longview Eagles. Viewings will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Steele Chapel at Longview Memorial Park.

Contributions to assist the family with final expenses may be made by calling Kimberley at 360-270-9900.
NEWPORT, Ore.  Fisheries managers have been predicting a slightly below-average run of 160,400 spring chinook salmon on the Columbia River this year, but a newly published study suggests that it may be worse.

According to researchers from Oregon State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ocean conditions were historically bad in the spring of 2015, when migrating yearling fish that will comprise the bulk of this springs adult chinook salmon run first went out to sea.

In fact, Pacific Decadal Oscillation values  which reflect warm and cold sea surface temperatures  suggest it was one of the warmest nearshore oceans encountered by migrating chinook salmon dating back to at least 1900.

The lack of food for the salmon in 2015 may have resulted in significant mortality that will show in this years run of Columbia River springers.

One way or another, it will provide new information on fish survival and whether juvenile salmon prey data can help managers predict future returns.

Results of the research have just been published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.

About 80 percent of a typical spring chinook run on the Columbia River come from fish that went out to sea as yearlings two years earlier, according to lead author Elizabeth Daly, a senior faculty research assistant.

When juvenile salmon first enter the ocean, it is a critical time for them, Daly said. They are adjusting to a salt-water environment, they have to eat to survive, and they have to avoid becoming prey themselves. When we sampled juvenile salmon in May and June of 2015, the fish were much smaller and thinner than usual, and many of them had empty stomachs. There just wasnt anything for them to eat.

Two key statistics stand out from 2015, the researchers noted.

The California Current system off the West Coast was more than 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal, and the juvenile chinook were smaller and skinnier than during a cold-water year, weighing an average of 17.6 percent less.

When the waters off Oregon and Washington are cold, young salmon primarily feed on readily available fish prey such as Pacific sand lance and smelts, which triggers their growth spurt.

When waters are warmer, there is less food available, and they primarily eat juvenile anchovies and rockfish, which are less-desirable.

Daly said 2015 began on a somewhat positive note. Although cold-water larval fish species were absent, the researchers found abundant amounts of other larval fish in January, February and March, the fourth highest biomass in the last 18 years.

Thus even in the absence of preferred cold-water species, there was food in the California Current system  at least for a while.

However, by the time the juvenile chinook migrated to the ocean later that spring, these larval anchovies and rockfish had all but disappeared.

The researchers theorize that these larval fish died off because they themselves had little to eat.

Long-time NOAA biologist Bill Peterson told Daly and her colleagues that the Pacific Ocean off the coast in early 2015 was devoid of cold-water, lipid-rich copepods, a key element in the food chain.

In 2015, it was so warm offshore that virtually no lipid-rich copepods were to be found.

We think the larval anchovies and rockfish had nothing to eat, so they died off, Daly said. So when the salmon entered the ocean later that spring of 2015, the cupboard was bare.

During warm years, there is typically less upwelling that brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface, said Richard Brodeur, a biologist with the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center and coauthor on the study.

The young salmon may have to travel farther north to find food, and they become highly susceptible to becoming prey themselves.

Preliminary results from 2016 by study coauthor Toby Auth suggest that ichthyoplankton biomass was again high in late winter, but it was dominated once more by anchovies and sardines, which normally spawn off Oregon in summer.

Juvenile salmon sampled in the spring were small and somewhat thinner than normal, Daly said.

For the first time, we found that the salmon were eating juvenile sardines in 2016  a new prey for them, she noted. Sardines were spawning off the central Oregon coast for one of the first times because of the warm water. We dont know the long-term impact this will have on salmon. Hopefully, it can become a new food source for them if waters remain warm.

As this years run of spring chinook salmon unfolds on the Columbia, Daly and her colleagues will be watching to see if the numbers of adult fish returning align with predictions of a poor return based on 2015 ocean conditions, prey availability, and juvenile fish size.
The ancestors of Yellowstone National Parks bison migrated to North America much later than previously believed, according to newly published research.

The common ancestor for all of these bison is not very old, said professor Beth Shapiro, of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute. There are some really old dates from fossil assemblages in southern North America. We pointed out that some of these old dates are pretty bad.

Research by Shapiro and University of Alberta professor Duane Froese, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pulls that date much closer: between 130,000 and 195,000 years ago for the first migration, 45,000 to 21,000 years ago for a second wave of Asian bison.

Theres really no record of bison in North America from more than 150,000 years ago, Froese said.

Tracking DNA

The scientists used new techniques for ancient DNA extraction and sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of more than 40 bison, including the two oldest bison fossils ever recovered  one from the Yukon, and one from Snowmass, Colorado. Mitochondria are passed from the mother to offspring.

Comparing these genomes to additional Siberian and North American bison clarified the earliest parts of the bison family tree. From that information the scientists constructed a bison genealogy establishing that a common maternal ancestor  the mother of all North American bison  arrived during the Illinoian ice age, corresponding with a lower sea level.

"Until recently, the fossil records from different parts of North America disagreed with each other, with a few fossil localities suggesting that bison arrived millions of years ago, but most old fossil sites showing no evidence of bison at all," Shapiro said.

Bison species

From about 191,000 to 130,000 years ago, ice covered much of the northern hemisphere. As the ice sheet grew the sea level dropped by 300 feet or more, opening a 600-mile wide land route between Asia and North America known as the Bering Land Bridge. The same route would later be used by humans, possibly about 25,000 years ago, and was a place where those early ancestors were isolated for 10,000 to 15,000 years before glaciers receded and allowed them to venture farther south into North America, migrating down the West Coast, according to the most recent theory.

The second wave of bison migration is pretty coincidental with when humans came across, which isnt surprising knowing that those people were bison hunters, Shapiro said.

The first bison to enter North America from Asia were the now-extinct steppe bison, Bison priscus. This animal was about 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed around 2,000 pounds. Its horns were spread about 3 feet apart.

No Bison priscus fossils have been found south of the Yukon. What have been found in the United States are descendants of B. priscus. The first was Bison latifrons, an extinct long-horned bison that was much bigger: 8 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed about 2,250 pounds with horns that stretched 4 to 7 feet.

They were 25 to 30 percent bigger than modern bison, Froese said. Theyve never been found in the North.

This was the most intriguing part of this study, Shaprio said. I expected them to be so different genetically, but really they were just responding to the enormous amount of resources available to them.

After latifrons disappears from the fossil record, Bison antiquus arrives, which was a bit smaller in stature. Next came the American bison, Bison bison. The two species of modern North American bison that are still present  the American Plains bison like those in Yellowstone, Bison bison bison, and the slightly bigger American wood bison, Bison bison athabascae found in Canada  are the descendants of the American bison. Earlier studies show these modern species descended from a common ancestor about 15,000 to 22,000 years ago.

Based on the horn and skull morphology, they are all priscus, Froese said. Theyre not that different genetically.

Shaprio agreed. Im a lumper. I believe they are all pretty much the same thing. At one point there were 50 different named species. Genetically, theyre all the same.

Which is not what past scientists had believed. Yet Froese said most of the response hes gotten from fellow scientists about the new dates and genealogy has been positive so far.

The comments weve received from paleontologists are that they are happy to see this get nailed down, he said.

Invasive species

Although initially the first bison would have been blocked from migrating farther south from Beringia by large ice sheets, when they did make it to what is now the United States they found a land very favorable to their species.

The close genetic relationship between maternal lineages found in the earliest northern bison and the earliest continental bison argues for a rapid expansion of bison across the continent in a period of approximately 20,000 years, according to the scientists published research.

"After they arrived in Alaska, they spread quickly across the continent, taking advantage of the rich grassland resources that were part of the ice age ecosystem," Shapiro said.

The early bison would have been sharing grazing lands with mammoths and early horses, successful species that had lived on the continent for a million years. They all coexisted together for about 100,000 years before the mammoth and horses went extinct, along with many other large animals present following the last ice age. Somehow, when so many other animals died out, the bison survived and even thrived.

So its probably the most successful invasion of a mammal into North America, except for humans, because of the success they had, Froese said.

He is curious about how that successful establishment of bison on the Great Plains affected the grassland ecosystem that had long been dominated by horses and mammoths. Did the grasslands become more productive? How was the vegetation altered by the many different herbivores?

Nearly extinct

Estimates of North American bison populations before the mid-1800s have ranged from 30 to 60 million animals. They were a key source of sustenance for many American Indian tribes and their early ancestors, who are estimated to have begun exploring what is now the United States more than 15,000 years ago.

In the early 1800s, market and sport killing of bison by Euro-Americans exterminated the animals east of the Mississippi River and nearly pushed the animals to extinction in the West. In Yellowstone less than two dozen animals managed to survive under protection of the U.S. Army. Those few animals were supplemented by introductions of bison from other remnant populations.

Now the Yellowstone bison herd is a victim of its own success. With a population near 5,500 the parks two herds have been the subject of a controversial slaughter program to reduce their numbers to 3,000  an agreed-upon figure by the Park Service and state of Montana meant to limit the animals winter migration north of Yellowstone. So far this winter almost 1,000 bison have been killed at processing facilities with the meat going to participating tribes.
CODY, Wyo.  When Bonnie Smith first saw three golden eagle nests on a cliff above an ancient American Indian thunderbird petroglyph, she had to wonder if there was a connection.

Was that intentional? she thought. It seems so obvious.

That question has launched her on a search across the Bighorn Basin for other rock art sites depicting eagle-like creatures close to eagle nests, eagle capture sites and fasting beds used by native people before the Euro-American migration west.

Im looking for positive ways to make the correlation in the Bighorn Basin, said Smith, the curatorial assistant at the Draper Natural History Museum in Cody, Wyoming.

The work ties in nicely with her bosss research. Charles Preston is studying golden eagles in the area. He has identified 70 nest territories occupied by golden eagles at least once since 2009.

SPECIAL BIRD

Folklore and myth across many cultures have long conveyed special powers to eagles because of their size, hunting prowess and flying ability.

Descriptions of Sioux tribes building pits to capture eagles for their feathers have been recorded by historians. The feathers were valued for headdresses and were seen as symbols of power for those who possessed them.

They are a pretty special bird, said George Frison, archaeologist emeritus at the University of Wyoming. It was a rite of passage to trap an eagle.

Smith said historical accounts point to the activity as male only, with purification rituals before the hunt began.

This was a holy activity, she said.

Eagle feathers, since they were part of an eagle, aka the thunderbird, were considered a special item, something youd earn the right to use, wear or touch, said Rebecca West, curator of the Plains Indian Cultures and the Plains Indian Museum in Cody. It was not done by just anyone.

West said although some people may look at a feather bonnet as a piece of clothing, it was actually an earned right for a leader, spiritual leader, healers and medicine man or woman.

So its a lot deeper than people think, she said. Its not just for warriors. Thats why its so controversial today when a New York fashion model wears a feather  because its an earned right.

SYMOLISM

Likewise, eagle-like birds  such as the thunderbird  are depicted across North America, from Alaska and the Northeast to the Southwest. The paintings or etchings often show the bird in profile with wings outstretched and claws extended.

Stylistically they are similar with regional variations, Smith said. Which makes sense when you consider artistic variation in people  differences in technical ability  and the way people view the world is very different.

The thunderbird is so named because the flapping of its wings caused thunder, lightning flashed from its eyes and wind roared from its rapid flight.

The thunderbird is an ancient symbol that goes way, way back with Plains Indian cultures, West said. Its considered to be one of the most powerful creatures. It controlled the weather, thunder and lightning in the skies, and is often shown with symbols of lightning coming out of its talons or eyes.

West said the bird was also seen as a messenger between humans and spirits in the heavens.

So its pretty special and super powerful, she said. It appears on shields and clothing. There are lots of references to the thunderbird.

LEGEND ROCK

Places depicting thunderbirds as well as other rock art were spiritual sites where people would go to make offerings to the gods through rituals, ceremonies and the creation of rock art in hopes of earning favor or goodwill.

I can see people going to Legend Rock, asking for help from the gods, Smith said. They went close to the eagle nests to guarantee they got the message.

Legend Rock is a state park located about 40 miles southeast of Meeteetse, Wyoming, along Cottonwood Creek. Amid the dry, rolling sagebrush hills, sandstone cliffs rise as high as 90 feet above the stream for about three-quarters of a mile. Pecked and incised into the soft rock is a collection of 300 figures, animals, humans and horned, wide-bodied creatures in a style termed Dinwoody. Conservative estimates date some of the artwork to 6,000 years old while others consider the oldest to date back 10,000 years.

You have to look at Legend Rock as a place of power, where people were seeking power, said Julie Francis, an archaeologist for the Wyoming Department of Transportation who has co-authored books on rock art.

Other art at the site dates to as early as 100 years ago, Francis said. The Eastern Shoshone are some of the oldest inhabitants of the region, but the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Kiowa and Sioux would have also visited the region. The Crow Tribe, relatives to the Hidatsa tribes along the Missouri River, migrated to the region possibly in the late 1600s.

It was a place people repeatedly came back to, Francis said.

ANCIENT ARTISTS

West said rock art sites are often associated with lone males who have fasted as part of a vision quest, but not always.

To commemorate a successful vision or give thanks to the spirit world, the supplicant then painted pictographs of the guardian spirit or other dream subjects, write James Keyser and Michael A. Klassen in their book, Plains Indian Rock Art.

Mythical looking creatures might refer to Water Woman or water monsters, female spirits that hid in the water and would harm humans, West said.

Even inanimate things like rocks have a life  a life breath and spirit to them, West said. Thats why some images emerge from cracks in the rocks. It was thought that spirits emerge out of these rocks to reveal themselves.

In aboriginal societies, many pictorial expressions were produced and used as parts of rituals and ceremonies, write Keyser and Klassen. Indeed, the process of making rock art may often have been more important than the images themselves.

Francis doesnt discount Smiths theory that thunderbird depictions might be related to eagle nesting or capture sites, even if no eagle capture or fasting sites have been located near Legend Rock.

They could have gone there to seek power even if they captured eagles somewhere else, she said.

MEDICINE LODGE

Another site that does combine eagle traps, established occupation dating back 10,000 years, rock art and nearby eagle nests is Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site near Hyattville, Wyoming, on the western slope of the Bighorn Mountains.

There are many closely related sites in that part of the Bighorn Basin, Francis said. Such a large concentration speaks to the religious importance of the area.

Since eagles are picky about where they nest, and will often return to nests again and again, Smith said it makes sense that the same areas may have been used by eagles hundreds if not thousands of years ago. As an example she pointed to a study of gyrfalcon nests in Greenland that showed 2,500 years of occupation.

Although there is still much research to do, Smith said she would like her study to answer questions about what season the petroglyphs were made and document the direction the thunderbirds face. She also wonders how the artists had so much time to create the petroglyphs, which were chipped into the rock in great detail.

Ultimately, by drawing attention to the sites and eagles, Smith is hoping to protect both.
The states Chief Republican budget writer says every school in the state would come out ahead under the Senate Majority Caucuss proposed 2018-19 state budget, but educators and House Democrats disagree.

Everybody pays the same rate and everybody gets the same funding for students, said Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, who represents parts of Cowlitz and Lewis counties.

Cowlitz County property owners would see their property taxes decrease significantly under the GOP plan, he said.

Legislators have been under the gun trying to create a budget this session that fulfills the Supreme Courts 2012 McCleary decision, which requires the state to fully fund basic education.

Across the state, local districts have been helping foot the bill for basic expenses such as teacher salaries, bilingual education and special education through local voter-approved levies. Under the Senate plan, the school levy rate would become a uniform $1.55 per $1,000 of assessed property value for every district  reducing rates in about 83 percent of districts around the state.

Longview residents currently pay $3.31 per $1,000, while Kelso residents pay $4.07.

The $1.55 rate would mean increases in property rich areas that can collect more money from higher-value property areas, like Bellevue, Seattle and Mercer Island. For example, Seattle homeowners currently pay only $1.22 per $1,000.

Under the Senate GOP budget, local maintenance and operations levies would go away beginning in 2019. Starting in 2020, the plan would allow for enhancement levies, which would still be voter-approved. But there are two big differences, Braun said.

Before they go to the voters, the school has to put together a plan about how theyre going to use the money, Braun said Thursday. They have to show that they have a specific plan that is for non-basic education.

The limit of these enhancement levies would be 10 percent of what that district receives in state funding, a rollback to the 10 percent cap that was first implemented in the 1980 Levy Lid Act.

The majority of districts are currently allowed to collect levies for up to 28 percent of their operating budget, and a third of districts in the state have higher, grandfathered levy rates between 28.01 percent and 37.9 percent.

The plan would also require school districts to keep any levy money they do raise in separate accounts from state money.

It seems kind of odd when you think how sophisticated accounting is in todays world that the school districts dont account for state and local money separately, Braun said. That requirement is coupled with stricter auditing policies, to ensure that districts arent using local money for basic education.

Other aspects of the plan have teachers unions worried. Under the plan, the voter-approved grade 4 through 12 class size reduction initiative would be repealed, as well as another initiative that provided teachers with cost-of-living salary adjustments. Class size reductions for kindergarten through third grade, approved in 2010, would remain in place.

Teachers salaries would be increased, to $54,000 and $59,000 respectively for teachers with bachelors and advanced degrees by 2018-19.

Kim Mead, chairwoman of the Washington Education Association (the state teachers union) testified against the budget Tuesday.

The Senate budget fails to keep our Constitutional promise to our children, and it does not comply with the Supreme Courts McCleary decision, Mead said in prepared remarks. Mead cited the elimination of class size reductions, reductions in special education funding and elimination of voter-approved teacher cost-of-living adjustments as some of the most glaring issues.

Under the Senate GOPs plan, instead of varying levels of per-student expenditures across the state, each district would receive a $10,200 per-pupil by the 2019-20 school year. The state would provide an additional $500 would be provided to districts for each career and technical education student and $1,500 per unsheltered homeless student. Districts would also receive $7,500 for every student in special education on top of the base amount.

The Senates plan doesnt involve any new taxes, unlike Gov. Jay Inslees proposed carbon tax, capital gains tax and business and operations tax. Instead, on top of the property tax equalization, the plan cuts funding for a variety of programs, including eliminating bonuses for teachers with National Board Certification, reducing funding for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program and reductions for homeless programs and services (almost $100 million over four years).

Our promise this year was to deliver a state budget that didnt rely on new taxes and full funds a K through 12 system thats going to cost us $7 billion over four years, Braun said. We went through the budget line by line  where are we best spending state money?

House Appropriations chairman Timm Ormsby, a Spokane Democrat, announced Tuesday that the House Democrats will unveil their budget and school funding plan next week.

In the coming days we will introduce a budget that represents the values of this Washington by helping working families, fully funding K-12 schools, continuing to fix our mental health system, closing the opportunity gap and supporting at-risk youth, Ormsby said.

Note: An earlier version of this story said the plan would roll back voter-approved class size reduction initiatives. Specifically, the plan would eliminate I-1351, an initiative that called for class size reductions in grades 4 through 12. Kindergarten through third grade class size reductions would remain in place.
Letters to the Editor

Open for debate

There is a lot of debate over replacing Obamacare. At least there is open debate and facts available. Obamacare was drafted behind closed doors and not provided for review or debate before being voted in without a single Republican vote. Even Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the House admitted that they had to vote it in to find out what was in it. It turned out that it was unsustainable. Which makes one think that the final goal was destined to be a total government program. One that would be heaped in bureaucracy and could only survive with huge additional tax burden.

Now Congress is burdened with coming up with a health care bill that will meet the needs of the nation and being able to balance a fiscal responsible budget. Cutting programs is a difficult task. Entrenched agencies resist any reduction in their funding. They claim the sky will fall if the have to cut program and staff. The private sector faces these realities every day. Some times they cannot survive. They either go bankrupt or they get bought out by someone else that restructure the business, cut staff or cannibalize it and sell the parts. Congressional representatives and senators face the wrath of locals if their favorite program is reduced or cut.

The ability to craft a federal health care bill while still trying to balance a budget is going to be brutal for some programs. We cannot continue to run the government on borrowed money.

At least there is open debate at trying to solve the problem. We have a representative form of government. We need to make it work.

Kelly C. Niemi

Kelso

The other side

The March 22 letter by L.S. Wagle was exact, except for referring to Germany as her. If my history teacher was correct, Germany was referred to as The Fatherland.

My work for 30-plus years took me to various countries, and I visited physicians in Australia, China, and Mexico. None equaled the care I received in the U.S. Yes visiting Cuba in 1999 to 2000 their medical care is perhaps equal to Larrys description of Germany.

I recently had a good friend die in Sweden from a hip replacement, which in the U.S. appears to be quite normal. Complications set in from an infection, and he lived about a year. The friend in Sweden was perhaps in the upper 20 percent in wealth, but had to take a small town hospital / doctor where he lived. He did not have the choice we have here. Sweden also does not have the legal system with all the hungry lawyers willing to legally challenge poor medical practices. My friend should have been in the U.S. system. He would probably be alive today, or his wife would be in the upper 10 percent in wealth.

If I remember correctly, during the Pres. Bill Clinton years, Hillary tried to get a good medical system to the U.S. but the Republicans gave it a hate name like Hitler Healthcare. It is sad that people label things. You could read the other side of the Hitler story, except Amazon last week banned, burned and shredded more than 180 of the books explaining The other side of the story of World War II.

David Westerlund

Longview
Aditya Madanapalle

A Medium post by the user St_Hill points out four issues with Aadhaar. Aadhaar cards are used by organisations and institutions as a proof of address, when it is clearly not meant to be one. Aadhaar is only a proof of identity. On the ground, the possession of a physical Aadhaar card is considered an identity proof in airports, trains and other places, even though it should not be. An Aadhaar card can be used to obtain a passport, or obtain documents that allow for creation of a passport, even though non Indian citizens can get an Aadhaar card, and the Aadhaar card is anyway not a proof of citizenship.

In certain cases, Aadhaar accounts can be used as a proof of address. According to a circular issued by the RBI, the Aadhar letter issued by Unique Identification Authority of India can be used as both a proof of identity, as well as a proof of address, if the address provided by the account holder is the same as the address on the Aadhaar letter. An Aadhaar card or letter is also accepted as a proof of address for a passport application, and furnishing an Aadhaar card actually expedites the process.

The fourth point in the post is one that is causing a furore. A Reddit thread raises the issue, and consolidates reports on the "Aadhaar data leak". A simple Google search reveals thousands of databases, that contain Aadhaar numbers along with other sundry personal data according to the source of the database. These include, names, names of parents, PAN numbers, mobile numbers, religion, marks, status of rejection of applications, bank account numbers, IFSC codes and other sensitive information. None of these are a problem with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the agency that manages the Aadhaar initiative.

The databases are available on Google searches for strings such as "aadhaar name filetype:xls -uidai", without the quotes. Here the "filetype" is used to specify the kind of documents returned, in this case a Microsoft excel sheet, and the "-uidai" parameter prevents results from UIDAI showing up. Variations of the string can be tried out, including "passport name filetype:xls" or "aadhaar name filetype:xls inurl:gov.in -uidai". The first search will deliver databases with passport details from Google, and the second with databases which contain Aadhaar numbers, but from only government web sites. If you find anything interesting in your investigations, please do let us know in the comments section below.

The Aadhaar act (PDF) says "No Aadhaar number or core biometric information collected or created under this Act in respect of an Aadhaar number holder shall be published, displayed or posted publicly, except for the purposes as may be specified by regulations."

While the Aadhaar numbers are available, the biometric information is not. The leaked databases do not pose a real threat to the people whose information is publicly available. According to Cyber Law and Cyber Security expert, Prashant Mali, when compared to a potential breach in the biometric database of Aadhaar, the databases available on Google searchers "are not a major cause for concern." Mali goes on to point out that, "criminals can potentially abuse a leak in the Aadhaar biometric data", but that data has not been breached.

The biometric Aadhaar data is stored in a Central Identities Data Repository, which is adequately secured according to the latest security standards, and regularly audited by third parties. The Aadhaar Act explains the database as: "Central Identities Data Repository means a centralised database in one or more locations containing all Aadhaar numbers issued to Aadhaar number holders along with the corresponding demographic information and biometric information of such individuals and other information related thereto."

In a press release following reports of Aadhar data being stored in an insecure manner, the UIDAI has said, "During the last 7 seven years, there has been no report of breach or leak of residents' data out of UIDAI." In short, the Aadhaar data has sufficient security measures in place, according to the UIDAI.

Further, the UIDAI has committed to strictly enforce any violations of the Aadhaar act, and misuse of data. When the data is stored by third party agencies, it is done so without linking to biometrics. A telecom service provider, or a banking organisation can only use the Aadhaar information for the services it provides. The Aadhaar act has clear provisions for how the data should be stored, used, as well as the penal provisions for contraventions.

There are three important points of note here, as far as the UIDAI is concerned. The UIDAI has committed to prosecute those who misuse Aadhaar data, the data with the UIDAI in its database is adequately secured according to the latest standards, and the databases available through Google search are not the direct responsibility of UIDAI.

Users may not want to have their phone numbers and names publicly listed, which is not the best practice when it comes to data privacy, if not data security. However, the public availability of third party databases is a shortcoming on the part of the third parties, if at all it is a shortcoming. The UIDAI or NPCI has not commented on the issue of availability of Aadhaar numbers in databases on Google search as yet. Some Reddit users are reporting that the spreadsheets are disappearing from the web sites that host them.

From the privacy perspective, even though the data may not be of much use to criminals, the individuals listed in the databases may be concerned about their personal information being available in such a public manner. The privacy of all the citizens in India is at risk because of the lack of adequate laws. While the Aadhaar data is protected by the Aadhaar act, India has no specific laws on data protection, or privacy.

Pavan Duggal, Indias leading expert and authority on Cyberlaw, Cyber Security Law & Mobile Law, has pointed out the issue in an article on the need for pro active cyber legal approaches for Privacy in India, "This is one area that requires urgent and immediate attention. All stakeholders have to quickly realise that protecting data privacy and personal privacy are important pillars which can help contribute to the further strong development of digital ecosystem and the mobile environment."
Rehan Hooda

Earth Hour, the largest social movement against Climate change is all set for 25 March 2017. It will be celebrated all over the world for 1 hour from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM at local time of the countries. According to WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), the organisation that organises the movement started it in 2007 in Sydney, Australia where 2.2 million people turned off electricity for an hour. The movement spread to 88 countries and territories in 2009 breaking all the records for mass participation growing to 152 countries and territories in 2012.

According to a report released by WWF a staggering 178 countries and territories took part in the movement last year. About more than 12,700 landmarks and monuments switched off their lights to mark the symbolic need about fighting climate change and stopping the wastage of resources. The report highlights the need to reflect and convert the words into a concrete action against climate change that go beyond the 60 minutes every year.

WWF is holding two signature events in India to coincide with Earth Hour 2017. The first event "One Planet Cities Pedalathon' will be held in Chamundeshwari Stadium, Bengaluru to promote sustainable mobility. Prominent buildings like Rashtrapati Bhawan, India Gate, Akshardham Temple in Delhi, Charminar and Golconda Fort in Hyderabad are some of the important monuments in India that turn off the lights to mark the occasion. WWF has also teamed up with BSES to urge Delhites to support Earth Hour. The capital saved about 229 MW of electricity last year during Earth Hour.

However, despite all the good intentions the 60 minutes represents each year, we need to move beyond the 60 minutes for a larger change in lifestyle to fight climate change. One thing to point here is that this does not include using dark or black colour backgrounds on the system. Google debunked the hoax going around on the internet about how changing Google to black will reduce the power consumption across the world. The company conducted a research and pointed out that 75 percent of the screen in the market are LCD based which would instead use more power to change the screen colour to black.

Changing things to black colour would actually make a difference if all the display panels that we use used were AMOLED display. The reason behind that would be because AMOLED screens turn off the power to pixels when displaying the black colours. Another thing, no matter how insane, would be to Tweet less.

Tweet less? Well what if I told you that reducing the number of tweets by just one will help you reduce Twitter's carbon footprint by more than 3,650 metric tonne CO2 every year. Fast Company did some calculation back in 2010 where it took about 100 joules of energy to make one tweet which translates to about 0.02 grams of CO2 emissions.

Twitter users tweeted about 50 million tweets every day back in 2010 but now that number has increased to 500 million every day which makes it to 10 metric tonne CO2. The more amusing part is that these calculations only take into account the CO2 produced by Twitter servers and not any third part services like apps or websites that use the Twitter API. So, reducing two tweets every day will save about 7,300 metric tonne of CO2.

Google is no better, as the amount of energy used in one search is equal to turning a 60W light bulb for a full 17 seconds. Internet users conduct about 3.5 billion Google searches per day which translates to about 44 million watts. The same report points that YouTube can stream video for 3 days in the energy that requires to make, package and deliver a standard DVD and one minute of streaming YouTube video consumes about 0.0002kWh of energy which amounts to the energy that a human body uses in 8 seconds. Well I am not going all Matrix here, but yes that is what the numbers point out. One thing to note here is that Google has been investing in renewable energy sources and way to optimise energy consumption to balance out their carbon footprint.

So to conclude, making general changes to your life choice that include shutting down your computer or electronics when not in use, tweeting less (as outrageous as it may sound), searching less obvious things in Google and reducing YouTube streaming time by disabling auto advance, can result in some change rather than any wild party that one may throw to 'celebrate' earth hour.
tech2 News Staff

Google Hangouts is an odd app in Googles app stable. Its one of those things you tend to use because its there rather than because you want to. Google itself appears to be confused about the app and have maintained it virtually unchanged for many years now.

As a stock app found on most Android devices, Hangouts was always surprisingly limited in design and function. One can even make the argument that Apples Messages app offers more.

With SMS a dying medium in todays age, support for the service was just a legacy feature anyway. Also, Googles own Android Messages app does a far better job at handling SMS than anything else in the Android marketplace.

Google sent an email to administrators explaining that the feature will disabled on 22 May. The mail added that users will be informed that they need to switch to a new app well in advance. This email was leaked on Reddit and can be found in its entirety here.

As The Verge points out, Google is intent on transforming Hangouts into something akin to Slack, a communication tool for teams and enterprises.

If youre looking for a new SMS app, simply download the aforementioned Android Messages. Allo and Duo are options if you want to try a Google-based messaging (not SMS) and VoIP type service, but of course, youre already using WhatsApp anyway.
tech2 News Staff

Google has partnered with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in India and announced new initiatives to empower the citizens and give them access to safe and enhanced digital services. The announcement saw Aruna Sundarajan, MeitY Secretary, and Rajan Anandan, VP SouthEast Asia and India, Google.

Some core areas that were highlighted during the announcement were to include enabling a safe and secure digital payments experience, imparting digital skills for artisans and Android skills training for students and developers.

Aruna Sundarajan, Secretary, MeitY said, The Ministry of Electronics and IT intends to give impetus to the Honble Prime Ministers recent call for a 'New India'. Collaboration with Google will be hugely beneficial in harnessing the capabilities of technology for the India growth story.

For digital payments, Google India and MeitY will work together to launch a Digital Payments Security Alliance. This, in collaboration with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), will aim at bringing together banks, Fintech companies and the government. It will also have a campaign to create community awareness on safe and secure practices, as users adopt digital/mobile payments, capacity building through appropriate Train the Trainer Programs for CSCs, Financial Inclusion Agencies, will be some of the key priorities.

According to Google, the handicrafts industry includes over 7 million artisans in the country. The Digital Unlocked program which was announced by Google to impart training to SMBs will extend this training in partnership with MeitY to over 100,000 artisans per year across India. This will allow artisans to get access to newer markets through the internet. The training will be delivered by National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT). Google India will also provide mobile training labs to reach artisans.

Google had announced its Android Skilling program to train two million developers in India. This included developing a specially-designed instructor-led training program course curriculum. It announced its plans to extend this course curriculum to the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) who will in turn train over 100K developers and students through its network of centres.

Other initiatives that Google India and MeitY will undertake in India include: proliferating the Indic web; enhancing governments online presence especially on mobile platforms to enable citizen engagement and training and capacity building programs on digital tools.
PTI

The government today rubbished claims about EVM tampering even as it promised all support to the Election Commission's endeavour of maximising the use of voting machines with paper trail, but in a phased-manner. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while replying to a debate on Electoral Reforms in the Rajya Sabha, however, did not give a direct response to questions by the opposition with regard to Rs 3,000 crore sought by the EC for having poll machines with paper trail adequate enough for the entire country.

He slammed parties like the BSP, the SP and the Congress for raising questions over the EVMs against the backdrop of their defeat in the recent Uttar Pradesh polls. "If you win, then the EVMs are fine, but if you lose, then the EVMs are tampered. Wow! This is a great logic," he said, taunting these parties while replying to a question.

While hitting out at the opposition parties, he cited their poll victories earlier and asked why such questions over EVMs were not raised then. Members of the Congress, the SP, the BSP and the Left staged a walkout, expressing dissatisfaction over the minister's reply. Prasad said these three parties had not been defeated by the EVMs but had been rejected by the people and they should accept this fact.

The EVMs are "completely safe", he asserted, adding, "I don't buy this logic that EVMs have not done a good job. It is doing a very good job." While attacking the Congress, the BSP and the SP, he said, "The EC had called an all-party meeting in 2006 but they never raised this issue then." Targeting the BSP whose chief Mayawati has been in the forefront of raising questions over the EVMs, he said, "Had they (BSP) convinced the people, they would have not lost elections so badly with 19 seats."

On the issue of EVMs with paper trail or Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), the minister said the EC and even the courts were of the view that machines should be used in a phased manner. "Surely, in a phased manner the government will provide and will discuss," he said. VVPAT's have already been used on experimental basis in a number of polling booths, including during the recent elections.

Prasad said the EC will take a call on using these machines in the next round of assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, due later this year. "The EC is the best judge on this issue... The government does not want to intervene. But if any assistance is required the government is available," the minister said. He said logistical issues are involved in implementing VVPAT's across the country in one go.

He said in 2015, 67,000 VVPAT's had been ordered but till now only 33,000 have been received. "In this light, logistics of procurement and availability are equally important... If those are not safe and sound, then they will say wrong machines have been put in place, in which our vote does not get registered. Therefore, the EC and even courts said it should be done in a phased manner," he said.

Due to safety and security reasons, initially two PSUs -- Bharat Electronic Ltd and Electronic Corporation India Ltd -- were involved in manufacturing these machines. Now, two more have been added, he said. The Opposition members wanted to know why the government had not released funds to EC for these machines.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "When the government does not give money, how can it be implemented in a phased manner?" He added, "Since 2014 elections, you have stopped funds. How machines will be installed? If you cannot ensure security of machines, how can you ensure security of the nation? How can we believe you? .... They don't want to do. They want to win win elections by cheating."

Citing advantages of EVMs, the Law Minister said that use of these machines has reduced the incidents of booth capturing, which used to be widely prevalent earlier in all states. Reponding to a member's query on why use EVMs in India when other countries are not using it, the Minister said India should not be "inferior" and all should have faith in the technology developed by scientists.

EVMs are used in France, Belgium, Mongolia, Bhutan and others, he added. On paid news, the Law Minister said the government supports freedom of press and the EC has said there should be a debate on this issue. On implementation of Majithia Wage Board recommendations for journalists as raised by some members, he said the issue is related to other ministry and "if there is a common view, I support you on this."

About holding simultaneous elections of the Lok Sabha and state assembly, Prasad said, "The idea came from a report of a standing committee, which said that because of the frequency of elections, development gets impacted. "It is an idea which has relevance. But what is important is that it will surely lead to the need for changing the Constitution and consensus on the quality of the country. In that connection, they have also flagged it."

Stating that this is only an idea for debate, he said, "Some amendment to the Constitution is required to be done." On proportional representation, he said there has been a debate for long time on this. "There are plus and minus points. But all the political forces in the country have been in power either in the centre earlier or now in states. "Therefore, proportional representation has its own serious weaknesses because it may not reflect the true mandate of a state or the country. Therefore, presently we have no idea at all to push for it."

On state funding, he said it also has problems. "One problem is something that I completely appreciate. The state funding is normally based on the premise that the funding is given upon the percentage of the votes you get. Now, we have cases in India one leader forming a party six months ago and coming to power. They will not be entitled to any state funding at all. Therefore, the diversity of Indian democracy is to be respected," he said.

On voting facilities to NRIs and migrant labours, the Minister said for this, infrastructure is required. "As far as migrant labourers' part is concerned, that is also a debatable question. It will lead to impact. In a lighter vein, I want to say that if migrant labourers are allowed, my migrant labourers from Bihar will have profound impact on elections in many states. So, it is still a complicated issue from machines and management point of view," it added.
tech2 News Staff

Local smartphone maker Micromax is back in action after what appears be a pause in its product release cycle since its bold rebranding in mid 2016. After putting out teasers, the company has now sent out an official invite and has set the launch date for a new smartphone on 29 March at 12 PM.

The invite gives out not just the name, Micromax Dual 5, with a new hashtag and logo, but even gives us a glimpse of the back of the dual camera smartphone. There have been teasers in the past that have hinted at this new feature as well. The move makes sense because even an international brand like Huawei has launched its Honor 6X with a dual rear camera set up at just Rs 12,999.

Micromax could take the lead provided its dual camera offering is priced right, and delivers on the basics along with image quality.

As for its features, previous teasers have hinted that the smartphone could have two cameras as its primary set up. Tagged as the E4815 via a leak from China, the smartphone will arrive with 4G bands along with VoLTE support. Expect a 13 MP + 5 MP camera setup on the back and a 5 MP camera module up front for selfies.

According to the report by Mobile India, the smartphone will be equipped with a metal unibody design and a 5.5-inch IPS display while being powered by an Octa-core MediaTek MT6750T processor clocked at 1.5 GHz. The smartphone will sport a 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage with the option to expand the storage. Last but not the least, the smartphone also includes a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button.
tech2 News Staff

Astronomers using the Hubble space telescope noticed something abnormal about a galaxy 8 billion light years away. There was a bright spot in the galaxy, a quasar, which is the glowing cloud of gas orbiting a supermassive black hole. Normally, the quasar is at the center of galaxies, the focal point of all the mass in a galaxy, known as the galactic core. However, the quasar is at a distance of 35,000 light years from where it should have been. Apparently, some monstrous forces kicked the supermassive black hole out of its place.

The head researcher of the team that figured out what was happening, Marco Chiaberge says "I was anticipating seeing a lot of merging galaxies, and I was expecting to see messy host galaxies around the quasars, but I wasn't really expecting to see a quasar that was clearly offset from the core of a regularly shaped galaxy. Black holes reside in the center of galaxies, so it's unusual to see a quasar not in the center."

The supermassive black hole in question has the mass of one billion of our suns. To eject it from the center of the galaxy, would require the energy of 100 million supernovas. The researchers found evidence of a collision between two galaxies, which gave them a clue to what had happened. Apparently, when the two galaxies merged, the two supermassive black holes in their respective galactic cores also merged. As the two supermassive black holes got closer and closer together, the space around them rippled with gravitational waves.

If one of the two supermassive black holes was bigger, or if one was spinning much faster, then there would be a distrubance in the ripples. Once the two supermassive black holes merged into a single supermassive black hole, the gravitational waves created by the merger shot the black hole out of the galactic core like a rocket. If the interpretation is correct, then the finding adds to the evidence that it is possible for supermassive black holes to merge.

Gravitational waves were theorised to exist by Albert Einstein, who predicted that gravitational waves would be the result of a collision between two extremely massive objects. Gravitational waves were detected for the first time in 2016 at a Ligo facility, believed to originate from a distant collision of two black holes, and was the biggest physics story of the year. A Ligo facility is coming up in India as well, and may have a role to play in identifying other collisions between black holes.
hidden

By Asheeta Regidi

Internet trolling can get violent, with abusive remarks, cyberstalking and threats of rape and violence. Verbal assault on the internet is common enough. In an unprecedented case, the internet was used as a weapon to directly, physically harm a person. Taking trolling to a new and dangerous low, a troll successfully induced a seizure in a reporter with a publicly known condition of epilepsy, by deliberately sending a flashing GIF to him. The troll was arrested and now faces criminal charges for assault.

Eichenwald attacked for anti-Trump opinions

The reporter, Kurt Eichenwald, had given strong anti-Trump opinions online, because of which the accused, John Rayne Rivello was trolling him. Eichenwald had publicly spoken about his epilepsy, and described online how he recently escaped a seizure when he accidentally viewed a video with flashing lights. Rivello reportedly took advantage of this photosensitive nature of Eichenwalds epilepsy. The GIF sent was an animated strobe image, of the nature that can trigger a seizure, and was accompanied with the words You deserve a seizure for your post.

Immediately after viewing the GIF, Eichenwald had an epileptic seizure which lasted for 8 minutes, experiencing a complete loss of bodily functions and mental faculty, and some impairments lasted several months.

Potential of internet to harm

The potential of the internet to physically harm people is not unknown. Using the internet indirectly to harm people is known through inducing suicide, and inciting violence in others. Direct uses of the internet include the possibility of hacking an airplane or even air traffic control to kill people.

The present case, however, is a personal, targeted attack, similar to hacking a pacemaker to cause a heart attack, hacking an insulin pump to alter dosage, or hacking a car to cause an accident. Moreover, the tool used, a GIF, needs no specialised knowledge like hacking would. This is among the first, known incidents of this nature.

The Information Technology Act, 2000 covers some of these offences. For example, hacking of an airplane or an electrical grid will be an act of cyberterrorism under Section 66F. The personal attacks, however, like the hacking of a car or insulin pump to kill a person, are missing under the IT Act. These are, however, covered under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

Legally, can murder be caused by a GIF?

The case raised certain questions - whether legally, murder or assault can be committed using a GIF. The answer is yes. The IPC, punishes causing hurt, grievous hurt or murder (Sections 321, 322 and 300 respectively) through any act. This term is broad enough to encompass even online means, including hacking a pacemaker or sending a GIF to induce a seizure.

The crucial factor is the intention or knowledge of the accused. The accused must have the deliberate intention of harming the victim, or alternatively the knowledge that his act could harm the victim. Consider if a person, knowing that another is severely allergic to a particular medicine, deliberately administers it to him. Here his knowledge is the key ingredient, even though the medicine is otherwise unharmful. The actual offence committed will vary based on how much harm the person intended to cause, and the harm actually caused.

In the absence of such knowledge, messages sent innocently with no intention of harming, or with a mere intention to annoy, will not be covered under these sections.

Investigations report intention to cause seizure

In the present case, investigations against the accused allege that Rivello had conducted research on Eichenwalds Wikipedia page, articles on photosensitive epilepsy and commonly recorded epilepsy triggers. Rivello was also alleged to have sent messages to others saying I hope this sends him into a seizure and Spammed this at [Eichenwald] let's see if he dies.

If the allegations are true, there can be no question that Rivello was fully aware of the consequences of his actions, and deliberately intended to cause a seizure in Eichenwald. Had Rivello sent the GIF without knowledge of Eichenwalds epilepsy, or without the knowledge that the flashing GIF was likely to trigger a seizure, then he wouldnt have faced criminal charges.

GIF as a deadly weapon



via GIPHY

Interestingly, the GIF was ruled to be a deadly weapon by a Grand Jury in Texas. The significance of this is that using a dangerous weapon attracts a more stringent punishment. Under the IPC it can attract even a life sentence, whereas without a dangerous weapon, the punishment is up to 7 years.

This ruling is a matter of some controversy, since deadly weapons are usually the likes of knives and guns. A dangerous weapon under the IPC is any instrument which when used as a weapon can cause death. This is broad enough to include the GIF in this case, even if it was sent online, much like if a person suddenly holds up a tablet with the GIF in front of a person with epilepsy on it in a bid to cause an attack. While an epileptic seizure is capable of causing death, it will have to be seen whether Indian Courts take the same stance as the Texas court.

Dangers of trolling need to be addressed

This case highlights the very real dangers of the internet and the increasingly violent turn that trolling has taken. A similar thing was seen recently when Gurmehar Kaur was driven out of Delhi by the threats of internet trolls, who didnt agree with her online opinions.

Strict action needs to be taken against trolls. In view of this, the quick cooperation of Apple and Twitter with investigations in Eichenwalds case (in pursuance of legal warrants) is heartening. As said by Eichenwald, trolls need to be reminded that even under their cloaks of anonymity, they arent out of the reach of the law.

The author is a lawyer with a specialisation in cyber laws and has co-authored books on the subject.
400,000 Iraqis trapped in Mosul: UN

Al Jazeera News :

Some 600,000 people remain in the parts of western Mosul held by ISIL, including 400,000 who are "trapped" in the Old City under siege-like conditions, according to the United Nations. The Iraqi military launched the most recent offensive on western Mosul, the largest remaining ISIL stronghold in Iraq, on February 19, after retaking the city's eastern side. Many civilians fear fleeing because of ISIL snipers, but some 157,000 have reached a transit centre since the start of the push, the UN's refugee agency said on Thursday. "They are desperate for food. They are panicked," Bruno Geddo, UNHCR representative in Iraq, speaking from the centre outside Mosul, told a Geneva news briefing . "The worst is yet to come, if I can put it this way. Because 400,000 people trapped in the Old City in that situation of panic and penury may inevitably lead to the cork popping somewhere, sometime, presenting us with a fresh outflow of large-scale proportions," ISIL, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and is also known as ISIS, overran large areas north and west of the capital, Baghdad, in 2014, including Mosul, But Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and other support have since regained most of the territory they lost. The operation to retake Mosul was launched on October 17.

The eastern side of the city was recaptured in a three-month offensive that ended in January, but the west, with its densely populated maze of narrow streets, is thought to pose a greater challenge. Surrounded by a diverse array of forces, the remaining ISIL fighters are digging in for a fight to the end, using car bombs, snipers and grenade-laden drones to slow the troops' advances.
Climate resilient farm practices for local dev stressed

BSS, Rangpur :

Experts at a review workshop have stressed popularising climate resilient farm practices to increase crop output to speed up local development through improving livelihoods of small and marginal farmers.

Practical Action Bangladesh (PAB) jointly with Caritas Bangladesh organised the review workshop of the 'Local Economic Development Forum' on Thursday at Upazila Agriculture Office auditorium in Parbotipur upazila town of Dinajpur district.

Parbotipur Upazila Agriculture Officer Abu Fattah Md Rawshan Kabir presided over the workshop organised under the Climate Resilient Agriculture project. Officials, experts and service providers of different agricultural related departments, NGOs and project staff participated in the workshop and assessed economical, social and environmental benefits of Climate Resilient Agriculture technologies.

Parbotipur Upazila Parishad Chairman Aminul Islam attended the workshop as the chief guest.

Parbotipur Upazila Vice-chairman Shahida Khatun, Animal Resources

Veterinary Surgeon Dr Asaduzzaman, Credit Supervisor of Youth Development Department Abdu Mazed, Market Development Filed Facilitator of PAB Rakibuzzaman Sujan addressed as special guests.

President of Dangapara Sales and Service Centre Hasna Banu, Barodal sales and Service Centre Karobi Tudu, Marketing officer of Renata Mizanur Rahman, Paramedical Veterinary Surgeon Dr Azgar Ali, also spoke.

Filed officer of the Climate Resilient Agriculture project of Caritas Bangladesh Joseph Soren narrated the project objectives to protect and promote the indigenous, eco-friendly farm practices and interests of the small and marginal farmers.

Assistant Agriculture Officer Mahbubur Rahman said the eco-friendly indigenous and climate resilient agricultural practices and technologies were very much cost effective at household levels and could easily be carried out by the poor or small farmers.

The chief guest appreciated efforts of PAB and Caritas Bangladesh in popularising eco-friendly and climate resilient farm practices and technologies and suggested all concerned for reaching the technologies at the doorstops of small and marginal farmers.

'Bangladesh role model for development'

Another report adds: The tremendous success achieved by the present government in development has turned Bangladesh into a role model for upgrading the life standard of the common people.

This view was expressed at a discussion organised by the District

Information Office at Begum Rokeya Smriti Degree College at Pairaband village under Mithapukur upazila with assistance of the upazila administration on Thursday afternoon.

The discussion was arranged for informing the common people about the ten special development initiatives of the prime minister, successes achieved by the government and its future development plans to further speed up national development.

Mithapukur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Harun Ar Rashid addressed the discussion on the government successes and preventing terrorism and militancy as the chief guest with Senior District Information Officer Md Humayun Kabir in the chair.

Mithapukur Upazila Agriculture Officer Khorshed Alam, Pairaband Union Parishad Chairman Foyzar Rahman Khan, Vice-principal Abu Al Baker, Upazila Secondary Education Officer Zahidul Islam, Upazila Women Affairs Officer Mollika Pervin addressed as special guests.

At the beginning, Humayun Kabir discussed the successes achieved by the government during the past eight years in the implementation of the Vision 2021, Charter of Changes and digitisation to accelerate pace of development.

He narrated the prime minister's ten special initiatives of 'Ektee Bari, Ektee Khamar' project, Asrayan Prokalpo, digital Bangladesh, education assistance, women empowerment, electricity for all, social safety, community clinic and mental health, investment development and environment protection programmes.

He discussed the successes achieved in the education, health, agriculture, poverty alleviation, social safety-net, power generation, road communication, women and children development, women empowerment and digitisation and ICT sectors.

He mentioned epoch-making successes like self-reliance in food,

strengthening local government, self-employments, producing skilled human recourses, prevention of militancy, terrorism, drug abuse, dowry, child marriage and superstitions.

Later, heads of upazila level different government offices discussed the successes achieved by their respective departments in accelerating

development while the civil society members narrated stories of changing life standard of the common people.

The chief guest narrated future development plans of the government and success already achieved in reaching government services easily at the peoples' doorsteps in building a middle income nation by 2021 and developed country by 2041 next.




March 21, 2017

Members of the European Parliament met with representatives of the European Unions diplomatic and executive branches on March 20 to discuss the future of relations with Morocco. The EU-Moroccan relationship reached a historic low last December, when the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the association and free-trade agreements between the EU and Morocco do not apply to the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

In practical terms, the ruling by the EUs highest court means that products from Western Sahara cannot benefit from the same preferential tariff quotas as products from Morocco. The commercial repercussions of the ruling may appear limited at first, but its political implications have turned the relationship between Rabat and Brussels sour.

Morocco regards any challenge to its sovereignty over what it calls its southern provinces as an attack on its territorial integrity. Although the International Court of Justice and the United Nations have advocated the right to self-determination for the Sahrawi people, Rabat has maintained control over this former Spanish colony and its natural resources since 1976.

Morocco exports primarily agricultural and fishery products from Western Sahara to the EU. By mid-2016, the EU was the destination of 85% of Moroccos fruit and vegetable exports. While the EU remains a crucial market for Morocco, Brussels considers Rabat to be an important partner on key issues, including security, migration and counterterrorism.

Despite EU efforts to maintain good relations with Morocco, the partnership has suffered since the ECJs ruling on the trade agreement. In February, Moroccos Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries announced, Any obstacle in the application of this agreement  risks the resumption of migratory flows, which Morocco has succeeded in containing through a deliberate, sustained effort.

At the same time, initially promising negotiations on an EU-Morocco Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area have stalled, while a number of economic actors in Western Sahara are suffering from the legal uncertainty created by the ECJ judgment. They need Brussels to take a stance on how to implement the courts ruling.

Since the ECJ has ruled that EU trade agreements can only apply to Western Sahara if the legitimate representatives of its people agree to it, the main issue appears to concern how to obtain the consent of the Sahrawi people. If the Polisario Front, representing the Western Saharan independence movement, were to take the EU-Moroccan free trade agreement to the ECJ in the first place, it would be because it also wants to put its issue back on the agenda.

Until now, it is the Polisario Front that is recognized by the UN as the sole representative of the Sahrawi people, while Morocco is not, Bodil Valero, a Swedish member of the European Parliament, told Al-Monitor. Djamal Zakari, Polisario Front representative in Belgium and Luxembourg, assured Al-Monitor, [We have] invited the EU to contact [the] Polisario Front in order to find a viable solution and address the status of European companies in Western Sahara.

The Polisario Front has not yet received an official response from the European Commission, while Morocco continues to export products from Western Sahara into the EU as it did before the ECJ ruling. In January, French customs in the port of Fecamp agreed to unload fish oil arriving from Western Sahara without implementing the court's judgment. Sources from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Al-Monitor, The ECJ ruling does not challenge the legality of such imports. The EU Commission finally challenged that view, however, during a March 20 meeting, underlining that products from Western Sahara should not be imported illegally under preferential tariffs.

Another critical challenge is identifying products transported from Western Sahara by plane or truck that are mixed with products from Morocco. Florent Marcellesi, a Greens Spanish member of the European Parliament, told Al-Monitor, If the EU Commission is unable to distinguish where products come from, it should ban all imports from that particular sector.

Sources from Confederation Paysanne, the French agricultural union, explained to Al-Monitor that they regard Moroccan exports of products from Western Sahara as unfair competition, further harming Europes already struggling agricultural sector. Klaus Buchner, a German member of the European Parliament, told Al-Monitor, Companies making profits in Western Sahara should be exposed.

In practice, however, quite the opposite has happened since the ECJs ruling. The EU's 2017 list of approved exporters from Morocco still includes entities based in Western Sahara. At the same time, an internal EU study obtained by Al-Monitor suggests that avenues for obtaining the consent of the Sahrawi people could be explored in cooperation with Morocco, for instance, through the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs, an advisory committee to the Moroccan government on Western Sahara.

According to Polisario lawyer Gilles Devers, however, EU law provides no legal basis for the council to authorize the European Commission to negotiate the inclusion of Western Sahara in the EU-Morocco association with the Kingdom of Morocco. No decentralized or regional Moroccan authority is qualified to express the consent of the Sahrawi people.

The trade debate really underlines the EUs internal division over the issue of Western Sahara. The European Commission, a number of members of parliament, as well as some member states, including France, clearly prioritize Brussels partnership with Morocco. Other European countries, including the Nordic member states and a growing group of members of parliament, insist on taking the Polisario Front into consideration.

While the EU struggles with the implementation of its own judicial decisions, new legal challenges lie ahead in two more cases pending at the ECJ regarding the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA). The agreement secures EU fishing rights in Moroccan and Western Saharan waters in exchange for Morocco annually receiving 40 million euros ($43.2 million), nearly half of which has to be spent on developing Moroccos fishing sector. The EU approves the funding of specific projects, including projects in Western Sahara. This means that Brussels is directly assisting the Moroccan government in developing infrastructure in a territory that according to the ECJ lies outside of Moroccos internationally recognized borders.

The ECJs rulings on the FPA are expected by the end of the year. The current FPAs implementation protocol expires this year, however, and negotiations for its renewal are expected to start soon. This will make further conflict inevitable within the EU and between Brussels and Morocco.

In the meantime, exporting agricultural products into the EU is becoming financially less attractive for economic entities operating in Western Sahara. International companies might also be deterred by the increasing legal risk of investing in the disputed territory. With the ongoing conflicts around EU-Moroccan deals, Rabat is likely to be confronted with the declining economic profitability of its annexation policy.
Now ships will be unloaded by 6 days

CU Correspondent :



A ship containing 30-40 thousand tons commodities would be unloaded in Chittagong Port by only six days where a ship, containing the same quantity is now being unloaded by 15 days.

The addition of three modern machines in Chittagong port to ease the unloading, promoting a save of 3-4 crore tk. as demurrage cost per each ship's unloading.

Sajahan Khan, Minister of Shipping inaugurated one Pneumatic Conveyor and two Weighing and Bagging machines yesterday at 11.00 am at Chittagong Port's jetty No 6 .

The Pneumatic Conveyor (VIGAN TYPE 100), pricing of 6 crore 90 lakh tk., enable to unload 170 tons each hour, was imported from Belgium and two Weighing and Bagging machines, of 3 crore 87 lakh tk. enable to unload 140 tons was from Canada.

Shajahan Khan as the Chief Guest said, Chittagong port playing the key role for growing the Gross Development Product (GDP) of the country and contributing the as the key door of country's import and export.

"For the betterment of the port and making it as a high class international port, the government under PM Shiekh Hasina is working hard and giving a special focus on it," he added.

Among others, Ashoke Madhab Roy, Secretary of the Shipping Ministry, MP Abdul Latif, Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry , Rear Admiral M Khaled Chowdhury, Chairman of the Port and Mahbubul Alam, President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry among the high profile personalities were present here.

The minister also said, a monument and museum would be set up here soon, in respect of the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the salvation of the nation during 1971.

He also said the largest-tower of 40 story would be established in Chittagong where all the key offices would be located.

Mentioning that a film on the risky operation well known as "Operation Jack Pot" conducted by the Navy commanders here during the liberation war would be released by June under shipping ministry, he said we have to uphold the ideology of the liberation war.

Ahoke Madhab Roy, Secretary of the Shipping Ministry said, the government have already taken initiatives to boost up the capability of the port and eradicating hard and vulnerable labour.

For this purpose the modern machines were imported.

MA Latif, MP of Chittagong 11-constituency urged the ministers to relocate few terminals as it created hampers and sufferings to the city people.

Mahbubul Alam, Chamber President urged the ministers to set up a Bay-Terminal by 2020 and to resume the dragging system of the Karnaphuli river.

Rear Admiral Khaled Ikbal said, the machines were brought in Bangladesh for the first time and more modern machines would be added later for boosting the capacity of the port.
Merkel does not expect more EU departures after Brexit

Angela Merkel said May\'s letter to begin Brexit process wouldn\'t overshadow EU\'s anniversary summit.

Reuters, Berlin :

Chancellor Angela Merkel does not fear that more countries will leave the European Union, she told a German newspaper as the bloc's leaders prepare to celebrate 60 years of union on Saturday days before Britain files for divorce.

Prime Minister Theresa May will next Wednesday launch a two-year countdown to Brexit.

Asked if she feared other countries would quit the bloc, Merkel told the Passauer Neue Presse: "No. Individual member states of course have different ideas about how we shape the future, but the overall way forward is clear: more cooperation."

She pointed to defence, control of the EU's external borders, economic policy and the fight against Islamist militancy as areas for cooperation.

Merkel said May's impending letter to begin the Brexit process would not overshadow the EU's 60th anniversary summit.

"The work for the coming years will go in both directions: On the one hand, the exit negotiations with Britain, and on the other considerations about making the EU of 27 members fit for the future," she added in the interview published on Friday.

Asked whether EU accession negotiations with Turkey should be broken off, Merkel replied: "We should await the vote on the referendum in Turkey and everything else."

Turkey is planning an April 16 referendum on constitutional changes that would extend President Tayyip Erdogan's powers.

Merkel said she took very seriously a European legal report that calls Turkey's proposed constitutional changes a big setback for democracy. Turkey has rejected the report.

Turning to relations with the United States, Merkel said she had stressed the extent of German investments there in talks with US President Donald Trump last week.

"Trade agreements should bring benefits to both sides, and we need to negotiate on that," she said. "Now we will see whether we can revive negotiations on our TTIP trade and investment agreement."

German officials have said the stalled US -European trade deal known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is "on ice" but talks could be rekindled if there is U.S. interest.
Israel, US conclude talks without settlement agreement

AFP, Jerusalem :

Israel and the United States concluded talks in Washington on advancing peace with the Palestinians, without agreeing on one of the thorniest issues-Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

The US delegation, led by President Donald Trump's special representative Jason Greenblatt, reiterated the president's "concerns regarding settlement activity," a joint statement read of the four-day talks, which ended late Thursday.

The Israelis "made clear that Israel's intent going forward is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes these concerns into consideration," the statement read. The Trump administration is looking for ways to revive peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli settlement building in east Jerusalem and the West Bank is seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Much of the international community has raised increasing alarm over settlement expansion, saying it is gradually eating away at prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from members of his coalition to advance settlement construction, which was a major source of contention with the Obama administration.
World TB Day observed



The World Tuberculosis (TB) Day -2017 was observed in the country on Friday like elsewhere in the globe to create awareness against the fatal disease and mobilize political and social commitments to eliminate it.

World TB Day is observed every year on March 24 to create awareness and support world-wide efforts to eliminate tuberculosis.

This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes TB.

This year's World TB Day theme is 'Unite to End TB.'

Different government and non-government organizations had chalked out elaborate programmes, including rallies, discussions and seminars to observe the day.

Marking the World TB Day, National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP) of Directorate General and Health Service (DGHS), along with different organizations, brought out a rally from Shahbah to Matshay Bhaban.

On this occasion, the Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh organized a two-day conference that ended on March 23.

The NTP, in cooperation with different local and international organizations, organized a press conference on Thursday on the eve of the World TB Day.

At the press conference , health experts said tuberculosis remains one of the major public health problems in the country with nearly 1,25,000 TB patients missing.

They said 2,22,600 TB cases were registered in 2016 in the country with the detection rate being 61 percent and missing rate 39 percent. Urban TB control has been a major challenge for Bangladesh as urban setting is more complex than rural setting, the experts added.

Bangladesh has attained 94 percent cure rate of TB treatment against the global target of 85 percent and it also has witnessed success in case detection of the disease, they said.




Call to prevent children from joining militancy



Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Friday urged all to be aware so that their children cannot join militancy or terrorism.

"All, including guardians and teachers, must increase their vigilance on the activities of students so that they move forward on the right path," he told a discussion at the auditorium of National Academy for Educational Management (NAEM) here.

Islamic Arabic University (IAU) organized the discussion on "Standardization of Fazil honours education".

Secretary of Secondary and Higher Secondary Division Md Sohrab Hossain, among others, addressed the discussion with Vice Chancellor of IAU Prof Dr Muhammad Ahsan Ullah in the chair.

Nahid said, "Alongside Islamic education, students have to acquire knowledge of different disciplines, including science and ICT, to develop themselves as skilled workforce in the country."

He said some 1,332 new buildings for madrasas were constructed in the past eight years to expand madrasa education across the country.

"Alongside infrastructural development, we have prepared modern curriculum incorporating science and technology to make madrasa education time-befitting," he added.

"Like the students of general education, students studying at madrasas have access to better job market... They will make contributions to society acquiring both Islamic and scientific knowledge," the minister added.

The number of students in higher education at both madrasa and general levels has increased significantly as the government has taken various effective steps in the past couple of years, the minister said.

"As part of massive digitization campaign, multimedia classrooms have so far been set up at 5 ,500 madrasas," he said, adding that multimedia classrooms will be established in the remaining madrasas in phases.

"We have set up 35 model madrasas, where science and technology have been included (in syllabus)," he added.
Employees in service enjoy right to preference for absorption

High Court Division

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

Tariq-ul Hakim J

Md Faruque J

Judgment

June 14th, 2016

Shahidul Islam (Md) and

Others-Petitioners

vs

Bangladesh, represented by Secretary, Ministry of Primary and Mass

Education, Bangladesh and others  ............... Respondents

Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972

Article 102(2)

Absorption-After utilizing an employee for more than 20 years by taking his service and then not giving him any employment without assigning any reason is highly unfair and undesirable. The petitioners have a right to be given preference over new applicants for employment either in the development budget or revenue budget provided their past employment history is satisfactory. If there is no vacancy in the revenue set up of the respondents, the respondents are directed to consider them for employment in the development budget as per decision. .. .... (10 & 11)

Chief Engineer, LGED vs Kazi Mizanur Rahman, 17 BLC (AD) 91 and Government of Bangladesh vs Md Anisur Rahman, 18 MLR (AD) 372 ref.

Md Khurshid Alam, with MA Latif Prodhan, Advocates-For the Petitioners.

Amatul Karim, DAG with ARM Hasanuzzam AAG-For the Respondent Nos. 1-7.

Judgment

Tariq-ul Hakim J : Rule Nisi has been issued calling upon the respondents to show cause as to why direction should not be given upon the respondents to transfer service of the petitioners to the revenue budget from the development budge and appoint them to the post of Upazila Programme Officer and Clerkcum-Computer Operation of Upo-Anushthanic Shikkha Bureau and/or pass such other or further order or orders as to this Court may seem fit and proper.

2. Facts relevant for disposal of this Rule in short is that the petitioners were appointed by Memos dated 22-11-1999 and 12-7-2000 to the post of Clerk-cum-Computer Operator and Upazila Programme Officer of Upo-Anushthank Shikkha Bureau in different Districts and Upazilas of Bangladesh pursuant to Notification under Memo Nos. DwbA/cOt84/wbqvM/wmwmI/98/1812 ZvwiL 22-11-1999 and cOvMwe/ Dt-4/DwbA/wbqvM-26/99-2000/292 12-7-2000 thereafter they joined their services in their respective places of work. It is further stated that the petitioners have been rendering service to the satisfaction of their superior authorities since their appointment and after 3(three) years pursuant to Memo No. DwbA/cOkv-238/cO-4 wejy/ 03/488 dated 2-8-2003 their services were terminated since the period of the Project ended with effect from 30-6-2000. The petitioners thereafter made representations to the Government to absorb them in revenue budget and/ or in other Project. The Personal Secretary of the Prime Minister forwarded the petitioners' application to the Ministry of Establishment for appropriate action. Thereafter, the Ministry of Education under the signature of Senior Assistant Secretary vide Memo dated 2-3-2009 forwarded the matter to absorb the petitioners to the Director General of Upo-Anushthanic Shikkha Prokalpa-4 vide Memo No cOvMg/cOkv-1/ivR^ LvZ-7/2009/107 dated 2-3-2009 for absorbing them in the revenue budget. The

Director General of Upo- Anushthanic Shikkha Prokalpa-4 thereafter referred the matter to the concerned Ministry for appropriate action.

In this way, the petitioners have been making representations to different authorities for absorbing them in the revenue set up of the Government but received no satisfactory response. In the meantime it is stated that they have all crossed the age limit to get employment of Government service.

3. Being aggrieved, the petitioners have come to this Court and obtained the present Rule.

4. The Rule is opposed by the Respondent Nos. 1-7 by filing Affidavit-in-Opposition stating inter alia that the petitioners were appointed as Clerk-cum-Computer Operator and Upazila Programme Officer of Upo-Anushthanic Shikkha Bureau under the Director of Non Formal Education Project-4 and their appointment is only for Project period i.e. upto 30-6-2000. After the project came to an end on 30-6-2000 their appointment automatically came to an end and there is no scope to employ them in any other project and/ or transfer them to the revenue budget. It is further stated that there is no promise in the project profile of Non Formal Education Project-4 and no SRO was issued to transfer the petitioner (workforce) and employees of the said project to the revenue budget from the development budget and, as such, the petitioners have not acquired any right to be transferred to the revenue set up and, as such, the instant Rule is liable to be discharged .

5. Mr Md Khurshid Alam Khan, the learned Advocate for the petitioners submits that many employees from the project have been transferred to the Revenue Budget from the Development Budget but the petitioners who have been working for a long time in the Development Project have not been transferred to the Revenue Budget which is discrimination against them and they have been deprived from their right to employment and equality. The learned Advocate has drawn our attention to a judgment of this Court in Writ Petition No. 1780 of 2007 where their Lordships directed the respondents to absorb the petitioners who belonged to the Non Formal Education Project-1 to the revenue set up of the Government and he submits that in the instant case also the petitioners deserve to be transferred to the revenue set up. The learned Advocate has drawn our attention to the case of LGED vs Kazi Mizanur Rahman reported in 17 BLC (AD) 91 where certain guidelines have given for absorbing persons from the Development Budget to the Revenue Budget and prays that in the instant case also a direction may be given to the respondents to absorb the petitioners in the revenue set up.

6. As against this Ms. Amatul Karim, the learned Deputy Attorney-General submits that the petitioners were employed in a project for Non Formal Education Project-4 which came to an end on 30-6-2000 and along with that the employment of the petitioners also came to an end. They were employed for a temporary period for the duration of the project and that does not give them any right to be absorbed in permanent employment of the Government and in that view of the matter, the Rule is liable to be discharged.

7. We have considered the submissions of the learned Advocates.

8. It is admitted that the petitioners were employed in the Development budget of the Government for the project duration there is no allegation against the petitioners as to their service record. In Writ Petition No. 7658 of 2011 in the case of Mousumi Akhter vs Government of Bangladesh it has been stated that there was an unambiguous direction from the Economic Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) to the effect that subject to satisfaction of certain criteria, the project employees would be absorbed in permanent jobs. This resolution was taken on 10th January, 2008.

9. The aforesaid decision of ECNEC and the Government allows sufficient scope for persons to be employed in the revenue set up of the Government if they had rendered service in the development project. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in the case of Chief Engineer, LGED vs Kazi Mizanur Rahman reported in 17 BLC (AD) 91 has given certain guidelines on the basis of which employees may be absorbed in the revenue budget from amongst those who worked in the development project. The guidelines are as follows:

(i) Whenever any vacancy in the revenue set up in LGED is created, it shall consider for absorption employees or officers from the development projects within the meaning of Section 2(ga) of the Rules, 2005, if the project in which she/he is working is completed subject to the condition that such employee or officer has requisite qualifications for the said post.

(ii) Whenever a vacant post is created in the revenue budget the LGED shall absorb / transfer an employee or officer from the development project mentioned in Clause (1) to fill up that post in accordance with Rules of 1985 and the ECNEC's decision dated 10th January, 2008.

(iii) An officer or employee shall be absorbed if she/he was appointed in the development project within the meaning of Rule 2(ka) of Rules, 2005 in accordance with the procedures prescribed for appointment in public employment.

(iv) An officer or employee must have requisite qualifications for the post in which he is seeking absorption.

(v) An officer or employee must have continuity in service in the project in which he is working.

(vi) An officer or employee must have satisfactory service record before his case is considered for regularization in the revenue budget.

(vii) If an officer and employee whose rank and status does not relate to the posts advertised by the impugned notifications on the day of its publication such officer or employee would not be eligible for consideration for absorption.

(viii) The employees and officers who have been working in the development projects mentioned in Clause (1) on monthly pay basis would only he eligible for consideration for absorption in the revenue budget.

(ix) Unless and until vacancies in the revenue budget in the LGED are created, the employees and officers of the development projects mentioned in Clause (1) cannot claim as of right to be absorbed in the revenue budget.

(x) While considering and selecting an employee or officer of the development project for absorption in the revenue budget, the appointing authority shall maintain strictly the prevailing quota system for employment in the public employment being followed by the Government.

(xi) The LGED shall consider the cases of those working on master roll basis for absorption in the revenue budget by phases if they have requisite qualifications subject to availability of vacancies according to their seniority.

10. In several judgments this Court has directed the authorities to absorb/appoint employees in the permanent set up from amongst those who have been working on temporary or master roll basis over a period of time provided that there is no contrary report against them. Vacancies in permanent posts are all the time occurring due to the huge nature of development projects undertaken by the said Ministry. After utilizing an employee for more than 20 years by taking his service and then not giving him any employment without assigning any reason is highly unfair and undesirable. It has been alleged by the petitioners some employees from Non Formal Education Project-1 and 2 have been employed in the revenue set up but the petitioners have been discriminated against and have been deprived from such permanent employment.

11. In Writ Petition No. 1780 of 2007 a Division Bench of this Court directed the respondents to absorb employees of Non Formal Education Project-2 to the revenue set up. In our view therefore the petitioners have a right to be given preference over new applicants for employment either in the development budget or revenue budget provided their past employment history is satisfactory.

The respondents are therefore directed to employ the petitioners in the revenue budget subject to satisfaction of criteria stated in the case of Chief Engineer, LGED vs Kazi Mizanur Rahman reported in 17 BLC (AD) 91. Of course, if there is no vacancy in the revenue set up of the respondents, the respondents are directed to consider them for employment in the development budget as per decision in the case of the Government of Bangladesh vs Md Anisur Rahman reported in 18 MLR (AD) 372.

12. With the above directions and observations this Rule is disposed of.

There will be no order as to costs.
Fire at BB head office raises many questions

THE fire incident at Bangladesh Bank has come as a renewed shock to the nation prompting questions from many quarters how the central bank is falling is so insecure as a highly sensitive establishment from national security perspective. The incident just within one year of the sensational money heist of over $101 million from the bank's New York vault breaking cyber security at Bangladesh Bank's headquarter in Dhaka is highly disturbing. We don't know yet how the fire broke out at the bank's 13th floor and the investigation committee set-up by the government may invariably report some faults of electric gears at the end. This is the simple way of avoiding blame. But in our view such report always remain misleading to cover up the actual security break in.



The bigger question here is whether or not the security arrangement at Bangladesh Bank is enough to forestall such incidents and the people responsible for it are trustworthy to ensure foolproof security to the sensitive establishment. It appears that the government is failing to give protection to such institutions when vested interest groups are at work to make good of their fortune.



We don't know why the government did not release the cyber heist probe report of the central bank money when leaked reports said people from inside the bank collaborated to the break in. The government refusal to make the report public has almost totally shattered public trust in its security arrangement. Many believe that by refusing to public the report it has indeed protected big perpetrators and the fire incidents may be haunting many to figure out such attempt again. The visit to the spot by Finance Minister and Bangladesh Bank governor immediately after the fire broke out and setting-up of an Investigation Committee also partly showed their tension in this respect.



What seems to be highly intriguing is that the fire broke out in the General Manager's room of the Foreign Currency Department. It has destroyed several tonnes of important files and we don't know if it was an accidental fire or intentional one to destroy some case documents in the process to hide bigger crimes. To us when high security places like Bangladesh Bank become vulnerable to serious incidents like break in or devastating fire, no other establishment is also safe from unforeseen incidents. The fact is that when the government is otherwise politically busy to hold in power; dishonest people are breaking in to take advantage of it. Failure to give protection to sensitive institutions is the failure of the government to govern. Although we are yet to know the reason clearly, the fire at Bangladesh Bank has invariably put the credibility of the government to bigger question.






Indian Army Chief due next week

PTI, New Delhi :

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will pay a two-day visit to Bangladesh beginning March 30 with an aim to strengthen defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

He will travel to Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas visit to India from April 7 to 10 during which

both countries are expected to explore ways to deepen counter- terror cooperation besides other issues. General Rawat is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to Nepal from March 28 and will travel to Bangladesh from Kathmandu on March 30, sources said.

He will hold talks with top brass of defence and security establishment of Bangladesh.

Both Bangladesh and India have been faced with terror strikes and ways to bolster cooperation between armed forces of the two countries to contain terrorism is likely to dominate the talks.

In Kathmandu, Rawat is scheduled to meet President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Prachanda, Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand and his Nepali counterpart General Rajendra Chhetri.
BNP leader Sohel freed on bail

UNB, Dhaka :

BNP joint secretary general Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel was freed from jail on bail on Thursday night.

Sohel walked out of Dhaka Central Jail at Keraniganj around 8:20 pm after his release order reached the jail, said senior jail super Jahangir Kabir.

Earlier on March 6, Sohel was rearrested at the jail gate soon after he was freed on bail.

On Monday, the High Court ordered the law enforcers not to harass or arrest Sohel without any specific case or any arrest warrant after his release from jail following his writ petition.

Sohel, also the member secretary of the party's Dhaka city unit, was sent to jail on October 9 last year after he surrendered before the court of Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in 41 violence cases.

The cases were filed against him with different police stations in the capital, including Paltan, Motijheel, Jatrabari, Khilgaon, Darussalam and Ramna, during the BNP-led 20-party alliance's anti-government movement in 2015.
Genocide Day today

Govt moves for Int'l recognition for the day, says Minister

Special Correspondent :

Today is Genocide Day. For the first time after the country's independence, the nation will observe the day today -- March 25 -- in commemoration of the brutal attack and genocide in Dhaka by the Pakistani Army in 1971.

The day was earlier observed as Black Day. The Jatiya Sangsad on March 11 adopted a resolution unanimously declaring the March 25 as the "Genocide Day".

It is to be noted that, the "Operation Searchlight" was one of the few military operations after the World War-II which had been planned against civilians on that night just to commit massacre for keeping the land [then East Pakistan] under West Pakistan's grip.

Actually, it was a long-pending demand of political parties and Civil Society to mark the atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army. As per official estimation, at least 20,000 people were killed on the day in Dhaka, and three million people were killed in the subsequent nine-month Liberation War.

The ruling Awami League government approved the demand and decided to send two officials to the UN headquarters in New York and the UN Human Rights Council office in Geneva for international recognition of the day.

"Bangladesh will forward an application to the United Nations by this month seeking recognition of March 25 as Genocide Day. Bangladesh Embassies and High Commissions across the world will campaign to get international support in favour of the proposal," Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq told The New Nation on Friday.

The Pakistani military junta, on this fateful night in 1971, had launched the "Operation Searchlight" and killed thousands of people including teachers, students, police, EPR [East Pakistan Rifles] members and general people, including minority Hindu, at the dormitories of Dhaka University, Pilkhana, Rajarbagh Police Lines and Old Dhaka.

It was described in different historical books that the Pakistani Army equipped with heavy weapons, including tanks, automatic rifles, rocket launchers, mortar and light machine guns, encircled Dhaka University and started the Operation Searchlight from Jagannath Hall.

On that night, the Pakistani occupation forces also torched hundreds of houses, properties and looted shops, business establishments and carried out destruction throughout the then East Pakistan [now Bangladesh] .

Against this backdrop, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared "independence" through EPR wireless at 00-30 hours on March 26 [the night following March 25] in 1971 from his residence at Road-32, Dhanmondi in Dhaka, and called upon the Bangalees to build up resistance against the occupation forces.

Bangabandhu, however, was arrested by the Pakistani Army following the declaration of the independence. He was taken to the then West Pakistan and kept in a jail as prisoner during the Liberation War.

The whole nation, except a few Razakar, Al-Shams and Al-Badr elements, joined the Liberation War. Finally, the Pakistani military junta surrendered at the Race Course Maidan [now Suhrawardy Udyan], on December 16 in 1971 in presence of the joint forces.

Marking the day, the government has drawn elaborate programmes. The Liberation War Affairs Ministry will organize discussion and cultural programmes at district and upazila levels elsewhere in the country in observance of the day.

Meanwhile, different political parties, particularly Awami League, have also chalked out elaborate programmes in observance of the Genocide Day to pay homage to the Martyrs of March 25.

Besides, many other socio-cultural organisations, including Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, Liberation War Museum and Dhaka University Teachers' Association, have chalked out elaborate programmes in observance of the day.

The Sector Commanders Forum will also observe a programme at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan.
BNP-Jamaat panel sweeps SCBA polls

UNB, Dhaka :

The lawyers` panel, backed by BNP and Jamaat has swept the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election bagging eight out of 14 posts, including those of the president and secretary.

BNP chairperson's adviser Advocate Zainul Abedin and party joint secretary general

Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon have been elected president and general secretary respectively of the body for the 2017-18 term, regaining the panel's control on the SCBA.

With the fresh term, Khokon has been elected the SCBA secretary for the fifth consecutive time.

Awami League-backed lawyers' panel got the rest six posts, including that of the vice president and treasurer.

Zainul Abedin got 1928 votes while his rival pro-AL panel president candidate Abdul Matin Khasru secured 1895 votes.

Khokon obtained 1916 votes while his rival pro-AL panel secretary candidate Rabiul Alam Rudu bagged 1846 votes.

Coordinator of the SCBA's election steering sub-committee and senior lawyer AY Moshiuzzaman announced the results on Friday morning.

The two-day voting of the election concluded on March 23 after 3,928 lawyers out of 5,081 cast their votes at the SCBA auditorium.

Pro-AL panel had won last years' the SCBA polls securing eight posts, including that of the president, ending three consecutive years' supremacy of BNP-Jamaat panel on the SCBA.
Ex-husband held in Tangail

Fakhrul Islam Robin, ex-husband of slain Arifunnessa, a Jamuna Bank officer (inset) was arrested by DB police from Dhanbari of Tangail on Friday.

UNB, Dhaka :

Detectives in a drive arrested the ex-husband of slain female banker Arifun Nesa from Dhanbari in Tangail district on Friday in connection with the murder of the banker. Tipped off, a team of DB (South) police of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, conducted a drive in the area and arrested Robin, said Deputy Commissioner (Media) of DMP Masudur Rahman.

Earlier on March 16, Arifun Nesa, 25, who used to work at Jamuna Bank's Paltan branch, was hacked to death allegedly by her former husband in the city's Central Road area.
Ensure rights of every citizen

BSS, Dhaka :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the fresh civil service officers to work with utmost sincerity, integrity and honesty for ensuring welfare and rights of the citizens as well as establishing a developed and prosperous Bangladesh. "You'll have to always keep in mind that people are the owner of this republic. So it's your responsibility for ensuring welfare and rights of every citizen of the country," she said.

The prime minister was addressing as the chief guest the certificate awarding ceremony of the 63rd Foundation Training Course of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre and five other government institutions at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here on Thursday evening.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Minister for Public Administration Syed Ashraful Islam, State Minister Ismat Ara Sadique and Senior Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry Dr Mozammel Haque Khan addressed the function as the special guests, while BPATC Rector ALM Abdur Rahman chaired it.

Sanjida Parvin of BCS Administration Cadre and Khan Mohammad Salehin of BCS Agriculture Cadre also spoke at the function expressing their feelings about the six-month foundation training.

The prime minister also directed the fresh civil service officers for properly and timely implementing the development projects initiated by the government. "You will have to remain alert so that each and every penny of the development projects is spent properly and the people get real benefit from it."

Asserting that her government wants to make the service delivery more developed and easy through massive use of technology, Sheikh Hasina said that efforts are on to enhance the efficiency of the civil servants through imparting necessary training in this regard. To ensure better public services, she said, the government has been decentralizing the local government to ensure public services for the huge population of the country as well as their socioeconomic development. Recalling the great contributions of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to rebuilding the war-ravaged country, the premier said had Bangabandhu been alive, Bangladesh could have been a prosperous and developed country like Singapore much earlier.

"Bangladesh could have been an example of development in the world had Bangabandhu been alive... we must complete his unfinished task and that's our goal," she added. Referring to the implementation of the Padma Bridge project with own funding, the prime minister said she believes that if there is sincerity and patriotism, then any task could be accomplished. "We took the construction of the bridge as a challenge and we won this

challenge as we launched its work with our own funding," she said. Sheikh Hasina hoped that the public servants who received training would properly apply their knowledge and skill after returning to the workplace to build the country and serve the people. "I hope you would make efforts to serve the people and demonstrate patriotism as well nurture and uphold the great spirit of the liberation war," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said, the Father of the Nation had constituted Administrative Services Re-Organization Committee to establish service-oriented and efficient civil service. "Bangabandhu had appointed governors in every district upgrading all the sub-divisions to districts aimed at reaching government services to the door steps of the people," she said. The prime minister said after assuming office in 1996 after long 21 years, her party Awami League started work for the development of the country and formed Public Administration Reform Commission to improve efficiency in the civil services. "Some of the recommendations of the commission have already been implemented, and the Privatisation Commission and the Board of Investment was merged," she said. Besides, she said, upazila system reintroduced and the upazila polls were completed and for the first time in the country's history, the district council elections were held successfully.

The Prime Minister said the government has raised the salary of government officers and employees by up to 123 percent and introduced Bangla Nababarsha festival allowance. "The government services have become more attractive in terms of salary and allowances and meritorious students are attracted to it," she said.

The Prime Minister said, that her government introduced "Public Administration Padak" in recognition of the efficiency and innovative works of the civil servants and made arrangement for their timely promotion.

Earlier, the premier handed over the Rector Awards and certificates to three officers and Director General Awards to three others for their best performance in the training course. She also distributed certificates and merit medals among 24 fresh civil service officers out of 567 officers of 18 cadres recruited through Bangladesh Civil Service examinations.
Social media inspiring militants!

Staff Reporter :

Around 82 per cent of the country's young militants were radicalized through different social networking sites, a study says.

A police study report based on 250 detainees was presented at the police chiefs' conference held recently in Dhaka. It revealed that 56 per cent of the militants came from the general education background (Bangla and English medium) while 22 per cent from madrasas.

They mostly communicated among themselves through the social media, the police report said.

The top police officials thought that social media, including Facebook, have become a concern for law enforcers to tackle expansion of terrorism or militancy in the country. The future security enforcement must spend the most on preventing cyber crime through the social media.

Bangladesh police believe that China and South Korea could be role models in this regard as the nations are advanced in fighting cyber crimes.

At the conference, the police chiefs discussed strategies to fight terrorism through social media. They are mulling over the formation of a platform comprising 14 nations across the globe. At present, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and India are working with the Bangladesh Police to prevent militancy in the cyber space.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Posts and Telecommunication Tarana Halim told newsmen on Thursday that social media is one of the major causes behind the rise of militancy and terrorism.

She said the government is going to table some key proposals, including country-based separate desk, to the Facebook authorities at a meeting scheduled to be held on March 30 in Singapore.

Fahmidul Haque, a Professor of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department at Dhaka University, said surveillance on Facebook means intervention into the personal secrecy and freedom of the people.

Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik said nothing would be needed if the prevailing laws were implemented properly.

According to the police report, analysis on the trend of 250 militants shows 80 per cent of them used apps like Threema and Messenger to communicate each other. Some created separate apps of their own.

Security analyst Ishfaq Ahmed said terrorists are investing in the online sector to control the 'virtual world'.

Law enforcement agencies should be more active to prevent the militant activities online, he added.
5 of a family among 10 killed in Mymensingh road accident

Five of a family among 10 were killed while a goods laden truck overturned on Dhak-Mymensingh Highway at Meherbari area of Bhaluka on Friday.

Md Firoz Khan, Bhaluka Correspondent :

At least 10 people, including five of a family, were killed and three others received injuries when a cement laden truck overturned on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Meherabari in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district early Friday.

The deceased have been identified as Azizul Islam, 35, a van driver, his wife Rezia Begum, 30, and their three sons namely Mehedi Hasan, 11, Mizan, 8, and Sizar, 4, from Tarakanda upazila, Jyostna Begum, 55, and her son Md Sirajul Islam, 18, from Sadar upazila in Mymensingh, Sukkur Ali, 65, Khorshed, 25, and Shahjahan Hossain, 26, from Sherpur district. The victims were traveling on the truck on the fateful night.

The injured were taken to Bhaluka Health Complex where doctors declared one of them dead. Later Two more injured were shifted to Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital, Police said.

The truck skidded on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Meherabari around 4:30am, while heading towards Sherpur from Dhaka, leaving nine people dead on the spot and four others injured, said Mamunur Rashid, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bhaluka Police Station.

One of the injured died on way to Bhaluka Health Complex, the Police official said. The bodies were handed over to the family members of the victims after post mortem at MMCH, the OC said.

A case was filed with the police station in this connection, he said. Meanwhile, a probe body with Ariful Islam Khan, Additonal District Magistrate, as head was formed to investigate the incident, said Khalilur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh.

The Committee was asked to submit the report soon, the DC said. The local administration decided to give Tk 25,000 compensation to each of the dead victims, he said.


Man killed in `bomb blast` near HSIA

Members of police, RAB and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the place near Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport where an unidentified man died in bomb blast while he allegedly carrying the bomb on Friday evening.

Staff Reporter :

An unidentified man died in a bomb blast near a police check-post at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on Friday evening, police said.

Police said the deceased might have carried the bomb to hand over it to others but seeing presence of a large number of law enforcers, he feared of and he blasted it.

"The deceased, aged between 30 and 32, believed to be carrying the bomb but unconsciously he blasted it near the police box. He died at round 7:15pm," said Nure Azam Mia, Officer-in-Charge of Airport Police Station.

However, police denied to accept the incident as a suicide blast saying the man could easily reach law enforcers but blasted the bomb in a distant place.

Police could not confirm the identity of the man till filling of this report.

The members of the law enforcing agencies surrounded the spot as a security measure, the OC said.

Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Benajir Ahmed, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah and other senior officials of the law enforcing agencies visited the spot.

After visiting the spot Asaduzzaman Miah denied any connection of the incident with the recent suicide bombing incident in the proposed RAB headquarters at Ashkona near Haji camp.

Earlier, a suspected suicide bomber on March 17 blew himself up at the temporary RAB camp, proposed headquarters of the elite force.
Joint forces start raids in Sylhet `militants den`

Joint forces surround a 5-storey building presumed to be a militants hideout at Shibbari in Dakkhin Surma upazila in Sylhet on Friday and asked them to surrender.

Staff Reporter :

Joint forces led by Bangladesh Army started operation in the 'militant den' in Sibbari area of Dakshin Surma in Sylhet city on Friday night.



Members of Para Commando Battalion of Bangladesh Army, Special Weapon and Tactic Team (SWAT) and Police jointly began the operation at the five-storey building "Achhia Villa" at Pathanpara around 8:05pm, said Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Commissioner Golam Kibria.



Around half an hour after the operation began, the police official said that the situation was under control. "We're arranging lighting and generator services there."



Our correspondent reports: The commandoes were seen marching towards the five-storey building. Earlier, several units of the SWAT reached the spot from Dhaka on Friday afternoon to join the drive but they could not conduct the drive after observing the atmosphere.



In the meantime, police, through a loud speaker, asked the suspected militants to surrender, the commissioner said. "But, they are yet to respond to the call."



A grenade was hurled towards police personnel who had approached the building around 3:00am on Friday, he said. "We believe it is a den of some top JMB militants," said the SMP Additional Commissioner Rokonuddin, adding: "We suspect militants are hiding in that building."



Police called repeatedly the suspected militants to come out from inside the five-storey building in the afternoon, he said.



Power lines to the building have been cut and civilians partially evacuated from the building earlier in the day. "About 70 civilians have been moved out. Power lines have been cut," said SMP Deputy Commissioner Basudeb Banik.



Several gunshots and explosions were heard from the spot around noon, the police official said.



Police have been making announcements in loudspeakers, asking the suspects to come out of the house sealed off since 3:00am Friday, he said.

At one point, naming a female suspect, a policeman said, "Morjina Begum, you have been surrounded from all sides. Surrender peacefully!"

SI Shah Alam then said, "We are all Muslims. If you have something to say, please talk to our brothers in the media here."

A female was heard replying: "You are walking the path of Satan! We follow Allah!" Then a male voice followed.

"Why are you wasting time? We don't have much time. Send in the SWAT!"



SMP Jalalabad Police Station Officer-in-Charge Akhtar Hossain said, "A woman shouted out from the building saying they have chosen the path of Allah and do not fear the police."



Owner of the house, one Ustar Mia, said, the centre of attention was the ground floor flat where a couple - Kawsar Ahmed and Morjina Begum - were living since the last three months.



Kawsar Rahman Ripon, son of the landlord, said: "They identified themselves as husband and wife and rented the ground floor flat three months ago."



He said the couple said their names were Kawsar Ahmed and Morjina.



Earlier on March 16, four suspected militants, including a female one and a six-year-old boy, were killed during a special raid by joint forces on a militant hideout at Premtala in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong.
The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.
While most high-tech gadgetry at Mott is for medical care, five-year-old Brinley Jungnitsch (pronounced YOU-nich) is experiencing virtual reality though a Sony PlayStation video game player and headset. The young patient from Saginaw pulls her chin downward to swoop under bridges along the River Seine and tilts her head sideways to fly past Notre Dame Cathedral and other Paris landmarks, thanks to an app called Eagle Flight.

I tried flying through the Paris thing, Brinley reports at one point during her flight, referring to the Eiffel Tower.

Brinley and other young patients are visiting virtual worlds through the efforts of patient technology coordinator J.J. Bouchard and staff from GameStart, an Ann Arbor school that teaches kids how to write computer code. GameStart staffers like Mike Kundrat work their way through lists of patientsabout ten on any given daywhove expressed interest in strapping on a virtual reality headset to fly like an eagle, ride a roller coaster, or experience other activitiesor in learning to write code for their own video games.

Kundrat explains that GameStart has created game templates that patients as young as six can fill in to personalize the program, using Microsofts C# coding language. GameStart volunteers also teach patients how to use the Pixel art app to create characters and add them to off-the-shelf video games.

While writing code can keep a hospitalized child busy, there can be some sneaky learning going on at the same time. Kundrat explains that 90 percent of coding is solving problems. It is very exact, and requires attention to detail.

If youre easily frustrated, youll have a hard time, Kundrat says. A good mindset is someone who enjoys solving puzzles and figuring things out.

Bouchard says about 70 percent of patients who sign up for GameStart visits just want to strap on a headset and enter a different reality. Ten percent opt just to write code, and about 20 percent choose both.

Recently Bouchard used a $50,000 donation from the Jim Harbaugh Youth Fund to buy 500 virtual reality viewers, which are being offered to every incoming Mott patient. They pair with patient families own smartphones and VR apps to let kids mingle with dinosaurs, visit the Big House, and more.
Answers Africa is one of a kind platform created for Africans both locally and in the diaspora and those seeking for more in-depth information about Africa. We have always focused on creating the highest quality informational contents right from the beginning. We share the most relevant information on the latest and trending news, events, people, and places in Africa.

We produce contents across various categories including Politics, People, Love and Romance, Nature, Entertainment, Technology and pretty much everything else that Africans may find relevant.

We aim to answer the most relevant questions about Africa in areas of entertainment, famous people, emerging technologies while we also engage with various distribution capabilities to connect with Africans in need of information who rely on our website to keep in touch with the world that is changing so fast.

These are some of the articles you may be interested in reading:

10 Famous TV Personalities Born In Ethiopia Ethiopia is a country best known for its fast athletes like Dibaba and Bekele, breathtaking models like Liya Kebede and of course Haile Selassie but there are also famous TV personalities who are doing a great job in entertainment and pushing the country to civilization. The following is a list of ten most famous TV ...

Top 10 African Authors of All Time The pace of present African literature is moving at a high-speed; more defiant in both style and tone than those of the great independence writers generation. Here, the subjects of taboo are widely explored. The emerging African authors of this generation are not afraid to go further afield for the literary fodder. Meanwhile, since the birth ...

Maina Kageni Biography  Daughter, Salary and Gay Rumors Maina Kageni is one of those Kenyans who has remained as interesting as ever in the eyes of the public. A strong Red devil fan and lover of football, the man is currently a Breakfast Show presenter with Mwalimu Kingangi on Nairobis Classic 105 Radio Station. Many questions have always emerged on the man in serious ...

Kalekye Mumo  Biography, Boyfriend and Salary Kalekye Mumo has been described as someone who is as vibrant as she is beautiful, a Kenyan radio queen, TV host and media personality, movie actress, Musician, businesswoman, and fashionista but what else is there to know about this Kenyan icon, Kalekye Mumo and her co-host Shaffie Weru have been among the most listened to radio presenters ...

Julie Gichuru Bio  Age, Husband & Children In Africa, women have a long history of bringing under control obstacles to keep their heads above the water. So, it comes as no surprise whenever African women are recognized and decorated across the continent and globe for performing brilliantly well in their various fields of endeavor. In Kenya for instance, a list of national ...

Jeff Koinange Biography  All About His Age, Wife  Shaila Koinange & Family Jeff Koinange is a well-known Kenyan journalist. He currently hosts Jeff Koinange Live on KTN. Koinange has served as a journalist in the United States and has also worked for a few U.S. broadcasters. He was born in Kenya but attended college in the United States, which may explain his accent. There are several interesting ...

Caroline Mutoko Biography  Age, Daughter & House Caroline Mutoko is a Kenyan radio presenter, famously known for hosting a morning breakfast show on Kiss 100 FM. The station is based in Nairobi and ranks among the highly-rated radio stations in Kenya with online streaming services as well. Learn more about the Kenyan-born journalist. Caroline Mutokos Age and Bio Born on January 4, 1973, Caroline is ...

The Most Stunning News Presenter In Kenya Discloses Her Real Age  You Would Not Believe It In modern African societies, it is often regarded as impolite or outright lack of disrespect to ask a woman of her age. We also have seen celebrities lie about how old they are when asked their age. People, mostly women have refused to let people know their real age, despite being public figures. The few ...

Demystifying Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Biography, Husband & Education Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian novelist, non-fiction writer, short story writer and actress. As a seasoned Nigerian writer, she has been called the most prominent of a procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors that is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature. She has been making Nigeria proud in the global scene ...

Wole Soyinka  Biography, Wife, Children, Family, Quick Facts Professor Wole Soyinka, a great and brilliant Nigerian writer and political activist, who was the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The name, Wole Soyinka, is a household name both in Africa and beyond especially in the field of literature. With over 50 pieces of work, his writing includes poems, novels, memoirs ...

5 Most Vulgar Kenyan Radio Presenters It appears being vulgar is the real deal nowadays especially for the fact that the world is becoming more exposed and civilized. Sadly, but true, young people are constantly being exposed to images, discussions, and content that most people would deem detrimental to the African culture and moral statutes. This is because most of us ...

6 Sexiest News Anchors In Kenya Some news anchors have been stealing eyes every time they appear on-screen. Most of us hardly concentrate on the programme they present as our entire focus is usually on their striking physique and beautiful faces. It is common knowledge that Kenyan women are amazingly beautiful. From the celebrities to the everyday woman, they are all in ...

Interesting Oprah Winfrey Quotes To Keep You Motivated Oprah Winfrey is one of the worlds most powerful women in the media and business sectors. Her life is the typical success story that motivates and lifts ones morale. One amazing thing about this media mogul is her sincerity about past hurts, mistakes, healing, and success. The renowned talk show host and media personality is the first ...

Chinua Albert Achebe Biography- Family, Net Worth & Death Chinua Albert Achebe, of blessed memory, was a Nigerian prolific author best known for his inventive style of writing and simplicity of expressions. Famed as one of the finest writers Nigeria has ever produced, Achebe lived and died an international hero and a literary giant, who left behind unforgettable legacies and footprints in the sands of ...

Steve Harvey  His Wife, Kids & Height Steve Harvey is an American comedian, actor, radio and TV show host, producer and an author of different relationship advice books. Steve Harveys Early Life Born in Welch, West Virginia, on January 17, 1957, as Broderick Stephen Harvey, Steve was the last of five children. His family relocated to Cleveland when he was young and there, he attended Glenville High School from ...

Intriguing Things You Should Know About Danny Kokers Rise to Fame and Who His Wife Is Danny Koker is popular as the star of the History Channel reality TV series, Counting Cars. Prior to him appearing on the show, the TV personality was a musician who had embarked on a number of national tours with his rock group, Counts 77. He and his group have released quite a number of songs ...

Fun Facts You Didnt Know About Andy Cohens Rise to Prominence and His Partner Andy Cohen is one of Americas top media personalities who gained prominence after helping to bring the Bravo network back to life. He also hosted a couple of shows on the network, including the popular nightly series Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. After rising to the position of head of production and development at ...

Tracing Isha Sesays Career Until CNN, Her Worth And Why She Divorce Her Husband As far as journalists of African origin go, Isha Sesay is one of the most famous on the continent  and by extension, the world. The Sierra Leonean and British journalist has had a successful career since she joined the industry in 1998. In that time, she has worked for a host of major media ...

Open Secrets of How Joanna Gaines Balances Her Career With Being a Wife and Mother Joanna Gaines is the co-founder of Magnolia Homes, a business she runs with one goal: converting houses to homes. She doubles as the lead designer of the company which she co-owns with her husband, Chip Gaines. Lady Gaines gained massive popularity when she became a co-star with her husband on the HGTVs show, Fixer Upper. ...

Juicy Details of Ayesha Currys Love Story With Stephen, Her Family Members and Recent Pursuits When your husband is one of the greatest basketballers that the NBA has ever seen, then it bestows on you the status of a celebrity wife  and may not even demand that you do anything extra to maintain that status. However, Ayesha Curry, the wife of multiple NBA champion, Steph Curry, is not one ...

What Is Tarek el Moussas Ethnicity, Why Did He Divorce His Wife and Who Is He Dating? Tarek El Moussa has made himself one of the most recognizable men on reality television, especially to fans of HGTV. Thanks to his expertise in the world of real estate, Tarek has become a national star. But even to his hardcore followers, there are questions about Tarek El Moussa that remain unanswered, such as his ...

Fun Facts About Natalie Beckers Lonely Childhood and Eventual Career Success Natalie Becker is an actress of South African descent who became famous for her appearance in films like The World Unseen and The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior. A multitalented individual, Natalie is also a television/radio presenter. She is also a co-founder of the Thought Leader Global Media which she runs together with ...

Top 3 Female CNN News Anchors You Didnt Know Were Africans CNN is one of the leading news agencies in the world. The satellite and cable news network was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and has been one of the best sources of news for a number of years. It also boasts of the best journalists and presenters all around in media broadcasting. The company is a ...

Channels That Aided Katie Pavlichs Growth as a Journalist and All About Her Marriage To Friedson If you have ever come across any Fast and Furious featuring Barack Obama, it is the handiwork of Katie Pavlich. The book which claims to have exposed Obamas bloodiest scandal and the shameless cover-up thereof, has been earning Pavlich much praise and fame ever since it was published in 2012. Nonetheless, Pavlich is more famed ...

Is Oprah Winfrey Married? Husband, Children, Biography, House, Facts Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire philanthropist, talk show icon, producer, actress, and writer. The media icon famously dubbed The Queen Of All Media owns and hosts the highest-rated television program in the media circle. Read more about the powerful television star below. Oprah Winfrey Biography Oprah was born as Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954, to a ...

Who Is Arsenio Hall, What Happened To His Talk Show and Why Do Fans Think He Is Gay? He is one of the funniest beings to have graced the comedy constituent of the American entertainment industry. Arsenio Hall has a reputation for the rib-cracking disposition always portrayed in his comedy roles. He is not just a comedian; he is also an actor and a former talk show host for his popular show, The ...

What Is Woah Vicky Famous For and Who Are Her Family Members? Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Woah Vicky is one of those stars that have utilized the internet as a powerful tool to propel themselves to instant fame. The social media space, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc., offers lots of people the right opportunities and potentials to become superstars overnight. Not everyone achieves ...

Where Is Michael Strahan Since His Retirement From The NFL and Who Is His Partner? Michael Strahan is a retired American football player turned media personality. He played the defensive lineman position and holds the record for most sacks in a single NFL season. He also only played for the New York Giants throughout the entire 15-year professional career that saw him win a Super Bowl ring. In February 2014, ...

How Wendy Williams Went From Being a College DJ to Having Her Own Talk Show and More About Her Divorce Wendy Williams is a former radio personality, now talk show host, who is known for her outspokenness and brash no-nonsense attitude. She gained fame and notoriety for her on-air clashes with celebrities before moving on to host her own talk show. Since 2008, Williams has hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. ...

Who is Sunny Hostin? Her Husband, Family & Net Worth Sunny Hostin is no ordinary Latina  American lawyer but also a successful columnist, multi-platform journalist, and social commentator. A happily married woman and mother of two, Hostin is the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News and co-host of ABCs popular morning talk show, The View. She is a legal expert popularly known as a former ...

Who Is Robert Costa and Is He Married, Who Is His Wife? Robert Costa is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC who is regarded as being part of Americas next generation of journalists. The University of Notre Dame graduate, who is of Italian/Portuguese descent, has been lauded for his fresh political perspectives in an industry full of old heads. In addition to his work listed above, Costa ...

Team Valor Pokemon Go  7 Key Facts You Need To Know Team Valor Pokemon Go  The craze of the new game Pokemon Go is one that took the gaming world by storm sending teenagers and adults alike into a frenzy and one of its teams Team Valor, has proven to be instrumental in making it so. Before the game was created, Pokemon was a cartoon ...

Sheryl Underwood  Husband, Family & Net Worth She is known for her trademark smile which can be described as the brightest and broadest smile ever seen on planet earth. She is none other than Sheryl Underwood the comedian, actress, and TV host whose funny wits has left America in great awe. Although Sheryl has risen to become an important personality in the industry, ...

Team Mystic Pokemon Go: 7 Facts You Need To Know And Signs You Are One Team Mystic of the break out game Pokemon Go is a team that is full of sass and chivalry. With an enchanting monicker, Team Mystic stands out from the rest of its counterparts and deserves to take the crown as champion in the Pokemon gaming-verse. To be a member of this exceptional team of Pokemon battle ...

Exploring Guy Beahms Dr Disrespect Persona, Wife and Why He was Banned Permanently From Twitch Guy Beahm who is popularly known by his online alias  Dr DisRespect, is an award-winning Twitch.tv streamer. He has leveraged on the Twitch platform to become an internet personality that is quite widely known. His online success is just more proof that anyone who is good at what they do can attain celebrity status ...

Critical Facts About Lee Ann McAdoo  The Infowars Anchor Lee Ann Mcadoo is a conservative journalist and television host whose interests in conspiracies and astrology has established her as a famous American reporter. Often referred to as Wonder Woman, McAdoo is a reporter who works for InfoWars.com, a controversial right-wing website run by radio show host, Alex Jones. Who Is Lee Ann McAdoo? Lee Ann McAdoo was born on 7 ...

Millie Weaver  Age, Husband & Infowars Career Millie Weaver is an American model, journalist, political activist, and social commentator. The young and beautiful journalist rose to fame working as a reporter for a controversial right-wing website InfoWars.com. Also known as Millennial Millie, Weaver is a social media influencer with over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 35,000 followers on Twitter. Who Is Millie Weaver and What Is ...

Is Jessica Tarlov Married? What Are Her Height & Weight? Jessica Tarlov is an American political consultant, strategist, and analyst whose influential and regular TV presence has made a popular figure. A good example of beauty with brains, Tarlov has appeared on various TV networks, mostly the FOX News Network where she is known for her liberal views on political analysis and insights. She is also the senior director ...

Who Is Kelly Rebecca Nichols  Alex Jones Ex-Wife? Kelly Rebecca Nichols is the ex-wife of controversial American radio show host, Alex Jones. She got nationwide attention following her divorce and subsequent custody battle with her estranged husband. Nichols, who worked with PETAs public relations department, was herself no stranger to controversies as she was involved in several publicity stunts of the non-profit animal rights ...

Who Is Bree Morgan  Cole Sprouse Ex-Girlfriend And What Is She Up To Now? Although Bree Morgan became famous through the Instagram, she also sapped some dose of popularity from Disneys sweetheart, Cole Sprouse of the Sprouse brothers. She is not only an Instagram star but also a YouTube vlogger whose popularity has long exceeded the ordinary level. Bree is conspicuously prominent on the internet and has her digital savviness ...

Does Vanna White Have Husband or Children, What Is Her Net Worth / Salary? For over three decades, Vanna White has been a household name, famous as the co-host and letter turner of the iconic NBC game show Wheel of Fortune. The talented and beautiful television personality is also an actress with several TV series and films to her credit. Since making her Wheel of Fortune debut in 1982, she has become one ...

Liz Wheeler  Biography, Husband & Net Worth Liz Wheeler is the kind of girl who sets the room on fire whenever she comes around. In this situation, however, she sets our screens on fire each time she appears as the host of One America News Tipping Point. She is, therefore, a presenter, publisher, consultant and a member of the Board of Zoning ...

Betty White  Net Worth, Children & Husband The entertainment industry will remain indebted to personalities like Betty White who brought something extra to the table and kept the world entertained for donkey years. The comedienne, actress, and writer graced the big screens in the early 50s as a show host and has been a delight since then. She is the queen of ...

Is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Dead or Alive, What Are His Net Worth & Education? Everyone will always remember Bill Nye as the Science Guy. Besides his TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy, he is well-known for his Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World which started airing in 2017 as well as his appearances in many famous media projects as a science educator. The star studied mechanical engineering ...

Is Cesar Millan Dead, Who Is The Wife & What Is His Net Worth? Cesar Millan is the famous dog whisperer who often stirs up mixed emotions. The Mexican-American is precisely speaking, a dog behaviorist; he has been in the game for over 25 years. His Emmy-nominated television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan further pushed his method and tactics into the limelight. The series was produced from 2004 ...

Is Thomas Sanders Gay and Does He Have A Boyfriend? By the time Vine was shut down in January 2017, Thomas Sanders was already popular within and beyond the internet community for his heavy involvements on the online video hosting platform. After the tragic shutdown of Vine impacted on the growing career of the multi-talented personality, he immediately switched over to YouTube where he continued to upload ...

Is Shepard Smith Gay, Who Is The Boyfriend & What Is His Net Worth? There are only a few media personalities who are as bold and confident as Shepard Smith. Apart from his impressive stint at Fox News Channel which includes but not limited to his classic news delivery, upfront stance on virtually every issue and much more; he loves his job as much as he loves his personality. Smith ...

Is Milo Yiannopoulos Gay? His Husband and Net Worth Milo Yiannopoulos is a popular writer, journalist, polemicist, public speaker, and political commentator who is also known as the founder of The Kernel, an online blog. He has been said to be among the list of 100 weird and influential people in the United Kingdom. He appeared on this list as a result of personal beliefs and ...

Does Ryan Seacrest Have A Wife Or Girlfriend, What Is His Net Worth? From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The radio personality, television host, and producer is best recognized as the host of the popular TV talent search contest American Idol. Heres how the media personality who always knew what his lifes ambition was and diligently pursued ...

Is Anderson Cooper Gay, Who is The Boyfriend or Husband? For many, the thought of becoming a millionaire by writing and talking about other people appears unachievable but this is the reality of the prominent American journalist Anderson Cooper who gathered millions of dollars for conducting accurate political analysis and other vital reports on TV. He is the main anchor of the CNN news show Anderson ...

Is David Muir Gay or Does He Have A Wife, What Is His Salary? David Muir is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works for the ABC broadcast-television network and anchors the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir program while also co-anchoring the magazine program 20/20. The Ithaca College graduate, whose show has become the most-watched newscast in America, has covered stories from all across America and the world; reporting ...

Joel Osteen  Divorce Rumors, Net Worth & Family Members Joel Osteen is an American Televangelist, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church based in Houston, Texas, a husband and a father of two. He is an author of many books, seven of which are New York Times Best Sellers and his televised sermons capture more than 7 million viewers per week and 20 million every month ...

Who Is Todd Chrisley? What To Know About His Children, Gay Rumors & Net Worth Premiered on the USA network in 2014, Chrisley Knows Best is one of the most watched family reality TV shows in the U.S. The series which is currently in its sixth season is centered around U.S real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his family. The show reveals Todd the patriarch of the Chrisley family as a strict dad who rules ...

Who Is Shannon Bream Of Fox News? Her Husband, Children & Net Worth Shannon Bream who hosts the iconic primetime program started her journalism career in the late 1990s debuting as the evening and late-night news reporter for the CBS affiliate, WBTV. The beauty from America currently works for the Fox News Channel and she is best known for anchoring the primetime program. She also hosts Americas News ...

Is Troye Sivan Gay, Who Is His Boyfriend and What Is His Net Worth? Troye Sivan is an Australian singer and songwriter best known for songs like Happy Little Pill, Youth, Heaven (with Betty Who) and The Boyfriend Tag (with Tyler Oakley) which have all garnered him different awards and ranked on the Billboard Charts. Sivan, who was born in South Africa but now resides in the United States, is ...

Did iDubbbz Have Cancer, Is He Gay and Who Is His Girlfriend Now? iDubbbz is one YouTuber who has made a career out of courting controversy. Renowned for his absurdist channels and comedy video series, the Los Angeles based personality is the owner of two channels, iDubbzTV, and iDubbzTV2, as well as the brains behind comedy video series such as Content Cop, Kickstarter Crap, Gaming News Crap, and ...

Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

Kay Adams Biography  Does The Sportscaster Have A Husband or Boyfriend? When you hear the phrase sports enthusiast, women are hardly the first group that comes to mind. Well, thats changing pretty fast. Especially with the rise of female sports analysts and broadcasters like Kay Adams who is famed for knowing more about sports than most men do. And why not, shes paid handsomely for it ...

Ben Shapiros Family  Meet His Wife, Kids and Sister Who is Popular for the Wrong Reasons A multi-talented man, Ben Shapiro is a man of controversial nature, an attribute that has made him an unusual public figure. An intellectual whose career path was clearly defined even before he became a man, the Jewish conservative commentator has always had his way with words. He became popular by sharing his critical and often ...

QVC Shawn Killinger Bio  Husband, Net Worth & Facts To Know Shawn Killinger is a prominent TV personality who has worked her way to the top. Though not initially a journalist by training, she defied the odds and today has established herself as a household name, as well as, worked alongside some industry legends. More than just being a reporter, newscaster, and anchor, heres all you ...

Liv Lo  Dissecting the Ethnicity, Parents and Personal Life of Henry Goldings Wife While many are aware that Liv Lo is the better half to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, only a few understand why his beautiful wife appears increasingly endearing to fans. A former model turned TV personality, and fitness star, Liv has an impressive resume which when combined with that of her statuesque spouse is considered a perfect ...

Stpeach Age, Husband and Other Facts About The Twitch Streamer Lisa Vannatta, famously known by her online alias, STPeach is a Canadian video game streamer cum vlogger who has garnered fame through her appearances on different video-sharing/social networking platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and Twitter. The beautiful lady got her career to a start in August 2015 when she joined the live streaming video platform, Twitch. She rose to ...

Insights into Seth Meyers Wife, Family and What His Net Worth Is Celebrities are mostly remembered and known for the work they do. For Seth Meyers, his career as a comedian, writer, actor, TV host, and producer is his biggest identifier. He was on Saturday Night Live SNL show as a head writer and cast member for more than ten years during which he built a reputation ...

Who Is Jessica Gadsden  Age, Net Worth & All About Charlamagne tha Gods Wife Jessica Gadsden is an American fitness coach as well as a personal trainer. She is better known as the spouse of popular American media personality, Charlamagne Tha God. Charlamange Tha God is a well-known TV and radio personality in the U.S. He has featured in several shows (both on the radio and TV) and is ...

Who Is Collins Tuohy  Michael Ohers sister ? Her Wedding, Husband & Net Worth Collins Tuohy is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, blogger, and social media personality. She is also better known as the adoptive sister of NFL player, Michael Oher, whose life story inspired the Hollywood blockbuster The Blind Side. The Blind Side tells the true life story of Oher who grew up in an impoverished background consisting of a ...

Eye-Popping Facts About The Personal Life And Career Success Of Sportscaster Heidi Watney Heidi Watney is a media personality who has created a niche for herself as a sportscaster. Starting out as a radio presenter, the brilliant young lady has gone on to work for several prominent sports networks, and currently, she is with the MLB. The sportscaster is also known to have been an avid sports lady right ...

Marty Lagina Bio  Siblings (Martina and Rick Lagina), Net Worth and Wife Marty Lagina is an American engineer and businessman who has risen to fame as a reality TV star. This is thanks to his involvement in the adventure TV series, The Curse of Oak Island. The Curse of Oak Island is a long-running TV series which airs on the history channel. The show aims to solve ...

Is Jordan Schlansky Just A Character or a Real Life Person and What Does He Do? The world of late-night television is an interesting one. Shows during that time are geared towards giving viewers comedic relief from a long day at work through interviews and comedy sketches. The often charismatic host of this show requires the balancing talent of a producer whose primary job is to deliver great episodes. It is ...

Heres How Wealthy Jimmy Kimmel Is From All The Phases of His Career, Marriages and Sons Health Jimmy Kimmel is a renowned late-night talk show host known for his charm, wit, and the A-list guests he features on his show. As the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! On ABC, Jimmy has been serving comedy to television viewers for years which played a pivotal role in launching him into mainstream fame and enabled ...

Natasha Bertrand Biography  Is She Married? Who Is the Husband & What Is Her Age? Natasha Bertrand is not just a young prominent journalist but a first-rate investigative reporter. With her natural beauty and smile, Natashas sharp, insightful political commentary also makes her a thorough reporter. Her sound political perspective and coverage in the country have made her a force to be reckoned with in the profession. Renowned for her ...

What Happened to Shane Kilcher? His Injury Update, Net Worth and More Shane Kilcher is well-known thanks to the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier. It is a show that documents the daily lives of the extended Kilcher family, people who live without plumbing or modern heating. The episodes follow their routines as they rely on hunting and farming for their nutritional needs as well as ...

Is Stephanie Gosk Gay or Lesbian, Who is the Wife or Partner  Jenna Wolfe? In August 2013, NBCs Today viewers were greeted with two shocking news. Today weekend anchor, Jenna Wolfe, announced that she was as a lesbian, introducing her partner as NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk, and said the two are expecting their first child. A long time has passed since then and certainly, a lot of things ...

Nikki Mudarris  Bio and Net Worth: 5 Interesting Facts You Need to Know Nikki Mudarris, also known as Miss Nikki Baby, is a reality television star, model and fashionista. Shes best known for VH1s reality TV series Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood. Her entrepreneurial skills enable her to create and run a successful lingerie line Nude by Nikki. Not only that, but Nikki has also successfully run the Las ...

5 Interesting Things You Need To Know About Kelly Nash Ever heard of the lady who gained national prominence for taking a selfie with a dangerous ball just a few inches away from hitting her? Its no other person than Kelly Nash, an American sports broadcaster currently working as host of The Rundown show which airs on MLB Network every weekday at 2 pm ET. ...

Understanding The Height of Fame John Oliver Achieved With The Daily Show and How He Met His Wife Without knowledge of who he is and his exemplary career, John Oliver cuts an unassuming figure of a regular man but he is one of the most influential personalities in America, especially on television. Since he began his career in 1998, he has been a loud and unapologetic agent of change, using his wit and ...

Why Did Big Chief Leave Street Outlaws, Where Is He Now And Why Did He Divorce His Wife? Justin Shearer, otherwise known by his professional name Big Chief is a famous street racer and television personality. He is famously known for being one of the main characters on the racing reality television series, Street Outlaws. Justin, who had been a significant part of the show since its premiere in 2013, appeared in a ...

Who is Josina Anderson of ESPN? Her Husband and Family Facts There has been a gradual paradigm shift in the world of sports which has today produced the likes of Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and other female athletes that are pulling great feats in different sporting fields. Their achievements have also been followed by the emergence of female sports journalists such as Jillian Mele, Eboni Williams, ...

Is Brittany Wagner Married, Who Is The Husband, How Old Is She? Brittany Wagner has been an inspiration to a lot of sports youngster. She has won the hearts of many athletic students with her role as a life coach and an academic counselor. She is well groomed in her career and has worked over a decade for The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and The National ...

Tati Westbrook Bio  Age, Husband & Net Worth With five videos dished out every week, alongside running her own brand, beauty guru, and YouTube superstar Tati Westbrook has proved to the world that theres utterly no impossibility or limit to whatever one is passionate about. Tati is best known for being the owner and manager of the worlds most-viewed beauty and lifestyle YouTube channel, ...

Cathy Areus Long Road to Becoming a Freelance Journalist and What to Know About Her Kids An American freelance journalist, news analyst, and author, Cathy Areu has built a lasting reputation for herself on cable television. Popular for her skillful and sassy presentation of professional views on varying topics including cultural and feminist issues, Cathy is an inspiration to many women across the globe. In addition to being a journalist, she ...

Tucker Carlsons Love Story With Wife Susan Andrews, their Children and Net Worth Today On the TV screens, Tucker Carlson is that fiery fellow who passionately dishes out his conservative and often controversial views on issues of national importance. Such brazenness has fetched him many enemies, especially on the left-wing, but it has also helped him cement a reputation as one of the foremost broadcast journalists in America. His ...

Paige Wyatts Net Worth, Boyfriend and Where She Is Now Paige Wyatt became popular after the Wyatt family began running the reality television show, American Guns. The Wyatt family comprises Rich Wyatt (father), Renee Wyatt (mother), Paige and Kurt Wyatt (children). Rich Wyatt originally ran a gun shop, the Gunsmoke Guns in Wheat Ridge, Colorado which is outside of Denver. The business which he ran together ...

The Progression of Howard Sterns Career As A Media Personality And Why He Divorced His First Wife Howard Stern is a legendary American radio host, who has also done some notable work as an actor, producer, author, as well as photographer. The radio personality achieved worldwide fame as a result of his self-titled radio program, The Howard Stern Show. As a professional radio personality, he has worked in different radio stations. Since 2006, ...

Lisa Joyners Biography  Ethnicity, Net Worth and Other Key Facts Lisa Joyner is an American Journalist, TV talk show host, and actress. Some of her well-known works are her correspondences for the Los Angeles based TV KCBS, inFANity show, Find My Family Show including her film and television appearances in Brimstone, American Sweetheart, The Bold and The Beautiful among others. Lisas passion for reconnecting people with their biological families ...

Amanda Balionis Rise Through the Ranks of Sportscasting and the Identity of Her Boyfriend Amanda Balionis is an American sportscaster currently working as a golf broadcaster for CBS Sports. Among so many of her works in the field of sports reporting, Amandas PGA Tour coverage seems to be the most popular so far. She covered the Super Bowl working with CBS Sports social media team in Atlanta, where she ...

Dissecting Charles Paynes Sexual Allegations, Its After Effects and More About His Wife Charles Payne had a respectable career as an analyst on Wall Street before he made the transition to television and became a contributor and later a host on Fox. In that time, his expertise has come under scrutiny, and he has been at the center of at least one major controversy. The major controversy in question ...

Erik Asla And Tryra Banks Split: Everything You Need To Know Tyra Banks and Erik Asla have called it quits! The couple, who began dating in 2013 and have a son named York Banks Asla, has decided to end what everybody taught was the perfect relationship. Neither person has come out to give a reason for the breakup, but what is obvious right now is that ...

What to Note About Dr Terry Dubrows Qualifications, TV Works and Marriage to Heather Kent In the realm of people that we expect to see regularly on our screens, medical doctors are closer to the bottom of the list. Aside from the fact that their work has little correlation with TV, they are presumably too busy to pursue life as TV personalities. Yet, a few of them have usurped this ...

Jessica Goch  Bio: 5 Things You Didnt Know About Ninjas Wife Jessica Goch is the Schofield-born American Social Media Influencer who has worked as a model but is now better known as a host and interviewer of prominent Electronic sports celebrities at popular gaming events/tournaments. The screen queen also serves as the manager of her famous husband Ninja aka Tyler Blevins whose exploits on Twitch and Fortnite has ...

CNNs Chris Cuomo Biography  Wife, Family & Net worth Chris Cuomo needs no elaborate introduction as he has starred graced many prominent Television cable networks and his voice has been heard through acknowledged radio shows. He is a television journalist and Lawyer who has previously worked for ABC News as Chief law and justice correspondent as well as a co-anchor on 20/20. If you still ...

Neil deGrasse Tyson  Family, Religion & Net Worth Neil deGrasse Tyson is a distinguished American astrophysicist and author who has been able to achieve so much after falling in love with astronomy at the age of 9. He has since attended and become an alumnus of prestigious universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia, and also recorded numerous achievements in his field of ...

Is Simon Cowell Gay? Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend and Why is He Famous? Simon Cowell is a well-known talent show judge, TV producer, entrepreneur and one of the most popular TV personalities that Britain has ever produced. In conjunction with his company, Syco, Cowell is the brain behind hugely successful talent hunt shows such as The X-Factor UK, The X-Factor US, Britains Got Talent, Americas Got Talent and ...

Everything To Know About Joanna Gaines Life With Chip Gaines, Their Business Pursuits and Kids Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip Gaines became celebrities after their television show Fixer Upper began airing back in 2013. The show which was about home renovation and decoration ran for about 6 seasons with a total of 79 episodes before the couple bade farewell to it in April 2018. Apart from their appearances on ...

Who Is Larry The Cable Guy? What To Know About His Wife And Net Worth Larry the Cable Guy is a self-professed country kid renowned for his trademark Southern accent and sensational catchphrase Git-R-Done! The famous comedian who talks about anything under the sun has gone on to become one of the most memorable characters in comedy history. Join us in unearthing lesser-known facts about the former on-air-personality, standup comedy superstar, movie ...

Who Is Patrick Starr, What Is His Net Worth and Gender? The make-up industry over the years has grown to become a billion dollar industry not just because there are probably more women wearing make-up but because a whole lot of men, especially the young ones, have become bold enough to wear it unlike before. A few of these men, like Patrick Starr, have even gone ...

How Did Chris Jansing Become a Senior Correspondent at MSNBC and Who Is Her Husband? An award-winning American television news reporter and journalist, Chris Jansing has succeeded in carving a spectacular niche for herself in the field of TV journalism. Outstanding for not just her excellence in journalism, Chris is also cherished for her incredibly gorgeous looks post 60! For close to four decades, Jansing has continued to soar in her ...

Jaclyn Glenn Biography  Age, Height & Ex-Boyfriend American Youtuber, Jaclyn Glenn, rose to prominence through her self-titled YouTube channel Jaclyn Glenn. She has remained an acclaimed atheist and continues to air her views on hot issues from politics, religion, animal rights, to atheism. During the heated 2016 US Presidential elections, Glenn featured in Hump Trump: Official Donald Trump Song. Her parallel acting career ...

Is Pat Sajak Married to a Wife or is He Gay With a Partner? Pat Sajak is one of the most popular TV game show hosts in America. He commenced his career as a radio disk jockey as well as a TV weatherman before being tapped to host Wheel of Fortune, the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States. Sajak has hosted the popular game show from 1983 ...

Nayyera Haqs Bio  What To Know About Her Husband, Parents And Family Nayyera Haq can take anyone on political debates as well as discussions on social issues affecting many. Her ability to masterfully deliver her stance on every issue or political debate has made her a regular face in morning and evening news media platforms. This is not a common feat especially for someone from her kind ...

Inside Guy Fieris Family With Wife, Kids and Sister Who Died of Cancer Over the years we have seen men dominate the kitchen and churn out amazing delicacies from it. Some do it way better than their female counterparts and one of such men is Guy Ramsay Fieri  an American TV host, celebrity chef, restaurant owner, bestselling author of four culinary books, and game show host. His ...

Meet Phil Mudd of CNN  The Former CIA and FBI Exec, Is He Married, Who Is The Wife? When it comes to discussing issues surrounding terrorism, American Counterterrorism and National Security Expert, Phil Mudd, occupies a globally significant position. He has voiced his interest in the fight against terrorism and insecurity on many popular media platforms, both print and broadcast, such as CNN, BBC, CBS, MSNBC, al-Jazeera, ABC, NBC, Fox, The New York Times, ...

Jim Hoffer: Biography, Wife  Mika Brzezinski, Children and Net Worth Jim Hoffer is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works as an investigative reporter for Eyewitness News, New York City. In his over two decades of investigative journalism, Hoffer has been at the front lines of several crucial stories from the 9/11 attack to the crash of American Flight 587 to the 2003 Blackout. On top of ...

The Ups and Downs of Erin Mcpikes Journalism Career and Other Facts About Her Personal Life Erin McPike is a journalist working for the Independent Journal Review (IJR) as a White House Correspondent but she gained widespread recognition for her coverage of general news. Whether its breaking news or some mainstream story, McPike has a reputation of baring the facts. As a journalist, her work as a White House Correspondent for Independent ...

Bert Kreischer Is Married To LeeAnn Kreischer With 2 Kids  Meet His Family Those familiar with Bert Kreischer mainly have the image of a large-bellied party man whose college life inspired the National Lampoon film, Van Wilder. It is an image that one would not naturally associate with a wholesome family. The standup comedian still maintains his wild party animal image on stage. But, back at home, he is ...

How Brendan Greene Became a Game Designer to Look Out For and Facts About His Failed Marriage The name Brendan Greene may not easily ring a bell in the larger society but for gaming enthusiasts, he is considered a god and this is because of his invention of the video game, Player Unknowns Battlegrounds, also called PUBG. Based on the popular last-man-standing/battle royale concept, Greenes creation has taken the gaming world by ...

WFAAs Sonia Azad Bio  Does The Reporter Have A Husband Or Boyfriend? Emmy Award-winning journalist and Health & Wellness reporter Sonia Azad is on the news segment News 8 Daybreak for the television station WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas, a channel which she joined in October of 2015. Besides her time on the news, Azad is also a marathon runner and a certified yoga instructor. She has covered major news ...

This Is Everything You Should Know About Caroline Heldman, Her Career Portfolio and Other Facts Love it or hate it, there is no escaping the fact that feminism has come to stay in our world. The movement has continued to garner momentum over the years and this is due to the sustained push by several women, and even men, including the likes of Caroline Heldman. A Professor of Politics at ...

Understanding The Enigma That Is Gavin McInnes, The Controversies He Has Stirred and All About His Wife Gavin McInnes is a polemical English-born writer and TV personality, who is best known for his racist and fascist ideologies, as well as his co-ownership of Vice Media and Vice Magazine. He is also an actor a
The Edwards Administration is getting behind a new taxable gross receipts approach in concert with an elimination of the corporate and franchise taxes.

Gov. John Bel Edwards met with members of the legislative leadership last week and hinted that his administration is moving away from a big push on the individual income tax.

Instead, the Edwards Administration is getting behind a new taxable gross receipts approach in concert with an elimination of the corporate and franchise taxes.

That far-reaching change  replacing a corporate tax on profit with one that targets sales  is expected to be the centerpiece of the governors regular session plan when lawmakers convene on April 10.

The blueprint was expected to be rolled out on Monday before the Baton Rouge Press Club.

However, the plans architects need just one more week of work for the final touches. That relocates the official debut of the plan to next Monday, March 27.

Edwards has also started meeting with rank-and-file lawmakers by delegation and will continue to travel the state in the coming days to visit with his former legislative colleagues on their respective turfs.

Meanwhile, the House Republican Delegation, which will undoubtedly set the pace for the regular session, met in Alexandria on Thursday. The meetings were held to determine what the conservative agenda will look like.

For now, business and industry is busy investigating the idea of taxable gross receipts.

The working model is based on what Ohio has in place  theres a commercial activity tax there, for those with taxable gross receipts, that gets paid for the privilege of doing business in the state.

Regardless of how a business is organized, the system hits most in the retail, wholesale, service and manufacturing sectors. Businesses with less than $150,000 in taxable gross receipts are exempt in Ohio.

Lobbyists and lawmaker suspect other parts of the plan are coming together quickly as well.

Theres a lot of talk about giving municipalities and parishes greater flexibility to raise revenue.

Some are urging the governor to consider allowing the additional penny sales tax to fall off in 2018, as scheduled, and then create a mechanism that permits local governments to continue charging it, should they choose to do so. But where that concept goes from here is not certain.

Democrats are likewise rallying behind a plan that would make permanent the temporary suspension of certain sales tax exemptions that were enacted last year.

The administration is said to be a part of the talks involving this proposal, which signals another big fight ahead for the business lobby.

Other ideas being explored by the Edwards administration include a new policy that would force the Legislature to spend slightly less in its annual budgets than what revenue is forecasted to arrive in any given fiscal year.

Modifications to the states movie tax credit program are on tap as well, as are a number of other fiscal proposals.
Republican state Rep. Valarie Hodges of Denham Springs said she had always intended for the law to include a waiver process to allow foreign-born U.S. citizens to get marriage licenses.

Hodges

A Louisiana lawmaker says she's drafting legislation to fix the law that kept a U.S. citizen born in an Indonesian refugee camp from getting a state marriage license.

Republican state Rep. Valarie Hodges of Denham Springs said so in a statement issued Wednesday after a federal judge blocked enforcement of the law she pushed through the Legislature in 2015.

Hodges said she had always intended for the law to include a waiver process to allow foreign-born U.S. citizens to get marriage licenses.

Meanwhile, the Louisiana Clerks of Court Association is awaiting a written ruling from the judge so it can provide guidance to clerks on complying with the existing law.
Three people and a Crowley Police K-9 are dead in what authorities believe began as a double homicide, according to The Associated Press and local news sources. A Crowley police officer identified as Tate Thibodeaux was shot in the thigh and has since been released from a hospital. The incident unfolded around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

Police were called to a residence on Josey Street in Crowley last night for a report of shots fired, at which time, according to various accounts, Thibodeaux and fellow officers engaged a male suspect in gunfire. Thibodeaux was wounded and his K-9, Roscoe, was killed, as was the male suspect. Inside the home officers found the body of an unidentified woman believed to have been murdered by the male suspect. A vehicle at the Josey Street residence was registered to a third woman whose body was found Thursday morning at her residence on South Avenue G, also dead of gunfire. Police believe she was an earlier victim of the unidentified male suspect, now deceased.
It is highly likely Candyce Gagnard Perret will lead the primary Saturday in this short special election to fill the vacancy on the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. She could very well win a seat on the bench outright.

Acadiana voters seldom pay close attention to judicial races  one reason turnout in this primary is expected to be a dismal 20 percent or below. Her well-financed campaign (she raised more money than her two opponents combined) almost certainly assures her front-runner status.

And that should be troubling to every voter in District 3 of the Third Circuit, which encompasses Acadia, Allen, Evangeline, Lafayette, Iberia, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes.

Perret officially announced her candidacy on Jan. 9, just days after publishing a half page ad filled with the names of 140 endorsements, including many prominent elected officials and business leaders. Within no time it appeared that the candidates strategy was working. She and her campaign had gotten the word out to potential challengers that she was willing to spend whatever it took to get elected, and she scared off all but two opponents  Vanessa Anseman and Susan Theall, both fellow Republicans. No sitting judge entered the race.

The little-known candidate  even inside the legal community, many didn't know she was a practicing lawyer before this race  had emerged from nowhere.

And so, seemingly, did the headlines about her disconcerting past. Less than three months is insufficient time to fully vet a candidate for judge, which should be an intense process that scrutinizes credibility, judicial temperament and fairness. Any person who will ask voters to send her to the bench should be an open book.

Perret has been anything but. First, there is the issue of a federal investigation swirling around the business practices of her husband Hunter's company, Louisiana Specialty Institute, where she worked from 2013-2014 and possibly beyond. She ran the company for a time when her husband was undergoing cancer treatment and signed off on documents as custodian of medical records it in at least two court cases in 2014  one of which years earlier got the attention of federal investigators, according to court records and seven local attorneys who have been interviewed by the feds over the past several years. Some of those sources have since said investigators, in follow-up interviews with them, are now inquiring about other Perret-related entities. The FBI would neither confirm nor deny the existence of such an investigation, and there is no way of determining whether indictments will be forthcoming. When confronted with the word of the local attorneys, all of whom talked to us on the condition of anonymity, the Perrets and their LSI attorney, Alan Breaud, told The IND that they have not been contacted by the feds  a plausible claim but certainly not one that precludes an investigation. It's a line the candidate continues to repeat to this day.

Then came news reports (first by The Daily Iberian) on her 2004 arrest for public nudity on a beach in Seaside, Fla. No big deal, nearly anyone could argue, but what is unsettling about the incident is that she told the arresting sheriffs deputy that she was an assistant district attorney, a job she has never held (her work as a city prosecutor  again, not and ADA  predated the 2004 arrest by several years). Public records show that Perret, then 33 years old, was on the beach at 2 a.m. with her fiance at the time, New Orleans attorney John Houghtaling II, and Judge Reggie Badeaux of the 22nd JDC in St. Tammany Parish (the latters identity later confirmed to us by Houghtaling).

Houghtaling now says that she was falsely arrested as revenge against him and has accused the arresting officers of fabricating evidence against her. His startling statement means that two security guards who first responded to complaints of noise on the beach and two sheriffs deputies who backed them up and later made the arrest would all have been in on the setup. Houghtaling said in a March apology letter to Perret  13 years later, just as she is running for judge  that he regretted not filing suit for false arrest (a decision that, curiously, could have easily been made and executed by Perret herself; she is, after all, an attorney). He said hed only recently learned that the statute of limitations had expired, an odd claim for even a neophyte lawyer, let alone one with Houghtaling's experience.

For a March 10 story in The Daily Advertiser, Perret told the reporter that the deputys report was filled with errors:

She said she was among six people on the beach that night, one of whom  not me  went skinny dipping on the beach.

Candyce Perret has yet to take any responsibility for what happened on the beach that night and her arrest two days later, despite that she completed a pre-trial diversion program in order to avoid prosecution. And that is not the behavior any of us should accept from a candidate for judge.

Just last week, The IND learned that Houghtaling, who has now emerged as her biggest defender, had filed three lawsuits against her, one each in 2004, 2005 and 2006  all of which, we were initially told by the courts, had been sealed (it's unclear when they were sealed). The IND, however, received from a source the July 2005 petition for a restraining order, in which Houghtaling spelled out in detail numerous instances of Perret stalking, harassing, intimidating and defaming him and his new girlfriend after he and Perret split up, a breakup that came only a few months after the beach incident. Once again, Perret and her campaign declined to respond to questions about the suit, choosing instead to let Houghtaling do the talking. [It] was sealed because it was filed in the heat of the romantic moment and shortly after its filing, I deemed the filing inappropriate, he responded to us in a written statement. So ask yourself whether it is ever appropriate for an officer of the court to file suit against another officer of the court and shortly thereafter deem it inappropriate. And well remind that he sued her two other times. Were those inappropriate too?

The candidates inability to tell the truth was most recently revealed in false statements she made concerning the effort to unseal two lawsuits filed against her by Houghtaling in New Orleans in 2004 and 2006. Perret has in recent days misled voters by telling them she is not fighting The INDs effort to unseal the cases, despite the fact that she had already emailed our attorney to notify him of her objections. On Thursday, two New Orleans attorneys representing both her and Houghtaling appeared in court beside our attorney, vowing to fight the effort and successfully winning a delay before Election Day. That these cases were sealed in the first place smacks of preferential treatment for these two attorneys  we know of no involvement of minors or similar rights to privacy that would justify the judges decisions.

Throughout this short vetting window, we cast a critical eye on each of the candidates, having been the first to question Vanessa Ansemans eligibility (she has since been deemed eligible) and then following up with new details from TV station KLAFs reporting on serious questions surrounding the financing of Susan Thealls 2011 race for district judge (in which she appears to be at least partially in the clear due to the time that has elapsed). We have relied on official documents  the paper trail  in every story written on this campaign (with the exception of the federal probe of LSI, in which attorneys known to this news organization were willing to speak to us at length if we agreed not to publish their names).

Perret was a no-show for a March 10 forum hosted by the Lafayette Parish Bar Association and has been consistently skipping public settings to avoid questions about her past and an ongoing federal probe of her husbands company. From left are her opponents for the appeals court seat, Vanessa Anseman and Susan Theall. Photo by Robin May

What should give voters even more pause on this critical election eve is that Perret has been avoiding public settings in which she might be confronted with questions about not only her past behaviors and the implausible defenses she and her ex-fiance concocted, but about the active federal investigation into the business practices of her husband.

The Third Circuit Court of Appeal is one of five circuit courts of appeal in Louisiana, and it is the largest  encompassing a territory of 21 parishes in southwest and central Louisiana. These circuit judges are revered members of government because we rely on them to judge the decisions of the lower courts. Their honesty and integrity are essential to maintaining public confidence in the entire court system.

So lets make this crystal clear: A person who is seeking an appellate judgeship is refusing to show up for public forums and fighting this news organizations efforts to inform the public about her past. What does Candyce Perret have to hide in those two lawsuits  might there be allegations supporting the 2005 suit, and is there evidence contradicting her and Houghtalings version of events on the Florida beach that night? Most important, what is out there that we dont know about yet? We want you to ask yourself that before stepping into the voting booth Saturday. Hopefully, there will be a runoff, and we will have time to answer those questions and inform the electorate before April 29.

[Editor's Note: This story has been edited to reflect that The IND was unable to determine when the three New Orleans lawsuits were sealed.]
Where did that come from? That's the question plenty are asking about a centerpiece of Gov. John Bel Edwards' tax law rewrite, a proposal to replace existing corporate income and franchise taxes with a corporate tax on sales.

Where did that come from?

That's the question lawmakers, lobbyists and advocacy groups are asking about a centerpiece of Gov. John Bel Edwards' tax law rewrite, a proposal to replace existing corporate income and franchise taxes with a corporate tax on sales.

The governor's decision to pivot from the business tax recommendations of a legislatively-created study group and push a different approach has left many at the Louisiana Capitol scratching their heads  and searching for more information.

Edwards will release details Monday, when he unveils his package of proposed tax changes two weeks ahead of the legislative session. But the Democratic governor upended the debate when he started floating the idea of a corporate tax on sales, known as a "gross receipts tax," a couple of weeks ago.

That wasn't among the proposals  or anywhere in the 71-page report  offered by a task force assembled by lawmakers, with Edwards' support, that did eight months of review before suggesting what it believed was the best tax revamp for Louisiana.

"I haven't talked to anybody who had an inkling that this was coming," said Barry Erwin, president of the nonpartisan Council for A Better Louisiana and a task force member. "This tax seemed to be more of an outlier, and it's not one that we really had a level of comfort with."

Edwards' chief legislative allies have remained publicly silent about the concept, saying they don't know enough yet. Advocacy groups that traditionally support the governor also have stayed mum. Only one lawmaker has vocally embraced the general idea of the tax.

Edwards is shifting from some task force suggestions, assuming they can't win passage since some previously were snubbed by voters or Republican lawmakers who form the legislative majority.

Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said floating the gross receipts tax idea "doesn't mean that we're abandoning everything that the task force recommended." He said the governor wants to find agreement on tax changes that can stabilize state finances and address the financial cliff looming in 2018 when more than $1 billion in temporary sales taxes expire.

If the governor hopes to build support, he's got limited time.

"It is a new idea. It is something that we believe will help small business in Louisiana, and we're going to make that case to the public starting Monday," Carbo said.

In general, a gross receipts tax is charged on the total revenues of a company, without looking at expenses or profit margins. A handful of states have some variation on the tax, while others adopted the tax only to later abandon it. Republican former Gov. Mike Foster proposed something similar in 2000, but it went nowhere.

Supporters say the tax can be broad-based, applying to every business at a low rate and ending reliance on a corporate income tax structure riddled with special carve-outs.

Critics say businesses pass the taxes along to consumers, disproportionately hitting the poor. They say the tax harms companies struggling to stay afloat or startup businesses by not accounting for profit margin and can have a pyramiding effect by applying to every transaction in a production chain.

Rep. Kenny Havard, R-St. Francisville, likes the idea of a gross receipts tax as a possible way to keep large corporations from using loopholes to avoid taxes. But he's not sure what the governor's proposing, or if he'll support it.

"I'm trying to make sure that everyone is paying," Havard said. "Mom and pops, they're paying taxes. It's the big boys that are not."

The Edwards administration pointed to Sen. Rick Ward, R-Port Allen, as a proponent. But while Ward said he supports trading Louisiana's array of business tax breaks for a lower, more evenly applied tax rate, he's not sure he backs a gross receipts tax.

"I'm not for or against it yet because I haven't seen anything on it," he said.

House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, said lawmakers have many unanswered questions.

"When you're talking about this in a recession time in Louisiana and you're still struggling with unemployment and companies still showing losses, to have the word spread that even if a company showed a loss, they would still owe a gross receipts tax has kind of sticker-shocked a few people," he said.
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.
By now everyone knows about the Angkor Wat ruins of Cambodia, the highlight of the ancient world in South East Asia. But it must come as no surprise that they are not the only UNESCO listed historic sites in the region. My Son ruins, of Champa origin, might not have the grand scale of Angkor, but their history has become intertwined with that of the Vietnam/ American war, which makes this site all the more miraculous. We headed over to the My Son Temples on a day trip from the town of Hoi An.

What are the My Son temples?

Rolling out of one UNESCO heritage site, that of Hoi An we set off on our beloved Honda Blades the 50 or so KM towards yet another UNESCO site. One we confess to knowing little of beforehand other than the name and the tag of must see! Sat within the picturesque mountains of central Vietnam the My Son temples are a collection of Champa temples inhabited from the 3rd to the 14th century.

My Son was an important place from the Cham people, a Hindu civilisation and people that predate the country of Vietnam when this region was inhabited mostly by kingdom, tribes and settlements. Many of the ancestors of these people still exist and identify to this day as Cham-Vietnamese speaking their own language but adhering mostly to Buddhism since the 15th century.

The temples at My Son were dedicated to the Hindu god of Shiva and was the site of many of the religious ceremonies for the ruling kings of the Champa kingdom and burial place for royalty also. My Son temples are also known to be one of the longest inhabited archaeological sites in Indochina, making it in turn one of the most important in South East Asia. In many of the newer structures you can see the encroaching Buddhist influence as the religion swept this region towards the end of the Champa rein.

The roles they played during the war

The ruins are of course to be found today in various states of decay, but wandering through the peaceful mountain valley, the trickle of the stream and the whistling of the wind in the trees its hard to imagine this place as anything but peaceful. Then you come across huge and unnatural craters in the surface of the earth, much more undulating that the naturally flat lands of the riverside. You notice the smashed pieces of ornately carved stones and the towers being propped up my layers of scaffolding.







The site here at one point number up to 70 intricate and beautiful temples. That was until the Vietcong began to use this whole area as a base. Of course, the Americans reacted to this in the only way they know how, by dropping carpet bombs on the whole complex. Luckily many of the structures were built of only bricks and without mortar could be painstakingly pieced back together by conservationists in the years following the war. This is just another reminder of the cost of this deadly war on not only the people but their history and culture too.

The ruins today

Much of the site remains in its original condition or has been lovingly restored by a team commissioned by UNESCO. The temples have that overgrown forgotten world feeling to them that makes places like Angkor Wat for example just so special to visit. That crumbling aesthetic of a civilisation lost to time being discovered hidden amongst the mountains and jungles of this region, it really is quite a special and now thankfully peaceful place.

Visiting the My Son temples really gives you the chance to step back in time and walk in the footsteps of a people all put lost to the modern world. To see architecture like no other and experience a meeting point of cultures and religions. The bright red brick of the temples contrasts sharply with the green of the lush countryside that surrounds them, a truly beautiful place regardless of your interest in history. Visiting the nearby museum is also a worthwhile stop off point for some context to the ruins as well as images from before the war.

How to visit My Son temples / Cost

The My Son temples lie around 50km from the town of Hoi An, a tourist hotspot most are likely to at least pass through on their way through Vietnam.

We were travelling the county on motorbikes and as such used our own bikes. If you can we highly recommend taking your own transport here and exploring at your own pace. The tours offered by the many companies in Hoi An will leave you rushed and crowded!

Book your transport around Vietnam and Asia here:

Powered by 12Go Asia system

Here are your options:

Rent a motorbike/ Take your own! (Costs around $5 for the bike/ $3 in fuel)

Get a taxi (Could be expensive, see if you can get a group of you, maybe around $30-$50)

Guided tour (Only use if it is your last option, costs around 80,000 excluding entrance fee /$3.50 /2.82)

Cost:

Entrance costs: 100,000 / $4.38 / 3.52 (includes the My Son Vietnam Sanctuary and the Champa Museum)

Motorbike parking: 5,000 / $0.22 / 0.17

Book your accommodation here

Hey, youve got your Travel Insurance sorted havent you?

Travelling and especially backpacking is a wild adventure, but make sure you are covered just incase something goes wrong, which if youre living it up to the fullest its always a possibility!

Check travel insurance prices with World Nomads here!

Book your transport around Vietnam and Asia here:

Powered by 12Go Asia system

Have you ever been to such a historic place?

See more from this country:

See more from our backpacking adventures:
The next Chat with the Chief in Carterville will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at Irons in the Fire, 113 Jersey St.

Carterville Police Chief Heather Reno and other Carterville police officers will be available to answer questions and visit with the public.

Chat with the Chief events give residents a chance to meet and speak informally with police officers. The event is sponsored by Carterville Area Rotary Club and hosted by Irons in the Fire.

 The Southern
CARBONDALE  A poll by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute released Friday shows Illinois voters are divided on whether to repeal and replace the existing federal health care law.

Another part of the poll, conducted March 4-11, also found that about 40 percent of those surveyed blame the government for poverty. The sample included 1,000 registered voters and a margin for error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Sixty percent of the interviews were conducted on cell phones.

Since the landmark Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare," was enacted in 2010, many congressional Republican members have vowed to repeal and replace the program. Under President Donald Trumps administration, Congress debated the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the House Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the existing law.

When asked, Do you think Congress should vote to repeal the 2010 health care law, or should they not vote to repeal it?, responses were varied. Just over one-third of those asked supported repeal (35 percent), half were in favor of retaining the current ACA (50 percent), and 15 percent had no opinion.

Within the 35 percent who supported a repeal, 29 percent wanted Congress to vote to repeal the legislation immediately, 68 percent supported repeal once an alternative was in place, and 3 percent either didnt know or refused to answer.

Voters in Chicago were most supportive (60 percent) of the ACA, with those in suburban Chicago and the collar counties the second most supportive (52 percent). The lowest levels of support (39 percent) was in downstate areas of Illinois. Chicago residents were only 25 percent in support of repealing the law, while 34 percent of suburban residents and 44 percent of downstate residents responded yes to repealing. The disparity was even more marked among those identifying with a specific political party. Only 13 percent of Democrats supported repealing the ACA; 31 percent of independents and 66 percent of Republicans supported repeal.

The ultimate future of Obamacare, while unpopular with many people, has dramatic implications for the state of Illinois, said Linda Baker, university professor at the institute. As a state that added more than 650,000 people to its Medicaid program through the ACA, if the Act is repealed and the state is expected to assume costs currently being borne by the federal government for those recipients, there will be enormous consequences for the state and for those who may lose coverage.

The current health care reform debate is occurring at a time when Illinois legislators have the herculean task of solving an increasing structural deficit in the midst of almost a two-year budget stalemate. With Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrat leadership in the General Assembly at odds with how to deal with that deficit and ultimately enact a budget, survey respondents were also asked how the budget stalemate was impacting their lives.

Respondents were asked, Have you or someone in your immediate family been affected by the Illinois budget stalemate Thirty-three percent said the budget crisis had affected them, with 62 percent responding that it had not. Of those affected, the largest groups of respondents argued that it resulted in K-12 funding cuts, job loss and cuts to needed social services. Finally, the respondents were asked if families living in poverty are more or less affected by the impasse. More than half (56 percent) said families in poverty had been more impacted, with 22 percent saying that families in poverty were impacted less and another 22 percent saying they did not know.

Realizing there is a divide in the nations ideology on poverty, manifested in the debate on affordable and accessible health care coverage, the institute asked the same 1,000 Illinois voters about their opinions on causes of poverty. When asked, Thinking about the causes of poverty in your area, please tell me one major reason that people are poor, a plurality (41.4 percent) of respondents blamed the government. About one-fourth (23.3 percent) blamed social or cultural factors, and 16 percent viewed a lack of employment as the cause. The remaining respondents placed blamed on medical factors (10.4 percent), educational factors (2.5 percent), and other factors (6.3 percent).

Asking for a secondary cause of poverty, respondents cited, in descending order, employment, social/cultural, education, government, medical and other. About 27 percent of respondents indicated employment as the secondary cause of poverty; 15.1 percent social/cultural factors; 13.2 percent education or relative lack of it; 12.5 percent government; 7.1 percent medical issues, and 24.9 percent listed some other secondary cause.

In both the initial and secondary questions, there were subcategories associated with the key causes. Under the cause of employment, job shortages and wage levels were the primary causes listed. There was no singularly significant factor mentioned in the social/cultural category, while in the education category, the poor quality of public schools was cited as the most significant factor.

The survey next asked respondents what types of government interventions would best alleviate poverty. Respondents offered a variety of answers, in the topical areas of employment, education, social services, and social/cultural. As with prior questions, each response had several subcategories. With respect to the area of employment, the most significant responses were in support of government intervention to create jobs/prevent outsourcing and to increase funding for jobs programs, at 8.8 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Under the heading of education, the two most significant responses were at 13.9 percent for increased funding for job training programs and 12.8 percent in favor of improving the quality of education.

The survey next asked if respondents would be willing to pay more in taxes for poverty alleviation measures. Slightly more than 59 percent said they would be in support, with 35 percent opposed and 6 percent undecided.
VIENNA  Darius Saddler has already planned what he'll be wearing April 7: A tan-and-white-striped polo shirt, beige khaki pants, his own jacket and a pair of his own shoes.

The day is significant because it marks the end of his five-year prison sentence: The clothes are significant because they don't mark him as someone recently released from prison  typically outfitted in black sweat pants and a grey top  as he travels home to family in the Chicago area.

His ride home would be more stressful if he had to wear the "prison outs," clothes that Vienna Correctional Center would issue him and others being released.

"I wouldn't feel part of society," he said. "With this (outfit), I feel like I have a little chance. Self-esteem has a a lot to do with our transition (into the larger society)."

"I have one less thing to worry about if I can blend in," Saddler said. "(The non-prison clothes) give me a chance to help my self-esteem."

Saddler is one of the estimated 20 men released each week from Vienna Correctional Center, who can now benefit from what the state is calling Clothing Closet, an initiative to supply those being released from Department of Corrections custody with clothing that does not point to them as being someone recently released from incarceration.

"If one of them walks out in normal clothing, you can't judge him," Nicole Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Illinois DOC, said.

That not-judging component is huge, three men within days and weeks of their release from prison said Thursday morning during a Clothing Closet open house.

Those eligible to choose the clothes are all within two weeks of release. They include those like Jackie Cambron, who is completing 15 months at Vienna, headed to Chicago after his release. He plans to travel north wearing a dress jacket and some jeans and a long-sleeve, button-down shirt; a fellow inmate, Donald Ashford, plans to wear a button-down, long-sleeve shirt with an orange stripe and matching pants when his wife picks him up on Wednesday.

The program at Vienna

The Vienna Correctional Center instituted the program a few weeks ago, introduced there by the associate warden of programs, Dylan Luce.

Vienna's Clothing Closet is on a second-floor wing of the facility that is no longer used. Hanging on hangers were rows of men's polo shirts, button-down dress shirts, jackets and coats, hanging on rails on six upturned metal bunk beds. (The prison organizers are looking for donated clothes racks.)

On a wall behind these clothes racks are rows of folded denim jeans; in an area locked away at the back of the room are like-new shoes and dress suits.

The 500-plus items of donated clothes and shoes came from facility staff, churches and other charities throughout Johnson and Saline counties, Luce said. The correctional center also recently partnered with Herrin's House of Hope, whose staff plan to collect men's clothing to give to the facility.

Though there are lots of other clothes in plastic bags near the folded blue jeans and near the back of the room, this inventory will move quickly, Luce said. He'd like to see the program grow so that those leaving the prison can take a week's worth of clothes with them when they leave.

"What's important about this is it gives our offenders a chance to leave with a good sense of pride," Luce said. "For years, they've left in a regular kind of dress uniform that pretty much lets somebody know you're leaving from the Illinois Department of Corrections. What we've done now is start this initiative. We have a lot of guys that do a lot of work to better themselves while they're here, and what we want to do is keep that going upon their release."

That "work" includes the training former inmates have in drywall and construction work, heating and air conditioning and electrical work.

The project is special to John Steve, who shared his own story with the incarcerated men during a Re-Entry Summit at the prison on Thursday. Steve is executive director of Herrin House of Hope.

It was 2011, and Steve said he had just been released from 13 months at the Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center in East St. Louis and was wearing the standard-issue prison "outs"  gray jogging pants and sweatshirt.

He said he felt very self-conscious on the train, as if everyone was looking at him and talking about him.

So distraught, he said he started crying, and police had to escort him off the train.

That is why he wants to lead the Herrin House of Hope in collecting men's clothes to donate to the Clothing Closet.

The Clothing Closet is accepting donations. For more information, call Vienna Correctional Center at 618-658-8371.
COLP  Although Thursday morning was rainy and overcast, the rain cleared in time for a groundbreaking at 11:30 a.m. at the site of a new playground to be erected in Colp.

Members of Colp Village Board and the playground committee were joined by partners from Harrison-Bruce Foundation in Herrin, Champion Community Investments, Williamson County States Attorney, John A. Logan College Highway Construction Career Training Program, Illinois Department of Transportation and Southern Illinois Worship Center.

Marcella Clark, member of Colp Village Board and the playground committee, gave a few remarks before the ceremonial ground breaking.

This projected started with thoughts and visions and a dream, and with all of working together, we are now ready to make this dream a reality, Clark said. As the saying goes, It takes a village to raise a child. Also, it takes a village to raise funds for a playground for the children.

Clark thanked everyone who contributed to the playground, whether through donations or other fundraisers, saying that is why they were able to break ground today on the first playground in the village. She also thanked significant donors, include the Harrison-Bruce Foundation, John A. Logan College, BYO recreation, Williamson County States Attorney Brandon Zanotti, Chris Auffenberg Buick, Cadillac, GMC in Carbondale, Southern Illinois Worship Center, Champion Community Investments, Wal-Mart, AT&T and community members.

Zanotti said the playground was a great addition to Colp.

This will be a safe place for children to come, Zanotti said. I am very proud to have been a part of it.

He added that the hardest cases he sees are youngsters who turn to bad behavior. He believes this will be a deterrent.

Rex Duncan, president of Champion Community Investments, said his organization is handling charitable contributions for the project. The organization has a community development mission, so the playground fits with the mission.

Its an exciting day. If it werent for JALC and their students, we wouldnt be here today, Duncan said.

Dennis White, HCCTP coordinator, said the project is a win-win. His students get much-needed experience using skills they need for careers in highway construction and the village gets its playground installed without a fee for labor.

We need projects. We cant go out and build a highway. They are not ready for that. We can use this kind of project to build their skills, White said.

Work began on a pavilion last week. New playground equipment was delivered March 17. Toddler equipment was donated by Herrin Park District.

The new playground will be within walking distance for children of both Colp and Number Nine.

Donations are still needed to purchase a security camera and maintenance. For more information, contact Clark at 618-521-4882 or Mary Ann Duncan at 618-713-3723.
It was open to women across the country, Papua New Guinean women. And 45 women took up that opportunity to contribute. So the breadth of stories in there is quite impressive.

ELVINA OGIL: I don't want to overstate it but I think it's a bit of a landmark publication. First of its kind of indigenous women contributing to literature.

A new anthology of literature by Papua New Guinea women is challenging the traditional attribution of women's successes to a male reference point. My Walk to Equality was launched this month in PNG and Australia, a milestone publication of poetry, fiction and essays written by 45 PNG women. One of the contributors to the anthology is Elvina Ogil, an Australia-based lawyer and writer who hails from PNG's Mt Hagen. Ms Ogil's foreword to the book argues that PNG as a nation should embrace both literature and the notion of gender equality.

ELVINA: Yes. Women from all around the country. Younger women in their early teens right through to women in their forties. And they all do various things with their lives: teachers, lawyers, mothers... across the board really.

JOHNNY: Would you say this anthology is an attempt to break through the stereotypes of females in Papua New Guinea?

ELVINA: Yes. For example, I read today in an article, and I tweeted about this, women's successes in PNG are still attributed to a male reference point. And we wanted to make this something completely our own, to remove that male reference point. And I think that we've succeeded, really. It is really a breakthrough.

Mind you, literature is still very under-developed in PNG, and that's quite a sad fact considering the types of stories that we have in that country. But my great hope, and I think a lot of the people that contributed to this anthology, is that it will become a classic of PNG literature, a book like 'My Mother Calls Me Yaltep', which is a book that I read when I was a teenager, and I placed such a high value on that book. And so that is what I hope this anthology becomes in the future.

JOHNNY: How is it for PNG women, that tag of victimhood which is quite well canvassed, isn't it?

ELVINA: The subjugation of women and perhaps levels of victimhood exist, and they're very real experiences for a lot of women. But I think what this book is, and Dame Carol (Kidu) highlighted this when she attended the launch in Port Moresby, this book isn't a whinge, it's not a complaint, it's more a chronicling of the progress we have made and how far we still need to go. So it's full of hope as opposed to anything else.

It's quite an uplifting anthology actually. And I think what we tried to do is remove that really reductive conversation that we have. I was saying today, when you talk to a successful Papua New Guinean woman or an accomplished Papua New Guinean woman, in mainstream media in PNG the question is always 'who do you attribute your success to?'

That question is never asked of men who are successful in PNG. No one asks them who they attribute their success, but in PNG we have to ask a woman 'who do you attribute your success to'. I find that question if not sort of offensive, a little bit funny sometimes when I hear that being asked of women.

JOHNNY: How important do you think it is for PNG that the capabilities of women are brought to the fore, that they are utilised rather than under-utilised?

ELVINA: Extremely important. I hope that when we talk about it now, that we don't discount the role women have played in our traditional societies. I don't want to mythologise our history, because there are lots of aspects of our cultures that perpetuate the subjugation of women, but at the same time there are aspects of our culture in which women have played a significant role and continue to do so.

So, you know, it can be a very narrow focus when we say this is how Papua New Guinea women should travel in the future. But we must also acknowledge the path where they have come from. Particularly in a lot of our societies that are matrilineal, women still have a significant role of leadership, and that's a fantastic thing, and lessons that we can learn from today.

JOHNNY: Our literature, our stories, they're never captured quite as much as they should be, but you've got to try, you've got to start somewhere. So this is, you're hoping I suppose, the sign of more home-grown literature?

ELVINA: I really, really hope so. I said in the foreword that I contributed to the book that how does a nation record its progress if not through literature. And I think that this is a huge step forward for Papua New Guinea as a whole. I hope that both women and men embrace this.
WASHINGTON  In a humiliating setback, President Donald Trump and GOP leaders pulled their "Obamacare" repeal bill off the House floor Friday after it became clear the measure would fail badly.

It was a stunning defeat for the new president after he had demanded House Republicans vote on the legislation Friday, threatening to leave "Obamacare" in place and move on to other issues if the vote failed. The bill was withdrawn minutes before the vote was to occur.

The president's gamble failed. Instead Trump, who campaigned as a master deal-maker and claimed that he alone could fix the nation's health care system, saw his ultimatum rejected by Republican lawmakers who made clear they answer to their own voters, not to the president.

Republicans have spent seven years campaigning against former President Barack Obama's health care law, and cast dozens of votes to repeal it in full or in part. But when they finally got the chance to pass a repeal bill that actually had a chance to get signed, they couldn't pull it off.

What happens next is unclear, but the path ahead on other priorities, such as overhauling the tax code, can only grow more daunting.

And Trump is certain to be weakened politically, a big early congressional defeat adding to the continuing inquiries into his presidential campaign's Russia connections and his unfounded wiretapping allegations against Obama.

The development came on the afternoon of a day when the bill, which had been delayed a day earlier, was supposed to come to a vote, come what may. But instead of picking up support as Friday wore on, the bill went the other direction, with some key lawmakers coming out in opposition.

Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, chairman of a major committee, Appropriations, said the bill would raise costs unacceptably on his constituents. Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia, a key moderate Republican, and GOP Rep. David Joyce of Ohio also announced "no" votes.

The defections raised the possibility that the bill would not only lose on the floor, but lose big.

In the face of that evidence, and despite insistences from White House officials and Ryan that Friday was the day to vote, leadership pulled back from the brink.

The GOP bill would have eliminated the Obama statute's unpopular fines on people who do not obtain coverage and would also have removed the often-generous subsidies for those who purchase insurance.

Republican tax credits would have been based on age, not income like Obama's, and the tax boosts Obama imposed on higher-earning people and health care companies would have been repealed. The bill would have ended Obama's Medicaid expansion and trimmed future federal financing for the federal-state program, letting states impose work requirements on some of the 70 million beneficiaries.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the Republican bill would have resulted in 24 million additional uninsured people in a decade and lead to higher out-of-pocket medical costs for many lower-income and people just shy of age 65 when they would become eligible for Medicare. The bill would have blocked federal payments for a year to Planned Parenthood.

Democrats were uniformly opposed. "This bill is pure greed, and real people will suffer and die from it," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.
Congressional Republicans' attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the 7-year-old health care law also referred to as Obamacare, are on hold  for now.

House Speaker Paul Ryan withdrew the American Health Care Act Friday as it became increasingly clear that there weren't enough Republican votes to ensure passage of the bill.

Several moderate Republicans, including U.S. Rep. John Katko, didn't support the proposal. Katko's opposition was announced a week ago on the same day the health care vote was scheduled.

Katko, R-Camillus, and other Republicans were elected to Congress, in part, because of their opposition to the Affordable Care Act and a pledge to repeal the 2010 health care law. He reiterated his support Friday for addressing at least portions of Obamacare.

"This bill did not have the support to pass the House or the Senate," Katko said of the GOP health care bill. "We have an opportunity to advance broad approaches in Congress to address the failures of Obamacare. I am confident that we can do so. I remain willing to take this on."

The bill's fate was in doubt throughout the week. House GOP leaders first scheduled the vote for Thursday, but postponed it until Friday.

The House considered procedural matters related to the bill before moving on to the debate, which began in the morning and continued into the mid-afternoon hours.

Members of New York's congressional delegation spoke during the lengthy debate. U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, a western New York Republican, was a major supporter of the bill. He touted some of the legislation's benefits, including the elimination of the employer and individual mandate penalties and the taxes that were adopted as part of the Affordable Care Act.

"The American Health Care Act is a monumental step towards freedom, choice and individual responsibility in health care," Collins, R-Clarence, said. "I will proudly vote for this bill today."

U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo-area Democrat, opposed the bill. In a statement released before the House debate, he criticized the last-minute change to the bill to remove a requirement that forces insurance companies to provide coverage for certain essential benefits

"This bill is a blatant takeaway from the American people of money and protection," Higgins said.

At around 3:30 p.m., the debate abruptly ended. The speaker pro tempore postponed consideration of the legislation and the House entered recess. House Republicans met a short time later and that's when Speaker Ryan announced his decision: He was withdrawing the health care bill.

Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, attributed the legislative defeat to the party's "growing pains" of having the majorities in Congress and the presidency. Without disclosing how many votes they needed, he said they were close to having enough support for passage.

For now, Republicans are moving on. Ryan said he's ready to focus on tax reform  another top GOP legislative priority. He didn't rule out returning to health care in the future.

"Obamacare is the law of the land," he said. "It's going to remain the law of the land until it's replaced."
This Women's History Month, Wells College will soon host a pair of events pertaining to violence against women.

At 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, multimedia journalists Natalia Munoz and Mary Patierno will present "Multimedia Multicultural Storytelling: Why it Matters." The journalists will talk about their collaborative multicultural work in the areas of sexual assault, militarization and women warriors. The event is presented by the college's Psychology and Women's and Gender Studies programs.

At 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, the college's First Nations and Indigenous Studies Speakers Series will present a teleconference with longtime activist, economist and author Winona LaDuke: "Stopping Violence Against Native Women." LaDuke lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota, and is a two-time Green Party vice presidential candidate alongside Ralph Nader.

Both events take place in the de Witt Lecture Room (106) of Zabriskie Hall at Wells College, 170 Main St., Aurora. They are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit wells.edu.
ST. MATTHEWS -- A special prayer service and the unveiling of a state historic marker will highlight the festivities as Bethel AME Church celebrates its sesquicentennial on Sunday, March 26.

Records show that the congregation acquired the original 2.3-acre tract of land for the church from Jacob G. Keitt in 1867. Those first congregation members paid the then-impressive sum of $25 for the property. More than 1,500 people attended the churchs dedication service in 1867. The congregation purchased another 1.5 acres of land from Keitt in 1868 for use as the church cemetery.

Charlotte Riley became the first educator to take on the challenge of teaching in the school. Rileys experiences in Lewisville (it didnt become St. Matthews until later) are chronicled in her book, "A Mysterious Life and Calling: From Slavery to Ministry in South Carolina."

Riley's contributions and her writings will be discussed at greater length during the various ceremonies on Sunday. The contributions that Bethel A.M.E. has made to the St. Matthews communitys spiritual and educational growth will also be showcased.

The commemoration and celebration begins with unveiling of the historical marker at 1:45 p.m. The Calhoun County Museum and Historical Commission, along with the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, will place the marker on the site.

A church anniversary service will follow at 2 p.m. Rev. Rosalyn Grant Coleman, presiding elder, Seventh Episcopal Columbia District, will serve as keynote speaker at the event. Former St. Matthews resident Teresa Hair will give a presentation about local history. The public is invited to attend.

Afterwards, the festivities will shift to the John Ford Community Center at 304 Agnes St. for a fellowship meal.

For additional information, call event chairperson Jean Felder at 803-874-1104.

The Calhoun County Historical Commission came into existence in 1959, when local library officials decided to use one room at the rear of the building to collect and preserve items that captured key elements of local history. In 1975, the museum relocated to a 5,000-square-foot building.

The museum doubled in size again when it expanded by another 5,000 square feet in 1985. Today, the museum offers numerous services to the people of Calhoun County. The museum holds special and cultural events throughout the year. In addition to tours of the museum collection, the facility features a media room where visitors can watch video footage of St. Matthews past and present.

To learn more about the museum and the services it offers, visit www.calhouncountymuseumandculturalcenter.org or call 803-874-3964.
Do you "like"? Do you "tweet"? Do you tube? Does your business do any or all of these things and, if so, does it really ...
AUBURN  They came in a drove  leaders from the Calvary Food Pantry, the Cayuga Seneca Community Action Agency, Freedom Recreational Services, the Boyle Senior Center, the Booker T. Washington Community Center, Cayuga Counseling Services, the Rescue Mission of Central New York and many others.

Their message to Auburn city councilors Thursday night was clear  oppose President Donald Trump's proposal to cut the Community Development Block Grant program.

The program, part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is on the chopping block in the president's proposed budget, which could cause a devastating loss of services provided to the homeless, low and middle income families and senior citizens.

More than a dozen directors and community leaders of local agencies who receive crucial funding from the program pleaded with city councilors and state representatives to do all they could to get the program back in the federal budget. Mary Ellen Perry, executive director of Freedom Recreational Services, teared up as she told councilors what could be lost should the funding be cut.

Freedom Recreational Services is a nonprofit organization that provides activities and recreational opportunities for children with disabilities. As Perry put it, the organization gives "the opportunity to all special needs children, very special days." She said the program gives children the opportunity to go to the zoo or ride in a hot air balloon.

A few also spoke out against the president's additional proposal to cut the Corporation for National and Community Service, Senior Corps and Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Dick Miller, treasurer of the SCAT Van Board, said he's "stunned and dumbfounded," by the president's proposed cuts.

The council passed two resolutions opposing the program cuts, which will be sent to the federal government.

Councilor Jimmy Giannettino read a statement before the council, saying he did not believe opposing the cuts was a partisan issue.

"It is not a matter of being Republican or Democrat," he said. "It is a matter of human decency. It is a matter of helping those in need, those who are the most vulnerable members of our society.

"Some may view this as political grandstanding," he added. "However, in the words of the late New York Assemblyman George Michaels, 'What's the use of getting elected if you don't stand for something?'"
The acting president of Denmark Technical College was escorted off campus Thursday in a move questioned by some members of the Area Commission.

Area Commission member Calvin Wright said Chairman Thomas Williams acted totally illegally in having interim President Dr. Christopher Hall removed. Wright said the chairman doesnt have that authority.

Mr. Williams should be stopped from acting unilaterally for the board, Wright said. The board is not in session. He has no power.

The commissions executive committee -- made up of Williams, Secretary James Hayes and Vice Chair Peggy Faust - met ahead of Thursdays events, Williams said.

That meeting violated board policies and included no notice to other commissioners, Wright said.

Williams said he believes he acted within his authority as the chair of the executive committee.

Halls removal stemmed from a personnel matter.

Williams and Hayes wanted an employee reinstated and Hall refused to accommodate them, Wright said.

They injected themselves into a personnel matter and that is totally illegal, he said.

Williams said that two college employees were suspended shortly after Hall was named interim president by the State Board of Technical and Comprehensive Education.

Theyve tried to go through the grievance process and do everything theyre supposed to do and theyve been given the runaround by State Tech, Williams said.

One of the employees received a letter requesting a resignation by March 31 with a settlement that included back pay, he said.

State Tech still hasnt found anything, any evidence of any wrongdoing, Williams said.

Williams and Hayes met with Hall on Thursday to ask that the employee be reinstated or for Hall to provide evidence requiring the employees removal.

Williams said the employee is the schools liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is the only person weve got at Denmark Tech that is connected to SACS and knows anything about SACS.

So if were going to ask this person to resign, we need to make sure this person has done something, because thats putting us in jeopardy of losing our accreditation.

Williams said he has appointed an interim president to replace Hall and will seek to have the full board ratify his decision at the next meeting.

Hall described what happened Thursday.

Thomas Williams and Mr. Hayes ... showed up at the college today and asked me to leave, he said. Basically, he (Williams) wanted me to change a personnel decision that I made when I first got there.

When Hall refused the request, he was asked to leave the campus, he said.

Asked what happens now, Hall said, I have no idea.

I just hope everyone does whats best for the students of Denmark, he said.

Commission member Dewayne Ennis said he learned of Halls removal basically in the street.

No formal meeting was called, so of course, he (Williams) did not meet FOIA, he did not call and inform me, Ennis said. I dont have any formal information on it, nor did I vote for it or anything such as that.

He said he put a call into the school to have Williams call him but has heard nothing so far. But he said he would request an immediate meeting because nothing like this should have taken place without the knowledge of the full board.

State Tech Vice President of Communications Kelly C. Steinhilper said, The commission chair does not have the authority to remove a president.

Actions like those of the board chair today demonstrate the dysfunction of the current board and reinforce the need for change, she said.

Steinhilper and Ennis both said the board is likely to meet on Monday, although Williams stated he doesnt know when the board will meet again.

Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, said he is still looking into the facts and trying to get both sides of what happened.

My understanding of the situation is that a decision had been made to suspend an employee that has a very important position for the school, specifically with regards to SACS accreditation, he said.

He said Williams asked why the employee was suspended, why for so long and what evidence had been uncovered.

My understanding is that there was nothing there, there was no evidence of anything, Bamberg said.

He stressed that his knowledge of the situation is limited, but from what he knows, the resignation and settlement offer came from the State Tech Board.

Essentially, my understanding is that Mr. Williams did what he felt he needed to do to protect the institution that is Denmark Tech. It appeared to him that everything that was going on was tied to the underlying thought that the State Tech Board has a desire to attempt to close Denmark Tech, he said.

The State Tech Board has said there are no plans to close the school.

Bamberg said, Some of the issues that Denmark Tech is having werent created overnight and they wont be fixed overnight.

But he added that the legislative delegation  including himself, Sen Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, and Rep. Lonnie Hosey, D-Barnwell  are collectively committed to doing everything in our power to help the institution.

The incident is the latest development at Denmark Tech, where the commission removed former President Dr. Leonard McIntyre in January.

Wright said Williams was among McIntyres supporters and opted, along with two other commissioners, not to vote in the 4-0 decision to oust the president.

He never wanted the new president, Wright said. He wanted to maintain the status quo.

In removing McIntyre, the board also decided to request that the State Tech Board send an official to serve as acting president. Hall took over the position. He is the dean of business and public service at Sumter's Central Carolina Technical College.

The incident also comes against the backdrop of local lawmakers pushing legislation to make changes at the college.

Hutto previously introduced a plan to dissolve Denmark Techs Area Commission and hand control to the State Tech Board.

Under a compromise plan, new commissioners would be appointed to lead the school. Bamberg, Barnwell and Allendale county legislative delegation members submitted a list of replacement commissioners to Gov. Henry McMaster.

Williams, the only member of the present commission being recommended for reappointment, has said he is pleased with the compromise.

Denmark Tech has seen enrollment rates drop in recent years and struggled to use outdated equipment and software in various departments.
Alvin Curtis Ray, 74, of 1 Savannah Highway, Norway, went home to be with our Heavenly Father on Thursday, March 16, 2017.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Ray of the home; two sons, John A. Ray and John C. Bonnette; a daughter, Betty Kendricks; three brothers; six sisters.

A memorial will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Beaver Creek Baptist Church, 118 Iris Lane, Neeses, with Pastor Henry Cooper and Pastor Jimmy Brown officiating.

Visitation will be held at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Beaver Creek Baptist Church Cemetery or to Halcyon Hospice of Aiken.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Obituaries Newsletter Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
Sidewalk projects delayed by Hurricane Matthew are back on track, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

SCDOT Program Manager Berry Mattox said the projects on Sunnyside and Salley streets were to be finished by September.

By the time the survey crews got out, we had Hurricane Matthew, which significantly impacted us and basically all of our survey forces were moved down to the coast surveying bridges and washed-out culverts, Mattox said.

Mattox spoke with Orangeburg City Council on Tuesday.

SCDOT plans to use Transportation Alternatives Program grant money to install sidewalks and improve lighting along Sunnyside and Salley streets, as well as place benches on Goff Avenue.

The city applied for the grant and was approved by DOT nearly two years ago.

There have been delays, but unfortunately like everybody else, were short staffed and our program has increased a lot with all the money that weve been receiving from the legislature for additional projects, which has kind of put us in a little bit of a disadvantage, Mattox said.

Mattox said the delays from Hurricane Matthew are no longer an issue. He expects to finalize the survey and design phase by early fall of this year.

Once we complete our plans, well go into whats called a right-of-way phase, Mattox added. Thats kind of an unknown right now and were really hoping that we can minimalize that part of the process.

If we have a lot of right-of-way to acquire, were looking at probably next fall, so thats fall of 2018, Mattox said.

If no right-of-ways need to be acquired, Mattox said they could start construction as early as January 2018 or even this December.

Its our hope that theres no right of way required, but we cant know that until we actually have the project designed and laid out, Mattox said. Hopefully we can minimalize that or avoid it altogether.

Citizens from the Sunnyside Community were at the meeting to express their concerns with the amount of time the project has taken and ask if it included any road improvements.

Were tired with the patchwork in the roads, Elaine Wright said. The patchwork is not staying.

Wright and the Sunnyside citizens thanked Mattox for the work toward the sidewalk project, but said the main issue is the road.

Van Gaffney said residents were told the road would be paved.

Mattox said, It is a pedestrian project, theres no road improvements or resurfacing. Thats not the intent of the program nor was it the intent of the application from the city.

Its purely a sidewalk with a pedestrian enhancement project.

Also in the meeting:

 Council approved first reading of an ordinance adopting new electric rates for the Department of Public Utilities.

Its not a rate increase, interim DPU Manager Warren Harley said. It is an incentive rate that would be for large industrial customers.

The new rate gives DPU the opportunity to compete against other utilities for industrial customers with large loads.

The rate is only available to customers that have a 20-megawatt load, Harley said. There are no current industrial customers that would meet this criteria but we hopefully will have some in the future.

 Council went into executive session to discuss legal matters concerning the Samaritan House.
Pinopolis Lock

out of service

MONCKS CORNER  The Pinopolis Lock on Lake Moultrie at Santee Coopers Jefferies Hydroelectric Station is out of service due to mechanical issues. The repairs are expected to take a week.

For updates on lock availability, boaters can follow Santee Cooper on Facebook and Twitter, and can call 843-899-LOCK (5625).

The lock, part of the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project, has been in service since 1942, when Santee Cooper first began generating electricity.

Santee Cooper manages lakes Marion and Moultrie, South Carolinas largest freshwater resource.

Coastal Carolina

says it lost

$1M in scam

CONWAY (AP)  Coastal Carolina University in Conway says it's been scammed out of more than $1 million.

The school said in a news release Tuesday that two incidents occurred in December when someone claiming to represent a company under contract with the university requested a change in the company's banking account information.

Coastal said the request appeared to have official documents with the company's logo, tax identification numbers and names of company officials. The school says an employee checked the information and made the change.

Coastal learned of the theft when the company said later it had not been paid. That transaction involved about $840,000. The school says it's recovered more than $560,000.

The school later learned of an earlier theft of $340,000.

The school says it's changed operating procedures.

Lockheed Martin

moving F-16

production

to state

GREENVILLE (AP)  Lockheed Martin is moving production of F-16 fighter jets from Texas to South Carolina.

Local media outlets reported the company is moving production of F-16s to Greenville to make room for expanded production of the newer F-35 jet fighters in Fort Worth, Texas.

A company spokeswoman says the move will create about 250 jobs in Greenville.

Defense One (www.defenseone.com) reported that the United States has not purchased F-16s since 1999, but Lockheed Martin has orders from several countries. F-16 fighter jets first entered service in 1979.

Lockheed Martin Greenville spokeswoman Leslie Farmer says the last F-16 in Texas should be complete in September. Farmer says it will take about two years to begin production in Greenville.

Lockheed Martin currently employs about 500 people in Greenville providing maintenance, repairs and overhauls.
GOOSE CREEK (AP)  A woman has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of a man in Goose Creek earlier this week.

Local media outlets reported that 27-year-old Erica Jean Walters of Goose Creek was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon and has been charged with murder.

Officers were called to an apartment Tuesday and found 53-year-old Chicoba Crabtree. He was taken to Trident Medical Center in North Charleston where he died.

Walters was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital in Charleston for a medical evaluation. She was then taken to the Berkeley County jail. It was not known if she has an attorney.

A neighbor told police he heard Walters and Crabtree arguing before the stabbing.
The Congress is divided as seldom before. Donald J. Trump is remaking the profile of the presidency. The press is under attack. The notion of free speech on campus is under siege. By month's end, serious questions will be raised about the independence, and perhaps even the survival, of the Federal Reserve Bank.

This is a period of unusual tension and tumult, of which President Trump is both cause and consequence. But so are the chasms between the political parties, and the even greater gap between the public and the political establishment. Rarely has the prevailing ethos in the faculty lounge been so isolated from the parents who pay for college education, and never has the value of a college education been so questioned by so many with such fervor.

Indeed, not since the 1960s -- perhaps since the 1930s -- have so many of the governing assumptions and established institutions of the United States been under such stress and strain.

The 1930s, the Stanford historian David M. Kennedy wrote, "tested the very fabric of American culture." The 1960s, the Brown University historian James T. Patterson said, "unsettled much that Americans had taken for granted before then."

Both statements apply without amendment to the second decade of the 21st century, when, according to a poll taken by KRC Research only two months ago, a record-high seven out of 10 Americans believe the country has a major civility problem.

The crisis of the 1930s was prompted by the Great Depression, when economic despair caused faith in capitalism to wane and appeal for communism to rise, at least in some blue-collar and intellectual circles. The crisis of the 1960s was as much one of credibility as content, as American leaders and their institutions struggled with civil rights, and young people rebelled against consumerism, sexism and the Vietnam War. Franklin Delano Roosevelt saved capitalism. Lyndon B. Johnson was ambushed at Credibility Gap.

Just as there was no clear resolution to the American malaise in 1932, nor to the American upheaval of 1967, there is no clear path out of the turmoil and turbulence of this decade. But nearly every foundation stone of American life is on the defensive today:

 POLITICIANS. Two out of three Americans, according to an Allegheny College poll last fall, characterized the 2016 presidential campaign as very or extremely uncivil. Only 3 percent of Americans -- potentially no Americans at all, if the margin of error is employed -- have a great deal of confidence in Congress, according to the Gallup organization.

The spectacle on Capitol Hill right now, with one party determined to overturn Obamacare in an instant and the other party determined to oppose whatever its rivals support, is not likely to add to public confidence in the public's representatives

 RELIGION. About two Americans in five have confidence in organized religion today, a steep drop from 1973, when about two out of three Americans felt that way. Three decades ago, only one in 10 adult Americans said they had no religious affiliation, according to the Pew Research Center; today about a quarter of Americans feel that way. And about one out of three millennials say they are "nones" -- that is, without any religious affiliation at all.

 THE PRESS. Trump has mounted an all-out assault on the mainstream media, an attack even stronger than the one mounted by President Richard M. Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew at the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s.

But Nixon and Agnew weren't the only national figures in the past several decades to single out the press for special opprobrium. Each president since Nixon has had worse press relations than his predecessor, and the press has become a soft target. Public confidence in newspapers, for example, has declined by half since 1973, and confidence in television news has declined by more than half in a quarter century, with the public split on whether the press has been too easy or too hard on Trump.

 BUSINESS. Here's a radical departure: A Republican president has criticized business executives for callousness toward workers and for exporting American jobs. At the same time, public criticism of the wealth gap has been stoked by politicians of all colorations, from Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during the 2016 campaign, to Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont during the Democratic primaries and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts during the early months of 2017.

Public support of banks, at 60 percent in the Gallup study in 1969, has declined by more than half to 27 percent. Fewer than one-fifth of Americans have confidence in big business, though small business wins the support of two out of three Americans.

 THE PARTY ESTABLISHMENTS. Trump assailed traditional Republicans during his primary campaign, painting these figures -- in short, the establishment figures of the establishment party -- as ineffective and self-serving. He dismissed Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York as a "clown"; but the most damaging critique of the Senate minority leader may come from fellow Democrats, who deride him for voting for at least a handful of Trump Cabinet nominees and criticize him for not waging merciless war against the Trump agenda.

Then Gallup reported that public worries about race relations are at an all-time high, with two out of five Americans worrying "a great deal" about race relations. And what is the institution that Americans respect the most? The military, winning the confidence of about three-quarters of the public -- up substantially since 1973, when the nation was divided by the Vietnam War.

Bottom line: We are in a historic period not only of transformation but also of national introspection. We think this is an era of invective and insult, and there is some truth to that. But underneath the anger -- beyond the shouts -- are serious questions about the way our society and culture are structured, and about the nature and use of power.

That is one of the principal lessons of the 2016 election, lost amid the controversy over Trump's style and manners. Like the 1930s and 1960s, this is a period of resentment and rebellion. But the questions raised in both those earlier periods helped the United States win, in turn, World War II and the Cold War. We ignore these questions, and put off addressing them, at our peril.
L-R: Kozel Fraser, Co-ordinator of WINFA), made an appeal for the passage of Civil Society related legislation to be pursued with urgency and Gordon Bispham, Caribbean Policy Development Centres Executive Director, said that the process leading to Civil Society related legislation was not one of reinventing the wheel.

Kozel Fraser, Windward Islands Farmers Association (WINFA) Coordinator, is of the view that laws aimed at incorporating the interests of Civil Society Organisations are overdue.





She was speaking in the wake of a consultation held at the National Insurance Services last Tuesday, March 21.





The exercise produced a draft which Fraser expects will be distributed to relevant groups and authorities.

She looks forward to involvement of the legal fraternity and representatives from the Commercial and Intellectual Property Organisation (CIPO) in expediting furtherance of the proposed legislation.





Fraser pointed out that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was lagging with respect to laws to facilitate the purview and operations of Non-Government Organisations. "It is in the best interest to have a strong Civil Society movement, Fraser proffered.





She noted, however, that it was not all smooth sailing, but that setting up laws was in keeping with advancing the Caribbean region.





The WINFA coordinator will present the draft proposed legislation to the Cabinet for their study and approval.

Fraser expressed satisfaction with the consultation which was spearheaded by Gordon Bispham, Caribbean Policy Development Centres Executive Director.





Bispham indicated that while there was an "ad hoc situation currently existing with respect to a working relation between government and civil society organisations, the consultation was ideal for setting the stage for an new environment, conducive to a genuine partnership between the two sectors.





He acknowledged that Civil Society organisations were treated with scepticism owing to their perceived position of absence of transparency and accountability.





Recognising that there was a propensity towards designing laws to be used to "control or to limit the scope of Civil Society organisations, the CDDC Executive Director called for carving out a path in which, "You have to be clear about what you want, and to "be clear about what you dont want.





Bispham admitted that the exercise was not about reinventing the rules, but that it will follow guidelines already set by Belize, St. Kitts/Nevis, and the Dominican Republic.





Bentley Browne, local resource person, was also part of the consultation.

A number of community-based organisations attended the session. (WKA)




Simone A. Gonzalez, 16, left her home in Auburn on March 22. Police said Friday that she had been located in the Geneva area and returned to her guardian. Police thanked the public for their help in locating Gonzalez.
The ambulances were provided for under the Civic Development Fund, a channel of co-operation between the governments of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and SVG.

Four ambulances were officially handed over to the Ministry of Health, as efforts continue to deliver proper health care across the country.





The provisioning of the four vehicles was made possible through the Embassy of the Republic of China on Taiwan, at a cost of EC$500,000.





According to Ambassador Baushuan Ger, funding was made possible through the Civic Development Fund which is a collaboration between the governments of both countries.





Over the past few years, money from this Fund has been used for other projects, including the Youth Empowerment Service (YES) project; the purchase of medical equipment; for the construction of bridges and other buildings; as well as other projects including this one where money was earmarked since 2015 for the purchase of some new vehicles.





David Latchman, Health Planner in the Ministry of Health, explained that as part of the modernization of the health sector, the idea was to upgrade the ambulance fleet.





"So rather than having the regular sort of transport ambulance, we were trying to upgrade the emergency management system ambulance. By this, I mean an ambulance that can take care of a casualty on the spot, he explained.





Latchman went on further, saying that since 2015, they have been seeking  through the assistance of local business houses  to identify and source the specified vehicles.





However, this proved a task too difficult for locals, forcing the Planning Unit to go in search of the ambulances from a supplier in Japan, who, through a counterpart in Thailand, was willing to manufacture the vehicles to the specifications.





It was also noted that the vehicles are not only equipped to deal with medical emergencies en route to the hospital, but that the design and size allowed for them to be able to go into areas that have proven difficult for the more traditional vehicles, which were either too wide or too light for certain terrain.

The vehicles will be stationed at the health facilities at Chateaubeliar, Union Island, Sandy Bay and Stubbs.

Health Minister Luke Browne explained that Stubbs is an important point, given its proximity to the Argyle International Airport.





"So for capacity, it will be going to that facility, he said.





Browne added that, while the general public felt that there ought to be more ambulances, there was more of a need for a vehicle that was able to handle emergencies.





"In other words, gone are the days when we say that the only thing that should be on an ambulance is the driver, and you send it to pick up someone, a patient, and you bring the patient as quickly as possible to the nearest health facility. We want to have some capacity in terms of human resource, modern equipment to take care of those individuals, Browne said.
There are currently 21 meat production companies under investigation by the Brazilian Federal Police and only 6 have exported products within the last 60 days and NONE of these exports were made directly to St. Vincent and the Grenadines or to the United States, from where most of the corned beef and poultry is sourced.





The companies that exported to these countries are not under investigation and operate within all licensing and health regulations. The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture has a rigorous inspection service for animal products with permanent auditing, monitoring and risk assessment.





The Brazilian Government is auditing establishments mentioned in the Federal Police investigation into allegations of irregularities in the agricultural inspection system. Of the 21 units under investigation, 3 have already had their operations suspended and all 21 have been placed under a special inspection regime conducted by a specific task force of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA). The investigation in question involves a marginal percentage, only 1%, of all meat exports.





Brazil has 4,837 establishments which produce meat products. Of these establishments, which are subject to federal inspection, only 21 (0.2% of the total) are alleged to have been involved in irregularities, and of the over 11,000 employees in the agricultural inspection system, only 33 (0.3%) are being investigated by the Federal Police for possible irregularities. That means that 99.8% of registered companies and 99.7% of inspectors are not involved in the allegations under investigation.





The Embassy of Brazil is in contact with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for any clarification on the matter. All production plants remain open to inspection visits by importing countries who wish to visit exporting companies to clear up any doubts which they may have.





Brazil is the most interested party in resolving and clarifying these issues, and in having the current unilateral ban lifted.





Kingstown, March 23, 2017
SIR Derek Alton Walcott, St. Lucia-born poet and Nobel Laureate, died early last Friday morning (March 17) at his home in Gros islet, St. Lucia. He was 87.





No cause of death was given up to press time (Wednesday), but Walcott was known to have been in poor health for some time.





While Sir Derek was already an established poet, playwright, columnist and commentator, he perhaps enjoyed his greatest fame after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992.





His poetry, at the time of his being bestowed this prestigious award, was described as "intricately metaphorical poetry that captured the physical beauty of the Caribbean, the harsh legacy of colonialism, and the complexities of living and writing in two cultural worlds, according to the Daily Telegraph of the UK.





Biography and early signs of greatness





Sir Derek Alton Walcott was born on January 23, 1930, in Castries, capital of St. Lucia. He was one half of a twin (twin brother Roderick died in 2000). His father, Warwick, was a schoolteacher and water colourist, who died when Sir Derek was an infant, and he was raised by his mother, a schoolteacher. He was the product, like many St. Lucians, of a racially mixed marriage. And while he was raised a Methodist, Derek attended Roman Catholic schools.





It was while still a teenager that Sir Derek first caught the attention of St. Lucians.





He published his first poem when he was 14, in a local newspaper, and his first book of poems at the age of 18, while still a student at the Roman Catholic St. Marys College. He is said to have self-published his first book of poems with a loan from his mother.





Commentators of the day discerned from that first collection of poetry, the influence of the writings of John Milton on the young St. Lucians hand.





From secondary school, Sir Derek entered the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, where, interestingly, he majored in modern languages  French and Spanish, and Latin. It was while at university that he began writing plays, and his first play, about the Haitian leader Henri Christophe, was produced in St. Lucia in 1950.





He returned to St. Lucia on successful completion of a Bachelors degree in 1953, and taught at secondary school level. He would also have had teaching stints in Grenada and Trinidad.





Teaching, writing, directing and the Nobel Prize





Walcott continued to write all through his teaching career and his verse dramas - Ione and Sea at Dauphin were produced in Trinidad in 1954 where, by now, he had taken up some sense of permanent residence.

His popular Ti-Jean and His Brothers, which recaptured the Trinidad folk tale of the devils (Lucifer) attempts to steal the souls of three brothers, was a resounding hit from its opening night in 1958.

Walcott took a year off to spend time refining his directing skills with Jose Quintero in New York. He returned to Trinidad and founded the Little Caribe Theatre Workshop repertory company which by the late 1960s was renamed the Trinidad Theatre Workshop.





It was with the Little Carib Theatre that he produced his best-known play, Dream on Monkey Mountain, which was also featured as an off Broadway production in 1971.





He continued to attract the attention of persons and cultural artistes far and wide, and in 1998, he collaborated with pop icon Paul Simon (of Simon and Garfunkel fame) in the production of the Capeman, a musical about a Puerto Rican gang member who murdered three people in Manhattan in 1959, which ran for 68 performances at the Marquis Theatre, Broadway.





Playwriting aside, Walcott continued writing poetry of an expanded nature, producing for example, Another Life - a 4000-line piece which sought to examine his life and surroundings.

He won more and more recognition, but it was with publication of his 300-page Omeros  an interpretation of Homers epic in which fishermen and a taxi driver replace Homers heroes of Greece, that he mesmerized the literary world.





That was 1990, and two years later, 1992, Sir Derek Walcott was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Nobel Prize Committee lauded him for "a poetic oeuvre of great luminosity, sustained by a historical vision, the outcome of a multicultural commitment.





Disappointment





In 2009, Walcott was proposed for the honorary post of professor of poetry at Oxford University.





His candidacy was derailed when photocopied pages of a book describing allegations of sexual harassment brought by a Harvard student decades earlier, got into the hands of the Oxford establishment.





Mr. Walcott withdrew his name, but not before making the following statement to The Evening Standard of London: "I am disappointed that such low tactics have been used in this election, and I do not want to get into a race for a post where it causes embarrassment to those who have chosen to support me for the role or to myself. While I was happy to be put forward for the post, if it has degenerated into a low and degrading attempt at character assassination, I do not want to be part of it.





Walcott returned to his beloved St. Lucia to live out his twilight years.





It would be an understatement to say that St. Lucians held him in the highest esteem, even with reverence, for they knew, as the Nobel Prize Committee had said, "In his literary works, Walcott has laid a course for his own cultural environment, but through them he speaks to each and every one of us. In him, West Indian culture has found its great poet.





Walcott was married three times. He is survived by his longtime companion, Sigrid Nama; a son, Peter; two daughters, Anna Walcott-Hardy and Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw; and several grandchildren.
Brand New fashion brand, Kamille by Image Model, Dr. Sherina Slater, makes its runway debut at Flow Fashion Caribbean this Saturday at the SVG Community College.

This Saturday, at the SVG Community College, local modelling agency Image celebrates its 20th Anniversary with its premier event Flow Fashion Caribbean.





Since its inception in 1997, the agency has seen hundreds of young people grow and develop under the brand, with Image Models gracing catwalks and magazines in the US, UK, all across the Caribbean, and even as far as South Africa.





The agency, the brainchild of Managing Director Monique Arthur, has had its ups and downs over the past 20 years yet, it has given birth to numerous other modelling and personal development agencies. Image Models can be found everywhere in all different walks of life.





On Saturday, the Agency gets ready to celebrate the last 20 years which could not have been possible without the support of sponsors, mentors, models and of course the general public.





"We have persons who have been to every Image fashion show, including every Fashion Caribbean since the first showing at the Ottley Hall Marina in 2001. That event was a memorable one, as we lost power for over an hour, and persons sat in the dark and waited for us. It is experiences like this that make us so grateful for the supporters of fashion in St. Vincent and those who have helped keep the agency alive and growing for these past twenty years, said Arthur.





For its 20th Anniversary, the agency has enlisted a strong cast of Caribbean designers, which includes a solid Vincentian Contingent.





"We have three of our four 2016 Fresh Face Designers returning to the stage this year to showcase full collections, as well as Fashion Caribbean veterans Kimon Baptiste and Kimya Glasgow. This year, we have 6 Fresh Face designers who will showcase mini collections on the night, as we think it is important for us to include the next generation of designers at this event, said Local Designer Coordinator Odini Sutherland.

"We also have been inundated with requests from regional designers who have all heard about the show and wanted the opportunity to visit St. Vincent, she added.





This year, the show will feature Ecaliff Elie, Afrofunkk and legendary Caribbean Brand The Cloth Caribbean from Trinidad, Mr. Henres Deisgnz from Antigua and BVI designer Trefle, who showed for the first time at last years event.





We are also happy to welcome back SHE Caribbean Magazine who will be here to cover the event, and for the first time, Caribbean LookBook editor Mel Gabriel, who will not only cover Fashion Caribbean but will also be doing a special feature on our beautiful island for her readers on the LookBook platform.




A veteran Vincentian-born registered nurse was among several nurses in New York City who were honored last month during the 29th National Black Nurses Day Celebration, at Queens Hospital, New York.





Pamela Roberts-Griffin, a former student at the Emmanuel High School Kingstown, received the Outstanding Service to the Nursing Profession Award from Antonio Martin, executive vice president of Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica, Queens, at the Feb. 24 event organized by the New York Black Nurses Association, Inc.

The other honorees were: Norma Foster-Wharton, Darlene Barker-Ifill, Yvonne Bristow, Joyce Fowler and Dr. Jane Lederer.





"I am deeply touched by this acknowledgement from the National Black Nurses Association, Inc., and would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the nominating committee, said Roberts-Griffin, president of the Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester Chapter of the New York-based Caribbean American Nursing Association, Inc., in her acceptance speech.





"It is, indeed, an honor to be chosen by ones peers, and I will always cherish this token of recognition, added the Bronx resident.





Roberts-Griffin migrated to New York in 1979 and worked in several hospitals, including Kings Highway Hospital in Brooklyn and Prospect Hospital in the Bronx.





Roberts-Griffin, an active member of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nurses Association of New York, Inc., has extensive clinical experience in Medical Surgical and Psychiatric Nursing, including detox and substance abuse.





She has been employed, for over 30 years, at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center (BLHC), and currently works in the in-patient department of psychiatry at the hospitals Fulton Division; she serves as a preceptor and has served on the Magnet Team.





Roberts-Griffin served on a shared research project at BLHCs Fulton Division that was based on transforming care at the bedside in order to enhance quality patient care, and was featured in December 2011 issue of Nursing Spectrum.





The Vincentian nurse said she goes "above and beyond to help others, and has excelled in several roles.





Over the years, she has received numerous prestigious awards, including 2006 and 2011 Nurse of the Year and Preceptor of the Year at BLHC- Fulton Division; 2006 Bronx Council of Churches Episcopal Dioceses of New York; 2009 BLHC Community Service Award; 2009 Outstanding Community Service Award by the Bronx, Manhattan and Caribbean American Nurses Association (BMW-CANA); 2011 Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nursing; and the 2012 Chi Eta Phi Sorority Iota Chi Chapter, Bronx, NY.





Roberts-Griffin said she has given back to her community, through community outreach projects in New York City, and has made humanitarian trips throughout the Caribbean basin.





She is an active member of the Grace Episcopal Church -West Farms in the Bronx, where she serves on the choir, Vestry, and Our Lords Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry.





Roberts-Griffin is married to Lloyd Griffin; she is the mother of two  Audrey and Omar  and has two grandchildren, Alan-Michael and Taylor.
Walton Tanny Peters  a Vincentian culture man to the bone. Walton Tanny Peters and his close friend/colleague Paddy Corea. Tanny beat Paddy in the 1959 National Ping Pong (tenor) Competition. Paddy returned the beating in 1960. (Photo Source: Paddy Corea).

National Heroes Day, March 14, 2017, was Walton Tanny Peters Day in the Old Montrose/Block 2000 community.





Starlift Steel Orchestra, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, organised the Day to fittingly honour its founder, Peters.





A large crowd, comprised of community residents, past and present Starlift members, members of the steelband fraternity, well-wishers, including the leader and members of the New Democratic Party, were entertained by a number of cultural artistes and Starlft Seniors and Juniors.





Tanny and the steelband





The feature of the event, appropriately so, was a stirring tribute to Peters  a tribute delivered by St. Clair Leacock, Member of Parliament for Central Kingstown (home base of Starlift) and a long-standing associate and benefactor of Starlift.





According to Leacock, Walton Tanny Peters was born in Kingstown. He received his primary education at the Methodist and St. Marys Roman Catholic schools in Kingstown.





His parents were unable to afford the school fee to secure a place for him at the St. Vincent Grammar School, and he took to learning the trade of a carpenter.





In 1952, encouraged by the then Deputy Chief of Police, he sat and passed the exam to gain entry into the Royal SVG Police Force, and proceeded for training at the Regional Police Training School, Barbados.

Given his skill as a carpenter, he distinguished himself first in the police workshop, later as a beyond-the-call-of-duty fire officer, and impacted on the revival and development of the Police Steel Orchestra.





The latter was a natural step since, as Leacock related, Tanny had by the early 1950s, "joined the Castrol Steelband that included the likes of Ricardo Cardo Sam, Woodley and Alfred Bibby. He availed that skill to the Police Force Steel Orchestra, and is credited with raising its standard. He had the distinct pleasure of assisting with the preparation of and directing the Police Steel Orchestras performance at Canadas Expo 67, the Universal and International Exhibition, that was the highlight of Canadas Centennial celebrations in 1967.





In 1967, as though looking inwards at his own community, Tanny, along with Gideon Da Silva and others, founded the Starlift Steel Orchestra. Tanny was builder, tuner and arranger for the band in its early years, said Leacock





But his influence spread further, and Leacock recalled that Tanny assisted a Layou-based steel band, worked tirelessly in the 1970s to develop the Grammar School Steel Orchestra, and contributed, in no small measure, to the birth and development of the Kindreds Steelband in Greiggs.





Tanny  Mas and calypso





Leacock also emphasized that Tanny was a masman. "He had his own mas band, his own followers, and even played King of the Bands, Leacock recalled.





But it was to another carnival art form that he would dedicate the later years of his life.





Known to be an ardent follower of the Trinidadian calypsonians of the 1950s, the Mighty Spoiler being foremost on his list of greats, and one with a penchant for creating rhymes and out of the box poetic interpretations, it seemed natural progression when Tanny took to composing calypsos. And he did so for the likes of the renowned Professor, Toiler  both calypso monarchs in their time  Life Boy, Johnny Rebel, Dreamer, Fatty Dan and many more who might not have admitted that he did.





Tanny died on June 25, 1997  during the official carnival season that marked the 20th anniversary of Vincy Mas. It seemed he was destined to go at that time.





Those who knew of his exploits across the carnival spectrum referred to him as Mr. Carnival. To Leacock, Walton Tanny Peters was "a great son of the soil, recognized and honoured by several organizations and groups, but today he has received no national honours. Today, we honour Walton Tanny Peters as a distinguished son of the soil and of this community.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
The Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES board of education president said the district will wait for the state to assign an interim superintendent before beginning the search for a permanent replacement for Denise Dzikowski, who resigned on March 16.

Melinda Quanbeck said the district can't hire a replacement until the New York State Education Department says it can, since the district superintendent position is supported by the local BOCES as well as the state.

"They will soon give us a interim (district superintendent) and then the process gets much clearer," Quanbeck said via email Thursday.

Dzikowski's resignation was accepted by the district's board of education, and she is no longer working for the district.

She was in the position for 10 months, and was picked after the second of two searches after previous superintendent William Speck retired. The district wasn't satisfied with the first batch of candidates found during the first search.

Dzikowski said in her letter of resignation that the position was not a proper fit for her.

"The BOCES model is very different than what I have been accustomed to," Dzikowski wrote. "I am going to devote my full time and energy toward getting back into a local district. I will be looking forward to working more directly with students and will have a more streamlined focus."

Randy Ray, the district's director of personnel relations, previously said he wasn't sure what the education department's process for resignations is.

The state education department's Board of Regents' next meetings will be held April 3 and 4.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) is celebrating Earth Hour 2017 on March 25 for the 10th consecutive year.



Earth Hour 2017 is one of the largest environmental initiatives in the world aimed at tackling climate change. Earth Hour 2017 is being organised under the theme Highlight Climate Action, in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with support from Dubai Real Estate Group, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS). Earth Hour promotes switching off all unnecessary lights and appliances between 8:30pm and 9:30 pm, to raise awareness about climate change and the phenomenon of global warming.



Dewa is organising this event for the tenth consecutive year, in adherence with the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to find sustainable solutions to climate change, while supporting international efforts to reduce the effects of global warming, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa.



We are working closely with all stakeholders in the public and private sectors, to ensure this event is a success, through switching off all unnecessary lights and electrical appliances to support Earth Hour. The event will witness participation from Dubais main landmarks and government buildings, who will switch off their lights for one hour at the designated time.



Al Tayer commended the efforts and contribution by individuals and government and private organisations, to support the Dubai Plan 2021, and the Carbon Abatement Strategy, to reduce carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2021, to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.



We are pleased to stand alongside over 7,000 cities from all over the world who are participating in this event, as the largest environmental event on the international calendar. We ask the people of Dubai to join forces and participate in Earth Hour 2017, and strengthen the position of the UAE through its efforts to adopt and launch initiatives to raise environmental awareness among the community, while supporting sustainable development on both national and international levels, requested Al Tayer.



Earth Hour will commence at 8:30pm on Saturday 25 March, at Bay Avenue Park in Business Bay, and will witness the participation of a number of government organisations, companies, universities, schools, and individuals from all segments of society. Events prior to Earth Hour will begin at 4:00pm, featuring a number of family and recreational activities aimed at raising environmental awareness and promoting a culture of rational consumption.



A free shuttle service will be available from Business Bay metro station, to and from the event every 15 minutes, a statement said.  TradeArabia News Service
Australia-based Alara Resources Limited, a minerals exploration and mining development company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mining Development Oman (MDO), the sultanates new mining investment and development arm, a report said.



The agreement will help Alara Resources with the launch work on its Al Hadeetha Copper Gold project, and also in pursuing other mining initiatives in the country, added the Oman Daily Observer report.



MDO is a new holding company established last year to invest in, among other things, large-scale commercial mining and downstream processing schemes, as well as transport and logistics infrastructure to underpin the growth of this promising sector.



A total of 60 per cent of MDOs share capital of RO100 million ($259.7 million) is owned by four government entities: the State General Reserve Fund (SGRF), Oman Investment Fund (OIF), Oman Oil Company (OOC) and Oman National Investments Development Company (TANMIA).



The balance 40 per cent is proposed to be offered for public subscription via an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM), added the report.
The London attacker attacker who killed three people near the UK parliament before being shot dead has been identified as British-born Khalid Masood.



Masood was once investigated by MI5 intelligence officers over concerns about violent extremism, said a Reuters report.



Meanwhile, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued by its Amaq news agency.



Kent-born Masood was not the subject of any current police investigations, but had a range of previous convictions, BBC quoted the police as saying.



The 52-year-old was believed to have been living in the West Midlands.



PC Keith Palmer, Aysha Frade and US tourist Kurt Cochran were killed in the attack.



Eight arrests were made in London and Birmingham following Wednesday's attack, BBC said.



Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his car into railings and then running into the grounds of Parliament, armed with a knife. He stabbed PC Palmer and then was shot dead.



Police said there had been no prior intelligence about his intention to carry out an attack.



The BBC said Masood had hired the Hyundai SUV in person, giving his profession as a teacher.


Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
Bob Iger is set to run ESPN parent Disney through July 2019. Iger, the companys current CEO whos filled that role since 2005, was first set to step down in 2016, then 2018, but last years departure of COO and presumptive Iger successor Thomas Staggs (after the board didnt seem thrilled with the idea of him taking over) made a further extension for Iger seem logical. Iger expressed his willingness to stay on longer in a February conference call, and now the board has taken him up on that, giving him a one-year extension through July 2019. That has several notable potential implications for ESPN, particularly in big changes were not likely to see.

From the outside, at least, it seems like Iger is quite satisfied with ESPNs leadership and with the networks path on most fronts. Specifically, hes regularly spoken about how important it is for ESPN to be in skinny bundles (including streaming options from Sling, DirecTV and more) and about ESPNs forthcoming over-the-top offering. Those views wouldnt necessarily be shared by a different CEO; Staggs, for example, spoke much more about the importance of the traditional multi-channel bundle , so a Disney CEO with his views might focus more on that side, or conversely, another Disney CEO might want ESPN to quickly go into over-the-top in a larger way (standalone access to all ESPN content, including TV channels) rather than starting with the ESPN3-focused light approach Iger seems to be promoting.

Beyond that, Iger has staunchly defended ESPN from analysts criticisms, even though lost ESPN subscribers, mounting rights fees and lower revenues have repeatedly been cited as a drain on Disneys stock price. Thats not to say Iger is necessarily wrong; cord-cutting stretches far beyond ESPN, and the steps the network has been taking to get into skinny bundles, develop an over-the-top offering, and find ways to maximize the ratings they can get may well be the best ones. But given the issues ESPN is facing and the impact theyre having on the larger company, a different Disney CEO may be more interested in shifting at least part of the networks direction, or maybe even its leadership. Theres still going to be a different CEO in 2019, and that may spell changes for ESPN, but the Iger extension suggests they may have another year under the current direction.

Another important element of Igers extended tenure is what it may mean for ESPN and politics. Iger is reportedly a long-time Democrat, but is serving on President Donald Trumps Strategic and Policy Forum council of CEOs. He defended that to Disney shareholders earlier this month, saying I think there is an opportunity for me to express views that I think  are of value to the company and its shareholders and saying he would take positions adversarial to the view of the administration on some issues, including immigration. But the more critical part for ESPN is that Iger has defended the network against critics who say its politically biased, saying those claims are just a complete exaggeration. So, Iger doesnt seem to want major change there. Another CEO might think differently.

Of course, Iger presumably isnt heavily involved in ESPNs day-to-day operations. He has a massive company to run, including other media networks (ABC, A+E Networks, Disney Channel), Disneys parks around the globe, Walt Disney Studios and Disney consumer products and interactive media; hes certainly not making decisions on what airs on a particular SportsCenter, and he probably isnt even too concerned with specific ESPN programming moves (such as different editions of SportsCenter, including Scott Van Pelts show and the new Jemele Hill-Michael Smith SC6). But ESPN president John Skipper reports directly to Iger (as one of the co-chairs of the Disney Media Networks division), and Iger is certainly involved in both having Skipper continue to lead ESPN and overseeing the directions he wants to take ESPN in. Iger may be even more involved with ESPN than he with in most parts of Disneys assets, given both ESPNs size and the way ESPN issues are regularly raised on Disney earnings calls.

Another area where Igers leadership is important is in investments. You can bet he was heavily involved in the decision to buy a stake in BAMTech for over $1 billion (which is a key part of ESPNs streaming/over-the-top strategy), as well as decisions like investing $200 million more in Vice. His comments about ESPN and his investment decisions suggests he sees a strong future for media outlets, or at least for particular media outlets and particular means of content delivery (which may be also why Disney has reportedly looked into buying Twitter). That doesnt mean Iger values all content equally (the recent decision to de-emphasize carriage for ESPNs smaller networks was also on his watch), but he does seem to value media content. That would seem to make it less likely that the analyst-floated idea of Disney selling off or spinning off ESPN would happen on Igers watch.

Overall, the Iger extension would seem to suggest that things will continue along their current lines at ESPN through at least the new end of his term in mid-2019. That isnt a certainty; extremely poor ESPN results might lead to him making changes, or he might alter course on some fronts (perhaps the OTT launch, or the political side) if things dont go as planned. And ESPN will need to start preparing for a new CEO after Iger leaves, especially once a top candidate there is identified. But Igers extension does make it seem less likely there will be significant changes to ESPN, its leadership, or its future strategies by 2019.

[Variety]
The bottom of the bust may have passed for Wyomings oil and gas operators, but the price of oil has yet to cooperate for a strong rebound in the Rockies.

The rig count in the Cowboy State was 16 on Friday, up from nine last spring as greater efficiencies and new technologies have opened up new avenues for operators despite paltry pricing. When oil was trading over $100 in 2014, producing at current prices would have been laughable, now companies are finding ways to make money, experts say.

However, the price of crude is still low. West Texas Intermediate fell under $50 in recent weeks, and the price of natural gas has spent five weeks struggling to hit $3 per mcf. International oil exporters have been trying to control production and boost the price for six months by promising production caps. But the glut continues, and spring fever has American producers seeking ways to increase production after two years cornered by low prices and overstock.

The duration of low prices is the big question for Wyoming right now, said Rob Godby, director of the center for Energy Economics and Public Policy at the University of Wyoming.

The fate of crude is being driven by OPECs agreement with non-OPEC countries to cut production, but every price gain tempts more production, he said.

The question has been whos cheating and who is not, Godby said of the deals. Once you have a quota and raise the price, everyone has the incentive to cheat on that.

***

The bust did not hit all plays equally, and Wyoming is behind other areas that have seen a more robust uptick in production.

Wyoming was catching a lot of attention before the bust, but the dramatic change in the oil price environment put the state on the back burner, Godby said.

We were the next frontier that never happened, Godby said. We do have some unconventional oil resources in Wyoming and they were just beginning to be developed when the oil bust happened. Its possible that some of those, they already are beginning to be looked at.

Meanwhile, places like the Permian have garnered most of the operations budgets for larger companies.

There is a lot of drilling in Texas right now with $50 oil prices, said Bruce Hinchey, president of the Wyoming Petroleum Association. Obviously, they can make some money there.

But the rig count in Wyoming tells of a similar, if less dramatic, investment locally.

People can make some money here, he said. You cant drill very many wells and not make money ... I think there are companies out there that have found a way to drill and save some money.

The cost of going in to frack and complete a well is down along with the price of oil, giving operators an advantage despite the mediocre price environment, Hinchey said.

Low costs to produce since the bust is one component of operators tenacity in recent months, but technology growth has rocked expectations of what price is needed to make a profit, said Godby, the economist.

It is amazing how much in the United States that technology has been improving and driving the price (to operate) down. In some places, its in excess of 25 percent cheaper now, he said.

***

Yet as producers take advantage of better technology and low costs, their action fails to alleviate the glut thats driving down international pricing, experts say. It could exacerbate it, as it has in the past.

American unconventional oil production was incredibly disruptive to the international oil market, Godby explained. It turned it on its head, and you saw the outcome in 2014 when the oil price collapsed.

Analyst Phil Flynn is not convinced that increasing production in the U.S. is strong enough to offset the international production cuts put in place by OPEC.

The common mantra by oil watchers is that U.S. shale will replace OPEC cuts and thats not true, wrote analyst Phil Flynn in an investors note Monday. U.S. oil output has risen to over 9.1 million bpd from below 8.5 million bpd in June last year, impressive but not nearly enough to offset OPEC cuts.

Meanwhile, rig count declines in Canada further alleviate the pressure on pricing, he wrote.

Despite the near term oil glut that the market is now fixated on, the global market is showing signs that we will soon be tightening, Flynn said.

Looking ahead, its unclear when Wyoming will again stoke excitement of major players. Recent oil and gas lease sales on both state and federal land earned millions for Wyoming and revealed the continued interest of operators to stake out Wyoming plays, said Hinchey, of the Petroleum Association.

It will come down to economics  how profitable other plays are in comparison to Wyoming, said Godby.

Wyoming is definitely on the potential list. It was kind of the next boom, and they could come back, said the energy economist. That all depends on what companies choose to do, who has the lease rights and of course how quickly they would come back here before the Bakken or the Eagle Ford.
April cattle futures exploded this week to the highest level in over a year, nearing $1.23 per pound. The price rally is a welcome relief for ranchers who have seen prices rise over 25 percent from bankruptcy-inducing levels under $1 per pound last fall.

Buying was prompted by reports that Brazilian police recently busted two of that countrys largest meat producers in a probe dubbed Weak Flesh. The companies are accused of bribing health inspectors and politicians, selling rotten beef, and mixing impurities like cardboard and soybeans into meat to stretch it and boost profits. These allegations have prompted buyers around the world to restrict Brazilian meat imports.

Brazil is the second-largest beef producer in the world after the United States; with the loss of Brazilian exports, foreign buyers may become more dependent on U.S. meat.

However, this rally may be short-lived if the scandal is contained to the 21 Brazilian meat processing plants currently implicated. Furthermore, many nations may not reduce imports for long, opting to increase inspections on imports, which would prevent a sharp increase in demand for U.S. beef. Worse yet, news of the scandal may cause a drop in beef demand, ultimately sending prices lower, which means that U.S. beef producers may need to act fast to capture the current high prices.

Oil flows lower on pipeline approval

On Friday, President Donald Trump approved the Keystone XL pipeline, paving the way for more Canadian crude oil to flow to U.S. refineries. This move was widely expected, but would increase oil supplies by 800,000 barrels per day, exacerbating a domestic oil glut.

Oil markets fell near a four-month low, trading Friday under $48 per barrel, taking gasoline and diesel fuel prices lower by about two cents per gallon as well.

Perdue heads toward USDA position

Sonny Perdue, the nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, received a warm welcome this week in the Senate at his confirmation hearing. Perdue, the former governor of Georgia, addressed bipartisan concerns about budget cuts, immigration curbs and limits on free trade.

If confirmed by the Senate, Perdue would oversee the USDA, an agency with nearly 100,000 employees that focuses on agriculture, forestry, rural development, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.
RIVERTON  Rivers and creeks swollen with snowmelt runoff are causing some minor flooding in western Wyoming.

Officials said the Bear River upstream and downstream from Cokeville in Lincoln County is flooding mainly agricultural land.

The river is expected to slowly recede below bankfull at Cokeville by Saturday morning.

In the Star Valley area, Crow Creek and Salt River are flooding mainly agricultural land although some homeowners in the Fairview area have had to place sandbags to protect their property.

Crow Creek near Fairview crested Thursday morning and the Salt River near Etna crested Thursday afternoon.
There are four artillery pieces on public display around the city of Casper. Can you name their locations and what they are?

Located at Veterans Park, near the intersection of East Second Street and East Yellowstone Highway, is a 17 cm mittlerer Minenwerfer. This is a World War I (1914-1918) German mortar. Minenwerfer in German means mine thrower, and it was used in trench warfare to lob shells at a high angle so they could drop down on troops in the trenches. The mortars used by the German army had been designed in 1908-09 and came in three sizes: the 25 cm heavy mortar, the 17 cm medium mortar and the 7.6 cm light mortar.

At Highland Cemetery, along Conwell Drive, is a 3.2-inch field gun from the Spanish American War period (1898). It is a Model 1885 or Model 1897 breech loading cannon. There were only minor design differences between the two models, with 100 of the Model 1885 built and 262 of the Model 1897. This was the predominant artillery piece for the U.S. Army during the Spanish American War and into the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902).

The Platte River Parkway has a cannon near the intersection of First Street and South Poplar. It is pointed toward the old Midwest Refinery location that is now Three Crowns Golf Course. On June 17, 1921, lightning caused seven oil tanks to catch fire. This became known as the Midwest Oil Tank Farm Battle. Dykes were built around the tanks, and a cannon was used to punch holes in them to let the oil drain out. This cannon was one of several safety cannons from the Midwest Oil Companys Salt Creek Field and may have been the one used in 1921 to fight the tank farm fire.

Fort Caspar Museum has a new artillery piece on public display. It is a 12-Pounder Mountain Howitzer, Model 1841, set on a 2nd Model Prairie Carriage. Earlier versions of the carriage included a Pack Model which could be taken apart and packed on three horses and a model with a narrower axel. The Mountain Howitzer saw use by the Army for about 40 years on the western plains until it was replaced by breech loading guns such as the Hotchkiss Mountain Gun. A 12-Pounder Mountain Howitzer was present during the Battle of Platte Bridge and fired warning shots for the Custard supply wagons approaching the fort from the west. It was manned by members of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Since there were seldom artillerymen available, infantry and cavalry troops were trained to handle the guns and became instant artillerymen.

Finally, while not cannons, Fort Caspar has two field artillery caissons from the World War I period. They are Model 1918 limbers and caissons for the U.S. Army 75 mm field gun (French 75). The limbers and caissons were used to carry ammunition; the limber would have 18 artillery rounds and the caisson another 36 rounds.
A Natrona County man suspected of sexually assaulting a young girl and possessing pornographic images of her pleaded not guilty Thursday to 10 felony charges.

Aaron Rushing, 38, appeared for his arraignment in Natrona County District Court, where he entered not guilty pleas to four counts of first-degree sexual assault of a minor, three counts of sexual abuse of a minor, two counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and one count of posessing child pornography.

Combined, the charges carry a maximum sentence of roughly 400 years in prison.

Rushing appeared in court wearing an orange jail uniform and shackles. He spoke only to answer procedural questions from the judge.

The criminal case against Rushing began last month when a high school student in Casper told a campus police officer that hed inadvertently stumbled upon child pornography on a USB drive that hed borrowed from Rushings house, court documents state.

The student went on to say that Rushing destroyed the drive after being confronted about its contents, the documents allege.

A girl whose photographs were on the USB drive later told authorities that Rushing had basically been raping her for a long time and detailed several specific instances, according to court documents.

Investigators say Rushing agreed to speak with them and described instances where he said he had sex or sexual contact with the girl, authorities say.

He remains jailed pending trial or a plea deal.
Drugs, alcohol factors in mans drowning in Riverton ditch

RIVERTON  Toxicology reports show drugs and alcohol may have contributed to the drowning death of a man who was found in an irrigation ditch in Riverton.

Joseph Atkins body was discovered Feb. 21, nearly an hour after he was reported missing.

According to the Fremont County Coroners Office, Atkin had a blood alcohol content of .169 at the time of his death. Marijuana, amphetamine and Valium were also found in his system.

Deputy Coroner Tadd Curtin says Atkins toxicology is relevant to his drowning.

A woman had reported seeing the Lander man standing near the edge of the water before his body was found about a mile and a half downstream. It is unknown whether he willingly entered the flood waters.

More than 1,200 Yellowstone bison killed this winter season

BOZEMAN, Mont.  Operations to kill bison in Yellowstone National Park for slaughter have come to an end, with more than 1,200 bison culled this winter.

The park released figures Wednesday showing 748 bison were consigned to slaughter this year. Another 453 were killed by hunters from Native American tribes and the state of Montana.

The total winter death toll marks the highest number of bison killed in the Yellowstone area since 2008. It also falls just short of the removal goal bison managers set in the fall.

Bison are taken from the area each year because of a management plan established in 2000 that calls for a population of 3,000 bison in the region. Park biologists estimate there are 5,500 bison there now.

Cody psychiatrist charged with huffing and driving, crash

POWELL A Cody psychiatrist has been charged with driving under the influence for a second time in four months.

Matthew Hopkins, 49, waived a preliminary hearing Wednesday for aggravated assault and misdemeanor DUI.

Prosecutors say Hopkins had passed out and had a can of Dust-Off in his sport utility vehicle when he crashed head-on into a pickup on March 14, injuring the other driver. The chemicals in canned air can be inhaled for a euphoric high.

Hopkins, whose specialties include treating people with addictions, has previously had his medical license suspended in New Hampshire and Wyoming due to his own struggles with addiction.

Hopkins posted a $20,000 bond is scheduled to enter pleas next week.

A change-of-plea hearing for the November DUI is set for May.
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, Wyomings lone member of the House, blamed some of her colleagues for the stunning collapse of the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare on Friday afternoon.

House GOP leadership pulled the American Health Care Act, the replacement bill also referred to as Trumpcare, from consideration after it became clear that Speaker Paul Ryan did not have the votes to pass it.

We thought we were in a position where we had the votes to repeal and replace it, Cheney said in an interview. But you just had a number of Republicans who decided it was better to vote with (Democrat and Minority Leader Nancy) Pelosi, better to vote essentially to maintain Obamacare.

While Republican defectors were split into two camps  moderates who worried the bill did too much and conservatives who worried it did too little  Cheney supported the AHCA and said it was an important first step toward improving the nations health care system.

Its such a shame, Cheney said. These are peoples lives were talking about, and people have got to be rescued from this collapsing system.

Ryan and President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to replace Obamacare, both said Friday that they were now done attempting to replace Obamacare and would focus on other legislative goals.

But Cheney said that she was not finished with the issue.

Weve got to rescue the American health care system from Obamacare, she said. Whether were able to take it up in exactly the same form I dont know. Well have to see.

Relief for some

Meanwhile, some Wyoming groups expressed relief that Obamacare will remain the law of the land  at least for now  after congressional Republicans abruptly pulled their repeal-and-replace plan without a vote.

Obamacare isnt perfect, said Eric Boley, executive director of the Wyoming Hospital Association. But the GOP replacement plan had too many unknowns.

We felt like this was moving too quickly and there were too many unanswered questions, specifically for Wyoming and what it would do for Wyoming, he said. Our request was to get that information before a vote.

Boley traveled to Washington on Monday and Tuesday to speak to Wyomings all-Republican congressional delegation  Cheney and Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso.

Additionally, executives at local hospitals made calls to the delegation and their staffs.

Im sure itll come back, Boley said.

The AHCA was widely unpopular, with just 17 percent of American voters supporting the legislation, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

Among Republican voters, 41 percent supported the bill.

Cheney said the unpopularity was in part due to a misunderstanding of the repeal-and-replace process. She said the AHCA was one of three steps. The second step was for the Trump administration to make new rules giving more power to the states. Finally, Congress would pass more legislation to, for example, enable insurance companies to compete across state lines.

Those three parts of the package were all critically important and necessary, Cheney said.

But many voters and major medical organizations balked at the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Republican plan, which estimated that 24 million Americans would eventually lose coverage if the AHCA became law.

The bill would have kept some popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the official name of Obamacare, including protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions and allowing children to stay on their parents insurance until age 26. But it would have repealed the individual mandate and changed the tax credit system that helps people who do not receive insurance through their employer to receive coverage.

Under Obamacare, the tax credits were tied to income, but under Trumpcare they would have been pegged exclusively to age. Older Wyomingites, who currently receive subsidies of up to $14,330, could have seen that amount drop to $4,000. Amendments to the legislation introduced this week were meant to assuage the concerns about insurance costs for seniors but still failed to placate some moderate Republican lawmakers.

The AHCA would have also significantly changed Medicaid by capping the federal contribution to the program. A Star-Tribune analysis of the impact on Wyoming estimated the state could face a $239 million deficit for Medicaid over the next 10 years under the GOP bill.

The original legislation would have cut the federal deficit by $337 billion, an amount that was reduced following changes to provide more subsidies for seniors.

New plan sought

In a statement, Barrasso said the decision to pull the bill doesnt change the fact that Congress must act to address issues with Obamacare, which he called a failing law.

Over the coming months, Congress and the Trump administration must find consensus on policies to lower health care costs for all Americans, he said.

Enzi also said Congress should continue to focus on reforms in the health care system.

The status quo is failing millions of Americans and change is necessary so Congress will need to continue to work on improving health care for millions of Americans in order to lower costs, increase access and ultimately provide better care, he said in a statement.

Wyoming is a rural state where health care is expensive. Wyomingites on the Obamacare insurance marketplace receive higher tax credits than the national average. Tax credits under the replacement plan would have been scaled back.

In Wyoming, 23,000 people have insurance purchased through the Obamacare exchange, including nearly 2,700 people in Natrona County. Ninety-four percent of Wyomingites on the exchanges receive subsidies, according to a Friday statement from the Wyoming Medical Center.

Officials at the Casper hospital expected its costs to increase with the repeal of the Obamacare. They figured more people would be unable to afford health insurance under the repeal-and-replace bill, leaving the hospital to absorb costs of people using the emergency room, the statement said.

The hospital cannot turn away people from the ER if theyre unable to pay.

Wyoming Medical Center believes that the more people who have access to affordable health insurance, the healthier the community in which they live, read the statement, sent by spokeswoman Kristy Bleizeffer. People who are insured access health care earlier in the disease process, when disease is both cheaper to treat and before it becomes catastrophic.

The repeal-and-replace bill was unpopular with many conservatives, who didnt think it guaranteed enough cost savings, and progressives, who thought it threw out too many good aspects of Obamacare.

Thanks to the grassroots organizing of concerned Wyomingites and people across the country, this dangerous piece of legislation has failed, said Aimee Van Cleave, executive director of the Wyoming Democratic Party. It is undeniable proof that when people take the time to share their stories and make their voices heard  legislators have no choice but to pay attention.

Van Cleave was disappointed that Cheney had said she was planning to vote for the GOP bill.

Unfortunately, Rep. Cheney has once again proven that she is uninterested in the concerns of rural hospital officials, health care experts, and most importantly, every day Wyomingites who have reached out to share how this bill would negatively impact their lives, she said.

However, not all Wyomingites cheered the preliminary GOP failure to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Bill Schilling, president of the Wyoming Business Alliance, which advocates for companies in the state, said increases in health care for employers have been unsustainable in the past 10 years.

We had momentum on this as a fairly decisive issue in the election, Schilling said. And its pretty clear that the current Affordable Care Act has flaws. So vote on it. Send it to the Senate to see what they will do in terms of their craftsmanship.
Forget the post-truth presidency, when it didnt matter  or so the Trump White House hoped  whether the president told the truth. In retrospect, those seem like the good old days. We have now entered even scarier territory, the pre-truth presidency: If an assertion isnt true, no worry. President Donald Trump will find a way to make it so, or at least claim it is.

In The World According to Trump, the president makes a baseless assertion  perhaps to distract from bad news, perhaps to vent, perhaps simply to attract attention, the narcotic he craves in ever-larger doses. Then Trump or his hapless aides scramble to collect evidence, however sketchy, to back him up. Or, scarier still, he relies on his Twitter-fueled, sycophant-enabled capacity to create his own reality-distortion field.

Trump gleefully elaborated on this approach in a revealing interview with Time magazines Michael Scherer.

Sweden, I make the statement, everyone goes crazy. The next day they have a massive riot, and death, and problems, Trump said, referring to his unfounded comment last month about whats happening last night in Sweden.

In this way, Trump serves as a human Heisenberg principle, changing a measurable phenomenon by observing it. If he is wrong, it is only a matter of time until he becomes right, at least in his own head. As he told Scherer, I predicted a lot of things that took a little of bit of time.

So it will be, Trump predicted, with his reiterated, if slightly revised (mostly they register wrong) assertion that his popular-vote loss was the result of 3 million or more undocumented people voting. Well I think I will be proved right about that too, Trump said. Well see after the committee. I have people say it was more than that.

Most politicians recoil from controversy. Trump seems to be convinced that controversy serves to amplify his message. The burden of added scrutiny is outweighed, in this Trumpian calculus, by the benefit of extra attention for whatever message he is peddling.

The consequent irony is that a president who denounces serious reporting and unwelcome facts  Any negative polls are fake news, Trump tweeted last month  has no qualms about relying on the fakest of news, either as unchecked fodder for a tweet or to back it up after the fact.

Pressed by Scherer about his campaign trail insinuation that Ted Cruzs father was connected to Lee Harvey Oswald, Trump was characteristically unrepentant: Why do you say that I have to apologize? Im just quoting the newspaper just like I quoted the judge the other day.

The newspaper  that would be The National Enquirer. Enough said. The judge  that would be Andrew Napolitano, the former New Jersey Superior Court judge and Fox News commentator who claimed to have three intelligence sources saying the British had helped President Obama spy on Trump, a claim that Fox itself said it could not confirm, before yanking Napolitano off the air.

Scherer, pressing gently: But traditionally, people in your position in the Oval Office have not said things unless they can verify they are true.

Trump: Im not saying, Im quoting, Michael, Im quoting highly respected people and sources from major television networks. Hes just quoting  this in the face of the statement by a British intelligence agency that it was utterly ridiculous to suggest it spied on Trump and testimony by National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers that such an allegation clearly frustrates a key ally of ours.

Yet it is not simply that Trump refuses to accept reality, it is that he bends it to his will. In this Trump tower of dreams, if he tweets it, the truth  or some asserted version thereof  will come.

For example, in the hyper-partisan form of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. Even as Trump was on the phone with Scherer, the California Republican was scurrying to the White House to announce that U.S. intelligence agencies had gathered and shared information about Trump and his transition team.

Wow ... so that means Im right, Trump told Scherer, reading from a news report. No, not even close. How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process, Trump had tweeted. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

Trump was wrong then, and nothing Nunes had to report about incidental surveillance made him retroactively right. Claiming so may be good enough for Trump and the pre-truth presidency he oversees. It should not  it cannot  suffice for the rest of us.
Word came down a few weeks ago that AT&T and subsidiary DirecTV were close to settling the Justice Departments lawsuit against them, and that settlement is now official. Notably, the settlement doesnt require AT&T/DirecTV to add TimeWarner Cables Dodgers channel SportsNet LA, which was at the heart of this issue.

The settlement does not require any pay-TV company to carry the Dodgers channel but does require DirecTV to refrain from swapping competitively sensitive information with rivals, according to a court filing. Under the settlement, the companies must also monitor some communications that their executives have with competitors and to implement compliance programs.

The Justice Department sued AT&T over this last November , alleging that DirecTV executives led a campaign to make sure other providers (AT&T, which didnt own DirecTV then, plus Cox and Charter) also wouldnt pick up the channel in 2013 and 2014. They alleged that Dodgers fans were denied a fair competitive process thanks to DirecTV exchanging confidential information with direct competitors. Interestingly enough, the settlement doesnt require AT&T/DirecTV to offer the Dodgers channel, but it does prohibit them from exchanging this sort of information again

It probably makes sense for AT&T to settle this lawsuit, especially as the Justice Department is currently scrutinizing their planned purchase of Time Warner Inc. (which does not include TimeWarner Cable, which Charter bought last year). Outstanding litigation against them might have hurt that acquisition. And this settlement doesnt require AT&T Uverse or DirecTV to pick up SportsNet LA, so they didnt have to give in there. Meanwhile, the Justice Department also got at least part of what they wanted; some prevention against this sort of alleged collusion happening in the future.

The settlement promotes competition among pay-television providers and prevents AT&T and DIRECTV from engaging in illegal conduct that thwarts the competitive process, said acting Assistant Attorney General Brent Snyder of the Justice Department.

However, while there are some steps here to prohibit that kind of behavior from happening again (most notably, the compliance programs and communications monitoring), a big part of the issue here was how blatantly DirecTV executives discussed this. In fact, the Justice Departments complaint cited then-DirecTV CEO Mike Whites public comments in a May 2014 industry conference that it was important that distributors start to stand together, like most of us have been doing in Los Angeles for the first time ever, by the way, with the Dodgers on outrageous increases and excesses.' So, this was a really easy target. More subtle comments and exchanges of information may be harder to stop.

The other takeaway here is that this settlement will not, in and of itself, create any more coverage for the beleaguered SportsNet LA. Of course, the Justice Department didnt ask for that, but some figured a settlement might involve AT&T/DirecTV agreeing to pick up the channel. That hasnt happened. They certainly could still add it, and maybe they will now there isnt litigation over it, but theres no pressure on them to do so now. So, it may still be quite hard for fans in Los Angeles to watch the Dodgers this year.

[Reuters]
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some March 24 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
The news knocked the wind out of some TUSD employees last week, leaving them fearful and mystified.

Tucson police arrested and took to jail a middle-school counselor and vice principal who failed to report a case of student-on-student abuse in a classroom. A 12-year-old boy grabbed the breast of a 12-year-old girl, police said, and the Roberts-Naylor Middle School staff members didnt report it.

Still, why arrest them and charge them with failing to report  a felony?!

From what hes seen, Tucson Education Association President Jason Freed told me, There doesnt seem to be any rational explanation for this one incident to have this kind of a response, when similar incidents havent had a similar kind of response.

Therein, however, may lie the explanation.

The relationship between Tucson police and the Tucson Unified School District has had spikes of conflict over the last couple of years. As KGUNs Valerie Cavazos has reported, the previous police chief, Roberto Villasenor, wrote a letter to TUSD demanding better discipline after a September 2015 brawl at Palo Verde High School, which he called a school with no consequences.

Last year, the principal of Cholla High School waited a week before reporting that a teacher, Eddie Rodriguez, had inappropriately touched a student. Rodriguez was later charged with sexual abuse.

Tucson police, it appears, are bringing the hammer down after seeing too many cases of TUSD employees not adhering strictly to state law and district policies that require teachers and other school employees to report to police or the Department of Child Safety any cases in which children are victims of abuse.

At the beginning of the year, we initiated conversations with their legal advisers to help them rectify some of the concerns wed had with following the law and their own guidebook, Assistant Police Chief Ramon Batista told me Tuesday.

With police Chief Chris Magnus blessing, Batista made the call on arresting counselor Linda Archuleta and vice principal Bernadette Rosthenhauler.

The evidence that we had in this case that they had failed to report was overwhelming, he said.

The complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court makes it clear precisely what bothered the police. The detective wrote:

School staff conducted their own investigation and the police were not notified. The 12 year old sexual abuse victims mother went to the school and spoke with the defendant (Rosthenhausler) and school counselor telling them she wanted to prosecute for the sexual abuse. The defendant, along with the counselor both told the victims mother they did not have to call the police to report the sexual abuse. Victims mother was provided the TPD non emergency (number) by the counselor and was told she needed to report the incident since she wanted to prosecute for sexual abuse.

State law mandates that people in many different professions report it if they learn a child has been a victim of abuse, deliberate neglect or other offenses. Teachers, counselors, nurses, doctors, priests, pastors and police officers all are required by law to report. Failure to report is a felony, yet these two said, according to the complaint, they were not required to report.

Still, the law is most directly intended to ensure that abuse of children by adults is reported. Mistreatment of one child by another often may fit into a grayer area of interpretation, as Freed explained.

I think part of the challenge is, with adolescents, theres plenty of time they make foolish decisions that really are relegated to foolishness rather than predatory behavior, he said.

We dont want to turn every single student conflict into a potential criminal matter.

Still, school employees are trained every year  twice in this school year, TUSD spokeswoman Stefanie Boe told me  to report any possible incidents of abuse of students. And the obvious rule to follow is: When in doubt, report.

But TUSD has countervailing forces that may make employees question that guidance. The restorative discipline approach that is mandated by the districts desegregation case takes a less punitive approach to student discipline. Instead of suspending a student, for example, the administrators may convene a restorative circle in which conflicts are discussed and resolved.

Expelling or suspending students also peels numbers away from the districts enrollment. So perhaps its not surprising some employees seem to have taken their reporting requirements less seriously than they are required to.

But the bottom line is, they are required, and the requirements are there for a reason. I first came across these reporting mandates when covering the child sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church  a situation that was rife with adults in power covering up abuse instead of reporting. That scandal showed better than any why adults in positions to learn of possible child abuse simply need to report, not burden themselves with weighing whether its right.

Now, any time something happens, because of this situation, teachers are going to be calling 911 even more so, Freed told me. The goal isnt to flood the 911 system, but its that if this is the environment were living in, educators are going to have to respond in kind.

Indeed, Batista said, police noticed an increase in reports in the days after the arrests last week. Its too bad that means police will be responding to some pretty minor conflicts at schools, but that beats the alternative.
A 12-year-old Tucson student was arrested on suspicion of felony sexual abuse Monday in connection with an incident that led to the recent arrest of two TUSD employees.

The Arizona Daily Star is not naming the boy, as it is the policy not to name juveniles unless they are charged as adults.

Two employees of Roberts-Naylor K-8 School, Vice Principal Bernadette Rosthenhausler, 45, and counselor Linda Archuleta, 60, were arrested March 14 for failing to report the incident, according to Tucson police.

On March 1, Rosthenhausler and Archuleta were told about a fight that took place in one of the classrooms after the boy grabbed a 12-year-old girls breast, according to the interim complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court.

The girls mother went to the school and said she wanted to prosecute for sexual abuse, but Rosthenhausler and Archuleta told the woman the school didnt have to call the police to report the incident, the complaint said.

The victims mother called Tucson police and Rosthenhasler and Archuleta were arrested on suspicion of failure to report a reportable offense.

Both women told police they knew they were considered mandatory reporters.
Sahuarita officials said the town is considering breaking ties with the Pima Animal Care Center as early this summer.

The town is considering contracting with other groups  including the Humane Society of Southern Arizona  after county officials earlier this week rejected a customized contract  known as an intergovernmental agreement  from the town. Marana voted recently to drop its contract with PACC in favor of a new agreement for sheltering animals with the Humane Society and hiring its own animal control officers.

Teri Bankhead, an assistant to the Sahuarita town manager, said the town contracts with the county to provide animal control services and wrote the proposal to meet the towns animal control codes. The contract with PACC expires June 30.

When we made our recent proposal for the IGA we added a cost in there that we felt represented what our costs were to enforce our animal codes, Bankhhead said.

The cost of the proposal for the town is capped at $35,000  about $14,000 less than what Sahuarita paid in the last fiscal year. The countys IGA puts the cost for PACC services at $88,000.

The town proposal included paying for community education courses, day-to-day enforcement calls, licensing, shelter and veterinary services.

But the town balked at paying for other services, including operations and management, administrative services and specialized services, including a program to spay and neuter feral cats.

For a small town like Sahuarita, Bankhead said, having a service contract that could increase in cost every year made it difficult to anticipate in terms of the annual budget.

There is no containment  so each year we werent sure what we were going to be looking at in terms of expense, Bankhead said. It jumped from 13 to 14 by 140 percent.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry acknowledged that the towns intent is clear  it will only sign an agreement on the expressed terms and conditions outlined in the towns proposal. But he is unwilling to offer custom contracts for each city and town in Pima County that uses PACC services.

This proposed IGA is a significant departure from our present animal care practices, Huckelberry wrote in a recent memo. The county views your proposed IGA as a retreat from the present animal care policies of the county that favor adoption over euthanasia.

Part of the towns proposed changes is that it calls for the financial responsibilities for the towns sheltered animals to be transferred to the county after a five-day holding period. The current average length of stay at PACC is about 10 days. This creates a financial incentive to euthanize Sahuarita animals after the five-day period, Huckelberry said in the memo. Such is unacceptable.

However, Bankhead left the door open to working out an agreement with the county.

We are doing our best to look at our options, Bankhead said.

She added the talks with the Humane Society were in the earliest of stages.
The family of a Tucson man shot and killed during a struggle with a Pima County sheriffs deputy last summer has filed a $7.5 million wrongful-death claim against the county.

Claudia Gastelum and Wilberto Llanes Sr. are each asking for a $3.75 million settlement in the wrongful death of their son, Marcos Gastelum, who died last August, according to a preliminary claim filed in Pima County Superior Court last month.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., Deputy Koby Knodle, who is named as a defendant in the claim, responded to reports of a man taking photographs of children and trying to lure them toward his vehicle, said Deputy Ryan Inglett, a sheriffs department spokesman.

Knodle identified the suspects vehicle and followed it into a driveway near South San Joaquin and West Bopp Road. Both men got out of their cars and Gastelum, 24, became physically aggressive and began fighting with Knodle, Inglett said.

The pair ended up on the ground and Knodle shot Gastelum, who was airlifted to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead, Inglett said.

The claim says that Knodle acted negligently and Gastelum died as a result.

Chief Deputy Attorney Amelia Cramer has previously told the Star that the Pima County Attorneys Office does not comment on pending civil cases.
PHOENIX (AP)  The Census Bureau says Arizona's Maricopa County has replaced Texas' Harris County as the county with the nation's highest annual population growth.

Maricopa County includes Phoenix and most of its suburbs and has an estimated population topping 4.2 million.

Maricopa County gained over 81,000 people between July 1, 2015 and July 1, 2016, a daily increase of 222.

Harris County had an increase of nearly 57,000, or about 155 per day on average.

Maricopa County gained most of its new residents from having more people relocate from elsewhere in the United States than leave for other locations.

Other contributors were natural growth by having more births than deaths and from international migration.

Maricopa County's growth rate of nearly 2 percent is the highest rate among the nation's 10 largest counties.
Two additional threatening notes have been found at Flagstaff Unified School District schools.

According to Flagstaff police, a note was found Thursday evening in the girls bathroom at Flagstaff High School. A second note was found by staff written on a wall in the girls bathroom at Thomas Elementary School.

The threatening notes are the latest in a series that have been found over the past few weeks. According to police, on March 8, a student found a note in the boys bathroom at Flagstaff High School warning that there would be a shootout at the school. The student tossed the note because he thought it was joke.

A second note was found on March 9 in the girls bathroom at Flagstaff High. That note indicated that a Columbine-type event would take place sometime in March at the school. A third note was found on March 20 in the girls bathroom at Flagstaff High. That note referred to April 20, the anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. The latest note at Flagstaff High was found Thursday evening while staff were cleaning the girls bathroom. It mentioned the three previous notes that were found at the school.

The note found at Thomas Elementary School was also found by staff cleaning the bathroom. It also threatens a school shooting but does not look like the notes found at Flagstaff High.

Police are investigating the notes as a felony crime. A school resource officer has been assigned full-time during the school day at Flagstaff High for the next several weeks.

Anyone with information should contact Flagstaff Police Detective Barreras at (928) 679-4055 or Silent Witness at (928) 774-6111.
Northern Ireland

Thousands line streets to honor ex-IRA chief

Martin McGuinness, the Irish Republican Army chieftain who turned away from violence to forge bonds with Northern Irelands Protestants, was laid to rest Thursday in a cross-community service that illustrated the new alliances forged by the regions slow-blooming peace process.

Tens of thousands lined the streets of McGuinness native Bogside district of Londonderry as Sinn Fein party colleagues, IRA veterans, family members and lifelong friends took turns carrying his Irish flag-draped casket from the McGuinness home to the gates of the citys oldest Catholic church.

The sea of mournful faces represented the greatest show of Irish republican grief since the 1981 funeral for IRA hunger strike leader Bobby Sands, whose election to British Parliament inspired Sinn Fein to start contesting elections in an early step toward peace.

Ukraine

Ex-Russian lawmaker shot dead in Kiev

KIEV  A former Russian lawmaker who became a vociferous critic of Moscow following his recent move to Ukraine was shot and killed Thursday in Kiev, prompting harsh words between the two neighboring countries.

Denis Voronenkov, who had testified to Ukrainian investigators and criticized Russian policies after his move to Kiev last fall, was shot dead by an unidentified gunman near the entrance of an upscale hotel in the Ukrainian capital.

Voronenkovs bodyguard, a Ukrainian security services officer, fired back during the attack and was seriously wounded.

Ukrainian officials said the gunman, who they claimed was a Ukrainian citizen, later died from wounds in his chest and head.

Germany

German scientists test artificial sun

BERLIN  Scientists in Germany flipped the switch Thursday on whats being described as the worlds largest artificial sun, a device they hope will help shed light on new ways of making climate-friendly fuels.

The giant honeycomb-like setup of 149 spotlights  officially known as Synlight  in Juelich uses xenon short-arc lamps normally found in cinemas to simulate natural sunlight thats often in short supply in Germany.

By focusing the entire array on a single 8-by-8 inch spot, scientists from the German Aerospace Center, or DLR, will be able to produce the equivalent of 10,000 times the amount of solar radiation that would normally shine on the same surface.

Many consider hydrogen to be the fuel of the future because it produces no carbon emissions when burned, meaning it doesnt add to global warming.
Police in western India have arrested nine people as they investigate the collapse of a newly repaired 143-year-old suspension bridge. The collapse Sunday evening in Gujarat state plunged hundreds of people into a river, killing at least 134. As families mourned the dead, attention turned to why the bridge, built during British colonialism, had collapsed and who might be responsible. Security video showed hundreds of people clinging to the broken structure and trying to make their way to safety. The pedestrian bridge had reopened just four days earlier after more than six months of repairs. Officials said it was overloaded with people drawn to the attraction during the Hindu festival season.
Help India!

By Abdul Gani, Twocircles.net

Guwahati: A week or so ago, the issue of Assams Islamic clerics coming together to pass a Fatwa against a young Muslim girl for singing a Hindu bhajan made for exciting news, and the mainstream media went to town with it. Except, no such Fatwa was passed. But it once highlighted how easy the media found it to stereotype Muslim clerics and paint them as conservatives who issue Fatwas against all and sundry at the drop of a hat.

Support TwoCircles



And this is why, the story of Mufti Nasihur Rahman, the principal of Al Jamiatul Islamia Banat Madrassa in Assams Mangaldai, is extremely inspiring. Rahman calls himself a Swachchta doot (Cleanliness agent) and uses his position and influence to inspire thousands to adapt to hygiene and cleanliness. No wonder, he has struck a chord with the audience. Rahman saab talks of cleanliness and related issues during the Friday prayers when many people gather in the mosque. It is great to see a religious leader playing the role to bring a change in the society like this which is not so common, said Ashraful Islam, a college student who attends Friday prayers with Rahman.

Rahmans initiative has drawn much appreciation from people across the state. We need more maulanas like him who talk about social issues and the larger good of society. Sanitation is an issue that concerns us all. If they are actively involved in issues like water, sanitation, and environment, they can usher in a behavioral change. This will, in turn, lead to building a strong country, Teresa Rehman, a Guwahati-based journalist told Twocircles.net.

Rehman who also initiated a group called sanitation scribes said that every day, some 1,800 children under the age of five die due to the lack of clean and healthy Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), with approximately 1,200-1,600 deaths in India.

Rahman started his cleanliness mission more than four years ago even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the Swachh Bharat Mission. I have been doing this for over 10 years actually. But for the last four years I have started to do it dedicatedly when I realized people do listen to my advice, said Rahman.

Initially, a section of people tried to mock at him for preaching on cleanliness being a cleric, many in the neighbourhood and followers appreciated his work.

Every now and then, I use to take my girls in the front yards of our madrassa for cleaning works. Its a habit I want them to get used to, he added.

Maulana Rahman said that he has witnessed change among the people after he started his campaign of cleanliness. Its great to see how people have learned their lessons. I have gone to rural areas where people are not educated but now they have realised the importance of cleanliness. I will be conducting similar activities in coming days in various locations and madrasas, Rahman told Twocircles.net.

Recently, Rahman conducted a cleanliness awareness camp at Dalgaon madrasa in Darrang district where around 200 students and locals attended. It was a great success. We are focusing on many areas including physical activity for good health and education. Now I will visit some sandbars to create awareness on cleanliness and to make these areas open defecation free before I start focussing on Jorhat, he added.

He has also made a habit of cleanliness for around 150 girls in his madrassa.

Water holds a significant position in many religion and culture. If Influential opinion leaders, such as Government, elected representatives, media and faith leaders come together, they can play a critical role in achieving the States target on WASH. The Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) is the worlds first organisation bringing together the leaders of the planets many faiths with the mission of ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to safe and sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Tahseen Alam, Communications Officer of UNICEF Assam was quoted as saying by The Thumb Print magazine.

The Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), the first global interfaith initiative to promote safe water, sanitation and hygiene, was launched by UNICEF in 2013, in a bid to bring together faith-based organizations to pursue a common goal of a water-secure world and equity in safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Rahman was present with other religious leaders at the Assam Conference on Sanitation (ASCOSAN) held in Guwahati recently.
Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

Kakapora: As a common Kashmiri, what can you do to bring peace in the region? Protest? Keep quiet? Donate? Participate in the peacebuilding process? Remain silent? For most, the answer remains lost amidst all these propositions; and never revealed fully.

In July 2016, within hours of the encounter of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, the Kashmir valley, and especially South Kashmir, erupted on the streets to protest. Some vented their anger through protests, even as they doubled-up to rush the injured to hospitals. Some helped with financial donations, others helped by just being there. The pain of the Valley was felt by all its residents, yet as the death toll rose and the injured filled up every nook and corner of already-crowded hospitals, the same old question popped up: what can a common Kashmiri do to help?

In Kakapora, 27 km from Srinagar, a 53-year-old man, Ali Mohammed Reshi watched the proceedings silently. Given his age, the recent turmoil seemed all too familiar to Reshi. What could he do, he wondered, staring blankly. Then, the idea struck him. He was staring with both his eyes. He had two eyes, and they had perfect vision. The fact that he had two eyes instantly made him better off than the thousands of children and youth who had been blinded by the dreaded pellets of the Indian security forces. In Kashmir, nothing can be taken for granted.

And to go back to the same old question: What can a common Kashmir do? Reshi had found his answer. He would look for a person who had been blinded by pellets and donate one of his eyes. The only condition? He would donate it only to a person who had lost both their eyes and was keen to pursue his/her education.

Kashmir. Here, even an act of donation must be political.

The story of Reshi will sound familiar to a lot of Kashmiris. Popularly called Ali Jaan in the town, he was once, as he admits, a part of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which over the years has turned on its own people with such ferocity that it no longer is seen as its own by the residents.

I was a wireless technician in JK police. In 1989, I was arrested by Border Security Force. During those days, there was no pre-requirement for getting arrested. If you had a beard, you could be arrested. If you even wore good shoes, you could be arrested. I did not wear good shoes, but still spent six months in Jail, recalls Reshi.

After coming out from detention, he left police service and also his beloved Kashmir. The next 12 years saw him find a new home and a new life in the Indian city of Hyderabad. Those 12 years, Reshi says, was a period of intense learning for him. He started working as a private teacher in a local school and went on to set up a south-Indian eatery in the city.

He married in Hyderabad and was blessed with three boys and one girl.

In 2002, Reshi decided to come back home in Kashmir believing that the guns had fallen silent and peace had returned.

He soon found out that nothing deceives a Kashmiri more than the promise of peace.

When I returned, I saw an atmosphere of fear created by Ikhwan (the government supported renegades). Nobody would dare to go to a government office, he recollects.

Trying to establish peace and sense of security in his town which he felt in Hyderabad during his decade-long stay, Reshi began his crusade for peace and development in the town which got him much fame. Since then, he hasnt looked back, but optimism can be dangerous in Kashmir, as he soon found out. The recent unrests once again shook his belief that he could see peace return to the valley in his lifetime.

In the months following the death of Burhan Wani, the people in South Kashmir were caged in their homes due to the volatile situation in their towns and villages, coupled with frequent curfews.

Newspapers were the only source of information for us, and they too did not arrive regularly. It is from newspapers that I came to know about the gravity of the situation as to how children were being targeted and blinded by pellets, says Reshi.

For Reshi, Islam is an important source of inspiration for him and he feels that life is about sacrifice. Religion teaches that a person should seek light over darkness, but the government here is taking our generation from light to darkness.

A regular blood donor, Reshi is looking out for pellet victim, who lost both eyes and wishes to pursue further education. Weeks after making his mind to donate one eye, he started going to villages in Pulwama and localities in Srinagar city looking out for pellet victim, whom he can donate his eye.

Starting at Fajr (morning prayers), his search for pellet victims continues till Maghrib (prayer after sunset).

The first word revealed in Quran was Iqra meaning read. So education is the best tool to get away with darkness. Tell me what education can they get when they are blinded by pellets?, Reshi asks.

Until he has both his eyes, Reshi says he will continue promoting non-violent methods to promote peace, or a semblance of it, in all ways possible. Last December, he marched 60 km, wearing a white shroud with a white flag from Kakapora town to Charari Sharief, a Muslim shrine in Budgam district.

The words on flag read,  Jangh wa Hathyar nhi, Ilam wa hunar dedo. Sangh was barood nhi, Aman wa Zindigi dedo (Give us education and skills, instead of war and weapons. Give us peace and life instead of stones and dynamites.)

He is also known to enter ground zero too, often coming between security forces firing non-lethal weapons, sometimes lethal and youths pelting stones. Knowing well that the security forces are most likely to ignore, or worse, shoot him, he instead speaks to the youth and pleads to them to return home and seek education. He believes that only youths educated in the proper sense can bring peace and solution to Kashmirs decade-long conflict.

As of now, Reshi is continuing his search for deserving pellet victim to whom he can donate his one eye, and the other after his death.

Donating my eyes will just complete purpose of my life, he says I hope that other people will also follow my way and help these blinded youths, he adds.
Please Donate

In order to maintain this blog I have to pay for its upkeep including a hosting company, support services, virus and other malicious hackers.

If you appreciate what I write please make a donation.

Racist PayPal Tries to Close Down My Blog

As you can see from this article PayPal have removed my blog.

I would therefore ask people to make any future donations to the following:

Name of Account: Brighton and Hove Unemployed Workers Centre

Account No: 04094107

Sort Code: 09-01-50

Reference: Web donations
Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

New Delhi: Five Muslims journalists were announced as winners of the prestigious Laadli Media award on Thursday for Gender Sensitivity 2015-16 among 37 others from across the country.

Support TwoCircles



Now in its 8th edition, the Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for gender sensitivity has been supported by Colors TV channel as the cause partner, United Nations Population Fund along with Population First and newspaper Telegraph.

Abdul Gani, Dr Syed Mubin Zehra, Mohd Tariq Zargar, Rahiba Rashid, and Tazeen Qureshi were shortlisted for the award. The award ceremony took place at Chinmaya mission, Lodhi road, New Delhi on Thursday evening.

The award carries a certificate and a trophy.

Guwahati-based journalist Abdul Gani, who has earlier worked for Twocircles.net and now writes for Times of India, The Citizen, Nezine and Anadolu Agency, was awarded for the best web feature in English language.

The web feature story When All Become One published on nezine.com focuses on the efforts of a group of village women led by Purnima Devi Barman to conserve the endangered greater Adjutant Stork in Kamrup district of Assam.

In his efforts to highlight the role of women in eco-conservation, Abdul Gani is awarded the Laadli Media and Advertising award for gender sensitivity, reads the certificate.

Its always great to get your work recognized. Im happy especially because of these wonderful women who have been involved in such a noble cause. I would also like to thank Purnima Devi Barman for her support and also for her selfless work towards conservation, Gani told Twicircles.net over phone from Guwahati.

They set an example for thousand others across the country and beyond. I dedicate this honour to these women, he added.

Along with Gani, Dr Syed Mubin Zehras column Sarghoshiya in Urdu newspaper Inquilab, Mohd Tariq Zargars Bete Aye Khusiyan Laye on Radio Kashmir, Rahiba Rashid magazine feature, Staying, Fighting and Dreaming and Tazeen Qureshi, electronic feature In an Odisha village, a bold conversation movement by women telecasted on NDTV were also awarded for their contributions.

The Laadli Media Awards honour, recognise and celebrate the efforts of those in media and advertising who highlight pressing gender concerns. It was launched in 2007. A year later, UNFPA joined Population First to make it a pan India event.
Help India!

Hyderabad, (IANS): A District Collector in Telangana on Friday said that beef ban due to bad Brahminical culture is affecting the health of people, especially scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes and advised them to eat what they had been eating for centuries to remain physically fit.

Jayashankar Bhupalapally Collector A. Murali made the controversial remarks while addressing a rally at Eturanagaram to mark World Tuberculosis Day.

Support TwoCircles



I am telling you because this is a fact. A bad Brahminical culture has come in which is saying we should not to eat beef. This is all nonsense, he said.

The Indian Administrative Service officer said villagers in Ranga Reddy and Mahabubnagar districts told him during his visits that they had turned weak because beef is no longer available.

They told me that earlier they used to do hard work because they were eating beef. They want to eat beef but it is not available, he said.

Murali also criticized the traditions which bar people from eating a particular dish. People these days wear this mala and that mala and avoid taking meat. This is all nonsense.

The Collector also asked tribals to eat wild boars as the Forest Department has allowed them to kill this animal. He said that meat of wild boars is in huge demand in countries like US.
The Muslim Council of Britains leader, Harun Khan, has said that the best response we can take as a people towards the outrage of the recent terrorist attack on Parliament, where a 4x4 was driven through a crowd of people on Westminster Bridge before a Police officer was stabbed and killed on the Parliamentary estate, is to make sure we come together in solidarity and not allow the terrorists to divide us, because that would be giving them what they want.

Imams have expressed their shock during Friday prayers

The Muslim leaders of Britain, including Khan, have spoken out against the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack.

Imams across the country are using their Friday prayers to express their shock and grief at the devastating incident. They want the press to not view the attack as a religious thing, because that would mean all Muslims want to drive a 4x4 into the Houses of Parliament and kill a cop, when the staggering majority in fact do not want to do that.

A double-digits number of leaders from faiths from not only islam, but Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and Sikhism, met with police officers and other authorities at Scotland Yard yesterday so that they could discuss what their response to the attack on Westminster would be. The Metropolitan police sent out a tweet that alluded to religious tolerance with the hashtag #WeStandTogether. They attached a picture of a bouquet of roses outside their headquarters.

The tweet read #WeStandTogether with communities, mentioned the faith leader-laden meeting at Scotland Yard, and promised that we wont allow terrorists to create discord, distrust & fear.

Muslim Council of Britain offers prayers to victims

The Muslim Council of Britain openly condemned the terrorist attack on Westminster and immediately responded by offering prayers and thoughts to the incidents victims and their families on Wednesday.

Yesterday, they released another statement to commend the Metropolitan police service, Prime Minister Theresa May, and the Mayor of London, for all theyve done in the wake of the atrocities and the tolerant approach they have taken following the attack.

Khan, the Muslim groups respectable general secretary, spoke out further against the Westminster attack, with some very harsh words.

This attack was cowardly and depraved, he said, adding that the Quran or anything else to do with the Islamic faith (or just basic human morals) offer no justification for this act whatsoever. Khans MLK-style dream at this time is for his Muslim brothers and sisters to reach out to fellow Londoners and Britons in solidarity to demonstrate that such hatred will not defeat our way of life.

Other Muslim leaders have responded, too

In addition to Khans comments, other Muslim leaders have had their say, and theyre all just as critical. The chair of a Birmingham mosque, Mohammad Afzal, has spoken out against London intelligence, who apparently knew of the perpetrator and the risk of an extremist attack by him.

This opens the door to a boatload of The Bush administration orchestrated 9/11-esque conspiracy theories. Afzal posed the question, Why did MI5 not keep an eye on him?

Since Wednesday, Afzals mosque has handed out 55,000 copies of a booklet entitled Terrorism Is Not Islam around the city, in mosques, schools, and shops. It is a 12-page guide that outlines the comparisons drawn between the two, and answers questions such as Are suicide attacks lawful in Islam? and Does the foreign policy of the west or other grievances justify killing non-Muslims?
On Tuesday, Donald Trump finally addressed the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States, but not everyone was impressed. When the issue was brought up on cable news, tempers started to flare.

CNN clash

After visiting the National Museum of African American Museum and Culture on Tuesday, Donald Trump addressed the press while reading a prepared statement. During his remarks, the president referred to the increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes as "painful" and "horrible," while vowing to fight back against all forms of "bigotry," "hatred" and "intolerance." In response, critics of the president were not pleased with his comments, claiming they were "too little, too late." The issue was highlighted during a February 21 segment on CNN, which quickly spiraled out of control.

(The conversation heats up around 4:00 in the above video.)

Joining the CNN panel was the executive director of the Anne Frank Center of Mutual Respect, Steven Goldstein, as well as network contributor and Donald Trump surrogate, Kayleigh McEnany. Goldstein accused Trump of being "forced" to make his remarks by "some staffers," hitting back at the former host of "The Apprentice" for remarks that didn't appear sincere. In response, McEnany pushed back, citing a previous quote by Trump where he called for "peace in this country." When McEnany asked Goldstein if he thought the president hated his daughter, Ivanka, who is Jewish, the conversation went to the next level.

The Anne Frank Center says anti-semitism has "infected" the Trump administration https://t.co/uYiMZCNagc pic.twitter.com/PT70xdFBff  CNN (@CNN) February 21, 2017

"I'm tired of commentators like you from the right trotting out his daughter, and trotting out his son-in-law as talking points against the president's anti-Semitism," Goldstein stated, calling it a "disgrace." Not stopping there, Goldstein continued to attack McEnany, asking, "Have you no ethics than to invoke people's religion as a talking point?" McEnany attempted to chime in, but Goldstein went on to say, "That itself is anti-Semitic." The two continued to battle it out throughout the rest of the segment, as the divide between the left and the right continued.

Next up

After just a month in office, Donald Trump has caused further friction and disdain between liberals and conservatives. From his immigration policies, to his social media rhetoric, and his attacks on the media, it doesn't appear likely that common ground will be found between both sides at any point in the near future.
Following the 2016 presidential election, it was only a matter of time before the Democratic Party found new leadership. As expected, President Donald Trump decided to voice his thoughts on who would lead the opposing party moving forward.

Trump on Twitter

Later this week, Democrats will hold a vote to see who will be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. Heading into the vote, it's Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota who holds a slight edge over Tom Perez, the former Secretary of Labor, as the favorite. Ellison is seen as one of the most progressive members of Congress, and a popular voice on the left to help move the Democratic Party forward.

Knowing Ellison is front runner, Donald Trump decided to take a shot at the congressman, which was seen in a February 22 message on his Twitter account.

One thing I will say about Rep. Keith Ellison, in his fight to lead the DNC, is that he was the one who predicted early that I would win!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2017

"One thing I will say about Rep. Keith Ellison, in his fight to lead the DNC, is that he was the one who predicted early that I would win!" Donald Trump wrote on Twitter earlier Wednesday morning. In response to Trump's tweet, Ellison fired back at the commander in chief with a social media message of his own. "My latest call? America is coming together like never before; we'll stop your drive to divide us," Ellison wrote.

.@realdonaldtrump, my latest call? America is coming together like never before; we'll stop your drive to divide us. #libertyjustice4all https://t.co/jifSdJbnrG  Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) February 22, 2017

Back in July 2015, just one month after the former host of "The Apprentice" announced his campaign for president, Ellison sat down for an interview with ABC News and warned Democrats of the possibility of a Trump presidency.

"Anybody from the Democratic side of the fence who thinks who is terrified of the possibility of President Trump, better vote," Ellison said, before adding, "he might be ready for the fact that he may be leading the Republican ticket." When asked if he was serious about his statement, the congressman replied that "stranger things have happened."

Next up

While Keith Ellison is seen as the most likely option to lead the Democratic National Committee, he doesn't come without any baggage.

Ellison has controversy in his past, as he was a close ally of Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the hate group known as the "Nation of Islam." Despite his links to the radical organization, Ellison has distanced himself from the group in recent years. The vote for the who will lead the DNC will take place later this week.
No long after Donald Trump announced his campaign for president, he quickly discovered that Twitter was a new way to communicate with potential voters. Despite the positives, many of Trump's staff members used a unique strategy to limit his social media outbursts.

Trump on Twitter

It didn't take long before President Donald Trump realized that social media was a growing platform that would enable him to connect with the American people. As time went on and his feud with the mainstream media intensified, the former host of "The Apprentice" increased his presence on Twitter.

While the positive aspects included gaining new followers and helping to connect those who wanted a "Washington outsider" for president, his unconventional and controversial Twitter rants brought negative feedback to the campaign. Whether it was a shot at a celebrity, a political opponents, a news outlet, or an entire foreign country, Trump spent countless hours ranting and raving on social media. As reported by Politico on February 22, Trump's rage on Twitter would have been even worse if it wasn't for his careful staff members.

How Trumps campaign staffers tried to keep him off Twitter https://t.co/1tp36urdHA via @tarapalmeri pic.twitter.com/882lIYwHTy  POLITICO (@politico) February 22, 2017

While Donald Trump is a 70-year-old billionaire business man, his campaign staff handled him with kid gloves, according to the report by Politico.

In order to limit his controversial use of Twitter, Trump campaign staff members filtered what information he was receiving on a daily basis. Trump was often given news stories that painted a brighter picture with positive coverage, from conservative news outlets like The Washington Examiner, to more hard-line right-wing sites like Breitbart, to even conspiracy media outlets like Infowars.

Trump campaign team only showed him positive coverage to control Twitter habits: report https://t.co/R7NZi55ecS pic.twitter.com/KioFX5yelF  The Hill (@thehill) February 22, 2017

Trump bubble

Politico also points out that Donald Trump is not a big fan of reading news strictly on the internet, and favors print over digital. In an ironic twist, Trump's "go-to" news outlet is the New York Times, the paper that he often bashes and refers to as "failing." In addition, the commander in chief has been described as a "near-nonstop consumer of cable news," which is evident in his constant Twitter attacks on CNN and other outlets that he accuses of pushing "fake news" about him.

One former campaign offical explained that the president is more inclined to tweet when he thinks an issue is not getting enough attention, noting, "He sends out these tweets when he feels like people aren't responding enough for him." As of press time, the White House has not responded to the Politico report.
Over the last week, many have wondered why Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway has not been seen on cable news. After making what many believe to have been questionable comments and remarks, Donald Trump has decided to pull the plug.

Conway trouble

Last summer, Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway was hired as the new campaign manager for Donald Trump, replacing the departing Paul Manafort who had alleged financial ties to Russia. In the months that followed, Conway became one of the leading voices for the Trump campaign, making routine stops on cable news and Sunday talk shows.

Trump supporters have supported Conway, but critics have pounced on her every mistake, which have only increased over the last month. In a report by CNN, and later Mediaite, on February 22, Conway is now paying for her errors in judgement.

Kellyanne Conway has been sidelined from TV appearances after her Michael Flynn debacle https://t.co/ocabf8VIeW via @CNNMoney pic.twitter.com/yaV9wPYHJu  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 22, 2017

In the original report by CNN Money, the reason for Donald Trump and the White House banning Kellyanne Conway from on-camera appearances is due to the fact that she has recently made remarks that have been viewed as "at odds" with the offical position of the administration.

According to a source close to CNN, Conway has been "off message," which has conflicted with the goal of the president.

Report: The White House Has Pulled Kellyanne Conway from TV Duty https://t.co/T88DkScPKT pic.twitter.com/tXnUDhHNPH  Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 22, 2017

The breaking point was when she claimed retired Gen.

Michael Flynn had offered to resign from his position as National Security Adviser following the growing scandal about his alleged illegal contact with Russian officials. Conway's comments were at odds with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who noted that Donald Trump had personally asked Flynn for his resignation. The source also noted that the White House is pleased with their decision, which has resulted in a "drama-free week." "Having Kellyanne off television is helping them," the source said.

The news comes at a time were others rumors have been circulating, accusing Conway of leaking anti-Sean Spicer stories to the press, though she has denied any wrong doing.

Moving forward

While the ban is not considered permanent, it's unlikely that Kellyanne Conway will be returning to an on-camera role at any point in the near future. After just a month in office, Donald Trump has faced massive backlash, and appears to be doing whatever he can to limit the damage as time moves on.
According to Fortune Magazine, a startup called Boom Supersonic based in Colorado has acquired $33 million to start work on the one-third scale prototype of a Supersonic Airliner. The airliner, if it becomes a reality, would travel between New York and London in three hours and 15 minutes, roughly half the current flight time. Tickets for the new service will cost $2,500 one way. The funding pays for the prototype and the flight tests that are scheduled to begin in a year.

The dream of supersonic airline flight has been around for decades. In the late 1960s, three supersonic airliner development projects existed, an American one, a Soviet version, and the Anglo-French Concorde.

The American SST was canceled by Congress and the Soviet supersonic transport, the TU-144, flew only 100 or so passenger and cargo flights before retiring in 1983. The Concorde saw extensive service as a luxury airliner for wealthy passengers willing to pay a premium for the shortened transatlantic flight times. But the Concorde, caught in the general post 9/11 airline downturn and rising maintenance costs, was retired from service in 2003. After over 25 years of service, the Concorde, state of the art for its time, had become obsolete by its retirement with no incentive to perform upgrades.

Boom Supersonic believes that technological advancements will allow it to produce a supersonic airliner that can be operated in an economical fashion.

The Concorde was always expensive to run and was a fuel hog.

The market might exist for supersonic business travel, with people who find their time to be at a premium and might be willing to pay for the privilege to go to that important meeting across the pond sooner rather than later. On the other hand, modern laptop computers allow people to get work done while in the air, an option that did not exist when the Concorde was in its prime.

Speed, therefore, may not be as important to anyone except the very wealthy. Does a number of people willing to pay $5,000 to go round trip between New York and London constitute a big enough market to justify a new civilian SST? Boom Supersonic and its backers are betting that there is.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
From Pillar to Post WHO PUTS THE MOST PRESSURE ON YOU - YOURSELF OR OTHERS? There is pressure that is imposed upon us by others. Then there i...

REVIEW: The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty SYNOPSIS In the surreal and paranoid underworld of wartime Prague, fugitive lovers Felix Andel and Magdalena Ruza make some dubious ...

25 Questions to Ask Your Grandparents If you want to start (or are in the middle of) gathering family stories and family history, it helps to talk to older relatives. In ca...

My 2019 A to Z RC Sign-up The 2019 A to Z Reading Challenge is hosted by Megan at the Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest blog. Click the Pinterest-friendly sig...
One of the organizers of the recent Day Without a Woman demonstrations has plead guilty to lying to immigration officials in order to procure citizenship. As part of Rasmea Odeh's plea agreement, she will be forced to leave the Unites States without facing jail time.

In 2014, Odeh was sentenced to 18 months in prison for immigration fraud after she lied on her naturalization forms about her past connections with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-- an officially-designated terror organization.

Rasmea Odeh was convicted by the Israeli government in 1970 for her role in two Jerusalem bombings that killed two students and wounded nine others.

She spent ten years in prison for her crimes and was released in 1980 as part of a prisoner exchange. She then emigrated to the United States and gained citizenship in 2004.

Palestinian group claims Odeh is a victim

On Thursday, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network issued a press release, which paints the convicted terrorist as a victim of President Trump's 'racist' immigration policies and the 'zionist' judicial system. The USPCN release stated:

Under this current, racist political climate, and facing 18 months or more of imprisonment, as well as the possibility of indefinite detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Rasmea has made the difficult decision to accept a plea agreement.

Same group also claims Odeh is the victor

The USPCN press release claims that Odeh's deportation is a victory, as the U.S.

government originally sought a prison sentence of up to seven years, and points the finger of blame at U.S. Attorney Daniel Lemisch and 'zionist' Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tukel for allegedly wanting to "dodge a public and legal defense that puts U.S.-backed Israel on trial for its crimes against Rasmea."

Odeh, who was previously employed as an Obamacare navigator, was applauded by feminists for her role in organizing the Day Without a Woman event in March. According to the USPCN, Odeh also helped organize the Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson.
In a tough blow to the entire Republican Party, President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan were unable to gain enough support for their new health care bill to even hold a vote on the issue. After Trump issued an ultimatum to GOP lawmakers to at least hold a vote on the bill by Friday, the president voiced his frustration on Twitter.

Trump on Twitter

The last two weeks have been a giant headache for Republicans after the party officially revealed their replacement for Obamacare called the American Health Care Act, or AHCA. The bill was received negatively by both Democrats and Republicans, with recent polls also showing the majority of the American people not pleased with the replacement offered.

The bill took an even greater turn to for the worst when the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the AHCA would result in 24 million people losing their insurance over the next decade. In recent days, Republicans in Congress having been abandoning the entire bill, with at least a dozen lawmakers changing their vote from a "yes" to a "no" after the president threatened them during a meeting earlier this week. On Thursday, Donald Trump issued another threat, demanding a vote on the bill on Friday or he would let Obamacare stay the law of the land. As seen on his Twitter account on March 23, the former host of 'The Apprentice" is still pushing for a vote.

Disastrous #Obamacare has led to higher costs & fewer options. It will only continue to get worse! We must #RepealANDReplace. #PassTheBill  President Trump (@POTUS) March 24, 2017

Using the offical POTUS Twitter account, Donald Trump once again called for the repeal and replace of Obamacare, despite warning Republicans that he would keep it in place unless a floor vote was held before the weekend.

"Disastrous #Obamacare has led to higher costs & fewer options. It will only continue to get worse!," Trump tweeted out Thursday night, before adding, "We must #RepealANDReplace.

#PassTheBill."

House to vote on Republican-backed health care bill Friday morning after Thursday's planned vote was postponed. https://t.co/Gt9OubiGX5 pic.twitter.com/a4mjKkMiF0  ABC News (@ABC) March 24, 2017

Trump Apparently Done Negotiating on Healthcare Bill, Demands House Vote Tomorrow https://t.co/YtEhEaroRF pic.twitter.com/tGbUCErSeZ  Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 24, 2017

Trump trouble

Donald Trump's tweet comes just an hour after Jake Sherman of Politico reported that the billionaire real estate mogul grew frustrated during a meeting with Republican lawmakers on Thursday.

Quoting Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Sherman tweeted that Trump was "done negotiating." Sherman followed up with another tweet, this time confirming that Trump's threat was that Republicans would be "stuck w Obamacare" if they didn't act on the bill in question.
The biggest issue that has dominated the candidacy and election of Donald Trump has been over immigration. While Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny stood just a few feet from Trump at the White House to celebrate St, Patrick's Day, the president was hit with a message of mockery over his immigration policies.

Trump trolled

When Donald Trump first announced his campaign for president in June 2015, he stood at the podium in Trump Tower and raised eyebrows when he referred to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers." Since then, the former host of "The Apprentice" has been steadfast in defending his policies, which include increased deportation and the completion of construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

In addition, Trump has attempted, and failed on two occasions, to enact a travel ban against several Muslim-majority nations. These proposals where pushed back during Enda Kenny' visit to the White House on March 17.

"We were the wretched refuse on the teeming shore," Irish prime minister says with Donald Trump in the room. pic.twitter.com/7jEfTVvIzE  Barry Malone (@malonebarry) March 17, 2017

In celebration of St Patrick's Day, Enda Kenny, the Prime Minister of Ireland, joining Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Friday. However, during Kenny's speech, the prime minister delivered words that were in direct conflict with what Trump has proposed in the past.

The Irish prime minister used his St. Patrick's Day visit to lecture President Trump on the virtues of immigration https://t.co/sCFWCOwAGP pic.twitter.com/YzQNXS4c7n  The New York Times (@nytimes) March 17, 2017

"It's fitting that we gather here each year to celebrate St.

Patrick and his legacy," Enda Kenny said, while pointing out that "He, too, was an immigrant." Kenny continued, noting that while St. Patrick is the "patron saint of Ireland," that "many people around the globe, he is also the symbol of, indeed, the patron of...immigrants."

Immigration praise

Enda Kenny then went on to speak about the "compassion" of the United States, with yet another reference to immigration.

"We believed in the shelter of America, in the compassion of America, in the opportunity of America," he said, while adding, "we came, and became Americans." As he closed, Kenny went on to quote former President John F. Kennedy, stating, "We asked not what American could do for us, but what we could do for America."

Twitter reaction

In response to the Enda Kenny's speech, social media users were quick to react. The most notable coming from filmmaker Michael Moore, who posted the video of the speech on his Facebook page, which quickly went viral.
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps short-lived campaign chairman who was cast out in scandal before the election, was once employed by Russian billionaire and pro-Putin oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, the Associated Press (AP) reports. Manafort worked for the Trump campaign from late March to mid-August, aiding the then Republican candidate in clinching the Republican nomination. Manafort resigned after his past ties with Russia were revealed by Ukrainian anticorruption authorities.

Lobbying for Yanukovych

During Trump's campaign, the authorities provided evidence that the Party of Regions, the pro-Russian organizations Manafort worked for in Ukraine, may have paid him $12.7 million from an illegal slush fund.

Manaforts work for the pro-Kremlin political organizations involved helping organize Washington lobbyists to support former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovychs pro-Russian agenda. The Black Ledger discovered the anticorruption authorities listed millions of dollars in payments to Manafort, including an invoice that billed $750,000 in computer payments to Neocom Systems Limited, a shell company in Belize which has surfaced in other corruption probes.

Newest Allegations

As the FBI continues to investigate congressional inquiries into whether any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia occurred, new allegations against Manafort have arisen, suggesting he was even more directly linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A confidential 2005 strategic outline reveals that Manafort made a pitch to Oleg Deripaska to advance Putins interests through influencing business, politics and US, European and ex-Soviet republic news coverage.

The aluminum magnate is one of Putins closest allies and has benefited from his relationship with the Russian president by becoming one of the country's wealthiest men.

In 2006, a description of Deripaska via U.S. diplomatic cables labeled him among the 2-3 oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis. Although Manafort confirmed to the AP that hed been employed by Deripaska, he claimed none of this work was inappropriate or nefarious.

I worked with Oleg Deripaska almost a decade ago representing him on business and personal matters in countries where he had investments, Manafort told the AP.

My work for Mr. Deripaska did not involve representing Russian political interests.

The newly uncovered evidence suggests otherwise, however. In his proposal to Deripaska, Manafort is said to have written, We are now of the belief that this model can greatly benefit the Putin government if employed at the correct levels with the appropriate commitment to success. Manafort further stated that his services would refocus, both internally and externally, the policies of the Putin government. After signing a $10 million-per-year contract in 2006, Manaforts business relations with Deripaska lasted until 2009.

These newest allegations come on the heels of a congressional hearing on the matter. On Monday, the investigation into Russian ties to the Trump campaign went under the microscope, with F.B.I. Director, James B. Comey, refusing to discuss the bureaus investigation into Manafort.
The biggest story in American politics over the last two weeks has been Donald Trump's claim that former President Barack Obama found a way to wiretap his office in Trump Tower. After Trump and the administration attempted to use Fox News as a source, one network host decided to fire back.

Fox News on Trump

Earlier this month, the Washington Post ran a story that accused current Attorney General Jeff Sessions of meeting with the ambassador of Russia on two different occasions during the 2016 presidential election. In an attempt to deflect from the scandal, Donald Trump took to Twitter and alleged that Barack Obama spied on him during his campaign for president.

Despite presenting no evidence to back up the claim in question, Trump and the White House have continued to stand by their story. Adding fuel to the fire earlier this week was Fox News contributor Judge Andrew Napolitano, who claimed the Obama administration was using British spies to wiretap Trump. The president ran with this information and said the entire Fox News network had backed Napolitano's story. As seen during a March 17 broadcast, host Shepard Smith was forced to correct the record.

During a press conference on Friday at the White House, Donald Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and joked about the two being wiretapped by Barack Obama. The attempt at humor comes from a previous report in Wikileaks, which has not yet been verified.

"There was no evidence of that," Shepard Smith said. "Of course, the president could learn first hand whether the building in which he lives was wiretapped," Smith continued, before noting, "all he has to do is ask the intelligence services, they work for him."

Fox fires back

Shepard Smith played a clip of a German reporter questioning Donald Trump about the administration citing Napolitano's allegations of Obama working with the UK, which led to the president appearing to blame the network for the incorrect information, stating, "ask Fox News."

#coppednews Fox News responds to Trump's demand to ask Fox News https://t.co/0do0tvEHrc  Copped News (@CoppedNews) March 17, 2017

Smith then hit back at the president for shifting the blame of the allegations onto the network.

"Fox News cannot confirm Judge Napolitano's commentary," Smith noted, while stating, "Fox News knows of no evidence of any kind that the now-President of the United States was surveilled at any time in any way." As of press time, the White House has not yet responded to the network pushing back at the administration.
Donald Trump announced new reforms in terms of trade deals in the Automotive Industry. His first suggestion was to expand vehicle production of foreign brands in the US  among others, the Japanese. ''Japan's auto market is open'', says Hiroto Saikawa, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association. They are willing to negotiate with Washington to eliminate potential barriers with the US. If not solved, this could become a serious issue, because president Trump clearly stated that he would impose new taxes on imported vehicles. Fortunately, Japanese car manufacturers did not take this as a potential threat to their economy, but as a necessary measure of the president to increase employment in the US.

Automotive industry in the US

Additionally, President Trump proposed renegotiation of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), where he also put an emphasis on Mexico, where Toyota, one of the most popular Japanese brands in the US, is being manufactured. Toyota, together with Honda and Nissan, is often referred as Japan's the ''Big Three'', as opposed to American brands Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.

It is interesting to note that research conducted last year showed that these Japanese companies built three times more cars than Detroit (home of the American Big Three) in last three years. Ford, being the most popular US-produced vehicle, also feared that this renegotiation would negatively affect their plans, cancelled building a new factory in Mexico.

Instead, they decided to build one in their parent state.

Testing the strength of East-West relations

The talks about the economic ties between Japan and the United States will officially begin next month. These negotiations will be led by Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Mike Pence, US Vice President. The success of these talks will be crucial for fostering the trade in the future.

It is important to mention that not only the automobile industry will be affected by the results of these negotiations. These would expand on other branches where these two countries have mutual interests, and above all  benefits. Maintaining good relations between these countries is of particular importance for both sides.

Therefore, the public expects that there will be no negative results, no new taxes which would, for sure, tighten US-Japanese relations. Bilateral economic and trade ties have deepened since the countries were members of the same trade organizations, such as Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and it would continue to be mutually beneficial, but president Trump also decided to cancel the US membership when he took the office
Authorities from South Dakota have reported that someone committed an act of arson on their pipeline on Tuesday. The deliberate vandalism comes just moments before the pipeline was ready to transport oil. The individual responsible hasn't been identified yet. However, it is known that apparently someone used a blowtorch to provide the pipeline with a debilitating hole through its empty sections. These sections are located at its shut-off valves above ground.

A controversy has escalated between Mahaska County Sheriff Russell Van Renterghem and Lincoln County Sheriff's Deputy Chad Brown since the incident occurred.

The sheriff has reported that the suspect allegedly infiltrated a fence around the facility in order to commit the act of sabotage. Deputy Brown, on the other hand, has noted that the site in South Dakota doesn't even have a fence at all.

Pipeline operators have been required to report breaches in their security to the National Response Center. There have been no reports listed on the center's website as this ongoing investigation continues to remain a mystery.

Pipeline protests and previous attacks

President Trump signed executive actions in January to advance the approval of pipelines. Many began to question what his presidency meant for the environment when he contributed this power to such a controversial energy project.

One portion of the project began to move after being stalled for quite some time and that was the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. The Stranding Rock Sioux tribe has expressed concerns that the pipeline will affect the water resources surrounding the area.

"We have laws that require federal agencies to consider environmental risks and protection of Indian historic and sacred sites," Davis Archambault II said in a statement about pipeline under the Missouri River.

Archambault II is the Standing Rock Sioux tribe's elected chairman.

Hundreds of protesters have been apprehended since the pipeline began as they expressed their views on how it negatively effects the environment and puts the Native American community as risk of societal impacts. Activists from Climate Direct Action have tried to shut down valves in Minnesota, Washington, Montana and North Dakota.

Another protest group, The Red Warrior Society, have gone as far as confronting pipeline security with aggressive tactics within the past year in North Dakota.

Despite many believing desperate times call for pressured measures, the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes stand to differ with them. These two tribes are the primary focus in the legal battle against the pipeline. Their attorneys, Nicole Ducheneaux and Jan Hasselman, have insisted that the tribes do not encourage acts of violence nor do they condone damage to pipeline property.

The dangers of pipeline tampering

Mount Royal University's Kelly Sundberg says that not only is it "stupid and dangerous" mess with shut-off valves, he gave fair insight to those who still believe tampering with them is an effective form of protesting.

Sundberg stated, "Modern oil pipelines are incredibly sophisticated systems that move huge volumes of petrochemicals at high pressures. Simply closing a valve can cause the pressure upstream to increase quickly, creating a significant risk of a spill that endangers the environment and anyone in the area where the pipe suddenly bursts."

The professor studies both environmental crime and energy. He finds it contradicting how people protest on behalf of the environment but engage in acts that cause environmental disasters themselves.
Undocumented immigrants within the United States attempting to move to Canada out of fear of the current administration have been a concern since last year, but a recent survey suggests that Canadians might not want them to move into the country. A recent poll showed that Canadians wanting migrants to be deported are growing in number, and so are Canadians that have found displeasure in how the government is handling the situation. Interestingly enough, this seems to be a trend that has changed from what polls alleged as early as last month over Canadian immigration policies.

The opposition appears to be growing in number

According to a poll released on Monday, nearly half of Canadians support increasing deportation of people who are living in Canada illegally, with the same share saying they support deporting Undocumented Immigrants who entered Canada through the United States specifically. That said, around a third of Canadians polled have said that they would support such undocumented immigrants applying for refugee status.

Within context, the poll also seems to suggest that the status of undocumented immigrants is becoming a growing issue for Canadians. According to reports, around a quarter of Canadians polled believe immigration to be a national issue, which increased from a similar poll conducted in December, with Canadians of that opinion making up less than a fifth of those polled.

Canadians even appear to be gradually starting to disagree with the Prime Minister

Of those polled, nearly half felt that they did not agree with how Prime Minister justin trudeau was handling the situation, with 37 percent agreeing, and 17 percent unsure how they felt. A previous poll released in January claimed 59 percent approved of Trudeau's policies, with 41 disapproving.

Undocumented immigrants have already been escaping to Canada in reportedly record numbers since President Donald Trump was announced as the next commander-in-chief in 2016. In 2016, 1,222 undocumented immigrants fled to Quebec from the United States alone, which was said to be a fivefold increase from previous years. Those who fled in the early months of 2017 reportedly faced frostbite and hypothermia to cross into the northern country.

Paul Caulford, a doctor at the Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Healthcare, said in a released statement that undocumented immigrants that he came into contact with said that the United States of America "is no longer a safe country for them." Reportedly, many of the immigrants involved in the study claim to have lived in the United States legally, but left out of fear of persecution under the new administration.
On Friday morning, President trump hit out on his Twitter account to plea with people to support his Healthcare Bill and to realize how disastrous Obamacare is. This, as his party's new #American Health Care Act faced dwindling support on Capitol Hill.

'After seven horrible years of #ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare)', he wrote, 'this is finally your chance for a great plan!'

After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!  President Trump (@POTUS) March 24, 2017

Twitter was inundated with other people's views of the bill, from the supportive members of the GOP to those who disdained his aims and those who wanted to keep Obamacare but also support the Republican party.

A photo also circulated early Friday that showed a chorus of men sitting in Congress debating how to rule on abortion, #Planned Parenthood and other healthcare services effecting women. Sarah Sophie Flicker, an activist based in Brooklyn, New York, posted a photo onto Instagram and wrote: 'This is a photo of lawmakers discussing taking away maternity, contraceptive, mammogram coverage'. It quickly went viral.

This is a photo of lawmakers discussing taking away maternity coverage #Trump https://t.co/IxfGehhu9d pic.twitter.com/rVddiQ2g9Q  Katherine Brickell (@K_Brickell) March 24, 2017

Many on Twitter were waiting to see how the #divided Republican Party would vote for the potentially doomed healthcare overhaul bill.
Vincent Van Gogh, a Dutch painter well-known for many of his great works among which is the famous 'Starry Night,' was always a great figure in the world of art. The famous one-eared artist has much more value for those that follow his life work of creating more than 2000 paintings than those that are familiar with just the popular pieces. When two more of those great canvases were found, those individuals got to enjoy Van Gogh once again.

Paintings are considered to be priceless

Works in question are 'Congregation The Church at Nuenen' and 'Sea View at Scheveningen,' which are considered to be of more value than the money can offer.

They were previously held at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, a museum which has the greatest number of Van Gogh works than any other collection in the world with more than 200 paintings and 500 more drawings. Dutch culture minister Jet Bussemaker would argue that their real value can be seen by those who loved them before and much more than the eyes of Criminals could see.

Thieves say they wanted to steal more popular pieces for more value but those had better security

In 2002, the thieves broke in through the roof and managed to steal a couple of the finest pieces of art but as they later said they were aiming for different paintings that held more value and that would potentially bring much more profit.

It was even harder to find the potential buyer for the works, knowing that they cant display the art. However, the paintings found a new owner eventually, hardly known mafioso Raffaele Imperiale, who was at the time running a coffee shop in Amsterdam paid about $380,000 for the paintings.

His lawyers told the New York Times he had bought them because he was "fond of art" and they were a "bargain".

Even though he was fond of art, the Van Gogh masterpieces were stationed for years in a safe under wraps and cloths where no one could enjoy them. Italian police have retrieved the paintings last September in one of their action against the popular dealers and criminals. Director of the Van Gogh Museum Axel Ruger expressed great satisfaction that the paintings are back on display, saying that it was one of the most joyous days of his career.
An ambitious new strategy to drive growth in Scotlands farming, fishing, food and drink industry has been unveiled by Scotland Food & Drink.

Ambition 2030, launched this week, establishes a vision to cement food and drink as Scotlands most valuable industry, with the opportunity to more than double turnover in the sector to 30 billion by 2030.

The Scottish food and drink sector is worth 14.4bn annually, with 119,000 people working directly in the industry. Food manufacturing in Scotland is growing at twice the rate of the UK average for the sector.

The strategy was developed by the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership, an industry-led collaboration between the main organisations in the farming, fishing, food and drink sector, alongside the Scottish government and its key agencies.

Trade body Scottish Bakers was represented by its president, Craig McPhie, at the official launch with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Chief executive of Scottish Bakers Alan Clarke said: We have been one of the architects of the food and drink export plan for Scotland in partnership with other key food and drink representative organisations and key public sector partners.

Sturgeon joined the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership in Glasgow to launch the strategy. The industrys focus will be on building Scotlands national brand as a land of food and drink and driving sales within Scotland, across the rest of the UK and globally, according to a statement.

The strategy focuses on three areas:

People and Skills: raising attractiveness of the industry as a career destination and investing in the existing workforce.

Supply Chain: ensuring farmers, fishermen, manufacturers and buyers work in closer partnership, to ensure greater profitability is shared across the industry.

Innovation: embracing a new culture of developing new products and processes to drive growth.

In addition, the industry made a renewed commitment to responsible growth, committing to deliver broader benefits to the country beyond just sales growth.

This includes the offer of a new partnership with government and its agencies to drive improvements in Scotlands health and wellbeing and to commit again to embracing world-leading standards of environmental sustainability.

James Withers, Scotland Food & Drink chief executive, said: There is uncertainty ahead, with Brexit at the forefront of everybodys mind. While big political upheavals are out of the industrys control, we can control how we develop the Scottish brand, the markets we want to sell to and the investments we make in improving skills, innovation and supply chains.
Reports indicate that one of the four people who had been killed in the recent London terrorist attack was an American tourist. While only three of the four Victims appeared to have been identified as of yet, police have also identified the attacker. Added to that, there are other victims who were injured in the attack, and they came from various countries around the world.

What do we know about the victims so far?

Three of the four victims have been identified as Kurt Cochran, Aysha Frade, and Keith Palmer, with the fourth member currently unidentified to the public.

Cochran was reportedly a tourist from the United States who had been visiting London from Utah with his wife, and he died from injuries sustained from the attack. He was in his mid-50's at the time of his death. Frade was a 43-year old schoolteacher. Palmer was an unarmed police officer who was on duty at the gates of Parliament when he was fatally stabbed by the attacker. While the fourth victims identity is currently unknown, it has been said that he died while hospitalized for injuries caused by the attack.

Around forty others were injured in the attack. Twelve were British nationals, with the other victims coming from countries that included France, Romania, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy, Australia, and Greece.

Three of those injured were police officers, with two of them remaining in serious condition. Added to that, at least three of the victims were children.

Prime Minister Theresa May had denounced the attack as an attack on free people everywhere. Queen Elizabeth II has also reportedly given her condolences for the victims.

What do we know about the attacker so far?

Police have identified Khalid Masood as the killer. He was shot dead at the scene of the attack. Masood was born Adrian Elms in Kent. According to reports, Masood has a record of convictions spanning twenty years for charges of assault, weapons possession, and violations of public order, although he was not the subject of any current investigation at the time of the attack.

Police believe that Masood acted alone and do not expect a series of attacks, although they also allege that there has been "no prior evidence" to alert authorities about the recent attack.

According to reports, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assault and said in a released statement that the attacker was one of their "soldiers."
Since March 23 is National Puppy Day, people are wondering why President Donald Trump doesn't have a dog or some other pet. After two months in the White House, the president has filled a lot of positions except the one for a pet. There is no legislation that says the President of the United States should have a pet, but almost all presidents before Donald Trump have had pets. While most of them owned a dog, others owned cats and a variety of other animals. Records show that only three former presidents didn't have pets.

A dog for Trump

Lois Pope had promised to give Trump her goldendoodle named Patton (pictured above).

However, the 83-year-old Florida philanthropist decided at the last minute that she didn't want to part with Patton. Trump told her not to worry about it because he is frequently flying between Washington, New York and Florida and he wouldn't have time for a dog anyway.

It is probably a good thing that Pope's dog wasn't given to Trump because he doesn't consider a dog to be man's best friend. He has insulted several people by describing them as a dog in some way. According to the Washington Post, while Trump was on the campaign trail, he said Ted Cruz was "choking like a dog." He said Marco Rubio was "sweating like a dog." He said men like Glenn Beck, Mark Cuban, David Gregory, Bill Maher, and Chuck Todd should be fired like a dog.

Pets of presidents

Some of the presidents had more than one pet.

President George Washington had Polly the parrot along with 36 hounds and some horses. More than half of the presidents had dogs in the White House, and some had cats. Unique pets included Thomas Jefferson's two bear cubs, John Quincy Adams' alligator, William Taff's cow, and Andrew Jackson's white mice. Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama, had two Dogs, Bo and Sunny.

When 10-year-old Barron Trump moves into the White House in June, perhaps the president will consider getting a pet of some kind. As of now, Donald Trump is the first pet-less president in 150 years.
When a political party has a good majority in the House and is unable to pass what its members consider a vital piece of legislation the failure of the Party is evident. While any proposed law is subject to amendments and agreements to ensure its passage the case of the Aca reveals much more; a Party that now has serious difficulties in understanding what it stands for led by a President who has no knowledge of the legislative and political process.

Campaign promise

The Affordable Care Act was undoubtedly the legislation by President Barack Obama most hated by the Republicans.

For this reason its repeal formed an important part of #Donald Trump s agenda during his successful presidential campaign and a promise that was repeated constantly at rallies and interviews.

Thus as soon as he was in Office President Trump almost immediately signed an order beginning the process of repeal but which did not begin explaining what would be the replacement that was also promised.

Just as quickly public protests erupted as citizens began to understand that they risked either big increases in their premiums or the loss of their health care. Such were the protests that Republican politicians finally understand that they were at risk of losing their seats at next years midterms.

Last week with President Trump demanding action House Republican leader Paul Ryan presented a proposal for the replacement.

This split the Party between those who considered it too drastic and those who considered it not drastic enough.

The costs

The Congressional Budget Office report on the Bill that stated that within ten years 24 million citizens would lose their health insurance raised the level of protests and also the divisions within the Party.

On Thursday the New York Times published a study that detailed the political costs of the proposed law and named Republican members who would lose their seats as a result.

Yesterday Congress should have voted Ryans proposed law but this was delayed as it became ever more obvious that the Bill seriously risked defeat. The decision angered President Trump who is now demanding the Bill be presented for vote today.

Divided

The country is now seeing the first real and open battle not only between the Oval Office and its Party but also between the various factions of the Party.

President Trump has now threatened to walk away from the promise if the Bill is defeated in the House and leave the ACA intact. While this is a part of his famous tactics on making a deal the tactic may well backfire on him in the long term as business deals are not the same as political negotiations.

Ultimately he will have to face the fact that the stakes are not in one piece of legislation or a promise kept. The Republicans who oppose the proposed law are divided by the details of the law yet they also share a common fear; that of losing their seats.

Future

House Leader Paul Ryan will now attempt to gather in his recalcitrant colleagues but he knows that the final decision may well be not to risk a vote but losing the majorities in both Houses and thus the real risk of the Oval Office being completely thwarted in the second half of its term. This would also mean the loss of any nominations for the Supreme Court in at least the near future.

The decision is now in the hands of the Republicans who will decide the fate of the Bill. In the end enough may decide to side with the Oval Office and approve the proposed law but at what cost to the Party?

In any case the internal divisions are evident and may widen even more in the foreseeable future as more revelations rise up in regards to the investigations into the Russian hacking and inevitably when the two Houses have to decide the fate of the other controversial pieces of legislation beginning with the proposed Budget and the Mexican wall.

The only question we can now ask is; if the ACA is approved what will be the piece of legislation on which the worried Republicans will finally make a stand?
A cunning Lithuanian man has reportedly managed to rip off two American tech companies for $100 million in total through a phishing scam, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday. The perpetrator, Evaldas Rimasauskas, pulled off an intricate phishing scheme that deceived the companies from at least 2013 until 2015. He posed as a computer hardware manufacturer from Asia and tricked the companies into wiring him the huge sum. He was arrested late last week.

Tech giants: vulnerable

According to authorities, Rimasauskas, 48, purportedly scammed the companies by carrying out a business email compromise scheme.

He sent phishing emails to the staff of the companies who then proceeded to conduct regular multimillion-dollar deals with the Asian firm.

The names of the companies remain undisclosed, but New York authorities referred to them as multinational internet companies. One company was described as a multinational online social media company and the other a multinational technology company.

Allegations filed in the indictment states that the scammer had already dispersed the wired cash to several accounts across the globe, including Hong Kong, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Slovakia and Hong Kong.

Cybercrimes: Big in the US

The victim companies have since sought help from the FBI for the capture of Rimasauskas, who also forged letters, contracts, and invoices.

Most of the stolen cash has been recovered, and the sly artist is now facing charges of three counts of money laundering, each carrying a 20-year sentence, and one count of wire fraud. Additionally, the conman is charged with one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a 2-year sentence at a minimum.

The FBI also recently announced a $3 million bounty for a Russian hacker, the most ever for a cyber criminal, charged with money laundering, wire fraud, and computer fraud. The hacker, Evgeniy Bogachev, reportedly created a network that siphoned millions of dollars from several bank accounts around the world.
China General Nuclear Power Group is one step closer to exporting its Hualong One reactor design to Kenya, after having signed an agreement with the Kenyan government on nuclear expertise and talent training.

CGN, China's largest and the fifth-biggest nuclear operator in the world, had already signed a framework agreement regarding nuclear power training cooperation with Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board.

It has committed to providing Kenya with staff training, as well as comprehensive cooperation in power development and capacity building in the country, based on the third-generation Hualong One reactor.

Joseph Jacobelli, a senior analyst of Asian utilities and infrastructure at Bloomberg Intelligence, said the partnership plays a significant role in the realization of Kenya's nuclear power program, as well as China's nuclear technology exports.

He said the sector plays an important role in China's advanced manufacturing exports, and the deal will also help nuclear companies better export their technology to the global market.

"The company's bid is in accordance with Chinese power companies' trend in investing overseas," he said.

"With government support for overseas expansion, including beneficial terms in getting financing from key financial institutions, many are encouraged to acquire power assets or export their technology and expertise overseas."

China's investment in clean energy will also help reduce pollution, he added.

The cooperation will help expand the knowledge of overseas markets, find new markets for Chinese know-how and come up with new earnings sources, Jacobelli said.

Kenya's development blueprint, known as Vision 2030, plans to achieve economic, social and political goals under a strategy to establish the country as a "newly industrializing middle-income country" by 2030. By that time, Kenya plans to have an installed nuclear capacity of 4 gigawatts, generating about 19 percent of Kenya's energy. This would mean nuclear power would be a key component of energy in the country.

The United Kingdom government has started the Generic Design Assessment of CGN's Hualong One reactor, which will be used in a nuclear power plant at Bradwell in southeastern England. Insiders said the chances are high that the Hualong One reactor will pass the UK's approval.

"CGN has rich experience building nuclear power facilities in the country and there is a high chance that the parameters are met," Jacobelli said.
KATHMANDU - Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will attend the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference to be held in China's southern Hainan province, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

The prime minister will leave for China on Thursday night and will address the inaugural session of the Boao forum on Saturday, according to a statement issued by the ministry.

"We are now working to implement bilateral agreements signed with the Chinese government when the then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli visited China in March last year," Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat told Xinhua.

He said the Nepalese government wants to enhance transport connectivity under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China.

The foreign minister and senior government officials will accompany Prime Minister Dahal during the visit.
More than 4,000 bicycles of different colors are parked after authorities impounded them in Shanghai, on Mar 1, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

SHANGHAI - The booming bike-sharing industry has led bicycle associations in China to produce a draft guideline Thursday to regulate the industry.

Led by bicycle associations in Shanghai and Tianjin, the draft solicits advice from China's major bicycle manufacturers and bike-sharing companies such as Mobike and ofo.

It comprises standards on the production, operation and maintenance of shared bikes, which has witnessed a soaring number of complaints recently.

"There were only eight such complaints in Shanghai in the first half of 2016, but the number rose to 176 in the second half. As of March this year, we have received more than 460 complaints," said Ning Hai, deputy secretary general of the Shanghai Consumer Council.

Random parking, high malfunction rate - though often caused by vandals, are at the top of the list.

In response, the draft demands companies hire one member of maintenance personnel for every 200 bikes.

More than three million shared bikes are on the streets of Chinese cities, which means at least 15,000 staff should be hired to support the industry.

The draft also specified a service life of three years for all such bikes and requested companies provide bike-sharing services open a 24-hour hotline to handle customer complaints.

The draft is now awaiting public opinion and is expected to take effect in May.
Proposal for new type of power relations still a win-win proposition Updated: 2017-03-24 07:20 By Chen Weihua(China Daily)

President Xi Jinping tells visiting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the nations should enhance exchanges at all levels. They met on Sunday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

Right after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wrapped up his visit to China on Sunday, the Washington Post declared that Tillerson appeared to hand Beijing a diplomatic victory.

The Post article went on to scold the top US diplomat after he described the US-China relations as "a very positive relationship built on no confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect, and always searching for win-win solutions".

Tillerson's words came as a surprise, to the delight of many in Beijing but the dismay of some in Washington. The proposal made by China in 2012 to build a new type of major country relationship between China and the US based on "no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation" was aimed at avoiding a disastrous war if the established power became too fearful of the rising power.

While meeting President Xi Jinping in California in June 2013, then US president Barack Obama appeared to accept the idea of a new type of relations. But his administration then stayed away from it, interpreting it as away for China to tell the US to keep quiet no matter what China does.

It was a major distortion of the Chinese proposal which clearly acknowledges the issues existing between the two countries, issues that should be resolved peacefully, with mutual respect and through dialogue, rather than confrontation.

By rejecting the Chinese goodwill proposal, the Obama administration made a huge mistake in this regard. Strategic distrust and rivalry between the two countries worsened under Obama.

The same kind of not handing China a victory mentality seemed also behind the US opposition to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and its Pivot to Asia strategy that aimed to curtail China's influence in the region.

Thus, the endorsement of the Chinese concept by Tillerson is simply correcting a mistake made by Obama. Hopefully, Obama's successor Donald Trump will reiterate that when he hosts Xi in Florida next month.

That endorsement does not mean that either side should be shy of disagreeing with the other. For example, the two countries agree on the goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, but their approaches are not the same.

While Tillerson said all options, including military ones, are on the table, China has called for calm, restraint, dialogue and diplomatic solution.

China has endorsed UN Security Council resolutions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its violation in missile and nuclear tests. But China believes that diplomacy, rather than just sanctions, will lead to a solution.

A similar view is held by former US defense secretary William Perry who visited the DPRK to negotiate denuclearization during the Clinton administration. Perry argued in a March 10 article that the DPRK might well agree to give up testing of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles and agree not to sell or transfer any of its nuclear technology, in return for economic concessions from the Republic of Korea and security assurances from the US.

Many who have threatened war on the Korean Peninsula have not thought through the consequences it will have and the huge damages it will inflict on the region.

There are many differences between China and the US. But as long as they are willing to work in the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, they are more likely to find a solution, narrow differences and avoid the Thucydides trap.

The author is deputy editor of China Daily USA. chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng delivers a speech during the reception in Beijing, Mar 23, 2017. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

An "early harvest" is expected for projects involving transportation, infrastructure and energy in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to Li Xiaopeng, Chinese transport minister.

The CPEC is a major project of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

"These projects not only form the strategic framework for bilateral cooperation, but also enhance regional interactivity thus serving as an example for the Belt and Road international cooperation," Li said.

The remarks were made on Thursday during a reception hosted by the Pakistan embassy to celebrate the 78th National Day in Beijing.

Masood Khalid, ambassador of Pakistan to China, delivers a speech during the reception in Beijing, Mar 23, 2017. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

During his speech, Masood Khalid, ambassador of Pakistan to China, hailed the ambitious initiative and flourishing relationship between China and Pakistan.

Pakistan's stable economic prospect and the establishment of the CPEC offer great opportunities for investors especially entrepreneurs from China, said Khalid.

Currently, there are 19,000 Chinese nationals working in Pakistan, he said. On the other hand, about 18,000 Pakistani students study in China and the Pakistani government has carried out a program in the country to help people learn Chinese language and culture.

"These students will serve as a bridge between the two countries to promote friendship and deepen bilateral understanding," he added.
Premier Li Keqiang meets with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Thursday. Li said China will work with Australia to further boost bilateral trade. [Photo/Xinhua]

China and Australia will work together to safeguard the current global trade system while China further opens up to the rest of the world, Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday.

China will take action to send a positive signal of promoting trade liberalization and investment, Li said.

This will provide a continuous driving force for and raise expectations for the stability of the global economy, the premier said while meeting with his Australian counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull, in Parliament House in Canberra.

Li said the world's second-largest economy will work with Australia to make greater achievements in bilateral trade.

China will also work with countries including Australia to safeguard regional and global peace and stability in a complicated and changing world, where rising protectionism poses a variety of global challenges, he added.

Li is the first Chinese premier to visit Australia in 11 years, and this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. His eight-day trip to Australia and New Zealand, which began on Wednesday, is regarded as another reassuring gesture by Chinese leaders in the wake of worries across the world prompted by US President Donald Trump's "America First" approach.

Turnbull said Australia is willing to boost mutual trust to maintain stable and consistent cooperation with China in a world that is facing unprecedented geopolitical and technological changes.

Promoting global free trade is beneficial for all nations to achieve employment targets and economic growth, the Australian prime minister said. He added that his country will work with China to defend free trade and open markets, which will bring more benefits to both peoples.

The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement has boosted bilateral trade since it took effect in December 2015. According to the General Administration of Customs, trade between China and Australia hit $107 billion last year, making China the biggest trading partner for Australia for the eighth consecutive year. China had a deficit of about $50 billion with the Oceanian country last year.

Li, in a speech at Parliament House that was broad-cast live on Australian television, said, "We believe that to resolve trade imbalance, we need to continue to expand trade."

On Thursday afternoon, Li met with other Australian leaders, including Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, Upper House of Parliament President Stephen Parry, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith and opposition leader Bill Shorten.
Professor Robert A. Obudho of the Urban and Regional Planning Department at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, is also founding editor of African Urban Quarterly journal and African Urban and Regional Science Index. Edith Mutethya / China Daily

China's valuable experience can help strengthen urban management to avoid problems of congestion, pollution and the emergence of slums

Africa might want to take a leaf out of China's book as it seeks to manage urbanization, which is closely related to economic growth and poverty alleviation, two key issues for the continent as it seeks to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals, says Professor Robert Obudho of the Urban and Regional Planning Department at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

China, Obudho says, has long experience with the urbanization process compared with other developing countries; hence Africa can identify with it in addressing its own case.

The proportion of Africans living in urban areas soared from 15 percent in 1960 to 40 percent in 2010. It's projected to hit 60 percent in 2050. Against that backdrop, the big challenge for government policymakers is how to harness urbanization for sustainable and inclusive growth.

"Africa's development will come from China because we have a very close relationship," Obudho says. "Most of the infrastructure development in Africa is financed and carried out by China, so the least urbanized continent can get some tips from the Asian tiger on managing urbanization process."

Until recently, urbanization was not considered to be a problem in most African countries because it was associated with modernization and industrialization. Both governments and international donor agencies fostered rural development and agriculture-based strategies without paying attention to the rapid rates of city growth.

However, today, urbanization is on the list of potentially devastating development problems that must be addressed. The fundamental problem, Obudho says, is that the urban population is growing very fast while economic growth and development necessary to support it and enhance the quality of urban life are lagging.

"There is a high rate of rural-urban migration, and an increasing number of slums and squatter settlements in urban areas across Africa," Obudho says. "This kind of migration has brought shortages of adequate housing, basic infrastructure and services - in addition to contributing to overcrowding and congestion, and increasing exposure to environmental hazards. However, with proper planning, we will be able to manage our urbanization process."

He says urbanization is the first sure step toward the economic growth and development of African countries. During the process, people will shift from doing things the rural way to embracing the urban system. Poverty and tribalism - two of the biggest challenges affecting the continent - will set in; but such challenges will be overcome as the urbanization process continues and countries develop, he says.

"Poverty itself is part of growth. When poor people migrate from a rural area to an urban center, they usually tend to stay in the slum settlements, which is somehow equivalent to the kind of lifestyle they had been experiencing before," Obudho says. "With time, they work hard, shifting from an informal to a formal sector, improving their livelihood and moving from slums to better estates. This brings advantages to the government because, while in the informal sector, they will pay taxes that contribute to economic growth."

Theoretically, Obudho says, urbanization supports manufacturing and other industries in the short term, thus creating job opportunities and economic growth in the long term.

He is of the opinion that Africa would enjoy great financial benefits, such as income from exports, increased interest in living in urban centers and increased visibility in the global economy, if it borrowed the successful elements in China's urbanization plan for its developing cities.

Obudho says China, during its rapid urbanization, was able to successfully control the number of slums, for example.

In most of the African countries, extreme poverty is more prominent in rural areas than in urban centers; hence, urbanization seems to be an effective method for providing better services and livelihoods to millions of Africans - as happened in China - he says.

According to the World Bank, a cornerstone of China's urbanization strategy has been the hukou or household registration system to control migration, and trying to channel migrants to small medium-sized cities.

Another key element is the devolution of public services and many administration functions to city governments. In 2005, Chinese citizens' degree of satisfaction with local governments rose to 72 percent - considerably higher than in many other countries, including the United States.

China has also been frugal about its use of land for urban development. Cities now occupy about 4.4 percent of the total.

Through a rational urbanization process, China was able to reduce its poverty rate from 84 percent in 1980 to 10 percent in 2010.

Obudho says China can help Africa to strengthen its urban management and planning, so that cities do a better job of looking ahead and avoiding congestion, pollution and the emergence of urban slums.

This, he says, can be done through collaboration between China's development agency and African universities. China should collaborate with African universities that have urban and regional planning departments so that they can structure their programs properly, Obudho says.

"They can help in Africanizing the urbanization process," he says.

Already, Obudho says, several African universities are looking to China for collaboration in urban and regional planning research activities. He says his department at the University of Nairobi is ready to link up.

At the same time, China can also invite African academicians to visit the country and get firsthand experience of China's urban and regional planning process and learn how they can apply the same in Africa, he says.

Africa can also learn from China's modern way of doing things - particularly on infrastructure development, since China is already doing massive infrastructure work on the continent. Africa must ensure that it has adequate infrastructure as it goes through the urbanization process, Obudho says.

Unlike centuries ago, when Africa was learning from the experience of its former colonizers from Western Europe, today the focus has shifted to China.

Currently, China is Africa's biggest trading partner, having surpassed the United States in 2009. Trade between China and Africa grew from $10.5 billion (9.9 billion euros; 8.6 billion) in 2000 to $166 billion in 2011.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn
Jiang Suwei is the first person from the Chinese mainland to make partner in Europe at PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the worlds leading consultancy firms.

Jiang is now head of China Business at PwC UK and has won several accolades, including the Excellence in Accounting and Finance Award at the first Chinese Business Leaders Awards in 2015.

Her more than two decades of living in the UK has given her a privileged vantage point over the development of Sino-British relations and deepening business ties.

She was able to achieve all this thanks to her father.

To fund her studies in Britain, he quit his job in Nanjing as an executive at a telecoms company, borrowed money from his brother-in-law, and went to work for him in Fujian province to repay the loan.

The tuition fees were 15,000 pounds, which was a lot of money in 1995, especially in China, says Jiang. My mothers family is from Malaysia and my uncle had a conglomerate involved in property and other ventures....Chinese parents will do anything for their children.

Growing up, she had vague ideas of pursuing some kind of entrepreneurial career but had no fixed goal. She attended Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, which included a year in the UK.

There were very few Chinese in the UK who were not from Hong Kong, Malaysia and so on in those days, she remembers.

She then studied for a Masters of Business Administration at the University of Bristol. This meant taking the Graduate Management Admission Test, which tests for advanced English and maths skills.

Although I had good English, I remember having to study hard during the Christmas holidays before the exam in January.

On completion of her MBA, she sent a bundle of application letters  nothing was online in those days. PwC was one of only two companies to get back to her, saying they were interested but there would be problems with getting a work visa.

PwC said to get around this, I could work and study at the same time to become a chartered accountant. I've been with them ever since, she says.

She worked in audit until the firm asked her in 2008 if she wanted to set up a unit to explore how to help not only UK companies enter the Chinese market but to aid Chinese clients wanting to do business in the UK.

I help companies by being their sounding board. We have people in China who can help with interpreting and other things but I think more about strategy. Post-deal integration is one of the most important areas of my work, she says. The financial crisis meant a lot of UK companies put China on the backburner but China saw an opportunity to come overseas.

Britains vote last year to leave the EU means there is even more scope for two-way investment flows between China and the UK, she says.

Judging by client feedback, UK companies are looking at China more closely while the Chinese see opportunities for free-trade deals. Meanwhile, both sides have become a lot more sophisticated.
CRRC rolls in - Chicago Hong Le, consul general of China in Chicago, attends the March 16 groundbreaking ceremony held by CRRC Sifang America for its rolling stock assembly plant in Chicago. The Chicago Transit Authority awarded CRRC Sifang a framework contract last year for the supply of up to 846 Series 7000 metro cars. As part of the contract, CRRC committed to assembling the cars in Chicago. The $100 million plant will employ around 170 workers and create 130 construction jobs. CRRC said it will spend $7 million on training. Provided To China Daily
Starbucks' brand perception has plummeted since it announced plan to hire refugees

Starbucks' brand has taken a beating since the company announced plans to hire 10,000 refugees worldwide in the next five years in response to Donald Trump's executive order intended to prevent refugees from entering the US.

The coffee giant's consumer perception levels have fallen by two-thirds since late January, according to YouGov BrandIndex.

The perception tracker measures if respondents have "heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative." In Starbucks' case, perception is still overall positive, but significantly lower than it was prior to CEO Howard Schultz published a public letter outlining the company's plans to give refugees jobs.

"We are living in an unprecedented time, one in which we are witness to the conscience of our country, and the promise of the American Dream, being called into question," CEO Howard Schultz wrote in a letter to Starbucks employees about the plan.

The graphic below shows YouGov's brand perception since October of last year. The red arrow points to when Starbucks announced its plan to hire 10,000 refugees.

YouGov says that there's reason to believe backlash will impact the chain's bottom line. Two days before Starbucks' announcement, 30% of consumers said they'd consider buying from Starbucks the next time they were craving coffee, the highest proportion in nearly a year. Now, the percentage is down to 24%, according to YouGov.

While many customers were immediately supportive of Starbucks' actions to support refugees, others threatened to boycott.

"Upon hearing about your decision to hire 10000 refugees instead of Americans I will no longer spend any money at Starbucks," one such Facebook user wrote on Starbucks' page in late January.

Some of this resentment seemed to be rooted in a belief that Starbucks was hiring refugees instead of veterans. Starbucks, however, does have a program in place to support veterans and their families, hiring 8,000 veterans and military spouses since 2014  an initiative the chain has attempted to highlight in recent days and weeks online and on social media.
The Kooky and the Cool on Oregon Coast Right Now: Pryosomes, Ghost Forests

Published 03/24/2017 at 4:13 AM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  Spring break is definitely starting out in an interesting way. Orcas have been spotted already in the Yachats area, gray whale numbers are good along the entire central coast, and some weird stuff is showing up on these beaches. A strange and somewhat new face is popping up again with things that look like plastic tubes, and some ghost forests are  remarkably  still visible. But barely. (Above: pyrosome photo by Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium).

Those kooky pyrosomes have appeared again on Oregon coast beaches. Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium noted seeing more this week. They first showed in October, sometimes in great numbers, utterly confusing most beachgoers. Normally, they're rarely spotted on these sands. But this year has been an anomaly.

The small, tube-like creatures resemble plastic to some degree. The crazy thing is they are in actuality tiny colonies of hundreds of other even smaller creatures. Those washing up here are about a foot long or so, but they can grow to two feet. Their counterparts in other more tropical climates can grow up to 60 feet long.

Each individual is about 1 cm long  less than a third of an inch. They are all connected by tissue and in turn form this colony.

Pyrosomes, pelagic colonial tunicates usually found in temperate waters [as low as] 800 meters, have been washing ashore on Oregon's beaches, Boothe said. This colony of animals is comprised of thousands of individual zooids and moves through the water column by the means of cilia. They filter plankton out of the water for food and are known for bight displays of bioluminescence. In fact, their scientific name is derived from the Greek words pyro meaning 'fire' and soma meaning 'body.' 

Even cooler, as Boothe noted, they are bioluminescent: meaning they glow in their natural habitat.





Some ghost forests are still visible in tiny amounts around the central Oregon coast. A Coastwatch volunteer (the group which keeps an eye on beach changes) recently noted just the tips of a couple of ancient stumps were showing at Ona Beach, which is near Waldport.

Ghost forests are stumps of trees that are anywhere between 1,000 and 4,000 years old (depending on the beach), which were killed by getting covered up by sand and then preserved for millennia beneath that sand.

They were also spotted in recent months at Newport's Moolack Beach and the Thiel Creek area, as well as just north of Seal Rock and Lost Creek Beach near there. However, most  if not all  of those have likely disappeared. Still, it's worth your time to check. You may get lucky and witness something quite ancient on your spring break trip.

If you're heading to Neskowin, then you're in luck. 1000-year-old stumps are visible there year-round.

Yet what isn't well known is that Newport also has two giant ghost forest stumps that are visible the entire year. One is on display at Beverly Beach State Park, and the other sits immediately below the southern face of Otter Rock. You'll find it just beneath the cliff that's on the opposite side of the Devil's Punchbowl  at the famed surfing spot. Oregon Coast Hotels for this - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

Pyrosome photos below courtesy Boothe/Seaside Aquarium. More photos of ghost forests below that.















More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Coastal Spotlight



LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net

All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted
Hectic, emotional, and stressful.

Those three words are what I would use to describe the days that have followed after my last blog.

As I had written before I started a new job in Lincoln. As I had already known, my schedule is completely different than before and really throwing me off my normal routines. To be completely honest I have been to the gym 1 time (maybe 2 I honestly don't remember) since my last blog. That one (or 2) times was on my own, and not at my fullest potential.

With my new, and Tyson's demanding schedules, meeting with each other hasn't fully meshed yet. I'm hopeful that we will find something that works to finish these remaining weeks strong.

Along with my new job we suffered the loss of a family member and close friend. Losing someone is never easy, and with myself being an emotional person, I tend to consume less than ideal foods or beverages during hard times. I do admit that even though I didn't turn back to my old ways, I didn't make the most healthy food choices after these recent events.

Trying to remain as positive as before has been harder than normal for me. I've been spending less time at home with my son, working on getting back into routine, etc, but I still really want to make the most out of my remaining time with the program.

I had my "down time" on myself, and now am ready to try again. Like my mother told me, I haven't lost my motivation, I just temporarily lost my motivation to take the necessary steps that were needed. I am trying to find times to meet with Tyson again, and if I'm not able, then find exercises to do at home or alone.

This is literally "crunch" time, and its time to get my butt back in gear. Oddly enough, I'm looking forward to being quite sore these next few days.
Patrick Riley, 69, of Plymouth. Memorial services will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25, 2017 at St. John Lutheran Church, Beatrice, with Pastor Greg Gabriel, officiating. No visitation. Memorial established to the familys choice. Casual attire is requested and anyone that would like to ride their motorcycle is welcome to bring it to the service.

Hazel Schmidt, 107, of Fairbury. Services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at Grace Lutheran Church, 11th and G, Fairbury.

Laurel June Troxel, 69, of Fairbury. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m on Saturday, March 25, 2017, at Enosdale Cemetery, outside Morrowville, Kan., with Darlene Novotny officiating.

Leona R. Wiemers, 97, of Tonganoxie, Kan. Visitation for Leona will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at the Tonganoxie United Methodist Church, 328 E. 4th Street, with the funeral service immediately following. Internment will be in the city cemetery in Washington, Kan., with a graveside service on Sunday, March 26 at 1 p.m. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Visiting Nurses Hospice, 200 Main  Suite C, Lawrence, Kan.. 66044.
A man arrested by deputies last week after a pursuit may face additional charges after weapons and drugs were found in a bag he dropped.

Isaac w. Anderson, 41, was arrested Saturday after Gage County Sheriffs deputies took a report from a man who said he went home that day and discovered a trespasser inside his residence.

He said he didnt know the intruder, identified as Anderson, and the suspect had no reason to be in the residence.

He provided a description of the man, who left when the victim told him to, and nothing appeared to be stolen.

Deputies located a man who fit the description walking along East Hoyt Road, just east of Beatrice.

They approached Anderson and asked if they could pat him down, at which point he dropped a bag and took off running into a wooded area.

A deputy drove his patrol vehicle across a corn field and located the suspect hiding on the creek bank, according to Gage County Court documents.

The victim said he did not know Anderson, but did not want to press charges for trespassing.

Anderson was arrested on four Missouri warrants and for obstructing a peace officer.

Deputies collected the bag Anderson dropped and placed it into evidence at the Sheriff's Office. On Tuesday, deputies obtained written permission from Anderson to search the bag. Inside the bag deputies located three knives with blades 6-7  inches in length.

A records check indicated he was a convicted felon and not allowed to possess knives.

Also in the bag were 11 pills of Buspirone Hydrochloride, which were inside an orange prescription bottle that was missing part of the label. Anderson was not able to produce a prescription for the pills.

Court documents state Anderson could face three counts possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, possession of a legend drug and altering a narcotic drug label.

He appeared in Gage County Court Thursday in the new case, where a bond was set at $25,000 with a 10 percent deposit. His next hearing is scheduled for April 6.
At the blessed crack of well-before-dawn on Sunday I'm heading south for what promises to be a truly extraordinary week.

Each year, the chaplains at Williams College partner with the Center for Learning in Action on an interfaith service trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (See Alabama Calling, Williams Alumni Review, July 2012.) This year I am profoundly blessed to be one of the chaplains serving my alma mater, which means I get to take part!

The four chaplains (Jewish, Christian, Roman Catholic, and Muslim) will travel to Alabama with a group of a dozen students from a variety of faith backgrounds. This year's group includes students who self-identify as Jewish, Christian, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, Deist, and atheist.

We'll begin the week by visiting the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (and those who are there on that Sunday morning will attend services at the 16th Street Baptist Church; I'm sorry to miss that, though am grateful that those of us who are flying in on Sunday morning will get there in time for the Civil Rights Institute.)

Then we'll spend the week working on a Habitat for Humanity building project together, building a home for someone in need and continuing to help our host community there recover from tornadoes that devastated the area a few years ago. We'll camp out in a local church social hall, and cook vegetarian meals together each night. (I've packed my sleeping bag. The whole thing is giving me fond memories of touring with the Williams College Elizabethans during my own undergraduate days.)

Each night a different chaplain will offer teachings on the shared theme of brokenness and mending. Those evening sessions offer an opportunity to introduce students to our four different faith-traditions, and also to get them talking with each other and with us about how the conversations we're having in the evenings relate to the holy work we're doing during the day.

Over the course of the week, as we engage with the civil rights movement and how that historic and historical struggle for human rights dovetails with today's politics, I expect that (alone and together) we'll wrestle with our own relationships to race and privilege. For most of us, the American South will be unfamiliar territory, so there's learning to do there. And for most of us, the kind of conscious multi-faith community we're aspiring to co-create will be unfamiliar territory, too. I suspect that all of us will find ourselves pushing up against our usual boundaries from time to time.

We'll seal the week with what feels to me like a gloriously multi-modal celebration of Shabbat: first we'll attend Friday dinner and activities at the Islamic Society of Birmingham, then Saturday morning Shabbat services and lunch at Temple Emanu-El, and then Saturday afternoon mass (or as I've been thinking of it, Shabbat mincha in a different key) at St. Francis Xavier, with havdalah as part of our closing reflections and integration work on Saturday night.

(As a student of the students of Reb Zalman z"l -- he who famously called himself a "Spiritual Peeping Tom" and said he liked to see how other people "get it on with God" -- I think that Shabbat sounds like an actual foretaste of heaven!)

I know that this will be an exhausting and overwhelming week -- and I anticipate that it will be at least as wonderful as it is challenging. I don't know that I'll manage to blog much while I'm away, but I imagine that I will harvest spiritual riches from this trip for a long time to come.
Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page.

Loading...

Checking your browser before accessing the website.

This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly.

Please wait a few seconds.
Archived Results for Friday, March 24th, 2017

Older Page 1
Lengthy contracts and guaranteed access to the power grid forces utility to buy solar and wind energy even if it's more expensive than traditional sources



Kendal Bowman, vice president of regulatory affairs and policy at Duke Energy, tells a House energy oversight committee about the 'favorable terms' the state has given renewable energy producers. (CJ photo by Dan Way)

State Rep. Jeff Collins had enough.The Nash County Republican sat through two legislative meetings in two weeks hearing Duke Energy officials describe subsidies and carve-outs handed over to the solar energy industry at taxpayer expense. Often the utility was forced to buy renewable power that wasn't needed, Collins learned.Collins, a chairman of the House Energy and Public Utilities Commission, said after the March 15 meeting.In the complicated, jargon-filled world of renewable energy, qualifying facilities are money. They're electric power plants fueled by renewables (including solar and wind) that generate 80 megawatts or less. The federal Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act forces public utilities to buy power from those facilities.Collins said of North Carolina's dominance in qualifying facilities.Nor does he believe the law requires enough transparency to let policymakers know how much extra ratepayers must pay as a result of the good deal North Carolina has given to renewable energy producers.he said.The "favorable terms" described by one senior Duke Energy official include long-term contracts that lock in payments for renewable producers at high rates even as the cost of their energy falls. Those have translated into North Carolina's high rates of "avoided costs" - the money a utility saves from not having to build new plants or purchase power elsewhere because it buys renewable energy from qualifying facilities.Even though the PURPA law gives states a lot of flexibility in how they regulate qualifying facilities, North Carolina has given renewable power producers a bargain relative to other states, Duke Energy vice president for policy Kendal Bowman told Collins' committee. This good deal for producers has led to headaches for the power company and higher rates for consumers, she said.She said the state should consider scaling back some of the special treatment renewable facilities have gotten.As an example, North Carolina law requires 15-year, guaranteed, fixed-term rates to qualifying facilities.Some states have been reducing contract lengths. In 2015, Idaho's Public Utilities Commission cut its terms from 20 years to two.The Idaho commission said shorter contracts lead to a more accurate picture of true avoided costs, which determine the size of payments to solar plants. Having more timely and better information trims costs to ratepayers, Idaho officials found.Compared to other Southeastern states, North CarolinaBowman said. Combined with the long-term fixed contracts,The good deal North Carolina has given the renewable industry, rather than our abundant sunshine, has led to its growth.of qualifying facilities, Bowman said. One problem is that PURPA does not let the utility shut off, or dispatch, solar power from qualifying facilities, even if the solar energy is much more expensive than power from natural gas or nuclear sources.Bowman said.Duke Energy wants to reduce contract lengths from 15 years to 10. It wants the option not to buy from renewable power plants during years Duke's energy resource plan shows it doesn't need their capacity. Under current policy Duke must buy from those sources for all 15 years of the contract even if the utility doesn't need the power, Bowman said.Current state law requires Duke to pay higher standard contract rates to all qualifying facilities generating 5 MW of electricity or less. Rates for renewable power generators above that limit are negotiated. The utility wants to limit that costly mandate by reducing standard contract rates to qualifying facilities generating 1 MW or less.Bowman said Duke also would like the law to allow a competitive bidding process run by an independent third partyThose changes would provideBowman said.Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke, asked if the regulations under current law have forced Duke to build more fossil fuel-powered units because energy it buys from renewable sources is not as reliable.Bowman said. So Duke must keep a number of power stations permanently running and on lineduring storms or when there is no wind.Collins asked.Bowman said.PURPAsaid Rep. Dana Bumgardner, R-Gaston.Bowman said.Collins told Carolina Journal he hopes the House would look favorably on Duke's recommendations to revisit North Carolina's highly advantageous PURPA terms.Lowering utility ratesCollins said. Inexpensive energy
Gov. Roy Cooper was talking like a libertarian.He probably didn't even realize it.About a week ago, in his state of the state address, Cooper talked about many things. He discussed his budget plans and House Bill 2. He talked about education and the need to recruit the best teachers. To raise teacher pay. He addressed the need to help small business and about lowering the state's unemployment rate.He talked about Mackenzie Hinson, a 12-year old girl from Grantham who founded "Make A Difference Food Pantry" in her community.Mackenzie stood in the Senate gallery, obviously a little nervous and probably embarrassed by the attention.Lawmakers, led by the governor, stood to applaud.Cooper spoke of the state's "resilient spirit" and called Mackenzie "remarkable."An "inspiration."Hurricane Matthew struck coastal North Carolina in October and caused, according to some estimates, $2 billion in damage, as well as 28 deaths. This placed Matthew among the worst natural disasters in state history, surpassed perhaps only by 1999's Hurricane Floyd.The state and federal governments have committed hundreds of millions toward recovery.Mackenzie committed her valuable time and energy.After the storm, Cooper said, Mackenzie and her band of volunteers got busy replenishing the pantry and offering whatever help they could provide.Cooper said in his prepared speech.Mackenzie didn't wait for the government to arrive on its proverbial white horse. To tell residents everything would be OK. She and her friends took care of all that on their own.Which is how it's supposed to work.John Locke argued, as the Cato Institute's David Boaz writes in Libertarianism: A Primer, that weWe can't do that alone, of course. We need a community, whether that's defined as a town, a family, a church, or common goals, and common beliefs.Those associations, Boaz writes, form the basis for the idea of a civil society. The idea that neighbors - and communities - will step in to help in times of need. The government, or state, only impedes this process. In other words, government can interrupt and even eliminate charity.When a real need exists people - not necessarily government - will step in for the benefit of friends and neighbors. People like Mackenzie.Many news stories falsely reported President Trump wanted to drastically cut funding for "Meals on Wheels" programs. But, as Walter Olson wrote in National Review, the meals program gets much of its money from the Older Americans Act, and not from Community Development Block Grants, which, as Reason magazine writes, is ripe with cronyism and pork-barrel spending.Yet news - whether biased, misguided, or just wrong - travels fast.The Washington Post reported that, according to Meals on Wheels, the group hasMackenzie should be proud.Cooper said,It's a great irony - a progressive governor calling on a young resident who exemplifies the best aspects of the libertarian spirit.Whether that was Cooper's intent isn't clear.
HA NOI  The first ship carrying fruits from ASEAN countries docked at the Fangcheng Gang Port in South Chinas Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Monday, marking the opening of a new shipping route for transporting fruit between China and the regional bloc.

The route, running from HCM City in Viet Nam to Guangxi Zhuang, is operated by four ships of the Chinese COSCO Shipping Corporation, a State-owned enterprise based in Shanghai. Each ship can carry 1,100 standard containers.

Currently just one ship sails on the route each week, but this is set to increase to two or three times by the end of this year.

The new route is expected to increase fruit exports from ASEAN countries to China, and facilitate Chinas export of farm produce and fruit to the ASEAN market.

From the Fangcheng Gang Port in southern Guangxi Province, which borders Viet Nam, the fruit will be transported via rail or road to wholesale farm produce markets in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

In an article posted on the freshplaza.com website last month, Shihe Sun, director of the Guangxi Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, was quoted as saying the province had become a main channel for fruit trade with ASEAN countries.

The province imported 920,100 tonnes of fruit worth $515 million in 2016.

Sun said Guangxi had good transport connections with Viet Nam, making it one of the most convenient channels between China and the ASEAN market. The province has opened the Pingxiang land port, the Guilin airport and the Fangcheng Gang waterway to facilitate the export and import of fruits.

According to the General Department of Customs, Viet Nam earned $309.9 million from the export of vegetables and fruit to China in the first two months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 31 per cent. China accounts for 73.6 per cent of Viet Nams total export value of vegetables and fruit.

Viet Nam has imported fruit and vegetables worth $31 million from China during the period, accounting for 19 per cent of its total vegetable and fruit imports.

The volume of Chinese fruit exports is expected to increase rapidly as Viet Nam implements its commitment of zero per cent tariffs under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement.

Under the commitment, Viet Nam will abolish taxes or reduce it to zero per cent for 90 per cent of existing tariff lines by the end of 2018, while the remaining 10 per cent will see further reductions by 2020.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company, or Vinamilk, will spend almost US$11 million to buy its Cambodian partners entire stake in Angkor Dairy Product Company Limited (Angkormilk) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Under the plan, which was officially agreed to by Viet Nams Ministry of Planning and Investment on Thursday, the State-owned companys investment capital in Angkormilk will increase from $10.2 million to $21 million.

Angkormilk is a joint venture between Vinamilk and its Cambodian partner BPC Trading Co Ltd. The joint venture, originally signed in 2013, has formed a new line of Cambodian dairy products under the Angkormilk brand name. The two sides jointly invested in and inaugurated the Angkor dairy product processing factory last year. Vinamilk held 51 per cent stake in the company and BPC owned the rest.

The 27,000sq.m. factory is designed to have a capacity of over 19 million litres of milk, 64 million yogurt pots and 80 million condensed milk cans per year.

Its capacity will be increased to 38 million litres of milk and 192 million yogurt pots per year by 2024.  VNS
Justices asked to determine whether N.C. attorney general represents legislature or governor in election reform lawsuit

Who represents the people of North Carolina: the governor or the General Assembly?The eight justices of the U.S. Supreme Court may decide that on March 31, when they meet in a conference to consider motions in the lawsuit challenging the state's 2013 election reforms. If the justices accept a motion by state Attorney General Josh Stein to withdraw from the case, North Carolina's law requiring voter identification at the polls and disallowing same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting would be unconstitutional.What the justices may decide - if they do anything at all - is whom Stein represents. Stein and fellow Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper argue in court filings they represent the state and its residents. They want the Supreme Court to end the case, effectively striking down the election law.Former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr told Carolina Journal the debate between Stein and the General Assembly over who represents the state should not be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. "This is probably not the best place to resolve this issue," he said. He would prefer the matter be handled by state officials, but acknowledged that's unlikely any time soon.The GOP-led General Assembly's private attorneys say the appeal should continue, in part, because the legislature is Stein's client and he failed to inform lawmakers he was planning to ask the court to withdraw from the case.In court documents, the private attorneys also claim Stein has a conflict of interest because he testified against the state during the initial trial. Stein denied any personal interest in the lawsuit or any other legal conflict. He also said he had no duty to inform the General Assembly that he was asking to withdraw from the case because the legislature is not his client.Complicating matters, the court is split ideologically, with four conservative-leaning and four liberal-leaning justices. Federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch is in the middle of confirmation hearings to take the seat vacated by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. A confirmation vote before the full Senate is unlikely before early April.But if the current justices choose to decide the North Carolina motions before Gorsuch takes office, and they split 4-4, a July 2016 opinion by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturning the state law would stand.The lawsuit, filed by the NAACP and several voters, claimed the 2013 election law violated the federal Voting Rights Act. The General Assembly and then-Gov. Pat McCrory said the law was intended to prevent voter fraud and uphold the integrity of elections.The Obama administration joined the lawsuit against the state. Last April, a U.S. District Court judge upheld the law. But in July, a three-judge 4th Circuit panel of Democrat-appointed judges overturned the opinion, saying the law discriminated against minority voters.In August, then-Attorney General Cooper - who opposes the 2013 election law - said he would not represent the state and that the private attorneys hired by Cooper and the General Assembly would handle any appeals.Then Cooper was elected governor, and Stein succeeded Cooper.On Feb. 21, Cooper's general counsel and Stein's chief deputy sent a letter by email to Thomas Farr and Kyle Duncan, the attorneys working for the General Assembly, informing them that, effective immediately, the attorney general's office would handle the matter exclusively.The same day Stein filed a motion with the Supreme Court asking it to dismiss the case. Farr responded with a letter to Cooper and Stein's representatives informing them they did not have the authority to remove North Carolina from the petition for the Supreme Court to hear the matter.These motions are on the court's March 31 calendar. The justices may rule on them that day, delay any decision until a future meeting, or wait until the ninth justice is at work - perhaps this summer or fall.
A car assembling line of Hyundai Thanh Cong in Ninh Binh Province.  Photo enternews.vn

HA NOI  Human resources will be a key driver in manufacturing companies becoming Industry 4.0* players, experts said at a press conference held in the capital city on Thursday.

The press conference was held to introduce the Viet Nam Manufacturing Expo 2017 (VNM) that will be held from April 26-28.

Isara Burintramart, managing director of Thailands Reed Tradex Co., said that other drivers of the Industry 4.0 trend will be Government support, data analytics and economic management.

I believe that Viet Nams workforce is ready to learn and step into the Industry 4.0 era. The best way to approach the 4.0 revolution is to do it in small steps, starting with a strategy or a pilot project, he said.

Nguyen Van Thu , Chairman of the Viet Nam Association of Mechanical Industry, agreed, adding that the small and simple steps need to be taken immediately.

Investing in human resources should be considered the most important task for local manufacturers in addition to fostering technical innovation and enhancing co-operation among businesses to maximize efficiency and avoid overlapping investments, he said.

Thu said a number of Vietnamese businesses, especially those in the automobile, agricultural machinery and design industries, have moving to Industry 4.0 with efficient investments in technological innovation.

He cited as an example the comprehensive business plan of Truong Hai Auto Corp in constructing the Chu Lai-Truong Hai Automoile Mechanical Industrial Zone, which will start operations in 2018.

The company has expanded investments in laser welding technology and the latest paint technology, expecting its annual capacity to reach 100,000 cars, 100,000 trucks and 5,000 buses.

Other speakers at the press conference explained that Industry 4.0 refers to the 4th industrial revolution, coming after the earlier waves of mechanisation of production using steam power, mass production powered by electric motors and digital revolution with electroics and IT used to further automate production. The fourth revolution creates the smart factory by impactful orchestration of emerging technologies including the Internet of Things, the Cloud, Analytics, Robotics, 3D printing and Artificial Intelligence.

The VNM 2017 will present state-of-the art technology with particularl focus on metrology and assembling automation. It will run along with two exhibitions: Viet Nam Sheet Metal and Industry Components and Subcontracting Viet Nam.

The expos are expected to attract over 200 leading brands, from 20 countries including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Vietnam Saigon Textile and Garment Industry/Fabric and Garment Accessories Expo (Saigon Tex 2017) that will showcase high-end machinery and equipment and feedstock for the textile and garment industry will be held in HCM City next month.

The 35,000sq.m expo is expected to attract nearly 1,200 exhibitors from 23 countries and territories.

It will also feature several seminars, including those on increasing value for Vietnamese textile and garment products, challenges and investment opportunities in the textile and footwear sector, trade barriers from the free trade agreement between the EU and Viet Nam, as well as todays global apparel and fashion market.

To be held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre from April 5 to 8, Saigon Tex will offer garment companies a gilt-edged chance to foster relations with foreign enterprises and seek investment opportunities while enhancing technology transfer to increase local content in garment products and improving product quality to meet the needs of local and international buyers.

This will enhance the value of Vietnamese garment and textile products, contributing to the development of the industry amid the countrys international integration.

The expo, jointly organised by the Viet Nam National Textile and Garment Group, VCCI Exhibition Service Co., Ltd, CP Hongkong Exhibition Organisation Co., Ltd and CP Vietnam Exhibition Organisation Co., Ltd, is an annual event that meets the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry standards.  VNS
HA NOI  The Government of Viet Nam has made accelerated efforts to improve the business climate but more drastic measures must be taken at local levels where firms still face obstacles in doing business, according to the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Resolution 19 has already made positive progress toward improving the business climate and national competitiveness , said Phan uc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management, at an online conference held yesterday by the Dien an Doanh Nghiep (Business Forum) newspaper.

However, Hieu said the progerss of reform remains slow at many local agencies due to slack officials and lack of accountability, determination as well as co-operation.

"The problem is how the policies are implemented. I have not seen breakthroughs in implementation during the past three years. Results were still much below the expectations of most firms, he said.

Challenges are ahead and great effort is needed for this period of reform, Hieu said, pointing out that reforms must now be hastened in order to realise the Governments goal of doubling efficient firms to 1 million by 2020.

Hieu said that while several localities were active in quickening reforms, others lacked dynamism. It is vital to create a transparent and fair working environment to promote the efficiency of State officials. Business associations must play their role in raising their voices and calling for more actions by management agencies to remove difficulties for firms, said Hieu.

According to Nguyen Van Thoi, President of Thai Nguyen Province Business Association, policy-makers should force local agencies working directly with businesses to hasten reforms. Due to lack of sanctions, local agencies are stagnant in making changes, he said.

Thoi added that management agencies should regularly hold dialogues with businesses to listen to their difficulties and adopt measures to handle them.

Thoi said that there should be a meter to measure results of reforms.

Nguyen Nhan Phuong, President of Bac Ninh Province Business Assciation, said administrative procedures remain complicated and time-taking.

Phuong said supports, especially in land policies and credits, targeting small and medium-sized firms should be raised.

At the conference, businesses said that reforms, such as e-tax and e-customs, helped cut business costs significantly, but greater effort were needed.

Experts said that accountability of heads of administrative management agencies must be promoted to speed up reforms. What businesses want is a reform with quality, said au Anh Tuan, head of the VCCIs Legal Department.

In April, the Prime Minister will hold a direct dialogue with businesses. - VNS
HA NOI  Forty-nine contracts were signed during the two-day regional conference on food security in Ha Noi, which ended Thursday, the Netherlands deputy minister of agriculture Marjolijn Sonnema said.

The Netherlands has three major contracts, which includes a commitment to an investment package worth 150,000 EUR (US$ 162,000) to develop a seafood index and governance, thereby supporting seafood companies in Asia towards achieving sustainability in aquaculture, Sonnema said.

The European nation will also help Viet Nam implement a project aimed at cutting down post-harvest losses. Both countries will also sign a protocol on enhancing co-operation in food security, she said.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said the conference focused on steps to promote co-operation between countries to overcome challenges, on creating a sustainable agricultural sector, and on contributing to ensure food security and safety amidst climate change.

At a press conference in the Capital on Thursday, Sonnema said her country, with its experience, expertise, technology and capacity, can help Viet Nam build a sustainable agricultural sector.

She spoke about the common grounds the two countries have to enhance co-operation in agricultural development - both sides export agricultural products and both face challenges caused by climate change, especially in water management for agricultural production.

During the Dutch ministers four-day visit to Viet Nam, from March 20 to 23, many events were arranged to boost partnership between Vietnamese and Dutch enterprises, laying the foundation for strengthening economic and trade links between the two countries in the future.  VNS
HCM CITY  Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of HCM Citys Peoples Committee, has sought support for setting up business incubators from Israel, which has an established reputation as a start-up nation.

At a meeting with President of Israel Reuven Ruvi Rivlin in HCM City on Thursday, Phong spoke highly of Israels technical expertise and management capacity in hi-tech agriculture and other projects underway in the city.

He said he hoped that Israeli businesses would continue partnering with HCM City in areas that are its strengths, such as farming, information technology, tourism and personnel training.

Phong requested Israel to continue offering scholarships to local management officials to improve their skills in agriculture, environment, rural reconstruction, economy and education, among others.

On his part, Rivlin said the agreements signed by the two countries and the upcoming bilateral free trade agreement will lay down an important foundation for their businesses and improve co-operation, raising bilateral ties to a new height.

Talking about his Viet Nam visit, the Israeli leader said the countrys scenic beauty will inspire Israeli youngsters to come to the country and thus contribute to strengthening economic, trade and tourism links.

Collaboration programmes in education will help the two countries youngsters to bolster mutual understanding and solidarity and share experiences in fields of interests, Rivlin said.

Responding to HCM Citys proposals, Rivlin said Israeli firms, especially those operating in the city, are ready to share experience and invest in start-ups in Viet Nam.

After the meeting, Phong and Rivlin witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a US$200 million financial healthcare package between Israels Jasmine Group and at Vang Real Estate Investment Company.

Earlier, the Israeli president and his wife visited a milch cow farm in Binh Chanh Districts Pham Van Hai Commune, which uses Israels technological know-how as part of the Dairy Demonstration and Experiment Farm project for 2012-2017.

Later, both leaders attended a business forum and witnessed the signing of another MoU on research and development cooperation between Israel Innovation Authority and National Technology Innovation Fund.  VNS
ONG NAI  The southern ong Nai Provinces transport department on Thursday ordered four sand mining and dredging projects in the region to suspend operations.

The four projects are: dredging on the inland waterway of Thai Thien stream from Thi Vai River to Kim Nhat inland wharf (Phuoc Thai Commune, Long Thanh District); dredging on Ong Trung channel (Phuoc Tan and Tam Phuoc communes, Bien Hoa City); dredging and clearing of Buong River and Ben Go River (Phuoc Tan and Tam Phuoc communes, Bien Hoa City); and dredging and operating inland waterway on ong Kho River (Phuoc An Commune, Nhon Trach District).

The department, greenlit by the provincial Peoples Committee, has ordered the businesses to clear all their machinery, equipment and workers off their premises and return the premises.

The departments inspectors in collaboration with ong Nai police and the peoples committees of the four mentioned districts have been instructed to monitor the process, making public the information they have, and deal with those who are not cooperating.

In all, there are 13 sand mining and dredging projects that have got permissions, of which now four have been asked to close down. The nine other projects have got licences from the transport ministry, but according to the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, only three are ongoing; the other six have either not begun or have already concluded.

The department said that the sand mining and dredging projects concentrated heavily on the mining, exploiting natural resources for profit, but dredging, which is more important environmentally, is largely ignored. Irresponsible, unregulated sand mining causes severe erosions on the riverbanks, and threaten the safety and livelihood of local residents.

The suspension order has come amidst reports and public concern over illegal sand mining projects operating all over the country. Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh earlier this month said that cover-ups and collusion that let such businesses operate are unacceptable and would be punished.  VNS
By Phuong Ha

a Lat, for long a popular hill station in Viet Nam, has added economical homestay arrangements to its long list of attractions.

Over the last two years, homestay options have increased considerably, opening up a welcome option for budget travellers who also wish to experience local life up close.

Located on a small slope on Hung Vuong Street, the a Lat Otel Homestay boasts a unique design comprising rows of colourful tube-shaped apartments. Its location allows guests to enjoy great views of the valley below.

Bui Son Lam, business manager of a Lat Otel Homestay, said most apartments are full, especially at weekends, booked well in advance.

"Most of the guests are backpackers who find the accommodation so convenient that they keep coming back," he said.

Another homestay facility is the Circle Hostel, built on a a 300sq.m plot in District 3. The hostel has ten apartments with a diameter of 2.2m and height of 1.2m. Opening the curtains in their rooms, guests can gaze at the evergreen pine tree forest stretching out into the distance.

Most of the homestay accommodations in the city have unique designs or styles and eye-catching colours. Pham Thi Hong Van, manager of Homestay Legume, said her establishment used a minimalist tyle by reducing interior decorations as much as possible.

Accordingly, each room for two contains just bare necessities like beds, shelves and a fully-equipped bathroom. Other things commonly found in hotels, like TV, make-up desk are all excluded.

Explaining the style, Van said they were targeting adventurous youth who prefer a functional atmosphere. In addition, the airy space outside has been used to plant vegetables and flowers that guests can harvest themselves and use along with the host. A vast playground in the centre is a space for young guests to buy and cook their own food, creating a family atmosphere.

At the upper end, there are homestays built like luxurious resorts and those that use temporary houses and old villas creatively designed to create a long-lasting impression on the guests.

Truong Van Hoa, a manager of a homestay in District 7, said nearly all his customers are young people, including students who usually visit a Lat during the weekend. The duration of their stay is usually short, from two to three days.

Homestay pricing ranges from VN100,000 to VN300,000 (US$4-13) per day, which is far more competitive than hotels.

I stayed in three different homestay places in the city for three nights, just for different experiences, said 28-year-old Huynh Tuan Phuong of Bien Hoa City.

Each of them had different designs and different locations, which were interesting and impressive.

At pretty affordable prices, we could be close to nature and be part of daily activities of locals, like cooking or taking care of the vegetables with the hosts. It was an enjoyable experience.  VNS
Ancient pride: The Greek flag on the top of the Acropolis. Photo courtesy of the Embassy of Greece

On occasion of National Day of Greece on March 25, Viet Nam News presents the message of the Ambassador of Greece to Viet Nam, Nicolaos Kanellos.

Poet ambassador: Ambassador of Greece Nicolaos Kanellos. Photo courtesy of the Embassy of Greece

Greece celebrates National Day

We stand today in the shadow of history.

We stand to enrich our national life and to commemorate the proud traditions that tie our nations together.

We stand for peace.

I do most sincerely thank our host country, Viet Nam, for inspiring us to keep strong in our dreams.

The success of the visit of my Minister of Foreign Affairs few weeks before was a clear expression of our determination and aspiration to strengthen our bilateral ties for the interest and the prosperity of our two peoples.

Greece is not only the glorious past.

Greece is also the future, offering opportunity to everyone as the gateway to a new Europe.

I would like to speak in praise of all known and unknown heroes of peace who have worked for national endeavors and happiness.

We cannot assume that the struggle has ended.

It is never ending.

Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives WB CEO Kristalina Georgieva in Ha Noi yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

HA NOI  The World Bank (WB) will earmark US$1.8 billion for Viet Nam in 2017 to support the nations poverty reduction, water resource management, agricultural development and urban improvement efforts.

Visiting WB CEO Kristalina Georgieva said this in Ha Noi yesterday as she met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Prime Minister Phuc said that the WB has played a valuable role in the countrys socio-economic development, especially poverty elimination.

He said the coming five years were important to the country because, apart from promoting economic growth and ensuring social welfare, Viet Nam would have to build a solid institutional foundation for realising set orientations and strategies.

He said the top targets are to stablise the macro-economy, promote implementation of strategic breakthroughs, restructure the economy according to reforms in the growth model, ensure social welfare, proactively respond to climate change, and strive for an average growth rate of 6.5-7 per cent between 2016 and 2020.

However, an array of challenges remained in the course of integration and economic development, as also the serious impacts of climate change. Therefore, the country needs assistance from sponsors, including the WB, to help achieve the set targets, the PM said.

Effective use of funds

Given the high demand for investment and other forms of support, Viet Nam hopes that other than assistance from the International Development Association, the WB would also step up contributions from its affiliates like the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the International Finance Corporation, so as to maximize the effectiveness of support to Viet Nam, Phuc said.

He pledged that Viet Nam would use foreign loans, including those provided by the WB, in an effective fashion.

Georgieva said Viet Nams success was the result of sound policies. She thanked the Vietnamese Government and agencies for their close co-operation with the WB and hoped that the strong partnership would be maintained in the future.

The WB was willing to work with the Vietnamese Government to maintain its growth momentum as also help the country counter economic and natural disaster shocks, she said.

Viet Nam still had much room for economic development, she said, adding that the WB would continue co-operating with country.

WBs assistance this year would focus on poverty reduction and urban improvement projects, she said.

Resource allocation

She also asked the Vietnamese Government to ensure that resources are allocated for projects using WB loans.

At a press conference yesterday, Georgieva said that WBs financial assistance to Viet Nam in 2017 would mainly focus on poverty reduction, urban improvement and water resources management.

She suggested that Viet Nam pays close attention to factors that would strengthen the capacity to regulate, increase Government transparency and improve conflict resolution mechanisms.

There are reforms (needed) that are quite critical in terms of governance, which are particularly relevant to the business community as well the citizens of Viet Nam as a whole, she said.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (L) receives Georgieva in Ha Noi yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Trong uc

Many difficulties

Later yesterday, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan received Georgieva.

She expressed her wish that the WB would continue supporting Viet Nam in implementing millennial sustainable development goals (SDGs), stressing that Viet Nam was committed to using financial assistance effectively.

As a developing country, Viet Nam still faced many difficulties in its international integration and economic development process, particularly theimpacts of climate change and rising sea levels, so it needed assistance from the international community, including the WB, to help the meet its goals, Ngan said.

Appraising the WBs completion of a draft Viet Nam-WB Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for the 2017-2022 period, Ngan said the CPF was being prepared at a time when Viet Nam has shifted to a new development period with many new opportunities and challenges.

The CPF will be a strategic document to implement set targets and policies, she said, suggesting that the WB works closely with relevant agencies of the Vietnamese Government to reach consensus on its contents so that it can be finalised soon.

Ngan reiterated that the Vietnamese parliament would, in discharging its duties of supervising the implementation and management of financial assistance from the WB and other sources, ensure that the capital was used effectively.

Georgieva said the WB was willing to support Viet Nam in implementing its socio-economic development plans and policies in the 2016-2020 period.

She said the bank has earmarked $1.8 billion for Viet Nam this year to support the country in a number of areas including poverty reduction, with particular focus on mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas, water resources management, and agricultural development.

She added that the WB would support Viet Nam in legislative tasks too, and continue co-operating with the Vietnamese Government in reforming State-owned enterprises.

It would also work with Viet Nam in tackling climate change challenges and increase investment co-operation in the education sector so as to create life-long learning opportunities for the people, she said.  VNS
HA NOI  The PetroVietnam (PVN) Group has decided to revoke two awards each from the Vietnam Petroleum Construction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC) and its former chairman Trinh Xuan Thanh.

The decision was made by a majority vote of the Standing Committee of the groups Party Committee.

PVN has reportedly sent a letter to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) about the cancellation of awards.

PVN said that the Group had asked for opinions of its Standing Committee members on the cancellation of two awards given to PVC: first-class and second-class Labour Orders, and Labour Hero title of PVC.

It also made a similar request about revoking two awards given to the former PVC Chairman: a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister; and a Labor Medal Third Class.

Last December, the Central Inspection Commission decided to reprimand Tran Thi Ha, member of the Party Committee, vice minister of Home Affairs, head of the Central Commission for Emulation and Reward, for procedural violations in directing the evaluation and issuance of the awards and titles to PVC and Trinh Xuan Thanh.

In January 2010, PVC received the Labour Order, Secon Class for its achievements in 2009. In 2009, PVC turnover topped VN3.7 trillion (US$162 million), nearly double that of 2008.

In November the same year, PVC was awarded the Labour Order, First Class.

At the ceremony in November, Vu uc Thuan, deputy secretary of the corporations Party Committee and general director of PVC, said that the corporations total revenue had exceeded VN7 trillion (US$307 million).

Just two months later, on January 26, 2011, PVC received the title of Labour Hero of the Renovation Period. According to the performance report, in 2010, PVC completed and surpassed all economic goals, reaching its target nearly two months ahead with a total production value of VN10.8 trillion.

Ineligible appointments

Vu Huy Hoang, former Minister of Industry and Trade, was found guilty of violating Party and State regulations on the reception and appointment of Trinh Xuan Thanh as deputy chief of Office and head of Representative Office of the Ministry in a Nang, and chief of Office of the Party Delegation to the Ministry.

Even after learning of Thanhs violations and ineligibility, he agreed with the Party Committee of Hau Giang Provinces proposal to move Thanh to work in the province as vice chairman of the provincial Party Committee for 2011-2016.

Earlier this year, Hoang was deprived of his title as former minister for violating regulations on personnel management during his tenure.

On March 15, the Ha Noi Superior Peoples Court ordered an official investigation into suspected embezzlement by Trinh Xuan Thanh.

Thanh is already under investigation for alleged violations of State regulations on economic management that caused about VN3.3 trillion (US$142 million) in losses for PVC.

An international arrest warrant has been issued against him after he alledgedly fled the country to Europe to avoid prosecution. VNS
Contact: Ford Porter

Ford Porter govpress@nc.gov

ASHEVILLE: Governor Roy Cooper today highlighted his proposed NC GROW (Getting Ready for Opportunities in the Workforce) Scholarship to help make North Carolina a Top 10 Educated state by 2025. Starting next year, good students who graduated high school with a 2.0 GPA or higher would get free tuition to any NC community college through the NC GROW scholarship. NC GROW would cover last-dollar tuition and fees for students who have used up other financial aid options.Touring Linamar's Asheville location with representatives from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech), Governor Cooper also lauded workforce training programs working to ensure students are ready for a 21st century jobs.Governor Cooper said.A-B Tech and Linamar have a strong partnership that shows how community colleges can work with local industry to train North Carolinians for available jobs. Since announcing an Asheville facility in 2011, A-B Tech worked with Linamar to provide training programs through the state's Customized Training Program. A-B Tech also has various short term 15-week training programs to place students and recent graduates into positions at Linamar. In fiscal year 2015-2016, A-B Tech trained 149 people.said Governor Cooper.said Jim Jarrell, President and COO of Linamar.said Dennis King, President of A-B Tech.Expanding access to community college will benefit North Carolina's economy. Since the recession, 95 percent of newly-created jobs have required more education than a high-school diploma. North Carolina's community college system provides high-quality workforce training that prepares students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.In addition to the NC Grow Scholarship, Governor Cooper's budget invests $18 million in workforce training, with up to $1,000 in financial assistance available per student to pursue non-credit, short-term workforce credentials.The Governor's proposed budget makes other critical investments in education including early childhood education, K-12 schools and higher education, with the goal of making North Carolina a Top 10 Educated State by 2025. His budget also includes an average 10 percent pay raise for teachers over the next two years, an annual school supply stipend of $150 for each classroom teacher, and the Best and Brightest Scholarship to draw talented students into teaching. Click here to read more about NC GROW.
HA NOI  Viet Nam and Singapore will boost economic connectivity and set new, creative directions for co-operation to keep pace with the ongoing technological revolution, the prime ministers of both countries agreed yesterday.

In talks held after a welcoming ceremony in Ha Noi hosted by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for visting Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, the two leaders also agreed to foster political trust and deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Political trust will be developed through regular exchange of high-level delegations and people-to-people contacts, which the premiers said would serve as an important foundation for partnerships in other fields.

They said the strong growth in bilateral economic, trade and investment ties was a firm pillar of the strategic partnership, highlighting the need for creating a favourable business environment and promoting business linkages.

Lee pledged that Singapore will assist Vietnamese firms in their bid to join the global market and supply chains, and consider establishing hi-tech industrial parks.

The premiers agreed on the potential for co-operation between the two countries in finance and transport, and Lee affirmed that Singapore would continue to help Viet Nam improve its financial services by encouraging Singaporean firms to engage strongly in the field.

Lee said Singapore would also continue assisting Viet Nam in personnel training, including Party officials, via technical collaboration under the Singapore Co-operation Programme.

Singapore will help Viet Nam develop smart cities, facilitate startups, especially in science-technology, capital access and management capacity, and encourage linkages with major Vietnamese cities including HCM City and a Nang.

The two PMs shared common perspectives on the value of peace, stability, security, safety and development in the region. The two countries should further strengthen security-defence co-operation via delegation exchanges, consultation mechanisms and bilateral and multilateral co-operation activities, they said.

They also expressed concern about rising terrorism and piracy in the region, and agreed to increase sharing of information and experiences in anti-terrorism activities, cyber security, maritime security and combating trans-national crimes.

The Singaporean PM declared that his country was willing to help Viet Nam improve the capacity of its law enforcement forces as also crime prevention and control.

The two leaders discussed measures to further bilateral partnerships in other fields like the environment, tourism, science-technology, information-communications, and justice.

They reached high consensus on the need to step up negotiations for a labour co-operation deal.

PM Lee stated that Singapore would provide more scholarships for Vietnamese youth under the frameworks of bilateral and ASEAN co-operation.

Mutual understanding between the two peoples was a firm foundation for close and strong ties, he said.

The two PMs also shared views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. They renewed commitments to accelerate trade liberalisation and participate in regional initiatives like the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

They said the two sides will continue working closely together and with other countries in seeking solutions for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

PM Lee also pledged to support Viet Nam in hosting the APEC Year 2017.

The two government leaders agreed to maintain bilateral consultations and co-operation with other ASEAN countries to build an ASEAN of solidarity and unity, dynamism and innovation, promoting the associations central role in handling strategic regional issues, especially those to do with the East Sea.

They highlighted the importance of peace, stability, and maritime and aviation security and safety in the East Sea, as well as the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, with respect for diplomatic and legal processes, and without using or threatening to use force.

It was also important to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and to expedite the building and signing of a quality Code of Conduct framework.

Phuc appreciated the role of Singapore as the co-ordinator of ASEAN-China relations.

Following the talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing of several co-operation documents, including the handover of an approval letter from the State Bank of Viet Nam to Singapores United Overseas Bank to set up a branch in Viet Nam, and MoUs between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Sembcorp Group, between a Nang and the Sembcorp joint venture to develop a software park in a Nang, and another on building a Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Park in Quang Tri.

Earlier the same day, Lee paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and laid a wreath at the Monument for Heroic Martyrs in Ha Noi.

Parties tie

Also yesterday, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong spoke highly of the co-operation between the CPV and the Peoples Action Party of Singapore while meeting Prime Minister Lee.

He expressed his hope that the two parties would continue to working closely through exchange visits and sharing of experiences.

Trong expressed happiness with the productive and trustworthy co-operation between Viet Nam and Singapore.

He requested Singapore to step up the sharing experiences, support businesses in tapping co-operative potentials, promote people-to-people exchange, and collaborate well at regional and international forums, particularly within ASEAN.

The two countries should continue focusing on implementing elements of their strategic partnership agreement towards adding practical value to bilateral co-operation, he said.

He said he highly valued the Singaporean Governments assistance in human resources training and development.

PM Lee briefed his host about the productive outcomes of talks he held with PM Phuc. He said the Singaporean Government always treasured the multi-dimensional co-operation with Viet Nam and looked to strengthen it.

Singapore also attaches importance to promoting its strategic partnership with Viet Nam and is willing to share experiences in its fields of strength, he said.

President meeting

President Tran ai Quang (right) receives visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.  VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

Measures to enhance bilateral economic, trade and investment ties were among key issues discussed by President Tran ai Quang and visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

President Quang said Singapore has been a consistent leading economic, trade and investment partner for Viet Nam.

He said the bilateral Connectivity Framework Agreement has been implemented effectively, and Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) were being expanded in the northern and central regions of Viet Nam.

The solid political relationship enjoyed by both countries has helped step up economic ties as well as co-operation in defence, security, science-technology, education-training, and people-to-people exchange, he said.

Viet Nam is prioritising the production of high-quality agricultural products, he said, asking Singapore to facilitate access to the Singaporean market and, through Singapore, make inroads into markets in other countries.

He also hoped that the Singaporean Government will encourage the countrys businesses to invest in and expand hi-tech and food industry parks in Thanh Hoa Province and the software park in a Nang City while building another VSIP in Quang Tri Province.

PM Lee, who is on an official visit to Viet Nam, noted with satisfaction the growing strategic partnership between the two countries, agreeing with the President that sound political relations have been a driving force for stronger economic, trade and investment links.

Singapore wants to work with Viet Nam to build hi-tech and software parks. It also hopes to promote co-operation in cyber security, he said.

Voicing his pleasure at Singapores effective investments in Viet Nam, he stressed that the island nations ministries and sectors were working hard to bolster connections with Viet Nam in agriculture and other key sectors.

Singapore is actively cooperating with Vietnamese suppliers to ensure Viet Nams agricultural products will qualify to entering this market, he said.

The two leaders agreed on the need for a region of peace, stability, security, safety and development, voicing concerns about increasing terrorism and piracy in the region.

PM Lee spoke of good co-ordination between the two countries within ASEAN and other multilateral mechanisms, as well as on the East Sea issue, free trade promotion, and new-generation free trade agreements like TPP and RCEP.

President Quang called for both sides to strengthen collaboration in security, defence and anti-terrorism activities, as also share information and experiences on fighting crime.

He asked Singapore to continue bringing into play its role as the co-ordinator of ASEAN-China relations, and to push for the finalisation and effective enforcement of a quality Code of Conduct (COC) for parties in the East Sea.

He echoed the Singaporean PMs viewpoint on challenges facing ASEAN, adding that the bloc should intensify solidarity, co-operation and consensus to jointly resolve relevant challenges. He said he highly valued Singapores role in the region and the world and hoped that the two countries will boost co-ordination and consultation at regional and global events.

The Vietnamese leader took the opportunity to invite PM Lee to attend the 25th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting slated for this November in a Nang City. PM Lee thanked the President and expressed his readiness to participate in the event.

Legislative ties

Meeting with PM Lee yesterday, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan expressed her pleasure at the robust and effective development of bilateral ties.

She said the development has been fostered by the Party, State, National Assembly and other Government channels for many years.

She lauded the regular exchange of visits at all levels as also the co-operation between the two legislatures on bilateral and multilateral issues.

Both sides have facilitated visits by parliament leaders and members of specialised committees to strengthen political ties and mutual understanding and exchange professional experiences.

Noting that the 14th Vietnamese National Assembly established the Viet Nam-Singapore Friendship Parliamentarians Group in November 2016, she expressed her wish that a similar group is set up in Singapore to further strengthen legislative ties.

She said bilateral ties in trade, investment, national defence-security, culture, and people-to-people exchanges have thrived.

Most notably, the Viet Nam -Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) has become a symbol of successful mutually-beneficial co-operation between the two nations, she said.

Ngan said she was satisfied with the effective bilateral collaboration in education and tourism, noting that 12,000 Vietnamese nationals were living in Singapore, bolstering bilateral ties further.

She said the two countries should actively strengthen solidarity and exchanges on ASEAN co-ordination, promote the blocs central, proactive role in dealing with regional issues, contributing to creating an environment of peace, stability and co-operation.

The Singaporean PM informed Ngan about the outcomes of his talks with PM Phuc, mentioning the signing of co-operation agreements on electricity generation and the construction of additional VSIPs, among others.

He said believed that there was huge potential for economic co-operation between the two countries.

More exchanges between the two legislatures will continue to generate practical benefits, he added.

Later yesterday, a joint statement was issued to mark the March 21-24 visit to Viet Nam by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his spouse.  VNS








President of the Council of States of Switzerland Ivo Bischofberger . Photo Bilanz

HA NOI  President of the Council of States of Switzerland Ivo Bischofberger will make an official visit to Viet Nam between March 28 and 31.

The visit comes at the invitation of National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Viet Nam and Switzerland established diplomatic relations on October 11, 1971.

Since 1992, Switzerland has provided Viet Nam nearly US$470 million in ODA, most of which is non-refundable.

In 2015, two-way trade hit $1.53 billion.

In 2016, Switzerland ran more than 100 projects in Viet Nam , with a total investment capital of over $2 billion. The Swiss are the fourth largest European investor in Viet Nam .  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday sent a message of condolence and sympathy to his British counterpart Theresa May over the loss of lives in a terror attack in London on Wednesday.  Photo AFP

HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday sent a message of condolence and sympathy to his British counterpart Theresa May over the loss of lives in a terror attack in London on Wednesday.

Also yesterday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said Viet Nam conveys its deepest sympathy to the British Government, people and families of victims over the attack outside the British Parliament, and strongly condemns terrorism in any form.

Binh said that after learning about the attack, the Vietnamese Embassy in London was instructed to promptly find out whether any Vietnamese national was hurt. Its queries to authorised agencies did not find any Vietnamese citizens among the four dead and dozens wounded, he added.  VNS
HA NOI  Cuba wants to further strengthen its special relations and defence ties with Viet Nam, visiting Minister of Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) of Cuba Senior Lieut. Gen. Leopoldo Cintra Frias told Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong yesterday.

At a meeting with the Vietnamese Party chief in Ha Noi, the Cuban officer reported on talks between Cuban officials and Viet Nams Ministry of Defence, and thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their support for his country.

Speaking highly of Viet Nams great achievements during the oi Moi renewal process, he stressed that those are valuable experience and a source of reference for his country.

For his part, Party General Secretary Trong said he believes Frias visit will contribute to boosting the traditional relations and comprehensive co-operation between the two nations, especially links between their armed forces.

He expressed his hope that the two armed forces will always deserve the trust of the two parties and people, and will always be willing to fight for the independence and freedom of the two nations.

The Cuban minister was also received by President Tran ai Quang, who affirmed Viet Nams policy of stepping up the friendship and special solidarity with Cuba. Viet Nam is willing to share its experiences and support Cuba in defence and security, contributing to ensuring peace in the region and the world, the President said.

Frias expressed his pleasure at the development of bilateral ties, in general, and the cooperation between the two ministries in particular, saying that he hopes President Quang will continue advocating for the two ministries to strengthen their cooperation.-VNS
HCM CITY  Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust yesterday met with leaders of HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) to extend co-operation between the two schools in the upcoming time.

USSH rector Vo Van Sen said the two universities should continue their research about sustainable development in the Mekong Delta and Viet Nams reform during global integration.

Sustainable development in the Delta is necessary since the region is strongly affected by climate change, he said, adding that more research on lifestyle and cultivation reform is needed for sustainable development.

Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the US and has about 2,400 faculty members.

There are many opportunities for cooperation in different fields between the university and members of Viet Nam National University-HCM City, including USSH, Sen said.

Since 1991, 60 staff of USSH have received scholarships to study at Harvard University, he added.

Harvard Universitys president said Vietnamese scholars and students were welcome to study learn and do research at Harvard.

Sixteen Vietnamese students are currently studying at Harvard.

Faust said that she wanted to visit Viet Nam after learning about its rapid growth.

After a discussion with leaders of USSH and Viet Nam National University-HCM City, Faust spoke about the war and its impact on both countries. She said it was an important historical milestone for both countries.

Faust is the 28th president of Harvard University and the Lincoln Professor of History in Harvards Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

As president of Harvard, she has expanded financial aid to improve access to Harvard College for students of all economic backgrounds and advocated for increased federal funding for scientific research.

She has written six books, including Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War, which won the Francis Parkman Prize in 1997. VNS
CAN THO Firefighters last night were still battling a huge fire that broke out before at a Taiwanese garment factory in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

After hours of being basically contained, the fire flared up again at about 9pm, threatening the safety of the adjacent residential area. Over 200 households were evacuated to a nearby school.

The blaze started in the morning on the top floor of a five-storey building in Tra Noc Industrial Zone in Can Tho, where the garment firm Kwong Lung  Meko stores fabric. Hundreds of workers were forced to flee.

No casualties were reported.

Hundreds of firefighters from nearby provinces, including Ho Chi Minh City, have been dispatched to help Can Tho battle the blaze.

Kwong Lung  Meko specialises in feather processing and garment production.

Its factory covers about 17,000 square metres and has more than 1,300 workers in the Tra Noc Industrial Zone, about 15km from downtown Can Tho.VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) aims to provide vocational training to 5.5 million workers in rural areas by 2020, a quarter of whom will be trained to work in the agricultural sector.

The other 4.1 million workers will be trained in other vocations. Of these, 3.84 million will attend training course of under three months, with the aim of at least 80 per cent finding new jobs or increasing productivity and income from their existing jobs, Minister of Labour  Invalids and Social Affairs ao Ngoc Dung said at a conference in Ha Noi on Thursday.

The vocational training programme, which kicked off in 2016, will require a total investment of VN12.6 trillion (US$552.7 million), of which VN7.74 trillion will be sourced from the State Budget, VN3.4 trillion from local budgets and the remaining from other sources, he said.

The major objective of the programme is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of vocational training, to help raise incomes of rural workers, focusing on training in non-agricultural occupations, enabling trainees to work in the industrial, handicraft and service sectors, he said.

Ma Quang Trung, head of the ministrys Co-operative Economy Department, said that in 2016, positive changes were seen in vocational training provided in rural areas.

In the 2010-2016 period, over 5 million rural workers attended vocational training courses, with 40 per cent enrolling in agricultural courses. After training, 80 per cent found new jobs or kept their current ones, becoming more productive and earning higher incomes, he said.

Vice Chairman of the Peoples Committee of northern mountainous Cao Bang Province, Nguyen Trung Thao, told the conference that they faced many difficulties in providing vocational training to farmers because of the large ethnic minority population that still engaged in traditional production practices and had poor infrastructure where they lived.

Thao said that the province had chosen 27 occupations suitable for the locality, focusing on livestock breeding and cultivation in association with processing.

Last year, Cao Bang provided vocational training to over 1,000 workers in those selected occupations, he said, adding that in the 2017-2020 period, the province targets training 4,000 workers each year.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Health and the Viettel Group launched a National Immunisation Information System (NIIS) at a ceremony on Friday in Ha Noi.

The system will be implemented nationwide from June this year to handle shortcomings in immunisation management, such as impact of population migration or when parents forget their childs immunisation schedule.

Praising the support of international organisations for the Vietnamese health sector, Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am highlighted the initiative of the health sector and Viettel Group in improving immunisation service and quality.

am said the Government of Viet Nam wanted to provide comprehensive healthcare to all children.

All the children in the country will benefit from NIIS, which will be implemented at more than 17,000 immunisation stations and 12,000 health clinics nationwide from June 2017, am said.

Viet Nam has some 1.7 million newborns per year, many of whom missed their vaccinations under the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), while the vaccination rate remains low at some communes and wards in the country, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said at the event.

The application of IT in immunisation information, management and statistics will be a significant step forward for the health sector in handling shortcomings in immunisation activities in Viet Nam, Long said.

Developed based on the iCloud technology, NIIS can be easily used on computers, smartphones or tablets. The paperless management system computerises all the work of a health worker and combines with the database portal for people searching for electronic immunisation records, scheduler and calendar reminder.

The health worker will issue an ID for a newborn within 24 hours of birth, when the baby is given the first shot of Hepatitis B vaccine. IDs will be managed and stored for a persons entire life.

The system has been experimentally implemented in five provinces and cities since 2016 and will be expanded to all 63 provinces and cities nationwide from the beginning of June.

According to the health ministrys statistics, more than 600 million doses of vaccines were given free of charge to children and women in Viet Nam under the framework of the National EPI over the past 30 years. The programme has contributed to protecting and improving healthcare, particularly of children, in Viet Nam.  VNS
ANTWERP, Belgium  Belgian security forces arrested a man on Thursday after he drove into a shopping area at high speed in the port city of Antwerp, officials said.

Authorities found a rifle and bladed weapons in the car after the suspect, identified by prosecutors as 39-year-old Mohamed R., tried to flee and was detained in the northern city.

The man was "under the influence of something" but it was not clear what substance, a source close to the investigation said.

Authorities were not certain if it was an attempted attack and the incident remained under investigation, several Belgian sources added on condition of anonymity.

The Belgian prosecutors office said the man, identified as 39-year-old Mohamed R., was a French national but a French police source said he was Tunisian legally residing in the French city of Lens near the Belgium border.

"He has an address in Lens and as far as we know at the moment, he is not known for large-scale criminal acts," the source said.

"His only previous convictions are minor, such as drunk driving or drug use. He was not on the (French) list of known extremists and according to the initial findings of the investigation had not been flagged up as being radicalised," the source added.

Pierre Camarre, the mans neighbour, said he was about 1.85 metres tall "with no beard and wore Western clothes."

The incident jangled nerves following attacks at the Orly airport in Paris and Wednesdays carnage in London, and coming the day after the first anniversary of the Brussels suicide bombings that killed 32 people.

"A vehicle with French plates has tried to drive at high speed into the Meir (shopping street) so that pedestrians had to jump aside," Antwerp police chief Serge Muyters told a news conference.

"Our army colleagues forced the driver to stop but he pulled away and ran a red traffic light. We sent a special forces team and the car and the driver were stopped," he added. "A man in camouflage was taken away."

Images on social media showed investigators searching a burgundy-coloured vehicle near the bank of the Scheldt river.

Very high speed

The Belgian federal prosecutors office said the suspect was driving at "very high speed" and that "at different times pedestrians were placed in danger."

"Various arms were found in the boot, bladed weapons, a pump-action rifle and a container of as yet unidentified liquid," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Bomb disposal experts attended the scene.

"In light of what has initially been gathered, and taking into account what happened in London yesterday, it has been decided to send this case to the federal prosecutor," the statement added.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said security services in the Flemish-speaking city "did an excellent job" and the government was following this "suspicious incident" closely.

A French source close to the investigation said the man had "spent the night in a holding cell in Belgium before being released on Thursday morning."

A woman close to the suspect had called the police on Wednesday evening complaining that he had stolen her bag, the source added.

Meir is the main commercial street in Antwerps historic centre and is mostly pedestrianised. It is one of the countrys biggest shopping areas.

The Antwerp incident put Europe further on edge after the attack on the British parliament that killed three people plus the attacker, and the incident at Pariss Orly airport on Saturday when a man was shot dead after grabbing a soldiers rifle.

With soldiers deployed at key sites, Belgium has been on high alert since March 22 last year when suicide bombers attacked Zaventem airport and Maalbeek metro station, killing 32 people and leaving more than 320 wounded.

Belgium suffered a further shock in August when a machete-wielding man shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) attacked two policewomen in the industrial town of Charleroi, before being shot dead.  AFP
WASHINGTON  US President Donald Trumps bid to repeal his predecessors signature health care law suffered a bitter blow Thursday, as opposition from within his Republican Party forced the delay of a crucial vote in Congress.

"No vote tonight," a House leadership source said, signalling a stunning political setback for Trump  who prides himself on his deal-making skills  to win sufficient support for a Republican bill repealing and replacing Obamacare.

The president and his lieutenants repeatedly voiced optimism about the bills prospects and said they had made progress in convincing doubters to join his camp in dismantling the Affordable Care Act.

But the votes for Trumps plan  dubbed the American Health Care Act  werent there.

"I am still a no at this time. I am desperately trying to get to yes," said Mark Meadows, chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have demanded major changes to the plan before giving their blessing.

While Meadows sought to portray optimism about the process, he revealed the width of the gap between Trump and plan opponents.

"At this point, we are trying to get another 30 to 40 votes that are currently in the no category to yes," Meadows said after meeting with his caucus.

"Once we do that, I think we can move forward to passing it on the House floor."

House Republicans were preparing to head into a closed-door conference at 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) to thrash out their differences and perhaps come to agreement on a way to bring enough Republicans on board.

A White House official said the expectation was for a vote today, and downplayed suggestions that Trump had failed to close the deal, claiming the delay did not spell doom for the measure.

"The vote will be in the morning to avoid voting at 3 am," the official said.

"We feel this should be done in the light of day, not in the wee hours of the night and we are confident the bill will pass in the morning," the official said.

That schedule was reiterated by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy after the votes postponement.

But with negotiations unable to provide the necessary breakthrough, nighttime debate is likely to be intense as the two sides seek an elusive compromise.

Failure to work out their differences would mark a humiliating defeat for Trumps biggest legislative battle to date.

Division

Republicans have spent years railing against the Affordable Care Act, branding it an example of Democrats pushing for socialized medicine.

But seven years to the day since Barack Obama signed his landmark reforms into law, House Republican leaders were unable to present a united front within their own ranks for the alternative.

With Democrats opposed to Trumps effort to rip out his predecessors crowning domestic achievement, and his own partys right flank in revolt, the

White House and Republican leaders have been burning the midnight oil to find ways to make the bill palatable to enough conservatives without angering moderates.

Confidence by the White House appeared to highlight the disconnect between Trumps team and rank-and-file conservatives.

Asked yesterday whether House Speaker Paul Ryan might delay the vote, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said "nothing leads me to believe that thats the case."

A few hours later, the vote was postponed.

Many conservatives say their partys plan is still too costly for the government.

They have said they want to repeal health benefits that all insurance policies must pay for under Obamacare  including maternity care, emergency

room visits, and preventive care like screenings and vaccines  arguing they

have driven up costs.

Limiting defections

The House Freedom Caucus, about 30 lawmakers who are heirs apparent to the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement, have dubbed the new bill "Obamacare Lite," as it will only reduce, not eliminate, health coverage subsidies by replacing them with refundable tax credits.

At the other end of the spectrum, some Republican moderates also worry their constituents would no longer be able to afford health insurance under the new plan.

A nonpartisan congressional budget estimate says it would lead 14 million Americans to lose their coverage from next year.

The Democratic minority is prepared to vote against it as a bloc, so Republican leaders need to limit defections to fewer than 22 out of their partys 237 representatives among the Houses 430 current members.

Further pressuring recalcitrant Republicans, Trump tweeted out messages to his tens of millions of followers urging them to contact their local lawmakers in support of the plan.

Congressman Thomas Massie said the arm-twisting would not work on him.

"Im still opposed to the bill," the Kentucky Republican told MSNBC. "I think its worse than Obamacare."

Obama himself weighed in on Thursday on the laws anniversary, saying the reform that has helped 20 million people get coverage should be improved, not pulled out by its roots.

"We should start from the baseline that any changes will make our health care system better, not worse for hardworking Americans. That should always be our priority," Obama said in a statement.  AFP
Tom Campbell

If you've ever put together a jigsaw puzzle you can understand the task of assembling a state budget. Like a puzzle, one piece of the spending and tax plan builds upon another as lawmakers construct a two-year budget that spends more than $23 billion a year. This is a daunting task under normal circumstances, but one promising to be extremely difficult this year.President Trump has shown the outline of his recommendations for the federal budget year beginning October 1 - bold and dramatic budget changes that would increase defense spending by $53 billion while making large cuts in other agencies. News headlines foretell the potential elimination of funding for PBS and NPR, Meals on Wheels and other programs. One fact on which you can be certain is that every Washington lobbyist is already mounting campaign efforts to save their particular project. And given the difficulty congressional leaders are having trying to repeal and replace Obamacare, it is also a certainty that President Trump's budget proposals are sure to face lengthy and possibly contentious hearings, only increasing the likelihood that once again the federal fiscal year will begin without a budget in place. Congress will be faced with either passing continuing budget resolutions or shutting down the government.The federal budget uncertainty is creating major reverberations for leaders trying to assemble the North Carolina state budget, since more than $14 billion in federal funding comes to our state through education, transportation, healthcare and other federal programs. Those amounts are not included in our state budget, but many of these programs have state matching requirements. Take Medicaid, for example. Historically, the federal government has contributed 66 cents for every 33 cents contributed by the state. The president and many Congressmen are seriously considering removing this matching provision, substituting block grants to each state. Those grants promise the state more flexibility to best fit the needs of its citizens.Forgive our cynicism but we've experienced this block grant "carrot and stick" scenario before. In too many instances federal officials use the carrot of flexibility only for us to discover later there is a stick of less funding than was previously the case or so many strings attached to the grant that freedom and flexibility are seriously restricted.Trump's budget proposals put almost every federal program in play, with the possible exceptions of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Children's Health Insurance (CHIP) and current subsidies for Obamacare. These programs account for almost 49 percent of the federal budget. With the possible exception of Obamacare reductions our Congressmen and Senators know it would be political suicide to dramatically cut spending on the rest of these programs.Crafting a state budget has always depended on making certain assumptions for revenues that will be received by the state. As if the federal uncertainties were not enough, this year's process is further complicated by signals from legislative leaders they intend to cut taxes by as much as a billion dollars.Using our puzzle analogy, it appears legislators are trying to put together a puzzle when many of the pieces are missing. Under the current circumstances the best advice might be to judiciously avoid major changes, especially on the revenue side of the ledger. If not, they may find themselves dealing with future budget shortfalls.
KABUL  More than 400,000 Afghan children are expected to drop out of school this year in the face of growing insecurity and displacement amid a spike in forced repatriations from Pakistan, Save the Children said yesterday.

Thursday marked the first day of the new school year in Afghanistan, but around one-third of all children  3.7 million  were not in attendance, the advocacy group said.

"Today should be a happy day in Afghanistan as children go back to class for the first time after a long winter," said Save the Children country director Ana Locsin. "Instead it is a day cloaked in tragedy for the millions who cant access education and are struggling to survive."

The group estimates that more than 1,100 children will drop out per day this year, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to child labour, recruitment by armed groups, trafficking and early marriage.

"And the longer they are out of the education system, the less likely theyll ever go back," Locsin said.

Last year marked the deadliest year on record for Afghan children, with 923 killed as the conflict escalated across the country.

Making matters worse is the forced repatriation of Afghan refugees by Pakistan as the conflict-torn country struggles to reabsorb them.

In 2016, more than 600,000 returned as Pakistan cracked down on undocumented Afghan refugees and this year more than one million are expected to be sent back.

More than half of all returnee children are currently out of school and working on the streets, the group said, as their parents are unable to find work since arriving back in Afghanistan.

"When I am collecting rubbish I feel really sad and wonder why Im working at this age when I should be going to school," the group quoted a 14-year-old boy, Jawid, as saying.

He was born in Pakistan but forced to return to Afghanistan with his family last year.

"It is my time to get an education not to work," Jawid said.  AFP
UNITED NATIONS  The UN Security Council on Thursday "strongly condemned" recent North Korean missile and ballistic missile engine tests, denouncing Pyongyangs "increasingly destabilising behaviour."

The condemnation came as the US military said on Thursday that it has observed activity in North Korea that suggests Pyongyang may be gearing up for another nuclear test.

"The launch and engine test are in grave violation of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas international obligations," the council said in a statement.

"The members of the Security Council expressed serious concern over the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas increasingly destabilising behaviour and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council," it added.

North Korea is on a quest to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and staged two nuclear tests and multiple missile launches last year.

Hit by a string of United Nations sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006, Pyongyang has insisted it will continue its programme.

North Korea attempted another missile test that failed on Wednesday, according to the United States and South Korea, two weeks after Pyongyang launched four rockets in what it called a drill for an attack on American bases in Japan.

On Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un personally oversaw and hailed a "successful" test of what Pyongyang said was a new rocket engine  which can be easily repurposed for use in missiles.

The Security Councils statement said the members "emphasised the vital importance of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea showing sincere commitment to denuclearisation and stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond."  AFP
REINBECK  Lydia Robertson's favorite pasttime and outdoor obsession goes by a variety of names.

Luxe camping. Luxury boutique camping. Inspired camping.

Most commonly, though, those involved refer to what they do as "glamping," a mashup of glamour and camping. Enthusiasts in England get credit for coming up with the concept, or at least the term, about a decade ago, according to some sources.

Traditionally, that might mean anything to take the edge off the outdoor experience. Mattresses instead of sleeping bags. Electric lights over lanterns. Cool lodging rather than bare basics.

"I think you see different personalities in every one. I call it fancy camping ... You can be independent with it," says Robertson, a member of Midwest Glampers.

"My thing is just kind of things I love ... Basically it's my happy place,"

she adds.

Which leaves wide latitude for what "fits." Airstream, the famous manufacturer of those sleak silver campers, perhaps comes closest to how Midwest Glampers view their passion: " ... Glampers arent about to leave the house without some style."

Robertson, 38, a speech language pathologisty, most of the time lives in Reinbeck with her husband and family. But in 2013 she purchased a 1963 Shasta 16SC, which stands for "16-foot, self-contained camper." Two years passed during the rebuilding and restoration phase.

"My husband won't have a thing to do with it (but) he has an old Chevy truck, so he gets it," Robertson says.

"When I bought it I thought, 'Oh, I'm going to go out next weekend,'" she adds.

Robertson calls her camper Lulou, a tribute to her grandparents, and she fills the space with eclectic items from the 1960s.

The Midwest Glampers' Facebook page shares something like a mission statement: ""We welcome all Lady Glampers from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri (or surrounding areas) who would like to get together to brainstorm, camp and enjoy our common love of the Glamper! ... We are a family-friendly group, and welcome your spouse, children and well-mannered pets on most of our gatherings. Of course, we may have an occasional "girls only, Glamp out."

"Our goal is to have fun and enjoy meeting and learning from other wonderful ladies with similar interests. Each Midwest Glamper has her own unique personality and gifts and we want to celebrate them," the site adds.

Enthusiast Deanna Berkey's definition of "glamping" also creates a large tent, so to speak, welcoming any and all.

"We definitely have our different styles," she says. "It's just whatever is fun, is happy, makes you smile."

In her case, the experience started with a 1998 Layton camper and a swatch of boldly printed fabric with a daring combination of colors. Berkey, 63, of LeGrand, enhanced that foundation then with a black-and-white checkerboard floor, throw pillows with flamigoes, orange curtains and Noritake china. She bought the complete 12-piece set at a thrift store for $20.

Berkey's 24-foot camper also features a bathroom with shower, stove, queen-size bed, furnace, air-conditioning and refrigerator with a freezer.

As Berkey notes, glampers are typically "a relaxing, fun group of women."

With that in mind, her outdoor adventures include her 86-year-old mother, Rita Rhodes, and often her sister, Amy Stahlin.

Berkey is retired after a career as a special education teacher in Marshalltown. She says, though, she also always enjoyed making crafts and refurbishing furniture. Reconditioning the Layton camper was Berkey's challenge and reward alone, she says.

Carol Hedberg, 61, of Troy Mills, took a slightly different route to the same general destination. She also filled her camper -- a 16-foot, 1999 Aero Cub -- with items that make her happy.

She named the hybrid camper with pop-up "tent wings" as Hedy La Cub, The Boho Bear, and she describes the getaway machine as her "playhouse."

"I think our culture as evolved to where we have stopped playing. We are just so serious," says Hedberg, a former English teacher.

"Boho" stands for Bohemian, as in unconventional and informal. In her case, Hedberg defines the term personally.

"Boehmian is whatever you want," she says. " ... It's collecting. It's funky ideas."

While many glampers focus on antique shelters and related furnishings, Hedberg's rolling space is filled with mementoes of her life. Many came from or remind of friends and family.

"A lot of (the campers) are vintage. I wanted to go a different route," she adds. "Everyone has a schtick."

Hedberg says she has seen a variety of themes, like Betty Boop, and any variety of shelter, from classic campers to new RVs fresh off the showroom floor.

The Midwest Glampers Facebook page offers affirmation: "We dont require members to own a vintage camper to participate. We have Glampers who tent, pop-up, fifth-wheel it, RV, and even bus their glamping obsession! Your Glamper can be an all-out Glamped-up finished work of art, or a WIP (work in progress)."

Angie Thesing, 46, of Reinbeck, a real estate agent, owns a 1986 Jamboree Rallye. Her RV might best fall in the latter category, and Thesing describes her theme as "simplicity."

"I would like to glam it up a bit. But I'm kind of a plain Jane," she says.

Thesing joined Midwest Glampers for personal and social reasons.

"We're all for a common purpose, to have our own adventures but to have them as a group, too," she says.

Hedberg does, though, note a common thread connecting many of the glampers: understanding men. "Most of us have good husbands," she says.

For more information about the Midwest Glampers, visit the group's Facebook page or email Angie Thesing at angie.thesing@gmail.com.
WATERLOO  The Mens Ministry of Crystal Cathedral of Faith Southern Baptist Church, 3040 Hammond Ave., will host the Mens Day Kickoff on Sunday.

Theme is Men of God: Armed and Dangerous. Bishop N.J. Sims, pastor of Greater All Nations Ministries in Robinsdale, Minn., will speak at the noon worship service. The Rev. Ted Keys of Community Southern Baptist Church, will speak at the 4 p.m. service.

The public is welcome to attend. The Rev. Willie D. Campbell is the pastor.

WATERLOO  Mount Carmel Churchs Mission Department will host a Spring Fling banquet at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Guest speaker will be Mount Carmels own Latisha Leyh.

Leyh has been employed with the Waterloo Community Schools for 13 years as an instructional strategist, working with students who need extra support in learning. She received her masters degree from Viterbo University and her undergraduate degree from University of Northern Iowa.

Admission is $15. Call the church at 233-9482.

WATERLOO  The Women of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church will present the annual Womens Day on Sunday.

This Women in White celebration is the finale of the 2017 season. During the 11:15 a.m. service, the Rev. Linda Moore of Pittsburgh will speak. During the 4 p.m. service, Senior Pastor Judeda Hill and congregation of Gift of Life will be the guests.

Call the church at 235-0411 or email cbc519@aol.com.

WATERLOO  The men of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, 432 Newell St., will celebrate their annual mens day at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Guest church will be Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, and the Rev. Dr. Franz Whitfield will speak. The public is welcome.

WATERLOO  Hammond Avenue Brethren Church at 1604 Hammond Ave. will have healing services starting at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday in March.

Anyone who needs healing for health, addictions, marital problems or spiritual troubles is urged to come.

CEDAR FALLS  Orchard Hill Church, 3900 Orchard Hill Drive, will present the Lenten Lunch Hour series from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Wednesdays in the Commons.

The theme is A Lenten Journey Through the Eyes of Mark, and there will be a meal of two soups, fresh bread and dessert, followed by a message. A $4 meal donation is suggested.

The schedule includes:

Wednesday: Laura Hoy, Link, CCD (chicken noodle and tomato cheese).

April 5: Jesse Henkle (vegetable beef and creamy potato and pie).
CEDAR FALLS  The citys Public Safety Department handed out annual awards to police officers and firefighters this week.

Mike Briggs, a Cedar Falls police officer since 1990, was named Officer of the Year.

Officer Briggs is known for spending a great deal of time investigating crimes while still responding to other calls and assisting other officers, handling 140 cases resulting in 51 arrests, Public Safety Director Jeff Olson wrote in presenting Briggs his award. He also has served as a mentor to junior officers.

Dusty Stotler was named Firefighter of the Year. He became a part-time firefighter in 2008 and has been full time since 2012, coming from the Parkersburg volunteer fire department.

Dusty has been a great asset both on and off the fire ground, Olson said. His experience as a heavy machinery mechanic at his other job has been a great asset to Cedar Falls as he can help maintain the complicated fire apparatus. ... He is also a great asset on the fire scene.

The Police Divisions R.J. Voss Award for management excellence went to Police Lt. Martin Beckner, who works on first shift patrol and joined the Cedar Falls police department in 2001.

Lieutenant Beckner is known for putting those he supervises ahead of his own needs and for his great professionalism and work ethic, Olson said. He also is a member of the police Major Incident Response Team, bike patrol supervisor and coordinates reserve and paid-on-call officers.

Cedar Falls Fire Capt. Bobby Wright was named Fire Officer of the Year. He became a volunteer firefighter in 1998, became a full-time firefighter in 1999 and was promoted to captain in 2005.

For the past 10 years he has supervised and completed inspections of rental property, building plan reviews and assisted with commercial inspections. He also serves as an arson investigator and helped implement a new Fire Division software program.

Kevin Cross, a supervisor in the Public Works/Parks Division, was named reserve police officer of the year. He has been a member of the reserve unit since 2010 as a paid-on-call employee. He is past District 3 director for the Iowa State Reserve Law Officers Association.

Mike Nyman, manager of the citys water reclamation division, was named Alternative Firefighter of the Year. He has been a paid-on-call firefighter since 2008 and has committed hundreds of hours to helping Cedar Falls Fire Rescue at a variety of incidents, Olson said.

Police Officer Jovan Creighton and Shea McNamara, both second-shift officers with the Police Division since 2013, each received an award of excellence.

Creighon is eager to help all citizens and completes thorough follow-up on his cases, Olson said. Creighton goes above and beyond to help other officers, supervisors and citizens.

McNamara is a member of the Major Incident Response Team and the bike patrol. He can be counted on by citizens, officers and supervisors to assist them in any way he can, Olson said.
Stitch-in set

for Saturday

WATERLOO  The Prairie Rose Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America will have a stitch-in from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Zion Lutheran Church Center for Faith and Life, 1712 W. Fourth St.

Bring personal stitching for uninterrupted creating time. There will be a potluck at noon; bring a dish to share. Everyone is welcome.

Lego club set

to meet April 1

WATERLOO  The Bluedorn Science Imaginarium, 322 Washington St., will host the final Lego Discovery Club from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. April 1.

Kindergarten through second-graders will solve engineering problems, build robots, design animal habitats or just let their imaginations run wild.

Register at www.gmdistrict.org/calendar.

High school art

show set at UIU

FAYETTE  About 160 artists from nine area high schools have registered for the annual Northeast Iowa High School Art Show on Wednesday at Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery.

Hosted by the Upper Iowa University Art Department, the exhibit will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Awards are scheduled to be presented at noon.

Student works include printmaking, drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, computer graphics/graphic design, photography and mixed media. Current UIU art students will conduct demonstrations for the high school artists as part of the events art education program.
Contact: Daniel Keylin

Daniel Keylin daniel_keylin@tillis.senate.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced bipartisan legislation to help service members save on travel expenses. Each month, members of the National Guard travel to complete their required duty training, and they typically pay for travel out of their own pocket. Currently, members can only claim their mileage and other travel expenses on their taxes if they had to travel more than 100 miles from their residence for training or if travel expenses exceeded two percent of a soldier's adjusted gross income. The Savings for Servicemembers Act would reduce the travel minimum to 50 miles, aligning treatment of the National Guard and Reservists with federal workers who have a 50 mile minimum for travel compensation, and help reduce the cost of service to those in the Guard and Reserves.Senator Tillis said.Senator Klobuchar said.This legislation is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States. Original cosponsors of the legislation are Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
WATERLOO  A Waterloo mother recounted how bullets began coming through her window and TV while she and her children were watching Elf in December.

I grabbed my daughter and pulled her to the ground, Christine Tiara Williams, 30, told jurors Thursday as trial continued for the alleged gunman.

She said she then pulled her 9-year-old son, Anton Kincaid, off the couch and took them to the bathroom.

I wanted to get them to a room where they (the attackers) couldnt see where we were, Williams said, noting she wasnt sure if the shooters could see them in the living room. We basically crawled on the floor.

Maryo Lindsey Jr., 21, of Waterloo, is on trial for intimidation with a weapon, felon in possession of a firearm and other charges in the Dec. 15 shooting that sent Anton to the hospital.

Prosecutor Brad Walz said Lindsey and another person opened fire on the home at 1241 W. Mullan Ave. from outside and then fled. Anton suffered a through-and-through wound to his butt, police said.

Surveillance cameras in the area recorded Lindseys Chevrolet Trailblazer in the area moments before the shooting, Walz said. Aundrey Frequal Roberts Jr., 23, of Waterloo, who allegedly waited with the getaway vehicle, is also charged. Roberts trial will be at a later date. A third suspect hasnt been identified and is still at large.

A crime lab officer walked jurors through a photographic tour of damage bullets did to the home. Officer Eryn Hageman with the Waterloo Police Department said she counted 14 bullet holes and strikes to the home. Eight went through walls and windows and six hit the concrete foundation, she said.

Outside, officers found 12 spent shell casings  a combination of .40-caliber and 9 mm  some of which had to be dug from the snow. A laser sight for a firearm was also found in the snow.

Four projectiles were found inside the house. Hageman said she wasnt sure which bullet struck Anton, but she documented a hole in the lower backrest of the couch that led to an exit hole in the back of the couch and a dent in the wall behind it. The lead slug was on the carpet below the dent.

Hageman said she didnt find any blood on the bullet but noted it could have been wiped off when it passed through the couch after leaving the child.

Another bullet was found on the floor near the familys Christmas tree, Hageman said.

The officer said there was no damage to the apartment at 1243 W. Mullan Ave. above.

Hageman said she examined items in Lindseys Trailblazer the following day and found a black cloth glove and several white latex gloves.

Walz said there is video footage of a person wearing one white glove and one black glove exiting Lindseys SUV before the shooting. He asked Hageman why gloves may be used in crimes.

So they dont get gunshot residue on their hands or other types of evidence on their hands, she said.

In other testimony, Steven OBrien, a criminalist with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said all four 9-mm casings found in the snow outside came from the same weapon, and all eight of the .40-caliber casings were fired by the same gun, so two firearms were involved.

He said a ballistics database showed the .40-caliber casings were linked to an August shooting in Waterloo. In that case, neighbors called to report gunfire in the 100 block of Conger Street on Aug. 27, and police found a bullet hole in the siding of 119 Conger and several spent casings, according to police reports. No injuries were reported, and no arrests were made.

Jurors also heard from emergency room staff at Covenant Medical Center who treated Anton.

Dr. Todd Lawrence said the bullet passed through his body without hitting anything vital, but it had the potential for striking a large blood vessel in the pelvic area, leading to fatal internal bleeding, or hitting the spine, causing paralysis.

He was scared, but he was probably the toughest kid Ive seen in my life, said emergency room nurse Kelli Oliver.

Trial is scheduled to continue today in Black Hawk County District Court.
OSAGE  Osage and Riceville schools will share a superintendent next school year.

The two districts, who say theyre taking advantage of cost savings, will share Osage Superintendent Barb Schwamman.

The Riceville School Board was faced with replacing its current superintendent, Steve Nicholson, who retired earlier in the year. Before coming to Riceville in 2013, Nicholson had been the New Hampton superintendent and principal of Osage High School.

Nicholson worked a day and a half each week, receiving a salary of $29,900.

The Iowa Department of Education offers incentive funds for school districts to share various management positions, including superintendents, business managers and transportation directors.

Each position comes with a weighted amount as determined by the state. Each district will receive $53,600 for sharing a superintendent, or the equivalent of eight students  $6,700 apiece  in state aid.

The districts will receive the funds in 2018-19 school year, a year after Schwammans contract begins with Riceville.

Specifics of the sharing agreement, including pay and insurance benefits, have not been determined. Schwamman said she expected both boards to take action at their respective April board meetings.

Schwamman said during an Osage board meeting she had been approached by the Riceville School Board.

I think this will make both of our districts stronger, Schwamman said. We are not looking to shut them (Riceville) down.

Its always about whats best for, not only our students, but all 2,200 students in Mitchell County.

Riceville School Board President Karl Fox said Schwamman brings a fine set of skills to the district.

With her proximity to our district, it will help to facilitate our needs, he said.

Schwamman also indicated more sharing opportunities could develop with Riceville or even St. Ansgar school districts.

Providing more opportunities for our kids, while minimizing the costs is a culture of our communities for sustainability, Fox said.
WATERLOO  Mayor Quentin Hart borrowed a line in his second annual State of the City address Friday from Gov. Terry Branstad.

Waterloo is the biggest comeback story in the state of Iowa, said Hart, referencing comments Branstad made about Waterloos economic resurgence during his own Condition of the State speech earlier this year.

The biggest room we have is the room for improvement but Waterloo is moving forward rapidly, Hart said. We are working to make sure that no matter where you live, theres progress.

Its about our commitment to making sure that we can become a we can do it together community and not a no we cant community, he added.

Harts speech, delivered to a large crowd in the Cedar Valley SportsPlex gymnasium, focused heavily on highlights, including city government achievements and development projects underway or slated to begin soon.

He cited the citys falling crime and property tax rates, increased airport boardings, dropping incidents of police use of force, the response to last Septembers major flood event, rising housing starts and economic development projects including the downtown Grand Crossing Condominiums and Logan Plaza revitalization.

Looking ahead, Hart hinted a highly important renovation of the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center and adjacent Ramada hotel is in the works.

We have been currently having conversations with a developer thats interested in revamping the entire Ramada hotel into something new, fresh and invigorating, he said. That simultaneously goes into our conversations about how we can make changes to our convention center that will carry us for the next 20-25 years.

Hart said he couldnt reveal the name of the potential developer, but efforts to fix up the dated hotel and modernize the convention center have been studied and discussed for several years.

Hart also said several groups are working to enhance a youth employment program, which wasnt able to find footing last summer.

Were also working to create a summer youth employment program with several different partners, from R.J. McElroy (Trust), Waterloo Community Schools, IowaWORKS and some of our local business leaders such as Eric Bertch, Hy-Vee and Premier Staffing, he said.

Hart also highlighted efforts to revitalize the Walnut Historic Neighborhood with a variety of community partners, which could be used as a model to help other neighborhoods, and ensuring the University Avenue economy is rebuilt along with the roadway.

As a community our goal should never be focusing merely on the ordinary but to challenge and push toward the extraordinary, he said. Any city that does not recognize their significance and importance will never realize their full potential because they will unknowingly attempt to build from their weaknesses and not their strengths.

Two former Waterloo mayors on hand to witness the speech gave Hart high marks.

I thought it was a great summary and it hit the right tone, said Tim Hurley, who served as mayor from 2004 to 2009 and lost a run-off election to Hart in 2015. Its kind of nice to sit down and talk about Waterloo in a completely positive vein.

John Rooff, who served as mayor from 1994 through 2003, said the speech gave Hart a chance to highlight achievements directly to residents who may otherwise only know about city issues through media reports.

Im glad that hes taken the opportunity to showcase Waterloo in these State of the Cities, Rooff said. Heres a chance for him to have his own show and have people aware of the good things that are going on.
DES MOINES  A crippling blow could be dealt to low-income and disabled Iowans on Medicaid if a payment dispute involving one of Iowas largest hospital networks is not resolved.

AmeriHealth Caritas is attempting to renegotiate its contract with Mercy Health Network, which includes 13 facilities across Iowa.

Those facilities include Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo and Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls.

The Des Moines Register reported this month AmeriHealth Caritas sent a letter to its clients warning if the company is unable to negotiate a new contract with Mercy Health Network by July 1, the system will no longer be included in AmeriHealth Caritas provider network.

The dispute does not immediately affect anyone, as members are able to see their providers while the negotiations continue.

AmeriHealth Caritas is one of the three companies being paid by the state to administer Iowas $5 billion Medicaid program. The company says it must renegotiate its rates to create a more sustainable Medicaid program.

The companies have reported operating losses since taking over the Medicaid program in April 2016. AmeriHealth Caritas reported the most anticipated losses at more than $200 million.

In order to change its current rates and establish a sustainable Medicaid program, we issued a termination notice to Mercy Health Network, AmeriHealth Caritas spokesman Joshua Brett said in an email. AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa is taking this action now so that there is no impact on our members, as they can continue to see their providers while we work to agree on new contract terms.

Brett did not respond to a question about how many AmeriHealth Caritas members receive Medicaid services at Mercy Health Network facilities. Nearly 213,000 Iowans are enrolled in a Medicaid plan through AmeriHealth Caritas, but not all would necessarily receive services at Mercy Health Network facilities.

The Mercy Health Network, which also has contracts with the two other Medicaid management companies that operate in Iowa, includes 13 facilities and more than 2,000 physicians and advanced practice providers in Iowa, according to the company.

AmeriHealth Caritas and Mercy Health Network negotiated a three-year contract less than a year ago, according to Janell Pittman, vice president of marketing and communications for Mercy Health Network. Pittman said that contract helped AmeriHealth Caritas to enroll its 213,000 members.

Now just a few months after getting this accomplished, they are requesting reduced payment levels. This will significantly disrupt the lives of thousands of Iowans who have counted on this commitment from AmeriHealth Caritas, Pittman said in an email. (Mercy Health Network) has performed and continues to perform our duties under the contract. (Mercy) was and is very willing to continue at the payment levels agreed to. (Mercy) is disappointed that AmeriHealth Caritas has chosen to terminate the contract so quickly.

Both said they continue to negotiate in hopes of finding a resolution.

Because of our commitment to our patients we will be working very hard to come to mutually acceptable terms with AmeriHealth Caritas with the hope that participants will continue to receive affordable care from (Mercys) award-winning providers in metro and rural communities across the state, Pittman said.

If an agreement is not reached and those AmeriHealth Caritas members no longer are able to use Mercy Health Network to receive Medicaid services, that would be a crippling blow, said Don Dew, executive director of Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland. The nonprofit center works with individuals with disabilities.

It still is an if, but if that would happen, that would be so damaging to so many people because Mercy and all of its affiliates are so widespread throughout not only our area but throughout the state, Dew said. And so many people on Medicaid rely on going to Mercy and have services with Mercy.

The Iowa Department of Human Services is monitoring the situation. Department spokeswoman Amy McCoy said it is not uncommon for insurance plans to renegotiate rates with providers on an annual basis.

The MCOs may have negotiated rates above the fee-for-service equivalent as they built their networks, and now  a year into managed care  may wish to renegotiate those rates under their contracts with providers, McCoy said in an email. The health plans must, at a minimum, offer providers the rate floor that is a fee-for-service equivalent, and maintain adequate network access. Iowa Medicaid is monitoring this process.

Some members potentially affected by the dispute may be eligible to switch their health plans, McCoy said.

Dew said he worries some members, if affected, may not have sufficient time to react and adjust to any changes in their coverage.

You cant really even imagine how many people who would have consequences that are even, I always hate to say that theyre life-threatening, but they can be, Dew said. When something like that happens, they find out, and all of a sudden, they dont have that type of coverage.
CEDAR FALLS  State Rep. Walt Rogers, R-Cedar Falls, said he will no longer attend public forums led by the League of Women Voters of Black Hawk-Bremer Counties, calling them partisan affairs.

That forum has become a place for left-wing activists to shout at those that they disagree with and negatively spin their message on social media, Rogers said in a statement. The moderators are left-leaning partisans and the atmosphere has become toxic.

It is not an environment that fosters a respectful, constructive dialogue.

Rogers, chairman of the House Education Committee, has attended one forum this year, which focused on education issues. But at the other forums  there have been four so far, with another this afternoon  attendees have regularly said they wanted to get a response from Rogers.

Rogers is the longest-serving Republican representing a portion of Black Hawk County and the only one representing Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Other Republicans representing Black Hawk County have not attended the forums this year. Republicans have a majority at the Capitol.

Rogers said in a follow-up interview he is open to returning to the forums if there are neutral moderators and sponsors.

Cindy Wells, vice president and program director for the local League of Women Voters, said the organization is nonpartisan and invites Cedar Valley lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to each forum.

Wells said its disappointing Rogers is choosing to skip the forums, adding she gets calls from people asking why attendance from lawmakers is lopsided.

She noted the raucous town halls Republican U.S. Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst held recently.

But theyre still going to those things, and theyre having the town meetings, which I praise them for doing that, Wells said. She added left-leaning voters are more active this year.

Rogers noted hes been getting more emails from constituents and other voters than is typical.

He also noted Black Hawk County Republicans have held their own forums this year and may plan another before the end of session.

I definitely want to be available to my constituents, Rogers said.

He said the best way for constituents to reach him is through email at walt.rogers@legis.iowa.gov.

While Wells would like to see Republicans attend the forum, she also said she would pass along to the fellow members Rogers concerns, particularly about moderators. She said the moderators are chosen from a list of people who had done it in the past or have some knowledge on the forums topic, and the group doesnt always know the party affiliation.
On Feb. 12, a day after President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conferred at his Florida estate, North Korea provocatively lobbed a solid-fuel medium- to long-range rocket missile into the Sea of Japan.

Last September, North Korea detonated a 30-kiloton bomb  double the size of the blast that leveled Hiroshima. Reportedly, it has developed the capability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead.

Back in 2006 when North Korea detonated its first nuclear weapon, President Kim Jong Il threatened to attack the U.S. mainland with nuclear missiles unless Washington agreed to face-to-face talks.

A series of mishaps followed, but the threat is becoming more real. Thae Yong Ho, the North Korean ambassador to the United Kingdom who defected last year, predicted Kim Jong Un will have an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the U.S. in three to five years.

Trump has tweeted it wont happen.

During his March 17 visit to South Korea, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, Certainly, we do not want things to get to a military conflict ... but obviously, if North Korea takes actions that threaten the South Korean forces or our own forces, then that would be met with an appropriate response.

Tillerson said diplomatic, economic and security measures would be pursued to put pressure on North Korea. A military response was possible, he added, but we have many, many steps we can take before we get to that point.

The prospect of military action faces daunting realities. The South Korean capital of Seoul and its suburbs number 20 million only 35 miles south of the demilitarized zone, putting them in the crosshairs of North Korean conventional artillery.

A first-strike attack against North Korean nuclear sites also is problematic because much of its arsenal is based underground and underwater. A retaliatory strike against South Korea, Japan and U.S. military bases could follow.

After the February missile launch, Trump tweeted, North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been playing the United States for years. China has done little to help!

But getting China to assist seemed farfetched after Trump scathingly criticized it during the presidential campaign on trade issues. He further angered Chinas leaders with an unprecedented call to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, then broached ending the longstanding U.S. policy of One China. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and wants reunification.

Since then, Trump has done an about-face on a trade war and One China. He will host Chinese President Xi Jinping next month in Florida.

For his part, Tillerson went overboard in Beijing ingratiating himself to the Chinese, discussing the need to build mutual respect, terminology the Chinese had long sought. The U.S. has rejected it because it accepts Chinas positions on Taiwan as well as rebellious Hong Kong and Tibet.

Chinas intervention might hinge on U.S. deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense ground-based missile defense system in South Korea. It is designed to shoot down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles at a high altitude and could become an option for Japans defense.

North Korea has called it vicious warmongering, threatening a nuclear strike against the site.

China also is outraged, believing its a ploy to use a sophisticated radar system to track Chinese missiles. In fact, it is so mad it has suspended operations of a travel agency providing 300,000 visas into China for South Koreans, primarily business people, urged a boycott of South Korean products (China is South Koreas largest trading partner) and canceled tours by South Korean entertainers popular in China.

Following the THAAD announcement by the Obama administration, China increased its trade with North Korea by 10 percent.

The Trump administration hopes to surmount that obstacle while gaining new sanctions on North Korean financial transactions, mineral exports and luxury imports passing through China. As for existing U.N. sanctions, the Chinese have indicated they might finally stop importing coal but continue to turn a blind eye to violations by its businesses dealing with North Korea.

The administration faces another obstacle in Kim Jong Uns new best friend, President Vladimir Putin. (North Korea now lists Russia as its closest ally.) In January, Russia and North Korea agreed to expand railway links to increase the flow of Siberian oil into North Korea, which would process it at chemical plants for export. In return, North Korea would provide Russia with 10,000 cheap guest workers.

Trump revels in the art of the deal. Given as Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi put it, The two sides (the U.S. and North Korea) are like accelerating trains coming towards each other with neither side willing to give way, finding the leverage to defuse the threat could be his most important and complex negotiation.
USA greatness

BOB KAISER CEDAR FALLS  I want the USA to constantly improve and make it possible for its citizens to excel. Dont you? Think of the innovations you have seen in your lifetime. Do you think they would have happened if we continued to bicker with each other? Free enterprise and free to make your own mistakes. I wear a hat that states Make America Great Again. I sure dont want it to go the other way.

We have a group of citizens that havent figured that out yet. They want the ball. Kids on a playground is what you have going on. Who has the ball in their possession?

Brings to mind an unforgettable time when some Wisconsin Legislature Democrats went to Illinois to avoid a vote. Childish behavior. We keep having lone wolf-type occurrences around this country, and that tells me there doesnt seem to be an organized anarchy. But that could happen if we dont check immigrants before they get in.

A hundred years ago, people used to assimilate when they got here, except in the large cities. Now they seem to associate with only those from their country.

Waterloo streets

CLIFF ISRAEL

WATERLOO  On Waterloo streets and the letter by Jerald Smith (March 13), right on. Having served as director of public works in Illinois, a better way had to be devised to deal with potholes. We copied the system a dentist used for years. Clean the cavity of all loose material, prime if necessary and tamp/pack the filling in place.

It takes a bit longer, but there is little waste of material and the hole is only filled once. Another possible fault in the care of the streets could be the method of applying the asphalt overlay that is used to renew the surface of the deteriorating streets. The new material is applied curb face to curb face often altering the flow of the gutter portion of the curb and gutter. Water cannot flow to the storm sewer inlet as originally designed and pools where it may get under the surface, causing the need for repeated repair. Case in point: Ridgeway Avenue, west from about Hillcrest to Fourth Street.

Preparation of the street to be overlaid also is necessary. Just throwing a bandage on a cancer infection will not have the same effect as removing the cancer first.

Support Trump

SANDRA DOYLE

CEDAR FALLS  Does The Courier not realize we have a president that was elected by the majority of the people of Iowa? If my husband didnt insist on keeping the paper for sports, we both agree we would not subscribe. It is pretty clear by the bias of the editors and their guest columnists, disparaging cartoons, plus largely negative coverage of President Trump and his policies, this paper is part of the mainstream medias effort to discredit any and all good he is trying to achieve.

Obamacare is imploding, our debt is out of control, our foreign policy is a travesty, our Department of Justice and FBI have become untrustworthy and our immigration (open borders) has caused not just our education system to be overloaded but also our welfare system.

It is impossible to list the harm the last administration has done to this country. I can only hope people will give Trump the opportunity they gave Obama. I realize with paid protesters and the obstruction of the Democratic Party it is going to be an uphill battle.
Contact: Emily Weeks

Emily Weeks Emily.Weeks@ncgop.org

Raleigh, NC Today Republicans in the State Senate voted House Bill 100 into law, which restores Party affiliation to the ballot for judicial elections, despite Governor Roy Cooper's veto of the bill last week. Yesterday Republican Representatives in the House took action and voted to override Governor Cooper's veto. Democrats removed the partisan affiliations from judicial elections in the 90s, which resulted in a massive drop in voter participation. In 2016, nearly 800,000 fewer North Carolinians voted in the state Supreme Court race compared to the presidential race because they did not have enough information about the judicial candidates. -Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham)
Q: What is the large cement object underground on the north end of the Edison School property?

A: The cement object is part of the coal bin for the former school that will be removed this spring, said Waterloo Community Schools spokeswoman Tara Thomas.

Q: What is a runaway convention?

A: Article V of the Constitution allows a constitutional convention if two thirds of state legislatures ask for one. It has never happened. A runaway convention refers to a gathering where amendments are introduced beyond what the states sought when they asked for a convention to be convened. It implies fears of drastic and unexpected constitutional changes.

Q: Whether you are Democrat or Republican it appears all the mocking on the Saturday Night Live show and comments made by the celebrities on the recent award shows about our politicians are actually bullying. This is exactly what we dont want our children, students, adults or anyone to do. It sets a poor example. Who can we write or contact about this issue?

A: Bullying is defined as using superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants. Bullying is the strong picking on the defenseless. It doesnt appear celebrities criticizing politicians meets the definition since they are not in a position of superior strength or influence and are not seeking to force anyone to do anything. You can write SNL at Saturday Night Live, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112.

Q: What kind of breed is that big dog named River you wrote about?

A: As mentioned in the story, River is a bullmastiff.

Q: Enjoyed the article on River, the lucky dog that was rescued and now has a home. How much food does it take to feed that size of dog?

A: It would not be uncommon for a full-grown bullmastiff to eat six or even up to eight cups of food a day, said Dr. Tom Taylor of DenHerder Veterinary Clinic in Waterloo. Thats one of the things we talk a lot about with clients. Its a lot more expensive to own a big dog when you think of the cost of food and the cost of medications and veterinary care.

Q: How much water should an adult drink throughout the day?

A: According to the Mayo Clinic, the answer depends on your health, your size and how active you are, but in general men should aim for about 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages a day, and women should aim for about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of total beverages a day. Mayo points out thats not much different from the standard Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day rule.

Q: With President Trump going to Florida all the time, how much does it cost every time?

A: A recent Washington Post article estimated the presidents first three trips to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida cost the federal treasury $10 million.

Q: Who was the man who was flipping pancakes at the Hartman Reserve festival? How can I reach him for another event? They were excellent pancakes.

A: Those pancakes were by Chris Cakes  call (800) 321-7452.
past daily news Sep 13 (1) Sep 09 (15) Sep 06 (12) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (10) Aug 31 (17) Aug 29 (14) Aug 26 (13) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (12) Aug 19 (21) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (10) Aug 10 (10) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (10) Aug 06 (10) Aug 05 (8) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (14) Jul 29 (1) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (10) Jul 22 (11) Jul 19 (16) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (10) Jul 15 (13) Jul 12 (7) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (11) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (8) Jun 28 (7) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (8) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (9) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (9) Jun 18 (8) Jun 15 (9) Jun 13 (13) Jun 11 (11) Jun 09 (19) Jun 06 (10) Jun 04 (10) Jun 03 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (5) May 30 (5) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (7) May 26 (6) May 25 (4) May 23 (6) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (7) May 19 (9) May 18 (4) May 17 (6) May 16 (5) May 15 (7) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 (9) May 10 (3) May 09 (7) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (5) May 05 (8) May 03 (9) May 02 (1) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (8) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (2) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (7) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (6) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (10) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (5) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (7) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (8) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (12) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (8) Feb 28 (7) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (6) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (1) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (6) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (2) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (8) Jan 30 (2) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (1) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (4) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (2) Jan 20 (2) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (6) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (5) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (2) Dec 17 (1) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (2) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (2) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (1) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (5) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (10) Nov 28 (6) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (6) Nov 19 (2) Nov 18 (5) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (5) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (9) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (6) Oct 22 (4) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (1) Oct 06 (10) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (1) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (6) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (5) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (8) Sep 05 (6) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (5) Aug 31 (8) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (6) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (7) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (7) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (8) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (8) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (8) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (10) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (1) Jul 16 (10) Jul 14 (7) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (7) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (7) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (2) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (5) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (8) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (10) Jun 05 (14) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (6) Jun 02 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (7) May 30 (2) May 29 (7) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (4) May 25 (5) May 24 (4) May 23 (5) May 22 (5) May 21 (5) May 20 (3) May 19 (10) May 18 (6) May 17 (3) May 16 (6) May 15 (2) May 14 (3) May 13 (5) May 11 (1) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (4) May 07 (2) May 06 (4) May 05 (6) May 04 (5) May 03 (5) May 02 (1) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (7) Apr 28 (8) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (14) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (1) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (1) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (1) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (9) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (9) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (13) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (6) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (9) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (9) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (2) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (5) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (12) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (8) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (7) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (9) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (8) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (4) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (1) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (10) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (12) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (6) Dec 08 (7) Dec 07 (12) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (13) Dec 04 (6) Dec 02 (8) Dec 01 (8) Nov 30 (6) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (8) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (11) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (6) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (14) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (11) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (10) Nov 01 (8) Oct 31 (12) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (13) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (8) Oct 22 (5) Oct 21 (11) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (10) Oct 12 (11) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (10) Oct 09 (7) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (14) Oct 04 (9) Oct 03 (12) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (9) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (7) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (10) Sep 21 (12) Sep 20 (12) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (11) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (8) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (10) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (9) Sep 07 (8) Sep 06 (11) Sep 05 (2) Sep 04 (8) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (9) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (2) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (6) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (6) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (7) Aug 06 (7) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (11) Aug 02 (6) Aug 01 (9) Jul 31 (11) Jul 28 (7) Jul 27 (11) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (1) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (2) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (7) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (5) Jul 06 (6) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (3) Jun 30 (8) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (7) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (7) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (7) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (9) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (8) May 30 (7) May 29 (5) May 28 (5) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (3) May 23 (5) May 22 (2) May 21 (3) May 20 (7) May 19 (11) May 18 (1) May 17 (7) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (4) May 11 (11) May 10 (2) May 09 (6) May 08 (6) May 07 (2) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (8) May 02 (4) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (13) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (2) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (9) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (2) Apr 19 (2) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (9) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (6) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (8) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (6) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (6) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (9) Feb 24 (11) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (7) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (6) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (2) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (10) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (2) Feb 05 (9) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (7) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (7) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (14) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (10) Jan 18 (11) Jan 17 (9) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (10) Jan 06 (8) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (5) Jan 01 (14) Dec 30 (13) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (5) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (7) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (5) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (9) Dec 16 (8) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (17) Dec 09 (8) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (10) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (7) Nov 30 (9) Nov 29 (6) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (15) Nov 24 (7) Nov 23 (15) Nov 22 (9) Nov 21 (6) Nov 20 (11) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (13) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (7) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (13) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (8) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (8) Nov 01 (6) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (15) Oct 26 (10) Oct 25 (10) Oct 24 (13) Oct 23 (9) Oct 21 (8) Oct 20 (13) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (8) Oct 16 (14) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (13) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (15) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (11) Oct 05 (18) Oct 04 (14) Oct 03 (1) Oct 02 (10) Sep 30 (11) Sep 29 (11) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (15) Sep 26 (7) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (17) Sep 20 (20) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (11) Sep 16 (10) Sep 15 (12) Sep 14 (9) Sep 13 (12) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (8) Sep 09 (9) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (13) Sep 06 (15) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (10) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (12) Aug 31 (14) Aug 30 (14) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (8) Aug 27 (9) Aug 26 (12) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (6) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (11) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (5) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (9) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (8) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (6) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (6) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (15) Jul 15 (14) Jul 14 (5) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (12) Jul 11 (8) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (10) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (10) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (7) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (11) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (14) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (8) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (11) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (16) Jun 03 (8) Jun 02 (12) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (7) May 30 (15) May 28 (7) May 27 (5) May 26 (21) May 25 (14) May 24 (10) May 23 (7) May 22 (8) May 21 (11) May 20 (5) May 19 (4) May 18 (10) May 17 (11) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (7) May 13 (12) May 12 (10) May 11 (7) May 10 (13) May 09 (4) May 08 (7) May 07 (3) May 06 (6) May 05 (9) May 04 (14) May 03 (7) May 02 (10) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (8) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (14) Apr 22 (16) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (16) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (11) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (8) Apr 10 (12) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (13) Apr 07 (9) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (15) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (15) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (11) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (10) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (12) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (8) Mar 24 (7) Mar 23 (15) Mar 22 (17) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (8) Mar 19 (4) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (19) Mar 15 (13) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (20) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (13) Mar 08 (13) Mar 07 (7) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (16) Mar 02 (16) Mar 01 (13) Feb 29 (8) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (16) Feb 26 (10) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (12) Feb 23 (14) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (12) Feb 18 (12) Feb 17 (11) Feb 16 (8) Feb 15 (9) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (10) Feb 12 (11) Feb 11 (13) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (13) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (19) Jan 31 (21) Jan 29 (11) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (13) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (2) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (13) Jan 21 (11) Jan 20 (9) Jan 19 (13) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (11) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (13) Jan 13 (9) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (7) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (7) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (8) Jan 01 (5) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (9) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (1) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (6) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (13) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (10) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (11) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (9) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (10) Dec 08 (13) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (8) Dec 04 (11) Dec 03 (12) Dec 02 (16) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (11) Nov 28 (15) Nov 27 (16) Nov 26 (11) Nov 25 (9) Nov 24 (13) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (1) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (10) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (10) Nov 13 (14) Nov 12 (8) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (12) Nov 05 (17) Nov 04 (12) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (12) Oct 31 (11) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (10) Oct 28 (18) Oct 27 (16) Oct 26 (11) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (12) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (12) Oct 20 (17) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (15) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (10) Oct 14 (16) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (12) Oct 09 (21) Oct 08 (22) Oct 07 (19) Oct 06 (18) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (17) Oct 03 (13) Oct 02 (14) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (14) Sep 29 (15) Sep 28 (12) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (15) Sep 25 (13) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (10) Sep 22 (12) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (12) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (16) Sep 16 (21) Sep 15 (14) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (10) Sep 11 (16) Sep 10 (7) Sep 09 (8) Sep 08 (10) Sep 07 (7) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (9) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (10) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (14) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (13) Aug 20 (9) Aug 19 (13) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (8) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (12) Aug 11 (9) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (14) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (1) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (2) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (6) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (6) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (9) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (1) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (13) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (7) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (9) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (3) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (7) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (11) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (8) Jun 03 (9) Jun 02 (6) Jun 01 (4) May 30 (7) May 29 (9) May 28 (13) May 26 (8) May 25 (5) May 24 (2) May 23 (8) May 22 (9) May 21 (7) May 20 (4) May 19 (6) May 18 (7) May 17 (8) May 15 (9) May 14 (5) May 13 (8) May 12 (6) May 11 (6) May 09 (7) May 08 (6) May 07 (11) May 06 (7) May 05 (4) May 04 (11) May 03 (5) May 02 (4) May 01 (9) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (9) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (10) Apr 22 (8) Apr 21 (9) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (6) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (5) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (2) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (7) Apr 02 (7) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (6) Mar 20 (9) Mar 19 (9) Mar 18 (8) Mar 17 (9) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (11) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (12) Mar 11 (9) Mar 10 (12) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (5) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (11) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (8) Feb 27 (9) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (10) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (7) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (2) Feb 14 (8) Feb 13 (12) Feb 12 (8) Feb 11 (10) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (12) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (8) Jan 26 (13) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (12) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (10) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (11) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (8) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (9) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (10) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (10) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (9) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (10) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (1) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (9) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (7) Nov 25 (12) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (6) Nov 18 (10) Nov 17 (12) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (12) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (7) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (9) Nov 03 (6) Nov 02 (14) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (9) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (8) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (11) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (7) Oct 15 (7) Oct 14 (8) Oct 13 (5) Oct 12 (8) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (5) Oct 09 (11) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (8) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (10) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (7) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (8) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (11) Sep 24 (15) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (10) Sep 17 (10) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (8) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (7) Sep 02 (7) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (9) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (12) Aug 19 (8) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (8) Aug 11 (7) Aug 10 (12) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (4) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (12) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (8) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (8) Jul 20 (6) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (8) Jul 17 (2) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (9) Jul 13 (10) Jul 11 (9) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (7) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (7) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (15) Jun 26 (10) Jun 25 (9) Jun 24 (16) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (12) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (13) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (14) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (16) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (18) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (8) May 31 (3) May 30 (6) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (6) May 23 (4) May 22 (8) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (2) May 18 (9) May 17 (1) May 16 (5) May 15 (5) May 14 (7) May 13 (7) May 12 (7) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (5) May 08 (10) May 07 (4) May 06 (13) May 05 (4) May 04 (10) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (9) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (9) Apr 24 (7) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (10) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (7) Apr 14 (11) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (9) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (6) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (10) Apr 03 (9) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (8) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (8) Mar 22 (7) Mar 21 (14) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (11) Mar 17 (12) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (8) Mar 14 (13) Mar 13 (8) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (8) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (15) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (12) Mar 02 (20) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (11) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (14) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (8) Feb 16 (11) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (2) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (2) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (7) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (1) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 27 (1) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (8) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (1) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (7) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (9) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (2) Dec 01 (8) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (12) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (12) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (9) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (11) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (7) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (7) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (2) Oct 21 (7) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (7) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (20) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (21) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (34) Oct 04 (24) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (7) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (5) Sep 26 (6) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (2) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (9) Sep 19 (11) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (6) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (11) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (6) Sep 06 (10) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (5) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (8) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (7) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (8) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (7) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (4) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (6) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (7) Jul 23 (10) Jul 22 (8) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (7) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (10) Jul 16 (11) Jul 15 (5) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (12) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (8) Jul 03 (10) Jul 02 (12) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (23) Jun 27 (18) Jun 26 (12) Jun 25 (14) Jun 24 (15) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (15) Jun 20 (9) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (11) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (6) Jun 15 (6) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (9) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (8) May 24 (7) May 23 (6) May 22 (9) May 21 (6) May 20 (5) May 19 (6) May 18 (9) May 17 (10) May 16 (11) May 15 (5) May 14 (11) May 13 (6) May 12 (7) May 11 (7) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (10) May 07 (8) May 06 (11) May 05 (5) May 04 (9) May 03 (3) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (8) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (10) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (10) Apr 16 (8) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (11) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (9) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (10) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (2) Mar 10 (1) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (1) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (7) Feb 11 (2) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (5) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (9) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (10) Feb 01 (9) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (5) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (8) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (1) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (1) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (8) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (8) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (7) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (7) Dec 02 (1) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (16) Nov 27 (7) Nov 26 (5) Nov 25 (2) Nov 24 (6) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (15) Nov 19 (8) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (5) Nov 08 (8) Nov 07 (9) Nov 06 (9) Nov 05 (1) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (8) Nov 02 (6) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (8) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (1) Oct 22 (6) Oct 21 (1) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (10) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (15) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (7) Oct 10 (1) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (8) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (8) Sep 24 (8) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (9) Sep 20 (7) Sep 19 (8) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (7) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (9) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (10) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (15) Sep 04 (5) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (7) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (11) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (15) Aug 24 (6) Aug 23 (8) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (7) Aug 19 (2) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (9) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (7) Aug 07 (9) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (11) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (5) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (6) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (8) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (14) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (8) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (14) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (12) Jun 15 (12) Jun 14 (10) Jun 13 (10) Jun 12 (9) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (12) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (12) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (3) May 25 (5) May 24 (9) May 23 (16) May 22 (12) May 21 (11) May 20 (7) May 19 (10) May 18 (8) May 17 (8) May 16 (10) May 15 (8) May 14 (5) May 13 (1) May 12 (6) May 11 (9) May 10 (9) May 09 (10) May 08 (9) May 07 (6) May 06 (5) May 05 (7) May 04 (10) May 03 (7) May 02 (9) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (12) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (9) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (10) Apr 14 (7) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (7) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (8) Apr 05 (8) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (11) Mar 30 (12) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (9) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (12) Mar 20 (14) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (8) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (12) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (8) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (5) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (13) Feb 25 (10) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (10) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (18) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (5) Feb 16 (9) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (8) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (10) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (12) Jan 30 (7) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (7) Jan 27 (12) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (11) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (12) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (11) Jan 16 (9) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (9) Jan 10 (10) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (10) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (10) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (7) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (9) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (8) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (1) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (6) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (13) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (7) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (7) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (9) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (7) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (8) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (10) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (10) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (8) Nov 17 (9) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (12) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (8) Nov 06 (10) Nov 05 (8) Nov 04 (7) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (11) Nov 01 (10) Oct 31 (5) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (8) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (11) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (7) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (9) Oct 14 (7) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (8) Oct 09 (9) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (12) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (13) Oct 04 (11) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (14) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (12) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (7) Sep 25 (10) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (8) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (7) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (14) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (11) Sep 14 (13) Sep 13 (11) Sep 12 (9) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (13) Sep 08 (11) Sep 07 (11) Sep 06 (16) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (8) Sep 01 (7) Aug 31 (1) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (5) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (7) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (12) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (13) Jul 28 (10) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (12) Jul 22 (14) Jul 21 (6) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (12) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (6) Jul 15 (8) Jul 14 (15) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (6) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (9) Jul 06 (15) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (10) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (11) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (11) Jun 24 (9) Jun 23 (10) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (8) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (15) Jun 17 (8) Jun 16 (13) Jun 15 (15) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (6) Jun 12 (15) Jun 11 (7) Jun 10 (7) Jun 09 (18) Jun 08 (20) Jun 07 (17) Jun 06 (9) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (12) Jun 03 (13) Jun 02 (14) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (13) May 30 (8) May 29 (6) May 28 (8) May 27 (17) May 26 (8) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (9) May 22 (4) May 21 (4) May 20 (11) May 19 (14) May 18 (6) May 17 (10) May 16 (4) May 15 (5) May 14 (28) May 12 (9) May 11 (17) May 10 (15) May 09 (12) May 08 (5) May 07 (4) May 06 (10) May 05 (8) May 04 (10) May 03 (5) May 02 (6) May 01 (8) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (12) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (10) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (13) Apr 19 (11) Apr 18 (11) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (11) Apr 14 (17) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (16) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (18) Apr 08 (14) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (10) Apr 05 (21) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (13) Apr 01 (8) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (11) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (12) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (8) Mar 20 (4) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (9) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (14) Mar 11 (13) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (17) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (13) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (14) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (18) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (2) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (13) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (13) Feb 22 (12) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (16) Feb 18 (17) Feb 17 (15) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (15) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (15) Feb 10 (11) Feb 09 (13) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (15) Feb 04 (15) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (14) Feb 01 (15) Jan 31 (11) Jan 30 (9) Jan 29 (19) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (9) Jan 26 (16) Jan 25 (19) Jan 24 (17) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (15) Jan 21 (9) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (12) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (14) Jan 12 (11) Jan 11 (13) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (20) Jan 07 (11) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (14) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (14) Dec 30 (15) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (10) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (11) Dec 24 (9) Dec 23 (9) Dec 22 (15) Dec 21 (12) Dec 20 (11) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (12) Dec 15 (14) Dec 14 (11) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (17) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (12) Dec 07 (16) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (12) Dec 03 (15) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (12) Nov 30 (16) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (13) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (15) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (8) Nov 19 (9) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (9) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (10) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (7) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (14) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (13) Nov 01 (9) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (18) Oct 28 (13) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (12) Oct 25 (14) Oct 24 (20) Oct 22 (18) Oct 21 (18) Oct 20 (19) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (18) Oct 15 (8) Oct 14 (11) Oct 13 (9) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (27) Oct 08 (14) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (10) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (9) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (13) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (9) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (14) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (14) Sep 22 (20) Sep 21 (11) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (14) Sep 17 (8) Sep 16 (17) Sep 15 (6) Sep 14 (11) Sep 13 (9) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (14) Sep 09 (12) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (9) Sep 04 (20) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (16) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (13) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (11) Aug 25 (10) Aug 24 (14) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (13) Aug 21 (10) Aug 20 (13) Aug 19 (15) Aug 18 (8) Aug 17 (10) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (11) Aug 13 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (10) Aug 10 (17) Aug 09 (6) Aug 08 (13) Aug 07 (11) Aug 06 (13) Aug 05 (11) Aug 04 (11) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (10) Jul 30 (21) Jul 29 (14) Jul 28 (13) Jul 27 (16) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (15) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (15) Jul 21 (19) Jul 20 (17) Jul 19 (9) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (26) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (20) Jul 14 (16) Jul 13 (19) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (13) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (16) Jul 05 (9) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (15) Jul 02 (11) Jul 01 (14) Jun 30 (13) Jun 29 (19) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (9) Jun 26 (16) Jun 25 (22) Jun 24 (17) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (15) Jun 21 (14) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (17) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (10) Jun 16 (17) Jun 15 (13) Jun 14 (14) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (13) Jun 11 (15) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (10) Jun 08 (23) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (20) Jun 05 (10) Jun 04 (11) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (21) Jun 01 (14) May 31 (10) May 30 (14) May 29 (8) May 28 (23) May 27 (20) May 26 (16) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (10) May 22 (18) May 21 (14) May 20 (12) May 19 (18) May 18 (14) May 17 (13) May 16 (4) May 15 (7) May 14 (16) May 13 (13) May 12 (8) May 11 (18) May 10 (8) May 09 (7) May 08 (13) May 07 (11) May 06 (15) May 05 (18) May 04 (17) May 03 (7) May 02 (5) May 01 (11) Apr 30 (19) Apr 29 (21) Apr 28 (18) Apr 27 (16) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (20) Apr 22 (23) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (16) Apr 19 (13) Apr 18 (6) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (16) Apr 15 (18) Apr 14 (13) Apr 13 (14) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (14) Apr 08 (12) Apr 07 (18) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (11) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (16) Mar 31 (16) Mar 30 (22) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (19) Mar 26 (31) Mar 25 (25) Mar 24 (26) Mar 23 (27) Mar 22 (22) Mar 21 (22) Mar 20 (13) Mar 19 (21) Mar 18 (20) Mar 17 (24) Mar 16 (18) Mar 15 (9) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (29) Mar 12 (15) Mar 11 (11) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (20) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (21) Mar 05 (22) Mar 04 (19) Mar 03 (9) Mar 02 (20) Mar 01 (11) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (27) Feb 26 (15) Feb 25 (18) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (19) Feb 22 (24) Feb 21 (10) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (25) Feb 18 (16) Feb 17 (19) Feb 16 (23) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (16) Feb 11 (12) Feb 10 (18) Feb 09 (12) Feb 08 (14) Feb 07 (8) Feb 06 (27) Feb 05 (28) Feb 04 (24) Feb 03 (17) Feb 02 (20) Feb 01 (23) Jan 31 (16) Jan 30 (20) Jan 29 (26) Jan 28 (17) Jan 27 (21) Jan 26 (24) Jan 25 (16) Jan 24 (14) Jan 23 (16) Jan 22 (17) Jan 21 (19) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (17) Jan 18 (13) Jan 17 (14) Jan 16 (10) Jan 15 (21) Jan 14 (16) Jan 13 (19) Jan 12 (30) Jan 11 (14) Jan 10 (11) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (23) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (21) Jan 05 (15) Jan 04 (18) Jan 03 (9) Jan 02 (12) Jan 01 (15) Dec 31 (18) Dec 30 (7) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (6) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (28) Dec 23 (12) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (17) Dec 20 (19) Dec 19 (19) Dec 18 (22) Dec 17 (24) Dec 16 (17) Dec 15 (29) Dec 14 (22) Dec 13 (12) Dec 12 (22) Dec 11 (24) Dec 10 (25) Dec 09 (18) Dec 08 (15) Dec 07 (21) Dec 06 (24) Dec 05 (30) Dec 04 (28) Dec 03 (26) Dec 02 (22) Dec 01 (33) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (9) Nov 28 (18) Nov 27 (25) Nov 26 (17) Nov 25 (23) Nov 24 (27) Nov 23 (12) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (15) Nov 20 (23) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (24) Nov 17 (21) Nov 16 (20) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (15) Nov 13 (27) Nov 12 (23) Nov 11 (19) Nov 10 (21) Nov 09 (13) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (16) Nov 06 (32) Nov 05 (24) Nov 04 (20) Nov 03 (29) Nov 02 (12) Nov 01 (15) Oct 31 (20) Oct 30 (22) Oct 29 (27) Oct 28 (20) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (21) Oct 25 (15) Oct 24 (23) Oct 23 (26) Oct 22 (27) Oct 21 (28) Oct 20 (24) Oct 19 (13) Oct 18 (9) Oct 17 (30) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (20) Oct 14 (14) Oct 13 (17) Oct 12 (16) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (19) Oct 09 (22) Oct 08 (16) Oct 07 (18) Oct 06 (23) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (15) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (22) Sep 30 (25) Sep 29 (20) Sep 28 (17) Sep 27 (13) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (15) Sep 24 (24) Sep 23 (23) Sep 22 (18) Sep 21 (20) Sep 20 (11) Sep 19 (24) Sep 18 (25) Sep 17 (25) Sep 16 (19) Sep 15 (21) Sep 14 (15) Sep 13 (10) Sep 12 (23) Sep 11 (23) Sep 10 (25) Sep 09 (25) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (17) Sep 05 (14) Sep 04 (24) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (19) Aug 31 (20) Aug 30 (11) Aug 29 (24) Aug 28 (24) Aug 27 (16) Aug 26 (26) Aug 25 (21) Aug 24 (15) Aug 23 (19) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (25) Aug 20 (27) Aug 19 (19) Aug 18 (24) Aug 17 (14) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (15) Aug 14 (16) Aug 13 (21) Aug 12 (30) Aug 11 (19) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (12) Aug 08 (17) Aug 07 (21) Aug 06 (26) Aug 05 (23) Aug 04 (21) Aug 03 (12) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (19) Jul 31 (21) Jul 30 (25) Jul 29 (29) Jul 28 (23) Jul 27 (17) Jul 26 (11) Jul 25 (21) Jul 24 (14) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (19) Jul 21 (15) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (10) Jul 18 (15) Jul 17 (22) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (21) Jul 14 (20) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (29) Jul 10 (19) Jul 09 (17) Jul 08 (26) Jul 07 (21) Jul 06 (18) Jul 05 (14) Jul 04 (20) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (24) Jul 01 (23) Jun 30 (23) Jun 29 (18) Jun 28 (16) Jun 27 (16) Jun 26 (17) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (32) Jun 23 (29) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (17) Jun 20 (25) Jun 19 (28) Jun 18 (19) Jun 17 (25) Jun 16 (23) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (14) Jun 12 (22) Jun 11 (19) Jun 10 (17) Jun 09 (15) Jun 08 (16) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (29) Jun 05 (27) Jun 04 (24) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (22) Jun 01 (13) May 31 (9) May 30 (26) May 29 (19) May 28 (15) May 27 (15) May 26 (23) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (24) May 22 (13) May 21 (21) May 20 (18) May 19 (16) May 18 (7) May 17 (12) May 16 (25) May 15 (24) May 14 (23) May 13 (19) May 12 (17) May 11 (8) May 10 (6) May 09 (14) May 08 (21) May 07 (26) May 06 (14) May 05 (14) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (24) May 01 (13) Apr 30 (15) Apr 29 (24) Apr 28 (24) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (13) Apr 24 (27) Apr 23 (15) Apr 22 (21) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (17) Apr 19 (8) Apr 18 (20) Apr 17 (27) Apr 16 (27) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (8) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (22) Apr 09 (15) Apr 08 (15) Apr 07 (17) Apr 06 (14) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (19) Mar 31 (25) Mar 30 (13) Mar 29 (9) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (23) Mar 26 (22) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (25) Mar 23 (16) Mar 22 (13) Mar 21 (24) Mar 20 (27) Mar 19 (20) Mar 18 (24) Mar 17 (17) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (20) Mar 13 (28) Mar 12 (30) Mar 11 (20) Mar 10 (21) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (8) Mar 07 (17) Mar 06 (20) Mar 05 (19) Mar 04 (15) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (12) Feb 28 (16) Feb 27 (17) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (23) Feb 24 (15) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (24) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (24) Feb 18 (19) Feb 17 (27) Feb 16 (13) Feb 15 (11) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (13) Feb 12 (13) Feb 11 (21) Feb 10 (16) Feb 09 (15) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (17) Feb 06 (21) Feb 05 (17) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (23) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (8) Jan 31 (17) Jan 30 (22) Jan 29 (23) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (24) Jan 26 (12) Jan 25 (9) Jan 24 (12) Jan 23 (19) Jan 22 (19) Jan 21 (14) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (12) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (20) Jan 16 (14) Jan 15 (23) Jan 14 (8) Jan 13 (20) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (18) Jan 09 (11) Jan 08 (18) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (12) Jan 05 (12) Jan 04 (11) Jan 03 (10) Jan 02 (9) Jan 01 (9) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (13) Dec 26 (15) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (8) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (14) Dec 19 (17) Dec 18 (14) Dec 17 (14) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (9) Dec 14 (9) Dec 13 (11) Dec 12 (16) Dec 11 (18) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (24) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (19) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (26) Dec 04 (15) Dec 03 (20) Dec 02 (17) Dec 01 (11) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (18) Nov 28 (21) Nov 27 (10) Nov 26 (22) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (18) Nov 21 (9) Nov 20 (17) Nov 19 (16) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (21) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (20) Nov 12 (16) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (9) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (15) Nov 06 (18) Nov 05 (19) Nov 04 (16) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (17) Oct 31 (17) Oct 30 (21) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (16) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (16) Oct 24 (18) Oct 23 (14) Oct 22 (17) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (6) Oct 19 (8) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (12) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (19) Oct 14 (15) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (10) Oct 10 (23) Oct 09 (13) Oct 08 (15) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (13) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (16) Oct 03 (17) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (20) Sep 30 (17) Sep 29 (9) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (14) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (19) Sep 24 (13) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (21) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (20) Sep 16 (16) Sep 15 (10) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (18) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (24) Sep 10 (17) Sep 09 (16) Sep 08 (16) Sep 07 (10) Sep 06 (20) Sep 05 (13) Sep 04 (23) Sep 03 (14) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (11) Aug 31 (11) Aug 30 (13) Aug 29 (18) Aug 28 (14) Aug 27 (21) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (8) Aug 24 (10) Aug 23 (17) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (14) Aug 20 (20) Aug 19 (20) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (9) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (12) Aug 14 (14) Aug 13 (19) Aug 12 (14) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (12) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (18) Aug 07 (16) Aug 06 (16) Aug 05 (20) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (12) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (16) Jul 30 (16) Jul 29 (11) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (9) Jul 26 (17) Jul 25 (20) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (11) Jul 22 (18) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (14) Jul 18 (11) Jul 17 (15) Jul 16 (12) Jul 15 (10) Jul 14 (8) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (17) Jul 11 (18) Jul 10 (16) Jul 09 (13) Jul 08 (10) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (8) Jul 05 (16) Jul 04 (14) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (13) Jul 01 (16) Jun 30 (19) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (19) Jun 27 (21) Jun 26 (27) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (23) Jun 23 (12) Jun 22 (9) Jun 21 (18) Jun 20 (15) Jun 19 (24) Jun 18 (21) Jun 17 (13) Jun 16 (9) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (18) Jun 13 (24) Jun 12 (18) Jun 11 (23) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (24) Jun 08 (27) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (25) Jun 05 (30) Jun 04 (23) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (16) Jun 01 (17) May 31 (18) May 30 (19) May 29 (17) May 28 (23) May 27 (15) May 26 (10) May 25 (19) May 24 (16) May 23 (16) May 22 (27) May 21 (20) May 20 (26) May 19 (6) May 18 (8) May 17 (20) May 16 (8) May 15 (18) May 14 (5) May 13 (21) May 12 (9) May 11 (8) May 10 (12) May 09 (18) May 08 (11) May 07 (27) May 06 (12) May 05 (16) May 04 (19) May 03 (14) May 02 (18) May 01 (18) Apr 30 (25) Apr 29 (27) Apr 28 (11) Apr 27 (10) Apr 26 (18) Apr 25 (10) Apr 24 (29) Apr 23 (29) Apr 22 (14) Apr 21 (15) Apr 20 (20) Apr 19 (22) Apr 18 (16) Apr 17 (32) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (21) Apr 13 (15) Apr 12 (13) Apr 11 (14) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (20) Apr 08 (36) Apr 07 (22) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (28) Apr 04 (20) Apr 03 (29) Apr 02 (32) Apr 01 (18) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (15) Mar 28 (22) Mar 27 (24) Mar 26 (17) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (13) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (15) Mar 20 (18) Mar 19 (19) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (10) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (18) Mar 14 (24) Mar 13 (18) Mar 12 (18) Mar 11 (17) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (18) Mar 07 (25) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (16) Mar 04 (22) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (23) Feb 29 (19) Feb 28 (25) Feb 27 (26) Feb 26 (23) Feb 25 (12) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (15) Feb 22 (26) Feb 21 (31) Feb 20 (12) Feb 19 (21) Feb 18 (15) Feb 17 (10) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (19) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (20) Feb 11 (9) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (28) Feb 08 (20) Feb 07 (22) Feb 06 (20) Feb 05 (19) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (16) Feb 02 (28) Feb 01 (37) Jan 31 (27) Jan 30 (31) Jan 29 (18) Jan 28 (14) Jan 27 (10) Jan 26 (18) Jan 25 (26) Jan 24 (34) Jan 23 (21) Jan 22 (21) Jan 21 (18) Jan 20 (18) Jan 19 (18) Jan 18 (26) Jan 17 (24) Jan 16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1)
Stepping into the image above, the visitors may perhaps feel embraced by the East African expression of nature. In the abundance of the indigenous grasses and trees in varying shades of green, the massive ring floats sturdy upon the rising and falling landscape in the rendering. This monolithic, but subtle building designed by Boogertman + Partners Architects, a multi-locational architecture company, and also well-known with their recent projects in Kenya.

In October 2016, the Wangari Muta Mathai House was selected as the winner of last years World Architecture Festival in the Future buildings: Culture category. The project is set to be completed in four years time. It is located approximately 10 km from the Central Business District in Nairobi County.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Aerial View

The Wangari Muta Mathai House is envisaged as a living memorial - a forum for experiential learning for all Kenyans, Africans, and people of the globe. Unfolding the life of Wangari Mathai in an intimate facility, will enable visitors to understand her commitment to human rights, environmental conservation and promotion of the culture of peace.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Approach from Parking

Behind this inspiring scheme are a team of designers with Boogertman + Partners Architects. The architectural company, established in 1982, focus on human centered design excellence through responsible development and technological innovation.

They currently have offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Nairobi. A recent project of theirs in Kenya, called the Two Rivers Mall, is the largest lifestyle development on the continent outside of South Africa.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Site Plan

The Wangari Mathai Foundation are the clients of the project. Establishing the venue is a strategic priority for the organization, the house will exist as a Center for Reflection, Inspiration, and Action.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Courtyard Approach

The building commemorates the career of the late Professor Wangari Mathai, a champion of Kenyas Natural environment. The Environmental Warrior was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts, talent, for her history of motivating people at the grassroots level and for her visionary ambition to live harmoniously with nature.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Sketch 1

As people move within the grounds, peace and optimism pervade that moment in view of the impressive volume. It is otherworldly. This is what living in real harmony with nature must feel like.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Section A

Approaching the structural ring on foot, enveloped by the forest, the public would walk along the timber-decked route surrounded by indigenous trees, savannah plain-land grasses and sparse brush.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Sketch 2

Following the wooden floorboards, you then cross a body of water to enter beneath the structural ring, which floats overhead. The site then lifts naturally to support the underside of this ring and eventually envelopes the auditorium component, at the rear.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Section B

The open, encircled courtyard is the focus, as it maintains a connection with the trees. It contains the performance chamber, an informal raised berm and the Mausoleum, a quiet, subterranean space. The exhibition space, library, conference center and functional areas are accommodated in the structural ring.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Masterplan

Architecture, it can be said, is a profession about taking steps to enhance the human condition. This memorial is a deep focus on that idea displaying striking combinations of architecture and a sensitivity to nature highlighting their combined importance.

By contrast, the special way these themes relate stimulates guests to think of its meaning: The Wangari Muta Mathai House involves more than one work  how nature should inform our everyday living.

Wangari Muta Maathai House - Sketch 3

Video by Wangari Maathai Foundation

Project facts

Project name: Wangari Muta Mathai House

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Client: The Wangari Muta Mathai Foundation

Architect: Boogertman + Partners Architects

Project Directors: Bob van Bebber, Johann de Wet

Team: Judith Paterson, Dilushka Barlow

Site area: 8.2 Acres

Green Belt Movement Offices area: 2.2 Acres

Wangari Maathai Foundation area: 6 Acres

All images  Boogertman + Partners Architects

> via v2com
Ingo Petz at Eurozine:

Belarusian president Aliaksandr Lukashenka is not known for surprises that knock your socks off, so to speak. But Daddy (batka), as Belarusians refer to their autocratic president, has rarely been seen so emotional. On 3 February 2017 Lukashenka held a press conference that lasted a record seven-and-a-half hours. This one-man show touched on many topics, which Lukashenka expounded on with much hot air and pathos, without giving concrete answers to the questions posed to him. There was one subject, however, on which the president, who has ruled the republic of Belarus since 1994 with a decided tendency towards autocracy, was very specific: Russia.

Relations with this powerful neighbour and its president, Vladimir Putin, have always held great significance for Lukashenkas autocracy. But now they are worsening at a worrying pace. Lukashenka gave a monologue that topped 30 minutes, complaining about the overinflated gas and oil prices that Russia is demanding from him. He accused Russia of violating international agreements: on 1 February 2017, the neighbouring state had put up undeclared border checkpoints on the Belarusian-Russian border in the areas around Smolensk, Pskov and Briansk. Up to that point, no border controls had existed.

more here.
Benabdullah and Villalon in Africa is a country:

In a recent interview on a private Algerian TV news station, French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron called Frances colonial history an act of barbarism and a crime against humanity; if elected head of state, he would issue an official apology to all victims of colonialism. With this condemnation and promise, coming already more than half a century after the independence movements that marked the end of the old colonial project, Macron, the leader and founder of the progressive En Marche! party and current front-runner in what has proven a turbulent race, has rekindled a divisive debate in France ahead of the first round of voting on April 23.

 Of course, this is not to discount the symbolism of an apology. To be sure, France is not the only country to glaze over its brutal colonial past; if Macron were to be elected and issue an official apology to Frances former colonies, it could set a precedent for other European states and pave the way for reparations. Such an apology might also serve to humble those who are quick to promote the French self-image of liberte, egalite, fraternite, doubtless a noble credo, but one that is often mobilized along the fault lines of the old colonial imagination to distinguish a just France from its corrupt and unstable former colonies. However, in an already divisive political climate exacerbated by Islamophobia, in light of the recent attacks in France, such an apology could also lead to further entrenchment into progressive and nationalist camps. Nevertheless, for French citizens of Algerian or other African descent, an admission of the destructive nature of colonialism would amount to an initial recognition by the French state of the phenomenon that underpins the structural racism they encounter in their daily lives. However, Macrons comments also invite former French colonies to consider their own national memories. In Algeria especially, there is a certain paradox in the fact that national identity has been so strongly constructed in opposition to the colonial power that delineated it as a coherent territory. In some sense, Algeria, the country of a million martyrs, has depended on the image of a colonial France in order to create a unified national memory across its vast geographic and cultural expanse; this is especially true of the FLN, whose legitimacy is bound up in the struggle for independence against the French. Of course, an apology would be welcomed by the Algerian government, but an unresolved debate with France on the effects of French colonialism has been able to serve as an end in itself.

More here.
Let's catch up ...





Can Arianna Huffington Save Uber?, NPR

Uber is in crisis. This week the president resigned, after just six months on the job. Morale has been shaken following a damning account of sexual harassment. The board of directors is so concerned about the CEO's ability to lead, they're looking for a No. 2 to help steer the company.

And now  in a curious plot twist  media mogul Arianna Huffington is emerging as chief of Uber's campaign for "culture change."

The company decided to hold a conference call on Tuesday with reporters.

Huffington, who joined the board of Uber almost a year ago, led the call and explained at the outset that the purpose was "not to create yet more headlines." Read more.





Marijuana Industry Presses Ahead in California's Wine Country, New York Times

In the heart of Northern California's wine country, a civil engineer turned marijuana entrepreneur is adding a new dimension to the art of matching fine wines with gourmet food: cannabis and wine pairing dinners.

Sam Edwards, co-founder of the Sonoma Cannabis Company, charges diners $100 to $150 for a meal that experiments with everything from marijuana-leaf pesto sauce to sniffs of cannabis flowers paired with sips of a crisp Russian River chardonnay.

"It accentuates the intensity of your palate," Mr. Edwards, 30, said of the dinners, one of which was held recently at a winery with sweeping views of the Sonoma vineyards. "We are seeing what works and what flavors are coming out." Read more.





Going From Marginalized to Welcomed in the Workplace, New York Times

Employment laws protecting transgender people are in place in 19 states and the District of Columbia, along with 200 cities and counties. And the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission interprets Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as prohibiting discrimination on the basis of transgender identity. Federal civilian employees have additional protections. Yet 30 percent of transgender workers nationwide have been fired or denied a promotion, according to the 2015 United States Transgender Survey. Transgender Americans are three times more likely to be unemployed and twice as likely to live in poverty as the general population, according to the survey, which was conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Ms. Mendelsohn, now 64, saw a potential fix for these problems. She knew that she and others in the restaurant industry were struggling to find reliable workers and that they were overlooking the transgender demographic.

In California, 218,400 adults identify as transgender, and nationwide the figure is 1.4 million, according to a study by the Williams Institute at the U.C.L.A. School of Law. "We can't afford not to look to this new pool of employment that can really help us," Ms. Mendelsohn said. Read more.





Inside MAC's Hayes Valley boutique (via Yelp)

San Francisco-Based Clothier Sues Ivanka Trump's Brand, Citing Unfair Competition, Hoodline



As the Washington Postreported Tuesday, San Francisco-based clothing retailer Modern Appealing Clothing (MAC) has filed a class-action lawsuit against Ivanka Trump's apparel business, citing unfair competition.

The family-owned boutique, which has two stores in Hayes Valley and Dogpatch, has been in business in San Francisco for nearly 40 years. It's seeking a court order forbidding Ivanka Trump's brand from "continuing to compete unfairly with [MAC] in the women's clothing and accessories business in California." Read more.
The public is invited because thats how my mother would want it, Fisher told People magazine. She was very connected to her fans and felt they were a part of her, so were opening it to the public.

The service will feature a tribute song written by musician James Blunt as well as performances by the Gay Mens Chorus of Los Angeles and dancers from the Debbie Reynolds Studio and dance school.

Fisher, who achieved fame in the 1970s as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars and developed a second career as a writer and script doctor, died on Dec. 27 after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. She was 60, and had suffered  very publicly  for most of her life with bipolar disorder.

Her mother, equally famous from a long career in such movie classics as Singing in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, died of a stroke a day later at the age of 84. The two had shared a tumultuous but close relationship.

Todd Fisher, who was with his mother when she died, said they had just been talking moments earlier about Carrie. His mother had said, I want to be with Carrie, and a few moments later was gone, he said.

It looked like she asked permission to leave, told me she was going to leave, told me she loves me, closed her eyes and went to sleep, he said in an interview with USA Today.

Thats kind of a magical, beautiful thing. As much as its also hard, its what she wanted.
If you've ever wanted to learn how to make a traditional bow, this summer there's a prime opportunity.

The Traditional Bowhunters of Montana will host the Montana Selfbow Jamboree June 30 through July 2 near Three Forks. The event will take place at 2700 Logan-Trident Road, where primitive camping will be allowed.

During the event, staves of osage from Oklahoma and yew and vinemaple from the Pacific Northwest will be available for purchase. Costs may range from around $50 to $90 per stave. During the event bowyers will help participants make a bow from the stave.

The event requires a $25 membership in the Traditional Bowhunters of Montana. A food vendor will be onsite. To give the organizers a head count contact Tim Roberts at 406-220-2051 or Mark Baker at 406-222-6052.
One number for each South Dakota football state championship matchup

To prepare you for all seven matchups, here are some quick numbers to file away as you read up on all of these teams.
At a hearing on potential endangered species status a year ago, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen was one of the few people in the packed courtroom whod actually seen a wolverine.
This report studies Cloud Computing in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. As far as the geography is concerned, North America is currently leading the market size and is simultaneously accounting for the largest share in the market.

A kind of internet-based computing that offers shared computer processing resources as well as data to computers or many other devices on demand is called cloud computing. It is basically a model that permits on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be quickly provisioned and released with least effort for management. With the support of it, a wide range of capabilities can be offered to the organizations for them to store and process their data either in privately and restrictedly owned centers or third-party data centers.

It might happen that these centers could be located far from the user starting from across a city to across the world. It is said that the whole process of cloud computing mainly depends on sharing of resources to attain coherence and economy of scale, akin to a utility over an electricity network. The cloud computing simplifies the work of the companies and allow them to get rid of the up-front infrastructure costs.

Read Complete Report With TOC:

http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-cloud-computing-server-2021

Moreover, the amount of maintenance that is required is quite low. With the help of it, various organizations can lay more attention and emphasis over their core businesses rather than expending their valuable time as well as money on computer infrastructure. It facilitates Information technology (IT) teams to modify and regulate the resources in order to satisfy and comply with the irregular and unpredictable business demands.

The cloud makes the job of the users much easy as now they can tap into applications, virtual environments, or the fundamental computing tools with fewer efforts to put in that can be supplied from technical and software infrastructures. In addition, the prominent factor that is raising the market size includes rising security concerns among the masses; which is eventually leading to the augmentation in the demand of the cloud computing servers.

Request A Sample Copy Of This Report at:

http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-cloud-computing-server-2021/request-sample

Market size on the basis of geography spans North America, China, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. As far as the geography is concerned, North America is currently leading the market size and is simultaneously accounting for the largest share in the market. It is noted that mainly Canada, Japan and London are the top leading markets and they are contributing to a great extent in raising the market size globally.

Other than that, United States has also come up as one of the promising nations in the market size and it is estimated that it will rise with a robust rate in the near future, the reason being its innovative and competitive nature, high levels of proficiency and talent, wide recognition and first-mover benefits. All these factors are giving a significant base to the companies of United States for them to expand and intensify their operations globally. Conversely, few of the less advanced IT societies are witnessing augmentation in the demand of cloud-based services, and therefore they are turning out to be important markets for United State exporters. Prominent players operating in the global cloud computing server market size include Dell, Microsoft, and Cisco.

Explore Other Reports By Radiant Insights,Inc at:

Europe Three Anti Mobile Phone Industry-

http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/europe-three-anti-mobile-phone-industry-2017

United States Strain Sensor Industry-

http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/united-states-strain-sensor-industry-2017

United States Consumer Smart Wearables Industry-

http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/united-states-consumer-smart-wearables-industry-2017

About Radiant Insights,Inc

Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions.

Media Contact

Company Name: Radiant Insights, Inc.

Contact Person: Michelle Thoras, Corporate Sales Specialist  USA

Email: sales@radiantinsights.com

Phone: (415) 349-0054, Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Address:28 2nd Street, Suite 3036

City: San Francisco

State: California

Country: United States

Website: http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-cloud-computing-server-2021
Science on a Sphere arrives at KAFB, first in DOD

In a completely black room at the 335th Training Squadrons Weather Training Complex, a 48-inch carbon fiber globe hangs, suspended from the ceiling with projectors pointing at it from each corner, awaiting its Defense Department debut March 23, 2017.



Science on a Sphere is the DODs newest weather training aid, using computers with high-end graphic cards and video projectors to display data onto the globe. Wing leadership is excited for the opportunity to provide the latest technology and innovative solutions to improve training for our students and instructors.



The system was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as an educational tool to help illustrate earth weather science through animations of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperatures, said Capt. Caleb Tynes, a 335th TRS weather training instructor supervisor.



While the globe itself does not move, the animations projected onto the globe give the illusion that the globe rotates just like the earth does. The system uses animations from more than 500 pre-constructed data packages to enhance the training environment. The animations range from satellite imagery to radar to hurricane tracking patterns.



Although the system will not display in real-time, data can be saved to a disk and projected at any time.



Instructors for Weather Initial Skills and Weather Officer Courses will use the system as a tool to help students gain an enhanced understanding of fundamental atmospheric and oceanographic processes.



Maj. Sonia Walker, the Weather Training flight commander, hopes that bringing in an advanced visual tool will help students have a better understanding of how weather patterns work and how different products compare to one another.



I think the students are really going to enjoy it, Walker said. I think its going to be something cool that they will see and think, Oh, that totally makes sense now, I understand what youre talking about, instead of just seeing it on paper or a screen. Theyll see it in 3-D.



She hopes students will remember the visuals and gain a more in-depth understanding of how weather patterns work and how atmospheric conditions affect things like thunderstorms, allowing them to forecast in the operational environment with added confidence.



Procurement and installation of the system has been a combined effort between the 335th TRS, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, 81st Training Support Squadron, 81st Communications Squadron, 85th Engineering Installation Squadron and the contractors, BWC Visual Technology.



Keesler Air Force Base is an ideal home for the $105,000 Science on a Sphere system since all DOD weather students receive their training here.



We are proud and excited to be the first home for this innovative new tool for our weather students, said Col. Michele Edmondson, the 81st Training Wing commander. This will provide the students a visual tool unlike any other in military weather training and we are excited to unveil it.
Key Resolve reaffirms strategic US, South Korea alliance

South Korea and U.S. military forces participated in an annual command and control exercise called Key Resolve (KR17) held across the Korean Peninsula March 8 to 23, 2017.



From its start, the exercise highlights the longstanding and enduring partnership and friendship between the two nations and their combined commitment to the defense of South Korea and regional stability.



Approximately 12,800 U.S. forces along with 10,000 South Korean military personnel joined dozens of augmentation forces and multinational representatives from the United Nations Command including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France and Great Britain.



Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson, the Air Component Command, South Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command and 7th Air Force commander, explained the significance of exercises like Key Resolve and the combined U.S. and U.N. commitment to South Korea.



Our mission is first and foremost to deter any aggression from North Korea, he said. If that deterrence fails then we are in a position to defend the Republic of Korea. And if we defend, we are going to defeat the enemy and win.



The general went on to explain how vitally important this region of the world is to all nations.



Over 20 percent of the worlds economic output comes from Northeast Asia, he continued. This is a very vital portion of the world and so its extremely important not just to the United States but to the rest of the world as well.



KR17 is conducted in accordance with the South Korean-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, signed Oct. 1, 1953. The exercise strengthens the two nations regional security cooperation essential for addressing the growing threat from North Korea. A strong defense relationship among the U.S., CFC and South Korea serves as the anchor of stability in the region.



Allies are critical to the United States, Bergeson said. Our friends and our allies, we share common values: democracy, respect for human rights and laws, and so we want to work together to try to retain peace and security throughout this region.



The defense treaty further emboldens Koreans and Americans alike in their collective desire to strengthen the fabric of peace in the Pacific area.



Exercises like KR17 afford both U.S. and South Korean service members an opportunity to work side-by-side in the same way they would operate if actually going to war. Senior Airman Ivan Cooper, with the 15th Operations Support Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, explains how this experience not only makes him a better Airman, but a more effective weather forecaster.



Key Resolve has really opened my eyes to new ways of handling difficult situations, he said. It helps improve our communication skills not only internally with other Americans, but especially with the Koreans as well.



Coopers weather forecast counterpart in the South Korean air force, 1st Lt. Jaewon Yoo with the Osan Weather Squadron, echoed his partners sentiment saying the opportunity to work side-by-side with U.S. forecasters has been an extremely enriching experience.



This is very important because the way we forecast is different from the way the Americans forecast, Yoo explained. Key Resolve has brought us closer together and helped us understand how we can work as a unified team to deter the enemy and make a difference.



That feeling reaches up and down the ranks, from airman basic through the general officers, and only emboldens U.S. and South Korean forces in their deterrence mission as the common ground.



Were not going to fight wars alone, said Capt. Abi Oilar, an air battle manager with the 612th Air Operations Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Back at home station, Im used to operating at the tactical level, whereas here, Ive had to do more critical thinking and approach the scenarios from a different perspective. Working alongside the (South Korean air force) has opened my eyes to new ways of approaching the situations that Ill be able to take back with me and share with others in my home command.



But it takes more than air power to win a war and according to Bergeson, the Korean Air Power Team is made up of the U.S. Air Force, the South Korean air force as well as the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and U.S. Army and liaisons from the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy that all bring together their air components into what the general calls the Korean Air Power Team.



The Air Component is responsible for any of the operations in air, space and cyberspace, the general said. The other components are responsible for operations in their domains, whether on land or in the sea, or with the Marines who are doing amphibious operations. So we coordinate with them every day by having liaison officers who work in all different command centers.



One such liaison officer, U.S. Army Maj. Tony Wrice, with the 3rd Battlefield Coordination Detachment at Osan AB, said its amazing what we can do when we come together as one unified team.



This exercise has been a really great experience working together with our Air Force, the (South Korean air force) and (South Korean) army, and all the UNCs, Wrice said. Im responsible for ensuring our artillery and other ground forces dont conflict with the needs and operations of the air component. Every day Im working with (South Korean air force) and (South Korean) army counterparts to make sure we can communicate each components needs, de-conflict any issues and meet objectives.



Although Army personnel are greatly outnumbered in this exercise, their necessity to mission success remains as evident today as during the Korean War nearly 70 years ago.



To be able to bring all our resources together and really focus on winning the fight is incredible, Wrice continued. Key Resolve makes it all happen.



The exercise is about more than sharpening South Koreas defense, its about assembling a team by building on old friendships with a renewed focus on freedom and prosperity across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.



The team has done extraordinarily well, the general said. This is a difficult exercise, we want it to be difficult, and so we are learning lessons as we go along. Some things were not doing perfectly but thats why you do it; thats why you practice. You practice to make it very difficult so that if you were ever to have to do this for real, youre prepared for it.



Similarly, South Korean air force Lt. Gen. Won In Choul, the Air Component Command deputy commander, said he couldnt be prouder of the brave men and women who daily put their lives on the line in defense of South Korea.



Forged in the blood spilled by the Korean War, six decades of ROK-U.S. alliance has developed and fortified each nations military, economy and diplomacy, he said. (Our combined) planning and preparation allowed this to be the most realistic exercise in history. Im grateful for the dedication and passion of not only ROK and U.S. Airmen but also Soldiers, Sailors and Marines.



I wish safe travels for the augmentees who participated in the exercise from outside the Korean theater of operations, Choul added. Thank you.


AF leaders: Total force essential to readiness

Air Force senior leaders testified on the current state of the total force readiness before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., March 22, 2017.



Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, the director of Air National Guard, Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller, the chief of Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command and Maj. Gen. Scott West, the director of Air Force Current Operations and deputy chief of staff for Operations, shared Air Force needs before the readiness subcommittee.



Readiness is my first priority, Rice said.



Readiness is measured in two ways: for what and with what, West said. For what is the commanders assessment of whether their unit is ready to support their mission. With what measures personnel, training, skill level, equipment and resources.



I think the combination of the two of them is important, West said. Those two together inform how we measure readiness. Accessing and retaining more Airmen is the first step towards improvement.



Readiness levels are lowered by the shortage of experienced maintainers to generate sorties and enable full spectrum training with aging fleets. Modernization and recapitalization of aircraft and equipment are also essential, all three Air Force leaders said.



The average age of Air Force aircraft is 27 years  older than many of the pilots flying them.



Its more difficult to make (our aircraft) available for training, which affects our readiness, West said. Its important that the Air Force be able to generate the sorties when we want to, to be able to have the effect we want to have on the day and the time of our choosing.



The panel also agreed on the need for more maintainers, and to fix the pilot shortage.



If theres one thing I could do, it would be put more maintainers on the flight lines, Rice said.



Based on the services current assessments, more manpower is also needed in maintenance, intelligence specifically intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance  cyber, pilots and special operations.



To begin to improve readiness now, and attain manning levels that match requirements, the Air Force must increase its active duty, Guard and Reserve end strength, to include growing active duty end strength to 350,000, West said.



While all three expressed the need for more Airmen, they also expressed the need to reduce infrastructure.



Far too much money is spent on excess infrastructure than needed given todays reduced manpower footprint and current warfighting mission requirements. Excess and outdated facilities need to be reduced, according to Air Force leadership.



Since 2005, the Air Force retired eight minor installations, approximately 500 aircraft and reduced its total active duty military manpower approximately 8 percent without reducing its installation infrastructure at the same time. Given the current end-strength goal of 350,000, the estimate of excess Air Force infrastructure capacity would be approximately 24 percent, which is why the Air Force must also reduce outdated and unnecessary facilities.



We are recommending that another round of Base Realignment and Closure be initiated by Congress, West said.



The commanders also testified that total force contributions are essential to enabling future joint force success.



The Air Force Reserve leverages the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation to increase capability and ensure interoperability in the joint fight, Miller said. We are the smallest Air Force that weve ever been, and it takes each one of our components at this table to get the mission done.
Gray wolves continued their steady increase in population and range in Washington last year despite the deaths of at least 14 animals, according to a 25-page annual report on the endangered species' recovery.

The state's minimum estimated wolf population increased by about 28 percent from 2015 estimates to at least 115 wolves in 20 known packs, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said in the report released Friday.

"Wolf counts are expressed as 'minimum estimates,' because of the difficulty of accounting for every animal, especially lone wolves without a pack," the agency said.

The packs going into this year included at least 10 successful breeding pairs, up from five documented in 2015.

The first breeding pack in more than 70 years was confirmed in Washington in 2008 and wolf numbers have increased roughly 30 percent every year since then, officials say.

At least 35 pups survived to the beginning of 2017, the report says. Wolf denning is underway to produce another crop of pups for this year.

Most of the wolves  15 of the known 20 packs  are in the northeastern quarter of the state where ranchers, county commissioners and hunters are eager to reach wolf recovery quotas so the predators can be managed more effectively.

Hunting and trapping for wolves is allowed in Idaho and Montana, where wolves have been removed from endangered species protections.

"My comment on wolf recovery is that it has 'recovered' to a level that has never existed here in recorded history," Stevens County Commissioner Don Dashiell said.

The three northeastern counties have taken the brunt of wolf recovery impacts, while the predators have been slow to recolonize the western portion of the state.

Pack sizes in 2016 ranged from two to 13 and averaged five wolves. Two new packs were documented  Sherman in the northeast area of the state and Touchet in the southeast.

The minimum numbers are derived from monitoring that involved trapping and aerial captures to attach GPS collars on at least one wolf in each of 13 packs. Remote cameras also were used for the monitoring by state, federal and tribal wildlife agencies.

"We're glad the population continues to expand, and that participation in conflict avoidance is going up as well," said Mitch Friedman of Conservation Northwest, a nonprofit group that promotes deterrent programs to reduce conflicts between wolves and livestock.

"Hopefully, this will be the year that at least one pack is confirmed in the South Cascades."

Wolves will remain protected until state and federal endangered species protocols are met naturally. No wolf introductions or relocations are permitted in Washington, according to the state's 2011 Wolf Conservation and Management Plan.

Nine cattle were confirmed killed by wolves in 2016, state Fish and Wildlife investigators said. Six were classified as probable wolf kills. Another six cattle were confirmed to have been injured by wolves, and one injury to a dog was classified as probable.

Other livestock could have been lost to unconfirmed wolf predation, the report says, noting that four of the state's 20 known packs were involved in at least one confirmed fatal livestock attack last year.

Seven of the 12 wolves in the Profanity Peak Pack were removed by agency staff shooting from helicopters last year after the pack was involved with at least 15 dead or injured cattle. The state reported spending $135,000 over three months on that mission alone.

The report also outlines an array of nonlethal strategies the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department employed last year to reduce conflicts between wolves and domestic animals, including cost-sharing agreements with 55 ranchers who took proactive steps to protect their livestock.

The agency's total cost for research, monitoring and managing wolves last year was about $2.9 million, said Donny Martorello, the department's wolf manager.

"We know that some level of conflict is inevitable between wolves and livestock sharing the landscape," he said. "For that reason, we are encouraged by the growing number of livestock producers using proactive, nonlethal measures to protect their herds and flocks over the past two years."

The state paid a total of $12,330 to compensate four claims by producers for livestock losses directly caused by wolves. Another $65,648 was paid, as recommended by the Livestock Review Board, for two claims of possible losses to wolves.

GPS monitoring allowed state and federal biologists to document the far-flung travels of at least three wolves that left their packs last year. A Huckleberry Pack wolf left the group and traveled into Canada and nearly 400 miles east into central Montana before it was killed near a sheep operation.

Wolves are still protected throughout Washington by state laws. The exception is on the Colville and Spokane Indian reservations, where wildlife is managed by the tribes and limited wolf hunting is permitted for tribal members.

One wolf was killed by hunters on the Colville Reservation and two wolves on the Spokane Indian Reservation last year.

Since the federal Endangered Species Act protects the gray wolf in the western two-thirds of the state, Washington's annual wolf population status report is required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

Full delisting of wolves under state law is set to begin when at least four successful breeding pairs are documented in each of three recovery areas, including Western Washington, plus an additional three breeding pairs anywhere in the state for three consecutive years.

Another threshold that would trigger delisting would be four successful breeding pairs in each recovery area plus an additional six breeding pairs anywhere in the state for a single year.
Resident doctors will resume their duties on Saturday after a warning was issued by the Bombay High Court.

The five day strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has claimed the lives of 135 patients in three BMC hospitals due to unavailability of medical services. The state wide death toll of patients has reached 377. More than four thousand doctors had gone on strike in the state. Patients had to face huge hardships due to doctors strike as many of them lost their lives. Forty eight patients have died in Sion hospital, 53 in King Edward Memorial Hospital and 34 patients have died in BYL Nair Hospital. The IMA had withdrawn strike after Bombay High Courts order that if doctors dont resume their work by Saturday then action can be taken on them by the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The high court also observed that the doctors were issuing misleading statements. Despite the state government assuring doctors that their security will be enhanced they were unwilling to join work. Even Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan had appealed to doctors to end their strike. Fadnavis also warned of taking strict action against doctors if they failed to call off the strike.

Devendra Fadnavis said, Enough was enough and that continuing the strike despite assurances was totally insensitive. Patients are suffering and people are getting annoyed. Attacks on doctors are wrong, but if despite the written assurances from the government they continue the strike they are being insensitive, he said.

They have taken in writing from us that we are accepting their ten demands which include providing 1,100 security guards. These guards will be hired from private agencies run by former police officials at a salary of Rs 20,000 each. The government has sanctioned Rs 33 crore for the purpose, Girish Mahajan said.

According to Fadnavis, security has been enhanced in 16 hospitals since Thursday and government is further planning to beef up security in the coming 10 days.

Later the Indian Medical Association called of its strike. The association had extended support to striking doctors. They will resume their duties on Saturday after a warning was issued by the Bombay High Court. MARD disassociated itself from the strike, and informed the High Court that they dont have any objection if action is taken against the striking doctors.

Around 4500 protesting doctors from the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) had appealed to the state government beef up security of doctors. On Thursday the High Court ordered striking doctors on strike to resume their duties and provide some time to the government to enhance security.

The High Court also asked the state government to provide security at all government hospitals so that the doctors could perform their duties without fear. It ordered that no punitive action should be taken against the protesting doctors once they rejoin their duties.
China is not militarising the South China Sea, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday, although he acknowledged that defence equipment on islands in the disputed waterway had been placed there to maintain freedom of navigation.

China has drawn international criticism for large-scale building in the South China Sea, although Li told reporters in Australia the development was for civilian purposes only.

Chinas facilities, Chinese islands and reefs, are primarily for civilian purposes and, even if there is a certain amount of defence equipment or facilities, it is for maintaining the freedom of navigation, Li said.

China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the strategic waterway.

The United States estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment.

The United States has conducted a series of freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, raising tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Russia on Friday denied allegations by the commander of NATO that Moscow may be assisting the Taliban as the insurgents fight US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

These claims are absolutely false, Zamir Kabulov, head of the Russian foreign ministrys department responsible for Afghanistan and the Kremlins special envoy in the country, told RIA Novosti state news agency.

These fabrications are designed, as we have repeatedly underlined, to justify the failure of the US military and politicians in the Afghan campaign. There is no other explanation.

NATOs Supreme Allied Commander, US General Curtis Scaparrotti, who also heads the US militarys European Command, told lawmakers in Washington on Thursday that he had witnessed Russias influence grow in many regions, including in Afghanistan.

In a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Scaparrotti said Moscow was perhaps supplying the Taliban.

In February General John Nicholson, the US commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, testified that Russia is encouraging the Taliban and providing them with diplomatic cover in a bid to undermine US influence and defeat NATO.

Kabulov in 2015 said that Russia was exchanging information with the Taliban and saw shared interest with them when it comes to fighting the ISIS.

Russia considers the Taliban a terrorist group and it is banned in the country, along with the ISIS.

Taliban fighters on Thursday captured Afghanistans strategic district of Sangin, where US and British forces suffered heavy casualties until it was handed over to Afghan personnel.
Telecom regulator TRAI has rejected Telecom Commissions contention that free promotional offers allowed by it are responsible for the industrys falling financial health and lower licence fee payments to the government.

TRAI is drafting a response to Telecom Commissions letter dated February 23 on the lines that tariff and tariff orders, solely under the regulators purview, need to be seen in the broader context of consumer interest.

The telecom regulator is likely to send next week its response to the Telecom Commission, the highest policy making body of the sector.

As per TRAI Act, tariffs are under the purview of TRAI. If anyone has an objection to tariff orders, they are free to approach the telecom tribunal TDSAT, a TRAI official said.

TRAI is also expected to take the line that governments objective cannot be revenue maximisation. Higher tariffs can lead to greater accruals for the government from licence fee, but there is social obligation. So, revenue reduction should not been seen with a myopic view, but in the context of larger policy objectives and long-term interest of consumers, the source, who is familiar with the development, said.

Stressing that competition in the telecom sector had resulted in better tariffs and services for consumers, the source said, competition may be disruptive, but it also leads to cheaper tariffs for consumers.

Defending its stance on allowing Reliance Jio to extend the promotional offers, the source said, TRAI had sought Attorney Generals opinion on the matter, and the latter has also opined that TRAI was correct in not blocking the offers.

See how data usage has grown, how user base itself has increased. That also augurs well for the Digital India and the drive towards cashless economy. Further, some of our recommendations, which we believe will grow the sector, are still pending with the government, the source pointed out.

Last month, inter-ministerial body Telecom Commission in a letter to TRAI had warned of a loan default by operators and asked the regulator to revisit its tariff orders and free promotional offers of firms like Reliance Jio.

The then Telecom Secretary J S Deepak, who headed the Telecom Commission, had written to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman R S Sharma about the serious impact of promotional offers on the financial health of the sector and the capability of the companies to meet their contractual commitments, including payment of instalments for spectrum purchased, and repayment of loans.

Days after writing the letter, which found its way into the media, Deepak left for Barcelona to attend the Mobile World Congress (MWC). And while he was in Barcelona, the government issued an order appointing him Indias permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation with effect from June 1, 2017 but asked him to immediately move as OSD in the Commerce Ministry.

In the letter, Deepak had reflected TCs concerns over downward trend in government revenue because of a tariff war in the industry triggered by free promotional offers.
In the first story, D.C. attorney Leah Durant defends vaccines (theres no link to autism) but also warns that vaccines are not without risk. She handles injury lawsuits in the NVICP. She makes it sound like this program is a success.

Instead of seeking compensation from drugmakers, vaccine-injured patients can file a claim with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The program has awarded 5,269 victims more than $3.5 billion to date out of 17, 935 petitions filed.

Established in 1986, the vaccine program is one of the rare federal initiatives that promotes economic growth and protects consumers. It does so by granting vaccine makers and doctors immunity from lawsuits. That immunity gives drug companies full confidence to fund continued research and development of new vaccines, and gives doctors and nurses full confidence to administer them.

The appointment has provoked howls of outrage from public health officials, who correctly point out that medical experts have repeatedly debunked any link between vaccines and autism. Unfortunately, in their zeal to defend the benefits of vaccines, these advocates have pushed a narrative that vaccines are without risk. ...

President Trump recently selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic who believes that shots may cause autism, to chair a panel on the safety of vaccines.

Unlike traditional tort litigation, this program is not a burden on taxpayers  the program is fully funded by a small surcharge on every vaccine.

Everyone wins from this arrangement.

...Every year, thousands of Americans receive vaccinations and then suffer a host of well-recognized reactions, ranging from chronic pain to paralysis. They often face staggering medical bills and lose the ability to work.

From her website, it looks like Durant does a lot with damage from the flu shot, and she glosses over the fact no one has any liability for vaccines gone wrong. She champions the benefits of vaccines.

I would like to ask this lawyer, who makes her living off from vaccine injury, how she can cite the howls of outrage over the appointment of Kennedy to head a vaccine safety commission and deny a link between vaccines and autism. Doesn't she know about Unanswered Questions/Hannah Poling? How many parents with an autistic child has she turned away because autism isnt on the vaccine injury table?

According to Durant, vaccines are good for us, except when they injure us, its a great system where the vaccine industry has no liability for vaccine damage, and victims are nicely compensated.

The piece is nothing but a lawyers vaccine injury ad. Clients welcome, except if you have a child with autism as result of being vaccinated.

March 22, 2017, Opinion: Trumps dangerous support for vaccine skeptic

By Judith Grether and Wendy Bloom

Vaccination is by far the most successful public-health program ever conducted in the United States. This program may be endangered, however, by President Trump and some members of Congress under the influence of critics who push pseudo-scientific skepticism about the effectiveness and safety of vaccination. The new president has met with vaccine doubter Robert Kennedy, Jr. about establishing a panel to investigate the already scientifically disproved claims that vaccines cause neurological disorders, including autism.

This kind of doubt is dangerous. The false fears stoked by the vaccination critics influence many families to reject vaccination. That refusal to vaccinate accounts for a rising incidence of diseases that strike children disproportionately and that may be severely injuring or even fatal. 

Vaccines are safe. Robert Kennedy is wrong. We don't need a vaccine safety panel. Andrew Wakefield is a fraud. And autism has nothing to do with being vaccinated.

Wouldn't if be nice if Grether and Bloom had a fraction of the concern they have for measles and whooping cough, for the mystery of autism?

My final point: Why does the San Francisco Chronicle have two stories on the same day, both talking about Robert Kennedy Jr.s position on vaccines (one with a photo of Kennedy), yet no one at the Chronicle is willing to interview Kennedy about his views?



Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.
A Billings woman who admitted defrauding a bank and investors with false claims, including that her daughter had died of leukemia, was back in federal court Thursday on charges that she violated release conditions.

Angela Corson Smith, 36, waived a preliminary hearing during an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan. Her case will go before U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.

If Smith is found to have violated conditions of her supervised release, the judge could order her back to prison.

Watters sentenced Smith in May 2014 to 27 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The judge also ordered $151,000 restitution to seven victims. Smith began her supervised release in July 2016.

At the sentencing, Watters called Smiths conduct mind-boggling and described her pattern of deceit staggering in its scope. Smith pleaded guilty to bank fraud and wire fraud.

Prosecutors said Smith defrauded businesses and individuals of large sums of money by manipulating them with lies about her health, the state of her marriage and her daughter.

Smith also forged her husbands signature to get a home equity loan from Billings-based Altana Federal Credit Union in 2009. When contacted by credit union employees in 2012 about loan payments, Smith convinced them her daughter had died of leukemia a day earlier. Her daughter was never ill with the disease, prosecutors said.

A petition filed by federal probation officers on March 20 outlines 13 alleged violations of her supervised release. Smith was arrested on Wednesday.

The violations accuse Smith of failing to make monthly restitution payments, failing to comply with employment conditions, not getting prior approval before opening lines of credit, violating computer use and internet access restrictions and associating with convicted felons without prior approval.

One of the violations alleges that Smith used the internet to open a GoFundMe account seeking $5,000 by falsely portraying her newborn child had severe medical issues and upcoming surgeries, the petition said.

An investigation also found that Smith had unauthorized internet use and had set up four baby registries with her name and the names of two other men.

One of the men was a parolee who had been in a relationship with Smith and was concerned that he was the father of Smiths newborn son, the petition said. The parolee and Smith had talked about him moving to Billings, but DNA tests confirmed that he was not the babys father, the petition said.

In another alleged violation, Smith was hired as a bookkeeper at Jakers Bar and Grill in Great Falls when she was a resident at a pre-release center. She is accused of taking an unauthorized $250 from the company safe on her last day of work, the petition said.

Smiths court-appointed attorney, Marvin McCann, asked for a detention hearing saying Smith has a four-month old baby to care for along with a 17-year-old and that she was not a flight risk.

Cavan set a detention hearing for March 28 and advised McCann that along with addressing the flight risk, the defense also has the burden to show that Smith is not a danger to community. Danger, Cavan said, includes property offenses.
HELENA  A bill to remove the requirement of force from the definition of a nonconsensual sexual act was heard in committee on Friday with support from Attorney General Tim Fox.

The legislation is part of a package of bills looking at all aspects of sexual assault to help victims move cases forward. Senate Bill 29, carried by Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, would change the definition of consent in an effort to help victims prosecute cases if they do not consent to a sexual act but do not physically fight off or resist a perpetrator. Sands said she thinks the bill could encourage more victims to come forward without physical evidence, such as bruises or marks from being physically restrained.

Sands said it seems like common sense that a victim would physically resist or try to escape a perpetrator.

What we know from 40 years of research is thats not what happens. In the majority of cases, the victim freezes, she said. Its how animals react.

Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, often by an acquaintance, a friend or a family member. When a victim is assaulted by someone they trusted, it becomes even more difficult to physically resist, Sands said.

The victim cant really believe this is happening in many cases, she said. There are cases that have gone all the way to the Montana Supreme Court, but under the language we have in Montana Code we cant prosecute it.

The new language in the bill is adapted from a policy put in place by the military. Consent would be defined as words or overt actions indicating a freely given agreement to have sexual intercourse or sexual contact. The legislation says an expression of lack of consent through words or conduct means there is no consent or that consent has been withdrawn.

An existing or previous relationship does not constitute consent on its own, and a lack of consent can be inferred based on surrounding circumstances.

Attorney General Fox said a victim could say no to sex before, during and after. The jury could believe she didnt want to have sex, but it would not constitute rape under state law.

Prosecutors have to show that he physically attacked her or threatened to physically attack her, Fox said.

Fox said hes dedicated time and resources into training prosecutors to properly prosecute sexual assault using the most updated information, such as the common reaction of victims freezing.

Jennifer Clark, a prosecutor in Missoula, said a violation of trust by an acquaintance, friend or family member constitutes force.

She said she was working with a victim whose friend had been sexually assaulted only a week before she was. She remembered thinking her friends story of freezing and being unable to resist would never happen to her. She vowed to fight off a perpetrator if it happened to her.

It was really compelling to me that when we got to trial in this case she said, I couldnt. I was screaming inside my head. I knew I wanted to leave. I knew I wanted to fight, but I absolutely couldnt do anything, Clark said.

The punishment for aggravated sexual intercourse without consent is a minimum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. Punishment for sexual intercourse without consent can be no more than 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $50,000.

The House committee did not take action on Friday, but SB29 passed unanimously off the Senate floor in January.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low 62F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low 62F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
HELENA  Montana Gov. Steve Bullock's budget director warned Friday that House Republicans' stripped-down infrastructure bill could result once again in the state failing to pass a bonding bill for public works and capital projects across the state.

Instead, budget director Dan Villa said the governor considers the best way forward to be a parallel bill approved Friday by the Senate Finance and Claims Committee that would allow bonding for $65 million more in projects.

The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee broke up the Democratic governor's $150 million bonding bill and inserted many of those projects into other infrastructure bills that would be paid for in cash.

The House bill left out larger building projects, including $27 million for a new Montana Historical Society museum, $25 million to renovate Montana State University's Romney Hall and $11 million for a new veterans' home in Butte.

What's left is $33.4 million in bonding for water, sewer, roads and bridges projects across the state.

Too few projects remain, meaning that this bill could die for lack of votes, similar to how an infrastructure bonding bill died in the House by a single vote in the 2015 session, Villa told the committee.

"We are deathly afraid that we are on that exact same path today, as this bill is structured," Villa said.

The Senate bill, by comparison, includes the veterans' home and Romney Hall, along with other building projects removed by the House for Great Falls College and Montana State University Billings.

The $98 million in projects contained in the Senate bill represents the best chance of passing the House and Senate and being signed by the governor, State Sen. Eric Moore, R-Miles City, said.

"We have an obligation to our state buildings because no one else is going to do it," Moore said.

House Minority Leader Jenny Eck, D-Helena, said she agreed to pull the Montana Historical Society museum project from the bonding bill and instead seek to fund it through an increase in the state's lodging tax.

Republicans, Democrats and the governor have all identified infrastructure as one of the most important issues for this legislative session, particularly after a similar 2015 bonding bill failed to pass. Some of the large projects included in the governor's bill have been waiting more than a decade for funding, while other projects would pay for roads, bridges, school repairs, water systems and wastewater systems.

Rep. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, said $33.4 million in bonds was the upper limit of what the members of the House Republican majority caucus could agree on. While some projects could be added back to the bill, Cuffe warned too many could cause the bill to collapse under its own weight.

"This bill was put together based on the appetite for bonding that I was able to find in polling the GOP caucus in the house," Cuffe said. "Other projects can be amended in, but there is a limit to what may pass."

House Republicans point out that $213 million in infrastructure projects that would be paid with cash are moving through the Legislature in separate bills.

The state would go into debt for 20 years to pay for the projects listed in the bonding bills. Because of that, a bonding bill requires approval of two-thirds of the Legislature, which is 67 votes in the House and 34 in the Senate. That means Republicans will need the support of the Democratic minority to pass a bill.

The Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee said they are unhappy with the House version.

"I see this as a lowball offer and there are 41 votes on our side," said Rep. Tom Woods, D-Bozeman. "We all have to do this together. I'm not there on this yet."

By contrast, some House Republicans testified in support of the Senate bill. Rep. Jeff Essmann, who is also chairman of the Montana Republican Party, said he supports the MSUB project in his home city of Billings, along with Romney Hall and the Butte veterans' home.

The Senate bill next goes to the floor for a vote. No immediate action was taken on the House bill.
March 24, 2017

The late Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was known as the spearhead of the moderate camp in Iran. He also served as the only bridge between the ruling establishment and the Reformists, who faced restrictions following the unrest related to the 2009 presidential elections. When Rafsanjani passed away in January, his death was a major shock for his supporters, who turned out in huge numbers for his funeral alongside politicians who shared his approach to politics.

Considered a pillar of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the US-backed shah, Rafsanjani held several prominent positions over the past decades. In addition to serving as parliament speaker and president, Rafsanjani also played a crucial role in the last years of his life  establishing and leading the moderate camp, and thereby, helping Reformists survive.

In the 2009 presidential elections, the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was proclaimed the victor, but the Reformists, who had two candidates in the race, rejected the results, charging that the balloting had been rigged. After extensive protests, the Reformist candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, were subjected to house arrest in 2012, and the Reformists' activities were restricted.

In addition to Reformists, figures who feel that their home in the conservative camp has been co-opted by hard-liners have been attracted to the moderate camp that emerged in recent years. President Hassan Rouhani, the head of the supreme leaders Inspection Office Akbar Nategh-Nouri and parliament Speaker Ali Larijani are the most prominent faces among the moderates.

Almost the moment Rafsanjani died, many began to wonder who would replace the man considered the thorn in the hard-liners' side. Many figures have been floated as possible successors, but among them, one stands out as a possibly powerful leader of the moderates and one capable of resolving tensions and disagreements between the Reformists and the ruling establishment: Seyyed Hassan Khomeini.

Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, has thus far focused primarily on his studies in Islamic jurisprudence rather than politics. Indeed, despite repeated calls for him to enter the political arena, Khomeini rarely talks politics, and when he does address a political issue, he employs metaphors and poems.

A relatively young 44, Khomeini is popular among youths, because he has constantly emphasized countering hard-line views. This has become problematic, however, as it has made him a frequent target of the hard-liners.

Last year, as elections for the Assembly of Experts approached in February, calls for Khomeinis candidacy grew, with Rafsanjani for the first time publicly asking him to step forward. After Khomeini finally agreed to run, the Guardian Council, tasked with vetting candidates, barred Khomeinis candidacy, supposedly because of his inadequate knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence. The councils decision was assessed by many analysts as politically motivated, as Khomeini was endorsed by many grand ayatollahs, including the highly respected Hossein Vahid Khorasani, and has been teaching Islamic jurisprudence at the highest level at the Qom seminary for more than a decade.

Khomeini is one of the figures whom Rafsanjani hoped would continue his work on Irans political stage. In a rare statement in August 2015, Rafsanjani told Toloue Sobh weekly, It is better if [Hassan Khomeini] runs for the [Assembly of Experts] elections. It is unclear whether I will be alive. It is his turn, and he should come [forward] to protect the revolution [from hard-liners].

When it comes to succeeding Rafsanjani, Khomeini enjoys several advantages. He hails from the famous and well-respected Khomeini family, and he is fully accepted among moderates, Reformists and even a significant number of conservatives, including members of the highly influential Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom.

In May 2014, the conservative Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Movahedi Kermani, a Tehran Friday prayer leader with views close to the hard-liners, bluntly responded to hard-liners attempt to interrupt Khomeinis speech on the occasion of his grandfathers death. Offended by their actions, Movahedi Kermani said, What is this wrongdoing that you do against the family and grandchildren of the Imam [Ruhollah Khomeini]? These actions must be condemned.

He added, While Hassan was insulted, the supreme leader embraced him and kissed him. The meaning of this embrace was that you insulters must be polite [toward Hassan].

Furthermore, the ultraconservative Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, a member of the Guardian Council, was upset when the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic was disqualified from running for the Assembly of Experts elections. He had no doubt about Khomeinis knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence.

Unlike Khomeini, other potential candidates to replace Rafsanjani, such as Rouhani and Larijani, do not enjoy good relations with some figures in the conservative and Reformist camps. For example, a number of Reformists remain hesitant about Larijani and Rouhani given the two men's origins in the conservative camp. Rouhani and Larijani also face the same issue of ties among some figures in the conservative camp. The situation is different for Khomeini, however, as he has been successful in maintaining relationships with diverse people, groups and parties.

Moreover, being viewed as a well-respected cleric among the conservatives, Khomeini is one of the few figures who can connect the Reformists with the ruling establishment. Unlike Reformists, who are not trusted by the establishment, Khomeini is believed to have a good relationship with the supreme leader and sometimes meets with him.

Although some analysts believe Nategh-Nouri, who enjoyed a close relationship with Rafsanjani, is a potential candidate for replacing him, he left the political stage more than a decade ago. Moreover, despite calls for his return, he has refused. He appears fully ready, however, to defend Khomeini against attacks by hard-liners. Noting Rafsanjanis full support for Khomeini, Naser Imani, a conservative analyst, has argued, Due to the origins of Hassan Khomeini and his personality, Mr. Nategh has the tendency to support and defend him from the unfair attacks.

Unlike in the past, Khomeini is now more than ever, with the passing of Rafsanjani, sensing the need for him to enter politics and carry the burden of assuming Rafsanjanis role on his shoulders. In this vein, Rouhanis office published a widely shared photograph of himself and Khomeini about to shake hands as Rafsanjani, between them, takes leave. This suggests that Rouhani is counting heavily on Khomeini to play the role of Rafsanjani in the May 19 presidential elections.
March 24, 2017

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon have been bickering for several days now over the scheduled launch of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (destined to replace the Israeli Broadcasting Authority). Netanyahu has announced that he wants to cancel the launch of the corporation.

This serious coalition crisis is sending shockwaves across the Israeli political system. It could have been the center-left's greatest hour, but the leaders of that bloc  Isaac Herzog of the Zionist Camp and Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid  failed yet again in presenting a clear and sensible alternative to Netanyahu's current government and the ideology of the right. When faced with the heated clash between the prime minister and the finance minister, Herzog and Lapid decided to act separately, instead of consolidating forces.

As soon as Netanyahu dropped his political bombshell and announced on the evening of March 18 that if his coalition partners do not meet his demand to shut down the corporation, he would call an early election, Lapid and Herzog should have held an urgent meeting and found a way to work together to oppose Netanyahu. Doing so, if only temporarily, would have granted momentum to their political offensive and resounded with political power.

But Herzog decided to call Kahlon instead. It was leaked to the media that the two men discussed the possibility of putting together an alternative government without heading to elections, using an obscure parliamentary procedure known as "constructive no confidence" (a variation on a motion of no confidence). Shortly afterward, Lapid made it clear that he would not participate in the move. He made a point of distancing himself from Herzog and thereby being branded as a collaborator with the left. Nevertheless, Herzog continued to peddle his phony idea of an alternative government to the media, even though Kahlon would not give him a green light.

On March 19, just one day after the crisis erupted, Herzog was interviewed by Ynet. When asked about his phone call with Kahlon, he replied, "We agreed to look at all sorts of options, including 'constructive no confidence,' which means an alternative government. I call on Kahlon to resign from the government.  There are voices and sources [calling for this] in the Likud as well. People are fed up with Netanyahu's leadership. It is intolerable."

It is rather embarrassing that this was the extent of the chairman of the main opposition party's entire arsenal in dealing with the latest coalition crisis. He simply released a few imaginary scenarios, while relying on anonymous sources in the Likud, who may or may not join him in bringing down Netanyahu. It was a slack and implausible response. Herzog, who is himself struggling to survive in Labor Party primaries this July, seems to have assumed that this was how he could create an alternative.

According to the latest polls, Lapid would be Netanyahu's main rival for prime minister in the next election. He acted as one would expect from an opposition leader. "In a democracy, the only way to change the government is through elections," his staff stated in response to Herzog's comments. "We won't lend a hand to these tricks."

At a conference in the city of Netanya, Lapid said, "What's going on? Have they lost their minds? The prime minister and the finance minister spent all day dealing with the Public Broadcasting Corporation. That's all they care about. What will Channel 1 say about them? They spent all day dealing with the media and petty politics.  Instead of dealing with the country as a whole  they are too busy with themselves."

Lapid followed the same line during the week. He distanced himself from the Public Broadcasting Corporation issue, even though he was one of its architects, along with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan. The reason for this is that Netanyahu has already branded the Public Broadcasting Corporation as "left wing." Lapid, who is making every effort to win votes from the right, does not want to be perceived as defending a left-wing organization.

While Lapid may make a point of presenting himself as the leader of the center with a nod to the right, most of his electorate comes from the center-left. He is soaring in the polls at the expense of seats lost to him by the Zionist Camp. As such, his attempt to distance himself from the left is not only artificial. It is also damaging to his political bloc's common effort to create an effective force that can counter the right.

Lapid defines himself as a centrist. He makes a point of noting that he grew up in a home that admired the late Likud leader and Prime Minister Menachem Begin. In other words, he grew up in a right-wing environment. While various polls show that he has managed to win over voters from the soft right, those numbers are not high enough to shift the balance of power between the two competing blocs. Furthermore, if the leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties  who often tip the political balance in Israel, joining either the right or the left  are forced to decide after the next elections whether they want a government headed by Lapid or a government headed by Netanyahu, it is most likely that they will reject the leader of Yesh Atid. After all, they have not yet forgiven him for the economic and other decrees he imposed upon them when he was finance minister.

The problem is that it wasn't just Lapid and Herzog who acted separately. Torn as it is over elections for the party leadership, the Labor Party itself was unable to present a cohesive and unified front. Each claimant to the party leadership responded separately, because they each tried to present themselves as the best alternative to Netanyahu. Former Minister Avi Gabbay and Knesset members Amir Peretz and Erel Margalit released belligerent statements about Netanyahu's disastrous government and called for new elections, but they did it on their own behalf. This only leaves the question: Is the path of the opposition, the path that should offer an alternative to the right-wing government, the path taken by Gabbay, Peretz, Margalit or Herzog?

The leader of left-wing party Meretz, Zehava Gal-On, also acted independently when she attempted to submit a motion of no confidence in the Knesset. Her motion was rejected on procedural grounds.

Ever since the 2009 election almost a decade ago, the center-left has been unable to present a united front against the right. As a result, it has missed out on every opportunity to win the government for itself. The fact is that the center-left parties have been acting in a scattered and divided manner in just about every possible area. They do not coordinate in their coalition negotiations after elections, and they fail to support a single candidate to lead the camp.

The public that supports the center-left would benefit if its leaders would cooperate against the Netanyahu government over the Public Broadcasting Corporation crisis. Instead, they have been splitting their efforts, their messages and their strategies for action. In fact, the leader of the big opposition party and the leader of the centrist party chose the same goal  each in his own way.
March 23, 2017

An Israeli nonprofit dedicated to promoting tolerance presented on March 21 a report titled Funding Racism" in the Knesset Committee on Transparency headed by Knesset member Stav Shaffir. The report by the Tag Meir forum indicates that the State of Israel provides direct or indirect funding to radical right-wing organizations described as racist or of a racist complexion. Tag Meir, Hebrew for Light Tag, is a coalition of Israeli organizations founded in 2011 as a counterweight to the hate crimes perpetrated by rightist Jewish groups against Arabs and other non-Jews  attacks known in Hebrew as price tag."

The reports author, Noam Vilder, told Al-Monitor that the findings paint a frightening picture that she assessed is only the tip of the iceberg of a sophisticated scheme for funneling money to radical right-wing organizations, eroding the fabric of co-existence, damaging the values of tolerance in Israel society, and mongering hatred between Jews and Arabs.

One such organization cited in the report is Lehava, headed by extreme right activist Bentzi Gopstein. This group was originally dedicated to preventing assimilation (through marriage between Arabs and Jews), but in recent years has branched out and launched a campaign of incitement against Arabs  for example, a campaign against Arab bus drivers in Jerusalem titled Putting the steering wheel in Mohammeds hands is not good, as we reported in Al-Monitor, or supporting the burning of churches.

Other organizations mentioned in the report are the Jewish Idea yeshiva founded by racist Rabbi Meir Kahane (who was killed in 1990), and the Honenu nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides legal aid for Jews suspected of terror attacks against Arabs. Among its beneficiaries are Ami Popper, who murdered seven Palestinians in 1990, and members of the Bat Ayn underground who tried to blow up a Palestinian girls school in East Jerusalem in 2002.

When we started working on the report we knew wed find interesting things, but we didnt really know what we were getting into, Vilder said. According to her, the radical right operates under the guise of preventing assimilation or of supporting humanitarian values such as aiding the needy, thus enjoying direct or indirect state funds. But in fact it operates to promote highly racist goals.

Honenu, for example, the nonprofit that in the past raised money for Yigal Amir, the assassin of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was granted recognition as a tax-exempt public institution, and donors receive a 35% tax deduction in keeping with the laws on taxation. This way, those donating money to the radical organizations in Israel have an incentive to donate, Vilder said.

Honenu transferred some 200,000 Israeli shekels ($55,000) to radical right-wing activists imprisoned in connection with terrorism and hate crimes, and 50,000 shekels to their families using funds that appear to have originated in the state treasury, according to the report.

The Tag Meir report also says that known radical right-wing activists channel money from seemingly innocent nonprofits to organizations of a distinct racist hue that are not registered as NGOs, thus funding their racist ideological activity.

The report mentions, for example, The Fund for the Salvation of the People of Israel, headed by, among others, Bentzi Gopstein and Ayala Ben-Gvir (the wife of radical right lawyer and activist Itamar Ben-Gvir). This group was identified by the reports authors as a sister organization of a nonprofit calling itself Hemla (Hebrew for compassion) and which defines its goals as helping girls from dysfunctional families who are at risk of assimilation and deterioration. In other words, the same people head both organizations, and The Fund for the Salvation of the People of Israel hides behind Hemla and abuses the state funding it receives.

The report also notes that the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva, an ultra-Orthodox, nationalist Jewish seminary headed by Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg, received state funding in 2011, but the funding was cut off following intervention by the Shin Bet domestic security agency. Nonetheless, the reports authors claim the yeshiva enjoys indirect funding it gets through other organizations and nonprofits. By the way, only this week, March 22, police along with detectives of the unit to counter nationalist crimes raided this yeshiva in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar, arrested two students and issued an administrative restraining order against one other student in order to keep him away from the school.

Most of the organizations examined by Tag Meir are run by the same small group of extremists who help each other in achieving their goals and obtaining funding to promote the radical racist ideology they espouse, according to the report. Gopstein is named in connection with almost all of them, whether as the official director of Lehava or as another office holder such as an authorized signatory.

We know for a fact about a link between Gopstein and the Hemla organization that gets funding from the state budget. Theres a close link between them, and funds and means are transferred from one to the other, Vilder said.

Another interesting detail that emerges from the report is that some of the money comes from Israeli institutions such as the ORT network of vocational schools supported by the state, or the United Israel Appeal (Keren Hayesod), the United Jewish Appeal and others.

Why does the ORT network have an interest in channeling money to right-wing groups? Thats an interesting question, also in regard to Keren Hayesod, which openly appears among a list of donors to the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva. This is very strange, but we dont have any information about how and why money was transferred by them. We dont have the legal tools to follow all the money trails, but a concerted, comprehensive effort is needed to open this can of worms, Vilder noted.

Tag Meir is now considering handing over its findings to the state comptroller general, who is equipped by law with the required legal tools and means to follow the money trail from the state coffers to various organizations that even the Shin Bet regards as risks to Israels security.
March 24, 2017

Amid turmoil, violence and occupation, something truly unique occurred in Jerusalem. Three churches, which claim direct ownership and control over the location where Christians believe Jesus Christ was buried and rose from the dead, worked closely together. The Greek Orthodox Church along with the Catholic Franciscans and the Armenian Apostolic Church all agreed to allow experts to restore the most holy site in all of Christianity. The result of this effort was unveiled March 23. The project, costing $3.4 million, was funded equally by the three churches, as well as by personal contributions from King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in addition to support from international foundations.

The division over the Church of the Holy Sepulchre goes back centuries. Unable to find common ground, the church's keys were deposited with Jerusalem's leading Muslim families. The Joudeh and Nuseibeh families are responsible for opening and closing the church every day, and they have been doing so for decades. The Status Quo Agreement was codified by way of a firman (decree) by Ottoman Sultan Osman III in the 18th century. The Status Quo document continues to be accepted by all the churches and governing powers.

Historians and church leaders say that it has been 200 years since the holy grave was restored. Hanna Issa, a Palestinian Christian historian and the head of the Islamic-Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, told Al-Monitor that a combination of factors made it possible for the churches to agree. "There were many reasons why they agreed. The deterioration has reached a dangerous level that required treatment and the recent moves between Catholics and Orthodox, which were reflected in the historic meeting in February 2016 between the Pope and the [Russian] Orthodox Patriarch, also helped."

Bonnie Burnham, the former president of the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based nonprofit organization that helped raise funds for the project, told international news site UPI March 23 that this restoration was critical to save the site. "I would venture to say that if this intervention hadn't happened now, there was a very great risk that there could have been a collapse," she said.

The project, led by the National Technical University of Athens, began physically in May 2016. It was declared complete on March 22. Press reports from Jerusalem say the restoration team removed hundreds of years of candle soot, as well as marble slabs encasing a stone bench where believers say Jesus' body was placed after his crucifixion and death. Reports by the restoration team note that one slab was installed by Emperor Constantine the Great when the first church on the site was built; another was from the late-Crusader era in the 14th century. The marble slabs were put back in place.

Issa said the churches insisted that Israel stay out of the process from the start of the restoration works. He noted that a special agreement between Abdullah and Abbas signed in April 2013 confirmed Jordanian custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. The agreement also confirms Palestinian sovereignty in Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state, he noted.

Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, has administered the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem since 1967 through its Ministry of Endowments (Waqf Ministry). Jordan's role in deciding the permanent future of Jerusalem is stated in Article 9 of the Israeli-Jordanian peace agreement.

Wasfi Kilani, the executive director of the Hashemite Fund for the Restoration of Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Al-Monitor that the king's contribution toward the restoration of the church opened up for others to support the project. "What is more important, however, is the fact that the issue of the Hashemite custodianship of both Muslim and Christian holy places ensured that all obstacles toward the actual restoration were resolved."

Kilani said that he and other senior Jordanian and Islamic Waqf officials made regular visits to the restoration site in coordination with the Orthodox patriarch and to the respective churches. "We held many visits always in coordination with the Orthodox patriarch and with the other churches. They were happy that someone representing Jordan was paying attention."

Restoring an old church is nothing new. But when the church is the one and only church of the Holy Sepulchre and when the Christian leaders have been fighting for hundreds of years over who owns what wall or ladder or chapel, the restoration becomes a major news story. The people of Jerusalem, as well as Christians from near and far, celebrated this week a rare event that many said would be a miracle if it happened. For the Holy Land, miracles are not uncommon.
March 23, 2017

RAMALLAH, West Bank  The Palestinian municipal elections in the West Bank, scheduled for May 13, were dealt yet another blow when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) suspended its participation March 13. This comes following Hamas opposition to the elections, which will not be held in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas rejected the Palestinian High Courts ruling on Jan. 31 to amend the electoral law.

The PFLP stance came in protest against what it described as the Palestinian security services crime of suppressing a peaceful protest in front of the Courts Complex in the Ramallah and al-Bireh governorate on March 12. The PFLP said its stance is a condemnation of the Palestinian Authoritys (PA) trial of Basil al-Araj, before he was killed by Israeli security forces March 5, and attacking protesters with tear gas and batons. Their stance was also designed to denounce the PA and security services failing to draw lessons from these assaults.

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, in his capacity as minister of interior as well, decided March 13 to form a committee for an inquiry into the Ramallah incident headed by Undersecretary of the Interior Ministry Mohamed Mansour. The committee, which has yet to complete its task, includes the membership of Ammar Dweik, the head of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights, and Palestinian Bar Association Chairman Hussein Shabana.

The PFLP, however, did not perceive the committee to be sufficient, and stressed the need to apologize to the Palestinian people and take serious steps, such as the suspension of those responsible for [crushing the protest] from work, until the committee completes its investigation.

In this vein, PFLP leader Khalida Jarrar told Al-Monitor, The withdrawal from local elections is the result of the PA policy in general  such as the ongoing political approach betting on negotiations and a settlement with Israel  and of the PA security services ongoing oppression of the people in particular. Most recently among these is what happened in Ramallah, which was a direct reason behind the decision to withdraw.

She added, It took us too long to decide to take part in the elections [in the first place], in light of our concerns over the lack of a democratic atmosphere, in reference to the oppression of protesters that affirmed the PFLP fear of a lack of democratic atmosphere for the elections.

The decision to withdraw from local elections does not seem to be the PFLPs only decision. Jarrar said, The withdrawal came in protest against the PAs security coordination with Israel and political course as a whole. Based on that, this decision will be followed by a series of political decisions.

Commenting on the nature of these decisions, Jarrar said, All options are possible for future decisions, but the PFLPs institutions need to examine the available facts and political situation, and take decisions accordingly. For instance, should the PA fail to abide by the PLO Central Councils decisions of March 5, 2015  which stipulate defining relations with Israel and ending security coordination  daring decisions will be taken.

The PFLPs withdrawal from local elections raised several questions on the future of the Democratic Alliance List consisting of the PFLP, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the Palestinian Peoples Party (PPP), the Palestinian National Initiative and the Palestinian Democratic Union. The alliance was formed on Aug. 10, 2016, so these factions could run in the local elections under one unified front. Nevertheless, Al-Monitor learned from DFLP and PPP sources that the other factions will not be following in the footsteps of the PFLP and withdrawing from the elections.

Jamil Mezher, a member of the PFLPs political bureau, told Al-Monitor, It would have been possible to hold fair local elections, but things have changed in light of the security services assault and dominance over the West Bank.

Commenting on the impact of the decision on ties between the PFLP and PA, Mezher said, The PFLP will continue to defend its principles and stances, whether the PA likes it or not.

Decisions and delays have obstructed local elections, which were initially scheduled for Oct. 8, 2016, with Hamas taking part in them, in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Yet they were disrupted after the Palestinian High Court in Ramallah decided Oct. 3 to hold them only in the West Bank, as it challenged the legitimacy of the Gaza-based courts. This prompted the Cabinet to postpone the elections for four months on Oct. 4. Then, on Jan. 3, the Palestinian Cabinet agreed to amend the elections law and establish a special court for elections. This move was rejected by Hamas, which announced at a later time that it would boycott the elections.

Commenting on the PFLPs withdrawal, DFLP Deputy Secretary-General Qais Abdul Karim told Al-Monitor, Suppressing protesters in Ramallah is in no way related to local elections. Should this link exist, [on the contrary] it should be a motive to participate in the elections as a way to promote the role of democratic factions, which counter security services practices.

Abdul Karim confirmed the DFLP participation in the elections, saying, We worked hard to have the government set a date for the elections, which are a popular demand and not a governmental demand that we can simply back down on when ties worsen with the government. He added, We must necessarily participate in the elections, and win with the largest possible number of votes in response to violations and oppressions.

Abdul Karim ruled out the possibility of withdrawing from the elections in an attempt to embarrass the government. He noted, The [PFLP] withdrawal from the elections will not pressure the government. On the contrary, it will relieve [the government] and allow pro-government parties to control local councils. Taking part in the elections does not legitimize [the PAs] actions, given that these elections are not political, but rather [popular] to ensure services.

Although the PFLP withdrawal is perceived as a hard blow to local elections, considering it to be the second-largest PLO faction, local elections are unlikely to be postponed or canceled. Yet, this decision is more likely to be an introduction to a series of decisions that the PFLP plans to take in the future to confront the PAs general policies, most of which will be within the framework of the PLO.
March 24, 2017

Saudi Arabia has embraced the new US administration. Much of the kingdom's enthusiasm for Donald Trump owes more to Saudi disillusionment with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than anything else. The Saudi embrace is not going to remove the lingering tensions between Washington and Riyadh.

The Saudi media and government have hailed the visit this month of Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman to the White House as a "turning point" that has "restored" the 70-year-old relationship back to where it was before Obama. The Saudis have emphasized that they are encouraged by American promises to counter Iranian aggression in the region and to stand behind the kingdom in its war in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthi Zaydi rebels. The Saudis are also encouraged by American intentions to step up the fight against the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Saudis, for their part, are promising to engage with Iraq more to counter Iran's influence in Baghdad. Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir's February visit to Iraq, the first by a senior Saudi official since 1990, will be followed by a sustained engagement, the Saudis say.

The enthusiasm for the new US team is a reflection of the deep disappointment with the Obama administration. It's more than a bit ironic since Obama courted the Saudis avidly his whole term in office. Riyadh was his first destination in the Arab world and he traveled to Saudi Arabia more than any other country in the Middle East, including Israel. He sold more than $110 billion in military equipment to the kingdom, far more than any of his predecessors.

But Obama also flirted with backing the Arab Spring. He hailed the departure from power of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. He encouraged the Bahraini royal family to compromise with the Shiite majority for political reforms on the island. His first secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, pressed for gender equality around the world. For the Saudis, the US support for political and social change and reform, however half-hearted, was an unprecedented departure from traditional US support for the status quo and authoritarian leaders in the region.

The new administration is unlikely to be as diffident on the issues raised by the Arab Spring. Trump has already embraced the Abdel Fattah al-Sisi military regime in Egypt. The administration has identified the major threat to regional stability as the Iranian regime and its proxies like Hezbollah and the Shiite militias Iran is backing in Syria and Iraq. It is not likely to raise human rights issues.

The Saudis are not putting all their eggs in the US connection, however. Last week, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud completed a three-week trip to Asia with a stop in China where the Saudis signed $65 billion in new trade agreements. The Asia trip and especially the China visit have been trumpeted as strategic moves by the kingdom. The Saudis are especially interested in military cooperation with Beijing.

Two issues will continue to unsettle the US-Saudi partnership. First is growing opposition in Congress and elsewhere to the war in Yemen. Opponents of the Saudi blockade of the Houthi-controlled northern half of Yemen suggest Saudi strategy now is to use starvation as a tool to defeat the rebels. The anticipated coalition offensive to take the north's major port at Hodeidah away from the Houthis would tighten the blockade further. Amnesty International has called on Washington and London to stop providing arms and other support to the kingdom. According to Amnesty International, the United States and United Kingdom have already provided more than $5 billion worth of arms to support the war against the Houthis, which is 10 times larger than the humanitarian assistance provided by the two.

The other irritant is the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which allows the kingdom to be sued for its alleged role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Trump supports the bill that Obama vetoed only to be overridden. Now hundreds of family members of victims of the 9/11 attack have filed a lawsuit against the Saudis for allegedly funding al-Qaeda before 2001 and for allegedly providing assistance to the hijackers. Saudi diplomats in the United States and Germany allegedly were involved in the plot.

Saudi commentators have said the suit will have economic consequences for the United States and fuel hatred toward US policy in the Islamic world. The court case is expected to drag on for years. It is certain to result in considerable controversy for the Saudis.

The US-Saudi partnership dates to 1943 when King Ibn Saud sent his son Prince Faisal to Washington to meet President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the Oval Office, and two years later the king and FDR met face to face in Egypt. The entente has always enjoyed bipartisan support. Democrats and Republicans have been backers of strong ties to the kingdom. Riyadh would be wise to steer clear of becoming identified with either party in the United States as it navigates the most polarized politics in modern US history.
March 23, 2017

Drivers were racing solar-powered cars this week in Egypt's resort town of Hurghada, opening new horizons for future engineers in the country and enhancing their interest in science, technology and the use of renewable energy sources.

The United Solar Challenge (USC)  held March 19-22 for the first time in Egypt and for the second time in the Middle East  saw 12 teams from all across the world experience the ultimate challenge of an exciting experience using the sun as the only fuel.

The solar cars  with panels that absorb only sunlight to power their engines  crossed the streets of Hurghada's Soma Bay, giving the city a new taste of environmental sustainability.

Organizers and contestants said they aspired to convey the message that environmentally friendly technology is the future of a green planet. Organizers included the International Solarcar Foundation, the Global Education Energy Environment (EEE), and some nonprofit organizations supporting renewable energy projects like the Sharaf Foundation for Sustainable Development and Hadath for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Teams from Egypt, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Italy, Germany, France, India, Morocco, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates participated in the competition.

The USC is a cross-country solar car competition held every two years in the Middle East and North Africa. The first USC was held in the United Arab Emirates in January 2015, and the first-place winner was the University of Michigan Solar Car Team in partnership with Abu Dhabi University.

The USC coincided this year with the 2017 Global Hybrid-Electric Challenge in Egypt. Prequalifying was held March 14-16 through a number of static and dynamic scrutineering and qualifying sessions, with the cars competing head-to-head for pole position on the final day of qualifications.

"Continuing to rely on oil and gas to operate various means of transportation is environmentally unsustainable," said Essam Sharaf, the head of the Sharaf Foundation for Sustainable Development, one of the organizers and a nonprofit organization aiming to support renewable energy projects in Egypt.

"It is necessary to start depending on innovative solutions and begin utilizing renewable energy in the transport system," he noted.

Sharaf also said that solar car racing can be a step in the way of replacing oil and gas with new and renewable energy in Egypt's transportation system.

He added that the event was a "good opportunity" for participating Egyptian teams to exchange expertise on manufacturing solar-powered cars with other teams from other countries around the world.

Ahmed Nasr, a student at the Zuweil City of Science and Technology  which took part in the competition  said that he and his team learned from the Japanese team participating in the event how to manufacture, repair and operate solar cars.

"The event was a very fruitful experience for us, because getting acquainted with international models in manufacturing solar-powered cars helps us in our project [currently underway]," Nasr told Al-Monitor.

Nasr said that he and his team are working on building a solar-powered car and expect to finish the project by June. The Egyptian team is due to take part in this year's World Solar Challenge to be held in Australia in October.

The 21-year-old student said the idea of replacing oil and gas in transportation with renewable energy sources can be turned into reality in Egypt because the country has one of the main factors: the sun.

"The government just needs to study the idea very well before putting it into effect," he added.

The organization of the competition in Cairo came under fire from observers as the race was postponed for two days. The competition was scheduled to take place on March 17-21. Cars were supposed to start and finish at the beautiful Soma Bay Red Sea resort on the first four days and end in Cairo on the fifth and final day. On their finish in Cairo, the cars were also supposed to parade in finishing order to the ancient Pyramids at the Giza Plateau. But the organizers failed to provide necessary papers and required documents for Egyptian authorities.

Despite poor organization, Sharaf said that just holding such a competition in Egypt delivers a message that the country is interested in switching to renewable energy.

He said that events like this can attract foreign investments to the country, especially in the field of renewable energy.

Egypts appetite for new energy appeared during a 2015 major economic conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh. During the conference, Egypt offered local and foreign investors dozens of renewable energy projects that it plans to carry out in the coming years.

The government also announced its plans to cut reliance on natural gas and fuel oil from 90% to 62% by 2020.

The country has also launched a feed-in tariff scheme to reward the generation of solar power. According to the scheme, large-scale projects with a capacity of between 500 kilowatts and 20 megawatts are eligible for a tariff of $0.13 for each kilowatt-hour, while those with a capacity of between 20 megawatts and 50 megawatts get $0.14 per kilowatt-hour.

The initial call attracted bids for more than double the capacity sought, suggesting wide interest from the private sector. The government's moves have also gained approval from international observers.
March 23, 2017

What's behind the embarrassing shenanigans of the Justice and Development Party (AKP)? What's the reason for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's angry outbursts?

On March 22, just a few hours before the London terror attack, Erdogan appeared on live television and harshly criticized the West. He said, Turkey is not a country you can pull and push around, not a country whose pride you can play with and turn its ministers away from the border. [It's] not a country whose citizens you can drag on the ground. These developments are carefully followed around the world. If Europe continues this way, no European in any part of the world can walk safely on the streets. If you open this route, you [the West] will suffer the most.

Yet when Reuters tweeted Erdogans statement after the attack, the pro-AKP newspaper Yeni Akit expressed its outrage and claimed that Reuters was insinuating that Erdogan was responsible for the attack.

This was just the latest mind-boggling and erratic act from the AKP and its ultranationalist coalition, which continues to rage against the West, in particular the European Union. Al-Monitor has reported on the details of the intense row between Turkey and the Netherlands and Germany.

In Turkey, the popular images and news coverage surrounding the conflict with the Netherlands and Germany have been out of control. For example, 40 cows were sent back to the Netherlands in protest, and young men have posed with sharp knives "murdering" tulips and squeezing oranges. Out of this public outrage, some comical images also surfaced, like protesters burning the French, not Dutch, flag. A prankster called a police station in Rotterdam, New York, rather than the Netherlands, and trolls mistakenly tweeted threats to French President Francois Hollande. Young men in Gumushane province even greeted the Turkish prime minister on horseback carrying a sign that read: Dear prime minister, allow us to ride our horses upon the Netherlands.

Turkish Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, who was deported from the Netherlands, has repeated her story to the Turkish public, adding details to it with every telling. She complained that during her four-hour wait outside the Turkish Consulate in Rotterdam, the Dutch authorities did not even give her water, only to later claim that she had turned down the police officers' offer of tea.

She said the events of the night made her relive the July 15 coup attempt. She was willing to die at the border had Erdogan not asked her to come back. Social media users ridiculed Kaya's embellishments, which included her claim that she heard the Dutch police loading their guns. Even if Kaya's statements are accurate, most of the Turkish public remains skeptical, given their previous experiences with the pro-government medias manufactured grievances, in particular their bogus report of a secular group attacking a headscarf-wearing mother during the 2013 Gezi protests.

Kayas increasingly alarming story of being victimized by Dutch police was backed by Erdogans blustering and relentless EU-bashing. Erdogan suggested that Turks in Europe should have at least three to five babies, as they are the future of Europe. He also offered legal assistance to Muslim women in Europe.

Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu even directed threats to the EU that they may end the refugee deal. This threat even attracted the attention of the United States. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter tweeted, Turkey's Erdogan threatening to send Europe 15K refugees a month. So even Muslims consider Muslim migrants a threat.

These are just a few of the scandalous events from the past 10 days, and besides being foreign policy disasters, they are also embarrassing moments for Turks and Turkophiles everywhere. Why won't Erdogan stop embarrassing his country? The most frequently repeated explanation is that these ultranationalistic blunders are intended for domestic consumption and to sway undecided voters in the upcoming referendum. Erdogans efforts to destroy ties with the West are more about telling the AKPs base to fall in line rather than winning over swing voters. This means Erdogan is concerned that significant portions of the AKP base will vote "no" in the referendum and that they will not be able to effectively guarantee his desired executive presidency.

The initial polls are not promising for the referendum's "yes" camp. During the preliminary vote on the referendum in parliament in January, AKP members were forced to display their "yes" votes, even though the constitution mandated a secret ballot. On April 16, can Erdogan trust his own parliamentarians to vote "yes" and to mobilize their own constituents to fall in line?

Erdogan rushed into the referendum, hoping to ride the wave of national unity that overtook the public following the July 15 coup attempt. In view of the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) number of supporters, Erdogan and his men initially envisioned the referendum passing with at least 60% approval. It has been an open secret in Ankara that more than 100 AKP lawmakers would vote "no" on the referendum. Several senior bureaucrats fear that in the institutional restructuring of the presidency they will lose their positions.

So far, the AKP has not been able to tackle the political wing of the Gulen movement. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim hastily passed the buck to the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), saying in an interview with the Turkish press, I asked the MIT to tell me the names of lawmakers and politicians who are members of the organization. They said there is no such thing. If they are hiding information from me, they will pay the price. Yet not many in Turkey were convinced that this was the MITs complete answer on the matter. The MIT is known for its detailed reporting on even minor issues. Plus, Ankara corridors, as well as social media, have been rocked by traces of AKP infighting, which has seen senior members accuse each other of being CIA spies or Gulen movement members.

Disarray inside the AKP has been so intense that Erdogan had to announce that, once the amendments are accepted on April 16, he would immediately become the leader of the party and that he would not wait until 2019 to assume the party leadership. This measure did not generate enough support among the AKP. So on March 20, Yildirim gathered former AKP ministers to join the campaign to rally for a "yes" vote. The former ministers issued serious criticisms about the amendments and the timing of the referendum, and they urged the government to soften its rhetoric and reassess the cost of an alliance with the MHP.

Yet as Yildirim told the former AKP ministers, the referendum on amending 18 articles of the constitution has now evolved into a vote of confidence for Erdogan. Despite all of Erdogans pleas, AKP elites fear that the proposed presidential system will only decrease their already dwindling administrative powers and increase the arbitrariness of the system. For most of them, the proposed change is more risky than the status quo. Erdogan and his immediate circle know this well, so the battle now is to coerce these elites to fall in line. One way is to make sure there is nowhere to run. Hence, Erdogan's strategy is that offense is the best defense. Erdogan, by using erratic rhetoric, is observing who will be a partner in sullying Turkeys reputation. So far, AKP elites are competing to prove their loyalty. For example, on March 20, Bulent Tufenkci, the customs and trade minister, told the press that if the referendum doesn't pass, there will be chaos in the economy. But if the risk is so high for the precarious economy, why did the government insist on such a referendum?

There is a poignant caricature that may explain why Erdogan will not stop embarrassing his country. In it, Erdogan says, The people of Turkey are behind me, and the people are pictured behind bars. That's the situation of the AKP elite. To win, Erdogan not only needs their votes but their dedication. Turkeys reputation is part of that price.
March 24, 2017

On the night of July 15, 2016, while a coup attempt was unfolding in Turkey, two capitals  Moscow and Tehran  stayed on alert. Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Hassan Rouhani of Iran were the first to call their Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to express support for the elected government in Ankara.

Tehrans support compounded Turkish hopes of expanding economic ties, which had been on the rise since Irans nuclear deal with world powers and the ensuing lifting of sanctions. Turkish entrepreneurs felt excited over the prospect of new opportunities in Iran amid expectations of a multibillion-dollar investment and development drive in the neighboring country.

Optimism was high also in Turkeys tourism sector. In 2010, 1.9 million Iranian tourists had visited Turkey, and now, with Irans international isolation easing, the prospect of Iranians growing more prosperous boosted hopes that the number of Iranian tourists would shoot up as well.

Turkeys review of its Syria policy, which brought it closer to Russia and Iran, provided an additional ground for better bilateral ties.

In February, however, Erdogan  on a Gulf tour that included Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain  lashed out at Iran for pursuing Shiite sectarianism and Persian nationalism in the region. Tehran responded in kind, and as a first fallout from the spat, a Turkish-Iranian business forum scheduled for Feb. 25 in Tehran was canceled. Investment and export deals worth at least $15 billion had been expected to be taken up at the gathering, in addition to plans to open a Turkish Trade Center in Tehran, the first of such overseas centers  all of which make up the backbone of Ankaras new foreign trade strategy.

The spat dampened the mood also among Turkish tourism entrepreneurs, who had returned in high spirits from the Tehran International Tourism Fair only two weeks earlier, hoping that an increase in Iranian visitors would help revive the sector that was hit hard by the 2015 jet crisis with Russia and then the coup attempt. The loss of millions of tourists, mainly Russians, led to a $10 billion decline in tourism revenues in 2016. In assessment reports on the Iranian market, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies and the Hotel Association of Turkey created a target of at least 2 million Iranian tourists in 2017, up from 1.7 million last year.

According to the figures, the flow of Iranian tourists in 2016 declined in the wake of the coup attempt as Tehran, citing security concerns, canceled charter flights to Turkey and stopped tour operators from selling Turkey trips. As a result, the number of Iranian tourists dropped 2.07% from 2015.

In general, Iranian tourists prefer Istanbul for shopping and sightseeing and the Mediterranean region of Antalya for resting. In recent years, Turkish Airlines has launched direct flights from Iran to other popular seaside resorts in Turkey such as Alanya, Bodrum and Marmaris. Apart from Tehran, the departure points of the direct flights to Turkey include Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz and Kermanshah.

Up to 8 million Iranians travel abroad every year, and their number is expected to increase fast. The top three destinations of Iranians are Dubai, Malaysia and Turkey.

Erdogans outburst against Iran, coupled with similar remarks by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, fanned bilateral tensions just as the Turkish tourism sector was hoping for an end to Tehrans ban on charter flights.

On March 12, the Iranian consul-general in Istanbul said Turkey was not safe for Iranians to travel, and the Foreign Ministry in Tehran warned citizens to avoid Turkey, citing security concerns.

Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani followed suit at a press conference the next day. A reporter from Turkeys semi-official Anatolia news agency asked Larijani why Tehran advised citizens to avoid Turkey but never issued a similar warning for Iraq, where terrorist incidents happen on a daily basis. Larijani replied that Iranians traveled mainly to Karbala and Najaf in Iraq, which he described as safe cities free of the terrorism problem, according to Turkish media reports. In further remarks on bilateral relations, he charged that Turkeys attitude and statements on certain issues did not befit neighborly ties.

Tehrans travel warnings came ahead of the long Nowruz holiday marking the Persian New Year, during which many Iranians travel to Turkey. Despite the warnings, thousands of Iranians flocked by land to Turkish border cities, primarily Van, where preparations for them were in full swing. The Turkish authorities facilitated customs procedures for the Iranians, who received a warm welcome with flowers and drums in Van. Businesses across the city offered discounts of up to 50%, as the visitors went on shopping sprees.

Despite this bright episode, gloomy prospects seem to prevail in the Turkish tourism sector. Political tensions have flared also with Europe, especially the Netherlands and Germany, two big providers of tourists, over Turkish ministers insistence on campaigning in European cities with Turkish immigrant communities ahead of a critical referendum on constitutional changes next month. Tehrans calls on its citizens to avoid Turkey coincided with Ankaras simmering conflict with Europe, stoking fears of fresh economic fallouts.

Members of the Turkish tourism sector returned demoralized from the Berlin Tourism Fair earlier this month, grumbling that European interest in Turkish holidays has sharply declined, turning instead to Spain and Greece.

Thus, Iranian tourists have become even more important in efforts to prop up the sector, in addition to hopes that the Russians will return, as ties with Moscow have notably improved after Erdogans apology over the jet incident. Yet the tensions with Tehran signal that the target of 2 million Iranian tourists this year could be in jeopardy as well.

One recent development bodes further chill with Iran. Sponsored by Ankara, 50 Syrian tribal leaders convened March 14 in Turkeys southern city of Sanliurfa, announcing plans to create an Army of the Jazeera and Euphrates Tribes to fight Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party and the Islamic State in Syria, according to Hurriyet. The tribal force will be under the command of the Free Syrian Army, which includes an array of factions trained and equipped by the Turkish military.

So Turkey is working with Russia and Iran to resolve the Syrian crisis on one hand, but on the other hand it is hosting an initiative for an armed force that intends to fight Russia and Iran. The fresh tensions and setbacks that this could create would inevitably extend beyond the political and military realm to inflict more damage on trade and tourism.
March 23, 2017

Turkeys plans to expand its Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria and isolate Kurdish forces in the region appear to be backfiring.

After Turkey liberated al-Bab from the Islamic State (IS), it turned toward Manbij, which is controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and its Syrian allies, only to encounter US flags northwest of the town and Russian and Syrian national flags to the southwest. Now a similar scenario is being played out in Afrin.

On March 20, YPG spokesman Redur Halil announced Russia would deploy troops to the Cindires district of Afrin province. The statement was followed by photos of military vehicles flying the Russian flag.

The presence of Russian troops at Cindires is the outcome of an agreement reached between our forces and the Russian army," Halil said. "This agreement foresees partnership in combating terror and training of our fighters by the Russian army. We have direct contacts with Russia.

YPG sources told Al-Monitor the two sides met at Khmeimim air base near Latakia to discuss developing a joint operation against Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (previously Jabhat al-Nusra), which has made Idlib its central base. The Kurds initially insisted that the partnership should also oppose organizations such as Ahrar al-Sham, which Turkey supports. In the end, the sources said, both parties decided not to debate which organizations they will confront and agreed that Russia will set up a base in Afrin. The Kurds said they rejected Russia's request to have Syrian regime troops at the base and to fly the Syrian flag there.

But the Russian Defense Ministry denied it plans to have a permanent military base there. The ministry said Russia has a site nearby that it uses to monitor cease-fire arrangements.

Preparing for a possible war

Zelal Ceger, an official with the Kurdish Movement for a Democratic Society in Afrin, said the Kurds sought an agreement with the Russians because of persistent attacks on Afrin by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and armed groups that Turkey supports. A Russian military convoy went first, as planned, to Cindires, immediately south of Afrin near the western border with Turkey. Russia then decided the convoy would be better positioned in Kefir Ceni, which is about an hour northeast toward the northern Turkish border and some 9 miles from Azaz.

We have the Turkish state on one side and the gangs on the other," Ceger said. "We are resisting them by our own means. But they are setting up alliances against us. We have to do something about these. The Turkish state is threatening us every day and shelling Raco, Sharra and Shiigi. We are under pressure also from the direction of Tel Firat. Turkey is massing troops around Idlib and giving weapons to the gangs of Idlib."

He added, This war can escalate  hence our call on Russia for an alliance. There has to be coordination between Turkey and us. Russia will provide that coordination to prevent Turkish attacks against Afrin."

Russian military experts have been coming to Afrin for the past two years. These visits started immediately after Turkey said it wouldn't allow the YPG to cross to the west of the Euphrates River, and the YPG started attacks from Afrin against Azaz. However, if the YPG sources are correct, this will be the first time the Russians have felt the need for a permanent base at Afrin. Why?

A senior YPG commander speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said, According to an agreement between Turkey and Russia, Turkey was to hand over al-Bab to the Syrian army after capturing it from IS. But Turkey did not leave al-Bab. To the contrary, it is now building a second base on a dominating hill outside al-Bab. It had already built a base at Aktarin. When the Turks didn't pull out of al-Bab, Russia wanted to send them a new message. Russias rapprochement with the Kurds stems from the weakness of Turkish-Russian relations.

Will the rapprochement affect the partnership between the United States and the Kurds? The senior YPG commander replied, No. We initiated contacts with Russia after openly speaking about it with the Americans. We told the Americans, If you are not willing to cooperate with us at al-Bab and Afrin, then we will have to look for other connections.' They did not react. The Russian and American positions on Raqqa have become closer. This makes it easy for us to set up relations with both of them.

Raqqa, the so-called IS capital in Syria, is another sore spot with Turkey, which has made it clear it plans on being part of the operation to take control of the city. That scenario is looking more unlikely each day.

After the United States and Russia reached an understanding on Manbij, the United States continued providing military assistance to the Syrian Democratic Forces, a YPG-dominated coalition. The United States has brought in armored vehicles, heavy weapons and helicopters for the Raqqa operation. The Kurds are now waiting for Apache assault helicopters. In the meantime, the Kurds firmly rejected a US proposal to include Syrian Kurdish peshmerga forces supported by Massoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq. Barzani cooperates with Turkey. YPG Kurds said of the proposal, We see this as a conspiracy. It will mean war between the Kurds. We categorically reject it.

All these developments indicate that either the United States is being flexible or it is not in a position to impose conditions on the Kurds, who are aware that the US-Russia understanding could be a short-term one.

Kurds can join Idlib operation

The critical question now is what will happen at Idlib. The Syrian army has been clearing out IS forces from their last Aleppo stronghold. Thanks to an agreement between Turkey and Russia, Turkish-supported armed groups  which oppose the Syrian regime but were also fighting IS in Aleppo  were allowed to leave there with their weapons and families. Most of them settled in Idlib and Azaz.

Now, Russia and Turkey disagree on what to do with these anti-Syrian (and therefore, anti-Russian) groups. Russia wants them disbanded. Turkey would like them to hold onto that area and join the pro-Turkish Free Syrian Army factions to fight the Kurds and keep them from establishing a continuous autonomous region near Turkey's border.

If Russia and the Syrian army open a front against Idlib, clashes with the Turkish-backed groups could spill over to Afrin.

Although the Kurds are focused on defending Afrin, they may be amenable to a joint operation with the Russians against threats from Idlib. The YPG commander told Al-Monitor, We could, of course, join operations against Idlib-based groups if we so wanted. Idlib is the key now. If Idlib is attacked, then Afrin will come under pressure. We are open to different alternatives.

According to this YPG commander, if Turkish-supported groups or the Turkish army directly move against Afrin, the Kurds have two options: The first option is cooperation with Russians. This is ongoing. Russian deployment at Afrin is an open message to Turkey. Our second option is to give the green light to the Syrian army. Afrin is a Syrian town. The Syrian army can come there as stipulated by its territorial integrity. If we have to, we will look into this option.

In summary, Russia has deployed troops to Afrin for three reasons. First, it is sending a message to Turkey, via the Kurds, that it is unhappy about Turkey not leaving al-Bab. Second, Russia will not allow a TSK move against Afrin. Third, a northern Kurdish front is developing against groups like Jabhat Fatah al-Sham at Idlib.
KALISPELL  A Montana woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for defrauding 16 investors out of nearly $700,000 and embezzling from the trust account of a man with mental and physical disabilities.

District Judge Amy Eddy also ordered Catherine Ann Finberg of Columbia Falls to pay more than $767,000 in restitution, The Flathead Beacon reported Wednesday. Her plea agreement called for $1 million in restitution, including interest. It was reduced by the proceeds from the sale of her house and assets frozen before she was charged.

"I accept full responsibility for my actions and have been tormented by what I did every hour of every day," said Finberg, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison with 30 suspended.

A state investigation found Finberg, 58, lost money day trading in the stock market, used money from new investors to make payments to earlier investors and used some investors' money to pay her mortgage, credit cards and other expenses.

Prosecutors said Finberg made herself the beneficiary or gained control of two accounts left by the grandparents of a mentally and physically disabled man to pay for his care and expenses. The total restitution owed to him was $244,000, court records said.

Officials said 28 people invested about $1.5 million with Finberg between 2008 and 2016. Some early investors got their money back. Three of the defrauded investors were considered vulnerable persons because of their age. One of the defrauded investors was her mother's estate, which was owed $85,000 in restitution.
AT&T window.JPG

AT&T is pushing its high-speed fiber optic Internet service beyond Huntsville and into other North Alabama areas.

AT&T is now expanding its 1-gigabit Internet service on a 100 percent fiber network beyond Huntsville to parts of Athens, Florence and surrounding areas, the company says.

The fastest service, AT&T Internet 1000, is now available to homes, apartments and small businesses, including 30 multifamily area properties in the Huntsville area, AT&T says.

It isn't available everywhere immediately as it is rolled out, but potential customers can check their zip code for availability at att.com/fibermap. Prices start at $80 a month for one year.

Business leaders in Florence and Athens praised the access in statements this week. The company's investments "offer our residents and businesses additional resources to thrive in today's digital society," said Andy Mann, chairman of the Shoals Area Chamber of Commerce.

"The strength of our state's economy relies on innovation and investment, and it is exciting to have AT&T expanding access to ultra-fast internet in our community," said Jennifer Williamson, president of the Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce - Athens

Competition to offer gigabit Internet has accelerated in North Alabama since Google Fiber announced in 2016 that it would provide gigabit fiber optic cable Internet to Huntsville beginning this summer.

Joining AT&T and Google Fiber in the market this year are Comcast and Wow! Internet Cable & Phone.
A well-known antique dealer is moving his business this spring to a new spot in downtown Huntsville.

Rivenbark and Roper Antiques, an antique gallery owned by Ken Rivenbark, will open in early April on 313 Jefferson St. between Randy Roper Interiors and Railroad Station Antiques. The store specializes in 18th to early 20th century antiques, silver, Chinese and Japanese export porcelains, and original art from around the world.

The creator and host of the cable television show "Southern Heirlooms with Ken Rivenbark" said he has always wanted to operate his store in downtown Huntsville. After more than a decade on Bob Wallace Avenue, he is finally realizing his dream.

Rivenbark, who handpicks every item in his collection, said he takes pride in only selling true antiques - not reproductions.

"What's unusual about us is when you come into the store, you notice a difference," he said. "I try to keep everything as close to perfection as possible."

Rivenbark spent a month renovating the 5,500-square-foot space, which is triple the size of the Bob Wallace store. A ribbon cutting ceremony with the Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for April 6.

In addition to his loyal customers, Rivenbark hopes to attract more tourists who are visiting downtown for the first time.

"I'm hoping this will be another stop on their itinerary," he said.

Downtown Huntsville Inc. has made several strides since 2014 to improve retail offerings in the city center with the launch of the Clinton Row Project and Garage at Clinton Row. The Avenue and CityCentre at Big Spring, two separate projects that are in different phases of construction, will also provide new retail offerings in downtown.

DHI is procuring a downtown retail demand study with RCLCO that will accompany last year's residential demand report. The study will be ready to release in early April, according to DHI President and CEO Chad Emerson.

Emerson said he is excited for Rivenbark and his team to bring a new shopping option to downtown.

"As one of the premier high end antique galleries, this will be a great new retail destination for both local residents and visitors from throughout the region," he said.
At the Abba Shrine Temple on Thursday afternoon, Amber Guy, public relations manager for the Mobile Public Library, picked up a book from among nearly 40,000 titles that are still being sorted in the 52,000-square-foot space where the annual Friends of the Library Used Book Sale is about to take place.

We really do have everything, she deadpanned, holding a copy of Adolph Hitlers Mein Kampf.

Heres a sample of the diverse assortment of books youll find in this weekends sale. Scroll down for more information about the event itself.

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Audiobook: "A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron

Published in: 2010

Price: $1

Why it's cool: Unlike the recently released movie, in this book, which follows a dog through several levels of reincarnation, no animals were harmed. Also, it's fun to let someone else do the reading for you on an audiobook. You just relax and enjoy listening.

From a review of the book: Temple Grandin, the New York Times bestselling author of "Animals in Translation," wrote, "I loved the book and I could not put it down. It really made me think about the purpose of life."

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Book: "Billy Whiskers Kids" by Frances Trego Montgomery

Published in: 1903

Price: TBD

What makes it cool: This book features a handwritten inscription to Kenneth S. Thompson on Christmas 1906, "from Momma." Due to its age, "Billy Whiskers Kids" is in the "Special Priced" section, but it will still be value-priced.

An excerpt: "Oh my! Oh my! Whatever shall I do?" bleated Nanny. "Now Billy will come back, and when he can't find me he will think the wolves have attacked me or that some other dreadful thing has happened to me."

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Book: "Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England" by Jack Zipes

Published in: 1986

Why it's cool: The book, which includes re-telling of popular fairy tales by writers like Anne Sexton and Margaret Atwood, is dedicated to "Carol, with hope for a better future." Aww.

Excerpt: "Do you know, he brought me peaches on our wedding night, all the way from the hothouses of the city. Then he showed me the whip he had been hiding under the fruit. You see what it is to be a woman, Lisel. Is that what you want? And even if he is a good man, which is a rare beast indeed, you may die an agonizing death in childbed, just as your mother did."

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Book: "A Repair and Maintenance Bicycle Manifesto" by Sam Tracy

Published in: 2005

Price: $1

Why it's cool: It provides useful, practical DIY advice for keeping your bike in shape.

An excerpt: The author apparently doesn't like adjustable stems. "I like to imagine that the industry's more righteous engineers would have called them on this crap a decade or two ago, but the precious new whiz kids sheltering beneath the major manufacturers evidently lent their acquiescence instead."

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Book: "Shoes: A History from Sandals to Sneakers," edited by Giorgio Riello and Peter McNeil

Published in: 2006

Price: $1

Why it's cool: This book definitely would have been on Carrie Bradshaw's bookshelf. (Remember Carrie? From "Sex and the City"? She loved shoes? Anyway.)

An excerpt: In early modern Japan, "Footwear was unclean both from its contact with the ground, and with the feet. Therefore, leaving the feet exposed was an expression of intimacy. Feet, symbolic of the genitals, had a definite erotic focus. In art, curled toes indicated arousal, and the feet of women who were not prostitutes or of low social status were rarely shown. Imagery for men was quite different: barefoot men were often meant to represent marital estrangement, and piles of shoes meant the probable infidelity of one's husband."

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Book: "Dining with William Shakespeare" by Madge Lorwin

Published in: 1976

Price: $1

How it's different: As you can imagine, this is more of a literary exploration of food than an actual cookbook  but it's charming and fascinating. For each recipe, there's a Shakespearean reference, followed by a "working version" with modern spellings, ingredients and instructions.

By the way, cookbooks are one of the most popular categories at the Used Book Sale, and theyre among the first books to go.

An excerpt: "To frie chickins: Take your Chickins and let them boyle in verie good sweet broth a pretie while then put them into a frying pan with sweete Butter, and let them stewe in the pan, but you must not let them be browne with frying."

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Book: "Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy"

Published in: 2011

Price: $1

Why it's cool: The book contains a warning that aging rocker and former reality star Ozzy Osbourne "is not a qualified medical professional. Caution is advised."

An excerpt: Ozzy actually answers medical questions from fans, including Nicola from Cheshire who asks if she might have "hysterical blindness" because her vision blurred when she spoke in public. Here's Dr. Ozzy's response: "Panic attacks can do all kinds of weird things to you  I know, 'cos I've suffered from stage fright all my life. I went to see my GP about it once and he told me, 'Trying [sic] getting a brown paper bag and blowing into it." I said to him, "Apart from filling a bag with air, what the f--- is that gonna do?' He didn't take too kindly to that. I see a therapist now to treat my anxiety  it's been doing me a lot of good  although anything to do with your sight is so important, it might also be worth seeing an eye doctor. The problem is that your symptoms only appear when you're nervous. So you might have to invite an audience and recite some Shakespeare while he checks you out."

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Book: "Hippie" by Barry Miles

Published in: 2004

Price: $1

Why it's cool: It's about the counter-culture, man! The author dedicates the book "to all the old freaks and hippies everywhere."

An excerpt: "It was from the questioning of sex roles that the women's movement began. Hippies were notorious in their treatment of women, who were regarded as 'chicks' and 'old ladies' and expected to do all the chores as if they were suburban housewives, but without any of the security that straight women had. Naturally they also looked after the children."

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

DVD: "Bambi"

Released in: 2011

Price: $3

Why it's cool: Bambi! Thumper! Flower the skunk! Friend Owl! This two-DVD enhanced digital restoration of the classic tells Walt Disney's beloved coming-of-age story. Every human being should see "Bambi."

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com

Book: "What You Never Knew About Tubs, Toilets and Showers" by Patricia Lauber

Published in: 2001

Price: $1

Why it's cool: Intended for children ages 6 and up, this book is actually a history of modern plumbing.

An excerpt: The pleasures of bathing were discovered, perhaps accidentally, in the Stone Age, Lauber explains. An illustration by John Manders shows a dirty cave woman asking her sparkling-clean, loincloth-wearing mate, "Why you smell funny? Children frightened." He replies, "Fell in river. New me. All clean. Feels good."

Me laugh!

Don't Edit

Used Book Sale FYI

Not only does the sale offer incredible variety, the items are priced to sell: $1 for hardbacks, 50 cents for paperbacks, audiobooks and music CDs for $1 and DVDs for $3. And on Sunday, everything is half-price.

The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is the largest fundraiser of the year for the library. In the past, the sale has helped to purchase e-books and buy a Bookmobile. This year, the money will be used for special events, like bringing a Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) exhibition to the Ben May Main library in 2019.

The Used Book Sale opens with a preview sale for Friends members on Friday afternoon from 3 to 7 p.m. (Memberships will be available at the door for $30.) The sale will be open to the public Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Hearts are beating. Eyes are focused. And hands are working diligently on a March afternoon at the Birmingham Public Library.

Love is in the air, too, courtesy of the Bib & Tucker Sew-Op.

The local nonprofit organization, which aims to build community and nurture sewing skills, has settled into the library's downtown atrium for a session with needles and thread.

Anyone can join the sewing circle -- actually, participants are sitting at a long rectangular table -- and new recruits are eased into the process by a welcoming instructor, Stephanie George. Her mission: to help them sew squares for a quilt that will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.

This landmark case ended legal restrictions on interracial marriage in the United States, while upholding the union of Mildred and Richard Loving. The Lovings, a black woman and a white man, had been sentenced to a yearlong prison term in Virginia, simply because they'd said "I do."

The Supreme Court changed all that in 1967, and now June 12 is celebrated as Loving Day. The case, although five decades old, continues to strike a chord with folks who believe in social justice and equality. The members of Bib & Tucker certainly belong in that group, and Loving Day has become a rallying cry, of sorts, for a project called The March Quilts.

For the past two years, Bib & Tucker has recruited the public for a community art project, creating a series of quilts that illustrate civil rights or human rights themes. The first year, in 2015, 461 blocks were stitched by members of Bib & Tucker and others who took an interest.

Those pieces were assembled into three quilts commemorating the Selma-to Montgomery marches of March 1965. The quilts were exhibited in Selma and Montgomery -- in March, naturally -- to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the marches. Hence the overall name: The March Quilts.

Detail of a quilt commemorating the Selma-to-Montgomery marches of 1965. (Tamika Moore | tmoore@al.com)

The project was so successful, Bib & Tucker picked up the thread again in 2016, teaming with the public for a quilt that pointed to wage inequality -- basically, the fact that women of all races are paid less money than men for doing the same work. A total of 88 squares was stitched that year, bringing the concept to vivid life.

"We got some really beautiful blocks that people really thought about," says Lillis Taylor, co-founder of Bib & Tucker. "We used purple for the quilt, because it's one of the suffragette colors. There are three numbers in the quilt -- 79, 64 and 55 -- that represent what a Caucasian woman makes, what an African American woman makes and what a Hispanic woman makes compared to the male dollar."

Sewing sessions for the latest installment of The March Quilts started in December, after Bib & Tucker's members decided on the Loving Day theme. Currently, the group has collected about 50 blocks for the new quilt, via open sewing sessions at libraries, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the UAB Women and Infants Center and the Sew-Op itself, 4915B Fifth Ave. South.

At least two more sew-ins are planned, on March 30 at the Emmet O'Neal Library in Mountain Brook, and on April 2 in a tent at Railroad Park.

All materials are provided at the sessions, from fabric to thread to round wooden frames that keep fabric taut while it's stitched. No experience is required -- "If you show up and want to sew a block, you can," Taylor says -- and Bib & Tucker members are happy to provide guidance for those who need it.

"There is technical sewing, but this is not the place for it," says George, who's led several of the public sessions. "This is art sewing. It's art and it's what you put into it, so anything is beautiful."

Thus far, hearts have been a popular motif for the Loving Day quilt, no matter if the sewer is young or old, male or female, fledgling or experienced. Newcomers usually spend about 30-60 minutes working on a single square, George says, sketching words or images on paper and transferring those to pre-cut blocks of fabric.

Some folks have been working on the squares at home, as well, and Bib & Tucker's members have produced a significant amount during their weekly meetings at the sew-op in Woodlawn, Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Visitors and drop-ins are encouraged.)

Blocks for the 2017 installment of The March Quilts were inspired by interracial marriage and Loving Day. (Tamika Moore | tmoore@al.com)

"I'm really about sewing and community, and the different ways these two can benefit each other," says Taylor, who started Bib & Tucker with a like-minded friend, Annie Bryant. "This is a hub for sewing activities that cultivate empowerment, education and economic opportunity."

Taylor and Bryant met in 2010 at the Birmingham Quilters Guild, and have been sewing together ever since -- first, at the Birmingham Public Library's Inglenook branch, and later, at the Bib & Tucker building. (The nonprofit was incorporated in 2014.)

For Taylor, conversations that arise at the sewing sessions -- about life, work, Birmingham's history and more -- are just as important as the quilting output. She's chatted with folks who range in age from 8 to 80-plus, from backgrounds as varied as their sewing skills.

"I saw an opportunity for women of all ages to get together and learn from each other," Taylor says. "Hand-sewing loosens tongues like you would not believe."

The discussions can be illuminating and challenging, Taylor says, especially when passers-by join the sewing circle in a public spot. Bib & Tucker's Loving Day quilt project has drawn comments from across the spectrum on racism, and Taylor says that's been a valuable learning experience.

"A man came up at the Homewood library, where one of the Selma quilts was hanging, and somehow we got him to sit down and start working on a block," Taylor says. "He looks down on the Black Lives Matter movement, and said it was all kind of a waste of time and distracting. He said, 'Look, I'm trying to grow. I really want to understand and make the world a better place.' Of course, we did not change his mind, and he did not change ours. But we had an extremely civil discourse."

Passers-by are encouraged to participate in The March Quilts at open sewing sessions at Birmingham libraries and other community centers. (Tamika Moore | tmoore@al.com)

When the Loving Day quilt is completed, it'll be displayed at UAB Hospital on June 12, in a walkway between the North Pavilion and the Women and Infants Center, at Sixth Avenue South and 18th Street. The other four quilts in The March Quilts series will be on view, as well.

The exhibit is co-produced by UAB Arts in Medicine, Taylor says. She previously worked with this program to create two quilts made with fabric from nursing scrubs, celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Women and Infants Center.

A $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham provided seed money for the Loving Day quilt, helping the sew-op to buy materials, expand its open sewing sessions and pay facilitators.

"The March Quilts are on a roll," Taylor says. "This is year three and we are definitely going to continue doing it. This is a nonprofit, and we could use more interaction from the community. We need more materials and more participation. ... Bib & Tucker is the little engine that could. I think it's unique to Birmingham, and this is a time when really beautiful things are happening here."
Boston band

Boston's Tom Scholz (left) and Michael Sweet perform with the rock band at the New York State Fair in 2008.

(Li-Hua Lan | File photo)

Former Boston drummer Sib Hashian is dead, according to multiple reports.

Hashian's wife, Suzanne, told WCVB that the 67-year-old musician collapsed onstage Wednesday night while performing during the Legends of Rock Cruise. A witness told TMZ that CPR was performed and a defibrillator was used, but Hasian died on the boat.

"It is with deep and profound sadness I share the news of my husband's, John 'Sib' Hashian, the drummer formerly of the band Boston, sudden death," Suzanne Hashian, his wife of 38 years, said Thursday.

A cause of death has not been announced, but Hahian's son told Fox News that "we think it might be a heart attack." It's unclear if he had any preexisting health conditions.

Hashian is best known for performing on Boston's first two albums, including the 1976 hits "More Than a Feeling" and "Longtime." The band, which features lead guitarist Tom Scholz, fractured in 1979 during a contract dispute with a former manager; guitarist Barry Goudreau recorded a solo album, with help from Hashian and vocalist Brad Delp.

In later years, Hashian owned a record shop and several tanning salons in the Boston, Massachusetts, area.

Suzanne Hashian told WCVB that funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

According to TMZ, the cruise ship, which began its trip March 18 in Florida and made several stops in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, will continue with other musicians performing tributes to Hashian. The L.O.R. Cruise lineup includes Goudreau and Kansas' John Elefante.

Hashian's daughter, Lauren, is also known for her relationship with actor-wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The couple welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Jasmine, in 2015.
Alabama's beloved author and storyteller, the late Kathryn Tucker Windham, and tales from her book "13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey," will be brought to life Monday in a reading by actors on a New York stage.

The play version, "13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey: The Musical," written by Birmingham playwright Don Everett Garrett, will be read at the American Theatre of Actors, John Cullum Theatre, in New York City. It will be read, rather than fully acted, by players from the Actors' Equity union.

"In character, they read the script and sing the score in front of invited private audience," Garrett explained.

It is the first of three steps to bringing the play to family audiences as an off-Broadway musical, said Garrett, who will attend the reading. Garrett, who wrote the play in 2009 and never thought it might make it to New York, said it features the real voice of Windham recorded before her death in 2011 to introduce the show, as well as an actress who portrays Windham. As a retired Jefferson County teacher who used Windham's books in his history classes, he wanted his play to have as much of her essence as possible.

"It's not scary; it's a family show," Garrett said. "Kathryn herself once said, 'One of the most sinful things you can do is scare a child."

Windham is survived by her daughter Dilcy Hilley and son Ben Windham, who wrote an introduction for a 2014 re-release of "13 Ghosts of Alabama and Jeffrey."

Hilley said of the show, "I wish them all the very best and hope the show is tremendously successful. Don has worked long and hard on this production."

After securing a musical score by composer Kevin Francis Finn, who most recently has been the conductor for national tour of "Beauty and the Beast," the play was performed several times across Alabama to tighten the script and work out bugs.

The cast of "13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey: The Musical." (Source: Glen Kinnaird)

Then, in 2015, Garrett met Glen Kinnaird, an Alabama native who lives in New York, when Kinnaird was in Birmingham on another project. Kinnaird created Open Doors Productions and Theatricals in 2006 as a way to "nurture and develop new plays and musicals by lesser known playwrights and composers," he said. When Garrett mentioned his play, Kinnaird, who also fondly recalled Windham's books, optioned the rights.

Following the reading, the play will go through two other phases while funds are raised in an effort to bring it to the stage. It will be followed by a workshop in which any "bugs are worked out" of the dialog and choreography. The final stage is mounting the production on stage.

Kinnaird said the workshop will cost between $40,000 and $60,000 and could be held in New York or perhaps the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. To stage a play off-Broadway costs about $350,000 for an eight- to 10-week run, Kinnaird said but the earning potential "is very high" if the number of cast members is correct and "we do creative things with the set and costumes."

Garrett said the main difference between a Broadway show and an off-Broadway show is the size of the theatre and Kinnaird felt "13 Ghosts" was a good fit for off-Broadway, where ticket prices would also be in a more manageable family range. Garrett said when he was a drama teacher he took young students to New York each year and often had difficulty finding plays suitable for children and mostly relied on Disney shows.

"We're going to be reaching out and asking Alabama to support our project," Garrett said.

The beginning

Years ago, Garrett wrote Windham and sent a long letter to her Selma home, explaining he wanted to write a musical adaptation of her book. She responded on a postcard featuring the image of Jeffrey, the friendly ghost who some claimed haunted Windham's house and encouraged her to write ghost tales, asking him to call her.

Windham, who was 91 at the time, said, "I don't know how you're going to do it, but if you think you can, go for it." After she received a draft from Garrett, her response was a second ghostly postcard that read, "I love it!"

Kathryn Tucker Windham on her 90th birthday. The beloved author broke ground as a female reporter in the 1940s. (Contributed by Dilcy Windham Hilley)

In 2010, Keith Cromwell, director of the Red Mountain Theatre Company in Birmingham, agreed to produce the play at the conservatory. That production was praised, Garrett said, and the musical has since been produced by a few regional theatre companies across the state, resulting in five Broadway World Theatre Award nominations in 2015.

Because of the assistance from Red Mountain Theatre Company, Garrett said he requested using some Alabama actors who attended the conservatory in the play as a means to give their careers a boost. Several cast members are from Alabama, he said.

The story

Garrett said the 13 ghost tales are framed by the tale of a juvenile who was "up to no good" and pulling pranks on Halloween. He encounters Windham at this stage when his life could make a wrong turn and she tells him the ghost stories as a means of showing consequences of people's actions.

"She's letting him know decisions matter," Garrett said.

He got the idea when he heard someone say he was raised in a juvenile home and "no one ever told me a story." Garrett wondered how stories would make a difference in a child's life.

Kinnaird said the portrayal is as much like the real Kathryn as possible. "We bring Katherine along with these stories of these ghosts," he said.
A former Alabama corporation providing janitorial services for commercial businesses across the southeast agreed Thursday to pay a former employee $70,000 to settle a federal lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.

According to the lawsuit filed by the EEOC in June 2013, Birmingham-based Rite Way Services, Inc. violated federal law when the company terminated an employee in retaliation for participating in an internal investigation concerning a co-worker's sexual harassment complaint. Mekeva Tennort, who was employed by Rite Way to perform janitorial duties at Biloxi High School in Mississippi, made a statement to supervisors who were investigating the complaint in August 2011.

The EEOC said Rite Way gave Tennort several written warnings about untrue performance issues soon after Tennort made the statement. Tennort was then fired based on the inaccurate accusations, the commission said. The EEOC said Right Way violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from retaliating against an employee for opposing unlawful sexual harassment, including participating in an employer's internal sexual harassment investigation.

Along with the payment to Tennort, the three-year consent decree also requires Rite Way to hand out its anti-discrimination policy to specific former employees. It also must develop and implement policies that prevent future discrimination, train employees on unlawful discrimination and provide reports of its compliance to the EEOC.

Rite Way now operates as a separate division of Diversified Maintenance Systems, LLC in the Southeast.

EEOC Birmingham District Regional Attorney Marsha Rucker hopes the lawsuit teaches people about the type of protection the federal law provides for all parties involved.

"This lawsuit and resulting settlement achieves the EEOC's objectives of providing specific relief to the victim and educating employers that Title VII not only protects those who file a charge of discrimination, but also for those who speak up during the course of a workplace investigation," Rucker said.
A federal judge on Thursday said he found it "shocking" that 31 Jefferson County sewage plant operators who recently took an exam to earn a higher level of certification had all failed it.

"I don't find this acceptable at all," said U.S. District Court Judge Lynwood Smith.

Ultimately what concerns him, Smith said, is the health of Jefferson County residents if the sewer operators are not well-trained and something happens. He said he's going to give the issue "microscopic" attention.

Others at the hearing noted how tough the exam is and how three-fourths of those who take it usually don't pass.

Smith made the comments in Thursday's monthly status conference hearing on Jefferson County's progress in complying with the 1982 consent decree to assure that hiring practices don't discriminate against blacks and women.

Dan Biles, deputy Jefferson County manager, explained after the hearing that larger size sewage treatment plants are required to have a certain number of level IV operators. He said the county has the legally required number of level IV operators but is looking to expand that number.

According to a December 2015 report from the man appointed as receiver to oversee county personnel hiring, firings and promotions there were 38 level I wastewater operators, 25 level II operators (with 10 vacancies) and 57 level IV operators for its nine wastewater treatment plants and pump stations.

The county has been trying since at least 2010 to hire more certified operators, particularly those with a level IV certification, according to the report. The county is trying to balance the need for certified operators to comply with federal environmental laws and a sewer consent decree while still meeting its obligations for diversity in hiring for those positions, according to the personnel reports.

Below is a chart from the December 2015 report.

Several officials on Thursday told the judge about how tough the test, administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, has historically been.

Fewer than 100 people take the ADEM Wastewater Treatment Plant Grade IV exam each year in Alabama, according to the March progress report from Lorren Oliver, the man Smith appointed to oversee the county's progress in complying with the consent decree.

In fiscal year 2015 across the state 71 took the test with a pass rate of 25.4 percent, Oliver's report stated. That number has fluctuated in recent years between a 23.4 percent pass rate in 2012 to a high of 41.2 percent passing in 2013, the report stated.

Five or six states use the test, which is adapted to the individual state. That includes all neighboring states except Florida.

A couple of officials told the judge that they questioned the validity of the test, including Special Master John Veres, the man appointed to make sure Smith's orders are followed in the case.

ADEM, however, has not had any concerns about the test, Veres said.

The question about the test results came up in Oliver's progress report to Smith for March under a section regarding the Grade IV Wastewater Certification Preparation Program. That program to prepare employees for trying to get the higher certification level ended Feb. 8.

As of March 8, 31 of 35 employees who submitted exam applications have taken the exam, according to Oliver's report. "Zero employees have passed the exam," the report states.

The minimum passing score for the exam is 70. But the average grade those 31 employees got is 43.16, with 63 being the highest, the report states.

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators' duties, according to a Jacksonville State University website, include adding chemicals, inspecting equipment, monitoring and recording readings on meters and gauges, collecting sewage and water samples, cleaning and maintaining equipment, and following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations and ensuring safety standards are met.

Oliver described in his report the efforts the county took to prepare the employees for the course.

Before the employees took the Grade IV Certification exam, they participated in a four-week math course facilitated by wastewater treatment plant leaders, according to the report. And the employees took part in a 12-week prep course, with a paid outside consultant.

Data indicates that math, which makes up 16 percent of the certification exam, "is a challenging topic for our employees."

On the exam, the employees only answered an average of six of the 16 math questions correctly.

An analysis of the prep course suggests that the prep course did not help operators grasp new concepts related to and necessary for the exam.

"Moving forward, the prep course should focus more on helping operators learn and apply knowledge of wastewater treatment concepts, especially those concepts representing major portions of the exam, and expanded to include elements of reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and additional support to ensure the varying needs of all operators are addressed," the report states.

Regular "study hall" sessions also were available to employees but the average daily attendance was two, according to the report.

"The operators who have taken the exam reported that it was not enough to, for example, be able to name a piece of equipment and know what it does, it was necessary to understand why that piece of equipment was necessary, how it functioned, and the impact over- or under-functioning could have on the wastewater treatment."

Jefferson County officials were interviewing operators and supervisors to get a better understanding of the operators' experience in preparing for and taking the exam, and what was missing from the preparation program.

Buddy Smith, the attorney for Oliver, told the judge that the county had recently hired Dr. Amy Stewart, a psychologist, as the county's Chief Talent Officer, to help in recruiting efforts.

Buddy Smith, who introduced Stewart at the hearing, said that she will initially focus on the testing issue.

Judge Smith said that he will re-visit the issue at next month's status hearing.
coca cola bus.JPG

The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority on Friday, March 24, 2017 unveiled six new Coca-Cola buses, thanks to a new partnership with the Coca-Cola UNITED, for its revamped Magic City Connector. Birmingham Mayor William Bell is pictured at the podium. (BJCTA)

The next time you need a lift when going to eat in Birmingham's Southside or seeing a concert downtown just look for a Coca-Cola bus.

The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority on Friday unveiled six new buses, thanks to a new partnership with Coca-Cola, for its revamped Magic City Connector. The route is the Dart blue line that runs along 20th Street from the Uptown District to Southside.

Click here to see the map.

The Magic City Connector buses are scheduled to run every 10 minutes Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and every 20 minutes on Saturday.

The buses run in the evening hours, according to BJCTA, but not every 10 or 20 minutes.

The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority on March 24, 2017 unveiled a fleet of six new compressed natural gas buses adorned with Coca-Cola logos. The busses offer Wi-Fi service. (City of Birmingham)

BJCTA Executive Director Barbara Murdock said the Magic City Connector is the service that Birmingham residents have been asking for.

The new fleet of six compressed natural gas buses offer Wi-Fi service, according to BJCTA.

"Great cities across the country have safe, convenient and reliable public transportation. The Magic City Connector is proof that our great city is traveling in the right direction," Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell said.

From the Magic City connector, bus riders will have the option to connect to other routes that will lead then to other attractions such as the McWane Science Center, the Birmingham Zoo, Vulcan Park, Regions Field, the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
Capital murder charges against a man jailed in the fatal drive-by shooting of a Brighton teen have been dismissed.

Kelvin Andre Edwards Jr., 23, also known as Kevin Edwards, was released from the Jefferson County Jail on Tuesday, according to jail and court records. Edwards was formally charged on Monday in the slaying of 18-year-old Tyshun Tyree Miller.

The shooting happened about 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the 1400 block of Clay Street. When they arrived on the scene, they found Miller wounded. He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The shooting happened while Miller was sitting on a bench with friends. Witnesses said a 15-year-old was nearly struck, but Miller stood in the path of the bullet. A vigil was held for Miller Sunday night.

Police quickly identified the suspected shooter, but he remained at large until about 9 p.m. Saturday when he turned himself in to authorities at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in the Bessemer Cutoff.

Edwards was released from the jail at 6:23 p.m. Tuesday. Police have not yet said what led to the dismissal of charges, but at least one person has been arrested in connection with the case since then, jail records show.

Brighton Police Chief Ray Hubbart has scheduled a 4:30 p.m. Friday press conference to give an update on the investigation and current charges.
A man charged in 2015 with the rape of an 8-year-old girl 28 years earlier is seeking a dismissal of his case as a new trial date nears.

Ronald Dwight Tipton, 56, is facing trial for three counts of sexual intercourse without consent allegedly committed in 1987. DNA evidence linked Tipton to the crime in 2014, after he was arrested on another matter.

That same DNA evidence exonerated Jimmy Ray Bromgard in 2002. Bromgard, who was 18 at the time of the crime, was convicted in November 1987 and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

With help from the National Innocence Project, the DNA test confirmed that Bromgard was not a match for semen samples taken from the girl's underwear. He was freed from prison in October 2002.

In 2014, Montana State Crime Lab analysts got a lead on a match from the victim's underwear with DNA from Tipton. The sample from Tipton was indexed after his 2014 conviction for drug possession in Meagher County.

The DNA match was confirmed by the lab in January 2015, court documents state, and prosecutors charged Tipton that fall.

Tipton pleaded not guilty to the three counts in December 2015 and was released on his own recognizance. His drug possession sentence expired in the spring of 2016.

Prosecutors were able to charge Tipton in the first place after a 2007 law was passed allowing charges for sex crimes for up to one year after a new DNA match turns up.

Tipton's attorney filed a motion to dismiss the case on March 17, 2017, arguing that because the statute of limitations had passed prior to the 2007 law, the charges were unfairly retroactive.

"Where an amendment to a statute of limitations extends the period of prosecution, it cannot do so for cases in which the original statute had already expired," wrote Robert Stephens, Jr., Tipton's attorney, in his brief.

For rape cases, the statute of limitations is 10 years after the victim's 18th birthday if the victim was under that age during the crime. In this case, the girl turned 18 in 1996, ending the prosecution window in 2006.

Prosecutors have not yet responded to the motion. The statute created by the 2007 amendment does account for DNA testing "after a time period prescribed in (statute of limitations) has expired."

Trial date is tentatively set for June 19.
Authorities are asking for the public's help identifying a gunman who shot a Birmingham musician during a robbery earlier this week.

Birmingham police on Thursday night released surveillance photos that show the attack. It happened overnight Tuesday - about midnight - outside of Desert Island Supply Company at 5505 First Avenue North in the Woodlawn area.

The victim - a musician in the band JoyBoy - was in the band that played at the venue Tuesday night. He was leaving and loading up equipment after the show when he was approached by a black male during an apparent robbery attempt.

The two struggled, and police said the victim was shot multiple times and taken to UAB Hospital. No arrests have been made.

Friends say the victim underwent surgeries Wednesday and Thursday to repair his liver, kidneys and bowels. He was listed as critical but stable, according to a hospital spokeswoman, and is now breathing on his own.

Sgt. Bryan Shelton said the suspect is described as a black male, about 6-feet, 1-inches tall. He weighs about 150 pounds, has a dark complexion and is estimated to be between 20 to 25-years old.

Anyone with information is asked to call robbery Det. Harless at 205-254-1753 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
The conventional knowledge may be that H.B. 56 is no longer on the books, that the 2011 state law described at the time as the harshest anti-immigration law in the nation has been overturned by the courts and is no longer enforceable.

But the truth is that multiple provisions of the law remain in place, and experts say that the new aggressive immigration paradigm being rolled out since President Donald Trump's inauguration is sparking a surge in the deployment of the enforcement tactics legalized under the state law.

"There are parts of H.B. 56 that are still in effect and affecting people," Jessica Vosburgh, director of the Adelante Worker Center, a Birmingham nonprofit advocacy group, said last week.

"It's a tough thing with H.B. 56 because it was such a battle and a very important partial victory, but I think it does a disservice to the community to celebrate that as a total win."

'Of course I'm worried'

Arturo, an undocumented Mexican immigrant living in Irondale, told AL.com that he and many other undocumented residents of the trailer park where he lives have been pulled over by Irondale police officers since key provisions of H.B. were struck down in 2013.

It has always been a scary experience, but Arturo said Tuesday that officers have not asked for their immigration papers or turned them over to U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the stops, assertions that Irondale Police Chief Ken Atkinson confirmed at a community event last month.

But Arturo said that he and many other undocumented immigrants are worried that immigration enforcement will become much more aggressive as Trump's policies go into effect, a concern that appears to be grounded in reality in Alabama, as ICE has over the past two months started arresting people who have not been accused of crimes.

"Of course I'm worried, and not just me," Cesar, a Mexican immigrant living in Irondale who declined to disclose his immigration status, told AL.com through a translator on Tuesday. "People are very afraid, [especially] people who have children here, they are the most worried."

Under President Barack Obama, ICE focused its resources on detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants who were convicted of crimes, new to the country or had previously been deported.

But the Trump administration is doubling down on immigration enforcement, declaring earlier this year that ICE should consider anyone who is in the U.S. illegally as a potential target for immediate detainment and removal from the country. He has also proposed hiring 10,000 new immigration agents and deputizing local law enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws in their communities, as they were initially directed to do in Alabama under H.B. 56.

'It's a tough thing'

In October 2013, after challenging H.B. 56 in federal court, the Southern Policy Law Center (SPLC) and a number of other advocacy groups came to an agreement with the state that blocked a number of the controversial law's most invasive provisions.

"We warned the legislature when they were debating H.B. 56 that if they passed this draconian law, we would sue in court and win," Sam Brooke, an SPLC senior staff attorney, said at the time. "That we have done. Now it is time for our state lawmakers to repeal the remnants of H.B. 56."

But legislators have not heeded Brooke's suggestion, and the law is still on the books, meaning that the various provisions that were not blocked can be enforced.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that even immigration lawyers and advocates find it difficult to determine exactly which provisions of the law have been blocked and to what degree, as well as how strictly they are being enforced.

"H.B. 56 was so far-reaching that it was difficult to educate people on the things that were included," Jeremy Love, a Hoover lawyer who was legal director of the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama when H.B. 56 was passed in 2011, said Tuesday in his office on Lorna Road.

"So when so many pieces were struck down in the courts, many people figured it had been ruled entirely unconstitutional, which was not the case."

For instance, a prohibition on undocumented immigrants enrolling in public universities appears to still be in place.

And Section 12 of H.B. 56 initially stated that "[u]pon any lawful stop, detention or arrest made by a law enforcement officer (state, county, or municipal) and reasonable suspicion exists that a person is an alien, unlawfully present, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practical, to determine immigration status." That section remains in effect, though it has since been limited to disallow arresting people solely to check their immigration status, according to the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice.

A section of the law authorizing the Alabama Department of Homeland Security (AL-DHS) to hire law enforcement officers who "shall not engage in routine law enforcement activity, except for those investigative and analytical duties necessary to carry out the enforcement of this act and fulfill the mission of AL-DHS" remains on the books.

And the section of H.B. 56 mandating that employers with fewer than 25 employees use the E-Verify system to confirm that their workers are authorized to work in the U.S. also appears to remain intact, along with several other provisions.

"There were serious blows [to the law.] Some of the most pernicious provisions were blocked by the law, such as the one related to schools and the one that criminalized assisting, caring for or renting to undocumented people," Vosburgh said. "But there's not really a good resource out there about what the current status of the law is."

"Free the Alabama 40" rally on the steps of the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville, Ala. Tuesday March 21, 2017 organized by the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Evelyn Servin, North Alabama regional organizer for the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice speaks at the rally. The group demanded the release of about 40 immigrants that recently were detained by federal agents. See more here. (Bob Gathany / bgathany@AL.com)

'Environment of suspicion'

The 2013 agreement between the state and the SPLC and other civil rights groups combined with earlier decisions by local law enforcement agencies to not enforce key parts of H.B. 56 to create a situation in which many Alabamians have believed for more than three years that the law is no longer in effect.

The Obama administration's approach to enforcement compounded that view by focusing on detaining and deporting immigrants under only certain extenuating circumstances, such as those who had been convicted of crimes or had only lived in the U.S. for a short time.

And it is true that some of the more aggressive tenets of H.B. 56 were blocked under the agreement, which "limits racial profiling under the law's 'papers, please' provisions that allow police to demand 'papers' of individuals they suspect are in the country without authorization," the SPLC wrote in 2013.

Section 13 has been entirely overturned. The provision made it illegal for people in Alabama to "conceal, harbor or shield" undocumented immigrants, "transport" them, or "[h]arbor by entering into a rental agreement" with them, except under certain circumstances.

And Section 10, which makes it illegal to willfully fail "to complete or carry an alien registration document" and Section 11, which makes it illegal both for undocumented immigrants to pursue work and for potential employers "to impede traffic to try and hire someone," were both overturned, as were several others.

Still, experts worry that enforcement of the H.B. 56 provisions that do remain in place will be revived as a result of Trump's immigration crackdown. Those concerns and uncertainties are only stoking confusion and fear in immigrant communities across the state.

"It seemed like [H.B. 56] had been kind of dormant for a while, but it seems like it's come back and resurfaced a little bit," Love said.

"It quieted down for a long time. There was a while there where people were being pulled over and sent to ICE for removal proceedings, but that died down for several years. But that's picked back up since January."

And Trump's ramping up of immigration enforcement means that, figuratively speaking, "the whole nation is living under H.B. 56," Vosburgh said.

"The most important part of H.B. 56, which clearly hasn't been overturned by the courts, is this environment of suspicion and discrimination of people who are brown and people who don't speak fluent English."
A 61-year-old Jefferson County man is behind bars after authorities say he fired shots into his neighbor's home Thursday night.

Ramon Clark Quinn, of Maytown, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 12:29 a.m. Friday. He is being held on bonds totaling $330,000.

Sheriff's deputies were dispatched about 10:30 p.m. to a home in the 4900 block of Heifner Road in Maytown on a report of a shooting, said Chief Deputy Randy Christian. The victim told lawmen that a neighbor had tried to force his way into the house and fired shots before fleeing back to his own home.

When deputies arrived on the scene, Quinn came out and surrendered peacefully. He did, however, deny involvement in what took place, Christian said.

Information at the scene was that the suspect had knocked on the door of the victim's home. When it was opened, he pulled a gun and tried to force his way into the house. The door was closed on his arm and he fired shots into the interior of the house.

No one was injured. Quinn then went back to his home.

Quinn is charged with five counts of attempted murder, first-degree burglary and shooting into an occupied dwelling. He remained jailed as of midday Friday.
TEDx.png

TEDxBirmingham speakers from UAB: Jayme Locke, Michael Saag and Elizabeth Bevan. (UAB)

A dozen Birmingham area leaders, entrepreneurs, activists and scientists will take part in Magic City's annual TEDx event on Saturday at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The sold-out event starts at 10 a.m. and lasts all day at UAB's Alys Stephens Center.

If you weren't lucky enough to snag a ticket to the event, talks can be livestreamed by clicking here. Also, follow the event on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

TEDxBirmingham is an independent, volunteer effort operated under license from TED. The event strives to foster the diffusion of ideas in order to spark conversations and innovations that lead to a better Birmingham.

On Saturday, speakers will share a bold, new idea through a short talk of less than 18 minutes.

Three speakers are representing UAB.

Dr. Jayme Locke is a UAB School of Medicine faculty member and director of UAB's Incompatible Transplant Program; Dr. Michael Saag is director of UAB Center for AIDS Research; and Elizabeth Bevan is a UAB doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology.

Locke will speak on the power of living organ donation. She is the coordinator of the UAB Kidney Chain, the world's longest transplant chain, which has completed 67 transplants since it began in December 2013.

Locke performed the Deep South's first HIV-positive kidney transplant from an HIV-positive deceased donor and is leading UAB's efforts to support the White House initiative to increase living kidney transplants, according to UAB.

Saag is the founder of UAB's 1917 Clinic, which is a member of the largest AIDS clinical trials group in the world, with 34 domestic and 25 international sites. Saag has made seminal discoveries in the genetic evolution of HIV. Tools developed to study the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1917 Clinic have helped shaped the world's response to other emerging threats, including SARS, Ebola, bird flu and the Zika virus, according to UAB.

Bevan was awarded a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship by the National Sea Grant College Program. She received the Harold Martin Award for excellence in biology and was honored as one of 90 doctoral students around the nation to receive a $15,000 Scholar Award from the P.E.O. Sisterhood.

Bevan earned her master's degree from UAB in 2013 studying the highly endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle in the Gulf of Mexico, which received attention around the world. Bevan most recently received the highly competitive National Science Foundation EASPSI grant to fund summer research in Australia.

Here is the complete list of speakers:
Armistead.jpg

Emily and Bill Armistead

(Facebook)

The wife of former Alabama GOP Chairman Bill Armistead was killed in a traffic accident Thursday morning.

Armistead made the announcement on Facebook late Thursday night, saying he had lost the love of his life. He and his wife, Emily, were preparing to celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary.

Linden Police Chief Robert Alston said the crash happened about 10:45 a.m. Thursday on Highway 43. Emily Armistead was was walking a few steps ahead of her husband when she was struck by a southbound Hyundai Sonata driven by a 17-year-old girl. The chief said the teen was distracted by something and looking down. When she looked up, they believe she may have panicked and accelerated.

Also said police took the teen driver to a doctor's office to have blood drawn and that sample has been sent off for toxicology evaluation.

Emily Armistead was taken to Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital in Demopolis, where she was pronounced dead.

The Armisteads were attending the funeral of 93-year-old Paul Owensby - the longtime, retired owner of Papa's Grocery Store in Linden and a WWII veteran.

The Armisteads live in Columbiana. Bill Armistead was elected chairman of the Alabama Republican Party in 2011. He stepped down in 2015.

Bill Armistead worked for former Gov. Guy Hunt from 1988 through 1993 as his chief economic advisor. He was elected to the Alabama Senate in 1994, and re-elected in 1998. In 2002, he ran for lieutenant governor but lost to Democrat Lucy Baxley.

He posted this on Facebook about 10:30 p.m. Thursday: "It is with a heavy heart that I announce that I lost the love of my life today in a tragic automobile accident. Emily and I would have been married 49 years on April 6th and I thank God for giving me the woman that He created to be my wife for these wonderful years. And, there could not have been a better wife, mother and grandmother in all the world. Now, Emily is with Jesus for all of eternity where I look forward to joining her at God's chosen time. Thanks to my many friends who have heard the news today and I am sorry I haven't been able to respond to all. I felt this was the best way to get the word out to as many as possible. We covet your prayers. "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21"
It's been 11 days since the location of Elizabeth Thomas and Tad Cummins was confirmed, despite hundreds of tips submitted in connection with Amber Alerts issued in Alabama and Tennessee.

Authorities still are investigating tips, though no solid information has led them to 15-year-old Thomas and Cummins, her 50-year-old ex-teacher. The two have been missing since March 13. Cummins, who was fired by the Maury County school system the day after the disappearances, is wanted in Tennessee for kidnapping and having sexual contact with Thomas. There is a $1,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

The school system announced today it is forming a new task force that will review parental notification policies in the wake of the incident, though it also maintains policy was followed in the Thomas and Cummins case.

The school system said in a news released the task force will recommend improvements to "any range of potential student and/or faculty/staff incidents" to create stronger checks and balances. The school system provided AL.com a copy of the news release.

The task force's formation comes after Thomas' father claimed he wasn't notified by officials about a relationship between his daughter and Cummins, who was her health sciences teacher at Culleoka Unit School.

On Jan. 23, Cummins was caught by another student kissing Thomas in his classroom, but the incident wasn't reported by school officials to the girl's father.

The father didn't learn about the kiss, which was described as a "peck" on the lips, until a sheriff's deputy notified him about an investigation a week later, according to a letter released last week. The letter was sent to the school system by an attorney for Thomas' father. The document was published by WKRN News 2, a Nashville TV station.

Cummins wasn't suspended after the kiss was reported. Instead he and Thomas were told to stay away from each other.

Cummins was, however, suspended on Feb. 3 when Thomas was seen in his classroom again.

This photo, released Tuesday by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, shows Elizabeth Thomas and Tad Cummins in his classroom in January. The photo was captured just days before Cummins' alleged inappropriate contact with Thomas, TBI announced.

Cummins wasn't fired by the school system until March 14, the day after he's accused of abducting the girl.

Investigators have said Cummins groomed and Lured Thomas before the disappearance.

New information released this week revealed Cummins researched "teen marriage" and whether police could track his vehicle, a Nissan Rogue.

The school system's news release said the task force's new checks and balances would be effective immediately and communicated to the community. The task force will include internal and external members.

"There is nothing more sacred than the public trust our community invests in our school system, not only in achieving educational excellence for our young people but also for students' safety, security and well-being in their daily interactions with our faculty, staff and support teams," said MCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher J. Marczak.

"It is incumbent upon us to seek continuous improvements, particularly in light of this tragic event impacting Elizabeth Thomas and the Thomas family," Marczak said in the news release. "While MCPS asserts that all policies and procedures were indeed followed in the Tad Cummins case, this situation presents an obvious opportunity to take full stock of how those policies and procedures are functioning or could be improved to serve the best interests of every Maury County student. We are absolutely committed to help ensure that this kind of situation is never repeated in the future, and this task force is our first step in that plan of action."

TBI is asking the public to check isolated properties and other areas that are not highly visible. Investigators believe Cummins might be keeping Thomas in a secluded area, such as a parking garage, campground, large parking lot or a park.

Thomas is white with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She is 5 feet and weighs 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing a flannel shirt and black leggings when a friend dropped her off at Shoney's restaurant in Columbia, Tennessee early on the morning on March 13.

Cummins' last known location was Decatur, Alabama later that day. He is a white male with brown hair and eyes. He is 6 feet and weighs about 200 pounds.

Cummins, who is believed to be armed with multiple guns, may still be driving a silver Nissan Rogue with Tennessee tag 976-ZPT.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND. Anyone who sees Cummins, Thomas or the vehicle should call 911.
HEaring.jpg

From left, Cortez Mitchell, Amani Goodwin, Joseph Cowan and Cedric Cowan are escorted to the Morgan County Courthouse this morning for a hearing in their capital murder cases.

Prosecutors today announced they intend to seek the death penalty for one of four young people charged in the random slayings of two Decatur men.

If Joseph Cowan is convicted of capital murder, the Morgan County District Attorney's Office plans to argue he should be put to death.

Cowan is charged along with his brother Cedric Cowan, Amani Goodwin and Cortez Mitchell in the May 2015 killings of Antonio Hernadez-Lopez and Joshua Davis. The fatal shootings were part of what prosecutors have called a dayslong crime spree that included several armed robberies and shootings into homes. At the time of the killings, Joseph Cowan was 20, Cedric Cowan was 16, Goodwin was 17 and Mitchell was 16.

Joseph Cowan's co-defendants cannot be put to death because they were juveniles at the time.

"We do intend to seek the death penalty on Joseph Cowan," Morgan County Assistant District Attorney Paul Matthews said during a hearing this morning in Circuit Judge Jennifer Howell's courtroom. "As we understand the law, it would not apply to the others."

The older Cowan's attorneys are asking Howell to bar the death penalty and rule it unconstitutional. That request was made in one of more than 30 motions the judge is considering in the cases.

Attorneys Jake Watson and Brian White are arguing the Alabama death penalty scheme is unconstitutional because state law allows a judge to override a jury's recommendation for sentencing of either life in prison without the possibility of parole or to death. They also are challenging the state's method of execution.

"I don't know for sure what that method is," White told the judge. "I don't know that they've figured that out."

Howell did not issue rulings on those issues today, and the attorneys agreed to hold off on oral arguments until the next court date, which is scheduled for next month. A bill making its way through the Alabama legislature could affect whether some of the arguments are necessary.

A bill by Republican Sen. Dick Brewbaker of Pike Road would give the jury the final say on whether a person is sentenced to death, instead of the letting a judge make that determination.

Other issues taken up during the hearing included separating the cases so that each defendant will get his own trial. Prosecutors hope to get at least one of the defendants to trial this year.

Attorneys for Mitchell, the younger Cowan and Goodwin requested the severances.

Prosecutors agreed for the need to separate the cases, particularly that of Mitchell, who has pointed to the Cowan brothers as the ones who shot the victims, according to authorities.

"Mitchell needs to be severed," Matthews said.

Mitchell's attorneys Joe Propst and Jacob Roberts are asking the judge to dismiss the capital murder counts against the defendant because it's been ruled unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to death.

Similarly, Cedric Cowan's attorneys, Brent Burney and Edward Blair, are asking for the capital indictments against him to be dismissed.

The attorneys believe the judge should be allowed to use discretion in sentencing their client and should not be limited to life without parole or life with parole.

The attorneys also argue their client might face double jeopardy is he's convicted on all indictments against him. The defendants are charged with three counts of capital murder--one for killing Davis during a robbery, another for killing Hernandez Lopez during a robbery and a third for killing two or more people. If convicted of all three, the defendants would be convicted twice for killing each of the defendants.

"You can't kill the same person twice," Blair told the judge.

Prosecutors said that argument isn't valid because each of the capital indictments is a separate charge under Alabama law.

Howell did not issue rulings today on any of Cowan or Mitchell's arguments but said she will issue written orders in court records.

At the behest of attorneys Robert Tuten and Nick Heatherly, Howell also severed Goodwin's case from the others, with prosecutors agreeing.

Several motions to suppress evidence and the motions on the death penalty will be taken up during a hearing that's been set for April 21 at 9 a.m.

Howell also will consider at a later date the older Cowan's request for a change of venue for the trial.
A Florence man has been indicted on more than 2,000 charges, including allegations that he produced pornography with local children younger than 12.

Hunt

Jeffery Dale Hunt, 48, has been indicted by a Lauderdale County grand jury on 1,996 counts of possession of child pornography and 295 counts of production of child pornography, Florence police announced today.

Police learned Hunt was producing child pornography after they searched his home on Wilson Avenue with a warrant, Sgt. Brad Holmes said.

"Through the investigation of these crimes it has been found that several of the child victims are from the local area," Holmes said in a news release. "These exploited children are all under the age of 12."

Florence police are closely working with child service organizations to help the victims.

This case is the culmination of a three-month investigation that began when Detective Drew Harless received a cyber tip in December about dissemination of child pornography, Holmes said.

That tip led to a search warrant being issued and items collected from Hunt's home were analyzed by the Alabama Department of Revenue Digital Forensics group, Holmes said.

Police said that analysis revealed Hunt possessed and created child pornography.

"Our message is clear. If you engage in the exploitation of children, We will seek you out, We will bring you to justice, We will protect our children," Holmes said. "In December 2016, the Florence Police Department joined the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Through this partnership with law enforcement agencies throughout the state, detectives receive tips on illicit activity involving the exploitation of children. This case highlights the importance of the task force."

Hunt was arrested today and taken to the Lauderdale County Detention Center where bail is set at $500,000 cash only.

The possession charges are Class C felonies, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. The production charges are Class A felonies that carry a punishment up to life in prison.

Further details haven't been released.
pharmacist.jpg

A pharmacist at a compounding pharmacy makes a batch of capsules for a patient. (File photo)

(file)

An owner of two northwest Alabama pharmacies was sentenced in federal court to six months of home confinement and was ordered to pay a $2.5 million fine for obstructing a Medicare audit in 2012.

Rodney Dalton Logan, 63, of Muscle Shoals, pleaded guilty in August to one count of obstructing a 2012 federal audit of Medicare claims submitted by a pharmacy he owned. Logan, who is a registered pharmacist, owns Leighton Pharmacy Inc., which did business as Sheffield Pharmacy and Homecare in Sheffield, and Russellville Pharmacy in Russellville.

U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins not only sentenced Logan to six months of home confinement on Thursday, but the judge also sentenced him to one year of probation. Logan is not allowed to work as a pharmacist during his probation.

The pharmacies Logan owned were both compound and retail pharmacies. A compound pharmacy mixes ingredients to create customized medications for patients. Both pharmacies sold the compounded prescriptions to Alabamians and those in other states. Medicare Part D doesn't allow reimbursements to pharmacies for compounded medications containing bulk pharmaceutical powders. However, both of Logan's pharmacies sought Part D reimbursement after February 2009 for compounded medications, mainly topical pain creams, made from the powders, according to court documents. Authorities said the pharmacies used the billing code for the tablet or capsule form of the ingredient.

In response to the 2012 audit conducted by CVS/Caremark Inc. on Medicare's behalf, Logan made the Sheffield pharmacy submit falsified and misleading documentation stating that the medications in tablet and capsule form were used as ingredients for the compound prescriptions.

Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey, Department of Justice Criminal Division Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson and Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert J. West announced the sentence.

"This defendant falsified documents so that his businesses could keep money improperly billed to Medicare under its Part D prescription drug component," Posey said. "Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older, and for people with disabilities. I applaud the work of the investigative agencies and the prosecutors in this office who have worked at length to bring this defendant to justice."
Which convenience store you choose to stop at when you're traveling probably isn't something you give a lot of thought to. Still, it turns out people in Alabama do have a favorite spot when it comes to filling their tank and picking up snacks.

Gasbuddy.com used data from its website users to determine the highest-rated convenience store in each state.

Nationally, the top-rated chain was QuickTrip, a store that's not in Alabama. Other popular picks were Sheetz in the Northeast; Mobil in Washington state and Oregon; and Wawa in a variety of states ranging from Florida to Massachusetts.

Alabama's pick - and it was unique in the country - was Raceway. The chain has more than 40 locations in Alabama.

Welcome to Friday's Wake Up Call. Let's see what's going on:

Colorado city appealing ruling that allows women to go topless

The city of Fort Collins, Colorado plans to appeal a federal judge's decision that blocked the city's ban on women appearing topless in public.

Federal Judge R. Brooke Jackson had granted a preliminary injunction blocking a section of the city's public nudity laws. The group Free the Nipple had sued the city claiming the ordinance violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution because it discriminated against women.

Virgin America will soon be no more

Virgin America's name will soon be no more.

Alaska Airlines, which bought the airline for $2.6 billion last year, said it won't use Virgin America's brand name or logo, dropping both sometime in 2019.

Virgin America was created by billionaire Richard Branson in 2004. After Alaska Air merged with Virgin America, it became the fifth-largest airline in the country with 1,200 daily flights by nearly 300 planes. It announced this month it would be introducing flights in 21 new markets.

Sanders said he'll vote 'no' on Gorsuch

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, said he will vote no on President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sanders, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination last year, said Gorsuch refused to answer legitimate questions and introduced a "thick fog of evasion" to the confirmation procedure. Sanders said he fears Gorsuch's presence on the court would jeopardize privacy rights and a woman's right to control her body.

How much money does legalized marijuana generate?

Legalized marijuana in the U.S. is expected to reach $22.6 billion in revenue by 2021, even as industry insiders fear a crackdown by the Trump administration.

Experts are predicting an annual growth rate of 27 percent over the next four years.

Seven states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Canada is expected to legalize the recreational use of the drug by 2018.

Until tomorrow.
There were familiar faces at a pro-school levy rally on Thursday, but the event kicked off a new group.

Great Communities Support Great Schools was introduced at the Montana State University Billings atrium, where several people spoke in support of proposed tax raises that would benefit Billings public elementary and high schools.

A $1.3 million ask for the elementary district and $1.2 million for the high school district would raise taxes about $9 and $6 per year on a $100,000 home. Mail ballots for the election are due May 2. The money would go toward the following education areas:

Reducing class size.

Expanding advanced course offerings and gifted and talented programs.

Adding reading and math interventions for struggling students.

Adding mental health counselors.

Buying new textbooks.

Adding teacher training.

Expanding and sustaining Project Lead the Way, a science, technology, engineering and math program.

Several speakers talked about the link between good schools and flourishing communities.

"My parents were always looking for the best school," said St. Vincent Healthcare vascular surgeon Dr. Arne Olson.

Bill Cole, a lawyer who currently heads the Billings Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, said schools and communities are "bound together like the cords in a tightly-wound rope."

The Chamber has endorsed both levies. Cole talked about the importance of good schools for recruiting workers to Billings.

Drew Mammel, a senior at Senior High, noted the importance of keeping Billings talent around town.

"We talk a lot in politics in Montana about 'Why are our students leaving our state?'" he said, arguing that more educational opportunities help give them reasons to come back.

Kevin Brook, a counselor at Lewis and Clark Middle school, tallied all the academic areas that the levy would affect but highlighted mental health.

"All the things I mentioned hinge on that in one way or another," he said. He said counselors typically see three to five "major crisis" events from students in a week.

"We can no longer carry that old school attitude that is so prevalent in Montana, to pull yourself up by your bootstraps," he said.

Supporters at the rally, many of whom were school district employees, distributed signs and signed up for volunteer work.

The "Great Schools" moniker is a departure from "Yes for Kids," the banner that was used in previous levy pushes, like the successful 2013 bond and levy campaigns and the failed 2016 levy campaign.

Billings Education Association president Rita Wells said that the group was looking to refresh their brand a little, and wanted to emphasize the community component.

"We just felt like we need something a little more moving forward," she said.
President Trump isn't just dominating every news cycle, he's fueling therapy sessions across the country.

From blue states in the West to red states in the South, the divisive partisanship that defined the campaign and then the Trump administration's turbulent first two months appear to have created a collective angst, psychologists say.

Therapists say clients are focused on politics in a way they've never seen before.

Some people are worried about losing their health care. Others are angry about Trump's travel ban, with the latest barring nationals of six largely Muslim countries. Gays, lesbians and transsexuals fear hate crimes.

Then there are the people concerned about getting labeled as anti-immigrant or anti-women simply because they support Trump. They feel misjudged and unfairly pigeonholed.

"Post-election stress is real," said Vaile Wright, director of research at the American Psychological Association. "People are really fearful about what's going on in the country and are reporting concern about the political climate."

On behalf of the national association, Harris Poll surveyed about 3,500 people last August in an annual survey about stress. The questionnaire asked for the first time about stress related to politics after hearing from therapists that many of their clients were anxious about the campaign.

More than half said the U.S. presidential election was stressing them out.

The researchers wondered if the findings were an anomaly so it had Harris survey about 1,000 people in January after the election, asking more detailed questions.

Nearly 70 percent said they were on edge about the future of the country and nearly 60 percent cited the current political climate as a source of stress. Also, overall stress levels were up - from 4.8 in August to 5.1 in January on a 10-point scale.

Wright said the increase, even though it appears small, is statistically significant. The rise in overall stress also marked a change. In the 10 years that the association has conducted the poll through Harris, stress levels have trended downward.

"We were surprised," Wright said. "Clearly, people are worried about their security."

If left untreated, stress can lead to chronic conditions like obesity, hypertension and heart disease. That, in turn, could affect the national health profile depending on how long the heightened stress lasts, Wright said.

No one knows what will happen because the country is in uncharted territory.

"I've been in practice for 30 years," said Esther Lerman Freeman, clinical psychologist at Oregon Health & Science University. "I've never seen people this upset about an election."

Many people don't know what to expect from Trump, she said. He has signed more than 30 executive orders since taking office Jan. 20 and is a prolific tweeter. He's even roiled the security community with unsubstantiated accusations that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the campaign.

"When something is not predictable, it makes people more anxious," Lerman Freeman said.

Even Trump supporters have been affected.

"They feel that people on the other side are not understanding them," said Angela Londono-McConnell, a psychologist and co-owner of a private practice near Athens, Georgia.

Clients preoccupied with politics can't shake their concerns.

"Even all these weeks after the election, people are still talking about it," Londono-McConnell said. "They're still very distressed about what is happening."

***

Patients report nights of shattered sleep. Some avoid going out or no longer frequent places where they fear bullying or confrontation. Others, glued to news shows, forget to eat or take their medication.

"I think about World War II," said Philip Hartman, a 26-year-old Tigard resident who's in therapy. "I think about the Holocaust. It could happen here. Like the Japanese internment camps."

Hartman worries about being assaulted for having olive skin after being punched and called racist slurs at a bus stop in Portland in mid-December. He didn't report the incident to police, but now carries his U.S. passport everywhere, fearing arrest and deportation. He avoids going out at night alone and doesn't venture into areas where he might be bullied.

"Everyone is stressed but for different reasons," said Mary Alvord, a psychologist who owns a two-office practice in Maryland near Washington, D.C., that serves 300 clients a week.

Alvord hasn't seen this kind of mass anxiety since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, she said. But back then people were united.

Ryan Dix, a psychologist with Providence Medical Group in Northeast Portland, counsels patients with chronic health conditions like diabetes. Since the election, he's had clients that spend hours reading news stories online or watching TV news to try to gain a sense of control.

It only makes things worse. They skip meals, become isolated, lose sleep.

"They forget to eat breakfast and maybe forget their morning medication," Dix said. "It just snowballs from there."

Others who have suffered trauma are also struggling. An item in the news can trigger memories. They relive past trauma and re-experience old sensations. They might feel lightheaded, dizzy or have panic attacks.

"It's particularly difficult with people with a history of sexual abuse," said psychologist Joel Lane, president-elect of the Oregon Counseling Association. "There seems to be a sentiment that the country is OK with a leader who has seemed to brag about sexual assaults and has had sexual assault cases brought against him."

***

A group of students at Portland State who are studying to become counselors talked about their own worries during a recent informal discussion with classmates.

"It's more difficult right now," said Camille Bishop, a 28-year-old graduate student. "As a queer person, I feel like there is a lot of uncertainty about how I will be treated in the future."

Danae Brown, 25, worries about deportations. She's worked with many undocumented residents and is half Mexican.

Neil Panchmatia, 34, grew up in Kenya, his family is from India and he's gay. He's in Portland on an international student visa.

He feels he has to stay on top of the news every day but says it's wearing him down.

"I'm so tired of being so alert and so protective and so angry at every single moment of the day," Panchmatia said.

He avoids protests and doesn't speak out, keeping a low profile. He feels helpless.

"That adds another layer of hurt and disempowerment to my experience," Panchmatia said.

The counseling students said they must earn to put their own fears aside to be effective therapists

"It can really be a complicated process," said Lane, who also leads Portland State University's clinical counseling program.

He said therapists need to focus on what they can control and take care of themselves while urging clients to do the same.

Even little things can help: a few moments of meditation, soft breathing, a happy thought.

Lerman Freeman encourages clients to exercise or volunteer. Even donating to a good cause can help calm anxiety, she said.

"If you take positive action, it not only makes you feel you're making a difference but it also connects you with people with the same values who are moving in the same direction," Lerman Freeman said.

-- Lynne Terry
Autism advocates are trying a new way to raising awareness about the need for insurance reform. Five billboards calling for "Insurance for Autism Now" are now up: three in Birmingham, one in Albertville and one in Montgomery.

The Autism Society of Alabama paid for the billboards to show their support for HB284, a bill calling for mandated health insurance coverage for behavioral therapy for eligible children with autism.

Opponents say insurance mandates are bad for business owners because it drives up the cost of insurance for their employees.

Iowa's lawmakers passed a health insurance mandate to cover the therapy on Thursday, and that bill is headed to their Governor, leaving Alabama as one of only four states that doesn't mandate health insurance coverage for the therapy.

This is the first time the Autism Society of Alabama has used billboards this way, according to executive director Melanie Jones. "It's a grassroots advocacy effort," she said, that started with parents and advocates who wanted to let others in the community understand what not having insurance means for their families.

The billboards also highlight the fundraising walks and runs being held in coming weeks, with the first on Saturday in Mobile. The Walk for Autism and 5K Race to Solve the Puzzle events are held to bring awareness and raise money for the group's outreach efforts.

The push comes as lawmakers consider competing bills as to who should help pay the cost of therapy: taxpayers or health insurance.

Rep. Kerry Rich, R-Albertville, chairs the House insurance committee where both bills are under consideration.

Insurance committee member Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, envisions a "public-private partnership" where health insurers cover the cost of therapy, and if the cost of health insurance increases for a business, businesses could be eligible for tax credits.

Jones said the group has been working for insurance reform since 2008 and is hopeful lawmakers will mandate coverage during the current legislative session.

Lawmakers are currently on spring break and will return to work on April 4.
American_legion_March24.JPG

The American Legion building in downtown Mobile has been vacant for years. But an agreement, reached between the American Legion Post 3 and 1857 Foundation, will lead to its restoration. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Ken McElhaney has operated an insurance company on Government Street in Mobile for 23 years. And during that time, he's had an eyesore next door.

But the hulking 1850s-era American Legion hall might have another life in it. This week, officials with the American Legion have been applauding a decision to lease the property to a local foundation that has plans on renovating it.

That's music to McElhaney's ears. "From what I know, it's going to be a real asset to the city and thereby to the neighborhood and to me."

A lease agreement dated March 16 transferred the property at 607 Government St. from American Legion Post 3 to the 1857 Foundation Inc. The property, according to a local American Legion Post 3 official, will be owned, operated and restored by the nonprofit 1857 Foundation as the home for one of Mobile's more popular Mardi Gras societies - the Mystics of Time.

In addition, Post 3 - which occupied the building from 1947 until the 1990s - will get to continue using a portion of it for its meetings.

"The American Legion building is in a very good place right now," said Laura Byrne, a spokeswoman with the city.

It's a remarkable change of fortune for the building, which pre-dates the Civil War. It's considered the only building remaining in Mobile that features Italianate elements combined with two-story columns connected by flattened arches with semicircular windows.

A year ago, amid in-fighting among Post 3 officials, the city threatened to demolish the building after declaring it a nuisance property. It had become a home for vagrants, and was plagued by peeling paint and broken windows.

The building caught fire in October, though it was a small blaze that was easily contained by Mobile firefighters.

"It's been a thorn in my side," McElhaney said.

All the while, negotiations were ongoing between Post 3 and the 1857 Foundation.

An attorney representing the non-profit said in May 2016 that the foundation intended a "complete restoration." The estimated cost of the work has been pegged at upward of $1 million.

The attorney representing the 1857 Foundation could not be reached for comment.

Byrne said the 1857 Foundation was able to secure "a million dollars" from its own members, plus over $100,000 from other local foundations. "In short, the Society of 1857 has purchased the property and will restore it to its grandeur."

Capt. Hal Pierce, a Navy veteran and a member of the USS Battleship Memorial Park Commission who was involved in the property transfer, said the approved agreement gives Post 3 a "long-term home" within the building.

As for the 1857 Foundation, he said the group was able to "raise money from tax deductible donations and grants. "The house will be enhanced as the home of the MOT's bringing two historic organizations (together) into a historic Mobile landmark."

Matt Gaff, district commander of the South Alabama American Legion District 33- which includes 11 posts in Mobile and Baldwin counties, said the property transfer was good news for Post 3. The post has been hampered with an aging membership and dwindling numbers for years, and is attempting to attract younger members.

"It's a great opportunity for the American Legion under the circumstances to partner with some of our community leaders in our area to save the Post," said Gaff.
AustinRoad.JPG

A 362-acre property will be developed into more than 900 homes under a subdivision plan that was introduced in Daphne Thursday. The property is located along Alabama 181 at Austin Road. The project has generated concerns from neighbors and the Baldwin County School System. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Plans for a new mega-subdivision of over 900 homes built out over 15 years southeast of Daphne drew the ire of neighbors Thursday. They raised complaints about increased traffic, stormwater runoff, declining property values and a lack of police and fire protection.

But arguably the loudest objection came from the leadership of the crowded Baldwin County School System, which cautioned that students in the new Jubilee Farms may have to attend schools in Robertsdale, Fairhope or elsewhere.

"We are at full capacity at almost every single school on the Eastern Shore," said John Wilson, the chief financial officer at the school system, conveying a message from Superintendent Eddie Tyler that the school system was "blind-sided" by the giant subdivision.

He spoke during the first public hearing into the Jubilee Farms project before the Daphne Planning Commission. The commission recommended that the city approve annexing the property, situated along Alabama 181 and Austin Road. The City Council is expected to vote on the matter in May.

"This is one the largest subdivisions proposed in Baldwin County in the last 15-20 years," Wilson said. "Please keep in mind the implications."

Baldwin County School System CFO John Wilson speaks to the local media following a Daphne Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, March 23, 2017, at Daphne's City Hall. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Steve Pumphrey, the agent for the developer of the 362-acre Jubilee Farms, said he intends to meet with Tyler. He noted that he, along with Daphne Mayor Dane Haygood, had met with school officials to discuss a previous unrelated project.

"We will work with the school system however we can," said Pumphrey, explaining that Jubilee Farms would be rolled out over an extended period and that there would be only 30-40 new lots each year.

But he added, "My personal opinion is 'shame on us' as a county and the citizens of this county that we haven't dealt with (the overcrowding issues at the school system). I just know that throughout this county there are specific areas where people want to live and they are flooding you. It's really causing issues for the school board."

Pumphrey said if the Baldwin County School System doesn't receive funding assistance, "private schools will be one of those things people will want to look at."

The school system, with limited funding to build new additions, is having to cope with a swift influx of students. According to U.S. Census figures released this past week, Baldwin County is the fastest-growing county in Alabama - 26,298 people were added over the past six years, a rate of 12 newcomers per day.

Two years ago, Baldwin voters shot down an 8-mill property tax increase that would have fueled a 10-year $350 million school system capital campaign. Since then, the county has moved ahead on incremental projects, such as 14 new classrooms and a cafeteria expansion at Daphne East Elementary.

Tyler, in a letter forwarded to the Planning Commission, said that a recent groundbreaking on that project was a "celebration" of the fact that the school will be able to end reliance on portable classrooms. But with the new subdivision, Tyler said: "that effort is futile."

Tyler and Wilson said they first got wind of the subdivision through the news media.

"Had we learned about this project a few months back, even a month ago, we could have considered the (Daphne East) expansion project, delayed it or altered it to prepare for additional growth," Tyler said.

The concern about Jubilee Farms also comes as the school system is defending an agreement it reached with the Baldwin County Commission to have a 1 percent increase in the sales tax - commonly referred to as the "penny tax" - permanently extended. That tax supplies $40 million annually to system operations, paying for large numbers of teachers and support staff.

In return for the "penny tax" extension, the school system agreed to forgo approximately $5 million that it receives from another sales tax. Under the deal, it will take a 40 percent share of the revenue, while the County Commission gets 55 percent. At present, those shares are reversed.

The County Commission intends to apply the extra revenue to road projects.

The deal, however, hinges on approval from the county's legislative delegation in Montgomery. A vote could take place next month.

Daphne City Council President Ron Scott said the new subdivision will be similar to Timber Creek, which was started in the late 1980s and includes about 800 lots that are not completed.

He suggested that hand-wringing about Jubilee Farms was premature.

"The thought of 900 homes put in there with the time frame we are talking about, it's just not going to happen," said Scott, defending the project as something that will take place around the same time that Alabama 181 will be widened for increased traffic and that a new fire station will be built nearby.

Scott also said the communication issues with the school system are a "two-way street." He said the city didn't learn about the additions at Daphne East Elementary School until "after seeing a construction sign put up."

Daphne officials have talked about possibly forming an own independent city school system, breaking away from the county schools. The council earmarked $35,000 in its budget to conduct a study on a break-away, though a final vote on a contract is still in doubt.

Tyler, in his letter, acknowledged that Daphne is looking at its own independent schools.

He said that voters are unlikely to pass the higher taxes to make it happen. "This would require at least a 15-mill tax increase in Daphne just to own and operate what is located there today," Tyler wrote. A mill amounts to a dollar in property tax for every $1,000 of assessed value.

Tyler urged that, in the future, planners and city officials include the school system in talks with developers when large projects are on the drawing board.

"I am hopeful that at a minimum, we can enter the notification process by required contact from the developer on large developments of more than 100 homes," said Tyler. "There is no guarantee that this will keep any property in their currently zoned district but it will help us plan for growth and work with them to meet the least impactful resolution to meet those needs."
Courtroom.JPG

(file)

Jennifer McDonald

By Jennifer McDonald, a research analyst at the Institute for Justice and co-author of IJ's newest study, Forfeiture Transparency & Accountability: State-by-State and Federal Report Cards

When Daren Coleman of Mobile lent his car to his daughter, he never imagined her boyfriend would wind up driving it while evading police during a high-speed chase. Ultimately, Prichard police seized his car, even though Coleman himself had not done anything wrong.

How could this happen in America? Blame Alabama's "civil forfeiture" laws, which allow police and prosecutors to take someone's property without ever charging them with a crime--and keep 100 percent of the proceeds. Already some of the most unjust in the nation, Alabama's civil forfeiture laws are made worse by a complete lack of transparency. For failing to require any reporting whatsoever on forfeiture activity or spending, Alabama flunked a recent report card on forfeiture transparency and accountability by the Institute for Justice.

But new legislation would change that. Introduced by Sen. Arthur Orr, SB 299 would require law enforcement agencies to report detailed information about the property they take, including when and where property was seized, the type and value of the seized property and the total amount of income a law enforcement agency receives from forfeited property.

Due to Alabama's lack of forfeiture reporting, it is impossible to know how many innocent people have been caught up in the state's forfeiture machine. Coleman, for instance, was fortunate since he eventually got his car back, but only with the help of a lawyer who volunteered to take his case for free. Most forfeiture victims aren't so lucky.

To shed light on this secretive process, SB 299 would oblige agencies to report the reason the property was seized and whether an individual was charged with a felony offense in conjunction with the seizure. Recording this type of information allows forfeiture program authorities to evaluate how effectively the programs target criminal activity--and how often civil forfeiture ensnares the innocent.

In addition, SB 299 would require the attorney general to compile agency reports into one statewide report every year and make those reports available online. Agencies that fail to report as required would face fines for late or missing reports. Earlier this month, SB 299 passed the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously.

One day before that bill advanced, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a similar bill into law, which now requires law enforcement agencies in the Magnolia State to begin reporting on the property they seize and forfeit. But SB 299 would go one step further and mandate that Alabama agencies detail itemized expenditures from forfeiture funds. This is an important improvement because forfeiture allows agencies to self-finance outside the normal appropriations process. Requiring them to publicly report on their spending from forfeiture funds at least restores some legislative oversight.

By itself, improved transparency cannot fix the fundamental problems with civil forfeiture. SB 299 addresses neither the due process problems inherent in Alabama's forfeiture laws nor the perverse incentive those laws give agencies to police for profit. Indeed, the bill would not have prevented Daren Coleman's car from being seized. But SB 299 would expose this abusive practice to greater scrutiny, enabling lawmakers and citizens to start holding law enforcement accountable.
Willie Parker 1.png

Willie Parker (Credit Rogelio Solis/AP File photo)

Colin LeCroy

By Colin LeCroy, a Birmingham native and graduate of The Altamont School. He is now an attorney at Human Coalition, an anti-abortion advocacy organization

With a purple bow tie, pocket square, neatly-trimmed grey beard, and clean-shaven head, the picture of Birmingham native Willie Parker in his recent al.com interview presents a man confident in his beliefs. Parker, promoting his new memoir, seeks to offer a "moral argument" for abortion.

Parker's up-by-his-bootstraps life story could make many Alabamans eager to embrace him as a native son. According to a 2014 profile in Esquire, Parker grew up in Birmingham as the fifth of six children of a single mother. He taught himself to read by kerosene lamp and used an outhouse. He preached in Baptist churches as a teenager before going on to be elected student body president, attend Harvard, and become an obstetrician. And, as a self-styled "Christian abortionist," Parker has not suffered from a lack of media attention. But Parker's style and his personal narrative do not make up for the flaws in his logic. His reasoning devolves into his subjective preference, which is neither Christian nor compelling.

Parker refused to perform abortions at first for all the reasons you might imagine. But, in a process he calls a "conversion" on par with his conversion to Christianity, Parker came to see abortion as his contribution to the uplift of downtrodden women. As he explains it, in his practice he was constantly confronted with women who had seemingly intractable problems. When he refused to perform abortions, he had nothing to offer these women. Once he was willing to perform abortions, suddenly he was able to help.

And herein lies the problem; in the grand scheme of things, there are very few of life's deepest problems that an obstetrician is equipped to solve. The clients featured in the Esquire piece faced a variety of financial, relational, and emotional problems leading them to believe they could not carry their children to term or parent them. When they left Parker's clinic, they were a few hundred dollars lighter in the wallet, they were not pregnant anymore, and they still had the problems they walked in with. Parker did not fix these women's problems, and he won't be there to help when the additional trauma of having had an abortion sets in (indeed, absent from Parker's reasoning is any consideration of the possibility that he has actually added to the burdens his clients face).

Yet Parker seems to truly enjoy the idea that he is solving these women's problems. He describes a process he calls "verbicaine" where he lightens the mood during the abortion and assures his clients that all will be well. Before Parker offered abortions, he was impotent. Now, he's the man with the solution to what he imagines is his clients' biggest life problem. In other words, the so-called Christian abortionist has a Messiah complex.

Having decided that his clients needed help and that he must be the one to help them, Parker now needed to square his profession with his profession of faith. And this is the reason why his "moral" argument can never be a Christian one. You see, Christians don't bring the Christian faith into line with their beliefs and desires. They bring their beliefs and desires in line with the Christian faith.

In the al.com interview, Parker references the scene in The History of the World: Part 1 in which Mel Brooks's Moses drops the tablet containing commandments 11 through 15; Parker jokingly suggests the commandment against abortion must be on that tablet. In the Esquire article, Parker explains, "There's nothing immoral about taking care of your health. There's nothing immoral about making the decision to not become a parent before you want to become one."

But Parker's joke is an odd one given the clear commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." To avoid running afoul of this commandment, Parker embraces a process where he submits the Holy Scriptures to his judgment rather than judging his own actions by the standards of Scripture. He starts with his conclusion--that abortion helps needy women--and then he reasons backwards from that belief to the proposition that abortion must be not only acceptable but also a moral imperative in certain situations.

In The New York Times, Parker acknowledges that abortion ends the pre-born life of a separate, living "human entity." He goes on to explain, "In the moral scheme of things, I don't hold fetal life and the life of a woman equally." In other words, he conforms Scripture's normative prohibition on murder to his own judgment. Parker is free to take this path--many people in our society rely on their own moral judgments and not on those of Scripture--but these people don't claim to be followers of Christ, nor do they claim their judgments are Christian.

Parker complains that pro-lifers say he is not really a Christian. And, indeed, Parker's argument for abortion is indistinguishable from the generic "bodily autonomy" argument any secular feminist over the age of 15 would offer. But Parker is far worse than "not a Christian." In equating his actions--which are no more than taking a woman in her hour of greatest desperation and helping her kill her own child--with the love of Christ, Parker is treading on dangerous ground. If Parker were truly concerned with justice and compassion, he would put aside his own need to be the hero and direct his clients to services that could actually address the underlying life issues that have led them to seek abortion.

Human Coalition and its affiliates--including an excellent Birmingham organization--work every day to address the social, economic, educational, and psychological needs of women and families who, just like Parker's clients, see no way forward. We see supportive communities rallying around women and persevering with them through difficulty. We see babies born and lives transformed. And there are hundreds of other organizations just like ours ready and willing to serve women in their time of need and beyond.
Head. Exploding.

Tom Albritton, head of the Alabama Ethics Commission, stood before the Birmingham Water Works Board Thursday and explained the state ethics law in a way just about anyone could understand.

This. Will put you. In jail.

It was the most needed thing since store-bought sandwich bread, the most overdue act this side of a library.

Hope they got it.

I don't know, though. It seemed a lot like teaching physics to pheasants. And it was harder than it had to be.

Albritton - describing himself as a hall monitor in constant search of a hall pass - urged board members to look beyond ways to get around the ethics law.

"You should reach higher than the minimum standard," he said. "It's not just what you can do. It's what you should do."

So yeah. I liked where this was going.

In an agency plagued by decades of distrust and constantly rising water rates, to a body currently embroiled in criminal investigations from two separate law enforcement agencies, the guy looked straight at them and said what ratepayers have thought for years:

"It is your responsibility to run this place in an ethical way."

"I'm not just here to protect you. I'm here to protect the people who deal with you."

Alabama Ethics Commission Executive Director Tom Albritton.

Amen and amen. Praise the Lord and pass the sweet, sweet peas. Let the scales fall from their eyes or the scales of justice drop 'em where they stand.

I should point out that most of these board members are still relatively new, and most could not have been involved in decisions that for years made the water works synonymous with stench. But Albritton put it on them.

"This is serious stuff," he said. "The public has a right to expect you to follow the rules."

Oh, if they could build those expectations. It'd be a construction wonder of the modern world.

But I'm not holding my breath.

New board members, who were appointed last year but took office this year, asked whether they were required by the law to submit a financial disclosure form for last year. The board's attorney said that's an iffy legal question that will require some study.

Albritton looked at them all like a dad trying to figure out how to explain the relativity to his kindergartner.

"If there is a question, why not just file?" he asked.

Like public officials and candidates and public employees are asked to do all over the state. You fill out a form and it's done. Transparent and honest and over.

"When I get upset is when people don't want to disclose," Albritton said.

Albritton went through the basics one by one, how board members can't use their office for personal gain, that even a favor (ask former House Speaker Mike Hubbard) can be considered a thing of value. You can't ask for favors. You don't take tickets. You have an obligation to report ethics violations and you can't punish employees who do report.

Oh, and if somebody seeking a contract with the water works tries to take you out to dinner, "it's not because he thinks you're a wonderful guy."

"Say no."

At one point Albritton apologized for getting too worked up.

"I can get kind of preachy quickly," he said.

No need to apologize, brother. Just preach it louder.
Ostrich Bentley Prison.jpg

Governor Bentley unveiling his plan for a couple "really nice prison cells" in Montgomery this week.

Matt Mitchell is the creator of The Ostrich, Walker County's least trusted news source, and was the 3rd round draft pick of the Denver Nuggets. Roughly half of what he writes is untrue.

Citing the increasingly urgent need for new prisons with at least one really nice cell, Governor Robert Bentley has released his latest plan for Alabama's correctional facilities.

After anxiously waiting for the Legislature to pass a meaningful prison reform bill, a noticeably antsy Robert Bentley decided it might be helpful to provide more details on his vision for the new prisons.

Sketching the designs himself, Bentley presented blueprints for a new prison to the media late yesterday. Unlike his previous plans, the Governor is now calling for renovations to existing facilities without creating any new prisons. When finished, each prison will have one extremely large spare cell that can, according to Bentley, accommodate only one prisoner.

"Alabama's prisons are overcrowded and dangerous," stated Bentley as he opened the press conference. "We need a space that can accommodate a frail, older gentleman who enjoys the finer things in life."

Bentley continued by explaining that not all criminals are bad people. "Sometimes they are blinded by love. Maybe a fiery passion sweeps over them, causing them to make terrible decisions with taxpayer funds," continued Bentley.

"Did that person break the law? Sure. But should they be forced to share a toilet and a 6x8 cell with Cliff, a part-time tattoo artist and full-time arsonist?"

"No. Please say no."

Bentley's detailed sketches for the spacious prison cell include a king-size bed, private bathroom, kitchenette, office space, and a special visitation room.

Pointing to his blueprints, Bentley explained that this isolated visitation room would offer more privacy than the room used by other inmates. According to his plans, the glass partition that separates inmate from guest would also have a small hole slightly larger than the normal human ear.

"This will make it much easier for them to hear each other. And, if the mood is right, it's possible the two could engage in some light ear nibbling, if the inmate and guest are into that sort of thing," added Bentley.

Despite the proposal's obvious flaws, state lawmakers are expected to make the Governor's dream a reality by allocating the necessary funds for the luxurious private prison cells and continuing to neglect the real problems in Alabama.

[This is a work of satire. All content is the creation of Matt Mitchell, the Ostrich.]
Predator drone.JPG

The Predator MQ-1 in flight (Contributed photo/ Tech Sgt Effrain Lopez/Air Force)

David Cortright, an American scholar and peace activist. He is Director of Policy Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and Chair of the Board of the Fourth Freedom Forum

By Mel Brandon, Emeritus Professor at Spring Hill College

About eight and a half years ago, the US began using armed drones to kill Al Queda, ISIS, and similar leaders - the first strike occurring under President George W. Bush and over 3,000 under President Obama. The military strikes targeted extremist leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan, while the CIA strikes in Palestine, Yemen, and Somalia hit mostly rural areas -- without any discrimination between low level members, who were of no risk, and innocent civilians.

Even General Petraeus noted that such attacks often became a recruiting tool for terrorist groups. And the citizens of those countries aid by allowing extreme terrorists to find shelter in their countries. Given the negative results of these mostly CIA strikes, President Obama in his second term halted drone strikes by the CIA - allowing only military strikes, which had a greater degree of transparency and acountability.

An executive order by President Trump reinstated CIA permission with plans to even expand their use. Scary as a terrorist strike may be, this still does not justify the non-transparency and non-accountability of CIA drone strikes, because the negative effects far outweigh any positive effects. How? By re-enforcing the ordinary citizens' feelings of living in a 'occupied' nation, thereby giving indirect support to terrorists groups. This is clearly counter-productive. And it does not make us more safe.

On March 15th Spring Hill College had the good fortune of having a pre-eminent speaker for its annual Suarez lecture. David Cortright, the Director of Policy Studies at the Kroc Institute of International Peacemaking. While his larger topic was: "Comparing Military and Nonmilitary Responses to Violent Extremism". he addressed the issue of whether all of the 3,000 drone strikes were ethically and legally justified. Noting the "dramatic change in war from 'boots on the ground' and bombing with piloted fighter planes to waging technological war by using armed drones in the targeted killing of terrorists, Cortright uses the principles of just war to distinguish the justified attacks on terrorist leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan from the CIA attacks in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, which were not only unjustified, but counterproductive.

In "Drones and the Future of Armed Conflict," Cortright, editor and author, provides evidence that the exclusive use of the drone strikes has been partially effective at best and totally ineffective in winning the "contest for the hearts and minds of ordinary Muslims around the world". Military strategy alone, which has killed many of the terrorist leaders. has also served a recruitment tool for young terrorists. And this makes for an 'endless war', unless we adopt a more comprehensive strategy in the 'battle of ideas'. Such a battle requires a greater commitment to the democratic principles of political freedom, social justice, greater equality for women, and the rule of law.

There are strong arguments for the nonmilitary approach in terms of 10 percent success for the military strategy in contrast to a 40 percent probability of success for a more comprehensive strategy, which addresses the causes and not merely the symptoms of terrorist activity. As always, Cortright is honest enough to say that we need more empirical evidence.

Primarily because we hear so much about the successful attacks on terrorist leaders and so little about the unsuccessful or unnecessary ones, there are three strong reasons for approval. 1) it saves the lives of foot soldiers and of fighter pilots; 2) Because drones can observe targets for up to 47 hours, there will usually be significantly less loss of innocent lives; 3) The cost of a military drone is a million and one half, which is about 80-90 percent cheaper than building and operating a fighter plane This is a great saving for the taxpayers. This would appear to be an open and shut case - as long as the moral and legal principles of just war are not applied or applied with ambiguous and oversimplified arguments.

However, as engaged and thoughtful citizens, we still need to examine the opposing arguments. Why? Because the narrow limits of military strategy alone will not work in the war against terrorism.

What then? Cortright argues that we need to adopt a more comprehensive strategy if we are ever going to win the war against terrorism. Instead of simply addressing the symptoms, we need to address the causes by addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, namely the poverty that is coupled with a total lack of the aforementioned democratic values. We need to help build stronger policing efforts for the presently travel banned nations so that they themselves can prevent and combat terrorism. And we must ensure respect for the human rights of all and the rule of just law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism. While this is the cases for all persons in the Mideast countries, this will not happen without a commitment to full rights of women, including the right to an education.

Finally, why should we even listen to a peace scholar and activist such as David Cortright? The best answer if found in the first paragraph of his book "PEACE: A History of Movement and Ideas" (2008).

"Jesus said that peacemakers are to be blessed as children of God, but in the real world they are often dismissed as utopian dreamers or worse, quaking defeatists who live in denial of reality...Throughout history the cause of peace has been on trial, standing like a forlorn defendant before the court of established opinion, misunderstood and maligned on all sides. To be called a pacifist is almost an insult, to be labeled cowardly or selfish, unwilling to fight for what is right. In the Nuremberg trials, Herman Goering said that It is easy to arouse people to war. "All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for their lack of patriotism." Fear cripples our brain, but we still need to examine both sides of the issue with a critical mind rather than a polarized brain.

Even when we do not agree with peace scholars and activists such as David Cortright, we need to listen to them if we wish to become informed citizens. This is one of strongest obligations we have in a democracy. Anything less undercuts the continued success of our democracy. And then what?
The half-hour that three students spent in a small room at Alkali Creek Elementary doing intensive reading work can't quite be replicated in their regular first-grade classroom. The level of detail that a specialist teacher zeroes in on highlights exactly where kids have trouble reading  the 'er' and 'ed,' mysterious silent letters, variable vowel sounds.

"When you only have three in a group, you really get to the details really quickly," said Jami Holton, the intervention specialist at Alkali Creek.

But Holton's position is only half-time, as are reading and math intervention specialists at other Billings elementary schools. That's simply not enough, many school principals said at a recent district meeting.

School levies that are up for a vote on May 2 would pay for more of the drill-down, specialty work that Holton does. It would increase local taxes to bring more money into School District 2's general fund, which pays for day-to-day school operations.

Montana's school funding formula sets a state-required floor for school funding, and caps a ceiling. Getting from the floor to the ceiling depends on local taxpayers, whose voted property taxes make up the final 20 percent of a school district's base budget.

This year's proposals would raise $1.3 million for the elementary district and $1.2 million for the high school district  about $9 and $6 per year on a $100,000 home  according to preliminary estimates. Figures won't be final until the state budget is set.

Levy passage is often challenging in Eastern Montana, for cities and small towns. While school districts like Helena, Missoula and Bozeman routinely pass general fund levies, Billings has been far more hit-and-miss. In 2013, voters passed spring levies and a fall bond, but last year's levy effort failed.

Alkali Creek serves a relatively well-off neighborhood. Schools that have a high proportion of students from low income families get more federal money to help address educational issues that those students, statistically, are more likely to struggle with. Sometimes that money can be used to add intervention work.

That's not the case at Alkali Creek. Principal Greg Senitte assigns a paraprofessional position for additional intervention work, but there are still kids who would benefit from interventions that don't get it, he said.

Holton works on reading with about 15 first and second grade students, targeting perhaps the most critical skill at the most critical grade levels.

Research shows that children who are behind their peers in reading by third grade are likely to never catch up. When kids are able to claw their way back, it's often with the help of costly programs; early intervention is typically more cost-effective.

"We do have those needs in math as well, but that reading piece is so crucial," Senitte said. "I think every school has kindergartners coming in below grade level."

At Alkali Creek, some students will work with an interventionist for a semester, make significant gains, and move out of the program. Others will stay in longer, perhaps through second grade. Some kids don't encounter challenges until later on in school. However they progress, students' early years can set the tone for the rest of their education.

"First grade is really a huge year for them," Holton said.

In a perfect world, Senitte could add interventions for math, and for more grade levels. As things stand, his budget is about opportunity costs; the paraprofessional he assigns for intervention work means that other options fall by the wayside.

Including intervention specialists, levies would address the following areas, according to district officials:
New initiatives aim to strengthen the towns sense of community, after a December ISIL attack that killed 10 people.

Karak, Jordan  Late winter sunshine spills over Karak Castle, which has stood for centuries amid periods of dramatic change.

Karaks historical significance dates back to when it was one of the capitals of the ancient Kingdom of Moab. Built in the 10th century by the Crusaders, the castle was later taken over by Saladin, who remains an icon in the Arab world for his victory in the 1187 Hattin battle against Crusader forces.

In recent months, however, the castle has taken on more immediate significance, becoming a symbol of unity and resilience in the wake of a deadly attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS). On December 18, four gunmen holed themselves up in the castle and began firing at security forces, killing 10 people, including five Jordanian civilians, four police officers and a Canadian tourist.

We confronted them [ISIL] with stones and with empty hands to tell them that they have no place here, Wasfi Habashneh, one of several Karak residents who came to the defence of the castle, told Al Jazeera. The suspects were ultimately killed by security forces.

READ MORE: Jordan struggles to draw new tourists

Despite its devastating consequences, residents say the attack has helped to create a stronger sense of community in Karak, inspiring a number of new local initiatives.

The attack was a wake-up call for us to look after one another, said Ahmad Rawashdeh, a Karak resident and cofounder of Friends of the Castle, a community service initiative that was launched within days of the December attack.

The best way to respond to terrorists is to build as much as they try to destroy, Rawashdeh told Al Jazeera.

Friends of the Castle aims to reach out to residents in need by meeting gaps in local services. Rawashdeh and his fellow cofounders, who live in Karaks city centre, were among hundreds of civilians who came to the castle to aid security forces and to help rescue tourists during the December attack. Now, they aim to use this renewed sense of community to serve the city in a volunteer capacity  everything from patching potholes to delivering food to elderly residents.

Their first activity, which included cleaning Muslim and Christian cemeteries in Karak and creating walking paths for visitors, was organised a few days after the ISIL attack.

READ MORE: Jordans ISIL campaign scares away tourists

Throughout winter, the group  which now boasts more than 200 volunteers and supporters  has served as an emergency hotline, repairing roofs damaged by heavy snow and rain, and providing clothing and heating for poor families in the area.

This is coming from our hearts to our community, said Habashneh, a cofounder of the group.

Another initiative launched in the wake of the Karak attack was the Mesha of Moab art club, which has been working to renovate and redecorate mosques and churches across Karak. They were inspired by the work of artist Izdihar Saoub, who painted a mural of Jesus on the walls of a Roman Catholic Church in the village of Ader in Karak, which residents believe was one of ISILs original targets.

The temperature was below zero when I painted this, but I was determined to convey a message that ISIS cant turn us against one another, Saoub told Al Jazeera.

At the same time, the attack has rekindled interest in Karaks famous castle, as more Jordanians have been visiting from across the country in recent days, according to local officials.

We have not seen the city or the castle this lively with local tourists before, Jaafar Shahadeh, the head of Karaks tourism department, told Al Jazeera. He could not provide statistics on recent visitor numbers, but said that Jordanian schools and universities had been paying solidarity visits to the castle.

Among the recent first-time visitors was Leen Arabiat from the Jordanian town of Salt.

I never thought of visiting the castle before the attack, because it was just history, she told Al Jazeera. It is interesting to see where the attack happened, as I could never have imagined something like this happening in Jordan.

Overall, however, tourist numbers at Karak Castle and throughout Jordan have declined since the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIL. According to Shahadeh, Karak Castle used to attract an average of 200,000 tourists a year, but since 2011 that number has dropped to 25,000.

In their ongoing efforts to help revive the area, Friends of the Castle is planning to plant olive trees across the city, both to beautify and to provide a source of revenue for poor families.

Flipping through his phone, Rawashdeh stops on several images, including fallen Jordanian security agents and civilians, a solidarity protest on New Years Eve, and the towns Christmas tree, decorated with photos of the victims.

If ISIS aimed to divide Karak, he said, they left us as one body.
The US wants to focus on the elimination of ISIL by military force while leaving reconstruction efforts to its allies.

The only good reason to have a meeting is to deliberate and decide on a shared objective. From that business angle, the March 22 meeting in Washington of the Global Coalition to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) did not serve any purpose. The US message to its allies was clear: let us alone deal a military blow to ISIL, you deal with the day after.

Nothing is ordinary about the tumultuous nature of Donald Trumps presidency, even during what was supposed to be a mundane bureaucratic gathering. As the invited Arab ministers were settling into their hotels, US authorities surprised them by banning electronic devices onboard of flights coming from their national airports. While the meeting was underway at the State Department, US forces airlifted members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) behind enemy lines in Raqqa and an ISIL-inspired attack was terrorising London.

All that matters to the battle against ISIL was not heard in the hallways of the first expanded anti-ISIL coalition meeting in more than two years. The US State Department Secretary Rex Tillersons remarks did not even mention the three elephants in the room: Russia, Iran and the Kurdish-led SDF forces (he called the latter our Syrian partners). Despite the looming budget cuts his department could face, Tillerson stood high and proud expecting that ISIL fighters are tuned into their TVs and their computer monitors to watch the global coalitions show of strength.

Continuing Obamas strategy





It is true ISILs territorial control and leadership were degraded during the final stretch of the previous US administration and the campaign has intensified in the past three months. We are now in a transitional period where ISIL will metamorphose into decentralised and uncontrolled individuals who launch attacks sporadically with basic, unsophisticated tools.

Engaging global partners is crucial to enlist their efforts, the US can no longer go alone. Drones can win battles but are not enough to protect the US from possible attacks in the long term.

US allies left Washington more confused than when they arrived. The confusion is due to the perception that the Trump administration had created about having an awesome secret plan no one will see coming. The mere gathering of the Global Coalition is a subtle continuation of President Barack Obamas strategy to defeat ISIL: launching systematic air strikes; increasing US support for local forces; deploying non-combat US special forces; cooperating on global counterterrorism efforts; and providing humanitarian assistance to displaced civilians.

What the Trump administration is doing differently is more of the same: intensify already existing strikes, deploy additional forces and increase support to SDF forces.

OPINION: The Sheriff of Manbij: US makes debut in the Syrian War

Tillerson made three issues blatantly clear: He told Arab allies, anxious to deter Iran that, defeating ISIL is the United States No 1 goal in the region. For those betting on a long-term US involvement, the message was also plain: We are not in the business of nation-building or reconstruction. The Trump administration is satisfied with the current formula of providing in Iraq and Syria 75 percent of the military resources and 25 percent of humanitarian and stabilisation support.

Defeating ISIL alone cannot be a stand-alone strategy and the Trump Administration should first be forthcoming about the fact that there is no significant change in US policy. by

The third American message delivered to allies via Tillerson was simple: We alone will take care of business in Iraq and Syria, and all we want from you is to prepare for post-Raqqa and Mosul operations by investing resources, increasing pressure on ISIL networks in your home countries, exchanging intelligence information and combating ISIL online.

No vision for conflict resolution

Defeating ISIL alone cannot be a stand-alone strategy and the Trump administration should first be forthcoming about the fact that there is no significant change in US policy. The two-year tacit understanding between Washington and Tehran still holds: US-trained Iraqi special forces lead the fight in sensitive demographic areas and Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) mostly stay put. Endorsing SDF forces continues to grow without promising Kurdish forces to back their autonomy and without pushing the buttons of Ankara.

While safe zones increasingly disappear from the White House narrative, Tillerson lowered the expectation further and spoke about interim zones of stability through ceasefires to allow refugees to go home. While that statement alone is desperately vague, the safe zones idea was not included in the ministerial meetings concluding statement.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis told the Senate on March 22 that it is in the US national interest to keep a residual force in Iraq even after the defeat of ISIL. In the case of Syria, however, the Pentagon knew when to go in but struggles with the question of how soon to get out.

OPINION: ISIL after Mosul: Insurgency and rivalry

For that specific reason, the timing of the anti-ISIL global coalition was premature without a clear path to victory for both Mosul and Raqqa operations. While the US is leading on the military level, chaos along the contested areas on the Iraqi-Syrian border is expected the day after victory. With no vision for conflict-resolution or power-sharing in place, there are no guarantees that regional infighting will not happen or radical elements will not fill the vacuum once again. Protecting the peace is often far more important than defeating the enemy.

Joe Macaron is a policy analyst at the Arab Center Washington, DC.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Recently, top Turkish authorities have voiced an official interest in buying advanced S-400 air and missile defence systems from the Russian Federation. Turkeys efforts to enhance its defensive strategic military capabilities is not new. For some years now it has sought to have a long-range missile defence system of its own, as it is currently relying on NATO-deployed ballistic missile.





In 2013, Ankara awarded a tender to a Chinese company for missile defence systems procurement, which drew a sharp reaction from its NATO allies and the $3.4bn deal had to be scrapped. Other bidders at that time were the United States with Patriot systems, and the French-Italian consortium with the SAMP/T Aster-30 Block-1 variant. It was known that Russia showed interest in the tender, but it was not shortlisted.

This time, amid the tense Turkish-European relations and the still unclear US plan for Syria, it seems more likely that Ankara will go for this major non-NATO arms deal with Moscow.

How Turkey will benefit

The S-400 deal, by its nature, would mean much more than a battle tank or utility helicopter purchase. First and foremost, the S-400 is a defensive strategic weapons system. In other words, the primary objective of such a procurement would be the control of Turkish airspace and even the projection of some air-defence deterrent beyond Turkish borders, as well as protecting Turkeys critical national infrastructure and top-priority economic, military and government facilities from air and missile threats.





Furthermore, in case of a broader technology transfer, Ankara will gain important know-how in missile proliferation, which it also sought with the 2013 tender. Additionally, this could enhance further Turkish-Russian defence cooperation.

Unlike the failed HQ-9 deal with China, this time, Turkish officials are much more realistic, knowing that if the deal with Russia goes as planned, the S-400 system will not be integrated with the NATO missile defence architecture. This perspective is realistic because such an integration would not be merely a military-technical issue, but more of a political and security decision. Now, Turkish decision-makers know that this might enable Moscow to have access to invaluable information about NATOs critical capabilities.

From a military standpoint, lack of integration to the NATO architecture would mark some problems. Missile defence is a complicated mission that necessitates an advanced network of command and control, sensors, intelligence, target acquisition and surveillance systems.

It seems Ankara is pursuing a dual-track defence planning strategy by retaining its key role in the NATOs ballistic missile defence efforts through the X-band radar in Kurecik, while running its national agenda with more flexible technology-transfer options at the same time. Although such a perspective might be accomplished, this would be a significant burden on Turkish diplomacy and defence economics.

Technically, there is no rule within the NATO treaty that would prohibit member states from procuring Russian arms, and there are allied nations that currently have them. Although Russian strategic weapons in NATO-member nations arsenals seem problematic for allied coherence, it might be disadvantageous for Russia as well.

During the allied exercises in the past, it is known that NATO used the Russian-made S-300s of Slovakia, and Greece test-fired S-300s from NATOs Missile Firing Installation in Crete a few years ago. Thus, it would be a major handicap for Moscow if Turkey decides to provide its future S-400s and related radars for NATO exercises in the future because it will give the Alliance access to its technology and experience with how it works.

A problem for NATO

However, some defence cooperation deals between NATO nations and Moscow were aborted after the Ukrainian crisis, and especially the annexation of Crimea. The most notable development was the cancellation of an amphibious assault ship deal between France and Russia. The lucrative deal was about the sale of two French-manufactured Mistral-class aircraft carriers worth more than $1bn.

If the Mistral sale had been realised, Moscow would have gained a significant amphibious power projection capability. If the deal had gone through, perhaps today we would have been talking about Russian Mistrals stationed off the Latakia coasts in Syria. Yet, having acknowledged its NATO allies reactions, Paris cancelled the deal in 2015, and then it was Egypt that purchased the vessels.





Geopolitically, any NATO nation buying a strategic high-end Russian weapons system would be seen as problematic. If that NATO nation is Turkey, which borders the Middle East, the Caucasus, the Black and Mediterranean Seas and is running a cross-border counterterrorism campaign in Syria, that would be even a more serious issue due to its special role as a flank nation at the centre of many contemporary security challenges.

Notably, Turkey might be on the verge of becoming one of the few operators of the S-400 system, which would also be important. Furthermore, finalising such a deal with a NATO nation would mark one of the most serious achievements for the Russian defence industry.

Politically, the deal is unpleasant news for the Alliance for sure, but so is the US President Donald Trump calling NATO obsolete. Furthermore, Tukeys NATO-friendly options did not really meet its demands. The US Patriot bid did not include technology transfer and the European Aster-30 line did not match Turkeys technology transfer and co-production expectations.

Future of Turkish-Russian relations

At this point, the most important limitation for advancing the Turkish-Russian defence cooperation would not be NATOs objections, but the natural geopolitical divergences between Ankara and Moscow.

Clearly, Turkey and Russia are bound by with their geopolitical imperatives that have not been compatible throughout history. This bitter truth recently surfaced in Moscows close relations with PYD/YPG groups in Syria, which pose a significant national security threat to Turkey due to their affiliation with the PKK terrorist organisation.

Likewise, another wave of military escalation between Azerbaijan and Armenia could easily drag Ankara and Moscow into the conflict. Or, in case the Syrian Baathist regime attempts to advance to Raqqa with YPG elements under Russian support, such a move could trigger new tensions.

In sum, Turkish-Russian rapprochement pragmatically stems from Ankaras tense relations with the West. Even if an S-400 deal is concluded, Turkish-Russian ties will not improve significantly. The roots of their geopolitical rivalry are deep enough that a military deal would not change in a major way the current shaky relations between the two countries.

Can Kasapoglu is a defence analyst at the Istanbul-based think-tank the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM).

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Secretary-General Guterres says government in Juba refuses to acknowledge plight of 100,000 people suffering famine.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accused South Sudans government of ignoring the plight of 100,000 people suffering from famine, 7.5 million in need of humanitarian aid and thousands more fleeing fighting.

Guterres rebuke was delivered to the countrys president, Salva Kiir, on Thursday, mentioning a refusal by the leadership to even acknowledge the crisis or to fulfil its responsibilities to end it.

There is a strong consensus that South Sudanese leaders need to do more to demonstrate their commitment to the wellbeing of the countrys people, who are among the poorest in the world, he said.

The UN chief was also sceptical of Kiirs intention to hold a national dialogue, in light of the countrys systematic curtailment of basic political freedoms, and restrictions on humanitarian access.

READ MORE: Dying of hunger: What is a famine?

In response, South Sudans deputy UN ambassador, Joseph Moum Malok, said the government takes issue with the accusation that it is responsible for the famine in two counties, adding that other parts of the country are affected by drought.

He said the government will spare no efforts to help address the situation and calls upon the international community to help address this urgent matter.

Guterres said greater pressure is needed if there is any hope of the leaders changing their approach, which means first and foremost that the region and the Security Council must speak with one voice.

The Security Council is divided over two ways to step up pressure on South Sudans government-an arms embargo, or sanctions on additional people blocking peace.

READ MORE: Uganda at breaking point from S Sudan refugee crisis

Malok warned that an arms embargo and additional sanctions would further aggravate the situation and would hit hard the vulnerable groups, as the previous experiences had proved.

South Sudans three-year civil war has devastated the country, killed tens of thousands, and contributed to a recently declared famine in two counties.





The war began after a struggle for power between President Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar. The pair signed a shaky peace deal a year ago, but fighting has continued.

The top monitor of South Sudans peace deal, former Botswana President Festus Mogae, echoed Guterres call for a unified approach that includes the African Union and the international community, saying the security, economic and humanitarian situation in the country has steadily deteriorated to an unacceptable level.

Across the board, there is a heightened sense of alarm over the fact that the situation is slipping out of control, Mogae told the council. We must now stand together to do something about it.
Non-binding motion tasks Canadian government with study to develop ways to address racism and discrimination.

Canadian politicians have passed a motion that condemns Islamophobia and requests that the government recognise the need to quell the public climate of fear and hate.

The non-binding motion, which condemns Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination, passed on Thursday among a divided parliament.

It asks a parliamentary committee to launch a study on how the government could address the issue, with recommendations due in mid-November.

The study should look at how to develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia, the motion says.

Liberal MP, Iqra Khalid introduced the motion, also referred to as M-103, last December, but it gained significance after the January attack on a Quebec mosque that left six Muslim men dead.

READ MORE: Warning, Canada is not what you think it is

I think that we need to continue to build those bridges amongst Canadians, and this is just one way that we can do this, Khalid said after the vote in parliament.

The motion garnered an online backlash, petitions against it and nationwide protests. According to local media, Khalid has also received death threats after introducing M-103.

Critics worried that condemning Islamophobia barred them from criticising Islam, which could curtail the right to free speech.

Canada's Parliament has just declared criticism of Islam off-limits. The anti-Islamophobia motion, M-103, passed by a margin of 201 to 91.  Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) March 23, 2017



https://twitter.com/AuntyNeville664/status/845123814761508864

Proud to have voted for M-103 against Islamophobia. We must work w/ Muslim Cdns to achieve racial and economic justice through action.  Niki Ashton (@nikiashton) March 23, 2017

M103 is a motion not a bill. It calls on the govt to more diligently gather hate speech info in the wake of, yknow,that mosque being shot up  Marky poo (@markmarklittle) March 23, 2017

A poll from the Angus Reid Institute, published on Thursday, showed that 42 percent of respondents would have voted against the measure and only 29 percent would have approved it.

Following the Quebec mosque attack, Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government has come under pressure to denounce all forms of religious discrimination.

In recent months, several mosques and synagogues have been vandalised in towns across Canada.
Five children reportedly among the victims, who were all Syrian, after boat sinks off the western coast of Turkey.

At least 11 Syrian refugees have drowned after a boat capsized in the Aegean Sea, off the western coast of Turkey, according to Turkish authorities.

The inflatable boat was carrying at least 20 people and was en route to the Greek islands when it sank off the coast of Kusadasi district in western Aydin province, the Turkish coastguard said in a statement on Friday.





Nine migrants were rescued, the coastguard statement added.

The Dogan news agency said all 11 victims, including five children, were Syrians.

Video broadcast by the DHA network showed half a dozen bodies laid out near ambulances after they had been recovered from the water.

Police said they arrested two people believed to be human smugglers who testified that they were on the boat with the refugees.

READ MORE: 2016  The year the world stopped caring about refugees

The number of refugees caught crossing the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece has fallen by 85 percent since a refugee deal was signed with the European Union last year, according to data compiled from the Turkish coastguard command.

According to official figures, 16,627 refugees were intercepted in the Aegean after the Turkey-EU deal while this figure was 111,133 a year before the agreement.

The data shows that between April 2015 and March 2016, 437 people drowned while attempting to reach Greece. This figure fell by 95 percent to 20 since the deal was signed between Ankara and Brussels.

The agreement, however, largely shut down the eastern passage to Europe, making the more dangerous route from Libya to Italy the main departure point for people attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea by boat to various parts of Europe.

The deaths in the Aegean came as aid workers on Friday said they feared about 250 people may have drowned in the Mediterranean after two partially submerged rubber dinghies were found off the coast of Libya.

More refugees died in the Mediterranean over the first nine weeks of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says. From January 1 to March 9 this year, at least 521 people drowned while attempting to cross the rough waters compared with 471 in the same period a year ago.

There were about 5,000 recorded deaths in all of 2016.
Note to Democrats: Spare us the lectures about doing the right thing. And while you're at it, don't bother finger-wagging at us about some faux concerns you have. And don't even think of uttering the name Merrick Garland.

On Thursday, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that he would oppose the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court, and that Senate Democrats would likely begin filibustering the nomination, all but assuring Gorsuch's bid would fail to clear the 60 votes needed to win confirmation.

All in all, something mighty big must have happened between now and 2006 when Gorsuch was first confirmed to the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals by a unanimous vote.

The only problem is that Democrats can't quite contort themselves enough to give a clear answer as to why Gorsuch was so qualified then and not now.

Senate Democrats, during days of grilling Gorsuch, seemed to not like him because he wouldn't give them definitive answers. But, isn't that what you want in a future Supreme Court justice  one whose mind is open enough to not prejudge a case or issue before a careful analysis of the facts and law?

It seems to us like Gorsuch's cool, respectful approach, even during intensely pointed questioning, makes him the ideal candidate in this overheated political climate.

Surely Gorsuch's opinions haven't been so unorthodox, so unsupported that he's unqualified to sit on the bench of the nation's highest court.

Instead, this move seems to be nothing more than a partisan and tired response to the politicking the Senate Republicans did last year when Garland was nominated.

Granted, at least Gorsuch was granted a hearing. Garland was never even asked. However, in the end, both could result in the same thing  not giving a nominee the courtesy of a "yes" or "no" vote.

What's good enough advice for a 2-year-old spoiled child seems good enough for a group of petty Senators: Two wrongs don't make a right.

Gorsuch deserves an up-or-down vote regardless. If Democrats are so concerned about the ideology or legal philosophy of Gorsuch, then they should vote their conscience and make their case.

A filibuster isn't a vote. A filibuster is just another symptom of a diseased and dysfunctional political process that continues to value a tit-for-tat mindset while the voters see little get done. This kind of one-upsmanship will only serve to widen the divisions in our politics.

We believe that Gorsuch's background and legal bonafides have positioned him well for the spot formerly held by Justice Antonin Scalia. And even though some of his rulings may cause eyebrows to raise, he has been praised by conservatives and liberals alike for his thoughtful and consistent approach to ruling on the bench.

In many ways, the courts are our last and still-best hope for preserving our rights and liberties when politicians try to usurp or co-opt them by terrible legislation, policy or executive orders. In that way, Gorsuch would seem to be ideal for the position, as he criticized the very man  President Donald J. Trump  for the commander-in-chief's unwarranted criticism of federal judges. That kind of independent chutzpah is exactly what we need.

We call on the Senate to relent and do the right thing: Confirm Gorsuch. He was good enough in 2006 and he's certainly qualified now. Rise above the partisanship, and we believe the independent voters and those citizens who continue to be alienated by the politics might see that the system can still work.

We know Montana Sen. Steve Daines supports Gorsuch. Sen. Jon Tester remains undecided, according to his office on Thursday. A spokesperson said that if he ultimately supports Gorsuch, he will vote for cloture to end a filibuster. If he doesn't support Gorsuch, he will not vote for cloture, meaning the filibuster could continue, if it begins.

We have to wonder: After weeks of review of Gorsuch's writing, days of testimony and responses from Montanans, why is Tester still undecided? That seems like waffling. What in the next couple of days or weeks will suddenly sway Tester's mind one way or another? And if he's still waiting on feedback from Montanans, is this some kind of popularity contest? Shouldn't there be more a more thoughtful reason?

If not, no more lectures about swamps and their need to be drained because Democrats would seem to be wallowing in the muck on this one.
Hopes for breakthrough or concessions from either side remain low, amid ongoing violence in Damascus and Hama.

A fresh round of UN-brokered talks between rival sides in the Syrian conflict resumed in Geneva on Friday but prospects for a breakthrough remain slim, amid ongoing violence across the country.

In Syria, rebels were advancing in Hama Province, as part of their biggest offensive against government forces in months.

The city of Hama remained under government control but the opposition has gained ground in the countryside; rebels have seized 11 villages and several ammunition depots since Tuesday.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor reported fresh violence on Friday, including shelling by government forces of areas in Sahl al-Ghab, northwest of Hama, and ongoing clashes in the countryside north of the city, as the army sought to retake territory and stop rebels from capturing a military airport.

FEATURES: The slow-motion slaughter of Syrian civilians

Clashes also renewed in the capital, Damascus, witnesses said.

Rebels fought with soldiers on the edge of the city centre in the Jobar district for a fifth day on Thursday.

Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assads government conducted artillery and air strikes in a bid to restore control of positions they lost earlier this week, after surprise attacks by rebels in the northeast of the city.

Assad regime targeting schools, hospitals

Nasr al-Hariri, the Syrian oppositions chief negotiator in the talks, accused the government of not being committed to peace.





I would like to remind you that since the beginning of the last round of talks, last month in Geneva, at least 11 schools have been targeted, in addition to at least 11 medical centres, including hospitals and makeshift clinics, and five markets by the Assad regimes air force and the countries that are supporting the regime.

Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Beirut, said that the rebels were aiming to put more pressure on the international community as they tried to bring about a political solution to the crisis.

This is the first time in months that weve seen momentum being built by the rebels to take over ground, particularly in Hama, he said.

[The rebels] are sending a clear message to the international community that, despite the fact that they lost Aleppo last year  they can still change the reality on the ground.

Marwan Kabalan, an analyst at the Doha Institutes Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, told Al Jazeera that little had been achieved in the talks, which were entering their fifth round.

Kabalan said that the parties should be discussing four main themes  governance, fighting terrorism, the constitution, and elections  but stressed that little was expected from this latest round.

Most of the regional and international powers are not yet actually committed to solving this crisis, he said, adding that the US was focusing more on the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL, also known as ISIS] while Turkeys focus was on the actions of Kurdish groups in Syria.

UN warns of starvation

UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has recently been shuttling between Moscow, Riyadh, and Ankara, and talking directly with the US, in preparation for the talks.

De Mistura understands very well that, without the support of regional and international powers who are heavily involved in this conflict, he cannot actually achieve anything in Geneva, Kabalan said.

De Mistura, who met separately with government and opposition delegations on Thursday, said the talks were the only hope to end the fighting.

READ MORE: UN  300,000 civilians at risk in Damascus fighting

The United Nations said fighting around Syrias capital has cut off 300,000 people from humanitarian assistance and that pauses in the conflict were needed to allow aid convoys to get to the area.

They are totally dependent on our supplies. Starvation will be just around the corner unless we get there in the coming weeks, Jan Egeland, UN humanitarian adviser on Syria, told Reuters news agency on Thursday.

Egeland said the besieged areas of Douma and Kafr Batna in rural Damascus have not received UN supplies since last year.

The increase in the fighting has disastrous effects on the civilian population, Egeland explained. They havent had any supplies by the UN since October in Douma, and in the Kafr Batna area not since June of last year.
UN Middle East envoy says Israel has failed to end illegal settlement activity and abide by UNSC Resolution 2334.

Israel has not taken any steps to halt illegal settlement building on occupied Palestinian territory as demanded by the Security Council, the United Nations said on Friday,

In his first report to the council on the implementation of a resolution it adopted in December, UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said on Friday that Israel had instead authorised a high rate of settlement expansions in violation of international law.

The resolution calls on Israel to take steps to cease all settlements activities in the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem. No such steps have been taken during the reporting period, he said.

Speaking to reporters, Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour said: Settlements need to be stopped, not only because they are illegal, but they are the main obstacle in the path of the two-state solution.

READ MORE: UN report decries Israeli settlements alarming pace

The UNSC Resolution 2334, which reaffirmed long-standing positions of the international community, was adopted with 14 votes after the United States abstained in the vote.

The abstention defied pressure from then President-elect Donald Trump, Israel and some US politicians who urged Washington to wield its veto.

The resolution condemned Israels settlements on Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, saying they had no legal validity.

It also demanded a halt to all Israeli settlement activities, saying this is essential for salvaging the two-state solution.

OPINION: What did the UN apartheid report expose in reality?

Israeli settlements are seen as a major stumbling block to peace efforts as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

The UN maintains that settlements are illegal, but the bodys officials have reported a surge in construction over the past months.

Mladenov called the January spike in illegal settlement announcements by Israel deeply concerning. During that month, he said, two major announcements were made for a total of 5,500 housing units in Area C, the 60 percent of the West Bank exclusively controlled by Israel.

Overall, the last three months have seen a high rate of settlement-related activity, especially when compared to 2016, which saw tenders for only 42 (housing) units issued and some 3,000 units advanced over 12 months in Area C, Mladenov said.

Last year, Israel built 2,630 illegal settler homes in the occupied West Bank in 2016, an increase of 40 percent compared with numbers from 2015.

Some 430,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank and a further 200,000 Israelis live in occupied East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as the capital of their future state.
Baltimore resident with intent to kill as many black men as he could plunged sword into 66-year-old Timothy Caughman.

A white supremacist who stabbed a 66-year-old black man to death with a sword in New York has been charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime.

James Harris Jackson, who killed Timothy Caughman on Monday, was charged on Thursday after he told police that he had hated black men for at least 10 years.

His intent was to kill as many black men here in New York as he could, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi said as the 28-year-old was arraigned. The defendant was motivated purely by hatred.

Caughman was bent over a rubbish bin around the corner from his home, gathering bottles, when Jackson plunged a two-foot sword into his chest and back and walked off, prosecutors said.

INTERACTIVE: The rise of hate groups in the US

A bleeding Caughman staggered into a police station and later died at a hospital.

Jackson dumped the weapon into a rubbish bin. He turned himself in on Thursday after police released surveillance video picturing him.

Anti-racism protests are expected to take place on Friday in New York, with marches from Union Square to Midtown where Caughman was killed.

Organisers said a moments silence will be held for Caughman and other victims of hate crimes.

According to Caughmans Twitter page, he was an autograph collector and a music and movie lover who tweeted about John Lennon and Chuck Berry.

Act of terrorism

Illuzzi said Jackson, who was in the army for three years until 2012, hated in particular black men who dated white women.

William Aubry, NYPD assistant police chief, said Jackson travelled around 200 miles from his home in Baltimore to carry out the murder, picking New York because he hoped to make a statement in the media capital of the world.

His intentions were to come here to harm [black men], Aubry said.

Illuzzi said the charges could be upgraded because the killing was an act most likely of terrorism.

Jacksons lawyer suggested that his client might be suffering from mental illness.

READ MORE: After Seattle attack Sikhs are vigilant

The killing comes amid rising reports of hate crimes in the US against minorities.

Al Jazeeras Kristen Saloomey, reporting from New York, said hate crimes in the city have risen at least 50 percent over the past year.

The organisers of Fridays protest for Caughman said the election of US President Donald Trump, who has previously targeted Muslims and Mexicans in his rhetoric, played a part.

NYC has seen a rise in hate crimes since President 45 was elected. Many communities have been attacked in the era of Trump from Muslims, transfolks, black people and the Jewish community. We say no. We must stand up for our city, they said.

On February 22, a white gunman killed an Indian man, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, at a bar in Kansas after shouting get out my country.

Two weeks later in Seattle, a man shot Deep Rai, a Sikh man, after telling him to go back to your own country.

Several mosques and Jewish centres have also come under attack.

READ MORE: Hate crimes against Muslims in US surge 67 percent

Jacksons arrest on Thursday came on the same day that an attack in London, killing at least five including the attacker, gained huge international media attention. UK police named the suspect of that attack as Khalid Masood as reports said he was a Muslim convert.

Some say the reaction to the two attacks reveals a double standard.

This is a man [Jackson] that is fuelled by hate, fuelled by ideology, and who targeted a New Yorker for simply the colour of his skin, Albert Fox, a legal director at US Muslim civil rights group CAIR, told Al Jazeera.

If this assailant [Jackson] were named Jabir or Jamil instead of James, I have no doubt that this would be considered an act of terrorism [as opposed to murder].

However Joseph Giacalone, a former New York police officer turned security expert, said that political terrorism differed from hate crimes.

Many individuals in our society wish to do others harm and we cant figure out when is the next time that theyre going to strike, he told Al Jazeera.

But when youre dealing with political terrorism  you can usually figure out where theyre [attackers] going  embassies, banks, anything that has the governments name on it.
A fifth round of UN-backed Syria talks is under way in Geneva amid low expectations as violence on the ground escalates.

United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura has warned not to expect miracles as a new round of UN-backed talks between rival sides in Syrias conflict resumed amid ongoing fighting across the country.

As rebel fighters in Syria pushed on with a major offensive against government forces in the central province of Hama, representatives of the two sides in the talks held in Geneva traded allegations over developments on the ground.

Syrian government envoy Bashar al-Jaafari accused the opposition of intentionally undermining the talks, saying an escalation of attacks over the past few days is pushing everybody toward a total failure and fiasco in the political and diplomatic process.

For his part, Nasr al-Hariri, the Syrian oppositions chief negotiator in the talks, accused the government of targeting areas with civilians and carrying out arbitrary arrests.

READ MORE: The slow-motion slaughter of Syrian civilians

On the agenda for the fifth round of the Geneva talks is governance  political transition, the constitution and elections  as well as counterterrorism at the request of Damascus.

Deadlock remains over most of the toughest issues, notably President Bashar al-Assads fate, with the opposition insisting he cede power and the government declaring the subject off limits.

After a two-hour meeting with de Mistura, Jaafari said terrorism needed to be the priority.

In the opposite camp, Hariri said the opposition was committed to finding a political solution, but insisted such a deal could not include Assad.

We reaffirm that we here to rid our country from terrorism and I say that Syria will not be free from terrorism of Daesh [ISIL]  unless it is liberated first from the state terrorism practised by the regime, Hariri told reporters.

READ MORE: The voices missing from Syrias peace talks

The two sides are meeting separately with the UN.

All of them have to talk about all four [issues], de Mistura told reporters following the first full day of the round. That is [the] deal.

De Mistura said he would aim to mesh the ideas shared on all subjects by both sides when the round ends next Friday.

I am not expecting miracles, I am not expecting breakthroughs  and I am not expecting breakdowns, the UN envoy said, reiterating that agreement on the agenda was itself a mark of progress.

De Mistura has recently been shuttling between Moscow, Riyadh, and Ankara, and talking directly with the United States, in preparation for the talks.

He urged the backers of separate talks in the Kazakh capital Astana  which involve Russia and Turkey and are supposed to guarantee a ceasefire  to resume more negotiations in an effort to bring the fighting to an end.

Our expectation and strong suggestion to the guarantors to the Astana process that they do retake the situation in hand and that hopefully there will be new Astana meeting as soon as possible in order to control the situation, which at the moment is worrisome, he told reporters.





Fighting continues

In Syria, rebels were advancing in Hama province, as part of their biggest offensive against government forces in months.

The city of Hama remained under government control, but the opposition has gained ground in the countryside; rebels have seized 11 villages and several ammunition depots since Tuesday.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor reported fresh violence on Friday, including shelling by government forces of areas in Sahl al-Ghab, northwest of Hama, and ongoing clashes in the countryside north of the city, as the army sought to retake territory and stop rebels from capturing a military airport.

Clashes also renewed in the capital, Damascus, witnesses earlier said.

Rebels fought with soldiers on the edge of the city centre in the Jobar district for a fifth day on Thursday.

Forces loyal to Assads government conducted artillery and air strikes in a bid to restore control of positions they lost earlier this week, after surprise attacks by rebels in the northeast of the city.

Reporting from Geneva, Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons said the talks were not off to a good start given the latest surge fighting in Syria.

Its not a good start in the battlefield, in the sense that there is escalation, and its not a good start here in terms of encouragement towards  peace, Simmons said.

Assad regime targeting schools, hospitals

Earlier in the day, Hariri accused the government of not being committed to peace.

I would like to remind you that since the beginning of the last round of talks, last month in Geneva, at least 11 schools have been targeted, in addition to at least 11 medical centres, including hospitals and makeshift clinics, and five markets by the Assad regimes air force and the countries that are supporting the regime.

Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Beirut, said that the rebels were aiming to put more pressure on the international community as they tried to bring about a political solution to the crisis.

This is the first time in months that weve seen momentum being built by the rebels to take over ground, particularly in Hama, he said.

[The rebels] are sending a clear message to the international community that, despite the fact that they lost Aleppo last year  they can still change the reality on the ground.

Marwan Kabalan, an analyst at the Doha Institutes Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, told Al Jazeera that little had been achieved in the talks, which were entering their fifth round.

Kabalan said that the parties should be discussing four main themes  governance, fighting terrorism, the constitution, and elections  but stressed that little was expected from this latest round.

Most of the regional and international powers are not yet actually committed to solving this crisis, he said, adding that the US was focusing more on the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL, also known as ISIS] while Turkeys focus was on the actions of Kurdish groups in Syria.
Powerful Shia leader demands changes to electoral law at Baghdad demonstration attended by thousands of supporters.

Influential religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr has told thousands of supporters in Iraqs capital, Baghdad, that he will boycott upcoming elections unless the countrys electoral law is changed.

Supporters of the Shia cleric have repeatedly rallied for changes to the law and the countrys electoral committee, which is dominated by affiliates of powerful political parties.





If the law remains  this means that we will order a boycott of the elections, Sadr said in remarks televised at Fridays demonstration in Baghdads Tahrir Square.

Iraq is set to hold holding provincial elections later this year, and parliamentary elections in 2018.

Sadr, a vocal critic of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, did not specify the specific changes he wants to take place, but the current law has been criticised as being biased towards large political parties over smaller ones.

The United Nations has backed demands for electoral reform, urging parliament last month to finalise the ongoing review of the election law and the electoral commission.

OPINION: The reinvention of Muqtada al-Sadr

Sadr is the scion of a powerful clerical family who, in earlier years, raised a rebellion against US-led forces and commanded a feared militia.

He had lost some of his political influence in recent years but has brought himself back into relevance by calling for demonstrations to push for reforms.

Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Erbil in northern Iraq, said Fridays demonstration showed Sadr has the ability to mobilise thousands of people.

What were seeing really has to do with internal Iraqi politics. [Sadrs] been campaigning on an anti-corruption platform  how politicians and the electoral commission are corrupt. This is important because Iraq will have provincial elections later this year.

Hes been highlighting this for over a year now but since the Mosul offensive [against ISIL]  its slowed down and attention has shifted.

So this is an apparent effort by him to re-launch his campaign and remind people of his message  and thousands are heeding his call.

Rallies demanding improved services and opposing widespread corruption broke out in the summer of 2015, drawing pledges from authorities that reforms would be made that ultimately led to little in the way of lasting change.

Last year, his supporters broke into Baghdads fortified Green Zone area on several occasions, where the government is headquartered, while clashes at a Baghdad protest in February left seven people dead.
UN mission will investigate allegations of killings, rape and torture by security forces against Rohingya in Myanmar.

The leading United Nations rights body has agreed to send a fact-finding mission to Myanmar to investigate alleged abuses by security forces against Rohingya Muslims.

Tens of thousands of people have fled Myanmars Rakhine state since the military began a security operation last October in response to what it says was an attack by Rohingya armed men on border posts, in which nine police officers were killed.

A February UN report said the operation targeting the Rohingya involved mass rapes and killings, possibly amounting to crimes against humanity.

READ MORE: Myanmar must allow Rohingya to leave camps

The independent, international mission should be dispatched urgently to establish the facts of the alleged atrocities, the UN Human Rights Council decided in Geneva on Friday, in a resolution adopted by consensus.

The investigation would be launched with a view to ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims, the resolution said.





The investigators must provide an oral update in September and a full report by this time next year, said the resolution backed by the European Union. Some countries, including China, India and Cuba, dissociated themselves from the resolution.

But the council stopped short of calling for a Commission of Inquiry  the world bodys highest level investigation  into the violence, despite a call by Yanghee Lee, the UNs special rapporteur on rights in Myanmar.

Earlier this month, Lee told reporters that European leaders wanted to give Myanmars new civilian government led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi more time before launching a top-level inquiry.

Myanmar has been staunchly opposed to a Commission of Inquiry. The countrys rights council ambassador, Htin Lynn, also called the move to send a lower level investigation unacceptable.

READ MORE: Rohingya  Chased from Myanmar, unwelcome in Bangladesh

Myanmar has launched its own domestic inquiry into possible crimes in Rahkine and appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to head a commission responsible for healing long-simmering divisions between Buddhists and Muslims.

Let the Myanmar people choose the best and the most effective course of action to address the challenges in Myanmar, Lynn said, referring to Fridays resolution.

We will be doing what needs to be done and we will do it with great prudence and probity, he added.

Activists welcomed what they called a landmark decision by the 47-member forum, while regretting that it was not a full international commission of inquiry, and called on the government to cooperate.

It is unfortunate that the government of Burma/Myanmar has chosen to disassociate itself from this resolution, John Samuel, executive director of FORUM-ASIA, said in a statement.
Moscow rejects NATO commanders remark that it is perhaps aiding the Taliban in fighting against US and allied forces.

Russias foreign ministry has dismissed a US generals allegations that it may be supplying Taliban fighters in Afghanistan as fabrications.

Curtis Scaparrotti, the top US general in Europe, said on Thursday that he had witnessed Russias influence grow in many regions, including in Afghanistan.





In a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Scaparrotti, who is NATOs Supreme Allied Commander, said Moscow was perhaps supplying the Taliban in fighting against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

His comments were rejected by Russias foreign ministry, which called the charge an attempt by Washington to try to cover up for the failure of its own policies in Afghanistan.

These claims are absolutely false, Zamir Kabulov, head of the Russian foreign ministrys department responsible for Afghanistan and the Kremlins special envoy in the country, told RIA Novosti state news agency on Friday.

These fabrications are designed, as we have repeatedly underlined, to justify the failure of the US military and politicians in the Afghan campaign. There is no other explanation.

READ MORE: Taliban capture key Afghan district; 9 police killed

In February, General John Nicholson, the US commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, testified that Russia is encouraging the Taliban and providing them with diplomatic cover in a bid to undermine US influence and defeat NATO  but he did not address whether Russia is supplying the group.

Kabulov in 2015 said that Russia was exchanging information with the Taliban and saw shared interest with them when it comes to fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group.

Russia considers the Taliban a terrorist group and it is banned in the country, along with ISIL.

Taliban officials have told Reuters news agency the group has had significant contacts with Moscow since at least 2007, but added Russian involvement did not extend beyond moral and political support.

OPINION: Russias new game in Afghanistan

NATO troops have been fighting in Afghanistan since a US-led invasion in late 2001, following the September 11 attacks.

About 13,000 NATO service members are in Afghanistan  the bulk of them American  under its Resolute Support training mission. More than 1,800 US troops have been killed in fighting since the war began.

The US supplied Afghan mujahideen fighters with hi-tech weapons as they battled the Soviet Red Army in the 1980s.

After more than 15 years of war, US generals say the Afghanistan conflict is stuck in a stalemate with the Taliban continuing to carry broad regional influence, and NATO-backed Afghan security forces struggling to make progress.
Relative lack of hard evidence that Gulen movement as a whole was behind coup attempt, UK Parliament reports says.

Some followers of Muslim leader and businessman Fethullah Gulen were involved in last summers failed coup in Turkey, a UK Parliament report says, adding that there is no evidence to suggest the Gulen Movement as a whole was behind the plot.

The Foreign Affairs Committees (FCO) report released on Saturday said the evidence of individual Gulenists involvement in the attempt to overthrow the government was mostly anecdotal or circumstantial, sometimes premised on information from confessions or informants.

The report also said that such evidence is so far inconclusive in relation to the organisation as a whole and its leadership.

As well as the coup, the 82-page report also focuses on the UKs ties with Turkey; the threat from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK); and the status of democracy in the country.

Since the July 15 coup attempt, Turkey has accused Pennsylvania-based Gulen of being behind the push to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

READ MORE: Turkeys failed coup attempt  All you need to know

During the failed coup, about 300 people, the vast majority of them civilians, were killed across Turkey as rebel soldiers targeted the government by bombing state buildings.

The FCO knows too little for itself about who was responsible for the coup attempt in Turkey, or about the Gulenists  whom the Turkish government exclusively blames for the coup, the report said.

We found that the Turkish governments account of the Gulenists and the coup, which the FCO seems willing to accept broadly at face value, is not substantiated by hard, publicly available evidence, although as yet uncontradicted by the same standard.

The report cited a lack of transparency, adding that it was unlikely Gulenists were the only elements involved in the coup.

Turkey is seeking Gulens extradition from the US, a request which has not been granted.

As well as accusing Gulens network of staging the coup attempt, Turkey says it is behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

The FCO said that while Turkey faced a threat following the coup attempt against the backdrop of increased terrorism, it disagreed with some tough measures by the Turkish government under a state of emergency.

Turkey is an important strategic partner facing a volatile period, said Crispin Blunt, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

It needs and deserves our support, but that support needs to include our critique where Turkish policy is not in its own, or our joint long-term interests: these are regional security and stability as well as strong and accountable institutions in Turkey.
Thousands of mourners have filled Trafalgar Square for a vigil for the victims killed in Wednesdays car and knife attack in the heart of London.

MPs and members of the Metropolitan Police were among those who held lit candles in honour of the victims on Thursday.

Police raised the death toll from the attack to five after the death of a 75-year-old. This included the attacker.

Those evil and twisted individuals who tried to destroy our shared way of life will never succeed and we condemn them, Mayor Sadiq Khan said in an address to the crowd.

London is a great city full of amazing people from all backgrounds and when Londoners face adversity we always pull together. We stand up for our values and we show the world we are the greatest city in the world, he said.

Police have identified the assailant in the attack as Khalid Masood, 52, who was born in Kent, southeast England.

READ MORE: Did Al Jazeera viewers celebrate the Westminster attack?

Masood drove into pedestrians who were on the Westminster Bridge before being shot dead by police after fatally stabbing Police Constable Keith Palmer.

WHO WAS KILLED IN THE ATTACK? Kurt W Cochran from Utah, US was on the last day of a European trip celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary when he was killed on Westminster Bridge. His wife was seriously injured and remains in hospital. Aysha Frade, a British citizen whose mother is Spanish, was also killed on the bridge. Police Officer Keith Palmer, 48, was on duty protecting parliament when he was stabbed to death. A 75-year-old man who had been receiving medical treatment following the attack had life support withdrawn on Thursday evening. Attacker Khalid Masood, 52, was shot dead by police.

Twenty-nine people injured in the attack are still being treated at the hospital. Seven are in a critical condition.

Police said Masood had a string of criminal convictions and had been most recently living in central England.

Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack, a police statement said.

However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH [grievous bodily harm], possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

He had not been convicted previously for any terrorism offences, it said.

In a statement to the House of Commons on Thursday, Prime Minister Theresa May said Masood was once investigated by intelligence officers over concerns of violent extremism.

He was a peripheral figure, she said. The case is historic, he was not part of the current intelligence picture.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility on Thursday for the attack. It said on its Amaq website the attacker carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of the coalition of countries fighting ISIL in Syria and Iraq.

It was not possible for Al Jazeera to independently confirm the claim, which did not offer any details of the attack or name Masood, casting doubt on whether there is any direct link between ISIL and the London killings.

REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: Seeking solace in wake of the Westminster attack

Joseph Downing, from the London School of Economics, expressed scepticism over ISILs claim.





To me, this is something quite common over the last couple of years, over the terrorist attacks in Europe, that ISIL jumps on the bandwagon in the most horrific way and says yeah, this our soldier, when theres actually no link between the person carrying out the attack and any particular group, he told Al Jazeera.

Police said eight people had been arrested after raids on six homes in London, Birmingham and other parts of the country in their investigation into the attack.

Al Jazeeras Barnaby Phillips, reporting from London, said: The absolute priority of the police at this point in time would be to know what sort of accomplices, if any, the assailant had. What sort of assistance, if any, did the assailant have and whether he belonged to any sort of network.

May said that those wounded in the attack included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks, and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

Three police officers were also wounded.

The last major attack to hit London was in July 2005, when a coordinated series of bomb blasts targeted its public transportation system during rush hour. The bombings killed 52 people and wounded more than 700 others.
Approve healthcare bill or Obamacare stays in place, is President Donald Trumps message to lawmakers.

Abandoning negotiations, President Donald Trump has demanded a make-or-break vote on healthcare legislation in the US House of Representatives, threatening to leave Obamacare in place and move on to other issues if Fridays vote fails.

The move was presented to divided Republican politicians behind closed doors on Thursday night after a day of negotiations among conservatives, moderates and others within the presidents own party.

At the end of it the president had had enough and was ready to vote and move on, whatever the result, Trumps budget director Mick Mulvaney told politicians.

Lets vote, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said as he walked out of the meeting.

For seven and a half years we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because its collapsing and its failing families, and tomorrow were proceeding, House Speaker Paul Ryan said, then walked off without answering as reporters demanded to know whether the bill had the votes to pass.

Conservatives have condemned the Republican-drafted bill because it scraps Obamacare, but puts another government plan in its place. They believe healthcare should be left to the free market.

Democrats and moderate Republicans, meanwhile, fear the new bill will take insurance away from millions of people.

READ MORE: Americans split over replacing Obamacare

Repealing and replacing former president Barack Obamas healthcare law was one of the major campaign promises of Trump.

Mark Peterson, a professor of public policy at the University of California, said getting the bill passed is extremely critical for Trumps ability to move forward with his agenda.

Usually when a president comes in, this stage is what we call a honeymoon period. Hes trying to rack up some big wins in Congress to build momentum, he told Al Jazeera.

Right now his White House has been described as in a bit of chaos. He has not been doing well in popular support. A defeat over the healthcare bill would be quite a setback, Peterson said.

READ MORE: The Obamacare debate is not just about healthcare

Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare, in 2010, providing health coverage for 20 million low-income Americans previously uninsured. Many middle-income Americans complained their premiums spiked as a result.

Millions of Americans would lose coverage next year under the Republican plan, according to a review by the Congressional Budget Office made before last-minute amendments to the bill.

Supporters of Obamacare staged rallies in Washington, DC, Chicago and Los Angeles on Thursday denouncing efforts to repeal the law.

The Republican bill would halt Obamas tax penalties against people who do not buy coverage and cut the federal-state Medicaid programme for low earners, which the Obama statute had expanded.

It would provide tax credits to help people pay medical bills, though generally less than Obamas statute provides.

It also would allow insurers to charge older Americans more and repeal tax boosts the law imposed on high-income people and health industry companies.

The measure would also block federal payments to Planned Parenthood for a year, another stumbling block for Republican moderates.
Our community firefighters work hard every day to save lives and keep our communities safe.

I am being criticized for my "no" vote on Senate Bill 72, which would create a law requiring the state to take on the liability and treatment costs for firefighters with lung disease.

As a representative I have to take a lot of hard votes and I can handle the criticism. It is much easier to vote "yes" on every bill. We all want to help everyone, but funding does not allow that. To be clear: I voted against the bill not firefighters. I want to make sure my constituents know why I voted no.

The bill that we were presented in committee would create a presumptive illness law for firefighters, meaning illnesses that are likely linked to their occupation. We were told during the hearing that this bill would be for only lung disease. But its notable that when I look at the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) website, I found a large list of diseases that fall under this area of protection that other states have been asked to also include. We were told that it was the intent of this bill, if passed, to only put lung cancer in the bill. But, the list will grow and the needs of those affected will only grow proportionately.

SB72 underestimates the number of people that will be in need of long-term care from across the state.

I understand there is a risk to being a firefighter. I believe that a better alternative to asking the state to cover this liability is for paid firefighters who are represented by a union to put their energy toward including presumptive illness in their labor contracts. Hiring new firefighters is done by the cities. Equipment and training is conducted by the employer. The cities, their employers, would face the liability. Every city responds to a different number of calls. To me, that seems fair.

Every city is different and the risks for each city can be calculated. That is the reason the cities support this bill, it shifts liability from the cities to the state.

For the most part, all fire departments belong to cities and fire districts, not the state, but it is the state that is being asked to accept this liability. Montana is going to face another unfunded liability that it cannot afford if this bill were to go through. I did not see an actuary attached to this bill so the future liability cant be determined.

I think we are familiar with Libby, Montana and the enormous burden that lung disease has put on that community. This week we heard House Bill 2  the major budget bill. Almost every state agency is requesting additional funding. Senior long term care, schools, mental health, child protective services all are requesting additional funding. There simply isnt enough money to go around.

Should we cut from existing programs to support a new program? I know that there is some funding mechanism in this bill, but it will grow, government programs always do. This decision was the hardest I have had to make this session and last session. I do not take it lightly, but I am going to stand by it.

Vince Ricci is a legislator from Laurel, representing House District 55. He sits on the Business and Labor Committee.
The trajectory of the recent clashes hints at what the next war between Azerbaijan and Armenia would look like.
Anna Martin looked up as two students wrapped a royal-blue fabric around her head.

When it twisted neatly into five layers, she touched the turban and smiled at the two students from the Sikh Student Association who helped wrap her head.

Its surprisingly comfy, the 20-year-old UF psychology senior said. It feels like wearing a pillow on your head.

The Sikh Student Association hosted its annual turban day on Turlington Plaza on Thursday.

About 30 students allowed members to wrap turbans on their heads and answer questions about their faith, Sikhism.

Jasmeet Kalsi, the organizations co-president, said the goal was to bring awareness of the Sikh religion and eliminate stereotypes through educating students.

Our physical appearance is different, but that doesnt make us foreign or terrorists, the 22-year-old UF biology senior said.

Martin said she heard about the event from her intercultural communications professor.

I think its cool they took time to tell other people about their culture, she said.

Kalsi said the event has not received negative reactions in the past and hopes to continue educating students about her religion.

That ignorance is where hate and fear stem from, she said. As long as we educate people, I like to think we wont have problems. Neal Singh, a member and former president, said he has participated in turban day since 2009.

Singh said his favorite aspect of the event is that students of every culture are willing to experience his.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Despite what people feel about different faiths, its amazing people are willing to come out and experience something different, he said.
A UF international student from Palestine was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over Spring Break, and he now awaits deportation.

Ali Jamoos was leaving a Carnival Cruise Line ship March 10, returning from Cozumel, Mexico, when security guards stopped the 24-year-old at PortMiami, said Victor Constantin, who was with Jamoos when he was detained.

Jamoos was taken to the ports immigration office and then to the Krome Service Processing Center.

Four days later, the UF agriculture junior was transferred to the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, where he is awaiting deportation.

Constantin, a UF alumnus who graduated in 2016 with a bachelors degree in business management, said his friend was detained after medically withdrawing from UF.

Jamoos withdrew to briefly return home and be with his mother and father, who has a kidney disease, and his 11 siblings.

It was horrible to see him being taken away in handcuffs, said Constantin, 23. They didnt talk to us, so it was very intimidating.

Ahmed Hemeid, a UF biochemical engineering graduate student, said after receiving panicked phone calls from Jamoos friends the day he was detained, he immediately drove to Miami.

Hemeid, 25, said he notified UFs International Center about Jamoos detainment, and some staff members are contacting immigration officers to inform them Jamoos is a UF student.

UF spokesperson Janine Sikes wrote in an email that UF is aware of Jamoos detainment.

(We) are monitoring the situation so that we may be helpful, Sikes said. His immigration legal issues are personal and we understand he has obtained an immigration lawyer to assist him.

Jamoos friends found a lawyer who agreed to help for an estimated $3,800. They created a GoFundMe account Thursday to raise $4,100, which also covers the webpage service fees, Hemeid said. As of press time, theyve raised $6,340 within 11 hours.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

The power of his friends and his network is phenomenal, Hemeid said. I didnt expect the process to be this rapid.

Constantin said Jamoos has two options: being deported involuntarily, which would ban him from entering the U.S. for five years, or being voluntarily deported. Since Jamoos is graduating in two semesters, his friends are trying for the second option.

In Fall 2014, Jamoos was detained at a Boston airport after returning home from a semesterlong medical leave to visit his sick father, Constantin said.

Angie Aguirre, a UF sociology alumna, said she visited Jamoos at the detention center Saturday. When she saw him in an orange jumpsuit, Aguirre broke down.

But Jamoos kept smiling.

He doesnt deserve this, but hes being positive so thats helping us feel positive as well, the 23-year-old said.

Contact Jimena Tavel at jtavel@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @taveljimena

Ali Jamoos
Authorities are investigating a suspected drive-by shooting that left one hospitalized Wednesday night, according to Gainesville Police.

Police arrived at Phoenix Villas Apartments, 2550 SW 31st Place, after there were reports of shots fired at 10:20 p.m. GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias wrote in an email that they found a man in his 30s with a gunshot wound to the neck.

The man was sitting in a living room when a bullet went through the front window and hit him, Tobias said.

The apartment next door also had a bullet hole in its front door and window sill, Tobias said. Officers found the apartments resident asleep and uninjured.

The man who was shot was taken to a hospital, Tobias said, adding that he was conscious and alert as of press time.

A surveillance video from a laundromat across the street, obtained by police, shows a silver car driving by the apartment, turning off its headlights as it passes the apartment. The car ran a stop sign and turned at the end of the street.

Police are still investigating the shooting and trying to determine if the shooting victim had a disagreement with anyone, Tobias said. A small fragment from the bullet was found lodged in his neck, and more pieces were found at the scene. No shell casings were recovered from the apartment.

GPD has not released the name of the victim to keep him safe until the shooter is found.

Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @MerylKornfield

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now
Gainesville Police arrested a man Wednesday morning in connection with three burglaries at an apartment complex known for its student population.

Kentrell Levon Hodges Sr.

Gainesville resident Kentrell Levon Hodges Sr., 28, stole $7,670 worth of items from three apartments in Oxford Manor, at 2777 SW Archer Road, between December 2016 and February 2017, according to an arrest report. In all the burglaries, Hodges came into the apartments through back entrances.

In the burglaries, Hodges took electronics, jewelry, accessories and a suitcase, police said. In one case, he broke into an apartment while the owner was asleep, according to the report.

One victim of a burglary noticed someone had accessed her Net ix account from her stolen TV and changed the profile names to Ty & Trell and Khai, according to the report. The IP address the TV was used at matched the apartment of Hodges girlfriend.

Police searched Hodges apartment and found stolen items from the burglaries, according to the report. Marijuana, hydrocodone pills and MDMA tablets, which are commonly called Molly or Ecstasy, were found in a jacket that was in the living room.

Hodges pawned off a stolen ring for $20 in January, according to the report.

After his arrest, Hodges told police he sells marijuana and that the other drugs were his, according to the report. He said he bought the stolen items from someone for $150 and he didnt steal from the apartments.

Police arrested Hodges on charges of grand theft, dealing in stolen property, false information on a pawn transaction form, burglary and violation of probation. Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail, where he remains, as of press time, without bond.

Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @MerylKornfield

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now
For the 48th year, the Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival will display artwork from more than 200 artists.

The festival will be held April 1 and April 2 and is free and open to the public. It will be located on Northeast First Street in downtown Gainesville, and the festival hours are Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Raul Villarreal, Santa Fes acting coordinator of cultural programs, said he is directing this festival for the first time this year and has a group of artists and musicians coming in from all over the country.

Last year, one artist really stood out to us, so we chose him to be the poster artist for this year, Villarreal said.

Erh-Ping Tsai, a Taiwanese artist living in New York, is the poster artist for this years festival and will be at the event signing posters and selling his work, Villarreal said.

Its a family-oriented event where people get to meet up with their friends, walk around and look at artwork and listen to music, Villarreal said.

Gabriella Garcia, a 20-year-old UF graphic design sophomore, said she is looking forward to the festival.

Its always cool to go to art festivals because you see such innovative art pieces from artists from all over the world, Garcia said. Im excited to see what they have to offer this year.

Gainesville resident Mae, 3, shows off a cupcake she iced at the Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival in 2012 while Jodie, 8, holds a sign promoting the cupcake-decorating to raise money for FUMPers, the preschool of First United Methodist Church.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now
The last time Lauren Carpenter left Gainesville to go home to Tampa, she sat in traffic.

She isnt the only one who has run into traffic on Interstate 75 through Alachua and Marion counties.

To help alleviate heavy traffic along I-75, the Florida Department of Transportation is constructing a master plan to be released in fall, said Andrew Young, the state interchange review coordinator for FDOT.

This will allow us to more actively manage I-75, he said.

In 2010, a study rated I-75 through Alachua and Marion counties, a C in rural areas and a D in urban areas for level of service by FDOT.

Expanding the highway to four lanes in each direction and implementing tolled express lanes are two of the long-term solutions that have been proposed, Young said.

In the short-term, FDOT will consider increasing road ranger presence, dynamic signs to alert drivers of congestion and signal coordination at cross streets to manage the flow of traffic, he said.

Ruth Steiner, a UF professor with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, said she hopes FDOT will listen to the residents of Alachua and Marion counties and look into short-term, less expensive solutions.

Instead of a very expensive highway project, there are little things to do, she said.

One solution proposed is to lower the speed limit in certain sections or during certain times of the day, she said.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now
Undocumented immigrants and elected officials gathered at a local church to discuss threatening immigration policies and how to deal with them Thursday night.

In a meeting that frequently switched between English and Spanish, about 40 undocumented immigrants listened to guidelines set forth by the American Civil Liberties Union on how to defend themselves against President Donald Trumps mass-deportation agenda.

The event was led by local grassroots group. The group, led in part by a UF alumnus, was created to preserve the human rights of all Gainesville citizens, regardless of immigration status.

Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe and other community leaders attended the meeting, which lasted about two hours.

Everyone at the event, about 100 in total, clapped when Darnell arrived. Alachua County was the only Florida county listed for failing to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy in a report published by the Department of Homeland Security, according to Alligator archives.

My role, my responsibility, and that of all those who work with me, is about human rights, Darnell told the crowd. We care about people who are victimized.

Darnell, who distributed her business card to the meetings attendees, said ACSO adheres to most of ACLUs guidelines. She added that if anyone is being treated poorly by an Alachua County Sheriffs officer, they should personally let her know.

Undocumented immigrants stood in front of the crowd to deliver tearfilled testimonials about why they left their countries, and how frightening it is to live in fear of being deported.

Poe, who said this kind of meeting will be the first of many, thanked those who were courageous enough to share painful stories.

In Gainesville, whoever you are, wherever you came from and however long youve been here, youre welcomed and were glad that youre here, he said. Im here tonight as one of your leaders to make sure every single person in the city feels welcomed and a part of the community.

Contact Molly Vossler at mvossler@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @molly_vossler

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now
College is great. Where else can individuals pursue knowledge and interests while inhabiting societys most intellectual environments? How lucky are we as a country to have so many options for higher education, as well as opportunities to make it happen? Many could argue the university is one of societys greatest achievements, but that doesnt necessarily mean it is for everyone.

If you were to chart out humanitys advancement on a graph, it would be a trend of exponential growth. One hundred years ago, people were riding horses into town for rations, and now drones can deliver our food to us. Last year, I had pneumonia for three grueling months, an illness that wouldve meant impending doom even 70 years ago, yet here I am writing this column today. If we were to zoom in on this trendline, we would see numerous fluctuations up and down, (sometimes us humans are dumb and make terrible mistakes, however, sometimes we learn from them), but the overall trend is positive.

At the base of this line would be the earliest humans, hunting and gathering on a hostile planet, trying to survive. Those people didnt have time to sit under trees and contemplate the morality of man, or how many miles away that blinding thing in the sky is from them. One does not have time to ponder lifes deepest intricacies when fending off saber-toothed tigers. Free time is a recent invention, created by man when he realized most things were (relatively) under his control. It was with this extra time not spent worrying about survival that man began to think deeper and take notice of all going on around him. But while thinkers like Socrates and Plato were lounging in the Agora, plucking grapes off vines and discussing morality, most of the men in Athens were still fighting wars, building structures and working their trade. History likes to look fondly on thinkers, the great minds behind our achievements, but such achievements were not possible without people physically making things. You know, with their hands.

Pursuing knowledge and studying the world is wonderful, but none of it means anything if society and cities are physically falling apart. Somebody built that building those philosophers and historians are debating in, and those pipes arent going to fix themselves should something go terribly wrong.

Our culture tends to either look down upon, or simply neglect, trade schools. Its great that our politicians are urging every single high school student to go to college, but the reality is that college is not the best option for everyone. For some, it is wiser financially to learn a trade and hop into the workforce immediately, no lollygagging or major-changing involved. For others, they simply arent interested in studying ancient Mesopotamian pottery or theoretical formulas, but would rather make useful items with their own hands.

We need to stop acting like college is the only road to success in life. Sure, it is a proven way to increase your employability, but it should not be considered the cure-all for anybody trying to make it in the world. Experts are already anticipating a dire need for trade workers in the near future, as more and more millennials opt for finding their passion at a university instead of considering all of the (often more practical) options available. To satisfy this need, we are going to need fewer people studying lofty abstractions and more learning how to fix that leaking pipe upstairs, training to become tomorrows electricians and plumbers. The demand for these services grows in parallel with societys growth. Plus, such businesses can be surprisingly lucrative and rewarding.

College is wonderful, but it is not the key to happiness or the single golden ticket towards a life of professional success. Going to college definitely can help one achieve one's dreams or discover new fields to enter, but to treat it as somehow superior or above working a trade is not only wrong, but could also prove detrimental for ensuing generations.

Andrew Hall is a UF management junior. His column appears on Fridays.
The immigration and refugee policies that are being put in place by the executive branch of our government are troubling to many people of faith and conscience. These policies clash not only with our countrys deeply-held values of religious freedom, tolerance and diversity, but also with Christian teachings of love, justice and charity.

President Donald Trump's executive order barring entry from nationals of a number of Muslim-majority countries and suspending the admission of any new refugees has twice been stayed in federal courts. While this has received the most attention, the administration has also issued several new directives on immigration, including ones that massively increase the number of undocumented immigrants prioritized for deportation and seek to crack down on sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

Millions of law-abiding immigrants have been subjected to constant fear of deportation. Every day comes another headline of someone detained and separated from their family on only the flimsiest basis  including victims of domestic violence, young people who have benefited from the previous deferred action program, and parents dropping their children off at school.

The approach adopted by Trump and his administration seems clear: Close our borders to those fleeing persecution and seeking opportunity in the United States, and sow fear and mistrust based on faith, race and ethnicity.

I was blessed to be naturalized as an American when I was born overseas. Born of an American mother and British father, we moved to this country so my father could attend theological seminary in the 1960s. I have always known America to celebrate diversity, pluralism and religious freedom. Though dressed up in legalese, the executive order on refugees is nothing more than the ban on Muslim immigration infamously proposed last year  a proposal that still remains on Trumps campaign website. People of all religions should be offended by such a straightforward assault on our First Amendment religious liberty.

Whats more, these policies run counter to the teachings of Christ, which counsel loving ones neighbor and speaking out on behalf of the needy and oppressed. Indeed, Jesus tells us to welcome the stranger in our homes: I was a stranger and you invited me in (Matthew 25:35). In Leviticus, God commands: the stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt (Leviticus 19:34).

Thats why so many congregations that are part of the denomination I serve, the United Church of Christ, have spoken out in defense of immigrants and refugees. In New Hampshire, a church is fundraising on behalf of Syrian refugees; in Phoenix, churches are becoming sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants. In fact, several UCC congregations recently submitted a legal brief against the administrations refugee ban while it was being argued in court.

These church actions are not surprising, given that the United Church of Christ traces its roots back to perhaps Americas first refugees, the Pilgrims, who fled religious persecution in England for the hope and opportunity of the New World. Since then, our country has striven to serve as a beacon for those in search of similar sanctuary from around the world  in the words of John Winthrop, who led some of the first settlers across the ocean to Massachusetts, to be a city upon a hill.

Trumps approach is firmly at odds with this history of tolerance and refuge, and with Gods command to love the neighbor and the stranger. I urge all men and women of faith to consider whether the presidents policies are consistent with the beliefs they hold, and to work to ensure America remains a beacon of hope for the world.

Stewart is a Conference Minister for the United Church of Christ in Montana and Northern Wyoming. Stewart is part of Community 7 television program, Another Voice that speaks to current issues from a progressive Christian viewpoint. The Jan. 28 episode, Welcoming the Neighbor addresses immigration and refugee issues and is available for viewing on the Community 7 archive: https://comm7tv.viebit.com/










English News Rwanda: Detained pregnant wife of activist to appear in court

Alwihda Info | Par Amnesty International - 24 Mars 2017





British national Violette Uwamahoro, the pregnant wife of a political opposition activist living in exile, who was arrested by Rwandan authorities and held incommunicado, will make her first appearance in court at a bail hearing in the capital Kigali tomorrow, said Amnesty International.



Violette Uwamahoro, who lives in the UK with her two children, disappeared in Kigali on 14 February. She had returned to the country to attend her fathers funeral. She had just called a family member to let them know she was arriving at the citys main bus station when her phone went dead.



Rwandan government officials initially denied knowledge of her whereabouts, before the police confirmed on 3 March that she was in their custody.



Violette Uwamahoro was illegally held without access to lawyers or her family for more than two weeks. This is an unacceptable breach of Rwandan and international law, said Sarah Jackson, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region.



Violette Uwamahoro is married to Faustin Rukundo, an activist in the Rwanda National Congress, an opposition group in exile. She has been charged alongside a distant cousin, Jean Pierre Shumbusho, a police officer, with the revelation of state secrets, formation of an irregular armed group and offence against the established government or president. Violette Uwamahoro denies all charges.



People who know her say that Violette is not involved in politics at all. Her husband believes that she is being targeted because of his political activities. Her arrest and other cases of arbitrary detentions seem designed to quell opposition voices in the run-up to the presidential elections in August, said Sarah Jackson.



There have been numerous incommunicado detentions and forced disappearances in Rwanda in recent years, often of journalists or those suspected of working with government opponents.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's Beidou reaches world-leading level: white paper Silk Road e-commerce promotes trade among Belt and Road countries Irrigation project in Jiangsu gets world heritage designation Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
Air Canada has extra cargo capacity thanks to its first freighters, but that didnt prevent a 23% fall in cargo revenue in the third quarter.
When Benjamin Franklin left Independence Hall at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, one of the anxious citizens gathered outside, a Mrs. Powell, asked, Well, Doctor, what have we got? Immediately, he replied, A republic, if you can keep it.

Well, so far we have.

We have kept it for a number of fundamental reasons. One reason is the peaceful transfer of power. When a winner is declared in an election, the other side is not happy, of course, but its adherents accept the voters will and begin the task of strengthening their party in order to regain power in the next election.

Another reason is the basic trust that the people have in their fellow countrymen, in the press, and in their government. They believe, and they are willing to accept their inherited approach to governance. None always gets what he/she wants, but basically everyone trusts that the system itself still functions as established by the Founding Fathers. As Thomas Jefferson said, Here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead nor to tolerate any error as long as reason is left free to combat it." A third fundamental reason is that Americans have been committed to and willing to obey the laws that govern us. The law is the law, and we believe that we should obey the law even though at times we do not agree with it. Since the founding of our nation, Americans have believed that basically our laws are good for them, for their friends and neighbors, and for their country.

Of course, these previously mentioned tenets are not the only ones that account for our becoming a great nation, but they are fundamental and indispensable to our becoming what we have become. Because of them we have kept our republic.

But now we cannot take the survival of our republic for granted. Now, we must ask ourselves if we can keep it. What has changed?

Today, the leaders and soldiers of the left have declared war on their fellow Americans and on our republic. They have declared war on anyone who disagrees with them. They will not accept any view of government other than their own. In fact, the left are so completely convinced of their own infallibility that they are prepared to resist and disobey any and all laws not conforming to their own views. Those who have not seen the light that they espouse are to be vilified and silenced. Therefore, they vociferously deny the unenlightened the right to express their opinions. Any who are suspect, in their minds, are a danger to our country and do not deserve the right to express their views. Anyone who disagrees with their vision of a just society is publicly denounced.

Goals that they cannot achieve by means of the ballot box, by propaganda from their coconspirators in the press, by indoctrination in the nations classrooms, by under-the-radar edicts from the shadow government bureaucracy, or by leftist judges are condemned. They are absolutely determined to eliminate any and all disagreement, including anyone who opposes them, by means of constant and aggressive intimidation.

The left and their ardent followers possess the truth. They know how to eliminate all the evils that they perceive in our nation. Like all those who see the truth, they have no tolerance for any proposed alternatives or for those who may espouse other tenets. They are the true believers, as described by Eric Hoffer.

Inequality must be eliminated. Social justice must be achieved. That is what they say. That is what they tell the people. However, if one watches what they do, one readily discerns that what they do does not necessarily correspond to what they say. As in Animal Farm, all the hogs are equal, but some are more equal than others. They say that they are committed to helping the American people, but they are more committed to getting their own way.

In the present instance, they are challenging the results of the last election.

Donald Trump won the election, but the leftists insist that he will never be their president. There has been no peaceful transfer of power. The leftists do not agree with the voters who supported Trump in the election. Therefore, based on their beliefs, they insist that he should not be president, and they are committed to disrupting the governmental process and to delegitimizing Trumps presidency. The left is determined, by any means -- legal or otherwise, to foil Trumps every effort in order to assure that only those programs in keeping with their own priorities be approved by the members of Congress.

What the left is doing may make them feel good, and they may even be successful. However, in the long run they will be unsuccessful because of what they are doing to our country.

In the first place, what will be the result if they break and discard our tradition of the peaceful transfer of power?

In the second place, what will be the result if they create conditions in our country in which the people no longer believe?

In the third place, what will be the result if they undermine our system of laws and the model of a law-abiding citizenry? What will be the result if everyone adopts the current position of the leftists that they are bound to obey only those laws that they want to obey?

The obvious answer to each of the questions posed in the previous paragraphs is frightening. They are frightening because the answer conjures up the inescapable outcome. In a society is in which all are free to contest the voters will in elections, in which the erosion of trust makes governance impossible, and in which the rule of law in no longer viable in society, anarchy reigns.

Without the three fundamental components that have enabled us to keep our republic we will find ourselves going down a slippery slope, the slippery slope toward anarchy.

And even though anarchy itself is unacceptable, the end result of anarchy is even worse.

History tells us that in most societies the people will not tolerate anarchy. Not surprisingly, they prefer the order of dictatorship to the disorder of anarchy, and that is the typical historical outcome for countries in which powerful forces do not accept the peaceful transfer of power, in which they create situations to undermine peoples trust, and in which they refuse to obey the nations laws.

Our Founding Fathers gave us a republic, one of the most successful governmental systems in the history of the world.

Can we keep it?
With Iran continuing to be a state sponsor of terror and continuing the development of nuclear weapons, it is imperative that the United States impose stricter sanctions upon Iran in an effort to place more pressure on the Iranian regime. One underutilized method of achieving this is to prohibit airlines that fly to the U.S. from flying to Iran or code-sharing with airlines that fly to Iran. To prevent Iran from building up its own air fleet to circumvent these sanctions, it will also be necessary to prohibit the sale of aircraft and aircraft parts to Iran.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2015 travel and tourism generated 294,428 billion Iranian rials (about $9.13 billion) for Irans economy, which was 2.5 percent of Irans GDP. The total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP (including wider effects from investment, the supply chain and induced income impacts) generated 793,457 billion Iranian rials (about $24.49 billion) in 2015, which was 6.7 percent of Irans GDP. If international tourists need to book multiple flights to get to Iran, many of them will choose other destinations which are easier to access.

Commercial flights to Iran impact more than tourism revenue. They also make it easier to attract foreign direct investment. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in 2015 Iran received $2.05 billion in foreign direct investment inflows. Ease of travel makes it easier for potential investors to visit Iran and for Iranians to visit potential investors and establish business relationships. Making this travel more difficult will add another barrier to market entry and either reduce the level of foreign direct investment or reduce its rate of growth.

Commercial flights to Iran also ship a significant amount of cargo. According to the World Bank, in 2015 Iran received 107.185 million ton-kilometer of goods shipped via air cargo. Reducing the availability of shipping cargo by air would increase Irans dependency on shipping by sea.

Iran could reduce the impact of flight sanctions by building up its own aircraft fleet. To prevent that from occurring, it is also necessary to prevent the sale of aircraft and aircraft parts to Iran. The bulk of Irans air fleet consists of aging U.S.-made aircraft built prior to the revolution in 1979. In September 2016, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued licenses authorizing Airbus to sell 17 aircraft to Iran Air, the airline owned by the Iranian government. In November 2016, Airbus received licenses from OFAC authorizing the sale of 106 additional aircraft to Iran Air. Airbus requires licenses from OFAC in order to sell aircraft to Iran since 10 percent of its parts are made in the U.S. OFAC also issued licenses authorizing Boeing to sell 80 aircraft to Iran Air. It is imperative that these licenses be revoked before either of these firms can make delivery of any of the aircraft to Iran. This is an action that can be taken by the Trump administration without the need for authorization from Congress.

The economic impact of selling aircraft to Iran Air is not the only issue. In a July 2016 hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman Ed Royce discussed Iran's use of commercial aircraft in support of terrorism. He noted that in 2011, the Treasury Department stated that Iran Air has shipped military-related equipment on behalf of the IRGC since 2006, and in 2008, Iran Air shipped aircraft-related raw materials to a Ministry of Defense-associated company, including titanium sheets, which have dual-use military applications and can be used in support of advanced weapons programs. During that same hearing, Mark Dubowitz, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted that such behavior continues and that in June 2016, three Iran Air flights went from the IRGCs resupply base in Iran to Damascus.

In addition to OFAC withdrawing the licenses to sell aircraft to Iran, there are also actions that Congress can take. In February 2017, Congressman Pete Roskam, along with Leonard Lance, Lee Zeldin, and Doug Lamborn, introduced H.R. 808, the Iran Nonnuclear Sanctions Act of 2017. Sections 105, 106, and 107 of the bill deal specifically with sanctions related to aircraft.

Section 105 of the Act discusses sanctions against Mahan Air, an airline which is owned by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It calls for the imposition of sanctions against any person who provides goods, services, technology, or financial services to Mahan Air or any of its agents or affiliates, manages or is on the board of directors of or any of its agents or affiliates, or entities who own more than a 25 percent interest. The specific sanctions imposed include the blocking of property in the U.S. or in the possession or control of a United States person and the denial of visas to enter the U.S.

Section 106 of the Act discusses further measures regarding Mahan Air. It requires the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, to submit to Congress a list of each entity that would be subject to the sanctions described in section 105 of the Act. Section 107 of the Act discusses requiring the President to submit to Congress a report that contains a description of all efforts the Department of State has made to encourage other countries to prohibit the use of air space and airports by Iranian air carriers.

Stronger aircraft sanctions will exert additional pressure upon Iran. Combined with other measures, these sanctions will hopefully damage Irans economy to the point where it will be less able to fund terrorist acts and fund the development of nuclear weapons capabilities than they are currently.

Zachary Leshin is a former congressional staffer who has worked extensively in Middle East policy.
Regardless of what shape the economy is in, banks have been mistrusted by people for many years. In fact, 28 million people in the U.S. still stuff money underneath their mattress.

While banks do everything they can to get these people to open bank accounts, its not always feasible. Some live paycheck to paycheck and need immediate access to their money for everyday expenses.

There are also people who bring in a significant amount of income and still choose a cash-only lifestyle, thanks to the financial crisis that occurred from 2007-2010. It was this crisis that prompted the creation of the Dodd-Frank Act.

Why the Dodd-Frank Act was Created

Congress believed the financial crisis was caused by insufficient regulation of the private financial sector. So the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law on July 21, 2010 by Barack Obama and heralded some of the most significant changes in financial regulation since the Great Depression.

This act was intended to stabilize the economy, and prevent further collapse of major financial institutions like that of Lehmann Brothers -- a firm that survived the railroad bankruptcies of the 1800s, the Great Depression in the 1930s, and both world wars, only to fall into bankruptcy by getting involved in the subprime mortgage market just prior to the collapse of the U.S. housing market.

But there are people who say this act is not providing the stabilization it claims. Like the House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, who says the act has done anything but stabilize the economy or prevent financial collapse and may have even led us into financial collapse.

And the president of the NAFCU, Dan Berger, says that since this act has been in place, his industry lost over 1,250 federally insured credit unions, adversely affecting consumers.

How this Act Affects Consumers and Lenders

For consumers, the Dodd-Frank Act protects borrowers from abusive lending and mortgage practices often seen from banks. And, for lenders, it places heavy restrictions for mitigating their potential risks, forcing them to cut back on administering loans.

Dodd-Frank also subjects banks to some heavy regulations that require them to be broken up if they ever become too big to fail. This means they would get regulated by the Federal Reserve, and may have to increase their required on-hand reserve and develop a plan to quickly shut themselves down if they run out of money.

Theres More to Dodd-Frank than Meets the Eye

At first glance, this act appears to be straightforward, serving as a protection for both consumers and lenders. However, while the Dodd-Frank act puts some heavy financial regulations in place that many top financial experts agree with, President Trump sees a harmful side-effect that others dont see. And he wants to relax these financial regulations because the provisions of the act are too restrictive. Trump recognizes that these restrictions are preventing successful business people from being able to borrow money, which is only going to hurt the economy.

Laura MacCleery, vice president of consumer policy and mobilization for Consumer Reports, told the Los Angeles Times, Dodd-Frank was put into place to raise standards for financial firms and ensure consumers are treated more fairly and honestly. If we roll back these critical standards, we will once again be putting consumers and the economy at an intolerable risk.

But there are people who see it a different way. They see the economy at risk because of Dodd-Frank.

According to Bloomberg.com, Trump wants to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act and replace it with new policies to create growth in the economy. But hes having a difficult time getting others to recognize the economical damage that will occur when businesses cant get loans.

Dodd-Frank puts Loans out of Reach

While some people may not agree with completely obliterating Dodd-Frank, many support a hefty revision. Subprime lending has become extremely expensive for consumers (Americans paid $141B in fees and interest last year according to this report), and analysts claim this is due to a funding gap inadvertently created by Dodd-Frank.

Apparently, the compliance regulations imposed on banks by this act have made it more expensive for them to operate -- and theyre passing that cost onto the consumer. Because of associated costs, some lenders are unwilling to process loans under $100k, making it difficult for small businesses. And if small businesses cant get loans, they cant create jobs. If the economy is going to grow, we need more jobs.

An Improved Economy means Restored Trust in Financial Institutions

Its a sign of intense times when people are willing to risk their life savings being obliterated by fire, flood, or sticky fingered friends. And thats exactly what Trump is trying to change.

But its a gradual process. So if youre waiting for the economy to boom before you put your trust in a financial institution, you better start sizing up to get a bigger mattress so your friends dont see that green paper sticking out. While Trump is doing everything he can to turn the economy around, its not going to happen overnight.

President Trump has the unique opportunity to make the changes necessary to create an economic boom, and if he can make it happen, he just might cause some of the mattress-money-stuffers to start trusting financial institutions again.
Newspapers in my state reported a particularly sadistic murder. The victim was shot, strangled, beaten with a hammer, stabbed, punched, and set on fire. The killers were thorough and then some.

If you look at how reading is taught in the U.S., you will think of this execution. Children are taught stupidly and then some. Every technique that will make reading difficult and unpleasant is employed.

To start with, Sight-words are the worst way to start. Instead of learning letters and the sounds they represent, children memorize graphic designs. Rudolf Flesch (Chapter V of Why Johnny Can't Read) said that as of 1948, eleven studies had been conducted; all found that phonics is superior. (So the Education Establishment has always known that if you want a society to have low literacy, you will promote Sight-words. And that is what they relentlessly do.)

Children who rely entirely on Sight-words will invariably end up semi-literate (aka functionally illiterate). However, it's also true that the more verbal children will in time figure out that Sight-words are not efficient. These children will notice that certain letter-shapes represent certain sounds. And by the third grade, many children will be reading phonetically even though they were never taught to do so!

Well, the Education Establishment is not going to put up with that kind of failure. If water in the fuel line is not enough, put some sugar in the gas tank and some sand in the engine, and while you're at it, punch a hole in the radiator. Examples include:

1) Professor Ken Goodman's "three cueing system" teaches children to rely on semantics or context. Second, use syntax. (Last if at all, use phonetics.) These rules turn the English language into an elusive puzzle you need to solve word by word and sentence by sentence, every time you read. Goodman is world-famous for this guff.

2) Professor Frank Smith mandated that children must, when not recognizing a word, guess and then skip. Once a child has acquired the tendency to use these techniques, that child will never be a good reader. Guessing is a hard habit to break. Conversely, real readers rarely guess or skip. (Frank Smith is world-famous for guff about guessing.)

3) Public schools have for many years told children to look for Picture Clues, as if pictures will always be there and always mean one thing. Furthermore, in the very act of looking at a picture, the child stops looking at the text. This disruptive habit kills off good reading.

4) Prior Knowledge is constantly emphasized, as if children could use what they already know to decode text they have not seen before. At best, this turns reading into a puzzle, a detective story. In elementary-school practice, Prior Knowledge is used to justify lots of pre-reading and re-reading, until students know virtually the whole piece by heart. Students can then demonstrate their alleged reading ability. So it's not that Prior Knowledge helps you to read; it's that Prior Knowledge conceals the fact that you cannot read. (Compare to someone being allowed to take a test three times. What would an A mean?)

5) Reading Logs are one of those things that never needed to be invented. Apparently, some children are made to keep records of what they read as if this will somehow make them enjoy reading more. No, it does the opposite.

6) Guided, Leveled, or Graded Reading mainly serves to keep schools dull and to provide an alibi (and camouflage) for slow progress. Children are supposed to read from a small selection of books matched to their supposed ability instead of being able to explore whatever catches their interest. This unnecessary filtration guarantees that children don't explore too far or have too much fun. Motivation is sabotaged. (Collectivists, of course, love any excuse for leveling.)

7) Close Reading is a big feature of Common Core, a sure way to know that this boondoggle had no redeeming features. Instead of encouraging children to read quickly and exuberantly in all directions, Close Reading forces them to read small complex passages again and again. David Coleman, the weird wizard in charge of Common Core, thought IRS booklets and air-conditioning manuals were fine material for young readers.

8) Often there seems to be a concerted effort to make sure children don't see books they might actually enjoy. This is especially obvious (and brutal) in the case of boys. The quickest way to sandbag reading is to give them books that were written for girls  i.e., books about feelings and relationships. Boys cringe, and the Education Establishment takes a bow.

9) Another gimmick is to describe what skilled readers theoretically do and to claim that students must learn to do exactly that. Adults know how to do many things more or less automatically. Children need to learn them step by step, starting with the smallest bits and pieces. Flesch (Chapter IV) quotes a Dr. Cronbach, who claimed that psychologists figured out by 1910: "The good reader takes in a whole word or phrase at a single glance, recognizing it by its outline." It's doubtful that any adults do this. Imagine the idiocy of making children try to do it.

10) Even when "phonics" is supposedly used, it's often a misnomer. The International Literacy Association, long a crusader against phonics, recommends with equal enthusiasm different kinds of phonics, some bad: "intensive, explicit, synthetic, analytic, embedded." Systematic phonics is the phonics you need.

The result of all these unnecessary (or destructive) techniques is to make children unable to read or unable to derive pleasure from reading. A lot of teenage boys say, "I hate reading. I don't like books." Probably the truth in most cases is, they don't actually know how to read, or they know how to read in a clumsy way, one guessed Sight-word at a time. They were never taught to read correctly, and that's where they stay. Many people suffer a lifelong agony as a result.

The percentage of adults who can read for pleasure is lower than it was years ago, according to many articles.

All of these techniques overlap and interact. It's as if every time you went camping, there was a new kind of biting insect or a flash flood. Even if you know a lot about camping, you will have no pleasant associations with it. You would be amazed if anybody wanted to go camping. You would avoid it if at all possible. We have tens of millions of citizens who avoid reading in exactly the same way.

QED: Reading taught with Sight-words is the most urgent problem in education. Low literacy is the crisis that we can most easily fix. President Trump, please take note.

Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of our children.

Bruce Deitrick Price explains educational theories and methods on his site, Improve-Education.org. For info about his four new books, see his literary site, Lit4u.com.
Chelsea Clinton has spent her youthful but impactful live in the shadow of her illustrious parents, Presidents Bill and Hillary Clinton. It is altogether fitting, therefore, that Vanity Fair has recognized her contributions with a Lifetime Achievement award. The accomplishments of such a young person require close and admiring examination.

Her influence first became manifest during her father's administration, as leader of the intern selection committee. Her youth allowed her to connect with candidates, while her judgment produced an intern corps with unprecedented talents.

After crowning her education with advanced firsts from Oxford, Chelsea returned to drive her mother's record-setting campaign for Senate. From Westchester County to the Hamptons, from the barrios of NYC to the shut-ins of Hart Island, Chelsea delivered, launching her mother on a senatorial career rivaled only by the likes of Henry Clay, Robert Taft, Daniel Webster, and Joe McCarthy. Who has not benefited from Chelsea's drafting that masterpiece, the Clinton-Sanders Economic Equity Act, which made quality fiberboard homes available under every overpass and in every railyard and brownfield, which ended homelessness and realized the long-held American dream of economic quality, public servants excepted?

Scarcely had the Levelers begun implementing the Equity Act than Chelsea spearheaded the Clinton Middle Eastern Initiative, which secured peace in the Middle East and Clintons in the White House, whilst some naysayers question the utility of reducing Israel to a sheet of glowing, radioactive glass.

In her spare time, of course, she has been an exemplary wife and mother, cured AIDS, and ended world hunger, beginning with the distribution of gluten-free bread and sustainably harvested fish at her own wedding.

Such accomplishments in such a young life truly merit awe and applause. We can only await what the future may hold as Ms. Clinton contemplates a career in Congress and an opportunity to set aside the 25th Amendment for the enduring benefit of House Clinton.
Is it illegal to solicit non-citizens to register and vote in American elections? I suppose it depends on the laws of each state, but really, shouldn't the Nebraska A.G. start looking into a campaign launched by Nebraska's Democrats?

Chris Pandolfo reports for Conservative Review:

The Nebraska Democratic Party is welcoming refugees with open arms, welcome baskets  and voter registration forms. A donation drive organized by the NDP collected some 50 gift baskets for refugees. Each contained items like diapers and kitchen utensils, a welcome letter from the Nebraska Democratic Party signed by its chairwoman Jane Kleeb, and a voter registration form, according to a video posted to Facebook by the Nebraska Democratic Party. The video, posted Saturday March 18, discusses the details of the "Refugee Welcome Basket" project and was recorded at the Nebraska Democratic Party's Spring Meeting.

So the question is, do Nebraska Democrats actually believe that foreigners are entitled to vote in our elections, or are they in a criminal conspiracy to defraud voter rolls?

Evil or stupid?
Denis Voronenkov, a prominent critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, was gunned down outside a hotel in Kiev. His police-supplied bodyguard shot and wounded the attacker, who later died in police custody.

Voronenkov, a Russian parliamentarian who opposed the Russian annexation of Crimea and defected to Ukraine last year, told the Washington Post he feared for his life just days before he was murdered.

"For our personal safety, we can't let them know where we are," he said Monday evening as he sat with his wife for an interview with The Washington Post. Less than 72 hours later, he was dead, shot twice in the head in broad daylight outside the same lobby bar. It was a particularly brazen assassination that recalled the post-Soviet gangland violence of the 1990s. His wife, dressed in black, sobbed as she stooped down to identify Voronenkov's body, which lay beneath a black tarp in a pool of blood. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, just hours later, called the attack an "act of state terrorism by Russia." As of Thursday evening, police had not identified the assailant, who died in police custody after being shot by Voronenkov's bodyguard. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, called the accusation a "fabrication." In the weeks before his death, Voronenkov, a former member of Russia's pliant Communist Party, had told friends he was being targeted. Hackers had been trying to pry into his Twitter account and his wife's email. He had received threatening text messages, and the police had recently assigned him a bodyguard. There were rumors he was under surveillance. "It's a totally amoral system, and in its anger it may go to extreme measures," he said as he sat next to his wife, Maria Maksakova, a fellow parliamentarian who defected with him. "There's been a demonization of us. It's hard to say what will happen. The system has lost its mind. They say we are traitors in Russia." He said he could return only "when Putin is gone." At a time when the question of Russian influence dominates U.S. politics, Voronenkov's death will add further scrutiny to the extent, and potential lethality, of Russia's reach abroad. It remained unclear who might have wanted to kill Voronenkov  theories include Russian agents, Ukrainian nationalists or business interests  but the fact remains that he is just the latest Kremlin opponent to wind up dead. The most famous among them include Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian FSB agent who was poisoned with a radioactive isotope in London in 2006. Political opponents of the Kremlin in Moscow have also been targeted, including Boris Nemtsov, the opposition politician who was gunned down in sight of the Kremlin in 2015.

The list of Putin enemies who have died under mysterious or violent circumstances is long. It includes not only politicians, but journalists, human rights activists, and intellectuals.

It should be prominently noted that there is no physical evidence that Vladimir Putin is responsible for these deaths, nor is there any evidence that he ordered the assassinations to be carried out. Indeed, the murder of Voronenkov could have been a robbery gone bad or an attack by someone mentally unstable. Authorities are still trying to identify the gunman, so his possible links to the Russian president  if any  are unknown.

But there are far too many coincidences to ignore. Voronenkov was in the middle of giving important testimony to Ukrainian authorities in connection with a treason case against former president Viktor Yanukovych. Another Putin critic, Sergei Magnitsky, who was giving Russian prosecutors information about a massive tax fraud case involving Russian oligarchs, was beaten in prison after being arrested and denied medical care. He later died of his injuries.

And to complete the circle, a lawyer for Magnitsky's family "fell" from his 4th-floor apartment in Moscow on Tuesday. He was going to testify at a trial on Wednesday involving the tax fraud case. He is currently in critical condition.

There may be no direct evidence that Putin ordered these hits, but it is highly suggestive and should be pursued further. But by whom? The pattern has been well established: cross Putin, and you end up dead.

In Putin's world, it is unhealthy to oppose the autocrat.
Advocates for illegal alien immigration and diversity proponents are on the defensive as a result of the brutal rape of a 14-year-old girl at a Maryland school by 2 illegals. But they are trying to defend the indefensible, and in so doing, they have resorted to ignoring the immigration status of the attackers, or, as in the case of major media outlets, pretending the attack didn't happen.

Fox News:

The "big three" networks  ABC, CBS, and NBC  continued their shameful blackout into Wednesday night of the horrifying rape of a teenage girl in a Maryland high school bathroom, allegedly by two men, including one who police say is in the U.S. illegally. Instead, the pathetic liberal media that's shown no interest in the Rockville High School case complied with Rolling Stone in giving more than 10 minutes of coverage in two days to the fake 2014 claim that a University of Virginia fraternity gang-raped a female student. Before breaking down how blind the media were in furthering a narrative about college fraternities and sexual assault (which can be a noble cause), the pro-illegal immigrant media were surely displeased with the Fox News Channel's "Special Report" as it again offered a story on the events in Montgomery County, Maryland. Fill-in host James Rosen noted that "the Maryland State House of Delegates has approved a bill to make Maryland a sanctuary state...just days after Maryland authorities charged two immigrants, one of them confirmed to be here illegally, in the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl in a Rockville High School bathroom." Correspondent Doug McKelway provided the latest from the school and told viewers how the cowards with the school district banned TV cameras from Tuesday's packed PTA meeting as "[t]he red-hot controversy...lit up social media." McKelway also noted how the school district has shifted their focus from the rape to blaming average citizens for being outraged about how such a thing could have happened. At the same time, local and state Democrats went ahead with their desire to make Rockville and Maryland a sanctuary city and state, respectively. This was despite strong opposition from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. This lack of seriousness by the liberal media was no issue back in fall 2014 when Rolling Stone detailed a graphic gang rape of a young woman at a University of Virginia fraternity. Without corroborating any of the facts, ABC's "World News Tonight" spent 4 minutes and 30 seconds on the allegations on November 23 and 24 of that year. "NBC Nightly News" and serial liar Brian Williams had 4 minutes and 16 seconds over those same two days. "CBS Evening News" was third with a single, 1-minute-and-56-second segment on the 24th.

This is a case where a story that does not fit the standard media narrative about illegal aliens is ignored while a story that fit the narrative of brutal college males regularly raping innocent female students was intensively covered. It is "news" in service to a political agenda  whether ignored or highlighted.

School district officials have gone a step farther. After avoiding the media for several days, the superintendent fired off an email that didn't even mention the guts of the controversy  that the students were here illegally  while accusing those speaking out against the district's policies of racism and xenophobia.

Parents have been protesting outside the office of Montgomery County Superintendent Dr. Jack Smith for days, according to Townhall's Katie Pavlich. They also voiced their concerns during a public meeting Tuesday evening. Smith reportedly fired off an email Thursday accusing members of the community of racism and xenophobia. "While I know this tragic incident has become part of a national political debate, I want to remind community members that the lives of real students have been forever affected," Smith wrote in the email, according to Pavlich. "While many have chosen to engage civilly in the conversation, far too many have crossed the line with racist, xenophobic calls and emails. MCPS is working with law enforcement to identify those who are making threats toward our students and schools. This behavior will not be tolerated in our community."

Trying to change the subject by accusing concerned parents of racism and xenophobia is just one of the tactics being employed to desperately deflect attention from the attack. An editorial in the Baltimore Sun tries to smear those who point out the obvious failure of U.S. immigration policies as "hysterical":

Unfortunately, the crime now seems to be bringing out the worst kind of demagoguery from public officials who should know better. Bad enough that Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, elevated the case to national news by identifying it at his press briefing Tuesday as an example of why President Donald Trump supports a "crackdown" on illegal immigration. Now, Gov. Larry Hogan has likewise joined the fray, similarly drawing attention to the perpetrators' immigration status and discussing the incident in the context of his opposition to legislation pending in Annapolis that would limit the ability of Maryland police to detain individuals solely on suspicion that they are undocumented. And Republican Rep. Andy Harris, whose 1st District doesn't even include the county, has taken to the airwaves with a radio ad decrying this particular rape and any effort to make Maryland a "sancutary state." For the record, the two suspects in the Rockville incident are undocumented immigrants, but what does that have to do with their crime? Public schools are required under federal law to provide a public education to all children regardless of legal status. There was no apparent failure to cooperate with authorities or any connection of the suspects to foreign gangs (a common talking point within the anti-immigration crowd). Nor was this the first example of a sexual assault taking place in a public school in Maryland. In 2013, a 14-year-old was allegedly raped by a 17-year-old junior at Wilde Lake High School, and a 14-year-old at Arundel Senior High was charged with sexually assaulting a classmate in a school bathroom in 2012; neither of the alleged perpetrators was an immigrant.

What does the immigration status of the attackers have to do with anything? Ask the parents of the 14-year-old rape victim. Allow me to speak for them:

The rape would never have happened if the border-jumpers had been deported immediately. Furthermore, the rape should never have occurred because the two young adults (17 and 18 years old) alleged to have committed the crime had no business in a 9th-grade classroom.

A lawyer for the accused makes the most outrageous claim of all; he says the sex between the child and the young adults was "consensual"  a ridiculous claim, since the law does not recognize the ability of a 14-year-old to consent to sex.

Another argument inferred in the Sun editorial is that the attack was an isolated incident and should not be used as a symbolic stand-in for opposition to illegal immigration.

That's a load of crap. Throughout American history, "isolated incidents" have been used to galvanize public opinion to affect change. An isolated incident of defiance  the Boston Tea Party  led to a revolution. The isolated incident of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry set off a chain of events that led to the Civil War. The isolated incident of a church burning in Birmingham that killed four little girls outraged both North and South and raised the profile of the civil rights movement.

The rape of a 14-year-old is both a tragedy and outrage. But it is also, unavoidably, a political issue. Simply ignoring the event, as major media have done, or blaming those looking to prevent a repeat of the attack, as Superintendent Smith has done, or claiming that the immigration status of the attackers doesn't matter, as the Baltimore Sun has done, is denying the fundamental fact that what happened to that little girl has become a powerful symbol for those who seek to change the ruinous, dangerous, and inexplicably illogical immigration policies of the federal government.
Owing to an important appropriations meeting, only a few Billings-area legislators had the chance to meet constituents during Thursdays lunch-hour teleconference, held on the Montana State University Billings campus.

Legislators delivered bits of news important to those who had gathered for lunch and conversation.

Five million dollars to help construct the Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building on the MSUB campus remains in a GOP infrastructure bill. University, chamber and Big Sky Economic Development officials expressed their appreciation.

Rep. Don Jones, R-Billings, told Bruce McIntyre, senior public policy advisor for the Billings Chamber of Commerce, that it appears that $1 million will be available for career technical education, down $1 million from the previous biennium.

McIntyre took the reduction in stride.

So long as were making progress, he said.

Jones said the revenue forecast will continue to show encouraging numbers, resulting in restoring some cuts to programs like long-term senior care.

Its looking better and better, Jones said.

Business owner Kris Carpenter asked legislators how they stood on the local-option tax authority  paired with property tax relief  as proposed in Senate Bill 331.

I will probably support it, although there have been mixed reactions in my district, said Sen. Mary McNally, a Billings Democrat who represents the 24th District. I am for local control at that level.

Sen. Doug Kary, R-Billings, said his 22nd District constituents have been telling me no, but Ive heard a lot of positive comments over the last couple of weeks. A lot of people want that property tax relief.

The devil will be in the details, Jones said, adding that he didnt support another local-option tax bill because it wasnt balanced with property tax reduction.

As a small business owner, Id ask you to consider it, Carpenter said. Managing it from my end is not cumbersome. Communities are desperate to have control over whats happening in their community.

Lynn Mullowney Cabrera, executive director of the Montana chapter of the Alzheimers Association, said advocates for people living with Alzheimers are busing to the Capitol on Thursday for an advocacy day. Exhibits will be available in the rotunda from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. About 100 people from throughout the state are expected, she said. She invited legislators to come to lunch that day.

Before putting in a plug for a bill to boost municipalities share of the state gas tax, Billings City Councilman Dick Clark told legislators hed just participated in a ride-along delivering Meals on Wheels to senior and disabled residents in Billings.

It was really a neat ride, he said. If you get the chance, do it.

As legislators dismissed themselves for the afternoon session, McNally urged Billings residents to stay in touch.

Please keep contacting us, she said. The next two weeks will be when the rubber really hits the road.
We know there are compelling arguments for a complete repeal of Obamacare, as senators such as Rand Paul have urged. We also know that President Trump is right to urge Congress to take half a loaf on reform for now, in what's called Obamacare Lite, rather than nothing at all.

But has anyone taken a look at the activities of the left, which favors a full preservation of the nightmarish Obamacare status quo?

The "Next 48 hours will be all hands on deck," bellowed House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, describing the left's cavalcade of protests; phone-banking; ads; and, this being the left, probably thuggery.

Obama himself has been involved in this activity as well, with these December reports stating he had been plotting out a strategy to save the zero-value program with Democrat political operatives as a campaign operation.

Now they're back, full blast, with their email campaigns, urging everyone to hector and pester their congresspeople to vote no on the Obamacare Lite bill that President Trump wants passed. Here's an example of this email exhortation out in California.

People power works. Republicans in Congress promised to vote to replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) today on the 7th anniversary of it's passing. But they didn't have the votes to win so they postponed it until tomorrow. Since his campaign, Trump has promised to repeal and replace Obamacare but his rhetoric is no match for the voices of the people. Thanks to the daily calls from voters like you, Republican Congressional members are struggling to get enough votes to pass the new bill. Don't stop calling. The replacement plan  the American Health Care Act (AHCA)  does little to provide healthcare to anyone. The law would replace the assistance Californians get through Covered California with much lower tax credits, limit the amount of funding California receives to provide healthcare for low income seniors, children and those with disabilities, and force California to come up with $10 billion a year to continue to provide healthcare for over 3 million low-income adults. The damage of this new bill extends to everyone. California would go back to a time when many of our family, friends and neighbors were forced to decide between buying medication and buying groceries, when people had to rely on emergency rooms as primary care facilities, and when one major illness could mean financial ruin. Keep the pressure on California Republicans that haven't committed to vote NO on the AHCA. Call one or all of the leaders listed below who are still undecided: Rep. Jeff Denham  (Stanislaus/San Joaquin)  (209) 579-5458 Rep. David Valdoa  (Kern/Tulare/Fresno)  (661) 864-7736 Rep. Paul Cook  (San Bernardino/Inyo/Mono)  (760) 247-1815 Rep. Steve Knight  (Los Angeles)  (661) 441-0320 Rep. Ed Royce  (Orange)  (626) 964-5123 Rep. Dana Rorabacher  (Orange)  (714) 960-6483 Rep. Darrell Issa  (San Diego)  (760) 599-5000 Tell them: "Hello, My name is _____ and I am a Californian who believes everyone deserve healthcare. Replacing the Affordable Care Act will cost millions of Californians their health insurance and cost our state billions of dollars. We are counting on you to vote NO on the American Healthcare Act." It's time for them to get in line with what Californians  not their billionaire friends and donors  really want.

Had enough? Not a one of these people has ever had the horrible experience of having to use Obamacare. They've gotten their gold-plated insurance plans from their nonprofit and government employers and now have it made. The Nightmare of Obamacare can be left to the people who have no voice to complain about it  the "deplorables," as it were. Pelosi and her coevals don't care. They just want the current nightmare scenario preserved to ensure that all the consultant contracts, the special interest money pots (imagine what the drug rehab gravy train looks like with Obamacare attaching a bill for drug addict rehab to every Obamacare policy?), and the hipster Bay Area health care executives can continue to collect their $20-million annual salaries (not kidding for some). The rest of us can just suffer Obamacare and continue to pay through the nose.

Critics say the current bill won't lower costs. That may be true. But it will allow people not to buy Obamacare if nothing of value is offered. At least those who don't want the overpriced, larded up, yet worthless $10,000-deductible plans won't have to spend their meager health care dollars on federal fines instead of actual health care. They can take their fine money and go pay a doctor in Mexico, use it to get dental work done (incredibly, Obamacare doesn't think dental care is important enough to include in its mandate even though rehab is), or can get concierge care paying cash. The passage of the bill, no matter how weak, will build momentum for additional freedoms in health care to be worked in over the next four years. The current bill is just a starting point that needs ignition.

Voters will be immensely demoralized if not a single reform can be gotten through because the bill isn't good enough for some Republicans. Obamacare stinks, but not passing a reform bill of some kind will send a signal to the public that the status quo is all they can ever expect from Republicans. After that, we will watch voters flip the House to Democrats in the midterms.

The left, on the other hand, will be thrilled to see President Trump go down in defeat over the bill they keep calling catastrophic. Do the supporters of an absolute repeal really want that?
It's obvious that the liberal media have gone nuclear in their attempt to destroy President Trump with relentless attacks of fake news reports about a fabricated Russian-Trump connection to influence the election.

Breitbart recently reported that President Trump is "sick of media's Russia narrative." If these fake news attacks have driven President Trump to this point, then he should seriously consider fighting fire with fire and going nuclear to defend himself and his administration against the liberal media's relentless fake news assault. The fact is, at this point, Trump's fighting back with Twitter bombs is about as effective at throwing rocks at tanks.

President Trump needs to take advantage of his position as president and use the full power of his office, and the rule of law, to hit the fake news media where they are the weakest and most vulnerable: with the facts.

The best nuclear option would be for President Trump to lift his self-imposed moratorium against pursuing charges against Hillary Clinton regarding her private server, emails, the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton campaign's collusion with the DNC to fix the primary against Bernie Sanders. Trump's plan to go after a failed presidential candidate, especially when he said he would not, will be seen and reported by the liberal media and Democrats as beyond the pale for a sitting president. Be that as it may, this might be the only way President Trump can win the war waged against him and his administration by the fake news media and the Democratic Party.

During a debate with Hillary, Donald Trump said he would direct his attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to fully investigate her activities. But after he won the election, President-Elect Trump made it clear he would not investigate Hillary Clinton further, citing that the Clintons are "good people" and that they have "been through enough."

Well, maybe it's now beginning dawn on President Trump that the Clintons are not really "good people," especially when they have a political score to settle. And losing an election Hillary was supposed to win hands down to none other than Donald J. Trump makes for a major score that needs to be settled.

President Trump's attempt to bury the hatchet by dropping further investigations against Hillary Clinton has only allowed her to settle the score with impunity. Instead of accepting Trump's offer to bury the hatchet, Hillary picked up the hatchet and is using it to chop President Trump and his administration into pieces.

Do not be deceived: Hillary Clinton will not go quietly into the night. Maybe Bill has had enough and is ready to retire, but as long as Hillary can take a breath, she and her surrogates will seek revenge and never give up.

Hillary is strategically moving back into the political public eye. Recently, speaking at a St. Patrick's Day women's gathering , Hillary told a crowd of her supporters, "I'm like a lot of my friends right now. I have a hard time watching the news, I'll confess. I am ready to come out of the woods and to help shine a light on what is already happening around kitchen tables, at dinners like this." What Hillary really means by "come out of the woods" and "help shine a light" is that she is about to re-emerge on the political scene as a leader and voice of the anti-Trump movement. The liberal media are on board with Hillary's strategy by helping spread the rumor that Hillary may run for mayor of NYC. Interestingly, recent polls show that Hillary would easily beat current mayor Bill de Blasio. And what better place than NYC for Hillary to launch her "comeback" than the biggest and most liberal city in America, which happens to be the home of President Donald Trump?

Make no mistake: the liberal media want revenge on President Trump as bad as Hillary does for what he did to "their" champion  stealing the election from the rightful winner. The liberal media will not relent until the hatchet is buried deep into the back of President Trump and Hillary is standing triumphantly on his political grave.

President Trump's ultimate goal in this nuclear option is to unmask the liberal media's bias by exposing the mountain of already confirmed facts about Hillary's illegal activities. This will present a clear distinction between the media's fake news reports of a Russia-Trump connection and the real news about every aspect of the Clinton political machine.

If President Trump chooses to do this, it will be very interesting to see how the liberal news reports on real illegal activities when it comes to their beloved Hillary Clinton.
Trump exposes the modern nature of the 'wire tap'

Sometimes the hardest secrets to expose are those that are hidden in plain sight. When President Trump commented on Twitter that My wires were tapped in Trump Tower, he brought attention to just such a secret. Since 9/11, the National Security Agency has been engaging in a practice that is beyond most Americans comprehension and our understanding of electronic surveillance. The NSA have been capturing all our electronic communications, emails and phone calls, and storing them in giant data centers to be later accessed, presumably based on a Constitutionally based process.

The most recently constructed of these centers is called Bluffdale and is located in the Utah desert with lots of room for expansion. That its physically possible to capture all this data is difficult for most people to get their minds around, but realize that the Library of Congress is about 10 terabytes in size and could easily be carried on 10 hard drives in a brief case. The taps on the fiber-optic network that intercept this data can capture at session rates in real time. In other words, the capture rate exceeds the lines transfer rate. All of this has been revealed, to anyone who will listen, by former Technical Director for the NSA and American patriot, William Binney, who has been sounding the civil liberties alarm for years. Never has there been a whistleblower who has blown so long and so loud. Americans are used to thinking about wiretapping and other forms of electronic surveillance as being based on probable cause with a warrant and targeted at an individual prior to the collection of their personal information. Thats not how its done any longer and Trump has stumbled on to this reality. The way its done now is an intelligence or law enforcement agency gets a warrant to access the data that has already been collected and stored. Sometimes this probable cause is based on patterns of the metadata of the electronic communications  the header information that courts have found have no privacy protections, like the outside of an envelope. The problem (other than the obvious potential for police-state abuse) is the process appears to be honor-based with no actual gatekeeper to validate authorized access to the data. This has allowed Deep State operatives to access and leak Trump and his teams communications. And if these they will do this to the President of the United States, just image what they are doing to ordinary citizens. A former Battalion Fire Chief from Atlanta, host Jim Daws is an America First activist having worked on Pat Buchanan's presidential campaigns in 1992, 1996 and 2000. He hosts America First Radio, which is broadcast on the Treasure Coast of Florida.
Last night on his eponymous Fox News program, Tucker Carlson interviewed David Moyse, an attorney hired to defend 18-year-old Henry Sanchez-Milian, who is in this country illegally, against a charge of rape against a 14-year-old girl in a bathroom at a Rockville, Md. high school. Moyse is one of those youngish (in his 30s) lawyers who gets himself on lists of up-and-comers, like this one, and is a name partner in a criminal defense firm.

In going on TV to make the case for his client, Counselor Moyse found himself being cross-examined and saying something he soon had cause to regret. So far as I know, Tucker Carlson has never attended law school, but his questioning skills outpaced the experienced attorney's ability to answer.

Justin Baragona of Mediaite summarizes the lead-in to the disaster for Moyse:

After a bit of a back-and-forth over who is paying Moyse to represent the suspect  Moyse wouldn't disclose to Carlson that info  the Fox host pushed the lawyer on whether he'd represent Sanchez-Milian on his immigration issues if he's found innocent. The attorney pointed out he doesn't do immigration law and is not really focused on his status.

So an unnamed party or parties are paying for the defense. No doubt, this information does not have to be disclosed, but it is interesting that unseen hands are influencing the course of the case  a case so explosive that the MSM are suppressing news of it.

But that was just a warm-up:

Following a portion where Carlson tried to make Moyse give him an answer on how he'd feel if one of his daughters was in the same class as his client, Carlson then took offense to the lawyer saying that there "could be a number of questions asked about all three of the people involved in this" case. "Man, you better be right about this if you're good to be impugning the character of a 14-year-old girl who says she was raped," Carlson exclaimed. "Other people said they heard her screams. To impugn her character, you really before God better be sure that you are on the right side of this." Watch Moyse's eyes as he realizes that he has just admitted that as a matter of tactics, the victim will be put on trial for her character. And as the notion of putting his soul in jeopardy is broached. "My only point to you," the Fox News personality stated. "Have you thought through the moral consequences? I know you play a role and I'm glad defense lawyers exist. But before you say something like that, do you think, 'Man, I'm kind of putting my soul on the line a little bit?'"

The entire segment is worth watching:

Feminists have spent the last several decades denouncing such "blame the victim" tactics, though I fully expect them to remain silent on the Rockville rapes, as they did with Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, and any female who gets in the way of the progressive agenda.

The defense is claiming that the sex was consensual. I do not know the law in Maryland [Update: Mark Roth emails that Maryland's rape laws do not make it statutory rape], but in some jurisdictions, a 14-year-old cannot give informed consent, so the crime of "statutory rape" can be invoked against any adult having sex with such a minor. Carlson mocked the notion that a 14-year-old would invite two older men to have sex in a men's toilet during school hours. It does seem to be a bit lacking in romance...

If Tucker Carlson's politics were leftist, he would already be harvesting bushels of those awards journalists hand out to each other all the time.
As someone who was born speaking Spanish, and who had to learn English when our family came to the U.S., I find this whole story from Maryland rather crazy.

First, let's accept that "DREAMers" are not rapists. I've always favored some mechanism to legalize and give these young people a chance to stay in the country that they grew up in. I am not talking about a path to citizenship, but rather a document that gives them the legal identity that they lack. After all, many of them were brought here when they were young. Most of them are also doing well in school or staying out of trouble.

I am not angry at DREAMers. I am furious with school administrators and some of the legislatures that write these stupid rules.

How can you have a learning environment with everybody speaking a different language? How can any school district afford the cost of teaching in any other language but English? Aren't these young people better off learning English as soon as possible?

As the wonderful Miss Jones, my 5th-grade teacher in Wisconsin, said to me, you need to learn English so you can finish school and go to college someday. Looking back, Miss Jones was wise, not anti-immigrant!

How insane is the stuff going on in the public schools that Democrats like the Obamas, Kerrys, Kennedys, and Clintons do not send their children to?

This is from Cal Thomas:

Among the many questions that should be asked is why Messrs. Sanchez and Montano  both old enough to be seniors  were placed in a freshman class in the first place? They were given a translator to help them understand what the teacher said in English, but the word that describes that ludicrous decision is easily understood in both English and Spanish  "estupido." Equally "stupid" is a bill in the legislature that would declare Maryland a "sanctuary state." If it passes and survives a likely veto by Gov. Larry Hogan, it would shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration laws. The Republican leader in the House of Delegates, Nic Kipke, says the measure "ignores the rule of law" and would create "anarchy" in the state. One of the things the left claims to always be concerned about are the rights of minorities and the disenfranchised. One hears that argument invoked often in debates over transgender individuals and which bathroom they can use. If that works for liberals in this case, what about the right of a teenage girl to be protected against a violation of her person by illegal immigrants?

This is stupid. We are not doing anyone a favor by keeping them in their own language. It's time to demand English and to start as soon as today.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Wheatland County authorities said Thursday they have requested that the Montana Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation review a traffic stop in which an 84-year-old man was stunned with a Taser.

A review of the March 17 incident in Harlowton was requested by Wheatland County Attorney Linda Hickman and Sheriff David Jones.

A sheriffs deputy deployed the "electronic control device," but no other details will be released until the DCI investigation is completed, according to a news release from Jones.

Richard Dick Stoltz confirmed he was hit several times by the nonlethal device. Stoltz said he would not discuss details of his case because he hasn't yet appeared in court to be formally charged.

Stoltz said he remembers receiving at least three jolts, possibly four, that night.

Asked if he resented being stunned with a Taser by deputies, Stoltz said, Hell yeah. Im 84 years old. Thats just stupid."

According to court documents, Stoltz was driving a 2001 Chevrolet pickup when he was pulled over in Harlowton at about 9:40 p.m. on March 17. He faces four separate charges, including a first offense for driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest.

Stoltz is expected to appear in Harlowton City Court before Judge Richard Egebakken on March 30.
MISSOULA  From the North Fork of the Flathead River to the committee rooms of Helena, Bob Ream stood up for the wild places and things he loved.

The University of Montana professor, state legislator, and avid backpacker, who chaired both the Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Montana Democratic Party, died on Wednesday of pancreatic cancer. Ream was 80.

Natalie Dawson, the current director of UMs Wilderness Institute and Ream family friend, said her mentor remained vigorous right up to his cancer diagnosis and beyond.

He got to see the Bud Moore film right before he passed away, Dawson said, referring to a new documentary about the pioneering Forest Service leader. He was naming everyone in the film.

Ream founded the Wilderness Institute in 1974 and its undergraduate program in Wilderness and Civilization has enrolled more than a thousand students. Dawson said he regularly attended the annual program rendezvous, most recently last summer at the Benchmark trailhead in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Ream taught wildlife biology for 28 years in Missoula, including two years as interim dean of the UM College of Forestry from 1993 to 1994. He was a member of the state House of Representatives from 1983 to 1997.

In the early 1970s, Ream set up a reporting system for wolf sightings. He saw the northwest edge of Glacier National Park and the surrounding national forest was a hot spot, and focused his research attention there. With fellow researcher Diane Boyd, he started trapping and tracking the first wolf packs dispersing out of the Canadian Rockies into Montana.

Retired UM wildlife biologist Dan Pletscher explained that study was groundbreaking. Previous observations involved relatively simple environments where wolf packs fed on caribou herds in the Yukon or moose in Michigan.

Here we had and assemblage of six possible prey species in Glacier, plus six predators, Pletscher said. That was a much more complicated system than elsewhere. The information Bob and the Wolf Ecology Center put together helped them predict what the results of reintroducing wolves in Yellowstone might be.

The news passing drew accolades for Ream from across the state. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, sent an email on Thursday evening calling Ream a champion for Montana.

His belief that our public lands, wildlife, rivers and streams belonged to every Montanan  not just a select few  is a lasting legacy that will benefit and inspire our state for generations to come, Tester wrote. Bob was one of the first people I met when I decided to get involved in public service, and I am grateful for his life of leadership.

Ambassador and former Sen. Max Baucus added Ream was a true, salt-of-the-earth Montanan, public servant, and ardent conservationist.

For many years, Bob was at the forefront of many landmark efforts to enhance our states outdoor heritage, protect special places, and further our understanding of Montanas rich biological diversity, Baucus wrote. Bob was a giant amongst Montana Democrats who reached across party lines to fight for the little guy. Mel and I offer our deepest condolences to his family and our profound appreciation for his many great contributions to our great state.

During his time in the Legislature, Ream was the chief sponsor of the state stream access law, restitution requirements for wildlife poaching, and a system for Montanas state agencies to cooperate with federal Superfund cleanup projects.

His four years on the Fish and Game Commission coincided with the surging population of reintroduced wolves and their impact on elk herds and livestock. That, combined with his leadership in the state Democratic Party, prompted the Republican-controlled Senate to reject his bid for a second term on the commission in 2013.

Former Cinnabar Foundation executive director Jim Pozewitz said many wildlife experts prefer their animal subjects to human company, but Ream was determined to stay embedded in all parts of this democracy. He recalled an episode during the 1989 Legislature when Montana was under national scrutiny for its law requiring killing of all bison that migrated out of Yellowstone National Park in winter.

He carried the bill to stop the slaughter, Posewitz said. When it had to get its final vote, those insisting every buffalo be killed were hammering it mercilessly. Then it was Bobs turn to close the debate as author. He took the microphone, and sang: Buffalo Bill, wont you come out tonight? That brought the House down.

Thats the kind of guy he was. If there was nobody left to stand, Bob Ream would stand up and get it done.
Wyoming earned close to $30 million last week, the most its made in an oil and gas lease sale since the height of the boom in 2011.

In its first online auction for nominated leases on state land, the Office of State Lands and Investments offered 85,882 acres in 192 parcels, all of which were sold.

The auction, which closed March 8, was considered a success by state officials who were eager to stoke revenue for Wyoming during the oil, gas and coal downturn thats squeezed state income.

The revenue will be divided three ways. The Common School fund will receive $26,262,245. Public Buildings at the Capitol will get $1,803,518, and $1,477,963 will go to the Farm Loan Fund.

Why this sale was so successful is hard to pin down, said Jason Crowder, assistant director for trust land management.

Overall the bids were higher, and we sold every parcel that we offered, he said. There are a lot of things we could probably point to. The only change that weve done in selecting parcels and offering them up is we did this one via the online auction.

The online option was an attempt to gain larger exposure and push up prices per acre, an attempt that appears to have worked. There were a number of unknown bidders in with the traditional players in Wyoming auctions, Crowder said.

We are very impressed on the number, he said. Its been a while since we had over 70 folks.

The state officials have yet to make a decision on whether to transition to online bidding or do a mix of online and in-person auctions. That resolution will ultimately be made by the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners, made of the state's top five elected officials. The cost of running an online auction falls on the buyers, who pay a 2 percent fee on top of their bid.

The transition to online bidding went over well with operators like Steve Kirkwood, whose Casper-based oil and gas company was one of the largest bidders in terms of parcels, going after natural gas deals in Sweetwater and Carbon counties.

I think the state ought to be happy. Thats a big chunk of money for them, he said. Its going to drive prices up anybody, anywhere can bid on it.

The recent quarterly lease sale by the Bureau of Land Management was also larger than in recent years, to the delight of oil and gas operators across the state. The BLM is transitioning to an entirely online platform.

Kirkwood also credits the success of the sale to a renewed optimism and a changing political climate, one more favorable to the mining and drilling industries since the presidential election.

Spot prices for oil and gas remain low. The Henry Hub benchmark for natural gas has wavered below the $3 mark for most of the last five weeks, while West Texas Intermediate recently dipped below $50 a barrel, the lowest since November. Yet some prospectors are hoping to make it big in Wyoming when prices turn around.

The largest parcel sold went for more than $15,000 per acre, in Campbell County, bought by Navigation Powder River. Other large-figure bidders were Anschutz Exploration Corporation, a sister company to the developer of the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind project, and Peak Powder River Acquisitions.

Contrarian players like Kirkwood gobbled up deals for natural gas in hopes that the market will return faster than some are expecting.

We are excited about what we bought and keep pursuing some other opportunities in that area, Kirkwood said. We have gas production in the Washakie Basin quite a bit  We are just adding to our position.

Interest in oil and gas from hedge fund managers and private equity companies shows a burgeoning faith in a market rebound, Kirkwood said.

Things are going to turn around, he said. I cant say tomorrow or this year, but I guarantee prices will go up and things will pick up. We hope.
A state health employee who emigrated from Kenya and the principal of Standing Rock Middle School were awarded the 2017 Bush Fellowship grant to help new immigrants and Native American students.

Alice Musumba, who works for the state Department of Health, said she hopes to create a network for immigrants in the Bismarck area to better integrate into their communities.

Principal Tomi Phillips, of Fort Yates, said she hopes to train teachers to better understand culture differences and learning styles of Native American students, as well as bolster the number of Native educators in the state.

They are two of 24 people from North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, selected by the Bush Foundation. The announcement was made on Tuesday. The Bush Fellowship awards up to $100,000 over two years to pursue activities that promote leadership.

More support for immigrants

Musumba is the program director for the North Dakota Department of Health's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which annually surveys thousands of state residents.

In 2003, Musumba came to Texas from Kenya to be with her husband, Tony. They both worked to complete their advanced degrees. Musumba graduated, and they had their first child and moved to North Dakota.

I came in as an immigrant who didnt just land in a vacuum. I had a support system that helped me integrate into a life in the U.S., yet at the same time allowing me to remain the immigrant that I was, Musumba said.

With the help of some people she had met who lived in the U.S., Musumba said she and her husband quickly became acclimated to the new country. But not every immigrant has that support available, and, in North Dakota, Musumba seeks to fix that.

She plans to use her fellowship grant to look at the inner workings of immigrant groups nationwide that aim to promote integration and community involvement. She aims to bring those concepts back to the Bismarck-Mandan area.

Musumba said her goal is to help immigrants see themselves as contributing members of a society, not as outsiders.

"Because thats how I see myself: I see myself as a North Dakotan, yeah, with a different accent, but a North Dakotan, nonetheless," said Musumba, who is an American citizen along with her husband, Tony, and two children, Theodora, 10, and Terry, 7.

Since moving to Bismarck 10 years ago, the Kenyan community has grown. When she and her husband arrived, they were probably the only two people from Kenya. Now there's 36. Musumba has even started a group called Kenyans in North Dakota, or KIND, which meets four times a year in the Bismarck Public Library.

Depending on the outcome of her research, Musumba said she might use the grant to establish a new organization, informational center or a website for immigrants new to North Dakota, as a place to connect with others, find out where they can buy groceries or find a doctor.

The whole sense of community might be a little difficult to find here if you dont know where to look for it," Musumba said.

Native American education

Tomi Phillips has been the principal at Standing Rock Middle School for 10 years. She began her teaching career at the American Indian Magnet School in Minnesota, then came back to the reservation to teach, eventually moving into administration.

Phillips, an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said she hopes to use her Bush Fellowship grant to train licensed teachers in North Dakota to understand the differences in Native American students, who all too often fall through the cracks.

I think that by looking at our differences and the way we perceive the world  if we look more closely at that, (Native) children will understand where our teachers are coming from, and our teachers will better understand where our Native children are coming from," Phillips said.

And current teacher training just touches the surface, Phillips said.

Already she has met with the head of the local tribal college and aims to work with them throughout the fellowship program to strengthen Native education.

My dreams and vision stem from knowing that our students are often misunderstand and many cannot reach their full potential," she said.

In addition, she hopes to get more Native Americans to become teachers in North Dakota by creating a platform for Native American educators to excel in teaching.

Only about 2 percent of full-time educational personnel  272 of 9,761  in North Dakota public schools are Native American, according to 2016-17 school year data from the North Dakota Department of Instruction.

Phillips said she was excited and overwhelmed when she found out she got the fellowship.

I was ecstatic, and then right away my mind started working. OK, now Ive got to come up with the next steps," she said.
The North Dakota EMS Association will host its 42nd annual EMS convention in Bismarck. More than 650 emergency medical personnel will be in attendance April 6-8 to obtain continuing education and see the latest products in the exhibit showcase.

There are 62 exhibit spaces with with more than 50 exhibitors showcasing their products. The Bismarck Event Center exhibit hall is filled by 10 ambulances vendors, a helicopter, four simulation-in-motion trucks and many other booths, including uniform apparel, education centers, EMS books ambulance billing and insurance, transportation equipment and cardiac monitors.

The convention begins April 6 with events at the Ramkota Hotel, including a social to which the public is invited from 7 to 9 p.m. The convention continues the next day at the Event Center and concludes April 8 with the evening awards banquet at the Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center.
Case against alleged Cornish pasty crimping Facebook porn star collapses

When is a pastry crimper not a pasty crimper? Or to put it another way, can a porn star crimp pasties? The Daily Mail brings news of the Cornish pasty crimper, 27 who allegedly posed as a voluptuous 22-year-old Asian porn star.

This would be some pose if the pasty crimper turns out to a skinny, pasty-faced bloke called Keith. Disappointingly, the alleged porn star impersonator, who, the paper reports, met her victim on a Facebook page dedicated to introducing young ladies to wealthy older men, is a woman. (Ladies not woman. Men not gentlemen. The Mail can be so prudish when its not gawping at woman showing off their curves.)

The 69-year-old alleged victim and the Cornish pie mangler never met in the flesh. We read that she allegedly pretended to be a Bangladeshi exotic dancer and sent her admirer a series of steamy photos of a mystery woman, claiming to be her.

The matter reached Truro Crown Court because over the course of a year-long relationship, the porn star allegedly offered to marry him if he could stump up cash for a wedding. Reportedly the alleged scam cost him 35,000. She was charged with committing the alleged fraud and spending the money while knowing that it came from criminal conduct.

Today the case against her collapsed. Were not sure why it did. Judge Simon Carr called in the jury and told them: New information has come to light, which sometimes happens in cases, which has caused the Crown to consider it is not appropriate to pursue the matter further in front of you.

Intriguing stuff.

What we do know is that the innocent womans husband, Jynal Khan, has already pleaded guilty to the fraud and is being dealt with in a separate court case.

What we also know is that you can work as a full-time pasty crimper.

Anorak

Posted: 24th, March 2017 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
(ANSA) - Rome, March 24 - Premier Paolo Gentiloni told representatives of European business and labour Friday that "we must continue without hesitation and with determination in the process of reforms, at a European and national level, to make our economies more competitive and better able to look to the future, but also more cohesive and just".

Gentiloni said at the 'Social Europe' summit ahead of Saturday's EU summit marking the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome that "celebrating what we have achieved in these decades and reflecting on the common priorities ahead of us, we cannot fail to think of working men and women, businessmen and women who have given strength to the European economy. "Our community draws from work its greatest strength and value, and work and know-how must be the source of any reflection on the future". He said "strengthening the European welfare model" was a "responsibility we all feel".

The EU dream has "lost impetus and inspiration," Italian trade unions leaders said at the summit.

"We must overcome glaring policy mistakes," said CISL leader Anna Maria Furlan, also speaking for CGIL and UIL.

"Unregulated globalisation must be reined in, because millions of people don't feel represented," she went on, illustrating the unions' proposals.

Furlan added that more resources are needed to relaunch the economy, via Eurobonds and a bigger mandate for the ECB, and called for funds to boost employment.

The unions also said that the EU must continue to welcome refugees fleeing war and desperation.


ROME - More than 200 migrants are feared dead after the latest shipwreck off the Libyan coast, according to Proactiva Open Arms. The Spanish aid organization's spokesperson, Laura Lanuza, said Friday that at least 240 lives had likely been lost.



The estimate came after the five bodies of African migrants were found floating near two capsized boats, which can each hold more than 120 people, she said.



A Libyan court on Friday meanwhile blocked an agreement between Libya and Italy aiming to halt the flow of migrants from the North African country.



The Spanish organization did not specify when the accident had occurred, but said that the corpses had been found 21 km north of Sabratha. They are all between the ages of 16 and 25 and seemed to have drowned, since there are no signs of violence on their bodies, the spokesperson said. She added that a search was underway for another dinghy and that human traffickers normally fill the boats to over-capacity, making the estimate of at least 240 people dead a likely possibility.



The 'central Mediterranean route', which leads to Italy, has been preferred by migrant traffickers after the closing of the Balkan route. This section of the sea is difficult, especially in winter, inevitably leading to shipwrecks and drownings. Last year, almost 4,600 people lost their lives in using this route, and in 2015 the number was over 2,850. Since 2014, there have been over 10,000 victims ascertained, but the actual figure is undoubtedly higher. The agreement between Italy and Libya was signed in early February and aims to help Libyan authorities fight against human trafficking, thereby reducing the number of migrants arriving on Italian coasts. However, it was possible to sign it only with the government under Prime Minister Fayez Al-Serraj, based in Tripoli and supported by the UN. The parliament, controlled by supporters of General Khalifa Haftar, considers in invalid. The Libya Herald website announced the Tripoli court's halt to the agreement and said that it was unclear what sort of impact the ruling would have. An appeal had been lodged by six people including former justice minister Salah Al-Marghani, it added. The website noted that the issues with the agreement concerned the legitimacy of agreements signed by the Serraj government and not only the plan to reduce migrant flows. The Serraj government has not received a vote of confidence from the Tobruk government. A statement is in place within the assembly due to a section of it that wants an important role for General Haftar.
GENEVA - Some 559 people died crossing the Mediterranean from January 1 to March 22, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday.

Some 25,170 migrants entered Europe by sea, 80% landing in Italy and the rest in Greece and Spain, it said.



The numbers of dead and the arrivals are sharply up this year. Italy is trying to curb the influx via a deal with Libya, where most migrants set off from.


Migrants: Council of Europe, minors risk abuses in Hungary Lanzarote writes to Orban critizing law on border management

(ANSAmed) - STRASBOURG, 24 MAR - The Hungarian law on border management, that enters into force today, "will increase the already highly vulnerable situation of children on the move, exacerbating in particular the exposure of those aged 14 or more to sexual exploitation and sexual abuse". The critic is contained in a letter sent to Prime minister Victor Orban by the president of the Lanzarote committee, the organism of the Council of Europe in charge of monitoring if States protect minors from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. In the letter the committee expresses "concerns" on the law because it considers that it contains measures that go against the obligations Hungary has having ratified the Lanzarote convention. In particular the committee criticizes the fact that unaccompanied migrant children between 14 and 18 will be considered adults during the emergency crisis and will not benefit from child protection measures, including the appointment of a guardian. It also says that these children will be placed in transit zones "with a greater risk of becoming victims of sexual abuse or exploitation". The committee therefore asks the Hungarian authorities to provide information on 3 topics within a month. The committee wants to know which actions are taken to ensure that unaccompanied children (above or below 14 years of age) benefit from child protection, which measures will be taken to prevent such children from falling victims to sexual exploitation and abuse, and about the situation of children on the move who do not request asylum, as the legal changes concern only asylum seekers. Based on this information, the Lanzarote Committee "will decide on further action". The letter follows the critic already expressed on the law by the humans rights commissioner of the Council of Europe and the judgement against Hungary by the Court of Strasbourg for the detention and expulsion to Serbia of 2 asylum seekers from Bangladesh. (ANSA)
(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, MARCH 24 - Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on Friday left the Maadi military hospital south of the capital, where he had been detained for years. The news was given by his lawyer, Farid El-Dib, who had initially expected him to be released some days ago after his acquittal. ''He left the Maadi hospital at eight in the morning and went to his Heliopolis residence'' in Cairo, El-Dib told ANSA.



(ANSAmed).


North Dakota Senate members killed a bill Friday that would have barred both the executive and judicial branches of state government from nearly all direct introduction of bills for legislative consideration.

The Senate shot down House Bill 1397 by a 4-43 vote.

The bill would have required agencies to get individual lawmakers to introduce bills on their behalf as well as through either an interim or standing legislative committee.

Proponents of the bill said it provided exceptions for agency budgets prepared by the Office of Management and Budget and the governors office.

HB1397 narrowly passed the House last month 48-44.
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis told EU leaders at an audience in the Vatican Friday that "European ideals must not be reduced to the needs of finance" and that they should emphasise "values, by placing man at the centre".



Populism is born of selfishness and solidarity is the antidote to this, Francis told leaders of the 27 member states.



He urged politicians to "avoid using emotions to gain consensus".



Francis said that if at the start of the EU there was a desire to "see the signs of enforced hostility fall, now there is talk of how to leave outside the 'dangers' of our times: starting from the long column of women, men and children, fleeing war and poverty, who ask only a chance for a future for themselves and their loves ones".



Francis told his audience that "Europe worked hard" to bring the wall down and yet "today the memory of that toil has been lost. "Lost, too, has been the awareness of the drama of separated families, the poverty and misery which that division caused." Francis recalled "that unnatural barrier that divided the continent from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic". He said "in a world that knew well the drama of walls and divisions, the importance of working for a united and open Europe was very clear".



Solidarity is the answer to the forces that are pushing the EU apart, Pope Francis told the leaders.



He warned against the "tendency to reduce founding ideals to financial needs".



Solidarity enshrined in EU treaties, he said, had ensured 60 year of peace for Europe, although there was tendency to forget this.



Europe today is going through a crisis but also has opportunities, Francis said .



"Our time is more dominated by the concept of crisis" whether economic, of families, institutions and migrants, he said, "so many crises, which conceal the fear and deep disarray of contemporary man". But "discernment invites us to weigh the essential and build on it: it is, therefore, a time of challenges and opportunities". The pillars of Europe are "the centrality of man and an openness to the world," the pope said.



Those who govern, he said, "must therefore seek out the roads of hope".



Prosperity has "clipped Europe's wings" and ideals have therefore been "lost", Francis said. He urged the EU not to "close itself up in false securities" and said that "migrants are not a numerical problem".



Calling on Europe to "open up to the future", the pope said young people needed "serious work". He also said the EU must give people the chance to have children, without "the fear of not being able to maintain them". Europe is not just a set of rules and protocols but also a way of conceiving man, the pontiff said.



"It is a life, a way of conceiving man starting from his transcendent and inalienable dignity and not only as a set of rights to defend, or claims to be pressed," said Francis.



"If it was clear from the outset that the beating heart of the European political project could only be man, just as clear was the risk that the Treaties would remain a dead letter.



"They must be filled with vital spirit". The 1957 Treaties of Rome are not just a "journey into memory" but must provide the basis to "tackle today's problems," Francis stressed.



He said the EU was a "political, economic but above all human" reality".



Finally, the pope said that Western values are "incomprehensible without Christianity".



The common denominator of the Fathers of Europe, he said, "was the spirit of service, united with political passion, and the awareness that at the origin of European civilisation was Christianity, without which Western values of dignity, freedom and justice turn out to be mostly incomprehensible".



Introducing the pope, Premier Paolo Gentiloni said that "the Union is not only that of parameters but also that of values, of a richness in diversity, of examples, of morals and ideas".



The Italian premier said that "today globalisation, which is an opportunity, has created unbearable imbalances: millions of poor question our responsibility, the economic crisis has made unemployment grow. "Faced with these challenges we have a duty to identify common solutions".
Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk.

Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen.

If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned.

I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country.

It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously.

Vote

View Results
Emirates customers travelling to the US via Dubai will be able to utilise their laptops and tablet devices on the first part of their journeys, and also during transit in Dubai. They must then declare and hand over their laptops, tablets, and other banned electronic devices to security staff at the gate just before boarding their US-bound flight. The devices will be carefully packed into boxes, loaded into the aircraft hold, and returned to the customer at their US destination. There will not be any charge for this service.

Passengers on US-bound flights starting their journeys in Dubai are encouraged to pack their electronic devices into their check-in luggage in the first instance, to avoid delays.

The airline said customers should be aware that there will be a detailed search of all hand baggage on non-stop flights to the US from Dubai. They should therefore declare their devices before the search, or ensure their electronic devices are packed into their check-in luggage in the first instance.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: Our aim is to ensure compliance with the new rules, while minimising disruption to passenger flow and impact on customer experience. Our new complimentary service enables passengers, particularly those flying for business, to have the flexibility to use their devices until the last possible moment.

Once on board they can still stay connected on their mobile phones. Our historical data shows that on Emirates US flights, 90% of passengers using our onboard mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity services do so via their smart phones. Only 6% connect via their laptops, and 4% via their tablets. That is not to say that other passengers are not using their devices offline, but perhaps the silver lining to this is that they can now justifiably give themselves a break from their devices, enjoy our onboard service and catch up on the latest movies, music, and TV box sets that we have on offer.

From Saturday, 25 March, travellers on non-stop flights to the US from Dubai International airport (DXB) will not be allowed to carry any electronic device larger than a cell phone or smartphone, excluding medical devices, into the aircraft cabin. Travellers must pack these electronic devices in their checked-in baggage.

This new security directive, issued by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), applies to all passengers travelling on non-stop flights to the US from Dubai, including those in transit. It does not apply to passengers travelling on Emirates US-bound flights via Milan and Athens, or Emirates flights to/from any other destination.


The classic 1930s Douglas DC-3, owned and operated by Swiss luxury watchmaker and aviation chronograph specialist, Breitling, has been based at the Jetex FBO terminal at the airport for the past four days.

The Breitling DC-3 is currently on a world tour and Jetex has been supplying a full range of ground support services for the aircraft and crew during the four-day stop

We are delighted to be a part of history in the making as the Breitling DC-3 establishes itself as the oldest plane to circumnavigate the globe, said Adel Mardini, CEO and President of Jetex.  This partnership underlines our shared commitment and passion for the aviation industry, and the Jetex promise of delivering the highest standards of service,

Catering specifically to private, business and government VIP travellers, the Jetex terminal operates 24/7 and offers round-the-clock customs clearance. It is the largest facility in Jetexs global portfolio, and has the distinction of being the first IS-BAH certified FBO in Dubai.




A legislative committee decided Friday that enumerating the benefits and costs of refugees in North Dakota was too unwieldy.

I dont know how we could even ever do it. Its just also more than I think a legislative committee not only has the capability to do, but has the time to do. And what is the ultimate goal?" said Sen. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo, who opposed the House bill, which she characterized as "unamendable."

The Senate Political Subdivisions Committee gave a "do not pass" recommendation to House Bill 1427, which is nearing the end of a long and arduous journey through the Legislature, that would have required a study of the fiscal impact of refugee resettlement in North Dakota.

The initial bill began as a requirement to gather data on refugees and define "absorptive capacity." After hours of testimony, often emotional, from immigrants and former refugees, the bill was amended to an interim study in the House and ultimately passed in that chamber.

Last week, two Fargo Democrats offered amendments that would include enumerating not only the costs but the benefits refugees bring to the state.

The committee eventually concluded the list of refugee expenditures and economic benefits would be too long.

Lee originally co-sponsored HB1427.

"Im almost offended by this, and Im embarrassed my name is on this  that was never the goal that I had, that this was going to turn into what it is," Lee said before making a motion to recommend a "do not pass" on the bill.

Before the committee voted, it heard testimony from a former legislative intern, Femi Adisa, who said he opposed the study. He served as the clerk for the Senate Political Subdivision Committee during the previous legislative session.

I think, first, the study has good intentions, but I just don't think there is a viable or feasible way of getting the results the study purports to get," said Adisa, a law school graduate from Nigeria who is residing in Fargo.

The bill now heads to the Senate for a final vote.
According to the airline - a sister company to to Saudi Arabian Airlines - this is the first time an airline in the region has involved its future customers in shaping the look of its cabin crew uniform.

The airline launched the contest to find the perfect designer on February 2 through its social media channels and said it has been wowed by the creative submissions. It

received and reviewed more than 700 designs from more than 140 young Saudi based

designers,

A final shortlist of three female designers has been selected and a public vote will now be conducted through social media.

In a statement, the airline said: Flyadeal was created with the Saudi 2030 vision in mind for a contemporary, social and connected world, where people exchange ideas and show their

creativity. Thats why we decided to invite young designers in the Kingdom to give us their ideas for the style of our crew. We are impressed by the great ideas posted on social media during this contest and would like to say a big thank you to all the participants.

Votes can be placed using Instagram on @flyadeal and be tracked on the airlines Facebook and Twitter pages.

The airline is due to begin operations in mid-2017 with flights to domestic destinations from his main hub at King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah..


The Senate agreed to amendments made in the North Dakota House on a bill making records of job applicants to state government positions confidential until finalists are named, sending the bill to the governors desk.

Supporters of Senate Bill 2152 say the state has been missing out on a number of strong applicants when making such information public; it was argued that people shy away from considering state jobs due to potential risk their current jobs.

The House amendments included requirements to follow executive session laws when those in charge of hiring are discussing applicants as well as being able to not make any finalist names public if the hiring entity chooses not to consider applications or make a job offer to someone.

SB2152 passed 29-17 in the Senate in February and by a 61-32 House vote earlier this month.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Six Russian servicemen have been killed and several more injured in a militant attack on a Russian National Guard base in the Chechen Republic, RT reports.

The incident took place near the Chechen village of Naurskaya, 70 kilometers north-west of Grozny.

According to a statement posted on the Russian National Guard website, around 2:30am on March 24 a group of armed militants attempted to enter the territory of one of the military camps of the Russian National Guard.

The militant group was spotted by an army detachment, which confronted it. Six attackers were killed. At the same time, six servicemen died in the shootout too while several more were wounded.

The National Guard says the militants took advantage of the thick morning fog for the attack.
A series of three one-hour Foster Parent Inquiry Luncheon Meetings will be held every other Monday from noon to 1 p.m., beginning Monday and continuing on April 10 and April 24, at the Native American Development Center, Bismarcks Indian Center at 205 N. 24th St. This program will educate parents about the Burleigh County foster care needs for Native American children, eligibility and process.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Ambassador to the United States H.E. Grigor Hovhannisyan had meetings on March 22 in the Congress with Republican Congressmen, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Armenian Caucus David Valadao and David Trott, as well as Douglas Lamborn, the ministry of foreign affairs told ARMENPRESS.

The Ambassador thanked the Congressmen for the constant focus on issues relating to Armenia and protecting Armenian interests in the Congress.

The sides exchanged ideas on the agenda issues of the Armenian-American relations, discussed several regional issues, including the issues of protecting Christian minorities in the Middle East and the numerous refugees accepted by Armenia.

The Ambassador and the US Congressmen also discussed the process of recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, as well as other genocides.

The Congressmen assured their efforts for strengthening the Armenia-US ties will be continuous.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Recently the students of Armath engineering club-laboratory of basic school N5 after Mkrtich Martirosyan in Ijevan hosted the famous IT education project representatives from Ucom and Union of the Information Technology Enterprises (UITE), Ucom told Armenpress.

The twenty-six students, who acquire engineering and programming skills in this laboratory, are mainly 6th-7th grade students, who try to apply their knowledge of algebra, geometry and physics. Its noteworthy that one of the components of 3D printer of the laboratory have broken down and the students of this laboratory have been trying not only to design that component by using a computer, but also print the damaged component all by themselves.

I wish to become a programmer, in order to develop the programming industry in Armenia. Moreover, I also wish to become an engineer and design equipment of the future on my own, one of which may be, for example, a coal mining robot to facilitate hard physical work, Garik Amiryan, a student of Armath engineering laboratory of basic school N5 after Mkrtich Martirosyan in Ijevan, said.

Im learning to work with Scratch and K-Turtle programs, in order to become an engineer or a programmer in future. Thanks to the knowledge acquired in this laboratory, Ill be able to design a smart door, which will send a message to the adults of the family upon arrival of guests, as well as will enable to establish video contact with guests and speak to them. If, for example, a child or any familiar person approaches the door, it would enable the ones in the house to open the door distantly, Ruben Sahakyan, a student of the same laboratory, said.

We emphasize the importance of interest in modern technologies of children living in regions. In Armath laboratories they acquire practical skills and knowledge with the help of which they can create, for example, objects working on the basis of artificial intelligence. What we see today is quite satisfying: childrens imagination is boundless and the future is encouraging, Hayk Yesayan, director general at Ucom, said.

The students of this laboratory have also participated in DigiCode contest with a game entitled Pythagoras, designed by them.

By the way, Tigran Safaryan, Marketing and Communications Director at Ucom, spoke on the importance of Armath laboratories, opened with the support of Ucom, during the 2-day WCFDavos/Yerevan Forum, by noting that Armath laboratories have been in the center of attention of Ucom during the last 3-4 years, such laboratories have been opened in around 200 schools, including in border settlements, and they aim to serve as a kind of forge for future employees of the company.
YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. Political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan says the Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian bloc is using any occasion to accuse the leadership in pressuring them.

Iskandaryan was commenting on the blocs statement regarding the arrest of former military commander Samvel Babayan.

Such statements were made even before Samvel Babayans arrest, saying the leadership is obstructing the campaigning, pressuring and so on, Iskandaryan said. According to him, the bloc is actually trying to gain approval rating this way.

On the other hand, in the actions of the blocs members its felt that they arent going to enter the parliament. All of them are saying that they will be active after the election. This means they dont even hope to receive the minimum threshold for entering the parliament. Such cases happened a lot in the newly independent history - I wasnt elected, this means the election was rigged, he said.

On March 22 the national security service said 3 people, including Samvel Babayan, were arrested amid an ongoing probe on the smuggling of an IGLA type surface-to-air missile system to Armenia.

The investigation revealed the smugglers, who acquired and transported the missile system, were acting according to an agreement and at the order of Samvel Babayan.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Taron Avia airlines launched regular and charter flights from Gyumris Shirak airport.

Garnik Papikyan, director of Taron Avia, told a press conference in ARMENPRESS the hub of the company will be in the Shirak airport.

In the initial period flights will be operated with one Boeing 737-500 aircraft, named Mher Mkrtchyan. The first Gyumri-Krasnodar-Gyumri regular flight is planned for April 25. Regular flights are also scheduled en route Rostov-on-Don, Samara and other directions. I have to mention all our aircrafts meet the requirements of Boeing in terms of technical standards, Papikyan said.

The airline has three aircrafts, which are currently in Jordan on technical maintenance.

The minimal air ticket price for Gyumri-Krasnodar will be 75 Euros or around 39 thousand drams, Krasnodar-Gyumri  60 Euros or around 31 thousand drams.

The ticket prices for Gyumri-Rostov-on-Don will be 86 Euros or around 44 thousand drams, with the opposite direction 68 Euros or around 35 thousand drams.

Gyumri-Samara tickets will be priced 125 Euros or 65 thousand AMD, Samara-Gyumri 100 Euros or around 52 thousand AMD. Papikyan said more directions will be added in the future, namely en route Moscow, Sochi etc.

Levon Karamyan, commercial director of the airlines, said the prices have been designed with those principles which are real. It will include all kinds of taxes and duties, and will enable passengers to transport 25kg baggage and 7kg hang luggage for free, he said, adding we present the tariff which includes everything, Karamyan said.

He mentioned that the government has created prerequisites for developing Shirak airport. Karamyan says it will positively impact the development of Armenias economy and tourism.

The executives of Taron Avia also mentioned their prices will be cheaper compared to the same directions from Zvartnots airport.

E-booking and purchase of tickets is available at www.taron-avia.am, the official website of the airlines, and the most popular search systems www.aviasales.ru and www.ozon.ru.
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union Stepan Mikoyan has died at the age of 94, Armenpress reports, citing TASS, the MiG Aircraft Corporation press office reported on March 24.

"On March 24, 2016, Hero of the Soviet Union, merited test pilot of the USSR Aviation Lieutenant-General Stepan Anastasovich Mikoyan passed away at the age of 94," the press office said in a statement.

Stepan Mikoyan was born on July 12, 1922 in Tbilisi (Georgia) into the family of Soviet state figure and future Socialist Labor Hero Anastas Mikoyan. Stepans father was a brother of renowned Soviet aircraft designer Artyom Mikoyan. Anastas Mikoyan headed the USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium in 1964-1965.

Stepan Mikoyan graduated in 1941 from the Kachinsk military aviation school and in December that year he went to the front. During the Soviet Unions Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany in 1941-1945 he fought as a fighter plane pilot.

In 1951, he graduated from the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy and started work as a test pilot in the Air Force Research Institute. He tested MiG combat planes for 23 years. In 1975, he was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union for the state trials of the MiG-25 plane.

Mikoyan performed flights until 1978. Overall, he learned to operate 102 types of aircraft, including MiG-23, MiG-25 and MiG-27 planes.














YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia Ashot Manukyan met with the delegation of the European Investment Bank (EIB) led by the Banks Vice President Vazil Hudak. The possibilities of expanding the Banks involvement in investment projects in Armenias energy sphere were discussed.

As Armenpress was informed from the pres service of the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia, referring to the prospects of future cooperation, Vazil Hudak informed about EIBs intentions to make investments in Armenias energy system. The Bank is interested in projects of energy saving, renewable energy, as well as other directions. The Vice President of the Bank expressed readiness for cooperation in various levels, including in the public-private sector.

At the request of the guests Minister Ashot Manukyan presented the projects for the implementation of which Armenia would like to cooperate with the Bank.
Karl J. Paluck, 13, Dickinson, joined the angels above on March 20, 2017, with his beloved family by his side. Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday March 25, at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Dickinson, with Fr. Shannon Lucht as celebrant and Fr. Casmir Paluck as con-celebrant. Entombment will follow at the Dickinson Mausoleum. Visitation will be Friday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a rosary and vigil at 7 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with Deacon Leonard Kordonowy presiding. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services on Saturday.

Karl challenged the medical world since one year of age. Unfortunately, the mystery remains as complications could not be fixed.

Although Karl could not speak, his smiles communicated loud and clear. He loved to be around people and to go on walks to see his friends and neighbors who all knew him from blocks away. Karl had so many wonderful dedicated and compassionate caregivers over the years. They loved to read to him, sing to him or watch movies and wrestling on TV with him. He loved to smile when he had presents coming for them or they asked him if they were too big or when they knocked something over accidentally.

Through the power of prayer from so many in Karls life, Karl pulled through many struggles along the way. Each day and smile was a gift from God. His smile lit up the world especially after his confirmation by Bishop Kagan at his home on Feb. 12, 2017. What a miracle this was for Karl to show he was at peace and how he loved those around him that were able to witness his abundant and precious smiles during his final month.

God picked the 1st day of spring with a light rain to call sweet Karl Home to Him. His body will be placed on the top shelf in the mausoleum next to his Grandpa Stanley so they can hear the rain together. His grandpa had died two months before Karl was born but now they can rest in peace together.

Karl was a teacher of love, patience, and kindness. Karl looked upwards to God and the angels often throughout his days and nights, and he now walks with them, restored to perfect health and vitality. Thank you God for all his smiles. May they continue forever from above. His smile will always be remembered.

Matthew 19:14

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Karl is survived at home by his parents, Doug and Rhonda; his sister Kayla; and his loving pet, Lilly; his paternal grandmother, Gladys Paluck; maternal grandparents Gordon and Crystal Berwald; aunts and uncles and cousins Robert and Donna Paluck (Carrie and Mick Neurohr (Cobey, Connor, Colton), Mandi and Casey Scheeler (Zoey), Casey Paluck (fiance Cierra); Melissa and John Remund (Courtney, Caleb, Brooklyn); Jodi and Michael Hook (Michael III), Jackie and Kelly Merryweather (Kole and Kadie); Tammy and Rob Greiner (Troy, Rachael, Emma, Trevor); and special great-aunt Linda Sibson. Karl was preceded in death by Grandpa Stanley Paluck. Arrangements are with Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson. www.ladburyfuneralservice.com
Due to severe competition the telecom sector is India is seeing a wave of consolidation.

Airtel plans to roll-out high speed 4G services on the newly acquired spectrum in the five circles immediately after the closure of the transaction.

New Delhi: Bharti Airtel will acquire Tikonas 4G business including the broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum in five telecom circles for around Rs 1,600 crore.

After this acquisition Airtel will be the second player other than Jio to have pan-India presence in 2300 Mhz band  which has second largest ecosystem of 4G devices. Due to severe competition the telecom sector is India is seeing a wave of consolidation.

Earlier this week Vodafone and Idea had announced that they are merging their operations to create India's biggest mobile operator. Last month Airtel had also agreed to acquire Norwegian operator Telenors Indian arm.

Tikona currently has 20 MHz spectrum in the 2300 MHz band in Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West), Rajasthan and HP circles.

Airtel plans to roll-out high speed 4G services on the newly acquired spectrum in the five circles immediately after the closure of the transaction.

Post-acquisition, the combined spectrum holding of Airtel in these five circles will be within the spectrum caps prescribed by the government.

The proposed acquisition will enable Airtel to fill BWA spectrum gaps in the 2300 MHz band in Rajasthan, UP (East) and UP (West), securing a pan India footprint in the band.

The deal will significantly bolster Airtels spectrum position in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, taking its overall BWA spectrum holding to 30 MHz each in these circles.

Post completion of the deal, Airtel will have 30 MHz in the 2300 MHz band in 13 circles giving it tremendous advantage to handle the surging data demand.

Airtels continued focus on strengthening its 4G capabilities across multiple spectrum bands will be complemented with the BWA spectrum acquisition from Tikona. We believe that combining our capacities in TD-LTE and FD-LTE will further bolster our network, and help us provide high-speed wireless broadband, said Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel.

After the Vodafone-Idea deal, this is another step towards consolidation in the telecom sector. The telecom sector is under pressure and the future expansion and growth will depend on the quantum of spectrum held and the quality of services offered, said Rishi Tejpal, principal research Analyst, Gartner.
Gov. Doug Burgum signed a letter urging Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act the day the Republican plan to do so appeared to fall apart.

House Republicans pulled the legislation Friday afternoon after House Speaker Paul Ryan told President Donald Trump it did not have the votes to pass, according to the New York Times.

In a letter signed with 19 other Republican state governors, dated Friday, Burgum argued the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, is collapsing and action needed to be taken to ensure people wont lose coverage. The letter was sent to Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The letter only mentions the congressional Republican plan by name once.

Please allow us to offer our thoughts about the pending vote on the American Health Care Act, it states. Americans want personalized, patient-centered health care that treats them as individuals not a statistic, and that demands we repeal Obamacare, replace it, and reform the system.

Asked whether Burgum supported the American Health Care Act, the governors spokesman Mike Nowatzki said they would let the letter speak for itself. Burgum signed it Friday morning, Nowatzki said.

The letter says the governors support a refundable tax credit allowing those who are not insured through an employer, Medicare or Medicaid to buy coverage. They also asked for state flexibility to reform Medicaid and the system surrounding it.

This is a multi-stage process, the governors said. There is much more work to be done, and (that) process can only begin with a vote in the House of Representatives.

But that vote wouldnt come Friday, and Ryan told reporters that were going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future, according to the Times.
TRAI is drafting a response to Commission's letter dated February 23 on lines that tariff and tariff orders.

New Delhi: Telecom regulator TRAI has rejected Telecom Commission's contention that free promotional offers allowed by it are responsible for the industry's falling financial health and lower licence fee payments to the government.

TRAI is drafting a response to Telecom Commission's letter dated February 23 on the lines that tariff and tariff orders, solely under the regulator's purview, need to be seen in the broader context of consumer interest.

The telecom regulator is likely to send next week its response to the Telecom Commission, the highest policy making body of the sector. "As per TRAI Act, tariffs are under the purview of TRAI.

If anyone has an objection to tariff orders, they are free to approach the telecom tribunal TDSAT," a TRAI official said. TRAI is also expected to take the line that government's

objective cannot be revenue maximisation. "Higher tariffs can lead to greater accruals for the government from licence fee, but there is social obligation. So, revenue reduction should not been seen with a myopic view, but in the context of larger policy objectives and long-term interest of consumers," the source, who is familiar with the development, said.

Stressing that competition in the telecom sector had resulted in better tariffs and services for consumers, the source said, "competition may be disruptive, but it also leads to cheaper tariffs for consumers".

Defending its stance on allowing Reliance Jio to extend the promotional offers, the source said, "TRAI had sought Attorney General's opinion on the matter, and the latter has also opined that TRAI was correct in not blocking the offers".

"See how data usage has grown, how user base itself has increased. That also augurs well for the Digital India and the drive towards cashless economy. Further, some of our recommendations, which we believe will grow the sector, are still pending with the government," the source pointed out.

Last month, inter-ministerial body Telecom Commission in a letter to TRAI had warned of a loan default by operators and asked the regulator to revisit its tariff orders and free promotional offers of firms like Reliance Jio.

The then Telecom Secretary J S Deepak, who headed the Telecom Commission, had written to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman R S Sharma about the "serious impact" of promotional offers on the financial health of the sector and the capability of the companies to meet their contractual commitments, including payment of instalments for spectrum purchased, and repayment of loans.

Days after writing the letter, which found its way into the media, Deepak left for Barcelona to attend the Mobile World Congress (MWC). And while he was in Barcelona, the government issued an order appointing him India's permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation with effect from June 1, 2017 but asked him to immediately move as OSD in the Commerce Ministry.

In the letter, Deepak had reflected TC's concerns over downward trend in government revenue because of "a tariff war in the industry triggered by free promotional offers." Reliance Jio rolled out free voice and data under two promotional offers - Jio Welcome Offer and the Happy New Year offer.

The Telecom Commission's letter had noted that licence fee collections for the current fiscal have been showing "alarming" downward trend on a quarter-to-quarter basis. "These collections have fallen from Rs 3,975 crore in Q1 to Rs 3,584 crore in Q2 to Rs 3,186 crore in Q3.

It is expected that this revenue will further decline in Q4 by about 8-10 per cent. The annual spectrum usage charge revenues are also likely to face a similar decline," the TC letter had said.
Grofers, Big Basket have also submitted FDI proposals for undertaking retail trading.

$5.76 billion in FDI equity inflows was received by the food processing sector from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

New Delhi: US based e-commerce giant Amazon has proposed to invest around $500 million for e-retail of food products in India, food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Thursday.

Last year Modi government had allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment for marketing, including through e-commerce, of food products manufactured and produced in India.

We allowed 100 per cent FDI in trading of food products last year. We have got some good news. Amazon has now decided to get into e-retail of food. Amazon has decided to invest close to $500 million in the food retail sector. It is a good news for the country, said Ms Badal.

E-retail market is growing at a fast pace and is set to treble by 2020, the minister said.

She said Grofers and Big Basket have also submitted FDI proposals for undertaking retail trading of food products. Metro Cash & Carry too has shown interest in food retailing

On allowing non-food products also be sold along with food products in the FDI policy, minister said the government will take a decision on this issue soon.

Some foreign retailers have demanded that India should allow sale of home and personal care products. Ms Badal said the governments new FDI policy is very attractive and is generating huge interest among investors.

We are excited about the opening of FDI in food retailing. We have submitted an application for approvals," Amazons director, public policy Avinash Ramachandra said.

While the BJP government is against FDI in multi-brand retail, it has allowed it in processed food retail to increase processed food production in the

organised sector in the country.

It is in line with Modi government vision to double farmers income by 2022 by boosting farming and allied activities.

Though FDI in multi-brand retail was allowed in India during UPA II regime, BJP government is against it so no foreign investor has applied for it since the Modi government has come to power.

The food processing sector received $5.76 billion in FDI equity inflows from 2010-11 to 2015-16. In 2016-17 (April-December), the food processing sector in the country has received $663.23 million worth of FDI equity inflows.
The actress is relishing her work space working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the third time.

New Delhi: Deepika Padukone says working with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has always been a learning experience but collaborating with him for the third time on 'Padmavati' was more challenging for her.

The 31-year-old actress says the filmmaker extracts the best from her as an artist and she draws a lot from that creative experience.

"Sanjay Leela Bhansali brings out the best in me as an actor. Working on 'Padmavati' with him brings out a creatively- enriching feeling in me... The way he pushes you, challenges you... That's what drives me to do his films," says Deepika.

The actress, who was in the capital for an event, says she is curious to know whether they can bring something new despite the familiarity.

"It is difficult as an actor to work with someone you have worked for so long. It's challenging for both the director and actor to bring something new to the table every time they come together.

"Even when he worked with Ranveer (Singh) in 'Ram Leela' and 'Bajirao Mastani', it was a similar feeling and these films are classic examples. We hope we are able to deliver something different for the audience this time again with 'Padmavati'," says Deepika.
Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who assaulted an Air India officer yesterday, however claimed that the officer must apologise to him.

New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was today barred from flying by five domestic carriers after his brazen assault on an Air India officer.

The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as its members, has taken a strong view of the incident and accordingly taken a decision to bar Gaikwad from flying. A joint statement issued by all 4 airlines and Air India announced that Gaikwad had been banned.

The FIA will not allow the Sena MP to fly on its member carriers.

The MP's return ticket from Delhi to Pune has also been cancelled.

Air India said it has also written to the Shiv Sena communicating the decision to cancel the ticket. Shiv Sena Secretary Anil Desai told PTI that he has asked Gaikwad to change his travel plans as the party doesn't want the tensions to escalate.

Gaikwad was booked on Delhi to Pune flight AI 849 scheduled for departure at 4 PM today.

"We have intimated Shiv Sena that we can't fly Gaikwad on his return flight because our employees are agitated.

He has assured us that the party will advise the MP not to fly Air India today," said an Air India source.

"Our airport employees have said that they won't attend to him and they won't let him enter. In order to avoid any violence, we have written to Shiv Sena," he added.

Gaikwad told TV channels this morning, "I am booked on a 4 PM flight to Pune. I will take that flight. How can they not let me travel when I have a booking and I am their passenger."

Desai, also an MP, said that he has "acceded" to Air India's request and has also asked Gaekwad to "change his travel plans".

"An Air India official called me that their staff is upset over the issue. I have acceded to their request by asking my MP not to go ahead with his plan to fly Air India today," said Desai .

"I have also asked him to change his travel plans. We don't intend to escalate the tension," he added.

Meanwhile, budget carrier IndiGo today said it will support any move which bars unruly passengers from flying, a day after Air India said it was mulling preparing a no-fly list for such people.

"We will support a no-fly list," IndiGo President and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh told PTI.

Yesterday Gaikwad had repeatedly hit a 60-year-old Air India officer with a sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

But Gaikwad remained unapologetic today, claiming that the officer should apologise to him, and daring police to arrest him.

The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, while the Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from him.
Mr Singh also said the Uttar Pradesh chief minister has said the focus would be on Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas.

New Delhi: Strongly refuting allegations that certain communities were facing discrimination in Uttar Pradesh, Union home minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that the BJP does not discriminate on the basis of caste, creed or religion.

The ministers statement was in response to the concern expressed by Congress member Ranjeet Ranjan in the Lok Sabha alleging discrimination against people of certain communities in the state involving Anti-Romeo squads.

The UP government has set up such squads in the police to keep a tab on eve-teasing incidents in the state.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Ranjan wondered whether it was wrong to fall in love and whether it was wrong to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

Taking a swipe at the anti-Romeo squads, she wanted to know whether the government would be telling boys and girls on how to sit in parks.

In response, Mr Singh, who has also served as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, said: It has been just two-three days of the new UP governmentBJP does not discriminate on the basis of caste, creed or religion. The minister added that if there is any specific incident, the government would look into it.

After registering a landslide victory in the polls, BJP government headed by Yogi Adityanath took charge on March 19.

Mr Singh also said the Uttar Pradesh chief minister has said the focus would be on Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas.
A meeting of the state BJP's core committee in Mumbai last evening dwelt on a set of possible scenarios including the interim polls.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was among the leaders who attended the meeting, held at the official residence of Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil.

Mumbai: Under constant pressure from its ally Shiv Sena, the BJP in Maharashtra is mulling the option of a snap poll as many in the party believed the situation was conducive to secure a majority on its own.

A meeting of the state BJP's core committee in Mumbai last evening dwelt on a set of possible scenarios including the interim polls.

The current assembly has its term till mid-2019. "The meeting discussed political situation in case Sena is'nt a part of the ruling dispensation," a BJP source said.

The feasibility of going for snap polls was discussed, the source said.

There was unanimity over acting against the Sena's "nuisance", including the negative comments in that party's mouthpiece 'Saamana', the source said.

Its stellar performance in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand assembly polls and the impressive showing in civic polls across Maharashtra have emboldened the BJP in the state.

There was also a discussion on weaning some MLAs away from other parties and getting them re-elected on BJP symbol, the source said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was among the leaders who attended the meeting, held at the official residence of Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil.

In 2014 assembly polls, the BJP and the Shiv Sena had contested the polls separately. The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party, then formed a minority government with outside support of the NCP.

Within a few months, Sena returned to the saffron alliance but failed to get the plum portfolios it wished for.

Despite being an ally of the BJP in Maharashtra and at the Centre, Sena kept up its stinging attack on the government's policies and even taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Sena-BJP relations took a worse turn in recent civic polls, which they fought separately, taking tenaciously on each other.

The BJP, under the leadership of Fadnavis, shook the Sena citadels including its heartland Mumbai in the civic polls.

However, after the elections, the BJP beat a tactical retreat in Mumbai allowing the Sena nominee to be elected as the Mayor of the metropolis.
PM calls meet of UP MPs, says mandate given to work hard.

New Delhi: After his warning to BJP MPs to be present in full attendance in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked partys parliamentarians from Uttar Pradesh that the mandate has been given to work hard and not to enjoy. Asking MPs to refrain from seeking favours from chief minister Adityanath Yogi for transfers and postings of officials, Mr Modi said the state administration should be allowed to focus solely on delivering good governance. The PM also asked partys parliamentarians to work with party MLAs as a team to transform the state where the BJP came back to power after 15 years by bagging more than 300 Assembly constituencies.

During his breakfast meeting with partys UP MPs at his residence, which was also attended by party president Amit Shah and Union home minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh, the Prime Minister thanked them for working hard in ensuring BJPs stunning victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections in this politically crucial state. Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar and party veteran and Kanpur MP Murli Manohar Joshi also attended the meeting. This was PMs first meeting with the BJP MPs from UP after the partys victory in the state assembly election. Mr Modi meets party MPs from different states during Parliament sessions to share and discuss views and issues.

While asking MPs to serve the people and that the huge mandate was given to provide a corruption-free government, Mr Modi was very specific in warning parliamentarians that they should refrain from approaching the chief minister or anybody else for transfers and postings of officials.

Mr Modi said both the Centre and Adityanath led government would work with all its strength to transform UP into a fully developed state and the government should be able to fulfil expectations of the people by ensuring a corruption-free government in the state.
Gaikwad had assaulted an AI staffer for providing him an economy class seat instead of a business class one.

New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad said today he would file a defamation case against the Air India CMD and its staffer R Sukumar, who he allegedly thrashed, if they do not apologise for bringing "ignominy" to him.

Speaking to PTI, Gaikwad said he plans to file the case at a court in Osmanabad (Maharashtra), his Lok Sabha constituency, next week against the "main officials" of Air India for allegedly defaming him.

He has also filed a complaint at the airport police station against the airline officials for allegedly misbehaving with him.

"I have made a written complaint with DCP Sanjay Bhatia... I will file a defamation case against the CMD (Chairman & Managing Director) and officers (of Air India) next week for bringing ignominy to me across the country by spreading false information against me, besides insulting me.

"Now they will come to apologise to me there (in court). I will not sit quiet until they apologise," Gaikwad said.

Referring to the police complaint filed against him by Air India, he claimed the FIR cannot be registered against him without the approval from the Lok Sabha Speaker as Parliament is in session.

The Sena lawmaker said he has also raised the issue with Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, urging him to take action in the matter.

Hitting out at Sukumar, Gaikwad reiterated that the Air India staffer "misbehaved" with him and said the footage of the CCTV camera installed in the aircraft concerned can be checked to verify "who was at fault".

"The other AI employees kept telling him (Sukumar) that I was not at fault. Yet, he was arrogant, misbehaved with meHe spread false information that I misbehaved over seat issues," he added.

Gaikwad also said that he has already discussed the entire episode with his party leadership.

Confirming the filing of a complaint by the MP, a senior Delhi Police officer said, "He has given a complaint to DCP (Airport) against Air India officials alleging that they misbehaved with him by pushing him. He has also alleged that they didn't give him Business Class seats and instead made him sit in Economy Class."

Gaikwad is in the eye of a storm for repeatedly hitting the 60-year-old employee of Air India yesterday with a sandal.
Mr Gaikwad said he has also filed a police complaint about the alleged misbehavior & written to the civil aviation ministry on the issue.

New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was on Friday barred from flying by Air India and 5 private airlines, a day after he repeatedly hit a 60-year-old staffer of the state carrier at Delhi Airport.

The Delhi police lodged an FIR against him on the basis of a complaint lodged by Air India, and transferred the case to its crime branch. I dare the Delhi police to arrest me... I will not apologise, the MP said. The national carrier had also lodged another complaint against him for holding up the aircraft.

Leaders cutting across party lines condemned the incident and sought action. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot take suo moto action and that she would take a call only if the case was brought to her notice in the House.

Sources said the Federation of India Airlines (FIA) has taken a strong view of the incident and accordingly decided to bar the MP from flying on their network.

Naresh Goyal-owned Jet Airways and three budget carriers  IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir  are FIA members.

Two non-FIA member airlines  AirAsia India and Vistara  also came out in support of the ban, which left Mr Gaikwad grounded in the national capital.

The MP from Maharashtras Osmanabad had assaulted R. Sukumar over being unable to travel business class on an all-economy flight, and also bragged about the assault.

Air India  and later Indigo  cancelled the MPs return tickets to Pune from here, forcing him to take a train.

However, Mr Gaikwad remained defiant, saying he would not apologise to the Air India staffer and accused him of misbehaviour.

Mr Gaikwad said he had no regrets. He (R. Sukumar) should come and apologise... Then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave, he said.

He said he would file a defamation case against the Air India CMD and its staffer if they did not apologise.

Mr Gaikwad said he has also filed a police complaint about the alleged misbehavior, and written to the civil aviation ministry on the issue.

The Air India staffer, who was hit 25 times with slippers, said his attacker must be punished so that no one takes it as his birthright to assault a person.
Bill seeks to provide better healthcare delivery to patients.

New Delhi: Legislation seeking to decriminalise suicide and provide the right to better healthcare for people suffering from mental illnesses found all-round support in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The Mental Healthcare Bill, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha with 134 official amendments in August 2016, was moved for consideration and passage by health minister J.P. Nadda, who said it was introduced in the Lower House after wide-ranging consultations with experts, academia and others.

It found support from the Opposition, though the debate on it remained inconclusive and will continue next week.

The Bill empowers patients for mental healthcare. It gives them the right so that he/she is not denied treatment or discriminated against. The focus is on community mental healthcare... It is a rights-based Bill, Mr Nadda said.

The measure provides that a person who attempts suicide shall be presumed to be suffering from mental illness at the time, and will not be punished under the Indian Penal Code.

It also seeks to protect and promote the right of persons with mental illnesses during the delivery of healthcare in institutions and in the community.

A unique feature of the Bill is that it would allow adults to make an advance directive on how they wish to be treated in case they suffer from mental illnesses in future. Such a person can also chose a nominative representative who would take care of him or her, the minister said.

It clearly defines mental illness and mental healthcare, he said, adding that the earlier definition was vague.

There are also provisions under which a person cannot be sterilised just because he or she is a mental patient. As per this law, we cannot separate a child for three years... Also, one cannot chain a mentally-ill person, the minister further said. We tried to see that the patient is protected and no coercive methodology is adopted, he added.

Persons who will not adhere to it will be liable to penalty and imprisonment. This is a very progressive Bill, he said.

The Bill focusses on community based treatment. Special provisions for women and health have also been provided for. Among the various objectives, it provides for ensuring healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation of persons with mental illness in a manner that does not intrude on their rights and dignity.

India is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an international human rights treaty of the United Nations. Around six to seven per cent of Indias population suffers from some kind of mental illnesses, while one to two per cent suffer from acute mental diseases.

Participating in the discussion on the Bill, Congress member Shashi Tharoor said it was first brought in 2013 by then health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and it has taken so long for this government to bring it back.

Taking a dig at the government, he said it has brought several Bills like those relating to Aadhar, FDI and insurance, which were drafted and prepared by the erstwhile UPA government.

My party is with him (Mr Nadda) on this... If we want a modern and progressive society, we need this law, he said, adding that people suffering from any mental disorder carry the stigma that ye toh pagal hai (he/she is mad).

Apparently referring to Thursdays incident when a Shiv Sena MP assaulted an Air India staffer, he said when we talk about such persons, there are also incidents where an airline staffer has misbehaved with mentally ill people.

Citing certain figures and reports, Mr Tharoor said women and children in mental hospitals were treated worse than animals. There were about 50 million people suffering from such problems in the country.

If someone visits a psychologist or a psychiatrist, instead of helping the person, people start distancing themselves from him or her, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.

Explaining the grave situation, he said many people who are suffering from these problems live in a denial mode and they are unwilling to seek help.

He said a famous Bollywood actress (Deepika Padukone) has talked about the way she fought with depression, and added that such persons can become a role model for the society.

Talking about suicides, he said according to the National Crime Records Bureaus 2014 report, 15 suicides happen every hour.

Suicide is an issue, he said, adding there are so many things attached to this and one is unemployment. There are no jobs in our economy today despite assurances from the Prime Minister, the MP added.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem described the U.S. border with Mexico as a war zone last year when she sent dozens of state National Guard troops there. Noem said theyd be on the front lines of stopping drug smugglers and human traffickers. But newly released records from the National Guard show that in their two-month deployment, the South Dakota troops didnt seize any drugs and sometimes went days without encountering any migrants at all. Noem justified the deployment and a widely criticized private donation to fund as a state emergency because of drugs making their way across the southern border to South Dakota. But the records cast doubt on whether the deployment was effective in addressing that.
The CM is scheduled to attend an event on the death anniversary of Yogiraj Baba Gambhirnath.

Lucknow: UP CM Adityanath Yogi is likely to be in Ayodhya on Monday, in a visit that comes after the Supreme Court suggestion on Tuesday that the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi dispute could be settled through out-of-court negotiations.

Security forces have been put on alert and intelligence agencies are scanning possible places the CM could visit.

Sources said that the CM was likely to meet a number of seers and also his old friend Jagadguru Ramdineshacharya of Haridhaam Peeth. He may also visit the Ram Janmabhoomi makeshift temple and Hanuman Garhi.

The CM may also meet Sri Suresh Das, the successor of Ramcharan Das Paramhans of the Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas, former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

Top officials in Lucknow refused to confirm or deny the programme and said, It is up to the CM to give his final word on this.

The CM will be in Gorakhpur on Saturday and Sunday. This will be his first visit to Gorakhpur after being sworn in as CM. The city is preparing to accord him a grand welcome.

According to official sources, the CM will attend a felicitation programme at a college on Saturday and then spend the night at the Gorakhnath temple of which he is the head priest.

On Sunday, the CM is scheduled to attend an event on the death anniversary of Yogiraj Baba Gambhirnath. He will also address a gathering there.

Later in the day, the chief minister will hold a meeting with MPs, MLAs and MLCs of the region and discuss developmental projects.
The Uttarakhand High Court declaring rivers Ganga and Yamuna as living entities provides a fillip to conservationists.

PM Modis ambitious Namami Gange project brings together various efforts in cleaning and conserving the worlds third largest river, Ganga. With the move by the HC declaring both the Ganges and the Yamuna as living entities, water conservationists across the country are ecstatic.

Ramkumar Mohan, one among the Trichur Brothers, who made the Namami Gange anthem, is overjoyed. Its a terrific thing that has happened in recent times. This law is reinforcing and reinvigorating. Giving Ganga the status of a living being under the constitution would bring major impact in terms of preserving the river. This move will help people take the matter on a serious level. If somebody is polluting it, the governing body can take strict action on them and the punishment would be a lot more severe. Though there were awareness campaigns and various acts earlier, it has been taken to the next level now. The new status gives the rivers an individual identity and in due course of time, people will be more sensitive about how they treat the rivers. Nobody will mistreat the river anymore, he says.

A lagoon conservationist from Chennai, Xavier Benedict is excited about the move  It is very encouraging  if we consider every river as human beings, anyone who pollutes the river will be treated as a criminal! Not only rivers, if we declare all the wetlands as living entities, it will make a major difference in peoples lives. In south India, especially in Chennai, for generations, we are dependent on wetlands, ponds and lakes for water. Pollution doesnt mean only industrial pollution  throwing dead bodies into the holy river also should be banned, Benedict says.

Srikrishna and Ramkumar Mohan

Ramkumar, who visited Varanasi a couple of months back with his brother, Srikrishna Mohan for a song shoot, could spot the difference in the water. While we were shooting for Namami Gange, the situation of the river was pathetic. But now after 1.5 years, while visiting the place I could easily identify the difference. The surface of the river has started to come back to its pristine form. But considering the population of our country, I feel that we should put in more effort in terms of spreading the word and creating awareness.

He also feels that if the authority can tackle such a serious issue with ease, they will have the confidence to tackle smaller problem  If the Ganga model becomes a success and if we bring back the river to its original form, the confidence of the government and the people will increase.

Now, the rivers have fundamental rights like any other human being. Arun Krishnamurthy, Founder of Environmentalist Foundation of India, mentions, It would definitely bring in the much-needed attention towards conservation of fresh water habitats. This move will re-emphasise the fact that we should think beyond human beings. Eventually, every other state will follow the rule. We might see rivers like Kaveri, Vaigai, and Thamirabarani declared as living entities.
They come from different parts of the world to learn yoga in India and then graduate to becoming teachers.

You hear them chant an Om and you watch them master a difficult asana with utter ease. No, we arent talking about desi yogis who are regular practitioners of yoga, but these are yoga buffs from outside India, who are choosing Bengaluru as their destination to train and become yoga teachers. Meet the videsi yogis, whose love for yoga will leave you astounded.

Alexandre Ali from Uruguay has come down to the Art Of Living ashram for the yoga teachers training course. Having started yoga in her home country two years ago, Ali says, I did Iyengar Yoga and realised that it changed me in many ways. It helped me with my headaches. I started meditating as well and I wanted to share this knowledge. Yoga isnt just about flexibility, its about delving deep down inside. Ali wants to start a blog to share her experiences and also intends to teach yoga in her country.

As for Kenneth Lam from Hong Kong, his tryst with yoga happened last year when he went for a retreat to Sri Lanka. My logical side was too dominant earlier. We often chase education, high status etc, but I realised that I wasnt enjoying these things anymore. Thanks to yoga, I started experiencing a sense of joy and peace every day, so I thought why not share the benefits and create a community where people can share the same values? he says.

For 28-year-old Jonathan Merla from Argentina, his interest in yoga was ignited eight years ago. As someone who was open to learning new things, he took to yoga and meditation, which blew his mind. I started doing research and discovered more courses. My first time in India was in 2011 and I visited Jaipur, Goa, Delhi, Mumbai, Agra and Varanasi, says the yogi with wanderlust.

Back home, Jonathan is a freelance TV producer. He now dreams of opening a restaurant by the beach where he can teach yoga and also indulge in his favourite sport- surfing. When I started out and turned vegetarian, my buddies were wondering what I was doing, but now the same people have started doing yoga! he smiles.

S-VYASA is another university which sees numerous foreigners taking up yoga courses. Giulia Carra, an Italian massage therapist who did her instructors course there, says, Initially, the restrictions wanted to make me quit. I had to wake up at 5 am every day. But slowly, everything changed. My teacher told me that if you practice daily, then you will have no problem waking up early and you will be able to concentrate better. Thats exactly what happened! The change was incredible - it was like a miracle. Giulia now plans to teach yoga in her home country in Italian. I also want to travel the world teaching  by the beach! Right now, Bali is on my mind, she says.
Six girls rescued from placement agency.

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and the Delhi police has busted an alleged human trafficking racket operating in Nihal Vihar in the guise of a placement agency. The owner of the placement agency and the building have been arrested.

The racket came to light on Wednesday when a counsellor from mahila panchayat, functioning under the aegis of the Delhi Commission for Women, accompanied two women to the commission. The women mentioned that they were from Jharkhand and West Bengal.

The 30-year-old woman from Jharkhand said that she was escorted to Delhi by a local agent, Virender Sahu, from her village on pretext of a job opportunity. In Delhi, the woman was kept at a placement agency in Shakurpur. Her mobile phone and Aadhaar card were confiscated by the traffickers. After a few days, Virender Sahu dropped the woman at Arti Placement Agency located in Nihal Vihar. The placement agency was run by Arti and her husband Baburaj. The woman was brutally beaten up by the couple when she refused to conceive and produce children.

The woman was then raped for two days by another agent named Baratu. Later, she was confined in the placement agency.

The woman from West Bengal narrated that she was accompanied by a woman from her native place for better work opportunity in the national capital. The latter abandoned the 40-year-old at Artis agency. On instructions from Baburaj, the woman was placed to work as a domestic help in a house. When the woman developed health issues, she was locked up in Baburajs office in Nihal Vihar.

The commission, with the help of Delhi police, raided the placement agency Wednesday night. Apart from the two women, there were 6 other girls and 2 more women (one pregnant and another with a child) confined in the office. Both the women alleged that Arti and Baburaj trafficked women on the pretext of providing them jobs and forced them to produce children for couples who could not conceive.

The two survivors, somehow, manages to escape and approached the Delhi Commission for Women for help. A probe into the case is underway.
Resident doctors from 40 government hospitals, including RML, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital stayed away from work.

Senior doctors participate in a silent protest at KEM Hospital on Thursday; Kishore Bagul, a resident of Chembur, waits outside KEM along with his grandchild. Mr Bagul had to admit his sister Vimal Bagul, who has urinary problem, to Shatabdi as she did not get admittance into KEM; A family moves a patient to a private hospital as they did not get further treatment at KEM. (Photo: Rajesh Jadhav/ Shripad Naik)

New Delhi: Medical services at government-run hospitals in the city were severely hit on Thursday as over 20,000 doctors proceeded on mass casual leave in solidarity with their counterparts in Maharashtra who are protesting assaults on colleagues by kin of patients.

Resident doctors from around 40 government hospitals, including RML, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital stayed away from work, while those at AIIMS continued with their protest against assaults on doctors by wearing helmets at work for the second day.

Though emergency services at hospitals were not affected due to strike, the functioning of out patient departments and other services were hit with doctors abstaining from work.

A number of private hospitals, including Sir Ganga Ram hospital on Thursday said they have decided to extend support to agitating doctors in Maharashtra and their OPD services willnot be available tomorrow.

They said they are extending support to a call by Delhi Medical Association for "OPD bandh".

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has around 2.7 lakh members across the country, has also supported the strike.

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association, FORDA, in a statement said they may consider going on an "indefinite" leave in support of demands by doctors in Maharshtra and a decision to this effect may be taken by Saturday.

"We are waiting for the decision of Maharashtra government, their action will decide our reaction and if required we may have to go for indefinite mass leave after all the RDAs reach a mutual decision by Saturday," said FORDA president Dr Pankaj Solanki.

The Resident doctors will join work tomorrow at the hospitals with black armbands, he said.

"The action (mass causal leave) was taken in view assaults on doctors and also to show solidarity to our colleagues in Maharashtra who have been threatened with salary cuts for not joining duty," said Dr Solanki.

FORDA is an umbrella body of all resident doctors in Delhi.

Dr Rakesh Kumar Gupta, president of DMA, however, said indoor patients and emergency services at hospitals will not be affected.

"The incidents of assault on doctors is rising everyday. It is occurring both in government as well as private hospitals. Patients and their relatives are taking law into their hands which is not acceptable," state secretary of DMA Dr Ashwani Goyal said.

Unfazed by the Maharashtra government's warning of suspension and cutting their pay, around 4,000 resident doctors abstained from work for the fourth day today demanding enhanced security, in the wake of a string of attacks on doctors by patients' kin at government hospitals in the state.

The Bombay High Court stepped in to end the stir and directed the resident doctors to resume work immediately even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mooted a panel to resolve security issues in state-run hospitals.

The HC observed that "medical attention" cannot wait, adding the profession of doctors is so "sacred" that they cannot afford to go on strike.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda also joined Fadnavis in appealing to the resident doctors to get back to work and asked states to take measures to improve security of doctors.
A two-day seminar from March 25 to 26, titled Gyan Sangam, is being organised by the RSS at Hansraj College.

New Delhi: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be addressing 100 teachers from varsities across the country on ways to leave behind colonial ways of imparting knowledge and imbibing national values in students at a seminar at Delhi University.

A two-day seminar from March 25 to 26, titled Gyan Sangam, is being organised by the RSS at Hansraj College.

The panelists for the seminar on How to free teaching system from colonial values and establish national values in them include the Rashtriya Swayam-sevak Sangh (RSS) chief, and its joint general secretary Krishna Gopal, among others.

The concept note for the event says that foreign elements destroyed Indias thousands-year-old education system and its centres, burnt our libraries and insulted Indian knowledge tradition.

While on one side Turkish and Mughal invaders destroyed our temples, the English have established an education system which has made people lose their trust in the Indian education system, it says. India has to develop a social and intellectual point of view which will be able to solve problems of its current generation, it adds.

We have to make students free of colonial values and establish national values in them, it reads. Around 100 teachers associated with the Sangh, and RSS workers from various universities will participate in the event.

It will hold discussions on subjects like Political Science, International Rela-tions, History, Archaeology, Science, Sociology, Communications, Theatre, Literature and Economics.
Deceased had criminal background, cops suspect personal enmity behind murder; accused absconding.

According to a senior police officer, the probe so far had revealed that it was personal enmity which led to the murder.

New Delhi: In an alleged gangwar owing to personal enmity, a 29-year-old man was shot dead in the early hours of Friday morning by unidentified assailants in Delhi. The police has identified the deceased as Vishal Suri, a resident of Geeta Colony. He was travelling in a Maruti Swift Dzire and was accompanied by his two friends. The incident took place around 2 am right in front of V3S Mall.

Probe into the alleged cold-blooded murder reveals that the assailants had come in an Uttar Pradesh registered vehicle. According to the police, Suri had gone to Preet Vihar along with his two friends to have lunch. As the three friends reached a roadside eatery, Suri chose to stay back in the car while his two friends went ahead to order food. He was standing outside his car and was waiting for his friends to return when a car pulled over next to him. A man emerged from the car and shot several rounds of fire at him. He suffered three gunshot wounds and was killed on the spot.

After hearing the shots, Suris friends rushed to the car, but in vain as he had succumbed to his bullet injuries. While the accused is still on the run, the police are questioning his friends to identify the assailant.

According to a senior police officer, the probe so far had revealed that it was personal enmity which led to the murder. The killer and the victim have criminal backgrounds, added the police.

The police said that Suri had an alleged enmity with one Nishant, who is also a resident of Geeta Colony. It is believed that the duo were rivals and were on the lookout for each other. Each wanted to eliminate the other. The two gang members have criminal background and have cases of robbery and murder registered against them.

The Preet Vihar police has taken up the case and is probing the case.
Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Sitharaman and Sanjeev Balyan are likely to address the gathering at Ramlila Maidan.

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah will launch the partys campaign for the upcoming civic polls in the national capital on Saturday at the historic Ramlila Maidan. The Delhi BJP is banking on its booth-level workers meet to reinvigorate the partys ranks ahead of the municipal polls in the city.

Delhi BJP president chief Manoj Tiwari on Friday said Mr Shahs interactive session, in presence of a number of Union ministers, will enthuse the workers, around 66,000 of whom are expected to attend Saturdays convention.

Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Sitharaman and Sanjeev Balyan are likely to address the gathering at Ramlila Maidan, which will begin at 10 am.

Booth-level workers are at the very core of the BJPs electoral success and its connect with the masses across the states. Five in-charges from each booth will be present at the convention, said Mr Tiwari.

The BJP has termed the group of five workers at each booth as Panch Parmeshwar, saying these workers will work like panchs towards getting administrative justice for people. The convention was to be held on March 19, but had to be postponed as in UP, Adityanath Yogi-led BJP government was sworn in on that day.

Talking to mediapersons at the Ramlila Maidan, Mr Tiwari took a veiled jibe at Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and said that a few people have only misused the historic ground (Ramlila Maidan) in the past. The swearing-in ceremony of the Kejriwal government was held at the ground in 2015 after the AAP stormed to power with 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly.

The polls to the three civic bodies of the national capital will be held on April 23. The BJP has been at the helm of the corporations since 2007.
The Sena has been attacking the CM vehemently over the farmer loan waiver issue.

Mumbai: Fed up of the daily quarrels with Shiv Sena on every issue, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has started seriously looking for other options, plan B and a life after Sena.

On Thursday, top four BJP leaders in state, including chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met to discuss plan B. The BJP has also started internal deliberations at national level for Maharashtra.

Highly placed sources from BJP said that state sanghatan mantri Ravindra Bhusari met national sanghatan mantri Ramlal in Delhi to discuss the situation in Maharashtra.

On Thursday evening Mr Fadnavis, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and education minister Vinod Tawade met at Mr Patils residence in Mumbai. Sources said, They discussed two options in a situation of life without Sena. First was to poach MLAs from Sena, Congress and NCP. Let them resign and get re-elected on BJP ticket in bypolls. There is buzz that 16 to 21 MLAs from all three parties are in touch with the CM ready to change loyalties.

The second option is to go for midterm polls As per the internal survey of the BJP, the party would get comfortable majority if it goes for polls now, said the source.

Apparently, Mr Fadnavis has Prime Minister Narendra Modis backing to get rid of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. The Sena has been attacking the CM vehemently over the farmer loan waiver issue. Sources said that Mr Fadnavis will take a final call after consultation with the central leadership.
Medical education minister Girish Mahajan had told the media that the MARD is satisfied with the governments assurances.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Association of Residents Doctors (MARD), late on Thursday night, called off its state-wide protest.

In a letter to resident doctors, the MARD said, Hon. High Court has commented on hardships faced by doctor (sic) and has assured to provide adequate security measures including personnel, pass system etc. Court has also assured for strict vigilance regarding implementation measures every 15 days.

So, the MARD said, as per the courts direction, it was requesting all resident doctors across the state to resume their duties immediately.

Earlier in the day, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met with members of MARD, following which the government told residents doctors to resume work immediately and claimed that the strike had been withdrawn. The Bombay high court, which directed the state government to provide immediate and sufficient security to all the hospitals of the state, has also directed all doctors to withdraw their protest and join duty immediately. The court also told the state government-run hospitals not to take punitive action against doctors who return to work.

Initially, despite the court rap, resident doctors of government hospitals had planned to continue their agitation and gave the state government an ultimatum of 48 hours to fulfil their demands. They doctors also claimed that if their demands arent met in 48 hours, they will opt for mass resignation.

Medical education minister Girish Mahajan had told the media that the MARD is satisfied with the governments assurances. They (doctors) are expected to join duty from today. The court has also ordered them to resume the work. We have told them we will make security arrangements for them in 15 days, Mr Mahajan had said.

Mr Fadnavis while speaking in the Assembly on Thursday had appealed to all doctors to call off the strike. Poor patients will die if your strike continues for a few more days. You are in a noble profession. Your demands about security are serious and the state government is completely with you. But despite the governments acceptance of all demands, you did not withdraw your agitation there will be consequences, Mr Fadnavis said.

Around 4,500 resident doctors in Maharashtra had been protesting for the past four days over the spate of attacks on them. Some of the resident doctors demands include making violence against doctors a non-bail able offence, additional security in hospitals and compensation to the kin of victims in case of attacks.

Dr Mukund, a resident doctor from Mumbai, told The Asian Age earlier, We have submitted all our demands to the government. If we see that they arent being fulfilled we will opt for a mass resignation. Another doctor, who did not wish to be identified, said during a press conference, We are still living in fear and despite the governments assurance on Wednesday, a female doctor was attacked in Sion Hospital. If such conditions exist, we will have no option but to stop our agitation and opt for a mass resignation.
Opposition MLAs have also been holding silent protests on the stairs of Vidhan Bhavan.

Mumbai: Taking the battle for waiving off farmer loans to the streets, united opposition parties of Maharashtra will hold a Sangharsh Yatra from March 29 to April 5. The decision was taken in the meeting held in Mumbai on Thursday by opposition leaders and members of legislative parties of both houses.

After 19 of their MLAs were summarily dismissed on Wednesday by the assembly speaker, opposition parties decided to sharpen their attack on the government. Entire assembly proceedings have been boycotted since Wednesday. Opposition MLAs have also been holding silent protests on the stairs of Vidhan Bhavan. However, with government showing no sign of compromise on expulsion, opposition parties have decided to blow up the issue and stir the state into action.

Toward this, parties met on Thursday to decide the road ahead. Their MLAs and MLCs were aggressive and pressurised leadership to go for an all-out war against the BJP government. Finally, it was decided to hold a Sangharsh Yatra from March 29 to April 5 across the state and take the issue of waiver of farmer loans to each and every house.

NCP leader Sunil Tatkare said, BJP is trying to bulldoze the people in Maharashtra. They are against the interest of farmers. Suspending MLAs fighting for waiver of farmer loans is in a way rejecting farmers rights. We will launch a state-wide agitation and expose this government.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, NCP leader Jayant Patil, and Ajit Pawar wrote a letter to the assembly speaker demanding suspension. If you are suspending MLAs who were fighting for farmers, apply the same yardstick to us because we too support their demand for farmer loan waiver, read the letter.
The Muslim response to the BJP victory is muted so far but the partys supporters must not gloat over their dismay.

Among Muslims in their mid-forties and beyond, the BJPs stunning victory in Uttar Pradesh evoked a sense of deja vu. Those younger will have little or no memories of December 6, 1992 when thousands of cheering kar sevaks tore down the 16th century Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, used as hate symbol since the mid-1980s. Since 1984, when the movement for the liberation of the Ram Janmabhoomi was launched, the disputed structure was projected as a motif for perceived humiliation heaped on Hindus by Muslims. Its demolition was mass revenge, not a surreptitious act like in December 1949 when the idols were installed in the stealth of the cold night. The agitation was directed against the government and Muslims, accusing the former of not enabling Hindus to redeem their honour and the latter for imagining they were still the rulers. The arguments were faulty on both counts, but a calibrated agitation ensured it gaining ground.

The demolition of the shrine by volunteers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad was under full public glare and witnessed by top leaders of the BJP. The events in the temple town caused multiple riots across the country in which thousands of people were killed. Communal riots were nothing new in India, what made the difference was that these events marked a transition in the way most people looked at inter-community relations, how Muslims must behave and what can be the limits of their expectations. The demolition, events thereafter and the governments response to these legitimised majoritarian elation. Thereafter, it was no longer politically incorrect to claim Muslims were a pampered lot.

Post-demolition, even Muslims not driven by religious sentiments became aware of what it meant to be a Muslim in India. It was almost like being conscious all the time that they were the other. The same sentiment prevailed among Sikhs in the 1980s when the turban on their heads had become a wrong flag to unfurl. A large number of Hindus too were disturbed by the emergence of majoritarianism as a credible idea but barring activists, no one felt personally threatened.

The demolition marked the time when India gave up the fight against social schisms on the basis of religious identity.

Unquestionably, the BJPs landslide win in Uttar Pradesh heralds a moment when the social isolation and electoral irrelevance of Muslims is at its peak. The victory has spiked Hindu jubilation as well as Muslim anxiety.

The BJP leaders may claim that sections of Muslims, specially women, voted for them, but the cadre believes no such argument. For them, this triumph is a conquest achieved mainly due to Hindu consolidation. The main promises of the BJP campaign were lapped up by people but they linked these with a common sentiment: dislike, bordering on hatred, for Muslims. The reasons behind this mood being dominant were many, but the biggest was the BJPs success with its pitch that Muslims were an appeased lot. If one breaks down the campaign-turning speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he argued that if Muslim graveyards were permitted in villages then Hindu cremation grounds too should be allowed, if there is electricity during Ramzan, it must also be provided during Diwali and likewise for Id and Holi. His clincher: there must be no discrimination, a statement which implicitly argues that preferential treatment was provided to Muslims. Akhilesh Yadav provided evidence to the contrary, but it was no use. Mr Modi succeeded in elevating his credibility with the masses and untruths or partial truths appear nothing but gospel.

The sense of unease post-demolition Muslim has increased manifold in the past 25 years and the BJPs victory is just a facet of this. The problem for Muslims is not whether the BJP government will discriminate against them or not, and whether the Prime Ministers sabka saath, sabka vikas will actually be non-discriminatory as the BJP claims. The real trouble is with the implicit  the rise in falsity-based sense in society that Muslims pose a threat because of unchecked demographic expansion, disproportionately growing economic affluence and increasing participation in anti-national activities.

Within hours of the swearing-in of a new government in Uttar Pradesh led by Adityanath Yogi, the municipal authorities in many districts launched a crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops. In the past few days, there have been conflicting reports of vigilante groups burning meat shops. There is nothing wrong in taking action against businesses that do not have required clearances and licences, but these must be by the State and not by mobs. Moreover, a sense of discrimination will prevail if only those businesses are targeted in which Muslims are engaged.

The demolition of the Babri Masjid was a major cause for rise in home-grown terror. Continuing discrimination by the State coupled with use of Muslims as captive votebanks has further widened the social schism between communities.

The Indian State has accepted from the time the UPA was in power that self-radicalisation is a major worry and every terrorist act is not triggered by international jihadi forces or from across the border. The current political and social reality leaves little scope for redressing grievances. Both people and the State will jump to conclusions that deepen social animosity towards the community.

The elite among Muslims will find ways to survive, either by passively accepting their plight or by striking patron-client relationships with the regime.

The educated may take the lead in the emergence of a new leadership. But with little inclination to remove community-specific backwardness as indicated in the Sachar Committee report, there is fear that the rational voice may get drowned.

The Muslim response to the BJP victory is muted so far but the partys supporters must not gloat over their dismay. The BJP has to keep in mind that this victory is not an end in itself. The bigger question is where does the party go from here?
It was not clear if the move will have any impact on Indians.

The cable was sent after President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order restricting travel from six Muslim-majority countries. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The Trump administration has instructed all its diplomatic missions worldwide to identify certain groups that need extra scrutiny and adopt a rigorous vetting process for issuing visas.

Those applying for an American visa including tourist and business visas would be asked to furnish details of their employment and residence for the last 15 years and all the phone numbers they used in the previous five years, a diplomatic cable issued by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said.

The cable was sent after President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order restricting travel from six Muslim-majority countries on March 6.

The cable dated March 15 says these additional protocols have been put in place to prevent the entry into the US of foreign nationals who may aid, support or commit violent, criminal or terrorist acts and ensure that those allowed to come in are rigorously vetted.

The classified cable asks all its overseas diplomatic posts to immediately draw a set of criteria for a rigorous vetting process for issuing visas to foreign nationals. It was not clear if the move will have any impact on Indians.

The cable instructed visa issuing officers to ask additional questions to the applicants.

It would also require the applicant to share with visa officer all phone numbers, emails and social media accounts used in the last five years.

Tillerson's cable also restricts the number of interviews one visa officer can do every day. "In order to ensure that proper focus is given to each application, posts generally should not schedule more than 120 visa interviews per consular adjudicator per day," the cable said.

At the same time, it acknowledged that this might result in interview appointment backlogs. "Consular officers should not hesitate to refuse any case presenting security concerns," Tillerson wrote in the cable. "All visa decisions are national security decisions," he added.

Immigration attorneys said the latest move would slow down the visa issuing process and result in backlogs. "This will certainly slow down the screening process and impose substantial burden on the applicants. It will make it much harder and create substantial delays," said Greg Chan, director of American Immigration Lawyers Association.

In 2016, the State Department issued more than 10 million non-immigrant visas and more than 617,000 immigrant visas.
The talks also included Israeli settlement construction, a follow-up of PM Netanyahu's Washington visit and Greenblatt's Israel visit.

the Israeli delegation was led by the Chief of Staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Horowitz. (Photo: Facebook)

Washington: Senior Trump administration officials have held intensive consultations with an Israeli delegation to advance the prospects for a genuine and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine, the White House has said.

A principal focus of the discussions was specific measures that could have a meaningful impact on the economic environment in the West Bank and Gaza, allowing the Palestinians to more fully realise their economic potential, it said.

While the American delegation was led by Jason Greenblatt, President Donald Trump's Special Representative for International Negotiations, the Israeli delegation was led by the Chief of Staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Horowitz.

"The issues the two delegations discussed are exceptionally complicated, and the fact that both governments dedicated such senior delegations for nearly a full week of talks reflects the close cooperation between the two countries and the importance both assign to this vital task," the joint statement read.

The two delegations also discussed Israeli settlement construction, following up on Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington and Greenblatt's recent visit to Israel.

The US reiterated Trump's concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving towards a peace agreement. The Israeli delegation made clear that Israels intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes those concerns into consideration.

Meanwhile, the US Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of David Friedman as the US Ambassador to Israel. He is known for his hardline views and has been critical of a two-State solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said the attacker was born in Britain and had been investigated for links to religious extremism.

The IS-linked Aamaq news agency said that the person who carried out the 'attack in front of the British parliament in London was a soldier of the Islamic State'. (Photo: AP)

London: A statement from the Mormon church issued on behalf of relatives said on Thursday a Utah man was among those killed in Wednesdays London attack and his wife was seriously injured.

Kurt W Cochran and his wife, Melissa, were on the last day of a special trip celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary when the deadly attack played out in the heart of London. They had been due to return to the United States on Thursday, according to a statement from his brother-in-law, Clinton Payne.

An attacker plowed an SUV into pedestrians on Wednesday on Londons Westminster Bridge, killing two and wounding dozens, and then stabbed police officer Keith Palmer inside the gates of Parliament. The assailant was shot dead by armed officers.

The church said the Utah couple was also visiting the womans parents, who are serving as Mormon missionaries in London. The woman remains hospitalised. Her family said Cochran was a good man and loving husband.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, and the investigation shifted on Thursday to a city in central England long known as an incubator for radicalism.

The attacker was born in Britain and had been investigated for links to religious extremism, British Prime Minister Theresa May said in a sweeping speech to lawmakers in which she also encouraged people in London to go about their lives. At least eight people were arrested in raids, some in the central city of Birmingham.

The Islamic State group said through its Aamaq News Agency that the attacker was a soldier of the Islamic State who carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of the coalition of countries fighting IS in Syria and Iraq. In addition to the police officer and the attacker, who was shot by police, two people died on Westminster Bridge and at least 30 others were injured, seven critically.

British officials did not release the attackers identity or confirm a link with the Islamic State group. May described it as a perversion of a great faith.

The IS group has been responsible for numerous bloody attacks around the globe and has specifically called for Western followers to carry out this kind of attack in their own countries, though the group has also claimed events later found to have no clear links to it. The London attack echoed vehicle rampages in Nice, France, and Berlin last year that the group claimed under its banner.

May set an unyielding tone on Thursday, saluting the heroism of the police, as well as the ordinary actions of everyone who went about their lives in the aftermath.

As I speak millions will be boarding trains and airplanes to travel to London, and to see for themselves the greatest city on Earth, she told lawmakers. It is in these actions  millions of acts of normality  that we find the best response to terrorism  a response that denies our enemies their victory, that refuses to let them win, that shows we will never give in.

Parliament began its moment of silence at 9:33 am, honouring the shoulder number of the slain officer, Keith Palmer, a 15-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police and a former soldier. Then Parliament, which was locked down after the attack, returned to business, a counter to those who had attacked British democracy.

Police believe the attacker acted alone and there is no reason to believe imminent further attacks are planned, May said. He had been investigated before but police believed he was a peripheral figure.
Francis spoke to the heads of state and government of the 27 EU member states on the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. He told them that the Old Continent is a reality based on the centrality of man, effective solidarity, openness to the world, the pursuit of peace and development, and overture to the future. He also talked about "serious migration crisis" and the populism that is the "fruit of an egotism".

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis spoke this afternoon in the Sala Regia of the Apostolic Palace to the heads of state and government of the 27 members of the European Union on the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. European Parliament Speaker Antonio Tajani, European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker were also present.

The pontiff told the distinguished leaders that Europe is not a conglomeration of rules to obey, but a way of life, a way of understanding man based on his transcendent and inalienable dignity, as something more than simply a sum of rights to defend or claims to advance, a reality based on the centrality of man, effective solidarity, openness to the world, the pursuit of peace and development, and overture to the future.

Responding to the greetings of Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, and the European Parliament Speaker Antonio Tajani, the pope noted that 25 March 1957 was "unique in history" for its scope and historical consequences.

In his address, Francis highlighted some of the issues close to his heart, starting with solidarity with those who are forced to migrate to the European Union because of war and poverty European Union.

The European Union was born as a unity of differences and a unity in differences that accepts pluralism and rejects populism and nationalism because When one suffers, all suffer. Today, with the United Kingdom, we mourn the victims of the attack that took place in London two days ago.

The founding fathers remind us that Europe is not a conglomeration of rules to obey, or a manual of protocols and procedures to follow. It is a way of life, a way of understanding man based on his transcendent and inalienable dignity, as something more than simply a sum of rights to defend or claims to advance. At the origin of the idea of Europe, we find the nature and the responsibility of the human person, with his ferment of evangelical fraternity . . ., with his desire for truth and justice, honed by a thousand-year-old experience. Rome, with its vocation to universality,] symbolizes that experience and was thus chosen as the place for the signing of the Treaties. For here  as the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, J. Luns, observed  were laid the political, juridical and social foundations of our civilization. 

Only man could be at the heart of the European project

It was clear, then, from the outset, that the heart of the European political project could only be man himself. It was also clear that the Treaties could remain a dead letter; they needed to take on spirit and life. The first element of European vitality must be solidarity.

In a world that was all too familiar with the tragedy of walls and divisions, it was clearly important to work for a united and open Europe, and for the removal of the unnatural barrier that divided the continent from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic. What efforts were made to tear down that wall! Yet today the memory of those efforts has been lost. Forgotten too is the tragedy of separated families, poverty and destitution born of that division. Where generations longed to see the fall of those signs of forced hostility, these days we debate how to keep out the dangers of our time: beginning with the long file of women, men and children fleeing war and poverty, seeking only a future for themselves and their loved ones.

In todays lapse of memory, we often forget another great achievement of the solidarity ratified on 25 March 1957: the longest period of peace experienced in recent centuries. [. . .] Their common denominator was the spirit of service, joined to passion for politics and the consciousness that at the origin of European civilization there is Christianity, without which the Western values of dignity, freedom and justice would prove largely incomprehensible.

As Saint John Paul II affirmed: Today too, the soul of Europe remains united, because, in addition to its common origins, those same Christian and human values are still alive. Respect for the dignity of the human person, a profound sense of justice, freedom, industriousness, the spirit of initiative, love of family, respect for life, tolerance, the desire for cooperation and peace: all these are its distinctive marks. In our multicultural world, these values will continue to have their rightful place provided they maintain a vital connection to their deepest roots. The fruitfulness of that connection will make it possible to build authentically lay societies, free of ideological conflicts, with equal room for the native and the immigrant, for believers and nonbelievers.

Sixty years later, in a world economically in crisis, where established social and family models are challenged, there is a widespread crisis of institutions and the migration crisis. So many crises that engender fear and profound confusion in our contemporaries, who look for a new way of envisioning the future. Ours is a time of challenge and opportunity.

Answers about the future are to be found precisely in the pillars on which they determined to build the European economic community. I have already mentioned these: the centrality of man, effective solidarity, openness to the world, the pursuit of peace and development, openness to the future. Those who govern are charged with discerning the paths of hope, identifying specific ways forward to ensure that the significant steps taken thus far have not been wasted, but serve as the pledge of a long and fruitful journey.

Europe finds new hope when man is the centre and the heart of her institutions. I am convinced that this entails an attentive and trust-filled readiness to hear the expectations voiced by individuals, society and the peoples who make up the Union. Sadly, one frequently has the sense that there is a growing split between the citizenry and the European institutions, which are often perceived as distant and inattentive to the different sensibilities present in the Union. Affirming the centrality of man also means recovering the spirit of family, whereby each contributes freely to the common home in accordance with his or her own abilities and gifts. It helps to keep in mind that Europe is a family of peoples and that  as in every good family  there are different sensitivities, yet all can grow to the extent that all are united.

The European Union was born as a unity of differences and a unity in differences. What is distinctive should not be a reason for fear, nor should it be thought that unity is preserved by uniformity. Unity is instead harmony within a community. The founding fathers chose that very term as the hallmark of the agencies born of the Treaties and they stressed that the resources and talents of each were now being pooled. Today the European Union needs to recover the sense of being primarily a community of persons and peoples.

Europe finds new hope in solidarity, which is also the most effective antidote to modern forms of populism. Solidarity entails the awareness of being part of a single body, while at the same time involving a capacity on the part of each member to sympathize with others and with the whole.

For solidarity is no mere ideal; it is expressed in concrete actions and steps that draw us closer to our neighbours, in whatever situation they find themselves. Forms of populism are instead the fruit of an egotism that hems people in and prevents them from overcoming and looking beyond their own narrow vision. There is a need to start thinking once again as Europeans, so as to avert the opposite dangers of a dreary uniformity or the triumph of particularisms. Politics needs this kind of leadership, which avoids appealing to emotions to gain consent, but instead, in a spirit of solidarity and subsidiarity, devises policies that can make the Union as a whole develop harmoniously. As a result, those who run faster can offer a hand to those who are slower, and those who find the going harder can aim at catching up to those at the head of the line.

Europe finds hope again when it does not close up

Europe finds new hope when it refuses to yield to fear or close itself off in false forms of security. Quite the contrary, her history has been greatly determined by encounters with other peoples and cultures; hers is, and always has been, a dynamic and multicultural identity.

Today, Openness to the world implies the capacity for dialogue as a form of encounter on all levels, beginning with dialogue between member states, between institutions and citizens, and with the numerous immigrants landing on the shores of the Union. It is not enough to handle the grave crisis of immigration of recent years as if it were a mere numerical or economic problem, or a question of security. The immigration issue poses a deeper question, one that is primarily cultural.

What kind of culture does Europe propose today? The fearfulness that is becoming more and more evident has its root cause in the loss of ideals. Without an approach inspired by those ideals, we end up dominated by the fear that others will wrench us from our usual habits, deprive us of familiar comforts, and somehow call into question a lifestyle that all too often consists of material prosperity alone. Yet the richness of Europe has always been her spiritual openness and her capacity to raise basic questions about the meaning of life.

"Openness to the sense of the eternal has also gone hand in hand, albeit not without tensions and errors, with a positive openness to this world. Yet todays prosperity seems to have clipped the continents wings and lowered its gaze. Europe has a patrimony of ideals and spiritual values unique in the world, one that deserves to be proposed once more with passion and renewed vigour, for it is the best antidote against the vacuum of values of our time, which provides a fertile terrain for every form of extremism. These are the ideals that shaped Europe, that Peninsula of Asia which stretches from the Urals to the Atlantic.

Europe finds new hope when she invests in development and in peace. Development is not the result of a combination of various systems of production. It has to do with the whole human being: the dignity of labour, decent living conditions, access to education and necessary medical care. Development is the new name of peace, said Pope Paul VI, for there is no true peace whenever people are cast aside or forced to live in dire poverty. There is no peace without employment and the prospect of earning a dignified wage. There is no peace in the peripheries of our cities, with their rampant drug abuse and violence.

Europe finds new hope when she is open to the future. When she is open to young people, offering them serious prospects for education and real possibilities for entering the work force. When she invests in the family, which is the first and fundamental cell of society. When she respects the consciences and the ideals of her citizens. When she makes it possible to have children without the fear of being unable to support them. When she defends life in all its sacredness.

The Union today must find the will to work together once again and the desire to bet on the future. As leaders, you are called to blaze the path of a new European humanism made up of ideals and concrete actions. This will mean being unafraid to take practical decisions capable of meeting peoples real problems and of standing the test of time.
The current abbot has been accused of embezzlement and illegal construction. The authorities have tried repeatedly to arrest him, but without success. The National Office of Buddhism wants an outsider picked as the temples new spiritual guide.

Bangkok (AsiaNews)  The Government of Thailand has asked Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Thailands largest Buddhist temple (Wat), to pick a new monk as its abbot.

The temples former leader, Phra Dhammajayo, is wanted in connection with the embezzlement of about 1.4 billion baht (40 million dollars) and unauthorised construction.

After a three-week siege of the temple, police pulled back after failing to find the fugitive abbot. However, a warrant for his arrest has been issued after he repeatedly failed to appear in court, ostensibly on health grounds.

Pongporn Pramsaneh, director of the National Office of Buddhism, has called for an election to pick a new monk as the temples new spiritual guide, someone not affiliated with it. "The monk-in-chief should be someone society can rely on for unbiased action and judgment," Pongporn said.

The temple's acting abbot is Dhammajayos deputy, Phra Dattajivo, but police last week said they were investigating him as well for using temple money in stock trading. The temple said the charge was "fake news" and that none of its money had gone into stocks.

Traditionalist Buddhists accuse the temple of commercialism, despite its claim that it is just as committed to Theravada Buddhism as they are and its money is only to do good works.

The Dhammakaya temple is nearly ten times the size of Vatican City, and dwarfs Thailand's other temples in wealth as well as size. It claims millions of followers, but still represents only a small minority of Thai Buddhists.

In recent months, law enforcement tried several times to enter the temple to arrest Phra Dhammakaya.
The nun was killed in 1995 with 54 stab wounds. Her assassin is a radical Hindu fomented by village leaders, who wanted to stop her missionary activity in favor of the tribal poor. Today he repented because of the love of the Franciscan family, who forgave and accepted him. Sister Rani is a "martyr".

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - "The upcoming beatification of Sister Rani Maria is a blessing for the Church in India", notes Card. George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, commenting on the news that the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has completed the verification process, and given the "nihil obstat" for the beatification of the Franciscan nun. The cardinal added that "Pope Francis decision to declare Sister Rani Blessed is a moment of great joy for the whole Church in India."

The news was circulated in recent days and was confirmed yesterday.Fr. Jimmy Poochakkatt, spokesman for the Syro-Malabar Church, reports that the pope "has signed the recommendation of the College of Cardinals", while the date of the ceremony will be announced later. An official statement of the Church adds that after the beatification of Sister Rani Maria will be called "martyr".

On 25 February 1995 the Franciscan Poor Clare was killed at age 41 with 54 stab wounds by a Hindu radical, fomented by village leaders who wanted to stop her missionary activity in favor of the tribal poor. Born in Kerala, the young nun had moved in the diocese of Indore (Madhya Pradesh) to work at the service of the local poor population, mostly tribal. The missionary dedicated her life in favor of the villagers, obtaining bank credit lines and tax breaks for the cultivation of land. She created support groups for women and also helped in the most strenuous jobs, such as building a well for clean water to drink and irrigate their fields.

Her social work became "inconvenient" for the Hindu village heads, who previously held the tribals in check by granting loans. If the farmers were not able to compensate them, they took possession of the crop and soil. The "official" credit obtained by Sister Rani Maria were an obstacle to businesses of Hindu leaders, who decided to foment and arming a poor Hindu, Samunder. He, sure of their support, murdered the nun in front of dozens of witnesses, while she was on a shuttle bus to her original home.

Immediately after the murder, however, the assassin was abandoned by family and by those who had used it to eliminate the nun. The only one who has remained close was an Indian priest, Swamy Sadanand, who put him in contact with religious sisters family. Speaking to AsiaNews sister Selmy Paul, the sister of martyr, told the story of her family and how the mercy of God has acted on her and her siblings to help seek a pardon for the murderer. Among those who immediately unconditionally welcomed the Hindu tribal poor was the missionarys mother, who responded to the request to meet him with the words: "I would kiss his hands, and because they have the blood of my daughter."
The militiamen punish those who flee with death, and bind women leaving them out in the cold. The families fleeing at night and are forced to sedate their children or tape their mouths to stop their cries and spare them the horrors of war.

Mosul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - If discovered, Iraqis fleeing Mosul run the risk of being punished by Isis militants. For this reason, parents are forced to sedate their children or tape their mouths during the flight.

Hala Jaber of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said men caught trying to leave would be shot while women were sometimes tied up and left outside in the cold as a warning. Militants are also using civilians as human shields.

Families often leave at night and in the early hours of the morning and have to walk with their children. The kids get tired and if they cry its very difficult. Families are sometimes putting duct tape on their childrens mouths or even giving them Valium or tranquilisers just to keep them quiet so that they are not found out by ISIS (Islamic State) and captured or shot.

According to the IOM this happens in different areas controlled by ISIS in Iraq.

The Iraqi forces launched a military campaign to recover the area west of Mosul a month ago, after capturing the east area in January. According to humanitarian organizations, the situation is desperate for more than 600 thousand people stuck with lack of food, water, fuel and medicines. UNHCR says that by Thursday, 157 thousand people had reached the collection point for the fugitives.

Amy Christian, spokesman for Oxfam in Iraq, states that civilians who come in search of safety are "traumatized, starved, dehydrated and utterly exhausted," and that some parents give sedatives to children to protect them from the terror of their flight.

"My families gave medicines to young children," says Noor Muhammad, a teenager who fled along with 27 other people. "The parents give sleeping pills to their children so they wont be upset by the battles; and also to avoid detection as they flee".

Jaber reports that teams of specialists are working on the psychological support of these children. " The things the children have seen and been through are beyond what any human being should see. Theyve witnessed hands being cut off, beheadings and killings. A lot of them are in shock. But Jaber said the children were remarkably resilient.

They were drawing tanks with ISIS flags (when they arrived). Now theyre drawing flowers and happy faces.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The commemoration of the centenary of the Russian Revolution of 1917 has begun. A major historical revision is underway. Our post-globalisation times resemble 1917. The Moscow Patriarchate and Vladimir Putin are silent on the matter.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  The centenary of the Russian revolution of 1917 promises to be long and bumpy, like the event itself. In fact, it was a dual revolution: that of February 1917, a spontaneous uprising that led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the establishment of a provisional government, and that of October, the coup dEtat that brought Lenins Bolsheviks to power.

Several things happened in between: Lenin arrived in April, an unstable interim government was established in May, Soviets (workers councils) held their first conference in June, another spontaneous uprising took place in Petrograd (St Petersburg) in July. In August, the Orthodox Church met in council; General Kornilov made a last attempt in September to avoid the catastrophe, and finally in October the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace and seized the power that was in no ones hands.

Each stage and the events therein deserve in-depth interpretations and comparisons. Russias inability to solve its crisis of 1917 looks a lot like the disruptions and loss of governability now increasingly frequent in Europe and around the world. Juxtaposed to similar situations in Germany, Italy and Spain after World War I, these circumstances cast a disturbing light on the times we are living in the post-globalisation of the last few years.

The first reflections in Russia about the first uprising in February actually took place this March*. The revolt of 23 February (Julian calendar) coincides with 8 March (Gregorian calendar), which is now International Womens Day, a rarely mentioned fact, because the women of Petrograd (then the Russian capital) took to the streets to demand bread. Russia was ruined by war, and the few remaining guards (the whole army was at the front) failed to hold back the popular revolt. Tsar Nicholas II, in the throes of depression and alcoholism, abdicated in favour of his brother Michael, who in turn declined the honour, throwing Russia into chaos.

Russia and world media are filled with stories about the anniversary. At least three approaches can be discerned. On one hand, the optimists believe that the revolution could have been avoided. On the other, the pessimists argue that it would have taken place anyway, even if events had gone differently. A third group, which we might call the apocalyptics, sees 1917 as a prophecy for the future of Russia and the whole world.

According to the optimists, had the Tsar avoided the war (or won it) and had he not panicked and renounced the throne, and all would have been well. After all, Russia in the early part of the century had begun a series of political, economic and social reforms that would have ensured a bright future, had they been completed. This opinion somehow strengthens the hopes of todays reformers about the future of Russia (many expect Putin to move towards reforms), Europe and the global economy, currently ensnared in a decade-long crisis.

The pessimists base their view on the examples of other countries. In Germany, Italy and Spain there was no revolution but dictatorship, and the world rushed into the catastrophe of World War II. Applied today, this lesson teaches that we cannot stop the anger of the excluded, of the suffering social classes, the tortured masses exploited by the powerful. Thus, we should expect very dark times.

The apocalyptic vision belongs primarily to religious movements and extreme identity ideologies who see the revolution as a "test" and a necessary "purification" along the way to rediscovering the right path. The guide of this regeneration is attributed to the Church, the "faithful people" against the evils of the world, and the preferably messianic appearance of a "strong man" able to unite all people of good will.

These various visions are often reflected in the public opinion of various countries, even within the same social groups or religious community. The Patriarchate of Moscow, for example, has so far declined to take an official position, limiting itself only to a scientific conference held on 18 February in the Cathedral of the Saviour, which was attended by several cultural, social and even Church leaders. Metropolitan Ilarion limited himself to a fatalistic comparison of the revolution to other tragic events of Russian history (the Tartar yoke, the troubles of the 17th century, the war with Napoleon), noting that the Church survived all this, whilst remaining close to the its people. However, another part of the Russian Orthodox Church, the foreign "czarist" Church that came into being after the revolution, issued a much more explicit statement on 10 March, stressing the need to restore Gods willed power even in today's Russia for the salvation of the world.

President Putin has so far refused to speak on the matter, leaving it to others to say that he is the only one who can save Russia, and perhaps the world, from a repeat of such tragic events. Now we shall see who will comment Lenins famous "April Theses", in which the Bolshevik leader theorised Soviet power of the people, the "enlightened minority" that claimed the role of conscience of the unwitting masses. This is the essence of Leninism (and ancient Christian Gnosticism): When everything goes wrong, you have to rely on a few "pure men."

The Patriarch of Moscow Kirill has also held his peace, but he will have to mark the 100th anniversary of the restoration of his own patriarchal role, and ask himself, like all Christians in the world, about what role the Church can play in the times ahead.

* The October Revolution took place on 25 October in the Julian calendar, i.e. 7 November in the Gregorian calendar.
Popular Vlogger Alleges Australia Isn't Real, Angering Australians

Trending News: This Vlogger Thinks Australia Is Fake And Australians Are Pissed

Long Story Short

In what was obviously a ridiculous little bit of Internet humor, Swedish YouTube personality Shelley Floryd makes the startling claim that Australia does not in fact exist. This of course enraged Australians, who took to their keyboards to assert, sometimes in quite vulgar terms, that they do in fact exist.

Long Story

Odd place, the Internet. Post something no matter how ludicrous and watch the outrage spew. And if you happen to be a woman or person of color, you get the added bonus of rape threats and racism! Fun!

Take, for example, Shelley Floryd. The young Swedish woman has a mild following online and her Facebook page suggests she has a satirical, take-the-piss sense of humor that is infectious and harmless. But things got real weird for Shelley earlier this week, when she posited that Australia is a hoax invented by the British to cover up the fact that they were murdering the convicts they were supposed to be transporting in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Heres the post, in all its bizarre glory:



Heres her map of the world in Shelley-land:

(I like how New Zealand exists but Australia doesnt.)

She obviously hit a nerve. As of this writing (Friday morning around 10 EDT), the post has generated 32,000 Likes/HaHas/Loves, over 47,000 comments and been shared about 20,000 times. Good job Shelley! Unfortunately, some people are really friggin stupid and couldnt grasp the fact that Shelley was kind of just trolling Australia. Some responses were as dumb as they were ugly.

Still, Shelley seems to be rolling with it. Shes been doing some media interviews and blowing off the online hate, and still stands by her ridiculous assertion. It was just going to be a short post but I went wild with it and looked up some facts and well, thats how it ended up, Floryd told BuzzFeed News.

A fuckton of Aussies have called me a retard, cunt, idiot, and so on, she added. Probably a few thousand have told me theyre going to beat me up and Ive read some 100 or so death threats. One guy said he was going to track my IP to get my address so that he could come fuck me up, so I just sent my address to him instead.

Not all Australians are ultra-sensitive raging assholes though.

Well guys, it looks like our jig is up. We can all stop pretending now, we've been caught out. #AustraliaIsNotReal https://t.co/EOdQvTkvPp  Panteleimon Zaikis (@pzaikis) March 24, 2017

I am a collaborator in the Australia hoax willing to sell my story for $ and protection #australiaisnotreal  Genghis Carn (@SlayerRules_420) March 23, 2017

This is true. They don't pay me enough so I'm speaking out. #AustraliaIsNOTReal pic.twitter.com/fzrKeMLB17  a a a  (@buckyantonio) March 23, 2017

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

How stupid do you have to be to get upset because someone made a weird joke that Australia is not real?

Drop This Fact

In conventional reality, Australias existence was confirmed about 50,000 years ago when it was first settled by the indigenous Australians. Its existence was confirmed by European explorers in 1606.
Cities in Australia are still falling behind those in Europe in terms of having the best quality of living for expats being posted overseas by international companies, the latest survey has found.Only Sydney makes it into the top 10 rankings in the annual quality of living survey from Mercers, which is dominated by European cities and led by Vienna. Sydney comes in at 10 and Melbourne at 16.But all the major Australian cities do come in the top 40 globally and in a new section for 2017 Sydney is ranked eighth for infrastructure, which is now regarded as a pivotal measure in determining the quality of living.The report points out that although being regarded as a highly desirable and low risk country to live in, Australian cities fall dramatically behind Europe, where despite increased political and financial volatility its cities offer the world's highest quality of living and remain attractive destinations for businesses looking to establish overseas bases or send employees on international assignment.Lorraine Jennings, Mercer's global mobility practice leader in Australia and New Zealand explained that Australian cities are regarded as being safe, having a diverse culture, skilled local workforce and robust infrastructure.Sydney's position in eighth place for infrastructure was due to its strong showing in categories such as variety of transport, local and international connectivity and access to electricity and drinkable water, which are essential needs of expats arriving in a new location on assignment.'There is room for Australia to improve in the rankings with factors such as Melbourne's traffic congestion and a nationwide low score on availability of international flights and international schools contributing to perhaps lower than expected results,' said Jennings.The report also explains that by and large, cities in Oceania enjoy good quality of living, though criteria such as airport connectivity and traffic congestion are among the factors that see them ranked lower in terms of city infrastructure.In the neighbouring Asia-Pacific region Singapore is highest ranking city at 25, with Kuala Lumpur at 86. Five Japanese cities top the ranking for East Asia with Tokyo at 47, Kobe at 50, Yokohama at 51, Osaka at 60 and Nagoya at 63.
Photo courtesy of Autoclick Rent-A-Car

Autoclick Rent-A-Car has expanded and now offers its vehicle rental services at 25 airports throughout Europe.

Autoclick offers features such as free Wi-Fi connection in vehicles and the full fuel tank policy without additional charges.

Founded in 2015 in the Balearic Islands, Autoclick Rent-A-Car has expanded to seven European countries, including Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, and Romania.

The expansion of our presence in Europe is a sign of how well we have worked from the beginning, with the client always being our best ambassador and taking care of the smallest details of the service provided, said Andrei Mihai Vraci, Autoclicks marketing director. Our objective is to offer our clients integrated mobility solutions in any destination and make their experience the best possible. Opening non-franchised offices gives us greater control of the final product, and in this way we can be sure that when hiring a car with Autoclick in France or Italy, you will always enjoy the same quality.
Photo courtesy of Mex Rent A Car

Mex Rent A Car has officially partnered with Rentcars.com, a car rental price comparison site based in Latin America.

All of Mex Rent A Cars locations, including its affiliates, will now be listed on Rentcars.com.

''Mexico is one of the most chosen countries by our clients to travel outbound, and when Mex Rent A Car came into our radar, we saw a lot of potential in a new partnership as they have very competitive rates and good coverage around the world, said Lucas Fujissawa from Rentcars commercial department. When we concretized the partnership, it was clear that they are made not just by competitive rates but with great professionalism, too, and with all those aspects we know it will be a great partnership.

Founded in 2009, Rentcars arranges car rentals in over 140 countries through partnerships with major car rental companies around the world.

We know the importance that Rentcars represents not just in Brazil but in other countries, and the mutual benefits we can obtain, Mex Rent A Car could not just skip this opportunity, said Jordi Rivero, Mexs chief product officer. The objective is to reach the Brazilian customer that travels not just to Mexico but to all of our affiliate stores around the world. We truly believe this new alliance will strength our exposure and of course increase our bookings. We found in Rentcars a great partner to work with.
Majority leaders in the North Dakota House and Senate say theyre working to avoid a battle that prolonged the Legislatures work two years ago.

Disagreements over the Public Employees Retirement System budget forced lawmakers to reconvene in June 2015 after adjourning more than a month prior.

This session, House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, has proposed several PERS-related changes, including amending its governance structure, calling for the state to self-fund its health insurance plan and limiting the contract period to two years. But the Senate amended the PERS budget bill Tuesday, removing the governance changes and proposing a study of the ideas Carlson has put forward.

Carlson said the two chambers were seeking to work out their differences, but added the self-funded insurance plan is his most important proposal.

Thats long-term and thats really going to have a positive effect on our premiums and on our health initiatives for our employees, he said.

Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, hopes lawmakers can avoid any delays and end the session early. The state Constitution gives the Legislature 80 days to meet in regular session every two years, and legislative leaders want to save some days in case they need to return to address federal health care changes.

Assistant House Minority Leader Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, said she supports studying the PERS changes, given the limited time lawmakers have left this session. Friday marked the 54th legislative day.

Its a complex decision that needs to be made through a study process, Hogan said.

Burgum signs BreatheND repeal

Gov. Doug Burgum signed legislation this week repealing a chapter of state law that establishes a tobacco prevention and control program.

The governor signed Senate Bill 2024 Tuesday, a week after the House approved it.

So, its official, BreatheND Executive Director Jeanne Prom said in an email Friday. BreatheND will be done June 30, 2017.

Proponents said the change would save state money by moving work to the Health Department. That agencys proposed budget for the coming two-year funding cycle includes more than $12 million for tobacco prevention.

Opponents, however, said the agency has helped reduce smoking rates in North Dakota.

Voters approved an initiated measure in 2008 to create committees to develop and implement a statewide tobacco prevention and control program using tobacco settlement dollars.

Litterbugs beware of higher fines

People who litter North Dakotas highways would face stiffer penalties under a bill the state Senate sent to Burgum.

House Bill 1311 increases the fine for depositing any glass bottle, glass, nails, tacks, wire, cans, rubbish, or any other litter on a highway from $100 to $500. It passed the Senate in a 40-6 vote Monday after passing the House last month.

Sen. Bill Bowman, R-Bowman, said the bill was a few years overdue, pointing to the mess that was left behind by heavy traffic in the western part of the state. He said one group of people once picked up more than 1,800 bags of garbage between Watford City and Bowman.

But that section of state statute appears to be rarely invoked. There were five offenses between 2015 and 2016, according to a fiscal note that expects a paltry $2,000 in revenue in the coming biennium.

It didnt appear the governor had signed the bill by early Friday afternoon.

Senate defeats hiring freeze bill

A bill seeking a temporary state employee hiring freeze was shot down by the North Dakota Senate after its sponsor requested it be defeated.

The bill was introduced by Carlson, who previously said state agencies should hold off on hiring until lawmakers craft budgets. It sailed through the House in early February but Sen. Kyle Davison, R-Fargo, said Carlson asked a Senate committee to kill the bill.

The freeze, which contained some exceptions for filling positions that are essential to protecting the life and safety of North Dakotans, would have been effective only until April 30.

House Bill 1303 was defeated in a 0-47 vote Tuesday.
Centennial Airport based Boom Technology, would-be maker of the first supersonic airliner since the Concorde, has raised an additional $33 million to fund development of its one-third-scale demonstration aircraft, the XB-1, according to a company press release. An SEC filing on Tuesday reported that the company had raised $41.9 million, though $7.9 million of that probably reflects a restructuring of amounts previously raised. Boom CEO and founder Blake Scholl says our mission is to make supersonic flight a reality, and expects to see the XB-1 close to ready to fly in the next year. If successful, Boom says the XB-1 will be the first independently developed and privately funded supersonic jet (the Concorde was heavily subsidized by the French and British governments) and the fastest civil aircraft ever, cruising at Mach 2.2. Virgin Galactics SpaceShip Two is faster, but is classified as a rocket rather than an aircraft due to its non-air-breathing engines.

Boom asserts the final production aircraft will be capable of carrying passengers at costs comparable to business-class on modern wide-body jets. Boom has also indicated that they are attempting to significantly reduce the damage and nuisance caused when the high-pressure wake of a supersonic aircraft reaches the groundthe sonic boom. FAA regulations do not generally permit supersonic flight by civil aircraft over land, though testing of supersonic aircraft is permitted in military operations areas with prior permission. Boom is likely hoping to reduce their noise signature sufficiently to permit transcontinental flight, which would significantly broaden the potential market for supersonic travel.
Of the 19 aircraft that set out from Crete, Greece, on Nov. 12, 14 survivors of the Crete2Cape Vintage Air Rally arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, after 8,000 miles and over a month of flying. The pre-WWII aircraft were the first to land at the Egyptian Pyramids at Giza in 80 years and the first to receive permission for level overflight of Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Those failing to complete included a Boeing Stearman, piloted by John Ordway and his daughter Isabella, which was destroyed in a forced landing 80 miles from Nairobi following a total engine failure. While parked overnight in Botswana, an R44 chase helicopter and a Tiger Moth were severely damaged in a windstorm that blew the improperly secured Moth into the R44.

Sam Rutherford, Rally Director and Organizer, coordinated the fickle logistics of getting aviation fuel shipped across Africa and a maze of bureaucratic approvals with only one major incident. Rally crews were detained for two days by Ethiopian authorities due to what the organizers told AVweb was a bureaucratic mix-up. Rutherford said, upon their arrival in South Africa, The Vintage Air Rally has been a lot of work, not just for my team but for the pilots. Its been months, if not years in the making  while weve been preparing the Rally, all the crews have been sorting out their aircraft, so its been a big deal for a long time, and now its a huge relief to be here.

Rutherford and the Vintage Air Rally crew are planning the next major international rally, scheduled to depart Ushuaia, Argentinathe southernmost city in the worldon March 3, 2018, and arrive in Lakeland, Florida, for Sun N Fun six weeks later.

Photo Credit: Beatrice de Smet / VintageAirRally
Zhamanak says that the Armenian authorities will deal a serious blow to the opposition ORO alliance if they prove that Samvel Babayan, an arrested former general close to it, smuggled weapons to Armenia to stir up trouble there. The paper speculates that the authorities may not intend to come up with such evidence and are simply keen to isolate Babayan during the election period. It warns that they would be wrong to imitate any threat for the sake of a political aim because that would only undermine their ability to cope with real threats to statehood.

Chorrord Ishkhanutyun tries to understand why Babayan would get hold of a shoulder-fired surface-to-air rocket ahead of the April 2 elections. The only more or less logical explanation is that they wanted to shoot down Serzh Sarkisians plane, writes the paper. But anyone planning such an action must have also planned further steps. Namely, they should have been sure that they would manage to seize power after that. If this is a realistic plot, then it testifies to one thing: Serzh Sarkisian has created a system of one-man rule where you can change everything by just eliminating the chief. It is also possible that the case against Babayan was fabricated by Sarkisian and the National Security Service (NSS), says the pro-opposition daily.

Zhoghovurd welcomes the sacking of Armenias ambassador to Belarus, Armen Khachatrian, but disapproves of the choice of his successor, Oleg Yesayan, who served as Armenian ambassador to Russia until now. The paper says that Yesayan was incompetent and very passive throughout his tenure. Which merits of Yesayan have led Serzh Sarkisian to re-appoint him to this post? it asks, accusing the Armenian president of favoritism.

Haykakan Zhamanak reports that Armenias State Revenue Committee (SRC) announced on Thursday the start of a second phase of reforms which it has pledged to implement. In particular, the SRC plans to soften legal penalties for first-time offenders of tax laws and regulations. It also intends to stop levying value-added tax from industrial equipment imported to Armenia at the border. In the long term, this will have a considerable positive impact on domestic manufacturers, it says. But in the short term, it will reduce state budgetary revenue.

(Tigran Avetisian)
24 March 2017 12:45 (UTC+04:00)

French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault has reiterated the unacceptability of the status quo in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Such conflicts should be solved only through diplomacy. The status quo is a political choice that only aggravates the situation, he said in response to a question from AZERTAC`s Paris-based correspondent following his remarks on the international situation.

We do not want hostilities. Together with Russia and the United States, France co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group which is working to find a peaceful solution to the conflict through negotiations, Ayrault said.

The status quo is definitely unacceptable for us. I accompanied Mr Francois Hollande during his meetings with both presidents. He reaffirmed France`s readiness to help with the conflict resolution. If the sides want to conduct talks and reach peace, France is ready to organize a conference, the French FM added.

--

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
FARGO  North Dakota State University is seeking approval for up to a $28 million addition to Sudro Hall to enable a significant expansion of its nursing program and to bring all of its health programs under one roof.

The proposal won unanimous approval this week by the budget committee of the State Board of Higher Education, and it will be presented to the full board at its meeting Thursday.

NDSU already has raised $20 million for the project  which will help alleviate North Dakotas chronic nursing shortage  but is trying to raise an additional $8 million, which would allow a bigger building.

No state money will be used for the Sudro Hall addition, but the project would require approval from the North Dakota Legislature in the form of an amendment to the higher education funding bill. At $20 million, the addition would be about 93,000 square feet, or about 1 times larger than Sudro.

If approved, NDSU would be able to substantially expand its nursing program, potentially to as many as 364 graduates per year. It runs nursing schools in both Fargo and Bismarck, where the university took over the former Sanford nursing program several years ago.

The program now can graduate 96 nurses a year in Fargo and 80 at its Bismarck site. The program received 185 applications and accepted 57 for the fall semester, and pre-admitted 57 for the spring semester  but had to deny 109 applicants, or 59 percent, because of a lack of capacity.

And those are really highly qualified students, said Carla Gross, who heads the NDSU nursing program.

The expansion, part of NDSUs health care workforce development plan, is intended to address North Dakotas shortage of nurses. The North Dakota Center for Nursing last year said the state had an average of 700 nursing vacancies, and a Georgetown University report projects the shortage could mushroom to 4,430 vacancies by 2020.

There are obviously a lot of great concerns about those numbers, said Charles Peterson, dean of NDSUs College of Health Professions. Weve developed our plan to do what we can to grow our enrollments.

Those concerns are what have driven donors to commit $20 million so far toward the project, and Peterson is optimistic the $28 million goal can be reached.

The addition will be six stories high, towering over Sudros existing two levels above ground. It also would require additional instructional technology and nursing faculty, both in the classroom and in clinical settings, also part of NDSUs expansion plans in partnership with health providers.

We cant expand without partnering with our clinical facilities, Gross said.

Much of the health education is very technology-driven, especially nursing, Peterson said. For example, he said, nursing students gain hands-on experience with sophisticated training mannequins before they advance to clinical training.

Separately, also in response to the areas demand for nurses, Minnesota State University Moorhead is considering resurrecting its bachelors program in nursing, which it was forced to eliminate several years ago because of budget pressures.

MSUMs bachelors program in nursing admitted 35 students each year. School officials are evaluating the possibility of admitting more students if it brings back the program, said Barbara Mathees, who heads MSUMs School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership.

It would be nice if we could run a bigger program, she said.

The bachelors program would be in addition to other nursing programs at MSUM, including a track that allows licensed practical nurses to become registered nurses.

David Wahlberg, MSUMs executive director of marketing and communication, said a new nursing program, if approved, would be running about 18 months after an OK is given.

Were trying to identify the funding stream for this so that the program has long-term fiscal sustainability, he said.

Nursing executives at Sanford Health and Essentia Health would welcome the possibility of significant expansion of local nursing programs, and said they would help by expanding clinical opportunities for nursing students.

Weve always been good partners with the schools of nursing, said Roberta Young, vice president of nursing and clinical services at Sanford in Fargo.

Sanford is preparing to help some of its nurses earn masters degrees, which would make them eligible to become nursing instructors, a grow your own approach, said Young, who is hoping to hire 100 new nursing graduates this spring.

We really appreciate the partnership with all the universities, she said. Its very collaborative. Its our pipeline.

Nicole Christensen, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Essentia Health in Fargo, said Essentia has significantly expanded its clinical training slots for nursing students, as schools have expanded.

Over the past three or four years weve gone up quite substantially in the number of clinical hours, she said. I think the colleges in the area have worked very hard to meet that need.

NDSU nursing program highly ranked

The graduate nursing program at North Dakota State University ranked 66th in a six-way tie out of 186 schools in a new ranking by U.S. News & World Report.

NursingSchoolsAlmanac.com previously named the NDSU School of Nursing in the nations top 30 public nursing schools and in the top four schools in the Plains states, NDSU said. The program also was designated a primary Cadet Command Nursing Center of Excellence by the Army ROTC program.
BELFIELD -- An oil pipeline spill that contaminated a tributary of the Little Missouri River last December is now estimated to be three times larger than originally thought, making it one of the most significant pipeline spills in North Dakota history.

Belle Fourche Pipeline Co. reports about 12,615 barrels, or 529,830 gallons, of oil spilled as a result of a pipeline leak the company now believes started on Dec. 1 and was discovered by a landowner on Dec. 5, said spokeswoman Wendy Owen.

The spill contaminated a hillside and Ash Coulee Creek about 16 miles northwest of Belfield.

An earlier estimate put the spill at 4,200 barrels, or 176,400 gallons, but was revised after the company was able to pinpoint when the spill started and review metering data, said Owen.

Cleanup crews continue to be on site, where traces of benzene have been detected throughout the creek, which flows into the Little Missouri River, said Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the state Department of Health.

An oil sheen has been detected in the creek but did not appear to reach the river, Suess said. Health officials continue to collect water samples from the creek and the river as they oversee cleanup efforts. The segment of pipeline was isolated and shut down.

The company estimates that 4,000 barrels, or 168,000 gallons, have been recovered through skimming operations.

Contractors also have performed 1,200 burns on top of the creek to recover oil, ranging from a few minutes to all-day operations, Suess said.

We continue to work on the recovery and the cleanup. We will be there until this is finished, Owen said.

Crews are focusing efforts on cleaning the 5 miles of creek, which runs through privately owned land and U.S. Forest Service grazing land.

They want to get that back into operation and healthy for cattle prior to the grazing season, Suess said.

The spill did not affect human drinking water sources. The landowner reported losses of cattle he attributes to the spill, but he did not agree to medical testing to confirm the cause of death, Suess said.

The cause of the spill is still under investigation. The pipeline leak occurred in a hillside that is slumping, which is the companys leading theory of what caused the break, Owen said.

Weather conditions and the instability of the rugged Badlands terrain have slowed cleanup efforts and prevented crews from doing much work in the hillside.

Some oil continues to discharge from the hillside into the tributary of Ash Coulee Creek, Suess said. Crews hope to do more analysis of the hillside in the next month, Suess said.

At the very worst case, we think theres about 20 percent of the volume remaining in the soil, Owen said.

The health department has issued a notice of violation for the spill, but has not yet proposed a fine.

The state Oil and Gas Division is investigating the cause and working with the health department and Attorney Generals Office to draft a letter to the company requiring that all evidence related to the spill and pipeline failure be preserved, said Kevin Connors, pipeline program supervisor.

In the past, regulators have had a difficult time accessing information about the root cause of major spills.

We wanted to make sure that all evidence was retained for our investigations, Connors said.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a corrective action order in late December. The Environmental Protection Agency also is monitoring cleanup.

The revised spill estimate makes the Belle Fourche Pipeline spill one of the largest in North Dakotas record of tracking oil spills.

The largest oil pipeline spill on record is the 2013 Tesoro Logistics spill discovered in a farmers field near Tioga involving an estimated 20,600 barrels, or 865,200 gallons. That spill contaminated groundwater and cleanup efforts are ongoing.

The Belle Fourche spill is likely the largest oil pipeline spill that contaminated a water body in North Dakota, Suess said. The state also has had larger pipeline spills involving produced water, a waste byproduct of oil production.

Belle Fourche is part of True Companies of Wyoming, which also was responsible for the January 2015 Bridger Pipeline spill that involved 30,000 gallons of oil in the Yellowstone River, contaminating the drinking supply for the city of Glendive, Mont.
FARGO -- Paul Richard, whose 46-year career associated with Sanford Health will culminate with the opening of the new medical center in July, has announced he will retire later this year.

Richard, an executive vice president, was named the top executive at Sanford Medical Center here in 2013. A lawyer, he had previously served as Sanfords general counsel.

His first job, in 1971, was as a file clerk at the former St. Lukes Hospital while attending North Dakota State University, where he earned degrees in nursing and business. St. Lukes and affiliated Fargo Clinic joined to form MeritCare, which later merged with Sanford in 2009.

After graduating, Richard worked as a quality review nurse, then went to the University of North Dakota School of Law with the goal of a career in health care law. He was a lawyer at the Serkland Firm in Fargo, with MeritCare as his client, before being hired in 1998 as MeritCares general counsel, later serving as Sanfords chief legal officer.

As Sanfords top executive in Fargo, Richard has been a key figure in the development of the new $494 million medical center, which will open July 25. The 11-story building, near the interchange of Interstate 94 and Veterans Boulevard, will have 1 million square feet.

With more than 6,000 employees, Sanford is the largest employer in Fargo-Moorhead, according to the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce.

Richard said he is struck by the dramatic changes in health care that have unfolded in his 46-year career.

When he started as a quality review nurse, that was a new role, as health payers began to measure outcomes and push for better results.

In the mid-1970s, a patient would spend five to seven days in the hospital for an appendectomy, now an outpatient procedure. Surgery for an aortic aneurism would involve a two-week hospital stay, now an outpatient procedure that might require an overnight stay.

Just how we take care of patients is so different, Richard said Thursday, after announcing his retirement. It really is a profound shift.

Also, Sanford now seldom has to refer patients to outside specialists, because it has added many medical specialties.

Richards retirement date has yet to be set, but it will be after the new medical center opens in July and before the end of the year.

Its a nice way to put a ribbon around a career Ive really enjoyed, he said of being on hand for the medical centers opening.

Paul has been more than just my colleague, hes been my friend for many years, said Kelby Krabbenhoft, president and CEO of Sanford Health. When our two systems merged, Paul was there to help us navigate. When we needed a strong leader to finish the new Fargo Medical Center construction, he jumped at the opportunity. His experience, community connections and passion for what he does helped make us successful.

Sanford will name a successor later this year.
We have more newsletters

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Sign up to FREE email alerts from bathchronicle - Daily

British Summer Time is almost upon us.

This weekend the clocks go forward by one hour.

The good news is it should bring lighter evenings with more sunshine.

But the bad news is that you will lose an hour of sleep for the privilege.

When do the clocks change?

The UK swaps to British Summer Time on Sunday, March 26 at 1am.

You will need to remember to put your clock forward an hour before going to sleep.

Most mobiles phones and radio-controlled clocks will do this automatically, but it's worth checking. If you have an iPhone, go to Settings - General - Date & Time and make sure "Set Automatically" is on.

Why do the clocks change in the UK?

The clocks change once in the Spring and again in the Autumn to make the most of the light.

New Zealander George Vernon Hudson first proposed the modern idea of daylight saving in 1895, but British Summer Time was suggested by William Willett in 1908, according to Greenwich Royal Museums.

He was a keen horse rider and frustrated by the "waste" of daylight in the early mornings during the summer months as most people were still in bed when he was out riding.

He published a pamphlet called The Waste of Daylight campaigning for a scheme to change the clocks, introduced in 1916 a year after Willett's death.

Does changing the time have any benefits?

Arguments still rage over the economic or health benefits that changing the clocks brings. Those in favour say it saves energy, reduces traffic accidents and crime, and is good for businesses too.

Those against the change say it's not clear if any energy savings are made and there are potential health risks.

Children's health would be improved if clocks were moved forward an hour, according to new research.

Researchers compared 23,000 children aged five to 16 in England, Australia, the US, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Switzerland, Brazil, and the Portuguese island of Madeira.

To test the effect of daylight on activity levels, the children wore electronic devices measuring body movement.

The scientists found children's total daily activity levels were up to 20 per cent higher on summer days when the sun set after 9pm than on winter days when darkness fell.

How do I remember which direction to change the clocks?

This saying can help you to remember which way the clocks change: "Fall back and spring forward."

When do the clocks go back again?

The clocks go back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October, which in 2017 falls on October 29.

This is when the country reverts back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the global time standard.

Have you liked us on Facebook ? Or followed us on Twitter ?
GRAND FORKS -- For Kirstie Syverson, a nurse practitioner of internal medicine in the Altru Health System clinic in Devils Lake, working as a primary care provider has given her role a new meaning.

They see you for just about anything, Syverson, a recent UND graduate, said of her rural patients. She said long distances between the demand for services and the supply of specialists in Grand Forks means rural health care workers need to be, within reason, a jack of all trades.

If theyre unable to travel, we need to provide services that they need right here in Devils Lake, Syverson said. Theres definitely a lot of responsibility in being a rural health provider.

The challenges presented to the North Dakota health care system by rural populations have not gone unnoticed by the education sector. The 2017 biennial North Dakota health report, the fourth of the reporting series released by the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, identifies rural health needs, particularly current and future physician scarcities, as a key factor in the wider picture of the states physical well-being.

Dr. Joshua Wynne, the schools dean, said North Dakota is subject to generic problems and unique problems in regard to its overall health chart.

The challenge of rural health care, the delivery is one, but also the distribution of rural health care providers is a big issue, Wynne said.

Despite gains in recent decades, North Dakota still has slightly fewer physicians per capita than the U.S. as a whole or the Midwest region, according to the report. The physicians who do work here are concentrated largely in the states population centers.

The UND report estimates a potential statewide physician shortage of somewhere between 260 to 360 professionals by 2025.

The schools data estimate the disparity could be even higher if the states population continues to grow at projected rates. By 2040, the report suggests, a North Dakota with a population of 800,000 people could be in need of 500 additional physicians.

Though the state isnt alone in having a widely dispersed population, the people who do live scattered within its borders tend to be older, requiring an increasing amount of medical care. An aging population also means the number of active physicians and health care workers will likely soon be retiring and may themselves be in need of care.

Aside from the natural demographic shifts brought on by time, the report states localized population growth in the western side of the state, particularly in Oil Patch cities, has also created newly heightened levels of need in new places.

In an attempt to address the matter of physician distribution, the medical school is working through the implementation of its Health Care Workforce Initiative, a process which grew from the first and second two-year reports on North Dakotas health issues. The initiative began with increases to class sizes within the medical and health sciences, Wynne said, and has progressed to the point of offering incentives for medical graduates to pursue residencies and careers in rural communities.

He said the biggest single piece of the incentive program is the rural medical scholarship program.

Through that initiative, doctors who graduate from the UND SMHS in primary care or general surgery, both disciplines identified by the school as shortage areas, and then practice in a rural North Dakota community for five years can have their total medical school tuition and fees reimbursed by the state -- a sum Wynne estimated at well north of $100,000.

Wynne says hes reasonably confident the measures taken through the Health Care Workforce Initiative will be able to meet the states future needs for physicians, though time and medical advances will be the judge.

The biggest variable is, can we as the medical profession, the health profession, make major changes in the efficiency with which we deliver care, he said.

If so, the projections may prove to be overblown; if not, Wynne still thinks the medical school will still be able to produce enough doctors to shore up the gaps.

Aside from the M.D.s, the schools report suggests nonphysician health care employees are not much above national norms but are still subject to rural-urban disparities. Nurse practitioners such as Syverson are subject to significant regional differences and, along with physicians assistants, make up the largest areas of nonphysician job vacancies.

Jennifer Nuelle-Dimoulas, Altrus director of regional clinic operations, said the shortages of nurses in the state present their own issues, particularly in primary care. Nuelle-Dimoulas said the North Dakota health care community is making advancements, but still has its share of obstacles to overcome.

The investment is there, but the challenges are really significant, she said. Certainly people are not standing still, and there are tremendous efforts being made to address the areas, but the barriers and shortages out there are significant, especially when we compete with urban centers.

Syverson said she had offers in more urban areas, including Grand Forks. The proximity of Devils Lake to her hometown -- Tolna, N.D., a town of about 150 less than hour away -- was important, as was the interest shed developed in rural health through growing up in that very system. Now, as a professional, she said the close-knit nature of rural health care has proved to be its own reward.

Everybody is so thankful, Syverson said. I can go to the store and it seems like somebody every trip will thank me for a visit, or the care I gave to a spouse, a grandma or some other family member. I feel very humble for the opportunity to care for people like that.
A marine in need of a home got his wish on Thursday, when a charity gave him the keys to a brand new townhouse in Tarpon Springs.

Marine Tim Palmer wounded in explosion while serving in Iraq in 2003

Palmer gifted townhome by Military Warriors Support Foundation

Home will be mortgage-free

Its a little a surreal, said Tim Palmer. So it hasnt really hit yet.



Palmer served in Iraq in 2003, where he was wounded in the leg during an explosion, making him eligible for the Military Warriors Support Foundations home program.



They get a phone call and its like this one is yours, said Sally Farrell, a mentor with the Military Warriors Support Foundation. Its a very humbling thing for them and for the Foundation to really make a difference.



Wells Fargo partnered with the organization for the event by providing not only the home, but three years of financial mentoring.



This is indeed life changing, Palmer said, in the sense that not many people get the opportunity for a mortgage-free house.



The Foundation lists three main criteria to qualify for their program:

The applicant must be a combat-wounded veteran (Purple Heart recipients given priority) from any American conflict OR an unmarried spouse of any veteran who was killed in action in combat or combat training during any American conflict. The applicant must be honorably retired or separated from the military. (Those with compelling situations whom are less than 90 days from retirement or separation may be considered) The applicant must not have a current mortgage.

For more information, visit militarywarriors.org/find-a-home.
The Florida House on Thursday approved a measure to repeal the state's seven-year-old law authorizing red light cameras. A bipartisan chorus of lawmakers condemned the cameras as local government moneymakers that do little to improve roadway safety.

Many cities, counties have already retired red light camera programs

Recent state study found accidents at camera intersections rose 10 percent

Same study showed accidents with pedestrians down 20 percent

While many cities and counties have already retired their red light cameras as public opinion has shifted, some haven't. The bill (HB 6007) would force those locales to take down their cameras by July 2020.



"In a down economy, this was nothing more than a poll tax and a way to generate revenue," said Rep. Wengay 'Newt' Newton (D-St. Petersburg). "As you hear different municipalities talk about reasons for getting rid of those cameras right now, all you hear is, 'it doesn't produce the revenue we thought it would produce.' The word 'safety' fades to black."



Indeed, a recent state study found vehicle accidents at red light camera intersections rose ten percent in 2015 - a result, camera critics say, of more drivers aggressively braking to avoid running red lights, causing rear-end collisions in the process.



But the same study showed accidents involving pedestrians fell by 20 percent, indicating red light cameras could, in fact, enhance safety.



"A significant reduction of fatalities takes place where there are red light cameras," said Rep. Thad Altman (R-Indialantic), who voted to authorize the cameras as a state senator in 2010. "It does change drivers' behavior. So, I oppose this. I think red light cameras are saving the lives of Floridians."



In a chamber where most votes are unanimous, 22 representatives voted against the red light camera repeal legislation. A state senate committee rejected similar legislation last month, casting doubt on the ban's prospects of becoming law.


He is described as one of the most dangerous men in politics.

His name is Roger Stone, a staunch Republican and close personal confidant of President Donald Trump.

Roger Stone joins Ybeth Bruzual for News 13's Political Connections

Stone, confidant of President Trump, just published a book

WATCH: Political Connections airs at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday

Stone is in the spotlight now because lawmakers like Sen. John McCain want him to testify before Congress regarding alleged communications with Russian hackers.

Strone spoke with News 13's Ybeth Bruzual for Sunday's Political Connections show.

To say Stone is a Washington insider is likely the understatement of the century. He has been embedded in Republican politics since the Nixon administration. He knows movers and shakers  and is a good friend of Trump.

"I met Donald Trump when I was sent to New York in 1979," Stone said.

He published a new book, "The Making of the President 2016: How Donald Trump Orchestrated a Revolution."

In an exclusive one-on-one interview with News 13, Stone talks about the campaign and the resulting controversies that has the entire world talking.

"I would like to put the lie to this entire Russian question, because it's a fraud," he said.

When asked about his knowledge of anything on Trump's campaign interacting with any Russian operatives, Stone spoke about his friend Paul Manafort.

"My longtime colleague, Paul Manafort, has issued a vehement denial, as I have, and I chose to believe him," he said.

We now know Manafort, who is Trump's former campaign manager, did work for a Russian billionaire in 2006  a fact uncovered by the Associated Press and confirmed by Manafort just days after Stone talked to News 13.

One thing is all but certain: Controversies that follow Stone will not be going away anytime soon.

Hear more from Stone on his new book and how he feels Trump is doing in the White House this weekend on Political Connections with Ybeth Bruzual. The show airs at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday.
Currently Reading

12 spring TV newcomers that deserve to be on your radar
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The U.S. Supreme Court, which has received a petition from former BISD contract electrician Calvin Walker and a response from the Texas Attorney General and the Jefferson County District Attorney, now will decide whether to hear oral arguments in connection with Walker's state criminal case.

A brief filed last week by the Texas Attorney General's Office and Jefferson County District Attorney's Office argued that the court should not consider Walker's claim that he should not be tried by the state for offenses he was previously tried for in federal court, calling the court "an improper vehicle" to hear Walker's questions.

Walker was accused of fraud and money-laundering in federal indictments in 2011, but after a mistrial, he pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of failure to pay taxes in a timely manner.

His U.S. Supreme Court case challenges the right of the state to prosecute him on similar charges of money laundering and "securing execution of a document by deception," claiming that he is protected by the Constitution's double-jeopardy clause that prevents people from being tried twice for the same offense.

He asks the court to reconsider the exception of "dual-sovereignty doctrine," which claims that acts considered crimes by both state and federal government are offenses against both and can be punished by both. In their response, the state argues that the principle is fundamental to the U.S. system of government.

In the opposition brief, the state argues that the 2011 dismissal of Walker's federal charges was "not turning on factual guilt or innocence," so he can be tried for similar charges by the state court.

The tax offense he pleaded guilty to is "a separate offense from the state fraud and money-laundering offenses alleged here," the brief says.

The state also argues that because Walker's appeal addressed only that he was not given a proper hearing before the trial court ruled against his double-jeopardy claim, he is challenging a "procedural issue" rather than the dual-sovereignty doctrine.

The opposition brief disputes Walker's claims that the state and federal prosecutors should not be considered "separate sovereigns" because they cooperated in the prosecutions, and says that in the past 60 years, no appeals court has found the kind of "sham prosecution" Walker alleges, which justifies considering the governments actions together.

Beaumont's Ninth Court of Appeals ruled against the double-jeopardy claims in March, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused to review the case in June.

The U.S. Supreme Court requested a response from the state in December after they waived their right to respond in November.

Briefs supporting Walker were filed in December by the Center on the Administration of Criminal Law, the Constitutional Accountability Center and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, as well as by Stuart Banner, a legal historian at UCLA's Supreme Court Clinic, all arguing that the court should hear Walker's argument.

Four of the eight Supreme Court justices must vote to grant Walker's petition and hear oral arguments in the case. According to the U.S. Courts website, "the Court accepts 100-150 of the more than 7,000 cases that it is asked to review each year."

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/LizTeitz
FBI 10 Most Wanted Fugitives from Texas or captured in the Lone Star State
Big business has become a favorite target of public scorn and contempt in the United States, constantly decried for its impersonal forces, cronyist lobbying efforts, and supposed greed.

In Venezuela, however, the countrys largest privately owned company has become a leading face of anti-government resistance.

In a country torn to shreds by the follies of socialism, Empresas Polar continues to thrive and survive despite a range of economic challenges and government pressures.

The Caracas-based food and drink producer is beloved by the Venezuelan people, in part for its range of popular food products, but also for its rebellious stances against an unpopular socialist regime. Such stances typically spring from the companys billionaire CEO, Lorenzo Mendoza, whom the late Hugo Chavez once called a pelucon (bigwig conservative) who deserves a place in hell.

In the Financial Times, Andres Schipani offers a fascinating report on the key developments:

[Polars] success is hard to swallow for the government, which continues to have Polar in its inquisitorial grip. Police intelligence agents are sometimes stationed outside its offices for no apparent reason. Company employees report that the agents eagerly accept Polar drinks or snacks offered to them as a break from the tedium. The companys contribution to the food sector is such that neither Chavez (who died four years ago) nor his benighted successor have felt it prudent to carry out threats of expropriation. The reason? Venezuelans are barely able to let a day go by without getting their hands on Polar products.

As Schipani explains, the company boasts a 90 percent approval rating while the countrys president, Nicolas Maduro, garners less than 12 percent (according to a local pollster).

After the death of Chavez, there was a moment where some thought Maduro may look more favorably on companies like Polar. But alas, the tensions have continued to broil:

Maduro is still apt to accuse Mendoza of being a price-gouging coup-monger who stockpiles food in order to wage economic war against the Chavista revolution. More damaging, the government retains control of legal sales of hard currency to pay for imports in a country that produces little of its own other than oil. Last year, Mendoza urged the government to stop strangling the private sector. The embattled Maduro roared back at him on television: If you cannot handle your companies, hand them over to the people who can. The president rounded off by labelling the Polar chief a bandit, thief, oligarch, traitor. Informed sources in Caracas suggest that what the government cannot bring itself to shout about is that the food shortages  increasingly a source of widespread discontent  might have something to do with official policy shortcomings. Venezuelans reaction, therefore, should some of their favourite food and drink brands fall into state hands, could spark unrest, which would be one of the last things the Maduro administration needs.

At a time when Venezuelan officials have taken to locking up bakers in pursuit of a so-called bread war  nit-picking over ingredient quotas rather than fixing laws that compound human suffering  Polars openly defiant position is a breath of fresh air. Further, in an era where big business is often ridiculed and rarely praised, its a reminder of the good it can achieve, even amid and against the abuses of the state.

As the Venezuelan government continues to erode the countrys economic infrastructure, squeezing its citizens via coercive government tricks, Polar and other Venezuelan businesses are trying their best to meet basic human needs using basic human exchange.

When this is the choice  21st-century socialism vs. 21st-century big business  Venezuelans are making their preferences clear.

Ordinary people say that even if the government wants to trounce Polar, they will stand up and defend it, says a Polar executive, according to Schipani. The more the government punches us, the more the people love us.

Image: Paulino Moran, Vista PlazaVenezuela, CC BY-SA 2.0
Dallas-based Forest Park Medical Center founder and anesthesiologist Richard F. Toussaint, MD, pled guilty to a count of conspiracy to pay healthcare bribes and kickbacks and a count of offering or paying illegal remuneration and aiding and abetting under the Travel Act on March 17, 2017, according to a press release from The United State's Attorney Office of the Northern District of Texas. The Travel Act prohibits the use of U.S. mail, interstate or foreign travel for criminal acts.

Dr. Toussaint faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. The court will sentence him at a later date.

Co-defendants Andrea Kay Smith, Kelly Wade Loter and Israel Ortiz also pled guilty to their roles in the case. Seventeen other defendants will undergo a trial scheduled for July 10, 2017. Those pending trial will remain unnamed.

According to court documents,

1. Dr. Toussaint met with a co-defendant in 2003 and began providing anesthesia services for the man in 2005. Dr. Toussaint and the man decided to form the physician-owned hospital, Forest Park Medical Center, in 2008.

2. The center targeted bariatric and spinal surgeons for monetary reasons. The center stayed out-of-network to collect higher reimbursement rates.

3. Dr. Toussaint and FPMC's other founder as well as several co-defendants said they were aware of an arrangement where the center would pay surgeons "marketing checks" for performing procedures there. They paid approximately $40 million from 2009 to 2013.

4. A co-defendant allegedly kept tabs on the procedure amounts each surgeon brought to the center and used a metric to calculate surgeon payments on their anticipated case loads. Dr. Toussaint was copied on emails discussing how much the center paid certain surgeons.

5. Dr. Toussaint and FPMC waived coinsurance or reduced it to in-network levels to attract more patients. Dr. Toussaint misrepresented the practice to payers so they accepted the center's reimbursement claims. FPMC guaranteed patients they would either not pay, or pay only an in-network equivalent.

6. Dr. Toussaint and a co-defendant owned a commercial real estate company they used to funnel bribes and kickback payments through.

7. Dr. Toussaint and FPMC paid kickbacks to chiropractors to refer their patients to the clinic.

8. Dr. Toussaint and FPMC also offered surgeons stock options in the center to attract more referrals. According to court documents, "the more surgeries a surgeon could bring to FPMC, the more they were allowed to invest and profit from the hospital's billings." Dr. Toussaint helped decide how many shares a surgeon could invest. If a surgeon cutback on his cases, FPMC divested or cut his shares.
With the entire industry waiting on the House's decision to pass the American Health Care Act, many are speculating about Medicaid's future, a program providing assistance to Americans with limited resources.

Here are seven statistics and facts based on Kaiser Family Foundation data.

1. The program provides coverage to 74 million low-income Americans.

2. Nearly 70 percent of office-based physicians accept new Medicaid patients, slightly less than the nearly 85 percent of office-based physicians accepting new patients with private insurance or Medicare.

3. In Nebraska, 97 percent of office-based physicians accept new Medicaid patients, more than twice as much as 39 percent of office-based physicians in New Jersey.

4. A 2015 survey found of physicians accepting Medicaid patients, 40 percent said they had an uptick in these patients since January 2014.

5. Ninety-five percent of children with Medicaid of Children's Health Insurance Program coverage have a regular source of care, slightly down from 97 percent of children with private insurance and up from 69 percent of children without coverage.

6. Medicaid expansion for adults is tied to increased use of screening services and preventive care as well as diabetes medications and other services.

7. Some studies found beneficiaries' had lower stress and anxiety as well as better quality of life following Medicaid expansion.
The nation is anxiously awaiting the House's vote on the Republicans' American Health Care Act and several GOP leaders could play a major role in the ACA alternative's fate.

USA Today highlighted the following eight GOP leaders whose vote will likely decide if the AHCA passes.

1. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa. As a co-chairman of the moderate-leaning Tuesday Group, Rep. Dent is primarily interested in how tax credits will help Americans buy insurance and has argued tax credits do not do enough to help Americans pay premiums. He told MSNBC he is voting against the bill on March 20, 2017.

2. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. Rep. King, a moderate, has swayed from a hard "no" to an "undecided" on the AHCA. When President Donald Trump asked Rep. King during a meeting this week if he would align with Trump on the bill, Rep. King did not answer. His worry stems from the bill cutting Medicaid spending by billions of dollars.

3. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev. Like Rep. King, Rep. Amodei is undecided on how he will vote. He sought amendments to the bill that would entail linking tax cuts for payers to premium reductions for consumers. He also wants to exclude residents with only one payer in their county from paying a penalty if they have a gap in the coverage.

4. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz. Rep. Franks said he is not a firm yes at the point because he is not confident the Trump administration will maintain the anti-abortion provisions.

5. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. Rep. Pearce is concerned with the bill's impact on Americans affording coverage as New Mexico opted to expand Medicaid under the ACA.

6. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. Rep. Mooney said he is holding off on his decision to see if any updates arise. He has not provided an answer one way or the other and said he wants to hear from his constituents before making a final decision.

7. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. On March 21, 2017, Rep. Issa told reporters he was "leaning yes" after the GOP announced changes to the bill, such as allowing the Senate to increase tax credits for low and moderate income Americans.

8. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas. Rep. Barton said he is a "friendly leaning no" on the bill. USA Today reported the congressman worked to freeze Medicaid two years ago and is seeking a freeze in the legislation.
Republican lawmakers pulled the American Health Care Act after GOP leaders estimated the bill lacked support to advance through the House on March 24, 2017, Politico reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. The House delayed voting on the bill on March 23, 2017, over a lack of consensus. Analysts expected the House to vote on the bill Friday afternoon.

2. Lawmakers withdrew the bill from consideration before the afternoon vote, Politico reports.

3. President Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan spoke on the phone Friday afternoon, when President asked Speaker Ryan to pull the bill.

4. A White House spokesman said in a press briefing, "[President Trump] left everything on the field when it comes to this bill. You cant force someone to vote a certain way."

5. Reuters reports the House adjourned for the day after pulling the bill on March 24, 2017, with some House Republicans saying they were "done with [an] Obamacare replacement bill."

6. Speaker Ryan said the decision to pull the bill was his idea in his live stream. In remarks following, he said he was disappointed and would need time to reflect on the bill. He then said, "I'm really proud of the bill that we produced. It would make a dramatic improvement in our healthcare system and provide relief to people hurting under Obamacare, and that's what's probably most troubling is the worst is yet to come under Obamacare.  We have to better and we will."

7. President Trump made comments to the New York Times over a telephone interview moments after the bill was pulled. He blamed Democrats for the bill's failure and predicted they would seek new legislation after "Obamacare explodes," because of high premiums. \
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic's plan to expand its campus and enhance its standing as a world-class destination medical center is gaining momentum.

The state legislature pledged public dollars to support the DMC project in 2013 with the stipulation that the clinic had to first raise its own money. With $297.7 million in private investment, Mayo Clinic will begin receiving public funds this fall, according to the Star Tribune. Of the total private funds raised, about $145.3 million were made last year alone, with much of it from Mayo Clinic.

"The momentum we're building, based on this business model, has never been stronger," DMC Economic Development Authority Executive Director Lisa Clarke said in a prepared statement, according to the report. "We currently have 14 projects with a total value of more than $700 million under development or in the planning phases, and we're receiving strong interest from real estate investors and developers from around the globe."

Investments should continue to rise over the next year in the wake of major projects in the downtown Rochester area, such as a $100 million Hilton hotel and residential tower; a 13-story, $115 million apartment complex; and a $38 million, 156-unit apartment complex.

The DMC project is meant to spur growth over the next 20 years. The $3.5 billion endeavor combines about $585 million in taxpayer money with private investments. It includes expansions to its campus and investments in its medical infrastructure, according to the report. Private investors are expected to contribute another $2.1 billion in residential, retail and commercial investments.
Phoenix-based Banner Health is hoping to achieve $65 million in savings in 2017 through several initiatives, including a program that allows certain employees to end their employment early in exchange for continued pay and benefits for a period of time, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.

According to an email Banner sent to employees that Phoenix Business Journal obtained, eligible employees are allowed to apply for the voluntary program. Employees whose applications are approved by Banner will leave the organization between mid-April and June 1, according to the report.

Banner sent emails to employees across the organization who are eligible for the program. Jennifer Ruble, senior director of public relations at Banner, told the Phoenix Business Journal that Banner does not have a set participation target for the voluntary program.

Banner is in the process of restructuring operations. The health system first announced its restructuring efforts in February. That same month, Banner eliminated some leadership positions. The system issued a second round of layoffs this month and told "a small number" of physicians their positions are being eliminated.

More articles on healthcare finance:

Cleveland Clinic's operating income plummets 71%

CMS delays major bundled payment initiatives: 6 things to know

5 health systems with strong finances
Baptist Health Louisville (Ky.) plans to close its outpatient counseling office in St. Matthews, Ky., according to a statement emailed to Becker's Hospital Review.

The closure, slated for June 16, affects 17 staff members including therapists.

"We are continuing to see patients up until the date of closing. We are sensitive to the relationship with our patients and will be working closely to transition their care. Affected patients will be contacted in the coming month and will also be able to talk with their provider at their next scheduled visit," the hospital said in its statement.

Baptist Health Louisville added it will still offer inpatient behavioral health services, the 24-hour Access Center, and its partial hospitalization program/intensive outpatient program.

The office closure is part of Louisville-based Baptist Health's plans to cut 288 employees across its eight markets in Kentucky and southern Indiana.
New York City public hospitals administered 58 percent of the city's total uninsured care in 2013, according to a recent study from the New York State Health Foundation. However, they only gained 15 percent of pooled indigent care funds set aside for uncompensated care.

The New York State Indigent Care Pool was created in 1996 to reallocate monies to financially support hospitals that provide a high level of charity care. It is one of several supplemental programs designed to offset the cost of treating large uninsured and Medicaid-covered populations in the city.

However, researchers found a poor relationship between ICP redistributions and hospitals' uninsured patient populations. Institutions that provided the most uninsured services received fewer ICP allocations per each uninsured service than hospitals that provided the least amount of uninsured services.

Here are six key findings from the report.

1. Excluding Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center and Lutheran Medical Center, the 10 New York City hospitals administering the highest quantity of services to uninsured patients were public institutions. Among these hospitals, between 94,000 and 187,000 services were provided to uninsured patients in 2013. This represented between 15 percent and 33 percent of the public hospitals' total services.

2. The 10 public hospitals achieved between $4 million and $64 million in ICP allocations, or between $39 and $593 for each uninsured service rendered.



3. These findings are in contrast to the 10 hospitals providing the lowest quantity of uninsured services, the report states. Most of the 10 hospitals administering the least amount of services to uninsured patients were private hospitals and two were specialty academic medical centers. These hospitals rendered considerably fewer uninsured services  between 90 and 10,000 in 2013, or between 1 percent and 9 percent of their total services, respectively  but received between $500,000 and $12.7 million in ICP funds.

4. On average, private hospitals received between seven and eight times more in ICP funds per uninsured service provided than public hospitals, the report finds.

5. NYC Health + Hospital/Elmhurst, the public hospital providing the highest amount of uninsured services (more than 187,000), received $5 million less in ICP payments than Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the specialty AMC administering the lowest number of uninsured services (900).

6. Researchers concluded the report "suggests that there is a disconnect between hospital community benefits provided and reimbursement received from the ICP." NYSHealth offered several recommendations, including capping hospitals' ICP payments in relation to their uncompensated care costs and limiting pool participation to the most in-need hospitals.



The NYSHealth study compares hospital ICP funds for 2015 with volume of uninsured patients in 2013, based on aggregated data from ICP workbooks from the New York State Department of Health, hospital Institutional Cost Reports and inpatient discharge data.

More articles on healthcare finance:

Cleveland Clinic's operating income plummets 71%

CMS delays major bundled payment initiatives: 6 things to know

5 health systems with strong finances
The following health IT vendor contracts and go-lives were reported within the past week.

Columbia, Tenn.-based Maury Regional Health is implementing Cerner's EHR system.

Coffeyville (Kan.) Regional Medical Center will upgrade to a new integrated web EHR by Meditech.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare will integrate machine learning into its medical imaging analysis, thanks to a collaboration with Zebra Medical Vision.

Medsphere Systems Corp. implemented its cloud-based OpenVista EHR at the Behavioral Center of Michigan in Warren, and its sister facility, Samaritan Behavioral Center in Detroit.

The U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Cyber Crime Center renewed its contract with Lockheed Martin.

Troy, Ohio-based Upper Valley Medical Center part of Premier Health System in Dayton, Ohio  partnered with Advanced ICU Care to launch tele-ICU services.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services unveiled a five-year "Whole-Person Care" pilot program on Eccovia Solutions' integrated care coordination platform.

Epic joined forces with Nuance Communications, a voice and language solutions provider, to embed computer-assisted physician documentation services into its EHRs.
Here are 10 recent news updates on health IT companies.

Epic partnered with Acumen Physician Solutions, a subsidiary of Waltham, Mass.-based Fresenius Medical Care North America, to develop Acumen 2.0.

Intel and MobileODT created an artificial intelligence competition to combat cervical cancer.

Coffeyville (Kan.) Regional Medical Center will upgrade to a new integrated web EHR by Meditech.

Medsphere Systems Corp., a health IT solutions provider, developed a cloud-based version of its acute and inpatient behavioral health EHR.

IBM unveiled a new version of IBM Blockchain, partnered with MedyMatch Technology to identify intracranial bleeding and joined forces with IDx to expand its health capabilities.

GE Healthcare expanded its maternal-infant care portfolio with the acquisition of Monica Healthcare, a United Kingdom-based fetal monitoring technology company.

A deal between Google's DeepMind and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is under scrutiny, due to concerns about lack of transparency with patients.

A research team from DeepMind developed a method to train computer systems to process information similar to human beings.

HMS Holdings, a benefits coordination and care management solutions provider for payers, will purchase Eliza Corp. for a $170 million upfront payment in cash.

Specialists On Call, a Reston, Va.-based clinical telemedicine provider focused on acute care hospitals, surpassed its 300,000 teleconsultations mark.
Michael Botticelli, former director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under the Obama administration, has been tapped to head Boston Medical Center's new Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine.

Before serving under President Barack Obama, Mr. Botticelli served as Director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health where he worked closely with BMC, the largest safety-net provider in New England.

"Michael embodies every item on the wish list of what we wanted in the ideal director of the Grayken Center and he is the perfect fit for the Center and its ability to lead in this battle," said Kate Walsh, CEO of BMC. "Michael was instrumental in getting the fight against addiction to the top of the national agenda. He fought for additional funding and worked closely with groups across the country to develop and replicate clinical treatment programs that work. But he also led the way on shaping our country's understanding of addiction as a disease, not a moral failing or character flaw, and that patients with substance use disorder deserve treatment not punishment. He is a true leader in addiction medicine."

Mr. Botticelli holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Siena College in Albany, N.Y., and a Master of Education degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. Mr. Botticelli is also a recovering addict with more than 28 years of sobriety.

More articles on executive moves:

Dr. Mary Norine Walsh steps into American College of Cardiology president role: 4 points

York General Hospital appoints Jenny Obermier COO & CNO: 3 takeaways

SageWest Health Care taps Alan Daugherty to lead as CEO: 4 notes
The House of Representatives delayed a vote scheduled for Thursday evening on the American Health Care Act. A vote is expected Friday afternoon, according to C-SPAN.

Here are five things to know about the delay and what's coming up next.

1. The vote was delayed due to the lack of consensus among House Republicans about the bill, which would undo much of the ACA.Assuming all Democrats would vote against the bill, Republicans can only afford to lose 22 votes on the House floor to advance the bill to the Senate. However, President Donald Trump failed to reach an agreement with conservative members of the Freedom Caucus, which has about three dozen members, according to Politico.

2. President Trump proposed repealing the ACA's essential health benefits, but conservatives dismissed this as an insufficient concession, according to Politico. Instead, Freedom Caucus members want more sweeping repeal  to do away with most of the ACA's Title I, according to The Washington Post. The only protections conservatives want to preserve are those for people with preexisting conditions and for young adults up to age 26 on their parents' plans, according to the report. GOP leadership originally opposed repealing essential health benefits because doing so would make the bill invalid in the Senate due to reconciliation rules, according to Politico.

3. Meanwhile, a handful of moderates also oppose the bill. The Washington Post counted four moderate Republicans who publically opposed the bill. President Trump was scheduled to meet later Thursday with members of the Tuesday Group, a caucus of about 50 moderate Republicans, according to a statement from the White House.

4. The total count of Republicans against the bill, including both moderates and conservatives, was 37 as of Thursday afternoon, according to The Washington Post. Another estimate puts the count at 30, according to Reuters. Republican leaders must carefully navigate changes  as they attempt to win over more conservative members, they risk losing moderates.

5. The vote is now expected Friday afternoon. Lawmakers were pushing for a vote Thursday as it marked the seventh anniversary of the ACA, according to The Washington Post. After President Trump's meeting with the Tuesday Group, Republicans plan to convene at 7 p.m. Thursday to create a plan, according to The New York Times.

More articles on leadership and management:

ACA repeal is coming  Why hospitals need to craft an action plan today

Reuters: Hospitals put investments on hold amid AHCA uncertainty

11 latest healthcare layoffs
Mark Taubman, MD, CEO of University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center, said that if passed as is, the Republican-led American Health Care Act would have "significant negative consequences for UR Medicine, our patients and families and the communities we serve," according to a WHEC report.

Dr. Taubman takes particular issue with proposed cuts to Medicaid and the decline in insurance coverage that would occur as a result. Additionally, the proposed changes to how Medicaid revenue is collected would shift $2 billion in Medicaid costs from upstate New York counties to the state government, which Dr. Taubman said "would result in significant payment reductions to hospitals, including UR Medicine and it's affiliates," according to the report. "These cuts would threaten our ability to provide care to our communities' most vulnerable patients and hinder efforts to attract and retain the highly-skilled providers that serve us all."

He called on members of Congress to reject the AHCA.
The American Health Care Act is likely to have numerous effects on the healthcare workforce in general, and specifically on employer-sponsored health coverage.

"We're in a period of major change in healthcare policy and technology, which is driving healthcare consumerism. In many ways, health policy is acting as an accelerator of consumerism, but is not defining it. Many of the changes we've seen among employers would have happened with or without the ACA," says Shan Fowler, senior director of product strategy at Benefitfocus, a developer of cloud-based enterprise benefits management software.

He added: "Compliance is a driver of change as well, along with cost, complexity and consumerism. Regardless of what happens with the ACA, employers will still base their benefits decisions on what's best for their employees. Employers are focused now on trying to cut through the noise to figure out how the changes to the ACA will affect them and their employees."

Mr. Fowler recently spoke with Becker's Hospital Review about the American Health Care Act provisions most likely to have the biggest effects on the healthcare workforce.

1. The delay of the Cadillac tax and the exclusion of a cap. The AHCA delays the effective date for the ACA's Cadillac tax on the most generous employer-sponsored health plans, according to The Hill. The tax would impose a 40 percent excise tax on such plans. It was originally slated to take effect in 2018 but was delayed to 2020, and a recent "manager's amendment" to the AHCA would delay the tax until 2026. While both Republicans and Democrats have supported repealing the Cadillac tax, GOP lawmakers are delaying but are forced to keep it as part of the reconciliation process to make certain their replacement plan will not increase the national deficit after a decade, reports The Hill.

Mr. Fowler says although the Cadillac tax would be delayed and likely never enforced, it doesn't necessarily mean the idea of a similar proposal  to cap the employer health insurance tax exclusion  is off the table. House Republicans previously proposed the cap as a way to pay for a repeal of the ACA, according to a Bloomberg BNA report. "Employers for decades have gotten a very healthy tax benefit from offering health insurance Section 125 benefits to employees. There's never been a cap on it. So the more you spend on insurance for employees the higher the tax benefit," says Mr. Fowler. Although earlier drafts of ACA replacement legislation capped the exemption at 90 percent of current premiums, the final version of the bill eliminated the proposal, according to Politico.

Still, in terms of the healthcare workforce, Mr. Fowler believes the most generous employer-sponsored plans would be most affected if there is ultimately a cap on the exclusion. "But I [also] think there is an argument to be made that there is some overinsurance and what the cap and Cadillac tax was trying to get at besides increasing revenue is fending the divide between the poorest coverage and richest coverage and trying to change behavior, bring down costs to make healthcare more affordable for a broader group of people," he adds.

2. Employer mandate being dropped. The AHCA also gets rid of the penalty for businesses that do not offer employees health coverage. Additionally, the AHCA replaces income-based subsidies under the ACA with refundable, age-based and income-capped tax credits, according to Politico. These credits increase with age, from as low as $2,000 for those under 30 or as high as $4,000 for those over 60. They can be used to help people buy insurance if they can't receive coverage through their employer.

Mr. Fowler says he believes the employer mandate would ultimately be eliminated, even if the AHCA doesn't pass. "If the AHCA doesn't pass, you could still see HHS Secretary [Tom] Price, [MD], refusing to enforce the employer mandate  that's probable," he says. In the short term, Mr. Fowlwer believes eliminating the employer mandate would remove a burden from employers. Still, he acknowledged reporting of some kind is likely to continue because even in the ACA replacement plan, there is the concept of employer vs. individual coverage and eligibility for tax credits. "It seems some sort of reporting would remain and the need for flexibility in systems to comply would likely remain for employers," he says.

3. The expansion of health savings accounts. HSAs, which are typically matched with high-deductible health plans, would have expanded contribution limits under the AHCA, according to a CNBC report. Under the AHCA, people would also have more flexibility in how they spend funds in HSAs, the report states. Additionally, the recent "manager's amendment" to the ACA replacement proposal also calls for immediate repeal of the HSA tax.

"What Republicans are looking at is really a boon for consumerism and promoting it in healthcare. And I think you see this is in some of the language of empowering choice, enabling individuals to make choices and to be involved in their healthcare  not letting the government get between you and healthcare," says Mr. Fowler. He says the AHCA promotes HSAs doing this by allowing employees with HDHPs to set aside more money and to shop around for their services and health needs. Since the annual HSA contribution maximums would be tied to maximum out-of-pocket costs under the AHCA, the bill provides more incentive for people to pay their medical bills, he says. "So it's seen on the employer and individual sides as enabling people to be better covered with adoption of HDHPs. And with that I think there are a lot of changes to further promote innovative ways to spend that money and save on costs that are coming out of your pocket as opposed to the traditional copay system. It just makes you think about your benefits in a different way."

More articles on human capital and risk:

Hospitals and unions: 5 recent conflicts, agreements

Indiana hospitals seek underrepresented medical specialties to meet demand

PeaceHealth layoffs prompt hiring from other labs: 3 things to know
The Illinois Supreme Court has vacated an appellate court decision issued last year that said a state law that allows nonprofit hospitals to avoid paying property taxes is unconstitutional, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Under a 2012 law, a nonprofit hospital in Illinois doesn't have to pay property taxes if it can show its charitable services are equal to or exceed its property tax liability. Last January, the Illinois 4th District Appellate Court ruled the 2012 law is unconstitutional. The ruling was issued in a case brought by Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Ill., against the city of Urbana and other local taxing districts.

The hospital appealed the case to the Illinois Supreme Court. On Thursday, the state's high court vacated the appellate court's ruling on jurisdictional grounds and remanded the case to a lower court for reconsideration, according to the report.

Although the decision leaves the tax exemption law in place, hospitals had hoped the Illinois Supreme Court would address the constitutionality of the law. However, the court said ruling on the law's constitutionality would be "premature," according to the report.

Since the Supreme Court declined to rule on the constitutionality of the law, it is possible for the court rule on that issue in a future case.

More articles on legal and regulatory issues:

Medical device company CEO, CFO charged in $400M securities fraud scheme

83-year-old patient checks out of NY hospital, steals ambulance

Man charged with murder in death of EMT in New York City
A 31-year-old man was arrested March 20 for stealing a patient transport van idling outside of Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego that had two elderly patients inside it.

Police say Saeed Salmeron-Cervantes stole the American Medical Response van around 6:20 p.m. on March 20 while the vehicle's driver was inside the hospital dropping off a patient. The driver saw Mr. Cervantes drive off in the van as he was exiting the hospital and called 911, according to an NBC4 report.

Officers located the van about five blocks away from the hospital, where Mr. Cervantes was trying to drop off the two patients.

Mr. Cervantes was arrested and charged with suspicion of motor vehicle theft, kidnapping, elder abuse and driving under the influence, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

More articles on legal and regulatory issues:

UPMC sues lawyer for allegedly using 'high-pressure' tactics to drum up litigation

18 recently unsealed healthcare false claims cases: 4 takeaways

Kindred claims WellCare delays reimbursement to boost bottom line
The time patients wait to schedule a physician appointment has reached its highest point in more than a decade, according to a Merritt Hawkins report. With the physician shortage only continuing to increase, many hospitals are left wondering about the impact on patient flow.

TeleTracking, a Pittsburgh-based health IT company, has worked to bring automation to patient management since its founding 26 years ago. The company, which was established in 1991, was initially founded to address and expedite the bed turnover process  from the time a patient leaves the room until the time a new patient occupies the room.

TeleTracking has since broadened its mission to facilitate patient flow across the entire healthcare continuum  a vision it is working to educate the industry about. In September 2016, representatives from TeleTracking were invited to testify before the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health to share the company's findings on how delays in patient access leads to financial losses and poor outcomes across the healthcare industry.

"It should come as no surprise, but outcomes become objectively worse the longer a patient waits to receive care," said Kris Kaneta, vice president of marketing at TeleTracking. "In a nutshell, our mission going forward is to ensure that no patient ever waits for the care that they need."

Mr. Kaneta and Nanne Finis, RN, vice president of advisory services at TeleTracking, spoke with Becker's Hospital Review about the importance of efficient patient flow.

Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Question: What does optimizing patient flow mean for TeleTracking and its mission?

Nanne Finis: We look at how patients flow through each part of the health system, at access points from point A to discharge. For example, how quickly the hospital has an appropriate bed ready for a patient, or how long they had to wait for their diagnostics. We can track time along the patient's journey, all the way to the distal end at discharge. That is so critically important; making sure that the discharge of a patient is effective, timely and is really a planned episode of care.

What we're doing right now is helping our clients as they grow their business to pre-hospital  facilitating access for patients who are coming in from clinics, for example. We are now also connecting to the post-acute side of the healthcare industry, after a patient leaves the hospital. We are in position to improve patient flow across the whole continuum of care.

Kris Kaneta: We've always been a very mission-oriented company, and we've spent the better part of the last year reframing who TeleTracking is from a mission standpoint. Five or 10 years ago our mission might have been about making sure that a patient was placed in the right bed, and three to five years ago it was really about the tremendous burden of operational waste that we see across healthcare. While all those things still hold true, today, our mission comes down to having no patient wait for the care they need, ever. Healthcare has a long way to go before it's at a meaningful point of patients getting the care they need, when they need it, where they need it across the continuum.

Q: What are some challenges to delivering automated patient flow?

NF: We have collected 26 years of proprietary information around best practices and outcomes that, when used, are able to help organizations overcome challenges in patient flow. These challenges mainly have to do with patient access, throughput and discharge. Those are the three major buckets of our work. I would also add that flow is not one person's job in a health system. It really needs executive leadership and sponsorship to champion the effort. It's not just a project for health systems  it's a way of life. This journey requires significant change and investment to sustain improvements in flow.

KK: That's really important. Access to quality care has to be a top priority for a health system, and they've got to act as though it is a top priority. This is not something that a project manager is assigned to and can solve in six to eight weeks. It is something that most definitely requires senior leadership and support. What we have found is that, when you have that senior leadership and support, the sky's the limit in terms of outcomes.

Q: What are some areas you see for growth in patient flow and management in the coming year?

NF: On the people and processes side of our work, we're starting to see physicians and other executive leaders become more engaged in the day-to-day operations or flow of their hospitals. Over the last six months, I've seen much higher physician engagement around flow, particularly in some of our better-performing clients. However, there's still a need for comprehensive education around flow, and I think that's the other key  really honing in with these executives, to say, 'what can we do to continue to make this easy and routinized for you.'

KK: One of the areas we're particularly excited about is an offering that will help hospitals and health systems easily extract and analyze their data in order to drive and sustain outcomes. For example, we're making investments in predictive analytics so that hospitals can do a better job of forecasting and capacity planning. Now, a health system will not only be able to see how it's operating, where its delays are and what its capacity is on a daily basis, but it will also be able to forecast those same numbers one, two, three, four, or five days out, and plan accordingly.

At a broader level, it has to be about shifting health IT thinking from applications or even software-as-a-service models to thinking about data as a platform. Looking ahead five years, while you should still expect to see top rated software and services from TeleTracking, it's going to be more and more about how that data is enhancing your ability to proactively drive meaningful change. At any given point in time there are about seven open beds for every two admitted patients, and yet we lose 20 million days a year just waiting to receive care. That's got to end, and I don't think that future is too far off.
McLaren Flint (Mich.) hospital continues to refuse requests from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to supply the department with additional evidence the hospital has made sufficient efforts to reduce the possibility of Legionella exposure at the facility, according to MLive.

The disagreement is rooted in an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that occurred in Flint amid the city's water crisis that began in 2014 when Genesee County switched its main water source to the Flint River. The state health department contends the hospital's handling of the water is what caused the outbreak, while the McLaren Flint argues the water supplied to the hospital was contaminated.

Here are five things to know.

1. From 2014 to 2015, 91 cases of Legionnaires' disease were reported in Genesee County. According to MDHHS, McLaren Flint Hospital was associated with 21 Legionnaires' cases in 2014, 29 cases in 2015 and two cases in 2016. The health department also says the hospital was associated with 45 of 46 inpatient healthcare-associated Legionnaires' disease cases in the county.

2. In February, Nick Lyon, the director of the state health department, issued an order to McLaren Flint under the Public Health Code for the hospital to take actions to correct conditions at the facility to reduce the risk of future exposure to Legionella.

3. On March 10, Chad Grant, president and CEO of McLaren Flint, sent a letter to Mr. Lyon with information requested by the state and affidavits from experts citing the Flint water system as the source of the Legionnaires' outbreak. Mr. Lyon responded with a letter citing a report from the CDC that identifies the hospital as the likely source for the outbreak, according to MLive.

Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox

4. The health department director argues the hospital should provide the health department with more detailed water testing documents and permit the state to hire an independent water monitoring expert the hospital would then pay for.

"While I and MDHHS welcome the opportunity for staff to meet and discuss these issues with McLaren Flint staff, the time for merely exchanging correspondence is at an end," said Mr. Lyon, according to a report from Crain's Detroit Business published Thursday.

5. Mr. Grant continues to refuses to comply with the state orders, arguing the hospital already adheres to industry best practices for water quality management.

"We have already provided MDHHS with the documents and information that have been requested, including more than sufficient data to understand that McLaren Flint's water systems are both effective and compliant," Mr. Grant said in his statement to Crain's Detroit Business. "Though Mr. Lyon states it is not the intention of MDHHS to single out our hospital, the agency's conduct and communications suggest otherwise. MDHHS has maintained a narrow, if not exclusive, focus on McLaren Flint when it comes to legionella in our community."

More articles on infection control:

WHO releases TB ethics guidance to protect patients' rights

Hepatitis drug proves effective against Ebola

Mumps outbreak continues in Chicago suburb
Every year 130.4 million patients visit emergency departments across the United States, making the ED a key patient access point for hospitals.

Of those visits: 37.2 million are injury-related visits, 12.2 million result in hospital admissions, 1.5 million result in admissions to critical care units, and 2.2 percent result in ED transfers to psychiatric or other hospitals for care. 1

Heidi Gartland, vice president of government relations at University Hospitals, said it well: "Emergency rooms are the places patients show up, [and that's] not the most efficient healthcare dollar expenditure." 2

As the statistics show, from 1999 through 2009  prior to the Affordable Care Act  the number of visits to emergency departments increased 32 percent, resulting in overcrowded EDs, long wait times and ballooning hospital bad debt due to high numbers of uninsured patients showing up at the ED for care. The hope of many hospitals was that the ACA would help mitigate many of those issues. While many hospitals are working hard to keep wait times short, using online check-in, split-flow patient triage models and separate EDs for pediatric or geriatric patients, the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that only 29.8 percent of U.S. hospitals serve ED patients in fewer than 15 minutes. The vast majority of hospitals within the United States continue to fall well-below better performance. 1

There are many factors keeping hospitals from hitting their operational and financial sweet spots, but in our consulting experience, three areas consistently surface as barriers: 1) ineffective use of data and technology, 2) a culture averse to change and 3) clinical and operational practice variation. This article will discuss all three in more depth.

Data and Technology

It is rare for patients these days to enter an emergency department without some form of technology in their hand or pocket. Yet many U.S. emergency departments still do not use data or technology to their fullest potential or act on the data collected.

A survey completed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in Rockville, MD [Grant No. 5 R01 HS013099] of 99 emergency departments in 23 states validated that to be the case. The researchers reported that 99 percent of the respondents indicated they used some form of technology applications in their ED. However, when the researchers dug deeper, they learned the hospitals were simply using technology as a means to relay information from one place or person to another for patient tracking (74 percent), ordering laboratory tests (62 percent) or for communicating test results (92 percent), laboratory results (97 percent) and radiology reports (99 percent). 3

Only a small portion of the surveyed hospitals indicated they had fully adopted technological applications such as electronic medication ordering (38 percent) or adverse medication cross-reaction warnings (13 percent). Only 20 percent indicated they used bar-coding technology in their EDs, though this tool has been available for decades. 3

But barriers such as cost and difficulty of implementation have impeded many U.S. hospitals from taking advantage of this benefit.4 Many hospitals have upgraded their technology but do not use it appropriately or to the fullest extent. We encountered one such example while working with a Level 1 trauma center outside a metropolitan city.

This major teaching hospital utilized an electronic ED patient bed registration system and smartphone communication technology to engage EMS and physicians in decision making. But they failed to use one of the most basic tools in their EPIC arsenal  electronic flags. These flags, if routinely "flipped" by providers alert, staff when a patient is ready to go to the next step in care, such as imaging, lab or discharge. As a result, patients sat disgruntled in waiting rooms as the clock ticked away and providers wasted time following up.

This same ED collected standard ED quality metrics like door-to-doctor minutes, length-of-stay minutes and door-to-discharge times but never analyzed the trends the data showed or took action, rendering the benchmarks essentially useless.

If other hospitals across the country are making these same basic day-to-day mistakes, could this be a reason for why only 29.8 percent of U.S. hospitals serve ED patients in fewer than 15 minutes? 1

As Dr. Regan Henry, PhD, Healthcare Architect and Research Director at E4H Environments for Health Architecture, points out in his February 13, 2017 article published in Becker's Hospital Review, there are at least seven technological avenues currently available which, if utilized consistently and properly, would revolutionize the way emergency departments treat and care for patients.

1) Miniaturization of imaging and diagnostic equipment, (e.g. bedside I-STAT blood testing),

2) Exam room telemedicine smart TVs ,

3) Handheld mobile tablets with real-time accessibility to EMRs,

4) Patient flow software to identify available beds by specialty,

5) On-line patient check in or free-standing kiosks,

6) Real-time patient locating systems (RFID) allowing nurses to know exactly where ED patients are at all times, and

7) Use of lean principles, to identify ED waste by standardizing work processes and ensure reproducible and predictable outcomes. 5

So why are some EDs in the United States not taking full advantage of these innovations? To be fair some are. However, many others are not innovating for basic reasons such as lack of resources and cultural norms rendering them averse to change.

Staffing, Leadership and Cultural Norms

As the old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." These words are applicable to the Level 1 trauma center example previously described. This ED, in addition to not using technology effectively, had cultural blind spots and fear of change. In short, they were doing what they always had done and getting results they did not want but didn't know how to correct.

On average a busy Level 1 trauma center can see patient swings of up to 40 percent from hour to hour. So when it comes to staffing an ED effectively for peak performance, where do you start?

Based on the premise that there are 8,760 hours in a year and the ED is open every one of those hours, the appropriate ratio of provider to patients per hour should run around 1.8 to 2.8 patients per provider per hour.6

Kirk B. Jensen, M.D., MBA, a faculty member of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in Boston and chair of IHI's collaborative on Improving Flow in the Acute Care Setting and Operational and Clinical Improvement in the ED, believes when matching your staffing capabilities or capacity to demand, all EDs reach an inflection point. Dr. Jensen believes once an ED reaches 2.1 or 2.2 patients on average per hour, per provider, it is time to take a critical look at the ED provider staffing patterns. This involves considering both provider proficiency and the use of a mix of physician provider-to-patient ratios versus mid-level provider-to-patient ratios. 6

Figure 1 below illustrates how one Level 1 trauma center has gone beyond its inflection point. The center averages as high as 12 to 14 patients per hour per provider during peak flow times. As you can see, the hospital collected data. What you don't see is they were not acting on what the data was revealing. This ED's day-to-day operations were terribly dysfunctional. No one was really leading or managing the department, and patients were paying the price.

The Chief of Emergency Medicine and physician leaders mistrusted the nursing leaders and managers. The ED business managers collected the operational data illustrated in Figure 1 but failed to share it, and the managers never asked for the data.

Figure 1: Sample Patient Arrival Patterns and Provider Ratios by Hour of Day

When our team was called in, we discovered Press Ganey patient satisfaction scores in the 20th percentile, ESI Level 5 patients walking in but immediately being put on stretchers (the hospital norm), no real effective patient triage models and patient length of stays for admitted and treat/release patients on average 9.2 and 12.1 hours, respectively. To say this ED was not operating efficiently would be an understatement. The hospital's staffing problems fell squarely into the areas Dr. Jensen alluded to:

 The ED saw no need to use mid-level providers in their triage areas, even though on average 30 percent of all ED patients can be easily seen and independently treated by mid-level providers (e.g. physician assistants or nurse practitioners) to improve patient flow and throughput. 6

 They had not embraced common ED split-flow patient throughput models due to their cultural norm of placing every single ED patient on a stretcher prior to being seen by a provider.

These kinds of cultural inflexibility, lack of day-to-day management and outlier staffing protocols makes one wonder: Just how often are other EDs around the country experiencing overcrowding simply because they are doing what they have always done? Creating a culture for change is hard work, but doing what you've always done is a recipe for disaster.

Clinical Variation and Quality

In February 2014, 45 emergency medicine leaders from around the United States convened in Las Vegas for the American College of Emergency Medicine's Third Performance Measures and Benchmarking Summit. The purpose of the summit was to build upon the results of previous summits to improve the timeliness and efficiency of emergency medical care.

The summit participants concluded that "Variation is at the root of all quality issues. Whether found in a highly mechanical production environment or consumer-oriented service industry, variation invariably precedes system failure." 7

The researchers went on to say, "Measurement is the most fundamental tool in the hospital leader's toolkit to identify and mitigate [practice] variation." 7

In our practice, we have noted two front-end emergency operational activities prone to wide variation due to human subjectivity:

1) Emergency Severity Index (ESI) designations, and

2) Medical screening exams (MSE).

It has only been 18 years since two emergency room physicians, Drs. Richard Wuertz and David Eitel, developed the original ESI five-level patient triaging concept in 1998. However, the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) designations did not become fully adopted until around 2010 with the introduction of online CEU-credited ESI courses, enabling widespread access to training. 8

While seven years seems like an eternity in our fast-paced world, the reality is even with availability of online training, ED physicians and nurses around the country are still not consistently coding and stratifying patients in exactly the same way. The ESI system, though far superior to no system at all, is still hampered by human subjectivity. This is why the American College of Emergency Medicine's Third Performance Measures and Benchmarking Summit was so important.

If you are not tracking and trending and reviewing weekly the breakdown of your ED's ESI scores to determine statistical variation between providers, you are likely to find that your organization is vulnerable to legal risks. Consumer demand for transparency is greater than ever. The absence of consistency in designating appropriate ESI levels creates havoc downstream, including impeding patient throughput.

Conclusion:

The main point of reviewing how your ED uses technology and staff and tracks and trends clinical patient outcomes is to provide seamless and effective emergency care. Seconds and minutes save lives. If you haven't taken a deep-dive into your ED operations lately, maybe you should.

The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of FTI Consulting, Inc., its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals.

Pamela Froneberger is a Director at FTI Consulting and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is part of the Health Solutions segment. Pamela's 30 years of clinical and operational healthcare experience have focused on clinical, financial and operational improvements in a variety of healthcare settings including multi-state IDNs, urban academic teaching hospitals, rural and critical access hospitals as well as non-acute healthcare providers.

Prior to working with FTI, Ms. Froneberger held various cardiovascular clinical nursing, supply chain management and clinical performance improvement positions with a national group purchasing organization and a Fortune 500 cardiovascular medical device company. Ms. Froneberger is a fellow and certified healthcare resource manager through the American Society of Healthcare Resource Management. She has published healthcare operational improvement and physician engagement articles in Becker's Hospital Review, Physician Executive, Cath Lab Digest and other national healthcare journals.

Ms. Froneberger received her B.S in Nursing from The University of North Carolina-Greensboro and completed post-graduate Healthcare Executive Fellowship Program in Management from Northwestern University's, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Business.

FOOTNOTES:

1: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Center of Health Statistics, Emergency Department Stats, January 17, 2017.

2. Repeal of Obamacare could put strain on local ERs, affect contraceptive benefits, by Brie Zeltner, The Plain Dealer November 11, 2016.

3. International Journal of Emergency Medicine (IJEM), "Health information technology in US emergency departments", September 3, 2010, Daniel J. Pallin, et al.

4. Journal of Emergency Medicine, "Adoption of Information Technology in Massachusetts Emergency Departments, February 18, 2009, Daniel J. Pallin, et al.

5. Becker's Hospital Review, "7 Innovations Transforming Emergency Care", by Regan Henry, PhD, AIA, LEED AP, LSSBB, February 13, 2017.

6. American College Emergency Physicians News, "Staffing an ED Appropriately and Efficiently", August 2009 by Martha Collins.

7. Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, "Emergency Department Performance Measurement Updates: Proceedings of the 2014 Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance Consensus Summit, April 21, 2015 by Jennifer L. Wiler, MD, et al.

8. Emergency Severity Index (ESI): A Triage Tool for Emergency Department. Content last reviewed February 2013. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.

The views, opinions and positions expressed within these guest posts are those of the author alone and do not represent those of Becker's Hospital Review/Becker's Healthcare. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.
CNN reports House Republicans pulled the American Health Care Act.

Here are four key insights:

1. House Speaker Paul Ryan again canceled a vote on the ACA replacement bill, set for today. He informed fellow Republicans they do not have plans to try again, as reported by The New York Times.

2. Speaker Ryan met with President Donald Trump to relay that they did not possess enough votes for passage of the bill.

3. President Trump told NYT he places blame on the Democrats, and not Speaker Ryan, for the bills failure.

4. CNN reports moderate Republicans as well as Freedom Caucus members do not support the bill.

Read about the AHCA's recent changes here.
Five spine surgeons discuss the business of medicine and the knowledge that would have been useful earlier in their careers.

Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses.





Next week's question: What is the best book you have read in the past year that has made an impact on your career?





Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, March 29, at 5 p.m. CST.

Question: What business aspect of spine care do you wish you had known more about before starting your career?

Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: This is a difficult question, because there are a lot of things I wish I had done differently from a business standpoint. I think primarily that knowing people are willing to pay for good work and that not to get discouraged by the shenanigans so many carriers play out. If I were to advise the me of seven years ago, I would have started my own practice first and built my brand from day one.

Plas T. James, MD. Spine Surgeon at Atlanta Spine Institute: I think just knowing more about basic accounting and business models would be helpful. In medical school, we didn't really learn a lot about business when I was training 20 years ago. I also think human resources, or just learning to manage people in general, is a skill that would have been very helpful to learn early on before medical school or during medical school.

Vladimir Sinkov, MD. Spine Surgeon at New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center (Nashua): All of them. I had no formal training in the business and marketing aspects of medicine and surgery or how to run a private practice. I had to learn on the job, sometimes through trial and error but more often through advice of my senior peers. I do my best to educate students that rotate with me about the business of medicine so that they have easier time starting their careers.

Richard Kube, MD. Founder and CEO of Prairie Spine & Pain Institute (Peoria, Ill.): I guess you could, in some way, say all of it because I think most fellows are ill-prepared to be business owners upon graduation. In particular, I would have liked to have known more about ambulatory facilities earlier. That has been a very rewarding part of our practice and had I known more earlier, we would have likely started our facility sooner. I think it would also be good to have a greater understanding of human resources and the hiring process. That can be a very time-consuming part of the practice if there is turnover, and it is financially inefficient as well.

Kern Singh, MD. Co-Director of Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (Chicago): Marketing and image is something I think surgeons aren't constantly aware about, especially not in the thick of training, but it is a necessary component of one's practice. From the presence that you have online to the way that you portray yourself in patient encounters, it is important to be mindful of the reputation that you portray to the public. That can be incredibly helpful or devastating in your professional growth.
To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below
Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher will leave his role this year, the bank has announced.

A precise date has not been given but the bank has begun looking for the 58-year-olds successor, it said it in a statement.

Mr Boucher has led the bank since 2009.

I have made this decision from the fortunate position of enjoying my job and being excited about the next stage in our groups development, including the transformational investment which is underway in our infrastructure to support our customers and the group, not just for tomorrow but for future generations.

"However, I will be 59 in August of this year and I feel it best for the group that someone else leads the groups next stage of development, Mr Boucher said.

This has influenced my decision to retire from the group at this time, and to focus on the other things which I might like to do with my life.

Mr Boucher will remain in the role until his successor is identified.
Businessman Ray Coyle has resigned as chairman and director of the company behind Tayto in the Republic of Ireland, ending his 35-year relationship with the snack maker.

His departure comes following the takeover of the business by German food group Intersnack in 2015.

Mr Coyle has resigned as a director of both Tayto Crisps and its parent company, Largo Foods, which he founded in 1982.

Largo also produces the Hunky Dory and King crisp brands. It bought the Tayto name from C&C in 2006.

Mr Coyle sold an initial 15% stake in Largo Foods to Intersnack in 2007 for 15m (13m).

The businessman later sold a further stake in the company to the German firm, and in 2015 handed his final 25% holding in Largo to Intersnack.

Mr Coyle had an option to buy back an 11% stake in 2015, but did not exercise it.

When he sold his remaining cut, he agreed to remain as a director and chairman of the firms until at least this year.

Company filings show Mr Coyle, who could not be contacted yesterday, resigned as a director at the end of December.

But his other connections to Tayto continue. The businessman opened Tayto Park in 2010, putting millions of euro of his own money into the venture, which is situated beside the Tayto factory in Ashbourne, Co Meath.

The park has grown to become one of the country's biggest visitor attractions. It was ranked number six among paid attractions in 2015 by Failte Ireland, luring 750,000 visitors that year.

It is also home to Europe's largest wooden roller coaster, the Cu Chulainn, which opened in 2015.

This year, the park is opening a major water ride, dubbed the Viking Voyage.

It will also include a Viking village.

Mr Coyle, who started his working life as a potato farmer, raffled off 280 acres of land in 1982 in order to pay back money owed to banks as his business struggled.

The businessman has a number of other investments outside Tayto Park.

He is an investor in Cork-based firm Everseen, whose technology helps prevent fraud, theft and irregularities at points of sale in stores.

Intersnack has a other interests and owns a raft of other brands including Hula-Hoops, KP and Skips.
A Californian technology firm set up by an Ulster University student is to open a Belfast office this year after landing a $10m (8m) injection from some of Silicon Valley's biggest names.

Lystable, an enterprise start-up that enables businesses to manage freelance staff, has secured the money from PayPal founder Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures, Goldcrest Capital, Kindred Capital, Glynn Capital and Wilmont Ventures.

Founder Peter Johnston, who is from Carrickfergus, is returning to his roots and creating 10 jobs with the new company office at the former Ormeau Baths.

The 28-year-old, a past pupil of Carrickfergus Grammar School who studied PR and multimedia at Ulster University, began his career with Google.

Lystable boasts more than 60 clients, among them big names like Google, Airbnb and MTV, and has annual revenues of between $1.5m (1.2m) and $3m (2.4m).

"We are opening the new office in November," Mr Johnston told the Belfast Telegraph.

"It was mainly a business decision to choose Belfast.

"It's the same timezone with London and the UK clients, and was cost-effective.

"I went to Jordanstown and you have graduates - there's a lot of talent in Belfast."

The company currently has offices in San Francisco and London.

Mr Johnston said the new Belfast base will focus on client support.

The former Ormeau Baths has become a tech hub backed by people like FanDuel's Nigel Eccles and Aaron Taylor, managing partner of venture capital firm Frankly.

"It will be training on software for clients, in Europe timezones, and really offering more proactive seminars and online training via Skype and Google Hangouts," Mr Johnston explained.

On plans for the fresh capital, he said: "One area is overall expansion, as we have been growing pretty fast, and to meet demand for software we are adding similar types of people and software engineers."

The firm is also adding new senior executives to the team, and hopes to grow to at least 75 employees by the end of the year.

"We are launching a premium version of the product. At the moment it's free. We are going to give them (customers) the ability to pay the freelancers," he added.

"Our software is like HR software, but catered for the freelance world.

"Like ESPN, they have their employees at their headquarters, but they also have an army of 1,000 freelance photographers.

"They won't be managed through that (HR software), but they will be managed by software like Lystable."

Asked what it was like working with some of the technology world's biggest names, he said: "It's a bit weird. I left Jordanstown six years ago, but it feels like yesterday.

"You get a very good broad base of skills, and I found my feet at Google.

"It's been fun and it's huge for any company."

Mr Johnston said he will be involved in the set-up of the Belfast office, and then will take on someone to run it.

Valar Ventures' James Fitzgerald said: "Lystable is at the heart of a seismic shift in how people work. The concept of having a single, full-time employer is increasingly a thing of the past.

"As the freelancer economy grows, companies of all sizes need an efficient and streamlined way to manage their growing army of freelancers."
Ulster Bank has announced it is cutting 22 branches in the Republic just days after it was revealed nine locations would be axed in Northern Ireland.

Parent company Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) also announced it would close 150 of its branches, including those under the NatWest brand, resulting in hundreds of job losses after a "dramatic shift" in banking.

The decision will affect 30 RBS and 128 NatWest branches. It is thought that around 470 jobs will be lost.

But in the Republic, around 220 jobs are to go, along with a raft of closures, including many in rural areas.

Earlier this month, the Belfast Telegraph revealed Ulster Bank was cutting nine branches across Northern Ireland. It is also axing around 10 jobs at its local brokerage team.

Ulster Bank chief executive Gerry Mallon, the former head of Danske Bank in Northern Ireland, said that as well as doubling the number of mobile banks, the lender planned to introduce a number of community banks in the Republic.

He added: "These changes include the closure of 22 branches.

"Our branch network remains an important part of how we serve our customers.

"However, the role of the branch continues to move toward advice and away from day-to-day transactions.

"Only 10% of our customer interactions now happen in branches."

Most of the branch closures in the Republic are in smaller towns, but five are also set to go in Dublin.

In Northern Ireland, meanwhile, Ulster Bank is closing nine branches in October.

They include banks on the Antrim Road, Woodstock Road, Boucher Road and Newtownbreda in Belfast, Kircubbin in Co Down, Bangor Main Street, Garvagh and Monkstown in Co Antrim and Ulster Bank's Londonderry branch close to the Millennium Forum.

Speaking about its branch closures in the Great Britain, RBS - headed by Ross McEwan - said it had considered branch usage and the alternative ways customers can bank before coming to the decision.

A spokesman added: "We have seen a dramatic shift in the way our customers are choosing to bank, with more using mobile and online over traditional branch counters.

"Simple transactions undertaken in branch at NatWest and RBS have fallen by 43% since 2010, while online and mobile transactions have increased by more than 400%."

Around 770 staff will be affected by the closures, but 300 will be moved to other jobs.
Andys fans from all over the world are helping to support Red Nose Day.

Love Actually star Andrew Lincoln has met fans ahead of the films Red Nose Day sequel in a bid to drum up extra funds for charity.

Andrew, who plays lovesick Mark in both the original film and the 10-minute follow-up, welcomed some of his US admirers as they made a sponsored pilgrimage around the movies most memorable London locations.

They visited St Lukes Mews, where Lincoln presented his famous heart-warming cue cards to Keira Knightleys character, and the bench at Gabriels Wharf where Liam Neesons character learnt that his son was in love.

Team Andy Lincolns trek  and rendezvous with the star himself at a Walker Stalker convention in Olympia  raised 610 for childrens charity Barnardos.

Andrew, an ambassador for the organisation, said: Im so grateful to all my fans wherever they are in the world for supporting me, but I have to say a really special thank you to those amazing fans in Team Andy Lincoln.

Theyve decided to raise funds for Barnardos childrens charity which Ive supported for several years.

The international fan community, which includes members from Australia and the Philippines, has raised more than 24,000 for the charity with events in honour of Andrews role as deputy sheriff Rick Grimes in zombie horror series The Walking Dead.

The Walker Stalker conventions see them sell T-shirts and raffle off memorabilia from the show.

I couldnt believe it when I saw theyve raised more than 24,000 to enable Barnardos to support these vulnerable children, the 43-year-old star continued.

Their fantastic fundraising efforts will help this leading UK charity continue its vital work, giving children a brighter and more fulfilling future.

As an ambassador for the charity Ive been lucky enough to see first-hand the work it does making a difference in youngsters lives and this is thanks to people like those in Team Andy Lincoln.

Red Nose Day Actually will be broadcast as part of the BBCs special Comic Relief programme on Friday.
A drug that reverses ageing, promotes DNA repair and could help astronauts travel to Mars by reducing the impact of cosmic radiation, may be on the market in three years, scientists claim

A drug that reverses ageing, promotes DNA repair and could help astronauts travel to Mars by reducing the impact of cosmic radiation, may be on the market in three years, scientists claim.

Researchers working with two biotech companies hope to begin testing the treatment on clinical trial patients in six months.

In early experiments the drug, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), had a dramatic rejuvenating effect on ageing mice.

Lead scientist Professor David Sinclair, from the University of South Wales (USW) in Australia and Harvard Medical School in the US, said: "The cells of the old mice were indistinguishable from the young mice after just one week of treatment.

"This is the closest we are to a safe and effective anti-ageing drug that's perhaps only three to five years away from being on the market, if the trials go well."

NMN boosts levels of NAD+, the oxidised form of the chemical nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which is naturally present in every cell of the body and helps regulate protein interactions that control DNA repair.

Accumulated DNA damage is believed to be a major driver of natural ageing and a primary cause of cancer.

Recent work highlighting the chemical's potential anti-ageing properties has led to an influx of NAD+ supplements available online. However, there is no hard evidence that the low-dose supplements can keep ageing at bay.

The new research, reported in the journal Science, showed that NAD+ boosts the activity of a well-known DNA repair enzyme called PARP1.

The work has attracted the interest of the American space agency Nasa, which is looking for ways of shielding astronauts from the effects of radiation on the long voyage to Mars.

High levels of cosmic radiation mean the chances of unprotected astronauts developing cancer could approach 100%. A competition run by Nasa in search for possible solutions was won by Prof Sinclair's team last year.

The first clinical trial is expected to get under way at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, US, this year.
Tick-tock: Stormont's new First Minister and Deputy First Minister must be nominated by Monday at 4pm

The British Government has been accused of delaying a deal on addressing the legacy of the conflict as Northern Ireland negotiations reach a critical stage.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire is blocking access to justice for families who have waited 45 years, Sinn Fein claimed.

Mr Brokenshire said they had a duty to victims to deal with past violence which left 3,637 dead and countless more injured.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said there was a chance over the next few days to resolve legacy issues "once and for all" as the deadline to restore political power-sharing looms on Monday.

Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy said: "The British Government has been kicking this can down the road forever and the reality is it is not a matter of what the political parties need.

"There are families out there waiting 45 years for access to justice.

"The British Government cannot continue to deny them access to justice."

The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein have been at loggerheads over funding for inquests into deaths during the 25-year Troubles.

Power-sharing collapsed in January after a row over a botched green energy scheme predicted to cost the taxpayer up to half a billion pounds.

Sinn Fein has said it will not share power with the Democratic Unionists' leader Arlene Foster as First Minister until a public inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is concluded.

The parties only have until 4pm on Monday to resolve their differences or face another snap election.

Mr Murphy added: "It is a critical time here. The clock is ticking."

The Ulster Unionists have warned there is limited potential for a deal to be struck in time.

Chief negotiator Tom Elliott said: "Whether we can make the deadline is still questionable.

"We have no idea how long the talks will go on for or if they will go beyond that 4pm Monday deadline.

Mr Brokenshire said discussions had been constructive.

"There are a number of issues where I see common ground and where I firmly believe that resolution can be achieved."

Mr Flanagan said it was important agreement was reached on Monday.

"Often minds are focused intensively once clocks are ticking loudly and once deadlines are looming.

"We are now entering that phase."
Charlie Flanagan said he was optimistic an agreement to restore powersharing at Stormont could be reached before the deadline

A chance to resolve divisive legacy issues "once and for all" will arise over the next few days, Irish foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan has said.

Mr Flanagan said a lot of challenges remain in terms of restoring the powersharing government at Stormont before the deadline at 4pm on Monday.

However, he insisted he was optimistic that agreement could be reached over the weekend.

He also said there was an opportunity to finally resolve outstanding legacy issues.

"This is an opportunity to deal with legacy issues once and for all. We owe it to the victims and survivors and communities across Northern Ireland," he said.

Talks have resumed between the political parties and the Irish and British governments and are expected to continue throughout the weekend.

If no agreement is reached by Monday, another snap election may have to be called.

"It is imperative we reach agreement on Monday," said Mr Flanagan.

"The statutory situation is quite clear. Monday at 4pm is the deadline after which the Secretary of State has to acknowledge the legal position.

"Often minds are focused intensively once clocks are ticking loudly and once deadlines are looming. We are now entering that phase and I believe it is incumbent upon everyone to engage in a way

Despite the tight deadline, there have still been no round table talks of the political leaders.

However, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he believed a deal was still "very doable."

He also praised the DUP leader Arlene Foster for attending the funeral of Martin McGuinness on Thursday.

"Yesterday was a very good start, by turning up and showing respect to Martin McGuinness' family," said Mr Eastwood.

"That was met by applause. The people of Derry understood it was a significant moment."

Secretary of State James Brokenshire said there are a number of issues where he can see common ground and where resolution can be achieved.

"But there are other issues that still remain to be resolved in order for an executive to be formed on Monday," he said.

"We also have a duty to survivors and victims to come forward with proposals to deal with the past."
Three Co Armagh businessmen who sold hundreds of fake "electricity saving devices" are now being investigated over the sale of slurry gas detectors

Three Co Armagh businessmen who sold hundreds of fake "electricity saving devices" are now being investigated over the sale of slurry gas detectors.

The men, who traded as Electricity Saver Ireland, were convicted of conspiracy to defraud last week.

Gary John McGeown, John Paul McGeown and Peter Doran pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud consumers and businesses. Their firm is based in Abbey Street, Armagh, and has offices in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Customers were charged between 200 and 7,500 for devices which Trading Standards said amounted to "little more than pieces of plastic".

The trio are also behind a "lifesaving" device sold to farmers to detect lethal slurry gases. This is now the subject of a Health and Safety Executive investigation, the Belfast Telegraph has learned. The HSENI confirmed it was "making enquiries" into the firm's slurry detectors.

Electricity Saver Ireland said the devices, which retail for around 200, would save lives. They are said to warn farmers before toxic gases from manure reached dangerous levels.

They were pushed as a farmyard safety essential after the Spence tragedy, which claimed three farmers' lives in 2012.

The incident in Hillsborough saw Ulster Rugby star Nevin Spence, his brother Graham and father Noel killed after they were overcome by toxic gases.

A Newtownards sheep farmer told the Belfast Telegraph that he relied on the device every time he spread slurry. He said: "I thought it was very good. It was always beeping to say it was detecting gas."

Over the last five years six farmers have died in slurry-related incidents in Northern Ireland.

A HSENI spokesman said: "HSENI are currently making enquiries into Electric Saver Ireland's sale of slurry gas detectors."

The spokesman added: "There are a range of hand-held hydrogen sulphide detectors, produced by a number of well-known manufacturers, which are readily available and can, if properly maintained and calibrated, provide an additional safety precaution for farmers working with slurry.

"HSENI is of the opinion that monitors can only ever be a back-up to a safe system of work, not a substitute."
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (R) and Northern Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill (L) lay the Irish flag on the coffin of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness before it is processed through the Bogside neighbourhood of Derry to his family home on March 21, 2017. AFP/Getty Images

The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry by Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill after he died aged 66. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire

A long line of mourners queue to pay ther respects at the home of Martin McGuinness on March 22, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

A man paints the 'Free Derry' corner wall in the Bogside ahead of the Funeral of Martin McGuinness. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

A sign directing mourners to the wake of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is pictured in the Bogside area of Derry.

Mourners gather at the home of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside area of Derry on March 22, 2017.

Bill Clinton sets off from Dublin Airport for Derry, and the funeral of Martin McGuinness

Mourners hold a banner for the late Martin McGuinness as they make their way to the funeral on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

(From the left) Ireland Funds John Fitzpatrick, SDLP MP Mark Durkan and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Alex Salmond arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. : Niall Carson/PA Wire

Alastair Campbell arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton (centre) arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) John Delaney arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Taoiseach Enda Kenny (centre) arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen (centre) arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The funeral cortege of Martin McGuinness passes through the streets of Derry on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry.

The coffin of Martin McGuinness is carried past the Brandywell area of Londonderry ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in the city. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried down Westland Street into the Bogside ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry.

LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Mourners gather outside of St Columba's Church on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The funeral procession arrives with the coffin at St Columba's Church Long Tower for the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Derry, Northern Ireland on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

Former US President Bill Clinton (left) and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: (L-R) Sinn Fein Southern leader Mary Lou McDonald, Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O'Neill and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams arrive at St Columba's Church on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: The coffin of the late Martin McGuinness arrives at St Columba's Church on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Gerry Adams (centre right) and Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill (centre left) arrive at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry, where the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is being held. : Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Gerry Adams carries the coffin during the funeral procession of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Thomas McMullan/PA Wire

Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill carries the coffin during the funeral procession of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Thomas McMullan/PA Wire

The funeral procession arrives with the coffin at St Columba's Church Long Tower for the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Derry, Northern Ireland on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill (left) Mary Lou McDonald (middle) and Gerry Adams (right) during the funeral procession of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Thomas McMullan/PA Wire

Arlene Foster and Bishop John McKeown arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Former US President Bill Clinton (centre) and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (left) arriving for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Martin McGuinness's wife Bernadette (Bernie) is comforted ahead of the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, outside his home in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images

The funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness takes place at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness takes place at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. : Niall Carson/PA Wire

The funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness takes place at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Former US President Bill Clinton speaks during the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness takes place at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Former US President Bill Clinton speaks during the funeral of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. Niall Carson/PA Wire

The coffin of the late Martin McGuinness is carried as the funeral cortege passes through the streets of Derry on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The son of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Emmet McGuinness (centre left) helps to carry the coffin of his father on it's way for burial at the City Cemetery of Derry on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images

Former US President Bill Clinton hugs Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams during the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, in St Columba's Church Long Tower in Derry, Northern Ireland on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Niall CarsonNIALL CARSON/AFP/Getty Images

LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O'Neill look on after the funeral service at St Columba's Church on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

PABEST Gerry Adams carries the coffin during the funeral procession of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, ahead of his funeral at St Columba's Church Long Tower, in Londonderry. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Thomas McMullan/PA Wire

LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O'Neill (R) lead mourners as the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness is carried to Derry City Cemetery on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND - MARCH 23: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O'Neill lead mourners as the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness is carried to Derry City Cemetery on March 23, 2017 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The funeral is held for Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who died on Monday 20th March 2017. He was once chief of staff of the IRA but later became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday agreement bringing peace to Northern Ireland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

(left to right) Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald speak at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry this afternoon. Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press

Gerry Adams steps up to speak at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

(left to right) Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald speak at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Gerry Adams steps up to speak at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The coffin of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is carried through the Bogside area of Derry, for burial at the City Cemetery of Derry on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images

The coffin of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is carried through the Bogside area of Derry, for burial at the City Cemetery of Derry on March 23, 2017. Former Irish Republican Army commander turned peace negotiator Martin McGuinness divided opinion both in life and in death but on Thursday his supporters gave him the funeral of an Irish chieftain. / AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images

(left to right) Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald huddle at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, after the funeral service of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness. PA

Bernie Mcguinness stands by the graveside of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness at Derry City Cemetery, in Londonderry, following his funeral service. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday March 23, 2017. See PA story FUNERAL McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry. Pictured is Gerry Adams. Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press

The Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry this afternoon. Pictured is Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill. Image: Pacemaker

Funeral of former Sinn Fein leader and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the Bogside in Derry. Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press

Belfast city councillor Chris McGimpsey has said he was wrong to say the funeral for Martin McGuinness would become a "provo fest".

The UUP representative in a Facebook post said there was "no necessity" for his outgoing party leader Mike Nesbitt, or any other unionist, to attend the funeral and that it would essentially be a "provo fest".

"That's what I thought it might well be," he told the BBC, "I have been proven wrong and it was a very dignified day."

He said everything was done with "great dignity" until Gerry Adams' comments at the graveside.

Read More

"How can you say you want to respect your unionist neighbours and tact that [Ireland unfree shall never be at peace] on? That took away from what was a dignified day."

If we forget Martin McGuinness the IRA commander, we also forget the victims Chris McGimpsey

He added: "My point was when I put that post up it was clear the mood of the UUP was not with Mike Nesbitt. We have got to differentiate between McGuinness of the past 30 years to McGuinness of the last 10. I don't want to trample on the grave of anyone."

Read More

Alderman McGimpsey said he would not have attended the funeral of the veteran republican which saw political leaders including former American President Bill Clinton jet in to attend.

"I certainly would not have gone," said the councillor. "I was brought up to say you don't speak ill of the dead and I would bear that in mind. Martin McGuinness the family man with the loving wife and children we all feel for them. But Martin McGuinness the IRA commander can not be forgotten.

"If we forget Martin McGuinness the IRA commander, we also forget the victims. The victims are the ones who have really been left behind in this process. If we don't find a solution that brings victims along then we will be in difficulties."

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

Former SDLP minister Brid Rodgers said she was shocked at the comments. "Everybody has a past but in the past 15 years Martin McGuinness reached out. He did things that were difficult. It was not easy for him to shake hands with the Queen."

Belfast Alliance councillor Michael Long added: "Chris McGimpsey on Talkback having a go at Mike Nesbitt attending the funeral is just the latest example of the vision free, rudderless ship that is the UUP group at city hall.

"In my opinion, it is just a collection of whingers harking back to the past with no ideas or proposals to move the city or Northern Ireland forward."
It would be bizarre for Prime Minister Theresa May to fly into Northern Ireland but avoid becoming involved in the talks to save Stormont, Alliance leader Naomi Long has warned.

On the eve of her party's annual conference tomorrow - which will be her first as party leader - Mrs Long also said a botched Brexit could boost the prospects for moves towards a united Ireland.

Mrs May's imminent arrival is part of a UK-wide tour aimed at providing reassurances about the potential impact of EU withdrawal.

But the Northern Ireland Office has been unable to confirm if she will take any part in the negotiations with a deadline to appoint a new First Minister and Deputy First Minister just three days away.

"It is quite surreal to think Theresa May would visit at a time when the very future of power-sharing hangs in the balance, yet not feel compelled to actively participate in the current talks process," Mrs Long said.

"It suggests a Prime Minister who is either oblivious to the perilous state of devolution, or simply doesn't care.

"At what is a critical time in the negotiations and in the Brexit process, I think it is important the Prime Minister considers carefully the message such non-engagement will send to the people of Northern Ireland regarding the importance of devolution and Northern Ireland's interests to her Government.

"Otherwise, what is intended to reassure people of her interest could spectacularly backfire."

In a theme she will return to in her keynote speech, Mrs Long said failing to listen to the concerns of both nationalists and unionists about the impact of Brexit could lead to increased support for Irish reunification.

"I think a botched Brexit could potentially make that prospect greater," she said.

"Our needs are very different from the south-east of England yet what I think we are having is a Brexit tailored around the demands and needs of the conservative south-east, which is not paying heed to the needs and demands of Northern Ireland.

"The Prime Minister ought, therefore, to seek to discuss the matter with the devolved regions and be sensitive in seeking to represent their concerns.

"However, this whistle-stop tour, far from demonstrating a willingness to engage and listen, seems to typify the lack of sensitivity to the particular challenges facing Northern Ireland, not least by the collapse of devolution."

At tomorrow's gathering in Belfast Mrs Long is expected to laud her party's performance in the recent Assembly election - after it was revealed Alliance had the biggest increase in first preference votes.

It is thought she will tell the conference of her plans to build on the apparent growth in popularity, with Alliance now just two seats behind the Ulster Unionists in the Assembly.

The examination by the Assembly's research unit confirmed Alliance benefited from a 50% increase in the number of first preference votes in the March 2 poll.

Its voter share also rose by over 2%, with the party retaining its eight seats despite the Assembly shrinking from 108 to 90 MLAs.

And the research showed most of Alliance's transfers came from the SDLP (20%) and UUP (11%), along with other Alliance Party candidates (11%) and the Green Party (11%).

As deputy leader at the conference a year ago, Mrs Long said the whiff of corruption in Northern Ireland politics was turning into a "stench".

She was speaking against the backdrop of a new Stormont expenses scandal and ongoing revelations around the Nama affair, but before the revelations around Stormont's Renewable Heat Incentive scheme began to come to light.

Mrs Long was elected the new leader of the Alliance Party last October.

She was the only member to put her name forward to succeed retiring David Ford.

The former East Belfast MP had served as deputy leader for 10 years.

Mr Ford stepped down after leading the Alliance Party for 15 years.
Queen's University Belfast is one of the best in the United Kingdom for atmosphere, social life and quality of lectures - and Ulster University is catching up.

That's according to the latest Times Higher Education UK Student Experience Survey which puts QUB in 9th place out of more than 120 institutions.

The high ranking caps a series of improvements for the university which came 12th in 2015 and 24th in 2014, with students praising its library, student union and the atmosphere on campus.

Meanwhile, in another coup for Northern Ireland, Ulster University is the most improved overall institution this year as it has climbed 37 places to joint 61st, scoring highly for the quality of its teaching staff.

The university improved in 21 of 22 criteria measured, according to the results, and builds on the success of winning Most Improved Student Experience at the THE Awards 2016.

Professor David Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students at Queen's University Belfast, said it was a great achievement to land such a high ranking in the prestigious UK listing.

"We are delighted to be included in the top 10 in the Times Higher student experience survey," he said.

"Queen's is committed to creating a dynamic environment that is world-leading and that provides life-enhancing opportunities for our students.

"Over the past 10 years, we have invested 350m in our campus on state-of-the-art facilities and buildings to ensure we provide a world class student experience."

News of the ranking - which is derived from a variety of factors, including socialising - comes just a week after St Patrick's Day celebrations, during which police arrested 15 people in the city centre and Holyland areas.

The arrests were for disorderly behaviour, resisting arrest and minor assaults, including assaults on officers, but police said behaviour in the area had generally been better than it had been historically.

Professor Paddy Nixon, Vice-Chancellor and President at Ulster University, said he was "delighted that the quality, talent and dedication of Ulster University staff has been recognised" by the UK survey.

"The experience we give our students is second to none and this award acknowledges that fact on a national level," he said.

Harper Adams University, an agricultural institution, offers the best student experience in the UK, according to THE, which questioned over 15,000 students about their university experience across 22 criteria including teaching, accommodation, facilities and social aspects.
A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror attack on March 23rd 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

DUP Leader Arelen Foster signs the book A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror attack on March 23rd 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror attack on March 23rd 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Lord Mayor Brian Kingston and Dep. Lord Mayor Mary Ellen Campbell A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror attack on March 23rd 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror attack on March 23rd 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

DUP Leader Arlene Foster and Mary Ellen Campbell. A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror attack on March 23rd 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Lord Mayor Brian Kingston and Deputy Lord Mayor Mary Ellen Campbell. A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror attack on March 23rd 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror. DUP leader Arlene Foster signs the book. Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph

A book of condolence is opened at Belfast City Hall for the victims of the London terror attack on March 23rd 2017 (Photo - Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

A book of condolence for the victims of the Westminster terror attack has been opened at Belfast City Hall.

It was opened by Lord Mayor Brian Kingston and Deputy Lord Mayor Mary-Ellen Campbell at City Hall on Friday morning.

"Expressing our deepest sympathy and our support for all those bereaved and injured in the terrible atrocity," he said

"The people of Belfast stand with you."

Among the first to sign the book was DUP leader Arlene Foster.

"Thoughts and prayers with the victims of this terrible atrocity," she wrote.

"Terrorism and evil never win. God Bless."

Mr Kingston has also sent a letter of support and sympathy to the people of London.

He praised the response of the police and other emergency services whose actions prevented further carnage and provided speedy assistance to the injured.

In separate letters to the Lord Mayor of London, Dr Andrew Parmley, and to the Mayor of the City of London, Sadiq Khan, Mr Kingston reflected on Northern Irelands own troubled past.

He said: We in Belfast, with our own experiences of terrorism, send our deepest sympathy to the families of those killed and injured in this devastating attack in Westminster.

Our prayers and thoughts are with you all, particularly the families of the deceased as they cope with the unimaginable devastation they are currently suffering.

We pay tribute to the speedy reaction of the police and other emergency services  their professionalism in seeking to protect others from harm and deal with those shocked and injured is a credit to all.
Two teenage boys have been injured in a petrol bomb attack in Craigavon, County Armagh, it is understood. One petrol bomb was thrown at the property in the Lakelands area at about 23:30 GMT on Thursday. PACEMAKER BELFAST 24/03/2017

Two teenage boys have been injured in a petrol bomb attack in Craigavon, County Armagh, it is understood. One petrol bomb was thrown at the property in the Lakelands area at about 23:30 GMT on Thursday. PACEMAKER BELFAST - 24/03/2017

PACEMAKER BELFAST 24/03/2017 Two teenage boys have been injured in a petrol bomb attack in Craigavon, County Armagh, it is understood. One petrol bomb was thrown at the property in the Lakelands area at about 23:30 GMT on Thursday.

PACEMAKER BELFAST 24/03/2017 Two teenage boys have been injured in a petrol bomb attack in Craigavon, County Armagh, it is understood. One petrol bomb was thrown at the property in the Lakelands area at about 23:30 GMT on Thursday.

Two teenage boys have been injured after a petrol bomb was thrown through the window of their house in Craigavon, it's understood.

Detectives in Lurgan area appealing for information after the attack in the Lakelands area on Thursday.

Police said that shortly before 11.30pm a petrol bomb was thrown through the front window of the house.

A group of up to four youths was seen running from the scene.

It's understood the two teenagers were aged 13 and 15 and were watching TV when the incident happened.

UUP MLA Doug Beattie told the Belfast Telegraph that it was a "callous attempt to cause serious injury".

He said the windows were smashed and the petrol bomb was put through the window which caught fire.

The two teens suffered burns as a result as have since received hospital treatment.

Mr Beattie said: "There was intent there and that was to cause serious property damage and injury.

"They were watching TV when it was put through the window. I commend the fire service for dealing with it in such a speedy fashion.

"It doesn't take away from the intent of the individual, which is nothing more than a callous attempt to cause serious injury and police need to look at this with a critical eye."

He added: "People need to really think about what they want for this society and bring any information to the police.

"Also the parents of young teenagers they need to always know where they are and be sure they aren't being led to do acts which can have catastrophic consequences."

DUP MP David Simpson called for the youths who were seen running from the scene to identify themselves to the PSNI.

Mr Simpson said: This was a reckless attack on a residential property where a young male has been injured` and someones home extensively damaged. It is only through good fortune that the police are not required to open a murder investigation today.

"There can be no place for those who engage in such attacks and it is vital the police are given all necessary assistance to ensure those responsible are brought before the courts.

"I am particularly concerned of reports that a small group of youths have been witnessed running from the scene and would encourage those youths to identify themselves to the PSNI if to only to be eliminated from the inquiry.

Detective Inspector Stephen Harvey said: "This was an extremely reckless attack and it is fortunate that the injuries were not considerably worse. I would appeal to anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the area or anyone who has information about this incident to contact Detectives at Lurgan on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 1249 23/03/17.

"Alternatively, if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111."
Northern Ireland MPs spoke movingly in Parliament as the House paid tribute to the heroism of PC Keith Palmer, the unarmed police officer savagely murdered on Wednesday as he defended Westminster from a terrorist attack.

Nigel Dodds (right), the deputy leader of the DUP, said PC Keith Palmer and his colleagues "are the reason we are here today and on any other day".

"He embodied the rule of law, which we stand for, and stood in harm's way for all of us," the North Belfast MP said.

"We remember and pray for his family, all the victims who suffered yesterday and the bereaved.

"We must remember, too, and always will, the bravery of the emergency services, the police, the security forces and our own parliamentary staff - and, indeed, the goodness and decency of ordinary members of the public who rushed without regard for their own safety to help people."

Mr Dodds said that included the Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, who battled in vain to save the life of Mr Palmer.

"We must uphold the values of this place - our democratic values," Mr Dodds told MPs.

"We have learned in Northern Ireland that the way to overcome terrorism is by working together politically, and in every other way, to ensure that our democratic values, the rule of law and human rights are all upheld in every way that they can be. We must rededicate ourselves to that in the future."

Prime Minister Theresa May replied: "I absolutely agree. We are able to be here today because of the bravery of our police officers.

"He rightly referred to the emergency services and others - members of the public, as he said - and to the staff of this House and of this Parliament who calmly went about their jobs to ensure that everybody was safe yesterday.

"As he said, the way to defeat terrorism is by working together and upholding our democratic values."

Ulster Unionist Party MP Tom Elliott wished Mrs May and her Cabinet well as they dealt with the aftermath.

He asked: "Will the Prime Minister ensure that every effort is made to support the victims and families, and the police officer whose role was to stop the terrorist in the end?"

Mrs May responded: "I assure the honourable gentleman that that support will be available.

"Of course, the Metropolitan Police already have in place the necessary support arrangements for those who have been injured and the bereaved families.

"I have also asked the Government to look at what further support can be made available for victims in a wider sense, because there will be people who were not physically injured in the attack yesterday, but witnessed it or were caught up in it, for whom there may be other scars.

"It is important to provide that support," Mrs May told the hundreds of MPs in the Commons chamber.
ALTERNATE CROP Irish Taisoch Enda Kenny returns after visiting the L.E. Eithne, as the search continues for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which went missing off the west coast of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 20, 2017. See PA story IRISH Coastguard. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Irish Taisoch Enda Kenny returns after visiting the L.E. Eithne, as the search continues for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which went missing off the west coast of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 20, 2017. See PA story IRISH Coastguard. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Irish Taisoch Enda Kenny returns after visiting the L.E. Eithne, as the search continues for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which went missing off the west coast of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 20, 2017. See PA story IRISH Coastguard. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Taoiseach Enda Kenny (third left) gets off a RIB after visiting the L.E. Eithne, as the search continues for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which went missing off the west coast of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 20, 2017. See PA story IRISH Coastguard. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Taoiseach Enda Kenny (left) returns after visiting the L.E. Eithne, as the search continues for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which went missing off the west coast of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 20, 2017. See PA story IRISH Coastguard. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Taoiseach Enda Kenny (left) gets off a RIB after visiting the L.E. Eithne, as the search continues for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which went missing off the west coast of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 20, 2017. See PA story IRISH Coastguard. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

A Garda Water Unit rib during bad weather in Blacksod Bay, Co. Mayo, Ireland, as the search continues for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which went missing off the west coast of Ireland. PA

An Irish Naval ship and specialist boats near to Blacksod Lighthouse, Co. Mayo, Ireland, as the search continues for an Irish Coast Guard helicopter which went missing off the west coast of Ireland. PA

Diving operations have commenced off the Mayo coast in the search for three missing Irish Coast Guard members.

The Naval Service team were deployed shortly after 11.30am this morning from the Irish Light's vessel, the Granuaile.

An underwater robot had been used to carry out an examination of the wreckage of the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, located in depths of 40m close to the Blackrock island.

Senior investigators stated that they were hopeful of progress being made throughout the day but stressed that information from the divers will need to be assessed before they can establish if the three crew men are with the wreckage.

Speaking at a press briefing this morning, Supt Tony Healy said: "This morning conditions are ideal, diving operations have commenced and we're waiting for reports back from the divers as soon as they come back on the surface."

He added that there was no indication at this stage if the three missing crew members- Mark Duffy, Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby- are with the aircraft's wreckage.

Jurgen Whyte of the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) said that it had not yet been established what caused the Rescue 116 helicopter to collide with the Blackrock lighthouse located 12km off the Mayo coast.

Mr Whyte added that if divers are able locate he aircrafts flight recorder- commonly referred to as the black box- then they will retrieve it.

"As we said all along the important thing is that we get access to the cockpit voice recorder and the flight recorder. The priority has always been to recover the victims and if the divers happen to come across the recorder they will take the recorder. Because if we see it, we must take it because we can't leave it behind," he said.

A family liaison officer has been briefing the family members of the missing crew men on any developments in the search operation and investigation.

The Naval Service dive team will operate in pairs and will be able to spend nine minutes at the seabed before returning to the surface.

Air, shore and surface searches are also being carried out, with over 200 personnel from various agencies involved in the large scale operation.
The NAO said the Government needed to show "greater urgency" in filling skills gaps as the civil service deals with extra Brexit strain

Brexit will add to the strain on a civil service already struggling to cope with major projects, the National Audit Office has found.

The spending watchdog said weaknesses in capability in Whitehall undermined the Government's ability to achieve its objectives.

Leaving the European Union will "further increase the capability challenges" facing the Government, as officials take on responsibilities previously handled in Brussels.

The pressures of Brexit come on top of a "challenging portfolio" of major projects such as the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, HS2 high-speed rail and the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent.

"Government projects too often go ahead without government knowing whether departments have the skills to deliver them," the report warned.

It suggested that projects should be prioritised, with the Government halting schemes that "it is not confident it has the capacity to deliver".

The report said that although there had been improvements in how some departments manage programmes "we continue to report regularly on troubled projects" and "many delivery problems can be traced to weaknesses in capability".

The NAO said the Government needed to show "greater urgency" in filling skills gaps in Whitehall.

The report said: " Government is facing ever-increasing challenges in providing public services. Continuing budgetary restraint is putting pressure on departments, which are already managing important reforms with fewer staff and smaller budgets.

"The decision to leave the EU also means government will have to take on tasks previously undertaken by others, requiring the development of skills not previously planned for."

The report noted that a third of the roles in the Department for Exiting the EU and the Department for International Trade had not been filled as of February.

A thousand new roles had been created but only "two-thirds of the roles have been filled, mostly by transferring staff from elsewhere in government".

It acknowledged that ministers had accepted the need to do more on workforce planning but "progress so far has been slower than the growth in the challenges the civil service is facing".

The report suggested that the Government will need to spend at least 145 million a year to hire the 2,000 additional staff with digital skills required within five years.

Other shortage areas included commercial and project delivery skills, the report said.

NAO chief Amyas Morse said: "The civil service is facing ever-increasing challenges.

"The work of government is becoming more technical, continuing budgetary restraint is putting pressure on departments and the decision to leave the EU means government will have to develop new skills and take on work previously done by others.

"Government has gaps in its capability and knows it must do more to develop the skills it needs. It is making plans to do so but the scale of the challenge ahead means greater urgency is needed.

"Without a short-term solution to its capability gaps, government must get better at planning and prioritising its activities and be prepared to stop work on those it is not confident it has the capability to deliver."

Head of the civil service Sir Jeremy Heywood said: "The UK is well placed to deal with the challenges, and take advantage of the opportunities, that lie ahead as we prepare for Brexit.

"We are focused on delivering this Government's commitment to leave the EU and get the very best deal for the UK. We are equipping ourselves with the right people and the right skills across government to make this happen.

"At the same time, the civil service is also working hard to make sure that all the priorities of the Government are being delivered."

The assistant general secretary of senior public servants' union the FDA, Rob O'Neill, said the report should act as an "urgent wake-up call to ministers".

"Departments are being asked to take on more and more work even as staff numbers fall, while ongoing pay restraint chips away at their ability to recruit and retain the brightest and best," said Mr O'Neill.

"If the Government really wants to prepare the Civil Service for the challenges ahead, it cannot ignore the growing chorus of experts calling for it to get serious about workforce planning, take a realistic approach to pay and reward and look again at outdated spending plans drawn up in a pre-Brexit world."

Julian McCrae, deputy director of the Institute for Government think tank, said: "Pretending Whitehall can do everything, without limits to its capability, defies both common sense and the evidence in today's NAO report.

"Instead, ministers must identify key priorities and ensure the resources are in place to make them happen. The Civil Service also has to build on the improvements in workforce planning identified by the NAO, and get the right people with the right skills working on ministers' priorities."
Chief Rabbi Ephriam Mirvis (L) speaks beside Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby during a vigil outside Westminster Abbey in London March 24, 2017, two days after the March 22 terror attack on the British parliament and Westminster Bridge. AFP/Getty Images

Faith leaders (L-R) Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis pray during a vigil outside Westminster Abbey in London March 24, 2017, two days after the March 22 terror attack on the British parliament and Westminster Bridge. AFP/Getty Images

Sheikh Mohammad al Hilli (L) speaks beside Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby during a vigil outside Westminster Abbey in London March 24, 2017, two days after the March 22 terror attack on the British parliament and Westminster Bridge. AFP/Getty Images

Muslims condemned the "heinous and appalling" Westminster terror attack as they joined together with Christian and Jewish leaders just metres from the scene of the horror.

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Hilli, representing Shia Muslims, and Sunni Sheikh Khalifa Ezzat, head Imam at the London Central Mosque, stood side-by-side with Justin Welby, Ephriam Mirvis and Cardinal Vincent Nichols outside Westminster Abbey.

They led a minute of silence in tribute to the four innocent victims who were killed and the many who were left injured.

Mr Al-Hilli said: "As a member of the Shia Muslim community here in the United Kingdom I would like to express my condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous and appalling attack.

"We utterly condemn this terrorist act."

Mr Ezzat said: "We condemn this act, which killed innocent people, and those criminals, we shouldn't link them with Islam because Islam, and all religion, calls for peace, co-existence and tolerance.

Read more

Sheikh Mohammed Al-Hilli, representing Shia Muslims, condemned the 'heinous' attack pic.twitter.com/O9AnDMwHn5  Sam Lister (@sam_lister_) March 24, 2017

Read More

"What those criminals are doing is not from the principles of Islam. They want to divide us. We are here together to stand together and to show solidarity, to show co-operation, to face those people and these crimes."

Mr Mirvis said: "Terrorists seek to instil fear and terror into the hearts and minds of millions. They also seek to divide us. Londoners are showing right now that we will always stand up with strength to confront terror and we will never be cowed by it."

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A woman holds a placard up during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: A letter is left amongst candles during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2017 in London, England. Four People were killed in Westminster, London, yesterday in a terrorist attack by "lone wolf" killer Khalid Masood,52. Three of the victims have been named as PC Keith Palmer, US tourist Kurt Cochran from Utah and Mother of two Aysha Frade. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: Members of the public light candles during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2017 in London, England. Four People were killed in Westminster, London, yesterday in a terrorist attack by "lone wolf" killer Khalid Masood,52. Three of the victims have been named as PC Keith Palmer, US tourist Kurt Cochran from Utah and Mother of two Aysha Frade. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: People gather during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2017 in London, England. Four People were killed in Westminster, London, yesterday in a terrorist attack by "lone wolf" killer Khalid Masood,52. Three of the victims have been named as PC Keith Palmer, US tourist Kurt Cochran from Utah and Mother of two Aysha Frade. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan looks on during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2017 in London, England. Four People were killed in Westminster, London, yesterday in a terrorist attack by "lone wolf" killer Khalid Masood,52. Three of the victims have been named as PC Keith Palmer, US tourist Kurt Cochran from Utah and Mother of two Aysha Frade. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: A man looks on during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2017 in London, England. Four People were killed in Westminster, London, yesterday in a terrorist attack by "lone wolf" killer Khalid Masood,52. Three of the victims have been named as PC Keith Palmer, US tourist Kurt Cochran from Utah and Mother of two Aysha Frade. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: People write messages of support on the ground during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2017 in London, England. Four People were killed in Westminster, London, yesterday in a terrorist attack by "lone wolf" killer Khalid Masood,52. Three of the victims have been named as PC Keith Palmer, US tourist Kurt Cochran from Utah and Mother of two Aysha Frade. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Getty Images A policeman points a gun at a man on the floor at the top of the frame as emergency services attend the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after a policeman was stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. PA PA British police officers work on Westminster Bridge, adjacent to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, central London on March 22, 2017, in the aftermath of a terror incident. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Handout photo issued by Metropolitan Police of PC Keith Palmer who was killed during the terrorist attack on the Houses of Parliament, London. PA PA British Police officers guard the entrance the The Mall, as the roads leading to Parliament Square in central London on March 22, 2017, remain cordonned off in the aftermath of a terror incident at the Houses of Parliament. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A picture obtained from the Twitter account of James West, shows a car stopped on the sidewalk in front of the Palace of Westminster which houses the Houses of Parliament in central London on March 22, 2017 during an incident. James West/Getty AFP/Getty Images People leave after being evacuated from around the Houses of Parliament and Parliament Square in Westminster, central London on March 22, 2017 during an emergency incident. Three people were killed and 20 injured in a "terrorist" attack outside the British parliament Wednesday when a man mowed down pedestrians, then stabbed a police officer before being shot dead. The car struck pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, a popular spot with tourists because of its views of Big Ben, before crashing into the railings outside the heavily guarded parliament building in the heart of the British capital. / AFP PHOTO / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVASDANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A Metropolitan Police superintendent addresses the crowd from the pulpit at Westminster Abbey to some of the hundreds of people that were evacuated from Parliament during the terrorist attack. PA PA Police forensic officers close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. PA PA LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer has been stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police. Scotland Yard report they have been called to an incident on Westminster Bridge where several people have been injured by a car. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images Armed officers attend to the scene outside Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer has been stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police. Scotland Yard report they have been called to an incident on Westminster Bridge where several people have been injured by a car. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Police and forensic officers at the scene of a terrorist attack in which a number of pedestrians were mowed down on Westminster Bridge on March 22, 2017 in London, England. Four people including a police officer and his attacker have been killed in two related incidents outside the Houses of Parliament and on Westminster Bridge in what Scotland Yard are treating as a terrorist incident. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: An armed police officer stands guard outside the Ministry of Defence on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer has been stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police. Scotland Yard report they have been called to an incident on Westminster Bridge where several people have been injured by a car.(Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Police officers block access to the southern entrace of Westminster Bridge on March 22, 2017 in London, England. Four people including a police officer and his attacker have been killed in two related incidents outside the Houses of Parliament and on Westminster Bridge in what Scotland Yard are treating as a terrorist incident. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images Emergency services' vehicles are pictured on Westminster Bridge, adjacent to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, central London on March 22, 2017, in the aftermath of a terror incident. A police officer was among three killed Wednesday in a suspected terrorist attack outside Britain's parliament by an assailant who was then shot dead by armed police, Britain's top anti-terror officer said. Mark Rowley said the two other victims died on Westminster Bridge in London after the attacker mowed down pedestrians in a car, leaving at least 20 people injured in total. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Ambulances are pictured outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London on March 22, 2017, in the aftermath of a terror incident at Parliament. A police officer was among three killed Wednesday in a suspected terrorist attack outside Britain's parliament by an assailant who was then shot dead by armed police, Britain's top anti-terror officer said. Mark Rowley said the two other victims died on Westminster Bridge in London after the attacker mowed down pedestrians in a car, leaving at least 20 people injured in total. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: A Police boat patrols the river Thames by St Thomas' hospital and Westminster Bridge on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer has been stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police. Scotland Yard report they have been called to an incident on Westminster Bridge where several people have been injured by a car. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Getty Images British Police officers stand betwen the pods of the London Eye, during the evacuation of passengers, in central London on March 22, 2017, in the aftermath of a terror incident at the Houses of Parliament. At least three people were killed and 20 injured in a "terrorist" attack in the heart of London Wednesday when a man mowed down pedestrians on a bridge, then stabbed a police officer outside parliament before being shot dead. Police guarding the iconic House of Commons building shot the man but several people were left with "catastrophic" injuries on Westminster Bridge, a busy traffic junction popular with tourists with views of Big Ben. / AFP PHOTO / Joel FordJOEL FORD/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament, are pictured in Westminster, central London on March 22, 2017, in the aftermath of a terror incident. At least three people were killed and 20 injured in a "terrorist" attack in the heart of London Wednesday when a man mowed down pedestrians on a bridge, then stabbed a police officer outside parliament before being shot dead. Police guarding the iconic House of Commons building shot the man but several people were left with "catastrophic" injuries on Westminster Bridge, a busy traffic junction popular with tourists with views of Big Ben. / AFP PHOTO / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVASDANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Ambulances are pictured outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London on March 22, 2017, in the aftermath of a terror incident at Parliament. A police officer was among three killed Wednesday in a suspected terrorist attack outside Britain's parliament by an assailant who was then shot dead by armed police, Britain's top anti-terror officer said. Mark Rowley said the two other victims died on Westminster Bridge in London after the attacker mowed down pedestrians in a car, leaving at least 20 people injured in total. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'NNIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Ambulances, police vehicles and emergency services seen on Westminster Bridge on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer was stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police. Scotland Yard also reported an incident on Westminster Bridge where one woman has been killed and several people seriously injured by a car. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Ambulances, police vehicles and emergency services seen on Westminster Bridge on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer was stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police. Scotland Yard also reported an incident on Westminster Bridge where one woman has been killed and several people seriously injured by a car. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Police officers seen on Westminster Bridge on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer was stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police. Scotland Yard also reported an incident on Westminster Bridge where one woman has been killed and several people seriously injured by a car. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images Emergency personnel on Westminster Bridge, close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 22, 2017. See PA story POLICE Westminster. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire PA LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Commander BJ Harrington of the Metropolitan Police makes a statement outside of New Scotland Yard on March 22, 2017 in London, England. A police officer has been stabbed near to the British Parliament and the alleged assailant shot by armed police. Scotland Yard report they have been called to an incident on Westminster Bridge where several people have been injured by a car. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Getty Images Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA A member of the public is treated by emergency services near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament on March 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Images Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA An armed police officer stands guard near Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament on March 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Getty Images An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 22, 2017. See PA story POLICE Westminster. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA Police outside Westminster Abbey, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA MP's in House of Commons, London after a major security alert at the Palace of Westminster after a man apparently carrying a knife charged through the gates into the front yard of the parliamentary compound. PA Wire PA David Lidington, the Leader of the House of Commons speaking in the House of Commons, London after a major security alert at the Palace of Westminster after a man apparently carrying a knife charged through the gates into the front yard of the parliamentary compound. Photo credit should read: PA Wire PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire PA Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. Yui Mok/PA Wire PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire PA Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire PA Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA Police outside Westminster Abbey, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said. Victoria Jones/PA Wire PA / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A woman holds a placard up during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Mr Welby said people were still "deeply shocked" by the terror attack and paid tribute to the victims, including Pc Keith Palmer.

He hailed "the police who were there and are here today, whose consistent courage and simple observance of duty is an extraordinary example to all of us and one that we admire very greatly".

Cardinal Nichols said: "Yesterday, I received a message from Pope Francis in which he assured this country of his prayers for our future, for our well-being and for our peace."
A man who met Pc Keith Palmer has said his murder "sent a shiver down my spine" as he shared a photo of himself and his daughters with the officer outside the Houses of Parliament.

In a post on Facebook, Andrew Thorogood, 41, a jeweller from Alice Springs, Northern Territory in Australia, said he had met the "genuinely nice bloke" last year and invited him to visit.

"We were in London last October and visited the Houses of Parliament. An officer by the name of Keith Palmer was happy to pose with us for a photo once he learned that we had travelled all the way from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia," Mr Thorogood wrote.

"I spoke with Keith for quite a while and found him to be a genuinely nice bloke. He said he would love to visit Australia with his family one day. The girls suggested if he did make it to Australia, he should visit Alice Springs and we would show him how special a place it is.

"That will never happen now, all because he was doing his job and trying to keep people safe in the face of yet another crazy terror attack. Our thoughts are with his wife and family.

"With everyone so suspicious of everyone else these days, he was happy to chat and smile for a photo with a bunch of Territorians on holiday whilst still remaining vigilant and carrying out his duties as a police officer."

Mr Thorogood later told the Press Association: "The last 24 hours have been somewhat surreal. I can't begin to imaging what his wife is feeling.

"It strikes a chord because my wife is from Essex and we have a close affinity with the UK.

"The brief conversation and photo we had with Keith just makes it more personal."

It comes as one of the final photos of Pc Palmer was shared online. The image shows tourist Staci Martin with the officer just 45 minutes before he was stabbed by attacker Khalid Masood, also known as Adrian Russell Ajao.

Ms Martin, on a visit from Florida to London, told ABC News: "It's my first time in London and I see his hat and I'm like 'I have to take a picture of him with his hat'."

"I walked up to him and said 'do you mind if I take a picture?' He said 'no problem'. He was really nice."

Within an hour, the attacker had driven a car into a number of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before stabbing and killing Pc Palmer as he entered the grounds of the Palace of Westminster.

Three other innocent victims - Kurt Cochran, Aysha Frade and Leslie Rhodes - have died following the attack, while many more were injured.
A pointed message among floral tributes left after the vigil in Trafalgar Square for attack victims

A bigger picture of the final hours and violent past of Westminster terrorist Khalid Masood is being created by detectives who are trying to find out if he acted alone or had support.

Eleven people have been arrested as part of the inquiry but Scotland Yard said only two men remained in custody - two men aged 27 and 58 who were arrested in Birmingham on Thursday.

All are being held on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.

Seven of those arrested have now been released from police custody and face no further action - two women aged 21 and 26 and four men aged 23, 26, 27 and 28 who were all arrested at addresses in Birmingham and a 35-year-old man arrested in Manchester.

A 32-year-old woman, also arrested in Manchester, has been bailed pending further inquiries, while a 39-year-old woman arrested in east London has been released on bail until late March.

Masood, 52, killed four people including unarmed Pc Keith Palmer and injured dozens more when he ploughed a hired car across Westminster Bridge and stormed the parliamentary estate armed with two blades before being shot by police.

The middle-aged Muslim convert was born Adrian Elms and also called himself Adrian Russell Ajao.

Before the attack Masood had stayed at the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton, and the manager says he had been "laughing and joking, telling us stories about where he lived", just hours before the atrocity.

Sky News claimed he used the WhatsApp messaging service seconds before launching the attack.

Scotland Yard's head of counter-terrorism Mark Rowley said detectives want to understand his "motivation, preparation and associates" and if he "either acted totally alone, inspired by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him".

Detectives have seized 2,700 items from the searches, including "massive amounts" of computer data, while around 3,500 witnesses have been spoken to.

Searches at three addresses are continuing.

Mr Rowley said: "We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were, and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited.

"There might well be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but weren't sure or didn't feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing information to us.

"I urge anyone with such information to contact us."

Meanwhile, the widow of a man attacked with a knife by Masood in a pub assault said her late husband was injured after defending someone during a row.

Masood was jailed for two years over the 2000 attack in the car park of a pub in Northiam, near Rye, East Sussex, according to a news report at the time.

The Brighton Argus reported that Masood, who stood trial as Adrian Elms, "left Piers Mott with a three-inch gash on his left cheek" requiring 20 stitches, after an altercation with "racial overtones".

Adrian Baker, 51, who has lived in Northiam for 25 years, said Elms was known as a "troubled" character.

Alice Williams, landlady of the Rose and Crown pub in the village of Beckley, near Rye, where Masood would sometimes drink, described him as "intelligent but odd".

Mrs Williams, 59, said: "He would do the Telegraph crossword and, to be fair, would make intelligent conversation, but he was a bit racist."

Hero MP Tobias Ellwood, who ran towards gunfire to try and unsuccessfully tried to save the life of stabbed Pc Palmer, and security minister Ben Wallace have been appointed to the Privy Council for their roles in responding to the atrocity.

Downing Street announced that the Queen was "pleased" to approve the appointments. Mr Wallace helped co-ordinate the Government's response.

In other developments:

:: A fourth victim who died after being hurt in the attack was named as Leslie Rhodes, a retired window cleaner from Clapham, south London, who neighbours described as a "lovely man".

:: Police chiefs launched a major increase in the number of firearms officers on duty around the country.

:: Two people remain in hospital in a critical condition, one with life-threatening injuries. Two police officers hurt in the attack are also in hospital with "significant injuries". The family of Pc Kristofer Aves said he had just received a commendation for his work as a family liaison officer when "what started as a celebratory day, ended in tragedy" when he was seriously injured as he crossed Westminster Bridge.

Masood was known to police and MI5 but was a "peripheral figure" who was not implicated in any current probe. He had convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

Masood's victims on the bridge included US tourist Kurt Cochran and his wife Melissa, from Utah, who were on the last day of a trip celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. Mrs Cochran was badly injured.

Aysha Frade, who worked in administration at independent sixth-form school DLD College London, in Westminster, also died. She is believed to be a 43 year-old married mother of two.

Police said armed patrols would take place around Wembley Stadium and extra officers would be at the ground as England played a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania on Sunday.

There will also be a minute's silence before the 5pm kick-off.
The Inlet rendering.jpg

This rendering shows one of the buildings for a proposed development, "The Inlet," which Thrash Development says it will build on a tract of land along U.S. 90 in Ocean Springs.

(City of Ocean Springs)

OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Six years after it was originally announced, a mixed-use development along U.S. 90 in Ocean Springs may finally be coming to fruition -- although in a vastly different form than initially planned.

In February 2011, Mayor Connie Moran announced that Thrash Development of Hattiesburg was going to build a $20 million, mixed use development on a parcel of land adjacent to the Coffee Fusion shopping center along U.S. 90, dubbed "Bay Village."

Two years later, in February 2013, developer Walker Thrash told The Mississippi Press the development would be a $30 million investment, built in two phases and covering 25 acres.

But Bay Village never got off the ground. Tuesday night, however, a representative of Thrash Development told the Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen they are ready to move forward, albeit in a new direction.

Tracy Ross told city officials the company has secured financing to construct a $10 million development covering eight acres of the property. The company expects to break ground in May and complete construction in 14 months, Ross said.

The original project called for 200,000 square feet of mixed use space spread between two five-story buildings, one two-story building and outparcels for development by restaurants other other retail interests.

The new project -- called "The Inlet" -- will have five buildings of three stories each. Two of the buildings will have 14,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor, with condominiums on the upper floors.

The remaining three buildings will be all condominiums. There will be 95 total condo units. Regardless of its new form, aldermen say they are pleased that it appears the project is finally moving forward.

"I think originally they were having issues with financing," Mike Impey said. "They scaled back the project and it looks like they finally got all the financing in place. From everything I can determine, it's going ahead full speed. It's going to be a great development when it's completed."

Alderman John Gill agreed.

"It seems like they finally have the financing in place, more secure this time than last time," Gill said.

Moran said Friday that the scaled-down project still represents "the largest private investment in Ocean Springs to my knowledge since I've been mayor."

Gill and Impey both noted that Thrash Development donated a 12-acre parcel of land behind where the development will be built to the Mississippi Land Trust. The city is pursuing a $150,000 grant, Moran said, to build walkways, greenways and other outdoor amenities on that piece of the property, including a wooden bridge connecting the development to the adjacent Twelve Oaks -- another parcel of land owned by the Land Trust.

Gill noted the project will not be of the scale originally announced, but indicated it was better late than never, better something than nothing.

"It's an undeveloped piece of land," he said. "It'll create additional taxes for the city. Better to have it generating taxes than sitting there as a wooded lot with no taxes coming in."
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker promised that Brussels will approach the negotiation of Britain's withdrawal in a "friendly" and "fair" way

The UK's "divorce bill" for Brexit will be around 50 billion, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has confirmed.

The EU's most senior civil servant said the precise figure would be "calculated scientifically". He insisted it was not a "punishment" for withdrawal, but merely the settling of commitments made by the UK.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Juncker described Brexit as "a failure and a tragedy".

He promised that Brussels will approach the negotiation of Britain's withdrawal in a "friendly" and fair way, but warned that European institutions were not "naive" about the process.

Asked whether it was correct that the UK will be presented with a bill of around 50 billion (58 billion euros) after Theresa May formally begins withdrawal negotiations under Article 50 of the EU treaties next week, Mr Juncker said: "It is around that, but that is not the main story.

"We have to calculate scientifically what the British commitments were and then the bill has to be paid."

The divorce bill covers liabilities for projects which the UK previously agreed to help fund, as well as pensions for EU officials who served during the period of its membership.

Mr Juncker said: "It will be a bill reflecting former commitments by the British Government and by the British Parliament.

"There will be no sanctions, no punishment, nothing of that kind, but Britain has to know - and I suppose that the Government does know it - that they have to honour the commitments and the former commitments."

Mrs May is due formally to notify Brussels of Britain's intention to leave the EU in a letter to the European Council on March 29, just four days after the EU's 60th anniversary celebrations in Rome on Saturday.

The letter will set in train a two-year process of negotiation leading to the reduction of the EU from 28 to 27 members on March 29 2019.

Asked how he felt about Brexit, Mr Juncker said: "It is a failure and a tragedy.

"I will be sad, as I was sad when the vote in the referendum took place in Britain. For me, it is a tragedy.

"I am anything but in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain. We will negotiate in a friendly way, a fair way, and we are not naive."

Mr Juncker made clear he places high priority on protecting the status of the three million EU nationals resident in the UK and the one million Britons living on the continent.

"I am strongly committed to preserving the rights of Europeans living in Britain and British people living on the European continent," he said.

"This is not about bargaining, this is about respecting human dignity.

"We are not in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain, because I do think and I do want to have with Britain over the next decades a friendly relationship."

He made clear he did not want other EU nations to follow Britain down the withdrawal route, warning this could be "the end" for the EU project.

"I don't want others to take the same avenue," he said. "Let's suppose for one second that others will leave - two, three, four or five. That would be the end."
Theresa May said Britain would never give in to terror as she addressed the country in the wake of the "sick and depraved" terror attack in Westminster that left five dead.

The Prime Minister said the nation would "all move forward together" and hailed the "exceptional men and women" of the police force who responded as the horror unfolded.

In a statement outside 10 Downing Street after chairing a meeting of the government's Cobra emergencies committee, Mrs May insisted "the forces of evil" would never be allowed "to drive us apart". The premier said Parliament would "meet as normal" today and emphasised that any attempt to defeat its values was "doomed to failure".

"We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart," Mrs May said.

The PM confirmed a single attacker drove a car into pedestrians walking on Westminster Bridge, killing two of them, before running with a knife through the front gates of the Palace of Westminster, where he killed a police officer before being shot dead.

The UK's terror threat level would remain at "severe", Mrs May said. She praised the bravery of the police officers "who keep us and our democratic institutions safe".

"Once again today, these exceptional men and women ran towards the danger, even as they encouraged others to move the other way," she said.

"That they have lost one of their own in today's attacks only makes their calmness and professionalism under pressure all the more remarkable."

Mrs May said the location of the attack was "no accident" with the terrorist choosing "to strike at the heart of our capital city where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech".

"Let me make it clear today, as I have had cause to do before, any attempt to defeat our values through violence and terror is doomed to failure," she added.

The 45-minute Cobra meeting brought together senior ministers as well as top police officers, representatives of the security agencies and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The meeting in Whitehall was addressed by Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior anti-terrorist police officer.

Mrs May ordered flags to be lowered to half mast over Downing Street.
Emma Thompson has claimed she once turned down an offer from Donald Trump to stay in Trump Tower and have dinner with him.

The Saving Mr Banks actress was a guest on Swedish news outlet SVT when she disclosed that Trump had asked her on a date years before he became US President.

As the host and guests talked about Trump, Thompson said: "He asked me out once. You want to hear?"

She explained that she had been in the US filming 1998 release Primary Colors and that she just had divorce papers come through from her marriage to Kenneth Branagh, which lasted from 1989 to 1995.

Thompson added: "The phone rings in my trailer, which it's never done before, so it's like a moose had just entered my trailer.

"I lift up the phone. 'Hi, it's Donald Trump here.' I said, 'Really? Can I help you?'

"He said, 'I wonder if I could offer you some accommodation in one of my Trump Towers - they're really comfortable.

"I think we would get on very well. Maybe we could have dinner some time.'"

Thompson continued: "I didn't know what to do with myself. I was on my own and I just said, 'Erm, I'll get back to you.'"

The actress added that she had not met up with him.

But she joked: "I wish I had... think of the stories."

Thompson later had a child with Greg Wise, who she married in 1999.
Samsung Electronics won praise for big share price gains, but criticism over its involvement in South Korea's political scandal (AP)

Samsung Electronics shareholders have praised the company for big gains in its share price, but lamented its involvement in a massive corruption scandal that brought the arrest of the company's de facto leader.

Kwon Oh-hyun, Samsung's chief executive, told an annual shareholders meeting in Seoul the scandal was regrettable but the company did nothing illegal.

Five Samsung executives, including its vice chairman and founding family heir apparent Lee Jae-yong, have been indicted on bribery and other charges.

The scandal resulted in the impeachment of South Korea's President Park Geun-hye earlier this month.

Calls to reform Samsung and other conglomerates are gaining momentum after Samsung, Hyundai, SK, LG and other major businesses made big donations to foundations controlled by a friend of Ms Park, who has been charged with meddling in state affairs.

Some shareholders expressed concern over growing public hostility to Samsung, South Korea's biggest company.

The company's image has also taken a big hit from cases of overheating and sometimes exploding batteries of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphones.

Samsung ended up discontinuing the product just weeks after it was launched in August.

Shin Jong-kyun, a Samsung president, promised shareholders the company would put "flawless" products through extensive safety checks and the precautions would be perfect, he said.

Samsung is due to unveil the Galaxy S8 next week, its first major smartphone launch since the battery fiasco.

But the main focus of attention during Friday's meeting was the scandal, with s ome finding fault with the company's apologies.

One shareholder, who said he worked at the company for 26 years, demanded an explanation for how Samsung's board of auditors, which included a former national chief prosecutor, could have allowed corporate funds to be misused.

Mr Kwon denied Samsung did anything unlawful in making the donations to Ms Park's associate.

"It was a donation that was traditional and customary," he said. "The auditing committee found it was executed through normal procedures."

Samsung says it will require its board of directors to approve any donations of over 1 billion won (71 million) to prevent future scandals.

A newly-created committee to improve the company's governance structure will be appointed by next month, the company said. It is still searching for a global business leader to join its board.

While shareholders were shaken by the scandal and resulting damage to the company's image, many praised the company for delivering strong results overall.

Samsung stock jumped more than 60% from a year ago thanks to strong performance of its semiconductor business, which offset the damage from the Note 7 battery troubles.

"I can't help rejoicing over how the value of my asset has gone up," said one shareholder, surnamed Park.

AP
Jeramey Anderson.jpg

Rep. Jeramey Anderson (D-Moss Point) is calling on fellow Mississippians to support a petition created by him calling for scrupulous vetting of an education funding formula. (File photo/Gulflive.com)

MOSS POINT, Miss. - Rep. Jeramey Anderson (D- Moss Point) is asking for the help of fellow Mississippians in supporting a Change.org petition he started that asks for extreme vetting to be done regarding the state's proposed education funding formula.

In a tweet placed on Wednesday, Anderson stated that he would not support Gov. Phil Bryant's call for a special session until scrupulous vetting had taken place.

The Mississippi Adequate Education Program is currently the standard which school districts statewide operate, but House Republicans hired EdBuild to review MAEP to suggest potential changes -- which has only been funded twice in the last 20 years.

The uncertainty of Bryant and House Republicans decisions is what seems to have Anderson troubled.

"We are unsure what is being proposed by the Governor and Lt. Governor because most lawmakers have been completely shut out of the process," Anderson said.

In an attempt to replace MAEP, EdBuild was charged with finding a new formula, but SB 2607 and HB 1294 died in both chambers in February.

Anderson says he has no issue with Gov. Bryant calling for a special session, but instead wants transparency and for those who have a stake in the students education to have a say.

"My issue is the secrecy in which this is being conducted in," said Anderson. "My issue is not the special session nor is it with the idea of a new formula. I will have an issue with any legislation that proposes a new funding mechanism that has not been properly vetted by educators around the state and any that has not had public input through a series of public hearings."

Anderson's petition calls for:

Public hearings throughout the state with participation from all education stakeholders (i.e. parents, teachers, community members, students, etc).
Public Domain / Wikimedia.org

It is December 23rd of 1805. Lewis and Clark are exploring the western portion of the United States. A few weeks prior, Thomas Jefferson gave his State of the Union Address. And in the snow-covered town of Sharon, Vermont, Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith welcome an infant into the world. That child is named Joseph Smith Jr. and he will go on to found Mormonism, a subset of Christianity that is now more than 14 million members strong.

Joseph Smiths family was unremarkablehis father was a farmer, although he soon failed at this endeavor and moved the family to Palmyra, New York. In Josephs mother, we see the seeds of his future religious revolutionshe leaned toward Seekerism, which was a movement that sought new prophets to restore Christianity to its true form. Although religious, the family rarely attended church.

Excitement over varying religious revivals in the area, as well as rising theological differences within his own family led young Joseph on a search for his place within the religious world. At the age of 14, he prayed to God for help and clarity. It workedaccording to his account, God and Christ appeared to Joseph, answering his question.

All churches were wrong, they said.

Later, in 1823, Joseph received the revelation which would forever alter his life: an angel which called itself Moroni appeared to him, telling of a set of golden plates which contained records of the ancient inhabitants of America. Following Moronis instructions, Joseph found these plates in a stone box a short distance from his familys farm.

Four years passed before Moroni appeared again to Joseph, instructing the young man to remove the plates from the box and translate the engravings upon them through the use of a set of special interpreter stones.

Joseph translated the plates, writing down the information over a period of three months.

In March of 1830, he published ita 588-page tome he called the Book of Mormon.

This book chronicled the history of the Israelites, who traveled from Jerusalem to a promised land in the Americas. Once they arrived, they built up a civilization, went to war with surrounding indigenous peoples, and were even visited by Christ after His resurrectionthe Book of Mormon, in fact, resembles the Bible in terms of the length, scope, and complexity with which it described the story of these exiled Israelites.

The narrator of the Book of Mormon is a general named Mormon, who, according to the text, was born around AD 311 and went on to lead the Nephitesone of the four groups, descended from the exiled Israelites, that settled in the Americas. It was he who inscribed his peoples history upon the golden plates, giving them to his son, Moroni, who later appeared to Smith in angelic form.

In 1830, Smith began to convert people to his cause, gathering people into settlements he called cities of Zionplaces where they could hide from the disasters of the last days. From these settlements, Smith sent out male missionaries to make more converts, which caused the number of newly minted Mormonswho called themselves Saints, at the timeto skyrocket into the tens of thousands.

Trouble soon arose, though, as their numbers continued to increase. Anti-Mormon sentiment began to swell in nearby communities, and the Saints were soon driven away. Evidence of why this sentiment began can be seen in Smiths account of LDS Church history.

... one of the Methodist preachers ... treated my communication ... with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them.

The group moved from place to place, forced to move any time their numbers reached a level that might give them political power in the communities they inhabited. In 1838, Smith attempted to defend his Missouri settlement through armed conflict, but the states governor ordered that the Mormons be driven from their homes or exterminated. The Mormons lost, and Smith was thrown in prison, and would have been executed if not for his eventual escape.

Eventually, Smith led his Mormons to the abandoned town of Commerce in Illinois, renaming it Nauvoo and building up his largest and most thriving settlement yet. It was here he began the construction of his first major Mormon temple, and began attracting converts from all over America and Europe.

It was here, though, that Smith met his eventual end. In 1844, dissent concerning the management of Nauvoos economy arose between Smith and his closest associatesa few were also angry that Smith had proposed to their wives, having adopted a polygamous lifestyle. These dissidents created a competing church, and later brought charges against Smith for polygamy and perjury.

On June 7th of that year, the dissidents published the first issue of the Nauvoo Expositor, which called for reform within the church and appealed to anti-Mormons, tearing down Smiths doctrines.

Because of fears that the paper would bring out anti-Mormon activists and destroy the settlement, the Nauvoo city council had the Expositor declared a public nuisance and ordered it destroyedSmith wholeheartedly supported this action, fearing a mob attack driven by the papers libel.

The destruction of the newspaper, though, proved to be Smiths undoing. Seeing Smiths suppression of a news outlet, Thomas C. Sharpe, a longtime critic of Smith and editor of the Warsaw Signal, publically called Smith out. Fearing an uprising, Smith reacted by mobilizing the Nauvoo Legion, declaring martial law.

The Illinois state governor, in response, mobilized a detachment of the state militia, threatening to bring in more men unless Smith and the Nauvoo city council surrendered themselves. Eventually, Smith did surrender, and he and his brother, Hyrum, were taken into custody for treason.

A few days later, Smiths death came in the form of an armed mob, faces blackened, that stormed that jail in which Smith was held. Hyrum was shot in the face as he tried to reinforce the door, while Smith fought back with pistol fire before being shot while leaping from a window with a cry of Oh Lord my God!

Five men were tried for Smiths killing, but all were released.

Smiths death had opposite effects in the Mormon and non-Mormon communities. To the outside world, Joseph Smith Jr. was a religious zealot, a polygamist, and a con artist. But to the Mormon world, his death he was remembered as a prophet of God. His death was seen as martyrdom, which forever sealed and sanctified his testimony, establishing Mormonism as a permanent faith.

After Mormons left Nauvoo in 1846, they moved across the country, to Utah, where they built Salt Lake City based on a pattern created by Smith for his cities of Zion. Smiths legacy can be seen today in the millions of Mormons who reside there, and all over the world. These men and women regard him as a prophet on the same level as Elijah and Moses, and see the Book of Mormon as a legitimate addition to the Biblical canon.

Few other historical American figures have had the influence or generated the controversy that this man did. For the multitudes of Mormons, Joseph Smith Jr. is the one and only American prophet.

Wesley Baines is a graduate student at Regent University's School of Divinity, and a freelance writer working in the fields of spirituality, self-help, and religion. He is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com. You can catch more of his work at www.wesleybaines.com.
Earlier this month, an M-44 claimed the life of a protected Oregon gray wolf. USDA field agents had hidden nearly 100 M-44s in the ground to kill coyotes, putting the public, family pets, and protected wildlife at risk. Photo by Thomas D. Mangelsen/www.mangelsen.com

3.5K shares







When young Canyon Mansfield and Casey, his three-year-old Lab, headed out together to play in the area behind their home in eastern Idaho, they hardly expected the walk to be their last together.

Without notifying a soul, and in violation of their agreement not to place sodium cyanide M-44s on federal public lands, agents with the U.S. Department of Agricultures Wildlife Services program placed a deadly device near the Mansfields home, on Bureau of Land Management land.

Canyon saw what he thought was a sprinkler and touched the M-44 with his hand. It exploded, discharging an orange powder onto his clothes and into his eye and knocking him off his feet. He was hit squarely by the cyanide cloud that erupted, and he watched in horror as his dog convulsed and then died before his eyes. The Pocatello sheriff came to the scene as did the local bomb squad and fire department. One official was hospitalized until early morning hours because of the level of cyanide in his blood.

Later, a grieving Canyon would be treated at the hospital for exposure to cyanide.

Caseys death happened just days after M-44s killed two dogs in Wyoming near the Powder River area when they were out on a hike with their family. In this instance, it appears that the M-44s were placed there by a trapper certified with Wyomings Department of Agriculture program. Earlier this month, an M-44 claimed the life of a protected Oregon gray wolf, sparking a different but equally intense form of outrage. The agency confirmed its field agents had hidden nearly 100 M-44s in the ground to kill coyotes. In each case, the secretly placed landmines put the public, family pets, and protected wildlife at risk.

While the individual stories are new, the narrative is a familiar one. This rogue agency of the federal government slaughters millions of wild animals each year, using an arsenal of M-44s, aerial gunning, traps, and firearms. It does so much of this work at the expense of taxpayers, and it collects plenty of unintended victims.

The USDA is often unapologetic about the collateral damage it inflicts. Whether the killing of a pet or an endangered species is done with an M-44, a leghold trap, or a strangling wire neck snare, the agency typically offers no apology and issues a bland statement that refers to the tragedy as an unintentional lethal take. Had Caseys death not been witnessed by the boy who loved him, we might have never heard about it, since the agency is known to cover up these kinds of abuses.

In Oregon, which neighbors Idaho, one lawmaker in particular has long waged a battle to reform USDA Wildlife Services. Congressman Peter Defazio, who has taken the agency to task over the years for its lack of transparency and arrogant disregard of public accountability, has introduced a bill in Congress to ban the use of M-44 and poisonous Compound 1080 collars. DeFazio also issued a letter to Oregons Gov. Kate Brown, thanking her for eliminating state contracts for USDA Wildlife Services from her proposed state budget  since the state pays a share of the annual budget for Wildlife Services. We admire Congressman DeFazio for his dedication to reform this agency and his effort to turn its management actions away from lethal and toward non-lethal methods. Hes been joined in the crusade by Congressman Earl Blumenauer, the co-chairman of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus.

DeFazio and Blumenauer arent alone in demanding that M-44s be removed from the landscape. In response to the Mansfield familys ordeal, the Bannock County Sheriff and other community leaders have called for a ban on M-44s in Bannock County. Even newspapers have joined in calling for reform, including the East Oregonian, which called for USDAs Wildlife Services to remove all M-44s from Oregon. (California and Washington have banned M-44s after The HSUS conducted winning ballot measures to bar the use of poisons in the states for wildlife killing purposes nearly 20 years ago.)

Recently, President Trump submitted his budget for 2018, and it called for major cuts in domestic programs, including the USDA. Somehow, Wildlife Services wasnt on the list.

But its not too late for President Trump to take a second look and see the waste, abuse, and inhumane practices by an agency that has somehow survived even while doing things to hurt so many animals and the people who care about them. And locally, Gov. Brown and other governors can tell Wildlife Services to take its killing game out of the western states.
Police guard the spot where a suicide bomber died in an explosion near Dhakas international airport, March 24, 2017.

A man was killed when the bomb he was carrying blew up in front of a police checkpoint outside Dhakas main international airport on Friday night, the second explosion in a week involving a suicide bomber near the aviation hub, authorities said.

No other people were injured in Friday's bombing close to Hajrat Shah Jalal International Airport, according to officials.

The Dhaka area blast was the latest incident amid a recent cycle of violence by militants in Bangladesh. It came during an ongoing situation in the northeastern city of Sylhet, where police officers and security personnel had surrounded an apartment building since Friday morning (local time), and where suspected militants were believed to be holed up, according to officials.

The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for Friday nights blast at the checkpoint outside the airport, according to SITE Intelligence, a U.S.-based website that monitors online communications among Islamic militant groups worldwide.

For the second time in one week ISIS claimed a suicide bombing in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, the latest targeting a police checkpoint, SITE quoted Amaq, an IS-run news agency, as saying.

The suspected militant could not be identified immediately because the explosion tore apart his body, but officers said he was in his early thirties.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said the incident was not a suicide bombing and that it was not related to last weeks explosion at a camp near the airport housing Bangladeshs counter-terrorist Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). On March 17, two RAB members were injured when a suicide bomber approached them and detonated his bomb after scaling a wall and infiltrating the camp, officials said.

The latest incident occurred at 8 p.m. Friday.

Immediately after the explosion, Mia and RAB Director-General Benazir Ahmed went to the site of the blast with crime-scene investigators.

The man who was killed in the explosion carried a tote bag and, as officers approached him, he set off the bomb, Mia told reporters at the checkpoint.

Some eight to 10 policemen were only few steps away from him. He could have reached them easily if he had intended to blow himself up. But he didnt. The explosion caused no damage to police or civilians, Mia said, promising a full investigation.
Investigators are trying to find those responsible for a record cyber-theft of $81 million from Bangladesh Bank, the countrys central bank.

Bangladesh central bank officials want proof from U.S. investigators regarding reports that North Korea had a role in a record cyber-theft of U.S. $81 million (6.5 billion taka) in February 2016, a deputy governor of the bank said Friday.

Bangladeshs Criminal Investigation Department (CID) must collect evidence from the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States to determine what role, if any, North Koreans played in the heist, Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hassan, a deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, told BenarNews.

Possibly they (NSA) have some evidence about what the U.S. says. Our account is in the U.S. so they have some responsibility, he said when asked to comment on American news reports about a potential North Korea link.

The issue has been under investigation. Until the CID investigation is over, I would not make any comment. If we get any evidence [on North Korean involvement], then we will take action.

The theft on Feb. 4, 2016, in which computer hackers tried to steal up to $1 billion (80 billion taka) of Bangladeshi central bank money held in its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, led to the resignation of Bangladesh Bank Gov. Atiur Rahman and the sacking of two of his deputies last year. The $81 million that was stolen was a record heist in Bangladesh, which is trying to recover most of this money more than a year later.

The central bank, which discovered the theft more than three weeks later and went public on March 8, 2016, said thieves hacked its cyber system to place 35 payment orders with the New York Fed, using its exclusive SWIFT code.

Five orders involving U.S. $101 million (8 billion taka) were processed automatically with $81 million going to five accounts at an RCBC bank branch in the Philippines, while the remaining $20 million (1.6 billion taka) went to a bank account in Sri Lanka held by a local NGO. Alerted by the New York Fed, the Sri Lankan central bank returned the $20 million to the Bangladesh Bank account.

The Philippines has recovered a portion of the money  $15.25 million (1.2 billion taka) was turned over to the nations anti-money laundering agency by Kim Wong, a Filipino junket casino operator.

North Korea linked?

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. investigators were building a case to implicate North Korea, and not specific individuals, for roles in the heist. Citing sources familiar with the investigation, it said prosecutors believed that Chinese middlemen helped North Korea orchestrate the theft from Bangladeshs central bank.

The government of the communist state, led by Kim Jong Un, lately has been accused by officials in Malaysia, South Korea and the United States of being behind last months assassination of Kims half-brother at a Kuala Lumpur area airport. The alleged assassins used a banned nerve agent to kill him, according to local police.

When contacted by BenarNews on Friday, a U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman declined comment on the Journals report that North Korea may have been involved in the Bangladeshi heist.

Meanwhile, a Bangladesh investigator also declined to speak about a potential North Korea link.

It would not be fair to make comment on the involvement of any individual from North Korea, Deputy Inspector General of Police Shah Alam, who heads the CID probe team, told BenarNews.

The CID has been maintaining close contact with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in the investigation of the heist, he said.

Without disclosing any details Alam said the CID was nearing the final stage of detecting the places where the stolen money ended up. He reiterated comments made last year.

We have information that some insiders were involved in the heist. Insider means persons having access to the sensitive places, he told BenarNews.

Analyst Mirza Azizul Islam, a former adviser to the Ministry of Finance, said international media have alleged that insiders at the central bank had a role in the theft.

To avoid such speculation, the government should make public the probe report on the heist, he said.

Prapti Rahman in Dhaka contributed to this story.
Indian Border Security Force personnel take part in a routine patrol near the Indo-Bangladesh frontier on the outskirts of Agartala, the capital of Tripura state, Feb. 9, 2017.

Indian security agencies have intensified patrols along the Indo-Bangladeshi border following intelligence inputs from Bangladesh that more than 3,000 Muslim militants have crossed into India during the past 24 months, a senior border official said Friday.

There has been an unprecedented surge in infiltration by suspected Bangladeshi militants to escape the wrath of the Bangladesh governments crackdown on Islamic extremism following last years terror attack at Dhakas Holey Artisan cafe that left 20 hostages dead, the official said.

We have confirmed information that as many as 3,500 suspected Bangladeshi extremists have entered India in the last two years. A large majority of them have crossed over after the cafe attack, the Border Security Force (BSF) official told BenarNews on condition of anonymity.

We received intelligence from our counterparts in Bangladesh about many top leaders of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) crossing over into India. A large number of these extremists have entered India through the border with the northeastern states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, he said.

Bangladeshi authorities have blamed Neo-JMB, a faction of JMB, for the overnight siege at the cafe on July 1and 2, 2016  Bangladeshs deadliest terrorist attack, which was claimed by Islamic State. Since the attack, Bangladeshi police and security forces have killed at least 48 suspected militants in raids and shootouts.

The Times of India recently reported infiltration by suspected Bangladeshi extremists increased three-fold in 2016 compared with the year before.

Bangladesh and India share a 4,096 km (2,545 mile ) porous border that cuts through five Indian states, including 262 km (162 miles) in Assam, 856 km (532 miles) in Tripura, 180 km (112 miles) in Mizoram, 443 km (275 miles) in Meghalaya, and 2,217 km (1,378 miles) in West Bengal.

We believe these extremists have set up several bases in India and have established contacts with linkmen in major Indian cities. They are actively engaged in recruiting cadres to strengthen their base in India, the BSF official told Benar.

In January, BenarNews accessed a classified intelligence report which claimed extremists from JMB and HuJI were collaborating to launch a series of attacks in India.

[T]he secretary of JMB, Iftadur Rehman, has entered India on Jan. 12 on [a] fake passport and has established contact with linkmen in Assam and West Bengal. He is also scheduled to visit Delhi, the report said.

There are reports that the combined team [of JMB and HuJI] is planning big attacks in major centers in India, it added.

Almost 60 JMB members arrested: Police

New Delhi has directed police in the northeastern states that border Bangladesh to step up a vigil to thwart infiltration attempts and possible attacks on Indian soil.

Although we still dont have the names or photographs of the suspects, we have received orders to strengthen security along the India-Bangladesh border. Police have been directed to maintain close coordination with various intelligence agencies, Pallab Bhattacharya, Assams additional director general of police (ADGP), told BenarNews.

Two highly trained suspected JMB members were nabbed from Assams Nalbari district last month, he said, adding that the state police had arrested nearly 60 members of the outfit since October 2014.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the ideological mentor of Indias ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), passed a resolution earlier this week accusing West Bengals ruling Trinamool Congress of shielding Islamic extremists.

The resolution, titled Growing jihadi activities in West Bengal is a security concern for the country, says: The population of [West] Bengals Hindus was 78.45 percent in the first census in 1951, and is 70.54 in the last one.

The resolution clearly states that the ruling party in West Bengal is promoting jihadi violence and communal elements to important berths, Jidhnu Basu of the RSS told NDTV.
Malaysian police blurred faces in this photo showing officers arresting a suspected Islamic State supporter at an undisclosed location.

Malaysian counter-terrorism officers arrested nine suspected Islamic State (IS) supporters in raids in five states earlier this month, including a restaurant worker allegedly involved in a bomb plot against a police station, the nations top policeman announced Friday.

Police did not reveal the names of those taken into custody during operations from March 15 to 21, but Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said officers foiled a plot to attack a station house in Perak state when they arrested the restaurant employee.

Bakar said the 31-year-old man who was arrested on March 17 had close ties to an IS cell in Poso, a regency in Indonesias Central Sulawesi province where Indonesian security forces have been hunting down the last few holdouts of IS-linked militant group Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen.

The suspect who works as a restaurant helper planned an attack on Tapah police station in Perak, Khalid said in a statement, adding that the suspect had contacted Indonesian IS members to obtain explosives to be used in the foiled attack.

The suspect also had close ties with IS cell in Poso, Indonesia, and was active in recruiting Malaysians to join IS, Khalid said.

News of the latest arrests of suspected militants came nearly 10 days after Malaysian authorities said they arrested seven IS supporters. Six of them were caught in the eastern state of Sabah close to the southern Philippines where IS-linked Muslim militant groups operate.

And, earlier this month, Malaysian police announced they had foiled a plot by four Yemeni men  who are in custody  to attack Saudi King Salman Abdul Aziz al-Saud and his entourage during a royal visit to Malaysia.

The four suspects were Houthi rebels, Khalid told BenarNews at the time. Houthis are Iranian-backed insurgents fighting Saudi-aligned forces in Yemen.

A range of occupations

All nine suspects in the newest batch are being held under the Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act 2012, Khalids statement said Friday. The act allows police to hold suspects for 28 days without charges.

Apart from the restaurant worker, the other eight include a technician with an inspection company, a primary school teacher, a veterinary shop owner, a mechanic, a resort worker, a cybercafe worker and two security guards, police said. The suspects were picked up during operations in Perak, Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan and Johor states.

Since 2013, Malaysian authorities have arrested 294 people with suspected IS links, of whom 66 have since been freed, according to the latest figures obtained by BenarNews.

The technician, age 27, was arrested in Selangor and was an alleged member of the Gagak Hitam (Black Crow) terror cell, which was crippled by police through the arrests of 14 of its members in September and October last year.

The cell, Khalid added, was responsible for a blast at the Movida nightclub in Puchong, Selangor, last year, which injured eight people in the first IS-claimed attack on Malaysian soil.

He admitted to be the funder of Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, Khalid said, referring to a Malaysian who allegedly has been fighting for IS in Syria since 2015.

Police have accused Wanndy of orchestrating the nightclub attack in Puchong.

Another of the nine suspects, a 37-year-old primary school teacher, was said to be spreading ISs Salafist ideology on his Facebook page to recruit new members. The teacher was arrested in Kulim, Kedah, on March 16.

Another suspect arrested on the same day was a 39-year-old security guard who had planned to join Islamic state in Syria or the southern Philippines, police said.

Four days later, the mechanic was nabbed in Kuala Krai district in Kelantan.

The 32-year-old mechanic is suspected of channelling funds to IS in Syria and is in contact with a Malaysian IS member there, Khalid said.
Tamil Nadu state farmer Lister Narayan, 63, shows the skull of his cousin who committed suicide, during a protest by farmers in New Delhi, March 23, 2017. [Kshitij Nagar/ BenarNews]

AyyakkannuVeluarr, 72, a farmer from Tamil Nadu holds skulls of his three brothers who committed suicide out of fear of not being able to pay back their farming loans, March 23, 2017. [Kshitij Nagar/ BenarNews]

A Tamil Nadu state farmer raises a skull in the air while shouting slogans criticizing government inaction during a protest in New Delhi, India, March 23, 2017. [Kshitij Nagar/ Benar News]

Perriaswamy Narayan, 74, a farmer from Tamil Nadu, cradles skulls of dead farmers during the protest in New Delhi, March 23, 2017 [Kshitij Nagar/BenarNews]

Farmers from the drought-hit southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu protest in New Delhi as they carry skulls of relatives who committed suicide in recent months, March 23, 2017. [Kshitij Nagar/BenarNews]

Dozens of debt-ridden farmers from drought-stricken Tamil Nadu, in southern India, have been rallying for over a week in New Delhi, demanding help from the government.

During their protests they have carried skulls of colleagues and relatives who committed suicide in recent months to draw the governments attention to the plight of farmers in the state.

There has been a severe drought in Tamil Nadu over the past eight years. The government has failed to provide us enough water from the rivers for irrigation, an agitated farmer and protester, Prabhu Durraswami, told BenarNews.

Durraswami said he wanted the government to waive his bank loan of 100,000 rupees (U.S. $1,530) which he took out in 2013 to set up an irrigation system in his field.

I cannot repay the loan due to low crop yields year after year. I am afraid if I am unable to repay the debt, the bank will auction off my land to recover the sum, he said.

My brother committed suicide when his last crop failed, as he was unable to repay a farming loan, said Rajalakshmi Narayan, another farmer.

I am here, holding my brothers skull so that people know the pathetic and desperate situation we are facing, he told BenarNews.

On Tuesday, the protesting farmers held talks with officials from the ministries of water resources and agriculture but were unable to reach a consensus.

An official with the Ministry of Water Resources told BenarNews on condition of anonymity that the government was confident of coming up with a solution within two weeks.

The farmers are determined to carry on with their protest until their demands are met.

We wont back down until all our loans are waived, protester Muniswamy Thayagaraj said.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Some clouds. Low 64F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 64F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
ein Google-Unternehmen

Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben

Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen

Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern.

neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern

Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen

personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen

personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen

Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke.

Nicht personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung werden u. a. von Inhalten, die Sie sich gerade ansehen, und Ihrem Standort beeinflusst (welche Werbung Sie sehen, basiert auf Ihrem ungefahren Standort). Personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung konnen auch Videoempfehlungen, eine individuelle YouTube-Startseite und individuelle Werbung enthalten, die auf fruheren Aktivitaten wie auf YouTube angesehenen Videos und Suchanfragen auf YouTube beruhen. Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten.

Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen.
Bethesda, Md.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos second visit to a public school was met the same way as her first visit, with protests, as dozens of parents and community members sang, chanted, and held up signs criticizing the Trump administrations push for vouchers and pitch to cut funding for K-12 programs.

The protestors lined the streets outside Carderock Elementary School in Bethesda, Md., a wealthy woodsy suburb. (Bethesda also happens to be home to Education Weeks world headquarters.) Inside, DeVos, along with Gov. Larry Hogan, a Maryland Republican who started a small school choice program in the Old Line State , a traditionally Democratic bastion, read Oh the Places Youll Go by Dr. Seuss to second-graders. DeVos said the book is a favorite of hers, and that shes read it to her children and grandchildren. The event was intended to celebrate national reading month.

Ahead of the visit, DeVos put out a statement on an alleged sexual assault that occurred at Rockville High School, another school located in Marylands Montgomery County district. Two students who are undocumented immigrants and arrived as unaccompanied minors are accused of the crime.

As a mother of two daughters and grandmother of four young girls, my heart aches for the young woman and her family at the center of these terrible circumstances, DeVos said. We all have a common responsibility to ensure every student has access to a safe and nurturing learning environment.

After the event, DeVos had warm words for Hogan. He knows that when we empower parents, students benefit, DeVos said in a statement. Under my leadership, the U.S. Department of Education will continue to look to give state leaders more freedom and flexibility to deliver a world-class education to every student.

During her first visit to a public school last month Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington, D.C., DeVos was initially blocked from entering by other demonstrators , and later angered some of the teachers by telling a conservative columnist that they appeared to be in receive mode. This time around, though, she didnt appear to have trouble entering, although protestors yelled at her car as it left the premises.

Jennifer Gold, a Montgomery County parent, showed up the protest wearing a borrowed bear costume--a reference to DeVos contention during her Senate confirmation hearing that some schools in isolated areas might need guns to ward off potential grizzlies.

Gold is angry that the Trump administration has proposed cuts to public education programs, while seeking to boost spending on private school vouchers. That would divert resources from public education, she argued.

The answer is for all public schools to be excellent, she said. (The costume, she added, is a one-time thing. I dont even wear them for Halloween.) More on the Trump administrations budget proposal here.

And Anh Lyjordo, a lawyer whose children attend another school in the district, was angry that DeVos chose a school in a particularly well-heeled corner of a district with increasing socio-economic and racial diversity.

I think that its bull**t that she comes to a school where the idea of choice is .. to buy a house in this neighborhood to send your kids to this school, she said. And that means you need to be able to buy a house thats at least $900,000 or more. You cannot get into this neighborhood and go to this school otherwise. And so this is not choice.

Another protestor, Hollie Goral, whose kids, now grown, went to Carderock, said shes really upset that Trumps budget would cut the National Endowment for the Arts, which helps finance some K-12 schools. Im terrified for arts education under this administration, she said.

The protest was organized over the last day or so, both on social media and through a neighborhood list serve, demonstrators said. Goral said she wants protests to follow DeVos at every school she visits.

You can track the secretarys school visits here .

Photo: U.S. Secretary of Education Besty DeVos and Gov. Larry Hogan met with second-graders at Carderock Elementary School in Bethesda.

Jennifer Gold, a Maryland parent, dressed as a bear to protest U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visit to a local public school. Alyson Klein for Education Week.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
In Rochester, Minn., a group of parents are pushing for the citys 18,000-student district to provide trainings to teachers on American Indian education and to communicate more about the needs and progress of American Indian students.

A 2016 law requires districts with ten or more American Indian students to have parent committees that can make recommendations about curriculum and other educational programs related to the needs of those students.

The Post Bulletin reports that the committee of parents in the southern Minnesota city is concerned about the relatively low academic achievement of American Indian students in the district. The parents connected with parent committees in other parts of the state and agreed that schools in the state need to address misconceptions about American Indian students, improve student and parent engagement, and recognize all students achievements.

The Post Bulletin quotes Valerie Guimaraes, one of the members of the parent committee: Were raising the alarm, but were also putting forth solutions.

The Rochester district isnt required by law to follow the parents suggestions, the Post Bulletin reports, and the district hired an American Indian liaison to help support students academically and to expose them to a curriculum thats focused on their heritage two years ago. But if it does, it wont be the first place to focus more on the needs of American Indian students in recent years. The University of Washington recently introduced a program focused on preparing teachers to understand more about and work more effectively with native students.

Related:


For Immediate Release, March 24, 2017 Contact: Collette Adkins, (651) 955-3821, cadkins@biologicaldiversity.org Iowa Reins in Exploitative Turtle Trapping New Regulations Curb Killing, But More Protections Needed DES MOINES, Iowa In response to advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation groups, new regulations restricting collection and killing of four species of wild turtles in Iowa went into effect this week. The new regulations impose closed seasons, daily bag limits and possession limits for common snapping turtles, painted turtles, spiny softshells and smooth softshells. It's great that Iowa is finally clamping down on exploitation of its turtles, said Collette Adkins, a senior attorney at the Center, which in 2009 sought a ban on commercial turtle collecting in Iowa. The new regulations are a welcome step, but a complete ban on commercial trapping is needed to fully protect turtles. Before these new regulations went into effect, Iowa allowed year-round commercial collection of four turtle species without any daily bag or possession limits. The new regulations protect the four turtles during their peak mating season by prohibiting commercial collection from May 15 to July 15. But year-round recreational collection of common snappers is still allowed. The state's new regulations also set daily bag limits of four common snapping turtles, one spiny or smooth softshell and one painted turtle. Commercial turtle harvesters can possess 20 common snapping turtles, five spiny softshell or smooth softshell turtles and five painted turtles. Collection of wild turtle eggs is prohibited. We're so glad that states across the country are now restricting turtle slaughter, said Adkins. Turtle trappers in the United States are catching and exporting millions of wild freshwater turtles every year, devastating populations that are already suffering from a lot of other threats, like habitat loss, water pollution and road mortality. Just as Iowa finalized its new regulations, turtle trappers in Iowa began pushing a new bill (S.F. 460) that would replace them with revised rules more favorable to for-profit turtle trappers. Yet many surrounding Midwest states  North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois and Indiana  have determined their turtle populations can only be sustainably managed by banning all commercial collection. Background

More than 2 million wild-caught, live turtles are exported from the United States each year to supply food and medicinal markets in Asia, where native turtle populations have already been depleted by soaring consumption. Adult turtles are also taken from the wild to breed hatchlings for the international pet trade. Large adults, females in particular, are the most valuable and therefore a primary target of commercial trappers. Yet such trapping can cause population declines even in some of the most common freshwater turtles. As part of a campaign to protect turtles from overexploitation, the Center in 2008 and 2009 petitioned Iowa and other states with unrestricted commercial turtle collection to improve harvest regulations. In 2009 Florida responded by banning almost all commercial collection of freshwater turtles from public and private waters; in 2012 Georgia approved state rules regulating the commercial collection of turtles; and Alabama completely banned commercial collection. In October 2016 the Missouri Department of Conservation announced  in response to a 2016 Center petition  that it will consider ending unlimited commercial collection of the state's wild freshwater turtles. In response to a 2011 Center petition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in May added four turtles  including common snapping turtles, smooth softshell turtles and spiny softshell turtles that are found in Iowa  to a list called CITES Appendix III. Trade in Appendix III species requires an export permit and documentation that the animal was caught or acquired in compliance with the law, allowing the United States to closely monitor trade. The animals must also be shipped using methods designed to prevent cruel treatment. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
For Immediate Release, March 24, 2017 Contact: Brett Hartl, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org Trump Approves Disastrous Keystone XL Pipeline WASHINGTON Following an executive order signed by President Trump in January, the U.S. State Department approved the Keystone XL pipeline today. In approving Keystone, the State Department ignored its own previous environmental analyses concluding the pipeline would be a disaster for the climate and is not in the national interest. The Keystone XL pipeline is a disaster for people, wildlife and the planet, said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. Donald Trump only cares about making his special interest pals richer, even though our children will inherit a world ravaged by climate change. We'll use every tool we have to fight this pipeline in the courts and in the streets. Keystone XL would carry up to 35 million gallons of oil every day from Canada's tar sands  one of the dirtiest, most carbon-intensive energy sources in the world  to refineries in Texas. The 1,700-mile pipeline would cross rivers, streams and wetlands that are a source for drinking water for people and provide habitat for at least 20 rare and endangered species, including whooping cranes, pallid sturgeons, interior least terns and piping plovers. Since 1986 pipeline accidents have spilled an average of 76,000 barrels per year, or more than 3 million gallons of oil and other substances. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
For Immediate Release, March 23, 2017 Contact: Mollie Matteson, (802) 318-1487, mmatteson@biologicaldiversity.org Fungus That Has Killed Millions of Bats Found in Texas Two Western Bat Species Discovered With White-nose Syndrome-causing Fungus for First Time AUSTIN, Texas A fungus that has killed millions of bats in North America has been confirmed in the Lone Star state, Texas wildlife officials announced today. The fungus, which is the pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome, was also found for the first time on two new bat species: the cave myotis and a western subspecies of Townsend's big-eared bat. The discovery of the white-nose fungus in Texas is a biological disaster and potentially an economic one, too, said Mollie Matteson, a senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity. With hundreds of caves, unique cave ecosystems and huge, world-famous colonies of bats, Texas stands to lose a rich natural heritage  plus the free pest control services of thousands of bats. Most bats in North America are voracious hunters of insects, including those that attack farm crops and timber stands. Scientists have estimated the economic value of insect-eating bats to American agriculture at $22 billion annually. Bat guano is essential to the survival of extremely rare cave organisms like cave salamanders and fish. The cave myotis and Townsend's big-eared bat have large western ranges, and the discovery of the fungus on them marks a turning point in the westward spread of the bat malady. Just last week white-nose syndrome was announced for the first time in Nebraska. Last spring the disease was reported for the first time on the West Coast, in Washington state. There are now 30 states and five Canadian provinces where the disease has been reported. The fungus has been found in Oklahoma, Mississippi and now Texas, but no incident of the white-nose disease has yet been documented. White-nose syndrome was first discovered in 2006 in a cave near Albany, N.Y. It has since spread across the eastern, southern and midwestern United States and is now encroaching on the West. Although no sickened or dead bats have been found in Texas yet, diseased and dead bats will be showing up there within the next two to three years if the same pattern that has been documented elsewhere is repeated. The bat disease has afflicted seven bat species so far. With the fungus now reported in Texas and discovered for the first time on two western bat species, bats in the West are being hemmed in on two sides by the advancing lines of the disease. Scientists do not know how western bat species, such as the cave myotis and Townsend's big-eared bat, will fare. Many leading bat biologists have emphasized precautionary measures, such as cave closures and site-specific caving gear requirements, as the best management responses. The Center filed a petition in 2010 to close all caves and abandoned mines on federally controlled lands in the lower 48 states, keeping all but essential human activity out of caves. Such closures also would reduce disturbance of vulnerable hibernating or roosting bats. Background

The disease-causing fungus  an exotic, invasive species  was likely originally brought to North America from Europe more than a decade ago. Illustrating its destructiveness, it was first found in eastern Nebraska in 2015. The discovery of the disease two years later follows a now well-established pattern in which the fungus appears at bat wintering sites a few years before bats actually become sickened and die. White-nose syndrome has resulted in dramatic declines among several bat species. The disease has caused mortality rates ranging up to 100 percent among bats in affected caves. The northern long-eared bat, tricolored bat, little brown bat and Indiana bat are the hardest-hit species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the northern long-eared bat as a threatened species in 2015, primarily because of the ravages of the disease. The Service is currently considering protecting the tricolored bat and the little brown bat, both of which have also drastically declined. The Indiana bat was listed as endangered decades prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome, but the bat disease has exacerbated its tenuous hold on survival. White-nose syndrome is passed from one bat to another, or from the cave environment to bats, but it also likely spreads when people inadvertently carry it from one cave to another on their shoes, clothes or equipment. Learn more about white-nose syndrome in this FAQ. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
It can be tough to be a vegetarian. You have to work harder than everyone else to make sure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. So, when its time to take a
Efforts by the United Federation of Teachers to represent teachers at the very first school founded by the KIPP charter school network have landed the union in federal court.

The charter school says the UFT is unlawfully trying to bind KIPP Academy Charter School in the South Bronx to the unions collective bargaining agreement despite the fact that the UFT doesnt really represent teachers at the school.

The first KIPP Academy originally operated as a program within P.S. 156 in the Bronx. KIPP cofounder David Levin sought to establish KIPP as a new, start-up charter school, but the state granted him what is known as a conversion charter. That means, essentially, that New York treated the school as a takeover of P.S. 156, even though P.S. 156 continued to operate after KIPP was established and was not converted into a charter.

One of the big differences between conversion and startup charters is that teachers at conversion charters continue to be represented by the existing union and are subjected to its collective bargaining agreement with the district.

This quirk in KIPPs original charter has given the UFT an in at the school, with the UFT recently demanding that the school enter arbitration talks over KIPP practices that violate the collective bargaining agreement. In a federal lawsuit, KIPP argues that the union has never provided its teachers genuine representation :

"[O}ther than collecting union dues from KIPP teachers and staff, the UFT never carried out any representative functions in relation to them. The UFT never negotiated on their behalf, it never chose union stewards, and it never objected to any of the myriad actions taken by KIPP Academy over the more than 20 years since establishment of the Knowledge is Power Program that were inconsistent with the provisions of the UFTs [collective bargaining agreements].

In the suit, KIPP attributes its success in part to the fact that it operates outside of the collective bargaining agreement, and is thus able to pay teachers bonuses and expect them to work long hours and weekends.

Back in 2009, KIPP Academy teachers attempted to decertify the union, but the UFT blocked the move. KIPP teachers are again trying to break away from the union, this time with the National Labor Relations Board. The KIPP lawsuit comes on the heels of accusations by the UFT of union-busting surrounding the current decertification drive, according to Chalkbeat, the education news website.
BAMAKO, Mali - Anarchic architecture, unchecked pollution and high costs of living are the lot of African city dwellers, experts warn, as living standards fail to keep pace with rapid urban growth on the continent.

Bamako, Mali.  Thomas Dutour via 123RF

The Bamako Forum, a pan-African think tank, recently considered the phenomenon of African urbanisation against the backdrop of a city living the results of rural flight clashing with poor urban planning.

At 1.8 million inhabitants, Bamako is far from Africa's largest city. But its 5.5% growth rate is the fastest on the continent, outstripping that of established African megalopolises like Cairo, Kinshasa or Lagos.

One billion Africans will live in a city by 2040, according to World Bank estimates, compared with almost half a billion today. "Such growth has never been seen globally, and probably never will be again," said Somik Vinay Lall, the bank's top urbanisation expert, speaking at the forum.

Visitors to Bamako's dusty streets don't have long before they chance upon what residents have nicknamed Lafiabougou Hill, a pile of stinking rubbish that at one point loomed 20 metres (66 feet) tall in the city centre.

Lacking fuel to transport the trash to depots on the city's edges, Lafiabougou Hill has become a pungent reminder of the municipality's inability to provide basic services to its rapidly expanding population.

"We have protested, burnt tyres, blocked off roads, because this affects the health of the people living in this area," said Djiri Nimaga, head of a local youth group that held protests last year aimed at rousing action from the authorities in the ACI 2000 commercial district.

Until now Lafiabougou has not killed anyone directly, but at least 113 people were killed in a giant landslide at Ethiopia's largest rubbish dump last weekend, including several children.

The Western perception of poor countries having low costs of living, true across much of Asia, does not hold true for Africa, where some of the world's most expensive cities are populated by some of the planet's poorest people.

As a result, manufacturing and services, driven by consumer spending, are all too often absent. "Twenty-three percent of land in Ho Chi Minh City is taken up by industrial and commercial activity, compared with 5.9 percent in Nairobi and 1.1 percent in Addis Ababa," Lall emphasised.

A World Bank report entitled "Africa's Cities: Opening Doors to the World", released in February, said deep-rooted problems with the way land was bought and sold, a lack of investment in infrastructure and an absence of regulation constrained African cities.

"Closed to regional and global markets, trapped into producing only locally traded goods and services, and limited in their economic growth," is how the report characterised cities such as Bamako.

Ousmane Sow, who works for Bamako's city council, is building up an "urbanisation agency" of the kind encouraged by international development bodies, but says little will fundamentally change until basic rules are respected.

"Say a neighbour has the permit for a one-storey structure, he will build a four-storey one. Buildings fall down all the time," Sow said.

"You can't do architecture on the fly, you are putting people's lives at risk. Behind all of this is the issue of impunity, the true evil of this country," he added.

Among the chaos, some are making fortunes. In Abidjan, Ivory Coast's largest city, a single square metre (3.5 square feet) of land can fetch one million FCFA ($1,625), encouraging ever more landlords to bend the rules.

The small minority of those private or public investors controlling the market "love urban disorder because it's all about gambling on property," said Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, secretary-general of the CGLU African local government association.

"They aren't interested in whether the city actually works as long as they can get such a high rate of return, which happens specifically because the city doesn't function," he added.

Back at Lafiabougou Hill, trucks are waiting to load rubbish dragged to the site by donkey carts.

"As soon as they stop taking it away, the trash just piles up again. It takes too long," Nimaga said.

Source: AFP.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has suspended imports of meat from establishments suspected to be involved in the Brazilian meat scandal

In a statement on Wednesday, the DAFF has requested the Brazilian authorities to provide official information and a list of establishments that have been identified in the issue raised in the media regarding unsafe meat being exported to various countries, which could include South Africa.

DAFF has also advised the Brazilian authority to ban all exportation of meat from such establishments until the issue has been resolved to the satisfaction of the South African Veterinary Authority, said the department.

The department said it is not known how many consignments may have already left Brazil and are on their way to South Africa.

However DAFF is in the process of ensuring that the establishments implicated are suspended from exporting meat to South Africa until the Brazilian Veterinary Authority have fully investigated the matter and can give the necessary assurances for compliance to the South African requirements for importation of meat into South Africa.

Officials of the department at all ports of entry which receive meat have been instructed to test every container of meat from Brazil using the existing policies regarding testing of consignments.

Consignments arriving at the ports of entry in South Africa may be tested microbiologically for organisms such as Salmonella. In addition, the department assured consumers that officials at ports of entry have been vigilant when coming to meat imports.

DAFF wishes to assure the consumers that the officials at ports of entry have always been vigilant on meat imports from any country to ensure compliance with sanitary requirements which are put in place to protect both the consumers and animals against food safety hazards and animal diseases respectively, it said.
Celebrating its diamond anniversary this year, the Public Relations Institute (PRISA) is pulling out all the stops for its annual conference running from 4-5 May 2017, at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg.

Says PRISA CEO Adele Paulsen, This years conference will provide a platform to discuss new technologies and innovative approaches to leadership and communication by some of the most the most influential and thought-provoking thinkers in the industry.

Maxim Behar

Maxim Behar, president of International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and CEO and chairman of the M3 Communication Group Inc. will deliver the keynote address on Thursday 4 May 2017.

Commenting on his participation in this years PRISA conference, Behar said It is a great honour to share with South African friends and colleagues my vision on the latest trends in our field. We all know that Public Relations is amongst the fastest changing businesses in the world. Forums and discussions as the one organised by PRISA will strongly benefit all participants.

Behar is a leading global public relations expert. He is known in Bulgaria, as the communication guru, with many calling him "a global institution." He is a regular presenter on public relations and social media topics to world leaders, practitioners, students and opinion makers. Recently, Behar was named Communicator of the Decade by the Indian Business Communications Association and was voted as Manager of the Year in Bulgaria by leading magazine, Manager.

Behar is also Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Seychelles in Bulgaria. He is Chairman of the Board of World Communications Forum in Davos, Switzerland and, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Our Children Foundation, also Member of the board of the World PR Museum in New York.

His latest book, Generation F, reached the top four in sales on Amazon (2012). His previous books, 111 Rules on Facebook and Secondary Instinct, were considered best sellers.

Thabisile Phumo

We are excited about the line up at this year`s conference, which comes a year after we revised our strategic intent and have embarked on a membership focused journey. We are excited to have reached this significant milestone and are confident that we will continue to serve the interests of our members well into the future, said Thabisile Phumo, President of PRISA.

Joining Behar as speakers and panel discussion hosts at the PRISA National conference will be more than 30 local and international thought leaders in the public relations and communication industry, including a delegation from the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO).




Nedbank emerged as the frontrunner of the banking sector in terms of its achievements in employment equity at the top layers of its management structure.

Its progress was noted by MPs after a presentation by Nedbank CEO Mike Brown at a public hearing on the transformation of the financial services sector organised by Parliament's finance and trade and industry committees.

Wednesday was the second day of hearings, with a third scheduled for May.

Last week the other three major banks - Barclays Africa, Standard Bank and FirstRand - made submissions on their progress on transformation but these showed that more still had to be done. The Banking Association SA has also emphasised the banking sector needed to accelerate employment equity.

None of the big four banks has significant direct black ownership, with 49% of their combined shareholding foreign owned and the rest held mainly by institutional investors.

Brown told MPs Nedbank had maintained its level-two ranking on the broad-based black economic empowerment scorecard for the eighth successive year. Nedbank's score under the financial sector charter in 2006 was 56.6, improving to 98.6 in 2016, the highest among its peer group.

This charter score was very important to the bank, Brown said, as this was a way of attracting clients. The higher the score, the higher the procurement points clients could earn on their own scorecards.

Of more than 32,000 employees, 78% were black and of its 7.7m clients 78% were black.

On employment equity, Brown said two of the three executive directors of Nedbank were black and of the 10 independent nonexecutive directors, seven were black.

Blacks were also well represented in the executive team running the operations of the bank. Black top management represented 54% of the total, black senior management 38%, black middle management 60% and black junior management 88%. The figures were all above the average for South African businesses.

Barclays Africa achieved its level-two status on the scorecard in 2016. Blacks make up 25% of the Barclays Africa group board, 34% of its executive committee, about 24% of top management, just under 40% of senior management, about 55% of middle management and about 70% junior management.

Blacks in Standard Bank make up 22.2% of top management, 40.7% of senior management, 68% of middle management and 86.6% of junior management.

As regards FirstRand, which also has level-two status on the scorecard, blacks are 52% of the board, 34% of top management, 35% of senior management, 59% of middle management and 81% of junior management.

On ownership, Brown noted that Nedbank's audited direct and indirect black shareholding, including the see-through from parent company Old Mutual, was 37% in 2016.

The direct black ownership was 5.44%. He said Nedbank was institutionally owned, with foreign mandated investments representing 18%, domestic institutions 76% (including Old Mutual's 54% stake), the empowerment scheme 4% and individuals 2%.

There are differences in the way ownership is calculated but last week MPs heard that black ownership in Barclays Africa stood at 17.36%, with a greater share due to become available when Barclays plc disposes of its shareholding.

FirstRand told MPs that blacks owned 36.5%. Standard Bank emphasised the spread of its share ownership among institutional investors and pension funds in which ordinary citizens invested their savings.
The competitive impact of most favoured nation (MFN) clauses has been widely debated around the world over the past few years. MFN clauses have come under the scrutiny of EU competition authorities.

MFN clauses, also known as price parity clauses or most favoured customer clauses, which appear in vertical agreements between suppliers and distributors, generally consist of an undertaking by the supplier to offer the distributor a price or rate no higher than the lowest price offered to other distributors.

The German Competition Authority as well as competition authorities in France, Austria, Hungary, the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Australia and the US, have been or currently are investigating a number of hotel online booking platforms on account of the inclusion of MFN clauses in their contracts with hotels. In the hotel online booking sector, an MFN clause obliges the hotel always to give the platform with which it has signed the MFN clause, the best price for hotel online bookings.

Turks act against Booking.com

The Turkish Competition Board during January 2017 found Booking.com BV guilty of a contravention of the Turkish competition laws based on the inclusion of MFN clauses by Booking.com in its agreements. The Turkish Competition Board ruled that MFN clauses are effectively price protection mechanisms within supply contracts. As a protection mechanism, MFN clauses have the overall effect that the seller cannot offer a lower price to other potential customers, which inevitably has an exclusionary effect on the market.

It adopted a similar and even broader approach in June 2016 against the online platform Yemeksepeti. The Turkish Competition Board concluded that the exclusionary effects of its MFN clauses meant that the platform abused its dominant market position. It also found that these clauses discouraged the offering of lower prices on any other online forum.

MFN clauses in Europe

This development in Europe and the rest of the world indicates that MFN clauses can often be regarded as anti competitive. The general position taken in Europe specifically has been to allow narrow MFN clauses while prohibiting wide MFN clauses. Narrow MFN clauses generally only prohibit the supplier from undercutting prices on its website, while allowing the supplier to offer better prices to certain customers.

The fundamental approach is that a compromise between narrow and wide MFNs allows for a level of intra-brand competition, ie competition among distributors or retailers of the same product, that would not otherwise exist, while preserving the consumer benefits, such as increased convenience and information from the comparison such as user review functions while at the same time mitigating against a potential freeriding problem.

Commentators have suggested that MFN clauses can restrict competition in various ways:

They raise barriers to entry insofar as they prevent new entrants into the market from offering lower prices. This in itself could dampen competition;



The existence of several agreements with MFN clauses, has the cumulative effect of aligning prices amongst competitors. Therefore the use of such clauses can support collusive actions by standardising different prices and commercial terms; and



They could reinforce market positions and lead to an abuse of dominance depending on market share.

Positive effects of MFN clauses

MFN clauses can offer potentially positive effects. As an example, these clauses could favour competition insofar as the final client may be guaranteed the lowest possible price. MFN agreements may also afford buyers reduced negotiation cost, as well as the cost of researching the market in order to ensure that as a buyer they secure the best possible price.

However, the burden of providing that an MFN clause positively affects competition or outweighs the restrictive effects lies with the contractual parties.

Knowing that MFNs are generally treated as vertical restraints, such provisions will be judged in terms of the rule of reason approach. In other words, the pro-competitive benefits of the MFN arrangement must be balanced against any anti competitive effects that might exist.

An analysis of the potential anti competitive effects resulting from an MFN provision will be very specific and largely driven by the particulars of the parties involved, the industry in which the provision is employed and the size of the market in question. There are however some situations in which the likelihood that an MFN will be considered as anti competitive, will be reduced, for example:

MFNs provided for in un-concentrated markets will be less concerning than those provided for in highly concentrated markets;



MFNs are more likely to be pro-competitive in situations where they incentivise suppliers or customers to be early adopters of technologies or innovations that might otherwise not happen.

However, MFN provisions employed in the context of more concentrated markets, involving parties with more substantial market shares, and/or involving certain mechanisms by which the parties will be able to strictly monitor or enforce the MFN provision, can raise grave concerns from a competition law point of view.

Conclusion

It is clear that there has been significant competition law focus on MFN clauses internationally. It is also clear that the South African Competition Commission more regularly of late follows trends set by international authorities.

MFN clauses are commonly used or insisted on in commercial negotiations in several industries in South Africa. However, companies wishing to include MFN clauses in their agreements, should take into consideration competition law and assess the level of risk from a competition law point of view against their desire to be treated as the fairest of them all.
President Jacob Zuma is considering designating three new members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), says the Presidency.

The Presidency on Friday said the new members will fill the three vacancies caused by the Presidents decision to replace members that he had previously designated to the JSC.

According to section 178(1)(i) of the Constitution, the Judicial Service Commission, amongst others, consists of four members designated by the President, as head of the national executive, after consulting with leaders of parties represented in the National Assembly, said the Presidency.

The three new members that the President is considering to designate to the JSC are Advocate Thandi Norman SC, Sifiso Msomi and Advocate Thabani Masuku.

The President has written to the leaders of political parties represented in the National Assembly to provide their inputs on his intention to designate the three new members of the JSC.
Tourism's importance as a driver of the South African economy is increasing which has led global hospitality consulting firm, HVS to open a branch of HVS Executive Search Africa , based in Cape Town, which will focus on corporate positions, general managers and heads of department in the hotel industry across the continent.

HONGQI ZHANG via 123RF

Growth of Tourism on the African continent

According to Stats SA, over 10 million international tourists visited South Africa in 2016. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) forecasts that international tourist arrivals in Africa will increase by between 5% and 6% in 2017.

At the recent Meetings Africa Conference, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said in his opening address that arrivals to South Africa from other countries in Africa grew by 11% in 2016, while overseas arrivals increased by 18%. Travel and tourism now contributes around 3.3% to Africas GDP, and supports over nine million jobs directly, or 3% of total employment. The World Travel and Tourism Council forecasts that the number of jobs in tourism will grow this year, said Hanekom.

The significant rise in the African middle class across the continent is also giving more exposure to the hotel industry and creating rising demand for employment in the sector.

Dealing with a huge amount of churn and lack of staff loyalty in the industry

One of the challenges of running hotels in Africa is finding good quality staff. Then once youve found them, youve got to retain them because with the huge number of hotels opening up across the continent, they can always be poached for better conditions or slightly higher salaries. So you can spend a lot of time and money training staff, but the minute another hotel opens, theyre looking to poach the good staff, said Tim Smith, managing partner at HVS in Cape Town.

Smith says the huge amount of churn and lack of staff loyalty in the industry is mostly due to the fact that a lot of staff are not properly looked after. Taking care of staff builds staff loyalty, which reduces the cost of recruitment and promotes rising service levels. This impacts positively on the guest experience, making it a long-term driver of revenue, he says

Looking after staff, training them, understanding their needs and getting the right people in the right positions to start with can reduce the level of churn, Smith says.

Executive matchmaking service

The advantage that HVS offers the hotel industry is that the companys sole focus is on hotels and hospitality. We do nothing but hotels. Were hotel operators ourselves and we understand what people want and need from a management and a corporate perspective as well as an individual perspective, says Smith.

Smith emphasises that theyre not offering recruitment, but rather an executive matchmaking service.

HVS has an extensive database of senior management and we do the search and then talk to the people that we believe are right for the position and the organisation. And then we match the individual and the position. Because we know both the individuals and the hotels very well, were able to come from an in-depth understanding of whats required from both parties, he explains.

We spend a large amount of time understanding the role and the company and the ethos of exactly what they are looking for. We spend an equally large amount of time understanding the candidates and what theyre looking for in terms of their career structure, he adds.

HVS Executive Search has already met with substantial success in the Asian, European and North American markets and is now looking to replicate that success in the Middle East and African markets. Smith defines that success by the number of positions filled, the longevity of people staying in those positions and the degree to which those individuals influence the industry.

Getting African people into senior positions

HVS has access to global reach to find the right people for the positions, but at the same time, our priority is to get African people into senior positions.

At the moment, there is only a staggeringly small number of African GMs across the market. So were looking to promote from within and to work with companies to give them internal training platforms to upskill their staff to senior and executive management level, he says.

Smith says its crucial that executive management has a cultural understanding of the local communities needs, how to work with the local communities and what benefits they can bring to those communities and vice versa. At the moment, the problem is that people from European hotel schools are coming to work in Africa with the mind-set to stay here for two years as a stepping stone on their way to Dubai, or somewhere in Europe, says Smith.

Were not looking for people who are counting down the days until they can leave Africa for somewhere else. Were looking for people who want to be in a position for at least five years and then move to another position on the continent, he says.

Smith has been appointed as a guest lecturer at one of the top hotel schools in South Africa. He says his role is to help to ensure that students graduate with skills that will help them to make a notable difference in the industry. HVS Executive Search Africa aims to positively impact employment in the hotel industry and to support empowerment and upliftment of local communities through training, recruiting and promoting hospitality as a long-term sustainable career.
Gold Travel, long-standing Cape Town corporate travel management company with a track record of over 40 years in the industry, recently revealed its new look.

Gold Travel's new look

They are currently updating their website and internal processes and procedures to provide a more efficient, professional and personalised experience for their clients.

Konrad Laker, CEO of Gold Travel, says, We took an honest look at the way we do things and decided it was time for a change - we want to show our clients that we are adapting but within a given framework  we are the same people, but doing business a little differently and a whole lot better. As a small business, it is possible for us to do more; to go the extra mile.

This rebrand comes in line with the opening of a second Gold Travel branch in Centurion and further expansion plans are under way for a third branch in Midrand, Gauteng. The company is also eager to extend their footprint into Africa as their portfolio covers a lot of travel to destinations like Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, and many of their clients have offices in those countries.

Laker believes that the travel service industry should be embracing technology rather than resisting it: "We want to revolutionise the way we do business and challenge the norm while keeping our personal focus on our clients and their needs. With adopting new systems and technology, the idea is for Gold Travel to duplicate the formula so that it can be rolled out to all new branches, a kind of 'plug-and-play' scenario, creating a seamless transition for both client and consultant."
The tranquillity of a popular holiday resort for families is disrupted by cultural differences in the raucous local comedy Kampterrein: Die Movie, while a mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear in the sci-f- thriller Life as a team of scientists find a rapidly evolving life form on Mars. A recluse is forced to face the flawed recollections of his younger self in The Sense of an Ending, while an inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together in the reboot of CHiPs. Five ordinary teenagers discover they are the only ones who can save the planet in Saban's Power Rangers, and a young African-American confronts his white girlfriend's family in Get Out.

Opera lovers are in for a treat with the Met Operas new staging of Dvoraks Rusalka, a haunting love story inspired in part by Hans Christian Andersens tale of The Little Mermaid.

Kampterrein: Die Movie

When the Fouches, an Afrikaans family, arrive at the ATKV Buffelspoort resort for the holidays, they find that their regular caravan spot has been taken over by the Khumalos. Much hilarity ensues as the two families engage in madcap tit-for-tat exchanges and shenanigans. Buffelspoort manager Oom Gert and his dopey assistant are doing everything they can to prepare the resort for a surprise visit by an inspector from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa who will determine whether to award the venue an additional star, or not Questions start to arise about the interest in a beauty salon that offers far more than manis and pedis Theres an old lady on holiday with her dog which she struggles to hide as no pets are allowed, a handyman who cant fix a thing, and a couple of local celebrities who think they can get away with not being recognised  all set against the backdrop of the beautiful and peaceful natural environment of the resort. The tranquillity is most profoundly disturbed by the ongoing clashes between the Fouches and the Khumalos. Will they be able to set aside their cultural differences and actually enjoy their escape from the rigours of city life?

Rusulka

Kristine Opolais stars as the mythical Rusalka, with Brandon Jovanovich as the Prince, Jamie Barton as the witch Jezibaba, Katarina Dalayman as the Foreign Princess, and Eric Owens as Rusalkas father, the Water Sprite.

Rusalka's world premiere was staged at the National Theatre in Prague in 1901. The only one of Dvoraks operas to gain an international following (so far), Rusalka is in many ways a definitive example of late Romanticismcontaining folklore, evocations of the natural and the supernatural worlds, and even a poignant interpretation of the idea of a love-death.

The story has a strong national flavour as well as universal appeal, infused by the Romantic supernaturalism of Friedrich de la Motte Fouques novella Undine (previously set as an opera by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Tchaikovsky, and others) and Hans Christian Andersens The Little Mermaid.

Screening times for Rusalka at Nouveau (Rosebank Mall, JHB; Brooklyn Mall, PTA; Gateway Commercial, DBN; and V&A Waterfront, CT) and select Ster-Kinekor cinemas are as follows: 25 March at 5pm; 26 March at 2.30pm; 28 March and 5 April at 11.30am; and 4 April at 6pm.

The running time is 3hrs and 40mins, with two intervals.

Life

A terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that could have caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected. Life stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya. It's directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House), and is written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland, Deadpool).

Director Daniel Espinosa says that before he was approached to direct Life, he had given some thought to the ways his filmmaking heroes approached science fiction. I think the reason so many great directors have walked into science fiction is to work with the unknown  the fear or fascination with the unknown, he says. We live in a world that is quite mundane, but in space, you enter an adventure  you dont know how it looks, how it feels, what it can do to you, where it is. It doesnt make a sound. Thats terrifying.

The sense of an ending

Tony Webster (Jim Broadbent) leads a reclusive and quiet existence until long buried secrets from his past force him to face the flawed recollections of his younger self, the truth about his first love (Charlotte Rampling) and the devastating consequences of decisions made a lifetime ago.

Playwright Nick Payne (Constellations) adapted Julian Barnes' beautiful and beguiling novel for the big screen, helmed by acclaimed director Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox).

I hope that (moviegoers) can walk away with a sense of a very particular kind of longing that Tony feels, says Payne.

For Batra, the hope is more about making a film that complements the book, yet stands up as a film in its own right. I really hope we populated Julians universe in a way thats true to the movie and the book as well. Hes just a wonderfully generous man and I hope the movie and the book can exist together as complements.

CHiPs

Jon Baker (Dax Shepard) and Frank Ponch Poncherello (Michael Pena) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten up pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job  inside the CHP.

The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kick-starting a partnership is easier said than done. But with Bakers bike skills combined with Ponchs street savvy, it might just work if they dont drive each other crazy along the way.

Writer/director Dax Shepard delivers a buddy cop comedy loaded with enough action, stunts and hard-R humour to push it to the legal limit.

Citing the inspiration he drew from the late 70s/early 80s TV series created by Rick Rosner, who is now one of the films executive producers, Shepard says, To me, the key elements of that show were the setting, the bikes, and the fact that Jon and Ponch were heroes. And as much as those characters were unique to the show, his Jon and Ponch are different. This is a new incarnation, with its own personality  a big-screen CHIPS for a new generation that takes the stunts, action, and comedy further than the small screen would allow.

Saban's Power Rangers

Five ordinary teens must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove  and the world  is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before its too late, band together as the Power Rangers.

Directed by Dean Israelite (Project Almanac), starring Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Ludi Lin, featuring Bill Hader, with Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Banks.

The screenplay is by John Gatins (Kong: Skull Island, Real Steel). Story is by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless (Dracula Untold) and Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney.

Dean Israelite grew up watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in South Africa. It became a phenomenon there, just as it did all around the world, he says. What I remember most is how empowered the show made you feel. When it emerged that this project was going to reimagine the show, I was very excited. I knew if I could tap into the feeling of the original it would be an incredible adventure.

Remaining true to the spirit of the television series has been fundamental to every decision made by the production team, says Israelite. We are here because of the fans who have sustained the series for over 23 years. Its imperative that they come out of this movie feeling like we have taken what they love  and we love  about the series and brought it to life in a contemporary way while respecting the mythology.

Get Out

A speculative thriller, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriends family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation. Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams, Girls), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener, Captain Phillips) and Dean (Bradley Whitford, The Cabin in the Woods).

At first, Chris reads the familys overly accommodating behaviour as nervous attempts to deal with their daughters interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.

Equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary, it was written and directed by Jordan Peele (Key and Peele).

Says Peele: First and foremost, I always want to entertain, so I hope people experience that in the theatre. Get Out is a loud experience. Its fun, scary and titillating, and I want audiences to laugh. After that, I hope that they have a discussion about race and horror films that they havent had before.

Read more about the latest film releases: www.writingstudio.co.za
Troy Hunt, proprietor of the essential Have I Been Pwned (previously) sets out the hard lessons learned through years of cataloging the human costs of breaches from companies that overcollected their customers' data; undersecured it; and then failed to warn their customers that they were at risk.



Of real interest in Hunt's excellent primer is the section on dealing with security researchers: setting up dedicated bug-reporting forms with bug bounties, PGP keys, and other enticements to do the right thing.





It's advice that more companies could stand to take, but alas, things are going in the other direction. Security researchers normally have the right to choose the time and manner of their revelations about defects in products (telling the truth about security vulnerabilities is covered by the First Amendment!), so companies need to offer enticements to researchers in order to get them to disclose in a way that the company can manage. First among these enticements is the credible promise that the company will do something about the vulnerabilities that public-spirited researchers bring to them.

Alas, this is far from standard practice. Even companies like Google squat on high-risk, showstopper bugs for months without taking action on them, prompting researchers to go public to warn customers that they're trusting insecure products with negligent manufacturers.

In the balance between security researchers and companies, disclosure is the only real source of leverage. Companies know that ignoring security researchers could lead to uncontrolled disclosures, liability lawsuits, bad press, and tarnishment of their reputations.

That balance is now shifting sharply away from security researchers, thanks to DRM. Laws like Section 1201 of the DMCA establish potential criminal and civil liability for people who reveal defects in systems that restrict access to copyright, even when those disclosures are made to warn the people who depend on these systems that they are defective. Security researchers have found themselves unable to come forward with reports of defects in medical implants, thermostats, voting machines, cars and more.

To make matters worse, the World Wide Web Consortium is standardizing a DRM system for the web that is set to be mandatory in billions of browsers, and rather than protecting security researchers from liability for disclosing dangrous, compromising defects in this system, they're creating a voluntary system for members to refer to when deciding whether to sue researchers with the new right they're getting from this standard. Hundreds of the world's top security researchers (including internal W3C technical staff) have written to the organization to ask them to balance out this DRM with modest protections for security disclosures.

But so far, the W3C has not taken up this cause. W3C members  many of whom would gain the power to censor reports of their products defects  are voting on this, with the poll closing on April 19.

This sounds like a ridiculously obvious thing to say, but it's something which can be enormously frustrating for those of us disclosing vulnerabilities ethically and enormously destructive when contact is coming from shadier parties. Let's look at some examples of each. In October 2015, someone handed me 13M records from 000webhost. I tried to get in touch with them via the only means I could find: I won't delve into all the dramas I had again here, suffice to say I tried for days to get through to these guys and their support people acknowledged my report of a serious security incident yet couldn't get me in touch with anyone who could deal with it appropriately. I eventually went to the press with the issue and the first proper response they made was after reading about how they'd been compromised in the news headlines. This attitude of not taking reports seriously and dealing with them promptly is alarmingly common. Let's go back to CloudPets again for a moment and their CEO gave a journalist this comment: @lorenzoFB "We did have a reporter, try to contact us multiple times last week, you don't respond to some random person about a data breach. Yes you do! Random people are precisely the kind you want to respond to because they're the ones that often have your data!

Data breach disclosure 101: How to succeed after you've failed

[Troy Hunt]
Supporting fisheries, tourism, recreation, and thousands of jobs, a sustainable Benguela Current ecosystem is the lifeblood of the ocean economy' on South Africa's West Coast. A workshop has been held in Cape Town during which scientists, government officials, business and civil society representatives considered linkages between the diverse ecosystem services provided by the ocean and coastal environment, and how best to measure and monitor both their economic value and environmental health.

Werner Lehmann via 123RF - Fishing boats in the Velddrif harbour, West Coast, South Africa

The workshop forms part of a project by the Benguela Current Convention (BCC) to strengthen the ability of member states  Namibia, Angola, and South Africa  to monitor the health of the Benguela Current ecosystem in their own countries, as well as implementing an integrated approach to sustainable ecosystem management across national boundaries.

The workshop also aimed to identify gaps in current monitoring activities and data, capacity and resource needs, and how to resolve potential conflicting uses in future.

Developing the maritime economy

This is vital to maintaining the sustainability of the economic and social benefits to the people who rely on the ecosystem. For South Africa, this is particularly important, given the focus on developing the maritime economy through Operation Phakisa, which has earmarked a number of diverse projects for the West Coast, project leader Dr Samantha Petersen said.

The productive waters of the Benguela Current support the largest portion of South Africas commercial fisheries, with increasing activity in small-scale fishing and aquaculture. The West Coast is also a hub of offshore oil and gas exploration, a focus area for the redevelopment of small harbours and coastal tourism, and home to the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone.

It also has a number of significant conservation areas, provides shelter for migratory bird populations, and is attracting increasing tourism and recreation activities.

A healthy marine ecosystem provides services that have a measurable social and economic value to human well-being. Some have direct commercial value such as fisheries, mineral and energy resources, and tourism assets, while others such as climate regulation, recreational benefits, and symbolic cultural or spiritual uses, are more difficult to measure the value of.

Putting a value on the services provided by the ecosystem is important for understanding its benefits to society, promoting conservation, and future decision-making, especially in resolving conflicting uses, said Oceans Economy Research Chair at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and a guest speaker at the workshop, Prof Ken Findlay.

Integrated monitoring of the Benguela ecosystem

Together with the output of this weeks meeting, feedback from workshops in Namibia and Angola will contribute to integrated monitoring of the Benguela ecosystems health and the BCCs planning for future collaborative projects and support to member states.

The Benguela Current sweeps up the South African West coast, along the entire Namibian coastline and into Angola. This creates a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) with productive resources shared by the three countries.

The Benguela Current Convention, signed by the three countries is the first LME in the world to embrace an ecosystem approach to ocean governance, which means managing trans-boundary resources at the ecosystem level, rather than each country acting alone, and balancing human needs with conservation imperatives.

The coastal and ocean resources of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) are estimated to contribute about $269bn annually to the economies of Namibia, Angola, and South Africa. The BCLME is rich in fisheries resources, oil, gas, diamonds and other minerals, and the West Coast of South Africa is a growing local and international tourism destination.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan expects to finalise the process of appointing a new CEO for SAA by the end of the month.

Musa Zwane has been acting CEO since late 2015 when he became the airline's seventh CEO in three years, and the lack of a permanent CEO has been one of the issues contributing to the instability of the airline under chairwoman Dudu Myeni, whose controversial term has been characterised by frequent clashes with Treasury.

The time frame for the appointment of a permanent CEO emerged from a letter Gordhan sent to the speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, requesting permission for a delay in tabling the corporate plan for the three years 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Participation required

Gordhan said the participation of the new CEO would be required in the corporate planning process.

"With the assistance of the restructuring adviser and restructuring officer, the SAA is currently undertaking a review of its long-term strategy and corporate plan which is expected to be completed by the end of June 2017," Gordhan said.

He asked Mbete for permission to table the SAA corporate plan for 2017-18 by end-March, instead of tabling the three-year plan required by the Public Management Finance Act. He sought permission to submit the three-year plan by end-July.

DA deputy finance spokesman Alf Lees said "the fact that the appointment of the CEO is yet to be finalised and the minister's request for approval of a deviation in the tabling of SAA's corporate plan are indicative of the turmoil and legacy complications created by the previous board with Dudu Myeni at the helm".

Source: BDpro
Coal of Africa's COO, Michiel Jakobus Bronn, who was fined R350,000 earlier this month by the Financial Services Board's (FSB's) enforcement committee for insider trading , has resigned, the company said.

Bronn was found guilty for buying 117,000 shares on the JSE in May 2015, three days before the company announced it had been granted a mining right. The FSB said Bronn was aware at the time that the department of mineral resources had approved an application for the company's Makhado project.

The company said on Thursday that it noted the resignation of Bronn following the judgement and fine lodged by the FSB. "Mr Bronn will forfeit all share-based incentive awards and shall not be entitled to receive any bonus payments for the year ending June 2017."
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies is expected to announce a range of measures shortly, including incentives and other forms of support, for the beleaguered poultry industry. The measures emerge from the work of a task team involving the department, industry, and labour that was established in November 2016 to investigate the crisis facing the industry.

skeeze via pixabay

The industry is facing job losses and plant closures as it battles against a flood of low-priced bone-in chicken imports from the EU. The crisis was the subject of a public hearing by parliament's trade and industry committee on Thursday, with a key issue being whether the problems were due to dumping by the EU or because of its lack of competitiveness.

Incentives and support

Garth Strachan, Department of Trade and Industry deputy director-general, said on the sidelines of the proceedings a ring-fenced incentive was envisaged for the sector within the department's incentive for agro-processing.

Reciprocal conditions for the incentive, which would be a grant, were being negotiated with the industry, Strachan said. The industry would have to undertake not to shed jobs, to undertake transformation and put up investment matching the grant to raise competitiveness.

Chicken producer Country Bird has already put a plant closure on hold pending such support measures.

Support will be provided for investing in machinery and equipment to produce mechanically deboned meat that is currently imported and used in polonies, sausages, and pies.

Strachan said the programme presented a big opportunity for black economic empowerment. South African Poultry Association CE Kevin Lovell welcomed the move as it would localise this production. Most of the imports of mechanically deboned meat, about 195,000 tonnes a year, come from Brazil.

Other measures

Other measures in the pipeline are to designate chicken for local procurement by government and state-owned entities. The main issue that has delayed this has been the traceability of the product as being locally produced, Strachan said. Providing support for poultry exports and addressing input costs of soya and maize were also part of the measures.

Davies has already approved a 13.9% safeguard duty against bone-in chicken imports from the EU and the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) is investigating whether this should be raised. It is expected to submit a recommendation to Davies at the end of May.

Itac chief commissioner Siyabulela Tsengiwe said the problem could not be reduced to one of dumping. A long-term industrial strategy was required to prevent the industry from repeatedly requesting tariff protection in future.

Source: Business Day
Following a US and UK government ban on electronic devices on flights, South Africans travelling to the UK and USA via Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Doha and several other cities will no longer be allowed to use their laptops, iPads, tablets, kindles or e-readers inflight. The ban comes into effect on 25 March 2017 for people travelling to the US and immediately for people travelling to the UK.

Jozef Polc via 123RF

Corporate Traveller has warned that South Africans travelling to the US via Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE), Cairo (Egypt), Istanbul (Turkey), Doha (Qatar), Amman (Jordan), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Casablanca (Morocco), Jeddah and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) will not be allowed to stow any electronic device larger than 16cm x 9.3cm in their hand luggage in terms of a ban announced by the US government.

Business travellers with a direct flight to the UK from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey are also banned from carrying electronic devices larger than 16cm x 9.3cm in their hand luggage. They have to stow it in their checked baggage.

The US and UK implemented the ban amid fears that terror groups have developed the capability to hide a bomb in a laptop big enough to blow a hole in the side of a plane. Affected airlines include Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Egypt Air and Turkish Airlines.

Travellers to stow devices in checked baggage

Michelle Jolley, corporate brands marketing leader for Flight Centre Travel Group, says the ban affects South Africans who are transiting via the identified cities.

It affects direct flights from these cities. A direct flight is any flight that operates as a single flight number from one of the listed ports to the US or UK. That means that South Africans who transit in these ports will be affected even though the flight originated from South Africa. For example, a customer travelling from Johannesburg who is transiting in Dubai will be subject to the ban because although they are changing aircraft in Dubai, their luggage will transfer automatically. They, therefore, have to stow any electronic devices, other than smartphones or cellphones which conform to the dimensions, in their checked baggage from Johannesburg as while electronic devices will be permitted on their flight to Dubai, it will be banned on their flight from Dubai to the US, she says.

She advises business travellers who do not intend to check-in luggage, or who need to work on the flight and require their laptop or Ipad, to change their route or carrier or take paperwork on board.

Fragile, valuable luggage

Jolley says affected devices include all tablets, iPads, Kindles, e-readers, laptops, cameras and lenses, portable DVD players, electronic game devices and travel printers and scanners larger than 16cm x 9.3cm.

Jolley advises people who are worried about stowing their electronic devices in their checked baggage to contact their airline. We know that travellers have for years been advised not to put any valuables in their checked baggage, but this ban obviously changes the playing field. We strongly advise travellers who are travelling to the US or UK on affected routes or carriers to wrap their luggage before checking it in or to take the necessary precautions to ensure that their checked baggage cannot be tampered with. They also need to ensure that they have travel insurance in the event that any of their electronic devices are stolen from their checked baggage, she advises.

You can also ask the airline to put a fragile sticker on your bag to prevent it being thrown around. Jolley also advises travellers to contact their airline to discuss the policy that lithium batteries not be transported in the hold.

The airlines are responsible for enforcing these rules and, therefore, have the final say. One carrier may have a slightly different interpretation to another so it is vital that passengers contact airlines directly or your travel expert for clarification. Flight Centre Travel Group is also liaising with airlines to get clarity, says Jolley.
TEL AVIV, Israel - i24News, which aims to strike deep and long-term roots in the African continent, will be the official media partner for the Africa-Israel Summit taking place in Lome, Togo, from October 23-27, 2017.

Togo  boldg via 123RF

i24news, a channel broadcasted from Tel Aviv, will offer exclusive coverage of the event through its three channels (French, English, Arabic) in partnership with its Washington, Paris and New York offices.

The Africa-Israel Summit is jointly organised by the Togolese and Israeli diplomatic service, as well as Africa-Israel Connect and the theme of the Summit is Innovation for a shared prosperity.

i24News aims to expand its coverage beyond the countries where it is already present. Franck Melloul, CEO of the i24 news channel declared: I am very honored and excited to launch our media partnership between our network and the Africa-Israel Summit. I am convinced that it is a great initiative to promote cooperation between Africa and Israel and that promoting the media coverage of the event is an excellent opportunity for i24. In addition, I believe that the Summit will serve as an ideal framework for our network to strike deep roots in Africa and further i24news' status as a global news network.

The Africa-Israel Summit, an event jointly organised by the Togolese and Israeli diplomatic service as well as Africa-Israel Connect, will be held in October 2017 in Lome, Togo and will host the senior leadership from both Africa and the State of Israel, for exclusive talks and discussions focused on political and business matters.

Bruno Finel, CEO of the Africa-Israel Connect firm stated: The Africa-Israel Summit is a unique opportunity to fulfill the formidable potential of heightened cooperation between Jerusalem and the African continent.

The theme of the Summit is Innovation for a shared prosperity.

i24 news, a subsidiary of the Altice Group (SFR, Portugal Telecom, Suddenlink, Cablevision, L'Express, BFM, Liberation, HOT), was launched in July 2013 and employs a staff of 150 people.
The African continent has suffered the most dramatic decline in freedom of travel to other countries around the globe, according to the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index.

 mipan via 123RF

Over the last decade, African countries account for 16 of the 20 biggest fallers on the annual Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index, and the continent as a whole suffered the most dramatic decline on the just-released 2017 edition of the index.

A highly-regarded ranking of the worlds countries based on the degree of travel freedom enjoyed by citizens, the Visa Restrictions Index is published by leading global residence and citizenship advisory firm, Henley & Partners, and produced in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the worlds largest and most authoritative database of travel information.

With its nationals able to access 98 countries without a visa, South Africa, which dropped one position from 2016, is ranked 55th on the 2017 index. In contrast, citizens of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain, the US and the UK have unrestricted access to 173 or more countries  and Germans, whose country retains its top spot on the index for the second year running, have access to 176 countries. The highest ranking South Africa has achieved in the last decade was in 2008 and 2009, when it occupied the 35th position.

Freedom of movement

Nigel Barnes, managing partner of Henley & Partners recently launched South African office, points out that the majority of the countries to which South Africans can travel unhindered are to be found in Africa and South America: This means we have freedom of movement to predominantly developing regions. For South Africans who travel frequently to the UK, US and EU, this is very restrictive.

The country ranked third in the African region, with its Indian Ocean-island neighbours, the Seychelles and Mauritius, taking first and second positions respectively. The Seychelles, whose nationals enjoy visa-free access to 137 countries worldwide, achieved 29th position on the index, while citizens of Mauritius, which ranked 33rd overall, have unrestricted access to 131 international countries.

With visa-free access to 69 countries, Kenya takes fourth spot in Africa and is also the continents biggest climber, moving up two positions since last year to rank 68th. But, losing four places in one year, Ghana, which now ranks 77th, recorded the most negative movement on the index as a whole. And, over the last decade, Sierra Leone has suffered the indexs largest individual decline, losing 29 ranks overall.

There is still huge disparity in the levels of travel freedom between countries, despite the world becoming seemingly more mobile and interdependent, says Barnes. Generally, visa requirements are a reflection of a countrys relationship with others, and take into account diplomatic relations between countries, reciprocal visa arrangements, security risks, and the dangers of visa and immigration regulation violations, he explains.

Global overview

Even after losing visa-free admission to one country, German nationals still enjoy the greatest travel freedom in the world. Sweden also remains static in second place, with its citizens able to access 175 countries (just one less than Germans) without a visa, and Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain and the US jointly rank third, enjoying unrestricted access to 174 countries. The UK, however, has slipped down yet another position this year to fourth, having shared first place with Germany for three consecutive years from 20132015.

Syria, Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan sit at the very bottom of the 2017 Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index, each with visa-free access to less than 30 countries worldwide. This shows a slight change from last years ranking, with Somalia rising out of the bottom four with access now to 30 countries, and Syria dropping into it with only 29. In total, 48 countries lost ground over the past year, dropping between one and three ranks, and only 42 countries showed no movement at all.

Barnes explains that, although the size and make-up of the Top 10' remains the same as last year, the changing geopolitical climate could well affect the rankings over the next 12 months. We have recently witnessed several major events  including Brexit and the election of US President Donald Trump  that are likely to have an impact on global mobility. These can be interpreted as steps toward restricting movement and creating barriers to entry. This trend towards curbing travel freedom is already apparent in the shift in rankings on this years index.

Peru was the highest individual mover in this years index, gaining 15 places. Island nations also made a strong showing, with the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Kiribati and Tuvalu all gaining over nine places. The fortunes of the emerging economies of the BRICS nations, however, were varied. Brazil and China both increased their standing on the index, moving up three and two ranks respectively. The remaining three, South Africa included, all lost ground: Russia dropped three places and India two.

Citizenship-by-investment programmes

In contrast to 12 years ago, when the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index was first published, there are now many more residence- and citizenship-by-investment programmes available to those who wish to enhance their travel freedom. More and more governments are embracing these programmes as a means of stimulating economic development and growth, and there is an increasing number of wealthy and talented individuals looking to diversify their citizenship portfolios in order to give themselves and their families greater international opportunity, stability, freedom and security.

Barnes points out that the countries offering the most important citizenship-by-investment programmes in the world continue to perform strongly on the index. Malta offers the top-ranked investment migration programme globally and scores very highly with the worlds 10th most powerful passport and visa-free access to 167 countries. Austria is also in the top 10 with a total of 173 countries, and Cyprus is not far behind at 16, with 158 countries accessible without a visa.

Likewise, countries that offer citizenship-by-investment programmes in the Caribbean have performed well. Grenada is ranked at 37th place and offers successful applicants visa-free access to 124 countries, including China, Europes Schengen area, Singapore, Brazil, and other key markets. Antigua and Barbuda, and St Kitts and Nevis share 30th place on this years index, with visa-free access to 136 countries, and St Lucia, which is ranked 36th, offers its citizens unrestricted access to 127 countries worldwide.

For individuals who hold passports of countries with fewer visa-waiver agreements, such as South Africa, a second or even third citizenship can open up travel opportunities to countries previously restricted by time-consuming visa application requirements and processes, says Barnes. The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index is relevant to individuals interested in improving their mobility and the quality of their nationality, as well as to governments focused on improving the local, regional and global opportunities inherent in their passports.
Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries

SUBSCRIBE
SABC 3 has refreshed its line-up, created a brand campaign and launched its new positioning statement, "The stage is yours!"

From 3 April 2017, it introduces a reality slot at 7.30pm from Mondays to Wednesdays, with drama on Thursdays and Fridays. Tuesdays to Thursdays at 8.30pm, it will introduce a magazine strand and on Fridays, it returns with the movie feature. Back by popular demand, Bollywood movies will be at 3pm on Sundays.

The main news bulletin will move to 6pm, with the Bold and the Beautiful moving to 6.30pm, followed by Isidingo. Afternoon Express will move back to 4pm and Real Talk making its way to the 5pm slot. Days of Our Lives will move to 10.30pm and Special Assignment moves to Monday at 9pm. Trending SA, the talk show that covers issues that are trending on social media, will now be broadcast at 9.30pm Mondays-Thursdays.

SABC 3 is looking forward to launching some new properties on its prime time schedule this year. For viewers who are globally aware but have their hearts firmly rooted in South Africa, the channel is shining a spotlight on their progressive spirit. We are excited to hand the stage over to represent their dreams and aspirations, said Aisha Mohamed, head of bouquet at SABC 3.


With the shambolic FARC peace deal finally in place, the Colombian government is hoping to shift the country's farmers from Colombia's major cash crop: the coca leaves that are refined into the world's cocaine supply. Perhaps with the guerrillas no longer defending the crops they relied on for operating capital, Colombia can put coca behind it.



But the reality is that rich countries have depressed the price of virtually every legal crop through agricultural subsidies that make it impossible to earn a living growing staples like corn, cacao or sugar.

Combine that with the eminent suitability of coca to Andean farming  it's a native plant, well suited to the soil and climate, cultivated for centuries  and it's unlikely that Colombian farmers will give up on the crop, regardless of the law.





This is not to indict all farming subsidies, but rather to point out that the benefit to US farmers from subsidies to farmers should be weighed against the costs to the USA of fighting the cocaine trade, a ruinously expensive undertaking from the soldiers sent to Colombia to the organized crime activities in the USA to the human misery of addiction to the grotesque human and financial costs of the American prison system.

The corn market, for example, is highly subsidised. From 1979 to 1992, OECD nations' subsidies for maize producers increased from 28% to 38%. In the US, the market price for corn stayed steady at about US$2.50 a bushel during this 13-year period. Neither Colombia nor other Andean countries could afford such subsidies, meaning local producers couldn't compete with low-cost imports. In Colombia, the market cost of corn dropped about 20% from 1979 to 1992; coffee, cacao and sugar prices plummeted even further. The relationship is not linear, but it's real: in 2002 the FAO acknowledged that rich-country farm subsidies hurt producers in the developing world. They allow farmers and agrobusiness to distort the market by offering cheap commodities that sell for less than the cost of production, eliminating competition from producers in poorer countries. It's no coincidence that major Andean coca cultivation also began when rich-country farming subsidies increased. From 1980 to 1988 in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru the area dedicated to coca growing rose from 85,000 hectares (99,000 metric tonnes produced) to 210,000 hectares (227,000 metric tonnes produced). Production has since stabilised at around 157,000 hectares, producing some 170,000 metric tonnes of coca leaf.



Why coca leaf, not coffee, may always be Colombia's favourite cash crop

[Iban de Rementeria/The Conversation]

(via Naked Capitalism)

(Image: Colcoca02, Darina, CC-BY-SA)
Recent research from B2B ratings and review firm, Clutch, found that many small business owners in the U.S. are not using social media, instead harking back to marketing headlines from several years ago that expressed doubt in the value of Likes or Tweets.

They are missing out because of their own viewpoint on the topic, [made] from believing five- to six-year-old headlines and not recapturing the maturation of the space, said Joshua Dirks, CEO of Project Bionic, a Seattle-based creative marketing agency.

The report by Clutch, Social Media for Small Business: 2017, based on a survey of 350 small business owners across the US, reveals that one quarter (24%) do not currently use social media, with 8% saying the never expect to use it.

However, according to Instagrams latest announcement that it now has over 1 million advertisers on the platform. eMarketer forecasts Instagram will generate $3.64 billion in advertising this year.

The majority of brands it works with are small businesses. In addition to monthly advertisers, Instagram claims 8 million businesses are using its business profiles  a free feature for accounts that want to be recognized as a business on Instagram. Such business profiles are being adopted the most from companies in the U.S., Brazil, Indonesia, Russia and the U.K.

In the last month, over 120 million Instagrammers visited a website, got directions, called, emailed or direct messaged to learn about a business, Instagram said in its blog post.

A key attraction of Instagram for small businesses is access to insights and statistics about their posts and followers. Instagram plans to add to its free tools for businesses over time and has just announced a new booking tool to be made available globally in the coming months. This will allow users to book appointments or make reservations through a business profile.

Many small businesses dont have a website or the traffic to sustain a separate place for booking, Instagrams VP of business, James Quarles, told Forbes. They just want to have that as part of their Instagram experience. Were just getting started in building the tools businesses would like to find customers and get people to stores.
Dr Gale Ridge is a public entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, where an average of 23 people a day call, write or visit; an increasing proportion of them aren't inquiring about actual insects, they're suffering from delusional parasitosis, and they're desperate and even suicidal.

Nancy Hinkle, a colleague of Gale's, professor of veterinary entomology at the University of Georgia in Athens, estimates that she spends "a couple of hours every day" dealing with "the invisible bugs."

The entomologists' jobs are confounded by the possibility that the weird "bugs" aren't delusional. The world of arthropods is sufficiently weird that it's hard to rule out a rare or unknown bug causing mischief; not to mention the complications of industrial de-humidifiers that make "the room buzz with static electricity" that feels like bugs crawling on your skin. Then there are the well-meaning MDs who mistake their patients' scratch-marks for bug bites.

The entomologists have learned to stage interventions with their "clients'" families, bringing them together to explain the realities of insect behavior, to bring them to the gradual understanding that their problems are real, but the bugs are not.

Not addressed in the story, but very interesting: why the sharp increase in delusional parasitosis? Is it a reduction in the public health services that would have intercepted these people before they got to the entomologists? Is it scare-stories about bedbugs and lyme disease? Aggressive hand-sanitizer ads with their subtext of lurking, dangerous dirtiness?

It sometimes takes her months to win clients' trust. At first, they argue, citing websites like stopskinmites.com as proof of their infestation, and Ridge needs to counteract the misinformation they have found there. "This is a piece of lint," Ridge told me, pointing to a photo that the website suggested was a mite. She sees these sites as a ruse to get people to buy pseudo-medical products, and as a danger to her clients. "Often in the early stages there's lot of pushback," she said, "but they keep coming back, which means they have  deep down  doubt. I keep reassuring them: I'm not judging them."



She can be maternal, careful to validate what her clients are feeling, becoming stern when she needs to. She sometimes organizes family interventions in a conference room at the Experiment Station, with as many as 11 relatives around a table, trying to address the problem together. She likes "the satisfaction of seeing someone healed." "I can help those cases when they have not been invested more than six months, and when they have support from loved ones or friends," she said. "Those that have become isolated, and have developed habits of self-treatment are very hard to pull back from the brink." They don't often open up at first. As the relationship develops, though, they begin to confide in Ridge. And there is usually something to confide, some emotional upheaval in the background: a divorce, a stressful move, the loss of a loved one. She saw an uptick in these cases right after the 2008 recession. After the physician-researcher's death, she found out that his family had left him. The separation had happened right around the time of his first bites.



Accidental therapists: For insect detectives, the trickiest cases involve the bugs that aren't really there [Eric Boodman/Stat News]





(Image: Kayana Szymczak)





(via The Browser)
In 2012, Google rolled out Certificate Transparency, a clever system to spot corrupt "Certificate Authorities," the entities who hand out the cryptographic certificates that secure the web. If Certificate Authorities fail to do their jobs, they put the entire electronic realm in danger  bad certificates could allow anything from eavesdropping on financial transactions to spoofing industrial control systems into accepting malicious software updates.



Security researchers have long suspected that the CAs play fast an loose with our trust, taking shortcuts or even allowing governments or crime syndicates to suborn their cooperation in breaking online security. Certificate Transparency uses an append-only, distributed ledger (like the blockchain, but based on a much more efficient mathematics, based on something called Merkle Trees) that Chrome users automatically contribute to by sending in anonymized evidence of the certificates they see in the wild, and which authorities issued those certificates. In this way, sloppy or malicious CAs can be rapidly and undeniably identified and, in theory, removed from the list of authorities that browsers trust by default.





The first casualty of this regime isn't an obscure Chinese CA doing spy work for the Politburo: it's Symantec, one of the largest security firms in the world, who have been declared to be too untrustworthy to be included in browsers' list of trusted parties, thanks to repeated sloppiness that poses a grave danger to us all.





Google has announced that effective immediately, Symantic-issued certificates will not be treated as having "extended validation" (this is the highest level of trust a browser can place in a certificate, based on the belief that the issuer conducted a detailed investigation to make sure it wasn't dealing with an impostor before issuing the cert).

But that's just for starters. From now on, Chrome will gradually reduce its trust in Symantec certs, over the coming years. That's big news, because Symantec issues more than 30% of the web's certs, and these are the most popularly relied-upon certs by web-users, constituting 42% of the certs that a Firefox user will encounter in a typical browsing session.

Google says it caught Symantec issuing more than 30,000 "improper" certificates.

Symantec's one-paragraph response appears to simply reject the possibility that it is about to lose tens of millions of dollars in revenue, forever, ending with "Our SSL/TLS certificate customers and partners need to know that this does not require any action at this time." Translation: "We are too big to fail."

A reminder: you can get as many free certificates as you need, instantly and automatically, using the nonprofit Let's Encrypt Certificate Authority jointly operated by a number of groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mozilla.

Thursday's announcement is only the latest development in Google's 18-month critique of practices by Symantec issuers. In October 2015, Symantec fired an undisclosed number of employees responsible for issuing test certificates for third-party domains without the permission of the domain holders. One of the extended-validation certificates covered google.com and www.google.com and would have given the person possessing it the ability to cryptographically impersonate those two addresses. A month later, Google pressured Symantec into performing a costly audit of its certificate issuance process after finding the mis-issuances went well beyond what Symantec had first revealed. In January, an independent security researcher unearthed evidence that Symantec improperly issued 108 new certificates. Thursday's announcement came after Google's investigation revealed that over a span of years, Symantec CAs have improperly issued more than 30,000 certificates. Such mis-issued certificates represent a potentially critical threat to virtually the entire Internet population because they make it possible for the holders to cryptographically impersonate the affected sites and monitor communications sent to and from the legitimate servers. They are a major violation of the so-called baseline requirements that major browser makers impose of CAs as a condition of being trusted by major browsers.

Intent to Deprecate and Remove: Trust in existing Symantec-issued Certificates

[Ryan Sleevi/Chromium.org]

Google takes Symantec to the woodshed for mis-issuing 30,000 HTTPS certs

[Dan Goodin/Ars Technica]
At Session Daily, Jonathan Mohr reports in Omnibus environment bill spares EQB, but makes significant changes:

The 14-member board that helps oversee environmental permitting and regulatory compliance would survive under the provisions of an omnibus bill now under consideration, but its composition would change significantly, as would its authority.

The House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee began consideration of HF888 Thursday, immediately adopting a delete-all amendment by a 14-8 roll-call vote to the omnibus environment finance bill, before taking testimony and beginning debate.

Sponsored by Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), HF888, as amended, would appropriate money to the Department of Natural Resources and Pollution Control Agency, among others, for the upcoming biennium. It would also make a number of policy changes. The companion, SF723, is sponsored by Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria) and awaits action by the Senate Finance Committee.

One committee member, Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, tweeted during the hearing:

45 minutes into Round 2!  https://t.co/FVuF4as4Rk  Jamie Becker-Finn (@jbeckerfinn) March 23, 2017

20 min of Chamber testifier walking through House omnibus enviro bill, as if he wrote it, repeatedly calls it "a work in progress"  #mnleg  Jamie Becker-Finn (@jbeckerfinn) March 23, 2017

Later, she provided a spreadsheet charting the origin of the magic changes in the new bill:

Enviro omnibus: 7 sections from 5 bills never heard + 15 sections never seen before = 22 sections public never heard https://t.co/JfwJfk8fdi  Jamie Becker-Finn (@jbeckerfinn) March 24, 2017

For our readers' convenience, we've posted the spreadsheet in pdf form on Scribd:

Dan Fabian's Magic Enviro Omnibus Bill HF 888 posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd

The Session Daily article also notes this exchange:

Fabian said he has listened to complaints for the last five or six years from small communities and businesses struggling with permitting issues. He said hed like the EQB to focus like a laser beam on remedying those concerns, and that the responsibilities being taken away in the bill could be handled by other government agencies.

We are not eliminating the EQB, we are trying to reformulate what the EQB does, Fabian said. We have a tremendous concern here in the state of Minnesota, particularly in my caucus, with regards to environmental review and permitting, and I really want those issues addressed. But Rep. Clark Johnson (DFL-North Mankato) said there is value in the board having authority to initiate discussions, and questioned replacing citizen involvement with work done by others.

Why not allow the citizens to have a voice through this board and initiate some of these activities, Johnson said.

Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) expressed concern the board could still be eliminated when the omnibus bill is reconciled with the Senates version. He said the PCA Citizens Board was abolished in that way.

I believe the other bodys bill eliminates the EQB, Hansen said. So it goes to conference committee and then its gone. Thats what were worried about.

Here's the video from most of Thursday morning's hearing (the video ends before the meeting concluded, since the feed switched to a different hearing):

This morning, we listened to more magic as the committee heard more amendments and testimony from the basement, where there was no video camera around, but our friends at the Uptake did livestream the audio. There was also an evening hearing last night, for which the was no public livestream provided.

We'll have more about that meeting--and an updated spreadsheet--in which DFL lead and others raised significant issues with new amendments.

Photo: From a tweet by committee minority lead Rick Hansen, DFL- S. St. Paul, "Lots of lobbyists (stakeholders) in Env Finance Committee this morning. # mnleg  at State Office Building.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 33166 770th Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the paypal subscription button.



Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.
In Britain, grounds for divorce are quite specific: adultery, desertion, "unreasonable behavior", the agreement of both parties or five years separation. An appeals court has therefore affirmed another judge's ruling that Tini Owens, 66, is not otherwise permitted to divorce her husband of 39 years.

Judge Robin Tolson ruled against Mrs Owens in the family court last year, concluding that her allegations were "of the kind to be expected in marriage" and refused to grant a divorce petition. Three appeal judges, led by Sir James Munby, the most senior family court judge in England and Wales, analysed the case at a hearing in London on Tuesday. Philip Marshall QC, representing Mrs Owens, told the court that the "vast majority" of divorces were undefended in 21st Century England. He said: "It is extraordinarily unusual in modern times for a court to dismiss a petition for divorce."

She said the marriage was loveless, desperately unhappy, and that she was left in a wretched state by his manner, tone, insensitivity and mistrust.

Her complaint reads like the script of a grim British cringe-humor sitcom: yelling at her in an airport after her failure to buy the right crystal tchotchke from duty free; nasty remarks during dinner with guests; endless passive-aggressive sighing and tutting, etc.

He reprimanded

the Respondent saying, "can I say something without you

flying off the handle? I have said this before that when you put

cardboard in the skip, do it properly and not without any

thought about what will happen to it. It was all over the yard. I

have picked up the big pieces but I want you to clear the rest

from the shrubbery".

Sadly, the law is the law, and if some arsehole wants to be the one arsehole in a generation to cling to its letter all the way to the highest courts in the land, it's still not that court's job to fix it.

But the appeal judges, led by Sir James Munby, upheld the original ruling  "it is not a ground for divorce that you find yourself in a wretchedly unhappy marriage"

There's something spectacularly British about the idea of four wigs telling a woman that the misery of her marriage is mandatory. Check out these visions of human joy!

That's Tolson, top left, and Munby, top right, and Lady Justice Heather Hallett, another of the appeals court panelists ruling against Mrs. Owens, below. The third was Lady Justice Julia Macur, who has apparently managed to avoid glaring sternly at a kneeling photographer.

RTE News:

Specialist divorce lawyer Ayesha Vardag says judges should not compel people to stay married. "This case highlights the absurdity of fault-based divorce," she said. "If a party is willing to go to the Court of Appeal to fight for a divorce, spending significant sums on the way, there is clearly no future for the marriage. It is beyond archaic that she should have to prove it to a judge. There is no good reason for a court to compel someone to stay married when they clearly do not want to be." She added: "We must push forward with no-fault divorce and end ridiculous charades like this."

An interesting aside: a UK court recently affirmed that opposite-sex couples cannot apply for the civil partnerships crafted in an earlier age for same-sex couples who could not marry at all, but which now have the advantage of conferring key benefits of marriage with few of the parochial statutory expectations.

Here's the ruling [PDF], some interesting excerpts follow below.

It is plain from his judgment that Judge Tolson was unimpressed by the wife's petition.

He variously described it as "hopeless" (judgment, paragraph 2), "anodyne"

(paragraph 7), and "scraping the barrel" (paragraph 13). He said it "lacked beef

because there was none" (paragraph 7). He described paragraphs 3 and 4 as "the only

2 grounds which  might in context have provided grounds for divorce." He said the

allegations "are at best flimsy" (paragraph 12). 

46. The judge expressed his conclusion in these words: "In reality I find that the allegations of alleged unreasonable

behaviour in this petition  all of them  are at best flimsy. I

would not have found unreasonable behaviour on the wife's

pleaded case. As it is, having heard both parties give evidence,

I am satisfied that the wife has exaggerated the context and

seriousness of the allegations to a significant extent. They are

all at most minor altercations of a kind to be expected in a

marriage. Some are not even that."

Here's Tolson's best line (to be fair, note my ellipses, which elide a lengthy recounting of accusations):

I will not overburden this

judgment by setting out the pleaded allegations in full. This, the

wife's best case, skilfully argued by leading counsel, proceeds

by emphasising what he submits is her increased sensitivity to

the husband's old-school controlling behaviour. Having seen him, I hope the husband will forgive me

for describing him as somewhat old-school. I can also find the

wife to be more sensitive than most wives. It matters not

The appeals court ruling refers faintly to Tolson having animated media attention with this sort of talk, and recognizes "the hypocrisy and lack of intellectual honesty which is so characteristic a feature of the

current law." But it also questions whether the State's interest can he excluded from the institutions it provides. (Don't trust my reading: I'm a British, but I'm not your British)

Another good line, from Lady Justice Hallett: "With no enthusiasm whatsoever I have reached the same conclusion on this appeal."

Perhaps this is why all those quaint English country villages in TV dramas have the murder rate of Caracas.

"It may be of little consolation to the wife but she is not totally without remedy under the

present law. If she waits until February 2020, assuming that she and her husband are

still alive, she will, seemingly, be able to petition"

Emphasis mine.
Nurse Did The Most Nasty Thing During Labour; Read Here! Life oi-Syeda Farah

Labour time is considered to be the most beautiful and stressful moment for a woman, as things can get complicated while in pain along with awaiting the new member's arrival!

But what would happen if the hospital and the stuff members would do something really worse at this crucial time?

This is something that happened to a woman who was in labour and the nurse did the most disgusting thing to her!

Check out the most chilling story of how a nurse tried to push the baby back into the mother's womb and she claimed that she did this for a reason.

Find out what exactly happened...

This Happened In This incident happened at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama, to a woman named Caroline Malatesta. She was in labour with her fourth child and chose this hospital, as it emphasised on giving birth in the most natural state. PC:s.mlv-cdn.com She Went Into Labour When she began to feel the labour pain, she knew it was time to make her way to the hospital. She was more excited to see her newborn son and was looking forward to her delivery, as the hospital had claimed that they would help in giving birth in the most natural state. Also Read :Witness The Cutest Baby Spa Pictures! When She Arrived At The Hospital... Everything quickly began to go downhill as she was told that the doctor who was handling her case was not on-call, and the nurses seemed to be unsure of how to handle the situation. The nurses told her to stay in bed on her back. This was the opposite of what she was told by her doctor when she toured the hospital. The Grave Mistake The Nurses Made! The woman was in pain and the nurses proceeded to hold her down and tried to force her son's head back into her vagina, while he was trying to be born! According to the media, the nurses claimed that they were waiting for the doctor to arrive into the room! The Damage Was Done! The intense pressure of the nurses who were trying to fight against the woman's contractions caused her intense pain, and the doctors claim that she is permanently injured from the ordeal. But The Baby Was Healthy! Even though the nurses did the most nasty thing, the baby survived all the ordeals and is healthy. But Malatesta is forever affected by a nerve condition called pudendal neuralgia in her genitals. Also Read :She Used Her Phone And It Killed Her Kids! She Fought For Her Rights She fought to get her rights and filed a lawsuit against the hospital. She was awarded $16 million, and she hopes that her story would make the hospitals take women much more seriously when it comes to normal childbirth! What is your take on this? Do share your thoughts in the comment section below.




NEW DELHI (PTI): Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will pay a two-day visit to Bangladesh beginning March 30 with an aim to strengthen defence and security cooperation between the two countries.



He will travel to Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India from April 7 to 10 during which both countries are expected to explore ways to deepen counter-terror cooperation besides other issues.



General Rawat is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to Nepal from March 28 and will travel to Bangladesh from Kathmandu on March 30, sources said.



He will hold talks with top brass of defence and security establishment of Bangladesh.



Both Bangladesh and India have been faced with terror strikes and ways to bolster cooperation between armed forces of the two countries to contain terrorism is likely to dominate the talks.



In Kathmandu, Rawat is scheduled to meet President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Prachanda, Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand and his Nepali counterpart General Rajendra Chhetri.






NEW DELHI (PTI): Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday strongly pitched for fast-tracking procurement of defence systems to enhance India's military capability and said armed forces must remain ready for warfare along the borders.



General Rawat also said adequate focus must be on ensuring that "trial procedure" for procurement of military equipment does not linger on for too long, in an indication of his unhappiness over the delay in modernisation of armed forces.



In his address at a conference on military communication, the Army Chief said high-tech products must be acquired for the armed forces on a "fast-track" mode so they do not become obsolete on procurement.



"Whatever we have to induct must be done through fast-track procedures as technology becomes obsolete very soon.



"It is important that we are able identify the correct type of technology and equipment that is to be inducted into the armed forces. We have to ensure that the trial procedures do not linger for long," he said.



Allegations of graft in a number of procurement deals and red tape are cited as reasons for delays in acquisition of weapons systems and military hardware, affecting modernisation of the armed forces.



The army chief said there is a need to modernise communication systems used by the armed forces as future wars are going to be complex and the nature of warfare is rapidly changing.



He said India will continue to face "sub-conventional or non-traditional" forms of warfare but the armed forces will have to remain prepared for conventional warfare also.



General Rawat said the army has to keep pace with the "digitised world" and ensure that most of its systems are digitised as early as possible.



Addressing the gathering, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said enhancing digital infrastructure for the army is a top priority for the government.



The initiative for creation of operational information networks and systems should be expedited at all levels, he said, adding a robust, secure, high capacity data network system is an urgent necessity for Operational Commanders.



The Minister, however, said that the creation of digital infrastructure for the army will need indigenous solutions and systems from security point of view.



General Rawat said communication technology for the armed forces must be simple, light-weight and easy to maintain as they will be required for wars on the borders.



Referring to social media, the army chief said the "adversaries" appeared to be taking advantage of it.



He also talked about the need for having a proper encryption mechanism, both for voice and data, for communication network for the armed forces.



The Army Chief said the Army Design Bureau has been created to establish an interface between the army and the industry.



Speaking on the occasion, CII's Chandrajit Banerjee pitched for early notification of the strategic partnership for defence production between the government and the defence industry.


Already have an account? Log in here 

Darren Boryskavich of Russell claimed his third medal at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Thursday in Austria.

We need your support!

Local journalism needs your support!

As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.

or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.

Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NetSet Communications new corporate headquarters was brimming with activity Thursday as it marked its official grand opening.

Premier Brian Pallister attended the ribbon cutting at the state-of-the-art facility, located at 5 Granite Rd. on Brandons eastern outskirts.

You can do anything for Manitoba if you work at it, and Mr. (Charlie) Clark and his team deserve a tremendous amount of praise for this, Pallister said. Mr. Clark has been a great contributor to the province for a long time. When youre employing over a hundred people  but the services and the expansion of the broadband access is a really good thing for a lot of the province as well.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Premier Brian Pallister says a few words at the grand opening of NetSet Communications new corporate headquarters on Granite Road as Laurel and Charlie Clark of NetSet listen on Thursday afternoon. Charlie Clark founded NetSet in 2001 and serves as the companys CEO.

Other dignitaries at the event included Progressive Conservative MLAs Reg Helwer (Brandon West), Len Iseifson (Brandon East), Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain) and Doyle Piwniuk (Arthur-Virden). Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen and Mayor Rick Chrest were also in attendance, in addition to NetSet staff and other members of the community.

Chrest congratulated the team on finding the vision, seeing the opportunity in new technology and blazing a trail, creating a lot of economic activity for a great many Manitobans, and Brandonites. Were certainly glad that you are a Brandon company and growing very rapidly.

NetSet Communications was founded in 2001 by CEO Charlie Clark. What began as a small company with a few staff members in a rented facility downtown, has grown to more than 120 staff members between its Brandon and Winnipeg sites. The company outgrew its previous Brandon location on Douglas Street.

With the support of the municipal, the provincial and the federal governments, weve made some great progress in 16 years, and weve remained true to our passion to connect rural Manitoba, Clark said. Today we are recognized as one of the industrys largest privately held telecommunications companies in Canada, and were very proud to have done this right here in Brandon, Manitoba.

The company now provides high-speed Internet to more than 14,000 residents, small businesses and corporations across the province. It has 14 dealer groups and a 24-7 help desk that runs out of its head office.

When our current expansion plan is complete later this year, we will blanket the province with more than 200 tower sites, all of which will be interconnected with fibre-optic cables, and fully licensed redundant microwave links, Clark said.

The new headquarters was custom-built, and was the result of extensive communications with staff from every department, Clark said.

The breadth and depth of NetSet is not entirely evident from within this building, the vast majority of our assets are actually out there in the countryside.

 jaustin@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @jillianaustin
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandons sodium chlorate plant is sitting pretty after Chemtrade Logistics Inc.s friendly takeover of Canexus Corp., with no layoffs expected.

Canexuss Calgary-based headquarters didnt fare as well, but Chemtrade director of chlorate manufacturing Dale Bossons said that the local staffing level of 81 highly skilled tradespeople would remain in place.

Local plant production manager Rick Zetariuk has been at the Brandon facility since 1978, when he left his home at a farm near Russell for a work opportunity.

Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Chemtrade Logistics Inc. director of chlorate manufacturing Dale Bossons (left) talks with plant production manager Rick Zetariuk, whos worked at the east end location since November 1978.

Hed initially planned on staying for six months, but he said they treated him well, enabled him to further his education and training, so he stuck around of the long haul, advancing in his career along the way.

Hes not worried about the Chemtrade takeover. Instead, hes optimistic itll improve things into the long term and ensure they remain viable.

They know theyre getting a good asset, we know were getting a larger company with more support for doing internal projects and planned upgrades, so I think its a really good fit, he said.

By taking over Canexus, Chemtrade has added about 50 per cent to its revenue stream, taking over a chlorate plant each in Quebec and Brazil, two plants in British Columbia and the Brandon location.

Canexus was not actively trying to sell, Bossons said, adding that a hostile takeover nearly took place last year, which later became the friendly takeover by Chemtrade that took effect on March 10.

The Brandon plant was the linchpin to the deal. As both the largest sodium chlorate producer in the world and the lowest-cost producer, it was the deals chief procurement.

Its location, right next door to the provinces largest high-voltage yard, makes its Brandon site ideal.

It takes a lot of electricity to enable the electrochemical reaction that turns salt and water to sodium chlorate to the scale they require, Bossons said, adding that theyre Manitoba Hydros single largest single customer.

The sodium chlorate they produce is used to bleach paper at pulp mills throughout North America.

The pulp mill industry is kind of tapped out so is unlikely to require more sodium chlorate in the coming years, so expansion of the Brandon facility probably isnt in the cards, Bossons said.

If we make more it means someone else has to shut down, and we could do that, but were big enough in terms of this industry, he said.

Still, he said that Chemtrade is committed to investing in the Brandon facility.

Chemtrade is a stronger company and they have better access to capital, Bossons said. Theyre very interested in investing in this facility to help improve our reliability and make us better.

Chemtrade is also a more diversified company, Bossons said. While the Brandon location would remain solely a sodium chlorate producer, as the pulp industry offers its ebbs and flows, Chemtrades diversified base is expected to add greater long-term security to their local operations.

The local sodium chlorate producer, at 8080 Richmond Ave. East, has been operating for 49 years, during which time it has undergone a number of expansions, with the most recent taking place in 2008.

While they dont have any clients in the Brandon area, theyve maintained a long history of community support as an early adopter of the Responsible Care designation under the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.

Among other things, this designation affirms the importance of community stewardship, which Bossons said would continue under Chemtrade.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 23/03/2017 (2055 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Assiniboine Community Colleges first ever Courage Award will be presented to Don Penny, founding partner and past chairman of MNP LLP, a leading national accounting, tax and business consulting firm in Canada.

Penny was instrumental in building a small Westman-based firm into a major player in accounting, tax and advisory services in Canada, positioning MNP to become a national accounting and business consulting firm with more than 65 offices coast to coast.

Don had the courage to take risks to pursue a vision of a different type of accounting firm, one that saw a future well beyond the comforts of Westman Manitoba, ACC president Mark Frison said in a statement. Undoubtedly, he faced challenges and obstacles throughout his career, but his perseverance and determination lead the company to the success it knows today.

Don Penny

The Courage Award has been established by ACC to celebrate people who demonstrate courage in their business, community, professional or personal life, commending and honouring courage in all its forms.

In addition to his success in the business world, he has dedicated much of his time to community organizations and endeavours, Frison said. Mr. Penny is an individual that leads with both his head and heart.

Penny is the inaugural recipient of what ACC intends to make an annual award. The award will be presented to Penny at the Courage Award Dinner on Thursday, May 11, at the Victoria Inn and Convention Centre in Brandon.

Proceeds raised from the Courage Award Dinner will go toward scholarships and development projects at ACC.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson has been named as the honorary chair of the event as an alumna of the college, having graduated both the business accountancy and rural initiatives programs.

Im glad to see Assiniboine taking the initiative to establish these awards to celebrate courage, North Wilson said in a statement. Its important that we celebrate success in Manitoba as we build a brighter future.

 The Brandon Sun
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last week I had an impromptu visit to Regina to check out Malty National Brewing for the second time. Malty National Brewing opened just under a year ago and has become one of Canadas most exciting up-and-coming breweries.

Unlike most breweries, they do everything by hand, whether it be loading the grain into the mash tun, stirring the grain with the water by or the removal of the grain. Most breweries would have machinery that would automatically do that, so its amazing to see a brewery doing brewing the old-fashioned way and making absolutely fabulous products!

The folks over at Malty National have been incredibly welcoming to me since they first opened back in April so I cant wait to go back.

Submitted Sir John As Honey Wheat Ale from Prince Edward Island Brewing Co. (Gahan House) in Charlottetown is available at Manitoba Liquor Marts, including the stores in Brandon and Dauphin.

You wont be seeing Malty Nationals beer in bottles or in Manitoba any time soon as they are such as small operation that they only serve draught and growler on-site as well as on draught at a few select restaurants and pubs throughout Regina. Malty National tends to create new recipes every week for their beers as they dont want to brew the same beer twice, but now theyve been finding theres a few of their beers that they absolutely love creating so theyre now bringing back their most popular crowd-pleasers once every few months including their James Brown Ale and Magic Robot Pale Ale.

My highlight of the visit was their Manitobudz India Pale Ale, brewed with Vermont ale yeast and with a little help from a couple of guys from Manitoba. If youre ever in Regina, Malty National is a must visit for any beer geek. So to me, its not surprising that theyre regarded as one of the top 25 breweries in Canada, according to the users of Untappd.com.

So, apparently its officially spring! It may not feel like it yet but Im so ready for radlers, wheat ales and the like! The folks over at the Prince Edward Island Brewing Co. (Gahan House) in Charlottetown have brought out their Sir John As Honey Wheat Ale recently to Liquor Marts in Manitoba. This isnt the first John A. MacDonald themed beer to be available in Manitoba, in fact, Old Tomorrow Brewing out of Ontario is named after Sir John A. and even has a beer named in honour of Russells own Jon Montgomery  Montys Rye Ale, which Ive reviewed here in the past.

Sir John As Honey Wheat Ale is described as a crisp flavourful wheat beer brewed with a special blend of Canadian barley and wheat malts for a brisk clean flavour, spicy hops for balance and a bucket loads of local P.E.I. honey for its floral aroma. Pouring the Honey Wheat Ale starts off with a light honey golden body with only a hint of unfiltered cloudiness to it, a decent amount of carbonation taking place and starts off with a liberal frothy white head on top yet gradually diminishes to a slim amount of head on top.

The aroma is a sweet, honey and caramel malty smell right from the beginning. Theres a bit of a lager or pilsner-like straw sharpness popping out thats really unexpected here as I was hoping for more of a citrusy, bready, wheat ale. Nothing really stands out in this beer, however, it reminds me of a Sleeman Honey Lager but better.

The taste is pretty much what I described in the aroma, the honey is a bit more dominant than the caramel malt in this beer but its just a bit too boring for my snobby taste buds. Theres also notes of straw, a very light grassy hop presence and a light amount of creamed corn flavour at the end.

P.E.I. Brewings Sir John As Honey Wheat Ale is in no way offensive so this is something Id seriously recommend to the lager and light ale fans out there. If youre a fan of Sleeman Honey Brown, Farmery or Original 16, you will really enjoy this beer.

If youre like me, youll quickly realize that while P.E.I. Brewing makes absolutely amazing beers  this just isnt one of them. I found that this was too reminiscent of the popular honey lagers made by the big guys many years ago, nothing wowing about the beer, but for a bonfire or at the lake this will for sure be a hot seller as its crisp, light, sweet and easy to drink. For the craft beer geeks, if youre looking for more substance in a honey ale, I suggest Unibroues Lune de Miel ale.

Sir John As Honey Wheat Ale (4.5 per cent ABV) is available for $3.25 per 473 ml can at Liquor Marts in Brandon (10th and Victoria) and Dauphin.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/03/2017 (2054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With respect to the editorial on March 22: The cited boldface comment is no joke  it is a fair comment on present-day education in most of the western world.

Having spent 27 years teaching in college civil engineering technology programs (three-year and two-year) from 1969 to 1996 in Ontario, I can verify that education has suffered a great deal under the social educators who took over education from the previous education administrations.

Canada welcomed the American education experts with open arms (1950s and 1960s) and adopted all the social science techniques and objectives that came with them. The focus on education changed from teaching a defined curriculum, designed to prepare students for the real world of work and/or further education. The underlying theory, in the old days, was that trained adults knew better what the students needed than the students themselves.

The new education philosophy recognized that all students were equal, and that the best learning techniques involved students learning by discovery. The ideal classroom had no black/white board, and no teacher looming ominously at the front of the classroom. The teachers job was to identify a few students who expressed interest in a specific topic (example: space, farming, bullying, right-wing bigots, etc.) and have other students join their table if they wished to know more. The teacher would then get out of the way and allow the students to discover something important.

Unbelievably, the concept of equality, morphed into the concept that all students have equal academic ability; perhaps these social educators have never watched Olympic events where differences in ability are recognized with gold, silver and bronze medals. Not to be outdone, the social science advocates pressed for the awarding of Olympic-looking medals for all students who just participated in various school competitions

These social educators then proceeded to advance all students through each grade, whether they had learned anything or not  apparently because they are equal. When these uneducated students arrived at high school (1970s), they could not perform at the level needed to succeed in the high school curriculum.

Rather than admit failure of this disastrous social science education experiment, the people in charge of education told the high school teachers that the curriculum was now only a guideline, and, just do the best you can (told to me by a head of mathematics teacher, in the Toronto area, when I asked him why two of his former students, now in my college surveying class, didnt seem to know anything about trigonometry).

When these still-uneducated students arrived at college, where we still taught to a well-defined curriculum, the failure rates sky-rocketed. Many of the other college faculty, (educated in the social sciences) blamed the engineering technology faculty for deliberately failing students to make themselves feel important. Senior management, knowing that all funding for new campuses, new programs, new building, etc., would have to come from the same people who designed this pedagogic fiasco, seemed to feel the same way.

The elephant in the classroom is the social indoctrination that has now replaced education. Each year, in the western world, billions of tax dollars are flushed and education is further weakened.

How bad will this have to get before someone in authority acts?

BARRY F. KAVANAGH

Brandon
Pam runs Burke by Design in Clonakilty, a small family business.

Today a customer reminded her just what it means to be a part of a small Irish community.

Pam thought a customer, Claire, was just talking on the phone when it turned out she was on FaceTime with her friend in Perth.

Claire had been tasked with picking up a Mother's Day gift for her faraway friend's mammy from her favourite local shop.

"It would have been so easy for her to just order something online," Pam said.

"I just thought it was so lovely, it's exactly what a small community in Ireland is all about."

As Pam tried to video the "lovely message" her phone died, she also admits she's not particularly handy with technology so the video isn't perfect - but you get the idea.

"It's a lovely thought, that you could be so far away but still thinking of home."

Anything for mammy.
The body of a woman who was raped and murdered at a tourist resort in India has been flown home to Ireland.

Danielle McLaughlin will undergo further post-mortem examination in Dublin after an autopsy in India showed she had suffered cerebral damage and constriction to the neck.
Enda Kenny has signed a book of condolence for the victims of Wednesday's Westminster terror attack.

The Taoiseach expressed sympathies for the families of those who lost loved ones.

He visited the British embassy in Dublin to write a personal message of support for Prime Minister Theresa May and her Government following the tragic events in London.

Three people were killed when Khalid Masood's car on ploughed into them on Westminster Bridge.

Masood then stabbed police officer Keith Palmer near Parliament.

The Irish Republic's head of state, President Michael D Higgins, is to write to the Queen of England and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to express the sympathy "of the Irish people with the families of those who have lost their lives and to those who have been injured".
5.40pm: Tanaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald has released a statement where she had said that the scale of the issues regarding the Gardai are 'very concerning.'

Minister Fitzgerald said she had raised these issues with the Garda Commissioner and the Chairperson of the Policing Authority and outlined her 'very serious' concerns.

Chariperson of Policing Authority Josephone Feehily confirmed to the Minister that the Authority would continue to examine the matter and carry out steps to ensure that the issues with the mandatory alcohol testing cannot reoccur.

I have made it clear to the Commissioner that the practices that allowed this misreporting to happen within An Garda Siochana over many years need to be fully addressed and the new systems that she has put in place will need to be robust, tested and verified in the time ahead.

Update: 5.30pm: The Independent Alliance is calling for a review of the administration, ethos and culture of the Gardai - following discrepancies in the number of roadside breath tests recorded and road traffic prosecutions.

Yesterday it emerged An Garda Siochana had over-estimated the number of breath tests carried out each year by almost a million.

Another mistake also means around 150,000 road traffic offences may need to be wiped because of a clerical error by the gardai.

In a statement this evening, the Independent Alliance has said this underlines the need for a review and to appoint an independent international policing expert.

Earlier: Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald is coming under pressure over the latest Garda scandal involving almost 15,000 wrongful road traffic convictions.

Fianna Fail said Ms Fitzgerald needed to spell out exactly when she was informed about the litany of errors announced by the Garda.

Justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan called for an urgent statement.

He said: "She needs to explain what discussions she has had with the Garda commissioner on these matters, and she needs to spell out to the Irish people what exactly is her understanding of how these errors occurred and who is responsible.

"My party and I are concerned that the manner of yesterday's announcement and the lack of a coherent explanation from any quarter points to a lack of understanding of how serious this situation now is.

"We need to see the minister take the initiative and come forward immediately with her account of what has happened."

Following the review of breath-testing, the issuing of fines and summonses, the Garda said 14,700 drivers, mostly for not displaying tax and Insurance discs, have been taken to court without being given an opportunity to pay a penalty.

Those prosecutions are being appealed.

Ms Fitzgerald told RTE the scale of the latest garda scandal was "appalling and staggering".

Meanwhile, the Policing Authority has appointed an Assistant Commissioner of the Garda for the first time.

Detective chief superintendent Michael O'Sullivan's promotion is the first senior appointment by an independent civilian body.

Authority chair Josephine Feehily said: "The cultural significance of de-politicising senior Garda appointments and the organisational impact of candidates having to send a promotion application to the Authority rather than the Garda Commissioner or Garda HQ should not be underestimated."

Assistant Commissioner O'Sullivan has 36 years policing experience in Ireland and abroad with the European Union, the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

More recently, he held responsibility for state security.
A man has been arrested after three police officers escaped injury when their patrol was targeted in an explosive attack.

A device detonated in the Townsend Street area of Strabane, Co Tyrone, on Tuesday night.
Update 7.30pm: The man hospitalised earlier after being hit by part of a rollarcoaster in Cork has been released from hospital.

The man, who is originally from Poland, was working at the travelling theme park, Funderland.

The Polish man who was injured while setting up a rollercoaster ride at Funderland site in #Cork this morning has been discharged from CUH  Eoin English (@EoinBearla) March 24, 2017

Update 2.35pm: A statement released by Funderland revealed that the injured man was taken to Cork University Hospital by ambulance.

The statement says the travelling theme park have been informed that worker has "fractures and injuries to his hand and leg and hopefully should be released later today."

Gardai were in attendance and the Health and Safety Authority has arrived on site to carry out an investigation.

Earlier

A worker in Cork has been rushed to hospital after a metal beam injured him.

The incident occurred when a man in his 30s was constructing a rollercoaster at the Old CMP site on Pearse Road, the news location for the theme park Funderland.

BREAKING: Man in his 30s has been rushed to hospital after a workplace accident while setting up rollercoaster ride at Funderland site #Cork  Eoin English (@EoinBearla) March 24, 2017

A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Authority said they are aware of the incident and have sent an inspector to the scene to carry out an investigation.

The spokesperson said the man "was involved in the construction a roller coaster this morning and while he was on the back of a vehicle, he fell from the vehicle and a metal beam fell after him and injured him."

The victim was taken to hospital where his condition isn't thought to be life-threatening.
Update 10.30pm: Gardai have confirmed a body have been discovered on board the wreckage of the Rescue 116 aircraft.

The discovery was confirmed after eight dives were carried out on the wreckage of Rescue 116 off Blackrock island, about 13km off the coast of Co Mayo.

The body was in the cockpit of the helicopter wreckage on the seabed in 40m of water.

BREAKING: Gardai confirm that body of a #Rescue116 crew member has been found in the helicopter cockpit. His identity is not being released  Fergal O'Brien (@FergalOBrien_) March 24, 2017

The identity of the body has not yet been released.

Officials also said that the other two crew members of the R116 have not yet been located, but that operations will continue overnight.

Briefing at Blacksod. Investigators confirm crew member located in cockpit of #Rescue116. Say not possible to confirm ID at this stage. pic.twitter.com/IWlcvTbHcq  Robin Schiller (@11SchillRob) March 24, 2017

Garda superintendent Tony Healy said efforts were continuing to recover the body.

"It's a challenging time for the families obviously they're going through a stressful time waiting for the recovery of their loved ones," he said.

Families of the crew have been notified and are being supported by garda liaison staff.

Update 6pm: The R116 black box has been recovered by divers working in Blacksod.

The data recorder was found by navy divers who were examining the wreckage of the helicopter, 40 metres underwater.

The R116, which crashed on the Mayo coast last week, was searched by divers today thanks to favourable weather conditions.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit has said the recorder was recovered from the seabed just off Blackrock this afternoon.

It is currently in the custody of the AAIU and will be transferred to the UK tomorrow for further examination.

Authorities said no bodies of three missing crew have been found with the wreckage east of Blackrock island, about 13km off the coast of Co Mayo.

The Sikorsky S-92 is believed to have hit the island before crashing into the sea in the early hours of March 14.

The body of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, a 45-year-old mother-of-one, is the only one of the four crew to have been recovered from the ocean so far.

The other crew members, Captain Mark Duffy, Winchman Ciaran Smith and Winch Operator Paul Ormsby, remain missing.

The black box recorder was taken from the seabed at 4.30pm.

Jurgen Whyte, chief inspector with Ireland's Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU), said the unit appeared to be in good condition.

"It was always a priority to recover the three crew members however there are protocols within our work - where we see a recorder we are obliged to take the recorder," he said.

"The concern was that if we did not take it at the time we would not get it."

"Now our focus is to continue with the operation to seek and recover the three remaining crew members."

Earlier: Dive teams have begun searching the wreckage of a Coast Guard helicopter for its three missing crew after it crashed into the Atlantic over a week ago.

Working in pairs and attached to a ship on the surface by umbilical cables for air and communications, divers have nine or 10 minutes on the seabed.

A dive platform has been set up above the crash site - about 60 metres to the east of Blackrock island, off the coast of Co Mayo.

The Sikorsky S-92 is believed to have hit the island before crashing into the sea in the early hours of March 14.

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, a 45-year-old mother-of-one, is the only one of the four crew to have been recovered from the ocean so far.

The other crew members, Captain Mark Duffy, Winchman Ciaran Smith and Winch Operator Paul Ormsby, remain missing.

Superintendent Tony Healy said there is no indication yet if the bodies of the three missing crew are with the wreckage.

"Conditions are close to ideal. Diving has commenced and we are awaiting reports back," he said.

"It's a delicate operation. It's a dangerous operation for the divers. We're operating with their safety in mind at all times."

Visibility on the seabed is said to be good.

On the surface conditions are calm under hazy skies and little wind.

The Irish Lights Vessel Granuaile is positioned next to the dive platform and carrying a recompression chamber in case of emergencies.

A shot line has been dropped next to the wreckage for divers to traverse.

Divers are also obliged to bring the black box flight recorder to the surface if they see it.

Derek Flanagan, divisional controller based at Malin Head for the Coast Guard, said communications between the divers and from them to the surface were key for a methodical search of the wreckage.

"You are talking about a 40 metre dive and about nine minutes bottom time," he said.

"We have such a small amount of time down there that every minute is crucial so we don't waste time when we get down there and get the job done and find these people."

The first dives began at about 11.30am.

The helicopter is lying in an area from where signals from the black box flight recorder are being emitted.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) has said it believed the tail of Rescue 116 hit rocks on the western end of the island, about 13km (eight miles) off the Mayo coast as it returned from supporting a rescue mission to refuel at Blacksod.

There was no indication of any danger moments before the Sikorsky S-92 vanished, with the crew's final transmission: "Shortly landing at Blacksod."
Brexit is "a failure and a tragedy", European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has said.

The EU's most senior civil servant promised that Brussels will approach the negotiation of Britain's withdrawal in a "friendly" and "fair" way, but warned that European institutions were not "naive" about the process.

He confirmed that the UK will be presented with a bill for leaving, but insisted that this did not represent a "punishment", but merely the settling of commitments made by the UK.

He did not put a figure on the bill, which reports suggest could amount to as much as 60 billion (52 billion), to cover liabilities for projects which the UK previously agreed to help fund, as well as pensions for EU officials who served during the period of its membership.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Juncker said: "It will be a bill reflecting former commitments by the British Government and by the British Parliament.

"There will be no sanctions, no punishment, nothing of that kind."

Prime Minister Theresa May is due formally to notify Brussels of Britain's intention to leave the EU in a letter to the European Council on March 29 - just four days after the EU's 60th anniversary celebrations in Rome on Saturday.

The letter will set in train a two-year process of negotiation leading to the reduction of the EU from 28 to 27 members on March 29, 2019.

Asked how he felt about Brexit, Mr Juncker said: "It is a failure and a tragedy.

"I will be sad, as I was sad when the vote in the referendum took place in Britain. For me, it is a tragedy.

"I am anything but in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain. We will negotiate in a friendly way, a fair way, and we are not naive."

Mr Juncker made clear he places high priority on protecting the status of the three million EU nationals resident in the UK and the one million Britons living on the continent.

"I am strongly committed to preserving the rights of Europeans living in Britain and British people living on the European continent," he said.

"This is not about bargaining, this is about respecting human dignity."
US president Donald Trump has abandoned negotiations and demanded a make-or-break decision on health care, threatening to leave "Obamacare" in place and move on to other issues if Friday's vote fails.

The risky move, part gamble and part threat, was presented to Republican politicians behind closed doors on Thursday night after a long and intense day that saw a planned vote on the health care bill scrapped as the legislation remained short of votes amid cascading negotiations among conservatives, moderates and others.

At the end, the president had had enough and was ready to vote and move on, whatever the result, Mr Trump's budget director Mick Mulvaney told House of Representatives members.

"'Negotiations are over, we'd like to vote tomorrow and let's get this done for the American people'. That was it," congressman Duncan Hunter of California said as he left the meeting, summarising Mr Mulvaney's message.

"Let's vote," White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said as he walked out.

"For seven and a half years we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it's collapsing and it's failing families, and tomorrow we're proceeding," House speaker Paul Ryan said, then walked off without answering as reporters demanded to know whether the bill had the votes to pass.

The outcome of Friday's vote is impossible to predict.

Both conservatives and moderates had claimed the bill lacked votes after a long day of talks. But the White House appeared ready to gamble that the prospect of failing to repeal former president Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act health law, after seven years of promising to do exactly that, would force members into the Yes column.

"It's done tomorrow. Or Obamacare stays," said Chris Collins, a top Trump ally in the House.

Mr Collins was among those predicting success on Friday, but others did not hide their anxiety about the outcome.

Asked whether Republicans would be unified on Friday's vote, freshman Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida said: "I sure hope so or we'll have the opportunity to watch a unified Democratic caucus impeach Donald Trump in two years when we lose the majority."

Thursday's manoeuvres added up to high drama on Capitol Hill, but Friday promised even more suspense with the prospect of leadership putting a major bill on the floor uncertain about whether it would pass or fail.

The Republican legislation would halt Mr Obama's tax penalties against people who do not buy coverage and cut the government Medicaid programme for low earners, which the Obama statute had expanded.

It would provide tax credits to help people pay medical bills, though generally skimpier than Mr Obama's statute provides.

It also would allow insurers to charge older Americans more and repeal tax boosts the law imposed on high-income people and health industry companies.

The measure would also block national payments to Planned Parenthood for a year, another stumbling block for Republican moderates.

In a concession to the conservative House Freedom Caucus, many of whose members have withheld support, the legislation would repeal requirements for insurers to cover "essential health benefits" such as maternity care and substance abuse treatment.

The drama unfolded seven years to the day after Mr Obama signed his landmark law, an anniversary Republican leaders meant to celebrate with a vote to undo the divisive legislation.

Obamacare gave birth to the tea party movement and helped Republicans win and keep control of Congress and then take the White House.

"In the final analysis, this bill falls short," Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state said as she became the latest rank-and-file Republican, normally loyal to leadership, to declare her opposition.

"The difficulties this bill would create for millions of children were left unaddressed," she said, citing the unravelling of Medicaid.

In a danger sign for Republicans, a Quinnipiac University poll found that people disapprove of the Republican legislation by 56% to 17%, with 26% undecided.

Mr Trump's handling of health care was viewed unfavourably by six in 10.

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, who as speaker was Mr Obama's crucial lieutenant in passing the Democratic bill in the first place, could not resist a dig at the Republican disarray.

"You may be a great negotiator," she said of Mr Trump. "Rookie's error for bringing this up on a day when clearly you're not ready."

Mr Obama declared in a statement that "America is stronger" because of the current law and said Democrats must make sure "any changes will make our health care system better, not worse for hard-working Americans".

Mr Trump tweeted to supporters: "Go with our plan! Call your Rep & let them know."

AP
Brexit must be a one-off event and must not lead to the disintegration of the European Union, Donald Tusk has said.

The European Council president said it was not a coincidence that those working to break up the EU are people who "question liberal democracy".

He said Brexit must not be the beginning of a process which leads to further splits in the EU's "unique territory of freedom".

Mr Tusk's comments were made in a promotional 42-minute film produced to celebrate the history of the European Council.

The council president said: "The EU doesn't have any divorce experience. We were good at broadening, not at shrinking.

"I'm convinced, however, that we will turn the corner. But the real threat today - and I think it is not only my opinion - is the disintegration of Europe in the political and ideological sense.

"It is not a coincidence that those who question liberal democracy are the same ones who call for the break-up of the EU, because the EU today is not only a political organisation which restricts national egoisms, it is also a unique territory of freedom.

"For this reason it is important that Brexit remains a one-off incident and not the beginning of a process."

The film, which is being sent to EU leaders, includes complaints about Margaret Thatcher's stubborn resistance at the Fontainebleau summit which saw her win a rebate for the UK.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has suggested that Theresa May should follow the example of Britain's first female prime minister in her negotiations with the EU over money as the UK negotiates its Brexit divorce.

Former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing said: "It was a most irksome business. And Mrs Thatcher had taken a stance that was quite disagreeable for her partners."

Former council general secretary Niels Ersboll said: "Mrs Thatcher won at Fontainebleau. She won too much in my view. It was not a good decision, it created the basis for years, generations, of dissatisfaction on both sides."
The fifth person to be killed in the Westminster terror attack was pensioner Leslie Rhodes.

The 75-year-old, from Streatham, south London, died at King's College Hospital on Thursday night after life support was withdrawn.

A retired window cleaner, Mr Rhodes suffered serious injuries in the atrocity.

Neighbours paid tribute to the 75-year-old as "a lovely man" and said he had been "as fit as a fiddle" despite his age.

Philip Williams, 61, said: "We'd known him for 24 years.

"He was a lovely man. He would do anything for anybody.

"And it's such a shock."

Mr Rhodes was not married and had no children, Mr Williams said.

He added: "You know, it's a crime that he's been taken."

He said he had been told by neighbours who went to see him before he died that Mr Rhodes was attending the hospital and may have been coming from or going to a bus stop nearby when he was hit.

He said: "I've been told he was at the hospital, St Thomas', and he went by public transport and he was apparently crossing the bridge when this car hit him.

The innocent casualties include 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks, and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

The other victims included:

Kurt Cochran

Kurt Cochran a US tourist from Utah was killed on Westminster Bridge after Khalid Masood drove a car into unsuspecting pedestrians.

He and his wife Melissa, on the last day of a trip celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, were visiting her parents, who are serving as Mormon missionaries in London.

Mrs Cochran was badly injured.

After Mr Cochran's identity was revealed, US President Donald Trump tweeted: "A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends."

Aysha Frade

Aysha Frade, who worked in administration at independent sixth-form school DLD College London in Westminster, also died on the bridge.

She is understood to have been 43 and married with two daughters.

At least 100 people attended a memorial in Spain to commemorate the British national.

A minute's silence was held in the Galician municipality of Betanzos, where Mrs Frade's family originates and where she spent her summers.

Betanzos councillor Andres Hermida said the community in Spain was in "enormous pain" and shrouded in an "atmosphere of sadness".

Aysha Frade. Pic: Sky News

He told the Press Association: "We had a minute's silence in the Plaza de la Constitucion outside the local government building and we have declared three days of mourning, which will include flying the flag at half-mast until Saturday.

"About 100 people attended despite the rainy weather."

Mrs Frade's family is well known in Betanzos, where her older sisters, Silvia and Michelle, run the Notting Hill English language academy.

Pc Keith Palmer

Pc Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old husband and father and Charlton Athletic season ticket-holder, was stabbed to death in the attack.

He has been praised as a "strong, professional public servant" who served in the military before joining the Metropolitan Police's parliamentary and diplomatic protection command.

Pc Palmer served as a reservist from August 1987 to August 2001, leaving as a bombardier, and had 15 years of service as a police officer.

Charlton Athletic said Pc Palmer was "a true hero who will be greatly missed by all the Charlton family".
A major search is underway in southern California for a stolen car with two young brothers inside.

The boys were in a white Honda Accord taken from Cathedral City - near Palm Springs - last night.

***AMBER ALERT UPDATE*** Here is a recent picture of the stolen vehicle. pic.twitter.com/OiIOPqL8e0  CathedralCity PD (@CathedralCityPD) March 24, 2017

#AmberAlert license plate is 7TJR654  CathedralCity PD (@CathedralCityPD) March 24, 2017

CBS News reports that the boys are 1-year-old Jayden Cortez and 2-year-old Carlos Cortez.

It happened around 6.45pm on Thursday after their babysitter got out for a moment.

An amber alert is being circulated.
The Romanian woman who fell from London's Westminster Bridge into the River Thames during the terrorist attack was due to receive a marriage proposal later that day.

Footage of the atrocity appears to show Andreea Cristea, 29, falling from the bridge as the attacker ploughed a car through pedestrians.

She had been with her partner Andrei Burnaz, reportedly celebrating his birthday in London.

Speaking to the BBC, Romanian ambassador Dan Mihalache explained that he thought the car mounted the pavement and hit Mr Burnaz first, before pushing Ms Cristea into the Thames.

He added: "It is quite a dramatic story because they were two people that were tourists.

"They were coming to London to celebrate their birthday. He intended to ask her for marriage in the same day and this was unfortunately their destiny.

"It is quite a miracle that she could survive this very complicated experience because she was practically thrown to the Thames."

The ambassador said Miss Cristea was "stable, but in a good direction" after being operated on for a blood clot on her brain.
Church of the Brethren Newsline

March 26, 2017

A Nigerian woman receives a bag of food at one of the distributions of aid made through the Nigeria Crisis Response. This distribution was organized by the Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives, one of the Nigerian nonprofits that partner in the Nigeria Crisis Response that is a joint effort of the Church of the Brethren and Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).

The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board at its meeting earlier this month gave approval for the release of $500,000 of the Nigeria crisis funds from the denominations Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF). Brethren Disaster Ministries requested this additional allocation to support Nigeria Crisis Response programing through the summer of 2017.

The Nigeria Crisis Response is a joint effort of Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) with the Church of the Brethren and its Global Mission and Service and Brethren Disaster Ministries.

The 2017 response plan continues key ministries in Nigeria but at a reduced level of funding because donations toward the effort fell off significantly in 2016, staff reported to the board. Program priorities going forward are more focused on recovery activities that will help families become more self-supporting, now that about 70 percent of EYN members who were displaced by violence and the Boko Haram insurgency have now returned home.

Working with partners, program ministries totaling $690,000 are planned during 2017. EYN continues as the primary partner for the Church of the Brethren, and will receive some 70 percent of the response funds. Other partners include the Center for Caring, Empowerment and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI), Lifeline Compassionate Global Initiative (LCGI), Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and Health Initiative (WYEAHI), Favored Sisters Christian Fellowship, and Education Must Continue Initiative (EMCI).

Specific foci for the 2017 work in Nigeria include:

Repairing homes damaged by fire and vandalism in the Biu and Lassa areas.

damaged by fire and vandalism in the Biu and Lassa areas. Continuing peacebuilding and trauma recovery as a cornerstone of the response. Adult programming will be provided in seven new areas. The program developed by Childrens Disaster Services on trauma healing for children will continued to be expanded by EYN Womens Ministry.

as a cornerstone of the response. Adult programming will be provided in seven new areas. The program developed by Childrens Disaster Services on trauma healing for children will continued to be expanded by EYN Womens Ministry. Agriculture as a key part of recovery for displaced families to be able to return to farming and have the ability to support themselves. Seed, fertilizer, and tools will be distributed to 2,000 farmers. A soybean development program is being worked on in consultation with the US Soybean Innovation Labs. Two tractors are being purchased to assist farmers in areas around Abuja and the EYN headquarters in Kwarhi.

as a key part of recovery for displaced families to be able to return to farming and have the ability to support themselves. Seed, fertilizer, and tools will be distributed to 2,000 farmers. A soybean development program is being worked on in consultation with the US Soybean Innovation Labs. Two tractors are being purchased to assist farmers in areas around Abuja and the EYN headquarters in Kwarhi. Livelihood (making a living) as another key for recovery. This programming focuses on the most vulnerable in the community, especially widows with children, providing them with equipment and training for sewing, bean cake businesses, machines for grinding grain and ground nut processing, computer skills, knitting, and soap making.

as another key for recovery. This programming focuses on the most vulnerable in the community, especially widows with children, providing them with equipment and training for sewing, bean cake businesses, machines for grinding grain and ground nut processing, computer skills, knitting, and soap making. Education for children as a critical part of long term recovery and to reduce the long-term negative impacts of the crisis and trauma. In this crisis, some children have been out of school for more than two years. In addition, through this programming orphans of the crisis are receiving food, clothing, housing, and assistance.

as a critical part of long term recovery and to reduce the long-term negative impacts of the crisis and trauma. In this crisis, some children have been out of school for more than two years. In addition, through this programming orphans of the crisis are receiving food, clothing, housing, and assistance. Food, medical, and home supplies that continue to be necessary for some families who are still displaced and for families returning to their homes. Supporting the reopening of EYN clinics is an ongoing need. This budget includes $10,000 to assist in repairing the EYN clinic in Kwarhi.

that continue to be necessary for some families who are still displaced and for families returning to their homes. Supporting the reopening of EYN clinics is an ongoing need. This budget includes $10,000 to assist in repairing the EYN clinic in Kwarhi. The strengthening of EYN (church recovery) . These funds are significantly reduced in 2017 with repairs to EYN headquarters and Kulp Bible College completed in 2016. Going forward, funds will support EYN staff, meetings, and publications that are still impacted by crisis.

. These funds are significantly reduced in 2017 with repairs to EYN headquarters and Kulp Bible College completed in 2016. Going forward, funds will support EYN staff, meetings, and publications that are still impacted by crisis. Expenses of the travel of American volunteers and Church of the Brethren staff . This covers the expenses of staff engagement in the response, managing the funds, providing training and technical support, and sending volunteers from the United States to support EYN and the response.

. This covers the expenses of staff engagement in the response, managing the funds, providing training and technical support, and sending volunteers from the United States to support EYN and the response. Famine and malnutrition. Special reserve funds are being held to help address malnutrition among children and the growing concern about famine in parts of northern Nigeria. Partner organizations will be able to request some or all of the funds to address found needs.

Prior EDF grants for this appeal total $3,800,000 and include initial designations from existing funds made by the Mission and Ministry board to the amount of $500,000 in October 2014 and $1,000,000 in March 2016.

An additional $115,000 that is not part of the EDF has been budgeted from designated Global Mission funds to help with rebuilding churches in Nigeria.

A PowerPoint presentation on the Nigeria Crisis Response that was given to the Mission and Ministry Board at its meeting earlier this month is available online as a PDF. The presentation gives details about the current status of the relief work in Nigeria, as well as an update on the situation of South Sudan. Find the presentation at www.brethren.org/bdm/files/nigeria-south-sudan-update-2017-3.pdf.

Go to www.brethren.org/Newsline to subscribe to the Church of the Brethren Newsline free e-mail news service and receive church news every week.
Canberra business executive Ivan Slavich has been appointed CEO of ASX-listed company Energy Action.

Mr Slavich is managing director of Trident Corporate Services. He has previously held leadership positions at ActewAGL and TransACT Communications, which sold to iiNet.

Canberra businessman Ivan Slavich has been appointed chief executive of ASX-listed company Energy Action. Credit:Jeffrey Chan

Energy Action provides energy buying and management services to commercial and industrial customers. Mr Slavich told Fairfax Media it's the "number one independent energy advisor in Australia".

The company operates the Australian Energy Exchange, which gives online, real-time price information and provides a reverse-auction platform.
A seven-year-old girl told a court she saw her father with a knife in his hands and blood on his shirt the night he allegedly stabbed her mother to death in the family's Gordon home.

Maged Mohommed Ahmed Al-Harazi, 36, banged on the door of Tuggeranong police station to report his wife Sabah Al-Mdwali had been killed in the early hours of March 17, 2015.

Police at the crime scene on Knoke Avenue in Gordon in March 2015. Credit:Jeffrey Chan

Police found Ms Al-Mdwali's body with 57 stab wounds in an upstairs bedroom. It's alleged Mr Al-Harazi attacked her during an argument as she breastfed their 10-month-old son, while their two older children slept nearby.

Mr Al-Harazi, 36, alleges his wife's father and teenage brother arrived at the house late the previous night and told him to take the children to the shops. He said when he arrived home, the men had gone and his wife was dead.
Comparing cities, such as Melbourne to New York often appears odd. However, visiting SJB's new office, in Oliver Lane, Melbourne, has a sense of the New York loft.

Accessed via the bluestone lane and directly above the deli/cafe, Bowery to Williamsburg, one could easily be forgiven for having the feeling of landing in the Big Apple.

For SJB, it wasn't the sense of escape that prompted the move from Southbank to the edge of the CBD.

"We liked the idea of being in the city. But it was also important for us, given the need to regularly visit sites, that we could make a quick escape and not be stuck in traffic," says architect Michael Bialek, director of SJB Architects, who worked closely with interior designer Andrew Parr, director of SJB.
For the next two and a half years Heir worked long hours, six days a week for no pay. Months later he started using the so-called cash back scam, which involves the company paying her wages then her husband withdraws a similar amount and gives it back in cash. She then had to find another $20,000 or face deportation. "He would say: 'You go to immigration, nothing is going to happen to me as I am citizen of this country, but they will definitely deport you back to India'." One of Heir's darkest hours was in August 2015 when her appendix burst at work. Doubled over in pain, she wasn't allowed to go to hospital until she finished her shift. It would be a decision that cost her dearly, with multiple health complications, leaving her hospitalised for weeks. "He would tell me I had to go back to work," she said. Extortion, blackmail, cash back scams and slavery are happening every day under our noses. They happen in the most unsuspecting places such as suburban restaurants and nail bars. Most suffer in silence. He told me I can't pay you because I sponsor you so you have to work for free. Pawanjeet Kaur Heir

In some cases unscrupulous employers offer sponsorships to desperate foreign workers in return for payment. In other cases they lure unsuspecting workers into a job with the promise of sponsorship, then they turn on the blackmail dial. The price of visas can vary from $30,000 to $150,000 depending on the visa, the job on offer and the worker's nationality. For companies engaging in this illegal practice, the scheme offers big bucks. In Heir's case it was cash and free labour. Azrael Yin, a former store manager at Domino's, said many small businesses sell sponsorships. "I know of one person who is sponsored and work 60 hours a week and gets paid for 40 hours." Yin says another franchisee sponsored two foreign workers, charging them tens of thousands of dollars, only to withdraw the offer.

"One of the workers went back to China after the rip-off," he says. If workers complain, their sponsorship is likely to be cancelled, inevitably leading to deportation unless a new sponsor can be lined up. Finding a legitimate sponsor isn't easy and there are no protections for workers who are exploited. Mark Glazbrook, a migration agent who runs Migrant Solutions, said Pawanjeet Heir's case was the worst case he had come across in his many years as an agent. He took on her case in October 2015, along with a number of other staff who had been sponsored by the same company. Documents show that in September 2015 Australian Border Force had warned the company that it had been monitoring it since May and had a series of concerns, including supplying the department with false and misleading information, workers were being paid in cash and there were no proper records. "Some visa holders have signed cash payment receipts for dates that they were not in Australia," the letter said.

For Heir, what happened next was devastating. On October 20, 2015, still suffering from health issues, she was told the company she worked for had been banned as a sponsor. The upshot was her visa had been cancelled. Her husband Raj said the news was like a heart attack for his family. "We could not leave our house for two days after this news, as we were so depressed and confused. My wife cried the whole day inside her room and could not say even a single word. We lost everything in one day, all our hopes to stay in this country and have a good life in the future." Raj quit his job. His wife's illness and the stress of spending so much money on a visa that was now useless became all too much. They contacted the ATO and the Fair Work Ombudsman to try and reclaim unpaid super and wages, but that came to nothing because the company had collapsed. They then applied for ministerial intervention, but that also failed.

They are now in a situation where they have no working rights. Penniless, they had to move back to Melbourne to live with their cousins. Their last hope is the Federal Court, which is due to hear their matter in May, but they aren't hopeful. For Glazbrook it is the case that continues to haunt him. He said if the government was serious about stamping out worker exploitation it would introduce protections. In other words, if they dob in their boss for visa fraud, they should be given a temporary working visa. But it seems nobody cares.
If you don't think there is any corruption in Australian politics, then you have no need to worry about the millions of dollars' worth of corporate donations to political parties. Such donations would simply be a waste of shareholders' money. Of course, wasting shareholders' money, like corruption, is illegal. So it seems we either need to set up a federal corruption watchdog or inquire into why so many companies have wasted so much of their shareholders' money for so many years.

While most states and territories have some form of dedicated corruption watchdog, the Commonwealth does not  unless you're a cop or working for the Immigration Department. It's possible to believe that federal politicians, public servants and lobbyists are immune from the temptations that some of their state colleagues give into, but it's also possible that things are far worse at the federal level. Bizarrely, controversial property developments that make former mayors millions of dollars often attract more attention than hastily developed policy decisions that cost the budget billions of dollars.

The Commonwealth (with the ACT) is one of few jurisdictions left that lack an independent integrity commission. Credit:Glen McCurtayne

Take the debacle around gas policy in Australia, for example. The recent spike in gas prices  a spike that's driving electricity prices up and manufacturers out  was the direct and inevitable result of policy decisions made over the past eight years. The enormous gas-export facilities built in Gladstone were approved by former resources minister Martin Ferguson, who, in retiring from politics, went off to work for the gas industry's lobby group. Ferguson was also appointed, post-politics, to the board of British Gas, a company that signed a $20 billion contract to ship gas through the controversial new export facilities.

To be clear, there is no evidence that Ferguson has behaved corruptly. But because there is no federal equivalent of the NSW ICAC, were a public servant, gas industry employee or anyone else to have specific concerns about this web of relationships, there is no agency specifically designed to receive and investigate them.
For that, the workers can thank Abbott and his fellow denialists. If it were not for these people, we would have been much further down the road with renewable electricity generation, and would probably not be confronted with as serious an energy crisis as the one we face. David Payne Bermagui Who knows what Turnbull means How many energy policies has Prime Minister Turnbull had since his thumping one-seat win in July 2016 ("Advisor condemns PM's energy message"). Direct action; "clean coal"; retro-fitting old coal plants; promoting the huge Adani coal mine with a billion-dollar subsidy, and now Snowy Hydro 2.0. Mr Turnbull has entered Trump World where it's not what you say, but what you mean. The question is, regarding energy policy, what is Turnbull trying to say, and what the hell does he mean?

Chris Moe Bensville We are warned of possible electricity shortages next summer. Good thing solar panels are cheap, can be quickly installed and work at peak output on hot, sunny days when demand is highest. If we don't want to install storage right now, we could encourage industry and the public to minimise their electricity use after the sun goes down on the few exceptional demand days. And it's nuclear-powered. Brewis Atkinson Tyabb We cannot let government run wild over climate issues The recent resignations of Danny Price and Professor John Quiggin from the Climate Change Authority, following last month's resignation of Clive Hamilton, leaves only one of the original board members, and highlights the Turnbull government's complete disdain for the issue of climate change and energy security ("Adviser condemns PM's energy message", March 24).

Clive Hamilton resigned last month in protest at the government's so called "clean coal" energy solution; Danny Price resigned with the announcement of the $2 billion "Snowy 2.0 scheme" calling it "the epitome of a half-baked policy"; and Professor Quiggin resigned saying that the government had "chosen to treat the vital issue of climate change and energy security as an opportunity for political point-scoring and culture war rhetoric". Barack Obama called climate change "the greatest long-term threat facing the world". Pope Francis has also called for urgent action to stop climate change. Both cite the increasing occurrence of unusual weather events: droughts, storms, record heat waves and flooding. The scientific evidence is overwhelming, yet our government fiddles and refuses to listen to the experts, claiming to know better. Professionals such as doctors, dentists, chemists, and engineers cannot make work decisions based on gut feelings. If they fail to follow the known scientific facts, they will be held accountable. They risk losing their reputation and being sued in court. Yet our politicians are seemingly unaccountable, and are free to decide the fate of future generations of Australians based on nothing more than political expediency. Come on you lawyers out there, can't we force our politicians to be accountable? As a "reasonable Australian" they appear completely negligent to me. Alan Marel North Curl Curl

Hate won't undo evil or recklessness My lovely, kind, gentle brother lost his life when the driver of the train he was going home from work on decided it was more interesting to text on his mobile phone than watch out for the signals on the single-track line he was on. Hence he failed to avoid the oncoming express train. Mobile phones, like terrorism, are a fairly recent risk to life. Acts of terrorism are shocking and my heart goes out to its victims but really being alive is a risk because we are mortal. Using mobile phones as an excuse to hate is unjustifiable. I don't hate that driver, but I wish he hadn't done it. Mary Billing Allambie Heights Five dead in London, 130 dead in one strike in Mosul, according to Al-Jazeera. Perhaps it's mere numbers that make Londoners stoic. Gary Frances Bexley

With Britain having 186,000 injured or killed from car crashes in 2015 are we giving the perpetrators of the recent carnage a bit too much air time and publicity. We should call them "celebrity criminals" rather than "terrorists". Mark Pearce Richmond I hate the overconfidence of our Prime Minister when he assures us that Australia is safe against terrorism. We are relatively safe because we are surrounded by oceans. Mokhles Sidden South Strathfield

We drift in a universe of random chance It was important to read about the medical research that has found about 66 per cent of cancers may be a result of random DNA mutations. ("Two thirds of all cancers could be random DNA copying errors", March 24). These days we seem to need to believe we are all able to control our own destinies, especially by being endlessly "positive", and pursuing healthy, happy, social, active lives. This may feel reassuring, but not to those unfortunate people who still fall ill or develop dementia, or other serious conditions. By deduction, we are subtly blaming and stigmatising these people. Just as for so long we have stigmatised and blamed people suffering with mental illness. Sure, we may be able to do a lot to stay healthy, and we really should, but we can't control everything. Surely nothing could be worse than having people assume it's your own fault if a health problem develops. Just as the common practice of giving simplistic unscientific advice about how to turn the illness around is rarely helpful.

Yes, randomness leads to uncertainty and acknowledges risk that we can't control, but that's life in the real world. Bring back compassion and the idea that "there but for the grace of (maybe) god (or chance, or the universe) go I." Anne McDonald Summer Hill Test a life saver Congratulations to Anton Enus (SMH, March 24) on his comment piece about his bowel cancer journey. I only wish that I'd read something similar when I first received the testing kit from the national bowel cancer screening service, some 10 years ago. The "yuck" factor meant I was one of the two out of three that did not complete the test  until last year. Result: advanced bowel cancer, radiotherapy and chemotherapy (ongoing), a resected bowel, with the resulting "bum on the tum".

How different (and a hell of a lot easier) would my life had been if my disease had been diagnosed, but I have no one to blame except myself. All I can recommend is to take the test each time it's offered. Life now is so much more "yucky" than the couple of minutes it takes to complete the screening test. Sue Powell Tumbarumba Super for super mice Your report that "Scientists make giant leap in age-old pursuit of longer life" (March 24) outlines science's ability to increase the lifespan of mice by 20 per cent. I hope someone has advised their superannuation fund to cover the extra time. Sue O'Connor Cammeray

Ban call wrong As an Australian Muslim, I welcome the Prime Minister's comments in response to Pauline Hanson's call to ban Muslims (" 'You are doing what ISIS wants': Malcolm Turnbull and ministers slam Hanson over Muslim ban", smh.com.au, March 24). ISIS wants to turn Muslims against their fellow citizens and comments such as those by Pauline Hanson only help their cause. Khizar Rana Walkerville When Dimitrious Gargasoulas killed six people in the January Melbourne car rampage, Pauline Hanson called for ban on Greek immigration, or did she? Han Yang North Turramurra

Limit allowances It's time that politicians realised that they should not profit from being a politician by claiming an accommodation allowance to stay in the property of an immediate family member. They should be limited to accommodation costs actually incurred like all other members of the community when required to travel at their employer's expense. Daryl Jordan Denistone Praise to Lambie If the major parties want to know why the electorate is disenchanted with their performance, they should well take note of the speech given by Senator Jacqui Lambie ("Lambie upset and angry, but not ashamed", March 24). Unlike Mr Turnbull's faux passion, this was a genuine expression of the reality faced by far too many citizens of the so-called lucky country. Until our politicians can empathise with the experience and needs of the people they will never be able to truly represent them.

Philip Cooney Wentworth Falls Stop sweatshops Kalpona Akter urges us to continue buying clothing made in Bangladesh ("How your wardrobe hurts my loved ones", March 24). But when I see T-shirts costing $5, I cannot believe that the people who made them are not being exploited. If there is some lower price limit below which we should not purchase clothes, I would like to know what it is. If we all refused to buy clothing below this limit, a message would be sent to Kmart and all the other companies that workers in Bangladesh need to be paid more and treated like human beings. Stores would also be reminded that contracting out the manufacture of clothing does not absolve them from responsibility for the welfare of the factory workers who produce it.

Bronwyn Bryceson Mangerton Do the time Gosh, there's some deserved heat in medical circles with a Professor of Cancer Services in South Western Sydney (Letters, March 24) going in hard against the reduced sentence for oncologist John Kearsley, who drugged and molested a trainee doctor. Good on the professor for declaring it's not only those in privileged positions who'd find jail "exceptionally difficult". That apart, there's no doubt a doctor holds a rare command over us. We constantly defer to them, and often adopt the weirdest physical positions on their say-so. Circumstances dictate that the most common scenario is one of female patient and male doctor, a situation where the female is always vulnerable. Rosemary O'Brien Georges Hall

Centrelink shame The treatment by Centrelink's ally Max Employment of Rhys and his family beggars belief (" 'I just cried': terminally ill man has Centrelink payments cut", March 24). The system that allows such continuous harassment and cruelty by the employment agency to go unchecked  when Rhys and his family have done nothing wrong  is shameful. Carmen Jarrett Leichhardt Two face have I How ironic that Malcolm Turnbull is rightly condemning Pauline Hanson's ugly hashtag #Pray4MuslimBan at a time when his government is trying water down Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

Vicky Marquis Glebe Study in contrast There were two responses to the terror attack which could not have been more different. British MP Tobias Ellwood raced to the scene without thought to his own safety. "Our" Pauline's contribution? The good old dog whistle. Peter Mahoney Oatley Never mind the bullocks

I don't know what Don Smith sees in Ashfield (Letters, March 24), but out in the natural habitat of Barnaby it's not bulls that come on heat and no bull would bother to sniff a steer, winsome or otherwise. Joe Forwood Grafton Roots and rhythm To all those wondering about the true origins of rock'n'roll, I suggest Hank Williams' Move It On Over (c. 1947). Bob Roach Eugowra

The roots surely lie deeper than those suggested. Listen to J.S. Bach's Toccata BWV 594 and then try to say, truthfully, that the rhythm is not there; and he himself would have learned from the likes of Buxtehude and others. These things don't just pop up fully formed from nothing. Christopher May Balgowlah Postscript We were chewing over Australia's energy woes, raiding super to buy a house and proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act when an act of terrorism on the other side of the world overtook our parochial ruminations.
Local beef producers have won unfettered entree to the Chinese domestic market for the first time, in a commercial breakthrough that gives Australia a level of access denied to all countries until now.

But the resolution of Australia's long-standing 'beef' over beef exports, came with a gentle reminder to Beijing's regional neighbours that China will not back out of the South China Sea and regards its outposts in international waters as its sovereign territory.

United front: Malcolm Turnbull welcomed the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang, to Parliament House on Thursday. Credit:Andrew Meares

The trade advance, which promises a significant expansion of Australia's $1 billion annual meat exports especially in chilled meats, came in talks between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra, which touched on economic conditions, global trade relations, regional security particularly regarding the Korean Pensinsula, and Australia's foreign policy stance.

In a direct reference to widespread concerns in the South China Sea, Premier Li moved to reassure Australia that any defence assets in situ on artificial islands, serve purely defensive purposes associated with guaranteeing free access to sea and air lanes, and with safeguarding Beijing's economic interests.
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne has cited the uncertainty about Donald Trump's foreign policy as one reason Australia needs to bolster its home-grown defence industry.

In a remarkably frank set of observations, linking the rapid changes in the nation's strategic outlook to building a self-reliant industry for military hardware, Mr Pyne said the Trump administration was "not business as usual" and "we're having to rethink how that relationship will work".

"The last 12 months have seen the acceleration of strategic changes around the world: a more assertive Russia and China, Brexit, North Korea's highly dangerous nuclear and missile brinkmanship, a new broom sweeping through in Washington DC," he told the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

"These developments put a premium on the need for Australia to be able to act for itself, and make national security decisions that maximise our strengths at a time of unprecedented global strategic change."
A China-Australia extradition treaty 10 years in the making looks set to be killed off in the Senate next week with Labor, the Greens and the crossbench expected to team up to stop ratification.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is currently in Australia for discussions on trade, security and the extradition treaty, which was signed by John Howard back in 2007 but has never been ratified.

The move to disallow the treaty, led by Australian Conservatives senator Cory Bernardi, is an embarrassing blow for the Turnbull government, which quietly tabled the treaty for ratification on March 2.

On Thursday, Senator Bernardi announced he would move a motion on March 29 to stop the treaty's ratification, citing concerns about human rights safeguards, the 99.9 per cent conviction rate in Chinese courts in 2015 and the fact Australia would be the first of the "five eyes" nations to sign a bilateral extradition treaty with China.
"It's an election promise and we have to start rolling these issues forward. That [the corporation] really starts making the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources a serious department that is doing serious things for our nation," he said.

"The money we have put out for dams; the states have been recalcitrant about putting out more money too.We've got [water] projects rolling in Tasmania, we should get other ones moving ... the regional development corporation, this allows us great flexibility in the Department of Agriculture."

The corporation is separate from the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, which was announced in the 2015 budget after being promised before the 2013 election.

That fund has not yet made any loans for infrastructure projects in the north of Australia but, despite a growing backlash from green groups, its first major loan could be a $1 billion concessional loan to Adani to help fund a coal railway that would link up with the Carmichael mine.

Mr Joyce said the project, and the mine, were "absolutely" viable, despite the high coal price.
A still from the infamous Jay Weatherill and Josh Frydenberg press conference. Credit:ABC When Kate Ellis announced she would quit federal politics at the next election, two names immediately stood out as potential star-power replacements: Weatherill, and that of his one-time girlfriend in university days, Penny Wong. Already a federal heavyweight, Wong would emerge as a potential Labor leadership option if she were to swap from the Senate to the House. Weatherill is a stand-out political performer among premiers and the biggest player in the boutique-size world of South Australian politics but few doubt that his skills would travel, if only he were prepared to do likewise. And there's the rub. The soon-to-be 53-year-old insists he was more surprised by how long Ellis managed to juggle family and politics than by her decision to call it quits. Speaking to Fairfax Media in his minimalist office high up in Adelaide's State Administration Centre, it is hard to believe that this man who exudes an uncommon gentleness is a political force at all. In October 2011, a protracted leadership tussle had ended when the former lawyer and son of Labor politician George Weatherill replaced South Australian Labor hero Mike Rann. It had been an unlikely power play in which Weatherill had seduced the dominant right faction into not only abandoning Rann, but into handing over the biggest prize in state politics to the party's minority left faction. The little-known Weatherill then faced a daunting task, learning on the job while also rebuilding his government's dwindling stocks.

Since then he has emerged as arguably the nation's stand-out leader, with a reputation for bold and often unorthodox policy solutions, from his state's participation in the nuclear fuel cycle, to lifting GST to 15 per cent in exchange for state access to income tax revenue, and active support for an emissions intensity scheme. The self-described "low talker" nominates as his ideal escape from the rigours of public life as "sitting on the couch with my wife, with a cup of tea and a biscuit". While that might involve trash TV, he says lately it's given over to a succession of Netflix series that the couple watch together. "That's the whole point  if one of you sneaks off and watches an episode without the other, it's betrayal," he chortles. More than once I push my digital recorder closer as he pads softly through the issues ranging from his electoral chances, his priorities, his personal values, and his heroes, to "that press conference". Defiantly boyish into middle-age, Weatherill is a gestalt politician  an admixture of his two political inspirations, the state's legendary 1970s premier Don Dunstan, and the country's most demonstrative, and transformative recent prime minister, Paul Keating. But other influences are discernible too, including the political smarts of Rann, and a certain private reserve reminiscent of the late John Bannon with whom he shares a distinctly South Australian sensibility, and a love of running. The socially progressive arts-loving Dunstan, he says, opened up his mind to what was possible. "He made the idea of being premier of South Australia just so attractive, the idea that you could change the state for the better and that you could do that with bold strokes is exciting," he says.

But it was Keating's global imagination, his facility for painting pictures with words, his sense that power was never an end in itself but a tool for getting things done that defines him now. "I like the notion of big ideas, and publicly advocating for them and trying to win the public debate, I mean, we're very different types of politicians, but I find that type of thing inspirational," Weatherill says. That courage to break the shackles was evident in his recent move to resume government involvement in electricity generation with a new gas-fired power station and a suite of other security measures. As was the aggressive partisanship when needed. Critics say he was forced to act after failing to plan for the energy insecurity inherent in Labor's ideological rush to wind and solar. Weatherill shares something else with Keating, too. Having rolled a popular sitting leader, he now needs to defy the odds to secure a staggering fifth consecutive Labor victory. Can he win? "I'm relaxed about the Liberals' choice of leader," he says of the Liberals' Steven Marshall, in response to the question. The caustic burn in that understated comment is typical of Weatherill's yin-yang quality  his ability to calmly yet coldly flay his opponents.

In this sense, he is the polar opposite to Keating. Where Keating could be disliked for his toxic tongue, Weatherill has made a virtue of civility. Critics call it artifice, or worse, intellectual arrogance. Either way, that gentle equanimity cracked pretty spectacularly last week when Weatherill, riled at Canberra's baiting over its run of blackouts and desperate to justify his "go-it-alone" plan, attended a Frydenberg media event in Adelaide. What followed was compelling television, further marking Weatherill out as a force to be reckoned with. But it was high risk too. The doyen of the South Australian parliamentary gallery, the Seven network's senior political reporter Mike Smithson, has seen it all over his 23 years. He had no doubt that Weatherill's rage was as planned as it was dangerous  a sure sign of the trouble the Premier knows he's in over energy security. "Jay's performance at the press conference was unconventional to say the least, but people saw it for what it was," Frydenberg says, branding it "confected anger and grandstanding to deflect from our Snowy Hydro announcement".

"As Rudyard Kipling once said, 'if you can keep you head when those about you are losing theirs ...'" he says. Polls suggest South Australians blame the Premier for the blackouts. Weatherill challenges that, arguing that voters are not interested in who is at fault so much as who is going to fix it. It's a classic politician's line, repackaging legitimate public anger over a catastrophic failure into a clamour for his plan to resolve it. Yet in Weatherill's case, it is also an opportunity to advance an ideological argument consistent with his left faction roots: South Australians he believes, had never hankered to privatise their electricity assets, and many still believed it was the core business of the state government to keep turbines operating. There's no question the energy failures have been devastating. So much so that Smithson thinks the next election should be a lock for Marshall, suggesting if the Liberals cannot win strongly next March after the blackouts and after so long under one party, they should give up for good. "You would have thought he [Weatherill] is on a hiding to nothing, but as I always say, never write off the Labor Party in this state," Smithson says. "They just know how to win."

Weatherill admits he was more forthright with Frydenberg than he had planned but says South Australians, weary with ridicule, are glad their premier has finally "called out the bullshit" from Canberra. "I think it also plays into something deeper about South Australia; first we're told we can't build cars, then we're told we can't be trusted to build a canoe; and then we get told we can't keep the lights on  and there's a limit to how many times you can attack a state like that and expect people just to cop it." There's no doubting Weatherill's anger at Turnbull personally, whom he accuses of having dumped his support for renewables and a carbon price on purely political grounds. But he goes further, accusing Canberra of forgetting its responsibilities. "Openly speculating that we can't keep the lights on, what an extraordinary message for the Prime Minister of Australia to send about one of the component parts of the Commonwealth  we're having our reputation damaged by somebody that should be promoting Australia  this is a section of Australia, in case he's forgotten." But if Turnbull is worried, it isn't showing. As recently as Thursday, while attacking the Victorian Labor government's failure to keep the Hazlewood power plant open, Turnbull cited the SA example in Parliament: "It is clearly determined to head down the same road as South Australia, where we know, following more than a decade of Labor government, the state has the least reliable and the most expensive electricity in Australia."

It's another truth that hurts. Did Weatherill sex up his outrage at Frydenberg to foment an us-and-them battle with Canberra, as he'd done over Holden, over submarines, and on the River Murray? The Premier dismisses that with a counterfactual statement: "If they [the federal government] in December had promoted an energy intensity scheme, we'd be standing next to the Prime Minister claiming to be joint authors. "People talk about it as if its politics, but you know, flip that on its head, I mean, what would people have me do? Roll over on Holden, roll over on the River Murray, roll over on submarines? Even if I was inclined to do that ... it would be politically suicidal to not do what I've done." Weatherill's instincts are born of a particular culture of grievance in the central state from where there's never been a High Court appointment, nor a South Australian prime minister  at least not one holding an SA seat in the parliament at the time.
There is a new superstar emerging from The Shire that has more panache and pull than the artist formerly known as Lara Bingle.

The Hazelhurst Gallery and Arts Centre  a 450-square metre exhibition space in the Sutherland Shire  has managed to lure top Australian jeweller Dinosaur Designs away from its Surry Hill heartland for a new showcase and the artists behind the brand couldn't be more excited.

Stephen Ormandy and Louise Olsen from Dinosaur Designs with some of the work they have made for a new exhibition. Credit:Janie Barrett

Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy, fresh from a successful exhibition in Bega and on the eve of the opening of a new boutique in New York, have blown up their trademark colourful designs and created more than 40 large scale works that celebrate their 30-year creative partnership.

"Stephen and I met as art students and Dinosaur Designs really carried us away. At the core of it all we're still both passionate artists and have really loved creating larger-scale sculpture," Olsen said.
A group of Gundagai's elderly residents have penned a letter to the Queen, imploring her to "restore democracy" and reverse the forced merger of their local council.

Signed by six members of the Gundagai community, all aged over 90, the letter is enroute to Buckingham Palace with the request that Her Majesty flex her royal prerogative to have Gundagai's elected council reinstated.

"We respectfully seek your persuasion," the letter stated, "to have the Government of New South Wales restore democracy to Gundagai and all other affected councils."

It informed the Queen the merger "has had a serious impact on the morale and identity of Gundagai and its people," and was against "the expressed will of the community".
After a seven-week trial, the jury has retired to deliberate on whether wealthy property developer Ron Medich is guilty of the murder of his business foe Michael McGurk and the later intimidation of his widow, Kimberley.

It was 6.25pm on September 3, 2009 when Mrs McGurk heard her young son screaming, "There was a pop and there's blood" and that his father had been hurt.

Ron Medich outside the NSW Supreme Court. Credit:Daniel Munoz

Mrs McGurk rushed outside to the street in front of their Cremorne home to find her Scottish-born husband still in his car, his foot resting on the framework of the opened driver's door. He had been murdered by a shot to the back of his head.

The Crown's star witness Lucky Gattellari, who was then Mr Medich's right-hand man, said that in early 2009 Mr Medich was '"distraught and raving" about the problems Mr McGurk, 45, was causing.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says tourism operators say 'don't send us any more flights at the moment'. Credit:Glenn Hunt Mr Gschwind said it took a long time to bring new flights into a region. "We can never let go of our efforts to engage with airlines around the world to bring them to our destinations, it's not something you can just turn on and off," he said. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was speaking at the AmCham breakfast at Stamford Plaza. Ms Palaszczuk said people in the US and Chinese market were saying Queensland needed more "higher-end product" and luxury options.

"There is a growing demand for people to have luxury experiences and it's something that Queensland is lacking at the moment," she said. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told the AmCham breakfast US tourists wanted to spend $200,000 on a family holiday in Australia. "But I know that we can work together to achieve that." Mr Gschwind agreed that new products and accommodation were also important. "If we do have more flights, that will accelerate and stimulate more investment in product and accommodation as well," he said.

"It is sort of a chicken and egg proposition, of course, you need both - you need the product and accommodation but you also need the pipeline of flights." Ms Palaszczuk said she hosted a gathering of tourism operators in the US recently and they told her customers wanted to spend big bucks in the Sunshine State. "They've had people come into them and saying, 'We'd like to spend $200,000 to take our family from the US to spend a month in Australia, can you put a package together?'" "And they're scrambling to put that together. "[There's] a huge demand at that high end that we're not actually catering for at the moment but at the general end, the tourism numbers are spectacular."

Mr Gschwind said there were plenty of operators who would love to take $200,000 from an international family. "I think most operators, once they recovered from the surprise that somebody wants to spend that much on a family trip, they would be more than willing to make provisions for that," he said. "We do have some exceptional experiences that can be made available, whether that's extremely remote places, whether that is very intimate personalised encounters with wildlife, perhaps with indigenous cultural experiences, certainly that can be done. "And we have some outstanding accommodation products, including within reach of Cairns. "There's a number of properties in the natural settings near Cairns that are pricey, but they're certainly very, very special."

Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls described Ms Palaszczuk's comments on flights into Cairns as "simply staggering". "Cairns tourism operators would never turn their backs on more tourists," Mr Nicholls said. Mr Gschwind said visiting celebrities, such as Adele and Justin Bieber, did wonders for the Queensland tourism industry. "If we have well-heeled or perhaps famous people, celebrities who seek out and can afford these special places, that inevitably will also draw in everybody else and certainly stimulate their interest and stimulate the market more generally," he said. "People do feel inspired and then want to sort of copy what others do and they want to take their own selfies in these places where celebrities have taken theirs."
Retiring Queensland Court of Appeal President Margaret McMurdo has described her role in opposing the Newman government's "attack" on the state's court system as the pinnacle of her career.

Justice McMurdo clashed with the Newman government multiple times during its three-year reign, most prominently over the controversial - and ultimately short-lived - appointment of Tim Carmody as chief justice.

Outgoing judge Margaret McMurdo has warned "there may be future attacks" on the judiciary. Credit:Dave Hunt

At a packed valedictory ceremony at Brisbane's Banco Court on Friday, she recalled being asked to nominate her career highlight by high school students last year, and finding the answer "easy".

"It was standing with my sister and brother judges of appeal, senior judge administrator and the judges of the trial division between 2013 and 2015 in successfully resisting a calculated and sustained attack on the independence of the Supreme Court of Queensland by some members of the legislature and the print media," she said.
North Queensland is bracing for Cyclone Debbie, expected to develop on Saturday and intensify into a Category 4 before making its way west towards the coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology released its updated forecast early on Saturday, predicting the cyclone would develop into a Category 4 before it made landfall on Tuesday morning, bringing wind gusts of between 225km and 279km per hour.

The bureau has issued a cyclone watch zone for residents living along the 1000km stretch of coast between Cape Tribulation and St Lawrence. It includes the Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Whitsunday Islands regions.

A flood watch is also in place for coastal areas between Cooktown and Mackay.
Three Victorian farmers have died in workplace accidents involving tractors in just eight days.

A 53-year-old man died after a tractor ran over him at a Yarra Valley winery as he was harvesting grapes on the Wandin East property on Thursday.

Worksafe says said farmers are over-represented in workplace fatalities. Credit:Erin Jonasson

A second farmer, a man, 47, died in hospital on Thursday after suffering serious injuries in an accident involving a tractor at Myrrhee, about 50 kilometres south of Wangaratta, on Tuesday.

The deaths follow a 68-year-old farmer being struck by a tractor on at his farm at Meredith, near Geelong. The man, who suffered serious head injuries, later died later in hospital.
It's now the home of a McDonald's, Hungry Jack's and other fast food outlets but archeologists are licking their lips at the prospect of what lies beneath.

The Swanston Street shopping strip opposite Flinders Street Station was first developed just two years after Melbourne was founded and could hold secrets from the city's earliest European settlers.

A series of major archaeological digs will take place there and across Melbourne when buildings are demolished for the city's Metro Rail project.

At least nine Melbourne locations will be excavated in search of buried relics.
WARNING: The content of this story may be distressing.

A man police suspect is an aspiring jihadist who is charged with murdering his wife in front of their children was once married to a second woman at the same time and was aggressive towards her, a court has heard.

The man, 35, is charged with murdering his 27-year-old wife in their Broadmeadows home in June last year and then dumping her body in a Dallas car park.

Police allege he cut out the woman's right eye and flushed it down the toilet, amputated two fingers and inflicted injuries to her face, torso and body either at the time of her death or afterwards, all in the presence of their young children.

The man is also charged with assaulting his two sons and daughter on July 4 last year.
Washington: The United States has issued a presidential permit for TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL oil pipeline, the Canadian company said on Friday, ending a years-long battle between environmentalists and the industry over whether Washington should approve it.

The pipeline linking Canadian oil sands to US refiners had been blocked for years by former president Barack Obama, who said it would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for US motorists and contribute to emissions linked to global warming. Environmental groups have forcefully opposed the pipeline.

Mr Trump, however, campaigned on a promise to approve it, saying it would create thousands of jobs and help the oil industry. He signed an executive order soon after taking office in January to advance the project.

"The fact is that this $US8 billion investment in American energy was delayed for so long demonstrates how the American government has failed the American people," he said on Friday during a meeting of his National Economic Council in the Oval Office.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer had issued a warning to rebels. Credit:AP A chastened Ryan, who was the author of the new health proposal, said: "Obamacare is the law of the land.... We're going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future." Brooding on the consequences for the GOP, Ryan warned that delivering tax reform likely would be more difficult, but not necessarily impossible. "Being against things is easy" he said. "Governing was harder." A tweet from Trump was seen by many as a jab at House Speaker Paul Ryan. Credit:AP On Fox News, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer warned the rebels: "At the end of the day, this is the only train leaving the station that's going to repeal Obamacare."

But the train didn't leave. US House Speaker Paul Ryan has suffered a major defeat. Credit:Bloomberg Talking up the vote before it was cancelled, Alabama Republican Bradley Byrne described it to The Washington Post as "the first big vote in the presidency of Donald Trump. I think it's a statement, not just about him and the administration, but about the Republican Party and where we're headed." "So much about political power is about perception. And if the perception is that you can't get your first big initiative done, then that hurts the perceptions down the road about your ability to get other big things done." There was an air of foreboding too in the changing tenor of tweets through the day by Trump loyalist and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Before breakfast Gingrich tweeted: "No one should be confused. Obamacare repeal if it passes will be Trump's triumph. He personally intervened to save the bill when it faced defeat." But after lunch he tweeted this: "Why would you schedule a vote on a bill that is at 17 per cent approval. Have we forgotten everything that Reagan taught us?" Cancellation of the vote came after days of uncertainty and confusion, with many lawmakers complaining of having lost track of what was in or out of the bill as the White House frantically sought to appease opponents. With the GOP congressional conference deeply divided, the challenge was that an inducement geared to winning votes at one end of the spectrum risked driving votes away at the other. The GOP's American Health Care Act does away with the Obamacare prescription for most Americans to have health insurance, offering instead age-based tax credits as an incentive to buy insurance. Over time, it would save billions of dollars but is predicted to see as many as 24 million drop their insurance  either by choice or because they could no longer afford it.

A key obstacle for conservatives was the survival in the new bill of Obamacare provisions that Trump had undertaken, as a candidate, to preserve, in particular a right for parents to keep children on their policies to age 26 and a bar on insurers refusing to cover pre-existing conditions. Some 'no' votes shifted to Trump and Ryan's side. But there were high-profile acts of defiance. Moderate New Jersey Republican and influential House committee chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen said in a statement: "Seven years after enactment of Obamacare, I wanted to support legislation that made positive changes to rescue health care in America - unfortunately, the [bill] is currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey." Texas lawmaker Louie Gohmert, a strong Trump supporter, refused to side with the White House, arguing: "A no vote means we save Donald Trump from a Democratic majority in 2019." Trump lacked his usual confident air.

When a reporter visiting the Oval Office asked what he'd do if the vote failed, he replied only: "We'll see what happens." The previous evening, his aides had issued an ultimatum to lawmakers - vote for the GOP bill or live with the political consequences of the survival of Obamacare, which they had railed against for the best part of a decade. Trump tweeted early on Friday: "After seven horrible years of Obamacare (skyrocketing premiums, deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!" And showing frustration at the refusal of the conservative Freedom Caucus to bend to his will, he took a crack at its members  "The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows PP to continue if they stop this plan!" At stake for Trump was his reputation as a "deal-maker" and "the closer."
Villahermosa: After years of longing and thousands of dollars in expense, Michael Theologos finally became a father in December, when a surrogate mother gave birth to his son in a private clinic in Tabasco state, Mexico. Theologos wept as he cut the umbilical cord. Then the trouble began.

The next day, officials arrived at the hospital and took the baby, Alexandros, into custody. They said Theologos had broken a new law that bars surrogate mothers in Tabasco from bearing children for foreigners. Theologos, 59, did not see Alexandros again for nearly six weeks.

"You receive your dream and then someone comes over and takes away everything," said Theologos, a US citizen who paid $US55,000 ($72,000) to an agency for the surrogacy. "It was the end of the world for me."

Theologos and his son are among a dozen foreign families who have been tangled up in a legal battle over how to apply new surrogacy restrictions in Tabasco, which for years was the only state in Mexico that allowed foreigners to hire surrogates. Dozens of other families whose babies are yet unborn will face the same quandary, officials and lawyers said.
An oversize effigy of a health care professional is seen as hundreds of people march through downtown Los Angeles protesting President Donald Trump's plan to dismantle Obamacare. Credit:AP Chaos and drama mounted in equal parts through the day, with White House officials insisting the vote would proceed and be carried, despite Trump's failure to convince the uber-conservative Freedom Caucus, dozens of whose members were hauled into the West Wing. Meanwhile, Republican whips armed with colour-coded charts on which they juggled the numbers, were attempting to corral other defiant congressional Republicans  on the floor of the House and in the corridors of the Capitol. Steve Bannon, left, and Reince Priebus are among those urging Trump to spare Jeff Sessions. Credit:Bloomberg More arm-twisting was expected through Thursday night.

With no support from Democrats, Speaker Ryan could afford only 22 defections from a fractious conference of 237 members. By the headcount of The New York Times, he had only 145 firm 'yes' votes; along with 45 'undecided,' 15 who were inclined to vote 'no, and 32 firm 'no' votes. A chart illustrating Trumpcare leans on a table during a US House Budget Committee hearing last week. Credit:Bloomberg The leadership had been banking on opponents of the bill going to water. "When the president calls someone and says, 'I need your vote on this,' it's very hard to say no, when it torpedoes our entire conference, Trump's entire presidency, and we end up losing the Senate next year and we lose members in the House," New York Republican and Trump loyalist Chris Collins told reporters. Florida Republican Dennis Ross agreed - "If we don't pass this out of the House, this is the beginning of the end for us as a Republican Party." But the Freedom Caucus was cocky; with spokeswoman Alyssa Farah claiming it had 25 solid "no" votes  enough to defeat the bill. Food trays are walked out of the office of US House Speaker Paul Ryan as Republicans mulled the deal first authored by Ryan. Credit:Bloomberg

Trump's tweeted appeals for support didn't deliver the numbers. Nor did a video in which he sought to cajole members: "Go with our plan. It's going to be terrific". Presidential and party credibility are on the line here. As the full impact of the health insurance makeover seeps in, voters have been walking away from Trump, whose approval rating is slumping into the mid 30s. And they are walking away from the GOP health plan by a factor of three to one among those who have made up their minds, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. Hundreds of people march through downtown Los Angeles protesting Trump's plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Credit:AP And the level of disapproval of the healthcare bill among two of Trump's core constituencies likely is causing alarm in the White House  it was underwater by 26 points among non-college whites; and by 46 points among voters aged 50-64. Only 13 per cent of women said they favoured the health proposal. Trump won voters aged 45 to 64 by almost 30 per cent. But under a proposal which the President balks at calling Trumpcare, premium costs would rise by more than $US2300 ($3010) a year for a 55-year-old earning $US25,000; by more than $US4400 for a 64-year-old on $US25,000; and by $US5800 for a 64-year-old on $US15,000, according to research by the powerful American Association for Retired Persons.

Steven Martin, 27, of Los Angeles, who says he has chronic myeloid leukemia, joins hundreds of people march through downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. Credit:AP The Kaiser Family Foundation, a health think-tank, produced electoral maps showing the added costs would be felt profoundly in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states that were vital in Trump's victory. "Generally, people who are older, lower-income, or live in high-premium areas [like Alaska and Arizona] receive larger tax credits under [Obamacare] than they would under [Trumpcare]," the foundation says. Trump gave ground to the Freedom Caucus, agreeing to their demand that it be left to insurers and their clients to decide the terms of policies, rather than have Washington insist that all policies must include benefits like maternity care, emergency services, mental health and wellness visits. But moderates dug in, with Pennsylvania Republican Charlie Dent, who heads a moderate block known as the Tuesday Group, declaring: "I believe this bill, in its current form, will lead to the loss of coverage and make insurance unaffordable for too many Americans, particularly for low- to moderate-income and older individuals."

Former president Barack Obama, who has been studiously quiet since leaving the White House in Late January, weighed in too, defending his legacy and urging bipartisan negotiation. "I've always said we should build on this law, just as Americans of both parties worked to improve Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid over the years," he said in an email to supporters. But we should start from the baseline that any changes will make our health care system better, not worse for hard-working Americans." After the postponement of Thursday's vote members were warned that there could be another attempt on Friday  with White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declaring: "We're very confident that the bill will pass tomorrow morning". After so much angst and agony, that would be a remarkable outcome for Trump and the party. But if and when the bill clears the House, it faces even greater hurdles in the Senate where the GOP numbers are much tighter, 52-48. Up to a dozen Republican senators reportedly oppose the Trumpcare bill, many of them fearful of the electoral repercussions of gutting Obamacare. Fears were expressed too that if Trump and the GOP congressional leadership can't win the healthcare battle, they'll face even greater fights on other priority items, like Trump's proposed $US1 trillion infrastructure plan and his promised tax cuts.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer stayed upbeat, telling reporters at one stage: "Let's get to the vote tonight". But questioned on Trump's responsibility for threatened failure of the legislation, he became defensive. "I think the President has done a phenomenal job. There's no question, I think, when you look at the effort that he's put in, the number of meetings that he's had and the changes that have been [made] to the bill, there's no question how hard the President and his team, the Vice President, have worked to get this done," Spicer said. "At the end of the day, we can't force somebody to vote." Loading He too seemed to be daring Republicans to defy Trump. "The President's made very clear that Republicans in particular have made a commitment to constituents, to the American people, that if given the opportunity to have a Republican President, a Republican Senate and a Republican House, that they would enact 'repeal and replace'.
United Nations: The United States warned South Sudan's government on Thursday that preventing humanitarian aid workers from reaching parts of the war-torn state that are suffering famine could "amount to deliberate starvation tactics."

A civil war erupted in 2013 when President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, fired his deputy, Riek Machar, a Nuer, who has fled and is now in South Africa. The United Nations says at least one-quarter of South Sudanese have been displaced.

The United Nations has declared a famine in some parts of South Sudan, where nearly half the population - some 5.5 million people - face food shortages. But the country recently hiked work permit fees a hundredfold for foreign aid workers, to $US10,000 ($13,000).

"The famine is not a result of drought, it is the result of leaders more interested in political power and personal gain than in stopping violence and allowing humanitarian access," Deputy US Ambassador Michele Sison told the Security Council.
Latest News Why are property buyers taking so long to purchase? Here are five factors at play

Industrial property growing stronger New report reveals market trends

The Australian Securities & Investments Committee (ASIC) may be due to commence the shadow shopping mentioned in its proposed suitability of advice review for brokers.This additional targeted review was announced in ASICs Review of Mortgage Broker Remuneration released on 16 March.In an interview with Australian Broker at a Connective PD day in Sydney yesterday (23 March), director Mark Haron said the regulator has already started further review activities and has put the industry on notice.Our understanding is that if they havent already commenced some of the shadow shopping, its imminent. They will be doing more shadow shopping to ensure that there are good customer outcomes.The regulator would conduct any additional reviews in a fair and balanced manner, he said. Monique Hope-Pearson , outgoing group legal counsel at Connective, said the aggregator had a good working relationship with ASIC.We dont feel that this review was a witch hunt in any way. Its been trying to get a better understanding of how the industry operates. A lot of the report was talking about the industry, how it was constructed and who the players are.From an industry perspective, Connective always expected ASIC to continually review any of their suggestions, Haron said.In three years time, theyll want to know whether or not there have been unintended consequences and whether anything needs to be updated or changed. Any industry that is regulated to the extent that we will have constant reviews.For its second market review, also announced in the Review of Mortgage Broker Remuneration, ASIC will ask for a repeat of any data gathered to compare trends and changes in the compiled information, he added.We will ensure that we remain thoroughly involved in any review moving forward,  said Hope-Pearson. Weve got really sound data at Connective where we can ensure that good outcomes are reached.
Latest News Why are property buyers taking so long to purchase? Here are five factors at play

Industrial property growing stronger New report reveals market trends

The number of businesses planning on using non-bank financing has doubled in less than three years, setting the stage for brokers to diversify into this space.The latest SME Growth Index by specialist finance provider Scottish Pacific shows that 22% of small and medium business owners are thinking of lending options outside of the banks. This has doubled from 11% found in round one of the Index conducted in September 2014.Along with this, there has also been a decrease in the number of businesses planning on lending from the banks, which fell from 38% in round one to 29% in the most recent survey of more than 1,200 SMEs across Australia.I think theres certainly a greater awareness by the business owners that there are alternatives to the banks, Peter Langham, CEO of Scottish Pacific, told Australian Broker.If you look at the non-bank lenders that have emerged such as the various fintech-type organisations  whilst their volumes might not be that high  they certainly got a lot of column inches in the papers to make people aware that there are alternatives.Scottish Pacific itself has just made the move to become an ASX-300 firm and has invested more on spreading this awareness around its products, Langham said.This growth has also been spurred by an increasing number of mortgage brokers looking at alternatives to property financing, he added.Certainly Scottish Pacific, and I know others, have been talking more and more to brokers about the facilities that we have so that they are aware of them when talking to their clients.In the 30 years Scottish Pacific has been offering alternative lending options, the firm has built its broker network, ensuring brokers understand how its facilities support client relationships whilst being easy to handle.Were not asking the brokers to put credit submissions together or even be accredited with us. We do all the due diligence, he said. So its relatively easy for them to pass on a referral to someone like ourselves.Currently Scottish Pacific has more than 3,000 brokers on its database. Out of these, around 400 brokers receive commissions from the lender every month, Langham said.The way we remunerate brokers is with an upfront and trailing commission.For brokers keen on diversifying into SME lending, this is a great opportunity to become a trusted advisor to clients while broadening their set of financiers and products, he said.Brokers can be viewed as the traditional bank manager who has a relationship with the client. The advantage the broker has is they have a whole swag of  not just products that they can offer their clients  but many more different suppliers.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Saturday March 25 Tails of Coney

Join the saucy sirens of Coney Island this Saturday to celebrate the upcoming 35th annual Mermaid Parade! You can get a sparkly mermaid makeover, ogle the go-go dancers, see featuring burlesque and sideshow performances from Julie Atlax Muz and Mat Fraser (pictured) and a constellation of other nightlife luminaries.

8 pmmidnight at Coney Island USA (1208 Surf Ave. at W. 12th Street in Coney Island, www.coney islan d.com/ gala ). $100 ($250 VIP).

Sunday March 26 Khaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

Celebrate the second-greatest Star Trek captain at ShatShow V: Unpresidented! The videotape enthusiasts of Obsolete Cinema will screen two lesser-known films from the ever-emoting William Shatner: 1980s The Kidnapping of the President (pictured) and the 1973 made-for-television cheese-fest The Horror at 37,000 Feet.

4 pm at Freddys Bar [627 Fifth Ave. between 17th and 18th streets in Greenwood Heights, (718) 7680131], www.fredd ysbar.com . Free.

Monday March 27 Fanboy alert!

Scottish rockers Teenage Fanclub return to Brooklyn for the final stop on their tour of the United States. Expect the five-piece band to pull out all the stops while performing the soaring harmonies and thunderous guitar tracks from its latest album Here.

Sticky situation: Artist Michael DeForge will read from his new graphic novel Sticks Angelica, Folk Hero at Rough Trade on March 28. Michael DeForge

8 pm at Warsaw [261 Driggs Ave. at Eckford Street in Greenpoint, (718) 3870505, www.warsa wconc erts.com ]. $25.

Tuesday March 28 Tip top

On this early weeknight, you can still score seats to the World War II musical 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. The uses some impressive puppetry for portray cute kitties and set the scenes, and its bouncy songs help cushion the tragic moments that punctuate the mostly kid-friendly scenes.

8 pm at St. Anns Warehouse [45 Water St. at New Dock Street in Dumbo, (718) 8348794, www.stann sware house.org ]. $56$66.

Wednesday March 29 Sticky situation

Rock spot Rough Trade gets artsy tonight, when cartoonist Michael DeForge reads from his latest delightfully bizarre graphic novel Sticks Angelica, Folk Hero, a mostly pink-and-black book about an Olympic athlete, artist, and musician who shuns fame in favor of hanging out with talking animals in a magical forest. Musician Sadie Dupuis, from the band Speedy Ortiz, will play a solo set after the reading.

7 pm at Rough Trade NYC [64 N. Ninth St. between Kent and Wythe avenues in Williamsburg, (718) 3884111, www.rough trade nyc.com ]. Free.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority blindsided Sunset Parker straphangers by offering negligible notice of the 53rd Street stations impending six-month closure, say locals.

The agency posted only a few fliers  all in English  at the station less than a week before the March 27 shutter, and now local leaders are railing against the silent treatment.

They did a shoddy job at communicating to our community  our diverse, immigrant community with multiple languages, said Councilman Carlos Menchaca (DSunset Park) at a press conference on March 23.  Do you know that the MTAs station is closing? This is a question Im asking people this morning and everyone is saying, No. 

Whats more, the agency isnt beefing up bus service or offering shuttles to neighboring stations during the half-year lock-out  despite months of demands from those in-the-know  and riders are steamed about that, too.

To be without a subway station is one thing, to be without direct access to the next is something else, said Sunset Parker Melissa Delvalle. Our bosses dont care if the subway station is closed and will not have a problem firing someone if it happens one too many times.

The station is the first of 31 stops getting new entrances, platforms, and countdown clocks under Gov. Cuomos scheme to give the citys aging transit system a face-lift.

The project has been in the works for nearly a year, but the transit authority didnt issue a press release with details about the closures until March 22  five days before 53rd Street is set to shutter in both directions.

Earlier this week, workers taped two English-language fliers to the stops entrance rattling off a list of upgrades straphangers can look forward to once the station reopens this fall.

As always, readers of this paper were informed about the closure well in advance, and kept apprised of the latest developments.

But others are so confused, theyre looking to local bodegas for answers.

People have been coming here asking whats going on, said Ahemed Suliman, who owns a Fourth Avenue deli beside a 53rd Street subway entrance.

The transit authority responded to the outcry by saying that it has been speaking about the closure with Menchacas staff and the local community board since January.

But locals say they expect the agency to keep them in the loop about service changes  as it has in the past.

I lived in Sheepshead Bay before and when they did renovations, the MTA put signs all over the place in English, Spanish, Russian, Polish  everything, said Suliman. Here its nothing.

Still, Menchaca and his staff plan to take it upon themselves to plaster the area with notices translated in Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic.

And theyre also demanding the transit authority organize a shuttle to neighboring 45th and 59th street stations come Monday.

We want buses, we deserve that, said Menchaca.

Reach reporter Caroline Spivack at cspiv ack@c ngloc al.com or by calling (718) 2602523. Follow her on Twitter @carolinespivack.
Looking at the world through the eyes of the Web
Grimm is primed and ready to break our hearts, and were not at all prepared. NBC will bid farewell to the little-show-that-could in barely two weeks, pitting Nicks (David Giuntoli) Scooby gang against a world-ending force by the name of Zerstorer. As the apocalypse looms and our intrepid wesen/human alliance circles the wagons around the most vulnerable, The End might eschew the series finale penchant for a happy ending.

Is an Olicity Reconciliation Around the Corner on Arrow?>>>

Everything tragic that can happen will happen. The episode is bold and extremely emotional, executive producer David Greenwalt told TV Insider as Giuntoli reminisced how the final script brought the entire cast to tears.

So what does that mean, exactly? In our opinion, it means Grimm will hit hard, but not so hard that a glimmer of hope wont blossom by episodes end. Lets break it down.

Potential Deaths

Yes, we said it. The dreaded D-word. We even pluralized it, but, hey, lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Grimm hasnt shied away from putting their characters six feet under in the past (even if one of them was resurrected with a shiny new wig), which means everything from deadly target practice to beheadings is fair game. And its open season on everyone. Well, almost everyone. Nick, the ringleader and driving force of the series, will undoubtedly exist inside a protective bubble. After all, hes the one who is always left standing to bear the emotional brunt of any trauma. Well slide Adalind (Claire Coffee) and the inseparable Monrosalee inside that shield as well, simply because one is a parent of two (and good God, Grimm writers, just let Nick have one successful relationship for once in his life) and the other is expecting.

Renard (Sasha Roiz), on the other hand, could easily take the fall. From villain to ally to villain once more, the police captain has found a permanent home in fans hearts despite his nefarious ways. His redemption arc could place him in the line of fire, particularly if he makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect his daughter. Diana (Hannah R. Loyd) is a forced to be reckoned with on her own, but any sensible father would do anything in their power to keep their baby girl from becoming some sort of supernatural child-bride.

Next up is Eve/Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch.) Theres only so many times a person can pull a Lazarus before their luck runs out (or viewers start to complain of lazy writing.) Eve recently admitted that Juliette will never resurface, and shes just fine with that. Tullochs character is stronger than ever, and theres little doubt in our minds that the Grimms scribes will lean into that newfound power as Portland faces its greatest threat to date. Also, the woman seems to have a death wish. Jumping through unknown portals without backup? Eves practically asking to get the ax.

Meanwhile, if Grimm takes the hatchet to Rosalee (Bree Turner) or her unborn children, I will woge out. This isnt This Is Us, for Petes sake. We wont stand for anything less than a fairytale ending for Grimms brain trust.

On the Upside

Remember, tragedy is just one component of The End. Emotional is another, which means the series send-off could just as easily leave us in tears as the Scooby gang (safely) goes their separate ways.





Can We Trust Caitlin Snow As Killer Frost on The Flash?>>>

Perhaps Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee will choose to seek out greener pastures. Perhaps Nick will let go of his familys legacy. Perhaps Hank (Russell Hornsby) or Wu (Reggie Lee) will leave the force. Even if someone survives to see their happy ending, it might not be quite the future fans predicted.

For now, all we can say is, farewell, Grimm. Please dont break our hearts too much.

Grimm airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC. For more articles like this, check out BuddyTVs Facebook page.

(Image courtesy of NBC)
An employee at Rudridge in Gravesend has celebrated the impressive milestone of 10 years service at the business.

Alan Ridgewell, who joined the civil engineering and groundworks specialist as a job lorry driver in 2007, was presented with the company's long service award by Gravesend branch manager Craig Lyons.

Mr Lyons said: "We are thrilled to be celebrating this terrific achievement with Alan. His driving work and attention to safety is a great example of our team's continuous commitment to deliver outstanding customer service. We're extremely proud of his high quality of work."

Mr Ridgewell added: "I cant believe how quickly the time has gone. I remember my first day like it was yesterday! It's been such an enjoyable time, and I hope to spend many more years at Rudridge."

Pictured: (L-r) Alan Ridgewell and Craig Lyons
NTSB: PATCO engineer tried to brake before deadly bridge accident

An NTSB investigation into the deadly PATCO accident on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge includes interviews, review of camera images.
Burnham-On-Seas MP and Chamber of Trade have attacked NatWests announcement that it is to shut its branch in the town this autumn.

The branch, at the junction of Regent Street and Victoria Street, will close for the final time on October 10th, 2017.

It comes just months after the closure of HSBC in Burnham-On-Seas College Street.

NatWests decision has been met with disappointment from the towns MP and Chamber of Trade.

MP James Heappey told Burnham-On-Sea.com: I am angry and frustrated to hear that NatWest have decided to close their branches in Cheddar and Burnham-on-Sea. As ever they have cited the rise in online banking and undoubtedly branches are now used less than they were before.

However, NatWest are failing to recognise two important factors. Firstly, there are many areas served by the branches in Burnham and Cheddar where broadband connections are poor and online banking less attractive than it is to those with better connections elsewhere. Secondly, there is a large elderly community in both places amongst whom the remaining branch users will be disproportionately concentrated. Digital exclusion is becoming a real challenge as it affects the elderly and vulnerable the most.

NatWest had an advertising campaign not too long ago about the strength of its branch network. Im disappointed theyve abandoned that position and I hope that their customers in the Cheddar and Burnham area will now abandon them. There are other banks in Cheddar and Burnham. It is important that residents who value the use of a branch switch their accounts to those that remain so that those banks have commercially viable branches that escape any further branch closure programmes.

I will continue my campaign over access to banking as well as seeking assurances from NatWest over the future of those whose jobs will be affected by these unfortunate branch closures.

Burnham-On-Sea Chamber of Trade and Commerce said in a statement this morning: The Chamber is extremely disappointed by NatWests decision so soon after HSBCs closure. The closure of this prominent and long standing bank in this prime location is a blow to the Town Centre.

Whilst accepting that banking trends are changing, face to face access to financial services for businesses and consumers remains highly important.

The Chamber calls on NatWest to review this decision and on Nationwide, Lloyds and Barclays to affirm their commitment to Burnham-On-Sea.

NatWests Media Relations Manager Sean Palmer said: The way people choose to bank with us has changed radically over the last few years. Between 2010 and 2015, mobile and online transactions have increased by over 400% and mobile transactions alone have increased by 1,350%. Since 2011 we have seen the number of transactions in the Worle branch decline by 48%, the Langport branch by 21%, in the Wellington Somerset branch by 35%, in the Burnham-on-Sea branch by 26% and in the Cheddar branch by 45%.

These customers are actively choosing to bank in different ways, with 60.6% of customers at the Worle branch choosing to use our digital banking options. In Langport 53% of customers are choosing to use our digital banking options. In Wellington Somerset 54.6% of customers are choosing to use our digital banking options. In Burnham-on-Sea 53.4% of customers are choosing to use our digital banking options. In the Cheddar branch 59.9% of customers are choosing to use our digital banking options.

We are communicating with our customers affected by the closures and proactively contacting vulnerable and regular branch customers. We have listened closely to feedback from local communities and have extended the time between announcing our decision and the branch closures to six months. This has been done in order to ensure our customers have time to consider the right banking options for them. Unfortunately our lease is expiring on the property in Worle and therefore we are not able to extend the opening of the branch beyond the date advised. We will however be proactive in our approach to ensure that we are able to engage fully with our customers before the branch closes.

We are committed to ensuring our customers and communities are able to continue accessing quality banking services. As part of this, we have created a new role  our Community Banker  who will serve the local area and provide customers with personal assistance and support accessing the right banking options for their needs, as well as help with achieving their financial plans and goals.

We know that not all of our customers are comfortable and familiar with using online or mobile banking, so we have created a new specialist taskforce of TechXperts who will be dedicated to supporting our customers with training and support with digital skills.

We are following the Access to Banking protocol and we have made the decision after careful consideration of a wide range of factors, including regular branch usage and the alternative ways our customers can bank with us. We provide a range of alternative ways to bank, tailored to the needs of our customers and reflective of the way they live their lives.

The news comes just months after HSBC shut its branch in Burnham-On-Seas College Street, pictured below, in January as part of a nationwide cost-cutting move.

HSBC blamed a sharp 28 per cent reduction in customers at the branch for the difficult decision to shut it.
Tucked behind two towering gulmohar trees, the sight of off-white khadi lamps hanging from the ceiling of a remodelled villa in Bengaluru makes one slow down almost immediately. There is no boundary wall that blocks out this villas view from the 100-feet road in upscale Indiranagar, only a concrete panel that rises up from knee-high grass.
Inc. will soon start assembling iPhones in India for the first time, say government officials familiar with its plans, boosting the company's chances of gaining a foothold in the fast-growing market.

Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron Corp. will likely start making iPhone 6 and 6S models here in the next four-to-six weeks at its plant in Bangalore, said an official of the southern state of Karnataka where the tech hub is located. It will add Apple's cheapest iPhone model, the SE, to its assembly line in about three months, the official said.

"Almost all preparations have been done for launching Apple's first phase project in Bangalore through Wistron," the official told The Wall Street Journal.

"We've been working hard to develop our operations in India," an spokeswoman said. "We appreciate the constructive and open dialogue we've had with government about further expanding our local operations." A Wistron spokeswoman said the company doesn't comment on "rumor or speculation."

With sales cooling in China, long an engine for Apple's growth, manufacturing iPhones locally would help address what analysts say is its biggest problem in India: its smartphones are simply too expensive for the vast majority of people.

Smartphone shipments in India grew 18% last year, compared with 3% globally, according to Counterpoint Research, but the majority of phones sold here cost less than $150.

The iPhone SE, which some online retailers now sell for as low as $330, is still out of reach of most Indian consumers.

"Apple realizes that the phones are priced way too high for the Indian market," said Kiranjeet Kaur, an analyst at research firm IDC.

Making the phones in India would allow Apple to lower prices by at least $100 as its import tariff bill comes down, said Faisal Kawoosa, an analyst at research firm CMR.

Apple is also negotiating with New Delhi for its next level of production in India. It wants to bring its component manufacturers to India to make parts and export finished phones, said the state official as well as a senior federal government official at the Trade Ministry.

Apple had sought tax concessions on the import of key components but the Indian government hasn't yet "accepted most of the demands of the iPhone manufacturer," Trade Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told lawmakers in a written submission to Parliament on Wednesday.

"Apple is closely working with [the] government to move forward with its India plans. We want Apple to manufacture in India. They are also very keen," an official who works closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, declining to be named. "We will try to accommodate as much of their demands as possible, but they too appreciate and understand our limitations."

The Cupertino, Calif., company has been looking for new ways to build its brand in the South Asian nation, where it has less than a 5% share of the smartphone market.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook in a call with analysts last month said the company is also "in discussions" to open retail stores in India, and that Apple intends to "invest significantly in the country and believe it's a great place to be."





Source: The Wall Street Journal
Talks are gradually gaining ground that the US based car major (GM) is mulling a complete exit from India, more so as the company's market share in the domestic market now is an abysmal 0.94 per cent. The dealerships are in an exit mode with the carmaker not giving any clear indication on future product launches.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has come down heavily on state-owned Ltd (CIL) for allegedly abusing its dominant market position, even as the watchdog reduced the penalty on the company by two-thirds to Rs 591 crore. CCI criticised the public sector giant for supposedly using its monopolistic position in unilaterally finalising fuel supply agreements (FSAs) with power producers.
A division Bench of the Delhi High Court on Friday refused to provide any relief to Sun Pharmaceutical, in a case against Mylan Laboratories, alleging trademark infringement of cancer drug Oxaliplatin. sells the drug under the name Oxiplat, while Mylan calls its own version as Soxplat.
India, owned by Indian-born Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa, has completed the acquisition of 38 per cent share in Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), the operator of Indias third largest airport. The deal comes a year later after the firm announced its intention.
The Foreign Investment and Promotion Board (FIPB) has deferred the Gland Pharma-Shanghai Fosun deal worth $1.4 billion.

It approved nine investment proposals, including those of Netmagic Solutions and Vodafone, totaling a foreign investment of Rs 659 crore. The inter-ministerial body, to be wound up soon, recommended to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) a proposal by Apollo Hospitals to raise fresh equity shares for Rs 750 crore through foreign investment.
The ban on large electronic items by western countries has provided for an opportunity for airlines and airports in India to reclaim traffic that has over the years moved to Gulf airlines and their hubs in West Asia.

Air India, the only Indian carrier to have a direct flight to the US, is planning new flights, apart from publicising that flyers can use laptops and devices on board. Pakistan International Airlines is advertising that passengers on its US-bound flights can carry laptops and tablets.

We will launch one more direct connection to the US, either Houston or Los Angeles. We are negotiating slots with airport operators, Air Indias Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani told Business Standard.

The airline will use the Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft for this purpose. This will be after the launch of the Delhi-Washington service, which will begin in July.

A Jet Airways executive said the airline expected its occupancy to rise above 90 per cent as a result of the ban. This being the leisure season, our occupancy was healthy. Now, we expect a further improvement in load factor, an source said.

Jet Airways has connectivity to the US via Europe through code-share partners Air France, KLM and Delta.

Leading Gulf airlines Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways will be affected by the US ban because they carry the bulk of their passengers through hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

The UK has followed the US ban, saying it too will immediately impose device restrictions, but it added flights from Tunisia and Lebanon to its list and excluded those from the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Morocco.

According to aviation consultancy firm CAPA, the major Gulf carriers carried 49 per cent of US-bound passengers from India in 2015-16.

Frequent flyers said it was an ideal opportunity for Indian carriers and airports to reposition themselves.





ALSO READ: Emirates offers tablet, laptop handling service for US flights

It would be ideal if Jet Airways mounts a direct flight to the US with a Boeing 777. What Air India needs to do is improve its services and in-flight amenities, said Ajay Awtaney, a writer of airline blog livefromalounge.com.

A Jet Airways spokesperson refused to comment on the issue. Etihad Airways, which holds a substantial stake in Jet Airways, is affected by the ban.

An executive with Delhi International Airport Ltd said a surge in passengers on Indian airlines would be beneficial for the airport operator. International transit passengers are good for airports, but primarily it is for the airlines to explore this opportunity. We as an operator will support them, he said.

Rajeev Jain, chief executive officer of Mumbai International Airport Ltd, said, We will have to watch if there is a shift of traffic towards Indian airlines.

Travel agents said this was an ideal time for travellers to book tickets on Gulf airlines. The carriers affected by the ban may drop ticket prices to compensate for loss of traffic, said Anil Punjabi, president of the Travel Agents Federation of India.




Stayzilla founder has moved an appeal in a higher court against refusal of his bail application by a lower court on the previous day.

A legal source connected to the litigation said that an appeal has been moved with the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai today against the decision of a special court for Metropolitan Magistrate, CCB-CBCID cases.
IT Services major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced a tie-up with Chennai-based B-school Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), to launch a management programme on Business Analytics, a first of its kind initiative from both the partners. The effort is expected to address the growing demand in the segment, said a senior management official from .


Global ride-hailing firm Technologies is rethinking its car leasing strategy in India, its second-biggest market, as drivers have returned dozens of leased cars early after the company cut incentives, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Luxury car maker Lexus, part of Japanese auto major Toyota, has announced its entry into the crowded Indian market dominated by the German trio  Mercedes, Audi and BMW. The company will take baby steps to grow volumes. It is starting with four dealerships. Lexus unveiled five vehicles (imported), mostly hybrids, priced up to Rs 1.09 crore. Yoshihiro Sawa, president of Lexus International, told Ajay Modi in an interaction that Lexus would not run after volumes. Edited excerpts:
With Brazils beef exports reportedly having plunged 99 per cent after many nations banned beef imports owing to a safety scandal and the Yogi administration in Uttar Pradesh cracking down on illegal slaughter houses in the state, the ones recognised by Agricultural & Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APERDA) could make hay while the sun shines. Thats if the enhanced availability of animals for slaughter to their registered abattoirs is not disrupted and their factories are able to ramp up production to meet global demand owing to the Brazilian crisis.
India's top software services exporter Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will step up local hiring in the United States (US) and has no plans to cut investments there as it continues to expect robust growth from its biggest overseas market.
Airline executives in unison demanded a no-fly list on the lines of those in other countries so that habitual offenders could be debarred from boarding aircraft.

In a rare show of strength, private airlines decided they would refuse to fly Shiv Sena parliamentarian Ravindra Gaikwad for allegedly assaulting an employee on Thursday.

 and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect, a statement from the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) said. The FIA is a lobby group of private airlines IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Jet Airways.

The airlines also demanded exemplary action against the accused MP for assaulting the employee. Chairman Ashwani Lohani stated full support for the 60-year-old employee.

Passengers displaying disturbing and abusive behavior get away with it. We have raised the issue with the ministry and the DGCA several times but with little effect, said an executive with a private airline.

Vistara and AirAsia also joined the ban. "We support the statement made by Air India and the FIA, and are in full solidarity with them in support of the ban. The concerned individual will be barred from flying on any of our flights with immediate effect," a Vistara spokesperson said.

The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Gaikwad for assaulting the Air India staffer and transferred the case to its crime branch.

According to data provided by the government, there have been 53 such incidents reported by the airlines since last July.

Jayant Sinha, minister of state for civil aviation, in a statement in the Lok Sabha on March 9 denied the government had any plans for a no-fly list. Rajiv Nayan Choubey, civil aviation secretary, today said the government was examining whether such a list could be drawn up.

We are examining all sides, the passenger should have legal recourse if he feels he has wrongly been put on the list, Choubey said.

We support a no-fly list, said Aditya Ghosh, president of IndiGo, the countrys largest airline. The government needs to act on this soon. Unruly flyers are a safety hazard for not just the crew but even the travelling public. An attack on our crew and employee is an attack on us and we condemn this, said SpiceJet CEO Ajay Singh.

It is impossible to identify a habitual offender and put him on a blacklist if we do not have proper details. Just like a passport is mandatory for booking international tickets, Aadhar should be made compulsory for domestic bookings, said an executive with a private airline.

Aviation regulators in the West allow airlines to have their own lists of passengers banned for disruptive behavior. The UK does not maintain a no-fly list. Each airline will have its own list, but at the moment these lists are not coordinated, said Richard Taylor, spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Following the 9/11 attacks, the US implemented a no-fly list according to which people whose names figure on it are not permitted to board an aircraft in and out of the country.

Indian airlines can deny a person from flying throughout the country on the grounds of being a security threat to the crew as well as other passengers, said Nitin Sarin, managing partner, Sarin & Co.

Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3 - Series M Part VI lays down the law for dealing with unruly passengers.

No unruly behavior can be tolerated on board aircraft. A perpetrator may face criminal proceedings initiated either by the police or by the airline or by the staff, said Lalit Bhasin, managing partner, Bhasin & Co.
Finance Minister will present the Business Standard Annual Awards in the presence of top India Inc leaders, who will gather in Mumbai on Saturday to celebrate the success of some of their peers who have achieved corporate excellence.
The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani announced that it has started the slot booking process for 2017. Interested candidates can book the slots for the entrance test, date and time, from the official BITS Pilani website.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said there was no reason to worry about the curbs on H1B visas or the job security of Indian IT professionals working in the US for the time being, as the Indian government was in talks with the US regarding this.
MP Ravindra Gaikwad was on Friday barred from flying by four private Indian carriers after his brazen assault on an Air India officer.

The Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as its members, has taken a "strong view of the incident and accordingly taken a decision to bar Gaikwad from flying", an FIA source said.

The FIA will not allow the Sena MP to fly on its member carriers, the source said.

It is likely to come out with a detailed statement on the issue soon.

Meanwhile, Budget carrier IndiGo said it will support any move which bars unruly passengers from flying, a day after Air India said it was mulling preparing a no-fly list for such people.

"We will support a no-fly list," IndiGo President and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh said.

On Thursday Gaikwad had repeatedly hit a 60-year-old Air India officer with sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

The carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, while the has sought an explanation from him.
In a late night development, the Maharashtra Association of (MARD) on Thursday urged all resident medicos to call off their four-day-long mass casual leave agitation immediately.

The MARD said the Bombay High Court had taken a very sympathetic view of the doctors' concerns about physical security and related issues, which it would monitor every 15 days.

In view of the same and high court orders, MARD requested all doctors to resume work immediately, MARD President Yashowardhan Kabra said in a statement.

Hospitals expect doctors to resume normal duties from Friday morning.

Earlier in the day, the high court directed the government and hospital administrations to provide at least 500 security guards in these state hospitals, including four in Mumbai, by April 5 and the remaining 600 by April 15.

The court said it will monitor the issue of security of medicos at their workplaces at regular intervals and posted the public interest litigation for hearing after a fortnight.

"We are awaiting a certified copy of the court orders; we will decide when to resume duties after studying it," a member of the MARD had said.

Both MARD and Indian Medical Association (IMA) welcomed the high court ruling but pointed out that the ground realities have not yet changed.

"The court has directed to provide security in all hospitals by April 5. But attacks on doctors have not yet stopped, with at least three assaults reported in the past 24 hours," IMA Secretary Parthiv Sanghvi said.

The high court asked authorities to permit only two relatives per patient inside the hospital and said the government should deploy security at various hospitals as assured.

MARD, whose around 4,000 members were on mass casual leave since Monday in all public hospitals, also filed an affidavit to say the were prepared to work but the government and hospital administrations should assure them of safety and security.

Making his first comments on the issue, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Thursday appealed to all doctors and organisations like MARD and IMA to withdraw their protest and assured better security and law enforcement.

Around 40,000 members of the Indian Medical Association working in private hospitals or as general practitioners also joined the protest since Wednesday evening. Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and other places also went on token strikes to express solidarity.

A general practitioner, Dr Gaurav Borde, said IMA activists came and forced him to shut down his clinic in Powai on Thursday morning, with similar reports coming in from other parts of Mumbai and rest of the state.

"I fully support the doctors' agitation, but feel they should not hold thousands of poor patients to ransom. Many doctors feel they should work out a solution across the table," Borde had said.

Since Wednesday, hospital administrations have served show cause or suspension orders to more than 2,000 resident doctors, with more severe action expected.
A court granted bail to in the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast case.

The court has already granted bail to three others in the case.

The court of Fourth Metropolitan Sessions Judge also granted bail to Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai, a co-accused in the case.

Special Judge Ravinder Reddy granted bail to both Aseemanand and Rateshwar with the direction to produce two local sureties of Rs 50,000 each.

Aseemanand shall not leave Hyderabad without court's permission and remain present for the trial when required, the judge said.

Swami Aseemanand, whose real name is Naba Kumar Sarkar, was arrested on November 19, 2010, from Haridwar in connection with the blast at the Mecca Masjid here on May 18, 2007, which had killed nine persons.

On March 8 this year, Aseemanand and six others were acquitted in the 2007 Ajmer blast case by a court in Jaipur. He was then brought from Jaipur and lodged in a prison here.

Seeking bail, the defence pointed out that Aseemanandhad been acquitted in the Ajmer case while an Ambala court had granted him bail in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case.

A total of 166 witnesses have been examined in the trial of the Mecca Masjid case and over 100 are yet to be examined.

Three of the eight accused in the case are already on bail. The Investigation Agency (NIA) had taken over the case from the CBI.
may have originated in the northern hemisphere rather than the southern, according to a new study that overturns more than 130 years of research and radically redraws the family tree of the prehistoric reptiles.

The finding also suggests that family groupings of need to be rearranged and re-named.

For more than a century, palaeontologists have been working with a classification system in which dinosaur species have been placed in to two distinct categories - Ornithischia and Saurischia.

However, after careful analysis of dozens of fossil skeletons and tens of thousands of anatomical characters, researchers at the University of Cambridge and Natural History Museum in London have concluded that the long-accepted familial groupings may, in fact, be wrong and that the traditional names need to be completely altered.

It was earlier thought that originated in the southern hemisphere on the ancient continent Gondwana. The oldest dinosaur fossils have been recovered from South America suggesting the earliest dinosaurs originated there.

However, the re-examination of key taxa shows that they could just as easily have originated on the northern landmass known as Laurasia, though it must be remembered that the continents were much closer together at this time.

"This study radically redraws the dinosaur family tree, providing a new framework for unravelling the evolution of their key features, biology and distribution through time," said Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum in London



"If we're correct, it explains away many prior inconsistencies in our knowledge of dinosaur anatomy and relationships and it also highlights several new questions relating to the pace and geographical setting of dinosaur origins," said Barrett.

Dinosaurs were first recognised in 1842. Over subsequent decades, various species were named as more and more fossils were found and identified.

During the latter half of the 19th century it was realised that dinosaurs fell quite neatly into two distinct groupings, or clades; Saurischia or Ornithischia.

This was based on the arrangement of the creatures' hip bones and in particular whether they displayed a lizard-like pattern (Saurischia) or a bird-like one (Ornithischia).

As more dinosaurs were described it became clear that they belonged to three distinct lineages; Ornithischia, Sauropodomorpha and Theropoda.

In 1887 Seeley placed the sauropodomorphs (which included the huge 'classic' dinosaurs such as Diplodocus and Brontosaurus) together with the theropods (which included T rex), in the Saurischia.

The ornithischians and saurischians were at first thought to be unrelated, each having a different set of ancestors, but later study showed that they evolved from a single ancestor.

This new analysis of dinosaurs and their near relatives concludes that the ornithischians need to be grouped with the theropods, to the exclusion of the sauropodomorphs.

The study was published in the journal Nature.
An association of airlines has today decided that Ravindra Gaikwad, a MP who assaulted a staff member of Air India, will not be allowed on flights, say sources, according to a report published by NDTV.





Air India has already blacklisted the MP. Tho move has been also supported by budget carrier IndiGo which said it will support any move which bars unruly passengers from flying, a day after Air India said it was mulling preparing a no-fly list.
Air India is mulling preparing a no-fly list for unruly passengers following an incident on Thursday at the IGI airport here in which a MP allegedly assaulted a 60-year-old airline staffer with slippers.

"Air India is examining creation of no-fly list of unruly passenger on the lines of other carriers," a senior airline official said.

MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was flying on an Air India flight from Pune to Delhi, hit airline's duty manager Shivkumar with his slipper several times when the latter urged him to deplane after the lawmaker refused to do so once the plane landed at Delhi airport.

"The MP turned violent, broke the duty manager's spectacles, tore his shirt and hit him with slippers several times," airline sources said.

Gaikwad, carrying a business class ticket, insisted on taking the airline's early morning flight AI-852 from Pune to Delhi, which is an all-economy class. This led to an argument with the airline employees in Pune and an assault on the manager by the MP when the aircraft landed in Delhi.

There have been several reported incidents of unruly behaviour by the fliers onboard various airlines in the recent times.

Last month, AirAsia India filed a police complaint in Bangalore against two drunk fliers for creating "nuisance" onboard one of its flights.

In January, IndiGo was forced to tie down a passenger to his seat for being violent onboard one of its flight from Dubai for New Delhi.

According to the officials, between July 2016 and February 2017, 53 incidents of unruly behaviour by the passengers have been reported by the domestic airlines.

According to the global aviation body, International Air Transport Association (IATA), "unruly passengers" are one of the top three safety issues that concern cabin crew.

As per the IATA, in 2015, there were 10,854 reported cases of unruly behaviour by the passengers across airlines worldwide, which translate into one incident for every 1,205 flights.
A bail petition by founder Yogendra Vasupal was rejected by a court here, even as his co-founders continued to campaign for intervention by entities in the segment and the government to secure his release.
Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.

Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.

Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.

Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.

26 years of website archives.
In the late nineties, an entrepreneur from the minority community faced a strong backlash from Hindu religious groups while trying to set up a meat-processing unit in western Uttar Pradesh (UP). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power then, as it is now. Kalyan Singh, the former chief minister of the state and the current Rajasthan governor, got the district magistrate concerned to issue demolition orders on the half-constructed unit.

The entrepreneur ran for help to a top BJP leader at the Centre. Asked about the development, Singh informed the central leader that this plant would apparently slaughter thousands of cows daily. The central leader finally managed to pacify Singh by telling him that cows could not be exported in matchboxes.

The plant, which processes buffalo meat for export, eventually came up after a delay. But now, it is facing a fresh crisis.

Operations have been disrupted completely for the past few days because of an atmosphere of fear across the supply chain, since the BJP formed the government in the state after winning a historic mandate, with as chief minister. One of the partys election promises was shutting down illegal slaughterhouses.

So far, allegedly illegal meat shops have been shut down in Lucknow, Varanasi and Ghaziabad. On Tuesday, three meat shops owned by Muslims were burned down in Hathras. UP is estimated to account for more than half of the countrys $4-billion annual buffalo meat exports. Its big markets are Vietnam, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

In fact, India earns more foreign exchange from buffalo meat exports than basmati rice ($3.48 billion in FY16). Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the United Progressive Alliance government during his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign for promoting a Pink Revolution by encouraging meat exports. However, the BJP government at the Centre has not taken any action to discourage shipments.

Sirajuddin Qureshi, chairman and managing director of Hind Group, which owns two buffalo meat-processing units in the state, has been busy meeting his industry peers to evaluate the situation. We have no concern if it is just about shutting down illegal slaughter units. But there must be adequate clarity and communication so that the organised sector is not targeted, he said.

The bulk of the buffalo meat processed in the state gets exported. According to the commerce ministrys agricultural and processed food product export development authority, UP has around 180 buffalo meat-processing units, more than other key states such as Maharashtra and Punjab.

Sirajuddin said the government should also introduce a system to let those who operate without licences apply for one if they comply with requirements. Illegal slaughterhouses have come up, as there were hardly any government-owned facilities.

Hind Group is not the only one facing problems. Kanpur-based Rustam Foods has been unable to convince suppliers to bring buffaloes to the unit.

They are scared. They apprehend harassment if they bring supplies, said Saleem Qureshi, the owner of Rustam Foods.

Till now, there is no official order from the government to close slaughterhouses, and Chief Minister Adityanaths actions are understood to be aimed at discouraging smuggling of cows. However, the sector is wary that crusaders would keep harassing even those dealing in buffalo meat legally.

Some believe the crackdown had been initiated because most owners of slaughterhouses were Muslims. But others said this was a misconception. There are packaging, administrative and technical staff at plants. Not all can be Muslims. There are a large number of transporters who are usually non-Muslims, said a source.

Industry executives said India had built an image of a reliable supplier of buffalo meat globally, emerging as the largest supplier in international markets after overtaking Brazil. The world is watching whatever is happening in UP. This could impact orders, said a source.

Indian buffalo meat is preferred because of its competitive cost. It is especially sought after in West Asia and regions with a high Muslim population, since buffaloes are slaughtered here following the halal method specified by the Quran.

Many end up confusing buffalo slaughter and export with cow slaughter. Like agriculture, the slaughter of animals is a state subject. So, while cow slaughter is banned in most states, Kerala and West Bengal allow it.

There is no ban on buffalo slaughter or its export, though globally this meat is also called beef. In India, only cow meat is known as beef.

Remunerative meat prices encourage farmers to sell unproductive animals for slaughter and reinvest in cattle. This is how the buffalo population has gone up in spite of a sharp jump in slaughter and exports.

According to Hind Agros Sirajuddin, the buffalo population in the country is about 100 million.

Some owners of abattoirs are also planning to go to court against the state governments decision to crackdown on mechanised slaughterhouses.

The Centre has been encouraging the meat industry and the food processing ministry too provides aid of up to 50% to support them. But the UP government has ordered a ban on all mechanised slaughterhouses, a senior functionary of the All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association said.

It is in contravention to the central government policy, said the functionary, who wished not to be named.

He said UP accounted for nearly 50% of Indias total meat exports and such a decision would affect the livelihood 2.5 million people directly or indirectly.

Additional inputs from PTI
The widespread adoption of numbers and linkages to Unique Identification (UID) programme databases for the purpose of authenticating sensitive transactions should give pause to Indias foreign policy and military planners. That is a centralised database, and therefore susceptible to cyber attacks, is already known. But pervasive Aadhaar-isation brings together systems and platforms in a digital ecosystem without interoperable standards for security.
India will host the third meeting of the G20 Framework Working Group (FWG) from March 28 to discuss challenges before the global economy and their possible solutions at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, .
With the goods and services tax (GST) set to be rolled out from July 1, the government has set up 10 working groups to address the concerns of industry.
The centre is working on a strategic plan to eradicate . Health secretary C K Mishra said that a final plan will be ready in a month.
News / National

by Staff reporter

TWO men from Bulawayo have been arrested in Botswana for allegedly unlawfully possessing dagga which was in 90 bags.Botswana Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner Witness Bosija, said the weight of the dagga was not immediately established, but it was in 90 bags of 5kg mealie-meal.He identified the suspects as John Dliwayo of Pumula South suburb and Ernest Charles of Emganwini suburb in Bulawayo.Ass Comm Bosija said the two were arrested in the neighbouring country on Tuesday morning.The two Zimbabweans are suspected to have smuggled the dagga into the neighbouring country through an illegal crossing point after conniving with a Botswana woman identified as Olga Elliot.The contraband was allegedly recovered hidden in the woman's house in Mabuzu Ward, Botswana."I can confirm that two Zimbabwean nationals one aged 62 and the other 56 and a Motswana female who is 44-years-old appeared before Masunga Magistrate's Court for unlawful possession of dagga," said Ass Comm Bosija.
Internet and social media service providers must "invigilate" against content promoting hate and terror on the internet and take them down, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told reporters on Thursday after the Security Council had mourned the victims of Wednesday's terrorist attack in London with a moment of silence.

The tide is turning against terrorists and the world is standing by his country in the aftermath of the attack targeting its Parliament, he said.

"An attack on London is an attack on the world," he asserted after presiding over the Council session.

He said that the British parliament had been attacked or centuries by various enemies but had withstood them all because stood it for freedom and democracy and was "stronger than that its adversaries."

Meanwhile, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attack on Westminster, his deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said. "We extend our sincere condolences to the victims and their families, and express our solidarity with the people and the Government of the United Kingdom."

Johnson referred to the recent meeting of leaders from around the world to strengthen the campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS) and said that it showed that countries, including Muslim ones, were coming together to defeat the terrorist organisation.

He said that together they were exploding the myth of the caliphate. The number of people who were going to join the ISIS was dwindling and the tide was turning against it, Johnson added.
Belgian security forces arrested a man today after he drove into a shopping area at high speed in the port city of Antwerp, officials said.

Authorities found a rifle and bladed weapons in the car after the suspect, identified by prosecutors as a 39-year-old named Mohamed R, tried to flee and was detained in the northern city.

The man was "under the influence of something" but it was not clear what substance, a source close to the investigation told AFP.

Authorities were not certain if it was an attempted attack and the incident remained under investigation, several Belgian sources added on condition of anonymity.

The Belgian prosecutor's office said the man was a French national but a French police source told AFP he was Tunisian legally residing in the French city of Lens near the Belgium border.

"He has an address in Lens and as far as we know at the moment, he is not known for large-scale criminal acts," the source said.

"His only previous convictions are minor, such as drunk driving or drug use. He was not on the (French) list of known extremists and according to the initial findings of the investigation had not been flagged up as being radicalised," the source added.

The incident jangled nerves following attacks at Orly airport in Paris and London, and coming the day after the first anniversary of the Brussels suicide bombings that killed 32 people.

"A vehicle with French plates has tried to drive at high speed into the Meir (shopping street) so that pedestrians had to jump aside," Antwerp police chief Serge Muyters told a news conference.

"Our army colleagues forced the driver to stop but he pulled away and ran a red traffic light. We sent a special forces team and the car and the driver were stopped," he added.

"A man in camouflage was taken away."



Images on social media showed investigators searching a burgundy-coloured vehicle near the bank of the Scheldt river.

The Belgian federal prosecutor's office said the suspect was driving at "very high speed" and that "at different times pedestrians were placed in danger."



"Different arms were found in the boot, bladed weapons, a pump-action rifle and a container of as yet unidentified liquid," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Bomb disposal experts attended the scene.

"In light of what has initially been gathered, and taking into account what happened in London yesterday, it has been decided to send this case to the federal prosecutor," the statement added.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said security services in the Flemish-speaking city "did an excellent job" and the government was following this "suspicious incident" closely.

Meir is the main commercial street in Antwerp's historic centre and is mostly pedestrianised. It is one of the country's biggest shopping areas.

The Antwerp incident put Europe further on edge after the attack on the British parliament killed three people plus the attacker, and a man was shot dead at Paris's Orly airport after grabbing a soldier's rifle.
US President held last-minute negotiations with fellow Republicans to avoid a humiliating defeat on Thursday in his biggest legislative test to date, as lawmakers vote on an Obamacare replacement plan which conservatives threaten to sink.

Seven years to the day since Barack Obama signed his landmark health care reforms into law, House Republican leaders were facing the grim prospect of insufficient support within their own ranks.

Republicans have spent years railing against the Affordable Care Act, branding it an example of Democrats pushing for socialised medicine.

But Trump faces a reckoning as several dozen conservatives in his party have vowed to oppose the new legislation unless important last-minute changes are made.

Conservatives have balked at their own party's plan, saying it is still too costly for the government.

They have said they want to repeal health benefits that are considered essential and that all insurance policies must pay for under Obamacare  including maternity care, emergency room visits, and preventive care like screenings and vaccines  arguing they have driven up costs.

But others, mainly moderates in the party, worry their constituents will no longer be able to afford health insurance under the Republican plan.

A nonpartisan congressional budget estimate says it would lead 14 million Americans to lose their coverage from next year.

With Democrats opposed to Trump's effort to rip out his predecessor's crowning domestic policy achievement, and his own party's right flank in revolt, the White House and Republican leaders have been burning the midnight oil to find ways to tweak the Bill to make it palatable to enough conservatives without angering moderates.

The House vote on the American Health Care Act looks tight.

The Democratic minority is prepared to vote against it as a bloc, so Republican leaders need to limit defections to just 22 out of their party's 237 representatives among the House's 430 current members.

As of midday Thursday, 36 Republicans, mostly conservatives, had announced their opposition, according to a Washington Post count.

Trump was to huddle in the White House before the vote with a number of conservatives in a bid to get them on board and prevent an embarrassing collapse.

Further upping the pressure on recalcitrant Republicans, Trump tweeted a message to his 27 million followers on Thursday urging them to contact their local lawmakers in support of the repeal and replace plan.

But congressman Thomas Massie said the arm-twisting would not work on him.

"I'm still opposed to the Bill," the Kentucky Republican told MSNBC.

"I think it's worse than Obamacare," he added.

Senator Mike Lee, also a firm conservative, said the legislation lacked sufficient support in either chamber of Congress. "This bill is going to fail," Lee told Fox News.

A key element of Republican opposition is the House Freedom Caucus, a collection of about 30 lawmakers who are heirs apparent to the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement and are known to buck party leadership.

They dub the new Bill "Obamacare Light", as it will only reduce, not eliminate, health coverage subsidies by replacing them with refundable tax credits.
Lawmakers in Canada's House of Commons, with strong encouragement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, passed a motion paving the way for future measures to combat Islamophobia.

The motion, which passed easily Thursday, asks the government to "recognise the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear" and "condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination."

In the wake of the January attack on a Quebec mosque that left six Muslim men dead, Trudeau's government has come under pressure to denounce all forms of religious discrimination.

In recent months, several mosques and synagogues have been vandalised in towns across Canada.

Nearly all of the deputies from Trudeau's Liberal party and the leftist New Democratic Party approved the measure, which is non-binding, while Conservative Party lawmakers voted against it.

It tasks a parliamentary committee to launch a study on how the government could address the issue, with recommendations due in mid-November.

The study should look at how to "develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia," the motion says.

The measure was put forth by Iqra Khalid, a deputy from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, a city of 700,000 people with a major concentration of immigrants.

The motion has divided public opinion: a poll from the Angus Reid Institute published yesterday showed that 42 per cent of respondents would have voted against the measure and just 29 per cent would have approved it.

Other respondents did not give an opinion.
The car and knife assault on Westminster is the latest in a long line of attacks targeting Western cities. It raises new questions about how to respond proportionately to demands to increase security in urban centres.Since the early 1990s, London has led the way in advancing counter-terrorist security in the form of rings of steel. In the financial zones of the City and Docklands there are strategically positioned entry checkpoints, bollards and hi-tech surveillance combined with vigilant and visible policing at times of high threat.

In the last decade, additional measures have been deployed throughout London, centered upon the so-called Government Security Zone encompassing Whitehall and the Palace of Westminster. Lines of crash-rated bollards, concealed barriers in the forms of balustrades and imposing steel barriers outside the Houses of Parliament, have become an everyday feature of London life.
Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed an American was killed during the bloody rampage at the British parliament that has been claimed by the Islamic State group.

"A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends," the president said in a tweet.

Cochran was from Utah and had been in London with his wife Melissa, who was seriously injured.

In a statement, Clint Payne, Melissa's brother and Kurt's brother-in-law, said the family was family was heartbroken.

"Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our sister and daughter, Melissa.

"They were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and were scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday."



"Melissa also received serious injuries in the attack, and is being cared for in the hospital. We express our gratitude to the emergency and medical personnel who have cared for them and ask for your prayers on behalf of Melissa and our family."



Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told AFP Melissa's parents "are serving as missionaries for the LDS Church in London."



The -- blamed on 52-year-old British man Khalid Masood -- has fueled fresh calls from American right-wing commentators for tougher controls at US borders.

Trump has made curbing migration -- notably from Muslim-majority countries -- a focus of his administration.
Details about the man who attacked the British Parliament on March 22, identified by London police as British national Khalid Masood, are still emerging. With four victims confirmed dead, the attack is the worst in London since the July 7, 2005 bombings on the London transport system.
Theresa May, the British prime minister, has now delivered two speeches on the March 22 Westminster terror attack: an emotive address outside 10 Downing Street the evening after the incident, and a powerful statement to the House of Commons the next day. In both, and under tremendous pressure, she did a remarkably good job.
News / National

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday admitted that his busy travelling schedule was now taking its toll on him because he only slept for two hours after arriving from Namibia before heading for Kutama Mission's centenary celebrations.Mugabe, who has been globe-trotting almost weekly since December last year, is reportedly set to leave for Algeria on a State visit this week before flying to Ethiopia on African Union business."I want to thank you all for coming I was disjointed, we came back at midnight so I had two hours of sleep and naturally, I have the habit that if I have something that worries my mind, my mind sleeps on it and I constantly jump out of sleep and say is it not time, is it not time. That is why we were a bit late," Mugabe said.The President's admission of fatigue came as speculation was rife last week that his ailing wife, First Lady Grace had also reportedly slipped out of the country to seek medical attention.Yesterday, the First Lady was also not at the Kutama Centenary Celebrations in Zvimba, which Mugabe officiated. It could, however, not be ascertained whether she was in the country or not as she has been out of the public spotlight for the past few weeks.Mugabe's foreign trips have continued to increase against a backdrop of hardships spawned by his government's failed economic policies.Algerian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Nacerdine Said last week confirmed during a briefing with Mugabe that the Zanu-PF strongman will embark on a trip to Algeria that was expected to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries."I told the President (Mugabe) that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the people of Algeria were ready to welcome him and once again expressing solidarity and friendship with the people of Zimbabwe," the diplomat was quoted as saying at the weekend.Mugabe has made seven trips since January 21 for official and personal business.Political analysts yesterday said Mugabe's public admission of fatigue confirmed that Zimbabwe was facing a leadership crisis.Media Centre director Earnest Mudzengi said the implications of having a globe-trotting President were dire as the country was left on auto-pilot."I think the implications if we continue to have a president who is always travelling is that we are at risk of having a situation whereby major decisions cannot be made because the Politburo or Cabinet cannot sit in his absence," Mudzengi said."In that case, issues that require urgency and swift decisions are not attended to and the economy continues to suffer."Political analyst Takura Zhangazha said it appeared as if Mugabe was now primarily pre-occupied with foreign affairs instead of addressing domestic issues."It is clear that his priorities' list is wrong. At the moment he thinks more about foreign affairs than the domestic issues affecting the country," Zhangazha said.He said Mugabe was not being honest about being tired because he had the final say on his foreign itinerary."It is his decision and he can't blame anyone. No one imposed on him the decision to travel to Algeria so he can't claim to be tired. He is not being honest," he said."It is his office that decides where he goes. He can even send his deputies to represent him."Opposition parties have condemned Mugabe's frequent trips abroad saying they were a huge burden on the fiscus, with the MDC-T describing the octogenarian Zanu-PF leader, who turned 91 last month as "selfish and insensitive"."We ask God as Zimbabweans what sins we have committed to deserve such a selfish and insensitive leader for these long years," party spokesperson Obert Gutu said."It is not morally right for Mugabe to be hopping from one aeroplane onto another at huge State expense."
Introducing new security measures for the airline industry is rarely done lightly by governments. Certainly its underpinned by the responsibility to ensure passenger safety. But its not clear how effective the recent ban on laptops and large electronic devices in aircraft cabin baggage on flights from certain Middle Eastern airports to the US and UK will be.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Sena on Friday held a protest in a unique way against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad' for assaulting Air India staffer Sukumar with slipper.

"We will hit him twenty-five times with slippers as an answer to his misbehaviour with the Air India staff. Gaikwad did not even ask for an apology from the staff personnel for his misbehaviour and threatened to throw him from the flight," AAP leader Prabhat Kumar told ANI.

"We have been waiting at T3 terminal of Indira Gandhi International airport for Gaikwad's arrival. But he did not arrive till now," Kumar added.

All the airlines have banned the Shiv Sena MP from boarding their flights a day after he beat an Air India staff with his slipper.

IndiGo cancelled Gaikwad's ticket for the Delhi-Pune flight, which he had booked for Friday.

Later, another airline Vistara too banned the 56-year-old MP from boarding its flight.

Earlier in the day, the MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra downplayed reports suggesting that Air India is considering banning him from boarding its flights.

"I have the tickets, they can't blacklist me. I will board the Delhi-Pune Air India flight this evening. How can they not allow me?" he said.

"I will not apologise. It was not my fault, it was his fault. He should apologise. First ask him to apologise then we will see," Gaikwad told the media.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has sought a report to determine the facts before he decides on what happens next for Gaikwad.

Air India Duty Manager Sukumar, who was assaulted by Gaikwad, today asserted that the elected representatives need to behave in a decent manner.

"I am not scared at all, either with Gaikwad or with the Shiv Sena. I have been serving public and have also faced many who get irritated on such issues. It's a common thing for me," he added.

Sukumar further said that he had requested Gaikwad to deboard the aircraft as cleaning staff had to complete their work following which he got angry.

"I had requested him (Gaikwad) to de-board the aircraft as the cleaning staff had to complete their work. On which he got furious and raised his hands," said Sukumar.

Earlier, the Centre also took cognizance of the incident and assured a thorough probe into the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Taliban has captured a key district in Helmand province, which was once considered a deadly battlefield for the British and the U.S. troops in Afghanistan, as reported by The Guardian.

The fall of Sangin, which has been seen as a key test of whether Afghan security forces can hold off advancing Taliban fighters, came amid the insurgents' year-long push to expand their footprint in the Taliban heartland.

The district's police chief, Mohammad Rasoul, said the Taliban overran Sangin early on Thursday morning and that the district headquarters were poorly protected.

Rasoul, however, added that Afghan security forces were amassing nearby for a full-scale counterattack in an attempt to retake Sangin, and the were preparing their reinforcements to recapture the district.

Of Britain's more than 400 military deaths in Afghanistan, 104 soldiers have been killed in Sangin.

Nato's spokesman, William Salvin, said Afghan troops remained in Sangin, but had relocated outside the district centre because of the extensive damage to it by the Taliban.

Sangin is one of the biggest opium markets in Afghanistan. More than 4,800 metric tonnes of the drug was produced countrywide in 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad has received wide flak for hitting a staffer of the Air India with his slipper with the carrier blacklisting the former.

Reacting on the same, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday dubbed it as 'highly condemnable' and called out for a strict action to be taken against the MP.

"The incident involving a Member of Parliament (MP) from Shiv Sena is highly condemnable. This is not the sort of behaviour that people of the country expect from elected lawmakers. The people expect their politicians to show exemplary behaviour," BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao told ANI.

Rao further said the MP had done a great disservice to the entire political class because people of the country develop bad imagery about politicians due to such individuals indulging in such high-handedness.

"I expect that the concerned politician makes amends for his very condemnable behaviour and also apologises for it," he said.

Resonating the same, BJP leader Zafar Islam said the action was totally unpardonable.

"I think it's very unfortunate and this kind of behaviour is totally unwarranted and more better behaviour rather than what is totally unpardonable. Besides authorities taking action against him, the Shiv Sena chief should take cognizance and take strict action and exemplary action against him," he said.

Yesterday, Gaikwad, wrote a letter to Civil Aviation Minsiter Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, while listing out the problems faced by him in the flight.

Gaikwad in his letter said that he was misled by the Air India and stated that he was given business class ticket, but later he came to know that there was no business class section in the flight.

"If there was no business class in the flight then why Air India is booking flight for it. I complaint about this in Delhi Airport, but the management started misbehaving with me and said that we have seen number of MPs like you and even threatened to complain to the Prime Minister," stated the letter sent by Gaikwad.

Listing his problems, the Shiv Sena MP asked the Aviation Minsiter and the Speaker to probe the matter and to find the reason behind these issues highlighted by him.

Meanwhile, Air India registered two FIRs against Gaikwad for hitting an Air India staffer with his slipper over sitting issue and for forcibly holding the flight and delaying it for 40 minutes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Expressing the opinion that Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad should have filed a complaint instead of hitting the carrier Air India staffer, the Congress on Friday said the law should take its course.

Slamming the MP's 'unfortunate' act, Congress spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra said the power has gone into the heads of the Shiv Sena MPs.

"If somebody from the Air India misbehaved, he (Gaikwad) had a proper platform to express his complaint. It's not right if he beats him, he hits with slipper, breaks his spectacles. The MP should be arrested and law should take its due course," Sapra told ANI.

Echoing similar view, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said such a thing coming from an MP was not expected, adding that he should have not taken law in his hands.

"The kind of statement that he has made that he did not use slipper, but his sandal and 25 times, it is unfortunate. I don't expect such a thing coming from an MP. The law should take its course," Tiwari told ANI.

Similarly, Congress leader P.L. Punia dubbed the incident as 'illegitimate' and called for an investigation into the matter.

"Shiv Sena MP Gaikwad hitting an Air India staffer with slipper is very unfortunate. It is inappropriate if he was misbehaved with. Even the lawmakers themselves do not have the right to take law in their hands.What he did was illegitimate," he told ANI.

Yesterday, Gaikwad, wrote a letter to Civil Aviation Minsiter Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, while listing out the problems faced by him in the flight.

Gaikwad in his letter said that he was misled by the Air India and stated that he was given business class ticket, but later he came to know that there was no business class section in the flight.

Listing his problems, the Shiv Sena MP asked the Aviation Minsiter and the Speaker to probe the matter and to find the reason behind these issues highlighted by him.

Meanwhile, Air India registered two FIRs against Gaikwad for hitting an Air India staffer with his slipper over sitting issue and for forcibly holding the flight and delaying it for 40 minutes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
International Monetary Fund (IMF) which has 189 countries as member for Global Monetery co-operation in its conference called the Indian Government to share the success story of Demonetisation.

IMF had organized a Conference on 'Future of International monetary system of Asia' during March 20 to March 24 held in Tokyo. All Asian tax heads were invited in this Conference.

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) represented this IMF Conference on behalf of Govt. of India. Sushil Chandra, Chairman, CBDT along with his colleagues participated in this Conference and shared his experience of Demonetisation. CBDT was the key agency which has unearthed huge black money through its Income Tax Department who ran a series of campaign throughout the country.

Sushil Chandra gave a lecture on 'What is India doing to tackle black money lecture on Demonetisation' and how they with the help of Banks had successfully Implemented the Demonetisation move announced by the Prime Minister of India. Chandra also gave his views on cross border transaction and tackling tax crimes.

After returning to India he will submit a detailed report to Ministry of External affairs which will be sent to Prime Minister Office.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dispelling reports that Shiv Sena MP had been barred from flying after he assaulted a 60-year-old Air India staffer, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) has asserted that they do not have the power to ban anyone, adding that Air India was not part of the FIA in the first place.

"We have not banned the MP. We do not have powers to ban anyone. In any case, Air India is not part of the FIA. The body represents IndiGo, Go Air, SpiceJet and Jet Airways," FIA Association Director, Ujjwal Dey said.

Earlier, the Centre also took cognisance of the incident and assured a thorough probe into the matter.

Meanwhile, a day after two FIRs were registered against him for hitting a 60-year-old Air India staffer with his slipper and for forcibly holding the flight and delaying it for 40 minutes, Gaikwad today remained unapologetic about the incident and dared the Delhi Police to arrest him.

"I will not apologise. It was not my fault, it was his fault. He should apologise. First ask him to apologise then we will see," Gaikwad told the media here.

"Let the Delhi Police arrest me. Uddhav ji will decide the course of action," he added.

The MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra also downplayed reports suggesting that Air India is considering banning him from boarding its flights.

"I have the tickets, they can't blacklist me. I will board the Delhi-Pune Air India flight this evening. How can they not allow me?" he said.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has sought a report to determine the facts before he decides on what happens next for Gaikwad.

The Shiv Sena on Thursday said that it does not tolerate violence.

Gaikwad was travelling from Pune to New Delhi when scuffle broke out over the sitting arrangement.

The MP claimed that his ticket was for business class but Air India provided him economy class.
Ousted former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on Friday walked free after six years.

He left the military hospital where he was being held and headed to his house in an upscale Cairo neighborhood, according to reports.

Earlier on March 2, Egypt's top appeals court acquitted Mubarak, 88, of involvement in the killing of protesters during the 2011 revolt that ended his 30-year rule.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today, Secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr Parthiv Sanghvi asserted that they have promised to fulfil demands of providing adequate security in all hospitals.

"It was a fruitful discussion. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has promised to fulfil our demands of providing adequate security. We were also briefed about the steps the government is undertaking to make sure that such violent attacks don't occur in hospitals again," Sanghvi said.

Sanghvi further stated that they regret the deaths that happened during the strike, but there was no other way to hold the protest as two or three doctors were beaten up every day.

"We regret the deaths that happened during the strike, but we had no other way to hold the protests as two or three doctors everyday were getting beaten up. Fadnavis has assured us more security in 16 hospitals in the coming 10 days," he added.

Earlier in the day, following the warning issued by the high court, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) earlier in the day assured that they would return to work by 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Disassociating itself from the strike, MARD had through an affidavit told the high court that they don't have any objection if action is taken against the agitating doctors.

Earlier in the day, MARD continued the strike due to not receiving a certified copy of the high court's order.

The association yesterday asserted that the doctors on strike were ready to join back after the high court assured to provide armed police personnel for their security.

The high court yesterday ordered the doctors on strike to resume their duties and give some time to the government for providing them proper security.

The high court also ordered the state government to provide security at all government hospitals so that the doctors could work without fear.

It ordered that no punitive action should be taken against the protesting doctors once they resumed their duties.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe born Strive Masiyiwa has been named one of world's greatest leaders by Fortune, 33 out of 50 , among Merkel, Musk, Biden.Strive Masiyiwa, founder and chairman of Econet Wireless Global Ltd., speaks during the annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills , California.Few people have shaped modern Africa as much as Masiyiwa, whose telecommunications firm, Econet, came into being in 1998 after a long legal battle with the Zimbabwe government. His victory busted up a state monopoly and helped spur the development of private telecoms across the continent. Masiyiwa has since relocated to London, but his energetic and well-rounded philanthropy still makes an impact in Africa; he chairs numerous boards and has been lauded for supporting orphans, funding scholarships, and fighting hunger, poverty, and Ebola."Strive Masiyiwa's life and his business story is impressive, but it is his lifelong commitment to helping others that set him apartHe is a crusader who has transformed countless sectors and lives while also seeking to preserve Africa's vital resources through his own sustainable investments and environmental policy leadershipI am inspired by his vision, his persistence, and his fearless spirit." Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Geographic Society
The Congress on Friday alleged that Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad's unruly behaviour with an Air India staffer exposes the frustration in the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and said that they are targeting the common people as they can't vent their anger on Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"Shiv Sena is a frustrated party be it the leader or the worker. They are unable to do anything about the BJP's domination (in politics). They can't vent their anger on Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Devendra Fadnavis so they are targeting common people," Congress MLA Nitesh Rane told ANI.

He further said such incidents create negative image of the politicians in the eyes of the common people.

"These people elect you and you physically abuse them. This is very inappropriate and not acceptable. Do you have the right to stay in the Parliament?" Rane asked.

The Congress leader added that such behaviour is now accepted from the Shiv Sena as they have no role to play in the present political scenario.

"I think each and every politician should know how to treat the people as it is their duty to help the citizens and not to harass them," Rane asserted.

A day after two FIRs were registered against him for hitting a 60-year-old Air India staffer with his slipper and for forcibly holding the flight and delaying it for 40 minutes, Gaikwad today remained unapologetic about the incident and dared the Delhi Police to arrest him.

"I will not apologise. It was not my fault, it was his fault. He should apologise. First ask him to apologise then we will see," Gaikwad told the media here.

The MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra also downplayed reports suggesting that Air India is considering banning him from boarding its flights.

"I have the tickets, they can't blacklist me. I will board the Delhi-Pune Air India flight this evening. How can they not allow me?" he said.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has sought a report to determine the facts before he decides on what happens next for Gaikwad.

The Shiv Sena yesterday said that it does not tolerate violence.

Gaikwad was travelling from Pune to New Delhi when scuffle broke out over the sitting arrangement.

The MP claimed that his ticket was for business class but Air India provided him economy class.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lambasting a police officer for not allowing him to hold a press conference in Hyderabad, Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao has accused Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao of dictatorship, adding the people are prohibited from expressing themselves.

"I hold press conference on public issues, on how the government is treating people and what public has to say on this. I have been doing this since a long time. The dictatorship of the Chief Minister is visible which is growing every day. I did not misbehave with anybody. The government is trying to shut the voice of people," Rao said.

He further said he has informed the media a day before holding the conference.

"A circle inspector came and stopped me. He did not have the right to do so. But the Marshall told me to continue with my press conference. I asked them why I am being stopped from holding the conference and on whose order," he added.

Rao said that he is a former MLA and he has the right to hold a press conference which he has been doing since long.

"I was insulted for no reason which I will not accept," he added.

This is not the first time that Rao has got into trouble for his comments as he has been known to say controversial things in the past.

Earlier, when former finance minister P. Chidambaram praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rao had hit out at the former and said that he was doing so only because "his son is involved in corruption charges".

Last year, the Congress leader almost traded blows with a film director on live TV after India conducted surgical strikes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States has warned that the militant Islamic State (IS) group has stepped up its efforts in recruiting young people from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Speaking at the 10th Global Coalition ministerial meeting on IS in Washington on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson hinted at establishing a safe zone in the Middle East for sheltering Syrian refugees, reports Dawn.

"The United States will increase pressure on ISIS and Al Qaeda and will work to establish interim zones of stability, through ceasefires, to allow refugees to return home," he said, adding that Mr Tillerson said that since the United States and its allies had broken their back in the Middle East, IS militants were moving to other regions to recruit fighters.

"Today, . Daesh (IS) is resorting to many terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and many other places in Europe in order to send a message that they are still standing and they want for those young people to go fight in its ranks," he said.

The 68-member global coalition against the IS is the largest in history and 23 of its partners have over 9,000 troops in Iraq and Syria to back the effort to defeat IS militants. Since Pakistan is not a member, it did not attend the ministerial conference.

US General John Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, for a few thousand more troops to help Kabul defeat the militants.

At recent briefings in Washington, US General John Nicholson Gen Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, said that almost 70 per cent of IS fighters in Afghanistan were Pakistani Taliban who joined the group after they were forced out of their country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Londoners trickled into Trafalgar Square for a vigil, a day after a deadly terror attack near the premises of the British Parliament rocked the city.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, on his website, posted a message calling everyone to join the vigil marking the Westminster attack in which five people, including the attacker, were killed.

"The Mayor invites all Londoners - and everyone visiting our city - to come together in solidarity to remember those who have lost their lives, to express sympathy with their families and loved ones and to show the that we are more committed than ever to the values that we hold dear - that we remain united and open. London is the greatest city in the . We will never be cowed by terrorism. We stand together, in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. We always have, and we always will," the post read.

Candles flickered on downturned faces as people paid tribute to those who had been killed and injured, as the words "solidarity" and "unity" could be heard above the conversation.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd and the London Mayor Sadiq Khan addressed the events which brought Westminster and the heart of the capital to a standstill.

After a minute of silence, a mixed crowd of all ages and races wiped their eyes and shuffled forward to light candles as dusk turned to night. "Love for all, hatred for none," read one sign.

The man believed to have been responsible for the terrorist attack in Westminster was identified as 52-year-old Khalid Masood.

The Metropolitan Police said Masood was born in Kent, but is thought to have been living in the West Midlands recently, adding that Masood was also known by a number of aliases.

"Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack," the police said in a statement.

Earlier, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Westminster attack that claimed the lives of four and injured 40 others.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the attacker behind the terrorist rampage at the gates of the Houses of Parliament was a British-born man previously known to MI5 due to concerns over violent extremism.

"The assailant, who was shot dead on Wednesday as he attacked police officers in the shadow of Big Ben, was considered to be a peripheral figure and had fallen from the intelligence picture," May told a packed House of Commons.

"Attacker was British born and thought to be inspired by Islamist ideology," May said.

As many as four people died after a terrorist attacked Westminster, stabbing a police officer to death as he tried to storm the Parliament, and killing three members of the public as he careered through the heart of the capital in a 4x4 vehicle.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan on Friday confirmed its participation in a multinational peace conference on Afghanistan to be held next month in Russia.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria said it had not yet been decided on what level Pakistan will participate in the conference, reports the Dawn.

He added that it was not clear whether the Afghan Taliban will attend the moot or not.

"Pakistan will continue its efforts for the establishment of peace in Afghanistan," said Zakaria.

He said that Pakistan had decided to open its borders with Afghanistan as a "goodwill gesture", adding that Afghanistan has been pressed to cooperate on border management.

Afghanistan, Iran, India and several Central Asian nations are among the invitees to the Moscow conference. The United States has turned down the Russian invitation to attend the event.

The Pakistani officials had last week hosted seven Taliban leaders in Islamabad to try to press the insurgents into peace talks ahead of the Moscow meeting.

Last year, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States met to begin the peace process but that effort faltered after a series of deadly Kabul attacks that Afghanistan blamed on militants hiding in Pakistan.

Despite their refusal to talk to the Afghan Government, the Taliban officials have held meetings with many others travelling several times to China, opening talks with Russia and Iran, and also attended conferences in Japan and in Europe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Urging global community to eradicate terrorism, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said there can be no justification for terrorism under any circumstances, adding that the international community must work together.

"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of the victims who succumbed to the grievous injuries suffered by Westminster terrorist violence. The news of the appalling acts of violence against innocent civilians that took place in London yesterday has been received in India with shock and sadness," President Mukherjee expressed pity in a message to Queen Elizabeth II.

The President said India is confident that citizens of the United Kingdom would not allow their way of life to be affected by those who attempt to undermine democracy and the values of free, open and pluralistic societies.

President Mukherjee expressed deepest condolences at the tragic loss of life in Thursday's incidents and conveyed his sincere wishes for the full and speedy recovery of the injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Backing veteran politician S.M. Krishna's view on Rahul Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said the vice-president is not a political material, adding that he has no popularity in the country.

BJP leader Rahul Sinha said elections cannot be won only with the help of stunt politics and therefore, Gandhi should be given time to learn politics.

"Rahul Gandhi enjoys no popularity in the entire country. Some of his flatterers in the Congress party want to bring Rahul Gandhi to the fore, but he is not a political material. What S.M. Krishna said is right. The BJP will see a stronghold in the upcoming Karnataka Elections with Krishna joining the party," Sinha told ANI.

S.M. Krishna, who joined the BJP on Wednesday, blamed Rahul Gandhi for his exit from the grand old party, stating that one should be serious if one has to re-build the party from grass root level to the paramount level.

"I have been watching from past two and a half years that the leader of the Congress, excluding Sonia Gandhi, the party is least concerned about its betterment. There is no seriousness at all. If one has to re-build the party from grass root level to the paramount level, one should be serious." Krishna told ANI.

"But I did not find neither commitment nor that capacity to sweat it out," he added.

Krishna has joined the saffron party almost a year before the assembly elections in Karnataka.

The 84-year-old joined the party in the presence of party president Amit Shah and union ministers Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday decided to send an independent international fact-finding mission to Myanmar to investigate alleged human rights violations in the country, against the ethnic Rohingya Muslims in particular.

According to Anadolu news agency, the mission will establish "the facts and circumstances" of the alleged "violations by military and security forces, and abuses, in Myanmar, in particular in Rakhine State, including but not limited to arbitrary detention, torture and inhuman treatment, rape and other forms of sexual violence, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings, enforced disappearance, forced displacement and unlawful destruction of property, with a view to ensuring full accountability for perpetrators".

The Council also called upon Myanmar authorities "to eliminate statelessness and the systematic and institutionalized discrimination against members of ethnic and religious minorities, including the root causes of discrimination, in particular relating to the Rohingya minority."

Earlier on March 13, the UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee called for "prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations" into the killings and other serious human rights violations in Myanmar.

The fresh wave of violence and subsequent reprisals against the civilian population began last year mid October after insurgents, believed to be mostly from the Rohingya minority, attacked Myanmar border posts on October 9, killing nine police officers there.

The Rohingya advocacy groups claim that not dozens but hundreds of Rohingya - described by the UN as among the most persecuted groups worldwide - were killed in the military operations in an area which has been closed to aid agencies and independent journalists.

The Myanmar Government has been accused of being unwilling to open the area to international observers, leaving at least two separate UN agencies without access.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Praising the Supreme Court collegium for standing strong in declining every contentious clause in the new Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) which Narendra Modi-led government was pushing to be included and overcoming differences with the government over the judges' appointment, Justice Narendra Chapalgaonkar, a former judge of the Bombay High Court, has expressed hope that the security clause to determine their selection does not take a political colour.

"The full content of the memorandum is not available, but if the report published in a section of press is to be believed, the Supreme Court has not surrendered its basic position and the government has also taken a considerate view," says Justice Chapalgaonkar in his article written in India Legal.

"Ever since the Supreme Court ruled that in the matter of appointment of judges, the opinion of the chief justice of India will have supremacy, the cold war between the government and the judiciary was continuing. It is, therefore, welcome news that a memorandum of procedure (MoP) has been agreed between the two and many pending recommendations may also start moving," Justice Chapalgaonkar writes.

Referring to the Centre's main clause in the MoP that the government can have a right to reject any name for the appointment of judges to the High Court, Justice Chapalgaonkar says, "In the Special Reference Case 1 of 1998, nine judges of the Supreme Court ruled that the opinion of members of the collegium shall also have weight and laid down a procedure. It said that if the government objects to the appointment of judges, the reason will be communicated and the views of the person recommended will also be obtained. If seniority is to be bypassed in elevation of a judge to the SC, cogent and good reasons should be recorded. If the chief justice has followed the norms laid down in selecting a judge, his opinion is binding on the government, otherwise not."

"Earlier, the government had the right to send a recommendation back with specific objections. But if, after considering them, the chief justice reiterates his stand, the person should be appointed. There is no change in this part of the earlier judgment in the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v/s Union of India case. Dissatisfied with the supremacy given to the opinion of the judiciary in matters of appointment of judges, the government came up with a proposal for a Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), providing an effective say for the government to have an upper hand in matters of appointment of judges" - Justice Chapalgaonkar writes in his article titled - SC Collegium: Smoking the Peace Pipe.

Referring to the Central Government's main clause in the MoP, Justice Chapalgaonkar says, "The NJAC was struck down by the Supreme Court in October 2015. During all these developments, the necessity for consultation with the government was never denied. The question in dispute was whether the government should have a veto in matters of appointments to the higher judiciary. A procedure had to be drawn up. This memorandum of procedure was discussed by the two wings of the state. And after a series of meetings and exchange of letters, it appears that it is finally agreed. Now the MoP finalised by the Supreme Court will go to the government and it will endorse its approval and send it again to the Supreme Court. It would be then be operative".

He, however, said "when and if the MoP is published, the exact nature of the procedure agreed will be known. It appears that two things have been newly accepted. The first is the government's right to object to the recommendation on the ground of security. The government will have to record specific reasons. No abstract objection shall be valid".

Pointing out the Centre's main clause in the MoP that the government can have the right to reject any name for the appointment of judges to the High Court for reasons of national security, Justice Chapalgaonkar opines, "Even before this MoP, every name recommended was probed by the Intelligence Bureau and its reports were obtained by the government. Details about the general character, public opinion, political affiliations etc of the judge recommended were available to the government. If something really anti-national or criminal was reported and brought to the notice of the collegium, the name was sure to be dropped. No notion of supremacy would come in the way."

"Now the government wants a specific mention. It is only hoped that the scope of the definition as to what is anti-national will not have a political colour. It is hoped that it will not be used to stall the appointment of a person of merit merely because he holds views different from that of the government. This liberal view permitted us to have judges like Justice VR Krishna Iyer," Justice Chapalgaonkar writes.

Justice Chapalgaonkar mentions that another breakthrough has been the Collegium dropping its reservation about setting up secretariats in the Supreme Court.

"The purpose of the establishment of these secretariats is not easy to understand unless the details of the MoP are available. Institutions by themselves are rarely harmful. It is their wrong use which makes them so," he adds.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Shiv Sena on Friday came out to defend MP Ravindra Gaikwad who has been facing sharp criticism for hitting an Air India staffer over a sitting arrangement and said that everyone loses their temper at some point of time.

"FIR has been filed against him, but even Air India needs to make changes in their system. The condition of the flight is not very good. We will talk to our MP, will listen to what he has to say and will see about it. Be it a MP or a normal person everyone losses their temper at some point of time," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI.

Raut also added that there are number of people who should be blacklisted, who is responsible for bringing Air India to this position and due to which it is facing loss.

"We are not supporting the act of our MP, this is not a culture of our party," he added.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of state for law and justice P.P. Chaudhary said that one cannot be barred from travelling or cannot be denied giving ticket.

"There is no law that bars anyone from travelling anywhere or denying a ticket. If someone has committed a crime, he can be punished, but denying a ticket is seriously wrong," Chaudhary told ANI.

He also added that the police are working as per law, adding that there is no different laws for VIP and common people.

All the airlines have banned the Shiv Sena MP from boarding their flights a day after he beat an Air India staff with his slipper.

IndiGo cancelled Gaikwad's ticket for the Delhi-Pune flight, which he had booked for Friday.

Later, another airline Vistara too banned the 56-year-old MP from boarding its flight.

Earlier in the day, the MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra downplayed reports suggesting that Air India is considering banning him from boarding its flights.

"I have the tickets, they can't blacklist me. I will board the Delhi-Pune Air India flight this evening. How can they not allow me?" he said.

"I will not apologise. It was not my fault, it was his fault. He should apologise. First ask him to apologise then we will see," Gaikwad told the media.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has sought a report to determine the facts before he decides on what happens next for Gaikwad.

Air India Duty Manager Sukumar, who was assaulted by Gaikwad, today asserted that the elected representatives need to behave in a decent manner.

"I am not scared at all, either with Gaikwad or with the Shiv Sena. I have been serving public and have also faced many who get irritated on such issues. It's a common thing for me," he added.

Sukumar further said that he had requested Gaikwad to deboard the aircraft as cleaning staff had to complete their work following which he got angry.

"I had requested him (Gaikwad) to de-board the aircraft as the cleaning staff had to complete their work. On which he got furious and raised his hands," said Sukumar.

Earlier, the Centre also took cognizance of the incident and assured a thorough probe into the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News / National

by Staff reporter

Activist group United Nations Watch (UNW) has expressed disgust over the hailing of Zimbabwe's human rights record by "rogue" States - Iran, Venezuela and North Korea.While the three countries, with controversial governance records, praised Zimbabwe's "promotion and protection of human rights" at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council meeting last weekend, UNW accuses the southern African nation's government of partisan application of the law and targeting opposition members and human rights activists with abduction, arrest and torture.The Council, which reviews all UN members' human rights records every four years, convened in Geneva, Switzerland, where sharply opposing views of Zimbabwe's rights record were exposed.UNW executive director Hillel Neuer said Zimbabwe should cease using harassment, detention and arrest as tactics to silence human rights activists.He said country's security forces and judiciary must also stop being partisan.Zimbabwe's special envoy to the Geneva meeting, vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, said President Robert Mugabe's government was totally committed to the protection and respect of human rights, as enshrined in the country's Constitution.He said some of the accusations levelled against Zimbabwe were "based on misunderstandings and prejudices."Zimbabwe's legal framework prohibits torture and the infliction of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, Mnangagwa said, adding that a tropical storm which claimed lives and destroyed crops and infrastructure could hobble government's efforts to ensure access to some rights by citizens.He also blamed "illegal" Western sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe for stifling government efforts at defending and promoting some rights.Kim Jong-un's North Korea asked about the impact of Western sanctions on Zimbabwe's enjoyment of human rights.Violent land seizures, along with allegations of vote-rigging and rights abuses - all denied by Mugabe's administration - led to the imposition of sanctions on Zimbabwe by Western powers.Dictator Bashar al-Assad's Syria - where a civil war has been raging for six years - welcomed the commitment by Zimbabwe to accord priority to the development of human rights, while Vladimir Putin's Russia noted the improvement the African nation's legislative framework.The Islamic Republic of Iran noted Zimbabwe's adoption of a new Constitution in 2013.Turkey appreciated the legislative improvements here in protecting human rights.Sudan commended Harare for its positive engagement with this council's universal periodic review.Zimbabwe's independent human rights advocates did not support the country's rosy human rights report.Echoing concerns voiced by local rights groups, Neuer protested that the council was turning into an "abuser solidarity" group and instead of human rights scrutiny, no less than 70 percent of the country statements offered praise for the Zimbabwe government." . . . the truth is the opposite . . . victims of human rights abuse object to the adoption of this (Zimbabwe) report," he said."Human rights advocates object to this report filled with praise, because Zimbabwe restricts freedoms of expression, press, assembly, association, and movement.""The government evicts citizens, invades farms and private businesses and properties, and demolishes informal marketplaces. The government interferes with the judiciary; and fails to investigate or prosecute state security or Zanu-PF supporters responsible for violence."Neuer added: " . . . President (UN Human Rights Council president Joaquin Alexander Maza Martelli), for all of these reasons, let me be absolutely clear: human rights advocates and the victims of Zimbabwe's human rights abuse object to the adoption of this report."
The shocking incident of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulting an Air India Duty Manager is not under the domain of the Speaker, leaving the matter almost entirely in the hands of the police.

According to sources, the matter is not in the Speaker's domain because the incident took place outside the Parliament.

According to the procedure the police is supposed to inform the Speaker's office on the action against the MP.

Yesterday, Gaikwad wrote a letter to Civil Aviation Minsiter Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, while listing out the problems faced by him in the flight.

Gaikwad in his letter said that he was misled by the Air India and stated that he was given business class ticket, but later he came to know that there was no business class section in the flight.

Listing his problems, the Shiv Sena MP asked the Aviation Minsiter and the Speaker to probe the matter and to find the reason behind these issues highlighted by him.

Meanwhile, Air India registered two FIRs against Gaikwad for hitting an Air India staffer with his slipper over sitting issue and for forcibly holding the flight and delaying it for 40 minutes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Days after veteran politician S.M. Krishna joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Karnataka Chief Minister K. Siddaramaiah on Friday said that this would not make much of a difference as the saffron party would yet again be defeated in the state assembly polls.

"He has joined the BJP, let him campaign for them. The BJP is anyways going to be defeated," Siddaramaiah said.

Krishna, who joined the BJP on Wednesday, lashed out at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi saying politics is serious business and not a "hit-and-run job".

He also alleged that there is disconnect between the Congress leadership and the rank while asserting that there is no leader in the grand old party who can match Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Krishna's entry boosts the BJP's prospects in Karnataka ahead of next year's assembly elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A suicide bomber was killed while trying to carry out an attack on police outpost near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport intersection in Dhaka on Friday evening.

Assistant Commissioner of police (Airport) Ruhul Amin Shagor confirmed that a suicide bomber attempted to attack the police box overlooking the airport intersection, reports the Dhaka Tribune.

He confirmed the attacker has been killed and no other casualties have been reported.

He tried to blow up the outpost with explosives in his pocket or tied around his waist.

The explosion, however, ripped through the right side of his waist.

The suicide attack comes exactly a week after another bomb attack on the Rapid Action Battalion (RRAB) camp at Ashkona, barely half a kilometre away from tonight's site.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two people were injured after a munition depot in eastern Ukraine caught fire, causing the weapons to detonate, as reported by Sputnik International.

A huge blaze and resulting explosion at the military facility in the Kharkiv region prompted 15,000 people to evacuate, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Further investigation is on.

Kharkiv Governor Yuliya Svitlychna assured there were no reports that anyone was killed or injured in the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Key benchmark indices continued to trade firm in afternoon trade. At 13:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 103.33 points or 0.35% at 29,435.49. The Nifty 50 index was up 26.25 points or 0.29% at 9,112.55. Gains on the bourses were led by ICICI Bank, ITC and State Bank of India.

Domestic stocks extended gains in morning trade after opening with a slightly positive bias. Indices held firm and hovered in a small range in the positive terrain later during the session.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.24%, underperforming the Sensex. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.61%, outperforming the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On the BSE, 1,442 shares rose and 1,168 shares fell. A total of 175 shares were unchanged.

Capital goods stocks were mixed. BEML (down 1.02%), Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) (down 0.15%), Havells India (down 1.42%) declined. L&T (up 0.08%), Thermax (up 0.35%), and Va Tech Wabag (up 6.62%) gained.

Siemens rose 0.77% after the company announced that it has won an order worth about Rs 187.4 crore from Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board, Dhaka. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 23 March 2017.

Siemens said the project includes construction of new 33/11 kV Air Insulated Switchgear substations in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) is an electricity distribution provider under the Government of Bangladesh responsible for providing electricity to the rural parts of Bangladesh. All the products and solutions delivered for the project have been manufactured in factories at Siemens India.

Shares of power generation and power distribution companies gained in a firm market. Torrent Power (up 0.16%), Tata Power Company (up 0.46%), Reliance Infrastructure (up 0.94%) and Reliance Power (up 1.04%) gained. Adani Power shed 0.75%.

Power Grid Corporation of India rose 0.73% after the company announced commercial operation of 1500 megawatts, Pole-I of +/-800kV high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) Champa-Kurukshetra transmission line today, 24 March 2017. The announcement was made during market hours today, 24 March 2017.

NHPC rose 3.17% after the company said it signed power purchase agreements with Tata Power-Delhi Distribution on 22 March 2017 for seven power stations, namely Bairasiul, Salal, Tanakpur, Chamera-I, Uri-I, Sewa-II and Chamera-III for a period of 35 years from the date of commercial operations (COD) of the respective power stations. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 23 March 2017.

Shares of state run coal mining major Coal India rose 0.63% to Rs 297.55. The stock had hit high of Rs 298.95 and low of Rs 295.80 in intraday trade.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries rose 0.38% after Almirall S.L, and the company announced the validation of the regulatory filing of tildrakizumab with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) by Almirall. Tildrakizumab is an investigational IL-23p19 inhibitor being evaluated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The announcement was made during market hours today, 24 March 2017.

In July 2016, Almirall entered into a licensing agreement with Sun Pharma for the development and commercialization of tildrakizumab for psoriasis in Europe. Under the terms of the signed agreement, Sun Pharma will continue to lead other indications, for which Almirall will have the right to primary negotiation. In addition, Almirall will be able to lead European studies, and participate in larger Global clinical studies for psoriasis.

Skipper jumped 7.4% after the company said that it has secured contracts worth around Rs 405 crore for supply of transmission towers to the projects of Power Grid Corporation of India, Transmissions Corporation of Telengana and Power Transmission Corporation of Uttrakhand. The announcement was made during market hours today, 24 March 2017.

On the economic front, India's current account deficit (CAD) at $7.9 billion (1.4% of GDP) in Q3 of FY 2017, was higher than $7.1 billion (1.4% of GDP) in Q3 of FY 2016 and $3.4 billion (0.6% of GDP) in the preceding quarter. The data was released by government after market hours yesterday, 23 March 2017.

Despite a slightly lower trade deficit on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, the CAD widened primarily on account of a decline in net invisibles receipts. Net services receipts moderated on a y-o-y basis, primarily owing to the fall in earnings from software, financial services and charges for intellectual property rights.

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading on a mixed note as investors await a delayed vote on US health care reform, which is seen as a proxy for the success of US President Donald Trump's pro-growth agenda. US stocks closed slightly lower yesterday, 23 March 2017 as a delay in a closely watched health-care vote raised questions about the President Donald Trump's administration's ability to win passage of its ambitious legislative agenda.

The vote to dismantle the Affordable Healthcare Act, which was previously set for Thursday, 23 March 2017, is now expected to occur today, 24 March 2017. Traders see the success or failure of the legislation as a bellwether for Trump's ability to deliver on tax reform and infrastructure spending plans.

Investors are also grappled with mixed economic data. Filings for unemployment benefits rose to a seven-week high, while purchases of new homes increased in February to a seven-month high.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Key benchmark indices held firm in early afternoon trade on sustained buying demand in index pivotals. At 12:15 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 130.54 points or 0.45% at 29,462.70. The Nifty 50 index was up 32.80 points or 0.36% at 9,119.10. Gains in ICICI Bank, ITC and State Bank of India boosted sentiment on the domestic stocks.

Domestic stocks drifted higher in early trade on positive Asian stocks. Key benchmark indices extended early gains and hit fresh intraday high in morning trade. Indices hovered in a small range with positive bias in mid-morning trade.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.37%, underperforming the Sensex. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.68%, outperforming the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On the BSE, 1,438 shares rose and 1,071 shares fell. A total of 161 shares were unchanged.

Cipla shed 0.6%. In its clarification on media reports titled "USFDA issued import alert on Cipla's Tadalafil drug made at Bhagwanpur unit," Cipla during market hours today, 24 March 2017 said that the company niether directly or indirectly imports for sale or sell Tadalafil tables in US market nor has not authorised any third party for it. Cipla is not associated with referenced import alert of Tadalafil product or its source at Bhagwanpur site at Uttaranchal for the US market, the company said. Accordingly, this event has no impact on Cipla, it added.

Metal and mining stocks gained. JSW Steel (up 1.12%), Vedanta (up 0.58%), Tata Steel (up 0.31%), Steel Authority of India (Sail) (up 1.53%), Hindustan Zinc (up 0.89%), Jindal Steel & Power (up 1.12%), Hindalco Industries (up 0.62%), NMDC (up 2.29%), Hindustan Copper (up 0.15%) edged higher. National Aluminium Company (down 0.34%) declined.

Copper edged lower in the global commodities market. High Grade Copper for March 2017 delivery was currently off 0.09% at $2.6420 per pound on the COMEX.

Most FMCG stocks fell. Godrej Consumer Products (down 1.37%), GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Healthcare (down 0.84%), Colgate-Palmolive (India) (down 0.19%), Hindustan Unilever (down 0.13%), Marico (down 0.34%), Nestle India (down 0.64%), Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care (down 1.18%), Bajaj Corp (down 0.37%) declined. Jyothy Laboratories (up 1.2%), Britannia Industries (up 0.41%), Dabur India (up 0.44%), Tata Global Beverages (up 0.23%) rose.

KSK Energy Ventures was locked at 5% upper circuit at Rs 9.36, with the stock recovering on bargain hunting after recent slide. Shares of KSK Energy Ventures had declined 13.56% in the preceding four trading sessions to settle at Rs 8.92 on 23 March 2017, from its close of Rs 10.32 on 17 March 2017.

Majesco surged 4.21% after the company said it has secured a multi-year contract from a tier one insurer. As a part of the agreement, the insurer will leverage Majesco's enterprise consulting services and the business transformation framework, application development & management services and the technical reference architecture, and testing services with the automation test framework and testing repository to support the vision laid out by the company for their underwriting and policy platform. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 23 March 2017.

Asian Oilfield Services hit an upper circuit limit of 5% at Rs 240.85 after the company received letter of award of contract worth Rs 108.97 crore from ONGC for 2D seismic data acquisition in unappraised on land areas of sedimentary basins of India for Sector 6 (Ganga). The announcement was made during trading hours today, 24 March 2017.

On the economic front, India's current account deficit (CAD) at US$ 7.9 billion (1.4% of GDP) in Q3 of 2016-17, was higher than US$ 7.1 billion (1.4% of GDP) in Q3 of 2015-16 and US$ 3.4 billion (0.6% of GDP) in the preceding quarter. The data was released by government after market hours yesterday, 23 March 2017.

Despite a slightly lower trade deficit on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, the CAD widened primarily on account of a decline in net invisibles receipts. Net services receipts moderated on a y-o-y basis, primarily owing to the fall in earnings from software, financial services and charges for intellectual property rights.

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading on a mixed note as investors await a delayed vote on US health care reform, which is seen as a proxy for the success of US President Donald Trump's pro-growth agenda. US stocks closed slightly lower yesterday, 23 March 2017 as a delay in a closely watched health-care vote raised questions about the President Donald Trump's administration's ability to win passage of its ambitious legislative agenda.

The vote to dismantle the Affordable Healthcare Act, which was previously set for Thursday, is now expected to occur Friday. Traders see the success or failure of the legislation as a bellwether for Trump's ability to deliver on tax reform and infrastructure spending plans.

Investors also grappled with mixed economic data. Filings for unemployment benefits rose to a seven-week high, while purchases of new homes increased in February to a seven-month high.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NHPC rose 2% to Rs 30.60 at 10:48 IST on BSE after the company said it signed power purchase agreements with Tata Power - Delhi Distribution.

The announcement was made after maket hours yesterday, 23 March 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 137.10 points, or 0.47% to 29,469.26.

On the BSE, 2.20 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 10.26 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 30.70 and a low of Rs 30.20 so far during the day.

The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 31.75 on 7 February 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 20.45 on 4 May 2016.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 23 March 2017, falling 0.99% compared with 1.62% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had, however, outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 14.50% as against Sensex's 12.64% rise.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 11070.67 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

NHPC said it signed power purchase agreements with Tata Power- Delhi Distribution on 22 March 2017 for seven power stations, namely Bairasiul, Salal, Tanakpur, Chamera-I, Uri-I, Sewa-II and Chamera-III for a period of 35 years from the date of commercial operations (COD) of the respective power stations.

NHPC's net profit rose 25.87% to Rs 214.69 crore on 3.41% fall in net sales to Rs 1298.35 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015.

NHPC is India's premier hydropower company. Government of India (GoI) currently holds 74.51% stake in NHPC (as per the shareholding pattern as on 31 December 2016).

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nearly 2 million overseas South Koreans will be allowed to vote in the country's upcoming presidential election, officials said on Friday.

According to the National Election Commission (NEC), there were about 1.98 million overseas South Koreans eligible to vote in the May 9 presidential election, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The number will account for over 4 per cent of the total 42.35 million voters eligible to cast their ballots in the upcoming election.

As of Friday, 152,781 overseas voters have completed their online registration, accounting for 7.7 per cent of all overseas voters, according to the NEC.

All overseas voters must complete their registration by next Thursday, it said.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six persons arrested following the deadly terrorist incident near the UK Parliament have been released without charges, the Metropolitan Police said on Friday.

Four other suspects remain in custody in connection with Wednesday's attack, which left five people dead, including the assailant, EFE news reported.

Authorities freed two women and four men, ranging in age from 21 to 28, who had been picked up in the central English city of Birmingham, the attacker's last place of residence.

Detectives continue to question four other people: two Birmingham men, ages 27 and 58; as well as a man, 35, and a woman, 32, who were arrested on Friday in Manchester.

"We have searches at five addresses that are ongoing -- 16 searches have concluded. So far we have seized 2,700 items from our searches including massive amounts of computer data," the Met's acting Deputy Commissioner and Counter-terror Chief, Mark Rowley, told reporters.

He also named the 75-year-old man who died in hospital from injuries received in the terror attack as London resident Leslie Rhodes.

Rowley said at least 50 people were injured, noting that those affected were of all ages and at least 12 nationalities.

"It is a poignant reminder that the impact of this attack on the capital will reach around the world," he added.

Authorities identified the attacker as a 52-year-old man from Kent, southeast of London, who was born Adrian Russell Ajao but subsequently adopted the name Khalid Masood when he converted to Islam.

"We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were, and can provide information about places he has recently visited," EFE news quoted Rowley as saying.

In a speech to the lower house of Parliament on Thursday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said the attacker was believed to have acted alone and had been investigated years ago by the interior security service, MI5.

"He was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic -- he was not part of the current intelligence picture," May said.

On Wednesday, Masood drove a car through crowds of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing three: Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old British national of Spanish origin, Kurt Cochran, an American tourist whose wife was injured in the attack, and Leslie Rhodes.

Masood then attacked police with a knife, killing Constable Keith Palmer before being shot dead by armed officers outside Parliament.

Speaking about the commemorations that took place in central London late on Thursday, Rowley said the wide cross-section of people who had gathered to remember sent a strong message.

"A strong message -- to those inspired by hate and extremism of all persuasions -- that we will not give in to those who seek to breed discord and fear," he said.

--IANS

lok/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked sugar mill owners in the state to pay arrears of the previous and current crushing seasons to sugarcane farmers within a month.

The instruction came after a high level meeting on Thursday night.

"The Chief Minister in a meeting with the Chief Secretary and Sugarcane Commissioner along with other high level officials directed that it should be ensured that sugar mill owners pay all the pending arrears of previous as well as the current crushing season to farmers," a top official of the Sugarcane Development Department told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Adityanath in the meeting also said that no laxity in this connection would be tolerated.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its assembly election manifesto had assured the farmers that they would be paid within 14 days after purchase of their sugarcane by the millers.

The official said that a total of Rs 4,160 crore was pending as arrears with sugar mill owners for payment to sugarcane farmers for the current crushing season.

The official said around six sugar mills out of a total 116 have not paid dues to the farmers.

"For the current crushing season (2016-17) total amount to be paid was Rs 20,154 crore, against which Rs 15,996.87 crore has been paid to the farmers. Around 80 per cent payment has been made," the official added.

Acting on Adityanath's priorities, the Sugarcane Development Commissioner has issued fresh directions to the millers for payment of arrears within a month.

The official said Rs 223 crore was still not paid to sugarcane farmers for the previous crushing season of 2015-2016. Farmers have been paid Rs 17,780 crore for sugarcane for the previous crushing season.

"The CM also directed officials and sugar mill owners to pay the farmers within the stipulated time of 14 days," the official added.

The BJP in its election manifesto had promised to waive off loans of farmers in its first cabinet meeting if voted to power.

However, four working days have passed after Adityanath took oath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and he has also distributed portfolios to his ministers, but no cabinet meeting has been convened.

Sources in the BJP said the government is working on the modalities of farm loan waiver and after the process gets completed the government would take appropriate action in this regard.

--IANS

am-bns/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News / National

by Staff reporter

A cross section of political parties in the country have welcomed the biometric voter registration (BVR), which is set to be used in next year's general election.Speaking at an election policy dialogue facilitated by the Election Resource Centre in Harare today representatives of different political parties highlighted the need for Zimbabweans to embrace technology."We believe that technology if used properly will enhance the quality of our elections There is nothing sinister about BVR," said Jacob Mufure of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).MDC-T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora also concurred on the need to embrace technology, adding the biometric voting registration has always been a demand from his party."The BVR has been a demand of the MDC-T, it is the fastest way of getting a new voters role," he said."Let us go the BVR way," National People's Party Spokesperson, Jelous Mawarire weighed in.However, Edwin Mushoriwa of the MDC and Elton Mangoma of the Renewal Democratic Party dismissed the BVR, saying there is not enough time to implement the technology before the next election."ZEC [Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) cannot prepare any voters roll that will pass the test," Mangoma said.The use of BVR is regarded the best in line with international voter registration and ZEC is pushing for it ahead of the 2018 general elections.
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday passed a resolution condemning the behaviour of Leader of Opposition Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in the house.

At the end of the day-long acrimony over challenges and counter-challenges by the ruling and opposition parties, the House passed a resolution in the absence of lone opposition YSR Congress Party legislator.

Following the walkout by the YSR Congress over what it called the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) running away from accepting its challenges, the house took up a resolution moved by Legislative Affairs Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu.

Members of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and those who had defected to the ruling party from YSR Congress launched a bitter attack on Jaganmohan Reddy.

Ramakrishnudu even branded him a "psycho", remarking that people are hanging their head in shame for having a person who illegally amassed Rs 1 lakh crore and who spent 16 months in jail as Leader of Opposition.

The Minister said his attitude reflects the criminal background and "factionist" family he comes from.

Stating that the existing rules are not sufficient to deal with such a person, Ramakrishnudu called for framing new rules and underlined the need for speedy trial of the YSRCP chief in corruption cases.

He also mooted the suggestion that the money lost by the house due to disruption caused by a member should be recovered from him.

The trouble began in the morning as the TDP insisted that Jaganmohan Reddy accept the challenge by Agriculture Minister Pulla Rao, who had Thursday dared him to prove his allegations in Agri Gold case.

Jaganmohan Reddy had alleged that Pulla Rao's wife purchased properties of Agri Gold even as the investigations were on against the company for cheating depositors.

Pulla Rao had challenged that if the allegations against him are proved he will quit and wanted Jaganmohan Reddy to announce that if the allegations are not proved, he will quit.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu Friday asked Jaganmohan Reddy to accept the challenge but the Leader of Opposition wanted an opportunity to produce evidence against the minister in the house.

Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao also gave a ruling on the issue. Pointing out the Chief Minister has gone on record that if the allegations against the minister were true, he would sack him, the Speaker suggested to the opposition to either take back the allegations or face the probe.

Jaganmohan Reddy however alleged that the ruling party was preventing him from producing the evidence, saying it doesn't want the facts to come out in the case as it is afraid this will expose Pulla Rao and other leaders.

He also wondered how the Speaker can give ruling on a challenge thrown by the ruling party and not on the challenge by the opposition.

The Leader of Opposition said he has already thrown the challenge to the TDP to make the 21 MLAs who crossed over from his party to the TDP resign or disqualify them and face the elections.

He also said Chandrababu Naidu was also keeping mum on his challenge to prove whether the voice in the audio record surfaced in cash-for-vote scam in Telangana was not his voice.

--IANS

ms/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday said his country is not seeking to militarise the South China Sea and its presence in the area is only to maintain freedom of navigation.

"China never has any intention to engage in militarisation in the South China Sea," the visiting premier said at a press conference following a meeting in Canberra with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"Chinese islands and reefs are primarily for civilian purposes. If there is a certain amount of defence equipment or facilities, it is for maintaining the freedom of navigation and overflight," he added.

China has built numerous military facilities on islets in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety but whose sovereignty has been disputed by five other countries, leading to an escalation of multilateral tensions in the region, Efe news reported.

Li noted that China is the leading global exporter and its economy depends on free transit in this maritime area, through which around $5 billion worth of goods pass every year, and which contains rich fishing, gas and oil resources.

He stressed that it is the responsibility of all countries in the region to maintain peace in the South China Sea, which is disputed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines, with the US having also increased its presence.

Li said China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are negotiating a code of conduct, an initiative that was praised by Turnbull.

The Australian leader also urged "all parties to refrain from taking any actions which would add to tensions, including actions of militarisation of disputed features".

Australia and the US have been concerned by the growing Chinese presence in the disputed seas, but Turnbull rejected as "incorrect" the view that Australia must take sides between Beijing and Washington.

China is Australia's biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to $150 billion.

At the press conference, Turnbull announced a series of new agreements to increase trade between the two countries, including China's decision to increase access to its market of frozen meat products.

The bilateral free trade agreement that came into force in 2015 had reduced tariffs on Australian beef products, but refrigerated meat did not have the same access to the Chinese market.

Li will continue his Australia visit to Sydney before leaving on Sunday for New Zealand.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday demanded the setting up of anti-Romeo squads in Bihar for women's safety in line with neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

"Bihar government should constitute anti-Romeo squads... to deal with anti-social elements," senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told the media here.

He said the squads should be deployed at schools, colleges, universities and busy markets for the safety of women and girls in the state.

"In view of growing number of cases of crime against women on the streets, the anti-Romeo squads are a must in Bihar," Modi said.

This is the second major demand made by the opposition in Bihar in the last 24 hours.

Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar had on Thursday demanded that illegal slaughter houses flourishing in the state should be closed and sealed in line with Uttar Pradesh.

Newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi came out with both directives just after he took charge on March 19.

--IANS

ik/in/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A district judge in Britain has to decide on issuing an arrest warrant for liquor baron Vijay Mallya, whose extradition India is seeking, the government said on Friday.

India handed over a formal request to the British High Commission here last month for his extradition.

"A formal extradition request in respect of Mallya was handed over to the British High Commission vide our note verbale dated February 8," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay told the media.

The UK Home Office had conveyed that the request had been certified by the Secretary of State and sent to Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider issuing an arrest warrant, he said.

Mallya left India on March 2, 2016 for London, days after a consortium of 17 banks moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal to hear a July 2013 petition to recover dues of Rs 9,081 crore, including interest, that was loaned to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

Mallya has since offered to negotiate with the banks for a one-time settlement of dues and sought the Supreme Court's intervention.

Banks had previously shot down Mallya's offer of Rs 6,868 crore in April 2016 to settle the dues.

--IANS

ab/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Independent legislator John Leslee Sangma on Friday moved a privilege motion against an editor of an English daily in the Meghalaya assembly, which referred the matter to its Privilege Committee.

Speaker Abu Taher Mondal referred the matter to the assembly panel for examination and investigation into an article "Meghalaya Assembly debates: The Banal, the bizarre and the boring", by The Shillong Times Editor Patricia Mukhim.

"The article has breached the privilege of the house and also breached the privilege of all members as the article contains statements which insinuate that the members are debating on issues which are not in public interest and simply raising issues brought to them by interest groups," Sangma said, while moving the privilege motion.

"She had also ridiculed publicly the issues raised by the members in public interest without understanding the subject matter and had indirectly tried to create an opinion to lower the prestige of the house and the members," he added.

Sangma said: "Her (Mukhim) action amounts to obstruction of rights of the hon'ble members to raise issues which are of utmost public importance in the august house."

On Thursday, senior Meghalaya Civil Service official Zenithsky J. Sangma was reprimanded before the 60-member assembly for breaching the privilege of Independent legislator John Leslee K. Sangma.

Zenithsky is the third person to appear at the Bar of the house after Prosperly Chandra Chyne and Prof. Kapila Chatterjee.

--IANS

rrk/tsb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday handed over to the Navy three systems indigenously developed by the DRDO, including a sonar that is likely to be fitted on the Arihant class submarines.

The AUSHUS-II submarine sonar, developed by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is primarily designed to be used in Sindhughosh class submarines, and may also be fitted on the Arihant class indigenous nuclear submarines.

The other two systems handed over in the presence of Navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba, include a directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array, and inertial navigation system for ship applications.

The Minister also released two other products developed by the DRDO - an IP-based secure phone, which has an indigenous encryption algorithm to provide secrecy to voice and data, to facilitate communication of strategic and tactical plans of the armed forces; and 'Gallium Nitride Technology' that will help in the development of next generation radars, seekers and communication systems, for application in Light Combat Aircraft.

Speaking on the occasion, Jaitley said the DRDO is becoming an important instrument for self-reliance of the nation.

"Great societies and nations are made through people working on important tasks in anonymity, like the DRDO scientists who were honoured today (Friday)," he said.

He also gave away the annual DRDO awards on the occasion.

State-of-the-art submarine sonar suite, USHUS-II, is a highly evolved compendium of multiple sensors. The constituent sonars in the suite include passive sonar, active sonar, intercept sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar and underwater telephony.

The directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array is an electro-mechanical system that supports the transducer array of hull-mounted ship sonar systems and rotates it at a controlled speed for in-situ acoustic calibration at harbour and sea.

The inertial navigation system, based on indigenous ring laser gyroscopes, provides vital information on the ship's position coordinates and heading for steering it to its destination accurately. It features high-speed processor, multi-constellation sat nav receiver, ship specific interfaces and innovative algorithms.

--IANS

ao/tsb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has taken action on consumer requests and told eCommerce sites selling packaged food products to disclose manufacturing and expiry dates and has announced that imported food items with less than 60 per cent of shelf life will not be allowed to enter the Indian market, an organisation that conducted a survey said on Friday.

The FSSAI has responded to consumer requests made in a survey conducted by citizen engagement platform LocalCircles demanding ecommerce sites mandatorily disclose the information on packaged food products sold on their sites.

LocalCircles has said that they have got a commitment from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs regarding the same.

FSSAI has now asked all the e-commerce companies including Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon, Grofers etc. to comply with this.

In a recent poll by LocalCircles that saw the participation of more than 10,000 people, 96 per cent had voted in the favour of mandating the disclosure of manufacturing and expiry dates of packaged food on e-commerce sites.

--IANS

mg/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Hamsa Nandini, most known for her appearances in item songs, has landed a cameo in the upcoming yet-untitled Telugu outing starring Jr. NTR, a source said.

"Hamsa will be seen playing a supporting character. Although it will be a cameo, the role has some weightage. She has already started shooting in Hyderabad and is thrilled to be sharing screen space with NTR for the first time," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Being directed by Bobby, the film features NTR in a triple role for the first time.

Produced by NTR's brother Kalyanram, the rest of the cast is being finalised.

The project is NTR's 27th film.

--IANS

hp/nn/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French President Francois Hollande has rejected Francois Fillon's allegations of plotting to dash his chances in the presidential poll after ordering a damaging media leak over his wife's fake job.

A statement by his office late on Thursday said, Hollande "condemns with the greatest firmness the false allegations of Fillon", Xinhua news agency reported.

"Since 2012 ... the executive has never intervened in any judicial process and has always strictly respected the independence of the judiciary," the President's statement said.

According to Hollande, former Prime Minister Fillon's allegations of ordering leaks of compromising materials about his wife's fake job as a parliamentary aide "have no basis" and "cause an intolerable disturbance in the presidential campaign which calls for dignity, serenity and responsibility".

The conservative candidate accused Hollande of heading a "secret cell" aimed at leaking sensitive data.

Citing a soon-to-be-published book by some journalists, Fillon said the French President had the contents of all phone taps linked to judicial investigations which interested him, "which is totally illegal".

Fillon, 63, once the presidential front-runner, has been trailing in the third place after French satirical weekly, Le Canard Enchaine, reported on January 25 that Fillon had paid his wife and two of his five children about one million euros ($1.1 million) for their jobs as parliamentary assistants.

However, there was no evidence showing his wife had really worked, the report added. Fillon has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and denounced a judicial bias in the investigation of the allegation that his wife held a fake job.

The former Prime Minister was also placed under investigation on suspicion of misusing public funds. The fraud probe has been widened to include luxury suits he received as gifts.

France's 2017 two-round presidential election is scheduled for April 23 and May 7.

--IANS

py/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Shahid Kapoor says he is looking forward to begin work soon on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati", the sets of which were vandalised twice by fringe elements opposing the film's content.

"I am hoping to get back on set. And I am hoping that people will wait to see the movie before judging it as I think a lot of preconceived notions about it are around," Shahid said here on Friday.

His statement came in the wake of the torching of the historical epic drama's set at Kolhapur in Maharashtra by a group of unidentified attackers. Around 80 to 90 per cent of jewellery and costumes for the movie were burnt to ashes in the attack.

This was the second attack on "Padmavati" set, as earlier this year activists of Shri Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur had vandalised the film's set and assaulted Bhansali, forcing him to shift his set to Maharashtra.

Shahid considers it best to say less about the controversy.

"I don't want to comment too much as one doesn't want to say anything that will spark any further controversy or create more trouble for the makers as it's very difficult for the producers and everyone associated with the movie to deal with this situation."

"It's unfortunate that something like this is happening and of course, we have become soft targets. I hope people give an opportunity to the filmmaker to express his views and then choose to say what they need to say."

"But to say it before you see the film, is a bit premature," the actor added.

Shahid was here at the India Today Woman Summit and Awards, presented by Vivel. He was presented the Gentleman of The Year Award for being a 'Perfect Co-star in Reel and Real Life'.

The actor also spoke generously about his relationship with wife Mira, their daughter Misha, his mother Neelima Azim, his father Pankaj Kapur, on being a vegetarian as well as his workout regime.

Asked whether he would defend what Mira said about being a stay-at-home mother and not treating their daughter like a 'puppy' by leaving her alone, Shahid said: "I am not going to engage in what Mira said when she is not around, but I believe what she was representing was a segment of women who aren't really speaking for themselves."

"I won't defend her, but I agree on most things she says."

--IANS

rb/nn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Opinion / Columnist

Mugabe's father was born Masuzyo Matibili (pronounced Masuzho) but because the white settler Native Commissioner in Mutoko could not spell it, let alone pronounce it properly, renamed him Gabriel Matibili.Masuzyo, when translated into Shona, means Nhamo and Nhamo was Mugabe's late son's name. He died in Ghana in the Sixties, her mother, the late Sally Mugabe's native country.Matibili's father was Chatunga. Chatunga is also Mugabe's youngest son's name. It is a common name among the Tumbukas in Malawi.Matibili worked briefly in Mutoko before moving to Norton where he met Bona and the two got married and had children *NAMELY*:AmonRobertSabinaAlbertBridgetThat was before he went to Bulawayo in search of work and never returned to see his family.According to Sekuru Gondo, Bona and her five children left the Norton farm where Matibili had left her for rural Zvimba where one of her uncles, a Karigamombe, was staying. Karigamombe was one of the villagers helping the Jesuits set up a mission at Kutama.In Bulawayo, Matibili met another woman with whom he had several sons, among them a Stanley Matibili, once a human resources manager with Lever Brothers, now Unilever, who occasionally donated birthday cakes on behalf of his company to Mugabe on his birthdays during the early nineties, and Ntombana, ZESA chairman Sydney Gata's wife.He died later and was buried in Bulawayo. During this time Mugabe rarely saw his father and they were not on speaking terms for neglecting his family. Robert and his siblings were assisted in their day to day life by a Mugabe, who worked for the Jesuits at Kutama, hence the adoption of the name Mugabe."He was like a father to them. He literally provided them with everything," said Sekuru Gondo during the interview.Amon, Robert Mugabe's elder brother, maintained the name Matibiri and that is why his son, Innocent, who is one of the police deputy commissioners, and his daughter, Chipo, who is a magistrate in Harare, are known by the surname Matibiri, a bastardised version of the Tumbuka name, Matibili.The new revelations will leave many in authority with a lot of egg on their faces. The government enacted a law that virtually stripped Zimbabweans of foreign descent their nationality unless they renounced their claim to any foreign citizenship.That was meant to deny many their right to vote in general elections in 2000 because ZANU PF feared they were going to vote for the opposition MDC. Some Zimbabweans have successfully challenged the law saying they cannot be forced to renounce citizenships they have never had.Mugabe has on several occasions derogatory described Zimbabweans of foreign descent as "totemless" (vanhu vasina mitupo) as if our anawo. Ironically, he tops the list of "totemless" Zimbabweans, followed by his nephews and niece --- Leo Mugabe, Patrick and Sarudzai Zhuwao ---Sabina's children.News about Mugabes Malawian connection comes as no surprise since Malawi produced another President in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, in the name of Dr Kenneth David Kaunda...
New research led by an Indian-origin scientist has found how protein that collects in the brain of persons with Alzheimer's disease penetrates the cell membranes.

The findings, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, could lead to novel therapies for age-related diseases.

The protein amyloid-beta builds up in the brains of persons with Alzheimer's disease, ultimately aggregating into sticky clumps called plaque on the surface of neurons.

"From our study it is clear that the cell membrane is the hot spot where amyloid-beta becomes crazy," said Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, Professor at University of Michigan in the US.

The researchers found that thinner parts of the neuronal membranes give access points to amyloid-beta, allowing the protein to puncture and kill those cells, and destroying the patient's ability to make and retain memory.

These thin spots are composed of short fatty acid chains whereas the thicker parts of the membrane are composed of long fatty acid chains.

The formation of lipids with short chains -- caused by ageing or other physiological means that result in Alzheimer's -- can promote cell death from the accumulation of amyloid-beta, according to the researchers.

"We're trying to understand how components of the cell membrane and the physical and chemical properties of the lipid membrane would influence the aggregation of amyloid-beta by a variety of biophysical techniques," Ramamoorthy said.

"The thickness of cell membranes is very important not only for Alzheimer's disease, but also for diabetes and other aging-related diseases," Ramamoorthy noted.

Currently, Ramamoorthy's team is screening libraries of small molecular compounds that could target the aggregation of amyloid-beta within a person's cell membrane.

"These findings could be significant in the potential development of compounds to treat the aging-related diseases," he said.

--IANS

gb/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump has defended some of the most controversial claims of his young political career in a wide-ranging interview with Time magazine.

"I'm a very instinctual person, but my instinct turns out to be right... I guess I can't be doing so badly, because I'm President, and you're not," he told Time's Washington Bureau Chief, Michael Scherer on Thursday.

Offering simple and absolute defence of his methods, in the interview about his falsehoods, Trump offered new ones, CNN reported.

The discussion for the Time cover story -- titled "Is Truth Dead?" -- covered subjects that ranged from Trump's wiretap accusations to the 2016 campaign trail conspiracy theory in the National Enquirer falsely connecting Senator Ted Cruz's father and the JFK assassination.

Trump appeared unrepentant about his charge that former President Barack Obama "wiretapped" his phones at Trump Tower during the 2016 election -- an allegation soundly refuted by FBI Director James Comey in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee earlier this week.

Trump defended the claim by shifting its focus: "When I said wiretapping, it was in quotes. Because a wiretapping is, you know, today it is different than wire tapping."

"It is just a good description. But wiretapping was in quotes. What I'm talking about is surveillance," Trump told Time.

He also pointed to a stunning news conference on Wednesday from Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, in which the congressman unilaterally revealed that communications of Trump and associates may have been picked up after the election by intelligence agencies conducting surveillance of foreign targets.

The President, however, dismissed the key distinction between his claim and the type of legal and incidental intercepts Nunes had suggested.

"Just today I heard, just a little while ago, that Devin Nunes had a news conference,... where they have a lot of information on tapping. Did you hear about that?" Trump said.

"Wow. Nunes said, so that means I'm right, Nunes said the surveillance appears to have been ... incidental collection, that does not appear to have been related to concerns over Russia."

Trump also defended his administration's controversial assertion that the British spy agency GCHQ surveilled his campaign at the request of the Obama administration.

The allegation that the agency has fiercely denied, and which prompted a diplomatic incident that National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster was drawn in to defuse.

Trump seemed to concede that the information might have been bad, but would not admit fault for repeating it.

"I quoted the judge the other day, Judge Napolitano," Trump told Time, referring to the Fox News contributor Andrew Napolitano, who reported the information on Fox News using anonymous sources, on which Trump's White House based the claim.

"I have a lot of respect for Judge Napolitano, and he said that three sources have told him things that would make me right. I don't know where he has gone with it since then," he said.

"But I'm quoting highly respected people from highly respected television networks."

Presented with a litany of other falsehoods and mischaracterisations, Trump offered this nonchalant rebuttal to his critics: "What am I going to tell you? I tend to be right... I happen to be a person that knows how life works."

As for evidence, Trump repeatedly returned -- unprompted -- his prediction that the Brexit vote would succeed, something many predicted wouldn't happen, CNN reported.

"Brexit, I predicted Brexit, you remember that, the day before the event. I said, 'No, Brexit is going to happen,' and everybody laughed, and Brexit happened. Many many things. They turn out to be right," he said.

--IANS

in/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
"It is unfortunate that some opponents, communalists are trying to portray him as a rabble-rouser and fringe personality. They should go through his parliamentary debates. Those reveal his seasoned thinking on various issues of governance," union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said on his Facebook page on March 19, 2017, referring to Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Factchecker did just that, analysing hiss performance over the last eight years as a member of Parliament (MP) in the 15th and 16th Lok Sabhas, using data from PRS Legislative Research, an advocacy focussed on parliamentary affairs, and the Lok Sabha archives.

Our four main findings:

1. While the 44-year-old politician raised a variety of concerns -- including river pollution and rising cases of encephalitis -- his most recurring choice of debates focussed on Hindu affairs and cow slaughter, particularly over the last three years.

2. In the 16th (current) Lok Sabha, 18 per cent of Adityanath's debates have focussed on Hindu issues, seven-percentage points more than during his previous term as MP. The topics include cow slaughter, enforcing a uniform civil code, and protection of Hindu pilgrims. Even his debates on the Enemy Property Bill (now an Act) and his concerns about Indian youth in Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), counted under internal security debates, held religious underpinnings.

3. A science graduate, Adityanath had the most queries (57) for the ministry of health during the 16th Lok Sabha: 11 were on corruption in medical bodies, and six on population control measures to address India's "reported demographic imbalance", a reference to his belief that Muslims, who make up 14.2 per cent of India's population, were growing faster than Hindus.

4. Adityanath asked almost as many questions (52) of the ministry of home affairs over the last eight years of the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha. Of these, 34 per cent were related to fears about the effect of ISIS, Indian Mujahideen extremists and Christian separatists on internal security.

Here is a more detailed analysis:

15th Lok Sabha (June 2009 to February 2014): Although Adityanath's parliamentary attendance (72%) was slightly below the average for MPs from his state (79%) and the rest of the country (76%), he participated in more debates and asked more questions than the average MP, according to PRS Legislative Research data.

Adityanath participated in 82 debates against the average of 38 for other MPs.

During this term, Adityanath, who has been charged with intimidation, rioting, promoting enmity between different groups and defiling a place of worship, also raised concerns over violence in Muslim-dominated Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, and UP's Moradabad district, where Muslims constitute nearly half the population.

16th Lok Sabha (June 1, 2014 to March 15, 2017): Adityanath participated in 56 debates-fewer than the average of 72 clocked by MPs from his state, PRS data shows.

In nearly a fifth of these -- a seven-percentage -- point jump over the previous term-the five-time MP (he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 at age 26) participated in debates that focussed on Hindu affairs. These included a national ban on cow slaughter, enforcing a uniform civil code, and ensuring the safety of Hindu pilgrims. Even his debates on internal security that voiced concerns about a conspiracy to bring Pakistanis to India through the Enemy Property Bill, and the alleged involvement of Indian youth in the Islamic State, carried religious undertones.

During this term, in four of five "Demand for Grants" debates on the railway budget that Adityanath participated in (data for the most recent debate in 2017 are yet to be put out) -- which Naidu described as "levelheaded and inspiring" -- the Gorakhpur MP primarily praised the budget and congratulated the railway ministry while criticising the previous Congress-led government and states where the party still holds power. In one debate, he presented demands for grants to set up rail lines and to upgrade rail infrastructure in his constituency, Gorakhpur.

He also wanted "central university status" for Gorakhpur University, and asked -- in four debates -- for the Bhojpuri dialect of eastern UP and Bihar to be regarded as a national language.

His concern for polluted rivers and the spread of encephalitis continued in his debates but took up a considerably smaller share (5 per cent).

"Rapid reduction in the number of Sikhs and Buddhists along with sanatan (classical) Hinduism and the rapid increase in the Muslim population attract attention to the dangerous situation of demographic imbalance, it is shocking? the need for an effective equal civil law and population control is being felt within the country," Adityanath said in a 2016 debate on a uniform civil code.

While the country's overall population grew at 17 per cent in the decade to 2011, Census data showed Muslim population growth hit a 20-year low of 24.6 per cent in 2011, as IndiaSpend reported in August, 2015.

Naidu, in his Facebook post, quoting a Hindustan Times report, said Muslims in the state welcomed Adityanath's appointment. "A large number of Muslims seem to be celebrating," the post reads.

30 per cent of Adityanath's questions to four ministries

In both the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha, Adityanath raised more questions than the average MP, with 347 queries (against the average of 300) upto February 2014 and 284 upto March 2017 (against the average of 180).

In the 16th Lok Sabha, queries to four ministries -- external affairs, health and family welfare, home affairs and human resource development -- formed 30 per cent of his questions to 43 ministries.

In the 15th Lok Sabha, he directed nearly 50 per cent of his questions to six of 39 ministries which include the four we mentioned earlier, and the ministries of railways and road transport and highways.

The external affairs ministry received 51 questions from Adityanath since 2009. Two-thirds of these pertained to his suspicions of anti-Indian activities and sentiments across India's border, particularly in Nepal. Others include questions about imposing a ban on Pakistani movies and artists coming to India, security of the Indo-Nepalese border, and the "misbehaviour" of a Nepalese airliner towards Hindu pilgrims.

UP CM's bills in Parliament: Ban on cow slaughter, renaming India 'Hindustan'

Since 2009, Adityanath has had five private member's bills pending in the Lok Sabha, more than the average of one per MP. They are:

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Amendment of article 1, etc.): This proposes a change in the country's name, from "India, that is Bharat," to "Bharat, that is Hindustan," according to a 2014 report on private members' bills and resolutions.

The Ban on Cow Slaughter Bill, 2014: This bill, reintroduced in the 16th Lok Sabha, is a replica of Adityanath's 2009 bill for the 15th Lok Sabha.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Omission of article 44, etc.): This would turn the directive principle of creating a uniform civil code for India into a law. The implications of this bill would have far-reaching effects on the personal laws and practices of people of various religions in India.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2015 (Insertion of new article 25A): This seeks to insert a new article in the Indian Constitution that will ban forcible religious conversions.

The High Court at Allahabad (Establishment of a Permanent Bench at Gorakhpur) Bill, 2015: This seeks a permanent bench of the Allahabad High Court in his constituency.

None of these bills has been passed yet. Adityanath's High Court bill and the ban on forced religious conversions are yet to be introduced in the House, as the Indian Express reported in March, 2017.

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Alison Saldanha is an assistant editor with IndiaSpend & FactChecker. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org)

--IANS/IndiaSpend

alison/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Only one-way traffic was allowed to move on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Friday due to bottle-necks at many places, a traffic department official said.

Traffic was allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu.

"No traffic movement will be permitted from the opposite direction. This restriction will also apply to Army and paramilitary convoys using the highway," the official added.

For the last 10 days after the over 300-km long highway was restored for traffic, authorities have been allowing only one-way traffic alternately between the two cities.

There has been severe narrowing of the highway at a number of places especially in the Ramban district during this winter, the official added.

Landslide debris and caving-in of the road were cited as its main reasons.

Meanwhile, after completion of its successful test-run, authorities have closed the 9.2-km long Nashri-Chenani tunnel for its formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 2.

Built at a cost of Rs 7,350 crore, the state-of-the-art tunnel has facilities for allowing mobile phones connectivity and others while passing through it.

It has special vents to keep the air inside fresh and smoke-free.

The commissioning of the tunnel that connects the Ramban and Udhampur districts of the Jammu region will save over two hours of travel time between Jammu and Srinagar as it by-passes the 41-km long Nashri-Patnitop-Kund stretch of the road.

--IANS

sq/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Online fraudsters allegedly hacked the debit card of Congress's Karnataka lawmaker C.P. Yogeshwar and withdrew Rs 1.9 lakh from his account through ATMs in Mumbai and Pune last week, police said on Friday.

"We have registered a case on a complaint by Yogeshwar that his debit card was hacked and Rs.1.9 lakh was withdrawn from his account, which is in the State Bank of India's J.C. Road branch here," Banashankari Police Inspector T.T. Krishna told IANS.

Yogeshwar represents the Channapatna assembly segment in Ramanagara district.

"Yogeshwar said he was abroad when the amount was withdrawn by hacking his debit card number on March 17-18, but came to about the fraud after getting SMS alerts from the bank on his mobile phone," said Krishna, citing his complaint.

Police have set up a team to investigate the case in coordination with its Cyber Crime Cell in the CID and the state-run bank.

"I told the bank (SBI) to block my debit card after I got the alert that money was withdrawn from my account with my debit card number," said Yogashwar.

--IANS

fb/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said Bihar -- the land of Buddha and Mahavira -- inspires him whenever he visits the state.

"Bihar has big historic importance. I have visited Bihar several times and every time it (the state) inspired me," the President said.

He was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the third and final international conference to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), a Patna based think tank.

The President arrived here by a special Indian Air Force plane and spent nearly two hours before returning to Delhi.

Over 100 experts and researchers from across the country and abroad, including those from prestigious universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, London School of Economics, Amsterdam and National University of Singapore, will discuss and present papers at the five-day conference on the theme of 'Bihar and Jharkhand: Shared History to Shared Vision'.

--IANS

ik/py/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police on Thursday identified Khalid Masood as the man who carried out the Westminster attack, as the death toll rose to five.

Masood, 52, was born as Adrian Elms in Kent and was shot dead by police. He had not been the subject of any current police investigations, BBC reported.

Three women and five men were arrested in London and Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts following Wednesday's attack.

PC Keith Palmer, 48, Aysha Frade and US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, were killed on Wednesday, while a 75-year-old man died on Thursday evening.

The so-called Islamic State group has said it was behind the attack.

Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his car into railings and then running into the grounds of Parliament, armed with a knife.

He stabbed PC Palmer before being shot dead, BBC added.

The Metropolitan Police said there had been no prior intelligence about Masood's intention to carry out an attack.

But he was known to the police and his previous convictions included causing grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. He was believed to have been living in the West Midlands.

Masood is believed to have lived at various times in Rye, Crawley in West Sussex and Eastbourne, in East Sussex.

He also appeared to have been convicted of a knife crime in 2003 in Eastbourne.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last in December 2003 for possession of a knife.

He had not been convicted of any offences.

Car hire company Enterprise said the vehicle used in the attack had been rented from its Spring Hill depot in Birmingham.

The BBC understands Masood hired the Hyundai SUV in person, giving his profession as a teacher.

The Department for Education said it had no record of him having worked as a qualified teacher in English state schools.

--IANS

lok/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was freed from detention on Friday and left the military hospital where he had spent most of the past six years since the revolution that ousted him from office, his lawyer said.

Advocate Farid el-Dib said the 88-year-old former leader left Cairo's Maadi military Hospital on Friday morning and returned to his home in the northwest of the city, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mubarak, who was overthrown as Egypt's President in 2011 in response to mass protests against his rule, was acquitted by the country's top appeals court on March 2 of murder charges.

Initially arrested in April 2011, two months after stepping down, Mubarak stood trial on charges ranging from corruption to involvement in the murder of protesters demonstrating in the 2011 uprising which ended his 30-year rule.

Since then, he has spent almost six years in prison and military hospitals.

Mubarak has already served a three-year sentence for embezzling state funds allocated for maintaining presidential palaces, but time he had spent in detention in connection with the murder charges was subtracted from it.

He was originally sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for ordering the murder of 239 demonstrators during the 18-day revolt.

In 2014, an appeals court ordered his retrial along with his senior officials. But the charges were dropped.

Then the public prosecution appealed the retrial and the Court of Cassation, the highest in the country ordered his acquittal on March 2.

In all, more than 800 people are believed to have been killed as security forces clashed with protesters in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities around Egypt, during the 2011 uprising.

For many activists, his freedom would represent the end of the fight for justice for the 30 years of abuse and corruption throughout his dictatorship and for the violence during the revolution.

--IANS

soni/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korea on Friday sent condolences to the UK for Wednesday's terror attack in London outside the Parliament which claimed five lives.

According to a report on state-media KCNA, North Korean Prime Minister Pak Pong-ju sent the condolence message to his British counterpart Theresa May, Efe news reported.

Pak stressed the North Korean government's consistent rejection of all forms of terrorism.

The UK is one of only western European countries that maintains relations with the isolated country.

The good bilateral relations led to the opening of embassies in 2000 in Pyongyang and London, where the second highest official of the North Korean legation, Thae Yong-ho, defected last year.

The London attacker, Khalid Masood, a British national with a criminal record for offences including assault and weapons possession, rammed his car into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge and fatally stabbed an officer guarding the Parliament building before being gunned down by the police.

The terrorist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday.

Police have arrested 10 people so far.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In keeping with the Delhi Election Commission's order ahead of the municipal polls, officials on Friday started plastering over the words "Aam Aadmi" from Delhi government-run schemes on display, and some even went to the extent of covering (AAP) leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's face, which was not part of the order.

Ahead of the April 23 municipal elections in the capital, the Delhi Election Commission directed that the government in the capital remove the words "Aam" from all forms of display of its schemes.

The state poll panel's order came on the memorandum of opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijender Gupta, who had demanded that the words "Aam Aadmi" be removed, as reference to Delhi's ruling AAP.

The commission, through a letter on Tuesday, directed the Delhi Chief Secretary and all the three city municipal commissioners to remove the word "Aam" from all forms of display, including hoardings, banners, name plates, billboards, in Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics and Aam Aadmi Bypass Express Service or anywhere within the jurisdiction of the Delhi government.

However, on Friday, officials while carrying out the directive to cover the word "Aam" with newspaper also plastered over the next word "Aadmi", on hoardings, billboards and banners of the Delhi government's flagship Mohalla Clinic scheme across the city.

In the process, the authorities also covered up the photographs of Kejriwal and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in several banners and hoardings of Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics.

Elections for the North, East and South Delhi Municipal Corporations are scheduled on April 23 and the results will be announced on April 26.

The model code of conduct is in force from March 14.

The AAP is gearing up for intensive campaigning for the civic polls from March 31.

AAP convenor Kejriwal has planned several public meetings across the city for the municipal polls.
Oklahoma Republican George Faught Says Rape And Incest Are "The Will Of God"

Once again, Republican men are saying horrific things about rape.

Yesterday, Oklahoma state representative George Faught shared his terrifying beliefs about women's bodies, women's rights to control their own bodies, and the violence done against women's bodies. Faught is the author of a bill that would make it illegal in Oklahoma to pursue an abortion in the case of a genetic abnormality in the fetus. The proposed bill currently makes no exceptions for rape and incest. When asked by fellow state representative Cory Williams about these cases of rape and incest, Faught said that both were "the will of God."

According to the New York Times, Williams began by asking Faught if rape is "the will of God."

Faught responded, "Well, you know, if you read the Bible, there's actually a couple circumstances where that happened. The Lord uses all circumstances. I mean, you can go down that path, but it's a reality unfortunately."



Williams then asked Faught if incest is also "the will of God."



Faught responded, "Same answer. Doesn't deal with this bill."



Williams said, "You are proffering a divine intervention as the reason why you won't do that and so I think it is very important. This body wants to know  and myself personally  whether you believe rape and incest are actually the will of God."



Faught said, "You're saying that God is not sovereign with every activity that happens in someone's life and can't use anything and everything in someone's life. I disagree with that."





This isn't the first time a Republican man has said something pretty horrific about rape. Let's review:



"If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to shut that thing down."  Todd Akin, 2012



"Rape victims should make the best of a bad situation."  Rick Santorum, 2012



"Even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."  Richard Mourdock, 2012



"If a woman has (the right to an abortion), why shouldn't a man be free to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman? At least the rapist's pursuit of sexual freedom doesn't (in most cases) result in anyone's death."  Lawrence Lockman, 2014



But apparently, Faught's colleagues agreed with him, because the bill passed in the House with 67 votes.



Via Broadly, the Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice said:



'This bill is a deeply damaging to reproductive healthcare, as well as the doctor-patient relationship. Further, we find it absolutely unacceptable and inappropriate that the bill's author, George Faught, argued on the House floor that sexual assault is the will of God. Oklahoma women and families deserve better than a politician that uses his personal dogma to explain away violent crimes against women.'



NARAL has given abortion rights in Oklahoma a "severely restricted" label. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 96% of Oklahoma counties do not have access to an abortion clinic. Only one other state  North Dakota  bans abortion on the basis of fetal abnormalities.

Top photo: Detail from the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, Wikimedia Commons



More from BUST

My Rape Is Not A Cautionary Tale

Why I'm Proud To Be An Angry Feminist

These Women Dressed Up As Handmaids From 'The Handmaid's Tale' To Protest Texas Abortion Laws

Erika W. Smith is BUST's digital editorial director. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @erikawynn and email her at erikawsmith@bust.com.
At least one person was arrested and over six kg of silver was seized by the Border Security Force personnel in West Bengal's Malda district, an official said on Friday.

The BSF troopers at Bajitpur outpost observed suspicious movements near the riverine border area and detained a man on Thursday night while he was trying to cross over to Bangladesh.

"Nazirul Seikh, 56, a resident of Murshidabad district's Schoolpara village, was arrested while trying to cross the International Border," Ajay Kumar of BSF's South Bengal Frontier said.

"BSF seized 6.3 kilograms of silver worth approximately 2.6 lakh rupees," Kumar said.

"The apprehended person was handed over to the Custom Department of Murshidabad district's Aurangabad," the officer said.

The South Bengal Frontier of the BSF has seized over 53 kg of silver and arrested three smugglers this year so far.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/py/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday initiated an inquiry into the disappearance and theft of priceless artwork and preciouspaintings from the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) here.

According to the FIA, 134 pieces of art, worth millions of rupees, have either disappeared or have been stolen from the PNCA over the last ten years.

Centuries-old works of art which have gone missing from the PNCA include Ustad Allah Ditta's famous Ramchand and Lakshman painting, the Dawn online reported.

Ustad Bashratullah's Half Kali Devi and Half Mahadev has also disappeared.

The missing pieces of art have been reported either as having been gifted to influential people or sold at high prices in the black market.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcast and Cultural Heritage referred the inquiry to the FIA after it was discovered during a stock check at the PNCA that many pieces were missing.

--IANS

py/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian Coast Guard on Friday seized a Pakistani fishing boat in its territorial waters off the Gujarat coast, officials said.

Coast Guard officials said the boat, operating within Indian waters close to Jakhau port in north Gujarat, will be escorted to a Indian port and the fishermen will be interrogated by security and intelligence agencies.

--IANS

ao/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a bid to provide great experiences to consumers, India is set to launch two smart intelligence-based smartphones on March 27 in the country.

The company on Friday sent out media invite for the event that reads "a new conversation around smartphones intelligence is about to begin, #ArboIsHere."

"Arbo" will be a smart intelligence-based feature. Whether it is a digital assistant or an artificial robot is not yet clear.

Earlier this month, the company launched two new smartphones in its Eluga series -- Eluga Pulse X and Eluga Pulse -- at Rs 10,990 and Rs 9,690, respectively.

The devices come with 4G/VoLTE connectivity and pack a powerful 1.25 GHz quad core processor with a 3GB RAM for Eluga Pulse X and 2GB RAM for Eluga Pulse.
The Rajya Sabha on Friday witnessed an uproar and was adjourned for 10 minutes over the government reportedly approving a proposal to create a new National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes.

The issue was raised soon after the house met for the day's business at 11 a.m. by Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, who opposed the idea of creating the new Commission, saying the government must protect "reservation and rights" of the Backward Classes of the country.

He was supported by other members from the opposition benches.

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot assured the house that reservation of the Backward Classes would not get affected because of the new Commission.

However, the opposition members did not pay any heed to him and gathered in front of the Chair. They shouted slogans against the government.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien tried to pacify the members by saying that since the minister has assured them, they should go back to their seats.

The agitated members did not listen to him either. Kurien then adjourned the house for 10 minutes.

--IANS

sk/in/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday accused the BJP and RSS of going ahead with their agenda of turning a secular India into a "Hindu rashtra" as well as violence and communal polarisation in some states.

He said both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were targeting Communist Party of India-Marxist cadres in Kerala and Tripura since his party was the one consistently attacking their agenda of "Hindu rashtra".

"They are engaged in working out communal polarisation and are also engaged in violence. We have been their target in Kerala for ages; and now they are working to see us out of power in Tripura and out of West Bengal... the issue is very serious...," he said.

Yechury told the media here that the CPI-M will deal with the matter through democratic means.

He also accused the BJP of flouting all precedents in Parliament and holding parliamentary procedures in contempt.

"I have just been informed by my colleague in the Rajya Sabha that the government has decided to move the Finance Bill in the lower house today (Friday) after the private members bills.

"Such a thing has never happened before. The BJP has absolute contempt for parliamentary procedures. They are resorting to all this because they do not have the numbers in the upper house."

The CPI-M leader said the situation in Uttar Pradesh was going from bad to worse ever since new Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had assumed office after the assembly elections.

"The RSS and other self-appointed vigilantes are taking law into their own hands and closing down slaughter houses. There is clear-cut law in the state on this aspect, but that's not being followed ever since the new Chief Minister has assumed office," the Left leader said.

Yechury said moral policing had also been taken up by forming 'anti-Romeo squads'.

"Had the BJP announced Yogi Adityanath as their chief ministerial candidate before elections, they would not have come to power in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

--IANS

sg/tsb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics said on Friday during a shareholders' meeting that despite the allegations against the company's heir, the firm was not involved in the South Korean "Rasputin" corruption scandal.

Kwon Oh-hyun apologised to the shareholders gathered in Seoul for the inconvenience caused by the detention and trial of Lee Jae-yon, Samsung's de facto President, and stressed that the company did not break the law, Efe news reported.

In statements reported by the Korea Herald, he said the contribution at the centre of the controversy surrounding the company was made to help a public interest issue but was used for a different purpose, and the decision did not require the Board of Directors or the management's approval.

The contribution refers to the 43 billion won ($38.3 million) donated to two foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, known as the South Korean "Rasputin" for her proximity to former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached on the March 10 following the scandal.

The public prosecutor's office believes the payments were made in exchange for the South Korean public pension fund authorising a merger of two Samsung subsidiaries (one of which was owned by the fund) in 2015 to reinforce Lee's control over the group.

Lee was detained in February on the basis of these accusations and his trial began on March 9, with a ruling expected in May.

Lee, 48, is the de-facto President of Samsung, the largest South Korean business group, which accounts for one-fifth of the country's GDP.

He took charge of the firm in 2014 after his father, Lee Kun-hee, suffered a heart attack.

Despite the significant challenges that Samsung Electronics suffered last year, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fiasco or Lee's arrest, the company's shares have been touching record high after it announced a restructuring of its management in November.

--IANS

soni/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's largest lender, the State Bank of India on Friday said it would initiate the process for selling 10 percent of its shares in its life insurance arm through an initial public offering (IPO).

According to a regulatory filing, the executive committee of the SBI's central board has accorded in-principle approval to "initiate process for offer for sale of 10 percent of shares through initial public offer".

The bank also said it would explore the possibility of diluting 8 percent of its stake in SBI Life Insurance through IPO offer, out of total 10 per cent offer for sale.

SBI owns 70.1 per cent of the life insurer while BNP Paribas Cardif owns 26 percent.

--IANS

bdc/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Friday gave the Central government a week to file their response to a plea seeking life-time ban on contesting election for those convicted of serious offences as it was told that the matter has already been referred to the constitution bench.

The bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Navin Sinha granted the time as government counsel told the court that the response has been finalised as the matter has already been referred to the constitution bench.

Appearing for the PIL petitioner, BJP leader Aswini Kumar Upadhyay, senior counsel Vikas Singh said that the Election Commission has supported the plea of banning a convicted person from contesting election for life.

In his PIL, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader has sought direction to the government to provide adequate infrastructure to setup special courts to decide criminal cases against elected representatives, public servants and members of judiciary within one yearand to debar those convicted from the legislature, executive and judiciary for life in spirit of the Constitution's Article 14 read with Article 15 and 16.

He also sought direction for the implementation of the electoral reforms as recommended by the Election Commission, Law Commission and National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution to ensure free and fair election in spirit of Article 324.

The court has fixed April 18 as next date of hearing.

--IANS

pk/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Amy Schumer feels lucky to be in a relationship with Ben Hanisch because he is "very protective" and understanding of her fame.

The "Trainwreck" star has been dating furniture designer Hanisch, who relocated from Chicago to live with her here, for over a year. She is thankful he is always "really cool" with the attention that comes with life in the public eye, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"He's very protective of me. Like, not overprotective, but if someone's taking pictures of me or filming in a restaurant, he'll start taking pictures of them," Schumer told Glamour magazine.

"He's really cool. It's not a problem to be around any of the sorts of people who are at these events. He takes it all in his stride. But when I say, 'Shall we get out of here?' He's like, 'Yes'," she added.

--IANS

ks/nn/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on Friday banned Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying on Air India and four private airlines for assaulting an Air India employee.

"Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this MP from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," the group's Associate Director Ujjwal Dey said in a statement.

"We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," the statement added.

Besides Air India, the other airlines which won't allow Gaikwad to fly are IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air.

The FIA demanded "strict action" against the MP.

"We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living," Dey said.

Air India also cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket to Pune.

The decision was taken a day after Gaikwad thrashed an Air India employee repeatedly with his slipper after he was forced to travel in economy class from Pune to Delhi despite holding a business class ticket.

Video footage of the incident also showed the MP from Osmananabad in Maharashtra trying to push down the employee, R. Sukumar, from the plane despite pleading from other airline officials to behave.

A common practice among international and some private Indian airlines, this is the first time the Indian national carrier has blacklisted a rowdy passenger.

On Thursday, Air India said it was examining the possibility of creating a 'no fly' list of unruly passengers on the lines of other airlines.

The airline also lodged FIRs against Gaikwad - for assaulting a shift manager and delaying a scheduled flight to Goa.

Sukumar, the employee who was attacked, said he first requested the MP to deboard in English but was told to speak in Hindi.

When he began to speak in Hindi, Gaikwad flared up and hit him.

All through Thursday and Friday, the Shiv Sena leader refused to apologize, saying the airline staff was rude. He said he had the backing of party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

"I will not apologize. Why should I? It's not my mistake. They should apologize first, then (we) will see."

Asked how he would go back to Pune on Friday when a case had been registered against him, the MP said he didn't care.

"What is the nature of the case? I will go. My lawyer, my party and Uddhav Thackeray Saheb will see to the matter."

On his part, Gaikwad has shot off complaints to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding an inquiry into the incident.

Thackeray has reportedly sought an explanation from Gaikwad for his behaviour.

The FIA also proposed the "no fly list" to include "all unruly passengers" keeping in mind the safety and security of "our colleagues and other customers".

"Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the government and security agencies to enforce such a 'no fly' list," Dey said.

--IANS

team-mr/py/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Friday refused to apologise for assaulting an Air India staffer "25 times" with his footwear and said he would travel by the same airlines' flight to go to Pune in the evening.

"I will not apologise. Why should I? It's not my mistake. They should apologise first then (we) will see. I will go to Pune this (Friday) evening in a flight of the same airline. I have booked the ticket. I am a passenger," Gaikwad said.

Asked how he would go to Pune when a case has been registered against him, the Osmanabad MP said he did not care about it.

"What is the nature of the case? I will go. My lawyer, my party and Uddhav Thackeray Saheb (Shiv Sena chief) will see to the matter."

Gaikwad on Thursday assaulted an Air India official with his footwear after he was forced to travel economy class though he had an open business class ticket. The flight was an all-economy one.

A defiant Gaikwad admitted to beating the airline staffer "25 times" with his slipper accusing him of misbehaving with him when the flight landed in Delhi.

The incident happened when flight AI852 from Pune reached Delhi around 10.30 a.m. on Thursday.

The Osmanabad MP was later booked in two cases for assaulting the Air India staffer and delaying a scheduled flight.

--IANS

rak/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The on Friday appeared sympathetic to its MP Ravindra Gaikwad - charged with assaulting an Air India staffer - saying while it did not endorse his action it wanted to know why the situation was allowed to escalate to this level.

"The speed at which our party MP has been banned from flights, if Air India had similarly ordered an improvement in its services, it would have been better," Rajya Sabha MP and spokesman Sanjay Raut said.

Raut said although his party had no agenda for violence, "if provoked the party would hit back appropriately.

"The question does not concern only one MP, but the common masses in the country also who have to suffer due to the service of Air India," Raut said, appearing to defend Gaikwad.

He alleged that when passengers were being "looted" in airports at Mumbai and New Delhi, why such promptness was lacking on improving Air India's service.

Raut said rather than the party taking any action, it would let the law would take its own course in the matter.

Meanwhile, Harshal Pradhan, the media advisor to President Uddhav Thackeray, said Gaikwad had submitted his explanation to the party, but declined to reveal details.

He termed the issue as "minor" but blown out of proportions by the government to divert attention from major issues like farmers suicides in the country.

The party has been under fire from all quarters with Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam demanding that the Sena should sack its "goonda MP".

Osmanabad MP Gaikwad admitted to having assaulted an Air India staffer "25 times" with his slipper and even tried to push him out of the aircraft in Delhi on Thursday.

Earlier, Air India and all private airlines blacklisted Gaikwad and cancelled his tickets, leaving him with limited travel options to and from New Delhi and his constituency.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi have returned from the United States where Sonia Gandhi had gone for health check-up, the party said on Friday.

"Congress President and Vice President have returned to India. Thanks to all the countrymen and Congress people for their good wishes," party's spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet.

The Congress President had travelled to the US on March 8 for a health check-up, while son Rahul joined her last week.

Now that Rahul has returned, the Congress brass will brainstorm over the results of assembly elections in the five states, which proved to be a mixed bag for the party, some party leaders indicated.

But the Congress failed to form governments in Goa and Manipur despite emerging as the single-largest party in both states.

Some party functionaries have also been calling for Rahul's elevation as the party President.

--IANS

mak/nir/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi have returned from the US where Sonia Gandhi had gone for health check-up, the party said on Friday.

"Congress President and Vice President have returned to India. Thanks to all the countrymen and Congress people for their good wishes," party's spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet.

Sonia Gandhi had left earlier this month for the check-up.

With the return of top two leaders, the party is now expected to hold a formal introspection about its performance in the assembly polls to five states and its massive loss in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Asked about organisational changes, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters that these were on the cards.

"Both of them are back and we hope and trust that as far as Sonia Gandhi is concerned, she is hale and hearty . I think you should be fair enough to give us all a chance to breathe. especially those who have returned yesterday. That (change) is definitely on the cards but you do not have to put timer switch to it," he said.

There have been suggestions by party leaders that Rahul Gandhi should be elevated as party chief.

--IANS

ps-mak/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A suicide bomber was killed in a blast in front of a police box near Dhaka airport on Friday, media reports said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Airport) Ruhul Amin Shagor said a suicide bomber attempted to attack the police box overlooking the airport intersection at 7 p.m., Dhaka Tribune reported.

He confirmed the attacker has been killed, and no other casualties were reported.

The attacker, an adult man dressed in jeans and a shirt tried to blow up the outpost with explosives in his pocket or tied around his waist.

According to a witness, the bomber was not carrying anything in his hands, but looked like a drug addict.

Talking to media, Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said the attacker, in his early 30s, was also hauling a luggage which is being inspected by the Bomb Disposal Unit.

He also said it may not have been a suicide attack, but a lethal slip when the terrorist was spooked out and detonated the charges early.

The suicide attack comes exactly a week after another bomb attack on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) camp -- an anti-crime, anti- unit of the Bangladesh Police -- at the city's Ashkona area, barely half a kilometre away from the airport blast site.

--IANS

vgu/vm

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Morgan Freeman, who was on a working trip to India last year, terms his experience of being in the country "settling". The Oscar-winning screen legend says memories of the time he spent on the Ganges will forever remain with him.

"I was fascinated by India. So going there was a very settling experience. I went there for a spiritual trip more than a sight-seeing trip. So, it was a spiritual experience for me. The time I spent on the Ganges will stay with me forever," Freeman told IANS in an email interview.

The actor, who has featured in cinematic gems like "Street Smart", "Glory", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Seven" and "Bruce Almighty", came to India last year to explore "the story of god" in a documentary series. The 79-year-old is also executive producer of "Madam Secretary" -- season three of which airs in India on AXN.

During his tryst with India for "The Story of God", he visited Bodh Gaya and Varanasi -- cities which are of religious significance.

Asked what aspect of the country inspired him and would he ever make a film on India, Freeman said he is not sure of the second part as he didn't have much time in hand to explore the country deeply.

The 79-year-old said: "I didn't see enough of the country to make a film on it. I haven't been able to stay for so long to have a judgment on the same. However, we all are looking for great content. So, yes, will I ever make a film in India? Absolutely!"

As for "Madam Secretary", it is a political drama which stars Tea Leoni as Dr Elizabeth McCord, a former CIA analyst who is appointed as the US Secretary of State. The show also focuses on the personal lives of the characters.

Talking about the inspiration behind the show, Freeman said: "After we sat down with the story we realised we had three strong female characters from the State Department. Initially, when we sat down with the story we thought it will be based on Hillary Clinton's life, but later we realised it's a lot more than that. The Secretary of State involves a lot of intricate things."

He got his break through the "Hello, Dolly!" musical in the 1960s. Freeman then entered the world of small screen via the 1971 TV series "The Electric Company". He earned acclamation for films like "Driving Miss Daisy" -- which earned him an Oscar nomination. The honour, however, came for "Million Dollar Baby".

Freeman's filmography has varied projects like "Invictus" and commercial entertainers like Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "Deep Impact" and "Olympus Has Fallen".

Freeman feels working for television can turn out to be "pretty difficult".

"There are a lot of challenges when it comes to making shows. It is difficult to come up with the content as there are so many outlets. And they are growing, over the internet. So it's bit of a challenge. You need ideas and you need writers," he said.

After over 30 years in the industry, Freeman has opted for the quieter life of the small town of Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta region, away from Hollywood.

The actor said he was raised in the Mississippi region, adding that it was "like living near nature".

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)

--IANS

sug/nv/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump on Friday authorised the construction of controversial Keystone XL pipeline across the US border, reversing one of the most controversial environmental policies of his predecessor Barack Obama, officials said.

Canadian company TransCanada announced it received the State Department permit to construct, operate and maintain the Keystone XL pipeline on the border between the US and Canada.

The company said that now it needs to receive an approval for the pipeline's route through Nebraska, a process that could take several more months, Politico reported.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer earlier said on Twitter that Trump would make an announcement on the pipeline at 10.15 a.m. (local time) Friday.

Just days after taking office, Trump set a 60-day deadline for the State Department to decide whether to issue the permit, which the Obama administration had rejected in 2015, citing environmental and climate concerns.

Trump had promised during his campaign he would approve the pipeline as part of a plan to boost US energy production, said the report.

Environmental groups had turned their campaign against the pipeline into rallying cry to fight climate change, sparking a years-long battle in Washington between the oil industry and greens.

In a statement, Trump's State Department said it had considered foreign policy implications of the decision, as well as the nation's energy security, and the environmental, cultural, and economic impacts.

--IANS

soni/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Trump administration is making it tougher for millions of visitors to enter the US by demanding new security checks before giving visas to tourists, business travellers and relatives of American residents.

Diplomatic cables sent last week from Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson to all American embassies instructed consular officials to broadly increase scrutiny. It was the first evidence of the "extreme vetting" Trump promised during the presidential campaign, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The new rules do not apply to citizens of 38 countries, including most of Europe and longstanding allies like Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, who can be speedily admitted into the US under the visa waiver programme.

That programme does not cover citizens from any country in the Middle East or Africa.

Even stricter security checks for people from six predominantly Muslim nations -- Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- remain on hold because federal courts have temporarily blocked Trump's travel ban.

Embassy officials must now scrutinise a broader pool of visa applicants to determine if they pose security risks to the US, according to four cables sent between March 10 and March 17, said the report.

That extra scrutiny will include asking applicants detailed questions about their background and making mandatory checks of social media history if a person has ever been in territory controlled by the Islamic State.

Trump has spoken regularly of his concern about the threat of "radical Islamic terrorism" from immigrants. But it is unclear who, exactly, will be targeted for the extra scrutiny since Tillerson's cables leave that decision up to security officers at each embassy.

Consular officials and immigration advocates said the administration's moves will increase the likelihood of denial for those seeking to come to America, and will further slow down a bureaucratic approval process that can already take months or even years for those flagged for extra investigation.

In 2016, the US issued more than 10 million visas.

There are legitimate reasons someone might be targeted, such as due to an evidence of a connection to terrorism or crime. But advocates also said they worry about people being profiled for extra scrutiny because of their name or nationality.

"Consular officers should not hesitate to refuse any case presenting security concerns," Tillerson wrote in the cables.

"All visa decisions are national security decisions," he added.

The President's first attempt to put tougher screening in place was the executive order aimed at temporarily blocking refugees and people whom Trump called "bad dudes" from predominantly Muslim countries.

Courts blocked the first version of the President's order after a chaotic rollout just days into his term. A second order was blocked this month.

--IANS

soni/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two more airlines -- AirAsia and Vistara -- on Thursday "banned" Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for beating up an Air India employee.

The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association also sought an unconditional apology from Gaikwad and threatened to direct its members "not to operate any flight which has Gaikwad on board".

While AirAsia said it "will support any decision taken by the industry", Vistara said "the concerned individual will be barred from flying on any of our flights with immediate effect".

Vistara said it was "in full solidarity" with Air India.

"The individual concerned will be barred from flying in any of our flights with immediate effect," a Vistara spokesperson said.

Earlier, Air India, IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air banned Gaikwad on their flights with immediate effect.

--IANS

spk/nir/mr/py

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Hassanin Aly Plaintiff - Appellee v. Hanzada for Import & Export Company, LTD Defendant - Appellant National Beef Packing Company, LLC Defendant No. 16-3353 Decided: March 23, 2017

Before SMITH,1GRUENDER, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

Hassanin Aly obtained a jury verdict and judgment for breach of contract against Hanzada for Import & Export Company, Ltd. Hanzada appeals, claiming the district court: (1) lacked subject matter jurisdiction; (2) lacked personal jurisdiction; and (3) erred in not applying the statute of frauds. Having jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  1291, this court affirms.

I.

Hanzada is an Egyptian company that imports and exports beef. Aly is a dual citizen of Egypt and the United States. Since 2001, he has resided in Ohio for 8 to 9 months of the year.

In Egypt, Aly met Samy Shaheen, an Egyptian citizen and an owner of Hanzada. Shaheen asked Aly to help Hanzada import beef from the United States. In 2005, Aly facilitated a contract for Hanzada to purchase beef from Greater Omaha Packing. Shipments began in early 2006. Hanzada compensated Aly with beef products.

In August 2006, Aly and Shaheen drove to Missouri to view the headquarters of National Beef, Inc. During the drive, Aly claims they made an oral contract: if Aly could get National Beef for Hanzada, Hanzada would pay Aly $10 per metric ton of beef purchased. Aly says Shaheen reaffirmed the contract in Missouri near National Beef's headquarters and again on a plane ride to Kansas.

Aly established a relationship with National Beef. In August 2008, Hanzada began buying product from National Beef. Hanzada did not pay Aly under the terms of the oral contract.

In 2012, Aly sued Hanzada for breach of contract. Hanzada moved to dismiss, asserting no subject matter or personal jurisdiction. The district court denied the motion. In its answer and amended answer, Hanzada again challenged jurisdiction. It moved for summary judgment, invoking Missouri's statute of frauds. The court denied the motion (and later Hanzada's motions for judgment as a matter of law on the same issue). A jury found in favor of Aly, awarding $1,591,286.60 in damages. Hanzada appeals.

II.

Hanzada argues the district court lacked subject matter jurisdiction because the parties were not diverse. This court reviews whether diversity jurisdiction exists de novo, and factual findings for clear error. Branson Label, Inc. v. City of Branson, Mo., 793 F.3d 910, 915 (8th Cir. 2015). The plaintiff bears the burden of proving subject matter jurisdiction. V S Ltd. P'ship v. Dep't of Hous. & Urban Dev., 235 F.3d 1109, 1112 (8th Cir. 2000).

The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions where the matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000  and is between  citizens of a State and citizens or subjects of a foreign state  28 U.S.C.  1332(a)(2). See U.S. Const. Art. III,  2 (The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases  between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.). The district court found: (1) Aly is a citizen of Egypt and the United States; (2) when Aly sued, he was domiciled in Ohio; and (3) Hanzada is an Egyptian citizen. Hanzada did not challenge these findings. The district court concluded it had diversity jurisdiction because Aly was a citizen of a U.S. state, and Hanzada a citizen of a foreign state.

In order to be a citizen of a State within the meaning of the diversity statute, a natural person must both be a citizen of the United States and be domiciled within the State. Newman-Green, Inc. v. Alfonzo-Larrain, 490 U.S. 826, 828 (1989). Alya U.S. citizen, domiciled in Ohiois a citizen of a State under  1332(a)(2). Hanzadaa citizen of Egyptis a citizen of a foreign state under that statute. This is a civil action[ ]  between  [a] citizen[ ] of a State and citizen[ ] or subject[ ] of a foreign state under  1332(a)(2).

Hanzada believes Aly's Egyptian citizenship makes the parties non-diverse. Aly's Egyptian citizenship does not defeat jurisdiction. An individual who resides in more than one State is regarded, for purposes of federal subject-matter (diversity) jurisdiction, as a citizen of but one State. Wachovia Bank v. Schmidt, 546 U.S. 303, 318 (2006), citing Newman-Green, 490 U.S. at 828 (an individual is deemed a citizen of the State of her domicil); Williamson v. Osenton, 232 U.S. 619, 625 (1914) (domicil is the technically preeminent headquarters' of a person; [i]n its nature it is one ). For purposes of federal jurisdiction, domicile and citizenship are synonymous terms, and a person can have only one domicile at a time  Ellis v. Southeast Const. Co., 260 F.2d 280, 281 (8th Cir. 1958) (alterations omitted). The district court did not clearly err in determining Aly was a citizen of the United States, domiciled in Ohio. This made Aly a citizen of Ohio, and only Ohio, for purposes of  1332(a) because an individual is a citizen of only one place.

The district court relied on an alternative ground, the Seventh Circuit's widely adopted Sadat rule: only the American nationality of the dual citizen should be recognized under 28 U.S.C.  1332(a). Sadat v. Mertes, 615 F.2d 1176, 1187 (7th Cir. 1980). See Molinos Valle Del Cibao, C. por A. v. Lama, 633 F.3d 1330, 1341 (11th Cir. 2011) (holding that an individual who is a dual citizen of the United States and another nation is only a citizen of the United States for the purposes of diversity jurisdiction under  1332(a)); Sanchez v. Aerovias De Mex., S.A. De C.V., 590 F.3d 1027, 1028 n.1 (9th Cir. 2010) (applying Sadat); Frett-Smith v. Vanterpool, 511 F.3d 396, 400 (3d Cir. 2008) (We agree with the courts that have already decided this issue and hold that for purposes of diversity jurisdiction, only the American nationality of a dual national is recognized.); Coury v. Prot, 85 F.3d 244, 247 (5th Cir. 1996) (For purposes of diversity jurisdiction, only the American nationality of a dual national is recognized.); Action S.A. v. Marc Rich & Co., 951 F.2d 504, 507 (2d Cir. 1991) (applying Sadat). Applying the Sadat rule yields the same result: Aly was a U.S. citizen, domiciled in Ohio; his Egyptian citizenship does not defeat jurisdiction.

The district court properly found diversity jurisdiction.

III.

Hanzada contends the district court lacked personal jurisdiction. This court reviews personal jurisdiction de novo. Fastpath, Inc. v. Arbela Techs. Corp., 760 F.3d 816, 819 (8th Cir. 2014). When challenged, the plaintiff bears the burden to show that jurisdiction exists. Id. at 820. Where, as here, no hearing is held on the motion, this court views the evidence most favorably to the plaintiff, resolving factual conflicts in the plaintiff's favor. Id.

Aly believes Hanzada waived this argument by participating in the lawsuit. See Yeldell v. Tutt, 913 F.2d 533, 539 (8th Cir. 1990) (holding defendants waived personal jurisdiction by providing no more than a bald assertion in their answer that the court lacked personal jurisdiction over them). Hanzada did not waive its personal jurisdiction challenge. It filed a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. It then challenged personal jurisdiction two more times during the litigation. Hanzada maintained a continuing objection to the court's jurisdiction. Id. See generally Dakota Indus., Inc. v. Ever Best Ltd., 28 F.3d 910, 914-15 (8th Cir. 1994) (reviewing a personal jurisdiction appeal where defendants filed and lost a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and then proceeded to trial).

On the merits, [b]ecause the Missouri long-arm statute authorizes the exercise of jurisdiction over non-residents to the extent permissible under the due process clause, this court considers whether the assertion of personal jurisdiction would violate due process. Eagle Tech. v. Expander Americas, Inc., 783 F.3d 1131, 1136 (8th Cir. 2015) (quotations and citations omitted). There must be sufficient minimum contacts between a defendant and the forum state so that jurisdiction over a defendant with such contacts may not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.  Downing v. Goldman Phipps, PLLC, 764 F.3d 906, 912 (8th Cir. 2014), quoting World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson, 444 U.S. 286, 291-92 (1980). Determining whether asserting personal jurisdiction over a party comports with due process, this court considers five factors: (1) the nature and quality of the contacts with the forum state; (2) the quantity of those contacts; (3) the relationship of those contacts with the cause of action; (4) Missouri's interest in providing a forum for its residents; and (5) the convenience or inconvenience to the parties. Eagle Tech., 783 F.3d at 1136. This court gives significant weight to the first three factors. Fastpath, Inc., 760 F.3d at 821.

Aly asserts that Hanzada, through Shaheen, had the following contacts with Missouri: (1) In 2006, Shaheen traveled with Aly to National Beef's headquarters in Missouri, where Shaheen agreed to pay Aly $10 per metric ton if he could get National Beef for Hanzada; (2) At an unspecified time, Shaheen and Aly flew on National Beef's private plane to Missouri; and (3) In 2010, Shaheen met with Aly and the president of National Beef's international division, at its headquarters in Missouri, to discuss the quantity of exports. Hanzada does not contest these contacts, conceding [a] few brief visits for a couple of hours over many years to National Beef's headquarters in Missouri by  Shaheen and Aly.

The first and second personal jurisdiction factors consider the nature, quality, and quantity of Hanzada's Missouri contacts. The district court said:

In arranging the contract at issue, Hanzada acquired strong, numerous, and relevant contacts in Missouri. Hanzada's representative [Shaheen] traveled to Missouri, where he contacted Aly. He negotiated and concluded the contract in Missouri. The contract's focus was establishing a business relationship between Hanzada and National Beef, a Missouri corporation. As Hanzada expected and intended, the contract obliged Aly to network with National Beef executives in Missouri for Hanzada's benefit. Thus, the first two prongs favor the exercise of personal jurisdiction.

As the district court found, Hanzada entered a contract in Missouri to establish a business relationship with National Beef, a Missouri corporation. The contract envisioned future transactions between Hanzada, Aly, and National Beef. Hanzada's representative, Shaheen, returned to Missouri at least twice to meet about the Missouri-made contract. Hanzada's physical entry into the Stateeither by the defendant in person or through an agent, goods, mail, or some other meansis certainly a relevant contact. Walden v. Fiore, 134 S. Ct. 1115, 1122 (2014). The contact was substantialforming a contract to establish a business with a Missouri corporation. See Downing, 764 F.3d at 912 (finding contacts with the forum were frequent and substantial where an attorney made trips attempting to settle [his] state court cases and to secure personal compensation), citing Chromalloy Am. Corp. v. Elyria Foundry Co., 955 S.W.2d 1, 4-5 (Mo. banc 1997) (holding two trips to Missouri are sufficient minimum contacts for personal jurisdiction where the purpose of the trips was to initiate and further the purchase of a foundry from a Missouri corporation). The district court did not err in finding the first two factors weigh in favor of jurisdiction.

The third factor considers the relationship between Hanzada's Missouri contacts and this lawsuitwhether the defendant purposely directs its activities at the forum state and the litigation results from injuries relating to the defendant's activities in the forum state. Id. at 913 (alterations omitted). Hanzada entered a contract in Missouri to conduct business with a Missouri corporation. It later discussed terms of the contract (the amount of beef sold) in Missouri. As the district court found, [t]he Complaint's sole cause of action is for breach of contract, which is predicated exclusively on Hanzada's breach of its oral contract with Aly, which gave rise to several Missouri contacts. Although Hanzada argues it did not breach the contract in Missouri, proximate causation between the contacts and the cause of action is not required. Id. The district court properly found this factor weighs in favor of jurisdiction.

The fourth factor considers Missouri's interest in providing a forum for its residents. The district court found, without authority, that Missouri favors protecting contractual expectations arising within its borders. Because neither party is a Missouri resident, this factor does not favor jurisdiction.

The fifth factor considers the convenience to Aly and Hanzada of litigating in Missouri. Missouri is not a convenient forum for either party, one of whom resides in Ohio and the other in Egypt. As the district court found:

As an Egyptian business association with only Egyptian principals, Hanzada stands to incur great cost and inconvenience in conducting transnational discovery and possibly having to fly witnesses and executives from Egypt to defend a lawsuit in Missouri. This factor opposes a finding of personal jurisdiction.

Three of the five factorsincluding all three of significant weightfavor jurisdiction. The district court properly exercised personal jurisdiction over Hanzada.

IV.

Hanzada asserts the district court should have granted its motions for summary judgment and judgment as a matter of law based on the Missouri statute of frauds. This court reviews the applicability of the statute of frauds de novo. Melford Olsen Honey, Inc. v. Adee, 452 F.3d 956, 961 (8th Cir. 2006).

Under Missouri law, [n]o action shall be brought  upon any agreement that is not to be performed within one year from the making thereof, unless the agreement upon which the action shall be brought, or some memorandum or note thereof, shall be in writing  Mo. Rev. Stat.  432.010. Where a plaintiff has fully performed under the contract, the statute of frauds is no defense:

[T]he great weight of authority supports the rule that the statute of frauds has no application where there has been a full and complete performance of the contract by one of the contracting parties, and the party so performing may sue on the contract in a court of law.

Koman v. Morrissey, 517 S.W.2d 929, 935-36 (Mo. 1974), quoting 37 C.J.S. Frauds, Statute of  251, p. 762. Finding Hanzada breached a contract with Aly, the jury found Aly fully performed under the contract. Because he fully performed, the statute of frauds does not apply

Even if Aly had not fully performed, the statute of frauds does not apply. As the district court found, the key question is whether the contract could be performed within one year. See Crabb v. Mid-Am. Dairymen, Inc., 735 S.W.2d 714, 716 (Mo. banc 1987) (Our cases hold, consistently, that a contract is not unenforceable under the statute of frauds if it could possibly be performed in compliance with its terms within one year, even though the actual performance is expected to continue over a much longer period.). Hanzada argues the contractrequiring it to pay Aly $10 per metric ton received from National Beefcould never have been performed within one year because of the involved process of establishing a relationship and exporting beef to Egypt. Although many steps were required before National Beef began selling beef to Hanzada, there is no evidence it was impossible to perform the agreement fully within one year. See Vess Beverages, Inc. v. Paddington Corp., 886 F.2d 208, 212-13 (8th Cir. 1989) (interpreting Missouri law as holding that where an oral contract is for an indefinite period of time, it does not violate the statute of frauds).

The district court properly found the statute of frauds inapplicable.

The judgment is affirmed.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable Greg Kays, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

BENTON, Circuit Judge.
The CPI-M on Friday said the crackdown on slaughter houses in Uttar Pradesh will affect the livelihood of 25 lakh people and urged the Modi government to protect minorities' rights.

"In the name of closing down illegal slaughter houses, the UP government is targeting all slaughter houses on the specious plea of controlling illegal trade of cow meat. There have been instances of widespread attacks on meat shops in various parts of the state," said the CPI-M.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist said the "atrocious attacks" had been mounted on the minority community since Adityanath Yogi became the Chief Minister.

"It may be noted that Uttar Pradesh accounts for nearly 50 per cent of India's total meat exports and such a policy will affect the livelihood of 25 lakh people directly or indirectly," it said.

"Moreover, all sections involved in the production and sale of meat all over the state are being targeted and at times subjected to physical assault.

"The CPI-M calls upon the central government to ensure the protection of the constitutional guarantees for religious minorities and prevail upon the BJP state government to desist from following such a disastrous course," it added.

--IANS

and/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US will not attend a peace conference on Afghanistan organised by Russia on April 14 in Moscow, according to US State Department sources.

The sources did not explain to EFE on Thursday the reasons why the US will not attend the conference. The conference will be attended by countries like India, Pakistan and Iran in addition to Afghanistan.

According to Sputnik news agency, the Taliban will not participate in the conference.

In February, Russia had convened a six-party meeting on peace in Afghanistan, in which India, China, Iran and Pakistan participated, in addition to delegations from Kabul and Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the time criticised the former Barack Obama administration for its position on the Afghan conflict and was convinced that he could forge closer cooperation with the Donald Trump administration.

Lavrov also stressed the importance of involving the Taliban in the dialogue for constructing peace in Afghanistan, in keeping with the criteria set out in UN Security Council resolutions, Efe news reported.

The Russian Foreign Minister and the National Security Advisor to the Afghan Presidency Mohamad Hanif Atmar met in March to prepare for the April 14 conference.

--IANS

in/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Days after the BJP installed its government under Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday cautioned party MPs from the state to refrain from pressurising state officials and asked them to focus on the development of their region, sources said.

Modi's remarks came during his meeting with parliamentarians from the state over breakfast at his official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and party veteran Murali Manohar Joshi also attended the meeting.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Ministers Ananth Kumar refused to divulge details of the meeting but said the Prime Minister meets with MPs from different states during the Parliament session.

But later, the party issued a statement that the Prime Minister urged the MPs to coordinate with the newly installed government in .

"The Prime Minister said that BJP has formed the government in the state after 15 years. The BJP government has began the process of development and social service with its full strength," the statement said.

It added: "For the success, good governance, converting the state from 'Bimaru' to 'Sucharu', establishment of corruption free government and fulfilment of the aspirations of the people, the MPs need to work in coordination with new government."

"Prime Minister asked us to refrain from transferring and posting of officials. This causes unnecessary pressure on the state government," a BJP parliamentarian who was present at the meeting quoted Modi as saying. The MP spoke to IANS on condition of anonymity.

The BJP leader said the Prime Minister also asked the MPs to focus on the development of their region.

"The mandate is for development. We have to focus on development only. Good governance is mantra of development," the BJP leader quoted Modi.

Sources said the Prime Minister said that the MPs have a good opportunity to develop their region as there is a BJP government in the state as well as at the Centre.

He also asked party MPs to work in coordination with the state government.

This was the first such meeting after BJP leader Yogi Adityanath took over as Chief Minister of on Sunday.

The Prime Minister hailed the MPs for their hard work during the assembly elections and urged them to continue their work.

Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi and Mathura MP Hema Malini also attended the meeting, among others.

The BJP won 312 seats in the just-concluded elections to the 403-member assembly. The party has promised all-round development in the state.

Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha, is crucial for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in view of the 2019 general elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has 71 MPs from Uttar Pradesh, including Modi himself.
It is unfortunate that some opponents, communalists are trying to portray him as a rabble-rouser and fringe personality. They should go through his parliamentary debates. Those reveal his seasoned thinking on various issues of governance, union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on his Facebook page on March 19, 2017, referring to Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief minister .
The Union cabinet has approved setting up of Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes replacing the Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a cabinet meeting on Wednesday and approved amending the Constitution and inserting Article 338B for setting up the new commission.
Lucknow's VVIP Guest House has become the most powerful address in Uttar Pradesh (UP) ever since newly-appointed Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi checked in to one of its suites after his elevation to the top post.
An unrepentant MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Friday said that he would not apologise to the Air India staffer whom he assaulted, and instead blamed the airline employee for the incident.

The MP drew more flak on Friday, with four private Indian carriers banning him from flying, while Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju promised that action would be taken against him.

Gaikwad told reporters at the Maharashtra Sadan in the morning that he has no regret over his actions, saying "kaahe ka pashchaataap (what is there to repent)?"

"I will not apologise...He (AI Manager Sukumar) should come and apologise... Then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave," he said.

Gaikwad said he went out to watch a Bollywood movie Badrinath ki Dulhaniya last night to "relax" himself after journalists sought his reaction over the incident.

"Tension-free hona chahiye na...You also watch the movie...It's very good," he said.

The first-time lawmaker also said he had made Parliament "proud", when asked if his act has brought shame to the temple of democracy.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot take suo motu action and that she will take a call if it is brought to her notice in the House.

"I always say every human being should behave in a nice manner with everyone...Whosoever it is, your behaviour should be good with everyone. As a mother I would suggest that to everyone. I will understand everything and then I will comment," she told reporters before entering the House.

Gaikwad also said that he has had no conversation with his party chief Uddhav Thackeray since the incident and added that he has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Civil Aviation Minister regarding the incident.

On Thursday Gaikwad had repeatedly hit a 60-year-old Air India officer with sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, while the has sought an explanation from him.

"Police can arrest me...My party, Uddhav saheb will take care of it," he said.

Raju said the incident "should never have happened".

"It was an unfortunate incident. It should never have happened. What has to happen (now), will happen. I am not saying no action has to be taken. Action has to be taken and we will do it. That is not the problem at all.

"I am also an MP. We are not above the law and we have to follow the law of the land," he told reporters outside the House.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Manish Tewari said the Sena MP should be expelled from the House for his "outrageous" and "brazen" act of "cowardice".

"He (Gaikwad) should be expelled from the House. It has the inherent power to do so. It doesn't require anyone to complain...It should take suo motu cognisance," he said.

Meanhwile, the Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as members, has taken a "strong view of the incident and accordingly taken a decision to bar Gaikwad from flying", an FIA source said.

The FIA will not allow the Sena MP to fly on its member carriers, the source said.
Nepal's indomitable spirit in the wake of the catastrophic 2015 earthquake will manifest in the Kathmandu Triennale, that will pay tribute to the people who lost their lives in the disaster.

The over two-week-long art festival titled, "My City, My Studio / My City, My Life", that begins here today, will be a catalyst for a contemporary reflection on the relationship between art, the city and its heritage.

Organised by the city-based Siddhartha Arts Foundation (SAF) and SMAK (the Museum of Contemporary Art, Gent, Belgium), the triennale, curated by Philippe Van Cauteren, artistic director of SMAK, will host approximately 70 artists from about 25 countries.

"The title reflects the strong and complex interaction between art and life in this city. The studio, as the symbolic locus for the artistic practice, is exchanged for the city.

Noting how cities have always been the hub where avant-garde movements or artistic innovations take place, the triennale will reimagine the city as a platform and working ground for artists.

"This is also true for art, as well as most social, political, and cultural changes, which are related to the hive that is the city.

"In Nepal, Kathmandu also occupies a specific position in these aspects. If one only considers the population growth of the last 15 years - the population almost doubled to about 1,200,000, it becomes clear that this city has undergone drastic changes," organisers said.

The festival rejects the stereotypical idea of Kathmandu as a hub forhippies, and presents it as a city where the challenges of tradition and modernity meet.

"Through the heavy pollution and dense traffic of this wonderful city, one still finds plenty of moments where ancient traditions (religious and other) organize life.

"The city of Kathmandu is an exceptional and inspiring research station where artists from Nepal and other countries can develop their work independent of the burden of the art world," organisers said.

The exhibition therefore will articulate the multiple and complex interrelations between the artist, his practice and the city as a metaphor for life.

While some artists directly address the notion of



thecity, reflecting elements of urbanism and architecture in their work, others reflect on the city as a social organization, a living and changing organism built by people of different social and cultural backgrounds.

"In each case, elements of the city of Kathmandu are taken as building bricks for the artistic creations.Whatever stance the artists take, they all respond immediately to the context of Kathmandu.

"The experience of the city stimulates them to respond in a direct, fragile, and sincere way. Moving between the city and the studio, the firstKathmandu Triennale is a tribute to the city and the artist," organisers said.

The festival will be held across four main exhibition venues: Patan Museum, SiddharthaArts Gallery, Taragaon Museum, and Nepal Art Council.

In addition to the central exhibition, the triennale will also host curated showcases or independent exhibitions by institutional and individual partners from Qatar, Bangladesh, UK, Finland, Poland, and Australia.

The programme includes series of pre-event encounters such as workshops, master-classes, and other means of educational outreach.
Twenty people have been arrested in China for selling an addictive cough syrup in the country's northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, police said.

More than 6,700 bottles of a compound containing codeine phosphate, a potentially addictive prescription drug, have been seized, Shenyang police said.

The syrup is manufactured in Shenyang.

Preliminary investigation showed that an employee from a retailer in north China's Hebei Province sold the cough syrup for profit by falsifying orders from clients, most of which are rural medical institutions, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Codeine, which is extracted from opium or synthesised from morphine, can lead to drug addiction.

Using codeine-based drugs in excessive amounts can also cause problems like stomach ulcers and liver damage.

Substances containing codeine are strictly controlled by China.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. United States of America Plaintiff - Appellee v. Marchello Rembert Defendant - Appellant No. 16-2695 Decided: March 23, 2017

Before LOKEN, BEAM, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

Marchello Rembert appeals from his conviction and sentence on charges of firearm possession and possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute. He challenges the admission of a Facebook video at trial, as well as the district court's application of the career-offender enhancement at sentencing. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

In June 2015, while responding to a complaint of disorderly conduct, Waterloo Police recognized Rembert at the scene as a passenger in an SUV. An officer arrested Rembert on an active warrant and during a search incident to arrest, located a large wad of money and individually wrapped clear plastic baggies containing a white substance believed to be crack cocaine. Before being placed in the police vehicle, Rembert spoke to the driver of the SUV, Trisha Millard. In that conversation, Rembert told Millard that the officer found crack in Rembert's pocket.

Once Rembert was secured in the police vehicle, the officer approached Millard who had returned to her vehicle. When Millard told the officer she had a bottle of alcohol in the car, the officer asked Millard to exit the vehicle. Millard told the officer there was a firearm in the SUV and that she had a license to carry a pistol. A search of the SUV revealed a firearm under the driver's seat, marijuana in the console, a marijuana blunt in the ashtray and loose marijuana throughout the vehicle. There were two latent prints on the firearm, one of which matched Rembert's left index finger and was located on the left side of the firearm above the front edge of the trigger guard.

As part of the investigation, police examined Rembert's Facebook page and obtained a video, posted by Rembert in January 2013, depicting Rembert holding a firearm in his left hand with his left index finger on the trigger guard (almost identical positioning to the left index fingerprint recovered from the pistol), rapping, and smoking what looks like a marijuana blunt. The video included a caption that read Real thugz 'bout dat, get at me. Bang, bang!!!!!!!!!!!! The government filed a pretrial motion seeking the admission of this video, claiming it went to knowledge, intent, absence of mistake, and lack of accident. Rembert objected to the admission of the video altogether and additionally argued that if the district court admitted the video, at the very least the caption should be redacted. The government explained that it could not redact the caption without also redacting the information indicating that Rembert posted the video and the date and time it was posted, and further suggested that if Rembert would stipulate that he posted the video to his Facebook page, the government would redact all of the information. At trial the district court admitted the video with the caption in place.

A jury convicted Rembert on all charges. At sentencing the district court sentenced Rembert to a total term of imprisonment of 210 months, in part based on the application of a career-offender enhancement that relied upon a previous revocation of an extended juvenile jurisdiction charge to support one of the adult convictions underlying the enhancement. Rembert appeals, challenging the admission of the video and the use of his juvenile charge revocation to support the career-offender enhancement.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Admission of Facebook Video

A district court's ruling under Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) is reviewed for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Turner, 583 F.3d 1062, 1065 (8th Cir. 2009). A district court's admission of prior act evidence will be reversed only when such evidence clearly ha[s] no bearing on the issues in the case and was introduced solely to prove the defendant's propensity to commit criminal acts. United States v. Benitez, 531 F.3d 711, 716 (8th Cir. 2008). The district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the Facebook video in this case.

Rembert challenges what he claims to be the government's all or nothing approach with the admission of the Facebook video. He claims that the imagery presented to the jury was highly prejudicial and had no probative value at trial, focusing especially on the prejudice he claims occurred by playing the entire video. The government indicated prior to trial that it intended to introduce the Facebook video to establish that Rembert's touching of the firearm discovered in the vehicle was not accidental, as the placing of the fingerprint was consistent with how Rembert generally (and uniquely) held a firearm. Rembert agrees that the video might show how he holds a firearm but claims the other aspects of the video were highly prejudicial and irrelevant, including the foul language he uses and the caption of the video. It is the latter two aspectsthe sound and the captionthat Rembert claims the government should have omitted. He claims only images from the video were necessary to establish the government's point and that he should not be prejudiced because of the government's technical inability to remove the caption separate from the date stamp on the video.

The video at issue was relevant on many fronts, and the potential prejudice of the video does not substantially outweigh its probative value. In order to convict Rembert, the government had to show that he possessed the firearm because he either knowingly ha[d] direct physical control over [the firearm], or because he ha[d] both the power and the intention at a given time to exercise dominion or control over [the firearm]. Eighth Circuit Model Jury Instruction 8.02. Evidence that a defendant possessed a firearm on a previous occasion is relevant to show knowledge and intent. United States v. Walker, 470 F.3d 1271, 1274 (8th Cir. 2006). Here, the video images are additionally probative of Rembert's knowing and intentional possession of the firearm found in the vehicle. The handling of the firearm in the video was nearly identical to the manner in which Rembert would have handled the firearm found in the vehicle based upon the placement of his prints. His left index fingerprint was found in a specific place, the same area where he is previously seen holding a firearm (or firearm-like object) in the video. Too, this video was not overly remote in time to the crime charged. United States v. Bassett, 762 F.3d 681, 687 (8th Cir. 2014) (admitting evidence of a robbery similar in kind that occurred about eleven years prior to the charged offense).

Rembert does not articulate how his use of foul language and the video's caption make the video unfairly prejudicial. The words used on the video are to a rap song, not his own, and the caption does not otherwise associate Rembert with any specific category of behavior. It is also important to note that the government offered to omit the caption of the video if Rembert had stipulated that he was the one who posted it, and that he was the one depicted in the video, but Rembert did not stipulate to those conditions. Finally, the district court also gave a limiting instruction regarding the video, which serves as a protection against unfair prejudice. Id. at 688. Certainly the government could have isolated images from the video to show the key images of Rembert needed to prove his knowing and intentional possession of the firearm, and possibly, in hindsight, the playing of the entire video was surplusage. No matter, however, the viewing of the Facebook video in its entirety was not unfairly prejudicial and the district court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the video in evidence. Benitez, 531 F.3d at 716.

B. Career-Offender Enhancement

This court reviews de novo a district court's determination that a conviction is a crime of violence under the Guidelines. United States v. Maid, 772 F.3d 1118, 1120 (8th Cir. 2014). An individual is subject to the career-offender enhancement if he or she is convicted of two felonies that qualify either as a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense. U.S.S.G.  4B1.1. One of Rembert's prior felonies the district court relied upon in applying the career-offender enhancement in this case was a juvenile conviction for aiding and abetting first-degree robbery that was later revoked and classified as an adult conviction. Rembert argues that the revocation of his Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction (EJJ) for Minnesota aggravated robbery does not constitute an adult conviction for purposes of the career-offender enhancement. He acknowledges that this argument is foreclosed by United States v. Nash, 627 F.3d 693 (8th Cir 2010), but urges that Nash was wrongly decided and should be overruled.

Minnesota's process of EJJ was detailed by this court in Nash. Id. at 695. Upon revocation of an EJJ case and the imposition of the adult sentence, as happened with Rembert:

the offender's extended jurisdiction status is terminated and juvenile court jurisdiction is terminated. The ongoing jurisdiction for any adult sanction, other than commitment to the commissioner of corrections, is with the adult court.

Minn. Stat.  260B.130, subd. 5. The Minnesota Court of Appeals has held on multiple occasions that an EJJ adjudication constitutes an adult conviction. State v. Jiles, 767 N.W.2d 27, 29 (Minn. Ct. App. 2009). According to Nash, once EJJ is revoked, the defendant is thus no longer in juvenile court and the resulting EJJ adjudication is a predicate conviction under the Armed Career Criminal Act. 627 F.3d at 696. Thus, the district court correctly held that the revocation of Rembert's EJJ constituted a felony for purposes of the career-offender enhancement in this case. Nash remains the law of this circuit. United States v. Meeks, 639 F.3d 522, 529 (8th Cir. 2011) (As one panel of this Court cannot overturn the decision of another panel of the Court, we reject [the defendant's] challenge as well.).

III. CONCLUSION

For the reasons stated herein, we affirm.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable Linda R. Reade, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.

. We have likewise considered Rembert's argument submitted in his pro se brief concerning the admission of evidence regarding the name and nature of a prior drug conviction and the calculation of his sentence by the district court in light of Johnsonv. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015) and find them to be without merit. The evidence of Rembert's prior drug conviction was not presented for purposes of proving his status as a felon, but rather to show his intent to distribute crack cocaine, an element of the charge in count 2. United States v. Armstrong, 782 F.3d 1028, 1034 (8th Cir. 2015) (providing evidence of a prior drug conviction is relevant to show a defendant's knowledge or intent to commit a current crime); United States v.Jandreau, 611 F.3d 922, 924 (8th Cir. 2010). And, the district court properly applied the Guidelines at sentencing. Beckles v. United States, No. 15-8544, 2017 WL 855781, at *9 (U.S. Mar. 6, 2017) (concluding that the Guidelines are not subject to a vagueness challenge under the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause and, more specifically, that the vagueness holding in Johnson does not apply to the career-offender provisions of the Guidelines); United States v. Maxwell, 823 F.3d 1057, 1060-62 (7th Cir.) (holding that a conviction for simple robbery under the Minnesota statute is a crime of violence under U.S.S.G.  4B1.2(a)(1)), cert. denied, 137 S. Ct. 401 (2016).

BEAM, Circuit Judge.
As many as 5,000 additional post- graduate (PG) seats have been created in medical institutions in the country and the budget allocation for the health sector in the coming fiscal has been increased by 28 per cent, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Health Minister J P Nadda said the government has taken a number of steps to improve the health sector in the country including creation of 5,000 additional PG seats in medical institutions.

"There has been 27.7 per cent more allocation to the health sector in the 2017-18 budget. We are also planning to allocate 2.5 per cent of the GDP to the health sector in phase-wise," he said during Question Hour.

However, many state governments have returned the funds earmarked for the health sector as they have not been able to spend them, he said.

The Minister said the Centre has been offering help to the states to improve infrastructure and institutions in the health sector besides providing financial support, but the states have to spend the funds properly and submit the utilisation certificates.

The state governments have to take initiatives for appointing enough doctors in the rural areas for which the central government will provide the financial support.

Responding to another question, the Minister said there was no specific norm for performing surgeries. However, in emergency cases, such surgeries are performed immediately on priority in central government hospitals and institutions.

Nadda said the number of patients visiting central government hospitals and institutions, including the AIIMS here, for surgery and treatment was much larger compared to their handling capacity in terms of number of beds, manpower and other resources.

"Despite availability of huge infrastructure and other services in these hospitals, there is a waiting period for certain procedures due to the ever-increasing pressure on infrastructure and available manpower in these hospitals which varies from department to department in these hospitals," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Gujarat Government today informed that state Legislative Assembly that as many as 91 farmers have ended their lives for various reasons across the state in the last five years.

Responding to a written query by Congress MLA Tejashreeben Patel, state Agriculture Minister Babu Bokhiria said 91 farmers have committed suicide across Gujarat in the last five years (till October 2016).

The suicides were reported across 14 different districts of Gujarat. Jamnagar district witnessed the maximum number of such deaths with 48 farmers ending their lives, followed by Junagadh (13), Amreli (8), Rajkot (6), Bhavnagar (4), Mehsana (3), Surendranagar (2) and one each at Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gir-Somnath, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Vadodara and Surat, the reply said.

The year-wise break up revealed that maximum number of suicides (36) took place in the year 2012, followed by 33 in 2013, eight each in 2014 and 2015 and six in 2016.

Responding to a sub-question related to the reasons behind these suicides, Bokhiria said three farmers ended their lives due to crop failure, four others due to farming related debt, five due to non-farming debt and remaining 79 ended their lives for several other reasons.

Bokhiria added that the state government has taken several steps to stop farmers' suicide by launching various schemes, such as Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna and scheme to compensate for the loss of crop due to natural calamities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security at the IGI airport here was stepped up and activists armed themselves with roses and slippers to greet Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad but he was a 'no-show' following a ban on him by the domestic airlines.

Gaikwad had, earlier today, said that he would go ahead with his travel plan and take a return flight on Air India to Pune even if the airline cancels his ticket for this evening for assaulting one of its employee yesterday.

Carrying roses and slippers, members of Aam Aadmi Sena, a splinter group of Aam Aadmi Party, were also present at the airport.

They said they had come to the airport to ask for an apology from the Shiv Sena legislator, who lost his cool and beat up an Air India staffer with his slippers.

"We will first resort to Gandhigiri by giving a flower to the MP and ask for an apology. If he doesn't do that we will use the slippers and give him the same treatment he gave yesterday to the Air India employee."



Both CISF and Delhi Police personnel were seen in large numbers at the airport.

"I am booked on a 4 PM flight to Pune. I will take that flight. How can they not let me travel when I have a booking and I am their passenger," Gaikwad had threatened this morning while speaking to TV channels.

However, both security personnel and activists of Aam Aadmi Sena dispersed soon after when the MP did not turn up at the airport.

Air India today cancelled his return ticket. The MP then booked himself on an IndiGo flight for 5.50 PM but the budget airline, too, refused to take him onboard and refunded his money.

All domestic airlines have barred Gaikwad from flying on their flights with immediate effect. These include, Air India, Indigo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, GoAir, Vistara and AirAsia India.

Passengers at the airport, too, condemned the politician's behaviour.

"The incident highlights how elected representatives misuse their power. It shows the way in which they misuse their power. Such people should be banned from travelling for at least a year so that they know the importance of good conduct," Rohan Malhotra, a techie, said.

He also suggested that airlines could think of rating frequent flyers on the basis of their behaviour.

Priyadarshini R Sundar, a marketing manager said, "The MP's behaviour is not justifiable in any manner. The hesitation on the part of the police to press charges against him is even more appalling."



"If people think they can have their way just because of their political clout and the law enforcement agencies also play party to it, it sends out a wrong message," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Aditya Nath Yogi today visited a gang-rape and acid-attack survivor at a hospital here who was allegedly forced to drink acid by two men on board a train near here yesterday.

Taking serious note of the incident, the Chief Minister directed the police to arrest the accused and announced Rs 1 lakh assistance for the 45-year-old woman, who is being treated at the city's King George's Medical University.

The CM summoned ADG (Railways) Gopal Gupta and directed him to ensure that the accused are arrested.

The incident came to light when the woman got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Charbagh station here and gave a written complaint to the government railway police.

She wrote the complaint as she could not speak.

As per the complaint, two persons forced her to drink acid around 10.30 AM yesterday, police said.

This was fourth attack on the woman.

The two men had allegedly gang-raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar (Raebareli) in 2009, 100 kilometres from Lucknow.

The woman works with Sheroes Hangout Cafe, an outlet run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow, and had gone home on March 10 as her daughter was taking class 10 examinations.

She was returning yesterday when the incident took place.

In 2012, the woman was attacked with knife, in a serious attempt on her life, and in 2013 she was attacked with acid, police sources said.

Women Welfare Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi also visited the victim and assured all help for her.

Meanwhile, Inspector General (Lucknow Zone) A Satish Ganesh ordered action against three "insensitive" women constables who were taking selifies in the hospital near the victim's bed.

The photographs of the three women constables, sitting next to the bed of the victim and taking selfies went viral on the social media.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After carrier Air India cancelled the Pune flight ticket of Shiv Sena MP for assaulting one of its staffers at Delhi airport, budget carrier IndiGo also refused to take him on board.

The Sena MP had booked a ticket on IndiGo flight to Pune for this evening, which has been cancelled by the airline, sources said.

"He had booked on IndiGo's fight today at 1750 hours from Delhi to Pune. But the airline has cancelled the booking and is refunding the entire amount," the source said.

In a related development, Tata-SIA joint venture carrier Vistara also joined the carrier Air India and four private carriers' decision to ban Gaikwad from flying.

Disruptive and abusive behaviour by passengers is a serious issue and cannot be tolerated, both for safety and security reasons in a critical and sensitive industry such as aviation, as well for the safety and well-being of our staff and all other passengers, a Vistara spokesperson said.

"We support the statement made by Air India and the FIA, and are in full solidarity with them in support of the ban. The concerned individual will be barred from flying on any of our flights with immediate effect," the spokesperson said.

The airline also supports the promulgation of a "no-fly" list and concurs with the FIA and Air India in seeking the support of the government and security agencies to enforce such a directive whereby passengers on the "no fly list" will not be permitted to fly on any of the airlines, Vistara said.
State carrier Air India today barred Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaekwad, who had assaulted its staffer, from its flights and even cancelled his return ticket to Pune from here, anticipating backlash by its employees.

Gaekwad, who has been unapologetic about the incident yesterday, had earlier today said that he will be taking the Air India flight this evening.

Air India said it has also written to the Shiv Sena communicating the decision to cancel the ticket. Shiv Sena Secretary Anil Desai told PTI that he has asked Gaekwad to change his travel plans as the party doesn't want the tensions to escalate.

Gaekwad was booked on Delhi to Pune flight AI 849 scheduled for departure at 4 PM today.

"We have intimated Shiv Sena that we can't fly Gaekwad on his return flight because our employees are agitated. He has assured us that the party will advise the MP not to fly Air India today," said an Air India source.

"Our airport employees have said that they won't attend to him and they won't let him enter. In order to avoid any violence, we have written to Shiv Sena," he added.

Gaekwad told TV channels this morning, "I am booked on a 4 PM flight to Pune. I will take that flight. How can they not let me travel when I have a booking and I am their passenger."



Desai, also an MP, said that he has "acceded" to Air India's request and has also asked Gaekwad to "change his travel plans".

"An Air India official called me that their staff is upset over the issue. I have acceded to their request by asking my MP not to go ahead with his plan to fly Air India today," said Desai.

"I have also asked him to change his travel plans. We don't intend to escalate the tension," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Air Officer Commanding-in-chief of Eastern Air Command, Air Marshal Anil Khosla reviewed the operational readiness and infrastructure development of advance landing grounds (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh.

The visit was his first since taking up office in January this year, a defence communique informed here today.

During his three-day visit from March 22 to March 24, Khosla visited ALGs at Vijaynagar, Walong, Pasighat, Tuting, Along and Mechuka.

The AOC-in-C was briefed at the ALGs where he also visited the existing facilities and infrastructure including air traffic control, meteorology, radio telephony facilities, officers and airmen messes among others.

He also interacted with the staff manning the ALGs and emphasized on enhanced interaction with local civil administration and extending help to them whenever required, the communique said.

Indian Air Force (IAF) has taken up reconstruction plan to upgrade all existing ALGs in Eastern Air Command area and presently operations are underway at Ziro, Pasighat, Along, Walong, Tuting and Mechuka ALGs, it said.

While Su-30 MKIs have landed at Pasighat, C-17 Globemaster III and C-130J Super Hercules have also made landings at Mechuka.

Presently, AN-32s medium-lift tactical transport aircraft and IAF helicopters from Eastern Air Command routinely operate from these ALGs, the communique said.

The ALG at Tawang is currently being upgraded and is expected to be operational by June this year.

Meanwhile, upgradation of Vijaynagar ALG is expected to take some time as the issues of road connectivity from Miao to Vijarynagar is awaiting restoration.

Proper road is required to carry materials, machinery and manpower for construction purposes.

In addition to meeting the air maintenance and operational requirements of the far-flung areas in India's remote north-east, the ALGs also facilitate air connectivity with rest of the country and give a large fillip to tourism in Arunachal Pradesh, the communique added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who is at the centre of a raging storm for assaulting an elderly Air India employee, was today barred from flying all major domestic airlines in an unprecedented step in Indian aviation history.

The MP from Maharashtra's Osmanabad, however, continued to brazen it out and remained unapologetic about his conduct.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against him on the basis of the complaint lodged by Air India for repeatedly hitting with sandals 62-year-old Duty Manager R Sukumar on a Pune-Delhi flight after it landed here yesterday over not being able to fly business class despite having boarded an all-economy flight.

The national carrier had also lodged another complaint against him for holding up the aircraft.

Taking retributive action, the national carrier cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket to Pune after he boastfully asserted he would board the afternoon flight. Private airline IndiGo followed suit as, in an unprecedented show of unity, several air operators imposed a "ban" on him.

The Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir as its members, issued a statement declaring it has decided to "ban" the MP from flying on its aircraft.

"Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect. We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," FIA said in its press statement.

"In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers," FIA said.

"Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the Government and security agencies to enforce such a "no fly" list," it added.

The non-FIA member airlines --AirAsia India and Vistara -- also came out in support of the ban, which left Gaikwad "grounded" in the national capital.

Gaikwad said he has also filed a police complaint about alleged misbehavior by Air India officials apart from writing to the Civil Aviation Ministry on the issue.

Notwithstanding the all-round attack, an unabashed Gaikwad appeared on national TV again, declaring he had no regrets over the incident and demanding that the AI employee apologise instead.

He nonchalantly made it known to the media that he had watched a movie-- 'Badrinath ki Dulhaniya'--hours after the unsavoury incident in order to "relax" and advised journalists to watch it too. He said one should be "tension-free".

"Tension-free hona chahiye na...You also watch the movie...It's very good," Gaikwad told reporters who sought to know from him whether he had gone to watch a movie after the incident.

"Kaahe ka pashchaataap (what is there to repent)?" he shot back when asked by reporters at Maharashtra Sadan whether he regretted the incident.

"I will not apologise...He (Sukumar) should come and apologise... Then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave," he said.

Sukumar, who by Gaikwad's own admission, was hit with sandals "25 times", demanded that the MP must be punished.

Sukumar, who is with the state-owned airline's ground handling subsidiary, said the assuult on him was akin to a violent road rage incident. "Apart from hitting me with sandals several times, he repeatedly used MC, BC (cuss words in Hindi," he said.

"Police action should be taken to restrain these people from doing this kind of thing again. That is the most important thing. They should not keep on doing it. They should not take it as their birthright to assault a person," he told PTI while recounting the incident which has sparked nationwide outrage.

As the MP remained unrepentent, members of Aam Aadmi Sena, a splinter group of Aam Aadmi Party, descended on the IGI airport after watching Gaikwad claim on TV he would board 4 PM Air India flight to Pune despite the airliner having cancelled his ticket, to administer him a doze of his own medicine.

Carrying roses and slippers, the members told journalists they had come to display "Gandhigiri" and demand an apology from Gaikwad.

"We will first show Gandhigiri by giving a flower to the MP and ask for an apology. If he doesn't do that, we will use the chappal (slippers) and give him the same treatment he gave yesterday to the Air India employee," one of them said.

The agitated members of the group dispersed after Gaikwad's no-show at the airport.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amy Schumer has exited the "Barbie" film, where she was supposed to play the character that inspired the iconic doll.

The 35-year-old actress-comic has dropped out of the Sony movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Sadly, I'm no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts. The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I'm bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen," Schumer said.

A Sony spokesperson also said, "We respect and support Amy's decision. We look forward to bringing Barbie to the world and sharing updates on casting and filmmakers soon."



The project is currently without a director and the film's release has been pushed from May 12, 2017 to June 29 next year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man has been charged with terror offences including attempted murder after he was arrested driving at high speed into a crowded shopping area in the Belgian port city of Antwerp, prosecutors said today.

However, a source close to the investigation told AFP on condition of anonymity that investigators could not confirm if it was a terrorist attack and said the driver made little sense during interrogation.

Other sources said the charges could be interpreted as a "precautionary measure" in order to keep the suspect in detention.

The suspect, a 39-year-old Tunisian identified as Mohamed R, was charged with "an attempt to murder in a terrorist manner, an attempt to hit and wound in a terrorist manner and arms infractions," the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The authorities said they found a rifle and bladed weapons in the car after they arrested the suspect yesterday.

The incident came a day after a similar attack on the British parliament killed four people plus the attacker. Wednesday was also the first anniversary of the Brussels suicide bombings in which 32 people died.

Mohamed R. Drove at high speed through the busy Meir shopping area in Antwerp, forcing people to jump out of the way, authorities said.

He also ignored an initial order to stop by soldiers.

The Antwerp incident put Europe further on edge after the London attack and the incident at Paris's Orly airport last Saturday when a man was shot dead after grabbing a soldier's rifle.

Investigators said the man in Antwerp was clearly "under the influence of something" but it was not clear what substance.

He was not in a state to be questioned by police until today, a source said.

"His explanation made no sense" and "it is not confirmed that it amounts to a terrorist attack", the source added.

"Recently, he lived in his car -- given the mess we found in there -- between Belgium and the Netherlands where he was also checked by police," the source said.

Interrogated by French police, a friend of the suspect's said the weapon in the boot of the car had been there for a long time and did not work.

The Belgian federal prosecutor's office said the suspect was driving at "very high speed" and that "at different times pedestrians were placed in danger".

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel praised security services in the Flemish-speaking city that "did an excellent job".

A French source close to the investigation said the man had "spent the night in a holding cell" on the eve of the incident before being released yesterday morning.

A woman close to the suspect had called the police on Wednesday evening complaining that he had stolen her bag, the source added.

Meir is the main commercial street in Antwerp's historic centre and is mostly pedestrianised. It is one of the country's biggest shopping areas.

With soldiers deployed at key sites, Belgium has been on high alert since March 22 last year when suicide bombers attacked Zaventem airport and Maalbeek metro station, killing 32 people and leaving more than 320 wounded.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad said today he would file a defamation case against the Air India CMD and its staffer R Sukumar, who he allegedly thrashed, if they do not apologise for bringing "ignominy" to him.

Speaking to PTI, Gaikwad said he plans to file the case at a court in Osmanabad (Maharashtra), his Lok Sabha constituency, next week against the "main officials" of Air India for allegedly defaming him.

He has also filed a complaint at the airport police station against the airline officials for allegedly misbehaving with him.

"I have made a written complaint with DCP Sanjay Bhatia... I will file a defamation case against the CMD (Chairman & Managing Director) and officers (of Air India) next week for bringing ignominy to me across the country by spreading false information against me, besides insulting me.

"Now they will come to apologise to me there (in court). I will not sit quiet until they apologise," Gaikwad said.

Referring to the police complaint filed against him by Air India, he claimed the FIR cannot be registered against him without the approval from the Lok Sabha Speaker as Parliament is in session.

The Sena lawmaker said he has also raised the issue with Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, urging him to take action in the matter.

Hitting out at Sukumar, Gaikwad reiterated that the Air India staffer "misbehaved" with him and said the footage of the CCTV camera installed in the aircraft concerned can be checked to verify "who was at fault".

"The other AI employees kept telling him (Sukumar) that I was not at fault. Yet, he was arrogant, misbehaved with me..He spread false information that I misbehaved over seat issues," he added.

Gaikwad also said that he has already discussed the entire episode with his party leadership.

Confirming the filing of a complaint by the MP, a senior Delhi Police officer said, "He has given a complaint to DCP (Airport) against Air India officials alleging that they misbehaved with him by pushing him. He has also alleged that they didn't give him Business Class seats and instead made him sit in Economy Class."



Gaikwad is in the eye of a storm for repeatedly hitting the 60-year-old employee of Air India yesterday with a sandal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court today sought the response of the Union government on a plea seeking barring convicted persons from contesting polls for life and preventing their entry into judiciary and the executive.

A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha asked the government to file its reply in two weeks and posted the matter for further hearing on April 18.

The counsel appearing for the government said the reply was ready and will be filed in a couple of days.

The government said similar issues had already been dealt with by the apex court referred to the Constitution bench.

The bench, however, asked the government to file the reply to the plea.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Delhi BJP Spokesperson and advocate Ashwini Upadhaya, who has filed the petition also seeking setting up special courts for trial of criminal cases against lawmakers, said Election Commission of India (ECI) has filed its reply in which it supported some of prayers in the plea.

The bench said if the petitioner wished to file a rejoinder, he could do so.

Earlier this week the EC had told the apex court that it was in favour of barring convicted persons from contesting polls for life and stopping their entry into judiciary and the executive.

The EC had also said it was in favour of setting up special courts to decide criminal cases related to people's representatives, public servants and members of the judiciary in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution.

Terming the prayers as not adversarial, the poll panel said it supported the cause espoused by the petitioner.

With regard to direction for setting a minimum qualification and maximum age limit for legislators, the commission said the issue is in the legislative domain and will require amendment to the Constitution.

It also said it has been championing the cause of decriminalisation of politics within the constitutional and statutory framework, wherever possible with the aid of article 324, relating to the functions and powers of the poll body.

The EC has also issued necessary instructions in furtherance of the mandate to conduct free and fair elections and to "decriminalize democracy", it had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ben Affleck recently took his children to Disneyland and spent a fun-filled day with them.

The 44-year-old actor was spotted enjoying the rides with his kids and also interacted with fans, reported People magazine.

"The kids love spending time with their dad and vice versa," a friend of the actor told People magazine.

One of the onlookers, who rode "It's a Small World" with Affleck, noted the actor was wearing a Batman backpack.

The source, however, did not specify which of his kids - Violet, 11, Seraphina, 7, and Sam, 5 - accompanied him to the amusement park.

The "Superman v Batman" star even stopped to pose for a photograph with a fan's young daughter, who also tweeted about meeting Affleck.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A bill seeking to prevent US companies from outsourcing jobs overseas by "abusing" H1-B programme has been re-introduced in the House of Representatives and may hit Indian IT firms and professionals.

Democratic Congressman Derek Kilmer and his Republican colleague Doug Collins introduced the bill aimed at stopping employers, that are awarded temporary visas through the H-1B programme, from using them to train workers in the US and then move those jobs to another country.

"The Keeping American Jobs Act protects American workers by preventing bad actors from abusing the system in order to offshore jobs," said Collins in a statement.

The move comes days after the Public Broadcasting Service aired a documentary on H-1B visa programme that allows skilled workers from countries like India to fill high-tech jobs in the US.

"Protecting American jobs is crucial in order for our economy to continue to gain strength and momentum," said Collins.

"Companies have the opportunity to bring workers from overseas on H-1B visas in the event that qualified Americans aren't available, but we can't allow the law to be exploited to displace American workers and send their jobs abroad," he said.

"Our policies should promote jobs in America," said Kilmer.

"They shouldn't be about sending jobs done by hard working Americans overseas. That's why I'm continuing my push with Representative Collins to keep H-1B visas from ever being used to send any job to another country," he said.

Noting that H-1B visas allow American businesses to hire foreign professionals if skilled American workers are unavailable to fill job openings, a Congressional statement said the employees must have expertise in fields like science and technology and generally have college degrees.

"This week, 60 Minutes reported that unscrupulous employers have utilised the programme to bring foreign workers in and displace American jobs. This follows reports last year that American workers were forced to train holders to do their job so that the jobs could be permanently outsourced to foreign workers," the statement said.

During his presidential campaign, President Donald Trump had promised to increase oversight of H-1B and L-1 visa programmes that are used widely by Indian tech companies.

The is a non-immigrant visa that allows American firms to employ foreign workers in occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year.
A 10-year-old boy from Jabalpur suffering from was made chairman of the Madhya Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MPSCPCR) for a day today.

Shreyansh Waghmare had expressed his wish to visit Bhopal, and hence, a trip was arranged by the Commission.

is a progressive genetic disorder which causes a child to age rapidly.

"Shreyansh had expressed desire to visit Bhopal. So we decided to make him the Commission chairman for a day to make him happy," MPSCPCR chairman Dr Raghvendra Sharma told PTI.

Shreyansh took part in a programme here as the MPSCPCR chairman, Sharma said.

His father Arvind Waghmare said his son was very happy today.

"We have taken him to a hospital in Nagpur where doctors told him that this disease is incurable. Such kids live less, and therefore, it is always better to keep them as happy as possible," Waghmare said.

He further said Shreyansh's twin brother Siddhanth is absolutely normal and they both study in class V.

"Shreyansh is a normal kid in school but gets irritated occasionally when someone tries to pull his cap. He goes to school daily and takes interest in studies," he said.

was highlighted by director R Balki in his film "Paa" where Amitabh Bachchan had essayed the role of a child with Progeria.

Shreyansh, Waghmare says, is a huge fan of Bachchan and has epxressed his desire to meet the legendary actor.
Competition Commission on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 591 crore on state-owned for having discriminatory conditions in fuel supply pacts.

Apart from directing the company to "cease and desist" from anti-competitive practices, the watchdog has ordered modification in the agreements.

In a 56-page order, the watchdog has found the company violating competition norms by "imposing unfair/ discriminatory conditions in the matter of supply of non- coking coal to power producers".

Further, Competition Commission of India (CCI) said that did not "evolve/ draft/ finalise the terms and conditions of FSAs through a mutual bilateral process and the same were imposed upon the buyers through a unilateral conduct".

The penalty amount of Rs 591.01 crore translates to one per cent of Coal India's average turnover for the three-year period from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

This is the second order by the CCI on the complaints after its first ruling, passed in December 2013, was set aside by the Competition Appellate Tribunal (Compat).

Setting aside the first order, where CCI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1,773 crore on Coal India, the tribunal also asked the regulator to take a fresh look at the allegations.

After having a fresh look, CCI has imposed a reduced penalty of Rs 591 crore on the coal behemoth.

The complaints were filed against and its three subsidiaries -- Mahanadi Coalfields, South Eastern Coalfields and Western Coalfields. They were filed by Maharashtra State Power Generation Company and Gujarat State Electricity Corporation.

In today's order, the regulator has asked Coal India to modify the Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) and also ensure that uniformity between old and new power producers as well as between private and PSU power producers.

Even though Coal India enjoys operational freedom on commercial matters, CCI said its conduct is constrained by directions received from various stakeholders including Coal and Power Ministries.

"... All of whom exert influence and are involved in making decisions that impact various aspects of Coal India Ltd's business," the order said.

The regulator also noted that the company decides on pricing of coal keeping in mind the larger public interest and its social obligations.

Notwithstanding the overarching policy and regulatory environment within which Coal India has to operate, it has sufficient flexibility and functional independence in carrying out its commercial and contractual affairs, the order noted.

Coal India has also been directed to incorporate suitable modifications in the fuel supply agreements to provide for a fair and equitable sampling and testing procedure.

"Keeping in mind the continuous steps taken by Coal India Ltd in resolving issues with stakeholders, the CCI has drastically reduced the penalty amount to Rs 591.01 crore as opposed to a previous amount of Rs 1,773 crore," Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM & Co) said in a statement.

SAM & Co, which acted as the legal advisor to Coal India, said this is for the first time that the CCI has reduced penalty in a case of remand.
Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police S George today appeared in Madras High Court complying with its directive in a matter related to filing of a report on pending cases with the Central Crime Branch (CCB).

George, accompanied by Additional Commissioner of Police S N Sehasayee and other officials, appeared before Justice S Vaidyanathan, who had summoned him for the failure of police to file the report by the stipulated date.

The Judge had on March 20 cautioned that he might issue a non-bailable arrest warrant if the CoP failed to appear on March 27 but later advanced the date for today at Public Prosecutor Rajarathinam's request.

The matter relates to a petition in which the Judge had sought details of pending cases with CCB till 2011 by December 6 last year. He had then ordered if the report was not filed, the CoP would have to appear in court and give explanation.

On March 20, the Additional Public Prosecutor had sought to dispense with the personal appearance of the CoP, saying the report had been filed.

However, the Judge refused to take note of the report, saying it was not there in the case file when he perused it on Friday last. However, the cause list for Monday showed that the report had been filed, he had said.

He had then ordered the CoP to appear in the court and also directed the court registry to find out who had inserted the report in the file without his knowledge.

When the matter came up today, the CoP appeared before the Judge and the Public Prosecutor submitted the report.

He said in some of the cases the delay in filing charge sheet was due to stay ordered by the court, while some others related to land grabbing were pending in Supreme Court.

All other cases would be taken up and finalised within six months, the PP said.

Questioning the failure to arrest the accused after their bail and anticipatoary bail applications had been dismissed, the Judge said there was no need for a specific order from the court in these cases to detain the accused.

The Judge dispensed with further appearance of the CoP and posted the matter for further hearing to Septmber 20.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shares in a Hong Kong-listed Chinese dairy crashed more than 90 per cent, in one of the city's biggest sell-offs that wiped billions from its market capitalisation.

China Huishan Dairy collapsed 91 per cent in late morning trade before paring back marginally and heading into the break 85 per cent down at HK$0.42.

Trading in the shares was suspended by the start of the afternoon session.

It was not initially clear what caused the sudden sell-off but Bloomberg reported that hedge fund Muddy Waters had said in December the firm was "worth close to zero" and raised questions about its profitability.

The fund, created by short-seller Carson Block, said Huishan had been overstating how much it had spent on cow farms in order to "support the company's income statement".

The dairy at the time called for a brief trading halt but dismissed the claims as groundless. It also said chairman Yang Kai had even built on his holdings in the firm, according to the Financial Times.

Until Friday, Huishan had enjoyed a relatively stable performance since its 2013 listing.

Huishan has been contacted for a comment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congressional Caucus on India is working on a legislative agenda to push the Indo-US ties through US Congress in the next two years, Tulsi Gabbard, the new co-chair of the influential group has said.

"We are continuing to work on this, in consultation with the other members of our caucus, as well as leaders within the community here. Once we reach a consensus, then we'll share that vision, that agenda, and begin to execute a plan to carry it out," she told PTI.

Gabbard, the three-term Congresswoman, was last week elected as the Democratic co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.

Founded in 1994, the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, she said, has played a key role in driving forward the Indo-US ties.

"Strong groundwork has been laid, and we're now at a place where there is great interest, great excitement and great commitment towards continuing to strengthen the US-India ties," Gabbard, the first Hindu ever elected to the US House of Representatives, said.

"We're also dedicated to empowering Indian-Americans who are living here in the United States and creating new opportunities in different sectors for people here and the people of India to work together across different industries, different institutions, and, of course, our borders," she said.

She said bilateral cooperation on security is "at the highest level now than it's ever been, with many shared interests".

"The common objective of counter-terrorism and defeating terrorist groups is something that remains at the forefront and a high priority," the powerful Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii.

Gabbard said "there are mutually beneficial economic opportunities" that the two nations need to continue to explore.

"We're also looking at other areas like education and cultural exchanges between our two countries, as well as creating more opportunities for people of our countries to become more informed and to better know each other in order to strengthen these bonds," Gabbard said.

"This is one reason that for the last few years, I worked on creating the Hawaii-Goa sister state partnership, which was recently formalised legislatively," she said, adding that the formal ceremonies are yet to occur.

"But we're working to strengthen these bonds on many different levels, not only at the federal or national level, but also at the local level to bring our people closer together," said Gabbard.

(Reopens FGN 6)



Gabbard said over different administrations, whether it's been Democrats in the White House or Republicans in the White House, the caucus has continued to grow and continued to do its work in strengthening the US-India relationship."



"I would argue the caucus is stronger now than it's been before, and the relationship between our two countries is stronger than it's been before. There is shared agreements across Republicans and Democrats that there is nothing but potential to be able to continue down this path in different sectors, and in different ways. I'm confident that we will continue to do that," she said.

Gabbard noted that there is not much known yet on the specifics of policies that will come from Trump administration.

"But the commitment is there from Congress, from Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate, to continue upon the work that we have already done," she asserted.

Soon after the historic win of Donald Trump in the November 8 general elections, Gabbard had met the then president-elect.

Gabbard said Trump administration has stated clearly their commitment to fight terrorism, but exactly what that means, how, and where, she has no insight into.

"I'm focused on the role of Congress as we look at the proposed budget, the funding bills that will come, and the policies that we have in place. This is something that is important and should be important to all of us," she said.

Gabbard said the bilateral ties has deepened and strengthened after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.

"It's clear that under President Obama and Prime Minister Modi, that both leaders of the United States and India placed building a stronger relationship between our two countries as a high priority. And through the process, it became clear that both of these men actually became friends as well," she said.

"I know that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump have already spoken. My hope is that this relationship remains a high priority for the new administration as well," Gabbard said in response to a question.
CPI(M) today virtually rejected the Supreme Court suggestion for out-of-court settlement of Ayodhya land dispute saying it was a matter of law and not a matter of political settlement.

The Supreme Court cannot absolve itself of the responsibility of adjudicating the matter of land dispute. However, "if it is possible for a settlement...It is good", CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters here today.

Taking dig at Congress, Yechury said it was unfortunate that once again Congress party was vacillating on the issue. It was this vacillation that allowed the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 when P V Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, he said.

The matter went to court because the issue could not be settled out of court. The supreme court has to adjudicated title ownership of 2.77 acres of land. "It is matter of law and not a matter for political settlement", he said.

Attacking the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Yechury said vigilant groups of RSS in the name of cow protection was vandalising and terrosing the minority community.

In the name of cow protection and cracking down of illegal slaughter houses, the meat shops, meat retail outlets and all slaughter houses are being targeted, Yechury alleged.

With regard to the resolution passed by RSS in its Coimbatore on the alleged attack on RSS by CPI-M cadres in the state, Yechury said 'it is a clear case of pot calling the kettle black'.

Nine CPI(M) activists had been killed by RSS-BJP workers since May last, he said.

With regard to West Bengal, Yechury said that a serious situation of communal polarisation was happening in that state.

CPI-M leader also took exception to Centre bringing the Finance Bill for consideration in the Rajya Saba today after taking private members bill.

"Normally no government business used to be taken up after private members bill", he said.

On the performance of LDF government in Kerala, Yechury said it was moving in the right direction. "We will fulfil the promises made during the election period," he said.

"There is a government a the Centre which is antagonising the state", he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll from the terror attack on the UK Parliament claimed by Islamic State has risen to five as Scotland Yard confirmed that a fourth victim has died of injuries in an hospital.

A spokesperson for King's College Hospital in south Londonconfirmed that the 75-year-old man had been treated there prior to his death.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: "Detectives investigating the terrorist attack in Westminster on Wednesday, March 22 can confirm that the man died tonight, Thursday, March 23.

"The man had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening. Next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained family liaison officers," the spokesperson said.

The man has not yet been named.

Two people - American Kurt Cochran and Spaniard Aysha Frade - were also killed and about 40 others were injured when the 52-year-old attacker, identified as Khalid Masood, mowed down pedestrians on a bridge and stabbed to death a police officer outside parliament complex in the heart of Westminster before being shot dead by Scotland Yard.

Masood, who was born in Kent and had previously been convicted of violent offences, had been known to MI5 but was considered to be a peripheral figure. He was known by a number of aliases and had been living in the West Midlands recently.

Prime Minister Theresa May had said the attacker was British born and he was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism few years ago.

The ISIS on its propaganda agency 'Amaq' had claimed responsibility, saying a "Soldier of the Caliphate" carried out the attack on the British Parliament.

"The operation was carried out in response to calls to target coalition countries," it said in a statement.

Eight people have been arrested during raids across London and Birmingham following the attack on the Palace of Westminster in London, which houses Britain's Parliament and the iconic Big Ben.

In a message to the police, British Queen Elizabeth II said, "My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by the awful violence."



Among 40 injured, 29 were admitted to hospital including 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Police will organise a special screening of the upcoming spy thriller 'Naam Shabana' for its female officers next week in the presence of actor Akshay Kumar.

The screening of the film will be held at a multiplex in Connaught Place on March 27 in all probability and will be attended by Kumar.

Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik might also be attending the screening.

Aound 100 women police officers from various ranks and divisions of Delhi Police will be watching the women-centric film, said a senior police officer.

'Naam Shabana' is a prequel to 2015 film 'Baby' and it portrays' the journey of actress Taapsee Pannu's character to becoming a secret agent.

"It's a woman-centric film and the screening is a way to acknowledge the good work done by our women officers. It is also to motivate them to continue with their efforts," said the officer.

This is not the first time Kumar is collaborating with Delhi Police. In 2012, he had organised a screening of his film 'Rowdy Rathore' for the capital's police force.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dr Randeep Guleria was today appointed as the director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.

Dr Guleria joined AIIMS as an assistant professor in 1992 and has been the HoD of the department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders, since April, 2011.

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Randeep Guleria, professor and head, department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders, at AIIMS, New Delhi to the post of Director, AIIMS," a DoPT order said.

He has been appointed for five years from the date of assumption of charge or till attaining the age of 65 until further orders, it said.

Dr Guleria has worked as a personal physician to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has also treated Union ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.

Dr M C Mishra retired from the post of AIIMS director in January after serving for over three years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A DRDO-developed torpedo, a naval weapon system with an explosive warhead, will be exported to Myanmar.

This was announced at an event organised by the premier defence research laboratory.

It is learnt that the size of the order from Myanmar is around USD 37 million.

The technology for the torpedo is developed by DRDO and the system will be manufactured by a defence manufacturing firm.

Earlier, India had supplied a sonar navigation and surveillance system to Myanmar and size of the order was around Rs 180 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Enforcement Directorate has initiated investigation in 36 cases against ponzi companies in last three years, Parliament was informed today.

"The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has taken up investigations in 36 cases against 'ponzi companies' under the provisions of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 during the last three years," Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

Based on the complaints received, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has ordered investigation through Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) into affairs of 185 companies involved in ponzi, chit fund, multi-level marketing activity companies during the last three years and the current year, he said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has informed that it has registered 104 regular cases (RCs) related to Chit Fund and ponzi schemes in many parts of the country, he said.

In reply to another question, Gangwar said a total of 29 lakh debit cards were subjected to malware attack last year through ATMs that were connected with the systems of Hitachi.

According to RBI, SIS, the forensic investigation agency, had submitted the final report of investigation to Hitachi which was shared with by them with Yes Bank on February 9.

The final report suggested that the ATM infrastructure of Hitachi was breached and the data between May 21 and July 11, 2016 were compromised, but not the POS (point of sale) infrastructure, he said.

According to the minister, the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has said no independent investigation was carried out by it.

He further said the RBI has advised banks to improve and maintain customer awareness and education with regard to cyber security risks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's ousted president was today freed from a military hospital after six years in custody over charges of killing more than 200 protesters during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled him.

88-year-old Mubarak left the Maadi Military Hospital in southern Cairo and went to his home in the northern suburb of Heliopolis, his lawyer Farid El-Deeb told reporters.

Earlier this month, the Appeals Court gave its final verdict and acquitted Mubarak over charges of taking part in killing protesters during the 2011 revolution that dislodged him from power. He had been at Maadi Military Hospital since 2013, when he was transferred there on bail from Torah prison.

Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for taking part in killing over 200 protesters during the 18-day revolt which began on January 25, 2011, but a retrial was ordered on appeal.

In 2013, the court cleared Mubarak and his seven aides, including his interior minister Habib el-Adli, from the charge, but public prosecutors appealed the sentence.

Mubarak became president in 1981 after Anwar Sadat's assassination. He was the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region.

Mubarak will still face retrial in the "Ahram's gift" case as he and some of his aides are accused of accepting gifts from the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Mubarak, who ruled Egypt since the 1952 abolition of the monarchy, became president in 1981 after Anwar Sadat's assassination.

He was initially arrested in April 2011, two months after leaving office and had been at the hospital since 2013, when he was transferred there on bail from Torah prison.

A judge at a trial in May 2015 decreed that Mubarak could be released from detention.

However, the government of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was reportedly reluctant to free him, fearing public backlash that may accompany such a move.

Sisi served as Mubarak's military intelligence chief and led the military's overthrow of his democratically elected successor Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed as security forces clashed with protesters in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities around Egypt during the 18-day uprising that forced Mubarak to resign.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Describing the attitude of striking doctors as "adamant" and "insensitive", Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today warned of legal action and gave them an ultimatum to resume duties after his meet with their representatives later this afternoon.

Making a statement in the Legislative Assembly, Fadnavis said, "Enough is enough. If the doctors fail to resume work today, government will not sit quietly. We cannot leave the patients to die. I am making a final attempt to break the deadlock today by meeting the doctors' representatives. If no solution is found and doctors don't resume work, they should be prepared to face legal action."



Fadnavis said he failed to understand the "insensitive" attitude of doctors of leaving patients to die.

"What is the difference between anti-social tendencies who beat up doctors and the doctors themselves who take oath to treat ill people. I am surprised at the adamant stand of the doctors despite assuring that the government fully supports their demand," he said adding that the doctors have disregarded the directives of the High Court.

"People consider doctors to be like a God. They shouldn't wait to be referred to as demons. What kind of politics is being done," he asked.

Fadnavis said among their demands that have been accepted, include security audit of hospitals and access control to OPD, casualty and other wards.

The demand for armed security guards has also been accepted.

He also said that government has promised free legal and medical aid to doctors in case of an attack and they will be treated as government servants.

Maharashtra Medical Education minister Girish Mahajan too



warned the resident doctors to withdraw their agitation and resume work or face stern action.

The issue came up in the State Legislative Assembly after the Question Hour when Pratap Sarnaik (Shiv Sena) highlighted the problems faced by patients due to the strike which entered the fifth day today.

Mahajan said despite the High Court directive and appeal by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the doctors have not yielded.

"They have taken in writing from us that we are accepting their ten demands which include providing 1,100 security guards. These guards will be hired from private agencies run by former police officials at a salary of Rs 20,000 each. The government has sanctioned Rs 33 crore for the purpose," he said.

"The doctors tell us they are satisfied with our approach and then go out and tell that they will continue with their agitation. This is getting out of hand and the government is feeling helpless. We don't understand what we should do. The government once again appeals to the doctors to withdraw their strike and resume work, otherwise strict action will have to be taken," the minister added.

Yogesh Sagar of BJP said the government should give an ultimatum to doctors and cancel their registration and file cases against them if they fail to resume work in a day's time.

The demand was supported by other BJP and Sena members.

Sagar said prior surgeries are being indefinitely postponed due to the strike and the patients are facing a harrowing time.

Sena and BJP members came into the Well of the House demanding that strict action be taken against striking doctors. Subsequently, Speaker Haribhau Bagde adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes.

After the House re-assembled, Speaker said the issue is about an organised sector holding the unorganised section of the society to ransom and the sentiment of the House is that the government should find a solution to this.

The Sena-BJP members again trooped into the Well forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for 30 minutes.

The entire Opposition benches were empty since they are protesting the suspension of 19 Congress-NCP MLAs for disrupting the Budget presentation last week.

Nearly 4,000 resident doctors have stayed away from work since Monday, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on their colleagues by patients' relatives at government hospitals across the state.
To address marginalisation, police excesses, migration and other human rights issues, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) today inaugurated its film festival 'A Matter of Right(s)' here.

The event will feature nearly a dozen critically-acclaimed films and documentaries from India and abroad.

"We are hosting this film festival to mark CHRI's 30th anniversary, and in continuation of Commonwealth Day celebrations. We hope this will be an annual feature and if possible would like to make it a travelling festival," Sanjoy Hazarika, Director at CHRI, said.

Some of the films scheduled to be screened are 'Not My Life' by Mike Pandey, 'Candles in the Wind' by Kavita Bahl and Nandan Saxena, 'Le Cas Pinochet' (The Pinochet Case) by P Guzman, 'What the Fields Remember' by Subasri Krishnan, 'Rambuai' by Maulee Senapati, and 'Diamantes Negros' (Black Diamonds) by Miguel Alcantud.

Held in collaboration with the Centre for Studies for Violence, Memory and Trauma (CSVMT) at Delhi University and Department of English and Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (CNESPR) at Jamia Millia Islamia University here, the festival marks CHRI's 30th anniversary.

It will be held at the Delhi University on March 24-25, and at Jamia Millia Islamia University on March 27.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CBI Special Court here today sentenced a public sector bank official and four others to five years' rigorous imprisonment for allegedly committing a fraud to the tune of Rs 9.70 crore in 2000.

Anti-Corruption branch of CBI, Chennai investigated the case filed against K Sanjeeva Shetty, then Branch Manager, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Yelahanka Branch, Bangalore, Karnataka State Reserve Police Assistant Commandant Shabir Ahmed and four other individuals -- S A Ravi, Abid Khan, T Hemanth Alva, Kishore, S Anthoni Doss and Abdul Jabbar.

They had allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy to defraud Oriental Bank of Commerce, Overseas branch, Chennai to the tune of Rs 9.70 crore with "fictitious transfer payment order", a CBI press release said.

"With forged signatures of the officials of the Oriental Bank of Commerce, Yelahanka New Town branch, Bengaluru, the transfer payment order was sent to the bank's Overseas Branch in Chennai against fictitious import shipping bills of Stan Plus Holdings, Malaysia through BSN Commercial Bank, Malaysia", the release said.

However, investigation revealed that the bills were sent for shipment of Kamino machines with accessories valued at USD 22,21,900 in favour of The West Pavilion, Hunasanarahalli, Devanhalli road, Bengaluru.

Upon completion of the trial today, the CBI Special Court convicted K Sanjeeva Shetty, Shabir Ahmed, S A Ravi, Abid Khan and T Hemanth Alva.

While the Court sentenced Ravi to 10 years, the others were awarded five years' rigorous imprisonment.

Kishore, Anthony Doss and Abdul Jabbar -- were acquitted by the Court and a total fine of Rs 5.10 lakh was imposed on them, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
France's far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said Russian President Vladimir Putin represents a "new vision" of the world, following her meeting with the Kremlin strongman in Moscow today.

"He represents a sovereign nation," the leader of the National Front far-right party told reporters. "I think he also represents a new vision."



"A new world has emerged in the past years. This is Vladimir Putin's world, Donald Trump's world in the United States, Mr (Narendra) Modi's world in India," she said.

"I think I am probably the one who shares with all these great nations a vision of cooperation and not one of subservience - a hawkish vision that has too often been expressed by the European Union.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government has decided to prepare a data bank of minority community artisans who could be a "pillar" of the Centre's flagship 'Make in India' programme, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today.

The Minister of State for Minority Affairs said the government would establish 'hunar (skill) hubs' in all states to promote the artisans from the communities.

Naqvi reiterated that the government has formed a panel to frame its new Haj policy in the light of the 2012 Supreme Court order for abolishing the subsidy offered to pilgrims.

The committee will figure out ways to see the devotees are not "burdened" without the subsidy. In this context, he said the number of Haj embarkation points, currently 21, should not be increased.

"We have decided to set up hunar hubs in all the states. We will create data bank of the artisans/craftsmen, so that their talent can be exposed to markets, they can work as a pillar of the Make in India programme," Naqvi said.

He made these remarks on the sidelines of a conference of principal secretaries/secretaries-in charge of minority welfare in the states here.

Launched in September 2014, 'Make in India' is an initiative that aims at encouraging national and multi-national companies to manufacture their products in India and requires skilled manpower.

Claiming that the second edition of 'Hunar Haat' held last month was "quite" successful, the minister asserted there are "crores" of artisans whose talent needs to be promoted and the data bank will help do that.

During the conference, Naqvi said his ministry has decided to construct one lakh toilets in madrasas which impart mainstream education besides religious courses and urged the states to play a crucial role in executing the work.

He said the activity will strengthen Swachh Bharat campaign.

"This is part of '3Ts: teachers, tiffins (mid-day meal for students) and toilets for madrasas," he said, reiterating the ministry's plan to set up five world class institutions to provide higher education community members.

Expressing concerns over complaints coming in from "some states" on encroachment of waqf properties, the minister warned that strict action would be taken against those who are involved in wrongdoings.

He, however, did not name the states from where such complaints have been reported.

Naqvi told the attendees that the ministry has approved more than 200 'sadbhav mandaps' (multi-purpose community centres) in last six months and about 24 'Gurukuls' (residential schools) at a cost of Rs 262 crore.

He also said the ministry is reviewing several of its schemes, seeking to do away with practical difficulties in their implementation and said the changes will be "visible" next month onwards.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court today sought response of the AAP government on the plea of INLD chief O P Chautala, serving a 10-year jail term in a recruitment scam case, against a single judge's order cancelling his furlough.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked the counsel for the Delhi government to take instructions on Chautala's plea which alleged that the single judge has committed an error by cancelling his furlough.

The court has fixed the matter for March 30.

The single judge had on March 1 cancelled the parole and furlough granted to Chautala on medical grounds, and asked him to "surrender forthwith", saying he "cocked a snook" at the court and "misled" it by feigning illness.

Challenging the order, senior counsel Sudhir Nandrajog and advocate Amit Sahni, appearing for the politician, said the single judge did not appreciate that Chautala had not violated any parole condition. They said the judge had "committed an error" by cancelling the three-week furlough granted by the Director General (DG) of Tihar jail.

The single judge had issued the direction on a complaint by a private person alleging that the former Haryana chief minister was misusing his parole to attend public meetings.

83-year-old Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief has also submitted that his grandson Dushyant Chautala, an MP, was getting married in mid-April and even this was not considered by the judge.

Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and three others are serving 10-year jail terms in the teachers recruitment scam case.

The Supreme Court had in August 2015 dismissed the Chautalas' appeals against the high court verdict upholding their conviction and sentence of 10 years awarded by a trial court in the junior basic trained (JBT) teachers recruitment scam case.

The high court had on March 5, 2015 upheld the 10-year jail terms awarded to the two Chautalas and three others, saying, "The overwhelming evidence showed spine-chilling state of affairs in the country."



The father-son duo and 53 others, including two IAS officers, were among 55 persons convicted on January 16, 2013 by the trial court for illegally recruiting 3,206 JBT teachers in Haryana in 2000.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court today asked the AAP government to respond to a plea seeking directions forinstallation of CCTV cameras and deputing of security guards at allgovernment hospitals under itsjurisdiction.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal issued notices to the authoritiesconcerned on the plea by a former staff nurse who alleged that she wasstalked by a patient in the hospital where she worked andthis would not have happened if CCTV cameras had been installed.

The court said that the the response should be filed by July 12.

In her plea filed through advocate Rajesh Sharma, she said that an FIR was registered against the accused in connection with the case.

The petitioner said that the authorities should be directed to take steps towards providing security to women staff working in government hospitals, dispensaries and other health institutions, organisations and mohalla clinics here.

The bench asked the government, the corporation under whose jurisdiction the incident took place and police to place before it whether there is any mechanism in hospitals to check or stop such crimes against women.

It asked the authorities concerned to file an affidavit informing it whether there is any mandate for installation of CCTV in hospitals and dispensaries of Delhi.

The petition states that it is "responsibility of municipal body, police and the hospital to comply with theVishaka guidelines, for formation of committee to investigatecase of sexual harassment against women at workplace andprovide safety and security to the petitioner."



"The authorities concerned are responsible for installingCCTV cameras in all hospitals, but they failed to do so," theplea said.

The nurse also claimed in her plea that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in his poll manifesto had committed to work for security and safety ofwomen in Delhi by way of installing CCTV cameras and privateguards, but after becoming chief minister he failed to act inthis direction.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bombay High Court today set aside a Maharashtra government policy to regularise illegal structures in the state saying it was against the provisions of the State Town Planning Act (MRTP).

Refusing to approve the policy, a bench of justices Abhay Oka and Anuja Prabhudesai said, "If an illegal structure is constructed on roads or on public places in contravention of MRTP provisions, how can such a building or property be regularised by a policy framed by the Government."



The court, earlier in December 2105, had set aside the government's policy on regularising illegal structures and had asked it to revise the same.

The government subsequently submitted a revised policy to the court, but the same was set aside today on the grounds of being against the MRTP rules.

The government also presented to the court a mechanism adopted by it to prevent the illegal structures from coming up in future.

"Why do you (state) have to wait for the high court's decision to bring such mechanism in place... You could have done this earlier," the bench remarked after being apprised of the mechanism.

The bench said "earlier also we have passed orders to pull down illegal structures at Digha village in Navi Mumbai. But it seems they have gone unnoticed."



The high court had in 2015 ordered demolition of 99 illegal buildings in Digha village, saying they were built in contravention of the laws of the land.

A fortnight ago, the high court had pointed out several anomalies in the government's revised policy regarding regularisation of illegal constructions across the state.

Hearing a bunch of PILs challenging illegal construction in Maharashtra and especially in Navi Mumbai's Digha village, the bench had asked what was the need to introduce such a policy when there is no mention in it about the illegal structures existing on the government land.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bulk buyers can source handmade carpets, rugs and other floor coverings from the India Carpet Expo being organised here next week.

The Expo, from March 27-30 at Pragati Maidan, will see participation of carpet importers from 55 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, UK and US.

"The Expo is being organised to promote the cultural heritage of Indian handmade carpets and other floor coverings, and the weaving skills of their makers, amongst visiting overseas carpet buyers," the Ministry of Textiles said.

The Expo will provide a platform to international carpet buyers, buying houses, buying agents and architects to meet and establish long-term business relationships with Indian carpet manufacturers and exporters, its organiser Carpet Export Promotion Council said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Assamese filmmaker Rima Das' film "Village Rockstars" has been officially selected for the 2017 Marche du Film (Cannes) Work-In-Progress Lab at the 15th Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum.

Rima's film was among the eight shortlisted WIP Lab projects that are in the later stages of production at this year's HAF, which announced its collaboration with Festival de Cannes to present the "Hong Kong Goes to Cannes" programme.

The programme, aimed at offering valuable screening opportunities for promising film projects at the HAF, revealed the first round selection of the movies from the WIP Lab for presentation and pitching at the Cannes Film Festival in May, which also included "Village Rockstars".

"We have won two awards at Hong Kong Asian Film Forum (HAF), including post-production fund award from White Light Studio and a place in the Hong Kong to Cannes Film festival program where we will be presenting our film at the Marche du Film's WIP Lab this May," Rima said.

White Light Studio will offer post-production services valued at USD 15,000 to Rima film.

The movie is about a girl, Dhunu, who has grown up in deprivation. She learns to fend for herself in the hostile surroundings while nurturing her dream to own a guitar someday.

"She (Dhunu) considers herself as capable as boys in a patriarchal society. She was brought up by a non-conformist mother who gave her full freedom of expression," Rima said.

The director, now living in Mumbai, grew up in the same village as the character Dhunu and became inspired to make a film about the children in the village after her trips back to her hometown.

She realized that what began as her "journey to explore the growing up days of a child, soon turned out to be a project to educate, rehabilitate and focus attention on the kids".

"Village Rockstars" was shot, directed and produced by Rima with the help of her cousin and young actors from the village.

The director said that she had to record even the sound on her own and used mostly natural lighting due to the lack of a lighting crew.

"People from different parts of the world can relate to the subjects in 'Village Rockstars' because the emotions you experience are the same.

"That is why I want to work with international partners. It's been a difficult journey. I didn't take any help from the professionals but I'm quite satisfied with the results so far," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Indian IT professional and her seven-year-old son in the US were found with their throats slit, prompting the police to launch a criminal investigation into the brutal killing.

Sasikala, 40, and her son Anish Sai were found dead in their home in Burlington, New Jersey when her husband Narra Hanumanth Rao returned from work yesterday.

Indian-American community leader and President of the non-profit Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC) Prasad Thotakura told PTI that according to the information he has, Rao allegedly found his wife and child "in a pool of blood" and "with their throats slit".

According to information available so far, Sasikala had picked up her son from school in the afternoon and returned home. Their bodies were later found in their home by her husband.

Thotakura said the police have launched a criminal investigation into the case and are looking into motives behind the murder, including the possibilities of any foul play. He added that no details are yet available to ascertain if the case involved any domestic dispute.

He said the Telugu Association of North America is helping the family to send the bodies back to India.

The couple worked in the IT fields and had been living in the US for the last 12 years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Indian IT professional and her six-year-old son found murdered in their home in the US were stabbed "multiple times", law enforcement officials today said but ruled out that the brutal killings were hate crime.

Sasikala Narra, 38, and her son Anish were killed at their residence in Maple Shade in New Jersey state yesterday, said Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi and Maple Shade Police chief Gary Gubbei.

Law enforcement officials have denied the killings were hate crime or a result of bias against the Indian origin of the victims, according to a statement provided to PTI by Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

"Contrary to some media reports, at this point there is no indication that this is a hate crime connected to the fact that the victims are of Indian origin," the statement said.

The Public Information Officer at the prosecutor's office Joel Bewley stressed there was no information that suggests the incident was motivated by any kind of bias.

He rejected reports that claimed the victims were targeted because of their Indian-origin. Police officers were called to the victims' home just after 9 p.M. Local time by Sasikala's husband after he found their bodies.

Officials said no arrests have been made and the deaths were being investigated as homicides. "The preliminary investigation revealed that both victims were stabbed multiple times," the statement said.

Autopsies were yet to be performed.

The couple worked in IT fields and had been living in the US for the past 12 years.

The incident comes weeks after the tragic shooting in Kansas of a 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was killed when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling "get out of my country."



Purinton had assumed the two Indian men were from the Middle East.

Earlier this month, a 39-year-old Sikh man was shot in his driveway in Washington state. The gunman had reportedly told the man to "go back to your own country" before pulling the trigger.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today said Central government undertakings including Indian Oil Corporation and ONGC will promote 'smart classes' in rural areas in the Union Territory as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

Speaking after handing over 10,000 books on various subjects donated by Delhi-based publishing house - S Chand and Company to libraries of government schools, at a function on the Assembly premises, the Chief Minister said the government was keen to promote education and make it accessible to students, particularly in rural areas.

He said that IOC and ONGC had already expressed interest in implementing 'smart classes' scheme in the Union Territory which help in the academic uplift of students, particularly in rural areas.

Narayanasamy also handed over books to heads of government schools in the Union Teritorry.

Around 10,000 books valued at Rs 40 lakh were earmarked for libraries of various government schools in Puducherry and Karaikal regions under the 'Read India' scheme of the publishing house.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack today on a Russian military base in Chechnya, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist communications.

Six attackers stormed "a military base of the Russian National Guard close to Naurskaya village in northwestern Grozny in Chechnya," the IS statement said. "They clashed with those at the base with light weapons for several hours."



The statement said all of the assailants died during the attack, which killed six Russian soldiers.

Russia's National Guard, established last year, is a new branch of troops aimed at defending borders and countering extremism.

In a statement, the National Guard said the rebels tried to storm their base in heavy fog at around 2:30 AM local time but were spotted by a group of soldiers who opened fire.

Chechnya was the scene of two separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s, but the region has been largely calm under the iron-fisted rule of strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

Two National Guard soldiers were killed in a Chechen village in January during a joint operation with police and special forces in which four suspected militants also died.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)




The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that an indigent prisoners case was properly dismissed pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-21-812 when the prisoner had outstanding unpaid court costs from prior litigation. Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-21-812 authorizes the rejection of certain new claims in court from an indigent inmate who has unpaid fees, taxes, costs, or expenses from prior lawsuits.Petitioner Reginald Dion Hughes is an indigent inmate serving an effective sixty-year sentence for two 1987 murder convictions.When Mr. Hughes was denied parole for the third time, he appealed to the chancery court. The Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-21-812, asserting that Mr. Hughess petition should be dismissed because he had outstanding unpaid court costs. The chancery court granted the motion based on the unpaid fees. The Court of Appeals also dismissed Mr. Hughess appeal pursuant to section 41-21-812 for the same reason.Mr. Hughes petitioned the Tennessee Supreme Court, arguing that the State had failed to comply with the statutory procedural requirements of section 41-21-812 and that the dismissal of the case due to outstanding fees violated his constitutional rights.In an analysis that was limited to Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-21-812s application to Mr. Hughes, the Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the decisions of the chancery court and the Court of Appeals. The Court concluded that the State had sufficiently complied with the procedural requirements of section 41-21-812 and that, as applied to Mr. Hughess case, section 41-21-812 did not violate the due process or equal protection clauses of the United States or Tennessee Constitutions. Therefore, the Court determined that section 41-21-812 did not unconstitutionally infringe on Mr. Hughess right of access to the courts.Justice Cornelia A. Clark filed a separate dissenting opinion. Although she did not disagree with the majoritys analysis concerning the constitutionality of the statute, Justice Clark concluded that Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-21-812 was not applicable to Mr. Hughes case. Justice Clark explained that the trial court clerk had failed to forward a copy of the prior order taxing costs against Mr. Hughes in the previous action to the Department of Correction, as was required by another provision of the Act. She reasoned that had the clerk complied with the statute, the costs likely would have been paid before he filed his petition for writ of certiorari. Justice Clark would have remanded the case to the trial court for reconsideration of Mr. Hughes petition on the merits.Justice Sharon Lee also dissented from the Courts decision. Justice Lee would not have barred Mr. Hughes from access to the courthouse based on a statute that allowed courts to reject inmate lawsuits that were frivolous and malicious. Justice Lee explained that Mr. Hughes only owed $49.50 in courts costs from a divorce he filed over twenty years ago. Mr. Hughes had a right to file for divorce and the case was not frivolous or malicious. She concluded that there was no evidence that the court clerk had followed a statutory procedure for collection of the costs from Mr. Hughes inmate trust account. For these reasons, Justice Lee concluded that the Courts decision barring Mr. Hughes from having his day in court, based on $49.50 in unpaid court costs that the clerk had not attempted to collect, was a misapplication of the law.To read the majority opinion in Reginald Dion Hughes v. Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole, authored by Justice Roger A. Page, and the dissenting opinions of Justice Cornelia A. Clark and Justice Sharon G. Lee, go to the opinions section of TNCourts.gov
Jon Kortajarena is the latest entrant to star in the American drama thriller "Quantico".

The 31-year-old Spanish model, who is all set to join the ABC series starring actress Priyanka Chopra in the lead, took to Twitter to break the with their picture.

"So excited to be part of the cast of #Quantico. Thanks to @priyankachopra and the all team for the warm welcome. Next Monday you can see my first episode on #ABC," Kortajarena tweeted.

He will play Felix Cordova, an amoral legislative assistant for the Speaker of the House, according to Vogue.

Priyanka also welcomed Kortajarena to the show's second season.

"Top secret no more... Welcome @jonkortajarena aka Felix to the #Quantico cast!" tweeted the 34-year-old actress, alongside their selfie.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: A 14-year-old boy from Kerala has become a father, after begetting a child with a woman four years older than him, in Kochi, about 200 kms from here.

Paternity tests conducted on the eighth standard student has confirmed that he is the father of a two-month-old baby girl, police said today.

The 18-year-old girl, is the boy's first cousin and were neighbours.

The girl had alleged that she had been raped by the boy following which a case has been registered against him, they said.

However, when questioned, the boy had blamed the girl for the relationship and hence a case has been registered against the young mother, under section 7 (Sexual Assault) and 8 (not less than 3 years which may extend to 5 years and fine) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police said.

"We produced the statements in court and on receiving proper legal directions we registered cases," Kalamassery Circle Inspector, S Jayakrishnan, who is the investigating officer, told PTI.

The boy, who was studying in a local school in Kochi, has been shifted to another place.

According to State Crime Records Bureau, 1570 crimes were registered against children in Kerala, including 520 rape cases last year till July.

Besides, 1,156 cases were registered last year under POCSO Act with Malappuram recording highest number of cases 138, Thiruvananthapuram Rural 111, Ernakulam Rural 96, and Kannur 86.

In 2015, 1569 cases were registered under POCSO Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar today said that Virat Kohli should consider playing in the final Test against Australia starting tomorrow even if he is not fully fit if the team management feels his presence will boost the side in the series decider.

At the pre-match press conference in Dharamsala, Kohli said that he will play in the fourth and final Test only if he is 100 per cent fit.

But, Gavaskar said that the team management should decide whether Kohli's value as a player and captain makes him a must-have in the playing eleven even if he is short of full fitness.

"Virat personally would want to go in as 100 per cent fit because that is what he would have expected from any other player in the team. He would not want another player in the team to hide an injury and then later found out (about an injury) because it is a five-day Test," Gavaskar said.

"So, Virat personally would want to be 100 per cent but if the team feels that he is a must-have for this deciding game, the team will have to convince him that, look you might be 40, 50, or whatever per cent fit, we want you.

"Even if he (Kohli) is 70 per cent fit, the team management will have to decide whether his presence is going to energise the team. If so, then Virat will have to play and you have to convince him that the team wants him even if he is 70 per cent fit," Gavaskar told NDTV.

Gavaskar gave an example of asking Kapil Dev to play on the final day of a Test match in Melbourne in 1981 even though the legendary pacer was not fully fit.

"I asked Kapil on the fourth day evening whether he can bowl just one hour on the final day. Australia were 40-odd and three wickets down and they needed to score 100-odd runs to win the Test. We needed seven wickets. Kapil bowled with pain killers and he took five wickets and the rest was history," said Gavaskar.

"I knew his (Kapil's) value to the team. His 70 per cent fitness was enough for the team. So, the Indian team management will have to decide on Virat's case also," he added.

Even in case Kohli does not play in the final Test, Gavaskar said Australia will not have the mental edge over the Indians.

"I would say no team has the edge, there is not much gap between the two sides. Indians will not be too disadvantaged even if Virat does not play. They have the ability to regroup and pick themselves up.

"Without Virat, it will be clearly a challenge for India and the Aussies may feel a hurdle is out of their way. But the way the Indians have responded, they will come out all guns firing in Dharamsala."



Gavaskar also said that he would love to play pacer Mohammed Shami if he is declared fit in a five batsmen and five bowler combination.

"I would like Shami to come in if he is fit and if the team management thinks that he can bowl 20 overs in a day. Despite Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav having bowled well in the series so far, they must be a bit tired," he said.

"A fresh pair of legs in Shami can give the initial breakthroughs and that will make it easier for R Ashwin and Jadeja as well as the other pacers at the other end in the old combination of five batsmen and five bowlers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A large number of WTO member countries are supporting in principle India's proposal for negotiating a trade facilitation agreement (TFA) in services, a senior government official said today.

Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry Anup Wadhawan also said that India is pursuing this proposal in the WTO in a serious manner.

Without specifying the names of these countries, he said: "large number of countries have supported it in-principle".

He was briefing the media after the conclusion of two-day workshop on TFS.

On the lines of the trade facilitation pact in goods, India has submitted a detailed proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to negotiate a trade facilitation pact in services.

It aims at liberalising rules for movement of professionals and other steps to reduce transaction costs to boost growth of the services sector.

Wadhawan said that like trade facilitation pact in goods would help in reducing barriers, TFS too would cut hurdles in promoting global trade in services.

India's Ambassador Designate to the WTO, J S Deepak said that the workshop was useful as several experts shared their views and suggestions on ways to take the proposal forward.

World Bank supported the commerce ministry in organising this seminar.

When asked whether the proposal will become part of the forthcoming ministerial meeting in December at Argentina, Wadhawan said that the agenda has not been worked out yet.

On this, Deepak said that proposals are introduced in different fora and it will be discussed in the special session of the committee on trade and services in Geneva.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Under constant pressure from its ally Shiv Sena, the BJP in Maharashtra is mulling the option of a snap poll as many in the party believed the situation was conducive to secure a majority on its own.

A meeting of the state BJP's core committee here last evening dwelt on a set of possible scenarios including the interim polls.

The current assembly has its term till mid-2019.

"The meeting discussed political situation in case Sena is'nt a part of the ruling dispensation," a BJP source said.

The feasibility of going for snap polls was discussed, the source told PTI.

There was unanimity over acting against the Sena's "nuisance", including the negative comments in that party's mouthpiece 'Saamana', the source said.

Its stellar performance in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand assembly polls and the impressive showing in civic polls across Maharashtra have emboldened the BJP in the state.

There was also a discussion on weaning some MLAs away from other parties and getting them re-elected on BJP symbol, the source said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was among the leaders who attended the meeting, held at the official residence of Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil.

In 2014 assembly polls, the BJP and the Shiv Sena had contested the polls separately. The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party, then formed a minority government with outside support of the NCP.

Within a few months, Sena returned to the saffron alliance but failed to get the plum portfolios it wished for.

Despite being an ally of the BJP in Maharashtra and at the Centre, Sena kept up its stinging attack on the government's policies and even taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Sena-BJP relations took a worse turn in recent civic polls, which they fought separately, taking tenaciously on each other.

The BJP, under the leadership of Fadnavis, shook the Sena citadels including its heartland Mumbai in the civic polls. However, after the elections, the BJP beat a tactical retreat in Mumbai allowing the Sena nominee to be elected as the Mayor of the metropolis.

(Reopens BOM 7)



Meanwhile, a BJP minister in the state said on the condition of anonymity that the party was confident of winning a comfortable majority if snap polls were held.

"The party carries out quarterly surveys, and one such survey was done recently to assess what could be the party's position if polls were held now," he said.

"Two options were discussed (at yesterday's meeting), one was increasing our numbers in by-elections, and plan B was to go for a mid-term poll," the minister said.

Another BJP minister said the core committee asked the legislators to take up developmental work in their constituencies on war-footing and be ready to face the electorate anytime.

A Shiv Sena leader, on the other hand, termed all this as kite-flying.

"The details of what happened at the meeting of BJP's core committee were deliberately leaked to gauge Shiv Sena's response," he said.

(Reopens BES 24)



Meanwhile, a BJP source said that Fadnavis had asked two of his cabinet colleagues, Chandrakant Patil and Sudhir Mungantiwar, to meet the Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday and ask the Sena legislators to mend their ways.

"The two ministers will meet the Sena president and ask him to instruct his party legislators to co-operate with us in conducting the business of the legislature smoothly, stop criticising the BJP and stop opposing infrastructure projects," the BJP leader said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today told the Legislative Assembly that a proposal is being prepared to make farmers "debt-free", which will be forwarded to Centre.

The CM's statement came at a time when the Congress and the NCP have been vociferously raising the demand for complete loan waiver for farmers in Maharashtra. The protests by the Opposition has paralysed the functioning of the ongoing Budget session of the state legislature.

Fadnavis said his government's task is to bring 31 lakh farmers who are not in a position to repay their debt, back into the institutional credit system.

The chief minister said he had led a delegation to union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and sought assistance from the Central Government to make farmers debt free.

"If we do it (loan waiver) on our own, the fiscal space would be over for us. Over the last few years, agriculture sector has been restricted to only relief and rehabilitation, but my Government has focused on agriculture investment. The Centre will prepare a pan-India scheme to provide relief to farmers.

"We have suggested that the scheme should be participatory where state governments can also make contribution and send the proposal," Fadnavis told the House.

He said the agriculture income in state has increased by Rs 40,000 crore in the last one year.

On the measures taken by the state government for making agriculture sustainable, Fadnavis said the agriculture income increased by Rs 40,000 crore as the agri growth rate has seen an increase of 12.5 per cent.

He said the farmers in the state cannot afford the minimum support price (MSP) because the agriculture productivity is less in Maharashtra, which "ranks among the last five states in terms of agriculture productivity."



The CM said the agricultural investment was less due to "thin spreading of resources."



He said the 41 lakh hectare irrigation potential was achieved in the last one year.

The government has so far procured 28 lakh quintal tur so far, he added.

"We are in process of providing water through investments in the 'Jalyukta Shivar' scheme and power connections to over 2 lakh agri pumps. Our approach and investment in agriculture is showing positive results. For first time, the agri growth rate is positive and in double digits," the CM said.

Fadnavis said the proposed "Maharashtra Samruddhi Corridor" (Mumbai Nagpur expressway) is for farmers as it will give them market connectivity. "22 nodes on this corridor are for them," he said.

Fadnavis said the government wanted to achieve the "post-harvest management and market linkages for farmers through the Smaruddhi Corridor.

"We are confident that Centre is with us. It is working for the welfare of welfare. The state government is committed to the welfare and betterment of farmers. We are making every possible effort to help and support them," the CM said.

Referring to the opposition boycotting the proceedings



of the legislature, the chief minister said the government was not "pleased" to suspend 19 MLAs.

"The way they behaved, one wondered if they were making a mockery of the farmers' plight or fighting for their welfare. Budget presentation is an important event. They could have squatted on the floor of the House or raised slogans.

"But, their behaviour while protesting against the budget presentation was not good. If they had listened to the budget, they would have known that the government was committed to free farmers of debt. What was worse was that they burnt the budget copies. Budget is a constitutional document. If this act is tolerated what is the use of this august House?" he asked.

On Wednesday, nineteen MLAs--nine from the Congress and 10 from the NCP--were suspended from the Assembly for nine months for creating a ruckus during the Budget presentation in the House last week.

Fadnavis said a severe action was needed to be taken against them.

"The behaviour of the suspended MLAs was not in accordance with the Parliamentary decorum. It was tantamount to making a mockery of a serious issue of farmers' plight," he said.

Fadnavis said Shiv Sena has given full support to the Budget that was presented in the legislature last week after he explained the government's position to the Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.

"I spoke to him and explained our position. He has given full support to the budget," the CM said, adding that the BJP-led governments in Centre and Maharashtra are committed to extending relief to the farmers.
Customs officials have arrested one person with 4.17 kg contraband charas valued at Rs 40 lakh from Ramgarhwa village on Indo-Nepal border in Bihar's West Champaran district.

Raxaul Customs Deputy Commissioner, Santosh Kumar, today said that Ali Imam Gaddi was arrested after 4.17 kg charas was seized from him during checking yesterday.

He was carrying the drug from Nepal in nine packets in the carrier of his motorcycle.

Kumar said the smuggler was supposed to hand over the consignment to a man at Ramgarhwa railway station.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The External Affairs Ministry today downplayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter greeting his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Pakistan's National Day, saying it was a "normal courtesy and nothing unusual".

"There is nothing unusual, it is a normal courtesy to write such letters to head of states and governments," ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

Refusing to divulge details of the letter, he just said the Prime Minister wrote that India wants to build relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror and violence.

He also reiterated that Pakistan has to walk away from terror.

Terrorism emanating from Pakistan is affecting not merely India but other neighbours in the region, he said, adding that it has been a core concern and will remain a core concern.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Mexican reporter was gunned down in the northern state of Chihuahua, becoming the third journalist to be killed this month in one of the most dangerous countries for media workers.

The national newspaper La Jornada said Miroslava Breach, its correspondent in the state capital, also called Chihuahua, was shot eight times outside her garage in the morning and died while being taken to the hospital.

La Jornada said Breach, 54, was accompanied in the car by one of her three children at the time of the attack.

"Presumably there was at least one attacker who approached on foot when the La Jornada correspondent was taking her son to school and fired a .38-caliber (gun)," it said. "Eight shells were found lying in the street."



The boy was reportedly not harmed.

According to La Jornada, Breach had worked for the paper for more than 15 years and also for other newspapers in the cities of Chihuahua and Juarez. It reported that a rolled-up cardboard message was left at the scene saying "for being a tattletale."



In a statement, the Chihuahua state prosecutor's office confirmed the killing and said it was investigating.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Breach had covered crime, politics and other issues.

"She was a highly respected reporter," tweeted Jan-Albert Hootsen, the group's Mexico representative.

According to the CPJ, 38 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 1992 for motives confirmed as directly related to their work. Another 50 have been slain under circumstances that have yet to be clarified.

On March 19, columnist Ricardo Monlui was shot twice as he left a restaurant with his wife and son in Yanga, near the city of Cordoba in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz.

And on March 2, Cecilio Pineda Birto, a freelancer and the founder of La Voz de Tierra Caliente, was slain at a car wash in Ciudad Altamirano, Guerrero state.

Carlos Lauria, Americas director at the CPJ, said he has no evidence linking the three killings this month. But he called Breach's case "very alarming" and part of a pattern of journalists being murdered with impunity in the country.

"The situation really remains dire for Mexico, for the Mexican press," Lauria said.

"It goes and comes in waves, but the reality is that especially for reporters working outside Mexico City, the levels of violence are unprecedented."



Killings of journalists who work for national outlets like La Jornada, one of Mexico's main daily newspapers, are relatively uncommon. More often the victims are reporters for smaller, local media.

Organised crime groups have a strong presence in Chihuahua state, which borders Texas and New Mexico. Earlier this week at least seven people were killed a series of shootouts between drug gangs in the state.

At least two other journalists have been killed in or near Chihuahua city, most recently radio reporter Jesus Adrian Rodriguez Samaniego on December 10, 2016.

Mexico has also seen its overall homicide rates on the rise recently.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mizoram Assembly today rejected a resolution moved by Lalrinawma of opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) seeking repeal of the Mizoram Liquor Prohibition and Control (MLPC) Act, 2014.

Lalrinawma's resolution said the MLPC Act under which wine shops were opened in the state has created problems for churches, society, families and individuals and should be repealed and replaced by the stringent Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act which was imposed earlier in the state.

During the discussion the opposition members said the MLPC Act has hurt the Mizo society and had been vehemently opposed by the churches and the NGOs.

Ruling Congress legislators, including Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, however, said that liquor was available in abundance even during the 17 years of prohibition and the state government has constituted a Review and Evaluation Committee on the MLPC Act.

The committee had constituted a study group to study the impact of the enforcement of the act to the society, it said.

The resolution was then rejected by a voice vote.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called up his UK counterpart Theresa May to express India's solidarity and deepest condolences for victims of Wednesday's terror attack in London.

"PM called UK PM H.E. @theresa_may to express India's solidarity & conveyed deepest condolences for victims of the terror attack in London," the PMO tweeted.

Modi had yesterday expressed sadness over the killings in the attack and said India stands by the UK in the fight against terror.

"Deeply saddened by the terror attack in London. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," Modi had said in a tweet yesterday.

"At this difficult moment, India stands with UK in the fight against terrorism. @theresa_may @Number10Gov (sic)," he had added.

Five people were killed and nearly 40 injured when a terrorist suspect mowed down pedestrians on a bridge and stabbed a police officer close to the British parliament complex in an incident inspired by "international terrorism".

Those dead included the assailant and the policeman he stabbed. The attacker was shot dead by Scotland Yard officers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Members in both Houses of Parliament today expressed concern over the killing of an Indian woman and her seven-year old son in the US last night and demanded that the matter should be taken up by the Prime Minister with the American President.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Congress member T Subbarami Reddy said the wife and the son of a software engineer were "brutally killed" last night.

Rao found his wife and son dead when he returned home, he said. "It is a serious matter. This very dangerous. Just two weeks back, two Indians were killed and now two more people have been killed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take (it) up with the President of America," Reddy said.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien too expressed shock over the incident and said the matter should be taken up at the highest level.

He also asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to convey the incident to the External Affairs Minister.

In the Lok Sabha, Y V Subba Reddy of YSR Congress Party also raised the issue and asked the government to take a "very strong stand" in protecting Indians in the US.

"It's a case of racial discrimination" and such incidents were on the rise since Donald Trump became the US President. "It is high time we take up these issues strongly with the US," he added.

Reports said the victims, 40-year old N Sasikala, herself also a software engineer, and her son Anish Sai, were found allegedly strangled to death by her husband, N Hanumantha Rao, when he returned home in New Jersey from work on Thursday evening. The couple had been living in the US for nine years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak was today released from a military hospital for the first time in six years during which he faced a number of trials over charges of killing more than 200 protesters during the 2011 revolution that toppled him.

Mubarak, 88, left the Maadi Military Hospital where he had been detained for the past few years, heading to his home in Heliopolis, his lawyer Farid El-Deeb told local media.

Earlier this month, the Appeals Court gave its final verdict and acquitted Mubarak over charges of taking part in killing protesters during the 2011 revolution that toppled him.

Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for taking part in killing over 200 protesters during the 18-day revolt which began on January 25, 2011, but a retrial was ordered on appeal.

In 2013, the court cleared Mubarak and his seven aides, including his interior minister Habib el-Adli, from the charge, but public prosecutors appealed the sentence.

Mubarak will face retrial in the "Ahram's gift" case as he and some of his aides are accused of accepting gifts from the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Mubarak, who ruled Egypt since the 1952 abolition of the monarchy, became president in 1981 after Anwar Sadat's assassination.

He was initially arrested in April 2011, two months after leaving office and had been at the hospital since 2013, when he was transferred there on bail from Torah prison.

A judge at a trial in May 2015 decreed that Mubarak could be released from detention.

However, the government of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was reportedly reluctant to free him, fearing public backlash that may accompany such a move.

Sisi served as Mubarak's military intelligence chief and led the military's overthrow of his democratically elected successor Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed as security forces clashed with protesters in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities around Egypt during the 18-day uprising that forced Mubarak to resign.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Envoys of 21 Muslim countries met here to discuss blasphemous contents against Islam on social media and decided to adopt a joint strategy to counter it.

Pakistan's interior minister Nisar Ali Khan hosted a meeting of envoys to thrash a policy to counter online anti-Islam materials, according to statement by the Interior Ministry.

"There was unanimity among the participants that the entire Muslim Ummah is united to protect the sanctity and dignity of the religion and Holy prophet," it said.

It was decided that a comprehensive strategy paper encompassing all legal and technical aspects would be circulated by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs among the ambassadors of the Muslim countries which they would be sharing with their governments to evolve future plan of action.

It was also decided that a formal reference would be sent to Secretary General of the Arab League raising the issue of blasphemous content on social media and how such a tendency had been hurting the sentiments of the Muslims across the world.

The meeting decided that after response is received from the government of the Islamic countries, the matter then would be taken up at the level of UN besides looking into legal options available to follow-up the matter legally in the courts of the respective countries from where such content was being generated.

Addressing the Ambassadors, the Interior Minister pointed out that distortion of religious beliefs and sacrilege of holy personalities of any religion is intolerable.

He said that no law permits showing disrespect or distortion of any religion.

Khan said that it was unfortunate that the Muslim being the biggest victims of terrorism were being portrayed as the perpetrators.

He said that the Islamic Ummah must strive together to impress upon the international community to shed off Islamophobia.

The Minister said that distortion of any religion is also another form of terrorism that the international community must acknowledge.

The Interior Minister said that sections of the western world must get out of double standards about Islam and the Muslims.

"On one hand, they have laws against any kind of distortion or disrespect towards any religion and on the other hand, the most revered personalities of Islam are being ridiculed," he said.

The meeting has one-point agenda to discuss blasphemous content on social media and to effectively raise voice of the entire Muslim world against it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Health Minister JP Nadda today made an appeal to the striking doctors to resume their duty, saying he has asked the state government to provide security to them at the hospitals.

Junior doctors in Maharashtra are on strike in protest against the increased number of cases of assaults by relatives of patients on them.

"We are taking up the matter with the Indian Medical Association (IMA). We have asked the state government to provide security to the doctors. Whatever arrangements can be made should be done in this regard," Nadda said outside Parliament.

Supporting their counterparts in Maharashtra, doctors in Delhi had gone on mass casual leave yesterday. But today, they have resumed their duty.

"It is a serious issue and it should be responded in a proactive manner and in right perspective. Doctors should be given a healthy environment at the hospitals so that they can treat patients in a better way. State should ensure that," Nadda said.

He further said "I have requested the doctors to resume their duty as the government is sympathetic towards them. We are responding accordingly and they should come back and resume their duty.

(REOPENS DEL29)



Sources said that the Health Ministry has also written a letter to the Maharashtra government asking it to take appropriate measures to ensure safety of the doctors on duty in the hospitals.

According to the letter, while reviewing the situation, Health Minister J P Nadda is learnt to have expressed grave concern over the matter of attack on doctors and asked states to ensure proper security to him.

Security of doctors is a "prime concern" along with ensuring that services to patients are regularly made available, the letter said.
The website of the national child adoption body was today hacked into allegedly by users from Pakistan who posted messages like "Pakistan Zindabad".

The website (http://www.Cara.Nic.In/) of the Child Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)- a body under the Women and Child Development Ministry- remained defaced for some time.

"Website hacked by SH11. Pakistan Zindabad," the message by the hackers read.

There was also an animation posted on the website.

CARA CEO Lt Col Deepak Kumar (Retd) said, "The IP address shows that the hacker was from Pakistan."



The incident was noticed at around 1:45 PM today.

"Although there wasn't any disruption in the services being provided, the website was immediately blocked by the National Informatics Centre after an attempted hack was noticed," according to a statement issued by WCD.

"No sensitive data has been compromised and the services have been restored," added the statement.

The original page of the website will be hosted back after a security audit has been carried out, according to the top official.

No police complaint has been filed about the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three naval systems, developed by premier defence research organisation DRDO, was today handed over to the navy by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.

The naval systems, given to Indian Navy, are USHUS-II submarine sonar, directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array, and inertial navigation system for ship applications.

Sonars detect objects on or under the water and the latest systems are expected to significantly enhance the navy's navigation and communication network.

Speaking on the occasion, Jaitley hailed DRDO's sustained efforts in enhancing India's military capabilities through defence indigenisation.

The systems were handed over to Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman S Christopher, in his address, said the Defence Acquisition Council cleared orders worth Rs 2.56 lakh crore to the DRDO out of which about Rs 1 lakh crore was in the last two years alone.

Jaitley also released two other products developed by DRDO, namely IP-based secure phone and the Gallium Nitride Technology.

The Gallium Nitride Technology will substantially help in the development of next generation radars, seekers and communication systems, for application in Light Combat Aircraft, said a scientist.

The Secure IP Phone incorporates an indigenous encryption algorithm on a "trustworthy hardware platform" to provide high level of secrecy to voice and data, for communication of strategic and tactical plans of the Armed Forces.

The Defence Minister said there was a need for convergence between India's economic might and evolution of the technology so that the world looks at the country for innovation and new technology.

The Defence Minister also said that great societies and nations are made through people working on important tasks in anonymity, like the DRDO scientists.

"In order to develop great societies and great countries, the role of those who remain faceless and keep working somewhere in some important field is an unmatched contribution," he said while complimenting silent contribution of DRDO scientists.

The Defence Minister also gave away the annual DRDO awards in various categories.

The Advanced Systems Laboratory, Hyderabad and the Microwave Tube Research and Development Centre, Bangalore won the coveted Silicon Trophy and Titanium Trophy, respectively.

The export potential of DRDO technologies was also



mentioned at the event with the announcement of the bagging of export order for DRDO-developed torpedo to Myanmar.

Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence, said DRDO is playing an important role in self-reliance of defence forces and the export potential of products developed by it is finding a place in the global defence market.

Explaining about the systems handed over to the navy, a DRDO scientist said submarine sonar suite, USHUS-II, is a highly evolved compendium of multiple sensors and the constituent sonars in the suite include passive sonar, active sonar, intercept sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar and underwater telephony.

The Inertial Navigation System, based on indigenous Ring Laser Gyroscopes, provides vital information on the ship's position coordinates.
Nepal and China today discussed security and increasing road networks between them, a day after Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda said the landlocked country was keen to be a part of Beijing's 'One Belt One Road' project.

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Chang Wanquan met Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi and discussed ways to strengthen the Nepal-China ties.

They discussed matters relating to economy and boosting security agreements, including exchange of border information.

Their focus, however, was on increasing connectivity between the two countries through road networks, like resuming trade through the Tatopani border point, located around 110 km east of the capital Kathmandu, that has remained shut since the earthquakes rattled the Himalayan nation in 2015.

The meeting today came a day after Gen Chang, who leads the 2.3-million-strong People's Liberation Army, the world's largest, arrived in Nepal. He is the first Chinese Defence Minister to visit Nepal in 16 years.

Today, Gen Chang also called on Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

The Chinese defence minister said China would provide physical and technical assistance for building a training centre for Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal.

Yesterday, he discussed military cooperation and the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative, an ambitious project viewed with suspicion by India, with Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda.

Prachanda, who is visiting China for high-level talks, told Gen Chang before leaving that Nepal was keen to be part of the OBOR, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and expressed commitment to the 'One China' policy, saying it won't tolerate any activity against Tibet and Taiwan.

India has some concerns over the OBOR, which includes a maze of projects connecting China with Euro-Asia and is floated by Beijing as a connectivity and economic project.

Gen Chang's visit comes ahead of Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat's four-day official visit to Nepal from March 28.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Egypt's ousted president left a military hospital on Friday where he had spent much of his six-year detention, his lawyer said.

Mubarak had been cleared for release earlier this month after a top court finally acquitted him of involvement in protester deaths during the 2011 revolt that ousted him.

"Yes," his lawyer Farid al-Deeb said when asked if Mubarak had left the hospital today.

Mubarak was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt, in which about 850 people were killed as police clashed with demonstrators.

He was sentenced to life in 2012 in the case, but an appeals court ordered a retrial which dismissed the charges two years later.

Egypt's top appeals court on March 2 acquitted him of involvement in the killings.

In January 2016, the appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons on corruption charges.

But the sentence took into account time served. Both of his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were freed.

On Thursday, a court ordered a renewed corruption investigation into Mubarak for allegedly receiving gifts from the state owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Meanwhile several key activists in the 2011 uprising are now serving lengthy jail terms, and rights groups say hundreds of have been forcibly disappeared.
Buzzkill: Gov. Rauner 'Not A Believer' That Legalized Marijuana Would Help State's Woes

By Stephen Gossett in News on Mar 24, 2017 4:12PM



Governor Bruce Rauner outside the Director's Lawn at the Illinois State Fair in August 2016. Photo by Aaron Cynic

Bummer news for advocates of legalized recreational marijuana: Gov. Bruce Rauner is not too jazzed about allowing the sale of jazz cigarettes. A day after two bills were introduced in the state legislature that would legalize and tax the sale of recreational marijuana in the state of Illinois, Rauner said on Thursday he is "not a believer" that such a measure would offer help, but he also admitted he hadn't closely examined the issue. Still, he did leave the window open a bit in his comments.

I'm not a believer that legalizing more drugs will help our society so Im not philosophically enthusiastic about it, but Im also open to what actually works to make life better to people, Rauner said Thursday on the Roe Conn Show on WGN-AM 720.



"Im hearing some pretty bad stories. Now, I havent studied it. I think we should do a thoughtful analysis of whats happening in these other states. Im hearing a lot of trouble, Rauner said. My friends in Colorado have told me some pretty terrible things about addiction problems and behavior problems, etc. over there in Denver.



I just believe were conducting a massive human experiment as we legalize these drugs, he added.

Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Kelly Cassidy both introduced bills on Wednesday that would would allow people ages 21 and over to buy, grow and posses "limited amounts" of marijuana. It would be taxed at the sale and wholesale levels, and the bill would impose limits on advertising and mandatory labeling, among other requirements.

Supporters argued that the measures would improve safety in communities, help boost the local economy and generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Speaking of the state cited by Rauner in his trepidatious reply, based on Colorado results, the Marijuana Policy Project projected that Illinois could generate between $349 million and $699 per year on legalized marijuana sales.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who opposed legalized marijuana in his state, has also referred to legalization in his state as an "experiment." But last month he came out strongly against the White House when spokesperson Sean Spicer warned of "greater enforcement" of federal law that prohibits weed.

And as Rich Miller of Capitol Fax pointed toward on Friday, both violent and property crime fell during the first year recreational weed was allowed in Colorado, according to several research groups and studies, including the Drug Policy Alliance, the Colorado Department of Public Safety and the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

Time magazine reported in 2016 that Colorado generated $70 million from legal-recreational-weed taxes from the fiscal year prior, "nearly double the $42 million collected from alcohol taxes." The boon was so pronounced that the state allowed at least one marijuana-tax holiday last year. "[The holiday] will be the one day out of the year when the state won't generate significant revenue," said Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, at the time. "Over the other 364 days, it will bring in tens of millions of dollars that will be reinvested in our state."

[H/T Tribune]
Pakistan may replace its top envoy to India, Abdul Basit, who has completed his three-year tenure in New Delhi.

Basit, the Pakistan High Commissioner to India, was appointed in March 2014 after he suffered a major disappointment when he was sure of being appointed Pakistan's Foreign Secretary but last-minute wheeling and dealing resulted in the appointment of Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.

He failed again to get favours from the decisions-makers in Islamabad when last month his junior Tehmina Janjua was appointed his boss and Foreign Secretary.

The "powerful men" in Islamabad wanted to make history by appointing a woman as the first foreign secretary of Pakistan.

Reliable sources said Basit in the heat of passions had thought of resigning. But later decided to stay put, making it clear to his bosses he would not work in any 'subordinate' position to Janjua.

As he completes his tenure, Foreign Office bosses are unsure how to deal with Basit. Sources said an option could be to let Basit carry on but the problem is he is considered hawkish by the incumbent government who hardly fits into the Prime Minister's policy of "good ties with all neighbours".

Another possibility could be to appoint him to send him as ambassador or high commissioner to a European capital. The last option could be to send his replacement to New Delhi and let him come back and then proceed on a long leave.

Already, name of senior diplomat Sohail Mahmood is being discussed as possible replacement. He is not the only one as other names are also being named including one of former spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, the sources said.

In his Pakistan Day speech yesterday at the embassy in New Delhi, Basit said the long-standing unresolved issues of Kashmir must be resolved as per the "aspirations of Kashmiris".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian Coast Guard today apprehended a Pakistani boat with nine crew members from the Arabian Sea off Gujarat coast, officials said.

"A Pakistani boat with nine crew members, which had entered the Indian waters, was seized by a Coast Guard vessel off Jakhau coast of Kutch district today," the Coast Guard officials said.

"The boat and and the Pakistani crew members have been brought to Jakhau port and the crew members are being interrogated by the security agencies," they added.

Last month, the BSF had apprehended four abandoned Pakistani fishing boats near Sir Creek in Kutch district on the Indo-Pak border during an extensive search operation in that area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China today said participation of its troops in Pakistan Day parade in Islamabad is a strong testimony to showcase the "all-weather" strategic mutual trust and friendship between two countries and their militaries.

"China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic and cooperative partners. The two militaries maintain long-time friendship," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing.

The Pakistan Day parade was for the first time attended by Chinese and Saudi troops, apart from military band 'Meher' from Turkey.

"Again it is a strong testimony of the high level strategic mutual trust and the friendship between the two countries and the two militaries. It is another mirror of such good relations between the two countries and the militaries," she said.

Hua said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) sent 90- member Chinese delegation to participate in the parade at the invitation of Pakistan.

Pakistan's Republic Day marks the adoption of the historic Lahore Resolution in 1940 that spurred efforts to create a separate homeland for Muslims of South Asia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shiv Sena workers in party MP Ravindra Gaikwad's Osmanabad constituency, today burnt an effigy of the Air India staffer, who was assaulted by the leader, triggering a slew of protests.

Osmanabad district and tehsil unit functionaries of the Sena gathered at Babasaheb Ambedkar statue at Tuljapur and burnt the effigy, district vice president of Sena, Kamlakar Chavan told PTI.

"We burnt the effigy of the AI purser to support our MP who is our source of inspiration. We are proud of what he did as he was responding to the insult heaped by the airline on him," Chavan said.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde said party president Uddhav Thackeray will take a decision on the Gaikwad issue.

"I feel it is not alright for people's representatives to turn violent," the minister said.

Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from Gaikwad who hit an Air India staffer at IGI airport in Delhi with a slipper, and remained defiant over the incident.

"The party has sought an explanation from Gaikwad over the incident. The Sena does not condone violence of any kind," Harshal Pradhan, media adviser to Sena president said.

Speaking to reporters outside the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly here, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik too said the party does not endorse the act.

He was however of the view that airline companies and railways should respect people's representatives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 'chaadar' (shawl) will be offered at the famous Ajmer Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who today hailed the Sufi saint as a "symbol of great spiritual traditions of India".

Modi handed over the "chaadar" to Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh here for offering it at the shrine during the 'Urs' (festival) which starts on March 30.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister conveyed greetings and best wishes to Khwaja Chishti's followers across the world.

In his message, Modi said "Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is a symbol of the great spiritual traditions of India", according to a PMO statement.

"Gharib Nawaz's service of humanity would remain an inspiration for future generations," he added.

Khwaja Chishti, a great 6th century sufi saint, is also known as 'Gharib Nawaz' (patron of the poor).

The Prime Minister offered his best wishes for the successful conduct of the 'Urs'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leaders across the political spectrum in Assam have objected to NSCN(IM) general secretary Th Muivah's reported statement that many places in the state will be part of 'Greater Nagalim' as per an agreement with the Centre.

Muivah had reportedly said earlier this week that the Greater Nagalim will include the Naga inhabited areas in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, besides Nagaland as per the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015.

"It is a danger for Assam. We doubted it earlier also. That is why we have been demanding to make the agreement public. But the Centre is shockingly keeping it under the carpet," former Assam Chief Minister and Congress leader Tarun Gogoi said.

Ruling coalition partner AGP's senior leader and MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita said his party's stand is clear that not a single inch of Assam land will be given to Nagalim.

Ruling BJP MLA Bhabesh Kalita too expressed strong objection to the agreement if it included Assam land.

"We will not leave our land to Nagalim. We hope that our chief minister will speak to the Centre," he said.

Reacting to the development, BJP Assam unit President Ranjeet Kumar Dass said the government has not announced anything officially yet.

"I doubt the statement as the Centre is unlikely to accept the demand of a separate country. We will discuss it with Government of India... We should not create unnecessary controversies," he added.

The powerful student body AASU said it is opposed to any deal which will affect the geography of Assam.

"We will not accept this agreement. There is no reason that we should give away our land to form a separate entity," AASU General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pope Francis today warned European Union leaders, the bloc risks dying without a new vision of the future based on the principles of solidarity on which it was founded.

"When a body loses its sense of direction and is no longer able to look ahead, it experiences a regression and, in the long run, risks dying," Francis told EU leaders at the Vatican on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The students of Maharani college here today protested against police for registering FIR against the hostel warden and some girls for murder after a woman student was found hanging in her hostel room.

The FIR was last evening registered on the basis of a complaint by the father of Komal Prajapat (18), a BA First year student in Maharani college, who was yesterday found hanging from the ceiling fan in the hostel room.

The woman's father Gulab Chand Prajapat has lodged a complaint against the hostel warden and some girls for allegedly harassing and killing his daughter.

After the development, the girl students of the college held a protest today.

Students leader Ankita Singh said, "The police were trying to implicate the hostel warden and the girls unnecessarily."



The college principal told reporters that the woman, who was found hanging in the hostel room, never gave any compliant against anyone to the college administration.

SHO of Ashok Nagar police station Balaram said the FIR was registered last evening and the matter is under investigation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Superstar Rajinikanth's visit to Sri Lanka next month to inaugurate a housing scheme has met with opposition from pro-Tamil outfits here, who cautioned him from getting "involved" in the emotive ethnic issue.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) urged the top actor not go ahead with his two-day visit starting April 9 during which he is slated to hand over 150 houses to displaced Tamils.

VCK founder Thol.Thirumavalavan alleged that efforts were on to "involve" the 'Enthiran' star in the ethnic issue in the lsland nation.

"There are efforts to involve him in the ethnic issue. Superstar (Rajinikanth) should not get involved in this matter and I say this as a friend," the pro-Tamil leader told a Tamil TV channel.

The mega star is scheduled to hand over the homes built by Lyca Group's Gnanam Foundation for displaced Tamils in northern Jaffna.

The actor is currently shooting for ace director Shankar's "2.0", a sequel to the duo's earlier hit "Enthiran," starring Rajinikanth and produced by Lyca Productions.

Incidentally, Lyca Productions had in 2014 faced opposition in Tamil Nadu when various pro-Tamil parties and organisations including VCK and TVK had opposed its producing of the movie 'Kaththi' (Knife), starring popular star Vijay.

They had alleged that the proprietor of Lyca Productions, Allirajah Subaskaran, had close business ties with then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, often criticised in Tamil Nadu for the death of civilian Tamils during the final assault on rebel LTTE in 2009.

Lyca Productions had then refuted the allegations.

Thirumavalvan said he had no problem with the commercial motive of Rajinikanth's visit to Sri Lanka but said he felt there could be a "political motive" behind it.

"So he should be careful about this and it would be good if he could avoid visiting Sri Lanka," he said.

TVK founder and former MLA T Velmurugan said the actor should not "fall prey" to the efforts to paint a rosy picture of Sinhala-Tamil relations in the island nation.

"At a time when Tamils are seeking justice for the ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, Rajinikanth's visit does not augur well. This is an attempt by Sri Lankan government through Lyca to create an image that Sinhalas and Tamils are living unitedly," he told PTI.

Velmurugan, who had spearheaded the protest against Lyca Productions in 2014, said Rajinikanth "has great respect and following among Sri Lankan Tamils" and therefore he should not commit himself to the programme.

He questioned whether there were no actors in Sri Lanka who could be used for this purpose.

"There is a big political conspiracy behind this and Rajinikanth should not fall prey to this," he said.

Gnanam Foundation has constructed homes for the relocation of displaced Sri Lankan Tamils affected by the civil war as part of the 'Lyca Housing Scheme' in Chinna Thampan and Puliyankulam regions in Vavuniya district in Jaffna.

Lyca Productions' Creative Head Raju Mahalingam in a statement yesterday said when they approached Rajinikanth to "grace the event as the chief guest, he readily agreed to be part of the function.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Superstar Rajinikanth's reported visit to Sri Lanka to launch a housing scheme is facing opposition from a group here.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan today urged Rajinikanth to drop his Sri Lanka visit to participate in an event organized by Lyca Group's Gnanam Foundation.

Lyca has produced Rajinikanth's upcoming movie "2.0".

The actor was supposed to attend a two-day-long event in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to present 150 homes to displaced Tamils on April 9 and 10, according to a statement by Raju Mahalingam, Creative Head of Lyca Productions.

"I have no personal agenda against Rajinikanth. We are good friends. But, I strongly oppose his decision to visit Sri Lanka and participate in an event organized by Lyca, which has business ties with the Sri Lankan government," Thirumavalavan claimed.

"Artists should only entertain people. We, on behalf of our party 'Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi' request Rajnikanth not to earn Tamil people's hatred by participating in this event."



Thirumavalavan said he has also sought an appointment to meet Rajinikanth to discuss the matter.

"I have sought an appointment to meet Rajinikanth in person... I will hand over a memorandum and request him to drop his visit," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Photos: 30+ Signs That Scream 'Healthcare For All' At March Against GOP Plan

By aaroncynic in News on Mar 24, 2017 5:41PM

Hundreds marched through the Loop Thursday afternoon at rush hour to decry Republican plans to repeal and replace Obamacare on the seventh anniversary of its signing into law.

Their intention is to decimate our healthcare system, said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle at a press conference outside the Chicago Club prior to the rally. What Republicans have proposed is a disaster for Cook County. Under the ACA, 480,000 - almost half a million people - in Cook County were able to sign up either for a Medicaid expansion program or a marketplace health plan.

Organizers scheduled the press conference and protest to coincide with a visit House Speaker Paul Ryan was expected to pay to Chicago for a $1,000 to $50,000 fundraiser at the Chicago Club, which has since been tentatively moved to Friday afternoon after the vote on the bill was delayed. Those against the plan celebrated the reprieve as temporary victory in the streets during the protest, but the House is set to vote on the bill in the afternoon.



The American Health Care Act has been roundly criticized by both Democrats and Republicans, as well as those who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act, many of whom could lose their coverage should the Republican plan pass. In Illinois, an analysis provided by Senator Dick Durbins office shows the AHCA could cost the state $40 billion in federal funding due to Medicaid cuts, and more than one million people could lose their coverage over the next decade.

Getting insurance was out of the question for me because of a preexisting condition, said Will Wilson, a 63 year-old man living with HIV/AIDS, who told reporters he was able to obtain better health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The insurance I had at the time (when diagnosed) didnt cover anything. Within a year I lost that coverage and went into medical bankruptcy.

Critics of the healthcare plan which billionaire President Donald Trump has demanded lawmakers ram through Congress have also pointed out that both insurance companies and other already exceedingly wealthy Americans who more than likely sleep on large piles of money stand to make a tidy profit off the suffering of others. State Senator and newly announced gubernatorial candidate Daniel Biss chided Governor Bruce Rauner, who has mostly been silent on the matter outside of a few recent comments that he was troubled by the plan.

Not only does this bill put at risk healthcare for over a million people, billions of dollars for Illinois and tens of thousands of jobs, it does one other thing - it gives billionaires like Bruce Rauner a tax cut of what would have been up to $7 million in 2015, said Biss.

It's unclear as to whether or not Ryan will make it down to Chicago today for the scheduled fundraiser, but another protest has already been scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at the Chicago Club.

Update 1:45 p.m.

Crain's Chicago reports that Ryan has once again postponed the fundraiser, now indefinitely. The vote will allegedly not come until at least 3:00 p.m. EST, making it impossible for him to attend. Unnamed sources told Crain's that the event has already netted $2 million in contributions.

The protest however, is still on. A Facebook event page created by the Chicago ANSWER coalition notes that the venue has changed - from the Chicago Club to Trump Tower. "Instead of the Chicago Club, please join us at Trump Tower at 4 PM to continue standing against the Trump regime, and to stand up for healthcare as a human right that should not be subject to the whims of a right-wing congress," reads the page.


Home Minister Rajnath Singh today reviewed the security situation in the Northeast and directed officials to enhance vigil along the international borders in the region.

During the hour-long meeting, the Home Minister was given a detailed presentation on the prevailing situation in the Northeast, especially militancy in the region.

Singh was also told about the steps taken to ensure peace, especially in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur, the four states considered to be affected by insurgency, official sources said.

The Home Minister directed senior security officials to enhance vigil along the international borders in the Northeast, they said.

Borders of China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal touch the Northeastern region.

Top officials of the Home Ministry, intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces attended the meeting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The RSS is growing popular among the youth with 90 per cent of participants at its 'shakhas' across the country below the age of 45, a Sangh functionary today claimed.

As much as 53 per cent of the total participants in daily shakhas of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are students, RSS Joint President of Delhi unit Alok Kumar said.

"At present, 57,185 shakhas are being organised daily at 36,729 locations across the country. And 90 per cent of the participants in these shakhas are below the age of 45 years," Kumar said.

Around 1,805 'shakhas' are being organised daily in AAP-ruled Delhi and the number is likely to be increased by 15 per cent in coming days, he added.

Kumar also informed that in last one year 1.4 lakh youth have opted for RSS' primary training of one year.

Sharing details about RSS' recently held Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha at Coimbatore, Kumar said that the Sangh passed resolutions expressing concern over violence instigated by anti-national elements in Kerala and West Bengal.

Accusing Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal of encouraging jehadi groups and anti-national elements in the state, Kumar claimed that the Hindu population in the state is declining due to TMC's Muslim vote bank politics.

Describing the situation in Kerala too as "worrisome," Kumar said that after CPI(M)-led LDF victory in the state assembly elections, there had been a sharp increase in attacks on activists, sympathisers and outfits associated with the RSS.

(Reopens CES11)



Talking about eminent poet Srijato Bandyopadhyay



getting threat calls from unknown persons for writing a poem allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments, Basu said, "I will request the police to look into who all are threatening the poet and take appropriate action against them as per the IPC."



Saying that "in a democratic country like India, one has the right, and the freedom to express himself. But as per the Indian Constitution one must not forget that someone's freedom was not hampering the freedom of another person," Basu questioned why Bandyopadhyay's pen was silent when alleged jihadi incidents took place in Kaliachak, Dhulagarh, Nadia and Burdwan blasts.

A Hindutva group on Wednesday lodged a police complaint against the poet Srijato for allegedly hurting "Hindu sentiments and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath" in a Facebook post.

Yesterday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stood beside the poet and said that a particular political party, which has taken up "saffronising", was behind lodging the complaint and threatening the poet on a social networking site.

The Kolkata Police has provided bodyguards to the poet after he lodged a complaint with the police alleging that he was getting threat calls from unknown persons.
Sharp criticism of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaekwad for thrashing an Air India official continued to pour in today from leaders across the political spectrum who termed his behaviour as "condemnable" and demanded strict action against him.

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the incident was in "bad taste" and it cannot be justified in any way.

"This is in bad taste. If an elected representative behaves like this, it is a setback to the trust of people. Action is being taken as per law. This incident cannot be justified in any way," Naqvi said.

State carrier Air India, along with private airlines Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir today banned the MP from Osmanabad (Maharashtra) from flying on their aircraft. The Air India even cancelled his return ticket to Pune from here.

NCP leader and former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the MP should be barred from flying in any airline and that the Ethics Committee of the Parliament should take action against him.

"The question is first what happened, then he is not repenting. He does not want to accept that he has done something wrong. He should not be allowed to fly by any airline, why only Air India. Even the police action should be very strict as there is a lot of evidence.

"He (the MP) should be censured... The Ethics Committee should take action. He should not be defended by colleagues in Parliament. People should realise that defending him will bring more bad name to the politicians and MPs. I agree with decision to put him in no flight list and they should not buckle under any pressure," he said.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge termed the incident as "condemnable" and said MPs from any party, be it the Shiv Sena, BJP or the Congress should not behave in such a manner.

"He is stating that he himself has beaten (the staff). This type of behavior is condemnable. The civil aviation minister has condemned this act.

"People should also not create a controversy to bring down the status and reputation of an institution. MPs should behave carefully and politely and the same time other staff should also behave courteously," he said.

Another Congress leader, Sanjay Nirupam, termed the incident as "objectionable and shameful" and demanded that the Shiv Sena should throw the MP out of the party.

"The way the Shiv Sena MP assaulted the Air India staff and the way he is repeatedly supporting and justifying his act, it is very objectionable and shameful. It is Shiv Sena's duty to throw out this goonda MP from the party at the earliest," he said.

Union minister Jayant Sinha said that such unruly



behavior and violence in the air is "regrettable".

"After all when you are flying and in the air at 30,000 feet, you are in a very fragile environment. Under those circumstances, it is very important to ensure behavior from all parties is appropriate. We take all those situations very seriously. Every such incident is investigated and then the law takes its own course," he said.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao, while terming the incident as "highly condemnable", said this is not the sort of behavior that people expect from an elected lawmaker.

"The people expect their politician to show exemplary behavior. By demonstrating such condemnable behavior, this MP has done a dis-service to the entire political class because people of the country develop bad image of politicians because of a few individuals who indulge in such highhandedness.

"I expect the politician concerned makes amends for his behavior and apologises for this unacceptable behavior," he said.
Bollywood actor and former parliamentarian Govinda appeared before the tax department today following a summons to him for not paying service tax dues of around Rs 70 lakh.

"Govinda appeared in person at our Juhu office today and assured us of clearing his dues of around Rs 70 lakh over the next few days," a department official told PTI here.

The actor did not respond to phone calls and text messages.

The official said as per Govinda's balancesheet of the past three years, he has earned Rs 5 crore by endorsing products, or acting in TV commercials or movies.

He was supposed to pay service tax to the tune of Rs 70 lakh, but the actor did not do so despite intimation by the department.

As the actor didn't appear before the tax department despite summons issued last week, officials had visited his house in Juhu last week to record his statement.

But the actor was not present.

Finally, Govinda, who was a Congress MP from North Mumbai from 2004 to 2009, was traced to his office nearby where his statement was recorded by the department officials last Wednesday following which he was asked to appear at the Juhu office, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two more "significant arrests" have been made by Scotland Yard in connection with the terror attack on the UK Parliament which claimed lives of four victims and injured 50 people.

Metropolitan Police Acting Deputy Commissioner and Head of Counter Terrorism Mark Rowley said in a statement that a total of nine persons remain in custody and one woman has been released on bail.

He also appealed to the public to come forward with any information on Khalid Masood, the terror suspect behind the attack, who was born as Adrian Russell Ajao in Dartford before converting to Islam.

"Whilst there is still no evidence of further threats, our determination is to find out if either he [Masood] acted totally alone, inspired by perhaps terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. To that end and as part of covert activity, the Met [Police] has made two further significant arrests overnight, one in the West Midlands and one in the north west," Rowley said.

He also revealed that the Counter Terrorism Command were carrying out five searches of addresses across the UK, having concluded 16 previously.

The Met Police have seized 2,700 items from these searches, including "massive amounts" of computer data and spoken to 3,500 witnesses and have been trawling through hundreds of uploads of video images.

Meanwhile, the fourth victim of the attack on Westminster Bridge in London was named as 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London.

The others killed included teacher Aysha Frade and US tourist Curt Cohrane and police officer Keith Palmer.

Two people remain in hospital in "critical condition" and one of them has "life threatening" injuries.

Two Met Police officers injured in the attack also remain in hospital with "significant injuries".

At least 50 people were injured with 31 requiring hospital treatment as the attack unfolded and those affected included at least 12 nationalities, the Met Police said.

The 52-year-old terror suspect who rammed a high-speed car into the side railings of the House of Commons before stabbing police officer Palmer to death at the entrance of the Houses of Parliament is said to have used a number of aliases, including Adrian Elms, and was known to UK police.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, Metropolitan Police said.

Masood was born to a white mother and black father and is said to have been affected by racism while growing up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
British police said today they had made two more "significant" arrests over the brazen terror attack on parliament, as investigators focussed on how the lone perpetrator was radicalised and appealed for information about the killer who left at least four people dead.

Metropolitan Police Acting Deputy Commissioner and Head of Counter Terrorism Mark Rowley said two more "significant arrests" have been made in connection with the incident. A total of nine persons remain in custody and one woman has been released on bail.

He also appealed to the public to come forward with any information on 52-year-old Khalid Masood, the suspect behind the terror attack, who was born as Adrian Russell Ajao in Dartford before converting to Islam. He is said to have used a number of aliases, including Adrian Elms, and was known to UK police and intelligences services.

Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday before crashing his car into railings and then running into the grounds of Parliament. Armed with a knife, he stabbed a police constable, before being shot dead by police.

At least 50 people were injured with 31 requiring hospital treatment as the attack unfolded and those affected included at least 12 nationalities, police said.

Rowley said the investigation would focus on his "motivation, preparation and his associates".

He said police would investigate whether Masood "acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him".

Rowley added: "There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but did not feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing those concerns to us."



He also said there would be a review of Parliamentary security to see if changes were needed.

Rowley also said that the Counter Terrorism Command were carrying out five searches of addresses across the UK, having concluded 16 previously.

The Met Police have seized 2,700 items from these searches, including "massive amounts" of computer data and spoken to 3,500 witnesses and have been trawling through hundreds of uploads of video images.

Meanwhile, the fourth victim of the attack on Westminster Bridge, who died last night, was named as 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London.

The others killed included teacher Aysha Frade and US tourist Curt Cohrane and police officer Keith Palmer.

Two people remain in hospital in "critical condition" and one of them has "life threatening" injuries.

Two Met Police officers injured in the attack also remain in hospital with "significant injuries".

Masood - who was born in Dartford, Kent - was known to the police.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, Metropolitan Police said.

He was believed to have been living in the West Midlands, and had previously spent time in Crawley, West Sussex, and Rye and Eastbourne, both in East Sussex.

Masood was born to a white mother and black father and is said to have been affected by racism while growing up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who had been abroad for medical check-up, returned home late Thursday night accompanied by her son Rahul.

The 70-year-old leader is doing fine, according to party sources.

She had left the country earlier this month to an undisclosed destination for a "routine medical check-up". Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi left on March 16 to join her soon after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Sonia had for the first time in many years not campaigned for her party in the just concluded Assembly elections.

The two leaders have returned to the country amid a growing clamour for structural changes within the party after its debacle in the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls. A section of leaders have also called for elevating Rahul.

Sonia has not been keeping well for quite some time and has entrusted all party work to Rahul for a few months now.

Party sources had said that Sonia had gone abroad for a "routine medical check-up". They did not disclose her destination though there was speculation that she was in the United States where she had been getting treatment for an undisclosed ailment earlier.

Sonia has been mostly out of action after she was taken ill during a roadshow in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, on August 2 last and was admitted to the hospital. She has been to the hospital twice after that.
China is not militarising the disputed South China Sea, the country's premier said today in Australia, claiming defence equipment Beijing has installed on artificial islands is "primarily" for civilian use.

The sea is a source of growing regional tension, with Beijing insisting it has sovereignty over virtually all the resource-rich waters, which are also claimed in part by several other countries, and deemed international waters by most of the world.

"Even if there is a certain amount of defence equipment or facilities, it is for maintaining the freedom of navigation," Premier Li Keqiang told a press conference with Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra.

"Because without such freedom, or without stability in the South China Sea, the Chinese side would be among the first to bear the brunt of it."



China "never has any intention to engage in militarisation in the South China Sea", he said, adding installations -- which include airstrips and missile batteries -- are "primarily for civilian purposes".

Li said aircraft and ships that transit through the South China Sea were from trading partners with Beijing, "so one can easily imagine how many Chinese interests are at stake here".

Sydney-based independent strategic consultant Tim Johnston said the nations involved in the dispute, including China and other claimants such as Vietnam and the Philippines, were "being slightly disingenuous".

"You build up features in the South China Sea in disputed waters, you are likely to have to defend them, which implies some degree of militarisation," he told AFP.

"We have the photographs of what looks like military installations on a number of the islands that China occupies."



Li's comments that Beijing did not want to restrict navigation in the South China Sea was also to be expected as no country was seeking such an outcome, Johnston said.

Instead, it was China's need for a veto over activities in the waters that were contentious "in a region where nationalism is very raw and borders are undefined".

But he added the premier's remarks could be interpreted as an attempt "not to exacerbate the situation", at least for the current period.

"No-one is likely to back down publicly, but that's very different from not pushing forward. I think that's where we are.

Australia has followed key ally the United States in carrying out several so-called "Freedom of Navigation" over-flights and sail-bys in the region, which China previously described as "provocations".

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has also said the building of artificial islands and possible militarisation by China create regional mistrust.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A young man, suspected to be a suicide bomber, blew himself up at the international airport in Dhaka today, nearly a week after a similar attack on a nearby camp of Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force.

The man, said to be in his 30s, blew himself up in front of a police outpost near the Shahjalal International Airport.

The 'suicide attacker' exploded a bomb apparently in an attempt to target security personnel at the entrance of the airport, killing himself, Bdnew24.Com reported.

The attacker could not be identified immediately.

Armed Police Battalion Assistant Commissioner Tanzila Akter told the outlet that the incident happened around 7 p.M. Local time.

"The young man died on the spot," the police officer said.

She added that no law enforcer was injured in the blast.

The attack comes a week after a similar attack on a nearby RAB camp on March 17. Security was tightened at airports and prisons across Bangladesh after the attack.

A suspected suicide attacker was shot dead at a RAB check post in Khilgaon on the following day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Swiss prosecutors said today they had opened an investigation into alleged spying on members of the Turkish community in Switzerland by an unspecified "intelligence service".

The Office of the Attorney General told AFP it had "concrete suspicions (of espionage) against the Turkish community in Switzerland (by) a political intelligence service," and said it had opened its probe on March 16, after receiving a green light from the Swiss government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rick Bayless Has A New Line Of Healthy, Frozen Meals Coming Out This Summer

By Rachel Cromidas in Food on Mar 24, 2017 2:29PM



Frontera products/handout

Celebrity chef Rick Bayless is coming out with a new line of frozen meals under his Frontera brand. The company, known for its chips and salsas, was purchased by ConAgra Foods last year for $109 million.

The frozen meals will have a health-food focus and are inspired by Mexican cuisine; three flavors, chicken fajita, barbacoa taco and veggie taco, pictured above, feature "braised beef and black beans, three-chile barbacoa sauce, fire-roasted peppers," among other ingredients. "Foodies around the country know Rick Bayless as the premier authority on gourmet Mexican cuisine," ConAgra CEO Sean Connolly told the Tribune of the move.

ConAgra, which is headquartered in Chicago, is working to remake its brand with healthier fare at a higher price-pointfor example, in addition to the Frontera frozen meals, ConAgra is debuting "Healthy Choice Power Bowls," with antibiotic-free meat, vegetables and whole grains, the Tribune reports.

Bayless, who is known for his support for the local food movement, encouraging the use of sustainable, seasonal ingredients in cooking, and for operating a slew of award-winning Chicago restaurants, including Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and Lena Brava.
Syrian rebel group Faylaq al-Rahman is in the thick of a new offensive in Damascus but is also participating in peace talks with the government in Geneva this week.

The group's spokesman Wael Alwan says there is no contradiction in its stand.

"The two complement each other," says Alwan, who is also a spokesman for the opposition at the UN-brokered talks.

"The aim is to get rid of the totalitarian regime, either by making it fall politically through a transitional arrangement backed by the international community or through resistance on the ground to the end."



The head of Faylaq al-Rahman's political bureau, Mutassem al-Shumeir, is a member of the opposition delegation in Geneva.

Back home in the Syrian capital, the Islamist group's fighters have joined an offensive in eastern Damascus along with the Tahrir al-Sham alliance which is dominated by Fateh al-Sham Front - known as Al-Nusra Front before it renounced its ties to Al-Qaeda.

Formed in early 2013, Faylaq al-Rahman is itself the result of an alliance between several factions.

Its main presence is in the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital, a rebel stronghold, but it also has hundreds of fighters in the eastern Qalamun mountains towards the Lebanese border.

And it is influential in the Jobar region of Damascus, from which the Damascus assault was launched last Sunday, sparking the heaviest clashes in the capital in two years.

The group is led by dissident army captain Abdel Nasser al-Shumeir and has an estimated 9,000 fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Qatar and Turkey figure among its foreign backers.

According to Alwan, Faylaq al-Rahman is "far from the ideologies of certain groups considered as extremist".

"Our revolutionaries act on the basis of the principles of the revolution and the struggle against the regime," he told AFP.

Alwan said preparations for the Damascus offensive started three months ago but the assault was only launched in response to regime attacks on Eastern Ghouta and rebel districts of the capital, ahead of the Geneva talks.

While the regime has denounced the Damascus attacks as a bid to sabotage the peace talks, Alwan said it was "legitimate defence" in the face of government efforts to force the opposition into submission through sieges and air strikes.

Faylaq al-Rahman was one of the factions which signed a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that came into effect on December 30 but has been repeatedly violated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Altogether three that had signed MoUs with the Odisha government for setting up steel plants have withdrawn their projects from the state, the Assembly was informed today.

Eleven others have not yet started work for setting up steel plants, steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick told the Assembly.

Stating that work on 35 other steel plants were in different stages of production, the minister told the House that the state government had signed MoUs with 49 for setting up steel plants.

Replying to a question, the minister said ArcelorMittal, Maharashtra Seamless and Sterlite Iron and Steel Company have withdrawn their projects from the state.

While ArcellorMittal had signed a MoU with the state government to set up a mega greenfield steel plant in Keonjhar district, Maharastra Seamless had proposed to set up a steel plant at Duburi in Jajpur district. Sterlite Iron and Steel Company Limited had also proposed to set up a steel plant at Palaspanga in Keonjhar district, the minister said.

On the Posco project, the minister said the South Korean steel major had declined to pay its dues for land to the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) and had not utilised the land allotted to it within the stipulated period.

The 11 that have not begun work were Artha Mines, Posco, Pradhan Steel and Power, Konark Ispat, Deo Mines and Mineral, Monnet Ispat and Energy, SSL Energy, Tecton Ispat, Uttam Galva Steel (Uttam Utkal Steel), Amtek Metal and Mining and Welspun Power and Steel, the minister said.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with members of the NATO alliance next week, after initially planning to skip ministerial talks, a spokesman said today.

The State Department was unable to confirm whether the new March 31 meeting in Brussels will replace a planned foreign ministers' meeting that Tillerson will not attend on April 5 and 6.

Earlier this week, Tillerson caused dismay among Washington's European allies when his office announced that he would not be able to attend the meeting of the 28-member alliance.

But diplomats have been scrambling to find another date to accommodate the envoy from NATO's leading member.

"The Secretary of State will visit NATO in Brussels on Friday, March 31. The visit will come after his trip to Ankara, Turkey. Details about his schedule are forthcoming," a spokesman said.

Another official told AFP it was not yet clear whether the full foreign ministers' meeting would be brought forward to Tillerson's preferred date or if his talks would be separate.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit President Donald Trump in the United States in early April, and Tillerson would be expected to attend their meetings.

But his office has not confirmed that engagement, and Tillerson's refusal to attend the long-planned NATO talks has raised questions about the United States' commitment to its allies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japanese auto major Toyota's luxury brand Lexus today entered India with the launch of three models priced up to Rs 1.09 crore (ex-showroom).

Lexus introduced the RX Hybrid model priced at Rs 1.07 crore, RX F Sport hybrid at Rs 1.09 crore and ES 300h hybrid sedan priced at Rs 55.27 lakh (all prices ex-showroom).

The company also unveiled its top end SUV LX450d, but didn't announce price, along with the fifth generation Lexus LS which would be available for sales from next year.

Lexus is entering the Indian market with an aim to tap the growing number of luxury customers, specially those Toyota customers who are looking to upgrade.

"Toyota manufactures Camry hybrid already in India and many of the customers are looking to upgrade. Therefore, it is the right time for Lexus to enter the Indian market so that our customers don't go to other brands," Lexus International President Yoshihiro Sawa told PTI here.

"The Indian luxury customers are growing and it is part of our future strategy to tap them," he added.

The company will start retailing the products from four dealerships -- Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bengaluru -- to start up in the country.

Additionally it will also establish service centres at Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.

Lexus India Senior Vice President Akitoshi Takemura said they will have to first see the response in the country before before taking a call on having local manufacturing in India.

"There is scope for local manufacturing, we support Prime Minister's 'Make in India' initiative but for the time being we are just starting operations. We will have to see how the market functions. If volume consolidates and reach a critical level then we may think of local manufacturing," Takemura said.

At present the models would be imported from Japan, he added.

When asked about competition in the luxury segment with established brands like Audi and Mercedes already present for more than a decade, Takemura said the they would first like to establish in the country and would not go for big numbers.

"Our pricing position is higher than JLR or German brands. We haven't set a sales target as such and would like to create Lexus brand in the country," he said.

When asked about synergy with Toyota brand, he said that some of the existing dealers would also be able to provide servicing facilities to the Lexus customers as they are already experienced on providing service to Toyota Camry hybrid customers.

Bullish on the Indian market, Takemura said, "High net worth individuals are growing in India , getting more affluent and they are spending on luxury items."



Besides, Lexus would like to provide the solution of eco friendly mobility in luxury segment, he said.
US President got into a parked truck, honked, and pretended to drive in a gesture to welcome the trucking industry representatives in the White House.

Thursday afternoon, in the presence of a media persons, Trump came from his residence and walked towards two large trucks parked in front of the White House.

While one was emblazoned with a US flag, the other was with a photograph of a trucker, a boy and the words: "It takes 7 million people to move America like my dad."

As Trump shook hands with CEOs of trucking companies and drivers, he could be overheard congratulating the drivers on their safety record: "Accident free," he said a few times.

He later joked with the drivers as he turned to the CEOs, "Who makes more, them or you?" Trump then hopped up into one of the trucks.

He hit the horn a couple of times, closed the driver side door and waved to the press from the window. After handshaking, the President walked toward the West Wing, but the social media, in particular tweet was abuzz with pictures of Trump on the big truck.

Later Trump was joined by a group of CEOs and drivers in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

He was joined by Indian-American Seema Verma, Administrator of a key health care agency who is playing an important role in the Presidents healthcare reforms.

Trump joked a couple of times that he couldn't spend too much time with the truckers because of the vote.

"I'm not going to make it too long, because I have to get votes," he said.

"I don't want to spend too much time with you. I'm going to lose by one vote and then I'm going to blame the truckers," he said.

When a CEO from Flint, introduced himself, Trump chimed in: "We just gave a check for a hundred million dollars to Flint. Think of that whole, horrible deal. That's great political leadership. What a disaster. In order to save a fee, they went to bad water and spent a fortune on pipes and infrastructure. Anyway, we're helping out Flint."

In his brief remarks, Trump praised the truckers.

"No one knows America like truckers know America. You see it every day. You see every hill, and you see every valley and you see every pothole in our roads that have to be rebuilt," he said.

"Through day and night in all kinds of weather truckers course the arteries of our nation's highways. You carry anything and everything -- the food that stocks our shelves, the fuel that runs our cars and the steel that builds our cities," he added.

"You think I wrote that?" Trump said to laughter.

"I want to save that paragraph. But America depends on you. And you work very hard for America," Trump said.
Turkey's president has hit out at the head of Germany's intelligence service for suggesting that Berlin is not convinced U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen played a role in last year's failed coup.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan today accused the BND foreign intelligence chief Bruno Kahl of making the remarks on behalf of Germany's leaders, who he said backed Gulen's movement.

Kahl told Der Spiegel magazine that Turkey tried to "convince us on a number of different levels. But they haven't yet been successful."



Gulen denies orchestrating the coup attempt. Turkey is seeking his extradition from the United States.

Erdogan's words come at a tense time in Turkey's ties with Germany and the Netherlands following restrictions imposed on Turkish ministers wanting to campaign there for a referendum on ushering in a presidential system.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Palghar district rural police have registered an offence of molestation against a producer following a complaint by an actress, police said.

Producer Sanjay Kohli has been booked after a complaint was filed by a television actress, said police sub-inspector V D Mali of Waliv police station under Vasai division.

No arrest has been made so far, the officer said.

According to the complaint, the producer was allegedly blackmailing the actress to have a physical relationship if she wanted to continue in a show.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Microblogging site Twitter suspended official accounts of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad but reinstated them after social media users criticised the move.

The ABVP's official Twitter account, @ABVPVoice, Delhi state account -- @ABVPDelhi and that of its national office secretary Rahul Sharma and national media convener Saket Bahuguna were "suspended" last evening, ABVP General Secretary Vinay Bidre said in a statement.

"It surely creates suspicion and smells of prejudice," he said.

While Twitter India was "forced to revoke the suspensions" this morning following a massive online "backlash", the incident has raised questions over the functioning of social media platforms, Bidre said.

An e-mail sent to the microblogging site for a comment on the matter did not elicit any response.

The RSS-backed student organisation has demanded that Twitter state the "real reason" for "suspension" of its accounts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Setting in motion the process of extradition of industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, the British government has certified India's request and sent it to a district judge for further action.

"The UK Home department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for extradition of Mallya has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of warrant," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

The development is a step forward towards securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore.

Baglay also noted that a formal extradition request in respect of Mallya as per Extradition Treaty between India and the UK was handed over to the British High Commission here through a note verbale on February 8.

While handing over the request, India had asserted that it has a "legitimate" case against Mallya and maintained that if an extradition request is honoured, it would show British "sensitivity towards our concerns".

The extradition process from the UK involves a number of steps including a decision by the judge whether to issue a warrant of arrest. In case of a warrant, the person is arrested and brought before the court for preliminary hearing followed by an extradition hearing before a final decision by the secretary of state.

The wanted person has a right to appeal to the higher courts against any decision all the way up to the supreme court.

Earlier in January this year, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Around half-a-dozen under trials today went on rampage in Gurdaspur jail here after attacking two members of jail staff, forcing the security guards to open fire in the air, to rein in them.

The inmates even indulged in brick-batting, burning down the jail beds and smashing CCTV installed in the jail premises, police said.

Smoke could be seen coming out of the jail premises.

Two members of the jail staff were thrashed by few under trials with plastic pipes, police said adding the under trials were upset over the increased security measures.

"Seven to eight under trials were possibly involved in this incident," said Gurdaspur SSP Bhupinderjeet Singh Virk.

When other jail staff members saw their two members being beaten up, they tried to stop the under trials.

"Three to four shots were fired in the air by the jail staff to control the situation," said the SSP.

He said under trials indulged in brick-batting, setting the beds of the barracks on fire. They even smashed a CCTV.

Senior officials including DIG Ferozepur Range Surinder Singh Saini, rushed to the jail to take stock of the situation.

Notably, six prisoners including two terrorists were freed by a group of armed men from high security Nabha jail in Patiala district in November last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Li Bingbing poses with a Tibetan antelope. [Photo/Official Weibo account of Our Street Style]

Famous Chinese actress Li Bingbing has appeared with wild animals in a series of fashion photos to highlight the need to protect their habitats.

Li appears to sidle up to a leopard and pat a Tibetan antelope in the fashion shoot inspired by this year's World Environment Day theme of "Go Wild for Life".
American-born giant panda Bao Bao made her first appearance today before the public in southwestern China following her move there from Washington.

Bao Bao was born at the National Zoo in Washington to pandas on loan from China. Under the standard loan agreement, such panda cubs must be returned to China before they are 4 years old, the earliest age at which they might begin breeding.

The 3-year-old Bao Bao explored her spacious new enclosure at the panda breeding base in the city of Dujiangyan, which features both indoor and outdoor play areas.

Keepers have been helping her adapt to local bamboo and Chinese steamed bread made from corn, soybeans, rice and eggs. She is the 11th panda to be born overseas and returned to China.

Bao Bao, whose name means "precious" or "treasure," underwent a monthlong quarantine at the Dujiangyan base, where keepers monitored her activities and health by checking her blood and feces.

Because she does not understand commands in Chinese, she is being looked after for a time by an English-speaking keeper.

Giant pandas, China's unofficial national mascot, live mainly in the mountains of Sichuan, with some also found in neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

They have long been considered one of the world's most endangered animals, with an estimated 1,864 living in the wild and 200 in captivity.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Donald Trump's administration said today it has given final approval for TransCanada to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline, a project his predecessor Barack Obama had blocked over environmental concerns.

One of Trump's first acts after taking office in January was to give a conditional go-ahead for the controversial cross-border project, which Obama had put on hold.

Trump was due to speak about the decision Friday at 10:15 am (1415 GMT), his spokesman Sean Spicer said on Twitter.

After a new US review of the project, Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon issued the presidential permit, concluding that it would "serve the national interest," the State Department said today.

The 1,180-mile (1,900-kilometer) conduit would carry oil from Canada's tar sands to US Gulf Coast refineries, with some 870 miles winding through the United States.

Trump repeatedly asserted during the US presidential campaign that he would approve the pipeline.

TransCanada thanked the US administration for reviewing and approving the delayed project.

"This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project," said TransCanada president and chief executive officer Russ Girling.

The company looks forward to working with the White House "as we continue to invest in and strengthen North America's energy infrastructure," he said in a statement.

The company has a total of USD 15 billion in investment in oil and natural gas "that will create thousands of well-paying jobs and generate substantial economic benefits across the US."



But TransCanada still will need to work with authorities and residents to obtain the necessary permits and approvals to advance the Keystone XL project to construction in Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota, the company said.

Protestors supporting the Standing Rock Sioux Native American tribe for many months blocked completion of a section of the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota, until the Trump administration overrode their environmental concerns and approved the construction.

Canada is the world's sixth-largest oil producer thanks to the Alberta tar sands, which produce some of the "dirtiest" crude in the world.

Unlike traditional crude oil which gushes from a well, tar sand oil must be dug up and essentially melted with steaming hot water before it can be refined. It results in huge lakes of polluted water and the strip-mining of millions of acres of once-pristine boreal forests.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Trump administration officials have held intensive consultations with an Israeli delegation to advance the prospects for a genuine and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine, the White House has said.

A principal focus of the discussions was specific measures that could have a meaningful impact on the economic environment in the West Bank and Gaza, allowing the Palestinians to more fully realise their economic potential, it said.

While the American delegation was led by Jason Greenblatt, President Donald Trump's Special Representative for International Negotiations, the Israeli delegation was led by the Chief of Staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Horowitz.

"The issues the two delegations discussed are exceptionally complicated, and the fact that both governments dedicated such senior delegations for nearly a full week of talks reflects the close cooperation between the two countries and the importance both assign to this vital task," the joint statement read.

The two delegations also discussed Israeli settlement construction, following up on Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington and Greenblatt's recent visit to Israel.

The US reiterated Trump's concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving towards a peace agreement.

The Israeli delegation made clear that Israel's intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes those concerns into consideration.

Meanwhile, the US Senate yesterday confirmed the nomination of David Friedman as the US Ambassador to Israel.

He is known for his hardline views and has been critical of a two-State solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tamil Nadu government today proposed extending the validity period of building planning permission from the existing three years to five years.

The move was necessitated due to "difficulties" faced by developers carrying out large-scale projects including SEZs and IT Parks, Housing and Urban Development Minister K Radhakrishnan said.

He moved a bill in the state Assembly to amend the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 for this purpose.

The validity period of planning permission was fixed as three years in 1971 when large-scale development activities were not taking place in the state, he said.

"It has been brought to the notice of the government that difficulties are (being) experienced by persons carrying out large-scale development activities like Special Economic Zones, IT Parks, malls and townships in implementing them within the prescribed period of three years," he said.

Further, project execution was delayed due to various factors like non-availability of labour and material, he said.

The government has therefore decided to amend the Act, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 66-year-old British woman who says she is "desperately unhappy" in her 39 years of marriage has lost the latest round of an extraordinarily unusual court battle.

Tini Owens asked the Court of Appeal to overturn a family court ruling, which said she could not divorce her husband Hugh Owens, 78.

But the appeal judges, led by Sir James Munby, upheld the original ruling.

However, the judge did point out that some people would feel unhappiness should be grounds for divorce.

The decision means Owens will have to remain married, although after five years of separation she would be eligible for a divorce even if her husband still objected, the BBC reported.

The couple married in 1978 and lived in Broadway, Worcestershire.

The Court of Appeal heard that Tini Owens' case was that the marriage had broken down, although her husband disagreed, saying that the couple still had a "few years" to enjoy.

But she contended that she had been left in a "wretched predicament", locked in a "loveless and desperately unhappy" marriage.

She had made 27 allegations about the way he treated her, including that he was "insensitive" in his "manner and tone" and said she was "constantly mistrusted" and felt unloved.

Opposing a family court ruling made last year by Judge Robin Tolson, who refused to grant a divorce petition on the basis her allegations were "of the kind to be expected in marriage", she took the case to the Court of Appeal.

But today, Sir James - the most senior family court judge in England and Wales - said: "We cannot interfere with Judge Tolson's decision, and refuse the wife the decree of divorce she sought."



He said Judge Tolson had correctly concluded that the marriage had not "in law" irretrievably broken down.

However, the judge added: "Parliament has decreed that it is not a ground for divorce that you find yourself in a wretchedly unhappy marriage, though some people may say it should be."



Appeal judges analysed the case at a hearing in London last month and announced their decision to dismiss the appeal in a written ruling.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Telangana government today told the state assembly that it would soon take steps to get the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast accused Swami Aseemanand's bail "cancelled" and ensure that "justice is done."



Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy gave this assurance to the House in response to All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's demand that the government persuade the NIA to move court against the grant of bail to Aseemanand.

The court of the Fourth Metropolitan Sessions Judge here had granted bail to Aseemanand and Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai, a co-accused in the case, yesterday.

In his reply to Owaisi's demand during Zero Hour, Reddy said, "The question raised by member Akbaruddin Owaisi is a valid question. Definitely, an inquiry will be conducted on how he (Aseemanand) got the bail. Efforts will be made to get the bail cancelled. We will ensure justice is done."



Owaisi had demanded that the TRS government should "pressurise" the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, to take steps to ensure that Aseemanand's bail gets cancelled.

"The cases were registered and the Hindutva members were arrested after the CBI inquiry. However, Swami Aseemanand was granted bail by a court. I appeal to the government to put pressure on NIA and they should be told that whoever has got bail in the (Mecca Masjid bomb blasts case)... Their bails get cancelled," Owaisi said.

Describing Aseemanand to be a "deshatgard" (terrorist), Owaisi said the terrorists have no religion.

"Whether it's Osama Bin Laden or Aseemanand, the terrorists should be dealt with sternly. I am hopeful that the government will prevail upon and pressurise the NIA to get the bail to Aseemanand cancelled and he, along with others, is sent back to jail," the MLA said.

Swami Aseemanand, whose real name is Naba Kumar Sarkar, was arrested on November 19, 2010, from Haridwar for his alleged role in the Mecca Masjid blast killing nine persons here on May 18, 2007.

On March 8 this year, Aseemanand and six others were acquitted in the 2007 Ajmer blast case by a Jaipur court. He was then brought from Jaipur and lodged in a prison here.

Owaisi also demanded that the government make public the Bhaskar Rao Committee Report on the Mecca Masjid blast and subsequent events.

While granting the bail, the court had asked Aseemanand not to leave Hyderabad without its permission and remain present for the trial when required.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Telangana Government will take steps to get the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast accused Swami Aseemanand's bail "cancelled", the Legislative Assembly was told today.

The MIM (Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi raised the matter through a Point during Zero Hour in the House.

The court of the Fourth Metropolitan Sessions Judge here yesterday granted bail to Aseemanand and Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai, a co-accused in the case.

In his reply, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said, "Whatever question raised by the member Akbaruddin Owaisi is a valid question. Definitely, an inquiry will be conducted on how he (Aseemanand) got bail. Efforts will be made to get the bail cancelled. We will ensure justice is done."



The MIM MLA demanded that the TRS government should "pressurise" the NIA (National Investigation Agency), which is probing the case, to ensure that the bail granted to the right-wing activist, Swami Aseemanand gets cancelled.

"The cases were registered and Hindutva members were arrested after the CBI inquiry. However, Swami Aseemanand was granted bail by a court. I appeal to the government to put pressure on NIA and they should be told that whoever has got bail in the (Mecca Masjid bomb blasts case)...Their bails get cancelled," Owaisi said.

Alleging that Aseemanand is a "Deshatgard" (terrorist), Owaisi said that terrorists have no religion.

"Whether it is Osama Bin Laden or Aseemanand, terrorists should be dealt with sternly. I am hopeful that the government will prevail upon and pressurise the NIA to get the bail to Aseemanand cancelled and he, along with others, is sent back to jail," the MLA said.

Swami Aseemanand, whose real name is Naba Kumar Sarkar, was arrested on November 19, 2010, from Haridwar in connection with the blast at the Mecca Masjid here on May 18, 2007, which had killed nine persons.

On March 8 this year, Aseemanand and six others were acquitted in the 2007 Ajmer blast case by a court in Jaipur. He was then brought from Jaipur and lodged in a prison here.

Owaisi also demanded that the government should make public the Bhaskar Rao Committee Report on the Mecca Masjid blast and subsequent events.

While granting the bail, the court had asked Aseemanand not to leave Hyderabad without court's permission and remain present for the trial when required.

However, whether NIA will challenge the bail or otherwise is not known.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English on Friday announced a renewed push to promote free trade in his first major trade policy announcement since taking over as leader last December.

New Zealand's $180 billion economy depends on exports, and the country lobbied hard in favour of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. It wants to push for an expansion of a free-trade agreement with China at a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday.

English said on Friday his centre right government wants free-trade agreements to cover 90 percent of goods exported by 2030, up from just over half currently.

"The biggest threat to our economic success at the moment is disruption of international trade," English said at a business event in Auckland on Friday.

The new policy includes funds for an expanded trade bureaucracy, including new diplomatic posts in Dublin and Colombo.

The New Zealand government is in the process of negotiating trade deals with the Gulf states and the European Union.

English's remarks echo comments from New Zealand's Reserve Bank governor, Graeme Wheeler, who earlier this month said U.S. protectionism was the greatest source of uncertainty for the world economy.

The announcement comes ahead of a general election in September, with English's National party currently leading opinion polls.

(Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Jeff Mason and Ethan Lou

WASHINGTON/CALGARY (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration approved TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, cheering the oil industry and angering environmentalists who had sought for years to block it.

The approval reverses a decision by former President Barack Obama to reject the project, but fresh obstacles loom: To get built, TransCanada will need to win financing, acquire local permits, and fend off likely legal challenges.

"It's not done yet," said Michael Wojciechowski, vice president of Americas, oil and refining markets research at consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

Trump announced the presidential permit for Keystone XL at an event at the White House attended by TransCanada Chief Executive Officer Russell Girling and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Unions.

"TransCanada will now be able to complete this long overdue pipeline with efficiency and speed," Trump said, saying the decision was "part of a new era in America" to lower consumer fuel prices, create jobs and achieve energy independence.

TransCanada's U.S.-listed shares rose 0.77 percent to $46.62, after having surged as much as 7 percent in premarket trading.

The pipeline linking Canadian oil sands to U.S. refiners had been blocked for years by former President Barack Obama, who said it would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for U.S. motorists and would contribute to emissions linked to global warming.

Trump, however, campaigned on a promise to approve it, saying it would create thousands of jobs and help the oil industry. He signed an executive order soon after taking office in January to advance the project.

JOBS

Trump has claimed the project would create 28,000 jobs in the United States. But a 2014 State Department study predicted just 3,900 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs.

The White House has said the pipeline is exempt from a Trump executive order requiring new pipelines to be made from U.S. steel, because much of the pipe for the project has already been built and stockpiled.

Environmental groups vowed to fight it. Greenpeace said it would pressure banks to withhold financing for the multi-billion dollar project, and others said they would fight the pipeline in court.

"We'll use every tool in the kit," said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Since Obama had nixed the pipeline based on an environmental assessment commissioned by the State Department in early 2014, opponents will likely argue in court that Trump can't reverse the decision without conducting a new assessment.

Fred Jauss, partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and a former attorney with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said local permitting would also be a challenge.

"The Presidential Permit is only one part of a web of federal, state, and local permits that must be obtained prior to starting construction," he said. "Other federal agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, state regulatory commissions, and even local planning boards may have requirements that need to be fulfilled by Keystone prior to construction."

"In addition, TransCanada may still need to reach deals with hundreds of potentially affected landowners on the pipeline's route. There is a lot of work ahead for TransCanada."

BOON FOR CANADA

The multibillion-dollar Keystone XL pipeline would bring more than 800,000 barrels per day of heavy crude from Canada's oil sands in Alberta into Nebraska, linking to an existing pipeline network feeding U.S. refineries and ports along the Gulf of Mexico.

The project could be a boon for Canada, which has struggled to get its vast oil reserves to market.

"Our Government has always been supportive of the Keystone XL pipeline and we are pleased with the U.S. decision," a spokesman for Canada's minister of natural resources said. "The importance of a common, continental energy market cannot be overstated."

The president of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, said the approval was "welcome news" and would bolster U.S. energy security.

Expedited approval of projects is part of Trump's approach to a 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure package he promised on the campaign trail. The White House is looking for ways to speed up approvals and permits for other infrastructure projects, which can sometimes take years to go through a regulatory maze.

TransCanada tried for more than five years to build the 1,179-mile (1,897-km) pipeline, until Obama rejected it in 2015. The company resubmitted its application for the project in January, after Trump signed the executive order smoothing its path.

(Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington, Luciana Lopez in New York, Ahmed Farhatha in Bengaluru, and Denny Thomas in Toronto; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Commercial Feature is a Business Standard Digital Marketing Initiative.

The Editorial/Content team at Business Standard has not contributed to writing or editing these articles.

For further information, please write to assist@bsmail.in
Beijing-based Syrian scholar Firas Sawah cites Tao Te Ching when asked about his romance with China. The book not only brought him here but has also played an important role in his daily life.

Syrian scholar Firas Sawah and his wife, Wafa, at their home at Beijing Foreign Studies University. [Photo by Liu Xiangrui/China Daily]

Born in Homs, Sawah has been teaching at the department of Arab studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University for the past few years.

As Sawah recalls, he developed an interest in East Asian culture and philosophy in his youth. He read a book in college on Chinese philosophy, which is titled China Wisdom.

He found Taoist ideas especially interesting when he read on. He wanted to introduce Taoism to Arabic readers and eventually translated Tao Te Ching, the famous Taoist book attributed to Lao Zi, a scholar who may have lived in the 6th century.

"I did it (the translation) with love," says the 72-year-old.

In his eyes, the text has wise guidance for both social management and personal life.

"I have read about religious ideas since the Stone Age. But when I came across Tao Te Ching, I thought to myself this is the solution to social problems nowadays. The text is very short and each time I read it, I discover something new."

The book was not only well received by readers in Syria, but also caught the attention of Chinese scholar Xue Qingguo when he traveled to Damascus in 2009 and came across Sawah's translation at a bookstore.

Xue, who also teaches at the department of Arab studies at the same university in Beijing, says he read different Arabic translations of Tao Te Ching earlier but liked Sawah's version best.

"Besides the translation, he has added a long preface and illustrations, which shows his deep understanding of both Tao Te Ching and the Arab world. The book is valuable for scholars."

Xue, who was in charge of the Arabic part of a cultural project named Library of Chinese Classics, was looking for help from established Arab scholars back then.

He was then able to find Sawah with the help of a Syrian publishing house and discussed with him the possibilities of future cooperation.

Xue later invited him to China for symposiums and lectures on topics, including comparing Tao Te Ching to thoughts in the Middle East.

In 2012, when Xue learned of the Syrian conflict, he wrote an email to tell him that a vacancy was available in his department and asked if he would be willing to come to China where he could have a peaceful environment to focus on teaching and research.

Sawah accepted the invitation gladly and has taught both undergraduates and graduates at the university since.

"He's a respected scholar in the Arab world. He maintains high standards of research and teaching," Xue says.

Xue and Sawah have co-authored a Chinese-Arabic book named Lao Zi to introduce Lao Zi and his ideas to Arabic readers. It was published by a Beijing publisher.

In the past couple of years, the two have been working on more books to introduce Chinese culture and philosophy to the Arab world.

Sawah says he became interested in writing when he was young.

He studied economics in college following his father's wish and worked in several organizations before he began to focus on writing and academic research.

Between 1976 and 2016, he published 23 books on topics including mythology and history of religions in the Arab world.

Sawah has been a member of the Syrian Writers' Association and a member of the General Association of Arab Writers and Authors.

He was recognized for his efforts in the fields of history and theology by organizations, including the Syrian Historic Association.

He studied economics for a livelihood, but philosophy and writing have been his lifelong passion, he says.

Although Beijing is very different as compared to Homs, Sawah finds his life rather easy here.

His wife, Wafa, has been teaching composition and reading in Arabic at Beijing Foreign Studies University since 2013.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's state-wide crackdown on running slaughterhouses has created a massive shortage of meat in the state. And, it has not only affected foodies but animals as well.

The Hindustan Times on Friday reported that carnivorous animals at the Kanpur Zoological Park have been put on a "forced fast" since Wednesday as the zoo administration has run short of meat supply. Kanpur Municipal Corporation has four slaughter houses, all of them were sealed following the orders from the Chief Minister.

"The zoo requires 150kg of buffalo meat every day. The meat is provided by a contractor who supplied it on Tuesday but could not today. The pregnant ones are being given chicken but they are not interested. Many of them have not touched food since morning," HT quoted a senior zoo official as saying.

A male carnivorous animal needed 12kg of meat every day while females required 10kg, the report said. The Kanpur zoo has 70 carnivorous animals, including lion Ajay and lioness Nandini.

Soon after taking over as UP Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath directed police officials to prepare an action plan for closure of all slaughter houses in the state. He also ordered a blanket ban on smuggling of cows.

Yogi Adityanath's decision was in line with the BJP's vision document 'Sankalp Patra' released ahead of the Assembly elections. In its document, the Party had promised a complete shutdown of illegal slaughter houses in UP. It is India's largest meat processing state.

Yogi Adityanath had asked the officials to ensure all points in the vision document were implemented with full seriousness and sensitivity.




Global ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies is rethinking its car leasing strategy in India, its second-biggest market, as drivers have returned dozens of leased cars early after the company cut incentives, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Uber had planned to buy 15,000 new cars last year and lease them out in a bid to attract more drivers - a strategy it has used in other markets - but it suspended the scheme for a while in December after leasing just a third of that total.

After burning through millions of dollars over three years in a battle for market share with local rival Ola, backed by Japan's Softbank, Uber has cut the incentives it gives to drivers and raised the fares it charges passengers.

The incentives - from free smartphones to cash bonuses worth as much as double a day's fares - meant drivers could earn as much as 120,000 rupees ($1,838) a month.

Those incentive payments have been pared back, in some cases to as little as 10 percent of fare income. Ride fares have risen to 1.5 rupees per minute of travel from 1 rupee.

The incentives and, to an extent, the leasing scheme aimed at drivers without their own cars, boosted Uber's driver numbers, helping it rapidly gain around 30 percent market share.

Uber has faced challenges elsewhere in Asia, but the stakes are high in India's $12 billion taxi market, a key area after it exited China last year, and one where CEO Travis Kalanick has said it expects to be profitable soon.

Uber has said its services are in 29 Indian cities and it has more than 250,000 drivers on its platform, but it lags Ola, which says it operates in more than 100 cities with about 550,000 drivers.

BUSINESS SHIFT

Two people with knowledge of the matter said Uber miscalculated the impact that the reduced incentives would have on drivers' earnings, especially those making lease payments.

At an open meeting for staff in December, around the time the incentives were being reduced, Uber's India chief Amit Jain said the buying-for-lease scheme was being temporarily suspended while the company evaluated its leasing strategy, one of the sources said.

Uber did not comment on Reuters queries related to Jain's announcement or the impact of the incentives cuts on its leasing program.

Raj Beri, business head for leasing in India, said the scheme was set up to help drivers without cars get on its platform and make money. "We are very pleased with our progress toward this goal so far, and look forward to introducing the opportunity to more prospective driver partners this year," he said in a statement.

In a recent blog post on Uber's website, Jain defended the cuts to driver incentives and signaled a strategic shift for India. "We can shift from start-up mode to a more sustainable business model," he wrote.

"NO BENEFIT IN LEASING"

Leasing is only a small part of Uber's overall supply in India, but is seen as a way to lock drivers on to its platform for longer, and stop them switching to Ola.

To lease a new small car through Uber's scheme, drivers pay a 33,000 rupee ($499) deposit - less than what they would pay to buy a car from a dealer with a bank loan. But weekly payments of about 5,500 rupees over three years add up to nearly double what drivers would pay to service a car loan.

That wasn't an issue when incentives were high.

Several Uber drivers said they feel trapped as a surge in the number of cars on Uber's platform has led to fewer rides, at a time when incentives have been cut, making it harder to keep up lease payments.

"I'll not be able to save even 10,000 rupees a month," said Arjun Chouhan, 38, an Uber driver in Delhi who has leased a car. "There's no benefit in leasing. What if I'm unwell? They don't listen."

n a dusty car lot on Delhi's outskirts, guards told Reuters that dozens of cars standing idle belonged to Uber and had been returned by drivers.

When Reuters phoned Xchange Leasing, Uber's local leasing arm that has an office near the car park, officials said no new cars were currently being leased out. One said the priority was to lease those cars returned by drivers, and it could be 2-3 months before new cars would again be offered.

An Uber spokesman said the company doesn't comment on "anonymous speculation".

As part of its review, Uber may reduce the three-year lease term and let two drivers share the rent on a car, one of the sources said.

Uber did not comment on its leasing targets or the future of the scheme.

"People left well-paying jobs to drive an Uber," said Sandeep, another Delhi driver, adding his monthly ride income has nearly halved to 60,000 rupees in two years, despite working longer hours.

"We were tempted at the thought of becoming millionaires."
Q. What is the ongoing fuss about the Finance Bill, Pan Card and Aadhar Card?

As per the controversial Finance Bill that the Lok Sabha passed on Wednesday, Aadhar Card will be mandatory for the application of PAN Card in the future. In fact, a few source-based reports have suggested that those PAN Cards that are not linked to Aadhar will become invalid from next year.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Finance Minister had hinted that the Aadhar card may replace PAN card in the future. "A stage may come when unique identity card (Aadhaar) may become the sole card. There are many countries where such a situation exists. There is a social security number in America and in India it (Aadhaar) could be the counterpart," Arun Jaitley had said.



Q. Why is the Finance Bill controversial?

Firstly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has made 40 amendments to the Finance Bill. It can be argued that many of these amendments could have stood as independent bills that should have been discussed in the parliament. Secondly, it is a money bill. This means, technically, the government does not need the Rajya Sabha's approval. So, even if the bill were to be rejected in the Upper House, it would not make any difference.



Q. Will Aadhar be the only card in the future?

It could be a possibility. The government seems determined to give Aadhar all the power by making it mandatory for PAN Card application and filing Income Tax Returns. There are many other services, including railway ticket booking, claiming of subsidies, application for scholarships where Aadhar in all likelihood is going to become mandatory.



Q. What are the concerns about the Aadhar Card?

Aadhar was developed for targeted delivery of subsidies and services to individuals in India by assigning them unique identity numbers. But, with the government linking it to most services, it cannot be called voluntary anymore. This also makes it seem the government is violating the Supreme Court order dated August 11, 2015 which prevents making Aadhaar mandatory.

Also, many civil rights activist argue that the Aadhar infringes on the fundamental rights of citizens and compromises privacy of citizens. As many as 98 per cent of Indians already have Aadhar card or have applied for the same.
The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh will waive off loans of small and marginal farmers as has been promised in party's state election manifesto for the recent assembly polls, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said.



He said the Centre will welcome if more states come forward to waive such loans.

"During the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, BJP had promised farm loan waiver in its state unit manifesto if it was voted to power in the state," Singh had said, intervening in a debate in the Lok Sabha yesterday.

He said there are many other states where, if the Centre provides 3 per cent interest subvention, the state government gives 4 per cent loan assistance so as to sanction the loan at zero interest rate. "Similarly if any state waives off small and marginal farmers' loans, we should welcome it," he said.

"I want to clarify that BJP has mentioned this in its state unit election manifesto, not in the manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections," Singh said.
In unanimity with Air India, top private airlines who are members of the Federation of Indian Airlines banned the defiant Shiv Sena MP who assaulted a 60-year-old Air India duty manager at IGI airport in New Delhi on Thursday.

Setting an example, in a rare step, the airlines along with Air India banned Gaikwad from immediate effect.

Air India has cancelled his return ticket from Delhi to Pune at 4 pm on Friday.

The Federation of Indian Airlines is an apex industry body which was formed by the scheduled carriers in India. Top private airlines like Indigo, Jet, SpiceJet and GoAir are the members of the FIA.



Later, Vistara, too joined the move to ban the MP.

In a joint statement with Air India, Ujjwal Dey of FIA said, "Air India and Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA, which comprises IndiGo, Jet, SpiceJet and GoAir) member airlines have decided to ban this MP from flying on all our flights with immediate effect. We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety".

Condemning the bizzare incident, Dey added, "AI and the member airlines of the FIA condemn the assault on an AI staff member by a passenger who happens to be an MP+ on March 23, 2017. The airlines demand that strict action be taken against the MP by law enforcement agencies. We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living".

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju also criticised the shameful behaviour of the MP and said such regrettable incidents should never happen again.



Recd. report from @airindiain on the incident of unruly behaviour today morning. FIRs have been filed for assault and causing flight delay Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017

"We are also working on creating institutional mechanisms to check undesirable flight behaviour or unruly passengers," Raju said in a series of tweets. Such regrettable incidents should never happen again. Let's all resolve to make them a thing of the past. Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017 Ministry has launched #AirSeva -the one-stop solution to all aviation grievances. Urge all passengers and stakeholders to use it extensively Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017 We are also working on creating institutional mechanisms to check undesirable flight behaviour or unruly passengers Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017

However, AirAsia India, who is not the FIA members have not yet banned the Shiv Sena MP.

Ravindra Gaikwad, who was flying on an Air India flight from Pune to Delhi, hit the airline's duty manager Sukumar with his slipper 25 times when the latter urged him to deplane .

"The MP turned violent, broke the duty manager's spectacles, tore his shirt and hit him with slippers several times," an airline source said.

Gaikwad, carrying a business class ticket, insisted on taking the airline's early morning flight AI-852 from Pune to Delhi, which is an all-economy class. This led to an argument with the airline employees in Pune and an assault on the manager by the MP when the aircraft landed in Delhi.

In recent times, there have been reported incidents of unruly behaviour by the fliers onboard various airlines.

Last month, AirAsia India filed a police complaint in Bengaluru against two drunk fliers for creating "nuisance" onboard one of its flights.

In January, IndiGo was forced to tie down a passenger to his seat for being violent onboard one of its flights from Dubai to New Delhi.

According to the officials, between July 2016 and February 2017, 53 incidents of unruly behaviour by passengers have been reported by domestic airlines.

Global aviation body International Air Transport Association (IATA) had earlier said "unruly passengers" are one of the top three safety issues that concern cabin crew.

In 2015, there were 10,854 reported cases of unruly behaviour by passengers across airlines worldwide, which translate into one incident for every 1,205 flights, according to IATA.
One of the most striking features of the Finance Bill this year is the number of amendments the government has made to the Bill after it was presented in Lok Sabha on the day of the Union Budget. Out of all these amendments, the one that did not relate to taxation-namely, the decision to merge several administrative tribunals and assume power to control the appointment of the heads of such quasi-judicial bodies-stood apart.

"Certain Tribunals are proposed to be replaced, and their functions are proposed to be taken over by existing Tribunals under other Acts. The rationale behind replacing certain Tribunals is unclear," says a quick analysis on the amended proposals, carried out by PRS Legislative Research, a think tank that provides comprehensive and credible resource base to Parliament-specific data. PRS also points out that allowing the Executive to determine appointment, reappointment and removal of members-as proposed in the Bill-could affect the independent functioning of the tribunals. "There would be conflict of interest if the government were to be a litigant before a Tribunal, as well as determine appointment of its members," it warns.

The move, predictably, has been criticised by the Opposition parties. The ruling party and the government, however, defended the decision by hailing it as a progressive development.

Whatever be the motive, there is no doubt that there has been a call for rationalising the functioning and existence of India's various tribunals. Earlier too, on February 26, 2015, a Parliamentary panel sought sweeping reforms in the functioning and structure of the country's tribunals. Citing the high pendency level of cases in many of the key tribunals (Income Tax Appellate Tribunal had 99,349 cases pending as on December 31, 2014), the panel observed that the pendency in those tribunals "defeated the purpose for which those tribunals have been created as parallel to High Courts".

"Some of the Tribunals, i.e., National Highway Tribunals, Cyber Appellate Tribunal and Airport Economic Regulatory Appellate Authority are dysfunctional due to vacancies. The post of Presiding Officer in all eight Benches of National Highway Tribunal (which is a single-member Bench) located at Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Jabalpur, Bengaluru, Chennai and Guwahati are lying vacant. The post of Presiding Officer in Cyber Appellate Tribunal is vacant since July 2011. Therefore, it cannot function in the absence of its Chairperson in view of Section 49 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The Competition Appellate Tribunal was assigned additional charge of the Airport Economic Regulatory Appellate Authority since its inception till August 20, 2014. Now it is dysfunctional," the panel had observed.

The committee concluded that "most of these Tribunals have not been provided with adequate residential accommodations, proper office infrastructure or adequate supporting staff; many of the posts of those bodies are lying vacant and also cases are mounting in those bodies and the purpose for which those bodies were created have been defeated".

The panel wanted the government to provide the necessary infrastructure, and human and financial resources to the tribunals for speedy delivery of justice. It also endorsed the view of the Law Commission of India and asked to create a National Tribunals Commission to oversee the selection process, eligibility criteria for appointment, introduction of common criteria for removal of Chairman and Members, and fulfilling of infrastructural and financial requirements.

The decision to reshuffle some of these tribunals, with a provision to include more in future, should be seen in this context. If the changes do not result in improving the autonomy and efficiency of the tribunals, there is room for severe criticism. But it is perhaps too early to take that call.
President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump will have a security clearance, a West Wing office and the ear of her father on important policy matters. But don't call her an employee.

When it comes to government work, "employee" is more than just a word. That designation triggers an array of transparency and ethical provisions, including a law prohibiting conflicts of interest.

Government watchdogs are concerned that by refusing to call Ivanka Trump an employee, White House counsel Don McGahn could be attempting to give her a loophole if she improperly mingles her government policy roles with her business and financial interests.

In a letter Friday to McGahn, they ask him to reconsider, saying the position as designed "creates a middle space that does not exist." It is signed by two former White House lawyers and three other transparency and ethics advocates, all of whom have been highly critical of the Trump administration's approach to ethics.

"On the one hand, her position will provide her with the privileges and opportunities for service that attach to being a White House employee," they write. "On the other hand, she remains the owner of a private business who is free from the ethics and conflicts rules that apply to all White House employees."

The White House rejects that notion.

As an adult first daughter with an interest in politics and a clothing and lifestyle brand of her own, Ivanka Trump is in an unprecedented situation. There's no protocol for this, said a senior White House official who requested anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. She's family, not an employee.

Another person close to Ivanka Trump earlier told The Associated Press that Ivanka believes she can offer more independent perspective to her father by not serving as a White House staffer.

Richard Painter, one of the letter's signatories and President George W. Bush's chief ethics counselor, said he cannot recall a White House that had such high-powered "non-employees."

One of the most politically active close relatives of a sitting president was Hillary Clinton. And she successfully fought to be considered a federal employee because of the privacy benefits it involves.

A June 1993 ruling by a federal appeals court enabled Clinton to keep secret the details of the health care reform panel that she led.

Ivanka Trump is choosing to be in a less formal role than her husband, Jared Kushner, who is a senior adviser to the president and, as an employee, must follow the rules.

She has relinquished control of her brand but, like her father, continues to own and financially benefit from her businesses. She will "voluntarily comply with the rules that would apply if she were a government employee, even though she is not," her attorney Jamie Gorelick said this week.

Gorelick, who also helped Kushner through the White House appointment process, said McGahn's office agreed with the decision. Ivanka Trump and Kushner have said they will not accept government pay.

Fred Wertheimer, one of the authors of the letter to McGahn and president of the Washington watchdog Democracy 21, said Ivanka Trump "should not be treated differently than any other government employee just because she is the president's daughter."

"This is untenable. She can make a decision at any time not to comply and there's no penalty or sanction whatsoever," he said. "We don't normally have White House employees voluntarily complying with rules that were enacted to protect the American people."

The senior White House official left open the possibility of altering the Ivanka Trump arrangement at some point - again stressing that this is new territory.

Others in Trump's White House have drawn outside scrutiny for government work without the usual set of rules that accompanies it.

Billionaire Carl Icahn, a special adviser to the president on regulatory reform and one of his close friends, merited a 700-word press release when he agreed to join the administration. The announcement concluded that "he will not be serving as a federal employee or a special government employee and will not have any specific duties."

Icahn has a sprawling business portfolio that is directly affected by government regulations, and at the same time Trump has tasked him to help fulfill his campaign promise of reducing regulations. Since Icahn isn't technically a White House employee, he's had to do nothing to clear out potential conflicts of interest.

Bloomberg News reported earlier this month that Icahn is already making his mark on policy. He's lobbying the Trump administration to change a government rule that forces refineries - including his own - to buy renewable fuel credits.

Icahn's energy interests and his advocacy for Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency prompted seven Democratic senators to write in February to McGahn demanding a fuller explanation of what exactly his White House role is.

"Publicly reported facts suggest a conflict of interest between Mr. Icahn and advice he gave President Trump on the nomination of Mr. Pruitt," the senators wrote. Having received no answer, they followed up with a second letter to McGahn this month.

Wertheimer calls the Icahn situation "possibly the worst conflict of interest I've ever seen."

White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said Icahn is in no way a government employee or official. "He is simply a private citizen whose opinion the president respects and whom the president speaks with from time to time," she said.


Langfang in North China's Hebei province, which is near Beijing and Tianjin, is set to host the 27th National Book Expo this summer.

A girl looks at a book at the National Book Expo held in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, in July. [Photo by Mei Jia/China Daily]

The exhibition, which was first held in 1980, is one of the oldest book events of its kind in the country. In recent years, the expo has grown, and now features talks by writers, reading promotion activities as well as showcasing regional culture.

For years, the event was mostly hosted by provincial capitals around the country. The successful expo held in Baotou in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in July "inspired us to look for smaller cities", says Yan Xiaohong, vice-minister of Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

Langfang, with a population of 4.6 million, is the first city in Hebei to be honored for promoting reading, with a lot of book events held in the past three years, drawing around 150,000 people.

Publishing is an important industry in Hebei, with the majority of its cultural businesses comprising media, publishing, printing and binding.

Now, many of the former small-scale printing and binding businesses have moved into integrated industry parks, and are working on green printing, digital printing and even 3-D printing.

Zhang Gujiang, vice-governor of the province, who is also on the expo's organizing committee, says as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration plan and the 2022 Winter Olympics bring new opportunities to Hebei, the province is making efforts to further develop its economy.

"We value culture and plan to offer better public cultural services. We have 48,000 rural libraries in the province," says Zhang.

The expo will be held at the Langfang International Convention and Exhibition Center from May 31 to June 3.

The organizers of the expo, which will cover an area of 50,000 square meters, expect 2,500 exhibitors to bring in 100,000 titles to the show. They also expect to stage 1,000 events at the expo.

Li Xiaoming, head of the provincial Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, says that besides the expo's signature events, such as the Red Sofa Meetings, Ten Iconic Reading Figures, the Langfang show will also feature a special exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the Xinhua Bookstore brand.

Among the other attractions, writers born in Hebei, like Tie Ning, will meet the readers during the expo, while a book caravan has started its tour from Shijiazhuang city and will arrive in Langfang in late May, says Li.

Besides Langfang, Tangshan city will host a related exhibition at its Southlake Convention and Exhibition Center, where the 2016 Tangshan International Horticultural Exposition was held in October.

The Tangshan section will feature children's books and intangible cultural heritage, with free entry to the venue of the horticultural expo.

As for other related events, the former revolutionary base of Xibaipo and the Baiyangdian guerilla base, two popular tourist destinations in Hebei known for their "red tourism", will host exhibitions featuring books on the Party history and revolutionary literature.
Coming up on March 30th at Utah State University, the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, along with CAPSA and USUs SAAVI (Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information) office will sponsor what is known as Bystander Intervention Training. On KVNUs For the People program, Coalition Executive Director Turner Bitton told host Jason Williams what this type of training is about.

Bystander Intervention Training seeks to train folks to know how to intervene in those situations. Because its not always appropriate to jump in as a knight in shining armor or even as an individual bystander to jump in and insert yourself into a situation, he explained.

Bitton said the best way to help someone who has been victimized by sexual violence is to say the words I am here for you, I believe you and I support you, or I will help you get the resources you need. He said even if youre not a full-time trained advocate, the words I believe you are life-changing.

Bitton said, unfortunately, upwards of 88% of sexual violence (whether its rape, intimate partner rape, sexual assault or sexual harassment) in the state of Utah is not reported either to friends, family, law enforcement or advocates. Hes hoping the training can change that. Again, the training will be next Thursday at 6 p.m. in Room 236 in Old Main. You can get more information and RSVP at <a href=http://www.ucasa.org target=_blank>www.ucasa.org</a>
A Flood Warning remains in effect until Friday in Cache County, Franklin County and Bear Lake County. In Cache County, the warning is particularly for areas along the Little Bear River. The National Weather Service says the moderate to heavy rainfall from Thursday has ended but a flood threat still remains.

At 9 pm, says the National Weather Service, the stage of the Little Bear River above Hyrum Reservoir was 9.61 feet, or 1149 cfs. Flood stage is 9.7 feet or 1200 cfs. Elevated flows will continue overnight, and may still increase slightly back to flood stage later Thursday evening and early Friday morning.

Any flooding that develops will be minor and confined to farmland and other low-lying areas adjacent to the Little Bear River near Paradise.

The weather service has also issued a Flood Warning for areas along the Bear River in Bear Lake and Franklin counties in Idaho. The river is currently at flood stage.

At 11:30 a.m. Thursday, emergency management officials in Bear Lake County reported flooding due to snowmelt from Pegram northeast to Ovid, and southward through Paris and Fish Haven.

Widespread flooding across fields near Pegram and Ovid continues. Rising ground water has resulted in minor basement flooding in Ovid and Paris. A road washout has also been reported on Fish Haven Cemetery Lane in Fish Haven, and other roads may be impacted across the advisory area, says the National Weather Service. With warm temperatures and rain in the forecast, flooding along creeks and streams and across fields and low lying areas is expected to continue and may increase over the next several days.

The National Weather Service also reports that the elevated levels along the Bear River necessitated dam releases at Soda Springs and Grace. As a result, minor flooding along streams and across fields and low lying areas occurred along the Bear River from west of Niter, to Thatcher, to Riverdale and Preston, southward to the Idaho-Utah border.

In addition, the weather service continues, elevated flows due to snowmelt and runoff on the Cub River near Franklin and Whitney may result in minor flooding.

The combination of rain and snow melt from warm temperatures will cause rivers across northern Utah and southeast Idaho to run swift and cold. Extreme caution is urged near waterways, and people should be particularly mindful of children and pets.

Another cool and wet storm is expected on Saturday and again during the first half of next week.
Logan High Schools auditorium came to life Thursday evening with the first of three performances of <em>Echoes Never Die</em>, an original musical written and directed by the schools student body president, Alex Lambert.

Opening night was fun! said Lambert. It was fun to add the final collaboratorthe audienceto this work. Things have a way of coming together on opening night, and Im proud of what the cast and crew were able to accomplish.

<em>Echoes Never Die</em> is a student-driven production featuring 12 original songs, also written by Lambert. Finishing makeup, tuning instruments and adjusting mics just before the curtain opened, members of the cast, pit orchestra and stage crew were abuzz with excitement and anticipation as they prepared to share a tribute to their school that has become deeply personal during months of preparation.

In the works since June, production of the musicaldescribed as a dream come true for Lamberthas been eye-opening for the students involved. Klara Ricks, who plays the part of Ella, also choreographed the show and was surprised at how much effort the production required.

We started off with some fun ideas and just spun it around, and now its a full-scale musical, she said. Its really been a ton of work, a ton of work. We thought it would be easy, but its not!

From the set design to the costumes and choreography, Ricks said everything about the show required tremendous effort. Tay Erickson, who managed sound, agrees.

Doing live sound is definitely harder than I expected it to be. This is the first year Ive ever run completely live sound on my own, and its new, she said, but Im really excited about this show. Its something I think a lot of people should see. Its really inspiring considering its done by a high school boy who wants this to be his career. Its super exciting because it makes you realize that even still being in high school, you can do whatever you want.

<em>Echoes Never Die</em> is based on the campus of Logan High School and the surrounding neighborhood during the 1941-1942 school year, with the outbreak of World War II changing the direction of the students lives and redefining their focus. While its genre is historical fiction, the production brings back two beloved teachers from the past, as well as a host of Logan High School traditions, including pushing the principal into the canal! Curtis White, a senior at Logan High, plays the part of Mr. Glenn Worthington, who taught PE at the school in the 1940s.

Halfway through the show, White explained, theres the announcement that were going to war with Japan. Some of the kids end up going off to war and its just kind of their story, along with what happens here at home.

Written to celebrate Logan High Schools centennial, <em>Echoes Never Die</em> is a reflection of community, patriotism and coming of age. Woven into the script are stories of young love, heartbreaking challenges and personal growth. The story also reflects the legacy of genuine concern demonstrated by Logan High Schools teachers both inside and outside of the classroom.

Kristina Carter plays the role of Miss Inez Maughan, who was teaching English at Logan High when the United States entered World War II.

I think its really neat to be able to portray how much the teachers care about the students, said Carter. In preparing for the role, I did a lot of research on teachers and journals they have and how they feel. Its been really inspiring and also allows me to appreciate teachers more.

Samantha Armstrong who orchestrated the music for <em>Echoes Never Die</em> (with help from John Carter, Kristina Carters father) said theres a lot to be inspired about with regard to <em>Echoes Never Die.</em>

To be honest, I hope the music makes people cry, she said. There are more heartfelt numbers in this show than there are not, and I spent hours upon hours pouring my heart into them. I also hope the audience can feel not just the mood of the moment as they interact with the characters being portrayed on stage, but also the heart and soul thats been put into this whole show, and not just by me. I spent hours and hours on this music, but I also know the actors have spent just as much if not more time on being able to bring out that emotion in whats been given to them. It would be way cool if the audience could feel that.

Community members who missed opening night have two remaining opportunities to experience the sentiment Armstrong describes. <em>Echoes Never Die, A Musical Tribute to Logan High School,</em> will be presented again tonight, March 24, at 7:30 p.m., with a final showing on Monday, March 27. While ticket purchases are not required, a suggested donation of $3 per person is welcome at the door to benefit the Logan High School Drama Department.

<hr />

jennifer@cvradio.com
Published on March 25, 2017

On 25 March 1957, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed a treaty in Rome to create the European Economic Community. It was the beginning of a dream, born from the nightmare of World War II. But how much do people know about it? And why it is still important today? We came up with a little video to explain it (with the help of Albus Dumbledore and Nicolas Cage).
On the surface, all seems well in the Australia-China relationship. China is growing rapidly, and Australia continues to benefit heavily from Chinas rise. China is already Australias largest trading partner. Australia is the second-most-popular location for Chinas overseas direct investment. And as Chinas economy continues to expand and hundreds of millions of its middle class consumers are eager to spend, more opportunities are opening for bilateral trade and investment.

The governments of both countries appear to be working hard to build an extensive and strong relationship. The Australia-China Free Trade Agreement has been in force since December 2015. More than 86 percent of Australian goods exported to China now enter duty-free. This should rise to 94 percent by 2019 and 96 percent by 2029. Australia will also reduce or remove its tariffs on Chinese imports. More Chinese tourists, students and workers will come to Australia.

But a wrench has been thrown into the works. With Donald Trump as the new U.S. president, the United States is acting as if it wants to challenge the international political and economic order it helped to build.

Many Chinese are confused about what the U.S. wants and what it will do. Trump has threatened to label China as a currency manipulator. Yes, the Chinese government has intervened in the foreign exchange market, but the purpose of this was to prevent the value of the yuan from falling. Does Trump really want China to stop these interventions and allow the yuan to depreciate further?

Trump also criticized the trade imbalance between China and the U.S. It is a problem, but it is the result of a more fundamental macroeconomic imbalance. And what kind of feasible solution can the U.S. provide?

Australians are also confused. During his conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Trump reportedly called Australias refugee settlement agreement with the U.S. the worst deal ever. It was a wake-up call and has raised concerns about the alliance relationship between the U.S. and Australia.

On his first day in the White House, Trump quit the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP was supposed to deliver high-standard international trade rules to deepen economic ties. With the exit of the U.S., where is the international trade regime going?

The best option now for Australia is to further develop its economic relationship with China while at the same time maintaining its traditional political and economic ties with the U.S. China will take a more important role in the world economy, and Australias economic fortunes will be more connected to China in the future. The U.S. is the third-biggest trading partner of Australia. But Australia-U.S. trade is only 30 per cent of Australias trade with China, and Australia has a large trade deficit with the U.S.

China has no interest in changing the U.S.-Australia political and defense alliance since it sees no potential threat from Australia. Neither Australia nor China wants drastic change. The trees want to be still, but the wind is blowing. Australia and China need to change their domestic and international policies to be prepared for whatever contingency.

Domestically, both countries must speed up much-needed structural reform. China can no longer be an exporter of cheap products, and Australia seeks to reduce its dependency on the export of raw materials. If China can liberalize its services sector, inviting more investment  both domestic and foreign capital  to health care, education, logistics, finance and insurance, it can stimulate consumption and greatly improve the living standards of more than 1 billion Chinese people. China has the rare opportunity to kill several birds with one stone.

And if Australia can increase its competitiveness in the services sector, many Australian companies may find profit in the expanding Chinese market. This should be the co-evolution of the Australian and Chinese economies.

Internationally, both countries need to work together to make globalization work. Compared with their peers in the U.S. and Europe, policymakers and the general populace in both Australia and China tend to have more favorable opinions of globalization.

China is very concerned about rising protectionism in the U.S. and the fallout from Brexit and is willing to cooperate with other countries to maintain a liberal international economic order. But China itself may not have the diplomatic skills and capacity to assume global leadership, nor does it have the ambition. Even worse, some signals in China show that its opening-up policy is slowing down.

The worst-case scenario is that countries like Australia and China finally turn inward and close their doors. Then there would be walls everywhere and the world would be split into belligerent trading blocs. Only when countries in this region work together can we deliver a more promising future.

As the Red Queen told Alice, It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. Welcome to the Looking-Glass World.

He Fan is a professor of economics at the HSBC Business School of Peking University.
China's personal income tax broke 1.009 trillion yuan ($146 billion) in 2016, up 17.1 percent from a year earlier, with four top-tier cities contributing about 40 percent of the total, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guanghzou totaled 400 billion yuan, accounting for 39.6 percent of the national total.

Shanghai took the top spot among all cities, with personal tax revenues of 148.3 billion yuan in 2016, followed by Beijing at 142.8 billion. The two cities have concentrations of high income sectors including finance (per capita average annual income of 114,777 yuan), software and information technology (112,042 yuan) and scientific research (89,410 yuan),

Peng Peng, vice chairman of the Guangdong Society of Economic Reform, said Beijing and Shanghai stood out also because they are home to big State-owned enterprises and headquarters for multinational companies.

Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province ranked third, at 75.8 billion yuan, but its per capita income tax was close to Beijing and Shanghai because it has just half of Beijing's population.

The increase in Shenzhen's income tax revenue was mainly driven by growth in its financial, Internet and cultural industries.

Guangzhou rounded out the four, trailing in personal income tax revenues with about one-quarter of Beijing and Shanghai and a half of Shenzhen. It has fewer listed companies, said Peng.

There is a sharp disparity between the top four and second-tier cities, which all received personal income taxes below 30 billion yuan. Although the southwestern city of Chengdu's GDP surpassed 1.2 trillion yuan in 2016, about half of that in Beijing, income tax revenue was only about 10 percent of the capital city's.
Prof Abangma W. Musa

Members of the National Union of Higher Education Teachers Trade Union, SYNES, have called off the strike action initiated last November 21, 2016 in the two state Universities.

The move which came last Monday March 20, 2017 in a Communique was made public today at Chariot Hotel in Buea sub division, South West Region.

Answering questions from Journalists, the President of the University of Buea chapter, Prof, Arrey Abangma says the suspension is due to what he termed good faith by Government who according to him has been implementing resolutions of the meeting which held in Bamenda last January.

He said, The conference today is to declare the suspension of the strike, we are calling on all students and lecturers to come to school on Monday for classes. We are also appealing to the Government to release some students and Lecturers arrested.

The calling off of this strike action by SYNES members comes weeks after they had vowed that the strike must continue. Police had stormed the premises of the President Arrey Abangma and took away his son.

By Wilson MUSA
Agbor Ball, standing left, and Mancho Bibixy, standing right W. Musa

The Defense Counsel of the Anglophone Strike forerunners incarcerated in Yaounde, have rejected the Proposal by the Prosecuting Bench at the Yaounde Military Tribunal to try banned Consortium leaders together with other actors arrested in the different towns of the two regions.

The trial which took place for the second time on Thursday March 23, 2017 was a crowd puller. Dozens of Legal Luminaries like former Batonniers Barrister Tchoungang and Sama Francis answered present including sympathizers.

The banned Consortium leaders Barrister Agbor Balla, Dr Neba Fontem, Mancho Bibixy were visibly happy from the look on their faces. Barrister Balla is even pictured discussing in a friendly way with Bibixy behind some seated lawyers, a sign that the trial has not weakened their spirit.

Agbor Ball (standing left) and Mancho Bibixy, standing right (c) W. Musa

The Prosecution also rejected appeal by defense to grant bail to their clients.

The case has been adjourned to April 27, 2017 but a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 7.

Barrister Agbor and company were apprehended last January 17, 2017 same day when Internet was disconnected in the two English speaking regions.

Ghost Towns In Solidarity

Major towns such as Kumba,Kumbo, Muyuka, Bamenda, partial parts of Buea, Tiko, Mutengene, Mamfe observed ghost town in solidarity with the ongoing trial of the Anglophone leaders and other youths arrested during the strike action. Towns remained dry, while shops were permanently shut down. No trader was found at Food market in Bamenda which was recently visited by wild flames.

Mancho Bibixy (c) W. Musa

By Wilson MUSA
Since China implemented the universal second-child policy at the beginning of last year, more than half of the 90 million newly eligible couples include women age 35 or older, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Geng Linlin, deputy director of the clinical center at the commission's scientific research institute, said many of these women are past prime fertility so they find it difficult to have a second baby.

Fertility declines as women age, according to Geng, who added that nearly 90 percent of women age 45 and older are unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term. Moreover, women age 35 and older stand a greater risk of miscarriage.

Other factors, such as environmental pollution, the widespread use of chemicals and exposure to electromagnetic radiation, can also affect people's ability to reproduce.

The World Health Organization estimates that 15 to 20 percent of the global population is infertile, which translates to about 15 million couples in China.

"Declining human fertility has become a social problem," said Wang Lina, a veteran fertility specialist at the Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing.

She pointed to altruistic surrogacywhere the surrogate mother receives no financial rewardas a new option, particularly for women who are unable to become pregnant because of physical limitations but still long to have a second child.

At present, the only regulation governing surrogacy was issued by the commission, the nation's top health authority, in 2001. It prohibits medical facilities and professionals from performing any form of surrogacy.

Since then, the government has repeatedly launched raids on underground clinics across the country, but the "womb business" has never ceased completely.

However, largely as a result of the government ban, a rising number of well-to-do Chinese have begun to seek surrogacy services in countries where the procedure is legal and is performed under the correct conditions.

Failed attempt

Liu Li has a deformed uterus, which prevents her from becoming pregnant naturally or safely carrying a baby to term, but she still produces eggs.

The 39-year-old Shanghai native decided to seek treatment in the United States after an attempt at underground surrogacy failed. Almost three years ago, Liu found a surrogate via an agency in the municipality, but the woman disappeared after the embryo had been implanted.

"I spent a large sum, but I didn't get my baby," Liu said, declining to give details of the amount she paid. She didn't report the incident to the police because "surrogacy is illegal, and I didn't want other people to know".

Inspired by ads she saw at the fertility clinic she had attended, Liu turned her eyes to California, where surrogacy is legal, and approached an agency in China.

In August 2015, she first met with her surrogate, Amanda, a young white woman, in a fertility clinic in the US state.

Amanda had already undergone a series of health checks and psychological tests to ensure that she would make a suitable surrogate, according to Liu: "I liked her at first sight, so we signed the surrogacy contract quickly."

Having supplied the egg and her husband's sperm, Liu welcomed her baby daughter in June. As she and her husband are the child's biological parents, the baby's features are undeniably Chinese.

The entire procedure cost about $150,000. "It would have been cheaper and easier for us if surrogacy were allowed in China," she said.

Wang, from the Peking University Third Hospital, suggested the government should ease the ban to help women such as Liu to have a child.

Volunteer surrogacy is allowed in many countries, and commercial surrogacy is also available, especially in some US states.

"China should follow suit. But purely commercial programs must be strictly prohibited," said Wang, who has treated many young women who have had their ovaries removed because of diseases such as cancer.

"They are so young and shouldn't miss the chance of having their own child. Surrogacy can help them fulfill their dreams of motherhood," she said.

According to Wang Yifang, a professor at Peking University's institute for medical humanities, legitimate surrogacy could also help couples who have lost their only child as a result of accident or illness, but the wife is now too old to conceive naturally or carry a pregnancy to term.

"Ethical concerns should not undermine reasonable application of this helpful medical procedure," he said.

Caution advised

However, Xue Jun, a professor of law at Peking University, advised caution, noting that there are many concerns surrounding surrogacy, including gender selection and the potential for legal disputes between surrogates and the intended parents.

Liu Ye, a lawyer in Shanghai, is strongly opposed to surrogacy. He cited potential health hazards facing surrogates, such as hypertension, uterine discomfort, abnormal fetal position, pain during delivery and even death.

Also, "poor women may be used as reproductive tools by the rich", he added.

In response, Wang Lina stressed that only altruistic, unpaid surrogacy should be legalized, and the procedure should be performed for women with clearly defined existing conditions, such as uterine problems, or who have failed with other fertility treatments.

In gestational surrogacy, the intended parents use in vitro fertilization to produce an embryo that is genetically theirs and then have it transferred to the uterus of the surrogate. However, the likelihood of pregnancy varies widely because of the high average age of the donors.

In other cases, the surrogate also donates the egg. That was the case for Geng Le, CEO of the gay social-networking app Blued which has more than 21 million registered users in China.

Geng's baby boy was born in San Francisco a few weeks ago via a Western surrogate.

"Both commercial surrogacy and egg donation is legal here (San Francisco). I chose a white surrogate so I could have a mixed-blood babythey are usually prettier and smarter," he said.

Surrogacy is the only way for gay men across the world to have a baby, but Geng said that even excluding the policy restrictions, affordability is a major concern.

A gay man in Chongqing, who declined to be named, said he would prefer to visit clinics in the US or Europe, but the "complicated procedures and high cost deterred me from the idea of 'surrogacy tourism'". He didn't think China would legalize surrogacy anytime soon.

In a potentially tricky development, the final amended Law on Population and Family Planning, which took effect on Jan 1 last year, didn't outlaw surrogacy. That omission, which means acting as a surrogate is not a crime in China, has led some commentators to claim the move demonstrates a cautious and prudent approach to the procedure.

However, in February, Mao Qun'an, a spokesman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission, reiterated that surrogacy remains a complicated issue in relation to the law and medical ethics.

"The commission will continue to crack down on such practices," he said.

Fact box

Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a baby for someone else. The woman who carries the baby is the surrogate. The parents-to-be are known as the intended parents. They are involved in the pregnancy, are present at the birth and become the child's (legal) parents after the baby is born.

Methods

 Traditional surrogacy: the surrogate serves as both the egg donor and the surrogate for the embryo. She is impregnated using a procedure known as intrauterine insemination. The surrogate is also the child's biological mother.

 Gestational surrogacy: the surrogate's eggs are not used, meaning the child is not biologically related to her. The embryo is created via in vitro fertilization by using sperm from the biological father and an egg provided by the biological mother. Once the embryo has been implanted in the surrogate's uterus, she will carry it until birth.

Legal status of surrogacy worldwide

 Countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria and China prohibit all forms of surrogacy.

 In countries such as the United Kingdom, Denmark and Belgium, surrogacy is allowed if the surrogate mother is not paid or is only paid reasonable living expenses. Commercial surrogacy is illegal.

 Surrogacy is fully legal in some US states, and in countries such as India, Russia and Ukraine.

Source: The World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

California becomes favored center

The number of Chinese seeking surrogacy services at the Southern California Reproductive Center in Los Angeles has risen gradually in recent years, according to Mark Surrey, the center's chief medical officer.

Last year, more than 100 Chinese clients opted for the center's surrogacy services, accounting for about 50 percent of all Chinese who used the facility, Surrey told China Daily in an email exchange.

As a result of physical factors, the average age of clients for surrogacy services is 40, he wrote. In addition, about 50 percent of Chinese people undergoing the treatment were trying to have a second child.

Usually, the process usually takes about two months, from egg retrieval to the transfer and embedding of the embryo. Patients pay $30,000 to $35,000 for the procedure, excluding the fee paid to the surrogate mother.

Surrey said the center wouldn't be affected if the Chinese authorities decided to legalize surrogacy: "We have patients from all over the world. Our business is not only about surrogacy services. It will be beneficial to many patients if China legalizes surrogacy services in the future and the SCRC will always wish all the best for all patients."

In addition to surrogacy, the center provides services such as in vitro fertilization, egg freezing and the preservation of embryos.
Akere Muna, middle W. Musa

Renowned Barrister Akere Muna former Batonnier has returned home after he entered the dreaded State Defense Secretariat today where he was quizzed by interrogators for five hours this March 24, 2017.

He arrived SED by 9am and only came out by 2pm.It filtered that5 he was questioned by interrogators his numerous media outings especially an interview granted to Le Jour Newspaper last December 2016 in which it is alleged that he incited secession, rebellion and terrorism.

The summon of Akere MUNA which attracted even international attention was seen by many as a means by the Government to lay hands on one of the Defense Counsel of arrested Anglophone leaders but his coming out has also been seen by observers as a major victory on the part of the legal luminary. Many say it is like the biblical Daniel in the Lions Den.

According to Barrister Ngnie Kamga Jackson, President of the Cameroon Bar who accompanied Barrister Akere MUNA, the response he gave were taken down by interrogators and will hand them over to public Commissioners who will decide whether or not to open trial against him. He said, Enquiries are being opened against Batonnier Muna in the context you know, what is happening in the North West and South West region. You know there are many people charged in Yaounde for terrorism, secession among others so he has given explanations on two articles he had published on Le Jour Newspaper; one in December and the other in January. He gave his explanations and we were told to leave the office.

Lawyers Solidarity

Members of the Cameroon Bar and friends of Barrister Akere MUNA showed up in their numbers to cheer him up. Legal minds came from South West, North West, Littoral, Centre, West and others areas. They also gathered at his Bastos residence after the victory.

Observers hold that the Government could not have arrested Barrister Akere MUNA because they do not only have little evidence but will have to face the international community more than any other case in Cameroon.

By Wilson MUSA
| BY Ricki Green |

Independent digital agency Deepend and Peters Ice Cream have launched a cross-channel campaign for Maxibon, including a bespoke app to encourage Maxibonding between mates.

In a three-pronged approach, the full campaign consists of nation-wide outdoor creative, unique digital assets including a tailored Snapchat lens, and a bespoke app. The campaign is underpinned by a carefully targeted social media strategy that will roll out until early April.

Luke Wallis, Content Director at Deepend, said the campaign targets the brands core demographic of 18-24 year old fun-loving Aussie blokes who enjoy shared snacking experiences. The Never Smash Alone campaign demonstrates how the SNACKR app brings two mates together. Their love of sharing a Maxibon transports them through a series of Maxibonding moments, parodying some of the most infamous rom com scenes.

Says Wallis: Maxibon has been in market for 17 years and top five in its category. We wanted to make sure this work did it justice by taking the experience of shared snacking a step beyond basic ATL advertising. Building on the brands iconic smash a Bon slogan, the new app, SNACKR, matches Facebook friends to help ensure consumers will never smash alone.
Friday, March 24, 2017 at 10:16AM

The pilot is designed to improve how the agency captures, stores and manages their digital evidence in the field.

Today, Axon Public Safety Canada Inc., a subsidiary of TASER International, Inc. announced that the Fredericton Police Force will pilot Axon Body 2 body cameras and digital evidence management solution, Evidence.com starting this month.

The pilot is designed to improve how the agency captures, stores and manages their digital evidence in the field. We are extremely excited to work with a leading Maritime police agency like Fredericton, says Axon's Managing Director, Canada & Latin America, Vishal Dhir. This pilot is a great opportunity for Fredericton Police to do their own research and see how the benefits of the Axon platform differ from previous pilots conducted in Canada - especially with respect to battery life, data transfer process and ultimately managing the data in the Canadian cloud environment.

The Fredericton Police Force has always prided itself with leveraging technology to support community safety, says Deputy Chief Martin Gaudet. This pilot is an exciting next step in that process. We have been discussing the idea of body-worn cameras with community stakeholders for some time. However, until we began discussions with Axon, we were not convinced that our ability to manage the large amount of video was in place. With Evidence.com and their Canadian 'cloud,' we now feel confident that this is the right direction for our agency, concluded Deputy Chief Gaudet.



We are extremely excited to work with a leading Maritime police agency like Fredericton, says Axon's Managing Director, Canada & Latin America, Vishal Dhir. This pilot is a great opportunity for Fredericton Police to do their own research and see how the benefits of the Axon platform differ from previous pilots conducted in Canada - especially with respect to battery life, data transfer process and ultimately managing the data in the Canadian cloud environment.
"Trelawny is a challenge," Turner says. "It was written in 1898, but it's actually set in 1860, when there wasn't any realism on the stage or any naturalism in acting. Because it's supposedly about real-life people, we've got to bring realism and naturalism into a 19th-century style of play. So it's about a bunch of actors who are performing in a theatre based on Sadler's Wells who are very much immersed in the grand melodramas of the 19th century  but in their real lives, of course, they're real people."
"I was having the uncontrollable shakes and a high fever towards the end of my pregnancy and it was really hard to figure out the cause of that," Ms Ewens.
Mrs Bean told The Canberra Times in 2015 in a feature on prominent names in the letter pages that she started writing letters to the editor in 1980, first on a typewriter, prompted into print in response to an article by noted staff atheist at the time, Ian Warden.
You are here: Home

China's Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun on Thursday called for strengthened efforts against narcotics.

Guo, also head of the National Narcotics Control Commission, made the remarks at a meeting of the commission.

Guo stressed that work should focus on closing drug production sites, arresting drug trafficking rings and controlling drug user groups.

The crackdown should be intensified to arrest the spread of the drug problem, Guo said, noting that the problem should be solved from its source with the involvement of all parts of society.

He called for more publicity and education efforts to combat drug issues.

He also underscored professionalism, rule of law, use of technology and international cooperation.
China has provided household registration permits to nearly 14 million unregistered citizens over the past four years, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Thursday.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in late 2012, permits have been issued to the citizens who previously had none, the MPS said in a statement.

Police are also working with other agencies in promoting reform of the system, the statement said.

As of 2016, a unified household registration system among urban and rural areas has been established and policies for the transfer of permits, or "hukou," among different regions have been eased.

In China, various social benefits such as medical insurance and access to education are based on long-term places of work and residence. The document pledged to completely resolve the problem of unregistered citizens in two or three years.

Unregistered people included orphans and "black children" (those born illegally during the period of strict enforcement of one-child policy), the homeless and those who had yet to apply for a permit or who had simply lost theirs. Some parents who violated family planning policy refrained from getting hukou for their children in order to avoid fines or punishment.
More than 500 members of the Ren family pose for a photo at Shishe village in East China's Zhejiang Province. Ren family members spent two years locating 2,000 relatives.



Shishe village, a small community in East China's Zhejiang Province, has become famous because of a supersized family photograph showing 500 members of the Ren family gathered together during the Spring Festival.

Ranging in age from a few months to over 90, the family spans six generations. A total of 19 photographers and four drones were used to take more than 70 photos of the group.

Ren Tuanjie, the Communist party chief of Shishe village, said that the 500 people in the photograph represent just a part of the Ren family and that the whole family totals more than 1,500.

Most of the 500 family members came from all over the country to attend this Spring Festival family reunion. Some of them even traveled from Australia.

Their purpose was not just participate in a supersize family photo, but also to celebrate completion of the Ren family tree.

Their ancestor was born in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). He moved to Shishe village from Shaanxi Province in Northwestern China 765 years ago.

On September 8, 2014, the Ren family decided to work out a complete family tree. "I want to record the history of the whole family and let descendants all over the world know about their roots," said Ren Tuanjie.

In order to complete the genealogical task, he and other members spent nearly two-and-a-half years to collect information all over the country. They used telephone, letter, and even social media tools to contact family members. Ren Tuanjie said they even got help from local police stations if they ran into difficulties in tracing missing kin.

"No matter how far apart we are, we will return to our roots if necessary, that's why so many members of the Ren family come back for the reunion and the family photo," said Ren Qiaozheng, "The family tree can reveal our roots and that makes us feel this is our home."

Although the old family members know each other very well, the young family members don't have that same sense of familiarity. These mostly live in big cities, speaking standard Mandarin, and playing with their computers and IPad all the time.

"My granddaughter is 18 years old and she has no sense of hometown. She is studying in Australia and only comes back during Spring Festival," said Ren Tingyu.

With the development of Chinese economy, about 70 percent of the residents of Shishe village have bought houses in the county for their childrens' marriages.

Many young descendants have moved to big cities. However, many old villagers still want to rebuild the old houses in the village. "If we do not rebuild the old house in the village, our home will soon be gone forever," said by Ren Tuanjie.

The changes in Shishe village are a reflection of modern China. With the fastest development in the past three decades, a lot of villagers have moved into cities and their young generations are not familiar with their ancestral home.

However, the old generations are deeply rooted in their hometown no matter how far away they happen to be. A family tree, a family photograph and even the old house in the hometown are the connection for those who have left their ancestral home.
You are here: Home

A retired Chinese tax official has been returned from Zimbabwe to China less than four months after he fled a corruption probe and hid in the southern African country.

It is Jiangsu Province's fastest repatriation of a corrupt fugitive, provincial anti-graft officials said.

Yang Xingfu, who retired as the deputy head of Local Taxation Bureau of Nantong City in 2015, fled to Zimbabwe last December, fearing a graft investigation.

Initial probes revealed evidence of Yang's abuse of power and acceptance of bribes in construction projects, corporate financing, and handling tax transfers since 2010 during his term of office.

The local procuratorate issued detention orders for Yang in January 2017. Learning he was in Zimbabwe, a law enforcement team was promptly assembled and dispatched, the officials said. Police in Zimbabwe held Yang and transferred him to the team in accordance with the law.

The case is still being investigated.

"The operation shows that there is no haven for corrupt officials abroad," said Yao Aishan, deputy head of the Jiangsu provincial procuratorate's anti-corruption bureau. "They won't escape punishment by the law, no matter where they flee."

Yao urged other fugitives on the run to turn themselves in to be considered for leniency.

China has stepped up efforts in international cooperation to hunt criminal fugitives. Operation "Sky Net," for example, repatriated 908 fugitives, including 122 officials, from over 70 countries or regions in 11 months last year.

Most fugitives have fled to developed countries, including Canada, the United States, and Australia, but a few have also taken refugee in Africa.
Inverted pyramid [By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

Chinese authorities are projecting the country's aged population (above 60 years old) will reach 255 million by 2020, but the provision of necessary healthcare and nursing will fall seriously short of requirements.

According to a plan for elderly healthcare in the 13th Five-Year Plan (20162020) jointly issued by 13 Chinese government departments including the National Health and Family Planning Commission and National Development and Reform Commission, the aging population will grow at an average rate of 6.4 million a year. By 2020, there will be 255 million elders, representing at least 17.8 percent of the entire Chinese population.

The planning document indicates there will be an increasing number of totally and partially disabled elders in the future. In 2015, the figure was 40.63 million, among whom 11.35 million had disability identity certificates.

However, China lags behind in elderly healthcare services and the growing population imposes worrying pressures on the system. In 2015, China had 453 elderly convalescent hospitals, 168 nursing homes and 65 nursing service stations to provide the much-needed medical care for the elderly.

Also in 2015, there were only 36,441, 11,180 and 316 staff members respectively in the specialist hospitals, nursing homes, and nursing stations.

Luo Qimin, a senior engineer who has been undertaking researches into elderly people's rehabilitation assistance devices for more than two decades, told 21st Century Business Herald that China has just made a start in dealing with aging issues, which are very complicated.

"The most urgent issue is the government should organize a really professional team on the national level, involving every aspect, including medical care, rehabilitation, creation of environment suitable for the elderly, and policy-making, and treating the aging problem as a severe problem needing urgent resolution," he said.

The planning document proposes the concept of "growing old healthily," which means that to comprehensively and systematically intervene at an early stage of life in all elements that may influence health. This will create a favorable environment for living and nurture social support for elders' health, which can extend the life expectancy and maintain good health.

It also pointed out that China has not built a comprehensive and continuous service system yet to meet elders' various health demands.

Li Fen, a research director from Shanghai Healthcare Development Research Center, added that elderly people usually suffer from more than one disease including chronic conditions, so there is great need for close cooperation among various hospitals and medical care institutions and personnel, as well as in the technologies and medicines. Currently, there is no strong connection and interaction among different institutions and medical professionals.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley (1st L) and other police officers pay a minute's silence tribute at Scotland Yard, headquarters of London's Metropolitan Police in London, Britain, on March 23, 2017. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

Khalid Masood, a 52 year-old British born Muslim, carried out a terrorist attack in Westminster on March 22. It was the sort of attack that the security services have expected and prepared for. The attacker targeted civilians walking on Westminster Bridge. His weapon was a hired car. He drove at high speed along the packed pavement and ploughed into pedestrians on the crowded bridge that leads to Parliament, injuring 40 people and killing three: Kurt Cochran, Aysha Fradeon and an as yet unnamed 75 year old man. Then he crashed his car into the wall, jumped out of the vehicle, ran into the parliamentary compound, and stabbed and killed Keith Palmer - a police officer protecting parliament. Then armed police shot and killed the assailant.

That afternoon I was taking a school group on a walking tour in central London. They had been visiting Parliament only hours before. The students were calm. Indeed, Londoners as a whole carried on with their business, despite the attacks.

Although Masood was known to the police and intelligence services, he was not on their radar as an imminent threat. It is almost certain that he acted alone, or with only a tiny handful of others, and he was inspired by similar attacks over the last year in Belgium, France and Germany.

This was the biggest attack in London since the July 7, 2005 bombings, when British born terrorists attacked London's underground railway system and blew up a bus. That incident killed 56 people including the 4 attackers, and injured 700. The bombers were all British Muslims who attempted to justify their deeds by reference to British intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq.

There is a widespread sense of alienation among young Muslims from mainstream British society. And this is commonly cited as a breeding ground, which allows Islamic inspired terrorist networks to be formed and to carry out attacks. The primary cause of this alienation is political and historical - it is a reaction to British military interventions in Muslim lands.

However, socio-economic alienation, Islamaphobia, and racism, all act to exacerbate these grievances. As a consequence, at the fringes of Muslim communities in Britain's inner cities, it is possible to recruit individuals prepared to carry out such atrocities against civilians. This story is the same in Belgium and France, where youth from poor and socially excluded North African and Middle Eastern communities have produced clusters of terror cells, like those that carried out attacks over the last two years in Europe.

The formation of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq in recent years even inspired small groups of British school girls to conspire together and run away to Syria to join the Jihad.

Logistically, it is an impossible task to prevent all low-tech attacks such as that in Westminster. And it is indicative of the weakness of Islamic state support here, that such events are rare. However, one can never underestimate the potential for such attacks to foster more copycat attacks.

Modern technology provides the IS with the tools with which to groom and recruit new adherents remotely. And therefore it is very difficult to isolate the likely attackers. This means that to eradicate or minimize such forms of terrorism requires us to revisit two questions: 1. The international relations of power that produce this barbarity; 2. The social exclusion that generates a fertile recruiting ground.

The Syrian/Iraqi war and the crisis throughout North Africa and the Middle East are the main immediate causes. And these crises have spilled over into the European refugee crisis, and the nationalist reaction that is sweeping Europe. The same problems are, at least partly, behind the election of Donald Trump.

Keeping a sense of proportion is important. Any move to increase security in a way that further alienates Muslim communities in Europe is likely to exacerbate the situation. It would be better if the security response were more effectively coordinated. For example, the attack did not result in the automatic closure of the underground station in Westminster. The station was still bringing thousands of people into vicinity for some time after the attack. This indicates that collaboration and forethought to link the command of anti-terrorist response units with the control of the nearby transport infrastructure is absent. In fact, the station was only shutdown after an MP personally intervened to make sure it was closed.

In addition, St Thomas' Hospital is only a minute away from the scene of the carnage, but is not equipped or prepared for a large-scale incident. Clearly the hospitals closest to central London are precisely the ones that should be ready for such terrorist incidents. Indeed, the government-imposed austerity has brought Accident and Emergency departments all over the country to breaking point. This, and other grievances, caused junior doctors to organize a series of strikes over the recent period. In addition, cuts to police budgets have sharply reduced the presence of visible frontline police officers. Although the police are out in force in central London today, it has been admitted that the main purpose of this exercise is to reassure people. These cuts to public service budgets can only increase the death and injury toll in such attacks. These things can be put right.

Heiko Khoo is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/heikokhoo.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn
 Flash

A promotional campaign designed to encourage more Chinese business travelers to visit Thailand was launched in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The "Thailand Connect: Your vibrant journey to business success" campaign will focus on promoting diverse destinations, business opportunities and the Thai people, according to Nooch Homrossukhon, director of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau's meetings and incentives department.

Subsidy schemes will be offered to large events that feature more than 2,000 international delegates or that stay in at least two destinations for four nights or more, she said.

Large groups in core industries, such as telecommunications, automobile and information technology will be the main focus in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou of Guangdong province, and the emerging IT and finance hub of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

China has been the main source of business for Thailand's expanding events industry since 2013, according to the bureau. The country received more than 1.2 million business event visitors between October 2015 and September 2016, according to the latest figures.
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
 Flash

China will open up wider to the outside world and work with Australia for greater development of bilateral economic and trade relations, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hold talks in Canberra, Australia, March 23, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

It will send a positive signal to the whole world that both sides will back trade and investment liberalization and maintain the current global trading system, Li said in talks with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull.

Li arrived in Canberra Wednesday night for his first official visit to the Oceanian country since he took office in 2013.

During his five-day stay, Li and Turnbull will hold the fifth annual meeting of the two prime ministers. They will also attend a forum on China-Australia economic and trade cooperation.

Noting the rising trend of protectionism, Li said that faced with various global challenges, China is willing to work with Australia and others to maintain the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

Over the past 45 years of diplomatic ties, China and Australia have embraced a deepening friendship and witnessed great achievements across a number of fields, he said.

China and Australia will continue to respect each other's core interests and major concerns in the spirit of equality, Li noted, adding that the two sides will work together to cement political trust, strengthen strategic communication and upgrade pragmatic cooperation, so as to maintain the sound and stable development of bilateral relations.

For his part, Turnbull hailed the close ties and cooperation and frequent high-level communications between China and Australia.

He said that Australia will deepen mutual trust with China and maintain the good momentum of bilateral ties.

Promoting global free trade will lead to higher employment and economic growth, Turnbull said.

Ahead of the two leaders' meeting, Turnbull held a welcome ceremony for Premier Li at the square of the Parliament House.

Li's wife Cheng Hong and Turnbull's wife Lucy also attended the ceremony.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin sent congratulatory messages to the sixth meeting of the China-Russia inter-party dialogue mechanism and the fifth China-Russia inter-party forum, both of which were held Thursday in Kazan, Russia.

In his message, Xi said that China and Russia should continue their lasting friendship and stand firm in deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the United Russia Party (UR) have maintained close ties, and their interactions have played a positive role in enhancing mutual trust and safeguarding world peace and development, the Chinese president said.

After nearly 10 years of development, the China-Russia inter-party dialogue mechanism and the China-Russia inter-party forum have become significant platforms for exchanges between the two leading parties, Xi noted.

For his part, Putin said that Russia-China relations have reached an unprecedented high level and have become an exemplar of relations between major countries.

The coordination between Moscow and Beijing in resolving major global issues has become a key factor in ensuring international stability and security, he added.

Putin said that contacts between the leading parties constitute a significant part of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, specifying that a productive exchange of experiences in legislative work and party building has been established by means of dialogue and forums.

The Russian leader also expressed confidence that the two events will be meaningful and effective and further strengthen the friendship between the peoples of Russia and China, said Putin.
 Flash

Russia on Thursday warned the United States against using missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to justify its military buildup on the Korean peninsula.

"We consider it inadmissible to use the developing situation to achieve unilateral military advantages, and to inject massively new types of weapons into the region," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing, adding that Moscow considered the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the Republic of Korea a "serious destabilizing factor."

Without a comprehensive settlement of existing problems via political and diplomatic means, which takes into account the concerns of all parties involved, it is impossible to move toward peace and stability in northeast Asia, the spokeswoman said.

"We see no alternative to the collective search for a new constructive strategy to break out of the current impasse in line with the general military and political detente and dismantling the confrontational architecture in the region," Zakharova said.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the DPRK had test-fired another missile, believed to be in response to ongoing U.S.-South Korea military exercises codenamed Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, but failed with the missile exploded in the air.

South Korea has hurriedly launched the process of hosting a U.S. missile shield, in spite of continued opposition from its citizens and neighboring countries.

Two mobile launchers and some THAAD equipment arrived at the location of its deployment earlier this month.
Chinese automaker Chery Automobile has filed a trademark complaint with its countrys regulator over Mercedes-Benzs use of the EQ name for its electric vehicles.



Last year, Daimler announced its EQ brand but unfortunately for the German brand, Chery has been selling a two-door electric car in China dubbed the eQ in China for the past two years. This will potentially cause confusion when Mercedes EQ brand arrives in the nation, a move which has already been confirmed.

Speaking to Reuters, a Mercedes spokeswoman said that the company had filed trademark applications regarding its use of the EQ name, but failed to divulge further details.

According to a Chery spokeswoman, If it entered the Chinese market, it would impact our trademark rights. Mercedes Benz EQ and our (eQ) are extremely similar. Their product is also an electric car.

Expect to hear more about the situation in the coming weeks and months.

PHOTO GALLERY
Police from Tulsa, Oklahoma have released footage showing the moment an armed suspect was run over and killed by a patrol car.



Authorities report that 21-year-old Madison Dickson was being hunted by police for a number of gun-related crimes where she shot a woman in the arm and a man in the head during an attempted carjacking.

She was ultimately charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, attempted larceny, discharging a firearm in a public place, unauthorized use of a vehicle and intent to kill.

As police attempted to locate and arrest Dickson, she led authorities on a police chase which saw her exit her vehicle and allegedly fire shots at officers. Footage from the dashcam of a patrol car shows Dickson being run over and killed.

Note: This video contains graphic content that may be disturbing to some viewers.

VIDEO
The performance-focused SUV and crossover market is booming and it seems possible that Ford could soon jump on the bandwagon.



While recently speaking to Car Dealer Magazine, Ford performance chief Dave Pericak suggested that such models are possible, when asked about an RS-badged SUV.

If you did what you needed to do to make it perform the way that an RS should, the answer would be sure.

I think customers love performance. I think the definition of what that means for an SUV might be different than what it means for a Focus or for a Fiesta. But I think that weve seen, even in the US and globally, that people like aggressive-looking cars, they like sporty, they want the power and pick-up and engine improvement, so I think the answer is yes. SUV customers would appreciate performance, for sure, Pericak confirmed.

At this stage, it seems that the Ford Kuga would be the most likely model to receive an RS derivative and while Ford has limited expertise in the market, Pericak thinks there is an opportunity to create a credible performance SUV, something he says very few other automakers have done.

If you look at the SUV market right now, there arent too many credible performance SUVs out there. There are people who have made partial attempts at it and there are different things that have happened, but there are no real credible ones. So, I think thats an area of some opportunity, for sure, he said.

There is no timeline for when a Ford RS SUV could arrive but if such a model does see the light of day, it could be just the first in a fleet of new RS models.

PHOTO GALLERY
If it aint broke, dont fix it  those are the words that some automakers live by, refusing to pull the plug on certain models, even though they have reached a venerable age.



Sometimes this happens because theyre highly profitable after having recouped their original development costs, other times, because automakers lack the funds to create replacements.

Compiled by TheFastLaneCar, the following list includes 10 cars that have yet to be retired, and it starts with the Nissan Frontier, which has been offered on this side of the pond since 2005, despite having being replaced by a newer model overseas  the Navara.

Dating back to 2007, the Jeep Wrangler is number 9 on the list, but unlike the Frontier, it doesnt have a successor out well, at least not yet, but there is a new generation coming our way this year.

The Dodge Journey has been around for the past 9 years too, but despite being of a certain age, the FCA-owned brand sold over 100,000 last year alone.

Number 7 is reserved to the Toyota Sequoia, which doesnt sell in huge numbers, but its still profitable to make. Introduced in 2008, this is one of the few vehicles in the brands lineup that is partially hand-made.

Built in 2009, the Ram 1500 may have been significantly updated, but under its skin, it remains an old truck, albeit one that continues to bring cash in for the company.

Getting ready to blow 10 candles off its birthday cake this year, the Fiat 500 remains a popular car in a not so popular segment in North America. The brand still knows how to keep consumers interested in it launching a bunch of special editions and updating the potent Abarth versions.

Speaking of potent models, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is no more, but the regular one can still be bought. It too is 10 years old, but the automaker found new ways of selling it. The Lancer will be eventually retired this summer.

The bronze medal goes to the Jeep Patriot, which was replaced by the new Compass, but since it remains the cheapest AWD small SUV money can buy, its still a popular choice, whereas number 2 is reserved for the Aston Martin Vantage.

Guessing where the gold medal goes to is not hard  its an SUV that has been around since 1979 and was updated over the years  the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The popular SUV is due for replacement, but since it continues to attract buyers, the Germans will actually offer it in parallel with the new iteration.

The list also includes a bonus car, but finding out what it is means checking out the video posted below.

VIDEO
London mayor Sadiq Khan says cars should be banned from the roads near schools to reduce the toxic air breathed in by children.



Speaking to The Times, Khan compared politicians overlooking the health risks of air pollution to those who knew about the dangers of smoking 50 years ago but failed to take action.

The reason why Im so angry about this and its a priority for me is that the science and the evidence is unarguable and yet it appears the government is ignoring it.

Forty or fifty years ago we thought smoking was bad and yet our forebears took no action. We know air quality is a killer, it makes you sick and no action has been taken. Its a health emergency, Khan said.

According to a recent study in the UK, tens of thousands of children in schools in the British capital are frequently exposed to illegal levels of air pollution that can permanently harm their health, reports the Evening Standard. Additionally, the report concluded that around 9,000 early deaths every year in London are caused by air pollution.

In some parts of the City of London as well as nearby borough Camden, traffic has already been banned from certain roads near schools and Kahn wants the remaining 30 boroughs to adopt similar laws.

PHOTO GALLERY
Working for Porsche certainly has its perks and on the back of the most successful year in its history, the German brand has announced huge bonuses for approximately 21,000 employees.



In a press release, Porsche has announced a 9,111 ($9,830) bonus for its employees which will be split in two parts. The first part will see 8,411 ($9,075) of the bonus being directed into the employees bank accounts and the remaining 700 ($755) being funnelled towards pension schemes for the staff.

Importantly, the bonus will be adjusted depending on the working hours of the employee and how long they have been working with the automaker. Nevertheless, news of such a hefty bonus would certainly be welcome news for Porsches employees.

The high competence and great passion of our workforce is the basis for a successful future for Porsche, chairman of the Uwe Huck Group, Uwe Huck said. Negotiating the special payment is never easy. But this time it was particularly difficult to reach a result. After all, no one else in our large VW family receives a similar exceptional payment [bonus] as Porsche.

In 2016, Porsche recorded 22.3 billion ($24 billion) in revenue. Additionally, operating results increased by 14 per cent to 3.9 billion ($4.2 billion).

PHOTO GALLERY
With the 2017 Formula One season ready to get under way this weekend in Melbourne, its time to look back at what made last years season both spectacular as well as dramatic, up to the very end.



As the 2016 F1 season drew closer to the Abu Dhabi season finale, it all came down to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg battling it out amidst controversial team orders and last-resort on track strategies.

In the end, it was Rosberg who held on to claim his first, and apparently last Drivers title, though there were still plenty of other spectacular races and mind-boggling incidents worth remembering  such as Red Bull blowing a winnable race for Daniel Ricciardo in Monaco, or both Mercedes drivers colliding in Spain.

Other notable moments include Fernando Alonsos huge crash in Australia, Max Verstappen claiming a victory in his first-ever race for Red Bull, Hamilton struggling with getting off the line on multiple occasions, or Kimi Raikkonens resurgence.

This Sunday, the 2017 Formula One season is set to begin in Australia, except unlike last year, there are a lot more question marks surrounding the grid, as the cars are set to perform significantly better than in years past.

Currently, the consensus is that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull will have the fastest cars on the grid (probably in that order), with tier 2 teams such as Williams, Force India, Renault, Haas and Toro Rosso trying to close the gap.

VIDEO
Two workers at BMWs assembly plant in Munich, Germany have caused up to a million euros in financial loses after getting drunk and high on drugs.



Local publication Bild reports that on March 3, two male workers collapsed at 10:40 am near the tailpipe assembly line. Production at the plant had to be stopped for 40 minutes as the workers were attended to by medical personnel.

It is reported that the two employees both consumed copious amounts of alcohol and also smoked marijuana. Additionally, one was allegedly high on amphetamines.

A BMW spokesman asserted that damage caused by the production stoppage was around a five-digit amount but Bild says the true cost was much more, up to 1 million euros ($1.07 million).

At least one of the men had his contract terminated.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: Contributed

The South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls in Oliver has issued an advisory to the public on what to do if they come across baby raptors.

It comes at the start of spring when many owls will be raising their young.

"After receiving so many juvenile birds unnecessarily last year, I am trying to get information out to the public," said SORCO manager Dale Belvedere.

Belvedere says many raptors may become separated from their parents before they are old enough to survive on their own.

A storm, logging, or land clearance may also destroy the nest, and other predators can disturb it causing the juveniles to fall to the ground.

A grounded raptor is not necessarily an orphan. Unless the parents are deceased, they will continue to guard and feed their young on the ground. They will do this until the young develop the strength to make their way to the trees.

Sometimes a young bird may be grounded for several weeks, and in the absence of human disturbance or predation, juveniles have a reasonable chance of survival.

The following is a reminder of what to do if you come across a grounded juvenile:
Photo: Contributed

The South Okanagan Similkameen Volunteer Centre is putting out a last call for nominations for exceptional volunteers in the community.

The Pillar Community Innovation Awards are accepting nominations until 5 p.m. on March 31.

The innovation awards, which recognizes outstanding volunteers, is the first of what is expected to be an annual event for the South Okanagan-Similkameen region.

On top of individuals, the awards will recognize outstanding community groups, projects and businesses with exceptional contributions.

"This serves to recognize the tremendous amount of volunteer work that individuals and organizations are doing in our communities," said volunteer centre community engagement co-ordinator Kim Kirkham. "Volunteers make an enormous difference in the lives of so many people each and every day."

The seven categories for the awards are:

Youth of the year

Newcomer of the year

Volunteer project of the year

Outstanding volunteer of the year

Executive director of the year

Outstanding community group of the year

Business Gives Back of the year

Following nominations a selection committee will review the applications, with winners to be announced April 22 at the Days Inn. That announcement will also serve as a kick-off for the National Volunteer Week, running April 23-19.

More information on the nomination process can be found at the volunteer centre's website, or by contacting the office at 778-476-5661.
 Flash

U.S. House Republican leaders on Thursday postponed a planned vote on a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, as the White House failed to secure support of a group of conservative lawmakers.

The decision was taken after talks between the White House and the Freedom Caucus, the main opposition group, yielded no results.

"No deals" had been reached, Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, who leads the conservative bloc in the House of Representatives, said after exiting talks with President Donald Trump.

Trump met the group at the White House in a bid to close a deal that would help secure passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the vote of which was originally planned for later Thursday.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee said she predicted further discussion regarding the bill on Thursday and a vote on Friday.

House Republicans can only afford 22 no-votes from its own ranks for the bill to pass, but the Freedom Caucus said it has nearly 30 no-votes under its belt.

The bill, which was devised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ratified by former President Barack Obama, was the centerpiece of Trump's campaign promises and was backed by most House Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Ryan has previously made concessions on the bill to appeal to the Freedom Caucus, but failed to meet the group's demand. It is unclear if further changes will be made for a more convincing bid.

Members of the Freedom Caucus said the draft came short of the goal of repealing the ACA, as many of the regulations in the Obamacare were inherited by the AHCA, and they wanted a clearer break.

Trump has also personally weighed in on the matter, threatening GOP Congress members that anyone who doesn't support the AHCA will risk losing their seats in 2018.

While the president can not fire any Congress members, reports show that his support was instrumental for many sitting members to secure their seats in the 2018 elections.
Photo: CTV

A collision in Delta left a truck dangling dangerously off a highway ramp, Thursday afternoon.

Delta police arrived on scene at Highway 17 near Nordel Way about 1 p.m. and found a flatdeck truck hanging from the elevated roadway.

The truck had crashed through a concrete barrier and was wedged half over the edge.

Multiple fire trucks and ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

There is no word on any injuries to the driver.

Both westbound lanes will be closed as crews remove the truck. Only one lane is open to traffic currently.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: WWF

B.C. residents are being asked to take an hour to help the planet.

Thousands of British Columbians are being urged to join others around the world in turning off lights and powering down electronics as part of Earth Hour 2017.

The lights go out Saturday, March 25, between 8:30-9:30 p.m.

The Jubilee Lights at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria will be turned off and the Lions Gate Bridge lights in Vancouver will also go dark to celebrate the 11th-annual Earth Hour.

Where possible, more than 170 provincial government offices will power off non-essential lights and electronics.

Earth Hour is a global event encouraging people to conserve energy by flicking the off-switch on lights and electronics and joining millions worldwide to show their support for climate change action. Participants from six continents, more than 170 countries and 24 time zones will participate.

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness about the effects of climate change. Today, Earth Hour has grown to engage more than 7,000 cities worldwide.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A sobering portrait of less-educated middle-age white Americans emerged Thursday with new research showing them dying disproportionately from what one expert calls "deaths of despair"  suicides, drug overdoses and alcohol-related diseases.

The new paper by two Princeton University economists, Anne Case and Angus Deaton, concludes that the trend is driven by the loss of steady middle-income jobs for those with a high school diploma or less.

The economists also argue that dwindling job opportunities have triggered broader problems for this group. They are more likely than their college-educated counterparts, for example, to be unemployed, unmarried or suffering from poor health.

"This is a story of the collapse of the white working class," Deaton said in an interview. "The labour market has very much turned against them."

Case and Deaton's paper, issued by the Brookings Institution, follows up on research they released in 2015 that first documented a sharp increase in mortality among middle-aged whites.

Since 1999, white men and women ages 45 through 54 have endured a sharp increase in "deaths of despair," Case and Deaton found in their earlier work. These include suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related deaths such as liver failure.

In the paper released Thursday, Case and Deaton draw a clearer relationship between rising death rates and changes in the job market since the 1970s. They find that men without college degrees are less likely to receive rising incomes over time, a trend "consistent with men moving to lower and lower skilled jobs."

Other research has found that Americans with only high school diplomas are less likely to get married or purchase a home and more likely to get divorced if they do marry.

"It's not just their careers that have gone down the tubes, but their marriage prospects, their ability to raise children," said Deaton, who won the Nobel prize in economics in 2015 for his long-standing work on solutions to poverty. "That's the kind of thing that can lead people to despair."
Photo: Contributed

A new study has found teens who have a "couch potato" lifestyle risk having permanent negative effects on their bone health.

Orthopedics Prof. Heather McKay of the University of British Columbia says about 36 per cent of the adult skeleton is developed during adolescence when growth spurts typically happen, and physical activity is critical for developing bone strength and density.

The study looked at girls between the ages of 10 and 14, and boys between the ages of 12 and 16 over a four-year period, measuring their bone development and monitoring their activity.

It found that only 43 per cent of boys and nine per cent of girls were meeting the daily recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity, and the amount of activity they participated in declined as they got older.

Of the more than 300 teens in the study, those who were less active had significantly less bone strength than those who were active, increasing their risks for fractures throughout their lives and osteoporosis when they become older adults.

McKay says the findings signal concerns for the long-term health risks for youth, and serve as a reminder that physical activity is not only important for cardiovascular health but skeletal health as well.

"We're hitting a critical destruction point here in terms of the low levels of physical activity, so that is really sobering," McKay, the study's co-author, said in an interview.

The study was published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

In older adults, McKay said even small fractures can be "life-limiting" for a person by hindering their mobility.

She said short spurts of exercise throughout the day or even one hour of exercise a day can have a positive impact on bone health in children and teens.
Photo: The Canadian Press

California firefighters who spent 20 minutes performing mouth-to-snout resuscitation on a dog they rescued from a burning apartment are being hailed as heroes.

The dog's owner, 35-year-old Crystal Lamirande, had just returned to her Santa Monica apartment Tuesday when a neighbour yelled there was a fire.

Lamirande frantically tried to save her dog, a 10-year-old Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu named Nalu, but the smoke was too thick for her to go inside, she said Thursday.

Moments later firefighters arrived and Lamirande told them her dog was trapped inside.

That's when firefighter Andrew Klein sprang into action, getting on all fours to search the apartment for Nalu as another firefighter sprayed water to keep the flames at bay. Klein found the unconscious dog a few feet from the fire in a bedroom.

"He was totally lifeless," Klein said. "I picked him up and ran out of the apartment because time is key, especially with a small dog ... Failure was not an option."

As Lamirande knelt nearby crying, Klein and his crew spent the next 20 minutes working on reviving the dog using oxygen, CPR and what's known as mouth-to-snout resuscitation.

Video taken by a passerby and posted on Facebook shows Klein and another firefighter patting Nalu's belly as he starts breathing again with the help of oxygen.
Photo: The Canadian Press Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, departs a Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill, Thursday.

UPDATE: 12:45 p.m.

Republican leaders have abruptly pulled their troubled health care overhaul bill off the House floor, short of votes and eager to avoid a humiliating defeat for President Donald Trump and GOP leaders.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., withdrew the legislation after Trump called him and asked him to halt debate without a vote, according to Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong. Just a day earlier, Trump had demanded a House vote and said if the measure lost, he would move on to other issues.

ORIGINAL: 6 a.m.

Abandoning negotiations, President Donald Trump demanded a make-or-break vote on health care legislation in the House, threatening to leave "Obamacare" in place and move on to other issues if Friday's vote fails.

The risky move, part gamble and part threat, was presented to GOP lawmakers behind closed doors Thursday night after a long and intense day that saw a planned vote on the health care bill scrapped as the legislation remained short of votes amid cascading negotiations among conservative lawmakers, moderates and others.

At the end of it the president had had enough and was ready to vote and move on, whatever the result, Trump's budget director Mick Mulvaney told lawmakers.

"'Negotiations are over, we'd like to vote tomorrow and let's get this done for the American people.' That was it," Rep. Duncan Hunter of California said as he left the meeting, summarizing Mulvaney's message to lawmakers.

"Let's vote," White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said as he walked out.

"For seven and a half years we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it's collapsing and it's failing families, and tomorrow we're proceeding," House Speaker Paul Ryan said, then walked off without answering as reporters demanded to know whether the bill had the votes to pass.

The outcome of Friday's vote was impossible to predict. Both conservative and moderate lawmakers had claimed the bill lacked votes after a long day of talks. But the White House appeared ready to gamble that the prospect of failing to repeal former President Barack Obama's health law, after seven years of promising to do exactly that, would force lawmakers into the "yes" column.

"It's done tomorrow. Or 'Obamacare' stays," said Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., a top Trump ally in the House.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Funeral services will be held today for a seven-year-old boy who died last week in St. Catharines, Ont., leading to a murder charge against his stepfather.

Nathan Dumas was rushed to hospital on Friday but died the next day.

Police launched a manhunt for his stepfather, 43-year-old Justin Kuijer.

He was arrested on Tuesday in Kenora, Ont., and appeared in court Thursday to face the allegation.

According to local media reports his case was put over until April 19.

Visitation was held for Dumas on Thursday and his funeral will be held today in Thorold, Ont.

Earlier this week, a makeshift memorial of flowers and stuffed animals was erected outside a St. Catharines sandwich shop owned by Nathan's grandparents.

Kuijer is also charged with attempted murder in connection with an attack on a female employee at a St. Catharines branch of the Royal Bank.
Photo: Vimy Foundation

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will travel to France next month to attend commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Trudeau will be in France from April 8 to 10.

The Canadian assault on German positions at Vimy Ridge began on Monday, April 9, 1917.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge lasted four days, ending with an impressive Canadian victory. Of the more than 10,600 Canadian casualties at Vimy Ridge, some 3,600 soldiers lost their lives. Four Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadian soldiers for their bravery.

It was the first action in which all four divisions of the Canadian Corps  representing every region of the country  fought together side-by-side on the same battlefield.

"At Vimy Ridge, we will mark this great victory, and pay tribute to every Canadian who answered the call to serve," Trudeau said Friday in a statement. "Canada enjoys peace and freedom today because of their sacrifices, for which we are forever grateful."

Trudeau said he will be joined by Gov. Gen. David Johnston, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry.
Photo: ABC News

A Texas college student stranded for five days near the Grand Canyon says she was making farewell videos for her family as she grew desperate for help.

Arizona authorities say 24-year-old Amber VanHecke was well-equipped and did everything right after getting lost in a remote area during a solo road trip.

VanHecke said in a Facebook post that she was heading to a hiking trail but was led astray by her maps app and wound up in the middle of nowhere with an empty gas tank.

She told ABC's Good Morning America that she even tried to chase down a truck to no avail.

"I was panicking and crying and sobbing. I was a mess," VanHecke told the show.

VanHecke said nobody had reported her missing because of a miscommunication with her family.

VanHecke didn't have cellphone access. She made large help signs and even tried to start a signal fire, but couldn't. She eventually hiked for miles to a spot where she had a signal, although the call dropped before Arizona authorities could trace her location.

Still, rescuers had an idea about where she might be, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said. Rescuers were able to spot her abandoned car using a search helicopter.
Photo: The Canadian Press

For years, family members of those killed on Sept. 11 and insurance companies tried unsuccessfully through the courts to hold Saudi Arabia or businesses and organizations there responsible for the terrorist attacks. Now that Congress has cleared the way, they're making a fresh effort.

In the next year, the Manhattan federal courts will make rulings signalling to thousands of family members of those killed and injured first responders whether passage of the 2016 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act was largely a symbolic exercise or a catalyst to getting them to trial.

Timothy Litzenburg, a Richmond, Virginia, lawyer, said his firm raced to court hours after Congress overrode former President Barack Obama's veto in late September, hoping to get an early start on winning damages for litigants.

"We thought maybe we could do the first trial," he said. But now that the lawsuits have been consolidated before a New York federal court, Litzenburg predicts it could be a decade before there is a resolution for over a dozen lawsuits filed against the kingdom.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn tried to put the litigation on a faster track Thursday, telling dozens of lawyers at a Manhattan conference that she believes some of the lawsuits can be combined because they make identical or similar claims. She noted the latest lawsuit had been filed just hours earlier.

James Kreindler, a plaintiffs' lawyer in one new lawsuit, told her he expects the lawsuits may be combined into two legal actions, perhaps within a month.
China and Philippines won't be arguing over Benham Rise according to China's Foreign Ministry.

It can be recalled earlier this month that the defense minister of Philippines revealed that China has been conducting survey missions in the vast area the United Nations has declared as Philippines' continent shelf.

China already dismissed the said report and confirmed that their ships were just passing by the waters.

"China fully respects the Philippines' maritime area rights over the Benham Rise. On this point, there has not been, is not at the moment and will not be a dispute between China and the Philippines," the ministry said.

Moreover, the chief ministry added that both countries have worked hard to improve their relations and there's no way they would just end it that way.

The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte has also assured his countrymen that China will not jeopardize the friendship of the two countries.
Photo: The Canadian Press Government House Leader Bardish Chagger

The customary grilling of government that follows the tabling of a federal budget was all but shoved aside Thursday as opposition MPs pressed the Liberals not on their fiscal balance, but their work-life one.

Government House leader Bardish Chagger spent more time on her feet in question period than did the finance minister as she was forced again and again to defend Liberal proposals to change the rules that govern the operations of the House of Commons.

Chagger released a discussion paper last week, proposing ideas including abolishing Friday sittings, allowing electronic voting and creating a special question period in which MPs would direct all their questions to the prime minister.

The goal of the changes, she said Thursday, is to modernize the way the Commons works.

"The more hours I sit in the House, the more I believe that we do need to do things better," she said.

But the debate that's ensued since her paper was introduced has consumed the Commons and even contributed to a half-hour delay Wednesday in the tabling of the budget.

The issue for Opposition MPs is both the proposed changes and the way the government is trying to implement them. Commons' committees are supposed to be free to set their own agendas, yet Chagger wants her paper discussed by the procedures committee, which some view as an abuse of her power.

Chagger said all she's trying to do is start a conversation.

The Opposition claims that Chagger's paper lays the groundwork for the prime minister to only have to show up in the Commons once a week
Photo: The Associated Press

Police are combing through "massive amounts of computer data" and have contacted thousands of witnesses as they look for clues about why a British-born man became radicalized and launched a deadly attack on Parliament, a senior police official said Friday.

As the fast-moving investigation led to more arrests and searches, police revealed that the attacker, Khalid Masood, was born Adrian Russell Ajao in southern England in 1964.

In a briefing outside Scotland Yard, London's top counterterror officer, Mark Rowley, said two more "significant" arrests had been made, bringing to nine the number of people in custody over Wednesday's attack.

Detectives have searched 21 properties in London, the central English city of Birmingham and Wales.

"We've seized 2,700 items from these searches, including massive amounts of computer data for us to work through," Rowley said, adding that contact had been made with 3,500 witnesses.

"We've received hundreds of uploads of video images to our online platform. Given this attack was in the heart of the capital we also, of course, are dealing with statements from a wide range of nationalities."

Masood drove his car into crowds of people on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon before fatally stabbing a police officer at the Houses of Parliament. He was shot dead by police.

The 52-year-old attacker was born in southeastern England and had most recently been living in Birmingham, where several properties have been searched by police.

Police say Masood has used several aliases and had a string of convictions between 1983 and 2003 for offences including assault and possession of an offensive weapon.

Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday that Masood was "investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism" some years ago. But she called him "a peripheral figure."
Photo: The Canadian Press A Palestinian actor dressed as ultra Orthodox Jew

Quiet on the set! Surrounded by militant training sites on uprooted Jewish settlement lands, the first movie set in the Gaza Strip is growing, depicting the history-rich, volatile alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City.

The set is the latest effort by the al-Aqsa channel, run by Gaza's Islamic militant Hamas rulers, to kick-start its drama production in the territory and release another series slated to air in the month of Ramadan.

In Gaza, filming footage of Jerusalem and other central locations from the conflict is a challenge.

Gaza's population of about 2 million live in mostly cramped conditions in the coastal sandy territory compared to the rugged mountain terrain of the West Bank, so crews have struggled to film the twisting ancient alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City. And that is how the idea to create a set depicting Jerusalem was born.

The fate of Jerusalem is an emotional issue at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel captured east Jerusalem, home to the Old City with its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 war. Palestinians want the territory for their future state.

Much of the wave of Palestinian attacks that erupted in 2015 originated from tensions surrounding the most sensitive holy site in Jerusalem's Old City.

The hilltop compound is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, where the two biblical Jewish Temples stood and is the most sacred place in Judaism. It is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the gold-topped Dome of the Rock, the third-holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

Mohammed Thoraya, the channel's manager, described how the Old City was depicted on set. "We brought something simple of the wall decorations there and  thank God  we could simulate something small of what is there," he said.
Photo: The Canadian Press Ivanka Trump

President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump will have a security clearance, a West Wing office and the ear of her father on important policy matters. But don't call her an employee.

When it comes to government work, "employee" is more than just a word. That designation triggers an array of transparency and ethical provisions, including a law prohibiting conflicts of interest.

Government watchdogs are concerned that by refusing to call Ivanka Trump an employee, White House counsel Don McGahn could be attempting to give her a loophole if she improperly mingles her government policy roles with her business and financial interests.

In a letter Friday to McGahn, they ask him to reconsider, saying the position as designed "creates a middle space that does not exist." It is signed by two former White House lawyers and three other transparency and ethics advocates, all of whom have been highly critical of the Trump administration's approach to ethics.

"On the one hand, her position will provide her with the privileges and opportunities for service that attach to being a White House employee," they write. "On the other hand, she remains the owner of a private business who is free from the ethics and conflicts rules that apply to all White House employees."

The White House rejects that notion.

As an adult first daughter with an interest in politics and a clothing and lifestyle brand of her own, Ivanka Trump is in an unprecedented situation. There's no protocol for this, said a senior White House official who requested anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. She's family, not an employee.

Another person close to Ivanka Trump earlier told The Associated Press that Ivanka believes she can offer more independent perspective to her father by not serving as a White House staffer.
Photo: The Canadian Press Medric Cousineau, a retired air force navigator who was awarded the Star of Courage

Veterans advocates in Nova Scotia are blasting the federal government for its inaction on a promise to re-introduce life-long pensions for those injured in uniform, and say the provinces aren't doing enough to fight for needed health care resources.

Disabled veteran David MacLeod called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to keep a 2015 promise to restore life-long pensions that were replaced by a lump-sum payment.

MacLeod says this week's federal budget did not address systemic problems veterans face in dealing with Veterans Affairs, including a lack of access to benefits and services.

He says that has left veterans turning to the provinces to obtain what services they can, including health care.

Kim Davis, whose husband Blair has PTSD after serving in Bosnia, says many veterans are struggling to find help from the provincial health system for such things as mental health services.

Davis says provinces have to push Ottawa for additional veterans funding in order to relieve the strain on an already stretched health system.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Uber is crying foul over new tax measures announced in the federal government budget that would see the company subject to the same sales tax rules applied to taxi drivers.

The Liberal government's budget Wednesday included amending the definition of a taxi business to include ride-hailing services such as Uber and subject them to the same GST and HST rules as taxis.

Ian Black, the company's regional general manager for Canada, called it a "tax on innovation" that would hurt driver and travellers.

Black called for consultations on the proposal and said the company hopes to work with the government on solutions that support innovation.

The amended taxi business definition will be effective as of July 1.
Photo: The Canadian Press World Champion chuckwagon driver Kelly Sutherland reacts after he was auctioned off

There was tentative optimism Thursday night following the Calgary Stampede chuckwagon canvas auction, considered an economic bellwether for the oilpatch.

The annual event raised $2.4 million, a notch above the $2.3 million pledged last year, when Alberta was deep within the throes of the crash in crude prices.

"We're starting to see the economy come around and this is very positive news as we start to enter into our ad campaigns and our launch," said Dave Sibbald, president of the Calgary Stampede board of directors.

Still, the auction results were far off the record year of 2012, when bidders pledged just over $4 million at a time when oil prices were hovering above US$100 per barrel, more than double what they're trading for now.

"I said if we raised the same amount of money as last year we'd be very lucky, because I think a lot of companies even this time last year were just thinking it would be short-lived," said Kelly Sutherland, a 12-time racing champion whose chuckwagon drew the top bid of $110,000.

"To me, it's 2018 and 2019 before we turn the corner."

Driver Jason Glass bought the rights to advertise on his own chuckwagon for $95,000, the same price he paid last year, and said he plans to resell it to a group of advertisers who will split up the rights.

"With the economy, everyone is struggling," Glass said.

"They're cutting corners and trying to take care of their families and their business. It is what it is. You can't sugarcoat what's going on in Western Canada."

The auction gives bidders the right to advertise on tarps on the 36 chuckwagons that compete at the Calgary Stampede, which is scheduled to run from July 7-16.
Photo: CTV Atlantic

The Nova Scotia government has withdrawn a man's eponymous personalized licence plate, saying Lorne Grabher's surname is offensive to women.

Grabher says he put his last name on the licence plate in 1991 as a gift for his late father's birthday, and says the province's refusal to renew the plate late last year is unfair and discriminatory.

Transport Department spokesman Brian Taylor says he understands Grabher is a surname, but notes this context isn't available to the general public who view it.

In addition, he says the department received a complaint in December from a citizen who described it as being hateful towards women and promoting violence against women.

Taylor says licence plate applications include a notice to applicants that the province can refuse the personalized plates on the basis that the wording is socially unacceptable, offensive or not in good taste.

Grabher says that he is pursuing possible legal options.
Photo: CTV/Chopper 9

An oil slick has appeared on the Fraser River in Mission.

The oil sheen appears to be coming from a partially submerged boat.

It is in the area of Donatelli Avenue and Lougheed Highway, CTV reports.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada staff are working to determine what the material is and its source.

Provincial government staff are assessing the situation from land, and Transport Canada will be working with the Coast Guard to determine the spill's size.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: The Canadian Press

A December oil pipeline spill in western North Dakota might have been three times larger than first estimated and among the biggest in state history, a state environmental expert said Friday.

About 530,000 gallons of oil is now believed to have spilled from the Belle Fourche Pipeline that was likely ruptured by a slumping hillside about 16 miles northwest of Belfield in Billings County, Health Department environmental scientist Bill Seuss said. The earlier estimate was about 176,000 gallons.

No decision has been made on any fines against Wyoming-based True Cos., which operates the pipeline. The company says it is committed to cleaning up the spill and that the job is about 80 per cent done.

"There's no timeline for completion, spokeswoman Wendy Owen said. "We will be there until it is" done.

A company's efforts to clean up after an oil spill are a large factor in how much of a fine is levied, according to Seuss.

In the December spill, an unknown amount of oil flowed into Ash Coulee Creek, which feeds into the Little Missouri River, a tributary of the Missouri River. Seuss said no oil made it into those rivers or into any drinking water source, but that the focus is on cleaning up the creek before spring grazing season, since cattle drink from the waterway.

There have been no confirmed cases of livestock or wildlife deaths related to the spill.

The pipeline had been leaking since being restarted Dec. 1 following routine maintenance, Seuss said. A landowner discovered the spill on Dec. 5.

There is still oil seeping out of the hillside but it's being contained.
State lawmakers would stop getting special treatment under a bipartisan bill introduced this week that would bar them from becoming lobbyists immediately after leaving office.

Versions of the measure have been introduced in past sessions, as a string of lawmakers have left public service to take lucrative posts lobbying their former colleagues.

This session it once again faces an unlikely path to approval by the very people it would restrict.

Introduced by Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, and Rep. Dana Wachs, D-Eau Claire, the bill would impose a 12-month cooling-off period after lawmakers leave office before they could begin lobbying.

Such a prohibition already extends to other public officials such as state agency heads. But lawmakers created exemptions for themselves and their employees, putting Wisconsin in the minority of states to allow lawmakers to go straight from office into lobbying.

Thirty-four other states have some form of cooling-off period for ex-lawmakers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The U.S Congress has similar restrictions for federal lawmakers before they can lobby Congress.

Such measures are meant to address whats often referred to as the revolving door between policymakers and those who seek to influence them. Critics say permitting lawmakers to go directly into becoming lobbyists can foster unhealthy coziness between them and create conflicts of interest.

Wachs said the bill simply closes a loophole that exempts lawmakers from the same restrictions applying to other state officials. Wachs added that hes cautiously hopeful that the proposal will have more support this session than in past years.

President Donald Trump was elected on a pledge to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C., by reducing the influence of special interests and lobbyists. Trump signed an executive order in January banning administration officials from lobbying for five years after they leave office.

There are people on both sides of the aisle concerned with the torrents of influence going through this building, Wachs said.

Yet the bills path forward is unclear.

A spokesman for Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, chairman of the Assembly panel to which Wachs bill was referred, said no hearing is currently scheduled for the bill.

Sen. Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, chairman of the Senate panel to which Stroebels bill was referred, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

In recent years, at least two lawmakers have registered to lobby immediately after leaving the Legislature.

Former Democratic Rep. Chris Danou of Trempealeau left the Legislature in January and registered to lobby the same month for Gathering Waters: Wisconsins Alliance for Land Trusts.

Former GOP Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald registered to lobby in January 2013, days out of office, and has maintained that registration since. He has gone on to lobby for a broad range of interests, including school choice groups, health plans and energy companies. Fitzgerald did not immediately respond to a Wisconsin State Journal inquiry Friday.

Danou, who worked as a police officer before joining the state Assembly, said he faced a practical dilemma after losing his re-election to Republican Treig Pronschinske, of Mondovi.

I needed a job, Danou said. The skill set you have as a former legislator is government relations.

Danou said he understands concerns about he and other lawmakers who have gone directly into lobbying. He said theres a distinction between ex-lawmakers lobbying for groups who also are active in political campaigns versus those that do only advocacy, as he said is the case with Gathering Waters.

Danou also he doesnt think lobbying for a small environmental nonprofit is analogous to being a hired gun for deep-pocketed interests. He said his legislative career showed hes a longtime environmental advocate.

I didnt change my set of values to take this job, Danou said.
Photo: Getty Images

A southwestern Ontario man is facing charges after allegedly relieving himself on a police cruiser.

Chatham-Kent police say an officer was sitting in his fully marked cruiser in Ridgetown, Ont., early Friday morning when a man came out of a nearby bar.

It's alleged the man walked over to the cruiser, looked at the officer and proceeded to urinate on the police vehicle.

The 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with being intoxicated in a public place.

He's also charged with causing a nuisance in a public place under a Chatham-Kent bylaw.

Police say the man was housed at the Chatham-Kent Police Service headquarters until he sobered up.
The Legislature has found itself in a Catch22 situation with having to contend with the Judiciarys interpretation of the Union Governments concern for Drunken Driving and Road Safety issues. The Supreme Court order struck down a Union Government Model Policy created to put into place rules to assuage the Central governments caution for public health while dodging clear of States excise earnings. The Supreme Court has held that there is no fundamental right under Article 19(1)(g) to trade in liquor: Liquor has been regarded as res extra commercium as decided in several judgements that include State of Bihar v. Nirmal Kumar Gupta, (2013) 2 SCC 565 and a series of others. The Supreme Court passed an order on 15 December to remove liquor outlets from all highways - State and National  including those along stretches that fall within the limits of a municipal corporation, city, town or local authority and expiry of all licenses by 31 March, kicking up a storm across India. Union territories, like Daman, and states such as Telangana, Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Kerala have already requested the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to denotify National Highways within their borders to District Roads sending the Central Governments lofty plans, to build 41 km of National Highways every day in 2016-17, for a toss. The Supreme Court ruled that no shop for the sale of liquor shall be (i) visible from a national or state highway (ii) directly accessible from a national or state highway (iii) situated within a distance of 500 metres of the outer edge of the national or state highway or of a service lane along the highway The order comes following a series of advisories issued by the Union government through the ministry to the state governments asking them to remove liquor shops situated along national highways. And now, with the 31 March deadline approaching swiftly, the states are in a tizzy.

What now?

The Union Government had formulated, for consideration and adoption by the states, a document titled Model Policy/taxation/act/rules for alcoholic beverages and Alcohol in which it had general provisions relating to liquor vends. Para 92(2) of the Model Policy inter alia provides as follows:

(2) No licence for sale of liquor shall be granted to a retail vend selected within a distance of 100 metres from any religious or educational institution or hospital or outside the inhabited site of village /town/city or any Office of the State/Central Government or Local Authorities or within a distance of 220 metres from the middle of the State/National Highways.

For the purpose of this rule:

(a) National Highway or State Highway shall not include such parts of the National Highway or State Highway as are situated within the limits of Municipal Corporation, City or Town Municipal Council or such other authority having a population of twenty thousand or more.

The exclusion was a convenient arrangement that worked for the Union government and the state governments. That way, suggested prohibition would not affect liquor outlets and concurrent sale in roads and areas adjoining smaller towns and cities.

However, the Supreme Court decided, and rightly so, the policy that excluded stretches of national highways and state highways that fall within the limits of a municipal or local authority from the ambit of the suggested prohibition, was arbitrary and violative of Article 14 guaranteeing equality before the law.

The Supreme Court, bound by the Constitution of India and  particularly Article 14  has little option but to include all excluded sections much to the chagrin of the state governments.

With the string of petitions before the judiciary based on the plethora of reports and studies squarely blaming drunken driving for road accidents, the Legislative finds itself in a corner.

By asking the Judiciary to intervene and on an issue that should have been legislated instead, the Legislative had placed the onus of interpretation on the Supreme Court. And now it finds itself struggling to digest the verdict.

No alcohol please, we are Indians! But then...revenue?

On the heels of prohibition arrive issues that directly and adversely affect the states. For one, they directly affect revenue earned through excise and tourism. And, there is the issue of shifting licenses from highways to residential zones which are highly resistant to the move.

Why, Kerala moved three petitions on 2 February to review the order but went on to withdraw them on the same day!

It stated that it was facing difficulty in shifting outlets alongside highways to thickly populated residential areas, which would annoy the public and trigger local protests. Also, tourism, in the face of prohibitive laws and policies, would drastically be affected.

In supporting the prohibition, the Supreme Court maintained that Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which prevents drunk driving, is indicative of a Parliamentary intent to follow a zero-tolerance policy towards driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Supreme Court took into reference a publication Road Accidents in India  2015 brought out by the Transport Research Wing of the ministry. The cover depicts in rather graphic terms vehicles involved in crashes. There is a large group of persons assembled in the foreground, an ambulance bearing the 108 logo and a police car.

The issue here is one of development and an examination of what comprises it.

Is Development about the national and State highways or is it about public health and road safety? The Judiciary has passed an order based on the law, the Legislature will move in accordance with the will of the people.

With denotification of highways imminent as it is mooted as the only way out, India may stand to lose out in the numbers game but manage to keep its states happy.

Drunken driving will be put on the back-burner, for now. The worlds largest democracy will find a way to have its cake and eat it too.

The author is an independent editor, solicitor and film-maker and heads DraftCraft
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said India has urged the United States to provide details of the cases of 271 illegal immigrants whom Washington wants New Delhi to take back.

"This is an ongoing matter. The U.S. authorities had conveyed to us sometime back that out of certain statistics provided to them earlier, 271 cases remained to be addressed. However, no details of these cases were provided. We have asked for the same," MEA official spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

The Trump administration recently informed India that it is targeting for deportation more than 270 Indian nationals living in the United States illegally, the Washington Post reported.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during a question period in Rajya Sabha yesterday said that the Indian Government has asked for further information from Washington before allowing deportations.

There is growing concern in India over treatment of its citizens in the United States after a high-profile shooting of an Indian computer engineer in Olathe, Kan., in February, and other suspected hate crimes.

The revised ban was announced this month and would have banned people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the U.S. for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days.

Unlike the previous executive order, the revised one removed Iraq from the list of banned countries, exempted those with green cards and visas, and removed a provision that arguably prioritizes certain religious minorities.

-ANI
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Chaplains Offer Comfort in London Following Terror Attack Contact: Erik Ogren, 704-401-2117, eogren@bgea.org



CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 24, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are in London following this week's terror attack that claimed the lives of four people, with many more injured. According to news reports, the bloodshed marks the deadliest act of terrorism in London in a dozen years.



"A traumatic incident like this causes a lack of trust and confidence to feel safe, regardless of where you are. It certainly disrupts your life and your sense of safety," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "Our experience in responding to terrorist attacks is that you have the grief of loss, but you have on top of the grief a layer of fear that can be, in some cases, paralyzing."



A team of UK-based chaplains are in London to bring comfort and to support the emotional and spiritual needs of those directly and indirectly affected by the attack. Additional chaplains will arrive as needed.



Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, appealed for prayer on his Facebook page: "The British people are stronger than steel when things like this happen. Let's pray, not only for the injured and those who have lost loved ones, but also that God will give Prime Minister Theresa May and those in authority wisdom as to how to deal with these terrorist attacks."



The effort in London marks the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team's sixth terror-related deployment in Europe since the deadly Paris attack in November 2015. In 2016 the group prayed with and comforted mourners in Brussels, Belgium; Nice, France; Munich, Germany; and Berlin, Germany.



For more information on the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit www.billygraham.org/rrt. Updates can also be found at www.facebook.com/RRTChaplains.



About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:

The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into a nationwide network of chaplains in 48 states who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 250 disaster sites, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.

Share Tweet
Ukraine: Mykolaivcement returns to profit in 2016

ICR Newsroom By 24 March 2017

PJSC Mykolaivcement, owned by CRH of Ireland, reached a net profit of UAH31.394m (US$1.16m) in 2016, a considerably improved result when compared with the 294.6m loss reported in 2015.



Current liabilities decreased by 33.4 per cent to UAH 212.621m, while long-term liabilities increased by 10.3 per cent to UAH 711.125m.

PJSC Mykolaivcement operates a 1.4Mta plant in Mykolaiv, in Ukraines Lviv region.

Published under
Fancesa: no exports to Paraguay and Argentina

ICR Newsroom By 24 March 2017

Bolivias Fancesa no longer views Paraguay and Argentina as viable export markets for its products. While the neighbouring countries would have provided an alternative sales route for Bolivias oversupply of cement a few years ago, domestic product of these countries is now cheaper and more readily available, said Eduardo Kunstek of Fancesa.

For instance, the recent price decrease in Paraguay sees a 50kg bag of cement sell for PYG39,800 or BOB47 with a further fall to PYG36,000 or BOB46 expected in the second half of this year.

He added that logistics costs would be very high and not allow the Bolivian company to enter the market with a competitive price. Fancesas transport costs from its plant in Santa Cruz to the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion alone would amount to BOB33, according to Mr Kunstek,.

Published under
Avo Uvezian was a man who bridged his accomplished musical career into a successful cigar career. Uvezian passed away at home in Orlando, Florida this morning, two days after his 91st birthday.

Uvezian was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1926. His parents were both musicians and it didnt take long for Uvezian to develop his own musical career. By 1947, he would head to New York to study music at the famous Juilliard School of Music. His musical career was interrupted by the Korean War when he served in the United States Army.

While he was known as a Jazz musician, he is perhaps most famous for writing Strangers in the Night, a song made famous by Frank Sinatra. Though Uvezian claimed to write the song, it is Bert Kaempfert who is officially credited with the song. Uvezian said he had asked Kaempfert to publish a German version of the song. According to Uvezian, Kaempefert changed the name and lyrics to the song. Uvezian claimed to have a letter from Kaempefert acknowledging that Uvezian was the songwriter.

Playing as a pianist in Puerto Rico in the 1970s, he was introduced to cigars. Outraged by the price of Cuban cigars, he set out to create his own less expensive cigar. In 1982, he hooked up with Master Blender Henke Kelner in the Dominican Republic. By 1988 Uvezian launched his cigar brand. It was originally launched as Bolero Cigars, but the name was quickly changed to Avo Cigars.

By 1995, Davidoff (for whom Kelner blended cigars) bought up the distribution of Avo Cigars and he has remained a brand ambassador ever since  and has became one of the popular ambassadors in the industry. He was known for his Panama hat and white suit.

As a brand ambassador, Uvezian continued to do events well into his 80s. In 2013, he was involved in a serious car accident. This curtailed his event schedule and for the first time in many years, Uvezian missed the 2014 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas. He made a triumphant return at the 2015 IPCPR in New Orleans. At IPCPR in 2016, he was given a special Medal of Honor from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia during the Golden Band Awards. The award was given in recognition of Uvezians contributions to both music and business.

Avo has been a huge personality across the globe and was part of the Davidoff family for over 30 years and we will sorely miss his passion, his personality and his wonderful talents as a cigar man and as a music man, commented Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, CEO of Oettinger Davidoff in a company statement following Uvezians passing. Jim Young, President Davidoff North America added Avo was incredibly energized by his engagement with the business and was constantly bringing new ideas to think about. An evening with Avo was always an unforgettable evening of great conversation, laughter and warmth. We shall miss him deeply. Scott Kolesaire, the marketing manager for Avo Cigars and who developed close ties with Uvesian added, up until the end, the daily phone calls and free-flowing ideas were part of our everyday conversations. Avo was my friend, a life mentor, and a person unlike any other. I will miss him dearly.

Avo is survived by his wife Nivia, sons Jeffrey, Robert, and Ronald and daughter Karyn.

Photo Credit: Cigar Coop

Updated 3/24/17: Included statements by Davidoff team
Sign up for our newsletter
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
Children and families from across the region are invited to the Hunter Museum on Sunday, April 2, from 2-4 p.m. for Family Fun Day/Dia de diversion Familiar, an afternoon of hands-on activities and live performances inspired by the Hunters current special exhibition Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Family Fun Day/Dia de diversion Familiar will feature maraca decorating; the creation of hojalata, a traditional tin art practiced in Mexico; South American rain stick making; demonstrations of traditional Latin American dance; a performance by members of the East Lake Expression Engine; special exhibit highlights from STEM school teen docents; storytelling; translation word games, and a kid-friendly art scavenger hunt in the galleries.

Family Fun Day/Dia de diversion Familiar is free to all kids 17 and under, is free to members, and is $15 per non-member adult, which allows admission to all permanent and temporary exhibitions, including Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art.

Our America presents works in all media by nearly 70 leading modern and contemporary artists. Drawn entirely from the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this exhibition showcases artists of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican descent, as well as other Latin American groups with deep roots in the United States.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art is presented in Chattanooga with support from the SunTrust Foundation. Family Fun Day is generously sponsored by the Mark Hite Team, with refreshments courtesy of Publix.






I was 15 years old the first time I attempted driving in the snow. My father owned a maroon 1989 Nissan Pathfinder 2-door that cackled when you accelerated thanks to a crack in the exhaust manifold. It still had now-extinct components like triangulated pieces of quarter glass on either side where the rear doors should have been, and threatened to flip over at the slightest provocation.

It was late winter in Durango, Colorado, and my old man had decided that I should be the one to navigate the treacherous drive back down the snow-covered mountain pass. After making sure that both hub locks had been manually engaged, I pulled the 4Hi selector knob back and away we went. It was a nerve-racking and exhilarating experience, and our scrappy little Pathfinder did its damndest to get us home without a scratch.

In retrospect, I could have been a harder on the brick-like SUV. But due to all of the raucous noise emanating from under the hood, I babied the throttle for fear of the damn thing exploding on us. Clatter aside, it was an adventure that Ill never forget and every time I see a Pathfinder I think back to that snowy day in Colorado and all the fun my father and I had together.

Twenty years later, Nissan is still hitting the SUV market hard, with an approach thats both practical and 44 focused. Last year, it announced that 2016 would be The Year of the Truck for the brand, a mission statement that sparked a firestorm of activity.

Nissan had already been riding high on the tailgate of the Titan, and sales numbers of the sharply restyled Rogue crossover have been nothing short of fantastic since its launch. As for the Pathfinder, sales remain good but not great, a reflection of the markets interest in CUV and truck options over SUV nameplates from the 1980s.

Still, I was excited about the thought of jumping back behind the wheel of the vehicle that taught me how to brave the elements. Unfortunately, after some time with it I was left with the feeling that this heavily updated Pathfinder is now struggling to find its own path.

Exterior

All those brick-like lines from the 1980s are long gone. In their stead is a familiar design language that spreads across Nissans entire lineup. From the companys signature V-Motion Grille and boomerang LED lenses, to the floating roofline and 18-inch machined alloy wheels, the redesigned Pathfinder appears equal parts attractive and purpose-built. It may not be the most memorable car in Nissans lineup, but it certainly looks like it belongs.

Exterior pros and cons

+ If the outgoing model looked good to you, then the new one will likely be more appealing thanks to its fresh fascias and LED lighting.

+ It may not be the most aggressive looking SUV out there, but the Pathfinder isnt exactly bland-looking either, a fact that will help it appeal to both male and female buyers.

+ Recessed windshield wipers, roof rails, chrome door handles, and privacy glass add extra exterior flair.

 Even on the Platinum line you dont get things like polished dual exhaust ports, a spoiler integrated rear wiper, or consistently spread piano-black touches, so dont expect them on the lesser SV model.

 Ride height remains a bit low for a vehicle that boasts this much off-road agility.

Powertrain

Nissan overhauled the Pathfinders 3.5-liter V6 and has given it the ability to tow up to 6,000 pounds once properly equipped. It also gets up to 26 miles per gallon on the highway, and averages around 22 once city driving gets factored in. This is all made possible thanks to the recent addition of direct injection, fresh piston designs, a bump in compression, and variable intake timing.

Buyers can now expect to see a total of 24 extra horsepower and 19 pound-feet of torque over the old model, and automated shift points have been introduced in the CVT gearbox. Speaking of previous models, the Pathfinder has retained its selectable 2WD, Auto, and 4WD Lock modes, making it the only vehicle in its class that permits full-time 2WD for maximum fuel gains.

Powertrain pros and cons

+ Strong and fuel efficient, the revised 3.5-liter V6 generates 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque while playing host to 19/26 EPA ratings.

+ Stomps the Explorer, Pilot, and Highlander when its time to tow, with 6,000 pounds of total capacity and the ability run exclusively in 2WD mode for increased efficiency.

+ Still one of the most competent off-road SUV options in the segment, with terrain descent control and a third-generation Xtronic transmission allowing 4WD Lock mode to provide consistent power to all four wheels.

 Still without paddle shifters to wake up that sleepy CVT.

Interior

The cabin of the SV model may not be leather-trimmed, but it is very practical, and things like a heated steering wheel and heated seats can be easily added via a $400 Cold Package. Even non-Platinum buyers will be impressed with the SV versions tri-zone auto temp controls, smart under-storage pockets, acrobatic-like second row, and quiet cabin. Unfortunately, while the second row is spacious and easy to maneuver around there are roomier third rows out there, and overall cargo volume is just average.

Interior pros and cons

+ Illuminated stow spaces, sizable undertray storage holds, large cup holders, and 79.8 cubic feet of cargo room once both rear rows are folded flat make for strong starting points.

+ Nissans EZ Flex seating design remains one of the best folding systems in the biz. Just two fingers is all it takes to slide, flip, and fold everything from headrests to entire rows out of the way.

+ Child safety seats can remain in place when accessing the back, 40/20/40 split benches still rule, and the third row will actually accommodate teenagers.

 Hard plastics aplenty (both in finishing trim and button/switch form), seating is firm and not very adjustable, and both center console and rear cargo storage areas are not segment leaders.

 Center console-mounted command knob does not permit pulling or pushing in any direction, instead limiting you to twisting a ring or mashing buttons, all of which feel archaic and clunky.

Tech and safety

Tech issues continue to be the Achilles heel for most Nissan and Infiniti products, and the Pathfinder is no different. Although an 8-inch touchscreen is now standard on all Pathfinder models, and is both easy to use and informative, its far from being a technological game changer. Plus, a tech package must be added if you want navi.

Movement and pinch-to-zoom issues are both abundant and obvious, and despite offering loads of useful specs, almost everything looks dated within the driver display and in the 8-inch center stack screen. But perhaps the biggest issue here is the lack of standard safety features. Pathfinder buyers must upgrade to higher trim levels and add various packages in order to get what the competition offers standard.

Tech and safety pros and cons

+ An easy-to-use 8-inch touchscreen now comes standard on all models, the driver assist display comes loaded with data, and syncing devices via Bluetooth is a breeze.

+ Driver performance gauges show cornering Gs, steering inputs, a compass, fuel consumption averages, total range, and much more.

+ Safety-wise, the Pathfinder earns a Top Safety Pick rating from IIHS and an overall 5-star score from the government. Blind spot warnings, rear cross-traffic alerts, and hill start assist earn additional points.

 The center stack screen features dated graphics, slow response times, no pinch-to-zoom support, and Nissans Around View Monitor is still not a standard feature.

 Trails the competition due to its inability to offer standard tech safety suites across the entire lineup.

The drive

The redesigned Nissan Pathfinder offers a lot of the features SUV owners desire, and many of the practical touches parents demand, but it just doesnt wow you. Despite having a quiet cabin and a CVT that doesnt drive you mad with noise, the absence of manual shift controls means drivers are only left with a LOW setting for when engine braking is deemed necessary.

Although it has 11% stiffer front springs and 7% tighter rear coils, the Pathfinder SV corners and rides with a lot more slop than the Platinum model, due primarily to its smaller wheels and fatter tires. While these adjustments may mean body roll is down 10% over the outgoing model, electronic steering inputs remain overly doughy, so youre left with one negating the other.

And then there are the brakes. They may work fine in stop-and-go traffic, but when a 6,000 pound boat, a car full of kids, and loads of gear need to come to a sudden halt, youre going to be wanting something stronger. While this kind of heavyweight scenario happens only so often, you dont want to worry about cooking the smallish rotors and pads on a trip to the beach and back.

In review

Quite honestly, Nissans Innovation That Excites slogan doesnt really translate well to this SUV. It may be the biggest and arguably best Pathfinder to date, but that doesnt excuse it from all of the missteps it makes along the way.

But despite all these qualms, Nissan is pointed in the right direction with this refresh, especially in the powertrain and design departments. The 2017 Pathfinder has a lot going for it when it comes to family appeal and ease of use, and its towing capacities, competitive fuel efficiency, more tautly-drawn suspension, and off-road engineering leave us hopeful for brighter days ahead.

Unfortunately its nowhere near as practical or fun to drive as some of the recently refreshed and overhauled contenders in the mid-size SUV segment. So while the all-wheel drive SV version of the Pathfinder will get you down a snowy mountainside for $37,045, it probably wont inspire anyone anytime soon.
Scientists have synthesised the first transparent sample of a popular industrial ceramic at DESY. The result is a super-hard window made of cubic silicon nitride that can potentially be used under extreme conditions like in engines, as the Japanese-German team writes in the journal Scientific Reports. Cubic silicon nitride (c-Si 3 N 4 ) forms under high pressure and is the second hardest transparent nanoceramic after diamond but can withstand substantially higher temperatures.

Silicon nitride is a very popular ceramic in industry, explains lead author Dr. Norimasa Nishiyama from DESY who now is an associate professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology. It is mainly used for ball bearings, cutting tools and engine parts in automotive and aircraft industry. The ceramic is extremely stable, because the silicon nitrogen bond is very strong. At ambient pressures, silicon nitride has a hexagonal crystal structure and sintered ceramic of this phase is opaque. Sintering is the process of forming macroscopic structures from grain material using heat and pressure. The technique is widely used in industry for a broad range of products from ceramic bearings to artificial teeth.

At pressures above 130 thousand times the atmospheric pressure, silicon nitride transforms into a crystal structure with cubic symmetry that experts call spinel-type in reference to the structure of a popular gemstone. Artificial spinel (MgAl 2 O 4 ) is widely used as transparent ceramic in industry. The cubic phase of silicon nitride was first synthesised by a research group at Technical University of Darmstadt in 1999, but knowledge of this material is very limited, says Nishiyama. His team used a large volume press (LVP) at DESY to expose hexagonal silicon nitride to high pressures and temperatures. At approximately 156 thousand times the atmospheric pressure (15.6 gigapascals) and a temperature of 1800 degrees Celsius a transparent piece of cubic silicon nitride formed with a diameter of about two millimetres. It is the first transparent sample of this material, emphasises Nishiyama.

Analysis of the crystal structure at DESY's X-ray light source PETRA III showed that the silicon nitride had completely transformed into the cubic phase. The transformation is similar to carbon that also has a hexagonal crystal structure at ambient conditions and transforms into a transparent cubic phase called diamond at high pressures, explains Nishiyama. However, the transparency of silicon nitride strongly depends on the grain boundaries. The opaqueness arises from gaps and pores between the grains.

Investigations with a scanning transmission electron microscope at the University of Tokyo showed that the high-pressure sample has only very thin grain boundaries. Also, in the high-pressure phase oxygen impurities are distributed throughout the material and do not accumulate at the grain boundaries like in the low-pressure phase. That's crucial for the transparency, says Nishiyama.

Cubic silicon nitride is the hardest and toughest transparent spinel ceramic ever made, summarises Nishiyama. The scientists foresee diverse industrial applications for their super-hard windows. Cubic silicon nitride is the third hardest ceramic known, after diamond and cubic boron nitride, explains Nishiyama. But boron compounds are not transparent, and diamond is only stable up to approximately 750 degrees Celsius in air. Cubic silicon nitride is transparent and stable up to 1400 degrees Celsius.

However, because of the large pressure needed to synthesise transparent cubic silicon nitride, the possible window size is limited for practical reasons. The raw material is cheap, but to produce macroscopic transparent samples we need approximately twice the pressure as for artificial diamonds, says Nishiyama. It is relatively easy to make windows with diameters of one to five millimetres. But it will be hard to reach anything over one centimetre.



Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ehime University, the University of Bayreuth, Japanese National Institute for Materials Science, and Hirosaki University were also involved in this research.
High-performance epoxy resin adhesives from renewable green starting materials A series of epoxy resins has been synthesised by a team of chemists from Germany, who used renewable starting materials for a more environmentally friendly approach than conventional methods. The resulting epoxy resins have highly desirable mechanical properties, such as high stiffness, tha ... more

Electrospun polymer fibres better than non-woven polymer fibres at mopping up oil from oil spills Electrospun polystyrene shell/polyurethane core fibres made by scientists in China have absorption capacities 2-3 times higher than reported for non-woven polypropylene fibres (widely used to clean up oil spills). Electrospun fibres are an ideal candidate for soaking up oil, as their struct ... more
As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles.

Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services.

These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience  the local community.

It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.

Close
Embattled Uber CEO Travis Kalanick met with the Rev. Jesse Jackson in Chicago Thursday, part of the civil rights activist's push to improve diversity in tech.

Jackson and his organization, Rainbow/PUSH, have been lobbying for Uber to release its diversity data for several months, as part of a larger push for tech companies to talk about diversity and take action to improve it.

Advertisement

The duo met for an hour at Rainbow/PUSH's South Side headquarters Thursday. A press release sent afterward said Uber would present its diversity data publicly in April at Jackson's PUSHTech2020 summit in Silicon Valley.

"It was a privilege to meet Rev. Jackson and I learned a tremendous amount from his insights," Kalanick said in a written statement. "Creating a more diverse and inclusive company is a top priority and it starts with releasing our demographic data, which we will do very soon. We look forward to continuing to work with Rainbow/PUSH as we implement programs committed to diversity and inclusion."

Advertisement

In an interview after the meeting, Jackson said he hoped Uber would add more diversity to its board.

Jackson said he believes Uber's employees and drivers "will have a better read on how to negotiate a fair and honorable relationship" as a result of the report.

bmeyerson@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @bmeyerson
Vivid Seats, the Chicago-based secondary ticket marketplace, could be up for sale. (Kristen Norman / Blue Sky)

Vivid Seats, the Chicago-based secondary ticket marketplace, could be up for sale with a desired price tag of $1.5 billion.

TechCrunch reported the news Thursday, citing a Bloomberg terminal report and unnamed sources. The site said private equity firm Vista Equity Partners, with which Vivid Seats entered a strategic partnership in early 2016, is working with Morgan Stanley to sell the business.

Advertisement

Vivid Seats started in 2001 and has grown into a major online marketplace for tickets to sporting events, concerts and stage shows. Last month, the company inked a deal to become ESPN's official ticketing partner, replacing eBay-owned competitor StubHub. The company also partners with the Big Ten Conference, CSN Chicago and the Chicago Bears, among others, according to its website.

It trails behind StubHub and TicketMaster as the third-largest online secondary ticket marketplace, credit rating agency Moody's reported in 2016. The report indicated that the deep pockets of Vivid Seats' competitors could put pressure on it, despite its growing market share.

Advertisement

Vivid Seats said on its website it has processed more than $1 billion in ticket transactions. Its revenue was $17.3 million in 2008 and rose to $65 million in 2011.

A Vivid Seats spokeswoman declined to comment on the potential sale, saying the company does not comment on industry rumors. She also declined to share recent revenue. A spokeswoman for Vista Equity Partners did not respond to a request for comment.

aelahi@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @aminamania
Ivanka Trump is flanked by Andrew Liveris, left, chairman and chief executive officer of Dow Chemical Co., and Reed Cordish, right, the assistant to the president for intragovernmental and technology initiatives, during a Feb. 23, 2017, meeting at the White House. Some have applauded her role in her father's administration, but others are critical. (Olivier Douliery / TNS)

Ivanka Trump now has an office in the West Wing of the White House, a space coveted by anyone who has worked in politics in Washington, D.C.

She has security clearance that will make her privy to some of the nation's most secret intelligence information and, of course, she has the ear of President Donald Trump, her father.

Advertisement

Ivanka Trump has expressed her desire to help in "advocating for women," and after a February meeting with the president and Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, she tweeted a photo of herself with the two men noting "the importance of women having a seat at the table!"

Women having a seat at the table is important  I'd say it's crucial, and shockingly rare in today's working world.

Advertisement

But for many women in the workplace, Trump's elevation to this powerful position does little to inspire.

"Frankly, I think the biggest message that Ivanka is espousing is that, sure, women can get a seat at the table ... if they've already got a hefty leg up and they pander to the men above them," Teagan Walsh-Davis, co-artistic director of The Jades theater group in Chicago wrote in an email. "I can certainly appreciate the idea of using your privilege for good.  But her goals seem to be a lot more shortsighted. When she talks about advocating for working women, she's talking about women who are already successful. She's seeing 'working women' as a monolith of her own class. In her mind, it's mostly women who have already made it. In the family leave plan she's tried to propose, most of the tax benefits go to families earning over $100k a year."

Kathryn Smith, of Denver, worked as an intern in the Office of National Drug Control Policy during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. She served in the Air Force and was finishing law school, with an eye toward a job as a legislative aid.

But she found no opportunities.

"That told me that Washington is political," Smith said. "It's clearly who you know. You can be the most outstanding person, but you need to know somebody."

Smith went on to a career as an in-house counsel for Verizon, but she said news of Ivanka Trump's new role in the administration frustrated her, in part because there's no clear job description.

"This is a job that some young person who has probably worked 10 or 15 years, has a degree in political science and has paid their dues would love to have," Smith said. "What is she? Adviser on women? Someone addressing issues of the working woman? There's somebody out there who has researched it, has experience in it. This isn't the role model I want to see for my child."

Suzanne Muchin is the principal of Mind+Matter Studio, a Chicago brand strategy firm, and host of the podcast "The Big Payoff," which provides career advice for women.

Advertisement

She said one of the key issues with Ivanka Trump is that we don't have a clear picture of her qualifications or her actual views on a variety of issues that relate to women in general and working women in particular.

"I think what's missing here is that if you want to put someone up in a position where she's going to, in a way, represent the interests of women, I think the least you can expect is that they did their homework, that they listened, that they rolled up their sleeves," Muchin said. "If I were her adviser, I'd tell her to hit the road. Go to as many cities as possible, listen to women, see if it's even possible for you to be a reliable narrator for women's stories."

Working Lunch Weekdays Get the latest business news headlines, delivered to your inbox midday weekdays. >

Muchin continued: "It's easy to say she doesn't deserve it, but I could easily push back and say, 'Who among us does?' But in this case, what offends me is not that she didn't earn it, what offends me is I don't see the intent. I don't see her taking what I think would be the easiest steps in the world to try to actually get under some of the critics of her and work toward the authentic amount of information she needs. We don't know even her point of view beyond a couple of headlines. She's potentially going to have an impact on things at a granular level. What do you believe? What do you know? How do you know it? What work have you done? Who are you talking to?"

Barbara Mata, an artist and full-time manager at a chiropractic office in Newmarket, N.H., said this: "I was a working mother. I was a divorced mother of two boys, going to school full time and working full time and taking care of them. She doesn't know what those kind of struggles are. How could she possible help us out? What kind of image is she projecting? It's an insult to people who are working. It's an insult to women who are trying to move up in positions and will probably never get into the White House. This is a woman who can't possibly relate to the working female in America, to the average citizen."

There are some who applaud Trump's role in her father's administration. It's a tough issue to examine because it's inextricably tied up with politics and ideologies.

But I think a critical takeaway is that we not let a person like her  someone rightly or wrongly saying she now has "a seat at the table"  become a sign that glass ceilings are being broken or that we're a step closer to true gender equality.

Advertisement

This is a serious issue that demands attention, thoughtfulness and work. Perhaps Ivanka Trump will give it all those things. I hope so.

But if she expected women in the workplace to cheer her elevation to the White House, I think she's going to find that respect is earned, not bestowed.

TALK TO REX: Ask workplace questions  anonymously or by name  and share stories with Rex Huppke at rhuppke@chicagotribune.com, like Rex on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rexworkshere and find more at www.chicagotribune.com/ijustworkhere.
How the North Branch Industrial Corridor land use changed over time and new plans to zone the area. (Chicago Tribune)

A construction boom of apartment towers, office buildings, retail spaces, roads, bridges, parks and trails is envisioned for a 3.7-mile stretch along the Chicago River that once was dominated by manufacturers.

A recently released proposal, backed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, aims to address a long-brewing unease between industrial companies in the area, developers that are drawing up major real estate projects and residents of gentrified North Side neighborhoods that surround warehouses.

Advertisement

One of the most significant changes: Residential development would no longer be prohibited in pockets of the 760-acre corridor, which extends north to Wrightwood Avenue and south to Kinzie Street, roughly bounded by the river on the east and the Kennedy Expressway to the west.

A Feb. 16, 2012, aerial view shows Goose Island, which would be affected by a new plan for Chicago's North Branch industrial corridor. The corridor would be divided into three zones; residential development would still be prohibited on most of Goose Island and on land alongside the island. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

The proposed changes could clear the way for, among other projects, Sterling Bay's expected $1 billion-plus mixed-use development on about 40 acres previously used by the A. Finkl & Sons steel plant and other manufacturers along the river in the Lincoln Park area. That is anticipated to be one of the largest North Side developments in generations, involving nearly twice as much land as Millennium Park.

Advertisement

Finkl moved to the South Side in 2014 and its former buildings were demolished by 2015.

"We believe the city is headed in the right direction by broadening uses for this clearly underutilized land," Sterling Bay principal Keating Crown said. "We also believe this is one of the most important development sites in the country."

If approved by the City Council, the plan could bring tens of thousands of jobs  for construction in the short term, and later for jobs in office buildings, restaurants and shops  to the North Branch industrial corridor, said David Reifman, commissioner of the city's Department of Planning and Development. The department created the framework plan after a series of public meetings.

"We anticipate this could generate two to three times the number of jobs that are there now, (including) technology companies moving into campus-type settings," Reifman said. "We need to build around the needs of (industrial) companies that need to remain on the river, while putting in a framework for other properties to transition, so that we have a way to address the development process."

Although the plan would create jobs and generate property taxes and other fees for the city, it would likely accelerate the exodus of manufacturers in the corridor. Emanuel would like to relocate manufacturing facilities to other areas of the city where jobs are scarce.

One such example: The city is seeking a buyer for its Department of Fleet and Facility Management facility near the Finkl site. The chosen buyer would be required to build a new city facility fleet facility in the Englewood neighborhood.

Other properties where large redevelopments are expected include the former Morton Salt warehouse whose iconic sign is visible from the Kennedy, a Greyhound bus maintenance property that is for sale at Halsted Street and the river, and a building at the northeast corner of Halsted and Chicago Avenue that was once used as part of the Tribune's Freedom Center printing complex. Chicago developer R2 is seeking tenants to kick off the construction of multiple office campuses on approximately 10 acres it owns on Goose Island.

"To see the city step up and realize this is a major opportunity that needs to evolve, we're excited about it," said Zack Cupkovic, director of capital markets and special projects at R2. "We think this is the next great frontier of real estate in Chicago."

Advertisement

Questions remain, including how much all of the new infrastructure is likely to cost and who's paying for it. Some of the changes could begin shortly after approval, but the full transformation of the area is likely to take decades.

Developers could pay fees to the city for increased buildings, new uses for land, and to support public space, new transportation infrastructure and other improvements.

The city has not unveiled the fee structures. Reifman said those details are expected to be finalized in the next few months.

"Everyone's waiting to see what the actual fees are going to be," Cupkovic said. "It's a huge unknown."

Fees will impact the cost of projects, which in turn will shape rents, Cupkovic and Crown said.

The framework tentatively is scheduled for Chicago Plan Commission approval at the April 20 meeting, Reifman said, after which it would be considered by the City Council.

Advertisement

The city's original planned manufacturing district  a type of zoning that protects factories from encroaching on residential and commercial development  would be eliminated. It would be the first time since the special districts were created in 1988 that one of the now-15 districts was eliminated.

In addition to eliminating that entire manufacturing district, which the Finkl site lies within, the size of other districts in the area would be reduced. In a few instances where industrial businesses require river access and are unlikely to move, including Ozinga and Prairie Material building materials yards, there would still be some restrictions on potential residential developments.

The Finkl site would be in the northernmost of three newly created zones. In the middle zone, residential development would still be prohibited on most of Goose Island and on land alongside the island. The southern zone, which stretches south to Kinzie, would create zoning specifications similar to those found in downtown Chicago, where taller residential and commercial buildings are commonplace.

Developers still would need city approval for each individual project. Because the city wants private dollars to help establish a network of parks and recreational paths along the river, developers would be given extra consideration for building height in exchange for setting aside portions of sites as open land.

The plan also includes a new north-south transit way through the corridor open only to buses, pedestrians and bicyclists. The city wants to use zoning fees and other private funding, tax increment financing, state and federal dollars for those new transit projects.

The route potentially could incorporate existing infrastructure such as rail lines that run through Goose Island, Reifman said. Plans also call for creating bike and pedestrian bridges over several stretches of the river, and adding about 7 miles of waterfront trails.

Advertisement

"Without a cohesive design plan, you wouldn't be able to activate the riverfront, which is one of Chicago's greatest assets," Cupkovic said.

Reifman declined to estimate how much it would cost to implement all of the outlined infrastructure improvements, saying it will depend on a variety of factors, including how much of the bill is picked up by developers and how many years it takes for the area to transform.

Another long-discussed idea is to extend The 606 elevated trail eastward to connect to new riverfront trails, potentially linked via the redeveloped Finkl site.

"We would gladly work with the city, state, Metra and all the stakeholders to get that done," Crown said. "You can't underestimate the opportunity to bring The 606 to the river and ultimately to a riverwalk-type amenity."

rori@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Ryan_Ori
Have you ever wondered what happens to your clothes when you drop them off at the dry cleaners? Since 1998, the number of dry cleaners in Illinois has fallen nearly every year, requiring the industry to respond to pressures. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Rafiq Karimi Jr. isn't about to let anything or anyone get in the way of cleaning clothes.

Not consumers wearing lower-maintenance casual clothes to work. Not retailers selling inexpensive "disposable" fashions. Not telecommuters staying in their jammies. Not smoking bans lessening the need for trips to the cleaners. Certainly not garment-makers replacing silk, wool and other delicates with cotton and polyester blends that hold up to laundering in standard washing machines.

Advertisement

Hundreds of dry cleaners in Illinois have closed in the past two decades, but Karimi's Westchester-based CD One Price Cleaners is among those trying to adapt in an industry that, despite a rebounding economy, is shrinking like wool in hot water.

To iron out their problems, dry cleaning businesses, from small operators to the 36-store CD One Price Cleaners, are trying several new strategies.

Advertisement

Employees Silvia Casas, left, and Alicia Cabrera use a hot press machine March 21, 2017, at the CD One Price Cleaners in Countryside. The company is marketing more services to survive as the dry-cleaning industry contracts. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

They're marketing other services, like laundry for a wider array of clothing beyond the usual dress shirts, as well as cleaning rugs and other home goods, and they're looking for ways to make drop-off and pickup more convenient and faster for consumers. Some are touting environmental credentials, trying to operate more efficiently to pass savings onto customers and finding inspiration from strategies used in the restaurant and retail industries.

As if consumers' changing habits weren't challenging enough, the Illinois Senate recently floated the idea of slapping new taxes on services like dry cleaning, which could inflict more pain on an industry that's already being taken to the cleaners.

Dry cleaning revenues nationwide are expected to drop from $9.1 billion this year to $8.7 billion in 2022, according to a recently published IBISWorld report titled "Machine Wash Only." Revenues exceeded $10 billion as recently as 2008 and through most of the financial crisis were well over $9 billion.

"Dry cleaning has taken a hit over the last 20 years," said Sue Kratz, executive director of Illinois Professional Drycleaners & Launderers. The number of dry cleaning establishments in Illinois is down more than 25 percent over two decades, U.S. Census data shows, although Kratz believes the decline has been closer to 50 percent.

Her members aren't happy about the proposed tax. "Most dry cleaners feel as though it's just another reason for people not to have their clothes professionally cleaned," she said.

Other causes for a reduction in the ranks: Stringent environmental regulations have prompted some to exit the industry, and a solvent used by some operators has been considered a possible carcinogen. Immigrants who also started dry cleaning businesses are finding their children want to go into other professions, said Myong Kang, director of Korean operations for St. Louis-based NIE Insurance, which provides coverage to the dry cleaning industry. New Korean immigrants aren't generally interested in getting into the dry cleaning business, either, she said.

Gus Bahr, a Chicago-area banker and father of three children ages 16, 15 and 12, said his wife has started working again, which has meant more trips to the dry cleaners with her clothes. He also takes his dress shirts and his teenage son's button-down shirts to the cleaners after each wear.

Imelda Abeja touches up a shirt using a hot press Marc 21, 2017, at the CD One Price Cleaners in Countryside. The 36-store chain offers clean-and-fold laundry, alterations and other services as it works to stay relevant to comsumers. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

But at his job, he no longer wears a suit for normal working meetings, instead going with a blazer with dark gray dress pants. "That's a change I've made over the past 10 years or so," he said.

Advertisement

To make up for lost revenues, at the upcoming Clean Show, an industry conference in Las Vegas, one topic on the agenda is potential partnerships between dry cleaners and laundromats.

The numbers of dry cleaners offering laundry services has gone up in recent years, and is expected to grow, said Mary Scalco, chief executive of the Maryland-based Drycleaning & Laundry Institute.

Last year, CD One Price began offering clean-and-fold laundry services at nearly all its Chicago-area stores after piloting it in Minnesota, and today it is considered a key growth area. It's also begun offering alterations and is testing a pickup and delivery service.

"We could look at it as a negative that dry cleaning is going down, but the laundry business, which is far greater than dry cleaning ever was or ever will be, is what we're getting ready for," Karimi said.

On a recent morning at a 25-employee CD One Price store in Countryside, a cash register rang up 281 sales between 7 and 10 a.m. for 967 pieces for dry cleaning, and 192 invoices and 796 pieces for laundry  all for same-day services.

Three ironing machines in the Countryside store can handle 200 shirts an hour. But to be able to continue to meet the 5 p.m. deadline for same-day pickup, the company needs to make an investment that will get that process up to 240 shirts an hour at busier stores.

Advertisement

CD One Price's stores, most of which are franchised, have average annual revenues of $1.2 million a store. Revenues at stores open at least a year have been flat to up slightly, which is one reason why CD One Price is trying several innovations to stay relevant to consumers.

The company also keeps profiles on its customers and, when they visit a store, the cash register shows the cashier a range of stars assigned to that customer, from one to five, depending on how regular that customer is.

Each customer also receives an email after each transaction and is asked to rate the service on a scale of zero to 10.

"CD One Price has grown rapidly using the concept of one low price and high volume," said Hal Horning, editor of trade publication National Clothesline. "CEO Rafiq Karimi thinks cleaners are shooting themselves in the foot by charging too much."

CD One Price typically charges $3.29 a garment for dry cleaning and $1.79 for laundered shirts. Clean-and-fold laundry typically costs $1.29 a pound.

Smaller dry cleaning businesses are adapting, too, trying to react to both changes in the marketplace and to CD One Price's growing footprint, which, since the start of the year, also includes a St. Louis suburb and Schaumburg. But some are just folding.

Advertisement

Forrest Cleaners in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood closed after about 50 years in business, and earlier this year it filed for bankruptcy.

"People pretty much have wash and wear these days, and don't get those types of garments anymore" that need dry cleaning, said James Forrest, son of founder James Forrest Sr.

Places like CD One Price have also changed customers' perceptions of how much they should be charged for dry cleaning, he said.

"Everybody has reacted to it," said Ken Davis, owner of Kenny the Kleener, which has four stores in Chicago and the northern suburbs.

Drop-off laundry, a service he has provided from the start, is a "growing need" for customers, he said.

Davis also recently began spending a few thousand dollars a month to run commercials on cable television.

Advertisement

On Chicago's South Side, family-owned TailoRite Cleaners, which has three locations, said it has been trying to recycle to help reduce costs, including encouraging customers to bring their wire hangers back to the store. It also hopes to make pickup and delivery a bigger part of its business to lessen its reliance on bricks-and-mortar stores.

Mike Bleier, who owns and operates both DriveCleaning, a pickup and delivery service, and a two-store chain called Greener Cleaner, has been promoting a mail-order service so environmentally conscious consumers can send him their laundry from as far away as Minnesota, Louisiana, New York, Florida and Colorado. Short-lived was a third store, in Winnetka, as well as an effort in which he put lockers in buildings. Bleier said instead he has been trying different services to appeal to building owners, including by setting up discount programs.

"A lot of cleaners are hanging on by a thread," Bleier said.

byerak@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @beckyyerak
Dozens of people marched to the Metcalfe Federal Building and the Bank of America Financial Center in Chicago on March 21, 2017, to protest proposed cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Proposed budget cuts at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development could leave thousands of low-income Chicago-area residents without the vouchers they need to stay in their apartments and halt construction of affordable housing, advocates warn. Chicago and Illinois housing groups are already lobbying Congress to reinstate the funding.

"This is very serious," said Andrea Traudt Inouye, executive director of the Illinois Housing Council. "People who have been getting vouchers could end up losing their homes."

Advertisement

Vouchers allow individuals and families to get rent discounts if they meet income limits. In Chicago, a family of four with household earnings of $61,500 or less is eligible for voucher assistance. A single person could earn up to $43,050 and still collect the assistance.

While the exact impact of the budget cuts on vouchers is unclear, the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has calculated that Illinois could lose 8,298 vouchers. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has calculated that 200,000 people could lose the vouchers nationwide.

Advertisement

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 Protesters against cuts to the budget of the department of Housing and Urban Development block access to the Bank of America Financial Center on South LaSalle Street in Chicago on March 21, 2017. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Housing voucher cuts were not explicitly spelled out in the Trump administration's preliminary proposal, which calls for cutting $6.2 billion out of the department's overall budget, but advocates are bracing for them. The Trump administration has outlined only about $4 billion in specific cuts, so to reach the $6.2 billion target, additional cuts  including voucher cuts  will have to be made, said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

"We are extremely concerned," said Bob Palmer, policy director for Housing Action Illinois. "The unmet need is so severe."

"Using a voucher allows me to keep a roof over my head," said Reco Swift, who attended a rally at Federal Plaza in Chicago this week to protest voucher cuts. Before getting assistance, Swift, 66, was homeless. "When you have a place to live you take the little things for granted  taking a shower, running water or laying down to take a nap in the middle of the day  something you might need to do at age 66," he said.

While it remains uncertain just how far the voucher program will be cut, the administration's proposal makes clear that two other programs that work in different ways to support development will be eliminated entirely. According to HUD, the Chicago area received more than $141 million from the Community Development Block Grant program and the Home Investment Partnerships Program last year.

The block grants are used by cities and counties to make a range of improvements, such as street repairs, in principally low and moderate-income areas. The home program provides grants to developers building affordable housing. The home program is considered essential in getting new affordable apartment buildings built because developers typically can't raise enough construction funding for such projects with private lenders alone.

"The cost of construction is high," said Traudt Inouye. "Developers can't build and recoup their costs at the income level renters can afford to pay in the building."

The Chicago area, along with many cities throughout the nation, is facing an increasing shortage of affordable housing for both low and middle income people. Since people lost homes in the housing crisis of 2008, there has been a surge of renters. That has pushed rents up.

According to research by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, 36.6 percent of households in the Chicago area face housing costs that are too high to handle without burdening the rest of their budget. About 28.5 percent of homeowners and 50.47 percent of renters are paying more than they should, according to the Harvard research.

Advertisement

gmarksjarvis@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @gailmarksjarvis
Kraft Heinz confirmed Thursday that it's cutting about 200 salaried jobs in the U.S. and Canada, including some in Chicago.

Spokesman Michael Mullen said in an email that all affected employees were notified Thursday and that most would be gone from the company next week. He wouldn't say exactly how many Chicago jobs would be cut.

Advertisement

It's yet another round of mass layoffs for Kraft Heinz, the food conglomerate backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital. Considered the industry leader in cost cutting, Kraft Heinz has been rumored to be on the prowl for a major acquisition in recent months. Last month, Unilever, maker of Hellmann's mayonnaise and Lipton Tea, rejected Kraft Heinz's $143 billion takeover bid.

Kraft Heinz, co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh, isn't done cutting. Last year, the company eliminated 1,000 jobs, putting it more than halfway toward its goal of eventually slashing 5,150 jobs. The company announced last month it would cut $1.7 billion in expenses by the end of the year, up from the previous target of $1.5 billion.

Advertisement

Last August, Kraft Heinz cut about 200 jobs and that round of layoffs also affected the Chicago area's workforce, which totals about 2,000 including workers at the company's research and development facility in Glenview. In 2015, Kraft Heinz laid off about 700 workers at Kraft's former headquarters in Northfield before moving its offices to the Aon Center.

"As a result of our business unit consolidation in August 2016, Kraft Heinz is now operating more efficiently and effectively, allowing the Company to reinvest in our brands and our business in ways that benefit our consumers," Mullen said in the statement.

Those affected by the latest round of layoffs will be offered severance packages and outplacement services, Mullen said.

Kraft split into two publicly traded companies in 2012, forming Deerfield-based Mondelez International. The spun-off North American grocery business, Kraft Foods Group, later merged with Heinz to become Kraft Heinz.

Crain's first reported the layoffs.

gtrotter@chicagotribue.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib
The Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue was built in 1925 and houses the Chicago Tribune and other businesses. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Oaktree Capital Management, the Los Angeles-based investment firm that was once Tronc's largest shareholder, sold its remaining 3.74 million shares back to the publishing company Thursday in a deal valued at more than $56 million.

The buyback, priced at $15 per share, reduces the number of outstanding shares in Tronc, owner of the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and seven other major newspapers, from 36.44 million to 32.7 million. As a result, the deal increases the stakes of its remaining shareholders, including Chairman Michael Ferro.

Advertisement

"The board determined that this transaction was an appropriate use of capital and was in the best interest of the company and its shareholders," Tronc said in a statement.

The company also took action Thursday to keep Ferro, his Merrick Ventures and its affiliates the largest shareholders by increasing to 30 percent, from 25 percent, the maximum stake of the company they can own, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Thursday.

Advertisement

Ferro owns 9.05 million shares. Because it reduced the number of outstanding shares, the Oaktree buyback raised his stake in Tronc to 27.7 percent from 24.8 percent.

Tronc's second-largest shareholder and board Vice Chairman Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who will lose his seat next month, was closing the gap with Ferro after buying 2.95 million shares of the company's stock in separate transactions Monday. He bought 2 million shares from New York hedge fund HG Vora, at $15 a share, or $30 million, and 950,000 shares from Oaktree priced at $14.60, or about $13.9 million, according to an SEC filing Tuesday.

As a result of Tronc's stock buyback from Oaktree, Soon-Shiong's 8.74 million shares account for 26.7 percent of outstanding shares, up from 24 percent.

Ferro and Soon-Shiong were each limited to a 25 percent ownership stake under the terms of their initial purchase agreements.

"Dr. Soon-Shiong was surprised to learn that Tronc had entered into an amendment allowing Merrick and Michael Ferro to increase their maximum stake in the common stock of the company to 30 percent from 25 percent," a Soon-Shiong spokesman said in a statement Thursday. "Dr. Soon-Shiong's attorneys will be writing the company to request his contract also be amended to allow his stake to also be increased to 30 percent from 25 percent. He believes all shareholders should be treated the same."

In its March 9 proxy statement, the company said it would reduce the size of its board from nine directors to seven, eliminating seats for Soon-Shiong and Donald Tang. Tronc holds its annual shareholder meeting April 18 in Chicago.

Oaktree built its position in the predecessor Tribune Co. (now Tribune Media), as the company worked through Chapter 11 bankruptcy before emerging at the end of 2012. Tribune Publishing (now Tronc), spun off from Tribune Media in August 2014. Oaktree has made clear for several years its intention to sell its stake and was a vocal critic last year when the Tronc board rejected a $15 per share unsolicited bid by Gannett to buy the Chicago-based company.

An Oaktree spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday afternoon.

Advertisement

A technology entrepreneur who previously owned the Chicago Sun-Times, Ferro became chairman of Tronc and its largest shareholder in February 2016, when his investment firm, Merrick Ventures, bought 5.22 million newly issued shares at $8.50 each, or $44.4 million. In June, Tronc sold 4.7 million newly issued shares at $15 each, or more than $70 million, to Nant Capital, a California-based technology investment firm headed by Soon-Shiong, who was named non-executive vice chairman in June.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Remark about Lords Park: Maybe it's time to put up a fence on the northeast side of Lords Park. We have people who keep coming through here and throwing bottles and papers. They are ruining the neighborhood. If we put up a fence, they'll have to walk around on Summit Street.

Scramble for citizenship: Isn't it amazing about how many Hispanics who are here illegally are suddenly trying to become citizens? President Trump did a good job. They have found out they can't just sit here and do nothing. This is the way it should be.

Advertisement

Russian interference: President Trump doesn't like all the talk about Russia interfering with the election. That's because they probably did interfere. If an investigation can be made, we will probably find out that he should not have won the election. It would cause a firestorm, and that would cause him to resign.

Opt for Obamacare: President Trump has been going along with executive orders so far. Now Congress is looking at the plans for repealing and replacing Obamacare, and it doesn't look good. Our system of checks and balances in the Congress might actually work even though there is a Republican majority. The Republicans are not all for repealing and replacing Obamacare. It has been a good thing for a lot of people. We should keep it and fine-tune it.

Advertisement

Inappropriate location for gun dealer: I was very disappointed with the zoning commission's ruling to change zoning regulations so a gun dealer can place their store across the road from the Easter Seals center and a child care center. It is among many residential houses. I think this is not right. I think the location is inappropriate. I hope the city council considers all this when they make their decision.

Republicans rushing repeal of Obamacare: I hope what I'm saying here doesn't give any racial overtones, but the Republicans now want to overhaul Obamacare simply because a black man accomplished something that should have been accomplished long ago. Nobody before had the gall to tackle it because it was always knocked down by the Republicans. Instead of working with former President Obama seven years ago, the Republicans now want to go through Obamacare like a hurricane in a few short weeks. Obama always said if someone came up with a better plan, he would like to hear it. President Trump said he had a better plan, but we never saw it. The Republicans are hastily doing this because they don't want Obamacare to be in Obama's legacy. We need to sit down and work this out.

Spanish schoolbooks: Thank goodness that the District U46 school board has two people who know which end is up. One is Cody Holt, and the other is Jeanette Ward. This is America, and English should be taught in our schools. If students want to learn Spanish, they should go to a Spanish-speaking school. We're paying $200,000 for Spanish schoolbooks? Give me a break.

Exasperated by extra charge: I have a complaint about Comcast. Why do we have to pay $5 extra to mail in our payments because they want it sent on the computer? Something needs to be done about this. Companies are getting too big for their britches. I'm on a set income. I'm paying $115 a month for basic cable. Now they want another $5 to send in my payment.

Argument against apartments: This is about the 670-plus apartments development in St. Charles by Shodeen Developers. Big mistake. Look what Elgin did in the 1960s when they put all that affordable housing in. The only good thing about the project is it will put some tradespeople to work. Once that's done, it's downhill all the way. When apartments age, people don't want them. I can't believe the city gave in. Give me a break. I would rather the land sat empty. It's better than having a future problem down the road.

Buy American goods: I was reading a Speak Out about a caller who said he is a loyal American and would like to buy American cars but there are too many recalls. He did research that told him Dodge trucks have problems at 120,000 miles. Dodge has been foreign for several years. It was first bought by Mercedes of Germany, and now it's owned by Fiat of Italy. He should buy either Chevrolet or Ford, true American brands. I've been buying Chevrolets for 52 years and never had a problem. Even if I did, I would not sell out to buy a foreign car. Support America and don't look for excuses not to buy American.

Riled about Republicans: The Republican Congress worked all night trying to pass this bill on healthcare. It's not going to work, and everyone knows it. Why didn't they sit down and pull all-nighters with former President Obama? They came up with nothing for seven years, and now they come up with something in a few weeks.

Cars stolen at daycare: I want to bring up the situation where parents' cars are being stolen when they are taking their kids to daycare. You think the police would come up with some undercover operation to watch the parking lot and catch the thieves in the act.

Advertisement

Angst about more acreage: There is an election coming, so let's be sure nobody votes to add more acres. The county wants to spend more money on stuff they don't need. When you go to the polls, make sure you vote against preserving additional land for park districts. How about getting more money to homeowners?

Police station location: This is in regards to the City of St. Charles wanting to put up a new police station. They should build it at the shopping center downtown along Route 64. If you put the station way out on the west side, it won't cover the east side. St. Charles is not that big of a town, so you don't want to put it out in the sticks.

Cell tower talk: This is about the cell tower in Sleepy Hollow. It's been beat around for years. Linda McDaniel-Hale pointed out that while the nice drive down Sleepy Hollow Road will never be the same, it will improve communications for the community including the police and fire departments. Some of the people in Sleepy Hollow need to get a life and get over the fact that the world is changing. Otherwise they should move to Timbuktu.

Roused about Rural Street: I'm calling for the neighbors on Rural Street. There was a broken water main in January. It was very cold, and I realize they couldn't fix it at that time. They pumped all the sludge and clay across the street from where the water main was broken onto the yards, sidewalks and a beautiful brick driveway. It's just a mess. We've been calling to have it fixed. We just want some gravel. We've called five times.

Editor's note

Speak Out is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, call us at 312-222-2460 or email couriernews@tribpub.com. Please include "speak out" in the subject line.
Nancy Hannick of Highland Park gathers her thoughts onto a sticky note during a meeting on District 112 school reorganization March 23, 2017 at Elm Place Middle School in Highland Park. (Mark Ukena / Pioneer Press)

The daunting job facing North Shore School District 112 as it strives to build community consensus was evident March 23 as citizens offered feedback on school reorganization plans to members of the Reconfiguration 2.0 Team.

Some citizens writing comments on sticky notes favored a slow, incremental approach to upgrading the district's facilities to ease the pain on taxpayers.

Advertisement

Others thought a one-shot approach to consolidating schools and upgrading facilities was the way to go.

Many agreed the district is operating too many schools for its enrollment of 4,300 students. "We need to consolidate to lower per-pupil operating costs and student-teacher and student-administrator ratios," wrote one participant.

Advertisement

Another wrote, "Larger classes within reason will create better synergy for creative thought."

Even on that point, though, there was dissent. "Chicago complains about large classes. What's wrong with small classes?" asked one attendee.

The district's average class size of 17 students, as reported on the 2016 Illinois School Report Card, is considerably lower than the averages in some similarly-sized districts with six or eight buildings, according to data provided at the community engagement session.

The district's 12-school model also creates large disparities in class size among individual schools. The two first grade classes at Lincoln Elementary School, for instance, each serve 14 students. At Red Oak, Ravinia and Oak Terrace, classes have 20 or more students, according to the data.

"Our unusually small class sizes are not by design," explained Melissa Itkin, a member of the reconfiguration panel. "They are by default as we are spread very thinly across the district."

The comments showed a high degree of support for adding full-day kindergarten. A colored map showed that North Shore School District 112 is one of only a few districts in the area to still provide half-day kindergarten. Full-day kindergarten is provided at Oak Terrace Elementary School because the school qualifies for federal Title I funds.

Created in the aftermath of the failed referendum in 2016, the Reconfiguration 2.0 group has been meeting for the past nine months to come up with a new plan or plans to present to the school board. Seven new members were recently added to replace panelists who resigned or may be stepping down after the April 4 election.

Five current or former 2.0 members are among the nine candidates running for the North Shore District 112 school board.

Advertisement

Nicholas Glenn, director of communications for District 112, said the two engagement sessions March 22 and March 23 were attended by about 195 people combined. The community sessions were one of several means used to gather input before the group narrows its choices to two or three options, he said.

"It started in late February with focus groups," Glenn said.

A survey was mailed in March to a random sample of constituents. The survey will be opened up to anyone who wishes to participate in early April.

"Reconfiguration 2.0 is going to take what they have learned over the nine months and the community feedback and come up with two to three options," Glenn said. "Then we will repeat the same process in May with focus groups, surveys and community events where we'll actually have options to present."

Three general models have been presented so far without mentioning specific schools. Two of the models would retain the traditional K-5, 6-8 scheme. In one, dual language students would be educated in separate academies. In the other, dual language and all-English classes would coexist in the same schools.

A third model would create three pairs of elementary schools. Students would attend one school for kindergarten through second grade, and move as a group to the other school for third through fifth grade.

Advertisement

Reconfiguration 2.0 is looking to make its recommendations to the school board in June. Glenn said the school board will spend some time putting cost figures to one or more plans before possibly deciding to put a referendum on the ballot. The board would need to vote in December in order for a referendum to appear on the March, 2018 ballot.

kberkowitz@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter@KarenABerkowitz
The street appears frozen in time. If you stood at 24th Street and stared south down Oakley Avenue, the view probably doesn't look that different from 30 years ago. This is the heart of the Heart of Chicago neighborhood.

On this stretch of Oakley there's an honorary street sign named for a community hero: Vito Marzullo Avenue, after the late, legendary alderman. His 33-year reign in the ward came at a time when the neighborhood makeup was mainly Italian.

Advertisement

Here, in fact, was Chicago's "Little Italy" before Taylor Street grabbed the moniker. Italian immigrants settled here in the late 19th century, along with many Eastern Europeans, when the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. and Hines Lumber Co. were the area's most important employers.

Later, the Sicilians would settle north along Taylor Street. The families that stayed in the Heart of Chicago were mostly northern Italians. (Its boundaries, said 25th Ward Ald. Danny Solis, are from Western Avenue to Ashland Avenue, and Cermak Road to Blue Island Avenue.) Around the 1970s, many Italian families moved north and west to the suburbs, and the neighborhood became predominantly Hispanic.

Advertisement

But the vestiges of its Italian past stayed in the form of restaurants. Today, half a dozen Italian restaurants anchor the two blocks between 24th and Coulter streets. Each June on Father's Day weekend, they bring their restaurants outdoors for the Oakley Festa Pasta Vino, the Italian-American street festival dating back about 20 years.

"There's still a strong sense of identity to be called Heart of Chicago and not (nearby) Pilsen," said Solis, who grew up in the area. "Part of that legacy is being carried by these restaurants and the memories of its owners."

Il Vicinato: Here's how Il Vicinato owner Felipe Munoz recounts the story: There once was a lady from Lucca, Tuscany, who took to the streets on Chicago's Lower West Side to sell her homemade veal ravioli. This was decades ago, an Old World recipe brought over from Italy. One of her sons would open a restaurant near 25th and Western Avenue, now long gone, and another son opened Il Vicinato a block up the street. It's at Il Vicinato where the veal ravioli endures 31 years on, stuffed and crimped by hand several times each week. The key is in its dough, less eggy and less firm than other ravioli, with a texture one could bite through without a lot of give. It glides like a soup dumpling. There is a rustic, made-by-nonna quality to these wrinkled pillows the size of business cards, and the ground beef sauce ladled atop is hearty and meat-generous. Three decades on, no dish at Il Vicinato sells better, and it's no surprise.

La Fontanella: The family that created this restaurant in 1971 moved to Phoenix and still operates a La Fontanella restaurant there. Here, however, the 38-seat restaurant is run by third owners, Franco and Maria Gamberale, who owned Gianfranco's in Old Town before buying this property in 1986. "We sold our home in Berwyn," Maria says, "and moved here." The stuccoed walls are lined with signed celebrity photos, from Adlai Stevenson to John Wayne to Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. The menu warns that chicken Vesuvio, which is cooked to order, takes 45 minutes, and the Gamberales aren't kidding; stave off the hunger pangs with the antipasto for two (feeds four) and/or the baked artichokes, one of La Fontanella's go-to offerings at Festa Pasta Vino. Do not miss the eggplant puttanesca (if you order it, Maria will ask if you want the anchovy; the correct answer is "yes") or the veal sorrentina, and because entrees (excuse me, secondi) include soup or salad, the minestrone is what you want.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

Bruna's Ristorante: The Pump Room, White Palace Grill, Gene & Georgetti  Bruna's Ristorante has the distinction of predating those all. Bruna Cani was a Michigan-born Tuscan who left the restaurant Orsi & Cani (Bear & Dog) to open her own place across the street, said owner Luciano Silvestri. There Bruna's stands, 81 years in 2014, as the grand dame of Italian restaurants along Oakley. "People don't come here to see and be seen," said the Siena, Italy-born Silvestri, its owner since 1980. "They come here to have good food and a bottle of wine for reasonable money." Indeed, to step inside Bruna's is to time-travel to bygone days: big plates, oil paintings hung in muted lighting and eager owners ready to proclaim "best in the city!" to just about every dish offered. As with all restaurants of the ilk, there's little in the way of menu turnover. Its oldest dish just might be its Sunday slow-roast chicken, a classic preparation with sage, rosemary and garlic. It's a Bruna Cani recipe, older than Pizzeria Uno or Manny's have been around. "Some of the dishes, they taste good, people know it, we sell them," Silvestri said. "Why kick them out?"

Miceli's Deli: When it opened in 1981, Lou Miceli's place was strictly a grocery store and deli, and he made sausages in-house. As the neighborhood changed, demand changed, and in 2006 Miceli decided to promote his cooking ability. "I took out a grocery aisle and put in three tables," he says. "Then another, then another." Now there is one remaining grocery aisle, stocked with milk, soda, pasta, bread, olive oil, canned tuna and a freezer case, and 125 seats for locals in search of counter-service breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is available at 8 a.m., but Miceli's subs, sandwiches, pastas and blue-plate specials such as meatloaf and barbecue chicken are available as early as 9:30. The place shuts down by 4:30 p.m., occasionally earlier, and there are no Saturday or Sunday hours. Given the bare-bones look of the place, it's not surprising that carryout and catering make up the lion's share of Miceli's business, but there's something pleasant about sitting in one of the banquet-style chairs, digging into such hefty items as the meatball sandwich  a challenge to spatter-free eating  or the piping-hot and hearty pasta e fagiole soup that an earlier generation would call "pasta fazool." Now that's amore.

Bacchanalia: This cozy 65-seater opened in 1978, but the Pieri family dates Bacchanalia from 1979, when they assumed ownership. Mom Noemi still hand-makes the ravioli, though siblings Paula and Dante run the place day to day. Pretty diamond-pattern wallpaper, mirrored and lit arched alcoves, fresh flowers and a sound system offering a steady stream of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Vale and more set the atmosphere. Tender fried calamari is way above average among the starters, and any main course with "Bacchanalia" in the name will be a hit, though no two are alike. Chicken Bacchanalia is a colorful variation of chicken Vesuvio with sausage and red, yellow and green peppers; risotto Bacchanalia is fortified with blue cheese, Gorgonzola, asparagus and chicken breast. Dante's wine list offers Italian and Californian wines at very attractive prices. Open seven days a week (lunch Monday-Friday), Bacchanalia offers valet parking every day but Monday. Cash only; ATM in the bar.

Ignotz Ristorante: Roger Wroblewski remembers the words his wife, Joan, uttered when told he bought a restaurant: "Are you (bleepin') kidding me?" Joan had a valid point. The only cooking experience Roger had was in a kitchen of a Woolworth's back when there were Woolworth's. But he asked her to think back to the veal limone he cooked while courting her. "I can do this," he said. "Give me a shot." That was 17 years and a lot of chicken Vesuvios ago. Ignotz, named for Joan's father, Ignatius, is a top-down family affair. Each of the Wroblewski's three daughters has a dish in their honor: Olivia, born two weeks past her due date, has the roast chicken in her name (because it takes 45 minutes to come out of the oven). True, it's a familiar menu rooted in old-school Italian-Americana, so one way Ignotz distinguishes itself is with the meal's bookends: a roasted head of garlic with bread and olive oil to start, chocolate-covered cherries with the check. Ignotz also serves the single-most tender fried calamari you'll encounter in Chicago.

Advertisement

pvettel@tribune.com

kpang@tribune.com

This story was originally published Jan. 18, 2014.


Dana Cree of The Publican, Leigh Omilinsky of Nico Osteria and Rebecca Zuckerman of Seven Lions Chicago offer tips on serving ice cream at home. (Bill Daley / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

Pastry chef Dana Crees debut cookbook, "Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream: The Art and Science of the Scoop," comes out Tuesday, March 28, so shes celebrating that night with an ice-cream party at Publican Quality Meats.

Cree, the Publican brands executive pastry chef, is a two-time finalist for the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Pastry Chef award, and winner of a Chicago Tribune Dining Award in 2015

The book-release event has sold out online, but a limited number of tickets ($10, cash only) will be available at the door (825 W. Fulton Market), 6 to 9 p.m., while supplies last. Plus, kids with adults get in free.

Cree will scoop about a dozen flavors, including doughnut, buttered popcorn, chocolate peanut butter brownie crunch, strawberry bubble gum and rainbow sherbet. Ice cream by the pint, signed and personalized copies of the book, and drinks (wine, beer and nonalcoholic) will be available for purchase.

I met the pastry chef to taste three flavors from the book: vanilla custard; black raspberry sherbet swirled with Meyer lemon custard and a ripple of lemon curd; and blue-ribbon chocolate with marzipan cake and candied mandiquats, a cross between mandarin oranges and kumquats.

With so many spoons going, I moved the book aside, but Cree said not to worry about the open pages. I chose a finish that would be the easiest to wipe drips of ice cream off of, she said.

Pastry chef Dana Cree has writtenher first book.

On the bright-blue cover, photographs of scoops show cookies and cream, the blue-ribbon chocolate, strawberry sherbet, mango lassi frozen yogurt and a purple scoop tinted with blueberry juice. Dotted around them and throughout the book are illustrations by Anna Posey, pastry chef and co-owner of Elske in the West Loop.

If you miss Crees first ice-cream social, shell scoop and sign more April 9 at Read It and Eat bookstore in Lincoln Park, April 15 with Culinary Historians of Chicago at Kendall College, April 21 at Foodease, and June 17 at a Chopping Block class.

Find more information at www.hellomynameisicecream.com.

Advertisement

lchu@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @louisachu






People come and go at Kuma's Corner at 2900 W. Belmont in Chicago, on November 7, 2014. (Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune)

When Hot Doug's closed its doors in October, Chicago lost its greatest argument for waiting in line for food. The hysteria of its final month caused freethinking people to stand 12 hours for a hot dog. Now that Doug's is but a wiener figment in our imaginations, which Chicago restaurant will take its place as worthiest of waiting in line to dine?

In our nonscientific, small-sample-size study, our team visited eight restaurants notorious for long wait times. Two of them (Wildfire, Fat Rice) take reservations, but we chose not to make one. We showed up unannounced at 7 p.m. on a recent Friday with one other person. Then we waited (or in some unusual cases, we didn't). But in that moment of time, we posed a simple question: Was the restaurant worth the wait? Bear in mind, there are a lot of factors in play  weather (the temperature was 43 degrees), time of year, the randomness of life  so your experience will surely vary.

Advertisement

Christopher Borrelli, Carmel Carrillo, Johnny Oleksinski, Kevin Pang, Jessica Reynolds, Regina Robinson, Phil Vettel and Itasca Wiggins



AU CHEVAL

800 W. Randolph St., 312-929-4580

Advertisement

Wait time estimated at check-in: Between three hours and three hours, 15 minutes.

Actual wait: A paltry-by-comparison two hours, 46 minutes.

How you were contacted: A text that read: "You're one of the next parties on the list at Au Cheval! Please head this way and respond to this text with your status."

Available waiting space: Very little. You're scrunched up by the bar, next to seated patrons. Better to wait next door at the ...

Nearest place to get a drink while you wait: Lone Wolf Tavern (806 W. Randolph St.), 30 steps next door. Yes, I actually counted.

Check for dinner for two: $69. We opted without drinks, as it was 10 p.m. and we were wimps.

Was it worth the wait? The food  an upscale take on the greasy spoon  was reliably superb. The cheeseburger was top-notch as usual, arguably one of the three best in the city. The oyster mushroom-kale omelet was the most technically masterful we've ever tasted, cooked to an ideal egg-medium. We've also never experienced a more perfect, buttery golden slice of toast, which accompanied the salmon rillettes. A fantastic meal. Was it worth a wait of nearly three hours? No.



FAT RICE

2957 W. Diversey Ave., 773-661-9170

Advertisement

Wait time estimated at check-in: None. My companion and I were seated immediately at the counter, though there were some open tables too.

Actual wait: Not applicable.

How you were contacted: Patrons are told their table is ready in-person. No texting, calling or buzzers. So don't wander too far!

Available waiting space: Fat Rice owns a speak-easy-style storefront a couple of doors down, where 25 diners can order drinks and bar snacks while they wait for a table. Better yet, those items are conveniently tacked onto your bill at the end of the night, so there's no need to close out at the bar.

Nearest place to get a drink while you wait: Overflow from the waiting area can walk two blocks east to Masa Azul (2901 W. Diversey) and enjoy a margarita in a cool, relaxed environment.

Check for dinner for two: $98 for 3 shared plates and drinks.

Advertisement

Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Fat Rice serves food so scrumptious and invigorating  a special mackerel curry was the highlight  that it's truly worth a much longer wait than, well, none at all. Also, this Macanese restaurant is an ideal option for frustrated vegetarians looking for a hearty meal with bold flavors.



FRONTERA GRILL

445 N. Clark St., 312-661-1434

Wait time estimated at check-in: The hostess politely informed us that it was two hours. I asked if that was a real two hours or a standard-issue, wink-wink two hours to thin out the herd. She repeated: Two hours.

Actual wait: 35 minutes. We were told there were several cancellations.

How you were contacted: Phone call and two text messages.

Available waiting space: Four chairs inside a chilly windowed area.

Advertisement

Nearest place to get a drink while you wait: Frontera has a very popular, very crowded bar; we opted for a couple of churros and some hot chocolate at Rick Bayless' next-door spot, Xoco.

Check for dinner for two: About $60 without drinks.

Was it worth the wait? Yes, and we were surprised: The crowds, which get overly touristy, can be daunting, a crush of aging bros; and the food, which has seemed to lose a little luster in recent years, might not seem worth the hassle when the more affordable, and arguably more soulful option, Xoco, is right next door. But the drinks were bright and interesting, and the 20-hour-smoked brisket, in a Oaxacan mole sauce (and even the mashed potatoes, made with a Mexican goat cheese), a Friday special, suggested a new energy.



HOPLEAF

5148 N. Clark St., 773-334-9851

Wait time estimated at check-in: 30 minutes.

Actual wait: 12 minutes.

Advertisement

How you were contacted: Host found me at the bar.

Available waiting space: Found one seat at the bar (which I took).

Nearest place to get a drink while you wait: Simon's Tavern (5210 N. Clark), half a block.

Check for dinner for two: $43 with drinks.

Was it worth the wait? Yes. The service was great, the food was delicious and the beer was cold. Only complaint: Can we get Martell cognac on the drink menu?



KUMA'S CORNER

Advertisement

2900 W. Belmont Ave., 773-604-8769

Wait time estimated at check-in: 45 minutes.

Actual wait: 1 hour and 5 minutes.

How you were contacted: Hostess called out our party's name.

Available waiting space: All the bar seats were occupied, but you can grab a drink and huddle near the window or doorway. The space is small, however, so you might have to stand outside.

Nearest place to get a drink while you wait: Square Bar & Grill (2849 W. Belmont Ave.), half a block up across the street.

Advertisement

Check for dinner for two: $56 with drinks

Was it worth the wait? An emphatic yes, but vegetarians and your grandmother probably wouldn't think so.



PARACHUTE

3500 N. Elston, 773-654-1460

Wait time estimated at check-in: There was no line! A long one quickly formed after our arrival, though.

Actual wait: Not applicable.

Advertisement

How you were contacted: NA, but restaurant will contact you by phone.

Available waiting space: There is a small banquette that fills up quickly.

Nearest place to get a drink while you wait: Chief O'Neill's (3471 N. Elston Ave.), 1 block away.

Check for dinner for two: $98 for three shared plates, two glasses of wine and tip.

Was it worth the wait? Despite the noise level and mostly communal tables with somewhat uncomfortable seating, yes. The food and cocktails were excellent. (Would I wait an hour or more? No, not for this restaurant or any other.)



PURPLE PIG

500 N. Michigan Ave., 312-464-1744

Advertisement

Wait time estimated at check-in: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Actual wait: 1 hour, 25 minutes.

How you were contacted: Cellphone.

Available waiting space: We were told we could wait out on the patio benches with drink service, but the warmers were not close enough to the benches, so you either stood and kept warm, or sat and froze.

Nearest place to get a drink while you wait: Michael Jordan's Steakhouse bar (505 N. Michigan Ave.) across the street, which is where we waited instead of on the Pig benches.

Check for dinner for two: $48 with tip and Pellegrino.

Advertisement

Was it worth the wait? Yes, because we enjoyed the garlic bread and wine at Michael Jordan's, but absolutely not for the Purple Pig meal. Everything was so salty. I wasn't even able to eat my chicken. And, we were seated at a table in the covered outside area. The cover was a joke; I had to eat with my gloves on. My guest described our experience by saying Purple Pig is for people who don't care about comfort; mainly trend followers and tourists.



WILDFIRE

232 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 630-586-9000

Wait time estimated at check-in: Smiling hostess said, "An hour and 15 to an hour and a half."

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

Actual wait: 52 minutes.

How you were contacted: There are guest pagers, or you can ask to be text-messaged if you plan to wander (it's in a mall, after all).

Available waiting space: Spacious bar with a few bar-height tables (first-come, first-served); full menu is available here, which means seats don't turn over as quickly as they might.

Advertisement

Nearest place to get a drink while you wait: Down the outside stairs is the mall's restaurant row, which includes Perry's Steakhouse & Grill, Reel Club and Pour House, all with sizable lounges.

Check for dinner for two: $56 for two steak sandwiches and two glasses of wine.

Was it worth the wait? Wildfire offers good food and very good service in a comfortable, clubby atmosphere; steaks are the main menu thrust, but the burgers and sandwiches, particularly the French dip, are budget-friendly options.

ctc-dining@tribpub.com

Twitter @ChiTribFood
After midnight, when the fancy bars have sucked your wallet dry, the classic Chicago corner dive is always there for you.

Many of these bars are called inns or pubs, not because they offer lodging or even food, but because those descriptors suggest hospitality and warmth. Rest your elbows on the burnished bar top, akimbo to bike messengers and old men, and your bartender will provide both of those things in spades. Then, over a cheap, cool pint, you can ponder why you ever dropped a hundred bucks on daiquiris bathed in the lore of Ernest Hemingway.

Advertisement

When I am in this state, the place I turn to is Inner Town Pub in Ukrainian Village.

There is a triumvirate of corner bars within a few-block walk in the neighborhood: Rainbo Club, Happy Village and Inner Town. I love them all but choose Inner Town because Rainbo is too obvious and Happy Village is more like a family basement. Inner Town is like a longtime friend with benefits. It's not the most beautiful, but it has an ensnaring charm.

Advertisement

The allure begins with the Chicago Handshake, a pint of Old Style followed by a shot of Malort, just $5 for the pair. I've been to modern bars where $5 won't even buy you a Miller High Life  but hey, did you see that the floor is made of reclaimed wood from a sunken ocean liner?

No thanks. I'll be at Inner Town by the pool table, which is worn but respectable and, the best part, free.

The bar, a former Polish tavern, is rumored to have been a speak-easy during Prohibition. "I can neither confirm or deny those rumors, but I will say there are no windows in the bar," owner Denis Fogarty tells me. That, coupled with moody lighting provided by strings of Christmas bulbs and Tiffany-style stained glass pendant lamps glistening against Christmas ornaments and tinsel, means that, like a bar version of Cancun, what happens in Inner Town stays at Inner Town. "Photos don't come out very well. The stories don't get out," Fogarty says.

Inner Town was a favored haunt of "Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn when she lived nearby, and she mentioned the bar in the book's acknowledgments. I ask Fogarty about other sightings; the Smashing Pumpkins, for one, were known to hang out in the neighborhood in the band's early days. "It was nice of Flynn to mention us in her book," he says, "but generally I don't like to name drop. (Inner Town) was an important place to the scene in the '90s. Some people played open mics, and some people you might know even tended a few shifts of bar here, but I'm not going to name names."

The real rock star, anyway, was Fogarty's uncle, Michael Gormley (aka Inner Town Mike), who opened Inner Town in 1983 and managed the bar until 2015. (He died in September 2016 at age 88.) Among many things, he's responsible for maybe the greatest charm of Inner Town: its 30-year accumulation of tchotchkes. The bar has a giant moose head, velvet paintings, a life-size statue of Elvis and original NSFW mirror art from celebrated 1970s-era Bally's pinball machine artist Dave Christensen. Think of it as part dive bar and part antique store.

"After my uncle closed the bar, he'd get breakfast, then go to trunk sales and different secondhand antique stores," Fogarty said. "He negotiated for two years on that Elvis statue until he got the price he was willing to pay."

Michael Nagrant is a freelance writer.






Every Thursday evening at Ian Sherwin Gallery, participants are encouraged to bring their own beverage and socialize as they paint pictures of their pets. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune) (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Paint Your Pet Nights in Lakeview, at the Ian Sherwin Gallery on Ashland, are Thursdays, sometimes Saturdays. You bring wine, and you paint, and it can get boozy, and before long, you're referring to Pet Your Paint Night and telling yourself that you're a failure at art, too. Like other Paint Your Pet Nights  which are growing in popularity around the country, and often organized by small neighborhood art galleries  the goal is simple and earnest: You bring a picture of your fish or dog or hamster or lizard, then you paint a picture of your pet.

You are not expected to reinvent the Shih Tzu or find the art-ism (expressionism, futurism) that best tells the story of your relationship with your turtle. Talent is optional. You bring something to drink, you paint, you go home, your family pretends you have talent, they hang your painting in that corner of the basement where nobody goes, eventually your grandchildren sell the painting years later at a yard sale, the painting is bought by a hipster and hung ironically in his bathroom, and you and your collie are lost to history.

Advertisement

Simple.

However, when Paint Your Pet Night started at the Ian Sherwin Gallery about a year ago, actual live animals were allowed in the gallery, to serve as models for their owners.

Advertisement

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

And that, as Victoria Elena Nones said, "was a total (expletive) show."

Plus, Sherwin said, "when people are drinking, they get distracted and go from realism to Jackson Pollock quick  there's a certain point where wine works against you in art."

Nones owns the SIT Social doggie lounge alongside the Ian Sherwin Gallery. She and Sherwin are longtime partners, and hope someday to leave all of this behind and retire to a beach in Mexico. But for now, they want to help you paint your pet, and if you're hellbent on painting with a live animal  photography alone can not capture Tucker's singular intelligence  your pet must sit and stay long enough for Nones to give it a thumbs-up.

But please, Sherwin said, do not drink so much that you forget you brought a pet.

It's happened.

Besides, who needs to worry about another living creature when Paint Your Pet Night at the Ian Sherwin Gallery is so rich with triumph and heartbreak, jealousy and disappointment?

About a dozen pet owners filed into the gallery the other night. They found their canvases and slipped bottles of wine out of slender brown grocery bags, left them on a serving table then set to work painting their pets. Kim Cramer painted Atlas, her goldendoodle. Atlas is 10 months old. Atlas likes carrots and will sit beside the refrigerator and beg for carrots. Atlas is apricot colored, and so Cramer filled a paper plate with brown and honey-colored acrylic drabs, and painted his fur in flyaway wisps that suggested both a dog and a 1970s haircut. "We just bought a townhouse," she said, "so this would be great to decorate with. I hope it turns out. I had an art scholarship in college but I haven't done this in a while. I've sold paintings  actually, I didn't sell. I put one by the garbage once and a guy came by and asked if I was getting rid of it so I gave it to him."

Advertisement

Across from Cramer, Maria Carollo painted a cockapoo named Piper. Piper has her own Instagram account and likes agility training and that's about it for Piper. Alongside Carollo stood her friend Shannon Hormanski, who painted a mini-goldendoodle named Zoe. Hormanski explained Zoe is the friendliest dog that ever existed. "Zoe has never discriminated against anyone. Zoe should be our next president of the United States."

Couple Scott Tran, left, and Trina Mabborang, right, both create a rendition of their dachshund-poodle mix dog, Jayden, during a paint your pet portrait class at the Ian Sherwin gallery, Thursday, March 9, 2017, in the Lake View neighborhood. Trina is an artist and is commissioned to paint peoples pets. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

They stood at mostly blank canvases that rested on easels arranged in four rows. The wooden floor of the gallery was splattered in blots and strings of old paint. Jazz played in the background. On a table sat clusters of brushes and tubes of paint. A few pet owners came alone and kept to themselves; a few brought their significant others; and a few brought friends. But all were human, and almost everyone seemed to know Sherwin and Nones, through a friend, or their dog-sitting service, or their gallery, or their doggie singles nights, or their doggie birthday parties, or their dog lovers parties, or Sherwin's own paintings, or his occasional art classes at the Field Museum.

He moved about, leaning in to offer advice on shading, stopping to demonstrate a brush stroke. "This is all about the individual," he said. "It's not cookie cutter. Art is about translation, and I don't know these people well enough to feel anyone can let me down."

Most worked from a light, quick sketch of their photograph, prepared by Sherwin ahead of the class; these canvases resembled paint-by-number projects, minus the numbers.

A brave handful painted freehand. This appeared to be a mistake.

Jessica Freund, wearing sneakers decorated with Picasso drawings, stood one foot forward, one foot back, as if ready to try action painting. She was painting Stella, her French bulldog. Stella likes snoring and going to the beach. Freund painted Stella using a photo on her phone. She would sketch then erase, sketch, erase. An hour after everyone else had started and were cheerfully tracing over Sherwin's lines with their brushes, Freund had little more than an outline. "See, I don't know how to draw," she explained. "So, it's a mess." Stella looked more like a cave painting of a dog than a dog.

Advertisement

Sherwin passed by and, with encouragement, said, "It's coming along."

"Thanks, man," Freund replied without enthusiasm.

Behind her, a pair of friends painted their cats. Barbara Kantrow was painting Silver the cat. Silver's face peeked out from beneath a blanket in Kantrow's picture. "I find it relaxing to paint, and to focus on an object that is comforting," she said, "and it's peaceful to be around Silver." Her friend Michelle Dopp was painting Woody the cat. Dopp said her son just got into Lane Tech and there was a meet-and-greet for parents that night. "But I was like, 'Sorry, I can't go. I have to paint my pet.' And I can't paint."

Kantrow said, "Well, Ian said, focus on the face, then, uh ... something, something."

The class lasted three hours, and by the midway point, it was clear the group was divided between people who could paint pets pretty well and people who could not paint pets at all. Kantrow's Silver was gauzy, smart and technically accomplished. Dopp's Woody  an image of her cat curled up against Nikes  could only loosely be called art.

Sherwin stopped to study it.

Advertisement

"Best I got," Dopp said.

"You're fine," Sherwin said.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Katie Wolf, painting her border collie Brewers  "We went into a pet store to buy nail clippers for the cat and walked out with Brewers"  took imaginative leaps, reworking her pooch into a kind of neon-tinted lightning bolt. Not far from Wolf, Katie Bourcy, a scientist who works on medication compatibility, painted Patrice, her pit bull rescue. She used a hi-res image of the dog on her laptop. Her painting was bold and clever, with Patrice's head pushing into the viewer's face the way a curious dog likes to do. "You have no idea how difficult it is to paint a black and white dog. But she's family, and in ways, she's better  more forgiving than family."

On the other side of her easel, Trina Mabborang worked efficiently, quickly.

She painted Jayden, her doxiepoo, aka dachshund-poodle mix, who wore a pink bowtie. Jayden owns at least 12 bowties. She said she wanted to "immortalize" Jayden, and indeed, her painting was accomplished  suspiciously nuanced. Mabborang harbored a secret. "I paint pets for a living," she whispered. "Basically, I'm checking out this gallery. I was a barista and quit to do art full time, since that's what I had studied in college. I would like to be someday where (Sherwin) is with this. Anyway, since December, I have painted dogs, rabbits, hedgehogs. Some people ask for halos over their pet's head, if the pet is dead."

No dead animals were painted that night.

Advertisement

But eyes, whose spark can be difficult to convey in art, were often the last thing attempted, so for much of the night, many of these pets sat on their canvases with eager mouths and zombified, hollowed-out sockets, dogs of the damned waiting for life. "I could be feeling lazy here," said Melissa Wooten, painting Simon, an old Yorkie with cataracts, "but I feel like maybe I should just paint five broad strokes and call it a dog."

As if on cue, as the night waned and frustration began creeping in to the work, Nones opened a door that separated her dog-sit service from the gallery. Bulldogs and Chihuahuas rushed forward and raced between legs of the painters. They giggled in delight and reached for a touch of fur. An English mastiff lumbered in and raised his long snout, waiting for the inevitable adoration. A Boston terrier yawned from the sidelines.

Then almost as suddenly, the dogs were herded out.

And the room had a jolt of energy. These pets weren't going to paint themselves, so their owners attacked their canvases with renewed inspiration. Even Freund, whose French bulldog resembled a large fatty deposit, was able to lend texture to the fur. Some finished that night, some would return later, and some appeared to give up. Dopp's Woody looked less like a pet than a cat being served with refried beans and two Nike-branded oranges. This was not what Dopp was going for. She turned to Kantrow.

"Or maybe it looks like he's being swaddled, right?" Dopp asked.

"Yeah," Kantrow said, "maybe."

Advertisement

cborrelli@chicagotribune.com

RELATED STORIES:

Meet the man who keeps the train set on track at the Museum of Science and Industry

Digging up graves in Lincoln Park a Chicago tour focus

For Electric Football fans, the buzz never faded







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Michael Pena has been showing off his Chicago roots while promoting his new movie "CHIPS" on talk shows.

Pena, who grew up on the Southwest Side, discussed the diversity of Chicago on "The Daily Show," his brother's job as a Cook County correctional officer on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and his first concert, Lollapalooza in 1992, on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen."

Advertisement

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

He's set to appear on Harry Connick Jr.'s daytime show, Conan O'Brien's show and "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in coming days. He was in Chicago earlier this month promoting "CHIPS," his buddy cop comedy with Dax Shepard that hit theaters Friday.

Advertisement

Pena, 41, talked about his upbringing on Wednesday's episode of "The Daily Show." He said his parents came to the United States as undocumented immigrants and were deported when he was a year old. He said he lived with another family for a year until his parents returned.

"Where I grew up in Chicago, like, there's Italian, Polish, there's Jewish, and then Latin and I just consider myself an American but like, I know that I'm a Mexican-American, so like, every part that I play I try to just change the name even. Also, I don't look like a Jack Johnson or something like that. I just do my little thing and if I inspire any kid to follow in my shoes, that's good stuff," Pena said.

Cohen showed some of Pena's early work Thursday on "Watch What Happens Live," including a 1998 cameo on "7th Heaven" and a brief stint on the late '90s drama "Felicity."

Pena went on to star in "Crash," "World Trade Center," "American Hustle," "Ant-Man" and "The Martian," among other movies. He also appears in "A Wrinkle in Time" with Oprah Winfrey, a film due out in April 2018.

RELATED STORIES:

'CHIPS' review: Silly, swaggering Dax Shepard, Michael Pena retool TV show

Michael Pena mocks brother -- a Cook County correctional officer -- on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

Chicago native Michael Pena to star in 'The Worker'







Watch the latest movie trailers.
"You could be the first lady," host Fredrik Skavlan joked with Emma Thompson after she recounted the time that now-President Donald Trump hit on her.

"He asked me out once," Thompson said abruptly while appearing on a talk show. "You want to hear?" she asked the stunned host. "This wasn't in the pre-interview plan," she joked, and then launched into the story.

Advertisement

Thompson explained that, at the time, she was filming the 1998 film "Primary Colors," which was shortly after she had finalized her divorce from Kenneth Branagh. As the Washington Post pointed out, the event would have taken place shortly after Trump announced his split with second wife, Marla Maples -- their divorce was later finalized in 1999. Thompson said she was in her trailer when the phone rang.

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

Advertisement

"So I lift up the phone -- 'Hi, it's Donald Trump here,'" Thompson recalled performing a half-impression. "And I said, 'Really? Can I help you?' And he said, 'Yeah, I just wondered if I could offer you some accommodation in one of my Trump Towers. They're really comfortable."

Confused, the actress said she asked why he would want to put her up. "'Well, I think we would get along very well -- maybe have dinner sometime,'" Thompson remembered him saying.

"I didn't know what to do with myself," Thompson told the audience. "I just said, 'I'll get back to you.'"

Skavlan pressed Thompson, asking if she had ever met him prior to the call, or since then. "I'd never met him. I haven't met him since," she said, adding, "I wish I had -- think of the stories!"

RELATED STORIES:

Arnold Schwarzenegger slams President Trump's approval ratings: 'You got swamped'

Poll: Most young Americans see Trump as illegitimate president

Arnold Schwarzenegger responds to Trump 'Apprentice' diss: 'Why don't we switch jobs'

Advertisement

Trump blasts Apprentice ratings on Twitter, Schwarzenegger responds







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Stuart Dybek is among the many writers who have received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

What's more important?

Music? Theater? Painting?

Advertisement

Writing?

Shall we rank them in importance? Theater often requires music, but not always. Theater needs writing before it needs music. Then again, music requires writing, too. Unless we're talking improvisation. Musicians benefit from the spatial thinking that visual arts provide, but not necessarily. Visual arts can incorporate music (installation art) or theater (performance art) or even writing, but a painting on a wall may need only a nail. Writers can be playwrights and songwriters, but to be merely a writer, paper and pen is more necessary than a piano or stage. On the other hand, what does "importance" mean? Civilization can continue without theater, no? If we're forced to rebuild civilization from scratch and allowed to keep only one, which is it: A great song or a great musical?

Advertisement

Before throwing up your hands and complaining that these arguments are dumb, before shouting that ranking the arts is a job for the philistines and the ugliest of Darwinists, know this: Should the White House eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, impossible questions like that are in play.

Arts and humanities organizations in Chicago react to the Trump administration's proposed elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. (Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Take Carrie Spitler, executive director of Snow City Arts, which has provided arts education to Illinois hospitals since 1998. The organization got $20,000 from the NEA last year. Snow City allocates about $30,000 a year to a creative writing program  a modest, three-day-a-week program. Should that $20,000 vanish, the arts would get ranked. "Which means being put in an awful place," Spitler said. "I have musicians and visual artists and a theater artist and this one writer  and we would have to prioritize."

Let me help you out:

Writers get the short end of the stick.

Writers are the afterthoughts of the arts world.

Writers are the schmucks, the ones who need only a paper and a pen  right?

Though national and state support for the arts is often associated with stuff like controversial painters, music education and theater in prisons, there is a long, storied history of the federal government providing writers  novelists, historians, poets, journalists  with the grant money to buy something even more valuable than pen and paper. NEA and NEH money gives writers the time to write.

"There's just nothing else as essential as time for working on a book," said Reginald Gibbons, director of the Center for the Writing Arts at Northwestern University (and NEA grant recipient). "The depth of focus and concentration required to write a book is unlike almost anything else, simply because to write a book takes almost every writer so long."

Advertisement

For instance, Kevin Boyle, a history professor at Northwestern, has received two NEH grants in the past 20 years, including $50,000 in 2015 to work on a history of political extremism. "Even before the first grant (in 2001), I had done the research on the book I wanted to write. But I had two kids, a job (at the University of Massachusetts) and no time. Unless I took a sabbatical at half the pay  there was no way that could happen."

The NEH gave him $35,000, which was just enough money to take the time off to write "Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age," his 2004 history of an obscure act of racism in Detroit that set the stage for the civil rights movement. It cast significant light on the antecedents of 20th century social upheaval. It also went on to be a Pulitzer Prize finalist and win the National Book Award for history.

"My NEH grant allowed me this very ordinary thing," he said. "It let me get up in the morning and send the kids to school and then, simply, write. It made all the difference."

Basically, a writer's working life is often what keeps a writer from writing.

"People who may be a little distant from the arts might not realize that writers are workers, and they want to be producing," said Sarah Dodson, co-director of MAKE, a Chicago literary magazine. Last year, MAKE received $10,000 to help stage its Lit & Luz Festival, an annual literary exchange between writers in Chicago and Mexico. "Writing can be playful, but do you work for free? It's not about the cost of materials. For a writer, it's about having the resources to carve out the time to actually do the work."

Not convinced?

Advertisement

Consider that the history of literature in Chicago alone  the kind of history that helps provide a big city with the gravitas to be taken seriously  would be far less impressive without those writers who received some form of government support to simply write.

From the mid-1930s to the early 1940s, during and after the Great Depression, the New Deal coughed up the Federal Writers' Project, one of country's most successful assistance programs for artists (until it was defunded in 1939 and left to the whims of state governments). Particularly important was the Chicago branch, known as the Illinois Writers' Project. It was established to support struggling Chicago writers and provide them with not only work on literary projects, but the extra time needed to write.

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

Even a small sample of the FWP's Chicago roster is dizzying: Saul Bellow, arguably the city's most celebrated literary figure, spent his early 20s (and non-writing time) with the FWP, inventorying magazines at the Newberry Library. Nelson Algren wrote a FWP guide to the town of Galena. Studs Terkel honed oral history interviewing techniques that would later make him Chicago's most innovative accountant of our everyday lives. Because the Illinois branch was one of the few integrated FWP offices, Chicago poet Margaret Walker and Harlem Renaissance legend Claude McKay found support here too. And when local writer Richard Wright wasn't researching a "Bibliography of the Chicago Negro" for the Illinois Writers' Project, he had spare time to write "Native Son."

In other words, there is no Chicago literary history without government support.

Similarly, since the NEA and NEH were founded in 1965, any list of major Chicago writers who received a NEA grant or fellowship that allowed them the time to write would have a lot in common with any list of major Chicago writers since 1965. Think Angela Jackson and Sandra Cisneros, Jennifer Egan and Stuart Dybek and Eula Biss. In the past decade alone, Chicago writers Daniel Borzutzky and Roger Reeves, among the most acclaimed emerging poets in the United States, have been NEA grant recipients.

Advertisement

Not that receiving one of these grants has ever been a golden ticket to a worry-free, poetry-writing existence. Sure, recipients of "genius" grants from the privately funded, Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation (including Andersonville's Aleksandar Hemon and Oak Forest native George Saunders) receive $625,000, across five years. But in comparison, since 1966, the NEA has given $116 million total to literary organizations, nationwide. And only $46 million to individual writers. Borzutzky received a $12,000 grant for translation, which allowed him to finish a project. Reeves, who now teaches at University of Illinois at Chicago, said: "I got $25,000, and you pay tax on it. But it gave me the opportunity to have money, propose things, travel  people forget a writer has to be in proximity to a subject, to touch and feel. (The grant) also puts you in conversation with writers and builds community. My life as a writer wouldn't exist without the NEA."

When he lived in New York, he developed as a poet through the NEA-funded Cave Canem, which has cultivated African-American poets since 1996. More recently, he returned from Alaska, a guest of 49 Writers, an Alaskan organization partly funded by the NEA that promotes literary development in the state (and often serves rural areas).

"Individual writers need grants," Reeves said, "but if the NEA went away, it's these literary organizations that would really feel it." The traditional funding ecosystem for writers  especially in their first, unsettled years  would break down, strain for support.

And you wouldn't have to travel to Brooklyn to see the writerly carnage.

Your kids want to be writers?

The Chicago-based Poetry Foundation's popular Poetry Out Loud recitation competition, created to inspire a new generation of poets, has played to 3.3 million students and is among the best funded poetry-education programs in the country. It's also a joint program between the Poetry Foundation and the NEA. The Poetry Foundation, itself a recipient of a $200 million private donation in 2002, would not say if Poetry Out Loud would end if the NEA died. But "that's a concern," said program director Stephen Young.

Advertisement

You want to write the great Illinois novel?

For a while, the Illinois Arts Council gave out $1,000 award grants to local writers, until that program was defunded in 2014. Last year, the IAC gave only $17,000 in grants to literary programs across Illinois  which was almost half of what it gave those programs only a year earlier. And yes: The IAC is partly funded by the NEA, too.

Just looking for simple peace and quiet to write?

Ragdale, the longtime bucolic artist retreat in Lake Forest that's hosted many Chicago writers since its 1976 founding, from Audrey Niffenegger ("The Time Traveler's Wife") to cartoonist Lynda Barry, has also received around $20,000 annually from the NEA.

What would eliminating the NEA mean for the writer who doesn't come from money?

Or the reader who doesn't want to hear only from writers of comfortable means?

Advertisement

"I think writers would find a way," said Luis Alberto Urrea, who lives in Naperville and teaches at UIC. "Writers write without support. But it would be difficult. Right now, they can take the long hard road like me and starve for 40 years. Or compete for a grant. I'm all for missionary work so writers can eat, but this is not just about receiving money."

Urrea was born in Tijuana and raised in San Diego, and five years ago, his 2009 novel, "Into the Beautiful North," was chosen as an NEA Big Read, a kind of communitywide book club similar to the One Book, One Chicago program. His book tells the story of a Mexican woman who, inspired by "The Magnificent Seven," sets out to recruit a small squad to protect her village; her journey takes her from U.S. border towns to Kankakee.

Since 2012, the NEA Big Read has taken Urrea from Kalamazoo to agricultural towns in Washington, from California's Central Valley to New York's Latino neighborhoods. "Often, it's the first book these people have read," he said. "And I'm certainly the first author they've met. So the more important role of the NEA for writers isn't only financial. It's about the soul of the culture, the intellectual health of a nation. It speaks to the strength of a literary community. Eliminating the NEA would be a tragedy. I can't say it clearer."

cborrelli@chicagotribune.com

RELATED STORIES:

'Let's abolish culture': What cutting NEA, other agencies would do to the arts in Chicago

Advertisement

A vote for Ivanka Trump for minister of Trump culture

These are the 19 agencies Trump would stop funding entirely

Meals on Wheels only isn't 'showing any results' if you ignore all these results







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
The Oscar-nominated "Manchester by the Sea" made the point that some things happen from which people cannot really recover. In the case of that film's central character, a Massachusetts janitor named Lee Chandler, as written by Kenneth Lonergan and played by the Oscar-winning Casey Affleck, the damage has been self-inflicted. A father made an error that caused the death of his children.

But what of those moments when the cause of pain is external? Say, a shooting by a member of a rival gang in Chicago? Say, a shooting of a community member by a Chicago police officer? Say, broader issues of racism and inequality? Even when the truth gets out, are we able to reconcile that?

Advertisement

The idea that we might be is central to the movement behind Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation, an endeavor much discussed in Chicago at present. Funded by the Michigan-based W. K. Kellogg Foundation, one of the larger philanthropies in the United States, the project is designed to "help communities embrace racial healing and uproot the unconscious and conscious beliefs in racial hierarchy." Kellogg (whose long list of partners ranges from the YWCA USA to the NAACP) says it has based its program, launched last year, on the ideas and models of worldwide truth and reconciliation commissions.

Truth and reconciliation commissions are most often associated with South Africa and the courtlike proceedings that ensued at the end of the apartheid era, beginning in 1996. Unlike traditional retributive justice  say, the Nuremberg trials or what transpires in most any Chicago courtroom  truth and reconciliation commissions were grounded in the idea that what mattered most was that the truth was spoken and acknowledged. The perpetrators of crimes often were offered amnesty in return for testimony, and the working assumption of the proceedings sprung from the idea that the speaking of truth in public (not that everyone who spoke did that) would bring healing to the victims of these injustices and thus make reconciliation possible. Victims also were able to speak. The entire enterprise was  when you boil it down  an attempt to formally introduce Christian-style forgiveness into jurisprudence. That was at last partly why Archbishop Desmond Tutu was put in charge of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission in South Africa.

Advertisement

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

Commissions have been applied to searing conflicts beyond the borders of South Africa. In fact, there's a play in Chicago right now, the aptly titled "truth and reconciliation" by a British writer named debbie tucker green, that explores attempts to deal with the violent horrors perpetrated in places as diverse as Rwanda, Northern Ireland, the former Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe. The question being asked by this hourlong piece at the Biograph Theater (it's staged by the Sideshow Theatre Company) is perfectly simple: Does the speaking of truths in a public forum really result in reconciliation? Or are there cases where the personal hurt was so debilitating as to make reconciliation not only impossible but also immoral?

In other words, does the same kind of agony explored in "Manchester by the Sea" get in the way of truth and reconciliation?

The production is brief but powerful, and it consists of 22 actors playing people from all of these nations, all of which suffered some form of sectarian violence and that were enlightened enough to realize that something had to be done to try to bring warring sides together. What the writer does here  and this is a reminder of how badly we need the Chicago theater to help with our problems in Chicago  is intersperse the content of hearings of these different commissions, all of which took place at different times. The play moves from one to another and back again. The actors who are not currently speaking, which is most of them, sit on the side and watch, silent witnesses to the difficulty and the possibilities of truth and reconciliation, especially when we are talking of things that caused unspeakable pain.

I'd heard a little of Kellogg's efforts in Chicago before I saw the play last week. And, in the last few months, there have been various other people suggesting truth and reconciliation commissions in Chicago. Rapper Rhymefest  just one example  was talking about it at some length last fall.

The various ideas under discussion for Chicago have involved bringing together police officers and mistrustful members of the communities they serve. Truth-and-reconciliation techniques have been explored as a way to get rival gang members talking in a room together about past slights, rather than shooting off their weapons. And there is talk in some communities of commissions with broader agendas surrounding America's racist past and the nation's current inequalities.

On the face of it, this is clearly a good idea. Traditional justice, the amount of gun violence and ongoing mistrust suggests, has not been going so well. But anyone with an interest in this topic would do well to go and see this play. For one thing, it helps you see the complex power of public expression  the only way to truth and reconciliation but also not a guarantee it ever would arrive.

As I watched the other night, I kept thinking of what it would be like if Chicago civilians and police officers would sit in such a room, under some protection of amnesty, speaking about what caused the one to do bad stuff to the other. To say these things in the open, freed from all the usual strictures, and with enough of the citizenry watching that the event might actually have an effect.

Advertisement

I thought about how this could be applied to gang members, feeling protected enough to come out of the shadows, obliged to explain themselves to the people who live on the blocks they riddle with bullets.

And I even thought of an entire citywide effort where hard truths about this city's past were spoken, and an attempt was made to move past them.

Some  mostly likely even some of my Tribune colleagues  would ridicule this as an empty performance.

A show. A play. A camera-ready, made-for-TV event.

But over the years, I've come to appreciate the political power of performance, which is far too conveniently a pejorative term. Truth-and-reconciliation proceedings are performances. By necessity. For performance involves witnessing, and without witnessing you get neither truth nor reconciliation. And the best performances demand truth.

Is the honest expression of truth enough to stop the violence and the mistrust and the anger in our city, even when accompanied by a request for forgiveness? There's the rub. But what else we got?

Advertisement

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Twitter@ChrisJonesTrib

RELATED STORIES:

Tavon Tanner, a bullet and what happened on the streets of Chicago

PTSD in black women needs attention, study of South Side group says







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Warning: Spoilers ahead

After landing in the bottom three on last week's episode, South Loop student Evan Robinson quickly redeemed himself on Thursday's episode of "MasterChef Junior."

Advertisement

The Hyde Park resident and the 11 other competitors were split into four groups of three for a skills challenge. The contestants were tasked with making as many cream pies as possible in 10 minutes.

Evan was on the brown team with Georgia competitors Afnan Ahmad and Justise Mayberry, while Lincoln Park student Avani Shah was paired with Georgia resident Jasmine Stewart and Californian Adam Wadhwani on the red team.

Advertisement

Chicagoan and "MasterChef Junior" contestant Avani Shah, 9, demonstrates how to make whipped chocolate ganache. (Roger Morales / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

The brown team won the challenge with 14 pies, and Evan, Afnan and Justise were allowed to smash pies in the faces of judges Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi and guest judge Richard Blais. They were also safe from elimination.

The remaining nine contestants were given a blow torch and told to make an appetizer, entree or dessert in the elimination challenge.

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

Avani, who said she had never used a blow torch, made a chocolate ganache tart with graham cracker crust and caramelized pecans and bananas.

Tosi effused praise and Avani was named the challenge winner.

"It's delicious," Tosi said. "The stars are those torched marshmallows, the bruleed bananas, those toasted pecans. That graham cracker crust is perfectly buttery. I think this is an elegant dish, and the best one we've seen from you yet."

Said Ramsay: "Here's the thing, delicious. You're the youngest, right now, one of the strongest. Great job! Amazing."

Jasmine and Wisconsinite Syd Neuser were sent home for dishes that didn't incorporate enough blow torch technique.

Advertisement

Ten contestants remain on Season 5 of "MasterChef Junior," but a preview of next week's episode shows some eliminated contestants, including Edgebrook student Charlie Hans, battling to get back into the competition. The series airs 7 p.m. Thursdays on Fox. The winner gets $100,000.

RELATED STORIES:

Chicago kids make meals inspired by their mothers on 'MasterChef Junior'

'MasterChef Junior' contestant Avani Shah teaches us how to make chocolate ganache

How did the 3 Chicagoans fare on Thursday's episode of 'MasterChef Junior?'

Mixed results for Chicago contestants on 'MasterChef Junior'







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Feverish and sick to his stomach, with pinpricks of pain shooting through his massively swollen right leg, Rafael Zuniga called 911.

Please, he said, no sirens: He didn't want the neighbors to point and stare. But when the ambulance arrived, it was with a flash of lights and an ear-piecing blare. Neighbors peeked out through their windows. It took four or five people to get Zuniga's 831-pound body into the ambulance, carrying him on a giant sheet. At the hospital, doctors told him they could treat the immediate problem, a serious obesity-related infection, but his enormous weight was almost too much for his legs.

Advertisement

The suburban Chicago man was in danger of losing the ability to walk or even to stand.

"It was very grim," recalled Zuniga. "I wish I could say the doctors were very inspiring, they gave me positive news, but nobody gave me anything to look forward to."

Advertisement

Five years later, as he tells his story in a downtown Chicago coffee shop, Zuniga, 45, of Blue Island, bears little resemblance to the man in the hospital bed. He carries 302 pounds on his 5-foot-10-inch frame, maybe 30 pounds of that is excess skin from his 529-pound weight loss. His face has lines and angles. His arms are muscled. He walks with a cane at times, due to arthritis in his knees, but he hits the exercise bike six days a week and makes good use of the three weight-lifting stations in his basement.

"You put me in a gym with anybody, I don't care who," he said with a twinkle in his dark eyes. "On the bike, in the pool, I can go."

Rafael Zuniga works out on a stationary bike in the basement of his Blue Island home. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Weight losses as big as Zuniga's are extremely rare, according to J. Graham Thomas, co-investigator at the National Weight Control Registry, in part, because it's rare for someone to weigh 800 pounds to begin with. The registry tracks thousands of people who have beaten the odds by losing a large amount of weight and keeping it off for at least a year. Registry members have lost up to 300 pounds, according to the website.

"It's extremely inspiring," Thomas said of Zuniga's weight loss. "It shows what can be achieved, via major lifestyle changes."

Zuniga, who has not had weight-loss surgery, according to his doctor, weighed 330 pounds when he graduated from high school; for much of his adult life, he was in the 400-to-500-pound range. He worked hard as a salesman, a public insurance adjuster and a real estate investor, he said, and he dealt with work stress by going out drinking with his friends about four nights a week. Drinking led to eating; he'd often finish a night with pizza or hamburgers.

Rafael Zuniga in 2010, when his weight was probably in the high 700s, with his mother, Alma Ibarra, and his daughter, Kenethia Zuniga. (Rafael Zuniga Sr.)

His weight spiraled upward starting in 2005, and he basically stopped leaving his house in late 2009, though he was still able to work. His parents helped him and urged him to lose weight, he said, but he was like the drug addict who won't change until he hits rock bottom.

Rock bottom came when he was hospitalized in 2011. He remembers looking out the window on a bright summer day.

"I saw my life passing by me," he said. "There was always work, work, work. Drink, drink, drink to relieve the stress. Eat, eat, eat. That was my life. I said, 'To hell with that.' If my credit gets hurt, to hell with it. If I die, what am I going to do (with good credit)? I kind of let it go. I said, 'Whatever's going to happen is going to happen. I've got to take care of myself.'"

Advertisement

Exercise is a big part of Rafael Zuniga's new lifestyle. Working out, along with watching what he eats, helped him shed more than 500 pounds. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

He applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, which he received due to lymphedema, in which the drainage of fluid in the lymph vessels is impaired. Symptoms in his case included pain and massive swelling in his legs. He stopped trying to work and focused on his health, losing 47 pounds in a year. Disappointed by that total, he researched weight loss online and discovered the weight loss app Lose It!

The app gave him calorie counts for the foods he was eating  for him, a real game-changer. He was surprised to learn a latte, croissant and low-fat muffin came in at an eye-popping 800 calories. He was actually eating 3,000 calories a day. He joined Lose It!  available at the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store and www.loseit.com (free for all tracking, $39.99 a year for premium features)  and started logging his food intake and the situps and weightlifting he did in bed. He went online and found healthy foods that would fill him up, among them half a Boston Market chicken with no skin and steamed vegetables. He ate that for dinner most nights for a year.

He quickly began losing 30 to 40 pounds a month and was down to 627 pounds by September 2013. At that point, his SSDI-related Medicare health insurance kicked in, and he was finally able to begin therapy for the lymphedema in his legs. The treatment, a combination of massage and compression, reduced the swelling considerably.

Today, Zuniga, who lives with his mother and his 14-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, is working again as a public insurance adjuster. Like many of the people who beat the weight-loss odds, he eats very carefully and exercises religiously. He's hard on himself, he says, because he has to be: For him, food is an addiction, and he can gain weight very easily. He stays away from alcohol, eats high-protein foods and a lot of steamed vegetables, and drinks about a gallon of water a day.

"I started traveling, and that's what keeps me in line. That's my prize," said Zuniga, who recently went to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

There are everyday rewards too. He has gone from not being able to wear street clothes to shopping for regular sizes. Sometimes, he said, he is caught off guard by his own image, glimpsed in a store mirror.

Advertisement

"Wow!" he will say to himself. "That's me."

nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @nschoenberg

RELATED STORIES:

How the low-FODMAP diet helped me beat my bloat

What happened when I gave up sugar for 2 weeks

A nutritionist ranks the best and worst Girl Scout cookies for you






I was born with acute wanderlust, which, by my early 40s, had propelled me far beyond North America to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and South America, often for months on end. Yet seeing the seventh and storied White Continent never crossed my mind until a chance meeting with a globe-trotting pal.

"I'm looking for someone to join me in Antarctica. The ship leaves from the tip of Argentina in six weeks, and it's half price. Wanna come?"

Advertisement

You bet. Here was a $6,897 chance to hit my final continent and its jaw-dropping environs, with most flights covered by airline miles. Dire reports of a massive, cracking ice shelf and potential rising sea levels only increased my sense of urgency.

On the evening of Dec. 7, two weeks before the summer solstice below the equator, Vivienne Lassman, an independent art curator, and I joined 91 passengers from around the world aboard the Sea Adventurer, a 1976 Yugoslav-built vessel - with an ice-strengthened hull - run by Seattle-based Quark Expeditions.

Advertisement

By midnight, we had left behind the port of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel to enter the notorious Drake Passage. There, in what is called the Southern Ocean, the currents of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans often slam together to create an Antarctic "convergence" below Cape Horn. Waves can easily top 30 feet and turn the hardiest sailors into seasick wretches.

We, however, lucked out. Our 600-mile Drake crossing was blessedly calm, and the wildlife impressive: humpback and fin whales, orcas, divebombing petrels and skuas, and one glorious albatross, miraculously engineered to glide hundreds of miles without flapping wings that span 8 to 11 feet. Some fly for months without landing.

Our first iceberg appeared on our second Drake day as we headed toward the Antarctic Peninsula. For me, Vivienne and nearly 20 other shipmates - who happily raised our hands when polled by a Quark leader during an early briefing - this frozen landmass that is larger than both Australia and Europe would be our seventh continent.

The two-day crossing became a floating classroom featuring pictures and lectures from expedition staffers, a multinational group of outdoorsy, mostly young nomadic scientist-adventurers. Knowledgeably and enthusiastically, they spoke about whales, seals and birds. (But not polar bears, which only roam the Arctic North.)

We went over five centuries of history from the time of Magellan, including the 1915 heroics of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his icebound "Endurance," as well as whalers, sealers and aviators in this land with no native peoples and no national sovereignty. We learned about the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, with its dozen charter signatory nations supporting peaceful scientific study. (Today, 30 countries oversee permanent and seasonal research stations.)

And we learned about travel to the world's largest desert. Since 1991, tourism has been regulated to protect the fragile ecosystem by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, which caps annual visitors at around 40,000, with no more than 100 people on any given shore landing.

As we cruised along, there were also talks about plants, ice, rocks and marine creatures. But nothing screamed "adorable" so much as the penguin seminar, focusing on the smaller chinstrap, gentoo and Adelie breeds we would soon encounter, and the more majestic emperors, kings and macaronis we regrettably would not.

I must explain that I'm not big on nature. My best holidays involve cafes, museums, palaces, music, mass transit, food stalls and flea markets. Until Antarctica, nothing could touch my 2014 two-month solo odyssey through India's nonstop sensory smorgasbord.

Advertisement

Today, India shares "lifetime best" honors with Antarctica, even though the latter required my first REI wardrobe foray. I had borrowed a ski hood, goggles, gaiters and gloves but sprang for waterproof pants, fleece trousers and woolen socks for daylight weather generally in the 30s with tolerable winds. Quark loaned us rubber boots for wet landings and gave us yellow hooded, lined, waterproof jackets. (I now joke that the voyage was free but the parka cost a fortune.)

The ship was hardly posh. No "dressing for dinner," no wrangling seats at the captain's table. (He was in the wheelhouse keeping us from ramming an iceberg or getting frozen in place.) Neither artisanal nor precious, the food was international and plentiful, the purchased wine just fine. The outdoor pig roast dinner (suggested attire: parka and long johns) complete with hot, mulled Malbec and dancing, was pretty hilarious. And more than half my shipmates took a daytime "polar plunge" wearing, yes, bathing suits, into frigid waters while secured to a harness, for what I considered dubious bragging rights.

Our lowest-priced, lowest-level cabin, a cozy 133 square feet, had twin beds, good closets and a porthole. The private bathroom was tight but the hot water never quit. The original price for digs like ours was $18,800. Some passengers paid a discounted $13,795 each, and others, including us, got that advertised late date half-off deal of $6,879.50. Several backpackers snagged last-minute, $4,750 double berths in Ushuaia.

"Good on 'em," I thought, recalling my own bargain voyages: the Galapagos Islands on an Ecuadorian navy ship, and small terrifying, diesel-belching Indian commuter tubs to and from the Sundarbans tiger reserve in West Bengal.

The trip was billed as 10 days and nine nights, but total time spent exploring mountainous islands, beautiful waterways and the continent's northwest peninsula was not quite five days. The rest got eaten up in Ushuaia, on the Drake and by our hasty exit from King George Island to Punta Arenas, Chile, so the plane wouldn't be grounded by fog. The first and last nights were spent in hotels.

But what we saw during at least 20 hours of light each day at and below the Antarctic Circle was spectacular.

Advertisement

Morning, afternoon and one evening, we galumphed off the mother ship into kayaks or 10-person motorized Zodiac rafts to savor sights that included crab-eater, Weddell and leopard seals lolling on icebergs and slipping underwater to frolic and feed. On the peninsula, Quark provided a flag - a blue field with Antarctica in white - as a perfect photo-op prop. While I preened, Vivienne climbed the 938-foot Spigot Peak to gaze down onto the Gerlache Strait and a chinstrap penguin colony, but she descended in time for some quick pics.

We learned to identify whales by their spume, backs and flukes (tails), and witnessed a single, breathtaking avalanche - all snow but no deadly ice boulders - in the Lemaire Channel, nicknamed Kodak Alley for its magnificent scenery. The ship only got halfway down before ice blocked further progress.

We endured the heartbreak of the wild when a skua drove its beak into a gentoo egg left momentarily unguarded by its parents at Port Lockroy's breeding colony. The port also boasts Antarctica's only museum and boutique and post office in a repurposed British spy station. At Whaler's Bay on the circular Deception Island - actually a volcanic crater - we stood silently before two-century-old graves, dwarfed on that black ash beach by rusted-out whale processing equipment and tumbledown buildings.

On Enterprise Island in Wilhelmina Bay - along whose sheltered coast countless vessels had dropped anchor in the early 1900s - we circled a ship that never left. The ghostly Gouvernoren, a onetime floating whale-processing factory, burned and half sank in 1915.

At home in Washington, I crave brilliant sunlight, which we had some days in Antarctica. But I fell hard for leaden skies, low slate clouds and pale fog hanging above silvery-gold horizons broken by jagged black snow-capped peaks cradling white glaciers.

Whether at 4 a.m. or 9 p.m., there was always something to ogle. Gargantuan icebergs and smaller growlers in the distance, or a swirling, watery stew of frozen chunks called bergy bits and brash ice floating past the ship. On deck and in Zodiacs, we saw ice that was blindingly white, dirty-looking tan and rust from embedded flora, fauna and minerals, and a startling Windex blue, indicating ice crystals that expanded over time and compressed all the air bubbles. We even saw an occasional chunk of clear ice, which our guides fished out of the water, passed around for close inspection and later brought back to chill the vodka at the ship's bar.

Advertisement

Sometimes I'd ascend to the bridge to silently watch the crew study charts and computers, and sweep the horizon with binoculars for open water amid treacherous ice.

But I was thrilled we were flying out rather than recrossing the capricious Drake, and at about 10,000 feet, Vivienne asked where I was headed next.

"I'm embarrassed to say I've never seen the Grand Canyon. Wanna come?"

- - -

Groer is a writer based in the District.

- - -

Advertisement

How to plan a trip to Antarctica

What do you want from Antarctica? Camping on a glacier? Face time with king penguins? World-class science lectures and photo seminars? Kayaking around icebergs? Total avoidance of the unpredictable Drake Passage? The comforts of a large cruise ship for viewing the occasional iceberg at great distances? Paying top dollar for a chartered yacht for a handful of passengers, exquisite cuisine, tiny staff and a Drake crapshoot or two?

Those are among the questions to ask, said Ashton Palmer, a longtime Antarctic travel expert, whose Expedition Trips matches adventure travelers with small vessels in the 100-to-300-passenger range.

Count the days actually spent on and around Antarctica, Palmer said. (Some two-week trips starting in Buenos Aires or Santiago, Chile, have just four Antarctic days.) If onboard education matters, Linblad Expeditions/National Geographic and Zegrahm Expeditions use top naturalists who tend to be highly scientific and academic, as well as terrific photographers. While Quark and G Adventures will "teach you some stuff, it's not PhD level," Palmer said. (I found Quark's crash course ducky.)

For luxury travel, consider Silver Sea and Ponant vessels. For "drive-by" cruising, Holland America Line sails past the general vicinity. If Antarctica is your seventh continent, ensure that there is footfall on the actual landmass, and if you want to guarantee a few great images of yourself amid all that nature, inquire if there is an onboard photographer, Palmer suggested.

I didn't know enough to ask most of these questions since my flash decision was based on price and schedule. Looking back, I would have loved communing with hundreds of large king penguins and albatrosses (a longer trip that includes the Falkland Islands northeast of Ushuaia). And although I hate camping, I might have chosen an expedition that included a cozy tent or sleeping bag on a glacier. Now I know.

Advertisement

If you go

Quark Expeditions "Sea Adventurer" (Soon to be renamed "Ocean Adventurer")

888-979-4073

quarkexpeditions.com/en/antarctic#voyages

Quark Expeditions' Antarctic voyages depart between Nov. 5, 2017, and March 2, 2018.

Citing passenger demand, Quark dropped its hybrid cruise/fly package. Options are now just round-trip Drake Passage crossings - two days at sea each way between Ushuaia, Argentina and Antarctica - or three-hour Drake flyovers in and out between Punta Arenas, Chile, and King George Island near Antarctica's northwest peninsula.

Advertisement

Double Drake crossings on the Sea/Ocean Adventurer last 11 days, including a pre-and-post-voyage hotel night in Ushuaia. This basically means five days on and around the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. Prices range from $6,595 per person for a triple cabin ($600 per night) to $14,795 per person in the Owner's Suite ($1,345 a night).

Eight-day "Fly the Drake" trips include flights from Santiago to Punta Arenas and back, five nights on the ship and the first and last nights in Punta Arenas hotels. Prices range from $9,495 (or $1,356 a night) to $18,995 per person (or $2,714 per night).

RELATED STORIES:

A writers retreat on an island in Lake Erie, volcano trekking in Russia and the best U.S. beer bars

Ever majestic, Wisconsin's Capitol celebrates its centennial

Nation turns to Kansas City to remember World War I
Chance the Rapper announces the names of the 2017 Bud Billiken Parade Royal Court at Studio Movie Grill on March 25, 2017, in Chicago. Chance is this year's grand marshall for the parade. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

To wild cheers and flashing phone cameras, Chance the Rapper surprised eight local schoolchildren at a South Side movie theater with announcements that they'd been selected for a top honor at this year's Bud Billiken Parade.

Children and parents on Saturday welcomed the recent Grammy winner and Chatham native like a returning hero at the ICE Chatham 14 theaters with loud applause as he thanked the children for their hard work in school and for submitting essays to win a place on the children's royal court for the 88-year-old parade.

Advertisement

The rapper born Chancelor Bennett, who is a rising star in the rap world who was also named grand marshal of the August parade, announced the winners after two groups of young finalists and their families attended screenings of "Beauty and the Beast" and "Power Rangers."

Isis Dixon, a third-grader at Finkl Elementary School, was named queen, and Earnest Carver Jr., a sixth-grader at Hampton Fine & Performing Arts Elementary School, was named king. Austin Washington, a Cambridge School sixth-grader, and Brasiah Eggleston, a Washington Elementary third-grader, were named lord and lady; N'Kiya Johnson, a Woodlawn Community School sixth-grader, and Jaquan Parker, a Little Village Academy fifth-grader, were named prince and princess; Aniya Owens, a Kipling Elementary School fourth-grader, and Jeremiah Johns, a fourth-grader at Illinois School in south suburban Park Forest, were named duchess and duke.

Advertisement

The annual Bronzeville neighborhood tradition, which dates to 1929, is the country's largest African-American parade and serves as a back-to-school celebration for area youths.

This year's parade is scheduled for Aug. 12.

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
Pay no attention to the fact that the curvy new home of Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management resembles the letter "K" when seen from the air. The $250 million building, which formally opens to students Monday, is not an architectural one-liner that utters one loud cry and then has nothing else to say.

This is a carefully wrought, spatially complex design that promises to teach future executives valuable lessons about collaboration, boldness and flexibility. Those lessons, one hopes, will seep in, considering the stakes involved. The 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers almost took down the world's financial system and led to the worst recession in 80 years. If business leaders matter, the architecture of the schools in which they learn their trade should matter, too.

Advertisement

This one looks coolly commercial at first glance, as though it had been air-lifted in from a corporate campus in Schaumburg or Rolling Meadows. Yet it warms up at close range and as you move through its deftly composed, sometimes spectacular collection of interior spaces. The architecture isn't going to prevent future financial crashes, of course, but it might just inculcate a better way of doing business.

Located on lakefill that Northwestern built in the 1960s and portentously named the Global Hub, the five-story, 415,000-square-foot building consists of four interconnected wings that pinwheel around stacked atriums  one for the approximately 2,000 people who will use the building each day, the other reserved for faculty. One of the reasons that Toronto-based KPMB Architects won the job is that it didn't call for a single, five-story atrium, as other finalists did. Kellogg's dean, Sally Blount, thought such a space would have been visually impressive but socially impersonal.

Advertisement

The architects' basic diagram is sound, if not particularly original. Every business school these days seems to have a knock-your-socks-off atrium. To cite just one example, New York architect Rafael Vinoly gathered his 2004 University of Chicago business school around a spectacular atrium supported by steel vaults that evoke the university's Collegiate Gothic style.

Nonetheless, the Kellogg diagram breaks down the mass of what could have been a monolithic monster. And KPMB's Bruce Kuwabara and Marianne McKenna have done much to elevate the building beyond the banality of office buildings that line highways in the suburbs.

Curving walls and canopies, inspired by the way the lake's waves round off materials, relate well to the contours of the shoreline and an undulating lagoon to the south. The curves join with translucent vertical fins to give the building an appealing sense of fluidity. Reddish-brown wood soffits lend the cool blue-green facade much-needed warmth. Outdoor terraces, some with spectacular views of the Chicago skyline, suggest that the B school is not a hermetically sealed glass box shut off from its surroundings.

Like the ship-shaped Ryan Center for the Musical Arts that Northwestern opened in 2015, the business building represents a long-overdue step forward for a university that in the 1970s was erecting concrete structures which cut off inhabitants from natural light and views of the lake. The design is also a major upgrade from Kellogg's old home, the cramped and dreary Donald P. Jacobs Center at 2001 Sheridan Road. That subpar building must have weighed on school administrators as their peers at other institutions built flashy new quarters to help lure top students and faculty.

The contrast between old and new is especially evident once you step into the Global Hub's atrium, a striking, light-filled space with three levels above ground, one below and another weird name  Collaboration Plaza.

Bringing the exterior's curves inside, smooth white balconies swoop around the room and link the four wings. Bridges clad in wood also join them. Two flights of wide wood steps (increasingly a design cliche) spill from the second floor to the lower level, offering theater seating and a place for students to hang out. There are tantalizing vistas and visual surprises, like a room that seems to be floating in space. Curving stairs shoot from one level to another. The space simultaneously manages to be visually dynamic and calmly ordered. Once the students arrive, we'll see how it really works  a lively village square or a cavernous hall that's too big for its own good.

This much is clear: The atrium kicks off a rich assortment of interior spaces that vary in scale but share the underlying characteristics of spatial excitement and access to daylight. Among them: a flexible, double-height auditorium on the second floor with fabulous lake and city views; thin, multistory meeting rooms that act like light wells in the center of the wings; and student lounges, complete with fireplaces and classic midcentury modernist furniture, at the wings' tips. The idea is variety  to stave off boredom for students who will spend most of their day in the building.

"We wanted there to be choices so it is not the same every day," Kuwabara said.

Advertisement

Other bright spots also deserve a mention. With an admirable eye toward flexibility, tiered classrooms can be reconfigured over the course of a summer to flat-floored rooms. Faculty offices, which line the perimeter of the upper floors, have fine views as well as the acoustic and visual privacy teachers crave. Warm wood wall coverings and accents are effectively used throughout, reflecting the Danish modern influence of Northwestern trustee Gordon Segal, co-founder of Crate & Barrel, who worked with Blount on the project. And the energy-efficient building is seeking the highest levels of LEED (for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status.

To be sure, some of the concrete work is uneven in quality, but that's a quibble. The bigger picture is that the complex geometry of this design is of the digital age even as the atrium and other gathering spaces push students and faculty to engage in old-fashioned face-to-face contact. The biggest issue of all is how this formally effective design will function  and what impact it will have on learning, teaching and research.

The stakes are high. Just think back to 2008.

Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.

bkamin@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BlairKamin
There's just too much angry you-know-what flying around Washington over failed health care, immigration and the Russian takeover of our government, which should be completed any day.

In the meantime, the vast Washington bureaucracy might have to hire a few thousand more useless political hacks to scoop it all up.

Advertisement

And add to that a rather crappy and idiotic notion from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Zinke thinks it's a good idea to have well-paid federal bureaucrats  with their great health care and pensions but without any stress about ever losing their jobs  bring their dogs to work.

Advertisement

I love Zeus the Wonderdog, but I'm not taking him to work.

"I'm taking action to establish a pilot program for Doggy Days at Interior!" Zinke was quoted as saying in a gushing, Zinke-loving story in the Washington Post, which hates President Donald Trump.

Actually, it might be a good idea for federal bureaucrats to bring their dogs to work in Washington.

And those who do so should immediately be fired. Because if they have time to play with their animal friends at work, they're not really essential.

Naturally, the Post couldn't excitedly wet the carpets over Zinke's cute little dog Ragnar, a black and white fuzzy thing, and over "Dog Days at Interior!" in general, without taking a gratuitous shot at Trump.

"President Trump, meanwhile, remains pet-less, a status that makes him the first U.S. leader in 150 years without a companion animal and leaves the White House without a first dog or cat," the Post snorted in typical Trump-hating anger over his petless insolence.

But, the Post noted, "Vice President Pence and his family keep two cats and a rabbit at their Naval Observatory home, though those critters keep a relatively low profile."

Hmm, a pet rabbit?

Advertisement

Mr. Vice President, I once had a pet rabbit, a gigantically fat and mean white rabbit named Charlie, and I can tell you that pet rabbits are good for only two things: crapping and eating.

And rabbits eat best when placed in a Dutch oven along with oil, garlic, spices, a can of stewed tomatoes, pearl onions and crusty sourdough bread. By the way, an editor just remarked, that a nice Barolo would be just the thing.

I'm sure someone will soon ask the big presidential question: What kind of dog should President Trump buy to satisfy the Washington Post?

All presidents need a dog. The media demands it. Even former President Barack Obama had to get one. I once thought of him walking it on the White House lawn in his bathrobe and silk pajamas, sneaking a smoke, trying to get away from Michelle and her mom.

Trump should send out his good friends at the CIA to find two tiny, yappy, snarling and schizophrenic Chihuahuas, the mean kind that make their owners cry and show up as criminals on "The Dog Whisperer."

The president could name one "Schumer" and the other "Pelosi," and let them keep doing their business all over the federal government, and he could give them a Twitter account.

Advertisement

Then Trump can hire a guy named Manafort to tend them and wipe up their mess.

American taxpayers will no doubt be thrilled with the idea of federal bureaucrats concentrating on their dogs at work.

But Washington's "Doggy Days" will lead to much speculation among bureaucrats about a sensitive subject: Which of their dogs have testicles and which ones don't, and why.

Those dogs without testicles will likely suffer "Testicle Envy" in the vast Washington bureaucracy. And that bureaucracy will respond by doing what it does best, issuing regulations on fake dog testicles, called Neuticles, and offering "fake testicle" federal subsidies to make owners feel better about themselves.

Then there's the dog poop. But that kind of thing has been all over Washington.

Democrats and their beltway establishment media allies probably need dogs to hug at work and lick their faces, given that they're still hysterical over the fact that kindly Hillary Clinton can't hug us in her loving arms and kiss us goodnight as our president.

Advertisement

And so they persist in their paranoid fantasy that Clinton lost because Vladimir Putin is some kind of a James Bond villain, sitting in a leather wingback chair, stroking the silky orange curls of President Donald Trump, who purrs contentedly in the Russian's lap.

Meanwhile the Republicans stepped in it themselves Thursday when they put off trying to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Remember Obamacare? That is the failing, expensive, free stuff health care plan developed by famed Obama economic genius Jonathan Gruber, who tricked taxpayers into paying for it, crediting "the stupidity of the American voter, or whatever."

Republicans had hoped to replace Obamacare with something called Ryancare but didn't have the votes.

So millions of Americans will keep on getting free stuff until the money runs out, and other Americans who can't afford it either will have to pay for all that free stuff until they, too, go broke.

But at least our federal bureaucrats will have their dogs at work doing their business on the carpets.

Advertisement

Don't worry about the federal government, which has plenty of money, unlike Venezuela, which once spent lavishly on free stuff until it ran out of toilet paper and food.

Happily, our federal money is secure. Our federal money comes from where it always comes from:

Trees.

And dogs do love trees.

Listen to "The Chicago Way" podcast  with John Kass and Jeff Carlin  at wgnradio.com/category/wgn-plus/category/thechicagoway.

jskass@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @John_Kass
Mayor Robert Grayson, left, co-chairman of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission, and Jerome Little, president of the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors, second from left, join Simeon Wright, third from right, and Wheeler Parker and Debra Watts, right, cousins of Till, in examining a state Department of Archives memorial marker denoting the courthouse where the 1955 trial for Till's killers was held, on Oct. 2, 2007. (Clay McFerrin / Associated Press)
Authorities have offered to relocate the family of a 15-year-old girl who police say was sexually assaulted on Facebook Live, after the family received taunts and threats since the video surfaced.



"It's sickening. It's disgusting," police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. "You know, she's been victimized once. Now we're going to continue to keep victimizing her?"



The girl's family says the harassment started hours after the girl was found wandering the streets of Lawndale Tuesday morning, nearly three days after she disappeared.



The girl went missing Sunday after she was dropped off at her Lawndale home by her uncle, according to her family. The family became aware of the Facebook Live video on Monday and took screen shots to the 10th District police station, where the mother ran into the superintendent and showed him screenshots.



The girl was found the next morning walking down the street about four blocks from her home, police said.



Police and the family say the video appears to show as many as six males assaulting the girl. No charges have been announced but police said investigators have talked to at least one boy who is 14.



As news of the attack spread, people began ringing the family's doorbell and coming around the house late at night, making threats, the mother has told the Tribune. She said the taunts have been just as bad online, where the girl said she's seen people laughing at her daughter.



The mother said her daughter, the oldest of six children, has not been staying at home. The superintendent said Friday she "is physically in a safe place."



"The state's attorney's office has reached out to the family to offer them relocation," Johnson said at an unrelated news conference. "I know that the family has been harassed quite a bit. There have been no actual threats of violence, but they've been taunted and harassed, so we have a special attention on that residence. So we take this seriously."



The superintendent lashed out at those behind the harassment.



"She's been a victim already and then we're going to make it worse and pile on as to make it appear that it's her fault all of this happened?" he asked. "It's disgusting. You know, and as a father of girls it really disgusts me."



Johnson said the investigation was taking time because all the people in the video are believed to be juveniles.



"When you're dealing with juveniles, that process takes a lot longer than when you're were dealing with an adult offender," Johnson explained. "We want to ensure that we get it right, so we're not going to rush things because we want everybody involved in this incident from A to Z to be held accountable."



Police have "opened parallel investigations" into the reports of threats, according to chief police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Gary Solomon, left, with his attorney, Shelly Kulwin, leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on March 24, 2017, after being sentenced by a federal judge to seven years in prison for his role in a bribery scandal that upended the financially stressed Chicago Public Schools system. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

The education consultant cast by prosecutors as the "mastermind" of a bribery scandal that upended Chicago Public Schools and disgraced Mayor Rahm Emanuel's hand-picked schools chief was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison by a federal judge.

In sentencing Gary Solomon, U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang said that "public corruption is a blight on our city and our state. It breaks the public's trust in government, and there are grave consequences when the public's trust is broken."

Advertisement

Solomon's firms won no-bid CPS contracts worth millions of dollars while promising thousands of dollars in kickbacks to former district CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett. Chang, however, said he disagreed with the government's portrayal of Solomon as the architect of the scheme.

"I don't think you were the so-called 'mastermind' of this," Chang told Solomon. "I do think you saw an opportunity to enrich yourself."

Advertisement

Solomon was the first defendant to be sentenced in a white-collar crime case described by both the judge and prosecutors as particularly egregious because it preyed upon a system suffering an acute fiscal crisis.

Byrd-Bennett, who worked for Solomon before joining CPS, is set to be sentenced April 28, a year and a half after she pleaded guilty to her role in the kickback scheme and made a tearful apology in the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.

Solomon offered his own apologies in court on Friday, to the district as well as to administrators, teachers and students.

"Being an educator is tough, and in an urban environment, it's probably the toughest job in the world," Solomon said. "And if my actions made their lives more difficult ... I deeply apologize."

After the sentencing, Solomon and his attorneys declined to comment and would not commit to a potential appeal. "We're going to think it over," said Shelly Kulwin, one of Solomon's lawyers.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys expressed starkly different views about the prison term Solomon should face.

Solomon's attorneys contested the level of his involvement in a plot to steer lucrative CPS contracts to his educational training firms, SUPES Academy and Synesi Associates, with Byrd-Bennett's help.

They argued Solomon cooperated with prosecutors, has shown remorse, faced "very public humiliation, guilt and remorse every day." They said he should face no more than 18 months in prison.

Advertisement

In court, defense attorney Anthony Masciopinto described Solomon as a loving father and husband from a modest, middle-class background who now faces the "public condemnation and reviled status" of being a convicted felon, and is also the target of a $65 million civil suit filed by the school board.

"This is a gray case," Masciopinto told Chang. "There's a lot of gray, there's a lot of good and a lot of mixed motives," he said. "It is not this mastermind engineering that prosecutors want to believe."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Church asked the judge to impose a sentence of nine years. She said Solomon lived a life of privilege with millions of dollars gained while he and co-owner Thomas Vranas sold the firms' services to city school districts with struggling schools that served disadvantaged children.

Prosecutors also said Solomon made more money than anyone else involved in the scheme.

"It involved the highest-level public official at CPS," prosecutors said of the case in a court filing earlier this month. "It involved defrauding a victim that struggles to find and provide the financial resources to fully educate inner-city students. It involved a corrupt process from beginning to end."

Solomon's lawyers also noted that Emanuel's office and CPS knew of Byrd-Bennett's relationship to SUPES and "solicited Solomon's assistance in convincing Bennett to join CPS."

Advertisement

Chang ultimately rejected many of Solomon's requests for leniency, which were based on what defense attorneys described as mitigating circumstances that included former Chicago Board of Education President David Vitale's defense of the training contracts at the core of the government's indictments.

Chang referred to emails sent between Solomon and Byrd-Bennett that seemed to make no effort to conceal the alleged kickback scheme. In one message, Byrd-Bennett even implied she needed cash because she had "tuition to pay and casinos to visit," according to the government's charges.

In a December 2012 email, Solomon assured Byrd-Bennett that trust accounts had been set up in the names of two of her young relatives, and that they would be funded with a combined $254,000 as a "signing bonus" for her help in obtaining the contracts.

"Here, it is the casualness of the corruption that makes this even more serious," Chang said.

"This is not a one-time misjudgment," akin to an impoverished bank teller impulsively grabbing cash from a work drawer at the end of a shift, Chang later said. "This was a plan.  It was planned, really, to last for years."

The SUPES and Synesi companies were charged as part of an original 23-count indictment leveled against Byrd-Bennett, Solomon and Vranas in 2015.The companies were each sentenced to serve two years probation and pay $254,000 in restitution on Friday.

Advertisement

Prosecutors have said they expect to ask that Byrd-Bennett be sentenced to 71/2 years in prison. Vranas is scheduled to be sentenced hours before Byrd-Bennett's proceeding in April.

Solomon's career in education dates to 1992 when he taught at Niles West High School in Skokie. He became an administrator at Niles West, but in 1999 the district suspended him with pay after he was accused of sending sexually explicit emails to students and other inappropriate behavior.

Solomon resigned but was never criminally charged in the matter. He fought the district over his suspension, and the district agreed to pay him $50,000 to settle the case.

By February 2011, Solomon had played a role in recruiting Mayor Rahm Emanuel's first schools CEO, Jean-Claude Brizard, at the request of the mayor-elect's transition team. By the middle of July 2012, prosecutors said, "Brizard was floundering, and Solomon saw an opportunity."

Solomon went on to recommend Byrd-Bennett, who was the lead trainer at SUPES when CPS hired her as chief education officer in April 2012.

Solomon promoted Byrd-Bennett's interest in a bigger role at the district to City Hall, writing to one Emanuel aide that Byrd-Bennett "just sees that the ship is sinking fast and she wants to help." By the end of July 2012  three months before she officially took over  Solomon sent Byrd-Bennett an email that said: "Congrats, Madam CEO!!!"

Advertisement

Prosecutors said Byrd-Bennett then began "strong-arming" CPS procurement officials to award a no-bid training contract to SUPES. Solomon also was "well aware of the inner workings of CPS," federal authorities said, as Byrd-Bennett forwarded internal district emails to him.

On the day the Chicago Board of Education signed off on Byrd-Bennett's hiring as CEO in October 2012, it also approved an initial $2.1 million contract for SUPES, expanding its early work training administrators to training principals. A six-figure payment and a $20.5 million no-bid contract followed.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Prosecutors said Byrd-Bennett, Solomon and Vranas expected the then-CEO would get a cut of each of those contracts in exchange for her role in ushering them through the district.

Solomon pleaded guilty last year to a single count of wire fraud and admitted his role in a scheme to bribe Byrd-Bennett with a percentage of the value of contracts she helped secure for his firms. He is now scheduled to surrender to authorities in July.

"You were a successful businessperson," Chang told Solomon on Friday. "So what happened here, I'm afraid I have to say, it was out of greed and not need."

jjperez@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @PerezJr

Twitter @jmetr22b
A group of black city leaders has denounced Gov. Bruce Rauner's push for a new leader at Chicago State University ahead of an emergency board of trustees meeting scheduled for Monday.

The governor's office said earlier in the week that Rauner wants Paul Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, to assume some sort of crisis management role at the Far South Side university. The role is meant to be temporary until a new, full-time president can be found. The job has not been clearly defined and does not yet have an official title.

Advertisement

The aldermen and religious leaders who called a press conference Friday questioned the need for such a role and cast suspicion on the intent behind it.

"I just don't know what value he adds to this university, that's my concern," said Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th. "I don't even know what a crisis intervention specialist means. I can understand it, but I would like to see a defined description of what that looks like and what he's supposed to do. Is he usurping the president's authority and powers? Is he adding to that? Has he got a specific task in mind?"

Advertisement

Speakers at the media event all said they want an "open and fair process" to choose a new leader that is not limited to just two candidates. Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore said they are looking for someone with university experience and a financial and accounting background who can help the school build relationships. He said he believed the right person for the job was the interim president, Cecil Lucy.

"This has to be an open process, this has to be a search committee," Moore said. "We are not just going to stand idly by and let someone just pick or appoint who they want to be the president of Chicago State. We believe in the interim director right now. We've asked them that he be considered. We hope that on Monday the board will do the right thing."

Moore also said the group would prefer the president to be African-American because most of Chicago State's students are minorities.

The proposed Vallas appointment comes during a time of turmoil for the 150-year-old Far South Side campus.

The school, long plagued by financial mismanagement, administrative scandal and poor academic achievement, has struggled throughout Illinois' 20-month budget impasse, which has halted regular funding for the state's public universities. The university laid off 40 percent of its staff last year, and a string of infrastructure failures has further jeopardized the campus' already strained budget.

Lucy was named interim president after the previous president, Thomas Calhoun Jr., stepped down in September after just nine months on the job, taking a $600,000 severance with him.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

The board is holding a special board meeting Monday to discuss the leadership issue.

"Chicago State University is in crisis and requires transformational change in order to improve student success," said Illinois Secretary of Education Beth Purvis, in a statement. "While this is a board decision, we believe that Paul Vallas has the skills to implement a strategic plan that will lay a strong foundation for a new president. It is our expectation, the board would launch a comprehensive, nationwide search within six months to recruit and hire the right long-term candidate."

Advertisement

Robert Bionaz, faculty union president, sent a letter to the board of trustees Thursday expressing support for Vallas' temporary appointment.

A few people got into heated discussions with some of the speakers in front of the campus library where the news conference was held. Kim Dulaney, an African-American studies professor who has three degrees from Chicago State, said the group was "misguided," though well-intentioned.

"We don't want Vallas as president, but we want Vallas here  or somebody here  that's outside this collective that has been here, to have the authority to review what they've done and hold the people accountable. That's what we want," Dulaney said. "We don't want him as a president just like we don't want Lucy as a president. Neither of the two are qualified."

gwong@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GraceWong630
Roberto Cerda, 30, faces up to natural life in prisonin the deaths of Andres Butron, 34, Ernesto Aleguin, 42, and Hector Romero, 28 (Cook County sheriff's photo)

A Chicago man faces up to natural life in prison after a jury convicted him of the slayings of three men whose bodies were found inside an abandoned car on the Southwest Side in 2010, according to prosecutors and court records.

Roberto Cerda, 30, faced murder charges in the deaths of Andres Butron, 34, Ernesto Aleguin, 42, and Hector Romero, 28, and was convicted Wednesday following a trial before Cook County Judge Timothy Joseph Joyce, according to court records. He faces sentencing May 2, according to state's attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.

Advertisement

The bodies of the three men were discovered May 18, 2010, near West 48th Place and South Whipple Street.

Cerda, of the 5600 block of South Trumbull Avenue, was part of a drug trafficking crew that would also rob and kill some of its potential buyers, law enforcement sources told the Tribune at the time he was charged. Investigators suspected the crew killed at least 12 people, with the May 2010 slayings among them, the sources said.

Advertisement

The man believed to be chief of the crew, Arturo Ibarra, was shot and killed by Chicago police after leading them on a chase on the North Side on Feb. 26, 2011. The chase began after the drug-related stabbings of three men  two of whom died  and the shooting of a Chicago police officer, crimes that authorities believe Ibarra and two other members of his crew, Raul Segura-Rodriguez and Augustin Toscano, committed.

Segura-Rodriguez and Toscano are charged in connection with those crimes and are still awaiting trial. Segura-Rodriguez also was charged in the drug-related killings of four other men whose bodies were found in a Southwest Side garage in September 2010.
Politicians held a press conference outside the Chicago Club before hundreds of people rallied at Federal Plaza in support of the Affordable Care Act and then marched to Trump Tower on Thursday, March 23, 2017. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

About 300 people crowded Federal Plaza for a rally staged by a union representing Illinois health care workers Thursday to celebrate the Affordable Care Act's seventh anniversary and protest Republican-led efforts to repeal and replace it.

Among the demonstrators were people who said former President Barack Obama's signature legislation saved their lives by granting them access to medical help despite pre-existing conditions such as cancer or traumatic brain injury.

Advertisement

Will Wilson, 63, is living with AIDS and credits the Medicaid expansion under the ACA with giving him coverage when he needed it. He had lost his insurance due to his diagnosis in 2002 and wasn't able to obtain it again until the ACA passed in 2010.

"(Getting insurance) opened up a brand-new door to me," Wilson said at a news conference before the rally. "I got to experience a freedom I hadn't been able to experience in quite a number of years."

Advertisement

The news conference and rally were meant to coincide with a scheduled House vote Thursday for the Republicans' American Health Care Act, but the vote was postponed as more Republicans withdrew their support. Nevertheless, protesters gathered with signs, balloons for the ACA birthday and megaphones to express opposition to the bill.

Service Employees International Union Healthcare  a union for home, health care, child care and nursing home workers in Illinois  invited several prominent Illinois Democrats to the rally. State Sen. Daniel Biss, Ald. Ameya Pawar and Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia pledged to push back against a policy that would strip Illinois residents of affordable and accessible health care.

Democratic Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the new legislation would cost the county a "staggering" $300 million in federal aid each year.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

"What the Republicans have proposed is a disaster for Cook County," Preckwinkle said. "Under the ACA, 480,000 people  almost half a million people in Cook County  were able to sign up either for a Medicaid expansion program or a marketplace health plan."

Across the state, the health care proposal could cost Illinois $40 billion in federal funding over the next decade because of cuts to the Medicaid system, health care experts told lawmakers in Springfield last week. Democrats have objected to measures they say will hurt the poor and elderly.

Nationwide, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that by 2026, 24 million more people would be uninsured under the Republican plan, according to a calculation issued by the office last week. Republicans favor the plan because they say it would help balance the federal deficit, gut a mandate to purchase insurance and drive down premium prices.

Wilson, who now gets insurance through working at Starbucks, said that after the ACA passed, he began helping others sign up.

"I heard too many stories of people who had never had access to health care except through an emergency room. And they literally cried when they realized that they could go to the doctor for a physical, the flu shot ... things that the rest of us take for granted," he said.

Advertisement

echerney@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ElyssaCherney
Keith Cooper reacts after newly elected Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb granted him a pardon for a 1996 armed robbery that ended in a shooting. It is believed to be that state's first gubernatorial pardon based on actual innocence. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

GOSHEN, Ind.  An Indiana judge has expunged the armed robbery conviction of a Chicago-area man recently pardoned after spending more than eight years in prison for a wrongful conviction.

Elkhart County Senior Judge Eugene Duffin granted the expungement Thursday to 46-year-old Keith Cooper, but didn't rule immediately on whether he would remove the record of the arrest itself.

Advertisement

Cooper of Country Club Hills was pardoned Feb. 9 by Gov. Eric Holcomb. His case gained national attention when then-Gov. Mike Pence declined to grant a pardon while campaigning for vice president last year.

Cooper was convicted for a 1996 robbery in Elkhart during which a teenager was shot. He was released from prison in 2006 after a co-defendant's conviction was overturned.

Advertisement

Expungement means the conviction won't appear on background checks for jobs and apartments.
Efforts to take a sworn deposition of former Mayor Richard Daley in a federal lawsuit over alleged Chicago police torture have hit a snag over an undisclosed medical issue Daley is reportedly suffering.

Lawyers for the People's Law Office have been pressing for Daley's video-recorded deposition in the case of Alonzo Smith, who alleged he was beaten and tortured into confessing to a 1983 murder by detectives working under disgraced former police Cmdr. Jon Burge.

Advertisement

Smith's lawyers had originally asked that the deposition take place in January. But last month, one of Daley's attorneys, Terrence Burns, told U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve there was "an issue relative to (Daley's) medical condition" that could affect the deposition.

Burns asked the judge for permission to file detailed medical records concerning the former mayor under seal and for a protective order that made any such records "for attorneys' eyes only," according to a transcript of the Feb. 15 hearing.

Advertisement

In a series of emails since that hearing, Smith's attorneys objected to language in the protective order prohibiting them from sharing Daley's medical records  including on his mental health  with an expert they might retain.

People's Law Office attorney Joey Mogul wrote in a March 13 email to Daley's attorneys that they may need to hire an expert to review "any conclusions Mr. Daley sets forth with respect to his mental health and competency to answer questions at a deposition or in this litigation," court records show.

St. Eve granted the order that the records remain for attorneys' eyes only on Wednesday, court records show.

A status hearing is set for the case on Monday.

Reached by telephone Friday, Mogul declined to comment on the case. Neither Burns nor Jacquelyn Heard, Daley's longtime spokeswoman, returned calls seeking comment, and Bill McCaffrey, a spokesman for the city's Law Department, declined to comment.

Daley, who turns 75 next month, has had health problems since leaving the mayor's office in 2011. In early 2014, he was hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after falling ill during a business trip to Arizona.

Though the illness was not disclosed, media reports later characterized it as strokelike symptoms that affected his speech. In an interview with Crain's Chicago Business in 2015, Daley said he had taken nearly a year off his position of counsel for the law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman to work with a speech therapist.

Later that year, Daley had been scheduled to take the witness stand at a trial over the city's controversial contract with a clout-heavy group of investors to run a Millennium Park restaurant. But the subpoena for his testimony was dropped after plaintiff's attorneys were shown a medical affidavit arguing it would be a "medical hardship" for Daley to testify. Lawyers instead relied on a 2013 deposition given by Daley in the case.

Advertisement

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Daley's deposition in the Smith case would mark the first time Daley has given sworn testimony as part of a Burge-related lawsuit about what he knew of the painful legacy of police torture that first came to light when Daley was Cook County state's attorney and later escalated during his more than two decades as mayor.

Twice before, Daley had been ordered to give a deposition in other lawsuits over torture claims, but the city settled those cases before he was questioned under oath.

Smith, who spent nearly 20 years in prison before prosecutors dismissed his case last year, claims two detectives working under Burge beat him with a rubber nightstick, kicked him in the groin and put a plastic bag over his head to force him to confess to the 1983 slaying of James Fullilove.

In denying a motion by lawyers for the city to dismiss Smith's lawsuit last year, St. Eve wrote that Smith's attorneys "sufficiently allege that Daley, as Chicago's mayor, participated in a conspiracy to conceal evidence of police torture."

The judge did, however, dismiss on technical grounds allegations over Daley's actions as state's attorney, saying that by law he was immune from exposure to damages stemming from a criminal prosecution.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @jmetr22b
A former suburban police officer has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was fired after he complained that he was constantly harassed for practicing his Muslim faith.

Ramtin Sabet, who was fired last month, said he was repeatedly called a terrorist by his co-workers at the North Chicago Police Department, told he was an "ISIS leader working as a police officer" and asked if he rode a goat to work, according to the lawsuit.

Advertisement

Sabet, an Iranian immigrant, is suing the city of North Chicago and its former and current police chiefs. He alleges that he complained both formally and informally to his supervisors but that they did nothing to deter or investigate his claims. Sabet joined the department in 2007 and later filed two separate complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination at work.

North Chicago officials denied that harassment or discrimination against Sabet occurred.

Advertisement

In a statement issued Friday, Police Chief Richard Wilson said the city embraces diversity.

"Officer Sabet was terminated for violations of police department rules and regulations," Wilson said in the statement. "He has challenged that determination. The city plans to vigorously defend its decision."

Sabet contends in the lawsuit that he was fired for complaining to the EEOC about what he called "severe and pervasive" discrimination and harassment that went on for years and included mocking of his religion, culture and food.

He said that North Chicago fostered a hostile work environment and treated him "less favorably" than co-workers and that he was denied training opportunities in a "deliberate effort" to keep him from being promoted because of his religion and ethnicity.

North Chicago officials responded in court records by saying that Sabet's performance kept him from becoming a field training officer and attending supervisor school.

"It was like I was being hazed all the time," Sabet said when speaking to reporters on Friday.

He said the officers, whom he considered his "brothers in blue," told him he held his gun like a "terrorist Muslim." He said they made derogatory comments about him in public and while dealing with suspects.

"I'm placing handcuffs on somebody, and they keep making fun of (me) all the way from the crime scene to the station as a result of my own officers making harassing comments towards me," Sabet said.

Advertisement

Sabet, who has worked as a police officer for 15 years, pulled a colleague out of a fire and assisted others when they were injured or shot on the job, he said in a statement released by the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is representing him.

"We trust our police departments to keep us safe," CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab said. "We trust that they have moral fortitude that they should practice within their own departments, as well as with the citizens that they serve."

Sabet filed his initial complaint with the EEOC in 2012, but he claimed his supervisors did not take the complaint seriously. Sabet alleged in the lawsuit that the police chief at the time, James Jackson, was asleep during the interview about the EEOC complaint.

Jackson could not immediately be reached for comment.

The harassment went on for years, Sabet claims. During a 2014 incident at a shooting range with fellow officers, Sabet alleged, officers told him that he was "so good at shooting" because he was teaching at al-Qaida camp in Iran.

Several of the religious slurs were made in the presence of his shift commander, according to the lawsuit. On two separate occasions in 2015 and 2016, the lawsuit alleged, an officer made remarks related to Muslims hating Jews, which Sabet said he denied.

Advertisement

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Then, in February 2016, Sabet was called to a meeting with his supervisors and a city attorney. According to the lawsuit, Sabet thought they were going to address his complaints, but instead he was accused of making discriminatory comments against Jews, he said. When he denied ever making those remarks, he was told he would face "discipline and possible termination" for being "dishonest," the lawsuit said. North Chicago officials confirmed the meeting in court records but denied Sabet's allegations.

Sabet filed another EEOC complaint in 2016 and was granted a right to sue, according to the lawsuit. He was placed on administrative leave in early November 2016, which is when he filed the lawsuit, court records show.

Court records show Sabet, two other officers and the city of North Chicago were named in a 2013 lawsuit that alleged excessive force and malicious prosecution. The case was settled.

Sabet's attorney, who said a "cultural intolerance" exists at the North Chicago police department, amended the lawsuit on Thursday to reflect what he called Sabet's wrongful termination last month.

"We will no longer just sit back and tolerate it and wait for it to go away," attorney Phillip Robertson said. "We're going to take action on it because this is not the America that we know."

deldeib@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @deldeib
A New Trier High School seminar on racial civil rights at the Winnetka campus roused opposition from parents and residents who say it lacked conservative voices. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

A Wilmette filmmaker's documentary purporting to reveal the machinations behind protests of New Trier High School's recent civil rights seminar day has been put on hold due to legal threats, but the filmmaker vowed it will ultimately come out.

Paul Traynor said he was set to screen the film Wednesday night until he received a letter from a lawyer representing some New Trier residents who had criticized the seminar for lacking conservative viewpoints.

Advertisement

The attorney, Adam Merrill, wrote that the documentary could defame his clients by painting them as racists and enemies of public education who are controlled by outside interests. If the movie shows, mentions or disparages them, he said, legal action will follow.

"The purpose of (the legal warning) is that we don't know what's in his movie, but based on the trailer, it's suggestive of making us look like bad people," said Wilmette resident Darrell Butler, one of the parents who raised concerns over the seminar. "We want him to be on notice that he can't just hide behind the First Amendment."

Advertisement

Traynor said he is having his own lawyer vet the movie, called "New Trier: Tip of the Spear," and that he hopes to release it before the April 4 municipal election.

The squabble is the latest aftershock to follow the seminar, a day-long event at the high school billed as an opportunity for students to delve into questions of race and civil rights. A parents' group took issue with the selection of speakers, saying they were uniformly liberal, but the school board declined to add any of the group's suggested conservative speakers.

Traynor, who argued in favor of the seminar during radio and television appearances, said the vast majority of New Trier parents were fine with it, and that those who protested were "aided and abetted" by Dan Proft, a Republican operative and talk show host with a larger agenda.

"Dan Proft has a vested interest in painting New Trier in a bad light," Traynor said in an interview Thursday. "New Trier is one of the crown jewels in American public education. If they can give New Trier a black eye and make them look like liberal bed wetters  then I think it helps to advance their case that the public education system is broken."

He claims Proft is also the unseen hand guiding the candidacy of three people running as independents for the board of New Trier Township. Should they win, Traynor said, he thinks they might try to curtail the township's social service functions or dissolve it altogether.

The three candidates have said they are not tied to outside groups, and Denise Dellva, a Glenview resident who is among the parents represented by Merrill, said Proft had no role in the parents' organization that called for conservative speakers.

"I'm not aware of any connection," she said.

For his part, Proft said he had nothing to do with the seminar day protest other than to feature it on his radio show. As for the New Trier Township candidates, he said the political action committee he runs has not spent any money on the race.

Advertisement

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Even so, Proft said he had no problem with Traynor's movie.

"I'm happy to have Paul make his argument and I'll make mine, and we'll let people decide who is more tethered to reality," he said.

Traynor said that's what he wants to do, too, and viewed the letter as a "blatant intimidation tactic" designed to muzzle him. The movie doesn't talk much about the New Trier parents, he said, but focuses on the larger political forces he believes are at work in the township.

"The irony is not lost," he said. "How hypocritical is it to say you believe in free speech, but then want to silence people who don't agree with your position?"

John Keilman is a Tribune reporter; Kathy Routliffe is a Pioneer Press reporter.

jkeilman@tribpub.com

Advertisement

kroutliffe@pioneerlocal.com
Illinois State Police helped save a woman Thursday afternoon after she passed out in a restroom while taking heroin, officials said.

Shortly before 1 p.m., the officers were alerted to a women's restroom in the James R. Thompson Center. When they arrived they found a female lying on the floor in a stall, according to a news release.

Advertisement

The woman's face was a blueish gray and her breathing was labored. Her friend told officers that she had been taking heroin and passed out, officials said.

After several attempts to revive her were unsuccessful, one of the officers gave the woman NARCAN, which is a nasal spray used to treat opioid overdoses. After she received the NARCAN she woke up and tried to stand, officials said.

Advertisement

Chicago Fire Department paramedics came to the scene and took the woman to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for further treatment, said Larry Langford, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

"We have thousands of people who come through the doors of the JRTC building every day. We never know what to expect but we are well-prepared to handle what comes our way," said ISP Lieutenant Danyelle Foster in the news release Friday afternoon. "The officers did a great job of responding to this incident. NARCAN has proven to be great tool for the Illinois State Police in saving lives."

Officials said ISP began issuing the spray to officers in 2015, and at least 11 people have been saved in the program.
More than 50 people, most alleged to be members of the Traveling Vice Lords street gang, are charged in connection with a drug ring operating in the Lawndale neighborhood, including on a block that was the focus of a 1990s federal prosecution of the same gang, authorities said Thursday.

The federal and city investigation, Operation Shut Travel Down, began in 2015 and ended in February with authorities confiscating about 8 pounds of heroin, 4.5 pounds of methamphetamine and about 1.2 pounds of cocaine and crack cocaine, according to a news release Thursday from the U.S. attorney's office.

Advertisement

The investigation began after a double homicide in August 2015, Anthony Riccio, chief of the Chicago police organized crime division, said in a Friday news conference. The only shooting that matches the description given Friday is one that left two men dead and two others wounded Aug. 26, 2015, at Horan Park, 3035 W. Van Buren St.

Of those targeted in the ensuing investigation, 11 are charged in federal court  including the owner of a barber shop that was allegedly used as a stash house for drugs  and 40 are charged in state court.

Advertisement

The gang members operated open-air drug markets in the area of California Avenue and Lexington Street, including in the 2700 block of West Flournoy Street, according to one of the federal complaints in the case. The block on Flournoy was the focus of a drug operation dismantled by a mid-1990s undercover investigation of the Traveling Vice Lords. The monthslong trial of those charged in the case ended with the conviction of 15 people and life sentences for at least 10 people, including two brothers who supervised the drug sales.

Among those charged this week in complaints released Thursday were Tyrone Hunter, 38, owner of Brother's Barber Shop, 914 S. Western Ave., one of two alleged stash houses raided by investigators Thursday, according to the release. The other supervisor of the drug operation was Anthony Williams, 32, while investigators also raided the home of street-level overseer of drug sales Calvin Williams, 41, in the 2800 block of West Harrison Street, and another alleged stash house, according to the charges against them.

Two men identified as suppliers of the drugs, Sir Charles Bland, 38, of Bolingbrook, and Salvador Rojas-Santos, 63, of Mexico, are charged with selling heroin and cocaine to Williams and Hunter for the street-level drug sales, according to the release and the charges.

A high-ranking member of the Lexington-California gang and another man have been charged in the double homicide that Riccio said triggered the investigation. Ricky Dortch, also known as Rickey, is alleged to have driven Frank Robinson to near the park, where Robinson shot into a group of Gangster Disciples gang members, fatally shooting Kortney Blakes, 23, and Kwamaine Lovette, 22, and wounding two other men. The California and Lexington TVL crew had been in a conflict with the area Gangster Disciples, prosecutors said last year, when Robinson and Dortch were charged with murder.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

After the double homicide, police began looking at the operations of the Cali Boys, a Traveling Vice Lords faction, and police looked at areas where Chicago Fire Department and police response to overdose calls intersected with police and fire personnel response to shootings, Chicago Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in Friday's news conference.

Investigators traced how drug sales were used to buy guns using people who could legally buy guns, including from an Aurora gun store, so that the gang could use the guns to in turn protect drug spots, Riccio said. That part of the investigation, including whether the buyers are so-called straw purchasers, is still being looked at, he said.

Investigators set up surveillance of those involved in the drug sales, tapped phones used in the operation, made undercover audio and video recordings, and used confidential informants in the investigation, according to the charges.

Locations the group  including the Cali Boys, a faction of "younger, more violent" members  dealt drugs included California and Harrison Street, and the 2700 to 2800 blocks of Flournoy, Polk and Lexington streets, according to one of the complaints.

Advertisement

Seven of those charged, including Anthony Williams, Tyrone Hunter and Calvin Williams, face heroin- and cocaine-distribution conspiracy charges; Bland is charged with distribution of cocaine; and Rojas-Santos is possession with intent to distribute, and possession of a weapon by an illegal alien.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service and Chicago police investigators were involved in the probe, including investigators from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, which bring together local and federal investigators.

Some of those arrested appeared in federal court Thursday, while others were expected to appear in court Friday, according to prosecutors.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner summoned reporters to his office Friday to announce more than two dozen House Republicans are willing to vote for pension legislation that would include money for Chicago Public Schools but faces an uncertain future in Springfield.

And the governor's announcement projecting progress came hours before he vetoed a different plan from Mayor Rahm Emanuel to save money by changing city workers' pension plans.

Advertisement

Rauner and Democrats have traded insults for months after the governor's veto late last year of a proposal that would have sent $215 million to CPS. The plan he touted Friday would both cut pension benefits for state workers and teachers while providing that aid to Chicago schools.

The governor said he had not spoken to House Speaker Michael Madigan or Senate President John Cullerton  the Chicago Democrats whose cooperation would be needed to pass the legislation  about the development. Still, Rauner said he wanted to make a public announcement to try to "build momentum" for what he described as "a winning compromise that we can all get behind."

Advertisement

Senate Democrats aren't ready to get behind it, though, saying the governor's proposal was distracting from a broader compromise effort aimed at resolving the state's historic budget stalemate. Pension changes have been part of that effort, which has since stalled. And approving them alone could spell further trouble for a more sweeping budget deal.

"The Senate has moved on to solving bigger problems, and these provisions are part of that solution," said John Patterson, a spokesman for Cullerton.

Indeed, negotiations surrounding the state pension systems and the financial needs of Chicago Public Schools have been at the center of a prolonged blame game between Rauner and the Democrats. It began in December, when the governor abruptly vetoed the bill that would have provided CPS with a $215 million cash infusion.

The legislation was one piece of a two-part deal between Rauner and the Democrats, hatched as the two sides were finalizing a stopgap spending plan to keep state government afloat through last year's election season. Under that deal, Rauner would approve a one-time payment to CPS in exchange for lawmakers passing legislation to help cut state pension expenses by offering workers less costly options.

The idea re-emerged earlier this year when Cullerton and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont decided to attempt their own far-reaching compromise effort to break the budget stalemate that's dominated state government for nearly two years. They started working on a package of interdependent bills, with the CPS aid and pension changes as part of the package.

Rauner said Friday that he had finally secured Republican support for the pension plan on its own, and Democrats should act now.

"This is their proposal, this is their agreement," Rauner said. "Now they're moving the goal posts. If we're ever going to make progress, we've got to take a step at a time, and what we do not do is move the goal posts on prior agreements."

Asked by a reporter at the event he called why he wasn't pushing the measure as part of the broader Senate-led budget compromise, Rauner didn't answer directly, saying, "I don't think it's productive for me to negotiate through the media, so I'm not going to do that."

Advertisement

Meanwhile, he acknowledged that he had not personally contacted Madigan or Cullerton to inform them of the Republican willingness to support the measure, "but believe me, there's been communication." Rauner said other lawmakers had been speaking with the legislative leaders.

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown did not respond when asked to comment on Rauner's remarks.

Meanwhile, the governor vetoed pension legislation sought by Emanuel, calling it "another kick-the-can approach to pension funding that landed Chicago in fiscal crisis in the first place."

Emanuel wanted the state changes for two reasons: to increase pension fund contributions from new employees to 11.5 percent of their wages from 8.5 percent and to set in law the city's contribution schedule. Without the changes, the funds are at risk of going broke in about a decade. The two funds are a combined $21 billion short of what's needed to pay out future benefits.

Although the City Council has already approved taxes on city water and telephone bills to cover the bulk of additional yearly contributions to the two pension funds, Emanuel's plan still requires changes to state law.

At least for now, he won't get those changes.

Advertisement

"Instead of helping secure the future of our taxpayers and middle-class retirees, the governor chose to hold them hostage  just as he has done to social service providers, schoolchildren and universities across the state," Emanuel spokesman Adam Collins said in a statement. "The governor's actions are harming the most vulnerable in our state, and the people of Illinois deserve better."

Because Emanuel's pension plan was approved by state lawmakers from a previous term, they can't even try to override the governor. But lawmakers could send him a new bill this year.

Chicago Tribune's Hal Dardick and John Byrne contributed.

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Kim Geiger
The Chicago Tribune's political reporter Rick Pearson and political editor Eric Krol discuss the ongoing stalemate at the state capitol between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats. March 23, 2017 (Bill Ruthhart / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

At the Capitol, the so-called grand bargain proved to be a grand illusion.

Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle haven't done much to knock down speculation that they're on the way out of the legislature.

Advertisement

The over-the-top rhetoric is back in full effect. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has returned to his theme that Democrats lead a "corrupt" conspiracy, one used during his 2014 campaign. Democrats led by House Speaker Michael Madigan have pushed new voices to the forefront as they try to push back, including a new comptroller who appears to relish her attack role.

All of those signs point in the same direction: A historic impasse now in its 21st month could very well continue through the November 2018 election. And perhaps beyond  it remains in serious doubt whether a broad budget agreement can ever get done with Rauner and Madigan at the table, and both could remain in power after voters get their say late next year. Whether state government can last that long without melting down is another question.

Advertisement

Illinois is likely to see "a series of what we've done the last couple of years  temporary patches, stopgaps and fixes, and that's not ideal," said a Rauner confidant who spoke on the condition that his name not be used.

Democrats don't trust the governor  the feeling is mutual in Rauner's camp  and the prevailing view in the House is to wait it out instead of approving his economic agenda in return for a tax hike.

"Why pass a tax increase and then give Rauner the power to spend without telling us where he's going to spend?" asked a source close to Madigan who was not authorized to speak publicly about budget negotiations. "If (Rauner) got even a little of what he wanted now, what's to stop him from saying he wouldn't spend until he got even more of what he wanted?"

Deal ... no deal

That even an attempt at a budget breakthrough had to start in the Senate symbolizes the total breakdown between Rauner and Madigan, who stopped engaging in face-to-face talks in early December.

Upon taking office in January 2015, Rauner unveiled a 44-point action plan. Two years later, the evolving wish list he once called his "turnaround agenda" has been peeled back to include only a handful of issues: term limits, a property tax freeze, alterations in workers' compensation, changes in state worker pensions and an effort to take much of the politics out of the redrawing of House and Senate districts.

Those items have been Rauner's prerequisite for approving the higher taxes that would be needed, along with sizable spending cuts, to achieve a balanced state budget. While the governor has repeated his call for what he now terms "structural changes," he also has tried to generically modify his demand by saying "there is no one thing, no two things, no three things that I've ever insisted has to be in any agreement."

Negotiations led by Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno focused on some items on Rauner's wish list. The unfinished package included modest changes in workers' compensation, a property tax freeze, a cap on state spending and changes to public pensions. Other provisions included an attempt to revise state support for public schools and create new casinos, including for Chicago.

Advertisement

Talks broke down when Rauner made it clear that he did not believe the plan contained enough trade-offs for higher taxes. He wanted to see greater efforts to revamp workers' compensation to benefit businesses and opposed creating a permanent income tax increase in exchange for a two-year property tax freeze. Rauner also contended the plan lacked specific spending cuts and that it was structured for the short term and not the future.

Democrats accused Rauner of pulling Senate Republican votes off the grand bargain bills. Rauner's team maintains that it wanted to get to a deal  despite the potential political ramifications of running in 2018 after signing a major tax hike into law  and had been close to one.

"The last thing you want to do is jump on a deal that doesn't help you solve your 2018 (budget) problem but puts you back in the same situation you were in before with both sides in a corner," the Rauner confidant said.

"It came down to three things: workers' comp, parity in (the length of) the income tax and property tax and budget cuts. Cullerton's position is, 'This is the deal, take it or leave it,' and as far as we're concerned, it's dead and there's nothing more for us to do because we're not going to take a bad deal and neither is the Senate (Republican) caucus," he said.

Radogno responded that no one in the governor's office "speaks for the Senate (GOP) caucus." She said the Senate's grand bargain plan was "not and never has been a 'take it or leave it' from the Senate president and insisted talks on a "final version" were still taking place.

But Democratic Sen. Kwame Raoul, a lead negotiator, said "it's hard to figure out" if Rauner truly ever wanted to strike a deal.

Advertisement

"I think he applies this sort-of maybe venture-capitalist approach to deal-making where you try to squeeze every bit you can without respect to good-faith negotiations that good public policy negotiations require," said Raoul, whose district includes Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. "I think certain tactics that may be very useful in another forum undermine the ability to kind of do things cooperatively in government."

Rhetoric heats up

In recent weeks, many of the themes of Rauner's successful 2014 bid against then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, as well as those used by the Rauner-subsidized GOP legislative campaigns of last year, have resurfaced. Democrats, too, have ramped up the rhetoric from a variety of voices.

That's hardened the partisan lines that block attempts toward compromise.

"Unfortunately in Illinois we don't have so much a democracy as we have a kleptocracy," Rauner said recently on WBEZ-FM 91.5, employing a term often used about Russia to describe a government controlled by those who seek to profit at the expense of the governed.

"Illinois has a level of corruption that's one of the worst in America, and this has been true for decades," the governor said. "We have folks in power and political office who make their money both in their private life and in their public life from their political position. This is wrong."

Advertisement

Rauner's past corruption complaints have been leveled chiefly at Madigan, though Cullerton has been included. Two years ago, Rauner alleged Madigan was making "millions" from his law firm through property tax appeals while Cullerton was making "huge wealth" from his law firm through inside government deals.

Rauner also has resumed his long-standing political efforts to try to demonize Madigan, who has served as speaker for 32 of the past 34 years. The state GOP has sought to tie Democratic candidates for governor to the speaker and hit lawmakers for such ties with a website, bossmadigan.com.

There are indications that both Rauner and Madigan are unpopular with the electorate. But as governor and as a statewide candidate for re-election, Rauner must be out front and in the public eye.

The reclusive Madigan has further removed himself from public scrutiny, and he's only on the ballot in his Southwest Side legislative district. On the few occasions where Madigan would normally take questions from reporters, he has dispatched other House Democrats and avoided the public limelight.

Substituting for Madigan after events such as Rauner's State of the State speech and budget address have been state Rep. Greg Harris, a North Side Democrat who chairs the House committee on human service budgeting, and Skokie Rep. Lou Lang. Both are members of Madigan's leadership team.

Rauner also has spent time publicly criticizing new Democratic Comptroller Susana Mendoza, elevating her profile. Mendoza defeated Rauner's appointed comptroller in a special election last fall, and as the state's check writer during the impasse, she has a platform with which to take on the governor.

Advertisement

"I'd like to actually give him some credit for some of the positive things he's accomplished over his last two years in office. So I did ask my staff to put together a thorough list of his accomplishments over the last two years so I could read them to you here today," Mendoza told the City Club of Chicago last Monday.

Then Mendoza pulled out a piece of paper and read from it: "This page intentionally left blank."

She also contended it was "bizarro" for Rauner "to try to accuse everyone else under the sun of conspiring to shut down government."

"If we are headed to a government shutdown, it is a result of the governor's inability or desire, actually, to not do his constitutional obligations of introducing a balanced budget proposal and working with the legislature in good faith," said Mendoza, who called herself "one of the fiercest warriors when I'm fighting for something that I believe in, and I believe in the state of Illinois deeply."

More than anyone else, it has been Rauner, his wealth and his wealthy allies who have helped foster a nonstop political campaign climate in Illinois, seeking to vilify Madigan and the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate as part of a long-term effort to erode control. And there's no reason to believe that will change.

Earlier this month, touring an animal feed plant in Quincy, Rauner returned to a favorite line of attack by playing regional politics  at the same time he contended the state needs less partisanship.

Advertisement

"Leadership, good management, is not partisan and solving problems needs to be done, not on a partisan basis, just let's do what's right for the people of Illinois. Let's not have it be partisan politics. Let's not have the Chicago political machine dictating what happens here," Rauner told plant workers.

It's complicated

The efforts to reach a compromise are complicated by political elements central to 2018 and beyond.

Consider the pension issue. Democrats sought to enact changes in public employee pensions and passed a law signed by Quinn in 2013 that the Illinois Supreme Court later struck down. Cullerton has come up with a proposal that he maintains is constitutional in trying to make a dent in the state's unfunded pension liabilities, which now total nearly $130 billion.

But some Democrats are leery about inflaming organized labor, which has become the party's top source of money against Rauner's pocketbook and his efforts to elect Republicans to the General Assembly. Madigan saw firsthand the anger of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which didn't help him in 2014 after the passage of the pension changes.

The latest pension bill tanked in the Senate last month, and the fallout is still being felt at the Capitol, especially among two Senate leaders who gambled on a long-shot grand bargain and lost.

Advertisement

Cullerton, who will turn 70 shortly before the November 2018 election, could depart as Senate president, although he said last month it's too early to be concerned about whether he serves another term. Some Democrats already are angling as potential replacements, but as such are skittish about angering major party allies such as labor.

Among Senate Republicans, there also is speculation that Radogno will cede her leadership spot amid concerns she got too far out ahead of her caucus and Rauner in trying to negotiate with Cullerton.

Then there's the Madigan factor. Even if the Senate and Rauner agreed on a deal, there was no guarantee that the veteran House speaker who doubles as state Democratic chairman would have signed off. Madigan largely stayed silent during the Senate bipartisan negotiations, a tactic representing his belief that no package would ultimately be approved and sent to the House.

"I think the Senate Democrats are figuring out that there's not a reason to believe (Rauner) or trust this guy," said the source close to Madigan.

On Rauner's side, there is a wariness about Madigan.

"Even if we got a deal (in the Senate), it's not like that's going to be an easy position to take if you're the governor because you're basically hooking arms and jumping with presumably three caucuses with no assurance that Madigan would ever be for that deal. That's a pretty difficult political calculation," said the source close to the governor.

Advertisement

In looking through the lens of 2018, some Democrats have questioned whether Rauner wanted to enter his re-election campaign having signed a major income tax hike and other tax increases.

For their part, those in Rauner's camp said they didn't believe approving what would have been the largest tax increase in state history would have been an automatic disqualifier with voters.

The Rauner aide summed up what the re-election messaging would have been: "We did a big tax increase, but you also got a permanent tax relief. For job creators, we did some stuff in tax reform to give you a little bit of room on your taxes but we also did changes in workers' comp.  On the budget, we've shown fiscal restraint. We've done a tax increase, but we've also done significant spending cuts."

Raoul and the Madigan confidant both acknowledged that approving a massive tax increase in and of itself would not be politically fatal.

"Does a guy going into re-election want to go in with a $24 billion debt (or a tax increase)?" Raoul asked. "Which is worse? He's already said on the record that he's willing to sign a tax increase.  Now you have some business organizations, like the Civic Federation, saying, 'Hey, the tax level that even we're contemplating in the "grand bargain" is not enough.' So, you've got that cover."

At the same time, because Democrats control the legislature and a Republican sits in the governor's chair, there could be the potential for shared blame, muting the political fallout over a tax hike.

Advertisement

"There's a lot of political calculation going on about who would wear the jacket," said the person close to Madigan.

By not raising taxes, Rauner could try to sell voters on a theme that he prevented Madigan and the Chicago Democratic machine from raising taxes to bail out the state's and city's troubled finances.

During an appearance in the western suburbs last week, Rauner alluded to just such a theme when asked how Illinois voters should assess his tenure.

"We've blocked the General Assembly majority, Madigan's Democrats, from even more spending, more deficits. We've blocked a lot of really bad things from happening," Rauner told reporters.

More than just tax increases are part of the political calculus, however. There's also extensive budget cuts  something both sides say are integral to restoring Illinois' financial stability.

Senate Democrats rejected the Rauner administration's call to give the governor extensive budget-cutting powers and mocked his budget director, who told them no list of cuts existed that the governor would unilaterally make. But Democrats also are loath to make cuts.

Advertisement

That leaves both sides unwilling to take the political blame for spending cuts that could prove unpopular with voters.

Republicans and Democrats also privately wonder about the impact of the national political environment on next year's races and how President Donald Trump's controversial presidency will affect Rauner and other GOP candidates. It is a significant issue for both sides since Democrat Hillary Clinton defeated Trump in all but one of the traditionally GOP-leaning collar counties that can be key in statewide races.

There's also the question of who will become the eventual Democratic nominee for governor. The party looks to be split along progressive versus more establishment lines, with progressive Chicago Ald. Ameya Pawar and state Sen. Daniel Biss of Evanston on one side and wealthy establishment figures such as Chris Kennedy and J.B. Pritzker on the other.

Nominating a wealthy, potentially self-funding candidate would be helpful to Democratic interests looking to use money from union allies to hold their legislative majorities. But going that route also could take away Democratic class-based arguments that Rauner's wealth makes him out of touch with the concerns of average voters. Rauner, a former private equity specialist, already has put $50 million of his own money into his re-election bid, and aides promise that there will be more to come.

What's next?

Even before the 2018 election, there are factors that could force at least some kind of budget deal, albeit temporary or limited in scope.

Advertisement

Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan has indicated she will appeal a lower-court decision rejecting her argument that state workers should not be getting paychecks without a properly passed legislative appropriation. If she wins, it could force the state into a major shutdown because it is unlikely workers would show up without knowing when or if they would be paid.

There's also a court appeal by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, the state's largest public employees union, of the Rauner administration's declaration that it was at an "impasse" with the union in talks on a new contract.

AFSCME won a stay of the state Labor Relations Board "impasse" ruling, in effect preventing the Rauner administration from imposing its final contract offer. The union also has received authorization to call a strike in a vote of its members.

If a dramatic work stoppage doesn't occur to force a budget compromise, there is the accelerating collapse of the state's social service network and reluctance of private vendors to do business with state government, which faces an estimated $14.7 billion backlog of bills on June 30.

In addition, Tom Cross, the former Illinois House Republican leader who now chairs the Illinois Board of Higher Education, contends some public universities  already cutting programs and staff  are at a tipping point because of the lack of state funding.

"I think we're now at a point where if we don't see a budget soon  not down the road but now  we're going to start seeing, I think, some very bad examples of accreditation issues, maybe not honoring your bond covenants, and continue to see a (student) out-migration problem," Cross said.

Advertisement

Noting the importance of salaries and business purchases from public universities to regional economies, Cross said, "We need to quit talking about winners and losers. We need to realize we're impacting people's lives on a daily basis."

Winners and losers will emerge from next year's election, however. If Rauner wins a second term and Democrats take advantage of the legislative district boundaries they drew and keep control of the General Assembly, it's questionable what dynamics will change between the governor and the House speaker to get a budget passed.

By that point, Illinois government finances may be beyond a point of no return.

Major bond rating agencies repeatedly have downgraded the state's creditworthiness for borrowing with warnings that without a budget, they could put Illinois into junk-bond status.

"Illinois' fiscal crisis is, in our view, a man-made byproduct of policy ultimatums placed upon the state's budget process," Standard & Poor's analyst Gabe Petek said in a report last month. Petek said the state's "distressed fiscal condition and dysfunctional budget politics now threaten to erode the state's long-term economic growth prospects."

The agency currently rates Illinois two steps above junk and has indicated that even if the Senate compromise had passed, the state's creditworthiness would not be given an upgrade for at least two years.

Advertisement

Already, the market has valued Illinois bonds at or near junk-level status. In November, Illinois sold $480 million of bonds at a 2-percentage-point penalty over an established benchmark for states with strong creditworthiness.

Rauner's budget office projects that without action, the current budget year's $14.7 billion backlog of bills will grow to at least $27.7 billion by July 2019. That's the equivalent of what a 7.3 percentage-point hike in the personal income tax rate hike would generate, with a corresponding increase in the corporate rate.

Last month while speaking to the City Club of Chicago, Cullerton, the Senate president, issued a dire warning if the budget stalemate continues through 2018.

"We're almost two years behind in paying our bills now. The next governor will be paying businesses four years late," the Chicago Democrat said.

"By then, we'll have been downgraded to junk-bond status and no one will lend us money. The new governor will have that hung around his or her neck," Cullerton said. "I don't want to even speculate what the tax rate would need to be to try to dig out of that hole."

rap30@aol.com

Advertisement

Twitter @rap30
House Speaker Paul Ryan leaves after telling the news media that he has pulled the health-care overhaul bill, Friday, March 24, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Speaking about the failure of the bill: Ryan said: "We came really close today, but we came up short." (Cliff Owen / AP)

WASHINGTON  After the stunning collapse Friday of the Republican health care overhaul, members of Illinois' GOP delegation said they intend to continue efforts to replace a system they described as broken, though a path forward remains unclear.

"Doing nothing isn't an option," U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, a Republican from west suburban Plano, said in a statement issued after a GOP bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, was pulled.

Advertisement

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Channahon, said in a statement that he was "disappointed" but ready to work to "fix our broken healthcare system and make it better for the American people."

Illinois Democrats, meanwhile, exulted at the failure of the GOP attempt to repeal Obamacare.

Advertisement

"Republicans today have demonstrated their complete inability to govern," U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston said in a statement. "The vote on this legislation was their first big test as a governing party. Despite them having control of the House, the Senate, and the White House, they managed to fail spectacularly."

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Chicago Democrat, said in a statement that "Republicans could not even agree on how cruel they should be to the American people and how generous they would be to billionaires. So they surrendered before they were actually defeated on the House floor."

Despite cajoling from President Donald Trump and their House party leaders, Republicans didn't have enough votes to pass the bill even though several revisions were made to appease both moderates and hard-line conservatives.

Hultgren had been undecided on the measure, and his district office, like those of many of his colleagues, has drawn protests from people who want to keep Obamacare.

Hultgren wrote House Speaker Paul Ryan this week complaining the new Medicaid funding formula in the bill would shortchange Illinois recipients. He noted his district's 76,836 Medicaid recipients include nearly 40,000 children, who incur disproportionately low health care costs.

Medicaid funding was a sticking point for a number of Illinoisans, including GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner, who warned that Illinois under the bill stood to lose $40 billion in Medicaid funding over 10 years.

While Ryan acknowledged that Obamacare remains "the law of the land," Hultgren said in his statement that "maintaining the status quo is simply unacceptable."

"I have heard loud and clear from thousands of my constituents that they want a healthcare system that is more affordable and works for them," he said. "...Too many are paying monthly premiums higher than their mortgage. Too many Medicaid recipients who need care can't gain access to a primary care doctor. Too many only have one insurer providing one plan in their area. That is wrong."

Advertisement

He said that if the GOP bill, the American Health Care Act, was not the answer, "then we must return to the drawing board, hold extensive hearings and figure out a different way forward."

The vote was pulled after an emotional day of speeches for and against the measure and a tumultuous string of days when lawmakers were bombarded with calls and emails.

"I rise in strong opposition to this draconian, Dracula-inspired health bill," U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, a Chicago Democrat, said earlier Friday from the House floor.

Also speaking from the floor, Schakowsky assailed the bill for defunding Planned Parenthood.

"We've heard over and over that patients need choices and should be empowered to choose the care that they want, but apparently that doesn't apply to women," she said, "because the bill would block millions of women from choosing Planned Parenthood, a trusted provider to 2.5 million patients every year."

Addressing Republicans, she added: "The America people are not clamoring for you to repeal Obamacare. Only 17 percent of Americans say that you should vote to repeal Obamacare. The average American overwhelmingly wants you to vote no."

Advertisement

A Quinnipiac University national poll released Thursday showed 56 percent of U.S. voters disapproved of the GOP health overhaul, while 17 percent were in favor. The remainder were undecided.

Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus of downstate Collinsville on Thursday spoke forcefully in support of the GOP legislation, saying from the floor: "We're on a rescue mission."

In a statement Friday after the bill was pulled, Shimkus said he was disappointed but would follow through on his promise to provide relief from the 7-year-old ACA.

"I've strongly opposed the Affordable Care Act's mandates, middle-class tax hikes, and expensive one-size-fits-all health insurance plans since day one," Shimkus said. "My constituents have judged that law, and the more than 60 votes I've cast to repeal and replace it, through seven years and four election cycles. They've rendered their judgment: Obamacare has failed."

Shimkus is the longest-serving GOP member of Congress from Illinois.

The state has seven Republican House members. Its 11 Democratic House members were ironclad in the opposition to the overhaul.

Advertisement

Many Republicans were quick to get out of town after the bill collapsed.

U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton, an early advocate of the tax provisions in the bill, was not available for an interview. In response to a Tribune request, spokesman David Pasch emailed: "Sorry, he's already on the way home."

Roskam has been the target of angry protests by constituents, a number asking him to keep the ACA intact.

kskiba@tribpub.com

Twitter @KatherineSkiba
Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Subscribe here.

Topspin

Things got a bit testy Thursday when a City Council member said his colleague is "a chump alderman" if he lets Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration dictate where red light cameras are installed in his ward.

Advertisement

Freshman Ald. Christopher Taliaferro, 29th, was asking city Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown a series of pointed questions during a council committee meeting about the Emanuel administration's possible expansion of the "surge pricing" program that will double the cost of street parking around Wrigley Field this year to $4 during Cubs games and concerts.

Brown said the administration would work with local aldermen on any metered parking increases in their wards. But Taliaferro noted the city had moved some controversial red light cameras to new intersections, "and I don't think they've asked any aldermen for their support, they're just doing it."

Advertisement

Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee Chairman Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., an Emanuel ally who perhaps didn't want to see his meeting go off the rails, interjected. "Generally, alderman, I know my experience, if they're talking about putting a red light camera up in my ward they talk to me," Burnett said.

"They're going to talk to you," Taliaferro replied. "But if they want it there, they're going to get it there."

"That says you're a chump alderman if they just do it if you don't want it," Burnett said, as a murmur went through the room.

"I'm 350 pounds, there's no chump here," said Taliaferro, a former Chicago police sergeant. "I don't want to get off-subject, but I ain't no chump. Anybody that knows me would tell you that."

"Alright then, it won't happen then," Burnett said.

Burnett then spent the next several minutes intermittently making the case to the assembled spectators and reporters that "on the record, I did not call the alderman a chump." (John Byrne)

What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel has no public events.

*Gov. Bruce Rauner has no public events.

Advertisement

*NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will speak before the City Club of Chicago.

From the notebook

*Rauner not a fan of legalizing marijuana: Responding to recently introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana in Illinois, Gov. Bruce Rauner had a less than enthusiastic response but said he'd be willing to study it.



"I'm not a believer that legalizing more drugs will help our society so I'm not philosophically enthusiastic about it, but I'm also open to what actually works to make life better to people," Rauner told the "Roe Conn Show" on WGN-AM 720 on Thursday.



"I'm hearing some pretty bad stories. Now, I haven't studied it. I think we should do a thoughtful analysis of what's happening in these other states. I'm hearing a lot of trouble," he said. "My friends in Colorado have told me some pretty terrible things about addiction problems and behavior problems, etc. over there in Denver."



To sum it up, Rauner said, "I just believe we're conducting a massive human experiment as we legalize these drugs."

One Democrat running for the right to take on Rauner next year endorsed the legislation.

"Legalizing recreational marijuana is a social justice issue," said Ald. Ameya Pawar in a statement.

"It will reduce the amount we spend as a society arresting and jailing people for low-level nonviolent offenses, when our criminal justice system should be focused on reducing violence," he said. ( Rick Pearson

*On the Sunday Spin, Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests are Tribune reporter Bill Ruthhart, state senator and Democratic candidate for governor Daniel Biss and Brian Bernardoni, senior director of government affairs and public policy for the Chicago Association of Realtors. The Sunday Spin airs from 7 to 9 a.m. on WGN-AM 720.

What we're writing

*Cook County judge: Move state lawmaker pay to the front of long line of unpaid bills.

*Emanuel's Wrigleyville 'surge pricing' for parking could be just the beginning.

Advertisement

*Chicago aldermen try to push Rauner to bargain with union.

*Illinois Supreme Court delivers partial win for hospitals on property taxes.

*As GOP dissent grows, U.S. Rep. Shimkus says party 'on a rescue mission' for health care.

*Rate cut will trim average ComEd bill less than 50 cents a month, watchdog says.

*Illinois unemployment rate hits lowest level since recession.

*Health care workers protest efforts to overhaul Obamacare.

Advertisement

What we're reading

*After census numbers show Illinois' population shrinking, a report says the state is poised to grow  if it supports youth, immigrants.

*Van Dyke indicted on 16 added counts for each shot to Laquan McDonald.

*Blockbuster 'Jurassic World' exhibition will bring dinosaur park to Field Museum.

Follow the money

*J.B. Pritzker, who said he'd put $200,000 toward a committee to explore a run for governor, reported that deposit Thursday.

Advertisement

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.

Beyond Chicago

*Republicans delay Obamacare replacement vote as scramble for votes continues.

*Democratic Senate leader says the party will filibuster Gorsuch.

*AP: U.S. to approve Keystone XL pipeline.

*British police identify attacker in London killings.
SPRINGFIELD  The governor's office says about 1.4 million Illinoisans are affected after one of the state's employment security agency vendors was hacked.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's office said Friday afternoon that the Illinois Department of Employment Security notified the Illinois General Assembly about the hack. State officials say the hacker may have accessed the names, social security numbers and birthdates of job seekers in the vendor's database. Authorities say the data break may have impacted ten states.

Advertisement

The agency says the vendor, America's Job Link - Technical Support, learned about the hack on March 14. Illinois officials say the hack wasn't a result of deficient state software. A state technical team is working with the agency and vendor on the situation.

The agency is preparing notices to those affected.
Sanitation workers on strike in Memphis, Tenn., resume their daily marches on March 29, 1968, one day after a march led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.left Main and Beale Streets littered with bricks, broken glass and blood when about 200 peoplebegan looting. The city called in National Guardsmen to escort marchers and within a week King was dead, killed by an assassin's bullet at the Lorraine Motel. (Barney Sellers / The Commercial Appeal)

A cluster of Black Lives Matter groups and the organization leading the push for a $15-an-hour wage are joining forces to combine the struggle for racial justice with the fight for economic equality, just as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. tried to do in the last year of his life.



They are launching their first national joint action on April 4, the 49th anniversary of King's assassination, with "Fight Racism, Raise Pay" protests in two dozen cities, including Atlanta; Milwaukee; Memphis, Tennessee; Chicago; Boston; Denver; and Las Vegas.



King was gunned down in 1968 while on a visit to Memphis to support striking black sanitation workers.



"When MLK was assassinated, he was talking to workers who were dealing with union-busting, unfair wages," said Kendall Fells, organizing director for the Fight for $15. "The bottom line is that every day, workers of color across the country face deep-seated racism that would seem to be out of Dr. King's era, but sadly it's still happening today."

Black Lives Matter protesters stand in the intersection of Kedzie Avenue and 111th Street in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood during a protest of the shooting of 25-year-old Joshua Beal by an off-duty police officer in November 2016. (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

Airport workers march during a strike at O'Hare International Airport on Nov. 29, 2016. The workers were joined by union members from the SEIU to demand $15 an hour for their work and the right to unionize. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)





Fells said the new political reality requires the groups to band together. After President Donald Trump's election, some civil rights and social justice organizations are taking an all-hands-on-deck approach against an administration they see as hostile to the working poor and minorities.



By working together, the two groups can reach more people and amplify their messages, activists say.



"What we both realize is we're stronger when we operate together," Fells said.



Fight for $15 has helped raise the minimum wage in places like New York and Washington. The Black Lives Matter movement grew largely out of the protests over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a white officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. The organization has demanded police reforms and an end to killings of unarmed black people.



Fight for $15 and Black Lives first came together in Ferguson. The nearly all-black workforce at the neighborhood McDonald's had been on strike before Brown was killed. After Brown's death, those workers used their organizing skills to protest police department practices.



In a controversial 1967 speech titled "Beyond Vietnam," King made a radical shift in his message, speaking out about the triple evils of war, racism and capitalism and linking economic and racial inequality. That same year, the civil rights leader launched his Poor People's Campaign to address disparities in employment and housing.



"We're not simply remembering his assassination," said the Rev. William Barber II, who will lead the Memphis protest. "We're remembering why he was there and reimagining that for the 21st century. Dr. King was connecting black and white poverty and saying black and white poor people need to be allies."



Asha Ransby-Sporn, national organizing chair with the Black Youth Project 100, one of dozens of Black Lives groups that are taking part in the protests, said police harassment and the routine treatment of blacks as criminals are among the biggest barriers to economic justice for black Americans.



Broadening the coalition, as King attempted, is important, she said.



"We can't fight on any of these fronts without fighting on all of them," Ransby-Sporn said.



Terrence Wise, a $9.50-an-hour McDonald's employee and Fight for $15 organizer in Kansas City, Missouri, plans to take part in the April 4 protest there.



"It's one thing to be able to make a living wage, but to go home from work and be harassed by the police or treated differently in our communities, or discriminated against in the workplace ... I need to be treated as a human being," Wise said. "They're one and the same fight."
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 23, 2017, prior to the start of the committee's confirmation hearing for Agriculture Secretary-designate Sonny Perdue. Roberts apologized Thursday for a comment that appeared to disparage the need for mammograms. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)

It's a common question among those decrying the cost of health insurance: Why should you have to purchase a plan that covers procedures you won't ever need? Especially if, say, you're a guy, and your plan covers maternity care - as Obamacare requires most plans sold through an exchange to do?

It's also a philosophy in conservative circles gaining momentum as Republicans try to deconstruct Obamacare: Everyone should have to pay for their own unique health. But it's a philosophy that, when phrased the wrong way by the wrong person, can go terribly wrong.

Advertisement

On Thursday, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., was asked by Talking Points Memo reporter Alice Ollstein if he supports a proposal being floated by conservatives to stop requiring plans to get rid of Obamacare's minimum coverage requirements. His response:

"I asked Sen. Roberts if he supports scrapping Essential Health Benefits. 'I wouldn't want to lose my mammograms,' he snarked. #AHCA," Ollstein tweeted.

Advertisement

In which a male Senator tells me he's ok cutting Essential Health Benefits by joking that he doesn't need mammograms https://t.co/4H35IP9qMy pic.twitter.com/tBQuHNfDts  Alice Miranda Ollstein (@AliceOllstein) March 23, 2017

Roberts, perhaps recognizing that he just appeared to disparage a medical procedure that the American Cancer Society suggests all women over 45 should get, almost immediately apologized.

Here's what he said in a separate statement to The Fix: "I deeply regret my comments on such an important topic. I know several individuals whose lives have been saved by mammograms, and I recognize how essential they are to women's health. I never intended to indicate otherwise, and I apologize for my comments."

(Worth noting: Men also get breast cancer.)

At issue here is what the 2010 Affordable Care Act deems "essential benefits," or benefits so essential all insurance companies have to cover them. They include things like doctor visits, ambulance rides, prescription drugs - and maternity care.

Republicans are considering slashing those essential benefits at the request of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Democrats say that would slash plans into bare-bones plans. But if consumers want to buy bare-bone plans, they should be able to, argue conservatives.

But framing that debate in a gender-oriented way has felled several male lawmakers recently. Earlier this month, as the struggling Obamacare replacement bill was being debated in committee, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., asked this:

Rep. John Shimkus (Ill.) asks why men should have to pay for prenatal coverage during a debate about the Republicans' Affordable Care Act revision plan in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. March 9, 2017. (C-SPAN) (Chicago Tribune)

"What about men having to purchase prenatal care?" Shimkus said. "I'm just . . . is that not correct?" Shimkus said. "And should they?"

In a town hall earlier this week, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, R, made a joke about essential benefits:

Advertisement

"I don't need maternity benefits because I don't expect I'll be expecting," Bevin said. "Truth be told, I don't think I'm alone in thinking that. There are women who frankly don't want to pay for procedures they're never going to need either."

It isn't just Republican men who cringe at the idea of having to buy a plan that covers pregnancy. President Donald Trump's chief for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Seema Verma, recently said she doesn't think women should all universally have maternity coverage: "Some women might want maternity coverage, and some women might not want it or feel that they need it."

The debate over essential benefits is a long-standing one, and, for many conservatives, an important one. But these less-than-tactful lawmakers risk oversimplifying it, health-care expert Nancy Metcalf explained in a 2013 column in consumerreports.org:

"Health insurance, like all insurance, works by pooling risks. The healthy subsidize the sick, who could be somebody else this year and you next year. Those risks include any kind of health care a person might need from birth to death - prenatal care through hospice. No individual is likely to need all of it, but we will all need some of it eventually.

"So, as a middle-aged childless man you resent having to pay for maternity care or kids' dental care. Shouldn't turnabout be fair play? Shouldn't pregnant women and kids be able to say, "Fine, but in that case why should we have to pay for your Viagra, or prostate cancer tests, or the heart attack and high blood pressure you are many times more likely to suffer from than we are?" Once you start down that road, it's hard to know where to stop. If you slice and dice risks, eventually you don't have a risk pool at all, and the whole idea of insurance falls apart."
The Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, would draw on Medicare's financially distressed trust fund to put money back in the pockets of some of the country's richest people.

Republicans would repeal the Medicare tax, a 0.9 percent surcharge on annual salaries of at least $200,000 for individual taxpayers or $250,000 for married couples. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that over a decade, repealing the tax would forego $117 billion that those wealthy households are currently expected to pay into the trust fund, which is used to cover the costs of health care for elderly Americans.

Repealing the tax would put the fund into "crisis mode," said Andrew Slavitt, a former acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Barack Obama. Slavitt said the fund could be exhausted as soon as 2024 because of the changes, when President Donald Trump might still be in office.

Other Democratic experts joined in the criticism of the Republican plan.

"How could you possibly look out at America and decide that the problem is that rich people don't have enough money and the Medicare trust fund is too flush?" asked Jared Bernstein, who was chief economist to Vice President Joe Biden.

Lauren Blair Aronson, the Republican press secretary for the House Ways and Means Committee, argued for other solutions than taxation to Medicare's financial trouble.

"Keeping Obamacare's job-killing taxes that discourage work rather than reward it is not the answer," she said in a statement.

The Medicare tax is one of a number of taxes levied under the Affordable Care Act that Republicans would repeal retroactively in the revised version of their bill. These taxes primarily fall on wealthy households and the health-care industry. For instance, the list includes fees on insurance companies, prescription and over-the-counter medication, and medical devices.

If the tax is not repealed, Medicare's trustees predict that the fund will be exhausted in 2028. Should the fund run out, Medicare would have to rely solely on the money that the Internal Revenue Service withholds from each new paycheck, which would be enough to cover only about 87 percent of its beneficiaries' medical expenses going forward, per the projections.

Aronson said that GOP lawmakers had described their plan for improving Medicare's finances last year in a white paper produced by House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and his colleagues.

That document calls for converting Medicare benefits into a system of coupons that recipients could use to purchase private plans. Those in or near retirement, according to the GOP proposal, would have the option of taking Medicare as it exists now. (The GOP plan refers to this reform as "premium support." Slavitt called this kind of system "vouchers," using the term favored by opponents.)

The document also criticizes the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for reducing reimbursements to hospitals and clinics for treating patients on Medicare.

Those reductions should save Medicare about $802 billion over a decade, according to the CBO. The authors of the GOP white paper repeatedly called that ACA provision a "raid," arguing that the reduced payments would discourage doctors from taking patients with Medicare. The GOP bill to undo the ACA, however, would maintain those reductions.

Republicans had initially planned to repeal the surtax beginning next year, but in a series of changes to their bill to undo Obamacare GOP lawmakers announced Monday, the tax would be repealed retroactively to Jan. 1.

The rich, however, already have been paying the Medicare tax in the weeks since the beginning of the year. Employees pay the Medicare tax with every new paycheck, when the amount they owe is withheld from their paychecks.

As a result, that retroactive provision will require the government to refund those taxpayers on the payments they have made. The details of how those affluent taxpayers will be refunded are not specifically addressed in Republicans' amendment to their legislation.

Ed Kleinbard, a legal scholar at the University of Southern California, said that if Republicans are concerned about the political implications of withdrawing money from the trust fund to refund the rich, lawmakers could add a provision to instead pay back those taxpayers using general revenue.
Bill Clinton tried to fix America's health care problems and was shot down by Congress. Barack Obama got his solution enacted only to find most people didn't like it. Republicans who voted repeatedly to repeal Obamacare and replace it with something far better have found it fiendishly hard to agree on how.

It could be that our health care problems don't get solved because of partisanship, incompetence, corruption or dishonesty among our elected officials. Or it could be because those problems are not soluble.

Advertisement

Oh, some of them can be solved, for sure. But not all at once, and not within the constraints of our political environment. We have trouble accepting that. So we muddle along with a system that is riddled with flaws and causes a lot of dissatisfaction.

The changing perceptions of the Affordable Care Act are a marvel to behold. It was so controversial that it barely got through Congress in 2010. Long before it was fully implemented, it was unpopular, and it mostly remained so.

Advertisement

Republicans ran against it with great success in the congressional elections in 2010 and 2014, and Donald Trump won last year after calling it a "disaster" that he would repeal and replace with something "much better and much less expensive." As one of Ernest Hemingway's characters said, "Isn't it pretty to think so?"

But something shocking happened on the path to the repeal of Obamacare: It began to look better. In the latest poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 49 percent of Americans said they liked it, the highest figure since 2010, and just 44 percent didn't, down from 53 percent in 2014.

What accounts for the shift in sentiment? One factor is that when it comes to their health care, Americans nurse a deep distrust of change. They may not be satisfied with what they have, but they assume anything different will be worse.

Another is that a lot of them really didn't know what the ACA did but disliked it because they associated it with a president they opposed. Given that Obama's approval rating hovered around 50 percent for most of his second term, it's not surprising that his signature initiative evoked widespread disdain, particularly among Republicans.

Stubborn ignorance plays a role. An NPR/Ipsos poll in January found that more than half of Americans didn't realize that the number of people with health insurance rose under Obamacare. One in three mistakenly thought it put restrictions on end-of-life care  remember the "death panels"?

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 27 House Speaker Paul Ryan leaves after telling the news media that he has pulled the health-care overhaul bill, Friday, March 24, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Speaking about the failure of the bill: Ryan said: "We came really close today, but we came up short." (Cliff Owen / AP)

The ACA also clashed with intractable preferences. It forced individuals to purchase insurance. It meant more government interference in private markets. It expanded a major entitlement, Medicaid. It required new taxes. It didn't reduce total health care expenses for most people. All of these features grated.

And Americans are not slaves to logic or consistency. Opposition to this massive federal program has been particularly high among seniors  most of whom are covered by that massive federal program known as Medicare. The implicit attitude: Big government for me, but not for thee.

Only lately has it occurred to many detractors that the ACA also has elements that they would rather not surrender  such as allowing young adults to stay on their parents' policies until age 26, barring exclusions for pre-existing conditions, mandating free preventive care, giving subsidies to moderate- and low-income people and expanding eligibility for Medicaid.

Advertisement

Trump has led voters to believe they can have all the stuff they want and none of the stuff they resent. But neither he nor anyone else has found a plausible way to accomplish that.

The mournful realities are inescapable. If you remove the individual mandate, you allow younger and healthier people to opt out, which would mean higher premiums for older and sicker ones. If you cut the cost of Medicaid, you leave a lot of poorer Americans without coverage, forced to rely on expensive emergency room care. If you eliminate the taxes, you raise the federal deficit.

You can't have it all. Our aversion to this simple truism has yielded a dubious achievement: Compared with other Western nations, we have more people without insurance, spend far more of our national income on health care and are less happy with our system. That's what you get when you resist fundamental tradeoffs.

Americans who want a solution that has no downside don't really want a solution. Not to worry: They won't get one.

Steve Chapman, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/chapman.

schapman@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @SteveChapman13
In a matter of days, time will run out on a plan that could cut down on commuting times, pave the way for even less traffic congestion, and potentially give taxpayers a break.

For reasons that remain unclear, the General Assembly has ignored the Illinois Department of Transportation's I-55 managed lanes project, and the cost of doing nothing has the potential to harm the state's ability to do business for years to come.

Advertisement

The I-55 managed lanes proposal would add an express toll lane between the Veterans Memorial Tollway in the southwest suburbs and the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago. The corridor accommodates 170,000 vehicles a day, but is expected to handle 250,000 by 2040. With 10 hours of congestion a day, the situation on I-55 is bad and getting worse.

Under the current concept, the free lanes remain free. The tolled lane would be available to those who want to use it, while freeing up capacity in the regular lanes. Another element would add dynamic pricing in the toll lanes, which would allow tolls to rise and fall depending on demand at various times of day, helping to "manage" congestion.

Advertisement

The end result would build reliability into an expressway system that badly needs it.

Once capacity is added to I-55, IDOT's vision is for the expressway to be used as a reliever while similar improvements are planned and made on Chicago's Eisenhower, aka Interstate 290, another major artery in need of upgrading.

But at IDOT, we simply do not have the resources to take on a project of this size and magnitude, estimated to cost more than $400 million just in construction alone. It's a dilemma faced by every state, as gas taxes  a primary source of funding for road improvements  have stayed flat for years while construction costs increase.

That's where the members of the General Assembly need to do their job.

Like other states, such as Texas, Florida and California, Illinois has laid the groundwork to invest in its infrastructure under public-private partnerships. On I-55, private investors would pay for the cost of construction and likely cover future maintenance and operations costs, in exchange for a portion of the toll revenue.

Under rules established in 2011 by the General Assembly, the one thing standing in the way for Illinois to proceed is a joint resolution by the House and Senate so IDOT can start listening to proposals from investors.

That is, just to get the OK to begin the procurement process and entertain proposals. If there are no solid proposals, IDOT cannot move forward.

Despite the interest from the investment community and the mounting travel times felt by commuters, the Illinois General Assembly has refused to vote on a joint resolution for almost a year.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, the clock ticks. Without a vote by April 1, the project no longer is feasible for the private sector. Investors will walk away. The cost to pursue this project in the future will only increase.

But the consequences for Illinois are bigger than just this one project.

Investment dollars are spent where doing so makes sense.

Environments where there is opportunity, innovation and a focus on results get attention and, as a result, an infusion of funding that creates jobs and grows the economy. Those marked by dysfunction and stuck in the status quo do not.

If we continue to thumb our noses at the interest from experienced developers wanting to invest in Illinois, those opportunities become less frequent and more expensive.

Without this means to invest in our infrastructure, the delivery of goods and services becomes more and more unreliable. Travel times increase. Businesses start to look elsewhere to grow.

Advertisement

A multimodal transportation system is the asset that separates Illinois from its competitors. While the General Assembly stays on the sidelines, Illinois is in danger once again of being left behind.

Randy Blankenhorn is the secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Related articles:

High occupancy toll lanes could break the Eisenhower Expressway logjam

Is the Skyway worth the five bucks?

Ashland Avenue deadliest Chicago street for pedestrians, statistics show

Advertisement

High-speed rail to O'Hare? Slow down, Mayor Emanuel
The Republican theft of the Supreme Court proceeded apace this week. By any rational measure, we should be in the middle of Merrick Garland's first year on the Supreme Court. Republicans' unprecedented refusal to even give Garland a confirmation hearing would be reason enough for Democrats to filibuster President Donald Trump's nominee, Neil Gorsuch. But even if circumstances were normal, Democrats should be eager to filibuster Gorsuch anyway.

Judge Gorsuch's record suggests Justice Gorsuch would favor powerful interests over regular people  perpetuating a system that voters oppose.

A survey of Gorsuch's record shows that when he has broken with his colleagues, it is usually to favor businesses over workers.

He dissented in the "frozen trucker" case, where the majority agreed that a company could not fire a driver for unhitching his cargo to search for help in subzero temperatures. In his dissent, Gorsuch argued that protections for a worker "refusing to operate his vehicle" in unsafe conditions did not cover unhitching a trailer.

In 2011, he dissented from a ruling to affirm a Labor Department fine of a company that had not offered adequate safety training to a worker, which resulted in the worker's death by electrocution. Just last year, he argued in a dissent that the National Labor Relations Board could not order $100,000 in back pay for hospital workers whose hours had been illegally reduced.

It's no surprise then that Gorsuch's writings show a broad preference for corporations over consumers and regulators. Not only would he overturn the Chevron decision  which requires courts to defer to agencies' interpretations of statutes  but he supports a return to 1930s-era limits on the power of those agencies. This would jump-start Stephen Bannon's "deconstruction of the administrative state."

He has also been critical of class-action lawsuits as a litigation method and appears to follow Justice Antonin Scalia's footsteps in favoring businesses' growing use of arbitration clauses in contracts and user agreements to sidestep consumer protection laws. Taken together, Gorsuch's views would strip away key protections for American workers and consumers, especially minorities and the poor.

Gorsuch's record cuts against Americans' civil rights as well. He was part of a ruling against a transgender woman whose employer had barred her from using the women's restroom for "safety reasons." He dissented from a ruling blocking Utah's governor from withholding Planned Parenthood's federal funding. And a Stanford Law Review summary of his record on civil rights cases said, "Gorsuch has erected and heightened hurdles for civil rights plaintiffs."

Let there be no mistake: Despite his protestations that there are no Republican or "Democrat" judges, Gorsuch was deliberately chosen for his legal and political views. According to The New York Times, Trump gave "wide discretion" in building a list of Supreme Court nominees to leaders from the conservative Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. The "more public part of the push" for Gorsuch has been run by Carrie Severino, chief counsel for the Judicial Crisis Network, which has ties to the Koch donor network. Gorsuch is "their first test case" for remaking the judicial branch.

If Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to "go nuclear," Democrats should force him to do it on ground of their choosing. The 2016 election showed that voters on both sides are fed up with a system that they feel ignores their voices. Gorsuch would be another vote on the court to preserve that system. Democrats on the Judiciary Committee such as Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have done a good job attacking Gorsuch on his corporate-friendly record. Now it's up to the broader caucus to follow through.

There is no doubt that, by traditional standards, Gorsuch is qualified for the Supreme Court. But the "qualified" standard went out the window when Republicans ignored the even-more-qualified Merrick Garland. Moreover, a bad ruling's real-world impact is not lessened because justices had the right "qualifications."

Simply put, Gorsuch on the Supreme Court will be bad for ordinary Americans. Democrats are right to want this fight.
This week, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch took the hot seat and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. If confirmed, he will be one of only 113 people to sit on the high court since it was established in 1789.

Why have so few people had this honor? Because the Constitution effectively grants life tenure to justices.

Advertisement

Nonetheless, legal scholars and political scientists increasingly question whether life tenure remains a good idea. Our Supreme Court justices are serving longer and longer terms; presidents have incentives to choose younger and younger nominees; and the justices themselves appear to delay retirement in the hope of having an ideologically compatible president select their replacements. Moreover, the confirmation process has become increasingly contentious, culminating last year in Senate Republicans refusing to even grant a hearing to President Barack Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland.

As a result, many scholars propose a shift to staggered 18-year terms. What are the pros and cons of such a change? Here's a breakdown.

Advertisement

What would be good about 18-year terms?

First, term limits could make appointments less politically fraught. Our research shows that selecting Supreme Court nominees has always been political. That's not a bad thing. Having elected officials select Supreme Court justices ensures that, over time, the Supreme Court's decisions do not get too far out of step with U.S. public opinion. Such indirect public accountability probably is essential in a system like ours, where our justices are charged with deciding how words written hundreds of years ago will apply to contemporary situations.

But when the nation's politics are polarized, partisan antagonism can shut down the entire system, as happened with Garland's nomination. Staggered 18-year terms could help prevent that, lowering the stakes for each nomination while retaining an appropriate level of democratic accountability. When fully implemented, 18-year terms would evenly distribute appointments so that each president would nominate two justices per term, with a midyear election falling in between. Vacancies would be predictable and evenly paced, draining confirmation hearings of much of the current drama. If a sitting justice dies or needs to step down before his or her expected resignation date, the seat could be temporarily filled by a lower court judge or a retired one, drawn from a pool and sitting by designation.

Second, by tying appointments more predictably to each election's results, this system would actually increase the Supreme Court's democratic accountability. Numerous studies have found that justices over time "drift" from the ideological preferences of the governing coalition that appointed them. More-frequent turnover would reduce this drift. The court's views would better reflect the choices of the American people, rather than the vagaries of chance and time.

One of the major problems with life tenure is that justices serve for so long that they can become out of touch with the nation they help lead. Staggered 18-year terms minimize this risk.

Finally, term limits could increase the quality of Supreme Court nominees. Like it or not, one of the driving factors behind current presidential appointments is a nominee's age. Individuals older than about 60 years of age are unlikely to be appointed. (Garland, age 63 at the time of his nomination, was likely picked in part in hopes that his relatively advanced age would reduce opposition to his appointment.) This means presidents are intentionally excluding a sizable number of highly qualified individuals from serving on the Supreme Court. Term limits solve this problem.

And what would be bad about 18-year terms?

First, term limits may hurt judicial independence. One of the chief arguments against term limits is that life tenure frees the justices from political or popular pressure. Justices are not elected officials, and we don't want them to respond too much to the passing passions of ordinary politics. We also don't want them to worry too much about post-Supreme Court careers. Shorter terms could prompt justices to think too much about how their votes play in the arena of public opinion, or  worse  how they may limit or help future earnings.

Advertisement

Second, the Supreme Court's legitimacy might be threatened by shorter terms. Life tenure enables the justices to interpret and apply the Constitution exactly the way they see fit, without considering pressure or repercussions.

Third, staggered 18-year terms could not eliminate all risk of political gamesmanship.

The final argument against term limits may be the most important: They may be impossible to implement. Creating legally enforceable Supreme Court term limits would almost certainly require amending the Constitution. That's unlikely to happen any time soon. Any solution short of a constitutional amendment would require getting justices and senators to agree to change the norms and customs governing retirement and confirmation. In other words, they would have to voluntarily agree to play by a new set of rules. Given the state of politics today, that may be too much to ask.

Washington Post

Lori A. Ringhand is the associate dean for academic affairs and a law professor at the University of Georgia School of Law. Paul M. Collins is a professor of political science and director of legal studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They are the authors of "Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings and Constitutional Change."
The moon rises over open road in Big Bend Ranch State Park along the U.S.-Mexico border near Presidio, Texas. The Rio Grande runs alongside the park, forming the border between the United States and Mexico. (John Moore / Getty Images)

"And there, my friends," declared our guide, gesturing out at a sprawling mountain view, "is where we will soon see The Great Wall of Trump."

Everyone laughed. Then we stared. We were in West Texas, high in the Chinati Mountains  yes, Virginia, there are mountains in Texas  and it was hard to imagine a giant wall smack dab in the middle of that fantastic view. But there it was, in the thick of rugged desert beauty few Americans trek out to see: a gigantic, imaginary line, primed, if our enthusiastic president gets his wish, for a "big, beautiful wall."

Advertisement

On my recent trip to the Texas border, Trump Wall jokes abounded, some tinged with wizened gallows humor. How could they not? On Sunday, the White House released its initial "border wall requirements" to Fox News, and they seemed, to be charitable, a bit unrealistic: In addition to being "30 feet high" and "difficult to climb or cut through," you see, the wall must also "look good from the U.S. side."

If you didn't chortle at that last aesthetic requirement, you either have a heart of stone or have never actually seen a government-built 30-foot wall.

Advertisement

When it comes to addressing our nation's immigration problems  and, to be sure, there are many  it seems, alas, that we're content to debate in cartoonish terms. It's one thing to contemplate an all-inclusive border wall in the abstract, as many Americans far from the border do; it's quite another to actually go where the rubber will hit the road. And for more than 1,000 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, that road turns out to be a river.

Here, things get goofy: Where will the river portion of the wall go? On the Texan side of the Rio Grande, effectively blocking off river access and views? Down the middle of the river, just to be fair? Right through a hidden gem of a national park, which borders two massive Mexican conservation tracts and boasts daunting natural boundaries on either side?

The answer to that last question, at least according to a recent Department of Homeland Security report, is yes. Big Bend National Park, a Texas treasure and one of the most remote national parks in the continental U.S., hosts about 118 miles of the Rio Grande  and, thus, 118 miles of the Mexican border. It's not easy to get to Big Bend, and to get out, visitors must pass through Border Patrol checkpoints on north/south roads. The DHS report, which prices the wall at $21.6 billion, slates Big Bend for the second phase of construction.

Texas' Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has publicly opposed a wall in Big Bend, as has the area's Republican congressman, Will Hurd. Big Bend's wild, dry, imposing terrain poses its own natural barrier: In 2016, Big Bend had the fewest illegal border crossings "of any sector along the Texas border," according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Taking in the views of Big Bend, with its wild, scenic and sharp-edged mix of desert, mountains and river, the idea of a wall seems implausible. But when it comes down to fulfilling Trump's biggest presidential campaign promise, political expediency may make the park  far-flung and generally little-known  a target.

"The biggest challenge to Trump's timeline (for building the wall) is going to be the fact that Texas, where there are currently 110 miles of wall on our 1,200-mile border, is almost entirely private property," the Sierra Club's Scott Nicol told the Statesman. "Land condemnation suits will take years, but Big Bend National Park and some remaining tracts of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge down here are federally owned."

Eminent-domain battles over private land, in other words, are neither pretty nor popular. If push comes to shove, building on federal lands such as Big Bend might quickly become the path of least political resistance. We've already seen phase one of the wall's cynical politics  the muddy question of who will pay for it  fly off into the winds and down the memory hole. What surprises, it seems fair to ask, will come next?

Whatever their feelings about Trump's stances on immigration, it seems unlikely that most Americans would object to practical, nonwall measures to beef up border security in Texas' biggest national park. But Trump promised a big, impenetrable and somehow mysteriously beautiful wall. Whether we'll get a symbolic, ineffective and park-marring wall instead remains to be seen.

Advertisement

National Review

Heather Wilhelm is a National Review columnist and a senior contributor to The Federalist.
A sign warns drivers that they may be traveling in the wrong direction onto the exit ramps at Wilson Ave. off of the Edens Expressway in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

In 2015, more than 10,000 people died in this country in crashes involving drunken drivers. One of them was Chicago Ridge police Officer Steven Smith, who was off-duty and riding in a car that was struck head-on by an impaired driver going the wrong way on the Tri-State Tollway. That driver, 22-year-old Sara Lopez, was sentenced to five years in prison for aggravated DUI.

If an Illinois legislator has his way, the next such offender will get a stiffer sentence. Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, has introduced legislation to make wrong-way driving an aggravating factor in determining sentences for motorists impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Advertisement

Mothers Against Drunk Driving of Illinois has endorsed this step on the grounds that in Illinois, "the punishment doesn't fit the crime for DUIs." Executive Director Sam Canzoneri notes that over the past decade, there have been more than 50 fatalities caused by impaired wrong-way drivers in this state, on top of some 300 injuries.

It's true that no penalty seems adequate for the needless carnage caused by drunken drivers. But the logic behind this proposal is hard to follow.

Advertisement

Under existing law, Lopez could have been imprisoned for as many as 14 years. The judge who presided over her case decided that given everything that was known, the maximum punishment was not appropriate.

Even had he been required to treat her wrong-way travel as an aggravating factor, he might well have imposed the same sentence. In Illinois, anyone convicted of aggravated DUI must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence  meaning Lopez will be locked up for at least four years and three months.

There's also the question of why wrong-way driving should be singled out for more severe penalties. After all, the change wouldn't make drunken drivers more careful. Someone with a sky-high blood alcohol content can't think clearly enough to adjust her route accordingly. Nor is a wrong-way driver's guilt obviously graver than that of a drunken driver who kills someone after rear-ending a vehicle or running another car off the road. Impersonal as it sounds, the driver is at fault regardless, and the victim is deceased regardless.

The Tribune has long favored measures to prevent and punish drunken driving. We supported the 1997 legislation reducing the BAC level for DUI from 0.10 to 0.08. We favor requiring interlock devices on the cars of all first offenders to prevent recidivism. But we don't see how treating wrong-way drivers more severely than other DUI offenders would save lives.

There are better ways to reduce the number of these fatalities. A 2014 report commissioned by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Center for Transportation recommended improving signage, traffic signals and highway design to minimize the chance that drivers will make dangerous errors. It also suggested in-road sensors and video cameras to alert police when someone is going against traffic.

None of these changes, of course, would keep every drunk from entering an exit ramp. But they could prevent some impaired drivers from making such mistakes  and eliminate a lot of wrong-way driving by motorists who are merely elderly, inexperienced or distracted. Reducing highway fatalities is a goal everyone shares. But when it comes to saving lives, this legislation is a blind alley.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
The Keystone XL pipeline, which would stretch over 1,200 miles and cost $8 billion, is a big project that has faced many hurdles. One of those was removed Friday when President Donald Trump gave the go-ahead for its construction.

Unfortunately, it's also a big symbol for those who want to phase out the use of fossil fuels as soon as possible. That's a shame, because the pipeline will make little if any difference in the amount of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere. Environmental groups would do better to save their ammunition to fight more consequential changes the administration is expected to pursue, such as rolling back federal regulations to limit coal burning and methane emissions.

Advertisement

President Barack Obama blocked construction of Keystone in 2015, claiming it would aggravate global warming and undercut American leadership on the issue. But a State Department review in 2013 found the effects would be minimal.

The Canadian tar sands oil it would carry is likely to be extracted and burned regardless. But from an environmental and public safety standpoint, the risks of moving petroleum in pipelines are lower than the risks of carrying it on rail cars and trucks through populated areas.

Advertisement

The jobs that would be created, estimated at some 40,000, are not to be sneezed at just because most of them are temporary. In the modern economy, no job lasts forever.

Trump's decision hardly assures completion. It merely gives the pipeline a chance to stand on its economic merits. Oil prices have fallen since it was first planned, though, dampening demand for the relatively expensive tar sands oil. "Statoil and Total, two European energy giants, have abandoned their production projects," reports The New York Times. "In recent weeks, Royal Dutch Shell agreed to sell most of its tar sands assets."

The pipeline faces other impediments. TransCanada, the company behind it, says it still has to obtain various approvals in Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota. Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, vows to "defeat this pipeline in the courts and in the court of public opinion."

But most Americans are not ready to give up petroleum just yet, and you can't use oil unless you can get it from producer to consumer. It would make far more sense to impose a tax on carbon dioxide emissions, which would promote conservation by raising prices.

Stopping the pipeline, by contrast, would be unlikely to reduce the output of greenhouse gases. There are already 2.5 million miles of oil and gas pipelines running across the United States. What's so special about this tiny addition to that vast network?

The same can be said for the Dakota Access pipeline, which was the target of an extended protest by Native American tribes, particularly the Standing Rock Sioux, which saw it as a threat to their sacred lands. But the pipeline, which would terminate in southern Illinois, doesn't actually cross the Standing Rock reservation, and a federal court this month declined to stop construction after concluding that the lawsuit alleging a violation of religious freedom was not likely to succeed.

Pipelines are generally the safest and most efficient way to move oil. Until such time as it's no longer needed for the functioning of the U.S. and world economies, they ought to have priority. For the moment, at least, it appears they do.
Can a heavily Democratic state plagued by slow growth, crippled by a pension crisis and burdened by ruinous public-sector finances find a path to economic stability and success? Yes, if we're talking about scrappy Rhode Island. Not at all sure, if we're talking Illinois.

The comparison is apt, despite Rhode Island's tiny size. Both states have strong manufacturing traditions and great locations (Illinois a Midwest hub, Rhode Island a crossroads between Boston and New York). But what they share above all is the experience of gasping for breath.

Advertisement

We contemplated their common crisis in 2012 when we met Rhode Island's then-treasurer, Gina Raimondo. Our interest was piqued because in 2011 she'd succeeded in convincing residents of her state that its future was imperiled. Unless Rhode Islanders reformed their pension system, the portion of each taxpayer dollar required to support pensions would rise to 20 percent. Whoa, that sounded ominous, we thought. So glad Rhode Island pulled back from the precipice. Then we ran the numbers for Illinois and, guess what, our state was about to hit that 20 percent mark. The share now is even higher: It takes a quarter of Illinois spending to prop up a pension scheme that's crushed under some $130 billion in liabilities for which there's no money.

In Rhode Island, Raimondo, who is a Democrat, won her battle via a truth-telling campaign. "This is about math, not politics," she told us. The state raised retiree ages for its workers, tied cost-of-living adjustments to investment returns and the funding level of the pension system, and replaced some guaranteed pension benefits with a 401(k)-style plan. The deal included no tax increases. Time magazine called Rhode Island "The Little State that Could."

Advertisement

Today? Rhode Island, a longtime economic laggard, is hiring. The jobless rate in February was 4.5 percent, now below the national rate of 4.7 percent. Big companies are moving to Providence. And Raimondo, a venture capitalist and Rhodes scholar, is now governor. By the way, Illinois' unemployment rate in February was 5.4 percent.

When Raimondo is pitching businesses on Rhode Island, she can brag about some of the same things as an Illinois booster (Pivotal location! Great R&D!). But there's a big promise Raimondo can make that Gov. Bruce Rauner of teetering Illinois can't match: "I'm not going to raise your taxes, and you can believe me." That's what Raimondo said in a visit last fall with The Wall Street Journal during a jobs-recruiting visit to New York. "Rhode Island is on the move again," she added. "I want businesses to know that."

We wish Rauner could travel the country and make a pitch like that. But having failed to reform state finances during the dozen years when Illinois had Democratic governors, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly in Springfield is locked in a death embrace with the Republican Rauner. The governor says he won't ask citizens for more tax dollars without companion reforms to how the public sector operates; the Democrats' evident agenda is to let Illinois further disintegrate and point to that as a reason to oust Rauner in November 2018. Nobody knows how, or whether, the stalemate ends. Not a great recruiting story in that.

One big distinction: Rhode Island had more freedom to change pension benefits than the Illinois Constitution allows. Are Illinois legislators passing an array of pension reform plans and hoping the state courts declare one version constitutional? No, mostly the Illinois pols bicker.

In Rhode Island, by contrast, the ruling Democrats and minority Republicans had a will and found a way. That is, they cared enough about their state, its future and its people to do more than posture for the next election. Now little Rhode Island has momentum.

In Illinois, though, there's no momentum, no bold play for balanced budgets and economic growth.

In Illinois, the only game is blame.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.

Advertisement

Related articles:

Judge: Move state lawmaker pay to front of long line of unpaid bills

Congress can solve Illinois' pension crisis

Salvaging a Senate compromise: Can pension reform and CPS funding coexist?

Can budget deal ever get done with Rauner, Madigan at the table?
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus at the White House on Wednesday. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

Given the chance, President Donald Trump can really turn on the charm.

"Throughout my campaign, I pledged to focus on improving conditions for African-American citizens," he said before a closed-door meeting with leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus in the White House on Wednesday. "This means more to me than anybody would understand or know."

Advertisement

Indeed. Candidate Trump did not always make that "focus" easy to know or understand. His orations on "inner cities" usually painted a dystopian vision of urban "carnage" and hopelessness that teetered between pity and demonization. His best argument for African-Americans to vote for him, repeated often on the campaign trail was, "What do you have to lose?"

Yet this meeting was remarkable not for what it accomplished, which reportedly wasn't much more than a get-acquainted chat, but that it happened at all.

Advertisement

It grew out of an awkward incident in February during Trump's 77-minute news conference. April Ryan, a black reporter with the American Urban Radio Networks, asked the president if he was going to meet with the congressional black and Hispanic caucuses and he immediately asked her if she would set up the meeting  as if that were a proper role for a reporter to play.

Trump didn't sound like he knew what "CBC" stood for, but Ryan helped him out.

CBC member Rep. Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, said later that he detected "an element of disrespect" in Trump's comment. He wasn't alone. But in the spirit of the CBC motto, "Black people have no permanent friends, no permanent enemies  just permanent interests," the news conference episode led to Wednesday's meeting at the White House.

Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, the CBC's chairman, was joined by Clyburn and five other members of the organization's executive board: Reps. Karen Bass of California, Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, Brenda Lawrence of Michigan, Andre Carson of Indiana and Anthony G. Brown of Maryland  all Democrats.

They presented the president with a 130-page policy memo titled with a response to Trump's campaign question: "We Have A Lot to Lose."

The policy memo offers a broad list of the CBC's priorities, predictably geared to a New Deal liberalism at odds with Trump's new brand of post-Reagan conservative populism. Yet CBC leaders told reporters afterward that there are areas on which both parties can work together, such as Trump's proposed infrastructure repair projects and aid to fight high homicide rates in cities such as Chicago, one of the president's favorite urban talking points.

Yet I could not help but notice how much the relationship between Trump and other Washington players, including black congressional Democrats, has changed. The White House meeting took place while House Republicans were trying in vain to hammer out an Obamacare replacement bill on which they could agree in a vote that they eventually canceled.

What a difference an election makes. Suddenly it is Trump who is trying to do what President Barack Obama failed to do: Win cooperation from Republicans who don't think his health care goals are conservative enough.

Advertisement

In another significant coincidence on the day of Trump's CBC meeting, the Brookings Institution announced a new follow-up to a 2015 report by two Princeton University professors, Anne Case and Angus Deaton, that made global headlines after documenting a shocking rise in the proportion of white non-Hispanic Americans dying in middle age.

In a finding that matches the national conversation about the uprising of Trump voters, Case and Deaton found that midlife mortality rates continue to fall among all education classes in most of the rich world  except for middle-aged non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. with a high school diploma or less.

Non-college whites have experienced increasing midlife mortality since the late 1990s at such a high rate, say Case and Denton, that their mortality rates have grown from being 30 percent lower than those of African-Americans in 1999 to become 30 percent higher than blacks in 2015.

Add that to the growing body of evidence that non-college whites in particular have been passed over by today's global economic change and we can see the income inequality and other problems on the CBC agenda are by no means limited to blacks only.

With that in mind, Trump might find the report from the CBC, which likes to call itself "the conscience of the Congress," to be helpful in bringing struggling people of all races together around our shared economic challenges  if he ever gets around to reading it.

Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage.

Advertisement

cpage@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @cptime
In a breakdown of the citys police disciplinary system, Chicago officers found at fault for misconduct have escaped punishment for years because authorities lost track of their cases, a Tribune investigation has found. (Jonathon Berlin, Jodi C. Cohen, Jennifer Smith Richards/Chicago Tribune)

In a stunning breakdown of the city's police disciplinary system, Chicago officers found at fault for misconduct have escaped punishment for years because authorities lost track of their cases, a Tribune investigation has found.

That means an officer who beat his officer wife and threatened to steal her gun kept working, unpunished, eight years after the incident. Another officer who used his police powers to harass his estranged wife remained on patrol, as has a detective who went on a loud, expletive-laden rant about his dress shoes after a solemn honor guard ceremony.

Advertisement

All of the officers were found to have committed misconduct years ago and were ordered suspended. That, in itself, is a rare outcome of Chicago's notoriously lax police oversight investigations. But the Tribune  which has been untangling these old cases for several months  found that even after punishments were recommended, years passed and none was served because the Police Department and the city agency that investigates officer misconduct lost cases in their startlingly disjointed system.

Guilty, but forgotten, the officers and their cases languished in a sort of disciplinary purgatory as officials failed to ensure that the punishments were meted out. It has happened in at least 14 cases, though disciplinary officials can't say for sure there aren't more.

Advertisement

"Nobody's minding the store. That's all," said Jon M. Shane, an associate professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York, after hearing what happened to some of Chicago's oldest disciplinary cases. "That doesn't even make sense. There's no possible way that that could happen. It just doesn't add up."

Indeed, it was only after the Tribune began asking about the cases that officials realized a problem existed. Suspensions that had paused for years have started to move forward.

Locke Bowman,executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

"It is obviously administrative carelessness and it's not good," said Locke Bowman, executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law. "Discipline has to be sure and certain. ... The last thing you want to have is administrative carelessness contributing to the problems in a system that is chock-full of problems."

In interviews with the Tribune, police officials acknowledged a breakdown in the system and vowed to do better.

The Independent Police Review Authority  the agency that investigates allegations of police misconduct  said it has not had a system for tracking cases after its investigations are complete and sent to the Police Department for a review, so IPRA relies on the department to notify it when a punishment has been finalized.

"There was a system and infrastructure failure on both sides," said IPRA spokeswoman Mia Sissac. "Our priority now is to create a system where this issue does not exist and there is no way a mess like this can be created."

The Police Department, too, said it is developing a plan to electronically manage misconduct complaints. Discipline cases have been kept in paper files, making it difficult to quickly check a case status. The department has failed at times to let the oversight agency know when an officer's appeal was complete, records show. Without that information, IPRA could not close pending cases and alert the department's finance division that discipline should be served.

There was a system and infrastructure failure on both sides. Our priority now is to create a system where this issue does not exist.  Mia Sissac, IPRA spokeswoman

"While a lot of progress has been made over the past year, we recognize there is still more work to do to ensure swift and certain discipline," police spokesman Frank Giancamilli said.

Advertisement

One officer, two suspensions delayed

For Officer Maurice Anderson, two suspensions for assaulting his wife fell through the cracks.

In the first case, which took place in October 2008, Anderson was found to have battered his wife, Officer Sharita Lewis, after she accused him of being in the basement on the phone with another woman and asked him to leave their house, records show.

He pushed her, punched her in the face and body, and choked her as he held her against a wall, she said.

Her 9-year-old son called the police.

"My stepdad is hitting my mom," the child said, according to a transcript of the call. "I need you here ASAP."

Advertisement

Photos taken by police showed scratches on her neck and bruising and swelling on her face.

Anderson, a 19-year police veteran, admitted he and his wife argued heatedly, but he said he never assaulted her, according to his interview with IPRA.

"That never occurred," he insisted. "I never touched her."

But after investigating the matter, IPRA found Lewis' account credible, determined that Anderson had lied and initially suggested he be fired, records show. That was in 2012.

By the time the case was reviewed by a chain of higher-ups in the Police Department, IPRA's firing recommendation was discarded, records show. The police superintendent at the time, Garry McCarthy, instead sought a 45-day suspension. IPRA agreed.

The case went to the Chicago Police Board, which upheld the suspension but lowered it again, this time to 30 days, noting that Anderson had won awards and that no prior complaints against him had been sustained. The board ordered that the suspension be served.

Advertisement

Chicago policeofficers particpate in agraduation and promotion ceremony in 2016. A Tribune investigation has found that officers found guilty of misconduct frequently escape punishment for years. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

But now, more than two years later  and more than eight years after the incident  it hasn't been. Anderson simultaneously had appealed his punishment in 2014 through the grievance process, and IPRA waited to hear the outcome. None came, however. The Police Board decision mooted his grievance, a police spokesman said, so IPRA was waiting for a decision that wouldn't come.

Alerted to the issue by the Tribune, IPRA sent paperwork to CPD on Dec. 29 so the department would schedule his suspension.

Lewis, who is divorced from Anderson, believed he had been punished long ago. When a Tribune reporter told her he hadn't served the suspension, she took a long pause before responding.

"Let's just say you brought tears to my eyes," she said.

Anderson did not respond to requests for comment.

Attorney Elisa Rodriguez, a former Police Board member who dissented in its decision because she thought Anderson should get a lengthier suspension, also assumed Anderson had served the suspension ordered more than two years ago.

Advertisement

"I find that troubling, and I really hope that somebody can fix it," she said.

While IPRA was investigating the battery allegation, Anderson and Lewis got into another dispute, according to the agency's records.

In July 2009, Lewis confronted her husband at a Homan Square police facility to ask about her service weapon, which he had threatened hours earlier to steal and was now missing.

"Try going to work without your gun," he told her in a phone call when he realized she wasn't home in the middle of the night, according to investigative records.

She confronted him in a police locker room, where they got into an argument and then Anderson repeatedly hit her on the side of the face, the neck, back and chest, she told an IPRA investigator during an interview nearly a year after the incident.

"I fell backwards over something that was right there in the doorway," she said during the interview, adding that they struggled over her cellphone, which had fallen to the floor. "I was holding my chest because it was hurting."

Advertisement

Anderson told investigators that Lewis was blocking the door to the locker room to prevent him from leaving, and that she hit him on the head "with some silver object" and punched him in the face. He said he brushed up against her as he tried to leave and then punched her in the chest after she hit him.

Lewis was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Both officers were temporarily relieved of their police powers, records show.

Four years later, in August 2013, IPRA determined that both officers had engaged in an "unjustified physical altercation" and that Anderson had stolen Lewis' gun. Lewis served a two-day suspension, using compensatory time, but Anderson challenged his 10-day suspension.

After unsuccessfully contesting the punishment through department channels, he initiated a grievance in 2015, records show. But he never filed the required report to follow through with the appeal. Again, IPRA waited for an outcome that was never going to come.

And the missing gun? Lewis said it was never found.

Advertisement

"That incident," she added, "was the most troubling incident of my life."

Yet, as much as it pained her to find out he had never been suspended in that case, she said the officer was entitled to due process.

"My heart says one thing, but I know the system and want it to be fair and equitable for both the victim and the officer," Lewis said. "I am OK with him getting his process. As a victim, my position is as long as he serves his time."

Earlier this month, after the Tribune asked questions, Anderson finally did serve the 10-day suspension. But, like Lewis, he didn't miss any work; he used comp time to serve the punishment. The case was closed Tuesday.

The 30-day suspension is still pending.

Disjointed system, lost cases

Advertisement

As Anderson's cases illustrate, when IPRA recommends a punishment, it is only the beginning of the discipline process.

From there, a case ping-pongs between IPRA and the Police Department. Officers' supervisors, up to the superintendent, review the case and decide whether they agree with IPRA's recommendation.

Once the punishment is agreed upon by police officials, officers then have multiple avenues to challenge the decision. Officers signal their intention to appeal by signing a form that says they plan to file a grievance with the department's Management and Labor Affairs division, which oversees grievances and disputes about violations of the collective bargaining agreement.

IPRA gets a copy of that form, signed by the officer, then waits to hear the outcome so it can finalize the case. And it was typically in that waiting period, when IPRA was expecting to hear the outcome of an appeal but officers never actually followed through on filing a grievance, that cases fell into a black hole. In cases the Tribune reviewed, IPRA made no attempt to determine if the appeal progressed and the department made no attempt to find out why officers' suspensions weren't moving forward.

That means cases "got lost in the system," Sissac acknowledged.

"It is the classic pop-up between the left fielder and the shortstop," said Bowman, the Northwestern professor. "Nobody knows who is calling for the ball and it drops in between the two of them."

Advertisement

The Tribune determined which cases had been lost by combining records obtained from the Police Department, IPRA and the Police Board. The Tribune questioned police officials and IPRA about the cases, prompting them to retrace what had happened and move cases along. The cases all were years old; newer IPRA employees have been making efforts to resolve the oldest cases.

A Tribune investigation found that disciplinary suspensions sometimes are not served by Chicago police officers because officials lose track of cases. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

"That is just remarkable. Nobody would believe it. I totally believe it, but if somebody were coming down from Mars they wouldn't believe it," said Chicago attorney Ron Safer, a former federal prosecutor and a leading local voice on the need for police disciplinary reform. "You are going to write this story and people are just going to shake their heads and say, 'Really? Are we really allowing this to happen?' "

It's another failing by police authorities who already have faced years of criticism for lax and lengthy investigations of police officers, who are rarely held accountable for misconduct. From 2007 to 2015, IPRA upheld only about 4 percent of the complaints it reviewed, an earlier Tribune analysis found.

The Tribune's latest findings about lost cases come as the city and its Police Department have been under national scrutiny since the 2015 video release that showed a white officer, Jason Van Dyke, shooting African-American teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. The video's release unleashed long-simmering frustration with how police deal with the community and how the city too often fails to discipline its officers.

A task force appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel suggested numerous reforms last year, and the U.S. Justice Department earlier this year affirmed that the broken disciplinary system allows officers to commit misconduct with little fear of repercussions. It recommended sweeping reform.

It isn't clear, however, if the Trump administration will negotiate a consent decree and push Chicago to reform its police force. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been critical of federal oversight, though police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Emanuel have said they will pursue reform regardless of federal involvement.

Advertisement

Meantime, IPRA is expected to be replaced later this year with a new agency  the Civilian Office of Police Accountability  that has more power and staff to probe alleged police misconduct. Among other changes, officials hope to purchase and use a case management system to help keep cases from falling through the cracks.

"Every piece of how we communicate with CPD will be looked at," Sissac said.

'They're above the law'

With a case management system, authorities may not have lost track of the discipline recommended for Officer Michael Clemons.

Instead, he has continued to work, unpunished, seven years after his estranged wife, TuWanda Clemons, filed a complaint against him in 2010 after receiving a string of troubling text messages from him. She also filed a restraining order.

In a telephone interview with IPRA from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she said she'd moved to get away from her former husband, Clemons explained that he had recorded her conversations in their home; had installed keystroke software on the computer to record her activity; had placed a GPS tracking device in her vehicle; and had hacked her email and her cell phone messages.

Advertisement

"She's paintin' a picture of me as bein' a monster, that I'm not," Michael Clemons told an IPRA investigator, according to a transcript. He did not respond to requests for comment.

An IPRA investigator also interviewed an acquaintance of TuWanda Clemons, who said he became worried after threatening notes were found on his car windshield while he was out with her, according to records.

They're above the law. I wasn't protected by them. How can they protect me against their own?  TuWanda Clemons

IPRA ruled in March 2014 that Michael Clemons, a 22-year veteran of the force, probably meant no harm with the texts but had used police powers to look up records of his wife and her acquaintances. The agency recommended a three-day suspension. Upon review, the department, under the leadership of then-Superintendent McCarthy, sought a stiffer punishment, saying Clemons should be suspended for 15 days.

The officer checked a form in November 2015 that said he would file a grievance to dispute the suspension.

When first questioned by the Tribune about the case, IPRA said that it was waiting to hear the outcome of his grievance. But it would have waited forever; he never filed a grievance in his case, records show.

Once IPRA confirmed that, the agency alerted CPD's finance department, which is charged with booking the suspension dates. Clemons served the suspension using comp time, records show.

Advertisement

IPRA closed the case Wednesday.

"It's the system. It works for them, not against them," TuWanda Clemons said in an interview with the Tribune. "They're above the law. I wasn't protected by them. How can they protect me against their own?"

'A fundamental management failure'

Detective Jesus "Jesse" Gonzalez also has enjoyed a pass on his bad behavior.

A member of the department's honor guard, Gonzalez had just finished participating in a 2010 ceremony for fallen officers when he retreated to a room to change.

And he was upset about his dress shoes. A pair he had ordered were too big, and he had returned them and requested another pair. Angry that his new shoes hadn't arrived, he had to be restrained by his peers to keep him from punching a fellow officer who was in charge of placing uniform orders.

Advertisement

Gonzalez shouted homophobic slurs at the officer, swore at him and likened the officer to a monkey and a slang word for the female anatomy.

A crowd of about 50 family members of fallen officers were within earshot having lunch after the ceremony.

Other officers at the ceremony told IPRA investigators the same story about his behavior that day. Nearly three years after the incident, IPRA found Gonzalez engaged in an unjustified altercation, mistreated a person and brought discredit on the department.

It recommended a seven-day suspension.

Gonzalez contested the punishment several times, records show. After his initial appeals were unsuccessful, he indicated in 2015 that he would file a grievance. IPRA waited to hear the outcome.

But Gonzalez, a 23-year department veteran, never filed a grievance, records show. And because the case was forgotten by police officials, Gonzalez hasn't been held accountable for the behavior. After the Tribune raised questions about his case, IPRA alerted CPD on Feb. 28 that the suspension should be served, though it is still pending, according to IPRA.

Advertisement

Gonzalez could not be reached for comment.

Records show that years before the honor guard incident, Gonzalez had been disciplined for physically and verbally assaulting a woman and providing false information. He served a 10-month suspension in 2001-02 as part of a settlement, though he did not admit fault.

The officer on the receiving end of Gonzalez's honor guard rant said he didn't realize that a suspension had been ordered for Gonzalez. But he said that if it had been recommended, Gonzalez should have served it.

"It is the city of Chicago, I don't know how else to put it," said the officer, now retired, who asked that his name not be used. "There is so much that happens in that city and it is hard to keep things going."

Police officials say things will change. IPRA's successor agency and the Police Department say that electronic case-tracking systems will keep future discipline cases from falling by the wayside. They'd be catching up to other police departments that made such changes long ago, expert Shane said.

The lack of one, he said, is "just a fundamental management failure. There's no other way to put it."

Advertisement

Coming Monday: With so many ways to appeal punishment, officers put off suspensions for years.

jscohen@chicagotribune.com

jrichards@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jodiscohen

Twitter @jsmithrichards
With a warm front to our north across southern Wisconsin, a strong south-to-southwest wind gusting at times over 30 mph will likely usher in a "taste" of weather more common in mid- and late May.

This will be the third time this spring that Chicagoans have witnessed 70-degree-plus temperatures by this date  a fairly rare occurrence that has happened only 10 times in the past 147 years.

Advertisement

Early Thursday evening, a band of thunderstorms preceding the approaching warm front moved east across northern Illinois and the Chicago area with numerous reports of pea-sized hail here. The front was expected to move north into Wisconsin overnight, setting the stage for the May-like conditions Friday.

A cold front will move south out of Wisconsin on Friday night, bisecting the Chicago area and hovering approximately along the Interstate-80 corridor Saturday into Sunday. Showers and thunderstorms are likely during this period, with temperatures ranging from the 40s north to the 60s south.
A bright pink storefront punctuates an otherwise grim portion of Armitage Avenue in Logan Square. Balloons crowd the windows that read "Festive Collective" in sparkly gold lettering.

The space is something of a hybrid, combining a workshop/event area with a party store. The result is a place for creative Chicago women to come together and create and also allows visitors to pop in and purchase cards, balloons, plates and anything you'd need to host the most aesthetically pleasing party ever.

Advertisement

"As things change politically and heat up, people are really kind of desperate to get out there and interact with humans face-to-face again," said Angela Wator, Festive Collective co-founder and owner of Bash Party Goods.

Wator concocted the idea of Festive Collective when she found her Bash Party Goods inventory was growing faster than her ability to store it all. A longtime Logan resident, she saw the relocation of the Busy Beaver Button Company as the perfect opportunity to continue the work of bringing a little slice of happy to the community.

Advertisement

"I walked into the space and was blown away by the energy and the architectural details ... I was captivated instantly," Wator said. "I didn't need the entire building for myself, so I started thinking about how I could make it a community hub and pull in other women who were working from home who could benefit from a collaborative relationship."

The women who came to mind included Kate Jensen, one-half of the Chicago- and Philadelphia-based stationery company Anne and Kate. Wator met Jensen at the National Stationery Show in 2016, and their shared experiences of working from home sparked the collaboration that would become Festive Collective as it is today.

"We would talk and say, 'Oh, I wish I had a space to take better photographs instead of trying to do photoshoots on the floor with kids running around,'" Jensen said. "Once the seed was planted, [Wator] pulled me in."

Also part of the party is Elaine Frei of Luft Balloon Store, the brain and hands behind the airy displays that line the walls and ceilings of the Festive Collective space.

"We all wanted to be around other businesswomen and have a storefront to just be together and collaborate," Jensen said. The three moved into the space in December.

A few months into their time in the new digs, Festive Collective is one-part party goods store, one-part workplace and one-part event space. More than anything, it's a space for Chicagoans to go and feel just a little bit happier, a feat that isn't hard when surrounded by the vibrant colors, natural light and balloons aplenty.

The space isn't just for the three women to work; it's also an opportunity to inspire other local business owners and creatives. Each month, the shop is home to a variety of workshops and events intended to help teach new skills, foster collaboration and create community.

"Now more than ever, people need and want to be together with other like-minded peopleor even people who aren't like-minded," Jensen said. "It's important for people to be in their communities and experiencing real things, and if we can be a place for that to happen on some level, I think that's great ... that's the dream."

Advertisement

Their most political events thus far have included postcard writing to members of government using Anne and Kate protest cards emblazoned with messages like, "No human is illegal," "Climate change is real" and "Stand up to Trump."

The proceeds from the protest pack sales go to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. The idea of bringing politics into the space came on the day of the Women's March, one day after President Trump's inauguration.

"I had my partner watch the shop while we went and marched, and he said people had been coming in all day asking what they could do or how they could get involved," Wator said. "It was perfect that they would gravitate toward a party store to learn more about politics. It wasn't even so much driven by us as it was a need that the community had."

While bringing people together to take political actioneven just by writing postcards to Congressis inspiring, Jensen said just being in the space with Wator and Frei, and their various guests, encourages her to foster her creativity in new ways.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

"I think when I was working out of my house, I had a hard time selling myself on the idea that it was a legitimate business," she said of Anne and Kate. "As soon as I started working here, it was like, 'I have a stationery business,' and I talked to myself about it differently because it felt more real. And having two people around who were also trying to grow their business is really helpful because we can bounce ideas off of each other and share resources. It keeps your wheels turning faster."

The shared experience of being female business owners contributes to the sense of community at Festive Collective, Wator said.

Advertisement

"Women-owned businesses face their own unique set of obstacles, and these experiences can either drive us to compete with one another or work together," Wator said. "Competition is a negative waste of time and energy. We aren't collaborating because we're all women, we're collaborating because our shared experiences as women in the design business gave us an instant connection."

In a space as open and airy as Festive Collective, the good vibes are abundant. Surrounded by brightly colored cards, party favors, balloons and confetti, the little pink storefront is a beacon of community and creativity that lends itself to the success of the women working there.

"The three of us are really invested in each other's businesses in that we really want each other to succeed," Wator said. "It helps to have that feeling that I have supporters right here with me, and I can do this because I have this support."

To join in on the party, visit festivecollective.com and purchase tickets for their upcoming events such as their Vintage Ice Cream Social on April 1, their monthly Home Work Happy Hours or recurring Arty Party event to foster creativity in little ones and their parents.

@shelbielbostedt | sbostedt@redeyechicago.com
East Aurora School District 131 will host its Fine Arts Festival from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 8.

Student artists, musicians and actors, from elementary school through high school, will showcase their talent at East Aurora High School, 500 Tomcat Lane, Aurora.

Advertisement

Performances will begin at 9 a.m. in the Arlene Hawks Auditorium. The auditorium lobby, as well as the commons area, will feature art galleries that will be open throughout the duration of the event. Over 750 pieces of elementary artwork will be on display.

The festival will feature dramatic performances in the Little Theatre. In the gymnasium, bands from various East Aurora schools will perform musical selections. There will be choral shows in the Hawks Auditorium. The first-floor hallways will be filled with paintings, drawings, photographs and other student artwork, according to a press release about the event.

Advertisement

Brian Liska, Director of Bands at East Aurora High School, said he was most excited about the elementary and middle school students having an opportunity to hear the wind ensemble perform.

"It's a great event to see the progression of band from fifth grade to high school," he said in the press release.

Liska said his high school students look forward to the event as well.

"My students really enjoy hearing the fifth grade band because it reminds them of when they started, and just how far they have come in their abilities in just five to seven years," he said in the release.

The Fine Arts Festival is a tradition in East Aurora School District 131 for more than 25 years, and incorporates the work of all grade levels.

This year a free activity area will be set up in the cafeteria featuring a balloon artist, face painting, and opportunities to take a selfie with artwork.

Admission and parking are free.
The attorney for a former Carpentersville Middle School teacher accused of engaging in sex acts with one-time students has raised doubts about whether the 28-year-old Geneva woman can assist in her defense, according to court records.

As a result of the attorney's "bona fide doubt," Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler has ordered Lindsay Anderson to be evaluated by the Kane County Diagnostic Center to determine whether she is fit to stand trial. Anderson remains free on bond and is scheduled to return to court May 24.

Advertisement

Anderson has pleaded not guilty to a 15-count indictment charging her with criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a minor, child endangerment, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and distributing explicit material to a minor.

Authorities began their investigation into Anderson in May 2015 after the mother of one of her former math students, a then-15-year-old boy, became concerned about their relationship. The boy told police he and Anderson smoked marijuana and had sex in the back seat of an SUV, court documents state. The indictment from 2015 added charges alleging Anderson engaged in multiple sex acts over several months with a second teen she knew from school. Police said Anderson admitted to the encounters during an interview, court records show. She is also accused of sending the second boy at least one nude photo via social media.

Advertisement

Anderson received court supervision in 2014 after pleading guilty to a delinquency charge in a case that involved inappropriate text messages and bringing truant students to her home, court records state.

Anderson has also pleaded not guilty to an unrelated charge of filing a false police report in 2016.

Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
State Sen. Jim Oberweis, a Republican from Sugar Grove, has stirred up a controversy over comments he made at a Senate committee meeting recently. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

For a man intelligent enough to amass a fortune in business, state Sen. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) can display a head-shaking lack of common sense and courtesy.

You may have heard by now how ice-cream magnate Oberweis compared "wife beating" and "wage theft" to "differences of opinion."

Advertisement

It probably comes as no surprise that the Republican senator's comments, uttered March 8 at a state Senate Labor Committee meeting about legislation regarding wage theft, riled a lot of people, including domestic violence groups here in the Fox Valley.

"Wife beating is not a matter of 'differences of opinion' - it either happened or it didn't," Executive Director Michelle Meyer and board President Andi Danis of Mutual Ground stated in a press release. "Similarly, wage theft either happens or it doesn't. Both crimes are deplorable but cannot be compared. To do so minimizes the seriousness of each offense."

Advertisement

Gretchen Vapnar, executive director of Community Crisis Center in Elgin, was equally disturbed, describing Oberweis' words as "an easy shot at victims of domestic violence."

"I don't know why so many people, particularly those who otherwise are good men, refuse to take it seriously," she said. "His comments are indicators of a more widespread opinion that domestic violence is easily excused and has no long-term impact on our communities or the world."

You almost have to listen to the audio of the meeting to fully appreciate the exchange between Oberweis and Don Chartier, a worker rights advocate who was testifying in reference to a Senate bill to increase penalties for companies committing serious wage theft, and to bar companies which have committed this theft from getting state contracts.

"Don, did you ever beat your wife?" Oberweis immediately fired at Chartier.

"No," he responded. "I'm not married."

"Have you ever beat a woman?" Oberweis shot back

"No."

"Have you ever had a disagreement with a woman?"

Advertisement

To which  after Democratic chairwoman Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) challenged the relevancy of this questioning  Chartier replied, "Of course."

That's when Oberweis described both wife-beating and wage-theft accusations as "very prejudicial," linking them together as "differences of opinion" and "he said/she said" disputes which the legislature should not be addressing.

The statement led to a heated hearing. And the bill, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), was eventually approved by a 10-5 vote.

Holmes later described the "shocking" exchange as a "stunning" lack of regard for women, particularly victims of domestic violence.

The questions fired by Obeweis also came across as downright rude. Chartier, she told me, had never appeared in Springfield before, and to immediately get grilled on whether he's beat his wife or ever abused women, Holmes added, was a "complete disregard for respectful conversation and truth."

Sound familiar?

Advertisement

There's no question we're seeing more of this sort of disrespectful dialogue than before.

Politics has never been for the faint of heart. But Donald Trump's persona since the primary has, without doubt, ratcheted up the nasty rhetoric we see coming from both parties  to the point that lack of civility is pretty much the norm these days.

"It terrifies me," Holmes told me later, "that it has become acceptable to talk that way."

We all have seen it and felt it.

The Civility in America 2016 survey found that over 90 percent of Americans believe lack of civility is a problem and nearly two-thirds describe it as a crisis level.

We witness it in our personal lives - I can't tell you the number of people who have admitted to losing real-life relationships over the hot-button issues surrounding politics. We see it on social media and certainly in our daily headlines. It's like we have forgotten how to disagree with someone without being disrespectful.

Advertisement

Our current president managed to strike a nerve, allowing rudeness to supersede passion. And now it's OK to get nasty and confrontational. For Trump, that negative behavior rewarded him with the presidency, so it only stands to reason we will see more of it, not only in our politics but in our everyday lives.

In my recent discussion with Holmes, she recalled a young Neuqua Valley High School student she met at the Islamic Center in Naperville about a month ago who was upset because a fellow student she'd worked with on school projects before  without any issues  had recently called her a "rag head" and told her to "just go home" where she belongs.

These days, empowered by this new normal, we feel entitled to express even those ugly thoughts we used to keep to ourselves

"There is no accountability for what we say," noted Vapnar. "My question to Oberweis would be, what did you mean? What were you thinking when you made these remarks?"

It would be my question to Oberweis, as well. Unfortunately, calls to his office on Thursday were not returned.

Vapnar point out she's been in the domestic violence business for over 40 years and has grown discouraged by the progress that has been made. We will never have safe streets until we have safe homes, she maintains.

Advertisement

"But Oberweis is not the only one who diminishes this issue," Vapnar added. "Until men start standing up for women and tell other men that any sort of domestic violence is wrong, I don't have a lot of hope for any sort of change."

Dcrosby@tribpub.com
I recently presented a program at Barrington's White House based on more than 700 letters written from another West Main Street house just up the road  Barrington's Octagon House.

The letters were written, starting in 1889, by Emaline Hawley Brown to her daughter, Laura Nightingale, who had moved to Fairmont, Minn., after she married Joseph Nightingale.

Advertisement

Emaline and Joseph Brown's younger daughter, Hattie, also contributed to this correspondence. She kept her sister informed about her life, while her mother wrote about everything, including national politics.

The year 1889 is significant locally because that was the year this newspaper began publishing as the Barrington Review. The publisher and editor at the time was Miles T. Lamey.

Advertisement

The newspaper was a broadsheet, and its main and only office was located in Dan Lamey's building materials store, which was located between the (then) Chicago and Northwestern Railway tracks, and where (now) one enters Barrington Commons on North Cook Street.

More than 90 years later, the coincidence of dates had great significance when in May 1982, I had the wonderful experience of beginning a series of articles for this newspaper based on those letters. For almost two years, readers were taken back in a monthly series to life in Barrington through the eyes, ears and pen of the Brown family.

The articles needed extensive research. Authenticity often was achieved by the fact that the events and people chronicled by Emaline and Hattie could be compared to reports and stories in this newspaper, along with the Barrington History of Arnett C. Lines, which I always like to call the Bible of Barrington area history.

The days I spent reading the letters would take me out of this world  to another life on West Main Street in Barrington in those years. Most of the houses of Emaline's neighbors still are located there.

She wrote about the building of many of them. She wrote about the ups and downs in the lives of her neighbors, the births, marriages and deaths  often in the context of significant events happening in the community.

The 700 letters originally had been brought to Barrington by Ruth Nightingale, a great-granddaughter of Emaline, who had found the letters in shoe boxes in the old house in Fairmont, Minn. She gave them to Robert Kosin, who was a planner at the time with the Barrington Area Council of Governments and is now the village administrator of Barrington Hills.

Kosin subsequently handed them to the Barrington Area Historical Society, as it was known then, and staff and volunteers spent three months making two sets of copies, so that the originals would not need to handled again for research.

The letters also are registered with the Library of Congress for the National Union Catalogue of Manuscript Collections.

Advertisement

I've always had one regret about all this.

Emaline and Joseph Brown were New Englanders. I read the lively and well-written letters, both in language and penmanship. But I do wonder what their voices and daily conversations were like.

In any case, I count the writing of that series as one of the high points of my life in Barrington. I am grateful for an opportunity to revive some of that joyfulness at Barrington's White House.

Barbara Benson is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press. Reach her at barbaralbenson@aol.com.
Vietnamese spring rolls, grilled bison sliders with crispy goat cheese and blueberry barbecue sauce circled with onion rings, the "smashed burger" with smoked cheddar and fresh spinach shells with shrimp, scallops, crab, asparagus, morel mushrooms, lemon goat cheese butter and Parmesan crisps are among the lunch menu items made entirely from scratch by culinary arts students and served at Saveur, one of two public restaurants at Joliet Junior College's new City Center Campus in downtown Joliet. (Photo by Vickie Jurkowski) (Vickie Jurkowski / Daily Southtown)

When pan-roasted, herb- and Dijon-crusted lamb loin with a honey rhubarb glaze is the most expensive item on the lunch menu at only $11, you might think you're seeing things.

When you discover everything is made from scratch  from the pasta, pizza dough, brioche and baguettes down to the ketchup and mayonnaise  you don't feel so guilty ordering more than you might elsewhere.

Advertisement

And when it tastes so dang good, you can't help actually finishing each and every bite of the minty Vietnamese spring rolls and that bowl of fresh spinach shells with shrimp, scallops, crab, asparagus, morel mushrooms, lemon goat cheese butter and Parmesan crisps, and sharing some of your friend's grilled bison sliders with crispy goat cheese and blueberry barbecue sauce circled with onion rings.

After all, your patronage is practice for the aspiring chefs bustling around the open kitchen.

Advertisement

"We're one of the top culinary programs in America so many people know a graduate or are familiar with the program. But if they don't know, they come in and say 'I never knew you could get this kind of food here," said Chef Michael McGreal, Department Chair of Joliet Junior College's Culinary Arts Program, which recently moved into the new City Center Campus in downtown Joliet.

The Culinary Arts Program occupies five of six stories in the 96,000-square-foot building where a furniture warehouse once stood. In addition to state-of-the-art kitchens serving as classrooms for 250 students, the campus at 235 N. Chicago St. features two restaurants open to the public.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for April 11 and the entire facility will be open to guests during the Wandering Feast, a ticketed event replacing the annual spring gala, on April 21. The "Chef for a Day" program also is open to anyone interested in a culinary career.

Thrive, on the first floor, and Saveur on the second are both open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Tuesdays. Saveur also serves lunch on Thursdays while dinner is served from 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays in Thrive. The restaurants are open through May 14 for the current semester and closed for the summer, reopening in the fall with expanded hours.

Saveur, run by Chef Paul Bringas, focuses on cooking methods from around the globe for an eclectic, international flair while Thrive features the Sicilian influences of Chef Tim Bucci. The commercial kitchens boast a Wood Stone pizza oven, vertical rotisserie and pasta machines with 26 cutting variations, from bowtie to orchid or lily shapes.

"When you come into either restaurant for pasta, it only takes 30 seconds for it to boil because it is so incredibly fresh," McGreal said. "It was flour, water and egg two minutes before your plate comes out."

A vegetable lasagna ($8), gluten-free Caprese-style pizza ($6), "Bon Chon" chicken pizza with siracha aioli and Kimchi ($7) and calzone with house-made Italian sausage are on the new menu at Saveur, where you order and pay at the cash register, seat yourself and place your number on the table. Students bring your food and bus the table and service is friendly and expedient.

Burgers are a blend of sirloin, chuck and ribeye ground fresh before the restaurants open.

Advertisement

Also among the 20-plus items on the Saveur menu are seared sea scallops with champagne lime vanilla bean creme ($10), carne asada with Cotija cheese and mango-habanero salsa ($8), beer-battered fish tacos with smoked gouda and lime creme fraiche ($7), cream of spring onion soup with buttermilk shallots ($2) and a bruschetta with balsamic roasted strawberries and herb-crusted goat cheese ($3).

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

The meals are priced so reasonably because the chefs are not hired hands but students. But they're not just any students. JJC culinary graduates have gone to work at Chicago's famed Girl & the Goat, Blackbird and Nellcote, Walt Disney World's Grand Floridian and Epcot Center and "every private country club in Illinois," McGreal said.

A behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchens with activities in each will be provided during the Wandering Feast on April 21. Attendees may interact with chefs and students while enjoying craft beer from Pollyanna and BrickStone plus wine, food and pastries. Tickets are $65 and reservations are required by April 7.

"It will be a great opportunity to wander through the whole facility, walk through all the kitchens and bake shops and taste the food," said McGreal, a native of Chicago's Beverly neighborhood who has authored several books.

During the Feast, you'll see the chocolate and sugar lab that is climate and humidity controlled and features 2-inch-thick granite slab tables. In the bake shop kitchen, the surface floor and ceiling of each oven is independently controlled for, say, a New York-style cheesecake that browns on top while the bottom cooks slowly. Elsewhere, if a stove burner is on, infrared laser eyes trigger the exhaust system to kick on.

"It's like we've landed in Oz," McGreal said of the new facility. "There's nothing to compare to the main campus built in 1970. The first week of January our jaws dropped when we first came into the kitchens. Even the chefs had to learn how to operate equipment because it's so technologically advanced."

Advertisement

Joliet Junior College's City Center Campus is located at 235 N. Chicago St. in downtown Joliet. Reservations are requested for each restaurant. Thrive is open from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Tuesdays and 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays; call 815-280-1201. Saveur is open from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; call 815-280-1200. Wandering Feast will be from 6 to 9 p.m. April 21; tickets are $65 and purchase forms are due April 7. For more information, call 815-280-1255 or go to www.jjc.edu/culinary-arts.

Vickie Jurkowski is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Whoever is elected Orland Park's mayor next month will inherit a job with more responsibilities and a bigger salary, although one of the men running for the position prefers to keep the status quo intact.

Running for his seventh term, Dan McLaughlin heads up the First Orland slate along with current village Clerk John Mehalek and Trustees Dan Calandriello, Jim Dodge and Kathy Fenton.

Advertisement

Seeking to unseat McLaughlin is Keith Pekau, who has no previous experience in elected office and said it was the Village Board's vote last fall to make the mayor's position a full-time job and boost the position's salary that prompted him to run. He said he wants to see the job remain part-time and for elected village officials to be limited to two, four-year terms in office.

McLaughlin said the village has been fiscally responsible, keeping tax levies unchanged the past six years and rebating a total of $39 million in property taxes to homeowners over 12 of the last 15 years.

Advertisement

Pekau contends that the village's tax rate has risen sharply in the past decade, and that Orland Park's debt load is not sustainable.

The village's debt was $14 million in 1998 and has grown to more than $150 million, Pekau said. McLaughlin said the figure is $109 million.

The figure includes bond debt the village assumed in connection with developing the Main Street Triangle, north of 143rd Street and west of LaGrange Road, where the Ninety 7 Fifty on the Park apartments and the University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care are located. The debt number also reflects pension obligations for village employees.

The University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care is part of Orland Park's Main Street Triangle development. (Susan DeMar Lafferty / Daily Southtown)

McLaughlin said the village has a "reasonable" amount of debt, and has relied on borrowing only "for public improvement projects, not to balance the budget," which Pekau has said during the campaign. The mayor noted Orland Park's prime ratings from credit rating firms.

"We have one of the highest credit ratings in the area," he said. "Moody's and Standard & Poor's don't give you high credit ratings if you have outrageous debt. We're in great financial shape."

Pekau also pointed to a jump in the village's property tax rate of 76 percent over the past decade, a steeper increase than other local taxing bodies, such as school districts.

McLaughlin said the village's property tax levy has remained unchanged the last six years, although property owners are seeing their tax rate increase because of a decrease in the overall value of property in the village due to the recession. While the amount of money sought by the village in taxes has stayed the same, the amount is spread over a property base that has less value than it did several years ago, prior to the recession.

Pekau also said that more needs to be done to diversify the village's tax base.

Advertisement

"We're primarily a restaurant, car dealership, retail town," he said, adding that attracting corporate headquarters to the village would also provide more employment opportunities for residents.

"The mayor's sole focus has been the Main Street Triangle," Pekau said.

The mayor said the village needs "to be aggressive in developing the I-80 Corridor" west of LaGrange and south of Orland Parkway/183rd Street, but also remain "focused on smart planning and development of our downtown area." McLaughlin said the downtown development, which also includes properties northeast of 143rd and LaGrange, "has been moving forward in a very positive way" because of the village being "very selective" as far as the types of development it has sought.

Earlier this week, the village announced plans for an upscale movie theater that a developer wants open in the Triangle. Pekau said he questioned whether that development could ultimately hurt Orland Park's Marcus cineplex farther south on LaGrange.

The Ninety 7 Fifty on the Park apartments are part of Orland Park's Main Street Triangle development. (Susan DeMar Lafferty / Daily Southtown)

Job change an issue

McLaughlin, 63, ran unopposed four years ago, and in the 2009 municipal race easily defeated Gerald Maher, garnering almost 64 percent of the vote. Maher also had run against McLaughlin in 2001.

Advertisement

Before being elected mayor in 1993, McLaughlin served as a village trustee from 1983 to 1991. He is executive director of the Builders Association, a trade group for the commercial construction industry in the Chicago area, and served as executive director of the Plumbing Contractors Association of Chicago from 1991 until 2013, and executive director of the Plumbing Council of Chicagoland from 2008 to 2013.

Pekau, 50, served in the Air Force for more than nine years after receiving his degree in aerospace engineering from Arizona State University, and while in the Air Force earned an MBA from Duke University. After leaving the military in 1998, Pekau worked as a management consultant for Marakon Consulting and L.E.K. Consulting, then, in 2003, switched gears and purchased a tree service company, which morphed into GroundsKeeper Landscape Care. The business was originally in Lemont and is now headquartered in Mokena. His father, Don, was an Orland Park trustee for six years.

Keith Pekau says it was a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving last year when he decided to challenge McLaughlin.

He said he expected someone to come forward to run against the mayor after the Village Board at an October meeting voted to make the mayor's job a full-time position and boost the salary, which would also bring a big increase in the mayor's pension after he leaves office.

"Like the residents who were at that meeting, I was upset about it," Pekau said, referring to the dozens of people who attended and criticized the decision.

By mid-November, seeing nobody else was planning to run, Pekau said he decided "someone has to step up and challenge this issue."

Advertisement

Now paid $40,000 as mayor, plus another $3,000 a year for serving as liquor commissioner, the mayor would be paid $150,000 and the position expanded to full time, with added responsibilities of being Orland Park's lead person on economic development matters.

At the recommendation of a consultant, the village had considered hiring a second assistant village manager as well as someone to supervise economic development, which trustees said would have been more costly in the long run compared with expanding the mayor's duties and pay.

"This is a different solution to that issue," McLaughlin said of making the mayor's job full time. "There is so much more stuff I could do if I had more time to do it."

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Another recommendation by the consultant resulted in the village last year hiring a chief technology officer to oversee information technology functions, and he is developing a 311 system, similar to what Chicago has, to better handle residents' request for service, McLaughlin said. It should help the village more quickly respond "to things like if someone reports a streetlight out on their street," he said.

If re-elected, McLaughlin said he would give up his job with the Builders Association.

Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy has served as interim village manager since last summer while the village searches for a replacement, and Pekau said that with a full-time manager, the village doesn't need to also have the mayor working full time. He likened the manager's job to chief executive officer of a corporation, overseeing day-to-day operations, with the mayor as chairman of the board.

Advertisement

Along with economic development duties and responding to residents' issues, McLaughlin said the change to a full-time position could offer him the opportunity to be in Springfield regularly to meet with legislators on the village's behalf. While the village currently has a paid lobbyist in the state capital, McLaughlin said it's possible that expense could be eliminated.

Pressed to quickly gather enough signatures to get on the ballot after deciding to run, Pekau said he "didn't have time to vet a slate" comprised of candidates for clerk and trustee to run against McLaughlin's First Orland slate. A Republican, Pekau said he hopes the tendency of Orland Township to support Republican candidates pays off for him. Much of the village is within the township boundaries, and in last year's presidential election, Donald Trump earned 51 percent of the township votes cast for president, while Hillary Clinton received just under 45 percent, according to the Cook County clerk. In the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney was supported by 56 percent of township voters compared with just over 43 percent who voted for former President Barack Obama.

mnolan@tribpub.com

Twitter @mnolan_j
After an anonymous donor helped her keep her home, Sarah Galvan started Almost Home, a not-for-profit organization that helps the homeless and those in financial need. Monday, March 20th, 2017, in Hometown | Gary Middendorf-Chicago Tribune Media Grou (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

They call her the Mother Teresa of Hometown, this soft-spoken mom of six who arranges haircuts for the homeless, raises funds to cover rent for people on the verge of losing their place and who brings meals to the "forgotten" people living under south suburban bridges.

Sarah Galvan says her heart is filled with compassion for people in need, in part because she has a kind heart, and in part because she's been there.

Advertisement

The 37-year-old graduate of Oak Lawn Community High School was on maternity leave with her fifth child in 2013 when she got the call that she was being "let go" from her job helping people with disabilities. Six weeks later, she said, her husband's employer, who did home improvement jobs, ran out of work.

"So suddenly we were without an income," she recalled.

Advertisement

Months passed and their Hometown duplex fell into foreclosure.

"The lights were out. We started selling everything  electronics, our children's toys, our wedding rings, my husband's tools. Everything," she said.

Two days from eviction and deeply depressed, Galvan said, she and her husband, Adrian "Andy" Galvan, hatched a plan.

"We were going to live in our van and in the shelters," she said. "With our children."

But what happened next Galvan can only call a miracle.

"With the help of my mom and dad and with the help of a complete stranger, all of our bills were paid in full," she said.

To this day she doesn't know the identity of the "big" benefactor who went directly to her debtors to settle things up and who left a "large money order in our mail box" but she said her gratitude is as strong as the day her family was rescued from the brink of homelessness.

Fred Lorenz has been homeless since 2010. He frequently relies on the help of Almost Home, a not-for-profit organization. Monday, March 20th, 2017, in Hometown | Gary Middendorf-Chicago Tribune Media Grou (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

"I went from the lowest point in life to complete joy. I promised myself I would pay it forward. I promised my family. I promised God," she said.

Advertisement

Seated one Tuesday morning in the living room of her 900-square-foot home, surrounded by the trappings of a family of eight as well as stacks of donated packages of toilet paper and jars of peanut butter, Galvan and two of her homeless "friends" talked about the difference the nonprofit Almost Home has made in the community.

In the months following her family's brush with desperation, Galvan set up a home improvement company for her husband. He hasn't gone a day without work since, she said. And she pondered the dream she'd had when she was 17 and living in Oak Lawn.

"It was very vivid and in it, I was working with the homeless" through an organization called Almost Home, she said. She'd thought about that dream many times over the years but wasn't sure how to translate it into anything concrete until one day two years ago when she was on her way home from a Christian woman's book club meeting.

An epiphany

It was March 14, 2015, and she was waiting at a stoplight at 87th and Cicero when she noticed "men on every corner holding cardboard signs.

"I was just filled with compassion for them, so much so that I thought I was going to burst," she said. Something, she said, told her it was time to get to work.

Advertisement

She went home and Googled how to start a not-for-profit.

Now a 501(c)3, Almost Home gives the haves an opportunity to help the have-nots. Galvan's efforts are divided among the homeless and those on the brink of losing shelter. She helps single moms, survivors of domestic violence and families experiencing hardship.

Through the generosity of local businesses and caring south suburbanites, she is able to supply food, toiletries and gift cards for coffee, gas and meals to her homeless "friends" as well as raise cash for people like a Lemont woman who last week needed $900 to make rent.

Most of Galvan's connections are made through her Facebook page. When she learns of a specific need, she posts about it.

"We've been able to provide rent and mortgage payments for a lot of families to prevent homelessness," she said. "My favorite is one who was two days away  very similar to my story. We were able to step in and save them from homelessness."

Last weekend, Galvan said, a shopper outside Mariano's in Oak Lawn told a woman who was panhandling to call Galvan. She did.

Advertisement

"Something told me I needed to go to her. She said she had nothing. But everybody's definition of nothing is different. So last Saturday, (Almost Home board president) Jamie (Chazinski) and I went there. She literally had two sheets on the floor and one sheet hanging on a window. She had gotten a place through Chicago Housing Authority but a place was all she had," Galvan said.

"We put out a post and started collecting stuff. By 9 Saturday night, we had all kinds of things," she said. "On Sunday, we delivered a kitchen table, a couch, a TV, a love seat, pots and pans, food, toiletries. Her house is so full now, so full of love and that happened in like 24 hours, you know."

Cathy O'Hara owns O'Hara and Friends Salon in Alsip.

Last summer, she came across a Facebook post about Almost Home.

"She needed gift cards at the time. So, I went to the local fast food places and Walgreens and purchased $100 worth," O'Hara said. "Our stylists have done haircuts at the shelter and I had a fundraiser at Christmas to raise money to purchase 30 city paks for the homeless.

"We have become good friends and we help her when we can," O'Hara said. "We hired her husband to gut and remodel our bathroom  to help support her family."

Advertisement

Sarah Galvan juggles family life and running her not-for-profit organization. Almost Home helps the homeless and those in need. Monday, March 20th, 2017, in Hometown | Gary Middendorf-Chicago Tribune Media Grou (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

Friends in need

The Rev. Peggy McClanahan, pastor of Pilgrim Faith United Church of Christ in Oak Lawn, one of several local churches that open their doors to the homeless at least one night a week, said the number of homeless people in the southwest suburbs is "significant."

Pilgrim Faith provides shelter for about 40 men, women and children on Thursday nights and Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Oak Lawn houses another 25-30 on the same night, she said. Sometimes the numbers are higher when the weather is cold.

Both BEDS Plus and South Suburban PADS work to move those who are homeless into housing through a variety of programs, McClanahan said.

"The more quickly a family or individual can be moved into permanent housing the more successful they are in rebuilding their life. Once someone has been homeless for six months or longer the more likely they are to remain homeless for a long time. The survival skills that homeless persons develop when they are living on the street for a long time sometimes actually make it harder for them acquire and keep a steady job and maintain an apartment and the responsibilities that go with it," McClanahan said.

Almost Home's greatest strength, the pastor added, is its ability to respond quickly. "When someone falls into financial crisis, by the time they have exhausted their own reserves and whatever assistance family and friends can provide them they are often on the brink of losing their home if they don't come up with rent money or a utility payment in the next few days. Or they will lose their car if they cannot quickly come up with a car payment. Or they will have their phone service cut off, which of course makes it almost impossible to get work," she said.

Advertisement

That's where Almost Home often steps in, she said. Galvan can put out a call for help and in a matter of hours be able to save someone from a deep hole that will take a long time and lot of resources to climb out of, McClanahan said. A lot of the other agencies that provide assistance are more focused on long-term help and cannot respond quickly to an immediate crisis, she said.

Almost Home also fills in gaps like providing fresh water for homeless people who don't stay in the shelters.

McClanahan said, "Sarah and the other Almost Home board members and the many friends who respond to her appeals have a deep devotion to making a difference. The problem of homelessness is quite large and all the different approaches the various agencies take in helping people acquire stable housing and the life skills to maintain it are important parts of the response."

Among those who've been on the receiving end of Galvan's generosity is a middle-aged woman named "Cathy." She asked that her last name not be printed because some of her friends don't know about her current situation and she fears the stigma of homelessness could prevent her from finding a new job.

"I call Sarah an angel," Cathy said. "She helps you in ways no one else does."

Cathy has been homeless since 2015 when she lost her data entry job and then, soon after, her Palos Hills home.

Advertisement

A friend took her in but, six months later, after Cathy's dog bit the friend's adult son, she was given a choice. Having lost everything else, she said, she couldn't stand the thought of losing her dog, so she moved into her SUV. And there she stayed until her dog died.

Although she has family and friends, Cathy said no one is willing to take her in. It's a common story among the homeless, she said.

"There are people whose grown children, whose siblings won't take them in. I've stopped asking. You get tired of hearing no," she said.

But Galvan, on the other hand, always says "yes," Cathy said.

Galvan helped find someone to donate a car battery to Cathy. She's given Cathy money for gas and vehicle stickers.

"She's the only one who helps with those kinds of things," Cathy said.

Advertisement

Fred Lorenz, a 56-year-old recovering alcoholic who suffers from COPD and hypertension as well as depression, is estranged from his family.

"I've been homeless since 2010. Because of my past history as an alcoholic, I lost everything," he said. A South Sider, he ended up living on the streets on the West Side.

Two years ago, he came back south, Lorenz said.

He met Galvan through the shelters.

The network of churches takes turns providing overnight accommodations and sustenance.

Galvan, he said, often provides gift cards for meals and coffee and bus fare from one shelter to another because without it, the homeless have to walk.

Advertisement

"I'm grateful for all the stuff she does for us," said Lorenz, who says he has been sober since the day after his father's funeral on June 30, 2011.

"I understand why a lot of homeless people get a bad rap. A lot of guys (at West Side shelters where he used to stay) were drug addicts and alcoholics. If they got any money, that's what they spent it on. Sarah here is helping those of us who are trying to make something out of their lives. She helps to get people back on their feet. The shelters are good, they help you out, with a place to sleep and meals, but without people like Sarah there's is no way out of this," he said.

Lorenz said he hopes to one day get his own place again. "I want to be independent," he said.

Galvan's dream is to open a second hand shop, to provide jobs for many of the homeless who can't seem to find work, and to provide inexpensive necessities to people in need.

"I've wanted to open a shop for a long time but I am thinking now that a day center is needed more," she said. She envisions a place with a shower and laundry facilities.

Society and local authorities often frown on homeless people hanging out at local libraries, businesses and train stations, she said. They need a place to spend the day between shelter visits, she said.

Advertisement

But she is unsure how to go about securing a building, she said.

"People are very willing to give items to people in need, but they are not that willing to give money to me for something like a day center," she said.

It's about trust, she said. One of the things that is unique about Almost Home, she added, is that benefactors are always given the option to meet recipients.

For example, when Cathy needed a car battery, a donor met her at the shop and paid the bill there, she said.

Galvan said she understands why people might be leery about donating cash. Still, she added, "It'd be nice if someone wanted to donate an old building so we could have a center."

Sarah Galvan, who once was days away from losing her home, now seeks donations for the homeless. Galvan even took to the streets with this sign to help her cause. Monday, March 20th, 2017, in Hometown | Gary Middendorf-Chicago Tribune Media Grou (Gary Middendorf / Daily Southtown)

Creative solutions

Advertisement

Recently, Galvan learned about a program that is popular in Europe called "pending coffees." When a customer buys a coffee, they can offer to spring for an additional "pending" coffee, which can be redeemed at a future date by a person in need.

She approached Papa Frank's Gyro's, a local fast food eatery, about setting up a similar program for meals.

"The owner agreed," she said. So patrons of Papa Frank's on Cicero can purchase $5 meal coupons that are given to Galvan, who in turn hands them out to the homeless.

Once, someone donated a van to Galvan's cause and she initially had the idea of converting it into a mobile shower, which she could take to different sites so that homeless people could bathe.

"But then I learned of a local family with two little ones who didn't have a vehicle, so I donated it to them," she said.

Until a recent wind storm blew it down, Galvan also had a Blessings Box on her front lawn. People could leave items as dish soap, foil and toilet paper, or take them as needed..

Advertisement

At Christmas, Cathy said, Galvan asked shelter dwellers to write down three things they'd like. Then she found people to make the wishes come true.

Most broken

"The bridge people are my favorite," Galvan said. "The most broken souls are there. I feel like when you get to the bridge, you're broken."

Lorenz said the people who live under the viaducts along Interstate 55 and under bridges in the south suburbs are elusive because "they have pride."

You won't see them panhandling or seeking a bed at a local shelter, he said.

"They think that is a hand out," he said.

Advertisement

Galvan brings them meals a few times a week. She also gave them coolers and she delivers ice and bottles of water regularly.

Last summer after a local car dealership gave her some gift cards to Boston Chicken, Panera and Bakers Square, she posted a note near one particular bridge site, announcing a sit-down meal at a specific time on a specific day.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"I didn't know if anyone would show up. But I planned for six and six came," she said.

She'd hauled tables and chairs and flowers for centerpieces. Then, even though she was "very pregnant with my sixth child," she fed them a real dinner.

"Everybody deserves to sit at a table, not on a concrete slab," she said.

"That was one of my favorite days."

Advertisement

For more information, find Almost Home on Facebook, call 708-789-2911 or go to www.almosthomechicago.org.

dvickroy@tribpub.com

Twitter @dvickroy
Bremen Youth Services Director Don Sebek confronts Supervisor Maggie Crotty with questions about Aunt Martha's during a Bremen Township Board meeting on March 20, 2017. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown) (Chicago Tribune)

When Kim Griffin's husband died in 2002 at age 39, the suddenly widowed mother of seven received a call from Don Sebek at Bremen Youth Services.

Griffin, 54, of Oak Forest, said Sebek encouraged her to bring her four youngest children to Bremen Youth Services for grief counseling. As a child, her late husband had attended summer camps at the agency, which was founded in 1973.

Advertisement

"(Sebek) put a little teddy bear candle on his desk and told the kids their dad had given it to him," Griffin recalled of their first meeting.

All seven of her children went on to attend college and pursue meaningful careers, Griffin said.

Advertisement

"They would not be the people they are today if it weren't for Bremen Youth Services," she said.

The future of the agency that has served young people in Bremen Township for 43 years is now in serious doubt. Last year, the township board voted to cease funding Bremen Youth Services. The township's $300,000 annual support represented about a third of the agency's funding.

Bremen Youth Services continues to receive some state funding and support from United Way, but it's not enough to continue operations when the agency must continue making $100,000 annual lease payments to the township, Sebek said.

The fate of Bremen Youth Services hinges on the outcome of the April 4 election. Sebek is challenging incumbent Maggie Crotty for the job of Bremen Township supervisor and has assembled a slate of candidates to oppose Crotty's group of trustee hopefuls.

If Crotty prevails, Bremen Youth Services will likely cease operations, Sebek told me.

"We're absolutely broke," he said.

Last year, Crotty told me the funding for Bremen Youth Services was a significant chunk of the township's $1.2 million annual budget. The board wanted a more efficient way to offer youth services, she said, in order to free up more funding for senior citizen programs, road maintenance and other needs.

At a township board meeting Monday night, Crotty declined to answer questions about Bremen Youth Services, citing ongoing litigation.

Advertisement

Last May, after the township board voted to cut its funding, Bremen Youth Services sued the township, Crotty, trustees and Aunt Martha's Youth Services, an agency the township now contracts with to offer youth counseling.

In the suit, Bremen Youth Services claims its 2011 lease "calls for BYS to provide youth services and remain a tenant in a township-owned building until the year 2031."

The suit states Bremen Youth Services has paid the township $500,000 in lease payments over the past five years. BYS is just three years and $300,000 away from being able to remain in its township building at 15350 Oak Park Ave. in Oak Forest for another 10 years rent-free, according to the terms of the lease agreement, the suit states.

"They're pulling the rug out from under us," Sebek said.

The suit seeks to have the township honor its commitment for Bremen Youth Services to provide counseling services instead of Aunt Martha's.

"In spite of the long-term commitments  and  promises it extended  the township has now taken steps to strip its annual funding to BYS by concocting sham, unfair, unfounded and retaliatory reasons," the suit states.

Advertisement

"If this court does not intervene  this will likely put BYS out of business," the suit says.

In the months leading up to last year's decision to cease funding BYS, Crotty demanded detailed reports about people being served by the agency, the suit says. Sebek and BYS told her confidentiality laws prohibited disclosure of information she sought, according to the suit.

BYS did show that 70 percent of its clients were Bremen Township residents, while the township funding was just a third of its revenue, the suit says.

At the township board meeting Monday night, Griffin, Sebek and others asked Crotty and the board to report on services Aunt Martha's was providing. Since BYS was called to provide detailed accounting, it was reasonable to request a monthly report about the number of people Aunt Martha's is serving and the cost to the township, they said.

Crotty again declined, citing the litigation.

"The next report she makes about Aunt Martha's will be her first report," Sebek told me after the meeting. The lawsuit shouldn't preclude Crotty and the township from reporting about taxpayer-funded services provided by Aunt Martha's, he said.

Advertisement

The suit claims the township's request-for-proposal process that resulted in the board's decision to contract with Aunt Martha's was a sham. Aunt Martha's "does not even provide the majority of youth services" outlined in the RFP, the suit says. Also, the township had no criteria for "scoring" bidders, the suit claims.

When the township board was debating youth services last year, dozens of BYS supporters turned out at public meetings to offer testimonials about how agency counselors changed their lives. Hundreds more expressed support through social media.

Now, with the agency's future on the line, the question is whether BYS supporters can muster enough votes to win seats on the township board April 4.

Crotty's slate of candidates with the Bremen Tax Cut Party includes incumbents Willie A. Jones for assessor, John D. Lord for clerk, John Flaherty for highway commissioner and Keith Gomillia and Kathryn Straniero for trustee. The slate includes two newcomers seeking trustee seats, Mary Catuara and John M. "Mike" Tatro.

Incumbent trustees Norm Pestlin and Larry Sargis are not seeking reelection. Sargis cast the lone dissenting vote when the township board voted to eliminate funding for Bremen Youth Services.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Sebek's slate is running as the Bremen Families First Party and includes Grace Bardusk for assessor, Palma Jones for clerk, David T. Schnell for highway commissioner, and Laura Brown, David Bryant, James Monroe Talbot and Charles A. Wolf for trustee.

Advertisement

Crotty is a former state representative and state senator who benefits from the backing of Cook County's Democratic Party organization. Most south suburban township elections are typically uncontested, but Crotty has regularly faced political opponents and crushed them at the polls.

In the 2013 race for Bremen Township supervisor, Crotty trounced Bremen Township High School District 205 Board of Education President Debi Stearns by a margin of 10,311 to 3,317 votes.

In 2009, Crotty received 100 percent of the vote after successfully nullifying the candidacy of opponent Sarah B. Hamm, whose name still appeared on ballots.

The last time Crotty faced a somewhat close race for township supervisor was in 2005, when she defeated John A. Daly by a margin of 56 to 44 percent of the vote.

tslowik@tribpub.com

Twitter @tedslowik
A restaurant offering Greek and Italian dishes is planning to open in the Genoa Pizza building located at 125 S. Main Street in Burlington.

Angelo Douros and his father, John Douros, appeared before the village board to discuss the opening of Main Street Grill and to seek approval for outdoor seating.

Advertisement

Angelo Douros said the project has been on hold while the owner awaits approval from the building code inspector to install a new hood over the oven. Once that is approved, Douros said work on the roof, the front of the building and completion of the interior setup will be swift.

Douros said he intends to serve homemade gyros, pizza and other Italian cuisine along with daily sandwich and dinner specials. He said the restaurant is intended to be a casual dining spot that will accommodate 40 people in the dining room and at about five tables along the sidewalk on Center Street.

Advertisement

Douros said he plans to apply for a liquor license so that he may offer beer and wine. Board members cautioned Douros that no alcohol could be served in the outdoor area.

Initial hours for the eatery will be from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with lunch service added as soon as possible. If all approvals are received, the Main Street Grill is slated to open within six weeks.

Jeanie Mayer is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
A Texas man gave an angry, ranting elocution citing the Bible, Supreme Court cases and proclaiming he is innocent of killing his grandmother, but his words failed to sway a judge from sentencing him to 45 years in prison.

"I am innocent and I should not lose one more day of my life," Richard Schmelzer, 44, said during his sentencing hearing Thursday before Sixteenth Circuit Associate Judge Linda Abrahamson. "I loved my grandmother. She was my best friend. I did not do this. This is ridiculous."

Advertisement

Schmelzer was convicted earlier this year of murder in the stabbing death of his grandmother, Mildred "Dodie" Darrington, in July 2014. Her body was discovered in her East Dundee home after she missed a regular hair appointment.

Prosecutors said Schmelzer drove from his Texas home to his grandmother's home and stabbed her to death in a plot to get his share of her estate, valued at $800,000. The prosecution presented circumstantial evidence showing Schmelzer plotted his alibi and his trip to Illinois to kill Darrington. He was in debt, his home was being foreclosed and he had spent $20,000 on female escorts in the months before the murder, according to testimony.

Advertisement

Schmelzer's mother, Angela, wrote one of three impact statements read during the sentencing hearing. She took the stand, took off her glasses and wiped her face before she started. Angela Schmelzer said her mother talked about wanting to die peacefully and how she first thought that's what happened to the 85-year-old.

She later learned her mother was murdered.

"I could not think of a soul who could do this," Angela Schmelzer said.

Then she learned East Dundee police suspected her son killed Darrington.

"I was devastated," Angela Schmelzer said, adding she wished it was someone else who did it.

So much has been lost, she said. "I lost my mom and I lost my son, or at least who I thought was my son. It cost me my granddaughters. I've lost so many of my precious memories, they are all tainted."

Darrington was a caring grandmother and Richard Schmelzer was her favorite grandchild, according to testimony. She was the kind of grandmother who always asked if anyone was hungry and would tell her grandchildren everything would be OK, her family testified. She collected gift cards from local businesses to give away at parties for seniors, Angela Schmelzer said. Darrington also loved cardinals, which now make her daughter cry, she said.

Richard Schmelzer was a manipulator who "lived his life in an entitled manner," his sister, Kim Schmelzer said when she read her victim impact statement from the stand. His grandmother often got him out of trouble and he had such a big hold over her that he got her to change her will so he could be executor, she said.

Advertisement

Kim Schmelzer asked the judge to sentence him in prison so his family can live without the fear he will be released. He needs to be held accountable after "weaseling" his way out of everything else in his life, she said.

The final impact statement letter came from Schmelzer's 16-year-old daughter, which Kim Schmelzer read. The girl wrote the day he was arrested was the day everyone in her family was imprisoned one way or another, according to the letter. While she had some good memories of her father, the bad memories were clearer, she wrote.

Her one word to describe her father was "manipulative," she wrote. The teen was always disturbed by "the pleasure he got from inflicting pain," whether from a game or play wrestling with her, the girl wrote.

"I never thought the same person who carried me on his shoulder would murder someone," she wrote. The girl said her father is a liar who needs to be in prison because it is his home now. "He is not loved by anyone," she wrote. "The space I had in my heart for him is filled with hate. My father died the same day he killed my great-grandmother."

Kane County Assistant State's Attorney Bill Engermann said the murder "was cold. It was calculating. It was evil. It was a murder induced by no one other than his own greed."

He sought a sentence of 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Defense attorney Rick Kayne asked for 20 years citing Richard Schmelzer's law abiding life prior to the murder. He said Schmelzer did commit adultery and he apologized for those actions.

Advertisement

A pre-sentence report showed Richard Schmelzer was smart, charismatic, well-liked by everyone in his group with no history of addiction and had a good job, nice home, a nice family, Abrahamson said. "Based on the victim impact statements from the people who know you, your family is now terrified of you," she said.

The report also stated that Richard Schmelzer is a religious person but, his statement seems inconsistent with that fact, she said. He took no responsibility and laid blame on everyone else, she said.

Schmelzer must serve 100 percent of the 45-year sentence. Kayne said Schmelzer will file an appeal and requested a hearing to reconsider the sentencing. An April 13 hearing was set.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Members of the Mont Clare Elmwood Park Lions Club were honored for 70 years of service at the Elmwood Park Village Board on Monday night. The Lions Club members who attended the meeting and posed for the group photo were, from left, Doreen French, Gabe Caporale, Jim Caliendo, Jonathan Zivojhnovic, Darlene Hrankaj, Skip Saviano, Jo-An Caliendo, Larry Zucker, Sig Polanek, Mitch Kaiser, Dwayne French, Lucia LaMontagna McHugh, Dave Hansen and Rich Polanek. (Pioneer Press / Pioneer Press)

The Mont Clare Elmwood Park Lions Club's motto of "We Serve," is a well-deserved one, according to Elmwood Park Village President Angelo "Skip" Saviano, who as a Lions Club member, has watched the group up close.

"They work so hard in every endeavor to raise funds to help our community," he said at the March 20 Elmwood Park Village Board meeting. "It's a great safety net to have an organization like this taking care of the people in our area. We really appreciate it."

Advertisement

Saviano and other members of the Elmwood Park Village Board approved a proclamation honoring the club, which is celebrating 70 years of service.

"Among many of their goals," the proclamation read, "the Mont Clare Elmwood Park Lions Club [members] faithfully stock food pantries, provide food to the needy, recycle keys and cellphones to benefit battered women and shelters, visit the elderly, assist the youth and raise funds to combat the disease."

Advertisement

For the past 24 years, the proclamation noted, the MCEP Lions Club hosted the "Tuscano"-style wild game dinner, which generates funds benefiting a local resident or family.

Just from the group's emails that come his way, Saviano told group members gathered at the meeting, "I see how you interact with each other and get things done. I know that takes a lot of work, a lot of organization and a lot of dedication."

The club is best known for its "sight and sound" work, helping people with sight and hearing problems, said Larry Zucker, a former president and now a director, helping people unable to afford it with a hearing aid or glasses. The group's territory includes "a little bit of Chicago and all of Elmwood Park," he said.

Around holiday time, the organization donates money that goes to helping local food pantries and Vietnam veterans, he said.

Members make up about 55 to 60 food baskets, which go out to needy families. Around Thanksgiving, members visit senior homes.

Founded in 1947 by a group of individuals who came together for the betterment of the community, the proclamation noted, some 70 years later "the Mont Clare Elmwood Park Lions Club remains strong, flourishing into a devoted group of men and women that can certainly be proud of a vast list of heartfelt pride and gratitude."
Prom isn't the biggest event of the year for Leah Slivovsky, a senior at Lyons Township High School in La Grange.

It's Brownstock, an all-day musical festival that took place in the Reber Center on the north campus Friday.

Advertisement

"I love performing. It just brings joy to me and to other people. It's a win-win," said Slivovsky, a Western Springs resident.

Slivovsky, who plays the guitar with her friend, junior Adam Kneebone of Brookfield, on the drums, were among 19 acts that performed for other students during the festival. The duo don't have a name but performed a medley of theme songs from video games. Slivovsky also performed earlier in the day as part of an act called Identity Crisis.

Advertisement

Students streamed into the auditorium throughout the day to listen to performers. The frequently clapped and shouted words of encouragement.

"I like the creativity that people express and the energy the students give to the performers," said Tyler Bernklau, a sophomore from Brookfield.

Brownstock began 18 years ago in former English teacher Glen Brown's classroom as an open mic for any student who had a song to sing, a poem to read or music to play. It quickly expanded into a double classroom to accommodate its many participants, and then moved into the auditorium, said Jennifer Bialobok, a district spokesperson.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 August Domanchuk performs during Brownstock. (Mike Mantucca / Pioneer Press)

Teachers sign up to bring their classes into the theater throughout the day, she said.

"We use professional lighting and sound equipment to give both performers and audience a live concert experience," said Eugene O'Reilly, a teacher in the language arts department.

The festival attracts a variety of performers.

"Styles are wide ranging," he said. "There are solo acts to full six or even eight piece bands doing folk, rock, rap, R&B and jazz."

Slivovsky took a semester off in 2016 to tour with Dalton Rapattoni, who finished in third place on the final season of "American Idol."

Advertisement

Slivovsky connected with Rapattoni when he reached out to the owner of the School of Rock in Oak Park, where Slivovsky takes lesson in search of some help for a national tour.

Despite her professional experience, Slivovsky said she hasn't been involved in a lot of extracurricular music activities at school and many of her fellow students don't know she plays music.

"It's really fun to do this and everybody is like 'I didn't know that you play guitar,'" she said.

Slivovsky's mother, Katie Slivovsky, was on hand to see her daughter play.

"This is like the prom for her. This is the highlight (of the school year) for her," she said.

amannion@tribpub.com

Advertisement

Twitter @triblocalam
Contrary to population-losing Cook County, the number of people in Lake County remained relatively flat in recent years, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. (Jim Newton / Lake County News-Sun)

Lake County's population fell between 2015 and 2016, but only barely, new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show.

There were 703,047 people living in Lake County as of July 1, 2016, down from 703,413 a year earlier, according to the estimates released Thursday. The loss of 366 residents reflected a decrease of less than one tenth of 1 percent.

Advertisement

Lake County's holding the population relatively flat stands in contrast to much larger Cook County, which lost 21,324 people, the largest numeric decline of any county in the nation, the estimates show. Cook County's population shrunk by four-tenths of one percent.

Similarly, the Chicago metropolitan area as a whole lost more than 19,500 people, the greatest decline of any metro area in the country and the only metro area among the nation's top 10 that experienced a drop in population. But some suburban counties in the area, including Will, Kane and Kendall counties in Illinois and Kenosha County in Wisconsin, gained population, with Will County gaining the most people, 2,842.

Advertisement

William H. Frey, a demographer at the Washington-based Brookings Institution, suggested that nationally, the narrative about young millennials shunning suburbs for cities may not be as widespread any longer.

"There was a period between 2007 and about 2013 where the net outmigration from the city was kind of depressed," Frey said. "And now it's coming back again.  Maybe this romance with the city is fading just a little bit because these young people are now maybe being able to find jobs and afford a house."

He said in Chicagoland, "maybe there's some movement back to the suburbs, but it's not enough to make a huge dent" as the whole region loses population.

Since 2010, Lake County's population has mostly floated around 703,000, with a slight dip in 2011 and 2012 to figures closer to 701,000.

The slight population loss for 2016 in Lake County can be mainly attributed to domestic migration. The 7,773 births in Lake County outpaced the 4,589 deaths, and the county gained almost 1,700 people due to international migration. But that was offset by nearly 5,200 people moving out of Lake County between July 2015 and 2016.

Still, the fact that Lake County is mostly holding the line, population-wise, while people are fleeing Cook County to the south is encouraging to Kevin Considine, chief executive and president at the economic development nonprofit Lake County Partners.

"We've got the right combination of assets here, at least that's what it feels like," Considine said. "It starts with great schoolsan abundance of jobs, great communities, a breadth of housing options. If you focus on those foundational things, the numbers eventually bear out."

Lake County has 11 Fortune 500 companies, including Walgreens Boots Alliance, Abbott Laboratories and Discover Financial Services. And a Lake County Partners analysis released in February showed that many Lake County workers have shorter commutes than their Cook County counterparts, with almost 25 percent of Lake County residents traveling less than 15 minutes to work each day compared to a 12.6 rate in Chicago and 16 percent across Cook County. Nearly 70 percent of Lake County residents stay in the county for work, which is more than any other suburban county in the region, according to the nonprofit.

Advertisement

Considine also pointed to numbers from the National Association of Realtors showing that millennials, perhaps contrary to the prevailing narrative, prefer detached, single-family homes  55 percent of millennial homebuyers preferred detached housing over condos and multi-unit homes.

But Considine cautioned against "making too many grand assumptions" before the Census Bureau releases more granular data showing numbers at the city and village level and containing information about specific demographics.

Considine wasn't gloating that Cook County lost so many people.

"A healthy Chicago is good for everybody," Considine said, adding that he means the whole metro area, not just the city.

Tom Chefalo, principal planner at the Lake County Planning, Building and Development Department, said his staff follows the numbers every year but said the "farther you get from the decennial Census, the less reliable (the estimates) are."

"I'm not saying we aren't flat, but we could have just as easily gained population," Chefalo said.

Advertisement

He said the "numbers have been basically the same since the (2010) decennial Census, and we're not surprised to see that."

"There really hasn't been a lot of development activity, at least until the last two years," Chefalo said.

But he added that Lake County does have room for growth, and the opportunity for redevelopment, as well.

North of the Wisconsin border, the numbers were even flatter. Between 2015 and 2016, Kenosha County gained a measly 15 people, the estimates show.

lhammill@tribpub.com

Twitter @lucashammill
In 2008, Jose Antonio Vargas was among a group of reporters at The Washington Post who earned the Pulitzer Prize. On June 22, 2011, Vargas came out as an undocumented immigrant in a column he wrote for The New York Times Magazine.

During a March 7 talk at Lake Forest College, Vargas, who said he remains undocumented, told his story to about 100 people.

Advertisement

"We were interested in providing an opportunity for our students to learn about immigration and some of the important issues about the national conversation about immigrants in the U.S.," said Erin Hoffman, director of the college's Office of Intercultural Relations.

Vargas said he is originally from the Philippines. In 1993, at age 12, he came to the United States to live with his grandparents  both naturalized U.S. citizens - in the Bay Area of California, he said. He thought he was in the United States legally and it wasn't until he tried to get his driver's permit at age 16 that he found out his green card was fake, he said.

Advertisement

He studied journalism and held different jobs before being hired at The Washington Post in June 2004 using fake documents, he said.

"Every time I got a job, I always filled out a form, and on every single form I lied," Vargas said. "If I wanted a job, I had to lie. I checked 'U.S. citizen' on every form. I got to the point where it was a lot of fraud."

A few years later and against his lawyer's advice, he said he decided to publicly declare his undocumented status.

"I thought telling the truth about this from a personal perspective was necessary," Vargas said.

He wrote the column for New York Times Magazine and later appeared on interviewed on TV by Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert.

"Then I prepared to get deported," Vargas said. "I thought that was what would happen."

It hasn't, and Vargas said he doesn't know why. However, he has twice been held while traveling through U.S. airports  once in McAllen, Texas, in July 2014, and before that at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport in October 2012, according to Vargas and news reports.

"Under this (presidential) administration, I don't know if I'll be as lucky," Vargas said.

Advertisement

Since leaving The Washington Post, he started Define American, a nonprofit that aims to "shift the conversation about immigrants, identity and citizenship in a changing America," according to its website.

During his talk, Vargas spoke about what he described as false beliefs people have about immigrants.

One is that undocumented immigrants don't pay taxes, he said. Undocumented immigrants paid an estimated $13 billion in payroll taxes to Social Security in 2010 while receiving only about $1 billion in benefit payments, according to a Social Security Administration report from April 2013.

A second belief is that most undocumented immigrants illegally crossed the Mexican border, he said.

"More than 40 percent of people here illegally overstayed their visa and didn't cross the border," Vargas said.

Nor were the largest percentage from Mexico, according to a 2015 Entry/Exit Overstay Report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, released in January 2016. The report shows that in 2015, nearly 7.9 million people from Canada overstayed their visas, followed by nearly 2.9 million from Mexico.

Advertisement

Another belief is that all or most undocumented immigrants are from Mexico, he said. According to the Pew Research Center, Mexicans accounted for 52 percent of undocumented immigrants in 2014, but the number of undocumented Mexicans has been shrinking since at least 2009. Meanwhile, undocumented immigrants from other countries have increased, according to the Pew Research Center.

Hoffman said Vargas brought humanity to the topic of immigration.

"I think that's rare to have the chance to hear from the perspective of undocumented people," Hoffman said. "I think that was particularly interesting and helpful in understanding this challenging situation on immigration, particularly related to undocumented people."

mlawton@pioneerlocal.com

@reporterdude
Three school districts are banking on unity in numbers to spread the word that the state's continued budget impasse is hurting school districts.

As schools throughout Illinois continue to wait for promised payments, school board presidents from Indian Prairie District 204, Oswego District 203 and Plainfield District 202 met last week to discuss how they can tap the community to press legislators into action.

Advertisement

Every day more than 74,000 students attend school in one of the three districts, which are among the 10 largest school districts in Illinois.

Oswego 308 board President Matt Bauman said his district already had to lay off teachers and administrators and must borrow money to make payroll and pay bills through the end of the school year, when revenue from property taxes arrive.

Advertisement

"We cannot cut and cut and cut," he said.

Realizing his district is not alone, Bauman said he reached out to his neighboring districts to talk about the problems they are facing and to discuss how to get their message heard.

"The louder the voice, the more captive the audience," Bauman said.

Plainfield 202 board President Michelle Smith said the gathering was beneficial, if only to share information on what each district is doing.

"None of us have any brilliant new ideas. We're kind of in the same situation," she said.

In response to the presidents' meeting, District 204 board President Lori Price had a fellow member draw up a resolution calling for a variety of educational and funding reforms, including a requirement that the state pay school districts monthly and in the year the money is appropriated. The District 204 board unanimously adopted a resolution this week.

"I think it's a good start.  We can't just sit back and do nothing at this point," Price said.

"(District) 204 has a reputation of leading the way in some of the education reform conversations, so I think this is in line with what we've done in the past," she said.

Advertisement

Price echoed Bauman's concerns of lawmakers' inability to work together.

"They haven't passed a budget; they haven't paid us," Price said.

As of this week, Illinois owes District 204 $10.5 million earmarked for special education, transportation, and free and reduced-price lunches.

Superintendent Karen Sullivan said that if the state fails to pay what's already owed, the amount owed Indian Prairie will increase to $14.7 million on March 30, when the third installment of the categorical payments is supposed to be paid out.

Price plans to share the Indian Prairie resolution with Oswego and Plainfield, as well as other members of the Large Unit District Association.

"Anyone else who wants to use this as a template, I think it's a good thing we have a consistent message," she said.

Advertisement

District 204 board Vice President Michael Raczak also is expected to bring copies to Friday's Legislative Network of DuPage meeting. He sees the resolution as a means to coalesce districts.

Raczak, who also attended the meeting with Oswego and Plainfield, said not having a state budget has become status quo.

"I am pleased  although symbolic maybe  this is a step in the right direction, and I would encourage other school boards to do something similar to that to say we cannot continue to function like this," he said. "It's impossible to do the work of the school board without a budget or inconsistent funding."

subaker@tribpub.com

Twitter @SBakerSun1
The cast of Hammond Community Theatre's "Superior Donuts" from March 31-April 9 at Beatniks on Conkey in Hammond includes Don Taylor (from left), of Hammond; Robert Miles Hill, of Hammond; and Sandy Stotts, of Dyer. (Photo courtesy of Anji Britten)

Hammond Community Theatre serves up comedy-drama 'Superior Donuts'

"Superior Donuts" debuted on television in February but Andy Leahy, director of Hammond Community Theatre's production of the play the CBS show is based on, said he has purposely not watched it.

Advertisement

"The show on TV is just about the doughnut shop. They've basically turned it into a situation comedy," he said of the program starring Judd Hirsch and Jermaine Fowler.

"This is a story of a drama with funny moments," added Leahy about the production from March 31-April 9 at Beatniks on Conkey in Hammond.

Advertisement

"It's about an aging hippie who was a draft dodger during the Vietnam War who has inherited his family doughnut shop and is not in a good place in his life. He hires a young black kid from the neighborhood who comes in and brings some life into the place.

"Through the play and the other characters, these two develop a relationship almost like a father-son or good friend relationship. It helps both of them because they each have their issues in the long run.

"What all of the characters are dealing with in this story are relationships. How do we maintain relationships? Why are they important to us? We can't just walk away from people. We have to work on relationships because we need them to make our life good."

The comedy-drama, which world premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 2008 and debuted on Broadway in 2009, was written by Tracy Letts, who received the Pulitzer Prize for drama for "August: Osage County" and a Tony Award for portraying George in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

"I had a minor part in 'August: Osage County' at Crown Point Community Theatre," said Leahy who was invited by Hammond Community Theatre to direct "Superior Donuts."

"He has a way of describing characters and having characters come alive through what they say so actors can grab a hold of the character. They have a lot of depth. They're not just one-sided. When he has people talking to one another he has such a good use of word that he gets the message across."

The cast, which features Hammond residents Don Taylor and Robert Miles Hill in the lead roles, also includes residents of Dyer, Griffith and Munster.

"I'm very pleased. I had some really talented people come out for the show," said Leahy, of Chicago Heights, Illinois.

Advertisement

"The two leads have a good relationship going on stage. That's what you need to hold this show together. All the supporting actors seem to be working out very well."

Cindy Wotkun, of Highland, is assistant director for "Superior Donuts," which is set in Chicago.

"We just have a good relationship because she understands theater. She's able to point things out that I miss. We're able to work very well together. She's very organized," said Leahy, who directed "The Pajama Game" in 2014 for the Genesius Guild in Hammond.

His work with Hammond Community Theatre began when he appeared in "The Diary of Anne Frank" and has included directing shows such as "Other Desert Cities" in 2015.

"I just enjoy the people very much. They're very committed to doing good theater and are willing to put the time in so that it works," said Leahy, who is also a member of and viewer for Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation.

Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Advertisement

'Superior Donuts'

When: 8 p.m. (7:30 p.m. doors) March 31 and April 1 and 7-8; 2 p.m. April 2 and 9

Where: Beatniks on Conkey, 418/420 Conkey St., Hammond

Tickets: $15 including refreshments; cash only at door

Information: 219-852-0848, www.beatniksonconkey.com or www.hammondcommunitytheatre.org

Etc.: presented by Hammond Community Theatre
Most of the time when the Gary Fire Department responds to an alarm, there's neither smoke nor fire, a financial and safety problem it wants to fix by levying fines on offenders.

"False alarms is a massive issue that we're trying to address and we're all aware of," said Mark Jones, fire department chief of operations.

Advertisement

In 2015, the department responded to 720 false alarms, far exceeding any other fire department in Lake County, according to data from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. A portion of them was classified as "malicious," meaning an alarm was pulled even though there was no real emergency. The department also responded to nearly 400 false calls caused by malfunctioning equipment.

For each alarm, the fire department dispatches two fire engines, a truck and a battalion chief, Jones said.

Advertisement

"Unfortunately, all false alarms are unwanted alarms, but we have to treat them like a real-life emergency is taking place. But there are adverse effects. There's a monetary value. We have fuel and maintenance from the wear and tear on those (fire engines)."

The fire department is crafting an ordinance, similar to the one the police department passed in 2015, which would levy fines against people responsible for false alarms, he said.

The bogus calls also jeopardize the safety of people who may be dealing with a legitimate emergency during the time a unit is dispatched, Jones said.

"Let's say someone pulls an alarm. That's manpower and equipment that's dispatched to check out the false alarm," he said. "But if simultaneously a house fire comes in, now another set of engine companies have to come from a farther distance to take that call."

Perhaps even more perilous is the toll of constant responses that prove unjustified.

"False alarms are dangerous because you can get so many of them, even people in the same building can get complacent," Jones said. "If I live in an apartment and the fire alarm goes off three times a day, it can be like the boy who cried wolf. One of these times it could be something devastating and detrimental to one's health and people don't even react to the alarm."

The Gary Police Department also responded to a whopping amount of false alarms in 2015  more than 10,000 calls triggered by false security alarms, an average of roughly 30 a day, officials said. The cost was more than $320,000, they said.

In July 2015, Gary enacted an ordinance that allows police officers to issue a $50 citation after three false alarms within 30 days.

Advertisement

Commander Kerry Rice said the department hopes the fines serve as an incentive for people to pay more attention to their alarm systems and limit false alarms.

"Our No. 1 call for service for the last 25 years has been alarm calls," Rice said, adding that 90 percent of those calls are false. "We pretty much want citizens aware that this is an issue and costs us a lot of money."

Rice said the department started writing citations last year and he's optimistic that will help curb the calls.

"Alarms are supposed to stop burglaries," he said. "But this is helping burglars with us running around like a chicken with its head cut off responding to false alarms."

jaanderson@tribpub.com

Twitter @Jaconet
Gary municipal government hasn't had a deputy mayor since 2014. On March 21 officials passed a resolution making that inaction official.

The Common Council voted without opposition to approve an ordinance desired by Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson that changes city code from saying that Gary "shall" have a deputy mayor to Gary "may" have someone in the position, which historically was an appointed post with duties assigned by the mayor.

Advertisement

Freeman-Wilson hasn't filled the post in three years, instead preferring to have a person serve as chief of staff. That title currently is held by Dayna Bennett.

Attorneys advised the council that state law does not require them to have someone as deputy mayor, and that few other cities of Gary's size have such a position.

Advertisement

Council President Ronald Brewer said he researched the issue to find the specific ordinance where then-Mayor Richard Hatcher created the deputy mayor post for Gary.

"There were some discrepancies, but it does exist," Brewer said. "Mayor Hatcher signed this, there is a public record."

Freeman-Wilson has said that while she sees no need for the post, she would not want to preclude a future mayor from having the option, if needed.

In other business, the Common Council voted 6-1 to retain Namon Flournoy and Eric Reaves as the council's' choices to serve on the Gary Redevelopment Commission. Councilwoman Ragen Hatcher, D-at large, was the vote in opposition. Other commission members are chosen by Freeman-Wilson.

Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson addresses a crowd gathered at the Genesis Center for the State of the City Address on Feb 24, 2017. (Jim Karczewski / Post-Tribune)

Gary may not carry the designation of a "sanctuary city," but Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson says she wants her home community to be hospitable to people from other countries.

"Whenever I'm asked whether Gary is a 'sanctuary city,' I feel it important to say that Gary welcomes all law-abiding citizens, wherever in the world they happen to come from," she said Tuesday, March 21, in explaining her participation with other mayors in "A Day of Action" meant to show support for immigrants and immigration reform.

Advertisement

Sanctuary cities are communities where local law enforcement officials do not voluntarily provide information about people who are not U.S. citizens or are lacking a valid visa that would give them permission to be in this country.

Chicago is a sanctuary city, along with suburbs such as Cicero, Evanston and Oak Park, along with Cook County. In Indiana, West Lafayette has "sanctuary city" status.

Advertisement

Such status has become controversial because President Donald Trump, as part of his efforts to increase deportations, has said he will withhold federal funding from municipalities that insist on maintaining "sanctuary city" status.

Aside from her statement, which she made toward the end of a common council meeting, Freeman-Wilson also issued a proclamation where she said, "We must recognize the importance of having diversity in our communities and our nation. Immigrants, like others, have made significant contributions to our society. We urge Congress and the (Trump) Administration to redirect its focus in regard to immigration reform that will be inclusive of all."

Freeman-Wilson's efforts were part of a U.S. Conference of Mayors' initiative that included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Providence, R.I. Mayor Jorge Elorza, Anaheim, Calif., Mayor Tom Tait and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, who in a joint press conference said they want to highlight the role cities play in trying to fix a "broken" immigration system.

The mayors brought together faith leaders, residents, stakeholders and community-based organizations for events that support immigrants and emphasize their value to both national and local economies.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution calling for bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, continuation of programs protecting the immigration status of people brought to this country as children by parents who didn't obtain proper immigration status, and recognizing of social, academic and cultural contributions of immigrant communities across the United States.

Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
South Shore riders can take their bikes on a few rush-hour trains for the first time soon, as new South Shore Line timetables go into effect April 1.

More changes could be coming to the trains' schedule this spring after riders have a chance to weigh in, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation Board learned Friday.

Advertisement

Mike Noland, the South Shore's president and general manager, said the commuter service has been looking to "redistribute" four eastbound rush-hour trains that leave downtown Chicago between 5 and 6 p.m. One train with a later departure could have fewer stops along the line.

The South Shore also is considering changing the departure schedule for weekend and holiday trains leaving Chicago's Millennium Station, and adding another eastbound and westbound train.

Advertisement

Noland said the South Shore will draft the proposed changes in April and seek riders' comments.

The NICTD board will examine the proposal at its May 12 meeting, and any changes approved then would go into effect July 1.

The South Shore is entering the second year of its bikes-on-trains program, from April 1 to Oct. 31. Cars equipped with bike carriers will run on weekends and holidays, except for certain busy weekends; each designated train is marked on the new printed schedules with a tiny bicycle. Also, the railroad is partnering with the Porter County tourism office and South Shore Trails to publicize riding opportunities in Northwest Indiana.

Opening up four rush-hour trains  the first two in the morning and in the afternoon  for bicycles is a response to some comments from last year.

Also at the NICTD meeting:

The board listened to an update on the project to install Positive Train Control, a federally mandated system for all railroads, to prevent train collisions and other hazards. NICTD is paying $6.15 million each year for the project's 25-year bond issue.

"We're making trains smarter," said Nick LaRocco, a vice president of the Parsons Transportation Group, which is installing the computer-run PTC system.

He said the South Shore's system will be in service by May 2018, well ahead of the Federal Railroad Administration's Dec. 31, 2018 national deadline.

Advertisement

Not all the Metra rail lines in the Chicago area will meet that deadline, he added. Noland said the South Shore has asked Metra to put a priority on the tracks that the South Shore uses in Chicago.

Noland said he's "hopeful, cautiously optimistic" about the chances that this year's Indiana General Assembly will help fund the railroad's $290 million project to build a second set of tracks between Gary and Michigan City, to improve the trains' speed and reliability. The legislature is being asked to fund about one-fourth of the cost, and the four counties served by the South Shore have preliminary agreements to pay another one-fourth. The remaining half would come from a federal grant.

The engineering design and environmental assessment for the double-track project are nearly finished, he said, and public hearing could be scheduled this summer in Michigan City and Gary.

Noland also noted that the current federal transportation act, which passed Congress in 2015, includes money for the transit grant programs that President Trump's preliminary budget proposed eliminating. Those grant programs have "tremendous support" around the country, he said.

W.J. O'Dea, NICTD's chief operating officer, reported on steps being taken to respond to service disruptions like the Jan. 12 ice storm that stranded passengers on one train for several hours. Among those steps: designating a staff member to focus full-time on customer service; improving communications with passengers on trains; and buying a diesel locomotive that will be stationed near the western end of the line, instead of Michigan City, to help stranded trains.

Tim Zorn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
COLUMBUS  A 43-year-old Omaha man is accused of passing forged checks totaling more than $18,000 at two local banks.

Platte County Court Judge Frank Skorupa set a $100,000 bond, 10 percent allowed for release, for William Virden Jr. for second-degree forgery in connection with the fraudulent checks written Nov. 29 on the accounts of Columbus-based Re/Max Total Realty Inc. and Wilke Cattle Company and Fremont-based Barta Cattle LLC.

Skorupa scheduled Virden for an April 13 status hearing on the forgery charge, a Class 2A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The defendant, who was arrested in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in February, remained in custody on Friday.

Two of the bogus checks were passed at Pinnacle Bank, 210 E. 23rd St., for $8,821.44 and $3,942.01, and one was cashed at Columbus Bank and Trust, 2501 13th St., for $5,245.

Columbus Police Investigator Gregory Sealock reported Virdens Nebraska identification card number was recorded on all three forged checks.

Bank surveillance video of the three transactions showed a male matching the photograph on Virdens state identification card, Sealock wrote in his probable cause statement supporting the defendants arrest.
Laura Awdey, right, who lives on Porter County Road 300 South, discusses a proposal for a roundabout near her Porter Township home with Joshua Corwin, center, and C.J. Cunningham, both with the Troyer Group, which designed the proposal, during a Thursday hearing at Boone Grove High School. (Amy Lavalley / Post-Tribune)

While an official with the Indiana Department of Transportation used the words "proposal" and "preliminary" while he talked about the possibility of a roundabout at Indiana 2 and Porter County Road 100 South, that wasn't enough to appease people who live near the intersection.

About a half dozen people spoke Thursday at Boone Grove High School during a hearing held by the INDOT, and none seemed too thrilled with the idea of a roundabout. County Road 300 West, which also feeds into the intersection, would be reconfigured to connect with Ind. 2 just south of the Porter Township intersection under the proposal.

Advertisement

"No offense, INDOT, but you think roundabouts are the end all and be all, but every time you put one in, I have to find another way. I don't like them," said Angela Moench, who's lived near the intersection for 31 years, and, like the other speakers, generated applause from the more than 70 people who attended the hearing.

Between the 24 accidents reported at the intersection between 2010 and 2012, the year an intersection improvement first popped up on INDOT's radar, and the sightlines there, officials wanted to consider measures to make the intersection safer. None of the accidents were fatal.

Advertisement

"If you travel through there, the skew of that intersection is squirrelly," said Rickie Clark, with INDOT's Office of Public Involvement, noting that Ind. 2 is on a hill. "Even if we don't necessarily agree with the treatment, there is a challenge at that intersection."

In addition to the sightlines, Clark said speed on Ind. 2 is a concern as drivers approach the intersection. Other alternatives for the intersection, including signs or a traffic signal instead of the blinker there now, would enhance safety somewhat but wouldn't address the sightlines.

"We definitely feel the roundabout proposal will reduce the number of vehicular accidents," he said.

People in the audience questioned the accident statistics, which they pointed out were several years old; whether school buses, farm equipment and semi-trucks would be able to safely and smoothly get through the intersection; and decried why, if the intersection was so dangerous, officials didn't do something about it sooner.

""I think there's a lot of time that's gone on where you could have helped this intersection," said Robert Rapley, who lives in the 200 block of County Road 100 South, adding the state could have lowered the speed limit approaching intersection, which is 45 mph on Ind. 2 at the intersection but 55 mph north and south of it.

The number of accidents at the intersection is not that bad, said David Miller, a retired Indiana State Police trooper who's lived on County Road 300 West for 25 years, and wondered if the improvements weren't contingent on plans for a nearby 450-home subdivision.

He suggested cutting back the trees at the intersection and shaving down the hill because drivers will approach the intersection too fast since it's in a rural area.

"It would open up the sight paths that you're talking about," he said.

Advertisement

The proposal as it stands would cost $1.5 million, with 80 percent of that in federal funds and 20 percent from the state, in construction costs, and would require INDOT to acquire 4 acres of property for permanent right-of-way, Clark said. One residence at the northwest corner of the intersection may require relocation, he added, and INDOT would need almost another acre for the duration of the construction.

The public can offer comments on the proposal through April 10, Clark said, and INDOT will take those suggests under consideration when deciding on the future of the intersection, which could come later this spring.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Your thoughts?

Comments can be submitted by email to Rickie Clark at rclark@indot.in.gov, or mailed to the INDOT Office of Public Involvement, Attention: Rickie Clark, 100 N. Senate Ave., Room N642, Indianapolis, Ind. 46204.
Brianne Coleman of Calumet Township, a domestic violence survivor, has launched a new organization to help women in her previous situation. (Brianne Coleman / Provided by Brianne Coleman)

An aerosol can, a candlestick, a toilet plunger and a belt.

These are some of the household items Brianne Coleman said she was beaten by a former boyfriend over a two-year period. Not to mention his bare fists, verbal abuse and intimidating threats.

Advertisement

Her body visibly bruised, Coleman did everything she could to hide the abuse, as many victims do, she said. She lied about her wounds. She hid her injuries. She wore turtleneck garments to hide the bruises.

Coleman believed her abuser's repeated threats, and his repeated promises to stop hurting her. She took him back again and again.

Advertisement

She moved out of town, started a new life and sought professional help. He again promised to change and stop abusing her. It didn't last long. The abuse returned, she said.

Out of desperation, Coleman turned to St. Jude House in Crown Point, which serves as a safe shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She lived there more than two months, healing her physical and emotional wounds.

"Brianne went from victim to survivor," said Linda Perez, the center's executive director.

Coleman agreed to share her painful story in a video for the center, describing her ordeal and offering hope to others in her former situation. You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7noRQB7vTho.

"She is very open about sharing her trials," Perez said. "We have showed the video at some of our events."

Coleman told survivors and their supporters, "I was blessed to come out of such an ugly relationship and be able to use my voice to tell my story of survival."

The man is no longer in her life.

Coleman eventually began to pick up the pieces of her fractured life and put them together to make sense again. One of the first puzzle pieces was a higher education. She completed four years of college in less than three years, earning two degrees while landing herself a solid job and a hopeful career.

Advertisement

"She is an overcomer," Perez said. "An amazing, strong woman."

St. Jude House nurtured Coleman throughout the difficult transformation.

"They are the sweetest people I ever met," Coleman said of the center's staff. "They watched me grow."

Today, at 36, Coleman works as an executive assistant in the department of information technology, research, evaluation and data sciences at the YMCA of the USA in Chicago.

As you may know, March is National Women's History Month, a time to celebrate women's historic achievements as well as honoring women within our communities making their own history. The achievements of too many women, however, often seem to be written with invisible ink.

Coleman fears becoming one of these women. Two steps forward, one step back. Again and again. She gets knocked down, physically or emotionally, and gets back up to pick up more pieces of her fractured hopes and dreams.

Advertisement

"Brianne knows her voice has helped others and she continues to use it," Perez said. "We are so proud of her at St. Jude House. She has a voice, a story and a purpose."

One of those purposeful dreams is an organization Coleman is launching to help others  women and men alike  who are being victimized.

Dimensions of Intersections Inc. was formally founded last November but is still in the works from a practical standpoint. (For more information, visit www.dimensionsofintersections.org.)

Her "big picture, long term" dream includes a full campus facility for abused or assaulted clients, with mental health services, counseling and a sexual assault relief department. She's currently accepting clients, helping them however she can, even if it's to only listen to their stories and direct them to local resources.

"I've heard from all kinds of people  men, women, gay, transgendered," Coleman said. "Domestic violence crosses all demographics."

Perez said, "Domestic violence and sexual assault are not topics easily discussed. They're topics no one wants to talk about. Brianne has been the survivor speaker twice at our candlelight vigil, and she uses her voice to help others."

Advertisement

Coleman believes it's all about building awareness, especially for abuse victims who are too scared, too alone or too uneducated about their situation. Just as she once was.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"Don't be afraid to ask for help," Coleman tells visitors to her website and viewers of her video testimonial. "Don't be afraid to leave. It's possible when the fear of staying is greater than the fear of leaving. You're not alone and there are many organizations there to help you. Use your voice!"

Now, one of those organizations is Dimensions of Intersections.

"I want to use my story to help others," Coleman told me on my latest Casual Fridays radio show. (Listen to her story here: http://lakeshorepublicradio.org/programs/casual-fridays-jerry-davich-and-karen-walker.)

When she eventually builds her brick-and-mortar center for Dimensions of Intersections (and I'm convinced she will) I think the lobby should house these items  an aerosol can, a candlestick, a toilet plunger and a belt.

They can help prompt a conversation about her household story, which sadly will resonate with too many other women. Those items, though, only reflect the beginning of her story, not the ending, as they will soon learn.

Advertisement

jdavich@post-trib.com

Twitter@jdavich
Pueblo coroner identifies victims in weekend homicides

Leo Julien Leonardo, 22, and Shannon Moreno, 51, were both killed in apparent shootings between Friday night and Sunday morning.
COLUMBUS  Austin Fritz may never know how much he was loved, but his mom sure does.

Angie Randles was recently surprised with an upcoming fundraiser that will be held in honor of her son, who died in January 2016 from streptococcus pneumoniae and acute purulent meningitis. The High Plains sophomore was just 16 years old.

He was perfectly healthy, Randles said. He just had a sinus infection, then it turned into pneumonia, then turned into meningitis. And he was gone in less than 24 hours.

Losing her son has been tough to accept, but Randles is using the heartache to raise awareness about the importance of vaccinations.

While Randles is spreading the word about meningitis, Jason Kunes, president of the Friends of Headworks group, wanted to help carry on the memory of her son.

At a December meeting for the group of all-terrain vehicle riders, of which Randles is also a member, she was informed of the event being held in Fritz's honor.

Randles was stunned when she saw the flier for the fundraiser named after her son.

I couldnt read it out loud, she said. I was bawling. I was so shocked and so surprised.

She said no one had ever done anything this nice for her, Kunes said.

Losing her son was devastating, but knowing fellow riders want to keep Fritzs memory alive is comforting.

Austin will be smiling down on all of us from up above! It's been 14 months since he passed away on the 28th and having this event to look forward to has helped ease some of the everyday pain of that loss, Randles said in a Facebook post.

Fritz, described as someone everyone got along with, was known for his love of riding four-wheelers, so it's fitting for Friends of Headworks to organize a drag-racing event in his name.

I always remember seeing Austin out (at Headworks Park near Genoa.) He was drag racing every time I was out there, Kunes said. I knew the kid and I liked him. He was a good kid. He deserves to be remembered like this.

Money raised by the event will go into a scholarship fund for the High Plains Class of 2018 that Fritz would have been part of. Depending on how much is raised, Randles said the money could either go to one person or divided among the entire class.

The "Drag Race Fundraiser Honoring Austin" will be held May 6 on land behind T-Bone Truck Stop, 4018 U.S. Highway 30. Registration will be 10-11:30 a.m. with racing starting at noon.
Our weekly round up of other news affecting foreign investors throughout Asia:

Industry Spotlight: Thailands Automotive Industry

Established over 50 years ago, Thailands automotive sector has developed into the biggest automotive hub in Southeast Asia. In our latest industry spotlight, we highlight recent regulations in the sector and explore why R&D will be required to sustain competitiveness.

Indian Government Revamps Trade Mark Rules

Registering trademarks in India just got simpler: the government introduced its new Trade Mark Rules, 2017 on March 6. A faster, simpler, and transparent registration process will benefit businesses and will serve as an overall boost to Indias intellectual property regime.

Government Regulations Aim to Add Value to Indonesias Mining Industry

The Indonesian government recently published its fourth revision of Regulation No. 23 2010, which governs the countrys mineral and coal mining sector, along with several decrees that together are aimed at increasing the value add of the mining sector. Read more for a detailed look at all changes

Setting Up a Representative Office in Russia

Looking at the new dynamics of an increasingly eastern facing Russia is relatively simple, with the establishment of the Representative Office (RO) in the country a proven method for assessing the local market and its new dynamics. ROs also avoid any possible entrepreneurial risks, as they are cost centers only and not incorporations.

Planting the Seed: A Guide to Investment in Vietnamese Agriculture

Vietnams stature as a market for agricultural goods is set to increase with a combination of government support and rising local demand. Read more for our take on the countrys current challenges as well as emerging opportunities within the sector.



About Us Our Briefing updates are written by and provided by the various regional offices of Dezan Shira & Associates throughout Asia. To obtain a complimentary subscription to Asia Briefing please click here. To contact Dezan Shira & Associates concerning foreign investment and assistance in Asia, please email us at asia@dezshira.com

Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure

Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide.

An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2017

Doing Business in ASEAN introduces the fundamentals of investing in the 10-nation ASEAN bloc, concentrating on economics, trade, corporate establishment and taxation. We also include the latest development news in our Important Updates section for each country, with the intent to provide an executive assessment of the varying component parts of ASEAN, assessing each member state and providing the most up-to-date economic and demographic data on each.

An Introduction to Doing Business in China 2017

Doing Business in China 2017 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in China. Compiled by the professionals at Dezan Shira & Associates in January 2017, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Chinese market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to keep up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Hong Kong 2017

Doing Business in China 2017 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in China. Compiled by the professionals at Dezan Shira & Associates in January 2017, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Chinese market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to keep up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.

An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2017

An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2017 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in India. As such, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Indian market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to stay up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Singapore 2017

An Introduction to Doing Business in Singapore 2017 provides readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Singapore and outlines the citys role as a trading hub within ASEAN. The guide explains the basics of company establishment, annual compliance, taxation, human resources, and social insurance in the city-state.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017

An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017 will provide readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Vietnam. Compiled by Dezan Shira & Associates, a specialist foreign direct investment practice, this guide explains the basics of company establishment, annual compliance, taxation, human resources, payroll, and social insurance in this dynamic country.
Jiaxing, traditionally known as the home of silk, is a prefecture-level city of 5.4 million people located in East Chinas Zhejiang province. With an area of 4,223 square kilometers, Jiaxing is surrounded by Suzhou to the north, Shanghai to the east, Hangzhou and Huzhou to the west, and Hangzhou Bay to the south. In terms of infrastructure, Jiaxing is well developed with a deep-water port, high-speed rail links, and six expressways linking to the wider Yangtze River Delta region.

37th most competitive city in China in 2021, a standing that reflects the significant improvement made over recent years. A push by the local government to shift away from traditional resource-heavy manufacturing and towards a more high-tech and environmentally friendly economy has led to a range of diverse industries in Jiaxing. These industries, and several special development zones within the city, present investment opportunities for foreign firms who are looking to expand their operations in China.

Economy

In 2021, the GDP of Jiaxing reached RMB 635.53 billion (US$100.35 billion), growing 8.5 percent year-on-year, higher than in previous years. Jiaxing also has a sizable consumer market with an average disposable income of RMB 69,839 (US$10,342), almost 50 percent higher than the national average. In addition, total retail sales of consumer goods in the city rose to reach RMB 227.504 billion (US$33.691 billion) in 2021.

Secondary industries make up a majority (54.34 percent) of Jiaxings GDP, followed by services (43.58 percent), and finally, primary industries, which only account for 2.08 percent of the citys GDP.

Traditional industries in Jiaxing include the production of textiles and clothing, leather products, and chemical fibers. In recent years, these have been overtaken by high-tech industries, such as electronics manufacturing and software development. For example, the so-called Jiaxing Science City (which includes the Jiaxing Nanhu Hi-Tech Industrial Park and the Zhejiang Nanhu Economic Development Zone), hosts several industries specializing in health and biomedicine (biological drugs, chemical drugs, medical equipment), microelectronics (semiconductors, intelligent terminals), and intelligent equipment manufacturing sectors.

Further, the Jiaxing Municipal government has highlighted new energy, new materials, and energy efficiency and environment protection as emerging strategic industries with the objective of creating a more eco-friendly, innovative, and intelligent city. A key growth driver in these industries is the Zhejiang Institute of Advanced Technology, which runs multiple RMB100million research and development (R&D) projects focused on sustainable energy. In addition, a number of development zones have been set up in the city to attract companies that develop photovoltaic products, which turn solar energy into electricity. Thanks to all these combined factors, in 2021 Jiaxings high-quality development index for the secondary industry scored 88.1, an increase of 4.8 points compared to the previous year, ranking fourth in the province overall.

Foreign trade and investment

Jiaxings location as a port city and the presence of an export processing zone led to total foreign trade worth RMB 378.38 billion (US$56.03 billion) in 2021, a substantial increase of over 24 percent compared to the previous year. Among them, RMB 280 billion (US$41.24 billion) of exports left the city and RMB 98.30 billion (US$14.47 billion) of foreign goods entered. Major export products of Jiaxing include mechanical and electrical products, garments, garment accessories, computer and telecommunication technology, furniture, plastic products, solar cells, auto parts, and so on.

In the first quarter of 2022, 33 percent of the citys total exportsor RMB 49.48 billion (US$7.2 billion) occurred with countries from the Belt and Road initiative, marking a year-on-year increase of 20.9 percent. At the same time, the European Union, the United States, ASEAN, Latin America, and Japan were also among the citys top export markets, with exports valued at RMB 31.39 billion (US$4.6), RMB 29.03 billion (US$4.2 billion), RMB 18.36 billion (US$2.6 billion), RMB 9.5 billion (US$1.3 billion), and RMB 8.06 billion (US$1.1 billion), respectively.

In addition, Jiaxing received a total of RMB 17.94 billion (US$2.69 billion) of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the same year.

As of 2021, there were 316 newly approved foreign-invested projects in Jiaxing, 73 of which exceeded US$100 million in investment. The city is home to several Fortune 500 companies, such as Abbott, Philips, Mars, Heineken, and Wal-Mart. The most recent highprofile addition to these was Lego, the Danish toy manufacturer, which opened a 160,000 square meter factory in the city that employs over 1,200 . The factory is expected to produce 80 percent of all Lego to be sold in Asian markets and the total investment, which has yet to be disclosed, is stated by the company website to be a three-digit million Euro figure.

Development zones and industrial parks

Jiaxing is home to a number of development zones and industrial parks. These include national-level zones, such as the Jiaxing Economic Development Zone (EDZ), Jiashan Economic and Technological Development Zone, the Pinghu EDZ, and the Jiaxing Port EDZ. Jiaxing also boasts a Comprehensive Bonded Zone, with two areas, which facilitate export and processing activities. The full extent of the development zones can be seen on the map below.

Jiaxing Comprehensive Bonded Zone (B)

Following an inspection in September 2016, the Jiaxing Comprehensive Bonded Zone (B) was upgraded and became the most open region in the city. According to the Jiaxing government, the zone has been integrated into a greater plan at the provincial level to connect more cities in China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone, under the title of bonded free trade zones. Hence, the zones preferential policies, and also the prime location of Area A in proximity to Jiaxing port, make the Bonded Zone a strong location choice for export-oriented manufacturing and processing companies.

Jiaxing Customs, Jiaxing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, and the Foreign Exchange Management Bureau of the Jiashan branch of the Peoples Bank of China have all established offices in the zone, in order to service companies located in the area. Moreover, several businesses, notably Foxconn Technology Group, Futong Group, Huaneng Power Intl Inc., and Zhejiang Dongfang Kemai Technology Co Ltd., have also opened branches in the zone.

Jiaxing Economic Development Zone

Occupying a significant portion of the city, Jiaxing Economic Development Zone is a typical urban EDZ. It was first authorized as a Provincial level EDZ by the Zhejiang Province government and formed in August 1992 with a planned area of 70 square kilometers. In March 2010, the State Council elevated it to a state-level economic and technology development zone. In addition, the Jiaxing International Business Park was officially added in January 2010, stretching for 40 square kilometers, and connected to the urban area through a high-speed railway. The two areas cover about 110 square kilometers combined and operate under the same management.

Related services Identify the Optimal Investment Destination with Cross Country Competitiveness Benchmarking 

Over the years, the area has developed four leading industries, including car parts, equipment manufacture, high-end food processing, and electronic information, via the joint growth of manufacturing, service, and high-tech sectors. According to the Ministry of Commerces examination of the 219 national-level economic and technological development zones in 2018, Jiaxing EDZ ranked No. 8 for luring foreign investment throughout five separate evaluations.

Jiaxing EDZ is home to several hubs of interest for the international community:

Jiaxing Advanced Manufacturing Industrial Base: Situated southwest of the Jiaxing EDZ, it has a planned area of 23.22 square kilometers. The base places a strong emphasis on the presence and growth of equipment manufacturing, healthy food, and associated industries. It also works to create a high-end foreign-invested manufacturing cluster in the Yangtze River Delta region. Jiaxing Advanced Manufacturing Industry Base has so far hosted many Fortune 500 firms and top businesses from across the globe, including Lego, Philips, ZF, Beiqi Foton, KraussMaffei, Hella, Oriental Lingri, Daming Metal, GST, Harding, Henghe, Lumileds, and Yongtai, among others. The area is also home to two other major economic clusters: Jiaxing Majiabang Healthy Foods Town and Zhejiang Sino-German Industrial Park.

Jiaxing Majiabang Healthy Foods Town : C over ing an area of 3.05 square kilometers , it is situated in Jiaxings southwest district, 5 kilometers from the city center, not far from the bus station and the Majiabang exit of the G15W Highway. Majiabang Healthy Foods Town is home to Abbott, Mars, and Hormel, three major multinational corporations operating in the healthy foods industry and the cultural tourism sector. It has a strong industrial and infrastructure base for attracting relevant businesses in the healthy food sector. Mars Foods, Abbott Nutrition, Hormel, Monin, GELATO DI NATURA, BreadTalk, ISU, and Kapal are among the most reputed companies operating in the area to date .

Zhejiang Sino-German Industrial Park: L ocated in the center of the EDZ, t he Park has a special transportation advantage and full supporting infrastructure and is planned around a total surface of 4.04 square kilometers. The Park concentrates on the manufacture of equipment and car components; together with the service sector, the area boasts of a 3+1 industrial framework. Major industries include aviation logistics, medical equipment, automobile engine and transmission manufacture, vehicle transmission manufacturing, and R&D services. The Park has also established the Jiaxing International Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Project as a new platform to draw in foreign investment. Current businesses in the park include Sin-sino, Hella, Nidec GPM, RPC, Hennecke, Centrotec, BDR, Metso, B&W, Filtran, and Cibes, among others.

Jiaxing Xiuzhou High-tech Development Zone

Jiaxing functions as a regional hub for innovation in Zhejiang Province. The city and all the counties that fall under its jurisdiction have been recognized as national role models for their achievements in the field of science and technology (S&T). Such success was made possible also with the creation of specific S&T-focused areas, such as the Jiaxing Xiuzhou High-tech Development Zone, which was first founded in 1997 and became a national-level high-tech zone in 2016. With nearly 200 enterprise-oriented R&D centers, two State-level mass production areas, and six provincial-level key research institutes spread across a planned area of 5.72 square kilometers, the zone has attracted over 500 enterprises since its creation.

The area has also housed several innovation platforms, such as the Shanghai Jiaotong University (Jiaxing) Science & Technology Park, the Yangtze River Delta Academy of Nanotechnology and Industry Development Research, and the Zhongguancun Yangtze River Delta Innovation Park.

In addition, the Xiuzhou High-Tech Zone has also performed well in terms of attracting foreign investment. In addition to talking with investors from Germany, Spain, Italy, and the United States on more than 20 projects, by January 2022 the area had already signed its first partnership deal of the year with UFI Filter Group (an Italian company). In July 2022, YTO Aviation Group unveiled its plan to build a headquarters in Xiuzhou, for a total investment of RMB 3.3 billion (US$488.01 million). The plan features the construction of a YTO Aviation Group business platform, YTO Commerce and Trade headquarters, a talent center, a management administrative center, and a strategic decision-making center.

Tongxiang Economic Development Zone

The Tongxiang Economic Development Zone was established in Jiaxing in 1992 and became among the first development zones upgraded to the provincial level the following year.

The provincial-level EDZ has been under construction for over 20 years and is projected to stretch across an area of 85 square kilometers, and it has already developed into a key hub for attracting foreign capital to the area. More than 380 businesses call the Tongxiang EDZ home, including 164 businesses with annual industrial production values above RMB 20 million (US$2.9 million) and 47 businesses over RMB 100 million (US$14.72 million). The area has formed an industrial cluster incorporating new energy, new materials, electronic information, and mechanical industry, boosted by the presence of several top firms such as Tongkun Group, Jushi Group, Huayou Cobalt, NAMAG, and Hozon Auto.

Nanhu Fund Town

Another example of clustering in Jiaxing is the Nanhu Fund Town  an area of Nanhu District that claims to be home to over 2,500 investment funds and fund management companies. Between them, these companies manage over RMB 300 billion (US$45 billion) of funds which are marked for investment in firms at all levels of development, from seed funding to private equity. Hence, for firms wishing to enter China and also attract local investment, Jiaxings Nanhu Fund Town offers a large number of potential investors.

As of January 2022, Nanhu Fund Townwhich is also Chinas first private equity fund townhad attracted 9,303 investment firms, more than RMB 609.6 billion (US$89.55 billion) in paid-in capital, more than RMB 8.9 billion (US$1.3 billion) in tax revenue, and RMB 28.89 (US$4.2 billion) invested in more than 500 publicly traded companies.

In an effort to improve the business climate and draw in additional money and high-profile personnel, the fund town also offers professional services, including an online registration platform for new companies and a professional service team comprising of 70 individuals. The investment horizon in the area has expanded to include microelectronics, automotive, automation, and bio-medicine.

Favorable policies for foreign investors

COVID-19 relief measures

In 2021 Jiaxing established special financial and fiscal measures to assist businesses in overcoming challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city set aside RMB 270 million (US$42.34 million) to encourage those businesses with a focus on innovative and sustainable projects. Additionally, it worked to ease the financial burden on market players by more than RMB 30 billion (US$4.41 billion) over the course of the same year.

The citys finance department has also taken further action by lowering the charge criteria for water usage by 20 percent and cutting charges associated with access to urban infrastructure by 30 percent.

Additionally, the percentage of government procurement projects set aside for small and medium-sized enterprises has increased by 10 points to 40 percent. The fees for bids on government contracts and the associated paperwork were also eliminated.

Finally, the Jiaxing tax department has introduced a new tax exemption and refund policy to lessen the tax burden on businesses and lower capital turnover costs to support the continued development of firms.

Qualified Foreign Limited Partner program

According to the finance office of the Jiaxing municipal government, the city of Jiaxing, together with Huzhou and Wenzhou, has received clearance from the provincial government to pilot the qualified foreign limited partner (QLFP) program.

The QFLP program gives international institutional investors and private equity fund managers better treatment and more access to Chinas domestic private equity market. Under the pilot program, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise or a Sino-foreign joint venture created by a foreign private equity fund manager is eligible to raise money through a partnership and make domestic investments.

Being a center of high-quality foreign investment in Zhejiang, Jiaxing is anticipated to optimize the capital market environment and promote industry transformation and upgrading by piloting the QFLP.

The city has planned to test the program in Jiashan county and take advantage of Nanhu Fund Town (Chinas first private equity fund town) to promote foreign investment in the local capital market and encourage more businesses to go public through equity investment.
You are here: Home

China made several breakthroughs in deep sea exploration as a team sailed 7,929 nautical miles to explore the trenches in the west Pacific Ocean, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said Thursday.

The 68-day expedition made China the first to obtain 10,000-meter-deep artificial seismic profile data with a domestic ocean bottom seismograph, at the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the CAS said in a statement.

The team returned to Sanya in south China's Hainan Province Thursday.

The Challenger Deep at around 11,000 meters in the Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean.

Haiyi, China's domestic underwater glider, reached a record depth of 6,329 meters in the Mariana Trench.

During the trip, submersible Haidou dived to over 10,000 meters five times. It reached the sea bottom at a depth of 10,886 meters, the first time China has conducted unmanned navigation and video transmission at over 10,000 meters.

The expedition team also sampled snailfish in the Yap Trench at a depth of 7,884 meters, the maximum depth where China has sampled fish.
Photo taken on March 22, 2017, shows the site of the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. The 2017 BFA will be held from March 23 to 26 this year. [Photo/China.org.cn]

The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) conference 2017 opened four days of proceedings on March 23 in Boao, Hainan Province in southern China, although the formal opening ceremony will be held on March 25.

The theme this year is: "Globalization & Free Trade: Asian Perspectives."

The Boao-headquartered organization plans 42 official and 12 private sessions. Experts and speakers will cover a variety of topics, including Asian regional cooperation, the Asia-Pacific free trade zone advocated by China, global economic sub-health, the limits of monetary policy, supply-side reform, industrial design and a sharing economy.

The event, held since 2001, always attracts heads of states and governments, leaders of more than 80 international organization, ministers of economic affairs, experts and business people from many countries.

The 2017 conference will broadly cover the areas of globalization, growth, reform and the new economy. All four are very close to the current interests of Asia, which has long been an important beneficiary of the Boao forum. However, there will be more emphasis on globalization in the wake of growing criticism that it has failed to cater for the world's downtrodden masses.

Briefing media, BFA Secretary General Zhou Wenzhong referred to the concept of "inclusive globalization," which he said would be the highlight of the deliberations.

Globalization has been on the receiving end over the past couple of years, although there are some who have vehemently opposed it from the outset, including protests at meetings of institutions supposedly representing the globalization process. What is different now is that its strongest proponent up to now, America, has openly spoken against it.

President Donald Trump believes globalization has done more damage to his country than good, especially in the area of free trade, and he is demanding efforts to provide balance. His criticism and measures like walking out of multilateral arrangements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) have raised questions about the future of globalization.

In these testing times, China has stepped forward and President Xi Jinping spoke in favor of globalization in his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland at the beginning of the year. The organizers of the BFA have included it as part of the conference theme this time to provide an opportunity for creating a bulwark against the de-globalization sentiments.

There is growing consensus that globalization should be more inclusive and it should look after the needs of the less-privileged nations, communities and individuals. BFA is the right forum to deal with the topic in detail as Asian economies are among the biggest beneficiaries of globalization.

The concept of "inclusive globalization" will be the keynote of BFA, and especially at a plenary session in the afternoon following the opening ceremony. Prominent leaders from international organizations, business and academic communities will take part in this debate.

It will be important to note how inclusiveness can form the mainstream and benefits of globalizations are carried to marginalized groups. The proposals and suggestions coming out of the BFA may work as an engine of change to help global economic integration and free trade.

The BFA will also discuss how to stimulate global growth through a multi-pronged approach. The hope is that experts can come up with new ideas on new drivers of growth.

At the same time, it is important to reform the systems capable of expediting growth. Apart from the issue of growth, other topics like entrepreneurship, innovation and the new economy will also come up for discussion. Dozens of sub-titles related to the main theme of the conference will also be discussed.

The BFA was set up to promote and deepen the economic exchanges, coordination, and cooperation within Asia and between it and rest of the world. The latest edition should help to generate high-end dialogue among the leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and scholars on global economic issues, including the concept of inclusive globalization.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Towards the end of his tenure as the Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has woken up to balance Nepal relations with China. While toppling the KP Sharma Oli-led coalition to which his party, CPN-Maoist Centre, was a key partner, Prachanda had accused his predecessor of causing imbalance in the relations between India and China.

Prachandas undiplomatic assertion had come in the wake of a series of accords, including landmark trade and transit treaty that Oli had signed with the northern neighbor. The agreements were crucial to reducing Nepals dependency on India and ensuring its access to the sea. But there is little or no progress in the direction of implementing them. More than seven months elapsed since Prachanda has become the prime minister but he had no stomach for signing a protocol on Chinas flagship Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative largely owing to what experts call his India-tilted foreign policies. A palpable disregard for their execution on the part of his government had created a sense of unease in the bilateral ties between Nepal and China.

In a fence-mending mission, Prachanda embarked on a week-long visit to China Thursday. But, there will be no bilateral agreements between the two nations due to the technical reason, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat. As Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Australia for an official visit, no formal accord on B&R and other issues is struck.

Dr Mahat told a press meet that the Nepalese government had completed all preparations on many important agendas of bilateral cooperation and relations and the two sides would reach agreements on them in near future.

PM Prachanda will address the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2017 and call on Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. He is expected to express commitment to implementing the agreements signed with China during Olis visit. He will discuss the issues of transmission line, cross border economic zone and B&R with the Chinese side.

Seemingly, the visit is going to take place at Prachandas own initiatives without serious homework. Experts have also pointed to this shortcoming.

We tend to see process and outcomes. But, no groundwork has adequately been carried out prior to Prachandas visit to China. For example, there should have been meetings between the foreign and finance secretaries from two nations to prepare the drafts for the agreements. We did not witness such developments, said Dr Upendra Gautam, general secretary of Nepal-China Study Centre.

Dr Gautam suggests that the Nepalese PM should put up his agendas candidly no matter who will be happy or who will be angry. He should take the national interests into account while taking up the matters of bilateral cooperation and relations, he added.

One of the important goals of his China visit is to prove that he is not a pro-Indian politician. By shaking hands with Xi Jinping and holding brief talks with him, PM Prachanda wants to make an impression on the Nepalese people and his party cadres that he is eager to boost ties with China and place Nepals relations with both neighbors at an equidistance. Given his past mercurial character and open backing of divisive ethno-centric agenda of Madhes-based parties, it is hard to believe that he will be able to really rebalance Nepals foreign relations with the neighbors.

Prachandas visit is taking place ahead of the crucial local elections slated for May 14. This will be followed by the handing over the reins of government to Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Prachanda seems to utilize his China visit as an opportunity to rebuild his own image among his own colleagues and cadres, who think that his capitulation to Indian diktats had also damaged the party too much.

Nepal has been pursuing independent foreign policies based on the principles of Nonalignment, Pachsheel (the five principles of peaceful coexistence) and the U.N. Charter. Nepals relations with China have been very close and cordial since the ancient time. Nepal stands to take immense benefit from the B&R that pushes for connectivity and cooperation among the nations of Asia and Europe. It is myopic view to describe Nepals growing bonhomie and partnership with China as anti-Indian development. As a sovereign nation, Nepal is free to execute its sovereign foreign policies for the mutual benefits of neighbors and friendly nations. Now PM Prachanda has an opportune moment to wipe the slate clean and advance the frontiers of Sino-Nepal ties to new heights.

Ritu Raj Subedi is an associate editor of The Rising Nepal.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

Turkey will continue its economic relations with the European Union but will review all political and administrative ties, including the migrant deal after the upcoming referendum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.

In an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk, Erdogan slammed that European countries violated the European values by banning Turkish officials from attending rallies.

Turkey made great efforts to develop ties with the bloc and received nothing in return, Erdogan noted.

"The real cause of the problems the EU facing right now is some member states' attitude," he said.

The president stressed that the problems with Europe were caused by some EU countries, while also acknowledging Brexit decision.

The diplomatic row came to a high between Turkey and Germany and other European countries over campaign ban among the Turkish diaspora for the April 16 referendum on constitutional changes.

Erdogan also said he would have "face to face" talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in May, and Syria and Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based Islamic preacher blamed for July 15 failed coup, were the top bilateral issues.

Turkey was saddened by the U.S. and Russia readiness to work with the People's Protection Units (YPG) , the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)' s offshoot in Syria, the president said.

Regarding the U.S. and British ban on devices bigger than a cellphone in the cabin on flights from several countries including Turkey, Erdogan said the implementation had damaged mutual confidence and he hoped the mistake would be corrected soon.

One day earlier, Turkish President also criticized the EU member states for tolerating activities of the PKK terror group across the union, urging the EU to respect democratic values and human rights.
 Flash

A contingent of the guard of honor of the three services of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) took part in a grand military parade held in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Thursday morning to mark the country's Republic Day.

Soldiers of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) march during a Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on March 23, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

In his speech to the parade, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain thanked China for sending its soldiers for thePakistan Day parade and described it as an historic opportunity.

He said the Chinese army contingent had never participated in such events earlier in Pakistan.

The president also talked about the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, saying the project is a best example of China-Pakistan economic partnership.

The 90-member contingent of the PLA has come to Pakistan to feature in the parade on the invitation of the Pakistani side.

Earlier on a rehearsal day of the parade, Major General Li Jianbo, head of the Chinese contingent, told media "We have come here to convey a message of friendship to Pakistan on behalf of the Chinese people and the Chinese army. We sincerely hope that Pakistan will progress day by day and its army will be stronger and stronger."

Saudi Special Force's contingents and Turkish Janissary Military Band also participated in the parade.

Pakistan Day, or Republic Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan to commemorate March 23, 1940 when a resolution was passed in Lahore, now Pakistan's eastern city, to demand a separate homeland for the Muslims of the British Indian Empire.

Seven years after the resolution was passed, the British Indian Empire was divided into two states, India and Pakistan.
Gao Zhisheng

(Photo: China Aid

China Aid

(Midland, TexasJan. 31, 2017) On the eve of an important event honoring the sacrifice of numerous prominent human rights lawyers, China Aid is pleased to announce the availability for purchase of a book written by persecuted rights attorney Gao Zhisheng.

Written in secret and kept away from officials who closely monitor him, Gao Zhishengs book, Unwavering Convictions, chronicles the 10 years of torture the lawyer experienced for defending sensitive cases and forecasts the hopes he has for Chinas future.

The manuscript was smuggled out of the country by China Aid, who partnered with the Taiwan Association for China Human Rights to make the book available in Chinese in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The book was picked up for publication in English by the American Bar Association and the Carolina Academic Press. The forward was written by former Vice President of the European Parliament Edward McMillan-Scott. Additionally, retired Representative Frank Wolf and China Aid president Bob Fu endorsed it.

This title is available for purchase through the Carolina Academic Press.

In his newly-released memoir, pictured

above, Christian human rights lawyer

Gao Zhisheng details the account of his

torture and projects his hope for an

improved human rights situation in the

future. (Photo: China Aid)

In order to honor human rights lawyers China Aid is hosting an invite-only event at the Library of Congress today, entitled, Worsening Religious Freedom and Rule of Law in China: What does that mean to the United States and Free World? This occasion will mark China Aids 15th anniversary of helping persecuted Christians and celebrate the efforts of Chinese human rights lawyers, which often come at great personal cost. Several of the lawyers will be present and afforded the opportunity to speak about these conditions.

Other notable guests include Senator Marco Rubio, Representative Mike Conaway, Representative Chris Smith, Representative Randy Hultgren, Representative James McGovern, retired Representative Frank Wolf, retired Representative Beau Boulter, Dr. Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USCIRFs Vice Chair and Commissioner, Jim Zogby, President of World Uyghur Congress Rebiya Kadeer, blind self-taught lawyer Chen Guangcheng, Attorney Mike Donnelly, Christian Solidarity Worldwide CEO Mervyn Thomas, Advocacy International CEO Brent McBurney, Secretary General of World Evangelical Alliance Bishop EF Tendero, former Permanent Representative to the United Nations for World Evangelical Alliance Deborah Fikes, Washington Institute president Dr. Steve Garber, and more.

During the event, seven human rights lawyers nominated by China Aids board of directors will be awarded the 2016 Courage Award for Defense of Religious Freedom in China for their tireless bravery. The recipients are:

Lawyer Li Baiguang Lawyer Zhang Kai Lawyer Gao Zhisheng Lawyer Li Heping Lawyer Li Chunfu Lawyer Jiang Tianyong Lawyer Tang Jingling

China Aid publishes books such as Gao Zhishengs and hosts events like the upcoming forum in order to expose the abuses of the Chinese government against Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
A repairman fixes damaged Bluegogo bikes in a maintenance office in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on March 14, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

While China's bike-sharing market is booming as competitors battle it out, some cities' curbsides are already overloaded with the colorful selection of bicycles, or worse, damaged ones that no one can use.

BigData-Research said shared bicycles served 19 million people in China by the end of last year.

Ofo CEO Dai Wei told Xinhua News Agency this March that the company's 15 million users in 40 cities had completed 200 million rides.

The relatively high usage rate makes a shared bicycle more vulnerable than a private bicycle, not to mention damage caused by vandalism.

Li Zhifu, a repairman working for bike-sharing company Bluegogo in Chengdu, Sichuan province, told Chengdu Business Daily on March 13 that he fixes 60 to 70 shared bicycles every day and the number once rose to more than 100.

His colleague Yu Yiping said the damage, normally divided into physical damage and electronic damage, are usually caused by fair wear and tear or people's bad behavior. Yu has even repaired shared bicycles that have been pulled out of a river, burnt, or had their locks pried open.

"Damage to shared bicycles are inevitable because of the high usage rate, but it is wrong to vandalize them. I hope everyone can make proper use of them and create more convenience for others," Yu said.

BigData-Research said the number of shared bike users is expected to reach 50 million this year. Users' bad behavior is still difficult to regulate at present.
A man uses his smartphone to scan an Alipay two-dimensional code for payments at the first unmanned supermarket in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Asianewsphoto] Boao Forum takes stock of nation's expertise in internet finance and risk control

China is in a strong position to export its internet financial services and standards to economies along the Belt and Road Initiative, as the country maintains an "obvious" edge in the booming sector, a key report said on Thursday.

The Report on Internet Finance 2017, released at the Boao Forum for Asia, said China has accumulated abundant experience in mobile payments and online fund-raising, which can help other economies develop internet finance services.

"Other economies can learn from China's experience in leveraging cutting-edge technologies to boost financial efficiency and strengthen risk control. The move will help boost the integration of global financial sources," it added.

The report comes amid explosive growth in China's internet finance sector. It said dynamic initiatives such as mobile payments, peer-to-peer lending, online insurance and others were emerging all the time and were rapidly changing people's lives.

As of October 2016, the Chinese mainland had about 1,850 peer-to-peer lending online platforms, with total transactions in the first 10 months of last year exceeding 1.59 trillion yuan ($232 billion), data from the report showed.

It said Chinese players such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd were aggressively extending their financial presence to South Korea, Japan and other overseas markets.

"With the internationalization of payment systems as an initial move, more and more Chinese internet financial companies will go out on the hunt for equity investments and acquisitions, to set up their global branches," said Hu Bin, deputy director of the Institute of Finance and Banking at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

He said that the Belt and Road Initiative will encourage China to build new trade and investment ties with multiple economies, which will offer a great opportunity for the overseas expansion of internet financial companies.

But the report said things needed to be learned in the expansion of business abroad.

"It is of crucial importance to partner with local financial service providers. Only by respecting local culture and policies can Chinese players thrive in foreign countries," the report added.

The report said internet finance should be inclusive and focus more on promoting the development of the real economy, as cutting-edge technologies lowered operating costs and boosted efficiency.

"More efforts are needed to regulate the burgeoning sector as services become increasingly decentralized," it added.

In addition to financial regulators, it proposed that information management agencies, public security bureausand other related government agenciesshould get involved to improve regulation.
A technician tests a fuel sample at Cargill Inc's biodiesel processing facility in Rosario, Argentina. [Photo/Agencies]

Foreign companies have no obligation to transfer their technologies to local partners under a joint-venture format in China, the Ministry of Commerce reiterated on Thursday.

The ministry's response follows foreign media reports that global investors were required to share their technologies with their Chinese partners, violating World Trade Organization rules.

Sun Jiwen, the ministry's spokesman, said there are no compulsory technology transfer obligations for foreign investors. All the terms and conditions in business negotiations between two parties result from market behavior rather than such a "nonexistent duty", according to Sun.

"Attracting foreign investment is crucial to China's opening-up. Therefore, we need to underpin a healthy and regulated market environment," said Sun.

Most industries are completely open for foreign investors in China. Only a few sectors deemed sensitive have equity share limits and restrictions, according to relevant regulations. These were reduced from 43 to 15 in 2015.

Eager to maintain its core competitiveness, China started to allow foreign businesses to invest in sensitive industries such as telecommunications, internet-based sectors and education in 2016. Local governments are not permitted to make arbitrary decisions that limit foreign investment.

The Ministry of Commerce and other government bodies are now revising the catalogue of industries open to foreign investment, for example, cutting the number of industries with equity share limits.

The government has repeatedly said that "because of its huge market size, industrial infrastructure foundation and logistics network, China is, in the long term, the most attractive market for global companies".

Foreign companies such as German conglomerates Robert Bosch GmbH and Siemens AG, the United States-based Cargill Inc and Royal Philips NV of the Netherlands, have all made new plans to increase their investments in China through building new plants, joint ventures and research centers.

Johnson Controls Inc, the US manufacturer of energy-efficient products, control systems and batteries, will open its second global headquarters with capacity for between 1,200 and 1,600 employees in Shanghai in June.

Clay Nesler, vice-president of global energy and sustainability at Johnson Controls, said that the company will continue to seize the green building business opportunities that arise from China's ongoing urbanization and industrial upgrading.
Page Content

The plenary took place ahead of the Rome Summit, on 25 March, where a delegation of the CoR will join EU leaders coming together to adopt the Rome Declaration and lay the basis for the future developments of the Union the occasion of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaty. As the EU is engaged in a broad reflection on "the future of the EU at 27", EU leaders have committed to open an extensive debate with citizens on how Europe should evolve.

As part of this ongoing reflection on the EU's direction, the CoR engaged with leading members of the European Parliament and of grassroots movements' representatives to debate how to move Europe forward. The following MEPs expressed their vision in front of the CoR members:Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE/BE), Member of the European Parliament also author of a report that outlines proposals to reform the EU towards closer integration; Elmar Brok (EPP/DE) author of the report on "Improving the functioning of the EU building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty"; and Jo Leinen (S&D/DE), President of the European Movement International - the largest pan-European network of pro-European organisations, and one of the promoters of the public demonstration " March for Europe " to take place in Rome on 25 March alongside the ceremonial Summit. The CoR has launched a bottom-up initiative called "Reflecting on Europe", offering a space for local and regional authorities and for citizens to present their thoughts and ideas about the past-present-future of Europe. As local and regional leaders, CoR Members are among the most trusted politicians in the European Union's Institutional framework.

Brexit

The UK should leave the EU on terms that are not "better than EU membership" whilst ensuring the strong ties between regions and cities are maintained for the benefit of all citizens, the European Committee of the Regions said. This message came during a debate with Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, and was contained in a resolution adopted by EU local and regional leaders on 23 March.

Press release: Brexit: EU must show unity protecting the rights of every citizen living and working in regions and cities

Disaster Risk Reduction

The European Committee of the Regions, in the presence of Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides , adopted an opinion on the Action Plan on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 . The Action Plan aims at translating the Sendai Framework into tangible actions. The opinion provides a reflection on the main elements of the action plan from the point of view of local and regional authorities: on collection and sharing of data, development of strategies for risk awareness, cooperation with the private sector, cross-border cooperation, climate change adaptation, promoting risk-informed investments in all EU financial instruments, support for early warning systems and building back better after disaster strikes.

Food Policy

In a debate with the EU's Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis , members of the CoR declared their support for an EU policy on sustainable food. A common and long-term vision is essential, as the EU is the worlds largest exporter of agricultural products and must ensure viable production whilst safeguarding the sustainable management of natural resources and balanced territorial development of EU rural areas and their communities.

Press releases: Local and regional leaders call for a comprehensive sustainable EU food policy

Smart specialisation

The regulatory framework around smart specialisation strategies (RIS3) needs to be reformed to increase synergies between the European Structural and Investment Funds and regional innovation and development policies as well as to encourage interregional cooperation and the creation of value chains across European regions, the CoR argues in an opinion adopted during their plenary session.

Press release: Smart specialisation strategies: Stronger focus on synergies and interregional cooperation

Cooperation of Health systems

In the opinion adopted during the plenary session, the CoR agrees on the need to improve the integration, cooperation and performance of health systems in the Union. European citizens live longer and healthier lives than ever before but the current health systems in the EU are affected by population ageing, costs of innovative medicine and new technologies, chronic diseases and inequalities in healthcare access. Large health disparities continue to exist between and within Member States and regions.

Press release: Health systems: more integration to boost cooperation and reduce gaps in the EU

LULUCF

Upon request of the European Commission, the CoR has adopted an opinion on the legislative proposals for greenhouse gas emissions reduction from the sectors in the Effort-Sharing Regulation (ESR) and the land use, land use-change and forestry (LULUCF) Regulation. These include buildings, small industry, agriculture, waste, forestry, and transport except aviation and international maritime shipping. Local leaders call for investments and target completion checks every five years. In 2013 , ESR and LULUCF accounted for 55% GHG emissions in the EU.

Press release: Local governments profile EU legislation to reach 2030 climate targets

Contacts:
Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office. [Photo/China Daily]

Asian media will make a "stronger case" for globalization, regional news leaders vowed at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference on Thursday.

Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office, said that in the wake of anti-globalization sentiment, the media should retain a global perspective and uphold the idea of inclusive growth through cooperation.

"China is not only a beneficiary of globalization but a major contributor," said Guo. He noted that the Belt and Road Initiative that President Xi Jinping proposed three years ago has received warm applause from the international community.

"The initiative is not only about interconnectivity, but also dialogues on an equal footing," said Guo, "We hope the media will play an active role in deepening exchanges and creating more development opportunities for every country."

Jenny Shipley, director of the Boao Forum for Asia and a former prime minister of New Zealand, echoed Guo's remarks. She said the media should work to ensure that globalization is "something to be proud of, rather than to fear", and should explain the challenges.

The media should also help with social inclusion and ensure the balance of worldwide development, said Shipley.

Bayarsaikhan Bider, director-general of Mongolian National Broadcaster, said it is his third time attending the Media Leaders Roundtable in Boao, Hainan province. He added that he proposed to set up a new media alliance to enable content sharing and cooperation.

He cited the broadcast of a popular Chinese TV series in Mongolia as an example: "We hope that such sharing will extend to other Asian countries."

The voice of Asia has been weak compared to the West, due to language barriers and cultural differences, which shows the need for a cooperation platform, said Ge Wei, chairman of China Fortune Media Group, concluding a panel discussion.
A plane of Hainan Airlines lands at Shuangliu airport in Chengdu, Sichuan province. [Photo/China Daily]

Hainan will build a multi-model transportation system, with seamless connections and zero transfers, announced a top official of the Hainan provincial government on Thursday. The aim is to advance regional integration and further upgrade the island's infrastructure as a world-class international tourism destination, according to Lu Zhiyuan, secretary-general of the Hainan Provincial People's Government.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2017 on Thursday, he said Hainan will kick off construction of a new airport in the well-known tourist city of Sanya this year. It will serve as an international hub and gateway when it starts operations in 2020.

"Renovation and expansion of Hainan's three airportsMeilan Airport in Haikou, Phoenix Airport in Sanya and Boao Airportare underway, and will be completed this year or next year," said Lu.

He said Hainan is also busy building a round-the-island coastal tourism highway, linking all the cities, counties, towns and even villages on the island, supporting the construction of the province's holistic, or all-encompassing, tourism projects.

"We plan to develop rail transit systems in Haikou and the Greater Sanya Tourism and Economic Circle to accelerate regional integration," said the official.

Lu added that Hainan, with the ocean economy as a pillar industry, will also strive to advance the integration of ports and shipping businesses in the Qiongzhou Strait. The move will consolidate port resources and optimize functions across the province, he said.

Air routes are on the increase as well. In the past two years, Hainan opened or resumed a number of international and regional air routes. The number of the province's international air routes has risen to 52 in 2016 from nine in 2014, increasing the number of overseas tourists.
By He Wei and Ma Zhiping in Boao, Hainan province | China Daily | Updated: 2017-03-24 07:45

Li Dongrong (right), head of the Internet Finance Association of China, shakes hands with Elle Kim, vice-president of Samsung, at the Boao Forum on Thursday. [Photo/China Daily]

Financial technologyor fintechcould contribute to the real economy by bridging the financing gap for "under-banked" individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises lacking a credit history, industry experts said on Thursday during the Boao Forum for Asia 2017.

The four-day BFA Annual Conference 2017, themed "Globalization & Free Trade: The Asian Perspectives", is being held from March 23 to 26 in Boao, Hainan province.

Services built around technology breakthroughsfrom big data, cloud computing to artificial intelligencecould build solutions specific to particular finance needs and bring banking to those who need it the most and the underserved, the experts said on Thursday.

Fintech, defined as the use of technology and innovative business models in financial services, is catalyzing changes in finance that have extended the sector's geographic reach and the availability of financial products, said Ma Weihua, former head of China Merchants Bank.

"Fintech should serve the real economy and the substantial demands of customers," Ma said.

Thanks to mobile phones, along with cloud computing and big data, people in underdeveloped areas could access basic financing services delivered to the palm of their hands, he noted.

Funding requirements by SMEs and individuals now account for 15 percent of China's total loan market and will climb up to 30 percent in three to five years, said Gregory Gibb, CEO of Shanghai Lujiazui International Financial Asset Exchange Co Ltd.

"Fintech is the right way to address that surging need," he said.

Through fintech, traditional lenders can also deliver solutions that enable them to compete in their established markets, as well as helping to improve their own processes, said Liu Shi, founder and chairman of Billions Finance.

For instance, companies using cloud services can save up to 90 percent of budgets spent otherwise on maintaining and supporting a complex IT infrastructure, Liu noted.

Fintech can also tap financial institutions for a wealth of information from data held on potential customers, providing a granular level of detail previously unattainable and coming up with a tailored-made lending plan for each borrower based on risk assessments.

For instance, JD Finance, the financial arm of e-commerce firm JD.com Inc, has issued loans to date worth 250 billion yuan ($36.3 billion) to over 100,000 SMEs and 10 billion yuan to over 4 million farmers.

Chen Shengqiang, CEO of JD Finance, said machine learning, a leading algorithm of artificial intelligence, is adopted in its virtual credit card service Baitiao to automatically assess the creditworthiness of over 200 million people in China.

Similarly, China's largest internet-finance firm Ant Financial Services Group, evaluates customers' purchasing and spending habits in order to derive a figure that shows how creditworthy someone is, and give entitlements such as deposit waivers on a variety of services.
But economic integration and cooperation face more headwinds

China ranked No 1 in terms of economic vitality among Asian economies in 2016, despite setbacks to regional economic integration, reports showed on Thursday.

The Asia Competitiveness Annual Report 2017 said that China maintained a 6.7 percent growth rate last year and contributed 33.2 percent to global economic growth, ranking the highest among all world economies.

Zhou Wenzhong, secretary-general of the Boao Forum for Asia. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In terms of overall competitiveness, China ranked No 9 among Asian economies in 2016, for the fourth consecutive year.

The report was released at the four-day Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan province, which kicked off on Thursday. The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday where Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech.

The study evaluated the competitiveness of 37 Asian economies based on five measurements: commercial and administrative efficiency, infrastructure development, overall economic strength, social development, human capital and innovation capability.

China moved up the rankings for commercial and administrative efficiency on the back of its improved business environment. The central government has further cut red tape and delegated power to lower levels, according to the report.

While the competitiveness of major Asian economies remained unaffected despite "the fluctuations of world politics and economy", experts called for greater cooperation and coordination to address challenges amid rising protectionism.

Zhou Wenzhong, secretary-general of the Boao Forum for Asia, said that globalization has arrived at a crossroad, and the focus of the next phase should be to promote shared benefits and to fix existing problems in the process.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is China's vision to push for globalization. If the economies can work together for mutual gains, while addressing their own development problems, a more integrated Asia is something we can expect in the future," Zhou said.

Another report released at the forum pointed out that Asia's integration in terms of trade, production and finance, is facing unprecedented challenges since the region experienced a sharp trade decline in 2015.

Such setbacks are reflected in the fact that major Asian economiesChina, Japan, South Korea and Indiahave all decreased their trade dependence on Asia, while policy coordination in the region has been weakening, the report said.

Yao Zhizhong, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the continuous advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative could effectively promote economic and trade cooperation in the region.

"It has also offered a new way to tackle the anti-globalization trend and forge a new driving force for globalization," Yao said.

Lin Guijun, vice-chancellor of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said that Asian economies should foster a strong sense of community and abandon the beggar-thy-neighbor approach.

"We need to create an environment in which everybody can benefit from the process," Lin said, adding that governments should make efforts to improve the quality of integration and expand the coverage of free trade.
BOAO - The ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is tackling an issue of widespread concern.

Globalization must not be reversed, Zhou Wenzhong, BFA's secretary general, told Xinhua, adding that the forum will strengthen the case for more inclusive globalization.

The four-day conference, under the theme of "Globalization and Free Trade: The Asian Perspectives," runs until March 26 in Boao in China's southernmost province of Hainan.

"The forum will focus on how developed and developing economies should cope with globalization," he said.

No more losers

Globalization, an inevitable outcome of rising productivity and technological advances, has driven the world economy and poverty alleviation over past decades, Zhou said.

It has also accentuated the imbalance between growth and distribution, capital and labor, and efficiency and fairness, he added.

Protectionism is gaining ground. In 2016, Chinese exporters suffered a record number of 119 trade remedy investigations initiated by 27 countries or regions, 32 more than in 2015.

The root cause lies not in globalization itself but in an anachronistic global governance system, Zhou said, adding that anti-globalization will only aggravate global economic woes.

How a country accommodates people and industries which are on the losing end of globalization decides its integration with others, said Yao Zhizhong, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Generally speaking, globalization is beneficial to emerging economies, and its progress hinges on the management of negative effects, he said.

A lesson of history

As anti-globalization rears its head, East Asia is suffering setbacks in economic integration, according to the BFA annual report.

Asian economies' interdependence in trade and investment has decreased, with a likely retreat in integration of the manufacturing network and financing, according to Lin Guijun, vice president of the University of International Business and Economics.

The biggest hurdle is the lack of a sense of community, Lin said.

The financial crisis that wreaked havoc in Asia's economy two decades ago should serve as a grave reminder that the regional community must unite together when facing a crisis, Zhou said.

More regional cooperation and integration will help Asian countries achieve their development goals, he said, calling BFA a platform for deliberation on Asia's path of integration.

Asia, with its vitality and vision, will inject momentum into the globalization drive, he added, citing a prediction by the International Monetary Fund that Asia will account for two thirds of world economic growth within the next four years.

Embrace globalization, chinese way

At the end of 2016, the BFA held a conference in Melbourne, Australia to explore the future of globalization. Participants agreed that globalization should be more inclusive to benefit groups marginalized in this process.

"The Belt and Road Initiative, in a sense, is China's answer to such globalization," Zhou said. The initiative was proposed by China in the hope of creating a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes. Participants in the initiative will merge in a community of shared destiny, he added.

The initiative has won support from over 100 countries and international organizations, with nearly 50 cooperation agreements signed.

It has added a new dimension to the solution of integration by stressing infrastructure and connectivity on the basis of free trade and investment, Lin said.

The value of infrastructure projects rose 47 percent in 66 countries and regions that fall under the initiative in 2016, according to accounting firm PwC.

The scheme has promoted economic and trade cooperation and has offered a new way to tackle the anti-globalization trend, according to BFA's annual report on the development of emerging economies.

The initiative will continue to be a key topic of the BFA, between state leaders and senior government officials, as well as between CEOs and ministers from China and other countries along the route.
BEIJING - China abides by World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and will continue to do so, a commerce official said Thursday.

Sun Jiwen, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), made the remarks at a press briefing in response to a question about a recent ROK complaint to the WTO over the situation facing ROK companies in China.

An ROK representative told a WTO meeting on March 17 that some ROK businesses in China had been affected, Sun told reporters.

"As a responsible member of the WTO, China always abides by WTO rules, honors its commitments, and will continue to do so," Sun said.

He also noted that the ROK finance minister told media that there was "no evidence" that China has taken policy measures.
SYDNEY - The economic partnership between China and Australia is one which is often described by experts and leaders alike as a "win-win," not only because of the mutually beneficial economic outcomes, but also the positive social and cultural outcomes it creates for the two nations.

In recent times, more so than ever, the bilateral relationship has blossomed as the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) was ratified in 2015, which enabled both countries to take a huge step forward towards a global-centric, shared economic direction.

The importance of this relationship cannot be overstressed, said Professor James Laurenceson, deputy director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology in Sydney, who told Xinhua on Wednesday that the ongoing partnership with China is fundamental to the development of Australia's ongoing economic future.

"More importantly has been its rise over the past ten years. If you look at that period, 50 cents out of every dollar of increased exports have gone to China," Laurenceson said.

The professor said that next to the strong financial ties in the history of the relationship, the people themselves have played a pivotal role in the development of the bonds shared between the two nations.

"Let us not forget the contribution of Chinese immigrants to Australia, they are fundamental in driving the trade links between the two countries," Laurenceson said.

There have been many notable events that have occurred throughout the bilateral partnership that have seen the ties between the two nations strengthened, from cultural and language exchanges, to the fact that in every major city in Australia, you can find a "Chinatown" precinct.

But now, and into the future, the main driver will continue to be ChAFTA, which the economist said has resulted in huge "tangible" benefits to both the Chinese and Australian economies, with a prime example to be found in the wine industry.

"Australian wine can get into China at the moment for a tariff of 5.6 percent, other countries face a tariff of 14 percent, and in two years, the tariff for Australian wine will disappear entirely, so it is no surprise that Australian exports of wine to China are growing at 40 percent," Laurenceson said.

The strength of the partnership will only increase through the treaties that have been signed, Laurenceson said, with China operating as a hub for global value chains which Australia is able to access.

"The reality is Australia is a small economy. We are never going to be a hub for global value chains," Laurenceson said.

"China already is, and will only become more so, so that is yet another good reason for Australia to be trading with China," the expert added.

Win-win outcomes are the cornerstone for the trading partnership between Australia and China, and the professor believes that in a time of growing concern about protectionism and the prospect of interruptions to trade, clarification of what trade essentially is is crucial.

"Trade only happens because two countries want it to, it is by definition, win-win. So more trade with China only happens because Chinese consumers and businesses, along with Australian consumers and businesses, want it to happen," Laurenceson said.

"The worst thing you could do is stop that from happening, because essentially you are ensuring that both countries will lose," said the expert.

With ChAFTA come increased opportunities for Australian connections with China, and Federal Trade Minister Steven Ciobo told Bloomberg on Tuesday that the agreement has driven growth immensely and will continue to do so in the future, and he plans on engaging in further talks during Premier Li Keqiang's visit to ensure the economic treaty is improved for both sides.

"We've got a strong focus on making sure that we continue to remove non-tariff barriers between our two countries to continue to make it easier for businesses to expand in terms of their investment ties and their trade ties," Ciobo said.

Laurenceson is convinced that along with the ever-increasing demand for Australia's goods and services from China, Chinese investment in Australia will result in a win for both countries.

The trade relationship between China and Australia is built upon the premise that each side is able to provide the other with what they need to spur their own economic growth.

In Australia's case, capital investment is one of the major challenges that inhibit its development, which China, particularly over the last two decades, has been able to provide.

"The fact that there is more Chinese investment, rather than Australian investment going into China, is a sign of strength, for both countries," Laurenceson said.

"China's demand for our exports also contributes to higher company profits and royalty payments from mining companies, both of which give the Federal and State governments more revenue to fund hospitals, education, infrastructure, and other crucial needs," said the expert.

This is a sentiment shared by Ciobo, who said that the powerful pro-trade message that has been continually delivered by China, as well as the direct positive actions in terms of economic growth and investment, are "proof positive" of the robust partnership between the two sovereign nations.

"We've seen continued strong growth in investment. We've seen continued strong growth in terms of two-way trade. Australian export volumes are up significantly, so the relationship, frankly, has never been as strong," Ciobo said.
BEIJING - As an innovative comprehensive partnership was established between China and Israel, innovation became China's latest way to pursue win-win cooperation and long-term development with other countries.

The partnership was announced earlier this week during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit.

Israel is the second country with an "innovative" partnership with China, after Switzerland.

Innovation is ranked first among China's five new development concepts, followed by coordination, green development, opening up and sharing.

China and Israel expect to work closely on air pollution control and environmental monitoring.

Innovation is not only a priority in domestic development but is now injecting vigor into the world diplomacy.

Inspiration

The new partnerships are part of China's innovation-driven development strategy. China plans to become an innovative nation by 2020, an international leader in innovation by 2030, and a world powerhouse of scientific and technological innovation by 2050.

Both Israel and Switzerland have secured economic growth through technological development, making them China's ideal partners, according to Ruan Zongze, executive deputy president of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS).

"Such experiences are inspiring for China," Ruan said.

After the partnership was announced between China and Switzerland last year, "Made in China 2025," a plan to move the country's manufacturing sector up the value chain, was aligned with Switzerland's Industry 4.0 strategy.

"With China bent on furthering innovation, and Switzerland a champion of innovation, it makes sense to look to innovation to enrich the content of bilateral relations," Swiss Ambassador to China Jean-Jacques de Dardel told Xinhua in an earlier interview.

New partnerships with China are becoming the flavor of the month around the world.

Dong Manyuan, a specialist in the Middle East at the CIIS, said the China-Israel partnership had been helped by the Belt and Road Initiative, which has much influence in the Middle East.

China is the biggest Asian trade partner of both Israel and Switzerland. In 2016, total trade with Israel was $11 billion and $43 billion with Switzerland.

Part of a global network

China has different types of partnerships with 97 countries and international organizations. The two innovative partnerships represent a beginning which is sure to be expanded.

Innovation has already been mentioned in many of China's diplomatic relations with other countries and regions such as Russia and the European Union.

Ruan said it is natural for a large economy like China to develop different types of partnerships with other countries to satisfy various needs, and innovative partnerships are an obvious way forward.

China is placing innovation at the center of its vision of world governance as a way to bail out the faltering world economy. Innovative partnerships could be the future of China's diplomatic relations.
JavaScript is disabled on your browser.

CORDIS website requires JavaScript enabled in order to work properly. Please enable JavaScript.
VANCOUVER - Fewer Chinese prospective buyers are considering Vancouver properties in the Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.), following its implementation eight months ago of a 15-percent tax on foreign residential real estate buyers.

Brad Henderson, president and CEO of Sotheby's International Realty Canada, told Xinhua on Tuesday that the B.C. foreign buyers tax, which was levied for the first time in Vancouver, has scared off prospective Chinese buyers from Vancouver.

His remarks were based on a new study entitled China to Canada: International Home Buyer Insights, which was co-released on March 7 by Sotheby's International Realty Canada and Juwai.com, an international property website for Chinese buyers of overseas property.

"I think what've seen is a consistent, not only drop in interest from people looking on Juwai, but also from people in buying in the Vancouver marketplace as a result of that tax," Henderson said.

According to the study, Chinese inquiries for listings in the Vancouver property market fell by 81 percent year-over-year in July 2016, the month the B.C. government unveiled its 15-percent tax on foreign buyers of residential property.

The tax aimed to cool a regional housing market that saw extremely high prices and crisis-level shortages of affordable housing.

The drop of queries by Chinese prospective buyers fell throughout the remainder of 2016, down the most by 78 percent year-over-year in August and the least by 9 percent in November.

The study also found that Chinese interest in Canadian real estate has shifted to other major Canadian cities following the B.C. foreign buyers tax.

For instance, queries in the city of Calgary in the province of Alberta increased by 1,050 percent in August year-over-year and by 420 percent in September.

Meanwhile, searches on Juwai for Toronto, Canada's largest city in the province of Ontario, rose by 62 percent year-over-year in August and by 72 percent in September.

Yet Henderson stressed that the Vancouver market still appears healthy despite less interest from Chinese buyers.

"The Gross Domestic Product growth in Vancouver is better than that in Canada," Henderson said. "The same is true with the unemployment rate. Business confidence continues to be very high. It continues to be an attractive market (for those) who want to live and work, whether they're from Canada or from outside Canada."

A major problem facing Vancouver is a shortage of developable land for housing, he said. "So, when you have a strong demand and you add to it a constrained supply, you have a market that will have increasing pressures on price."

The market still appears to be digesting the foreign buyers tax, according to Henderson. "We think a number of people sitting on the sidelines just want to make sure that there's no additional policies coming down the pipe or that this is going to have an adverse effect on the market."

Based on the study, nearly 44 percent of potential property buyers from China cited education among their top motivations to search for property in Vancouver.

The data also indicated that the majority of properties searched for on Juwai were listed at below C$600,000 ($450,011).

Last week, the B.C. government announced it loosened the foreign buyers tax to exempt international residents from provincial work permits, and would provide refunds to some who already paid the tax.

Meanwhile, homes prices in Vancouver remain high. The composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently C$906,700 ($680,042), according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. That represents a 2.8-percent decrease over the past six months and a 1.2-percent increase compared with January 2017.

Adil Dinani, a Vancouver realtor with Royal LePage, told Xinhua on Tuesday that the interest in the luxury-end of real estates in the region does seem to be wavering, but deals worth less than 1 million Canadian dollars ($750,019) remain robust.

"Every condo I've listed, every townhouse I've listed in the past 30 days, I've had multiple listings on," he said.

"We're still seeing a lot of people get excited about new construction developments in Vancouver and in the surrounding suburb areas: Burnaby, Richmond and corridors even further east," he said. "Every time a new project comes up, it's establishing a new (price) benchmark."
ST PETERSBURG - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) established a branch bank in St Petersburg on Thursday.

It made ICBC Moscow the only Chinese-funded bank with institutions in Moscow and St Petersburg and improved its service network in Russia.

Vice President of ICBC Hu Hao said during the establishment ceremony in St Petersburg said that Russia is the largest country along the "Belt and Road Initiative" region.

China and Russia continue to deepen comprehensive strategic partnership in finance, energy, infrastructure and so on. St Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and the important economic and financial center. With the opening of a branch bank, ICBC will actively serve Russia northwest customers financial needs and promote local economic development in order to further deepen Sino-Russian trade and investment cooperation.

ICBC Moscow Co Ltd was established in October 2007. It is currently the largest of Chinese-funded commercial banks in Russia.

ICBC Moscow is the Moscow Stock Exchange's most important renminbi-ruble trading market maker, and in 2016 it was designated by the People's Bank of China as the Russian renminbi clearing bank.

In recent years, ICBC has taken the initiative to adapt to the diversified needs of clients in order to improve China's foreign trade and investment. ICBC's overseas network covers 42 countries and regions, including 127 branches in 18 countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative" region.
China would improve the regulatory framework for intellectual property rights to better drive innovation, a senior official with the nation's top patent office said during Boao Forum for Asia on Friday.

Shen Changyu, commissioner of State Intellectual Property Office of China, said China is drafting the intellectual property rights laws and regulations under the framework of the General Principles of Civil Law, the latter of which is a civil code planned to be enacted in 2020.

The judicial departments would step up efforts to strengthen enforcement of intellectual property rights laws, according to Shen.

Qualcomm President Derek Aberle said innovators, both domestic and foreign, need a more transparent and more predicable regulatory framework for intellectual property rights, because it would decrease the costs of developing new products, which can be very time consuming.

Wu Handong, former president of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, said a better intellectual property regulatory system would help Chinese manufacturing sector catch up with developed countries.

Although China remains a powerhouse in the manufacturing world, lack of innovation is one key factor that makes the sector lag behind the United States, according to Wu.

"Innovation and entrepreneurship could thrive when patents are well-protected," said Wu.
SYDNEY  The Belt and Road Initiative has been lauded by Australian experts as being the catalyst for a new era in economic and trade cooperation between Australia and China.

In an interview on Friday, former Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb sat down with Xinhua on the sidelines of an economic forum attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Sydney, and said the Belt and Road Initiative will play a pivotal role in both China's and Australia's economic success well into the future.

"Without a doubt. There is growing contact as people get to understand what the Belt and Road Initiative is," Robb said. "It is the potential for Australia."

Robb shared his hope that both Australia and China will be able to work side by side in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, utilising their "complementary" abilities.

"A lot of the projects that Australia can bring, especially expertise in the social infrastructure; hospitals, schools, aged care facilities, all of these sorts of things. And of course we have construction capabilities which will complement China's," Robb said.

So, I think there are opportunities for huge partnerships throughout the region, Robb said.

Robb stressed that there has been real progress in Australia recently concerning the Belt and Road Initiative, and as businesses in Australia see the further elements of the strategy being actioned, more will sign up to take part.

"Once that impression takes hold there will be a lot of interest in the Belt and Road Initiative from Australia." Robb said.

The former trade minister is not the only voice in the chorus of those who believe the economic future lies with both countries driving the initiative.

The NSW President of the Australia China Business Council, Craig Emerson, who also served as the federal trade minister on the opposite side of politics in Australia from 2010 to 2013, agreed with Robb, and told Xinhua, the initiative is, in a way, turning back the clock on trade.

"China is physically, as well as metaphysically, reaching out to other parts of the world, re-establishing trade routes and maritime routes, that is the next stage of China's opening', where it is going back to where it was centuries ago, but to no doubt enable trade into the future," Emerson said.

The chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott told Xinhua on Thursday she believed that not only will the Belt and Road Initiative be beneficial to both countries through its operation, but also as part of a broader trade context.

"It really does cement trade between the two countries, trade across the globe, that openness that we are seeking, and building on the huge success of the two markets working together," Westacott said.

Westacott explained that in order for the initiative to be completely successful in providing mutually beneficial outcomes for both sides, it will be important to further educate Australian businesses of the benefits of participating in the ambitious strategic project.

"One of the things we do need to do is explain to businesses what the initiative is, how it is going to roll out, and what are the investment opportunities," Westacott said.

"People will invest in good ideas, and things that have a return, and people will see the bigger strategic issues."

Peter Drysdale, head of the East Asia Bureau of Economic Research, wrote in the Australian Financial Review on Wednesday that the Belt and Road Initiative is a profound opportunity for Australia to not only "strengthen open economic arrangements" with China, but also, play a role in developing the infrastructure that supports the initiative.

"The two countries can work to strengthen investment arrangements; improve air transport connectivity; jointly study opportunities for cooperation on infrastructure; and seek to promote economic cooperation and regional infrastructure investment through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other regional financial institutions," Drysdale said.

The opportunities to be a part of the infrastructure investment are immense according to Emerson, with a "very large amount of infrastructure investment" being needed to ensure the initiative's success.

"I'm absolutely certain that Australian construction companies, financiers, and Australian superannuation funds will be very interested in that," Emerson said.

While the Belt and Road Initiative will lead China and Australia into a new era of trade cooperation, both countries will also benefit on a more global scale, as world-renowned economist, Jim O'Neill, told Xinhua earlier this month. The Belt and Road Initiative will "completely transform" the economic outlook for all the countries involved, leading to "exciting" opportunities for China and Australia.

Robb agreed, and explained that the initiative's potential positive impact on a global scale is limitless, as countries, left to their own devices, are unable to achieve the same growth capability.

"If they get help with important infrastructure which aids trade, and investment, and growth; you will see a great acceleration across all of those countries they will create markets themselves, they will invest in other countries," Robb said.

"It could be absolutely transformative for a very large part of the world; and that is good for peace, and stability, in the world as a whole."
KARACHI, Pakistan  During a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Hub coal-fire power plant built in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan recently, Wang Binghua, chairman of a Chinese power enterprise that is participating in the project's construction, said the plant will benefit both the Pakistani government and local people after its completion in 2019.

The coal-fire power plant project, which is one of the "priority projects" under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is being constructed and invested in by the China Power International Holding Ltd, a subsidiary of China's State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), and Pakistan's Hub Power Company Ltd, with a total cost of some $2 billion.

Wang said that after the fulfillment of the project, local people will enjoy cheaper electricity and about 4 million Pakistani families will benefit from the power plant, adding that the coal-fire power plant also adds variety to Pakistan's energy consumption system so as to help the country ensure its energy security.

"Any country cannot only rely on one sort of energy. Coal-fire power plants, gas filed power plants, solar farms, wind energy, bio-energy or other new energies should all be utilized in order to guarantee its energy security. Therefore, it is necessary for Pakistan to build the coal fire power plant," Wang told Xinhua on Monday.

"As to the Hub project, our company attached a great number of importance to five issues, namely the plant's safety, operation reliability, environment friendly standard, economy and adjustability. And I'm confident to say that we are providing an excellent and responsible service to Pakistan since all of the equipment to be used in the project is top class globally," said the Chinese entrepreneur.

The SPIC chairman emphasized that although the Hub project is a coal fire power plant, top international technologies on environmental protection or emission curbing will be used in the complex so as to meet local or even stricter legislation on coal fire power plants.

"We are adopting a super clean' emission technology which could make the emissions at the plant the same as a gas filed power plant. And with the Hub project, we also plan to build a cement factory nearby so as to utilize all wasted dust produced by the power plant," he added.

He went on to explain that sensing devices would be installed on the top of chimneys of the Hub power plant and all data regarding chemicals such as sulfur dioxide or nitric oxide in waste gas detected by the devices will be sent to local environment department.

"I asked to open this plant to the Pakistani public after its completion so that the local people could experience for themselves the eco-friendliness of our coal fire plant. We are confident in our environmental protection technologies."

According to Wang, the Hub coal fire power plant is expected to be fully operational in August 2019 and it will generate about 9 billion kWh of electricity to the Pakistani national grid annually. It will also create about 10,000 jobs for local people during its construction.

"We come to Pakistan not for the installation of our equipment and to gain profits. We pay more importance to better improving the development of local high-end manufacturing industries so as to make the development sustainable. We also try to group more and more local communities into our project to dispel their worries."

"We plan to enroll a number of Pakistani graduates and to provide training to them to make them skilled. These local employees will be an important human resource for the country. If they leave the Hub plant, they will likely get another opportunity in other plants. It will make this industry in Pakistan more sustainable," Wang said.

Wang also said his enterprise did a lot of work before entering the Pakistani market on how to follow the country's supervision and industry requirements. "We signed a power purchase agreement with the Pakistani government. This document satisfies both sides and sets a code for our market behavior."

Talking about the security about the project in Balochistan, Wang expressed his confidence and trust toward the Pakistani government, saying that the Pakistani side is very considerate regarding security issues and can provide the necessary security for power plants.

During his opening speech in Tuesday's ceremony, the entrepreneur vowed to expedite the project construction with high standards, high quality and high efficiency, and to build the project safely as a benchmark of "China-Pakistan friendship project," "morale project" and "model project" under the CPEC.
BEIJING  The Chinese mainland's trade with Hong Kong totaled $19.81 billion in the first month of this year, down 18.8 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The value accounted for 6.3 percent of the mainland's total overseas trade in January, the ministry's figures show.

The mainland's exports to Hong Kong hit $19.24 billion, a decrease of 15.4 percent year-on-year, while the mainland's imports from the region saw a sharp decrease of 65.5 percent to $570 million.

Hong Kong is the mainland's sixth-largest trade partner and third-largest export market, according to the ministry.

The mainland approved 885 Hong Kong-invested projects in January this year, with the actual use of Hong Kong capital reaching $8.42 billion, up nearly 30 percent from the same period of last year.
TIANJIN  Goubuli, one of China's longest established food brands from the northern city of Tianjin, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Australian health product company Blooms Bluesky Holding.

Goubuli, has adopted the English name "Go Believe," will acquire 78 percent of the latter, said Zhang Yansen, president of the Tianjin Goubuli Group Corporation.

Zhang told Xinhua that through the cooperation, Goubuli will introduce technology and products from Blooms Bluesky to China, while promoting its own stuffed buns overseas.

This is not Goubuli's first cooperation with an Australian enterprise.

In 2014, it joined with Australia's coffee shop franchise Gloria Jean's Coffees and now owns more than 100 Gloria Jean's Coffee shops and Goubuli restaurants in China.
LONDON - Chinese automaker Geely has invested 300 million pounds ($373.59 million) in a new factory to build electric versions of the famous black London taxi cabs.

The new R&D and manufacturing facility, ran by the Geely subsidiary the London Taxi Company (LTC), held an official opening on Wednesday in the English Midlands city of Coventry.

The company also announced that the second vehicle to come off the line will be a dedicated, range extended electric light commercial van (LCV).

This all new, highly flexible, commercially competitive electric vehicle will help fleet owners lower their running costs, improve air quality and support cities in tackling the pollution crisis in urban areas.

The factory opening comes ahead of legislation due to take effect from January next year which means all new London black cabs must be electric.

British Business Secretary Greg Clark said: "Our iconic black cabs are famous across the world. The London Taxi Company's impressive new factory and R&D facility showcases the innovation that makes the UK a world leader in the development of new automotive technologies."

LTC chief executive Chris Gubbey said the opening of the new plant, which would help create and safeguard 1,000 jobs, marked the "rebirth of the LTC".

Carl-Peter Forster, chairman of LTC, said the new plant was the first new automotive manufacturing facility in Britain for over a decade and also "the first dedicated electric vehicle factory in the UK; and the first major Chinese investment in UK automotive".

The largest British trade union Unite was delighted with the resurgence of the taxi brand, which protects high-skilled jobs and will create more in the future.

Unite regional officer Peter Coulson said the company was on its knees in 2013 but "thanks to the commitment of Geely's top management and accompanying large-scale investment the iconic London taxi is set for its continued renaissance".

"Unite has worked very closely and successfully with the company to contribute to this success story which is one of the great comebacks in Britain's long industrial history," said Coulson.

"Geely sees great potential for the iconic London taxi which is famous across the world with its cameo appearances at the 2012 London Olympics and in the James Bond film franchise. The company is already exporting to the Middle East and is eyeing up the Australian market."

The current fleet of black London taxis is 23,000 strong.
Jiao Ke, CEO of Yongqianbao. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Thanks to data-mining algorithms, a Chinese startup has declared it is making loan officers a thing of the past by offering 24-7 automatic credit available at the touch of a fingertip.

Its alternative to manual risk control is an artificial intelligence (AI) model that assesses over 1,000 factors, even analyzing how often credit applicants charge their phones or whether their contacts return their calls.

"While traditional finance serves 70 to 80 percent of the population in Europe and the United States, the figure is only about 15 percent in China," Yongqianbao CEO Jiao Ke told China Daily.

Literally translated as "needing money pal", the company targets the majority of Chinese under-served by traditional banks.

They are paid in cash and are invisible to the social security system, and, therefore, lack "strong features" as required in securing bank loans or credit cards.

"The core issue lies in that risk control technologies are outdated among traditional financial institutions in China," Jiao said. "Data beneath the tip of the iceberg that exists on everyone is a hidden treasure."

Their Conan engineering model, named after the author of Sherlock Holmes, aims to train the machine into a detective, said the computing graduate of Tsinghua University half-jokingly.

The company claims so far to have found over 1,200 weak features that have a stable correlation with someone's willingness and capacity to repay debts.

Nearly 15 percent of Yongqianbao's employees are data scientists. The company, close to completing the C round of financing, has attracted investors including Sinovation Ventures, co-founded by former Google and Microsoft executive Kai-Fu Lee, and Morningside Venture Capital.

China's fintech sector outrunning the US

Investors' confidence springs from faith that China's financial technologies sector is set to outpace its predecessors in the United States over the next few years, Jiao said.

"The country has been offering remarkable soil."

The CEO added that the predominance of traditional finance in the US leaves limited market and mostly high-risk customers for fintech to fill, while China is more than ready to embrace generation-skipping revolution.

He pointed to the explosive growth of mobile payment as an example.

"The US has a strong credit card history, therefore customers are not as strongly motivated as their counterparts in China to leap from paying in cash to paying via phones."

According to recent research by the World Bank, only 16 percent of Chinese people have a credit card.

"Our counterparts envy us for having a credit volume of 1.2 million per month," said the 37-year-old CEO.

Yongqianbao has been putting greater focus on credit volumes over absolute value, even though due to fixed costs, it would be more economical to issue bigger loans.

"Every day, about 40,000 users use their repayment behavior to prove whether they are good users or not, and the data is precious to help us modify our model."

Chinese fintech's evolution

Internet finance in China has gone through three stages, as Jiao sees it. The first revolution was on accessibility, where key players in the sector made traditional financial products such as money market funds popular overnight with easier access. The second was about efficiency, where transfer, payment and membership applications were made more convenient and time-saving.

The third and most important revolution lies in enabling a chemical reaction between traditional finance and AI technologies to add to the customer experience, Jiao said.

He recalled waitresses in China as one of the groups that don't have much to do with traditional banking, most of whom are paid in cash and are not covered by social security.

"Hardworking as they are, it's a shame to deny them credit access because banks can't appreciate their beauty or properly assess their credit worthiness."

The CEO estimates tens of millions of Chinese make poor financial planning decisions occasionally and have to borrow from friends for short-term liquidity.

Tackling BAT

One question every tech startup must face is whether to take on the country's powerful e-commerce trilogy BAT, namely Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent, or join them.

However, Jiao does not see Yongqianbao as a direct competitor to the established businesses.

He said the financial platforms owned by the three will more likely evolve into a standardized service provider like FICO or extending convenient services to prime customers.

"People tend to overestimate BAT's data advantages, but the truth is that they have weak features too," he said, adding that buying habits don't necessarily reveal customers' credit worthiness.

Jiao said he believes data will become more and more open in China, and the key to their business will be using the many specific data sources available to assess reliability.
Falling number still prompts extra measures from central government

Despite a downward trend of tuberculosis cases in recent years, China reports roughly 900,000 new cases annually, keeping it among the 30 countries with the highest incidence of the infectious disease, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

By the end of 2016, the TB incidence rate stood at 61 per 100,000 people in China, down 14 percent since 2011, the latest statistics from the commission's disease prevention and control bureau showed. The commission is the nation's top health authority.

The bacterial infection was not evenly distributed across the country. Rural areas in the western regions recorded the highest TB prevalence, according to an e-mail from the commission on the eve of World TB Day on Thursday.

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region reported the highest TB prevalence, at 184.5 people out of 100,000 in 2015, and the Tibet autonomous region and Guizhou province followed.

The commission has taken in the past several years a number of steps alleviating the TB burden in these areas, including increasing investment for health projects, improving training for local medical staff and encouraging local governments to issue favorable policies for TB patients, such as increasing medical insurance reimbursement for the disease, the commission said.

Health authorities will continue to support areas with higher reported cases of TB, it said.

China also plans to intensify research in the prevention and control of TB in the next few years, the commission said.

A focus will be on research in preventive and curable vaccines for the disease, it said. Authorities also will encourage research into new therapies and drugs for TB, including chemotherapies and immunotherapies, it said.

On Thursday, China's first lady Peng Liyuan visited a middle school in Tianjin to promote TB prevention and treatment awareness among students.

Peng, a World Health Organization goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, attended a class meeting with the theme of fighting TB and visited an exhibition of creative works made by students to promote prevention.

Incidence of tuberculosis in China is expected to be reduced to below 58 for every 100,000 people by 2020, according to a national plan on the control and prevention of TB released by the State Council in February.

According to the document, services for preventing and treating tuberculosis should be further improved by 2020 and those who have the disease should be diagnose dearly and given access to regular treatment.

"China faces many challenges in the prevention and control of tuberculosis, in particular the big number of patients and the number of patients that have developed drug resistance," said Wang Xiexiu, former president of the Chinese Antituberculosis Association.

There are few new drugs for TB, and those commonly used have lost their effect in many patients due to drug resistance, she said. The WHO estimated that in 2015 China had 57,000 cases of multidrug resistant TB.
Bags of flour used at a Farine bakery outlet lie sealed up by inspectors in Shanghai. The owner of the shop has closed the shop voluntarily for self-examination. [Xu Junqian / China Daily]

A former employee of one of Shanghai's most popular bakery chains, Farine, which means flour in French, has accused the chain of using expired flour and of other sanitary issues.

Farine's four branches were all closed on Thursday, as well as its factory in the suburbs, which only opened at the beginning of this month.

Eight employees have been detained and could face criminal charges, according to the authorities.

"We received a tipoff on Monday from someone who used his real name, and we ran a check," said Wu Jun, head of Minhang district's market administration bureau.

The administration said the chain has sold 1,930 bread items made with expired flour and that another 1,890 bread items have been taken off shelves and destroyed. The fine for businesses using expired ingredients is 10 to 20 times the retail value of the products sold, according to China's food safety regulations.

The whistle blower, surnamed Lyu, claimed to have worked at the bakery for four months, starting in October. He told China Daily that he was disappointed to see Farine still in business, despite reporting it to a government watchdog, which is why he turned to social media to expose the chain.

Lyu published four posts on Wednesday on his Sina Weibo account, 1987 Jinbaobao, accusing the chain of using moldy flour and allowing rats to run riot in the storage room at night. He said in the posts that he felt "his con-science bitten by remorse", seeing so many people every day, especially those with children, lining up to buy substandard bread.

For years, the chain - especially its inaugural location established in 2012 in the former French concession - has been the go-to place for expats and young residents in Shanghai for authentic croissants. It has also become a must-visit hot spot for tourists, as it is recommended by almost every food guide in the city.

Xin Xiangrong, who identified himself as the lead Chinese partner in the chain, denied selling products that were expired or substandard.

Xin said on Thursday that the expiration date issue could be a matter of a difference in understanding between Chinese regulations and the business' foreign management team. He said the owner is closing down the business voluntarily for self-examination, and questioned Lyu's motive.

In a statement released by the management team, the company said it is "working closely with the Shanghai authorities to resolve the matter".

Franck Pecol, the French founder and owner of the chain, is also the man behind cafe Far-West; French restaurant Franck Bistrot; and, most recently, ice cream stand WIYF, which had people waiting for as long as three hours for a scoop in scorching sun last summer.

In a previous interview with Chinese media, Pecol said he planned to add another three outlets and expand the bakery business to nearby cities in the Yangtze River region.
Beijing said on Thursday it has reasons to stay "highly alert" to Tokyo's military moves and the real intentions behind them, one day after a large Japanese escort vessel was commissioned.

Japan's 248-meter helicopter carrier Kaga entered service on Wednesday, giving the nation's military greater ability to deploy beyond its shores, Reuters reported.

The Kaga shares the same name as a Japanese aircraft carrier that was sunk by the United States in World War II.

Japan's Vice-Minister of Defense Takayuki Kobayashi was quoted as saying at the ceremony that "China is attempting to make changes in the South China Sea with bases and through acts that exert pressure" and is "raising security concerns among the international community".

Reuters reported the Kaga was commissioned at a time when Japan is pushing back against China's growing influence in Asia.

Responding to the report on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warned that China and other countries around the South China Sea won't let Japan "make waves" in the region.

"Japan cannot represent the international community. The situation in the South China Sea is getting stabilized and better under the joint efforts by China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations," Hua said.

"Japan has been concocting and playing up the so-called China threat in recent years, and seeking and making excuses for its arms expansion," the spokeswoman said. "Due to historical reasons, the international community, especially its Asian neighbors, has been closely watching Japan's military moves."

The commissioning of the helicopter carrier came shortly after reports that Japan was planning to send the Izumo, another designated helicopter carrier, on a tour in the South China Sea beginning in May.

Hua urged Japan to learn from history. "We hope the reappearance of the Kaga is not the start of Japanese militarism's attempt to come back," she said.

Lyu Yaodong, a researcher of Japanese foreign policy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Japan has been using China as an excuse to expand its arms, and countries should keep history in mind and stay alert against the "remnants of militarism" in Japan.
China's quality watchdog requested on Thursday a nationwide inspection of companies producing electric wires and cables, in the wake of reports that substandard cables were found in some metro systems.

The inspection, which started on Thursday and lasts until the end of June, will focus on cracking down on substandard products and guaranteeing quality, according to a notice released on the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The substandard cables provided by Shaanxi Aokai Cable Co were first reported to have been used in Subway Line 3 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The line carries an average of more than 340,000 people a day, but its cables were reportedly susceptible to catching fire and the toxic gas released in case of a fire is lethal.

The metro systems in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and in Hefei, Anhui province, were also found to have used cables from the same company.

Eight people at the private company, established in 2012, have been detained. Local police also shut down the company's production sites, sealed its ledger and took other cable products for further testing.

The administration ordered that provincial quality inspection departments inspect electric wires or cables produced by Aokai that are being sold or used.

Xi'an Metro and Chengdu Rail Transit vowed to replace the substandard cables. Hefei Urban Rail Transit Co said it would launch an investigation into the issue.

The administration said provincial regulators should also look into production permits, quality assurance systems, raw materials, and whether companies cut down on materials in the production process.

"People suspected of breaking the law and producing substandard products should be transferred to judicial departments," it added.

Wang Zhiwei, legal representative of Aokai, apologized and knelt down in an interview with Xi'an Television Station. He admitted that the company won its bid to supply metro systems with a low price, but cut down on materials in order to increase profits, which led to the substandard products.

Shan Juan contributed to this story.
Since becoming a deputy to the National People's Congress in 1988, Jin Lanying has attended 30 of the body's annual meetings in Beijing. She was the head of a community committee in Tai'an city, Shandong province, when she was elected as a national legislator.

"For me, as a deputy, it is very fulfilling but also very tiring. I am so tired sometimes that I don't want to eat but only sleep," said the 71-year-old.

"I was proud when I was elected, as there were not many deputies who were community heads back then - but I knew a deputy should shoulder a lot of responsibilities."

Aware of her responsibilities as a deputy to the National People's Congress, Jin resolved to take on board grassroots opinions at all times, no matter if she was exercising, eating dinner or doing field research in rural areas. She also made her phone number public so people could reach her easily to report problems.

"There used to be a lot of people coming to visit me to report problems, many of which were related to judicial departments," she recalled.

"I received at least three visitors a month. Some of them even knelt down before me asking me to help solve their problems."

To help find resolutions, Jin visited courts, procuratorates and public security bureaus. Sometimes, it took more than two months to find an answer.

"I fed the people that visited me and gave them money for transportation if they were in financial difficulties," she said.

"Some came from outside of Tai'an and I received all of them with hospitality, as it was not easy for them to reach me."

On occasion, Jin said she would spend so long on the phone listening to people's problems that her ears would ring for hours afterward.

But all that started to change eight years ago, as the effects of China's judicial reforms began to be felt.

"Life is better now. The judiciary has improved the work they do and no people kneel before me begging for help anymore," she said.

Jin, who dropped out of high school, finds it difficult to draft motions but often brings more than five suggestions with her to the annual session of the National People's Congress.

All of these suggestions are related to the grassroots, covering topics such as expanding endowment insurance to all citizens, offering welfare policies to military veterans as well as increasing the salaries of officers at the community and village-committee level.

This year, one of her seven suggestions touched upon the biologically safe disposal of livestock and poultry manure, a problem she has been confronted with as the honorary head of a cattle-raising cooperative.
Doctor Zhao Yede (second from right) performs a female-to-male gender reassignment surgery at the Shanghai 411 Hospital.Photos By Gao Erqiang / China Daily

Shanghai doctor specializes in female-to-male sex change surgeries

Doctor Zhao Yede has performed gender reassignment surgery on nearly 1,000 patients since he began practicing medicine in 1992.

The 52-year-old native of East China's Zhejiang province has operated on patients ranging in age from 18 to 59 who came from every corner of China, except the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. They have included police officers, photographers, truck drivers and students.

About 90 percent of Zhao's patients are women who want to become men, as he is renowned in the profession for his abilities.

"It's like building a high rise without a foundation," he said.

According to Zhao, it takes at least three surgeries for a woman to transition into a man, triple the number for a transgender woman. This is reflected in the price - at the Shanghai 411 Hospital Zhao works at, it costs 80,000 ($11,600) to 100,000 yuan for a woman to become a man, but 30,000 to 50,000 yuan for a man to transition into a woman.

One of the major innovations Zhao and his mentor, He Qinglian, made was using skin from the patient's inner thigh to create the penis, which leaves minimal scarring. Other surgeons often use skin from the patient's stomach or forearm.

"If I have any advantage, it is the massive number of patients I have treated and the trust they have bestowed in me," Zhao said.

The doctor is highly selective of his patients and has only performed surgery on about 10 percent of those who requested it.

Chinese Health regulations stipulate that candidates for gender reassignment must have no criminal convictions and should provide a letter of consent from family members, as well as a certificate from a psychiatrist.

But Zhao goes further, asking each would-be patient a number of probing questions before deciding whether he should operate on them.

He does so to avoid a repeat of the time when a patient returned, months after surgery, and wanted their gender changed back.

Zhao first became interested in gender reassignment while working as a resident at a hospital in Beijing, assisting its director in replying to letters from patients.

The hospital had been inundated with requests for gender reassignment after a surgery that was carried out there was widely reported in the media.

So Zhao did some research and decided to move to Shanghai to learn from He, who is best known for performing China's first female-to-male gender reassignment surgery in 1992.

One of Zhao's patients, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said both doctors were household names among the transgender community.

The 18-year-old, who has transitioned into a man, said he had been driving without a license because he did not want to apply for one until he had changed genders.

College students make up the majority of Zhao's patients and a growing number are choosing to get their gender changed before graduation, as a diploma is the only official document in China that cannot be changed once it is issued.

It means the doctor is incredibly busy at this time of the year - several months before graduation season - with enough time left for recovery.when students can undergo surgery and still have enough time to recover before their ceremony.

At their busiest, he and his team sometimes had to perform five surgeries in a single day.

"Attitudes are changing toward transgender people. The public, and parents, are becoming more open to the idea," he said, adding that Chinese parents are more likely to accept their daughters becoming sons in his experience.

Despite his success, Zhao does not want his teenage son to follow in his footsteps.

"It's easy to be a doctor. But being a good doctor takes lifelong commitment. It's too difficult a job," he said.
Movie buffs will soon be able to celebrate with a visual feast at the Beijing International Film Festival, where nearly 500 high quality films will be shown - the largest selection this year in the Chinese capital.

The movies were selected from more than 2,000 titles from 100 countries and will be screened in 30 cinemas and colleges around Beijing from April 8 to April 23, Zhang Xiaoguang, deputy head of China Film Archive, said Thursday.

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the iconic Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni's death, up to 13 of his classics - from his debut feature Story of a Love Affair to the 1995 romance Beyond the Clouds - will be screened as an homage to the master.

Such highlighted talents also include cult director David Lynch of the United States and the versatile Taiwan filmmaker Sylvia Chang, whose representative works are on the recommended lineup.

The list also has some movies that earned awards at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival in February, such as the best movie winner On Body and Soul and best director winner The Other Side of Hope, by Aki Kaurismaki of Finland.

A retrospective section will include movies produced by the Shanghai studio Wenhua, a company founded in 1946 that ushered a new era of Chinese art-house films, Zhang said, giving viewers "a glimpse of Chinese cinematic culture and history".

While the festival delights die-hard fans, it also will soon make Beijing a hot word in film circles around the world. The opening and closing ceremonies on April 16 and 23, respectively, will be attended by a number of celebrities, including Italian actress Monica Bellucci, Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica and Oscar-winning British actor Sir Ben Kingsley.

The Tiantan awards, the festival's highest honor, will be presented to 10 winners selected by an international jury headed by Oscar-winning Danish director Bille August.
Foreign students studying in China attend a job fair held on the launch of the Cirrus Project in Beijing on March 23. The project was initiated by the University of International Business and Economics and Zhongguancun "Belt and Road" Industrial Promotion Association. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/China Daily]

About 30 enterprises at Zhongguancun Science Park and more than 500 foreign students joined the recruitment fair.

The project is meant to provide talent resources for hi-tech Chinese enterprises, products and programs to go global, as well as to offer foreign students opportunities to train and work in Chinese companies.
(ECNS) -- More than one in two people support English becoming an elective subject for national university entrance exams, known as Gaokao, China Youth Daily reported.

An online survey of 2,001 participants found 54.4 percent supported the suggestion. However, 50.3 percent said strengthening Chinese language education in schools should not be at the cost of English language studies.

An English teacher at a high school in Jinan City, Shandong Province, said students learn English only to pass the written Gaokao test, so generally perform poorly when it comes to oral and listening skills.

The survey also found 45.2 percent believed making English an elective subject would help reduce study stress while 27.2 percent thought it could make students more self-motivated.

A second-year high school student in Hebei said she hoped more language courses, other than just English, could be offered at school.

As for purposes of studying English, the survey found the top three reasons are to help gain work with foreign companies (40.9 percent), to travel abroad (36.9 percent) and to prepare for exams (31 percent). Other motivations included studying abroad and watching English movies.

Wei Yuhao, who works for an Internet company in Beijing, said English can play a very important role in a career and must not be ignored. Wei also believed the core problem is how English is being studied rather than whether to study the subject or not.

Cao Yun, whose child is in middle school, said she was worried that making English an elective subject would lead to complete neglect of the language in today's test-centered education system. In the survey, 54.7 percent shared Cao's concern that an elective course essentially means giving up.

In the survey, 40 percent said they studied English by themselves occasionally, 38.9 percent chose online courses, and 23.5 percent took advantage of language training services. It also showed 49 percent blamed poor results in the study of English even after a long time effort on the lack of good practice.

A deputy to the National People's Congress, the top legislature, recently called for the English test to be dropped from Gaokao and made optional for high school students.
SHENYANG - Police in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang said that they have arrested 20 people for distributing an addictive cough syrup.

More than 6,700 bottles of a compound containing codeine phosphate, a potentially addictive prescription drug, have been seized, according to Shenyang police on Thursday.

The syrup is manufactured in Shenyang.

Preliminary investigation showed that an employee from a retailer in north China's Hebei Province sold the cough syrup for profit by falsifying orders from clients, most of which are rural medical institutions.

Codeine, which is extracted from opium or synthesized from morphine, can lead to drug addiction. Using codeine-based drugs in excessive amounts can also cause problems including stomach ulcers and liver damage.

Substances containing codeine are strictly controlled by China.
Min Xianjie feed his mother breakfast in Rizhao, Shandong province, March 8, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Min Xianjie has been caring for his mother for more than six years.

The 29-year-old from Beishangzhuang village in Rizhao, Shandong province, helps her search for his older brother, who left home in 2006 and never returned.

Min's mother has dementia, meaning she often gets lost and is unable to care for herself.

One time, while out searching for her eldest son, she was knocked down by a car and had to spend a month in hospital recovering.

Min's father died in 2010, so the son has had to care for his mother ever since  even taking her to work with him. Whenever they move and wherever they go, the first thing they do is look for his older brother.

Eventually, Min found a car-washing job at an auto maintenance school in Rizhao, where he can earn money while learning a trade. Moved by his story, the head of the school offered Min and his mother a 20-square meter dorm, where they both now live.
Billionaire business magnate Bill Gates (L) shakes hands with Liu Yongfu, head of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, after they sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to deepen cooperation in China's ongoing nationwide campaign of poverty relief. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Billionaire business magnate Bill Gates signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government on Friday to deepen cooperation in the country's ongoing nationwide campaign of poverty relief.

The memo indicated that there will be further collaboration between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development on sharing China's poverty alleviation gains with others, making better anti-poverty strategies and training new talent.

Liu Yongfu, head of the poverty alleviation office, said at the document signing that China welcomes international support and is willing to share its poverty alleviation experience with the world.

Gates noted that of all the people lifted out of poverty between 1990 and 2010, 75.7 percent were in China, applauding the country for being the biggest contributor to the United Nation's Millennium Development Goal to eradicate extreme poverty.

In addition to poverty alleviation, Gates' foundation also plans to work with the Chinese government to improve health services in rural areas, provide better food for children living in poor regions and provide impoverished people with financial assistance.

China still has 43.35 million people living in poverty, defined in 2010 as those earning less than 2,300 yuan ($334) per year, but has vowed to eradicate poverty by 2020.
The first Gallery Weekend Beijing, involving top art galleries and institutions in the Chinese capital, began on Friday. It aims to make the city's voice heard in the art world and offer collectors from different countries a platform ahead of the Art Basel fair to be held in Hong Kong from Thursday to Saturday.

Some 14 galleries and four private museums participated in the Beijing event, which was being organized by German artist Thomas Eller. Most of the attendees are from the 798 art zone that houses the city's major galleries and art institutions, including Pace Beijing, Galleria Continua, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art and M. Woods Museum.

The exhibitions, featuring prominent Chinese artists, opened for public viewing on Saturday, with the first day mainly reserved for collectors. Although the main events concluded on Sunday, many of the exhibitions will continue in the coming months.

Eller's Beijing model is based on Berlin's Gallery Weekend, which was established in 2004 in a bid to attract international collectors by creating an intimate alternative to large-scale art fairs.

He talked to many gallery owners in Beijing last year and got their support. The Gallery Weekend Beijing was attended by about 400 collectors, curators and museum directors from home and abroad over the first three days. The event also included lectures by artists, curators and critics held for the public on Saturday.

Jia Wei, co-partner of Boers-Li Gallery and a participant, says it is necessary for members of Beijing's art circle to come together to make such a successful event in the long run.

In November, Shanghai held several art fairs in a short time and brought world attention to contemporary Chinese art.

Art Basel is held in Hong Kong in March every year, and has become an important event for many collectors worldwide.

But for Beijing, a city where most Chinese artists live, the majority of galleries and auction houses have seldom jointly held an influential art event, Jia says.

"We (galleries) used to do the art business separately. It is good and right for all of us to do things together and for the same goal," she says.

Eller says at Gallery Weekend events, collectors can connect better with artists by talking to them after visiting their solo shows.

"At least we have to give collectors a good reason for their decision to visit such events," he adds.

Related:

Vivid paintings bring vitality to campus

Ministry cracks down on illegal art deals
Syrian scholar Firas Sawah and his wife, Wafa, at their home at Beijing Foreign Studies University. [Photo by Liu Xiangrui/China Daily]

Beijing-based Syrian scholar Firas Sawah cites Tao Te Ching when asked about his romance with China. The book not only brought him here but has also played an important role in his daily life.

Born in Homs, Sawah has been teaching at the department of Arab studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University for the past few years.

As Sawah recalls, he developed an interest in East Asian culture and philosophy in his youth. He read a book in college on Chinese philosophy, which is titled China Wisdom.

He found Taoist ideas especially interesting when he read on. He wanted to introduce Taoism to Arabic readers and eventually translated Tao Te Ching, the famous Taoist book attributed to Lao Zi, a scholar who may have lived in the 6th century.

"I did it (the translation) with love," says the 72-year-old.

In his eyes, the text has wise guidance for both social management and personal life.

"I have read about religious ideas since the Stone Age. But when I came across Tao Te Ching, I thought to myself this is the solution to social problems nowadays. The text is very short and each time I read it, I discover something new."

The book was not only well received by readers in Syria, but also caught the attention of Chinese scholar Xue Qingguo when he traveled to Damascus in 2009 and came across Sawah's translation at a bookstore.

Xue, who also teaches at the department of Arab studies at the same university in Beijing, says he read different Arabic translations of Tao Te Ching earlier but liked Sawah's version best.

"Besides the translation, he has added a long preface and illustrations, which shows his deep understanding of both Tao Te Ching and the Arab world. The book is valuable for scholars."

Xue, who was in charge of the Arabic part of a cultural project named Library of Chinese Classics, was looking for help from established Arab scholars back then.

He was then able to find Sawah with the help of a Syrian publishing house and discussed with him the possibilities of future cooperation.

Xue later invited him to China for symposiums and lectures on topics, including comparing Tao Te Ching to thoughts in the Middle East.

In 2012, when Xue learned of the Syrian conflict, he wrote an email to tell him that a vacancy was available in his department and asked if he would be willing to come to China where he could have a peaceful environment to focus on teaching and research.

Sawah accepted the invitation gladly and has taught both undergraduates and graduates at the university since.

"He's a respected scholar in the Arab world. He maintains high standards of research and teaching," Xue says.

Xue and Sawah have co-authored a Chinese-Arabic book named Lao Zi to introduce Lao Zi and his ideas to Arabic readers. It was published by a Beijing publisher.

In the past couple of years, the two have been working on more books to introduce Chinese culture and philosophy to the Arab world.

Sawah says he became interested in writing when he was young.

He studied economics in college following his father's wish and worked in several organizations before he began to focus on writing and academic research.

Between 1976 and 2016, he published 23 books on topics including mythology and history of religions in the Arab world.

Sawah has been a member of the Syrian Writers' Association and a member of the General Association of Arab Writers and Authors.

He was recognized for his efforts in the fields of history and theology by organizations, including the Syrian Historic Association.

He studied economics for a livelihood, but philosophy and writing have been his lifelong passion, he says.

Although Beijing is very different as compared to Homs, Sawah finds his life rather easy here.

His wife, Wafa, has been teaching composition and reading in Arabic at Beijing Foreign Studies University since 2013.
President Xi Jinping tells visiting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the nations should enhance exchanges at all levels. They met on Sunday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

Right after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wrapped up his visit to China on Sunday, the Washington Post declared that Tillerson appeared to hand Beijing a diplomatic victory.

The Post article went on to scold the top US diplomat after he described the US-China relations as "a very positive relationship built on no confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect, and always searching for win-win solutions".

Tillerson's words came as a surprise, to the delight of many in Beijing but the dismay of some in Washington. The proposal made by China in 2012 to build a new type of major country relationship between China and the US based on "no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation" was aimed at avoiding a disastrous war if the established power became too fearful of the rising power.

While meeting President Xi Jinping in California in June 2013, then US president Barack Obama appeared to accept the idea of a new type of relations. But his administration then stayed away from it, interpreting it as away for China to tell the US to keep quiet no matter what China does.

It was a major distortion of the Chinese proposal which clearly acknowledges the issues existing between the two countries, issues that should be resolved peacefully, with mutual respect and through dialogue, rather than confrontation.

By rejecting the Chinese goodwill proposal, the Obama administration made a huge mistake in this regard. Strategic distrust and rivalry between the two countries worsened under Obama.

The same kind of not handing China a victory mentality seemed also behind the US opposition to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and its Pivot to Asia strategy that aimed to curtail China's influence in the region.

Thus, the endorsement of the Chinese concept by Tillerson is simply correcting a mistake made by Obama. Hopefully, Obama's successor Donald Trump will reiterate that when he hosts Xi in Florida next month.

That endorsement does not mean that either side should be shy of disagreeing with the other. For example, the two countries agree on the goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, but their approaches are not the same.

While Tillerson said all options, including military ones, are on the table, China has called for calm, restraint, dialogue and diplomatic solution.

China has endorsed UN Security Council resolutions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its violation in missile and nuclear tests. But China believes that diplomacy, rather than just sanctions, will lead to a solution.

A similar view is held by former US defense secretary William Perry who visited the DPRK to negotiate denuclearization during the Clinton administration. Perry argued in a March 10 article that the DPRK might well agree to give up testing of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles and agree not to sell or transfer any of its nuclear technology, in return for economic concessions from the Republic of Korea and security assurances from the US.

Many who have threatened war on the Korean Peninsula have not thought through the consequences it will have and the huge damages it will inflict on the region.

There are many differences between China and the US. But as long as they are willing to work in the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, they are more likely to find a solution, narrow differences and avoid the Thucydides trap.

The author is deputy editor of China Daily USA. chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
[Photo/IC]

A recent article titled "Pursuit of hundreds of thousands of views would do harm to journalism, the internet and the young generation" said the pursuit of views, without checking for facts, to catch more eyeballs is a main reason for social media's commercial success. But another article said it is unfair to blame social media for the disconnect between opinions and facts.

Both the traditional media and social media strive to seek as many readers as possible to widen their influence. Irrespective of their nature, however, media outlets should improve their professionalism and always remain committed to fulfilling their social responsibilities. Some social media platforms tend to ignore or overlook facts, and blindly flash news that they cannot prove true, but so do the traditional media when they publish advertisements making false claims.

Social media platforms provide ordinary people with channels to air their views and participate in discussions on important issues, which contribute to the efforts to promote social development. As such, the internet is not to blame for the demerits of social media.

Greek American architect Nicholas Negroponte has said: "Internet access is such a fundamental part of learning that by extension it is almost certainly a human right."

But the internet has changed the way people speak. It has made it possible for everyone to voice their opinions. And the easy availability of information on the internet has given more voice to the people, but it has not necessarily made it more democratic. To make the internet a truly democratic platform, therefore, new inventions should be reviewed by experts and users' behaviors have to be civil, and a consensus must be reached on the rules that should govern the Worldwide Web. The blind pursuit of short-term interests will only damage the power of expression of the internet and the media it has helped build.

In A Theory of Justice, John Rawls regards justice as a basic attribute of the social system and the primary principle of freedom and equality. This primary principle of freedom and equality is also needed to establish social rules for the internet. As a public resource, the internet should be used by people and developed through public means. Which means internet rules have to respect individual rights, safeguard public interests, and promote democracy and justice.

And to make social media play a truly responsible and democratic role, internet ethics has to be aggressively promoted. A healthy environment in which the internet and social media can contribute more to social development, however, cannot be built without the help of relevant state laws and regulations for the management of online activities. In this regard, China has to improve the laws and regulations on social and new media, because in their present forms they are not potent enough for the task.

As providers of information on social media platforms, internet users should have a strong sense of social responsibility to make sure the contents of their online postings are true and meet the moral and ethical demands. And since social media platforms have the capability to not only integrate information but also verify facts and track the source of information, they need to cross-check the contents of the postings, correct inaccurate data, and spike rumors and wrong information to ensure healthy dissemination of information. Only when every social media platform and online information provider follow these rules can the internet become a platform for dissemination of authentic news and socially responsible views.

The author is an associate professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China.
Flowers are laid at the scene after an attack on Westminster Bridge in London, Britain, March 22, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Whether or not the Islamic State terrorist group was behind the bloodshed outside the British Parliament, the act of terror again underlines the pressing need for a response that goes beyond a case-by-case approach.

This is not the first attack of its kind on British soil. Nor in Europe. Less than a week ago, a lesser, abortive attack by a lone-wolf terrorist occurred in France, and several other attacks have taken place, or were foiled recently.

Europe faces a clear and present danger. But terrorism is not just Europe's problem. Nor can Europe fight it on its own.

Ironically, as a number of countries have become suspicious of their past commitment to globalization, terrorist forces are demonstrating a tendency to go global. And the recent rise of homegrown terrorism in different countries that claim allegiance to the IS and other terrorist groups only makes the picture messier.

For all their differences over standards and definitions, more and more governments have come to accept the reality that terrorism is a global vice that requires global responses.

Which is why the international community has displayed increasing solidarity after terror attacks, as we have witnessed in the wake of the attack in London.

It is heartening to see dozens of national leaders across the world vow solidarity in the face of the threat. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang were among the first to convey their condolences. As a recent victim of terrorism, both homegrown and imported, China has a keen awareness of the devastating potential of the evil and the importance of international cooperation to curtail it.

It is especially consoling to hear the president of Turkey vowing solidarity, and its prime minister appealing for "all countries" to join forces in the fight against terrorism. The country has itself been the victim of terrorist attacks and is at the forefront of the European refugee crisis, as well as the global anti-terror campaign.

Given it holds strategic importance in containing the spread of terrorism, European countries and Turkey need to mend relations so as to forge the closer collaboration necessary to tackle the refugee crisis and the threat of terrorism.

In the meantime, divergences over the approach to the Syria crisis pose another significant obstacle impeding the world's anti-terror campaign. There has been ample evidence that domestic strife in the war-torn country has rendered Syria both a safe haven and breeding ground of terror.

No talk of solidarity will suffice to make a difference until countries can maneuver meaningful consensus on divisive topics as these.
A STAMPEDE AT A PRIMARY SCHOOL in Puyang county, Central China's Henan province, on Wednesday morning resulted in the death of one student, and left more than 20 pupils injured. Beijing News commented on Thursday:

The principal of the primary school was removed hours after the incident, which happened at about 8:30 am as students rushed to the toilet during a 10-minute break, according to reports. The students were reportedly preparing for their monthly examinations scheduled later in the morning.

It is laudable that the school and local officials reacted quickly to the tragedy by sending the injured to hospital and launching a thorough investigation into the cause of the tragedy. But there are questions that need to be answered now.

First of all: Why did the school still set monthly tests, which apparently contradicts the central government's efforts to reduce the burden on students? The Ministry of Education has issued a guideline that explicitly forbids elementary and middle schools from imposing excessive tests on students.

However, pupils at the school have to not only take the usual mid-term and final examinations, but also monthly tests.

Insufficient school facilities also had a lot to do with the stampede. Home to more than 1,700 students, the Puyang No 3 Experimental Primary School simply does not have enough toilets for them. Did the school over-enroll students or misappropriate money allocated for its facilities?

Although educational authorities at all levels have repeatedly called on schools to "provide a safe environment for students" and teach the children what to do in an emergency, it seems that the school did not carry out this instruction. Nor have the staff at the school been instructed how to evacuate students in an emergency. No adults were there to guide the crowd of students as they rushed to classrooms when the bell was about to ring.

The absence of an accountability mechanism and the security-related education has led to the death of one student. Had preemptive measures been taken and security checks conducted, the tragedy would probably not have happened.
AT A NEWS CONFERENCE ON MONDAY, the municipal government of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, announced that it had checked five samples of cables from Line 3 of the city's subway, and all of them failed to meet the required standards. People's Daily comments:

The local government has responded quickly to reports that cables supplied by Shaanxi Aokai Cable Co for the city's third subway line were substandard by launching an investigation and announcing the results. Eight suspects from the cable manufacturer are already being interrogated and the company is under further investigation.

But there are many questions that remain to be answered. According to media reports, the company received the order for the cables just two months after it began production. At that time, it was hardly known in the market but the Shaanxi Administration for Industry and Commerce put it on its list of "well-known brands". How could that happen? Was there any deal behind the scene? Was there any official involved? All these are questions that need answering.

A broader investigation is also needed, because the company supplied cables for not only the subway in Xi'an, but also the subways in other cities.

Wang Zhiwei, the head of the company, reportedly apologized to the public, begging forgiveness. But it should be noted that he is now a suspect in a very serious crime, one that might threaten the lives of tens of thousands of people, an apology cannot free him of his responsibilities.

Not only Wang, but also any powerful figures behind him, if there were any, should receive their deserved penalty. The subways concerned are used by thousands of people every day, and they need to have confidence that they are traveling safely.
The State Council, China's Cabinet, recently published a plan for the government's legislative work in 2017, which includes revising the existing government information disclosure regulation.

Since promulgated in early 2007 in a move to improve the transparency of government work and promote governance in accordance with the law, the regulation on government information disclosure has played a positive role in promoting greater government openness.

That more and more people have requested government departments to disclose information in recent years, even resorting to legal means in some instances, is a reflection of the huge influence the information disclosure regulation has had on the public's way of thinking and modernized the country's governance.

However, as stipulated by the regulation, the limited scope of subjects obliged to make public their affairs, has also gradually made it out of step with the enormous social changes that have taken place. For example, the regulation's stipulation that administrative organs should record and preserve relevant information during their work may be interpreted as public departments that are not administrative organs being exempt from any information disclosure responsibility.

Information disclosure should by no means be confined to administrative organs. In fact, in recent years, people's congresses, political advisory bodies, and judicial and procuratorial departments at various levels have all tried to promote information disclosure to different degrees. At this year's session of the top legislature and top political advisory body, judicial openness was even seen as a step toward promoting a much-needed new round of judicial reforms.

In the context of ever-growing public appeals to know more about the work of public departments, which is directly related to their interests, it is indeed necessary for the authorities to start the process of enacting an information disclosure law to bring more departments exercising public power under such kind of obligation.
The Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning has announced it will implement comprehensive healthcare reforms beginning on April 8.

According to the commission, all public hospitals and medical institutions in Beijing will abolish their price markups for pharmaceutical drugs. This move is expected to reduce outpatient fees by about 5 percent.

In addition, the pharmaceutical drugs used and prescribed by these hospitals and medical institutions should be purchased through open bidding, which will make the process more transparent and further reduce prices through competition.

In the future, hospital registration fees and diagnostic fees will be replaced by a medical service fee. This medical service fee will start at 50 yuan ($7) in the general outpatient clinic of the top public hospitals. The medical service fee will be conducive to ending the traditional hospital operation model that uses a hospital's revenue to cover its expenditure.

Meanwhile, the prices of 435 kinds of medical services are to be further regulated and reduced, in order to further reduce the burden on patients.

The reform covers more than 3,600 public medical institutions as well as some private medical institutions in Beijing.

Beijing has the most abundant medical resources in China and the highest percentage of patients from other regions. That's why Beijing's reform is expected to set a good example for healthcare reform nationwide.
US President Donald Trump (front) addresses the joint session of Congress, as Vice President Mike Pence (L) and House Speaker Paul Ryan listen, on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2017. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu]

Relations between Russia and the United States have attracted great attention since Donald Trump won the US presidential election last year, as the top leaders of both countries have implied the willingness to build rapprochement.

However, two months after Trump's inauguration, bilateral ties have not improved as many expected. In view of deep-rooted conflicts and competing interests, the confrontational pattern between the two countries is unlikely to be reconciled anytime soon, experts say.

MULTIPLE FACTORS HINDERING NORMALIZATION

It is said that Trump has personally been friendly to Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which may seem to bring a ray of optimism for Russia-US relations. However, with anti-Russian sentiments unprecedentedly dominant in Washington, it is not entirely up to Trump and his aides to shape the actual US foreign policy towards Russia or to break the impasse of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Russia-US relationship has deteriorated in recent years amid the crisis in Ukraine. The United States, along with its Western allies including the European Union, has introduced several rounds of sanctions over Russia's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, which led to Russia's countermeasures against the West in turn.

For the time being, the sanctions tactic shows no sign of ending. Former US national security adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign last month due to accusations of his secret meeting with Russian ambassador to the United States and pledging sanctions relief against Moscow after Trump took office. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions is stuck with similar allegations. So far, the Trump administration is suffering the greatest setback since his inauguration.

"I think that pressure on Trump will continue on the Russian issue. Russia is a convenient opponent for the US political establishment, and there is some inertness of the conflict in the development of relations inherited from the previous president," said Andrey Kortunov, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC).

Facing serious domestic opposition and criticism, the new US president's team is now considering a tone change. Trump has started to distance himself from the previous pro-Russia stance, even calling on Moscow to return Crimea to Ukraine at one point.p On the other hand, anti-US sentiments in Russia are running just as intensely. A report by the Russian pollster Levada Center shows that about 71 percent of Russian citizens surveyed hold a negative attitude towards the United States and its role in the international community, marking a record high in eight years.

Mutual hostility stems from opposite national interests.

Russia and the United States have been competing with each other in multiple areas including military, economy, foreign affairs and regional strategic positions, and conflicts have escalated over different issues like the hacking dispute, the Syrian crisis and the US THAAD deployment in South Korea. The tension between Moscow and Washington is unlikely to alleviate in the near future and therefore may continue to stand in the way of reconciliation.

Within such a context, experts warn that it is important for Russia to manage expectations, and approach opportunities realistically without creating illusions of a new large-scale strategic Russian-US partnership.

"Now it is necessary to set tasks aimed not at a complete revision, but at stabilizing relations," Kortunov added, specifying that contacts through civil society and at the level of diplomats, military and special services should be expanded.
China-US relations seem to have found a good rhythm, as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wrapped up his visit to China.

While Chinese President Xi Jinpingsaid China and the United Statescould become "good cooperative partners," and that "cooperation is the only correct choice for both countries," Tillerson vowed that the US side is ready to develop relations with China based on the principles of non-confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

Tillerson's reiteration of the important principles originally proposed by China in 2013 is a positive sign for China-US relations, in which cooperation should always prevail.

Despite earlier inappropriate words and actions from the US new administration, which had led to worries and doubts about US adherence to the one-China policy, things have gradually come back on track.

In a phone conversation on Feb. 10, President Donald Trump said the US government adhered to the one-China policy, reversing his previous stance and sending a positive signal for bilateral relations.

Engagement between China and the United States has been moving forward since 1972 when US President Richard Nixon paid a historic visit to China. Over the last four decades, cooperation has been the mainstream in bilateral ties, despite twists and turns.

Two-way trade of goods surged from 1 billion US dollars in the 1970s to 500 billion dollars in 2016. China has become the largest trading partner of the United States, while the United States is China's second-largest trading partner.

Meanwhile, China-US bilateral trade and investment helped create about 2.6 million jobs in the United States in 2015 across a host of US industries from automobiles and construction equipment, to agriculture.

Cooperation between Beijing and Washington has been highlighted in joint efforts on climate change and in handling of the Iranian nuclear issue.

These hard-won achievements should be appreciated and valued, especially at a time when the Asia-Pacific and the wider world are facing a thicket of thorny issues that require close coordination between the two countries, such as the tense situation in the Korean Peninsula.

Cooperation has prevailed over confrontation for four decades, leading to prosperity in both countries and delivering benefits to the world at large. Let us hope for more optimistic signs on the heels of Tillerson's visit.
People light candles at a vigil in Trafalgar Square the day after an attack, in London, Britain March 23, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

UNITED NATIONS - Following an attack on the Houses of Parliament in London, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said here Thursday that internet providers and "great social media companies" are responsible in radicalization of terrorists.

Speaking to reporters after sitting as this month's president of the UN Security Council, where a minute of silence was held for victims of the fatal Westminster attack, Johnson was asked by a reporter "What could be done ... to stop people being radicalized by what they see on line?"

"The responsibility for this must lie with the internet providers and with those who are responsible for the great social media companies," Johnson said. "They got to look at the stuff that is going up on their sites."

The providers and social media firms should closely watch over and exam material being posted "to take it down where they can. Everybody has responsibility in this," the foreign secretary said.

"I do believe that we need to go through a period of reflection on how we transmit images of these events around the world in real-time," he added.

Five people, including a police officer and the attacker, were killed and at least 40 others injured by a single assailant in the London attack. Johnson called it an act staged "in a cowardly and in a despicable" psyche.

"You may know that today there are victims in London from 11 nations, which goes to show that an attack on London is an attack on the world," he said.

"From my talks here in the United States with the US government (Wednesday) and with partners from around the world that the world is united to defeat the people who launched this attack and to defeat their bankrupt and odious ideology."

Johnson sat as president during a session of the Security Council on Somalia, which he visited last week. Britain is the rotating president of the 15-member panel for the month of March.
Young protesters march towards the Federal Building during a "Save the Affordable Care Act" rally in Los Angeles, California on March 23, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

WASHINGTON - US House Republican leaders on Thursday postponed a planned vote on a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, as the White House failed to secure support of a group of conservative lawmakers.

The decision was taken after talks between the White House and the Freedom Caucus, the main opposition group, yielded no results.

"No deals" had been reached, Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, who leads the conservative bloc in the House of Representatives, said after exiting talks with President Donald Trump.

Trump met the group at the White House in a bid to close a deal that would help secure passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the vote of which was originally planned for later Thursday.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee said she predicted further discussion regarding the bill on Thursday and a vote on Friday.

House Republicans can only afford 22 no-votes from its own ranks for the bill to pass, but the Freedom Caucus said it has nearly 30 no-votes under its belt.

The bill, which was devised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ratified by former President Barack Obama, was the centerpiece of Trump's campaign promises and was backed by most House Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Ryan has previously made concessions on the bill to appeal to the Freedom Caucus, but failed to meet the group's demand. It is unclear if further changes will be made for a more convincing bid.

Members of the Freedom Caucus said the draft came short of the goal of repealing the ACA, as many of the regulations in the Obamacare were inherited by the AHCA, and they wanted a clearer break.

Trump has also personally weighed in on the matter, threatening GOP Congress members that anyone who doesn't support the AHCA will risk losing their seats in 2018.

While the president can not fire any Congress members, reports show that his support was instrumental for many sitting members to secure their seats in the 2018 elections.
A floral tribute is seen near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster the day after an attack, in London, Britain March 23, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

BIRMINGHAM, England - Before he killed at least four people in Britain's deadliest attack since the 2005 London bombings, Khalid Masood was considered by intelligence officers to be a criminal who posed little serious threat.

A British-born former teacher and Muslim convert, Masood had shown up on the periphery of previous terrorism investigations that brought him to the attention of Britain's MI5 spy agency.

Although some of those he was involved with included people suspected of being keen to travel to join jihadi groups overseas, Masood "himself never did so," said a US government source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

"Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack," London police said in a statement.

"However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH (grievous bodily harm), possession of offensive weapons and public order offences."

Islamic State claimed responsibility for Masood's attack, although it was unclear what links - if any - he had with the militant group.

The 52-year-old was born in Kent to the southeast of London and moved though several addresses in England, although he was known to have lived recently in Birmingham in central England.
Literature lovers in China are in for a treat because some of the British Library's most iconic books will soon be on display in Beijing, for the first time ever.

Great works by Shakespeare will be included in the exhibition.

Starting next month, 10 treasured handwritten manuscripts and early editions from some of Britain's greatest writers will be loaned to the National Library of China as part of a cultural exchange.

Among items on display at Shakespeare to Sherlock: Treasures of the British Library will be Charles Dickens' manuscript for Nicholas Nickleby, Charlotte Bronte's manuscript for Jane Eyre, and an early quarto edition of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, which was once owned by King George III.

The 1598 volume will be shown alongside a Ming Dynasty (1368-1911) copy of The Peony Pavilion, by Shakespeare's Chinese contemporary Tang Xianzu.

Jamie Andrews, head of culture and learning at the British Library said: "There is something special about seeing an object that is hundreds of years old and it is also an original object in the author's own handwriting, there is a really special connection to the original moment of creativity and that's a unique experience."

Andrews said many items were considered for the exhibition.

"When we started to reduce the number of possibilities to just 10 items, one of the names immediately was Shakespeare. Shakespeare is so important to the British Library, he is a world figure and Shakespeare has resonance in China as well, so we felt he should certainly be there."

Also in the exhibition are classics that have become popular in China though TV and film adaptations, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes tale The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter, and Ian Fleming's James Bond story The Living Daylights.

"Just with Shakespeare to Sherlock, we have 400 years of British creativity and writing," he said.

The government-funded exhibition will cost 1.6 million pounds ($2 million) to stage and is part of an ambitious cultural exchange program with China that will continue until 2019 and include a series of pop-up exhibitions in Shanghai, Wuzhen in Zhejiang province, and Hong Kong. The Beijing exhibition starts April 21 and continues for two months.

Andrews said: "We want people to enjoy all these experiences. We want them to enjoy seeing these objects, to have curiosity to learn more, to see the objects and go online and find out more about the collection and find out the connection between UK and Chinese authors."
Giovanne Biha, the Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said African governments need to adopt coherent strategies and national development plans to address the continents challenges of inequality. (Lucie Morangi/China Daily)

Dakar, Senegal -- African development week officially opened on Thursday with calls for more efforts to be made to develop and implement polices that specially cater for women and youth.

African delegates at the meeting in Dakar, Senegal, unanimously agree that revving up the industrial engines will effectively address challenges of urbanization, poverty, inequality and sluggish economic growth.

More than 500 delegates have congregated in the west African country for the 10th high-level meetings, including senior ministers and high-level advisors from many countries.

In his welcoming speech, Senegals budget minister, Birima Mangara, said the event's theme, "Growth, inequality and unemployment" could not have come at a better time, stating that his country was strongly pursuing structural transformation of its economy for the benefit of every citizen. The country has a population of 15.6 million people that is expected to reach 20 million in 2030.

"We are committed to structurally reforming our economy to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2030 and Africa's Agenda 2063 to ensure social inclusiveness and fuel economic growth," Mangara said.

He noted that the meeting, which starts with the committee of experts forum, is expected to come up with relevant strategies that will contribute to the wellbeing of all.

Some of the key topics under discussion will touch on industrialization, infrastructure, urbanization and agriculture.

According to Desire Sibanda, the permanent secretary of the ministry of macro-economic planning and investment promotions in Zimbabwe, many of the papers that will be presented draw on lessons from China. He said African countries that are emulating China are experiencing galloping economic growth that is trickling down to its youthful population.

"Countries such as Ethiopia and Zimbabwe are heavily implementing industrialization policies that have successfully worked in China such as the special industrial zones. I think we will see the experts referring to these successes during the different sessions. There is a lot to learn and I believe this has been made possible with the close collaboration we are having with China."

The conference will explore measures for reducing inequality and extreme poverty on the continent in order to achieve the targets of the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan (2013-2023) of Agenda 2063 and the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, among other issues.

Among the high-level delegates present were the newly-elected African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, President of the office of the committee of experts, Lizenga Maluleka, representatives of UN agencies, the African Union Commission, African Development Bank and civil society.




Top leaders of China and the United States should start direct dialogue on bilateral trade relations as soon as possible to avoid frictions that could lead to a trade war, former US secretary of commerce Carlos Gutierrez said on Friday.

Gutierrez, who served under former US president George W. Bush, said the two countries should finish talks on a bilateral investment treaty, which has been stalled due to the change of US administrations.

"The BIT is the beginning and it is the foundation for a free trade agreement (between the US and China). We should get started now, and the best first step is to finish the bilateral investment treaty," Gutierrez told China Daily on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia.

The trade relations between China and the US have faced uncertainty due in part to concerns about what policies President Donald Trump will pursue after his tough rhetoric during the election campaign.

Gutierrez said he expected a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Trump to take place soon, so that the two countries can start discussions on bilateral trade and investment issues.

The former US commerce secretary acknowledged the positive role of China's Belt and Road Initiative in promoting global trade and growth for the economies participating in the initiative. He said he did not see why the initiative should conflict with any US interests.

Gutierrez added that the US eventually needs to work with China under the framework of multilateral organizations such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

He also voiced support for globalization and agreed it remains one of the solutions to generate common benefits and spur global economic growth.

"Globalization remains the megatrend, and it will continue to be supported by technology," he said, adding that governments should focus on improving education and tax and regulatory reforms to foster new businesses, and should generate new jobs instead of bashing globalization.

Despite the uncertainties in the Trump administration's trade policy toward China, experts and analysts expressed optimism about the prospects for trade relations between the two countries.

"I am optimistic that the US policy may not be as adverse as the rhetoric," said Nicholas Lardy, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC.

Zhao Kejin, deputy director of the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University, said governments should take measures to deal with the cost of free trade, including raising the compensation for workers who lose their jobs in the process and implementing reforms to expand employment at home.

Video recording and editing by Huang Zeyuan
BEIJING - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and British Prime Minister Theresa May exchanged congratulatory messages Monday on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level between China and Britain.Over the past 45 years, mutual integration of interests between China and Britain has kept deepening, with plenty of achievements made in mutually beneficial cooperation, while people-to-people and cultural contacts between the two countries have become increasingly closer, practically in the interest of the two peoples, Li said in his congratulatory message.Currently, China-Britain relations stand at a new starting point and have a solid foundation for cooperation and a broad space for growth, Li said.China is willing to make joint efforts together with Britain to further consolidate mutual trust, pursue new achievements in bilateral pragmatic cooperation, and push bilateral ties to advance further and steadily on the track of mutual trust, mutual complementation and mutual benefit, in the greater interest of the two peoples, he said.Theresa May expressed good wishes to the Chinese government and people in her congratulatory message.The Britain-China partnership is in sustained development, with frequent high-level exchanges and contact, with fruitful high-level dialogue, with increasingly closer trade and investment links, and with people-to-people and cultural exchange keeping deepening, which has greatly promoted the well-being of the two countries, she said.The British prime minister expressed the belief that Britain-China cooperation will surely score more achievements in future.
It is Wednesday evening and Sarah Evans's friends are enjoying a drink at a pub but the 25-year-old, who works for a hedge fund company in the City of London, does not join them because she is at her weekly Mandarin class.

Scottish students write in Chinese.

"I think to be able to speak Mandarin fluently is very important to me as it can undoubtedly give me an edge at my job," said Evans, who is already able to make good conversation in Chinese.

Her story is one example of the growing interest in Britain in learning Mandarin. As relations between China and the United Kingdom have improved during the last 45 years, learning Mandarin has become increasingly popular.

According to the British Council, the number of people taking Mandarin exams at the General Certificate of Secondary Education level increased by 92 percent in five years, to 4,044 students in 2016.

Wang Yongli, minister counselor for education at the Chinese embassy in London, said Mandarin was of little interest to British people 45 years ago, but the expansion of the Confucius Institutes and the smaller Confucius Classrooms, with support from local governments and universities, has played an important role in the rise in popularity.

"To date, there are 29 Confucius Institutes and 135 Confucius Classrooms in the UK," Wang said.

His view was echoed by the UK's Minister of State for School Standards Nick Gibb, who believes that a high level of fluency in Mandarin will become increasingly important in the competitive global economy.

"As part of our drive to extend opportunity, we want to give young people the opportunity to study the language and to acquire fluency in both spoken and written Mandarin," Gibb said.

The British government launched its 10 million pound($12.96 million) Mandarin Excellence Program last September, which is designed to make teenagers fluent by 2020.

In 2013, the British Council introduced its Generation UK campaign, which aims to increase the number of British students and interns with placements in China to 80,000 by 2020.

Carma Elliot, director of the British Council in China, said there are now some 7,500 young British people gaining experience in China. This number has grown by around 40 percent in the last three years.

British students' ambition to excel in Mandarin follows strong interest among Chinese students to learn English, which began in the late 1970s. As a result, China now boasts the largest English-learning population in the world, with an estimated 200 million students. In China, most students take their first English lesson during the first or third year of primary school.

Li Qing, an English professor at Zhejiang Gongshang University, said: "China began the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, when the nation became aware it was lagging behind many other countries, especially those English-speaking developed ones, The young generation consciously shouldered the responsibility to rebuild the shabby country and urged themselves to learn from other developed countries."

Li said English is important for China's international relations, and is beneficial to China's academic advances.

While there has been a surge in the number of Britons learning Mandarin, the number of Chinese students studying at British universities has also continued to rise during the past four decades, making Britain the most popular destination in the European Union.

More than 90,000 Chinese students were enrolled at UK colleges and universities in 2015-16, which was up 94 percent on the number from a decade ago (46,960).
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang(R) meets with Australian Senate President Stephen Parry(C) and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith in the Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, March 23, 2017 [Photo/Xinhua]

CANBERRA - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met here Thursday with Australian parliament leaders, saying China is willing to strengthen exchanges between the legislatures of the two countries to promote bilateral ties.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Australian Senate President Stephen Parry and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith in the Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday afternoon.

Legislature-to-legislature communication is an important channel for enhancing mutual trust and cooperation, he said.

China is ready to join Australia in stepping up their inter-government and non-governmental exchanges, as well as bilateral associations at local levels, and in boosting economic and trade cooperation so as to create a broader future for bilateral relations, he said.

"China is willing to strengthen the exchange between the legislatures of both countries to promote understanding and mutual trust, consolidate public support for bilateral ties, and provide lasting impetus for bilateral cooperation," said the Chinese premier, who arrived in Canberra on Wednesday night for a five-day visit to the country.

For their part, Parry and Smith said they highly appreciated Li's speech at the welcome luncheon held by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Australian Senate and House of Representatives value the relations and cooperation with the Chinese legislature and are willing to play an active role in promoting China-Australian relations, they said.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang(R) meets with Bill Shorten, leader of Australian opposition Labor Party, in Canberra, Australia, March 23, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Li also met Bill Shorten, leader of Australian opposition Labor Party.

During their talks, Li said China would continue to work with Australian ruling and opposition parties to bring bilateral ties to new levels, adding that he hoped the Australian Labor Party would continue to make contribution to advancing the relationship between the two sides.

Shorten said Premier Li's speech at the luncheon conveyed a positive message that China is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world, boosting free trade and deepening friendship between the two peoples .

He also said that the Labor Party recognized China's important role in tackling global challenges and is willing to exert consistent efforts to boost bilateral ties, he said.

On Thursday, Li held talks with Turnbull. He also met with Australian Governor-General Peter Cosgrove.

Li and Turnbull will hold the fifth annual meeting of the two prime ministers on Friday. They will attend a forum on China-Australia economic and trade cooperation in Sydney.

The Chinese premier will pay an official visit to New Zealand following his Australian tour. Li's visits to the two Oceanian countries are the first by a Chinese premier in 11 years.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced an agreement on Friday to set up a new consulate general next year in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, which is expected to facilitate visa appliers from Northeast China.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the Fifth Annual Meeting between Chinese and Australian Prime Ministers in Canberra, Australia March 24, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Turnbull made the announcement after attending the Fifth Annual Meeting between Chinese and Australian Prime Ministers with Premier Li Keqiang in Canberra. Li is on a four-day trip to Australia before heading for New Zealand.

Shenyang will become the host to the fifth Australian consulate in China, following Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Hong Kong. It will facilitate visa applications for three provinces in Northeast China, where people now are required to go to Australian embassy in Beijing for visa applications.

By the end of 2015, more than 260,000 Chinese students were studying in Australia, the largest group of overseas students in the Oceanian country.

According to statistics by Australian agencies, about 1.06 million Chinese tourists traveled to Australia in the fiscal year of 2015-16, the second largest tourist group who brought the highest revenue from tourism for Australia.

In 2016, about 2 million trips were made between the two countries.
Premier Li Keqiang shares a light moment with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during a news conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Friday.[Photo/Xinhua]

The China-Australia relationship "does not target any third party" and "there should be no such issue as taking sides" as Australia develops its ties with China and the United States, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday.

He made the comment when asked about diplomatic interactions among the three key Asia-Pacific economies at a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after annual talks in Canberra.

The premier, who is making an official visit to Australia from Wednesday to Sunday, addressed the question at a time when some officials, observers and media have encouraged Washington and Canberra to contain Beijing by seeking greater engagement on the South China Sea issue.

"We hope the relationships among the countries concerned will be conducive to free trade as well as stability and peace in the region and in the world," Li said.

China respects the diplomatic policies adopted by Australia based on its own national conditions, and it "holds an open and inclusive mind-set when developing relations with various countries", Li said.

Liu Qing, director of the Department of Asia-Pacific Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, said Australia can be a common ground where the friendship circles of China and the US overlap.

"A good interaction between China and the US will only be good news for Australia and bring it a favorable strategic environment," Liu added.

On the South China Sea issue, Li told reporters the region has been peaceful and stable, as more than 100,000 commercial ships sailed through the region last year alone and people heard little about attacks or piracy there.

He said China has no intention to militarize the South China Sea, since its facilities on the islands and reefs there are "primarily for civilian purposes with a certain amount of military equipment to protect the freedom of navigation and overflight".

Contact the writers at huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn
(Photo : Getty Images. ) Speaking to Australian lawmakers in Canberra, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that Beijing respected Australia's foreign policy choices and there was no need for it to pick up sides.

Advertisement

Beijing on Thursday spared Australia the trouble of picking between its main political ally U.S. and largest trading partner China, after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that it respected Canberra's foreign policy choices.



Li was addressing Australian lawmakers and business leaders on the first day of his five day tour to Australia, which would focus on expanding trade ties between the two countries.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

"We respect your choices in your foreign policy," Li categorically said, but added that Canberra's foreign policy needs to be consistent with "the United Nations charter and international rules - we will work together to maintain them."



Li then categorically stated that he does not want to see countries "taking sides, as happened during the cold war."



Chinese premier also sought to assure that China will never seek global domination, even if its economy continues to grow in the future. He evoked China's rich history to remind that the world's most populous nation has traditionally respected peace and harmony.



Both countries are expected to sign several trade agreements and deal during Li's visit, who is the first Chinese premier to visit Australia in 11 years. Although no billion dollar trade agreement is on the cards, but both countries are expected to sign bilateral agreements on beef exports, energy and security. Li will head for two day tour to New Zealand, after wrapping up his five day visit to Australia



China and Australia Share Complex Relationship



China and Australia's bilateral relationship has always been overshadowed by latter's tilt towards the U.S. on sensitive issues such as South China Sea and human rights. However, Canberra is equally mindful of not isolating China, which is its largest trading partner and also one of the largest foreign direct investors.



Australia's challenge of maintaining this strategic balance has been a difficult one, with the risk of hurting China and losing on millions of annual trade always looming high. Beijing and Canberra's fragile bilateral relationship came forth only few weeks back, after Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop warned the Asian giant that it can never fulfill its economic potential unless it fully embraces democracy.



Bishop's critical statement immediately drew rebuke from China's state owned tabloid, which lashed at foreign minister's arrogant finger pointing towards Beijing's political system.



While the exchange of such heated statements has become common over the years, there seems to be growing consensus among Australia's political circle that there needs to be overhaul in foreign policy towards China. Last year, the former Prime Minister Paul Keating said that his country's foreign policy simply lacked the pragmatism to deal with Beijing's growing economic and diplomatic clout.



Advertisement

Tagschina, Australia, China and Australia, Li Keqiang
(Photo : Getty Images. ) A influential Tibetan scholar, who shares close ties with Chinese leadership, on Thursday reiterated China's stance that Tawang is an integral part of Southern Tibet.

Advertisement

China on Thursday once again staked claim over Tawang region located in the disputed Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh region and also issued a fresh warning to New Delhi that the Dalai Lama's forthcoming visit to Tawang may adversely affect the Indo - Sino bilateral relationship.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

However, the fresh warning to India was not issued by any Chinese ministry, but by an influential Tibetan scholar Lian Xiangmin, who is one of the official advisors to Chinese government on the Tibetan issue.



Lian along with other Tibetan scholars was speaking to reporters as he underscored Tawang's deep historical link with Tibet. The scholar claimed that Tawang shared a very historical bond with Drepung monastery located near Lhasa city, asserting that this irreplaceable bond is suffice to make the disputed region an integral part of southern Tibet.



Lian also took a swipe at the Dalai Lama's scheduled visit to Tawang next month, which is the first visit to the disputed region by the controversial spiritual leader since 2009. The Buddhist leader's visit is scheduled mostly from April 5 -7.



"This time around the Indian government again arranged the visit, it will only hurt friendly relations between the two countries...... Such a visit by the Dalai Lama touches a sensitive issue and undoubtedly negatively affects China-India relations," he said.



On the question of Dalai Lama's successor, the Tibetan scholar asserted that choosing the successor to the 14th Dalai Lama is solely the prerogative of Chinese government. Earlier this month, the controversial spiritual leader told in an interview given to U.S. comedian John Oliver that he may very well be the last Dalai Lama.



China views Dalai Lama as a separatist leader, whose only mission is to separate Tibet from Mainland China. He has living in a political asylum in India's northern state of Dharmshala, where he has been residing since he eloped from China in 1959.



Arunachal Pradesh a vexed issue between India and China



Located in India's North Eastern part, Arunachal Pradesh has been a bone of contention between Asia's two largest countries for several decades now. China stakes claim over nearly 38,000 sq km area in Arunachal Pradesh, claiming the entire area it to be an integral part of the Southern Tibet.



However, New Delhi refutes Beijing's claim and considers the disputed north-eastern state to be an integral part of its union. Currently, the Arunachal Pradesh state is spilt by a Line of Actual Control (LAC), a temporary border that very often witnesses skirmishes between Indian and Chinese forces.



The Indian and Chinese forces regularly border meets to ensure that peace and stability is maintained near the LAC.



Advertisement

TagsTawang, China and India, India, Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh
(Photo : US Navy) U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, the largest U.S. Navy base in Japan.

Advertisement

China intends to launch a massive surprise missile attack against the two largest U.S. military bases in Japan and is constantly practicing these attacks using live missiles at top secret training grounds in the Gobi Desert.



China has built a mock-up of portions of the key U.S. military naval base at Yokosuka, the city south of Tokyo which is the headquarters of the United States Seventh Fleet. This base called U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka is home the Seventh Fleet, largest and most powerful of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets with 70 warships, 300 aircraft and 40,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

China has also built a same size model of parts of the Misawa Air Base 700 km north of Tokyo. Misawa is headquarters of the U.S. Air Force's 35th Fighter Wing (35 FW) and its two squadrons flying General Dynamics F-16 Flying Falcon air superiority fighters belonging to the 35th Operations Group.



The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) has been launching live missiles at the mock-ups of these two military bases in the Gobi Desert over the past years, according to western military sources.



Surveillance photos of the Gobi Desert mock-up sites shows numerous blast craters at portions of the Yokosuka dummy site identified as shore installations, and on dummy warships built to resemble U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers.



Photos of both dummy sites were detailed in a recent report on China's dummy test sites and installations in the Gobi Desert. The report also includes side-by-side photos of the Chinese-built dummy sites and the actual U.S. bases in Japan.



It said the time between the first detection of Chinese missile launches by U.S. missile warning satellites and the missiles' impact on their targets in Japan will be about 15 minutes at most. This short time span between detection and impact means the results of a Chinese surprise missile barrage will be devastating to the U.S. installations attacked.



Advertisement

Tagschina, Japan, Gobi Desert, United States Seventh Fleet, U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Misawa Air Base, U.S. Air Force 35th Fighter Wing, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, People's Liberation Army Rocket Forces (PLARF)
(Photo : YouTube) China could divest 20 percent from its 80 percent initial shareholding of Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port deal 10 years down the line.

Advertisement

China could give up 20 percent of the initial shareholding of the proposed Hambantota port joint venture within a decade to allow others to buy the shares, a minister revealed on Wednesday.



Sri Lanka's Cabinet approved the proposal on Tuesday to enter into a concession agreement with China Merchant Port Holdings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe described the proposal as a fair balance between the Chinese investor and the Sri Lankans.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

According to State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe, the Chinese firm shall agree to divest a maximum of 20 percent from its initial shareholding of 80 percent to a Sri Lankan party within a decade from the date of affectivity. Conditions were also laid out if the divestiture will take place within five months.



The initial joint venture will be incorporated under the companies act with 80 percent of equity to China Merchant Port Holdings and the remaining 20 percent to Ports Authority on a public-private partnership.



Senasinghe said that the proposed public-private relation would have a capital of $1.4 billion, and China will invest $1.12 billion, which is equivalent to 80 percent. The concession agreement will also see the Hambantota port with 1,235 acres of land to be handed over to the proposed joint venture. So far, no definite timeline has been laid out on when the final deal will be closed.



Following the concession agreement, the joint venture company will handle all the development and operating rights for port-related commercial activities without military rights.



The decision to change the initial deal, which China will get 80 percent of the shares of Hambantota port for 99 years for $1.1 billion, accords with President Maithripala Sirisena's view that any agreement with China should be such that it does not affect the interest of Sri Lanka.



Advertisement

Tagschina, Sri Lanka, China Merchant Port Holdings, Hambantota Port
(Photo : Getty Images) Security check.

Advertisement

Tablets of cocaine coated in plastic were found inside a man's stomach in China. He was arrested at the Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Xinjiang, state media reported.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The man, who is an Afghan passport holder, flew in from Kazakhstan. Customs officials saw what appeared to be tablets in his stomach after going through a routine X-ray scan at the airport. Officials' suspicions intensified after seeing that the man only had a few personal belongings and US$500 in cash, which will not last long for a regular tourist in China.



They had to wait for more than 30 hours before the plastic-coated cocaine pills passed through his system. Police also arrested another Afghan citizen who was supposed to pick up the drugs four days after the apprehension at the airport.



Xinjians is slowly being known as a gateway for illegal drugs to enter the country from Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.



Advertisement

Tagscocaine, drug mule, drug trafficking, Xinjiang, Weird News, bizarre news, Afghan passport holder, Kazakhstan, Airport, drugs inside man's body, xray, scan, customs officials, Officials
(Photo : Getty Images. ) The Chinese soldiers were joined by the armies of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, with whom the South Asian country equally shares a very close relationship.

Advertisement

Chinese soldiers for the first time participated in the Pakistani military parade on the important occasion of Pakistan Day on Thursday. This once again marks the Asian giant's robust military ties with Islamabad, its closest ally in the South Asian region.



The Chinese soldiers were joined by the armies of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, with whom the South Asian country equally shares a very close relationship.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Earlier in the day, Pakistan flaunted its long-range rockets, tanks, and other advanced military hardware in front of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.



Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, who was also present at the occasion, appreciated the presence of Chinese troops and described their participation as a "historical event" for both countries.



Over the years, China has replaced the U.S. as Islamabad's largest military supplier. The latter's deteriorating relationship with the U.S. has helped Beijing to get more prominence in Pakistan's military affairs. This was clearly reflected during Pakistan's army chief Mr. Bajwa's visit to China last week.



Bajwa met his Chinese counterpart and signed an agreement to jointly produce several military hardware including the FC-1 Xiaolong, a lightweight and multi-role combat aircraft. Both countries have already signed an agreement to produce other advanced hardware such as JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, K-8 Karakorum advance training aircraft.



Beijing's close link with its South Asian ally is not only marked by military cooperation. It is one of Pakistan's largest trading partner and also one of the largest investors in the country. The massive China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was partly inaugurated last year, is being completely by funded the Chinese government.



Analyst's claim that the two countries have been forced to forge a strategic relationship due to their mutual rivalry with India.



Advertisement

Tagschina, China and Pakistan, Chinese Solider, Pakistan, China and Pakistan Military Cooperation
(Photo : Getty Images. ) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has blamed the inactions of the U.S. for the current crisis in South China sea.

Advertisement

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday squarely blamed the inactions of the past U.S. administration for the current crisis in the disputed South China Sea region. The firebrand president claimed that if U.S. had acted diligently, China would not have dared to build so many artificial islands in the contagious maritime territory.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Duterte openly questioned the freedom of navigation operation that was started under the previous Obama administration, claiming indirectly that the entire operation was a farce.



"You go there in the pretense of challenging them?" he said in reference to the operation. "One single solitary shot, it could lead to an explosion and it could lead to a war and it will be a slaughter." He belligerently accused America of using the Philippine Navy as a shield during the operation, claiming that Americans wanted his country's navy to act on their behalf.



"Why did you not (American Navy), the first instance, go to Chinese working there, building structures there?" he asked and then candidly questioned "Why did you not reprimand them? Why did you not send five aircraft carriers?"



Duterte claimed that it was solely due to the U.S. inactions that today the South China Sea has become such an international issue, affecting all the countries that are party to the dispute.



Duterte also reiterated that change in foreign policy is need of the hour, signaling towards his recent ambitious task of revamping his pro-U.S. foreign policy to the one that is more aligned towards China.



"I decided to change a little bit our foreign policy. Why is it that we are too far from trade and commerce with China?" the Filipino leader said and added that he went to China last year to participate in trade and commerce.



The outspoken president also concluded that China is too militarily strong to force them from stopping the on-going construction activities across several islands. He gave the same excuse for his country's inability to stop the construction of a monitoring station on the Scarborough Shoal.



However, earlier this week Beijing flatly denied that it is constructing a monitoring station on the Scarborough Shoal.



Advertisement

TagsPhilippine and China, Philippine, Rodrigo Duterte, U.S. and China, South China Sea
(Photo : US Army) BAE, Northrop Grumman ground combat vehicle concept.

Advertisement

The U.S. Army's refocus on fighting a conventional war against either China or Russia is impacting its decision to produce a new infantry fighting vehicle emphasizing speed and maneuverability over soldier protection.



Army leaders and industry experts met recently to discuss what a "next-generation combat vehicle" (NGCV) replacing the M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle might look like. The army is now considering issuing a charter for the NGCV.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The consensus reached during these discussions was that speed and maneuverability must trump the need for soldier protection since the next war will be a conventional war where heavy vehicles such as MRAPs (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles designed to counter IEDs will be a liability because of their slowness and huge size.



The army currently has a massive inventory of more than 8,000 different types of MRAPs.



The NGCV being considered to modernize the maneuver force might weigh at least 60 tons and will carry a nine-man infantry squad, the basic Army maneuver element.



"What you are going to see come out of Fort Benning soon is a request for a charter for the Next Generation Combat Vehicle," said Maj. Gen. Eric Wesley, commander of the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence.



"It will be an (integrated capabilities development team)that empowers us to pull together the requirements folks; the resourcing folks; the acquisition community; the labs and even industry in a collaborative effort to get after NGCV," he said.



Gen. Wesley cautioned the Army should avoid using the last 15 years of experience with improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan and Iraq as a reason for making soldier protection more of a priority than speed and maneuverability.



"Not to say that the maneuver center is cavalier toward the protection of our soldiers, but if we want to optimize everything toward protection than we can do that very easily without deploying," said Gen. Wesley.



"In the end, we have to achieve strategic objectives which requires maneuver, which requires killing, which requires agility and speed."



Experts said IEDs aren't going to be a problem in Eastern Europe, and isn't the problem the army needs to design the future force against.



Five years ago, BAE Systems plc and Northrop Grumman proposed developing a version of NGCV featuring a hybrid electric drive propulsion system to enable force protection and mobility at lower weight. This concept was scuttled by spending cuts.



Advertisement

TagsU.S. Army, china, Russia, next-generation combat vehicle, NGCV, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, MRAPs
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) The Xiaomi Redmi 3S is currently price at Rs 6,999 ($107), while the Redmi 3S Prime cost at Rs 8,999 ($137.57).

Advertisement

Online retailing website Amazon has announced that the Chinese brand smartphones Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime are now on sale on its official website. The Xiaomi Redmi 3S is currently priced at Rs 6,999 ($107), while the Redmi 3S Prime cost at Rs 8,999 ($137.57).



In terms of the specifications, the Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S prime come with a metallic unibody design. Both devices sport 5-inch LCD IPS HD display screen with 720 pixels by 1280 pixels resolution. Under the hood, the two smartphones are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 430 processor clocked at a speed of 1.4 Ghz, along with Adreno 505 GPU for the graphics.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The Xiaomi Redmi 3S come with 2GB of RAM onboard and equipped with a built-in 16GB of internal memory storage. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in internal memory. Both devices are expandable up to 128GB via a dedicated microSD card slot. The Redmi 3S series phones are fueled by a 4100 mAh capacity battery.



In the camera department, the Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime flaunts a 13-megapixel rear facing camera on the back, and a 5-megapixel front sensor. Interestingly, both phones support video recording up to 1080p. The smartphones run on the Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system out of the box, which is paired with Xiaomi's latest customized MIUI 7 user interface laid on top.



Other features the Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime smartphones offer include Hybrid Dual-SIM (Nano+MicroSD support or Nano SIM + Micro SIM support), 4G LTE and VoLTE network support, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and GPS.



The Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3s Prime are available in Gold, Grey, and Silver color.



Advertisement

Tagsxiaomi redmi 3s, xiaomi redmi 3s prime, Amazon, Xiaomi Smartphone, Xiaomi News
(Photo : RMN) KD Lekiu, a frigate of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Advertisement

Malaysia has announced a massive program to modernize the entire Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) to better counter threats from China, and from Asian ISIS militants that will return to Asia after the inevitable destruction of the caliphate in Iraq.



The ambitious and expensive modernization program will see the replacement of practically all the 50 surface warships and submarines in the RMN. Over the coming decades, the navy intends to acquire 18 littoral mission ships (LMS); an undetermined number of littoral combat ships (LCS); three new multi-role support ships (MRSS) and two submarines.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Major units of the RMN currently include 2 submarines; 2 frigates (6 under construction); 6 corvettes; 10 offshore patrol vessels; 8 missile boats and 27 fast attack craft.



"The LMS are designed for many aspects of maritime security such as dealing with cross-border crime, piracy, anti-terrorism and search and rescue operations," said Chief of Navy Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin.



"These ships would be very capable of dealing with the threat posed by Daesh and other maritime security concerns."



Ironically, four of these LMS will be built by China. Plans to acquire four LMS from China were first announced in November 2016.



Malaysia intends to acquire the Chinese technology that will allow them to build their own LMS.



Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the four LMS from China will enable the RMN to carry out challenging missions and meet international maritime standards. He said the LMS are specially designed for use in anti-piracy operations; cross-border crimes and Islamic State terror activities.



He also said the LMS will replace old RMN vessels that are now too expensive to operate and are less effective in performing operational tasks.



"At the moment, the RMN fleet consists of 15 classes of ships with an average age exceeding 30 years," said Hussein.



"Therefore, the operating cost of the RMN fleet continues to rise each year due to higher maintenance cost."



Malaysia's naval build-up comes amid lingering tensions in the South China Sea due to China's claim to own most of this body of water and its creation of artificial islands. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims to the South China Sea.



Advertisement

TagsMalaysia, Royal Malaysian Navy, RMN, littoral mission ships, Chief of Navy Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin, Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein
(Photo : AMTI) Woody Island in the South China Sea showing locations of illegal Chinese air defense weapons, including surface-to-air missiles.

Advertisement

China believes it controls the South China Sea and is confident the United States will avoid going to war because it "lacks both the ability and will to engage in a military conflict or go to war with us."



The assessment of China's activities published in an internal magazine of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) also confirmed China's ploy of using allegedly "civilian activities" such as building lighthouses on manmade islands or islands it seized from other countries as a prelude to the militarization of these islands.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The story written by officers of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) South Seas Fleet revealed the massive land reclamation projects have given the PLA a strategic military advantage in the South China Sea.



"Intimidated by the projects, related claimants and neighboring countries are unlikely to provoke any military conflict or escalate it into a war because they are too poorly prepared," said the op-ed.



Ominously, the report said a military crisis in the South China Sea is "highly likely," but the likelihood it will accelerate into a war is small. It also said the U.S. "lacks both the ability and will to engage in a military conflict or go to war with us."



China must also take advantage of a military crisis to counterattack the Americans; do all it can to "hit the enemy where it hurts" and "teach it a lesson."



China can maintain its newly won dominance by, first, drawing a clear line in the sand with regard to managing a military crisis.



Second, China must prepare for "endurance warfare" to wear down the Americans. The PLA should "fight behind a civilian front and refrain from firing the first shot, but it should also prepare to fight endurance warfare" to safeguard sovereignty, security and China's national interests.



China believes it has secured the leadership role in the South China Sea and other countries can't match its military supremacy in the region.



Advertisement

Tagschina, South China Sea, People's Liberation Army, People's Liberation Army Navy
Christians in Nigeria are facing trial upon trial. Not only were hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes due to terrorist group Boko Haram, but many have been denied sanctuary and aid in displacement camps.

The Christian Post reports that several displacement camps have communicated that food and other aid is not for Christians.

Christian persecution charity Open Doors is monitoring the situation in Nigeria. Bishop William Naga is one of the many refugees seeking aid. He recently told Open Doors, "The governor did his best when the Christians had to flee in 2014 and 2015. But when the care of the camps was handed over to other organizations, the discrimination started. They will give food to the refugees, but if you are a Christian they will not give you food. They will openly tell you that the relief is not for Christians."

Emily Fuentes, communications director for Open Doors, explained further: Christians often get pushed to the back of the line. Because Muslims are the majority there, even non-extremist Muslims, some of their neighbors are typically going to get preferential treatment by those providing food and assistance because of their Muslim faith. Christians might be discriminated against and some of those cases have been reported. It's just preferential treatment because they are not the majority religion in that part of the country."

Nigeria ranks twelfth on Open Doors 2017 World Watch List of countries where Christian persecution is most severe.

Photo courtesy:Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: March 24, 2017
Torrential rains have been causing devastating floods in Peru which have gotten even worse in the last couple weeks.

According to the Christian Telegraph, 78 people have lost their lives in the floods and 100,000 have been made homeless.

Houses, schools, crops, and livelihoods have been devastated indiscriminately and there seems to be no end in sight to the floods.

However, through the devastation, Christian aid groups are taking action.

A ministry that Christian Aid Mission supports in Peru is already providing relief in the affected area. They know the language and the best way to reach with the Gospel to their own countrymen. Even though the ministry meeting hall was damaged by these torrential rains, the congregation has started reaching out to the flood victims, said Rosa Contreras Hart, the Latin America Area Director for Christian Aid Mission.

The aid organization is also using the opportunity of ministering to peoples physical needs to also minister to their spiritual needs.

We know that this is the best moment to share hope in Christ with so many people affected by this natural disaster, Hart said a ministry leader told her.

Hart also asked for Christians around the world to pray for the people of Peru:

Please pray for Peru as the flooding, landslides, and torrential rain have affected many villages, leaving many people without housing and food.

Publication date: March 24, 2017
Pakistani leaders want to meet with Facebook about blasphemous material appearing on the social media site. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued a statement last week saying that those who post material deemed to be insulting to the prophet Muhammad or Islam will be strictly punished.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar promised that the Pakistani government would take all necessary measures to deal with what they see as the massive problem of blasphemy on social media. "Facebook and other service providers should share all information about the people behind this blasphemous content with us. Saying blasphemy is not only a problem for Pakistan. This is an issue about the honor of every Muslim, he promised to take action. If we do not get a response from social media, I do not care about anyone, there is nothing greater than our faith. If social media and especially international social media stays on this route then we will have to take strong action regarding social media.

Those arrested on blasphemy charges face the death penalty, but even if cleared by the government they face retribution from crowds of vigilantes.

Critics believe the blasphemy laws target religious minorities in the overwhelmingly Muslim nation. While Christians have faced execution for alleged violations of the law, many Muslims have been arrested as well.

Between 25 and 30 million in Pakistan use Facebook, with Twitter and Instagram growing in popularity as well.

This week the Islamabad High Court raised the stakes during a case involving a man who allegedly shared blasphemous content. When told that it could take two to three weeks to get information from Facebook, one justice remarked, We dont need social media if it cannot stop blasphemy.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 27th and the high court will rule whether or not to ban the social network until the issue is resolved.

When contacted by Valuewalk for a comment, a Facebook spokesperson responded. We review all government requests carefully, with the goal of protecting the privacy and rights of our users. We disclose information about accounts solely in accordance with our terms of service and applicable law. A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty or other formal request may be required for international requests, and we include these in our Government Requests Report.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: March 24, 2017
Archbishop of Canterbury: 'Christ's love and self-sacrifice will triumph over evil and despair'

The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke powerfully today of how Christ's victory on the Cross overcame evil.

He called for a memorial for those killed in the London terror attack, in particular to PC Keith Palmer.

Archbishop Justin Welby said the best memorial would be a country that could live together in peace and harmony.

But there also needed to be a physical memorial to those murdered.

'There needs to be a memorial because remembering helps us not repeat. But the best memorial we can build is a country at peace with each other and at peace with itself,' he said at a prayer vigil at Westminster Abbey with leaders representing Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Archbishop Welby was in Lambeth Palace when he heard the news.

'My first thoughts were prayer and pain for those who were suffering. I'm a Christian. I believe in Christ who died on the Cross and rose from the dead, and in that resurrection demonstrated the triumph of love and self sacrifice over evil and despair and desperation,' he told Christian Today.

Archbishop Welby led the faith leaders in a minute's silence, just yards from where Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians with his car and murdered PC Keith Palmer on Wednesday.

He said: 'Two days after the attacks across the road behind us, we are still all of us deeply shocked by what has happened, and beginning the process of thinking about the consequences and the future, quite rightly.

'As we come together today a number of people are particularly in our minds. Those who were killed, especially PC Keith Palmer, their families, the police whose consistent courage and observance of duty is an extraordindary example to all of us. Those who are waiting at hospitals and bedsides and praying or hoping or seeking to comfort one another. Also the wider community wondering what this event means as a sign for our future.'

He described it is a moment of sad reflection 'but also a moment of determination for our naton together'. In standing there together, the three Abrahamic faith communities were showing their deep commitment to a peaceful future.

He said Islam, Judaism and Christianity hold together the Psalms.

He quoted Psalm 42: 'Why are you so heavy my soul, why are you cast down? Put your trust in God.'

In the stories that Christians believe of the death and resurrection of Jesus, there is to be found God who conquers the despair and destruction that these events speak of, he said.

With him were Chief Rabbi Ephriam Mirvis, Sheikh Ezzat Khalifa, Head Imam of the London Central Mosque, the Shia leader Sheikh Mohammad al Hilli and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.

'As Christians what we do is take anger and worry and bring it to Christ in prayer. What we don't do is turn against other people who we know are innocent of anything to do with this event.'

WATCH: The faith leaders talk and pray about the London terror attack.

WATCH: The Archbishop of Canterbury talk about what he was doing when the attack happened, and how Christians can still have faith.
Archbishops launch investigation into Philip North row after 'highly individualised' attacks

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have launched a probe into a Church scandal that forced a bishop to decline a promotion amid accusations of 'sexism' and 'highly individualised' attacks.

Justin Welby and John Sentamu have asked Sir Philip Mawer, the Church of England's official investigator, to examine all the steps that led to Philip North, currently Bishop of Burnley, to withdraw from his promotion to Bishop of Sheffield.

'The recent events surrounding the nomination of Bishop Philip North as Bishop of Sheffield, including his withdrawal from the process, have understandably raised great concern amongst many in the Church of England,' they said on Friday.

'Some of those concerns relate to whether the nomination itself, and the procedure leading up to it,' they say in a letter to Sir Philip.

But 'others are about what happened once the nomination had been announced'.

Bishop North is from the Church's Anglo-Catholic wing and deeply opposed to women's ordination.

His promotion prompted a senior Anglican theologian Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, to urge him to withdraw, accusing a Church grouping North to which North belongs of 'fogeyish, sacralised, sexism'.

After a sustained campaign against him North announced he would step down, citing the 'highly individualised nature of the attacks' against him which had been 'extremely hard to bear'.

He said: 'It is with regret and sadness that I have decided that I am unable to take up the nomination as Bishop of Sheffield.'

He added: 'The pressures of recent weeks have left me reflecting on how He [God] is calling me to serve him.'

Responding to the events the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, rebuked North's critics and told them to learn to 'disagree Christianly, remembering at all times that our identity is in Christ alone'.

He said: 'What has happened to Bishop Philip clearly does not reflect the settlement under which, two and a half years ago, the Church of England joyfully and decisively opened up all orders of ministry to men and women. It also made a commitment to mutual flourishing.'

The Church of England voted to allow women bishops in 2014, after years of division and hostility over the issue.

But the compromise deal insisted those with theological objections to women priests must still be given an equal place within the Church. Dubbed 'mutual flourishing', the agreement was supposed to reconcile the two deeply entrenched factions.

An official reviewer was appointed as part of the declaration to oversee any investigations and address grievances.

The Archbishops insist the deal remains intact but North's withdrawal raised questions about its longevity. North said at the time: 'There is clearly much to be done on what it means to disagree well and to live with theological difference in the Church of England.

'If, as Christians, we cannot relate to each other within the bounds of love, how can we possibly presume to transform a nation in the name of Christ? I hope though that this conversation can continue in the future without it being hung upon the shoulders of one individual.'

In pointed remarks announcing the review, the Archbishops say: 'We call on all those in the Church to pray openly for the flourishing of those with whom they disagree, to demonstrate the mutual love which we are called to share and to proclaim confidently in word and deed that in Christ we find our true identities, and the overcoming of those things which in ourselves we find so divisive.'

Sir Philip Mawer will examine the events and publish a report within two months.
Benham Brothers say children with Down syndrome 'created by God,' blast Iceland for its 100% abortion rate

Conservative Christian brothers David and Jason Benham are calling on people to show love and support for children born with Down syndrome and trisomy, saying these special kids are loved by God Who created them.

The Benham brothers posted a video on their Facebook page on Tuesday showing them with two such "special' children named Luke and Emma, and their mothers.

"Luke is loved by God, and is created by God and is special," David said in the video. "And Emma is loved by God and is special. The church really needs to lead the way on this because we love these kids and we love these families."

The brothers posted the video on the occasion of Down Syndrome Day, which was Tuesday, and Trisomy Awareness Month, which is March.

Down syndrome, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), results from "having an extra chromosome 21 or an extra piece of that chromosome." The disorder causes mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. People with Down syndrome have flat-looking face and face risks of having other health conditions, it says.

On the other hand, people with trisomy also have an extra chromosome that can cause various health problems, including mild intellectual and developmental disability, according to the NICHD.

In their Facebook video, the Benham brothers also blasted countries like Iceland that reportedly allow the abortion of children with such disorders.

"In Iceland, since 2008 there hasn't been one Down syndrome baby that's been born. In the U.K., there are more Down syndrome babies that are aborted than there are born," said David who, together with his twin brother Jason, has spoken out and marched in several pro-life rallies in America.

"Even in America, 90 percent of Down syndrome babies, and other babies with trisomy are aborted," David added.

Meanwhile, Tom Lothamer, president of Life Matters Worldwide, also denounced the abortion of babies with Down syndrome, saying it is "unconscionable" and "unthinkable," according to Mission Network News.

"We know that many Down syndrome children, in fact most, are an absolute delight to their families. They have much to offer our cultures and much to offer our communities and neighborhoods," he said.

"We believe that every person  no matter their physical, emotional, or mental condition  are created in the image of God. For us to make light of that is a tremendous offense to God, and the problem with the people like in this case, they don't particularly care about God or they don't even recognize God or whatever the case might be," Lothamer said.
Bishop steps down after speaking of campaign forcing him to quit

The assistant Bishop of Llandaff is resigning after speaking of a sustained campaign forcing him to quit.

David Wilbourne, a strong supporter of gay cleric Jeffrey John, will step down on Easter Sunday after 'considerable and increasing pressure to relinquish' his post for the past 18 months, he told the Church Times.

The Church in Wales denies there is any campaign against Bishop Wilbourne forcing him to quit and said his role had been there to assist the recently retired Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, who was also Bishop of Llandaff.

The assistant bishop has backed Dr John, currently Dean of St Albans Cathedral, in a feud with bishops after he was recently blocked from being appointed Bishop of Llandaff.

Dr John wrote to the senior bishop in Wales, Dr John Davies, saying the only reason he was barred from the post was his sexuality.

'Ever since I knew that Jeffrey was in the frame for Llandaff, I thought it would speak mountains about our policy of inclusion. Wales has led on that; so I can't understand why the bishops aren't of the same mind,' he told the Church Times.

Dr John won more than half the votes in the electoral body appointing a new Bishop of Llandaff and unanimous support from local churchgoers on the panel. But he failed to win the two thirds necessary to be appointed and claims he was blocked by bishops after homophobic comments were made about him during the process.

The Church in Wales strongly denied allegations of homophobia during the election process and denies he was blocked.

In an official statement announcing his resignation, Bishop Wilbourne made no mention of the campaign against him.

'I realise it is time to hand over the baton to the newly appointed Bishop of Llandaff, so he or she can run free, enabling the Church which I have cherished these past years to flourish.

'I therefore intend to finish my time as assistant bishop on Easter Day 2017, just before the Sacred Synod approves our new bishop.

'I do so with the greatest gratitude for all the faithful parish priests and people here, whose marvellous ministry I am daily humbled by.

'I pray that you are given the bishop you so richly deserve, one who, in the words of Cardinal Basil Hume, simply comes to where people are and takes them to places they never dreamt of going.'

The Church's senior bishop, the Rt Revd John Davies, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, who has current oversight of the Diocese of Llandaff, thanked Wilbourne for his work in the Church in Wales.

He said, 'Bishop David makes it clear in his own statement why he has made the decision to step down, and it is important that we respect that decision and the prayerful manner in which he has reached it.'

It comes after the Chapter of Southwark Cathedral became the latest to back Dr John in the increasingly bitter row, a statement on Thursday read.

'Southwark Cathedral has a long and proud reputation of standing up for diversity and inclusion within the church. It was therefore with deep sadness that we read the reports of the failed appointment process for the vacant see of the Diocese of Llandaff and especially of the way in which it affected the Dean of St Albans, the Very Revd Dr Jeffrey John.'

In a strongly worded statement the Chapter called 'for a future in which discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, gender or ethnicity will cease'. The statement described Dr John as 'a person of deep wisdom, the highest integrity and startling honesty.

'His willingness to live within the requirements laid down by the House of Bishops of the Church of England, and the public assurances that he does so, has not stopped him being rejected as a candidate for episcopal ministry.

We believe that the church, through its lack of similar integrity, wisdom and honesty, is failing to recognise the God-given abilities from which we as a community benefited.'
Christianity is 'over' in Iraq, but 'God is not dead despite terrible persecution,' says 'Vicar of Baghdad'

An eminent Anglican priest known as the "Vicar of Baghdad" has just presented two contrasting images of Christianity in Iraq.

In a Fox News interview on Tuesday, Canon Andrew White said Christianity is "over" in the region from which the faith originated.

However, on the same day, he posted a message on his Facebook page, saying, "God is not dead ... despite the terrible persecution of much of the Church today in Iraq and the Middle East."

White went on to say that God "is alive and doing the greatest things ever. Resurrections, healing and angels are part of daily life. We in the western world just do not know of the real majesty, glory and presence of Jesus."

In the Fox News interview, White drew a bleak image of Christianity in the region, saying, the "time has come where it is over, no Christians will be left."

He noted the calls made for Christians to stay in the regions to maintain the faith's "historical presence," but commented that this has now "become very difficult," adding that "the future for the community is very limited."

White said the Christians who have been driven out of their homes in the Middle East by the Islamic State are saying one thing: "There is no way they are ever going back. They have had enough."

Fox News noted the sharp decline in Iraq's Christian population. It said 30 years ago, some 1.4 million Christians inhabited the country. The number fell to around 1 million after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Last year, it was estimated that less than 250,000 are left, with the numbers continuing to go down.

White directly appealed for American support. "If there is anything I can tell Americans it is that your fellow brothers and sisters are suffering, they are desperate for help," he said. "And it is not just a matter of praying for peace. They need a lot  food, resources, clothes, everything. They need everything."

Earlier on Saturday, White spoke at Truro Anglican Church in Fairfax, Virginia, where he again appealed for U.S. support for the Christians struggling to survive in the Middle East.

"There cannot be peace [in Iraq] without provision ... when people don't have what they need it's very difficult to make real or lasting peace," he said, according to a church member interviewed by The Christian Post.

White went on to explain that even though the number of Christians remaining in Iraq has been greatly reduced, God's presence remains in the region where He continues to transform lives.
'Descendants of the Sun' news: First in KCC Broadcasting Awards

It looks like the "Descendants of the Sun" fever is far from over, as the popular Korean drama bagged the first place at the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Broadcasting Awards this year.

Held on March 20, the KCC Awards show had 300 attendees, which included government workers and representatives from the broadcasting industry. A total of 338 entries were evaluated by the KCC, but the action-packed love story of Capt. Yoo Shi Jin (Song Joong-ki) and Dr. Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye-kyo) won the grand prize, as it garnered high ratings for screenplay and popularity not only in South Korea but also internationally. It has become widely popular among Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. According to HELLOKPOP, the broadcasting watchdog body also thinks that the series "depicted the core humanitarian values of peace and dedication."

Apart from the KCC Awards, "Descendants of the Sun" has also gained recognition from other award-giving bodies, such as the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards and the 30th KBS Drama Awards.

Aside from "Descendants of the Sun," the other titles that received awards, as reported on Korea Portal, include the KNN radio series "Barrier-free Opera," the EBS documentary "Green Animal," and tvN's "Goblin," which was awarded for its creativity and cultural aspects.

In other news, there have been rumors that "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds" star Park Bo-gum will be joining the "Descendants of the Sun" cast in season 2. It is said that he will take the role of someone who will come between the two lead characters. However, there are also other rumors that "Legend of the Blue Sea" and "City Hunter" actor Lee Min Ho will be added to the cast. According to KpopStarz, the popular actor is rumored to be in talks to join the cast in the second season.
Hillsong has a 'no tolerance' policy on paedophiles, Brian Houston tells Royal Commission

Hillsong will not tolerate paedophiles in any shape or form, according to the church's founder Brian Houston.

Houston's own father Frank, a Pentecostal Assenblies of God pastor, who died in 2004, confessed in 1999 and 2000 to sexually abusing boys in New Zealand three decades earlier.

He told Australia's child abuse royal commission that Hillsong has 'zero tolerance' for paedophiles.

'For a long, long time I've been extremely vocal that no convicted paedophile, nobody who's made any kind of confession of inappropriate behaviour towards children, is welcome at Hillsong Church at all," he said, according to Australian Associated Press.

'On numerous occasions we've told people they can't come to church.

'We've got a no tolerance policy on paedophiles because we have a massive children's ministry, obviously, and young persons ministry, so we just don't believe that it's the right place for them to be.'

Frank Houston was confronted by Brian in 1999. He admitted the offence but Brian Houston and the national executive of the Assemblies of God in Australia failed to inform police.

The church learned of more abuse the following year and at that point, Frank Houston was banned from preaching.

Hillsong has now introduced a 'conflict of interest' procedure.

The commission found Brian Houston had a conflict in assuming responsibility for dealing with the 1999 allegation because he was both Assemblies of God in Australia national president and the son of the alleged perpetrator, AAP reported. Assemblies of God is now called Australian Christian Churches.

Houston told the commission: 'We have been very, very supportive of the goal to make sure our church is as safe a church as it could possibly be.'

Wayne Alcorn, president of Australian Christian Churches, said its 1,000 autonomous affiliated churches had all adopted and adhere to child protection policies: 'It is no longer optional. There are minimum standards and we require them. We quickly moved to change the culture and practice of our movement.'
Pastor reveals horror of child sacrifices in Uganda, claims murder of innocents is big business

Hundreds of children are being kidnapped and murdered in Uganda every year because of the thriving child sacrifice business in that East African country, a pastor has revealed.

What is utterly shocking and horrific in the West is a common practice in Uganda where businessmen and politicians pay big money to witch doctors who sell them body parts of children, believing these will bring them good luck, local pastor Peter Sewakiryanga told a CBN News team that recently visited Kampala, Uganda.

"Witch doctors believe that when you kidnap a child you get wealth, you get protection," said the pastor who runs Kyampisi Childcare Ministries, a Christian organisation that seeks to end child sacrifice in Uganda.

Describing the gruesome ritualistic killing of children, Sewakiryanga said the witch doctors first cut the neck of the child. "They take the blood out, they take the tissue, they cut the genitals or any other body organs that they wish that the spirits want," he said.

Child sacrifice has become such a serious and widespread problem in Uganda that government authorities have set up an agency primarily tasked with stopping the practice.

Mike Chibita, Uganda's top law enforcement official, told CBN News that superstition and the desire to get rich quickly are to blame for the rising cases of child sacrifice in his country.

"The connection is that these witch doctors come and tell people who want to get rich that in order to get rich you need to sacrifice human blood," said Chibita.

Ugandan lawmakers like Komuhangi Margaret are set to draft specific laws targeting those involved in child sacrifice.

"Every Ugandan must wake and and say, 'No to sacrificing our children'," said Margaret, a member of Uganda's parliament. "Our children are the future of this country."

However, some Ugandan politicians continue to believe in supernatural ways to get them elected to office.

During the election campaign in 2015, Uganda saw a significant increase in child sacrifice cases as desperate political candidates tried to gain advantage at the polls, Breitbart reported.

"Child sacrifice cases are common during election time, as some people believe blood sacrifices will bring wealth and power," Shelin Kasozi told Reuters.

Moses Binoga, coordinator of the anti-trafficking task force at the interior ministry, said they found mutilated bodies of children and adults, some with hearts or livers ripped out. In two cases reported last year the victims' heads were missing, he said.
Prayer vigil in Westminster as thousands say defiantly: #WeAreNotAfraid

Around 5,000 people gathered for a prayer vigil in Trafalgar Square sending a resounding message: #WeAreNotAfraid.

Faith leaders met with police earlier as Londoners insisted they would not be cowed by Wednesday's attack that killed four and injured 50.

Bells at St Martin-in-the-Fields church rang out before silence was observed and candles lit for the dead.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd spoke alongside London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Metropolitan Police's Acting Commissioner Craig Mackey. 'We have come together to spread a clear message: Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism,' Khan said to cheers from the crowd.

Several Muslims attended alongside Catholic nuns in a strong message as religious leaders spoke of their unity in the face of violent extremism.

The Muslim Council of Britain called for 'solidarity and prayer' and Secretary General Harun Khan joined the thousands in Trafalgar Square.

'This attack was cowardly and depraved,' he said. 'There is no justification for this act whatsoever. The best response to this outrage is to make sure we come together in solidarity and not allow the terrorists to divide us.'

Pope Francis said he was 'deeply saddened' by the attacks and the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of the 'deep values' that were shown in the response.

'That speaks of  at this time of year as we look forward to Holy Week and Easter  of a God who stands with the suffering, and brings justice, and whose resurrection has given to believer and unbeliever the sense that where we do what is right; where we behave properly; where that generosity and extraordinary sense of duty that leads people to treat a terrorist is shown; where that bravery of someone like PC Keith Palmer is demonstrated, that there is a victory for what is right and good; over what is evil, despairing and bad.

'That was shown yesterday. That is shown not just in our expression of values, but in our practices which define those values. And that is the mood that we must show in the future.'

Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, said: 'Prayers of the Jewish community are with the families of the victims [and] with our brave security services.'
'The Shack', cosmic child abuse and 'Lies We Believe About God'

A new controversy has blown up recently that is as old as Christianity itself. William P Young, the author of the 20 million-selling book The Shack, has written about the cross of Jesus in another book, Lies we Believe about God. It seems to have been published to coincide with The Shack movie releasing in cinemas around the world.

His chapter on the cross has provoked a lot of comment online. There are some worrying ideas in what Young writes but there are some gems too  for instance he is unequivocal that the death and resurrection of Jesus is 'the single, most profound and far-reaching event in the history of humanity'. It's when he asks the question, 'Who originated the cross?' that things get a little tricky.

'Who originated the cross? If God did, then we worship a cosmic abuser, who in Divine Wisdom created a means to torture human beings in the most painful and abhorrent manner. Frankly, it is often this very cruel and monstrous god that the atheist refuses to acknowledge or grant credibility in any sense. And rightly so. Better no god at all, than this one.'

That cosmic child abuser language might sound familiar. More on that later. But for now we need to focus on the central premise of Young's challenge to our understanding of the cross. Young says that if God originated the cross then it is divine child abuse, while if human beings originated the idea of the cross and God submits to it then it isn't abuse but grace. If the cross originated with human beings, 'This deviant device is the iconic manifestation of our blind commitment to darkness. It is our ultimate desecration of the goodness and loving intent of God to create, an intent that is focused on the human creation. It is the ultimate fist raised against God. And how did God respond to this profound brokenness?

'God submitted to it. God climbed willingly onto our torture device and met us at the deepest and darkest place of our diabolical imprisonment to our own lies, and by submitting once and for all, God destroyed its power. Jesus is God's best, given willingly and in opposition to our worst, the Cross.'

Before we critique Young's premise, we do need to pause to recognise important elements of truth in what he writes here. The cross is the place where human rebellion against God is most clearly in focus. It is an expression of Jesus' ultimate act of submission both to the will of God the father but also to the cruelty of humanity (Philippians 2:8). But to what extent can we separate out God's will and human behaviour? When a human being acts, because God is sovereign does this mean that God is permitting this action and therefore does God's permission count as divine countenance? Not necessarily, as humans sin and obviously God does not sin, nor does he condone sin. So we can refute the idea that by allowing something to happen God is approving of that thing happening.

It's a difficult theological point. God certainly planned for the cross. The book of Revelation describes God's intention that Jesus would be the Lamb who was slain before the creation of the world (Revelation 13:8). So God does seem to predict the cross as the means by which sin will be dealt with once and for all. Young highlights this: 'God knew going into the activity of creation what the cost would be. That God's own children, this highest order of creation, would one day make the final attempt to kill Life.'

I have read quite a few articles that have been very critical of Young's approach to the cross and especially his insistence that God did not originate the cross. Most seem to be reacting to his deliberate use of the trigger phrase 'divine child abuse' which raises old controversies about penal substitution. But in this instance we must tread carefully, as the Bible does affirm a paradox here. The Bible both asserts that God planned the cross and that Jesus willingly submitted to it. Steve Holmes, senior lecturer in systematic theology at St Andrews University, points us to Acts 2:23 as a key text by which to understand this paradox. The apostle Peter, preaching about the significance of the crucifixion, states: 'This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.' New Testament scholar Howard Marshall comments: 'Here we have the paradox of divine predestination and human freewill in its strongest form.' The Bible also asserts that it was utterly sinful for humanity to kill the author of life, Jesus Christ (Acts 3:15) and yet we can never attribute that sinful action to God.

I am not on the same page as Paul Young on quite a lot of his theology. I don't think his categorical distinction between God originating the cross versus the cross being a human idea is one that can be easily argued from the Bible, which seems to be more integrated in its teaching than Young is comfortable with.

Would Young's views put me off seeing The Shack movie? Personally, no. So many people I know, who are not Christians, have read the book and I want to see the film with them. In Hollywood movies there seems be a growing openness to the exploration of theological ideas and I want to be part of that conversation. Going to a movie does not imply the endorsing of all the views contained in the film, let alone all the views of the author of the book the film is based on. The Shack will provide many opportunities to talk about the gospel so for that I am very grateful to William Paul Young.

Dr Krish Kandiah is the author of' Paradoxology: why Christianity was never meant to be simple' (IVP 2017), in which he explores the paradox of the cross and 12 other mindbending biblical paradoxes.
Westminster terror attack: Injury toll climbs to 50 as police appeal for information

Police are appealing for information from anyone who knew the London terrorist Khalid Masood as the injury toll climbed to 50.

Assistant Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said he wanted to know about Masood's 'associates and places he recently visited'.

It comes after the fourth victim of the attack was named as 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, from Streatham in south London, as one of the three to have been killed by the car on Westminster Bridge.

Police said 50 people were injured in the attack, an increase on the previous estimate of 40, with two still in a critical condition.

Two more 'significant' arrests have been made, police said, bring the total to 10 arrests with nine held in custody over the attack that left four dead, including police officer Keith Palmer.

Masood hired a car from outside Birmingham and used it to drive at high speed along the pavement of Westminster Bridge, hitting dozens of pedestrians before crashing into the fence at the Palace of Westminster.

He then ran through the gate brandishing a knife and stabbed PC Keith Palmer before being shot dead by defence secretary Michael Fallon's bodyguard.

The latest police statement came as more details of Masood's background emerged.

Born in Kent on Christmas Day 1964 to a black father and a white mother, the 52-year-old was originally named Adrian Elms. He first went to prison after an argument with 'racial overtones' that ended with him attacking cafe owner Piers Mott in a quiet Sussex village.

It is thought he was radicalised while in prison and adopted his Islamic name, Khalid Masood.

Although he previously convicted, he was thought to be more of a thug than a terrorist. Although he was known to MI5 as a 'peripheral' figure in a terror investigation some years ago, he was 'not the subject of any current investigations, Theresa May told MPs on Thursday.

She added: 'There was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.'

The other victims were Aysha Frade, a Spanish teacher in her 40s, and US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54.
10 things to know about Albrecht Durer

Alastair Smart traces the life and work of perhaps the finest printmaker in the history of art, bringer of the Renaissance to Northern Europe and creator of that rhinoceros, illustrated with previously sold lots and works being offered throughout July

1

Even as a 13-year-old, he was breaking new ground

Albrecht Durer was born in the German city of Nuremberg in May 1471, one of 18 children born to Albrecht and Barbara Durer (only three of whom survived to adulthood). His father  after whom he was named  was a successful goldsmith of Hungarian heritage, and young Albrecht apprenticed with him before deciding on an artistic career instead. He showed talent at an early age. The silverpoint Self-Portrait of 1484  in which he depicted himself wide-eyed and chubby-cheeked  is the earliest, securely attributed self-portrait by a European Master that survives to us, and was created when he had barely become a teenager.

2

Durers home city was one of the most important in Europe Lying at the heart of the Holy Roman Empire  and, indeed, Europe  Nuremberg was an economic and manufacturing hub. Silver and copper mined in nearby Saxony and Bohemia were transformed by the citys myriad metalworkers into luxury and utilitarian wares. The city was also a crucible of humanist thought  home to the likes of Willibald Pirckheimer, Konrad Celtis and Philipp Melanchthon. Reflecting on its multiple printing houses (which helped to rapidly circulate the messages of the Reformation), Martin Luther called it the eyes and ears of Germany.

As enlightened as this sounds, there still existed in Nuremberg a gothic, medieval sensibility, too  something that Durer tapped into with his fantastical woodcut series from 1498, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The approaching end of the century prompted rumours about the approaching end of the world  omens in the form of comets, eclipses, floods and plagues were interpreted in the same vein. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypses scenes, derived from the Revelation of St John, merely added to the prevailing, eschatological mood.

3

He is credited with bringing the Renaissance to Northern Europe

Durer travelled throughout his life, picking up inspiration and clients abroad on a regular basis. His first major trip was from 1490 to 1494  his so-called Wanderjahre (journeyman years)  in which he visited Frankfurt and Basle, among other places. A brief return to Nuremberg to marry (his father having organised a wedding with Agnes Frey, a wealthy local merchants daughter) was followed by another trip: this time across the Alps to Venice. It was there that he became fascinated by the work of Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini (the formers sculptural nudes and the latters Madonnas in particular). In subsequent decades, Durer gained considerable renown in Italy, where even the art historian Giorgio Vasari  notably dismissive of artists from beyond Tuscany, let alone Italy  praised his beautiful fantasies and inventions.

4

He was a fine painter, and an even finer printmaker  perhaps the greatest there has ever been Durers painted oeuvre is dominated by portraits, altarpieces and private, devotional imagery. (On his trip back across the Alps from Venice, he also painted a series of topographical watercolours, said by some to be the first pure landscape studies in art history.) It is, however, the pioneering woodcuts and engravings on which his artistic reputation really rests.

In one of his most famous, Adam and Eve (above), he captures the perfection of the worlds first couple before the Fall, showing them in idealised, near-symmetrical poses on either side of the Tree of Knowledge. The figure of Adam was inspired by the Hellenistic sculpture of Apollo Belvedere, which had recently been excavated near Rome (in 1489). Durer brought unprecedented detail and subtlety of line to the medium of engraving  as witnessed best of all here in the human skin and tree bark.

5

Between 1513 and 1514, he produced the three engravings known as his Master Prints

In a period of around 12 months, Durer created his trio of so-called Meisterstiche (master prints), comprising three solitary figures in highly symbolic environments: St Jerome in His Study, depicting the saint peacefully at work; Melencolia I (above), in which the winged personification of Melancholy sits dejectedly, head in hand; and Knight, Death and the Devil I (below), featuring a Christian knight riding through the depths of a German forest.

In this final image, the subject is confronted by the nightmarish sight of Death and a goat-faced devil, but keeps calm and carries on, firmly gripping his reins and ensuring his horses steady path. Knight, Death and the Devil was adored by Adolf Hitler on the grounds that it celebrated a brave Teutonic hero  however, the horse was actually inspired by Leonardo da Vincis designs for the equestrian monument to Francesco Sforza in Milan.

6

He was the favourite artist of the Holy Roman Emperor

In 1509, as a sign of his growing social status, Durer was appointed to the Great Council of Nuremberg when he was in his late thirties. He also became court painter to Maximilian I in around 1512. The Holy Roman Emperor hoped to earn himself a reputation as a discerning patron of the arts, and to preserve his memory for posterity. Realising the mass medium of the woodcut would enable him to achieve both, he commissioned Durer to complete the monumental Triumphal Arch, for display across his empire. It is comprised of various scenes glorifying Maximilians military feats. With a surface area of 10 square metres (measuring 357 cm x 295 cm), it is one of the largest woodcuts ever made.

7

His depiction of a rhinoceros is one of the most celebrated animals in art history Durer was alive at the time Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors were claiming the New World for Spain. The exotic booty they brought back to King Charles V (weapons, jewellery, textiles and much else besides) was the talk of all Europe. Durer saw a selection of Meso-American treasures on a trip to Brussels in August 1520. According to an entry in his travel diary, he had not seen anything in [his] whole life that delighted [his] heart as much as these marvellously artistic things.

It was around this time that Portuguese adventurers caused an even greater sensation by transporting a rhinoceros to Europe from India for their king, Manuel I. Durer never saw the animal himself, but cashed in on the furore about it  producing a woodcut image of the rhino, based on a sketch by a German merchant in Lisbon. Durer's version came with numerous fanciful additions, intended to fire the viewers imagination  including folds of skin that looked like armour.

8

He had one of the most famous signatures in art

Durer was keenly aware of what today wed call his own branding. In the mid-1490s, he started signing his works with his initials. Indeed, the AD monogram became so esteemed  and valuable  that it was routinely forged by artists copying his work. Durer even took one of these, Bolognas Marcantonio Raimondi, to court, prompting the first copyright action in art history.

9

He was an author as well as an artist

In his final years, Durer spent more and more time writing books about art instead of creating it. Ever since his first trip to Italy he had been a champion of what one might call a Renaissance aesthetic, determined by divine harmony and proportion. (It has even been suggested that his second trip to Italy, in 1505, was inspired by a desire to learn the secrets of Venetian artist Jacopo de Barbari, whod reportedly discovered a system of ideal measurements and proportions.) In his first book, Instructions for Measuring with a Compass and Ruler (1525), Durer considered, at length, the matter of perspective. He believed that art wasnt a humble craft, but a lofty achievement built on theoretical foundations.

10

He was as feted in death as he was in life
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A boy walking home from school discovered a dead body Thursday evening in a wooded area in south Houston, according to police.

Houston Police Department homicide units headed to 12100 Murr Way, where the body was located. Police learned of the incident around 5 p.m. Thursday evening.

The body, found in a field north of Murr Way, appeared to be male and was in an advanced state of decomposition, said an HPD spokesman.

Police have not determined if there was foul play in the victim's death.

There was no further information available about the victim's identity.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A man was injured after an officer-involved shooting Thursday night in east Houston.

Two Houston police officers headed to an apartment complex in the 7600 block of East Houston Road just before 10:30 p.m., in response to a call from a woman who lived in the complex.

She said a man was coming over who may hurt himself or others.

When the officers arrived, the man was already at the complex, holding a gun. He fired at least one round into the ground. Then, he fired multiple rounds at the officers. The officers took cover. They fired shots in return to protect themselves, hitting the man.

The man was transported to Lyndon B. Johnson hospital in an unknown condition. He is expected to survive.

No other people were in the parking lot during the shooting. Neither officer was injured.

Houston police homicide and internal affairs detectives along with the Harris County District Attorney's Office are investigating.

As is standard procedure, the two officers involved will be on light duty until the investigation into the shooting is finished.

The Houston Police Department is not releasing the names of the officers at this time.
Two 18-year-olds, including a woman, are accused of killing a 56-year-old man, whose body was found earlier this month in a burning dumpster in east Houston.

Shaquan Bennett along with his female co-defendant Courtney Burks were charged Thursday with capital murder.

They are being held in the Harris County jail without bail.

The teens are suspected of killing the man, David Standley, on March 17 while robbing him.

During the apparent robbery, they are accused of stabbing Standley with a knife and striking him with a blunt object, according to court documents.

Standley's body was found around 5:45 on March 17, in a burning dumpster in the 4600 block of Market Street.

He had a welt over his right eye and a large bump on his forehead. His body was covered with a blanket and buried under a pile of trash.

At the scene, detectives with the HPD homicide division said Standley's death had likely been deliberate.

"Somebody had something against him, and they wanted him gone," detective Christopher Elder said.

The home address listed in Bennett's court records was in the same block as the dumpster.

Burks and Bennett are next scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

Tennessee officials said they won't accept a registered sex offender from their state who was arrested Thursday for burglary in Montgomery County.

Donald Casteel, 46, was arrested about 10 a.m. in Conroe and taken to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for questioning.
Browsing the fridge during a late night snack run doesn't always cut it, sometimes only the work of a professional can satisfy the midnight munchies.

Luckily, there are several Houston eateries that have no problem trekking to deliver customers their food past regular business hours.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

"When you order barbacoa tacos but get teeth instead."

This Facebook photo, and caption, is revolting thousands on Facebook, but the truth in the creepy find isn't nearly as outrageous as the knee-jerk social reaction may lead you to believe.

The Sunday tradition of barbacoa was interrupted March 19 when Facebook user Courtney Aguilar thought she found "teeth" in her taco from El Rincon Mexican Restaurant in Pflugerville.

"I asked the server if this was teeth," Aguilar's Facebook post reads. "She said 'baby teeth.'"

More than 2,000 people have reacted to Aguilar's post in the form of likes, shares and comments.

RELATED: San Antonio woman sues over flesh-eating screwworms in Popeyes rice and beans

Roger Baza, the restaurant's manager, told mySA.com the meat was purchased from Laxson, a San Antonio company.

Laxson explained in a statement to mySA that the "teeth" are actually "beef lips" and are a "USDA-inspected product for human consumption."

"We admit cow lips are not the most attractive food item and can resemble teeth," Laxson said in a statement to mySA. "Unfortunately, it made its way into this customer's dish."

The company explained the packaging process in a letter obtained by mySA.

"Occasionally some parts of the lips get mixed into the cheek meat, it is easily identified by the soft pointed nodules that is on the inside of the lip," the Laxson letter reads. "There is no equipment that I am aware of that can detect this in the cheek meat, and it is extremely rare that any of this gets mixed in with the cheeks."

RELATED: Viral Facebook photo of feathered chicken wing ends in refund from S.A. Wingstop

San Antonio Express-News food writer Mike Sutter confirmed that it's not uncommon to find the odd cow chunk in barbacoa, due to the way the meat is traditionally prepared.

"The reality is this: Barbacoa is a rough business. It starts with a whole skinned cow's head, wrapped in burlap and baling wire and buried in a smoking hole in the ground overnight," he said. "In the morning, somebody with a sledgehammer opens up that skull and the harvesting begins: all the fatty and lean soft tissue from lip to crown. Sometimes the brains, sometimes the eyes, sometimes the tongue if it's not being held out for lengua."

Sutter said sometimes "bones, teeth and cartilage" end up in the meat.

RELATED: San Antonio's Barbacoa and Big Red Festival returns for its 6th year

El Rincon addressed the situation in a Facebook post on March 20 in which the restaurant apologized and said barbacoa sales would halt until a new vendor is found.

Aguilar updated her post to say the restaurant was in touch with her and had "taken full responsibility."

Staff writer Mike Sutter contributed to this report.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
The Friendswood Police Department's Crime Victim Assistance Program will mark the 20th anniversary of Laura Smither's disappearance with a remembrance ceremony at 11 a.m. April 3 in Stevenson Park, 1100 S. Friendswood Drive. The free public event is part of this year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week, April 2-8.

Smither, 12, was abducted while jogging near her Friendswood home April 3, 1997, and found dead 17 days later near a retention pond in Pasadena.

Service station break-in

Friendswood Police Department officers investigated several burglaries last week, including a March 13 break-in at Kwik Kar, 309 W. Edgewood Drive.

A worker who arrived at 7:30 a.m. found the doors open and a window broken, police said. The suspect - described as a Hispanic male wearing blue jeans, a blue hoodie sweatshirt with a logo, a ski mask and gloves - reportedly entered through the broken window at 5:06 a.m.

BURGLARY

A purse was taken from an unlocked vehicle March 13 in the 3100 block of Autumn Leaf Drive, police said. No suspicious activity was reported on the stolen credit cards.

A pistol was stolen sometime in the past four weeks from a vehicle parked in the 400 block of Melodywood Court, according to a March 13 police report.

A Friendswood homeowner's purse and a passport holder were stolen in the 16900 block of David Glen, according to a March 15 police report. The woman told police she discovered them missing after waking up March 14 to find her front door open. She said several items had gone missing from her home during the past six months, including a wedding set, earrings, a gold chain and a watch. There was no sign of forced entry, and the homeowner said someone may be using a key to gain access to the residence.

A garage burglary was reported March 18 in the 700 block of Hidden Creek Lane. The victim was gone for about three hours. When he returned, he found his garage open and tools missing.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

A Village Square Apartments resident reported vandalism to her vehicle March 15 in the 100 block of Skyview Terrace. Letters were scratched into the vehicle's back right quarter.

Truck windows were smashed March 19 at the Enclave Apartments, 5000 Watkins Way. The incident may be linked to an assault involving a family member of the victim reported the same day in Brazoria County, police said. An ex-boyfriend of that family member is suspected in the criminal mischief, police said.

DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED

Police arrested a Clarksville, Tenn., man, 31, for DWI after he was observed speeding March 14 in the 1400 block of West Parkwood Avenue. He failed a field sobriety test and consented to a blood test, police said.

A Friendswood girl, 16,drove her vehicle into oncoming traffic, hit another motorist and kept driving March 14 in the 600 block of South Friendswood Drive, police said. An officer found the suspect vehicle disabled at Stevenson Park, 1100 S. Friendswood Drive, with two female occupants. The driver was charged with DWI and failure to stop and give information following an accident. The passenger, 15, was charged with failure to identify and minor in consumption of alcohol. Both girls were released to the custody of a guardian.

A League City woman, 55, was charged with DWI after an officer reportedly observed her driving erratically - speeding, braking and slowing for no apparent reason - March 18 in the 1100 block of West Parkwood Avenue. She failed a field sobriety test and refused a blood and a breath test.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION

Police charged a League City man, 32, with public intoxication after finding him asleep in his car in a ditch March 18 in the 100 block of West Edgewood Drive. He told police he had been drinking all day at Lucky's Pub in Houston and his wife had told him to pull over and sleep instead of driving home. He said he pulled into the parking lot of O'Reilly Auto Parts and slept for about two hours until he was awakened by strangers knocking on his window.

THEFT

Three cell phones and a 42-inch flat-screen television were stolen during a pair of teenage parties March 14 and 16 in the 3200 block of Prince George Drive, according to a March 16 police report. Three friends of an invited partygoer are suspected of the thefts, police said.

TRAFFIC

Police charged a Hitchcock man, 27, with no driver's license and no insurance after responding to a call about a man who refused to leave a residence March 13 in the 400 block of West Spreading Oaks. The officer noticed the man leaving and conducted the traffic stop in the 500 block of West Shadowbend.

A Fresno woman, 19, was charged with no driver's license, no insurance and possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop March 14 in the 1600 block of West Parkwood Avenue. An officer reportedly found a marijuana grinder, two partially smoked joints and rolling papers during a vehicle search.

Police charged a Highlands man, 18, with expired temporary registration after a traffic stop March 16 in the 500 block of East Edgewood Drive. The passenger, a Manvel woman, 21, was taken into custody for failure to identify after reportedly providing a false name and date of birth, police said.

Police charged a Friendswood man, 25, with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for speeding March 18 in the 15800 block of Blackhawk Boulevard. The officer reportedly found marijuana shake on the vehicle's floorboards, rolling papers and lighters in the center console and a vape pen containing marijuana oil during a search. She also found vape pen parts containing marijuana oil concentrate and two glass bongs in the back seat.

Self-defense course May 18-21

Women can learn realistic self-defense tactics during a four-day course at Hope Lutheran Church of Friendswood, 1804 S. Friendswood Drive.

The RAD Systems - or Rape Aggression Defense - program focuses on awareness, prevention and risk reduction and includes the basics of hands-on defense training.

Course times are 6-9:30 p.m. May 18 and May 19, 4-8 p.m. May 20 and 2-6 p.m. May 21. Attendance each day is required.

The class, $25, is open to women 12 and older. For details, contact officer Kevin Crouch, kcrouch@friendswood.com or 281-996-3316.
Three Magnolia High School band students were invited to attend the 5A Texas Music Educators Association All-State Convention at the end of January. To achieve this, the musicians competed against students from other Texas high schools in regional and area auditions. Earning a chair in the 5A All-State Symphonic Band is the highest accomplishment the MHS students could achieve.

Senior Dawn McKamee (bassoon), senior Carol Pettitjohn (flute) and sophomore Devin Stone (French horn) received their music in August, studiously perfecting their skill during band practice and private lessons in the months leading up to the regional auditions.

Advancing from the regional auditions was no easy feat, as the young women competed against other musicians in their instrument category. Within their categories, they competed against 1,104 flutists, 188 bassoonists and 655 French hornists.

McKamee, Pettijohn and Stone made the regional cut, advancing them to the area competition at which they excelled, earning two first-chair positions and a second-chair position.

With this win, they were invited to be part of the 160-member 5A All-State Symphonic Band. McKamee was one of eight bassoon chairs, Pettijohn became one of 14 flute chairs and Stone was one of 14 French horns.

Magnolia ISD Director of Fine Arts Foy Campbell said having three students from the district make it into the prestigious music group is a rewarding experience as an educator. Not to mention, this was the first time three students from the district were invited to play in the All-State music group.

"There are students that are hard workers and there are students that are naturally, musically gifted. For All-State, you have to be both," Campbell said. "All-State is really where talent meets hard work."

This achievement was particularly sweet for McKamee and Pettijohn, because it was their last chance to compete on a high school level. Additionally, they both participated in the TMEA competition in previous years, but this year was the first time they made it to the All-State level.

Magnolia High School Director of Band John Winebrenner works with the three students daily and said they are natural leaders and "truly gifted young musicians." When McKamee, Pettijohn and Stone received the sheet music in August, Winebrenner said they immediately "dove into it" and focused on the material.

"All three of them are very driven," Winebrenner said. "They're the kind of kids who are going to be successful no matter what they do in life, whether it's school or music. They're very dedicated, and all three truly enjoy playing their instruments."

Although TMEA All-State is now over, McKamee, Pettijohn and Stone aren't slowing down yet. Winebrenner said they are currently practicing for the Region 9 UIL Concert and Sight Reading and Magnolia High School band's spring show.
A Willis woman who led police on a high-speed chase into Houston Heights on Friday posted videos of the initial traffic stop on Facebook prior to her allegedly fleeing.

Jessica Latrese Chatman, 37, was eventually arrested in the parking lot of a Titlemax location on 11th Street between Shepherd and Durham in Houston. The chase began in Willis after an officer stopped Chatman around 10 a.m.

Chatman recently had a felony stalking warrant issued against her, according to Willis Police Lt. Alton Nelson. He said he has not spoken with the officer who stopped her but believed he could have stopped her because he recognized her from the warrant.

"He stopped her on traffic, and at that time she took off," Nelson said. "That's where it all started."

After she was stopped, but before she allegedly fled in her car, Chatman posted the videos on Facebook expressing frustration with the fact she was being pulled over. In the video, Chatman claims she was pulled over because her front-end license plate was sitting on her dash instead of on the car's bumper.

"Ain't nobody else pull me over for that," Chatman stated in the video. "I'm being harassed by these (expletive) cops because I'm exposing their cooked (expletive) for what the (expletive) they is."

According to ABC13, the driver called the station and spoke to the assignment desk. The assignment desk editor eventually convinced the woman to end the chase, according to anchors.

While being taken to Montgomery County to be booked in the jail, she reportedly was being combative.

Chatman has a separate conviction for stalking in 2014 and has other convictions for possession of marijuana in 2013 and trespassing in 2010.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Houstonians heading out to RodeoHouston on Friday night might be contending with some wet weather.

The Houston area is due for a bout of nasty storms as the weekend begins, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather agency said that current data is pointing to severe weather potential after noon on Friday.

HOUWX: Stay aware of Houston weather at this link at all times

The severe weather threat will be heaviest northwest of Houston, from Brenham to Cleveland, according the National Weather Service.

The region should expect rain, high winds with the possibility of a tornado and or hail. Flooding shouldn't be an issue though.

College Station and Columbus will likely get hit in the early afternoon before the weather arrives in Houston after 3 p.m. in time for rush hour.

NEVER THE SAME: Memes capture the craziness that is Texas weather

The coastal area could also see some rain later as the sun goes down.

Rain chances slide down to 20 percent on early Saturday morning as the area looks to dry out just in time for your weekend crawfish boil or other outdoor plans.
During a five-day period, U.S. authorities intercepted more than 40,000 counterfeit condoms imported from China.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's, Homeland Security Investigations and the Food and Drug Administration confiscated the items, which were not subject to the country's strict quality controls. The goods were imported int Puerto Rico.

Fake condoms, the CBP reports, do not guard against pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

"CBP works with its partners to protect consumers from imported products that threaten the health and safety of consumers." Acting Director of Field Operations for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands Vernon Foret said in a prepared statement. "Counterfeit and pirated products threaten our economic security and undermine legitimate businesses that invest significant resources into manufacturing safe, quality products."

OTHER SEIZED ITEMS: The strangest drug-smuggling tactics used in Texas & along the border

Typically, these goods are inspected for by-products and toxins that could cause health issues. In the past, cosmetics have been found to contain "cyanide, arsenic, mercury, lead, urine and rat droppings."

"The trafficking of counterfeit goods is simply illegal and in some cases, as this, it becomes a problem of public health," , the special agent in charge who oversees HSI operations throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Ricardo Mayoral, said. "This illegal activity represents a triple threat as it delivers substandard and often dangerous goods into the economy, rob citizens of good-paying jobs, and generate proceeds that are often funneled back into other criminal enterprises. HSI will continue to work with its enforcement partners to combat the distribution of counterfeit products, like those seized in San Juan this week that could put unwitting consumers at risk."
MCSO

A Conroe man behind bars Thursday after he allegedly beat and shot two dogs because one of them pooped on his floor.

Everett Bernard Fisher, 47, is facing two counts of state-jail felony cruelty to non-livestock animals for the alleged incident. Fisher was arrested Tuesday at his home in the Residence RV Park in the 13600 block of FM 1314 after the dog owner came home to find her 11-year-old poodle mix, named Puff, and her 11-year-old terrier mix, named Princess, beaten, bruised and bloody, according to Montgomery County Sheriff's Lt. Scott Spencer.
A Dallas man accused of stealing a tractor trailer full of beer is in the Harris County Jail on $10,000 bail.

Keith T. Fleming, 58, was arrested Wednesday by the Houston Police Department on a charge of stealing a truckload of beer valued at about $40,000.
A tech worker at a Houston middle school accused of impregnating a 13-year-old student has been arrested on a charge of child molestation.

Mauricio Orlando Mendoza, 37, an information technology worker, faces the possibility of life in prison after being charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Mendoza was arrested Wednesday after the girl's mother said she found illicit text messages between her daughter and Mendoza in December and reported them to administrators at Hartman Middle School.

Prosecutors said they believe Mendoza and the girl had sex in his office and the school library. The girl was tested for pregnancy, and the test was positive.

"The defendant is believed to be the father of the unborn child," said Assistant Harris County District Attorney Patrick Stayton.

Mendoza, who appeared in court in gray slacks and a gray dress shirt, is free on $50,000 bail. He did not speak in court.

Prosecutors said he is a legal immigrant from El Salvador and has been in the U.S. with his wife and children for about five years.

After hearing the allegations, state District Judge Hazel Jones confiscated his passport.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A Tennessee man accused of abducting a 15-year-old girl may have been spotted in Corpus Christi, according to police.

The Corpus Christi Police Department said in a Thursday Facebook post that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported a possible sighting of Tad Cummins, 50. The caller told authorities that they saw a Silver Nissan Rogue with Tennessee tags.

Cummins is accused of abducting 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas and has a warrant issued for for sexual contact with a minor.

ABDUCTED: Man arrested after abducted woman escapes from trunk

Corpus Christi police said officers were dispatched to the 4500 block of U.S. Highway 181 on Thursday and thoroughly checked the area. Police said they were unable to substantiate that Cummins or Thomas were in the area.

According to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation believes Cummins "may have been abusing his role as a teacher to groom this vulnerable young girl for some time in an effort to lure and potentially sexually exploit her."

Cummins was a health science teacher when he met Thomas. The case has drawn national scrutiny in part because of mysterious postings the two have put on their Instagram accounts since going missing. Thomas has changed her bio to include "wife" and it is reported Cummins searched for "teen marriage" before they disappeared.

Cummins is believed to be armed with two handguns, according to the Amber Alert release. Authorities said Cummins' license plate on his Nissan Rogue is 976ZPT.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Cummins or Thomas is asked to call 1-800-TBI-Find.
A Texas man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly raping his mentally disabled girlfriend near Waco.

Allen Diaz, 21, of Bellmead, Texas, is accused of aggravated assault of a disabled person after having sex with his 19-year-old girlfriend. The woman has a genetic disorder that inhibits her mental capacity, according to the Waco Tribune.

ARRESTED: Second former Baylor football player arrested in 2013 rape case

She was visiting Diaz in early February when the alleged assault happened. He's accused of pressuring her to have sexual relations and then having sex against her will.

"(The woman) told Allen Diaz to stop several times, and he refused to do so," an arrest affidavit obtained by the Waco Tribune reports. "Allen Diaz held (the woman) in place, refusing to let her go and continuing his sexual act against the will of (the woman)."
An animal shelter in Williamson County had 89 cats and one dog seized by police.

Local authorities received a complaint from the Texas Department of State Health Services, and soon afterwords, the cats and single dog were transferred to a regional animal shelter, according to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump met in the Oval Office Friday with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Charter Communications CEO Thomas Rutledge, whose cable communications company has pledged to invest $25 billion in its U.S. operations over the next four years and hire 20,000 American workers, including hundreds in South Texas.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now Trump's Energy Secretary, also joined in the meeting, which heralded a new call center in McAllen.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Six percent of students across the University of Texas System's eight academic schools reported being raped while enrolled at a UT institution, according to the findings of comprehensive sexual assault study released Friday.

The survey, completed by more than 28,000 students, is just one part of a four-year study in the Cultivating Learning and Safe Environments project. The project, announced in 2015, cost the UT System $1.7 million to study sexual assault across 13 of its 14 institutions around the state.

Across the eight academic institutions surveyed, 10 percent of undergraduate women reported being raped while enrolled, compared to 4 percent of male undergraduates. At health institutions, 4 percent of women and 2 percent of men reported being raped.

The survey also found that 14 percent of all students at UT's academic institutions reported experiencing sexist gender harassment by faculty and staff, and 12 percent of students reported unwanted sexual touching. The survey found that 72 percent of those who had been victimized had not disclosed the incident before taking the survey. At UT's health institutions, 77 percent did not tell anyone about the incident.

In a statement Friday, UT System Chancellor William McRaven said the study would not be the end of the system's focus on the issue.

"Fostering and sustaining safe learning environments is critically important to the state of Texas

as a whole," McRaven said. "And the research tells us that being the victim of sexual harassment or a sexual assault can be a major stumbling block along that path."

The results of the survey were released five days earlier than planned after a state Senator's comments in a committee hearing Wednesday drew attention to the number of UT Austin women who have said they've been raped. Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, mentioned the startling numbers  15 percent of undergraduate females at UT-Austin report having been raped  while discussing bills regarding campus sexual assault.

J.B. Bird, a spokesman for UT Austin, said the media attention surrounding that statistic led to the university's decision to share the full report ahead of time. UT Austin released its campus-wide data Friday morning. The UT System shared the data from 13 institutions early Friday afternoon.

"We just received the final results of this study Wednesday," Bird said. "But the minute our students were reading about it in the media, we made the decision last night to get the information out immediately."

UT Austin's survey invited 45,000 of its students to participate and received a response rate of 17.1 percent or 7,684. The study found that 15 percent of undergraduate women at UT-Austin reported that they have been raped "either through force, threat of force, incapacitation or other forms of coercion such as lies and verbal pressure." The 95-page report also showed that few women report their assault  68 percent of victims did not tell anyone prior to taking the survey.

The study also found that 28 percent of undergraduate women at UT Austin were victims of unwanted sexual touching and 12 percent experienced attempted rape.

According to a statement accompanying the release of the findings, UT-Austin President Gregory Fenves said 13 percent of graduate and professional school women said they experienced "crude sexual harassment" by a staff or faculty member, while 30 percent reported sexist gender harassment.

Most of the reported incidents of unwanted sexual contact -- 87 percent -- occurred off the UT-Austin campus, Fenves said.

Fenves described the report as "a wake up call."

"I have said throughout my presidency that sexual misconduct will not be tolerated," Fenves said. "But what this survey makes clear is that many on our campus have not had that experience. We have let them down and we need to improve  not in a year, not in a month, but right now."

Read the full report above.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.
Ridge View to keep on sharing The Galva-Holstein and Schaller-Crestland School Districts have reached a tentative agreement that will likely reflect Schaller-Crestlands consolidation to a single...

Pipeline company sought to limit required safeguards for soil Navigator CO2 Ventures wanted to reduce its obligations to sample and restore topsoil for the construction of its proposed carbon...
In addition to tax structure and regulatory environment, a states legal climate is one of the leading factors that drive business decisions. A fair and equitable legal system is essential toward ensuring swift justice and more certainty, which in turn attracts business development. But Pennsylvania has a long road toward achieving this balance.

Despite some steps forward under the Corbett administration, Pennsylvanias legal climate remains one of the worst in the nation. The American Tort Reform Association recently put the Commonwealth on a list of Judicial Hellholes, citing pro-plaintiff court systems in Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties as the catalyst behind delayed and costly cases. Additionally, the U.S. Chambers Institute for Legal Reform has also ranked our state 37th in the nation in terms of favorability, adding that this dismal standing is estimated to reduce employment by 1.53 percent. This ranking is due in large part to the court system in Philadelphia, which has one of the least fair and reasonable litigation environments in the country. These distinctions put the Commonwealth at a competitive disadvantage, which is why lawsuit abuse reform a top priority for our organization.

The Pennsylvania Chamber has long pushed for legal reforms that will bring balance to our legal climate and rein in the actions of some trial lawyers, whose constant search for their next big pay day knows virtually no bounds. We were successful in 2011, when we led the charge on the enactment of the Fair Share Act  a Joint and Several Liability Law that prevents trial lawyers from targeting deep pocket defendants, even if they were at minimal fault for any harm caused. However, that legislation was just a first step. The PA Chamber supports additional reforms that include eliminating the practice of venue shopping; requiring a certificate of merit in all professional liability actions; and preventing double dipping in asbestos claims by plaintiffs attorneys. Clearly, when it comes to the broad-based business community, we still have a long way to go to right size the Commonwealths legal environment.

To that end, our organization is proud to be a part of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform, a group that was recently formed to address imbalances in our states civil justice system. The PCCJR is working to educate Pennsylvania residents and their elected representatives about the negative effects of the imbalanced lawsuit system, while promoting commonsense policies that bring needed reform and ensure redress for those injured. At the same time, our group is committed to protecting citizens, employers and health care providers from any legislation that would only serve to benefit lawyers at the expense of jobs and access to health care.

Attracting private-sector businesses  and the jobs that come with them  requires an environment where job creators can grow and operate responsibly without fear of unfair litigation. The PA Chamber looks forward to working with the PCCJR to ensure that our legal system is fair for all and does not jeopardize business and job growth that is necessary for real economic prosperity. To learn more about our collective efforts toward a fairer and more just legal system, visit paforciviljusticereform.org.
Fundatia de Binefacere Caritas Moldova solicita oferte de pret de la companii cu privire la productia de materiale de vizibilitate
ON THE KICKER THIS WEEK, Im joined by CJRs David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Carlett Spike to discuss The Wall Street Journals scathing editorial attacking President Trumps credibility. We also cover the divide between newsrooms and editorials, and question whether readers understand the distinction.

Then, we turn to homepages, where algorithms are taking over. Finally, we welcome on Jeff Kelly Lowenstein to discuss his book The Chilean Chronicles, which explores the unprecedented eruption of memory surrounding the 40th anniversary of the coup that brought Augusto Pinochet to power.

Subscribe via iTunes  Stitcher  RSS Feed  SoundCloud

SHOW NOTES:

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
A FEW WEEKS AFTER DONALD TRUMPS decisive victory in Ohio, Chris Quinnthe president and editor of Advance Ohio, which publishes Cleveland.comrecounted his politics teams miscalculation on the news site.

I made the call early to focus on Cuyahoga County, where the size of the Democratic margin of victory decided the previous elections, wrote Quinn. As a consequence, we did not send our team to talk to people throughout the state.

Now, the rest of the state is part of the focus of Ohio Matters, a new effort by the politics team at Cleveland.com to better understand the Ohio electorate. In a January post to readers, Quinn explained the structure of Ohio Matters and shared his teams goal: to make sure that in the years ahead, we are tapped into what people throughout the state are thinking.

Looking back, we missed it, Quinn tells CJR. That really bothered us. We couldnt let it happen again.

Ohio Matters covers Cleveland and five counties, each one selected for its demographic significance. Those counties include Vinton (the least populous county in Ohio, where Trump received 70 percent of the vote) and sprawling, suburban Franklin (where 60 percent of voters cast ballots for Hillary Clinton). Theres also farm country (Seneca), the old industrial belt (Jefferson), and a wealthy defense center (Greene, home to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base). As two Cleveland.com staffers cover the Trump administrations policies and proposals, three Ohio-based reporters will examine their impact on people across the state.

Rich Exner, Cleveland.coms longtime data analysis editor, detailed for readers each place and reasons for its inclusion in Ohio Matters coverage.

Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project

I really feel like sometimes its too quick and easy to say how Ohio is going to vote, Exner says. We have multiple urban areas and rural areas. It is one of the reasons why Ohio has been a bellwether state. Its so representative of so many parts of the country as a whole. Exner tells CJR that he will track job growth and the state sales tax (a portion of which goes to the counties) in order to measure the economic impact of federal policies.

So far, the Ohio Matters team has reported on what farmers in Seneca County think about Trumps proposed changes to the Clean Water Act, how local business owners around the Wright-Patterson base responded to proposed increases in military spending, and the economic turnaround that residents of Jefferson County expect under Trump. Quinn says the team is also looking carefully at Trumps proposal to slash funding for the EPA-administered Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and the potential impact of Republican-led efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Since Quinns Ohio Matters announcement in January, the political team has lost one key member. At that time, Quinn wrote that the project would involve Henry Gomez, the states number one politics writer and the backbone of our politics team. Earlier this month, Gomez announced that he would depart Cleveland.com for a position as a national political writer for BuzzFeed News. Gomez, who starts his new job next month, will remain in Ohio but report on issues outside of the state, too. He declined to speak to CJR until he gets settled, but BuzzFeed News spokesman Matt Mittenthal says Gomez will cover Republicans across the country in the era of Trump.

Were interested in how the Republican Party and the conservative movement is changing under Trump, whether state parties are being affected by Trumpismor whether they are resisting, Mittenthal tells CJR.

To replace Gomez, Quinn says Cleveland.com will hire two additional reporters. Quinn also says there are plans to expand the sites newsletter coverage in Columbus, in particular, to produce information in a bit of the style of Mike Allen, the executive editor of Axios Media and former chief political reporter for Politico.

The news site is also partnering with Baldwin Wallace Universitys Community Research Institute (CRI) for a polling project that draws respondents from the news sites readership. A survey slated for publication at Cleveland.com by the end of March takes on issues of social acceptabilityfor instance, whether people declined to disclose in previous polls whether they supported for Trump for fear of being stigmatized for their choices.

So many of us got it wrong in the election, says Tom Sutton, CRIs director. This is the perfect opportunity to innovate. Rather than relying on telephone surveys, CRI researchers query panels of readers who agree in advance to respond to a written survey. Sutton says respondents have been fairly representative of the states demographics. We wanted to find a way to get a better, broader sample of folks and include those folks who never got a call or did get a call and didnt answer.

Richard M. Perloff, a professor of communication and political science at Cleveland State University, applauds Cleveland.coms efforts to expand its political coverage. Any kind of journalism that tries to look systematically at human beings and tries to combine social science with standards of journalism is very good, Perloff says. Its an unusual thing for a contemporary newspaper to do.

Still, Perloff adds a note of caution.

The real issueis not so much reaction to Trump, but what are these people thinking, what concerns them, what are the issues, he says. There are matters outside of Washington that have nothing to do with Trump or the federal government that are important to voters and readers. Perloff says Cleveland.com should not neglect those matters to focus on missing Trumps popularity in the statewhich Perloff calls fighting the last war.

If you are interested in these people, maybe you should figure out what the next war is so you dont lose that one, says Perloff.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Jackie Spinner is CJRs correspondent for Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. She is an associate journalism professor at Columbia College Chicago and a former staff writer for The Washington Post. Follow her on Twitter @jackiespinner.
An aging mobster who made headlines two years ago by beating charges in a legendary heist retold in the hit film Goodfellas was rearrested on Wednesday for a far less noteworthy crime  the alleged torching of a car that cut him off in traffic.

Vincent Asaro, a third generation member of the secretive Bonanno crime family, was to be arraigned later Wednesday on arson charges. Also charged in the arson and in an unrelated bank robbery was John J. Gotti, the namesake grandson of the notorious Gambino crime family boss John Dapper Don Gotti.

The defendants are charged with committing an assortment of violent crimes  arson to exact punishment for a perceived slight and robberies to unjustly enrich themselves, acting U.S. Attorney Bridget Rohde said in a statement announcing the arrests.

Asaros attorney didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Attempts to reach the attorney for the 23-year-old Gotti were unsuccessful.

In a surprise verdict in 2015, a Brooklyn jury found the 82-year-old Asaro not guilty of charges he orchestrated the Lufthansa robbery with James Jimmy the Gent Burke, the late Lucchese crime family associate that inspired Robert De Niros role in the film. At the time, the heist was called one of the largest cash thefts in American history, with gunmen looting about $5 million in untraceable U.S. currency that was being returned to the United States from Germany, along with about $1 million in jewelry, from the airlines cargo terminal.

Asaro later survived a bloodbath portrayed in Goodfellas, with De Niros character going ballistic over fellow mobsters purchases of flashy cars and furs and, fearing they would attract law enforcement attention, having them whacked. Prosecutors  relying on the testimony of turncoat mobsters who came forward decades later  claimed Asaro collected at least $500,000 from the score but had a gambling problem and squandered it away at the racetrack

Three years before his arrest in the Lufthansa case, Asaro was driving in the Howard Beach section of Queens when another motorist cut him off at a traffic light, prosecutors in the new case said. An enraged Asaro provided the home address of the driver to a Bonanno associate, who recruited Gotti and another man to douse the mans car with gasoline and torch it, the prosecutors said.

The alleged arsonists fled in a Jaguar sedan driven by Gotti that briefly led a police car on a high-speed chase before officers terminated the pursuit for safety reasons due to Gottis reckless driving, prosecutors said.

Earlier this month, Gotti was sentenced to eight years in state prison after pleading guilty to selling oxycodone pills. His grandfather died in prison in 2002.

If convicted on the federal charges, Asaro and Gotti face terms of up to 20 years.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The former head of a Massachusetts pharmacy was convicted Wednesday of racketeering and other charges over a meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people across the country and was traced to fungus-contaminated drugs.

Prosecutors said Barry Cadden, 50, ran the business in an extraordinarily dangerous way by skirting regulations on cleanliness to boost production and make more money.

Cadden, president and co-founder of the now-closed New England Compounding Center, was charged with 25 counts of second-degree murder, conspiracy and other offenses under federal racketeering law.

After five days of deliberations, the jury found Cadden wasnt responsible for the deaths and acquitted him on the murder counts. He was found guilty of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud. Sentencing was scheduled for June 21.

The 2012 outbreak of meningitis and other infections in 20 states was traced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to contaminated injections of medical steroids, given mostly to people with back pain. In addition to those killed, 700 people fell ill. Indiana, Michigan and Tennessee were hit hardest.

It was preventable, but it happened because this man, Barry Cadden, decided to put profits before patients, federal prosecutor Amanda Strachan told the jury during closing arguments in the two-month trial.

Caddens lawyers said he was not responsible for the deaths. They said Glenn Chin, a supervisory pharmacist, ran the so-called clean rooms where drugs were made. Chin has pleaded not guilty.

As horrible as each of these stories is, there is nothing that shows that Mr. Cadden did something that the government can link to the death of that person, attorney Bruce Singal told the jury.

Cadden could face a long prison term, although prosecutors would not immediately say what sentence they will seek. The racketeering charge and the 52 counts of fraud carry up to 20 years each, but federal sentencing guidelines typically call for far less than the maximum.

Prosecutors said NECC, among other things, used expired ingredients and falsified logs to make it look as if the clean rooms had been disinfected. After the outbreak, regulators found multiple potential sources of contamination, including standing water and mold and bacteria in the air and on workers gloved fingertips.

NECC filed for bankruptcy after it was hit with hundreds of lawsuits. NECC and several related companies reached a $200 million settlement with victims and their families.

In 2013, Congress increased federal oversight of compounding pharmacies, which custom-mix medications and supply them directly to hospitals and doctors.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A personal injury attorney representing dozens of survivors and victims relatives from the Orlando, Fla., nightclub massacre filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the gunmans employer and wife, claiming they could have stopped Omar Mateen before the attack but didnt.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court in South Florida on behalf of almost five dozen of the survivors and family members of those killed at Pulse nightclub last June. Forty-nine people were killed at the gay nightclub in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Dozens more were injured.

The lawsuit claims wrongful death, negligence and other counts.

Personal injury attorney Antonio Romanucci said Mateens employer, international security company G4S, knew he was mentally unstable yet allowed him to carry a gun in his job as a security guard. Mateen had a firearm license through his job, Romanucci told The Associated Press in an interview.

Mateen gave out so many warnings that someone should have reined this guy in, Romanucci said. They should have said, You are not stable. You shouldnt have a weapon.

While working as a security guard at the St. Lucie County Courthouse, Mateen was investigated by the FBI in 2013 after he told co-workers he had connections to terrorists and a mass shooter. He later told his bosses he had made that up to get his co-workers to stop teasing him about being Muslim and the FBI determined he was not a threat.

We all deserve to know why Mateens threats were met with silence, said Juan Jose Cufino Rodriguez, who now must use a wheelchair because of injuries he received in the shooting.

A spokeswoman for the security firm, Monica Lewman-Garcia, said the lawsuit is without merit and that the company intends to vigorously defend itself.

Romanucci said Mateens wife, Noor Salman, knew her husband was going to carry out the killings.

Salman currently is in jail awaiting trial. She has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of aiding and abetting, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors have said Salman accompanied her husband when he cased locations for potential terrorist attacks and knew ahead of time that he was planning the attack.

Rather than warn authorities, she kept it a secret and acted as his accomplice, Romanucci said.

Salmans defense attorney in her criminal case did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The most recent effort to hold an outside company liable for a mass shooting has failed, at least for the time being. A judge in Connecticut last fall dismissed a lawsuit brought against the manufacturer of the rifle used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, saying a federal law shields gun manufacturers from most lawsuits over criminal use of their products. The Connecticut Supreme Court, though, has agreed to hear an appeal brought by the victims families.

The advantage of suing Mateens employer, rather than the firearms manufacturer or seller, is that the victims dont have the obstacle of the federal law, said Sachin Pandya, a law professor at the University of Connecticut.

But even if the plaintiffs can show Mateens employer should have taken some precautions, you still have to show that what the employer failed to do caused the mass shooting, Pandya said.

This isnt the first lawsuit to be filed by family members or victims of the Pulse massacre. Families of three patrons killed in the nightclub sued Facebook, Google and Twitter, claiming Mateen was radicalized through propaganda found through social media.

A fund that was formed after the massacre has distributed almost $30 million to the survivors and relatives of victims.

UCLA law professor Adam Winkler said the plaintiffs must show that the security firm had a duty, failed in its duty and is responsible for what happened. With Salman, they will have to show that she was a co-conspirator or that her failure to report that her husband was dangerous led to the attack.

This will be a very challenging lawsuit, Winkler said. Victims of gun violence are looking for second-best options and that is what this is.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
It seems you can never stack the cards too far in your favor, as far as the Cumberland regions military interests are concerned.

Coming on the heels of what is expected to be a hike in federal defense spending, the Cumberland York Area Local Defense Group rolled out its study this month on the impact of local military installations, with plans to further develop the regions attractiveness as a military hub.

The study was performed over the past year by consulting firm Michael Baker Associates, sorting data and conducting hundreds of interviews with local businesses and officials.

The top-line finding is that the military presence in Cumberland and northern York counties generates roughly $1 billion in cash flow outside of the military installations gates, with over 11,000 military employees in the region as well as private sector jobs supported through military contracts.

The study was funded by the state and Cumberland County, and was spearheaded by the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation, a county-owned nonprofit.

CAEDC CEO Jonathan Bowser said earlier this year that the studys intent is to quantify what sort of boost Cumberland County gets from the military, and what sort of advantages the military has by keeping installations in Cumberland County.

We want to define exactly why this is a great region and a great area for the military to continue to be present, and also look for some new opportunities, Bowser said.

One of the major drivers to assemble such data is BRAC  the US Department of Defenses Base Realignment and Closure program, which has sought to streamline the US militarys physical footprint since the end of the Cold War.

The new study, Bowser noted, would be a tool to help the community make its case for the military to keep local installations open, given the rich benefit they receive in the Midstate, and instead look for cuts in other parts of the country.

The last round of BRAC occurred in 2005, at which time the Carlisle Barracks was listed as a possible candidate for downsizing. Rumors of another round have circulated frequently since, but are looking increasingly less likely.

The Department of Defense would have to request BRAC authorization via the Senate Armed Services Committee, to be included in the annual Defense Authorization Act which comes out of the US Senate.

This presents two possible tipping points  the fiscal need for BRAC, and the political appetite in the Senate for doing so.

Requests by the DoD to initiate BRAC since 2005 have been panned by senators on both sides of the aisle. One of the often-cited issues is the upfront cost of moving equipment out of obsolete military installations and preparing the facilities for sale to a private party.

In 2012, former New Hampshire Senator and Armed Services Committee member Kelly Ayotte blasted the DoD for underestimating costs for the 2005 round of BRAC. The cost of closures was $35 billion in 2005, $14 billion above the DoDs estimate, Ayottes office said at the time.

Further, the Trump Administration is pitching a $54 billion increase in defense spending in the next fiscal year. Even though this number may be cut down by Congress, it significantly reduces the chance of the DoD expecting long-term budget shortages that would necessitate BRAC.

Representatives for both of Pennsylvanias Senators  Bob Casey and Pat Toomey  said appetite for BRAC was unlikely to increase.

Im proud of what PA brings to the table for DoD and will work with local communities to make sure DoD does not make arbitrary cuts that would undermine those contributions, Casey said in a statement.

Even if another round of BRAC were to come, the defense study makes a strong case that the military gets more value by being the Midstate than it does elsewhere.

The major emphasis of the Baker Associates report is convenience  the I-81 corridor in the Harrisburg-Carlisle region carries a full 10 percent of the nations GDP.

There are also over 100 other Department of Defense installations within 300 miles of Carlisle, the report calculated, as well as the nations major eastern seaports at Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.

Another big selling point is the job market. While the Midstates unemployment rate is lower than the national average, indicating a tight market for labor, the total workforce is growing at a rapid pace  which means that the military should have no issue finding qualified civilian workers if they offer competitive-paying positions.

Since the recession, the Harrisburg-Carlisle metro statistical area has added over 23,000 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
03.23.17 Photo of Kent State University President Beverly Warren and Xi'an International Studies University President Wang Junzhe.jpg

Kent State University President Beverly Warren stands with Xi'An International Studies University President Wang Junzhe after signing a partnership agreement between the two universities.

(Bob Christy)

AKRON, Ohio -- A delegation from Xi'An International Studies University (XISU) in China, led by President Wang Junzhe, recently met with members of the Kent State University faculty and staff to sign a partnership agreement between the two universities.

XISU, located in the historically significant city of Xi'An, provides an important strategic partnership for Kent State. Through the partnership, XISU students will be welcomed to Kent State, and Xi'An International Studies University will become the newest education-abroad destination for Kent State students. At XISU, Kent State students will receive instruction in Chinese language, literature and culture while living and traveling in one of the most culturally important cities in China.

The delegation from Xi'An International Studies University arrived in Kent March 6. Sarah Malcolm, director of international partnerships and marketing and communications in the Office of Global Education at Kent State, met the group for a tour of University Library. The delegation joined Kent State President Beverly Warren in the University Library's Urban Conference Room, where the signing ceremony took place. A traditional exchange of gifts between the two parties followed the signing.

In addition to Junzhe, the delegation from XISU included Huang Libo, associate dean of the School of English Studies; Chenguang Pang, associate dean of the School of Chinese Language; Fan Hua, deputy director of international cooperation and exchange and Na Hong, deputy secretary-general of the Alumni Association.

Warren was joined by several faculty and staff members from Kent State University at Stark, including Dean Denise Seachrist, Associate Dean Aloysius Kasturiarachi and Associate Professor of Communication Studies Bei Cai, who is an alumna of Xi'An International Studies University. She recently returned to her position at Kent State Stark after a fall semester sabbatical at XISU, where her work led to a deeper collaboration between the two universities.

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Todd Diacon and Associate Provost Marcello Fantoni also attended the ceremony, along with a small audience of Kent State faculty and staff. Translation between the two parties was provided by Color Kang, an international admissions counselor in the Office of Global Education.

"A successful partnership is all about a good 'match,'" Cai said in a news release. "Both universities have strong degree programs in humanities and liberal arts, and both universities are mutually interested and committed to making the partnership a success. Our two universities have a lot to offer to each other."

Malcolm, who oversaw the foundation of the partnership, said in a news release, "The partnership with Xi'An International Studies University is an excellent example of how the connections and collaborations among faculty can blossom into a comprehensive partnership. We are pleased to see this partnership include strong faculty connections and quality student education-abroad experiences."
Beachwood Place sign.jpeg

One person was injured Thursday night in a shooting in a parking lot at Beachwood Place mall, reports say.

(Laura Johnston, cleveland.com)

BEACHWOOD, Ohio - One person was injured Thursday evening in a shooting outside Beachwood Place mall, reports say.

The shooting happened about 7 p.m. in a parking lot at the mall, newsnet5.com reports. Beachwood police Chief Gary Haba, who was at the shooting scene, told Fox 8 that there is one victim, and no suspects have been identified.

Few additional details about the shooting were immediately available. Cleveland.com is working to learn more.

This post will be updated if more information about the shooting is released Thursday night.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
Criminal damaging, West Street-Race Street-Crossbrook Drive: Windows in four houses - two on West and one on both Race and Crossbrook - were broken or cracked between March 17 and early March 19.

A BB gun was used to break at least three of the windows. In one of the homes on West, the victim was watching television at about 8:30 p.m. March 17 when she heard two objects hit her living-room window. She found two BB's on the windowsill.

The second victim on West called police March 19 about a broken window in her house. She wasn't sure when the window was broken.

On Race, the victim heard noises in front of his home at about 8:45 p.m. March 18, then noticed three holes in his front window. Police found BB's in the windowsill.

The victim on Crossbrook called police at about 9 p.m. March 18 after hearing objects hit his front window. He believed a BB gun was used but police didn't find the BB's.

Breaking & entering, Front Street: An unwanted lodger occupied a guest suite earlier this month in Talibrook Apartments, 478 Front.

On March 13, apartment staff found that someone had showered and used all the toiletries in the suite. Also, packets of ramen noodles and a burnt candle had been left on the floor.

The apartment manager investigated and learned that the suite "had not been properly secured" prior to March 13, so staff made sure the suite was completely locked.

Then, on March 20, staff noticed that a screen in the guest apartment had been broken and the door pried open. More ramen noodle packets were on the floor, and someone had used apartment towels in lieu of toilet paper. Police said they would patrol the area.

Burglary, Crescent Drive: More than $1,000 in paper money and rolled coins and nickels were stolen late March 19 or early March 20 from a house.

The victim woke up the morning of March 20 and felt a draft in the house. He noticed that cupboards - where he had stored money related to his vending machine business - were open, and the money was gone.

The victim told police he had locked his front door before going to bed March 19. Police found a crank window open in the rear of the house. Muddy footprints had been left near the cupboards.

Failure to stop after accident-operating a vehicle under the influence, Pulaski Street: A Berea man, 31, was arrested March 17 after the Honda Civic he was driving rear-ended a Ford on Pulaski at High Street.

The victim said he was driving on eastbound Pulaski at about 10:30 p.m. He pulled over to park on the right side of the road, just short of High Street. The victim checked his rear-view mirror and saw the Civic coast into the rear end of his car. The Civic's driver had his head down, as if he were asleep, before the collision.

The victim and his girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat, stepped out of their car and told the man he should not be driving. The man became angry and backed up his car, nearly hitting the victim's girlfriend. Then the man drove forward, almost hitting the victim, and sped away.

The victim recognized the man and told police he lived on Sprague Road. Police went to the man's apartment building and saw the Honda Civic, which had a damaged front bumper and bent license-plate bracket. The man walked out of the building and said to police, "I assume you guys are here for me." He tossed a BB handgun into the snow, saying he carried the weapon because someone was following him.

Criminal damaging, Front Street: Someone smashed the side mirror and dented the roof of an Acura TL parked outside Hamilton House apartments, 375 Front Street. The damage was reported at about 4 p.m. March 17. Police found dirt and debris on the car's trunk and roof, indicating that someone had climbed on top of the car.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Prospect Street: A Berea woman, 46, was arrested at about 3 a.m. March 18 after police saw her Ford Focus almost hit a curb and travel left of center on Prospect near Crosby Street.

The woman told police she was trying to turn on her fog lights and access her Bluetooth, which caused her to drive erratically. She said was looking for a place to eat because she had "the munchies."

Police smelled marijuana in her car. She tried to hide hypodermic needles with heroin residue in her hand. Officers found a bottle of wine in her trunk. The woman later admitted using heroin and swallowing sleeping pills.

Theft, East Grand Street: A TV and Epson projector were stolen between March 13-18 from a vehicle parked in a lot outside Baldwin Wallace University's Carmel Hall. The victim believed he had locked the vehicle but there were no signs of a break-in.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, West Bagley Road: A Columbia Station man, 48, was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. March 11 after police saw his Jeep Grand Cherokee drift out if its lane and travel straight through a left-turn lane on West Bagley. At first the man told police he had not consumed any alcoholic beverages. Then he admitted drinking one beer and a glass of wine with dinner the previous evening.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, North Rocky River Drive: A Lorain man, 37, was arrested at about 11:55 p.m. March 10 after police saw his Chrysler Pacifica weaving on North Rocky River near Emerson Drive. The man also nearly stopped at a green light. The man told police he had consumed two beers.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Front Street: A Brunswick man, 32, was arrested at about 1 a.m. March 17 after police saw his Jeep Wrangler weave, jerk and drift left of center on Front near Fifth Avenue. The man smelled of alcohol but when asked if he had been drinking, he said, "No, not at all." Police later found beer in the Jeep.

To comment on this story, please visit Thursday's crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two months after regulators busted Equifax and TransUnion for misrepresenting credit scores they sell to consumers, Experian is now in trouble too.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered Experian to pay a civil penalty of $3 million and ordered Experian and its subsidiaries to stop lying about the credit scores they peddle to consumers.

For years, Experian has been "deceiving consumers," the CFPB said, by falsely claiming the credit scores it markets and sells to consumers are the same ones used by banks and other creditors to making lending decisions.

"In fact, lenders did not use Experian's scores to make those decisions," the CFPB said.

When a bank is considering approving you for a loan or credit card, it checks your credit score through one or more of the three credit bureaus. The bank generally receives your FICO score, using a formula developed by Fair Isaac Corp.

But Experian developed its own credit scoring model, called the PLUS Score, the CFPB said. Experian misrepresented to consumers that their PLUS Score is the same one used by lenders.

"In fact, lenders did not use the scores Experian sold to consumers," the CFPB said. "In some instances, there were significant differences between the PLUS Scores that Experian provided to consumers and the various credit scores lenders actually use. As a result, Experian's credit scores in these instances presented an inaccurate picture of how lenders assessed consumer creditworthiness."

This action comes two months after the CFPB cracked down on TransUnion and Equifax, saying these two credit bureaus also lied to consumers about the credit scores they paid for in years past.

Consumers by law are entitled to free copies of their credit reports, but if they want their credit score too, they must pay, typically around $8 for each bureau they ask for their credit score. It can be a good idea for consumers to learn their credit score, but it can be detrimental if they think they know their credit score but their true credit score is something significantly different.

For starters, FICO scores have a range of 300 to 850. Experian's PLUS scores have a range of 330 to 830. Even more importantly, the formula used to generate the scores is vastly different by placing emphasis on different factors than banks actually care about.

From at least 2012 through 2014, the CFPB said, Experian violated the Dodd-Frank Act by deceiving consumers about the credit scores it sold to them.

Consumer advocates applauded the move.

"This is the latest step among several that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recently taken to protect consumers from abuse by credit reporting agencies; the CFPB is on a roll," National Consumer Law Center staff attorney Chi Chi Wu said in a statement. "American consumers are so much the better off for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's efforts to clean up the credit reporting industry."

At the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Ed Mierzwinski, said: "Again, the CFPB has held a powerful wrongdoer accountable.. . Experian adds insult to injury when first fails to keep your credit report accurate, and then deceptively markets you a second-rate credit score."

"Director Richard Cordray and the CFPB have proven once again that they are the consumer's champion and dismantling or weakening this vital agency would be a disaster for America," said Mierzwinski, U.S. PIRG's consumer program director.

Experian has been ordered to:

Pay $3 million into the CFPB's civil penalty fund.

Tell the truth about the credit scores it sells to consumers, and not lie to people by telling them they're the same scores used by lenders.

Adopt a "compliance management system" to make sure its advertising practices comply with the law and with the CFPB's order.

Clean up its compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which requires the bureaus to provide a free credit report once a year and to use a central source online to provide consumers with access to their credit reports or a way to request them. But when consumers went to

Experian pushed back against the findings. "While we do not believe our practices violated the law and did not admit to any of the allegations," spokesman Greg Young said in a statement, "in the interest of moving our business forward and staying focused on delivering an exceptional product and service experience to our clients and consumers, Experian has accepted the consent order.

"The consent order addresses past products and marketing disclosures and does not reflect current marketing practices," he said. "Experian will execute all actions directed by the CFPB; except for limited changes, our current marketing practices are already compliant with the order."

Young added that, since December 2014, Experian has allowed consumers the ability to obtain their FICO credit scores, which are used by lenders, and no longer is "developing new offers" based on the PLUS Score.

In January, the CFPB aid TransUnion and Equifax also misrepresented that the scores consumers purchased would help them evaluate their own credit standing. In reality, the credit scoring models used by Equifax and TransUnion in these cases aren't even used by banks and other creditors.

Equifax and TransUnion were ordered to pay $17.6 million in restitution to consumers and fines of $5.5 million to the CFPB.

The companies were also criticized by the CFPB for luring people into signing up monthly credit-monitoring or related products that were misrepresented.
28cGONDOR

Randy Resh, left, and Bob Gondor, two Portage County men who were cleared in a killing after 16 years in prison, admire a Rembrandt painting given by a friend at a welcome home party in Mantua Township in April 2007.

(Plain Dealer file photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The state of Ohio has agreed to pay nearly $3 million to two Northeast Ohio men who spent 16 years in prison for the killing of a woman in which neither was involved.

The state will pay Robert Gondor, 53, and Randy Resh, 53, about $1.45 million each. The settlement comes after a judge found at trial that the two men had been wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.

The settlement, filed in the Ohio Court of Claims, was approved March 6. Court News Ohio, a site maintained by the Ohio courts system, announced it Thursday via an article on its website.

Both men were convicted in Portage County in 1990 for the 1988 slaying of Connie Nardi, whose body was found strangled to death in a pond in Troy Township in Geauga County. Both men were freed on bond in 2007 after the Ohio Supreme Court ordered new criminal trials based on claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.

Resh, who was convicted of murder and attempted rape in 1990, was found not guilty at a new trial in 2007. Prosecutors then dropped the case against Gondor, who was convicted in 1990 of involuntary manslaughter, kidnapping and obstructing justice.

A third suspect, Troy Busta, is serving 15 years to life in prison for Nardi's death. He pleaded guilty to a murder charge and agreed to testify against Gondor and Resh, who investigators said at the time were also involved, in exchange for prosecutors not seeking the death penalty. His next parole hearing is set for May.

Both men received partial settlements of more than $420,000 in 2015. The new settlement is in addition to that payment.

Mark Marein and Steven Bradley, attorneys for Gondor and Resh, will receive about $1.1 million in fees as part of the settlement.

Marein said Wednesday that his clients are doing "remarkably OK" after spending large portions of their lives in prison.

He said being in prison for 16 years "for something you didn't do is a devastating proposition, but remarkably they're doing as well as you can expect."

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
stevejames_byaaronwickenden_0.jpeg

Steve James, director of the award-winning 1994 film "Hoops Dreams" and many other acclaimed documentaries, comes to the 41st Cleveland International Film Festival as the recipient of the Director's Spotlight Award.

(Aaron Wickenden/Kartemquin Films)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Steve James is best known for one of his first films, 1994's "Hoop Dreams." It won every major critics association award, landed on almost every Top 10 list, and picked up a Peabody Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.

In 2005, it was selected for the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress, cementing its status as one of the most acclaimed and influential documentaries ever made.

Since "Hoop Dreams" came out, James has made many more highly regarded documentaries and documentary series, including "Stevie," "The New Americans," "At the Death House Door," "The Interrupters" and "Life Itself," as well as the 1997 feature film "Prefontaine," two television movies and several short documentaries.

Yet, as he once said, "If I go to a film festival, maybe there are some people who know me on sight and come up to say hi, but it's not like I'm Errol Morris. If he shows up to a film festival, he's mobbed."

The devotees of the 41st Cleveland International Film Festival will undoubtedly give James a more rousing reception when he comes here Friday and Saturday, March 31 and April 1, to screen his latest film, along with three older ones, and receive the Director's Spotlight Award. The award, given to directors with distinguished careers, has gone to only seven other people since CIFF launched it in 2003.

"I love the Cleveland festival," James said not long ago during a phone conversation from his home in Oak Park, Illinois. The feeling is mutual: James, now 62, has a long history here, with appearances in 2003 for "Stevie," in 2010 with "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson," and in 2011 with "The Interrupters."

This year, he comes with his new documentary, "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," which tells the story of Abacus Federal Savings Bank. Unlike the big investment banks - whose leaders were never criminally prosecuted because their banks were "too big to fail," and they were thus "too big to jail" - the relatively tiny Abacus became the only financial institution to be prosecuted for mortgage fraud following the subprime crisis and economic meltdown of 2008.

James focuses on the bank's founder, Thomas Sung, and his adult daughters, who now run the bank. Sung, a dignified lawyer and immigrant born in Shanghai, opened the bank in 1984 to serve his fellow Chinese immigrants, offering staff who spoke their language and access to credit that many in New York's Chinatown could not find anywhere else.

When the bankers themselves discovered that one of their loan officers was taking bribes from customers and falsifying documents, they reported the fraud and worked to fix the problem. Even so, the district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., decided to prosecute them for fraud.

Like "The Big Short," "Abacus" manages to make intricate financial dealings both understandable and gripping, and sometimes even funny.

James was not allowed to shoot footage during the trial, but with the help of sketches by a courtroom artist, and lots of time around dinner and conference tables with Sung and his daughters, he makes you care about the outcome - and feel outrage once again about the 2008 crisis and the bankers who got away without penalty.

James said he was in the middle of working on another project - more on that later - when Mark Mitten, an executive producer on James' Roger Ebert documentary, "Life Itself," told him about the Sung family and the trial.

"We were in the middle of this other project and completely crazed - we were ramping up big-time - and I told Mark I would go to New York for three or four days of shooting. I said, 'If I feel like I have to do this and I'm swept up in it, then I'll continue. If not, I'll give you the footage we shot.' "

Then he met the Sungs and got their story. "As soon as I did, I was like, 'Yep, I'm in.' "

The project he was in the middle of was "America to Me," a miniseries for television that follows a year in Oak Park and River Forest High School, a diverse and highly rated public school not unlike Shaker Heights High School. James brought on three other filmmakers to make the series, and had the four crews shooting for an entire school year. He's now in the process of editing it.

"I've lived in Oak Park forever, and my kids went to the high school," James said. "I always thought I'd want to do this, because it can tell the story of race and education for young people in America today."

Unlike the inner-city documentaries "Hoop Dreams" and "The Interrupters" (which looked at former gang members who try to steer young people away from that life), this film takes place in a suburb of Chicago.

"It allows us to look at issues of education and race in a different context," James said. "This is a liberal, diverse community with a well-funded school system," making the thorny issue of racial disparities in academic achievement complicated.

"It's an interesting challenge," he said. "These are not stories of kids living in abject poverty. But high school is when issues of identity really start to emerge for kids, in particular kids of color.

"By default, race is more present in their lives than it is for white kids, with all the social forces of expectations of what kids will do and won't do."

It fits with what James considers a signature of his career. "I tend to tell stories about people who are disenfranchised in some way, and are at crossroads in their lives, which is often an emotional time."

Catching people at that moment isn't always easy. "The currency in documentary film is access," James said. "The primary job is getting people to say yes. It's a relentless responsibility; I'm constantly trying to convince people to say yes."

At the same time, he's learned to be cautious about people who say yes too enthusiastically.

"It's almost universally true that the people who want to be interviewed are not nearly as interesting as the people who don't want to be interviewed. The people who don't think they have a story that anybody would be interested in, when they're finally given an opportunity and encouraged to speak out, are often the most thoughtful."

The subjects need to be all in with having James and his small crew in their lives for months at a time. "I've developed antennae about people who I think will go with this and be in it for the long haul," he said.

"The other part of connecting with them is humor. You don't want people to feel that this is some heavy responsibility; you want them to feel like it's enjoyable, that you're a fun person to be around."

James wishes wider audiences would feel the same way about his films. He regularly partners with Kartemquin Films, a Chicago nonprofit that supports independent films on social justice issues.

But those who have seen them already know that his films, while about such serious subjects as prison executions or gang violence, are not grim slogs into deeply depressing lives. Nor are they "good-for-you" homework assignments.

"I'm dealing with very serious topics," James said. "But most of the films I've done have a lot of humor in them."

IF YOU GO

Steve James will be on hand for the following 41st Cleveland International Film Festival screenings of his films at Tower City Cinemas.

"Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"

6:10 p.m. Friday, March 31

11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 1

"At the Death House Door"

1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1

"Hoop Dreams"

8:30 p.m. Friday, March 31

"Life Itself"

3:40 p.m. Saturday, April 1
Cleveland police car.png

A man was shot dead Friday morning on Cleveland's West Side.

(cleveland.com file photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 38-year-old man was arrested Friday in connection with the fatal shooting of a man found dead outside a car in the city's Kamm's Corners neighborhood, police reports say.

The Cleveland man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder and obstructing justice, according to city jail records and police reports. He is being held in the jail until prosecutors determine what charges to file against him.

The man has not yet been formally charged, and Cleveland.com does not generally name uncharged suspects in crimes.

Joseph Timko, 35, of Cleveland, was killed in the shooting, according to police reports and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner.

The shooting happened about 1 a.m. Friday at a home in the 7200 block of Lawn Avenue, just south of Madison Avenue in the city's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, police said.

Timko wasn't found until about 20 minutes later. His girlfriend called 911 and told police they were outside a white 1997 Chevrolet Lumina in front of Timko's home in the 4100 block of Rocky River Drive, in Kamm's Corners.

Timko was on the ground with a gunshot wound to his neck. He was unconscious with blood coming from his mouth and nose, police reports say.

The woman gave CPR to Timko until an ambulance arrived. Cleveland EMS workers gave him medical treatment and took him to Fairview Hospital, where he died, police reports say.

Police have not said what led up to the shooting.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
Cleveland police car

Cleveland police are investigating after a 35-year-old man was shot to death on Friday.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 35-year-old man was shot to death early Friday in Cleveland's Kamm's Corners neighborhood, police said.

The shooting happened about 1:20 a.m. Friday in the 4100 block of Rocky River Drive, between Sedalia and Valley View avenues.

The man suffered a gunshot wound to the neck. Paramedics took him to Fairview Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

No arrests have been made and police are still investigating what led to the shooting.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner will release the man's name once his family is notified.

The slaying is the city's 27th homicide of 2017. There were 21 homicides at this time last year, according to city records.

UPDATE: A man was arrested in connection with the shooting, police say.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
wayneforestsign.jpeg

Combined with the initial auction of national forest land in Southeast Ohio last December, oil and gas companies have laid claim to more than 1,840 acres at a cost of nearly $6.9 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's web site.

(Photo courtesy of EcoWatch.com)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oil and gas companies bid about $5.2 million Thursday for leases to explore and potentially drill in 1,180 acres of land in the Wayne National Forest.

Combined with the initial auction of national forest land in Southeast Ohio last December, oil and gas companies have laid claim to more than 1,840 acres at a cost of nearly $6.9 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's web site.

Up to 40,000 acres of national forest land could eventually become available for oil and gas drilling, the majority of which is expected to be accomplished via hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking. The next auction is tentatively scheduled for June 22.

The Wayne National Forest is a patchwork of land divided into three main sections located across 12 Ohio counties near the cities of Athens, Marietta and Ironton.

All of the acreage leased to date is in Monroe County, near Marietta, which is believed to contain the richest concentration of fossil fuels in the state.

"We knew this sale was going to be at least $2 million, but it more than doubled our conservative projections, and that's great news for taxpayers and private mineral owners in Monroe County," said Jackie Stewart, a representative from the industry-financed newsletter, Energy In Depth Ohio.

Stewart noted that the federal government does not own the majority of mineral rights in the forest; 59 percent are privately owned, she said.

"Up until recently, those private mineral owners were being held hostage of seeing their minerals developed," she said.

The controversial auction of leases to drill in the national forest has sparked outrage in the rural, low-income area of the Appalachian foothills, however. More than 100,000 people signed a petition to block the auction. Another 52 people wrote letters of protest to the Bureau of Land Management expressing fears that fracking operations would pollute the park's groundwater and natural habitat.

"It is unconscionable that the BLM and U.S. Forest Service are considering leasing away 40,000 acres, that is a sixth of our already small and abused forest," wrote Melissa Wales of Athens. "My friends and family love to camp, cook out, hunt, hike and ATV in the forest."

"There is plenty of private land being used for fracking and injection wells - Enough," wrote Barb and John Kidd of the Ohio River township of Reno.

All of the protests were "resolved," said Elena Fink, deputy state director of the BLM, and the auction went on as planned.

In an op-ed piece published in the Columbus Dispatch today, Tony Scardina, supervisor of the Wayne National Forest, said his primary concern is to ensure that appropriate environmental protections are in place, and that any development meets or exceeds standards for natural resource conservation, and protection of public health and safety.

Scardina's job, however, also requires him to foster and encourage domestic energy production on federal lands to help create local jobs and reduce the nation's dependence on foreign energy.

Since the Wayne National Forest was established in 1934, the Forest Service has "worked diligently to restore healthy forests, clean water, fish and wildlife populations" in concert with more than 1,200 active oil wells in the forest, he said.

"I am confident in our ability to manage multiple uses in the national forest, including oil and gas development," Scardina wrote.
2016 state of poverty map.png

Geography of Ohio poverty in 2015.

(Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- More than 90,000 Ohioans are responsible for caring for grandchildren, and about 22 percent of the state's residents live in poverty.

Meanwhile, at least 12 Ohio colleges and universities have opened food pantries for students.

And a single parent with two children must work 109 hours a week in a minimum-wage job to reach self-sufficiency.

Those are among the findings in a new report from organizations battling poverty on the front lines. The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies annual State of Poverty report examines census data and other research to paint a picture of poverty in the Buckeye State.

In 2015, 1.6 million Ohioans -- 14.8 percent -- lived at or below the federal poverty line. That's $24,036 a year for a family of four.

But the actual income a family needs to be self-sufficient without government or private assistance is at least 46 percent more than that line, said Philip Cole, the association's executive director.

The report

The 2016 report highlights grandparent caregivers, who are likely on fixed incomes, and recent efforts addressing hunger on college campuses. Among grandparent caregivers, 42 percent have no parent present and many don't have legal custody or receive kinship care funding.

For that reason, Cole said, it's difficult to determine how assuming responsibility for grandchildren has affected their economic situation.

Cole said the growing number of Ohio college campuses offering food banks shows public universities are no longer affordable to many Ohioans. A national study released last year found 22 percent of students experience very low food security, lacking reliable access to affordable and nutritious food.

"Our anecdotal evidence says that most of these students, probably a majority who use the pantries, are nontraditional students, older and often with children," Cole said at a Thursday news conference.

Cole said one school -- Owens Community College in Northwest Ohio -- has opened its pantry to employees.

Nearly one in three Ohioans dipped below the poverty line for at least two consecutive months from 2009 to 2011, according to the report. About 3.5 percent of Ohioans were in poverty during that entire time.

The solutions

Cole said solutions to fixing poverty haven't changed: creating well-paying jobs, improving education, increasing affordable housing and investing in transportation.

But unlike previous years, Cole isn't as optimistic the situation will improve. He's concerned about several parts of President Donald's Trump's budget proposal, such as eliminating home efficiency programs that help lower utility bills, and plans to instate work requirements for Medicaid.

"There is always an effort to punish the poor," Cole said. "There is always the belief that they are not deserving. Why is it that some elected officials find it so important that we add to the struggles of the poor?"

Mobile readers, click here to read the report.
Anna Drallios was there in protest as a first-generation immigrant and American citizen.

A native of Greece, the Middlesex Township woman questioned how state Rep. Stephen Bloom (R-199) can claim to be a defender of the Bill of Rights and yet support legislation she believes violates Fourth Amendment protections against illegal searches and seizures.

They want to punish communities if they provide sanctuary to the undocumented, said Drallios during an interview before a town hall meeting held at the Dickinson Township Building Thursday night for residents in the 199th District.

They are creating this us-vs.-them mentality so they can demonize immigrants, Drallios said. Something to scapegoat. ... That is unethical. That is immoral.

Drallios asked Bloom about bills that defund communities and college campuses of state money if they do not cooperate with federal immigration officials. She said the bills force municipalities to violate the Fourth Amendment by detaining people without a warrant or risk losing state funding.

Im an immigrant, Drallios said. I know what it is like to work 80 hours a week to support your family. She said immigrants are not here as criminals or terrorists, but work hard and contribute to the community.

Bloom said he supports legal immigration. He cited his own family history that included maternal great-grandparents who came to America from Hungary and a paternal grandfather who was born in Argentina of Polish descent.

That grandfather came to the U.S. via New York where he worked and studied hard to become an attorney despite having barely any English skills, Bloom said. That example served as inspiration for his career choice.

As Bloom understands it, bills like Senate Bill 10 cut off funding to those communities and colleges that forbid their police from reporting to federal authorities the immigration status of people they arrest. Bloom said he is on the fence and will not commit to the bill yet.

The purpose is to discourage them from setting up these sanctuary cities and campuses, said Bloom, adding the bills do not violate the Fourth Amendment because the affected people are already in police custody and are here illegally.

To me, its a matter of making sure the system is fair to everyone, Bloom said. Im a defender of the rule of law. He said the issue of fairness extends to those immigrants who are here legally.

Funding

About a third of the questions posed to Bloom Thursday involved his stance on immigration. Two of the three people interviewed before the town hall meeting were concerned about his views on defunding sanctuary communities or campuses.

Karen Wronski of Dickinson Township is a speech therapist with the Capital Area Immediate Unit. Though worried about state funding of public education, her main reason for being there was Blooms support for legislation to defund colleges that provide immigrant students sanctuary on campus.

Its bullying, Wronski said. Why would we bully higher-level universities and scholars?

Carlisle attorney Mackenzie Clark based his question to Bloom on Galarza v. Szalczyk, an immigrants rights case argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

In May 2014, the Third Circuit ruled that states and municipalities are not required to imprison people based on detainers issued by Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents, according to information posted on the American Civil Liberties Union website at www.aclu.org.

The ruling states that any municipality could be liable for a civil law suit as a result of such detainers, Clark said. He said that because of this case, many Pennsylvania communities are becoming sanctuaries.

Clark asked Bloom how the legislation he supports is going to protect communities from the potential liability that goes with being forced to cooperate with immigration officials.

Why should our communities spend their local tax dollars? Clark asked.

I dont know the case as well as you do, Bloom said in response. I have not studied it.

To me, it is more important that we encourage law enforcement at all levels to cooperate with each other, Bloom said.

He said he would be in favor of adding language to bills that protect municipalities from being held liable for their cooperation with the federal government.

Ag impact

Kim Stone of Boiling Springs was concerned about the impact the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants may have on agriculture in Pennsylvania.

Adams County stands to lose up to $100 million if farmers cannot employ undocumented workers, Stone said.

She said some of these workers have children who were born on American soil, automatically making them U.S. citizens, yet the state bills, as she interprets them, would separate children from parents and put them into foster care. It is not Christian.  It is not right, Stone told Bloom.

Stone also said there is no influx of regular community people knocking on the doors of area farmers to take on the hard labor of picking the apple harvest. Contrary to what some believe, farm laborers are not milking the system because they are paying taxes and are ineligible for Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps, Stone said.

She asked Bloom if state lawmakers could improve access to work visas and make it easier for undocumented immigrants to find a pathway to citizenship.

Bloom acknowledged the importance of immigrant labor in Pennsylvania agriculture, but said it needs to be done legally. At a recent meeting of the Cumberland County Farm Bureau, Bloom spoke to farmers who were concerned about immigration policy, but made it clear that they verify the documents of each worker before hiring them.
Paul Ryan

House Speaker Paul Ryan Thursday after speaking to the media following a Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill. Ryan had to declare defeat Friday on his and President Trump's efforts to get their Obamacare repeal plan through the House. The editorial board calls it a victory for Republicans like Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio who stood up to Trump on Trumpcare's potentially devastating impact on the states, rural residents and the working poor.

(Alex Brandon, Associated Press)

The dramatic collapse today of efforts by House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump to force House Republicans to pass Ryan's jury-rigged repeal of Obamacare was a victory not just for common sense but also for those Republicans who stood up to Trump.

Among them: Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, who, along with several other Republican senators, sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier this month outlining the plan's likely harm to the millions of Americans covered by Medicaid expansion, in Ohio and other states -- and to the states themselves.

Ryan's ill-considered repeal-replacement plan would likely have left hundreds of thousands of Ohioans without health care and threatened the stability and viability of many of the state's rural hospitals, some of them the biggest employers in their communities.

The ripple health and economic effects if as many as a third of Ohio's rural hospitals closed would have been huge -- including, ironically, in the heavily rural 4th Congressional District represented by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a member of the House Freedom Caucus. Jordan's insistence on full repeal of Obamacare helped kill Trumpcare.

About our editorials

Editorials express the view of the

of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.

* Talk about the topic of this editorial in the comments below.

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions or comments about the editorial board to Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director for cleveland.com.

Jordan's rigid animus to Obamacare, however, long has been known.

Shame on U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth, a GOP candidate for Ohio governor who touts his bipartisan initiatives, for supporting Trumpcare, even while acknowledging its imperfections.

Those imperfections were substantial.

The Congressional Budget Office reported that Paul Ryan's Plan B -- offered in a failed attempt to attract a big chunk of Freedom Caucus votes -- would still have left 24 million Americans uninsured, as did Ryan's original proposal. The CBO reported that Plan B would prune the federal deficit by $150 billion over eight years. That's less than half of the $337 billion Ryan's first plan might have produced.

Renacci has one thing right, though -- "the process has been horrible," he told CNN today, before the bill was pulled.

The process was horrible. Legislation was drafted hastily, pushed through quickly without needed deliberation or consideration of consequences, and in reckless disregard of the impact on the states, on hospitals and on poorer working Americans.

And Plan Ryan, even if it had passed the House, faced even more formidable challenges in the Senate, where the harsh impact on states and, specifically, on whether states would have had to absorb punishing levels of Medicaid funding, necessarily loomed larger.

Here, Portman's early pushback made a difference, too, in signaling that deep concerns about the flaws of Trumpcare also extended to conservative Republicans.

President Trump suggested -- as the Obamacare repeal-replacement plan began to sink under the weight of its own deficiencies this week -- that, if it failed, he would just move on to other things. Ryan said Friday that Obamacare remains, for now. Yet behind the scenes, the president already has been wielding his executive power to defeat and roll back many Obamacare provisions. Ultimately, what comes next -- and how much of Obamacare may stay -- remains an open question.

Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Notification Settings (in blue) just below.
John Kasich basketball

John Kasich, seen here practicing his jump shot during a campaign stop in New Hampshire last year, is hot on LeBron James' tail on a new list compiled by Fortune.

(Charles Krupa, Associated Press)

Ohio, home of great leaders: It's hard to beat LeBron James. (Just ask Steph Curry.) But Gov. John Kasich is right on his heels. Fortune released its list of the World's Greatest Leaders, and the King is in the 11th spot. Kasich is 12th. Still quite an accomplishment, especially when you consider the governor came in ahead of Chief Justice John Roberts, former Vice President Joe Biden and fed chief Janet Yellen, to name a few people Fortune cited as making a difference in the world.

Fortune described Kasich, a former GOP rival and a critic of President Donald Trump, as "the leader of a politically consequential state" and said he "commands a key platform." Fortune cited Kasich's recent work rallying governors behind the effort to preserve the Medicaid expansion that was part of the Affordable Care Act, noting that the governor met personally with Trump to make the case. Cleveland.com's Peter Krouse has more.

Booooooo: Fortune selected Theo Epstein, whose Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in last year's World Series, as number one on its list.

GOP delays AHCA vote: House Republican leadership on Thursday postponed a planned vote on the healthcare legislation championed by Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump. The move came hours after a group of conservatives, led by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, of Urbana, "rebuffed an appeal from President Donald Trump to support the measure championed by the White House and House Speaker Paul Ryan," write the Columbus Dispatch's Jessica Wehrman and Jack Torry.

He's here all week:

Tweeted by Youngstown-area Rep. Tim Ryan: "Weird they didn't seem to have this much trouble on the other 65+ repeal votes.

"

Another Ryan tweet: "Art of the deal?"

The times they are a-changin': After more than 100 years at the top, U.S. Census estimates say Cuyahoga County no longer is Ohio's most populous county, cleveland.com's Rich Exner writes.

Franklin County gained an estimated 14,249 residents last year, placing it at 1,264,518, while Cuyahoga lost an estimated 5,673, dropping it to 1,249,352. As recently as 2000, Cuyahoga had an estimated 350,000 more people than Franklin County.

The new numbers also show Cuyahoga County between 2010 and 2016 lost the second most people -- 30,770 -- of any U.S. county. It trails only Wayne County (Detroit), which lost about 71,200.

The view from downstate: "Franklin County has moved into the top spot as Ohio's most-populous county, putting an exclamation point on the growth of Columbus contrasted with the decades-long collapse of the Cleveland manufacturing economy that once dominated the state," writes the Columbus Dispatch's Bill Bush.

Not discouraged: State Rep. Nickie Antonio of Lakewood is trying again to pass a bill that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Ohioans from housing and employment discrimination, reports cleveland.com's Jackie Borchardt.

The Democrat, who is Ohio's first openly gay legislator, hopes that the Republican-controlled legislature, which has declined for years to consider such a bill, might act this time. Why?

"Antonio is encouraged that the General Assembly didn't pass any anti-LGBT bills last session and paused action on the Ohio Pastor Protection Act, which opponents said would codify discrimination," Borchardt writes. "Antonio said that's a sign Republicans are willing to talk about the issue."

"At least one does. Gov. John Kasich said Thursday he wants to learn more about the legislation."

CLE mayoral race update: City Councilman Jeff Johnson is the first candidate to file petitions to run for mayor, writes cleveland.com's Robert Higgs.

Johnson submitted 8,300 signatures to the county Board of Elections. Three-thousand valid signatures are required. Mayor Frank Jackson hasn't filed yet, but has said he will run for re-election. Restauranteur Brandon Chrostowski and former East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer are among those who also have said they will run.

The mayoral primary is in September. The top two vote-getters then will advance to the general election in November.

CLE city council update: "Fifteen of 17 members of Cleveland City Council are circulating nominating petitions to get their names on the ballot for re-election," Higgs reports. And more than 30 other potential candidates are circulating petitions. Higgs gives a ward-by-ward breakdown.

Droning on at the Statehouse: A new bill would restrict the way police could use drones, reports Jo Ingles of Ohio Public Radio. The sponsors are an unusual pair.

"Democratic Senator Mike Skindell says he's sponsoring the bill because he wants to make sure police agencies don't use drones to unfairly gather evidence against suspects," Ingles reports. "Republican Senator Kris Jordan, who doesn't agree with Skindell on much, agrees this legislation is needed."

"We still deserve the right to privacy that our founders intended for us to have when they wrote out the bill of rights protecting our civil liberties," Ingles quotes Jordan as saying.

At least they weren't caught chewing gum in class: Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted said Wednesday a private meeting between two Lucas County Board of Elections members to discuss a deal over the board's director appointment, and an apparent exchange of text messages between GOP board members and the Republican chairman in the audience of a board meeting, were 'troubling,'" writes the Toledo Blade's Tom Troy.

Husted, who called the texting "infantile," has demanded copies of all text messages exchanged by board members James Hartley and Bruce Saferin and Jon Stainbrook, the Lucas County GOP chairman.

Get Battleground Briefing, our FREE politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox: Sign up here. Tips or links? Send here. Follow along on Twitter: @andrewjtobias
Astras third launch also successful one

Published: January 1, 2013

India achieved a third consecutive success in the launch of anti-aircraft air-to-air Astra missile, which was fired from a static launcher on the ground at Chandipur, Odisha. Astra destroyed Lakshya, a pilotless target aircraft, successfully.

Future plans:

After three more ground-to-air launches in 2013, Astra will be fired from aircraft such as Sukhoi-30 MI, MiG-29 and the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas. It can be launched from different altitudes and the distance at which it can kill an enemy aircraft depends on the altitude from which it is fired.

To know more about Astra, follow the links:

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2013

Topics: Current Affairs 2013  January 2013  Odisha

Latest E-Books
BOAO, China  China's ambitious plan to revive its ancient Silk Road through its much-touted One Belt, One Road initiative goes beyond vision and political rhetoric; it is already becoming a reality, a resources executive said Thursday.

"Reality in the business world means there is money spent and money invested," said Eurasian Resources Group CEO Benedikt Sobotka at a media interview at the Boao Forum in the Chinese province of Hainan.

The privately-held Kazakh-founded company headquartered in Luxembourg is the successor to Kazakhstan's largest miner ENRC that was mired by allegations of corruption in 2014.

Since then, Eurasian Resources Group has embarked on a turnaround and has already inked several agreements with Chinese partners in the last two years as part of the new Silk Road initiative worth billions of dollars that looks poised to position the company as a strategic supplier of niche commodities to the world's second largest economy. These include projects in Kazakhstan, Brazil and Africa.

It is developing cobalt production in Africa with Chinese partners and will, by 2018, be the largest supplier of the blue metal to the East Asian giant, said Sobotka. The material will be crucial in the batteries of electric cars that the Chinese government is promoting to build leadership in clean energy driving.

Chrome used in steel-making is another of the niche commodities that China needs to import for all of its needs.

One Belt, One Road makes a difference to global development, said Sobotka.

"Without Chinese financing, we wouldn't be building the size of the plant we are building and China wouldn't be receiving these strategic raw materials," he said of the African cobalt project.
Following is the transcript of a CNBC interview with Charles Chao, Sina Corp. The interview was broadcast on CNBC on 24 March 2017.



All references must be sourced to a "CNBC Interview".

Interviewed by Eunice Yoon, Beijing Bureau Chief, CNBC.

Eunice Yoon: So you're a Chinese domestic player and at the same time you're listed in the United States and there's been some talk that a possible trade war between the U.S. and China could influence the share prices of Chinese companies that are listed in the U.S. more broadly. Are you worried?

Charles Chao: Well I think in general, everybody worried about that. I mean, nobody wants a trade war between the biggest and the second largest economy of the world because nobody benefits right? And so, everybody try to avoid that.

I don't think it's going to happen. It's still going to be a lot of talks but I think eventually, people will realize it's better for two countries to sit down and talk and work together. It's good for these two countries and also good for the entire world, I think.

So, to answer your question, we're worried but I don't think it's going to have too much direct impact on us. And because our company and our internet business, our business is not too much impacted by the trade. It's really, more the, you know, growth in the domestic market will impact us I think. And also, our invest base actually become more diversified over the years. So now we have the institutional investors from the U.S., and also, a lot actually from Asia, from China. And so the investor base become more diversified so I think the impact on us on share price, probably limited, I think.

EY: So you don't see any real vulnerabilities then, for Sina, when it comes to the possibility of a trade war between the U.S. and China.

CC: (Laughs) If you talk indirectly, everybody will be affected but directly, not too much I think. Yeah.

EY: What do you think the best possible outcome would be for a meeting between President Trump and President Xi?

CC: Well I think it's a good first step, in my opinion. And they have the opportunity to get to know each other and establish dialogue and maybe their personal relationship between these two leaders. And that I think, actually, will help to, actually, at least dissolve some of the misunderstandings and actually they can find some common grounds to work with. I'm sure there will be a lot of common grounds. I mean, I think these two countries, if they work together, can be good for the world. But if they fight each other, nobody benefits and in a lot of areas, actually, China and the U.S. are very complimentary to each other. And I think it only makes sense for them to work together and I hope they can reach that conclusion. Yeah.

EY: Sina is often described as China's version of Twitter. At the same time, you guys are very different companies and more recently we've seen that your active monthly users are up dramatically. Also, profits are doing well. Revenues also higher. So what are you doing differently in China versus what Twitter is doing?

CC: Well I think in broad base, I mean, you're right. Actually not Sina, more our subsidiary called Weibo, is sometimes called, you know, China's Twitter. But as you said, it's a very different product. I mean, and we're probably more close to Twitter plus Instagram and plus YouTube. And that tells you the difference and in those areas we have been working on, like multimedia you know.

If you look at Instagram, right, Youtube, what kind of multimedia, special video, is really driving the growth of the usage and the user base growth for our company. Especially last year, and if you look at the entire 2016 really the company is growing very fast and in terms of users, and revenue and profits. The user base growth and usage, video is playing a very vital role here because the usage of video consumption by the users had grown almost 10 times in 2016 versus 2015. Of course, 2015 is a much smaller base but we expect video usage will continue grow very, very quickly in 2017 in both show video and live broadcasting.

So actually, I think that's one of the area. And also, we have been very focused on get into the lower-tier cities in China because if you look at China as a population, say 700 million internet users. But the first-tier, second-tier, of course these are our major you know, market for the user base before. But if you look at third-tier, fourth-tier cities and even fifth-tier cities, there are a lot of potential we still can penetrate and expand the user base. So those areas we will also be very focused upon in terms of the growth and so there'll be multiple areas.

First will be the content area become more video-driven, which is the trend around the world not just China, right? And also, in terms of geographic locations, and market we want to be more into the low-tier cities in China and acquire more users.

EY: Well as you push into these low-tier cities, smaller cities, not everybody there has as much disposable income as say, in Beijing or Shanghai. So, how do you make money off of the live-streaming and the short videos?

CC: Well I think that for us, I mean, you know our company like, in a way, is like a media platform. A social media platform. But if you provide a free service, you get your revenue from advertising, right? So it doesn't matter what your users are, is it from the first-tier cities, second-tier cities, third-tier cities. You have different kinds of targeting in terms of advertising to different user base. And not only we have the targeting different user base, but also in terms of different forms of advertising.

Now we have video, we have social, we have mobile. And so this is, these are categories, actually grow the fastest and online, you know, the advertising categories. That explains why, I mean, we are growing very nicely. Like, last year, if you see one of our strategic investors, Alibaba side, our organic growth in revenue advertising was up like, over 100 percent.

EY: What kind of ads are the most lucrative?

CC: (Laughs) It's much more diversified in a way. You know, like most of these mobile, social companies, we generate most advertising from our information feed. These areas actually, people spend most of their time on our social platform and so we have advertising, I mean, in different kind of forms, even in video form. I mean, to target different kinds of audience base.

EY: How much time are they spending on feed?

CC: Well that depends, and because the difference is that we have a main feed we call information feed based on social relationship like Twitter. I mean, you follow somebody, you get content. And we're also starting a discovery area session that allows people to actually get recommended content from us and those are the most trendy topics, content also maybe interest-base kind of information feed.

And those areas actually growing very fast. So it's a combination of social feed and interest based feed for us, so we have two feeds for people to consume their time here and that actually greatly increase our inventory kind of, you know, for advertising and also allows us to add more inventory for advertising. And so, put in more users, more usage and more inventory for advertising, and also with more usage we have more data to actually allow us to have more targeted advertising.

So, today we're not only serving the so-called key accounts, which are mainly the branded advertisers. But also, one of the greatest, I mean the fastest growing area for us is SMEs. Yeah, so the small and the medium-sized enterprises and also a lot of the internet, we call influencer doing a lot of advertising and promotion for themselves to make themselves much more influential on our social site.

EY: So SMEs are going to you? Or are you advertising to SMEs to come on to the site?

CC: No actually we establish ourselves channels around the country so we serve these SMEs mainly in areas like e-commerce, areas of like, mobile apps. And also, in areas of online to offline business, so called 'O2O' business. And those are three big categories for SMEs and that area is actually growing very fast.

EY: In the U.S., companies like Facebook and Google are also trying to grab as many digital advertising dollars as they can. At the same time, they're being criticized for not doing enough to vet the information on their site, in terms of fake news or rumors, so how are you dealing with that challenge here?

CC: Well I think this is a topic we are very familiar with and actually in China in the early days, you know, Weibo has been in this market for more than seven years now. And in early days, a lot of rumors, a lot of so called, fake information, fake content, fake news on the social platform Weibo and we believe we have to deal with from the very beginning and because, you know, what the new media has changed, in terms of the entire industry, how people publish their information, how they distribute information, now everybody no entry barrier anymore right.

Used to be that traditional media you have people like you, and editors, and people in the traditional media who have vet the information to make sure their accurate, reliable, so on and so forth. But in the new media space, everyone can publish and with Twitter and Weibo.

Everybody not only can publish their information, but can also distribute their information through their relationship right. You can retweet, you can repost, and distribute very quickly on a social platform. So it is a problem, I always believed that there should be an order on social media. Of course, over the period, social media have its function to correct itself in terms of rumor or filter information by itself. I mean, but a lot of times when the correction is done, damage is already done. So I always believe there should be some regulation rules or game rules to keep good order on social platform.

EY: Well, so was there anything that you had to do in China that you felt was different from, say, the United States because of the way the media market here has been evolving and young it was when you were entering?

CC: Definitely, I think the media market is also our experience in work in this area for a long time in terms of new media and also, with the China condition and we are super conscious about how to deal with, you know, the fake news. How to keep good order on social platform.

And so, whatever you heard recently, like, what people started to do and all these social problems become aware that we have to vet information all these we have been doing this for many years, actually. For example, in the very early days, I mean five to six years ago, we start to mark this fake news, fake information on the post itself if we found something.

First we have a mechanism to attack the fake news or to verify information in news and content if it's significant. So, we have volunteers on our site who actually volunteer to check if a news event is reported and also, we work with the local media companies. Local newspaper, local TV stations, to get their help and to verify their local news if something was to happen in their location. And we also have our own system rating, I mean we have our own staff people who will follow this news or content where it is significant, for example, a large volume of retweets and that means it's a significant event then we will try to verify ourselves. I mean, to make sure this is the accurate information.

So we have been doing that, actually, very early on and we also have these kinds of mechanisms ready. For example, if we find it's fake news, fake content we will actually highlight that on the original tweet post. Every time. And then there's a button next to it, if you click the button you will read detail, why this is not correct and what is the correct information, these type of things. So that particular post will go with the retweet and the reposting when it's actually distributed, on the social platforms itself.

I remember five years ago we also establish this system in China that, this is the first time any social company have done that is to, the so called self-regulation rules. And that's the protocol for everybody using our site is basically, I mean, we actually establish credit system for each account, each person who want to publish information. If you keep doing the fake news, fake content, your credit rating will come down. And so we have a systematic system to track that so if you don't have a credit rating, if the credit rating is going down below certain point, your content can be eliminated. So actually, through all these mechanisms, we want to make sure to establish more credibility on social media platform and have the mechanism to correct any fake news if we detect that.

And I think over the years it's getting much better, and also government is becoming much more conscious about, clarify a lot of information. For example, in early days, like, if a news event happens, if a social disaster or a natural disaster happens or maybe, an explosion in a factory or car accident that killed many people, whatever. I mean, usually, you do not see here, in the government voice, very early on. So it takes a while for them to, "Okay so this is what really happened, right?" I think over the years the government become much more conscious about get the actual news, the accurate information, to the public, at the very early on. So, if you look at official accounts, websites on government agencies, especially from these, we call, 'Gong An', like police. We have almost like, 10,000 police accounts, official accounts on Weibo itself. Actually, they will publish whatever is, you know, the first minute, the real information to clarify a lot of information or news. So that the public can receive the first hand, the news or accurate information they can.

And a lot of time the rumors travel because you don't have source saying, this is, the official source saying this is the correct, this is not correct. That's why a lot of the rumors flying on social platform. But now actually the government is doing a much better job in terms of publishing first hand accurate news information. That actually makes the platform much better.

EY: But what do you make of the concern that the clampdown of rumors in China, is a way to silence dissent?

CC: Well I think you have to - I mean this is quite a misunderstanding, because a lot of the rumors have nothing to do with political issues. I mean, or any you know government related issues. Purely because it is a fad issue or sometimes, I give you, an example.

In the early days, a lot of people wanted to attract followers on their accounts. They tend to publish a lot of fake information, or exaggerate a lot of things to attract eyeballs to make them influential. Actually you call these actually they're publishing a lot of fake content. So I mean you have to, deal with these people, because they spread rumors for their own sake, sometimes without any social responsibilities.

And in China, I feel that problem is more so, than we have in other countries. And we have to deal with that issue. Most of these issues have nothing to do with political issues at all.

EY: Why do you think in China, you and others in your position were more aware of the idea that there could be fake news and rumors than say in the U.S. because it was only just recently that the idea of fake news has really come up as an issue?

CC: I think because of the views of U.S. counterparts they don't believe you should manage social platforms. Because users can manage their social presence themselves, I mean the fake news can be corrected by the system. I mean, in China, I think we have more experience dealing with the issues and I think we're also more aware that this could be a problem if we don't deal with that. For example.

EY: Do you think it's also because it's a young media market?

CC: It's young, I think it's also in China there's a lot of times, you have a lot of people have a very different behavior online and so they have to say a lot of things online without taking responsibility.

I think part of it is the lack of, I think, legal system to deal with issues I mean, offline actually. In the U.S. there is a lot of existing laws to deal with your behavior when you publish something, when you attack something verbally. Or you attack somebody or spread rumors, there could be consequences legally. But in China, the process is not that mature for legal system. So we had to have in some way to get the system ready.

I mean, it's not a government legal system, but it's really a system where the platform can adopt to deal with the issues. Otherwise just think about it, you can't attack each other with rumors, and you can spread rumor about a person, about the company then it's going to be a disaster if you don't have a system to deal with that. It could be a disaster; nobody would want to use your platform anymore.

EY: So maybe, another step is to strengthen the enforcement and the laws?

CC: Yes, actually it's getting much better. In China, now there's a lot of legal cases to deal with these issues. If you spread a rumor about a company or a person, you may have the legal consequences. You can go to court or sue somebody. And the court will rule with a lot of penalties. So it's actually getting much better.

EY: We're also seeing China just supporting a lot of entrepreneurship here, really encourage startups. What are the pros and cons of being a startup in China?

CC: Well I never thought of that questions, pros and cons in China versus other countries. But in general, China is a much larger market. If you're successful in one area, you could be successful because the market is so big. And so that's part of the reason there's a lot of established companies, very successful, starting from very small companies. And in the internet space for example it's either US companies versus China companies in the entire world.

If you look at the big companies, established companies. Part of it because China market is very big and also, in early days there's a lot of startup companies because all the VC industry has been very concentrated in this area. And so you got a lot of VC funding from this particular market. And then the VC funding and the entire committee expand to other categories.

So right now, it's part of the government initiative that they want to transform China's economy from manufacturing based to more innovation based and then service based industry. So that encourage people to have more innovation kind of activities and so they encourage people to have startup companies, to have all these great ideas, different kinds of things.

Part of it, to solve employment problem. Part of it, it's a good environment they want to encourage. I mean to have this startup culture going on. And I think over the years there's been a lot of successful companies in this area. But I think there's a.. that's the pros part. But the cons, I think a lot of times people have too much expectations on startup companies and that's my observation. Because they only look at the very successful companies. This is Tencent, Alibaba, Sina Weibo, we all started from very small startup companies. But people understand there's only very, very few successful companies in each category.

EY: In the US, this is part of the culture, right? That everyone knows you could fail, but here maybe not.

CC: Yeah I think so. A lot of the times people set unreasonable expectations about startup companies. That's actually a problem for a lot of Chinese entrepreneurs. Because a lot of times you just start with something you get experience, and most time you will fail. You learn from the experience, and you move on and you will do better next time. In other careers, or startup companies.

But that actually, the expectations now I think is getting better in terms of the market and becoming more mature. Used to be a big problem I mean at least that's my observation.

But I think this trend parallels very well with Chinese economy, the training, and for example, one of the areas we have observed and that's one of our driving force for usage and revenues is the so called internet influencer. That group actually they started to everybody started to actually manage or tried to work on social media to make themselves more influential. They are called internet influencer right? It's the same term in the U.S. I think. And so they want to make more sales, more famous, more influential on Internet. So that they can start their own business or sell personalized product or service so on and so forth. It could be social e-commerce, live broadcasting, could be a host, could be somebody who just selling their ideas and whatever. There's a large group of this people who's growing on social platforms. That's the driving force for a lot of new initiatives and a lot of opportunities for us that you have the demand for, promotion demand for advertising, organically in the social platform.

We help the people to become more influential, and once they become more influential, they have the ability to do business internet. And when they do successful business on the internet, they will generate additional demand for promotion and advertising. So that part of the ecosystem is growing and growing very nicely on our social platform, and I think that actually could be very important driving force for our business going forward because if you look at it, this is really the vision we have here is in some way is that Weibo is a social ecosystem.

So people create content, consume content, in the process people create content become more famous. And they will benefit from that ecosystem, I mean by getting more followers or building their social platform to do something else. That if you cope with the trend for social commerce and like you said startup company innovation, actually internet empowers people to allow people to do business, personalized service, and product business, just by individual or small group of people.

So we want to empower this people to do business, and first for them to be more influential right. And then do business on our website and then in a way, start their personalized business going forward. And that's the kind of ecosystem we want to push here. And over the process we believe that we can build a very strong ecosystem and with that ecosystem we are going to have more revenues and growth on the whole platform I think.

EY: How easy is it for entrepreneurs to be innovative in China?

CC: Well I think it depends. In general, I think we learn from other people's experiences as well and we can be innovative and adapt a lot of product and technology and the usage to local market. China market is very different from other markets in terms of scale and user behavior. So they are a different level of innovation of course in terms of original product and technology.

And China still has some way to go, but it's much better now. If you look at internet products, especially in mobile internet, China is much better than the U.S. And if you look at application level, especially in mobile internet, China has much more demand.

EY: What do you mean?

CC: Just think about the usage itself, and how convenient it is if you take your mobile phones and you can get around in Beijing and anywhere if you want to shop, have dinner at a restaurant, if you want to go to a movie. It all can be solved by a mobile phone, you don't have to take any cash or credit cards.

And that problem, you cannot get that kind of service in the U.S. right? Application level in many ways China has much more demand and much more convenient partly because of scale, partly because of mobile payment is very convenient in China. So this is the foundation for a lot of mobile internet monetization.

EY: Are there things you could do in China as a startup that would be much harder if you were say in the U.S. say regulation wise or if you're dreaming of an idea and want to make it into a reality. What are the advantages of this environment vs. say the U.S.?

CC: I don't see much of difference to be honest with you. I mean, I think part of it probably the difference is the protection of the IP. And copyrights, IP and so on so forth.

That is a major difference before that, if you innovate something if you create IP or copyrights, you're well protected in the U.S. But if in China, early days there's no good protection in terms of legal systems enforcement of legal rulings, so on so forth. And there's no penalty to deter people from not doing that. And I think that was the major problem for a lot of Chinese companies who want to invest in the areas of technology or innovations because whatever you come up with someone, a big guy will take it. And duplicate that in their big platform database, and they can prevail very quickly and they can win the market very quickly.

But now actually it's getting much better and I think China is doing much better in terms of protecting. Still lagging behind, I wish that we can do much better but compared to five years ago, six years, 10 years ago, it is much better and so then it's all the environment you're talking about, it's improving, but of course it's not the same in the U.S. But, it's improving I think, that will drive a lot of innovation or the funding and investment in a lot of the innovative industries.

EY: It's so interesting that the markets see regulations differently, like you said, in China there is desire for more regulation or more enforcement regulation and at the same time in the U.S. they've been talking about how it's important... deregulation is needed in order to try to allow the innovative juices to flow.

CC: I think a lot of the times, the term, what is a regulation, sometimes people literally and when they explain this term or understand what this term means, people who actually get less freedom and less market economy. When you say regulation in China a lot of areas have too much regulation but a lot areas actually in terms of legal system establishment, legal enforcement is not quite there. So in that sense, for example, we just mentioned the fake news and rumors attacking people and spreading rumors about companies and a lot of people doing that before. So if you don't have a legal system to punish there will be a disaster in society. So in that sense you need a more established legal system to deal with these issues.

Same with IP protection. If you violate IP, first nobody deal with it, secondly if you go to court after like one year, two years after the legal process you win like 10,000 USD for the penalty that means nothing. That would not deter any guy from breaking or infringe your IP.

So the legal system has to change to cope with the development of the industry and especially when you say innovation, you need that legal protection system. I think for U.S. the innovation industry, the entire industry I would say is a whole package. You have the legal system, lawyers, accountants, you have all these people working with very sophisticated systems so if you miss one piece then it's not quite there for innovation, I mean for innovative companies to grow.

EY: But I wonder, at least in the Chinese market, one of the ways it could be unique, is that some areas it isn't very regulated and may be that is a benefit for some startup companies.

CC: Yes yes.

EY: It could lead to more experimentation?

CC: If you are in the right place at the right time, yes. Some areas like if you have more established rules and regulations then it would not increase these.. because innovation is especially the new industry. You are always in a grey area. Because it really is something.

If you innovate something for new usage, a new business model, it's not something that's quite there before and it's always using existing interest for example in system. So if you don't have very tight regulation, these gray areas can be used by startup companies to grow fast, because there are no clear rules here. But if you have more established rules like the U.S. in some areas actually have more trouble. But in China it's less trouble for certain industries and that's exactly right and so in ultra area, for example in early days a lot of video sites, they're doing a lot of things.

It's not clearly violating laws but in U.S., clearly some regulation cannot do this but in China it's not quite there and these people are growing very fast. China has become more sophisticated in this area and I think these two systems are getting closer.

EY: What would you say to the critics who say China is a very controlled environment, in terms of media or innovation or politically that it won't ever get to the point that it could be a truly innovative entrepreneurial culture?

CC: I think that's an exaggeration. Only certain areas, of course you will see more innovations, in a more free environment but on the other hand, China have made a lot of progress in a lot of areas and is not very sophisticated.

The internet industry is very sophisticated and everybody connects online and if you look at infrastructure market is so big and in that sense whatever you do it's easier to get results, get monetization which in turn can help the successful company to invest more money in innovation areas.

So I think there is no one single factor, that this is because of this, China could be less competitive in this area. But I think a lot of times, it's more factors. There is one question that is important here is that China's economy is always growing very fast even at a much lower reduced speed, it's still the highest growth in the world right now and so given that kind of scale and economic growth they will support a lot of new innovations and new companies to grow and there is no question about that.
Constituents react after U.S. Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ 7) responded to questions during a town hall event at the Edward Nash Theater on the campus of Raritan Valley Community College on February 25, 2017 in Branchburg, New Jersey. Protesters have been showing up in large numbers to congressional town hall meetings across the nation.

Republican lawmakers are caught between a rock and a hard place: A White House that wants a health care win, and constituents who don't want changes to their health care.

That debate is on fully display as House Republicans get closer to a vote on the legislation.

Rep. Ted Yoho told CNBC on Thursday that of the 1,800 calls from voters he's received in the last 48 hours, only about 30 were in favor of the GOP plan. The Florida Republican said he will vote "no" on the bill, because it doesn't fully repeal Obamacare.

A Quinnipiac University poll revealed that just 17 percent of voters support the bill and that 46 percent say they will be less likely to vote for their U.S. senator or congressman if they vote for the GOP replacement plan.

The vote was originally scheduled for Thursday evening, but was postponed after GOP leaders failed to rally enough support to pass the bill.

Demonstrators have turned up at their representatives' town halls to air their concerns about a number of issues, including the GOP's American Health Care Act.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Meadows, R-NC, said that the GOP would need "another 30 to 40 votes" for the measure. Meadows said he would need to see evidence that "this bill reduces premiums significantly enough" before they are willing to back the plan.

 CNBC's Dan Mangan contributed reporting.
And the national story is an attainable one, according to Cramer. With only 522 stores, Five Below has room to expand in California, a big state for retail, and has been agile in avoiding being cannibalized by other discount chains.

"First, Five Below has a well defined regional-to-national growth story with a 20/20 plan for 20 percent sales growth and 20 percent net income growth, a plan it beat in 2016 and hopes to continue beating until, well, 2020," Cramer said.

While the " Mad Money " host doesn't put the teen-targeting discount retailer, which reported earnings Wednesday, in the same league as Home Depot or TJX , he believes it has a "terrific long term story" for several reasons.

It's no secret retailers are struggling, which is why Jim Cramer thinks the market jumped on Five Below's 1 percent same store sales growth, pushing the stock up over 10 percent on Thursday.

Cramer also hailed the company's "perfect balance sheet" and crafty pay structure for rent on their stores, done through a one year payback on each $300,000 location.

"'We are a desired tenant,' as they mentioned on the [earnings] call, which brings vibrancy and traffic, two qualities many a mall lacks these days," Cramer said.

Five Below has also been smart about using tactics that work at its best stores and implementing them at underperforming and newer locations, a strategy Cramer believes will benefit the 100 stores the company plans to add in 2017.

The "Mad Money" host also applauded Five Below's ability to reach younger generations.

"They advertise disproportionately on social media, tout their mobile phone reach and have a heavy presence on YouTube," Cramer said. "Suffice it to say they know more than we do about what kids want."

That "fun and experiential" spirit is what helps the discount chain pull in shoppers even as the rest of its sector fails to do so, and what made its 1 percent growth shine in a low-bar environment, Cramer argued.

And if you are worried about the risk of a potential border tax, the company even has a solution for that.

"Even here there's a glimmer of hope, as management believes there would be a low-dollar exemption for imports," Cramer said. "If that's the case, then Five Below will become one of the go-to names for retail in 2017."

Questions for Cramer?

Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC

Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up!

Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Vine



Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com
Miners of the Escondida copper mine, on strike, block a road outside of Escondida, some 145 km northeast of Antofagasta, Chile, on March 8, 2017.

The strike at Chile's Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, is ending after workers decided to invoke a rarely used legal provision that allows them to extend their old contract, the union said on Thursday.

Hours earlier, talks between the two sides failed, and Escondida, which is operated by BHP Billiton , said it would attempt to restart production. The workers said they would present their decision to the government on Friday and return to work on Saturday.

A swift restart of Escondida, which produced about 5 percent of the world's copper last year, may bring some relief to the Chilean economy after a strike that has lasted 43 days.

But there was little immediate effect on copper prices, with industry experts saying the two sides will still have to tackle major issues in 18 months, when talks must resume.

The stoppage by the union's 2,500 workers began on Feb. 9 after initial talks with the company to set new wage and benefit contracts failed. Negotiations take place when the former contract expires, typically every three to four years.

The legal provision, Article 369, allows workers to revert to their previous contract for 18 months, after which both sides must try to reach a new agreement. The company is legally obligated to comply.
Facebook might be able to learn a thing or two about fighting "fake news" from Chinese social media giant Sina .

The company's CEO, Charles Chao, spoke with CNBC this week about his battle against the spread of inaccurate information, and sought to dash allegations that his platform is really acting to stifle political dissent.

"Whatever you heard recently, like what Facebook started to do, and all these social problems, [people became aware] that they need to vet information: All these, we have been doing this for many years actually," Chao said.

Chao explained that his site began marking posts deemed to be "fake news, fake information" at least five years ago. That process includes volunteers on Sina's platforms and relationships with local news outlets to help verify whether posts are accurate, he said.

Meanwhile, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has found himself defending his website's evolving policy against fake information. Earlier this month, he addressed claims that his company profits from such posts, calling them "crap."

"We are also victims of this and we do not want it on our service," Zuckerberg said at the time. "We don't want any of it."

Asked why his company began explicitly addressing post veracity years ahead of its American peers, Chao attributed it to U.S. tech firms' undue faith in the free market of ideas.
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes plans to give out shares of her personal stake in the company to investors who promise not to sue the company, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.



Investors in Theranos' latest funding rounds could get about two additional shares for each one they bought, according to the Journal, which cited unnamed people familiar with the matter. Investors likely paid $15 to $17 a share, but with the additional shares, the effective cost would now be lowered to about $5, the sources told the Journal.

Holmes would give up her majority stake in the start-up as part of the deal, which could potentially affect early shareholders such as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Walmart's founding family, and media titan Rupert Murdoch, the Journal reported.

Neither Theranos nor the organizations affiliated with named investors were immediately available for comment.

Though Theranos raked in more than $600 million in its latest funding rounds, it now has about $150 million or less in cash, excluding debt, a source told the Journal.

Theranos was founded by Holmes to realize the dream of testing blood by the drop, not the vial. But earlier reporting by the Journal called into question the efficacy of the blood tests, prompting investigations and sanctions from regulators.

Theranos has since promised to be more transparent about its technology.

For more on the story, see the article at WSJ.com.
Current Affairs Today - Current Affairs - 2021 | Current Affairs - 2022

GKTodays Current Affairs Today Section provides latest and Best Daily Current Affairs 2021-2022 for UPSC, IAS/PCS, Banking, IBPS, SSC, Railway, UPPSC, RPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, TNPSC, MPSC, KPSC and other competition exams.      !

On November 1, 2022, the SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to send US military satellites into space. ContentsWhat is Falcon Heavy rocket?When was the maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket conducted?The 2022 launch What is Falcon Heavy rocket? Falcon Heavy is a partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: International / World Current Affairs  Science & Technology Current Affairs

Topics: SpaceX  SpaceX Falcon Heavy  SpaceX Starship

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently unveiled the logo for the Goa Purple Fest, which is set to be held in January 2023. ContentsWhat is Goa Purple Fest?Why purple was chosen for this event? What is Goa Purple Fest? Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity will be organized from January 6 to 8 next year in Panaji. ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: Events Current Affairs

Topics: Goa  Goa Government  Panaji  Persons with Disabilities

Permacrisis is Collins Dictionarys Word of the Year for 2022. What is the meaning of permacrisis? Permacrisis, which became Britains word of the year for 2022, is a term that describes the extended period of instability and insecurity. It became a commonly used word in Britain, reflecting the instability caused by Brexit, COVID-19 pandemic, extreme ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: International / World Current Affairs

Topics: UK Political crisis  United Kingdom  Word of the year

1. Which Municipal bond of India has been selected by the US Treasury for a case study on successful listing? [A] Pune[B] Indore[C] Vadodara[D] Lucknow Show Answer Correct Answer: C [Vadodara] Notes:The US Embassy and Treasury selected the municipal bond issued by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation for a case study on successful listing. It also ..

Category: Current Affairs Quiz - 2022: Daily Objective Current Affairs MCQ Quiz

Tags: 2022  Current Affairs Quiz - November

The Central Government has established a high-level panel to strengthen the assessment and accreditation of higher educational institutions. ContentsWho are the members of the panel?What is the purpose of the panel?What is NAC? Who are the members of the panel? The committee will be chaired by K Radhakrishnan, chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur. He ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: India Nation & States Current Affairs

Topics: Accreditation  Higher education  Higher education in India  National Education Policy 2020

Here are Todays News Headlines by GK Today for November 7, 2022 ContentsINDIAECONOMY & CORPORATEWORLDSPORTS INDIA  Assembly bypoll results: BJP bags 4 out of 7 seats; TRS, Shiv Sena, RJD get one each  Education Ministry to celebrate Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in schools, colleges on Nov 15, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda (15 ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: Today's News Headlines

Topics: 2022  Current Affairs  Current Affairs: News Headlines  Headlines  Latest News Headlines  News Headlines  Today's News Headlines  Top Headlines  Top News
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has directed U.S. diplomatic missions to identify "populations warranting increased scrutiny" and toughen screening for visa applicants in those groups, according to diplomatic cables seen by Reuters. He has also ordered a "mandatory social media check" for all applicants who have ever been present in territory controlled by the Islamic State, in what two former U.S. officials said would be a broad, labor-intensive expansion of such screening. Social media screening is now done fairly rarely by consular officials, one of the former officials said. Four cables, or memos, issued by Tillerson over the last two weeks provide insight into how the U.S. government is implementing what President Donald Trump has called "extreme vetting" of foreigners entering the United States, a major campaign promise. The cables also demonstrate the administrative and logistical hurdles the White House faces in executing its vision. The memos, which have not been previously reported, provided instructions for implementing Trump's March 6 revised executive order temporarily barring visitors from six Muslim-majority countries and all refugees, as well as a simultaneous memorandum mandating enhanced visa screening.

watch now

The flurry of cables to U.S. missions abroad issued strict new guidelines for vetting U.S. visa applicants, and then retracted some of them in response to U.S. court rulings that challenged central tenets of Trump's executive order. The final cable seen by Reuters, issued on March 17, leaves in place an instruction to consular chiefs in each diplomatic mission, or post, to convene working groups of law enforcement and intelligence officials to "develop a list of criteria identifying sets of post applicant populations warranting increased scrutiny." Applicants falling within one of these identified population groups should be considered for higher-level security screening, according to the March 17 cable. Those population groups would likely vary from country to country, according to sources familiar with the cables, as the March 17 memo does not explicitly provide for coordination between the embassies. Trump has said enhanced screening of foreigners is necessary to protect the country against terrorist attacks. Advocates and immigration lawyers said the guidance could lead to visa applicants being profiled on the basis of nationality or religion rather than because they pose an actual threat to the United States. "Most posts already have populations that they look at for fraud and security issues," said Jay Gairson, a Seattle-based immigration attorney who has many clients from countries that would be affected by Trump's travel ban. "What this language effectively does is give the consular posts permission to step away from the focused factors they have spent years developing and revising, and instead broaden the search to large groups based on gross factors such as nationality and religion."

watch now

Virginia Elliott, a spokeswoman for the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, said the department was working to implement Trump's presidential memorandum "in accordance with its terms, in an orderly fashion, and in compliance with any relevant court orders, so as to increase the safety and security of the American people." State Department officials declined to comment on the specifics of the cables, saying they were internal communications.

Cable flurry

In cables dated March 10 and March 15, Tillerson issued detailed instructions to consular officials for implementing Trump's travel order, which was due to take effect on March 16. Following successful legal challenges to an earlier, more sweeping travel ban signed by Trump in January, the White House issued a narrower version of the ban earlier this month. On the same day Tillerson sent out his memo about implementing the new executive order on March 15, a federal court in Hawaii enjoined key parts of the order. That forced him to send another cable on March 16, rescinding much of his earlier guidance. On March 17, Tillerson issued a fourth cable that set out a new list of instructions for consular officials. At the same time, it withdrew more sections of the March 15 guidance, because they had been issued without approval from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is responsible for reviewing all agency rules. A White House spokesman referred questions about the cables to the State Department and OMB.

watch now

Reuters could not determine to what extent the cables departed from guidance given to consular officers under previous administrations, since this type of guidance is not made public. Some of the language in the cables, including the line that "all visa decisions are national security decisions," is similar to statements made by U.S. officials in the past. Some consular officials suggested some of the March 17 guidance  aside from identifying particular populations and doing more social media checks - differed little from current practice, since vetting of visa applicants is already rigorous.

Phone numbers, email addresses

Among the instructions rescinded by Tillerson were a set of specific questions for applicants from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, the countries targeted by Trump's March 6 executive order, as well as members of populations identified as security risks. The questions asked where applicants had lived, traveled and worked over the previous 15 years. Applicants would also have been required to provide prior passport numbers and all phone numbers, email addresses and social media handles used in the previous five years.

watch now
In a first, presidential candidates from both parties talked supportively about paid leave, but the Trump administration's proposal, led by Ivanka Trump, faces hurdles because of deep divisions about what the policy should look like.

This ambivalence helps explain a paradox: why a policy with so much bipartisan support has nonetheless failed to be enacted. The United States is the only industrialized country that doesn't mandate paid leave.

The idea of a federal paid leave policy brings up issues that Americans have complicated feelings about  like government mandates for businesses and gender roles at home  according to the surveys, released Thursday by the Pew Research Center.

Most people say workers should get paid leave to take care of a baby, a sick family member or themselves, according to two new surveys. But they disagree on the details: who should pay, and whether it should be mandatory or optional.

A woman who works for the Ohio state government in Columbus said during a Pew focus group: "People are making too difficult of a choice every day: Do I go to work? Or do I take care of this person who I love dearly?"

Yet the surveys make clear that the need crosses income, gender and political lines, and affects people's career decisions and wages.

Ninety-four percent of respondents said paid leave would help families, and 65 percent said it would help the economy. When asked which work arrangements would be most helpful to them, they ranked paid leave the highest, alongside flexibility of hours. Sixty-two percent told Pew they'd taken paid leave or are very likely to.

American workers can get 12 weeks of unpaid leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act, but only about 60 percent are eligible. Thirteen percent of workers get paid leave from their employers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. High earners are much more likely to get it, while low earners are more likely to fall into poverty because of a birth or an illness.

Large majorities support paid leave  between 67 percent and 85 percent, depending on the type of leave  according to the Pew report, which included two nationally representative online surveys of 8,000 Americans total. One survey was about people's general opinions about family leave, and the other about their personal experiences with it.

A woman who works for the Ohio state government in Columbus said during a Pew focus group: "People are making too difficult of a choice every day: Do I go to work? Or do I take care of this person who I love dearly?"

But Americans are torn about the government's role. Only half of people over all and one-third of Republicans think it should mandate leave, versus continuing to let employers decide. Sixty-nine percent of Democrats supported a government mandate.

Most people say employers should pay for leave instead. "I don't think the government should pay for it because, I mean, we'd all be paying for it anyway because it would be in our taxes," a Denver father and sales manager said in the focus group.

Respondents said offering paid leave would help employers recruit and keep good workers. Still, nearly half of respondents said offering paid leave would harm businesses.

"You are going to have a much more productive employee, and you've also got an employee who has better health, their children have better health," said a mother in Denver who runs a small business. "But it is hard in the front. It's a huge expense."

The debate over family leave seems to have moved on from whether mothers should work to how to help working families, and people are increasingly likely to think of caregiving as a responsibility shared by men and women.

Most people said a paid leave policy should be available to both sexes: 81 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of Republicans. Opinions about paternity leave illustrate the shift: 82 percent of adults under 30 said new fathers should get it, and 55 percent of those over 65.

Yet women still shoulder the bulk of caregiving, and especially for conservative voters, opinions about gender roles color their views on paid leave, said Aparna Mathur, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

"The feeling that policies that encourage women to be in the work force are not in the best interest of the family is pervasive among Republicans," Ms. Mathur said. "But having access to these policies is really critical for these working families who are not in a position to even choose do I go back to work or not."

Despite the fact that both parents work outside the home in most two-parent families, 44 percent of respondents said it was best if one stayed home. Thirty-nine percent said it should be the mother, and 56 percent said it didn't matter.

Despite the enthusiasm for paid leave, there is disagreement about how to pay for it. The most popular idea was a tax credit to employers who offered leave; it was strongly or somewhat supported by 87 percent of respondents. Next was pretax savings accounts for employees to save for leave, supported by 84 percent.

Sixty-two percent of people at least somewhat supported a government fund that employers and employees pay into  a policy used in three states. Least popular, with 60 percent support, was a government paid leave program financed through higher taxes on wealthy people or corporations.

The Trump administration, which originally suggested six weeks of paid maternity leave paid for by eliminating fraud in unemployment insurance, is now considering more dependable sources of funding and including fathers and adoptive parents.

The need is most acute for low-income workers. Of people employed in the last two years, 16 percent told Pew that they needed to take leave but were unable. They were more likely to be low earners, as well as women, black, Hispanic or without a college degree.

One woman, who worked in retail in Denver, had to quit after giving birth; she accepted Medicaid and food stamps because her employer gave her no time off.

"It was really, really rough," said another woman, in Birmingham, Ala., who needed to care for her mother but had no leave. "Some days I would just have to let them know I couldn't come in because I had to assist her, and that would mean not a full paycheck and that was very stressful."
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer told CNBC on Friday he doesn't blame Americans who may have lost faith in Congress, because he feels their pain.

"Americans ought to be disgusted with Congress," he said in an interview with "Power Lunch."

"I'm disgusted with Congress. I've been here 36 years and very frankly, I have been known as somebody who can work on consensus."

He said he is prepared to work with his colleagues across the aisle, but that his Republican counterparts haven't been willing to do so.



Hoyer spoke less than an hour before the expected vote on the Republican health-care bill, which no Democrats are supporting.



Shortly before the vote was to occur, the bill was yanked from the floor. The move came after GOP leaders had a tough time getting enough votes from within their own party.




European leaders are gathering in Rome on Saturday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the European Union but one of its members is missing the party.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is not attending the celebrations in Italy, where the other 27 heads of state will be discussing how to take the EU further.

"It will be a celebration with a bittersweet taste as the future path for Europe has probably never been more unclear than today," ING said in a note on Friday.

Looking at the current state of the EU, not only is the U.K. about to set a precedent by leaving the union but there are other issues to resolve. The refugee crisis, the moribund economic recovery, the rise of populism and anti-EU sentiment are only a few examples of that.

Frans Timmermans, the first vice-president of the European Commission, told CNBC on Thursday that Europe will have to come up with better proposals to stop people from turning to nationalistic parties.

"The European Commission has officially restarted the discussion on the future of Europe. A discussion deemed necessary after the Brexit vote," ING added.

The executive arm of the EU has proposed five options as to how the 27 countries should evolve in an attempt to stop the anti-EU rhetoric across the bloc and prevent other countries from following the U.K.'s example.

The option that seems to be gathering the most support would allow countries to integrate at different speeds  the idea of a two-speed Europe. However, analysts have their doubts as to whether it would improve the Union.

"(The EU) will seriously consider the strategy of moving forward at multiple speeds, which enjoys solid political backing in many of the 'older' EU states  although the EU would have to apply this strategy with care, to address the concern that multiple speeds could lead to new divisions in the EU," Reinhard Cluse, economist at UBS, said in a note on Friday.

Indeed some countries see this option as a threat that would marginalize them from the core European countries.
It will take delicate maneuvering, and it's these painful strategic reforms that Beijing must implement in order to sustain economic momentum and to continue attracting foreign investment into China.

"Some people will lose jobs  it creates hardship," Burkner told CNBC. "It's not easy to train coal miners and make them become software engineers. I've never seen that happening anywhere in the world."

The government is working to transition the economy away from China's old growth model  driven by manufacturing and exports  toward one supported via services sectors like healthcare and IT. But that means cutting back on overcapacity in areas like coal and steel, and retraining millions of workers to take on new vocations  a major challenge that could create social unrest.

Multinational companies in China have long complained of protectionism, saying that the government supports only its own, which creates unfair competition. The murky regulatory environment has also made operating in the world's second-largest economy a bit of a minefield.

But this also needs to change, Burkner said, explaining that China will need to open up to more trade and investment in order to shore up continued growth. Allowing a more level playing field for companies to compete in all sectors is necessary "to make sure millions of companies will come up and to create jobs," he said.

Managing unemployment is an issue that Beijing has long identified as an area for progress. This year, the government has pledged to create 11 million new urban jobs, and has set aside funds for resettling laid-off workers. But the question remains whether that will be enough to keep pace with the number of displaced workers, and the skilled graduates coming from universities each year.

Despite the headwinds, Burkner sounded a positive tone, saying "there's a lot more confidence today and this year ... that China will deliver 6.5 percent growth."

Correction: This article and its headline have been altered to accurately reflect what Hans-Paul Burkner, chairman of Boston Consulting Group, told CNBC.
Singapore-based ride hailing app Grab has the majority of market share in Southeast Asia and it is not slowing down, its co-founder and chief executive said.

The four-year old company is focused on being the "most efficient player out there" and has invested massively in analyzing the 5 terabytes of data that is collected from users and drivers daily, Anthony Tan, CEO at Grab, told CNBC at the Boao Forum in Hainan.

The Uber-rival, currently operates in 7 Southeast Asian countries and has six Research & Development centers across Asia. It announced early-March that it would be adding 800 news R&D jobs in the next two years, in a bid to improve the user experience.

"We've grown 100 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basisand have raised over $800 million that we haven't even touched," Tan said, who added that there is no immediate need to raise more capital through a public listing.

Profitability is also not the main priority at the moment for Grab, he said.

"If we wanted to be profitable, we could be profitable tomorrow," Tan said, and explained that the company is focused on "building larger scale" and "delightful experiences" that keep users loyal to Grab.

The Harvard Business School graduate added that there are "opportunities for more mergers to take place" and that the company would soon announce some of the smaller acquisitions it has made.

Tan declined to comment on his competitors, but said Grab differentiates itself through its localized offerings.

"Our users and driver-partners are sticking with us, because they see how local, how relevant we've become," Tan said.
BOAO, China  President Donald Trump's talk of visa reform is a major thorn in the side of India's software services firms, but one of the industry's biggest players says it isn't worried.



"We're pretty strong in the U.S.  we have a large presence of U.S. nationals working for us, and we continue to invest," Girish Ramachandran, Asia-Pacific president of Tata Consultancy Services , told CNBC on the sidelines of the Boao Forum in Hainan.

"We feel confident  but overall, we're pretty optimistic about business across these markets."

For years, IT firms in the world's largest democracy, including Tata competitors Infosys and Wipro , have relied on the American H-1B visa program to send employees to the U.S., which is the industry's most important overseas market. TCS, for instance, gets roughly half of its revenue from the U.S.

The program was launched decades ago to allow companies to temporarily bring over skilled foreign employees if they couldn't find Americans to fill the spots. But Trump has called for an overhaul of the program amid concerns that it was stealing jobs from Americans.

Earlier this month, the White House suspended expedited services of H-1B visas.

Changes to the policy could mean higher costs for the Indian IT industry, which has prompted firms like TCS to recruit more heavily at U.S. universities.
The Trump administration's approval of the controversial pipeline means more North American crude and fuel could ultimately flow out to the world market.

The pipeline would also further cement the bonds between the two key North American producers and increase the interdependence of the U.S. on Canada, as a source of imported oil, over OPEC and other producers. Canada supplies about half of the nearly 8 million barrels a day of oil imported by the U.S.

On Friday, President Donald Trump kept a campaign promise, as the State Department approved the 800,000 barrel a day northern leg of the Keystone pipeline. Held up for years by the Obama administration, the pipeline is planned to take oil from the Canadian sands in Alberta down to Steele City, Neb., where it could then head either to the Gulf Coast or Midwest refineries.

"No surprise here on the Keystone decision. It was clearly going to be reversed. The decision not to build Keystone by the Obama Administration was never really about Keystone. The State Department, in reviewing it, had indicated that it would have no impact on carbon emissions. Rather, the Obama decision was about symbolism and the Paris climate conference," said Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit.

Yergin said the question now is how much oil from the Canadian sands will be shipped by rail and how much by pipeline, once the Keystone is built.

"It does on the margin allow more of that heavy crude to make it to the refineries, which is a a positive, or be exported," said Bart Melek, head of commodities strategy at TD Securities. "Really we're just talking incremental here. It's not really moving the needle either way. It just assures some of the plans to expend the sands continues and we don't have to use trains. They're expensive, and it's not an efficient way to move crude."

The Canadian sands, including upgraded synthetic crude, is expected to expand production to 5.3 million barrels a day by 2022, from 4.5 million barrels a day in 2016, according to the International Energy Agency. Canada also plans to increase pipeline capacity with the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion, which would take crude across Western Canada to British Columbia, for export to Asia. That project was approved by the Canadian government but is still pending local approval.

The sands has made gains in carbon emissions, though it is considered a dirtier source of crude, Yergin said. The cost per barrel is also higher than that of U.S. shale. But the additional oil would easily find a place in the world market, analyst say.

The heavy oil could displace oil that comes from other places outside the U.S., like Saudi Arabia or Iraq. Some heavy crude suppliers have seen waning production in recent years, like Mexico and Venezuela.

"If we get additional quantities of heavy Canadian crude, which is preferred by many refineries in the U.S., we might turn out to sell more quantities of [U.S.] light, sweet crude to the rest of the world," said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.

The Gulf Coast refineries mainly refine heavy crudes, whereas U.S. shale drillers pump light, sweet crude. Light, sweet crude is mainly refined on the east and west coasts.

"All this additional crude oil should keep our input costs lower, which will make our refined products even more competitive," said John Kilduff of Again Capital. The U.S. is a net exporter of refined product already. Government data shows that the U.S. last week exported 1.2 million barrels a day of distillates, which includes fuels like diesel. The U.S. also exported 592,000 barrels a day of gasoline last week.

The U.S. exported an average 520,000 million barrels a day of oil last year, and much of that goes to Canada for refininig.

The Keystone XL pipeline must get final approvals from Nebraska and local landowners. Kyle Cooper, a consultant with Ion Energy Group, said there are still groups opposed to its construction. "I think the Trump administration is going to roll over the opposition groups and it will be done," he said, adding construction is not expected to be complete until well into 2018.

"This pipeline will give the Canadian sands a better net back. It's cheaper to use a pipeline than rail or truck. Their break-even just got lowered, and their economic incentive just improved. One thing you can say is that over the last 10 years, the North American E and P producer knows how to respond to economic signals. If there's a dollar to be made, they're going to get at how to make it. The Keystone pipleline will certainly give them the opportunity to make a buck," Cooper said.

Cooper also said exports from the U.S. could increase, whether it is Canadian oil directly, or more U.S. crude or refined product.
watch now

The perception that China is overleveraged is simplistic, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Prudential told CNBC Friday during an exclusive interview from the mainland. "The structure of leverage in the country is improving definitely and has a way to go," said Mike Wells, noting that he did not fully agree with the widespread belief that China is overleveraged. "You have to look at where China is as an economy. It's at the middle end of an industrial phase  They're still looking at the supply and the demand side of the economy as hard, which I think gets lost sometimes in the narrative about China," he added.

Prudential's Mike Wells. Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images

"I think you will see more structural reform and efficiency in production  There's a very economic look, there's a very balanced look at consumers, they haven't tapped the consumerism that's in the economy by any means and I think there's a lot of upside," opined Wells, highlighting that the insurance group he heads has enjoyed "great growth" in both mainland China and Hong Kong in recent years. Asked to describe the most challenging operating climate for Prudential, the CEO sounded an optimistic note, asserting that given the group's diversification, they were well placed to deal with any one market. "The worst environment for us is when people think they don't need to de-risk their portfolios, they simply need to participate in markets and all stocks go up  that's the hardest climate to argue our solutions have a fit," he stated. Expanding on risks facing the group, Wells highlighted global political risk as one of the main factors to be monitored and drew upon the strong connection between volatility and politics. "It's a natural fact that consumers can't quote GDP (gross domestic product) to you where they live but they can certainly tell you if they feel good about how the political environment is playing out and that creates tension," he said, explaining that such tension "translates into longer and slower decisions, more cautious allocation of money, delay of purchase, all those sorts of things."

watch now
The battle over President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch has pushed one of Washington's most notorious phrases back into the spotlight: The so-called "nuclear option."

Gorsuch will almost certainly be confirmed one way or another, it's just a question of how.

With Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging Democratic senators Thursday to stand united and filibuster Gorsuch, Republicans may need to rely on the parliamentary maneuver to kill the filibuster and push Trump's high court pick over the finish line.

The filibuster, which traces its roots to Aaron Burr and the early days of the Senate, has survived an assassination attempt by Henry Clay in 1840s, a 24-hour last-stand against the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s, and the evolution from a long speech to a simple procedure move. Will it die with the Trump presidency, or will Republicans scrounge up enough Democratic defectors to break the filibuster and let the practice live on?

Here's what you need to know.

Will Democrats filibuster?

Yes, but they may not have enough votes to sustain it.

It only takes one senator to start a filibuster, but it takes at least 40 to keep one going in the face of opposition. Schumer is one of several Democratic senators vowing to filibuster. The question is whether 40 of them will stick it out. If eight Democrats join the 52 Republicans, they can achieve the 60-vote bloc necessary to stop a filibuster.

More from NBC News:

Secretary of State Tillerson finally answers question from NBC News' Andrea Mitchell

Rigged! President turns 18-wheeler into a Trump truck

Lawmaker: Nunes apologized for surprise White House visit



A filibuster is just a procedural move that blocks the Senate from taking the actual vote on a nominee or piece of legislation. It only takes 50 votes to confirm a nominee (since Vice President Mike Pence can cast a tie breaker), but it can take 60 to get to a vote in the first place.

Will Republicans break the filibuster?

Republicans need eight Democratic votes to break the filibuster, and their first stop is the 10 Democratic senators up for re-election next year in states Trump won, like West Virginia's Sen. Joe Manchin.

A conservative group supporting Gorsuch, the Judicial Crisis Network, has spent millions of dollars on ads targeting Sens. Claire McCaskill in Missouri (where Trump won by 19 points), Joe Donnelly in Indiana (where Trump won by 19), Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota (where Trump won by 36 points), and Jon Tester in Montana (where Trump won by 21 points).

The group has also targeted Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, who is not facing reelection, but who hails from Gorsuch's home state. Many Colorado leaders on both sides of the aisle  including the former Democratic governor who first appointed Bennet to the Senate  support Trump's Supreme Court nominee, and Bennet has so far been mum about how he plans to vote.

Republicans are also eyeing other moderates, like Virginia's Mark Warner or Maine's Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. Meanwhile, others, like Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, have expressed principled objections to filibustering qualified Supreme Court nominees for political reasons.

The challenge for Democrats is that their base has demanded all-out obstruction to Gorsuch, not only because they view him as extreme, but because they say Republicans essentially stole the seat in the first place by refusing to take a vote on former President Barack Obama's nominee Merrick Garland last year.

If Republicans can't sway eight senators, they need to take a more radical step  the nuclear option.

What is the nuclear option?

Republicans could vote in favor of the parliamentary maneuver that would allow the Senate to advance Gorsuch with a simple majority. Members on both sides of the aisle have threatened to invoke the nuclear option throughout the upper chamber's long history, but it wasn't until 2013 that the threats turned into action.

Then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, frustrated by GOP efforts to block Obama's appointees, invoked the nuclear option for nominees to the executive branch and lower federal courts. However, the move did not apply to Supreme Court nominees or legislation.

Some Republicans have been eager to turn the tables and hang the threat over Democrats' heads of extending the nuclear option to Gorsuch.

Could there be a deal?

Other senators from both parties are wary of upending one of the Senate's most powerful tools.

Rumors have swirled on Capitol Hill about a potential deal between a small group of senators to avert the crisis. Democrats would give Republicans enough votes to break a filibuster on Gorsuch, in exchange for a promise that the GOP would not use the "nuclear option" on the next Supreme Court nominee.

The basic architecture of such a deal is intriguing because it would not require buy-in from either party's leadership. It would only take three Republicans to block a rule change in the future, and eight Democrats to give the GOP cloture now, so a small "gang" of lawmakers could act on their own.

Liberals are extremely worried about such a deal. More than 20 progressive groups sent a letter to Democratic senators Thursday warning, "Anything less than a full commitment to resistance, including a filibuster of Judge Gorsuch, would be a betrayal of the communities you represent."

What's at stake?

Invoking the nuclear option would lower the bar for what it takes for a Supreme Court nominee to be confirmed. It would set a precedent that essentially takes an important parliamentary move off the table for the minority party  the filibuster. And the lower threshold could give presidents less of an incentive to nominate judges with views considered mainstream.

Democrats anticipating the change have cited the past three Supreme Court nominees to have confirmation hearings as the standard Gorsuch should be held to.

"If this nominee cannot earn 60 votes  a bar met by each of Obama's nominees, and George Bush's last two nominees  the answer isn't to change the rules. It's to change the nominee," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

The last time the minority party tried to block a Supreme Court nominee was in 2006 during Samuel Alito's nomination. However, the high chamber easily invoked cloture by a 72 to 25 vote, and Alito was confirmed with 58 votes.

Republicans in favor of the move argue that Reid already opened Pandora's box in 2013.

A Politifact analysis found that Senate experts agree going nuclear on a Supreme Court nominee is significant, though not earth-shattering. It essentially widens the scope of what Reid did more than three years ago.

The bigger issue, though, will be if it encourages Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell or future Senate leaders to use the nuclear option on legislation. Lowering the 60-vote threshold on new laws and spending bills could prove even more contentious than using it on nominees.
In the last few days I have encountered learned and frum Litvaks who claimed it was essential to be happy and smiling all the time An...

Important!! email - yadmoshe@gmail.com
With almost 75 million baby boomers reaching the age where they need to start paying up for healthy teeth, the growth of U.S. dental spending is set to rise to 5 percent this year, from 3.7 percent in 2016.

Cramer attributed the sector's strength in part to the United States, which accounts for a third of global spending on dentistry.

"The dental stocks have been quietly riding three big secular trends  an aging population, the need for most cosmetic dentistry in the age of the selfie, and the rise of the middle class in emerging markets," the " Mad Money " host said.

Jim Cramer has been on the lookout for non-Trump bull markets, and recently he realized that one has been hiding in plain sight: the dental industry.

Yet baby boomers are not the only ones to thank for enriching dental service providers. Cramer tapped selfie culture as another major contributor.

"With the rise of Instagram and Snapchat and selfie culture in general, people want to have the best possible smile they can, which means more adults are getting braces," he said.

Dentistry is also picking up around the world, as smaller countries develop and build their middle class communities.

"Having healthy, non-crooked teeth is a pretty universal sign of prosperity, so as more and more people in developing countries join the middle class we see rising demand for dental services," Cramer said.

And where there are strong secular trends like these, there are also beneficiaries. Cramer's top dental plays  Align Technology , Henry Schein , and Dentsply Sirona  have all outperformed major averages so far this year.

Align makes high-end invisible braces and mobile scanning technology for dentists, a model in line with the cosmetic trend backed by selfie culture. Cramer said the company's February earnings report proved there was a lot to like.

"The company refuted rumors of weak dental customer traffic that we'd been hearing leading up to the quarter by delivering strong sales and giving us robust earnings guidance for the next quarter," Cramer said. "Meanwhile, Align trained more than 2000 international doctors on their systems and processes, a 73% increase versus the previous quarter, which explains why their international business is on fire."

Not only that, but the company is a routine innovator, recently introducing a device to help sleep apnea patients.

Henry Schien is a dental and veterinary supplies distributor that also beat earnings expectations for its latest quarter, has a burgeoning international business, and is making scanning and software products to help dentists practice better.

Cramer's final pick, Dentsply Sirona, is the weakest of the three based on its February earnings report, but the "Mad Money" host argued that the world's largest dental supplies manufacturer seems to be plagued with one-time issues.

"Dentsply Sirona indicated that part of the softness is because it's taking a hit from changing its go-to-market strategy  sort of a short term pain, long term gain scenario," Cramer said. "Meanwhile, Dentsply Sirona continues to expand internationally, with 9.4 percent growth in the rest of the world, and the dental equipment maker is taking share all over the place."

Cramer said the stocks of all three are trading sideways because they are pricey. Align, for example, trades at 32 times 2018 earnings estimates. Still, Cramer has faith in the secular trends fueling the dental rally.

"That's why Align Technology, Henry Schein and Dentsply Sirona have been beating the averages, and I think they'll continue to do so," Cramer said.

Questions for Cramer?

Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC

Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up!

Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Vine



Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com
Even if the House passes the GOP Obamacare replacement bill on Friday, the imperiled measure would still face a long, difficult road before becoming law, an American Enterprise Institute economic policy analyst says.



The House vote, demanded by President Donald Trump, is just the "first step" in this process, Benedic Ippolito of the conservative think tank told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "You got to pass it in the House. And then it has this, if you watch 'Seinfeld,' this element of 'yada, yada, yada' then it becomes law. There's a lot in the 'yada, yada, yada.' You have to get the Senate on board."

Senate Republicans, like their House counterparts, are just about as divided on the Republican American Health Care Act, Ippolito said. He noted that conservative Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, both of whom ran for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, consider the bill "Obamacare Lite," while other more moderate senators think the "coverage losses are too much."

The Congressional Budget Office on Thursday said the newer version of the AHCA would result in a similar number of 24 million fewer insured Americans by 2026, but would only reduce federal spending by $150 billion over the same period. The CBO had estimated the original bill would cut the deficit by $337 billion.

Ippolito said $150 billion by 2026 in deficit reduction is "not particularly impressive." He said the GOP plan, after going through changes in the Senate, might see the federal spending benefit slip even further.

"It's unlikely that what's going to happen down the road is going to increase those deficit savings," he said. "That's just going to be one of the many hurdles that we're going to have to discuss. Are we really willing to increase the deficit potentially to kick 24 million people off insurance? That's a legitimate question to ask."
Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort  whose ties to Russia have drawn scrutiny  has offered to speak to the House Intelligence Committee, the panel's chair, Rep. Devin Nunes, said Friday.

Manafort's lawyer contacted the committee and said Manafort volunteered to be interviewed, said Nunes, a California Republican and President Donald Trump ally. He does not yet know whether Manafort will appear at a public or closed session.

Manafort "voluntarily offered" to come to the committee, Nunes told reporters Friday. The panel is conducting an investigation into the extent of Moscow's influence on the 2016 election.

Manafort's spokesman told NBC News that he "looks forward to meeting with those conducting serious investigations of these issues to discuss the facts."

The congressman added that FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Adm. Michael Rogers will appear before the committee in a closed session. The panel will postpone another public hearing on the investigation that was set for Tuesday.

Schiff in a tweet criticized the decision to move the hearing, saying it is an "attempt to choke off public info."

BREAKING: Chairman just cancelled open Intelligence Committee hearing with Clapper, Brennan and Yates in attempt to choke off public info.

Comey will also brief the full House Intelligence Committee on the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the election, which includes any possible ties between Trump's campaign and Moscow. He publicly confirmed the probe in a hearing Monday.

The briefing was previously limited to Nunes and Democratic ranking member Rep. Adam Schiff.

Nunes drew criticism after he held a news conference Wednesday to announce that he had seen intelligence reports showing that U.S. intelligence officials "incidentally collected" information related to Trump transition officials during "normal" foreign surveillance activities unrelated to the investigation into Moscow's role in the election. The Republican congressman then briefed Trump on the findings, which he said came from an unidentified source. He did not detail whose communications were intercepted and said it "appears to be all legally collected foreign intelligence."

Schiff, also of California, slammed Nunes' conduct, saying he has still not shared the reports with the committee, making it "impossible" to evaluate the purported communications caught up in surveillance. He argued that Nunes' decision to brief Trump before the intelligence panel strengthens the case for an independent commission on Russia.

Nunes then apologized to committee members.
Rep. Mo Brooks of the hard-line Freedom Caucus told CNBC on Friday the House Obamacare replacement plan is the worst bill he's seen in 30 years of public service.

The Alabama Republican said on "Squawk Box" he'll vote "no" when the measure comes up for a vote, which President Donald Trump demanded take place Friday.

Brooks blasted the GOP's American Health Care Act (AHCA)  backed by House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump  as "the largest welfare program ever proposed" by Republicans.

"It's not a repeal. It's a marketing ploy," he said.

Brooks is calling for a straight repeal of former President Barack Obama's 2010 health-care law, despite the long odds of ever getting the Senate to go that far.

"We can either go bankrupt as a country or do the right thing," he said.

Meanwhile, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told CNBC in a later interview the ultimatum he delivered from the president was to all House Republicans.

No one group, such as the Freedom Caucus, was being singled out, said Mulvaney, who had been a member of that conservative group when he was a congressman from South Carolina.

Mulvaney said he's not sure whether Republicans have enough votes for passage but stressed "the president has his offer on the table."

Brook said he won't be swayed by the White House or his fellow House Republicans.
Technology stocks like Google and Facebook will not see their valuations hit by criticisms over the way they deal with inappropriate content, pioneering venture capitalist Yossi Vardi told CNBC on Friday, but added the firms will need to take more responsibility in policing what ends up on their services.

Vardi, who has often been dubbed the "godfather of Israel technology" and is the chairman of venture capital firm International Technology Ventures, said that tech companies have usually not acted until a court order has come to them, but this could change.

"Because of the magnitude and the effect of them on everybody's life and becoming the foremost media platform they have to take different issues ... they are being drafted into editing the content and again," Vardi said.

His comments come after the U.S. search giant came under fire from brands concerned that their advertisements on Google-owned video service YouTube were being placed next to extremist content. London newspaper The Times, found that ads from brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Waitrose were appearing next to neo-Nazi and jihadi content on YouTube. Many brands have pulled their advertising from YouTube, with the latest being AT&T and Johnson & Johnson .

The news has prompted debate over whether technology firms can just take a hands-off approach, or whether they act more like media companies and edit content.

Google's chief business officer, Philipp Schindler, said on Tuesday the company is going to hire "significant numbers of people" and develop new tools using artificial intelligence to improve its ability to review questionable content.

This was followed on Wednesday with an announcement that the online giant was carrying out an extensive review of its advertising policies.

Facebook has also dealt with criticism over its dealing with inappropriate content, particularly around the issue of fake news.

Wall Street has been concerned about the business impact on the likes of Facebook and Google. Vardi said that even if these firms had to bolster the number of people doing oversight on content, it would only be a small cost in comparison to the broader business.


Ride hailing app Grab is revving up online dating in Southeast Asia, teaming up with Tinder in hopes it leads to more users swiping right.

The promotional campaign marks the dating platform's first partnership in the region and features top social media influencers, from models to YouTube stars.

"This is about us bringing new experiences to our customers," said Cheryl Goh, Vice President of Marketing for Grab. "Users have an opportunity to ride with somebody who will widen their world view. It makes the normal ride a bit more interesting."

The "Meet Your Match" campaign, launching across five Southeast Asian countries including Singapore and Vietnam, integrates Grab and Tinder's social platforms. Users can view the profiles of featured Tinder personalities in the dating app, and swipe right to show interest in sharing a Grab ride with them. The ride-hailing company says matches will be selected at random depending on demand, with no guarantees of an actual Tinder ride.

If those influencers see love in the future after that first meet, passengers are treated to an all-day outing with their date, paid for by Tinder and Grab.

The limited promotion, is the latest marketing campaign for the Singapore-based ride-hailing company as it looks to cement its footprint in the region.

Since launching in Malaysia five years ago, Grab has garnered 70 percent market share with 36 million downloads, raising more than $1.4 billion in funding.
Two pedestrians use iPhones as they walk in Union Square in San Francisco, California.

Those rules meant to protect the privacy of your internet activity that you may have heard about? Never mind.



In a 50-48 vote mostly along party lines on Thursday, the Senate moved to strip consumer privacy rules that had just been created in October. Next week, the House is expected to go along with the Senate measure, and the rule changes would then head to President Trump for his signature.

The move by the Senate means telecommunications carriers can "continue tracking and sharing people's browsing and app activity without asking their permission," Cecilia Kang writes. "An individual's data collected by these companies also does not need to be secured with 'reasonable measures' against hackers."

The rules were supposed to go into effect at the end of this year.

Washington's zeal for privacy protection may have cooled, but that doesn't mean you don't have other means to keep what you do out of other people's hands.

Various types of software can help protect internet traffic from prying eyes. A number of browsers, for example, have "stealth" settings that make it difficult to track a web surfer's activities.

More from The New York Times:

'Turkish Trump,' a hotel plan and a tangle of foreign ties

North Korea said to be target of inquiry over $81 million cyber heist

AT&T and Johnson & Johnson pull ads from YouTube

Other software can make it difficult to pinpoint where that traffic is coming from. Perhaps the best known is Tor. Created and managed by a nonprofit digital privacy group called the Tor Project, it is used by a wide range of people, from activists trying to avoid government censorship or surveillance to people conducting illicit business on the so-called dark web.

There are also a number of apps that can encrypt internet messages. Signal, free software offered by a company called Open Whisper Systems, may be the best known of them.

Another example among many free software packages designed to prevent eavesdropping and hide a user's internet address is the Hotspot Shield software offered by AnchorFree, a company based in Mountain View, Calif.

Hotspot Shield gained popularity among activists during the Arab Spring in 2011 and since then has been widely used amid unrest in Turkey, Brazil and  since the presidential election in November  the United States. Well over 500 million copies of the software have been downloaded around the world, the company says.




For a month, allegations have been flying that Abe and first lady Akie Abe granted political favors to a right-wing education group for a real-estate deal but following a key piece of testimony on Thursday, the worst appears to be over for the head of state.

Cherry blossom season begun earlier than expected in Tokyo this week in what may be an auspicious sign for scandal-hit Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe .

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a budget committee session of the House of Councilors at the Parliament in Tokyo on March 24, 2017.

"It is increasingly unlikely that the scandal will fatally undermine the PM's administration," said Tobias Harris, Japan vice president at Teneo Intelligence, in a Friday note.

At the heart of the matter are reports that private educational institute Moritomo Gakuen bought heavily discounted government-owned land in Osaka for an elementary school. Morimoto's $1.2 million payment for the near 9,000 square meter area was a tenth of the cost of similarly sized plots nearby, according to local media.

The transaction, made public last month, fueled speculation that Morimoto used its connections with Abe's wife to obtain the cheap price. Akie was made honorary principal of the new school but quickly resigned when news of the land deal emerged.

On Thursday, Morimoto head Yasunori Kagoike testified under oath in parliament on the matter, saying he personally received an envelope containing $9,000 in cash from Akie during her September 2015 visit to Tsukamoto Kindergarten, a school operated by Morimoto. Akie has denied the transaction.

The scandal remains ongoing as Abe's approval ratings drop below the 60 percent level  opposition parties now want Akie to testify and finance ministry officials are expected to be questioned about the land sale  but many anticipate little damage to the PM's rule.

"Without additional evidence to corroborate Kagoike's story about the alleged donation, it is unlikely that it will significantly impact the prime minister," said Harris.



Jesper Koll, CEO of WisdomTree Japan and a longtime resident of the country, echoed those sentiments.

"Thursday's hearing was the climax of the scandal, and the bottom line is that the prime minister is highly likely to maintain his steadfast grip on power until 2021," he said in a note.

Scott Seaman, Asia director at intelligence firm Eurasia, also agreed Abe would not suffer any lasting damage, but warned that risks may increase if Ministry of Finance officials who arranged the land sale provided Morimoto with special deals or treatment.
The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has warned the U.S. president that calling for other EU members to leave the union could lead to war in the Balkans.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Juncker criticized President Donald Trump for encouraging other countries to copy Brexit and called this enthusiasm "annoying".

"Do not say that, do not invite others to leave, because if the European Union collapses, you will have a new war in the western Balkans," Juncker told Vice President Mike Pence when he visited Brussels earlier this year.

"If we leave them alone  Bosnia Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, Macedonia, Albania, all those countries  we will have war again."
Last month's quickly aborted bid by Kraft Heinz (KHC) to take over Unilever brought into sharp relief the ongoing war between two different philosophies of capitalism. On one side Unilever CEO Paul Polman champions sustainable growth in earnings to raise long-term shareholder value. On the other side KHC and its Brazilian owner 3G advocate maximizing short-term earnings to increase near-term valuation.

Long-term investors' perspective

CEOs of companies aiming for sustainable growth in shareholder value know they must achieve short-term results while they continue to invest in R&D, capital expenditures, global expansion, and people development to sustain their growth. During economic downturns, this can be a difficult balancing act, but nothing less is required.

These long-term value creators use compound growth in revenues, earnings per share, and return on capital invested as measures of longer-term performance. The great value creators of recent decades like Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson, and Disney have mastered the ability to achieve these long-term metrics as well as their near-term goals, thereby sustaining growth in shareholder value.

But this doesn't protect them from activist investors seeking immediate returns.

Traders' perspective

Traders seek immediate gains in stock values to demonstrate above market returns to their investors, with little regard to the long-term future of the companies.

In recent years, fund managers have shifted their focus to cash flow available for shareholder distribution, either through dividends or repurchase of shares, with growing pressure on companies to increase share buybacks. However, there is scant evidence that buybacks produce sustainable increases in shareholder value.

Corporate leaders are thus faced with ongoing tradeoffs between using their cash flow for internal expansion and acquisitions versus increasing dividends and buybacks

Latest battle: Anglo-Dutch Unilever versus Brazilian 3G

Last month's proposed takeover of London-based Unilever by Brazilian private equity firm 3G provided a real-time example of how these conflicting objectives collide.

Unilever's roots date to 1872 with the founding of Margarine Unie and 1885 founding of Lever Brothers. Their 1930 merger as Unilever created the first modern multi-national company with equal roots in Britain and the Netherlands. When Dutchman Paul Polman took the helm in early 2009, he declared bold goals to double Unilever's size from 40 billion Euros to 80 billion by 2020, and generate 70 percent of revenues from emerging markets.
 



Our Divisions

Copyright  2022-23 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved

This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics.
watch now

The consensus on Wall Street is that euroskeptic Marine Le Pen will not be the next president of France. But not everybody is 100 percent committed to that outlook.

One strategist at Goldman Sachs says the market is too complacent about the coming election in the eurozone's second-biggest economy, telling clients in an email that "while the base case is that she won't, it is at best naive, at worst negligent to assume she can't."



Bobby Vedral, global head of Goldman's MarketStrats group, sent the note to clients this week with an analysis showing how it's possible for the populist Le Pen to garner more than 50 percent of the vote in the expected second round of the election. (If no one wins more than half the vote in the first round on April 23, then the top two vote-getters face off in a May 7 runoff.)

Political correctness leads people to lie in the polls. Hence populist candidates benefit from the 'shy vote.' Bobby Vedral global head, Goldman Sachs MarketStrats

The outcome of the election could reverberate far beyond France: Le Pen has called for the country to leave from the European Union. Such a step could prove fatal for the political bloc, which is already reeling from a U.K. vote last summer to leave the union. To be sure, Vedral agrees that the most likely outcome is the one predicted by the polls, which suggest that Le Pen and Emanuel Macron will face off in the second round. Those polls also show Macron getting more than 60 percent in the second round.



However, the Goldman strategist notes data in the polls that raise doubts. When asked who they would vote for in the second round if their candidate lost, an astonishingly high percentage of people answered "don't know"  as high as 42 percent, depending on the candidate. (There are 11 people running.)



watch now
Fresh from provoking global outrage by launching a volley of missiles into the Sea of Japan, cash-strapped North Korea is inviting foreign investors to fund an international cruise liner in a push to boost maritime tourism.

The Mount Kumgang tourist region, a special development zone and port near the reclusive totalitarian nation's border with South Korea, is seeking overseas entities to invest up to $20 million to run a 30,000 tonne casino-equipped ship to Southeast Asia and Vladivostok, in eastern Russia.

"We are trying to diversify international tourism at the world-renowned Mount Kumgang by using cruise ship services," said a statement on the region's official website.

The tourist zone is located next to the country's Kangwon province, where Pyongyang unsuccessfully attempted to test fire a ballistic missile on Wednesday.

Outsider access to North Korea  often referred to as the "hermit kingdom"  is restricted, with a limited number of travelers only permitted on highly choreographed tours.

The country and its people are suffering under stringent international sanctions, which look likely to escalate under Donald Trump's administration in the US. A UN report on the country released this week estimated that two out of five citizens were undernourished, while 70 per cent of the population relied on food aid.

In a bid to sweeten the cruise deal, Mount Kumgang authorities are permitting the development of a casino aboard the vessel. Gambling is strictly prohibited in the country.

"The tourist passenger ships will have a variety of facilities, so 1,000 passengers can experience safe and cultural travel," the statement said, adding that "preferential business conditions will be guaranteed for the ship".

The bid to attract foreign tourists, particularly from Southeast Asia, is likely to raise eyebrows.

A group of Malaysian diplomats remains trapped inside North Korea following a diplomatic spat triggered by the killing of Kim Jong Nam, half-brother of supreme leader Kim Jong Un, in Kuala Lumpur last month.

The Mount Kumgang tourist region was the site of early co-operation between the two Koreas during a period of detente in the early 2000s.

But in 2008 a South Korean tourist was shot by soldiers while walking on a beach, prompting outcry from Seoul and the suspension of tours. Since then relations between the countries have deteriorated.

"I strongly doubt there will be foreign investors who are willing to invest money in North Korea given the current situation," said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University.

"North Korea has been interested in attracting investors to the tourism sector since 2014 in order to cope with international sanctions . . . but they haven't been very active given other developments."



Additional reporting by Kang Tae-jun and Kang Buseong
Health care sure is hard. Very.

The embattled bill seeking to replace major parts of Obamacare was yanked Friday from the floor of the House after it became clear that the measure would be defeated, in large part because of opposition from a relative handful of conservative and moderate Republicans.

And President Donald Trump said that the overall Republican effort in Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare could be suspended for some time, as his administration pivots to the issue of tax reform.

"We were very close, it was a tight margin," Trump said of the bill dubbed the American Health Care Act.

"We have to let Obamacare go its own way for a little while," said Trump, who also predicted that Obamacare is "now likely to explode."

"Obamacare is the law of the land, it's going to remain the law of the land," a disappointed House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc. told reporters.

"We're going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future."

Hillary Clinton, who was defeated by Trump in last fall's presidential race, tweeted, "Today was a victory for all Americans."

The failure of Republican leaders to pass their replacement plan  which they have repeatedly vowed to do  came a day after the seventh anniversary of the signing into law of the Affordable Care Act, as Obamacare is formally known, by President Barack Obama.

NBC News reported that Trump asked that the bill be pulled after it became obvious that the measure would fail in a scheduled vote.

A source told NBC that Ryan, during visit to Trump at the White House earlier Friday afternoon, had "pleaded to pull" the bill after telling the president that the GOP leaders had failed to convince enough of their fellow Republicans to support the plan.

Trump  who had wanted the vote  personally told Washington Post reporter Robert Costa about the move to avoid an embarrassing loss in the House during a phone call, Costa tweeted.

"We just pulled it," Trump reportedly said to Costa about the bill.

Tweet

Trump also told Costa that he didn't blame Ryan for the failure to get the bill passed.

Tweet

Costa told MSNBC that Trump told him that the health-care reform was not going to be pushed in the near future, but added that it might be resurrected before the end of the year.

Trump later called New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who tweeted that the president expected Democrats to be blamed for the aftermath of the suspended vote.

Tweet

Trump, in later statements in the Oval Office, said Republicans were 10 to 15 votes short of what they needed to ensure passage of the bill.

He also said, "I'm a little surprised" to opposition to the bill from the House Freedom Caucus, a group of strongly conservative Republicans.



"We just didn't quite get consensus today," Ryan told reporters. "We came very close."

"This is a disappointing day for us. Doing big things is hard," said Ryan, who noted that moving from an opposition party to a governing party, as Republicans have done in recent months, is difficult.

"This is a setback, no two ways about it," Ryan said. "But it's not the end of the story."

Tweet

The speaker also predicted that "Obamacare is going to get even worse" in the absence of reform of the law.

GOP leaders and Trump have said Obamacare is a failure with premiums and deductibles that are too high, and a lack of choice among insurance plans for customers.

Trump's election as president in November, combined with Republican control of both chambers of Congress, had given the GOP its first real chance to repeal Obamacare in the law's existence.

But an increasing number of GOP House members had declared their opposition to the bill since Thursday night.

Republicans could afford to lose at most 22 members of their caucus in the vote. But as of Friday afternoon, there were 34 GOP House members publicly opposing the bill, according to an NBC tally.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, dealt what he called a "setback" in his first major legislative test with a Republican president, contended that failure to pass an Obamacare replacement should not derail the rest of his agenda, particularly tax reform.

"Yes, this does make tax reform more difficult. But it does not, in any way, make it impossible. We will proceed with tax reform," the Wisconsin Republican told reporters after the House pulled the embattled health-care plan shortly before a planned vote.

Ryan and his party failed to rally the support to pass their bill, faced with opposition from both the party's moderate and conservative wings. The bill, which was estimated to lead to more people uninsured and was unpopular in public opinion polls, could not clear a GOP-majority House.
The casualty numbers from the attacks were also revised with now more than 50 people injured, two in a critical condition. The death toll from the attacks rose to five overnight, with 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south-west London dying from his injuries.

The new arrests were made Thursday night in the West Midlands and north-west England. Nine people remain in custody and 2,700 pieces of evidence have been seized.

In a news conference Friday, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley appealed to the public that if anyone knew the attacker, identified Thursday as Khalid Masood, his associates or recent movements, they should contact the police.

London's Metropolitan Police have made two further "significant" arrests in connection with the attacks on Westminster Bridge and Parliament Wednesday that left five people dead and 50 people injured.

Rowley said London would remain at "double strength" in terms of the number of police officers on the streets and stressed this would be in order to protect and reassure the public in the days after the attack.

On Wednesday afternoon, the suspected terrorist drove a car at speed along the pavement of Westminster Bridge, ramming pedestrians before crashing into a fence near Parliament.

The assailant then ran towards the building which houses U.K. lawmakers and stabbed a police officer before being shot.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May condemned London's worst terror attack in over a decade as "sick and depraved".



Britain's 2005 terror attack saw 52 people killed by Islamist suicide bombers on London's transport network.



Islamic State claimed responsibility for Wednesday's terror attack, according to a statement from its Amaq news agency, however it remained unclear whether the assailant was directly connected to the group.



Police confirmed Masood was born in south-east England and had been living in the West Midlands region until Wednesday.

Tweet 1

"Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack," Rowley said Friday.

"However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH (grievous bodily harm), possession of offensive weapons and public order offences."

The day after the attack, several thousand people gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to attend a vigil and remember the people who had lost their lives. London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the crowd, "Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism."

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


Speaker of the House Paul Ryan with President Donald Trump. Getty Images

Over the years, even prior to announcing he would run for a position in the White House, President Donald Trump has been nothing but vocal when it comes to his thoughts on how health care should work in the U.S. In his book, The America We Deserve, Trump wrote in July 2000:



I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on health. It is an unacceptable but accurate fact that the number of uninsured Americans has risen to 42 million. Working out detailed plans will take time. But the goal should be clear: Our people are our greatest asset. We must take care of our own. We must have universal healthcare. Our objective [should be] to make reforms for the moment and, longer term, to find an equivalent of the single-payer plan that is affordable, well-administered, and provides freedom of choice. Possible? The good news is, yes.

Flash forward to 2014, when Trump was by then a clear opponent to President Barack Obama's now-established Affordable Care Act. In a tweet, Trump referenced how many Americans were being poorly impacted by the ACA: @realDonaldTrump: It's Thursday. How many people have lost their healthcare today? The irony? New data from the Congressional Budget Office suggested Thursday that 14 million fewer people would have health insurance in 2018, should the GOP-proposed American Health Care Act be signed into law. Twenty-four million fewer Americans would be insured by 2026, and by 2026, an estimated total of 52 million people nationally would lack health coverage if the revised bill became law, according to the CBO's projection. By 2015, Trump's stance on health care was more clear. During his announcement speech to become a presidential hopeful, he said the health-care bill put in place by President Obama had to be replaced, "and we can do it." (Or could he?):

We have a disaster called the big lie: Obamacare. Yesterday, it came out that costs are going for people up 29, 39, 49, and even 55 percent, and deductibles are through the roof. You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, to use it, because the deductibles are so high, it's virtually useless. It is a disaster. And remember the $5 billion website? $5 billion we spent on a website, and to this day it doesn't work. I have so many websites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a website.

Repeal and replace! On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump had this to say during a presidential debate hosted by Fox News:

One thing we have to do: Repeal and replace the disaster known as Obamacare. It's destroying our country. It's destroying our businesses. You take a look at the kind of numbers that that will cost us in the year 2017, it is a disaster. It's probably going to die of its own weight. But Obamacare has to go. The premiums are going up 60, 70, 80 percent. Bad health care at the most expensive price. We have to repeal and replace Obamacare.

On Friday Trump tweeted: @realDonaldTrump: After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan! Shortly after, news came Friday afternoon that the Obamacare replacement bill that Trump heavily campaigned on was pulled, no longer being considered on the floor of the House  an agreement he reportedly made with House Speaker Paul Ryan just hours before a vote was scheduled to take place among Republicans. Speaker Ryan has weighed in a time or two on health care, too. In an interview in 2014 the then representative from Wisconsin had this to say about the current state of health care, and how he would change it:

I'd go back to the pre-Obamacare baseline is what I would do. I think that's the way to go. We shouldn't assume we're going to have an explosive entitlement then replace it with our own. I would start over again, quite frankly.

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has fought long and hard beside President Trump of late to repeal and replace Obamacare. Health care is something that has been on McConnell's radar for years. In a 2014 campaign ad, McConnell boasted about supporting government-sponsored health care. The fear at the time was that existing state-run Obamacare marketplaces could, in the coming years, end up turning enrollment operations in private insurance plans over fully to the federally run HealthCare.gov. Over the years, the website suffered many technical failures. Republican Senator Ron Johnson, who has said he was skeptical about the recent Ryan-backed Obamacare replacement bill, had health care on his mind during an address to party members in 2014:

Throughout the health care debate, Republicans have proposed dozens of solutions designed to help control costs and improve quality  without surrendering control of your personal health care decisions to nameless bureaucrats in Washington.

"I don't see enough reforms that will actually bring down the premiums," Johnson said in 2017 regarding the American Health Care Act bill being proposed. And he was right  it hasn't been enough for many fellow Republicans, who didn't get the chance to vote on the health-care proposal Friday. Politicians haven't been the only ones weighing in on the Obamacare vs no Obamacare debate. Here's what Warren Buffett had to say in 2010, in an interview with CNBC, before the ACA became law, when proposals were being tossed back and forth in the Senate:



So I  if the only choice I had in the world was the present system or the present bill, I would take the bill ... But I would much rather see a plan C that really attacks costs. And I think that's what the American public want to see. I mean, the American public is not behind this bill. And we need the American public behind the bill, because it's going to have to do some tough things.
Princeton is scrambling to prevent the release of a trove of its most sensitive admissions documents, including individual student files and information about how the school judges and selects its freshman class.

The data was provided to the Education Department as part of a years-long investigation, making it subject to Freedom of Information Act requests. If those requests are successful and the documents are made public, it could upend the world of Ivy League college admissions, shining an uncomfortable light on what is usually a clandestine process. It would also have the potential to deal a serious blow to affirmative action efforts by elite colleges.

The group pushing to obtain the information is Students for Fair Admissions, an anti-affirmative action group whose founder and president, Edward Blum, has worked for decades to dismantle laws based on race and ethnicity, bringing several successful cases to the Supreme Court.

More from Buzzfeed:

Trump's Critics Are Letting The Bigger Russia Story Slide

Planned Parenthood's President Says Ivanka's Silence On Republican Health Care Bill Is "Deafening"

A Fight Over A Bison Herd In Montana Sets Retired Rangers Against Tribes



Students for Fair Admissions hopes the information will reveal what it has long alleged: that Ivy League and other top colleges are biased against Asian applicants, using race-based quotas or caps to keep down the number of Asians they admit to their tiny, highly selective classes each year.

The cache of "highly sensitive data about applicants," as Princeton calls it, now sits in the hands of the Education Department, which collected the information over the course of almost seven years as part of an internal compliance review within its Office of Civil Rights. Princeton is suing to prevent the Department from releasing it.

"The fact that Princeton has sued suggests that Princeton has something very revealing it wants to hide about its admissions," Blum said.

The university insists the government promised to keep much of the information confidential when it was first turned over, and has taken the highly unusual step of filing a "reverse FOIA"  a request for information not to be released. It says the admissions data violates the Trade Secrets Act and, if released, would seriously damage its image.

Princeton is one of several elite colleges embroiled in battles with Students for Fair Admissions, which has filed a slew of lawsuits and complaints against schools like Harvard, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown. The complaints allege that the schools unfairly discriminate on the basis of race in their admissions process  particularly against Asian-Americans.

The Education Department did its own investigation into the allegations against Princeton, the lawsuit says, and concluded the university didn't discriminate on the basis of race.

But even if it isn't incriminating, the data collected for that investigation is likely to be extremely controversial in the obsessive world of elite college admissions.

"Everyone want to see what goes on behind the curtain," said Mimi Doe, the president of Top Tier Admissions, a college admissions advising company. While it is generally known that top schools give applicants numeric grades and rankings, Doe said, "We haven't seen the qualitative piece of this  the unspoken quotas. What will probably come out is that, for years, colleges have been  just as they did in the 1940s with Jews  saying, 'we don't want this person, because this is a stereotypical Asian applicant.' These kids are penalized because of their race."

The admissions data, Doe says, has serious potential to lay bare some of the Ivy League's other unsavory admissions practices, too, like the preference given to children of alumni and celebrities, or the way that even privileged applicants can be given preference based on race or their status as first-generation students.

"It won't play well for Princeton when that comes out," Doe said. "But it's not illegal."

In 2015, BuzzFeed News reported that a group of Stanford students had found what was essentially a loophole in federal law allowing students to view their own college admissions files.



Elite schools were flooded with requests from curious students desperate to find out what admissions officers had said about them  an onslaught that forced schools like Yale to begin purging their admissions archives, hoping to protect any more files from being released.
Almost 4 in 10 U.S. jobs are at risk from being taken over by robots, according to the latest report from consultancy firm PwC.



The analysis released Friday suggested that 38 percent of U.S. jobs could be at high risk of automation by the early 2030s, higher than the U.K. (30 percent), Germany (35 percent) and Japan (21 percent).

The 15-year timeline does not appear to be shared by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, however. In comments made to Axios Media on Friday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was not worried about the mass displacement of U.S. workers by robots and could be a century before a labor crisis eventuates.

"It's not even on our radar screen ... 50-100 more years," Mnuchin said.

He added that he was "not worried at all" about robots displacing humans in the near future.

"In fact I'm optimistic".
A gas flame is seen in the desert near the Khurais oilfield, near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ali Jarekji | Reuters

Oil prices moved higher Friday after Saudi Arabia said the amount of oil it's exporting to the United States is falling and will stay low, but a consulting firm's data show the drop will be only temporary. Traders focused on the comments because high import levels have played a large part in surging U.S. crude stockpiles, which have dragged down oil prices. "It's been the wildcard every week," said John Kilduff, founding partner at energy hedge fund Again Capital. A Saudi energy ministry official on Thursday told Reuters that crude exports to the United States will fall by 300,000 barrels per day this month and total shipments would remain around March levels in the coming months.

Tanker tracking firm ClipperData does indeed expect the United States to import less crude from Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks, but March loadings of crude oil appear to be headed west from the country  and that likely means the United States. Factoring in a typical seven-week delivery schedule, those Saudi barrels will reach the United States in about a month. "Our projections do not support the comments coming out of Saudi Arabia," said Matt Smith, ClipperData's director of commodity research. "The conclusion really is that even though we're seeing lower arrivals in the coming weeks from Saudi Arabia arriving on U.S. shores, we'll see those imports picking up at the end of April and early May back to normal levels." U.S. stockpiles of crude are at records, so a drop in imports is bullish for oil prices. A decline would also contribute to efforts by OPEC and 11 other producers, including Russia, to shrink global crude inventories through coordinated output cuts. Saudi Arabia has led that effort. Those cuts boosted oil prices back above $50 a barrel late last year. But prices have tumbled in recent weeks as signs of resilient shale oil production and brimming stockpiles in the United States have offset faith in OPEC's production curbs.

watch now

Smith said the Saudi comments appear to be an evolution in the rhetoric that Riyadh and other influential crude exporters have used to try to put a floor under oil prices at times. The market has come to refer to this as OPEC's "verbal intervention." "It seems like it's just one more way that they have of trying to calm fears in the market," he said. The Saudi Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral resources did not immediately return a request for comment. If the ClipperData figures are born out in April, it would show the Saudis' words are not being met by their actions, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. "We're certainly going to see more comments out of members of OPEC in the next six weeks leading into its main meeting with respect to discussing the possibility of extending production cuts through balance of 2017," he said. OPEC members are scheduled to meet in May, when they will review the results of their output agreement and decide whether to extend it by another six months.

Chinese demand and the 'East-West Swing'
Cebu Pacific is set to achieve record results for the last financial year, said Lance Gokongwei, president and chief executive of the Philippines' first budget airline.



"We have about 58 to 60 percent of the domestic market now  And naturally, we benefited from lower oil prices, so we did very well last year," Gokongwei told CNBC's "Managing Asia."

Most of those record profits will be re-invested into acquiring planes with higher fuel efficiency, which will in turn result in more competitive airfares for Cebu Pacific customers, Gokongwei added.

The budget airline is part of JG Summit Holdings, the second largest conglomerate in the Philippines which began as a simple corn starch plant. As president and COO of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings, Gokongwei also holds various leadership roles in the JG Summit's fast-moving consumer goods and property arms.

As premium airlines in the region run into turbulence, Cebu Pacific is going all in with a twofold strategy aimed at improving competitiveness.
The move by the dating app, which is owned by Match.com, comes at a time when it is looking to boost the numbers of paying users, through its premium tier called Tinder Plus. The service costs $9.99 if you're under 30 years old, while it's $19.99 after that.

Dating app Tinder has stepped up its international expansion by hiring executives from major firms like Twitter to operations in countries across Asia and Europe, the company told CNBC on Friday.

Tinder had 1.7 million paid members at the end of 2016, up from 0.8 million the year before. The company does not disclose the number of overall users it has, but Derek Callow, vice president of international at Tinder, told CNBC via email that it has "tens of millions of active users worldwide". Tinder will be hoping to convert more of those into paying subscribers. The executive added that paid members are expected to rise 15 percent this year, for the Match Group - which owns Tinder - as a whole.

Callow said that he could not reveal the percentage of users in Europe, but said the some countries on the continent are in the top 5 markets for the company.

"In terms of Europe, from 2015 to 2016, the number of Swipes on Tinder increased by 63 percent. We're encouraged by this growth in European user activity and intend to propel that adoption forward in 2017," Callow said.

For now, Tinder is not planning to open any international offices, with the headquarters still in California. But this could change "depending on growth over the next 12 to 18 months", Callow explained, with the executive also hinting at further acquisitions.

"As a first step, Tinder is focusing on building out the core team at a country level. Once we've developed a solid and defined ground to stand on, we look forward to bringing a wider team growth and demand for a broad range of skillsets to help us localize," Callow told CNBC.

"We see new opportunities in Europe within the dating and broader social space, and we hope to capitalize on them through product development, acquisitions and partnerships."

Clarification: This article has been amended to clarify that the rise in subscribers refers to the Match Group as a whole.
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told CNBC on Friday that President Donald Trump is indeed done negotiating on the House GOP's Obamacare replacement bill.

Mulvaney also said he's not sure whether Trump has enough votes for passage. But he added: "He's tired of the drawn out negotiations. He's tired of folks always coming up with better ideas, and nitpicking the bill as it is."

"This is not a politician. This is a businessman. And he thinks the time has come to a vote," Mulvaney said.

There may still be some jockeying around the edges on Capitol Hill to try to secure votes, which would be OK, as long as the underlying legislation remains unchanged, Mulvaney said on "Squawk Box." The bottom line, he argued, "The president has his offer on the table."

Mulvaney, formerly a congressman from South Carolina and a Freedom Caucus member, said Trump's ultimatum for a House vote Friday was directed at all House Republicans.

No one group, such as the Freedom Caucus, was being singled out, he said.

The House vote was postponed Thursday after Republican leaders failed to rally enough support to pass the bill because of a rebellion by the conservative Freedom Caucus and moderate Republicans. Trump has demanded the House approve the plan on Friday or leave Obamacare in place.

Many members of the Freedom Caucus don't believe the GOP health bill goes far enough to eradicate Obamacare's framework.

One of them, Rep. Mo Brooks, told CNBC in a separate interview on Friday he's going to vote "no" on what he calls the largest welfare program ever proposed in Republican history. The Alabama Republican wants a "clean repeal" of Obamacare.

Mulvaney said the president wants to repeal and replace, so a "pure repeal" is off the table. He added that getting the votes for passage is the job of House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Majority leader Kevin McCarthy.



Mulvaney warned that the president should be taken at his word that he's ready to let Obamacare stand if the GOP health-care bill fails. Trump is prepared to move on to other legislative priorities such as tax cuts for individuals and corporations and updating the nation's infrastructure systems, he said.



"He has other things he wants to do. Impatient is not the right word. Busy would be the right way to describe this president," Mulvaney said. "He doesn't want to spend the time for the next two, four, six, eight months, whatever it would take. That's what it would take if you let the House go about its own business."



Trump also took to lobbying on Friday, on Twitter:

After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!

The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed optimism about passage.

"I'm optimistic it's going to pass. First of all health care and tax reform are two very different things. What I would say health care is a very very complicated issue," Mnuchin said at a Washington event.

There's been concern about whether a failure of the Obamacare replacement would make the rest of the Trump's agenda harder to get through Congress.

But Mnuchin said he's looking to get "comprehensive" tax reform done on Capitol Hill by the August recess.
Trump also said "No," when asked if he had rushed the bill.

The chances of losing the vote seemed to increase right after Trump spoke when the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, revealed he will vote against the plan.

"See what happens," the president told reporters at the White House, a day after demanding a Friday vote by the House and declaring that he would negotiate no more concessions on the plan.

After shrugging, Trump said: "We'll have to see."

Facing a potentially embarrassing defeat of his effort to repeal and replace major parts of Obamacare, President Donald Trump shrugged Friday when asked what would he would do next if the embattled bill fails in Congress.

President Donald Trump announces the final approval of the XL Pipeline following a meeting with the National Economic Council in the Oval Office of the White House on March 24, 2017 in Washington, DC.

But he said "yes," when asked if Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., should remain as speaker of the House if the bill goes down in flames.

The bill, dubbed the American Health Care Act, has been promoted by Ryan, Trump and other Republican leaders as a tool to undo key sections of the Affordable Care Act, and replace them with new legislation.

Despite the fact that it is a bill pushed by Republicans who control the White House and both chambers of Congress, the plan's biggest threat to passage comes not from Democrats, but from 30 to 40 GOP members of the House who could vote against it.

Some conservatives in the House oppose the bill, or are leaning against it, because it does not go far enough to repeal Obamacare. Moderates have qualms that the bill could lead to steep decreases in the number of Americans with health insurance coverage.

Trump and GOP leaders have offered a series of amendments to assuage concerns of members of Congress. But in doing so, they have may have made it even more difficult to cobble together enough votes to pass it.

Republican leaders postponed the House's scheduled vote for Thursday after it became clear the bill would fail.

Leaders then offered an amendment that would allow states to determine what kind of so-called essential health benefits would be included in health plans, as opposed to the federal government mandating what benefits have to be included.

That change was part of the reason that Frelinghuysen declared himself as a "no" vote on Friday.

"Unfortunately, the legislation before the House today is currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey," Frelinghuysen said in a Facebook post. "In addition to the loss of Medicaid coverage for so many people in my Medicaid-dependent state, the denial of essential health benefits in the individual market raise serious coverage and cost issues."

"I remain hopeful that the American Health Care Act will be further modified. We need to get this right for all Americans," he said.

Additional reporting by CNBC's Jacob Pramuk
Lawyer Jolyon Maugham took an Uber on Monday in London but it was no normal ride. He was on his way to deliver a letter to the ride hailing service's headquarters that could kick off legal proceedings potentially costing the U.S. start-up millions of dollars. Maugham's case revolves around how much tax Uber pays in the U.K. and if successful, could have wide-reaching implications across Europe. Britain has something called value added tax (VAT) which is paid when you buy goods or services. The current rate is 20 percent. Uber pays no VAT in the U.K. because the ride-hailing app does not class its drivers as employees. Instead it says it is connecting riders to drivers. "Uber says that it is a business to business service. It says that it is supplying the taxi drivers with an introduction service but that proposition suffers from two deficiencies. The first is that it doesn't really accord with what you and I would think of as reality because we think that Uber is a consumer facing brand, it's not a business facing brand. So it doesn't look like reality looks like," Maugham told CNBC by phone on Friday. "In an employment tribunal case last year, they found that Uber was engaging its drivers as workers and it also went on to say, and this is the necessary logical consequence of the first proposition, that Uber is supplying transportation services and it is making a VAT-able supply."

Jolyon Maugham Ali Kate Cherkis

The lawyer is referring to a landmark U.K. case last year in which judges ruled that Uber drivers are not self-employed and should get all the benefits of full workers' rights such as holiday pay and pensions. Uber has appealed the decision and it is still ongoing. The company also said that its drivers, not the company, pay VAT. If you are self-employed, you can be liable to pay VAT if your turnover for a 12 month period is over 83,000 ($103,552). But it is unlikely an Uber driver would make this in a year. "Drivers who use the Uber app are subject to the same VAT laws as any other transportation provider in the UK," an Uber spokesperson told CNBC by email. Maugham said that he hopes this will got to the High Court in London to be heard next month. What's at stake here for Uber is large sums of money as well as implications that could span across other jurisdictions. If Uber loses, it will have to increase fares by 20 percent to accommodate for VAT, and could be liable to pay tax on previous revenues it earned. The company has not released its financials in the U.K. for 2016, but Maugham believes it could be liable to pay 200 million ($249 million) in VAT for last year. If Uber loses any potential case, its VAT payments could be assessed across the entire European Union (EU). A rise in fares is not something that will please most Uber users given they use the service for the cheaper prices and convenience. The lawyer said he was not worried about any backlash from the public. "I think there will be a much larger constituency that believes that nobody is above the law and everybody has to pay taxes that parliament demand. Unless these big powerful corporations pay their taxes, society cannot operate. There will be people who will be irritated they have to pay more for their Uber taxi, but think they will be in the minority," Maugham told CNBC.

Travis Kalanick. David Orrell | CNBC
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Friday as traders await a vote for the Republican-led health-care bill.

President Donald Trump warned the Republican members of the House that he will leave Obamacare unchanged if they do not approve the bill.

On the data front, durable goods orders rose 1.7 percent in February. The latest manufacturing PMIs are also due at 9:45 am ET.

On the earnings front, Finish Line reported mixed results, but the stock tumbled more than 10 percent in the premarket.

In Europe, the pan-European Stoxx-600 index was around 0.4 percent lower on Friday. In Asia, the Shanghai Composite in China closed 0.63 percent higher, while the Nikkei in Japan closed 0.93 percent higher.

In oil markets, Brent crude traded at around $50.87 a barrel on Friday, up 0.61 percent, while U.S. crude was around $48.02 a barrel, up 0.7 percent.
First, a quick whisky-making lesson: As a whisky matures in a cask, layers of aromatic molecular wood compounds intermingle with the distilled spirit. This is why younger Scotch whiskies tend to express fruitier and more floral notes. Over time, wood deepens or even silences those delicate flavors, also adding notes such as vanillas, fig, raisin, caramel and tannins, the element that lends a structure to a fine spirit then finessed under the care of a talented whisky maker. Too much tannin and aged whisky tastes like biting into the side of a tree or an orange pith.



Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie's head of distilling and whisky creation, admits that he normally doesn't like really old whisky.

"It's often too woody and dusty," he says.

However, he accepted the challenge from his team to make a rare whisky by exploring some of the oldest aging casks.

"I pushed the envelope as far as I could with this one, to see where the edge of a beautiful whisky could lie," Lumsden says.

The Pride 1974 is a vatting  or marrying  of whiskies matured in two different casks, one in American oak casks that formerly held bourbon, the other in ex-Spanish casks that used to hold Oloroso sherry. 41 years on, a union of liquid matured in these two types of casks became the rare bottling. Single-malt scotch distillers commonly fill their distillate in ex-bourbon or ex-sherry casks, with each type contributing different attributes to the whisky over time.

"I was looking for individual old barrels that would harmonize nicely together and that fans would still recognize as a Glenmorangie, Lumsden says. "Of course, it should also be a reflection of Scotland."

After a nose and a sip, I interpret that to mean lush and wistful, with hints of orange, toffee and chocolate. A whiff of cedar wood  just enough to give it a slightly rugged and masculine character without overpowering the more perfumey attributes, rounds it out. It lingers. It's sublime.
Dawn breaks behind the Houses of Parliament and the statue of Winston Churchill in Westminster, London, Britain June 24, 2016.

The European Commission has repeated that there will be an "exit bill" for the U.K. before it leaves the European Union  something that the U.K. government has refused multiple times. The issue is sparking a lot of controversy just as the negotiations are about to kick off.

President Jean-Claude Juncker of the European Commission told the BBC on Friday that the U.K. "cannot pretend that it was never a member of the union".

"The British government and parliament took on certain commitments as EU members and they must be honoured. This isn't a punishment or sanctions against the UK," Juncker said.

The bill, which has been calculated by EU officials and it includes the UK's share of debts, pensions and unpaid bills, is estimated to be about 60 billion euros ($64.79 billion).
U.S.-England among World Cup matches to screen at The Blue Note

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, The Blue Note will be an oversize sports bar.
Joshua Gilmore has been named the new chief executive officer for the Iron County Medical Center (ICMC) in Pilot Knob.

ICMC's Angie Nations said the search for a new CEO began in December after then-CEO, Terry Nichols, submitted his resignation. Because Nichols provided the hospital a 90-day notice, the hospital's district board enlisted Nichols' assistance in their search and recruitment for his replacement.

Nichols has a long history with the hospital and, as presiding Iron County commissioner, was among a determined group of community leaders who wanted to see a new hospital return to the Arcadia Valley after St. Mary's Hospital closed its doors. Several years after the new hospital opened in 2006, Nichols left the area to become a hospital CEO. He returned to take the helm of ICMC four years ago.

"While we were sad to see Terry leave the CEO position, we do understand the many hours he and his team dedicated over the past four years to making our community medical center what it was intended to be from the time we broke ground," said Kevin Adams, board president. "Terry was ready to move on in his career, but agreed to help us find the right person to take the reins. As a visionary, hands-on professional with commendable career-wide accomplishments, we believe Mr. Gilmore is the right person to continue this mission."

Gilmore holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on health care administration from the University of Colorado at Denver; and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the same institution. Previous positions he has held include chief financial officer for Marias Medical Center in Shelby, Montana; finance director of Tanana Chiefs Co. and chief administrative officer for Columbia Valley Community Health in Wenatchee, Washington.

Gilmore shared his passion for rural healthcare with the district board members during his first week on the job, saying, "I am excited to be allowed the opportunity to put my extensive experience in rural healthcare to use for ICMC and I'm looking forward to working with the amazing team currently in place in their endeavor to grow and improve our services for the local communities we serve. I'm anxious to get to know the people and culture of the Arcadia Valley."

While Gilmore, along with his wife Kristy and their son, Angelo, have relocated to Arcadia, the couple also has a daughter who is attending college in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The services offered by ICMC have greatly expanded in its 11 years of operation. The hospital suffered through some lean years financially, but today is comprised of a critical access hospital with a 24/7 emergency room, along with a rural health clinic and specialty clinic.

The Family Care Clinic has a physician and two family nurse practitioners. The specialty clinic has 14 specialists who hold weekly or monthly clinics in cardiology, electrophysiology, gastroenterology, general surgery, nephrology, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedic, pain management, psychiatry, podiatry, pulmonology, rheumatology and urology.

Ancillary services include laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, physical and occupational therapy, as well as sleep study and swing bed programs.

To learn more about the hospital, visit its website at www.icmedcenter.org.
The ungraceful death of the consumer version of Google Glass in 2015 may have had some grieving the early death of augmented reality. But the technology is being resurrected by companies on the manufacturing floor.

Take for example Lockheed Martin. Technicians at the aerospace manufacturer use Microsoft's Hololens headset to design and examine models of spacecraft such as the Mars lander ahead of it's 2018 mission.

Lockheed Martin Technicians at Lockheed Martin's Collaborative Human Immersive Lab in Colorado examine a model of the Mars lander using Micorsoft's Hololens augmented reality headsets.

The technology is also very useful for training and production.

"At Lockheed Martin, we see the HoloLens being a tremendous benefit in terms of 3D, the speed and quality that we can do our work," says Darin Bolthouse, an engineering manager at Lockheed Martin.

"The ability to pull together all information that the technician has to reference in building a satellite or a space craft and all the other products that we build here, the ability to have all that information available in the HoloLens, and the guided instructions to pull together a product is going to have a tremendous advantage," he said.

Automakers like Volkswagen and BMW have also experimented with augmented reality. The technology proves useful in leaving workers' hands free and making communication between teams easier.

The world's largest aircraft maker, Boeing is also giving augmented reality a shot. The company has used the technology to help technicians navigate the thousands of wires needed to connect a plane's electrical systems, or "wire harnesses," as they are called.

Upskill A Boeing technician working on a wire harness using Google Glass and the Skylight platform from Upskill.

The future or augmented reality is looking good. According to an IDC study, the augmented reality market was worth $209 million in 2016 but is expected to grow to $49 billion by 2021.
Details of President Donald Trump's plans for "extreme vetting" of visa applicants have emerged and they are clearly demanding. Getting a visa will require people from many countries to turn over social media handles, employment history and other information.

These policies are a concern for technical and academic conferences on issues such as supercomputing and artificial intelligence. These conferences often draw attendees from around the globe.

[ To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page. ]

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) conference in February in San Francisco, for instance, was attended by people from more than 40 countries.

Nearly half of the AAAI's 1,818 attendees, a new record, were from outside the U.S. That number included 275 from China, a 76% increase from last year.

"We are very much concerned about the impact in the coming years," said Subbarao Kambhampati, the president of the AAAI and a professor at Arizona State University's School of Computing and Informatics.

The next AAAI conference will be held in February 2018 in New Orleans. Its executive council is already discussing "proactive plans," which include "...letting prospective authors know that we will facilitate remote presentation and participation in the event of their travels being affected by these new restrictions," said Kambhampati.

The extreme vetting program applies to people who are not from 38 countries covered in the visa waiver program, which includes European nations and Australia, but not the Middle East, Africa and most of Asia. These attendees may have to provide quite a bit of information about themselves to obtain a visa.

Diplomatic cables that were obtained by Reuters detail what extreme vetting requires, such as the applicant's travel history over 15 years, prior occupations, phone numbers used in the last five years, as well as all email addresses and social media handles used in that period. It will likely add time to visa processing and may discourage some people from attending conferences in the U.S.

Trump's initial seven-nation ban in late January was rolled out right around the time the AAAI was holding its conference.

"We scrambled to make last-minute arrangements for people who were unable to travel," said Kambhampati. Those efforts included allowing remote presentations by authors outside the U.S.

Trump's first set of executive orders, which were stayed by the courts, didn't have a big impact on the AAAI's February conference.

"While we are doing what we can, clearly we are at best M*A*S*H units trying to ameliorate the adverse impacts in some small ways," said Kambhampati. "Free flow of people and ideas are after all essential for any scientific enterprise."

The large annual supercomputing conference last year, SC16, took place in November in Salt Lake City and was attended by about 12,000 people. This year's theme is "inclusivity" and the event routinely draws people from around the globe.

Taner Akcam, a history professor at Clark University, said the new travel policies "will cost the United States its position as a leading nation in science. Other nations will be able to advance and our country will be the loser in this situation."

The White House policy presents "uncomfortable practices and practical problems," said Akcam. Among the concerns: Will a visa be issued? Will customs authorities grant admission? And can a computer be used on a plane?

"We scholars mostly prepare our talks or last-minute preparations during such a flight," said Akcam. "To ask us not to use the computer is like saying, 'Don't eat or drink.'"
UAE Centennial 2071: Plan on trajectory towards happiness and prosperity

To chart its journey towards happiness and prosperity, the UAE government has made a comprehensive plan titled UAE Centennial 2071 which will usher in a new vision for the country.

'UAE Centennial 2071 is the future vision for the country. Photo courtesy: visitdubai

It encompasses a national strategy to strengthen the countrys reputation and soft power, ensures that the government revenue is diversified, relying less on oil, introduces education programmes focused on advanced IT and engineering and consistently builds Emirati values and ethics for future generations. It also incorporates increasing productivity of the national economy and enhances community cohesion, which are also important aspects of the project. The programme also assumes significance as UAE will complete a centenary of its existence in the year 2071.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched 'UAE Centennial 2071 and said, Our objective is for future generations in the UAE to live happier lives in a thriving environment with abundant opportunity, more connectivity and global influence."

The programme aims to prepare young Emiratis for the future to ensure prosperity, growth and the continuity of the UAE's values. This will create security and happiness, allowing future generations to excel and contribute to making the UAE the best country in the world.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Photo courtesy: mediaoffice.ae

The programme will focus on four main objectives. The first is to develop a flexible government with mindful leadership and a clear vision that prioritises the people and spreads positive messages. The second is to invest in education, focusing on advanced IT and establishing professionalism and ethics in educational institutions. The third is to establish a diversified, globally competitive economy, and the fourth is to consolidate the values of tolerance, social cohesion and respect in society within a comprehensive development plan to make the UAE the best country in the world.

Under UAE Centennial 2071, the government of the UAE will endeavour to become the best government in the world having a long-term vision and inspirational leadership that anticipates, and prepares for, the future. Other objectives include achieving happiness in society and spreading positive messages internally and to the world, developing mechanisms for monitoring long-term variables in various sectors and measuring their impact on future generations, and establishing Youth Advisory Councils to consider young citizens' perspectives when establishing development policies.

In the field of education, UAE Centennial 2071 highlights the role of excellent quality of education. Certain areas of focus in education include advanced science and technology, space science, engineering, innovation and health sciences. Also included is the importance of teaching students to look ahead and instilling a culture of openness by teaching history, culture, the civilisations of other countries and teaching new languages such as Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Other educational measures include teaching students mechanisms for discovering their individual talents early. On the institutional level, educational institutions are encouraged to innovate.

'UAE Centennial' provides comprehensive and holistic development of the country. Photo courtesy: olivia

As far as the economy is concerned, UAE Centennial 2071 seeks to establish a diversified economy by, among other things, increasing the productivity of the national economy, supporting national companies so they may become competitive on the global stage and investing in research and development in promising sectors. In this regard, another objective is to nurture a generation of Emirati inventors and scientists, supporting their contributions.

Community development is an integral part of UAE Centennial 2071. Some objectives in this regard include establishing a secure, tolerant, cohesive and ethical society that provides a high quality of life (including in health and sports). The pillar also focuses on developing programmes to prepare future generations to serve as UAE ambassadors and role models, as well as promoting women's participation in all sectors.
Eight years ago, while still an MP, I wrote an article for this site called: the middle class converts who want to bomb us.

So here it is again  in the light of the news that Khalid Masood, the Islamist extremist who murdered PC Keith Palmer, was a convert, originally called Adrian Elms.

         

The story of Alhaji Umaru Abdulmutallab, and his wicked bomb plot, looks to be a reminder of a vital truth  namely, that Al Qaedas operatives in the west are not Frantz Fanons wretched of the earth: poor Muslims born into their religion and radicalised by Afghanistan or Iraq. Abdulmuttalab appears to be the son of a wealthy banker and former Minister. He was certainly ensconsed in a nice-looking flat in Londons west end. The banker was so concerned about his sons activities that he reported him to the authorities. Lets consider some other cases. Richard Reid, who also tried to blow up an airplane, was a convert to Islam radicalised before the Iraq war. Dhiren Barot, one of AQs main operatives in Britain pre-Iraq, was also the son of a banker, and a convert from Hinduism. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, believed to have murdered the American journalist Daniel Pearl, was privately educated at Forest School, Walthamstow. Omar Khan Sharif, one of two British instigators of the terror attack on Mike Place in Israel, studied maths at Kings College, London. Mohammed Sidique Khan, the leader of the 7/7 atrocity gang, was a teacher radicalised (again pre-Iraq). Jermaine Lindsey, another member of the cell, was a convert. Brian Young, one of the 2005 liquid explosives airplane plotters, was a convert. Nicky Reilly, who tried to blow up a restaurant in Exeter, was a convert. No single factor explains recruitment to violent extremism. Experts offer many  foreign policy or affairs; generational tensions among third or fourth generation Britons of Pakistani origin; the failures of multiculturalism.
Ministers and the public servants they oversee often disagree. Sometimes they do so very strongly  after all, its part of the job of a minister to communicate what the elected government wants, even when that means challenging or over-riding what the civil service, or the various specialists in different arms of the state, want.

Those disagreements happen all the time, particularly under Governments which rein in public spending and which seek to challenge vested interests in the public sector. Since 2010, the Conservatives have done both to some degree, first under David Cameron and now under Theresa May.

Normally, the real barney happens behind closed doors, face to face. Those who are unhappy with what the Minister is up to will express their concerns, either calmly or angrily. The Minister or their advisers will try to explain, and some way will be sought to either smooth things over, reach a compromise or defeat the opposition. Sometimes details of these disputes leak out anonymously  as happened when education officials disliked Dominic Cummingss approach in Michaek Goves war on The Blob, for example.

What almost never happens is for the public servants involved to publicly challenge and denounce a Minister. But this week that has happened  and the unhappy party arent your standard civil servants, theyre the judiciary.

On Monday, Lord Thomas, the Lord Chief Justice, wrote to his colleagues to correct what he called a misleading impression of reforms to court evidence rules. That impression had arisen from interviews in the Sunday Times and Financial Times with Liz Truss, the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor. Two days later, he gave evidence to a House of Lords committee, where he said the Ministry of Justice had misunderstoodcompletely the reforms under discussion.

The detail of this issue is important in itself  it relates to how (or if) the use of pre-recorded evidence will be extended in rape cases. But that this dispute has boken out now is a symptom of a wider problem. What it represents is a severe breakdown of relations between the judiciary and Truss, the Lord Chancellor  described, accurately, by Sir Paul Jenkins, former Head of the Government Legal Department, as unprecedentedand quite extraordinary. The Ministry of Justice hasnt retreated from her comments earlier in the week, but other critics have joined the fray, including Lord Falconer, and todays Times suggests she should take a good look at herself and ask whether she is up to it. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the dispute, her situation is grim and getting worse.

How did it happen?

Despite the suddenness of this flare-up, Trusss trouble didnt develop overnight. Rather, it seems that this row is the product of a series of problems, leading the Lord Chief Justice and his colleagues to feel that this misleading impression was the final straw.

When Truss was first appointed, much was made of her not being a lawyer. That criticism was unfair in itself  she wasnt the first non-lawyer to hold the post, and as The Times puts it, Her lack of legal experience was not necessarily an impediment to being capable in the post, just as military service is not a requirement for an effective defence secretary. Lawyers might want one of their own as Lord Chancellor, but the job was merged with that of Justice Secretary in 2005, and thus the occupant has to combine political and constitutional responsibilities in one person. Sometimes that person will be a lawyer by profession, but they shouldnt always have to be one. Nonetheless, those in wigs were unhappy about the appointment from the off.

Truss then ran into trouble in the aftermath of the High Court decision on Gina Millers Article 50 case. Protesters and newspapers accused the judges of being enemies of the people  something which was their right, whether you like their view or not  and the judiciary was understandably furious. They looked to the Lord Chancellor for a public defence of their role in interpreting the law. The Justice Secretary looked back, and paused, fatally. She was caught on the horns of the job Blair created for her, a politician with a political side to her job also faced with an impartial constitutional role. In the eyes of the judges, she had failed them and her office.

Its notable that Lord Thomas reserved his most severe criticism of her this week for that decision, not for the recent dispute:

I regret to have to criticise her as severely as I have, but to my mind she is completely and absolutely wrong about this, as I have said, and I am very disappointed. I understand what the pressures were in November, but she has taken a position that is constitutionally absolutely wrong.

Lord Judge, a former Lord Chief Justice, went even further, saying at the time that Truss had caused constitutional breakdown by seeking the Prime Ministers views on the issue before commenting.

That is powerful stuff, particularly in the often reserved and dry world of judging. If readers will pardon the pun, it seems a severe and rather final judgement was passed on Truss as long ago as November.

At the same time, other, wider issues played their part in the breakdown of relations. The new Prime Ministers rather stricter approach to Special Advisers had reduced the Justice team to two, limiting the advice and backing available to the Justice Secretary. And while before the judiciary had maintained back channels in Downing Street, by which they could take concerns directly to the Prime Minister, the new broom had swept their contacts out in the summer of 2016, leaving them with fewer lobbying options short of going public.

Having started on difficult terms, and lost a great deal of goodwill in the enemies of the people dispute, the rumbling of other concerns such as those expressed over the video evidence reform was inherently more hazardous than it might be in normal circumstances. While it grew, the prisons crisis boomed into the headlines  forcing Truss and her team to fight fires, including a court case against the Prison Officers Association, while trying to find a way ahead that might solve the issues. Inevitably, that will have further limited the capacity of her office to be fully on top of what was happening on court reform and to try to satisfy judicial concerns.

Between the lines of all this also runs a personal and political thread. One of Trusss responsibilities is the appointment of senior judges, and the competition recently opened for the next Lord Chief Justice. Most of the judiciary assumed that Lord Leveson was the next person on the escalator, and the rightful inheritor of the job. However, when the criteria were announced last month, they were shocked to read that the successful applicant would have to be 65 or younger. That ruled Leveson out  instantly inspiring annoyance at the disruption of what is meant to be a fairly reliable structure of advancement, and suspicion that political sensitivities about Levesons poor standing with the press had been brought to bear on the decision. Embattled, untrusted and over-run with other troubles, Trusss stock among the judiciary fell even further.

Looked at in the round, it isnt so surprising that things have boiled over in the way that they have. If it wasnt this issue then it would have been another  though the suggestion that her comments on video evidence were a sign that she didnt know enough about the courts had the harmful effect of harking back to the original objections to her appointment. Truss herself has undoubtedly been severely wounded by the weeks events, and the judges show little sign of wanting to repair relations.

More fundamentally, though, the saga should raise questions about the combination of Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor into one job. Trusss candidacy wasnt universally popular from the outset, and circumstances have combined into a particularly difficult climate for her, but the structure of the post has only made things more difficult. Twelve years ago, Blair was able to meddle with a constitutional role which had stood for a thousand years. Today, we can see some of the reasons why no-one had taken that approach earlier in the preceding millennium  the politician inhabiting the job has her troubles, but the job itself evidently needs a rethink.
Editors note: Those wanting to be a write-in candidate for the council seat in Ward III are required to file a Declaration of Candidacy at the St. Francois County Clerks office until 5 p.m. today. In the event there is not an eligible write-in candidate, the council will appoint a resident from Ward III to fill the seat until the April 2018 municipal election.

Two current Farmington City Council members are running for mayor. Earlier this year, Mayor Mit Landrum announced he would not be seeking re-election after two terms. The term is for four years. Dennis Smith and Larry Forsythe are running for the office.

Dennis Smith

Smith, 62, has served 14 years as the councilman for Ward III and seven years as mayor pro tem.

Smith served 23 years U.S. Army, retiring as an Airborne first sergeant from XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He worked two years as a Nationwide Insurance agent; three years as the first executive director, St. Francois County Community Partnership (1999-2002). Since 2003, hes worked as the lieutenant/jail administrator at the St. Francois County Sheriffs Department.

He is a former board member of SEMO Family Violence Council and Friends of the Family and is currently on an advisory council at Mineral Area College; board member of St. Francois County Mental Health Board; and board member of (twice past president) United Way of St. Francois County. In addition, he is a life member of the Farmington VFW and member of Farmington American Legion.

Mayor Landrum was undecided about running again this term. I told Mit that as long as he wanted to be mayor he would have my 100 percent backing. We had lunch and he asked if I would run. I have been the mayor pro tem for six-seven years now and have thought about running over the years, but supported Mit. So, with his endorsement, I decided to run.

I want to continue the direction we have been heading under Mayor Landrum. We have seen great improvement in our infrastructure, increases in police and fire personnel, improvement in the way the city is being ran, and we have been good stewards of the citizens money. I want to work with our IDA, the county IDA, and the other cities in our area on economic development  bringing the right mix of businesses to our county and Farmington. Some of the other major things I would like to see is our continued upkeep of our infrastructure, improve east-west traffic routes north and south of the city, and finish the expansion of our airport.

Smith has a business administration degree (minor in Economics) from Campbell University, North Carolina (Magna Cum Laude) and work on MBA at Webster University.

Smith is married for almost 40 years to Pattie M. Smith (Forsythe). He has a son and daughter, two stepdaughters, and nine grandchildren.

Larry Forsythe

Forsythe, 58, has served on the Farmington City Council since 1993.

Forsythe graduated from Farmington High School in 1977. He worked for his father for 10 years, Laclede Gas for 27 and a half years before retiring in July of 2016. He is presently employed at Billy Beard Electric Inc.

He is a member of the Farmington Elks #1765.

Having served as councilmen in two different wards, it seems like the right time to run for mayor. I know I will do my best to represent the town and its citizens as I have since 1993.

For 20 years, Forsythe has been married to his wife, Cindy, and between the couple, are the parents of seven children.

Farmington City Council

There are two contested races for seats on the Farmington City Council. Ward I Councilman John Robinson is running unopposed and no one filed for the seat on Ward III  currently held by Dennis Smith who is running for mayor.

Here are the candidates for the seats in Ward II and Ward IV. Each seat is for a two-year term.

Ward II

Perry Willmore

Willmore, 66, is running for the seat in Ward II.

I have not held an elected office, but think that could be a positive attribute. I believe it is an ideal time to bring fresh eyes and fresh ideas to our city government, and based on my education and background would be an asset to our city council.

Willmore retired after more than 45 years as a healthcare executive with a primary focus on Supply Chain Management. He worked in hospitals in Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin and received several awards for Supply Chain excellence. He is currently working as a Healthcare Supply Chain consultant. He served in the U.S. Army for eight and one-half years during and after the Vietnam War, achieving the rank of staff sergeant.

He is a member of the American Legion.

My father was a prominent business man in Farmington for several decades, and anyone who knew him, knew how much he loved Farmington and its citizens. I share that same passion and commitment to our community. We have had significant infrastructure issues in Ward II and in my opinion, they have been neglected by some members of our city government. Even as far back as being a young Eagle Scout, I have always tried to live my life recognizing that all men are created equal, and I dont believe that has been truly recognized throughout our community. I think the city has done some very nice things, but have failed in recognizing the needs of all citizens. I have spoken to a number of people in our community, and we have some citizens that have a distrust of our city government. I am hoping I can help to rebuild that trust. The needs of all of our citizens should be recognized and money funded accordingly. My commitment is to focus on the genuine needs of our community.

Farmington is a great community to raise a family and I am committed to making it a great community for everyone. Since I am retired, I have the time to dedicate to the city council and the needs of the community.

Willmore has an Associate Degree  Management and Supervision, St. Louis Community College; Bachelor Degree  Management, Webster University, St. Louis; Master Degree  Health Services Management, Webster University in St. Louis.

Willmore is married and has one daughter and two grandsons.

John Crouch

Crouch, 70, is the incumbent running for the seat in Ward II. He was first elected to the seat in 2015.

Crouch has been certified public accountant for 44 years. He is a founder and senior partner of Crouch, Farley & Heuring PC.

He served with the U.S. Army for two years during the Vietnam War.

Crouch is a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, Missouri and American CPA Societies, and the Farmington Regional Chamber of Commerce.

I was born in Farmington. I have lived and worked here most of my life. I have always felt fortunate to live and work in a growing and progressive community. I think a major reason for this is the strong leadership we have been blessed with over the years. With my years of experience in finance and business, I think I can help continue this tradition of leadership.

He graduated from Farmington High School in 1965, as well as the University of Missouri  Columbia, Bachelor of Science in accounting; University of Illinois  Champaign, Masters in accounting.

Crouch and his wife, Kathy, have one daughter, Jennifer Crouch, M.D.

Ward IV

Vanessa Pegram

Pegram, 40, works at Express Scripts, the largest Fortune 500 Company in Missouri.

Working at such a large institution comes with great responsibilities but is also very fulfilling. I am a senior data analyst, which means I work to ensure people are not given different medications that could have negative side-effects when taken together. Currently Im leading an effort to help combat the opioid-addiction problem affecting families all across our country. Before my corporate career, I worked at the non-profit Goodwill for over a decade. I transformed the way technology was utilized to help the organization be more efficient and effective.

Our retiring Ward IV City Council member Garrett Boatright thought I would be a good replacement to fill his spot and Ward IV representative, Mark Kellogg agreed. They asked if I would be interested in running. After careful consideration, my husband and I agreed it would be a great opportunity to give back to our area. My husband owns his law-practice and we have many friends in town that operate small businesses. I would like to ensure our town continues to grow and prosper. I also want to help make our community as safe as possible as the mother of two young children.

She graduated from Missouri State University with a degree in Computer Science.

Pegram and her husband, Seth, are the parents of two children.

Andrew Hardy

Andrew Hardy did not return the questionnaire before deadline.

City Attorney

Three candidates are running for the two-year term of city attorney. The seat is currently being held City Counselor Scott Reid, who was appointed after the resignation of Kevan Karraker earlier this year. Karraker stepped down to focus on his private practice.

Kevin Kellogg

Kellogg, 29, has been an attorney in the office of Tom R. Burcham, III in Farmington since the fall of 2015. This is his first time to run for public office.

As an attorney, I have worked with many local and regional businesses, members of the community and other civil matters. Prior to being an attorney I had a varied work history from working as a landscaper, various roles in service industry and as a law clerk.

I decided to run for city attorney after seeing my parents, friends, and colleagues going out of their way throughout my time in Farmington to make our community a better place to live. After my education, I returned to Farmington and it is now my goal to aid them in this pursuit. As the city attorney, I would work to ensure that the laws of our city are fairly upheld and that Farmington remains the great community that it is. I am the youngest of the candidates running for office and I believe that it is crucial for the younger members of our community to be active in the local government in order to maintain Farmingtons course in the future.

Kellogg received his bachelors degree from Missouri State University in 2009. He received his J.D. degree in 2014 from the University of Marylands Francis King Carey School of Law, graduating cum laude.

He is the son of Mark and Theresa Kellogg of Farmington.

Ben Campbell

Campbell, 40, is an assistant prosecuting attorney for St. Francois County.

He has served as an adjunct professor in the business department at Mineral Area College and worked in the Missouri Public Defenders office from July 2004 to January 2012.

Campbell is a member of the 24th Circuit Bar Association, Ducks Unlimited and Immaculate Conception Church.

I have dedicated the majority of my legal career to public service. My assets would be perfect for the job as Farmington city attorney. Living here in Farmington for the last 13 years of my life and raising a family I have really come to appreciate this community and want an opportunity to give back.

He received his undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University in 1999 and from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2002.

He and his wife, Veronica, are the parents of two children.

Julie McCarver

McCarver, 38, is the owner of McCarver Law Firm, LLC in Farmington.

She also serves as the prosecutor for the city of Park Hills. Shes worked as an associate attorney at Kramer & Hand, LLC and Brown & James, P.C.; as a law clerk at office of Darryl W. Graves, Lawrence, Kansas; a municipal judge in University of Kansas Municipal Court, Lawrence, Kansas; and city prosecutor in city attorneys office in Topeka, Kansas.

She is a member of MMACJA (Missouri Municipal & Associate Circuit Judges Association), Missouri Bar Association and Kansas Bar Association. McCarvers honors include The American Society of Legal Advocates, Top 40 Criminal Defense Lawyer Under 40, State of Missouri, 2017; The National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, 2014, 2015 and 2016; American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, Client Satisfaction Awards, 2014, 2015 and 2016; The National Trial Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40, 2014; Avvo.com, Excellent Attorney rating, 2013, 2014, and 2015; Avvo.com, Superb Attorney rating, 2016 and 2017; Missouri Bar Fee Dispute Program Arbitrator and Mediator, 2013  2017; Nominated for Lon O. Hocker Trial Attorney Award in 2010.

This is the first time for McCarver to run for office. She was appointed to the positions in Park Hills and Topeka.

When I realized the Farmington city attorney position had become available, I immediately sent in my resume to the city and I offered to fill in temporarily for this position, as I have had prior (and current) experience in this exact position in two other cities. The city informed me that I could not run for this position if I filled in temporarily for this position, as this would give me an unfair advantage. The city also informed me that if I were not planning on running for this position, then they would of course hire me to fill in temporarily because I am very qualified for this position. When I heard this, I decided that if I am very qualified for this position, then I should run for this position.

I very much enjoy working in my current position as city prosecutor/city attorney for the City of Park Hills, and I would be honored if I could do the same for the City of Farmington.

McCarver and her husband, Associate Circuit Court Judge Shawn McCarver, have been married for more than 10 years, and have a 9-year-old daughter.
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 Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
The U.S. CIA has had tools to infect Apple Mac computers by connecting malicious Thunderbolt Ethernet adapters to them since 2012, according to new documents purported to be from the agency and published by WikiLeaks.

One of the documents, dated Nov. 29, 2012, is a manual from the CIA's Information Operations Center on the use of a technology codenamed Sonic Screwdriver. It is described as "a mechanism for executing code on peripheral devices while a Mac laptop or desktop is booting."

Sonic Screwdriver allows the CIA to modify the firmware of an Apple Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter so that it forces a Macbook to boot from an USB stick or DVD disc even when its boot options are password protected.

For example, Sonic Screwdriver can be used to boot into a Linux live CD so that the Macbook's partitions and data can be accessed from outside macOS, the manual says.

More importantly, an adapter modified by Sonic Screwdriver can be used to execute Der Starke, a fileless macOS malware program that has a persistence component installed in the computer's EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface).

The EFI or UEFI is the low-level firmware that initiates and configures the computer's hardware components before starting the actual operating system. It is the modern equivalent of the BIOS.

An EFI implant, or rootkit, can inject malicious code inside the operating system's kernel during the boot process and will survive even if the OS is fully reinstalled or the hard disk drive is changed.

Der Starke is described in another CIA document that was leaked Thursday as "a diskless, EFI-persistent version of Triton," which is "an automated implant for Mac OS X" -- spying malware that can steal data and send it to a remote server.

An older implant, and possibly Der Starke's precursor, is described in a document from 2009 for Macbook Air computers under the codename DarkSeaSkies. It too has an EFI persistence module and includes a user-space module codenamed Nightskies.

What's interesting about Nightskies is that it was ported to the Macbook Air from a version for iPhones. According to WikiLeaks, the iPhone version of Nightskies is designed to be physically installed onto factory fresh phones.

This suggests that the CIA is compromising the supply chain and is potentially intercepting and infecting electronic device shipments before they reach the final buyer. Documents leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013 suggested that the U.S. National Security Intelligence Agency engages in similar practices.

The ability to install rootkits inside the EFI of Mac computers is not new. Australian security researcher Loukas K, better known in the security community as Snare, presented a proof-of-concept EFI rootkit for Macs at the Black Hat security conference in 2012. Snare has since been hired by Apple.

In 2014, another security researcher named Trammell Hudson developed a way to infect the EFI of Mac computers through malicious Thunderbolt devices. Apple fixed some of the vulnerabilities that made that attack possible, but the following year Hudson created another version of the exploit, dubbed Thunderstrike 2, together with researchers Xeno Kovah and Corey Kallenberg.

Apple again fixed some of the vulnerabilities that made Thunderstrike 2 possible, and a few months later the company hired Kovah and Kallenberg.

Giving that Apple now has at least three security researchers who specialize in EFI attacks and that the company has hardened its firmware against such exploits significantly since 2012, it's possible that the CIA's Der Starke's implant doesn't work on the company's latest devices.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ability to bypass EFI password protection and boot from a peripheral device's Option ROM has also been known since 2012 and was actually mentioned in Snare's Black Hat presentation. This method, which is used by the CIA's Sonic Screwdriver Thunderbolt adapter was finally blocked by Apple in macOS Sierra 10.12.2, released in December.

After WikiLeaks released the first batch of CIA documents earlier this month, Intel Security released a tool that can help computer administrators verify if the EFI/UEFI has any malicious code.

During a press conference Thursday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said that newly released documents are just a small part of the cache of CIA documents that his organization has but has not yet published.

WikiLeaks previously promised to share unpublished information about CIA exploits and vulnerabilities with technology companies with affected products. The organization then asked vendors to agree to certain terms before it discloses the information.

Assange clarified Thursday that those terms don't involve money or anything like that, but rather a commitment from vendors that they will patch any flaws disclosed to them within an industry standard time period of 90 days -- with a possible extension for hard-to-fix vulnerabilities.

Your comments can be leaked to our Facebook page.
He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.





Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.





Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.



A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.



He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.









Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

One month after her violent death in Bridgeport, the body of Nidia Yubi Gonzalez rests, buried in her home town of Monjas, Jalapa, Guatemala.

Oscar Zyggy Hernandez, her alleged killer and the father of her child, sits in a cell in Bellefonte, Pa., 4 miles down the highway from where his interstate manhunt ended after a high-speed chase.

The couples 6-year-old daughter, who Hernandez took with him when he fled Bridgeport, now lives with a maternal aunt in Stamford, according to a family member in Connecticut. He asked that his name not be released for privacy reasons.

The slaying became a national story after Hearst Connecticut Media confirmed that Hernandez, 39, who is from El Salvador, was a once-deported criminal living in the U.S. illegally. He had a prior conviction for domestic violence involving a Stamford woman.

The relative confirmed that the victims family received support from the Guatemalan government to repatriate Gonzalezs remains, a service that the consulate offers regardless of the cause of death.

We paid part of the funeral arrangements and coordinated with the funeral home for her to go back to Guatemala, said Maria Andrade, community liaison for the Consulate Guatemala in New York City.

Gutemalan Ambassador Consulate General Pablo Garcia attended Gonzalezs Connecticut funeral, according to Andrade, and her casket was sent a few days later.

Police have also said that Hernandez stabbed a friend of Gonzalez during the same incident. Police said she was initially in critical condition, then stabilized. Bridgeport police would not provide an update on her condition Friday.

As this is an active investigation, we do not have any additional details to release on the surviving victims condition, for the safety and privacy of the victim, Bridgeport Police spokeswoman Rowena White said.

Its unclear if the woman is still in the hospital.

Hernandez has not yet been charged in Connecticut. His extradition hearing in Pennsylvania was delayed for a month after the court failed to provide a Spanish translator at his first appearance. If he waives his extradition rights at hearing scheduled for April 5, Bridgeport police will drive down and get him. At that point, he would be formally charged.

(We) will send detectives .. for the extradition of Hernandez to (Connecticut), White said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Antonio Frezzie Freeland, 27, of North Carolina, was sentenced to this week after being convicted in a high speed chase and drug trafficking case connected to a ring of heroin and cocaine dealers in Connecticut.

Freelands latest journey to the gavel started on I-95 South near Exit 10 just after noon on May 4 when he fled a police stop, leading state troopers on a chase that reached speeds in excess of 110 (mph), according to a statement from the office of U.S. District Attorney Dierdre Daly.

Along the route, police would later find 370 grams (0.8 lbs.) tossed on the shoulder of I-95. Around a mile from the New York State line Freeland attempted to exit the freeway, rear-ending an unsuspecting minivan on the ramp of Exit 2. The occupant of the car suffered minor injuries.

Freeland, who has several robberies, firearm and narcotics convictions on his record, was the driver of the speeding car and also charged with reckless driving, reckless endangerment, interfering with police and engaging police in pursuit.

He was sentenced to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release on Wednesday.

In a way, Freeland was lucky, because he didnt yet have possession of the drugs which, according to the DOJ, he intended to bring back to NC with the colleague and owner of the car, Michael Lundy, of Raleigh.

Those drugskilos of heroin and cocainewere found at the business and home of his passenger, convicted killer and racketeer Wilfredo Gutierrez.

A search of Bobby Gutierrezs Stamford residence revealed a quantity of cocaine, $25,916 in cash and other items used in the trafficking of narcotics, Daly said in the release. A search of Gutierrezs girlfriends residence revealed $47,316 in cash, more than three kilograms of cocaine, and two firearms, and a search B & B Deli revealed two digital scales, two large ziplock bags containing what appeared to be cutting agents, and five cellphones.

He was sentenced to 180 months last week after he was found with ten kilos of heroin.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Heather Cherry, and relied on investigation by the DEAs Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. That includes members from the Bridgeport, Stamford, Stratford, Norwalk, Milford and Trumbull Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.
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.
BRIDGEPORT - This is a family event, Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testa said as the two ballrooms in his North End Italian restaurant began to fill up Thursday evening. Its a little family get together.

True, there were plenty of good friends and others who forced themselves to be cordial for the affair. And they all eventually tucked in to like mama-used-to-make bowls of ziti topped with red sauce and grated cheese.

But the event departed from Testas little family get together with the cost of admission: $500 to $1,000 checks for Mayor Joe Ganims bid for a second term - over two years from now in 2019.

This is basically announcing my re-election, Ganim said in a brief interview as he greeted guests.

Is it too soon? Ganim, who ran the city from 1991 until 2003, has only been back in office a year and four months. He won the 2015 Democratic mayoral primary, then the general election, and was sworn in Dec. 1 of that year.

I think its the right time, the mayor said. Look at the crowd. This is a phenomenal turnout.

The man he ousted in 2015, then-Mayor Bill Finch, had gotten a similar jump on fundraising in spring 2013.

It is unclear who might try to force a primary against Ganim. State Sen. Marilyn Moore, who is considered an independent not closely tied to or reliant upon the Testa and Ganim crowd, has been floated as a contender.

There were plenty of familiar faces from Ganims successful comeback campaign, many now on the city payroll. But one municipal employee confided they felt that skipping the evening was not an option.

Local business leaders, heads of statewide unions and lobbyists from the capitol in Hartford also showed up.

Police Sgt. Jim Ivanko - his union endorsed Ganim over Finch - was one of the non-political faces in the crowd.

Thanks for everything you do, Ganim said to the casually-dressed cop.

We still have work to do, but I see things going in a much more positive direction, Ivanko said in an interview.

Other guests had backed Finch and, after he fell to Ganim in the primary, petition candidate Mary-Jane Foster.

I want to see him do well, the city do well, absolutely, said one of those - Bruce Barrett, who runs a billboard company and the Brewport craft beer and pizza joint downtown. The king is dead, long live the king. It means support the people here and help them do well. And so far (with Ganim) it looks good.

Speaking of kings, Connecticuts Democrat-dominated cities can be political kingmakers. Two potential gubernatorial contenders - Comptroller Kevin Lembo and state Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr., D-Branford - stopped by.

I must say I am very surprised how well attended it is, said another out-of-towner, Frank Farricker, the former Democratic Town Poobah in Greenwich who is chairman of the Connecticut Lottery Corp.

There has been some talk that Ganim is eyeing a run for statewide office - lieutenant governor? comptroller? - in 2018. But many attendees confided they were skeptical, and Ganim insisted his focus is on 2019 in Bridgeport.

The first year (back) or so was laying the foundation for great things to happen, the mayor said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Connecticuts Democratic congressional delegation breathed a sigh of relief Thursday as a vote on a replacement health care plan for Obamacare was delayed, and begged their GOP counterparts to abandon it altogether.

We can all agree the Affordable Care Act (Obamacares formal name) is not perfect, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., said in a conference call. But this bill is pay more and get less. 

Despite daylong pressure from President Donald Trump and House Republicans to round up sufficient votes, the GOP leadership decided to halt the vote when the math for passage didnt add up.

In a meeting with trucking-industry representatives before the decision, Trump predicted the vote would be close because of politics.

Lawmakers know its no good, Trump told reporters, referring to Obamacare. Everybody knows its no good ... We have a great bill and I think we have a very good chance. But its only politics.

But Connecticuts Democratic lawmakers argued precisely the reverse  that despite flaws, Obamacare has resulted in wider coverage for low-income children and families, those with costly and potentially fatal diseases, and older policy holders just below Medicare age.

The GOP bill, by contrast, imposes an age tax on older Americans, and their care will become unaffordable, Rep. Rosa DeLauro said on the same conference call. The result is, Americans will pay more to give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.

Also on the call were health care practitioners and advocates who said demolishing Obamacare and replacing it with the GOPs American Health Care Act would hit particularly hard on those in need of mental health care, HIV and AIDS care and treatment for substance abuse.

Susie Clayton, a North Canaan selectman and breast cancer survivor, recalled how the night Obamacare passed in 2010, I wept knowing help was on the way. Obamacare saved us!

Among the White House fixes to the Republican bill aimed at wooing recalcitrant conservatives is removal of the essential benefits package  the Obamacare list of what insurance must cover, like prescription drugs, hospital care and womens reproductive health care.

This is exactly the wrong direction, said Esty. Essential benefits are what keep Americans healthy.

Republicans have decried inclusion of essential benefits because they force men, for instance, to pay for maternity coverage, and women to pay for prostate-cancer treatment, rather than tailoring insurance to individual needs.

Advocates counter that such cherry-picking would destroy the risk-pool mixture of healthy and sick necessary to sustain insurance financially.

Lawmakers scratched their heads over what comes next for the Republican majority  and whether any GOP replacement package could pass both the House and Senate. Fixes that would appeal to conservatives alienate GOP moderates, particularly in the Senate  and vice versa in the House.

Democrats, meanwhile, are on the sideline, unwilling to participate in any GOP scheme that involves the destruction of Obamacare.

Doubling-down to appeal to House conservatives is reverse alchemy, said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. Its turning gold into lead.

Connecticut Democrats implored Republican counterparts to cast off their long-term promise to repeal and replace Obamacare and to instead work with Democrats to improve it.

I beg my Republican colleagues to abandon this train wreck of a bill, and allow both Democrats and Republicans to write a new bill that keeps what works and fixes what doesnt, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. The health and lives of the people who elected us depend on us getting this right.

 dan@hearstdc.com
FAIRFIELD - A New Britain man was charged with following a woman to a highway rest stop where police said he asked her to perform a sex act on him.

Awad Awad, 31, of William Street, New Britain, was charged with second-degree stalking and breach of peace. He was released after posting $5,000 bond.

State police said they were dispatched to the Interstate 95 northbound rest area. A 37-year-old New York woman told troopers she had been driving to Vermont when she stopped at the Darien rest area at about 3 p.m. to get something to eat.

The woman returned to her car in the rest area parking lot and was sitting there eating when state police said a man wearing a knit hat walked over to the drivers side of the womans car and began staring at her while eating M&Ms.

State police said the woman told them she became uncomfortable with the man staring at her and drove from the rest area. She then pulled into the rest area parking lot in Fairfield to finish her meal.

But a few minutes later, police said the same man came up to her drivers side again. This time he leaned up against the window and asked the woman to perform a sex act on him, flicking his tongue at her, police said.

The woman took a photograph of the man with her cell phone and then drove her car up to the rest area building and ran inside. A cashier inside then called police.

State police said they identified the alleged stalker as Awad from the photograph. When they later confronted him they said he told them it was just a coincidence running into the woman at the second rest area and denied making a lewd comment to her.
STORY LINK GBP CHF Exchange Rate Slides after EC President Confirms Brexit ?Divorce Bill?

GBP Slumps after Junckers Brexit Bill Comments

I am [in] anything but in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain. We will negotiate in a friendly way, a fair way, and we are not naive.

It will be a bill reflecting former commitments by the British government and by the British parliament. There will be no sanctions, no punishment, nothing of that kind.

Weekly GBP Prediction: Are Heavy Losses due on Brexit Beginning?

CHF Demand Steady despite Falling Gold Costs

CHF Forecast for Limited Movement Next Week on Short Data Supply

Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues:

With direct UK data in short supply today, the GBP CHF exchange rate has dropped by -0.4%. This follows discouraging remarks from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.Commenting on how Brexit negotiations might proceed, Juncker stated;Despite this bonhomie, however, Juncker warned that the UK would have to pay a leaving bill that potentially costs around 52bn;Brexit will remain a key influencer of the Pound next week, with the actual process of leaving the EU officially starting on Wednesday.Prime Minister Theresa May is due to activate Article 50, meaning that a heavy Pound to Franc depreciation is likely on the news.Wednesday will also bring the GfK confidence score for March which may extend Pound losses if it falls further.Ending next weeks UK news will be finalised Q4 GDP growth stats on Friday. Forecasts have been for a quarterly rise but an annual slowdown, so the Pound may end up falling overall on the news.The Francs gains against the Pound today have been enabled by Q4 current account data, which has shown a rise from 20.6bn to 22bn.Commodity movement has been less helpful, with the cost of gold falling from around $1250 per 100 ounces to $1244.This cost could spike back up in the future, if waning confidence in the US drives traders towards gold as a safehaven.The price of gold is expected to remain a relevant influencer of the Swiss Franc against the Pound next week, given the sparse data releases.On this front, Wednesdays main news will be the UBS bank consumption indicator.The other major news will be Thursdays leading indicators figure, which predicts possible future changes in the national economy.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

TAGS: Pound Swiss Franc Forecasts
What to do in Pennsylvania if you made an error on your mail-in ballot

The state Supreme Court recently ruled that undated or incorrectly dated mail ballots cannot be counted. Here's what voters can do about an error.
Andrew Phifer (top), president of Stonewall Tigers, an LGTBQ+ and straight alliance organization at the University of Memphis, poses with group member Bubba Garrett (bottom). The group plans to hold their Pride Week next week at the U of M.

The Stonewall Tigers, an LGTBQ+ and straight alliance organization at the University of Memphis, will celebrate Pride Week March 27-31 on campus to bring recognition to the existence of a unified community.

The organization encourages people of all backgrounds to come together in a judgement-free zone to build an accepting space for students, said Andrew Phifer, vice president of the Stonewall Tigers and journalism major.

Its a safe place on campus for people in the LGBTQ community to come and not feel judged, and meet people who identify in their way, Phifer said. Its also for straight people on campus to come and show their support to let others know theyre there if you need them.

Its the organizations first year doing the weeklong celebration, and different events will be held Monday through Friday free of charge for any students who would like to participate.

The week starts out with our pride parade, which will be a parade around campus, and its not just about LGBTQ pride, Phifer said. Its kind of turned into this only love parade about loving yourself  loving diversity and loving everyone equally, no matter their race, sexuality or gender.

For the Stonewall Tigers, pride week has become something, not just for the administration, but for the student body to have a voice, Phifer said.

Were actually here to make a positive impact on campus, Phifer said. So, by doing this, were really putting it at the forefront of the campus to make sure they know were here, and were not going to be quiet and to make sure our rights are respected as much as everyone else on campus.

Bubba Garrett, a general member of Stonewall Tigers, said he joined the organization to find a community and cant wait for pride week.

Im super excited about Pride Week because its been our biggest event in the works since last semester, Garrett said. Weve worked really hard to develop our face for the campus, and the gay community is under a really intense microscope  Everyone is looking at us because were gay, or bisexual or whatever else. So, weve made sure were super on point with everything we do.

Pride Week is going to be an awesome week, said Joshua Taylor, president of the Stonewall Tigers.

My main involvement is the Monday event with the pride parade and the only love gallery, which is a photo booth we did last semester for students to celebrate love and diversity, and were displaying those photos in one big gallery in the UC after the parade, Taylor said.

Keith Boykin, a CNN commentator who is open about his sexuality, will speak about his Diversity without Division program at Wednesdays event. The Stonewall Tigers Pride Week is open to anyone in the community, students and non-students who want to be involved in the celebration of diversity.

Andrew Phifer (top), president of Stonewall Tigers, an LGTBQ+ and straight alliance organization at the University of Memphis, poses with group member Bubba Garrett (bottom). The group plans to hold their Pride Week next week at the U of M.
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser
The Islamic States battlefield news agency yesterday bragged that the attack on Westminster was carried out by a soldier of the Islamic State. Yet he did not wield a Kalashnikov, nor wear combat fatigues.

The truth is that most European recruits to the Islamic State who travelled to fight in Syria and Iraq are long dead  often after being encouraged to launch similar suicide cars against their enemies.

ISIS is not blind to this fact. For some time, the terror group has been canny enough to see that its collapsing caliphate  mercilessly pummelled from the air by international powers, and battered on the ground by vengeful local forces  could not survive for much longer.

So the leadership has developed a new strategy.

For Islamic States commanders in Syria, London was always the real prize. Above, the aftermath of the Westminster attack

The future, they realised, lies in what you might call a virtual caliphate, open to anyone with an internet connection and a lemming-like interest in sacrificing their own life in the name of radical Islam. Such an amorphous organisation, they correctly reasoned, would be almost impossible to destroy.

Ironically enough, the architect of this new strategy is also dead. In an infamous audio message in September 2014, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, the Syrian-born official spokesman of the Islamic State, released an audio message upping the ante against Western civilians in the light of the military campaign that was being accelerated against ISIS.

Kill him in any manner or way however it may be, he advised. Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him.

A video claiming responsibility for the Nice attacks (pictured) in July 2016 warned that the UK would be next

Until this week, Britain had foiled or avoided an Islamic State-inspired attack. This may be partly due to the efforts of MI5 and the listening centre at GCHQ, which together say they have stopped a number of serious terrorist plots.

Some young Europeans took his advice quite literally. From the French and Belgian citizens behind the terror attacks on Paris in November 2015, to the Belgians behind the three co-ordinated suicide attacks in Belgium a year ago, the Islamic State has had no shortage of recruits on the Continent.

For Islamic States commanders in Syria, however, London was always the real prize. A video claiming responsibility for the Nice attacks in July 2016 warned that the UK would be next.

Another, in January last year, featured horrible executions performed by the Paris attackers, and concluded with an image of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in sniper sights before fading to black. This was a warning that, in their eyes at least, the best was yet to come.

Until this week, Britain had foiled or avoided an Islamic State-inspired attack. This may be partly due to the efforts of MI5 and the listening centre at GCHQ, which together say they have stopped a number of serious terrorist plots.

The same technology, however, which has been such a powerful weapon for the UK Government, is also being deployed with great skill by the terrorists to further their own aims.

ISIS knows it can never fire a ballistic missile at this country, but it can still leak poison into our society thanks to the endless dark corners of the worldwide web.

And whats frightening about Islamic States impressively produced internet propaganda  using images of its gory murders in Syria and Iraq  is that its not simply a military afterthought, but a powerful new weapon of war.

A book written about the methods employed by Islamic State suggested that around ten Britons were working in the Syrian city of Raqqa to disseminate online propaganda around the world.

The aim of this material is to desensitise new Islamic recruits into doing appalling things.

This so-called jihadi web is impossible to shut down and very easy to reach, if you know where to look.

It is a Pandoras box of encrypted internet applications and anonymised chatter, which includes advice on everything from how to improvise bombs to how to drive a car into pedestrians with deadly effect.

To impressionable minds with festering grievances against their own societies, this cult of Islamist martyrdom  with its injunction to do anything to fight back  is a toxic combination

To impressionable minds with festering grievances against their own societies, this cult of Islamist martyrdom  with its injunction to do anything to fight back  is a toxic combination.

It helps explain why men like Michael Adebolajo, the murderer of Lee Rigby, and now Khalid Masood can suddenly emerge from a kind of hibernation like vampires and, with bloodlust in their eyes, go berserk.

Like many of the Britons seeking to contact Islamic State, its possible Masood was in touch with ISIS link men using encrypted messaging applications like WhatsApp and Telegram, which cannot easily be spied upon by our security services. As an investigative journalist, Ive received communications from some of these link men myself.

It takes more than the internet, of course, to explain why a Birmingham man like Masood gave up his life and took others in such appalling fashion.

If hes anything like the hundreds of other British recruits, Masood is unlikely to have spent much time at the mosque.

More likely he joined, or was on the periphery of, one of the tiny Islamist sects which fester in this country, such as the banned group Al-Muhajiroun, or Islam4UK, propagated by the now jailed preacher of hate Anjem Choudary.

Outfits like this feed off a deep reservoir of embittered boredom in our inner cities, and prey on broken, lost, often disturbed men who are in need of an identity  or redemption from a career in petty crime.

Its possible that Khalid Masood had psychiatric issues, or experienced a recent personal or family breakdown that might have spurred him to this appalling act at the surprising age of 52. (Most of those who launch such attacks are testosterone-fuelled twentysomethings.)

Research on recruits to jihad in this country also suggests that many are the second-generation offspring of immigrant families whose relatively secular parents are happy to call themselves British.

More than anything, the attraction of Islamic State propaganda for men like Masood might have been a revolt against their parents willingness to integrate in what they regard as an infidel nation.

Its a good bet that Masood was more than a passive consumer of online jihadi propaganda. As I discovered when writing a book about Islamic State, ISIS is a deeply hierarchical organisation.

It demands bayah or loyalty from anyone who acts in its name, even if that expression of loyalty arrives just before a terror attack is carried out. Its possible that such a pledge will already have been prepared by Khalid Masood and will appear shortly in the form of a video message.

His action this week might have been timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Brussels airport attacks, but its location at the House of Commons suggests a taking of revenge against British involvement in air-strikes on Islamic State redoubts in Iraq and Syria.

Unfortunately, those strikes are also killing hundreds of civilians, which only serves to attract yet more recruits to ISIS in Europe.

Yet for all that, we should take comfort from the fact that the plan for a virtual caliphate is in effect an admission of real-world defeat on the battlefield.

Islamic State swelled its ranks so successfully in the Middle East by seducing recruits with those slickly produced videos of the Londoner Jihadi John beheading prisoners in orange jumpsuits. But the world has tired of those gruesome stunts.

Now, starved of the oxygen of publicity in the mainstream media, Islamic State is clearly worried it might disappear from our TV screens. An attack on the Mother of all Parliaments in London suggests a media-savvy organisation desperate to show it is still a genuine threat.

Its leaders know that, inflamed by insidious propaganda, anyone can become a ticking time-bomb, ready and willing to be detonated, as it were, by remote control from thousands of miles away.

James Harkin is the author of Hunting Season, about the rise of Islamic State and its campaign against the West.
I couldnt help wondering about the reaction had PC Keith Palmer (above) been a firearms officer who shot dead a knifeman on the streets of London

The glowing tributes paid to protection officer PC Keith Palmer were thoroughly deserved. He was the best of British, a man with a selfless sense of duty who served in the Royal Artillery before joining the police.

Constable Palmer, who was unarmed, was stabbed to death fending off a crazed jihadist attacker attempting to enter the Houses of Parliament.

In the Commons, MPs queued up to honour his bravery and sacrifice. Politicians love to associate themselves with the courage of our men and women in uniform.

But, at risk of being accused of cynicism, I couldnt help wondering about the reaction had PC Palmer been a firearms officer who shot dead a knifeman on the streets of London. On past form, hed have been lucky not to end up in the dock at the Old Bailey, charged with murder.

Worse, if during his Army days hed been falsely accused by some crooked solicitor such as Phil Shyster of committing war crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq or Northern Ireland, his life would have been turned upside down by the historic investigations team and he could now be rotting in a military jail.

In either event, the same politicians singing his posthumous praises this week would have washed their hands of him.

Although this attack has been painted, with justification, as an assault on the Mother of Parliaments, there was never any danger to a single MP inside its walls

Sorry if all this sounds a tad sour, but I found some of the self-congratulatory posturing in the Commons yesterday faintly nauseating. While paying lip-service to the emergency services and their parliamentary staff, it struck me that what many MPs  with a few honourable exceptions  were really celebrating was their own perceived heroism.

The real heroes were on Westminster Bridge and in New Palace Yard, trying to save lives. They werent cowering in the secure confines of the Commons chamber, tweeting.

Although this attack has been painted, with justification, as an assault on the Mother of Parliaments, there was never any danger to a single MP inside its walls.

PC Palmer and the plain clothes officer who shot dead the attacker made sure of that.

The real heroes were on Westminster Bridge and in New Palace Yard, trying to save lives. They werent cowering in the secure confines of the Commons chamber, tweeting

Just to be on the safe side, though, the first thing the parliamentary authorities did yesterday was to order up another lorryload of concrete barriers to add to the already formidable security measures surrounding the Palace of Westminster.

Not that theyd have been any good to those innocents who were murdered or catastrophically injured on the bridge. But at least democracy will be safe.

Every time there is a terrorist atrocity, either here or abroad, the politicians go through the same old motions, mouthing platitudes about never surrendering to evil. But by their actions they betray their hollow rhetoric and the rest of us have to live with the consequences.

It is the political class who have fostered the conditions which allow Islamist fundamentalism to flourish in Britain.

They encouraged the pernicious doctrine of multiculturalism  which is just a fancy word for apartheid and has created vast, monocultural Muslim ghettoes in our great cities.

One-tenth of all convicted jihadis come from a single, small area of Birmingham.

The politicians have opened the floodgates to mass immigration without insisting on integration.

They pretend every culture, no matter how medieval and barbaric, is worthy of equal respect. They permitted foreign hate preachers from cruel theocracies to set up shop here, peddling their doctrine of violence and division.

In pursuit of votes, they are in thrall to self-appointed community leaders who take our money but reject our freedoms. As a result, it is possible to spend your entire life here without ever subscribing to one of our traditional values, such as tolerance of those with different religious beliefs. Many young Muslims grow up hating the country that gave them everything.

Over the past couple of decades, politicians have turned Britain into a safe haven for terrorists from all over the world, thanks to Tony Blairs disastrous yuman rites act, which he once described as his proudest achievement in politics.

They lavish welfare benefits on the scum of the earth and refuse to deport them even when they are convicted of serious offences or are quite clearly hell-bent of doing us harm.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of young men and women born and bred in this country have travelled to Syria to join Izal.

But rather than strip them of their UK citizenship and their passports, they are allowed to slip back into Britain, where all the evidence points to many of them planning acts of terror on our streets.

Whatever happened to the concept of treason? As a result, its no longer safe to walk over a bridge in our capital city without running the risk of being mown down by an Islamist terrorist in a rented Hyundai.

Security sources regularly say there are some 3,000 active would-be jihadists living here. Of course, we accept that it is absurd to paint all Muslims as terrorists.

But those terrorists who want to carry out mass slaughter on the streets of Britain all subscribe to an extreme form of Islam, which has no place here but is commonplace in some parts of the world.

Shamefully, some politicians on the Left attempted to link the Westminster attack to the tragic murder of Labour MP Jo Cox last summer and draw some kind of moral equivalence

The authorities, however, want to pretend terrorism is nothing to do with Islam, in any shape or form. Scotland Yards assistant commissioner Mark Rowley couldnt even bring himself to use the word, saying only that the Westminster attacker was inspired by international terrorism.

Who would that be then  the Baader-Meinhof gang? Colombias FARC guerillas?

This kind of pusillanimous approach is one of the reasons Donald Trump triumphed in America. He says you wont defeat the enemy if you refuse to call it what it is  Radical Islamist Terrorism.

Shamefully, some politicians on the Left attempted to link the Westminster attack to the tragic murder of Labour MP Jo Cox last summer and draw some kind of moral equivalence.

She was killed by a deranged Right-wing fantasist, acting alone. The difference is that he set out specifically to murder Miss Cox. Islamist jihadis want to randomly kill anyone. As many as possible. Believers or non-believers. Theyre not fussy.

The Westminster killer may have been flying solo, but he is part of a global terror movement which aims to destroy the West and anyone who doesnt subscribe to their particular strain of Islam.

You may have noticed I havent wasted too much ink thus far on the murderer himself. Thats because I dont want to glorify him. He was born in Britain, lived in Birmingham and was aged 52.

So that gives the lie to the impressionable young man radicalised over the internet myth.

Almost inevitably, he had been on the radar, according to the Prime Minister. He had a long criminal record, had been investigated historically but was now considered to be on the periphery.

Maybe if the Old Bill had spent less time chasing historic sex offenders, they might have been able to discover that he wasnt that peripheral after all.

Not that I blame the anti-terror services. Theyre overstretched, trying to clean up the mess created by politicians. Theyre doing a fantastic job in the circumstances and have foiled an impressive number of plots.

Just as well. Given that the latest perpetrator was well into his sixth decade, it suggests we are now looking at two, maybe even three, generations of home-grown jihadis.

Before the internet took off, terrorists were recruited through mosques. Scotland Yard even closed roads around Finsbury Park mosque so that Captain Hook could peddle his poison.

In the Nineties, the political class took the view that provided the Islamists didnt commit any acts of terror on British soil, they were welcome to operate with impunity. All that achieved was to allow the merchants of death to establish deep roots here, with utterly predictable consequences.

Smug, craven politicians, in thrall to notions of diversity and multiculturalism, sowed the seeds of the terrorism we are now reaping.

This week, innocent bystanders and tourists on Westminster Bridge, along with brave PC Keith Palmer, paid the ultimate price, while heavily protected MPs  fresh from their glowing tributes to another evil terrorist, Martin McGuinness  congratulated themselves on their own bravery and resolve.

Makes you proud to be British.
Whatever happened to British stoicism? I hate to sound like every crusty sixty-something since Noahs flood, but there are moments when I despair of todays teenagers  and sometimes of their parents, too.

Such a moment came this week, when I read about the brouhaha over an email from the head of the sixth form at Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford, Kent, in which she rebuked pupils for taking too many days off sick.

Dear All, wrote Jenny Tomkins, We are increasingly concerned over the amount of lessons that are missed due to illness. Whilst we all have genuine reasons and illnesses in our lives, being hot, feeling slightly faint, headaches, tummy aches and generally feeling slightly low are not excuses to miss crucial lessons.

Nothing offensive about that, you might think  particularly since Miss Tomkins made it clear she wasnt condemning all her pupils, but only the malingerers. Indeed, she was careful to add: Thank you to those that continue to work extremely hard, and to those that follow the attendance/illness policy very well.

I read about the brouhaha over an email from the head of the sixth form at Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford, Kent, in which she rebuked pupils for taking too many days off sick. She signed off her message with a humorous stock image from the internet...

But then she made her big mistake. In what you and I may see as a clear attempt to soften her rebuke further, she signed off her message with a humorous stock image from the internet.

This showed a young woman taking a spoonful of what appeared to be medicine, with a caption saying: Suck it up cupcake. Deal with it like the mature adult you think you are.

Her more sensitive pupils  the cupcakes among them, for want of a better word  failed to see the funny side. So, too, did some of their parents.

One mother described the email as absolutely disgusting from a school. Another called it outrageous, while others apparently accused the poor teacher of undermining her students by trivialising their problems with depression, anxiety and panic attacks.

Cue abject apologies from Miss Tomkins herself and the schools headteacher, Susanne Staab. Between them they spouted a lot of blah about how seriously Norton Knatchbull takes medical conditions and ongoing mental wellbeing issues. The school has a strong pastoral support team, said the head, with a programme including access to counselling.

How schools (and parents) have changed since my day. Back in the early Sixties, the only counselling we were likely to receive if we were feeling slightly low was advice to stop bellyaching and buck up our ideas if we didnt want to spend the rest of the day running round the playing field in the rain.

As for taking time off school, that was out of the question for anything less serious than double pneumonia or something lethally contagious.

No wonder todays teenagers, with mollycoddling parents eager to defend them for taking to bed at the first hint of indigestion  and teachers quick to apologise for the mildest of rebukes  find it so hard to adapt to the grown-up world.

The top prize for understatement would surely go to the Japanese Emperor Hirohito, who announced on the radio after the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945: The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japans advantage

Doesnt this sorry tale of our times help explain why the university students of 2017 spend their lives inventing imaginary grievances, banning visiting speakers with whom they disagree and demanding safe spaces in which nobody can challenge their views?

What a change has come over our country since the days when Britons were famed the world over for our stiff upper lips and phlegmatic approach to adversity.

This was a Britain conjured up delightfully this week by the Top 20 Biggest British Understatements of All Time. This list, commissioned by Privilege insurance, was compiled by Dr Tom Dowling of Sheffield University, who according to the press release has analysed historical records and events stretching back over the last 200 years.

If you ask me, this diligent doctor could have saved himself the bother of ploughing through two centuries worth of records simply by dipping into any standard dictionary of quotations, in which all of these old favourites may be found. But never mind. It was fun being reminded of them, all the same.

That said, one or two on his list cannot really be classified as understatements. They include his top choice, the famous exchange at the battle of Waterloo between the Earl of Uxbridge and the Duke of Wellington, after the formers leg was shattered by a French cannonball.

Uxbridge: By God, sir, Ive lost my leg.

Wellington: By God, sir, so you have.

Whats understated about that? Its a bald statement of fact. So, too, is number 16 on Dr Dowlings list  the extract from Churchills first speech to the Commons as Prime Minister in 1940, in which he said: We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind.

Certainly, it would have been an understatement if Sir Winston had dismissed the Nazi threat by saying: We have a teensy-weensy spot of bother on our hands. As it was, he told no less than the truth. The ordeal my parents generation faced in 1940 was indeed of the most grievous kind.

Another entry thats surely out of place on Dr Dowlings list is number 15. This was the Queens brilliantly barbed answer when she was asked how are you? by that psychopathic serial killer, Martin McGuinness, over whose repulsive memory politicians have poured so much sickening treacle this week.

With a beatific smile, Her Majesty answered: Well, Im still alive anyway.

She didnt add: unlike my husbands beloved uncle, Lord Mountbatten, whom your IRA gangster friends murdered in cold blood, along with his 14-year-old grandson, Nicholas, a 15-year-old Irish boy and the Dowager Lady Brabourne, 83. But then she didnt have to. Her meaning was devastatingly clear.

No. If this were truly a list of understatements, the top prize would surely go not to a Briton but to the Japanese Emperor Hirohito, who announced on the radio after the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945: The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japans advantage

To be fair, there are quite a few genuine understatements in Dr Dowlings collection. They include Spike Milligans epitaph, engraved in Gaelic on his headstone: I told you I was ill. Here, too, are the famous last words of Captain Lawrence Oates, when he walked to his death into a blizzard in 1912, so as to give his fellow members of Captain Scotts doomed expedition to the South Pole a better chance of survival: Im just going outside and may be some time.

But what all these quotations have in common is not so much their understated language as their illustration of that fast vanishing quality, British stoicism.

Why do modern politicians so much as raise the idea that a metropolis of 8.7 million people could be cowed by one murderous fanatic  or that Wednesdays atrocity put British democracy in peril? It just didnt

By God, it was stoical of Uxbridge to make so little fuss about the loss of his leg. It was stoical of Churchill to spell out the challenge facing Britain, while vowing never to surrender. And it was stoical of the Queen to carry out, with such good grace, what must have been one of the most unpleasant duties of her reign, when she was asked to shake hands with the murderer who had brought misery on her family.

But I see precious little stoicism among public figures born since the war. Look at the reaction to Wednesdays vile terrorist attack at Westminster  the flowing tears and wobbling lips in the Commons, the choked voices declaring on 24-hour news: London will not be cowed. We wont let the terrorists win.

Statements like these were fair enough during the Blitz, when bombs were raining down on the capital and democracy was under existential threat.

But why do modern politicians so much as raise the idea that a metropolis of 8.7 million people could be cowed by one murderous fanatic  or that Wednesdays atrocity put British democracy in peril? It just didnt.

Of course, one reason our democracy is safe is that we still can count on the stoicism and sense of duty of men such as Keith Palmer, the unarmed police officer who challenged that vicious, knife-wielding killer and paid for his selfless courage with his life.

I trust that the Clintons and Blairs of this world will turn out in force to pay homage to this true hero  when theyve finished blubbing over the death of the blood-soaked monster McGuinness.
The teacher mown down on her way to pick up her two daughters from school The US tourist killed and his wife seriously injured on a dream holiday to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary PC Keith Palmer, the military veteran and father fatally stabbed in the line of duty

The Westminster Bridge victims were, as Theresa May said in a defiant statement to Parliament, of all nationalities and cultures.

Britons, Europeans and visitors from around the world who came to a great capital city and were mercilessly killed or maimed by a maniac armed with just a car and two knives.

In a gruesome irony, in Northern Ireland yesterday the architect of much worse atrocities was given a heros funeral and paid fawning tribute by Tony Blairs henchman, Alastair Campbell, and  in a scene which should shame America  its former President Bill Clinton.

The Westminster Bridge victims were, as Theresa May said in a defiant statement to Parliament, of all nationalities and cultures

In a gruesome irony, in Northern Ireland yesterday the architect of much worse atrocities was given a heros funeral and paid fawning tribute by Tony Blairs henchman, Alastair Campbell, and  in a scene which should shame America  its former President Bill Clinton

Martin McGuinness, the Butcher of Bogside, was emphatically not, as Gerry Adams claimed, a freedom fighter. He was a barbaric terrorist who killed, maimed and tortured.

And when the money from Noraid and the US dried up and he realised the IRA was in retreat, he cynically transmogrified into a man of peace.

Meanwhile in Westminster, the inevitable inquests began into how the attacker, Khalid Masood, was able to get inside the gates to Parliament. It is a nightmare judgment, but the Mail would caution that going too far in making the Commons an inaccessible fortress would hand a victory to our enemies.

The security services must also examine exhaustively how Masood  who had been on their radar in the past  slipped through their grasp. But given the challenge they face in monitoring 3,000 or so homegrown terror suspects, including hundreds returning from Syria and Iraq, we must not lose perspective.

Indeed, it is a tribute to the determined efforts of GCHQ and MI5  who have foiled 13 plots in under four years  that an attack didnt happen sooner.

It is too early to say whether Masood was, like the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby, radicalised online. But it would hardly be a surprise if he was, like many other British jihadis, turned to hate by poisonous material which is  thanks to the likes of Google, Twitter and Facebook  just a few clicks away.

Indeed, the issue which, much more than any perceived failings by the police or security services, merits unremitting political scrutiny is how web giants either allow on their sites  or link to  vile Islamic State propaganda.

It is a tribute to the determined efforts of GCHQ and MI5  who have foiled 13 plots in under four years  that an attack didnt happen sooner

Despite warnings from MPs that they are acting as the lifeblood of IS, they fail to take down poisonous material.

More disturbingly, Google is even now carrying videos by conspiracy theorists laying the blame for the Westminster attack on Jews, Satanists, and international governments, alongside adverts for firms such as insurance giant SunLife and computer company Asus.

But perhaps most offensive of all, the Mail found  within minutes of searching Google and Twitter yesterday  IS terror manuals containing chilling parallels to Wednesdays attack.

These documents give guidance to potential lone wolves on using vehicles to mow down the innocent. Both companies only removed this material when the Mail raised the alarm.

The inescapable conclusion is that these multi-billion dollar web behemoths, which have algorithms that can do virtually anything, dont care that they have become recruiting platforms for terrorists.

They do nothing despite repeated pleas from politicians such as the one made yesterday by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

One thing is certain: this situation cannot be allowed to continue. The web giants must either clean up their acts or be made to do so by law and regulation.
Advertisement

A royal photographer has delved into the archives to reveal the unique bond between royal mothers and their children in this touching set of images ahead of Mothering Sunday.

Chris Jackson, who has been behind the lens at Getty Images for almost 15 years, has travelled the world with the royals from India to Canada, and has just returned from a visit to Paris with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Chris, who is also engaged to the Duchess of Cambridge's PA-turned-stylist Natasha Archer, has witnessed some of the most memorable events in recent royal history including the arrival of Prince George and the Queen's 90th birthday.

Here, he takes FEMAIL through his pick of the most heartwarming snaps of royal mothers with their children - and what they can tell us about their unique relationships.

Scroll down for video

Princess Elizabeth watching her three-year-old son Prince Charles playing in his toy car at her Balmoral estate in September 1952. The young monarch began her reign in February of that year but her official coronation was not until June 1953

Prince Charles goes for a spin

'I love this 1952 Lisa Sheridan photo of a young Prince Charles playing in his toy car at Balmoral,' says Chris. 'The joy on her face is so clear.'

While Charles has famously criticised his 'emotionally reserved' parents in the past, the Queen's close friend and cousin Margaret Rhodes has claimed it is impossible to overstate just how important the family is to the monarch. 'She always talks quite a lot about her children and worries about them like any other mother,' Mrs Rhodes told the Daily Mail in 2016.

Balloon animals for a little prince and princess

The Duchess of Cambridge, 35, presents Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, 16 months, with a balloon animal during a children's party held for Military families in Victoria during the Royal Tour of Canada in September 2016

'This was taken during a childrens party for military families in Victoria, Canada during last years memorable Royal visit,' says Chris.

'Understandably, Charlotte was initially a bit overwhelmed by all the excitement but with a little bit of encouragement from her mum and some comical moves from a dancing clown we finally saw some smiles!'

The youngster also said her first word in public during the party, saying 'Pop!' as she delightedly hugged a balloon arch, while her older brother proudly displayed his bubble-making skills to the world.

A young Queen with her children at Balmoral

A young Queen Elizabeth sitting with her children, Charles, three, and Anne, two, along with a royal corgi in the garden of Balmoral Castle in Scotland, September 1952 - nine months before her official coronation at Westminster Abbey

'A lovely family portrait at Balmoral featuring a corgi gazing into the distance  what has he seen?' ponders Chris. 'Probably lunch! It is rare to get something so relaxed of the royals, these days, always difficult to get animals to behave in these kind of shots, there is something so natural and relaxed about this image.'

The Queen's parenting style may have been called into question, but when presenting the actress Kate Winslet with her CBE in 2012, the monarch was overheard saying that being a mother was 'the only job which matters'.

Playing peek-a-boo with the young royals

Elizabeth with Prince Charles, three, and Princess Anne, two, playing in the grounds of Balmoral in September 1942. Her youngest children, Andrew and Edwards, were not born until 1960 and 1964 respectively

'Another beautifully framed photo by Lisa Sheridan of Queen Elizabeth II leaning out of a window with Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise and Prince Charles looking on  there is a sense of mischievousness about the young Prince Charles!' Chris notes.

In a rare letter written by the Queen just days after Anne's birth, the monarch described how a baby Prince Charles was 'fascinated' by his newborn sister Princess Anne.

Less than two years old at the time, Charles treated Anne with 'great care', the Queen wrote to her friend Mrs Tanner. She also wrote that it would 'be fun when they are able to play together'.

Diana with her two young princes

Diana, Princess of Wales with a young Prince William in Auckland, New Zealand, April 1994 (left) and with Prince Harry in Majorca, Spain, in August 1987 (right). The royal was killed in a car crash in Paris ten years later

Chris picked out this adorable image showing 'a young Prince William taking some of his first steps in front of the cameras in Auckland during a tour in April 1983'.

Of the second photograph, he tells FEMAIL: 'This is a lovely image of Princess Diana carrying Prince Harry during their summer holiday at the Spanish Royal Palace of La Almudaina, just outside Palma, Majorca, Spain in August 1987. Harry is looking a bit cheeky as Diana looks at him fondly.'

A hug for William and Harry

Diana greets her sons Prince William and Prince Harry on the deck of the yacht Britannia in Toronto, when they joined their parents on an official visit to Canada in October 1991

'I love this image of Diana, Princess of Wales greeting her sons Prince William and Prince Harry on the deck of the yacht Britannia in Toronto  it exudes warmth and honesty that any mother will associate with.'

In recently unearthed letters written by Diana, the late Princess described the tender bond between her two young sons - and the rebellious streak in an eight-year-old Harry.

One letter dated September 20, 1984, reads: 'William adores his little brother and spends the entire time swamping Harry with an endless supply of hugs and kisses, hardly letting the parents near!'

Making a splash

Diana enjoys a day out with William and Harry at Thorpe Park in April 1993. Chris Jackson has remarked on the 'warmth and honesty' that is clear to see between the late Princess and her two sons

'This candid image of the two young Princes and their mother is one of my favourite  all three of them wet after splashing down in the log flume  they are clearly having the time of their lives!' Chris remarks. 'A really special picture that sums up the bond between them.'

A letter written by Diana remarked on Prince Harry's behaviour when he was a pupil at private Ludgrove School in Berkshire in 1993 - the year this photograph was taken - and shows he had a rebellious streak at a young age.

Noting how mischievous Prince Harry was, she said: 'The boys are well and enjoying boarding school a lot, although Harry is constantly in trouble!'

Sharing a giggle at the Highland Games

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles share a laugh as they watch the tug-of-war during the Braemar Highland Games at The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in September 2010 in Braemar, Scotland

'The Highland Games is one of my favourite events of the year to photograph,' says Chris. 'The beauty of the landscape combined with the friendliness of the locals is unsurpassed.

'This image of the Queen and her son Prince Charles laughing is really one of my favourite moments over recent years and shows an intimate warmth between them as they share a joke during the tug-of-war competition.

'Often with their roles in the royal family and society we forget that they are simply mother and son and at an event like this it is great to see this kind of interaction.'

Introducing the new heir to the throne

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge depart The Lindo Wing with their newborn son, Prince George, at St Mary's Hospital on July 23, 2013 in London

'The birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges first child, Prince George was a huge occasion  the Great Kate Wait as it became know with the worlds media camped out on the steps of Paddingtons Lindo wing culminated in this historical image and the proud parents stepped out to a chorus of camera shutters and questions from journalists.'

Cuddles with the little Prince and Princess

Kate holds nine-month-old Prince George on a visit to Taronga Zoo in April 2014 in Sydney, Australia (left); and with Princess Charlotte, 16 months, at a part for military families in Victoria, Canada in September 2016 (right)

'I remember this moment so vividly during the Royal Tour to Australia in 2014, it was Taronga Zoo in Sydney and one of Prince Georges first ever public engagements.

'The excitement on his face as he first saw the bilby was so sweet. He was squirming to get out of his mothers arms and touch the cute furry marsupial  an icon of Australian culture and this particular one had been named after him!'
Just before he died, George V wrote to Stanley Baldwin, the prime minister, in despair about his eldest son, the Prince of Wales.

After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself within 12 months, he predicted. Rarely has a prophecy been so spot on.

George died in January 1936 and before the year was out his heir, the Playboy Prince Edward VIII, became the first monarch in British history to abdicate.

An explosive new documentary reveals how Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson were spied on by the government

He had given up his crown, finding it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility as he said in his abdication speech to the nation, without the help and support of the woman I love.

The woman was Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. Their relationship sent shockwaves through the British establishment and across the Empire.

But one man found out about Edwards decision to give up the throne before any of the palace courtiers, and even before the Prime Minister.

His name was Thomas Argyll Robertson  or Tar as he was known  who entered Green Park in London on the night of 5th December 1936 to place a wiretap in the junction box just outside 145 Piccadilly, the home of Edwards younger brother the Duke of York. This was six days before the abdication broadcast.

The phone tap allowed Tar to circumvent the official telephone exchange at Windsor, which handled all calls between royal residences.

Thomas Argyll Robertson tapped the royal's phone where he heard the bombshell that Edward had plans to abdicate

By using headphones, he was able to listen into the bombshell call made by Edward from his Windsor home Fort Belvedere to his brother, informing him that he was handing over the throne.

What makes this tale so astonishing is that Robertson was not a criminal or a chancer. He was one of MI5s top spies, and the wiretapping of members of the Royal Family had been authorised by the Home Secretary.

Now the remarkable story of how the government of Stanley Baldwin spied on the House of Windsor during the tumultuous mid-1930s is being told in a Channel 4 documentary, Spying On The Royals.

It draws on Cabinet Office documents only released in 2013 because they were deemed too difficult to be seen, and research from two academics who specialise in the history of the British Intelligence Services: Dr Rory Cormac of Nottingham University, and Prof Richard Aldrich of the University of Warwick.

As Prof Aldrich says, Whats remarkable is that for the past 20 or 30 years, the British government has been telling us it does not tap the communications of the Royal Family. But this episode shows this is not spies operating as rogue elements, this comes from the very centre of power.

To understand why MI5 had sent one of its top agents to scuttle around Green Park we have to wind the clock back two years, when George V was still on the throne. In ill health, he was becoming concerned about Edward, whose appetite appeared to be only for women.

Lord Wigram, now 101 and one of the few surviving godchildren of George V (the others including the Queen and the Duke of Kent), remembers this period well because his father was private secretary to the King.

Stanley Baldwin leaving 145 Piccadilly after an audience with new king after Edward's abdication

It infuriated George, he recalls. The Prince was entirely infected by what the King called the worst American habits  drinking cocktails and going to nightclubs.

'There were rumours that the Prince of Wales was leading a funny sort of life involving lots of women. I remember asking my father what it was all about. And he said, Things arent quite right.

Indeed they were not. George had heard rumours that his son had given Wallis 110,000 worth of jewels, the equivalent of 7 million today.

The only explanation, George believed, was blackmail. The prospect was alarming enough for the King to confide in his prime minister.

No paper trail exists of the exact decision made at the time. But we know from the Cabinet Office files that shortly afterwards, the police started to keep tabs on Mrs Simpson and all her associates  including the Prince of Wales. This sort of thing would have to have been authorised by the Home Secretary, Sir John Simon, says Dr Cormac.

The man in charge of the operation was Albert Canning, head of Special Branch. At first the reports are no more than background checks on Wallis and her then husband, Ernest Simpson, both of whom were on their second marriage.

Edward and Wallis who married in 1937 - a year after abdicating

Soon, however, Canning ordered his officers to keep closer tabs on who was coming and going from the Simpsons flat at Bryanston Court in Mayfair.

The couple were at the heart of the racy Mayfair set, and Mr Simpson is described as the bounder sort in the reports, which note that far from being embarrassed about being cuckolded by the Prince, he wants to make what capital he can out of it.

The most regular visitor was, of course, the Prince of Wales, who would often spend the night. Special Branch was interested in the minute details of Mrs Simpsons and the Prince of Waless everyday lives, says Prof Aldrich, the sort of surveillance you would do on an enemy spy.

One report describes how Wallis and Edward visited an antiques shop in Pelham Street, Kensington. Conversations show they were on very affectionate terms and addressed each other as darling, it states. The opinion of the dealer after his distinguished client had left was that the lady seemed to have the PoW completely under her thumb.

Continually monitoring the pair took a team of about 20 officers, says Prof Aldrich. This is not just following people around to see what theyre doing; its interviewing people after the fact to try to detect more subtle things: the power of the relationship, the money. Its in-depth surveillance.

Special Branch also spent time investigating Mrs Simpsons other lover, a motor engineer and salesman called Guy Trundle (well bred and an excellent dancer say the reports). Baldwin was terrified of the impact these stories would have if they came out, says Dr Cormac.

So he wanted to make sure it was managed as carefully as possible. By and large he succeeded. He and his government ensured the press barons suppressed the story.

But it was one thing to sweep the scandal under the carpet while he was Prince of Wales, quite another once George died and the Playboy Prince became King-Emperor.

Edwards ascension also changed the nature of the surveillance. Previously it could have been seen as an operation instigated by a protective father on his wayward son. No longer.

This was now a surveillance operation authorised by the Prime Minister against the ruling monarch, says Aldrich.

To make matters more difficult Edward, freed from the shadow of his father, flaunted his relationship with Wallis, most notably taking her on a cruise along the Dalmatian coast in a hired yacht that was, it was said, furnished like a Calais whoreshop.

The European and American newspapers had a field day. The only people who didnt know about the affair were Edwards British subjects.

Baldwin became increasingly agitated by the Kings behaviour, not least because there was growing support for his marriage to Wallis, who had filed for divorce from Ernest.

There were hopes that a Kings Party, made up of supporters including David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill and Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists, would force the Cabinet to bow to Edwards demands to have Wallis as his Queen.

Baldwin went over the heads of Special Branch and directly to MI5, whose head, Sir Vernon Kell, was summoned to Downing Street and asked to open a case against Wallis and the King.

Kell didnt think it was his concern to go through the knicker drawers of the aristocracy. This was not a security issue in his mind. It was a social issue, an issue about hedonistic lifestyles and transgressions of social norms.

Unable to decide whether he should sanction spying on his own King, Kell took the request to the board of MI5.

They decided Baldwins orders had to be followed. In the files, there is a note headed Most Secret, sent to the head of the General Post Office, confirming a warrant sanctioned by the Home Secretary for the interception of telephone communications between Fort Belvedere and Buckingham Palace.

However dramatic the events of 1936  the year of three kings  its hard not to feel uncomfortable that the government sanctioned the spying of the King. But historians believe Baldwin was obliged to.

Tapping the Royal Family is one of the most controversial decisions a prime minister could make, says Dr Cormac. But I think under the circumstances it can be justified if that person is posing a threat to national security, the constitution or liberal democracy. Theyre not above the law.

Indeed, as Prof Aldrich points out, Donald Trump is discovering how far a government agency can spy on its head of state. It resonates with whats going on in Washington today.

'How much should a head of state be monitored? With hindsight, I look at some of the things Edward did in 1940 and 1941, when he went to America and encouraged leading figures to sue for peace with Hitler, and think he was a national security problem. It was justified.

Spying On The Royals will air on Channel 4 in early April.
They are responsible for one in three sex toys sold in the UK - with one of their most popular being the 'Great American Challenge', a 32-inch dildo.

After starting online sex toy store Lovehoney from a spare bedroom 15 years ago with an initial investment of 9,000, Neal Slateford, 53, and Richard Longhurst now enjoy an annual turnover of 58m.

From dealing with queries on butt plugs to dispensing advice on how to escape from a chastity belt and sending out more than 3,000 orders a day, the 130-strong work force at their Bath-based warehouse always have their hands full.

Richard Longhurst (left) and Neal Slateford (right) with Channel 4 presenter Katherin Ryan and their very popular 'Great American Challenge' which is 32-inch dildo

The pair initially started their business from Richard's spare bedroom and now command a 130-strong workforce in their Bath-based warehouse

The business partners explain all about their wealth to Channel 4's How'd You Get So Rich? presenter Katherine Ryan as she prods and probes them about their products.

Their toys suit every budget and even if you change your mind they offer a unique 365-day moneyback guarantee, - even if they've been used.

But the duo prove how much they understand their customers by giving them what they want - which includes the 369.99 'Extreme F*** Me Silly' realistic working female backside.

Despite it being marketed as a male masturbator, Neal explains: 'Actually a lot of couples use this kind of toy. It's a threesome fantasy...'

Richard adds: 'It's the safe way to have a threesome.'

Females are not left out either with a ride on realistic sex doll retailing for a hundred pounds less at 269.99.

In the very first month of they launched, they sold just three products, but by the end of that year they were selling 1,000 every month, making 37,000

They also partnered with Fifty Shades of Grey author E.L. James for a sex toy range

The business was founded in 2002 by the pair who are former technology journalists, after they identified a gap in the market for non-seedy sex toys for women.

In the very first month of they launched, they sold just three products, but by the end of that year they were selling 1,000 every month, making 37,000.

'Quite early on we realised that the sex toy world has got quite a bad reputation, and it has also got a pornographic history. A lot of the companies when we first started they were all porn merchants turned sex toys,' Richard says.

Lovehoney owners Richard Longhurst and Neal Slateford with the Queen's Award for their innovation and enterprise

Katherine attempts to pitch her own sex toy design of a four-inch dildo which she says 'a lot of ladies just want a really nice average guy'

Although the pair refuse to open up about their own sex lives to Katherine - 'we don't talk about that' - she doesn't take their answers lying down.

'Oh dont you?! But you will say that they increase happiness and that pretty much everyone uses them?'

'Yes, you can draw your own conclusions from that,' Neil smirks.

The pair will return any sex toy - even if it's used, saying: 'That is unique from any business anywhere in the world'

The pair claim their great customer service is crucial to their success, says Richard: 'Customer care is massive, so you've got to reassure them that if anything goes wrong or you choose the wrong thing that everything is alright and well sort it out.

'We have a 365 days return policy no quibbles. Even if you have used your Great American Challenge, we would have taken it back and given you a refund. That is unique from any business anywhere in the world.'

How'd You Get So Rich? airs Monday at 10pm on Channel 4
Advertisement

One Queensland couple gave their family and friends a huge surprise when they invited them to an engagement party - and then tied the knot.

But that wasn't the only unusual thing Jake and Hannah Willshire had up their sleeve.

After they took their traditional wedding photos, the couple decided to pop into their Toowoomba gym for 20 minutes for some more creative snaps.

Newlyweds Jake and Hannah Willshire have put a fun spin on the traditional wedding photo by taking pictures in their local Queensland gym after saying 'I do'

The Toowoomba couple had already taken traditional pictures when their photographer suggested they take a few at their gym just around the corner from the restaurant where they had exchanged their vows

One of the adorable photos shows Jake, 32, bench pressing Hannah, 25, with ease as she happily smiles and poses in her wedding gown.

And Hannah gets to show off her impressive biceps in another picture as she and Jake pose on the pull up bar and prove a little sweat can't tear them apart.

It was photographer Rochelle Alom's idea to take pictures at The Cave, as she knew both Hannah and Jake loved the gym.

The Cave was only just around the corner from the restaurant where the couple had already exchanged their vows and tied the knot on March 11.

Hannah told Daily Mail Australia that the couple, who had been dating for four years, always knew they didn't want a big wedding.

Hannah, 25, got to show off her impressive biceps as she and Jake took photos on the pull up bar and displayed their skills

And just because the photos were at the gym doesn't mean there wasn't room for a little romance in the sweet pictures

'Weddings cost a fortune and neither of us like having all the attention focused on us,' she said.

But eloping was out of the question. The couple wanted to share the day with their family and friends, and Hannah wanted her father to get to walk her down the aisle.

So instead they tricked everyone but immediate family members - as well as the bridesmaids and groomsmen - into thinking it was just an engagement party.

The guests only knew something else was planned when Jake and his groomsmen walked out with a special archway where the couple would say 'I do'.

There was no sit-down meal or first dance, just a quick ceremony and then one big party.

Hannah and Jake surprised their guests by getting married at what many had been led to believe was an engagement party

Hannah told Daily Mail Australia that the couple - who dated for four years - always knew they didn't want a big wedding

'At the end of the day, you can only do it once,' Hannah said. 'We thought we could meet halfway and still get married, but avoid the stressful bits and formalities.'

That included only having traditional wedding photos after Rochelle's suggestion for a quick session in the gym.

The photographer told Daily Mail Australia that it was clear the couple felt even more comfortable once the shoot moved to a familiar place.

'Once we got to the gym they were just going for it,' Rochelle said. 'They practised a few moves and knew what to do because they go there all the time.'

As much fun as they had shooting pictures among dumbbells and squat racks, both the newlyweds and Rochelle have been shocked at the response to the pictures.

'At the end of the day, you can only do it once,' Hannah said. 'We thought we could meet halfway and still get married, but avoid the stressful bits and formalities'

As much fun as they had shooting pictures among dumbbells and squat racks, both the newlyweds and their photographer have been shocked at the viral response to the pictures

'We just popped into the gym at the last minute,' Rochelle said. 'I honestly had no idea it would come to this. It was something for them that they wanted to do.'

Hannah said she and Jake had only seen one of the gym pictures on their honeymoon when they started to receive feedback from their family and friends, who had seen the photos online.

'We didn't expect them to get as much publicity as they got,' she added. 'We just wanted them for ourselves at home.'

'The few we took at the gym were just for ourselves, we didn't expect anyone to see it.'

And Hannah has found it funny that many Australians now think that she and Jake are fitness fanatics.

'Gym is something we just do for fun,' she said. 'We might go three times a week, we love it and it's a good hobby'

'But we still eat junk food, we just workout when we feel like it.'
Advertisement

We are all guilty of taking the Moon for granted.

As we rush through our daily lives we may occasionally give it a glance, especially when its full or looming larger than usual as it does at the huge Harvest Moon we see in September or October  but we mostly ignore it.

Why is this? The reason undoubtedly lies in the fact that we think we know all about our only satellite, and that it no longer has that sense of mystery or magic earlier cultures imbued it with.

In today's Daily Mail you can find your free pull-out map of the stars - here we reveal what to look out for in the sky

After all, weve been there, taken readings, brought moon dust home, and can accurately predict its progress through the heavens.

But to think that we fully comprehend the Moon is folly. Our knowledge is only fragmentary and basic.

To realise how little most of us know about the Moon, just gaze at it through a pair of binoculars, or better still through the new telescope you can buy with todays fantastic reader offer (see Saturday's Daily Mail for details).

For a start, did you know that here on Earth we can only ever see 59 per cent of its surface?

The rest will always remain hidden, because as the Moon orbits the Earth over the course of just under a month it also performs a full rotation over the same period, meaning the dark side of the moon, as Pink Floyds seminal album would have it, is never visible.

Its also doubtful that you know how the Moon was formed. But then not even the most learned astronomer is certain of that.

The most fashionable current hypothesis is that it was created 4.5 billion years ago, when another planet smashed into Earth, and the Moon was formed from the debris resulting from the collision.

Then, over the ensuing billions of years, the Moon was bombarded by asteroids, the evidence of which is plain to see.

It has long been suggested that the Moon is linked to our mental wellbeing even to the point where according to folklore mere men could be transformed into howling werewolves at the full Moon

The impacts have left huge craters, mountains half the size of Everest, and lava flows caused by the heat of impact that cooled and collected into great plains of basalt that we call seas. Earth has had a similar number of impacts but our atmosphere, with wind, water and erosion, has removed all traces over billions of years.

Of course, ancient man knew nothing of such mighty physical forces. For him, the Moon was often a deity, especially in Asia and Europe, whose peoples often twinned it with the Sun.

And if the Moon was not a god, then it was considered to be the domicile of the fabled Man in the Moon, thanks to the features which in certain of its phases resemble a human face.

In China hes called Yue Lao, and he brings together all predestined couples, whereas in Germany hes an old man banished there for collecting wood on the Sabbath.

Many superstitions arose from the eclipse of the Moon, when it passes directly behind Earth and into its shadow, with the Mayans believing the blood-red Moon that resulted meant it had been eaten by a cosmic jaguar. Then there are many mythologies that suppose the crater-filled Moon is made of green cheese, a popular folklore tale in the 16th century that originated in John Heywoods Proverbes in 1546.

In the search for hard facts, the Russians claimed the first lunar victory in the space race in 1959 when their Luna 2 craft became the first man-made object to reach the Moon.

But even when mankind got a little wiser, knowing the Moon to be a vast chunk of silicon, magnesium, iron, oxygen, calcium and aluminium, it kept its romance. Over the centuries it has been celebrated in countless books and poems.

Many of them, such as Francis Godwins 1638 book The Man In The Moone, in which a Spaniard is hauled to the Moon in a swan-powered craft, imagined man actually travelling to the place, surely the stuff of fantasy.

Ironically, when man eventually did step on its surface in July 1969, there were those who refused to believe the magic of that moment, and instead supposed the whole thing had been faked.

But since the late 2000s, high-definition photos taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter craft of the Apollo landing sites have captured the lander modules and the tracks left by the 12 Apollo astronauts whove been there.

In 2012 images were released showing five of the six Apollo missions American flags erected on the Moon still standing; the exception is that of Apollo 11, which has lain on the surface since being accidentally blown over by the take-off rockets exhaust.

There have been subsequent visits, of course, and over the decades we have learned a little more about our nearest neighbour.

Yes, its gravitational forces pull upon the Earths water, thereby creating tides. Some hold that because the human body is made up of so much water we too are affected by the Moon.

It has long been suggested that the Moon is linked to our mental wellbeing  as the origins of the word lunacy testify  even to the point where according to folklore mere men could be transformed into howling werewolves at the full Moon.

It may not matter whether the Moon really does make you mad. But its madness to ignore it. So get that telescope out and start to get to know it

GET TO KNOW THE MOON The Ocean of Storms Its impossible not to spot Oceanus Procellarum  the magnificently named Ocean of Storms  as its a vast sea that occupies a large portion of the Moons western hemisphere. The landing site of no fewer than four lunar probes, the ocean was also visited by the second manned lunar mission  Apollo 12  in November 1969 when astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean spent one day and seven hours on the surface of the Moon. The Sea of Tranquillity Of all the seas on the Moon, there is no doubt that the Mare Tranquillitatis is the most famous  because it was here that man first walked on the Moon when Apollo 11s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down in July 1969. The Sea of Tranquillity, which has a diameter of 540 miles, is slightly bluer than the rest of the moon because its rocks contain comparatively more metal, such as iron and aluminium. The Alps and the Alpine Valley As well as having its own Apennines, the Moon also has its own Alps, the Montes Alpes, which rise to 2,400m. Bisecting their middle is the Vallis Alpes  the Alpine Valley. Running for 100 miles, and 6 miles wide, its more properly known as a graben, as it was formed by two parallel fault lines, similar to the East African Rift Valley. The Sea of Crises Within three days of the new Moon each month, one feature that starts to become visible is the Sea of Crises, which measures some 68,000 square miles  larger than England and Wales. This sea was the destination of the Soviet Luna 15 mission, an unmanned attempt by the Russians to rival the American Apollo 11 landing in 1969, in which Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon. It failed  spectacularly. Just hours before Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left the Moon, Luna 15 crashed in the Sea of Crises. Another unmanned Russian mission, Luna 24, was more successful, and returned to Earth in August 1976 with 6oz of lunar samples. The Sea of Fertility On the eastern edge of the Moon lies Mare Fecunditatis  the Sea of Fertility  measuring over 500 miles in diameter. This was the destination of the Soviet Unions unmanned mission Luna 16, which aimed to improve on the failure of Luna 15 (see Sea of Crises). On 21 September 1970, the spacecraft successfully landed in the Sea of Fertility and collected 3oz of Moon rock. It returned to Earth three days later. WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR ON THE MOON Proclus When an asteroid hits a body such as the Moon or Earth, the result is a great big crater. However, one less immediately obvious result is what astronomers call a ray system. This consists of numerous streaks of debris that radiate from the crater, rather likes spokes on a wheel. Of all the craters on the Moon, Proclus has the most defined ray system, which stretches for 400 miles. Alphonsus On 24 March 1965, NASAs lunar probe Ranger 9 crashed into the crater Alphonsus at 6,000mph. It was a deliberate kamikaze mission to take high-quality photos of the Moons surface to establish whether it could take the weight of a manned spacecraft. The images were beamed live around the world, and the final shot was broadcast just a fifth of a second before impact when the screen went black. Apennines Like Earth, the Moon has mountain ranges, and some lunar ranges are even named after their terrestrial cousins. These include the Montes Apenninus  or Apennines  which stretch for around 370 miles and rise to over three miles in height. The Bay of Rainbows At the northwestern corner of the Mare Imbrium, the Bay of Rainbows  named by the 17th-century Italian astronomer Giovanni Riccioli  is a distinctive landmark for Moon watchers. The remaining half of an impact crater some 160 miles across, the southeastern wall collapsed into the Mare Imbrium when it was overwhelmed by lava flows. Copernicus Named after the famous mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, this crater has rays which stretch for 500 miles, although theyre less distinct than those around Proclus. Measuring just under 60 miles across and nearly two-and-half miles deep, Copernicus can easily be spotted because its almost hexagonal. Advertisement

A year in the night sky: From shooting stars to Saturns rings enjoy the most mind-blowing celestial events throughout the coming year

To accompany the glorious map of the night sky were giving away free to every reader in today's Daily Mail, here is your guide to the key celestial events taking place over the next 12 months.

With the exception of the meteor showers, which are temporary, the features mentioned here can all be located on The Stars Over Britain poster.

Because Earth is constantly moving, so the stars appear to, but you can keep up with them by simply rotating your poster so that the month you are in is at the bottom. Then face due south, and what you see on the poster will be above you.

To accompany the glorious map of the night sky were giving away free to every reader in today's Daily Mail, here is your guide to the key celestial events taking place over the next 12 months

Try to locate the larger constellations shown on the map, then navigate your way around from them. And if you take up our 25 per cent discount offer on a new telescope, youll find the scale and beauty of the universe will never cease to amaze you

APRIL Meteor showers, or shooting stars, are chunks of galactic rock and metal such as iron or nickel that heat up when they enter our atmosphere. They occur at the same time every year because the Earth is passing through that meteor belt at that time on its orbit of the Sun, and the number of shooting stars depends on how close Earth is to that particular belt. Look out for the Lyrids meteor shower around its peak on 22-23 April, when some 18 meteors per hour will emerge between Hercules and Lyra.

MAY With Hercules high in the sky, train your telescope on the M13 cluster on the western side of the constellations midriff. The cluster is home to over 300,000 stars, and was first spotted in 1714 by Edmond Halley, after whom the famous comet was named.

JUNE These are the shortest nights of the year, and the relative brightness of the night sky makes many stars hard to spot. However, if you can find Scorpius low to the south, look out for the red supergiant Antares. You can also spot Saturn, visible just below Ophiuchus. Through your telescope you should be able to see the distinct bulge around the middle of the planet caused by its rings.

JULY With warm nights, July and August make good months for stargazing. Theyre a great time for seeing the Milky Way, which will be brightest above the southern horizon. The summer months also mark the best shooting star season, and the Perseids meteors  emanating between Perseus and Camelopardalis  start on 13 July.

AUGUST This month sees the Perseids meteors reach a typical peak of around 80 meteors per hour on 12-13 August, so if the night is clear gaze to the northeast and get ready to make dozens of wishes. August also marks the star cluster Pleiades, one of the nearest to Earth, emerging on the horizon to the northeast, which will be behind you.

SEPTEMBER High in the sky in Andromeda is the Andromeda Galaxy, lying 2.5 million light years from Earth and measuring 220,000 light years across. Saturn, which will now be in Ophiuchus, will be visible but only early in the night.

OCTOBER By now the Milky Way runs in a more east-west direction, and Ursa Major  the Plough  is perched on the northern horizon. October sees a resurgence of shooting stars in the form of the Orionids, which reach a rate of 25 per hour near Orion in the week of 20-27 October.

NOVEMBER The Orion Nebula, estimated to weigh 2,000 times more than the Sun and visible to the naked eye, is visible in Orion. Near the zenith, the point directly above your head, Cassiopeia now resembles more an M than a W. The Northern Taurids meteor shower reaches 15 per hour on 11-12 November.

DECEMBER If you can stand the cold, then look at Gemini on the night of 13-14 December when the Geminids meteor shower shoots across the sky at the rate of 100 per hour. This is a great month for viewing the beautiful Pleiades, which will be twinkling due south of the zenith, the point directly above your head.

JANUARY 2018 Look out for the Quadrantids meteor shower between Hercules and Bootes just above the horizon to the north  you may be able to see around 100 shooting stars per hour. This month is good for looking at Orion too, particularly two of its most distinct stars, Betelgeuse and Rigel. The former is a red supergiant, and your telescope should detect a pink hue.

FEBRUARY From February it becomes possible to spot one of the brightest stars in the sky  Arcturus  lying in the constellation of Bootes which is rising in the northeast. Brighter still is Sirius, the brightest star viewable from Earth. Just trace a line down from Orions belt, which is visible towards the southwest, and you cant miss it.

MARCH The Garnet Star is visible just below the constellation of Cepheus. A huge red supergiant, it has a diameter 2,400 times larger than the Sun, and its redness will be extremely apparent through your telescope. n
Advertisement

The Swedish royal family proved they are one of the most genetically-blessed families in the world as they hosted a glittering event at the Royal Palace.

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia - who had hours earlier announced they are expecting their second child - joined Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, as well as King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia at an official dinner and the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden.

Princess Sofia showed the tiniest hint of a baby bump as she stunned in a satin red gown, which neatly skimmed her burgeoning bump.

Sweden's royal family dressed to impress as they hosted a glittering dinner at the palace just hours after Princess Sofia announced she's expecting her second child with Prince Carl Philip

The mother-of-one looked the part with dazzling diamond jewels, tote and tiara as she arrived on the arm of her dashing husband.

Likewise, Crown Princess Victoria was ethereal in an emerald green sequin gown, which showcased her hourglasses figure to perfection. Her husband, Prince Daniel, looked smart as he escorted his wife inside.

Queen Silvia displayed her timeless looks and complemented the other ladies in a midnight blue gown complete with sheer panels and sequin embellishment as she welcomed guests alongside her husband, King Carl Gustaf.

The royal family regularly hold official dinners where they host diplomats, members of the Swedish Government, authorities, science, sport, business and culture.

The mother-of-one looked the part with dazzling diamond jewels, tote and tiara as she arrived on the arm of her dashing husband

Crown Princess Victoria was ethereal in an emerald green sequin gown, which showcased her hourglasses figure to perfection

Queen Silvia displayed her timeless looks and complemented the other ladies in a midnight blue gown complete with sheer panels and sequin embellishment as she welcomed guests alongside her husband, King Carl Gustaf

They already have their hands full with their 11-month-old son, Prince Alexander, but Sofia and Carl Philip are ready to embrace parenthood all over again. The couple announced that Sofia, 32, is already pregnant with their second child, due in September 2017

In an official statement on the Swedish Royal Court's website, the couple said: 'We are looking forward to welcoming a new little member to our family'

The royal family regularly hold official dinners where they host diplomats, members of the Swedish Government, authorities, science, sport, business and culture

As the head of the family, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia were in high spirits welcoming their guests to the palace

It was little surprise the family were in high spirits after the pregnancy announcement.

They already have their hands full with their 11-month-old son, Prince Alexander, but Sofia and Carl Philip are ready to embrace parenthood all over again.

The couple announced that Sofia, 32, is already pregnant with their second child, due in September 2017.

In an official statement on the Swedish Royal Court's website, the couple said: 'We are happy to announce that we are expecting a child, a sibling to Prince Alexander.

'We are looking forward to welcoming a new little member to our family.'

Princess Sofia of Sweden, 32, and her husband Carl Philip, 37, are expecting sibling for their son Prince Alexander

The statement also confirmed that Sofia would continue with her scheduled engagements as planned throughout the spring and summer of 2017.

Their happy news comes just 11 months after the birth of the couple's first child Prince Alexander who arrived in April 2016.

He was born weighing at 7lbs 9oz. and measuring 19.3 inches long at Danderyds Hospital in Stockholm.

Hours after the birth, Carl Philip held a press conference at the hospital to announce the new arrival.

Proud expectant parents! The couple, pictured together last Friday, are looking forward to welcoming their second child

The happy family is set to welcome a new member in September this year

'When asked if he had cried during the birth, the prince replied, according to People magazine: 'Yes, actually. Of course. Couldn't stop.

'For me and my wife, this is obviously a great day with a lot of emotion. Words cannot describe.'

Former glamour model Sofia Hellqvist married the prince last June. The elegant brunette is known for her infectious gap-toothed smile and easygoing ways.

They dated for five years before walking down the aisle and now live together in the upmarket Djurgarden district of Stockholm.

The proud parents with their son Alexander. Sofia is set to continue with her scheduled engagements throughout the spring and summer

They married in the royal palace's chapel, with the bride wearing a lace wedding dress created by local designer Ida Sjostedt.

But thanks to Princess Sofia's reality TV and glamour modelling past, Carl Philip's choice of wife initially proved controversial.

The now Duchess of Varmland's first shoot aged 20 saw her posing topless in a pair of camouflage print bikini bottoms and clutching a snake to preserve her modesty.

The stunning couple beam with happiness on their wedding day in June 2015

Unsurprisingly, when news of Carl Philip's new relationship emerged in 2010, the Swedish Royal Family were initially put 'on the defensive' as sources revealed at the time.

Since then, however, Sofia has gone out of her way to tone down her image.

Meanwhile Carl Philip has hit the headlines for antics of his own - not least his infamous 'wild summer' of 2012, during which he hit the Swedish party scene wearing an alien mask, and hitchhiked to a motoring competition after losing his Gucci wallet, going on to crash his car in the first race.


The Washington Post's Bob Woodward warned on Wednesday that there are people from the Obama administration who could be facing criminal charges for unmasking the names of Trump transition team members from surveillance of foreign officials.



House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said earlier that he had briefed Trump on new information, unrelated to an investigation into Russian activities, that suggested that several members of Trump's transition team and perhaps Trump himself had their identities "unmasked" after their communications were intercepted by U.S. intelligence officials.



The revelation is notable because identities of Americans are generally supposed to remain "masked" if American communications are swept up during surveillance of foreign individuals.



During an interview on Fox News, Woodward said that if that information about the unmasking is true, "it is a gross violation."



He said it isn't Trump's assertion, without proof, that his predecessor wiretapped Trump Tower that is of concern, but rather that intelligence officials named the Americans being discussed in intercepted communications.



"You can learn all kinds of things from diplomats gossiping, because that's what occurs. Under the rules, and they are pretty strict, it's called minimization. You don't name the American person who is being discussed," Woodward said.



He noted that there are about 20 people in the intelligence community who, for intelligence reasons, can order this "minimization" be removed.



"But the idea that there was intelligence value here is really thin," Woodward said. "It's, again, down the middle, it is not what Trump said, but this could be criminal on the part of people who decided, oh, let's name these people."



He drove the point home, adding that "under the rules, that name is supposed to be blanked out, and so you've got a real serious problem potentially of people in the Obama administration passing around this highly classified gossip."
Amber Heard has revealed she was told that going public about her bisexuality would 'end her career' - particularly when it came to playing romantic lead roles.

The actress made the revelation while saying that Hollywood has 'a lot of catching up to do' on LGBT issues if it wants to truly reflect society.

She said she was warned by 'everyone' around her not to speak openly about her sexuality over fears it would damage her on-screen career but the 30-year-old from Texas was determined to prove the industry wrong.

Scroll down for video

Strong voice: Amber Heard, pictured left and right with The Economist's deputy editor Tom Standage, yesterday talked about her bisexuality and the film industry's need to diversify

Representative: Speaking at the Economist's Pride and Prejudice event in New York, Heard, 30, said Hollywood has 'a lot of catching up to do' on LGBT issues if it wants to truly reflect society

Brave decision: Heard said she decided to go public about her sexuality - despite the warnings of 'everyone' around her

'It was not easy, I was the only one working in this way so it was definitely difficult because no-one had done it,' she told The Economist's Pride and Prejudice 2017 event in New York yesterday.

'But I stand here now in 2017 among many of my working romantic leading lady peers who are out and leading completely fluid out lives which is even more difficult than being part of one particular label or not.

'I'm one of many now. Im working, Im here today talking to you amazing people. I did that even though everyone told me it would end my career, without a doubt.'

She said Hollywood's job is to be 'pushing the envelope' for LGBT characters - 'not just to maintain the status quo'.

Heard's sexuality first became public in 2010 during an interview at an event hosted by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

However, the actress, who has been in relationships with women and men - including actor Johnny Depp from whom she divorced last year following allegations of domestic abuse - yesterday told how she was 'never in'.

Warning: Heard, pictured left at an event in LA in January and right recently in Joshua Tree, said she was told that being open about her sexuality would jeopardize her career

Unity: Heard was previously in a relationship with Tasya Van Ree, pictured at a same-sex marriage advocates protest in 2010 in Los Angeles with the actress

She said: 'I always say in response to when I hear someone comment about me coming out I think it's funny because I was never in. In part because I'm stubborn, also because in part I didn't feel it was wrong.

'Even though I looked around and no-one else was in my position, it was just me that was doing it, and even after everyone around me advised me, strongly advised me, against it, it was just wrong.

'I would have rather go down for being who I am than to have risen for being something that I'm not.

'I was in a relationship and I just never hid it and it was just not important or interesting enough for a long time.'

When her career started to change and she was cast in leading lady roles Amber, who was previously in a long-term relationship with Tasya van Ree, said there was a greater focus on her love life.

She said: 'I was always out, I was an activist, I went to protests, I refused to not bring my partner at the time, but no-one ever asked me about it.

Tumultuous year: Heard is pictured left at last year's Met Gala in New York and right with ex-husband Johnny Depp in January 2016 before their divorce

Progress: Heard , pictured recently, said Hollywood's job is to be 'pushing the envelope' for LGBT characters - 'not just to maintain the status quo'

'An outlet specifically asked me who I was there with and what that person was to me and I just answered honestly, the way I always answered.'

She said she soon realized the 'gravity' of her remarks and began to understand people's warnings.

She added: 'I saw as my name became a commodity for this cause or not-cause and then I saw that I was attached to a label and I was so allergic to that, in principal.

'I never see myself as defined by the person I'm with. In the same way that you're probably not defined by the hair color of your partner.

'It was not, as somebody who is fluid and human, I never saw myself as defined as one particular thing or not. I watched as I quickly became not "actress Amber Heard" but "out lesbian Amber Heard".'

In the last seven years Heard said the landscape for women in Hollywood has transformed when it comes to sexuality.

Open: Heard, pictured recently, first spoke publicly about her sexuality in 2010 during an interview at an event hosted by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

Spotlight: When her career started to change and she was cast in leading lady roles Amber, pictured recently, said there was a greater focus on her love life

She said: '[In 2010] everybody around me said you as an actress, as a romantic lead and leading lady, you need to be able to sell, there's a certain amount of wish fulfillment you need to be able to fill, you need to be able to sell.

'How is anyone going to invest in you romantically if you're unavailable? I rolled my eyes at that and said watch me do it and I did.'

While significant progress has been made among lesbian and bisexual women in Hollywood, she said there is still a long way to go - especially among men.

She said: 'We like to think of it as providing a reflection of real life, you know, art imitates life, we like to think we're making movies that reflect reality.

'The truth is, Hollywood needs to change very quickly if it's going to still be relevant at all because it has a lot of catching up to do, just to mainstream society.'

She added: 'What would it take to change this? I think if every gay man that I know personally came out in Hollywood tomorrow... this would be a non issue in a month.'
Upcoming Netflix film The Swimmers (pictured, right) tells the real-life story of two sisters who were forced to flee Syria after the civil war broke out - before one went onto become an Olympian. Sarah, now 26, and Yusra Mardini, now 24,(pictured, left) left their home in Damascus in August 2015, four years after the conflict started in March 2011, in a bid to reach Europe. They planned to fly to Istanbul, before travelling to Greece via sea, then on land to Germany. But the journey nearly ended in tragedy when the motor on the dinghy they took across the Aegean Sea stalled, leaving its 18 occupants in peril. The sisters realised that the boat, which was designed to carry only seven people, couldn't take the weight of everyone onboard, and so they jumped into the icy waters. After making their way to Germany, and finding a swimming coach, Yusra took part in the Rio 2016 games (pictured, inset) as part of the newly formed refugee team. Now Netflix has immortalised their story in its film directed by Bafta winner Sally El Hosaini, and executive produced by Stephen Daldry.
Prince Charles visited some of the victims of the Westminster terror attack in hospital today.

The prince, 68, also praised the paramedics and support staff who rushed to their aid during the visit to King's College Hospital, south London, this afternoon.

Eight victims were brought to the hospital in the aftermath of the atrocity, including 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, who died last night.

Speaking to staff, Charles said: 'Thank you for all your marvellous efforts,' adding: 'How you do it, I don't know.'

Scroll down for video

Prince Charles meets paramedics and support staff who helped victims of the terror attack during a visit to King's College Hospital today

The prince was greeted with the cheers of staff as he arrived at the London hospital

Excited: The prince spent time with 19-year-old Travis Frain, a politics and history student from Lancashire, who sustained arm and leg injuries after being hit by the terrorist's 4x4

The Prince hailed their team work and joked: 'As long as you're still talking to each other.'

He also spent time with 19-year-old Travis Frain, a politics and history student from Lancashire, who sustained arm and leg injuries after being hit by the terrorist's 4x4.

The excited teenager tweeted a picture of the prince sitting on a chair beside him in his hospital bed.

Mother Angela Frain, 46, said: 'He stayed for about 10 minutes. He sat next to Travis and asked him how he was doing and asked him about his injuries.

'I don't really follow the royals but obviously, Travis was very excited to see him.'

Paramedics, doctors and nurses have been widely praised for their remarkable response to the attack on Westminster. Several medics were spotted running through the streets from nearby St Thomas Hospital to tend to the injured.

Charles shook hands with some of those who treated the eight victims taken to King's College Hospital in the aftermath of the attack on Wednesday

Warm welcome: Hospital staff jostled for position as they tried to take a photo of the prince

Doctors said the patients 'appreciated' that Prince Charles cared enough to visit the hospital

Five people died in the attack, including British-born jihadi Khalid Masood.

Masood drove at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his hire car and stabbing to death PC Keith Palmer at the Houses of Parliament gates.

Victims on the bridge included US tourist Kurt Cochran, who was touring London with his wife, Melissa, and mother-of-two Aysha Frade, who was on her way to collect her children from school.

Window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, from south London, was also fatally injured on the bridge. He was taken to King's College Hospital, where he died last night.

At the hospital today Charles met consultant radiologist Pauline Kane who was working on Wednesday when victims of the attack were brought to the hospital. Eight were initially treated, two have been discharged and five remain.

Sincere thanks: The prince praised the medics who tirelessly worked to help the victims

The prince shared a light-hearted moment with some of the brave staff at the hospital

After chatting to Charles, she said she was 'really proud of the way this hospital responded.' She added: 'It was inspiring the way people just worked together and communicated to deal with the patient in front of them.

'It didn't matter how many would be coming, you knew you would just keep working. It was, it was really quite something.'

Ms Kane, who was working in the scanning room, said: 'I witnessed some incredibly kind, efficient and really just inspiring professionalism amongst all the staff.'

She said it was 'fantastic' that Charles made a visit to the hospital, adding: 'It's great for the patients. They appreciate the fact that he cares. He does care, clearly. And the family around them ... It's nothing but a positive event really.

'It's extremely kind of him.'
A baby born with her heart pumping outside her body has stunned both her parents and doctors in Pakistan.

Shaista Zahida, 22, gave birth to her daughter naturally at a government-run hospital in Multan city last week.

But she was left shocked when she realised Laraib's heart was beating on the outside of her body due to an extremely rare condition.

Despite the organ functioning properly, doctors say she will need surgery to place it back inside her body to keep her alive.

However, Pakistani doctors are unable to operate on her, meaning her only hope of survival is by having surgery in Europe.

Both Shaista and her husband, Baloch, 28, are devastated with their firstborn's condition and are appealing for miracle treatment abroad.

Scroll down for video

Shaista Zahida, 22, gave birth to her daughter naturally at a government-run hospital in Multan city last week. But she was left shocked when she realised Laraib's heart was beating on the outside of her body due to an extremely rare condition

Currently, she is in the intensive care unit at The Children's Hospital in Lahore, being kept alive by the doctors.

There doctors diagnosed her with Ectopia cordis but whether and when a surgery would be possible on the infant is not known yet.

Ectopia cordis is a genetic condition that occurs in approximately one in every 126,000 births.

Infants with the malformation tend to die within the first few days of their life, according to medical figures.

Baloch has asked for help from the Pakistan government so that his baby can be taken outside the country for a surgery.

He said: 'She looks normal but we are worried what will happen to our baby as doctors have told us that treatment for such a condition is not available in Pakistan.

Despite the organ functioning properly, doctors say she will need surgery to place it back inside her body to keep her alive

WHAT IS ECTOPIA CORDIS? Ectopia cordis is where the heart is located outside of the body, either partially or completely. It is believed that the genetic condition occurs in just one in every 126,000 live births, with females most at risk. Experts say that the prognosis is generally poor and depends on the severity of the condition. Most sufferers are stillborn or die within the first few days of their life, figures suggest. Source: Radiopaedia Advertisement

'Doctors told me that treatment for such a condition will be available in any European country. I'm appealing the Pakistan and Punjab governments to help me.

'If the government wishes, my daughter can be operated in any foreign country and she can live a normal life.'

Dr Ibrahim Ansari, who has taken care of the mother and daughter, said: 'In my long career, I have never seen a newborn with such a rare condition.

'Except the heart being outside her chest, the baby looks normal. She breathes normally and is active.'

But Dr Ansari said that the baby may survive if paediatric surgeons can operate on her to put her organ back in her chest.

This comes just weeks after a woman in northeast India gave birth to her daughter who suffered from the same condition.

Tazmina Khatun, 28, was left shocked when she realised that her girl's heart was beating on the outside of her body due to Ectopia cordis.

Immediately whisked away for treatment, doctors managed to save her life before she was transferred to another hospital.
Look away now if you have a weak stomach.

This is the utterly disgusting footage that shows doctors removing a bunch of mushrooms that were stuck inside a woman's stomach.

Chinese doctors believe they became lodged in the 50-year-old's intestines due to her not chewing her food properly.

They also claim that she didn't allow the mushrooms enough time to expand in water before eating them - meaning they grew inside of her instead.

After complaining of severe stomach cramps for a few days, the unnamed patient sought immediate medical advice - and was hospitalised.

Chinese doctors conducted various medical scans to understand what was causing her problem before they made the surprise discovery.

Filmed in Yiwu, Zheijang Province, they found that mushrooms as big as 7cm in diameter were living inside of her.

Due to being short on time while cooking, the 50-year-old did not wait for her dried shiitake mushrooms to expand in the water, local reports suggest.

Throwing them into her stew, she drank the mixture and swallowed several of the still-dehydrated organisms.

They are believed to have expanded inside her stomach, causing the painful blockage the next day.

Chinese doctors found mushrooms as big as 7cm in diameter were living inside of the unnamed 50-year-old woman's stomach

After complaining of severe stomach cramps for a few days, the 50-year-old sought immediate medical advice - and was hospitalised

The woman was taken into surgery and the mushrooms were removed piece by piece from her intestine.

Dr Wang Weifei, who treated the patient, said: 'Our scans showed that the womans duodenum, which is where the stomach meets the small intestine, had been obstructed by several mushrooms.

'While many of them were in pieces, we also found a whole mushroom inside measuring around 7cm in length.'

The medic said it was normal for the mushrooms to expand in a very short time after coming into contact with stomach acid.

This is why it is important to prepare them properly in water and also to remember to chew them thoroughly, they added.

She has since recovered from the operation and is believed to have been discharged already.
The Scottish Government is to fund three cycles of NHS IVF treatment for couples trying to start a family - more than is available in most parts of England and Wales.

Available to women under the age of 40, the limit has been upped from the previous of just two and will come into effect as of April 1.

Despite the same recommendations existing in England and Wales, heavy cutbacks to services have created a vast gulf.

Announcing the move, public health minister Aileen Campbell defended the spending at a time of increasing pressure on the health service.

Available to women under the age of 40, the limit has been upped from the previous limit of two - more than is available in most parts of England and Wales

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, she said that the changes make Scotland 'by far the fairest and most generous in the UK'.

She added: 'We have always had a commitment towards ensuring there is as equitable access to IVF as there possibly can be.

'We want to make access to treatment on the NHS as fair as possible - giving more people the opportunity to conceive.

'Over the last five years we have invested around 24 million to reduce IVF waiting times and improve the outcomes for couples.

'One of these included ensuring that couples could get access to three cycles of IVF. That is today what we are taking forward.'

The new change was recommended by the National Fertility Group in its report to ministers last year.

Around one in seven couples suffer from infertility, which is medically defined as not being able to conceive after one year of trying.

NICE recommends that these women across Britain receive three cycles, but heavy rationing has led to cutbacks on many services.

NICE recommends that women across Britain receive three cycles, but heavy rationing has led to cutbacks on many services, preventing many from starting a family (stock)

WHEN IS IVF OFFERED IN ENGLAND AND WALES? Currently, IVF is only offered on the NHS in England and Wales if certain strict criteria are met. If a woman doesn't meet these criteria, they may need to pay for private treatment to have children. In 2013, NICE published new fertility guidelines that made recommendations about who should have access to the treatment in England and Wales. However, individual Clinical Commissioning Groups make the final decision about who can access it in their local area, and their criteria may be stricter. According to NICE, women aged under 40 should be offered three cycles of IVF treatment on the NHS if they've been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for two years. They should also access the fertility treatment for free if they've not been able to get pregnant after 12 cycles of artificial insemination. If a woman turns 40 during treatment, the current cycle will be completed, but further cycles are not routinely offered. Advertisement

Only one in six trusts provide the recommended three cycles of treatment as directed by the health watchdog.

The Scottish National Party minister said money had been 'put aside' to fund the IVF programme.

Those older than the cut-off but younger than 42 will still be offered one free round of treatment, so long as they meet strict criteria.

Asked how she squared this with other demands on funding in the Scottish NHS, she said: 'We have got a fairly strong record across Scotland on our NHS. Some of our A&Es have outperformed the lion's share of England's A&Es.

'We are outperforming A&Es across the UK and have done for some months. We have good investment levels in the NHS and we have record numbers of staff.

'We have got a commitment to our NHS that we will invest more money in our NHS than any of the other parties that stood in the election.'

Susan Seenan, the chief executive of the charity Fertility Network, told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that it was 'tremendous news'.

She added: 'The reason for offering three cycles of treatment is because that's the most cost and clinically-effective number of treatments to offer patients.

'They [the Scottish government] have been very supportive over the last few years working with us on this.

'And it's tremendous news for patients that they've decided to opt to introduce the third cycle from the 1 April and give patients in Scotland the best access across the UK.'

Sarah Norcross, of Fertility Fairness, said: 'Fertility Fairness urges the rest of the UK to follow the Scottish Governments lead, and to take immediate action to stop the rationing of fertility treatment.

'Increasing numbers of clinical commissioning groups in England are either reducing services or stopping them completely.

'We urge the UK Government and NHS England to take immediate action to stop this trend, and to commit to improving access to fertility treatment for people in England.'
The judicial work in six district courts in the Capital was affected on Thursday as lawyers took to the streets opposing the notion of banning lawyers' agitations.

The advocates, later in the day, ended their strike after the Bar Council of India (BCI) reportedly assured them that the recommendation to the law panel would be withdrawn.

Around 3,000 lawyers participated in today's sit-in outside the Bar Council of India's office. Although the strike was called off in the evening, the city's litigants faced a day of inconvenience.

Lawyers stage a demonstration to oppose the Bar Council Of India's suggestion to the Law Commission to ban strikes by advocates

Among many sufferers was a 29-year-old man named Sumit's sister, who had expected for the judge to hear plea for his bail on Thursday.

Like Sumit's sister, another 40-year-old litigant Pankaj Kumar had been running around for getting visitation rights to see his daughter.

The litigant's wife allegedly took away their 3-year-old daughter when she was just 5 months old. Due to strike, the arguments in the case could not take place and was given another date.

3,000 lawyers joined the sit-in outside the Bar Council of India's office

'The chairman accepted his mistake and assured us he would withdraw the recommendation in this regard. He assured us that on any recommendation against the lawyers' community, he will be with us,' the General Secretary of Co-Ordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi, Neeraj, said.

He said that, besides Delhi, the strikes were also observed in various district courts across the country, including National Capital Region, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu where work remained partially affected.

The committee had called the strike saying that the proposed suggestions of the BCI to prohibit advocates from going on strike, boycotting or abstaining from work in courts and imposition of penalty on them, would curtail their democratic rights.

However, bar association later felt that the recommendations would curtail the lawyers' democratic rights.
Delhi Police registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for allegedly assaulting an elderly Air India (AI) staffer over the allocation of a seat.

A counter complaint was also submitted by Gaikwad against AI before Delhi Police alleging that he was pushed and yelled at.

A case has been registered against Gaikwad under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person) of the Indian Penal Code, said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police chief spokesperson and special commissioner (operations).

An FIR has been filed against MP Ravindra Gaikwad accusing him of attempted to kill a senior flight attendant with a slipper after he was sat in economy despite having a business class ticket

'We are transferring the case to Crime Branch for a detailed probe', he added.

Gaikwad, LSMP from Maharashtra's Osmanabad seat, slapped and hit 60-year-old duty manager R Sukumar 25 times with his slippers when the official persuaded him to get off after the plane landed at the IGI Airport from Pune.

The MP refused to alight, holding up the aircraft for over 40 minutes Thursday.

Security personnel stand guard at IGIA where Shiv Sena MP Gaikward was about to arrive to catch a flight on Friday

Gaikwad, who sits in India's lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, said he had a business class ticket but was put in an economy seat.

After first complaining to an air hostess Gaikwad got into a heated argument with the senior flight attendant.

An unrepentant Ravindra Gaikwad (pictured) admitted: 'I hit him 25 times with a slipper'

Meanwhile, state carrier AI, along with four private airlines banned Gaikwad from flying on their planes.

Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir are the members of Federation of India Airlines.

An unrepentant Gaikwad said: '[Sukumar] said 'I will complain to Modi', so I hit him. Should I have to listen to this abuse?'

He added: 'I have no regrets. That person should come and apologise to me and then the Air India CMD should also come and apologise.'

In his complaint, he claimed he was made to travel by AI on economy class even as he had business class ticket.

He said: 'I have the tickets, they can't blacklist me. I will board the Delhi-Pune Air India flight this evening. How can they stop me?'

Sukumar countered: 'Police should take action to restrict these people from doing this kind of things again. They should not keep on doing it.

'They should not take it as their birthright to assault a person.'

Security personnel of both CISF and Delhi Police were deployed at IGIA after Aam Aadmi Sena activists arrived with roses and slippers to greet Gaikwad but he was a 'no-show' following ban on him.

Gaikwad was elected in 2014 to represent Osmanabad in Maharashtra state in western India.

Last year an Indian MP was arrested for alleging slapping an airline official at an airport in Andhra Pradesh after he and his family were prevented from boarding their flight because the gate had closed.
Bailed-out lender Royal Bank of Scotland is slashing 470 jobs and axing 158 branches as it battles back to health after nine years of losses.

RBS has lost money every single year since 2008, racking up a total bill of 58billion  even more than its rescue package.

The cutbacks will see 128 of its NatWest outlets close, along with 30 it runs in Scotland under the RBS brand.

Branches are marked for closure in all parts of the country from Bradford to Belgravia.

The bank is even set to shut an outlet in Bishopsgate in the City of London, less than half a mile from its headquarters on the same road.

Bosses claim the closures have been forced on them because ever-fewer customers are coming through the door as online banking takes over.

They said that the number of basic transactions done face-to-face has fallen 43 per cent since 2010, while online and mobile banking is five times as popular.

But the savage cuts also reflect RBSs dilapidated finances as it continues to suffer the aftereffects of disastrous casino banking before the financial crisis.

Under the leadership of infamous boss Fred the shred Goodwin, the lender came within 24 hours of running out of money and was forced to beg the Government for 46billion from taxpayers.

The 2008 rescue saved the lender and the country from financial meltdown but did little to fix its underlying problems. RBS has lost money every single year since 2008, racking up a total bill of 58billion  even more than its rescue package.

The Government still owns 71.5 per cent of the once-proud institution and there are no signs it will sell this stake any time soon.

Changing: The role of the branch is fast moving to a centre for advice, away from basic transactions

Speaking at an annual results day last month  when the bank unveiled losses of another 7billion  chief executive Ross McEwan said even more cost-cutting would be needed than previously thought.

He announced plans to save 750million in 2017, and warned no part of the bank would be left unchanged.

The branch closures revealed yesterday will be completed in six months, with 770 staff affected. Many of them will be offered alternative roles elsewhere, meaning a total of 470 jobs will go.

The cuts will bite everywhere from major cities  with five closures in Glasgow alone  to rural and seaside towns.

In the last two years, 1,046 branches have been shut by the UKs biggest banks.

Fewer customers are coming through the door as online banking takes over

Campaigners argue that the elderly and vulnerable are always hit hardest, as fewer of them go online and many depend on having a branch nearby for vital services.

Closures also punch holes in the High Street and can deprive small businesses of access to finance, leaving them struggling to survive.

Gail Cartmail, acting general secretary of trade union Unite, said: RBS is turning its back on the communities that have been the foundation of its business for generations.

Thats bad news for our members who now have to live with the threat of redundancy  and its bad news for customers and businesses.

Banks have a duty to the wider community and that is especially the case for banks like RBS that have large taxpayer-owned shareholdings.

She called on regulators and the Government to make sure banks keep an adequate network open.

RBS, which will have 151 RBS and 856 NatWest branches left after the closures, has said it will create new roles to support people in rural areas and help customers improve their technology skills.

A spokesman said: As customers change the way they bank with us, we must change the way we serve them.

The role of the branch is fast moving to a centre for advice, away from basic transactions.

While the branch will still be a core part of our offering to customers, inevitably some branches will have to close.

We know that some of our customers prefer to do their everyday banking face to face and we will help them with the alternative ways to bank in their community.
US prosecutors are building potential cases that would accuse North Korea of directing the theft of $81million from Bangladesh Bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York last year.

It would try and charge alleged Chinese middlemen, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation believes that North Korea is responsible for the heist, an official briefed on the probe told Reuters.

Richard Ledgett, deputy director of the US National Security Agency, publicly suggested on Tuesday that North Korea may be linked to the incident, while private firms have long pointed the finger at the reclusive state.

The Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that prosecutors believe Chinese middlemen helped North Korea orchestrate the theft from Bangladesh's central bank, which was among the biggest bank robberies in modern times.

US prosecutors are building potential cases that would accuse North Korea of directing the theft of $81million from Bangladesh Bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York last year. North Korean ruler Kim Jong-Un is seen above in this December 2016 file photo

The current cases being pursued may not include charges against North Korean officials, but would likely implicate the country, the newspaper reported, with the United States accusing a foreign government of orchestrating the heist.

A US Department of Justice spokesman declined to comment.

FBI offices in Los Angeles and New York have been leading an international investigation into the February 2016 incident, in which hackers breached Bangladesh Bank's systems and used the SWIFT messaging network to request nearly $1billion from its account at the New York Fed.

The branch of the US central bank rejected most of the requests but filled some of them, resulting in $81 million disappearing into casinos and other entities in the Philippines.

FBI offices in Los Angeles and New York have been leading an international investigation into the February 2016 incident, in which hackers breached Bangladesh Bank's systems and withdrew money from its account at the New York Fed (seen above)

A top police investigator in Dhaka told Reuters in December that some Bangladesh Bank officials deliberately exposed its computer systems, enabling the hackers to get in.

The incident exposed bungling and miscommunication between central banks, and left the Fed, Bangladesh, SWIFT, and the Philippine lender that initially received the funds trading blame for months.

SWIFT - or the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication that serves as the backbone of global finance - has since revealed that its messaging system has been targeted in a 'meaningful' number of other attacks last year using a similar approach as in the Bangladesh incident.

Last week, SWIFT said it planned to cut off the remaining North Korean banks still connected to its system as concerns about the country's nuclear program and missile tests grow.

The Journal reported that federal investigators are focusing on Chinese individuals or businesses who allegedly helped North Korea orchestrate the heist, and that the US Treasury is considering sanctions against these alleged middlemen.

The New York Fed and SWIFT declined to comment.
Witnesses of a savage dog attack failed to stop and help as a family's beloved nine-year-old cavalier was mauled and his owner hospitalised during an evening walk.

Michael Rhodes was walking Rusty in West Ryde, northwest Sydney, when they were attacked by two Staffordshire bull terriers who had escaped from a backyard.

Mr Rhodes was taken to Ryde Hospital and Rusty to the vet who saved the dog from life-threatening injuries.

Multiple cars drove past the attack on Parkes Street, and it was only after the dogs ran away that someone offered help.

A family's beloved nine-year-old cavalier was almost savaged to death and his owner was hospitalised after being attacked by two Staffordshire bull terriers during an evening walk

Two dogs left five puncture wounds on Michael Rhodes's hand as he attempted to pull his dog from their attacks

'A sad indictment of people's apathy is that during the attack which lasted three or four minutes, not one vehicle passing by stopped to give assistance,' Mr Rhodes said.

The two Staffordshire bull terriers left five puncture wounds on Mr Rhodes's hand as he attempted to pull Rusty from the attack.

Mr Rhodes has been walking his dog in the area for more than three years and said he was gripped by fear during the attack

'I had never seen these dogs or heard of such an incident before,' he said.

'I have never been so fearful in such a situation and believe me - I have seen a lot in my time.'

Mr Rhodes was taken to Ryde Hospital and Rusty to the vet, who saved the dog from life-threatening injuries

Mr Rhodes has been walking his dog in the area for over three years and said he was gripped by fear during the attack

Now Mr Rhodes is on a crusade to track down the owner of the Staffordshire bull terriers and have them punished.

'I fearfully think of what would have happened if such an attack was upon someone less capable of fending these animals off.

'[They] may well have been hurt worse than I or their dog could have been killed - as I thought of mine.'

Police spoke to the alleged owner of the dogs, but they said they don't have any on their premises.

Mr Rhodes said the Staffordshire bull terriers should not be in residential areas and has asked City of Ryde council to take action.

The council held an interview with Mr Rhodes on Tuesday and asked him if he would speak to the owners of the two dogs 'as they were upset'.

The owner of a dog declared as 'dangerous' in NSW can be jailed for two years and fined $55,000 if their animal attacks someone.
Russia is 'perhaps' supplying the Taliban as they fight US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, a top US general said Thursday.

General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander who also heads the US military's European Command, told lawmakers he had seen Russian influence expand in multiple regions, including in Afghanistan.

'I have seen the influence of Russia of late - an increased influence - in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban,' Scaparrotti told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

He did not elaborate on what kinds of supplies might be headed to the Taliban or how direct Russia's role might be.

Russian officials dismissed the allegation that it may be supplying Taliban insurgents as 'a lie' on Friday, saying the charge was an attempt by Washington to try to cover up for the failure of its own policies there.

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Curtis Scaparrotti, told the Senate Armed Services Committee said he had seen Russian influence expand in multiple regions, including in Afghanistan

Officials said their limited contacts are aimed at bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table.

NATO troops have been fighting in Afghanistan since a US-led invasion in late 2001, following the September 11 attacks.

About 13,000 NATO service members are in Afghanistan - the bulk of them American - under its Resolute Support training mission.

According to US estimates, government forces control less than 60 per cent of Afghanistan, with almost half the country either contested or under control of the insurgents, who are seeking to reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster.

Underlying the insurgents' growing strength, Taliban fighters have captured the strategic district of Sangin in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, officials said on Thursday.

The district was captured after an Afghan officer turned his rifle on sleeping colleagues, killing nine policemen.

The taking of Sangin district, once considered the deadliest battlefield for British and US troops in Afghanistan, marks the culmination of the insurgents' year-long push to expand their footprint in the Taliban heartland of Helmand.

The Taliban effectively control or contest ten of the 14 districts in Helmand, the deadliest province for British and US troops over the past decade and blighted by a huge opium harvest that helps fund the insurgency.

Taliban fighters have captured the strategic district of Sangin in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, officials said on Thursday. The district was captured after an Afghan officer turned his rifle on sleeping colleagues, killing nine policemen. Pictured above, Afghan National Army soldiers in the Sangin district

Troops from Badger Squadron, 2RTR, pictured at a militia camp overlooking Peace Street, a new road being built to Sangin in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

The Pentagon has said it would deploy some 300 US Marines this spring to Helmand, where American forces engaged in heated combat until they pulled out in 2014.

Taliban officials have told Reuters that the group has had significant contacts with Moscow since at least 2007, adding that Russian involvement did not extend beyond 'moral and political support'.

Scaparrotti's comment goes one step further than remarks last month by General John Nicholson, the US commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Nicholson testified that Russia is giving the Taliban encouragement and diplomatic cover in order to undermine American influence and to defeat NATO, but he did not address whether Russia is supplying the Islamist insurgents.

Moscow has been critical of the United States over its handling of the war in Afghanistan, where the Soviet Union fought a bloody and disastrous war of its own in the 1980s.

The United States in the 1980s supplied the Mujahideen, parts of which ultimately became the Taliban, with high-tech weapons as they battled the Soviet Union.

After more than 15 years of war, US generals say the Afghanistan conflict is stuck in a 'stalemate,' with the Taliban continuing to carry broad regional influence and NATO-backed Afghan security forces struggling to make progress.
As Apple launched its new iPhone in association with the (RED) charity, many people in China shared their enthusiasm for the new colourful product.

However those wishing to buy the product in China will be unaware that a proportion of the money goes to the (RED) organisation as the website omits any association with (RED) whatsoever.

China still has a stigma around HIV and AIDS despite the fact that the number of people contracting HIV is continuing to increase.

The ad on the Chinese site reads: 'We now present to you the red iPhone 7'

Whereas the UK site makes it clearly obvious that the phone is in association with (RED)

The Chinese website shows the phone and only describes it as the new red version whereas all of the other different countries' websites note the fact that it is a special RED charity version.

Even the Hong Kong website includes the (RED) information.

There has always been a stigma in China around HIV and AIDS. Cases of HIV are rising sharply in the country.

In 2016, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported 96,000 new HIV cases in the first nine months of that year.

Instead of saying where money goes, the description at the bottom just gives a phone number

Whereas the English website shows that money goes towards fighting AIDS and HIV

During the 80s there was a government scandal in which people contracted HIV from dirty needles.

In the village of Wenlou, locals took part in a blood drive to earn some extra cash. However it was later revealed that the needles were unsanitary and caused the spread of HIV to 678 people, 200 of which have since died.

2003 was the worst year for the village which saw 26 people die from the virus. Six died on the same day.

Internet users have also questioned whether (RED)'s link to the Dalai Lama might be another cause behind the omission. (RED) have in the past posted a picture of the Dalai Lama who China considers to be a separatist on their website.

MailOnline has reached out to Apple for comment.
Around 230 people - mostly women and children - who were being used as 'human shields' by ISIS were killed when an airstrike by the US-led coalition triggered a huge explosion in Mosul.

Civil defence agency officials said three buildings in the Jadida neighbourhood of west Mosul collapsed and it is believed the airstrike set off explosives in a lorry being used by ISIS militants.

The incident reportedly happened last Friday but details are only just emerging.

One man who survived the blast told reporters: 'The entire neighbourhood was fleeing because of missiles so people had taken refuge here.

'I didn't know if it was a shelter. I didn't know we couldn't go there. My entire family is inside, 27 people. We pulled only one of them out. We don't know about the rest.'

Civil defence agency workers try to rescue people from the destroyed buildings in Mosul

Brigadier Mohammed al-Jawari told reporters rescue teams were still retrieving bodies from the rubble of the houses near Rahma hospital, which has been the site of heavy fighting between Iraqi forces and hardcore ISIS fighters.

Brig al-Jawari told the al-Mosuliliya channel 40 bodies had been recovered from the buildings that collapsed.

He said: 'Finding survivors is very difficult because the area is completely destroyed. It's a very big disaster, indeed we can describe it as a disaster.'

But a resident who has been tweeted under the name Mosul Eye told the Daily Telegraph one of the residents, who was trapped in the rubble, had called him yesterday begging for help and saying they had been without food and water for several days.

Mosul Eye said: 'This is what Isis wants. They want the Iraqi special forces and coalition to target civilians, this is why they are using them.'

A survivor (pictured) said 27 members of his family were in one of the buildings and only one had been pulled out alive from the rubble

He said ISIS had set off a car bomb in the area, which may have brought down the airstrike on the truck.

Local MP Faris al-Sanjari said the coalition air strike had targeted a truck bomb causing a huge explosion.

He said: 'You can't kill dozens just to destroy a booby-trapped truck parked near houses.'

The coalition has not given details on any specific air strike or comment on a Mosul Jadida district operation.

'We are aware of reports on airstrikes in Mosul resulting in civilian casualties. The coalition conducted several strikes near Mosul and we will provide this information to our civilian casualty team for further investigation,' the coalition said in a statement.

The airstrike last Friday set off a huge explosion which destroyed several buildings (pictured)

Families fleeing Mosul have talked of high numbers of civilians killed by air strikes, and said that in many cases ISIS fighters using homes as cover have already slipped away by the time airstrikes hit.

Other displaced residents say they have been forced to act as human shields.

One Iraqi official put the total casualties at more than 137. Bodies were believed to be still buried inside collapsed homes.

'A coalition air strike hit a residential street last Friday and destroyed at least 30 houses. We halted rescue operations today for lack of heavy equipment, jack hammers and trucks to remove debris,' he said.

One witness said heavy air strikes in the area began on March 7 but last Friday a strike hit a massive Islamic State truck bomb in a residential area, which exploded and destroyed seven homes where dozens of people were hiding.

Another resident said 25 homes were damaged. With fighting still going on, residents have been unable to recover bodies since the strike, the resident said.

Rights groups have expressed concern over the mounting civilian death toll, with Islamic State fighting among homes and densely-populated areas as the campaign to defeat the militant group in its last Iraqi stronghold enters its sixth month.

Iraqi military and US-led coalition have been countering with heavy weaponry and air strikes to support troops on the ground moving into the narrow alleyways of Mosul's Old City.
A Smart car driver has been caught speeding along a footpath at 90km/h with several people crammed into the vehicle.

Shocking footage captured on Snapchat by a motorist in Morayfield, Queensland, shows the driver zooming along the pavement.

The small, blue car undertakes at least two cars before crossing the grass and re-entering the road.

A Smart car driver has been caught speeding along a footpath at 90Km/h with several people crammed into the vehicle

A witness who filmed the incident claimed numerous passengers were inside the two-seat vehicle as it drove along the footpath on Buchanan Road after leaving the Bruce Highway at about 2pm on Thursday.

The car was then seen turning left onto Graham Road where it was once again seen speeding on the pavement.

Morayfield East State School is just a few hundred metres from where the incident took place and children could have been using the pavement moments earlier.

The witness who recorded the video told Moreton Crime Watch that the vehicle was travelling at up to 90km/h.

Shocking footage captured on Snapchat by a motorist in Morayfield, Queensland, shows the driver zooming along the pavement

The small, blue car undertakes at least two cars before crossing the grass and re-entering the road

They reported the Smart car driver to the police, however the officers were unable to identify the vehicle because it had no number plates.

'He is very lucky there [weren't] any innocent pedestrians walking or children or harmed his passengers,' the witness said.

Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia that officers were aware of the incident but that no arrests had been made.
A young girl has made a sweet gesture by giving up the contents of her piggy bank to fund a date night for her parents.

Chelsy-Lee Ordonez De Cross, 10, penned an adorable letter and gifted her mother and father a box filled with her savings of $82 to grab dinner and a movie.

Just moments before, the Sydney youngster's parents were discussing how they wanted a night out, News.com.au reported.

Chelsy-Lee Ordonez De Cross (right), 10, gave her parents an adorable gift so they could have a night out

The year 5 pupil penned an adorable love letter and gifted the couple a box filled with $82 of her savings to grab dinner and a movie

'Dear Mum and Dad, here is some money for a date night,' the note read.

'It should cover a movie, dinner, and maybe extras.

'P.S. You could watch the scary movie for the trailer we just watched.

'Love Chelsy-Lee.'

The girl's mum Marcela Ordonez, 31, told News.com.au she was overwhelmed with emotions when her daughter surprised her with the gift.

'I poured it out on the couch and almost immediately started bawling,' Ms Ordonez said.

'There are no words - I was just completely overwhelmed with her generosity and very proud that she can be so selfless.

'Chelsy-Lee is a gorgeous soul that acts in ways that are often beyond her years.'

Ms Ordonez said her daughter's carefree spirit can be attributed to how she was raised.

Just moments before, the Sydney youngster's parents were discussing how they needed a night out

Ms Ordonez said her daughter's carefree spirit can be attributed to how she was raised - in an unconventional environment without strict rules

'We give her that autonomy because she's a person and she can make these choices and understands there are repercussions,' Ms Ordonez told News.com.au.

Chelsy-Lee doesn't have a bedtime, volunteers in workshops for children with disabilities, feeds the homeless in her free time and helps the Children Hospital deliver gifts.

The Year 5 student started a fundraiser to help raise money for St Lucy's, a school for the intellectually disabled on Sydney's North Shore.
When first responders answered a 911 call to an upmarket suburban California home on March 26, 1997, they could never have expected the shocking scene that awaited them: 39 bodies, carefully arranged, laid out under purple sheets, each persons feet bedecked with trendy black Nike sneakers.

The unforgettable crime scene images would soon be seared into the public consciousness as it emerged that the deaths were the result of a mass suicide by a cult known as Heavens Gate  who believed they were travelling by space ship to a higher level. Videos recorded by wide-eyed leader Marshall Applewhite, 65, are still instantly recognizable 20 years later  as academics, the public and authorities still wonder about the largest mass suicide on US soil.

The website for the group, which ran a web design company, remains active to this day, maintained by two surviving members who provide information to people curious about the Heavens Gate beliefs  although they insist, as the 20th anniversary of the deaths approaches Sunday, that the group does not persist.

The Group came to an end in March, 1997, they wrote in an email to DailyMail.com. There is nothing to join but the information is timeless.

When asked whether they were still connected to or in contact with their deceased former comrades, however, they said: Yes, we are still connected to the Next Level, when they are  without elaborating.

First responders found 39 bodies carefully arranged at a mansion in a wealthy San Diego suburb in March 1997 - each with packed luggage at its side, five dollars and three quarters in the pockets

Leader Marshall Applewhite recorded lengthy video messages detailing the Heaven's Gate cult beliefs, which mixed biblical theology with elements resembling science fiction

The 39 adults were dressed in black, wearing Nike Decade sneakers, and took their own lives in shifts over three days, with members arranging the bodies of those who died before them

The group believed they were not, in fact, taking their own lives but would achieve a higher 'level' of being after being transported by a spaceship following the Hale-Bopp comet

The website masters are reportedly a couple who left to get married, which was against Heavens Gate rules, but retained their association  and shared beliefs  with the group, even allegedly fighting to take possession of the items the late members left behind. They refused to confirm this information to DailyMail.com or divulge any other personal details. They did, however, say that they look forward to being reunited on another level with the members who departed this world in 1997.

We hope to have the opportunity sometimes in the future but we do not know when that will happen, they told DailyMail.com. Probably in our next reincarnation on this planet.

The simple understanding is that there is a real, physical level above the humans one here on earth. It is not a spiritual existence. It is real individuals, in real bodies, in real crafts taking care of the issues of their planet. The Next Level, as it is called, created this planet and all the life on it. The Next Level are the care takers of not only this planet but all the systems of the universe.

From that, all the other understandings follow. They periodically come down to this planet to check in on this civilizations development. The last time they took a very close up observation, in human form, was from about 1972 to 1997. The time before that was 2000 years ago. At those times they talk to those interested about the opportunity of the Next Level and how a very select few can enter into it only after a long period of transition and instruction.

The group, which ran a web design company, maintained a website full of writings and videos about their beliefs which is still kept active by two former members

The bodies were discovered after a former member received a message from the group, mailed before their deaths, then went to the house and alerted authorities

And while the cults unorthodox belief system and mass suicide shocked the world in 1997, it had been decades in the making.

The cult first began when Applewhite, a divorced father-of-two and son of a preacher who had tried his hand at everything from acting to running a deli, met nurse and middle-aged mother-of-four Bonnie Nettles in Houston in the early 1970s. They shared an immediate bond over their mutual interest in both biblical theology and the occult, and they began cobbling together their own belief system  eventually deciding that they were the two witnesses mentioned in the Book of Revelation. They believed they were prophets for a God who was really an advanced extraterrestrial, that individuals could advance to an evolutionary level above human, and that the world would one day be recycled. The pair believed that Jesus had been sent on a similar mission by this same celestial being.

On New Years Day, 1973, they set off across the country to share their beliefs and eventually garner hundreds of followers from across a vast socioeconomic and geographic spectrum. They left their former lives behind, including their respective children; during their initial travels, they ran out of money and would stop at blood banks for cash or routinely skip out on bills. At one point, Applewhite spent six months in jail in Missouri for auto theft after renting a car and simply driving off with it  before Do and Ti eventually disavowed stealing.

Applewhite and Nettles called themselves Do and Ti, among other names, and created a strict routine and set of rules for their followers which regulated everything from bathing to food

Marshall Applewhite, left, was a musician and the son of a preacher who believed God was an extra-terrestrial being, while Bonnie Nettles, right, was a nurse and mother of four

They distributed fliers and even took out newspaper ads as they continued their cross-country proselytizing mission, picking up followers along the way. The group would shift in name, belief system and number over the years, but always under the leadership of Applewhite and Nettles, who called themselves Pig and Guinea, Bo and Peep and, most famously, Do and Ti  in a fantastically close, platonic relationship. At one recruitment meeting in Los Angeles, they reportedly said: We are The Two prophesied in Revelation. God has sent us here as an experiment, so you might call us Guinea and Pig.

Members were kept to strict regiments as the group moved across the country, sometimes living at campsites, other times renting houses with funds often taken from a followers trust fund. Anyone joining was required to leave behind family, friends and possessions (although the trust fund made the cut) and to abstain from sex, drugs and other worldly pleasures; by the time of his death, Applewhite and several other male members had been voluntarily castrated. Everything was regulated, from their communal clothes  including underwear  to the length of their bathing time (six minutes using one gallon of water) to the size of their pancakes. They were allowed to work regular jobs in their areas of specialties outside the commune, however, generating more funds for the cult  and at the time of the suicides ran a computer company.

Applewhite and Nettles believed they would be killed for their beliefs and rise again three and a half days later in a cloud or UFO, after which the world would be destroyed.

The group was never targeted or threatened by the government or anyone else, however, skewing their predictions of achieving resurrection through murder. Nettles instead died from cancer in 1985, again shaking the core belief system. Applewhite altered his ideas and came up with a new revelation after astronomers sighted the Hale-Bopp comet and, in November 1996, a photo emerged which appeared to show an object trailing in its wake. Applewhite announced this was a spaceship which would pick up the remaining followers if they cast aside their earthly bodies.

At the mansion the group then shared in Rancho Santa Fe, California, a suicide pact was formed.

Over three days, the members consumed a mixture of vodka and phenobarbital poison with pudding or apple sauce, then tied plastic bags over their heads. Each was dressed in black shirts and sweat pants, brand new black-and-white Nike Decade sneakers and armbands reading Heavens Gate Away Team. The bodies all had a five dollar bill and three quarters in their pockets along with packed luggage at their sides.

As each shift of followers died, the remaining members removed the plastic bags and arranged the bodies before taking their own lives. The final death shift consisted of two members, left with no one to remove the bags or neatly array the bodies.

The victims ranged in age from 26 to 72. Some had been in the group for 22 years; others had left and come back when their outside world lives hit speed bumps or they simply continued to feel the Heavens Gate pull; others had been members for just a few years. Some were parents who, like Applewhite and Nettles, had left behind their children. Some members were dreamers and drifters, while the occupations of others ranged from bus driver to ex-paratrooper to paralegal to journalist.

The Heaven's Gate victims ranged in age from 26 to 72, and some had been members of the group for as long as 22 years under the leadership of Applewhite

Marshall Applewhite, who was 65 when he took his own life, altered the group's beliefs many times over the years, ultimately decided a passing spaceship would pick up his followers

Members videotaped 'exit' messages before the mass suicide, which had been meticulously planned in advance to coincide with the passing of the Hale-Bopp comet

In addition to videotaped messages, Heaven's Gate prepared a press release for the media before ingesting poison mixed with pudding and apple sauce

They were discovered by another Heavens Gate member, Rio Di Angelo, who had planned to be the 40th body discovered in the mass suicide  right up until a few weeks beforehand, when he claims to have woken up with a feeling that he had something yet to do on Earth. So he left with the Applewhites blessing, he said, and after the suicides received a package with a videotapes and a map to the home where he would find them. He got a ride to Rancho Santa Fe, went inside and then alerted authorities.

The group had planned meticulously before they ingested the fatal concoction, making exit videos explaining why they were making the decision  as well as preparing a press release for the media.

By the time you receive this, well be gone  several dozen of us, it read. We came from the Level Above Human in distant space and we have now exited the bodies that we were wearing for our earthly task, to return to the world from whence we came  task completed. The distant space we refer to is what your religious literature would call the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of God.

We came for the purpose of offering a doorway to the Kingdom of God at the end of this civilization, the end of this age, the end of this millennium. We came from that Level, that time, that space, and entered this one. And in so doing, we had to enter human bodies  which we did, for the most part, in the mid-seventies.

Now it was time for us to leave those bodies (vehicles)  bodies that we borrowed for the time we were here (by previous arrangement) for this specific task. The task was not only to bring in information about that Evolutionary Kingdom Level Above Human, but to give us the experience of working against the forces of what the human evolutionary level, at this time, has become. And while it was a good learning experience for us, it also gave all who ever received knowledge from that Kingdom an opportunity to recognize us and this information, and to even move out of the human level and into the Next Level or the Next Evolutionary Level, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God, the Level Above Human, is a physical world, where they inhabit physical bodies. However, those bodies are merely containers, suits of clothes  the true identity (of the individual) is the soul or mind/spirit residing in that vehicle. The body is merely a tool for that individuals use  when it wears out, he is issued a new one.

No one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven by trying to live a good life in this world, and then, thinking that when this worlds life takes your body, you get to go to heaven. The only time that Next Kingdom can be entered is when there is a Member or Members of that Kingdom who have come into the human kingdom, incarnated as we have, offering clarification of that information.

The website maintainers told DailyMail.com that they had been in the group for 12 years and joined immediately after attending a meeting that Ti & Do held. Their truth was undeniable.

They said interest continues in the groups complicated belief system mixing traditional theology with its sci-fi-esque tenets.

We get an average of about 10-12 emails a day, they said. They come from all over the world. We sell several books a year and give away about 40 or so free VHS tape sets. There is no dominate geographic area. More tapes and books go out domestically because of the cost of shipping internationally. The demos on this are very diverse.

The group lived communally in a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, outside of San Diego, and some members maintained regular jobs outside of the home

Rio Di Angelo, who says he planned to join the Heaven's Gate members in the mass suicide up until a few weeks beforehand, discovered the bodies and alerted authorities

The March 1997 mass suicide was the largest to take place on U.S. soil in history and made headlines around the country

Survivor Rio Di Angelo, who was selected to discover the Heavens Gate bodies, also continues to espouse the groups beliefs and remains in occasional contact with the website moderators, they say. To coincide with the tenth anniversary of the suicides in 1997, he released a statement, insisting: Im glad to be alive and planning to stay that way. I have a wonderful life with purpose. I am alive NOT because I rejected anything about Heavens Gate. I am alive because I have discovered something so extraordinarily important to the world that it needs to be passed on to you in its most true and accurate form from ME.

He went on to explain the tenets of Heavens Gate, saying: When there is a Representative from the Level Above Human (Heaven) here on Earth, you will be drawn to Him and His mission. You then will be taught the final lessons in a type of finishing school. These important lessons enable you to know how to create a Soul. A Soul is different than a Spirit. A human Spirit is Earth bond only. A Soul is you conscientiously choosing to evolve into a new creature that has the non-human ingredient needed for transition into the Level Above Human.

That Representative becomes your teacher and is the only one who can usher you into the higher level of existence. He knows how because Hes done it before.

This is my understanding of the mission that Jesus started. This is why He was here and said he would return.

Confirming his three-year membership in Heavens Gate, he said: I know everything worth knowing about them and I can say with absolute, undeniable certainty, that Heavens Gate was indeed The Second Coming of Jesus.

He said: I am against suicide and so was the group. What happened to Heavens Gate was an EXIT, The end of the Spirit reincarnation process and the beginning of life as a Soul in the Level Above Human.

They EXITED their bodies (vehicles) and are now with their Guide and Teacher in the Spirit world (the Valley of the Shadow of Death) helping mis-guided Spirits before their ascension.

I am here to bring you the truth and to clarify information for you to examine. Also, to help with understanding the next steps, after the Second Coming, if that is your choice. I am not here to convince you to do anything or to believe any of this. If it speaks to you, use it. If not, go on.
More people are leaving Chicago than any other major US city, new census data released Thursday shows.

The new coincides with a frightening rise in murders in the Windy City. Last year, Chicago's murder rate surpassed 750 homicides for the first time since the 1990s, and it's on track to have a similarly deadly year in 2017, with 127 deaths already.

In January, President Trump threatened to send in the National Guard if Chicago didn't 'fix the horrible "carnage"'.

More people are moving out of Chicago than any other U.S. city, census data released Thursday reveals

However, the exodus appeared to be a trend for the Midwest in general, with many leaving other area cities including St. Louis and Cleveland.

Meanwhile, the South and Southwest regions saw the most gains. Two Texas metropolitan areas - Dallas and Houston - reported the biggest numeric increases between July 2015 and July 2016, adding more than 100,000 residents each.

There are wide-ranging reasons for the shifts, from families' concerns about violence and schools to dwindling immigration and fertility rates. But demographers said Thursday's data also suggest the reanimation of a trend that paused during the recession - of Americans on the move from the Snow Belt to the suburbs of big cities, and to the Sun Belt.

THE 10 LARGEST-DECLINING COUNTIES: JULY 1, 2015 - JULY 1, 2016 COUNTY POPULATION NUMERIC CHANGE PERCENT CHANGE BIRTHS DEATHS DOMESTIC MIGRATION INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION Cook County, Illinois 5,203,499 -21,324 -0.41 68,049 42,297 -66,244 18,434 Wayne County, Michigan 1,749,366 -7,696 -0.44 23,209 18,231 -17,346 4,279 Baltimore City, Maryland 614,664 -6,738 -1.08 8,654 6,871 -11,008 2,195 Cuyahoga County, Ohio 1,249,352 -5,673 -0.45 14,941 13,563 -10,122 3,402 Suffolk County, New York 1,492,583 -5,320 -0.36 15,446 12,793 -11,278 4,327 Milwaukee County, Wisconsin 951,448 -4,866 -0.51 13,675 8,176 -13,186 2,505 Allegheny County, Pennsylvania 1,225,365 -3,933 -0.32 13,193 13,995 -5,821 3,479 San Juan County, New Mexico 115,079 -3,622 -3.05 1,703 1,026 -4,341 42 St. Louis County, Missouri 311,404 -3,471 -1.01 4,547 3,070 -6,189 981 Jefferson County, New York 114,006 -3,254 -2.78 2,000 945 -4,674 345

The Chicago area, which includes surrounding communities in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, lost more than 19,500 residents in a year's time. Cook County, which encompasses Chicago, also led all counties in population drops, with roughly 21,300 fewer residents. Trailing were Michigan's Wayne County, where Detroit is located, with roughly 7,700 fewer residents; and Baltimore County, which lost more than 6,700 residents.

Meanwhile, Arizona's Maricopa County had the highest annual population increase, gaining over 81,000 residents, followed by Harris County in Texas and Nevada's Clark County.

Families leaving Chicago cite the nearly-broke city school system that's closed over 50 schools since 2013 and a soaring violent crime rate with more than 760 homicides last year, the most in two decades. City demographics experts add in longstanding economic trends like fewer entry level jobs and a sagging industrial core, along with the dismantling of dense neighborhood-based public housing.

Lower immigration rates also have impacted the Chicago region's dwindling population. Immigration, particularly from Mexico, was the key factor behind most of Chicago's population growth in the 1990s.

TOP 10 LARGEST-GAINING COUNTIES: JULY 1, 2015 TO JULY 1, 2016 COUNTY POPULATION NUMERIC CHANGE PERCENT CHANGE BIRTHS DEATHS DOMESTIC MIGRATION INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION Maricopa County, Arizona 4,242,997 81,360 1.95 56,073 30,645 43,189 10,188 Harris County, Texas 4,589,928 56,587 1.25 73,072 26,660 -16,225 27,922 Clark County, Nevada 2,155,664 46,375 2.20 27,352 16,501 27,735 6,566 King County, Washington 2,149,970 35,714 1.69 25,905 13,580 8,511 15,500 Tarrant County, Texas 2,016,872 35,462 1.79 28,682 12,903 13,411 6,348 Riverside County, California 2,387,741 34,849 1.48 30,845 17,092 16,961 3,099 Bexar County, Texas 1,928,680 33,198 1.75 28,682 13,458 13,077 5,361 Orange County, Florida 1,314,367 29,503 2.30 16,721 8,198 10,083 11,078 Dallas County, Texas 2,574,984 29,209 1.15 40,063 16,407 -6,193 12,133 Hillsborough County, Florida 1,376,238 29,161 2.16 17,345 11,179 14,086 7,774

In Illinois, the population decline has been ripe fodder for political battles.

The predominantly Democratic state's first Republican governor in a decade, Bruce Rauner, has repeatedly blamed historic fiscal mismanagement and a lack of business-friendly laws for the decline, with companies choosing to set up shop in Texas and Florida over Illinois. In return, Democrats in charge have pointed fingers at over two years of state budget gridlock during the Republicans tenure.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office on Thursday called the decline a trend across the Midwest but blamed Illinois politics for exacerbating it and creating fiscal instability.

Demographics experts said one of the drivers behind the population change around the country could be more young people moving than before.

Young people are historically more likely to move around, but the recession put the brakes on the migration. Millenials, roughly 25-to-35-year olds, have moved at lower rates than their predecessors, including Generation-Xers, according to a Pew Research Center analysis last month.

Rolf Pendall of the Urban Institute's Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center called the trend 'a pent-up demand to migrate' by people in their 20s and 30s and a bump in births 'in places where families want to move anyway.'

As baby boomers age, U.S. deaths in some regions are expected to rise, which could be contributing to some of the population dips, too.

'In a lot of the colder northern areas - St. Louis, Chicago, but also the northern states - they just don't have as many young people living there as the rest of the country,' Pendall said.

But for Chicago native Marissa Marshall, the issue was squarely violence.

She told the AP that she decided to move when she heard dangerously close gunfire in the rough neighborhood where she found affordable housing.

The 29-year-old, who's pregnant with her fifth child, relocated about three years ago to a St. Louis suburb where she more easily found jobs and a home where she felt it was safe to send the kids outside.

'I have boys and I didn't want to raise them in that environment,' Marshall said. 'It is easier to go outside of Chicago to get help than stay in Chicago.'
Truman Capote's true-life tale of the 1959 murder of a Kansas family, In Cold Blood, may not be all it seems, it has emerged.

One of the murderers, Richard Hickock, wrote his own manuscript, which may have been suppressed by Capote, a new report revealed.

And even more chillingly, Hickock's account suggests that while Capote wrote the murders up as a burglary gone wrong, it was actually a paid hit, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Killers: Richard Hickock (left) and Perry Smith (right) were hanged in 1965 for killing a Kansas family in 1959. It was portrayed as a burglary gone horribly wrong; they left with less than $50

Author: Truman Capote released the groundbreaking true crime book In Cold Blood, based on interviews with the pair and locals, in 1966. But Hickock wrote his own, once-lost manuscript

According to Capote's 1966 book, Hickock and accomplice Perry Smith broke into the home of the Clutter family in western Kansas on November 14, 1959 to commit burglary.

They had been told that Clutter kept $10,000 in a safe, and planned to steal the money and run away to Mexico.

As In Cold Blood tells it, the pair tied up the family and but found no safe - or any valuables - anywhere.

Worried about leaving witnesses, the deeply unstable Smith then cut the throat of Herb Clutter, 48, who was tied up in the basement, before shooting him in the head with a shotgun.

'I didn't want to harm the man,' Smith told Capote from prison. 'I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Soft spoken.

'I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat.'

The pair then walked through the house, where Herb's wife, Bonnie, 45, and their two children, 16-year-old Nancy and 15-year-old Kenyon, were tied up, and killed each with a single shotgun blast to the head.

Kenyon died in the room next to the basement. Bonnie and Nancy were both bound and murdered in their bedrooms.

They fled with a portable radio, a pair of binoculars and less than $50 in cash. They were caught the following month and hanged in 1965.

Victims: Herb Clutter (left), 48, was tied up in the basement of his home. Smith slit his throat then shot him. His wife, Bonnie Clutter (right), 45, was shot dead while tied to her bed

Children: Nancy Clutter (left), 16, was tied to her bed when she was shot. Kenyon Clutter (right), 15, was bound in the room next to his father when Smith shot him

Deadly: The shotgun and knife used to kill the Clutters and their children are seen here in 1960. Hickock suggested in his manuscript that the deaths were paid for by a man known as 'Roberts'

That's how Truman told it in his groundbreaking narrative nonfiction book, but Hickock's own memoir, written in 1962 but forgotten until now, contradict Capote's version.

The documents, which have resurfaced after a Wall Street Journal investigation, suggest that the murders were even more cold-blooded than Capote claimed.

As Hickock tells it, he gleefully shone a torch onto each victim's face to aid Smith in his murders.

On recalling how Kenyon's head was destroyed by Smith's shotgun blast, Hickock wrote: 'I would of [sic] liked to see the embalmer fill that hole.'

I would of [sic] liked to see the embalmer fill that hole Richard Hickock on Kenyon Clutter, 15, being shot in the head

But there are even more disquieting hints that the killers were not bungling burglars but paid hitmen.

At one point in the 200-page handwritten manuscript, which had made its way into the hands of a lawyer who worked on the case, Hickock makes a reference to someone called 'Roberts' who appears to be paying them money.

Describing the seconds before the murders, Hickock says: 'We were running short on time.

'It was almost two o'clock and our meeting with Roberts was about an hour away. We didn't want to miss that. Five thousand bucks is a lot of dough.'

And earlier, as the pair pulled up to the Clutters' house, Hickock said he thought: 'I was going to kill a person. Maybe more than one. Could I do it? Maybe I'll back out.

'But I can't back out, I've taken the money. I've spent some of it. Besides, I thought, I know too much.'

Exactly who Roberts is, and what his role in the grisly murders was, is unclear.

Death house: Bodies of the Clutter clan are removed from their home by police. Hickock's claim of a paid hit contradicts some known facts about the case

Scene of the crime: Nancy was tied to this bed when she was shot in the head by Smith. It's not clear why the men, if hired as hitmen, would not turn in their employer for a plea deal

Basement: This is the basement in which Herb Clutter was murdered. Capote said the men broke in to steal a safe he supposedly had, and Smith became angry because there wasn't one

The claims also raise questions about the truthfulness of Hickock's story.

If they were being paid thousands of dollars to murder the family, a skeptic might ask, where did the money go after they left the house?

Why didn't they turn in Roberts as a plea deal when they were brought in for questioning?

And why did Hickock's former cellmate and ex-Clutter employee Floyd Wells testify that he told Hickock about the supposed safe, causing the robbery in the first place?

'I don't believe for a minute that they got paid to do it,' Michael Stone, a Columbia University psychiatrist specializing in the study of killers, told the Wall Street Journal after reading the manuscript.

Still, there is evidence to suggest that regardless of its truthfulness, the document unnerved Capote, and some believe he had it buried.

Hickock and journalist Mack Nations had tried to sell The High Road to Hell to publishers Random House in 1962.

But the publishing house turned it down, as they had already contracted Capote to write In Cold Blood.

Slaughtered: Mrs Clutter was shot dead while tied to her bed (pictured). Both men appeared to have no money when caught which doesn't fit with Hickock's claim that they were paid $5,000

Film: Capote (seen on the set of the film of 'In Cold Blood' in 1967) made his name with the book. He reportedly tried to buy out the manuscript and was worried it would affect his book

Nations had persuaded Hickock to send his recollections through the mail, so the reporter could compile them into a manuscript.

In 1961, a Kansas Bureau of Investigation official told Capote what Nations was planning, and Capote made his first visit to Death Row to meet Hickock.

Capote was the only one allowed to do so - having successfully fought off a ban on all journalists visiting death row that had stopped Nations visiting Hickock. That was something that left Nations sour.

Capote also tried calling Nations to buy up the manuscript, one of Nations' old colleagues at the Witchita Eagle recalled.

They trumped [the tax evasion charges against my father] up to put a stop to that book Michael Nations, son of journalist Mack Nations, who worked with Hickock on his memoirs

And in 1962, Nations was hit with an income-tax evasion charge. He was acquitted, but the charge ruined his career.

His son, Michael Nations, believes his dad was prosecuted on purpose a few months after being ordered to send a copy of the manuscript to state officials.

'They trumped it up to put a stop to that book,' he said.

There is nothing to prove that claim, although Capote did write to Random House founder Bennett Cerf in March 1962, gloating about Nations' misfortune.

'Remember Mack Nations, the newspaper bastard who has caused me so much trouble?' he wrote. 'Well, he has been arrested for income tax evasion!'

At no point in In Cold Blood does Capote mention that Hickock wrote his own memoir.
Many Adele fans missed out on the star's concert after to flights to Auckland were cancelled at the last minute on Thursday.

Two Jetstar flights from New Plymouth to Auckland were canned at short notice due to pilot sickness, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed.

Not surprisingly, many fans were outraged and took to social media to vent their frustration.

Many Adele fans missed out on the star's concert after their flights were suddenly cancelled to Auckland on Thursday

Not surprisingly, many fans were outraged and took to social media to vent their frustration

Two Jetstar flights from New Plymouth to Auckland were canned at short notice due to pilot sickness

'Jetstar NZ what an utter waste of time in New Plymouth,' Chris Lord wrote on Facebook.

'How can you cancel so many flights especially when we made this booking so long ago that at the last minute you cancel the flight, tickets to see Adele do not just cancel out.

'Now we have to make a 4hr drive to Auckland hopefully we might get there before this long awaited concert.'

Customers were told of the cancellations by email and text by 1pm on Thursday and offered a full refund or an alternative mode of transport, but by then it was too late for some.

Emma Miscall, from Wellington, told the New Zealand Herald she got a text from Jetstar saying her flight to Auckland was cancelled.

She tried to book another flight but they were all full.

'I went to Jetstar but they couldn't offer me another flight, or even a bus ticket,' she said.

'I'm ropeable.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jetstar New Zealand for comment.

Customers were told of the cancellations by email and text by 1pm on Thursday and offered a full refund or an alternative mode of transport, but by then it was too late for some
Albany resident Tom Cordier has filed a complaint with the Oregon secretary of state's office alleging Greater Albany Public Schools has violated electioneering rules in speaking about an upcoming bond measure.

Cordier, with two other Albany residents, also has filed a political action committee to oppose the $159 million bond measure, 22-165, which residents will decide this May.

In the election complaint, filed March 13, Cordier cited an article published by the Albany Democrat-Herald about a study the district commissioned to determine whether the mid-valley would receive any economic benefit from constructing auditoriums and/or gyms at South Albany or West Albany high schools as part of the bond work.

The analysis, by ECONorthwest, concluded new high school auditoriums and gyms would bring additional money, which could support a handful of new jobs in the area.

Superintendent Jim Golden is quoted as saying, "The study makes the case that those assets are a bonus for the community, both because we don't have as many as other communities our size and (because) there is some economic benefits."

Cordier sent a copy of the article to Secretary of State Dennis Richardson's office, which said it would review his complaint "as soon as possible" and determine appropriate action.

"To say that there's economic benefits to passing this thing is advocacy, and to my mind, you can't do that," Cordier said.

Golden said he doesn't agree that his quote constitutes advocacy.

"The board asked for the study and I was merely summarizing what the study concluded," he said. "The study was commissioned before the actual bond package was put together and approved by the board."

Cordier has been a frequent and longtime critic of adding auditoriums, which some have termed performing arts centers, to either of Albany's two main high schools under the district's current budgetary and academic circumstances.

He also takes issue with the term "auditorium," which he said he believes the district purposely used in its ballot summary to draw attention away from the term "performing arts center." While Cordier said he believes the two accomplish the same function, he said he thinks some in the community may oppose arts centers and not catch the name "auditorium" as being the same thing.

"My assumption is they (district officials) know there's significant opposition to a performing arts center," he said, adding that if it's really a concern to build one, he would expect to see a partnership with the city to create a center the community could use.

Whatever the performance space might be termed, teachers have said they need one at each school, rather than one at a neutral location. That's so each can be used throughout the day as regular classroom spaces rather than busing students in for the occasional show.

However, the bond measure includes just one performance space, to be built at West Albany High School as part of the first phase of a full replacement of the school. Board members have asked that gym space be added to South and that work be done to modernize that school's current theater space instead.

Cordier, with Skeet Arasmith as a second director and Tony White as treasurer, filed a PAC called "Cost Effective Public Education" to oppose the bond measure. Cordier said anyone who wants to sign on or support the PAC can contact him via email at tcordier@peak.org.

Cordier said he opposes the bond measure for a variety of reasons, but mostly because he said he feels the Albany district is not spending its current dollars as wisely or efficiently as he thinks it should.

"You could classify $159 million as rewarding a school system that hasn't done well academically," he said, adding that aside from some plans to renovate or expand vocational education, "The money being spent here doesn't do a whit to improve academic performance."

More than 85 percent of the district's existing budget is dedicated to personnel, which means buildings and maintenance projects are perpetually underfunded, Cordier said.

"A lot of this money is buildings, buildings, buildings. The district can't maintain the existing buildings," he said.

Costs under the Public Employees Retirement System are part of the problem, Cordier said. While he acknowledged courts have held districts are obligated to pay past contracts as written, he said he wants to see the district cut its employee costs going forward so more money is available for buildings.

If it does so, he said, he might consider voting for future bond requests, depending on what's in them.

"There's nothing wrong with voting no on this thing, because they're going to come back with a more modest request," he said.
An Australian family have shared a tribute to the British police officer killed in the Westminster terror attack, saying he was a 'genuinely nice bloke'.

Andrew Thorogood and his family travelled from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory to London in October and asked PC Keith Palmer to pose for a photo with them at the gates of the Houses of Parliament.

'With everyone so suspicious of everyone else these days, he was happy to chat and smile for a photo with a bunch of Territorians on holiday,' Mr Thorogood wrote on Facebook alongside the picture.

The photograph was taken in the same spot where Mr Palmer was stabbed to death by Khalid Masood after the 'lone wolf' terrorist ploughed his car into crowds of people on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday.

Scroll down for video

An Australian family have shared a tribute to the British police officer killed in the Westminster terror attack, saying he was a 'genuinely nice bloke' after they met him at Houses of Parliament in October (pictured)

'It sent a shiver down my spine when I realised Keith was the officer who was killed in the London terror attack,' Mr Thorogood wrote.

He said after Mr Palmer told them he would love to visit Australia, his daughters offered to show him how 'special' their home town Alice Springs is.

'That will never happen now, all because he was doing his job and trying to keep people safe in the face of yet another crazy terror attack,' Mr Thorogood said.

'Our thoughts are with his wife and family'.

The photo shows Mr Palmer in his uniform with his arms around the Alice Springs father and his two daughters smiling at the entrance to the Houses of Parliament.

A total of four people were killed by Masood, 52, in the horrific attack, before he was shot dead by police near where Mr Thorogood's photo was taken.

Mr Palmer's family gave their own tribute to the 'courageous' policeman on Thursday, saying he was a 'wonderful dad and husband'.

Police officer Keith Palmer was killed by a knifeman before the attacker was shot by other officers outside Parliament. Emergency services desperately tried to save him, pictured, but he succumbed to his wounds

'With everyone so suspicious of everyone else these days, he was happy to chat and smile for a photo with a bunch of Territorians on holiday,' Mr Thorogood wrote on Facebook alongside the picture

'Keith will be remembered as a wonderful dad and husband. A loving son, brother and uncle. A long-time supporter of Charlton FC,' a statement released by his wife Michelle (both pictured) read

A police officer places flowers and a photo of Pc Keith Palmer on Whitehall near the closed-off Houses of Parliament in London after the horrific attack

'Keith will be remembered as a wonderful dad and husband. A loving son, brother and uncle. A long-time supporter of Charlton FC,' a statement released by his wife Michelle and his five-year-old daughter read.

Keith Palmer poses for a selfie with Parliament visitors

'Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed. We love him so much'.

Mr Palmer's colleagues revealed he was nominated for the best thief taker in the Commissioner's Excellence Awards in 2015, after making over 15 arrests in 12 months.

He has also been credited with saving the life of former Met officer Nina Whitehead who was involved in a car crash when she was in the passenger seat of a patrol car.

Ms Whitehead said Mr Palmer kept her alive until paramedics arrived.

'He was already a hero. In my eyes he always will be. I literally owe him my life,' she said.
A Starbucks barista in California was surprised when a customer returned to apologize for their rude behavior.

Andrew Richardson, 20, of Bishop California, received a $50 bill and a handwritten card from his drive-thru customer Debbie, whom Richardson admitted he didn't think was rude.

Debbie had ordered multiple drinks from Richardson on Monday.

Starbucks barista Andrew Richardson (above), 20, was surprised when a customer returned to apologize for their rude behavior

'She was extremely pleasant, and we had some friendly conversation while her drinks were being made,' Richardson told ABC News.

Richardson informed Debbie that the business was out of drink carriers and she became 'a touch frustrated like anyone would be', he recalled.

In addition to being out of drink carriers, Richardson was unable to take Debbie's trash because it would violate California health code.

'She then became a bit more frustrated, but nothing that I would perceive as rudeness. At worst, she was playfully sassy. I really didn't think too much of it,' Richardson said.

So, Richardson was surprised when Debbie returned the following day with the gifts.

'Being in customer service you can experience a lot of negativity and frustration. I try and counter it with positivity and patience. This was an extremely mild interaction compared to other incidents,' Richardson said.

But Debbie felt otherwise.

She returned to the store and became 'extremely apologetic' toward him.

Richardson received a $50 bill and a handwritten card (pictured) from his drive-thru customer Debbie as an apology for her rude behavior

Richardson said her handwritten card made his day and that the money was 'unnecessary'

'She felt genuinely terrible about our interaction the day before. I was so heart warmed to even get a verbal apology. It doesn't happen much,' Richardson said.

They chatted for a few minutes and Richardson said Debbie's in-person apology alone was enough to lift his spirits, without the card and money.

'I returned to it later, opened it, and I was completely shocked,' said Richardson of discovering the money. 'Without the money, this was one of the most beautiful and heartfelt things I have ever read.

The humbled barista said the handwritten card made his day and that the money was 'unnecessary'.

'I would have turned the money down had I opened it when she was there. It's hard to take things like that,' Richardson said.
Utah has enacted the toughest drink-drive law in America meaning just two beers is enough to put motorists over the limit.

On Thursday the state's Governor Gary Herbert signed a law setting the blood alcohol boundary for drunken driving at 0.05.

The proposal lowers the predominantly Mormon state's blood-alcohol limit from 0.08, currently the standard across all US states, and will come into force as of December 31, 2018.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed a law setting the blood alcohol limit for drunken driving at 0.05 on Thursday

In a statement issued on Thursday Governor Herbert said the bill would improve road safety in the region.

He said: 'I signed (the bill) into law to help strengthen Utah's impaired driving laws and to reduce the number of alcohol-related deaths on our roads.'

The change means a 150-pound man would be over the 0.05 limit after two beers, while a 120-pound woman could exceed it after a single drink, though that can be affected by a number of factors, including how much food a person has eaten, according to the American Beverage Institute (ABI), a national restaurant group.

Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, said her organization and other groups see the law as likely to hurt the hospitality industry in the state.

'It will be punishing those people who drink responsibly, and go out and enjoy an evening,' she said.

The ABI, which had previously taken out ads advocating against the measure in newspapers in the state, earlier condemned Herbert's plan to sign the bill.

Governor Herbert also said he would call a special legislative session to address the 'unintended and collateral consequences' of the law, and to help 'modify and improve it'.

The change means drinking just two beers is enough to put motorists over the limit

He added he wants legislators to consider a tiered punishment system with less stringent penalties for those convicted of driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.07 percent.

Utah has some of the lowest rates of fatal DUI accidents in the country, and though the population has boomed over the past decade, the DUI arrest rate has dropped.

The National Transportation Safety Board has advocated for a national 0.05 limit, and its representatives testified twice in support of the Utah bill before the legislature, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

The board said studies show that impairment starts after one drink, even at blood-alcohol levels as low as 0.04, the limit for commercial truck drivers nationwide.
Squatters in southern Mexico were 'milking' crocodiles for their blood, according to authorities who rescued 14 of the animals and found 20 others dead.

Residents who set up camp at a coastal nature reserve known as la Encrucijada in Chiapas believed the crocodile blood could cure cancer, diabetes, AIDS and other diseases.

Many of the dead crocodiles had their heads or tail hacked away, and the 14 that were still alive were released back into the wild.

Squatters in southern Mexico were 'milking' crocodiles for their blood. Twenty were found dead, and the remaining 14 were rescued and released into the wild (file photo)

Crocodiles are considered a protected species in Mexico, and it remains unclear whether the squatters will be apprehended for hunting the reptiles.

Some scientists have long questioned why alligators and crocodiles seem resistant to bacterial infection.

'They inflict wounds on each other from which they frequently recover without complications from infection despite the fact that the environments in which they live are less than sterile,' Barney Bishopof George Mason University told the New Scientist in 2015.

While there's been talk of using fragments of proteins called peptides in crocodile blood to create antibiotics, nothing has come of the studies.

'There is really no clinical utility because I can't isolate them from alligators and inject them into your veins because your body would recognize that it was not human,' Doctor Mark Merchant said.

At least one crocodile farm in Thailand offers people who can prove they have cancer capsules of dried crocodile blood, according to Vice.

But Merchant, who has studied immune systems of crocodiles for more than a decade, said: 'I'm not sure that this practice really provides health benefits. It might, but I find that most practices like this are built into religious and cultural activities, and do not have a scientific basis.'
Amere Singh Dhaliwal,34, of Huddersfield, is charged with 21 counts of rape, four counts of supply of Class A drugs, supply of Class B drugs, supply of controlled substances with intention to engage in sexual activity, 14 counts of trafficking a female in the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation, five counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of sexual assault by penetration, three of sexual touching, three more of possession of indecent images of a child, racially aggravated assault and inciting a child into prostitution.

Irfan Ahmed, 32, of Huddersfield, is charged with six counts of trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation, sexual touching, taking indecent images of a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Asif Bashir, 32, of Huddersfield, is charged with four counts of rape and attempted rape.

Zahid Hassan,28, of Huddersfield, is charged with five counts of trafficking a child within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation, eight of rape, racially aggravated assault, two of supply of Class A drugs, inciting a child into sexual activity, two of child abduction and attempted rape.

Manzoor Hassan, 37, of Huddersfield, is charged with supply of noxious substance with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve female, two of supply of Class A drugs and inciting a child into prostitution.

Mohammed Kammer, 32, of Huddersfield, is charged with two counts of rape.

Mohammed Rizwan Aslam,29, of Huddersfield, is charged with two counts of rape.

Abdul Rehman Hanif,2 9, of Huddersfield, is charged with rape, supply of Class A drugs, two of supply of Class B drugs, supply of controlled substance with intent to engage in sexual activity, sexual touching and trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation.

Mohammed Asaf Akram, 31, of Huddersfield, is charged with seven counts of rape, three of trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation, child abduction, supply of Class B drugs, sexual touching and threats to kill.

Raj Singh Barsran, 33, of Huddersfield, is charged with two counts of sexual touching and rape.

Mansoor Akhtar, 25, of Huddersfield, is charged with rape, attempted rape and two of trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation.

Niaz Ahmed, 53, of Huddersfield, is charged with two counts of inciting a child into sexual activity and sexual touching.

Mohammad Nahman, 31, of Huddersfield, is charged with trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation, sexual touching, and two counts of rape.

Hamzha Ali Saleem, 37, of Manchester, is charged with three counts of trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation.

Waqas Mahmood, 36, of Huddersfield, is charged with 3 counts of rape.

Naveeda Habib, 38, of Huddersfield, is charged with one count of child neglect.

Shahnaz Akhtar Malik, 55, of Huddersfield, is charged with one count of child neglect.

Nasarat Hussain,28, of Huddersfield, is charged with three counts of rape, attempted rape and inciting a female to engage in sexual activity.

Sajid Hussain,32, of Huddersfield, is charged with facilitating the commission of sexual activity on a child, three counts of rape and inciting a child into sexual activity.

Zulwarnain Dogar,29, of Huddersfield, is charged with sexual touching and trafficking a female within UK with a view to her sexual exploitation.

Mohammad Ifraz, 28, of Huddersfield, is charged with trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation (x3), rape, false imprisonment, child abduction, taking indecent images of a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Faisal Nadeem, 30, of Huddersfield. He is charged with supply of Class A drugs, rape and possession of extreme pornography.

Mohammad Azeem, 31, of Bradford, is charged with three counts of rape.

Mohammad Imran Ibrar,32, of Huddersfield, is charged with trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation, facilitating the commission of sexual activity on a child, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, supply of Class B drugs.

Everton La Bastide, 50, of Huddersfield, is charged with two counts of sexual touching.

Mohammed Saqib Raheel,30, of Dudley, is charged with child abduction and trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation.

Zubair Ahmed, 30, of Huddersfield. He is charged with rape and possession of extreme pornography.

Usman Khalid, 29, of Huddersfield, is charged with sexual assault by penetration, child abduction and sexual touching.

Aleem Javaid, 27, of Huddersfield, is charged with rape and supply of Class B drugs.
Some fans have reacted angrily to rugby league immortal Wally Lewis' crude joke about a sex act to a female colleague on the NRL Footy Show on Thursday night.

The former Origin star and Brisbane Broncos legend was paired with woman's star Allana Ferguson during the Footy Show's Joking Off segment - a segment where each contestant tries to make the other laugh.

But the joke, in which Lewis suggested 'it feels better' without teeth, left some fans fuming that Ferguson, who regularly appears on the show, is always the subject to innuendo-filled and sexist jokes every time she appears on the show.

Scroll down for video

Rugby league great Wally Lewis has caused outrage after making a crude joke about a sex act during a segment on the Footy Show with Jillaroos star Allana Ferguson

Ferguson attempted to read her joke 'without teeth' which led Wally Lewis to make his joke

'It feels better that way,' Lewis joked when Ferguson said she would read 'without teeth'

'Every time Allana is on the Footy Show I swear she is always exposed to sexual innuendo,' wrote one fan on Twitter.

Others were quick to slam the Queensland Origin legend with some suggesting he should be reprimanded for the joke.

'What Wally said was wrong, I suggest he either be stood down or he apologises to her,' one person tweeted

'Haven't watched the footy show in ages and don't intend to but from what Wally Lewis said no wonder why the show has gone so far downhill,' wrote another.

'Where's the funny part you waste of space? Shocking insinuation directed at Allana,' wrote a third.

Ferguson regularly appears on the show and some viewers suggested she was often subject to sexual innuendo

Co-hosts Beau Ryan and Darryl Brohman could hardly contain their amusement

But many have backed the man nicknamed The King, saying the purpose of the segment was to make people laugh.

'People have become far too politically correct and it has to stop, that Wally Lewis comment was light hearted and witty,' wrote one viewer.

'The Footy Show has been lacking comedy since Mat Johns left. Molan was shocked, that's why women shouldn't be on it,' wrote another.

'So Wally Lewis says something suggestive on NRL Footy Show & everyone is outraged, yet 90% of AFL Footy Show is smut and nobody even blinks,' wrote a third.

The joke also split the panel and the audience.

The camera panned to the audience, who feigned offence before applauding loudly, and then landed on host Erin Molan's horrified face. Sitting beside her in stitches were fellow co-hosts Beau Ryan and Darryl Brohman.

Ferguson shook her head in disbelief before continuing on with the segment

But many have backed the man nicknamed The King, saying the purpose of the segment was to make people laugh

Ferguson shook her head in disbelief before continuing on with the segment
This is the moment Theresa May was rushed to her bomb proof car with lone wolf jihadi Khalid Masood just 100 yards away.

Shaky eyewitness video, first obtained by the Sun, shows the Prime Minister being rushed to her Jaguar XJ by her bodyguards in the moments after Masood when on his rampage.

It also reveals that in the panic Mrs May ran in the wrong direction as the terror attack unfolded.

It is only when one of her armed security detail yells at her to 'get in the car' and opens the silver car's door that she goes in the right direction.

Theresa May is guided to her waiting Jaguar (left) while officers rush to their Land Rover (right)

The video shows Mrs May momentarily losing her bearings, before being steered back to the car by her aides.

At the same time the Prime Minister's bodyguards can be seen drawing automatic weapons and standing on guard in the heart of the House of Commons.

Mrs May was then driven off at high speed to the safety of Downing Street

Escape: Mrs May was seen being bundled into the back seat of her silver Jaguar (pictured racing away) surrounded by armed guards at around 2.30pm

The astonishing footage is made all the more shocking by the fact that jihadi Khalid Masood had managed to get within 100 feet of the Prime Minister.

Sources said that there was 'clear air' between the spot that Masood was gunned down by armed police and the Prime Minister's car.

They added that, if there had been more then one attacker, the situation could have been much worse.

A witness claimed that Mrs May's car initially tried to drive out into New Palace Yard, where the attack took place, but police stopped her from exiting that way.

MPs meanwhile were locked inside the Commons as the Met's elite counter-terrorism unit combed through the House looking for any other attackers.

Theresa May was escorted by a full security convoy the day after the attack

The Prime Minister vowed that Britain would not surrender to the 'voice of hate and evil trying to drive us apart'

MailOnline political editor James Tapsfield was in his officer overlooking New Palace Yard when the rampage began.

He said: 'The first sign we had that something was wrong was a loud bang. It sounded like a bomb, but I now realise it must have been the car smashing into the perimeter fence around parliament.

Parliament security in the spotlight The attack will likely trigger a major re-think about Parliamentary security The attack on the Palace of Westminster has raised serious concerns about security at what should be one of Britain's most heavily-guarded buildings. Carriage Gates has been identified as a particularly vulnerable spot since police officers guarding it are unarmed. It is emerged that the attacker was only stopped when he was confronted by one of Defence Secretary Michael Fallon's personal guards. It is understood that officers work in a 'fluid' patrol pattern so terrorists can't plan around their patrol routes. However the latest attack will undoubtedly prompt a re-think of Palace security. Former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers told the Guardian: 'The armed police are the second line of defence. The first line of defence, all too often, are the unarmed police, which we might need to re-think' Advertisement

'Some people ran through the gates, past the police. I didn't see the policemen being stabbed, but then spotted the man in black.

'He made it a few yards inside the ground before being challenged by two men with guns and then shots - I think three of them - rang out.

'Police and staff poured on to the scene very quickly and started trying to resuscitate the attacker.'

The day after the attack Theresa May delivered a defiant speech to Parliament, vowing Britain would not surrender to 'the voice of hate and evil trying to drive us apart'.

She said: 'We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive as apart .

The Prime Minister's custom-made Jaguar XJ is armoured and includes bulletproof windows

'For those of us who were in Parliament at the time of this attack, these events provide a particular reminder of the exceptional bravery of our police and security service who risk their lives to keep us safe.

'Once again today these exceptional men and women ran towards the danger, even as they encouraged others to move the other way.'
The anguished mother of the missing Tennessee schoolgirl allegedly kidnapped by her married 50-year-old teacher has pleaded with him to bring her home safely.

Church-going Tad Cummins is suspected of grooming Elizabeth Thomas, 15, to be his teen 'bride' then fleeing with her when their warped 'relationship' was uncovered.

Her mother Kimberly Thomas, 48, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that she fears Cummins could get her trusting daughter pregnant - or even killed.

'The man is clearly disturbed. The difference in their age means this relationship, if you can call it that, is a perversion,' she said, fighting back tears.

'I think he's convinced her to be his little bride. It makes me sick to think what they may have been doing in the past ten days.

Elizabeth Thomas and Tad Cummins were reported to have been seen in a Texas town on Thursday, 10 days after they vanished from Tennessee on March 13

Despair: 'I think she was probably looking for a father figure. He fed off that,' said Kimberly Thomas of her daughter's disappearance with her 50-year-old teacher

Anguished: Kimberly Thomas, 48, pictured with Rorik, one of her six grandchildren, tells DailyMail.com that she feared her daughter Elizabeth will come to harm - and pleads with Cummins to give himself up

Last sighting: Elizabeth was last seen at this restaurant on March 13. DailyMail.com can reveal the teenager was in such a hurry to jump into Cummins' car that she left her backpack behind on a bench in the restaurant entrance.

Elizabeth changed her Instagram biography before she vanished to describe herself as a 'wife'. She also added a ring emoji to the description

'He may not have physically hurt her yet but what about when he gets tired of her and dumps her because she's just a kid and she's too much trouble.

'Worst case scenario the cops could get them, he panics and reaches for one of his guns - and she gets killed in the crossfire.'

Elizabeth, whose full name is Mary Catherine Elizabeth, was last seen at a Shoney's restaurant in her hometown of Columbia, Tennessee, on March 13.

Police issued an amber alert when she failed to come home that night and the FBI have since joined the hunt.

This Thursday they said they were investigating a possible sighting of them North Beach, just outside Corpus Christi, Texas - although they warned all other tips had so far failed to lead them to the pair.

Cummins, a dad, grandfather and apparent pillar of the community, was caught on CCTV filling up his silver Nissan Rogue at a neighboring Shell gas station in the moments before Elizabeth vanished.

The case is being treated as an aggravated kidnapping but authorities fear Elizabeth willingly went with Cummins, who was suspended from his teaching job last month after another pupil walked into his classroom and witnessed him kissing her on the lips.

To date Elizabeth's father Anthony has been the public face of the nationwide bid to return her safely.

The reason is a shocking abuse case brought against Mrs Thomas in late 2015 after she was arrested for allegedly beating Elizabeth and four of her nine siblings.

Court papers reveal that Elizabeth told investigators that her mother 'banged her head into the agitator of the washing machine' during one alleged episode of abuse.

The documents also accuse Mrs Thomas of throwing Elizabeth down steps, locking her in a basement and forcing one of her children to get naked in front of family friends.

Mrs Thomas told DailyMail.com she denies the accusations and the five counts of child abuse and neglect are yet to go before a court.

But she concedes the investigation, and the fact she has had to move out of the household, may have sent Elizabeth spiraling into the arms of her abductor.

'I think she was probably looking for a father figure. He fed off that,' said the former stay-at-home mom, who is barred from seeing her underage kids until the case is resolved.

'I'm sure she thinks this is an adventure. It's like a field trip. She gets to do all kinds of things that she's not allowed to do.

'But she doesn't know what she's doing. She doesn't know what she's getting into. She can't have any sort of life with him.

'She's not going to school. She's away from her friends, family, the church. Mary Catherine has so much potential with her grades and her intelligence.'

Composing herself to address Cummins directly, Mrs Thomas added: 'If you can please just drop her at a hospital or somewhere safe so that she can be returned home we'd greatly appreciate it.'

Caught on camera: This is the last CCTV image of the teacher (left), who bought hair dye shortly before he and the 15-year-old vanished, suggesting she has changed her appearance. Police have released a series of images of him to aid the hunt

Police recently released this photograph of the pair in Cummins' classroom in January. The two attended church together, DailyMail.com can disclose

Home: This is where Cummins was living an apparently respectable life as a husband, father and grandfather until he disappeared with Elizabeth Thomas

Groomed: This is Culleoka Unit School where Tad Cummins originally taught and met Elizabeth Thomas. He was suspended when another student saw him kissing the 15-year-old on the lips

Mrs Thomas, who is disabled due to a degenerative back condition, has home-schooled all of her four boys and six girls, whose ages range from seven to 30.

Five have gone on to college so far, with Elizabeth having hoped to join them by studying medicine.

Paula Boand, a Sunday school teacher and a close family friend, said the mother deserved to have her plea heard despite the allegations she faces.

'Regardless of what they are claiming about her, I know Kimberly is a fantastic mom,' she said. 'She is going through hell right now.'

Authorities are working on the theory that Elizabeth, who enrolled at Culleoka Unit School last year, may not realize she is a victim.

DailyMail.com can reveal the teenager was in such a hurry to jump into Cummins' car, which has a 976ZPT Tennessee plate, that she left her backpack behind on a bench in the restaurant entrance.

When staff discovered she was missing they opened it up to find it contained clothes before handing it to police.

The blonde-haired, hazel-eyed teen also changed an online profile to say 'wife' around the time she disappeared. Cummins had searched 'teenage marriage' and guidance on how to live 'off the grid', according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

He was also seen buying hair dye at Walmart prior to Elizabeth's disappearance and is believed to be armed with two handguns.

Cummins taught health sciences and had an exemplary record before he was accused of inappropriate conduct with the freshman student.

The dark brown hair dye teacher Tad Cummins was seen buying (right) and Elizabeth in a family photograph (left)

Pleas: Anthony Thomas, the missing girl's father, and Jill Cummins, the teacher's wife, have both made public appeals for them to give themselves up

In this car: This is the SUV police believe Tad Cummins is still using. It was this car which he used to pick up the 15-year-old at a Shoney's

Latest sighting: Police are investigating reports of them being seen in North Beach, Texas, 150 miles from the Mexican border

A disciplinary file reveals that a different youngster walked into Cummins' classroom on January 31 to retrieve her bag and witnessed him giving Elizabeth a 'peck on the lips'.

The veteran educator denied any wrongdoing but was formally suspended a week later for violating a ban on having Elizabeth in his classroom.

Documents outlining the school's internal investigation reveal that Cummins admitted he was 'really good friends' with Elizabeth, who told investigators she would frequently turn to him for advice and a supportive 'fist bump' when she was feeling anxious.

Remarkably, the papers also reveal that the alleged grooming may have been happening right under the nose of Cummins' wife Jill, 49, with whom he has grown up children.

He told investigators he had met up with Elizabeth out of school on several occasions to take her to church, insisting his wife was also present.

Mrs Cummins held a press conference last Friday pleading with him to release Elizabeth unharmed, telling reporters: 'Please do the right thing and turn yourself into the police and bring Beth home.'

This image of Elizabeth was taken on March 13, the day she vanished. She appears to be carrying clothes

Addressing her fugitive husband of 32 years, she added: 'Tad, this is not you. This is not who you are. We can help you get through this.

'No matter how far you've gone, or what's happening right now, God's grace is sufficient for you, and He wants you to come home. Your family wants their 'Pappy' back.'

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says is has information that placed the 'runaway' pair about 70 miles south in Decatur, Alabama, on Saturday but conceded they could be anywhere by now.

A DailyMail.com probe into Cummins' past reveals he was a qualified respiratory therapist who worked in hospitals and medical centers, and also at an auto shop, before becoming a teacher.

A keen percussionist since the 1970s, Cummins claims he has written as many as 65 songs.

He performed regularly at the Grace Church of the Nazarene in Columbia, where he also worked as a care pastor, board member and adult chaperone for youth services, according to his resume.

He claims he was part of a medical mission to help indigenous communities in the rainforests of Panama and spent two weeks in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina assisting relief efforts.

The resume also boasts that Jeep-driving Cummins is a black belt in kenpo karate. Anthony Thomas, however, has questioned the teacher's credibility since he vanished with Elizabeth, claiming he had a habit of spinning dubious tales to impress students.

'He convinced her that he had been a secret agent and ... that he had all kinds of money,' Mr Thomas told HLN. 'It was clear that he had really put a lot of notions into her head.'

There is a $1,000 reward for information which could lead police to Cummins. Investigators are urging anyone with information to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Anyone who spots Cummins or Elizabeth is urged to call 911 immediately.
Police have removed the bedsheets, trouser press and even a toilet roll holder from a hotel room where the London terror killer stayed before carrying out his attack.

Officers were allegedly able to track down the budget hotel in Brighton where Khalid Masood spent his final hours from a receipt he left in the Hyundai hire car.

He told staff at the 59-a-night Preston Park Hotel he was heading to London, and is also claimed to have said to them: 'London isn't what it used to be.'

Khalid Masood stayed in the Preston Park Hotel, in Brighton, the night before carrying out a terror attack in Westminster

Sabeur Toumi, manager of the hotel, said he 'talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad is ill, his mum is upset because his dad is ill. I think he had one or two children'

Forensic officers combed Masood's first-floor room at the hotel for fingerprints and DNA

Forensic officers combed his first-floor room for fingerprints and DNA, and used the hotel WiFi to try and establish which websites Masood had visited.

Detectives also seized CCTV footage from the hotel where Masood spent two nights over the last week before committing Wednesday's atrocities.

Sabeur Toumi, manager of the hotel, told Sky News today: 'He was very friendly, normal guest we looked after.

'He stayed with us also Friday March 17, stayed with us one night, and then he came back on Tuesday as a normal guest, so we have a history for him - he stayed, so we thought nothing of him.

'He walked into the reception and he had a chat with my colleague about rates, so I came out and met him and said hello to him and welcome to the hotel.

The trouser press was removed by police from its position in between the radiator and curtain

The toilet roll holder was also removed by police as part of their investigation

Businessman Michael Petersen encountered Masood hours before the attack at the Brighton hotel's reception desk

'He was very friendly, laughing and joking, telling us stories about where he lived, and obviously we have taken correct information about his address, telephone number, all the details, car registration number, what kind of car it is.

'So, with a credit card he paid for his room and he went up very peacefully and we haven't seen him after that.'

He added: 'We had a brief conversation about where he come from. He gave us the address in Birmingham, but he had a southern accent, so we just asked him.

'He talked about his family, his mum, his dad, his wife. He said his dad is ill, his mum is upset because his dad is ill. I think he had one or two children.

'He was normal - in fact, friendly - because we spent about possibly five, ten minutes talking to him about his background, where he came from, and so on and what he's doing in Brighton, when we found out at the address in Birmingham  we asked him what he's doing here, anything particular, is he on holiday? He said 'No, I'm visiting friends in Brighton'.'

Meanwhile a businessman who encountered Masood hours before the attack at the hotel's reception desk recalled how he was smiling and came across as polite.

It is believed he had spent a number of days over the last week at the hotel before committing Wednesday's atrocities

Staff said he used a credit card with the name Masood to check in on Tuesday at 11.30am

Michael Petersen said there was nothing about the attacker that would have suggested he was 'on his way to do something quite atrocious'.

Mr Petersen told Sky News: 'I notice a very polite demeanour from the killer, and there is nothing in his conduct that would make me have any suspicious thoughts towards him.

'I remember he was roughly my height, very white teeth, smiling, articulate, polite. But all I saw of him would have been about 10/15 seconds.'

Asked about how he feels having been standing next to the attacker, he said: 'The shocking realisation that you can stand next to somebody that is totally, perfectly, normal - articulate, polite, presentable, and the guy's on his way to commit mass murder.'

Masood stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death with two knives outside parliament after killing mother-of-two Aysha Frade, US tourist Kurt Cochran and Londoner Leslie Rhodes, 75, as he ploughed along a crowded pavement on Westminster Bridge.

Masood's room: He spent two nights over the last week at the hotel before committing Wednesday's atrocities

The toilet roll holder and trouser press were removed from Masood's room by police

Mr Toumi, manager of the hotel, told Sky News today that Masood was 'very friendly'

ISIS claimed responsibility for its first attack on British soil and said the crazed knifeman was its 'soldier'.

A source told the Sun that Masood had chatted with staff and guests only hours before setting off on his murderous rampage and he appeared to be a 'nice man'.

They said he used a credit card with the name Masood to check in on Tuesday at 11.30am.

'He said he lived above a guitar shop in Birmingham but he's not originally from the Midlands and had a London accent,' the source said.

'But he said London wasn't like what it used to be. Police told us later it was definitely the Westminster attacker.'

Khalid Masood, 52, stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death with two knives outside parliament

Mother-of-two Aysha Frade (left), Metropolitan policeman Keith Palmer (centre) and US tourist Kurt Cochran (right) have been named as victims of the attack

Masood stayed at Preston Park last Friday night before checking out on Saturday morning, and then on Tuesday night after asking for a cheap room.

The source added: 'On both occasions he was asking for a cheaper rate. You would have thought if you were hellbent on committing a terror attack you'd chuck it all on a credit card and forget the cost.'

He reportedly had a takeaway kebab on Tuesday night before checking out of the room on Wednesday.

Speaking to MailOnline last night, an employee of the hotel said: 'The police have gone and there are guests staying in the hotel tonight.

'I don't know if the room he [Masood] stayed in [number 228] is closed. I can't comment on that.'

According to local reports, Brighton and Hove City Council planning officers had given their backing to close the hotel last year and convert it into flats.

Bosses claimed the 34-bedroom hotel was running up unsustainable annual losses in excess of 100,000 trying to compete with larger hotel chains.
Guides to mounting a car terror attack were available on Google and Twitter last night.

The vile manuals were online despite widespread warnings that UK jihadists use them for training.

Fanatics are urged to deploy large vehicles as tools of war before going on a stabbing rampage  the template for Wednesdays atrocity in Westminster. Boris Johnson accused social media websites of inciting terrorism.

The vile manuals were online despite widespread warnings that UK jihadists use them for training

And Googles YouTube video platform was found to be raking in money from conspiracy theories saying the London outrage was a hoax.

As the maniac behind the attack was unmasked as 52-year-old Khalid Masood:

The security services faced questions because he was known to police and MI5;

Home Secretary Amber Rudd denied failures but admitted: One got through;

It emerged MPs had raised concerns about the Commons gates Masood waltzed through;

Officials revealed that he was shot dead by a ministerial bodyguard, rather than by armed police;

Islamic State claimed Masood was its soldier;

Officers made eight arrests around the country;

The death toll rose to five when a 75-year-old man died in hospital last night.

Masood, a bodybuilder and violent criminal who claimed to have been a teacher, raced across Westminster Bridge on Wednesday in a hire car, smashing into pedestrians at up to 70mph, killing three and injuring 28.

He then slipped through a gate into the precincts of Parliament where he hacked to death Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old constable.

Born Adrian Elms in Kent, Masood had converted to Islam and was on the radar of MI5. Police said he had been inspired by international terrorism.

But last night attention turned to whether the attacker, who is said to have acted as a lone wolf, could have been radicalised online.

Speaking at a security conference in the US, Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson called on internet giants to take action. He said: We are going to have to engage not just militarily, but also to stop the stuff on the internet that is corrupting and polluting so many people.

This is something that the internet companies and social media companies need to think about.

Wedding Day: Murdered constable Keith Palmer with wife Michelle

They need to do more to take that stuff off their media, the incitements, the information about how to become a terrorist, the radicalising sermons and messages. That needs to come down.

In the hours after the London attack, the Daily Mail found vile Islamic State terror manuals online through simple searches on Google and Twitter. One included a section on using vehicles as weapons.

It told jihadists in the West to learn from Palestinian terrorists who have resorted to using cars as tools of war, also knives as weapons which are easily available from DIY stores. The manual was published a year ago, before the vehicle attacks in Nice, Berlin and London, which have killed 102 people and injured more than 500. Another Islamic State publication was available through Google and Twitter with detailed instructions on how to cause mayhem.

It was written after the Bastille Day attack in Nice, when a truck was used to murder 86 people  ten of them children and teenagers  at a fireworks display. It said the Nice attack superbly demonstrated how vehicles can be used for terror, having the effect of smashing their bodies while crushing their heads, torsos and limbs under the vehicles wheels leaving behind a trail of carnage.

It added: Vehicles are like knives, as they are extremely easy to acquire. But unlike knives, which if found in ones possession can be a cause for suspicion, vehicles arouse absolutely no doubts due to their widespread use throughout the world. It has been shown that smaller vehicles are incapable of granting the level of carnage that is sought. One of the main reasons for this is smaller vehicles lack the weight and wheel span required for crushing many victims.

The type of vehicle most appropriate for such an operation is a large load-bearing truck.

The guide also gave instructions on where on the body to strike with a knife. The social media giants were criticised by MPs last week for failing to do enough to remove extremist content.

Last night, Google removed links to the manuals that were found by the Mail. A spokesman said: We are deeply troubled by violence and acts of terrorism and our thoughts are with the victims of yesterdays attack in London. We remove links to illegal content in search when reported to us.

Standing together: Thousands gathered in London's Trafalgar Square today to pay a defiant tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack

Links to the Islamic State manuals were available on Twitter, as well as pictures of pages with detailed instructions on how to kill innocent people.

Twitter removed one suspect users account after being contacted by the Mail. But other images were not removed as these had been posted by academics who were not promoting the manuals in a positive way.

Twitter said that in the last six months of 2016 it suspended 376,890 accounts for violations related to promotion of terrorism.

A spokesman added: We dont comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons.

Among those injured in Wednesdays attack were nationals from France, Romania, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy, the US and Greece. Twelve of the victims had to be treated in hospital for serious injuries.

UK students Travis Frain and Owen Lambert were among the injured, as were four South Korean tourists, including one with serious injuries.

YouTube makes money on sick hoax claim videos

KATHERINE RUSHTON, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY EDITOR FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Google is making money from vile claims that the London terror attack was a hoax, and that its victims were actors and mannequins.

Netflix, Guess, Trivago, Opodo, Asus and SunLife insurance have adverts alongside videos published by conspiracy theorists on Googles YouTube platform.

Within hours of the attack, YouTube was hosting hundreds of videos claiming the atrocity was faked.

One user sang Allahu Akbar to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down  a reference to Westminster Bridge where the attacker ploughed into pedestrians.

Google profits from the ads itself, but also hands a cut directly to those who post shocking videos.

Some of those posting about Wednesdays attack claimed that those who were injured and killed were in fact actors using plastic limbs and that the emergency services were in on an elaborate plot to terrify ordinary citizens.

Conspiracy theorists: The vile videos have adverts alongside them

Ads from the online travel site Opodo appeared on posts by the user Russianvids, claiming that a woman trapped under a bus looked like a mannequin they pulled out of Walmart. One of the viewers said the actors are terrible. Others claim that the atrocity was orchestrated by Jews trying to frame Islamists, Freemasons, or the New World Order  a name used to describe a new, global totalitarian government which is allegedly taking over the world. They even drew links to the Prime Minister and the Queen. Many of the wild theories also dwell on the date of the attack  22 March, or 3/22 as it would be written in the US.

The fantasists claim that the number 322 has occult associations, and point out that is shorthand for Skull and Bones, an American secret society.

One user, ScreamCrow Face, published a series of rants suggesting that London Mayor Sadiq Khan staged the attack to support his demands for more police on the streets. The video featured ads by Opodo, Asus, Guess, Trivago and Sleep mattresses.

Yesterday, Google had disabled ads on many but not all of the hateful videos.

The firm places the ads using automated technology rather than human judgment.

Those posting videos on the site receive up to 6.15 for every 1,000 views, and many are watched millions of times.

Many of the users who have posted hoax claim videos about the attack have made money from YouTube, but not necessarily from ads on that video itself. The videos only host ads where clearly stated.

A YouTube spokesman said last night: Videos threatening violence are against YouTubes policies and we remove them quickly when they are flagged to us.

When it comes to advertising, we have strict guidelines that define where ads should appear.
A sick puppy which was allegedly stolen from a NSW backyard may die without its life-saving medication, its owners say.

The five-month-old Chow-Chow called Alice is best friends to two Autistic boys aged seven and nine, and suffers from incurable Addison's disease.

Her carer Katy Campbell told Daily Mail Australia that Alice was stolen from her home in Corrimal, north Wollongong in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Alice is only five-months old and suffers from Addison's disease - and will die without medication that she needs twice daily

Alice must have her daily medication to help with her condition and without it her adrenal glands will fail and she will die, Ms Campbell said.

The young puppy is best friends with a seven-year-old Autistic boy, Lucas, who Ms Campbell says is 'heartbroken' without her.

She said: 'He was so calming for the boys, especially when coming home from school. The youngest would run straight to see her and give her big hugs.

Yesterday he came straight off the bus and asked if 'Baby Alice' has come home yet. When we said no, he looked at me and said "do you miss her?" I said yes, he replied with "me too, I want to give her belly rubs and I bet she's missing me too"'.

The Chow-Chow is best friends with two Autistic boys who are 'heartbroken' without her

The sick puppy was is part-owned by Katy Campbell (pictured) and her best friend and two children in Corrimal, NSW

WHAT IS ADDISON'S DISEASE IN DOGS? Addison's disease in dogs is also known as hypoadrenocorticism. It is a disease that results from the reduction in corticosteroid secretion from the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland is a small gland located near the kidney that secretes several different substances that help regulate normal body functions. This disease is relatively rare in dogs, but when it does occur it tends to be seen most often in young to middle-aged dogs and female dogs. Symptoms include lethargy, lack of appetite (anorexia), vomiting, weight loss, diarrhea, shaking and blood in feces Source: peteducation.com Advertisement

Alice was diagnosed at seven weeks with Addison's disease and requires life-saving medication in the morning and at night.

Ms Campbell discovered that her puppy was missing when she noticed the locked gate in her backyard was left wide open, and claims the only way the gate could have been opened is from the inside.

The gate was secure and wheelie bins were placed against it to ensure no outsider could enter.

She said: Our main concern is that without the medication she isn't producing cortisol and her body will start shutting down from that.

My vet has advised that she would start showing symptoms in a couple of days and could turn very bad within a week.'

She added: 'Since Alice was diagnosis so young, and the chow community being quite small she is loved my many many people. And we are all deeply heartbroken and just want her home.'

Alice was allegedly stolen from a secure backyard with a locked gate (pictured) in the north of Wollongong

The young dog has been missing for nearly three days and its owners are devastated

Alice is been missing for more than 52 hours and despite filing a report with the police and has amassed over 2000 Facebook shares.

Her devastated owner described her being taken as a 'death sentence' because without her life-saving medication, Alice could be dead within a week.

Ms Campbell said: If you're the person who took her not only are you sentencing Alice to her inevitable death but you have also taken away a therapy dog from a very special boy.

Alice has now missed 5 doses of medication which is crucial in preventing an Addisonian Crisis. Alice will not miraculously survive without her medication and live a long life. There is no cure for the disease, only episode prevention.'
Westpac economist and media commentator James Shugg, 53, has been jailed for providing drugs for 'chemsex' parties

A Westpac economist and media commentator has been jailed for providing drugs for 'chemsex' parties at his London flat.

James Shugg organised orgies at his West End home and provided participants with cocaine, crystal meth, LSD, and mephedrone, better known as 'miaow-miaow'.

Shugg, 53, had a salary of 250,000 ($410,000) at the Australian bank but used his income to feed his 1,200-a-week ($1,970) addiction to crystal meth, The Times reported.

The economist, who reportedly left Westpac in 2015, was operating as part of a drug gang, Southwark Crown Court heard.

His drug-peddling gang exploited 'vulnerable' gay men in Covent Garden, west London, the court was told.

Shugg ran the gang with 20-year-old actress Sara Bleta - who was an extra in a Harry Potter film - and Spanish company director Alejandro Montes-Bailon, 26.

The trio were tracked down and arrested between August and September 2015 following a series of drug-related injuries and illnesses in Soho.

Officers discovered huge stashes of narcotics and evidence chemsex orgies had been hosted at Shugg's and Montes-Bailon's flats.

James Shugg organised orgies at his West End home and provided participants with cocaine, crystal meth and mephedrone, better known as 'miaow-miaow'

Fellow gang leaders included actress Sara Bleta (left), 20, who was an extra in a Harry Potter film and Spanish company director Alejandro Montes-Bailon (right), 26

All three were arrested and later pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.

Shugg was jailed for five years. Bleta and Montes-Bailon were jailed for four years and two years respectively.

Shugg supplied 'wholesale quantities of drugs to a large client base they built up through social media and word-of-mouth referrals', Detective Sergeant Vince Abrahart said.

'During the investigation it was shown that the effects of the mixtures of these drugs used at 'chemsex' parties can prove fatal. The reckless supply of these drugs had to be stemmed,' he said.

'The sentences handed down to those involved show that the dealers of these dangerous substances will be brought to justice and made to pay for their criminal actions.'

A Westpac spokesman told the London Evening Standard that colleagues were 'surprised' to hear of his conviction.
Disturbing dashcam footage released by Tulsa police shows the moment a 21-year-old woman was run over and killed by a cop after opening fire on officers following a high-speed chase.

Madison Sueann Dickson died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday after Officer Jonathan Grafton, deliberately hit her with his patrol car to stop her from shooting at police.

Dickson was wanted by police over four gun-related incidents in Tulsa during the past week, including shooting a man in the head.

Disturbing dashcam footage released by Tulsa police shows the moment 21-year-old Madison Sueann Dickson (pictured pointing a gun) was run over and killed by cops after opening fire on officers during a high-speed chase

Dickson died on Saturday after officer, Jonathan Grafton, deliberately hit her with his patrol car to stop her from shooting at police. Dickson is seen in the video running from officers while holding a gun in her hand

Police released the shocking dashcam footage Thursday afternoon, which consisted of three videos that were edited to show Dickson holding and firing a gun.

The video first shows Grafton slowing down his vehicle before he spots Dickson running along a sidewalk in front of Jenks East Elementary School.

At first glance, it's unclear what Dickson is holding in her right hand until the video is slowed down and a red circle shows the gun.

Officers can be heard telling dispatchers that multiple shots are fired.

Dickson then points her gun toward the police vehicle as the car moves toward her.

The woman appeared to be yelling before she's struck by the police cruiser. She is then seen falling and going beneath the hood of the car.

Dickson appeared to be yelling before she's struck by the police cruiser in front of Jenks East Elementary School

Dickson is then seen falling and going beneath the hood of the car. Police said no one was struck by any bullets and Dickson died when she hit her head on the ground

Grafton, who has been with the department for six years, remains on paid leave while an investigation is carried out.

Tulsa Police Officer Leland Ashley told Tulsa World that Officer Kayla Johnson and Detective Ronnie Leatherman fired their guns during the exchange.

Dickson was wanted by police over four gun-related incidents in Tulsa during the past week, including shooting a man in the head.

Officers spotted her on Saturday at an apartment complex before she got into a pickup truck and fled with the driver.

Dickson (pictured) was wanted by police over four gun-related incidents in Tulsa during the past week, including shooting a man in the head

Officers spotted her on Saturday at an apartment complex before she got into a pickup truck and fled with the driver. She led them on a high-speed chase before jumping out of the truck (pictured) and started firing at the officers

Authorities said they had desperately tried to stop Dickson because of the threat she was posing. Dickson reportedly shot a woman in the arm at a Walgreens store and fired her gun during a robbery at a Best Buy

She eventually jumped out of the truck and started firing at the officers when Grafton hit her with his vehicle.

Authorities said they had desperately tried to stop Dickson because of the threat she was posing.

'She had every opportunity to stop and turn herself in,' Ashley told Tulsa World.

Police said no one was struck by any bullets and Dickson died when she hit her head on the ground.

The female driver of the truck was questioned and released.

Dickson was accused of shooting a man in the head on Thursday night and causing him to crash his car. The man is still in a critical condition in hospital.

She had also reportedly shot a woman in the arm at a Walgreens store and fired her gun during a robbery at a Best Buy.
Children should be taught how to communicate with their future spouses to prevent divorce later in life, a study suggests.

Improving the way we speak and listen to partners could help reduce the divorce rate - and breakdowns of couples living together, researchers claim.

The lessons should form part of sex and relationship education in schools - which when they do occur - mostly focus at present on avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and contraception, it was claimed.

Children should be taught how to communicate with their future spouses to prevent divorce later in life, a study suggests (stock image)

Learning to ignore bleeping phones and screens to talk honestly and listen to your partner might be a useful suggestion, the authors said.

Conducting the biggest ever study into recent relationship breakdowns  the researchers analysed the reasons why most couples break up.

From interviews with more than 2,000 people, the study found one in 10 men and 14 per cent of women had been involved in a live-in relationship breakdown in the previous five years  either marriage or cohabitation.

Dr Kirsten Gravningen, who conducted the study while at University College London said: 'The frequency that communication and deterioration in the relationship quality are mentioned suggest that there is a place for promoting better communication and conflict resolution skills in relationship counselling - including in the context of young people's sex and relationship education.

She added that the research also found that 'young people desire more information on communication within relationships, and not just the physical aspects of sex.'

Her co-author, Dr Cath Mercer in the Centre for Sexual Health, part of UCL said: 'Good relationships aren't just about not getting sexually transmitted infections or unwanted pregnancies, they are bout good communications and quality of day to day life with someone. It's not just about the physical side of things.'

Improving the way we speak and listen to partners could help reduce the divorce rate - and breakdowns of couples living together, researchers claim (stock image)

She added that part of it was 'spending quality time together, not interrupted by phones, emails and all of that. Listening without being interrupted will help develop all of that.'

Education Secretary Justine Greening has recently said that sex and relationships will be made mandatory in all schools and help guard children against sexting, grooming and online porn. At present they are only mandatory in council-run schools.

The biggest reason relationships split up given in the study was that the couple 'grew apart'  cited by 39 per cent for men and 36 per cent women.

Arguments were cited by 27 per cent of men , and 30 per cent of women; unfaithfulness (18 per cent men / 24 per cent women) and lack of respect/ appreciation (17 per cent men/ 25 per cent women).

Domestic violence was named as a cause of a split by 16 per cent of women and 4 per cent of men.

One in 20 men and one in 16 women cited sexual difficulties as a reason for the breakup.

The research confirmed previous findings that marriages last significantly longer than cohabitation.

Marriages lasted on average 14.2 years for men and 14.6 years for women, while cohabitation lasted 3.5 years for men and 4.2 years for women.

Marriages lasted on average 14.2 years for men and 14.6 years for women, while cohabitation lasted 3.5 years for men and 4.2 years for women (stock image)

The authors said there were no significant difference in reasons for breakup by partnership type, except men more commonly cited 'moving due to changing circumstances' as the reason for a cohabitation break up. The authors said that 'not sharing housework' and 'problems with sex' were more likely to be cited by women as problems in married couples than in cohabitees.

Dr Mercer added: 'Growing apart does not happen over-night. Good communication can help people to navigate through when the going gets tough.'

Gurpreet Singh, a relationship counsellor based in north-west London, who works for Relate, said while communicating honestly was important, knowledge of oneself was also key.

'In order to communicate openly and honestly, you have to get in touch with yourself first. Understanding yourself is very important in being able to communicate openly and honestly to others.'
Sky News presenter Kristina Keneally has revealed she may take legal action against fellow host Mark Latham after he called her a 'Yankee sheila' on live television.

Tensions between the two former Labor leaders has been bubbling for weeks with Keneally, a former New South Wales premier, complaining to Sky management about her colleague after he made negative comments about her on one of the TV network's programs.

Her colleagues at Sky News revealed their disapproval of her behaviour, describing the incident as 'the nature of television', according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Scroll down for video

Former NSW premier Kristina Keneally filed a formal complaint and may take legal action against Mark Latham

Mark Latham described Keneally, another former Labor leader, as a 'Yankee sheila'

The anonymous presenter said: 'And we all get a ribbing as a result of it, but not all of us are running off complaining to the boss.'

Keneally hit back at the response and said: 'What a shame the people making these claims don't have the courage of their convictions to put the names to it.'

Latham also accused the U.S.-born former politician of being 'a protege of Eddie Obeid', a corrupt former state minister and factional powerbroker who is now in jail.

Hours before taking over as premier in December 2009 Keneally, who hailed from Labor's right faction, told parliament she was 'nobody's puppet' and 'nobody's protege' amid suggestions the right-faction numbers man helped her roll Nathan Rees.

Latham, who was also in Labor's NSW right faction, made the comments on the Jones & Co program on Tuesday night.

Keneally regarded some of his comments about her time as premier as defamatory, News Corp Australia, the owner of Sky News, reported.

Mark Latham described Kristina Keneally as a protege of jailed former Labor factional powebroker Eddie Obeid (pictured)

Mark Latham also had a go at Peter van Onselen's wife Ainslie who is a Westpac executive

Former federal Liberal MP Ross Cameron made a controversial Q Society speech

Earlier this month Latham, who co-hosts The Outsiders program, had also had a dig at the wife of Keneally's Sky News co-host Peter van Onselen.

'We've got at the top left Ainslie van Onselen, who's been at Westpac pushing diversity, giving the gongs out to the rich and privileged women,' he said about Ainslie van Onselen who heads Westpac subsidiary RAMS Home Loans.

Keneally hit back at Latham.

'Kinda like The Outsiders. You reckon that name works? Does that name work?,' she said.

In February, Sky News presenter Janine Perrett was unimpressed with fellow on-air presenter Ross Cameron, a former Liberal MP, for describing the Liberal Party as 'basically a gay club' at a far-right Q Society fundraising dinner.

Cameron co-hosts The Outsiders with Latham.

As federal Labor leader Latham was close to former Keating government minister Laurie Brereton.

In 2003, Keneally was elected to the NSW Parliament after ousting Brereton's sister Deirdre Grusovin in a Labor preselection battle.
A male passenger suffered an overdose on a plane ready to take off from John F. Kennedy International Airport, which had to return to the terminal, it was revealed this week.

The 24-year-old Bethpage, Long Island, man is said to have overdosed on anxiety pills and heroin.

He began to foam at the mouth on Wednesday evening at about 10.50pm, according to the New York Post.

A male passenger suffered an overdose on a plane ready to take off from John F. Kennedy International Airport, which had to return to the terminal (file)

He was on a JetBlue plane which was supposed to travel to Florida.

The man was reportedly traveling to drug rehab when the overdose occurred.

The aircraft went back to the terminal, and Officers Eric Stern and Sean Pomerantz with Port Authority police came on the plane, the Post reported.

The man went in and out of consciousness and had difficulty breathing, it was reported.

Officers Eric Stern (left) and Sean Pomerantz (right) with Port Authority police administered Narcan to the man

Stern and Pomerantz administered Narcan, the Post reported. The man was taken to a hospital.

The overdose victim had been on the plane heading to rehab, and is expected to recover, according to the New York Daily News.
A supermarket has launched its first Mother's Day card for lesbian parents.

The card carries the message 'To My Lovely Mums' and reflects a positive change in attitudes towards same sex couples.

The move comes after it featured a lesbian couple among a range of families in its popular animated Christmas commercial.

The pink card features a large heart and two interlocking smaller hearts in gold lettering on the front.

The pink card features a large heart and two interlocking smaller hearts in gold lettering on the front

Sainsbury's say they wanted its greeting card selection 'to better reflect the growing number of non-traditional families'.

The addition follows the success of Sainsbury's same-sex Valentine's Day cards, which were launched earlier this year.

James Brown, director of commercial for Sainsbury's Argos, said: 'From our product range to the diversity of our colleagues, we work hard to reflect the communities we serve.

'We're delighted to be expanding our Mother's Day range this year to include a same-sex card, giving our customers greater choice.'

Approximately 20,000 children live in same-sex couple households and Sainsbury' s said it has long supported the LGBT community as part of its vision to be the most inclusive retailer.

The UK greeting card industry is worth an estimated 1.7 billion, with Mother's Day representing approximately 400m.

Explaining the decision to feature a wide range of families, genders and sexualities in its Christmas TV ad, Sainsbury's said: 'The simple fact is that Britain is a very diverse culture and we pride ourselves on being inclusive and tolerant. It is really important that we show that.

'Britain is a diverse society. Not to reflect that would be a great shame and a missed opportunity.'
Homicide detectives removed evidence from the home of a white supremacist today after he was charged with the racially-motivated, random murder of a black man on a New York street.

Baltimore and New York police officers entered a row house where accused killer James Harris Jackson had been living in the smart Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. They spent around 20 minutes inside the home at 6.30pm.

One detective told DailyMail.com that they had no other warrants to serve on properties in the city and that they got what they came for. One officer left carrying a large, flat black case.

Evidence: Police remove a large black case from the Baltimore home of James Harris Jackson on Thursday

Search: Officers gain entry to Jackson's home after he allegedly killed a 66-year-old black on the street because of his racially motivated politics

Jacksons brother, Robert Jackson, 32, is also listed as living at the home near John Hopkins University. No one appeared to be home throughout the day or during the police search.

Jackson, 28, appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday over the killing of 66-year-old victim Timothy Caughman who died after being stabbed multiple times with a 26-inch sword on Monday night in Hells Kitchen.

Former home: This is one of Jackson's former homes - where neighbors and his landlord described him as being odd and a typical weirdo loner

Dressed in a white hazmat suit, Jackson, a Baltimore native who spent three years in the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst, stared straight ahead as he charged with murder as a hate crime.

His intent was to kill as many black men here in New York as he could, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi said. The defendant was motivated purely by hatred.

Illuzzi said Jackson was angered in particular by black men who date white women.

His family refused to comment at their Baltimore home on Thursday.

Jacksons former building manager told DailyMail.com that he was a blank cipher who lived in squalid conditions and once ran around the hallways naked.

Marcus Dagan once managed an apartment building where Jackson lived alone in downtown Baltimore in his early twenties when he was going to law school after serving in the Army. Dagan said he took over the building for a long-time, elderly friend who was going through a period of ill health.

[Jackson] was a tenant and when we went through his stuff, we realized he hadnt paid the rent. We didnt even know how long he didnt pay the rent. He did pay one month in cash and gave me a check for two months and it bounced.

James Harris Jackson, 28, appeared in New York City court on Thursday to face charges in the stabbing death of 66-year-old Timothy Caughman

Jackson reportedly told cops that he was a white supremacist and planned to stage a murder spree through New York City. Pictured in court on Thursday

The parents of Jackson did not answer the door at their home in a gated community in Towson, north Baltimore

I took him out for a drink to say lets do something about this and he said he was going through a rough patch.

The manager said he was hard to engage Jackson in conversation and he didnt seem interested in anything.

Dagan, who mainly works as a photographer and entertainer, gave him the benefit of the doubt about falling behind on his rent. He promised to pay but he never did, so I took him to court and he never showed up. I happened to go away and I made the mistake of telling him I was coming back and he left the day before. He left a disgusting mess  complete filth.

It took five days after he left to clean the place. He left a few things  bunch of war movies and books about wars. I think his interest was pathological.

He added: I remember one text from him it: Good luck finding a lease with my name on it. He saw he could take advantage of an 84-year-old woman and he did.

Prosecutors aid Jackson was angered in particular by black men who date white women. Pictured in court on Thursday

Caughman (pictured) was collecting cans in Midtown Manhattan on Monday when he was stabbed to death by Jackson

Dagan, 48, said he never saw any signs of overt racism or violence in Jackson but said he had no girlfriend and was a loner who kept to himself.

He was a blank cipher. He had no sense of honor or responsibility.

He was just a sleazy character. He was a nerdy kind of guy. He was the stereotype who lives in his mothers basement and plays violent video games. He changed the locks so we couldnt get in which was weird.

One particular incident stuck with him.

Dagan said: The guy who lived across the hall from Jackson said around Christmas 2014, he was in the hallway, stark-naked running up and down the steps at 1am in the morning.

Authorities said Jackson traveled from his home in Baltimore to New York City by Bolt Bus last week, picking the Big Apple because he hoped to make a statement in the media capital of the world. He encountered Caughman, who was collecting bottles from trash cans, and stabbed him in his chest and back, authorities said.

He turned himself in at a Times Square police station early on Wednesday, a day after the wounded Caughman staggered into a police precinct. The sword was found in a trash can.

Prosecutor Illuzzi said the charges could be upgraded because the killing was an act most likely of terrorism.

'What are you doing?' Caughman reportedly asked his attacker after the stabbing. Above, surveillance footage of Jackson fleeing the scene

Jackson's lawyer suggested that his client might be suffering from mental illness.

What we're going to do is take a few minutes, let the dust settle and figure out what the facts are, defense attorney Sam Talkin told DailyMail.com. If the facts are anything near what the allegations are, then we're going to address the obvious psychological issues that are present in this case. He said he was unaware on where his client was currently being held by authorities.

Jackson told police he had harbored hatred toward black men for at least 10 years, authorities said.

Jackson was in the Army from 2009 to 2012 and worked as an intelligence analyst, the Army said. Deployed in Afghanistan in 2010-11, he earned several medals and attained the rank of specialist. The circumstances of his discharge were not immediately clear; the Army withholds such details, citing privacy laws.

Jackson was in the Army from 2009 to 2012 and worked as an intelligence analyst, the Army said. He was deployed in Afghanistan in 2010-11

Police found two knives - one of which was the black sword reportedly used to kill Caughman - in the man's coat at the station, where he was kept for questioning

According to Caughman's Twitter page, he was an autograph collector and a music and movie lover who tweeted about John Lennon and Chuck Berry and posted pictures posing with celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to Beyonce.

The parents of Jackson did not answer the door at their home in a gated community in Towson, north Baltimore on Thursday. A woman entering the home, who said she was a former Baltimore Sun reporter, told DailyMail.com that the family did not wish to comment.

A neighbor, who did not wish to give her name, said she had never seen James Jackson and was not aware that they couple had a son of that age. The neighbor said that the family had moved into the newly built cul-de-sac in June.

The familys previous home, where they lived for more than two decades, is in a predominantly white suburb nearby. A female neighbour two doors down told DailyMail.com: I dont think youre going to get anyone to say anything about them in this neighbourhood. They are good people.

Baltimore City Police said the accused murderer had no criminal record. Baltimore County Police in Towson also told Daily.com that beyond two contacts with Jackson when he was 16 and 17 years old, he had never been charged or arrested.
A Philadelphia cop has been arrested for allegedly putting his adopted dog in a trash bag and dumping it at a park last year, police said.

Michael Long, 33, was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of animal cruelty, one count for possession of an instrument of a crime and one summary charge of animal cruelty.

The Philadelphia Police Department has suspended Long for 30 days with the intent to dismiss.

A hiker found an emaciated two-year-old pit bull (pictured) in a plastic bag with a sheet tied around its neck on November 23 at Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia

On November 23, Barbara Adam was hiking at Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia with her own dog when she found an emaciated two-year-old pit bull in a black plastic bag with a sheet tied around its neck.

'I could tell it was so sad and at the same time so thankful to be found,' Adam told the Philadelphia Inquirer in November.

In addition to being underweight, the dog had infected sores and an ear infection.

Animal welfare officers took the emaciated pit bull to a shelter for medical care.

The dog, who was named Cranberry by shelter staff in honor of Thanksgiving, has been returned to health and was adopted in December, said Nicole Wilson, director of Humane Law Enforcement.

The dog, named Cranberry, (pictured) was taken to a shelter to be treated for malnutrition

Cranberry (pictured) had been adopted by Philadelphia cop Michael Long, 33, last August

Long was identified as a suspect soon after Cranberry was found because of her microchip

Police arrested Long after they found a match for the sheet recovered from Cranberry in a search of his home

'She is currently living a happy life in suburban Philadelphia,' Wilson told the Philadelphia Inquirer of the three-year-old dog.

Cranberry was microchipped when Long adopted her last August from the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia.

'When he adopted it, part of that contract is if you have any problems or concerns at any time, he could have returned it to that same organization. He didn't,' Wilson told Metro. 'It's obviously very disheartening that he chose the path he did.'

Long was identified as a suspect soon after Cranberry was found because of the microchip, Wilson said.

Police arrested Long after they found a match for the sheet recovered from Cranberry in a search of his home, Wilson said.

It's unknown why Long, an 11-year veteran of the force assigned to the 18th district, abandoned Cranberry.
Kim Jong-Un is preparing to carry out a fresh nuclear test within days, it has been claimed.

North Korea said last year it had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile amid fears Pyongyang wants to build rockets capable of reaching the US.

Pyongyang is now in the final stages of testing a nuclear weapon at Punggye-ri on the east coast 'at any time' once the dictator gives the green light, officials in the region have claimed.

The secretive nation has previously claimed to have carried out a hydrogen bomb test at the same site last January sparking fears it could be about to repeat H-bomb blast.

Kim Jong-Un is preparing to carry out a fresh nuclear test within days, it has been claimed. He is pictured (centre) meeting scientists at a nuclear research centre

North Korea said last year it had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile amid fears Pyongyang wants to build rockets capable of reaching the US. Pictures show tests being carried out on rockets in North Korea earlier this month

Pyongyang is now in the final stages of testing a nuclear weapon at Punggye-ri on the east coast 'at any time' once the dictator gives the green light, officials in the region have claimed. Kim Jong-Un is pictured viewing a ballistic missile launch

Hydrogen bombs are much more powerful, and much more difficult to make, than atomic bombs and there has been scepticism that Kim Jong-Un has reached the stage of testing one.

U.S. and South Korean military surveillance assets were closely monitoring the Punggye-ri site said a South Korean military official, who declined to be identified.

Speaking by telephone, the official also declined to comment on whether there were fresh signs pointing to an imminent test.

'North Korea is ready to carry out a nuclear test at any time, depending on the leadership's decision. We are keeping a close eye on its nuclear activities,' the official said.

South Korea has been aware that the North could move ahead with another test at any time since it conducted its last nuclear test in September.

South Korea has been aware that the North could move ahead with another test at any time since it conducted its last nuclear test in September

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests and a series of missile launches, in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and is believed by experts and government officials to be working to develop nuclear-warhead missiles that could reach the United States.

Fox News in the United States reported on Thursday that the North was in the final stages of preparing for another nuclear test, possibly within the next few days. The network cited U.S. officials with knowledge of recent intelligence.

It quoted one of the officials as saying the test could come as early as the end of the month.

The Washington-based think tank 38 North said in February satellite imagery showed the North's nuclear site continued low-level activity in a possible sign that it could conduct another test soon. However, it said it was unclear exactly when such a test might take place.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests and a series of missile launches, in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and is believed by experts and government officials to be working to develop nuclear-warhead missiles that could reach the United States

The South Korean military has said several times since the September test that Pyongyang was ready to conduct another nuclear blast at any time, and that a tunnel was available at the site to do so.

North Korea said last year it had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile and has been ratcheting up a threat that its rivals and the United Nations appear powerless to contain.

A North Korean missile appeared to have exploded just after it was launched on Wednesday, the latest in a series of weapons tests that have alarmed the region.
A young boy faces being kicked out of a prestigious New Zealand school over the length of his hair that he grows as a tribute to his dead grandfather.

James Hunt, 11, attends Auckland Grammar School and has shoulder length blonde hair.

He wears his hair long in memory of his grandfather Paul Hunt who was expelled from school himself for his own shoulder-length locks 50 years ago.

James Hunt, 11, attends Auckland Grammar School and has shoulder-length blonde hair

He wears his hair long in memory of his grandfather Paul Hunt (pictured right) who was expelled from school himself for his own shoulder-length locks

James is a star pupil, excelling in maths and creative writing but was told to cut his hair or 'find a different school,' his mother Heidi Hunt said.

Ms Hunt wrote a five-page letter to the school asking why her son was asked to cut his hair, but did not receive a response, she said.

In her letter she referred to Lucan Battison, who was suspended in 2014 over his long hair.

Battison took the Board of Trustees at St John's College in Hastings to court and won.

But Tim O'Connor, Auckland Grammar School's headmaster, told NZME he wouldn't budge on the rules.

'We articulate our rules very, very clearly, and they are fair and reasonable, and it's up to parents whether or not they would like to send their boys to Grammar with all of that information in mind,' he said.

Ms Hunt wondered why the school was still enforcing 50-year-old rules.

'I wouldn't allow James to attend a school that still applies the same rules that resulted in his grandfather's expulsion 50 years ago,' she said.
Only the brightest of students get to go to university, but this motorist at a college in Melbourne was left scratching their head as they failed to drive into a car park.

Hilarious dashcam footage shows the driver of a white hatchback heading towards Monash Univerity Clayton's campus when they approach a zebra crossing.

There is no one waiting to cross the road, but instead of driving past the crossing the motorist bizarrely tries to turn left into the car park.

Unfortunately for the driver, the small pathway is only large enough to fit pedestrians trying to cross the road - not vehicles.

Hilarious dashcam footage shows the driver of a white hatchback heading towards Monash Univerity Clayton's campus when they approach a zebra crossing

The inevitable happens as the car bumps into a bollard at the crossing, but instead of realising their embarrassing error, the motorist continues their efforts to get into the car park.

The white car's driver tried again to squeeze through the tiny gap, only to bang into the pole again.

Brendan Hui, who was filming the incident on his dashcam, said the incident was 'unexpected'.

'I was wondering why he was stopping as there were no pedestrians crossing the road,' he told the Herald Sun.

The car bumps into a bollard at the crossing, but instead of realising their embarrassing error, the motorist continues their efforts to get into the car park and smashed into it again

'I just thought he was trying to be cheeky and (take) a shortcut into the parking spot, (but) didn't expect him to hit the pole, not see it, then hit it again.

'Probably thought he hit a bump or something. Probably thinking about how much he's (going to) need to spend on fixing the car.'

Mr Hiu, a commerce and law student, eventually overtook the driver but said the other car reversed out and stopped in the middle of the road for a while.
President Donald Trump was mercilessly mocked on Twitter for his whimsical reactions to hanging out in the driver's seat of a Mack Truck.

The president was meeting with trucking CEOs while House Republicans moved today's health care vote.

Trump appeared to take out his frustration with the legislative process on a big rig that arrived with industry executives, honking the horn of the vehicle that was parked on the White House's South Lawn.

And Twitterverse went wild with hilarious memes of the president.

President Donald Trump was mercilessly mocked on Twitter for his whimsical faces he made while hanging out in the drivers' seat of a Mack Truck. This user likened the photo with Mad Max, but added 'Replace and Repeal'

Award-winning singer and songwriter John Legend even commented on the photos in the tweet above

One Twitter user likened Trump's unique facial expressions with the 2015 action-packed thriller Mad Max: Fury Road.

But the user's exact words were, 'Mad Max: Replace and Repeal.'

Another user called a black and white photo of Trump, the 'perfect print ad for an elegant cologne called IMPOTENCE'.

And the memes didn't stop there.

One user said Trump could be setting himself up for the 'Fast & Furious 9' that would have a release date of 2019.

Another suggested one of the photos seemed to show an '[unsettling loud fart].'

One user said Trump could be setting himself up for the 'Fast & Furious 9' that would have a release date of 2019

Another suggested one of the photos seemed to show an '[unsettling loud fart]'

This Twitter user said it would be easy to occupy Trump for four years if he was put in a 'hands on a hardbody type situation'

He used comedienne Rosie O'Donnell as an example. O'Donnell and Trump have been feuding for years

The president was accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, as he greeted the truckers and inspected two large rigs, one with a US flag on the side, the other with a photograph of a truck driver and a boy.

The photos that Twitter went into a frenzy over showed the moment Trump climbed in the second truck and honked the horn for fun. Then he closed the door of the vehicle and waved out the window.

Meanwhile, a crucial vote for the Trump administration's healthcare proposal was postponed on Thursday because conservative members of Congress  members of the House Freedom Caucus  refused to make a deal with Trump.

The embarrassing setback had the potential to deal a blow to Trump's overall legislative agenda.

The voting had been due to start at 4.00pm Thursday but was pushed back to an unknown time as the Freedom Caucus of conservative Republicans failed to be won over by last-minute changes offered by the White House.

The conservative faction is basically telling Trump that his current plan is too close to Obamacare and that they will vote it down unless or until he changes it to make it less liberal.

Rob Wesley tweeted about the Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger feud that's been brewing since the actor took over The Apprentice

The House GOP conference met Thursday night to hash out the issue, with a possible vote on Friday  and some lawmakers even predicting Trump's top priority gets kicked over to next week.

At precisely the time the vote was being canceled, Trump was boasting he could get the vote passed on Thursday.

Speaking as he met truckers - having posed in the cab of a big rig outside the White House - Trump claimed a vote was going ahead.

'Today the House is voting to repeal and replace the disaster known as Obamacare. We'll see what happens,' he said.

He added: 'We're going to have a long talk, and I'm not gonna make it too long because I have to get votes.

'I don't want to spend too much time with you, and then lose, and then lose by one vote. Then I'm going to blame the truckers,' he said to laughs. 'But we're going to talk for a little while and then I'm going to go back to business.'

The confusion left the White House looking badly exposed.

The president was accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, as he greeted the truckers and inspected two large rigs, one with a US flag on the side, the other with a photograph of a truck driver and a boy

The photos that Twitter went into a frenzy over showed the moment Trump climbed in the second truck and honked the horn for fun. Then he closed the door of the vehicle and waved out the window
Republicans in Congress say they expect to see smoking gun evidence that definitively corroborates President Donald Trumps claim that the Obama administration spied on his transition team after the election, according to Fox News.

GOP lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee anticipate that classified information that was supposedly seen by Chairman Devin Nunes, the California Republican, will show that intelligence was collected on members of the Trump transition, anonymous sources told Fox News.

The sources said that the intelligence was known to Nunes even before Trump fired off his tweets on the morning of March 4, in which he accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of tapping his phones.

This new information is said to leave no doubt that the Obama administration had used surveillance on foreigners as a legitimate cover to spy on then-President-elect Trump.

GOP lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee anticipate that classified information that was supposedly seen by Chairman Devin Nunes (above), the California Republican, will show that intelligence was collected on members of the Trump transition

The sources say that members of the Trump transition team were unmasked  or had their names revealed in intelligence reports.

The purpose of such unmasking was to damage the incoming Trump administration, according to Fox News.

While the FBI has not responded to the committees request for documents, the National Security Agency is likely to provide evidence to the panel on Friday, Fox News reported.

On Wednesday, Nunes dropped a bombshell when he told reporters on Wednesday that the US intelligence community collected incidental information about Trump and his transition team during the three-month transition.

Nunes told reporters on Capitol Hill that the information collected was 'legally collected' pursuant to a warrant issued by a FISA judge in a federal court, and concerned 'foreign' surveillance - before he went to the White House to tell the president.

Sources also told Fox News that the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, has seen the classified material that Nunes was referring to on Wednesday

He said 'it's possible' that the now-president's personal communications were among those which were part of the 'incidental' collection - but did not say definitively if that was the case.

But that 'did not involve Russia or any discussions with Russians,' Nunes said, adding that he was 'alarmed' to learn what he did.

Lawmakers expect that the NSAs files will go even further than Nunes claims, with one source telling Fox News that the agency may produce a smoking gun that will definitively establish that there was espionage committed by the Obama administration.

Sources also told Fox News that the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, has seen the classified material that Nunes was referring to on Wednesday.

Nunes, meanwhile, apologized to Democrats on the committee on Thursday, according to CNN.

His news conferences and his decision to brief Trump at the White House on the purported revelations angered Democrats who said that it taints the committees standing as an impartial body tasked with investigating Trumps alleged ties to Russia.

Trump, meanwhile, remarked that after meeting Nunes he felt somewhat vindicated by his claims  thus far unsupported by evidence  that Obama spied on him.

FBI Director James Comey testified before the committee on Monday that the bureau is investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

Schiff made headlines of his own on Wednesday, telling MSNBC that the evidence linking Trumps team to the Kremlin was more than circumstantial, though he would not offer specifics.

Schiffs remarks seem to echo a CNN report which quoted anonymous government officials as saying that the evidence currently in the hands of the FBI suggests that the Trump team colluded with Moscow in the dissemination of material damaging to Hillary Clinton during the recent campaign.
An incredible lifelike model of Fidel Castro is among several ex-communist leaders recreated at a bizarre art exhibition.

Replicas of Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin, Kim Il-Sung, Ho Chi Minh and the former Cuban leader are being showcased at Art Basel in Hong Kong this week.

Made from acrylic and silica gel and dressed in their signature uniforms, the imposing figures all lie in glass coffins.

Castro, however, can be seen 'breathing' almost imperceptibly on his deathbed thanks to a set of surreal animations.

An incredible lifelike model of Fidel Castro is among several ex-communist leaders recreated at a bizarre art exhibition

He is made from acrylic and silica gel and dressed in their signature uniforms

Castro can be seen 'breathing' almost imperceptibly as his lips purse softy thanks to a series of realistic animations

The former Cuban leaders fingers were also seen twitching faintly

The revolutionary's fingers were also seen twitching faintly, drawing a baffled crowd of smartphone-snapping art enthusiasts.

Castro's model incited a playful response from curious tourists, with one jokingly placing his iPhone in his hands while another felt his lifelike hair.

The installation, called 'Summit', was created by Chinese artist Shen Shaomin who said the work was conceived as a response to the global financial crisis of 2008.

It was originally commissioned for the Sydney Biennale contemporary art festival in 2010 - when Castro was still alive - as an imaginary meeting of former dictators to parody the now defunct G8 grouping of wealthy industrialised nations.

'Many Western scholars have become suspicious about capitalism, and compared and discussed theories of communism, so I have created the 'G5',' Shen said at the Hong Kong fair.

One curious tourist even ran his fingers through the late politician's lifelike hair

Castro's model drew a playful response from curious tourists, with one jokingly placing his iPhone in his hands

The revolutionary drew a baffled crowd of smartphone-snapping art enthusiasts

The installation, called 'Summit', was created by Chinese artist Shen Shaomin who said the work was conceived as a response to the global financial crisis of 2008

'People from different countries, different cultural backgrounds, different experiences have their own ways to interpret it,' said Shen, who jokingly inserted his phone into Castro's hand.

Gallerist Agnes Lin, who is representing the work at Art Basel, said she had been doubtful whether the exhibit would be allowed into semi-autonomous Hong Kong, where concerns are growing that China is tightening its grip.

Mao remains a controversial figure on the mainland and there is general sensitivity about his image there.

Despite that, Mao's replica and the other bodies were made in Beijing, where Shen has a base.

'(Art Basel) really fought hard to have this piece in,' Lin said.

'I think Hong Kong is still free... we can still have the freedom to show this work and I'm so happy about that.'

Chinese artist Shen Shaomin created the replicas on display at Hong Kong's Art Basel to parody the now defunct G8 summit

The replicas of ex-communist leaders on display at Hong Kong's Art Basel were created in Beijing

A young child looks on in awe at artist Jane Lee's work titled 'AM IV, 2017'

Shen said the bodies took a team of seven to eight artisans six months to create after intensively studying the leaders' appearances, from their moles to their hair.

'It makes people want to learn more about them,' said Tiernan Breen, 18, a student from Fiji browsing Art Basel.

'You ask yourself questions which you wouldn't ask if you hadn't actually seen them.'

Shen is not expecting a private collector to take home the bodies, but hopes the work finds a place in a museum.

Since the Sydney Biennale, the installation has toured museums in Singapore and France.

'It's very unique, I love it... You get goosebumps, you know?' said Nesli Vetter, 54, visiting Art Basel from Germany. All good old boys.'
Police are hunting for a man who filmed up the skirts of several females.

The man was spotted in the female toilets at a shopping centre in Lake Munmorah in the Central Coast region of New South Wales between 9.30am and 10am last Sunday.

While in the toilets witnesses are said to have seen the man filming a number of females with his mobile phone.

Police are hunting for a man who filmed up the skirts of several women in the female toilets at a shopping centre in Lake Munmorah in the Central Coast region of New South Wales.

Police on Friday released CCTV images of the man to help aid in finding him.

He is described as being 20-25 years old and Caucasian in appearance.

He is about 180cm tall with a slim build and short wavy brown hair.

In the images he is seen wearing a black t-shirt, black jeans and black shoes.

Police are urging anyone who has any information on the man to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

While in the toilets witnesses are said to have seen the man filming a number of females with his mobile phone
High schoolers charged: Henry Sanchez-Milian, 18 (pictured) and Jose Montano, 17, have been charged with raping a 14-year-old female classmate in a Maryland high school bathroom

A Maryland high school has been the target of hate messages after two teenage immigrants living in Maryland allegedly brutally raped and sodomized their 14-year-old female classmate in a bathroom stall on campus.

The alleged assault happened the morning of March 16 at Rockville High School in Montgomery County, leading to the arrests of 17-year-old Jose Montano, from El Salvador, and 18-year-old Henry Sanchez-Milian, from Guatemala, on charges of first-degree rape and first-degree sexual assault.

Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman Derek Turner told CNN that the high school and county school district have gotten hundreds of hateful email messages and calls after the teens were arrested and charged.

He told the outlet that there were two anonymous calls to the school which included threats to 'shoot the illegals' and cause 'physical damage to the school'.

Authorities didn't find evidence the threats were credible, and school officials asked for an increased police presence, Turner told CNN.

The alleged attack took place inside a boys' bathroom at Rockville High School during school hours

In a Thursday email obtained by WUSA, Montgomery County Public Schools superintendent Jack R. Smith said: 'While I know this tragic incident has become part of a national political debate, I want to remind community members that the lives of real students have been forever affected.

'While many have chosen to engage civilly in the conversation, far too many have crossed the line with racist, xenophobic calls and emails.

'MCPS is working with law enforcement to identify those who are making threats toward our students and schools. This behavior will not be tolerated in our community.'

The Montgomery County school system has been besieged by hundreds of racist and xenophobic calls. In response, schools beefed up police presence in an attempt to reassure the anxious community.

A probable cause statement filed on March 17 at the Montgomery County District Court by the arresting officer painted a harrowing picture of the rape, based on an interview with the alleged victim and physical evidence gathered at the scene.

According to the court document, obtained by the station WJLA, Montano and Sanchez-Milian accosted the girl in the hallway at around 9am on March 16.

The girl knew only one of the teens, Montano, who allegedly asked her for a hug, then slapped her butt and asked her to walk with them.

As the trio were passing by a boys' bathroom on the way to the gym, the 17-year-old Montano repeatedly asked the girl to have sex with him and his friend, and when she refused they allegedly forced her into the restroom.

Plastic cups spell out Rockville Strong, at Rockville High School in Rockville, Maryland, on Thursday

The probable cause document describes the assault in extremely graphic detail, recounting how the alleged victim grabbed onto a sink to avoid being forced into a stall, but the two suspects shoved her inside.

Once in the stall, the document states that Montano allegedly opened the girl's top and 'pulled her breasts out to play with,' then unbuckled her pants and pulled them down.

The two teenagers then allegedly proceeded to take turns holding down the young girl while forcing her to perform oral sex on them and raping her both vaginally and anally on the toilet multiple times while communicating with one another in Spanish.

Throughout the ordeal, the document stated, the victim screamed out in pain and repeatedly told her friend Montano, and Sanchez-Milian to stop.

After the horrific attack, police said Sanchez-Milian covered the victim's head with his coat and led her out of the bathroom as Montano ordered her to be quiet.

The freshman girl immediately reported the assault to school administrators and law enforcement officials were summoned to the scene to investigate.

A forensic expert was later able to recover physical evidence in the form of blood and semen from the bathroom stall.

Sanchez, who is from Guatemala, came to the U.S. illegally in August and was encountered by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Texas, federal immigration officials said. He was eventually released to live with his father.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials wouldn't comment on Montano, who is a minor but is charged criminally as an adult.

However, Fox 5 DC, citing authorities, reports that Montano and Sanchez-Milian are both in the United States illegally.

Federal law requires public schools to admit students even if they are in the country illegally.

Video courtesy of WJLA

Despite their age, both the boys were placed in the ninth grade.

Montgomery County Public Schools superintendent Jack R. Smith on Monday told Fox 5 that Sanchez-Milian and Montano were enrolled in the Rockville school's multidisciplinary program for English learners.

Montano is charged as an adult, but police have not released his booking photo.

On Friday, Rockville High School sent a letter to parents addressing the incident and the arrests, according to WUSA.

'Ensuring a safe, secure and welcoming learning environment for all of our students is our top priority. Our staff remains vigilant in the monitoring of our school each and every day,' the note said in part.

Gboyinde Onijala, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Public Schools, has said that staff at Rockville High will increase monitoring of the hallways and bathrooms.

Smith, WTOP reported this week, says the high school has five security staff and one school resource officer.
The federal judge in Hawaii who acted first to block President Donald Trump's most recent travel ban has received numerous death threats, authorities said.

FBI spokeswoman Michele Ernst said Thursday that the agency is aware of reports of threatening messages against US District Judge Derrick Watson, who presides over cases in Hawaii, and is prepared to help if necessary.

The US Marshals Service, responsible for protecting federal judicial officials, flew in about a dozen deputies from the mainland to provide Watson with 24-hour protection.

US District Judge Derrick Watson (pictured), who resides over Hawaii, has received death threats for blocking President Trump's revised travel ban

Marshals don't discuss specific security measures but does provide additional protection when warranted, according to the service.

Watson blocked the federal government from enforcing its ban on new visas for people from six mostly Muslim countries and its suspension of the nation's refugee program.

He issued his ruling on March 15, just hours before the travel ban was to go into effect.

President Donald Trump called Watson's ruling an example of "unprecedented judicial overreach" and said his administration would appeal it.

Watson said he believed Hawaii would be able to make the case that the retooled travel ban would violate the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution, which prohibits religious discrimination.

Trump (above) called Watson's ruling an example of "unprecedented judicial overreach" and said his administration would appeal it

THE US DISTRICT JUDGE WHO FROZE TRUMP'S TRAVEL BAN: DERRICK KAHALA WATSON US District Judge Derrick Kahala Watson, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and confirmed by the Senate with a 94-0 vote, is the fourth Native Hawaiian federal judge in US history. Obama said of Watson and six other nominees he named at the time: These individuals have demonstrated the talent, expertise and fair-mindedness Americans expect and deserve from their judicial system. Honolulu lawyers refer to Watson as a "double Harvard" for where he received his undergraduate education in 1988 and his law degree in 1991. But his roots are in Hawaii, where he attended a private school that gives admission preference to Native Hawaiians. "I am proud to welcome this Kamehameha Schools graduate to serve in such a prestigious capacity," said US Representative Tulsi Gabbard when Watson was confirmed. He then went on to serve as a US Army Reserve Captain and as a partner at a San Francisco firm. While serving at a private practice, Watson spent hundreds of hours representing pro bono clients in cases dealing with human trafficking, employment wages and landlord/tenant cases. He also partnered with a civil rights group to challenge a school districts electoral system after a Hispanic member was prevented from being elected. He later became an assistant US attorney in the District of Hawaii and Northern District of California. While at the US attorney's office in Hawaii, Watson was chief of the civil division. Before that he was partner at a San Francisco firm, where he focused on product liability, toxic tort and environmental cost recovery litigation, according to his biography posted on the Honolulu federal court's website. Watson was an assistant US attorney in the Northern District of California from 1995 to 2000, including serving as deputy chief of the civil division from 1999 to 2000, the bio said. Honolulu defense attorney Michael Green has had numerous cases before Watson. "The man is extremely strict and principled," Green said. That strictness was evident during a sex assault trial last year, which Watson tried to keep on a tight schedule, Green said. But when Green's wife suffered a stroke during the trial, Watson showed kindness. "He slowed the trial down so I could be there for closing argument and to finish my examination of key witnesses," said Green. "He can be deemed a very tough sentencer. If you look between the lines, there's compassion." Advertisement

However, the Justice Department said that the president had acted within his power and said that the new order was 'significantly' different from the older one, which was also stopped by a federal judge.

Hawaii challenged the ban, which was signed on March 6 and revamped an earlier, more sweeping order, arguing it discriminates against Muslims and violates the US Constitution.

The first ban was halted by a federal court in Seattle.

Trump's original ban was rolled out on January 27, just a week into his administration, and hit legal potholes almost immediately.

The travel ban has been politically tricky for Trump too, as the first one, which went into effect immediately and lead to confusion at airports across the country, inspired activists to come out in droves to protest at the airports too.

The new ban was supposed to take care of some of the legal problems, as it specifically didn't apply to green card and visa holders.
A Florida mom sent a burglar 'running for his life' with a shotgun after he broke into her home.

The burglary attempt was caught on surveillance video that shows the alleged thief on the woman's front porch.

In the shocking video, the man is seen pulling up on the woman's front lawn.

He walks up to the door and appears to knock. After a few moments, he tries to break through the door.

A Florida mom sent a burglar 'running for his life' after he broke into her home. The burglary attempt was caught on surveillance video that shows the alleged thief on the woman's front porch (pictured)

In the shocking video , the man is seen pulling up on the woman's front lawn. He walks up to the door and appears to knock. After a few moments, he breaks through the door by kicking it in (pictured)

But little did he know the mother-of-two (holding the shotgun), who didn't want to be identified, was waiting for him with a shotgun on the other side of the door

The man, who was dressed in a red hoodie with a matching hat, was then able to kick in the door and enter the home.

But little did he know the mother-of-two, who didn't want to be identified, was waiting for him with a shotgun on the other side of the door.

The woman told ABC 7 that the man was 'running for his life and he kept looking back making sure I wasn't going to just shoot him in the back'.

Evident in the video, the man ran to his car, jumped in and pulled out of the yard.

The mother said she was protecting her two children, ages three and 10. She said her kids were the only reason she didn't pull the trigger.

Police said the suspect is still at large but the mother hopes the video will help authorities identify him.

The woman said the man was 'running for his life and he kept looking back making sure I wasn't going to just shoot him in the back'. Pictured is the shotgun the mother pointed at the burglar

The mother said she was protecting her two children, ages three and 10. She said her kids were the only reason she didn't pull the trigger. The suspect is seen running from the home to his car
Matthew Muller. The voice has a face, it has a name. Now we finally meet, face to face, eye to eye. I am Denise Huskins, the woman behind the blindfold. The woman you drugged, tortured, raped and attempted to manipulate; the woman you repeatedly apologized to, repeatedly complimented for the strength in dealing with this lifethreatening situation that you helped inflict upon.

'I am the woman behind the blindfold': Denise Huskins' wept as she read her statement to her abductor

Remember the times you acknowledged and said to me that you could see that Aaron and I were good people, and we didnt deserve this. Before you put me in the trunk of Aarons car, taking me captive, you told me that this wasnt meant for me, and you named Aarons ex by her first and last name.

You promised not to dehumanize me any more than you had to, yet, for the next two days you treated me like an object, a toy, an animal to fulfill you and your associates selfish, evil needs.

I had also struggled in my young adulthood. You know that. I shared that with you. I told you about being molested as a child, how that impacted me and that it had been hard to heal, but therapy helped. I shared that most personal information with you after you claimed to be suffering from PTSD and insomnia. I was trying to connect with this voice who was hardly human, in hopes it would spare me from more torture, spare my body, spare my life.

After sharing that, you still made the decision to rape me, and not just violating my body, but forcing me to perform, act, and have it recorded. I was heavily sedated for a 48hour period. You and your associates did an excellent job at making your threats clear. I saw flashes of lights and heard the electric shocks of tasers. I felt the sharp edge of a knife as it grazed my skin when you cut off the zipties. I was outnumbered, you were armed, you were trained, I was helpless, defenseless. If I fought or not, the rapes would still happen. So, I lessened the blow and complied. And of course, it didnt just happen once, but twice.

The second time you forced me to kiss you and say things to make it seem like we were a legitimate couple. You couldnt just take my physical body and let me be detached from it, like I was in the first rape as you flopped me around the bed like a rag doll. This second time, you made me perform, lets pretend like we are with other people, the people we love, to get us through it, as if this were happening to the both of us. I saw right through all of this, but knew I had to appease you. The only way I got through it was to picture that it was Aaron that I was with, and that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I know you did that on purpose, to leave your mark on me in the most special and intimate moments of my life.

Police initially called the kidnapping a hoax and likened Denise's (above) story to the movie 'Gone Girl', in which a woman goes missing and then lies about being kidnapped

You expressed your belief in how I was handling all of this. Why was I not acting hysterically, begging and pleading for you to spare my life, spare my body? I didnt react that way because I knew thats what you wanted, what you were looking for, what thrilled you, motivated you. You wanted to have that type of power over another beings life. Thats why you had practiced and prepared, planned these types of scenarios for as far back as 2009, your conduct escalating until you finally succeeded in taking me.

If I were to die, if this was my last moment, hour, day on this Earth I would not live it screaming, panicking, crying in terror. I would go out proud and grateful for the life I lived, the family and friends I have, the grievances I have overcome, the amazing career that I loved, the patients and colleagues I had worked with, the loves I had experienced, especially in finding the love of my life, Aaron. I didnt know what was to come, but I did know that I had all those people there with me, their love and energy, to give me strength to survive. I wouldnt let myself see the terror, all I focused on was them. That is how I survived.

Within an hour of my release, the police questioning began and I very quickly learned that they did not believe me. I was a suspect accused of making this up and then publicly shamed after a press conference by an officer from the Vallejo Police Department who stated that I owed the public an apology. I had to retain a criminal defense attorney to fight for my innocence, I lost my job and I lost my health insurance at a time when I most needed care.

When speaking with law enforcement, there were two things the voice warned me that I could not discuss: That he was former military and that he had sex with me. If I were to disclose either of these pieces of information, he would come after my family, and I believed him.

When I was 12 years old, I was molested. It took over a decade for me to tell my mother. Years after that man molested me, he molested another little girl, and was caught. Had I told my mother at the time, the horror that little girl had gone through could have been prevented. I lived with shame and guilt because of that most of my life, and am still forgiving myself.

So, despite the threat to my family, I needed to tell the police about the rapes. A sexual assault exam is the most vulnerable thing a woman can do so soon after a being assaulted, but you go through it in hopes that the information they collect could help find the perpetrator and prevent other women from this horrific experience.

The nurses examined my body, noting and taking pictures of the bruising on the left side of my back where Muller had dropped me when trying to pull me out of the trunk. They surveyed my naked body with a black light, swabbed my bare chest, neck, stomach and groin where Muller put his lips and tongue on me. They examined me internally, noting and taking pictures of comparatively small lesions in my cervix. I wasnt sure if this information would only be used against me and confirm to the police and FBI that I was lying. And here I was, the victim of a kidnaping and rapes, completely exposed with no loved ones nearby, wishing that I had put up more of a fight, was beaten more, was torn into more so the police would be more likely to believe me.

Emotional support: Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, pictured in 2016, are still romantically involved after their horror ordeal and plan to marry and have children

Every day I am grateful to be alive. Despite the many hopeless moments Aaron and I have overcome thus far, I still manage to hold out some hope for the future. Because of the aftermath of the kidnapping, and because of the kidnapping itself, it has been a long hard struggle to pick up the pieces of our lives. We fortunately have an amazing support system from both of our friends and families. We have moved cities, started new jobs.

I still have nightmares every night. For over a year if I came home alone, I would grab a knife and looking behind every door, in every corner. I have a hammer by my bed that I reach for in the worst of my nightmares. Sleep is not rest for me, it is a trigger.

Theres not a moment in the day that I dont remember this. Its not that I want to focus on it, but the depth of the terror is so deep, I have had to learn how to live side by side with it. I am humbled in that reality, this new reality. I am at that point in my life where Aaron and I talk about marriage and a family. But I am so scared of bringing a child into this world after the horror Muller has put me through, put my family through.

Above all, I am so grateful for Aaron, standing by my side and giving me strength and support as I continue to struggle. We both still have difficulties, but he had returned to work quickly, selflessly to support us and allow us to move forward with our lives. He knows exactly how to calm me, care for me, how to hold me in the midst of my nightmares. The thought of returning to his arms during those 48 hours helped get me through it, and I never want him to let me go. He gives me peace, love, laughter and hope in humanity.

I still cant make sense of any of this, and I accept that I will never know. But what I do know, is that Matthew Muller willingly, thoughtfully, participated in this hell we have survived. He had every opportunity in that 48 hours to do something different, but chose not to. He said he was remorseful and would never do it again, yet two short months later, he still attacked another family.

I have no doubt that this man should not be free to walk amongst the rest of us. I dont say that because I believe in revenge, in eye for an eye, but because of my experiences with him I know, without doubt or hesitation, that as long as he walks free, there will be more victims.
Back in 2011, the Legislature rolled out an ambitious set of goals for the state's educational system.

By 2025, legislators declared, every adult Oregonian would have a high school diploma. Some 40 percent of adult Oregonians would have an associate degree or some sort of post-secondary credential. The remaining 40 percent of adult Oregonians, legislators decreed, would have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

This so-called 40-40-20 goal (in retrospect, a better nickname would have been 40-80-100, but we quibble) was widely seen as aspirational. Realistically, everyone knew that these were goals that never would be completely met. And, more to the point, it was unlikely that Oregon would ever have the kind of money available to reach the goal. (In fact, this still seems unlikely, as legislators battle with a $1.6 billion shortfall for the next two-year budget cycle.)

So this year's session of the Legislature is considering a bill, House Bill 2587, that would make a small but key change to the 40-40-20 goal. Under the terms of the bill, which is backed by the state's teachers union, the language of the goal would be changed: The state's education goals now would read that 40 percent of Oregon adults will be "given the opportunity" to earn a bachelor's degree or higher. Another 40 percent of Oregon adults would be "given the opportunity" to earn an associate degree or a post-secondary credential." The remaining Oregon adults would have "the opportunity to earn a high school diploma, a modified diploma or extended diploma or any other credential equivalent to a high school diploma."

We are sympathetic to those who argue that the 40-40-20 goals can never be reached. They're right, of course: For example, we never will be at the point at which every Oregon adult has a high school diploma or its equivalent. (The most recent statistics, for the class of 2015, show that 78 percent of Oregon high school students earned a diploma within five years after starting school.)

Similarly, the two 40 percent goals for higher education are, to put it mildly, very challenging for a state that traditionally has underfunded higher education.

So, proponents of the bill argue, why should we set ourselves up for failure?

We understand that argument.

But it's not as if the 40-40-20 goal, as unattainable as it is, hasn't benefited the state in some concrete ways. The state's high school graduation rate has inched upward over the last few years, perhaps in some small way because of the attention that rate has received statewide.

And the goal also has put a spotlight on the middle 40 percent  the associate degrees and professional certifications that are awarded by the state's community colleges. Institutions such as Linn-Benton Community College have been working vigorously over the last few years to make sure that their students complete their courses of study  in other words, that they leave school with that associate degree or certification in hand. Now, certainly, some of that would have happened without the 40-40-20 goal, but it's clear that adopting the goal helped to highlight the role that the state's often-ignored (not to mention underfunded) community colleges play in our educational system.

So the goal has had, we believe, a practical impact in Oregon.

And something just doesn't feel right about putting it on the shelf.

If we believe that education is the key to Oregon's future, for all of its residents and for the state, why would we choose to say, in essence, well, we know that not everybody will get that key, and that's OK? Throwing in the towel on the 40-40-20 goal would be setting ourselves up for a much more dangerous failure. (mm)
Fox News' anchors and commentators are allegedly feuding after the channel's Trump wiretapping claims, in a scenario that is being described as a 'disaster' and a 'nightmare,' according to one report.

The division between the two teams emerged after pundit Judge Andrew Napolitano claimed that Barack Obama used British secret services to wiretap Donald Trump, an insider said.

Last week Napolitano said on the channel that 'three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command' and got the UK's communications heads to listen in on Trump.

That remark, which was subsequently parroted by the White House, infuriated the station's news anchors, insiders told Vanity Fair.

Scroll down for video

Controversy: Last week Andrew Napolitano said insiders told him Obama used UK spies to tap Donald Trump; he also referred to himself as 'Fox News' despite being a pundit, not a reporter

Anchors: An insider said that the fallout represented a division between news anchors like (l-r) Bret Baier, Shepard Smith and Chris Wallace and Fox News's commentators

Commentators: Internally, the insider said, there's an understanding that pundits shouldn't attempt to make actual news. Pictured (l-r): Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Tucker Carlson

The judge's March 14 claims led to on-air denials from anchors Shepard Smith and Bret Baier.

'We love the judge, we love him here at Fox, but the Fox News division was never able to back up those claims and was never reported on this show,' Baier said on his March 17 Special Report.

He went on to read a statement from British intelligence that said the claims were 'ridiculous' and 'should be ignored'.

That same night Smith said: 'Fox News cannot confirm Judge Napolitano's commentary.

'Fox News knows of no evidence of any kind that the now-president of the United States was surveilled at any time, any way. Full stop.'

'You have to read into the way Shep said what he said,' an insider told Vanity Fair. 'And why Bret dealt with it the way he did.'

They continued: 'The key thing Judge Napolitano did was to say "Fox News is reporting that..." and he can't say that... He is not a reporter and knows he's not a reporter.'

'Disaster': The White House's later parroting of Napolitano's claim, which was addressed by Trump shortly afterward, was seen as a 'disaster' and a 'nightmare' internally, the source said

That reveals a long-standing division between the news anchors - such as Baier, Shepard and Chris Wallace and the commentators such as Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, the insider said.

As a result of his remarks Napolitano was pulled from the channel, the LA Times claimed on Monday.

There were further complications, the insider said, when Sean Spicer repeated Napolitano's comments in a press briefing on March 16, two days after Napolitano made the claims.

When pressed on that during a press conference with Angela Merkel on March 17, Trump said: '[The White House] said nothing.'

Who? The fallout from Napolitano's slip-up has reportedly distracted from Megyn Kelly's departure to NBC. 'No-one is missing her any more,' the source said

He continued: 'All we did was quote a certain very talented legal mind who was the one responsible for saying that on television.

'I didn't make an opinion on it. That was a statement made by a very talented lawyer on Fox.

'And so you shouldn't be talking to me. You should be talking to Fox.'

That didn't go down well behind the scenes at Fox News, the insider claimed.

'It's a disaster,' they said.

'It's a nightmare.'

There are some positives for the channel, however.

The loss of Megyn Kelly - who defected to NBC despite a massive $25m-a-year offer from Rupert Murdoch's sons, James and Lachlan - has long been forgotten in the commotion.

'No-one is missing her any more' the source said.

Fox News has been contacted for comment.
A young boy has been left traumatised after his family's two guinea pigs were stabbed to death in New Zealand.

The 8-year-old mother found the animals' cage broken into on Thursday morning during a routine feed at their family home in Titirangi, west Auckland, NZ Herald reported.

The woman, who cannot be named for privacy reasons, discovered the two missing guinea pigs with 'clear knife strikes' on their bellies, stacked against the base of a tree.

Police are investigating the deaths of two guinea pigs after their cage was broken into overnight

'There was like a line of blood on the belly and on the back,' she said.

The mum said the animals were like her son's 'babies' and that he was 'devastated'.

She told her son that the guinea pigs ran away but he is still distraught over the loss.

The woman believes the cage was broken into overnight, but had not heard anything out of the ordinary, calling the act 'odd' and 'very bizarre'.

'The two guinea pigs were on a tree trunk with their bodies nearly dismembered,' the woman wrote on a Titirangi community group on Facebook on Thursday afternoon.

'Some psycho smashed it all so it looked like an animal attack.

'The image still shakes me, it was like a massacre without much blood,' she wrote.

The shaken mother carried the dead guinea pigs to her mother's house and buried them so that her son wouldn't see.

Police visited the family's property on Thursday and are investigating the deaths of the animals, Detective Senior Sergeant Roger Small of Waitakere Police confirmed.

A young boy has been left traumatised after his family's two guinea pigs were stabbed to death in Auckland, New Zealand (stock image)
Video has surfaced of a New Zealand weather presenter dropping the c-bomb twice during a live cross, before blaming it on Adele.

In the video, TVNZ weatherman Matty McLean is about to deliver the forecast in the early hours of Friday morning before he begins to repeat the expletive.

The presenter attempts to say the word 'country' when he starts to stammer and accidentally drops consecutive c-bombs.

Video shows New Zealand weather presenter Matty McLean dropping the c-bomb twice during a live cross, before blaming it on Adele. The presenter attempts to say the word 'country' when he starts to stammer and repeats the expletive

'Let's check out what's happening around your c*** - the weather with your c*** - the weather with your country? The country with your weather,' McLean says.

McLean appears to become flustered and tries to cover-up by blaming Adele's show in Auckland on Thursday night.

'Sorry it was a long night, I was home late and it's Friday as well,' he says.

McLean begins the broadcast by referencing Adele and praising her performance in-front of 45,000 people at Mt Smart Stadium.

'Hello, it's me but it's a different me because I'm a changed man after last night. Adele was incredible,' he says.

McLean recently replaced popular New Zealand weatherman Sam Wallace on TVNZ's morning show, Breakfast.
Police have cheekily responded to Facebook taunts from a man on the run and a friend who was offering him a place to stay.

Hayden Tutty, 21, is wanted on an outstanding warrant for breaching prison release conditions.

Police in Invercargill on New Zealand's South Island turned to Facebook on Thursday to seek public help to track down Tutty.

The wanted man then proceeded to taunt police by commenting on the post with 'That's an old photo lol' and asking 'why'.

Southern District Police issued a Facebook alert seeking information to help track down Hayden Tutty (pictured) on Thursday

Police asked the public to help locate Hayden Tutty

Police responded by telling Tutty: 'Give us a call Hayden and we can explain it all to you.'

Another user, who had been engaging with Tutty on the Facebook post, even offered him a place to stay.

'If ya need a place to stay g let me know [sic],' the user said.

It prompted Southern District Police to respond with their own offer to help out.

'We have a place as well that he can stay,' they said.

The quip was 'liked' by almost 350 people.

Tutty commented on the post by saying 'That's an old photo lol'
A Texas student who survived near the Grand Canyon for five days after she became stranded when her car ran out of gas is now raising money for her medical expenses.

Amber VanHecke, 24, was airlifted to a hospital and treated for exposure, dehydration and sunburn.

Since being rescued, VanHecke said she's been trying to stay off of her sore feet.

She set up a GoFundMe Thursday morning to raise at least $1,200 to pay for her medical expenses and the cost of car repair.

So far, she's raised $2,070.

Amber VanHecke (pictured), a 24-year-old hiker from Texas, set up a GoFundMe Thursday morning to raise at least $1,200 to pay for her medical expenses and the cost of car repair

VanHecke was taken to a hospital to be treated for exposure, dehydration and sunburn but was released on March 18. So far, she's raised $1,780 on GoFundMe (right) to help pay for her medical bills. Her feet remain sore

'I know I am asking a lot and I am sorry. I am doing my best to get by for myself but I hadn't planned for something like this,' VanHecke wrote on her campaign's page.

The day after she was rescued, Vanhecke resumed her sightseeing.

'There's this word that really suits me - it's called Fernweh,' she told ABC News. 'It means a longing for places you've never been and that's basically me. It's like wanderlust, but sounds fancier.'

VanHecke set off in her Ford Edge on March 10 near the Canyon's South Rim in Arizona. After following her GPS down a road which didn't exist, she ran out of gas and became stranded on March 12.

She spent five days surviving on emergency food and water while waiting for someone to rescue her.

Eventually on March 17, she abandoned the vehicle and walked 11 miles to find a phone signal to call local authorities for help.

VanHecke was eventually rescued by an air ambulance pilot as she walked back to her car where she had left notes for anyone that might come across it.

VanHecke became stranded for five days when her car ran out of gas on March 12. She filmed herself and took photographs while waiting to be rescued (above)

VanHecke parked her car beside a rusty water container for shade and scrawled 'HELP' in 30ft letters on the ground in the desperate hope that someone found find her

She spelled out the words 'HELP' and 'SOS' in large stones collected in the vicinity in the hope they would be seen by someone flying overhead

The trip began on March 10 as a sightseeing excursion. VanHeck shared details of her plans on Facebook and posted a photograph of herself in her packed-up car.

On March 12, she entered Havasu Falls Trail Head in Supai, Arizona, into her Google Maps but was led down a road which didn't exist.

'I was panicking, crying and sobbing,' VanHecke recalled this week

'I turned anyway and figured I'd see the road momentarily. It was getting dark. I came up to a fence with no roads in sight. Panicked since GPS stopped working, too.

'Finally found it but was at 0 to empty. Parked by the first man made structure I found and decided to wait til daylight. Turns out my reserve was exhausted, too,' she explained on Facebook after being rescued.

VanHecke had installed an app which would send relatives her coordinates if they texted her a trigger phrase but without phone signal, she said it was useless.

For the next five days, VanHecke said she survived on nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

She told DailyMail.com how she cooked ramen noodles on her dashboard at the hottest part of the day for meals.

On one of the days, a truck flew past her without spotting her car which was in the shadow of a disused water container.

Afterwards, she made a barricade along the path to prevent any more cars from passing her by but none came.

Desperate, she started filming videos for her friends and family.

When VanHecke eventually went hiking for 22 miles from her car to find a phone signal, she left behind these notes for rescuers, so that they knew to keep looking for her

VanHecke was stranded in a desolate section of the desert with little shade and only her supplies. She was rescued by helicopter (pictured) after she hiked to get a signal

She made 10-foot-tall 'SOS' and 30-foot-tall 'HELP' signs on the ground out of rocks, and flashed her headlamp into the sky at night.

On March 17, tired of waiting for rescue, she made the bold decision to abandon shelter and walk 11 miles for phone signal.

She left notes at the car explaining that she was walking east for help in case anyone came across it and wanted to find her.

She was able to make a brief call to 911 explaining the emergency but lost service half-way through. It was enough to spark a rescue effort and 40 minutes later, an air ambulance pilot spotted her car and the signs she had left.

They found her nearby moments later and took her to hospital to be treated for exposure and dehydration.

She is also using a cane to walk because her feet are 'tender' from all the walking, she said.

Speaking to DailyMail.com on Thursday, VanHecke said she was convinced she was going to die.

'I did start thinking I would die out in the desert alone.'

Jonah Nieves, the pilot who found her, said it was her impressive survival skills that kept her alive.

'She was a survivor, she did a lot of things that helped her survive. Those notes were clues and those clues led us to where she was,' he said.

VanHecke has returned to classes at The University of North Texas in Denton where she studies International Business and Diplomacy with a minor in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

The woman appeared on Good Morning America on Thursday to tell of her ordeal
The head of an online brokerage firm who was arrested by the FBI in 2012 for allegedly taking part in a fraudulent stock scheme became a valuable informant.

However he turned the tables on the feds when they wanted to indict him even though his information led to the arrests of other Wall Street criminals.

Guy Gentile, a jet-setting New Yorker who made millions running an online stock brokerage from the Bahamas, was arrested in 2012 for allegedly running a stock manipulation scheme, according to Bloomberg.

The federal government alleged that Gentile, who was 36 years old at the time, engaged in a 'pump and dump' scheme in which stock pushers defraud investors by hyping a worthless shell company.

Investigators also alleged that while Gentile was running his online brokerage, he also promoted a Mexican gold mine and a Kentucky gas-drilling project before selling off millions of shares once those ventures reached peak value.

Guy Gentile, a jet-setting New Yorker who made millions running an online stock brokerage from the Bahamas, was arrested in 2012 for allegedly running a stock manipulation scheme

Gentile denied any wrongdoing.

Nonetheless, the federal government offered him a deal  either face prosecution 'which had a 95 percent chance of resulting in a conviction' and risk going to prison or cooperate with the FBI and go undercover as an informant.

The FBI had employed the tactic of sending undercover informants to gather incriminating evidence against Wall Street crimes.

So Gentile agreed to work for the FBI  and he did so enthusiastically since he had always dreamed of working for law enforcement.

In hopes of getting the charges dropped, Gentile agreed to work undercover for the FBI, helping the bureau arrest a number of Wall Street swindlers

Thanks to Gentile, the federal government managed to arrest and convict Adam Gottbetter (above), a Manhattan lawyer who had engaged in crooked stock deals and was sentenced to a year in prison

In holding up his end of the deal, Gentile went undercover and wore a recording device during a meeting he had arranged with Adam Gottbetter, a well-to-do Manhattan lawyer whom the government suspected was getting rich from crooked stock deals.

The FBI noticed that companies that listed Gottbetter had tanked in value once he sold off his shares.

In order to have an ironclad case against him, the feds needed someone to secretly record Gottbetter admit to a crime.

Gottbetter and Gentile dealt with one another in the Kentucky natural gas venture, but at their meeting, the lawyer this time wanted to discuss a new scheme in which they would use a company that grew mushrooms in El Salvador and that he controlled in order to then buy cheap oil wells.

The plan was to then rename the company and offer it to investors.

To the dismay of the FBI, Gottbetter's scheme was legal, so it needed Gentile to 'criminalize' the deal by getting Gottbetter to agree to use a fraudulent algorithm that Gentile claimed would inflate the value of the stock.

'I felt like I was tricking him,' Gentile said.

During a subsequent meeting in New York, Gentile managed to get the evidence the government wanted to arrest Gottbetter, who was sentenced to a year in prison.

He also had to pay $5million in fines.

Gentile proved to be an asset to the FBI. He helped the government arrest and prosecute big-name stock traders, including Alex Milrud and the brokerage firm Nonko Trading.

When Gentile realized that the government was going to charge him despite the help he gave to the FBI, he fought the government in court and won. He then posted the above message on his Instagram page with the hashtag #DOJ (Department of Justice)

But while Gentile was delivering the goods to the government, he was told by prosecutors that they expected him to plead guilty for the original 2012 arrest  though they promised that he would not have to serve time in prison.

'Only someone who's crazy wouldn't take the deal,' he says, 'unless he lives his life by principles and integrity.'

Anticipating that the federal government would betray him, Gentile began secretly recording hundreds of meetings and phone calls with FBI agents just in case he needed to prove that he was indeed living up to his end of the bargain and helping authorities prosecute securities crimes.

Gentile's recordings so enraged prosecutors that they re-arrested him and charged him anyway.

A conviction could have resulted in a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Gentile decided to fight the charges  and he won.

The judge dismissed the case on February 1, saying that the statute of limitations had expired.

He still faces a civil lawsuit filed against him by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is going after the $17million in profits he made from his alleged schemes.

Gentile plans to sue the government for damages and one day star in a movie about his life.

'I'm going to build a billion-dollar company,' he says.

'I'm going to get my own private jet, I'm going to drive a flashy car. And I'm going to make my license plate F---YOUDOJ.'
Advertisement

A woman claims she returned home to find her apartment completely ransacked by her neighbours, who scrawled threatening messages about 'killing her ugly kids' on the walls.

On Thursday, the mother-of-two found windows smashed, the fridge overturned and her child's stuffed toys destroyed after coming home to her unit in Whalan, in Sydney's west.

She claims the damage was done by her neighbours, who she had an argument with on the front lawn a week earlier.

Scroll down for video

A mother has returned home to find her apartment completely ransacked by her neighbours, who destroyed her child's stuffed toys

The Sydney woman was appalled to find her fridge overturned and kitchen in a state of disrepair

'Today I came home because I got a call from one of the neighbors saying they heard windows being smashed,' the woman said in a social media video.

'I came home and my back door was wide open.

'The fridge has been upended, there writing everywhere including "s***, you and your kids are gone".'

The woman documented all the damage in the home, but said the area that 'breaks her heart the most' was her child's room, where all his school trophies had been smashed.

The child's built-in cabinet had been ripped from the wall, leaving dozens of items to fall to the ground and one of the windows had been smashed with a metal pole.

The woman documented all the damage in the home, but said the area that 'breaks her heart the most' was her child's room

The child's built-in cabinet had been ripped from the wall, leaving dozens of items to fall to the ground

The woman said her wardrobe had also been raided and her clothes were left scattered on the stairs.

The mother-of-two said she believes she is aware of who broke into her home and has reported the damage to police.

But this is not the first time the woman has returned home to find her home completely destroyed.

In September, the mother-of-two agreed to trade the Whalan unit with another family's home in Kingswood as part of a 'mutual housing commission swap'.

On returning home with her two children, she was shocked to find her kitchen covered in dirt, cigarette butts, toilet paper and food.

The woman said her wardrobe had also been raided and her clothes were left scattered on the stairs

The mother-of-two said she believes she is aware of who broke into her home and has reported the damage to police

Filled garbage bags were placed in the corner of the kitchen, but coke cans, milk cartons and baby formula tins were left on the counter.

She took photographs of the damage, including a white powdery substance staining the carpet on the stairs.

After uploading photos of the damage to her Facebook page, numerous friends offered to assist with a clean-up.

She said the suspected offender returned to clean the kitchen and has offered to pay to steam clean the carpet.

This is not the first time the woman has returned home to find her home completely destroyed. In September, this was the state of her house after a 'mutual housing commission swap'

Filled garbage bags were placed in the corner of the kitchen, but coke cans, milk cartons and baby formula tins were left on the counter
Flights out of Australia are the cheapest they have been in ten years, with luxury destinations such as Bali, Hawaii and Singapore now within the reach of budget travellers.

Average ticket prices have plummeted in 2017 as airlines are offering far more seats, lower prices, flights to more destinations and lower fuel prices

Expensive airline tickets are no longer stopping Australians booking their dream trip, and it is likely travellers will be able to get a lower price than what they would have ten, five or even one year ago.

Travel company Expedia has revealed flights out of Australia are the cheapest they have been in ten years

Hong Kong (pictured) is a popular destination that Australians can score cheap tickets to

Travel company Expedia has revealed the all-time low prices to some of the most popular getaway spots - including Bali, Hawaii, Hong Kong, London and Los Angeles.

This year travellers wanting to book a trip to bucket-list destinations can spend less than $1000 on return international flights.

Flights to Bali in 2017 will only set back Australian tourists an average of $514, compared to $606 in 2013 and $700 in 2011.

Australians wanting to jet to romantic destination Hawaii can also do so for an average of $965 per flight - an average of $320 in savings from 2011 - according to Expedia

Australians wanting to jet to romantic destination Hawaii can also do so for an average of $965 per flight - an average of $320 in savings from 2011 - according to Expedia

London is a hot spot for Australian tourists and average flights to the British city now cost $1688

FLIGHT PRICES IN 2011 Bali: $700.50 Kuala Lumpar: $775.61 Singapore: $992.25 Hawaii: $1285.74 Hong Kong: $1275.70 Los Angeles: $1,471.16 San Francisco: $1,608.20 London: $2111.93 Advertisement

FLIGHT PRICES IN 2017 Bali: $514.40 Kuala Lumpar: $619.17 Singapore: $725.83 Hawaii: $965.44 Hong Kong: $977.78 Los Angeles: $1,212.60 San Francisco: $1,425.29 London: $1,688.02 Advertisement





Michael Pearson, managing director of Expedia Australia told Daily Mail Australia that flight prices have declined rapidly over the past ten years which means 2017 could be the year of travel for tourists hunting for a bargain.

He said: '2017 could be a banner year for travellers taking to the skies, with more options to fly to more destinations and for lower prices.

This confluence of circumstances  more planes meaning more seats, lower prices, flights to more destinations and lower fuel prices  is driving flight prices down and providing an exceptional offering for Australian travellers wanting to experience the other side of the world.'

Pearson also shared travel tips for holidaymakers wanting to squeeze the most out of every penny.

2017 could be a banner year for travellers taking to the skies, with more options to fly to more destinations and for lower prices

Flights to Bali in 2017 will only set back Australian tourists an average of $514, compared to $606 in 2013 and $700 in 2011

'Booking well in advance for that dream European holiday, keeping an eye on when early bird sale fares are released and selecting a flight that departs in the middle of the week  can lead to hundreds of dollars of savings,' Pearson said.

'Flying into less popular airports - some of the most expensive airports include London at $2,218, Frankfurt at $2,020, Paris for $2,120, and Amsterdam at $2,208.

Consider flying into other major cities like Budapest - you will save yourself 15 per cent on flights than travelling to London or Milan where you will save yourself 13 per cent.'

Australians are benefiting from low-cost carrier Scoot entering the market too.

It is typical for flights to get cheaper at this time of year  especially as carriers fight it out to score travellers for the peak travel season in Europes summer.
One Nation Party leader Pauline Hanson has stood by her call to ban Islamic immigrants from Australia, claiming 'Islam is a disease we need to vaccinate ourselves against'.

The Queensland senator took to Facebook on Thursday to urge Australians to use the hashtag 'pray for Muslim ban' in the wake of London's Westminster terror attack.

Ms Hanson refused to back down from her controversial proposal on Friday, claiming many Australians agreed with her but were too 'frightened' to admit it.

Ms Hanson likened Islam to a 'disease' in an interview with Nine News on Friday.

Scroll down for video

Ms Hanson likened Islam to a 'disease' in an interview with Nine News on Friday

It followed an interview with Steve Price and Andrew Bolt on 2GB radio on Friday when Ms Hanson said migrants were the 'life blood of the country'  just not Muslim migrants.

'We had the Italians, Germans, Greeks, they didn't get it easy here, they had to learn the language, nothing was given to them, they actually had to blend in and work hard, no benefits, nothing was given to them,' she said.

'They opened up this country, they worked hard and these are the people who are the life blood of the country that are actually so grateful for the opportunity to come here.

'And the Muslims, they don't want the Muslims because they have fled their country to get away from the Muslims.'

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has urged Australians to use the hashtag 'pray for a Muslim ban' on social media in the wake of London's Westminster terror attack

'Well look, I have my own hashtag and you won't need to be praying for this place or that place, because it's #pray4amuslimban,' Ms Hanson said from Parliament House in Canberra

Ms Hanson said her taxi driver, a refugee from Vietnam, told her today's migrants didn't care about Australia.

'I spoke to a taxi driver from Vietnam, a refugee and he said the migrants we have here today are not the right ones, he said they don't care about this country,' Ms Hanson said.

'(The migrants) are the ones who are ridiculing the ones coming here today.'

When Ms Hanson went public with her call to ban Muslim immigrants on Thursday, she attracted huge amounts of criticism from various prominent personalities.

Columnist and feminist rights activist Clementine Ford mocked Ms Hanson, Tweeting: 'Pray for Pauline Hanson to f*** off'.

Muslim psychologist Hanan Dover has suggested Pauline Hanson should be banned

Muslim psychologist Hanan Dover mirrored Ms Ford's sentiments and called for Senator Hanson to be censored.

'Pray for a Pauline ban,' Ms Dover posted to her Facebook account.

Ms Dover has reportedly represented terror suspects and made anti-gay speeches.

Despite the backlash, Ms Hanson maintained the Australian people supported her.

'People are constantly telling me 'thank you' for raising this,' she said on Friday.

She urged listeners 'don't close your mind to what is happening here'.

'I'm just concerned about future generations and where our country is headed,' she said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his liberal party condemned Ms Hanson's proposal

Ms Hanson's call for a Muslim immigration ban also created waves in Australian politics.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his liberal party condemned Ms Hanson's proposal.

'If the problem is terrorism, policies like that would only make it worse,' he told 3AW radio.

Colleague Scott Morrison also condemned her comments, labeling them 'reckless and irresponsible'.

Queensland MP Bob Katter backed Ms Hanson's Muslim migration ban, and renewed his call for a Middle Eastern migration ban following Wednesday's London terror attack

The leader of the Katter's Australian Party, Bob Katter (pictured), repeated his call for a visa ban on people from the countries between Greece and India and North Africa

Queensland MP Bob Katter backed Ms Hanson's Muslim migration ban, and renewed his call for a Middle Eastern migration ban following Wednesday's London terror attack.

'It's that Islamic terrorism of the Middle East and North Africa and as far as I'm concerned any right they ever have to come to this country has been lost,' he told Sky News on Thursday.

Mr Katter also called for a ban on North African immigrants.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia's High Commissioner in London had not identified any Australians among the killed or injured following the atrocity. Pictured, emergency services at the scene

He warned Australia would face a Berlin-style attack if it continued to let in Muslim immigrants as freely as German Chancellor Angela Merkel did.

'I say to the major ALP and LNP, all the attacks and red-herrings and the brutalising yet again on Hanson will not change the reality that you are 'Merkel-ising' Australia and that our citizens will continue to be murdered to advance your party political ambitions,' he said.

Ms Hanson's call to ban Muslims was made in response to Wednesday's attack where a man ploughed his Hyundai SUV into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge.
Explosive snippets of race-faker Rachel Dolezal's memoir have been released, including a passage where she describes herself as being 'too black' for her African-American husband.

The disgraced civil rights activist, who claimed to be black before her parents outed her as white, is officially on the comeback trail and back in the spotlight, ahead of the release of her book, In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World, on March 28.

The most unapologetic excerpts are two of the chapter titles chosen by the 40-year-old: 'Escaping to Africa (in My Head)' and 'Hustling to Make a Dollar'.

Never one to stray too far from controversy, the former NAACP leader, who still identifies as black despite being 'Caucasian biologically', uses these chapters to compare her childhood chores to slave labor.

Explosive snippets of a memoir by Rachel Dolezal - the former head of Spokane, Washington's NAACP chapter who claimed to be black before her parents 'outed' her as white - have been released

Dolezal posted this picture on social media recently of her posing with two copies of her memoir. It is set for release on March 28

'It wouldn't have been too much of a stretch to call me an indentured servant,' she wrote.

Warming to her theme, she tries to claim that she developed a 'similar resourcefulness' that slaves were forced to develop because of the way her parents made her to do housework.

She claims this everyday rite of passage for modest children was similar to 'the institution of chattel slavery in America'.

Dolezal says it wasn't until she was able attend college that she was able to express herself as a black woman.

She attended Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi, for her bachelor's degree, then went on to get her Master of Fine Arts from the historically black college Howard University in Washington, DC.

'(I was) finally able to embrace my true self, I allowed the little girl I'd colored with a brown crayon so long ago to emerge,' she wrote.

She then said her first marriage crumbled because she was 'a little too black' for her African-American husband.

Dolezal had married Kevin Moore in 2000, when he was a medical student at Howard University. They divorced in 2004, which is when she decided to become publicly black.

The ruse worked for years until 2015 when her parents, with whom she has long feuded, told local reporters their daughter was born white but was presenting herself as a black activist in the Spokane region, an area with few minorities.

The story became an international sensation, and Dolezal lost the various jobs by which she pieced together a modest living for her family.

In this March 20, 2017 photo, Rachel Dolezal poses for a photo with her son, Langston in Spokane

Attacked by both blacks and whites, she was fired as head of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP and kicked off a police ombudsman commission, and she lost her job teaching African studies at Eastern Washington University in nearby Cheney.

Despite failing to find a job, Dolezal says she has to stay in the area because of a custody agreement involving one of her sons.

But overall, she described her 'blackness' as a positive.

'Living as a Black woman made my life infinitely better. It also made it infinitely harder, thanks to other people's racist perceptions of me,' she wrote.

'The Blacker I became - not just in the clothes I wrote or the books I read but in terms of how I was being seen and treated - the more distant and isolated I felt from white people.

'[I stopped] feeling obligated to check WHITE on medical forms, and once I started claiming my identity and checking BLACK, any whiteness I possessed became invisible.'

A 2015 investigation by Daily Mail Online revealed that Dolezal had no black relatives dating back as far as 1671.

Her deceptions came to light after her estranged father and mother, Larry and Ruthanne Dolezal, told a local paper that their daughter was Caucasian.

Dolezal was born in 1977 to a family of 'Jesus freaks', where her father would walk around nude and she was banned from watching televitsion, she writes.

She had blond hair and freckles while growing up near Troy, Montana. She says it was a 'painfully white world', which she eventually left behind.

She claims she wore clothes made of dog fur and elk antlers for fun, was beat by her parents and molested by her brother.

Two years after race-faker Rachel Dolezal (pictured) was exposed for living secretly as a black woman, she insists in her new memoir that she did nothing wrong

Her only escape, she says, was reading her grandmother's National Geographic magazines where she learned about blackness.

'I'd stir the water from the hose into the earth  and make thin, soupy mud, which I would then rub on my hands, arms, feet, and legs,' Dolezal writes.

'I would pretend to be a dark-skinned princess in the Sahara Desert or one of the Bantu women living in the Congo imagining I was a different person living in a different place was one of the few ways  that I could escape the oppressive environment I was raised in.'

When her parents adopted four black children when she was a teenager, Dolezal grew extremely close to her new siblings, which she claims were only taken in by her mother and father for tax deductions.

'I found myself drawing closer to something that felt oddly familiar,' she writes. 'For the first time in my life, I felt like I was truly part of a family.'

She said that the more she taught her new siblings about black history, she 'began to feel even more connected to it' herself.

Dolezal's parents said that she began 'disguising' herself as black around 2007.

THE TIMELINE OF RACHEL DOLEZAL June 2009: Dolezal makes one of her first TV appearances, with KHQ network. September and November 2009: The then-director of the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d'Alene claims she found a noose hanging on her door, and that swastika was drawn on the build where she worked. April 2011: Dolezal is working with the NAACP in Washington state during the time that a march in downtown Spokane after a bomb was found on MLK Day. April 2014: She, 'applies for the Citizen Commission of Spokane Police Ombudsman, and under ethnic origins she checks 'White', 'black', 'two or more races' and 'American Indian',' KHQ reports. November 2014: Dolezal helps organize a rally in Ferguson, MO, after the death of Michael Brown. February 2015: A threatening message littered with racial abuse is sent to Dolezal at the Spokane NAACP office. 'It's deeply concerning, but I'm committed to living my life and not hiding in fear. So I will continue to fight for justice,' she said at the time. June 2015: Dolezal's parents finally speak out and break their silence, revealing their daughter is white, and has been misrepresenting her race for years. As for why they never spoke up before, they said, 'no one asked'. Advertisement

When her teenaged adopted brother Izaiaha asked to live with her, Dolezal said she used 'creative nonfiction' to keep that they weren't blood related from the public.

She says that when people noticed the difference in her, Izaiah's and her biological son Franklin's skin tones, she would say: 'Yes, Izaiah looks like his dad and Franklin looks like me.'

She claims it was a 'true statement' and a 'clever way of telling the truth without spelling out all the details'.

'I consciously maintained some warmth of color in my skin through sunbathing or bronzer sprays,' she writes. 'I'd already been identified by the media and other people as Black or biracial countless times, so it wasn't hard for me to go one step further and fully commit to a look that made visual sense to people who knew me as Izaiah's mom.'

Dolezal explained in an epilogue of her book that her hope with her writing is that it makes life easier for some people who read it and are also struggling with who they are.

'[My goal] is to provide comfort to those who are not struggling with their identities and assure them that they're not alone, that they're not freaks, and that they don't deserve to be ridiculed or shunned by their friends, families, and communities,' it reads.

Different passages of the upcoming memoir obtained by the New York Post expand on many of the same themes.

Dolezal wrote about how she identified with Miss Jane Pittman - the titular character in an Ernest J. Gaines novel about the life of an African American woman starting when a young slave girl in the South at the end of the Civil War.

'Miss Pittman's plight and her perseverance resonated with me. I knew what it was like to be a child and have to work as hard as an adult, and how it felt to be used and abused,' the 40-year-old wrote.

'I also understood the pain that comes from being treated like less than a full human being and the fortitude required to fight this sort of injustice.'

She also provided further details on her collegiate transformation, which took place while she was living with a, 'blonde haired, blue eyed ballet dancer roommate and her weekends attending an all-black church'.

'As I got more involved with the [Black Student Association], campus activism, and my artwork, the more Afrocentric my appearance became,' Dolezal wrote of her time in college, according to the Post.

'Most people didn't know what to make of me. 'So what are you?' I was asked all too often.

'It became easier for me to let them make assumptions about me. I noticed how much more relaxed and comfortable Black people who assumed I was Black were around me.'

'I would laugh at jokes told at the expense of white people and lodge some pretty fierce critiques about white culture myself.

Dolezal said she wrote the book because she wanted to 'set the record straight' to both the black and white communities. She also said she wanted to 'open up this dialogue about race and identity, and to just encourage people to be exactly who they are'

Dolezal's mother also showed reporters this photo in 2015 of her daughter's 2000 marriage in Mississippi (she is pictured at center and her parents are standing on either side). She is now divorced but has three children

'I felt less like I was adopting a new identity and more like I was unveiling one that had been there all along. Finally able to embrace my true self, I allowed the little girl I'd colored with a brown crayon so long ago to emerge.'

The book also reminded readers how Dolezal remains defiant in the face of embarrassment and scorn from many.

'For me, Blackness is more than a set of radicalized physical features. It involves acknowledging our common human ancestry with roots in Africa,' she opined in the epilogue.

'Just as a transgender person might be born male but identify as female, I wasn't pretending to be something I wasn't but expressing something I already was.

'I wasn't passing as Black; I was Black, and there was no going back.'

Rachel Dolezal's book (pictured) - In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World - is due to hit the shelves on March 28

One of the reasons she wrote a book was to 'settle the score.'

'People might as well know the whole truth of my life story,'' she said. 'My life is not a sound bite.'

Race, she believes, is a 'social construct' used to pigeonhole people.

'I unapologetically stand on the black side,' she said. 'Blackness better defines who I am philosophically and socially than whiteness does.'

It comes after DailyMail.com revealed earlier this month Dolezal officially changed her name to Nkechi Amare Diallo in a Washington court last October.

Nkechi, short for Nkechinyere, is a name that originates from the Igbo language of Nigeria and means 'what god has given' or 'gift of god'.

Diallo, meaning 'bold', is a last name of Fula origin. The Fula people are a Muslim ethnic group thought to have roots in the Middle East and North Africa, who are now widely dispersed across West Africa.

But now Dolezal says she has been unable to find steady work in the nearly two years since she was outed as a white woman in local media reports, and she is uncertain about her future.

'I was presented as a con and a fraud and a liar,' Dolezal, 40, told The Associated Press this week. 'I think some of the treatment was pretty cruel.'

'People didn't seem able to consider that maybe both were true,' she said. 'OK, I was born to white parents, but maybe I had an authentic black identity.'

She has sold some of her artwork, and also braids hair to earn money. But she said local colleges have refused to hire her, as have nonprofits, government agencies and even local grocery stores.

She was worried she might become homeless in March, but friends bought some of her artwork, which provided enough money to pay the rent for a few months.

For years Dolezal, 40, has been insisting she is black, even claiming on social media that a black man she had met in Idaho was her father and her adopted brother was her son. She gave this photo the caption: 'L-R Me, my oldest son Izaiah and my Dad'

Dolezal said it is hard for her to look toward the future when she is struggling so hard to survive the present.

She is the mother of two sons, ages 15 and 1, and also raised a stepbrother who is now 21 and a college student.

"I want to provide for my kids," she said. "I want to get back to activism. I'm no less committed to that work."

Shortly after her name change last fall, Dolezal employed her newfound identity to try to garner a small amount of positive attention.

She started a Change.org petition in October urging the TEDx organization to post one of her controversial speeches from April, 2016 at the University of Idaho.

She listed the petition under Nkechi Diallo, never mentioning her birth name.

'Rachel Dolezal's TEDx Talk on Race & Identity... is still not available online. Please post her talk online immediately. She should not be censored due to her unique perspective. We want to watch this speech!' the petition read.

Though Dolezal only received 30 of 100 required signatures, TED begrudgingly posted the video on November 2, along with a description of the politics surrounding her speech.

'TEDx organizers host events independent of TED, and they have the freedom to invite speakers they feel are relevant to their communities,' the TED blog read.

'These volunteers find thousands of new voices all over the world - many of which would not otherwise be heard - including some of our most beloved, well-known speakers, people like Brene Brown and Simon Sinek.

'What TEDx organizers have achieved collectively is remarkable. But, yes, some of them occasionally share ideas we don't stand behind.

'This particular talk has sparked much internal debate. For many on our staff, sharing the talk risks causing deep offense, and runs counter to TED's mission of ideas worth spreading.

'But for others, now that the talk has been recorded, refusing to post it would unduly limit an important conversation about identity, and the social underpinning of race -and would be counter to TED's guiding philosophy of radical openness. There's no easy middle ground here.'
Under Trump's pro-Zionism, Israel inflicts greater suffering on Palestinians and cracks down on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) movement.

Israel recently arrested Issa al-Mouati, 14, an amputee. Israeli Gideon Levy writes, "Everything was done according to law. The raid in the middle of the night was legal. Firing live bullets at a child was legal. His arrest and custody were legal." Shadi Farah, 12, was arrested late 2016; his mother said, When I closed my eyes, I could see my little boy, scared and alone, in a freezing prison cell forced to stand there naked.

Israel applies military law to Palestinian children over 11. To learn more, attend "No Way to Treat a Child," 7 p.m., April 12, at the Corvallis Library.

On March 13, Israel detained American-Israeli anthropologist/activist Jeff Halper because he "had materials related to BDS" on him! He was later released, but if he'd been Palestinian, hed have been jailed and tortured.

A law passed this month denies entry to BDS supporters, like Israeli Miko Peled, son of once-revered General Matti Peled, whose opposition to occupation after 1967 made him hated there.

Responding to charges of "anti-Semitism" against BDS, Miko Peled stated today, "Imposing BDS on the State of Israel is morally the right thing to do. It is how you bring about change. No racist regime has ever voluntarily left."

Israel has managed to get some 21 U.S. states to ban BDS (terrible infringement on free speech); Oregon is considering such a law. Equal-rights advocates should protest this to state legislators.

June Forsyth Kenagy

Albany (March 21)
Teacher: Valerie Michelle Valvo, pictured, is accused of having sexual relations with a 17-year-old student

An art teacher at a Florida high school was arrested this week and allegedly had sexual relations with a 17-year-old male student.

Valerie Michelle Valvo, a teacher at Central High School in Brooksville, said she and the victim had sexual relations as many as six times, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

She and the boy have admitted to using marijuana and alcohol at the 34-year-old teacher's home, deputies said. Police said she use the alcohol and drugs to set the mood.

Deputies said in a release that on Wednesday, 'Hernando County Sheriff's detectives received information concerning a possible inappropriate relationship that was occurring between a Central High School teacher and a student at the school.

'Detectives responded to the school to interview the male student.

'During the interview, the student advised detectives that he had engaged in sexual relations with the teacher, at her home in Spring Hill, on at least three occasions.'

Valvo 'agreed to respond to the Hernando County Sheriffs Office to be interviewed by detectives,' deputies said.

They said that the art teacher 'admitted to engaging in sexual relations with the student (victim) five to six times'.

Deputies added: 'Both parties advised the relationship was consensual (a juvenile 17 years of age cannot consent to a sexual relationship with an adult).

'Both parties admitted to using both marijuana and alcohol while at Valvo's residence.'

School: Valvo is an art teacher at Central High School in Brooksville. She is suspended with pay pending the investigation outcome

Deputies said she was placed under arrest at the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. The arrest took place Wednesday, WFLA reports.

Valvo has been charged with three counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Denise Maloney with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office told WFLA: 'She did admit that she was having a sexual relationship with the student.

'The student is 17 years old. He's not old enough to consent to a relationship like that.'

Deputies said: 'Detectives remained in contact with the School Resource Officer at Central High School, as well as administrators from the Hernando County School Board, regarding the investigation.

Valvo is suspended with pay pending the investigation outcome, WFLA reports.

She posted $15,500 bail and has been released from the Hernando County Detention Center, the Florida Oracle reports.
Britain must pay a divorce bill of 'around' 50billion to get a 'friendly' deal with theEU, Jean-Claude Juncker has warned.

The European Commission president insisted Theresa May would be made to 'honour' the UK's commitments when Brexit negotiations get under way next week.

The tough line will increase tensions ahead of the Prime Minister formally triggering the Article 50 process on Wednesday.

The demand for a huge settlement to be agreed before talks on trade get going is shaping up to be a major roadblock.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (PA)

Ministers have indicated they will not tolerate any sum above around 3billion, and Mrs May has said she is ready to walk away from the table if the EU does not offer reasonable terms.

Mr Juncker told the BBC that Brussels did not want to 'punish' the UK for leaving, describing Brexit as 'a failure and a tragedy'.

He promised that Brussels will approach the negotiation of Britain's withdrawal in a 'friendly' and fair way.

But Mr Juncker also warned that European institutions were not 'naive' about the process - and confirmed a divorce bill of around 50billion will be presented early in the process.

'It is around that,' said Mr Juncker. 'We have to calculate scientifically what the British commitments were and then the bill has to be paid.'

The liabilities identified by the EU include projects the UK has agreed to help fund - even though we will not now get the benefits - as well as pensions for Eurocrats.

'You cannot pretend you were never a member of the union,' Mr Juncker said.

'The British government and parliament took on certain commitments as EU members and they must be honoured. This isn't a punishment or sanctions against the UK.'

Theresa May, pictured in the House of Commons yesterday, has said she is ready to walk away from negotiations if the EU does not offer reasonable terms

Mrs May will formally notify Brussels of Britain's intention to leave the EU in a letter to the European Council on March 29  just four days after the EU's 60th anniversary celebrations in Rome on Saturday.

That will begin a two-year process of negotiation with Brexit schedule to happen by March 29 2019.

Asked how he felt about Brexit, Mr Juncker said: 'It is a failure and a tragedy.

BEMUSED JUNCKER INSISTS PM IS 'NOT AN ELEPHANT' Jean-Claude Juncker appeared confused when he was asked whether Theresa May would be the 'elephant in the room' during the BBC interview. The EU commission chief, who speaks four languages fluently, was discussing the bloc's 60th anniversary celebrations in Rome this week when the question was posed. The PM is not attending to avoid aggravating tensions with the 27 states. But Mr Juncker did not seem to recognise the idiom. The puzzled Eurocrat replied: 'She's not an elephant.' He added later: 'Of course we will miss her.' Advertisement

'I will be sad, as I was sad when the vote in the referendum took place in Britain. For me, it is a tragedy.

Mr Juncker was asked whether he will miss Theresa May at the EU 'birthday' summit tomorrow to mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

The PM is not attending to avoid aggravating tensions with the 27 states.

'Of course we will miss her,' Mr Juncker said.

'I am everything but in a hostile mood with Britain. Britain is part of Europe, and I hope to have a friendly relationship with the UK over the next decades.

'We will negotiate in a friendly way, a fair way, and we are not naive.'

Mr Juncker made clear he wanted an early deal to protect the status of some three million EU nationals resident in the UK, and one million Britons living on the continent.

'I am strongly committed to preserving the rights of Europeans living in Britain and British people living on the European continent,' he said.

'This is not about bargaining, this is about respecting human dignity.'
A teenager who was mauled by a police dog after allegedly trying to drown it in a Melbourne creek is an 'animal lover,' his family says.

Stephen Lloyd Ward, 19, is charged with animal cruelty after allegedly striking the dog, Indy, and holding him under water in Darebin Creek in the city's north on Thursday.

Mr Ward's grandmother Jenny Hibberd told the Herald Sun the teenager 'loves dogs', especially Indy's breed.

Stephen Lloyd Ward (pictured), 19, is charged with striking a police dog named Indy and holding him under water in Darebin Creek in the city's north on Thursday

Indy (pictured) bit Mr Ward after the alleged attempted drowning, before the canine handler pulled the dog away

'He would never hurt any animal, ever,' she said on Friday.

'Stephen loves German Shepherds. Honestly, I couldn't see him hurting that dog, or any other dog, he loves dogs, he really does.'

The teenager allegedly jumped into the creek hoping to escape the dog's scent during a dramatic police pursuit on Thursday morning.

Indy bit Mr Ward after the alleged attempted drowning, before the canine handler pulled the dog away.

The 19-year-old (pictured left) is an animal lover, according to his family

Mr Ward, who was on bail on charges including car theft and criminal damage by fire, was remanded in custody until a court appearance next week

Mr Ward was able to escape but was soon arrested when he presented himself to hospital with severe bite marks.

The ordeal started when police chased a car with three people inside, which blew a tyre in Reservoir about 12.30am.

A 20-year-old Pascoe Vale woman and a 29-year-old Mill Park man were arrested nearby as Mr Ward fled the scene.

The woman was charged with conduct endangering life and traffic matters, while the Mill Park man was released pending further inquiries.

Mr Ward, who was on bail on charges including car theft and criminal damage by fire, was remanded in custody until a court appearance next week, according to the Herald Sun.

Victoria Police posted on Facebook: 'We're pleased to say Indy the police dog is fine and back on duty.'
The fourth victim of the London terror attack listened to Queen's These Are the Days of Our Lives as doctors switched off his life support machine last night.

Leslie Rhodes, 75, who never married and only had a nephew and niece for close family, has been described by friends as 'the nicest person you'd ever meet'.

The 'very fit' single window cleaner from Streatham, South London, was joined at his bedside as he lay dying by his nephew and his long-term neighbour Michael Carney.

And Mr Carney played him his favourite song as doctors at King's College Hospital let him slip away, before his daughter Emma tickled his feet to ensure he was dead.

Mr Rhodes was crossing Westminster Bridge to St Thomas' Hospital for glaucoma treatment when he was struck by the car in the stomach before hitting his head.

At least five people were killed in the terrorist attack on Westminster on Wednesday (above)

The victim was on life support until yesterday when doctors took the decision to switch it off with Mr Carney, who had kept a bedside vigil, at his side.

Mr Rhodes was believed to have had a niece and nephew but no other close family.

The neighbour said: 'My wife and my two girls went up there and were with him until he died, playing him music. He liked Queen and that.

'He had no one. You can't have someone dying on their own. What harm did he ever do to anyone? He was the nicest man you ever met.'

Mr Carney's wife Chris told how she and her husband played Mr Rhodes  who would often help her carry her shopping indoors - his favourite song as he died.

The grandmother of 13 said: 'The police advised us not to go down to the hospital, but when I rang the doctors wanted us to come down.

'They were waiting for us so someone was there with him. We went with our two daughters Emma and Rachel.

'We were trying to talk to him but we kept crying all the time while we were by his bed. The doctors got us to take his favourite music, which was Queen. We played These Are the Days of Our Lives which was his favourite song.

The attacker drove at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his hire car and stabbing to death a police officer at the gates to the Houses of Parliament

'When the doctors told us he had died my daughter, Emma, tried to tickle his feet to make sure he'd gone because that's what I used to say to them when they were little.

'I was glad we did go to see him so he had someone there. Hopefully he knew we were there and could hear us - they say hearing is the last thing to go.

'He will leave a big hole in the community, we all know each other round here. He knew everybody.'

The 70-year-old added: 'He was a very good friend, he was always there for us. He was a very good mate and good neighbour and was a lovely man.

'He would never hurt anyone, he will be sorely missed. If I was downstairs struggling with my shopping he would come down and help me.

'He was always helpful and always did the little things that mean a lot. He became like family.'

Mr Carney added: 'It was awful. I can't believe this has happened. I have no idea what he was doing on that bridge. He was only going to the hospital.

'I've known him 40 years and was such a lovely fella, really kind and thoughtful. We look out for each other and he was always there for his neighbours.'

Prince Charles meets paramedics and support staff who assisted those injured in the attack at King's College Hospital in London today

Another neighbour, Philip Williams, said Mr Rhodes will be sorely missed by the tight-knit community of flats where he had lived most his life.

The 61-year-old said: 'He was my neighbour for 24 years and I used to see him everyday. But I didn't think of him as my neighbour, I thought of him as a friend.

'He was the kindest man I ever knew, he was a very fit man, he cycled everywhere and would walk for miles. Even though he was 75 he was really trim.'

Neighbour Philip Williams (pictured) said victim Leslie Rhodes will be sorely missed by the tight-knit community where he lived

Mr Rhodes lived alone, was not married and had no children and had lived in the same block of flats all his life.

Mr Williams added: 'I found out last night and it's just such a tragedy that something like that could happen, it's such a crime.

'He was the kindest, loveliest man. We've all be crying since we found out, he was so well-loved by everyone here. We're all so shocked.

'The first thing I saw after getting back from the hospital was his car and I just couldn't believe it. The memory I'll have of him was just how kind he was.

'He used to be a window cleaner but even after he retired, even into his 70s he would still go round cleaning everyone's windows.

'He would always take out people's rubbish as well. He would do anything for you. Initially we saw it on the TV but couldn't have ever thought Leslie would have been involved. He was going to St Thomas' Hospital to get his eyes checked.

'It would have been just seconds after leaving the hospital he was hit. The chances of it being him was one in a million. He was a loner, but a very sociable loner. We all here thought of him as family as there's only ten flats.'

Mr Rhodes worked for a window cleaning company in Croydon until it folded in the 1980s and he set up his own business with a friend.

Charles is photographed by nurses as he leaves after meeting paramedics and support staff

Mr Carney said he first met Mr Rhodes in The Sun pub in Clapham in the 1960s.

He added: 'If he cleaned your windows he would do if for nothing or very cheaply, that's just the kind of person he was.

'When you know someone like that you can't just let them die on their own, we had to be there for him.

'If he died of cancer or something like that you could accept it, but like this you just can't take it.

'He was so fit, he would have lived until he was 90, but they took his life away, that's why we're so angry. It's just awful.'

Mr Rhodes grew up in Battersea, before moving to Clapham Common on the 1970s with his mother and father to the flat he lived in until he died.

Mr Carney said: 'Les used to go to pubs but stopped when they extended the hours and just drank indoors.

The Prince of Wales speaks to staff at the hospital who were clearly very excited to meet him

'He liked betting on horses, dogs, and loved cricket, always watched the test matches and used to go to Surrey.

'He was his own man, he didn't rely on anyone. He didn't want anything off anyone.

'In the pub he would always buy his own drink, that's the person he was - very independent.'

Neighbours said the only family they knew of was a brother who died of cancer around ten years ago.

Mr Rhodes had a friend called Nobby who he set up a window cleaning business with but it is thought he now has Alzheimer's disease.

Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna tweeted: 'Deeply saddened to hear that my constituent Leslie Rhodes has died from the injuries he sustained in Wednesday's shocking and awful attack.

'The thoughts and prayers of all our community are with Mr Rhodes's family and friends - we can only imagine what they are going through.'

Charles greets staff at King's College Hospital who assisted those injured in the attack

Last night, a force spokesman said the 75-year-old man was receiving medical treatment in hospital after the attack but his life support had now been withdrawn.

Police informed Mr Rhodes's next of kin of his death last night after receiving support from specially trained family liaison officers.

Who is confirmed dead PC Keith Palmer: A father aged 48 stabbed by Khalid Masood. He was once nominated as 'best thief-taker' for making 150 arrests in a year

Leslie Rhodes : A 75-year-old man from Streatham, South London, who died last night after his life support was turned off in hospital

: A 75-year-old man from Streatham, South London, who died last night after his life support was turned off in hospital Aysha Frade : A 43-year-old mother-of-two who worked for a sixth-form who was hit by the killer's car and then thrown under a bus

: A 43-year-old mother-of-two who worked for a sixth-form who was hit by the killer's car and then thrown under a bus Kurt Cochran : A 54-year-old husband from Utah celebrating the 25th anniversary of his wedding to wife Melissa, who was badly injured Advertisement

Also today,police revealed 50 people were injured in the attack and two people remain in a critical condition.

One of these two has life threatening injuries, while two officers injured in Wednesday's outrage also remain in hospital with significant injuries.

Scotland Yard's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley also said two more 'significant arrests' were made in connection with the attack in the West Midlands and North West.

Masood drove at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his hire car and stabbing to death PC Keith Palmer at the Houses of Parliament gates.

His victims on the bridge included a US tourist who was celebrating his wedding anniversary and a 'highly regarded and loved' member of college staff.

Kurt Cochran and his wife Melissa from Utah, celebrating their 25th anniversary, were visiting her parents, who Mormon missionaries in London. Mrs Cochran was badly injured and left covered in blood.

Mother-of-two Aysha Frade, who worked in administration at independent sixth-form school DLD College London, is understood to have been 43 and married with two daughters.

Up to 50 other people were also injured, including Britons, French, Romanians, South Koreans, Greeks, Germans, Polish, Irish, Chinese, Italians and Americans.

Both dead: PC Keith Palmer (left) was stabbed to death at the gates to the House of Parliament, while Aysha Frade (right) worked in administration at sixth-form school DLD College London

Mr Frade altered his Facebook profile picture this morning to an image of a rose with a poem

Detectives are exploring the past of the middle-aged murderer of many aliases who wrought carnage as arrests connected to the attack were made across Britain.

Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old with a string of convictions stretching back decades, was unmasked by police as the home-grown terrorist responsible for the attack.

Mother killed as she walked to pick up her children from school Mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 43, was on her way to meet her daughters, aged eight and 11, when she was hit by the killer's car and then thrown under a bus. She worked at a college near the scene of the massacre, DLD College London. She was born in Britain and had a Portuguese husband called John Frade. She was pronounced dead and was the first victim to be identified. College principal Rachel Borland said staff were 'deeply shocked and saddened'. Her family hail from Betanzos near the Galician city of La Coruna and are now said to be travelling to London. Advertisement

Mr Rowley said the new suspects were held overnight as he confirmed outside New Scotland Yard this morning that the killer's birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao.

The officer appealed to the public for details about the killer, who was also known as Adrian Elms but was using the name Khalid Masood at the time of the attack.

Mr Rowley said: 'We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited.

'There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but did not feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing those concerns to us.'

Yesterday a heartbroken parent revealed that the husband of Mrs Frade picked up their daughters from school on Wednesday, unaware his wife was dying.

John Frade arrived at the school shortly after the atrocity, which claimed the life of his wife Aysha, who was on her way to pick up her daughters aged eight and 11.

A caller to LBC yesterday, a fellow parent at Mrs Frade's children's school, said: 'The school is in bits at the moment. I saw her husband yesterday.

'He came into the school to get his daughter because he knew his wife had been involved in an incident. It's very difficult...she was just a great person.'

The man, who identified himself only as James, fought back tears as he recounted of Mrs Frade: 'All she ever did was say nice things about our kids.

'To my wife: your kids are so beautiful, they're really lovely kids. It's just a terrible thing that's happened.'

Mr Frade's cousin, also called John, said: 'I can't even put it into words how he's feeling. His life's completely fallen apart because of what's happened.'

Kurt Cochran and his wife Melissa, celebrating their 25th anniversary, were visiting her parents, who Mormon missionaries in London. Mrs Cochran was badly injured

He told the Standard: 'When I heard I was just absolutely shocked. I'm still just feeling terrible, it's a terrible thing to happen and you just don't expect it to happen so close to home in this way'.

Mr Frade changed his Facebook profile picture alongside another photo of him with his wife and one of their daughters, to an image of a rose with a poem.

It said: 'Roses are usually red, our angel who was never blue. The most beautiful flower in our garden of joy. Protect us from heaven in all that we do.'

Friends offered support in English and Mr Frade's native Portuguese. Jose Guimaraes wrote: 'These are difficult moments John. I don't have words to ease your pain.

'God has taken her body but you are left with everlasting memories and two daughters who are the legacy she will leave you always.'

Friend Hannah Fermin wrote: 'John, I'm so very, very sorry. No words for how you and your girls must be feeling at this time but you are very much in our thoughts.'

Melissa Cochran (pictured), the wife of US tourist Kurt who died, was left covered in blood on the pavement of Westminster Bridge and comforted by a passer-by after being badly injured

Rachel Borland, the principal of DLD College London where Mrs Frade worked, said staff were 'deeply shocked and saddened' at news of her death.

Tourist fell almost 20ft from the bridge and landed on the pavement A 54-year-old father is believed to have died after he fell almost 20ft and landed on the ground beneath Westminster Bridge. Kurt Cochran, from Utah, was touring Europe with his wife Melissa to mark their 25th wedding anniversary. They were the first people mowed down by a terrorist on the south end of the bridge before he drove along it, ploughing through at least 12 people. Mr Cochran is believed to have either jumped or been pushed over the edge of the bridge onto steps beneath it. He died of his injuries. Advertisement

'All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family,' she added. 'We will be offering every support we can to them as they try to come to terms with their devastating loss.

'Aysha worked as a member of our administration team at the college. She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues. She will be deeply missed by all of us.'

Her family is well known in Betanzos, where older sisters Silvia and Michelle run the Notting Hill language academy.

According to Mr Hermida: 'The sisters suspended classes at the academy when they received the news and they left for London, we believe with their mother.

'Aysha spent her summers here and had many friends here since her childhood, so we are all very affected.

'You never think things like this will happen to you and it's horrible luck when it happens at all, but when it happens close then it hurts that much more.

'It's an immense tragedy and an enormous pain - there is a big sadness in Betanzos. We have condemned the terrorist attack and promised our support to the family.'

Her family hail from Betanzos near the Galician city of La Coruna and said to be travelling to London.

Andres Hermida, a local councillor in Betanzos, said after learning the news: 'Betanzos has suffered a terrible blow because of the scourge of terrorism.

'Our most sincere condolences to the family of Aysha, a woman originally form Betanzos murdered in London.'

A friend in Betanzos said: 'She loved coming here and spending time with friends and relatives.'

Vigi Sawdon, a former neighbour of Mrs Frade in Notting Hill where the Frade family used to live, said: 'If you can imagine one of the most upstanding members of society, that was her. She was just a wonderful mother and a lovely person.'

The force's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley (pictured today) said two more 'significant arrests' were made in connection with the attack in the West Midlands and North West

Ms Sawdon described her as 'one of the most charming' people, and said her children were 'adorable', adding: 'It's just so terribly sad.'

How slain police officer was once nominated as 'best thief-taker' PC Keith Palmer was stabbed multiple times as he tried to stop Masood entering Westminster Hall before the terrorist was shot dead by another policeman. PC Keith Palmer with his wife Michelle PC Palmer  who was once nominated as 'best thief-taker' for making 150 arrests in a year - sustained three knife wounds to his head, his arm and one to the side of his ribs. Weeping officers pleaded, 'Keith, please stay with me', as they and MP Tobias Ellwood battled to resuscitate him, but he died just minutes later. Tearful colleagues, family and friends spoke of both his exceptional courage and the hugs, laughter and sunshine he brought to so many lives. His heartbroken widow Michelle Palmer, 34, said: 'We love him so much.' Advertisement

She said she knew they had moved and that they were 'very happy'.

Another neighbour, Patricia Scotland, said she had lived beside the family for years and was sad when they moved, having known Mrs Frade's husband John since he was a little boy.

She said: 'I was in floods of tears. I said 'John, why, why are you moving?''.'

Ms Scotland said her daughter rang her this morning with the news that Mrs Frade had been killed.

She said: 'I just jumped out my bed and just paced up and down my house thinking 'What am I hearing here? What am I hearing?' And I'm just in total, total shock.'

Another victim, Mr Cochran, died after being thrown over Westminster Bridge onto a walkway beneath it when Masood mowed him down in his Hyundai 4x4.

His 46-year-old wife Melissa was also struck. She lay frozen on the bridge among postcards from a toppled tourism stand with blood pouring from her head.

Mrs Cochran was taken to hospital in the UK where she is being treated for a broken leg and rib. They were the first people hit by Masood.

Distraught family confirmed Mr and Mrs Cochran's involvement in the atrocity, telling how they 'ached' for the couple's children.

London was their final stop after a tour of other European destinations. They had already visited Holland, Germany, Ireland and Scotland.

They were in the English capital to spend time with Mrs Cochran's parents who work there as missionaries for the Church of the Latter Day Saints.

Mrs Cochran's parents said in a statement: 'Our family is heartbroken to learn of the death of our son-in-law, Kurt W. Cochran, who was a victim of Wednesday's terrorist attack in London.

London victims: What we know about the five dead and 50 injured Three members of the public and a police officer were murdered by the attacker, who was shot dead. Up to 50 other people were also injured, including Britons, French, Romanians, South Koreans, Greeks, Germans, Polish, Irish, Chinese, Italians and Americans. The foreign victims are likely to have been tourists. This is what we know: Husband and father PC Keith Palmer, 48, was stabbed to death by the terrorist at gates of Parliament

Aysha Frade, 43, was on her way to meet her two children, aged eight and 11, when she was killed on Westminster Bridge

Kurt Cochran, 54, from Utah was knocked off the bridge and died

Leslie Rhodes, 75, of Streatham, South London, died in hospital after his life support was turned off

Three French school children are in a critical condition. The students are believed to be 15 or 16 and from the Lycee Saint-Joseph in Brittany.

The attacker also targeted 13 students from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, Lancashire. The university said four were hurt. One had head injuries, another wrist injuries, while two were walking wounded.

A Romanian couple on holiday are were among the injured. Andrei Burnaz , an engineer in his mid-20s, and Andreea Cristea, his girlfriend, 29, were caught up in the attack.

Five Korean tourists were also reported to be among the injured, one seriously.

A Portuguese man was also hurt in the rampage

There is an Irish victim but they are not seriously injured

An Italian woman on holiday in London was hit by the bumper of the car and had to have an operation to her left leg. The woman, who suffered fractures, was in a stable condition the day after the attack

A Chinese tourist was also taken to hospital after being hit by the vehicle and had bone fracture near the shoulder and numerous bruises

A Polish man suffered minor injuries and was released from hospital Advertisement

'Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our daughter and sister Melissa.

'They were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and were scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday.'

Mr Cochran's sister-in-law paid tribute to him as a 'hero' while his brother-in-law said: 'Our hearts ache for her and their children in losing their loving companion and father. Please continue to pray for our family.'

They are now fundraising on her behalf. US President Donald Trump described Mr Cochran as a 'great American.' He tweeted: 'My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends.'

Meanwhile PC Palmer, the hero policeman who was stabbed to death, was a father-of-two who had previously served his country as a soldier and once saved a colleague's life in a car crash.

British-born terrorist Masood, who was known to MI5, drove a Hyundai 4x4 at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge sending them flying like skittles before hurtling towards the gates of Parliament and smashing into its outer wall.

After sprinting through a gate he then stabbed to death PC Palmer before being shot by armed officers. He later died in hospital.

Three children were hurt from St Joseph's School in the seaside town of Concarneau, Brittany, which lost a former pupil in the Paris Bataclan attack in 2015. Their parents have flown into London to visit them at St Thomas' Hospital.

Three of the French pupils were in a critical condition. One was catapulted into the air and ended up on the roof of the car. The teenagers have been named in local media as Victor, Yann and Thomas.

In total, five South Koreans in their 50s and 60s were injured when they were caught up in a stampede of people trying to escape the attack.

A tour agency official has confirmed that the South Korean tourist, a 67-year-old with the surname Park, was seriously injured.

The attacker also targeted 13 students from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, Lancashire. The university said four were hurt. One had head injuries, another wrist injuries, while two were walking wounded.

The Queen has said her 'thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathy' are with all those who have been affected by Wednesday's 'awful violence'.
'Lone wolf' terror attacker Khalid Masood was on WhatsApp two minutes before unleashing carnage in London, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.

Questions are now being raised over whether the jihadist was working with a network when he brutally murdered four innocent people and injured at least 29 during the horrific attack on Westminster on Wednesday.

Masood, 52, mowed into pedestrians while driving a Hyundai 4x4 along Westminster Bridge before attacking Pc Keith Palmer, fatally stabbing him in the head, arm and side of his ribs.

Masood, 52, born Adrian Elms in Dartford, Kent, was on Whatsapp at 2.37pm approximately two minutes before ploughing into people on Westminster Bridge and four minutes before he was shot dead by armed officers outside the Palaces of Westminster

Pictured: A screengrab of Khalid Masood's WhatsApp profile taken on Thursday by MailOnline shows the attacker was active in the app on his iPhone moments before he ploughed into innocent people on Westminster Bridge

The man police believe to be responsible for the terrorist attack in Westminster has been identified as Khalid Masood, 52. It also emerged yesterday the attacker was known to MI5 after an investigation many years ago, but was considered 'peripheral'

Masood had never been convicted of terror offences, although Theresa May revealed yesterday that he had been on MI5's radar a number of years ago.

Police insist there was no intelligence suggesting he was about to unleash a terror attack.

The policeman who shot the attacker on the parliamentary estate is believed to have been a close protection officer for Defence Secretary Michael Fallon rather than a member of the gate team.

Masood was a married father-of-three, former English teacher and a religious convert who was into bodybuilding, according to Sky News.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said yesterday: 'Masood was also known by a number of aliases. He was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.

'However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

'His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He has not been convicted for any terrorism offences.'

Mother-of-two Aysha Frade (left), Metropolitan policeman Keith Palmer (centre) and US tourist Kurt Cochran (right) have been named as victims of the attack

Masood stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death with two knives outside parliament after killing 43-year-old mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 75-year-old Londoner Leslie Rhodes, and US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, as he ploughed along a crowded pavement on Westminster Bridge.

A 75-year-old man who was injured in the attack died last night after his life support was switched off.

ISIS claimed responsibility for its first attack on British soil and said the crazed knifeman was its 'soldier'.

Elsewhere yesterday, hundreds of police swooped in dramatic raids across the nation making eight arrests.

Theresa May revealed MI5 knew of the attacker but considered him a 'peripheral' figure who was 'not part of the current intelligence picture'

Last night police were searching a flat close to the Olympic village, in East London, where a woman named locally as Rohey Hydara lived.

She had lived with Masood in at least two separate addresses but it was unclear what their relationship was.

Giving details of the attacker's background in Parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Theresa May said: 'The man was British-born and - some years ago - he was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure.

'The case is historic - he was not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent - or of the plot. Intensive investigations continue.'
A judge has sparked outrage in Italy after clearing a man of raping a woman on a hospital bed - because she didn't scream.

The alleged attacker, 46, walked free from court in Turin, northern Italy, after the judge questioned why the woman did not call out for help.

Although she said 'enough!' to the former colleague accused of raping her, the court ruled that this constituted too weak a reaction to prove that she was sexually attacked.

A judge has sparked outrage in Italy after clearing a man of raping a woman on a hospital bed - because she didn't scream. Turin court is pictured

Judge Diamante Minucci said: 'There was no crying, no screaming. You didn't push him away. We have to ask why?'

Lawyers representing the alleged victim insist the woman's silence represented her 'painful situation' rather than proof she had not been attacked.

The court ruling, which specified she did not scream or ask for help, has sparked anger among women's rights groups across Italy.

The alleged attacker, 46, walked free from court in Turin, northern Italy, after the judge questioned why the woman did not call out for help (file picture)

Officials have been asked to look into the case and justice minister Andrea Orlando has ordered an investigation.

Forza Italia opposition MP Annagrazia Calabria decried the ruling, saying: 'Certainly, you cannot punish the personal reaction of a woman terrified by what is happening to her.'

The acquitted defendant had never denied contact with the woman but insisted it was consensual, according to Il Fatto Quotidiano.




An exiled lawmaker who was murdered in Kiev knew about 'misdeeds of Russian elites' like illiegal smuggling, it has been claimed.

Terrifying footage has emerged showing the shootout on the streets of the Ukrainian capital when a former Russian MP and Kremlin critic Denis Voronenkov was gunned down by an assassin who was then himself fatally wounded by the injured bodyguard.

The footage shows Pavel Parshov, wearing casual clothes, a hoodie and distinctive red trainers, sneak up behind Voronenkov and his bodyguard as they walked through the centre of Kiev.

He pulls out a handgun and shoots the exiled politician, who is wearing a black leather coat, and wounds the bodyguard.

But, in a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie, the bodyguard lying injured on the ground manages to pull out his own gun and fire several times at Parshov, who later died of his injuries in hospital.

The video shows assassin Pavel Parshov (in dark clothes, and distinctive red trainers) struggling with the bodyguard as Denis Voronenkov lies on the ground (left). Seconds later as Parshov flees, the bodyguard fires at him (right), fatally wounding him

Voronenkov is pictured with his wife Maria when she was heavily pregnant. Their son, born in Moscow in the spring of last year, will be a year old next month

Voronenkov's bodyguard was injured but managed to shoot back, fatally wounding the assassin (pictured, left), who was later named as Pavel Parshov, 28 (right)

The footage (left) shows Parshov, wearing distinctive red trainers and a hoodie walking up behind Voronenkov (in dark clothes) and his bodyguard. Seconds later, as an innocent woman strolls towards the camera (right), Parshov catches up with Voronenkov and shoots him

Voronenkov and his wife Maria (pictured left) had fled from Moscow last year, saying they feared for their lives. Last night Putin was welcomed to the city's Maly Theatre (right) for a performance of the play, The Last Victim

Russia moves tanks up Russian tanks were deployed in fields only a few miles from the Ukrainian border today More Russian tanks have been spotted heading for the Ukrainian border as tensions between the two countries escalates. Dozens of state-of-the-art tanks arrived at Pokrovskoye and were deployed just seven miles from the border with Ukraine. It comes in the wake of the assassination of Denis Voronenkov, who was killed on the same day 'saboteurs' blew up a Ukrainian armaments warehouse at Balakleya. The base, which held 138,000 tonnes of ammunition including rockets and tank ammunition, was 60 miles from the frontier where the Ukrainians are fighting ethnic Russian separatists. The bitterness between the two countries was reflected this week when the Ukraine refused to allow Russia's Eurovision entry, Yulia Samoylova, to sing at the contest in Kiev in May because she had performed in the occupied Crimea. Russia rejected an offer to let her beam her entry in by satellite. Meanwhile in neighbouring Belarus the pro-Russian President, Alexander Lukashenko, who is facing growing protests about a new labour law, this claimed Western intelligence agencies were using a 'fifth column' inside the country to cause unrest. He vowed today that Belarus would not go the same way as the Ukraine. Advertisement

Now Fox News claims a prominent Kremlin critic says the murdered former MP knew about illegal smuggling and money laundering.

Ilya Ponomarev, who is also in exile, told CBS: 'I think the prime motivation was to show to others in Russia that everybody who would switch sides and would go to support Ukraine would be punished.'

Voronenkov was killed on his way to a meeting with Ponomaryov.

Ukraine accused Russia of state-sponsored terrorism after Voronenkov was murdered as details emerged about Parshov, who was apparently a Russian 'sleeper' agent who had been planted in the Ukrainian national guard more than a year ago.

A few hours after the killing President Vladimir Putin chose to go to the theatre in Moscow to see a play called The Last Victim.

With both countries awash with conspiracy theories over who ordered his assassination, it was noted he died four years to the day after another Putin enemy - Boris Berezovsky - was found dead in unexplained circumstances in Britain.

Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Heraschenko claimed he had served for 13 months with the guard, which he 'entered as an agent of the Russian secret services'.

Parshov gunned down Voronenkov, 45, in a street in Kiev yesterday but the former MP's Ukrainian bodyguard fired back and the assassin died of his injuries a few hours later.

Heraschenko claimed Parshov 'underwent a special course at a school for saboteurs' in Russia.

The victim, a former Communist MP, warned in his final portentous interview: 'In Russia the system would like to destroy me, to hurt me so that I cannot breathe.'

A leading Moscow military analyst had also made a chilling prediction last month that Voronenkov would be assassinated, but claimed the true culprit was anti-Putin forces in Russia seeking to cause him trouble.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said it was an 'act of state terrorism' by Russia and added: 'It clearly shows the handwriting of Russian special services shown repeatedly in various European capitals in the past.'

Putin marked the day by attending a performance of The Last Victim by Alexander Ostrovsky in Moscow's Maly Theatre, prompting social media claims he was making a less than subtle warning to his other foes to toe the line ahead of presidential elections scheduled for next year.

Voronenkov yesterday joined a long list of Kremlin foes who ended up dead, including his friend Alexander Litvinenko who was killed when his tea was poisoned by radioactive polonium in 2006.

The former Communist MP, who defected to Ukraine, was shot in the head four times.

Parshov was said to be born in Dnipropetrovsk,a city with a mixed Russian and Ukrainian population, in the eastern Ukraine in 1988.

Not a care in the world: Vladimir Putin (pictured, right) went to the theatre as reports came in of one of his fiercest critics having been assassinated in Kiev

After shooting Parshov the bodyguard, holding his gun between his legs (left), staggers to his feet, clearly wounded himself. He then points in the direction of the killer as passers-by rush over to help (right)

Putin went to see the play   (The Last Sacrifice) at the theatre last night. The play is actually about a fraudster, rather than a contract killing

Moscow papers today highlighted the 'irony of fate' that Berezovsky - found hanging at his home in Berkshire - and Voronenkov both died on 23 March, four years apart.

Moskovsky Komsomolets headlined its story: 'Putin's visit to the performance 'The Last Victim' made us think about evil fate.'

Blogger Alexander Bakhtin wrote: 'The date may be a coincidence. But in the context of 'betraying' Putin, it is a 100 per cent hit.'

Putin 'never forgives' treachery which saw Voronenkov defect to Ukraine and act as a witness against Russia's interests, he said.

'Probably the decision to kill Voronenkov was made not by Putin himself but by those who understand well his way of thinking,' added Bakhtin.

Detectives take photographs of the body of Denis Voronenkov, a critic of President Putin, who was gunned down by an assassin in the Ukrainian capital

As the drama was playing out on the streets of Kiev yesterday Putin was congratulating senior military officers on promotions at the Kremlin (pictured)

Journalist Yury Butusov wrote on Facebook: 'Pro-Kremlin social networks and mass media are celebrating.

'Yes, the war is going on, and this victim of Putin surely won't be 'the last victim'.'

In fact the play is about a fraudster rather than contract killings.

Killed by the Kremlin? Mikhail Lesin, a Putin adviser who fell out with the Kremlin, was killed in 2015 October 2006: Investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya was gunned down as she got into the lift by her apartment in Moscow. Five Chechens were convicted of the murder but it remains unclear who ordered it November 2006: Former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko had tea with two Russian agents at a hotel in London. He died later, poisoned by polonium-210. Scotland Yard wants to interview the two Russians, who fled to Moscow November 2012: Russian businessman Alexander Perepilichny, died at his home in Weybridge, Surrey. The tycoon, who alleged Russian officials were involved in a massive fraud, is believed to have been poisoned February 2015: Boris Nemtsov, an opposition politician who had called on the public to march against the war in the Ukraine, was assassinated in central Moscow. The case is unsolved Nov 2015: Mikhail Lesin, a former Putin adviser nicknamed The Bulldozer, was beaten to death at a hotel in Moscow. He was reportedly planning to move to New York and make a deal with the FBI. He is buried in Los Angeles Nov 2015: Abdulwahid Edelgiriev, a Chechen Islamist refugee who had fled the Russian republic of Chechnya, was shot dead in Istanbul. Several other dissident Chechens have been killed in Turkey by suspected Russian hitmen March 2017: Denis Voronenkov, a former Russian MP who defected to the Ukraine in October 2016 and testified against Moscow ally Viktor Yanukovych, is gunned down in the centre of Kiev. Advertisement

As Ukrainian prosecutors suspect Russian special services were behind the murder, senior Moscow figures claimed Voronenkov was killed on Kiev's orders to embarrass Putin.

The killer - who later died from gun wounds in hospital - carried ID papers suggesting he was a member of the Ukrainian national guard that fought against pro-Putin rebels in the country's eastern regions.

'It is not excluded that these documents are fake,' said a source.

Ukraine was today hunting an associate of the killer who shot Voronenkov as he was leaving the Premier Palace hotel, said officials.

'A series of investigative measures is under way to detain a second man, who took part in organising this murder,' said Herashchenko.

But Moscow claimed there could be no impartial probe into the death.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said: 'Within an hour, blame was put on the Russian Federation... the worst thing is that this precludes any impartial and unbiased investigation into this murder.'

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko earlier said the killing was 'an act of state terrorism on the part of Russia' which was 'clearly the handwriting of Russian special services'.

Another theory is that the former MP was victim of a business hit linked to his complex commercial activities.

Voronenkov, who had testified against the pro-Russian former Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, was shot dead in broad daylight by an assassin with a 9mm handgun.

Maksakova, who had a son with Voronenkov last year and is four months pregnant, rushed to the scene of the shooting outside a luxury hotel today and broke down in tears.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'We believe that all the falsehoods that can already be heard about much-hyped Russian involvement are absurd.'

Military analyst Alexander Zhilin wrote a month ago that Voronenkov would be killed, just as he had predicted another Putin foe, Boris Nemtsov, would be assassinated in 2015.

In both cases he claimed the deaths he was predicting would be the work of anti-Putin forces intent on embarrassing the Russian leader.

He claimed last month there was a plan to promote Voronenkov and his wife in the Ukrainian and Western media as defectors from Russia.

They were portrayed as 'irreconcilable fighters with Putin and his bloody regime. Every day, this image is intensified by different stories about these heroes'.

'The necessary image of sacred sacrifice is created,' he wrote on 20 February.

Military analyst Alexander Zhilin (pictured, left) wrote a month ago that Voronenkov and his wife Maria Maksakova (right) would be killed. He wrote: 'Why am I warning about this? To try to save Maksakova first of all. Although I feel disgust for both traitors.

Zhilin wrote: 'Now they are led to an information peak.

'As soon as the task is accomplished, specially trained people from the (Ukrainian) Security Service will kill this unintelligent couple.

'And in an exponentially cruel way, so the world will shudder.'

In fact Maksakova was unhurt - she is not thought to have been with Voronenkov at the time - and Zhilin wrongly forecast they would be killed by 'dismemberment or decapitation'.

He wrote: 'Why am I warning about this? To try to save Maksakova first of all. Although I feel disgust for both traitors.'

Voronenkov's wife Maria Maksakova posed for glamorous pictures while pregnant (pictured, left) last year. Yesterday she arrived at the scene a few hours after he was killed (right)

In his final interview before he was gunned down, Voronenkov was asked if feared assassination.

He said: 'I really do not think about it.

'But there is also a fate that you cannot outwit. I understand that in Russia the system would like to destroy me, to hurt me so that I cannot breathe.

'In general, it is an unprincipled gang of bandits, represented by the FSB's own security department, but I think that they also do not have sanctions to hurt my children and my wife in revenge for my deed.'

He was under the special protection of Ukrainian secret services when he was killed.

'There is 100% mortality in the world, and we all die sooner or later,' he said in an interview on the Russian-language gordonua.com website published soon after his death.

Voronenkov said: 'The important thing is how and why we live. Sometimes 'how' is more important than 'how long'. Why live in constant fear? I quote one famous film: 'Will this help?'.

'Do I have a private security guarantees? No, no-one can have these.'

He also said that as a Russian MP he had served alongside Andrey Lugovoy, wanted in Britain for the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, who died after radioactive poison was poured in his tea.

'Lugovoy is now guarded by the same sixth department of the Internal Security Department of the FSB, which falsifies a criminal case against me,' he said.

Investigators stand over the body of Denis Voronenkov, a former MP in the Russian State Duma, who was shot dead in Kiev yesterday in an apparent contract killing

The bodyguard, who was a member of the Ukrainian security services, remains in hospital.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko told the Kyiv Post: 'The bodyguard was shot in the chest, but he is alive and cooperating with investigators. The killer was shot twice, in the chest and head, which makes it impossible to depose him at the present time.'

The Ukrainian authorities said the assassin had been identified as a Ukrainian citizen, although he may be an ethnic Russian from the breakaway east of the country or from the Crimea.

He was shot three or four times and died from wounds to his head and chest.

Writing on Twitter, Ilya Ponomarev, another former Russian MP and critic of Putin who has been in exile since 2014, said Voronenkov had been killed while on his way to meet him.

Ponomarev, who was the only MP in the Russian Duma to vote against the annexation of the Crimea, tweeted: 'There are no words.'

Nikolai Kovalyov, a former Russian security chief who is now an MP, told Russian state television the killing could have been rooted in a business dispute.

Lutsenko blamed the Kremlin for Voronenkov's killing, saying Russia wanted to punish him for his testimony to Ukrainian investigators.

Denis Vorodenkov (pictured left, with his wife Maria Maksakova) was considered a turncoat after he switched from supporting Putin to opposing him and fleeing to the Ukraine

He said it was a 'cynical murder' of a man who had provided investigators with important testimony about Russian aggression and added: 'This was a typical show execution of a witness by the Kremlin.'

The killing came a few hours after Russian or separatist saboteurs blew up a warehouse storing tank ammunition at a military base in the east of the country.

In Voronenkov's last interview, with Radio Free Europe last month, he said he opposed 'Russia's war' against Ukraine but said it would only end when Putin left the scene.

He also threatened to testify about the involvement of former President Yanukovych - an ally of Putin - in the separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine and said: 'I will talk about criminal deeds of the former president, which led to the ongoing bloodshed in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.'

At the end of the interview with Kiev-based journalist Christopher Miller Voronenkov and his wife laughed as they showed him social media messages calling them 'traitors'.

Miller wrote: 'Maksakova...says of all the attention they have gotten in the past 48 hours: 'God, it's so funny!''

Voronenkov was wanted in Moscow on fraud charges and Russian media had reported in recent months that he owned five expensive Russian apartments and a fleet of luxury cars.

His name also surfaced in the Panama Papers leak as a shareholder of a company based in the British Virgin Islands.

Voronenkov's wife, Maria Maksakova broke down at the scene (pictured left) and had to be escorted away by friends and a bodyguard (right)

Denis Voronenkov (right), who was killed today, fled Moscow, saying he feared President Putin (left) had put out a contract on his life

He said he feared Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), which took over from the KGB in the 1990s.

Last month, in an interview with Radio Free Europe, Voronenkov compared Putin's Russia with Nazi Germany and said the annexation of the Crimea in 2014 was 'illegal' and a 'mistake'.

In that interview he said he was not interested in Ukrainian politics and only wanted to raise the couple's son, whose first birthday will be next month.

Voronenkov's body is removed from the crime scene by the Ukrainian security forces

Voronenkov's distraught wife Maria rushed to the scene. Last month, in an interview, she laughed off threats from Russians who accused her and husband of being 'traitors'

Russia and the Ukraine have been virtually at war with each other since President Yanukovych was ousted by Ukrainian nationalist demonstrators in February 2014.

Ethnic Russian separatists have set up a rebel republic in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine and Russia annexed the Crimea, which is dominated by ethnic Russians, in the summer of 2014.

Yesterday the Ukraine forbid Russia's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, Yulia Samoylova, from taking part in the competition in May because she had toured in the 'occupied' Crimea.

Voronenkov's assassination in broad daylight in a busy Kiev street has been described by the Ukrainians as being a 'show execution'

Voronenkov joins a growing list of critics of Vladimir Putin who have met a bloody end

Voronenkov, who was a former member of the communist faction in the lower house of Russia's parliament, had renounced his Russian citizenship and been granted a Ukrainian passport.

Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Ariev tweeted: 'New Litvinenko case. Former Russian MP Voronenkov shot to death in Kiev right on the street. Putin spreading fear over the world.'

Kiev police chief Andriy Kryshchenko said Voronenkov was killed around noon local time and his bodyguard was injured.

Maksakova, who was also a member of parliament, was not with him at the time but rushed to the scene.

Ukrainian journalists hover around the body as plain clothes detectives carry out a forensic examination of the scene

He was elected in 2011 and was at one point a strong supporter of Putin, having co-authored a 2014 bill which banned the foreign ownership of Russian media, a move described by Bloomberg columnist Leonid Bershidsky as 'perhaps the single worst thing that happened to press freedom as an institution in Putin's Russia'.

But he later changed his position and defected to the Ukraine and since coming to Kiev he had testified against Ukraine's ex-President Yanukovych, who was blamed for the violent crushing of demonstrations by anti-Russian protesters in Kiev's Maidan Square in February 2014.

Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee, which had been probing fraud allegations against Voronenkov, said: 'In the event of official confirmation of his death, the law provides termination of the criminal case on non-exculpatory grounds with the consent of the relatives of the deceased, or referral of the criminal case to the court for consideration on the merits.'

Voronenkov (pictured, left) was killed in a hail of 9mm bullets, casings of which were found in the street (right)

After he fled to Ukraine, Russian investigators filed fraud charges against Voronenkov in connection with his business activities.

Putin supporters were quick to reject Ukrainian allegations that Voronenkov could have been killed for betraying Russia.

Enrico Ivanov tweeted: 'Voronenkov celebrated Crimea's reunification and criticised regime, he changed point of view in 2016 after he was accused of fraud.'

Ivanov tweeted that Putin critic Alexei Navalny called Voronenkov 'a pig and a thief till 2016 because he was incredibly corrupt. For one time he was right.'

But Heraschenko said: 'This is a contractual political assassination, the goal of which is to intimidate all those Russian deputies and officials who will try to escape from Russia to the West or to Ukraine. I offer my sincere condolences to his wife, relatives and friends.'
The body of a New Zealand man, 23, has been found in Bali after he tried to save his girlfriend who was swept off rocks while taking a selfie.

Temson Junior Simeki disappeared on Monday morning after he jumped into the water to rescue his German girlfriend Leonie Hafke, 20.

She was rescued four hours after being swept in by an Australian snorkeler.

Mr Simeki's body was 'unrecognisable' and family identified him from his fishhook necklace.

The body of Temson Junior Simeki (pictured), 23, was found after he disappeared on Monday morning

The New Zealand man jumped into the sea to rescue his German girlfriend Leonie Hafke (left), 20, after she was swept away by a wave

Two fishermen found Mr Simeki's body floating near a cliff in Crystal Bay at 10.30pm AEST on Friday.

The body was taken to Sanglah Hospital for identification.

Mr Simeki's father, Temson Simeki senior, said that his son's body was unrecognisable, but said the family was relieved to have closure.

'I'm happy we found him,' he told Stuff NZ.

Mr Simeki's family were also reunited with his girlfriend, who has been recovering in a Bali hospital.

'When I first saw her she was a mess. She couldn't sit up, she was just crying and crying. Now she's sitting up for the first time, but she's not interested in eating,' Mr Simeki Senior said.

Mr Simeki's body was able to be identified by family members from an identical fishhook necklace seen in another photo of the 23-year-old man

Two fishermen found Mr Simeki's body floating near a cliff in Crystal Bay (pictured)

Ms Hafke was rescued by an Australian snorkelerer and taken to Sanglah Hospital

Mr Simeki and Ms Hafke had been taking selfies at a popular tourist spot on Indonesian island Nusa Penida, police said.

Angel's Billabong is known for having strong currents and large waves and has been described as 'dangerous but beautiful' by tourists.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said they were 'providing consular assistance' to Mr Simeki's family.
Primary school teachers have threatened to go on strike unless a boy, 12, was expelled for allegedly bringing a knife to school and assaulting staff.

The boy from Sheidow Park Primary in south Adelaide has allegedly kicked, hit and punched staff and is accused of flicking a rubber band at a teacher causing a welt.

Staff fear for their safety and for the boy's fellow students, and have threatened not to work next Friday if the 'unpredictable' and 'volatile' boy attended, The Advertiser reports.

Teachers at Sheidow Park Primary School are threatening to go on strike next Friday if an 'unpredictable' student returns

The Australian Education Union SA president Howard Spreadbury said the decision for teachers to potentially strike was not taken lightly.

He said the student was 'intimidating' to staff and his fellow classmates.

'It's violent behaviour. It's volatile and unpredictable,' Mr Spreadbury told The Advertiser.

The Education Department is aware of the student's behaviour, he said.

An extra teacher had even been designated to work with the student in the behaviour unit for further attention.

Teachers said they feared for the safety of themselves and students at the school (stock image)

He has allegedly threatened a staff member with a knife at the specialised behaviour unit.

Executive Director Partnerships, Schools and Preschools Anne Millard was not pleased the student and his family had been put under the spotlight.

She said even though supervisions have been put in place to help the child and staff, they would continue to work with the Education Department to help the child receive their entitled education, Ms Millard told The Advertiser.
Paul Monk (pictured) spent the last 20 years shipping huge quantities of cannabis and cocaine into Britain from the continent

One of Britain's top cocaine dealers has been jailed for 18 years after he was caught organising the supply of drugs worth 60 million from a luxury villa in Spain.

Paul Monk, 56, spent the last 20 years shipping huge quantities of cannabis and cocaine into Britain from the continent.

He was arrested by armed police at his luxury villa in Javier, near Benidorm as Monk instructed workers laying marble tiles around his vast swimming pool.

At the mountain hide-out, police found notes regarding the supply of 997 kilos of cocaine which would have a street value of 59,820,000, the Old Bailey heard.

Watering down the high-quality cocaine with cutting agents could almost double its value.

Police also recovered an imitation firearm with a silencer, 125,000 euros in a plant pot and a fake Slovenian passport for Monk under an assumed name.

At the time of the raid in 2015, Monk was on licence from a nine-year sentence for the supply of cannabis.

'He is a sophisticated career criminal who has been involved in drug trafficking in this country and overseas for many years,' said prosecutor Tom Wilkins.

'He was organising the supply of cocaine into Britain in very large quantities indeed.'

Paul Monk is arrested at gunpoint by armed police following a raid at his mountain villa in Javier, near Benidorm

Monk is handcuffed as he is questioned by police, who found notes regarding the supply of 997 kilos of cocaine which would have a street value of 59,820,000

Monk was bringing the drugs into Britain from Spain on goods lorries which were carrying 110 kilos of high-quality cocaine a time.

When he was arrested he claimed he was only involved in smuggling tobacco into Britain.

Monk was also questioned about the gangland murder of drug dealer Francis Brennan, whose badly decomposed body washed up on a Costa Blanca beach, but he was never charged.

Spanish police said the luxury villa had become a gilded cage for Monk, who was terrified to leave home for fear of being gunned down by a rival dealer.

A Guardia Civil spokesman said: 'He never left his house as a security measure to avoid being arrested.

'He got other people to bring him food and other things in the villa where he hid out, leading the life of an authentic fugitive.'

In 2007, Monk was jailed for arranging three million pounds worth of cannabis to be smuggled into the UK.

He secreted some of the drugs in air conditioning units at his business premises in Grays, Essex.

Monk was arrested by armed police at his luxury villa in Javier, near Benidorm as Monk instructed workers laying marble tiles around his vast swimming pool (shown)

Police found notes regarding the supply of 997 kilos of cocaine which would have a street value of 59,820,000, the Old Bailey heard (pictured, drugs discovered following the raid)

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard Monk was behind two importations of weed, weighing nearly a metric tonne, in early 2005.

Customs had seized some 338 kilos of the class C drug, worth about 1 million alone, on April 11 2005 after stopping the lorry packed with dehumidifiers from Spain.

The lorry was supposed to be bound for a company called Theydon Hall Ltd, but the prosecution maintained it was merely a front for the drug smuggling operation.

Police later found 75,000 in cash inside a shrink-wrapped dehumidifier and found more cannabis inside the air conditioning units at the business premises in Askew Farm Lane.

Monk, whose last home in the UK was at Nelmes Close, Hornchurch, Essex, was convicted of conspiracy to supply cannabis on or before 11 April 2005.

He admitted conspiracy to smuggle cocaine in relation to his Spanish arrest.

He also admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine in 2013, for which Babatunde Arogundade, Fred Jones-Lartey and Nicole Douglas were convicted at Kingston Crown Court in 2015, while Monk was in Spain.

Arogundade was sentenced to 27 for conspiracy to supply and firearms charges, while Jones-Lartey and Douglas were sentenced to 12 and four years respectively.

Police also recovered an imitation firearm (pictured) with a silencer, 125,000 euros in a plant pot and a fake Slovenian passport for Monk under an assumed name

Rupert Pardoe, defending, said Monk had been a 'good father' to two children, now young adults, who 'both suffer from profound, almost complete, deafness.'

Since his arrest almost two years ago Monk had suffered from stress as a result of not knowing his fate.

'The fight has gone rather out of out him. He has spent now well in excess of a year in custody in Category A conditions not knowing any finite date.

'The best mitigation is that he has not troubled the court with a trial.

'I ask the court in the circumstances of this case to extend a hand of mercy. He is not in the first flush of youth. He has wasted nobody's time.'

Mr Pardoe asked the court to 'arrive at a sentence to be imposed which starts with the figure one.'

Judge Anuha Dhir QC told Monk: 'I am satisfied that you played a leading role in that conspiracy.

'The purity of the cocaine you supplied, your lifestyle and the items found on your arrest in Spain go to proving that.'

Judge Dhir noted Monk was also in breach of his licence by travelling to Spain 2013.

Monk was bringing the drugs into Britain from Spain on goods lorries which were carrying 110 kilos of top quality cocaine a time

'When you were arrested, the luxury villa you were living in was searched and documents were found, which indicated further and more sophisticated involvement in drugs.

'[The Crown] say you are at the very highest level in the drugs world and the material I have seen supports that.'

She added that a late change to the indictment, from 55kg to 997kg, did not make a 'significant difference' to sentencing because of his long history of criminality.

Monk stood impassively in a grey tracksuit as he was sentenced to four years for supply and 18 years for smuggling to run concurrently.

The imposition of a serious crime prevention order and the start of confiscation proceedings were adjourned until January 2018.

DS David Williams, DI Simon Mearns and DC Christopher Green from the Metropolitan Police, along with Annie Gooch from the NCA, were all commended by the judge for their 'hard work and professionalism.'

Three Spanish police officers were also commended for their work on the case.
A pregnant British woman has appeared in Rwandan court after being charged with revealing state secrets to undermine the president Paul Kagame.

Violette Uwamahoro has also been accused of forming an armed group and offence against the established government.

The Leeds-born youth worker, who is five months pregnant with her third child, denied all the charges at a bail hearing on Thursday.

Her husband Faustin Rukundo, an exiled opposition activist, believes she is being 'targeted' because of his political views and fears that her trial is fixed.

British youth worker Violette Uwamahoro has appeared in Rwandan court after being charged with revealing state secrets to undermine the president

Mrs Uwamahoro disappeared on Valentine's Day in the capital Kigali after travelling to Rwanda for her father's funeral.

It emerged that she was arrested on February 14 and illegally held without access to lawyers or her family for two weeks.

Her relatives had no idea what had happened to her until police revealed on March 3 that she was in custody, according to Amnesty International.

She will return to a Rwandan court on Monday.

The human rights charity said Ms Uwamahoro was initially refused access to lawyers and was not allowed to speak to her family for two weeks.

Her husband Faustin Rukundo, an exiled opposition activist, believes she is being 'targeted' because of his political views and fears that her trial is fixed (pictured together)

The Leeds-born youth worker, who is five months pregnant with her third child, has also been accused of forming an armed group and offence against the established President Paul Kagame (pictured)

Her husband Mr Rukundo said he has not spoken to his wife since she was arrested five weeks ago. He expressed fears that he trial is not fair.

'I can tell you the outcome of this trial even before it gets going,' he told the BBC.

'Finding her guilty is a foregone conclusion, especially as Rwanda's justice system is not independent, with any lawyer doing properly his job risking being disbarred.'

Her husband Mr Rukundo said he has not spoken to his wife since she was arrested five weeks ago. He expressed fears that he trial is not fair

Mr Rukundo, who is involved with the Rwandan National Congress opposition group, said he is still waiting to hear back from the British government about aid.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office confirmed his wife is now 'receiving consular support'.

She said: 'As soon as we were made aware of Ms Uwamahoro's disappearance we made contact with the Rwandan authorities and set out our concerns.

'We can now confirm that Ms Uwamahoro has access to a lawyer and is receiving consular support.'

Sarah Jackson, of Amnesty International, said: 'Violette Uwamahoro was illegally held without access to lawyers or her family for more than two weeks.

'This is an unacceptable breach of Rwandan and international law. People who know her say that Violette is not involved in politics at all.

'Her husband believes that she is being targeted because of his political activities.

The couple live in Leeds and have been in the UK for a number of years. Mr Rukundo was given nationality in 2014.
A pedestrian who was ploughed down and nearly killed during the terror attack on Westminster Bridge has said he has been 'born again'.

Francisco Lopes, 26, was left with leg injuries and severe cuts on his hands when Khalid Masood swerved his vehicle onto the pavement on Wednesday afternoon.

The Portuguese national has given a heartbreaking account of what happened and added that he 'felt scared for his life' when he was knocked to the ground.

He was walking home from a shift at a shop inside St Thomas' hospital when he saw killer Masood's 4x4 Hyundai when it was just 'one metre' away from him.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Francisco Lopes, 26, (pictured) said that he 'felt scared for his life'

A policeman points a gun at a man on the floor at the top of the frame as emergency services attend the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London

Speaking from a hospital bed, Mr Lopes said that it is 'wonderful' to be alive and added that he has been given a 'new life'.

He said: 'I put my arms forward and the car just tumbled me over and that was it basically.

'The adrenaline started to take over me. I didn't want to die so I was like 'yeah, I'm going to be OK'.

'I'm trying to convince myself that I'm going to be OK and that my legs were going to be OK.

'But I was horrified and I was scared for my life. I didn't want to die. Just being here is amazing.

'After having such an impactful event happen to me, you never think that it's going to happen to me and it's just wonderful to be here.

'Like my uncle told me just take it as a new life, you're born again.'

Yesterday, Prime Minister Theresa confirmed that at least 29 people were injured and needed hospital treatment - including 12 Britons and three French children.

The death toll has now risen to five after 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, from Streatham, south London, had his life machine switched off.

Aysha Frade, a teacher in her 40s, was killed after she was struck down by the Hyundai and thrown under a double decker bus.

American Kurt Cochran, 54, was killed while celebrating his 25th anniversary with his wife Melissa when he was hit and ended up on the ground beneath the bridge.

Emergency personnel on Westminster Bridge, close to the Palace of Westminster, London

Emergency personnel on Westminster Bridge, close to the Palace of Westminster, London

Metropolitan police officer Keith Palmer, 48, was fatally stabbed after Masood crashed his car and used a blade outside Parliament.

Mr Lopes said that he put his arms forward after he saw the car when it was just 'one metre away'.

He added: 'He started to move towards the pedestrian pavement and started to just take out the people that were in front of the car.

'When I realised this, the car was literally just about one metre away, so I had no, literally, no time to get out of the way.

'Basically what I did, I just tried to defend myself as I could. So I put my arms forward, and the car just tumbled me over and that was it basically.'

He found himself on the pavement surrounded by screaming victims, after Masood left a trail of destruction which has so far claimed four lives.

Mr Lopes, who has lived in London for 15 years, had surgery on his legs and hands after being rushed to hospital.

He hailed the paramedics as 'fantastic', but said he was still haunted by the experience.

He added: 'I'm happy to be alive but sleep is more difficult, difficult because I see the car hitting me, I see it all the time so it's difficult to sleep.'
Video footage shows police discovering 74 kindergarten students being driven in a 19-seater minibus in China.

The van was also ferrying one kindergarten teacher and the driver on March 20. It was meant to carry only 19 people, according to local police in Henan province.

The driver, who did not have a school bus driver's license, has been arrested for dangerous driving.

An overloaded van was found to be carrying 74 toddlers kindergarten from home in China's Henan province. It was so packed that children were found standing next to the driver's seat

The female teacher(right) was also riding on the van, which belongs to a local kindergarten and is not intended for use as school bus

The discovery was made on Monday morning according to a Wechat post by Nanyang police on March 23. Officers were patrolling the streets of Nanyang City at the time.

They stopped a van after spotting a group of children standing next to the driver's seat.

A video uploaded by Pear Video to Miaopai shows the police counting the number of children found on board the vehicle. The number reaches 74.

They were all pupils from a local kindergarten. A female teacher was also riding in the van.

The school children were lining up outside a car park after being offloaded from an overloaded van

The van belongs to a local kindergarten and is not intended for use as school bus.

The 27 year-old driver, surnamed Yang, confessed to police that the van had only 19 seats but was packed with 76 people including him and the teacher at the time.

Yang did not own a school bus driver's license. He holds a B1 license which only allows him to drive a medium-sized bus.

Yang has been arrested for dangerous driving.

In China, only drivers with more than three years' experience and a clean driving record are eligible to apply for a school bus driver's license.

There have been tragic accidents that involved overloaded school buses in China.

In 2014, eight children and three adults have drowned after an overloaded kindergarten bus swerved off the road to crash into a pond in the southern Hunan province.

A similar incident happened in 2015 during which a passenger van, designed to carry 11, slammed into a roadside lake to leaving two children dead and 21 others injured.
Airport bosses in Barcelona have come under fire after 'losing' a cat which had flown with its owner from Britain to start a new life in Spain.

Itchy went missing after touching down at Barcelona-El Prat Airport almost two weeks ago after a flight from his home in Manchester.

It is understood the tabby cat fled from its cage onto the landing strip after the carrier fell from a conveyor belt and broke while being unloaded by ground handlers in Terminal 2 of the airport.

His owner, Andrea Barragan, was told she wasn't allowed to look for Itchy due to health and safety regulations because he had gone missing in a restricted area of the airport.

On the loose: Airport bosses in Spain have come under fire after 'losing' a cat which had flown with its owner from Britain to start a new life in Spain

Itchy went missing after touching down at Barcelona-El Prat Airport (pictured) almost two weeks ago after a flight from his home in Manchester

She has since launched a petition calling on bosses at Barcelona Airport to facilitate a search. So far it has been signed by almost 9,000 people, and several searches have taken place but to no avail.

Itchy flew to Spain on a Monarch flight on March 10 with his owner who was returning to the country having spent four years in the north west.

The tabby was reportedly a rescue cat, who was adopted when he was just two-weeks-old.

He arrived safely at Barcelona Airport, and it was while his owner was waiting for him to be unloaded from the aircraft by handling staff that he ran off.

She claims that there have been sightings of Itchy around the outdoor parts of the airport, but requests by her to put out traps to catch the animal have been ignored.

It is understood the tabby cat fled from its cage onto the landing strip after the carrier fell from a conveyor belt and broke while being unloaded by ground handlers in Terminal 2 of the airport

His owner, Andrea Barragan, was told she wasn't allowed to look for Itchy due to health and safety regulations because he had gone missing in a restricted area of the airport. She has launched a desperate appeal for help to find the animal

A spokesman for Monarch said that it was in contact with its ground handlers Iberia over the situation and members of the airport team were due to be meeting with the owner today.

They said: "Itchy had a comfortable ride with us from Manchester Airport to Barcelona Airport on Friday, March 10.

"Our ground handling agent Iberia confirmed he was secured in a cage and went missing after the flight.

"We are doing everything we can to help the airport find Itchy. We have stayed in touch with airport who have organised several searches for Itchy since he went missing and we understand Itchy's owner is meeting with members of the airport team today."

Iberia has been contacted for a response.
Two baby brothers have been found safe and well after they were abducted when the car they were sitting in was stolen in Southern California.

Police issued an amber alert after the car was taken with a one-year-old boy and a two-year-old boy inside.

Jayden Cortez, one, and two-year-old Carlos Cortez were in their babysitter's car when she stepped out to run an errand and someone made off with the vehicle.

Police launched an overnight manhunt as they appealed for information on the boys' whereabouts.

Cathedral City police said the two brothers were in a Honda Accord that was stolen on Thursday night.

Jayden Cortez, left, and his brother Carlos, right, were abducted when their babysitter's car was stolen

An Amber Alert was issued for the white, four-door 2016 Accord with license plate 7TJR654.

The car and the children were found early on Friday in Desert Hot Springs.

Yesterday police appealed for information about the brothers' whereabouts, desribing both boys as Hispanic with brown hair and brown eyes.

Jayden weighs about 30 pounds and last seen wearing a white shirt and blue shorts, while Carlos is about 40 pounds.

Cathedral City is about 7 miles southeast of Palm Springs and about 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Desert Hot Springs, where the boys were found, is about 12 miles north of Palm Springs and about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.

Officers say they have no information on the suspect.

An Amber Alert has been issued for the stolen car, a white, four-door 2016 Accord with license plate 7TJR654

After the police department shared an appeal on Facebook, dozens of people commented hoping for the boys' safe return.

Shanna Michelle Tucker wrote: 'Praying they are found safe.'

And Stephanie Shaffer said: 'Praying for their safety and that they are found unharmed.'

Rollie Lilu added: 'Lord keep these two beautiful souls safe and bring them back home to their mommy where they belong!'
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak was freed today from a military hospital after spending six years in detention for his role in the deaths of protesters during the Arab Spring revolt in 2011.

Mubarak, 88, had been convicted of causing the deaths of 850 protesters, killed by his security forces in Cairo during the 18-day uprising which began in January 2011.

But his conviction was quashed by Egypt's highest court earlier this month and he was cleared to go home, but he was kept in the Maadi Military Hospital for observation.

Hosni Mubarak (pictured in 2011) ruled Egypt for 30 years, having taken over after the assassination of his predecessor, Anwar Sadat, in 1981

His lawyer Farid El Deeb said today: 'Yes, he is now in his home in Heliopolis.'

Heliopolis is an affluent suburb and his home is not far from the presidential palace from where Mubarak had ruled Egypt for 30 years.

The Independent reported that an explosion in Maadi, not far from the hospital, killed one person today and injured three others, although it is not clear if it was connected to his release.

Riot police officers stand guard as after an explosion in the Cairo suburb of Maadi killed one person today, shortly after the release of former President Hosni Mubarak

Mubarak's release follows years of litigation involving cases ranging from corruption to the killing of protesters in and around Tahrir Square.

He was initially arrested in April 2011, two months after leaving office, and has since been held in prison and in military hospitals under heavy guard.

Egypt's current President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is a former General who spent years serving under Mubarak in the Egyptian Army and came to power in 2013 after overthrowing Mohammed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who was elected President in 2012.

Mubarak is pictured being transported from a military helicopter to an ambulance in Cairo on March 2 on his way to a military hospital, from where he was freed today

Mubarak was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt, in which about 850 people were killed as police clashed with demonstrators.

He was sentenced to life in 2012 in the case, but an appeals court ordered a retrial which dismissed the charges two years later.

Egypt's top appeals court on March 2 acquitted him of involvement in the killings.

In January 2016, the appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons on corruption charges.

Supporters of Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak chant slogans outside Maadi military hospital in Cairo on March 2

But the sentence took into account time served. Both of his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were freed.

Yesterday a court ordered a renewed corruption investigation into Mubarak for allegedly receiving gifts from the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Meanwhile several key activists in the 2011 uprising are now serving lengthy jail terms, and rights groups say hundreds of others have been forcibly disappeared.

As Hosni Mubarak goes free in Egypt, thousands of prisoners still languish in horrific prison conditions Harriet McCulloch, Reprieve

Harriet McCulloch, a deputy director at London-based human rights organisation Reprieve, said: 'As Hosni Mubarak goes free in Egypt, thousands of prisoners still languish in horrific prison conditions.

'Many face the death penalty on charges relating to protests, in mass trials that make a mockery of due process. Some were arrested as children  people like Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa, who has suffered terrible abuses in jail.

Ibrahima Halawa (pictured), an Irish citizen, has been in custody in Egypt since 2013. He was 17 when he was detained in Cairo. He has been on hunger strike

'The Sisi Government must now show that Egypt's justice system is worthy of the name and release Ibrahim, and the hundreds like him.'

Some of those who took part in the Arab Spring now feel the uprising was in vain.

Ahmed Mohamed, 29, who was one of thousands who took part in the protests to remove Mubarak, said: 'Honestly, I found that all of that was useless. Mubarak's time was a lot better in all aspects.'
This is the terrifying moment two passengers narrowly escaped unharmed when an escalator crumpled into pieces at a subway station in eastern China.

One passenger suffered minor injuries to his leg in the incident which took place in Suzhou yesterday.

The railway company attended to the scene and repaired the escalator four hours after the accident.

Shocking: The couple were travelling on the escalator when the steps crumpled

At least three escalator steps were piled up, revealing the motor parts beneath the footplate

According to Yangtse.com, the accident happened at the no. 4 exit of Lindun Lu station in Suzhou city at 10:30 am yesterday.

Surveillance footage from the railway station shows the moment two passengers get on the escalator. The stairs then start to pile up at the bottom.

Two other people that were walking towards the machine stop in front of the escalator.

At least three steps were stacked up, revealing the motor parts under the footplate of the escalator. The breakdown triggered the emergency stop.

The two lucky passengers can be seen walking up quickly to exit after.

Dangerous: The stairs completely crumpled and eventually came to a stop

The escalator is now repaired, however, the exit remained closed until inspections to carry

A spokesperson from Suzhou Rail Transit told reporters that one on-duty cleaner reported the incident to the station staff.

He explained the escalator had a malfunction and was repaired within 30 minutes but 'due to safety issues, the exit remained closed in order to carry out an inspection overnight.
Sergeant Alexander Blackman killed more than 30 of the Queens enemies during his service in the Royal Marines, a court heard yesterday.

Judges were told he had made one mistake in an otherwise exemplary military career and had remained cool under fire hundreds of times.

He had snapped only once, when he shot the wounded Taliban fighter for which he was jailed for life.

Campaigner: Claire Blackman, branded the 'heroine' of her husband's campaign, was supported by a small army of former soldiers at the High Court today - but they have been disappointed

The details emerged as the Court of Appeal was urged to release truly the last casualty of a failed war.

Sergeant Blackman  known as Marine A  had his conviction for murder quashed last week and downgraded to manslaughter on the basis of combat stress.

But to the disappointment of dozens of ex-Marines in the public gallery yesterday, the five judges who are considering his sentencing postponed their ruling until Tuesday. His wife Claire said last night: He is disappointed, we both are, but when you have had as many ups and downs as we have, you get used to the setbacks.

The Marines lawyer Jonathan Goldberg QC told the sentencing hearing that the commando had spent his career in the very front line of battle. He has risked being killed on literally hundreds of occasions when he has come under enemy fire, he said. He has never known life behind a military desk as have some  including some critics  and he has only known military life at the sharp end. He estimates having himself personally and lawfully had to kill the Queens enemies over 30 times on the battlefield.

Several military armoured vehicles in which he was travelling have been blown up under him. He has dodged bullets on countless occasions, grenades have been thrown at him and he has had narrow escapes with death too numerous to count.

But his tour from hell of Afghanistan in 2011 stretched Blackman to the limit, judges were told, and the quite exceptional pressure he was under triggered a combat stress disorder which led the Marine to kill.

Mr Goldberg said: He is truly the last casualty of a failed war. What good is there in keeping him in prison? A killing brought about by mental illness which was itself caused by combat stress is not a cold-blooded execution. He is not a danger to the public, nor is there any risk of repetition.

Family: Mrs Blackman (left after her husband won his appeal) will not have her husband home for mother's day

He urged the judges to release the sergeant immediately on the basis of the three and a half years he has already spent in prison. More than 30,000 Daily Mail readers raised 810,000 to fund the legal challenge which resulted in last weeks quashing of his conviction. Blackmans remote outpost in Helmand Province was perceived to be the most dangerous square mile on earth.

He and the 15 men under his command were fatigued, sleep-deprived, overworked and under-resourced. On patrols, they faced the added psychological agony of knowing every step could detonate one of the Talibans hidden improvised bombs.

Mr Goldberg said: They knew each step could be their last.

And yet Sgt Blackman, who has no children, would insist on going out on more patrols than were his fair share in order to spare so far as possible the men under him who did have children. Such quiet heroism is simply incredible. He added: This offence could not have happened except for the horrors of war on a battlefield which caused a psychiatric illness, which went untreated and undetected because the system went wrong.

Comrades of Sergeant Alexander Blackman (pictured) said he shot a wounded Taliban fighter to protect junior colleagues and was under immense stress

Sgt Blackman, who shot the mortally-wounded Taliban fighter in a cornfield, was lambasted at his court martial for giving the insurgent no chance of survival.

But the appeal court heard that fresh evidence from pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl found it was highly likely he would have died soon anyway. Mr Goldberg added: According to the pathologist the reality is in any event that he probably had minutes at best to live.

He stressed he was not arguing it was a mercy killing. But in shooting the insurgent, Blackman had put him out of his agony a little earlier than was anyway inevitable. Mr Goldberg said: If it were not for one single blot, I would be able to say of my client that he is a hero amongst men and a fine example for the youth of this country to emulate. Many a great man would be hard pressed to find so many fine people to say such wonderful things about them.

Earlier, Blackmans wife Claire had bravely taken to the witness stand to praise her husbands spirit in the face of adversity. Looking composed in a black skirt suit, she told the courtroom: He is an incredibly kind, thoughtful and generous person, the first to help anybody in need. He is very calm, warm and good-humoured.

Claire Blackman (centre), the wife of Alexander Blackman, and his barrister Jonathan Goldberg QC (right, wearing red tie) outside the Royal Courts of Justice before the sentencing of the Royal Marine for diminished responsibility manslaughter

Support: Claire Blackman, wife of Sergeant Alexander Blackman, (centre) on the steps of The Royal Courts of Justice with her legal team and friends including Frederick Forsyth (centre right) and Jonathan Goldberg QC (far right)

And she revealed his dismissal from his beloved Royal Marines had been the toughest punishment of all.

Mrs Blackman, 45, an NHS trust executive, said: The arrest and conviction were a huge shock but the dismissal with disgrace was the hardest to bear. I always joke that if you cut my husband in half, it would say Royal Marines all the way through him. It has been his life, his love, a career that he excelled at, and to take that away so abruptly has been the hardest thing.

She said he had already received numerous job offers  and would also welcome a role within the Royal Marines once released.

Timeline: The path to justice for British soldier Marine A Sergeant Alexander Blackman - known as Marine A - became the first British serviceman convicted of murder on a foreign battlefield since the Second World War. Here is a timeline of events in the case: 2011 March - Sgt Blackman deploys to Helmand province with 42 Commando as part of Op Herrick XIV. His unit is sent to Nad-e Ali, where it sees heavy fighting. Several marines are killed, including Sgt Blackman's troop commander, and others are maimed. September 15 - Taliban insurgents attack a small British patrol base. The attack is repelled with the aid of a British Apache helicopter gunship. Sgt Blackman and his marines are on patrol and sent to look for the fleeing attackers. They find one, lying gravely wounded, in the middle of a field. Sgt Blackman shoots him in the chest with his pistol. The killing is captured on helmet camera by one of the patrol. 2012 September - The video of the incident is found on a Royal Marine's laptop during an investigation by civilian police into another alleged crime. A police investigation begins. October 11 - Seven unnamed Royal Marines are arrested on suspicion of murder. 2013 October 23 - Sgt Blackman and two others go on trial at the Court Martial Centre in Bulford, Wiltshire, accused of murder. He is only identified as Marine A and his comrades as Marines B and C. They give evidence from behind screens. All three plead not guilty. November 8 - Sgt Blackman is found guilty of murder. The two other marines are acquitted. December 5 - A court rules Sgt Blackman, still only known to the world as Marine A, should be stripped of his anonymity. December 6 - Sgt Blackman, from Taunton, Somerset, is given a life sentence and told he must serve a minimum of 10 years in a civilian prison. 2014 May 22 - Sgt Blackman loses a Court of Appeal bid to overturn his life sentence. His minimum term is cut from 10 years to eight. 2015 September - A high-profile campaign begins to have Sgt Blackman freed, led by his wife Claire. December 16 - 1,100 pages of new evidence are handed into the Criminal Cases Review Commission in an attempt to have the conviction sent back to the Court of Appeal. 2016 December - The CCRC concludes there is a 'real possibility' of overturning the conviction, and grants an appeal. Later the same month, the Lord Chief Justice refuses a bid to grant bail, after prosecutors challenge new psychiatric evidence about his mental state at the time of the killing. December 21 - Sgt Blackman loses a bid to be released on bail in time for Christmas ahead of his appeal hearing. 2017 February 7 - Five judges, Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas, Sir Brian Leveson, Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice Openshaw and Mr Justice Sweeney, begin hearing an appeal brought by Sgt Blackman to overturn his murder conviction at the Court Martial Appeal Court in London. March 13 - The Court Martial Appeal Court announces the appeal ruling will be given on March 15. March 15 - Sgt Blackman has his murder conviction replaced with manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility by the Court. A new sentence will be set at a later date. Advertisement
The BBC's Andrew Neil has delivered a lacerating response to 'jumped up jihadis' trying to terrorise Britain.

In a searing on-camera message, the This Week presenter dismissed Khalid Masood as a 'pathetic Poundland terrorist in an estate car with a knife'.

He said ISIS had 'no idea who they are dealing with', pointing out that the UK had stood alone against the might of the Nazi Lufwaffe without flinching.

The defiant statement came as Neil hailed the sacrifice of Pc Keith Palmer, who was brutally stabbed to death by Masood on Wednesday as he fought to stop the terrorist trying to get into parliament.

Andrew Neil delivered his impassioned response at the beginning of the programme last night

Neil was hailed on Twitter for his powerful condemnation of the terrorist attack on London

The attacker has already mowed down dozens of people as he drove a down the pavement on Westminster Bridge.

Masood was shot by one of Defence Secretary Michael Fallon's close protection officers as he advanced through the gates at parliament - raising concerns about security at the heart of the capital.

In a monologue to camera at the start of his programme last night, Neil said: 'Keith Palmer had been a copper for 15 years, he was a husband, a dad, brother, uncle, public servant.

'Before joining the police, he had been in the army defending our nation.

'Yesterday he was murdered defending our democracy, the very heart of our democracy from a barbarian at the gate.'

Neil said Pc Palmer's heroism was a reminder that the 'important people in this country are not the rich, the powerful, the famous but those who run to confront the enemies of our civilisation while the rest of us are running away'.

'He was brutally stabbed to death by a jumped-up jihadi, not fit to breathe the same air as the man he killed,' the presenter said.

Praising the resilience and values of the British people, Neil warned terrorists that they 'cannot defeat us'.

This was the scene in the immediate aftermath of the attack, after the attacker entered the grounds of Parliament. He is pictured at the top of the picture - PC Palmer is lying in the middle of the image

Questions have been raised about how the knife-wielding terrorist was able to enter the Parliamentary estate

'I know there are still some "Jihadi Johnnies" out there who think they will eventually triumph, because their love of death is greater than our love of life,' he said.

'Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? This is the country that stood up alone to the might of the Luftwaffe - the air force of the greatest evil mankind has ever known.

'If you think we will be cowed by some pathetic, Poundland terrorist in an estate car with a knife, you're as delusional as you are malevolent.

'Yes, you have the power to hurt us. Sometimes the hurt is more than we can bear - but you cannot defeat us.

'Because for every brainwashed, brain dead Islamist you send to do us harm, we have thousands upon thousands of Keith Palmers.

'You find them in every walk of life and every part of the land.

'They come in all shapes, all sizes, all colours, and all faiths. They are the British people and against them you will never prevail.'

Neil previously delivered an equally excoriating monologue about the 2015 Paris attacks - telling ISIS that they would be 'as dust' in a thousand years while the 'city of lights will still be shining'.
Former President Bill Clinton was spotted having a night out on the town in Dublin with a couple of wealthy Irish businessmen hours after speaking at Martin McGuinness's funeral.

Clinton, dressed casually in jeans, sweater and a blazer, was photographed leaving Peploe's Wine Bistro on St Stephen's Green on Thursday night with Irish billionaire businessman Denis O'Brien and well-known hotelier and philanthropist John Fitzpatrick.

The group appeared to be in high spirits as they spoke with a passerby as they left the restaurant, a known hotspot for celebrities and politicians.

Fitzpatrick, an Irish-born, Manhattan based hotelier, is a longtime friend of the Clintons, having visited the couple in the White House when Bill Clinton was in office. He opened the doors of New York's Fitzpatrick Hotel in December 1991.

Communicorp owner O'Brien, also a longtime Clinton friend, has donated millions to the family's foundation. In 2012, he was named a 'Clinton Global Citizen'.

Just hours earlier, Clinton led mourners at a funeral for McGuinness - the former IRA commander whose journey to a peaceful settlement the president had played a key part in.

Former President Bill Clinton was spotted leaving Peploe's Wine Bistro in Dublin Thursday night with Irish businessman Denis O'Brien (right) and hotelier John Fitzpatrick

Clinton, Fizpatrick (to the left of Clinton in a blue button up) and O'Brien (right), all dressed casually, appeared to be in high spirits as they spoke with a passerby as they left the restaurant

Clinton was seen walking out of the Merrion Hotel on Friday, the day after having dinner with the Irish businessmen

Clinton traveled to Londonderry in Northern Ireland where thousands, including a former Irish prime minister, gathered for a requiem mass for the terrorist-turned-politician who died aged 66 on Tuesday.

The former president was accompanied by Bertie Ahern, the former Irish prime minister with whom he had enjoyed a warm relationship when both were in power.

It was Clinton's deal-making and decision to allow the IRA's political wing to come to America freely which was seen as one of the key steps towards the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which brought peace to Northern Ireland.

Months after Clinton was out of office in 2001, the IRA announced a permanent ceasefire. McGuinness later became part of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, which has largely been at peace since.

McGuinness became the chief negotiator for Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing, and Clinton met him a number of times as a result.

McGuinness, nicknamed the 'Butcher of Bogside' because of his years as a ruthless republican commander, was brought to 'Free Derry Corner' in his home city followed by hundreds of mourners in a procession on Wednesday.

His wife Bernie McGuinness and their four children Grainne, Fionnuala, Fiachra and Emmet all helped carry the IRA kingpin's coffin with the help of Gerry Adams, the president of Sinn Fein and McGuinness's closest companion in violence and politics since the early 1970s, and new Sinn Fein Leader Michelle O'Neill.

Clinton dressed casually on Friday, wearing a white button down shirt with a navy sweater and blazer and blue jeans

He smiled as he walked out of the hotel carrying his jacket while a number of other men followed close by with luggage and bags

Clinton spoke to passersby and even signed autographs as he left the Merrion Hotel on Friday

Along with signing autographs for fans, Clinton also posed for photographs outside of the hotel

On Thursday they were in the front row as Clinton stood at the lectern towards the end of mass to deliver his own eulogy to McGuinness.

He drew laughter from the congregation as he spoke about the man he knew in an encomium which lasted 11 minutes.

'After all the breath he exerted cursing the British over the years, he worked with two prime ministers and shook hands with the Queen,' he said, to applause.

The nearest he came to a tribute to the victims of IRA violence was when he said that the only way to have peace was 'if those who have legitimate - legitimate - griefs on both sides embrace the future together'.

'I learned this from Nelson Mandela who was a great friend of mine,' he said.

Then directly after that he said: 'Now I want to say something about Martin McGuinness.'

Pausing after making the oblique comparison, he went on: 'I came to treasure every encounter. I liked him.'

'They asked me to speak for three minutes. He could do this in 30 seconds. I can just hear him now: 'Here's my eulogy: I fought; I made peace; I made politics; I had a fabulous family that somehow stayed with me and endured it all.

'I was married to Gerry [Adams] almost as long as I was married to Bernie. It turned out I was pretty good at all this and I got a lot done.

'But if you really want to honor my legacy, go and make your own, and finish. Finish the work of peace so we can all have a future together.'

Clinton spoke from the lectern at the funeral of Martin McGuinness, the IRA commander who became part of Northern Ireland's peace settlement - but said nothing about the victims of the terrorist group's violence

Clinton embraced Gerry Adams, the president of the IRA's political wing Sinn Fein, and a man seen as the most senior figure in the terrorist movement. Clinton invited him to the White House in 1995 in a move which came to be seen as helping create a peace settlement

Hands across the ocean: After walking from the altar where he had delivered his 11-minute eulogy, ex-president Clinton paused to put his hand on the foot of McGuinness's coffin, which was draped in the Irish flag

Clinton went on: 'Look, he was only four years younger than me. He grew up at a time of rage and resentment, not only in Ireland, but all over the world, and it was pronounced here.

'He was part of the rage of his time. He hated the discrimination [against Catholics], he decided to oppose it by whatever means available to the passionate young, including violence.

'Somewhere along the way, for whatever reason, he decided to give peace a chance. Some of the reasons were principled, some were practical, but he decided.

'He was good about sticking with something he decided to do and he succeeded because his word was good, his listening skills were good, he was not afraid to make a compromise and he was strong enough to keep it if he made it.

'And finally, he realized that you could have an Ireland that was free and independent and self-governing and still inclusive.

'Most of the publicity Martin got as a politician was the very absurd notion that he actually got along with Ian Paisley [the late leader of the largest Unionist party and a Protestant clergyman]. I thought it was great that he got a word in edge-wise. I never could.'

As the panegyric went on, Clinton said: 'He made honorable compromises. He never stopped being who he was, a good husband, a good father, a faithful follower of the faith of his father and his mother, and a passionate believer in a safe and secure self-governing Ireland.

Clinton was accorded a warm welcome by the crowd outside the church where the service for McGuinness was being held

Clinton arrived at St Columba's Church for the requiem mass before the coffin had arrived in a lengthy procession through the city of Londonderry, whose name for nationalists is Derry, reflecting the deep sectarian divisions which remain

'The only thing was that he expanded the definition of 'us' and shrunk the definition of 'them'.'

'If you really came here to celebrate his life and honor the last chapter of it, you really have to finish the work.'

He earned the right to ask us to honor the legacy by our living, to finish the work that is there to be done.'

Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Londonderry, a city whose sectarian division is told in its name; nationalists like McGuinness know it as Derry.

It came after McGuinness' Irish flag-covered coffin was carried through the streets of Londonderry with Gerry Adams and his widow Bernie acting as pallbearers.

But families of those killed in IRA terror attacks said they fear the truth about their murders will be 'buried with him' because dozens known as 'The Disappeared' were abducted, executed and then dumped in unmarked shallow graves across Ireland during The Troubles, possibly at his behest.

It came as the Queen sent her condolences to the widow as families killed in the republican group's terror attacks said he should be remembered as a 'vile terrorist' not a peacemaker.

McGuinness leaves behind a complicated legacy.

Gesture: Clinton shook hands with McGuinness in September 1998, when the president came to Belfast to hail the Good Friday Agreement reached by both sides of Northern Ireland's sectarian conflict, and the United Kingdom government

He was accused of knowing the secrets of Northern Ireland's so-called 'Disappeared' - citizens who were abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans.

McGuinness always denied being the IRA's chief of staff at the height of the Troubles but once said: 'I regard it as a compliment'.

He was at the IRA's top table for years but turned peacemaker and was pivotal in securing the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

His historic meeting with the Queen in 2012 was followed by many more encounters, including in June last year.

Once described as 'Britain's number one terrorist', McGuinness left his past behind to become one of the major players in Northern Ireland's peace process.

His unlikely journey took him from being second-in-command of the Provisional IRA in Londonderry on Bloody Sunday to Deputy First Minister (DFM) at Stormont.

In 1972, at the age of 21, he was second-in-command of the IRA in Londonderry, a position he held at the time of Bloody Sunday, when 14 civil rights protesters were killed in the city by soldiers with the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment.

The following year he was convicted by the Republic of Ireland's Special Criminal Court after being arrested near a car containing explosives and ammunition.

Crowds: Mourners arrived with the coffin at St Columba's Church Long Tower for the funeral of McGuinness in Londonderry, where he had been an IRA commander on Bloody Sunday, the most notorious day of the Troubles

After his release from jail, and another conviction in the Republic for IRA membership, he became increasingly prominent in Sinn Fein, eventually becoming its best known face after Gerry Adams.

During the Troubles McGuinness had read numerous academic dissertations which all concluded that the British Army could not militarily beat the IRA.

But he claimed he believed the IRA could not defeat the British and became motivated to convince people change 'could only happen through politics'.

He was in indirect contact with British intelligence during the hunger strikes in the early 1980s, and again in the early 1990s.

In 1982, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont representing his home city of Londonderry. He was the second candidate elected after John Hume.

He eventually became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement which ended violence, secured IRA arms decommissioning in 2005 and shared government with former enemies.

McGuinness became deputy first minister of Northern Ireland in 2007, but stepped down in January at the DUP's handling of the 'cash for ash' energy scandal, triggering a snap election.

Photographs of him at his last public appearance in January show him looking very frail.
A woman who wants to divorce her husband of nearly 40 years lost the latest round of an 'extraordinarily unusual' court fight when the country's top family judge told her she has no right to split from her 'wretchedly unhappy marriage'.

Sir James Munby's decision means farmer's wife, Tini Owens, 65, must remain 'locked into' a marriage to the 'old school' husband she no longer loves.

She said Hugh Owens, 78, was 'unpleasant' to her, castigating her over an affair with another man and 'disparaging' her in front of family and friends.

Tini Owens (left) went to the High Court to try to to divorce her wealthy husband Hugh Owens (right) because he refused to end their 39-year marriage

But Sir James, President of the High Court Family Division, ruled that nothing he had done made it 'unreasonable' for her to continue living with him.

Last year Mrs Owens failed to persuade a family court judge to allow her to divorce her millionaire mushroom farmer husband Hugh Owens.

Judge Robin Tolson refused to grant Mrs Owens' divorce petition but then asked Court of Appeal judges to overturn that decision.

Three appeal judges - led by Sir James Munby, the most senior family court judge in England and Wales - analysed the case at a hearing in London on Valentine's Day but dismissed Mrs Owens' appeal today.

While the case went through the courts Mrs Owens lived in the farmhouse on the left while her millionaire husband lives in the manor on the right

Sir James, sitting with Ladies Justice Hallett and Macur, said he could find no flaw in Judge Tolson's decision and dismissed Mrs Owens' appeal.

He ruled that there was no 'right to be divorced' under the European Convention on Human Rights.

In conclusion he said: 'Parliament has decreed that it is not a ground for divorce that you find yourself in a wretchedly unhappy marriage, though some people may say it should be'.

Mrs Owens still resides in a grand farmhouse next door to her husband's manor in Broadway, Worcestershire, despite battling him in the High Court to end their 39-year marriage.

Appeal judges were told that Mrs Owens, 66 and Mr Owens, 78, had married in 1978 and but own several other properties together.

Mrs Owens moved into a neighbouring cottage when the marriage broke down.

A barrister representing Mrs Owens told the appeal court that the 'vast majority' of divorces were undefended in 21st century England.

Mrs Owens, 66 and Mr Owens, 78, had married in 1978 and lived in Broadway, Worcestershire

Mrs Owens' (left) case was that her husband had behaved unreasonably and that the marriage had irretrievably broken down. Mr Owens (right), a retired businessman, disagreed and denied allegations made against him

Philip Marshall QC said it was 'extraordinarily unusual in modern times' for a judge to dismiss a divorce petition.

Judges were told that Mrs Owens, 66 and Mr Owens, 78, had married in 1978 and lived in Broadway, Worcestershire.

Mrs Owens' case was that her husband had behaved unreasonably and that the marriage had irretrievably broken down.

Mr Owens, a retired businessman, disagreed and denied allegations made against him.

He was against a divorce and said they still had a 'few years' to enjoy, appeal judges were told.

Mr Owens , who describes himself as a 'Mushroom Growing Specialist', runs a successful fruit and vegetable growing company near Evesham with a 7.2million annual turnover

Barrister Nigel Dyer QC, who represented Mr Owens, said appeal judges should not overturn Judge Tolson's ruling.

Mr Dyer said Mrs Owens had not established that the marriage was irretrievably broken.

Judge Tolson had ruled against Mrs Owens after analysing the case at a family court hearing in London.

DIVORCE: WHAT THE LAW STATES AND THE FIVE-YEAR RULE The Owens' divorce case is rare because in most cases both parties agree to splitting up, even if they can't agree on the settlement. In England and Wales the petitioner, Mrs Owens, must prove fault for an immediate divorce. 'Fault' can include abusive behaviour or infidelity. But if fault cannot be proved the couple must separate for at least two years and then both agree to an official divorce. If one party does not agree to the divorce - Mr Owens - after two years the couple must be separated for at least five years before the separation alone will be enough to grant the petition. Advertisement

He had concluded that her allegations were 'of the kind to be expected in marriage' and refused to grant a divorce petition.

Simon Blain, a partner at Penningtons Manches and the Treasurer of the national family lawyers association Resolution, described the divorce case as the 'most significant of the century'.

He said: The overwhelming majority of family lawyers will be dismayed by the Court of Appeal's judgment.

'It is a huge setback for divorcing couples and for society as a whole. The judgment will strengthen calls for Parliament urgently to consider amending the law to introduce no-fault divorce.

'People like Mrs Owens do not come lightly to the decision to end their marriage after 39 years.

'The decision that a marriage has broken down due to the 'unreasonable behaviour' of the other spouse must be a subjective one.

'What is tolerable to one person may not be to another. Adults should be able to decide that they no longer wish to be married, without having to accuse their spouse of adultery or unreasonable behaviour.

'This judgment means that spouses like Mrs Owens, who have clearly decided their marriage is over, will be compelled to stay in their marriage for five more years, before they can petition without having to cite unreasonable behaviour.'
the pair had to 'step away from' the viral fame

A dancing grandma who became a viral sensation alongside her grandson has died.

Jarryd Stoneman posted a touching tribute to his late nanny Katie Thomas, 94, calling her his 'best friend'.

In March last year, the 24-year-old man from Wellington New Zealand, posted a delightful video of the pair dancing - despite Ms Thomas not being able to walk.

Scroll down for videos

Katie Thomas, 94, the grandma that became a viral sensation after her grandson asked her to dance, has died

Jarryd Stoneman (left) posted a touching tribute to his nanny on Facebook calling her his 'best friend'

Sharing a beautiful image of his nanny, Mr Stoneman wrote on Facebook of the emotional and strong bond he had with her.

'It's hard to come to terms with, it's hard to believe,' he began.

'It hurts, but I find comfort in knowing she lived a great life.'

Paying gratitude for all the amazing times the two spent together, Mr Stoneman let his love for his grandma be known.

'The memories we created together is something I'll forever hold close to my heart.

'I'm blessed I got to laugh with you, dance with you, care for you, smile and entertain you in your last couple of years with us.'

In the heartfelt post the 24-year-old spoke of his love for his grandma, signing off by saying 'until we dance again'

In describing their relationship Mr Stoneman wrote that it would be 'something I'll forever hold close to my heart'

Ms Thomas' death comes less than two months after Mr Stoneman posted their final video together - announcing it was time for her to say goodbye to public eyes.

Lying alongside his grandmother in her bed, the two smiled at the camera, taking their final curtain call together.

'What's up everybody,' Mr Stoneman said in the video. 'We've made the decision it's time for nanny to retire from Facebook fame.

Commenting that she was still well with 'plenty more years to come', Mr Stoneman was steadfast in his ongoing support of her.

'You're still doing fine, aye nanny. It's just time for her to get off Facebook and just chill. Just chill in her chair. There's still gonna be a lot of support out here, with my sister and mum and I'm still gonna be here for her.'

Jarryd Stoneman and his nanny Katie Thomas went viral in March last year when he asked her to dance  even though she can't walk

The nanny and grandson documented their friendship together on Facebook

The original dancing video, which has been viewed more than 15 million times became a viral hit, as the pair danced around the living room to Lukas Graham's song 7 Years.

'Asked nanny for a dance, she can't remember much but she still knows how to move', he wrote alongside the video.

Though a little unsteady to begin with, Ms Thomas soon found her groove, circling the room overwhelmed with joy.

At one point Mr Stoneman got on his knees, and they smiled at each other before embracing.

'She can't walk but she can dance.

'Still got it hey nanny,' Mr Stoneman said before planting her kiss on her head.
Scientists will search for the long-lost Tasmanian tiger in Far North Queensland after two promising sightings of what could be the extinct predator.

Experts hold high hopes of re-discovering the Thylacine, based on descriptions of sightings which they believe are 'detailed and plausible'.

Dr Sandra Abell from James Cook University - who recently discovered a second population of the near-extinct northern bettong in the same area, will lead the field survey, Australian Geographic reports.

Researchers are preparing to launch a search for the long-lost Tasmanian tiger

Two detailed descriptions have given scientists belief the supposedly extinct apex predator is alive

The search was first instigated after the ABC asked co-investigator Professor Bill Laurance, also from JCU, to respond to a description of a sighting by former tourism operator Brian Hobbs of Ravenshoe.

Mr Hobbs gave Professor Laurance a detailed account of seeing a pack of animals matching the description of Tasmanian tigers while spotlighting in the Cape York Peninsula.

When Professor Laurance heard Mr Hobbs' description he said he 'tried to eliminate other possibilities' of what else the sighting could have been.

But it matched the Tasmanian tiger.

Dr Sandra Abell from James Cook University - who recently discovered a second population of the near-extinct northern bettong in the same area, will lead the field survey

A former Queensland National Parks Service ranger was also interviewed and gave a similar account of possible Thylacine sightings within a separate remote location in Far North Queensland.

THE TASMANIAN TIGER The Thylacine looked like a large, long dog with stripes and a long stiff tail. The last known Thylacine died in Hobart Zoo in 1936. Despite hundreds of reported sightings no conclusive evidence has been provided that the Tasmanian tiger is alive. Advertisement

Over 50 high-tech baited camera traps will be set-up by the team of Queensland researchers across the two sites, the locations of which will not be divulged.

Mr Hobbs told ABC earlier this month the animals that startled his dog in the night were quiet and not aggressive.

'These animals, I've never seen anything like them before in my life,' he said.

'They were dog-shaped ... and in the spotlight I could see they were tan in colour and they had stripes on their sides.'
Tory MP Tobias Ellwood warmly greeted the colleagues of slain Pc Keith Palmer as he arrived for work two days after he tried to save the Parliament policeman's life.

Mr Ellwood gave mouth-to-mouth to Pc Palmer, 48, and put pressure on his wounds to stop the blood flow after he was brutally stabbed by jihadist Khalid Masood in Westminster.

The Bournemouth East MP, a former army officer, was then pictured with blood on his face after the emergency services arrived and took over medical assistance.

Days after the horrific attack Mr Ellwood has returned to work at the Houses of Parliament and was pictured shaking the hand of an armed officer and sharing a brief conversation as he made his way in this morning.

Pictured: MP Tobias Ellwood shakes the hands of a Parliamentary police officer as he returns to work just two days after he fought to the save the life of Pc Keith Palmer during the Westminster terror attack

Pictured: Mr Ellwood, the MP for Bournemouth East, walks past floral tributes left to the three victims of the atrocity as he goes back to work at Parliament

Masood, 52, mowed into pedestrians while driving a Hyundai 4x4 along Westminster Bridge before attacking Pc Keith Palmer, fatally stabbing him in the head, arm and side of his ribs, on Wednesday. He was shot dead by armed officers moments after attacking Pc Palmer.

His brutal assault left three people dead and at least 29 injured.

Speaking just hours after the attack on Wednesday, Mr Ellwood, formerly a Captain in the Royal Green Jackets, said the incident was a 'huge tragedy'.

The Foreign Office Minister said: 'I am a witness, I was the last one on the scene before he died so I am not allowed to say anything.

'It is now murder, I was on the scene and as soon as I realised what was going on I headed towards it. It is a huge tragedy, it really is.

'I tried to stem the flow of blood and give mouth to mouth while waiting for the medics to arrive but I think he had lost too much blood.

'He had multiple wounds, under the arm and in the back.

Pictured: Mr Ellwood assisting medics as they battle to save stabbed police officer Palmer outside Parliament

Mr Ellwood gave mouth-to-mouth to Pc Palmer, 48, and put pressure on his wounds but sadly the officer did not recover. Left, Pc Palmer with US tourist Staci Martin minutes before he died and right, Mr Ellwood with police and medics at the scene of the attack

'As I understand it the attacker has also died. I'm not allowed to say anything, I'll get into trouble. It's very sad.'

Mr Ellwood's family endured their own tragedy in 2002 along with several other British families after the attack at the Kuta Beach tourist area in Bali.

His brother Jonathan worked at the International School Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam as a history teacher and was in Bali to attend an international conference.

The bombing killed 202 people, including 23 from Britain, after three bombs were detonated.

The attack involved a suicide bomber carrying explosives in a backpack and a large car bomb, both of which were set off outside popular nightclubs.

A third, smaller, explosive was detonated outside the United States consulate but did only minor damage.
An aspiring Islamic State fighter who allegedly slaughtered his first wife had a second wife at the same time and accused her of being an ASIO spy, a court has heard.

The Melbourne man is charged with murdering his first wife in front of their three young children and dumping her body in grassland in June last year.

Her body was found by a jogger, wrapped in plastic wrap, a quilt and electrical tape, with injuries including a gouged-out right eye and two amputated fingers.

His second wife told a court she divorced him after a month because he was 'weird' and 'paranoid'.

A Melbourne man is charged with slaughtering his first wife in front of their three young children and dumping her body in grassland in June last year

'(He) said that I was too intelligent to be a normal Muslim woman and that I had to be an ASIO agent who was a spy,' she said.

The ex-wife, a softly spoken woman in her late 30s, made an obvious effort not to look at the alleged killer as she sat in the witness box at his magistrates' court committal hearing on Friday.

She described how living with the accused following their marriage in 2011 quickly became unbearable after he forbade her from seeing her son from a previous marriage and accused her of being a phoney and a spy.

The husband behaved weirdly and was 'paranoid' that both his wives had eyes for other men, she said.

After about a month of marriage, she demanded a divorce and went to a Muslim sheikh to have it enacted.

She said the man believed in magic and thought the first wife's family had cast an evil spell on him to make him marry her.

However, the ex-wife also testified that the alleged killer and his first wife had genuinely loved each other and physical violence was uncommon.

She had seen him punch her only once, she said, although the first wife had complained the husband was unequal in his treatment of them, saying something like, 'Why doesn't (the second wife) ever get hit?'

An aspiring Islamic State fighter who allegedly slaughtered his first wife had a second wife at the same time and accused her of being an ASIO spy, a court has heard (Stock Image)

Evidence from a relative on Friday also indicated the husband had been violent to his young wife.

The relative told the court he was aware of conflict between them over the husband's interest in fighting for Islamic State in Syria and that this had resulted in him cutting her hand.

'He plainly told me that he wants to fight and this country is not for us,' the relative said.

'He gave her a sharia law book and she said, 'I don't to want to follow it' and then he sliced her hand.'

His second wife told a Melbourne court she divorced him after a month because he was 'weird' and 'paranoid' (Stock Image)

On another occasion, she had removed her head scarf in front of his wife to reveal a bruised eye, he said.

The committal hearing continues on Monday.

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25).

National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call triple-zero.
This is the rhythmically-gifted lemur who gave Michael Flatley a run for his money with its graceful leaps through the air.

The fluffy white primate treated a gobsmacked photographer to his own version of the Riverdance in southern Madagascar.

The hilarious Lord of the Dance-inspired jig was caught on camera by Simone Sbaraglia, from Rome, Italy, during a trip to the exotic African island.

This is the rhythmically-gifted lemur who is giving Michael Flatley a run for his money with his hilarious jigs in southern Madagascar

The fluffy white primate treated a gobsmacked photographer to his own version of the Lord of the Dance's Riverdance

Simone, 44, said: 'I made several trips to Madagascar specifically to photograph lemurs.

'I was especially fascinated by these sifaka lemurs and their dance.'

He explained that the animals 'dance' in that manner when they need to cross from one forested area to another.

'Since their front legs are very small, they need to jump in this funny and entertaining way,' he explained.

The likeness with the movement to American dancer and choreographer Michael Flatley is undeniable.

The 58-year-old, who has Irish parents, shot to global fame with his Irish dance shows, Riverdance, Lord Of The Dance, Celtic Tiger and Fleet Of Flames.

The likeness with the movement to American dancer and choreographer Michael Flatley is undeniable

The animals 'dance' in that manner when they need to cross from one forested area to another

Simone admitted that he worked painstakingly to capture the specific moment.

'It took me two weeks,' he confessed.

'I worked out which times of day the lemurs would cross from the sandy area to the forest, and spent many days waiting to catch them mid-air.

'When I looked back at the images I was so pleased to see I'd captured the lemurs in the way I intended.'
A mother-of-three who sold fake tickets to Disneyland to her pals has been convicted of fraud - but has dodged jail.

Ellie Catchesides, 28, of Eltham, south east London, sold the dodgy tickets on Facebook to four friends.

One of the woman had been friends with Catchesides for 15 years and others were mothers at the same school as her children.

The parent had told pals that she had bought tickets to Disneyland Paris but that she could not make the trip and offered to sell the tickets on at cut-price rates.

Ellie Catchesides (pictured on holiday) sold the dodgy tickets on Facebook to four friends

Catchesides (shown) admitted four counts of fraud during a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court

In all she scammed four people, including pal Jade Miller, who handed over 950, and Rebecca Tomlin, who paid 550 for tickets to Disneyland Paris.

When Ms Miller realised she had been conned she set up a Facebook and JustGiving group for victims of the fraud.

Her evidence was eventually used at Woolwich Crown Court, where Catchesides admitted four counts of fraud.

Ms Miller said: 'At first my friend thought it was just me it happened to but upon looking further into it I have found that I am not alone.

'On one occasion a family turned up on the day ready to travel to Disneyland with children in tow to discover the heart-breaking truth.'

In a statement to the court, Ms Miller wrote the Catchesides had targeted 'hard-working families struggling to get by who are responsive to good deals' and that her kids were 'very disappointed' not to be going to Disneyland.

In all Cathesides (shown) scammed four people, including pal Jade Miller, who handed over 950, and Rebecca Tomlin, who paid 550 for tickets to Disneyland Paris.

The court heard of her children's 'disappointment at being told that their holiday to Disneyland was not now taking place'.

Catchesides, who said she faces having to move out of Eltham as she was 'scared to leave her home', claimed at first that she was herself a victim of a scam, but eventually admitted the fraud.

She was sentenced to complete 140 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Andrew Lees told her: 'You sold fake trips to people who no doubt work hard and were hoping they had a chance to go on holiday that might be enjoyable for them and their family.

'But it turned out you were committing a mean and dishonest offence against them and there was some persistence in what you were doing.'
Vladimir Putin has promised not to interfere in the French elections after meeting far-right candidate Marine Le Pen this morning.

The Russian president told the French National Front leader his country 'by no means wants to influence the current events'.

But he added: 'We reserve the right to communicate with all representatives of all political forces of the country, as do our partners in Europe and the United States for example.

It comes a month after France warned the Kremlin against meddling in its affairs and after American intelligence accused Moscow hackers of helping Donald Trump win the US presidency.

Vladimir Putin (right, today) has promised not to interfere in the French elections after meeting far-right candidate Marine Le Pen (left) this morning

The Kremlin said Putin did not discuss financial aid for her campaign and that meeting Le Pen and 'opposition' is 'normal practice'. The pair are pictured during talks this morning

Marine Le Pen has spoken with Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Moscow this morning. She is pictured as she spoke to Vyacheslav Volodin during their meeting in the Lower House of the Russian Parliament

Le Pen, who has said she admires the Russian leader, was visiting Russia at the invitation of Leonid Slutsky, head of the lower house of parliament's foreign affairs committee, Russian news agencies reported.

Putin is said to have told her: 'I know that you represent quite a fast-developing spectrum of European political forces.'

However, the Kremlin said Putin did not discuss financial aid for her campaign and that meeting Le Pen and 'opposition' is 'normal practice'.

Putin's meeting with Le Pen was not announced this week when the Russian parliament confirmed that the National Front leader would be visiting Moscow on Friday to meet with lawmakers.

Earlier on Friday, Le Pen met Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, calling for increasing cooperation with Russia in the fight against 'terrorism'.

She later called for European sanctions against Russia to be scrapped insisting the EU had no right to punish Russia for annexing the disputed Crimea region from Ukraine in 2014.

'I see no reasons that justify the current hostile attitude of the French authorities towards Russia,' Ms Le Pen said on her visit to Moscow.

'We have always believed that Russia and France need to maintain and develop the ties that have bound us for a long time.'

Mr Putin, the Russian President, was then pictured chatting in the Kremlin with Ms Le Pen, who is shunned by many western governments around the world, including Britain's.

She has visited Moscow on several occasions, enjoying positive Russian state media coverage.

Vyacheslav Volodin (right) welcomes French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen (left) for the talks during their meeting in the Lower House of the Russian Parliament

Putin's meeting with Le Pen was not announced this week when the Russian parliament confirmed that the National Front leader would be visiting Moscow on Friday to meet with lawmakers. She is pictured shaking hands with Vyacheslav Volodin

Le Pen is among European politicians who have called for closer ties with Putin and approved of Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

In 2014, the Moscow based First Czech Russian Bank (FCRB) lent the FN the equivalent of 8million

But the Central Bank of Russia revoked FCRB's license last year, leaving Ms Le Pen looking for a new backer in the country.

FN treasurer Wallerand de Saint Just said in December: 'The loss of the FCRB was a hard blow for us.The Russia loan was a stable resource. Now we are still searching for loans.'

Moscow has been accused of seeking to promote anti-EU candidates in European elections.

A month ago France warned the Kremlin against meddling in its elections. Foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault threatened 'retaliatory measures' in the event of interference in upcoming presidential elections in April.

Leading French candidates, Emmanuel Macron, in February accused Russia of trying to derail his bid.

Macron also accused Moscow of being behind a cyber attacks on his campaign website and email servers over the past month.

'Half of the attacks, and there are hundreds a day, come from Ukraine, which is known for its links to hackers and people responsible for cyberattacks in Russia,' said his spokesman Benjamin Griveaux, accusing the Kremlin of trying to boost Fillon and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, both of whom urge closer ties to Russia.

At the same time, Ayrault warned the French parliament: 'We will not accept any interference whatsoever in our electoral process, whether by Russia or any other state.

The Russian president (pictured) told the French National Front leader his country 'by no means wants to influence the current events'

Le Pen, who has said she admires the Russian leader, was visiting Russia at the invitation of Leonid Slutsky, head of the lower house of parliament's foreign affairs committee, Russian news agencies reported

'After what happened in the United States, it is our responsibility to take all steps necessary to ensure that the integrity of our democratic process is fully respected.'

He said France would set clear limits, 'including retaliatory measures when that is necessary, because no foreign state can influence the choice of the French, no foreign state can choose the future president of the Republic.'

Speaking at the National Assembly, Ayrault also took aim at Fillon and Le Pen, saying it would be better if 'certain candidates who see themselves favoured by, in particular, a country we know well - Russia - protest against this type of influence'.

It comes amid a period of heightened tensions between Russian president Vladimir Putin and the West.

This has been increased amid a furore over Russia's alleged interference in the US campaign that has already forced out one of Trump's top aides.

Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn resigned on Monday after it was revealed that he misled top officials over his contacts with Russia during the campaign.

US intelligence agencies had already accused Russian intelligence of hacking Democratic Party emails that embarrassed Trump's rival Hillary Clinton.




Germany's iconic gummy bear will soon be 'Made in USA.'

Haribo, manufacturer of the beloved chewy treats, will open its first North American candy factory in Wisconsin in 2020, it was announced on Thursday.

The Bonn-based company has been selling the sweets in the United States since 1982 and has decided it was time to set up shop.

The new $242million plant will be based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, near Kenosha, and is expected to create 400 jobs for the community.

Haribo, manufacturer of the iconic gummy bears, will open its first plant in the U.S. in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, in 2020, it was announced on Thursday. Governor Scott Walker's (pictured) office said the $242m project is expected to start next year and is one of the largest investments from a foreign company in Wisconsin's history

Haribo invented the gummy bear nearly a century ago and is already the top seller of gummy bears in America.

Governor Scott Walker's office said the project, which is expected to start next year, is one of the largest investments from a foreign company in Wisconsin's history, reported ABC 7.

Walker said the 500,000 square foot facility will be the third-largest confectionery plant in the United States.

He added: 'Haribo is a great fit with the many other iconic companies that already call Wisconsin home.'

Haribo is already the top seller of gummy bears in America. The 500,000 square foot facility will provide 400 new jobs for the community

Haribo, founded in 1920, employs 7,000 people worldwide and produces 100 million gummy bears daily at 16 factories in 10 countries.

Company head Hans Guido Riegel said: 'The decision to build a manufacturing facility in Wisconsin is of great importance.

'Haribo of America is the fastest growing confectionery company in the U.S.A., therefore the step of starting our own production there from 2020 is important for us.'

Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser added: 'This is a sweet day for Kenosha County.'
Advertisement

This set of heart-warming photographs capture the touching moment sailors were reunited with their families after six months overseas.

Nearly 2,000 people rose early this morning to watch on as Britain's largest warship HMS Ocean docked back in Devonport, Plymouth.

Tears could be seen falling from the faces of relatives as they were emotionally reunited with their loved ones after half a year apart.

Among them was five-year-old Isabelle Jeffrey, who waited patiently with her mother and brother for father Private Officer Adam Jeffrey to debark from the ship.

The Royal Navy's largest vessel - which weighs a staggering 21,500 tonnes - had racked up more than 23,000 miles, visiting 11 countries during an overseas placement in the Gulf region and the Suez Canal.

Captain Rob Pedre, Ocean's Commanding Officer, said he was honoured to bring HMS Ocean home after a 'hugely successful' deployment in the Middle East. He said the good humour, professionalism and dedication of the ship's company had made him proud.

Not letting go: Isabelle Jeffrey, aged five, broke down in tears with emotion after seeing her father Private Officer Adam Jeffrey for the first time as he arrived back in Plymouth this morning after a six month tour in the Middle East on Britain's largest warship HMS Ocean

Relieved: Smiling sailors and marines waved to the crowds waiting for them on the jetty in Devonport, Plymouth, today as they arrived back at the naval base after a tour in the gulf

Welcome home: Family members and friends waited for the arrival of HMS Ocean at the Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth which came in just before 8am this morning

Isabelle Jeffrey aged five broke down with emotion while waiting to find her father in the crowds of sailors who were debarking from HMS Ocean on Friday morning

So happy! Shannon Knowles, aged seven, greeted her father Leading Hand Andrew Knowles after the warship docked in Plymouth. She hadn't seen him in half a year

The 667ft-long vessel, the largest in the Royal Navy, was launched in October 1995 and has enough room to accommodate 40 vehicles. Today its crew of 500 were free to go home after a six-month tour away

The crew of over 500 personnel, including members of 820 Naval Air Squadron and Lima Company of 42 Commando Royal Marines waved ahead of their reunion with friends and family on the dockside

Striking: The scene on Friday morning, March 24, as the gigantic warship made its way back to its home of Devonport Naval Base. The silhouettes of sailors can be seen, neatly lining up to wave at smiling relatives on the jetty

Proud: The smartly-dressed sailors aboard the Royal Navy's fleet flagship were ready to arrive back home in Plymouth, Devon. The crew will now go on leave before returning to Devonport to prepare for a final visit to their affiliated city of Sunderland, which will be followed by a NATO deployment to the Mediterranean later this year

Emotional: Pictured Mother Luisa Jeffrey with her son Dominic, aged four, and her daughter Isabelle, aged five, who couldn't help but cry, as she waited for her father to debark from HMS Ocean as it docked in Plymouth

Touching: Isabelle Jeffrey, aged five, couldn't help but break into tears after she spotted her father for the first time in six months after his six-month tour in the Gulf

Here they come! Family members cheer and wave as their relatives return from the ship. They got up early this morning especially with the famous ship arriving back in Plymouth just before 8am

Look who it is! Mother Luisa Jeffrey points to son Dominic, four, and Isabelle, five, as she spots her husband getting off the ship and walking towards them

Here he is! Isabelle Jeffrey, five, clasped her father's hand after a teary wait for him to debark from HMS Ocean. Private Officer Adam Jeffrey had been away for six months in the Middle East

Reunited: Isabelle Jeffrey waited with her mother and brother for the moment to see her father Private Officer Adam Jeffrey

Family members wrapped up warm to brave the chilly March weather today and held banners saying 'Welcome home Daddy!' and 'Missed you' to greet those disembarking from HMS Ocean after a long spell away

Hundreds of people waited patiently this morning carrying banners to welcome home the brave 500+ sailors and crew staff aboard HMS Ocean. Despite the chilly weather and grey skies, the crowds were in high spirits

Epic: The 667ft-long HMS Ocean weighs a staggering 21,500 tonnes. With a top speed of 18 knots - equivalent to around 21 mph - the ship can accommodate almost 1,300 people and 40 vehicles. Above, the sailors this morning eagerly waving to those on shore

'Is that him?': Family members had a job to spot their loved one among the 500+ crew members that disembarked from HMS Ocean in Plymouth
A Met Police officer sustained 'life-changing' injuries after he was driven into by Westminster terrorist Kaleed Masood, it emerged today.

PC Kris Aves was walking across the bridge with colleagues PC Roger Smith and PC Bradley Bryant when they were hit by the 4x4.

The 35-year-old father reportedly needed eight hours in surgery and is now expected to survive with life-changing injuries.

Policeman Kris Aves sustained life-threatening injuries when he was hit on Westminster Bridge

Police officers patrolled the bridge today after it was reopened to pedestrians and traffic

The trio of policemen, who are believed to work in Lambeth, were returning from a ceremony to honour officers who deal with public order issues.

His sister Nikki Tapner told The Sun: 'All I have been told is he has been hurt but his life is not in danger.'

She said PC Aves' parents are with him in hospital as he recovers.

Friends from his local pub wished him a 'speedy recovery' online yesterday.

PC Smith sustained leg injuries and underwent an operation while PC Bryant has been discharged after suffering more minor injuries.

Speaking about the officers today, Met Police anti-terror cheif Mark Rowley: 'Two of our officers who were injured on Westminster Bridge in the attack also remain in hospital and also have sustained significant injuries.'

Masood was shot and later died after he drove into 50 pedestrians and killed a police officer

Police officers today inspect flowers left in tribute to the four people killed by the terrorist

Masood, 52, killed 75-year-old Londoner Leslie Rhodes, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, and mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 43, as he ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. He then stabbed PC Keith Palmer, 48, to death inside the grounds of Parliament.

Mr Rowley added: 'At least 50 people were injured with 31 requiring hospital treatment as the attack unfolded and those affected include a real cross section of ages and from at least 12 nationalities.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said two of the three officers 'sustained significant injuries' when speaking today

'It is a poignant reminder that the impact of this attack on the capital will reach around the world.'

The fourth person named as having been killed, Leslie Rhodes, from Streatham, south London, died at King's College Hospital on Thursday night after life support was withdrawn.

Neighbours described him as a 'lovely man' and said the retired window cleaner was a keen music fan.

The innocent casualties include 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks, and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

Kurt Cochran, a US tourist from Utah, was also killed on Westminster Bridge after Khalid Masood drove a car into unsuspecting pedestrians.

Aysha Frade, who worked in administration at independent sixth-form school DLD College London in Westminster, also died on the bridge.

She is understood to have been 43 and married with two daughters.
Two Bay Area houses on the market for $1 might sound like a cruel joke for many living in the area, which faces some of the highest housing rates in the nation - but it's no hoax.

It is true that two turn-of-the-century homes in Oakland, California, have been listed for just $1, but there's a catch: The houses are available for such a low price because the land they sit on isn't included.

The houses have to be removed from the property by April 30 to make way for a new 127-unit apartment complex.

Anyone who buys the homes will have to pay the costly price of transporting the homes from their current location to another plot of land, that he or she would have to find and purchase separately.

The two turn-of-the-century houses (pictured above) in Oakland, California, are being sold for $1 because they have to be removed from the property by April 30 to make way for a new 127-unit apartment complex

California-based Lowe Enterprises says that the two homes, at 3007 and 3009 Brook Street, as well as several other properties, sit in the demolition zone of the new apartment complex, which will be built on the same block, at 3000 Broadway.

One is a red three-bedroom house, while the other is a green four-bedroom structure. Both were built around 1900.

The green four-bedroom home was last sold in November, for $925,000 - a far cry from the $1 it's currently on the market for.

Signs outside the homes, seen by Curbed, say: 'Free Houses, Must be Relocated From This Site'.

The signs say: 'The houses must be removed to accommodate construction of a new apartment complex.

California-based Lowe Enterprises says that the two homes, at 3007 and 3009 Brook Street sit in the demolition zone of the new apartment complex, which will be built on the same block, at 3000 Broadway

'Pursuant to policy 3.7 of the City of Oakland's General Plan Historic Preservation Element, the developer is offering this house for a nominal fee of $1 to any person who can relocate it from this location no later than April 30, 2017.'

The general plan says that the city 'will normally require that reasonable efforts be made to relocate properties to an acceptable site'.

It's unknown how much it would cost to move the homes, as it depends on the size and weight of the structure and the length of the journey.

An Oregon-based expert told Angie's List that it could cost around $12 to $14 per square foot to move the structure, then the new owners would have to purchase land, foundation for the homes and utility hookups at the new property.

Anyone interested in buying the homes should contact Paul Gryfakis at (510)768-7580 for more information, according to SF Gate.
A French-Tunisian man has been charged with attempted 'terrorist' murder after trying to drive a car loaded with liquid gas, assault rifle and knives into shoppers.

The 39-year-old, identified as 'Mohamed R', was also charged with 'an attempt to hit and wound in a terrorist manner and arms infractions,' prosecutors said on Friday.

Police arrested him on Thursday after he ploughed through the busy shopping area in Antwerp.

He forced people to jump out of the way and ignored an initial order to stop by soldiers during the attack, authorities said.

A French-Tunisian man, known as Mohamed R, has been charged with attempted 'terrorist' murder after trying to drive a car loaded with liquid gas, assault rifle and knives into shoppers in Antwerp

Authorities found a rifle and bladed weapons in the car after the 39-year-old man tried to flee and was detained in the northern city (pictured)

Police pictured at the Sint-Michielskaai in Antwerp, the location of a thwarted terrorist attack in Antwerp

The Belgian bomb squad were called to the car after the man was arrested in Antwerp

The suspected attacker is said to have tried to mow down pedestrians on Meir (pictured)

The suspect was said to be travelling in a car registered in France and that it was a red Citroen

A source close to the investigation said he was 'under the influence of something' but it was not clear what substance.

He was not in a state to be questioned by police until Friday, they added.

The charges were handed down by an investigating judge who ordered the suspect be held following Thursday's incident.

The attack came just hours after four people were killed in London by the terrorist who mowed down pedestrians and cyclists outside the House of Commons before stabbing a policeman to death.

Two armed officers stand guard as the car is seen to by other officers from the bomb squad

Belgian police said they would be beefing up security in the city of Antwerp (pictured)

bomb disposal robot is seen removing items from a car which had entered the main pedestrian shopping street in the city at high speed

Police officers patrol on the Meir, the main shopping street, after police arrested man on suspicion of driving at a crowd in Antwerp, Belgium

A man wearing camouflage has been arrested after trying to drive a car with French plates into a crowd on a busy shopping street in Antwerp

The car thought to have been driven through the crowds in Antwerp is taken away (circled)

Policemen patrol on the Meir, Antwerp's main pedestrian street, after a man was arrested after he tried to drive into a crowd of shoppers at high speed

Belgian police arrested the man on Thursday after he tried to drive into a crowd at high-speed in a shopping area in the port city of Antwerp at around 11am.

The suspect, who has not been confirmed as a Muslim but is named after the religion's prophet and is said to be of North African descent, was wearing camouflage when he was arrested.

Belgian security forces found a rifle as well as bladed weapons in the car driven by the Frenchman who tried to ram a crowd in the main pedestrianised street in the port city, described by the French President Francois Hollande as an 'attempted terrorist attack'.

The federal prosecutor's office also said bomb disposal units were sent to the scene to examine the vehicle.

'Different arms were found in the boot - bladed weapons, a riot gun (rifle) and a container of liquid that is still unidentified,' the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.

'The suspect is Mohamed R, born on May 8, 1977, of French nationality and a resident of France,' the statement said.

The driver sped off after Belgian soldiers, who have been deployed around the country to assist the counter-terrorism fight, tried to stop the car.

'A short while later, a rapid intervention force from Antwerp police was able to stop the car,' the statement said.

Two armed police officers walk down the street in Antwerp where the French-Tunisian was arrested

A shopper clings onto her bag as she walks in front of two armed officers on the Meir

Pedestrians walk down the Meir in Antwerp where a suspected attacker is said to have tried to drive down

Police pictured at the Sint-Michielskaai in Antwerp, the location of a possible thwarted terrorist attack in Antwerp

Sint-Michielskaai in Antwerp, the location of a possible thwarted terrorist attack in Antwerp

The car was driven down the Meir street in Antwerp - the city's busiest pedestrianised streets.

Belgian soldiers then forced the driver to stop, but he fled by running a red light as he made his way towards the Scheldt river.

Less than a mile later, he was stopped by police officers and arrested.

The gas liquid was found in a canister, and as a result the case was handed over to the federal prosecutor's office, which usually deals with terrorism cases in Belgium.

Different arms were found in the boot - bladed weapons, a riot gun (rifle) and a container of liquid that is still unidentified Belgian federal prosecutor's office

The office said: 'Because of these elements, and the events in London yesterday, the case is being taken on by the federal prosecutor's office.'

Prime Minister Charles Michel said 'we remain vigilant. Our security services have done excellent work.'

The events happened a day after the nation held remembrance services for the Brussels airport and subway attacks, which killed 32 people on March 22, 2016.

He added the driver was later arrested and additional police and military personnel had been deployed to the centre of Antwerp, but did not give any further details.

The suspect was said to be travelling in a car registered in France and that it was a red Citroen.

He tried and failed to knock people down in the busy shopping area and fled the scene towards the city's port where he was arrested, according to Le Soir.

The man, who is said to be of North African origin, was detained on St Michielskaai in Antwerp which is less than a mile away from the Meir, according to VTM.

A forensics expert stands next to a car which had entered the main pedestrian shopping street in the city at high speed

RISE OF THE VEHICLE TERRORISTS Today's suspected terror attack in Antwerp is the latest in a string of similar incidents across the world where extremists have used vehicles as weapons. Yesterday, three people were killed in a massacre outside the House of Commons in London when an ISIS-inspired attacker mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman. He was shot dead by armed officers. On Bastille Day in the summer of last year, 86 people were killed when a truck was driven through crowds enjoying fireworks in Nice. Four months later, a copycat ISIS-inspired massacre took place in Germany when a terrorist drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin. Twelve people were killed in the attack on December 19. This year, a Palestinian lorry driver mowed down and then reversed over Israeli soldiers. The attack occurred on January 8 and killed four people. At least one person is feared dead in the Westminster Bridge incident, which comes on the anniversary of another deadly act of terrorism in the name of Islamic State in Brussels which killed 32. ISIS' propaganda magazine has regularly called on lone wolf attackers to use lorries and vehicles as deadly weapons. In response to the terror threat, France is in the process of building an 8ft bulletproof wall around the Eiffel Tower aimed at protecting the iconic landmark from potential jihadists. TERROR IN WESTMINSTER People stand near a crashed car and a injured person lying on the ground, right, on Bridge Street near the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday, March 22, 2017 Yesterday, on the first anniversary of an ISIS-inspired terror attack in Brussels that killed 32 people, there was terror on the streets of London. Two people died when an Islamist extremist drove a Hyundai 4x4 along the pavement and bus lane on Westminster Bridge, mowing down pedestrians and cyclists. Twenty-nine people were injured. After crashing the car into railings outside the House of Commons, the attacker ran to towards the iconic building and stabbed a policeman to death. He was shot dead by armed officers. BASTILLE DAY The battered front of the truck used by Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel to kill 86 people who were celebrating Bastille Day On the evening of July 14, 2016, a 19-tonne cargo truck was driven into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenage des Anglais in Nice. ISIS fanatic Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was behind the wheel and after exchanging gunfire with police, the Tunisian migrant was shot dead. Thousands had gathered on the seafront to watch the fireworks that night. Eighty-six of them died and 434 were injured. BERLIN CHRISTMAS MARKET A tow truck operates at the scene where a truck ploughed through a crowd at a Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz square near the fashionable Kurfuerstendamm avenue in the west of Berlin, Germany Anis Amri stole a cargo truck and killed 12 people when he drove through a Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin. Among the dozen people killed in the ISIS-inspired terror attack on December 19, 2016, was the original driver of the truck Lukasz Urban who was found dead with a gunshot wound in the passenger street. Amri was a Tunisian who had failed to gain asylum status in the country. He was killed in Milan four days later after an international manhunt. JERUSALEM SOLDIERS ATTACK Israeli soldiers work at the scene where police said a Palestinian named as Fadi Qunbar, 28, rammed his truck into a group of four Israeli soldiers on a popular promenade in Jerusalem January 8, 2017 On January 8 this year, a Palestinian rammed a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers visiting a popular tourist spot in Jerusalem, killing four and wounding 15 people, in a shocking copycat of the Berlin and Nice terror massacres. Shocking video from the scene shows the driver reversing back over the soldiers, trapping ten under his wheels, during the sickening attack on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged the attacker 'supported' the Islamic State group, though he provided no details on what led to the finding. He said there 'definitely could be a connection' between Sunday's attack, which killed four Israeli soldiers, and recent attacks in France and Germany. OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY A car which police say was used by an attacker to plow into a group of students is seen outside Watts Hall on Ohio State University's campus in Columbus, Ohio A Somali refugee injured 13 people when he rammed his car into a group of people outside Ohio State University in Columbus. Abdul Razak Ali Artan was shot dead by the first responding OSU police officer and ISIS claimed through its Amaq News Agency that he had acted on behalf of the terror group. After mowing down people in the car, he jumped out of his vehicle and attempted to stab more people. ATTACK ON CANADIAN PARLIAMENT Armed RCMP officers approach Centre Block on Parliament Hilll following a shooting incident in Ottawa, Canada on October 22, 2014 Today's terror attack on Parliament bears striking similarities to the assault on Canada's Parliament in October 2014. That incident also combined the use of a vehicle as a weapon with an attack on police - and was stopped from becoming much worse by the quick reactions of the security forces. In the earlier attack, a gunman later identified as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot a sentry dead at a war memorial near the Parliament building in Ottawa. He then leaped into a car and drove towards Parliament, still wielding his hunting rifle, before hijacking another vehicle and heading for the main building in the complex. Zehaf-Bibeau - a 32-year-old jihadist - made it inside Parliament, shooting a policeman in the foot, before he was himself shot by the Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers and then killed by another officer. Advertisement

French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday that a French national appeared to have been involved in a suspected, attempted attack in the Belgium city of Antwerp.

He called the incident 'an attempted terrorist attack', according to CNN.

'It seemed to involve a French national, with possibly a certain number of weapons in his boot - it's up to the judges to make a statement on that - who was looking to kill or at the very least create a dramatic incident,' Hollande told reporters.

'Therefore we must continue to be on high alert and mobilise all our forces,' he added.

Yesterday, on the first anniversary of an ISIS-inspired terror attack in Brussels that killed 32 people, there was terror on the streets of London.

Two people died when an Islamist extremist drove a Hyundai 4x4 along the pavement and bus lane on Westminster Bridge, mowing down pedestrians and cyclists.

Twenty-nine people were injured.

After crashing the car into railings outside the House of Commons, the attacker ran to towards the iconic building and stabbed a policeman to death.

He was shot dead by armed officers.
A Wisconsin high school freshman became a hero earlier this week after he saved a choking classmate.

Ian Brown was eating lunch with friends at La Crosse Central High School on Wednesday when pal Will Olson started choking after laughing at a joke.

Brown noticed Olson's face and neck were changing color and jumped into action to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

He was able to dislodge a cheese curd from Olson's throat, and took him to the nurse's office to make sure his airway was clear.

Ian Brown was eating lunch with friends at La Crosse Central High School on Wednesday when pal Will Olson started choking after laughing at a joke

Brown (left) noticed Olson's (right) face and neck were changing color and jumped into action to perform the Heimlich maneuver. He was able to dislodge a cheese curd from Olson's throat

'I just went and did it,' Brown told WIZM. 'It was do first and think later. Afterwards, we were just like, 'Alright, let's talk about what just happened.' It all happened really quick.'

Brown said he and his friends were telling jokes when Olson started choking after taking a deep breath in while laughing and eating at the same time.

The group had just gotten to the cafeteria after going across the street to grab food from a Chinese buffet for lunch.

'We couldn't tell if he was choking right away,' Brown told WIZM. 'He had kind of a laugh with it.

'And then his face stared turning purple and I saw his hands go around his neck and I was like, "I need to get over here and help him out".'

Central school nurse Kim Mahlum later told police that several teens at the cafeteria table thought the boy was joking when he started coughing and motioning that he couldn't breathe.

Brown said that he and his friends were telling jokes while eating lunch when Olson started choking

Brown said that he and his friends couldn't tell if he was choking right away because Olson 'had kind of a laugh with it'

But when Brown noticed Olson's face changing color, he leaped into action to save his choking friend

Following the incident, Brown took Olson to the school nurse to make sure that his throat was clear

But it was Brown who leaped into action with training he received during a youth police training program.

'Brown learned the Heimlich maneuver as part of his first aid training as a Police Explorer with the City of La Crosse Police Department,' a post from the police department's Facebook page read.

Brown said he learned the maneuver during a youth police training program (pictured in his Police Explorer uniform above)

Olson said he can't thank his friend enough after the scary choking incident.

'I could've been dead. I could be dead now,' Olson told ABC. 'I'm thankful. I can't say thank you enough for what he did.'

Brown said that he's wanted to be a police officer for a 'long time', and that saving his friend further confirmed his career path.

'If anything, this makes me want to do it more because just the feeling afterwards, knowing he's alright, that feeling was just awesome,' Brown said.

According to La Crosse police, the Police Explorer program gives young adults 'a personal awareness of the criminal justice system through training, practical experiences, competition, and other activities'.

The organization takes in students from three different schools and holds meetings twice a month to cover patrol duties, arrest tactics, investigations and other areas of policing, officer Kurt Weaver said last year.

Of Brown's heroic efforts earlier this week, Weaver told ABC: 'It was great to see Ian use what he learned and without really having to think twice. Saying, "OK, this is the situation, this is what I have to do".'
The father of Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz has used the second anniversary of the disaster in the French Alps to question his son's guilt.

Guenter Lubitz dismissed the findings of international experts who concluded that his 27-year-old son was solely responsible for the crash on March 24 2015 that claimed 150 lives.

Instead the German hired an aviation expert called Tim van Beveren who, appearing with him in Berlin to challenge the official findings, insisted 'there was no evidence' Andreas deliberately brought the plane down.

The father of Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz (pictured) used the second anniversary of the disaster in the French Alps to question his son's guilt

Guenter Lubitz (pictured) dismissed the findings of international experts who concluded that his 27-year-old son was solely responsible for the crash on March 24 2015 that claimed 150 lives

Lubitz and all 149 other passengers and crew aboard Flight 9525 were killed and in the aftermath it emerged that Lubitz was depressed and suicidal

Both the message and the timing of the first public appearance by Lubitz's father since the crash has been criticised by victims' families.

But Herr Lubitz Snr. said: 'No matter what day we chose, it would not have been the right one. We did not choose this day to hurt anyone. We too are relatives who lost a loved one in that crash.

'Myself, my wife and my younger son for whom I speak bear a sadness, however, that is totally different to other families because our son was blamed alone for the crash.

'I remain bewildered how to cope with the loss of my son. Massive insults have hurt me and my family.

'Most of the reports say he was depressed. But he was not depressed at the time of the crash.

Guenter Lubitz hired an aviation expert called Tim van Beveren who appeared with him in Berlin to challenge the official findings

Both the message and the timing of the first public appearance by Lubitz's father since the crash has been criticised by victims' families

'He suffered a period of depression between 2008 and 2009 but he got over that and regained his strength and joy of life.

'He was not depressed at the time of the crash but had been consulting doctors over fear of losing his sight.

'Our son was a very responsible person. He had no reason to plan and carry out a suicide, and certainly not to take another 149 innocent people with him.'

Asked if he thought his son was innocent he said: 'We are on the hunt for the truth.'

Van Beveren, author of numerous aviation books and films, used weather charts, extracts from the official findings and aircraft technical detail to come to no conclusion at all - only that 'no-one could say what actually happened that day.'

'If anyone does have information about what happened that day I would urge them to forward,' he added.

Officials maintain Lubitz acted alone when he locked the captain of a Germanwings airliner out of the cockpit as the plane headed towards Duesseldorf from Barcelona to steer it into a mountain in the French Alps

He said the 'human factor' in the crash - the last words of Lubitz - were examined by engineers and technicians and not psychologists or family members - was absent in the official investigation reports.

He also claimed that, contrary to media reports, Andreas Lubitz had never been treated in a hospital for depression and had not been in once since he was four when his tonsils were removed.

'There is no evidence he deliberately brought down this plane,' he said. Speculation that he would blame leaking carbon monoxide as the cause of the crash was not advanced.

'The investigation was simply not handled at all correctly,' he added.

Van Beveren admitted anti depression drugs and sleeping pills were found in Lubitz's home after the crash, but claimed these were diagnosed as he struggled with the fears he was losing his sight.

Officials maintain Lubitz acted alone when he locked the captain of a Germanwings airliner out of the cockpit as the plane headed towards Duesseldorf from Barcelona to steer it into a mountain in the French Alps.

The plane was atomised in the crash: Lubitz and all 149 other passengers and crew aboard Flight 9525 were killed and in the aftermath it emerged that Lubitz was depressed and suicidal.
Lord Heseltine is facing demands for an apology after accusing Theresa May betraying our Second World War heroes by pushing through Brexit.

The Tory grandee and arch-Europhile made the extraordinary suggestion as he launched his latest attack on the PM's policy.

The peer said Britain had fought to defeat Hitler, but was now allowing Germany to 'win the peace' by dominating Europe.

But Brexiteers branded the remarks 'inappropriate' and said people would be 'appalled' by them.

Lord Heseltine led a desperate rearguard action in the upper House to prevent the PM implementing Brexit

The intervention by the former Cabinet minister comes just days before Mrs May is due to trigger Article 50 and begin the formal divorce process from the EU.

Lord Heseltine led a desperate rearguard action in the Lords earlier this month in a bid to prevent the PM implementing the outcome of last year's historic referendum.

He was sacked from a series of government advisory roles after voting against the legislation authorising Brexit.

In an interview with the House magazine, Lord Heseltine he said: Weve now abandoned the opportunity to influence Europe, the council of ministers will meet and we wont be there.

'Our ability to speak for the Commonwealth within Europe has come to an end. The Americans will shift their focus of interest to Germany.

'If I can put it to you for some like myself, it was in 1933, the year of my birth, that Hitler was democratically-elected in Germany.

'He unleashed the most horrendous war. This country played a unique role in securing his defeat.

'So Germany lost the war. Weve just handed them the opportunity to win the peace. I find that quite unacceptable."

The peer took a swipe at Mrs May by comparing her unfavourably with former PM Baroness Thatcher - with whom he had a tempestuous relationship.

'I dont know how someone who made that speech can within a few weeks say "Brexit is Brexit" and ask the nation to unite behind it,' he said.

Theresa May, pictured in the House of Commons yesterday, is set to trigger the Article 50 divorce process from the EU on Wednesday

'I remember, echoing down the corridors of history "you turn if you want to; the lady is not for turning". This lady was for turning.'

Tory MP Peter Bone urged Lord Heseltine to apologise for the 'appalling' comments.

'They are very sad comments from someone who is driven by bitterness,' he told MailOnline. 'I think if he sits down and sensibly thinks about his remarks he will quickly want to apologise for them.

'It is so inappropriate that anyone who reads it will be appalled.'
Advertisement

These fascinating images show life in the harsh and freezing conditions of Canada's indigenous communities living in the High Arctic.

The photographs, taken throughout the 20th Century, portray Inuit families surviving on barren northern islands where temperatures can reach -40C.

Some early images show how communities would only have tents for shelter. Others show men ice fishing or hunting seals.

Later photographs see Inuit people attending Mass in Catholic Missionaries or buying western products in general stores as the Canadian government began to encourage them to reject traditions.

Inuit communities migrated to what is now northern Canada from Alaska around 1,000 years ago.

Unlike most indigenous peoples in the country, the harsh Inuit lands were not of interest to European settlers who had occupied the more hospitable regions to the south.

But the country soon saw potential in the fur and mineral-rich hinterland and by the early 20th Century, communities were regularly visited by traders, missionaries and government agents from the south. Slowly Inuit culture and traditions began to be lost.

In 1939, the Canadian government classed Inuit people as Indians, therefore putting them under federal jurisdiction. As time went on, the Government looked to create a solution to what it called the 'Eskimo problem', meaning the assimilation and end of the Inuit culture.

In 1953, in an attempt to secure northern territory during the Cold War, 17 Inuit families were forcibly relocated from the Quebec tundra to barren and freezing islands in the High Arctic.

Some 87 people were moved from Port Harrison (now Inukjuak) to Grise Fiord, on the southern tip of Ellismere Island, and Resolute, on Cornwallis Island.

They were dropped off on the desolate rocks in September of that year with insufficient supplies of food or building materials. The community was also unfamiliar with the ecosystem and had to get used to 24-hour darkness in the winter.

The relocatees had been told they would be returned to their homes after two years - a promise that was not kept by the government.

Critics have accused the Canadians of using the Inuit as human flagpoles in a game of geopolitics against Russia. The government did not issue an apology until 2010.

An Inuit family in front of a tupiq (a tent made of animal skins and used in the warmer months) at Pond Inlet in 1906

A man poses with caribou carcasses after a successful hunt in Coppermine, 1949

A mother with her children in the Ungava Peninsula, 1912

An Inuit hunter after catching a seal in 1925

A boy puts caribou skin shoes on his dog's feet to protect the animal's paws from the harsh terrain

Inuit at a camp at Pond Inlet

Inuit children on a dog sled near Chesterfield Inlet in the early 1920s

This photograph taken in 1949 shows a man, wrapped up in furs, fishing in a hole in the ice

A woman holding an ulu while eating food. The ulu is a multi-purpose knife traditionally used by Inuit women for everything from skinning animals to cutting their children's hair

A man poses with his identification number on a placard at Pond Inlet, 1945. All Inuit people were required to be registered and to wear an Eskimo Identification Number (E number)

A young boy with an E Number around his neck. Many Inuit were required to wear the numbers, mainly because white administrators could not pronounce their names

In Cape Hope, a man sits outside a tent playing a guitar with dogs at his feet

A man in a kayak at Port Burwell. 1929. Kayaks were hunting boats, often using a whale bone to make up the frame

Women carry bundles of moss on their backs

A boy in Frobisher Bay writes in his work book. Children were required to speak English in school, where they were taught European material and values. When they returned home, many felt disconnected from their parents and their culture

A man spear fishing. The Inuit lived a semi-nomadic existence up until the mid-20th Century

A woman and her child in Baker Lake read a poster describing Family Allowance. Family Allowances were provided by the Canadian governemnt to help Inuit families feed their children

A mother with baby formula, received through her Family Allowance. 1959. Some feel that the Family Allowance mainly served to introduce Western food into the Inuit diet, pushing them away from their traditional hunting lifestyle

A grandmother named Iqqi gives a traditional Inuit kiss to a young girl named Mary Hickes, 1950

A hunting party catches a beluga whale, which could provide food for a whole community for long stretches of time

A young girl holds up a bag of sugar in Iqaluit, 1960

Children in Frobisher Bay sit among freight boxes full of Western food

People stand outside a Hudson's Bay Company Trading Post in 1949

An Inuit family relocated from Dundas Harbour to Craig Harbour registers their new address with the postmaster

A man stands by an inuksuk in 1953. Traditionally, an inuksuk would be put up to help people navigate. They served as landmarks in the often endless ice, rocks and snow of the Arctic tundra

An Inuit man plays a traditional drum. This drum would be banned during the High Arctic relocation program because of its association with traditional Inuit beliefs

A little girl named Ihumatak plays the drum in a tent. 1949.

A man builds an igloo. 1924. These homes gave the Inuit people warmth during the winter. Even when temperatures outside dropped below -40F the temperature inside an igloo can still be as warm as 59F

Inuit boys wear top hats outside of an Anglican church

A man purchases food from the Hudson's Bay Trading Post

Inuit women and children attend mass at a Roman Catholic Mission
A thunderous gas explosion completely demolished a home in suburban Pittsburgh on Thursday and fatally injured two dogs that were inside at the time.

Officials say the owner of the residence in Moon Township was at work and no person was injured.

One of the dogs suffered an eye injury and burns. Both pets ultimately had to be put down, according to the homeowner's friend.

Scroll down for video

Leveled: A massive gas explosion demolished a single-family home in Moon Township, Pennsylvania,

Pile of debris: By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, there was nothing left of the three-bedroom house but a pile of dirt and wooden planks

The blast was felt a half-mile away in the town located 16 mile away from Pittsburgh

Flames are seen at the site of the gas explosion, that rattled a quiet residential community near Pittsburgh Thursday afternoon

People's Gas spokesman Barry Kukovich says crews are working to determine the cause of the explosion, which razed the house to the ground.

Multiple fire crews responded to 111 Convair Drive in Moon Township at around 3.45pm on Thursday after getting reports of a powerful blast that was felt a half-mile away.

Times Online reported that by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the ranch-style home was, in the words of Moon Township Fire Chief John Scott, nothing more than 'a pile of burning debris.'

Pet owner: Ryan Arreola, 28 (left), lived in the home with his two pet, a boxer named Romeo and a black and white pit bull (right)

Semper Fi: Arreola is a retired US Marine who currently works for an HVAC company in Pittsburgh

The owner of the property lived there alone with a pit bull and a boxer that were inside the house at the time of the explosion but managed to escape.

Scott said the owner rushed to the scene a short time later and appeared 'shocked' to find a mound of dirt and wood where his home had once stood.

'I was in the garage, just sitting there. All of a sudden, the entire house shook - a tremendous explosion,' neighbor Ray Collins told WPXI. 'I felt like I was back in Vietnam.'

Allegheny Count property records list the owner of the demolished house as Ryan Arreola.

Humble abode: The house on Convair Drive was a three-bedroom, one-bath that was built in 1961 and was last sold in 2014 for $140,000

Total devastation: The owner of the residence arrived on the scene and appeared shocked to find his home in ruins

Debris from the razed house was found 100-200 feet away and some neighboring homes sustained damage as a result of the incident

According to an entry on the real estate site Zillow.com, the house on Convair Drive was a three-bedroom, one-bath that was built in 1961. It was last sold in 2014 for just under $140,000.

Debris from the razed house was found 100-200 feet away and some neighboring homes sustained damage as a result of the incident, but there were no evacuations.

Workers shut off gas service to the neighborhood in Moon and went from home to home to check the lines.

Officials told KDKA the homeowner never expressed any concerns with his gas line or reported smelling gas. No work was being performed on gas lines in the area around the time of the explosion.

Arreola is pictured in his uniform during his time in the Marine Corp. He appears to have left the service a few years ago

Cage fighter: The 28-year-old is also a champion mixed martial arts fighter, pictured above after a win

The utility company has launched a probe to determine the underlying cause of the blast, which could take weeks, reported Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Social media posts indicate that Arreola, 28, is an infantry Marine formerly with 3rd Battalion 4th Marines and an MMA fighter who works for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning company based in Pittsburgh.

Mark Cherico, the owner of Mark Cherico's Martial Arts & Fitness Academy, posted a status update on Thursday asking people to keep his friend Ryan Arreola in their prayers.

'He lost everything today including having to put both his dogs down,' the post read.

When a commenter inquired what happened to the dogs, a brown boxer named Romeo and a black and white pit bull, Cherico replied that the pets had to be euthanized due to the injuries sustained in the blast.

On Friday, a GoFundMe campaign was launched asking for donations to help the displaced veteran. So far, just under $5,500 has been raised.
People are outraged at a North Carolina jewelry store's 'unacceptable' new billboard that makes light of domestic violence against women.

Hanging high above an interstate in Asheville, North Carolina, Spicer Greene Jewelers rented a billboard that featured several gems and said: 'Sometimes, it's ok to throw rocks at girls', on Monday.

The attempted 'play on words' did not sit well with passersby, who interpreted the ad as a reference to domestic violence and took to social media to protest the billboard and store.

The business issued a statement saying it did not 'intend to cause controversy' on Thursday, but the apology hasn't satisfied some who are demanding that the sign be taken down.

People are outraged after Spicer Greene Jewelers rented a billboard that made light of domestic violence in Asheville, North Carolina, on Monday. The sign said: 'Sometimes, it's ok to throw rocks at girls'

The attempted 'play on words' left passersby outraged. Many took to social media to voice their disgust

This Twitter user said that implying domestic violence is wrong, as well as the notion that women will forgive abuse as long as they have 'anything shiny'

Spicer Greene Jewelers' owners, Eva-Michelle Spicer, 28, (right) and Elliot Spicer, 27, (left) issued an apology on Thursday. The statement said: 'We did not intend to cause controversy and our billboard communicated something we did not intend'

The store is run by young couple Eva-Michelle Spicer, 28, and Elliot Spicer, 27, who are fourth generation owners of the store, which has been in business for more than 90 years, reported WSPA.

A section of the apology statement said: 'We intended the billboard as a play on words to encourage the loving act of gift giving and are deeply saddened that it offended anyone.'

The sign is over the Jeff Bowen Bridge and can be seen while driving into downtown Asheville, around two miles from the jewelry store, reported the Citizen-Times.

The day after the billboard was put up, Twitter users took to the social media platform to voice their disgust with the ad.

One user tweeted the business: 'It's never OK to throw rocks @ girls. #notfunny #poortaste.'

Another said: 'What's worse? Implying domestic abuse is sometimes okay, or that girls don't care about being hurt as long as they have anything shiny.'

The billboard was placed over the Jeff Bowen Bridge, around two miles away from the jewelry store, located in downtown Asheville (pictured)

People have called for the billboard to be taken down because of the 'unacceptable' message

Not everyone thought the billboard was offensive. This Twitter user thought it wasn't anything to get worked up about and added that 'feminists are obviously bored'

Others took to a community Facebook group to complain about the message, including a woman named Shannon Page, according to the Citizen-Times.

She wrote: 'Their sexist billboards have always annoyed me, but this one is horrifying.

'Not cool. Normalizing and finding humor in the, "He hit you because he likes you" mentality that we feed to children is not ok.'

Page continued in her post: 'Small steps like this lead to a culture of violence against women. Also, children will not see the humor in this billboard. All they will see is, "It's ok to throw rocks at girls."'

Not everyone thought the ad was in poor taste, with one person saying that they thought it was harmless, funny and that 'feminists are obviously bored'.

Eva-Michelle Spicer and her husband took over the store four years ago. She said: 'It was our attempt at humor and it was meant to be reminiscent of playground days'

Another person came to the defense of the business and said: 'It's an awesome billboard'

A portion of the apology made on Thursday said: 'We intended the billboard as a play on words to encourage the loving act of gift giving and are deeply saddened that it offended anyone'. The store has mentioned it is considering taking down the billboard earlier than planned because of the public outcry

The Spicers took over the store around four years ago and said this is their most controversial billboard to date.

Eva-Michelle Spicer said to WSPA: 'Domestic violence is definitely not something to be joked about. It was our attempt at humor and it was meant to be reminiscent of playground days.'

The rest of the Spicer Green Jewelers apology said: 'To whom we have offended with our recent billboard, please accept our apologies. We do not condone violence of any kind toward any being.

'We are humble enough to realize when we make a mistake and humble enough to realize the context in which we are speaking. We did not intend to cause controversy and our billboard communicated something we did not intend.'

The store has mentioned it is considering taking down the billboard earlier than planned because of the public outcry, and announced that 10 per cent of sales made through Sunday will be donated to a local domestic violence charity.

Still, a protest is planned outside of the store for Sunday afternoon, reported WLOS.
Advertisement

Romanian and American female troops are staging joint exercises which have been captured in a series of fascinating photographs.

Assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the the U.S. Marine Female Engagement Team has been interacting with its Romanian counterparts at the country's Capu Midia training grounds, as part of an exercise dubbed Spring Storm 2017.

Spring Storm has seen around 1,200 U.S. and Romanian troops simulate defense of the Romanian Black Sea.

The Marines trained for three days with their female Romanian counterparts in various aspects of battle including radio communications, detainee handling, personal security detail, tactical site exploitation and more.

The training ended with a live-fire rifle and pistol swap between the two forces.

A Romanian female soldier, left, and a US Marines female counterpart share a laugh after switching weapons to get used to each other's equipment

The Female Engagement Team, and Romanian troops practice security detail drills at Capu Midia training grounds in Romania

Romanian troops learn about each other's weapons systems. U.S. Marines and Romanian troops are taking part in joint exercises on the Black Sea coast

Romanian troops practise security detail drills. There are 450 Marines and 750 Romanian troops participating in the exercises to simulate defense of the Black Sea coastline and urban areas

The Spring Storm 17 exercises aim to increase interoperability of Romanian and U.S. troops in a region where NATO members are uneasy after Russia's interventions in Ukraine

The idea being that the two countrys' military working together will increase interoperability of Romanian and U.S. troops in a region where NATO members are uneasy after Russia's interventions in Ukraine.

There are 450 Marines and 750 Romanian troops participating in the exercises to simulate defense of the Black Sea coast.

The USS Carter Hall, LCAC Landing Craft Air Cushion and Assault Amphibious Vehicles are in Romania as part of the training, which began March 16 and ended on Wednesday.

The Female Engagement Team concept reportedly proved successful during wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Deployed in small detachments alongside male infantry units, one of their goals is to collect information from families and communicate with women without breaking cultural taboos.

A Romanian female soldier, left, and a US Marines female counterpart aim after switching weapons during training

Romanian troops fire each other's weapons during a live-fire exercise

The training aims to reassure NATO's European allies in light of Russia's invasion in Ukraine

A Romanian female soldier, left, and a US Marines female counterpart share a joke during the almost week-long exercise

Gunnery Sgt. Brianna Conway, a logistics chief with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Female Engagement Team, and Romanian troops practice personnel searches

A U.S. Marine, assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Female Engagement Team, fires a Romanian troop's pistol during a live-fire exercise

A total of 86 helicopters and 2,200 troops have been deployed to NATO'S eastern flank as part of Atlantic Resolve operation

U.S. Marine Sgt. Elia Balbaloza, assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, left. Romanian Sailor Petty Officer 3rd Class Patriche Viorica poses for a portrait during a live-fire shoot, right

U.S. Marine Capt. Rebecca Bergstedt, officer in charge of the 24th Marine Expeditionary, left, Romanian Sailor Cpl. Pintilie Madalina, a communications specialist, poses right

The ability to work alongside U.S. Marines and Allied forces empowers soldiers and Marines with the ability to directly interact and impact training across Europe

U.S. Marines, assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Female Engagement Team, and Romanian troops practice operating communications equipment

The troops practice combat life-saving skills that could prove useful in the line of battle
President Donald Trump's health care plan is on the verge of collapse as dozens of Republicans say they will not vote for a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on Friday afternoon.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the House would vote Friday afternoon on the legislation, even as he offered no assurances it would pass and admonished reporters for presuming the bill would go down.

'We are proceeding with the 3:30 vote as scheduled,' he declared, saying later, 'This is the opportunity, This is the time. This is the opportunity for every member who has said that they want to repeal and replace Obamacare to put their vote in the yes column.'

Trump has been 'working the phones,' Spicer said. 'He's left everything on the field when it comes to this bill.'

Even as he spoke, House Speaker Paul Ryan was delivering the bad news to Trump, having rushed to the White House to meet with the president.

STARING AT DEFEAT: President Trump said 'we'll have to see' when he was asked in the Oval Office if the House would vote for his repeal and replace plan on Friday afternoon

Ryan came and went through a private entrance, where he was sure not to have any contact with reporters. Spicer said he and Trump were discussing a 'way forward.'

Despite all the pressure and another night to let last-minute changes to the bill sink in, more than 30 Republicans were registering opposition.

Still, Spicer claimed at his briefing, 'We're getting closer and closer.' He also contended, 'We continue to pick up votes.'

By the White House's count, 120 members had gotten phone calls, personal contact, or meetings, which Spicer called 'an extraordinary feat.'

'We have this opportunity to change the trajectory ... The question is, do members realize this opportunity?' he asked.

He rebuked reporters for being fatalistic in their comments in advance of the vote he optimistically said would happen, telling the White House pres corps, 'You guys are so negative!' when asked whether there was consideration of pulling the bill.

One reporter asked what the purpose was of even holding a vote if the bill was likely to go down, to which Spicer said, 'I'm just not going to discuss that strategy.'

'He's left everything on the field when it comes to this bill,' White House press secretary Sean Spicer said, referencing President Trump's efforts to pass an Obamacare repeal, having earlier touted his skills as a 'closer'

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) departs from the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump

Even the promotion-savvy president wouldn't proclaim victory. 'We'll have to see,' he said, asked Friday whether the bill would pass.

Spicer said this week that he 'absolutely' embraces Trump's role as the 'closer' who would get a deal done.

As Republican leaders braced for a defeat on Friday, Spicer stressed that the president and his team had done 'everything that we could possibly do' and it would not be Trump's fault is the bill went up in flames.

'You can't force someone to vote a certain way...Has he done every single thing, has he pulled out every stop, has he called every member, has he tweaked every tweak, has he done every single thing he can possibly and used every minute of every day to get this thing through? Then the answer is yes. Has the team put everything out there? Have we left everything on the field? Absolutely.

'But at the end of the day this isn't a dictatorship, and we've got to expect members to ultimately vote, you know, how they will, according to what they think. But as the president made clear, they're the ones who have to go back and answer to their constituents why they didn't fulfill a pledge that they made.'

Putting the pressure on GOP lawmakers planning to withhold their votes, he said, 'Every Republican with the exception of probably a handful has campaigned from dogcatcher on up that they would do everything they could to repeal and replace Obamacare.

'I think to get in and say, "Hey, you should have done something else" wouldn't be fair to the American people who said, "Okay, I'll vote for you, but I want you to fulfill this pledge." '

Spicer insisted that that he readying the finger of blame, even as he peppered his briefing with claims that Trump had done 'everything possible' to get the bill passed.

He was complimentary of Ryan, as well, leaving responsibility for failure to fall squarely on the shoulders of 'no' voters.

LONG NIGHT: House Speaker Paul Ryan arrives at the Capitol Friday morning for the do-or-die health care showdown after a long night of talks

Hours after the White House brought down the hammer and demanded a Friday vote on the bill, a block of conservative Freedom Caucus members had yet to back it, while more centrist Republicans were backing away because of last minute changes that stripped away Obamacare's 'essential health benefits' requirements for conditions insurance companies must cover.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), a Freedom Caucus member who backs the bill, said it could still pass if three-quarters of undecided members decided to vote for it.

'If it fails, it's not going to be the president that's blamed. It's not going to be the moderates. It's going to be the conservatives,' he told DailyMail.com, giving Trump an out.

The president had been asked point-blank this morning what he'd do if the health care bill fails. Trump just shrugged and responded, 'We'll have to see. We'll see what happens.'

Spicer told reporters later, 'The president's made it clear that this is the effort, this the train that's leaving the station...this is our opportunity and he's got a lot left on the agenda that he wants to get done.'

Trump has promised tax reform and an infrastructure bill by the end of the summer. He also wants to begin work on the border wall.

The White House rejected a suggestion today the president would have a more difficult time getting those things done if he doesn't come out on top in the health care ordeal.

'WE'LL HAVE TO SEE': President Trump shrugged when he got asked a question about what happens if the bill fails, with a vote set for Friday afternoon

Trump is already being urged to take names of those who defy him in preparation for the midterm elections.

White House chief strategist Steve Bannon 'has told the president to keep a s*** list on this,' an official told the Daily Beast.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who pow-wowed with Speaker Paul Ryan Thursday night, announced in a Facebook post the bill was 'currently unacceptable.'

'In addition to the loss of Medicaid coverage for so many people in my Medicaid-dependent state, the denial of essential health benefits in the individual market raise serious coverage and cost issues,' he wrote.

'Some of our moderates who are saying I'm in a swing state and if I vote yes, I'm not coming back  I've said, if this doesn't pass, I know you're not coming back,' said Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), a Trump loyalist.

Only 17 per cent of Americans backed the bill in a Thursday Quinnipiac University poll.

President Trump blasted right-wing House Freedom Caucus members on Friday morning for standing in the way of his Obamacare replacement legislation, after warning them Thursday night that they would have just one day to vote on the bill.

'After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!' Trump wrote on Twitter.

His jab at the House conservative wing landed on a hard target  their opposition to abortion, which Republicans have argued Obamacare supported by funding the nation's largest pregnancy-termination clinic chain.

'The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!' Trump wrote.

One Republican who remained opposed, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, said Trump should be prepared to learn from a defeat  invoking the president's former reality show.

'What you do is you empower people for them to give you a result you hold them accountable and you see where the chips fly. If you haven't watched the Apprentice  I think you ought to go back and re-watch 'The Apprentice,'' he told a group of reporters.

'I do the same type of thing. I hire great people around me and I hold them accountable,' the former dentist and small businessman said.

The latest whip count by The Hill shows 34 'No' votes  enough to sink the bill.

Senior White House officials descended on the Capitol Thursday night to press their case with Speaker Paul Ryan and other GOP members.

The result was a blunt warning: Vote on the American Health Care Act on Friday or squander their only chance to get rid of the law they have already voted more than 50 times to repeal.

TWEETSTORM: Trump mocked House Freedom Caucus members for passing up the chance to deny federal funding to America's largest abortion provider

CHECK IF YOUR PARKING BRAKE'S STILL ON: House leaders yanked the Obamacare repeal and replacement off the floor voting schedule Thursday after a White House meeting and concessions to conservatives failed to deliver support  with dozens still in oppositon

Trump told another reporter asking if the GOP rushed the legislation, 'No.'

'We'll see what happens,' he said once again, as reporters hurled questions at him about the state of play.

Trump sent senior staff including chief strategist Steve Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus, chief counselor Kellyanne Conway and budget director Mick Mulvaney to Capitol Hill on Thursday night to persuade House lawmakers to get on board.

At the opposite end of Pennsylvania Avenue White House press secretary Sean Spicer again jibed that there would be no 'Plan B.'

Spicer told Fox News Channel that Trump is 'going to get' the vote he wants.

'At the end of the day, this is the only train leaving the station that's going to be repealing Obamacare and giving us an alternative to replace it,' he told 'O'Reilly Factor' fill-in host Eric Bolling.

'This is the train that's leaving the station. This is the choice that we've been waiting for. This is the pledge that people made to the American people.'

Minutes after Spicer signed off, the president tweeted: 'Disastrous #Obamacare has led to higher costs & fewer options. It will only continue to get worse! We must #RepealANDReplace. #PassTheBill.'

Mulvaney, a congressman until he became Trump's budget director, became the White House's primary go-between on Thursday night on Capitol Hill, delivering the president's ultimatum to the right-wing caucus he was a part of until a month ago.

'Say what you want to about Donald Trump, this is not an ordinary politician. He wants to do this and he wants to do it now. He also wants to move on to things like tax reform, infrastructure, restructuring the government, putting people back to work,' the White House official said Friday on 'Good Morning America.'

'He's not willing to wait the several months that an ordinary president would. He wants to do it, he wants to do it today. That's the message I delivered on his behalf last night, and I hope the Republicans in the House were listening. I think they were.'

CRUCIAL VOTE: Ryan walked to his office on Friday morning with his staff after gavelling the House into session

DRIVE FOR SUPPORT: Ryan was meeting with Appropriations Committee members late into the evening Thursday amid the push to shore up the vote

SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT: Mick Mulvaney, a congressman until he became Trump's budget director, became the White House's go-between on Thursday night on Capitol Hill, delivering the president's ultimatum to the right-wing caucus he was a part of until a month ago. He pictured above on CBS Friday morning

ENFORCERS: White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon (left) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus walked to a meeting of the House Republican caucus at the Capitol

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden, one of the stewards of the Republican health care legislation, speaks with reporters outside the House Rules Committee this morning, where the final wording of the bill was completed before going to the floor for debate

The ex-congressman stressed on the ABC News program that the president has been more than patient with conservative lawmakers making demands.

'We've probably had more people through here in the last week that President Obama had in eight years,' he said.

Asked on CBS 'This Morning' why he believes that Trump's threat will have the intended effect, Mulvaney replied, 'Cause I think you've got a new president in place.'

'The Republicans are all on the same page,' he claimed. 'We are all looking for the same things. We want to take Obamacare away and give people the control and the options that they want, the quality that they deserve and the affordability that they need.

'But we need to do it today,' he added.

Mulvaney issued a similar declaration on ABC in response to a question about the whip count as it presently stands.

'That's up to the House to count their own votes,' he said, readying the finger of blame. 'The president made his final pitch last night. He made it clear that we're all on the same page, the Republicans all want the same things.'

Republican leaders took their first step to deliver on Trump's ultimatum early Friday morning, as the House Rules Committee pushed through a procedure allowing for no amendments to the plan reached between the president and a group of breakaway conservatives.

The tensions over the vote were on view as Democrats and Republicans clashed on the leadership-controlled panel.

The GOP is bringing up the do-or-die healthcare vote under a procedure known as same day consideration, or 'marshall law.'

ART OF THE TWEET: Trump urged his fellow Republicans to '#PassTheBill' on Twitter after his senior staff delivered a sterner message in person

ALTERNATIVE VOTE: Conway scurries away from a meeting at the Capitol on Thursday night with House Republicans

CONFIDENT: Asked on Fox News about Trump's demand for a vote on Thursday night, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that 'he's going to get it'

It allows a bill to head to the floor without the usual one-day waiting period. In this case, the bill is coming up before the Congressional Budget Office has been able to produce a score for the latest changes  which include stripping away Obamacare's list of essential conditions that health plans must cover.

At an early morning Rules meeting, Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida fumed: 'I'm not going to bring my tone down. I'm mad as hell about what you all are doing, and I don't have to be nice to nobody when you're being nasty to poor people.'

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) rejected the 'insinuation that we don't care about people on Medicaid' after Hastings complained about Medicaid cuts over time,' the Washington Examiner reported.

'Then tell me about the $800 billion that's being taken out of Medicaid when in fact, all we had to do was leave the taxes that are here for very wealthy people ...' he said.

The House votes Friday morning on the rule to take up the bill. It will allow for four hours of debate, and no amendments.

The vote will be the last one lawmakers take before heading out of town.

In a sign that the White House is looking for other things to talk about, the State Department gave its final approval to the Keystone pipeline on Friday. It had until Monday to make a recommendation to the president.

THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET: 'At the end of the day, this is the only train leaving the station that's going to be repealing Obamacare and giving us an alternative to replace it,' Spicer told host Eric Bolling

Abandoning further repeal efforts would put Trump in the position of leaving in place a health system he has described as a 'disaster' in mid-collapse  after making dozens of campaign vows to tear it apart.

'I think this is it,' Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole told DailyMail.com. 'I mean there comes the time that you take the tide or you don't, and this is it ... I think our guys are ready,' and we're going to get it done,' he said.

'We're going to vote and we'll see,' Bannon told reporters after the GOP conference meeting. 'Let's vote.'

House Republicans also have been promising a repeal for years, voting repeatedly on futile measures that met President Barack Obama's veto pen.

The president has told friends he regretted taking Speaker Paul Ryan's advice to make health care the first big legislative push, the New York Times reported.

To placate conservative Freedom Caucus members, the leadership accepted a demand that the bill that comes to the floor eliminate a list of 'essential benefits' that insurance companies must cover.

The change appeared to win over or at least entice some members. 'I'm saying that the amendment has had a major impact on me,' Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) said, before changing his language to 'profoundly significant.'

'I'm working on it,' South Carolina GOP Rep. Mark Sanford said.

The president taunted conservatives today with a tweet on Planned Parenthood - repeal Obamacare or continue to fund the women's health organization that also performs abortions, he said

Maternity leave is defined as an essential benefit, as is newborn care and pediatric care. Hospitalization and emergency care, mental health and substance abuse services are also counted as essential services.

The move on essential benefits may appease conservatives, but it could cost the GOP votes from moderates, and legislators in the Senate down the line.

'Keep in mind, states not only have the ability to require those services, many of them already do,' Mulvaney explained on CBS Friday. 'What we're doing is taking away the federal control of these systems.'

A House schedule distributed this morning had a final vote on the healthcare bill scheduled for sometime between 3:45 and 4:45 pm with a goal of ending the work day at 5:30 pm.

Not everyone believes Trump will deliver on his threat to move on from health care if the measure doesn't pass. 'My experience has been the big issues don't go away, and this is an awfully big issue,' said Sanford.

Asked if the bill failed it would leave no other opportunity, New York GOP Rep. Dan Donovan said, 'I don't think that at all.' He has said he would oppose the bill, but that 'everyone should vote their conscience.'

MEDIA WATCH: Reporters gathered outside Paul Ryan's office at the US Capitol are seen checking their phones as they wait for updates

The challenge for GOP leaders is that changes made to bring in holdout conservatives had the potential to alienate more moderate members. 'I a no. It's a two letter word. N-O,' said New Jersey Republican Rep. Leonard Lance.

New York Republican Rep. Pete King responded, 'We'll have to see.'

A provision to soften the blow for moderates would provide $15 billion for a 'stability fund' to cover mental health, substance abuse, and child and maternal care. An Obamacare's tax on high income earners of 0.9 per cent would stay in place for another six years to fund it.

House Speaker Paul Ryan was meeting with Appropriations Committee members late into the evening Thursday amid the push to shore up the vote.

The crucial vote was postponed on Thursday because conservative members of Congress  primarily the House Freedom Caucus  refused to make a deal with Trump.

The embarrassing setback had the potential to deal a blow to President Trump's overall legislative agenda.

FEELING THE STRAIN: Mick Mulvaney leave a meeting of the House Republican caucus at the U.S. Capitol March 23, 2017

Mulvaney issued a stern warning to Republicans as they met in the basement of the Capitol.

'The president has said he wants a vote tomorrow, up or down,' said New York Republican Rep. Chris Collins.

'If for any reason it is down, we are just going to move forward with additional parts of his agenda.'

'It's not just this bill that's the issue. The issue is whether Trump can be a successful president,' California Republican Dana Rohrabacher told DailyMail.com.

After Mulvaney delivered his message, a House Republican lawmaker told House majority whip Steve Scalise, 'Burn the ships.'

'Only way to do it,' Scalise replied, referencing the brutal contest of Mexico by conquistador Hernan Cortes.

GRIDLOCK: Parked cars surround the U.S. Capitol as the lights burn into the evening on the House of Representatives side of the building

HIGH-STAKES: Budget chief Mick Mulvaney (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus (R) walked to a meeting with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. Mulvaney told the House to vote Friday or President Trump is prepared to leave Obamacare in place

New Mexico GOP Rep. Steve Pearce, who sat in on the meeting, said the message from the White House was 'We'll stand back  you all go back and work it out. In other words they're not in legislation, they just say work it out.'

Quizzed about Bannon's role, he told DailyMail.com: 'It didn't' play. It wasn't' an issue up or down. He was a listener.'

After a separate two-hour meeting that one lawmaker described as 'rigorous' Thursday afternoon, the conservative Freedom Caucus members emerged with no clear agreement on a bill that could somehow unify conservative and more moderate Republicans.

'With no policy changes I'm a no,' said North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, who heads the conservative faction, speaking in the afternoon, as the final deal was supposed to be coming together.

'At this point we are trying to get another 30 to 40 votes that are currently in the no category to yes,' he said.

FEEL THE POWER: President Donald Trump sits in the drivers' seat of a Mack Truck as he welcomes truckers and CEOs to the White House for a listening session on health care

I CALL SHOTGUN: President Trump met with truckers just as the health care deal was falling apart

TAKE A HARD RIGHT FOLLOWED BY A U-TURN: President Donald Trump climbs out of a Mack Truck as he welcomes truckers and CEOs to the White House for a listening session on health care

'We believe that some of the text and some of the things we're being asked to consider at this point are not in enough of a form to make a good informed decision,' he added.

He said of the latest version of the legislation: 'Does it actually lower premiums for the people that we serve?'

The conservative faction is signaling to Trump that his plan is too close to Obamacare and that they will vote it down unless or until he changes it to make it less liberal.

His message to them last night, after days of negotiations: take it or leave it.

Rohrabacher,a California lawmaker who supports the bill, said, 'If Trump pulls it off, he's going to be seen as someone who they really have to respect his agenda requests. If he doesn't pull it off, they also know this - that he will be severely hurt in his efforts to do these other things that we want him to do.'

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told his colleagues on Thursday, before Trump's threat, that a vote might not even be held in the House before Monday.

The confusion left the White House looking badly exposed.

At precisely the time the vote was being canceled, Trump was boasting that a vote would be held that day.

Speaking as he met truckers  having posed in the cab of a big rig outside the White House just before  Trump claimed the vote would take place as planned.

'Today the House is voting to repeal and replace the disaster known as Obamacare. We'll see what happens,' he said.

He added: 'We're going to have a long talk, and I'm not gonna make it too long because I have to get votes.

Leading the rebellion: Mark Meadows, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, had voiced confidence in a deal which would lead to a Thursday vote but then reversed himself

Closed door talks: Members of the House Freedom Caucus met in private session to hammer out the fate of the healthcare bill with the immediate effect of postponing the vote

Not in the bag: Paul Ryan had no choice but to call off the vote on Thursday afternoon as his conservative wing declined to get behind the bill

'I don't want to spend too much time with you, and then lose, and then lose by one vote. Then I'm going to blame the truckers,' he said to laughs. 'But we're going to talk for a little while and then I'm going to go back to business.'

DID HE KNOW THE VOTE WAS OFF? The President claimed he was working for votes on Thursday as he met truckers - even though the GOP had already canceled the vote. 'Today the House is voting to repeal and replace the disaster known as Obamacare. We'll see what happens,' he said. 'We're going to have a long talk, and I'm not gonna make it too long because I have to get votes.' Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said after the meeting that the House calls votes, not the White House. 'As soon as we knew, he knew,' she said. Advertisement

His spokesman Sean Spicer had also claimed there was no reason to think the vote would be canceled.

'Nothing leads me to believe that's the case,' Spicer declared at his daily briefing - only to be proven wrong less than two hours later.

'I think the president has been magnificent in the way that he has brought all the different groups, all the different factions,' said Idaho GOP Rep. Raul Labrador. 'I think he's actually negotiating in good faith,' he added.

He wasn't so kind to House GOP leaders.

'Two or three weeks ago our leadership said we need to work with the moderates because we know that the conservatives are just going to fall in line. Well I guess they learned too late that that's not the way to negotiate. So maybe they will learn something from what happened today,' he griped.

With the vote fast approaching, the president had been working the phones and putting his vaunted deal-making skills to the test in face-to-face meetings with skeptical House members.

Spicer had told reporters on Thursday afternoon that Trump was changing mind after mind - 'There are members that had not been with us that are expressing their willingness to want to be part of this.'

'We walked out with more members in support of the American Health Care Act today than we started the day with, and I continue to see that number climb hour by hour. And I anticipate that we will get there,' he stated.

Later he made a bold prediction about the bill that could come back to haunt him.

'It's going to pass. So that's it,' he stated in a rebuttal to a reporter asking him about 'plan B'.

The president's spokesman had projected confidence, even while Trump's flurried schedule indicated Republicans did not have the votes they needed to pass the Obamacare replacement bill.

Trump made a final play Thursday morning to win over conservative lawmakers in the House Freedom Caucus.

He unexpectedly sat down with another group of conservatives known at the 'Tuesday group' early in the evening.

'I'm desperately trying to get to yes. I think the president knows that. I told him that personally,' the Freedom Caucus head, Meadows said.

Many lawmakers were tongue-tied when trying to explain their positions. 'Where am I on the bill? Right now I'm in the [House] Rayburn building on the second floor. I really can't comment,' quipped Texas Rep. Joe Barton.

'They offered one very substantive change in my mind. The inclusion of the essential health benefit,' he told DailyMail.com.

But he refused to be pinned down by reporters. 'I can't comment on that. I can't right at this moment. I just spent two hours in this meeting. We're all blood brothers, you know.'
A girl who was held in Don Dale Detention Centre's solitary confinement has told an inquiry she was stripped naked by a group of male guards and refused cutlery for her food, making her 'feel like a dog'.

The Northern Territory girl repeatedly tried to take her own life while being held in the centre's notorious isolation cells, and said she felt 'dying was better than staying in isolation'.

The former inmate, known as AN, told the juvenile justice royal commission she was hospitalised several times after trying to take her own life while in solitary confinement, and her family wasn't informed until days later.

A girl who was held in isolation cells at Don Dale Detention Centre in the Northern Territory has told an inquest she tried to take her own life on numerous occasions (stock image)

Kids at risk of self harm were locked up for up to 23 hours per day in unpadded cells, the inquiry heard.

And guards with no training in mental health or suicide prevention were ill-equipped to deal with the trauma-afflicted teenagers in their care.

'They never told me when I would be getting out. The only time they took any notice of me is if I tried to hurt myself,' AN wrote in a statement tendered on Friday.

'Then they would come running in and throw me on the ground, jump on me, bash me and handcuff me. Only a couple of the guards ever tried to talk me down or talk to me about how I was feeling.

The former detainee at the detention centre (pictured) said she 'felt like dying was better than isolation'. She also told of being bashed, handcuffed and refused cutlery, forcing her to eat with her hands which made her 'feel like a dog'

'I just hated being alone at that time and I was feeling angry and hopeless ... I would get so upset that I felt dying was better than staying in isolation,' she said.

AN said she hardly saw the sun the whole time she was in solitary confinement, and the ordeal changed the way she saw the world when she finally got out.

'Everything felt extra bright, hot, loud and weird ... (it) made it harder for me to be around people.'

AN said she 'felt like a dog' when given her food in her cell without any cutlery, forcing her to eat with her hands.

Earlier, an ex-Don Dale youth justice officer Greg Harmer broke down recounting what had taken place in the centre, including witnessing a boy who was so distressed that he repeatedly bashed his head against the cell bars until it bled

One of AN's worst memories of being in detention was when a large group of guards restrained her, stripped her and later gave her an 'at risk' gown.

'They carried me into a room and threw me face down on a bed. They then used the Hoffman Knife to cut off all my clothes,' she said.

'I was fully naked and I felt real shame with all those men in the room.'

Earlier, ex-Don Dale youth justice officer Greg Harmer broke down while telling the inquiry that a boy was so distressed he banged his head against the bars of his cell until he bled.

Mr Harmer, who worked at the facility between 2011 and 2013, was in tears as he remembered the extremely upset inmate repeatedly begging to be taken out of isolation.

She said one of her worst memories while detained at the centre (pictured) was when a group of guards threw her on a bed, stripped her naked and only later gave her a gown

'He was continually belting his head on the bars, and yelling and swearing,' he said.

'He had started to cut his head in a few places ... the walls were splattered with blood.'

A senior officer refused to let the detainee out of solitary confinement, and he stayed there overnight until a mental health worker from adult prison arrived, Mr Harmer said.

'I felt frustrated by this, but I also felt that there was nothing I could do,' he said.

'I was watching animals caged in a zoo, and it did not feel right.'

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

Local Aboriginal Medical Service is available from www.vibe.com.au.
Mad Men star Jamie King (pictured) says he is 'shocked, hurt and disappointed'

A British actor whose baby died says he is 'shocked, hurt and disappointed' that a hospital trust failed to tell him police had dropped an investigation into the death.

Mad Men and Tudors star Jamie King and his wife Tamara Podemski, 38, lost their child Benjamin after a caesarian section was delayed by a day.

But an initial inquest in November had to be halted after a coroner was told that lawyers for the NHS trust had allegedly removed crucial evidence by a midwife.

Following the conclusion of the reconvened inquest in January, Mr King said police were probing the allegations.

The actor claims The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust promised to keep him informed of any developments into the 'very serious matter'.

But a horrified Jamie, 35, who played poet Thomas Wyatt in the TV series The Tudors, was shocked to learn earlier this week that police had closed the investigation.

He said: 'We are deeply shocked to learn from the press that the police investigation has now been closed, especially since the RUH had promised to keep us informed of all developments regarding this very serious matter.

'Our solicitor has petitioned for them to provide us with the results of their internal investigation, as well as the findings of the police report.

'Until we can review that material, we are unable to comment further, except to say that we continue to be very hurt and disappointed by the RUH's profound lack of respect and consideration for our needs as grieving parents.'

Avon and Somerset police said on Wednesday it would not be taking the case any further.

A spokesperson said: 'Following a referral from the coroner in this case, we have reviewed the matter.

An hour before the planned operation another emergency case was given priority and Tamara (pictured) and Jamie were told she would have the op first thing in the morning

'At this time, there is insufficient evidence to refer this matter to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for consideration.

'We have communicated our findings to the coroner.'

Benjamin died from severe brain damage five days after being born by emergency caesarian section at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, Somerset last May 5.

Coroner Maria Voisin recorded a narrative verdict, and said the decision to delay delivery and send his mum home resulted in Benjamin 'being born in a poor condition and his subsequent death'.

The inquest at Flax Bourton, Bristol, heard that Tamara's pregnancy was 'high risk' and she was rushed to the RUH after a community nurse spotted an abnormality on a scan.

Doctors told her they could not perform a caesarian for six hours because she had been given a hospital meal which needed to be digested.

An hour before the planned operation another emergency case was given priority and Tamara and Jamie were told she would have the op first thing in the morning.

But her c-section was mistakenly downgraded and the couple were sent home to Frome, Somerset, that evening.

Hours later Tamara woke with pains in her stomach at 5am and was rushed to the RUH by ambulance after she had a prolonged contraction - lasting for up to 18 minutes.

Staff at the hospital, pictured, denied any conversation about delaying the operation ever took place

Her baby was born but quickly transferred to a specialist unit at St. Michael's Hospital in Bristol.

Doctors there told his parents the baby, named Benjamin, had insufficient oxygen for around two hours.

The heartbroken couple decided to turn off his life support machine on May 10 after being told he would probably grow up with severe disabilities and a small head.

The inquest heard how Eileen Dack, the labour ward coordinator, had questioned why the caesarian was delayed.

She recalled a conversation with the on duty registrar who had felt it should have gone ahead as planned.

When asked under oath why there was no documentation of the conversation she told the coroner it was 'removed from my statement' by the trust's legal team.

A spokesperson for the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust said: "It would not be appropriate for the Trust to relay the findings of an investigation commissioned by the Coroner and completed by the police. "This is a matter for the Coroner."
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has launched a scathing attack on One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's description of Islam as a disease, describing it as 'bat poo crazy'.

In an interview with Nine News on Friday Ms Hanson described Islam as a disease that 'we need to vaccinate ourselves against'.

Her comments comes in the wake of London's Westminster terror attack in which she urged Australians to use the hashtag 'pray for Muslim ban'.

However Mr Joyce was highly critical of the Queensland Senator's comments saying: 'this bat poo crazy stuff does not help anybody.'

'You can't say stuff like that, you just can't. It's mad,' Mr Joyce said.

Pauline Hanson urged Australians to use the hashtag 'pray for a Muslim ban' on social media in the wake of London's Westminster terror attack

Speaking in front of reporters in Canberra on Friday, Mr Joyce lambasted some of the more 'crazy' claims, heard out of the One Nation party.

'The more I hear from One Nation, the more I think that other people are hearing the same stuff, it's kind of crazy,' Mr Joyce said.

He joined a line of politicians in Canberra - including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull - who have attacked Senator Hanson's remarks on Islam as damaging.

'The object of the Islamist terrorist is to get the broader society to turn on Muslims at large,' Prime Minister Turnbull told 3AW's Neil Mitchell on Friday.

'If you seek to attribute to all Australian Muslims responsibility for the crimes of ISIL then you are doing what ISIL wants.'

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce told reporters in Canberra on Friday that Pauline Hanson's description of Islam as a disease, was 'bat poo crazy'

Ms Hanson refused to back down from her controversial proposal, claiming many Australians agreed with her but were too 'frightened' to admit it.

Pauline Hanson used the analogy of vaccinating against a disease to describe her view of Islam to reporters on Friday.

'Islam is a disease,' she said. 'We need to vaccinate ourselves against that.'

On Thursday she released video footage which encouraged people to pray for London.

'It's pray for Muslim ban. That is how you solve the problem,' she added.

It followed an interview with Steve Price and Andrew Bolt on 2GB radio on Friday when Ms Hanson said migrants were the 'life blood of the country'  just not Muslim migrants.

Muslim psychologist Hanan Dover has suggested Pauline Hanson should be banned

In an interview with Nine News on Friday, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson claimed Islam was a disease 'we need to vaccinate ourselves against'

'We had the Italians, Germans, Greeks, they didn't get it easy here, they had to learn the language, nothing was given to them, they actually had to blend in and work hard, no benefits, nothing was given to them,' she said.

'They opened up this country, they worked hard and these are the people who are the life blood of the country that are actually so grateful for the opportunity to come here.

'And the Muslims, they don't want the Muslims because they have fled their country to get away from the Muslims.'

But scorn for Ms Hanson's remarks drew bipartisan support with Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese noting that the alleged attacker didn't have any known terrorist links and was born in the UK.

'I think it was extraordinary that Pauline Hanson chose to politicise an issue like this at the time that she did,' Mr Albanese told the Nine Network.

'To play politics at a time like that, was, I just think, said a lot about the nature of her character.'

Ms Hanson's commets were in response to Wednesday's attack where a man ploughed his Hyundai SUV into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge. Pictured, emergency services at the scene

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his liberal party condemned Ms Hanson's proposal saying that her comments were doing what 'ISIL wants'

Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne said the senator's proposal wouldn't solve any problems because many of those on a terror watch list in Australia were citizens.

'We're not about to deport Australian citizens who are Muslims because of any kind of xenophobic campaign,' he said.

Politicians were not the only ones to voice their anger at Ms Hanson with many flooding social media to criticise the Senator.

Columnist and feminist rights activist Clementine Ford mocked Ms Hanson, Tweeting: 'Pray for Pauline Hanson to f*** off'.

While Muslim psychologist Hanan Dover mirrored Ms Ford's sentiments and called for Senator Hanson to be censored, posting a 'Pray for a Pauline ban', on her Facebook account.

'Pray for a Pauline ban,' Ms Dover posted to her Facebook account.

Ms Hanson's call to ban Muslims was made in response to Wednesday's attack where a man ploughed his Hyundai SUV into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge.
Devastated family and friends of a Utah man killed in London's terror attack have paid tribute to him as a wonderful and passionate man.

Kurt Cochran, 54, died after being thrown over Westminster Bridge onto a walkway below when ISIS terrorist Khalid Masood mowed him down in his Hyundai 4x4 on Wednesday.

Cochran and his wife Melissa, 47, were the first people hit when Masood embarked on his murderous path across the bridge. Melissa was left lying in a pool of her blood as she nursed a broken leg and rib.

His son Tyler Cochran was among those to pay tribute to his father as news spread across the world. The couple were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

'Everybody loved my father. Always wanted to live in his shadow. Never imagined living like this,' Tyler wrote on Facebook.

Scroll down for video

Utah man Kurt Cochran, 54, was among the victims of London's terror attack on Wednesday. He had been in Europe with his wife Melissa celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary

His son Tyler Cochran was among those to pay tribute to Cochran as he mentioned Donald Trump's recognition of his father as a 'great American'

He also mentioned Donald Trump's recognition of his father after the president tweeted he was a 'great American' shortly after the attack.

'Over 81k likes from a tweet from POTUS that had my father's name in his mouth. Lord knows none of us will get the same recognition on the way out,' Tyler wrote.

Other relatives took to social media to express their heartache over Cochran's tragic death.

'Thank you for showing me how to be happy no matter what. I love you and can't wait to hang out with you again in the Sky. I wish it was under different circumstances,' his nephew Mitch Burton wrote on Facebook.

He added: 'I hope and pray that the closeness of our family will last forever. See you soon, and I pray we'll make millions more memories together.'

Cochran's nephew Mitch Burton said he was broken following news of the tragic death

Other relatives took to social media to express their heartache over Cochran's tragic death

President Trump paid tribute to the man as a 'great American' on Thursday morning

Kurt and Melissa Cochran from West Bountiful, Utah, were among those run over by a terrorist in a 4x4 on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday. Kurt died while his wife remains in hospital

Another relative added: 'This pain is so heart wrenching and raw it has rocked our family and all that knew him to its core. We will miss Kurt beyond words. We love you Kurt. RIP.'

The couple were on a dream trip of Europe at the time and London was their final stop. They were supported to return home to the U.S. on Thursday.

They had already visited Holland, Germany, Ireland and Scotland and were in the English capital to spend time with Melissa's parents who work there as missionaries for the Church of the Latter Day Saints.

'Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our daughter and sister Melissa. They were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary,' Cochran's brother in law Clint Payne said in a statement.

'Our hearts ache for her and their children in losing their loving companion and father. Please continue to pray for our family.'

Cochran is understood to have had two sons from a previous marriage. The couple did not have any children together.

A fundraising page has been set up to help Melissa with lost income.

Cochran hurled over the parapet and landed on the concrete walkway under the bridge

Strangers consoled Mrs Cochran as she lay on the bridge next to a toppled postcard stand before an ambulance arrived

The 46-year-old mother desperately clutched onto a stranger who held her bleeding head as she lay among scattered postcards while they waited for an ambulance

The pair were on the south London end of the bridge, opposite the Houses of Parliament, when they were hit. Mr Cochran was either pushed over the edge or jumped on to the walkway below

The couple had run a recording studio together for the past 10 years in West Bountiful, Utah.

'He did live his dream, and not a lot of people get to do that or have the drive to do that, and I really admire him for that,' friend Nate Kizerian told Good4Utah.

'He was very instrumental to the Utah music scene, especially in Davis County. He brought a lot of bands together.'

He added that Cochran and his wife were 'amazing together - so happy'.

Cochran is among four innocent victims who died in the attacks.

The others include a mother who was on her way to collect her children from school, a 75-year-old man and a policeman who was stabbed by the terrorist outside the Houses of Parliament.

Aysha Frade, 43, was on her way to collect her daughters aged eight and 11 when she was hit and thrown under a bus.

Policeman Keith Palmer was stabbed by the terrorist in New Palace Yard outside the Houses of Parliament.

Mr Cochran's family confirmed that he had succumb to his injuries on Facebook on Thursday. The pair have run a recording studio from their Utah home for the last 10 years

They were in London as part of a tour of Europe when they were struck on Wednesday afternoon

Mrs Cochran is currently in a London hospital recovering from a broken leg and a broken rib

A fundraising page launched for his family has reached nearly 130,000 ($160,000). British Prime Minister Theresa May said of the 48-year-old father: 'He was every inch a hero. And his actions will never be forgotten.'

A 75-year-old man named Leslie Rhodes died from his injuries on Thursday.

It comes as ISIS claimed responsibility for the atrocities. Masood drove his 4x4 from the south end of Westminster Bridge. He later died in hospital after being shot by police.

President Trump said he had shared a phone call with Prime Minister Theresa May to express his condolences on Wednesday night.

Aysha Frade, left, was also killed on the bridge. She was on her way to collect her daughters from school. PC Keith Palmer, right, died after being stabbed
A selfless mother has been carrying her 30-year-old paralysed daughter on her back wherever she goes for almost three decades.

Julieta Lorenzo's daughter Mary Jane has been disabled since she was three and cannot speak or feed herself.

The dedicated 69-year-old, of the Philippines, has been diligently carrying Mary Jane around ever since, for fear that she will be injured or molested if left alone.

They live in Bolo village, on the outskirts of Roxas, and have to walk up a steep dirt path to reach the modest home they have been living in alone for 25 years.

Mary Jane cannot have a wheelchair as the unpaved track to their house is covered with gnarled tree roots - making it impossible to navigate on wheels.

Julieta Lorenzo, 69, has been carrying her 30-year-old paralysed daughter Mary Jane on her back wherever she goes for almost three decades

The pair survive on a meagre 32 a month (P2,000) - which they struggle to get by on.

Reports mention nothing about a husband or relatives they can rely on to help support them.

Ms Lorenzo's tear-jerking story came to light when a Facebook user shared photos of the two visiting a bank to collect her pension.

Gilbred Cargason Alsagon Jr snapped the touching photos of the pair at Development Bank in Roxas.

Ms Lorenzo's unspeakably kind story came to light when a Facebook user shared photos of the two visiting a bank to collect her monthly pension

A video shows Ms Lorenzo politely refusing the help of a security guard as she hoists her daughter onto her back.

'The daughter was paralyzed since she was three years old,' Alsagon said.

'They were living together on their own and Nanay Julieta had to carry her daughter every time she has to go downtown, fearing that her daughter will be raped if left alone.'

He highlighted their plight in the hope that the pair could be helped by someone more privileged than him - as he has his own elderly mother to look after.

They live in Bolo village, on the outskirts of Roxas, and have to walk up a steep dirt path covered in gnarled tree roots (pictured) to reach the modest home they have been living in alone for 25 years

The pair survive on a meagre 32 a month (P2,000) - which they struggle to get by on (pictured, the city of Roxas where the bank they visit is)

'I can't help them, I cannot even help my own mother... If you are able and interested, you can send help through the officials of Brgy Bolo, Roxas City,' Alsagon wrote.

'Nanay Juliet represent the millions of Mothers around the world who has the same battle every day (sic).'

The heartbreaking post has since gone viral and been shared more than 50,000 times.
A clever rescue dog with a heartbreaking past has been hailed as a hero after she found a naked three-year-old girl curled up in a ditch in a field near her new home.

A Michigan family told the story of how their dog Peanut led them to rescue the toddler last Friday morning near Rapid River in Delta County, in a heartwarming letter to the Delta Animal Shelter in Escanaba.

The woman, who was not named, said the furry pet had been acting strangely that morning and had been running up and down the stairs of their home 'barking and yelping.'

Peanut then went to the garage next door to alert the woman's husband. When the man finally let the dog out, Peanut sprinted to a field behind their home and led him to her shocking discovery.

Heroic pup: Peanut led her owners to discover a naked little girl who was curled up in a ball and shivering in a field near the family's Michigan home. The adorable dog had been rescued from a shelter and came from an abusive home

'My husband followed her and to his surprise, he found a naked, shivering, three-year-old girl curled up in a ball barely alive,' the woman said.

The man wrapped the shivering little girl in his sweatshirt and took her inside where he called the police. The weather in Delta County that day had reached freezing temperatures.

'The little girl was barely hanging on for her life. By the time the ambulance and police arrived, the little girl could only say one thing - "doggie,"' the woman said.

The toddler was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and was found to be unharmed. Authorities tracked down her parents and found she had been living in 'unsafe and unsanitary' conditions.

It is unknown how long the girl was outside in the cold or how she got there.

Child Protective Services eventually took her into custody.

Peanut's family called their heroic pet a 'blessing' and believe the dog has a 'sixth sense'. The shelter dog had come from a family of abusive and was formerly named Petunia.

She was found last April with two broken legs, broken ribs, and had eaten pieces of carpeting.

'Words cannot express how grateful we are that we have Peanut in our lives and how amazing she is. She is a part of our family now and thanks to wonderful people like you at the shelter, she is alive,' the owner said in the letter.

'Without her, not only would she have been gone from this world, but the life of this little girl might have been taken as well.'

The animal shelter posted the heartfelt story on its Facebook page and it has since been shared more than 3,000 times and flooded with comments praising the dog.

'I just love this story. Peanut is a hero,' one user said.

Another added: 'Awesome job lil buddy! Thank God for you and thank God your owners listened when you were telling them something important. You're ALL HUGE [HEROES]! That little girl will never forget this!'
A Mexican-born father-of-four, whose wife voted for President Donald Trump, is facing deportation.

Roberto Beristain, 43, from Indiana, was arrested while on his way to his annual US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-in last month.

The restaurant owner had ignored a deportation order from the year 2000 after he was arrested at the Canadian border.

Roberto Beristain was arrested while on his way to his annual US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-in last month

His family has said the past five weeks have been tough without her husband and is hoping Mr Beristain will be home soon.

One of the couple's daughters told the New York Daily News her mother Helen had voted for Donald Trump because she agreed with his tough line on deporting undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes.

She added Mrs Beristain did not think it would affect her husband.

Mr Beristain, who owns Eddie's Steak Shack, in Granger, Indiana, was first arrested 17 years ago after he took a wrong turn while driving in Niagara Falls on a family vacation.

He ended up driving over the Canadian border and was stopped as he tried to get back in to the US. After failing to produce any documentation he was arrested.

He spent the next few weeks in jail before being told he had a few months to leave the country.

Helen Beristain said she voted for Donald Trump because she agreed with his tough line on deporting undocumented immigrants

Mr Beristain ignored the order, choosing instead to stay with his wife, who was pregnant at the time. Mrs Beristain said her husband has been working hard to get citizenship ever since.

She told WNDU: 'Roberto has his social security card. He's got his license, he's got everything he needs to have to be here.

'Sometimes, things don't go your way. Sometimes people make you feel like you're a criminal, you're doing bad things. But you've always got to look at the bright side.'

Mr Beristain is being detained in Kenosha, Wisconsin, waiting on ICE to review his records.
The family of murdered police officer Keith Palmer were today 'overwhelmed' after more than 500,000 was raised for them by well-wishers.

Multiple fundraising pages have been set up to help the loved ones of the husband and father who was stabbed outside Parliament on Wednesday.

The families of other victims of the Westminster terror attack that left at least five people dead are also being supported through other fundraising websites.

'Wonderful dad and husband': Murdered PC Keith Palmer is pictured with his wife Michelle

It comes amid an outpouring of emotion for PC Palmer, who was 48 and had been with Scotland Yard for more than 15 years when he was killed by Khalid Masood.

The Metropolitan Police Federation launched an official Just Giving memorial page at 9.13am yesterday for PC Palmer, which had reached 500,000 before noon today.

The association was prompted to set up the page after receiving a huge number of pleas from members who wanted to help, chairman Ken Marsh said.

Mr Marsh said: 'This gives a clear indication of what the public thinks of my colleagues. I'm not surprised at all.

'I've been told to leave it open because it's for people to show their respects, and how they want to do it. It's just amazing - amazing - the generosity of individuals.'

Asked if the family had been told, he said: 'They are fully aware of it, and they are overwhelmed by it, as they are overwhelmed about everything that's happening at the moment.

'At the moment, there is nothing that can ease the pain of the position they are in.

The Metropolitan Police Federation launched an official Just Giving memorial page at 9.13am yesterday, which had reached 500,000 before noon today

'They've lost the dearest person to them in the most tragic of circumstances, so I don't think money or anything reflects on that, but in time it will help to ease.'

Doughnuts, flowers and cherry Bakewell tarts are among the gifts to police after the Westminster attack as members of the public show support for officers.

PC and Michelle Palmer on their wedding day

And among those paying tribute today was London mayor Sadiq Khan, who said people in the capital would 'never forget' the innocent lives lost in the attack.

Mr Khan was among a number of dignitaries, police officers and ordinary Londoners who marked the death of PC Palmer with flowers outside New Scotland Yard.

The mayor left a note saying: 'You will always be in our hearts. Londoners will never forget the innocent people who lost their lives.'

A note left by British Transport Police officers from Lambeth, South London, simply read: 'For PC Keith Palmer. HERO. Never forgotten.'

And a message from Hertfordshire Police officers from St Albans read: 'Keith, one of our own, forever in our thoughts.'

Among those contributing to PC Palmer's widow and family's fund was Laura Stevens, who said: 'My thoughts and prayers are with your family at this sad time. Thank you for all you have done for this country. May you rest in peace.'

Florise Lai Cheong, studying at the University of Cambridge, wrote: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all the victims caught in that terrorist attack.'

Prince Charles meets paramedics and support staff who assisted those injured in the attack at King's College Hospital in London today

Charles is photographed by nurses as he leaves after meeting paramedics and support staff

The Prince of Wales speaks to staff at the hospital who were clearly very excited to meet him

And Paul Winn, an economist at Shell International Exploration and Production, said: 'Never should anyone go to work and not come back.

'God bless those that stand in harm's way, that keep us safe, or who administer help to us all when we need it.'

Rachael Lewis, a nursery nurse at Little Munchkins Pre-School, added: 'Such a brave and selfless man who never should have died.

'Your family will now have to carry the burden of life without you. I too am a military widow and raising our young children alone.

'If you read this please know you are not alone and life can become beautiful again given time. May the days be as gentle as they can be.'

A staggering 417 a minute was being donated to the crowd funding page at its peak last night, setting a new record for JustGiving.

The website also donated 10,000 but defended taking a 5 per cent fee because of the work it had to do overnight to keep the page from crashing.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (left) outside the Houses of Parliament in London today. He said people in the capital would 'never forget' the innocent lives lost in the attack

A police officer looks at flowers outside the Houses of Parliament in London this afternoon

A spokesman said: 'At the peak about 9.30pm there was 11,000 sitting on the page at that moment active giving 417 a minute.

'We have never seen this sort of page volume before. Our poor operations people having been pulling their hair out so the platform stayed stable so that people can give as much as possible.

'When it reached 90,000 we gave a donation to help it reach 10,000 so it reached its target of 100,000.'

A separate page, set up by a serving police officer in a personal capacity on Go Fund Me at midnight yesterday, has raised more than 5,000.

More than 7,000 has been raised for the family of Aysha Frade, who was killed on Westminster Bridge when Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians.

Police officers carry flowers outside the Houses of Parliament as tributes are paid to the dead

And $53,000 (42,000) has been donated to help the injured partner of Kurt Cochran, an American tourist who also died on the bridge.

Relatives said his wife, Melissa, had suffered a broken leg, a broken rib and a cut to the head but would recover from her injuries.

Several other Just Giving pages have raised hundreds individually, while a Launch Good page set up for all the victims of attack has passed the 20,000 mark.

Muddassar Ahmed, who set up the Muslims United for London page after witnessing the attack from Portcullis House, said: 'I happened to be trapped inside the building yesterday, and saw the carnage, and was quite moved by it.

'And (I) thought to myself 'If this is how affected I am, I can't imagine how affected the victims and their families are'.'

The 34-year-old, from Stratford, east London, said he was worried about a potential backlash against the Muslim community after the attack.

He said: 'I'm worried that the hate will divide societies further, I'm worried that hate on both sides will increase as a result.

'But this is precisely what extremists on all sides want to do... target places where there is co-existence.'

The initiative said it would welcome contributions from 'our friends of other faiths'.

Yesterday, the heartbroken family of PC Palmer gave their own tribute to the 'courageous' policeman who they said was a 'wonderful dad and husband'.

In a statement released by Scotland Yard his wife and five-year-old daughter said: 'He will be deeply missed. We love him so much'.

It said: 'Keith will be remembered as a wonderful dad and husband. A loving son, brother and uncle. A long-time supporter of Charlton FC.

PC Palmer posed for a picture with US tourist Staci Martin just 45 minutes before he was killed

'Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed. We love him so much.

'His friends and family are shocked and devastated by his loss and ask that they are left to grieve alone in peace.'

His colleagues also spoke of his bravery and revealed that in 2015 he was nominated for best thief taker in the Commissioner's Excellence Awards, having made more than 150 arrests in 12 months.

PC Palmer saved the life of former Metropolitan Police officer Nina Whitehead who was involved in a crash when she was in the passenger seat of a patrol car.

Miss Whitehead has spoken out because she wanted 'everyone know what a wonderful man he was'.

She also described PC Palmer as a permanently smiling policeman who would share hugs when coming into work and loved bringing cakes for colleagues.

PC Palmer happily smiles with tourists for a picture outside Parliament last October

Miss Whitehead was a front passenger in the patrol car when it crashed with the van 10 years ago. But she said he kept her alive until the paramedics arrived.

She said: 'He was already a hero. In my eyes he always will be. I literally owe him my life.'

PC James Aitkenhead, who worked with him at Westminster, added: 'When I heard what had happened I knew it would be him because that's just the sort of guy he was, to step straight in when others might step back.'

PC Palmer joined the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command in April 2016 and before that was in the Territorial Support Group (TSG), based at Catford and in Bromley borough before that between 2002 and 2009.

Inspector Mark Turner, from the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, who most recently worked with Keith, said: 'He really was a solid reliable member of the team - he came in and just got the job done, quietly and efficiently. He was a fantastic member of staff and will be sorely missed.'
A child sex offender will live just metres from a Melbourne high school when he is released from prison on Monday.

The offender, aged in his 70s, was jailed for six counts of sexual assault and will be released following the completion of his 17-month sentence.

A sex offender will leave prison on and return to his home nearby Healesville High School

The school have heightened their security measures by installing cameras in high-risk areas

His release has prompted a boost in security at the high school, with cameras to be installed on the grounds, Herald Sun reports.

The school was warned of his release by a victim, who was a child at the time of the assault, and were notified of the man's listing as a serious sex offender on the Victorian Register of Sex Offenders.

The principal said he had spoken with police and the Education Department about how to respond accordingly.

The victim told Herald Sun there should be tougher laws around the Register of Sex Offenders that can ban offenders from living within close proximity of areas used by children.

The principal said he did not want to cause the neighbourhood to panic, and was told that this particular offender was low risk.
The wife of a former UK Marine has slammed the Australian Defence Force, saying delays in processing his application forced him to take another job which led to his death.

Nathaniel Beesley, 32, a former Royal Marine who had completed two tours of Afghanistan, died on Friday at the Savage River Mine in Tasmania.

He was taking on the work to provide for his family while he awaited a transfer to the ADF, loved ones say.

The wife of former UK Marine Nathaniel Beesley (left) has slammed the Australian Defence Force, saying their delays in processing his application forced him to take another job which led to his death. Mr Beesley died last Friday after falling at a mine site in Tasmana

His wife Katie Beesley, who lives on the Sunshine Coast with their two young sons, posted the scathing message to the ADF Facebook page on Monday.

In the post she described the ADF as 'insensitive, disgraceful beings' who had delayed Nathaniel's application for almost a year, saying they had been 'utterly strung along'.

'You have been dangling a carrot for such a long time - his dream to serve Australia yet doing nothing, why were assurances made yet nothing actually done?'

In her post (pictured) Ms Beesley described the ADF as 'insensitive, disgraceful beings' who had delayed Nathaniel's application for almost a year, saying that they had been 'utterly strung along'

Ms Beesley said she wanted answers from the recruitment process, because at some point she would have to explain what had happened to her one and four year-old sons.

Mr Beesley and his wife had moved from England to start a new life on Australia's Sunshine Coast just a few months before he died.

A GoFundMe page set up by a family friend has amassed more than $32,000 in donations this week.

Josephine Gladwin, who set up the page, wrote: 'An amazing father to two young beautiful boys, words cannot express the heartache.'

On a GoFundMe page set up for Mr Beesley's family, a friend wrote Mr Beesley (left, pictured with one of his sons) had been forced to find mining work to support his family while he waited for a transfer into the ADF

The 32-year-old (right) had recently moved to the Sunshine Coast in Australia from the UK with his wife and two sons

'His dream for them was to make a life in Australia.

'A UK Royal Marine with two tours of Afghanistan, Nathaniel was taking other work to provide for his family, whilst awaiting transfer to the Australian Army when his life was cut short leaving an enormous void.'

She added: 'An incredible friend to so many, his loss is devastating and we hope to raise funds to show our support to his young family and help in some small way through this terribly sad time.'

WorkSafe Tasmania is investigating the circumstances behind the death, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

His death was the fourth mining-related death on the state's west coast since 2013.

The GoFundMe page described Mr Beesley (left) as 'an incredible friend to so many' and described his loss as 'devastating'

Ms Beesley (left) wrote in her post to the ADF: 'You have been dangling a carrot for such a long time - his dream to serve Australia yet doing nothing, why were assurances made yet nothing actually done?'

Australian Workers Union assistant secretary Robert Flanagan said it was understood that Ms Beesley was working in the north pit of the mine when he fell.

'It's the union's understanding that the contractors were engaged in scaling operations in part of the mine's operations,' he told ABC.

'Scaling operations are undertaken to ensure that loose material can't be dislodged from a work area.

'Any workplace fatality is a tragedy and the union's thoughts are clearly with the family and friends of the deceased worker and we continue to endeavour to ensure that workplaces are as safe as possible.'
A family has been left heartbroken after their beloved pet emu was shot dead at close range while they were out of town.

For more than a decade, Ernie the emu was a local celebrity at a family farm in Geraldton, north of Perth, before he was killed last Sunday.

It is thought Ernie was shot after a car pulled up to the side of the road and waited for him to reach the fence line at the Garratt family farm, The West Australian reported.

A family has been left heartbroken after their pet emu was shot dead at close range while they were out of town. Above, members of the Garratt family who own the farm pose with their beloved animal

Annabelle Garratt, 22, who grew up with Ernie, told the paper she was certain it was a deliberate act.

'There is no mistaking him for a wild emu. He's not aggressive at all, we've taken little kids out to see him and he eats perfectly out of their hands and lets them touch him.

'We had even thought about moving him some time ago because we did think ''what if something happened to him there''?'

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Ms Garratt asked the unknown culprit why they would do such a thing to a defenceless animal.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Ms Garratt said asked the culprit why they would do hurt a defenceless animal

'You have taken away out pet, our family member and our friend,' she wrote.

'I can't even begin to imagine what thrill you got out of shooting a defenceless, harmless, innocent animal through the neck.

'To our community that loved Ernie like we did, we are sorry that you no longer get to enjoy his antics and watch him live out his days in peace like we had hoped to. To anyone that knows Ern, I'm sorry to you too.

'To our dear Ernster, thanks for everything buddy, for being a fabulous pet, and a part of our home.'

She added: 'I just hope that something like this doesn't happen to any other families in our little town.'

A report has been filed with Geraldton police, according to the West Australian.
The Secret Service will have a military man at the helm for the first time in modern history, it has been reported.

According to the Washington Examiner, Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, a retired Marine general and former head of U.S. Central Command, is preparing to name a senior armed forces officer to the agency's top job.

The move is seen as a bid to impose rigorous discipline and help the Secret Service recover from morale- and image-busting White House intrusions in recent days.

Employees are expecting an announcement in the next week, the Examiner reported.

The last full-time Secret Service director, former agent Joseph Clancy, retired on March 3  for the second time  and left an 'acting director,' William Callahan, as a caretaker in the role

Secret Service agents are seen in the above May 20, 2016, file photo standing guard near the White House in Washington. The agency is reportedly set to install its first modern military man as the new chief

The Secret Service is tasked with protecting the president, his family and the White House grounds, but intruders have been penetrating the mansion's outer defenses with unusual frequency since the retirement of former director Joseph Clancy

Clancy's departure coincided with a run of security lapses and misconduct cases, the Examiner noted.

On March 10 an intruder was able to jump a White House fence and linger on the presidential mansion's lawn for 17 minutes before agents detected and detained him.

Trump has already shown a willingness to put high-ranking military men in cabinet-level positions.

Kelly himself is a retired three-star general. And James Mattis, the secretary of Defense, is a retired four-star Marine.

The Secret Service asked for an additional $60 million in funding for the next fiscal year in order to cover the expenses associated with protecting the Trump family, but was turned down.

Sign of the times: the service already has a paramilitary tactical unit, which could soon get a real-live military commander

There are unique logistical and financial challenges that come with protecting members of the jet-setting Trump clan. President Donald Trump is seen at right with son Barron and First Lady Melania Trump

Half of that money was earmarked toward security for the Trump family and his private residence at Trump Tower in New York; the other half would have gone towards travel costs accrued by Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and visiting heads of state.

The request for new funds stemmed from unforeseen logistical and financial challenges that have come with protecting members of the jet-setting Trump clan.

In addition to protecting the president, his family, and his aides, the Secret Service also investigates cybercrimes, counterfeit money operations, and cases involving missing and exploited minors.

Although Trump has been president for a little over eight weeks, he has flown to Florida five times on weekends  which critics say is ironic since Trump often criticized his predecessor, Barack Obama, for taking vacations at taxpayer expense.

The president also makes frequent trips to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, meaning the Secret Service has to set up command posts there as well

And the Secret Service also has to secure and patrol Trump Tower in New York City, taking up office space there and setting up security measures to control who gets in and out ofthe iconic skyscraper

It was reported this week that up to 100 Secret Service agents would be traveling in tow with Trumps children and grandchildren during their Spring Break ski vacation in Aspen.

The Trump clan delegation includes six adults  daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, as well as the presidents two oldest sons and their wives  plus eight children.

The cost of the trip is unclear, but it will likely be even more than the reported $3million bill that President Trump racks up every weekend he heads down to Palm Beach. And it will likely all be covered by taxpayer money.

The latest out-of-town excursion for members of the Trump clan is shaping up to be another costly trip for taxpayers, as recent hotel bills for security coinciding with their travels is already in the hundreds of thousands.
A Pennsylvania karate teacher awaiting trial on 23 counts related to his alleged sexual assault of five students is now accused of trying to murder them.

Michael Scherbanic, 29, has been charged with 27 counts of criminal solicitation in a complaint that was filed on Wednesday in Allegheny County, with police accusing him of developing an 'elaborate criminal plan to intimidate victims, recruit witnesses to perjure themselves and obstruct the prosecution in five criminal cases.'

The complaint states that Scherbanic had hoped to get his cellmate to carry out the dirty deed, and contains parts of the conversations between Scherbanic and the man about killing the boys, which were recorded by authorities.

'If you can't do all five, it's understandable. Like, any of them at that point are helpful,' Scherbanic said to his cellmate according to the complaint in one chilling exchange.

He went on to explain which of his accusers were 'hurting me the most,' telling his cellmate that the first and fifth boy to accuse him could not be around to testify at the trial.

'Like I said, if a couple disappear, it makes my fight a lot easier,' Scherbanic then told his cellmate according to the complaint.

Scherbanic is still set to begin his trial early next month on those molestation charges, which date back to 2008 and involve boys who were as young as 5 years old at the time of the alleged assaults.

Scroll down for video

Defendant: Michael Scherbanic (above in July) was arrested in June of last year in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania after being accused of molesting a young student

After he was released from jail on a $10,000 bond, four more students came forward making similar claims, and he was put back behind bars (June mugshot left, September mugshot right)

The complaint filed on Wednesday also details some of Scherbanic's other elaborate plans to try and silence his accusers.

These involved getting other juveniles to help blackmail or pressure some of the five boys, planting heroin on a family member of another accuser and in the case of one boy, blowing up the propane tanks outside his home in order to 'kill multiple residents.'

Scherbanic even drew a map for his cellmate to show him where the propane tank was after offering him up to $1million and a lifetime of free karate lessons to carry out the murders, according to the complaint.

Court papers state that he called the operation 'Order 66.'

He also went after adults who were going to testify against him, urging his cellmate to 'plant drugs, or a gun or possibly child porn' on one person according to the complaint.

And in the case of one accuser, he told his cellmate to offer the boy $5,000 to call Scherbanic's mother and say that he lied about the molestation to police, along with another $5,000 to appear at the trial and support the defendant.

The alleged child molester had wanted this all to be carried out by April 4 so that the boys would not testify at his trial claims the complaint, but Scherbanic's cellmate notified prison officials of the plot in late February.

The five cases brought against Scherbanic all involve juvenile male students who he worked with a Tang Soo Do Karate College.

Scherbanic was first arrested in early June after a 12-year-old boy told police that the karate teacher had touched his private parts inappropriately on three occasions, according to the first complaint in the case.

That young boy also claimed that in April, Scherbanic told him to expose himself during a sleepover, threatening to not invite him back again if he did not comply with his demand.

Those incidents were reported by the young boy and his family to police in May, and Scherbanic was charged and then released on $10,000 bond.

Family: Scherbanic is now facing 23 counts related to the assault of five boys who were students at the Tang Soo Do Karate College (above), and is set to start his trial on April 4

Great lengths: He also wanted drugs or child porn to be planted on adults who were set to testify against him according to the criminal complaint (Scherbanic's family above)

Scherbanic was back in jail however on July 19 after more cases were initiated against him on June 28 by three additional minors.

The accusations made by those young men were similar to the ones made by the first accuser, with the boys claiming that they were bribed into performing sexual acts with Scherbanic.

One boy however alleged he had been molested every single day while on vacation with Scherbanic in Ocean City, New Jersey and another claimed he was just 5 when the sexual assaults began at the hands of his teacher.

The fifth accuser came forward a little over a week after Scherbanic was put back behind bars, claiming that the karate teacher had contacted him from prison according to his complaint.

All five of the complaints were formally filled on September 14, and in November Scherbanic entered a plea of not guilty at his formal arraignment.

In total, he has been charged with five counts each of indecent assault, child endangerment and corruption of minors along with four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a victim younger than 16 and three counts of indecent exposure.

Scherbanic is also facing a count of witness intimidation and one of obstruction, which are both related to his alleged attempts to contact the fifth victim while in prison.

Meanwhile, he has yet to respond to the 27 new counts filed against him, and his lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
A matador whose anus was completely destroyed by a 1,160lb bull has managed to give a 'thumbs up' from his hospital bed.

Matador Antonio Romero was in Mexico City's bull ring when an animal named Caporal punctured him 11 inches deep in his rectal area, last Sunday.

He is seen writhing in pain in the hard-to-watch video.

Recovering : Matador Antonio Romero gives a 'thumbs up' from his hospital bed after being gored in the anus by a bull during a fight last weekend

Antonio Romero says he looks forward to getting back into the ring as soon as possible

Zocalo reports Romero was taken to the hospital after the gruesome incident that destroyed his anal sphincter.

He needed the entire area stitching back together after the horrific injury.

'I have faith and hope to feel again and show that I want to be someone important in the Fiesta Brava [bullflighting], ' the sidelined matador said to theDaily Star.

During the bullfight, Romero angered the bull by taunting it with a red rag.

He ended up being sent flying across the bull ring when he was tossed by its horns.

It was while he was left laying on the floor, the bull decided to take its chance and gored him.

The entire episode happened within a matter of seconds, leaving Romero powerless to defend himself.

Matador Antonio Romero was punctured in the rear-end by a bull named Caporal on Sunday

Antonio Romero and his injury of a 11 inch laceration in the behind was considered 'severe'

Romero only escaped with his life after other bullfighters jumped in to rescue him and managed to distract the animal.

A backside bull goring happened to an unnamed man in Spain last year as well.

The unfortunate incident happened on the street in Teulada, a small coastal town on Spain's Costa Blanca, during the annual bull-running celebration.
A newlywed couple are taking legal action after 'unhygienic' hotel conditions on their honeymoon left them confined to their bathroom with gastric illness.

James and Kathryn Longhurst, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, went on their dream holiday to Cuba for a two-week all-inclusive break - costing 5,000.

The newlyweds, who tied the knot at Chilworth Manor in July, flew out for the luxury five-star Paradisus Rio de Oro in Holguin, Guardalavaca on November 1.

James and Kathryn Longhurst went on their dream holiday to Cuba for a two-week all-inclusive break - costing them 5,000

The newlyweds, who tied the knot at Chilworth Manor in July, flew out for the luxury five-star Paradisus Rio de Oro in Holguin, Guardalavaca on November 1

Just three days later, Mr Longhurst fell so ill he was rushed to hospital, where he was given a series of injections and put on IV drips - with his tongue even turning black because of the medication.

The couple are now taking legal action against Thomas Cook Tour Operations, after their hellish stay at the luxury Cuban resort.

Project manager Mr Longhurst, 38, said: 'We started enjoying our honeymoon, and went to some of the hotel's fine dining restaurants.

'But they weren't very clean - the food wasn't covered properly, and there were birds and insects flying around the restaurant buffet area.

'Two days into the holiday, I started getting really bad diarrhea, which I put down to the climate. But then I started vomiting and I was violently ill.

'I went to medical centre, and I was really dehydrated so they put me on drips and pumped me full of drugs.

'My tongue turned black from whatever happened to me. The nurse said there was a lot of it going round at the hotel.

Just three days later, Mr Longhurst (pictured) fell so ill he was rushed to hospital. The couple are now taking legal action against Thomas Cook Tour Operations

'The drugs they gave me helped for one day, but the next day I went down with stomach cramps again.

'They came to my hotel room to treat me with more injections, but I was still so bad I had to be taken to hospital by ambulance and treated. I went back to the hotel for three or for days, and then flew home - that was it.

'I'm still not 100 per cent right now - my stomach is still not as strong as it was.

'You just wouldn't expect it from a five star resort, we paid good money for it and want Thomas Cook to take responsibility.

He was given a series of injections and put on IV drips - with his tongue even turning black

'We couldn't enjoy the holiday at all, we were devastated, and now I'm absolutely furious that Thomas Cook haven't responded to our complaint.

'We reported all the problems to the holiday rep, and got an email saying they'd get back to us within 28 days, but they've done nothing.'

When he returned to the UK on November 16, Mr Longhurst went to A&E because he was still unwell.

He was kept under observation at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital for five hours before being discharged.

Restaurant manager Kathryn, 43, also contracted the horrific stomach bug.

She says she was left bitterly disappointed by the trip, as neither of the couple had been to Cuba before and were looking forward to experiencing the country's vibrant culture.

'We were really looking forward to going there, we wanted to go somewhere different, but I ended up spending most of it watching TV - I could have done that at home,' she said.

'I felt ill first, but it didn't materialise quite as badly as James'.

'Within two days it hit us, and it didn't really go away for the rest of the holiday - it was a bit of a shambles.

Mr Longhurst was ill for the majority of the holiday and when he returned to the UK on November 16, he went to A&E because he was still unwell

'I'm disgusted at Thomas Cook - they're aware it was our honeymoon, and we made a complaint, but just got a generic response.

'We told the rep what had happened and they emailed saying they'd look into it - they're had four months to get back to us.

'We've gone on holiday with them before to Mauritius and had a lovely time.

'Now they've completely let us down, I don't think we'll travel with them again.

The couple say they were left bitterly disappointed by the trip, as neither of them had been to Cuba before

'People had given us Thomas Cook vouchers, which we asked for specifically, to go on our honeymoon, but it's all been wasted.'

Amandeep Samra, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing the couple, said: 'James and Kathryn wanted their honeymoon to be a relaxing and memorable start to married life.

'Instead James suffered an unpleasant and painful ordeal which prevented either he or Kathryn from making the most of their two-week break.'

The adult-only hotel has bungalow-style rooms situated on 'the idyllic, white-sand Esmeralda beach'.

There are 354 rooms, eight restaurants and seven bars.

It has four-and-a-half out of five on Trip Advisor, with any visitors describing the resort as 'beautiful'.

A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said: 'We want our customers to have the best possible time on holiday, so we are sorry to hear that Mr and Mrs Longhurst were ill.

'We take all reports of illness seriously and will investigate this case thoroughly.'
Australians will save $500 million over four years after the federal government announced medicine prices will be slashed.

More than 1,100 drugs - including those used to treat breast cancer and mental health - will have their prices cut, Daily Telegraph exclusively reported.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the move, to come into affect from April 1, was part of the government's commitment to ensure people had access to medicine when needed.

The Federal Government has announced more than 1,100 drugs will have their prices slashed starting from April 1

Amongst the biggest savings is Rosuvastatin, used to reduce high cholesterol and taken by nearly half a million people.

The script will cost about $6 less to $21.77 from April 1, representing a savings of 22 per cent.

Breast cancer patients will pay less than $6.47 for a script of Anastrozole and 14,000 Parkinson's disease patients will pay $7.61 for pramipexole.

Patients suffering depression and anxiety, exczema and psoriasis will also see savings.
Dramatic new video has emerged showing rockets fizzing across a Ukrainian city after a massive explosion at an arms depot - amid claims the warehouse was bombed by a drone.

The terrifying scale of the blast, which sparked a mass evacuation of 20,000 people in Balakleya, eastern Ukraine yesterday, is captured in new footage taken both from the ground and from above.

In one clip, a giant fireball can be seen climbing up above buildings while separate aerial footage shows how rockets were propelled across the city.

Last night, Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said authorities were considering a theory that the fire was caused by 'explosive devices dropped from an unmanned aerial vehicle'.

Dramatic new video has emerged showing rockets fizzing across a Ukrainian city after a massive explosion at an arms depot - amid claims the warehouse was bombed by a drone

The terrifying scale of the blast, which sparked a mass evacuation of 20,000 people in Balakleya, eastern Ukraine yesterday, is captured in new footage taken both from the ground and from above (pictured)

The fire erupted at the munitions depot in the town of Balakleya in the Kiev-controlled part of eastern Ukraine, setting off several blasts that injured one and forced authorities to evacuate thousands of people

One person has died as a result of the fire, which Ukrainian authorities said was result of an 'act of sabotage'. They have opened probes into possible 'diversion' or negligence of military personnel.

'The body of a woman born in 1951 was recovered from under the debris of a collapsed house,' the head of Ukraine's emergency service Mykola Chechotkin said Friday, Interfax Ukraine news agency reported.

The fire erupted at the munitions depot in the town of Balakleya in the Kiev-controlled part of eastern Ukraine, setting off several blasts that injured one and forced authorities to evacuate thousands of people.

Some 550 emergency workers, medics and police officers had been dispatched to the scene to keep the fire from spreading to nearby populated areas.

One person has died as a result of the fire, which Ukrainian authorities said was result of an 'act of sabotage'

The crackling sound of detonations thought to be exploding munitions could be heard from some 16 miles away

Ukraine has temporarily closed the airspace in a 25-mile radius around the arms depot, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yuriy Lavrenyuk wrote on Facebook

Earlier in the day the crackling sound of detonations thought to be exploding munitions could be heard from some 16 miles away.

Ukraine has temporarily closed the airspace in a 25-mile radius around the arms depot, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yuriy Lavrenyuk wrote on Facebook.

An AFP reporter who accessed Balakleya saw it almost completely deserted following evacuation, with the silence broken by occasional blasts while clouds of grey smoke rose above residential buildings.

In Yakovenkove, a village three miles north of town, locals said their homes had been hit by shapnel from the burning depot.

A local woman shows a part of missile in the window of her flat after and explosion and a fire at the ammunition depot of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the the city of Balakiya

A boy with his dog stands near his destroyed home after the explosion

A man shows a part of missile after an explosion and a fire at the ammunition depot

The trace of a shell is seen in the ground after the huge explosion

A view of a destroyed building after some 20,000 people were reportedly evacuated

A huge cloud of smoke with fire billows from the site of an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

A frightening ball of fire erupts in the military base and is felt from nearby residential areas

The sky turns amber as a huge fire caused by multiple explosions fills the air in the Ukraine

The detonating munitions have prevented firefighters from putting out the blaze but the number of explosions has now 'substantially decreased', the defence ministry said Friday in a statement.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on Thursday warned that the fire could take up to a week to extinguish.

Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said authorities were considering a theory that the fire was caused by 'explosive devices dropped from an unmanned aerial vehicle', Interfax Ukraine news agency reported.

President Petro Poroshenko ordered increased security controls at the nation's military facilities, presidential spokesman Svyatoslav Tsegolko said.

The Ukrainian military has been fighting pro-Russian separatists in the country's east since April 2014 in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people.

The depot in Balakleya housed munitions and arms used by Ukrainian troops fighting the insurgents, according to Ukrainian television.

A massive plume of smoke rises above the military base as lighter smoke shows debris being flung further afield

A fire reportedly broke out overnight 23 March causing the ammunition at the storage site to detonate
The next Star Wars film will not be changed because of Carrie Fisher's death, Walt Disney has confirmed.

The legendary actress, who died in December, appears throughout the eighth installment of the blockbuster series, which is entitled 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.

Walt Disney Co.'s top executive has now confirmed that the film, which is due for release in December, will not be altered, after fervent speculation about Fisher's role and suggestions that she may be replaced by a hologram.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said he was 'really pleased' with Fisher's performance in her role as Leia.

Disney will not digitally recreate Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in upcoming Star Wars films. Previous rumors said that special technology would be used. Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in 1977's A New Hope is pictured left, and a reconstruction of her character using archive footage in December's Rogue One is shown right

'When we bought Lucasfilm, we were going to make three filmsEpisodes VII, VIII and IX,' he said during an on-stage conversation with his wife, Willow Bay, at a conference hosted by USC's Marshall and Annenberg schools.

'We had to deal with tragedy at the end of 2016. Carrie appears throughout VIII. We are not changing VIII to deal with her passing. Her performance remains as it is in VIII. In Rogue One, we had some digital character, [but] we're not doing that with Carrie.'

Iger's comments are in line with those made two months ago by Lucasfilm.

Disney used cutting-edge digital techniques to bring back Moff Tarkin, the character originally played in 1977 by Peter Cushing (pictured left). Cushing died in 1994

'We don't normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher's performance as Princess or General Leia Organa.

'Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss,' the studio sai.

'We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars.'

Before the official announcement, fans were speculating how Disney would bring Princess Leia back to the screen.

General Leia Organa was expected to play a major role in upcoming Star Wars films. Fisher, pictured playing the character in 2015's The Force Awakens, died in December

Rumors circulated that it would be the same high-tech digital recreation used in digital wizardry that allowed Disney to bring back Peter Cushing's Moff Tarkin character from the original 1977 film in the recent blockbuster Rogue One, despite the fact that Cushing died in 1994.

That approach, so cutting-edge that the filmmakers had an alternate script prepped in case the effects failed, could have been similar to Disney's plans for resurrecting Princess Leia.

Rogue One also briefly features another digital resurrection: that of the young Princess Leia, played by Norwegian actress Ingvild Deila, with digital footage of Fisher from A New Hope superimposed on her face.

Although Fisher had reportedly already finished shooting scenes for Star Wars: Episode VIII, slated for release in December, her character was expected to play a major role in the following installment as well.

Carrie Fisher was just 19 when she filmed A New Hope in 1977, pictured with Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford, from left

Fisher was 19 when she filmed A New Hope in 1977.

In the 2015 The Force Awakens, set 30 years after the original trilogy, Fisher returned as General Leia Organa.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is due for release on December 15, and will star John Boyega, Gwendoline Christie, Anthony Daniels, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Daisy Ridley and Andy Serkis, who will all reprise their roles from the 2015 hit 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said he was 'really pleased' with Fisher's performance in her role as Leia, as seen here in a previous film

Carrie Fisher pictured with Jabba in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi

In The Force Awakens Leia, now a general, had become the leader of the Resistance fighting against the evil First Order.

In the intervening years since the 'Return of the Jedi' her relationship with Han Solo had come under pressure, but the two have a son together, named Ben.

Iger also discussed the as-yet-untitled Han Solo film starring Alden Ehrenreich, which is due for release in May 2018.

The film follows the life of Han between the ages of 18 and 24, and shows hiacquiring his spaceship the Millennium Falcon, meeting his partner Chewbacca, and 'getting his name.'

'He acquires a certain vehicle and meets a certain Wookiee,' said Iger. 'That will happen in this film, and you'll also discover how he got his name.'
A Chinese family from Changchun city has spent all of their savings to help their seven-year-old daughter lose weight.

Xiao-Yun, now weighs around 11 stone eight (165 pounds) and can barely stand and walk on her own, according to the People's Daily on Facebook.

Over the past few years, the desperate family has visited around a dozen hospitals across China yet none were able to give any insight into her obesity.

Xiao-Yun(in the wheelchair), accompanied by her mother(in black), was receiving weight-losing treatment in Changchun City

The seven-year-old, weighing 11.8 stones(165 pounds), could barely stand and walk on her own

Xiao-yun's weight shot up three years ago for unknown reason, said Zhang, Xiao-yun's father.

She only weighed 1.9 stone (27.6 pounds) at the age of three.

Mysteriously, her weight almost doubled in just one month before she reached four years old.

Now she has to depend on a wheelchair for mobility as her bones and muscles are unable to carry the extra weight.

Her parents have to lift her up and down the stairs every day.

Xiao-Yun had many blood tests, CT scans and pituitary gland checks. Yet none of these tests provide a clue for her weight gain

Her parents had to lift her up and down the stairs every day

CHINA'S BIG ISSUE: OBESITY IS ON THE RISE Prevalence of childhood overweight rose from 1.11 per cent to 9.62 per cent between 1985 and 2010

Overweight and obesity were found to be most common among boys living in urban regions (23.2 per cent)

World Obesity Federation expects China to top the world in childhood obesity in 2025

Obese children aged between five and 18 will reach over 48 million in China in a decade Source: WHO, CCTV News Advertisement

'People gain weight if they eat a lot. Yet she didn't eat that much,' her mother said.

To figure out the reason for her obesity, Zhang's family brought her to over a dozen hospitals in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai, Hubei and Liaoning.

Xiao-Yun had many blood tests, CT scans and pituitary gland checks. Yet none of these tests provide a clue for her weight gain.

The frustrated parents have sent her to try various weight-loss treatments including fire therapy to try and improve her health condition.

Her mother has quit her job to become a full-time carer for her daughter.

In the past few years, the middle-class family had already depleted their 1 million yuan (116,200) savings.

Her mother(left) has quit her job to take care of her overweight daughter(right) on a full-time basis

The story of Xiao-Yun had attracted tens of thousands of comments across social media platforms, including QQ.com.

'It's difficult to lose weight when she cannot walk and exercise.' said one user.

'She can only sit in the wheelchair. She cannot play with her peers. Such a poor girl.' another user said.

'I feel bad watching this child's suffering. I wish she will get well soon.'
Advertisement

Thousands of thrill seekers battled through miles of sludge-soaked obstacles in Israel's first 'Mud Day' race.

Around 5,000 people threw themselves - sometimes face first - into the raucous endurance event held in the main park of Tel Aviv on Friday.

With expressions ranging from queasy despair to unadulterated mirth, revellers battled up to 22 obstacles - including swinging between ropes, climbing mud hills and crawling through icy water.

Visitors from France, America, Poland, Ukraine and other countries joined thousands of Israelis in pushing their way through the gruelling eight-mile course.

By the end of the frantic mud-slinging match, men and women caked in dirt collapsed in the late morning sun.

Among the attendees were the mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Huldai, and French ambassador Helene Le Gal, though a picture posted on Twitter showed them both distinctly mud-free.

Founded in Paris in 2013, the Mud Day phenomena has now spread to Spain, Belgium and Switzerland as well as Israel. Contestants can race alone or as part of a team, in an event the organisers say is 'like no other'.

'No fine chocolate on the menu but a deliciously thick mud and immense pride at crossing the finish line,' a statement promised.

Contestants battled up to 22 obstacles, including swinging between ropes, climbing mud hills and crawling through icy water

Thousands of thrill seekers battled through miles of sludge-soaked obstacles to take part in Israel's first 'Mud Day' race

Contestants can race alone or as part of a team, in an event the organisers say is 'like no other'

Around 5,000 people threw themselves - sometimes face first - into the raucous endurance event held in the main park of Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv on Friday

Enthusiastic revellers relished slipping and sliding down mud hills into lakes of sludge

One woman caked in sludge took a moment's breather during the raucous acitivities

Founded in Paris in 2013, the Mud Day phenomena has now spread to Spain, Belgium and Switzerland as well as Israel

One bearded man took a moment to get his breath back as the mud clung to his face

A Mud Day lover grinned as he lay flat on his back in a pool of slush, almost entirely submerged in the orange dirt

A contestant clad in a blinged-up face mask gasped as he lurched unceremoniously over a wooden fence

Groups were encouraged to take part in the brutal endurance test to help motivate each other. One fitness fanatic screwed up his face as a bottle of water was thrown at his head - washing the mud out of his eyes

Exhausted competitors struggled to heave themselves over a particularly slippery mud hill

One competitor seemed less concerned about making it to the end as he was about topping up his tan on a mud bank

Visitors from France, America, Poland, Ukraine and other countries joined thousands of Israelis in pushing their way through a course of up to 13 kilometres

Many competitors took the time to head back and help their friends over particularly tricky obstacles

One woman desperately tried to wipe a layer of sludge away from her face so she could see her surroundings

Expressions ranged from queasy despair to unadulterated mirth at the test of endurance

Some revellers sported black gloves to help them get a better grip as they vaulted over wooden fences and landed with a splash in the water

It was understandably hard to retain any semblance of balance in the slippery mud pools, leading to plenty of wince-inducing face-plants

One female competitor looked agonised as she toppled into the space between two slats of a wooden pyramid structure

'No fine chocolate on the menu but a deliciously thick mud and immense pride at crossing the finish line,' a statement said for the event

One man yelped as he tried to climb face-first down a set of wooden slats

It wasn't all frolicking in the mud at the event - as competitors were put through their paces by carrying heavy sand-bags

They were also tasked with pulling themselves up a ramp with a piece of knotted rope

Baking in the hot Israeli sunshine, many revellers kept their clothing minimal to avoid even more discomfort

One man expertly hauled himself from a series of suspended ropes during a challenging section of the event
Paul Manafort, the former Trump presidential campaign chairman who was reportedly thrown overboard last year amid charges that he had financial links to Russian influencers, has volunteered to be interviewed by leaders of the House Intelligence Committee who are probing those and other similar alleged ties.

'The counsel for Paul Manafort contacted the committee yesterday,' Republican chairman Devin Nunes told reporters as the rest of Capitol Hill scrambled to watch a hotly contested rulemaking vote to advance the American Health Care Act.

'We thank Mr. Manafort for volunteering and encourage others to voluntarily interview with the committee.'

Nunes said it hasn't yet been decided whether Manafort will talk in a closed setting or an open hearing.

Former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has volunteered himself for an interview by leaders of the House Intelligence Committee who are probing alleged ties between Trump campaign aides and Moscow

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes told reporters that Manafort's lawyer called and offered to set up the grilling behind closed doors

He also said Manafort's name does not appear in a tranche of documents he described this week during a similar news conference.

Those intelligence reports, he had said, tended to generally corroborate President Donald Trump's contention that the Obama administration had conducted surveillance on him and his campaign aides.

Nunes cautioned, however, that 'there was no wiretapping of Trump Tower. That didn't happen.'

The White House has been distancing itself from Manafort by saying he was a bit player in the president's unusual rise to power last year.

Press secretary Sean Spicer struck a defensive posture this week following a bombshell report that Manafort was paid $10 million a year by a pro-Putin Russian oligarch.

Spicer dismissed the work Manafort did to promote Putin from 2006 to 2009 as work from 'a decade ago,' and indicated Trump didn't know about it.

Supposed bit player Paul Manafort (right) was Trump's campaign manager for five months last year

'What else dont we know? Where he went to school, what grades he got. Who he played with in the sandbox?' he said, arguing that a campaign can't possibly know everything about its staff.

Spicer also tried to walk back his own earlier comment that Manafort had a 'very limited role' in the campaign  both acknowledging Manafort's actual role, then diminishing it.

'Clearly I should have been more precise with respect to Pauls role,' he said, after being asked how being the campaign's top official could have been marginally involved.

He responded with precise dates, saying Manafort got brought on March 28, 2016 to oversee the campaign's delegate operation, got named chief strategist May 19th, and his 'relationship' with the campaign ended August 19th.

Manafort ran the campaign for several months.

'He was hired to count delegates, which he did successfully,' he said. 'He was hired to do a job and he did it. He did it fine.'

Spicer noted that Manafort did the same thing for previous GOP nominees.

'In the past decade he had a client,' Spicer said. 'I dont know what work he was doing.'

But he described it as impossible to know everything about the backgrounds of a campaign staff - even as he admitted Trump's was 'lean.'

'To suggest that everyone knew everybodys background  did they pay their taxes? How much deduction did they take?' isn't realistic, Spicer said.

'I dont know what was on his forms or what not was on his forms,' he said, pressed about what Manafort did an did not disclose to the campaign. 'Its not that Paul wasnt truthful,' he added.

Manafort's work a decade ago involved advancing Putin's interests and pushing a strategy to undermine anti-Russian sentiment in former Soviet republics.

He broke his silence through a spokesman on Wednesday afternoon to say he had never worked for the Russian government itself, and that his work for Deripaska had never been secret.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer claimed Monday that Manafort was a small fry in the campaign; Manafort is reportedly under investigation for Russia ties

'I worked with Oleg Deripaska almost a decade ago representing him on business and personal matters in countries where he had investments,' his spokesman said in a statement to CNN.

'My work for Mr. Deripaska did not involve representing Russian political interests,' Manafort said in a statement his spokesman provided to CNN.

In a separate statement he said: 'I have always publicly acknowledged that I worked for Mr. Deripaska and his company, Rusal, to advance its interests.

'For example, one of the projects involved supporting a referendum in Montenegro that allowed that country to choose membership in the [European Union], a measure that Russia opposed.

'I did not work for the Russian government. Once again, smear and innuendo are being used to paint a false picture. I look forward to meeting with those conducting serious investigations of these issues to discuss the actual facts.'

The revelations come just days after FBI Director James Comey revealed the FBI is investigating links between Trump campaign associates and the Russian government.

'I have been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts,' Comey said Monday during a House Intelligence Committee hearing.
Newly released dash cam footage revealed a barefoot, intoxicated Texas county commissioner dressed in only a tee shirt and boxer shorts as he failed a field sobriety test in July 2016.

Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff is seen stumbling and unable to walk a straight line after rear-ending one car twice while in a Whataburger drive-thru line on San Pedro Avenue, in footage obtained by mySA.com from the San Antonio Police Department.

Wolff pleaded no contest to driving while intoxicated Wednesday and received a sentence of one year of probation as well as being required to breathe into a monitor before driving for the next six months.

Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff was caught on camera stumbling and unable to walk a straight line after rear-ending one car twice while intoxicated in a drive-thru line in July 2016.

The video showed the commissioner wearing a top featuring the face of former President Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt and little else, as an officer ran him through a sobriety test on July 31, 2016.

Wolff was arrested for driving while intoxicated in July 2016; he admitted to drinking vodka and taking prescription drugs, including Ambien, the night of his arrest

The county commissioner later said he drank vodka and took prescription drugs, which included Ambien, before operating a motor vehicle that night.

'The last recollection I really have is fixing my daughter an egg and myself something else, around 10.00pm,' Wolff told the San Antonio Express-News at the time of the incident.

'The first thing I remember after that is standing in the (jail) processing line.'

Preceding his arrest, an officer instructed Wolff on how to complete a field sobriety test and Wolff confirmed that he understood what he was being asked to do.

'You should probably put your glasses on for this test, make it a little easier,' the officer said to Wolff.

'I don't know if that will make it any easier,' Wolff said, before removing his glasses from the neckline of his shirt and placing them on his face.

At one point Wolff toppled over and somersaulted, prompting concern from the officer

Wolff proceeded to attempt to complete nine heel-to-toe steps forward, before turning around and attempting them back again, but was unable to do so without faltering and being reminded he must return to his starting position.

For the second portion of the field sobriety test, Wolff was asked to stand on one foot and raise the other six inches off the ground while counting aloud until the officer told him to stop.

It was during this exercise that Wolff toppled over to the ground and somersaulted, prompting concern from the officer.

'We're gonna go ahead and stop you, I don't want you to hurt yourself,' he said to the commissioner.

'I'm not gonna hurt myself,' Wolff said. 'I'm just p**sed off I can't do 'em.'

Wolff was unable to complete the portion of the field sobriety test requiring he walk a straight line without stumbling

The commissioner was caught on dash cam wearing only a tee shirt and boxer shorts

Wolff is seen here falling over during the second portion of the field sobriety test, right before the officer stopped the exercise and placed him under arrest

Near the end of the video the officer asked Wolff if he believed he should have been driving, to which Wolff replied that he did not.

When asked why he chose to drive anyway, Wolff replied that no one else was awake and made a hand gesture suggesting that his destination was not far from his home.

The officer then placed him under arrest for driving while intoxicated, bringing his arms behind his back.

Wolff was re-elected to his current position as county commissioner, which he's held since 2008, in November 2016.
Pressure is mounting for Parliament Square to be permanently closed to traffic and bollards installed on Westminster Bridge in the wake of the horrific terror attack.

MPs are pushing for the area outside the palace to be pedestrianised - reviving a long-standing project that has been championed by Sadiq Khan.

Senior figures at the Commons have told MailOnline the idea is 'on the table' after Khalid Masood was able to slip on to the estate because the main Carriage Gates had been left open to cars to go in and out. Barring traffic from the area would potentially make access easier to control.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised that Masood was able to drive at speed down the pavement of Westminster Bridge, mowing down dozens of people, before entering the parliamentary estate and stabbing a policeman to death.

There are mounting calls for an overhaul of security measures in the area around parliament

Concerns have been raised that the lack of bollards on Westminster Bridge left pedestrians more vulnerable to the car driven by Masood

This was the scene in the immediate aftermath of the attack, after the attacker entered the grounds of Parliament. He is pictured at the top of the picture - PC Palmer is lying in the middle of the image

Tory MP Chris Philp is among those urging more consideration of how to deal with the threat from terrorists using vehicles as weapons.

'I think we should look at all the options. I think maybe making at least part of it (Parliament Square) pedestrian-only might be an idea, the bit immediately in front of the main entrance,' he told told Sky News.

'If the security services and the police think that is important I think we should listen to that. I think we should be guarded by the experts.'

He voiced concerns about the absence of bollards on Westminster Bridge, which could have made it more difficult for Masood to mount the pavement. He also suggested the presence of a cycle lane made it easier for the terrorist to gather speed.

'Clearly that made his job a lot easier,' Mr Philp said.

'There's another cycle lane of course going down the Embankment, the superhighway that was installed fairly recently.

'This method of attack where a vehicle is used to drive into pedestrians is one that has been used in France, Berlin and somebody tried to do it yesterday in Belgium.

'So it is quite a common modus operandi.

The Carriage Gates - the main entrance to parliament - have been identified as a weak spot in the defences at Westminster

A number of schemes for pedestrianising Parliament Square have been produced in the past, including this Norman Foster design from 1997

'So I think we do need to look at areas near sensitive sites where there are lots of pedestrians and look at putting up more bollards.

'Parliament itself is surrounded by very large bollards that a lorry can't drive through - that was designed to stop lorries laden with explosives being driven at the building.

'I think we do need to extend that kind of protection to areas where there are lots of pedestrian and clearly had there been a secure line of bollards on Westminster Bridge separating the traffic from pedestrians then the tragic events would not have unfolded in the way that they did.'

SECURITY WAS BEEFED UP AFTER 9/11 AND TUBE BOMBINGS The 30million a year security operation at parliament has undergone a massive overhaul in recent years. As the terror threat increased in the wake of 9/11 and then the London bombings, there were increasing concerns that the protection was too weak and ad hoc. Barricades were installed outside to prevent vehicles being rammed though the walls. Passes to gain access to the estate were made more secure. A glass screen was also installed in the public gallery after Tony Blair was targeted with flour by protesters. Traditionally the Serjeant-at-Arms has been in charge of security on the Commons estate, assisted by a team of so-called 'men in tights'. But the officials have not been obliged to have any special security background - sometimes being promoted from within the ranks of the Parliamentary service. Black Rod has an equivalent role in the Lords, although by convention they have a military background. In practice, much of the protection for the Palace has been provided by Scotland Yard through a contract with the Parliament authorities. Around 500 personnel are thought to have been involved. In 2011 the Houses finally decided that the arrangements were not coherent enough, and created a post of Parliamentary Security Director with a dedicated team to oversee both the Lords and the Commons. Paul Martin, the first PSD, was ex MI5. There was another major upheaval in 2015 when parliament renegotiated its contract with the Met in a bid to save money. Initially there were rumours that a contractor such as G4S could be brought in. However, all the civilian personnel provided by the Met were then brought on to the parliamentary staff. The House insisted at the time that the number of officers was not being reduced. The most senior officer based on the site is thought to be an inspector. Advertisement

MPs repeatedly warned the Commons authorities that the Carriage Gates is a weak spot in parliament's defences before the incident.

The entrance, which is also blockaded with metal barriers, is often left open during votes so ministers can drive in and out quickly. Once the division bell goes they only have eight minutes until the vote ends.

Acting Police Commissioner Craig Mackey was reportedly about to leave the estate when Masood marauded in on Wednesday, and witnessed much of the bloodshed.

No armed police are thought to have been on duty at the gates, which open on to Parliament Square. Pc Palmer, who died from his injuries, was unarmed.

The policeman who shot the attacker on the parliamentary estate was a guard for Defence Secretary Michael Fallon rather one of the armed officers on the regular Commons detail.

A senior Commons source indicated that some security issues arising from the incident would need to be dealt with 'urgently'.

Longer term, the senior source said pedestrianising Parliament Square was 'on the table' and could help bolster security. Mr Khan pledged to push the project through during his mayoral campaign.

Plans were drawn up a decade ago, but they were dropped by Boris Johnson when he became London Mayor in 2008.

Lib Dem MP Tom Brake, a member of the ruling Commons Commission, said there was already a project under way to improve security at the Carriage Gates.

'There is work under way, with work expected to be completed by the end of the year,' he told Sky News, while refusing to give details.

'Regrettably this work had not already taken place.'

He also suggested that officers manning the gates should always be armed or accompanied more closely by armed colleagues.

'These officers are the most vulnerable ... and the arrangements have got to be scrutinised to see if in future we need to have different arrangements surrounding them.'

Scotland Yard's anti-terror chief Mark Rowley insisted today that Parliament's security arrangements were 'proportionate' - but confirmed they would be reviewed.

Critics have claimed the main entrance to the Palace of Westminster had long been a weak spot on the estate because the imposing iron gates are left open for most of the day.

But Mr Rowley told reporters that procedures for guarding Parliament had been designed so they were not 'overly intrusive'.

'Our current arrangements have been developed with Parliament over many years and are designed to provide access to the seat of our Government balanced with security that is proportionate but not overly intrusive,' he said.

'As would be expected, my team will work with Parliamentary authorities to assess whether a different tone is necessary.'

A Parliamentary spokesman said: 'Security of Members, staff and the visiting public is our highest priority. For Parliament to fulfil its democratic function, it is crucial that it remains open and accessible to the public.

'Following the creation of the Parliamentary Security Department in January 2016, security measures in and around the Parliamentary Estate have been reviewed, upgraded and enhanced.

'As is good practice following any significant incident, the Houses, in conjunction with the police and other bodies, are carrying out a review of security around this specific incident. A series of exceptional meetings are scheduled for next week including a joint meeting of the House of Commons and House of Lords Commissions where the details of the review are expected to be discussed.'
Darren O'Flaherty (pictured) facing a long sentence for the murder of an Irish father after a petty bar row on the Costa del Sol

A British father-of-five was convicted today of murdering 'gentle giant' John O'Neill after a petty row at a bar on Spain's Costa del Sol.

A Spanish jury found Darren O'Flaherty, 42, guilty after a four-day trial at a court in Malaga.

He was also convicted of attempting to murder bar manager James Walsh and owning the unlicensed gun used at Coco's Bar in the holiday resort of Benalmadena in July 2010.

The jury cleared O'Flaherty, from Liverpool, of the attempted murder of a second bar worker.

The Briton, who was on the run from police in England when he shot 40-year-old Irish plasterer Mr O'Neill after assaulting another man, is now facing a lengthy jail sentence.

Prosecutors called on Judge Julio Ruiz to jail O'Flaherty for 17 years for the murder of the father-of-two, 12 years for the attempted murder and a 18 months for the weapons charge.

Judge Ruiz is expected to be hand out the sentence in the next fortnight.

O'Flaherty glanced at his parents as the verdict was read out, before hanging his head.

His lawyer Cristina Carrillo said he would appeal.

Mr O'Neill, from Coolock in Dublin, who was on his first foreign holiday with his partner Maxine Sutcliffe, son Jake, three, and daughter Jasmine, who was only nine months old, and had attended a wedding the day before.

He collapsed and died at a bus stop 50 yards from the bar after suffering a fatal stomach wound.

Innocent holidaymaker John O'Neill (pictured with his partner Maxine) was on his first holiday outside of Ireland

O'Flaherty was not caught until almost three years later. He was held on a European arrest warrant while celebrating his birthday at a Chinese restaurant in north Wales in August 2013.

He was extradited to Spain in February 2015 after serving the remainder of his sentence in the UK for his role in a knifepoint hold-up.

Jurors were told on the first day of the trial that he was living under a false name when he killed Mr O'Neill, but the charge of using fake documentation to rent his Costa del Sol flat was withdrawn before they retired to consider their verdict yesterday.

O'Flaherty also faces having to compensate Ms Sutcliffe and his two children with up to 250,000 euros (216,000).

His lawyers had argued there was no intent but the jury decided he had given his victim no chance of defending himself in the 'surprise attack'.

Scene of the crime: O'Flaherty returned to the bar with a .38 revolver and targeted drinkers after being kicked out for an unprovoked attack on a friend of Mr O'Neill's

O'Flaherty returned to the bar with a .38 revolver and targeted drinkers after being kicked out for an unprovoked attack on a friend of the slain Irishman who had been using a toilet he was trying to get into.

Disturbing CCTV footage played to the jury on day two of the trial showed him pointing a gun at a father and his cerebral palsy-sufferer son after shooting Mr O'Neill dead.

OFlaherty declined to take the witness stand after opening speeches by his lawyers and the state prosecutor, telling the court through his translator that he would not answer any questions.

His lawyers said he was drunk and on drugs the night of the murder and suffered from mental health problems that reduced his criminal responsibility - but jurors said there was 'no evidence' for their claims and rejected their argument.

Mr O' Neill's aunt Peig Dowdall described her nephew after the killing as 'a gorgeous, big soft guy, always with a smile on his face.'

She added: 'He was just in the wrong place.'

Speaking on the anniversary of her partner's murder, Maxine said: 'The last year has been devastating. There aren't words to describe what we went through.

'It was like you were living a nightmare and you didn't know when it was going to end and how.

'But the worst thing is, we're still going through it, every second of every day.'

Recalling the moment she realised her 'best friend' had slipped away, she added: 'I looked and I saw him lying on the pavement.

'I was running over to get to him but the police pushed me back. I told them I just needed to hold his hand but they said no.'
This is the shocking moment a city's public speaker system started blasting out porn in the middle of the night.

Police are investigating after the adult soundtrack was heard from government loudspeakers in the city of Kastamonu in northern Turkey's Kastamonu Province.

A shocked witness, who could not believe what he was hearing, recorded it with his smartphone and posted the recording on social media.

This is the shocking moment a city's public speaker system started blasting out porn in the middle of the night

The clip, recorded from a speaker in the Kuzeykent suburb of the city, which includes the university and main bus station, quickly went viral.

The mayor of the city, Tahsin Babas, said it was caused by somebody mischievously hacking into the frequency used by the speakers.

Mayor Babas said: 'This immoral and provocative broadcast was nothing to do with our institution.

'We will take legal action as soon as we can against whoever was responsible for this immoral act.

Police are investigating after the blue movie soundtrack was heard from government loudspeakers in the city of Kastamonu (pictured) in northern Turkey's Kastamonu Province

'We can only apologise to our dear citizens for any offence caused by this incident.'

Police are investigating the porn broadcast and backed the mayor's claim that frequency hackers were responsible.

A police spokesman said: 'They broke into the frequencies used by the municipal speaker which is why the sounds appeared in only one area.

'Anybody who can break into the frequency can broadcast anything they want. We have started an investigation.'
A crazed lover allegedly poured acid over his girlfriend's face and set fire to her in a fit of rage over a photo of her ex-boyfriend's dog.

The woman, known as Yekaterina M, claims her partner Vyatcheslav poured the acid over her in his flat in Moscow, Russia.

The traumatised 24-year-old said he then set fire to the chemical with a lighter and held her down so she could not put out the flames.

Horrifying footage shows her in hospital with bandages covering her entire face, her chest and both her arms.

Yekaterina M, 24, was left bandaged up after her crazed lover Vyatcheslav allegedly poured acid over her face and set fire to her in a fit of rage over a photo of her ex's dog

Yekaterina told local media how the fire started as they struggled in Vyatcheslav's bathroom: 'The shirt I was wearing immediately started to burn.'

She added: 'I was trying to take it off, but he held me. Only later did he turn on the shower and put out the flames.'

Despite her agony, Vyatcheslav allegedly kept her in the flat away from medical treatment for two hours.

The shocking attack reportedly happened after a night in with friends when Yekaterina took a prank photo of her pet dog sitting on the door of the oven.

Jealous Vyatcheslav told her not to share the snap with her ex-boyfriend, who had co-owned the dog with her.

The horrified victim claimed he pinned her down while he poured the acid over her - and kept her in his flat for two hours without medical treatment despite her agony (pictured together)

She explained: 'He asked me not to share this photo, but I did, in our chat.'

And when her new boyfriend found the photo in the sent box of her phone, he went wild, Yekaterina claimed.

She explained: 'He thought that I wanted to get back with my ex. He told me that I had five minutes to leave the place.

'My dog was still in there, so I could not abandon it there. I was trying to make a joke out of the situation.'

Police are now said to be questioning about the attack.

Medics believe that despite extensive burns, Yekaterina is likely to make a full recovery with just a small scar under her chin.
A Florida cop has escaped criminal charges after allegedly forcing a woman to perform a sex act on him in his squad car last year.

Orlando Police Detective Angel Burgos was accused of coercing the woman into performing oral sex on him while he was on duty in an unmarked police vehicle in December, according to a Department of Law Enforcement investigation.

Prosecutors said that while there was 'sufficient evidence' that the sexual act took place, there was no substantial evidence to prove that the act was 'coerced or forced.'

Orlando Detective Angel Burgos will not face charges over claims he forced a woman to perform a sex act on his in his squad car

Chief Assistant State Attorney Deborah Barra said in a letter to Orlando Police Chief John Mina on Tuesday that as a result, the State Attorney's office would not be pressing charges.

In an interview with BuzzFeed News, the alleged victim said she had got to know the Burgos, an 18-year department veteran, from a previous case she was involved in.

She said Burgos had arrived at her home at about 9am on December 15, and asked her to get in his car.

'He was an officer, I didn't think much of it, I trusted him,' the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told BuzzFeed.

She said she was chatting with Burgos when he suddenly unzipped his pants, exposed his penis and began started kissing her.

The woman alleges that Burgos kept asking her to touch his penis and 'j*** him off,' but she refused his advances.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina (pictured) was told by the State Attorney's office that Burgos would not face criminal charges

She further claims that when she tried to get out of the car he grabbed her by the neck and pressed her head against his crotch, telling her to 'live in the moment.'

The alleged victim claims the same sequence happened a couple of times until she relented and performed oral sex for about 30 seconds.

Burgos then allegedly performed a sex act on himself and then ejaculated onto a towel he kept in the center console of the vehicle.

The woman left the car, and about a week later reported the incident to Orlando Police Department's internal affairs unit, which subsequently launched an investigation.

'I was still very upset,' the woman said. 'This was all still very fresh  it was just a week later. I was scared, hurt and confused.'

Burgos has been stripped of his badge and placed on modified duties while police carry out an internal investigation into whether he violated any policies by engaging in the sex act with the woman in his squad car while on duty.
At least six Secret Service employees are facing discipline over a security breach with saw a man jump the White House fence, linger on the ground for 17 minutes and peer into windows as alarms were blaring on March 10.

The employees facing discipline include special agents and officers from the uniformed division, none of whom are currently on administrative leave.

Secret Service's Office of Professional Responsibility is expected to recommend specific discipline for each individual within the next two weeks, the source told CNN.

The agency's Office of Integrity will make final judgement on what discipline the employees will face.

The Secret Service previously admitted there were 'lapses in security protocols' when Jonathan Tuan-Anh Tran, 26, climbed the fence, saying it was 'extremely disappointed in how the events of March 10 transpired'.

Six Secret Service employees, including special agents and uniformed officers, face discipline after a Jonathan Tuan-Anh Tran (pictured in a court drawing), 26, jumped the White House fence and lingered on the grounds on March 10.

The Secret Service (a tactical unit pictured above) previously admitted there were 'lapses in security protocols' when Tran climbed the fence, saying it was 'extremely disappointed in how the events of March 10 transpired'

The agency said they have taken steps to fix the lapses, including adding additional officer posts, technology enhancements and additional response.

Tran was carrying a backpack with two cans of mace when he scaled the fence of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue because he said he had an appointment with his 'friend', President Donald Trump, on the night of March 10.

Tran faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for trespassing.

The Secret Service released a statement shortly after the incident saying that at no time did Tran ever manage to enter the White House.

Trump was inside the residence at the time of the incident.

A Republican lawmaker who is overseeing the investigation into the incident said he was astounded after watching surveillance footage.

'It was even worse than I thought,' Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz told TMZ.

Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said that Tran was 'lingering' and 'hanging out' on the White House grounds.

At one point, Tran is seen on the video bending over to tie his shoelaces.

President Donald Trump was in the White House when Tran entered the grounds on March 10

Tran was seen 'walking from the east side of the south grounds of the White House Complex,' then 'walking close to the exterior wall of the White House Mansion ... approaching the South Portico Entrance to the White House Mansion,' the arrest affidavit states

It was later learned that he also 'jiggled a doorknob,' according to TMZ.

According to Chaffetz, although some of the alarms went off, there were other sensors and detectors that did not function as they should have.

Just as alarming to Chaffetz was the fact that Secret Service members showed little urgency in checking the White House grounds.

Perhaps that is because there are frequent false alarms at the White House and the agents, who Chaffetz said were 'lackadaisical,' may have assumed this was the case as well.

'Everything went wrong,' the Utah lawmaker said.

Chaffetz said he was told by the heads of the Secret Service and the director of Homeland Security that 'big changes' were afoot.

'There better be,' he said.

Last week, Chaffetz dubbed the incident 'a total and complete embarrassment.'

'(Homeland Security chief John) Kelly told me that this person was there on the ground for 17 minutes, went undetected, was able to get up next to the White House, hide behind a pillar, look through a window, rattle the door handle,' the lawmaker told CNN.

Tran was seen 'walking from the east side of the south grounds of the White House Complex,' then 'walking close to the exterior wall of the White House Mansion ... approaching the South Portico Entrance to the White House Mansion,' the arrest affidavit states according to ABC News.

Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz said he was astounded after watching surveillance footage of the security breach

Security footage shows Tran jumping a fence near the Treasury Building, which adjoins the White House, the complaint says.

He set off a sensor alarm in the Treasury Moat, according to the Secret Service source, but Tran had already gone by the time an officer appeared.

The source believes Tran made his way past a several Secret Service posts and jumped the White House gate, hiding behind a pillar of the East Wing entrance, CNN reported.

He eventually made his way to the South Portico Entrance, saw a Secret Service officer in uniform and went towards the South Lawn, the affidavit reads.

That is when the officer stopped him, after which Tran said: 'I am a friend of the President. I have an appointment,' the complaint states.

Tran's 19-year-old brother told CNN the suspect had been fired from his job at an electrical engineering company and was 'troubled'.

He was living in his car, the sibling added, before calling Tran a 'very good brother'.

Tran was released from custody last week and allowed to return to his home state of California under federal supervision as his case proceeds.

As a condition of his release, Tran must report to pretrial officials in the Northern District of California on Thursday for supervision until he returns to Washington for his next hearing. Tran will also have to submit to GPS monitoring.

Other conditions of Tran's release include having a mental evaluation, not possessing any firearms or other weapons and staying away from the White House.
A teenager who was mown down by the Westminster terrorist posed for a picture with a smiling Prince Charles today as the royal visited those injured in the attack.

Travis Frain, 19, was walking across Westminster Bridge with other youngsters when he was mown down by Khalid Masood's 4x4 on Wednesday afternoon.

Angela Frain from Darwen, Lancashire, said her politics student son escaped with his life after going over the bonnet of the killer's car as the carnage began.

Travis Frain, 19, who was mown down by the Westminster terrorist, posed for a picture with a smiling Prince Charles today as the royal visited King's College Hospital in London

Seconds later, the student at Edge Hill University, who wants to become an MP, called his mother to say: 'Mum I'm safe ... I know you will be worrying.'

He suffered a fractured leg, fractured left arm, cuts to his thigh and two broken fingers and was due to be operated on in hospital last night.

And Mr Frain tweeted from his bed today: 'Just a quick update guys. Massive thanks to @KingsCollegeNHS and to @ClarenceHouse for visiting today. #londonattack.'

The Prince of Wales met the victims privately at King's College Hospital, where he also chatted to staff involved in looking after patients following the atrocity.

King's treated eight people initially, two of whom have since been discharged, and of the remaining six, one has died - 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from South London.

The pensioner's life support was withdrawn last night, taking the death toll of innocent victims to four.

Speaking to staff at the hospital, Charles said: 'Thank you for all your marvellous efforts.' He added: 'How you do it, I don't know.'

Prince Charles meets paramedics and support staff who assisted those injured in the attack at King's College Hospital in London today

Charles is photographed by nurses as he leaves after meeting paramedics and support staff

The Prince hailed their team work and joked: 'As long as you're still talking to each other.'

Delighted nurses shook hands with Charles and took photographs of him as he left the ward.

Injured: Student Mr Frain, 19, of Lancashire, was due to undergo surgery last night

Charles met consultant radiologist Pauline Kane who was working on Wednesday when victims of the attack were brought to the hospital.

After chatting to Charles, she said they dealt with a series of typical blunt trauma injuries 'one after the other' on Wednesday afternoon and evening, almost as though it was a 'conveyor belt of organised, structured, really efficient medical care'.

Ms Kane said: 'I was really proud of the way this hospital responded.'

She added: 'It was inspiring the way people just worked together and communicated to deal with the patient in front of them.

'It didn't matter how many would be coming, you knew you would just keep working. It was, it was really quite something.'

Ms Kane, who was working in the scanning room, said: 'I witnessed some incredibly kind, efficient and really just inspiring professionalism amongst all the staff.'

She said it was 'fantastic' that Charles made a visit to the hospital, adding: 'It's great for the patients. They appreciate the fact that he cares.

The Prince of Wales speaks to staff at the hospital who were clearly very excited to meet him

Charles greets staff at King's College Hospital who assisted those injured in the attack

'He does care, clearly. And the family around them ... It's nothing but a positive event really. It's extremely kind of him.'

Consultant neurosurgeon Irfan Malik was also working on Wednesday and said the hospital was 'very much prepared' for dealing with the incident.

University student Mr Frain is currently working with police investigators and anti-terror units to establish what happened

He said patients were arriving with serious brain injuries and serious spinal cord injuries.

Mr Malik said of the prince's visit: 'I think it was a great boost to the patients, to their relatives and also for the staff as well.'

Ben Rhodes, head of chaplaincy at the hospital, said that lives will have changed and will have been impacted after the attack.

Mr Rhodes said: 'Individually, yes, people start asking the whys and the hows.'

He added: 'I think it's not a place for easy answers.'

Mr Rhodes hailed the 'small acts of kindness' that make a difference.

Tracey MacCormack, lead midwife, played a 'slightly unusual' role on Wednesday, as she was involved in helping pregnant women who were due to be in Saint Thomas' Hospital, but had to go to King's due to the attack.

'They were feeling anxious but we did the best to provide a caring environment for them and give them the one-to-one care they needed when they were here,' she said.

Ms MacCormack added: 'It's very difficult because what's going on outside, you've got to make a calming environment for a woman having a baby. But the staff were very professional and did very well.'

She said two babies were delivered.

Mr Frain suffered fractures to his leg and left arm, as well as a cracked rib, two broken fingers and deep lacerations to his foot as he walked along the pavement.

His mother Angela made contact with him shortly after the attack, with her son saying he had no time to react to the vehicle hurtling in his direction.

Taken away: Mr Frain suffered fractures to his leg and left arm, as well as a cracked rib, two broken fingers and deep lacerations to his foot as he walked along the pavement

The 45-year-old said: 'Travis said that all he could remember was walking along the bridge and the next thing he knew he was hit.

'He's a bit up and down and very shaken up by what's happened. He's due to go into surgery tonight (Thursday) and will be there for a few days.

Who is confirmed dead PC Keith Palmer: A father aged 48 stabbed by Khalid Masood. He was once nominated as 'best thief-taker' for making 150 arrests in a year

Leslie Rhodes : A 75-year-old man from Streatham, South London, who died last night after his life support was turned off in hospital

: A 75-year-old man from Streatham, South London, who died last night after his life support was turned off in hospital Aysha Frade : A 43-year-old mother-of-two who worked for a sixth-form who was hit by the killer's car and then thrown under a bus

: A 43-year-old mother-of-two who worked for a sixth-form who was hit by the killer's car and then thrown under a bus Kurt Cochran : A 54-year-old husband from Utah celebrating the 25th anniversary of his wedding to wife Melissa, who was badly injured Advertisement

'But I know he's extremely lucky and it could've been a lot worse. He's on a lot of drugs at the moment and so doesn't want to speak about what happened just now.'

The teenager wrote on Facebook: 'I'm not too bad, though things are obviously still in the air this early.

'After X-rays on over 20 different parts of the body, a couple of MRIs, an ultrasound and a CT scan, both my ribs and hip bones are fine.

'However, I have fractured the top part of my left hand, and most of the fingers.

'I've also fractured my leg, around the knee, and as a result, I will need physio over the coming months to be able to walk at the extent I used to.'

Mr Frain is expected to remain in hospital for treatment into the weekend, with his mother due to head down to London see him yesterday afternoon.

The first year history and politics student from Edge Hill University had travelled down to London for a day trip as part of his course when the attacker struck.

After a visit to Parliament, the students were given an hour to look around the area, with Travis and several coursemates heading across Westminster Bridge.

Mr Frain is expected to remain in hospital for treatment for the next few days, with his mother due to head down to London see him this afternoon

Ms Frain said: 'He'd literally just left Parliament when the car mounted the curb and hit him. All he can remember is the car hitting him.

'Thankfully, I don't think anyone else he was with was seriously injured.'

The school teacher also confirmed that her son is currently working with police investigators and anti-terror units to establish what happened.

Mr Frain is the chairman of Conservative Futures West Lancashire branch and has previously volunteered for Darwen and Rossendale MP Tory Jake Berry.

He was described by a sixth form pupil at his former college, Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, as 'our favourite Ginger'. Jasper Harris added that Mr Frain was 'Darwen's favourite student'.

Another of his friends, known only as 'Katie', from Whalley, tweeted: 'Wishing my close friend Travis Frain a super speedy recovery from the awful events today at Westminster. #GetWellTrav #PrayForLondon.'

Another social media user called 'Emma' said: 'The world is a horrible and messed up place. Travis Frain, hope you and everyone involved are okay.'

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said Theresa May spent 40 minutes yesterday afternoon on a private hospital visit.

She met both victims of the attack and staff caring for them. No 10 refused to reveal which hospital the Prime Minister visited or who took part in the visit.
A Tennessee school bus driver has pleaded not guilty to six counts of vehicular manslaughter in a crash last November that killed six children.

Johnthony Walker was arraigned via video Friday morning in Hamilton County Criminal Court, according to WTVC-TV.

Walker is also charged with four counts of reckless aggravated assault, one count of reckless endangerment, one count of reckless driving and one count of use of a portable electronic device by a school bus driver.

Johnthony Walker was arraigned via video Friday morning in Hamilton County Criminal Court. He was pictured here on November 21 when he first appeared in court

Thirty-five children had been riding on a bus police said was traveling too fast Monday afternoon when it veered off a narrow, winding road and crashed into a tree on the way home from elementary school

Authorities have said Walker was speeding on November 21 when the bus swerved into a tree with 37 elementary school students aboard, killing six children and injuring several more.

His next court date was set for April 19.

Thirty-five children had been riding on a bus police said was traveling too fast Monday afternoon when it veered off a narrow, winding road and crashed into a tree on the way home from elementary school.

Doctors said that the injured children were so young that many couldn't spell their names.

Zacaureea Brown (right) had rescued one of her sisters from the bus and tried to go back to save her other sister, six-year-old Zyaira Mateen (left), but was unable to do so

D'Myunn Brown, 6, (left) also died in the crash, along with six-year-old Zyaira Mateen (right)

Zyanna Harris (left) and Cordayja Jones (right) were among five children who died

Two mothers of children killed in the crash were at Friday's hearing.

Diamound Brown and Demetrius Walters said that they were in court today, and plan to be there every day of the trial, according to News Channel 9.

'I feel like if I miss a day, then I miss a day for my child, you know, i miss his day,' Brown said, explaining that she is now the voice of her child.

Wilson said that she knows nothing can bring her son back, but that she is drawing support and strength from others impacted by this tragedy.

Eight-year-old Keyonte Wilson was identified as the sixth person to have died in the horrible bus crash in Tennessee

Zoey (left) died but her brother Zack (right) remains in intensive care with a collapsed lung and a broken arm, according to their sister, DaQuesha Jermichael

Complaints against the school bus driver began many months before the accident.

Beginning around September, a parent wrote a letter to complain that the driver had cursed her kids and slammed on the brakes, causing them to hit their heads and fall out of their seats.

The parent wrote that if it happened again, she would take it upon herself 'to beat his (expletive) my damn self.'

In the days immediately after the crash, school officials repeatedly declined to comment on whether anyone had complained or how they responded.

The correspondence about the driver was released after public records requests by The Associated Press and other media outlets.

Hamilton County schools spokeswoman Amy Katcher noted that Walker was employed by outside contractor Durham School Services, so the district may not have access to all the complaints about him.
A man has pleaded guilty to shooting up a Washington, DC pizza shop after reading fake online news stories claiming Hillary Clinton was harboring sex slaves in the basement.

Edgar Maddison Welch of Salisbury, North Carolina, said during a hearing in US District Court in Washington, DC that he had agreed to plead guilty to interstate transportation of a firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon.

On December 4 of last year he walked into Comet Ping Pong pizza with an assault rifle and demanded to know the truth about a 'pizza-gate' conspiracy, claiming the former Democrat presidential candidate had abused children in the basement, a rumor which was perpetuated online by fake news sites.

Welch, 28, was pictured walking backwards on the street with his hands on his head as police surrounded him with guns drawn. Cops said he had an AR-15 and a handgun when he was arrested in the restaurant. He also had a shotgun and a knife in his car

The 28-year-old fired multiple shots from an AR-15 assault rifle (similar to the one pictured) inside restaurant, after driving from his home in North Carolina. No one was injured, according to authorities

The 28-year-old fired multiple shots from an AR-15 assault rifle inside restaurant, after driving there from his home in North Carolina. No one was injured, according to authorities.

As part of the guilty plea, prosecutors will drop a third charge, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, which had carried a mandatory minimum prison term of five years.

Police said that Welch told them he was carrying out a 'self-investigation' into 'pizza-gate' - which was widely circulating on fake news sites and forums at the time.

According to eyewitnesses, Welch spent 45 minutes inside the pizzeria where he was said to be looking for the secret tunnels identified in the false news stories, which has caused the restaurant to be a target of numerous threats

Welch has also agreed to pay approximately $5,700 for damage he caused in the restaurant

Lawyers said in court that under sentencing guidelines Welch likely faces one-and-a-half to two years in prison as a result of the interstate transportation charge and one-and-a-half to five years for the assault charge.

WBTV in North Carolina also reported that a man with the same name ran over a black 13-year-old boy while behind the wheel of his car on October 24. The teenager survived and Welch was not arrested as a result

Sentences on the charges could run either consecutively or concurrently. Prosecutors and Welch's defense attorney did not say Friday what sentences they intend to ask for.

Welch has also agreed to pay approximately $5,700 for damage he caused in the restaurant.

Sentencing is set for June 22.

According to eyewitnesses, Welch spent 45 minutes inside the pizzeria where he was said to be looking for the secret tunnels identified in the false news stories, which has caused the restaurant to be a target of numerous threats.

Sharif Silmi, an attorney who was at the restaurant and witnessed the incident, told DailyMail.com people are now claiming he was a crisis actor who was stationed inside the venue by the government. Conspiracy theorists attacked him on Twitter when he was interviewed by a local TV station.

When Welch first entered the store, he left customers and staff terrified when he walked through the front door and through to the back of the restaurant.

Police said he pointed a gun at an employee and threatened them before they were able to escape and notify police. Several customers and employees took shelter in nearby businesses.

They added that the lone gunman then fired one or more shots into the floor. Authorities found two firearms inside the restaurant.

There was also a shotgun and a folding knife in his car parked outside. They said the incident was not terrorism related.

Owner of Comet Ping Pong James Alefantis said: 'What happened today demonstrates that promoting false and reckless conspiracy theories comes with consequences

The owner wrote on Facebook: 'I hope that those involved in fanning these flames will take a moment to contemplate what happened here today, and stop promoting these falsehoods right away'

WBTV in North Carolina also reported that a man with the same name ran over a black 13-year-old boy while behind the wheel of his car on October 24. The teenager survived and Welch was not arrested as a result.

Owner of Comet Ping Pong James Alefantis said: 'What happened today demonstrates that promoting false and reckless conspiracy theories comes with consequences.

'I hope that those involved in fanning these flames will take a moment to contemplate what happened here today, and stop promoting these falsehoods right away.'
A horrified Texas woman discovered what she believed were a set of teeth when she tucked into a taco.

Courtney Aguilar from Pflugerville was about to chow down into a barbacoa beef when she suddenly came across something hard in her tortilla.

Upon opening the wrap she found what appeared to be teeth in among the shredded beef.

El Rincon Mexican Restaurant customer Courtney Aguilar's Facebook post showed what she initially believed was 'teeth' in her barbacoa taco

Courtney Aguilar's Facebook post, which has since been made private, had been shared more than 2,000 times

Courtney posted the stomach-churning pictures to her Facebook page which quickly went viral.

'When you order Barbacoa tacos but get teeth instead,' she wrote.

After telling the waitress about the unexpected ingredient, the server claimed that they were 'baby teeth.'

The restaurant, El Rincon, has responded saying that they were 'aware of the situation.'

'Barbacoa is one the few items that we buy pre-made from an approved FDA vendor and we are no longer going to buy from that vendor. El Rincon will stop selling barbacoa until we get a new vendor,' El Rincon wrote online

Restaurant manger Roger Baza told mySA.com that the 'teeth' are actually beef lips.

'We admit cow lips are not the most attractive food item and can resemble teeth,' Laxson said in a statement. 'Unfortunately, it made its way into this customer's dish.'

Despite the explanation and the fact that El Rincon has taken 'full responsbility' for the incident, Aguilar said she still 'will not be back.'

The original Facebook post which went viral has since been deleted from Courtney's profile.
A group of naked men and women today slaughtered a sheep in a bizarre ritual at the former Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Poland.

Fourteen people, aged between 20 and 27, chained themselves together in front of the camp's infamous 'Arbeit macht frei' ('Work makes you free') sign, according to museum staff.

The group also used a drone to film the incident but it is unclear what nationality they were or what was the point of the sick ritual.

More than 100,000 non-Jews, including Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and anti-Nazi resistance fighters also died at the death camp

Museum guards at the site in the southern city of Oswiecim immediately intervened, and police said all those involved have been detained.

'The individuals will be transferred to a police station for questioning. A large group of police officers are at the scene,' local police spokeswoman Malgorzata Jurecka told AFP.

She said they plan to inform prosecutors of the incident.

'This is the first time something like this has happened at Auschwitz,' museum director Piotr Cywinski told AFP.

'I have no idea what their motives were.'

Nazi Germany built the Auschwitz death camp after occupying Poland during World War II.

The Holocaust site has become a symbol of Nazi Germany's genocide of six million European Jews, one million of whom were killed at the camp from 1940 to 1945.

An estimated 232,000 of Auschwitz's victims were children

Poland's chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich said that the actions of those involved were wrong, regardless of the group's motives.

'Any use of Auschwitz for political statements, even using Auschwitz for moral statements, is not how Auschwitz should be remembered,' he told AFP.

'The Germans used Auschwitz to try to eliminate the Jewish people. Any happenings are a desecration of the memory of all those killed at Auschwitz, Jews, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, Roma and others,' he added.

More than 100,000 non-Jews, including Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and anti-Nazi resistance fighters also died at the death camp, according to the museum.

An estimated 232,000 of Auschwitz's victims were children.
Canada's largest school system has announced that its students and staff will no longer be able to go on trips to the US, due to uncertainty over the travel ban.

Toronto District School Board said it had been faced with a 'difficult choice' over concerns about how the US immigration policy could affect students on school visits.

The board's director of education, John Malloy, said in a statement: 'We strongly believe that our students should not be placed into these situations of potentially being turned away at the border.'

Toronto District School Board has announced that its students and staff will no longer be able to go on trips to the US

The board decided that 25 trips to the US involving around 900 students that had already been scheduled and approved would continue, but it will not permit any others to take place.

'It is my hope that our students, staff and parents will understand and support this difficult decision,' Malloy's statement continued.

'We feel it strikes a balance between our equity and inclusion commitments as a school board, while not cancelling already-approved trips for which a financial loss would be incurred.'

Toronto District School Board's director of education, John Malloy, issued a statement

Under the travel ban, citizens from six different Muslim-majority countries may be refused entry to the US under certain circumstances.

The ban includes citizens of those countries who are living abroad, such as in Canada.

Toronto District School Board is among the largest in North America with more than 246,000 students and 584 schools. It books dozens of trips to the U.S. every year. Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

'We just can't have trips going across the border and a student for no legitimate reason being denied entry to the U.S. We're obviously not going to leave that student and continue on,' said Ryan Bird, a spokesman for the board added.

Earlier this month, the Girl Guides of Canada, the Canadian version of the Girl Scouts, imposed a similar ban on trips to the US.

The organization said it would no longer authorize trips to the States and would also avoid connecting flights through the country.

At the time, the Girl Guides said a 'very difficult decision to make,' and while the organization did not specifically mention Trump's travel ban, it directly referred to the current immigration situation.

Earlier this month, the Girl Guides of Canada, the Canadian version of the Girl Scouts, imposed a similar ban on trips to the US

'While the United States is a frequent destination for Guiding trips, the ability of all our members to equally enter this country is currently uncertain,' its statement read.

Essex County school board in southwestern Ontario decided last month to cancel a handful of trips over concerns of equity. And the Ottawa-Carleton District school board sent a letter to parents to confirm whether their children would participate in upcoming trips across the border to determine whether plans should go ahead.

A Winnipeg junior high school canceled a trip by its track team to Minnesota in January because it wasn't certain all students would be able to cross the border.

Students in the Pembina Trails School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, participate in many international trips, but superintendent Ted Fransen said the recent decision to cancel one was made easily.
A one-year-old girl was crushed to death after her stroller was hit by a pickup truck in a New York City street.

The baby, named as Skylar Perkins, was being pushed across the road by her mother when a white Dodge Ram truck slammed into the pushchair.

The driver, Wallace Ramirez, 44, of Ashfield, Massachusetts, has been arrested and charged following the tragedy.

Scroll down for video

The stroller under the truck at the scene of the tragic incident in which one-year-old Skylar Perkins was killed

Witnesses recalled the incident that took place in Queens at around 8.40pm on Thursday.

Philip Walker told the New York Daily News: 'He rolled right over the front of the stroller. She was screaming and he still didnt even see her, he didnt see anything.

'She was screaming, "You hit my baby, my baby, my baby!" She just reached underneath the car, the stroller had come completely underneath the wheel.'

Ramirez then got out of the truck, unaware of what had happened.

Reese Fluellen, who knows Skylar's mother well and was at the scene, told WCVB: 'When he got out, when he saw the baby, his reaction was just like [shocked].

'I see how high the truck is, I'm guessing from where he was sitting he couldn't see it because he hit her from the other side of the vehicle.'

When he realized what had happened, the driver fell to his knees and began crying.

Officers stand near Wallace Ramirez's white Dodge Ram truck in Queens, New York

It is believed the mother was on her cellphone at the time of the incident. The crossing she was on with her daughter had a green light.

Two nearby police officers rushed to the child's aid and she was taken to Elmhurst hospital, where she died.

Ramirez remained at the scene and was charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care.

The police investigation continues.
The House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat on Friday blamed President Donald Trump for peddling 'slanderous' lies against former president Barack Obama with his March 4 wiretapping allegations.

Adam Schiff's accusation came minutes after the committee's Republican chairman Devin Nunes promised reporters that he would soon have a cache of intelligence documents from the National Security Agency backing up Wednesday's bombshell claim that Trump and his transition aides were 'unmasked' in spy intercepts.

'The president made a slanderous accusation against his predecessor, one with absolutely no basis, that his predecessor Barack Obama engaged in felony crimes and illegally wiretapped him,' Schiff fumed at the U.S. Capitol.

He stood in the same spot where Nunes had conceded an hour earlier that 'there was no wiretapping of Trump Tower. That didn't happen.'

FIGHTING WORDS: House Intelligence Committee ranking Democrat Adam Schiff accused President Donald Trump of lobbing a 'slanderous' attack again Barack Obama with claims that the former president conducted surveillance on him and his transition team

Committee chairman Devin Nunes admitted that 'there was no wiretapping of Trump Tower,' but promised he would soon have a tranche of classified NSA reports that would corroborate some of what Trump has claimed

Nunes did, however, tell reporters that he expects to have a tranche of classified NSA intelligence reports by next week establishing what he claimed two days ago.

Those reports, he had said, tended to generally corroborate Trump's contention that the Obama administration had conducted surveillance on him and his team.

In the afternoon Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, was asked during his daily briefing if he could rule out the idea that Nunes got the documents from  or was alerted to them by  someone at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

'I'm not aware of where he got the document from. I don't know. I don't know where he got them from. He didn't state it,' Spicer said, fumbling.

'So I don't  I don't have anything for you on that and so I cannot say anything more than I don't know, at this point.'

Nunes' mentioning the NSA by name suggests that the documents he said he had seen on Wednesday were a subset of what the committee demanded from the NSA in a March 15 letter.

'The NSA has kept us completely informed the entire time,' Nunes insisted.

'It is possible that we will receive documents today from the NSA as requested, but I want to caution I don't expect the entirety of everything we need today.'

He said he was hopeful that the documents would arrive by early next week, and that the should 'encompass everything i've seen.'

NOT SAYING: Sean Spicer, the president's chief spokesman, told reporters that he doesn't know where Nunes got his blockbuster material from  and wouldn't rule out that it came from the White House itself

Schiff, following him to the microphone a short time later, declared that despite Nunes' claims that Trump and his aides were 'unmasked' during the 'incidental' collection of intelligence, 'there is still absolutely no basis for what the president has accused his predecessor of.'

'That was just pure nonsense.'

Democrats have taken to mocking Nunes for making a 'midnight run' to look at the intelligence reports. They have also accused him of pandering to the White House by briefing Trump before telling the rest of the committee what he had learned.

'Although that midnight run caused some confusion and still does,' Schiff said Friday, 'the bottom line is still the same.'

Nunes held a second Wednesday press conference outside the White House after he met with the president, describing his find as a potential game-changer.

Schiff said that in 'an effort to further justify the unjustifiable,' his Republican counterpart was 'interfering' in the committees investigation  which began as a probe of alleged ties between Russia and Trump's inner circle.

'And I think the fact that the chairman's press conference was at the White House is not only symbolically important, it's important in terms of understanding what is really going on here,' Schiff said.

He agreed that Nunes' stunning discovery likely represented a portion of what the NSA is expected to show the full committee.

But he declared that it would amount to 'no defense for hte president.'

'Not a full validation or vindication of the president, not a partial validation of the president. A zero validation of the president,' Schiff insisted.

GOP lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee anticipate that the classified information leaked to Nunes (above) will show intelligence was collected on members of the Trump inner circle

Sources also told Fox News that Schiff (pictured Wednesday) has seen the classified material that Nunes has been talking about for two days

Republicans in Congress said Thursday that they expected to see smoking gun evidence that definitively corroborates Trump's claims, according to Fox News.

Sources said the intelligence was known to Nunes even before Trump fired off his tweets accusing Obama of tapping his phones.

This new information is 'said to leave no doubt' that the Obama administration used surveillance on foreigners as legal cover to spy on then-President-elect Trump.

The sources say that members of the Trump transition team were 'unmasked'  had their names revealed in intelligence reports.

The purpose of such unmasking was to damage the incoming Trump administration, according to Fox News.

While the FBI has not responded to the committees request for documents, the National Security Agency is likely to provide evidence to the panel on Friday, Fox News reported.
Mammoth Lakes, California called in the National Guard for a relatively unusual reason in March - to help remove nearly 4,000 tons of snow from the overburdened area.

After record-breaking snowfalls hit the area in January, the town was forced to truck the frozen mounds just east of its limits, north of California State Route 203.

When massive accumulation continued throughout February leaving roads and public parking areas partially inaccessible, Mono County was forced to declare a state of emergency and seek outside assistance for the cleanup.

Mammoth Lakes, California called in the National Guard to help remove nearly 4,000 tons of snow from the overburdened area in March

This image of an almost entirely snow-covered home in Mammoth Lakes, California was shared to social media on January 27

'No one can recall the last time they were called in for something like this,' Captain Will Martin, deputy director of public affairs for the Guard said Thursday.

The county's request for snow removal help first went out to the state Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), which then called in the National Guard.

Over five days, a team of 17 Soldiers utilized 10 heavy trucks, including multiple Army M1157 10-ton dump trucks and one HEMTT wrecker, an eight-wheel, 10-ton tactical truck that runs on diesel, to relieve Mammoth Lakes of some of the 44 feet of snow that came down over the past winter season.

A Mammoth Lakes home is seen here with its entire door and most of its window covered

This side-by-side images shows the difference in snow accumulation in Mammoth Lakes from January 3 (top) to February 21 in what some social media users dubbed 'Snowmageddon 2017'

A worker in a truck is seen here digging out the webcam and sign at the top of Mammoth Mountain on January 14

A sign for Mammotth Mountain is seen almost completely buried while skiers and snowboarders enjoy the fresh snow in a social media post published on March 2

'The locals were very appreciative,' Capt. Martin said.

Although many clearly benefited from the mission, at least one group may be missing out as a result of the reinforcement.

Workers were reportedly earning as much as $100 an hour in round-the-clock efforts to keep businesses open and homes accessible during the month of February, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Some of the most extreme of the snowfall was documented by photographer Josh Wray, the digital marketing coordinator for Visit Mammoth; his image here shows the Mammoth Lakes sign during one of the winter storms of the 2016-17 season

Workers in Mono County worked tirelessly to keep homes and business accessible; this image of just the front of a building free from snow was posted on Instagram on January 21

Mammoth Lakes business Black Tie Skis shared a photo of a tunnel through snow leading up to their establisment door to social media on January 29 along with the caption, 'This is what happens when you get 26+ feet of snow in a month'

To the left, an entire home is covered in snow in Mammoth Lakes, while the house to the right is not far behind in terms of coverage

Some of the most extreme of the snowfall was documented by photographer Josh Wray, the digital marketing coordinator for Visit Mammoth.

His images show entire houses covered in snow, without an entrance or exit available to anyone inside or outside of the house. One man is pictured with a step ladder atop a home's roof, attempting to unload many pounds of weight by hand with a shovel.

Entire stop signs were nearly covered on certain roadways, not to mention vehicles that were rendered completely inaccessible under the white powder.

A Mammoth man is seen here attempting to unload many pounds of snow from a roof by hand

Snow can be seen here reaching nearly to the top of a stop sign in Mammoth Lakes, which generally stands seven feet high in the US

Cars were rendered immobile by both snow cover and snow on the surrounding roadways as Mono County's Mammoth Lake was hit with record snowfalls this winter season

While the team was happy to provide support to the Eastern Sierra town, the Captain said that his troops are usually called to service for emergencies more along the lines of fire situations.

He added that snow-related incidents are generally of the search-and-rescue variety.

The 2016-2017 winter season yielded 533 inches of snow. While that's one-third higher than average, the total fell shy of the 668-inch record set over the same time period in 2010-11.

This image shows a Mammoth Lakes home with a pathway carved out between two massive snow mounds that reach the height of its roof
The new 1 (pictured) will be in circulation on Tuesday

Supermarket Tesco will unlock tens of thousands of its trolleys as they failed to update them in time so they would accept the new 12-sided 1 coin.

The new coin enters circulation on Tuesday, and there will be a transition period of just over six months when the old 'round pound' is still accepted as legal tender.

The grocery chain, which has around 3,000 UK stores, is replacing the locks in 200 of its largest outlets - meaning thousands will be left unlocked.

After the mass update, their trolleys will accept both old and new pound coins, as well as the existing trolley tokens.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda, Lidl and Aldi have revealed that all of their trolleys have been updated ahead of Tuesday.

A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We're replacing the locks on our trolleys to accept old and new pound coins as well as existing trolley tokens.

'As an interim measure we will unlock trolleys while this process is completed and we will continue to have colleagues on hand to attend trolleys in our stores, so our customers aren't affected by the changes.'

The announcement comes as stores and councils in the UK continue to attempt to combat vandalism after shoppers abandoned the carts on the street.

Tesco will be unlocking tens of thousands of its trolleys as they will not accept the new 1 coin

And once they have unlocked the trolleys, it could see a rise in the number of incidents as customers will not have to pay 1 to hire one.

Meanwhile, around one in 10 parking meters have not been updated - potentially causing another problem for customers using the new coin.

The Automatic Vending Association (AVA) said that with around half a million vending machines across the UK, ensuring all of them are upgraded is a 'major operation'.

The body has estimated that all vending machines will be fully upgraded by the end of the transition period on October 15.

Jonathan Hart, chief executive of the AVA, said the upgrades needed for the new 1 coin will cost the vending industry an estimated 32million.

He said: 'We support the Royal Mint and the Treasury's actions to protect the integrity of currency in the UK and reduce the level of fake coins in operation.'

The supermarket giant (pictured) will be unlocking trolleys at 200 of its stores across the UK

A spokesman for the British Parking Association said the majority of parking machines will be ready on time but some will still need to be upgraded.

Some older machines may not be able to be upgraded and may need to be replaced.

A statement from the association said: 'This is a huge programme of work and the Royal Mint recognises this with the planned six-month co-circulation period, at the end of which all coin-handling equipment should be ready to accept the new 1 coin.'

The new coin has been described as the most secure coin in the world. It boasts high-tech features, including a hologram.

The coins have been made at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, South Wales, at a rate of three million per day.

They have a gold-coloured outer ring and a silver-coloured inner ring and are based on the design of the old 12-sided threepenny bit, which went out of circulation in 1971.

It might take a few days or weeks for people to start seeing the new 1 coins turn up in their change as they gradually filter into general use.

The production of the new coins follows concerns about round pounds being vulnerable to sophisticated counterfeiters.

Around one in every 30 1 coins in people's change in recent years has been fake.
A family have become the first in Britain to benefit from controversial new Government compensation laws - after winning a 9.29million payout for their young cerebral palsy-stricken daughter.

The 10-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered the condition after complications during her birth at Royal Blackburn Hospital, in Lancashire.

Her lawyers initially secured an original 1.32million lump sum settlement, with extra annual payments from the NHS health trust for the rest of her life.

But in a landmark High Court case, under Monday's new rules, her barrister Michael Redfern QC was able to argue for a higher initial lump sum of 2.21million.

A family have become the first in Britain to benefit from controversial new Government compensation laws - after winning a 9.29m payout for their young cerebral palsy-stricken daughter. The girl, 10, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered the condition after complications during her birth at Royal Blackburn Hospital (above), in Lancashire

Under the terms of the settlement, according to Mr Redfern's chambers, St John's Buildings in Manchester, the girl's family will receive a lump sum which increased from 1.32million to 2.21million.

Annual payments of 50,000 will be delivered, until the girl is aged 19, and there will then be yearly advancements of 73,500 for the rest of her natural life.

The 9.29million maximum figure was reached on the assumption her lifespan does not exceed 101 years.

The new Ministry of Justice rules, a fresh formula for calculating compensation payments to long-term injury sufferers, have been blasted by insurers as 'crazy'.

HOW THE SETTLEMENT WAS CALCULATED Under the terms of the settlement, the girl's family will receive a lump sum which increased from 1.32million to 2.21million. Annual payments of 50,000 will be delivered, until the girl is aged 19, and there will then be yearly advancements of 73,500 for the rest of her natural life. The 9.29million figure was reached on the assumption she reaches a maximum lifespan of 101 years. Advertisement

The girl's solicitor Leonie Millard, of Accrington-based firm Forbes, said the increased payout under the MoJ's new calculation is vital for her complicated future needs.

Ms Millard said: 'The settlement vastly improves the long-term future financial ability to meet her needs for the rest of her life, which is expected to be long.

'Her parents are comforted to know that there is funding to ensure that her needs are properly met when they are no longer around.'

Mr Redfern QC welcomed the compensation changes, announced by Lord Chancellor Liz Truss in late February, that has resulted in the enhanced payout.

He added: 'The only person to benefit from the new discount rate is the claimant. It has no impact on legal costs.'

A spokesman for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'The trust has noted the court's approval of the settlement agreed between the parties.

'The trust wish the family well for the future.'

The decision by the Lord Chancellor is expected to have a dramatic effect on similar claims involving cerebral palsy and other brain injuries in future.

The new Ministry of Justice rules, a fresh formula for calculating compensation payments to long-term injury sufferers, have been blasted by insurers as 'crazy'

How new rules could affect car insurance premiums

The NHS is to be handed an extra 1billion to cover high compensation payouts for medical negligence after the rules on calculating payouts were changed, and came into effect on March 20.

New compensation discount system Accident victims are paid compensation in a single lump sum, which in serious cases is supposed to support them for the rest of their lives. But someone who receives that lump sum can actually increase that amount by investing it, and getting a cash return. So to be fair to insurance companies, the payout is reduced accordingly. For the past 16 years the discount rate, as it is called, has been set at a typical rate of 2.5 per cent - making the payout that much smaller. Now the Ministry of Justice has decided to reduce the discount rate from 2.5 per cent to minus 0.75 per cent. That will result in more money for the victim and a higher cost for the insurer. The change was ordered because the formula assumes the victim would invest his or her money in government bonds. By the time inflation is taken into account, real returns on such bonds have become negative. Advertisement

It likely means higher financial awards for personal injury payouts not only relating to medical negligence but also car crashes and other incidents.

Average car insurance premiums could increase by up to 75 a year as a result of the ruling, industry experts have said.

Shares in insurance companies fell, with some saying that profits would be hit by millions of pounds.

Huw Evans, director general of the Association of British Insurers, said the move was a 'crazy decision' which would have a harmful impact on liability and motor insurance premiums.

He said: 'We estimate that up to 36 million individual and business motor insurance policies could be affected in order to over-compensate a few thousand claimants a year.

'To make such a significant change to the rate using a broken formula is reckless in the extreme.

'It also shows an utter disregard for the impact this will have on consumers, businesses and the wider operation of the insurance market.'

But lawyers who had campaigned in favour of the changes welcomed the news.

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers said: 'People already coping with the most severe injuries have been deprived of the help and care they need for years.'
A photographer has captured some rare footage of a humpback whale feeding her calf just in time for Mother's Day.

The intimate moment is extra special because whales usually nurse their young deep under the water, so visibility is limited.

The extraordinary footage was shot on Silver Bank - the main calving and breeding ground for the majority of the North Atlantic humpback whale population.

Photographer, Jodi Frediani, from Santa Cruz, California captured the touching moment while swimming with the whale, called Canopy and her male calf, which was born earlier this year.

Jodi, who swam with the whales on three different occasions over two weeks, said Canopy was incredibly calm and nursed just under the surface of the water giving her a rare view.

Humpback whale Canopy was captured feeding her young male calf

The moment is even more special because whales normally nurse much deeper in the ocean

She said: 'Canopy was very mellow and did not seem to mind being ogled by snorkelers in the water nearby.

'In fact, she was so calm, one afternoon she nursed her calf for quite some time while we watched with great interest.

'I've been swimming with humpback whales at this location for 16 seasons, and this was only the second or third time I've been privileged to watch a calf nurse.

Photographer Jodi Frediani said that Canopy was 'very mellow' and didn't mind being ogled by nearby snorkelers

Jodi has been swimming with humpback whales for 16 seasons, but this was only the second or third time she got to watch a calf nurse

'However, usually they are fairly deep in the water, so visibility is limited.

'Because Canopy was so calm with the swimmers, she rested quietly not far below the surface giving us an excellent view.

'We were able to watch her calf nurse first from the mammary slit or teat on one side, then the other, even getting to see his 'little' mouth move as he suckled.

Jodi said it was an 'honour' to watch the two animals on the Silver Bank - the main breeding ground for North Atlantic humpback whales

Humpback whales are famous for their intricate songs which they use to communicate

'Sometimes he'd take a break and head up to the surface for a breath, then head back down to nurse again.

'Being able to observe this was a great treat. It was an honour to have Canopy be so accepting of us and to allow us to watch her baby nurse.'
Pope Francis told Europe's leaders on Friday the continent faced a 'vacuum of values' as they marked the EU's 60th birthday, condemning anti-immigrant populism and extremism that he said posed a mortal threat to the bloc.

Prime ministers and presidents from 27 EU member states have descended on Italy to mark the 1957 founding Treaty of Rome, receiving a papal blessing on the eve of the anniversary.

Pope Francis delivers his speech before the leaders of the EU during an audience at the Vatican as they mark 60 years since the Treaty of Rome

However, celebrations have been tempered by a string of crises, including prolonged economic turmoil, an influx of migrants and Britain's decision to leave the bloc, that have raised fears for the future of the union.

'When a body loses its sense of direction and is no longer able to look ahead, it experiences a regression and, in the long run, risks dying,' Francis told the leaders gathered in an ornate, frescoed chamber in the heart of the Vatican.

Pope Francis shakes hands with EU Parliaments president Antonio Tajani, as he says the EU faces becoming a vacuum of values

Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel are greeted by the Prefect of the Pontifical Household, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, as they arrive at the Vatican

Earlier this week, the Pope described Europe's refugee and migrant crisis as the biggest tragedy since the Second World War.

At his weekly public audience on Wednesday in St Peter's Square, the pontiff urged tourists and pilgrims 'not to forget' the problem but instead welcome and help refugees. He also encouraged efforts to integrate them into society.

He said integration should keep in mind 'the reciprocal rights and duties of those who welcome and those who are welcomed'.

Francis repeatedly urged Europe to do more to help the hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and economic migrants who've arrived in recent years.
Theresa May has warned internet giants 'must do more' to stop extremist material being posted online.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister has been clear companies like Google need to prevent terror and hate being spread online.

Information on how to mount a terror attack was found to be easily accessible online in the wake of the Westminster atrocity.

The PM warned internet giants 'must do more' to stop extremist material being posted online

Last night it was revealed guides to mounting a car terror attack were available on Google and Twitter.

The vile manuals were online despite widespread warnings that UK jihadists use them for training.

They urge fanatics to deploy large vehicles as 'tools of war' before going on a stabbing rampage  the template for Wednesday's atrocity.

Vile manuals were online despite widespread warnings that UK jihadists use them for training

18bn wiped off Google in eight days More than 18billion has been wiped off Google's value in eight days, amid the furious backlash over its profits from hate. The slump in value came as Britain's biggest advertisers demanded that the technology giant fixes its scandal-hit Youtube platform, or watch as more companies pull their ads. The damage to Google's reputation has shaken shareholder faith in the technology giant  dragging its valuation down from 471billlion when the scandal reached fever pitch last Friday, to less than 453billion. Google bosses have offered a number of mealy-mouthed apologies, in an effort to limit the damage. But MPs and advertisers say that it has not gone far enough. They have demanded to know whether Google will refund advertisers whose brands appeared alongside hate videos. And they want assurances from the technology giant that it will start paying staff to actively seek out content, instead of relying on technology and users to flag up problems. Advertisement

Before the attack took place, Google had already been forced to promise it would take a 'tougher stance' on hateful content after an outcry and boycotts from advertisers over their content appearing alongside extreme material.

More than 260 brands have already joined a boycott of Youtube, since a Times investigation found adverts for blue-chip brands and Government departments alongside hate videos by ISIS preachers and White Supremacists.

Not only did Google get paid for these ads. It channelled funds directly into the hands of the extremists.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said social media companies and search engines must stop the material being posted and act quickly to take it down if it does appear online.

He said: 'The fight against terrorism and hate speech has to be a joint one. The Government and security services are doing everything they can.

'It's clear that social media companies can and must do more.

'Social media companies have a responsibility when it comes to making sure this material is not disseminated.

'We have been clear repeatedly that we think they can and must do more and we are always talking with them on how to achieve that.

'The ball is now in their court. Let's see how they respond.

'Clearly, we don't want this material to appear in the first place. Beyond that we want it to be taken down as quickly as possible.

'It's in everyone's interest for this material not to be disseminated at all.'

The comments from May's office echo those of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who on Thursday said internet providers and social media companies have 'got to look at the stuff that's going up on their sites, they've got to take steps to invigilate it, to take it down where they can.'
Guitar playing's probably out of the question for Luu Cong Huyen. And typing, scratching and a plethora of other finger-based activities.

But there's no need to feel pity for the 58-year-old Vietnamese man - because he's been happily growing his fingernails for 35 years, and wouldn't have it any other way.

If anything, it's his wife, Nguyen Thi Thuan, who's suffered.

Such is her husband's dedication to his nails, the longest of which is about 21in (55cm), she has to help him bathe and occasionally feed him with a spoon, in case he breaks one of his precious talons.

Scroll down for video

Luu Cong Huyen from Vietnam is a skilled builder - which is quite remarkable for the man with the longest fingernails in his country. The longest one measures around 21in (55cm)

Such is the 58-year-old's dedication to the digital cause, he gets his wife to bathe him and occasionally feed him with a spoon, to protect his precious nails from breaking

However, he doesn't bathe too often as getting his nails wet makes them more prone to cracking.

He also insists on sleeping in a separate bed, in case his beloved rolls over and crushes one of his delicate digital extremities.

'Others like raising birds, planting trees or collecting old vehicles I just like growing long nails', Huyen told Oddity Central.

'Raising nails is more difficult than parenting. I must be very careful in every move to keep my nails,' he added.

Huyen is surprisingly adept at painting - seen here putting together one of his creations

Despite his limitations, Huyen, from Yen Giao, in Nam Dinh province, is a skilled builder - and an accomplished painter.

But for the man recognised as having the longest fingernails in Vietnam, there is another price to pay: the names he is called by various locals.

He may be 'mutant' or 'devil nails' in their eyes but he just takes it in his stride - and maybe, just maybe, on a bad day gives them the finger.

PS He hasn't nailed the world record yet...

Shridhar Chillal, from India, holds the Guinness World Record for his nails, which have a cumulative length of 358in (909.6cm).

His thumbnail is the longest at 78.7in (2m) followed by his middle finger at 73.5in (186.6cm), ring finger at 71.5in (181.6cm), little finger at 70.5in (179.1cm) and index finger at 65in (164.5cm).
The woman who was dubbed the Angel of Woolwich after she confronted Lee Rigby's killer has said she was saddened by how many people fled the scene instead of stopping to help.

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, who got off a bus to try to help who she thought was the victim of an ordinary car crash, ended up speaking to Michael Adebolajo moments after he had killed Fusilier Lee Rigby.

Ms Loyau-Kennett told BBC Radio 5 Live she thinks the Fusilier's life could have been saved had more people stopped in the first minutes of the incident.

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, stands next to the floral tributes outside the Royal Artillery Barracks, in Woolwich after the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby

Ingrid Loyau Kennett talking to Adebalago after he told her to step away from his body after he had killed him

She said: 'Had they stopped, got out of their cars to go to the injured soldier, he (the attacker) would never have had the time to almost decapitate him. And so killing him  because that's what killed him. He would have been injured, and he would be alive today.'

Ms Loyau-Kennett was asked by Emma Barnett BBC Radio 5 live to comment on Wednesday's terror attack in Westminster, in which members of the public and MPs have been praised for how they rushed to help the injured.

She said she told people they must always intervene.

She said: 'This MP who stepped in could have saved a life, had the injury not been so serious.

'We are all important to somebody and we should all try to step in. When a life is gone, it is gone. We should all step in and try to save a life.'

Ms Loyau-Kennett rushed to the side of victim Lee Rigby, left, because she believed it to be a normal car accident and couldn't believe more people weren't helping

Shocking images from the scene showed Ms Loyau Kennett confronting the killer, speaking with him about his motives until the emergency services arrived

BARONESS WARSI: 'WE DIDN'T LEARN LESSONS FROM RIGBY' Sayeeda Warsi, the former Faith and Communities Minister, told Channel 4 lessons weren't learnt after the death of Drummer Lee Rigby. She said: 'We set up the extremism task force and tried to look for practical solutions as to how we ensure that people who are attracted by terrorism aren't taken down that path. 'We didn't analyse deeply enough those that had perpetrated that particular crime. 'And so I think after this particular tragic attack, once we have grieved with the families, who are grieving because theyve lost loved ones, once London starts to go back to normal as weve seen today, I think its time for us to look deeply at this man who committed this vile act.' Advertisement

It comes as an unnamed woman was mercilessly targeted by trolls who thought she was walking past the victims without helping was forced to defend herself.

The woman, wearing a hijab, was accused of ignoring the chaos around her, but today said she had been calling to tell her family she was safe.

She said: 'I'm shocked and totally dismayed at how a picture of me is being circulated on social media.

'To those individuals who have interpreted and commented on what my thoughts were in that horrific and distressful moment, I would like to say not only have I been devastated by witnessing the aftermath of a shocking and numbing terror attack, I've also had to deal with the shock of finding my picture plastered all over social media by those who could not look beyond my attire, who draw conclusions based on hate and xenophobia.

'My thoughts at that moment were one of sadness, fear, and concern.

'What the image does not show is that I had talked to other witnesses to try and find out what was happening, to see if I could be of any help, even though enough people were at the scene tending to the victims.'

The photo was used by some on social media to demonstrate people not helping the victims, but the woman in the foreground has since had to defend herself

Ms Loyau-Kennett said that she had not realised what was happening in 2013, and went over to Fusilier Rigby, only to be confronted by killer Michael Adebolajo. He was holding a knife and told her to 'keep away from the body'.

She said that the scene did not look like a terrorist incident, and she can't understand why people did not help, in the way they did on Wednesday.

When she arrived, she said, 'it had been two, three whole minutes (since the attack). The worst thing is, people came. There were cars, three cars, each having a couple in. It is really frustrating to think that people fled, what looked like a car accident scene. It is nothing to be scared of. It upset me a lot when I arrived unfortunately it was too late.'

Michael Adebolajo is serving a whole life term for the brutal murder

Ms Loyau-Kennett explained the scene looked like a normal car crash with a 'frustrated black guy pacing' when she got there.

She said: 'I saw the black woman tending to the man, but thought she needed to put him into the recovery position, so I got off the bus.'

She said her first thought was to go to the injured soldier but she was prevented by the killer.

'He told me not to touch the body, and I turned and I saw his blood and weapon.

'I thought, "Okay, this is a different situation, he has killed him."

'I thought "He wants to talk, I will do that until someone else comes to take charge".'

She said she did not make it a 'social call' and never asked his name, but continued asking him 'Why?' until she got answers from him.

She challenged him to join another army to 'get revenge' at the British Army.

She admitted she never realised that her life could have been in danger, believing the issues to be gang-related rather than terror-related.

But she said she would do it again, even though she has been targeted with verbal and physical abuse in her new life in Cornwall.

Ms Loyau-Kennett told people who had been caught up in the attacks to keep talking about it to come to terms with what happened.

Medics and passers-by rushed to help people who were hit by Khalid Masood's car when he drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge

Some of the first doctors on the scene were off-duty. Angel of Woolwich, Ms Loyau-Kennett, said it was vital that people step in to help others in moments of terror

The interview, part of the Eye of the Storm series on BBC Radio 5 Live, came after the terror attack in London on Wednesday afternoon.

Khalid Masood drove a rented car into pedestrians along Westminster Bridge before ploughing the Hyundai into the Carriage Gates at Parliament.

He then left the car and attempted to get into Parliament, stabbing police officer Keith Palmer to death before he was shot.

Seventeen people are still being treated for their injuries in five London hospitals, NHS England has confirmed. Two of those are in critical condition, according to the Metropolitan police, with one persons injuries considered life-threatening.

More than 50 people, from at least 12 nationalities, were injured in Masoods attack on Westminster Bridge, of whom 31 initially required hospital treatment.
Owen Lambert, 18, pictured, has revealed he thought 'all his friends were dead' after being struck by terrorist Khalid Masood's Hyundai on Westminster Bridge

A teenager who was blindsided by terrorist Khalid Masood's car while walking along Westminster Bridge has spoken of the moment he 'thought his friends were dead'.

Owen Lambert, 18, was on a university trip to Parliament with four classmates taking a stroll along the bridge when Masood ploughed into pedestrians in his Hyundai 4x4.

Mr Lambert was struck in the head by the vehicle's wing mirror and knocked to the ground along with friend Travis Frain, who was also hit by the car.

More than 50 people, from at least 12 nationalities, were injured in Masoods attack on Westminster Bridge, with three people killed and another knocked into the River Thames.

Politics student Mr Lambert, who is now at home recovering, said: 'I saw blood on Travis' neck and I said to him 'You're bleeding.'

'But then he gestured to my head. I put my hand to my head and it was just red with blood. I realised it was my blood on Travis.

'It all happened so fast. I assume I was hit by the wing mirror.'

The Edge Hill University student did not see the car before it flew up behind him and he was knocked to the ground with a gaping head wound.

Emergency services quickly arrived on the scene and began to tend to the injured, bandaging the student's head.

He added: 'I heard somebody saying that people had gone over the bridge into the water. So at that point I thought my two other friends were dead.'

A photograph of Mr Lambert being led away from the scene in a foil blanket was one of the first startling images of the attack.

Mr Lambert also revealed the terrifying moment he realised the incident was not an accident after hearing police shouting about 'shots being fired'.

Mr Lambert was pictured bleeding from the head and wrapped in foil being escorted from the bridge on Wednesday. The teenager said he believes he was knocked down by the car's wing mirror

The politics student was hit by the car's wing mirror and received a head wound, pictured, but is now recovering at home

He said: 'I saw a police officer with an assault rifle - he shouted 'Shots fired!' and then ran towards Westminster.

'Combined with the fact that the car didn't stop, it was on the pavement and I saw a policeman with a gun, I knew then it was much bigger than just an accident. It was chaos.

'Travis was sitting across from me clutching his arm, lying with his legs out. I asked my friend Harmen Van Arragon to get some tissues out of my bag to stem the blood but he was shaking and said he couldn't move his hand. '

He spoke on the phone to his 'frantically worried' mother Sharon and was taken to a nearby hotel away from the scene of devastation.

Medics rushed to the scene and Mr Lambert said they were disturbed by the horrific attack.

After being rescued from the scene, pictured, and treated for his wounds he was taken to the hostel he was staying at in King's Cross and was 'relieved to be reunited' with his friends

Mr Lambert's friend and fellow Edge Hill University student Travis Frain was also injured in the attack. He is pictured here at King's College Hospital being visited by Prince Charles today

A young paramedic tended to him, and he said: 'She was trying to help everybody else and was lovely. But she was visibly shaken herself. All the hotel guests looked shocked too.'

He was taken to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital by ambulance and medics in casualty glued the 2.5cm head wound together, which Owen was told would leave a permanent scar.

He added: 'The staff were incredibly upbeat, helpful and lovely caring people.

'I was just trying to keep my spirits up. I wasn't in any pain at the time. The police were guarding my room which helped me feel safe.'

Tests showed he had no internal injuries and along with his friend Mr Van Arragon, who had a leg injury and needed a cast on his arm, the pair were taken by ambulance to the hostel in King's Cross where the other politics students from Edge Hill University were waiting.

Mr Lambert said he quickly realised the chaotic scenes on the bridge, pictured, were no accident after hearing police talk about 'shots being fired'

They were delighted to discover that the friends they had feared dead were alive and well, and Mr Lambert said: 'I was utterly relieved.'

The most seriously injured of the group, Mr Frain, was recovering in King's College Hospital and the pair kept in touch through social media.

Mr Lambert said: 'I was very worried about him. He was the worst injured out of all of us. But we have messaged each other regularly and I'm looking forward to seeing him. We were all incredibly lucky to come out of it alive and in one piece.'

Recovering at home in Morecambe, Lancashire, with mother Sharon and father Greg, the teenager, who is studying politics and history, was still haunted by the events which unfolded on Wednesday afternoon.

But he said the kindness shown to him by paramedics and the police officers who took statements from him had made him more determined to make the world a better place.

Mr Lambert said Wednesday's atrocity made him realise 'everyone should be treated with kindness, tolerance and understanding'

Mr Lambert said: 'What happened on Wednesday has made me realise that you have to treat everyone with kindness, tolerance and understanding.

'That's because of the overwhelming support I received from the emergency services and everybody who I came into contact with.

'They were professional, helpful, really informative, kept me up to date with what was going on, and they had been up since 7.30am and had 12 hour shifts the next day. They deserve medals.'

Mrs Lambert said: 'The messages wishing Owen a speedy recovery from family and friends have been a huge comfort to us all.

'We also want to say a big thank you to the passers-by, the staff at the hospital, the police and everybody who looked after him.'
High schoolers charged: Henry Sanchez-Milian, 18 (pictured) and Jose Montano, 17, have been charged with raping a 14-year-old female classmate in a Maryland high school bathroom

The lawyer of one of two teenagers accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in a Maryland high school has told a courtroom that the sex was 'pre-planned'.

Henry Sanchez Milian, 18, is accused of raping a teenager along with his 17-year-old friend in the bathroom of Rockville High School in Montgomery County.

But his defense attorney, Andrew Jezic, said on Friday that there was more to the incident than meets the eye.

'There is evidence that will come out later, I believe that this was a planned encounter with this young lady and at least one of these gentlemen,' Jezic explained.

'Mr. Sanchez-Milian is presumed innocent and we're very hopeful that 12 jurors from Montgomery County will find him innocent.'

Sanchez Milian and Jose Montano allegedly brutally raped and sodomized their 14-year-old female classmate in a bathroom stall on campus last Thursday.

The alleged assault happened the morning of March 16 and lead to the arrests of 17-year-old Montano, from El Salvador, and 18-year-old Sanchez-Milian, from Guatemala, on charges of first-degree rape and first-degree sexual assault.

Montano is charged as an adult, but police have not released his booking photo.

Lawyer, Andrew Jezic, says the encounter between the teenagers and the 14-year-old girl who claims she was raped was actually was 'preplanned and consensual'

The alleged attack took place inside a boys' bathroom at Rockville High School during school

In Maryland, in order to have statutory rape where consent is not a defense, the victim needs to be four years younger by the day from the perpetrator, according to Jezic. He says in this case the victim is three years and eight months younger than Sanchez.

According to the court document, obtained by the station WJLA, Montano and Sanchez-Milian accosted the girl in the hallway at around 9am on March 16.

The girl knew only one of the teens, Montano, who allegedly asked her for a hug, then slapped her butt and asked her to walk with them.

As the trio were passing by a boys' bathroom on the way to the gym, the 17-year-old Montano repeatedly asked the girl to have sex with him and his friend, and when she refused they allegedly forced her into the restroom.

Plastic cups spell out Rockville Strong, at Rockville High School in Maryland, on Thursday

The probable cause document describes the assault in extremely graphic detail, recounting how the alleged victim grabbed onto a sink to avoid being forced into a stall, but the two suspects shoved her inside.

Once in the stall, the document states that Montano allegedly opened the girl's top and 'pulled her breasts out to play with,' then unbuckled her pants and pulled them down.

The two teenagers then allegedly proceeded to take turns holding down the young girl while forcing her to perform oral sex on them and raping her both vaginally and anally on the toilet multiple times while communicating with one another in Spanish.

Throughout the ordeal, the document stated, the victim screamed out in pain and repeatedly told her friend Montano, and Sanchez-Milian to stop.

Video courtesy of WJLA

After the horrific attack, police said Sanchez-Milian covered the victim's head with his coat and led her out of the bathroom as Montano ordered her to be quiet.

The freshman girl immediately reported the assault to school administrators and law enforcement officials were summoned to the scene to investigate.

A forensic expert was later able to recover physical evidence in the form of blood and semen from the bathroom stall.

Sanchez, who is from Guatemala, came to the U.S. illegally in August and was encountered by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Texas, federal immigration officials said. He was eventually released to live with his father.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials wouldn't comment on Montano, who is a minor but is charged criminally as an adult.

However, Fox 5 DC, citing authorities, reported that Montano and Sanchez-Milian are both in the United States illegally.

Federal law requires public schools to admit students even if they are in the country illegally.

'He was stopped at the border and detained by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. He was detained for 12 days, but then ICE made the discretionary decision to simply let him go. They put him on a plane in Texas, and his father had to pay for the ticket. His father picked him up at BWI airport, and he's been in this country with the full awareness of ICE,' Jezic explained during his interview with Fox 5.

Court documents provide great insight into what allegedly happened between the students

A graphic account of the alleged sexual assault is revealed in this court documents

'Immigration doesn't have the resources to deal with everyone coming in, so they detain them, investigate them and find out if there is gang affiliation, any record in their home country or in the United States,' Jezic said. 'If not, they generally release them, and they are instructed to appear in court at a time given', he explained.

Meanwhile, Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman Derek Turner told CNN that the high school and county school district have received hundreds of hateful email messages and calls after the teens were arrested and charged.

He told the outlet that there were two anonymous calls to the school which included threats to 'shoot the illegals' and cause 'physical damage to the school'.

The Montgomery County school system has been besieged by hundreds of racist and xenophobic calls. In response, schools beefed up police presence in an attempt to reassure the anxious community.

Authorities didn't find evidence the threats were credible, and school officials asked for an increased police presence, Turner told CNN.
More than 200 Haitians were discovered living in a tiny cave after Hurricane Matthew destroyed their homes in October.

Tucked away in the mountains of southwest Haiti, a Florida charity discovered a group of 240 people who had been living out of a dark cave for the past five months, on Wednesday.

Members from charity Food For The Poor happened across the families who were joyfully singing hymns despite their living conditions, as the team was scouting for land that would help feed the region of GrandAnse.

The people were displaced in October after Hurricane Matthew destroyed the area, sending the Haitians to the cave near Fonds Rouge Dahere for the only shelter they could find.

Scroll down for video

A group of 240 Haitians were found living out of a cave after Hurricane Matthew destroyed their homes in October. Charity Food For The Poor discovered the families near Fonds Rouge Dahere on Wednesday

Among the starving people were 84 women and 62 children. They were heard singing by the charity's team members

The organization has since provided the starving people, including 84 women and 62 children, with the necessities and food needed to help them survive.

Robin Mahfood, the president and CEO of Food For The Poor, said in a press release on Thursday: 'They have no food, they have no water, they have no shelter. They are sleeping on the ground in a cave. It really is a crime against humanity.

'We are working on the next steps to bring them out of these horrible conditions.'

The Coconut Creek-based charity announced that it is launching a campaign to help provide them with homes and the aid they need.

Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti in early October of last year, and in its wake left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

Jeremie, the capital city of the Grand'Anse region, was badly hit during the storm. The cave where the 240 people were found was located nearby in this region. Pictured: The destruction Hurricane Matthew left in its wake in October 2016 in Jeremie

Robin Mahfood, the president and CEO of Food For The Poor, said of the families living in the cave: 'They have no food, they have no water, they have no shelter. They are sleeping on the ground in a cave'

Pictured: A coastal view after Hurricane Matthew hit Jeremie, Haiti, last fall

Desperate to make an escape from the storm, people initially fled to caves for protection but after their homes were destroyed, the caverns soon became their new shelters.

Last fall, more than 500 people were found in caves near Lacadonie in southwest Haiti due to the storm. One of the villagers found in a cave told the New York Times in 2016: 'It is our house that God created when we most needed it.'

A United Nations official said Hurricane Matthew caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010.

Les Anglais was the first place in Haiti that the hurricane reached, as a powerful Category 4 storm before it moved north, lost strength and lashed central Florida.

A United Nations official said Hurricane Matthew caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010. It left hundreds of thousands of people homeless

Hours before the hurricane landed in Haiti, Les Anglais' mayor said residents were fleeing for their lives as the ocean rushed into their homes.

Most of the dead appeared to have been killed by falling debris from the winds that tore through the area at 145 mph.

More than 430,000 were evacuated from the island, the poorest region in the Western Hemisphere, ahead of the hurricane.

Other regions of the Caribbean were also hit hard with several reported dead in the Dominican Republic.
President Donald Trump blamed Democrats in Congress on Friday after House Republicans were forced to cancel a vote on their health care bill  warning the opposition party that they will continue to 'own Obamacare' as it spins in a death spiral.

The stunning uppercut came on the day he failed to deliver  for now, at least  on the promise he made in hundreds of campaign appearances, to 'repeal and replace Obamacare.'

Shortly after the vote was called off, a resigned House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters that Obamacare was still 'the law of the land. It's going to remain the law of the land until it's replaced.'

Although it was GOP infighting that caused the legislative crisis, the president predicted that Obamacare will ultimately crash and burn  forcing Democrats to come crawling to the White House for his help in crafting a workable replacement 'when it explodes  which it will soon.'

'The losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer,' Trump claimed, naming the Democratic Party's leaders in the House and Senate, 'because now they own Obamacare. They own it. One hundred per cent own it.'

'They have Obamacare for a little while longer until it ceases to exist, which it will at some point in the near future.'

'And just remember,' Trump warned: 'This is not our bill. This is their bill. Now when they all become civilized and get together and try to work out a great health care bill for the people of this country, we're open to it.'

Don't blame me! 'The losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer,' Trump claimed, naming the Democratic Party's leaders in the House and Senate, 'because now they own Obamacare. They own it. One hundred per cent own it.' He was flanked by Tom Price, the health secretary, and Vice President Mike Pence in the Oval Office

Next step - blame them: Trump turned his fire on the Democrats as his own flagship plan ended in humiliating defeat

It's over: Trump appeared in public at a celebration of Greek Independence Day just before it was announced that the Obamacare repeal and replace bill was being abandoned

Gleeful and giggly: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the canceled vote 'a victory' for America

Mocking and triumphant: Senate Minority Leader chuck Schumer said Trump's 'incompetence and broken promises' were to blame

Humiliated: Paul Ryan had to admit that Obamacare is now 'the law of the land' for the foreseeable future

Republican leaders took the extraordinary step of canceling a vote on their American Health Care Act, which was to be a replacement for the seven-year-old Affordable Care Act.

Ryan yanked the major Trump priority because it didn't have enough Republican votes to pass, and no Democrats were willing to sign on.

A White House source told DailyMail.com that the decision was ultimately the president's.

The result leaves former president Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement in place  at least for now.

'I don't know how long it will take us to replace this law,' Ryan said. 'My worry is Obamacare is going to be getting even worse.'

'Actually I think we were probably doing the Democrats a favor,' he said, describing how Republican action might have removed an albatross from their necks.

Asked if Republicans would be left with no choice but to 'prop up' te Obamacare system, Ryan called it 'so fundamentally flawed [that] I don't know that that is possible.'

'What we're really worried about is ... the coming premium increases that are coming with this death-spiraling health care system.'

I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Because now they own Obamacare. They own it. One hundred per cent own it. ... They have Obamacare for a little while longer until it ceases to exist, which it will at some point in the near future. And just remember: This is not our bill. This is their bill. Now when they all become civilized and get together and try to work out a great healthcare bill for the people of this country, we're open to it. We're totally open to it. President Donald J. Trump

But he recognized that not being able to marshal the GOP's collective forces to pass a biss was 'a setback, no two ways about it.'

Ryan needed the support of 216 out of the 241 Republicans. Trump said he 'came close' but couldn't seal the deal.

'We had no Democrat support; we had no votes from the Democrats. They weren't going to give us a single vote,' Trump complained.

The Obamacare law was passed without a single Republican 'yes' in March 2010  almost exactly seven years ago.

Trump returned over and over to his gloomy prediction of an epic collapse for medical insurance markets under the system the U.S. will return to by default.

'I think what will happen is Obamacare unfortunately will explode,' he told reporters. 'It's going to have a very bad year. Last year you had over 100 per cent [premium] increases in various places.'

Trump said he was content 'to let Obamacare go its way for a little while, and we'll see how things go' while he prepares to tackle infrastructure spending and tax reform.

'I'd like to see it do well. But it can't. ... It can't do well,' he said.

'It's imploding and soon will explode. And it's not going to be pretty.'

'Eventually it's not sustainable,' the businessman-president insisted. 'The insurance companies are leaving. You know that. They're leaving one by one as quick as you can leave.'

'And you have states  in some cases soon will not be covered. so there's no way out of that.'

He predicted that 2017 'is going to be a very, very bad year for Obamacare. Very, very bad. You're going to have explosive premium increases. And your deductibles are so high people don't even get to use it.'

At the opposite end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Nancy Pelosi could hardly contain her glee.

Over and out: Paul Ryan looked disconsolate as he left the White House after telling Trump he could not get enough votes to pass Obamacare repeal and replace

'Today is a great day for our country. It's a victory,' she said. 'What happened on the [House] floor is a victory for the American people, for our seniors, for people with disabilities, for our children, for our veterans.'

'It's pretty exciting for us,' Pelosi said with a partisan cluck.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that Trump was 'working the phones ... He's left everything on the field when it comes to this bill'

On the other side of the Capitol, Chuck Schumer openly mocked Trump for failing to make the entire House Republican Conference fall in line.

'The TrumpCare bill failed because of two traits that have plagued the Trump presidency since he took office: incompetence and broken promises. In my life, I have never seen an administration as incompetent as the one occupying the White House today,' he said.

'Today weve learned that they cant close a deal, and they cant count votes. So much for the Art of the Deal.'

Ryan's failure to bring the American Health Care Act across the first of many finish lines exposed fractures in the House GOP at the same time it brought into sharp relief the 47-year-old speaker's lack of governing experience.

'Moving from an opposition party to a governing party comes with some growing pains,' Ryan said. 'Well, we're feeling those growing pains today. We came really close today. But we came up short.'

'I will not sugar-coat this. This is a disappointing day for us. Doing big things is hard,' Ryan added.

'We just didn't quite get consensus today. ... We came very close. That's why I thought the wise thing to do is not proceed with a vote  to pull the bill and see what we can do.'

The 180-degree turn happened after House leaders met in Ryan's office to make a plan following his White House visit.

President Trump had demanded the House hold the vote or admit defeat.

Finished: Paul Ryan spoke after the decision to pull the bill and said it was 'a disappointing day'

Humiliation: The failure of the Obamacare repeal and replacement plan is a dark day for Paul Ryan and the White House which had claimed just two hours earlier that the vote was happening

STARING AT DEFEAT: President Trump said 'we'll have to see' when he was asked in the Oval Office if the House would vote for his repeal and replace plan on Friday afternoon

About an hour before the decision, Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole was still justifying a plan to forge ahead with a vote.

'Its time to put up or shut up,' Cole told DailyMail.com.

The vote had been set for Thursday, but was rescheduled when the bill's nuts and bolts became a tougher and tougher sell for both moderates and right-wingers.

Trump had threatened that the Friday vote would be their only chance. But when the dust settled he seemed willing to see a new plan take shape.

'I guess I'm here, what? Sixty-four days?' he asked reporters

'I never said repeal it and replace it within 64 days. I have a long time.'

The short-lived Republican plan to forge ahead was a high-risk proposition that the president was demanding  underlined with a threat that if they didn't take the Obamacare vote Friday, he would leave the the plan in place, despite Trump and congressional Republicans having run against it.

More moderate Republicans had been peeling away from the bill Friday, a sign they were wary to be tagged as backing the effort, which had been brought to the right in an effort to bring on board conservative members. Among the recent changes was taking away a list of health conditions that health plans must cover.

The White House kept up a drumbeat of pressure. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said at his afternoon briefing the House would vote Friday afternoon on the bill, even as he offered no assurances it would pass and admonished reporters for presuming the bill would go down.

He said this week it was the only 'train leaving the station' and that there was no 'Plan B.'

Trump's health care plan was on the verge of collapse Friday as dozens of Republicans say they will not vote for a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on Friday afternoon.

Trump was 'working the phones,' Spicer said, adding: 'He's left everything on the field when it comes to this bill.'

Even as he spoke, House Speaker Paul Ryan was delivering the bad news to Trump, having rushed to the White House to meet with the president.

'WE'LL HAVE TO SEE': President Trump shrugged when he got asked a question about what happens if the bill fails, with a vote set for Friday afternoon

Despite all the pressure and another night to let last-minute changes to the bill sink in, more than 30 Republicans were registering opposition.

Spicer was fatalistic in his comments in advance of a vote he said was likely at 3:30 pm in the Capitol. 'We had this opportunity to change the trajectory ... The question is, do members realize this opportunity?' he asked.

'We continue to pick up votes,' he said. He said by the White House count 120 members had gotten phone calls, personal contact, or White House meetings.

'You guys are so negative!' he said, when asked whether there was consideration of pulling the bill.

When a reporter asked what was the purpose of holding a vote if the bill might go down, Spicer responded: 'I'm just not going to discuss that strategy.'

'He's left everything on the field when it comes to this bill,' White House press secretary Sean Spicer said, referencing President Trump's efforts to pass an Obamacare repeal, having earlier touted his skills as a 'closer'

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) departs from the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump

Even the promotion-savvy president wouldn't proclaim victory. 'We'll have to see,' he said, asked Friday whether the bill would pass.

Spicer said this week that he 'absolutely' embraces Trump's role as the 'closer' who would get a deal done.

He said Friday: 'Every Republican with the exception of probably a handful has campaigned from dogcatcher on up that they would do everything they could to repeal and replace Obamacare. I think to get in and say, 'Hey, you should have done something else' wouldn't be fair to the American people who said, 'Okay, I'll vote for you, but I want you to fulfill this pledge.'

He continued: 'Like I said earlier, you can't force someone to vote a certain way ... Has he done every single thing, has he pulled out every stop, has he called every member, has he tweaked every tweak, has he done every single thing he can possibly and used every minute of every day to get this thing through? Then the answer is yes. Has the team put everything out there? Have we left everything on the field? Absolutely.'

'WE'LL HAVE TO SEE': President Trump shrugged when he got asked a question about what happens if the bill fails, with a vote set for Friday afternoon

CHECK IF YOUR PARKING BRAKE'S STILL ON: House leaders yanked the Obamacare repeal and replacement off the floor voting schedule Thursday after a White House meeting and concessions to conservatives failed to deliver support  with dozens still in oppositon

'But at the end of the day this isn't a dictatorship, and we've got to expect members to ultimately vote, you know, how they will, according to what they think. But as the president made clear, they're the ones who have to go back and answer to their constituents why they didn't fulfill a pledge that they made.'

Hours after the White House brought down the hammer and demanded a Friday vote on the bill, a block of conservative Freedom Caucus members had yet to back the bill, while more centrist Republicans were backing away because of last minute changes that stripped away Obamacare's 'essential health benefits' requirements for conditions insurance companies must cover.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), a Freedom Caucus member who backs the bill, said it could still pass if three-quarters of undecided members decided to vote for it.

'If it fails, it's not going to be the president that's blamed. It's not going to be the moderates. It's going to be the conservatives,' he told DailyMail.com.

The president is already being urged to take names of those who defy him. White House chief strategist Steve Bannon 'has told the president to keep a s*** list on this,' an official told The Daily Beast.

'Some of our moderates who are saying "I'm in a swing state and if I vote yes, I'm not coming back"  I've said, "If this doesn't pass, I know you're not coming back",' said New York Rep Chris Collins, a Trump loyalist.

Only 17 per cent of Americans backed the bill in a Thursday Quinnipiac University poll.

Trump blasted right-wing House Freedom Caucus members on Friday morning for standing in the way of his Obamacare replacement legislation, after warning them Thursday night that they would have just one day to vote on the bill.

'After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!' Trump wrote on Twitter.

Kevin Lewis, a spokesman for former president Obama, said he had 'no comment' on the situation after Ryan declared that the architects of Obamacare must be pleased.
Italian movie icon Gina Lollobrigida has lost a court battle to prove that she was conned into marrying her Spanish toyboy husband.

The actress, 89, had accused Javier Rigau, 55, of faking a bizarre proxy marriage between them in November 2010.

She claimed that the civil ceremony in Barcelona was a ruse he designed in a bid to inherit her 35million fortune.

Italian movie icon Gina Lollobrigida has lost a court battle to prove that she was conned into marrying her Spanish toyboy husband. The actress, 89, had accused Javier Rigau (pictured with her in 2004), 55, of faking a bizarre proxy marriage between them in November 2010. She is pictured, right, in December 2015

At the ceremony, a then 72-year-old friend of Rigau stood in for the actress.

When challenged with a lawsuit in 2013, he claimed she had consented to a stand-in bride so as to avoid publicity, according to The Local.es.

The 1950s and 60s screen siren said that he tricked her into signing a power of attorney document following years of dating, which Rigau says started when they met at a party in Monte Carlo in 1984 when he was 23 and Lollobrigida was 57.

The Hotel Paradiso actress claimed that because she didn't understand Spanish, she didn't know what she was signing.

The 1950s and 60s screen siren said that Rigau tricked her into signing a power of attorney document following years of dating, which he says started when they met at a party in Monte Carlo in 1984 when he was 23 and Lollobrigida was 57. (Above, the actress with Frank Sinatra in the 1959 film Never So Few)

The court ruled her accusations of marital fraud were baseless

She told the court in Rome that despite genuinely once being engaged, they had not slept together and she had ended the relationship.

'He was planning to wait until she died, then say he was her husband and claim her wealth,' Ms Lollobrigida's lawyer, Fabrizio Siggia, said during the trial.

The court ruled her accusations of marital fraud were baseless, according to Spanish digital newspaper Vanitatis.

Mr Siggia said they plan to appeal.

Lollobrigida had a string of film hits with the likes of Errol Flynn, Frank Sinatra and Yul Brynner.

Humphrey Bogart, who starred with Gina in her first Hollywood film 'Beat The Devil' in 1953, once said of her: 'She makes Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley Temple.'
An ailing 72-year-old Air Force veteran from Texas was arrested after police say he confessed to suffocating his wife to death on Thursday.

Officers responded to a home Granbury at around 11am after getting a 911 call about a man who was seen dragging a woman's limp body and struggling to load it into a car.

Police that arrived on the scene found Betty Scala, 72, laying on the ground, with her husband, Joseph Scala, standing next to her and trying to catch his breath.

Domestic drama: Joseph Scala, 72, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Betty, also 72, in Granbury, Texas

Mr Scala, an Air Force veteran, reportedly admitted to police that he suffocated his wife, a fellow veteran. In the photo above, the couple are pictured with daughter Noelle

Sgt Chris Brichetto told Fox 4 News that when responding officers asked Mr Scala what happened to his wife, he reportedly replied, 'I suffocated her.'

Investigators later learned that the couple were from Arlington, but Betty had been staying with a friend in Granbury.

Mrs Scala was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Two months before the alleged murder, Betty and Joseph celebrated their daughter Noelle's promotion to Air Force master sergeant (pictured at the January celebration)

Her husband was booked into Hood County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder.

At the time of his arrest, Joseph Scala did not disclose what drove him to kill his wife.

The couple, who both had served in the US Air Force, have a grown daughter who has followed her parents' footsteps into a military career.

Thursday's slaying came less than two months after the Scalas made the local news when their daughter, Noelle, was given the Air Force's highest promotion to master sergeant.

An WFAA report from late January talked about how shortly before Noelle Scala was scheduled to receive her new rank, both her father, who has cancer, and her mother landed in Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital.

Noelle, who has been with the Air Force for 14 years serving as deputy airfield manager at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, wanted her ailing parents to take part in the promotion ceremony, so military officials collaborated with hospital administrators to make it happen.

On the occasion, Betty Scala was quoted as telling the news channel: 'I was ecstatic.'

Like mother, like daughter: Noelle (left), pictured with her mom, has been with the Air Force for 14 years serving as deputy airfield manager at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho

The Scalas described Noelle, an only child, as their 'miracle baby' because Betty conceived her after suffering five miscarriages.

'This little girl grew up to be a woman,' a proud Mr Scala said of his daughter at the time. 'She is the greatest thing that the Air Force has ever had.'
First Lady Mindy Kaling?

Cory Booker raised eyebrows earlier this month when he refused to dismiss the possibility of a 2020 presidential run. Now the New Jersey senator may have found a woman worthy of a life in the White House.

The perennial bachelor, who has long been tight-lipped about his private life, engaged in some very public flirting with actress Mindy Kaling on Twitter this Thursday.

The 47-year-old Democrat launched his charm offensive after Dartmouth-educated Kaling made fun of his state, and Newark, in an episode of her Hulu comedy 'The Mindy Project'.

Booker eventually mustered up the strength to ask Kaling, 37, for a date after a rapid-fire exchange of tweets.

And she said yes, with lots and lots of emojis.

Scroll down for video

Tweeting his love: Cory Booker (above in November) asked Mindy Kaling out on a date on Twitter, which she accepted on Thursday

A-list star: Kaling (above with BJ Novak last June) has been married to her job these past few months, recently wrapping filming on 'Oceans Eight' and 'A Wrinkle in Time'

In the episode of 'The Mindy Project' that caught Booker's attention, Kaling's character Dr. Mindy Lahiri downplayed the senator's attendance at an event in new York City by saying he would likely do anything to get out of Newark.

Booker, who was mayor of the city for seven years, commented on the diss by tweeting at Kaling: Ouch! @MindyKaling, heard Dr. Lahiri dissed Newark last.'

That tweet also included a broken heart emoji and a thinking face, with Booker going on to write that he disagreed with Kaling's characterization of the city but still loved her.

Kaling responded by writing: 'Senator, if Mindy Lahiri shades it, it means we know it's cool. Thanks for the [love]. It's mutual!'

Booker then took some time to mock President Trump in a tweet about his healthcare bill before getting back to Kaling and replying: 'You are making my day! Thanks for the clarification. And If the [love] is really mutual... Come have dinner with me in Newark?'

That tweet included a heart emoji and an emoji of two fingers crossed for luck.

Kaling then wrote that she would check the PATH schedule for trains, referencing the public transportation system that operates throughout New Jersey and goes into New York City.

Booker was having none of that however, responding: 'PATH train is awesome when you are Jersey bound. But you are @LYFT worthy! I will send one to you for the door to door.'

Kalling replied with a series of kissing face emojis.

And while this relationship seems like a romantic-comedy dream come true, there is no indication that Booker has split from rumored girlfriend Cleo Wade.

He was first photographed with Wade in September when the pair attended a fashion week event hosted by Refinery 29 held at a warehouse in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood.

The two were then seen together again in January at the women's march in Washington DC one day after the inauguration.

Wade describes herself as a 'poet, artist, and speaker that creates empowering messages, blending simplicity with positivity, femininity and arresting honesty.'

She posts brief poems on Instagram almost daily, with one recent work reading: 'be yourself. i love you like that.'

Another reads: 'To let your love be true and free - sounds fun.'

She also posted a poem soon after reports emerged that she was dating Booker, which read: 'Be careful when it comes to focusing on the opinions of others, you could end up walking a day in the life of everyone else's shoes.'

Wade is frequently photographed at fashion events with the DJ Mia Moretti, a close friend of Katy Perry, and posted a photo of herself with Perry's boyfriend Orlando Bloom earlier this summer in Philadelphia at the Democratic National Convention.

There has never been any confirmation or comment however from Booker about his rumored relationship with Wade.

Girl power: Booker was rumored to be dating Instagram poet Cleo Wade but it is unclear if they are still together (Booker at a women's march with a woman in profile who looks like Wade)

He's with her: Booker and Wade with Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia just before the election

Booker is so private when it comes to his love life that it has led some to speculate that he might be gay, something he has addressed in the past by saying: 'I love seeing on Twitter when someone says I'm gay, and I say, "So what does it matter if I am? So be it. I hope you are not voting for me because you are making the presumption that I'm straight."'

Kaling on the other hand is happy to share stories about her love life, especially ex BJ Novak, who she worked with on 'The Office.'

The actress has had a meteoric rise over the past few months after climbing the ranks for the past decade first as a writer and actress on 'The Office' and then creating her own show.

She has now officially staked her place in the A-list, however, thanks to her two latest roles in 'Oceans Eight' and 'A Wrinkle in Time.'

She stars alongside Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter in the former, and Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon in the latter.
'Hero' MP Tobias Ellwood, who battled to save the life of a police officer in the London terror attack, has been appointed to the Privy Council, Downing Street has announced.

Prime Minister Theresa May praised the 'extraordinary' bravery of Mr Ellwood in her House of Commons statement on Thursday.

The former soldier was pictured with blood on his face and clothes as he tried to give PC Palmer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and stem the blood amid the carnage in New Palace Yard on Wednesday, but the officer died from his injuries.

Scroll down for video

Pictured: MP Tobias Ellwood in Parliament after he fought to the save the life of PC Keith Palmer during the Westminster terror attack

The Privy Council Historically, the council was a group of the monarch's most trusted advisors

Today it is a collection of senior politicians who are members or former members of the House of Commons or Lords

The council's meetings are conducted in their therefore their role is somewhat protected

However it is thought the job is largely administrative

The council advises the Queen on exercising the royal prerogative and officially enacts legislation

There are around 600 members and once you are appointed to the privy council you are a member for life

The council meets once a month - wherever the Queen is Advertisement

The Bournemouth East MP's bravery was praised by many colleagues, who had gathered in the Commons chamber to listen and respond to Mrs May's statement on the terror attack.

But Mr Ellwood, whose brother Jonathan was killed in the 2002 Bali terrorist bombing, shook his head as a fellow MP called for him to be recognised in the honours list.

A Government spokesman said their appointment was 'in recognition of their service as ministers and the roles both have played in responding to this week's terrorist attack'.

Alongside Mr Ellwood, security minister Ben Wallace, has also been appointed to the council in recognition of of his role in responding to the attack.

Two days after the attack, Mr Ellwood was warmly greeted the colleagues of slain PC Keith Palmer as he arrived for work.

Pictured: Mr Ellwood, the MP for Bournemouth East, walks past floral tributes left to the three victims of the atrocity as he goes back to work at Parliament

Terrorist Khalid Masood, 52, mowed into pedestrians while driving a Hyundai 4x4 along Westminster Bridge before attacking Pc Keith Palmer, fatally stabbing him in the head, arm and side of his ribs.

He was shot dead by armed officers moments after attacking PC Palmer.

His brutal assault left three people dead and at least 50 injured.

Speaking just hours after the attack on Wednesday, Mr Ellwood, formerly a Captain in the Royal Green Jackets, said the incident was a 'huge tragedy'.

The Foreign Office Minister said: 'I am a witness, I was the last one on the scene before he died so I am not allowed to say anything.

'It is now murder, I was on the scene and as soon as I realised what was going on I headed towards it. It is a huge tragedy, it really is.

'I tried to stem the flow of blood and give mouth to mouth while waiting for the medics to arrive but I think he had lost too much blood.

Pictured: Mr Ellwood assisting medics as they battle to save stabbed police officer Palmer outside Parliament

'He had multiple wounds, under the arm and in the back.

'As I understand it the attacker has also died. I'm not allowed to say anything, I'll get into trouble. It's very sad.'

Mr Ellwood's family endured their own tragedy in 2002 along with several other British families after the attack at the Kuta Beach tourist area in Bali.

Mr Ellwood gave mouth-to-mouth to Pc Palmer, 48, and put pressure on his wounds but sadly the officer did not recover. Left, Pc Palmer with US tourist Staci Martin minutes before he died and right, Mr Ellwood with police and medics at the scene of the attack

His brother Jonathan worked at the International School Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam as a history teacher and was in Bali to attend an international conference.

The bombing killed 202 people, including 23 from Britain, after three bombs were detonated.

The attack involved a suicide bomber carrying explosives in a backpack and a large car bomb, both of which were set off outside popular nightclubs.

A third, smaller, explosive was detonated outside the United States consulate but did only minor damage.
A woman who broadcast her traffic stop on Facebook live sped off and led police on a high-speed chase, during which she called a local TV station saying she feared for her life.

Jessica Latrese Chatman, 37, who had a felony stalking warrant issued for her arrest, was stopped by the police in Willis, Texas, on Friday morning.

She claimed the cops were 'harassing' her in a 54-second video on Facebook, before she drove off at speeds exceeding 100miles per hour.

With a chopper overhead and police cars tailing her, Chatman called in to ABC13 and spoke to managing editor Julie Griffin, who finally urged her to pull over after 40 minutes.

Scroll down for video

Jessica Chatman filmed a brief 54-second video of herself when she was pulled over on Friday morning. In the video on Facebook, she claimed she was being harassed by by police

Chatman filmed herself during the traffic stop around 10am, angling her cell phone at one point to show the police car parked behind her.

She went on a 54-second rant and claimed she was pulled over because her license plate was sitting on her dashboard rather than on her bumper.

'Ain't nobody else pull me over for that,' Chatman said. 'I'm being harassed by these godd*** cops because I'm exposing their cooked a** for what the f*** they is.'

'Do you know this started over my motherf***ing p***y?' Chatman said, before she mentioned another woman and concluded: 'Ya'll got me f***ed up.'

The policeman was said to have recognized her from the arrest warrant, according to Lt. Alton Nelson, who said Chatman took off during the traffic stop.

The policeman was said to have recognized her from the arrest warrant, according to Lt. Alton Nelson, who said Chatman took off during the traffic stop

She weaved through traffic at speeds exceeding 100mph, and led police on a 40-minute chase through Montgomery County, Texas

Chatman called ABC13 and spoke to managing editor Julie Griffin (left) who tried to appease the 37-year-old who said she feared for her life

She led police on a 40-minute chase, during which she weaved in and out of traffic and phoned ABC13 saying she feared for her life.

Griffin, who tried to calm Chatman down, said: 'She called and she said: "I'm the woman that police are chasing, your chopper is over me. I'm not going to stop. They tried to kill me in Montgomery County."'

The managing editor, who was watching the live aerial footage of Chatman's car, urged the 37-year-old to get off the road, lest she crash and hurt someone.

Chatman finally complied with Chatman and pulled over in a parking lot before she emerged and surrendered while policemen surrounded her with their guns drawn

The 37-year-old was arrested, although she was reportedly combative while she was taken to jail, the Houston Chronicle reported

Chatman finally pulled into a parking lot before Griffin urged her to drop her phone and step out of the car with her arms raised.

Chatman emerged from her car and surrendered while police surrounded her with their guns drawn.

The 37-year-old was arrested, although she was reportedly combative while she was taken to jail, the Houston Chronicle reported.

She was previously convicted of stalking and marijuana possession.
The Trump name still appears to carry plenty of value, demonstrated when the president's childhood home was flipped after being bought at auction for $1.39million in December.

According to the New York Post, the home has now sold for $2.14 million, a profit of 50 per cent.

'This property is so much more than just real estate; it's the childhood home of the 45th president of the United States, and it's a part of history,' said Misha Haghani, principal of Paramount Realty USA.

'That intangible value makes it a perfect example of why special properties are appropriately sold by auction, just like art is. As they say, beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.'

Donald Trump's childhood home (pictured) has been sold to another investor for $2.14 million  a profit of just over 50 per cent

The home failed to find a buyer when it went up for sale in July for $1.65 million but now the Trump name appears to have given some added value to the property

The Queens home at 85-15 Wareham Place, is listed on Trump's birth certificate

'This property is so much more than just real estate; it's the childhood home of the 45th president of the United States, and it's a part of history,' said Misha Haghani, principal of Paramount Realty USA. Pictured is one of the bathrooms in the home

The new sale price is a remarkable turnaround for the property in Queens, New York, that was struggling to be sold for $1.65 million when it was first listed for sale in July. One of the bedrooms can be seen above

The new sale price is a remarkable turnaround for the property in Queens, New York, that was struggling to be sold for $1.65 million when it was first listed for sale in July.

In the end, it sold at auction with the opening bid at just $849,000 rising to a winning bid of $1.39million.

Buyer, Michael Davis, purchased the home which was held just one month after the presidential election.

The Tudor-style home, located at 85-15 Wareham Place in Jamaica Estates, is listed as the home address on the birth certificate of the president.

The home offers an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room, 4.5 bathrooms and a theater room (pictured)

Experts have previously mused that the home could be worth up to $10 million to wealthy investors who might even turn it into a museum

The 3,600-square-foot Tudor has five bedrooms, a fully furnished basement and a two-car garage

Michael Davis, 36, had always planned to flip the property when he bought it at a December auction

The 3,600-square-foot Tudor has five bedrooms, a fully furnished basement and a two-car garage.

It also offers an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room and 4.5 bathrooms.

The owners in December 2016 said they put it up for auction because they wanted to see what it was worth.

'They went to auction as opposed to selling it by traditional brokerage because they wanted buyers to know they are serious, and they want to control the timeline of the sale,' Misha Haghani, the principal of Paramount Realty USA.

Trumps former home, which also features a library and a fireplace, was built by the president-elects developer father Fred Trump in 1940.

Experts have previously mused that the home could be worth up to $10 million to wealthy investors who might even turn it into a museum.

The owners say they put it up for auction origially because they wanted to see what it's worth

Trumps former home, which also features a library and a fireplace, was built by the president-elects developer father Fred Trump in 1940

Michael Davis bought the five-bedroom, four and a half-bath Tudor at 85-15 Wareham Place in Jamaica Estates for $1,390,500 and has now sold it for $2.14 million
Cherie Amoore (above), 33, told police that she walked away with a seven-month-old baby because she had lost a newborn weeks earlier and just wanted to hold a child again. No evidence was found she was ever pregnant

A suburban Philadelphia woman charged with befriending a woman at a shopping mall and then taking her baby was convicted Friday of kidnapping and child concealment.

Cherie Amoore, 33, had told police that she had lost a newborn weeks earlier and just wanted to hold a child again. Prosecutors said she was never pregnant, although her family had thrown her a baby shower.

The 7-week-old boy was found safe at her apartment a few hours after he went missing.

Amoore had struck up a conversation with his mother at the King of Prussia Mall in March 2016, and took him when the mother was distracted with another child.

The defense did not contest the facts at Friday's bench trial in Montgomery County.

Amoore's lawyer has said she received mental health treatment after her arrest.

Lawyer Marc Steinberg said he will call defense witnesses at the sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Prosecutors said they would seek jail time.

Amoore is seen above on surveillance footage leaving the King Prussia Mall with the baby

Mall security video, combined with tips that poured in and help from the suspect's family, led police to find the baby unharmed at Amoore's apartment in nearby Wayne.

The boy - Ahsir Simons - was later found at her home and had not been harmed

'I took the baby and I am sorry,' she told police when they arrived. 'It felt like I was holding my son again. It felt so good.'

Surveillance footage of the terrifying incident was ordered for release by a judge in the interest of informing the public.

The security footage shows Amoore walking through the mall, up a flight of stairs and out into the parking lot.

Amoore's family called police some hours later when she arrived home with a child amid reports of a kidnapping on the news.

The boy - Ahsir Simons - was later found at her home and had not been harmed.

According to a police affidavit, Amoore told detectives she gave birth to a boy on February 11, but the baby only lived a few hours.

She then allegedly told police: 'I don't know why I did it. I can't explain it. I held him, and all those feelings rushed back. I just wanted my baby. I felt like I was holding my son again. It felt so good. I didn't want to lose that feeling. I was crazy. I never intended to do anything like this.'

The kidnapping occurred around 5.45 p.m. on March 31.

Mall security video, combined with tips that poured in and help from the suspect's family, led police to find the baby unharmed at Amoore's apartment in nearby Wayne. Amoore and the baby are seen in the surveillance footage above

The mother told police that she quickly realized Amoore had disappeared and chased after her, but turned back to get her other son, who was sitting at the table.

Two people sitting nearby pointed out which direction Amoore went, police say, but by then she was gone.

Investigators say Amoore took little Ahsir to show him to relatives after the kidnapping.

But once news of the abduction was released and a description of the alleged kidnapper, family members called 911.

Surveillance footage inside the mall showed that, before the kidnapping, Amoore had also approached another woman, who helped police with the investigation.

Once the suspect was identified, police went to Amoore's home in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County.

Police say when she answered the door, Amoore said: 'I took the baby and I am sorry.'
Touching tributes to murdered police officer PC Keith Palmer have been written by children, with one calling him a 'police angel'.

Zane and Hetty, both eight, have given emotional responses to Wednesday's terror attack in London, showing how much children take in from national events.

Hetty, from Kent, wrote a letter to the police, thanking them for taking care of 'the people that have been hurt in London and keeping the Prime Minister safe'.

Hetty, from Kent, wrote a touching letter to police which her mother plans to post to the Met Police service

Hetty, from Kent, wrote a letter to police thanking them for their efforts in helping those who had been hurt in the London terror attack

Hetty also noted that their job was tricky but thanked them for being brave.

Her mother Sue told the BBC: 'She didn't make much comment initially. Then she said she wanted to know what happened. We explained to her that some people think it's OK to hurt others for what they believe in.

'She also asked how a policeman died and we told her it was because he was doing his job, keeping everyone safe.

Zane drew this picture showing Pc Palmer in the sky as an angel, with a poem ending 'London, I love you'

'As we pulled up at home, she declared she was going to write a letter to say thank you to the police - she obviously took in more than I realised.'

Zane, also eight-years-old, from Oxfordshire, drew a picture and wrote a poem in a moving tribute to hero officer Pc Palmer.

ZANE'S POEM 'Yesterday I was a policeman that looked after you. 'But now I'm a police angel that will watch over you. 'Always and all through 'Whistle whistle, London I love you!' Advertisement

Pc Palmer was stabbed to death by terrorist Khalid Masood after he jumped out of the car he had slammed into the gates of Parliament.

Zane drew the officer as a 'police angel' and wrote a tear-jerking poem.

The poem said 'yesterday I was a policeman that looked after you.

'But now I'm a police angel that will watch over you.'

Zane's mother, Rawan, said: 'He saw the news coverage and asked at dinner "who is the bad guy and good guy?",' Rawan told the BBC.

'I didn't want to scare him by talking about terrorism so I just said a bad guy killed a few people and a policeman tried to save people and is now a hero.'

She said she hoped Pc Palmer's widow would see the poem and drawing.

HETTY'S LETTER OF THANKS TO THE POLICE IN FULL Dear Police, You are doing a fantastic job. Thank you for keeping our country safe today and looking after the people that were hurt in London and keeping the Prime Minister safe. Your job is tricky but thank you for being brave as a police officer. Thank you so much Love from, Hetty x Advertisement

Seventeen people are still being treated for their injuries in five London hospitals, NHS England has confirmed. Two of those are in critical condition, according to the Metropolitan police, with one persons injuries considered life-threatening.

More than 50 people, from at least 12 nationalities, were injured in Masoods attack on Westminster Bridge, of whom 31 initially required hospital treatment.

A fundraising page set up in the memory of Pc Palmer to donate to his widow and children has raised more than 500,000.
Two parents and their teenage daughter are accused of a shocking scheme to steal benefits from a dead military veteran while his body lay decomposing in their house.

Parents Brian Dickey Sorohan, 49, and Stacy Lynn Sorohan, 45, as well as their 18-year-old daughter Brianna, were charged with gross abuse of a corpse and failure to report a knowledge of death Wednesday in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The parents were additionally charged with theft of a credit card.

The dead man Robert Harris had lived with the Sorohans since about 2010, and investigators believe he's been dead for several months, during which time his Social Security benefits card continued to be used.

The gruesome death came to light when on Sunday neighbor Steve Carlisle visited the Sorohan home regarding some money he was owed, the Ohio Times Reporter reports.

Scroll down for video

Charged: Parents Stacy Sorohan (left) and Brian Sorohan (right) and their daughter Brianna Sorohan (center) were charged Wednesday after cops found Harris' body in their home

Crime scene: Police said Harris' body had been decomposing in the home for months

A neighbor says that Brianna Sorohan (left and right) claimed Harris had moved away and gotten much healthier right before he left. 'Right when she told me that, there was no doubt in my mind he wasn't with us anymore,' the neighbor said

Carlisle hadn't seen Harris since 2013, at a local McDonald's, when he recalls the man 'walking with a limp' and with a 'horrendous' odor coming off of him.

Young Brianna answered the door on Sunday, and concerned about Harris, Carlisle asked after the aging veteran.

Deceased man Robert Harris, 71, had been living with the Sorohans since about 2010

Brianna responded that he'd moved to Minerva, another Ohio county about an hour's drive away, around Thanksgiving or Christmas, according to Carlisle.

When Carlisle mentioned that Harris hadn't looked too healthy the last time he'd seen him, he says Brianna responded that the man had gotten much healthier right before he left town.

'Right when she told me that,' Carlisle told the Times Reporter, 'there was no doubt in my mind he wasn't with us anymore.'

Sheriff's deputies conducted a welfare check on Harris on Tuesday, and in addition to the body they found the home covered in filth.

There was no flush toilet, and the Sorohans would dump garbage bags of human waste nearby, or leave the bags in a nearby wheelbarrow, said Carlisle.

The home was also full of roughly 19 cats, estimated another neighbor, Jill France. 'I've seen dead cats in that house,' France said.

Investigators were forced to endure the putrid conditions in the Sorohan house as they processed the scene.

Conditions in the Sorohan home were said to be filthy. The home is shown this week with a condemned notice on the door

'The people that were coming out were gagging,' said France. 'Everyone that came out, I thought they were going to puke.'

The home now has a yellow condemned notice posted on the front door.

What the neighbor found most unbelievable was the sickening notion that the Sorohans had lived with a dead body in the home for months.

'They had to walk by him every day, multiple times a day,' she said.

Brianna is free on bond, while each of her parents are being held pending $20,000 bail.
An illegal immigrant is alleged to have strangled Sandra Hehir (above), 49, to death inside her home in the Boston suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts earlier this month

An illegal immigrant is alleged to have strangled a 49-year-old woman to death inside her home in the Boston suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts earlier this month.

Sandra Hehir's body was found in her apartment on February 5, according to The Boston Globe.

The Worcester district attorney's office said it obtained DNA evidence which links Jose Melendez, 54, to the crime.

Melendez, who was arrested last week, has a history of run-ins with law enforcement.

He reportedly defaulted on probation in 2014 in a breaking and entering case, and he also faces charges in two drug cases in Worcester.

Melendez was arraigned on murder charges in Worcester District Court on Monday. His next hearing is scheduled for April 13.

He has also faced criminal charges in New York and Florida.

An official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed to Daily Mail Online on Friday that the agency had placed a detainer on Melendez on March 20  the day that he was arraigned.

ICE only places detainers on individuals that the agency believes are 'deportable.'

Hehir's body was found in her apartment (above) on February 5. Prosecutors say DNA evidence collected at the scene implicates Jose Melendez, 54, an undocumented migrant

Sandra Hehir's body was found in her apartment on February 5

Hehir was a beloved middle school teacher's aide at one of Worcester's area public schools.

Colleagues began to worry about her well-being when she did not show up to school on February 6, according to MassLive.

'All her life she was a very kind person,' School Superintendent Maureen F. Binienda told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette when asked about Hehir.

'I really hope that people join together and try to find who did this.'

Binienda said that she taught a young Hehir when she attended South High Community School, from which she graduated in 1985.

'Great athlete, very smart - had a lot of friends,' Binienda said.

'Lots of friends - everybody knew Buffy.'

'Buffy' was a nickname that Hehir was often referred to.

'She was just a wonderful person,' Hehir's former brother-in-law, John Bradley, said.

'Very friendly, sociable, very healthy  very into running and taking care of herself.'

Hehir overcame a great deal of adversity in her life. Her father died when she was very young, and she had to quit her job and stay home to care for her dying mother, who would eventually succumb to cancer.
They fell out spectacularly over Brexit. But David Cameron and Boris Johnson seem to have made up over dinner at a trendy New York restaurant.

The Foreign Secretary and the former prime minister were seen leaving the Red Rooster in Harlem together on Thursday night.

And it is understood Mr Johnson urged the former prime minister to consider becoming the next secretary general of Nato.

Boris Johnson and David Cameron seem to have made up after Brexit at the Red Rooster in Harlem together on Thursday night. The pair were spotted by fellow diners

According to the Financial Times, Mr Cameron is the candidate the Government wants to put forward for the 200,000-a-year job, although he is apparently reluctant.

A source told the paper: 'Most of the cabinet has been lobbying for him for a while. He is who we want in the UK, but we need to get him to go for it, as currently he is a bit cold.'

The current incumbent Jens Stoltenberg is due to continue in the role until at least 2018. The position is always held by a European.

According to the Financial Times, sources say putting Mr Cameron forward for the role 'demonstrates Theresa May's commitment to European defence' despite the Brexit vote.

But a friend of Mr Cameron's told the paper the role was 'not remotely on the cards'.

Joanna Geary, who works for Twitter, wrote on the social media site that she had spotted black SUVs outside the restaurant.

She said: As I passed, a number of people in suits left the restaurant and I instantly recognised the famous mop of hair belonging to Boris Johnson.

She shook hands with the former mayor of London.

Miss Geary added: I hadnt seen David until Boris said I suspect youll recognise my friend David and pointed in his direction.

Mr Johnson is in New York for a United Nations summit on tackling Islamic State. And the former prime minister had given a speech on international relations to students at Brown University in Rhode Island on Monday.

It is understood Mr Cameron texted the Foreign Secretary after realising they were both in New York, and they arranged to meet up at very short notice.

One image posted on Twitter last night showed Mr Johnson standing on a chair in the restaurant, but a source said he was just trying to get out of a tight seating area.

It is understood Mr Cameron texted the Foreign Secretary after realising they were both in New York, and they arranged to meet up at very short notice

Relations between the pair, who were contemporaries at Eton and Oxford, broke down when Mr Johnson opted to lead the Leave campaign for Brexit.

This decision was seen as a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the vote, which ultimately cost Mr Cameron his job.

Such was his antipathy towards Mr Johnson and fellow leaver Michael Gove that Mr Cameron admitted to calling pheasants Boris and Michael when he was out shooting.
At least three people including a teenage boy were wounded tonight after a man opened fire next to an underground train station in the northern French city of Lille.

Police said the 14-year-old boy was shot in the leg, while the others were wounded in the neck and back.

Anti-terrorist police were on the scene in minutes, but early indications were of 'a settling of accounts' by the shooter.

A shooting in the northern French city of Lille has left many wounded, it has been reported

Those wounded are said to have been shot several times, French news site La Voix Du Nord reported.

It is unclear who carried out the attack, but it is believed the shooter, a hooded man, is at large.

The incident occurred near the Porte d'Arras metro stop in the south of the city.

Armed police have sealed off roads in the city centre.

A police source said: 'The attack was in place Jacques Febvrier, next to the Porte d'Arras metro station. Officers remain at the scene.

'Those hurt have been taken to the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul hospital. None of the injuries are life threatening.'

They added: 'A car pulled up outside the station and targeted the three youths hurt. It appears this was a settling of scores. None of the injuries are life threatening.'

France is still on high alert after being rocked by a series of terror attacks in the past year.

The incident also comes two days after the Westminster terror attack that left five dead.

The incident occurred near the Porte d'Arras metro stop in the south of the city
The FBI expanded their search in Georgetown County in South Carolina to a wooded area in the case of Brittanee Marie Drexel who was allegedly gang-raped, murdered then fed to alligators.

The 17-year-old from New York disappeared eight years ago while on spring break in Myrtle Beach. No arrests have been made in connection to her disappearance.

The 'investigative activity' was centered around a wooded area near Foxfire Court according to the Post and Courier.

WDPE confirmed FBI Supervisory Agent Don Wood told them there was digging on a 'private piece of property.'

Scroll down for video

Brittanee Drexel was 17 when she vanished after leaving a friend's hotel in Myrtle Beach in April 2009

Police expanded their investigation in Georgetown County and focused on a small wooded area near Foxfire Court

Brittanee Drexel's mother Dawn Drexel is reportedly waiting 'pins and needles for information

Attorney Brad Conway said the search was pertaining to the Drexel investigation and did not provide details.

Conway told WYFF4: 'Of course we have every confidence in the FBI and the law enforcement working this case, but without knowing more information, Dawn Drexel (Brittanee's mother) is on pins and needles, waiting to find out what they found, if anything, and how this will affect hopefully the eventual prosecution of the people responsible for what was done to her daughter.'

Drexel, then 17, traveled to Myrtle Beach from Rochester in 2009 with some friends without telling her parents and disappeared without a trace after leaving her friend's hotel on April 25.

In June, investigators said they believed the missing teen was dead, and offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

FBI agents have implicated Timothy DaShaun Taylor (left) in a new report that cites a jailhouse confession by Taquan Brown (right) who claimed he saw Drexel's rape and murder (he is in prison on a separate case). Taylor has not been charged in Drexel's disappearance.

In August 2016, an FBI agent gave the first detailed account of what authorities believe happened to the teen, based on an account from an imprisoned man who says he saw Drexel's horrific last moments and made a jailhouse confession, according to the Post and Courier.

FBI agent Gerrick Munoz said in a report, citing the prisoner's account, that Drexel was being held in a 'stash house' outside of McClellanville, about an hour outside of Myrtle Beach.

Police had previously said they believed that the high school student was held for at least three days against her will near McClellanville, as that is where they traced signals from her cell phone after her disappearance.

Brittanee Drexel (above) went to the hot beach spot with three friends without her parents knowing - her mom thought she was at a beach in New York

The blonde teen was last seen leaving her friend's hotel where she stayed for ten minutes before leaving and disappearing

The inmate who was sentenced to 25 years for voluntary manslaughter told police he knew what happened to the young woman.

Taquan Brown of Walterboro, told agents that he entered a 'stash house' in the days after Drexel's abduction and saw Timothy DaShaun Taylor, then 16, 'sexually abusing' her.

Brown said he then went outside to give Da'Shaun's father, Shaun, some money, and saw the girl run from the house, but she was caught and 'pistol-whipped.'

According to Brown, she was then dragged back into the house, and Brown said he heard two gun shots and later saw the girl's body wrapped up and taken away.

Dawn Drexel, mother of Britanee Drexel, speaks to reporters during a news conference in McClellanville, SC on Wednesday, June 8, 2016

FBI Special Agent in Charge David Thomas told reporters of a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Drexel's case

Munoz said several witnesses said the teen's body had been thrown in an 'alligator pit' and 'eaten by the gators.'

So far agents have not been able to find the girl's remains despite checking 14 alligator ponds. They believe there are about 40 in the area.

Joan Taylor, the wife of Shaun Taylor and mother of DaShaun Taylor, says the story implicating the pair is 'craziness' made up by investigators to get her son to confess to the crime.

However, agents say the gruesome account has been backed up by other 'tidbits' and 'second hand information' that have been coming in recently, and by another inmate in Georgetown County.

Munoz said that, according to the second inmate, who got the account secondhand, DaShaun allegedly managed to get the girl from where he met her in Myrtle Beach back to McClellanville and then 'showed her off, introduced her to some other friends that were there  they ended up tricking her out with some of their friends, offering her to them and getting a human trafficking situation.'

The teen is believed to have spent her final days around McClannanville as police traced pings from her cell phone to the area

When her case began to receive massive publicity, the alleged abductor felt he had a problem and so she was 'murdered and disposed of' said the FBI agent.

Father Shaun and son DaShaun are still just suspects, with no hard evidence against them, reports the Post and Courier.

In part of an effort to get DaShaun to cooperate with the Drexel case, he is currently being held on additional charges relating to being the getaway driver for the robbery of a McDonald's in 2011.

Although he had confessed and served his time for that crime, agents hit him with parallel charges. Da'Shaun's lawyer, David Aylor, calls the ploy a 'squeeze job' to get him to admit to the Drexel crime, which his lawyer says he didn't commit.

DaShaun posted $10,000 bail and was released.

Da'Shaun's mother, Joan Taylor, told the Post and Courier that authorities are 'trying to pin something' on her son. She said the implication that her son and husband were responsible for Drexel's rape and murder are untrue and 'not in our nature.'

She said her son lost his arm in a childhood accident, works as a mechanic, and supports a son, daughter, and grandmother.
George Osborne has claimed he has 'overwhelming support' from his local Conservative Party in Cheshire, despite being appointed editor of London's Evening Standard.

The former chancellor's new job has proved controversial after he said he intends to combine the newspaper role with that of representing his constituents in Tatton, 190 miles from the capital, in Parliament.

But he has won praise from his constituents who say the MP has 'unanimous support' from Tories in the area.

Conservatives in George Osborne's constituency in Tatton, Cheshire, say the incoming Evening Standard (pictured) has unanimous support from the local association

Following an annual general meeting of the Tatton Conservatives, Mr Osborne said: 'We had a great annual meeting.

'I'm so grateful for the overwhelming support I got from Tatton Conservatives tonight. It's a huge honour to be the local MP here.'

Patti Goddard, president of the Tatton Conservative Association and chairman of the AGM, described Mr Osborne as 'our star'.

'We've just had our annual meeting of the Tatton Conservatives,' she said.

'It was incredibly positive. There was unanimous support among the members for our local MP, George Osborne.

'He's always been able to work hard as a local MP as well as being a big figure on the national stage - whether as Chancellor or an editor.

'We've got complete confidence in his ability to do so in the future.'

It comes after a Whitehall sleaze watchdog announced a review of its guidance on MPs' second jobs in the wake of Mr Osborne's move into journalism.

But the chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life insisted that the review was not prompted solely by the Osborne case, saying that it had been under consideration for some time.

Patti Goddard, president of the Tatton Conservative Association and chairman of the AGM, described Mr Osborne as 'our star'. Pictured in parliament in March

Lord Bew said the committee wanted to look again at its 2009 guidance that second jobs were acceptable so long as voters were informed about them at the time of the election.

And he said that it would consider what was the 'reasonable limit' that could be applied to the extent of MPs' outside interests.

'It is for the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, and the House of Commons Committee on Standards to rule on individual cases,' he added.

Lord Bew said that the committee had previously taken the view that it was 'not entirely desirable' to have a class of professional politicians with no experience of other occupations from careers outside Parliament.

It comes after a Whitehall watchdog announced a review of its guidance on MPs' second jobs in the wake of Mr Osborne's move into journalism. Pictured with Evening Standard editor Sarah Sands

But he said: 'It is clear that the public's attitude has shifted on this matter and is more negative about it, although I can tell you from the letters we receive that the public is still divided on this issue.'

He pointed out, in an apparent reference to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, that 'there have been MPs in the past who edited things like The Spectator very effectively and nobody at that point regarded it as a major problem'.

But he added: 'We now need to have a proper review. We want to hear from the public and we want to engage also with the regulatory bodies ... because there's an issue now about the Code of Conduct for MPs and how it deals with this particular issue.'
Zara founder Amancio Ortega, 80, pictured, is worth 58billion and is the richest man in Europe

The house is so unprepossessing it might be mistaken for an office block. The back door opens onto an alleyway with a tattoo parlour.

The drawing room overlooks an industrial port where container ships unload cargo.

This is La Coruna, at the north-western-most tip of Spain, but imagine a tenement beside Hull docks and you wouldnt be far wrong.

On fine evenings  few and far between in these parts  its owner, a squat, bald man of 80, customarily emerges to walk his chihuahua along the prom, stopping to chat with neighbours or sip coffee in the nearby square.

He wears practical clothes: a pale shirt, slacks and an overcoat. Just another Galician pensioner enjoying a pre-dinner stroll.

Yet sharp observers might notice the stony-faced, muscular types who stand at a discreet distance.

For despite his appearance, Amancio Ortega is an extraordinary man. Though he left school at 13, he went on to found Zara, the worlds most successful fashion chain. He is now worth an astonishing 58 billion.

Last week, Ortega (who also owns Londons most valuable property portfolio) saw his wealth increase by 1.1 billion  the dividend on his 59 per cent stake in Inditex, the parent company of Zara and other High Street names such as Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti.

It makes him the richest man in Europe by some distance. A few months ago, he briefly surpassed Microsofts Bill Gates, investor Warren Buffet and Amazons Jeff Bezos as the wealthiest man on Earth.

With Inditexs phenomenal surge predicted to continue, the Zara zillionaire will doubtless regain his mantle.

So who is this humble clothier and how has he outstripped the dot-com giants  in the process re-inventing remote, drizzly La Coruna (a city of 240,000, previously known for fish and aluminium) into an unlikely style capital, as important as Paris or Milan?

How has he revolutionised the High Street with affordable chic adored by women from Madrid to Manchester, Buenos Aires to Beijing, but also worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, Samantha Cameron and their ilk?

Since its ageing protagonist wont be around for ever, despite daily walks and gym sessions, there is also the question of who might succeed him.

Which brings us to his glamorous younger daughter, Marta, and her racy circle of friends.

The billionaire could leave his fortune to daughter Marta, pictured, who is a 'magnet' for the Spanish papers and has a 'racy' circle of friends

The tale begins in 1936, when Ortega was born into a Spain torn by bloody civil war. His father was a railwayman sent to build a line in La Coruna, where the family settled in a track-side hovel that shook when trains passed.

They were desperately poor, and Ortega told his biographer that the humiliation of seeing the grocer refuse to extend credit to his mother was a defining experience. Determined to contribute, he promptly left school to work for a shirt-maker.

He was 13. Such was his diligence and charm, however, that within four years he was headhunted to manage a bigger clothes store.

There, he met pretty shop assistant Rosalia Mera, who would become his first wife and help him build the business.

By the Sixties, Ortegas horizons extended far beyond managing one boutique. At 26, he rented a backstreet lock-up and set up his first clothes manufacturer with Rosalia and his brother Antonio.

Given the miserable Galician weather and the lack of heating in most houses, an early masterstroke was to produce stylish but cosy, quilted dressing-gowns, which he sold by the hundred.

Yet his real ingenuity was in recognising the advantages of controlling every aspect of the business.

Other companies either made clothes, distributed them as agents or sold them. Ortega did it all: there were to be no middle-men, a dictum which still holds today.

Within a decade, he employed 500 staff and was selling throughout Spain.

Choosing prime locations for his shops was another essential part of the formula, and in 1975 he opened the first Zara, still standing on a busy corner in the centre of La Coruna.

Today, the chain neednt advertise. But in those early days he did anything for attention.

He even put a live cockerel in the window, Rosalias biographer, Xabier Blanco, told me.

Tapping into Galicias great unused resource  its skilled female embroiderers and seamstresses  was another of Ortegas winning ideas.

During the early Eighties, these women still eked out a few pesetas sewing for friends and neighbours.

He persuaded them to work exclusively for him, promising large, regular orders and good piece-rates.

As business boomed, he recruited an army of cottage seamstresses  a flexible, talented, local labour force that meant he could make and distribute new clothes quickly in response to demand.

It undoubtedly boosted the regional economy and, to some of those workers, Ortega is a hero. However, others say he exploited them  among them, Maria Grana.

Unlike his youngest daughter, Mr Ortega, pictured, is described as 'obsessively private' and only allowed his photograph to be released for the first time in 2001

In 1998, the company enlisted her to seam and hem large quantities of trousers, she says, and as the work flowed in she took out a 90,000 loan for bigger premises and new machines. She also hired 25 staff.

For six years, everything was great, and I did very well, Maria, now 62, says.

Then, suddenly, they started making impossible demands. They would say they needed 150 pairs of trousers by the following day, and ordered me to switch to skirts and dresses, which required different machines. I didnt have them, so the work dried up.

Senora Grana says this happened to scores more women, and she now believes it was a cost-cutting ploy to farm their work out to Morocco, where staff were reportedly paid just 108 a month  five times less than the going rate in Galicia.

Garana complained to the local paper, whereupon she claims she was ostracised by the company: I felt completely deceived. My staff had to go on the dole, but at least I avoided bankruptcy, unlike others.

In response yesterday, Inditex said it had contributed 2.5 billion (2.16 billion) to the local economy in 2014 and helped create around 32,000 jobs in Galicia.

These days there are few complaints about the company. Thanks to Zaras record performance, its 160,000 staff will share 535 million in bonuses next year.

Some 6,000 are based at its HQ, a huge, granite-walled fortress in Arteixo, on the outskirts of La Coruna, at the heart of which stands a blue-glass nerve-centre resembling a giant Rubiks Cube.

It is connected to the warehouse and other buildings via a labyrinth of tunnels.

Veteran retail analyst Richard Chamberlain says it is the most impressive business operation I have visited in 35 years.

He likens it to a fashion university where a multi-national assortment of staff design new outfits, made with dizzying speed and consumer-tested in a subterranean mock shopping mall before going out to the stores.

But the key to Zaras success starts with thousands of store managers, who constantly report sales trends and customer comments to the bunker, as the HQ is known.

As Inditex has such a quick, adaptable production system, it can restock shelves with popular items weeks quicker than lumbering competitors.

Ortega, who still works a nine-hour day and eats in the staff canteen, has made more money than he can possibly spend.

His concessions to luxury include a country estate, a relatively modest, 100ft yacht, and a private jet (to assuage his life-long hatred of flying).

His other daughter Sandra, pictured, from his first wife Rosalia, became Spain's richest woman in 2013 but prefers to 'maintain her anonymity'

However, his personal life has run less smoothly. His marriage to Rosalia brought two children, Sandra, now 48, and Marcos, 45.

He had hoped his son would be his heir, and was devastated when Marcos was born with cerebral palsy.

He responded by throwing himself even more intensely into his work. Rosalia reacted very differently, doing voluntary work with cerebral palsy sufferers and setting up a philanthropic foundation.

Biographer Blanco says they then drifted apart, and Ortega started a relationship with Flora Perez, an attractive young member of staff.

When his wife learned of the affair, Flora was sent to manage the Zara in Vigo, 110 miles from La Coruna.

But Ortega would visit her there and, after he and Rosalia divorced, Flora became his second wife.

Their daughter, Marta, was born in January 1984 and she became the apple of her fathers eye, while her half- sister gravitated towards her mother.

The two daughters had very different upbringings. Sandra attended state school, but Marta finished her education at a Swiss boarding school, where she learned to ride and ski.

Marta then studied business management in London, and trained as an assistant in Zara on Oxford Street (where Kate Moss, who modelled there, reportedly rebuffed her friendly overtures).

This led to inevitable speculation that she was being groomed to take over the company.

Perhaps with that in mind, the obsessively private Ortega  who reluctantly allowed his photograph to be released for the first time in 2001, when Inditex was floated on the stock exchange  strove to keep Marta out of the spotlight.

After all, Sandra has maintained her anonymity, despite becoming Spains richest woman in 2013, when her mother died and she inherited her seven per cent stake in the company.

Indeed, even the local newspapers didnt know who she was at Rosalias funeral.

However, by dint of her film-star looks, her friendship with jet-setters such as Athena Onassis and a penchant for show-jumping, Marta is a magnet for the Spanish papers.

But whoever inherits the fortune may not run the business, as Mr Ortega handed over day-to-day tasks to former cigarette company boss Pablo Isla several years ago. Pictured is a Zara store

Then there is her romantic life. In 2012, after dating several eligible men, she married top rider Sergio Alvarez Moya.

The ceremony, at her fathers estate, befitted a billionaires daughter. The altar was designed by sculptor Anish Kapoor, 20 make-up artists were flown in from New York, and Martas gown was created not by Zara, but her couturier friend, Narciso Rodriguez.

Marta and Alvarez have a four-year-old son. But last summer the Spanish newspapers said Marta was involved with handsome designers son Carlos Torretta.

Further eyebrows were raised when a photo of Marta, topless with her back to the camera, was posted on Instagram.

It was taken in Barbados on a shoot for Zara Woman, where she has a senior role.

Among Ortega watchers, all this cemented a view that began forming several years ago, when he entrusted the day-to-day running of Inditex to former cigarette company boss Pablo Isla: that Marta probably wont succeed him, much as he dotes on her.

But, for now, the octogenarian who made glamour accessible to a generation seems content to keep working, and walking his dog along La Corunas bleak promenade.
A man in China was so determined to keep his house that he moved it 492 feet to avoid being demolished.

Owners of 165 homes in Taixing City, China's Jiangsu province were told by the government that they would be demolished to make way for a new highway.

The relocation was completed on March 21, costing the man 120,000 yuan (13,959), reports the People's Daily Online.

Clever thinking! The man decided not to demolish his home but move it instead

Relocation! The house was pulled along on tracks allowing it to move a fair distance

Villagers were told that their houses had to make way for a new provincial highway and were offered compensation.

But one villager decided that he did not want to part with his three-storey property, opting to move the entire house 150 metres costing 120,000 (13,959).

He was also compensated by the government for moving his house.

Relocating the property took two days and it was completed on March 21.

The house was moved by wooden rollers.

Images show the house in the process of moving as other villagers look on.

Demolitions are common events in China as smaller cities look to grow and bring in vital cash to the area.

The man was told by the government to make way for a new highway in the area
A machine that can detect cancer from a blood sample could be ready in a year.

Scientists in California have developed a computer program that can detect tumour DNA as well as specify where in the body it is coming from.

The program, dubbed CancerLocator, works by looking for specific molecular patterns in cancer DNA.

Scroll down for video

Researchers have developed a computer program that can simultaneously detect cancer and identify where it is in the body purely from a blood sample

THE RESULTS Blood samples from 29 liver cancer patients, 12 lung cancer patients and five breast cancer patients were tested. Out of the 29 liver cancer patients, 25 had early stage cancers - which the program was able to detect in 80 per cent of cases. It was also able to identify the five out of 12 lung cancer patients tested who also had the disease. The new program had an error rate - the chance of a false positive - of 0.265, a more than 50 per cent improvement on the nearest best computer model. Advertisement

Created by a team from the University of California at Los Angeles, it then compares these patterns against a database of genetic modifications known to be caused by different cancer types.

DNA from tumour cells is known to end up in the bloodstream in the earliest stages of cancer and so offers a unique target for early detection.

Professor Jasmine Zhou, co-lead author of the study, said: 'Non-invasive diagnosis of cancer is important, as it allows the early diagnosis of cancer, and the earlier the cancer is caught, the higher chance a patient has of beating the disease.

'We have developed a computer-driven test that can detect cancer, and also identify the type of cancer, from a single blood sample.

'The technology is in its infancy and requires further validation, but the potential benefits to patients are huge.'

The new computer program was tested alongside two other popular machine learning algorithms - called Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM).

The three were tested with blood samples from 29 liver cancer patients, 12 lung cancer patients and five breast cancer patients.

The work was carried out by scientists from the University of California. This graph shows the low error rate of the new software compared to two other popular machine-learning algorithms

The non-invasive test could prove to be an early detection method for cancers of organs with good blood circulation - like the liver and lungs (middle two bars). But it does not perform as well with dense tissue like the breasts (left bar)

Tests were run ten times on each sample to validate the results.

The team compared the error rates of each method - the chance that the tests will produce a false positive - and found that RF and SVM had rates of 0.646 and 0.604 respectively.

The new program obtained a lower error rate of 0.265, a more than 50 per cent improvement on older models.

Out of the 29 liver cancer patients, 25 had early stage cancers - which the program was able to detect in 80 per cent of cases.

Out of 29 liver cancer patients, 25 had early stage cancers - which the program was able to detect in 80 per cent of cases. It was also able to identify the five out of 12 lung cancer patients tested who had the disease

It was also able to identify the five out of 12 lung cancer patients tested who also had the disease, though the level of tumour DNA present in the blood is much lower during the early stages of these cancers.

Professor Zhou added: 'Owing to the limited number of blood samples, the results of this study are evaluated only on three cancer types (breast, liver and lung).

'In general, the higher the fraction of tumour DNAs in blood, the more accurate the program was at producing a diagnostic result.

'I hope it [a diagnostic test] will be available within a year. It depends on training data, testing and machine learning,' she told The Independent.

'With enlarged training and testing data we are confident to achieve much higher performance.'

The team published their findings in the journal Genome Biology.
Professor Brian Cox has challenged Britains amateur stargazers to help locate a mysterious planet.

Scientists have suggested that a huge ninth planet exists on the outer edges of our solar system.

The yet-unnamed planet is known only as Planet Nine and could take the name of the person who discovers it.

Starry-eyed: TV physicist Professor Brian Cox, who hopes a child will be the one to find the Planet Nine which scientists believe is in our solar system

Planet Nine is thought to exist because of gravitational effects that some astronomers say can only explained by a giant planet in our galactic neighbourhood.

The planet has not been seen yet, but it is thought that it formed around the same time large planets like Jupiter and Saturn did, before being ejected into distant space.

Planet Nines orbit is further away than Pluto, and it could take up to 20,000 years to rotate around the sun. Scott S Sheppard, one of the astronomers who first suggested the existence of the planet, said it would resemble a giant frozen snowball.

Professor Cox, who is presenting a new series of Stargazing Live on BBC2 with Dara O Briain and Liz Bonnin next week, said: We have a suggestion that theres something pretty big out there  a planet-sized object.

I was surprised, but we seem to have the data. If its there, were confident our viewers will find it. So far, there hasnt been the manpower looking for it.

To spot the planet, viewers will be asked to visit a website, Zooniverse.org, where they can help search pages of visual data gathered by telescopes.

Professor Cox said: Essentially, we shall be asking people to look for a dot that moves. That may not sound like much, but we are asking them to look at things that have never been seen before.

Artist impression of the solar system. Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet in 2000 by the International Astronomical Union

The existence of a supposed ninth planet is not without controversy. While there used to be nine official planets in our solar system, Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet in 2000 by the International Astronomical Union.

Professor Coxs dream is that the planet is not only found by a child, but is also named after them. He said: Id love it if it ended up being called Planet Kevin!

While it may sound unlikely that a planet discovered by a citizen scientist could be dubbed something like Kevin, naming celestial objects is the preserve of whoever discovers them  and they have been named after people many times before.

Last year two volunteer astronomers, Ivan Terentev and Tim Matorny, were engaged in a similar project when they discovered one of the biggest galaxy clusters ever recorded, which is now named the Matorny-Terentev Cluster.

However, the International Astronomical Union has the final say in the matter, and has said it prefers names from Greek or Roman mythology for planets. Suggestions for a name for Planet Nine include Terminus, the Roman god of boundaries.

Stargazing Live is on Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC2, starting next week.
The feud sparked by Google's failure to remove extremist content from its site Youtube could lead to the end of automated ad placement, experts have warned.

Household names including Marks and Spencer and McDonald's have pulled advertising from Googles YouTube as part of a growing international boycott.

Now analysts have predicted that brands could turn against large internet firms that use automated ad placement based on artificial intelligence.

Google, which has seen a slew of companies withdraw ads fearing placement alongside extremist content, said this week it is introducing new tools to give firms greater control

AUTOMATED ADS The boycott highlights the limits of 'programmatic' advertising. Automated ads are placed by algorithms that decide pairing between marketing and content. The technology is used by many internet firms, which heavily rely on software and artificial intelligence. Advertisers can chose 'keywords' for targeting their ads, or sometimes use demographic options such as age groups or where people live. Advertisement

The internet giant's core business of serving up advertising along with online search results appeared to be safe from the boycott, experts said.

But the 'backlash' could broaden into a rebellion against the market practice of software programming ad placements, slowing not only Google's revenue but also that of other internet firms, according to Jackdaw chief analyst Jan Dawson.

'I would think Google (and parent company Alphabet) would be extremely lucky to emerge from all this with minimal financial impact,' he said in a blog post.

'I think it's far more likely it sees both a short-term dent in its revenues and profits from the spreading boycotts and possibly a longer-term impact as brands reconsider their commitments to programmatic advertising in general.'

Google, which has seen a slew of companies withdraw ads fearing placement alongside extremist content, said this week it is introducing new tools to give firms greater control.

Google needs to strike a balance between pleasing advertisers and those who upload videos to YouTube

'We know advertisers don't want their ads next to content that doesn't align with their values,' Google's chief business officer Philipp Schindler said in a blog post.

'We're taking a tougher stance on hateful, offensive and derogatory content.'

The boycott began last week after the Times found BBC programmes were promoted alongside videos posted by American white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan member David Duke as well as Wagdi Ghoneim, an Islamist preacher banned from Britain for inciting hatred.

The analysis found more than 200 anti-Semitic videos, and that Google had failed to remove six of them within the 24-hour period mandated by the European Union after it anonymously signaled their presence.

The British government subsequently put its YouTube advertising on hold, saying in a statement, 'it is totally unacceptable that taxpayer-funded advertising has appeared next to inappropriate internet content.'

Others to pull the plug, temporarily at least, include the BBC, The Guardian , McDonalds UK and the British arm of the major advertising agency Havas.

Masked figures marching in a recruitment video for the banned far-Right National Action, which has only just been taken down from YouTube

The movement spread to the United States this week, with AT&T and Verizon pulling ads from Google.

Google's parent Alphabet has lost slightly more than $20 billion in value since the start of this week based on a slip in its share price, in a sign the boycott has made investors nervous.

Still, analysts believe the boycott's overall financial impact should be relatively small given the breadth of Google's advertising activities.

'It is a hit on their revenue, but it is an even bigger hit on their brand; on their reputation,' Altimeter Group principal analyst Charlene Li said.

'Google hasn't taken it seriously enough.'

Google's European boss Matt Brittin (pictured today at the Advertising Week Europe event in London's West End) has apologised for allowing adverts to appear alongside offensive videos

She recommended that Google engage advertisers directly and openly.

A solution may not be easy. Google needs to strike a balance between pleasing advertisers and those who upload videos to YouTube and are free to take their creations elsewhere if unsatisfied with their shares of ad revenue.

Google's setbacks could benefit traditional television networks as ad dollars return there from YouTube or stall a shift to online, Morgan Stanley said.

Google rivals such as Facebook could also benefit if they prove safer havens for digital advertising.

Above all, the boycott highlights the limits of 'programmatic' advertising, the practice of letting software algorithms decide pairing between marketing messages and content sought by online viewers.

The technology is broadly used by internet firms, which heavily rely on software and artificial intelligence to figure out what ads will interest people at any given moment.

Advertisers can chose 'keywords' for targeting their ads, or sometimes use demographic options such as age groups or where people live.
The days of sitting in a taxi while it's stuck in a traffic jam could soon be a thing of the past for people in Singapore.

The country's Ministry of Transport has revealed that it is in talks with companies to start trials on flying taxis.

These futuristic vehicles are part of a drive to expand the range of urban mobility options, and Singapore plans to have them ready by 2030.

Scroll down for video

Singapore's Ministry of Transport has revealed that it is in talks with companies to start trials on flying taxis. Pictured is the Hoversurf Scorpian - one of the prototypes Singapore is considering

SINGAPORE'S FLYING TAXI PLANS At the conference, Mr Keong showed three human-carrying drones that have already been prototyped. Firstly, the Hoversurf Scorpion was shown, which merges a standard motorbike design with drone quad-copter technology to allow riders to manoeuvre in the air as if they were riding a bike. Next, the Volocopter VC200, a multicopter with 18 rotors and electric propulsion was revealed. And finally, the Ehang 184 autonomous aerial vehicle, a self-flying passenger drone that resembles a small helicopter was shown to the audience. It is unclear how the ministry will decide which vehicle to proceed with. Advertisement

The ambitious plans were revealed by the Ministry of Transport's top official, Mr Pang King Keong, at the Business Times Leaders' Forum in Singapore this week.

Mr Keong said that the ministry is already in talks with some companies to start trials on drones that can carry passengers.

Alongside these flying vehicles, Singapore is also working on an on-demand bus service as part of its public bus network.

While Mr Keong said that availability and affordability of data and the rise of artificial intelligence is helping the ministry's plans come to fruition, he added that Singapore's transport industry is up against land and manpower constraints.

This will result in a different transport landscape by 2030, according to Mr Keong, although trains will remain the core of the public transport system.

Mr Keong believes that we will soon see a shift from owning vehicles, to paying for different mobility services tailored to different types of journeys.

Mr Keong said: 'There is going to be a significant shift in the public mindset from one of ownership of transport assets - which is the mindset today - to one of procurement of transport services as and when you need them.'

At the conference, Mr Keong showed three human-carrying drones that have already been prototyped.

These futuristic vehicles are part of a drive to expand the range of urban mobility options, and Singapore plans to have them ready by 2030 (stock image)

At the conference, Mr Keong showed three human-carrying drones that have already been prototyped, including the Volocopter VC200, a multicopter with 18 rotors and electric propulsion

THE EHANG 184 The all-electric vehicle has four arms with a total of eight propellers at the end. The company says the 184 is autonomous, so all the passenger has to do is enter in their destination in the smartphone app, sit back, and let the drone take over. There's no option to take control of the 184 remotely. The cockpit is empty, apart from a stand to place a smartphone or tablet and a cup holder. EHang said the vehicle is primarily designed for traveling short-to-medium distances  around 10 miles  and will fly at around 60 miles per hour. Advertisement

Firstly, the Hoversurf Scorpion was shown, which merges a standard motorbike design with drone quad-copter technology to allow riders to manoeuvre in the air as if they were riding a bike.

Next, the Volocopter VC200, a multicopter with 18 rotors and electric propulsion was revealed.

And finally, the Ehang 184 autonomous aerial vehicle, a self-flying passenger drone that resembles a small helicopter was shown to the audience.

Mr Keong said: 'In 2030, you bet your money that aerial transport will also be a means of urban mobility.'

In terms of the on-demand public bus service, Mr Keong said that buses will ply low-ridership routes that are dynamic and responsive to riders' real-time demand during off-peak hours.

This will elimante the problem of empty buses, which Mr Keong described as a 'terrible waste' of taxpayers' money.

And it won't be long before this new bus service hits the streets, as Mr Keong said that the ministry 'probably will share something later this year.'
A powerful laser shining up into space will soon transmit data between the Earth and the International Space Station.

Nasa is hoping to establish laser links at a rate of over one gigabit per second - a speed most home broadband users could only dream of.

This would pave the way for 3D video from space and enable high definition remote robotic exploration of other moons and planets.

Scientists at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre will launch The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (artist's impression pictured) in 2019

HOW DOES IT WORK? Laser communications - also known as optical communications - encode data onto a beam of light. This is then transmitted between spacecraft and eventually to computers back on Earth. This technology offers data rates that are 10 to 100 times better than current radio-frequency (RF) communications systems. The LCRD mission is hoping to reach gigabit per second speeds. While such speeds are possible through conventional fibre optics back here on Earth, it is likely to be the best part of a decade before they are seen in most homes. The systems themselves are also much smaller than RF, weigh less and consume less power. This combination of factors will become critically important as humans embark on long journeys to the moon, Mars and beyond. Advertisement

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will help Nasa to understand the best ways to operate laser communications systems.

This could enable much higher data rates for connections between spacecraft and Earth, including downloading scientific data and allowing astronauts to send better video messages back home.

LCRD - which will be launched by Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland - is designed to function for between two and five years.

Two ground terminals equipped with laser modems will be set up on Table Mountain, California, and in Hawaii.

They will test the communications capability to and from LCRD - which will be located in an orbit that matches Earth's rotation, called a geosynchronous orbit - between the two stations.

The LCRD launch is scheduled for summer 2019, and a terminal is also being designed for the International Space Station that will be launched in 2021.

Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator of Nasa's Space Technology Mission Directorate, said: 'LCRD is the next step in implementing Nasa's vision of using optical communications for both near-Earth and deep space missions.

'This technology has the potential to revolutionise space communications.'

Laser communications - also known as optical communications - encode data onto a beam of light.

This is then transmitted between spacecraft and eventually to computers back on Earth.

This technology offers data rates that are 10 to 100 times better than current radio-frequency (RF) communications systems.

The LCRD mission is hoping to reach gigabit per second speeds.

The LCRD will beam data between modems on Earth and the satellite in geosynchronous orbit at speeds 10 to 100 times better than current radio-frequency

While such speeds are possible through conventional fibre optics back here on Earth, it is likely to be the best part of a decade before they are seen in most homes.

The systems themselves are also much smaller than RF, weigh less and consume less power.

This combination of factors will become critically important as humans embark on long journeys to the moon, Mars and beyond.

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will help Nasa to understand the best ways to operate laser communications systems

USING LASERS IN SPACE The mission builds upon a previous mission, the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD). Launched aboard the lunar atmosphere dust and environment explorer in 2013, LLCD successfully demonstrated the potential for laser communications in space. The test, in October 2013, beamed data at speeds reaching 622 megabits per second to Earth from a spacecraft orbiting the moon. Advertisement

It will also test the long term reliability of such systems, as well exposing it to different environmental and operational conditions.

The mission builds upon a previous mission, the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD).

Launched aboard the lunar atmosphere dust and environment explorer in 2013, LLCD successfully demonstrated the potential for laser communications in space.

The test, in October 2013, beamed data at speeds reaching 622 megabits per second to Earth from a spacecraft orbiting the moon.

The LCRD payload will consist of two identical optical terminals connected by a component called a space switching unit, which acts as a data router.

The space switching unit is also connected to a radio-frequency downlink.

A terminal is also being designed for the International Space Station that will be launched in 2021. Scientists at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland (pictured) have been testing out the device in advance of its launch

The modems translate digital data into laser or radio-frequency signals and back again.

Once they convert the data to laser light, the optical module will beam the data to Earth.

To do so, the module must be perfectly pointed to receive and transmit the data.

The controller electronics (CE) module commands actuators to help point and steady the telescope despite any movement or vibration on the spacecraft.
While Nasa's Curiosity rover usually keeps its instruments focused on the surface of the red planet, it also occasionally turns its sights upwards towards the clouds.

The rover has recorded over 500 videos of Mars' clouds in its five years on the planet, and now researchers have captured the first footage of Martian clouds shaped by gravity waves.

Understanding these clouds could help scientists estimate several features, including ground ice depth, and the flow of salty water on Mars.

Scroll down for video

The rover has recorded over 500 videos of Mars' clouds in its five years on the planet, and now researchers have captured the first footage of Martian clouds shaped by gravity waves

CLOUDS ON MARS Despite having an extremely thin atmosphere, Mars often has several clouds, depending on its elliptical orbit. As it gets closer to the sun, the heat creates huge dust storms that dominate Mars' atmosphere and limit cloud formation. But as Mars drifts towards aphelion  the point furthest from the sun in its orbit  two cloud systems appear to form. Firstly, clouds of carbon dioxide arise above the frigid poles, while water-ice clouds tend to form around the equator that resemble cirrus clouds on Earth. Advertisement

The unique footage was captured last summer by researchers from York University in Toronto.

Dr John Moores, who led the study, told Science Magazine: 'If we wish to understand the water story of Mars's past, we first need to [separate out] contributions from the present-day water cycle.'

Despite having an extremely thin atmosphere, Mars often has several clouds, depending on its elliptical orbit.

As it gets closer to the sun, the heat creates huge dust storms that dominate Mars' atmosphere and limit cloud formation.

But as Mars drifts towards aphelion  the point furthest from the sun  two cloud systems appear to form.

Firstly, clouds of carbon dioxide arise above the frigid poles, while water-ice clouds tend to form around the equator that resemble cirrus clouds on Earth.

Using Curiousity's camera, the researchers recorded eight-frame videos of the cloud belt for two martian years (about 3.7 Earth years).

The team used two angles to capture the clouds  one pointed upwards to see wind direction and speed, and another at an angle to view the cloud depth.

Without computer enhancement, the clouds are so thin they are invisible.

The team used two angles to capture the clouds  one pointed upwards to see wind direction and speed, and another at an angle to view the cloud depth. Without computer enhancement, the clouds are so thin they are invisible

The footage showed that the clouds peaked in thickness twice a day  once in the early morning (pictured) and again in the late afternoon

DOES THE FOOTAGE SHOW GRAVITY WAVES? On Curiosity's 1,302nd day on Mars, the researchers saw something unusual. When the rover looked to the horizon, it captured footage of straight, parallel rows of clouds flowing in the same direction  the first ground-based view of a gravity wave cloud. Gravity waves are created when an unknown feature of Mars' landscape causes a ripple in the atmosphere that is then seen in the clouds. These waves are common at Mars' poles, but are extremely rare over its equator. But not everyone is convinced that the clouds are gravity waves. Nicholas Heavens, a planetary scientist at Hampton University in Virginia, who did not work on the study, told Science Magazine that they could also be 'cloud streets', similar patterns associated with strong winds. Advertisement

The footage showed that the clouds peaked in thickness twice a day  once in the early morning and again in the late afternoon.

While the researchers believe the early morning clouds form as cooler temperatures allow air to hold less water vapour, they are still unsure about why the clouds form in the afternoon.

Satellites looking down on Mars have seen the clouds sitting near the surface at night, before rising upwards in the afternoon.

This pattern suggests that there could be an 'inversion layer'  a stretch of atmosphere where temperatures rise with height, rather than cool.

This inversion breaking 'could be a sound explanation for the loss of the first peak', Dr Moores said.

With limited water vapour, solar energy and atmosphere, Martian clouds usually lack the variety of shapes as seen on Earth.

But on Curiosity's 1,302nd day on Mars, the researchers saw something unusual.

When the rover looked to the horizon, it captured footage of straight, parallel rows of clouds flowing in the same direction  the first ground-based view of a gravity wave cloud.

While the researchers believe the early morning clouds form as cooler temperatures allow air to hold less water vapour, they are still unsure about why the clouds form in the afternoon (pictured)

Gravity waves are created when an unknown feature of Mars' landscape causes a ripple in the atmosphere that is then seen in the clouds.

These waves are common at Mars' poles, but are extremely rare over its equator.

Dr Moores said: 'There's something comforting and familiar in seeing these clouds. The martian environment is the exotic wrapped in the familiar.

On Curiosity's 1,302th day on Mars, the researchers captured footage of straight, parallel rows of clouds flowing in the same direction  the first ground-based view of a gravity wave cloud (pictured left). Pictured right are gravity wave clouds on Earth

'The sunsets are blue, the dust devils enormous, the snowfall more like diamond dust, and the clouds are thinner than what we see on the Earth.'

But not everyone is convinced that the clouds are gravity waves.

Dr Nicholas Heavens, a planetary scientist at Hampton University in Virginia, who did not work on the study, told Science Magazine that they could also be 'cloud streets', similar patterns associated with strong winds.
Hackers behind a criminal attack planned against iCloud and iPhone users say they are still preparing to breach the accounts of up to 750 million users.

That's despite assurances from Apple to customers that their servers are safe.

The London-based group - who identify themselves as the 'Turkish Crime Family' - has also upped its ransom demands from $75,000 (60,000) to $700,000 (560,000).

Scroll down for video

A London-based hacking group who identified themselves as the Turkish Crime Family have demanded $700,000 (560,000) from Apple. If their demands are not met, they have threatened to erase the contents of iCloud accounts and remotely wipe iPhones

WHAT TO DO If you are worried about your account's security, changing your password is the first step you should take. You should ensure that this is not a password you have used before for other online services. It should also be a random mix of numbers, letters and special characters. It should preferably not contain full words or anything personal to you - for instance your place or date of birth. You can also change your recovery questions. Two-factor authentication will also make it harder for hackers to compromise your account. Apple's help questions can give you a step-by-step guide on how to do this. Advertisement

Turkish Crime Family (TCF) says it has verified at least 200 million users will be affected by the attack.

But it claims many more are likely to be caught up in cyber operation, which is planned for April 7.

TCF also claims that a former member of the group incorrectly demanded a total of $75,000 for the heist from Apple.

Each of the seven remaining members now want $100,000 - almost ten times the figure originally reported.

A spokesman for TCFA said in a statement posted on the website Pastebin: 'Apple has now announced that they were not breached, which no one claimed they were.

'They announced this for their user's comfort and to make them feel better.

'Out of the 750 million (accounts), we have 250 million that are checked and working live, there is still a big amount that we're still scanning.

'We are still strengthening our infrastructure and acquiring more servers for the attack.'

While the group's ability to access some accounts has been established, how far this extends is still a mystery.

But some experts believe that the group is an amateur operation which is out of its depth.

Technology experts at ZDNet contacted a number of users whose passwords and account details were provided to them by TCF.

They confirmed that the data was indeed correct, and that in one case the password had never been used on another site.

But the report's authors concluded that TCF 's main aim was publicity.

In an article on the site, they said: 'Based on our experience and our interactions with the group and its members, it's evident that the group is naive and inexperienced.

Turkish Crime Family say they have verified at least 200 million users will be affected by the attack. But they claim many more are likely to be caught up in cyber operation, which is planned for April 7

'Based on its grandiose claims and its cherry-picking media outlets to cover its claims, it's clear that the group is gunning for publicity.

'When we began asking the group questions, the conversation quickly turned to whether or not if CBS News (which like ZDNet is also owned by CBS), would also cover the group's claims.'

It is not exactly clear how the group acquired the sensitive data.

But a statement by Apple confirmed one widely-held assumption - that the data may have been obtained from other sites whose data has been breached.

Both Yahoo and LinkedIn are among a number of high profile sites which have been hacked in recent months.

A statement by Apple said that their servers are safe and suggested that the data may have been obtained from other sites whose data has been breached (Stock Image)

Speaking to Fortune on Wednesday, an Apple spokesman said: 'There have not been any breaches in any of Apple's systems including iCloud and Apple ID.

'The alleged list of email addresses and passwords appears to have been obtained from previously compromised third-party services.'

News of the attack first broke when the hackers previously demanded $75,000 (60,000) in the crypto-currencies Bitcoin or Ethereum.

Alternatively, they said they were willing to accept $100,000 (80,000) worth of iTunes gift cards.

In exchange, they assure Apple they would delete the data which they say would allow them to erase the contents of the iCloud accounts, as well as remotely wiping iPhones.
Nasa scientists are on the verge of exploring Jupiter's ocean moon Europa for signs of alien life.

Europa is our best shot of finding biological life in the solar system, researchers say.

The space agency is priming two probes, including one that will land on its surface, to explore the distant moon in detail within the next decade, the agency says.

Scroll down for video

Nasa has said it will send two probes to Europa, a moon orbiting Jupiter, in the next decade. After an initial flyby probe mission in 2022, a second probe (pictured) will land on the moon's surface and take readings of its icy oceans to search for signs of alien life

WHAT MAKES EUROPA SPECIAL? Europa has a water ocean underneath its icy surface - one of the key components for life. The moon's orbital path takes it deep into Jupiter's magnetic field which rapidly speeds up particles and traps them on the moon's surface. The resulting radiation drives chemical reactions that lead to an abundance of chemicals known as oxidants on the surface. On Earth these oxidants react with compounds known as reductants to form the energy needed for life. Advertisement

The first mission is a 'Flyby' called Europa Clipper that will launch in 2022.

The second is a lander mission that will follow Clipper a few years later.

Nasa discussed the probes at the 48th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in Houston this week.

Dr Robert Pappalardo, from Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is Clipper's project scientist.

'We're really trying to get at Europa's potential habitability, the ingredients for life: Water, and whether there's chemical energy for life,' he told BBC News.

'We do that by trying to understand the ocean and the ice shell, the composition and the geology. And mixed into those is the level of current activity at Europa.'

The Clipper probe will house nine different instruments for measuring the distant moon's surface and ocean.

These high-tech gadgets include a camera to take detailed images of Europa's surface and spectrometers to measure its composition.

The first of Nasa's missions is a 'flyby' called Europa Clipper (pictured). The Clipper probe will house nine instruments for measuring the distant moon's surface and ocean, including a camera to take images of Europa's surface and spectrometers to measure its composition

JUPITER'S ICY MOON EUROPA Jupiter's icy moon Europa is slightly smaller than Earth's moon. Europa orbits Jupiter every 3.5 days and is tidally locked - just like Earth's Moon - so that the same side of Europa faces Jupiter at all times. It is thought to have an iron core, a rocky mantle and a surface ocean of salty water, like Earth. This is an artist's concept of a plume of water vapour thought to be ejected off the frigid, icy surface of the Jovian moon Europa, about 500 million miles (800 million km) from the sun Unlike on Earth, however, this ocean is deep enough to cover the whole surface of Europa, and being far from the sun, the ocean surface is globally frozen over. Many experts believe the hidden ocean surrounding Europa, warmed by powerful tidal forces caused by Jupiter's gravity, may have conditions favourable for life. Advertisement

An ice-penetrating radar will take analyse all three layers of the moon's surface and a magnetometer to research the ocean beneath.

Jupiter's icy moon Europa is slightly smaller than Earth's moon.

Europa orbits Jupiter every 3.5 days and is tidally locked - just like Earth's Moon - so that the same side of Europa faces Jupiter at all times.

It is thought to have an iron core, a rocky mantle and a surface ocean of salty water, like Earth.

Jupiter's sixth-closest moon Europa (pictured) is one of the most interesting bodies in our solar system when it comes to the hunt for alien life. As well as a huge ocean of water, one of the key components to life, the moon's surface likely produces chemicals known as 'oxidants'

An artist's impression of the composition of Europa's interior. Underneath the moon's thick, icy surface lies a deep ocean. Within this ocean hydrothermal vents pump heat into the water, circulating its interior and creating ideal conditions for the growth of life

Unlike on Earth, however, this ocean is deep enough to cover the whole surface of Europa, and being far from the sun, the ocean surface is globally frozen over.

This ocean is between 80-170km (50-105 miles) deep and contains more water than all of Earth's oceans put together.

Many experts believe the hidden ocean surrounding Europa, warmed by powerful tidal forces caused by Jupiter's gravity, may have conditions favourable for life.

And this ocean can be accessed through huge cracks in Europa's icy surface, visible as large, dark streaks in satellite images of the moon.

'The fact that there's liquid water underneath the surface which we know from previous missions, in particular from the magnetometer observations made by the Galileo spacecraft as it flew past [in the 1990s], makes it one of the most exciting potential targets to look for life,' said Professor Andrew Coates of UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Surrey, UK.

Europa is a geological wonderland, with a wide variety of surface features. While much was learned from the Galileo satellite observations shown, taken in the 1990s, it is still not understood how most of these features form, or their implications for Europa's evolution

WHAT IS TIDAL DISSIPATION? Tidal dissipation describes the forces of gravity at work when a satellite orbits a planet, like our moon orbiting Earth or Europa orbiting Jupiter. The gravity from both bodies exerts a force on the other. Tidal dissipation describes the forces of gravity at work when a satellite orbits a planet, like our moon orbiting Earth or Europa (pictured right) orbiting Jupiter (pictured left). But the exact details of the process in ice are not very well understood The effect is a bit like what happens when someone repeatedly bends a metal coat hanger, said Christine McCarthy, an astronomer at Columbia University. 'If you bend it back and forth, you can feel it making heat at the junction,' she said. 'The way it does that is that internal defects within that metal are rubbing past each other, and it's a similar process to how energy would be dissipated in ice.' But the exact details of the process in ice are not well understood. Advertisement

But thanks to Galileo's flyby scientists already know that Europa is not one of a kind.

'One of the most amazing and significant discoveries of the past decade or so in planetary exploration is that you can't swing a dead cat in the outer Solar System without hitting an ocean world,' says Clipper's programme scientist Dr Curt Niebur, from Nasa's headquarters in Washington DC.

One of Saturn's moons, known as Enceladus, has an icy ocean that shoots jets of frost into space through cracks at its southern pole.

But Dr Niebur still believes Europa stands out: 'Europa is much larger than Enceladus and has more of everything: More geological activity, more water, more space for that water, more heat, more raw ingredients and more stability in its environment.'

Europa's orbital path takes it deep into Jupiter's magnetic field which rapidly speeds up particles and traps them on the moon's surface.

Europa's surface (pictured) is streaked with cracks and crevices caused by the tidal forces beneath. It is hoped that Nasa's probes can explore between these cracks to discover the surface and ocean's chemical compositions

Since early 2016 NASA's Planetary Science Division began a study to assess the scientific value and engineering design of a future Europa lander mission

The resulting radiation drives chemical reactions that lead to an abundance of chemicals known as oxidants on the surface.

On Earth these oxidants react with compounds known as reductants to form the energy needed for life.

For any microbes to form on Europa's surface the oxidants at its surface need to pushed down to the ocean below.

But convection processes driven by heat - which force blobs of ice to the moon's surface - may drive surface material down into the ocean.

Here the oxidants can react with reductants formed as sea water contacts the ocean floor to produce energy for alien lifeforms.

'You need both poles of the battery,' explains Nasa researcher Dr Robert Pappalardo.
With just two weeks left until submissions close for the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year photography competition, the Royal Observatory Greenwich has released images of some of the entries.

From stunning views of the Milky Way to glowing lights from the Aurora Boreilis, the range of cosmic photos is incredible.

Astrophotographers are entering the competition in the hopes of taking home the top prize of 10,000 ($12,500) and see their image take pride of place in the exhibition, which opens at the Observatory on 16 September 2017.

The competition has nine main categories, including Skyscapes (astronomical subjects like the Milky Way or stars alongside earthly scenery), People and Space (photographs of the night sky with people or a human interest element) and Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year (for entrants under 16 years old).

There are also two special prizes including The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer, awarded to an amateur astrophotographer who has taken up the hobby in the last year and who has not entered the competition before.

After the competition closes, the panel of judges - including Rebecca Roth of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre, the Sky at Night presenter, Dr Chris Lintott, and the Observatorys Public Astronomer Dr Marek Kukula - will select the winners.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 14 September, and an exhibition of the winning images will open to the public at the Royal Observatory the following Saturday.
Advertisement

It looks at first glance to be a snake infested dune.

However, in fact this is one of the incredible range of strange shaped dune formations found on the red planet.

Sand dunes are scattered across Mars and one of the larger populations exists in the Southern hemisphere, just west of the Hellas impact basin - where this strange formation is.

Scroll down for video

Sand dunes are scattered across Mars and one of the larger populations exists in the Southern hemisphere, just west of the Hellas impact basin - where this strange formation is.

The Hellespontus region features numerous collections of dark, dune formations that collect both within depressions such as craters, and among 'extra-crater' plains areas.

This image displays the middle portion of a large dune field composed primarily of crescent-shaped 'barchan' dunes.

Here, the steep, sunlit side of the dune, called a slip face, indicates the down-wind side of the dune and direction of its migration.

Other long, narrow linear dunes known as 'seif' dunes are also here and in other locales to the east.

'Seif' comes from the Arabic word meaning 'sword.'

The images were taken by the HiRise camera on Nasa'a Mars orbiter.

A Finnish filmmaker recently revealed a stunning three minute video painstakingly made fromNASA images from the craft.

Jan Frojdman transformed images from HiRISE, a camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, into a video using over 33,000 reference points - and did it without the aid of AI software.

The stunning video reveals the incredible landscapes on Mars. This oval mesa is a remnant of a geological unit that once covered this area, similar to the mesas and buttes in Monument Valley, in Arizona and Utah. This is a small remnant of a much larger unit of similar material that caps Ganges Mensa to the west. As can be seen in the sides of this small mesa, this remnant consists of a layered stack of rock. Prior to the massive erosion that left this a high-standing mesa, a more gentle phase of erosion created the small hills and whorls on the upper surface of the mesa.

'There is a feeling that you are flying above Mars looking down watching interesting locations on the planet,' he explained.

'There are really great places on Mars!

'I would love to see images taken by a landscape photographer on Mars, especially from the polar regions.

'But I'm afraid I won't see that kind of images during my lifetime.

The powerful HiRISE camera has snapped 50,000 spectacular, high-resolution stereo images of the Martian terrain from the planet's orbit, creating anaglyphs that anyone can view in 3D using special glasses.

However, Frojdman decided to improve them by turning them into video.

Instead of using automated softweare, he decided to make the video painstakingly by hand.

'It has really been time-consuming making these panning clips,' he admitted.

'In my 3D-process I have manually hand-picked reference points on the anaglyph image pairs.

'For this film I have chosen more than 33.000 reference points!

'It took me 3 months of calendar time working with the project every now and then.'

Mars has extremely large temperature changes from winter to summer compared to the Earth. It gets cold enough to freeze carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere during the winter, but this ice is unstable when the warmer summer arrives and forces it to sublimate (transform directly back into a gas) away. Near the South pole though, it stays cold enough for some of this seasonal ice to stick around all year and even accumulate from year to year. This image shows a portion of this permanent carbon dioxide ice cap. This slab of ice is a few meters (about 10 feet) thick and is penetrated by the flat-floored pits shown here. The quasi-circular pits in the center of the scene are about 60 meters (200 feet) across. The distinct color of the pit walls may be due to dust mixed into the ice. For most of the year these walls are covered with bright frost, but they defrost and show their true colors at the end of the summer.

The colors in this film are false because the anaglyph images are based on grayscale images.

'I have therefore color graded the clips,' he admits.

'But I have tried to be moderate doing this.

'The light regions in the clips are yellowish and the dark regions bluish.

The clips from the polar regions (the last clips in the film) have a white-blue tone.'

To create the panning 3-D effect, he stitched the images together along his reference points and rendered them as frames in a video.

Finnish filmmaker Jan Frojdman transformed images imagery into a dynamic, three-dimensional, overhead view of the Red Planet

'There might be software that does this work, but I haven't found it,' Frojdman told Wired.

The surface of the red planet may be a desolate land with little geological activity now, but it is filled with fascinating bumps and scratches from frozen poles to deep basins, all hinting at a geologically active past.

This complicated area contains various types of channels, pits and fractures. We can determine the relative ages of the pits and channels based on which features cross-cut others. Older channels appear smooth-edged and shallow. Younger channels and pits are deeper and more sharp-edged, as well as less sinuous than the shallower channels.

Changing landscapes: This images show a 'Transition Boundary' between the Isidis Basin and Libya Montes regoing on the Martian surface

Earlier this months a team at Nasa has released more than 600 images of Mars, showing a range of gullies, dunes, craters, geological layering and other features.

Each feature teaches us something new about the history of our mysterious neighbour, which used to be covered with oceans, ice sheets and erupting volcanoes.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the red planet, capturing pictures using its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, since 2006. Now the team behind the orbiter has published hundreds of new images. Hyblaeus Dorsa, one of the ridges on the planet, is shown

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the red planet, capturing pictures using its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, since 2006.

The team behind the orbiter, led by Nasa's Jet Propulsion Lab in Passadena and the University of Arizona, has now published hundreds of new images taken by the instrument.

Among the images are hundreds showing one of its most fascinating features: craters.

There are hundreds of thousands of impact craters on Mars, caused by encounters with other objects such as asteroids, but only some of them have names.

Other craters were formed in different ways, through volcanic activity, for example.

Some of these craters have provided clues to the most fascinating history of the Martian surface.

Other craters were formed in different ways, through volcanic activity, for example. Some of these craters have provided clues to the most fascinating history of the Martian surface. Concave fagged features in the Tempe Fossae region, a group of troughs in the Arcadia quadrangle of Mars, shown

Among the images are hundreds showing one of its most fascinating features: craters. This picture shows a crater in the Chryse Planitia region, a relatively smooth, circular plain. Some think the plain is an ancient impact basin, in the north equatorial region of Mars

The surface of Mars is a well worn place in the solar system, heavily pounded by countless meteor impacts. And some of these craters are hundreds of millions of years old. So it's unusual for there to be a completely fresh impact on the surface. A recent impact site is pictured

Mesa-Forming layered materials pictured. A mesa is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs

Mars is now a frozen desert, but geological studies of rocks by previous missions to the surface have suggested the planet used to be warmer and wetter.

The polar caps on the planet spend much of their time, during the pole's winter, in continuous darkness.

When the poles are again exposed to sunlight, the frozen carbon dioxide sublimes into gas, creating enormous winds that sweep off the poles as fast as 250 mph (400 km/h).

The caps at both poles are mainly made of water ice.

Frozen carbon dioxide accumulates as a thin layer about one metre thick on the north cap in the northern winter only, while the south cap has a permanent dry ice cover about 26 feet (8 metres) thick.

Both polar caps have spiral-shaped troughs (pictured), which analysis of ice penetrating radar has shown are a result of spiralling winds.

The polar caps on the planet spend much of their time, during the pole's winter, in continuous darkness. When the poles are again exposed to sunlight, the frozen carbon dioxide sublimes into gas, creating enormous winds that sweep off the poles as fast as 250 mph (400 km/h). The south polar residual cap is pictured

Cerberus Fossae (pictured) is a long fracture system in the southeastern part of Elysium. The system has acted as a conduit for the release of both lava and water onto the surface of the planet. Mars is now a frozen desert, but geological studies of rocks by previous missions to the surface have suggested the planet used to be warmer and wetter

The total volume of ice in the south polar cap, including nearby layered deposits, is around 380,000 cubic miles (1.6 million cubic km). Both the north and south polar caps have spiral-shaped troughs (south pictured), which analysis of ice penetrating radar has shown are a result of spiralling winds

At one point, Mars was covered with oceans, ice sheets and erupting volcanoes that created the mountains that tower over the planet.

Some of these remain, like Olympus Mons - the largest-known volcano in the solar system, measuring 15 miles (24 km) high.

Olympus Mons, the solar system's biggest volcano, three times higher than Mount Everest, is thought to have had its last major eruption as recently as 25 million years ago.

At one point, Mars was covered with oceans, ice sheets and erupting volcanoes that created the mountains that tower over the planet. Some of these remain, like Olympus Mons - the largest-known volcano in the solar system, measuring 15 miles (24 km) high. Olympus Mons (pictured) is the solar system's biggest volcano, three times higher than Mount Everest

Groundwater moving beneath a massive tectonic rift zone helped carve some of Mars' deepest basins. A study published earlier this year claimed these basins may have been habitable, suggesting that life once existed on the red planet. A valley in the Northern Hellas Planitia, pictured

Billions of years ago Mars might have been home to even larger volcanoes.

Evidence collected by Nasa's Curiosity rover earlier this year showed these ancient volcanoes might have been a lot more powerful than we had thought.

Curiosity's instruments found a substance called tridymite - a kind of crystal that only forms on Earth as a result of extremely hot, silcic volcanoes.

The tridymite was found in the Gale crater, a crater that spans 96 miles (154km) in diameter and holds a mountain rising from the crater floor.

Silicic volcanism is a highly explosive form of volcanic activity, which happens as tectonics plates move from the Earth's outer shell into the Earth's mantle and force water into the molten depths.

The plates melt into magma, which is ejected out into the surface in a powerful eruption.

There has been no evidence found for plate tectonics on Mars so far, so how the silcic volcanism occurred is a mystery.

Coprates Chasma, is a major trough in the Valles Marineris canyon system, pictured. Evidence collected by Nasa's Curiosity rover earlier this year showed these ancient volcanoes might have been a lot more powerful than we had thought

Isidis Planitia, pictured, is a plain inside a giant impact basin on Mars. Groundwater moving beneath a massive tectonic rift zone helped carve some of Mars' deepest basins. A study published earlier this year claimed these basins may have been habitable, suggesting that life once existed on the red planet

Groundwater moving beneath a massive tectonic rift zone helped carve some of Mars' deepest basins.

A study published earlier this year claimed these basins may have been habitable, suggesting that life once existed on the red planet.

The discovery could help future exploration missions decide where to look for evidence of Martian life.

'The temperature ranges, presence of liquid water, and nutrient availability, which characterize known habitable environments on Earth, have higher chances of forming on Mars in areas of long-lived water and volcanic processes,' said lead author Alexis Palmero Rodriguez.

Sand dunes are among the most widespread features on Mars, serving as unique indicators of the interaction between the atmosphere and surface.

On a planetary body, dunes accumulate where a supply of sand-sized grains exists or may be abraded, is carried downwind by winds, and is subsequently deposited where these winds weaken below the threshold for sand transport.

Dunes can be preserved in rock over time. This means the deposits can reveal insights into the evolution of Mars' atmosphere from a more hospitable realm to the harsh, dry climate there today.

As a result, the study of dune processes contributes to both atmospheric and sedimentary science.

It might look more like bacteria growin in a petri dish, but this picture actually shows frosty dunes on Mars' surface. Sand dunes (pictured) are among the most widespread features on Mars. Dunes form where a supply of sand-sized grains exists or may be abraded then carried downwind by winds

The surface of Mars is also covered with narrow, deep channels known as gullies.

Martian gullies carved into hill slopes and the walls of impact craters were discovered several years ago.

Exactly how these gullies formed is not fully understood - previous research had suggested the structures were a result of flowing liquid water, because water makes similar structures on Earth.

Polar ice caps were discovered on the planet four decades ago, and erosion patterns on the surface strongly suggest rivers and oceans may have existed there in its early years.

With low gravity and a thin atmosphere, it was thought that this water largely evaporated out into space, instead of falling back down, as it would have done on Earth.

But new research shows water is not behind the Martian gullies, instead suggesting they could be created by carbon dioxide freezing and thawing.

INDIAN SPACE PROBE SNAPS NEW IMAGES OF THE RED PLANET India's space agency has released a new series of beautiful images, beamed back from its Mars orbiter, revealing our closest planetary neighbour in all its glory The spotlight surrounding research on Mars is often on the US, European and Russian space agencies. But while it may be overlooked, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) remains one of only three national space programmes to have reached the red planet to date. To celebrate its achievements, the space agency has released a new series of beautiful images using data beamed back from its Mars orbiter, revealing our closest planetary neighbour in all its glory. India's Mars Orbiter Mission, called 'Mangalyaan', reached the red planet in September 2014. Since then it has been taking measurements, collecting data and capturing images from orbit. Last month, ISRO released its first full year's data from the orbiter  covering the period up to September 2015  with its incredible images beamed back in a stream of pixels. Advertisement

THE EXOMARS TIMELINE Launch: 14 March Mid-course correction: 28 July SchiaparelliTGO separation: 16 October 2016 TGO manoeuvre: 17 October 2016 Orbiter insertion into Mars orbit: 19 October 2016 Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing: 19 October 2016 Aerobraking: JanuaryNovember 2017 Science phase begins: December 2017 Advertisement

A spacecraft designed to search the atmosphere of Mars for clues of life on the surface of the red planet successfully blasted off in March this year.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a heavy lift Proton rocket on 14 March to begin a seven-month, 300 million-mile (483 million km) journey to the red planet.

It is due to analyse Mars' atmosphere to search for low levels of gases such as methane that may betray the presence of alien life on the planet's surface.

ExoMars 2016 is the first phase of an historic 1.2 billion (924 million) joint European-Russian mission to search for biochemical 'fingerprints' of past or present life high above Mars and on its surface.

Scientists believe the probe has the potential to find 'very strong evidence' of alien life when it arrives at Mars on 19 October.

Scientists hope to land the ExoMars rover in Oxia Palus, a plain located on the north east of Mars.

However, any new data won't be shared until the end of next year at the earliest, because the probe has to spend a year decelerating so it can graze the atmosphere at a slow enough speed.

In 2018, a robotic probe built by Lockheed Martin for Nasa, the Mars InSight mission, will set off for red planet.
A new study has found that atheists and very religious people have something in common - they are are among those least afraid of dying.

Researchers have suggested that those who lack the belief in a higher power find comfort in death.

The team also discovered that people who are religious for social or emotional benefits suffered the most from 'death anxiety' - the persistent fear of ones own demise.

Scroll down for videos

A new study has found that atheists and very religious people have something in common - they are are among those least afraid of dying. Researchers have suggested that those who lack the belief in a higher power find comfort in death

THE FEAR OF DYING A new study conducted by Oxford University has found that those whose religious behavior was driven by true belief enjoyed lower levels of death anxiety. Those who were motivated to believe by pragmatic conditions such as social or emotional benefits reported higher levels of death anxiety. However, researchers also discovered that 18 percent of people who deem themselves religious were more afraid of the end than non-religious people. Experts said these findings complicate the old view, that religious people are less afraid of death than nonreligious people. They have suggested that atheists may find comfort and death or people who are just not afraid of death aren't compelled to seek religion. Advertisement

A team of experts from the University of Oxford uncovered the findings while investigating whether or not religious believers should be less fearful of death than nonreligious individuals.

'Meta-analyses are statistical procedures used to extract and combine the findings of multiple studies, explained Dr Jonathan Jong, a research associate at the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology and Research Fellow at Coventry University.

Jong led a team of researchers from Oxford, Coventry, Royal Holloway, Gordon College, Melbourne University and Otago University to search systematically for research on the relationship between death anxiety and religious belief.

To reach their results, Jong and his team used 100 relevant articles that were published between 1961 and 2014 with information about 26,000 people worldwide.

After combining the data, the team found that higher levels of religiosity were weakly linked with lower levels of death anxiety.

The effects were similar whether they looked at religious beliefs such as belief in God, and an afterlife, or religious behavior like going to church, and praying.

Some studies also distinguished between intrinsic religiosity and extrinsic religiosity.

Extrinsic religiosity is when religious behavior is motivated by pragmatic considerations such as the social or emotional benefits of following a religion, whereas intrinsic religiosity refers to religious behavior driven by 'true belief'.

The meta-analysis showed that while people who were intrinsically religious enjoyed lower levels of death anxiety, those who were extrinsically religious revealed higher levels of death anxiety.

The findings were mixed across the studies, with only 30% of the effects showing this finding.

However, researchers also discovered that 18 percent of people who deem themselves religious were more afraid of the end than non-religious people.

ARE ATHEISTS DYING OUT? A controversial new study has claimed that atheism is on the verge of dying out. Researchers from from the US and Malaysia found that since religious groups preach against contraception, they tend to have more children than those who label themselves as atheists. The team sampled more than 4,000 students attending different colleges in both the US and Malaysia, who were asked about their beliefs and number of siblings. In Malaysia, Muslim families had an average of 5.89 children and 4.29 in the US. The second most fertile parents in Malaysia were Hindus with 4.01 children  but this was a small sample of only five students. Atheists living in Malaysia had an average of 3.67 children and parents of US students that were also not part of a religious group had 3.04. Christians living in the US had 3.11 children and Catholics had 3.42. Advertisement

Also, more than half of the researcher showed no link at all between the fear of death and religiosity.

This mixed picture shows that the relationship between religiosity and death anxiety may not be fixed, but may differ from context to context.

But because the studies were conducted in different parts of the world, a majority in the US and small number in the Middle East and Asia, the team found difficulties with estimating how the pattern varies from cutler to culture or religion to religion.

Based on previous research, the team also checked for curvilinear patterns in the data.

Rather than assuming that the religiosity is either positively or negatively related to death anxiety, some researchers have posited that the relationship is like an upside-down U shape, with religious believers and disbelievers showing less death anxiety than people in between.

The team also discovered that people who are religious for social or emotional benefits suffered the most from 'death anxiety' - the persistent fear of ones own demise

HOW BELIEF IN GOD AFFECTS THE WAY YOU THINK A recent study from the University of Helsinki has suggested that religious people are more likely to have a poor understanding of the world. It claims that those with a belief in God are more likely to think that inanimate objects, such as metal and oil can think and feel. Researchers say that the findings suggest people's lack of understanding about the physical world means they apply their own rules, 'resulting in belief in demons, gods, and other supernatural phenomena'. Participants were asked how much they agreed with the statement 'there exists an all-powerful, all-knowing, loving God' and if they believed in paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and psychic visions. They were also tested on a range of other topics, including intuitive physics skills and understanding of basic biology. The results showed that religious people tend to base their actions on instinct, rather than analytical thinking. Advertisement

Out of the 100 studies, the team only found 11 studies that were robust enough to test this idea; however, of these, almost all (10) formed this pattern.

'It may be that other researchers would have found this inverse-U pattern too if they had looked for it, Jong explained.

This definitely complicates the old view, that religious people are less afraid of death than nonreligious people.

It may well be that atheism also provides comfort from death, or that people who are just not afraid of death aren't compelled to seek religion.'
When the headset goes on, you find yourself sitting across from a blonde woman with a tear-streaked face; she tries to feign a smile.

Are there any last words? a second woman asks, as she sets a tray of prescription bottles down on the table beside you.

This is The Last Moments, a virtual reality assisted suicide film that simulates what a persons experience might be like at the Swiss clinic Dignitas, where hundreds of people have gone over the last two decades to end life on their own terms.

Scroll down for video

Shot from the perspective of the viewer, it allows a person wearing a VR headset to see the room as if theyre really in it. The trailer focuses on two characters apart from the viewer  a crying loved one, and the woman who presents you with the ultimate choice

The Last Moments is the brain-child of London-based writer-director Avril Furness.

Not only does it immerse the viewer in the setting of an assisted suicide clinic, but it allows you to make a choice that will determine whether your virtual life will terminate right there, or if youll carry on living.

The choice the viewer makes directly impacts the outcome of the film and also allows for choices to be polled to help spark debate on this sensitive issue, the creator explains on the website.

A trailer for the film reveals an eerie glimpse into the virtual reality experience, asking, What would your last moments look like?

Not only does it immerse the viewer in the setting of an assisted suicide clinic, but it allows you to make a choice that will determine whether your virtual life will terminate right there, or if youll carry on living

The film was shown to medical specialists, PhD researchers and right to die groups at Euthanasia conference in Amsterdam in May 2016, according to the website

THE CHATBOT THAT LETS YOU 'TALK TO THE DEAD' According to Eugenia Kuyda, co-founder of the AI startup Luka, memorial bots are the future. The CEO recently unveiled the digital monument to her deceased friend Roman Mazurenko, The Verge reports, feeding thousands of text messages to a neural network to create a Luka chatbot in his image. On May 24th, @Roman was made available for conversation for anyone using the Luka app. The app also allows users to talk to the virtual personality of Prince. Dailymail.com tried out the chatbot, which responded eerily as though a human were on the other end. When asked what he does in his free time, Roman replied, 'Restaurants and galleries.' And with the location access enabled in the app, the chatbots can incorporate the setting into the conversation, with unsettling results. When we asked it 'Do you know where you are right now?' it replied 'Next to your office', and later revealed in knew we were in NY. Texting the Prince bot, however, was less fluid. When asked, 'What's up,' the bot says, 'Welcome 2 Purple World.' Advertisement

Shot from the perspective of the viewer, it allows a person wearing a VR headset to look around and see the room as if theyre really in it.

When the camera pans down a bit, you can even see your own virtual legs.

The trailer focuses on two characters apart from the viewer  a crying loved one, and the woman who presents you with the ultimate choice.

Entering the room with a cup and a tray full of pharmaceuticals, she asks, Are you sure you wish to drink this, in which you will sleep, and you will die?

In researching at Bristol Museum for a Black Mirror-inspired dystopian script, Furness discovered a full-scale replica of Dignitas Switzerland, where one Briton every two weeks has travelled to end their lives since 1998.

After being immersed in the bleak and ordinary space, and listening to recordings of those whod undergone assisted suicide at the clinic, Furness decided to use virtual reality to put other people in their shoes, Wired reports.

The film was shown to medical specialists, PhD researchers and right to die groups at Euthanasia conference in Amsterdam in May 2016, according to the website.

Its since gone on to various film festivals, and the creator is even thinking about putting it online for the public to see.

But, she is still a bit hesitant.

It is finishing on the festival circuit but Im a little dubious about making the film available online without the necessary context and framework, Furness told Wired.

Its important to introduce context upfront, allow the viewer to experience the film, and then provide an after-care environment for people to decompress and potentially hold debates around what theyve just witnessed.
Fancy your own personal submarine to venture under the sea?

You can have one too - if you have a million dollars to spare.

SEAmagine, a submarine manufacturer, makes small personal submarines that can travel 1.5 km (1 mile) deep and have capacities ranging from two to six people.

Scroll down for video

View of a robotic arm mounted at the front of the private submarines. When underwater, the vessel is horizontal, but when docked at the surface, it's tail up and has a horizontal walking deck for safe boarding

The California based company's submarines have a spherical cabin which provides views unobstructed by top hatches and side pontoons.

When underwater, the vessel is horizontal.

But when docked at the surface, it's tail up and has a horizontal walking deck for safe boarding.

Some of the models, like the five-person luxury model (pictured), have been designed to be docked to a yacht

The pilot center seat folds away during boarding to provide a clear passageway for passengers.

Telescopic handrails come up from the top deck to provide a safe environment for people to board whether the sea is calm or choppy.

The prices of the submarines range from about $1 to $3 million dollars depending on the model.

When floating on the surface, the Aurora-3 (three-person capacity submarine) offers a solid and stable platform with a high freeboard and a horizontal walking deck, assisted with telescoping hand rails to guide the boarding process to the large top hatch

The purposely designed stern provides a secure docking arrangement to improve the convenience of boarding the submarine, which is important for operation in rough weather conditions

Seamagine's six-person capacity submarine can seat five passengers and one pilot. It has segmented compartment, where the two passengers in the pilot's compartment have reclining seats

Models range from two-person capacity to six-person capacity, with most having a mission time of eight hours and a charging time of five to seven hours.

All the models either have an internal cooling system or air-conditioning.

They have leather seats for passengers and internal lighting and submarines with a capacity of four or more have cup holders.

Floating high above the water line, the Ocean Pearl personal submarine is exceptionally stable at the surface

A front view of the AURORA-3C private submersible. The submarines have a spherical cabin which provides views unobstructed by top hatches and side pontoons

Wall dive in Fiji using a SEAmagine personal submarine. SEAmagine also offers a pilot-training program that was initially developed with the US Coast Guard

SEAmagine's personal submersibles have a navigation system as well as a topside tracking system

Some of the models, like the five-person luxury model, have been designed to be docked to a yacht.

Seamagine's six-person capacity submarine can seat five passengers and one pilot.

It has a segmented compartment, where the two passengers in the pilot's compartment have reclining seats.

The thee passengers at the rear have three rotating seats that allow them to view each side of the submarine throughout the dive.

The rear hull compartment even has an emergency restroom that can be closed off for privacy.

All of the submarine's have flood lights, a wireless underwater communication system (with optional underwater text messaging), and can be color customized when ordered.

A view from the cabin as the personal submarine starts going underneath the surface. The submarine can be customized with additional equipment such as robotic manipulator arms and a 360 degree underwater HD camera system

The Ocean Pearl personal submarines can also be launched unmanned. The Ocean Pearl private submersible has a clam shell design that fully opens in half for comfortable boarding and exit from a support luxury yacht

The Aurora 4-person personal submarine holds 1 pilot and 3 passengers. All of the submarine's have flood lights, a wireless underwater communication system (with optional underwater text messaging), and can be color customized when ordered

If those features aren't enough, additional equipment such as robotic manipulator arms and a 360 degree underwater HD camera system can be added to personalize the submarine.

SEAmagine also offers a pilot-training program that was initially developed with the US Coast Guard.

It includes technical support during the initial setup and training for the private submarine pilots and support crew to handle personal journeys and maintenance.
NASA almost sent a mini motorbike to the moon instead of the familiar Apollo lunar buggy, it has been revealed.

Newly released images show a series of mini motorcycles being tested by astronauts in full spacesuits.

The secretive project was developed in case the Apollo buggy was not finished it time - but never made it to orbit.

NASA investigated several different modes of transporting astronauts across the lunar surface, including this commercially available Honda CT90 minibike, which was NASA's first attempt to see if bikes could be ridden in spacesuits.

MOONBIKE SPECS Initial tests used commercially available Honda CT90 minibikes Later versions used NASA's own design Electric machine boasted a 5/8ths horsepower motor Used a 30 amp-hour battery, believed to be the same system that Boeing and GM developed for the Lunar Rover Advertisement

The project began with commercially available Honda CT90 minibikes, which were NASA's first attempt to see if bikes could be ridden in spacesuits, with engineers donning Apollo suits to try and ride.

According to the book Apollo: The Lost and Forgotten Missions, several different modes of transporting astronauts across the lunar surface were evaluated for the Apollo programme.

NASA then built its own minibike for tests aboard zero gravity flights know as the 'vomit comet' to replicate lunar gravity.

The electric machine boasted a 5/8ths horsepower motor and a 30 amp-hour battery, believed to be the same system that Boeing and GM developed for the Lunar Rover.

Test were also performed in flying the KC-135 aircraft in parabolic curves to reproduce a 1/6 gravity environment in short 20-30-second bursts - the closet the bike got the the moon.

Engineers even built a test track with a hardness device that removes 5/6 of the rider's Earth weight and that of the bike, replicating conditions on the moon

According to AmeriSpace, a prototype was under development in 1969 for use on Apollo 15, and was a backup method in case the Lunar Roving Vehicle wasnt ready in time for the missions launch.

'There was some talk about the mini bikes incorporated into later Apollo missions as well, ' the site claims.

However, the closest the mini-bike ever got to space was prototype tests in a 1/6th gravity environment in 1969 in NASAs Vomit Comet.

With no atmosphere on the moon to absorb the heat of the lunar motorbikes motor, NASA engineers took the unusual approach of turning to beeswax, according to an article in a 1972 issue of the American Motorcycle Association's magazine.

They filled pieces of the frame with it to act as a cooling jacket that would melt and absorb heat.

Once the wax got too hot, astronauts would just stop and wait for the wax to re-harden and set off again.

A suited engineer evaluates a lunar motorbike in Building 29 at NASA's Houston MSC.

David Gordon Wilson, a mechanical engineer from MIT, even lobbied for bicycles to be used.

He claimed human power was more than adequate for lunar exploration, and in a 1979 article in Time magazine, he advocated for a two-seated quadracycle that would have astronauts pedalling in tandem across the lunar surface.
It is Samsungs last attempt to rid the world of its faulty Galaxy Note 7 smartphones.

The South Korean firm plans to remotely disable the charging ability of handsets that were not returned after the official recall in September - rendering them useless.

Approximately 97 percent of the devices have been collected since reports surfaced that units were exploding, but thousands of users ignored the warnings and refused to turn theirs in.

Scroll down for videos

Samsung plans to remotely disable the charging ability on handsets that were not returned after the official recall in September - rendering them useless. Approximately 97 percent of the devices have been collected since reports surfaced that units were exploding

THE NOTE 7 FIASCO Samsung blamed two separate battery issues for the fires that hit its flagship Galaxy Note 7 device last year. The first was that the battery components in the Galaxy Note 7 did not fit in the battery's casing. This caused the battery cell's upper right corner to be crimped by the casing. The second affected the devices sent to replace the original faulty phones. These were caused by manufacturing issues, including poor welding at the battery manufacturer. Advertisement

Samsung has already implemented similar measures in other countries, reports The Korea Harold.

When Samsung took the stage in New York on August 2, 2016 to unveil the 5.7 inch handset, the firm also used it as an opportunity to take a stab at Apple's upcoming iPhone 7.

'Want to know what else it comes with?' teased Samsung's vice-president of marketing, Justin Denison.

'An audio jack. I'm just saying.'

But due to irregular sized batteries, Denison ended up eating his words.

Days after the Galaxy Note 7 launched, reports surfaced that the devices were bursting into flames.

And a month later, mobile chief D.J. Koh held a press conference in Seoul, South Korea where he announced the recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 devices, stating that users would eventually receive a replacement - a new and safe Note 7.

In the end, the fiasco cost the firm at least $5 billion.

Samsung had found that there were two issues that plagued the Note 7.

The first issue was that the battery components in the Galaxy Note 7 did not fit in the battery's casing.

Days after the Galaxy Note 7 launched, reports surfaced that the devices were bursting into flames. And a month later, mobile chief D.J. Koh held a press conference in Seoul, South Korea where he announced the recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 devices

GIRL, 13, SUFFERS MINOR BURN FROM NOTE 7 REPLACEMENT A Minnesota father says his daughter suffered a minor burn to her thumb when her replacement Samsung smartphone melted in her hand last week. Andrew Zuis of Farmington, Minn., said his daughter, Abby, was holding the Galaxy Note 7 in her left hand Friday when it melted. Zuis said that the family had acquired the new phone on the day the replacement phones were released. There had been no problem with the original phone, he said. In the end, the fiasco cost the firm at least $5 billion. Samsung had found that there were two issues that plagued the Note 7. Andrew Zuis of Farmington, Minn., said his daughter, Abby, was holding the Note 7 (pictured) in her left hand when it melted 'It's very fortunate Abby was not injured and was holding the phone,' Zuis said. 'If it was in her pocket, I think it would have been a whole different situation. I'm just very disappointed in Samsung and their product.' Zuis provided KSTP-TV with receipts showing that the family bought a Galaxy Note 7 in August and then exchanged it Sept. 21 after Samsung announced the recall. 'She's done with Note 7s right now,' Zuis said of his daughter. A Samsung representative told KSTP that an investigation is underway. 'We want to reassure our customers that we take every report seriously and we are engaged with the Zuis family to ensure we are doing everything we can for them and their daughter,' the representative said in a statement. Advertisement

This caused the battery cell's upper right corner to be crimped by the casing.

And the second, affected the devices sent to replace the original faulty phones.

These were caused by manufacturing issues, including poor welding at the battery manufacturer.

When replacement phones - with batteries from another firm, largely thought to be Chinese manufacturer ATL - also started to combust, the company decided to kill off the Note 7 for good.

The first issue was that the battery components in the Galaxy Note 7 did not fit in the battery's casing. This caused the battery cell's upper right corner to be crimped by the casing. And the second, affected the devices sent to replace the original faulty phones

The major blunder has somewhat tarnished the Samsung brand and has also sparked many concerns among government and regulatory officials. now Samsung is attempting to wipe all those that are left, as it makes way for what it hopes will be its saving grace - the Galaxy S8 (artist impression)

In December, the firm issued the same software push to users on the US Cellular network.

The major blunder has somewhat tarnished the Samsung brand and has also sparked many concerns among government and regulatory officials.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 RUMORS Rumors suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will incorporate a dual-lens camera design and remove the home button for an edge-to-edge screen. It's speculated that Samsung could design a fingerprint-sensing display or place the feature behind the tempered glass. Because levels of concentration will be increased with a 'full screen', pictures and videos should be much clearer and even go so far as to produce a 3D effect. Rumors suggest that pixels of the dual-cameras will support 16 megapixels and 8 megapixels. Another new addition to the Galaxy S8 could also be an upgraded Application process (AP) that corresponds to handset's brain. Sources say Samsung is going to start mas-producing 10-nano Snapdragon 830s, which will be used for Galaxy S8, at the end of this year at the earliest. Advertisement

And now Samsung is attempting to wipe all those that are left, as it makes way for what it hopes will be its saving grace.

The electronics maker is set to unveil the highly-anticipated Galaxy S8 on March 30, which it hopes will be mend its relationship with consumers.

Rumors about the handset have suggested that it will boast a curved edge-to-edge screen, which has made user think the fingerprint scanner will either be placed on the back or embedded under the display.

And because levels of concentration will be increased with a 'full screen', pictures and videos should be much clearer and even go so far as to produce a 3D effect.
Our March/April issue has been sent to e-subscribers and should be hitting print subscribers mailboxes soon. (Not a subscriber? You can subscribe online here.)

This is our special Costs of Empire issue (though we are covering the theme throughout 2017).

Here is the editors note from page 2:

Costs of Empire

At one time or another, almost the entire world has been colonized by one European power or another. By the early 20th century, the British empire alone ruled nearly one fourth of the worlds people. The map of the world, however, is no longer a mosaic of European colonial possessions. Most of the Americas became formally independent in the late 18th or early 19th centuries; most of Asia and Africa, in the mid to late 20th century. Formal colonial empirescharacterized by the direct political and military control of the colonial powersgave way to informal empire over much of the world. Britain became the dominant power in South America in the 19th century without recolonizing the entire region. The United States supplanted Britain and Spain as the dominant power in Central America and the Caribbean in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with only some former colonies of European powers becoming formal colonies of the United States. By mid 20th century, the United States had eclipsed Britain as the dominant power in the capitalist world.

The United States ruled its informal empire through a combination of military, political, and economic power. It plied local elites with promises of a cut of the riches extracted from the open veins, to use the words of Uruguayan essayist Eduardo Galeano, of the dominated lands and peoples. It maintained a system of client governments reliable in their suppression of revolutionary political movements and maintenance of profitable conditions for U.S. companies. And it asserted the right to intervene militarily in other countriesfirst within its sphere of influence (or, even more demeaningly, backyard) of Latin America, and then across the world.

In her article Globalization and the End of the Labor Aristocracy, economist Jayati Ghosh argues that imperialism has not disappeared, but changed shape. The direct military conquest and control of economic territory by the great powers has given way (at least some of the time) to control through multilateral agreements and international institutions. Economic territory may still mean the seizure of land, mines, or oil fieldsbut it also may mean privatization of public assets and services, or the extension of intellectual property rights to new realms. Where the labor aristocracy of the imperialist countries once shared in the bounty of empire, the new incarnation of empire as globalization has helped grind away the incomes and status they once enjoyed.

Lest anyone think that the old hallmarks of dollar-gunboat diplomacy are now ancient history, Arthur MacEwan revisits a perennial question of U.S. foreign policyIs It Oil? MacEwan earlier addressed the question in the May/June 2003 issue of Dollars & Sense, in the wake of the U.S. invasion of Iraq (beginning the Second Iraq War). Today, he looks at the outcomes of the war in terms of control of Iraqs oil reserves (especially timely given Trumps statement, when speaking to the CIA in late January, that the U.S. should have kept Iraqs oil and maybe well have another chance). MacEwan emphasizescontrary to conventional wisdom, even among progressive critics of U.S. foreign policythat the primary concern is not securing oil resources essential to Americans energy-hungry lifestyles, but rather securing control of those resources and profit for giant U.S.-based oil interests.

Speaking of profits for giant companies, James M. Cypher trains his sights on the corporations that profit directly from the United States gargantuan military spending. What Cypher calls the Industrial-Military-Congressional Juggernaut doles out defense dollars to a vast complex of arms contractors and subcontractorsone nestled inside the next, like matryoshka dolls. Profits multiply as the markup on the inputs produced by a subcontractor become part of the costs of the contractor at the next level upand to which it applies its own mark-up. One arms system, meanwhile, may beget additional supporting systemsand additional profits. The profiteering only stands to get more brazen, Cypher argues, under a Trump administration that seems to be aiming for more bucks for more and bigger bangs.

Immanuel Ness shows us the opposite side of the equation. As capitalism penetrates every corner of the world, it not only extracts profit but also expands the realm of capitalist relations of productionand with it the growth of the working class. While first world workers have suffered mightily under conditions of deindustrialization, and are still struggling to rebuild their capacity for struggle, third world workers are suffering under conditions of subordinate industrialization and are, in various places, rising up with new strengthas the formation of industrial unions and eruption of strike waves testifies.

An empire may have an impressive head of goldbut mind what its feet are made of.
The idea that monogamy is the only way has long been ingrained in Western culture.

While scientists have questioned whether this way of life truly is better than non-monogamy, theyve yet to reach a consensus  and, new research argues that this is because even scientists have upheld an invisible bias on the subject.

In the study, researchers reviewed of several earlier works and surveyed more than 2,000 people, and found that non-monogamous relationships are just as functional as traditional ones.

While scientists have questioned whether this way of life truly is better than non-monogamy, theyve yet to reach a consensus  and, new research argues that this is because even scientists have upheld an invisible bias on the subject. A stock image is pictured

Of the group surveyed in the new study from the University of Michigan, 617 participants were in consensual non-monogamous (CNM) relationships, according to Quartz.

The researchers measured for trust, jealousy, passion, and overall satisfaction, and found that there were no differences in how the relationships function.

Still, non-monogamy remains somewhat taboo, and the researchers say the cultural dominance of more traditional relationships could be effecting the way intimacy is studied.

In earlier studies, the researchers suspect scientists may have unconsciously skewed their results by using non-neutral rhetoric, among other influencers.

Academic surveys often use phrases such as offended party, or betrayed partner, along with infidelity and cheating.

In the study, researchers reviewed of several earlier works and surveyed more than 2,000 people, and found that non-monogamous relationships are just as functional as traditional ones. A stock image is pictured

Such terms are directive, the researchers argue, and can sway the outcome of the study by making it more likely for monogamy to receive higher scores.

The fact that we can allow our discussion to be so emotionally led probably doesnt allow us to really think in a logical manner, lead author Terri Conley told Quartz.

In a smaller study with 100 participants from Mechanical Turk, the researchers from the University of Michigan also investigated the ways people react to researchers when asked about non-monogamous relationships.

IS MONOGAMY THE REASON MEN DON'T HAVE PENIS BONES? Researchers from University College London explored why humans do not have a baculum, yet both ancestral primates and carnivores did. The study found that prolonged penetration during sex  defined as longer than three minutes  correlated with baculum presence across the course of primate evolution. In humans, men tend to have a short intromission duration, and there is little competition for a female. Humans tend to be monogamous or, more rarely, polygynous (where one male mates with multiple females). In these circumstances, only one male has access to a female and sexual competition between males is absent or very low. The researcher suggests that humans do not have a penis bone as we tend to be a monogamous species, and men don't need to compete for a partner. Advertisement

And, they found that the researchers were seen to be more biased when asking questions about polyamory, according to Quartz.

As scientists work to understand the complexity of human relationships, the researchers say the studies themselves are being hindered by these invisible biases.

In the study, they argue that the premise that monogamy is superior to other types of non-monogamous relational arrangements continues to permeate the ways in which researchers construct and test theories of love and intimacy.
Conspiracy theorists have argued that there are countless signs proving aliens have visited Earth.

However, one of the few humans to have set foot on the moon has said he knows the truth - that if intelligent life was here, they would have made contact with humans.

Alan Bean, who was a pilot aboard the Apollo 12 mission in 1969, has proposed that advanced civilizations would be 'more altruistic and friendly' and would have announced their 'peaceful' arrival.

Scroll down for videos

Alan Bean (right), who was a pilot aboard the Apollo 12 mission in 1969, proposed that more advanced civilizations would be 'more altruistic and friendly' and would have announced their 'peaceful' arrival - meaning he does not believe aliens have been to Earth yet

HAVE ALIENS BEEN TO EARTH? 'I do not believe that anyone from outer space has ever visited the Earth,' Alan Bean told News.com.au during an interview. 'One of reasons I don't believe they have been here is that civilizations that are more advanced are more altruistic and friendly  like Earth, which is better than it used to be  so they would have landed and said 'we come in peace and we know from our studies you have cancer that kills people, we solved that problem 50 years ago, here's the gadget we put on a person's chest that will cure it, we will show you how to make it'. Bean continued to explain that when we have the ability to travel to a distant star or planet, 'say 1,000 years from now', we would graciously teach alien life all of our cures. Advertisement

Bean, who is 85, was one of the lucky few to walk on the moon.

He and two other crew members boarded Apollo 12 with primary mission of conducting lunar exploration tasks, which included deploying the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package on the moon's surface to gather data.

Like many other astronauts, Bean developed an interest in theories about alien life after seeing the final frontier for himself - but believes they have yet to step foot on Earth.

'I do not believe that anyone from outer space has ever visited the Earth,' Bean told Megan Palin with News.com.au.

'One of reasons I don't believe they have been here is that civilizations that are more advanced are more altruistic and friendly  like Earth, which is better than it used to be  so they would have landed and said 'we come in peace and we know from our studies you have cancer that kills people, we solved that problem 50 years ago, here's the gadget we put on a person's chest that will cure it, we will show you how to make it'.

Bean continued to explain that when we have the ability to travel to a distant star or planet, 'say 1,000 years from now', we would graciously teach alien life all of our cures.

Although Bean rejects the idea that extraterrestrials have visited Earth, he doesn't deny that they exist.

'One of reasons I don't believe they have been here is that civilizations that are more advanced are more altruistic and friendly  like Earth, which is better than it used to be  so they would have landed and said 'we come in peace,' said Bean (pictured)

Although Bean (right) rejects the idea that extraterrestrials have visited Earth, he doesn't deny that they exist

'There's so many billions of stars and these stars have planets around them so there must be statistically many planets around many stars that have formed life,' he said.

'Maybe some of them are like our life was 100,000 years ago, and some of them are like we are now, and there are probably some out there that are a 10,000 years in the future from where we are now.'

Another astronaut not only believes aliens exist, but claimed to have had a close encounter.

FIRST CONTACT Scientists have learned what people would say when making first contact with aliens - and it is not 'take me to your leader.' Instead, they are more likely to ask the extraterrestrials for help. The Earth Speaks project surveyed 2,000 people from 70 countries around the world. It was carried out by scientists who have been listening out for radio signals from extraterrestrials since 1960, so far without success, to see what people would say to ET. SETI scientist Dr Doug Vakoch said: 'One of the striking commonalities - men and women, young and old - was a message: 'Please help.' 'A sense that we are in very precarious time in our development as a civilization. Our technologies are greater than our social stability. 'So if we make contact with another civilization that may be more advanced they may have got through the tech bottleneck and may have some advice.' Advertisement

The sound of a 'hammer hitting an iron bucket' left China's first astronaut feeling nervous and worried during his maiden voyage into space.

Astronaut Yang Liwei made the revelations in a recent interview while talking about the strange noises while aboard the Shenzhen 5 spaceship during a 21 hour mission in 2003.

Although Liwei said he didn't hear the mysterious sound after returning to Earth, other astronauts aboard the Shenzhou 6 and Shenzhou 7 have also reported hearing a similar, if not the same, banging.

Another astronaut not only believes aliens exist, but claimed to have had a close encounter. Yang Liwei, China 's first astronaut, (pictured) said he heard strange noises while aboard the Shenzhen 5 spaceship during his 21 hour mission in 2003

Liwei manned the Shenzhou 5 on October 16, 2003 and stepped out of the re-entry module during the a 21-hour mission and into the last frontier  making him the 241st human in space.

And although he should be celebrating this honor, Liwei is still haunted by what he heard aboard the vessel.

'A non-causalsituation I have met in space is a knock that appeared from time to time,' he told Xinhua recalling the experience.

'It neither came from outside nor inside the spaceship, but sounded like someone is knocking the body of the spaceship just as knocking an iron bucket with a wooden hammer'.

Liwei (pictured) moved around the ship and closer to the porthole to see if he could find its origin. But nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary inside and outside of the craft. Those aboard the Shenzhou 6 and Shenzhou 7 have also reported hearing a strange banging noise

The sound made Liwei very nervous, but he moved around the ship and closer to the porthole to see if he could find its origin.

But nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary inside and outside of the craft.

Following the 21 hour flight, Liwei returned home and tried to mimic the noises he heard with instruments - hoping the space agency's technicians could solve the puzzle.

Liwei manned the Shenzhou 5 on October 16, 2003 (pictured) and stepped out of the re-entry module during the a 21-hour mission and into the last frontier  making him the 241st human in space

However, no one has yet to determine what could have caused such a noise and Liwei has not heard it since returning to Earth.

Those aboard the Shenzhou 6 and Shenzhou 7 have also reported hearing a strange banging noise.

Liwie said,'Before entering space, I have told them that the sound is a normal phenomenon, so there is no need to worry.'
NASA and the FAA have teamed up for a terrifying drop test that will pave the way for new airplane crash-worthiness guidelines.

The researchers strapped ten test dummies of varying body types into a cut-out of a regional jet fuselage, and dropped it straight down at a speed of 30 feet per second (9.14 meters per second).

They also included baggage in the cargo hold  and, while humans likely wouldnt sustain severe injuries in the scenario, the bags ripped right through the floor.

Scroll down for video

They strapped ten test dummies into a cut-out of a regional jet fuselage, and dropped it straight down at a speed of 30 feet per second (9.14 meters per second). While humans likely wouldnt sustain severe injuries in the scenario, the bags ripped right through the floor

MEET THE DUMMIES The dummies were designed to mimic real passengers, so they represent a range of body types. Eight of the dummies are 50th percentile males, which are modelled after the average man in height, proportion, and mass, according to NASA. One is a 95th percentile male, which is designed to be heavier and taller than 95 percent of men. And, the tenth is a 5th percentile female, at five feet tall and 110 pounds. Advertisement

The test was conducted at NASAs Langley Research Center in Virginia, in part of the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) effort to assess the airworthiness of new planes that contain non-metallic parts.

Were working with the FAA to update the requirements for the testing of next generation airframe concepts  especially those that may include composite materials, said Martin Annett, NASA crash test engineer.

The researchers investigated what would happen to an airplanes structure  and the humans on board  if an accident were to occur.

To do this, they dropped the fuselage cut-out from a height of 14 feet (4.27 meters).

Were looking at gathering data on regional jet-sized aircraft and how they perform, particularly metallic planes, said Joseph Pellettiere, FAA chief scientist and technical advisor for crash dynamics.

That way we can develop a set of baseline data that we can use to compare when we look at new and novel designs that might use different materials.

So, they equipped ten dummies with transducers to test the loads and strains on their bodies, and buckled them into conventional airplane seats.

The dummies were designed to mimic real passengers, so they represent a range of body types.

Eight of the dummies are 50th percentile males, which are modelled after the average man in height, proportion, and mass, according to NASA.

One is a 95th percentile male, which is designed to be heavier and taller than 95 percent of men.

And, the tenth is a 5th percentile female, at five feet tall and 110 pounds.

The researchers investigated what would happen to an airplanes structure  and the humans on board  if an accident were to occur

The test was conducted at NASAs Langley Research Center in Virginia, in part of the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) effort to assess the airworthiness of new planes that contain non-metallic parts

Along with setting the dummies up with transducers, the engineers installed instrumentation in the cut-out cross section of the fuselage as well.

This allowed them to see how it held up under impact.

They also added baggage into the mix.

One thing that was unusual in this test was that we included baggage in the cargo hold, said Annett.

Its actual unclaimed baggage from an unclaimed baggage center in Alabama. We want to see how the luggage interacts with the subfloor that separates it from the dummies.

We even put a data recorder in one of the bags to measure what happens to it during the crash, added Justin Littell, NASA test engineer.

Along with setting the dummies up with transducers, the engineers installed instrumentation in the cut-out cross section of the fuselage as well. This allowed them to see how it held up under impact

In one trial, the engineers dropped the cabin onto two feet (.61 meters) of dirt and recorded the impact with high-speed video cameras both onboard and around the perimeter.

Using a technique called full field photogrammetry, the cameras captured the distinct deformations of the craft, based on black dots painted around the tube.

Filming at 500 frames per second, the cameras tracked each of the dots to show the changes.

While the dummies got a good jolt, the researchers say they likely would have made it through alright.

But, the aircraft floor wasn't so lucky.

Using a technique called full field photogrammetry, the cameras captured the distinct deformations of the craft, based on black dots painted around the tube. Filming at 500 frames per second, the cameras tracked each of the dots to show the changes

But from the loads recorded it looked like there would have been a low likelihood of severe injury, said NASAs Annett.

It appeared that the bags ripped the floor in some locations in the center, so well have to take a look at that as we slowly take this thing apart.

The seats held up, Pelletierre added.

There was a lot of floor damage, but the fitting for seats still held up which is a good result  meaning that even with that amount of structural damage we would expect the seats to remain in place and give the occupant a change to evacuate.

NASA will analyze the data and then share the results with the FAA, in efforts to create better guidelines for airframe-level crashworthiness that are already in discussion at the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
Youve hiked the hills, snapped a selfie with the Hollywood Sign, and toured every single one of the homes belonging to every single one of Johnny Depps former lovers. So... whats next? A farmers market (tick), Muscle Beach (tick), the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios (tick), fish tacos at Rickys (tick), and cocktails at Chateau Marmont (tick, tick, tick, hic). As far as this sunny stretch of Southern California goes, youd say you knew it pretty well. But do you? Do you really?

Now my friend, its time to really get under the skin of Los Angeles and find some truly unique hidden treasures. Were talking the secret bits. The bits they dont put on page one of the tourist map; the bits that are a little bit alternative, a little bit underground, a little bit secret and a little bit totally awesome.

Just promise not to tell TOO many people, okay...?

Cliftons Cafeteria

Originally opened in 1935 by Clifford Clinton, this huge, old-style, forest-themed public cafeteria on Broadway was renovated in 2010 and is still as cool as ever.

Unique: With trees growing through the center, an actual waterfall and modern buffet-style eating, Cliftons Cafeteria is one of the coolest places to dine out in LA

With trees growing through the center of the restaurant, an actual waterfall, modern buffet-style eating and killer lemon meringue pie, no wonder this place is said to have inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland.

Old Zoo picnic area

This secret spot in Griffith Park is the former home of LAs first zoo, opened in 1912 and abandoned in 1965 when the new zoo opened two miles north. Clamber inside the eerie empty cages to eat your picnic (grills and benches are dotted around) and pretend youre a lion gnawing on your prey behind the bars.

Tempest Freerunning Academy

Tempest Freerunning Academy is California's first and only training facility solely dedicated to the growth and spread of freerunning and parkour.

Put on your comfiest sneakers and your stretchiest pants and have a go at leaping over barriers and climbing walls in one hop. This is the perfect place to learn everything from the basics to advanced maneuvers before freerunning and practicing parkour out in the actual city.

Run and jump: Tempest Freerunning Academy is the perfect place to learn everything from the basics to advanced maneuvers before freerunning and practicing parkour out in the actual city

Stahl House

A breathtaking modernist house built on a lot above Sunset Boulevard, Stahl House was designed by Pierre Koenig for Buck and Carlotta Stahl and completed in 1960. Also known as Case Study House #22, it has become an iconic Hollywood building, starring in films such as Corrina, Corrina, Playing By Heart, Nurse Betty and The Thirteenth Floor. Take a tour around the building and inhale one of the finest views in Los Angeles.

Good Times at Davey Waynes

Step back into 1970 through a garage, then a refrigerator. Seriously: its the only route into Davey Waynes, a super-kitsch themed bar spinning cool tunes and serving signature cocktails (try the Tiny Dancer) and tasty street food, from K-Town Wings to Pork Belly Sammies and Street Corn. A unique place dedicated to David Wayne Houston, father of owners Mark and Jonnie Houston, a blue-collar pool shark who enjoyed late nights in his garage building and fixing things.

Throwback: Good Times at Davey Waynes is a super-kitsch themed bar spinning cool tunes and serving signature cocktails and tasty street food

The Daily Dose Cafe

A neighborhood favorite in the Arts District, this laid-back cafe is hidden away between two warehouses, built on old railroad tracks, and flanked by beautiful, fairy-lit vines. A serene spot serving terrific coffee, delicious desserts, amazing rillettes and their Famous Farmer Sandwich: arugula in citrus vinaigrette, beets, roasted yams, squash, tomatoes, guacamole, sauce verte, ancho chili jam, olive bread and scrambled egg. Wow.

The Silent Movie Theatre

Americas last remaining silent movie theater isnt quite so silent anymore (it screens noisy movies alongside live performances), but its still steeped in history. Founded by John Hampton in 1942, it was re-opened in 2006 by Cinefamily and is dedicated to showing exceptional, distinctive, weird and wonderful titles. An MO we can totally get behind.

A bit of the Berlin Wall

The largest portion of the Berlin Wall outside of Berlin sits in the permanent collection of LAs Wende Museum. As part of the Wendes Wall Project commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 2009, four artists were commissioned to paint wall segments, including French-born, Berlin-based artist Thierry Noir, who was one of the first to paint the Berlin Wall in 1984. His mural currently stands in the front the Museum's entrance.

A piece of history: The largest portion of the Berlin Wall outside of Berlin sits in the permanent collection of LAs Wende Museum in Culver City

Kato

There are four items on the menu at Kato, a tiny dining room hidden away between two Mexican restaurants inside a mini-mall in west LA, serving food influenced by California, Taiwan and Japan: a fried chicken sandwich, an ikura rice bowl, a pork belly rice bowl, and the chefs ever-changing tasting menu. Go for the latter. The price (around $40) is rock bottom but the flavors are out of this world.

Solstice Canyon

Escape the city for a few hours and drive over to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Malibu where you'll find Solstice Canyon. The park is popular with hikers thanks to its myriad trails, from the gentle and shady Solstice Canyon Trail to the more challenging climb up the Rising Sun Trail.

Our favorite is the hike to the Solstice waterfall, which passes the remains of the Keller House, a stone-walled hunting lodge built in the mid-1800s and mostly destroyed by a fire in 2007. At the waterfall you'll also find the ruins of The Roberts Ranch house, designed by architect Paul Revere Williams in 1952 for supermarket magnate Fred Roberts.

Museum of Broken Relationships

Heartbroken? Might be time for a trip to Hollywood Boulevards Museum of Broken Relationships, founded in 2016 by John B. Quinn, and devoted to exploring broken love and what it can tell us about ourselves.

Every object inside is donated anonymously by people from all over the world, each telling a story about that individual tale of loss and woe and heartache.

Heartache: The Museum of Broken Relationships on Hollywood Boulevard is devoted to exploring broken love and what it can tell us about ourselves

Der Wolfskopf

This upscale Bavarian bierhaus in Pasadena serves from a secret basement bar. Charm your way inside (its the only way) to find authentic German, German-inspired and Belgian craft beers, and European bar food such as spatzle mac, Bavarian pretzels, oak smoked bratwurst and eggplant schnitzels.

Phantasma Gloria

Tucked away in Echo Park is Randyland, home of artist Randlett Lawrence in whose front yard sits Phantasma Gloria, his personal homage to colored glass bottle art.

Made of dazzling glass bottles and water, Randy began creating his enormous, infinite and utterly spectacular light-refracting masterpiece in 2001, and still adds to it every day. At last count it sat at 24ft high and 50ft wide.

Dazzling: Phantasma Gloria is a glittering bottle art installation by artist Randlett Lawrence, who still adds to his creation - which is attached to his home in in Echo Park - every day

Soap Plant/Wacko

Opened in Los Feliz Village in 1971 by the Shire family, Soap Plant was originally a family store selling Barbaras handmade soaps, Hanks graphics, and ceramics and leatherware made by their sons Peter and Billy.

In 1980, Billy moved the shop to Melrose Avenue and added more eclectic curios to the shops inventory, including books and jewelry, later acquiring the shop next door and the space above Soap Plant, which he turned into Wacko  a pop culture toy shop  and an art gallery, respectively. Today, Soap Plant/Wacko is often referred to as the Los Angeles shop for strange things.

Watts Towers

Built by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia between 1921 and 1954 - as an entirely solo project and entirely out of found objects such as broken bottles, old crockery and fragments of tiles - Watts Towers are a true example of what can be done if one puts ones mind to it. When asked why he built his curious 17 towers, Rodia said: I had it in mind to do something big and I did it.

Urban art: Watts Towers were built by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia entirely out of found objects such as broken bottles, old crockery and fragments of tiles

The Edison

Hidden in an old power plant on 2nd Street and only accessible via a secret staircase, The Edison is a slick, 20s-style speakeasy (dressing up is encouraged) with incredible decor, themed rooms, fabulous cocktails, burlesque nights and food.

Echo Park Time Travel Mart

This quirky store in the cool Echo Park district wont sell you anything you need today, but it is handy if youre planning a trip with Doc Brown and Marty McFly anytime soon. A convenience store for time travelers, this is the place to pick up a Portable Wormhole ($3.99), Viking Odorant ($6.99), Robot Milk ($19.99) and a Pastport ($2.50). Theres a second mart in Mar Vista, but youll have to use regular old transport to get there.

No Vacancy

Also owned by Mark and Jonnie Houston of Good Times at Davey Waynes, No Vacancy is a slick, secret speakeasy inside one of the oldest houses in Hollywood, Hotel Jupiter, built in 1902. To get in, you enter a room with three doors. Only one opens. Inside, a woman directs you through another door after reading you the house rules.... If youre looking for the LA bar where LA bartenders like to drink, youve found it.

Secret speakeasy: Known for being the place where LA bartenders like to drink, No Vacancy is a slick bar inside one of the oldest houses in Hollywood, Hotel Jupiter

Venice Beach Freakshow

The Venice Beach Freakshow is a collection of sideshow acts performing at a beach theater during the day on weekends. Run by Grammy-winning producer Todd Ray, the theater features fire-eaters, sword-swallowers and the worlds largest collection of two-headed animals.

Caioti Pizza Cafe

As well as being a chilled-out pizza joint serving seriously terrific pies (we like the Lamb Sausage and the Con Funghi Sugo best), legend has it this Tujunga Village Italian is a good place for overdue pregnant women to visit: new mothers swear their famous salad  known simply as The Salad - can induce labor. Its a mix of romaine, watercress, walnuts and Gorgonzola with a balsamic dressing, and you can even buy the salad dressing in a bottle to go.
How easy it is to be wooed by glossy cruise brochures.

Lavish comfort is promised on every page, along with impeccable service set against the most romantic of destinations.

But can cruise lines really deliver such ambitious dreams in full? A few get close.

Serene sailing: The Geirangerfjord is so beautiful it is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site

Take our trip to Norway on Cruise & Maritime Voyages' (CMV) 46,000-ton Magellan. We embark with minimal fuss at London Tilbury and soon settle into our roomy cabin.

Magellan  originally named the Holiday  was Danish-built for Carnival Cruise Lines in 1985. Later, she housed Hurricane Katrina victims, then became a floating hotel for the Sochi Winter Olympics.

But, like an opera diva making a comeback, she had a refit, returned to cruising and joined CMV in 2015. Like all old ships, she creaks and the decor is worn.

But she's clean, friendly and well-equipped. There are six bars, large lounges, a casino, library, three restaurants, swimming pools and plenty of deck space.

Cruising is popular with over-60s, and CMV caters for that age group in particular. Shipboard activities include illustrated talks, games, quizzes, demonstrations and much more.

The wildlife talks by naturalist Peter Holden are especially informative. But there are also plenty of quiet corners for reading or simply gazing out to sea.

Our accommodation is well-equipped and spacious enough for my 6ft 2in frame  though my legs welcome the stretch at Bergen, our first port of call.

Here, we stroll through the old harbour, where timber buildings slump against each other like drunks on a pub crawl. They're painted in cheerful brick-red or ochre.

On an optional tour, we visit Troldhaugen, Edvard Grieg's former home.

His Steinway piano is on view and a portrait of Henrik Ibsen in the parlour recalls the tetchy relationship between playwright and composer.

Houses on the edge of heaven: The Hardangerfjord is another of Norway's fabulous waterways

Climbing the steep hill to Troldhaugen gives us a healthy appetite. And dining on Magellan is a pleasure. There are two formal dining rooms  the Kensington, to which we're allotted, and the Waldorf.

Fish dishes  always a test for shipboard fare  are fresh and delicate. The salads are crisp and the service faultless.

For a special night, you can book The Chef's Table, which includes drinks and canapes, a tour of the galley and a nine-course degustation menu (49 pp). With so much food on offer, we expect to gain weight.

But portions are not excessive and it's easy to eat wisely while still enjoying delicious food.

Plus, it's wonderful not having to wash up afterwards.

The next day, at Molde, we visit the Romsdal Museum, which holds an extensive collection of traditional turf-roofed houses. Children in traditional Norwegian costume dance to a deftly played fiddle.

Choose a cruise: This steep-sided labyrinth is a fabulous context for a European voyage

Norway's west coast is littered with little islands and, in the morning light, they seem to float on quicksilver. We take a boat to Haholmen island, enjoy a delicious fish stew at the Ytterbrygga Restaurant and return in a replica Viking ship.

Back on board, it's easy to lose track of time. The vessel becomes a refuge with established shipboard rituals, such as the Captain's cocktail party.

In formal dress, we line up for a perfunctory handshake while cameras flash. Then, like cattle coming in for milking, we're gently herded into the vast Show Lounge.

This evening's show is an Abba revival, well-performed  not mimed  with live musicians, superb costumes and impressive choreography.

Another day, another fjord  this time Geirangerfjord, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Sheer cliffs, streaked with waterfalls, plunge into the dark water. But the finest views are from the 1,476 m Dalsnibba peak nearby.

Sailing out, we watch porpoises playing in the calm water. I want to jump ship and go nature-watching in the hills. But we must move on.

Cruising past salmon farms, fruit orchards and more glorious scenery along Hardangerfjord, we dock in Eidfjord.

You need at least a week here, but we've only a couple of hours. Just time to visit the spectacular 182m Voringsfossen waterfall.

We hear the fall, but our view is blocked by tourists taking 'selfies' with their backs to the tumbling water.

A final day at sea  time to reflect. Did Cruise & Maritime Voyages deliver? For us, absolutely. Norway is magnificent. And on-board  apart from a cringe-inducing Baked Alaska Parade at the last dinner  we enjoyed every moment.
As a population, we are living and staying healthy longer. So, unsurprisingly, older people are travelling in ever-growing numbers, using the freedom and time that comes with retirement to explore the world.

But grey-haired globetrotters are often presented with an obstacle to their wanderlust dreams  how to get their trips insured at a reasonable cost.

Many insurers inflate premiums on policies when we reach a particular age. Historically this has been 65, but providers have started pushing up premiums for those as young as 45 or 50.

Silver surfers: Finding travel insurance as holidaymakers reach 65 or over can prove expensive

To make matters worse, many will refuse outright to insure travellers over a certain age, which can be as low as 65  even if they are in rude health.

Its to do with risk. Common sense suggests a 79 year old may be more inclined than a 19 year old to look after their possessions and be more cautious.

But all that matters to insurance providers are medical claims  potentially their costliest outlay.

They say the older you are the more likely you will fall ill or have an accident, and that treatment for oldies works out more expensive, with longer recuperation time needed in hospital.

Which means finding affordable and suitable travel insurance can be frustrating. Here are some strategies to help.

Specialist insurers

A number of insurers specialise in providing travel insurance to older travellers. These include Saga (saga.co.uk), which offers single-trip and annual multi-trip policies tailored to those aged 50 or over, with no upper age limit.

The policies are among the highest rated by the consumer organisation Which? and include as standard a wide range of adventurous activities such as surfing.

Staysure (staysure.co.uk) is another specialist for over-50s. There are no upper age limits on its single-trip policies, and it can insure most pre-existing medical conditions  often the sticking point with other insurers.

Shop around

Dont assume that insurers specialising in covering older people offer the most competitively priced premiums.

Have a look at options on price-comparison websites. The range of quotes can be vast: for a fortnight in the US for a healthy 83 year old on gocompare.com, I was given quotes from 118 to 358.

Not all insurers appear on the price-comparison websites. One that doesnt is Holidaysafe (holidaysafe.co.uk); its premiums for older travellers are often the cheapest, and it has no upper age cut-off on single-trip policies.

Annual or single-trip?

Multi-trip annual insurance should be ideal for retired folk with time for lots of holidays.

But many insurers offer this type of cover only to those under 75, and the annual policies that are available to the elderly can be very expensive, particularly for worldwide cover. So compare the cost against taking out several single-trip policies.

Which destination?

The highest premiums are for the US, Canada (above) and the Caribbean, reveals the expert

The cost of medical treatment varies by country, reflected in insurance premiums  particularly for older travellers.

The highest premiums are for the US, Canada and Caribbean and you can reduce significantly the cost of an annual worldwide policy by excluding these areas.

If you limit your travels to Europe, prices for annual and single-trip cover are much lower, though premiums are often dearer for Spain than for other European countries.

Quotes provided by Saga for a healthy 73 year old illustrate the differences. For a fortnights cover: Portugal 38; Spain 59; South Africa 90; USA 139. For a multi-trip annual policy: Europe 121; worldwide excluding the US, Canada and the Caribbean 202; worldwide including the USA, Canada and the Caribbean 287.
This is one flight where a window seat really is something special.

A stunning new video, shot from the cabin, has captured the wing of an aircraft bathed in a sea of green light.

The footage shows the Southern Lights, also known as the Aurora Australis, illuminating the skies near Antarctic Circle.

Scroll down for video

The eight-hour flight, on Thursday, flew close to the Antarctic Circle to give the eager passengers an up-close look at the Aurora Australis

It was shot on board the first ever chartered flight to the Antarctic Circle, which took off from Dunedin, New Zealand.

The eight-hour flight, on Thursday, flew close to the Antarctic Circle to give the eager passengers an up-close look at the Aurora Australis.

Otago museum director Ian Griffin came up with the idea.

An astronomer, Mr Griffin said he was inspired after seeing the Southern Lights while flying as a guest on a Nasa observatory plane.

He revealed that the 134 seats on the chartered Boeing 767 sold out within five days and one man travelled from Spain for the trip.

Mr Griffin claimed he could have filled the plane several times over, although they were only selling window seats and seats immediately adjacent, leaving the middle of the aircraft empty

Griffin claimed he could have filled the plane several times over, although they were only selling window seats and seats immediately adjacent, leaving the middle of the aircraft empty.

'I thought it was absolutely brilliant,' Griffin said.

'We were right under it. There were beautiful streamers, auroral streamers. This green-coloured stuff that moves quickly, it looks like you're looking into a green, streaky river.'

WHAT ARE AURORAS? There are two types of auroras - Aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.' The lights are created when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, but some enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles. These collisions emit light, in many colours although pale green and pink are common. Advertisement

Passenger Nick Wong said he'd stumbled upon the idea of the flight last year through social media and decided to sign up.

'I didn't think we would actually see such a spectacular display, even by the naked eye,' he said.

'It was really great to be a part of an adventure with like-minded people who were equally or more excited at viewing this phenomena as I was.'

Mr Wong, a cancer research scientist, said he loves going camping and looking at the stars, something he found more stunning in New Zealand after moving from Australia three years ago.

The passenger said he didn't have any spare leave and was back at work giving a presentation on Friday after a night without sleep. He said viewing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, remained on his bucket list.

The Northern Lights are more famous in part because the northern polar region has more inhabited land. But the Southern Lights put on a similar show.

Both are caused by particles from the sun interacting with the Earth's magnetic field.

The Southern Lights are seen over the Southern Ocean near Antarctica from a chartered plane. The lights are created when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, but some enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles. These collisions emit colourful light

Mr Griffin said the plane travelled to more than 60 degrees latitude south and offered about five hours' viewing time.

He said he chose a day close to the equinox and when the moon phase would allow maximum darkness.

One seat cost 2,000 New Zealand dollars ($1,400, 1,120) or double that for business class.

Mr Griffin said he's thinking about another trip next year. And because the Boeing 767 is being decommissioned and the trip proved so popular, he said he may seek a larger jet.
He's the buff 'flirtatious' chef who charms contestants and viewers alike on My Kitchen Rules.

And a throwback snap of Kyle Mclean in nothing but a pair of maple leaf Speedos is sure to get his female fans hot under the collar.

The bearded 27-year-old wore the tiny attire while fishing in the middle of a freezing lake in Canada some time ago.

Scroll down for video

Nature boy: A hilarious throwback snap of My Kitchen Rules star Kyle Mclean in nothing but a pair of maple leaf Speedos has emerged

After the hilarious image was outed by the My Kitchen Rules Instagram page, the South Australian contestant proved he was a good sport by re-posting it to his own account.

Kyle's frame was completely exposed except for his tiny Speedo briefs and he completed his scantily-clad outfit with a backwards cap and cheesy grin.

The personality paid precious little attention to the enormous fishing rod he had cast into the knee-high water around him, his trim legs and hairy chest on full display.

In the background, frosty treetops and mountain ranges of the Canadian wilderness made the image look as if it was from an adults-only outtake of a John West tuna commercial.

'#FlashbackFriday to our Big Bear Man Kyle while he was travelling and living abroad,' the caption read.

'Nothing like a good pair of budgie smugglers,' added Kyle in his repost.

The contestants drastically different appearance set fans into a frenzy online.

A good pair: Kyle is pictured here with his My Kitchen Rules teammate Tim

'I'm sick of Sydney not producing men like this, I'm moving,' one exasperated fan commented.

Another proud follower wrote: 'Doing SA proud boys.'

'Nice fishing rod,' commented an apparent fishing enthusiast.

The burly chef is no stranger to public displays that leave little to the imagination, having recently been one-half of the cooking show's first-ever onscreen kiss.

Kyle and fellow cast mate Bek stole the show in a recent episode that showed longstanding tension boil over.

Simmering all night, the romantic tension exploded into a full kiss as the contestants awaited the evening's dessert course, with Bek instantly apologising to her mother.

Tasmania's Caz then announced to the camera that the pair were 'Record breakers!'

Damo explained 'High score, lowest score and the first kiss!'
He was recently pictured kissing Politix store manager Dina Pinteric.

But The Bachelorette contestant Michael Turnbull was travelling solo during an overseas trip on Thursday.

The 36-year-old celebrated his birthday with a 'party for one' as he took a selfie while on a flight to an unnamed destination while wearing his favourite fake Rolex.

Scroll down for video

No shame: Michael Turnbull flashed his infamous fake Rolex for the umpteenth time to his Instagram account on Friday

'Celebrating my Birthday 10,000 feet above the earth,' he captioned the image and added the hashtag '#entrepreneurlife'.

The Brisbane native also used a puppy dog Snapchat filter over his face while he flashed his fake timepiece for the camera.

White lies: The 36-year-old, whose claims he represented the Australian national soccer team at the Olympics were proven to be false by A Current Affair, is at it again

The reality star was seen wearing the replica watch to a business seminar hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger at Melbourne's Crown Towers on Sunday.

He showed off the timepiece in a picture shaking hands with the actor turned politician turned television host posted to his Instagram with the tag, '#2bachelors'.

Daily Mail Australia uncovered Michael's Rolex was an imitation after an appraisal from a Sydney-based established watchmaker in October 2015.

Bogus: Daily Mail Australia uncovered Michael's Rolex was an imitation after an appraisal from a Sydney-based established watchmaker in October 2015

'It's a fake and it's an ugly fake,' the expert said. 'Rolex don't make ugly, and that's ugly.'

A Current Affair picked up the investigation the following month, and spoke with Michael on the validity of the timepiece.

'Regardless whether it's fake or real, it was given to me by someone very special,' he told the programme.

'It means so much to me,' he added. 'And I will continue to wear that Rolex for as long as I live.'
Reports by Woman's Day this week suggested Married At First Sight's Nadia Stamp and Anthony Manton had split.

'The moment cameras stopped rolling, the 33-year-old racing broadcaster was no longer interested in her,' an insider told the publication.

And from one of Nadia's Instagram snaps on Friday, the 37-year-old did little to suggest there's still a chance for their 'marriage', opting to go without a wedding ring.

Scroll down fo r video

Where's the ring? Married At First Sight's Nadia Stamp, 37, appeared to go without her wedding ring during a recent girls' trip in New Zealand, in a snap captured to Instagram on Friday

Currently in New Zealand, Nadia took to the social media site, uploading a photo with two girlfriends.

Flaunting her slim figure in a body-con style frock, the former flight attendant embraced one pal for the happy snap, allowing her left hand to rest on her shoulder.

By doing so, the reality star drew attention to a lack of wedding ring on her fourth finger.

Claims: The sighting comes just days after Woman's Day reported that the couple have split after Anthony dumped Nadia 'out of the blue' before the reunion show.

The sighting comes just days after Woman's Day reported that the couple have split after Anthony dumped Nadia 'out of the blue' before the reunion show.

'The moment cameras stopped rolling, he was no longer interested in her,' an insider told the magazine.

The publication claimed that Nadia was preparing to change her life to make it work with her reality TV husband, including a move to Sydney from Queensland.

'She was even looking at property near his,' the source told Woman's Day.

Only for the cameras? 'The moment cameras stopped rolling, he was no longer interested in her,' an insider told the magazine. Pictured is Anthony

And in Thursday's OK! magazine, Nadia did little to suggest that there's still a chance for their rocky 'marriage'.

Reflecting on how her 'speaking up' would cause a rift, the brunette told the publication: 'I could see how we lock horns.'

'I have strong values and opinions,' Nadia shared.

'[And] if he goes against what I feel [are] my core values, I'm going to speak up.'

Questioning how authentic her 'TV husband' Anthony is, Nadia added: '[I was like], "Are you committed to the experiment, or are you committed to me?"'

Played out: Since her 'marriage' to Anthony, the couple's ups and downs have been seen on the show

Since her 'marriage' to Anthony, the couple's ups and downs have been seen on the show.

Just last week, Anthony made a comment about his 'wife's' breasts as he went shopping for a dress for her to wear on date night.

Anthony planned an elaborate date for the couple, even organising Nadia's outfit for her.

Inappropriate: Just last week, Anthony made a comment about his 'wife's' breasts as he went shopping for a dress for her to wear on date night

Blunt: But he was blunt when picking out an outfit for his bride, making comments to a shop assistant about her. 'Is for for someone with boobs?' Anthony asked. 'Nadia doesn't have the boobs for that'

But he was blunt when picking out an outfit for his bride, making comments to a shop assistant about her.

'Is for for someone with boobs?' Anthony asked. 'Nadia doesn't have the boobs for that.'

Luckily Nadia wasn't there to hear the comment at the time, but told the publication: 'It comes back to tact and the fact he could probably find some better words to use.

'For a person that is insecure or not comfortable in their skin, that comment would be quite offensive.'




Washington Post described their state of mind yesterday, based largely on a new report from the Brookings Institution, Would it change your negative feelings towards Trump voters-- not the racists, the others-- if you understood the "sea of despair" their lives have become? That's how thedescribed their state of mind yesterday, based largely on a new report from the Brookings Institution, Mortality and Morbidity in the 21st Century . The researchers found that "deaths of despair"-- deaths from suicide, from drug overdose, from alcohol-related liver diseases-- are on the upswing among non-Hispanic whites, the American working class. They make the point that it isn't just an Appalachian problem or a rural problem, but something that is happening across the U.S. Mortality rates are going up everywhere in the country, New York, New Jersey and California being the only exceptions. In the video above, Princeton Professor Anne Case explained that "The people who are really getting hammered are people with less education."

While midlife mortality rates continue to fall among all education classes in most of the rich world, middle-aged non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. with a high school diploma or less have experienced increasing midlife mortality since the late 1990s... [M]ortality rates of whites with no more than a high school degree, which were around 30 percent lower than mortality rates of blacks in 1999, grew to be 30 percent higher than blacks by 2015.

Case and her colleague, Professor Angus Deaton suggest that the increases in deaths of despair are accompanied by a measurable deterioration in economic and social wellbeing, which has become more pronounced for each successive birth cohort. Marriage rates and labor force participation rates fall between successive birth cohorts, while reports of physical pain, and poor health and mental health rise. They documented an accumulation of pain, distress, and social dysfunction in the lives of working class whites that took hold as the blue-collar economic heyday of the early 1970s ended, and continued through the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent slow recovery.

Rolling Stone piece this week, Unable to round up enough votes to pass it, Ryan and McCarthy pulled the TrumpCare vote off the congressional schedule for yesterday and claim there'll be a vote today-- a vote on a bill that, if ever signed into law, will exacerbate every single thing that Case and Deaton are talking about. Of course, when you demonize science and scientists... you become immune to hearing their warnings. As Matt Taibbi emphasized in his newpiece this week, Trump The Destroyer , "One of the brilliant innovations of the Trump phenomenon has been the turning of expertise into a class issue. Formerly, scientists were political liabilities only insofar as their work clashed with the teachings of TV Bible-thumpers. Now, any person who in any way disputes popular misconceptions-- that balancing a budget is just like balancing a checkbook, that two snowfalls in a week prove global warming isn't real, that handguns would have saved Jews from the Holocaust or little kids from the Sandy Hook massacre-- is part of an elitist conspiracy to deny the selfhood of the Google-educated American. The Republicans understand this axiom: No politician in the Trump era is going to dive in a foxhole to save scientific research. Scientists, like reporters, Muslims and the French, are out." Oh, and by the way, Trump announced that if Ryan can't pull this off today, he's moving on to his own priorities and that Ryan will be on his own with this mess. No one ever thought Trump had much of an attention span for anything that doesn't include enriching himself.





NY Times that Trump, who they wrote has appeared "impatient and jittery" all week "has told four people close to him that he regrets going along with" Ryan's anti-healthcare jihad right out of the box, although that doesn't line up with the million and one statements Trump made on the campaign trail promising to repeal Obamacare on his first day in office. "Trump," they reported "was slow to recognize the high stakes of the fight, or the implications of losing." He wants to win so badly that he doesn't seem to care how bad of a betrayal to his voters TrumpCare has become-- scrapping mandatory essential benefits like outpatient visits, mental health services (such as opioid addiction, which he specifically campaigned on) and maternity care. Late last night, Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman reported for thethat Trump, who they wrote has appeared "impatient and jittery" all week "has told four people close to him that he regrets going along with" Ryan's anti-healthcare jihad right out of the box, although that doesn't line up with the million and one statements Trump made on the campaign trail promising to repeal Obamacare on his first day in office. "Trump," they reported "was slow to recognize the high stakes of the fight, or the implications of losing." He wants to win so badly that he doesn't seem to care how bad of a betrayal to his voters TrumpCare has become-- scrapping mandatory essential benefits like outpatient visits, mental health services (such as opioid addiction, which he specifically campaigned on) and maternity care.

Yesterday, Ryan's SuperPAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund, was instructed to put a scare into Republicans opposing Ryan's TrumpCare bill by pulling financial support from David Young's 2018 reelection efforts-- in an Iowa swing district Obama won both times and Trump won 48.5% to 45.0%. That's hard ball. I bet Ryan wasn't excited yesterday to get a letter from the new CBO director he appointed, Keith Hall, with the latest estimates on the latest version of TrumpCare , after the changes that Ryan and his cronies made to the bill to make it more attractive to far right extremists who generally just oppose government activities in health care. The new estimates incorporate the manager's amendments from Wednesday night when Pete Sessions kept the Rules Committee up all night coming up with something ever more horrible than the first version. "As a result of those amendments," he wrote, "this estimate shows smaller savings over the next 10 years than the estimate that CBO issued on March 13 for the reconciliation recommendations of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce." That's $186 billion over the 10 year period. But that isn't the worst of it:

CBO and JCT estimate that, in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law. The increase in the number of uninsured people relative to the number under current law would reach 21 million in 2020 and 24 million in 2026. In 2026, an estimated 52 million people under age 65 would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.



...Compared with the previous version of the legislation, H.R. 1628, with the proposed amendments, would have similar effects on health insurance coverage: Estimates differ by no more than half a million people in any category in any year over the next decade. (Some differences may appear larger because of rounding.) For example, the decline in Medicaid coverage after 2020 would be smaller than in the previous estimate, mainly because of states responses to the faster growth in the per capita allotments for aged, blind, and disabled enrollees-- but other changes in Medicaid would offset some of those effects.

Pramila Jayapal took one look at the new CBO report and told her Seattle constituents that "the revised TrumpCare bill is worse than the original. In addition to stripping 24 million people of health care, raising costs for low and middle income families, and subjecting middle-aged Americans to an age tax, TrumpCare will now give a $1 trillion tax cut to the rich. Despite all this, Republicans are still ratcheting up this tax bill disguised as a health care plan and offering backroom deals to drum up support. The American people want nothing to do with TrumpCare. I hope the majority in Congress listens to them, and gives up on their ideological quest that would leave millions without health care. As much as Republicans talk about moral values, this bill makes a mockery of every one of those American ideals. Instead of getting more people health care, they just increased tax cuts for the rich by $400 billion."





Republicans is a very tepid 41%. Quinnipiac reported that "if their U.S. Senator or member of Congress votes to replace Obamacare with the Republican health care plan, 46 percent of voters say they will be less likely to vote for that person, while 19 percent say they will be more likely and 29 percent say this vote won't matter... 'Replacing Obamacare will come with a price for elected representatives who vote to scrap it, say many Americans, who clearly feel their health is in peril under the Republican alternative,' said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. When she said that "the American people want nothing to do with TrumpCare," she wasn't just speaking rhetorically. Just before the new CBO report came out, Quinnipiac released a new poll showing already very low support for TrumpCare plummeting further. Voters overwhelmingly disapprove 56% to 17%, with 26% undecided. Even support amongis a very tepid 41%. Quinnipiac reported that "if their U.S. Senator or member of Congress votes to replace Obamacare with the Republican health care plan, 46 percent of voters say they will be less likely to vote for that person, while 19 percent say they will be more likely and 29 percent say this vote won't matter... 'Replacing Obamacare will come with a price for elected representatives who vote to scrap it, say many Americans, who clearly feel their health is in peril under the Republican alternative,' said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.





John Yarmuth (D-KY), ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, pointed out that the "CBO has reconfirmed tonight that the Republican plan will cause millions of Americans to lose their coverage and out-of-pocket costs to skyrocket, while subjecting middle-aged Americans to an age tax. They do all this to give $1 trillion in tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy, but they may not stop there. It is astounding and appalling that Republicans in Congress are negotiating with the health and well-being of American families. They have no moral compass."





It had been widely predicted that if Ryan moved the bill in an uglier direction-- which he very much did with the manager's amendments-- mainstream conservatives would bail... and they did, while Freedom Caucus extremists, who want repeal without replace, are still not on-board. In the last few days many swing state Republicans, sensing the betrayal, ran for the exits. Undecided congressmembers in districts where Democrats have the best chances of beating them are no longer undecided. Among the NO votes now are Charlie Dent (PA), Leonard Lance (NJ), who voted for the first version in committee, John Katko (NY), Dan Donovan (NY), David Young (IA), Chris Smith (NJ), Frank LoBiondo (NJ) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA). John Faso (NY) who bought into one of Ryan's promises a couple of days ago is wavering again.





"Sad," wrote Charles Pierce in Esquire referring specifically to Paul Ryan, "the zombie-eyed granny starver from the state of Wisconsin, [who] took one in the chops when a vote of his well-camouflaged tax-cut bill was postponed until Friday morning. This came after a frenzied 48 hours in which Ryan and the president were pulled around by the nose by the more lunatic members of their party who thought the dead-fish Ryan had sent to the House wasn't tough enough on poor people. Finally, rather than face the revolt of the wingnuts, Ryan and the Republican leadership pulled the vote, opting for a meeting of the Republican conference and a possible vote on Friday. This sent the House side of the Capitol into a positive whirlwind of rumor, speculation, and undeniable flopsweat."





Carol Shea-Porter represents a very swingy New Hampshire district. She won in a 3-way race 44.3%-42.9%-9.4%, while Trump beat Hillary 48.2% to 46.6%. In her report to her constituents-- 40,049 of whom would lose health care under the less terrible first TrumpCare proposal-- yesterday she put it like this: "There are proposed last-minute changes to the bill that would make a cruel bill even meaner. Republicans now want to take away requirements that insurance plans cover essential services like hospitalization, pregnancy care, prescription drugs, and mental health and addiction treatment. These changes would make a terrible bill-- one that would kick 24 million Americans off their coverage-- even worse. The American people dont want this bill, and neither does New Hampshire: we have a large volume of calls coming in to my office. House Republicans are ignoring their own hardworking constituents, who are pleading to keep their insurance. Health care organizations are attacking this bill. The only people who benefit are the wealthiest, who would get huge tax breaks. Republican leadership is rushing this unpopular, destructive bill to a vote this week because today is the 7-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Clearly, this rushed process is about spite, scoring political points, and helping wealthy supporters, rather than about doing whats best for the American people. See that thermometer on the right? Tap it and help slow down Trump and help end Paul Ryan's tenure as Speaker.








She's the blonde bombshell who recently moved to Los Angeles from Sydney.

And Natalie Roser announced she was 'back to work' on Friday, sharing a smouldering snap on her Instagram page on Friday.

The 26-year-old, who left Australia following her split with from ex-fiance Dan Adair, had previously enjoyed an idyllic getaway to the Bahamas.

Scroll down for video

Lady in red: Natalie Roser announced she was 'back to work' pursuing her burgeoning modelling career with a smouldering snap posted to Instagram on Friday

In an image captured by Kate Moore Photography, the Miss Universe Australia finalist stunned as she seductively posed on a king-sized bed.

She wore a red lingerie set that appeared to be comprised of a lace teddy.

The Newcastle-born beauty gazed into the camera and wore her hair in waves that framed her face with natural makeup.

Beach bums: The 26-year-old, who left Australia following her split with from ex-fiance Dan Adair, had previously enjoyed an idyllic getaway to the Bahamas with friend Maggie Rawlins

The Maxim cover girl returned to Los Angeles from the Bahamas, where she posted bikini snaps with model and friend Maggie Rawlins from Eleuthera Island.

'Beach bums', she captioned the cheeky image with the added hashtag '#wesquat'.

She also called South Carolina-born Maggie her 'girl crush'.

Happy: The Australian model moved to America earlier this year to focus on her career after breaking up with her personal trainer fiance, Dan

The Australian model moved to America earlier this year to focus on her career after breaking up with her personal trainer fiance, Dan.

Rumours began swirling soon after that she had started dating Neighbours star Harley Bonner.

The actor posted a photo of the pair on Valentine's Day to his Instagram with the caption, 'Missing this beautiful creature. One month to go... Hurry up time, you big stupid idiot head.'
After globe-trotting to Barcelona, Spain and The Big Apple, it was no surprise to see Jesse Tyler Ferguson in a cheery mood upon his return.

The 41-year-old actor hopped off the plane on Thursday at LAX, arm-in-arm with his lawyer husband Justin Mikita.

The couple sported big smiles on their face as they made their way to their ride.

Scroll down for video

Having a ball! Jesse Tyler Ferguson gave a big thumbs up as he walked arm in arm with his husband Justin Mikita on Thursday after landing at LAX

The Modern Family star appeared to look a little tan as he wore an olive green button-up shirt, denim jeans and black Nike sneakers.

He topped off the look with an orange leather backpack strapped on his back.

His hubby looked as equally as stylish in a cardigan, layered with a red flannel and blue shirt, which he paired with black jeans and green kicks.

Grand arrival: The 41-year-old actor and his hubby appeared to be in a cheery mood after traveling to Barcelona, Spain and New York City

Stylish couple: The Modern Family star sported an olive green shirt, denim jeans and orange leather backpack while Justin layered with a cardigan and red flannel

According to their Instagram accounts, the couple - who have been married since 2012 - were enjoying a European adventure in Spain after Jesse finished wrapping season eight of Modern Family.

From the breathtaking sites to the delicious food, the two seemed to enjoy their getaway vacation.

They also spent some time in New York City watching a number of plays, according to their social media.

Getaway: The loved-up couple took off for a much-needed vacation after Jesse wrapped season eight of Modern Family

Meanwhile, Jesse recently weighed in on Disney's latest live-action remake of Beauty And The Beast, which stars the company's first openly-gay character.

Speaking on Conan O'Brien earlier this month, the actor said: People are worried that this gay character is going to make their children gay.

Ive seen a million heterosexual movies and never for a moment did I think for a split second although Ariel did make me want to become a mermaid!

What a view! The couple took a heartwarming photo last week while in Spain
She's the runaway bride who left 38-year-old fire fighter Andrew Jones devastated on reality series Married At First Sight.

And KIIS FM's Jackie 'O' Henderson claimed on Friday's Kyle and Jackie O Show that a source close to Lauren Bran knew the REAL reason behind the split.

The insider alleges that after Andrew 'lost his s**t' when he was refused entry by a nightclub bouncer in Bondi on their wedding night, Lauren had enough.

Scroll down for video

'He lost his s**t': Married At First Sight's runaway bride Lauren Bran, 33, reportedly 'dumped Andrew Jones, 38, on their WEDDING DAY after fire fighter got into a rage with bouncer'

Lauren and Andrew reportedly headed to a bar in Sydney's Bondi Beach in the early hours of the morning after their TV wedding.

Andrew was said to have been denied entry into the establishment.

'They were going all good but then they went to a club and when the bouncer said, "Sorry mate you can't come in".

Claims: An inside source told KIIS FM's Jackie 'O' Henderson that Andrew flew into a rage when he was denied entry into a club in Sydney's Bondi, on their wedding night. He is pictured here with his second bride Cheryl

'Andrew lost his s**t and that is when she turned around and took off,' the source continued.

'She was like, "I'm not going to marry this guy who is losing his s**t over something like that".

'It must have been bad for her to just run off because Andrew didn't let up, he got s**tty and started going off at the bouncer,' they added.

Lauren previously ditched her on-screen 'husband' during a dramatic episode of Married At First Sight.

Controversial: Lauren dumped the fire fighter on their televised 'wedding day'

Moving on: Lauren revealed to OK! magazine she is now 'happily in love' with single father and property developer Jake Barnett (left)

'Laters haters': Shortly after dumping 'TV husband' Andrew on MAFS, Lauren was pictured boarding a flight, with passenger names listed on her tickets as 'Jake Barnett' and 'Lauren Bran'

Shortly after, the brunette was pictured boarding a flight, with passenger names listed on her tickets as 'Jake Barnett' and 'Lauren Bran'.

'Laters haters,' she captioned an Instagram photo.

It was later revealed in OK! magazine, that the mother-of-one was 'happily in love' with single dad and property developer, Jake Barnett.

Lauren sparked rumours of a new romance with a series of loved-up Instagram photos from an apparent Valentine's Day getaway.

Lauren added the hash tags 'Love' and 'Couples that actually work' alongside the pictures taken on Hamilton Island.

'Couples that actually work': Rumours had been circulating for weeks that the mother-of-one had begun a new romance with Jake, after she posted a series of loved-up snaps on Instagram

'I'm glad things turned out the way they did as I wouldn't be happily in love with my new partner Jake, who is a single dad of two adorable twins,' Lauren told OK!

'Jake is also a successful property developer from the Sutherland Shire, and I now work alongside him within a business that has just launched a new $50 million development site.

'He shares the same drive, ambition, values and morals as I do,' she continued.

Her man: Lauren enjoyed a Valentine's Day getaway with Jake, who is a father to twin sons, at Queensland's Qualia Resort
She recently claimed yoga, meditation and prayer helped her recover from three years of postpartum depression.

And Tammin Sursok appeared to still be dedicated to the healing activity in Los Angeles this week.

The former Home and Away actress looked relaxed as she was spotted leaving a group fitness class.

Scroll down for video

Healing: Tammin Sursok looked relaxed as she was spotted leaving a yoga class in Los Angeles

The 33-year-old, who gave birth to daughter Phoenix Emmanuel in 2013, sported a make-up free face as she strolled away from class with her yoga mat and car keys.

She wore a comfortable outfit including a red t-shirt and blue leggings, with a hair-tie wrapped around her wrist as her long locks flowed in the breeze.

The brunette beauty recently shared a poignant post to her Instagram account that referred to an article she penned for The Daily Telegraph on her postnatal struggles.

Natural beauty: The 33-year-old, who gave birth to daughter Phoenix Emmanuel in 2013, sported a make-up free face as she strolled away from class holding her yoga mat and car keys

She wrote honestly of her postpartum anxiety diagnosis by a doctor.

'I sat on the uninviting, stark doctor's bed, hunched over in fear. Fear that I wouldn't be able to get out of the dreamlike state of detachment,' she described.

'Fear that I wouldnt realise my potential as the mother I knew I could be, fear that my life would forever be that of a never-ending slow motion horror film.'

Getting stronger: The brunette beauty recently shared a poignant post to her Instagram account that referred to an article she had penned on her postnatal struggles

The Pretty Little Liars star revealed things became worse when she was prescribed medication, but refused to take it.

'I remember staring at the medication in the palm of my hands and it triggering a complete panic attack.

'I lost my balance, as the room started to spin, with the almost cartoon like voices yelling, "Failure, faulty, imperfect, let down."'

Opening up: The actress has written honestly of her postpartum anxiety diagnosis by a doctor

Meditation, mindfulness, yoga and prayer assisted with her recovery, as well as learning about similar experiences from other mothers.

'My daughter is three-and-a-half years old now and the great days far outweigh the panic,' she continued.

'My hands no longer shake and eyes have readjusted to where I can truly take her in.'
The recent TV casting show Let It Shine was mind-numbingly awful, but the winning band could break the mould by actually appearing in a stage show that isnt bland and boring.

The five young men  Nick Carsberg, A.J. Bentley, Curtis T. Johns, Sario Solomon and Yazdan Qafouri, formerly known as Five To Five  won Let It Shine with the prize being the opportunity to star in a show called The Band that features the music of Take That.

If it hadnt been for the fact that I like Tim Firth, who has written the book for The Band, and his frequent theatre collaborator, Gary Barlow (they wrote Olivier award-nominated The Girls), I wouldnt have gone within a thousand miles of the rehearsal hall for The Band. But Im glad I did.

Baz Bamigboye attended rehearsals for new Take That musical The Band. He writes: 'I enjoyed everything that I saw and liked the band from The Band very much'

Firth, who penned the film and stage versions of Calendar Girls and Our House, the Madness musical, has written a poignant and comedic story about five teenage girls, the women they become and the boy band they idolise for 25 years, referred to as The Band or the boys.

Firth said The Band is the time tunnel between the group of 16-year-olds and their older selves. He added that Five To Five, who have now dumped that name, are never referred to as Take That. They sing Take That songs, but theyre not specifically Gary, Jason, Howard, Mark or Robbie.

Firth told me that, for him, the show explores the relationship between the two people who own a song. It belongs partly to the writers and partly to the people who hear it.

Rachel Lumberg and Faye Christall will play the different ages of lead character Rachel, who tells an audience that she grew up with a boy band. They were everywhere in my life.

The book for The Band has been written by The Girls co-writer Tim Firth. Pictured, Take That, whose songs will form the basis of the musical

Rachel and her five friends follow The Band who, as played by Carsberg, Bentley, Johns, Solomon and Qafouri, are like a Greek Chorus.

These guys are going to be the hardest-working performers out of a cast of 16. They play 52 parts between them. Out of a 92-page script they are on for 73 pages, said David Pugh, whos producing with Dafydd Rogers.

I watched some scenes and the way Firth and his co-directors Kim Gavin and Jack Ryder use the songs is sublime.

Lumberg sang a lovely version of Pray and the lyrics perfectly echoed the emotional turmoil her character was going through. Then the lads did an all-singing, all-dancing Could It Be Magic, plus the full cast sang Back For Good acapella. It was haunting.

On April 2, The Band will have two workshop performances in Manchester which four members of Take That are due to attend, but not Jason Orange. All five are producing with Pugh and Rogers, but while Orange is doing it from afar, the rest have attended rehearsals and have taken an active interest.

Because of compliance  a word Pugh hates  the BBC is not allowed to participate financially in the 42-week tour of The Band musical, which begins at the Manchester Opera House on September 8.

Pugh and Rogers cant pass on any profits to the BBC, but theyre planning to donate some money from the show to an appropriate charity.

I enjoyed everything that I saw and liked the band from The Band very much. But why on earth did the BBC have to make Let It Shine in the first place?

Jersey Boys bow out on a Valli high

It's always sad when a show closes in the West End (not true; I sometimes do a little jig), but at least Jersey Boys, which ends a long run on Sunday, is going out on a high.

The show has played to strong houses at the Piccadilly, and at last Sundays packed matinee, the audience loved it.

They also liked that ushers at the Ambassador Theatre Group-owned Piccadilly Theatre would take drink, ice cream and programme orders, within limits, from people in their seats. It certainly created a jolly atmosphere, though the strongest thing I knocked back was a tub of vanilla ice cream.

Jersey Boys has played to strong houses at the Piccadilly, and at last Sundays packed matinee, the audience loved it. The show is leaving the West End and going on a second UK tour

I can imagine booze and snacks in your seat wouldnt work for a straight drama. But I think audiences are in jollier moods at musicals.

Between its initial run at the Prince Edward, from March 2008, and its residency at the Piccadilly (from March 2014), Jersey Boys has sold four million tickets. Key producer Michael David said it had taken 165 million in gross sales in London. The present company is red hot. Matt Corner gave a good account of Frankie Valli, with fine work from Simon Bailey, Declan Egan and Matt Hunt. The songs, Cant Take My Eyes Off You, Fallen Angel, My Eyes Adored You and so on, speak for themselves.

The brilliant book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice gives the show, directed by Des McAnuff, its edge. I hadnt seen it for a few years and was pleasantly surprised to be reminded how tip-top it was.

And its not Bye, Bye Baby to Jersey Boys. A second UK tour begins at Birminghams New Alexandra Theatre on December 16.
She may not be a teen any more, but she is definitely about to become a mom again.

Briana DeJesus is joining the cast of Teen Mom 2.

The 22-year-old previously appeared on season four of 16 and Pregnant in 2012, and starred in the first and only season of Teen Mom 3 in 2013.

She's back: Pregnant Teen Mom 3 star Briana DeJesus is to join the cast of Teen Mom 2

According to The Ashley's Reality Roundup, she will join Kailyn Lowry, Leah Messer, Chelsea Houska and Jenelle Evans when TM2 returns for season 8.

The site reported the pregnant mom-of-one has already filmed scenes for the MTV reality show.

In January the Florida native revealed she was expecting her second child on Instagram.

She already shares a five-year-old duaghter - Nova - with ex Devoin Austin.

'So excited!': In January the Florida native revealed she was expecting her second child on Instagram

'Looks like Nova won't be an only child anymore. Super excited for July,' she in her post at the time.

Although she has yet to find out the sex of her baby, DeJesus says she's hoping for a boy.

A year ago, she made headlines after she allowed her plastic surgery to live Snapchat her 'mommy makeover.'

Changes: A year ago, she made headlines after she allowed her plastic surgery to live Snapchat her 'mommy makeover' with the famed Dr Miami

The reality star underwent liposuction and labiaplasty, courtesy of the famous Dr Miami.

She also got a Brazilian butt lift and a second boob job, increasing her bust size from 375cc to 650cc.

MTV canceled Teen Mom 3 after one season in 2013.
A surprise announcement by SBS earlier this month, saw longtime hosts Julia Zemiro, 49, and Sam Pang, 43, ending their contract as Eurovision hosts.

'Handing over to the next team on a high,' Julia confirmed at the time, in a statement released by the free-to-air network.

And on Friday, radio host Myf Warhurst, 43, announced via Instagram that she and comedian Joel Creasey, 26, are taking on the honour: 'Dream gig alert'.

Scroll down for video

'Dream gig alert': Radio host Myf Warhurst, 43, announced via Instagram on Friday that she and comedian Joel Creasey (pictured), 26, are to be the new hosts for SBS' Eurovision 2017 coverage

'DREAM GIG ALERT. Beyond pleased to announce that me and this fella @joelcreasey are the new hosts of #Eurovision for @sbs_australia. OMG,' Myth captioned an image of the pair.

The snap saw Myf in a fitted gold frock, beaming and flashing the peace sign for the camera, alongside a dapper-looking Joel.

The comedian, sporting a tailored black suit, crisp white shirt and bow tie, was just as enthusiastic, with a thumbs up hand gesture.

New role: Myf, a popular radio and television host, will report on the annual international singing competition

Joel also took to Instagram on Friday confirming the news.

'I am truly bloody thrilled to announce I'll be heading to Ukraine to host Eurovision for Australia alongside the legendary @myfwarhurst for @sbs_australia,' he began.

'Not a single sequin, laser light, hip thrust or key change will slip past my keen eye. My musical education began when my dad took me to the Bardot concert when I was 11 years old and I cried tears of joy the whole show.

'So I know my way around all things camp and kitsch, let me assure you!! See you in Kiev in May!' Joel added.

New chapter: The announcement comes just weeks after SBS released a statement with the news that Julia Zemiro, 49, and Sam Pang, 43, will not return as hosts for Eurovision 2017

The announcement comes just weeks after SBS released a statement with the news that Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang will not return as hosts for Eurovision 2017.

'Handing over to the next team on a high,' Julia confirmed in a statement released by the free-to-air network, adding that it's been 'eight amazing years.'

'Eight amazing years hosting Eurovision; what a wonderful and hilarious ride,' Julia gushed in the official statement.

'Growing up in a French household in [Sydney's Bondi Junction], I fell in love with this amazing contest ever since Abba won the competition. The languages, the characters, the songs and the sequins have always held a warm place in my heart.

Official comment: 'Handing over to the next team on a high,' Julia confirmed in a statement released by the free-to-air network, adding that it's been 'eight amazing years'

Fond farewell: Sam also confirmed the news in a statement released by SBS: 'I'd like to thank SBS for the opportunity to explore the world and share that experience with all those back home'

'It's hard to say goodbye but thrilled to be handing over to the next team on a high - douze points,' the French-born personality continued.

Sam also confirmed the news in a statement released by SBS: 'I'd like to thank SBS for the opportunity to explore the world and share that experience with all those back home,' he said.

'But there are only so many sequins, burning pianos, power ballads and singing Russian grannies one man can celebrate in a career, and the time has come for me to pass that privilege on to a new team,' he continued.

The long-running international singing competition will take place this year in the Ukraine from the 9th of May.

First Australian entrant: Guy Sebastian (centre) 35, took on the honour of being the first Australian to perform in Vienna, Austria, in Eurovision 2015

Vocal: The former Australian Idol winner came in at fifth place for his rendition of Tonight Again

Eurovision is a battle predominately between European countries, with Australia only being introduced as an entrant in 2015.

Guy Sebastian, 35, took on the honour, performing Tonight Again in Vienna, Austria.

The former Australian Idol winner came in at fifth place.

Fellow Australian Idol contestant Jessica Mauboy, 27, performed the previous year in Copenhagen, Denmark, but was not considered as an entrant.

Meanwhile, last year saw Dami Im coming in at second place with her rendition of Sound of Silence in Stockholm, Sweden.

The 28-year-old took out the title of 2013's The X Factor Australia.

Lending her voice: Fellow Australian Idol contestant Jessica Mauboy, 27, performed the previous year in Copenhagen, Denmark, but was not considered as an entrant
Her ample charms are going to be featured on billboards around the world to promote the cinematic reboot of Baywatch.

But diners got to see Kelly Rohrbach's curvy physique up close after she wore an adventurously clinging vest as she ate out in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The busty beauty looked in fine form indeed as she showcased her knockout physique as she sauntered around the trendy West Hollywood area.

Simply the vest: Kelly Rohrbach drew attention to her bumper bust by donning a tank top in Los Angeles on Thursday

At first the blonde beauty, who is playing the Pamela Anderson role in the forthcoming reboot, was wearing a black leather jacket over her top.

But the 27-year-old Connecticut cutie soon proved she is a suitable heir to the prestigious part by showcasing her bumper bust in a tight white vest.

The lingerie model rounded off her look with a pair of tight blue jeans that boasted a racy rip over the right buttock and studded wedge heels.

Last year the the film's star Dwayne Johnson shared a snap on Instagram, and claimed the film will be a beach-filled version of The Avengers.

Sheer jean-ius: While her vest showcased her bust her jeans highlighted her delightful derriere

Hell bent for leather: When she arrived for her meal she was wearing a biker jacket

Getting to the bottom of things: Her pert posterior was on display as she continued her chat

He said: 'That's an official wrap! Holy s*** we had a blast pushing the rated R envelope.'

However it seems to have fallen flat, as Kelly was spotted once again cramming her curves into one of the franchise's famous red swimsuits in October to record some extra beach scenes.

It tells the story of two lifeguards who have to overcome their mutual loathing to stop a criminal plot and save their beach, no doubt becoming best chums in the process.

Satisfied: She looked like she had enjoyed her dining experience

And off she goes: No doubt she was rushing off to an important business meeting

Baywatch is being produced by The Rock, who plays the lead lifeguard Mitch Buchannon.

Meanwhile Zac Efron is taking on the role of David Charvet's Matt Brody, who butts heads with his boss, while Priyanka Chopra has landed the part of the villainous Victoria Leeds.

The original Baywatch star David Hasselhof will make a cameo in the new film, as will Pamela Anderson

The film is set to hit screens in the United States on May 26 and across the United Kingdom from May 29.

New model: The lingerie clotheshorse is playing the Pamela Anderson role in Baywatch

Cooking up a hit: She stars alongside Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
They're one of the longest standing couples on Made In Chelsea.

And Tiffany Watson and Sam Thompson looked very much like love's young dream as they attended the Popchips Crazy Hot Stop party on Greek Street in central London on Thursday.

The reality stars, who have been dating for almost three years, seemed happier than ever as they cosied up inside the bash.

Scroll down for video

Cute couple: Tiffany Watson and Sam Thompson looked very much like love's young dream as they attended the Popchips Crazy Hot Stop party on Greek Street in central London on Thursday

Tiffany was dressed to impress, making the most of her enviably flat stomach by sporting a silk crop top, knotted at the bust.

She further highlighted her slimline physique in a high-waisted pair of black trousers.

The blonde, who is the younger sister of ex-MIC favourite Lucy Watson, stuck to a neutral colour palette when it came to her accessories.

Top of the crops: Tiffany was dressed to impress, making the most of her enviably flat stomach by sporting a silk crop top, knotted at the bust

Looking good: She further highlighted her slimline physique in a high-waisted pair of black trousers

Smitten: Sam flashed a big, toothy grin as he posed with one arm around his girlfriend's waist

Sam flashed a big, toothy grin as he posed with one arm around his girlfriend's waist.

The joker, who was dressed in a smart dark denim jacket, was the life and soul of the party, joining in with the dancers as fellow guests looks look.

Sam and Tiffany are still going strong after almost three years together - with Sam posting a sweet tribute to his girlfriend as they welcomed in 2017.

Sharing a shot of he and the blonde indulging in a celebratory smooch, he wrote to his followers: 'I'm gonna go mainstream here. This girl makes it all worthwhile.'

Bust a move: The joker, who was dressed in a smart dark denim jacket, was the life and soul of the party, joining in with tdancers

Rock solid: The pair ended the most recent series of Made in Chelsea on a high, after Sam was seen giving Tiffany a key to his house in the December finale

The pair ended the most recent series of Made in Chelsea on a high, after Sam was seen giving Tiffany a key to his house in the December finale.

However while they are appear to be more loved-up than ever, the pair have endured their fair share of drama on the E4 reality show.

Last year, Tiffany owned up to kissing someone else while on holiday in Hong Kong, just moments before Sam planned to reveal he'd fallen in love with her.

Awkwardly, he was seen telling pals that his relationship was stronger than ever just before she confessed to her infidelity, saying, 'Me and Tiff are here to stay. I can't see anything going wrong.

Stepping out in style: Tiffany showed off her slender legs in a pair of wet look leggings
She recently insisted she is still married to her jailed husband Oliver Curtis following rumours the couple had split.

But now Roxy Jacenko has sparked speculation she has removed the letter 'C' from her initials.

The 36-year-old previously had 'RJC' etched on her stylish Daily Edited phone cover. She has now replaced the case with a new one that has 'RJ' emblazoned on the back.

Puzzling: Roxy Jacenko has removed the letter 'C' from her initials following rumours she has split from husband Oliver Curtis

New start: The PR maven received a new phone cover from The Daily Edited with the initials 'RJ' emblazoned across the back

The blonde businesswoman showed off her new monogrammed phone case, as well as a gym bag, on her Instagram story on Thursday night.

It was hard not to notice the missing initial as she excitedly opened up the new packages.

Roxy was last pictured with her 'RJC' phone case 37 weeks ago, just after Curtis was jailed on insider trading charges.

When asked about her new monogrammed case, Roxy told Daily Mail Australia: 'My name's the same as it has been for the past 36 years, I never changed it!'

The Sweaty Betty PR founder recently appeared on The Morning Show to address persistent rumours she had split from her husband.

'I'm still married,' she insisted during an interview earlier this month.

But in unconfirmed claims, friends of the investment banker told Daily Mail Australia that the pair had split up before he was sent to jail in June last year, but kept a family facade for the sake of their two children, Pixie, five, and Hunter, two.

It comes amid claims Oliver 'dreads' his release and being confronted with what his PR queen wife Roxy Jacenko has been doing while he's been in prison.

More freebies: She also had her new Daily Edited gym bag emblazoned with the initials 'RJ'

Prison sources at Cooma Correctional Centre said Oliver, who is due for parole in June, lamented to staff he has bonded wit, that he fears the 'embarrassment' of what he has missed over the past 12 months.

'He said he "dreads finding out" what has been going on in Roxys life, what's been said about him, all of that stuff a prison source told Daily Mail Australia. 'In there he's in a bubble, he's not on Instagram and Facebook.'

The prison source said Roxy had been to visit Curtis just three times since he was sent to Cooma, almost nine months ago. It is understood she took her mother Doreen, and the couple's youngest child Hunter with her on a recent visit.

Out with the old: Roxy's old Daily Edited phone case had the initials 'RJC' emblazoned across the back. She is photographed holding it over eight months ago

Prized possession: The old phone case featured in some of her signature elevator selfies

Oliver's parents Nick and Angela, along with a string of close friends, are regular visitors at the minimum security prison.

The former private school boy, 31, was sentenced to a maximum of two years' jail in June last year, when he was found guilty over a $1.4 million insider trading scheme.

Recently, Roxy appeared to put on a brave face when dismissing split claims.

She told Morning Show hosts Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur that while her marriage is 'challenged,' her husband remains a 'wonderful father' to their children.

'Look, no marriage is ever perfect and obviously mine is challenged because of the situation that we're in. But Oli's a wonderful father,' Roxy said.

Family split apart: Roxy's husband Oliver was jailed in June last year on insider trading charges

The businesswoman went on to show off her jewellery, including her wedding ring, which she was wearing during the appearance.

Rumours of a split began after Roxy was spotted heading to the gym without her wedding ring. She later said: 'I don't know who goes to the gym with jewellery on.'

She did however, admit she wears make-up while working out, possibly in a bid to impress attractive men, saying: 'I definitely put a face on because there are always a few good looking boys at the gym.'

Meanwhile, since Oliver's imprisonment Roxy has been spotted innocently catching up with property developer Nabil Gazal, who has been described as one of her more 'serious' ex-boyfriends.

The pair, who dated for several years until 2010, were photographed meeting for coffee in Sydneys eastern suburbs, as well as at dinner on Woolloomooloo Wharf.

In the past, Roxy has referred to herself as being a 'single mum' since Oliver was sent to jail. In February, she described herself as a 'single girl' on Instagram.
Love In Idleness, Menier Chocolate Factory

Verdict: Not quite the ticket

Rating:

Director Sir Trevor Nunn has been busy with his scissors and paste. He has taken two wartime Terence Rattigan plays and mixed them to create a nostalgic comedy.

The result, though attractively acted  Eve Best has delicious moments as a 1944 Mayfair social butterfly  is less than convincing.

The first play was Less Than Kind, about a glamorous widow being reunited with her teenage son after his years of evacuation to Canada.

Eve Best (right) does posh flirtatiousness with even more gurgling delight than Felicity Kendal

The boy, Michael, is impossibly needy and rejects his mothers new man, a Cabinet minister and millionaire industrialist.

Michael is going through a socialist phase, his head filled with the tracts of Harold Laski. He goes into a Hamlet-like sulk about his intended stepfather.

Less Than Kind was not performed in Rattigans lifetime, being rejected by the playwrights West End friends. The play eventually had its premiere at the tiny Jermyn Street theatre in 2011, an admirable, if low-budget, production.

In the Forties, Rattigans friends persuaded him to rewrite Less Than Kind, making it more commercial and renaming it Love In Idleness.

Sir Trevor has now revived that script and restored some original material from Less Than Kind.

In the motor trade they would call this a bit-fer  a vehicle containing parts from more than one car.

Is it a comedy or is it one of those classic Rattigans full of pukka English emotional repression? Should we care about the characters or see them as exaggerations?

Sir John is Canadian, handsome, a solid man of the world exhausted by his important work. Anthony Head (right) masters a patrician Canadian accent, not the easiest

Miss Best, one of our stage greats, plays widowed Olivia Brown. After an opening blast of wartime newsreel clips, the lights rise on Olivia in silk pyjamas in a comfortable (if cramped) drawing room.

She is on the telephone to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, sweet-talking him into attending a dinner party.

Miss Best does posh flirtatiousness with even more gurgling delight than Felicity Kendal.

Olivia shares this house with Sir John Fletcher, Bt., Secretary of State for tank production.

Sir John is Canadian, handsome, a solid man of the world exhausted by his important work. Anthony Head masters a patrician Canadian accent, not the easiest.

An allegedly comical scene when Sir John is trying to compose a speech and keeps being interrupted by Olivia and Michael is awkwardly done  hard to watch

He and Miss Best are a fine match as these middle-aged lovers.

Things are thrown askew with the arrival of Olivias 17-year-old son Michael. He is so antagonistic that the part feels underwritten and the show starts to creak.

Edward Bluemel plays him fortissimo from the start, shouting and whacking furniture and flaring his nostrils. Tone it down by at least 50 per cent, dear heart.

An allegedly comical scene when Sir John is trying to compose a speech and keeps being interrupted by Olivia and Michael is awkwardly done  hard to watch. It possibly needs a much bigger stage than the cosy Menier.

In due course we meet Sir Johns dollybird of an estranged wife (a nicely tart turn by Helen George) and Olivia has an implausibly long fall in social standing.

The script veers from dark-edged stoicism to a sub-Coward dottiness.

No visit to the Menier is ever unwelcome, but this show, despite its accomplished leads, feels a bit of a misfire.
She plays a woman with a 'human brain and synthetic robot body.'

But Scarlett Johansson's cyber-enhanced soldier physique leaves little to the imagination in a teaser of her upcoming sci-fi film Ghost In The Shell.

The 32-year-old actress showcases her svelte physique in a nude bodysuit for her titular role as Major, all while fighting off the world's most dangerous criminals.

The futuristic crime drama released the first five minutes of the highly-anticipated flick on Thursday.

Scroll down for video

Flawless figure: Scarlett Johansson showcases her svelte physique in a nude bodysuit for her titular role as Major in the upcoming sci-fi film Ghost In The Shell

The clip opens with Major (Scarlett) overlooking Section 9 of a metropolitan city which is currently on lockdown due to 'possible cyber crime activity in proceeding.'

Her all black wardrobe includes several thigh high slits which flash glimpses of her slender pins.

She shows off a short, dark black hairstyle as she stands atop of a building and glances down at the bustling city below and says to her awaiting team, 'This is Major, I'm on site.'

The short video cuts to a scene where a doctor working for Hanka Robotics - played by actor Michael Wincott - pitches their artificial intelligence technology.

Sexy soldier! The futuristic crime drama released the first five minutes of the highly-anticipated flick on Wednesday

'What is it you want from us?' he is asked.

'I think it's more about what Hanka Robotics can do for you. 73 percent of this world has woken up to the world of cyber enhancement. Really want to be left behind?' the doctor replies.

'My people embrace cyber enhancement as do I, but no one really understands the risk to individuality, identity, messing with the human soul.'

Fierce: The clip opens with Major (Scarlett) overlooking Section 9 of a metropolitan city which is currently on lockdown due to 'possible cyber crime activity in proceeding'

Warrior wardrobe: Her all black attire includes several thigh high slits which flash glimpses of her slender pins

As the two men engage in the private meeting, Major scans the building through x-ray goggles and finds them, reporting back to her team: 'Someone contact the president staff, someone's watching him.'

An elevator full of men carrying briefcases with guns packed inside suddenly exit an elevator onto the floor of the hotel where the conference is taking place with the doctor.

Robots dressed as geisha abruptly overtake the doctor while they inject wires into his neck and leave him motionless.

See-through star: She shows off a short, dark black hairstyle as she stands atop of a building and glances down at the bustling city below through x-ray goggles

'Really want to be left behind?': A doctor working for Hanka Robotics - played by Michael Wincott - pitches their artificial intelligence technology

The armed men rush into the room with guns blazing and begin shooting everyone in the den.

As Major looks on from her goggles, she has no time to wait for backup and springs into action.

She quickly removes her coat to reveal a nude robot-like bodysuit with a small handgun holstered to her upper thigh.

She jumps off the side of a building where she has been on the lookout and vanishes into thin air, before crashing into a window where the doctor is being ambushed.

Hesitant: The doctor is told that cyber enhancement is a 'risk to individuality, identity, messing with the human soul'

Unarmed: An elevator full of men carrying briefcases with guns packed inside suddenly exit an elevator and shoot the robot security guards

Major finds a geisha in the corner of the room holding the doctor hostage and shoots her down, while the robot begins crying, 'Help me please, don't let me die.'

'Who sent you? Answer me!' Major shouts back.

'Collaborate with Hanka Robostics and be destroyed,' the robot replies as its face bursts open before Major shoots it one last time.

The Avengers actress stars in the film alongside Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt and Juliette Binoche.

Attacked: At the same time, robots dressed as geisha abruptly overtake the doctor while they inject wires into his neck and leave him motionless

Ambushed: The armed men rush into the room with guns blazing and begin shooting everyone in the den

The flick is based the Japanese manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow, and previously became an animated film in Japan in 1995.

Her casting in an Asian role initially received some backlash, however the film's producer Steven Paul was quick to defend the actress.

He told Buzzfeed News: 'I don't think it was just a Japanese story. Ghost in the Shell was a very international story, and it wasn't just focused on Japanese; it was supposed to be an entire world.'

'I'm going in': As Major looks on, she has no time to wait for backup and springs into action

Racy robot: She quickly removes her coat to reveal a nude robot-like bodysuit with a small handgun holstered to her upper thigh

Disappearing act: Major jumps off the side of a building where she has been on the lookout and vanishes into thin air

'That's why I say the international approach is, I think, the right approach to it,' he continued.

Drawing on his 'international' inspiration, he added: 'We're utilizing people from all over the world. There's Japanese in it. There's Chinese in it. There's English in it. There's Americans in it.'

Scarlett herself then justified these objections in an interview with Event magazine, noting that her character is completely neutral - making her own ethnicity irrelevant.

She said: 'Their question is answered in the film. Im playing a person that is completely identity-less. She is a human brain in a synthetic robot body.

Ghost In The Shell hits theaters March 31.

Rescue: She crashes into a window where the doctor is being ambushed

'Don't let me die': Major finds a geisha in the corner of the room holding the doctor hostage and shoots her down, while the robot begins crying
Josh Meeuwissen is the self-proclaimed 'Seafood King' on My Kitchen Rules.

But MKR fans will no doubt be disappointed his tattooed and muscular younger brother Ruben didn't also apply to be on the show.

Ruben Meeuwissen, a dark-haired 22-year-old personal trainer and club manager, often flaunts his bulging biceps on social media.

Good genes! My Kitche Rules' villain Josh Meeuwissen (left) has a hot younger brother in 22-year-old personal trainer Ruben. Pictured: Josh with wife Amy on MKR

Josh's younger sibling is based in Western Australia.

According to Facebook, Ruben is the Club Manager at fitness franchise Jetts, in Harrisdale.

Social media photos reveal he has a fondness for taking mirror selfies while showing off his ripped physique in muscle tanks.

What a hunk! Ruben Meeuwissen, a dark-haired 22-year-old personal trainer and club manager, often flaunts his bulging biceps on social media

Selfie time! Social media photos reveal he has a fondness for taking mirror selfies while showing off his ripped physique in muscle tanks

Occupation: According to Facebook, Ruben is the Club Manager at fitness franchise Jetts

Ruben is officially off the market, as he is in a relationship with pretty blonde university student Caitlin Larcombe, 21.

The genetically-blessed couple appear very much in love and are travelling to Europe together in the coming months.

Meanwhile, Ruben has certainly not been shy in cheering on his brother as he competes on My Kitchen Rules.

He wrote on Facebook last month: 'First night of my brother on My Kitchen Rules. Yep he's the one with the attitude!'

Taken! Ruben is officially off the market, as he is in a relationship with pretty blonde university student Caitlin Larcombe (right)

'He's the one with the attitude!' Meanwhile, Ruben has certainly not been shy in cheering on his brother as he competes on My Kitchen Rules

And Ruben was not wrong in describing his older brother as having 'attitude'.

Josh, who has been dubbed the 'villain; of My Kitchen Rules, has found himself at the centre of drama on the show.

And on Wednesday night's episode, he appeared to have gone too far, branding rival contestant Amy a 's**t'.

Conflict: Josh, who has been dubbed the 'villain; of My Kitchen Rules, has found himself at the centre of drama on the show

Scandal: On Wednesday night's episode, Josh appeared to have gone too far, branding rival contestant Amy (left) a 's**t'. Pictured with her brother Tyson (right)

Amy, who is paired with her brother Tyson, put a dish in front of Josh at their super dinner party, when he appeared to say, 'Thanks s**t.'

Manu Feildel had words with Josh outside of the restaurant and they got into a tense argument, with the judge telling him: 'I was feeling uncomfortable.'

Last week, Josh even accused Della and Tully of cheating after they won the passenger's choice during a cooking challenge on a cruise ship.

He claimed they stole the recipe from Colin Fassnidge, saying after they won the title: 'That's why you got to be good with your plagiarism.'
She was trapped at the House Of Lords for eight hours on Wednesday night, after finding herself at the scene of London's terrifying terror attack.

But Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo was embracing Londoners' defiant stance on fighting the fear of attack, by proving that the scary ordeal will not stop her living.

The former politics undergraduate returned to the party circuit on Thursday, putting on a brave face and fulfilling her duties as a reality TV personality.

Back in London town: Georgia Toffolo returned to the party scene on Thursday night, one day after she was trapped in the House Of Lords during the Westminster terror incident in London

She wore bright red in a confident display, picking out a party dress suited to Popchips' Crazy Hot Stop event.

Not alone on her evening in the capital, Toff was joined by Made In Chelsea co-stars Tiffany Watson and Sam Thompson.

Her defiant display comes one day after she gave an eye-witness account from the scene of the Westminster terror attack.

Defiant: She proved that London does not stop when she went back out to brave the capital city with a jaunt to Popchips Crazy Hot Stop

Smart: Georgia gave an eye witness account of the Westminster terror incident in London on Wednesday

Panic-stricken and 'very, very scared', the British TV personality, 22, shared updates on Twitter over eight hours while security dealt with an incident.

Three people were killed in the attack and around 20 more injured by a knife-man who drove towards the building.

London was considered in lock-down after the 2pm attack and politics-lover 'Toff' said she was 'feeling very, very sad' for our 'welcoming city' when she finally evacuated, at almost 11pm.

It won't scare us: Georgia is a keen politics lover but also has commitments to her reality TV show, Made In Chelsea

Cute couple: Co-stars Tiffany Watson and Sam Thompson also attended the Popchips Crazy Hot Stop party on Greek Street on Thursday

Georgia, who works as Event Manager for thinktank Parliament Street, released her first Tweet just as minimal details were breaking onto international news outlets.

'In House of Lords on lockdown as there's been a shooting outside,' she wrote. 'V scary hoping everyone is ok. Getting reports of coordinated attack'

Along with pictures she shared the developments, saying: 'A lot of emergency services on the bridge apparently a shoooting there too. Very scary (sic)'

Lock down: Georgia was inside the House Of Lords when the attack took place and was later moved to Westminster Hall (pictured)

Trapped: Georgia shared her view, across Westminster bridge where the disruption happened

One hour into the incident, surrounded by parliamentary staff, she confirmed: 'We are on lockdown and have been asked to stay inside. Praying everyone is ok'

She described the incident as 'very, very scary' and revealed that she was 'thankful to be all together' when a small group was moved up a level in the Lords Terrace and later to Westminster Hall, for safety.

Toff wrote: 'A group of 8 of us have been ordered to stay in a corner all together. Really firm security forces moved us here. Feeling proud of our boys'

'Very, very scary': For security reasons, a small group inside the building were only moved when they were told to

Though she's best known for her role as a bubbly blonde on London-based E4 reality show MIC, Georgia was originally a politics student at Westminster University.

On Wednesday, Georgia was attending an event with the Secretary of State and Lord Mancroft having previously organised a Women's conference at parliament in January.

Closing her eight-hour live feed from the attack, Georgia wrote: 'Just now been evacuated from Westminster Hall.

'What a day, feeling very very sad. A savage attack on our proud and welcoming city'

Georgia recently gave a talk at The Cambridge University Students Union with their debating society.

The reality TV star never finished her Undergraduate Degree but expressed an interest in political writing and commentating in May 2016, saying she has high hopes to return to her studies.

Long ordeal: The Made In Chelsea star was kept inside for around three hours

Special event: Georgia organised a Women of Influence conference in January at the Army and Navy club

Politics-lover: The former politics student has a keen association with politics

Finally going home: Georgia was sent home after an eight-hour stretch

Taking her throne: The reality babe is still best known for her role on Made In Chelsea, but she also has a keen interest in politics

Stylish: Georgia (pictured here at Cambridge University) works as Event Manager for think tank Parliament Street

Announcing her role with Parliament Street in 2015, director Steven George-Hilley said of Toff: 'Her passion for campaigning on issues like voter apathy will inspire a whole generation of young people to get involved in politics.'

She outlined her intentions to balance her work with her part of TV, saying that she had opted for politics instead of fashion.

She said: 'A lot of the cast are into fashion and things like that. Obviously Im quite different. Im the other end of the spectrum.'
She is putting the real in Smirnoff Vodka.

Chrissy Teigen unveiled behind-the-scenes moments of her new commercial with the liquor company on Thursday, which happens to also star her very own mother.

The 31-year-old model, who is fresh back from a family trip to Morocco, shared the video to Instagram, giving fans a sneak peek into the lovable blooper moments from on set.

Scroll down for video

It's official: Chrissy Teigen unveiled behind-the-scenes moments on Thursday of her new commercial with Smirnoff Vodka

The mom-of-one wrote alongside the video: 'Guys. It's official. I'm in a relationship with @SmirnoffUS! I could have gone for a fancy vodka, but I didn't. I chose one that keeps it real instead. Smirnoff is actually a really great tasting vodka, and they aren't afraid to be a little unfancy sometimes. Samesies. Take a peek behind the scenes with me and my mom @pepperthai2!!'

In parts of the clip, Chrissy is seen doing a number of goofy takes, including eating what appeared to be a Chipotle burrito in a romantic setting.

The wife of John Legend looked stunning as she wore a red, silky spaghetti-strap top in one shot and a black bralette in another.

Grr! The 31-year-old star had fun with different takes during the commercial

Lovable: She showed her Instagram fans fun blooper moments from on set

Bold: The mom-of-one looked pretty in a red, spaghetti-strap top, which happened to match the liquor company's branding colors

In the later half of the video, Chrissy's mom Vilailuck Teigen was seen holding a drink in her hand as her daughter had her say, 'Oh hell yeah.'

In another silly moment, the mother said to her: 'Chrissy, you're so smooth.'

It was certainly a fun moment for the mother-daughter duo as this was Chrissy's mom's commercial debut.

Guess who! Chrissy's mom, Vilailuck Teigen, also joined in on the fun as she starred alongside her daughter in the commercial

Burrito! In one take, the Sports Illustrated model appeared to be going in on a Chipotle burrito

Yum! She had a silly moment with her and the burrito in one take

Precious: Chrissy's mom shared a candid shot of them on set with the caption 'Me and my daughter on set today #idoworksometimes'

In a joking manner, the model shared the video to Twitter as well where she wrote: 'Warning: mom hasn't been the same since. she is quite cocky now. '

According to Vilailuck's Instagram account, where she boasts an impressive 125,000 followers, the supportive mom is constantly posting photos of her daughter's achievements as well as son-in-law John and precious photos of her granddaughter Luna.

A Smirnoff spokesperson said Teigen was not drunk on set, adding: 'Both Chrissy and Smirnoff are 100 per cent committed to responsible drinking. Anyone that confuses Chrissy's fun and lively personality on set for intoxication is sorely mistaken.'

A natural! Her look-a-like mom fit right in on set

Mother-daughter dynamic: In a joking tweet, Chrissy wrote: 'warning: mom hasn't been the same since. she is quite cocky now'
She's the popular Today host who announced her engagement to Channel Nine colleague Peter Stefanovic in July last year.

And Sylvia Jeffreys will wear a bridal gown by Australian designer Rebecca Vallance for her wedding day, sources tell Daily Mail Australia.

The 33-year-old journalist is a longtime fan of the dressmaker, whose flagship boutique is situated in the upscale suburb of Mosman.

Match made in heaven! Sylvia Jeffreys (pictured) will wear a bridal gown by Australian designer Rebecca Vallance for her wedding day, sources tell Daily Mail Australia

The blonde TV personality was first seen wearing a gorgeous piece by the brand over two years ago for Melbourne Cup celebrations.

Sylvia tagged the designer in a photo on Instagram, who then wrote back in the comments section: 'Stunning! You look so gorgeous'.

The dress was a knee-length fitted frock with a sheer animal print overlay hugging her slim curves.

Va-va-voom! The 33-year-old Nine journalist is a longtime fan of the dressmaker, whose flagship boutique is situated in the upscale suburb of Mosman

Another time, she was spotted in an elegant red dress by the brand - a sheer ensemble worn over a black slip and paired with black strappy heels.

'Thank you @rebeccavallance for the fabulous party frock,' the newsreader wrote.

'My pleasure,' the designer happily responded on Instagram.

Nuptials: The popular Today host announced her engagement to Channel Nine colleague Peter Stefanovic in July last year

In a recent snap, she posed in a polka dot knee-length piece that buttoned at the neck to reveal a hint of cleavage.

Several fans requested the details of the dress in the Instagram comments, to which Sylvia replied: 'It is @rebeccavallance, my fave'.

The Sydney-based brand has even been worn by international celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Chanel Iman, Halle Berry and Sofia Vergara.

'It's this great sense of anticipation': The Brisbane-born beauty told The Sydney Morning Herald last year she is excited to start her new life as a married woman

Sylvia began dating Peter Stefanovic at the end of 2013 after they presented the weekend edition of the Today show.

The Brisbane-born beauty told The Sydney Morning Herald last year she is excited to start her new life as a married woman.

'It's this great sense of anticipation about everything at the moment It feels like now we're sort of moving forward at a pretty quick rate,' she said.

'But I look forward to slowing down and just easing into life together and navigating everything that comes our way together.'
She's posing for the new Kendall and Kylie fashion collection.

But Kendall Jenner left little to the imagination as she showed off her ample assets in sculpted white top that perfectly encased her chest.

The 21-year-old model posed provocatively in the futuristic long-sleeved shirt that she paired with dark, slit-like sunglasses.

Futuristic theme: Kendall Jenner, 21, left little to the imagination as she showed off her ample assets in sculpted white top that perfectly encased her chest

The supermodel paired the interesting top with baggy dark blue jeans that she folded up from her ankles.

She was also holding a dark red silk bag between her legs which she had spread apart in a casual manner as she sat on a chair outside.

The red light hit the supermodels face in a way that almost hid her features with her dark hair fading into the background.

It appears she was actually posing to showcase the metallic silver ankle boots from the sisters' collection as she also posted individual pictures of the boots.

Lucite Bootie: Kendall was modeling for the collection, wearing the metallic silver boots along with the top

Low stock: After the model advertised the boots on the site, sales immediately spiked

Earlier this week, the model had some fun with fellow model pals Hailey Baldwin and Justine Skye.

Sitting in her convertible with burger in-hand, the 21-year-old scowled as she was driven through a Los Angeles' drive thru' on Wednesday.

Posting the snap the following day, the star said: 'Better talk nice.'

In the picture, Kendall wore a bright yellow T-shirt with a Levis jean jacket and added a pair of slightly yellow lensed sunglasses - perfect for glaring.

Having fun! Sitting in her convertible with burger in-hand, the 21-year-old scowled as she was driven through a Los Angeles' drive thru' on Wednesday

The fun comes after a scary experience for the model who recently had her home burgled.

Last Thursday, $200,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from Kendall's home after she had a small party at her place.

The theft comes as the family finally talked in depth on their show Keeping Up With The Kardashians about Kim Kardashian being robbed at gun point in Paris last year.

In the emotional episode on Sunday, the family spoke of their terror for Kim, while Kim tearfully revealed she thought she would be raped and murdered during the ordeal.
She's always been one to experiment with fashion.

And in an epic throwback snap shared to Instagram on Thursday, Ruby Rose channeled an Emo vibe.

The 32-year-old sported blunt bangs and dressed down apparel, alongside The Veronicas' Lisa Origliasso and sister Jessica, who is now Ruby's girlfriend.

Style chameleon! Ruby Rose (centre), 32, channeled an Emo vibe in an epic throwback snap, shared to Instagram on Thursday, alongside The Veronicas' Jessica and Lisa Origliasso

'tbt (Throwback Thursday) one of these are not like the other ones...not like the other ones,' Ruby captioned the snap shared with her 10.4 million followers.

The image saw a much younger Ruby sporting heavy bangs and longer tresses, swept up into a high ponytail.

Heavy kohl liner drew attention to her eyes, while a a tank top and scarf added to the Emo look.

Twins Jessica and Lisa, 32, opted for a similar hairstyle and makeup look, complementing a top with a print emblazoned on the front.

History: The trio have been longtime friends, with Ruby having previously dated Jessica in 2008

It is unknown as to the exact date of when the photo was taken.

The trio have been longtime friends, with Ruby having previously dated Jessica in 2008.

However, Ruby and Jessica recently rekindled their love while filming the video clip for The Veronicas' single On Your Side in November, last year.

That same month, Jessica confirmed her relationship with the DJ during an appearance on NOVA FM's Kent 'Smallzy' Small evening show.

On again: Ruby and Jessica rekindled their love, while filming the video clip for The Veronicas' single On Your Side in November last year

She told the host they fell back in love while filming the music video, which Ruby stars in.

'It's me. Me and Ruby Rose. And it is our love story in this video,' Jessica said.

'It's about the dynamic, the highs and the lows of people in love, in a relationship.'

Speaking of her rekindled romance, Jessica described it as 'the craziest thing.'

'We have been friends for eight years. A really long time and it was just honestly the craziest thing.

Opening up: Speaking of her rekindled romance with NOVA FM's Kent 'Smallzy' Small evening show in November last year, Jessica described it as 'the craziest thing'

Not holding back: 'We have been friends for eight years. A really long time and it was just honestly the craziest thing,' the songstress continued to gush

'We just reconnected over doing this video, she wrote and directed it, and is in it with us and we just sort of fell in love,' Jessica continued.

Confirmation from Ruby came as she gushed about Jessica on social media.

She shared an image of the pair cosying up to one another in New Zealand, where the video for the new song was filmed.

'Road trip with the most beautiful girl I've ever known and loved @jessicaveronica,' Ruby captioned the photo, which pictured them wrapping their arms around one another.

Soon after, Jessica re-posted the image of the new couple alongside the text: 'She told me; how can I not believe in fate'.
She has a penchant for fashion that reflects her modern hippie aesthetic.

And Isabel Lucas channels 'prairie chic' in a gorgeous photo spread for ELLE Australia's April issue.

The 32-year-old also spoke to the magazine about being a vegetarian and why she has taken to espousing an eco-conscious style.

Scroll down for video

Hippie aesthetic: Isabel Lucas channels her best 'prairie chic' looks in a gorgeous photo spread for ELLE Australia 's April issue

The Melbourne-born actress recently became a brand ambassador for Sante By Enjo, a range of reusable, chemical-free products.

'Its the direction we need to be going in, especially with someone like Trump elected,' she told the publication of the company's approach to sustainable skincare.

'You only need to use water with the range, so youre no longer using a lot of the chemicals [found in other products], which just flow out into the ocean,' she added.

Down to earth: The 32-year-old spoke to the magazine about being a vegetarian and why she has taken to espousing eco-conscious style

In captivating images shot by famed photographer Georges Antoni, the blonde beauty stuns in ethereal designs by Zimmermann, Celine, H&M and more.

The Hollywood starlet wears minimal makeup to showcase her natural beauty and stars alongside the magazine's fashion editor Emma Kalfus's daughter, Sugar.

A passionate environmentalist and animal rights advocate, she narrowly escaped arrest by Japanese authorities in 2007 for her part in a dolphin hunting protest.

Natural beauty: She's a passionate environmentalist and animal rights advocate, narrowly escaping arrest by Japanese authorities in 2007 for her part in a dolphin hunting protest

The former Home And Away actress recently revealed she has a secret 'women's circle' to help her stay grounded while living in Los Angeles.

'There are like 60 people in our little invite group now, but only about 12 to 16 come at a time,' she told The Sydney Morning Herald.

'We share our shadow and our gold,' she continued. 'Your shadow is your block, whatever is unconsciously blocking you, and your gold is whatever is filling you up.'

Girl power: The former Home and Away actress recently revealed she has a secret 'women's circle' to help her stay grounded while living in Los Angeles
Howard Stern knows how to get A-listers taking about their private parts.

Such was the case with Hugh Jackman, who told the King of All Media in a newly-rehashed April 30, 2009 interview, that he received a bag full of nude outtakes of himself as a parting gift from the director of his film that year, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. (The anecdote was making headlines Thursday amid the massive success of Jackman's new release, Logan.)

Stern, 63, asked the 48-year-old Logan leading man, 'You're not afraid to show your penis on film, are you?'

Scroll below for video

Goodie bag: Hugh Jackman, 48, revealed in a newly-unearthed Howard Stern interview that director Gavin Hood gave him a collection of outtakes that revealed his nudity at the conclusion of X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The Sydney, Australia native nodded no, but noted the inherent issues that come with exposing oneself when it comes to the censors.

'The only problem is the PG-13 rating,' said the actor, who added that his genitals surfaced in lots of footage shot, but was left on the cutting room floor with a mainstream audience to appeal to.

But the footage didn't entirely go to waste, as the the Oscar-nominated Les Miserables star revealed to the SiriusXM host that the film's director, Gavin Hood, saved it all for a parting gift when shooting of the summer blockbuster drew to a close.

The Stern inquisition: The star of the half-billion dollar blockbuster Logan sat down with the satellite radio personality in 2009

No worries: Jackman said that he doesn't mind appearing nude on camera, save for the impact a stricter rating could mean for his mainstream blockbusters

Parting gift: Jackman said that director Gavin Hood (right) gave him a bag of nude clips when production wrapped up on the motion picture

'When we finished the film, my wrap gift from the director was a bag which had all the film cut off with my d--- in it. So, I got frames of film, and I am looking, going, "OK, hello!"'

Stern then asked Jackman, 'Do you have a big d---?'

'It's pretty good, I think - I'm fine,' Jackman said.

Stern then delivered his theory on why on-camera male nudity can be a risky proposition for the actor.

Endowment of the arts: The King of All Media isn't shy about asking celebrities about the size of their genitals, as he's grilled stars from Kid Rock to Rod Stewart to Nick Cannon about their anatomical dimensions

'Richard Gere, I thought, made a classic mistake as an actor, he appeared nude in a film where his penis was the size of a mushroom,' Stern said, referring to 1980's American Gigolo.

'So when you're nude and there's a chance that your full penis will be on there, you don't fret because it's a big one? ... over six inches?' asked Stern, to which Jackman responded, 'Yeah.'

Stern asked Jackman: 'Do you ever think ... to have a big penis, it's great, huh? life's great for you.'

Star in the city: The Australian actor was snapped earlier this month making the promotional rounds for his latest film, Logan

Jackman - who's been wed to wife Deborra-Lee Furness for more than 20 years - said, 'Everything's fine - I'm a married man, and there's been no complaints there, so that's all I'm worried about.'

Logan is in theaters now; Jackman plays P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman, due out Christmas Day.

Live Stern shows can be heard Monday thru Wednesday on SiriusXM.
She gave birth to twin sons Tom and Darcy in late September last year.

And AFL WAG Rebecca Judd hasn't been shy in updating her Instagram fans with her children's development ever since.

The 34-year-old took to the site on Friday, sharing a precious snap of the boys teething.

They grow up so fast! Rebecca Judd, 34, shared a precious snap to Instagram on Friday, of twin sons Tom and Darcy teething

'Teething much?' Rebecca captioned the adorable photo shared with her 616,000 Instagram followers.

Tom and Darcy sported white onesies with their initials emblazoned on the front, and were positioned on their backs with an abundance of toys surrounding them.

The precious tots held wooden toys up to their mouth, with Darcy pulling a rather playful expression.

Teething generally occurs between six and eight months of a child's development, and involves the baby teeth beginning to emerge through the gums.

Mishap: The post comes a day after Rebecca took to Instagram, sharing an unfortunate mishap of son Darcy throwing up onto her exposed skin

The post comes a day after Rebecca took to Instagram sharing a real and unedited look at motherhood.

The brand ambassador cradled Darcy on her lap, who appeared to have just thrown up over her exposed skin.

The Melbourne-based mother reclined on cushions for the photo, as she showcased the aftermath of her son being sick.

She captioned the picture: 'Standard morning cuddles'.

Growing brood: Rebecca is also a mother to son Oscar, five, and daughter Billie, three. Pictured with husband and father of her children, Chris Judd, 33

Hands-on: The brand ambassador is a doting mother, while still maintaining a burgeoning business

The television presenter welcomed twin sons Tom and Darcy in Melbourne, via emergency cesarean section on the afternoon of Thursday, September 29.

Since their arrival, Rebecca has often taken to Instagram, sharing a series of precious pics of family life.

The brunette is also a mother to son Oscar, five, and daughter Billie, three.

Rebecca shares her precious children with husband and former AFL star Chris Judd, 33.

The high-profile pair tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in 2010.

Connected: Since Tom and Darcy's arrival, Rebecca has often taken to Instagram, sharing a series of precious pics of family life

Married bliss: Rebecca tied the knot with her former AFL playing beau in a lavish ceremony in 2010
Kate Bosworth is the latest big name to join the cast of The Long Road Home.

The production is an upcoming National Geographic miniseries that details the events of an infamous attack on American soldiers during the Iraq War in 2004, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Kate, 34, adds her name to a star-studded ensemble also featuring Michael Kelly, Sarah Wayne Callies, Noel Fisher, Jason Ritter, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Jeremy Sisto.

New role: Kate Bosworth has been cast in The Long Road Home, which tells the story of an April 4, 2004 attack on American soldiers in Iraq

The miniseries will tell the story of Black Sunday on April 4, 2004, when a platoon with Fort Hood, Texas's 1st Cavalry Division was attacked in Sadr City, Iraq, leading military authorities to engage in a subsequent rescue mission amid the carnage. In all, eight soldiers tragically died, and dozens were injured, in the bloody wartime ambush.

Cameras will begin rolling in Texas in a few weeks on the miniseries, which is due to premiere later this year. The miniseries is derived from the Martha Raddatz's 2007 tome with the same title.

The Superman Returns star will portray the role of Gina Denomy, the wife of the rescue mission protagonist Capt. Troy Denomy (Ritter).

Glamorous: The big name starlet was a vision of splendor in an intricate gown at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party last month

Understated: Bosworth kept a low profile at the airport last month as she arrived in LA

Kelly plays a battalion commander named Lt. Col. Gary Volesky, who prompts the rescue efforts in the wake of the ambush, with Callies playing his spouse.

National Geographic executive Carolyn G. Bernstein calls the upcoming production 'an extraordinary story of war, dramatizing not just the heroism and sacrifice on the front lines but the family bonds and courage on the home-front.

She added, 'We are thrilled to have such a strong, talented cast on board to portray the real-life heroes - the courageous soldiers and their equally courageous families - who sacrificed so much for our country.'

Fashionista: The Superman Returns star was seen in London for Fashion Week last month
Nicki Minaj strutted through JFK Airport on Thursday wearing blue suede, thigh-high Balmain boots and Hood By Air visor shades.

The 34-year-old rap diva - who relies on stylist Maher Jridi - also sported knee-length hair extensions as her entourage toted her Louis Vuitton luggage through the terminal.

The 10-time Grammy nominee had spent the duration of the grueling seven-hour flight from London in the luxury of her own private jet.

Scroll down for video

Coming through: Nicki Minaj strutted through JFK Airport on Thursday wearing blue suede, thigh-high Balmain boots and Hood By Air visor shades

NBD: The 34-year-old rap diva - who relies on stylist Maher Jridi - also sported knee-length hair extensions as her entourage toted her Louis Vuitton luggage through the terminal.

Nicki (born Onika Maraj) had tweeted her condolences for the victims of the ISIS terrorist attack on Wednesday near the Houses of Parliament.

'May God protect everyone in London,' Minaj - who boasts 139.8M followers - tweeted.

'Hate hearing this sad news. Sending my condolences to the victims' families.'

'#BarbieBackInAmerica': The 10-time Grammy nominee had spent the duration of the grueling seven-hour flight from London in the luxury of her own private jet

'May God protect everyone': Nicki (born Onika Maraj) had tweeted her condolences for the victims of the ISIS terrorist attack on Wednesday near the Houses of Parliament

Posing with fans on Monday: The Trinidad-born, New York-raised beauty considers the UK capital her 'second home' where she shot a music video Sunday

The Trinidad-born, New York-raised beauty considers the UK capital her 'second home' where she shot a music video Sunday while clad in an Alexander McQueen dress and boots.

Nicki and her rumoured boyfriend videographer, Grizz Lee aka Alex Loucas, will begin shooting David Guetta's music video Light My Body Up with Lil' Wayne on Friday.

Billboard crowned Minaj their woman with the most Hot 100 entries of all time earlier this month - thanks to her new singles No Frauds, Regret in Your Tears, and Changed It.

'Shooting in less than 24 hours!' Nicki and her rumoured boyfriend videographer, Grizz Lee aka Alex Loucas, will begin shooting David Guetta's music video Light My Body Up on Friday
Dermot OLeary offered a moving tribute to London while dedicating The Nightly Show to the victims of Wednesday afternoons terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.

Opening Thursdays edition of the divisive talk show, Dermot, 43, reflected on the capital city and its citizens for their resilience and ability to overcome the atrocity, during which five people lost their lives, with an emotional monologue.

Addressing the audience, he said: 'The terror attacks yesterday happened just a mile away from here. Tonight we're dedicating our show to London; to the people who live here, visit here and who work hard to keep us safe here.

Scroll down for video

Here's to us: Dermot OLeary offered a moving tribute to London as he dedicated The Nightly Show to the victims of Wednesday afternoons terrorist attack on Westminster Bridger and the Houses of Parliament

'People say London isnt Britain, but to be honest I think it is. Being a Londoner has nothing to do with whether youre born here, the colour of your skin or the faith you follow. Its about acceptance, stoicism, tolerance and respect.

'Its about millions of people being able to live side by side, day by day, in an exciting, vibrant, infuriating, beautiful city, and as awful as yesterday was we know that well endure.

He added: 'In my  and it is my humble opinion  it will just make us stronger. We'll go on living, working, playing, moaning and queuing together. So from us here at The Nightly Show tonight, here's to London, and here's to home.'

Tribute: Opening Thursdays edition of the divisive talk show, Dermot, 43, reflected on the capital city and its citizens for their resilience and ability to overcome the atrocity, during which four people lost their lives, with an emotional monologue

Dermot's tribute echoed a similar speech offered by British host James Corden at the start of the Late Late Show on Wednesday night in recognition of the terror attack.

Corden, who is from the London borough of Hilingdon, began his show by saying how, 'watching the news today, I felt a really long, long way from home.

'And it's funny when something like that happens in your hometown, you don't have a feeling of being glad that you're so far away,' he continued.

'What you feel is that you wish you could be there with loved ones to stand alongside them.'

Tribute: James Corden also gave a heartfelt tribute to London on Wednesday night, in response to the terror attack on the Houses of Parliament in the center of the city earlier in the day

Video courtesy The Late Late Show with James Corden

'While we're filming this, it's still unknown what the motives [of the attackers] were,' Corden said at the start of his introduction.

'What we do know at this point is that people have lost their lives and many, many more have been injured.

'And I know a lot of people in England watch this show. There's a lot of people from Britain who work on this show, and of course, our thoughts go out to everyone who's been affected by this.'

He concluded: 'London is a diverse and proud and brilliant city, and one thing is for sure: If this act of terrorism was supposed to divide the people of London, I know for a fact that all something like this does is bring them closer together as one.

'Tonight we send our heartfelt thoughts to everybody in Britain. Stay safe everybody, please.'

Terror: Five people were killed - including a police officer and the attacker - and 20 people injured, 12 seriously, after the assailant drove a car through crowds on a sidewalk

The attack began at around 2.30pm in the heart of London on Westminster Bridge, which crosses from the south side of the Thames River over to the Houses of Parliament - the seat of British government - on the north.

The attacker, driving a Hyundai 4x4, mounted the sidewalk on the south end of the bridge and plowed into pedestrians.

He then continued up the bridge, striking more civilians, before crashing into the railings of the Houses of Parliament.

The assailant then burst through security and stabbed a police officer to death before being fatally shot three times by armed police.

As well as the assailant and police officer, three civilians died on the scene, 12 suffered serious injuries and a further eight suffered lesser injuries.

Injured victims included a group of French schoolchildren aged 15-16 and three police officers returning from a commendation ceremony.

The attacker, Birmingham based Khalid Masood, is believed to have been inspired by international terrorism.

There was speculation that there might have been more than one attacker, but police are currently operating on the basis that he acted alone.
Chloe Lewis has been slammed by Denise Van Outen, as she stands accused of pulling out of a charity bike ride just a day before she was due to jet off to India.

On Thursday, The Sun reported Denise, Michelle Heaton and Kate Thornton learned at the last minute that the TOWIE star would not be joining them on their 187-mile trek in Kerala, in honour of the late celebrity fitness guru Nicki Waterman.

And after the newspaper's Dan Wootton tweeted that Chloe 'should be embarrassed for letting so many people down and costing a charity thousands' on Friday, Denise agreed, adding: 'No apology to our team and no message of support. True story.'

Scroll down for video

Slammed: Denise Van Outen has slammed Chloe Lewis, after it was reported that the TOWIE star pulled out of a charity bike ride just a day before she was due to fly to India this month

Late Thursday night, Chloe had taken to the micro-blogging site to shoot down Dan's report, as she wrote: 'Outrageous on your behalf!! You should get your facts straight before making up stories. Absolutely shocking!'

She had previously cited 'visa issues' as her reason for withdrawing from the sporty charity event, which took place earlier this month.

However, a source told The Sun of the reality TV star: 'Chloe completely blanked all calls and texts about the ride.

Twitter clash: After the news was broken by The Sun's Dan Wootton, Chloe denied the allegations - but Denise soon chimed in, insisting that they were true

'She was due to take part but did no training and went off to Australia when she was meant to be getting ready for the ride. Her actions have cost the charity thousands of pounds in planned sponsorship  its gutting.'

When contacted by MailOnline over the allegations, a representative for Chloe Lewis refused to comment.

Chloe, however, has since shared an apology to Brain Tumour Research - insisting her reason for pulling out so late on was because her visa hadn't been sorted in time.

She shared a message to Instagram that read: 'I want to apologise for any confusion to the charity Brain Tumour Research I would have loved to have gone to India to do the cycle with the team but unfortunately I didn't get my visa in time.

'I would have loved to have gone to India': Chloe publicly posted an apology to Brain Tumour Research on her via her Instagram page

'I have ensured that I have paid all costs that I would have incurred going to India.

'Me and my family support lots of charities and I will be supporting this charity going forward.

'Upsetting how people can print untrue stories about you.'

On Thursday, Denise - who has been the voice of TOWIE since 2010 - discussed the bike ride as she made an appearance on ITV's Lorraine, saying of her late friend: 'We were every close and I miss her dearly and I wanted to do something in her memory.

Down Under: As the group toiled away on their bike ride, Chloe enjoyed a trip to Australia

Itsy bitsy: She uploaded a series of scintillating swimsuit shots to her Instagram account

No apology: Her trip took place as Denise complained that she offered no apology or support

Issues: Chloe had cited 'visa issues' as her reason for pulling out of the sporty charity event

'It was so emotional, it was lovely. She was a sunny, happy person and even with everything that happened she would be the first to put a positive spin on everything.'

On Friday morning, the actress took to her Instagram account to share shots from the emotional ride, showing the group as they hugged after crossing the finish line.

Tagging Lydia Bright - who is a friend of Chloe - in one of her captions, she gushed: 'I've said it before, I love the Bright family! They go above and beyond for charity.'

The celebrity group Brain Tumour Research, as they honoured popular Nicki, who died from a brain tumour in August 2016 following a cancer battle.

Trek: On Friday morning, Denise shared snapshots from the Kerala trek, which took place to honour her late friend Nicki Waterman, and raised funds for Brain Tumour Research
She brutally friendzoned her 'husband' Jesse Konstantinoff in Married At First Sight this week.

But Michelle Marsh may not be so unlucky in love after all, confirming on Friday that she has indeed been spending time with MAFS season two's Jono Pittman.

The attractive blonde twin told 9Honey that they had connected 'recently' and gushed: 'I'm grateful to have met him'.

'I'm grateful to have met him': MAFS' Michelle Marsh CONFIRMS she has been seeing Jono Pittman and reveals the two have 'bonded over our similar situation'

Michelle emphasised that while the episode where she told Jesse she wanted a 'friendship of love' only aired this week, she had broken things off last year.

'Jesse and I ended our relationship at the vow renewal ceremony a few months ago,' she said.

The Perth beauty said she had met Jono, who was unsuccessfully matched with Clare Verrall in season two, during a meeting of their show alum but failed to go into the specifics of their relationship.

'I met Jono at a 'MAFS reunion' recently where we bonded over our similar situation. He has offered his advice and support to me and I'm grateful to have met him,' Michelle said.

New relationship? Michelle Marsh may have already moved on with the show's former bad boy Jono Pittman, after the two were spotted out together Monday

On Friday, The Daily Telegraph the pair stepped out on a double date with the 31-year-old's twin sister Sharon and her beau Nick Furphy at Melbourne's Southbank on Monday.

Melbourne woman Ashley Roberts spoke to the publication, stating the reality stars looked cosy and comfortable around one another.

'They were on Southbank for drinks, and walking outside Crown. I think that he (Jono) is friends with Nick, Michelles twins partner,' she said.

'They were really flirty and all over each other ... It definitely looked like a double date.'

Twinning: The sighting was reportedly a double date between Michelle and Jono, and Sharon and Nick

Jono, who was labelled a villain on the show's second season, refused to comment on the date report telling The Daily Telegraph: 'I don't really like being in the spotlight much.'

The tradie once infamously whispered: 'she's not what I ordered' as his beaming TV 'wife' Clare walked down the aisle.

After the couple could not resolve their differences, the controversial groom moved out and quickly picked things up with an ex-love.

Split: Michelle broke things off with Jesse Konstantinoff, with fans slamming her for leading him on throughout the series

Clare spoke to Daily Mail Australia on Friday about the shocking romance report surrounding Jono and Michelle.

'If Michelle and Jono are newly together that's great and I hope they find happiness in one another,' she said.

'I genuinely wish nothing but happiness for Jono. We were not a good match, however he certainly deserves to find love.'

Publicity stunt? Jono's ex Clare has spoken out to say that the move may be a publicity stunt, but she wishes nothing but the best for the couple

Looking for love? Jono was labelled one of the bad boys of the show's second season, after he clashed with his TV wife Clare Verrall

She was quick to point out that all may not be as it seems, with the possibility the sighting was nothing more than a stunt.

'I highly doubt this is true though since three different friends sent me texts and videos of him hitting on any girl with a pulse at the St Hotel last Sunday,' Clare said.

'Sounds like a publicity stunt.'

Every happiness: Clare extended her best wishes to the couple, saying she 'genuinely wishes nothing but happiness for Jono'

It comes just days after Michelle was spotted with one of this season's other villains Andrew 'Jonesy' Jones.

The 31-year-old blonde was pictured hanging out with series Andrew, 38, revealing her slender frame in a skimpy bikini.

The snap was shared to the firefighter's Instagram Monday and showed him shirtless on a statue in the Swan River in Perth, as Michelle watched on.

Daily mail Australia has reached out to Jono and Michelle for comment.
She is the half-sister of fashion icon Kate Moss, and now she is a star in her own right.

But Lottie Moss enjoyed some time away from the catwalk on Thursday for a spot of shopping with her mum Inga.

The lookalike mother and daughter were spotted shopping together on the famous Chelsea stretch The Kings Road in London for a mother-daughter bonding session ahead of Mother's Day on Sunday.

Scroll down for video

Double take: Lottie Moss stepped out in similar outfit to mum Inga for a shopping spree on Chelsea's Kings Road on Thursday

Kate's 19-year-old half-sister showed she was off catwalk duty as she got snug in a massive duffel coat.

The blonde bombshell looked almost unrecognisable in her casual outfit, as she wrapped up warm to keep out the chilly bite of the spring air.

But the youngster still showed off her enviable model-honed legs in skin-tight black skinny jeans for the shopping spree.

And nothing says how close you are to your mum when you confidently pull of similar outfits.

Inger also opted for black jeans and a matching raincoat for their bonding session.



Mother like daughter: Both Lottie and her mother Inga Moss wore similar outfits for the shopping trip

The beauty recently caught up with her 43-year-old supermodel half-sister when the good looking sisters made an appearance together during Paris Fashion Week earlier this month.

The glamorous girls have been attending fashion shows together for years.

But Lottie, who shares her dad Peter Edward Moss with Kate from Peter's first marriage to Linda Rosina, hadn't always planned to follow in the footsteps of her older half-sister.

All eyes were on the model when she attended Kate's wedding five years ago aged 13.

Sister from another mister: The teen looked the image of her older half-sister Kate Moss, 43, when they attended the Topshop Unique show together at London Fashion Week in February 2014

The now catwalk queen bagged a test shoot with Storm Management, the agency who kick started Kate's career.

She told The Telegraph: 'I never really wanted to be a model when I was younger.

'It was something I didn't think I could do  until I was scouted at my sister's wedding. I remember thinking, Yeah, that actually sounds fun.'
He's the former Bachelor star who is set to wed fiance Snezana Markoski this year.

But it seems another young female has been spotted clinging on the muscular arms of Sam Wood, on Thursday.

The 36-year-old personal trainer took to Instagram to share a picture of himself with Ivy, a koala joey at the Wildlife HQ Zoo, in Woombye on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

'Beautiful fella hanging on for dear life': Sam Wood has taken to Instagram to share a photo of himself with an adorable koala joey

Sam was all smiles for the camera even though little Ivy's claws appeared to be digging into the 28 Program founder's bicep.

He captioned the adorable post: 'Beautiful fella hanging on for dear life @wildlifehq.'

Follower's of the Tasmanian-born hunk commented on the photo, one fan said: 'Couldn't get his claws around those guns!'

Red hot couple: Sam (who was not with fiance Snezana Markoski) was all smiles for the camera even though little Ivy's claws appeared to be digging into the 28 Program founder's bicep

Love birds: Sam has been busy helping Snezana prepare for their upcoming nuptials

Another person commented: 'Same way my 7 month old holds onto me.'

Someone else said: Most down to earth bachelor ever with the best online program

Meanwhile someone else joked: 'One word - chlamydia!'

Happy family: The hunk has also been busy changing lives around the world with his successful weightloss program 28 by Sam Wood (pictured with Snezana and her daughter Eve)

Sam has been busy helping Snezana prepare for their upcoming nuptials, revealing details to the Kyle and Jackie O show earlier in the year.

He said: 'We're going to get married overseas. We just want our immediate family and closest friends... It will be further than Fiji, we'll say that.'

The hunk has also been busy changing lives around the world with his successful weightloss program 28 by Sam Wood.
He publicly defended the controversial decision to appoint Noel Fielding as the new host for the Great British Bake Off as 'perfect and exciting'.

And show veteran Paul Hollywood has thrown his support behind the comedian once again as they enjoyed a boys' night out in London on Thursday.

The much-adored baker, 51, took to Instagram on Friday morning to show off his budding bromance with his new co-star, 43, ahead of filming the latest series for Channel 4.

Scroll down for video

Supportive: Paul Hollywood, 51, and controversial new Great British Bake Off host Noel Fielding, 43, enjoyed a lads' night out in London on Thursday

Paul showed off his pearly whites as he beamed for the camera, while Noel posed in the background with a cheeky expression adorned on his face.

Sharing the snap with his followers, the celebrity chef simply captioned the shot: 'Catching up with Noel...'.

And Paul's hordes of fans quickly flocked to his social media account to share their opinions on the 'bonkers' decision to appoint Noel as the new co-host.

Defence: Prue Leith says she hopes Noel will maintain his 'wild side' when he begins to present the Great British Bake Off on Channel Four

One excited fan wrote: 'Can't wait... Dream team', while another echoed the sentiment with: 'I admit I was gonna turn off but thanks to Noel you will gain a whole new army of fans!!!! Cant wait (sic)'.

However, a third was not too happy by the new friendship, writing: 'Sorry. might be a lovely guy, but does not match the show. losing viewers there.'

The pair's lads' night out comes after new judge, Prue Leith, defended the choice of the comedian as presenter of the family show, saying she hopes 'he doesn't lose that wild side'.

New appointment: Noel 's presenting role on GBBO has left some fans scratching their heads

The baker, 77, revealed her two children are big fans of the comic who made his name on Channel Four cult comedy series The Mighty Boosh.

'I've only heard of him because my children just adored him,' she told The Sun. 'They don't watch Bake Off but they do watch him.

'My daughter said rather rudely, "Well now he's in it I might watch it." I was like "What about me?"

Just stepped out in London town: On Friday, Noel was spotted out and about in London

Wrapped: He wore a multi-coloured scarf and a black coat with faux fur hem for his excursion

And while Noel's past career stints have been tailored to a rather more niche audience than Bake Off's broader base, the South African-born restaurateur thinks Noel might adapt his brand of humour to the family show.

'If you go to church, you don't behave the same way you do at a party in the middle of the night,' said Prue. 'So he might change a bit. But I hope he doesn't lose that wild side.'

Noel and Sandi Toksvig will take over presenting duties from BBC duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins while Prue fills Mary Berry shoes, joining Paul Hollywood to judge the baking.

Skinny jeans: He also donned skinny jeans with a pair of tri-coloured boots

Retro: He carried a retro-style bag as he made his way through the English capital's streets

This comes despite X-rated lyrics to Noel Fielding's song with Kasabian's Serge Pizzorno - leaving bosses at Love Productions fearful of losing the series' familial viewership.

The joker's expletive song Live For The Night [Cocaine City] - from his band Loose Tapestries' album NHS - is filled with heavy-duty references to drugs and sex, proving to be a far cry from the cookie-cutter Channel 4 baking show.

Noel's controversial song features the following lyrics: 'Do you think you can send down a couple of jungle c**ks and one of those skinny white Thai c**ks?'

Hotline: He was seen checking his phone as he stepped out on the chilly and blustery day

The Never Mind The Buzzcocks star also repeated the shocking phrase: 'From flaccid to erections', before comparing male ejaculation to paintings of American artist Jackson Pollock.

'Hi Gloria, could you send in both cleaning teams please? The neon dance floor looks like a Jackson Pollock. Thank you, soon as possible. Literally paddling in semen down here,' a voice-over concluded the profanity fuelled single.

However, his Kasabian rocker bandmate Serge ensured to show Noel his support and told Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1 on Friday that the pair had discussed the move.

Sticking up for him: This comes after his controversial appointment as GBBO host, alongside Sandi Toksvig, was defended by chef Paul as 'a big thing for the country'

He cited surrealist artist Salvador Dali as the reason behind Noel's justification to cross over into mainstream TV.

Apparently the quirky star deliberated with the Kasabian frontman before agreeing to replace beloved duo Mel and Sue alongside the QI lead.

Serge, 36, who just released a new single, explained: 'We figured, Salvador Dali did a chocolate advert, so that sort of makes it all right.'

The renowned surrealist artist starred in a chocolate advert for Lanvin in 1968 to make money in addition to his earnings from selling artworks.

Stepping back: Mary Berry decided not to make the jump to Channel Four but remain with the BBC

The rock star said he believes his friend will be 'absolutely fantastic' in the series, but was sad not to be able to go out and celebrate the news on Friday night.

He said the pair decided not to head out partying because of the anger displayed by some fans over the Channel 4 and Love Productions execs' choices for Mel and Sue's replacements.

However, GBBO's chef Paul Hollywood, who has been part of the successful show since 2010, branded Noel's appointment 'perfect and exciting'.

Expletive: Noel's controversial song features the following lyrics: 'Do you think you can send down a couple of jungle c**ks and one of those skinny white Thai c**ks?'

'Absolutely fantastic!' His Kasabian rocker friend Serge, 36, showed Noel his support and told Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1 on Friday that the pair had discussed the move

He said: 'I'm really excited. Obviously it's a big thing for the country, the Bake Off, and when I heard the names read out, I was really excited.'

'I think the whole dynamics of it, when I sat down and thought about it, because I'm a big fan of Noel, and Sandi actually.

'I did know about Prue but I didnt know about the others at all but its perfect, I'm really, really excited. At the end of the day, most people were in the dark, it's kept very quiet for obvious reasons.'

He's a fan! On Monday, GBBO's chef Paul Hollywood, who has been part of the successful show since 2010, branded Noel's appointment 'perfect and exciting'

Paul also expanded on his joy at the hiring of Prue: 'Obviously shes got this huge professional background and I've got nothing but respect for her, I'm really looking forward to it.

'We've met and had a chat, there's something there, she reminds me of my mother-in-law in a fantastic way, and I think we'll get on great.'

In September when the Channel 4 move was announced, he stated: 'Since I was a kid, baking has been part of my life. The seven series inside the tent have created some great memories.

Chatting away: In September when the Channel 4 move was announced, he stated: 'Since I was a kid, baking has been part of my life. The seven series inside the tent have created some great memories'

'Best of all, I have felt so pleased to experience other people getting the baking bug, just as I did when my dad helped me make my first loaf.

'The Great British Bake Off has brought baking to the nation and we've seen people from all walks of life and backgrounds, experience the highs and lows of competition, and more importantly helping each other.

'It's been a huge part of my life in the past few years and I just couldn't turn my back on all that - the bakers themselves, the bakes, the team that makes it, and of course the tent, the bunting, and who could forget the squirrels.

'So I am delighted that I will be continuing as a judge when Bake Off moves to Channel 4. I want to thank the BBC and Mel and Sue for making my time in the tent great fun and really rewarding.'
She gave birth to twin boys last September.

And since quitting her weekend weather presenting job to spend more time with her children, Rebecca 'Bec' Judd has certainly been busy.

On Friday, the 33-year-old revealed to her Instagram followers that she had been unable to shower all day because she was looking after her four kids solo.

'Four kids solo': Rebecca Judd reveals that she hasn't been able to shower all day as she juggles her small children with no help

The blogger shared a photo on her Instagram story which showed her looking fresh faced and natural, wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with the word 'WINNING'.

'Winning is finally having my morning shower at 8pm. 4 kids solo is farrrrrrrkt,' Bec captioned the photo.

It's not the first time Bec has spoken about how she juggles four small children, getting candid in an interview with Today last November.

The life of a mum: On Friday, the 33-year-old revealed to her Instagram followers that she had been unable to shower all day because she was looking after her four kids solo

The WAG revealed that her mother had relocated from Western Australia for 12 months and was living with her in order to lend a hand with her children.

Bec also has the help of her husband Chris Judd's parents, who live on the same street as the young family.

She admitted to employing a part time nanny, who joined the family during their December holiday in Noosa.

Fun in the sun: She also admitted to employing a part time nanny, who joined the family during their December holiday in Noosa

'I still feel like Im fluking it and just getting through': It's not the first time Bec has spoken about how she juggles four small children, recently getting candid in an interview with Today last November

'I still feel like Im fluking it and just getting through,' Bec gushed to Today's Lisa Wilkinson.

'I know its kind of an old cliche but they say take it one day at a time  Im taking it one hour at the time and thats just the way youve got to be.'

2017 has also seen Bec take on some new career challenges, releasing a range of custom-designed bed linen for Adairs and appearing on KIIS FM's The 3pm Pick-Up every Monday.

Help from mum: The WAG revealed that her mother had relocated from Western Australia for 12 months and was living with her in order to lend a hand with her children

Last year, Bec confirmed that she wouldn't be returning to her weekend weather presenting job on Channel Nine in order to spend more time with her kids.

She also said it would mean her and husband Chris could make better use of their holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula.

'We bought a property and whats the point of having that if we cant use it, Bec told the Herald Sun.

'Four years I was doing the weekend weather and together even as a couple we havent had weekends as he was always playing or doing pre-season.Most of my work stuff I do from home and weve got four kids. We need it.'
Their hugely popular fly on the wall reality show helped turn Kim Kardashian and her extended family into household names.

But after ten years, thirteen seasons and numerous spin-off shows, negotiations are reportedly underway to develop an animated series based on the successful Keeping Up with the Kardashians template.

TMZ claim family matriarch Kris Jenner has held talks with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in a bid to pitch an outline for the proposed show.

Scroll down for video

Popular: Talks are reportedly underway to turn Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian into cartoon characters for a new animated series featuring the pair and their extended family

While Kim, and her sisters  Kourtney, Khloe and Kendall and Kylie Jenner  will reportedly join a host of familiar faces should the animated series go into development, transgender father Caitlyn Jenner will not be involved.

The family already have some experience with animation following the release of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood  an Android App that allows users to create their own celebrity and embark on a series of red carpet adventures.

MailOnline has contacted Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenners representatives for further comment.

Previously: The family already have some experience with animation following the release of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood  an Android App that allows users to create their own celebrity and embark on a series of red carpet adventures'

Reports of an animated addition to the Kardashian TV portfolio comes amid claims that Kris is also trying to secure a dating show for son Rob, 30, following his latest split with Blac Chyna, 28.

Rob and Blac ended their tempestuous relationship after a series of breakups and reconciliations following the birth of daughter Dream Renee Kardashian, their only child, last November.

'[Kris] is in talks with execs about getting Rob his own dating show called Robs Romance,' a source told InTouch Weekly.

'Its going to have a similar vibe to The Bachelor. Hell wine and dine some of the girls at fancy celebrity hangouts, but others will be taken to fast-food restaurants like Taco Bell and Burger King.

Missing: While Kim, and her sisters  Kourtney, Khloe and Kendall and Kylie Jenner  will reportedly join a host of familiar faces should the animated series go into development, transgender father Caitlyn Jenner will not be involved

The source added: 'Kris wants to make sure Rob meets someone who loves him for him.'

Rob and Chyna embarked on a whirlwind romancing in January 2016 and announced their engagement in April and pregnancy in May.

They starred in their own E! reality show Rob & Chyna that documented their rocky relationship and culminated with the birth of their daughter.
He recounted his panic when he believed his wife Ruth Langsford had been caught up in this week's Westminster terror attacks.

And on Friday morning, Eamonn Holmes and his other half looked sombre as they walked across the reopened Westminster Bridge to pay tribute to those caught up in the devastating events.

'On our way into work this morning, we thought we wanted to go there and walk over the bridge and reflect on what happened,' the popular presenter, 57, revealed on ITV's This Morning.

Scroll down for video

Reflecting: On Friday morning, Eamonn Holmes and wife Ruth Langsford looked sombre as they walked across the reopened Westminster Bridge to pay tribute to those caught up in the devastating terror attack this week

'We wanted to go there': The scenes, which were shown on ITV's This Morning, showed them walking across the bridge to reflect

Adding to the downcast mood, Ruth added: 'Its extraordinary actually that its opened so quickly and the buses were running and people were obviously going to work

Eamonn interjected to add in, 'I think it opened too quickly. I actually think out of decency they should have closed the pedestrian walkway, because we were walking past there and we knew where certain people were killed.'

Ruth agreed with his viewpoint: 'Yes, I found it very difficult because youve seen such graphic photos (in the media) and I found it very hard and was thinking, if you were the family of those people who have been killed.

'But I was also talking to a photographer who was out there this morning and he said "No, I think its good, it shows that we will not be beaten by these people"'

Adding to the downcast mood: Ruth added, 'Its extraordinary actually that its opened so quickly and the buses were running and people were obviously going to work'

Eamonn interjected to add in: 'I think it opened too quickly. I actually think out of decency they should have closed the pedestrian walkway, because we were walking past there and we knew where certain people were killed'

'I found it very hard': Back in the studio, Ruth agreed with his viewpoint

Eamonn further reflected: 'But life doesnt go on for the families of those people involved and I think just a small period of reflection.

'I think the first thing the Prime Minister should have done was to go out there with a wreath - instead of addressing the House of Commons - to commemorate the people who died in that slaughter.

'And I just think a day or two of closing that bridge or a day of national reflection because its just so sad. Families will be forever affected.'

On Thursday, Eamonn revealed that a lucky twist of fate potentially saved wife Ruth from finding herself in the thick of the Westminster terror attack in London on Wednesday.

The presenting duo - who usually host Friday's weekly edition of This Morning together - typically work on separate projects on a Wednesday, with Ruth based at ITV to present Loose Women.

'I couldn't get in touch with her!' This comes after Eamonn recounting the panic he felt when he believed wife Ruth Langsford had been caught up in the Westminster terror attacks

And Eamonn has revealed that Westminster Bridge is the route Ruth typically takes when she drives home following the show's live transmission, which ends at 1:30PM.

This would have meant the TV star would have been travelling through the attack area as it unfolded.

Talking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on Thursday morning's This Morning, he said: 'Yesterday, I was speaking to my wife Ruth who had just finished on Loose Women and she said, "I'm just heading home now".

'Her normal route home would be within three minutes to this bridge and across there and when the news broke later - because it took 10, 15 minutes for the news to come out - I thought "Where's Ruth?"

'And I couldn't get in touch with her!'

Close call: Eamonn revealed that Westminster Bridge is the route Ruth is typically drives home following the show's live transmission, which ends at 1:30PM

Shaken: Had Ruth been on Westminster Bridge at the time, she would have potentially witnessed the attack

The clearly shaken TV veteran went on to explain that it was a bizarre coincidence that lead his wife to randomly pick a different way home.

'It turned out amazingly she went in a different direction, it was just some freaky chance she went in a different direction.'

Had Ruth been on Westminster Bridge at the time, she would have potentially witnessed the 'violent extremist' - who has now been named as 52-year-old Khalid Masood - mount the curb in a car, plough through the pedestrians on the pavement, continue through the traffic and smash into the railings at the Houses of Parliament.

Luck of the Irish: The clearly shaken TV veteran went on to explain that it was a bizarre coincidence that lead his wife to randomly pick a different way home

The British-born jihadi killed three and injured 29 as he mowed people down with his black Hyundai 4X4 rental car.

Masood stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death with two knives outside parliament after killing mother-of-two Aysha Frade and US tourist Kurt Cochran as he ploughed along a crowded pavement on the bridge.

The 'lone-wolf' attacker, who was living in the Birmingham area, has a series of convictions for assault and other crimes but police insist there was no intelligence suggesting he was about to unleash a terror attack.

Kent-born Masood has never been convicted of terror offences, although Theresa May revealed on Thursday morning that he had been on MI5's radar a number of years ago.

Scene of the crime: The British-born jihadi killed three and injured 29 as he mowed people down with his black Hyundai 4X4 rental car

A grave day: Kent-born Masood has never been convicted of terror offences, although Theresa May revealed on Thursday morning that he had been on MI5's radar a number of years ago

Masood was a married father-of-three, former English teacher and a religious convert who was into bodybuilding, according to Sky News.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said on Thursday afternoon: 'Masood was also known by a number of aliases. He was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.

'However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

'His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He has not been convicted for any terrorism offences.'
She played the curly-haired doctor to Tom Cruise's feisty NASCAR racer Cole Trickle in the hit '90s film Days of Thunder.

And it appears Nicole Kidman is set to relive her racetrack days alongside husband Keith Urban, when they attend the official launch of the Formula One Grand Prix VIP Party in Melbourne.

The 49-year-old is said to be the star attraction at the Swisse event, according to News.com.au, and will be appearing there Saturday.

Days of Thunder: Nicole Kidman is set to relive her race-track days alongside husband Keith Urban, when the two attend the the Formula One Grand Prix VIP Party in Melbourne.

Before taking on hosting duties, the actress will reportedly tour the Scuderia Ferrari pits, allowing her a glimpse of the impressive engine rooms.

Keen to keep the party rolling, the publication also reports that the Big Little Lies star will head to the QT hotel for an exclusive rooftop party afterwards.

Nicole famously portrayed Doctor Claire Lewicki in the 1990 film Days of Thunder, alongside her former husband Tom Cruise, about a champion driver looking to win a Daytona 500 race.

Blast from the past: Nicole famously portrayed Doctor Claire Lewicki in the 1990 film Days of Thunder, alongside her former husband Tom Cruise, spending many days trackside

Main attraction: The 49-year-old is said to be the star of the event at the VIP party Saturday night, and will even reportedly tour the Scuderia Ferrari pits

Her role as the event's main attraction might even see her relive the passionate exchange track side, this time with Keith, her husband of ten years.

Earlier this month, The Daily Edition also reported Nicole may be in the country to attend the Melbourne Grand Prix this weekend.

The news comes after the pair arrived in Australia on Friday with their daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

Loved up: Nicole and Keith are said to be 'planning to return to Australia permanently' with sources telling DailyMail.com the pair were hunting for a property in Queensland

The Top Gun actress was spotted at Sydney Airport looking stylish as usual in a navy coat over cropped jeans, and a pair of dark sunglasses.

She finished off her airport look with a scarf and black tote bag, styling her blonde hair in a chic ponytail.

Keith looked every inch the rock star in jeans and a leather jacket, placing a pair of aviator shades on his T-shirt neckline.

Tight schedule: During their time in Melbourne, the actress is also set to appear at the Business Chicks Lunch at the Crown Palladium on Monday afternoon

The loved-up couple are said to be 'planning to return to Australia permanently' with sources telling DailyMail.com the pair were hunting for a stunning bush property in Caboolture, Queensland.

It is believed the couple are eyeing up two of the grandest properties within the same ultra-private gated community, Thornhill Estates.

Back home: Nicole Kidman arrived in Australia on Friday, joined by her husband Keith Urban and their daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret

Re/max Legacy real estate director Matthew Thomson confirmed that there were interested buyers 'from all over the globe'.

Their schedule in Melbourne will also included an appearance at the Business Chicks Lunch at the Crown Palladium on Monday afternoon.

The Moulin Rouge! star will discuss 'the importance of female collaboration' and 'how she blends work and family' at the event.
Paris Hilton thinks Chris Zylka is 'the one.'

The 36-year-old DJ and socialite couldn't be happier with the 31-year-old actor and recently confessed just how much he means to her.

Speaking to TMZ cameramen at the airport on the way to Miami for Ultra Music festival, Paris was asked if he was 'the one,' to which she nodded in response, adding for people to 'stay tuned' about their budding romance.

She's found her guy: Paris Hilton thinks Chris Zylka is 'the one,' she told TMZ on Thursday. Here they are pictured on March 16

And despite her new-found love, the blonde beauty recently insisted she doesn't need 'anyone to validate her happiness.'

She said: 'I love being single. Before, I could never be alone. I always needed a boyfriend. Now, I feel so independent and I am so happy with myself. I don't need anyone to validate my happiness.'

While she rose to fame starring on The Simple Life with Nicole Richie, Paris wants to turn her back on her reality star routes and would prefer to be known as a businesswoman.

Confirmed! The beauty told the site people should 'stay tuned' to see what happens next witht he actor. Pictured Tuesday

She added: 'I want to be known as a businesswoman. I don't want to be known as a reality TV star. I don't like the way that sounds ...

'I have really grown past that ... spoiled, materialistic, bratty [persona].

'Now I mostly focus on my empire and my brand, rather than everything else that comes with the reality star kind of life ... I spend my time working rather than just enjoying myself and being on vacation.'

Growing up: And Paris is keen to be 'an inspiration' to other women who might want to make it in the business world

And Paris is keen to be 'an inspiration' to other women who might want to make it in the business world.

She said: 'I love that I can be a role model and inspiration to young women. I am all about girl power. I love being an inspiration to girls who want to be independent women and build their own brand and business and showing them that if you work hard and focus, dreams can come true.

'My advice would be to continue to work hard and surround yourself with good people and a great team who really want the best for you. Also, don't let it get to your head and always treat your fans with love and respect.'
The Real Housewives franchise is known for its cattiness and bitter fights.

But the drama on The Real Housewives of Sydney seems to be too much for former Melbourne Housewife Chyka Keebaugh, who has been left shocked by the new series.

'Wow, who ARE these woman?' the stunned reality star told news.com.au this week.

Speaking out: Former Real Housewives of Melbourne star Chyka Keebaugh has revealed her feelings about The Real Housewives of Sydney

The blonde businesswoman then said that the Sydney cast makes Melbourne look like a group of schoolgirls by comparison.

If a preview of Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives of Sydney is anything to go by, it looks like Chyka's comments are no exaggeration.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday that Krissy Marsh 'fled' to China after clashing with Lisa Oldfield on the upcoming episode.

'Wow, who ARE these woman?' the blonde businesswoman said of the Sydney cast, before saying that they make the Melbourne ladies look like schoolgirls by comparison

No more: Chyka appeared on the Real Housewives of Melbourne for three seasons

The publication states that the pair are set to have an epic showdown, with Lisa 'shaming' her about her love life, and calling her a 's**t.'

According to the publication, outspoken Lisa called Krissy a 'f**king embarrassment' and 'wh**e' and said: 'You're always talking about the big c***s you've sucked.'

The feud reportedly takes place at a Sydney gallery where AthenaX Levendi is debuting her artwork.

Krissy said Lisa's words were uncalled for.

Gone away? The Daily Telegraph reporting that Krissy Marsh (pictured) has 'fled' to China after clashing with Lisa Oldfield

True? The publication reports that the pair are set to have an epic showdown on Monday's show, with Lisa (pictured) 'shaming' her about her love life, and calling her a 's**t'

'In this day and age, it is terrible that a woman can speak to another woman like that,' saying 'it was below the belt.'

Lisa reportedly stood by her words, telling the publication: 'I had a go at her in the most base level.'

Krissy meanwhile said the comments were like water off a duck's back to her, saying: 'It is embarrassing for her not for me.'
She surprised her boyfriend of one year Hugo Taylor, 30, earlier this week by arriving in Dubai to brighten up his work trip.

But Millie Mackintosh ditched her sunglasses entrepreneur beau in favour of a day with her girlfriends on Friday as they soaked up the Middle Eastern sun on The Terrace at luxurious Burj Al Arab Hotel, Jumeirah.

Showcasing her svelte, sun-kissed figure, the reality star, 27, slipped into an unusual off-the-shoulder ruffled bikini as she posed up a storm.

Scroll down for video

Bikini babe: Millie Mackintosh showed off her svelte, sun-kissed figure in a floral bikini as she spent the day at Dubai's luxurious Burj Al Arab Hotel on Friday

The off-the-shoulder bikini top highlighted the brunette's toned shoulders and arms while the high-waisted bottoms had a retro feel.

Millie stood on her tip toes and held her hand out as though she was a canape waitress, captioning the snap: 'At your service'.

The fashion designer let her tresses hang loose and wore a pair of round framed sunglasses as she enjoyed her fifth overseas trip of 2017.

The heiress, whose great grandfather invented Quality Street, cosied up to her pal Hannah Smith in another picture as they posed in front of a somewhat overcast skyline.

BFFs: The reality star, 27, ditched her sunglasses entrepreneur beau Hugo Taylor, 30, in favour of a day with her girlfriends as they soaked up the Middle Eastern sun

The girls are soaking up the sun in Dubai where Millie's boyfriend Hugo is on a work trip for his sunglasses brand Taylor Morris.

Millie is clearly delighted to be turning the working holiday into a romantic getaway as she shared a picture of her leaping for joy on Thursday.

Exhibiting her toned stomach, the Made In Chelsea star donned a cream Bahimi bikini top with a black trim that she teamed with matching bottoms.

Wearing her caramel coloured locks loose and tousled, she added to the glamour with a pair of oversized sunglasses.

She captioned the snap: 'Sun, sea and a giant sail the perfect backdrop for a little beach photo shoot in my @bahimibeachwear bikini'.

Jumping for joy: The fashion designer wasted no time hitting the beach on her fifth trip of the year as she slipped into a skimpy white bikini for an Instagram snap on Thursday

Surprise! Millie flew to Dubai on Tuesday to surprise her boyfriend Hugo on his business trip

Millie is undoubtedly a pro at beach photo shoots, having already jetted off on five holidays in the first three months of 2017.

In January she kicked off the year with a trip to South Africa, before heading to Paris in both February and March.

March has been a particularly fruitful time for the starlet, jetting not just to the French capital but Los Angeles and now Dubai.

It appears she is now on track to rival her record of taking a whopping 18 trips abroad in 2016.

Delighted: The stunner took her boyfriend's breath away by joining him in the sun while he showcased his newest Taylor Morris eyewear collection

Millie had good reason for jetting to the United Arab Emirates this month, however, as she was surprising her boyfriend Hugo whilst he worked.

Giggling in an Instagram Stories video, the model uploaded the moment she caught her businessman boyfriend off-guard at the Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel and completely took his breath away.

Enticingly, Millie was dressed in just a silk robe when she waited patiently on his balcony, overlooking the famous landmark Burj al Arab.

She later stretched out on a bed of rose petals and towel swans proving that her visit would make for a particularly romantic stay.

'Missing my sunshine': Millie let fans know that she was missing her boyfriend at the weekend by sharing a throwback snap from one of their glorious 2016 getaways

Hugo is currently in Dubai showcasing his newest Taylor Morris collection as part of the #TaylorMorrisTravels series, which recently took him to Beachcomber's luxury Trou Aux Biches resort in Mauritius.

At the weekend, Millie complained about missing her former reality TV beau, with whom she rekindled the flame in May 2016.

Missing the sun and her man, Millie shared a cute flashback snap of a luxurious getaway with Hugo, from last year.

Clearly impatient about their reunion, she captioned the snap: 'Counting down the days! Missing my sunshine @hugotaylorlondon.'

Waiting patiently: Millie waited on her boyfriend's balcony in a silk robe and filmed the surprise for Instagram Stories

Surprise! He was staying in a luxury suite right next to the Burj al Arab and couldn't quite believe when she arrived to see him

Little did he know, that reunion was closer than originally planned for his return to the UK.

Millie already seems to have take kicked off 2017 the way she intends to go on, visiting more luxury spots in three months than most would dream of in 12.

Millie and Hugo rang in New Year in South Africa, before her fashion business took her on to Paris and Los Angeles in the last couple of months.

Boyfriend Hugo, 30, touched down in Dubai on Saturday, before attending the British Polo Day in Abu Dhabi.

Loved up: The couple had enjoyed a romantic night out in Paris earlier this month, while Millie was in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week

Cute couple: Millie was seen in a sexy swimsuit as she posted for a sweet picture with Hugo while on a romantic break in South Africa

Pucker up! They looked more in love than ever as they packed on the PDA in another snap

Millie and Hugo previously dated back in 2011 when they met on E4 reality show, Made In Chelsea.

But the union was not to last and ended rather dramatically when Millie discovered Hugo had cheated on her with her friend, Rosie Fortescue.

At the time, Millie claimed she would always love Hugo, saying in an interview: 'I loved him - those feelings dont disappear  but I just always have to remind myself why were not together.

Getting her tan on: Millie went on 18 holidays in 2016, sharing endless snaps of herself in various exotic locations

'I do think that, for the rest of my life, every time I see him, Ill get that feeling in my stomach. I dont think I could ever not get that butterfly feeling.'

Millie and Pro Green announced their split in February after just over four years together. Their two-and-a-half-year marriage was dissolved in just 30 seconds in May.

In a statement at the time, they said: 'It is a mutual decision, we still care deeply about each other and would like it to be known that it is on amicable terms and we wish each other well.'
She won't let springtime showers rain on her parade.

And on Friday, Olivia Wilde did her best to avoid the wet weather while on the New York set of her film, Life Itself.

Despite the dreary morning, the 33-year-old displayed a pretty smile while keeping hold of a large umbrella.

Break time! Olivia Wilde did her best to avoid the wet weather while on the New York set of her film, Life Itself on Friday

Olivia kept warm against the cool temperature with a layered ensemble.

The mum-of-two piled a grey sweater over a black top, fitted underneath a stylish Veronica Beard parka.

The actress continued her casual outfit with a pair of denim jeans and Vans trainers.

Layering up! The mum-of-two piled a grey sweater over a black top, fitted underneath a stylish Veronica Beard parka

No bump here: The actress ditched the fake tummy between takes

Noticeably absent from the Meadowland star was her fake baby bump.

The beauty, who is not expecting, plays the pregnant love of actor Oscar Isaac.

However, later in the afternoon the partner of SNL alum Jason Sudeikis sported the prosthetic burgeoning belly while filming scenes for her upcoming drama.

She sported a satin navy bomber jacket with red and white trim which she layered over a colorful graphic tee.

Back in full bloom: Later in the afternoon the partner of SNL alum Jason Sudeikis sported the prosthetic burgeoning belly while filming scenes in New York City for her upcoming drama

Street chic: Olivia sported a satin navy bomber jacket with red and white trim which she layered over a colorful graphic tee

A pair of black light wash skinny jeans encased the New York native's endless slender legs.

Olivia teamed the low-key look with a pair of white Converse sneakers while strolling alongside her hunky co-star.

Meanwhile on Thursday, the duo looked cozy as they filmed scenes together in the Washington Heights neighborhood of NYC.

Leggy blonde: A pair of black light wash skinny jeans encased the New York native's endless slender pins

Effortlessly cool: The blonde beauty teamed the low-key look with a pair of white Converse sneakers while strolling alongside her hunky co-star, Oscar Isaac

The cast for Life Itself includes additional A-list talent such as Samuel L. Jackson, Antonio Banderas and Annette Bening.

The man behind This Is Us, Dan Fogelman, wrote the script and is directing the project.

At the moment, filming is happening in New York, but come May, the cast and crew will shoot in Spain, according to Variety.
There are few things that test a relationship as much as working together.

But Kristen Bell and husband Dax Shepard seem to have come out the other side stronger than ever after filming their new movie CHiPS.

However Kristen admitted it wasn't as easy as she expected playing opposite her real-life love - saying she struggled to 'be mean' enough.

'It was hard to be mean to him because my character is his estranged, trophy wife... and it was difficult because I do really hes so endearing, and I like him so much,'she said on Good Morning America on Friday.

Scroll down for video

Style star: Kristen Bell wore a stylish black and patterned frock to promote her new film CHiPS on Good Morning America Friday. She stars opposite her IRL husband Dax Shepard in the flick

'He's so endearing': The 36-year-old star talked about the difficulty of working beside her husband of nearly four years, saying it was 'hard to be mean' to her darling while in character. Above you can see Dax and Kristen at the premiere of CHiPS in Hollywood Wednesday

Dedicated to her craft, the 36-year-old tried to draw inspiration from all the little squabbles throughout their nearly decade long romance.

She explained: 'From an actors perspective I was like, "Hmm, Ill take the 15 times hes really annoyed me in our last 10 years [together] and Ill put those all into a Coke bottle, pop a Mentos in there, shake it up and then that will be Karen."'

Almost didn't get the part! Her husband Dax said he almost didn't cast Kristen in CHiPs because her character was so 'terrible' and his wife is 'wonderful'

The duo began dating in 2007 and have been married for nearly four years. They have two kids together - Lincoln, three, and Delta, two.

For his part Dax, who also directed and wrote the film, didn't even want to cast his wife in the role of the unpleasant and money grubbing Karen.

'I did not want her to play the role because my wife in the movie is a terrible human being, and my wife is such a wonderful [one],' the 42-year-old explained.

Natural beauty: The Frozen actress went for simple beauty, wearing mellow eye makeup and a hint of blush

'So she plays a real jerk and I didnt think of her naturally, but she read it and thought it was funny so she wanted to do it. And shes the boss, so she did it.'

Kristen certainly looked like a boss during her visit to GMA's Times Square studio, where the Frozen talent rocked a black lace and patchwork dress with over knee-high suede boots.

Tucking her hair back into a tidy ponytail, the Michigan born talent jazzed things up with a pair of simple yet elegant hoops while her makeup let the star's natural beauty shine through, wearing just a hint of eye makeup and a flush of blush.

Cute in boots: The mother-of-two paired her eclectic dress with knee high boots

Grey lady: After a morning of interview, the NYU alum dressed down in a comfy coat and cool boots to travel with hubby-slash-costar Dax Shepard

Casual couple: Dax and Kristen both kept casual, wearing warm coats and practical shoes as they hit the NYC streets

Later in the day, Dax and Kristen were spotted leaving their New York hotel hand in hand as their CHiPS promo tour in the city wound down.

They seemed engrossed in conversation as they walked, barely able to talk their eyes off one another.

Punk'd alum Shepard was dressed down and cool in a sheepskin lined jacket, backwards ballcap, and well-loved Converse.

His darling wife looked similarly cozy, wrapped up in a handsome grey coat and slim leggings which she paired with chunky Dr. Martins.

Partners: The couple held hands and looked at each other sweetly as they left their NYC hotel

The look of love: The couple of ten years seemed engrossed in conversation, barely taking their eyes off each other as they walked

Dax and Kristen both star in the buddy cop comedy, alongside the talent of Michael Pena, Vincent D'Onofrio, and The OC's Adam Brody.

In the flick based -- based on the 70's TV hit of the same name-- two average California Highway Patrol cops get more than they bargained for when they're forced to reckon with a sadistic ex-cop and his violent henchman.

CHiPs arrives in theaters Friday March 24 in both the US and UK.
She announced earlier this week that she has a new reality show in the offing.

Now Lindsay Lohan is enjoying a break in a remote retreat before her big comeback.

On Friday, the 30-year-old actress shared a snap on Twitter as she soaked up the sun on a surfboard as it floated on a serene sea with a sheer cliff face behind her.

Lindsay captioned the snap: 'Peace and love #ready for any storm.'

Blissed out: Lindsay Lohan shared this snap on Twitter on Friday ahead of her big Hollywood return, captioned, 'Peace and love #ready for any storm' without revealing where she is

The Mean Girls star, who didn't reveal where she was, showed off her slender figure in a blue swimsuit with a colorful flowery pattern featuring a slit from just under the neckline to her tummy.

Her red hair tumbled back onto the surfboard as she floated with her eyes closed.

Lindsay is ready for her fresh start in Hollywood after a troubled past as she gears up to launch her new prank reality TV series, The Anti-Social Network.

In it, she will secretly take over all someones social media accounts for 24 hours and involve the person in three challenges. If they complete these challenges, they win prizes.

Smile and a wink: The 30-year-old is marketing her new prank reality TV series, The Anti-Social Network, in this frame from am 83-second promo she posted on Twitter on Tuesday

It's a good medium for the star who has over 15 million combined followers. The Anti-Social Network is currently being shopped to several networks.

This comes after Lindsay shut down her social media accounts and decided to rebrand in January. She said at the time: 'I loved being able to wipe my past clean on the Internet and move on. It felt refreshing.'

Lindsay, who split from Russian millionaire fiance Egor Tarabasov in July, is also working on a new movie, The Shadow Within, her first since Scary Movie 5 in 2013.

She plays a private investigator trying to solve her uncle's murder while keeping secret that she is descended from a line of werewolves.

Meanwhile, Lindsay, who now lives in London, told Fox News on Friday that she isn't afraid to return to the Hollywood limelight.

'Not at all, I am more ready than ever to get back into movies and TV. It is a true passion of mine and has been since I was a child,' she said. 'It is not about the limelight though, it's about doing what you love.'
Just days after Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in a Paris hotel, her sister Kylie Jenner faced a security breach of her own.

In a newly-released clip from Sunday's Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the youngest of the Kardashian/Jenner daughters frantically calls mom Kris after hearing from her alarm company.

'They said there's motion detectors, break-ins, glass breaking all in the master bedroom,' the 19-year-old tells Kris on a three-way call with Kris' boyfriend Corey Gamble.

Another security scare: Kris Jenner receives a call from youngest daughter Kylie about a possible break-in at her home in this clip from Sunday's Keeping Up With The Kardashians

'What if they do something to Norman?,' Kylie asks, worried about the safety of her Italian greyhound.

'They're not going to do anything to your dogs,' Kris says in attempts to calm her daughter.

On the call, Kylie tells her mom she is in Beverly Hills, which is an approximate 40-minute drive away from her Hidden Hills home.

Anxious: Kylie was not home during the robbery scare, here she updates Kris on her location

Kris' boyfriend of two years Corey makes a mad dash to Kylie's to investigate, but tells Kris he is 14 minutes away.

'I could run over there right now and be there in three minutes,' an anxious Kris replies.

Both Kris and Kylie reside in Hidden Hills, California.

Concern: Kylie feared robbers would run off with her beloved pet

Ever the protective boyfriend, Corey demands Kris stay at home, telling her 'You can't even protect yourself, let me deal with it.'

'Just chill out,' Corey urges Kris, reminding her that there have been issues with Kylie's alarm system.

'Don't tell me to chill out. You can't tell someone when they're having a panic attack to chill out,' Kris snapped back.

Dark moment: Kylie seen on March 11, 2017 in an all-black fishnet outfit leaving LA hot spot Catch

In true Kardashian fashion, viewers are left to wonder if Kylie's home was actually burglarized until the latest episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians airs Sunday on the E! network.

The family has been on high alert after Kim's gunpoint robbery in Paris where thieves tied the 36-year-old mother-of-two up and stole around $11 million dollars in jewelry from her in a hotel room.

In addition to Kim's October 2016 ordeal, sister Kendall also dealt with an alleged stalker showing up to both of her homes on multiple occasions.

Protective: Corey did not want Kris (both pictured here in November 2016) investigating the break-in on her own.

Last week, Kendall reported $200k of jewelry missing from her home, according to TMZ.

Kendall claims she noticed around items gone around 1 am. She had left the house for a few hours during the day.

There were no signs of forced entry and it is believed to be an 'inside job.'
It was hell up in Harlem as Peter Serafinowicz suited up to film scenes from the upcoming The Tick series on Friday in New York City.

The 44-year-old actor, who stars as the titular Tick in the Amazon Prime show, shot a sequence in which the wacky blue superhero chases co-star Griffin Newman from a flower shop.

The Tick also co-stars Valorie Curry and Jackie Earle Haley.

Ticked off: Peter Serafinowicz bounded in hot pursuit through the streets of New York on Friday to shoot The Tick

Getting the foot-chase down took up a better part of the morning's work.

In take after take, Peter's Tick ran a mean blue streak up Harlem's streets.

However, Peter's character is no 'Flash' in the pan: this big bug has been around since 1986.

Hello, there! The 44-year-old actor must have been quite a sight to behold for residents of this Harlem block

The Tick is based on cartoonist Ben Edlund's absurd comic book series and a popular animated cartoon series, which ran for three seasons in the mid-1990s.

In 2001, Fox aired the original live-action TV version, which starred Patrick Warburton. While the show only lasted nine episodes, it quickly developed a loyal cult following.

The first full season of Amazon's reboot, which debuted as a pilot last August, is set to air later this year.

It's not east being blue: Peter as The Tick summoned up some superhero angst

The Tick isn't the first time Peter has played in a live-action version of a comic book series. The actor also had roles in the 2012 Fox TV series Axe Cop and the 2014 Marvel feature film blockbuster Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Peter has been a busy man of late. The Shaun Of The Dead star recently played in the hit hitman sequel John Wick 2, opposite star Keanu Reeves.

The Spy actor will next appear in the remake of the George Burns comedy Going in Style, out April 7.
He set to make women swoon with his surprise appearance on CBeebies' Bedtime Stories this Mother's Day.

And while many female admirers wait on tenterhooks, Tom Hardy has got back to the day job as he shot the latest series of Peaky Blinders on the beach near Southport on Friday.

The 39-year-old was not alone as he appeared as his character Alfie Solomons on the sandy Merseyside shore with his trust canine companion Woody.

Scroll down for video

Doggy day care: Tom Hardy has got back to the day job as he shot the latest series of Peaky Blinders on the beach near Southport on Friday with his pet pooch Woody

With his trusty pet pooch by his side, the Taboo actor appeared at ease in his striped white shirt which he paired with a black waistcoat, oozing 1920s style.

He completed his ensemble with a black wool trouser and leather dress shoe as he tried to navigate the sand alongside his dog, who he brought along to the premiere of his film Legend.

Equipped with an eye-catching beard, he accessorised his series attire with a sprinkling of silver rings, while his dark coif tousled in the wind.

Surrounded by a wealth of crew and background actors, Tom appeared in high spirits as he soaked up the sun-filled day.

Fix up: The 39-year-old was not alone as he appeared as his character Alfie Solomons on the sandy Merseyside shore

What a pet! With his trusty pet pooch by his side, the Taboo actor appeared at ease in his striped white shirt which he paired with a black waistcoat, oozing 1920s style

Being hounded? He completed his ensemble with a black wool trouser and leather dress shoe as he tried to navigate the sand alongside his dog, who he brought along to the premiere of his film Legend

Lab report: Equipped with an eye-catching beard, he accessorised his series attire with a sprinkling of silver rings, while his dark coif tousled in the wind

Far from ruff: Surrounded by a wealth of crew and background actors, Tom appeared in high spirits as he soaked up the sun-filled day

Going for gold: Tom sported an eye-catching gold pocket watch around his waist

The father-of-one - who is married to Charlotte Riley - was joined on set by lead actor Cillian Murphy.

The Cork native donned his character Tommy Shelby trademark wool knee-length coat and three-piece suit.

Bringing his character to life, he donned his signature flatcap over his razor tight locks as he interacted with Tom.

Firm friends: The father-of-one - who is married to Charlotte Riley - was joined on set by lead actor Cillian Murphy

Giggles: The Cork native donned his character Tommy Shelby trademark wool knee-length coat and three-piece suit

Having fun: Bringing his character to life, he donned his signature flatcap over his razor tight locks as he interacted with Tom

All smiles: The pair beamed from ear-to-ear as they waited for their scene to be set

Life's a beach: The pair looked dapper in their 1920s look as a large crew surrounded them

Water's edge: Cillian had his wool coat rid of sand as he prepared to shoot

Sun-filled: The sun beamed down on the pair as they wait for the scene to be set

A day at the seaside: Tom chilled out on a towel and caught some rays while he waited to film

Shore thing! He seemed at ease on the shoreline with his pet pooch in his company

While the drama itself is set in Birmingham, the show utilises an inner area of Liverpool as its set - and transforms the streets into the iconic 1920s setting.

Filming for the new series kicked off on Monday, as Tom's co-star Cillian Murphy was spotted sprinting through the streets of Toxteth, Liverpool, with a gun in hand.

Filming is expected to take four months, followed by three months of editing - meaning the show could return to BBC Two as early as October this year.

The gangster drama follows the antics of the Romani Peaky Blinders gang and their cunning ring leader Tom Shelby (Murphy) in post-war Birmingham.

Seas the day: Irish actor Cillian relaxed with crew members inbetween scenes

Walkies: Tom seemed in his element as he accompanied a number of dogs down the beach for a walk

Squad: Tom tackled the beach alongside a number of dogs and some crew members

Revving up: He happily sat in the passenger seat of a John Deer vehicle

The most recent series, which aired in the UK in May last year, was set two years after the second season in 1924 - and followed the gang's attempts to expand internationally.

The fourth series however has been much-anticipated by fans over the last few months, as the final episode of the series saw the family be taken away by police in handcuffs - with their fate unknown.

His appearance comes after it was announced that Tom Hardy will be returning to CBeebies' Bedtime Stories on Sunday.

Getting many mothers' hot under the collar, one mother quickly took to Twitter, where she breathlessly exclaimed: 'This has just made my day/ovaries explode!'

Returning: It has been announced that Tom is returning to CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Echoed another: 'Have just seen the teaser trailer for the CBB bedtime story with #TomHardy for Mother's Day. Have never ovulated so hard in my life.'

'So dreamy,' gushed a third potential viewer, while one fan dramatically stated: '24.03.17 will be officially marked as the day every Tom Hardy fan had a heart attack.'

Another expressed gratitude directly to CBeebies' Twitter account, writing: 'Thank you for Tom Hardy on Mother's Day. Can't wait. He can tuck me in any day.'

Tale: The actor is set to read Ross Collins Theres A Bear On My Chair on Monday's Day

Hot under the collar: An army of excited mothers quickly took to Twitter to express their joy

In a teaser clip released by the BBC on Friday, the 39-year-old actor is seen reading an excerpt from Ross Collins Theres A Bear On My Chair.

Looking at the camera, the handsome star pulls a toy mouse out of his pocket as he says: 'Well, I think that there's enough room for our mouse and bear to sit together here, because it's good for a mouse and a bear to share.

'I'll see you soon for another bedtime story. Until then, night night.'

This isn't the first time the screen star has sent mother's wild with his participation on the CBeebies programme, as he made his debut on New Year's Eve.

Softie: The actor looks miles away from his tough guy image as he's surrounded by stuffed toys

Rejoice! Judging by Twitter reactions, Sunday's broadcast should prove to be notably popular

Perhaps aptly, he returned on Valentine's Day - and attracted the level of excitement, with the trailer being viewed four million times even before the episode aired.

And when they finally saw him settling down with Tom McLaughlin's The Cloudspotter, women on Twitter were begging Hardy to 'tuck [them] in'.

And following his story at the time, the Peaky Blinders star was met with a flood of tweets from appreciative viewers.

Many parents were left hot under collar after taking Tom's words as a personal message to them.

Coming to a screen near you: A teaser for the Bedtime Story was unveiled on Twitter on Friday

Swoon: The handsome screen star got fans particularly excited when he bid them 'night, night'

Third time lucky: The marks the third time in four months that Tom will appear on the show

In good company: Past celebrities who have read for CBeebies Bedtime Stories include Damian Lewis, Nadiya Hussain and David Hasselhoff

As he finished reading the story, Tom addressed the viewer to say: 'I've spotted that you're not in bed yet. Quick go on.

'Get yourself tucked up and I'll see you very soon for another bedtime story until then night night'.

His words prompted a stream of innuendo-laden treats from entranced viewers watching at home.

Past celebrities who have read for CBeebies Bedtime Stories include Damian Lewis, Nadiya Hussain and David Hasselhoff.

Tom Hardy's Bedtime Story will air on Sunday at 6.50pm.

Be still, beating heart: He most recently made an appearance on CBeebies on Valentine's Day

Story: Tom appeared on the toddlers TV channel reading The Cloudspotter by Tom McLaughlin
The tragic tale of JonBenet Ramsey, the six-year-old beauty queen murdered at her home in December 1996, is set for another TV retelling.

On Thursday, Netflix released a trailer for Casting JonBenet, a hybrid documentary from director Kitty Green described as a 'stylized exploration of the world's most sensational child-murder case' that is still unsolved.

Netflix picked up worldwide rights to the biodoc before its world premier at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and is set to release it on April 28,

Revisiting the past: On Friday, Netflix released a trailer for Casting JonBenet, a biodoc about the unsolved murder of six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, 20 years after her death

Over 15 months, the filmmakers traveled to the Ramseys hometown of Boulder, Colorado to audition local actors, unpacking how each remembers and relates to the ill-fated family, according to Deadline.

The girl's body was found in the wine cellar of her home on the day after a Christmas party 20 years ago

Her skull was smashed by a blow to the head and she had been strangled.

Kicking off: Director Kitty Green traveled to the tot's hometown of Boulder, Colorado to see the murder through the eyes of local actors auditioning for a role in the docudrama about the case

In the process: Filmmakers spent 15 months auditioning hopefuls, including these little girls

Suspicion immediately fell on her mother and father, Patsy and John, and her brother, Burke, then nine years old.

A Santa Claus who had been at the party was also questioned. Other suspects came forward but nothing was ever proved.

The new biodoc follows a slew of books and specials on the notorious case, including ones on Investigation Discovery, Lifetime and A&E.

Full investigation: Suspicion immediately fell on her mother and father, Patsy and John Ramsey, and her brother, Burke, then nine years old

Hoping for a part: Various locals auditioned for the role of Patsy Ramsey

Tough case: A Santa Claus who had been at the family party the night JonBenet died was also questioned. Other suspects came forward but nothing was ever proved.

After The Case Of: JonBenet Ramsey aired on CBS in September, Burke Ramsey filed a $750 million defamation lawsuit.

Experts on the miniseries theorized it was possible that Burke killed his sister and his parents helped cover up the crime.

In response to the lawsuit, CBS said it 'stands by the broadcast and will do so in court.'

Chilling image: The biodoc recreates the scene of police cars outside the Ramsey family's home after discovering the murder

Before the tragedy: JonBenet with her father John, mother Patsy and brother Burke who all came under suspicion for her murder
She's rarely without her sisters by her side.

And Chloe Goodman was flanked by her lookalike siblings once again on Friday as the trio headed to Heathrow airport to catch a flight to the Maldives.

The Ex On The Beach original, 23, joined sisters Amelia and Lauryn in the departures hall where they turned heads in matching form-fitting ensembles that put their enviable abs on display.

Triple threat! Chloe Goodman, 23, joined sisters Amelia and Lauryn at Heathrow Airport on Friday as they prepared to jet into the Maldives

All three sported the exact same jersey two piece that paired together a stomach-baring crop top and leggings that featured a black stripe along the side of each leg.

While Chloe opted to flaunt her desirable frame in a lilac shade, Amelia stunned in beige and Lauryn chose to don an olive green set that she teamed with a dark denim jacket.

Unlike her sisters, Chloe chose not to put on as quite a busty display and kept her ample assets covered.

She hung a stylish pair of aviator shades off her top and was seen clutching onto her passport as the girls made their way to their gate.

Ab-tastic! The Ex On The Beach original opted to flaunt her desirable frame in a lilac two-piece but didn't put on as quite a busty display as her siblings

Holiday ready: The reality star made her way into departures prior to catching a flight to the much sought-after holiday destinations

And despite having a long haul flight ahead of them, they still made sure to look nothing but glamorous as each sister perfectly preened locks and faultless make-up.

Chloe and Lauryn were especially looking fresh-faced, given that they had been partying in Soho the night before their travels.

They joined a slew of reality stars at Paper nightclub to celebrate Bianca Gascoigne's cover shoot for raunchy new magazine Sixty6.

Others on the guest-list included Celebrity Big Brother's Stacy Francis and Geordie Shore's Nathan Henry, Sophie Kasaei and Marnie Simpson.

Fresh-faced! Chloe still looked oh-so glam despite her late night in Soho on Thursday evening to celebrate Bianca Gascoigne's Sixty6 magazine cover shoot

Gorgeous! The Celebrity Big Brother star looked incredible in a corset-inspired dres for the bash, while Lauryn stepped out in a gold and black striped bodycon dress

Love Island stars Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen and Ex On The Beach's Nicole Bass and boyfriend Jacques Fraser.

Chloe's sunshine break with her sisters, meanwhile, has been a long time coming for the starlet who was seen sharing her excitement over the trip a fortnight ago.

She shared an idyllic snap of the sought-after holiday destination alongside a heart-eyed emoji and told her 178k Twitter followers: 'Maldives in 2 weeks.'

However, the raven-haired beauty's tweet caused a stir on the social media site as many fans were quick to link Chloe to Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers.

'Maldives in 2 weeks': Chloe's tweet about her trip had sparked rumours she could be dating Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers

Aaron had tweeted that he is also heading to the Maldives and teased he will be joined by a female companion.

He tweeted on March 10: 'Maldives in just over a week with the beautiful smiler.'

Putting two and two together, some fans suspected that he had been referring to Chloe, with one commenting: 'So @Chloe__Goodman is @AaronCGShore smile? what do u guys reckon!??'

However, Aaron has since confirmed that he and Chloe are not dating and his latest flame is said to be Essex-based beauty, Danielle Scott.

'She's not smiler': The tattooed charmer has since confirmed that Chloe is not the girl he is now dating

Could it be love? The Geordie Shore star is said to be smitten with new flame Danielle Scott

Lauren who? Aaron has now moved on from the former TOWIE star with another Essex based beauty

An insider confirmed the pair's romance to The Sun and said: 'Danielle is a gorgeous girl so it's not surprising he's so keen.

'Aaron's even planning on taking her away to the Maldives.'

His new relationship comes after Aaron split with former TOWIE star Lauren Pope in January.

Moving on: Aaron's new romance comes after he split with Lauren Pope in January




She had a bitter divorce with Johnny Depp, is now linked to billionaire Elon Musk and previously had girlfriend Tasya van Ree.

And Amber Heard said that publicly discussing her bisexuality was a 'big deal', reports E! News.

The 30-year-old actress told The Economist's second annual Pride & Prejudice event in New York City on Thursday that she was warned the admission would harm her career.

Scroll down for video

Risky decision? Amber Heard said that publicly discussing her bisexuality was a 'big deal', on Thursday

She explained: 'As a leading lady, there's a certain amount of wish fulfillment. I was asked "How is anyone going to invest in you romantically if they think you're unavailable?"'

'I said, "Watch me do it."'

The Pineapple Express star split from girlfriend Tasya in 2012, after dating for four years, and came out publicly in 2010.

Couple: The Pineapple Express star dated Tasya van Ree for four years until 2012, and came out publicly in 2010

She told the event she had always been out to her family and friends, explaining: 'I was an activist. I went to protests.

'I was never in. I was in a relationship and I never hid it and then my career and my life started to change...,' she added.

Discussing the moment in 2010 when After Ellen asked Heard about her sexuality, she said: 'I just answered honestly. I could tell by the look on this person's face it was a big deal. My poor publicist.

'Then I realized the gravity of what I had done and why so many people - studio execs, agents, advisors - did not want this coming before my name. I became attached to a label. I've never seen myself defined by the person I'm with,' she recalled.

Split: She settled her $7 million divorce from Depp in January

The Justice League actress said she is proud to see other actors in Hollywood coming out: 'I stand here now amongst many of my romantic leading lady peers who are out and fluid. I'm one of many now, and I'm working.'

Since coming out she had a role in the Rum Diaries alongside Depp, as well as Magic Mike XXL and The Danish Girl.

Amber Heard slipped into professional chic for the conference - buttoning herself into an elegant white top.

She flashing her shapely legs from the thigh-slit of a high-waisted black skirt that matched her stilettos.

Monochrome: Amber Heard slipped into professional chic for the conference - buttoning herself into an elegant white top

Leggy display: She flashing her shapely pins in a high-waisted black skirt that matched her stilettos

Her hair had been slicked back and wound into a tight, low bun, and she'd accessorized with mismatched earrings and several rings on her fingers.

Amber also got herself photographed alongside Tom Standage, who's a deputy editor at The Economist and who frequently took the stage during the day's events.

The pair of them were seen laughing as she extended her arm away from him while holding her phone, seemingly to snap a selfie.

Amber previously told Metro of her own sexuality that 'I dont label myself one way or another'.

She finalised her $7 million divorce settlement in January, which she'd said she'd give to charity.

Amber, who's appearing as Aquaman's wife Mera in the new Justice League film directed by Zack Snyder, saw her divorce finalized this January.
They're finally back on home soil after enjoying their first romantic break together in Turkey.

And James Lock has wasted no time in getting reacquainted with his favourite Essex haunts.

The TOWIE star whisked his new girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou off to Sheesh Chigwell for a dinner date on Thursday night - no doubt to reminisce about their recent getaway.

Scroll down for video

Bronzed to perfection: James Lock and girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou flaunted their tans on Thursday night as they enjoyed a dinner date at Sheesh Chigwell

Making sure to show off her bronzed skin, Yazmin dazzled in a silk lilac dress that perfectly showcased her enviable curves.

Thanks to her frock's plunging neckline, the reality star - who features on TOWIE's current series alongside her beau - flashed a hint of cleavage.

She also chose to go braless underneath as her dress' halterneck design was completely backless.

Yazmin teamed her elegant number with a chic pair of patent black Louboutin heels and flawlessly styled locks.

Stylish duo! The TOWIE star cut a dapper figure in an all-black ensemble while Yazmin dazzled in her form-fitting backless number

Her brunette tresses tumbled past her shoulders in cascading curls and the swimwear designer finished off her date night look with impeccably applied make-up.

James, meanwhile, cut a dapper figure in an all-black outfit.

He sported a fitted roll neck that clung to his gym-honed physique and added a leather jacket with fur collar over the top.

Pete Wicks' best friend was all smiles as he arrived at the popular Essex eatery and cuddling up to his girlfriend in front of waiting photographers, the couple couldn't have looked happier.

Loved-up! The reality star duo could not have looked more smitten as they cuddled up to each other for the camera

Their appearance comes after James and Yazmin recently jetted back to the UK after spending some quality time together in Antalya for their first holiday as a couple.

They were caught putting on a touchy feely display poolside and both James and Yazmin made sure to keep fans updated by posting plenty of snaps to social media.

In one shot, Yazmin modelled one of her own designs and donned an embellished white bikini for a mirror selfie.

She showcased her ample assets and toned stomach in the shot, before sharing an intimate snap of herself and Lockie cuddling up together.

Bikini ready! The Essex beauty flaunted her enviable figure in one of her own designs - a white embellished bikini - while holidaying in Turkey with her beau

The Essex boy was seen nestling into her neck, while Yazmin posed like a pro for the camera.

Gushing about her boyfriend, she captioned the image: 'My one.'

James first debuted his romance with Yazmin in the very first episode of TOWIE's new series.

She arrived in spectacular fashion as she collected James in a flashey red Ferrari.

'My One': Yazmin has proven she is smitten with Pete Wicks' pal after gushing about him publicly on Instagram

Although, their romance left their fellow cast mates shocked as it emerged that the pair were not even official, yet James had asked Yazmin to move in with her.

They first went public together in late January and clearly keen for their love affair to continue, Yazmin gushed about James onscreen to Megan McKenna and Amber Turner.

She admitted: 'I've never felt like this.'
Richard Gere recently made a surprising confession: he doesn't believe in fairy tale endings.

This comes from the actor, 67, who starred in some of the biggest silver screen romances: Pretty Woman and An Officer And A Gentleman comes to mind.

'In my own experience, life is not like that,' he told Haute Living. 'I'm not saying that to be [negative]; its just more realistic. [I dont feel] theres ever a place where one gets to [thinking] "Ive done it, Im happy now."I think thats completely unrealistic.'

Non-believer: At 67, Richard Gere said he doesn't believe in Hollywood-style happy endings, he told Haute Living

He also talked 1990's Pretty Woman, the movie which turned Julia Roberts into the superstar dubbed America's sweetheart.

That rom-com ended with Richard's businessman character, Edward Lewis, and Julia's call girl, Vivian Ward, falling into an ending which turns happily ever after.

Not so fast, Richard told the publication, offering what could have transpired next between the easy-going businessman and the hooker with a heart of gold.

Pretty in pink: Julia Roberts became a worldwide sensation after playing with Gere in 1990's Pretty Woman

'You dont know exactly whats going to happen with them,' he said. 'Theyre having a good ride right now, but who knows whats going to happen a few months down the road.'

When challenged that many women worldwide might disagree with his revisionist assessment of the romantic comedy classic, Richard replied, 'Thats fine. But in my own experience, life is not quite like that.'

While 'happily ever after' doesn't float his boat, Richard said that with age and experience, he'll accept 'happier ever after.'

Haute and hot! Gere makes one very handsome cover story

'Happier sounds much more realistic to me,' the Unfaithful actor said. 'Id settle for happier. A happier ending, happier ever after. Thats good enough.'

The handsome leading man's own love life has been somewhat checkered.

He was famously married to supermodel Cindy Crawford in 1991. They parted in 1995, and from 2002 to 2013 he entered a long relationship with former Bond girl Carey Lowell, the mother of his son, Homer.

A humanitarian and a gentleman: Gere has been very involved with Tibetan causes for decades

Nearly two years ago, Richard met Spanish socialite Alejandra Silva at a charity event and the couple have been going strong ever since.

Richard, who early in his career starred in such highly regarded classics as American Gigolo, Looking For Mr. Goodbar and An Officer and a Gentleman, also discussed his days as a philosophy student (after enrolling on a gymnastics scholarship) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

This evolved into a deepening interest in Zen Buddhism, which included a 1978 trip to India where he met the 14th Dalai Lama and veered into Tibetan Buddhism. Richard's embrace of Buddhism's cultivation of wisdom, kindness and compassion led Gere to co-found Tibet House, which advocates for human rights in Tibet, and The Gere Foundation, which aids the Tibetan people.
He has been championing Comic Relief since he co-founded the charity back in 1985.

And Lenny Henry certainly grabbed attention while presenting its annual broadcast on Friday night.

Comic Relief 2017 was momentarily overshadowed by the comedian, 58, as his appearance onscreen had struck viewers thanks to his youthful visage and slimmed down frame.

Scroll down for video

'Good effort, Sir!': Lenny Henry caused a stir on Twitter on Friday night while presenting Comic Relief 2017 on the BBC

Lenny - who has presented Comic Relief for 12 years now - kicked off the show's festivities by showcasing his twerking skills.

He joined a gaggle of dancers to show off his fancy footwork and gave Beyonce a run for her money as he shimmied and wiggled his way through the opening number, before resuming his usual hosting duties.

Viewers at home rushed to Twitter after seeing a suit-clad Lenny on their TV screen, with many baffled by how well the star has aged over the years.

Fans joked that he is 'aging backwards' while others complimented Lenny on his svelte physique.

'Lenny Henry ages backwards, right?': Fans were quick to comment on the comedian's youthful and slim appearance with many quipping the star has aged well

He's a regular! This year marks his 12th year presenting the show - Lenny first held the reins in 2003 and for five consecutive years, before taking a hiatus in 2008 and returning in 2011

They penned: 'Well Lenny Henry must be getting tips from @Pharell he looks 18 years old!!! Good luck Sir Lenny!!

'Blimey, Lenny Henry looks 30 years younger, good effort sir.

'How is Lenny Henry managing to look about twenty years younger?!

'Lenny Henry ages backwards right?

'Lenny Henry doesn't seem to age.'

Others found themselves left impressed by Lenny's weight loss.

'Lenny Henry got hot!': Some fans appeared to develop a crush on the Harry Potter star

One fan gushed: 'OMG how skinny does Lenny Henry look?'

While another added: 'Lenny Henry is looking mighty fine.'

A slew of others wrote: 'Lenny Henry has lost so much weight.

'Lenny Henry is 58. He looks amazing #rednoseday.'

Some Twitter users appeared to develop a crush on the Harry Potter actor, with one gushing: 'Lenny Henry got HOT #comicrelief.'

Another agreed and said: 'Lenny Henry is looking very handsome tonight.'

'Lenny Henry has lost so much weight!': Viewers claimed they hardly recognised Lenny as he set about hosting Comic Relief for the 12th time

The TV presenter was hit with a mountain of compliments just minutes into Comic Relief airing.

He is just one of the many celebrities getting involved with the charity this year and 2017 marks his 12th year presenting the show.

Lenny first held the reins in 2003 for five consecutive years, before taking a hiatus and returning in 2011.

Back in the day! Lenny (pictured in 2007) has been so involved with Comic Relief's annual broadcast after co-founding the charity back in 1985

A far cry from himself! Lenny (pictured left back in 2011 ) cut a noticeable svelter figure on Comic Relief this year - compared to his previous years on the show

This year, meanwhile, an emotional Ed Sheeran documented his trip to Liberia's captial Monrovia where he met those who receive first hand help from the cause.

And James Corden has teamed up with Take That to film a special spinoff based on his much loved Carpool Karoke that features on The Late Late Show over in the US.

Viewers will also be hotly anticipating the sequel to Love Actually.

New member? James teamed up with the Take That boys to belt out their hits in his car

Love Actually is back! Keira Knightley has reunited with her co-stars to film a 10 minute sequel to the 2003 release in aid of Comic Relief

The cast of the 2003 release have reunited in aid of Comic Relief and put together a 10 minute follow up to the much-loved film.

Fans got a first look at what's to come in a teaser trailer released earlier this week.

Kiera Knightley, Bill Nighy, Andrew Lincoln and Liam Neeson and Love Actually's remaining stars joked over who has aged the best while re-creating Lincoln's famous card scene where he silently declared his love for Knightley's character Juliet.

Those cards! The cast recreated Andrew Lincoln's memorable scene in the much-loved movie for a teaser trailer that had been released prior to Comic Relief's broadcast
Jodie Sweetin has called off her 14-month engagement to writer and producer Justin Hodak.

A reason was not given for the split with 39-year-old Hodak, but spokesperson told People, 'She appreciates everyones understanding for their need for privacy at this time.'

Less than two weeks ago on March 11, he accompanied Sweetin, 35, and her two daughters on the red carpet at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.

Split: Jodie Sweetin announced the end of her engagement to writer and producer Justin Hodak. The pair was together as recently as March 11 when they attended the Kids Choice Awards with her daughters Beatrix Carlin Sweetin Coyle (far left) and Zoie Laurel May Herpin

They were all smiles at the event despite Jodie suffering a broken leg, getting around with the help of crutches.

Jodie showed off her cast from the January accident that occurred while jumping over a fence to retrieve one of her daughters toys.

Jodie, who has been married three times prior, just finalized her divorce from Morty Coyle, a DJ, in September 2016.

The ring: Jodie showed off her bling in happier times, right after the couple announced their engagement in 2016

Although Sweetin first filed for separation in June 2013, the legal process was complicated by custody arrangements for their daughter Beatrix, aged six.

In court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, it is revealed Beatrix can travel with either parent, but has to have written permission from the other parent or a court order to take the child out of the state of California, and she must only travel with a sober driver.

'The minor child shall only be driven by a sober driver. Either party may request that the other party submit to hair follicle drug testing at ARC upon 12 hours notice,' court documents say.

Finally divorced: Jodie and third husband Morty Coyle, seen here in 2011, finalized their divorce in September 2016 despite her filing for separation back in 2013

Sweetin has turned her life around after years of in-and-out rehab stints for alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine and crystal meth.

Her now-ex fiance Justin is also a sober single parent. They first met through mutual friends.

Jodie currently stars in Fuller House, the Netflix reboot of her hit 90's sitcom Full House.

In 2002, at age 20, she married her first husband, a Los Angeles Police officer Shaun Holguin. They split in 2006.

Sweetin then met Cody Herpin, a film transportation coordinator, and the couple went on to wed in Las Vegas, on July 14, 2007, and divorced a year later.
Karl Stefanovic's estranged wife Cassandra Thorburn returned home from the weekly grocery shop nine months ago to discover her Today host husband had packed his bags and wasn't coming back, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

The 'blindsided' former ABC journalist 'took days to tell the rest of her family' Karl had abruptly left their marriage and allegedly had no idea their relationship was in trouble, a source told the Private Sydney column.

Meanwhile, Cassandra was reportedly surprised to learn Karl had spent last weekend in Brisbane with his new girlfriend, 33-year-old model Jasmine Yarbrough, as she had previously believed he was on a work trip.

'Blindsided': Karl Stefanovic's estranged wife Cassandra Thorburn returned home from the weekly grocery shop nine months ago to discover her Today host husband had packed his bags and wasn't coming back, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. Pictured in May 2011

Pictures later surfaced of the couple leaving Sydney Airport separately upon their return in an effort to avoid being photographed together.

Jasmine departed the airport with Karl's Channel Nine colleague Richard Wilkins and his son 'Prince' Christian, while Karl was spotted waiting for a taxi alone.

It is also reported Cassandra and the couple's three children - Jackson, Ava, and River - are now preparing to move out of the former marital home in Lindfield, Sydney, which was first put up for sale in November.

'Flabbergasted': Cassandra was reportedly surprised to learn Karl had spent last weekend in Brisbane with his girlfriend, 33-year-old model Jasmine Yarbrough, as she had previously believed he was on a work trip. Pictured: Jasmine in Sydney in February

Cassandra, who reportedly only communicates with her estranged husband via lawyers, is now signed with celebrity publicist Max Markson and previous reports have suggested she plans to re-launch her media career.

A Channel Nine spokesperson declined to comment. Cassandra's publicist has also been contacted.

Karl and Cassandra were married for 21 years before separating last year. At the time, it was claimed Karl left the family home and was staying at his friend James Packer's apartment in Sydney's Bondi.

Split: Karl and Cassandra were married for 21 years before separating last year. At the time, it was claimed Karl left the family home and was staying at his friend James Packer's apartment in Sydney's Bondi. Pictured: Karl and co-host Lisa Wilkinson on Today

Making a comeback? Cassandra, who reportedly only communicates with her estranged husband via lawyers, is now signed with celebrity publicist Max Markson (pictured) and previous reports have suggested she plans to re-launch her media career

In October, a month after news of the split broke, Cassandra broke her silence in a Facebook post following reports Today had scored a landmark ratings win.

'Apparently Today Show finally won a year,' she wrote. 'This took a huge toll on my family and I, and I'm congratulating myself today for all the effort that went into making that happen.

'The suggestions, the story ideas, the constant counselling of questions for years. I'm giving myself a pat on the back tonight, as I know many people will also know how much effort I put into it.'
They first started dominating the charts in the early nineties as one of the biggest boybands in the world.

And while they made waves in Europe, Take That revealed their weren't 'a***d' trying to make it in America as they took part in a special edition of Carpool Karaoke with James Corden during Comic Relief's annual Red Nose Day.

The band's remaining members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen opened up about the moment they were approached by American record executives to crack that States.

Scroll down for video

Not bothered: Take That revealed their weren't 'a***d' trying to make it in America as they took part in a special edition of Carpool Karaoke with James Corden during Comic Relief's annual Red Nose Day

Gary chimed in: 'We had this hilarious meeting in London. These two guys from the New York record company flew in.

'And they literally start telling us: "We're going to do this, we're going into these states, we're going to go to Vegas and do this radio thing then we're hitting marketing in New York and do all these chat shows, and what do you think?"'

'So after an hour full on and the silence sort of went down the line until it got to Howard and he went...'

Which Howard saw as his prompt, replying completely deadpan: 'Can't be a***d'.

Honest: The band's remaining members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen opened up about the moment they were approached by American record executives to crack that States

Go for it: However, Mark admitted he had different feelings towards the possible big break across the pond, revealing: 'I probably would have gone for it'

However, Mark admitted he had different feelings towards the possible big break across the pond, revealing: 'I probably would have gone for it.'

At that point, James saw an opportunity for the band as he started flogging their album to American passerby's after they parked their car and wandered around in Los Angeles before giving an impromptu performance to some lucky ladies in a sunglass shop.

Earlier in the evening amid renditions of hits Never Forget and Back For Good, the British star quizzed the band on which would be the next member to leave after Robbie Williams and Jason Orange.

No shade given: Take That gave an impromptu performance to some lucky ladies in a sunglass shop

'If I leave, I think Gary and Mark would be alright, 'said Howard.

But James thought that would leave the remaining band members looking more like 'Robson and Jerome.'

The three piece were clearly enjoying their spin in the Los Angeles sunshine, musing on touring and family life.

'Ill be honest about being on stage,' said Gary. 'Sometimes, you know what its like, youve got families, youve got home life, youre meeting people before the show. I cant wait to get on there and have a bit of peace'.
Time is money for the world's most famous momager, Kris Jenner.

But on Friday, the 61-year-old made an exception to visit North West at her preschool on grandparent's day.

Kris captioned the photo of the baby elephant they made writing: 'This is the art project North and I created at school today for Grandparents Day!!'

Scroll down for video

She's got skills! Kris Jenner shared an art project of a baby elephant on Friday that she created with North West at her school for Grandparents Day

She continued: 'Whoever said I didn't have any talent obviously wasn't aware of THIS set of skills...#you'rewelcome #northwest #lovebug.'

The mom-of-six was sure proud to prove her haters wrong as she showed off her art talent by helping her three-year-old granddaughter create a pink and grey elephant made out of paper.

They added googly eyes to the animal picture, along with paint along the trunk, topping it off with North's signature on the drawing.

I love grandma! The 61-year-old reality personality was enjoying some bonding time with her three-year-old granddaughter; pictured together in March 2015

Kris's cartoon elephant seemed quite relevant given her latest pitch of an animated Kardashian series that TMZ claimed earlier on Friday.

According to the news outlet, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star held talks with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in a bid to pitch an outline for the proposed show.

While Kim and her sisters  Kourtney, Khloe and Kendall and Kylie Jenner  will reportedly join a host of familiar faces should the animated series go into development, although Caitlyn Jenner will not be involved.

Popular: Talks are reportedly underway to turn Kris and Kim Kardashian into cartoon characters for a new animated series featuring the pair and their extended family

Previously: The family already have some experience with animation following the release of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood  an Android App that allows users to create their own celebrity and embark on a series of red carpet adventures'

Kris is also reportedly trying to secure a dating show for her son Rob Kardashian, 30, following his recent split with Blac Chyna, 28.

Rob and Blac ended their relationship after a series of breakups and reconciliations following the birth of daughter Dream Renee Kardashian, their only child, last November.

'[Kris] is in talks with execs about getting Rob his own dating show called Robs Romance,' a source told InTouch Weekly.

'Its going to have a similar vibe to The Bachelor. Hell wine and dine some of the girls at fancy celebrity hangouts, but others will be taken to fast-food restaurants like Taco Bell and Burger King.'

The source added: 'Kris wants to make sure Rob meets someone who loves him for him.'
Her role on Good Morning Britain can often mean she is put in awkward situations.

But that didn't prepare Susanna Reid for the shock she received while taking part in Comic Relief on Friday night.

The TV presenter, 46, joined Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer for a live comedy sketch as part of the charity broadcast, but was confronted with a fake penis pre-watershed leaving viewers at home seething.

Scroll down for video

Comic Relief shocker! Comedians Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves appeared to irk viewers with their fake penis gag while performing a live comedy sketch with Susanna Reid

Partaking in a bit of role reversal, Susanna was being interviewed by Bob and Vic and was asked a series of bizarre and crude questions - including whether she would be inclined to use a 10 note or sock to clean herself with after going to the toilet, if she had ran out of loo roll.

Susanna politely swerved the question, but was left red-faced when Vic then confronted her with a fake penis.

He had asked Susanna if she had 'seen Kong' - referring to the new movie release - before proceeding to open his legs and flash his manhood at her.

She immediately covered her eyes and tried to hold back her laughter as Vic decided to share a description of 'Kong'.

'I don't think I'm missing anything...': Susanna Reid, 46, covered her eyes and laughed awkwardly at Vic's penis joke

He told her: 'It's out there. It's quite long, have you seen it? It's very long and heavy at the end with a twist in the middle and at the beginning there's a couple of little clackers... it's quite hairy at the beginning. You'll probably miss it.'

A quick-witted Susanna hit back: 'I don't think I'm missing anything right now.'

Despite their efforts, there were few laughs from the studio audience and the sketch was criticised by viewers at home on Twitter.

They questioned why Ed Sheeran was told he couldn't say the word 'rape' before 9pm, yet the comedy pair were allowed to show a fake penis before the watershed.

'Awful and offensive': The comedians didn't receive the best response from viewers at home and few laughs were heard in the studio audience

Not impressed: The Good Morning Britain co-host did well to sweve the inappropriate questions that were fired her way

'Comic Relief... painful. Ed Sheeran was told not to use the word rape but the worst comedians I've ever seen can parade a fake penis?

'How come @edsheeran is not allowed to mention the reality of rape but they showed a fake penis on Tv?

'Is that a penis on bbc one before 9pm?

'Nudity on Comic Relief before the watershed #vicreeves #penis.

An unwelcome gift: Vic had presented his guest with a pair of stained jeans before bombarding her with a slew of crude questions

'Comic relief... painful': Viewers questioned why Vic was allowed to make a joke with a fake penis pre-watershed on the charity broadcast

'#comicrelief BBC making everyone wait as long as possible for Love Actually. Happy to put a penis and swearing on before watershed though.'

Others branded the sketch as 'cringe-worthy' and the 'most awkward TV they have ever watched'.

Some even vowed to switch off from the charity broadcast.

'Mmm, very cringey,' one viewer wrote. 'Time to turn over.'

A second said: 'Have muted the TV until these 2 have left the screen... #comicrelief Total sh**e! Poor old @susannareid100 looks in shock!'

A third vented: 'Seriously? I'd donate heavily to make it stop.'

'Is it meant to be funny?' Viewers took to Twitter in waves to criticise the comedy duo's sketch with Susanna, with many branding it 'cringeworthy'

The fake penis joke wasn't the only questionable moment that occurred during the several minute long skit.

At the beginning, Vic had presented Susanna with a pair of stained jeans and told her they were a gift - one which she reluctantly accepted.

They also asked the news anchor what it was like 'lying next to her husband Piers Morgan' to which Susanna bluntly replied: 'I stopped listening when you said, "While you lie next to your husband Piers Morgan"...

'Piers Morgan is my TV husband.'

'Lenny Henry is HOT': Fans were quick to compliment host Lenny Henry on his youthful and slim appearance on the show

Pulling at the heartstrings: Ed Sheeran documented his heart-wrenching trip to Liberia's capital Monrovia where he met those who receive first hand help from the charity

Elsewhere on the show, Lenny Henry won a slew of compliments from fans as they took to social media to comment on his youthful appearance.

Many were impressed with how well the 58-year-old has aged and credited him for his slimmer frame.

Others claimed they had developed a crush on the Broadchurch star, with one Twitter user gushing: 'Lenny Henry is HOT.'

Ed Sheeran made an emotional appearance as she documented his trip to Liberia's captial Monrovia where he met those who receive first hand help from the cause.

And Love Actually's 10 minute sequel didn't disappoint fans as viewers rejoiced on discovering Colin Firth has three kids with his Portuguese wife, Sam - the son of Liam Neeson's character - is engaged to his primary school sweetheart Joanna and Andrew Lincoln's character Mark is now married to Kate Moss.
This undated picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on March 7, 2017 shows the launch of four ballistic missiles by the Korean People's Army (KPA) during a military drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea

The UN Security Council on Thursday "strongly condemned" recent North Korean missile and ballistic missile engine tests, denouncing Pyongyang's "increasingly destabilizing behavior."

The condemnation came as the US military said on Thursday that it has observed activity in North Korea that suggests Pyongyang may be gearing up for another nuclear test.

"The launch and engine test are in grave violation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's international obligations," the council said in a statement.

"The members of the Security Council expressed serious concern over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's increasingly destabilizing behavior and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council," it added.

North Korea is on a quest to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and staged two nuclear tests and multiple missile launches last year.

Hit by a string of United Nations sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006, Pyongyang has insisted it will continue its program.

North Korea attempted another missile test that failed on Wednesday, according to the United States and South Korea, two weeks after Pyongyang launched four rockets in what it called a drill for an attack on American bases in Japan.

On Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un personally oversaw and hailed a "successful" test of what Pyongyang said was a new rocket engine -- which can be easily repurposed for use in missiles.

The Security Council's statement said the members "emphasized the vital importance of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea showing sincere commitment to denuclearization and stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond."
Bernard Tomic of Australia has tumbled down 44th in world rankings after being ranked 17th in the world as recently as November

Bernard Tomic's woes continued Thursday as he pulled out of the Miami Open due to a back injury, the latest setback in a disappointing year for the Australian.

Ranked 17th in the world as recently as November, Tomic has tumbled down the rankings to 44th. Since a third-round Australian Open exit, the 24-year-old has lost four first-round matches to lowly ranked opponents.

The most recent setback came at Indian Wells, where he was beaten by 112th-ranked Bjorn Fratangelo of the United States.

At Acapulco in February, Tomic retired from his opening match citing "unbearable heat" and the fact that he withdrew from four ATP matches last year has led to some questioning of his attitude.

Tomic was due to face Kazakh qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin at Crandon Park on Thursday but pulled out shortly before the contest was due to begin.

Frances Tiafoe of the US celebrates winning a point against Konstanin Kravchuk of Russia during their Miami Open first round match, at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, Florida, on March 23, 2017

Lucky loser Mikhail Youzhny of Russia took Tomic's place in the first-round contest, but was ousted 6-4, 6-1.

US teen Frances Tiafoe downed Russia's Konstantin Kravchuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 to book a second-round match against 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer. It will be the 19-year-old American's first match against a top-10 foe.

"The guy has about a million Grand Slams and done everything. I can't tell you how excited I am to play," Tiafoe said. "Seeing the draw was partly probably why up a set and 4-1, I started rushing and thinking, 'Oh my god, I'm going to play Roger.'

"He's my idol, everyone's idol."

World number 41 Marcel Granollers of Spain fell 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-3 to promising 62nd-ranked Croatian Borna Coric in a testing two hours, 51 minutes contest.

Coric tired towards the end and offered some openings to Granollers while missing three match points but was able to recover well to hold on and set up a meeting with sixth seed Dominic Thiem of Austria.

Russian 19-year-old Andrey Rublev made short work of world number 46 Florian Mayer of Germany, winning 6-1, 6-1 in just 44 minutes. Rublev will now face a tough challenge against 2010 Miami finalist and 10th seed Tomas Berdych.
The top of the Sewol has been raised to 13 metres above sea-level, just high enough to fit onto a vessel that will take it to port

Salvage operators were preparing to move South Korea's sunken Sewol ferry on to another vessel to transfer it to port Friday, nearly three years after it went down with the loss of more than 300 lives.

The top of the wreck had been raised to 13 metres above sea-level by late morning, the maritime ministry said in a statement, just high enough to fit it onto a semi-submersible standing by to take it to Mokpo on the mainland.

The rusted, silted hull stood high out of the water between two giant salvage barges, still on its side as it lay on the sea bed but with both the white superstructure and the blue bulbous bow exposed.

"Today is the last day of the neap tide and we must finish loading the Sewol to the submersible," Lee Cheol-jo, a ministry official in charge of the operation told reporters, referring to when tides are at their weakest.

The complex operation -- one of the largest raisings of an entire ship ever attempted -- comes as the third anniversary approaches of one of the country's worst-ever maritime disasters, which dealt a crushing blow to now-ousted president Park Geun-Hye.

Workers aboard a Chinese salvage vessel take part in the salvage operation of the Sewol ferry

Almost all the dead were schoolchildren and it is thought that nine bodies still unaccounted for may be trapped inside the sunken ship.

Raising the ferry intact has been a key demand of the victims' families, although workers had to remove a rear ramp that was obstructing their efforts.

- 'No words to describe' -

Several relatives watched the much-anticipated operation unfolding from a boat near the site.

"I had seen footage of the vessel from time to time, but there are no words to describe what I'm feeling to see it above water," said Jung Seong-Wook, a father who lost his son in the deadly accident.

"I cried. I could only think about my son," Jung told AFP after returning from an early morning boat trip to the site.

Jung is among a handful of bereaved family members who have kept watch at a camp on a hilltop on Donggeochado -- the nearest island to the wreck, just 1.5 kilometres (a mile) away.

Other bereaved family members gathered at Paengmok harbour, an hour away from the site, huddled in front of a small computer monitor for any updates to the salvage operation.

About 450 workers are involved in the elaborate operation to lift the Sewol

"From time to time when the news mentions a possible obstacle, my heart stops," said Yoo Young-Hwa, who lost her daughter on the Sewol.

About 450 workers are involved in the painstaking efforts to lift the ship, which has a displacement of 6,825 tonnes but is now estimated to weigh between 8,000-8,500 tonnes including the silt piled up inside.

The vessel was lying more than 40 metres (130 feet) below the waves off southwestern South Korea and the operation, originally scheduled for last year, had been pushed back several times because of adverse weather.
Models present creations from Ujoh by Japanese designer Mitsuru Nishizaki during his 2017 Autumn/Winter Collection show at Tokyo Fashion Week in Tokyo on March 20, 2017

He's been hailed a "fresh new voice" by Vogue, won admiration from Giorgio Armani and bagged an award: Mitsuru Nishizaki is hot fashion talent in Japan. But that doesn't guarantee international stardom.

Loud applause and uncharacteristic cheers erupted from the usually restrained Japanese fashion crowd at the 38-year-old's packed autumn/winter 2017 collection for brand Ujoh at Tokyo Fashion Week.

The models strode out to upbeat techno tempo, tearing up a multi-lane catwalk in a high-energy show starring preppy-grunge, sporty-tailored chic that would not look out of place in New York.

It was eminently wearable with bright high-necked ribbed sweaters slashed at the side, a deconstructed pale pink trench coat and crisp shirts that button front and back to be styled how the wearer desires.

Shoes were trainer-meets-loafer -- black with white soles and a yellow serrated grip, which he calls shark soles, worn with gypsy-style skirts, pin-stripped suits or slouchy velvet track bottoms.

Nishizaki set up Ujoh in 2009 after seven years as a Yohji Yamamoto pattern cutter. Six years later he won a design award sponsored by DHL and then in 2016 staged a show in Milan.

Ujoh is already stocked in more than a dozen foreign cities such as Barcelona, New York and Seoul

Armani provided his theatre for the venue, though Nishizaki didn't meet the veteran Italian designer in person. Vogue wrote afterwards: "this is how cool girls dress now" and predicted a bright future for him.

But what does it take to make it outside Japan? To follow in the footsteps of Issey Miyake, Yamamoto -- Nishizaki's former boss -- and Rei Kawakubo, 20th century masters who have flown the nest to take their place among the greats in the fashion pantheon of Paris?

What are the hurdles that need to be overcome in a country where the fashion industry is embedded in exacting standards of tailoring, where creativity at times can take a back seat to doing it the right way?

Ujoh is already stocked in more than a dozen foreign cities such as Barcelona, New York and Seoul. Still, Nishizaki's chief ambition is to expand further abroad.

But it's a tough road to take domestic success to the next level.

- 'Give me ideas' -

Tokyo's bi-annual Fashion Week in March and October comes several weeks after the main fashion merry-go-round in New York, London, Milan and Paris comes to an end

In an interview at his showroom in Omotesando, a chic neighbourhood heaving with high-fashion boutiques, he was polite and earnest, but also shy and nervous behind the wide brim of a black floppy hat.

Nishizaki appears reluctant to present a compelling personal narrative in the rags-to-riches or fashion-ruled-my-childhood style that has helped many celebrated US designers market pret-a-porter to a mass audience.

When it comes to his collections, he says he works in the style to which he became accustomed at Yamamoto: having an open mind and designing freely without pre-selecting a particular inspiration.

"It is a difficult question to answer and I wish you could give me some ideas," Nishizaki ventured when asked if he thought it was harder to break through as a designer from Japan than from Europe or America.

But he does admit that the Japanese calendar is stacked against quick success on the international circuit.

Tokyo's bi-annual style fest in March and October comes several weeks after the main fashion merry-go-round in New York, London, Milan and Paris comes to an end.

By then most international editors and buyers are too exhausted and saturated to board a long-haul flight to Tokyo.

"What I really should do now is rearrange my brand schedule for press and sales not only in Japan but overseas," Nishizaki said.

Japanese designer Mitsuru Nishizaki set up Ujoh in 2009 after seven years as a Yohji Yamamoto pattern cutter

Misha Janette, a Tokyo-based stylist, creative director and blogger who has lived in Japan since 2004, said a major challenge for many Japanese designers trying to cut it in the West are different tastes.

She summed up the Japanese market as conservative and casual, rather than expensive and high fashion, warning that simple clothes were "not going to sell" in Paris.

"I think the most important thing is to have a balance of show pieces, interesting things that show their viewpoint with simple off the rack to satisfy both. That's hard," she told AFP.

"Most Japanese brands don't have the investment, it's just girls and boys doing it alone out of their garage," she said. "Instead of having this balance of show pieces and wearable pieces it becomes either or."
For many in economically stagnant Appalachia, local clinics like the Cornerstone Care Community Health Center of Rogersville, Pennsylvania are a lifeline

Maribeth Coote says she hates Obamacare, but it's the only health coverage option she can afford in this remote, hardscrabble corner of southwestern Pennsylvania.

The government should "just back off and let me figure it out, and get out of the whole industry" of health care, the 52-year-old Chicago transplant to the tiny town of Rogersville said as she cleaned up her woodworking shed from recent flooding.

Donna Himelrick is uninsured and priced out of the market, despite being the mayor of Hundred, a small town 20 miles (32 kilometers) south in neighboring West Virginia.

"I make too much for Medicaid and not enough that we can afford insurance. It's a difficult situation," Himelrick, 62, said at a clinic in nearby Burton, where she pays for medical treatment in cash, according to what she can afford.

Like millions in Appalachia, both women voted for Donald Trump in last November's election seeking to upend the political system. The Affordable Care Act, they insist, is not the answer to their health woes.

But both would face dramatic changes to their health care -- probably for the worse, at least at first -- if Obamacare is replaced by the plan being hashed out by Republican lawmakers in Washington, a cultural and political world away.

Local clinics are a lifeline for many in this economically stagnant, overwhelmingly white region. Ambulance coverage is spotty, and rough roads with rougher weather can leave insular communities even more isolated in emergencies.

Now that Trump is president, the reforms installed by his predecessor Barack Obama are under threat, potentially spelling disaster for several community health centers in Pennsylvania and neighboring West Virginia.

"There are a lot of things that need to be straightened out" with health care, but shuttering local clinics "would be a concern to me," Himelrick conceded. Lawmakers should "tread lightly."

- Safety nets -

The Cornerstone Care CHC in Rogersville, which treats Coote, and several other facilities serve an area where coal mines have recently closed, pushing up unemployment, and where health facilities can be 20 miles or more apart.

"We are the safety net for this community," Janice Morris, chief executive of the Clay-Battelle CHC in Blacksville, West Virginia, said in an interview.

Under Obamacare, several states have expanded Medicaid, the federal health program for the poor and disabled, to include residents whose income is at or below 138 percent of the poverty level.

But with some 670,000 people in Pennsylvania and 175,000 in West Virginia eligible for Medicaid through the expansion, a rollback of the program as proposed in the Republican plan would "have a terrible impact there," Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, told AFP back in Washington.

At Clay-Battelle clinic, nearly half of the patients are either on Medicaid or Medicare, the coverage program for the elderly.

Many of the clinic's 300 to 400 weekly patients pay on a scale according to their financial ability -- a system known as "the slide."

The clinic covers the slack through Medicaid and commercial insurance reimbursements, federal and state funding, and grants.

Obamacare has helped Clay-Battelle and Cornerstone lower the rate of uninsured who get treatment there. The resulting increase in reimbursements have translated into expanding staff and hours of operation.

That could crumble if Obamacare disappears.

"A lot of people don't recognize that the health coverage they have was made possible through the Affordable Care Act," Morris said.

- 'Getting whipsawed' -

Don Humbertson, 64, says he owes his life to Clay-Battell doctors who discovered he had lung cancer.

The retired concrete worker is insured through his wife's bus-driver job, but he has grown to appreciate how Obamacare has given those in need a chance.

"Obamacare when it first came out, I was totally against it," said Humbertson, who has had difficulty breathing and speaking since part of his right lung was removed.

"But I've seen how it was helping some people."

Instead of pulling it out by its roots, he said, Republicans and Democrats should come together and fix the current law.

That is not what's happening.

Republican leaders are keen to keep popular provisions that bar companies from refusing to insure people because of pre-existing conditions.

But in a bid to provide more free-market choice and competition, they want to slash the amount of subsidies that would be provided for Americans to buy health care, potentially putting insurance out of reach for millions.

The bill is hanging by a thread, with the House of Representatives likely to vote on the measure Friday.

"We feel like we're just getting whipsawed around," Cornerstone Care chief executive Richard Rinehart said.

"We're in the trenches, we're dealing with these health issues that are real."

Cornerstone operates another clinic in the larger town of Waynesburg, where coal silos, conveyors and green buildings of the shuttered Emerald Mine stand as ghostly reminders of better days.

In Trump country, many health workers are aware of the irony of a Republican law appearing likely to hurt health centers' ability to care for the very people who voted the president into office.

"I see it very personally," Morris said. "Many of our staff people are Trump supporters."

But health outcomes of Americans are "at risk" because of the Republican plan, he added.

"I would urge them to really think about those people in rural America that they got support from... Don't turn your back on them."
Israeli settlement building in east Jerusalem and the West Bank is seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state

Israel and the United States concluded talks in Washington on advancing peace with the Palestinians, without agreeing on one of the thorniest issues -- Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

The US delegation, led by President Donald Trump's special representative Jason Greenblatt, reiterated the president's "concerns regarding settlement activity," a joint statement read of the four-day talks, which ended late Thursday.

The Israelis "made clear that Israel's intent going forward is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes these concerns into consideration," the statement read.

The Trump administration is looking for ways to revive peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli settlement building in east Jerusalem and the West Bank is seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Much of the international community has raised increasing alarm over settlement expansion, saying it is gradually eating away at prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from members of his coalition to advance settlement construction, which was a major source of contention with the Obama administration.

The new administration has been slow to curb Israeli settlement announcements and has yet to set a clear policy on the subject. When meeting Netanyahu at the White House in February, Trump called for Israel to "hold back on settlements for a little bit".

A "principal focus" of the talks was ways to alleviate the faltering Palestinian economy in Gaza and the West Bank, the statement read.
Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr delivers a speech during a gathering in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf on March 19, 2017

Populist Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr told a demonstration in Baghdad on Friday that he would order a boycott of upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections unless the country's electoral law is changed.

Polls are to take place next year, and Sadr supporters had previously demonstrated for changes to the law and to the country's electoral committee, which is dominated by affiliates of powerful political parties.

If "the law remains... this means that we will order a boycott of the elections," Sadr said in televised remarks made at a demonstration at Baghdad's Tahrir Square.

The cleric did not specify the specific changes he wants to take place, but the current law has been criticised as being biased towards large political parties over smaller ones.

The UN has backed demands for electoral reform, urging parliament last month to "finalise the ongoing review" of the election law and the electoral commission.

Sadr is the scion of a powerful clerical family who in earlier years raised a rebellion against US-led forces and commanded a feared militia.

He had lost some of his political influence in recent years but has brought himself back into relevance by calling for demonstrations to push for reforms.

His supporters broke into Baghdad's fortified Green Zone area, where the government is headquartered, on several occasions last year, and clashes at a Baghdad protest left seven people dead last month.

Demonstrations calling for improved services and opposing widespread corruption broke out in the summer of 2015, drawing pledges from authorities that reforms would be made that ultimately led to little in the way of lasting change.

The protest movement eventually flagged, but Sadr subsequently revitalised it by calling for his supporters to take part in demonstrations starting last year.
Russia considers the Taliban a terrorist group and it is banned in the country, along with the Islamic State group

Russia on Friday denied allegations by the commander of NATO that Moscow may be assisting the Taliban as the insurgents fight US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

"These claims are absolutely false," Zamir Kabulov, head of the Russian foreign ministry's department responsible for Afghanistan and the Kremlin's special envoy in the country, told RIA Novosti state news agency.

"These fabrications are designed, as we have repeatedly underlined, to justify the failure of the US military and politicians in the Afghan campaign. There is no other explanation."

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, US General Curtis Scaparrotti, who also heads the US military's European Command, told lawmakers in Washington on Thursday that he had witnessed Russia's influence grow in many regions, including in Afghanistan.

In a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Scaparrotti said Moscow was "perhaps" supplying the Taliban.

In February General John Nicholson, the US commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, testified that Russia is encouraging the Taliban and providing them with diplomatic cover in a bid to undermine US influence and defeat NATO.

Kabulov in 2015 said that Russia was exchanging information with the Taliban and saw shared interest with them when it comes to fighting the Islamic State jihadist group.

Russia considers the Taliban a terrorist group and it is banned in the country, along with the Islamic State group.

Taliban fighters on Thursday captured Afghanistan's strategic district of Sangin, where US and British forces suffered heavy casualties until it was handed over to Afghan personnel.
The US ban on carry-on electronic devices will affect passengers on around 50 flights a day

While Middle Eastern airlines grapple with carry-on bans for laptops on flights to the US and Britain, one carrier is encouraging passengers to do the unthinkable: actually talk to each other.

Royal Jordanian, one of the airlines affected by new restrictions on electronic devices bigger than mobile phones on direct flights to the US and UK, has released a tongue-in-cheek list of in-flight alternatives to staring at a screen.

"Read a book. Say hello to the person next to you. Meditate," are among the 12 lighthearted suggestions posted on its Facebook page this week.

The post, which has received close to 10,000 likes, also advises customers to "enjoy the miracle of flight" and "analyse the meaning of life".

The US ban will affect around 50 flights per day from nine airlines, and the British ban will hit 14 carriers.

Royal Jordanian, which operates direct flights to London, New York, Detroit and Chicago, followed up its popular post with another alternative in-flight activity: "Or do what we Jordanians do best... stare at each other!"
Hong Kong, the biggest market for Brazilian beef, issued a ban on all meat imports from the country earlier this week

Hong Kong said Friday it will recall Brazilian meat from 21 processing plants under investigation over a rotten meat scandal.

The city, which is the biggest market for Brazilian beef, already issued a ban on all meat imports from the country earlier this week.

It comes after police in Brazil said they had uncovered a scheme to bribe corrupt health inspectors at processing plants to certify tainted meat.

China has also suspended all imports and Brazilian officials say exports have dropped from $63 million a day to just $74,000.

Hong Kong's health secretary Ko Wing-man announced a "comprehensive recall" of all "chilled, frozen and poultry meats" which had already been imported from the factories at the heart of the crisis.

"We couldn't completely eliminate hidden dangers in terms of food safety," Ko told reporters when explaining the decision.

Ko said six of the affected Brazilian plants had exported meat to Hong Kong.

He hoped the move would help restore customer confidence in Brazilian meat that had not been brought in from the factories involved.

Hong Kong imported $718 million worth of beef in 2016, according to Brazilian government figures.

Brazil meat export crisis widens

It is the second biggest importer of all Brazilian meat behind China, which has also suspended imports.

Other important markets, notably the European Union, have stopped any imports from the 21 businesses under investigation.

Japan, Brazil's third-biggest market for chicken with $720 million in sales, imposed a similar limited ban, while Mexico has stopped imports of chicken produced by the 21 companies under scrutiny.

Brazil's government has appealed to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) 163 other members not to impose "arbitrary" bans on the country's more than $13 billion meat export industry.

Officials have been scrambling to contain the damage since police announced the results of the two-year investigation last week.

According to police, the health inspectors involved were bribed to certify meat no longer fit for consumption, while additives were used to mask problems in the produce.

Exports have been stopped from all 21 meat processors under investigation, and at least 30 people have been arrested.

Hong Kong's Ko said the city's blanket ban on imports of Brazilian meat would stand.

"If we get assurance from the Brazilian departments that their investigation is limited to the 21 factories, we will respond accordingly by limiting the ban," he told reporters.

Ko said any products that were on their way to Hong Kong would be allowed into the city but would be sealed until the investigation was over.

In its letter to the WTO, Brazil pressed its message that a few bad apples were at fault for the scandal and that the Brazilian food industry itself was in good health.

It pointed out that of 11,000 employees at the agriculture ministry, 2,300 work as inspectors on animal products and "only 33 individuals are being investigated for improper conduct".
Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for three decades

In six years, Egypt's Hosni Mubarak has gone from symbolising the hubris of Middle East dictators swept away by the Arab Spring uprisings to an emblem of dashed hopes.

The strongman who ruled for 30 years had warned that if it were not for him chaos would grip Egypt.

To the dismay of protesters who put their faith in the revolution, Mubarak left a miliary hospital on Friday where he had been detained since his 2011 ouster to a country where many now remember his stable rule with nostalgia.

Mubarak had remained defiant since his ouster, sneering at the movement that in a mere 18 days in January and February 2011 shook the foundations of the venal police state he sculpted over three decades.

Months after he was forced from power, Mubarak was placed on trial for his role in trying to quash the protests that led to his overthrow, and in which some 850 people were killed.

Wheeled in to court on a gurney, wearing his trademark sunglasses and looking disgusted, Mubarak denied the charges. He was later sentenced to life in prison.

"When I heard the first verdict I laughed. I said: 'Ha!'," he told a private broadcaster after the sentencing.

"I did nothing wrong at all," he said.

- 'The laughing cow' -

Apparently referring to economic growth, he said: "The last 10 years showed more results than the 20 years before, including telephones and so on, and then they turned against us."

At a retrial, the court decided to drop the main charges against Mubarak on a technicality.

He beat other cases too, but was sentenced to three years for corruption, which took into account time served.

This month, after a final acquittal in the protester killing case, the prosecution said he was free to go.

A few protesters who supported the strongman would show up at his trials. Their slogan: "We are sorry president." Many laughed at them.

But over the years the sentiment grew as Egypt tottered from one disaster to another while Islamists who came to power contested its levers with the military and police.

The Islamists Mubarak had warned about, in the form of his successor Mohamed Morsi, greatly divided the country.

Millions took to the streets in June 2013 demanding the Muslim Brotherhood politician's resignation just a year after his election, prompting the army to oust and detain him.

Police killed hundreds of Morsi's supporters in clashes at protests while jihadists launched an insurgency that has since killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen.

Many Egyptians began to yearn for the banality of Mubarak's era, while activists who spearheaded his ouster found themselves in jail.

Mubarak was the fourth president of the Arab Republic of Egypt, founded in 1952 when the military overthrew the monarchy.

He was neither an inspirational revolutionary like Gamal Abdel Nasser, nor a charismatic and daring politician like Anwar Sadat, whom he served as vice president before Sadat's assassination in 1981 by jihadists.

Born on May 4, 1928 in the Nile Delta village of Menufiyah, Mubarak rose through the ranks of the air force before becoming vice president.

A bland politician, he inspired little veneration, instead earning the moniker "The Laughing Cow" after the mascot of a processed cheese brand.

As his reign stretched on, he became known to the opposition as "The Pharaoh".

- 'Let them have fun' -

But he did prove to be an adept politician, picking up where Sadat had left off.

He maintained a peace treaty with Israel -- the reason Sadat was assassinated -- and became a main player in the US-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace process more than a decade later.

Even as Egypt's population boomed during the Mubarak era, the Arab world's most populous country -- also its one-time intellectual and cultural core -- faded as a regional power.

Both governance and the economy were greased by patronage and corruption. Mediocrity, half measures and rights abuses were the hallmarks of his rule.

During the 2000s, change came to Egypt. Slowly, under the direction of his unpopular son Gamal, the government began a programme of economic liberalisation.

At the same time, and largely in response to US pressure, Mubarak began to ease his grasp of political life.

"Let them have fun," he said of his opposition.
Displaced Iraqi children from Mosul walk in the mud towards refugee camps on March 24, 2017

Bilal Abduljabbar clambers onto the back of an Iraqi army truck with his two teenage children to start the final stage of their escape from war-torn west Mosul.

"Where we came from, there was no water and no food, just fighting," the 43-year-old says. "And where we're going, there's no future."

A rumble of mortar fire resonates in the distance as hundreds of people trudge up a rain-drenched street under a heavy grey sky of smoke and clouds.

Their nightmare of life under the Islamic State group's rule is over. But having escaped Iraq's second city after months of heavy fighting, they are starting a life of displacement and uncertainty.

Iraqi forces launched a vast offensive on October 17 to oust IS from the northern city.

They completed the recapture of eastern Mosul in January and last month launched a renewed assault on the west, under jihadist control since IS seized it in 2014.

Weeks later, some areas prised from the jihadists' grip are a scene of devastation, and the Iraqi government says around 180,000 civilians have escaped the city's west.

Iraqis fleeing Mosul rest during their journey to refugee camps on March 24, 2017

The latest escapees walk along a road secured by Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service and lined with buildings pulverised by fighting.

Yassir Ahmed, 35, carries a young child in his arms as he walks, his back bent from fatigue. Others drag metal carts loaded with children or the elderly, their faces lined with stress and fatigue.

In suitcases and plastic bags, they carry the few belongings they were able to grab as they fled. Some are empty handed.

IS "detained us for 15 days and wouldn't let us leave," says a man in a grey tracksuit stained with mud.

"Last night, they retreated under pressure from the security forces. We escaped at about six o'clock this morning."

- Snipers on roofs -

Staying in western Mosul meant living without food, without water and in constant fear of the jihadists.

"There were snipers on a warehouse, shooting at people," says 27-year-old Adel Abdul Karim.

Civilians flee Mosul as Iraqi forces advance in their operation to retake the city from the Islamic State group on March 23, 2017

After hours on foot, the escapees reach a bus station on the outskirts of the city, where they wait to board buses and army trucks.

But the situation borders on chaos. Desperate to leave Mosul, the crowd rushes towards the vehicles, elbowing for a place.

There are cries and tears. Some try to negotiate, others shout angrily. A woman in a black niqab veil falls into the mud after vainly trying to force her way through.

"We are dealing with women and children first, but we have a hard time managing things," said a member of the Iraqi security forces. "Look! There are so many people!"

Crammed together in the back of a truck, dozens of people wear expressions of relief on their tired faces as the truck pulls away.

They will head for one of several camps set up around the city to house the displaced. They will receive food, blankets and aid.

But many fear what comes next. There is little certainty about when they will be able to return home -- or if their homes will still be standing when they do.
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down on February 11, 2011 after three decades in office and handed power to the army, following an 18-day revolt

What happened to the leaders whose power was challenged in the so-called Arab Spring that began in late 2010?

Here is a look.

- Egypt: Mubarak freed -

Hosni Mubarak stepped down on February 11, 2011 after three decades in office and handed power to the army, following an 18-day revolt.

Mubarak was arrested that April, and succeeded in June 2012 by an Islamist, Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president.

Morsi was in turn toppled by then army chief, now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after a single year in power marked by crises and political dissent.

Sentenced to life in prison in June 2012 on charges of involvement in the deaths of some 850 protesters during the uprising, Mubarak was acquitted by Egypt's top appeals court on March 2, 2017.

Aged 88, he was released from military hospital on Friday.

- Tunisia: Ben Ali flees -

Month-long protests over poverty and unemployment forced Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family to flee on January 14, 2011, after just over 23 years in power, in the first of the Arab Spring uprisings.

He went into exile in Saudi Arabia and, now 80, has maintained a low profile, communicating mainly via a Lebanese lawyer.

The Tunisian courts have since convicted him of a raft of offences in absentia, including corruption and incitement to violence against protesters during the uprising. He was sentenced to life in prison on the latter charge.

- Syria: Assad survives -

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is still in power.

Military support from Iran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah have since 2015 turned the tables in his favour in a civil war sparked by the brutal suppression of protests against his rule which erupted in March 2011.

More than 320,000 people have been killed in the conflict and millions forced from their homes.

Rebel groups that have received backing from Turkey, the Gulf Arab states and Western governments are still fighting Assad's forces but they have been overshadowed by jihadists of the Islamic State group and former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.

- Libya: Kadhafi slain -

Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi was captured and killed on October 20, 2011 after 42 years in power while trying to flee Sirte, his hometown, as NATO-backed rebels closed in. It was the climax of a revolt that began with protests in second city Benghazi that February.

Libya has since descended into chaos, with rival parliaments and governments vying for influence and militias fighting over territory and the country's vast oil wealth.

- Yemen: Saleh allies with rebels -

President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in February 2012, following year-long protests and armed clashes, ending more than 33 years in power. His vice president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi took over and was subsequently elected president.

However, Saleh retained the loyalty of some of the best equipped units in the armed forces and when Huthi Shiite rebels overran the capital Sanaa in September 2014, his loyalists did nothing to stop them.

Saleh has since formed a close alliance with the rebels and despite a two-year-old military intervention by a Saudi-led coalition they retain control of Sanaa and much of the northern highlands and Red Sea coast.

- Bahrain: royals intensify crackdown -

Bahrain's Sunni Muslim ruling family faced month-long protests led by the kingdom's Shiite majority in 2011 calling for a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister.

It crushed them with deadly force after its Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sent in troops.

Despite repeated calls from Western allies for compromise and reform, Bahrain's King Hamad has since dissolved the main Shiite opposition movement and sentenced many of its leaders to lengthy prison terms.

It has also moved to ban other opposition groups.

- Algeria: Bouteflika in wheelchair -

In 2011, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika kept the lid on protests, announcing reforms while consolidating his grip on power, playing on fears of a repetition of the devastating civil war that rocked the country in the 1990s.

Re-elected as president in 2014 for a fourth term, Bouteflika, now 80, is rarely seen in public and, when he is, it is from a wheelchair and speaking with difficulty, after suffering a stroke in 2013.

- Morocco: King cedes some powers -

In Morocco, King Mohammed VI was one of the first leaders to take stock of the Arab Spring revolts, announcing a reform of the constitution in March 2011 in the wake of a February 20 demonstration against corruption.

Following a referendum, he succeeded in keeping his political and religious preeminence, while granting more powers to the prime minister and parliament.
India airlines including Air India have said they are considering a no-fly list that would ban disruptive or violent passengers

An Indian airline said Friday it had cancelled a booking by a Hindu nationalist lawmaker who repeatedly hit an Air India steward with his sandal in a row over which seat to take.

Ravindra Gaikwad has admitted to hitting the 60-year-old employee of the national carrier 25 times because he was denied a business class seat on a flight to New Delhi from his home town of Pune.

On Friday Indigo, a private airline, said it had cancelled Gaikwad's return booking and banned him from future flights.

"We have informed him through his (travel) agent about the cancellation. He was flying to Pune in a late afternoon flight," spokesman Ajay Jasra told AFP.

Airlines including Air India have said they are considering a no-fly list that would ban disruptive or violent passengers.

The incident caused major outrage but Gaikwad, who represents the hardline Shiv Sena party, has appeared unrepentant about his behaviour, accusing the steward of "arrogance".

The airline filed a police complaint against the lawmaker over the assault but he is yet to be questioned.

It is not the first time such an incident has taken place in India.

Last year an MP was arrested on charges of assaulting an airline official after he and his family were prevented from boarding a flight because the gate had closed. He was later released on bail.
Soldiers stand near The Hotel Etoile du Sud on March 13, 2016, in Grand Bassam, during a commemoration ceremony for the first anniversary of the 2016 Grand Bassam beach terrorist attack, resulting in the death of 19 people

A jihadist accused of masterminding a deadly attack in Ivory Coast is also suspected of having planned a major assault in Burkina Faso's capital last year, a senior official said Friday.

Ivorian officials believe Mimi Ould Baba Ould Cheikh organised the gun and grenade attack that left 19 people dead last March at the beach resort of Grand-Bassam, which is popular with foreigners.

Now he is also believed to have been "head of operations" for the attack on a hotel and cafe in Ouagadougou in January 2016 that killed 30 people, said Colonel Serge Alain Ouedraogo of the Burkinabe gendarmerie.

"The weapons and equipment for the attack were carefully hidden in the tyre of a truck that Mimi had sent to Burkina by his lieutenant Ibrahim Ould Mohamed," Ouedraogo told a press conference.

The pair were arrested in Mali by troops from France's Barkhane anti-jihadist force -- Mimi in January this year, and his alleged accomplice last May.

Both were formerly living in a refugee camp in Djibo, northern Burkina Faso, Ouedraogo said.

After their arrests, the Burkinabe security ministry sent officials to Mali's capital Bamako and "obtained their confession of their involvement" in the Ouagadougou assault, the colonel said.

Mimi confessed to being in contact with an aide to Algerian extremist Mokhtar Belmokhtar of the Al-Murabitoun group, who offered him 10 millions CFA francs ($15,200, 15,000 euros) to carry out the "plan".

"He came several weeks before the Ouagadougou attack in the company of a white man with the first name Abderrahmane, using Nigerian identity cards for a reconnaissance mission," Ouedraogo said.

They had photographed the Cappuccino cafe and Splendid Hotel that would later be targeted in the attacks, along with another restaurant that was not hit, he said.
United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria Staffan de Mistura arrives for a round of negotiation with the HNC during the Intra Syria talks at the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, on March 24, 2017

Syrian rivals will tackle all agenda items at peace talks this week, including political transition, the United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura said Friday, warning not to expect "miracles."

The fifth round of stalled UN-backed negotiations have started in Geneva, with a mandate to discuss governance, drafting a new constitution, elections and combating terrorism in the war-ravaged country.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's delegation has sought to keep terrorism as the focus, accusing the main opposition High Negotiations Committee of partnering with extremists.

For the HNC, the issue of governance and especially Assad's removal is the top priority.

"All of them have to talk about all four (issues)", de Mistura told reporters after meeting the government and HNC. "That is (the) deal", he added, following the first full day of the round.

Speaking earlier, the regime's lead negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari said his camp had begun talks on the terrorism issue, given "developments on the ground."

Rebels and allied jihadists this week launched two surprise offensives on government positions in Damascus and central Hama province.

The HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri told reporters the opposition had focused on political transition first.

The sides are meeting separately with the UN.

De Mistura said he would aim to mesh the ideas shared on all subjects by both sides when the round ends next Friday.

"I am not expecting miracles, I am not expecting breakthroughs ... and I am not expecting breakdowns," the UN envoy said, reiterating that agreement on the agenda was itself a mark of progress.

The fact that talks were going ahead despite an escalation of violence was also a "sign of maturity" among the rival camps, he said.

De Mistura added that he will fly to Jordan's capital for one day on Monday to brief an Arab League meeting on the negotiations, with his deputy Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy leading the round for a day.

Four previous rounds have yielded little with the government emboldened following major military victories in recent months helped partly by strong support from its ally Russia.

Years of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in March 2011 with protests against Assad's regime.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, seen March 23, 2017, initially planned to skip a NATO ministerial meeting

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with NATO members next week in Brussels, officials said Friday, as alliance diplomats struggled to reschedule a key meeting.

The transatlantic alliance's leading partner threw planning for an April 5 summit of NATO foreign ministers into chaos on Tuesday, when Tillerson revealed he would not be attending.

Faced with the embarrassment of a no-show that would have called President Donald Trump's commitment to US allies into question, member states decided to try to pick a new date.

But now, US officials say Tillerson will head to Brussels on Friday next week regardless, even though members are still seeking a new date for the talks.

"The Secretary of State will visit NATO in Brussels, Belgium," acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, without revealing any details of planned meetings.

In Brussels, NATO officials were also cautious, telling AFP that they hoped to reschedule the full ministerial meeting to Friday but that a decision would not be made before Monday.

"There are ongoing consultations on scheduling among the allies. The dates of ministerial meetings have to be agreed by all 28 allies," one said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

- Long-planned talks -

Officials suggested that the complicating factor might be the agenda of Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who might not be able to make it to Brussels on March 31.

On Tuesday, the State Department confirmed that Tillerson would not be able to attend the long-planned April 5 and 6 meeting.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit President Donald Trump in the United States in early April, and Tillerson would be expected to attend their meetings.

But his office has not confirmed that engagement, and word that Tillerson would stay away from the NATO talks stirred doubt about US commitment to its allies.

NATO

NATO member Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has already announced that he expects to meet Tillerson in Ankara on Thursday, March 30.

Toner said Tillerson would also meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the visit, and "discuss the way forward with our campaign to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq."

After almost two months in the job, Tillerson has yet to appoint a deputy or any assistant secretaries, has largely avoided the media and works with a small inner circle of advisers.

The administration, meanwhile, has been scrambling to reaffirm its commitment to US military alliances after Trump called into question their usefulness during the presidential campaign.

Last week, after meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump claimed Germany owes "vast sums of money to NATO and the United States," reviving his charge that allies do not pay their way.

- Obsolete alliance? -

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a former Marine general, has declared US support for NATO, and last week Tillerson reaffirmed ties with Asian allies Japan and South Korea.

But Tillerson's absence from the foreign ministers' meeting would have been noted with concern, especially by newer East European members on its exposed east flank.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump raised eyebrows by expressing admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and dismissing NATO as "obsolete"

The United States has worked with NATO to shore up support for the pro-western government in Kiev after Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for a bloody uprising in eastern Ukraine.

Combined with economic sanctions, the deployment of more NATO troops from Western members to frontline Eastern allies in the Baltics and Poland was intended to send a signal to Moscow.

But during his presidential campaign, Trump raised eyebrows by expressing admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and dismissing NATO as "obsolete."
The Taliban dynamited Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddha statues in 2001

The United Nations Security Council on Friday strengthened its protection of global cultural heritage sites threatened by armed conflicts, saying perpetrators of unlawful destruction could be prosecuted for war crimes.

From the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan to the ancient shrines of Timbuktu, deliberate attacks against the world's great heritage sites have multiplied in recent years.

In a unanimously approved resolution, the Security Council called for a systematic defense of cultural heritage sites, following early steps taken in the aftermath of Islamic State group attacks in Iraq and Syria.

The resolution calls for the protection of historic monuments and sites in any conflict zone regardless of geography or type of attack, whether for destruction, theft or trafficking.

"Directing unlawful attacks against sites and buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, or historic monuments may constitute, under certain circumstances and pursuant to international law a war crime and that perpetrators of such attacks must be brought to justice," it said.

In a sign of the international community's growing get-tough stance on heritage, the International Criminal Court in the Hague on Tuesday sentenced a Malian jihadist to nine years in prison for the war crime of attacking Timbuktu's treasured shrines and a mosque.

The new UN resolution calls on countries to create specialized units to protect cultural heritage and for stronger international cooperation to thwart the trafficking of cultural goods from conflict zones.

"The deliberate ruthlessness against humanity's patrimony stems from a will to destroy memory," said Audrey Azoulay, the French minister of culture, who presented the text together with Italy.

"It's the same destructive will that aims at the flesh of women, men, children but also at stone, clay, the treasures of heritage, the museums," she said.

"It's also a major threat to security because the trafficking often finances terrorism."

The stepped-up battle to protect heritage requires significant resources that will only increase, said UNESCO director Irina Bokova, who spoke at the council's public briefing in support of the resolution.

Seven countries -- including France, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- as well as a private donor pledged in Paris on Monday to provide $75.5 million to protect cultural heritage sites threatened by war and terrorism.
The Israeli settlement of Asael in seen in the background of the Palestinian village of Rafat on March 24, 2017

Israel has ignored a United Nations resolution demanding it halt settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territory that was criticized by the Trump administration, the world body's Middle East envoy said Friday.

Although the UN Security Council resolution passed December 23 demanded that Israel immediately cease all settlement activities, "no such steps have been taken," envoy Nickolay Mladenov said in his first report to the council since the resolution was adopted.

"The January spike in illegal settlement announcements by Israel is deeply concerning," he said.

In January, Israel made five announcements on settlement building that together totaled more than 6,000 homes in the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem.

In early February, Israel declared its intention to build what would anti-settlement group Peace Now says would be the first new settlement by an Israeli government since 1992.

Mladenov also expressed concern about the Israeli parliament's approval of a new settlement law on February 6 that retroactively legalizes dozens of Jewish outposts and thousands of settler homes built on private Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.

The new law will allow Israel to legally seize Palestinian private land on which Israelis carried out construction without knowing it was private property or because the state allowed them to do so.

Palestinian owners will be compensated financially or with different land.

Mladenov said the law represents a major change in Israel's position on the question of legality in the Palestinian occupied territories.

Settlements in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem are viewed as illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians want for their own state.

The Middle East envoy's report came before the 15-nation Security Council held a closed-door session to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

- New message under Trump -

Under the new administration, the United States, one of the five veto-wielding council members and a long-time Israel supporter, has pledged to back Israel more than Donald Trump's predecessor Barack Obama.

As president-elect, Trump in late December assailed Obama's outgoing administration for abstaining in the December 23 council vote on a UN resolution reprimanding Israel over its settlement activity.

By declining to use its veto, the United States enabled the adoption of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.

The Obama administration justified its decision by citing frustration with Israel's attitude on settlement building.

The newly installed Trump administration in late January signaled that Israel did not have a blank check from America on settlement building.

But Trump sowed confusion in mid-February by seeming to distance Washington from the two-state solution -- the creation of a Palestinian state that coexists with Israel -- that has been supported by the international community for years.

His comment was quickly massaged by other US officials, including the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley.

The British ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who chaired Friday's Security Council discussion, said his country, "like many others," reaffirmed its commitment to a two-state solution during the talks.

The US representative, Deputy Ambassador Michele Sison, made no statement at the end of the talks.
NEW YORK (AP) - As far as the indignities of modern air travel go, the latest ban on laptops and tablets on some international flights falls somewhere between taking off shoes at the security checkpoint and testing baby food and milk for bomb residue.

It's yet another impediment in the name of security for already weary travelers, especially those from or passing through the 10 mostly Middle Eastern and North African countries covered by new U.S. and British policies. While not quite as disruptive as an outright ban on smartphones - much less a travel ban based on nationality - the restrictions loom large for some.

"Why are only Middle Eastern airlines subject to this ban?" asked Kelsey Norman, a doctoral student who plans to fly home Friday to Los Angeles from Beirut - and expects to have to check her laptop, a Kindle tablet and her DSLR camera. "Overall this policy is inconvenient, discriminatory, and continues to hurt America's rapidly deteriorating reputation globally."

FILE- In this Jan. 15, 2015, file photo, a new Qatar Airways Airbus A350 approaches the gate at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany. As the indignities of modern air travel go, the latest ban on laptops and tablets on some international flights falls somewhere between having to take off your ratty shoes at the security checkpoint and having your baby food and milk tested for bomb residue. It's yet another inconvenience in the name of security for weary travelers, especially those from or passing through the 10 mostly Middle Eastern and North African countries covered by new U.S. and British policies. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

BAN LOGIC

New restrictions from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security prohibit the transportation in carry-on baggage of laptop computers, tablets, Kindles, some gaming devices, cameras and other electronics larger than a smartphone. The U.S. government cited unspecified threats as the reason. The U.K. government instituted a similar ban; neither government's restrictions affect U.S. airlines.

People can still bring with them to their seat items like smartphones, duffel bags, coats, small bottles of hand lotion, snacks, earplugs and other small items.

LOST PRODUCTIVITY

Some, particularly business travelers, see the potential for theft, damage or compromised data if they are forced to check laptops. The anxiety is real enough that there were attempts to reroute flights to other airports immediately after the ban was announced.

Banu Akdenizli, a native of Turkey, said that being forced to fly 17 hours without her laptop will cost her precious time to work and to prepare for a conference.

"It might seem trivial to a lot of people, but what you get from these parts of the world are usually business travelers," said Akdenizli, an associate professor of communications at the Doha, Qatar, campus of Northwestern University.

For those who must, there are ways to do a limited amount of work without laptops, tablets or other electronics.

AWKWARD WORKAROUNDS

It is possible to transfer import documents to Google Docs and do some work on a smartphone. Features can be limited for some apps; Microsoft's Office app, for instance, allows users to open only one document at a time.

These apps are good enough for simple proofreading and minor editing, but will leave users wanting when more complex tasks are required. The text will also be small on smartphones, though there is a way to temporarily reformat it to accommodate smaller displays.

One simple task that can be done on a smartphone is communicating via email or cleaning up inboxes. In-flight Wi-Fi is required to send or receive emails.

If travelers need downtime, there is always Netflix or Amazon. Users can download content to a smartphone before leaving so that it's easily accessible.

AT LEAST IT'S NOT PHONES

Laptops and other gadgets play only a supporting role to the smartphone for many travelers. Yet even in cases where there are restrictions on smartphones, at least in the most recent and notable example, the reasons were clear.

Last fall, Samsung asked users of its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 to "power down and stop using the device" on planes. (The phone was later banned, and then recalled.)

One big difference with that ban and today's regionally based restrictions is that with the Galaxy, there were widely circulated videos of Note 7s bursting into flames. There was no doubt that this would be a bad thing at 30,000 feet.

The potential danger cited by the U.S. and the U.K. is more ambiguous.

Yet even for some travelers who do not mind stowing away laptops to abide by the new rules, there is some apprehension.

Nick Lieber, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen living in Jerusalem, plans an April trip to Chicago that will take him through Amman, Jordan, and therefore subject him to the ban. He doesn't anticipate having to do work on his laptop during the flight.

But he worries about laptop lithium-ion batteries - which have been blamed for past aircraft fires - stored in the plane's cargo hold. "I'm a nervous flyer already," Lieber said.

___

Associated Press writers Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Anick Jesdanun in New York contributed to this story.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - Enbridge Inc. says it is cutting about 1,000 jobs or 6 percent of its workforce following the takeover of Houston-based Spectra Energy.

The Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge said Wednesday it is laying off people to address overlaps in the combined company's organizational structure after acquiring Spectra late last month. Both operate pipelines that deliver oil and natural gas.

Enbridge announced last August it was buying Houston-based Spectra Energy for about $28 billion, creating North America's largest energy infrastructure company.

Company spokesman Todd Nogier did not provide details about the cuts, but says they're being made across the merged company.

He says the workforce reductions are among moves the company plans to make in the coming months.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hardcore "CHiPs" fans hate it and the real California Highway Patrol seems not quite sure what to make of it.

But Larry Wilcox, who rode his motorcycle to everlasting fame in the old "CHiPs" TV series, says that for now, he'll give the benefit of the doubt to "CHIPS," the forthcoming film based loosely - very loosely - on the show that made him and Erik Estrada two of the biggest stars of the 1970s and early '80s.

"I have not seen the film but the trailers looked like a soft-porn version of 'Dumb and Dumber,'" Wilcox said recently. "However, I hear the actors are both very talented and funny, so maybe it all works."

Michael Pena, left, and Erik Estrada pose at the Los Angeles premiere of "CHIPS" at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Monday, March 20, 2017. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Fans of the original "CHiPs," still widely seen in reruns and on DVD, are far less forgiving. They've been posting angry messages all over the internet since the first trailers for the R-rated action comedy emerged, calling it garbage and disrespectful to police officers everywhere.

In a lengthy "open letter" to Dax Shepard, Sue Walsh of New York accuses the film's writer, director and co-star of mocking the original show with a ridiculous remake filled with nudity, penis jokes and raunchy bathroom humor. (She left out big-breasted women but they're in there, too.)

"'CHiPs' was not just a '70s cop show. It wasn't Shakespeare, no, but it did and does mean a whole lot to a whole lot of people," said Walsh, who is organizing a 40th anniversary reunion of the show this fall that most of the original cast is expected to attend.

To understand why fans are so upset, one must remember what a gentle, family-oriented show "CHiPs" was.

CHP Sgt. Jon Baker (played by Wilcox) and his partner, Estrada's Officer Frank "Ponch' Poncherello, were hunky young straight-arrow cops cruising sun-splashed, surprisingly uncrowded LA freeways on their motorcycles when not cracking jokes or flirting harmlessly with cute female sheriff's deputies.

To the thump of a persistent disco track, Baker and Ponch kept busy rescuing people from cars, occasionally solving folks' personal problems and frequently chasing down miscreants before carting them off to jail without ever drawing their weapons.

"I know that there are people that grew up watching 'CHiPs' and that was part of the reason they decided to join the department," said CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader. "I watched it when I was growing up."

In the film version, however, Shepard and Michael Mena's Baker and Ponch are anything but straight arrows. They accidentally destroy vehicles, cause fiery crashes, blow stuff up and sometimes shoot the wrong people.

"I understand it's a broad comedy," said Clader, adding she hasn't seen the film and won't offer an opinion on the trailer.

She said the CHP did grant the producers some technical assistance, for which the agency was reimbursed. But there's also this disclaimer at the beginning of "CHIPS": "This film is not endorsed by the California Highway Patrol. At all." And sharp-eyed fans will notice the title punctuation of "CHIPS" was changed from the original "CHiPs," further distancing the film from the department.

Estrada, who has a cameo, did not respond to multiple phone and email messages. But in a video clip from a recent premiere, he described it as "a movie you have to view with your adult sense of humor."

As for Wilcox, he says he'll probably see it - eventually.

"I think I will wait for the video," he added.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump has selected a private equity founder for U.S. ambassador to Japan.

Sporting an "I Love Trucks" button, President Donald Trump speaks meets with truckers and industry CEOs regarding healthcare, Thursday, March 23, 2017, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

William Francis Hagerty IV is the co-founder of a private equity firm based in suburban Chicago, Hagerty Peterson and Co.

He began his career with the Boston Consulting Group in 1984 and spent three years in Japan managing the firm's business with Western clients throughout Japan and Asia.

In its announcement of Trump's selection, the White House says Hagerty served as chief executive and the board of directors of companies with "extensive operations in Asia and Europe."

Hagerty has served as Tennessee's secretary for trade and commerce. During his tenure, the White House says Tennessee led the nation in foreign direct investment, 60 percent of which came from Japan.

___

8 p.m.

A former Trump campaign official is leaving an outside group set up to promote President Donald Trump's policies.

In a tweet, the America First Policies group says Rick Gates is "on to more ventures" but doesn't explain the reason for his departure.

Gates was a deputy to Paul Manafort, one of the Trump campaign associates whose ties to Russia are being scrutinized. The Associated Press reported that Manafort secretly worked for a Russian billionaire to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin a decade ago.

Gates helped run the inauguration and has been seen inside the White House on a number of occasions.

The outside group is organized as a nonprofit, meaning it does not have to disclose its donors. Its leaders say they have primarily been working on fundraising.

___

2:15 p.m.

The White House says the New England Patriots will visit next month.

Spokesman Sean Spicer said Thursday that the 2017 Super Bowl champions will stop by the White House on April 19.

Patriots owner Bob Kraft joined President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One last week, although it's unclear if the visit was discussed.

A number of players said they will boycott a White House visit.

Trump responded to the planned boycott by some players even before a visit was officially announced. He told Fox News, "They're taking a lot of heat. But you know what? They're also getting a lot of popularity out of it."

Spicer, a native of Rhode Island, said he was "proud" to make the announcement.

___

12:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump and Denmark's prime minister have a scheduled a White House meeting for next Thursday.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer says the March 30 visit by Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen will fall on the eve of the 100th anniversary of Denmark formally ceding the U.S. Virgin Islands to the United States.

Spicer says Trump and Rasmussen will discuss bilateral relations, defeating the Islamic State group, and the defense and security relationship between their countries, bilaterally and through NATO.

The meeting comes as tensions between Turkey and the Netherlands run high over the Dutch authorities' refusal to allow Turkish ministers to hold campaign meetings to address Turkish citizens before an April 16 referendum on expanding the powers of the Turkish president.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - California firefighters who spent 20 minutes performing mouth-to-snout resuscitation on a dog they rescued from a burning apartment are being hailed as heroes.

The dog's owner, 35-year-old Crystal Lamirande, had just returned to her Santa Monica apartment Tuesday when a neighbor yelled there was a fire.

Lamirande frantically tried to save her dog, a 10-year-old Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu named Nalu, but the smoke was too thick for her to go inside, she said Thursday.

In this Tuesday, March 21, 2017 photo provided by Crystal Lamirande, Santa Monica firefighter Andrew Klein holding her dog, Nalu, in Santa Monica, Calif. Klein spent minutes giving mouth-to-snout resuscitation to the dog, who was pulled from a burning apartment. The pooch spent the next 24 hours in an oxygen chamber and is doing well. (Courtesy of Crystal Lamirande via AP)

Moments later firefighters arrived and Lamirande told them her dog was trapped inside.

That's when firefighter Andrew Klein sprang into action, getting on all fours to search the apartment for Nalu as another firefighter sprayed water to keep the flames at bay. Klein found the unconscious dog a few feet from the fire in a bedroom.

"He was totally lifeless," Klein said. "I picked him up and ran out of the apartment because time is key, especially with a small dog ... Failure was not an option."

As Lamirande knelt nearby crying, Klein and his crew spent the next 20 minutes working on reviving the dog using oxygen, CPR and what's known as mouth-to-snout resuscitation.

Video taken by a passerby and posted on Facebook shows Klein and another firefighter patting Nalu's belly as he starts breathing again with the help of oxygen.

"Alright, bud," Klein tells the dog as he continues to rub him and encourage him to walk.

Lamirande, a radiology nurse, said she couldn't believe how much time the firefighters took to save her dog, who she describes as family.

"His eyes were glazed over and he was not breathing and I assumed he was dead," she said. "The firefighter said 'I'm a positive person. Let's just get him back.'"

Lamirande said Nalu spent the next 24 hours recovering in an oxygen chamber and was almost back to his normal self again Thursday.

"He's been coughing but right now he's fine and he's so happy and smiling," she said.

Klein, a self-described dog lover with two four-legged friends at home, said he felt proud of the outcome.

"He was essentially dead, so to see him kissing people and walking around wagging his tail was definitely a good feeling," he said. "He's very happy, and we're very happy, too."

___

Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP . Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/amanda-lee-myers
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States and group of 13 nations across the Americas on Thursday called on Venezuela's government to hold elections and immediately free political prisoners, setting up a potential diplomatic showdown with President Nicolas Maduro's socialist administration.

The statement comes as the head of the Organization of American States is pushing to expel Maduro's government from the Washington-based group for breaking the country's democratic order.

The 14 nations, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, said they see expulsion as a last resort and instead urged dialogue to resolve Venezuela's entrenched economic and political problems.

The U.S. State Department called for Venezuela to hold elections "as soon as possible."

Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. is not pushing for Venezuela's expulsion from the OAS, but "calls for the immediate release of political prisoners in Venezuela," including Leopoldo Lopez.

"President Maduro should permit the democratically elected national assembly to perform its constitutional functions and should hold elections as soon as possible," Toner said.

Earlier this month, the head of the OAS said he wanted regional governments to suspend Venezuela from the group unless general elections are held soon.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro made the request in a 75-page report on Venezuela's political crisis, in which he accused Maduro's government of systematically violating human rights and standards of democracy enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to which Venezuela is a signatory.

Maduro's government disavowed a landslide loss to the opposition in legislative elections in 2015, and then suspended a recall campaign seeking to force him from office before the 2018 election.

Maduro has long accused Almagro of doing the bidding of the U.S. government. At the time, Venezuela's foreign ministry said the OAS leader was overstepping his authority in an effort to pave the way for an "international intervention" in Venezuela.

On Thursday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said on her Twitter account that Toner's comments "reveal who is pushing the interventionist agenda against Venezuela in the OAS."

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray said his country and a group of other nations in the region would propose a plan shortly "to constructively help, in the spirit of respect for the sovereignty and the people of Venezuela, to reach a solution and restore first, a dialogue and second, full democracy in the sister nation of Venezuela."

Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, said Thursday's declaration "is a clear measure of both the political shift in South America toward more conservative governments and the rapidly deteriorating situation in Venezuela. In the face of such a severe humanitarian crisis it became more and more difficult for many governments to remain silent."

"It is doubtful the government will respond positively, and when that happens it is not clear what the next step will be," he said.
PHOENIX (AP) - Child-welfare officials investigated an Arizona couple accused of murder in their 9-year-old son's shooting death after she gave birth to a child who had been exposed to methadone and heroin.

The couple's children were eventually put in foster care for a year, but the family was reunited after the parents worked on their struggles with substance abuse and underwent parental training, according to the state Department of Child Safety, which conducted the investigation that began in 2014.

Wendy and Kansas Lavarnia were booked on suspicion of first-degree murder in a shooting at their Phoenix home this week that led to the death of their son Landen. The mother told police that her 2-year-old son found a gun left on a bed and accidentally shot his older brother in the head. They have not been charged yet.

This undated booking photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff shows Wendy Lavarnia. Phoenix police say Lavarnia and her husband have been arrested following the shooting of their 9-year-old son, who police say remains on life support. Lavarnia told police she placed a loaded gun on a bed within reach of two of her young children while she turned to get a holster and that a 2-year-old shot the 9-year-old. She was arrested on suspicion of four counts of child abuse for allegedly endangering her children. (Maricopa County Sheriff via AP)

Police began to become suspicious of the mother's story when they found inconsistencies in her account and when the boy's father showed up at the home with a crudely bandaged gunshot wound on his upper arm. The wound looked to have been punctured multiple times, possibly with a screwdriver, to camouflage the injury.

Investigators declined Thursday to say who they believe is responsible for shooting the boy and his father.

Authorities said the parents delayed calling 911 for medical care for their son so they could clean up evidence in the house. Police declined to say whether they believe the boy would be alive had authorities been alerted sooner.

Investigators said the lack of visible blood and the extent of blood residue implied that a significant amount of time passed before the mother called 911. Police say they found evidence of blood in the trunk of the vehicle that Kansas Lavarnia drove to the house.

It's unclear whether the couple is represented by lawyers who can speak on their behalf.

Both parents struggled with drugs over the years. Kansas Lavarnia, 30, blamed his three 2009 convictions for theft and possession of burglary tools on his longstanding addiction to pain medications, saying he started taking the drugs after he broke his back in an ATV accident when he was 15, according to court records.

The child-welfare agency started investigating in 2014 after authorities were told that Wendy Lavarnia had given birth to a child who had been exposed to methadone and heroin. The child in question was a younger sibling of the 9-year-old boy, Landen. The couple had four children.

The children remained in the home while the parents worked with child-welfare officials to address their parenting skills and substance abuse struggles. But the children were put into foster care after the mother tested positive again for drugs and failed to provide adequate housing, the Department of Child Safety said.

The parents then worked toward addressing their substance abuse problems and domestic violence issues and successfully completed their parental training, the agency said.

The children reunited with their parents in November 2015, and 10 days later, Wendy Lavarnia gave birth to a child who was exposed to methadone. But she had been prescribed the drug by a doctor as part of her treatment plan, the agency said.

Greg McKay, director of Arizona Department of Child Safety, told Phoenix radio station KTAR-FM that agency employees are devastated by the boy's death.

"An organization is damned if you do and damned if you don't. In this particular situation, they went above and beyond to make these children safe," McKay said.

His department was created in 2014 after years of scandal in the former child-welfare agency that culminated with the discovery of thousands of child-abuse hotline calls that had not been investigated.

It has since worked to increase transparency, resolve a huge backlog of abuse and neglect cases, and cut the number of children in state protective care.

Neighbors of the Lavarnias said the children could sometimes be seen outside wearing only a diaper.

Maria Mosley, who lives next door, said the surviving children, now in the care of the agency, were walking around barefoot when the parents were arrested.

"They were walking on the hot sidewalk, and you know that has to hurt their feet," Mosley said.

___

Associated Press writers Clarice Silber and Bob Christie contributed to this report.

___

Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/jacques%20billeaud .

___

This story has been corrected to show that the child-welfare agency investigated the couple once, not twice.
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republican leaders have proposed last-minute changes to the health care bill, which they've offered in hopes of winning over wavering lawmakers. The House will vote on them when it considers the overall legislation, a debate scheduled for Friday.

The changes are:

-Repealing essential health benefits former President Barack Obama's health overhaul requires insurers to cover. These include outpatient care, emergency services, hospitalization, pregnancy, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, prescription drugs, rehabilitation, laboratory and diagnostic tests, preventive and wellness services and pediatric care.

-An additional $15 billion for states to address health care needs.

-The earlier version of the GOP bill abolished an additional 0.9 percent tax Obama's law imposed on higher-income Americans to help pay for Medicare. The proposed changes would delay the repeal for six years.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean efforts to bring a sunken, 6,800-ton ferry back to land cleared an obstacle on Friday after divers cut off a vehicle ramp that had been dangling from the ship and hindering efforts to raise it.

Removing the ramp allowed workers to raise the ferry to a height where it can be loaded onto a semi-submersible transport vessel for transportation to a port.

More than 300 people - most of whom were students on a high school trip - died when the Sewol sank on April 16, 2014, touching off an outpouring of national grief and soul searching about long-ignored public safety and regulatory failures. Public outrage over what was seen as a botched rescue job by the government contributed to the recent ouster of Park Geun-hye as president.

Workers try to raise the sunken Sewol ferry between two barges during the salvage operation in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Friday, March 24, 2017. South Korean efforts to bring the sunken, 6,800-ton ferry back to land cleared an obstacle on Friday after divers cut off a vehicle ramp that had been dangling from the ship and hindering efforts to raise it. (Gang Jong-min/Newsis via AP)

Salvage crews raised the Sewol until its upper side was about 13 meters (42 feet) above the water's surface so that they could load it onto the transport vessel about two miles away.

Workers plan to complete loading the ferry by midnight Friday. The waters where the ferry sank are notorious for dangerous currents. The sea is relatively calm now, but currents are forecast to strengthen on Saturday.

Workers on two barges began the salvaging operation Wednesday night, rolling up 66 cables connected to a frame of metal beams divers spent months placing beneath the ferry.

The bodies of 295 passengers were recovered after the sinking, but nine are still missing. Relatives, some of whom were watching from two fishing boats just outside the operation area, hope those remains will be found inside the ferry. Some cried as they watched the emerging wreckage with telescopes.

"I shouted in joy when we heard that the ship surfaced at dawn. I thought we finally can find the missing nine," Lee Geum-hee, the mother of a missing school girl, told a television crew.

"But when I actually saw the ship coming up, I was devastated. All this time my poor child was in that cold, dirty place. It was heart wrenching."

Once the Sewol is loaded onto the transport vessel, it will take about two weeks for it to reach a port 90 kilometers (55 miles) away in the city of Mokpo.

Workers will then begin clearing mud and debris and search for the remains of the missing victims. An investigation committee will also search for clues that could further explain the cause of the sinking, which has been blamed on overloaded cargo, improper storage and other negligence.

The ferry's captain survived and is serving a life sentence after a court found him guilty of committing homicide through "willful negligence" because he fled the ship without issuing an evacuation order.

Ousted President Park was forced to defend herself against accusations that she was out of contact for several hours on the day of the sinking. The allegations were included in an impeachment bill lawmakers passed against Park in December, amid broader corruption suspicions.

Park was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court earlier this month. She is now under criminal investigation over suspicions that she conspired with a confidante to extort money and favors from companies and allow the friend to secretly interfere with state affairs.

Workers try to raise the sunken Sewol ferry between two barges during the salvage operation in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. The 6,800-ton South Korean ferry emerged from the water on Thursday, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into violent seas off the country's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for the country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Choi Young-su/Yonhap via AP)

Relatives of missing passengers of the sunken Sewol ferry on a boat, front, watch its salvage operation in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. South Korean workers on Thursday slowly pulled up the 6,800-ton ferry from the water, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into the violent seas off South Korea's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for a country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever.(Kyodo News via AP)

Workers try to raise the sunken Sewol ferry, center, between two barges during the salvage operation in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. The 6,800-ton South Korean ferry emerged from the water on Thursday, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into violent seas off the country's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for the country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Gang Jong-min/Newsis via AP)

Workers prepare to lift the sunken Sewol ferry, center, in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. The 6,800-ton South Korean ferry emerged from the water on Thursday, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into violent seas off the country's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for the country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Park Gyung-woo/Hankookilbo via AP)

Workers try to raise the sunken Sewol ferry, center, between two barges during the salvage operation in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. A 6,800-ton South Korean ferry emerged from the water on Thursday, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into violent seas off the country's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for the country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Choi Young-su/Yonhap via AP)

Workers prepare to lift the sunken Sewol ferry, center, in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. A 6,800-ton South Korean ferry emerged from the water on Thursday, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into violent seas off the country's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for the country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Park Gyung-woo/Hankookilbo via AP)

Workers try to raise the sunken Sewol ferry between two barges during the salvage operation in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. The 6,800-ton South Korean ferry emerged from the water on Thursday, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into violent seas off the country's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for the country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Lee Jin-wook/Yonhap via AP)

A relative of missing passengers of the sunken Sewol ferry watches workers lifting the boat in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. South Korean workers on Thursday slowly pulled up the 6,800-ton ferry from the water, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into the violent seas off South Korea's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for a country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Lee Jin-wook/Yonhap via AP)

A relative of missing passengers of the sunken Sewol ferry cries as she watches workers lifting the boat in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. South Korean workers on Thursday slowly pulled up the 6,800-ton ferry from the water, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into the violent seas off South Korea's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for a country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Lee Jin-wook/Yonhap via AP)

A relative of missing passengers of the sunken Sewol ferry weeps as she watches workers lifting the boat in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. South Korean workers on Thursday slowly pulled up the 6,800-ton ferry from the water, nearly three years after it capsized and sank into the violent seas off South Korea's southwestern coast, an emotional moment for a country that continues to search for closure to one of its deadliest disasters ever. (Lee Jin-wook/Yonhap via AP)

A part of the sunken Sewol ferry is seen in waters off Jindo, South Korea, Thursday, March 23, 2017. Nearly three years after it capsized and sank into the violent seas off South Korea's southwestern coast, workers slowly pulled up the 6,800-ton ferry Sewol from the waters on Thursday. (Korea Pool/Yonhap via AP)

FILE - In this April 16, 2014 file photo, South Korean rescue helicopters fly over South Korean ferry Sewol, trying to rescue passengers from the ship in waters off Jindo, South Korea. Salvage workers are slowly pulling up the huge, corroded South Korean ferry above the sea surface Thursday, March 23, 2017, about three years after it sank on its routine voyage to a resort island, killing more than 300 people, mostly high school students. (Yonhap via AP, File)
No repeal for 'Obamacare' _ a humiliating defeat for Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a humiliating failure, President Donald Trump and GOP leaders yanked their bill to repeal "Obamacare" off the House floor Friday when it became clear it would fail badly - after seven years of nonstop railing against the health care law.

Democrats said Americans can "breathe a sigh of relief." Trump said Obama's law was imploding "and soon will explode."

Thwarted by two factions of fellow Republicans, from the center and far right, House Speaker Paul Ryan said President Barack Obama's health care law, the GOP's No. 1 target in the new Trump administration, will remain in place "for the foreseeable future."

It was a stunning defeat for the new president after he had demanded House Republicans delay no longer and vote on the legislation Friday, pass or fail.

His gamble failed. Instead Trump, who campaigned as a master deal-maker and claimed that he alone could fix the nation's health care system, saw his ultimatum rejected by Republican lawmakers who made clear they answer to their own voters, not to the president.

___

AP Analysis: Trump's young presidency perilously adrift

WASHINGTON (AP) - Just two months in, Donald Trump's presidency is perilously adrift.

His first major foray into legislating imploded Friday when House Republicans abandoned a White House-backed health care bill, resisting days of cajoling and arm-twisting from Trump himself. Aides who had confidently touted Trump as the deal's "closer" were left bemoaning the limits of the presidency.

"At the end of the day, you can't force somebody to do something," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.

On its own, the health care bill's collapse was a stunning rejection of a new president by his own party. And for Trump, the defeat comes with an especially strong sting. The president who campaigned by promising "so much winning," has so far been beset by a steady parade of the opposite. With each setback and sidetrack, comes more concern about whether Trump, the outsider turned president, is capable of governing.

"You can't just come in and steamroll everybody," said Bruce Miroff, a professor of American politics and the presidency at the State University of New York at Albany. "Most people have a modest understanding of how complicated the presidency is. They think leadership is giving orders and being bold. But the federal government is much more complicated, above all because the Constitution set it up that way."

___

Some parts of Obamacare working well, problems with others

WASHINGTON (AP) - Once again, "Obamacare" has survived a near-death experience. It won't be the end of the political debate, but House Speaker Paul Ryan acknowledges, "We're going to be living with 'Obamacare' for the foreseeable future."

Ryan pulled the "repeal and replace" bill drafted by House Republican leaders and blessed by President Donald Trump after it failed to muster enough support. It was the latest attempt to undo the Affordable Care Act, which already beat two Supreme Court challenges.

Trump blamed Democrats for the failure and repeated his dire predictions for the Obama-era law. "It's imploding, and soon will explode, and it's not going to be pretty," he said.

While some parts of the law have obvious problems, others are working well and have brought the country's rate of uninsured people to a record low.

The ACA has added coverage in two main ways: a Medicaid expansion to cover more low-income adults, and subsidized private health insurance through online markets such as HealthCare.gov. That's helped push the nation's uninsured rate below 9 percent.

___

AP FACT CHECK: Trump overlooks his Obamacare promise

WASHINGTON (AP) - With the failure Friday of Republican health care legislation, President Donald Trump's campaign promise to replace so-called Obamacare "immediately" has been broken.

That promise stands at odds with his statement that "I never said repeal it and replace it within 64 days. I have a long time."

On multiple occasions in the campaign, Trump said he would get rid of President Barack Obama's health care law "very, very quickly," especially if he came to office with a Republican-controlled Congress.

In Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, a week before the election, Trump vowed: "When we win on November 8th and elect a Republican Congress, we will be able to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare."

On dozens of occasions, he counted Obamacare among his priorities should he win. True to that spirit, it was the first major piece of legislation he tried to get Congress to pass. But there will be no quick achievement, as he promised.

___

Trump OKs Keystone pipeline, calling it 'great day' for jobs

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump greenlighted the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, declaring it a "great day for American jobs" and siding with energy advocates over environmental groups in a heated debate over climate change.

The presidential permit comes nearly a decade after Calgary-based TransCanada applied to build the $8 billion pipeline, which will snake from Canada through the United States. Trump's State Department said the project advances U.S. national interests, in a complete reversal of the conclusion President Barack Obama's administration reached less than a year-and-a-half ago.

"It's a great day for American jobs and a historic moment for North America and energy independence," Trump said, standing alongside TransCanada's CEO in the Oval Office. Keystone will reduce costs and reliance on foreign oil while creating thousands of jobs, he said, adding: "It's going to be an incredible pipeline."

The decision caps the long scientific and political fight over a project that became a proxy battle in the larger fight over global warming. And Friday's decision, while long foreshadowed by Trump's public support for Keystone, represents one of the biggest steps to date by his administration to prioritize economic development over environmental concerns.

TransCanada, Trump said, can now build Keystone "with efficiency and with speed." Though it still faces other major hurdles, including disputes over the route, the president said the federal government was formulating final details "as we speak."

___

US Jews wrestle with arrest of Jew in bomb threats case

NEW YORK (AP) - Jewish groups had pointed to scores of bomb threats against their communities as the most dramatic example of what they considered a surge in anti-Semitism. Some blamed a far-right emboldened by President Donald Trump. Now, that picture has been complicated by the arrest of an Israeli Jewish hacker who authorities say is responsible for the harassment.

Israeli police said the motive behind the threats was unclear. An attorney for the 19-year-old man, who was arrested Thursday, said her client had a "very serious medical condition" that might have affected his behavior. Earlier this month, U.S. law enforcement had arrested a former journalist in St. Louis, Juan Thompson, on charges he threatened Jewish organizations as part of a bizarre campaign to harass his former girlfriend. But Israeli police say the Jewish teen is the primary suspect in the more than 150 bomb threats in North America since early January.

Previously, Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism and monitors extremism, had partly blamed Trump for creating an atmosphere that fueled the bomb threats and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, among other recent harassment. "His well-documented reluctance to address rising anti-Semitism helped to create an environment in which extremists felt emboldened," Greenblatt wrote last month.

On Feb. 28, in a meeting with state attorneys general, Trump had suggested the phoned-in bomb threats may have been designed to make "others look bad," according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. The remark raised concerns that Trump was downplaying bigotry. That same night, Trump opened his address to Congress with a strong condemnation of the threats and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, which occurred in suburban St. Louis, Philadelphia and elsewhere.

In a phone interview Thursday from Washington, where Greenblatt was discussing anti-Semitism with members of Congress, he said, "It's not the identity of the culprit that's the issue," but the outcome of threats themselves, which terrified Jews and disrupted Jewish life.

___

London attacker cheerful, joking on eve of deadly rampage

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) - Long before his short stints in jail turned into years behind bars, Khalid Masood was known as Adrian Elms, with a reputation for drinking and an unpredictable temper.

At least twice he was convicted of violent crimes, well before he stabbed a police officer to death Wednesday in London with a motion that one horrified witness described as "playing a drum on your back with two knives."

But as he checked out of his hotel to head toward London for his deadly rampage, the manager said he was struck by his guest's friendly manner.

Within hours, Masood drove his rented SUV across the crowded Westminster Bridge, leaving a trail of dead and wounded. Then he jumped out and attacked Constable Keith Palmer, an officer guarding Parliament, stabbing him to death before being shot to death by police.

In all, he killed four people and left more than two dozen hospitalized.

___

Ex-Penn State president convicted over child-sex scandal

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Former Penn State President Graham Spanier was convicted Friday of hushing up child sexual abuse allegations in 2001 against Jerry Sandusky, whose arrest a decade later blew up into a major scandal for the university and led to the firing of beloved football coach Joe Paterno.

The jury found Spanier guilty of one misdemeanor count of child endangerment over his handling of a complaint against the retired assistant football coach but acquitted him of conspiracy and a second child endangerment count.

Spanier, 68, showed no emotion when the verdict was read after 13 hours of deliberations. He could get up to five years in prison. His lawyer said he will appeal.

The trial centered on how Spanier and two other university administrators handled a complaint by graduate coaching assistant Mike McQueary, who said he reported seeing Sandusky sexually molesting a boy in a team shower in 2001. The three officials told Sandusky he could not bring children onto the campus anymore but did not report the matter to police or child welfare authorities.

Sandusky was not arrested until 2011, after an anonymous tip led prosecutors to investigate the shower incident. He was convicted the next year of sexually abusing 10 boys and is serving 10 to 30 years behind bars. At least four victims at Sandusky's trial said they were molested after 2001.

___

Double-amputee Marine vet joins New York police department

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (AP) - The wounded warrior is now a cop - and he'll be walking the beat on titanium legs.

Matias Ferreira, a former U.S. Marine Corps lance corporal who lost his legs below the knee when he stepped on a hidden explosive in Afghanistan in 2011, is joining a suburban New York police department.

The 28-year-old graduated Friday from the Suffolk County Police Academy on Long Island following 29 weeks of training.

The 6-foot-1 (1.9-meter), 215-pound (98-kilogram) rookie passed all the physical training and other requirements just like any other recruit, including running a mile and a half in around 11 minutes. He begins patrols next week, a department spokesman said.

"I just really want to be able to help people," said Ferreira, who immigrated to the U.S. from Uruguay as a child. "I want to be involved in the community, and the police department definitely allows you to do that."

___

Elite Eight of NCAA Tournament to be finalized Friday

The 2017 Elite Eight will be set following Friday's regional semifinal action in the NCAA Tournament.

The marquee matchup will see second-seeded Kentucky face third-seeded UCLA in the South Region in Memphis. The two blue bloods met earlier this season, with the Bruins beating the Wildcats 97-92 on the road.

The winner could face No. 1 seed North Carolina on Sunday, though the Tar Heels will need to get past Butler first.

The East Region - the one that busted so many brackets during opening weekend - will also pick its finalists on Friday.

South Carolina, fresh off a stunner of Duke, will play third-seeded Baylor. Wisconsin will look to follow up on an upset win over top-seeded Villanova when it faces Florida.
SYDNEY (AP) - A Sydney teenager pleaded guilty on Friday to plotting a terrorist attack on an Australian Veteran's Day ceremony last year.

The then 16-year-old was arrested and charged with one count of planning a terrorist attack on April 24, one day before hundreds of thousands of Australians gathered at ceremonies across the country to mark ANZAC Day. The annual holiday commemorates the April 25, 1915, Gallipoli landings in Turkey - the first major military action fought by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I.

The youth, who cannot be identified because of his age, pleaded guilty in Parramatta Children's Court in western Sydney to planning a terrorist act by trying to source a gun or a bomb-making manual. He will remain in custody until the case returns to court on April 21. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison.

Police also said they thwarted a planned attack on an ANZAC Day ceremony in 2015. Police in Melbourne arrested five teenagers on suspicion of plotting an Islamic State group-inspired attack intended to coincide with the city's ANZAC service.
WASHINGTON (AP) - For President Donald Trump, facts often follow fiction.

Since the early days of his campaign, the president has developed a pattern: Make an outrageous claim. Dig in as the criticism rolls. And wait until, eventually, something emerges that can be spun as vindication of the earlier claim.

It happened again this week when Rep. Devin Nunes, the Republican chair of the House intelligence committee, gathered reporters to say he'd seen evidence that communication by members of Trump's transition team, and perhaps Trump himself, had been picked up in legal, "incidental," intelligence-gathering operations during the campaign.

President Donald Trump smiles as he listens during a meeting with truckers and industry CEOs regarding healthcare, Thursday, March 23, 2017, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Trump had initially claimed as "fact" that former President Barack Obama "was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!" which would have been illegal.

For Trump, Nunes' comments were validation. "So that means I'm right," the president told Time magazine in an interview published Thursday.

During the election, Trump was described as running a "post-truth" campaign where details and sources didn't matter. Back then, he drew outrage when he claimed at an Alabama rally that he'd seen 9/11 television footage and "watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down."

Supporters, reporters and critics scoured newspaper and broadcast archives searching for evidence to support Trump's claim. Eventually, a handful of references to unsubstantiated rumors in several New Jersey cities emerged. His aides seized on one: A Washington Post report that law enforcement authorities had "detained and questioned a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation on the other side of the river."

There's no evidence those allegations were ever proven. And no footage emerged of "thousands" cheering. But the story was enough for Trump and his supporters to claim he'd been right all along.

"What am I going to tell you? I tend to be right. I'm an instinctual person, I happen to be a person that knows how life works," Trump told Time.

"I predicted a lot of things that took a little of bit of time," he said.

It was the same situation last month at a Florida rally, when the president made an aside about Sweden and its immigrants and refugees.

"You look at what's happening last night in Sweden," he said. "Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible."

The comment raised eyebrows because no incident had occurred in Sweden that night. Confused Swedes took to Twitter to mock the president.

Trump defended himself the next day, saying he'd been referring to a story broadcast on Fox News about immigrants and Sweden. But soon he had new justification, when riots broke out in an immigrant-heavy suburb of Stockholm.

"I talked about Sweden, and may have been somewhat different, but the following day, two days later, they had a massive riot in Sweden, exactly what I was talking about. I was right about that," Trump said in the interview, brushing off the fact that he was claiming to have referred to something that had yet to actually transpire.

"You can phrase it any way you want. A day later they had a horrible, horrible riot in Sweden and you saw what happened," he said.

In other cases, Trump has defended unsubstantiated claims he's made by claiming he was only sharing news reports he often derides as "fake."

Just as he said he shouldn't be held accountable for "re-tweets" of other people's comments, he blamed the press for the allegation that former rival Ted Cruz's father was linked to President John F. Kennedy's assassination and that Obama had directed British intelligence to spy on him.

"I'm just quoting the newspaper, just like I quoted the judge the other day, Judge Napolitano," he said, referring to the National Enquirer, a supermarket tabloid, and a Fox News commentator.

In the Time interview, Trump dismissed the suggestion that he was damaging the credibility of his office by repeating unverified claims.

"I'm quoting highly respected people and sources from major television networks," he said, pointing to the large crowds he'd drawn to recent rallies in Nashville, Tennessee, and Louisville, Kentucky, as evidence of his standing.

"The country believes me," he said.

And, he added: "Hey look, in the meantime, I guess, I can't be doing so badly, because I'm president, and you're not. You know."

___

Follow Colvin on Twitter https://twitter.com/colvinj
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump will have a security clearance, a West Wing office and the ear of her father on important policy matters. But don't call her an employee.

When it comes to government work, "employee" is more than just a word. That designation triggers an array of transparency and ethical provisions, including a law prohibiting conflicts of interest.

Government watchdogs are concerned that by refusing to call Ivanka Trump an employee, White House counsel Don McGahn could be attempting to give her a loophole if she improperly mingles her government policy roles with her business and financial interests.

FILE - In this March 17, 2017, file photo, Ivanka Trump arrives for news conference with President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Ivanka Trump will have security clearance, a West Wing office and the ear of her father on important policy matters. But don't call her an employee. When it comes to government work, "employee" is more than just a word. That designation triggers an array of transparency and ethical provisions, including a law prohibiting conflicts of interest. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, file)

In a letter Friday to McGahn, they ask him to reconsider, saying the position as designed "creates a middle space that does not exist." It is signed by two former White House lawyers and three other transparency and ethics advocates, all of whom have been highly critical of the Trump administration's approach to ethics.

"On the one hand, her position will provide her with the privileges and opportunities for service that attach to being a White House employee," they write. "On the other hand, she remains the owner of a private business who is free from the ethics and conflicts rules that apply to all White House employees."

The White House rejects that notion.

As an adult first daughter with an interest in politics and a clothing and lifestyle brand of her own, Ivanka Trump is in an unprecedented situation. There's no protocol for this, said a senior White House official who requested anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. She's family, not an employee.

Another person close to Ivanka Trump earlier told The Associated Press that Ivanka believes she can offer more independent perspective to her father by not serving as a White House staffer.

Richard Painter, one of the letter's signatories and President George W. Bush's chief ethics counselor, said he cannot recall a White House that had such high-powered "non-employees."

One of the most politically active close relatives of a sitting president was Hillary Clinton. And she successfully fought to be considered a federal employee because of the privacy benefits it involves.

A June 1993 ruling by a federal appeals court enabled Clinton to keep secret the details of the health care reform panel that she led.

Ivanka Trump is choosing to be in a less formal role than her husband, Jared Kushner, who is a senior adviser to the president and, as an employee, must follow the rules.

She has relinquished control of her brand but, like her father, continues to own and financially benefit from her businesses. She will "voluntarily comply with the rules that would apply if she were a government employee, even though she is not," her attorney Jamie Gorelick said this week.

Gorelick, who also helped Kushner through the White House appointment process, said McGahn's office agreed with the decision. Ivanka Trump and Kushner have said they will not accept government pay.

Fred Wertheimer, one of the authors of the letter to McGahn and president of the Washington watchdog Democracy 21, said Ivanka Trump "should not be treated differently than any other government employee just because she is the president's daughter."

"This is untenable. She can make a decision at any time not to comply and there's no penalty or sanction whatsoever," he said. "We don't normally have White House employees voluntarily complying with rules that were enacted to protect the American people."

The senior White House official left open the possibility of altering the Ivanka Trump arrangement at some point - again stressing that this is new territory.

Others in Trump's White House have drawn outside scrutiny for government work without the usual set of rules that accompanies it.

Billionaire Carl Icahn, a special adviser to the president on regulatory reform and one of his close friends, merited a 700-word press release when he agreed to join the administration. The announcement concluded that "he will not be serving as a federal employee or a special government employee and will not have any specific duties."

Icahn has a sprawling business portfolio that is directly affected by government regulations, and at the same time Trump has tasked him to help fulfill his campaign promise of reducing regulations. Since Icahn isn't technically a White House employee, he's had to do nothing to clear out potential conflicts of interest.

Bloomberg News reported earlier this month that Icahn is already making his mark on policy. He's lobbying the Trump administration to change a government rule that forces refineries - including his own - to buy renewable fuel credits.

Icahn's energy interests and his advocacy for Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency prompted seven Democratic senators to write in February to McGahn demanding a fuller explanation of what exactly his White House role is.

"Publicly reported facts suggest a conflict of interest between Mr. Icahn and advice he gave President Trump on the nomination of Mr. Pruitt," the senators wrote. Having received no answer, they followed up with a second letter to McGahn this month.

Wertheimer calls the Icahn situation "possibly the worst conflict of interest I've ever seen."

White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said Icahn is in no way a government employee or official.

"He is simply a private citizen whose opinion the president respects and whom the president speaks with from time to time," she said.

__

Associated Press writer Catherine Lucey contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House claimed vindication while the House intelligence committee chairman privately apologized in the wake of his decision to brief President Donald Trump on secret intelligence intercepts related to a probe of Russian interference in the election.

Rep. Devin Nunes, a California Republican and member of President Donald Trump's transition team, told reporters after his committee's closed-door meeting Thursday that the presidential briefing was "a judgment call on my part" and added, "Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the wrong decision."

Democrats expressed outrage that Nunes would meet with Trump before talking to committee members and cited the incident as another reason to question the panel's independence.

FILE - In this March 22, 2017, file photo, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Nunes privately apologized to his Democratic colleagues on Thursday, March 23, 2017, yet publicly defended his decision to openly discuss and brief President Donald Trump on typically secret intercepts that he says swept up communications of the president's transition team in the final days of the Obama administration. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Nunes told reporters he had seen new information showing that the communications of Trump transition officials were scooped up through monitoring of other targets and improperly spread through intelligence agencies during the final days of the Obama administration. He specifically stated that the new information he received did not support Trump's allegations that President Barack Obama had ordered a wiretap at Trump Tower.

Nonetheless, White House spokesman Sean Spicer claimed that Nunes was "vindicating" the president following his unproven assertion about a wiretap, and Republican groups moved quickly to raise money off Nunes' revelations.

The National Republican Campaign Committee blasted out an email with the subject "Confirmed: Obama spied on Trump." The Republican National Committee made a pitch with the subject line "Vindicated" and went on to say, "President Trump has fought back and been vindicated time and time again."

On Wednesday, Nunes spoke to reporters and the president without sharing the new information with Rep. Adam Schiff, the panel's top Democrat. On Thursday morning, Nunes apologized to Schiff and other Democrats during a 20-minute meeting on Capitol Hill.

"It was a somber discussion," said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, a committee member.

Speaking to reporters after his apology, Nunes ducked questions about whether he was parroting information given to him by the White House, saying only that he was "not going to ever reveal sources."

It's common for Americans to get caught up in U.S. surveillance of foreigners, such as foreign diplomats in the U.S. talking to an American. Typically, the American's name would not be revealed in a report about the intercepted communications. However, if there is foreign intelligence value to revealing the American's name, it is "unmasked" and shared with other intelligence analysts who are working on related foreign intelligence surveillance.

The material picked up by intelligence agencies is typically classified. But Nunes' office disputed that he had released classified information, saying the chairman "did not identify the targets of the surveillance and only spoke in general terms about the content."

Obama administration officials disputed the suggestion that the outgoing administration had improperly monitored its successors. Former Vice President Joe Biden weighed in on Twitter, saying the chairman of a committee investigating the White House can't share information with that White House.

"Need select committee!" Biden wrote, echoing calls from other Democrats and a small handful of Republicans for an independent investigation.

Nunes' disclosure came two days after FBI Director James Comey publicly confirmed the bureau's own investigation into the Trump campaign's connections with Russia. Comey testified during the intelligence committee's first public hearing on Russia's election interference, an investigation being overseen by Nunes.

Nunes said the intercepted communications appeared to be legally obtained and were not related to the FBI's Russia investigation. He said his concern was that the identities of the Trump officials were improperly revealed and the contents of their communications were "widely disseminated" in intelligence reports.

Schiff disputed Nunes' suggestions that there was improper "unmasking." He said that after speaking with Nunes, it appeared that the names of Americans were still guarded in the intercepts though their identities could be gleaned from the materials.

Nunes said the information on the Trump team was collected in November, December and January, the period after the election when Trump was holding calls with foreign leaders, interviewing potential Cabinet secretaries and beginning to sketch out administration policy.

Asked whether he believed the transition team had been spied on, Nunes said, "It all depends on one's definition of spying."

___

Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann and Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif, walks out of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, to speak with reporters after a meeting with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif, walks out the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, to speak with reporters after a meeting with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif. pauses while speaking with reporters outside the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, following a meeting with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
BEKASI, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesian police fired tear gas on Friday to disperse hard-line Muslims protesting against the construction of a Catholic church in a satellite city of the capital, Jakarta.

Several hundred protesters from a group called Forum for Bekasi Muslim Friendship staged a rowdy demonstration in front of the Santa Clara church in Kaliabang, a neighborhood of Bekasi city, after Friday prayers.

Witnesses said police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to force their way into the church, which has been under construction since November. Some also threw rocks and bottles into the site.

A man throws a rock at police officers during a Muslim hardliner protest against the construction of a Catholic church in Bekasi, Indonesia, Friday, March 24, 2017. Indonesian police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters as they tried to force their way into the Santa Clara church, which has been under construction since November. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Raymundus Sianipar, a Catholic priest, said police asked him to leave the area for safety reasons.

Muslim-majority Indonesia recognizes six religions, but militant Islamic groups frequently protest against the minority faiths and police often do not intervene. Members of minority religions that aren't recognized by the state face persistent discrimination.

Ismail Ibrahim, a cleric and organizer of the protest, said they would not disperse until authorities cancel the church's construction permit.

The church in the northern part of Bekasi has been the target of protests by hard-line Muslims since it obtained its permit in June 2015. Some claim the church's leaders used false identity cards to get the permit.

In April last year a Muslim group sealed off the church, tore down its sign and demanded that the mayor cancel the permit.

The private Asian Human Rights Commission has started an appeal on the church's behalf, asking for supporters to send letters to 10 top Indonesian leaders, including President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

About 12,000 Catholics in the Bekasi region currently meet in store fronts or business premises that serve as informal places of worship.

___

Kotarumalos reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Muslim hardliners react to tear gas fired by the police during a protest against the construction of a Catholic church in Bekasi, Indonesia, Friday, March 24, 2017. Indonesian police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters as they tried to force their way into the Santa Clara church, which has been under construction since November. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Police officers clash with Muslim hardliners during a protest against the construction of a Catholic church in Bekasi, Indonesia, Friday, March 24, 2017. Indonesian police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters as they tried to force their way into the Santa Clara church, which has been under construction since November. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

A police officer slams a protester with his riot shield during a Muslim hardliner protest against the construction of a Catholic church in Bekasi, Indonesia, Friday, March 24, 2017. Indonesian police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters as they tried to force their way into the Santa Clara church, which has been under construction since November. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
MOSCOW (AP) - A woman has died in an enormous fire at a Ukrainian munitions dump in the country's Kharkiv region near the Russian border.

The body of the 66-year old woman was found in a house that was hit by a shell near the depot in Balaklia, Ukraine's State Emergency Service minister Mykola Chechetkin told lawmakers Friday.

About 20,000 people were evacuated when the fire broke out Thursday at one of Ukraine's largest military arsenals, which held huge stocks of large-caliber artillery rounds.

A part of a missile seen is on the ground, as fire rages at a military ammunition depot in the background, in Balaklia, Ukraine on Thursday, March 23 2017. Around 20,000 people were evacuated Thursday in Ukraine's Kharkiv region near the border with Russia after a massive fire at a military arsenal. The fire at the depot in Balaklia, which holds large-caliber artillery rounds and is one of Ukraine's largest, erupted early Thursday, prompting the evacuation and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman to fly to the area to monitor the blaze, which is still raging. An area the size of 40 kilometers (25 miles) around the depot has been closed for flights.(AP Photo/Mykhailo Andriiv)

Deputy Defense Minister Igor Pavlovsky said Friday afternoon the fire had been extinguished.

Ukrainian officials have accused Russian or separatist saboteurs of causing the fire with the aid of a drone. Separatists deny the claim and say it likely was caused by what they call Ukrainian military incompetence.
NYON, Switzerland (AP) - Barcelona has been fined by UEFA for fans running on the pitch to celebrate victory over Paris Saint-Germain, and six other clubs for incidents at recent Champions League and Europa League games.

UEFA said its disciplinary panel imposed a 19,000 euros ($20,500) fine for Barcelona after a 6-1 win at Camp Nou, which includes a mandatory sanction when at least five players are shown yellow or red cards.

Saint-Etienne must pay 50,000 euros ($54,000) for fans' improper conduct and lighting fireworks at Old Trafford during a 3-0 loss against Manchester United last month.

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 8, 2017 file photo, a fan runs from stewards after invading the pitch, at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. UEFA has fined Barcelona for fans running on the pitch to celebrate victory over Paris Saint-Germain, and three other clubs for incidents at recent Champions League and Europa League games. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

Napoli was fined 38,000 euros ($41,000) for a range of offences at a 3-1 home loss against Real Madrid.

UEFA said Rostov must pay 16,000 euros ($17,300) for fans lighting fireworks at Sparta Prague's stadium last month.

Manchester City was fined 18,000 euros ($19,460) for a pitch invasion, throwing of objects by fans, and a late kickoff in its home match with Monaco last month.

Arsenal was fined 5,000 euros ($5,400) for a pitch encroachment by fans, and Bayern Munich 3,000 euros ($3,200) for fans throwing objects in their match at Emirates Stadium on March 7.
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (AP) - Two Southern California toddlers have been found safe after authorities located the car they'd been in when it was stolen.

Cathedral City police said on Twitter that the two brothers were in their babysitter's Honda Accord when she stepped out for an errand Thursday night and someone stole it.

An Amber Alert was issued identifying the boys as 1-year-old Jayden Cortez and 2-year-old Carlos Cortez.

This undated photo provided by family, shows 1-year-old Jayden Cortez abducted in a stolen vehicle Thursday, March 23, 2017, in Cathedral City, Calif. Cathedral City police say two boys, Jayden, and 2-year-old Carlos Cortez, were in a Honda Accord that was stolen in Cathedral City on Thursday night. An Amber Alert has been issued for the white, four-door accord with license plate 7TJR654. (Cathedral City Police Department via AP)

The car and the children were found early Friday in Desert Hot Springs.

Police say they have no information on the suspect.

Desert Hot Springs is about 12 miles north of Palm Springs and about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.

This undated photo provided by family, shows 2-year-old Carlos Cortez abducted in a stolen vehicle Thursday, March 23, 2017, in Cathedral City, Calif. Cathedral City police say two boys, 1-year-old Jayden Cortez, and Carlos, were in a Honda Accord that was stolen in Cathedral City on Thursday night. An Amber Alert has been issued for the white, four-door accord with license plate 7TJR654. (Cathedral City Police Department via AP)
ROME (AP) - Posing with Pope Francis in front of Michelangelo masterpiece "The Last Judgment" at the Vatican, European Union leaders started their weekend pilgrimage to Rome with the hope that a visit to the cradle of their project of unity can somehow rekindle the vigor of youth.

More and more, it looks like that future will have less unanimity and more decisions where groups of member nations advance on their own when faced with resistance from others on specific issues, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of founding nation Luxembourg in an interview with the Associated Press.

Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the signature of their solemn bond in Rome, which started with six founding nations but steadily grew to 28. But the biggest setback in the EU's history looms next week when Britain officially triggers negotiations to become the first nation to leave the bloc.

Pope Francis, background center, delivers his message during an audience with the leaders of EU countries at the Vatican, Friday, March 24, 2017. The pontiff is receiving leaders of EU countries the day before an European Union summit in Rome to highlight the 60th anniversary of the bloc's foundation on March 25, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Via AP)

Francis said the EU was called "to care for the ailments that inevitably come with age, and to find new ways to steer its course. Yet unlike human beings, the European Union does not face an inevitable old age, but the possibility of a new youthfulness."

At the Sistine Chapel, EU leaders posed with Francis in front of the Michelangelo fresco, which depicted the end of the world. Six decades ago, few would have imagined the end of the EU could even be discussed.

Long the mantra of the EU, "Ever closer union" pointed toward a seamless continent and an economic and political juggernaut. Now others, beyond Britain with its divorce plans, are looking for more of a "living apart together" relationship.

The EU's Rome summit, while vowing unity, could instead be a watershed moment in moving away from it and toward a more practical road of partial alliances on certain issues.

"I'd rather have a two-speed Europe than a dead-end and no speed," Bettel said. In simple words, instead of holding hands - squeezing hands by force - Bettel sees this future for the EU : "When a country says 'I don't want to,' I can say 'well, too bad. Don't block me. Let me get on with it with others.'"

The bloc has proven in the past to be less than unified in decision-making on issues such as the single euro currency to the Schengen zone of unfettered travel, but it always left a taste of being less than perfect. Some call it a two-speed Europe, or a Europe of concentric circles, but it would allow nations to move ahead and no longer be held back by others.

Bettel said that the idea, first pushed by Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands, is catching on. "We were alone at the beginning with the Benelux. Then we had country after country because we saw that certain tried to take us hostage," he said, specifically referring to the Polish government, which sought to sabotage the last summit two weeks ago by refusing to approve conclusions because the 27 other nations appointed Donald Tusk, a local political rival, for another term as EU president.

Bettel said it would be unworkable in the future.

"Can you imagine, 27 or 28 around a table and each, for an appointment, or because he disagrees with a sentence, refuses and blocks Europe and 500 million citizens. If they are unhappy, they should tell us," Bettel said.

Poland, which seems poised to take over Britain's mantle of the most recalcitrant member, wanted more assurances that all its requirements were met and only agreed to the text on Friday, the eve of the summit.

The highlight of Saturday's ceremonies will be the adoption of a Rome Declaration, a blueprint for the way ahead. But at least two countries continued to have objections to what many would consider a harmless statement to rally all member states. It is that concern about paralysis that pushed the EU to look for other options.

If Britain does not show up this weekend in Rome, leaders will be looking at France with concern. With French President Francois Hollande leaving in May, there is the specter of a possible election victory by Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate and another anti-EU populist.

Further down the road are the elections in Germany in September, where the far-right Alternative for Germany could become a factor.

Even in the heart of Italy, another founding member, the EU is no longer at peace. The 5-Star Movement founded by comic Beppe Grillo is riding highest in the polls and wants a referendum on whether to stay in the eurozone. It has been highly critical of most things EU.

Laura Agea, a member of the European parliament, said that what the EU's founders set out to do with the 1957 treaty has been turned upside down.

"It's exactly the opposite. The drift under the eyes of bureaucrats and great financial powers has created a market anything but united," highlighting the north vs. south divide created by the financial crisis, Agea said.

This weekend's largely symbolic events won't change that, said Luigi Di Maio of the 5-Star Movement, the vice president of Italy's Chamber of Deputies.

___

Associated Press writer Frances D'Emilio contributed from Rome, Monika Scislowska from Warsaw, Poland .

FILE - In this March 25, 1957 file photo, then Mayor of Rome Umberto Tupini, standing at center right, addresses delegates of six west European Nations; France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg, gathered inside the Oriazi and Curiazi Hall of Rome's Campidoglio Capitoline Hill to sign a treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). European Union leaders are gathering in Rome Saturday, March 25, 2017, to mark Europe's 60th anniversary of its founding treaty and to outline its future after Britain leaves. (AP Photo, Files)

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel answers question during an interview with the Associated Press, in Rome, Friday, March 24, 2017. Bettel is in Rome to attend a European Union summit commemorating the 60th Anniverary of the Treaty of Rome, considered the founding treaty of the EU, which will take place on Saturday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Rome, Friday, March 24, 2017. Bettel is in Rome to attend a European Union summit commemorating the 60th Anniverary of the Treaty of Rome, considered the founding treaty of the EU, which will take place on Saturday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Rome, Friday, March 24, 2017 ahead of a European Union summit commemorating the 60th Anniverary of the Treaty of Rome, the founding treaty of the EU. Bettel highlighted the need that EU nations can no longer be taken "hostage" by some members who take an obstructionist course. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italian police patrol the Tiber River as they pass by Castel Sant'Angelo castle, in Rome, Friday, March 24, 2017 a day ahead of a European Union summit commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. European Union leaders are gathering in Rome for a summit to mark the EU's 60th anniversary of its founding treaty and to outline its future after Britain leaves. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

FILE - In this March 25, 1957 file photo, then German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, left, signs the Euratom and Common Market Agreement, part of the Treaty of Rome, flanked by then German Secretary of State Walter Hallstein, center, and Italian Prime Minister Antonio Segni, inside the Oriazi and Curiazi Hall of Rome's Campidoglio Capitoline Hill where delegates of six west European Nations; France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg, met to sign a treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). European Union leaders are gathering in Rome Saturday, March 25, 2017, to mark Europe's 60th anniversary of its founding treaty and to outline its future after Britain leaves. (AP Photo, Files)

Italian paramilitary police patrol in front of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in Rome's Piazza Venezia Square, on Friday, March 24, 2017 a day ahead of a European Union summit commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. EU leaders are gathering in Rome for a summit to mark the EU's 60th anniversary and to outline its future after Britain leaves. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

FILE - In this March 25, 1957 file photo, seated from left to right are: French Foreign Undersecretary Maurice Faure, German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, German Foreign Affairs Underseretary Walter Hallstein, Italian Prime Minister Antonio Segni and Italian Foreign Minister Gaetano Martino, sign a treaty for the European Common Market and the Euratom inside the Oriazi and Curiazi Hall of Rome's Campidoglio Capitoline Hill where delegates of six west European Nations; France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg, gathered to sign the Treaty of Rome establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). European Union leaders are gathering in Rome Saturday, March 25, 2017, to mark Europe's 60th anniversary of its founding treaty and to outline its future after Britain leaves. (AP Photo, Files)

FILE - In this March 25, 1957 file photo, then Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Joseph Bech, second from left, signs the Euratom and Common Market Agreement, as next to him preparing to sign is then Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs for Luxembourg Albert Schaus and far right is then Dutch Foreign Minister Joseph Luns, inside the Oriazi and Curiazi Hall of Rome's Campidoglio Capitoline Hill where delegates of six west European Nations; France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg, met to sign a treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). European Union leaders are gathering in Rome Saturday, March 25, 2017, to mark Europe's 60th anniversary of its founding treaty and to outline its future after Britain leaves. (AP Photo, Files)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the effort in Congress to pass the Republican health care bill (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is mocking House Republicans for failing to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's health law.

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., arrives to speak at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 24, 2017. Republican leaders have abruptly pulled their troubled health care overhaul bill off the House floor, short of votes and eager to avoid a humiliating defeat for President Donald Trump and GOP leaders.(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Pelosi says of President Donald Trump and the majority Republicans in Congress: "Quite frankly I thought they might have accomplished something in the first few months. They have absolutely no record of accomplishment."

At the White House, Trump blamed Democrats for the defeat of the bill. He noted that no Democrat supported the bill.

Pelosi says, "We'll take credit for that."

___

4:30 p.m.

Speaker Paul Ryan says the collapse of the House Republican health care bill means former President Barack Obama's health care law will be around for the foreseeable future.

The Wisconsin Republican addressed reporters minutes after GOP leaders abruptly shelved the legislation, averted likely defeat for the bill. But it still dealt a damaging setback to President Donald Trump, Ryan and an entire party that has long said it wants to annul Obama's statute.

Ryan says pulling the bill was "a setback, no two ways about it."

The speaker is chiding Republicans who refused to back the legislation for being too inflexible. He says lawmakers must be "willing to give a little to get something done."

Many conservative and moderate Republicans opposed the legislation.

___

1:55 p.m.

The White House is no longer expressing confidence that the upcoming House vote on health care will be successful.

Instead, spokesman Sean Spicer says President Donald Trump is confident that the White House has done "every single thing possible" to corral the 216 votes needed to pass legislation to repeal the Obama-era health care law.

House lawmakers and aides say the bill is short of support before the vote Trump insists be held.

The White House says it expects that vote at 3:30 p.m., as scheduled.

___

1:30 p.m.

The White House says it still remains optimistic about a troubled Republican-led health care bill to repeal and replace "Obamacare."

White House press secretary Sean Spicer says President Donald Trump is looking forward to the House passing the bill and it expects the House to vote on the bill later Friday.

Spicer says the president is meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan to "discuss the way forward" on the bill.

He says the president has "left everything on the field" on the bill.

According to GOP lawmakers and congressional aides, House Republican leaders were short of the votes needed for the bill to pass.

___

1:20 p.m.

House Republican leaders were short of the votes needed for their health care overhaul bill hours ahead of a vote demanded by President Donald Trump.

That's the word Friday from GOP lawmakers and congressional aides as Speaker Paul Ryan met with the president at the White House to deliver the sobering news.

Separately, Vice President Mike Pence was meeting near the Capitol with recalcitrant members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus in a last-ditch effort to secure support.

Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., told reporters, "As of right now, I'm not sure that we are across the finish line. We've still got three or four hours and there's still discussions happening."

___

12:40 p.m.

Democrats and some veterans groups say a provision of the Republican health care bill could raise costs for millions of veterans who use tax credits to buy private insurance. An amendment to the bill would make veterans who are not enrolled in government care ineligible for health-care tax credits.

Republicans said the veterans' provision could be added back into the bill later.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who lost both legs in combat in Iraq, said Republicans either were "intentionally sacrificing veterans and putting them on a chopping block" or wrote the bill so "haphazardly" they don't know what's in it.

Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz, the top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs panel, called the GOP plan "shameful" and said it would leave many veterans without affordable insurance options.

___

12:30 p.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan is at the White House to brief President Donald Trump on the state of play on the health care bill.

The visit comes ahead of a planned showdown vote on the legislation later in the day Friday.

The outcome was looking dicey with the legislation apparently still short of votes around midday, and few public signs that the situation was changing.

A group of conservative hold-outs had yet to swing in favor despite lobbying from Trump and others, while opposition also came from moderate-leaning and rank-and-file Republicans.

The legislation is the GOP's long-promised bill to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law. Trump decided Thursday that negotiations were over and it was time to vote.

___

12:25 p.m.

House Democrats are trying to make the vote on the House GOP health plan personal for their Republican counterparts.

After each Republican speaks on the House floor in favor of the bill, Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., cites the number of people in their congressional district who will lose health insurance under the bill.

Under the bill, 24 million fewer people will have health insurance by 2026, according to congressional estimates.

Rep. Clay Higgins, a Republican from Louisiana, proclaimed that a vote against the bill is "a vote against freedom."

Yarmuth replied that the bill would result in 50,100 people from his Higgins' congressional district losing health coverage.

Republicans disputed the numbers. They noted that Yarmuth got his congressional district estimates from the Center for American Progress, a liberal advocacy group.

___

11:05 a.m.

Republicans have pushed the GOP health care overhaul past an initial procedural hurdle in the House. That moves the chamber toward a climactic final vote that's a big gamble for President Donald Trump and congressional leaders.

Friday's procedural vote was 230-194.

The early vote inserted changes into the measure that leaders hoped would win over unhappy Republicans. It would improve Medicaid benefits for some older and handicapped people and abolish coverage requirements President Barack Obama's 2010 law imposes on insurers.

It remained uncertain whether GOP leaders had enough votes to prevail on final passage.

Conservatives complain the Republican bill doesn't do enough to erase Obama's law. GOP moderates are unhappy that it would cause millions of voters to lose coverage and boost medical costs for others.

Democrats were solidly opposed.

___

10:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump says, "we'll see what happens," in response to a question about what happens if the vote on the Republican-backed health care bill fails in the House.

Trump is offering his support for House Speaker Paul Ryan at a White House event announcing the presidential permit about the Keystone XL pipeline. Asked if Ryan should remain as speaker if the bill fails, Trump says, "Yes."

The administration is trying to steer a GOP-backed health care bill through the House. The White House and Republican leaders say the vote will be tight and it's unclear if the legislation will pass.

___

8:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump is telling lawmakers who oppose abortion that a vote against the health care bill would favor Planned Parenthood.

The president tweeted Friday, "the irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!"

In a bid to coax support from conservatives, House leaders proposed a fresh amendment repealing Obama's requirement that insurers cover 10 specified services like maternity and mental health care.

Lawmakers will vote later Friday.

Conservatives have demanded the removal of those and other conditions the law imposes on insurers, arguing they drive up premiums.

The president met with members of the Freedom Caucus Thursday in an effort to win them over. But the vote was postponed after administration officials fell short.

___

8:25 a.m.

President Donald Trump is endorsing the Republican proposal on health care as "a great plan," ahead of a make-or-break vote in the House.

The president tweeted Friday that "After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!"

The vote had been scheduled for late Thursday but was postponed after administration officials failed to convince skeptical conservative Republicans to support the bill.

Trump claimed he was finished negotiating with GOP holdouts and determined to pursue the rest of his agenda, win or lose.

Barring any further delays, the vote is expected to take place later Friday.

__

7:50 a.m.

White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney says he has "a lot of confidence" in President Donald Trump's ability to salvage a congressional Republican health care plan, but warns that Trump "also wants to move on" if the deal collapses.

Mulvaney said Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America" of the president: "He's a tremendous closer. I wouldn't count him out."

Mulvaney delivered a similar message to House Republicans Thursday night, warning that Trump would turn to other priorities such as a tax overhaul if the health plan pushed by House Speaker Paul Ryan is rejected by rebels in his own party.

Mulvaney also rejected a new Congressional Budget Office analysis that warns the latest health plan version would reduce cost savings by $200 billion. "The CBO score is just wrong on that," Mulvaney said.

___

7:55 a.m.

A lack of women in a photo of negotiations over the GOP health care bill that was tweeted out by Vice President Mike Pence is drawing criticism from Democrats.

The photo shows Pence at the center of a conference table during negotiations with the House Freedom Caucus. About two dozen men can be seen in the photo and not a single woman.

Washington U.S. Sen. Patty Murray drew attention to the absence of women in the room by retweeting the photo and sarcastically adding, "A rare look inside the GOP's women's health caucus."

A repeal of a maternity care requirement is among the concessions the Freedom Caucus is demanding in exchange for support of the bill.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer gestures while speaking to the media during the daily briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., one of the stewards of the Republican health care legislation, carries a binder labeled "Essential Health Benefits" as he leaves the Capitol Hill office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, Friday, March 24, 2017, as the House nears a vote on their health care overhaul. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisc., walks from the House Chamber to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 24, 2017, as the House nears a vote on their health care overhaul. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., one of the stewards of the Republican health care legislation, leaves the Capitol Hill office of House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., Friday, March 24, 2017, as the House nears a vote on their health care overhaul. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
PARIS (AP) - French President Francois Hollande on Friday vigorously denounced suggestions by the conservative presidential hopeful that Hollande is trying to discredit political rivals behind the scenes by using dirty tricks.

The clash between the Socialist Hollande and the right-wing Francois Fillon threatens to further stain the French presidential campaign, already tainted by corruption scandals and voter frustration with the political establishment.

It has also drawn comparisons to President Donald Trump's accusations of wiretapping by predecessor Barack Obama, and Trump's attacks on the U.S. judicial system.

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2017 file photo, French President Francois Hollande, left ,talks with Francois Fillon, the conservative candidate for the French presidential elections, during the annual dinner of the Representative Council of France's Jewish Associations (CRIF) in Paris. Hollande is vigorously denouncing suggestions by conservative presidential hopeful Fillon that Hollande has a "cabinet noir" to discredit political rivals. (Christophe Petit Tesson/ Pool via AP, File)

Fillon, whose presidential bid is flailing because of a href='https://apnews.com/032fb8f74ecf4ea9a401a9baed4080bc/French-prosecutors-extend-Fillon's-probe-to-suspected-fraud'corruption charges/a, told France-2 television Thursday night that he wants an investigation into suggestions in an upcoming book that Hollande intervenes in legal cases for political reasons.

"I am going to accuse the president of the republic," Fillon said. "If we are looking for a cabinet noir, we found the cabinet noir," referring to an alleged secret bureau tasked with damaging political rivals.

"Tonight, I solemnly ask that there is an investigation opened on the allegations raised in this book, because this is a scandal of state," he continued.

Hollande, who is not seeking re-election, responded by saying he "condemns these false allegations with the greatest firmness." He insisted he had never intervened in any judicial procedure, including the recent investigation into accusations that Fillon employed family members for years for parliamentary jobs they never performed.

"There is a dignity, a responsibility that needs to be respected. I think that Mr. Fillon is beyond that," Hollande told France-Bleu radio Friday.

Asked if there is a "cabinet noir," Hollande said, "There is an administration, fortunately, that functions. But it is not for us to meddle in judicial affairs. And my position has always been for the independence of the justice system, the respect for the presumption of innocence, and to never interfere."

The book, "Welcome to the Place Beauvau" asserts that Hollande profited from a network of allies in France's intelligence and financial agencies and a "complex mechanism to orchestrate judicial" probes targeting prominent conservatives.

However, its authors say that Fillon oversimplified their findings - and the book itself says "it is impossible to provide formal proof" of such a secret bureau.

Hollande's predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, was accused of similar secret interference in legal cases for political ends.

Fillon, prime minister during Sarkozy's presidency, was once the front-runner in France's two-round presidential election on April 23 and May 7, but has seen his popularity sink since the jobs investigation opened.

Fillon, who is facing preliminary charges, denies wrongdoing and says the case against him is a smear campaign.

Former lawmaker Marc Joulaud, who employed Fillon's wife as his aide from 2002 to 2007, on Friday was handed preliminary charges for embezzlement of public funds, a source close to the investigation said. The source was not allowed to speak publicly on an ongoing probe.

Investigators are trying to determine whether Penelope Fillon's work as Joulaud's aide was a fictitious job.

Voters appear fed up with both Fillon's conservatives and Hollande's Socialists. For the first time in generations, neither party is likely to win the presidency this year.

____

Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to the story.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Republican Gov. Doug Burgum has signed legislation that will allow most adults to carry a hidden firearm without a permit, making North Dakota one of about a dozen "constitutional carry" states.

The bill signed into law late Thursday will allow law-abiding people 18 and older to forgo background checks and classes that are now required. The legislation only requires someone carrying a concealed weapon to have a valid ID and notify law enforcement of the weapon during instances such as a traffic stop

The legislation comes into force Aug. 1.

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2017, file photo, Gov. Doug Burgum opens North Dakota's 65th legislative assembly in Bismarck. Siding with the Second Amendment rights of North Dakota citizens' over others' concerns about safety, Burgum late Thursday, March 23, signed legislation that would allow most adults to carry a hidden firearm without a permit. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP, File)

Burgum, who is an avid hunter, urged anyone pondering carrying a concealed firearm to enroll in gun safety classes.

"Gun ownership is both a right and a responsibility," the governor said in a statement. "That responsibility begins with individuals and families."

The law sailed through both houses of the GOP-led Legislature, with dissention largely restricted to Democrats.

Supporters said the bill promotes the constitutional right to bear arms and allows protection from criminals. Critics worry it could lead to more shootings as people with less training would be carrying weapons.

Carrying a hidden firearm without a permit is currently a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,500. Some 48,700 of North Dakota's 759,000 residents have concealed carry permits.

House Majority Leader Al Carlson, a Fargo Republican, called the approved legislation "a great day for the Second Amendment."

Carlson and others in the gun-friendly red state say they don't expect the number of people packing hidden firearms to spike.

"There will not be people with bandoleros shooting everyone on Main Street," Carlson said Friday.

The bill was among a package of gun-rights measures being considered this session, including allowing people with concealed carry permits to have guns in churches, schools and other public places. It's unclear if Burgum will also sign those into law.

North Dakota residents already can get a concealed carry permit by completing an hour-long class and passing an open-book test. The classes cost about $50. An enhanced license, that allows reciprocity with other states, requires firearms training and the open-book test.

The South Dakota Legislature this month approved a similar measure but GOP Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoed it, saying his state's gun laws are already reasonable.
BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):

4:30 p.m.

A Syrian monitoring group and a spokeswoman for a U.S.-backed force say intense clashes are ongoing near a major dam held by the Islamic State group on the Euphrates river.

Cihan Sheikh Ehmed, the spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, said Friday the fighting is ongoing at the entrance of the dam, adding that there are casualties among IS fighters. She gave no further details.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF fighters are marching toward the buildings of the Tishrin Dam carefully because of mines and explosives planted by IS.

The push toward the dam comes three days after U.S. aircraft ferried Syrian Kurdish fighters and allies behind IS lines to spearhead a major ground assault on the IS-held town of Tabqa where the dam is located.

___

4.p.m

Syria's U.N. ambassador says hundreds of American personnel are "invading my country" and insists any effort to liberate the city of Raqqa from control of the radical Islamic State group should be done in coordination with the Damascus government.

Speaking after Friday's start of a new round of U.N.-mediated peace talks in Geneva, Bashar al-Ja'afari also insisted that "American warplanes" had bombed a school in the village of Mansourah, west of Raqqa, a day earlier and were responsible for the deaths of 237 civilians among some 500 people fleeing Raqqa. He did not elaborate.

Al-Ja'afari said any military presence in Syria without government approval was "illegitimate."

Using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group, he said: "Those who are truly fighting Daesh are the Syrian Army with the help of our allies from Russia and Iran."

The U.S. has deployed more than 700 advisers, Marines and Rangers to Syria to support fighters battling Islamic State.

___

3 p.m.

Syrian opposition activists say U.S.-backed fighters are on the offensive to capture a major village east of the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State group.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have been on the offensive since November under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition aiming to surround Raqqa.

The Britain- based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF fighters are clashing inside the village of Karama. It added that SDF fighters are marching under airstrike and artillery cover from the U.S.-led coalition.

Mohammed Khedhr of Sound and Picture Organization that documents IS violations also confirmed that battles are taking place inside Karama, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) east of Raqqa, as SDF try to take it.

___

2 p.m.

The U.N. Syria envoy has kicked off the formal start of the fifth round of peace talks over 14 months between envoys from President Bashar Assad's government and opposition groups, amid slim hopes for an immediate breakthrough.

The envoy, Staffan de Mistura, hosted Syrian ambassador Bashar al-Ja'afari at U.N. offices in Geneva for the talks set to take place over at least several days around issues of governance, elections, a new constitution, and the fight against terrorism.

De Mistura was set to meet with the main opposition delegation later Friday. The talks come amid a recent escalation in fighting in Syria, notably in and around Damascus.

The two sides are still not meeting face-to-face, despite jointly attending a fourth-round ceremony last month in a U.N. assembly hall.

___

10:45 a.m.

France's defense minister says the battle by international forces to take back the Islamic State group's de facto capital of Raqqa in Syria will start in the coming days.

Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Raqqa is a "major objective" for the U.S.-led coalition trying to quash IS extremists in Syria and Iraq.

Le Drian spoke on CNEWS television on Friday.

He says: "Today we can say that Raqqa is encircled and that the battle will begin in the coming days. It will be a very hard battle but it will be an essential battle."

As the coalition advances in its battle to retake the IS stronghold of Mosul in Iraq, the U.S. has been intensifying involvement in Syria's conflict ahead of the battle for Raqqa.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump greenlighted the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, declaring it a "great day for American jobs" and siding with energy advocates over environmental groups in a heated debate over climate change.

The presidential permit comes nearly a decade after Calgary-based TransCanada applied to build the $8 billion pipeline, which will snake from Canada through the United States. Trump's State Department said the project advances U.S. national interests, in a complete reversal of the conclusion President Barack Obama's administration reached less than a year-and-a-half ago.

"It's a great day for American jobs and a historic moment for North America and energy independence," Trump said, standing alongside TransCanada's CEO in the Oval Office. Keystone will reduce costs and reliance on foreign oil while creating thousands of jobs, he said, adding: "It's going to be an incredible pipeline."

President Donald Trump, flanked by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, left, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, is seen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington Friday, March 24, 2017, during the announcing of the approval of a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for the $8 billion project. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The decision caps the long scientific and political fight over a project that became a proxy battle in the larger fight over global warming. And Friday's decision, while long foreshadowed by Trump's public support for Keystone, represents one of the biggest steps to date by his administration to prioritize economic development over environmental concerns.

TransCanada, Trump said, can now build Keystone "with efficiency and with speed." Though it still faces other major hurdles, including disputes over the route, the president said the federal government was formulating final details "as we speak."

The 1,700-mile (2,735 kilometers) pipeline, as envisioned, would carry oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast, passing through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. It would move roughly 800,000 barrels of oil per day.

Environmentalists, Native American groups and landowners who've opposed Keystone expressed outrage, and Greenpeace said the U.S. was "moving backwards" on climate and energy policy.

"Keystone was stopped once before, and it will be stopped again," vowed Annie Leonard, the group's U.S. director.

Obama in 2015 rejected the pipeline after years of study, saying it would undercut U.S. credibility in the international climate change negotiations that culminated later that year in a global deal in Paris. He echoed the argument of environmental groups that Keystone would encourage use of carbon-heavy tar sands oil, contributing heavily to global warming.

Relying mostly on the same information, the Trump administration reversed Obama's decision Friday.

In a lengthy report, the State Department alluded to the Paris deal as one reason. Because many other countries have pledged to address climate change, it said Keystone can proceed without undermining the overall effort to slow global warming. The Paris agreement compels the U.S. and other countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions in coming decades.

Keystone would strengthen U.S. energy security by increasing access to Canada's "dependable supply of crude oil," said the State Department, which had jurisdiction because the pipeline crosses the U.S.-Canada border.

But the level of those benefits has been the subject of exhaustive debate in recent years.

Obama argued the oil wouldn't stay in the U.S. because it would be exported after being processed in American refineries. TransCanada insisted Keystone "is not an export pipeline." Many energy experts insisted the truth was somewhere in between.

Environmental groups argued Canada's tar sands oil should stay in the ground. But Keystone's backers said that wouldn't happen even if the pipeline wasn't built. Without a pipeline, they said the oil would move by rail or truck, more dangerous methods which themselves contribute greenhouse gas emissions.

How many jobs Keystone will create is also widely disputed.

TransCanada promised as many as 13,000 construction jobs and Trump once predicted it "could be 42,000 jobs." The vast majority would be "indirect" jobs other industries gain from the influx of dollars and construction workers. Other estimates predict just a few thousand jobs, lasting only for the few years the pipeline is being built. And after that, only a few dozen workers would be needed to maintain the pipeline.

TransCanada CEO Russ Girling said Friday that thousands of people are "ready and itching to get to work."

Trump boasted as recently as this week that Keystone would be built with American steel, which he has required for new or expanded pipelines. But his administration has already given Keystone a pass. TransCanada has already acquired the steel for the project, and the White House has said it's too difficult to impose Trump's requirement on a project already under construction.

Although portions of Keystone are already built, it still faces obstacles to completion. In Nebraska, for example, the route must still be approved and opponents have repeatedly thwarted TransCanada's attempts to access the necessary land. A commission is expected to review the matter later this year.

Trump, told of the hiccup, pledged his help.

"Nebraska? I'll call Nebraska," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Washington, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Grant Schulte in Lincoln, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

TransCanada CEO Russell K. Girling speaks to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 24, 2017, during an announcement on the approval of a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for the $8 billion project. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2015, file photo, the Keystone Steele City pumping station, into which the planned Keystone XL pipeline is to connect to, is seen in Steele City, Neb. Senior U.S. officials say the State Department will recommend approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for the White House to formally approve it. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
BERLIN (AP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel is reiterating Germany's long-held support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and its rejection of Israeli settlements.

Speaking ahead of talks in Berlin with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, Merkel said "I see now, as in the past, no reasonable alternative than the goal of a two state-solution."

The possibility of a two-state solution seemed to have been weakened by U.S. President Donald Trump's statement in February that he could accept a single state, though he's also left the door open to two states.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, address the media during a joint news conference prior to a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

He's also urged restraint on Israeli settlement construction. Merkel says the settlements are leading to an "erosion of the two-state solution."

The chancellor also warned that if Palestinians want peace, they should not "unilaterally denounce" Israel in international forums.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, arrive for a joint statement as part of a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a joint statement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas prior to a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the media during a joint statement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel prior to a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the media during a joint statement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel prior to a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, shake hands after a joint statement prior to a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
DENISON, Texas (AP) - Police say an 18-year-old woman who burst into a church in northeast Texas and claimed she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by three black males in ski masks has admitted she lied.

Denison Police Chief Jay Burch says on Facebook that Breana Harmon Talbott was undressed and bleeding on March 8 when she claimed she had been sexually assaulted in woods behind the church in Denison, 75 miles northeast of Dallas.

Burch says investigators searched the area and "almost immediately, Talbott's story and allegations began to unravel."

Authorities say the crime scene was staged and Talbott's injuries were self-inflicted.

Burch says Talbott "confessed to the hoax" Tuesday and faces a misdemeanor charge of false report to a peace officer.

Burch says it's "insulting to our community and especially offensive to the African-American community."
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - Police say Somali pirates have seized a fishing trawler owned by a local businessman and forced the mostly foreign crew to disembark.

Col. Mohamed Hassan told The Associated Press on Friday that the pirates used a small skiff to board the trawler off the village of Eyl in the northern semiautonomous state of Puntland.

Hassan says the pirates likely will use the trawler as a mother ship to carry out hijackings in international waters.

The incident comes shortly after Somali pirates seized an oil tanker and its Sri Lankan crew for several days - the first hijacking of a large commercial vessel in the area in five years.

International anti-piracy patrols on the crucial trade route had calmed such attacks, which once numbered in the hundreds.

___

This version corrects to say the seizure occurred off the northern village of Eyl.
Time for spring break! Why not book a trip to the Andromeda Galaxy, where fun and adventure await on exotic planets no human has ever set foot on before?

Two problems: First, it takes 600 years to get there. Second, your travel agent may have exaggerated a bit, and those faraway worlds aren't quite as human-friendly as promised.

"Mass Effect: Andromeda" (Electronic Arts, for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, $59.99) invites you to take part in this grand adventure - but, like the journey it describes, it delivers mixed results. Occasionally it rewards you with the gosh-wow sense of wonder that every science fiction fan craves, but you have to work your way through some hoary genre cliches to get there.

This video game image released by Electronic arts shows a scene from, "Mass Effect: Andromeda." (Electronic Arts via AP)

You can play as Sara or Scott Ryder, the offspring of one of the galaxy's most renowned explorers. Early on, the young, inexperienced Ryder is thrust into the role of Pathfinder, whose job is to find a decent place to live for all these refugees from the Milky Way. Early attempts to establish habitats haven't gone well, so Ryder needs to figure out what went wrong.

The most glaring issue is the Kett, a race of lizardlike conquerors bent on destroying every other sentient species in the galaxy. More puzzling are the Remnants, robotic killing machines guarding mysterious monoliths that may hold the secrets to turning Andromeda's planets into livable worlds.

Your crew members include a couple of humans and some familiar alien types from the earlier games, and part of the intrigue comes from trying to figure out why they were so eager to flee the Milky Way. You'll also be joined by one of the locals, a creature called an Angaran that looks kind of like a lion, if you made it stand on two legs and wear clothes.

All your companions have different talents that come in handy in battle, and Ryder can be customized with psychic powers or tech skills that let her, say, fling turrets into enemy camps. The firefights are fast-paced and engaging, though I missed the previous games' ability to pause the action and issue commands to your squadmates.

Developer BioWare has built its reputation on compelling storytelling, and here's where "Andromeda" falls a bit flat. The overarching story doesn't quite have the urgency of the race-against-extinction plot of the franchise's earlier chapters. The Kett are a less formidable villain than the dreaded old Reapers, and the Remnant story line seems like a rehash of the discovery of Prothean tech that drove the original trilogy.

It's also bedeviled by some aggravating technical issues, like creepy facial animations and a clunky menu system. And yet, there are rewards. Some of the side missions recapture BioWare's storytelling magic, and the scenery - from the dusty wastelands of one planet to the lush forests of another - is eye-popping throughout. It's a rough journey, but I'm glad I took it. Two-and-a-half stars out of four.

__

Online:

https://www.masseffect.com/

__

Follow Lou Kesten on Twitter @lkesten
VIENNA (AP) - EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says he is opposed to Austrian and German initiatives to reduce state child support payments to workers from some countries with dependent children in their homelands.

Both countries are lobbying the EU for the change, saying it should be instituted for European countries where wages are substantially lower than in theirs.

Juncker told the Austrian daily Kurier on Friday that he is "not positively receptive to these demands." He says they would not result in substantial savings for the countries making the payments and would increase EU bureaucracy.

Austria pays out about 112 euros ($120) per child per month at birth,with the amount rising in stages until the child is 19. That is to about four times the amount in neighboring Hungary, depending on the child's age.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

8 p.m.

President Donald Trump has marked Medal of Honor Day by appearing in the Oval Office with more than two dozen medal recipients.

President Donald Trump meets with members of the media regarding the health care overhaul bill, Friday, March 24, 2017, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Trump says they are brave people who rose above and beyond the call of duty to defend the U.S. He says they poured out their hearts, sweat and tears like few others have, and have also given their blood for the country.

Trump says the 75 living Medal of Honor recipients "are much braver than I am."

The president was joined by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.

The Medal of Honor is America's highest military honor. It is awarded by the president for acts of valor that go above and beyond the call of duty.

Medal of Honor Day is Saturday.

___

4:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he would be willing to reopen negotiations for a health care bill with Democrats if the Affordable Care Act fails.

Trump told reporters Friday that he would be "open to it" if Democrats wanted to work on a bipartisan measure. He predicted the current law would soon collapse.

The president says he has a great relationship with the Republican Party and isn't going to speak badly about GOP lawmakers. Still, he said he was a little surprised by the bill's rejection from the conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus.

Trump also said he "never said repeal and replace it within 64 days," though he repeatedly promised during the campaign to do it on Day One of his term.

___

4:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump says his health care reform fell short because it lacked support from Democrats.

Trump made his first comments about the failure of a signature legislative item Friday in the Oval Office a short time after a House vote on the bill was cancelled.

Trump told reporters "we were very close" and tried to blame Democrats, through Republicans control both the House and the Senate.

He also predicted the Affordable Care Act would soon implode, forcing Democrats to join the Republicans at the negotiating table.

___

3:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump has marked Greek Independence Day with a rather ominous message.

At a White House reception, Trump said that in the years to come "we don't know what will be required to defend our freedom."

But he says it will take "great courage, and we will show it."

Greek Independence Day commemorates the start of the 1821 war that led to Greece's independence after nearly 400 years as part of the Ottoman Empire. It's celebrated annually on March 25.

Trump told the crowd, "I love the Greeks." He also introduced Greek-American members of the White House staff, including chief of staff Reince Priebus (ryns PREE'-bus).

Trump said Priebus is "really terrific and hard-working," along with being "one of the top Greeks in the country."

___

1:55 p.m.

The White House is no longer expressing confidence that the upcoming House vote on health care will be successful.

Instead, spokesman Sean Spicer says President Donald Trump is confident that the White House has done "every single thing possible" to corral the 216 votes needed to pass legislation to repeal the Obama-era health care law.

House lawmakers and aides say the bill is short of support before the vote Trump insists be held.

The White House says it expects that vote at 3:30 p.m., as scheduled.

___

11:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is praising a plan by cable company Charter Communications to invest $25 billion and hire 20,000 American workers over the next four years.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Charter Communications CEO Thomas Rutledge joined Trump at the White House for the announcement. Rutledge says that the company will return the call center jobs acquired through Time Warner Cable to the United States, opening a new call center in McAllen, Texas, and hiring 600 workers there.

Trump says the plans will be great for American workers. The president is telling Rutledge, "you watch, it will be one of your really fantastic decisions."

___

11 a.m.

Vice President Mike Pence is postponing a planned trip to Arkansas and Tennessee as the House considers a Republican-backed plan to overhaul the health care system.

Pence's office has confirmed that his trip to Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, has been put off. The vice president had been scheduled to discuss the health care plan at a small business gathering in Little Rock and also travel to Memphis.

Pence has been lobbying House Republicans to support the plan to repeal and replace the health care law. The legislation is expected to go to the House floor for a vote later Friday.

___

10:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump says "it's a great day for American jobs" after his administration issued a permit to build the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline.

The decision marks a reversal from the Obama administration and clears the way for the $8 billion project to be completed.

The president says the decision ushers in a "new era" of American energy policy and will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

The decision caps a years-long fight between environmental groups and energy industry advocates over the pipeline's fate.

It's one of several steps the administration is expected to take in the coming weeks to prioritize economic development over environmental concerns.

___

10:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump says, "we'll see what happens," in response to a question about what happens if the vote on the Republican-backed health care bill fails in the House.

Trump is offering his support for House Speaker Paul Ryan at a White House event announcing the presidential permit about the Keystone XL pipeline. Asked if Ryan should remain as speaker if the bill fails, Trump says, "Yes."

The administration is trying to steer a GOP-backed health care bill through the House. The White House and Republican leaders say the vote will be tight and it's unclear if the legislation will pass.

___

10:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump will hold his first meeting with Egypt's president next month.

A White House official said Friday that President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi (see-see) will visit the White House on April 3.

The official spoke anonymously because the visit has not been formally announced.

The two leaders spoke by telephone before Trump's inauguration.

Trump has repeatedly mentioned Egypt as one of the Muslim-majority allies that the U.S. should maintain its partnership with in the fight against radical groups like the Islamic State group.

Egypt is a major recipient of U.S. foreign and military aid, however foreign aid is currently under review under Trump proposed budget plan.

___

8:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump is telling lawmakers who oppose abortion that a vote against the health care bill would favor Planned Parenthood.

The president tweeted Friday, "the irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!"

In a bid to coax support from conservatives, House leaders proposed a fresh amendment repealing Obama's requirement that insurers cover 10 specified services like maternity and mental health care.

Lawmakers will vote later Friday.

Conservatives have demanded the removal of those and other conditions the law imposes on insurers, arguing they drive up premiums.

The president met with members of the Freedom Caucus Thursday in an effort to win them over. But the vote was postponed after administration officials fell short.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, right, departs after a Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill, Thursday, March 23, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House press secretary Sean Spicer gestures as he speaks to the media during the daily briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Good morning! Here's a look at how AP's general news coverage is shaping up today. Some plans are subject to change; see the 2 p.m. News Digest for updates. You can find our contact info at the bottom of this advisory. All times EDT.

-------------

HIGHLIGHTING:

-------------

Among today's coverage highlights as we see them at 10:15 a.m.:

--CONGRESS-HEALTH OVERHAUL

--KEYSTONE PIPELINE

--BRITAIN ATTACK

--EGYPT-MUBARAK

--BANGLADESH-TANNERIES

-------------

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT:

-------------

--CONGRESS-HEALTH OVERHAUL-PENCE PHOTO

--CAR THEFT-BOYS ABDUCTED

--AMY SCHUMER-BARBIE

--DISNEY-CEO-STAR WARS

--GERMANY-US-GUMMY BEARS

--ZOO BABY HIPPO

-------------

Here are details of those stories, plus others we have in the works for today (all times EDT):

-------------

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

-------------

CONGRESS HEALTH OVERHAUL - In a gamble with monumental political stakes, Republicans set course for a climactic House vote on their health care overhaul after President Donald Trump claimed he was finished negotiating with GOP holdouts and determined to pursue the rest of his agenda, win or lose. SENT: 850 words. UPCOMING: 850 words by 4 p.m. Procedural vote possible at 10 a.m., final passage possible in the afternoon. Precise time of final vote is not known WITH: CONGRESS HEALTH OVERHAUL-THE LATEST; CONGRESS HEALTH OVERHAUL-PENCE PHOTO - A lack of women in a photo of negotiations on the health care bill draws notice. SENT: 120 words.

KEYSTONE PIPELINE - The Trump administration issued a permit Friday to build the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for the $8 billion project. Trump is expected to announce the decision at 10:15 a.m. SENT: 780 words.

IVANKA TRUMP-ETHICS - Government watchdogs are complaining about Ivanka Trump's unique role at her father's White House. SENT: 923 words.

TRUMP-FALSEHOODS - President Donald Trump continues his election campaign pattern of making claims, then waiting for facts to spin into support. SENT: 776 words.

TRUMP-WIRETAP - The chairman of the House intelligence committee has privately apologized to colleagues in the wake of his decision to brief President Donald Trump on secret intelligence intercepts related to a probe of Russian interference in the election. SENT: 735 words. WITH: TRUMP-WIRETAP-NEWSGUIDE; TRUMP-WIRETAP-NUNES-PROFILE

-------------

WORLD

-------------

BRITAIN-ATTACK - Police in London are combing through "massive amounts of computer data" and have contacted 3,500 witnesses as they look for clues about why a British-born man became radicalized and launched a deadly attack on Parliament. SENT: 780 words, photos. With BRITAIN-ATTACK-THE LATEST; BRITAIN-VICTIMS

EGYPT-MUBARAK - Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president deposed by the Arab spring uprising, is freed from detention after six years. SENT: 750 words, photo.

BELGIUM ATTACK -Belgian authorities have charged the Frenchman who drove his car at high speed through a busy shopping area in Antwerp with terror-related offenses. SENT:

BANGLADESH-TANNERIES - Leather processed in tanneries in Dhaka that expose child workers to toxic chemicals has been tracked to major U.S. brands of purses and boots. And these tanneries are operating despite Bangladesh orders to shut down due to the environmental damage they are doing by dumping waste directly into a river. By Martha Mendoza and Julhas Alam. SENT: 1,500 words, photos. With BANGLADESH TANNERIES-RESPONSES -Western brands respond to report on Bangladesh tanneries. SENT: 1,400 words, phtoo.

GERMANWINGS CRASH - The father of the Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz says his son loved life and wasn't suffering from depression on the day his plane crashed in the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board. SENT: 500 words, photos.

NIGERIA-OIL POLLUTION - A German geologist says Royal Dutch Shell's Nigeria subsidiary "fiercely opposed" environmental testing and is concealing data showing thousands of Nigerians are exposed to health hazards from a stalled cleanup of the worst oil spills in the West African nation's history. SENT: 550 words.

BRAZIL GRAFFITI - A campaign to clean up and beautify Sao Paulo has come under fire after the city's new mayor painted over a series of well-known graffiti murals. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos, video.

EUROPE-MIGRANTS - A Spanish aid organization says that it feared hundreds of migrants may have died off Libya's coast, while Turkish media reported that 11 migrants died and a further four were missing after a boat sank in the Aegean. SENT: 400 words, photos.

EUROPE-SUMMIT -Hurt by Britain's planned exit, European Union leaders are making a pilgrimage to Rome this weekend with the hope that a visit to the cradle of their project of unity can somehow rekindle the vigor of youth. SENT: 650 words, photos.

FRANCE-FAR RIGHT-RUSSIA -Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a surprise meeting with France's far-right presidential candidate but dismissed suggestions that Russia aims to influence the election in her favor. SENT: 230 words, photos.

-------------

US

-------------

PENN STATE-ABUSE - Jurors in former Penn State president Graham Spanier's child endangerment case prepare to resume their discussions after failing to reach a verdict over six hours. SENT: 130 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing from morning deliberations.

OVERDOSE-CRIME SCENES - A New Hampshire training program that teaches police officers and prosecutors how to treat drug overdoses as crime scenes is emerging as a model for other states grappling with the opioid crisis. UPCOMING: 700 words by noon, photos.

COD COLLAPSE - State data show last year was the worst year for commercial catch of cod fish in the history of Maine. Maine fishermen brought less than 170,000 pounds of the fish to shore last year. That is down from a high of more than 21 million pounds in the early '90s. Fishery managers blame prior overfishing and environmental challenges. By Patrick Whittle. 130 words by 11 a.m., 450 words by 12 p.m

DOUBLE AMPUTEE POLICE OFFICER- A Marine Corps veteran who lost both legs below his knees after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2011 is sworn in Friday to become what is believed to be the first fully active duty double amputee police officer in the nation. By Frank Eltman. 500 words by 3 p.m.

CAR THEFT-BOYS ABDUCTED - Two Southern California toddlers have been found safe after authorities located the car they'd been in when it was stolen. SENT: 130 words, photos.

ZOO-BABY HIPPO -Zoo plan for baby hippo: More independence, nix lap naps. SENT: 135 words.

-------------

HEALTH/SCIENCE

-------------

SPACE STATION -Spacewalking astronauts prep station for new parking spot. SENT: 400 words, photo.

-------------

BUSINESS /ECONOMY

-------------

GERMANY-US-GUMMY BEARS - Germany's iconic gummy bear will soon be "Made in USA." Bonn-based Haribo, which invented the gummy bear nearly a century ago, says it will open a U.S. factory in Wisconsin in 2020. SENT: 130 words, photo.

SKOREA-SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS-SHAREHOLDERS - Samsung Electronics shareholders praise the company for gains in its share price while lamenting its involvement in a massive scandal that brought the arrest of the company's de facto leader. SENT: 440 words, photos.

-------------

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

-------------

FILM-GAY MOMENTS - A wink. A hug. A non-answer. Over the past year, studio movies from "Star Trek" to "Beauty and the Beast" have made headlines for including gay characters and moments, but these small gestures, some so subtle that they might even go unnoticed were it not explained by the filmmakers, seem incongruous when considered against the context that "Moonlight," with its explicit gay themes, won best picture this year. Is this progress? Perhaps. By Film Writer Lindsey Bahr. UPCOMING: 800 words by 2 p.m., photos.

BOOKS-MISTY COPELAND - If you've ever binged on an entire box of Krispy Kremes, don't worry: Misty Copeland has done it, too. No, really. In a new book, the prima ballerina speaks of her own slow journey toward a healthier body, and teaches others how to do the same. By National Writer Jocelyn Noveck. UPCOMING: 700 words by 1 p.m., photos, video.

AMY SCHUMER-BARBIE - Variety reports that comedian Amy Schumer has dropped out of a live-action film based on Mattel doll Barbie due to scheduling conflicts. SENT: 130 words, photos.

DISNEY-CEO-STAR WARS - Disney CEO Bob Iger says the upcoming "Star Wars" sequel has not been changed due to the death of Carrie Fisher. SENT: 130 words, photos.

ANCIENT SCULPTURE-AUCTION - Experts say a 9-inch-tall marble sculpture could sell for more than $3 million at an April 28 auction in New York. SENT: 120 words, photos.

GAZA MOVIE SET - Surrounded by militant training sites on uprooted Jewish settlement lands, the first movie set in the Gaza Strip is growing, depicting the history-rich, volatile alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City. By Fares Akram. SENT: 640 words, photos.

-------------

SPORTS

-------------

NCAA-NEXT CINDERELLA?? - Thanks, Michigan. It was fun while it lasted. So who's going to be the lovable underdog in the NCAA Tournament now? Take your pick: Xavier or South Carolina. SENT: 640 words, photos.

-------------

HOW TO REACH US

-------------

At the Nerve Center, Alexandra Olson can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Alyssa Goodman (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, Phil Holm (ext. 7636). Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477.
BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group is investigating reports of an airstrike in a western neighborhood in the Iraqi city of Mosul that allegedly left more than 100 civilians dead last week, according to a statement given to The Associated Press on Friday.

The suspected high toll underscores the difficulties that Iraqi troops face in the weeks-long fight to route the Sunni militant group from the densely urban part of the city, Iraq's second-largest.

Residents of the neighborhood known as Mosul Jidideh told an Associated Press team at the scene that scores of residents are believed to have been killed by a pair of airstrikes that hit a cluster of homes in the area earlier this month.

Residents carry the body of a person killed during fights between Iraq security forces and Islamic State on the western side of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, March 24, 2017. Residents of the Iraqi city's neighborhood known as Mosul Jidideh at the scene say that scores of residents are believed to have been killed by airstrikes that hit a cluster of homes in the area earlier this month (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

"Over 137 people were inside. The entire neighborhood was fleeing because of missiles that hit, so people were taking refuge here," said Ahmed Ahmed, one of the residents of the neighborhood.

One airstrike hit the residential area on March 13, followed by a second strike four days later, the residents said. The coalition statement said "multiple allegations" were being investigated.

AP reporters saw at least 50 bodies being recovered from the wreckage of the buildings. A team of Iraqi rescue engineers worked to recover the bodies on Friday, after being prevented from reaching the site for days due to fierce frontline clashes, according to Safaa Saadi Jawad, one of the engineers.

The coalition has "opened a formal civilian casualty credibility assessment on this allegation," the statement continued, adding that coalition planes "routinely strike" IS targets in this area and that coalition forces "take all reasonable precautions during the planning and execution of airstrikes to reduce the risk of harm to civilians."

Faced with their toughest fight against IS yet, Iraqi and coalition forces have increasingly turned to airstrikes and artillery to clear and hold territory in western Mosul's densely populated western neighborhoods.

Civilians, humanitarian and monitoring officials are warning of increased civilian casualties in western Mosul due to the increased reliance on airstrikes and artillery.

The United Nations reported on Thursday that more than 1,000 people have been treated for conflict related trauma near front lines since the fight for western Mosul began February 19th.

Front-line medics say that the vast majority of civilians they treat, say they were hit with IS munitions such as mortars and sniper fire. IS has repeatedly targeted civilians trying to flee amid fierce fighting between Islamic State militants and Iraqi forces.

As Iraqi forces push deeper into Mosul's old city, humanitarian officials expect civilian casualty rates to spike as more than 400,000 civilians remain trapped in the city's west. The Tigris River dives Mosul into a western and an eastern half. The eastern half was declared liberated from IS in January.

The Pentagon, which has yet to release casualty figures from last month's fighting, has acknowledged 220 civilian deaths from coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria since the U.S. campaign against IS began in 2014. Independent monitor groups such as the London-based Airwars, put the casualty figures much higher, at just over 2,700 killed by coalition strikes since 2014.

___

Associated Press writer Mstyslav Chernov in Mosul, Iraq, contributed to this report.

Residents carry the body of several people killed during fights between Iraq security forces and Islamic State on the western side of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, March 24, 2017. Residents of the Iraqi city's neighborhood known as Mosul Jidideh at the scene say that scores of residents are believed to have been killed by airstrikes that hit a cluster of homes in the area earlier this month (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

A resident carries the bodies of six people killed during fights between Iraq security forces and Islamic State on the western side of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, March 24, 2017. Residents of the Iraqi city's neighborhood known as Mosul Jidideh at the scene say that scores of residents are believed to have been killed by airstrikes that hit a cluster of homes in the area earlier this month (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Prosecutors in Bosnia say a woman wanted for war crimes she allegedly committed against Serb civilians during the country's 1992-95 war has been extradited from Switzerland.

A statement from prosecutors says that 56-year-old Efeta Veseli was handed over to authorities on Friday at Sarajevo's airport.

She is accused of a "particularly cruel" murder of a 12-year-old Serb boy near the northeastern Bosnian town of Zvornik in 1992. Veseli left Bosnia after the war and settled in Switzerland where she was arrested in September. Her transfer to Bosnia for trial was delayed because she had been battling extradition.
ZURICH (AP) - FIFA has taken down a monolithic reminder of former president Sepp Blatter from its headquarters.

Since the building officially opened at a cost of $200 million in 2007, a meter-plus (4-feet) high silver metal plaque listing members of that year's Blatter-chaired FIFA Executive Committee was fixed to a stone column in the reception area.

Visitors could read an inauguration message in French above names headed by Blatter, who is serving a six-year ban for unethical conduct.

A plaque in the reception of FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Friday, September 16, 2016 bearing the names of former president Sepp Blatter and his executive committee colleagues in 2005. It commemorated when world soccer's governing body moved into its new offices in Zurich, but many of the officials were subsequently punished in ethics cases. The plaque has now been removed. (AP Photo/Rob Harris)

Most men on the list have since been sanctioned by FIFA's ethics committee, indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice or are under investigation by Swiss federal prosecutors.

Four medal-sized circles of gray stone have replaced the plaque's settings in the wall.

FIFA did not immediately provide a reason for the plaque's absence.
CAIRO (AP) - Key events in the life of the ousted Egyptian president, who has been released from detention and returned home.

- Oct. 15 1981: Mubarak takes office after his predecessor, Anwar Sadat, is assassinated by Islamic militants during a military parade. Mubarak, Sadat's vice-president, survives with a minor hand injury.

- Mubarak implements emergency laws as part of his battle against militants and expands police powers.

FILE - In this Monday, April 25, 2016 file photo, ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak waves to his supporters from his room at the Maadi Military Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. Mubarak returned home on Friday, Match 24, 2017, free following his release from custody after legal proceedings that took years since his 2011 ouster - years during which the country witnessed major upheavals and rights activists saw their hopes scuttled that the autocrat would face justice for the deaths of hundreds who defied his rule. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

- In one of his first moves, Mubarak says Egypt will stick to the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, the first by any Arab nation with the Jewish state.

- Mubarak becomes a major mediator in the Arab-Israeli peace process, remaining a consistent US ally bolstered by billions of dollars in American aid.

- During the 1990s, an Islamic militant insurgency - aiming to set up an Islamic state - attacks policemen, assassinates politician, and targets foreign tourists, one of the country's key sources of revenue.

- 1995: Militants attempt to assassinate Mubarak during a visit to Ethiopia.

- 1997: Mubarak responds by arresting thousands, crushing the movement.

- Sept. 1999: Mubarak is re-elected for a fourth term in a staged, single-candidate referendum in which he wins over 90 percent of the vote.

- Feb. 2005: Mubarak engineers constitutional amendments that, according to critics, guarantee ruling-party victories in elections.One bans religious political parties, blocking the Muslim Brotherhood from officially participating in political life.

- 2005: Mubarak allows the first ever multi-candidate presidential election, which he wins easily over 10 other candidates amid charges of voter fraud and intimidation.

- April 2008: Bread riots turn violent. Mubarak's government had subsidized staples such as bread and cooking oil, and the butane gas used for cooking. He fires up military ovens to help quell discontent.

- 2010: Parliamentary elections are widely deplored as rigged, and the Brotherhood responds by withdrawing its candidates, who ran as independents, from a second round of voting.

- Jan. 25, 2011: Thousands of anti-government protesters clash with police in Cairo during a Tunisia-inspired demonstration to demand Mubarak's removal. The day marks the start of the Arab spring in Egypt.

- Feb. 11: After three weeks of massive protests against his rule, Mubarak steps down, handing power over to the military.

- April 13: Authorities detain Mubarak and his two sons in an investigation into corruption, abuse of power and the killing of protesters. A month later, Mubarak is ordered to stand trial.

- Aug. 3: Mubarak's trial starts in Cairo. From the defendant's cage, Mubarak denies all charges against him.

- Feb 22, 2012: Mubarak, who had rarely spoken during the trial, turns down his last chance to address the court during the defense's final arguments.

- June 2: Mubarak is sentenced to life in prison. He's ferried by helicopter from the police academy where the trial was held to Cairo's Torah Prison where his sons and members of his regime have been either serving prison sentences or being held pending trials over a variety of corruption charges.

- Jan, 2013: Mubarak is granted a retrial from the appeals court.

- Nov. 29, 2014: Murder charges against Mubarak are dismissed, and his security chief is acquitted over the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising.

- Mubarak is also acquitted of corruption charges that he faced along with his sons Alaa and Gamal - his one-time heir apparent - as the statute of limitations on the case expires.

- June 4, 2015: Egypt's highest appeals court orders the retrial of Mubarak on charges that he failed to prevent the killing of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 uprising. The ruling sets a trial date for the third time.

- May: Cairo Criminal Court sentences Mubarak to three years and fines him and his sons 125 million Egyptian pounds following his conviction for embezzling funds earmarked for the maintenance and renovation of presidential palaces.

- Jan. 9, 2016: An Egyptian court upholds a three-year prison sentence for graft. It is considered already served by the former president and his two sons based on their time spent in detention.

- March 2, 2017 Egypt's top appeals court issues its final ruling, acquitting Mubarak of charges that he ordered the killing of protesters during the 2011 popular uprising. The Court of Cassation rejects an appeal by prosecutors, allowing an acquittal verdict from 2014 to stand.

- March 13, 2017: Mubarak is freed from detention.

FILE - In this Saturday, April 13, 2013 file photo, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak waves to his supporters from behind bars as he attends a hearing in his retrial on appeal in Cairo, Egypt. Mubarak returned home free on Friday, March 24, 2017 following his release from custody after legal proceedings that took years since his 2011 ouster - years during which the country witnessed major upheavals and rights activists saw their hopes scuttled that the autocrat would face justice for the deaths of hundreds who defied his rule. (AP Photo, File)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - The Latest on challenges to President Donald Trump's proposed travel ban (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

A federal appeals court will hear arguments in May in a challenge to President Donald Trump's revised travel ban targeting six predominantly Muslim countries.

The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has set a hearing for May 8 to consider the Trump administration's appeal of a federal judge in Maryland's ruling that prohibited the enforcement of the travel ban nationwide.

The Maryland ruling and a separate ruling in Hawaii were victories for civil liberties groups and advocates for immigrants and refugees, who argued that Trump's temporary ban on travel from six predominantly Muslim countries violated the Constitution.

The Trump administration argued that the revised executive order was intended to protect the United States from terrorism.

___

11:00 a.m.

A federal judge in Virginia has ruled against a Muslim civil-rights group that sought to block the Trump administration's proposed travel ban.

At a hearing earlier this week, Judge Anthony Trenga questioned whether an injunction was necessary, given the fact that judges in Hawaii and Maryland have already blocked the vast majority of the executive order from taking effect.

The judge's decision, issued Friday in federal court in Alexandria, is even more sweeping in support of the administration. The 32-page ruling concludes that President Donald Trump is likely within his rights to temporarily ban immigration from six Muslim-majority countries and suspend the U.S. refugee program.

A lawyer for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which brought the suit, said his client will appeal.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Even if New Jersey's governor approves a measure inspired by former "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi to cap what state public universities can pay speakers, Rutgers University is still offering $35,000 for this year's commencement speaker.

Rutgers says that the honorarium offered to actor and musician Steven Van Zandt is paid for with money from its beverage contract with Coca-Cola and not taxpayer money.

"I don't think it will be affected, honestly, but at the least we've got their attention when it comes to spending in general," New Jersey Republican Assemblyman John DiMaio, who sponsored the measure, said Friday.

FILE - In this May 24, 2013, file photo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, right, speaks with Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, center, and Jenni "JWoww" Farley, left, cast members of MTV's "Jersey Shore," on the boardwalk where he took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the New Jersey shore's seasonal reopening for the first time since Hurricane Sandy in Seaside Heights, N.J. Under legislation inspired by reality TV star Polizzi, no more than $10,000 of state money could go to pay speakers at New Jersey's public universities. New Jersey's Democrat-controlled Assembly was scheduled to vote Thursday, March 23, 2017, on whether to send the bill to Christie's desk. (Kevin R. Wexler /The Record via AP, file)

"In a time when college costs are so high, maybe some of those revenues could have been going into the classroom or they could be more judicious in how they're bringing speakers in," he said.

The bill, passed by lawmakers Thursday, caps the amount of state money that can be spent on speakers at $10,000. It still needs Republican Gov. Chris Christie's approval.

DiMaio said he was inspired to write the legislation after Snooki was paid $32,000 collected from student fees to speak at an event at Rutgers University in 2011. Snooki's pay was $2,000 more than Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison received to speak at commencement.

Rutgers spokeswoman Karen Smith says that money from the Coca-Cola contract is "used for a variety of things that benefit our students."

"It has long been our policy at Rutgers not to use any state funds to pay commencement speakers," she added.

Many colleges struggle with tight budgets and some have drawn sharp criticism for paying hefty speaking fees. Colleges that pay for celebrity speakers say they can impress donors and attract the interest of potential students. A notable speaker also is meant as a reward for the graduating class.

Former President Barack Obama delivered last year's commencement address at Rutgers, but turned down the $35,000 honorarium. The university was still on the hook for $1.43 million for the commencement, including $523,000 in additional funding that went toward more police, a traffic safety consultant to coordinate road closures and other expenses.

Smith said that about 52,000 people attended last year's commencement, an increase of nearly 50 percent from 2015, when Bill Nye "The Science Guy" spoke.

___

Contact Cornfield at https://www.twitter.com/JoshCornfield
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Corpus Christi police say they've been unable to substantiate a tip that a Tennessee school teacher and a student he's accused of kidnapping were in the South Texas Gulf Coast city.

Tennessee authorities have been hunting for 50-year-old Tad Cummins and 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas, who last was seen March 13. Tennessee authorities shared a tip with Corpus Christi police that a vehicle matching the description of Cummins' car, with Tennessee tags, had been spotted in the city's North Beach area.

Police say officers checked the area, businesses and surveillance videos Thursday and can't confirm the information. Police said in a statement they haven't found any credible witnesses placing either the health sciences teacher or the missing teen in the area about 200 miles (322 kilometers) southwest of Houston.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration announced sanctions Friday on 30 foreign companies and people from 10 countries, including China, and accused the entities of engaging in proliferation activity.

"These determinations underscore that the United States continues to regularly impose sanctions under existing authorities, as warranted, against entities and individuals that engage in proliferation activity with Iran, North Korea, and Syria," the State Department statement said in a statement.

The companies included under the newly imposed sanctions are based in China, North Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

The State Department said that 11 of the entities and people contribute to activity that "serves to escalate regional conflicts further and poses a significant threat to regional security."

Eleven entities and individuals were sanctioned for transfers of sensitive items to Iran's ballistic missile program.

The government also implemented sanctions on 19 companies or people found to have "transferred to, or acquired from, Iran, North Korea, or Syria goods, services, or technology listed on multilateral export control lists, or on U.S. national control lists, or other items that could make a material contribution to the development of weapons of mass destruction or missile proliferation."

Most of the companies listed engage in export activity.

As consequence of the sanctions, which were officially implemented on March 21, no U.S. department or agency can procure or contract for any goods, services, or technology from the designated entities. New licenses will be denied and these companies are ineligible for any U.S. assistance.
HARELBEKE, Belgium (AP) - Olympic road champion Greg Van Avermaet came out on top of a three-man sprint to win the E3 Harelbeke as Belgian riders secured a 1-2-3 finish in the one-day cobbled race on Friday.

Van Avermaet edged former world champion Philippe Gilbert. Oliver Naesen completed the podium.

Tom Boonen broke up the peloton when he attacked on the Taaienberg hill. A small group followed, and the Belgian trio pulled away on the steep cobbled slopes of the Oude Kwaremont, and stayed ahead all the way to the finish.

Belgium's Greg Van Avermaet, center, of the BMC Racing Team, sprints to win the E3 Harelbeke cycling race in Harelbeke, Belgium on Friday, March 24, 2017. Olympic road champion Avermaet came out on top of a three-man tactical sprint to win the E3 Harelbeke on Friday as Belgian riders secured a 1-2-3 finish in the one-day cobbled race. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

The Belgians sized each other carefully in the final kilometer. Naesen ignited the sprint 250 meters from the line. He made his move too soon, and Van Avermaet caught him with ease, then resisted Gilbert's response to claim his first win in the E3.

It was Van Avermaet's second important win this season following his success in the Het Nieuwsblad in February.

Gilbert, who was runner-up to Yves Lampaert in the Dwars doo Vlaanderen race midweek, looked strong in the finale but maybe chose too big a gear, failing to catch his rival.

"It gives me a lot of confidence for Flanders," Van Avermaet said, referring to the Tour of Flanders, the region's big race on April 2.

The race was marred by crashes, and Tony Gallopin of France was forced to withdraw with a suspected left wrist injury. His Lotto Soudal team said he would be taken to hospital for a medical checkup. World champion Peter Sagan was also caught up in a crash 42 kilometers from the finish but appeared uninjured.

Belgium's Greg Van Avermaet, celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the E3 Harelbeke cycling race in Harelbeke, Belgium on Friday, March 24, 2017. Olympic road champion Avermaet came out on top of a three-man tactical sprint to win the E3 Harelbeke on Friday as Belgian riders secured a 1-2-3 finish in the one-day cobbled race. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Belgium's Greg Van Avermaet, center, of the BMC Racing Team smiles as he stands on the podium after winning the E3 Harelbeke cycling race in Harelbeke, Belgium on Friday March 24, 2017. Olympic road champion Avermaet came out on top of a three-man tactical sprint to win the E3 Harelbeke on Friday as Belgian riders secured a 1-2-3 finish in the one-day cobbled race. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
SAO PAULO (AP) - When completed in 2015, the mayor's office hailed the graffiti panels along Avenida 23 de Maio as Latin America's largest open-air mural - 70 works of street art stretching for more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) along a boulevard connecting a well-to-do district with the city center.

Then this January, they were painted over.

It wasn't done by vandals or other graffiti artists, as often happens with street art, but by sanitation workers acting on the orders of Sao Paulo's new mayor, Joao Doria, a millionaire businessman and former host of "The Apprentice Brazil." The mayor even donned a pair of orange coveralls and wielded a spray gun to put a thin layer of gray paint over the murals - angering people who considered the paintings part of the city's cultural heritage and sparking a debate about what is art and what should be protected.

In this March 20, 2017 photo, a child walks alongside a street murals in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A campaign to clean up and beautify Sao Paulo has come under fire after the city's new mayor painted over a series of well-known graffiti murals. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Removal of the murals was among the first acts of Doria's "Pretty City" campaign: a traveling circus of street cleaners and maintenance workers who install new trash cans, plant trees, pick up garbage and cover up graffiti around Sao Paulo every weekend. Doria says the goal is not just to clean up Sao Paulo but to restore Paulistanos' pride in their hometown.

Many in Sao Paulo have cheered the campaign for aiming at a widely despised style of street art known as "pichacao" - a generally monochromatic, rune-like calligraphy covering buildings across the city. Doria's administration has increased fines for pichacao, is installing cameras to catch practitioners, and encourages everyone, especially taxi drivers, to report it.

But most Brazilians make a distinction between pichacao - derived from the Portuguese word for tar - and the colorful and pictorial street paintings they call "graffiti." The latter are largely tolerated, often celebrated and widely seen as linked to Sao Paulo's urban identity.

Many considered the murals on 23 de Maio a showcase for Brazil's vibrant graffiti art, and Doria's decision to paint over all but a few touched a nerve about what can be lost when cities revitalize blighted areas.

Some of Doria's critics tie the cleanup campaign to other parts of his business-oriented agenda: a privatization plan to sell off city stadiums and open bids for concessions in public parks as well as an effort to revitalize the dilapidated downtown, an important canvas for pichacao.

"This is not just about a fight against pichacao," said Marcio Siwi, a doctoral candidate at New York University who studies art, architecture and urbanism in Sao Paulo. "This is bigger than that. This is about bringing revenue into the city in a way that's very controversial."

Other cities have waged similar campaigns. The mayor of Lima, Peru, in 2015 ordered the painting over of murals authorized by his predecessor and was showered with complaints from artists and architects who said the murals had reclaimed a dilapidated area. New York has largely won its war to banish the graffiti that once covered subway cars - an art style several graffiti artists in Brazil have cited as inspiration - but many New Yorkers protested when the owner of a Queens warehouse known as 5Pointz, which had become a shrine to graffiti art, painted over its murals in 2013 ahead of its demolition.

Sao Paulo has tried to clean up pichacao before, but it has also long touted its street art, with even the city's own tourism bureau offering it up as a slice of the "real," gritty city. One law even calls for graffiti to be valued and protected - as long as it is done with permission. Pichacao, though, is always considered illegal.

"Street art in Sao Paulo is a postcard for Sao Paulo," said Eduardo Kobra, an artist who started out in pichacao and is now invited to paint murals in cities worldwide.

The removal of the 23 de Maio murals sparked a protest, and tweets flew with before-and-after pictures. Juca Ferreira, who oversaw the painting of the murals when he was the city's secretary of culture, said in a Facebook post that the new mayor's message is: "Art only for the elite."

Confusing many people, Doria has since said he wants to promote street art. But his office says officials removed the murals because some were covered in picahcao and others had degraded over time.

Juliana Serafim Francisco, a chemical engineer who turned up to check out a recent "Pretty City" outing led by the mayor, said the city was right to remove the murals, noting that graffiti is by its nature temporary.

"The graffiti wasn't well taken care of. It's prettier now," Serafim said as Doria scrubbed a plaza in the city's center. In general, she thinks the "Pretty City" campaign is getting big results without spending too much.

Doria has now promised a "museum of street art" to showcase authorized, privately funded murals by artists chosen by an independent committee.

Some critics say the mayor's cleanup campaign is a superficial attempt to attract private investment by papering over Sao Paulo's inconvenient realities - a largely abandoned downtown, a big population of poor and homeless, and the co-existence of rich neighborhoods that equal anything in Manhattan with marginalized areas.

Many "pichadores," typically young people from the city's outskirts, are trying to raise awareness about those kinds of problems, said Djan Ivson, a pichador himself.

"I see picho as a way of taking back the city by a section of the population that is excluded," Ivson said. "It's a natural response to the absence of the state in people's lives."

Many "Pretty City" interventions have focused on areas in Sao Paulo's historic downtown, which began emptying out in the 1970s and '80s after fires burned several fires and another business district was developed. These days, more than 50 percent of the city's homeless live in the Centro, where many buildings are abandoned or occupied by squatters and several blocks are so full of drug addicts they are called "Cracolandia."

While some critics say cleaning up downtown Sao Paulo is fine, they would rather see the mayor refurbish the city's poor outskirts or improve school and health systems. Doria has promised to tackle some of these problems.

"If people want to make a beautiful city, OK. But it should be for real, not just on the cover of the book," Kobra said. "Let's flip through that book and make sure that inside it's also perfect."

___

Associated Press writers Franklin Briceno in Lima, Peru, and Deepti Hajela in New York contributed to this report.

___

Sarah DiLorenzo on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sdilorenzo .

This Oct. 20 2011 photo shows a mural by street artist Eduardo Kobra along the Avenida 23 de Maio in Sao Paulo, Brazil. When completed in 2015, the graffiti panels were hailed by the mayor's office as Latin America's largest open-air mural - 70 works of street art stretching for more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) along the boulevard that connects a well-to-do district with the city center. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

This March 23, 2017 photo shows panels painted gray to cover up murals along the Avenida 23 de Maio in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The removal of the murals was among the first acts of new Mayor Joao Doria's "Pretty City" campaign: a traveling circus of street cleaners and maintenance workers who install new trash cans, plant trees, pick up garbage and cover up graffiti around Sao Paulo every weekend. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

In this March 9, 2017 photo, street artist Eduardo Kobra poses for a photo in front of one his murals in Sao Paulo, Brazil. "Street art in Sao Paulo is a postcard for Sao Paulo," said Kobra, an artist who started out in street art known as "pichacao" , a generally monochromatic, rune-like calligraphy. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

In this March 22, 2017 photo, a man walks next to a mural created by street artist Eduardo Kobra, in Sao Paulo's Vila Madalena neighborhood, Brazil. Sao Paulo has long touted such colorful murals in tourist guides. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Sao Paulo Mayor Joao Doria smiles during a meeting in his office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, March 23, 2017. A millionaire businessman and former host of "The Apprentice Brazil," Doria says his campaign to beautify Sao Paulo is not just to clean up the city but to restore Paulistanos' pride in their hometown. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

This March 22, 2017 photo shows a building facade covered with a style of street art known as "pichacao" in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Many in Sao Paulo have cheered the mayor's clean up campaign that takes aim at the widely despised style of street art, a generally monochromatic, rune-like calligraphy that covers buildings across the city. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A man navigates his skateboard, backdropped by wall ramps defaced by a style of street art known as "pichacao", in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, March 23, 2017. Most Brazilians make a distinction between pichacao, which is derived from the Portuguese word for tar, and the colorful and pictoral street paintings that they call "graffiti." The latter are largely tolerated, often celebrated and widely seen as inextricably linked to Sao Paulo's urban identity.(AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A worker water blasts the base of a statue during graffiti removal clean-up efforts in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, March 24, 2017. Many in Sao Paulo have cheered the mayor's campaign for taking aim at a widely despised style of street art known as "pichacao", a generally monochromatic, rune-like calligraphy that covers buildings across the city. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A man walks past a wall defaced by street art known as "pichacao", in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, March 23, 2017. Sao Paulo's mayor has significantly increased the fines for pichacao, a widely despised style of street art, and is installing cameras to catch practitioners. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

In this March 22, 2017 photo, homeless people sleep on the sidewalk backdropped by a mural in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Some critics say the mayor's cleanup campaign, that includes painting over murals, is just a superficial attempt to attract private investment by papering over Sao Paulo's inconvenient realities, a largely abandoned downtown, a big population of poor and homeless. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A residential building features a mural in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, March 23, 2017. A campaign to clean up and beautify Sao Paulo has come under fire after the city's new mayor painted over a series of well-known graffiti murals. He has since promised a "museum of street art" that will showcase publicly authorized, privately funded murals painted by artists to be chosen by an independent committee. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

This March 22, 2017 photo shows the facade of a building defaced with a street art style known as "pichacao" in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. The city has tried to clean up pichacao before, but it has also long touted its street art, and even the tourism bureau has offered it up as a slice of the "real," gritty city. A law calls for graffiti to be valued and protected, but only as long as it is done with permission. Pichacao, by contrast, is always considered illegal. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Workers use scrub brushes to remove a street art style known as "pichacao" from the base of statues in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, March 24, 2017. Most Brazilians make a distinction between pichacao, which is derived from the Portuguese word for tar, and the colorful and pictorial street paintings that they call graffiti. The latter are largely tolerated, often celebrated and widely seen as inextricably linked to Sao Paulo's urban identity. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The commander of U.S. Africa Command says he would like to be granted more authority to battle al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia.

Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday that it would be "very helpful" to be given more flexibility in combatting al-Shabab militants, both directly and through local partner forces.

He said this would allow him to deliver airstrikes in a more timely way.

The Associated Press has previously reported that recommendations for such expanded authorities have been sent to the White House.

Waldhauser said he already has held detailed discussions to ensure that expanded U.S. military operations in Somalia would not jeopardize the work of international civilian groups combatting famine.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. peacekeeping chief said Friday he expects operations in Haiti, Ivory Coast and Liberia to end by March 2018 which will save hundreds of millions of dollars.

Herve Ladsous told a farewell news conference Friday that a major U.N. review of the 16 peacekeeping missions - which cost nearly $8 billion a year - is currently under way, ordered by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who took office on Jan. 1.

The Trump administration, which is seeking to cut payments to the United Nations including over 28 percent for peacekeeping, is conducting its own review. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley has said reform of the far-flung operations is a top priority.

Ladsous said the goal in Haiti is to have the more than 2,300 troops back home by October. The budget for the Haiti mission from July 2016 through June 2017 is about $346 million. Ladsous said the Security Council may decide to have a much smaller mission focusing on police.

The peacekeeping chief said all military members of the Ivory Coast mission have already left and the remaining civilians and police will be gone by June. That mission has a budget of $153 million for the same period.

Ladsous said he thinks the Liberia mission - whose latest annual budget was about $187 million - should be closed down by March 2018, following elections scheduled in October. A final decision is up to the Security Council.

The council is currently discussing whether to cut the Congo mission, which has about 22,400 people, including nearly 17,000 troops and over 1,350 police, and is the biggest and costliest with a budget of $1.2 billion.

Ladsous stressed that council members should take into account that this is a key year in Congo with "very important elections in a very delicate context" scheduled by December, and renewed security tensions not only in the volatile east "but also in new areas like the Kasais."

He said the U.N. and the African Union are conducting a review of their joint mission in Sudan's western Darfur region, one of the costliest for the United Nations with an annual budget of over $1 billion and more than 13,600 troops.

Ladsous said the current mission, known as UNAMID, "has nothing to do" with the situation 10 years ago when the mission was established and government-allied janjaweed militias were carrying out "mass extermination of civilians."

"Overall the situation in Darfur, while not perfect, is certainly nothing compared to what it used to be," he said. "So we have to see whether we need to retain all these people, whether we adjust." He noted the Sudanese government's longstanding request for an exit for UNAMID.

Ladsous, who is stepping down on March 31 after six years as undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, just returned from South Sudan where the U.N. has an almost 12,000-strong peacekeeping mission, which costs nearly $1.1 billion annually. He said the U.N. "has been moving heaven and earth" to deploy an additional 4,000 peacekeepers from the region to help protect civilians caught in fighting.

Ladsous said "the vanguard elements" of the regional force will likely be deploying between the end of April and the first week in May including a company of Rwandan troops and helicopters and units from Bangladesh and Nepal.

Looking back at how peacekeeping has changed, Ladsous said 25 years ago peacekeepers were respected but nowadays "we are kidnapped, we are shot at, we are bombed" and targeted by explosive devices.

In part, he said, this is a result of rebel groups and fighters who don't feel bound by international law and the laws of war and "just pursue their agenda regardless." But Ladsous said it's also true that some governments don't abide by their commitments and that's why "I keep saying the Security Council should take a serious view of this and act accordingly."
When the mighty orca breaks to the surface and exhales, the whale sprays an array of bacteria and fungi in its his breath, scientists said, some good, and some bad such as salmonella.

The findings in a new study raises concerns about the potential role of infectious diseases as another major stress factor for the struggling population of endangered Puget Sound orcas.

Those orcas' breath samples revealed microbes capable of causing diseases. Some were resistant to multiple antibiotics frequently used by people and animals, suggesting human waste contaminating the marine environment, according to a study published online Friday in the journal Scientific Reports.

A female orca leaps from the water while breaching in Puget Sound west of Seattle, as seen from a federal research vessel that has been tracking the whale. Using unique breath samples captured over four years, a new study identifies an array of bacteria and fungi contained in the exhaled breath of the small, distinct population of southern resident killer whales of the northeast Pacific Ocean.

HOW THEY DID IT Researchers on boats would swing a 25-foot long pole with several petri dishes above an orca's blowhole, capturing the droplets that sprayed out. Using those unique breath samples captured over a four-year period, the study identifies an array of bacteria and fungi contained in the exhaled breath of the small, distinct population of southern resident killer whales of the northeast Pacific Ocean. Advertisement

Scientists followed the whales as they swam in Washington state waters and waited for them to surface and exhale.

The researchers on boats would swing a 25-foot long pole with several petri dishes above an orca's blowhole, capturing the droplets that sprayed out.

Using those unique breath samples captured over a four-year period, the study identifies an array of bacteria and fungi contained in the exhaled breath of the small, distinct population of southern resident killer whales of the northeast Pacific Ocean.

The number of Puget Sound orcas has fluctuated in recent decades as they have faced threats from lack of prey, pollution and noise disturbance from vessels.

The orcas were listed as endangered in 2005, and now number 78.

Scientists also found healthy bacteria in the breath samples but also worrisome drug-resistant ones such as salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.

The whales swim through urbanized waterways and encounter a number of environmental stressors caused by humans, including everything from what gets flushed down toilets to agricultural runoff.

'They're recruiting the bacteria in their habitats,' said Stephen Raverty, the study's lead author who is a veterinary pathologist with British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Health Centre in Abbotsford.

Orcas with weak immune responses can be more susceptible to bacteria resulting in respiratory disease.

'These animals are subject to many stressors, which reduce the competence of their immune systems,' said marine mammal veterinarian Pete Schroeder, co-author of the paper.

It's the first such study to provide a snapshot of the pathogen burden of this endangered population.

It will also help scientists develop a baseline to compare changes to the whales' respiratory conditions over time.

Scientists collected 26 breath samples from whales around San Juan Island and compared them to seawater samples collected from the millimeter-thick layer on the surface of Puget Sound.

When the whales break through the surface of the water, they take in the contaminants and other microorganisms in that sea layer.

Pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains were found in both the breath samples and seawater.

Scientists don't know enough to say how harmful the microbes are to the orcas.

'Because you find a potential pathogen, it doesn't mean the animal is necessarily sick. It might be something normal,' said Linda Rhodes, supervisory research microbiologist with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle and co-author.

Bacteria are there, and if for any reason the animals become immune-suppressed, it could provide an opening to make the orcas sick, Raverty said.

Scientists tracking deaths of whales found that respiratory disease was a factor in those animals.

About 40 percent of those animals had some infection in the lung, and in some cases, it was strong enough to contribute to their deaths, he said.

The study said it is noteworthy that within 30 miles of the study area, the city of Victoria, British Columbia, does not have a secondary sewage treatment facility, and instead discharges waste with only primary treatment into the Salish Sea.

Scientists are working on creating personal health records for each endangered whale, which are intensely tracked and photographed.

Individual Puget Sound orcas are identified by unique black and white markings or variations in their fin shapes, and each whale is given a number and a name.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Lebanese businessman who the United States says has provided millions of dollars to the Hezbollah militant group has pleaded not guilty to federal criminal charges that he violated sanctions.

Kassim Tajideen, who was arrested in Morocco earlier this month, made his first court appearance in Washington on Friday and was ordered detained after Justice Department prosecutors called him a flight risk.

An 11-count indictment unsealed Friday accuses Tajideen, 62, of violating sanctions that barred him from doing business with U.S. people and companies because of his support for Hezbollah.

"Those sanctions are designed to protect our national security and public safety by limiting terrorists' access to resources, and this extradition sends a clear message that we are resolved to find and hold accountable those who violate these laws," Mary McCord, the acting assistant general in charge of the Justice Department's national security division, said in a statement.

A lawyer for Tajideen, Matt Jones, declined to comment after the court appearance.

The U.S. Treasury Department in 2009 imposed sanctions on Tajideen that prohibited U.S. companies from doing business with him or with any companies that are operated for his benefit. But the Justice Department indictment said Tajideen restructured his business operations to evade sanctions and continue doing business with U.S. companies.

Hezbollah, which has members in Lebanon's parliament and Cabinet, is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - The death toll in a fire at a Guatemalan children's shelter has risen to 41 after another girl died of her injuries.

The attorney general's office said Friday the girl died after being transferred for treatment to a hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.

She was one of nine girls transferred for treatment to hospitals in the United States.

FILE - In this March 8, 2017 file photo, National Police guard the entrance to the Virgen de la Asuncion Safe Home, in San Jose Pinula, Guatemala. In November, a state human rights prosecutor filed a complaint with the Inter American Human Rights Commission charging rampant abuses at the shelter. The accusations included charges as serious as "forced recruitment for human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution." (AP Photo/Luis Soto, File)

Nineteen of the adolescents perished at the scene of the March 8 fire and 22 others have died at hospitals.

The fire began when mattresses were set ablaze during a protest by residents at the overcrowded youth shelter.

Guatemalan authorities have arrested three former child welfare officials who were responsible for overseeing the youth shelter.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed legislation Friday that Chicago officials hoped would bolster the city's sagging pension systems.

The Republican criticized the plan as too limited and argued the state should tackle the state's onerous pension debt while shoring up municipal retirement accounts.

"It's like trying to fix a drought with a drop of rain," Rauner said in his veto message. "We see pension funding challenges throughout the state. 'One-off,' short-sighted approaches won't really fix the problem."

Rauner forecast the action in January, when he announced disapproval of the plan after it sailed out of the state Senate unanimously.

It was intended to deal with laborers' and municipal workers' pension accounts. Fire and police systems are separate.

The plan would have required new employees pay 11.5 percent of their paychecks toward retirement, up from 8.5 percent. The city would have tripled its contributions to the programs in part with increases on water and sewer services.

"The governor continues to make one irresponsible and irrational decision after another," Adam Collins, spokesman for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, said in a statement. He said lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the legislation "because it improves our fiscal stability for taxpayers and shores up pensions for thousands of retirees who earned them."

Collins noted that financial rating agencies revised the city's credit outlook last fall, pinning hopes on the plan. Without it, the accounts go broke as early as 2025.

Rauner indicated Friday he wants to combine Chicago pension fix with a long-awaited overhaul of the state's five employee pension programs, which are a combined $130 billion short of what they need to cover all obligations.

He has been urging the Senate to separate its pension plan from the compromise budget deal known as the grand bargain so that a funding fix can get underway sooner. That legislation includes extra money for Chicago Public Schools to get the system through the school year.

___

The bill is SB2437

Online: http://www.ilga.gov

___

Contact Political Writer John O'Connor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/john-oconnor .
HONOLULU (AP) - A judge sentenced a man Friday to life in prison with the possibility of parole in the murder of his ex-girlfriend who disappeared while pregnant with his child in Hawaii.

A jury last year convicted 27-year-old Steven Capobianco of second-degree murder in the death of Carly "Charli" Scott. She was five months pregnant when she disappeared from the island of Maui in 2014.

Second Circuit Chief Judge Joseph Cardoza said Friday that Capobianco had lured Scott to her death. He said the defendant is self-centered for killing her and his own son because he didn't want to be tied to Scott as her child's father.

FILE - In this July 16, 2014 file photo, Kimberlyn Scott poses for a portrait in Makawao, Hawaii. Scott's daughter, Carly "Charli" Scott, went missing in Feb. 2014. Steven Capobianco, convicted of murder and arson in the Hawaii death of Scott, his pregnant ex-girlfriend, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, March 24, 2017. After jurors found Capobianco guilty of murder, they determined the crime was especially heinous, which makes it possible for a judge to sentence him to life in prison without possibility for parole. (AP Photo/Oskar Garcia, File)

"That is so tragic and senseless," the judge said.

Jurors who found Capobianco guilty also agreed that the crime was especially heinous, so Cardoza could have imposed a harsher sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. But the judge suggested Capobianco could successfully appeal that because it's not clear how Scott died.

Family and friends addressing the court during the sentencing hearing urged Capobianco to reveal the location of Scott's body.

"Where is she?" Scott's mother, Kimberlyn Scott, whispered while facing Capobianco in court. "Where are they? Give her back to us. Do one decent thing and give her back."

Carly Scott's father, Robert Scott, was removed from the courtroom after he lashed out at defense attorney Jon Apo.

Robert Scott shouted, pointed at Apo and said he should be ashamed of himself.

Capobianco, who is three years younger than Scott, met her in 2009. They lived together for two years, but "the defendant would tell his friends that they were just roommates and he did not like to take pictures with her," Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Robert Rivera told jurors in his opening statement at the lengthy trial.

They broke up, but Scott continued to love him, "even though she knew he didn't care about her," Rivera said.

When they were no longer a couple, Capobianco had another girlfriend and Scott got pregnant. She decided to continue with the pregnancy even though Capobianco insisted on an abortion, Rivera said.

Apo countered that Capobianco was starting to come around to the idea of having a child.

Scott's sister, Fiona Wais, said in court Friday that Scott was forgiving.

"She loved you enough to forgive so much," Wais said to the defendant. "You took away the one thing she wanted to be. She wanted to be a mom."

Maui Prosecuting Attorney John "J.D." Kim said he was disappointed in the judge's findings but understood the reasoning.

Some of Scott's blood-stained clothing and her jawbone were found after her disappearance, ending any hope she might still be alive.

Jurors also convicted Capobianco of arson after prosecutors said he torched her sport-utility vehicle to cover up the killing. Cardoza sentenced him to 10 years for the arson, to be served consecutively with the murder sentence.

Capobianco didn't testify during his trial. He also declined to speak at his sentencing hearing.

"Where is she? Where are they?" spectators shouted from the gallery as Capobianco was led out of the courtroom.

The Hawaii Paroling Authority will determine how many years Capobianco must serve before being eligible for parole.
The UK is almost bottom of a European league table for maternity leave, according to a new study.

Research by the TUC found that the UK ranks 22 out of 24 countries across Europe that offer statutory maternity leave.

Mothers in the UK are entitled to six weeks decently-paid maternity leave, compared with six months in Croatia, more than four months in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, and at least three months in Estonia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Malta and Switzerland, said the report.

.@RyanShorthouse says base rate for maternity pay is very low. Often forces low income women to go back to work before they would like.  Trust for London (@trustforlondon) March 14, 2017

The only European countries offering less decently-paid maternity leave than the UK are Ireland and Slovakia, said the TUC.

General Secretary Frances OGrady said: The UK is in the relegation zone when it comes to decently-paid maternity leave. Many European countries offer decent support to new mums, but lots of parents here are forced back to work early to pay the bills.

Most employed mothers are entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave and 39 weeks statutory maternity pay (SMP) or maternity allowance.

SMP for eligible women is usually paid at 90% of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, with the remaining 33 weeks at 139.58 or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

The TUC added that women who earn under 112 a week are not eligible for SMP and receive no paid maternity leave.

(Andrew Matthews/PA)

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: The truth is the UKs maternity system is one of the most generous in the world, and most mothers can take up to 39 weeks of guaranteed pay.

This is nearly three times the EU minimum requirement of 14 weeks.

Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: In theory mothers get a generous length of maternity leave but many feel they have to go back to work before they are ready simply because they cant afford to stay off.

Others would share leave with their babys father but its paid so low that he cant afford to take it either. So everybody loses out.

We need maternity and paternity pay that is paid close to replacement rate so that mothers and fathers can afford to take it and a longer dedicated period of non-transferable leave for dads so that parents can choose to genuinely share care.
A bigger picture of the final hours and violent past of Westminster terrorist Khalid Masood is being created by detectives who are trying to find out if he acted alone or had support.

Eleven people have been arrested as part of the inquiry but Scotland Yard said only four remain in custody  two men aged 27 and 58 who were arrested in Birmingham on Thursday and a 32-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man who were arrested in Manchester on Friday. All are being held on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.

Seven of those arrested have now been released from police custody and face no further action  two women aged 21 and 26 and four men aged 23, 26, 27 and 28 who were all arrested at addresses in Birmingham.

Six people arrested in connection with #WestminsterAttack released with no further action https://t.co/VPaKIPOjBo pic.twitter.com/OPniozffHM  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 24, 2017

A 39-year-old woman arrested in east London has been released on bail until late March.

Masood, a middle-aged Muslim convert who killed four people in the outrage before he was shot dead by police, was born Adrian Elms and also called himself Adrian Russell Ajao.

Asked about where the 52-year-old had been radicalised, Scotland Yards head of counter-terrorism Mark Rowley said: Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, preparation and associates.

If you have any information about Khalid Masood please contact us via the Anti-Terrorist hotline which is 0800 789 321 #WestminsterAttack pic.twitter.com/B74sXeKG56  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 24, 2017

Whilst there is no evidence of further threats, you will understand our determination to find out if he either acted totally alone, inspired by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him.

Asked whether Masood had travelled overseas, the officer said: We are looking at his history.

Mr Rowley reiterated Prime Minister Theresa Mays comments in Parliament that, while he had been investigated previously, he has been a peripheral figure who was not implicated in any current probe.

Investigators are appealing for people with information about the terrorist to come forward.

We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were, and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited, Mr Rowley said.

There might well be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but werent sure or didnt feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing information to us. I urge anyone with such information to contact us.

Police have made three further arrests in connection with the case, two in Manchester and one in Birmingham. In total ten suspects remain in custody, with one woman having been released on police bail.

Searches at three addresses are continuing, while several others have now concluded.

Detectives have seized 2,700 items from the searches, including massive amounts of computer data, while around 3,500 witnesses have been spoken to.

Police pictured outside a property in Didsbury as the inquiry into Wednesday's terror attack in Westminster continues

Two arrests were made in Manchester in connection with the Westminster attack

A clearer picture of Masoods movements before he wrought carnage on Westminster is beginning to emerge.

He stayed in the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton, reportedly telling staff as he checked out that he was going to London. He added: It isnt what it used to be.

The manager of the hotel said the terrorist had been laughing and joking, telling us stories about where he lived, hours before the atrocity.

1/2 Deeply saddened to hear that my constituent Leslie Rhodes has died from the injuries he sustained in Wednesday's shocking & awful attack  ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) March 24, 2017

2/2 The thoughts and prayers of all our community are with Mr Rhodes' family and friends - we can only imagine what they are going through  ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) March 24, 2017

Alice Williams, landlady of the Rose and Crown pub in the village of Beckley, near Rye, where Masood would sometimes drink, described him as intelligent but odd.

Mrs Williams, 59, said: He was very intelligent but always slightly sinister. He would do the Telegraph crossword and, to be fair, would make intelligent conversation, but he was a bit racist.

Masood was known to police and MI5 and had convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.
The head of a 31 million international drug trafficking network has been jailed for 18 years, police said.

Career criminal Paul Monk, 56, oversaw the importation of 997 kilograms of cocaine into the UK having evaded justice for years after fleeing overseas, the Metropolitan Police said.

He was snared by authorities in Spain when they searched a house in Javea, near Alicante, last April, finding piles of cash hidden in pot plants and paperwork outlining his illicit operations.

A fake passport and an imitation gun was also said to be found during the search.

Paul Monk has been jailed for 18 years (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Police said Monk, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to 18 years on Wednesday after admitting conspiracy to supply Class A drugs between January 2014 and April 2015.

He was given a concurrent sentence of four years for supplying cocaine in Cockfosters, north London, in May 2013, police said.

Monk had been at large after slipping abroad in December 2013 despite being required to stay in the UK as part of a nine-year prison sentence for importing cannabis in 2007. A European Arrest warrant was issued for him in May 2014.

After being captured by Spanish police, he was brought back to the UK on May 7 2015, where he was charged with supplying a kilogram of cocaine and was eventually charged for his hand in the supply operation in September 2016.

Detective Sergeant David Williams said: Monk is a career criminal who showed a disregard for the laws of UK after he fled to Spain in 2013 to escape justice.

He obtained false identity documents in order to evade authorities while he continued to run an international drug supply network from his home in Spain.

We will continue to work together to ensure all the proceeds of Monks drug trafficking empire are confiscated.
Brexit will add to the strain on a civil service already struggling to cope with major projects, the National Audit Office has found.

The spending watchdog said weaknesses in capability in Whitehall undermined the Governments ability to achieve its objectives.

Leaving the European Union will further increase the capability challenges facing the Government, as officials take on responsibilities previously handled in Brussels.

On announcing that 1/3 of Brexit negotiators' vacancies unfilled on eve of #Art50 trigger, National Audit warns abt civil service capacity: pic.twitter.com/5JUMvfEXxy  Schona Jolly KC (@WomaninHavana) March 24, 2017

The pressures of Brexit come on top of a challenging portfolio of major projects such as the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, HS2 high-speed rail and the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Government projects too often go ahead without government knowing whether departments have the skills to deliver them, the report warned.

It suggested that projects should be prioritised, with the Government halting schemes that it is not confident it has the capacity to deliver.

The report said that although there had been improvements in how some departments manage programmes we continue to report regularly on troubled projects and many delivery problems can be traced to weaknesses in capability.

The NAO said the Government needed to show greater urgency in filling skills gaps in Whitehall.

The report said: Government is facing ever-increasing challenges in providing public services. Continuing budgetary restraint is putting pressure on departments, which are already managing important reforms with fewer staff and smaller budgets.

The decision to leave the EU also means government will have to take on tasks previously undertaken by others, requiring the development of skills not previously planned for.

The report noted that a third of the roles in the Department for Exiting the EU and the Department for International Trade had not been filled as of February.

A thousand new roles had been created but only two-thirds of the roles have been filled, mostly by transferring staff from elsewhere in government.

It acknowledged that ministers had accepted the need to do more on workforce planning but progress so far has been slower than the growth in the challenges the civil service is facing.

The report suggested that the Government will need to spend at least 145 million a year to hire the 2,000 additional staff with digital skills required within five years.

Other shortage areas included commercial and project delivery skills, the report said.

NAO chief Amyas Morse said: The civil service is facing ever-increasing challenges.

The work of government is becoming more technical, continuing budgetary restraint is putting pressure on departments and the decision to leave the EU means government will have to develop new skills and take on work previously done by others.
The UKs divorce bill for Brexit will be around 50 billion, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has confirmed.

The EUs most senior civil servant said the precise figure would be calculated scientifically. He insisted it was not a punishment for withdrawal, but merely the settling of commitments made by the UK.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Juncker described Brexit as a failure and a tragedy.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (PA)

Together we are committed to deliver the priorities agreed for 2017 in our Joint Declaration  https://t.co/V35xFonp7w #EuropeOfResults pic.twitter.com/Toyv5B7ZzD  Jean-Claude Juncker (@JunckerEU) March 15, 2017

He promised that Brussels will approach the negotiation of Britains withdrawal in a friendly and fair way, but warned that European institutions were not naive about the process.

Asked whether it was correct that the UK will be presented with a bill of around 50 billion (58 billion euros) after Theresa May formally begins withdrawal negotiations under Article 50 of the EU treaties next week, Mr Juncker said: It is around that, but that is not the main story.

We have to calculate scientifically what the British commitments were and then the bill has to be paid.

The divorce bill covers liabilities for projects which the UK previously agreed to help fund, as well as pensions for EU officials who served during the period of its membership.

On my way to @Europarl_EN to present a White Paper on the #FutureofEurope - is time for a united #EU27 to shape a vision for its future pic.twitter.com/gn5P8GP07f  Jean-Claude Juncker (@JunckerEU) March 1, 2017

Mr Juncker said: It will be a bill reflecting former commitments by the British Government and by the British Parliament.

There will be no sanctions, no punishment, nothing of that kind, but Britain has to know  and I suppose that the Government does know it  that they have to honour the commitments and the former commitments.

Mrs May is due formally to notify Brussels of Britains intention to leave the EU in a letter to the European Council on March 29, just four days after the EUs 60th anniversary celebrations in Rome on Saturday.

The letter will set in train a two-year process of negotiation leading to the reduction of the EU from 28 to 27 members on March 29 2019.

We will be judged not for what we inherited but for what we leave behind. It is time for leadership & unity of #EU27 https://t.co/K8o1li5TOU pic.twitter.com/lSCi2B4aSi  Jean-Claude Juncker (@JunckerEU) March 1, 2017

Asked how he felt about Brexit, Mr Juncker said: It is a failure and a tragedy.

I will be sad, as I was sad when the vote in the referendum took place in Britain. For me, it is a tragedy.

I am anything but in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain. We will negotiate in a friendly way, a fair way, and we are not naive.

Mr Juncker made clear he places high priority on protecting the status of the three million EU nationals resident in the UK and the one million Britons living on the continent.

I am strongly committed to preserving the rights of Europeans living in Britain and British people living on the European continent, he said.

This is not about bargaining, this is about respecting human dignity.
An American tourist has shared a photo of herself with Pc Keith Palmer outside Parliament, less than an hour before the officers death in the Westminster terror attack.

Staci Martin, visiting from Florida, said she wanted to share the image for people to know what a nice person he was and how fragile life can be.

Around 45 minutes later, Khalid Masood, formerly known as Adrian Elms, drove a car into a number of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before stabbing and killing Pc Palmer, a 48-year-old father-of-two, at the gates to the Palace of Westminster.

Of the photo, Ms Martin told ABC News: Its my first time in London and I see his hat and Im like I have to take a picture of him with his hat. I walked up to him and said do you mind if I take a picture? He said no problem. He was really nice.

Staci R. Martin posing for a photo next to Police Officer Keith Palmer outside the Houses of Parliament in London shortly before he was killed (Claire Thorogood/AP)

She said she wanted to ensure the photo got back to his family, believing it must be one of the last photos taken of him alive.

Another tourist who met Pc Palmer at the same Palace gate last year paid tribute to the slain officer, saying his murder sent a shiver down my spine.

Sharing a photo of himself and his two daughters with the constable, Andrew Thorogood, a jeweller from Alice Springs, Northern Territory in Australia, spoke of a genuinely nice bloke whom he had invited to visit.

Mr Thorogood later told the Press Association: The last 24 hours have been somewhat surreal. I cant begin to imagine what his wife is feeling. It strikes a chord because my wife is from Essex and we have a close affinity with the UK. The brief conversation and photo we had with Keith just makes it more personal.

Three other innocent victims  Kurt Cochran, Aysha Frade and Leslie Rhodes  have died following the attack, while many more were injured.
The Prince of Wales is visiting victims of the Westminster terror attack in hospital.

Charles has arrived at Kings College Hospital, where he will also meet paramedics and support staff involved in looking after patients following Wednesdays atrocity.

Kings treated eight people initially, two of whom have since been discharged, and of the remaining six, one has died  75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, from south London.

The Prince of Wales meets paramedics and support staff who assisted those injured in the terrorist incident in Westminster (Yui Mok/PA)

The pensioners life support was withdrawn on Thursday night, taking the death toll of innocent victims to four.

Speaking to staff at the hospital, Charles said: Thank you for all your marvellous efforts.

He added: How you do it, I dont know.

The Prince hailed their team work and joked: As long as youre still talking to each other.
The Prince of Wales has thanked hospital staff for their marvellous efforts as he visited people injured in the Westminster terror attack.

Charles met the victims privately at Kings College Hospital, where he also chatted to staff involved in looking after patients following Wednesdays atrocity.

Kings treated eight people initially, two of whom have since been discharged, and of the remaining six, one has died  75-year-old Leslie Rhodes, from south London. The pensioners life support was withdrawn on Thursday night, taking the death toll of innocent victims to four.

The Prince of Wales meets (left to right) Fiona Wheeler Director of Operations Network Services, Dr Shelley Dolan Chief Nurse and Jane Farrell Chief Operating Officer Operations

Speaking to staff at the hospital, Charles said: Thank you for all your marvellous efforts. How you do it, I dont know.

The Prince hailed their team work and joked: As long as youre still talking to each other.

Delighted nurses shook hands with Charles and took photographs of him as he left the ward. Charles met consultant radiologist Pauline Kane who was working on Wednesday when victims of the attack were brought to the hospital.

Before departing, HRH also spoke to some of the hospital's other nurses who had gathered to welcome him to the hospital. pic.twitter.com/gt3hAJKEsQ  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) March 24, 2017

After chatting to Charles, she said they dealt with a series of typical blunt trauma injuries one after the other on Wednesday afternoon and evening, almost as though it was a conveyor belt of organised, structured, really efficient medical care.

Ms Kane said: I was really proud of the way this hospital responded.

She added: It was inspiring the way people just worked together and communicated to deal with the patient in front of them. It didnt matter how many would be coming, you knew you would just keep working. It was, it was really quite something.

(Yui Mok/PA)

Ms Kane, who was working in the scanning room, said: I witnessed some incredibly kind, efficient and really just inspiring professionalism amongst all the staff.

She said it was fantastic that Charles made a visit to the hospital, adding: Its great for the patients. They appreciate the fact that he cares. He does care, clearly. And the family around them  Its nothing but a positive event really. Its extremely kind of him.
Ireland pair Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney have seen their hopes of British and Irish Lions selection placed in doubt after undergoing minor surgery that will result in significant lay-offs.

Heaslip has completed a back procedure that rules him out for an unspecified number of weeks, while Kearney has had surgery on a knee issue requiring four to six weeks of rehabilitation.

Neither player was able to take part in the final match of the RBS 6 Nations against England last Saturday, with Heaslip withdrawing from the team shortly before kick-off and Kearney sidelined earlier in the build-up.

INJURY UPDATE: Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney ruled out for "a number of weeks". https://t.co/i3Nex1muq3  Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) March 24, 2017

Its hard to be definitive with timelines. Jamie just had a procedure done on his back. He had disc issues. Obviously they come on quite quickly, Leinster boss Leo Cullen said.

It obviously rules him out of the next number of weeks. When we get a report well find out how long that will be. It sounds like theyre reasonably standard procedures.

Rob had an issue with his knee. It happened early during training in the week of the England game.

He had a procedure done during the week after seeing a specialist on Tuesday. Thats probably four to six weeks. Well see how he comes through that.

Rob Kearney

Both players have been involved in the last two Lions tours but face contrasting prospects of travelling to New Zealand this summer.

Heaslip, the number eight, is likely to be squeezed out of contention by Billy Vunipola and Toby Faletau but Kearney has a good chance of being picked as one of the full-backs when the squad is named on April 19.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino held a meeting with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu this week.

Press Association Sport understands Pochettino and Bartomeu met at a restaurant in the city, where the Spurs boss still owns a house from his days playing for Espanyol.

Pochettino has been linked with taking over at the Nou Camp after Luis Enrique earlier this month announced his decision to step down in the summer.

Mauricio Pochettino

Spurs, however, are claiming they were aware of the meeting and insist the pair have long been close friends.

It is not clear whether Pochettino had Tottenhams blessing to meet Bartomeu but the get-together will do little to dampen speculation about his future.

The Argentinian signed a new five-year contract at White Hart Lane in May but when asked about a move to Barca earlier this month, he passed up the chance to rule it out.

Josep Maria Bartomeu

Pochettino was also spotted having lunch with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson last year before confirming his new deal, although Spurs said they were aware of that meeting too.

Tottenham have made great strides under Pochettino since he arrived from Southampton in 2014.

They sit second in the Premier League table, with 10 games left, and are on course to secure Champions League qualification for a second consecutive year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a surprise meeting with Frances far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, but dismissed suggestions that Moscow will influence the French election in her favour.

They met hours after a previously announced visit to the lower house of the Russian parliament.

In the meeting with members of the Duma, Ms Le Pen urged Russia and France to work together to save the world from globalism and Islamic fundamentalism.

Vladimir Putin met with Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's National Front https://t.co/HeJOj2AVel pic.twitter.com/6z0CRlUnqo  President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) March 24, 2017

Such positions put her in parallel with Kremlin stances and there has been wide speculation that Russia aims to influence the upcoming French election.

Mr Putin said: We in no way want to influence events, but retain for ourselves the right to meet with all representatives of all political powers, just as our partners in Europe and the US do.

Ms Le Pen has made multiple trips to Russia and often met Russian legislators.

Moscow has courted far-right parties in Europe in an influence-building campaign amid friction between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine and the war in Syria.

Frances two-round presidential election takes place on April 23 and May 7. Ms Le Pen is expected to be among the top two candidates on April 23 who will move on to a run-off on May 7.

Over the years, Mr Putin has frequently met Francois Fillon, the centre-right Republican Partys presidential candidate who was prime minister in 2007-12.

Marine Le Pen arrives to meet with Vyacheslav Volodin in the Lower House of the Russian Parliament

An unconfirmed report this week said he was paid 50,000 euros (43,000) to arrange a meeting between Mr Putin and a Lebanese magnate. Mr Fillon has called the accusation a shameful lie.

Mr Putins meeting with Ms Le Pen came amid rising controversy over whether Russia tried to influence the US presidential election by hacking computer accounts of the Democratic National Committee, and over meetings between members of President Donald Trumps inner circle and the Russian ambassador.
By Marton Dunai

BUDAPEST, March 23 (Reuters) - When his government lost a lawsuit in the European Court of Human Rights last week over its detention and expulsion of two migrants from Bangladesh, Hungary's rightwing prime minister blamed the usual suspect: a billionaire in New York.

"It is a collusion of human traffickers, Brussels bureaucrats and the organisations that work in Hungary financed by foreign money," Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday.

"Let's call a spade a spade: George Soros finances them."

Across former Communist states of east and central Europe, leaders with a hardline bent have turned their wrath in recent months against Soros, a Hungarian-American financier who funds liberal charities and non-governmental organisations worldwide through his Open Society Foundations (OSF).

The campaign against Soros in countries formerly dominated by Moscow appears to follow a template set by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose own crackdown on foreign-funded charities drove Soros's foundation out of Russia two years ago.

And now, with President Donald Trump in the White House, anti-Soros campaigners in Eastern Europe say they have also drawn inspiration from the United States, particularly from rightwing U.S. media like the website Breitbart, which has long vilified Soros as a liberal hate figure.

Breitbart's former chairman Steve Bannon now serves as a senior White House adviser to Trump.

"Our inspiration comes from the United States, from the American conservative organisations, media and congressmen with the same views, especially the new administration of President Trump," said Cvetlin Cilimanov, the editor of the main state news agency in Macedonia, who co-founded a group called Operation Stop Soros in January.

"THEY CRUSH YOU"

Macedonia, a former Yugoslav republic north of Greece, has been embroiled in a political crisis that began two years ago with street demonstrations and forced nationalist prime minister Nikola Gruevski to resign last year after a decade in power. Gruevski, who still controls the biggest bloc in parliament and is expected to return to power, blames Soros for his downfall.

"Soros turns Macedonian NGOs into a modern army," he told local magazine Republika in January. "They crush you. They make you a criminal, a thief, traitor, idiot, a monster, whatever they want. Then you have to go to elections."

"He doesn't only do that in Macedonia but in a great number of countries."

In Romania, ruling Social Democrat party leader Liviu Dragnea told a TV interviewer in January that Soros and "the foundations and structures that he has funded since 1990 have financed evil in Romania".

Soros has also been attacked by members of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party and politicians elsewhere in the region.

His charity says it is undaunted and has no intention of quitting his native Eastern Europe.

"You cannot export democracy, you can only import it and build it locally," Chris Stone, who runs Soros's charitable enterprises from New York as president of the OSF, told Reuters, explaining the need to keep a presence on the ground.

"We see our work (in Eastern Europe) continuing for decades. That work will ebb and flow."

The OSF said Soros was not available to comment.

THE MAN WHO BROKE THE BANK

Soros, born in Hungary to a Jewish family that survived the Nazi occupation with fake documents, emigrated to Britain after World War Two and then to the United States.

As a financier, he is best known for "breaking the Bank of England" with a huge bet against the British pound that forced London to abandon a fixed trading range with other European currencies in 1992, earning Soros more than $1 billion.

The Open Society Foundations website says he has given away more than $12 billion as a philanthropist, with activities in more than 100 countries in a vast array of policy areas linked to democracy, free speech, human rights and the rule of law.

The OSF mostly gives its money in the form of a large number of small grants to other charities, organisations or individuals for specific projects.

That means hundreds of groups worldwide have accepted its money over the years, allowing conspiracy theorists and other foes to paint Soros as the centre of a vast web. In countries like Hungary, so many human rights groups have sought OSF grants at some point that politicians can use the association with Soros to attack whole swathes of civil society.

"Fake NGOs of the Soros empire are sustained to suppress national governments in favour of global capital and the world of political correctness," Szilard Nemeth, a deputy leader of Orban's ruling Fidesz party, said in January.

"These organisations must be repressed by all means and I think they must be culled altogether. I think there is an international opportunity to do that now."

"PRETTY HUMAN RIGHTS NONSENSE"

Veterans of the dissident movements of Eastern Europe's Communist-era, when dictatorships repressed all organisations outside state control, say the tactics are familiar.

"The fact that NGOs are called the enemy of the government shows these are no longer democracies," said Maria Vasarhelyi, an opposition figure in Hungary whose father Miklos, a prominent Communist-era dissident, ran Soros's foundation in the 1990s.

Bojan Maricik, head of Macedonia's Centre for European Strategies - Eurothink, a pro-EU think tank which has received Soros grants, said prosecutors, tax inspectors and police in Macedonia had launched investigations into the funding of charities since an anti-Soros speech by Gruevski in December.

A "de-Sorosization purge" aims to bar civil society groups from participating in public life by delegitmising them, Maricik said.

"There is no dialogue in a context where the government marks you as an enemy of the state," he said.

The crackdown is particularly acute in Soros's native Hungary, where Orban has consolidated his grip on the media and judiciary, and regularly accuses liberals of trying to destroy Europe by flooding the continent with migrants.

A new law proposed by Orban would require groups that receive foreign funding to register, a measure that critics say is drawn straight out of the Putin playbook.

Opposition to immigration has been the core of Orban's political message since 2015, when more than a million migrants and refugees entered the EU through the Balkans. Hungary was initially their main entry point into the bloc's border-free zone, although nearly all proceeded on to Germany and other countries further north. Orban built a fence to keep them out.

Meanwhile, Soros prioritised support for charities that help migrants and asylum seekers. At the height of the flow in 2015, his OSF put out a statement saying: "The Hungarian crisis demonstrates the dangers radical populist regimes pose not only to the hundreds of thousands of refugees, but also to the values of Europe and to the humanity of the local populations."

The Balkan immigration route has since largely been shut, following an agreement secured by the EU for Turkey to take migrants back. But Orban's message still hammers home the need to keep out migrants, and he portrays rights groups as part of a plot to abolish nation states and flood Europe with foreigners.

Hungary's Helsinki Committee, a rights group founded in 1989 that has accepted Soros funding, helped defeat the government in court in Strasbourg. It argued that two Bangladeshi migrants had been unlawfully detained at a makeshift transit zone on the Hungarian-Serbian border and expelled with no regard to their future safety, in violation of their rights.

Orban has proposed new rules governing asylum due to take effect in coming days that his opponents say ignore the principles of the Strasbourg ruling.

Helsinki co-Chair Marta Pardavi says she expects to file many more cases on behalf of migrants who are in similar positions, which could generate a systemic intervention by Strasbourg and a tooth-and-nail fight with the government.

"Our position, which Orban has called 'pretty human rights nonsense' has just won in Strasbourg," she said. "If I were the Hungarian government I would be considering the necessary legislative amendments now."

Pardavi said her organisation, made up mainly of lawyers, would not be intimidated by a government crackdown, but other groups were likely to be less resilient, and the crackdown could deter activism in the country more broadly.

"Helping refugees has become stigmatised," she said. "Many organisations decide to keep it in the background. Old, trusted, large organisations are afraid to step up publicly to avoid the backlash on their other activities," she said.

"If people feel there is going to be retaliation, negative consequences for their private lives, then this potentially could have a chilling effect, reduce the number of people interested not only taking part in civil society organisations but in general public affairs." (Additional reporting by Christian Lowe in MOSCOW, Luiza Ilie in BUCHAREST, Kole Casule in SKOPJE, Robert Muller in PRAGUE and Tatjana Tancarikova in BRATISLAVA; Editing by Matt Robinson and Peter Graff)
By Andy Home

LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - The political heat is rising in the aluminium market, with a trio of industry bodies calling on the G20 to address global market imbalances resulting from China's burgeoning output.

"China's state-sponsored support is contributing to an unsustainable structural overcapacity that will impact growth and contribute to heightened instability until it is addressed."

So wrote the heads of the U.S. Aluminum Association, its cross-Atlantic peer European Aluminium and the Aluminium Association of Canada in a March 15 open letter to the Group of 20 leading economies.

What they want is the sort of global forum created to discuss steel overcapacity at last year's G20 summit.

The charges against China's leviathan aluminium sector are largely the same as those against its equally huge steel industry.

"Both the massive increase in production and the excess capacity have had a downward effect on the prices, generating significant economic and employment losses for our respective producers and economies," the three associations said.

As with steel, trade tensions are rising with the United States taking the lead. It has launched a broad complaint about Chinese aluminium subsidies with the World Trade Organization, while the Aluminum Association has filed a petition seeking anti-dumping duties on aluminium foil.

All of which is somewhat ironic.

The price of aluminium traded on the London Metal Exchange is up 14 percent this year and, at $1,930 a tonne, close to two-year highs.

This, of course, is also all about China, as the market tries to price in the potential for significant anti-pollution production curbs next winter.

"Heightened instability", it appears, works both ways.

Graphic on monthly Chinese aluminium production figures:

http://tmsnrt.rs/2mvGXl9

UNSTABLE STATISTICS

China has lifted its share of global primary aluminium production from about 10 percent in 2000 to more than 50 percent, with the International Aluminium Institute's (IAI) latest figures showing that China produced 54.4 percent of the global total in February.

Give or take a percentage point or two, because even the country's production numbers are unstable.

Annualised output dropped by 1.7 million tonnes in February relative to January, if you believe the figures supplied to the IAI by China's Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA).

It seems highly unlikely that such a huge amount of capacity simply went offline last month.

The largest monthly swing in production in the rest of the world over the past 10 years was a drop of 584,000 tonnes in January 2012, a period of falling prices and multiple capacity closures.

Seasoned aluminium hands have grown accustomed to this sort of volatility in Chinese production figures, particularly around the end of both calendar and lunar years, as well as the occasional revisions to historic production figures.

CNIA shocked the market at the start of 2016 when it added more than 4 million tonnes to the production ledger over the 2011-14 period.

It has just sprung another little surprise; this time deducting 154,000 tonnes from 2015.

The official monthly figures, in other words, should carry a strong health warning.

Production seems to be trending higher. Taking the cumulative net change over the past four reported months (November 2016 to February 2017), national run rates have increased by about 925,000 tonnes annualised.

That would seem to tally with anecdotal reports of new capacity coming online and restarts to take advantage of the improving price environment.

FUTURE AND PRESENT INSTABILITY

The market is still digesting the implications of Beijing's anti-pollution measures in regions around the Chinese capital over the winter heating months from mid-November to mid-March.

A requirement that local aluminium smelters cut capacity by 30 percent puts at risk about 1.3 million tonnes of production, with potential further hits from mandated closures of plants producing other smelter inputs such as carbon anode and pet coke.

Affected Chinese producers might be expected to run their smelters as fast they can to compensate.

But Beijing's environmental crackdown is far more extensive than the winter pollution measures and it is already affecting production rates.

Environmental inspection teams were in Henan province last month and at least one operator, Linfeng Aluminum and Power, closed some capacity as a result, according to specialist Chinese aluminium consultancy AZ China.

Capacity closures across the metals production sector are now increasingly happening pre-emptively ahead of inspections.

Moreover, environmental inspectors are returning at regular intervals to check on progress. Shandong province will receive its fourth environmental check next month, AZ China says.

Beijing is committed to sending inspection teams to every province over the course of this year, including key aluminium production hubs such as Xinjiang.

Chinese policymakers' search for "blue skies" has injected a new level of uncertainty in the world's largest supplier of aluminium.

TIME TO TALK

And that means a previously unknown degree of uncertainty in a global aluminium supply chain that has historically not been prone to the sort of disruptions that plague other industrial metals, such as copper.

All this at a time when aluminium usage is growing fast as the metal takes an ever-growing materials share in key sectors such as transport.

Its success has in large part been predicated on a global tendency to overproduce, particularly in China, and the resulting relative low level of pricing volatility.

It's ironic that just as international pressure is rising on China to rein in its aluminium smelters, the country is doing precisely that in the form of an environmental clampdown.

But the three aluminium bodies are certainly right when they refer to heightened instability.

China's dominance of global production has left the aluminium market highly vulnerable to shifts in the country's policy.

That needs to be addressed and the G20's steel forum is as good a template as any.

If nothing else, it could start with getting a better statistical picture of just how much China is producing.

(Editing by David Goodman)
Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Friday.

DEBT TENDER

Romania sold a planned 600 million lei ($142.21 million) worth of one-year treasury bills on Thursday at an average accepted yield of 0.97 percent.

Debt managers last auctioned one-year paper in February at an average yield of 0.95 percent.

BUDGET

The finance ministry might release consolidated budget data for February.

CEE MARKETS

Demand surged for Czech treasury bills at an auction on Thursday and the government sold three times the planned amount, to benefit from expectations that the central bank will end its "weak crown regime" soon.

The bank launched a cap on the crown's value at 27 against the euro in 2013 to fight deflation risks.

M3

Romanian M3 money supply rose 10.1 percent on the year to 312.3 billion lei ($73.99 billion) at the end of February and was 0.8 percent up on the month.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on

For other related news, double click on: --------------------------------------------------------------- Romanian equities RO-E E.Europe equities .CEE Romanian money RO-M Romanian debt RO-D Eastern Europe EEU All emerging markets EMRG Hot stocks HOT Stock markets STX Market debt news DBT Forex news FRX For real-time index quotes, double click on: Bucharest BETI Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX ----------------------------------------------------------- ($1 = 4.2165 lei)
BEIJING, March 24 (Reuters) - China said on Friday it was in touch with the Philippines about the possible visit of a Chinese naval ship to the country.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he had invited China to send a battleship to visit.

His overtures towards a country long regarded by Manila as a maritime aggressor have marked an astonishing foreign policy shake-up, and Duterte made a landmark visit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping last year.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that military exchanges between the two countries were an important part of their relations.

"Following the improvement in bilateral relations, China is willing to willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the Philippines in the relevant area," Hua told a daily news briefing, when asked if the Chinese navy would visit.

"As for a Chinese naval ship visiting the Philippines, according to what I understand the relevant sides in both countries are currently in communication about this," she added, without elaborating.

Duterte's comments came amid concern in the Philippines that China would build several environmental monitoring stations in disputed waters, including on the Scarborough Shoal 124 miles off the Philippine coast.

China has dismissed that as "not true". (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kim Coghill)
By Renee Maltezou

ATHENS, March 24 (Reuters) - Greece will support a declaration marking the European Union's 60th birthday but needs the bloc's backing against International Monetary Fund demands on labour reforms, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said ahead of an EU Summit in Rome.

In a letter addressed to EU Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Tsipras called for a clear statement on Greece's place given that talks over a key bailout review have hit a snag again.

"We intend to support the Rome Declaration, a document which moves in a positive direction," Tsipras said.

"Nevertheless, in order to be able to celebrate these achievements, it has to be made clear, on an official level, whether they apply also to Greece. Whether, in other words, the European (agreement) is valid for all member states without exception, or for all except Greece."

The comment reflected Greece's belief that it is being treated differently from others in its bailout dealings with euro zone partners.

Greece had threatened not to sign the Rome declaration, demanding a clearer commitment protecting workers' rights -- an issue on which it is at odds with its international lenders who demand more reforms in return for new loans.

The disagreements among Athens, the EU and the IMF -- which has yet to decide whether it will participate in the country's current bailout -- have delayed a crucial bailout review. Greece faces big debt repayments in July.

Greek ministers have been negotiating with lenders' representatives in Brussels on pension cuts, energy and labour reforms, including freeing up mass layoffs and collective bargaining.

But the Brussels talks ended inconclusively despite initial hopes for a deal on key issues which would allow EU/IMF mission chiefs to return to Athens soon for detailed deliberations. Negotiations were likely to continue via teleconference.

"The ministers are returning to Athens," a government official said, expressing optimism that open issues "would be sorted out within the day or in the coming days".

Athens agreed last month to adopt more measures to help convince the IMF to participate in its third, 86-billion euro bailout, as demanded by EU countries including Germany, which faces a national election later this year.

Another official said slashing the retail market share of state-controlled Public Power Corp. was also a thorny issue as lenders were pushing for the sale of power units, a move that Tsipras' Syriza party and unions have resisted.

Greece has cut pensions 12 times since it signed up to its first bailout in 2010. It has also reduced wages and implemented reforms to make its labour market more flexible and competitive.

A German finance ministry spokeswoman said on Friday that the completion of the review hinged on Athens which had to do more on pension and labour reforms.

Tsipras' leftist-led government came to power in 2015 promising to end austerity but signed up to a new bailout to keep the country in the euro zone. It was later re-elected on a mandate to protect workers' and pensioners' rights, but opinion polls show its popularity ratings sagging.

Tsipras said Greece had met its bailout terms on fiscal adjustments and implemented labour reforms, which were not in line with best practices in Europe.

"I ask for your support in order to protect, together, the right of Greece to return to the standards of the European social model," he said in the letter. (Additional reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
ZURICH, March 24 (Reuters) - Switzerland has opened a criminal probe into possible spying involving Switzerland's Turkish community, federal prosecutors said on Friday.

"The Office of the Attorney General has been made aware of concrete suspicion that political espionage has likely been conducted involving the Turkish community in Switzerland," the agency said in a statement, giving no details about the probe launched on March 16.

The Swiss foreign minister told his Turkish counterpart on Thursday that Switzerland would "rigorously investigate" any illegal spying by Ankara on expatriate Turks before an April 16 referendum that could expand Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's powers. (Reporting by John Miller and John Revill; Editing by Michael Shields)
By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, March 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations' top human rights body agreed on Friday to widen its investigation into widespread violations in North Korea with a view to documenting alleged crimes against humanity for future prosecution.

North Korea said it "categorically and totally" rejected the resolution adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council. The text was "a product of the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) from A to Z," its envoy said after boycotting the debate.

The 47-member state forum adopted a resolution, brought by Japan and the European Union and backed by the United States, on the final day of its four-week session without a vote. It called for North Korea to cooperate and allow access for U.N. investigators, which the reclusive state has never done.

International pressure is building on the country ruled by Kim Jong Un over its nuclear tests - Fox news reported on Thursday North Korea was in the final stages of launching another one, possibly within days.

The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on foreign companies or individuals for violating export controls on North Korea, as well as Iran and Syria, the State Department said on Friday.

The U.N. human rights office in Seoul would be strengthened for two years with international criminal justice experts to establish a central repository for testimony and evidence "with a view to developing possible strategies to be used in any future accountability process".

The Seoul office's current six-strong staff record testimony from interviews with dozens of North Korean defectors each week, a U.N. official told Reuters.

"This not only brings North Koreans one step closer to justice for human rights crimes they have suffered, but should also make North Korean government officials think twice before inflicting more abuse," John Fisher from Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

A U.N. commission of inquiry, in a landmark 2014 report based on interviews and hearings with defectors, catalogued massive violations - including large prison camps, starvation and executions - that it said should be brought to the International Criminal Court.

"The 'resolution' is nothing more than a document for interference in internal affairs of sovereign states and represents the culmination of politicisation, selectivity and double standards of human rights," Mun Jong Chol, a counsellor at North Korea's mission to the U.N. in Geneva, told reporters.

It was a fraudulent document full of "lies, fabrications and plots", Mun said.

China said it "dissociated" itself from the council's decision and called for dialogue.

The situation on the divided Korean peninsula is "complex and sensitive" and all sides should avoid provocation that might lead to an escalation, Chinese diplomat Jiang Yingfeng said.

The world should "focus on the bigger picture," he added.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Ralph Boulton and Andrew Heavens)
By Jan Strupczewski

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - By upsetting southern Europeans with remarks about drinking and womanising, Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem has damaged his hopes of retaining his job and raised the possibility of a round of horse-trading over key economic posts in the euro zone.

Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister, chairs meetings of the 19 euro zone finance ministers who make decisions for the single currency area. Known for his firm line on bailout terms for Greece, he was clear favourite until this week to be renamed to the post once his current term ends in January.

Then came the row over an interview in which Dijsselbloem suggested the southern EU states could not expect aid if they squandered their money on "booze and women", triggering a furious reaction from Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece. Some euro zone officials said the affair would blow over and would not affect the decision on the Eurogroup chairman role. But others said it was a good excuse for some governments to push for replacing Dijsselbloem.

"It is more than a storm in a teacup, because he has a lot of enemies in the South and they have just been waiting for something like this to use against him," one euro zone official said.

With no obvious candidate to replace him, uncertainty over Dijsselbloem's succession could disrupt difficult euro zone talks with Greece on terms for releasing more bailout funds.

And if the role does become vacant, negotiations over a replacement would be complicated by national and political party interests as the EU also prepares to fill two other top jobs.

Spanish Finance Minister Luis de Guindos has competed with Dijsselbloem for the Eurogroup role in the past, and Spain has long complained that despite being the euro zone's number four economy it does not hold major posts in the EU at the moment.

Madrid would welcome the Eurogroup job for de Guindos, although it might be more interested in securing the position of European Central Bank vice president next year, when the eight-year term of Portugal's Vitor Constancio comes to an end.

Spain has good candidates for the ECB - former senior IMF and Spanish central bank official Jose Vinals and the general manager of the Bank for International Settlements, Jaime Caruana.

LEFT VS RIGHT

One factor in favour of Dijsselbloem, a socialist, is that EU leaders want to review the sharing-out of top jobs. Socialists are the second-biggest force in the European Parliament, but nearly all the main EU posts are filled by centre-right politicians.

De Guindos is centre-right, which would favour Spain's bidding for the central bank role, where party backing is much less important then the nationality of the expert candidate.

Other socialist finance ministers who could be considered instead of Dijsselbloem are Slovakia's Peter Kazimir, Malta's Edward Scicluna and Portugal's Mario Centeno, but officials said for now none of them had backing as strong as the Dutchman.

Another top economics job that could enter into the bargaining in January 2018 is the president of the European Investment Bank, the EU's lending arm, as the six-year term of Germany's Werner Hoyer comes to an end.

To stay as head of the Eurogroup, Dijsselbloem needs a simple majority of votes among the 19 ministers. So far the custom has been to choose the president by consensus for a renewable 2-1/2-year term.

Another complication is that Dijsselbloem's party did poorly in this month's Dutch election and he will be replaced as finance minister in a matter of weeks or months.

Eurogroup regulations say the president must be a sitting minister. So if Dijsselbloem's peers wanted him to stay on, they would have to change the rules and create a new permanent position.

"The uproar about the remarks will surely have an impact on his chances of becoming the permanent Eurogroup president, if a decision on a permanent president is taken," a second euro zone official said.

Under the rules, if Dijsselbloem was unable to fulfil his duties he could be replaced by the finance minister of the country that holds the EU presidency. That would mean Malta until the end of June and Estonia in the second half of the year, until a new Eurogroup president is chosen.

Ministers have yet to discuss Dijsselbloem's future, and he plans to call each of them over the coming weeks to find out their views. But some sources said the group was unlikely to go for the permanent option.

"Ministers want one of their own, somebody who faces the same pressures and troubles as them," a third official said.

"Advice on budgets from somebody who doesn't have to make a budget does not go down well." (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
By Umberto Bacchi

ROME, March 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A four-year-old migrant girl who arrived in Italy alone from northern Africa is to be reunited with her mother on Monday, months after a stroke of luck allowed authorities to trace the woman, Italian police said.

Police had initially hoped the two could be reunited last Christmas but bureaucracy delayed the reunion, said police inspector Maria Volpe who heads operations involving unaccompanied migrant children arriving in Sicily.

"It has been like giving birth," Volpe told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Friday, referring to the lengthy procedure to sort out the woman's travel papers.

The girl, identified only as Oumoh, was one of 25,000 unaccompanied minors who reached Italy in 2016.

Her mother had taken the girl from their family home in Ivory Coast to save her from female genital mutilation but the two got separated on the way to Europe, police said.

Upon arriving in Tunisia, Oumoh's mother entrusted the child to a friend and headed back home to fetch some belongings.

Before she returned the friend left for Italy with the girl, but the two got also separated before arriving in the country, police said.

The coastguard rescued Oumoh from a rickety boat in the Mediterranean last November and brought her to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa.

Oumoh's identity remained a mystery for a few days until another girl recognised a photo of her while playing with the phone of the head of Lampedusa's reception centre.

Authorities were then able to trace the mother who had returned to Tunisia, where she has remained since, hosted by Catholic charity Caritas Internationalis.

Volpe said the cooperation between Italian, Tunisian and Ivorian authorities took longer than expected to get the 31-year-old woman a new passport, visa and travel documents.

Charity workers persuaded the mother not to try her luck with smugglers as she grew frustrated at the delay.

"She was very sad and crying all the time," added Irene Tuebou of Caritas Tunisia. "(Now) she is very, very happy."

Caritas has covered the travel expenses for the mother, who is due arrive in Palermo on Monday.

A DNA test to confirm the woman's identity will be carried out upon arrival, said Volpe.

So far this year 21,909 migrants have arrived in Italy, up from 14,492 in the same period last year. The number includes 2,293 unaccompanied minors, but lone children as young as Oumoh are a rare sight, said Volpe. (Reporting by Umberto Bacchi @UmbertoBacchi, Editing by Astrid Zweynert.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
By Sally Hayden

LONDON, March 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Aid has reached the embattled district of Mokha in Yemen, where fighting in a two-year-old civil war has been escalating since January, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

Intensified fighting has led to more than 48,000 people being driven from their homes in Taiz governorate - where Mokha is located - in the past six weeks alone, UNHCR said.

Humanitarian access to Mokha has been particularly challenging due to clashes and movement restrictions imposed by the warring parties.

Distribution, which began last Monday, was allowed after weeks of negotiations, UNHCR said.

"UNHCR's field staff reported many (people) were traumatised and living in desperate conditions, lacking water and sanitation and sharing limited resources with local host communities," the agency's spokesman, Matthew Saltmarsh, told reporters in Geneva.

At least 3,416 people received wash buckets, sleeping mats, blankets and mattresses and other essential items, Saltmarsh said. An average of 100 civilians a month are dying in Yemen's war which enters its third year this weekend, most of them killed by the Saudi-led coalition's air strikes and shelling, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday. In a statement marking the second anniversary on Sunday, it said it had confirmed 4,773 civilians killed and 8,272 injured in the conflict which has pitted Iran-allied Houthi rebels against the ousted Yemeni government backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition. (Reporting by Sally Hayden @sallyhayd, Editing by Astrid Zweynert. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
By Geert De Clercq and Karolin Schaps

PARIS/LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - French utility EDF's oversight of Areva, which is supplying Britain's new Hinkley Point reactors, was brought into question in an internal document by Britain's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

Following the discovery of manufacturing irregularities and the falsification of documents at Areva's Creusot Forge foundry last year, French nuclear regulator ASN and several other international regulators inspected the site in early December.

In an ONR report about the visit dated Dec. 16, disclosed under a Freedom of Information request and seen by Reuters, the ONR said the nuclear safety culture at Creusot Forge fell short of expectations and warned about the implications for EDF's Hinkley Point project, in southwest Britain.

"ONR should consider the adequacy of EDF...HPC's oversight and assurance arrangements for Areva as a key supplier to the HPC project, given the performance shortfalls at (Creusot Forge) and the associated risks to (nuclear) components manufacture," the regulator said.

The ONR also warned about the continued use of correctional fluid on Creusot Forge documents, although it was prohibited.

The ONR on Friday confirmed publication of the document and said that it has since decided to implement a series of additional inspections of EDF and the supply chain to ensure all components are manufactured to the required standard.

An ONR spokeswoman said the regulator will also carry out a regulatory review before the end of the year to assess progress of EDF's oversight of the quality of its supply chain. (Reporting by Geert De Clercq in Paris and Karolin Schaps in London; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
By Geert De Clercq and Karolin Schaps

PARIS/LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - French utility EDF's oversight of Areva, which will supply Britain's new Hinkley Point nuclear reactors, was brought into question in an internal document by Britain's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

Following the discovery of manufacturing irregularities and the falsification of documents at Areva's Creusot Forge foundry last year, French nuclear regulator ASN and several other international regulators inspected the site in early December.

In an ONR report about the visit dated Dec. 16, disclosed under a Freedom of Information request and seen by Reuters, the ONR said the nuclear safety culture at Creusot Forge fell short of expectations and warned about the implications for EDF's Hinkley Point project, in southwest Britain.

"ONR should consider the adequacy of EDF's ... oversight and assurance arrangements for Areva as a key supplier to Hinkley Point, given the performance shortfalls at Creusot Forge and the associated risks to (nuclear) components manufacture," the regulator said.

The ONR on Friday confirmed the release of the document and said it had since decided to implement a series of additional inspections of EDF and its supply chain to ensure all components are manufactured to the required standard.

An ONR spokeswoman said the regulator will also carry out a regulatory review before the end of the year to assess progress of EDF's oversight of the quality of its supply chain.

EDF said it could not immediately comment on the report.

The ONR report said after an inspection in late 2016, an international team from France, Canada, the United States, China, Finland and Britain had concluded that the nuclear safety culture at Areva's Creusot Forge foundry fell short of what regulators expect from a major supplier of nuclear equipment.

It added that improvement measures deployed to date had yet to be effective and said despite the prohibition of the use of correction fluid on documents at the foundry, the inspectors found evidence of its continued use.

"It is extraordinary that after all the reports about falsifications, staff at Le Creusot were still using Tipp-Ex," said University College London professor Paul Dorfman, who obtained the ONR report under a Freedom of Information request.

Following the discovery of irregularities at Creusot Forge last year, two EDF nuclear reactors have been halted for months, utilities worldwide have launched reviews of Areva-made parts and the Paris prosecutor in December opened an investigation into the suspected falsification of documents.

French regulator ASN, in a letter to Areva in late January, asked the firm detailed questions about how it planned to address the safety issue. Areva must answer that letter by the end of this month.

The ONR report said inspectors had found there was a lack of understanding of the nature and causes of the recent quality failings on the part of workers and their supervisors.

It also noted Creusot Forge had not determined why internal inspections and audits carried out in past decades had not found and addressed the falsification activities. (Reporting by Geert De Clercq in Paris and Karolin Schaps in London; Writing by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and David Evans)
By Elias Biryabarema

KAMPALA, March 24 (Reuters) - Crop-eating caterpillars known as fall armyworms have started spreading across Uganda, authorities said on Friday, raising fears for the surrounding East Africa region already devastated by drought.

The pests have appeared in about 20 districts in mostly central and western areas and attacked about 40 percent of the maize in some zones, the agriculture ministry said.

Their attacks and could potentially wipe out 11 percent of the country's annual four-million-metric-ton output of the crop and sugarcane fields had also suffered damage, the ministry added.

Some countries with confirmed outbreaks have faced bans on exporting their agricultural products.

"Uganda is already struggling to cope ... coming from a bad season ... This is an additional burden," Massimo Castiello, deputy country representative for U.N. agency Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), told Reuters.

The caterpillar is native to North and South America, though it has already spread to other parts of Africa including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The United Nations fears it could reach Asia and the Mediterranean in the next few years. (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Aaron Maasho and Andrew Heavens)
GENEVA REUTERS March 23 - About 400,000 Iraqi civilians are trapped in the Islamic State-held Old City of western Mosul, short of food and basic needs as the battle between the militants and government forces rages around them, the United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday.



Many fear fleeing because of Islamic State snipers and landmines. But 157,000 have reached a reception and transit centre outside Mosul since the government offensive on the citys west side began a month ago, said Bruno Geddo, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Iraq.



The worst is yet to come because 400,000 people trapped in the Old City in that situation of panic and penury may inevitably lead to the cork-popping somewhere, sometime, presenting us with a fresh outflow of large-scale proportions, he said. Fighting in the past week has focused on the Old City, with government forces reaching as close as 500 metres to the al-Nuri Mosque, from where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate spanning parts of Iraq and Syria in July 2014.

The hardline militants are now on the back foot, with their stronghold in Syria also under attack. But they still hold an estimated 40 percent of western Mosul and the campaign to recapture it could yet take weeks.
Filing a motion in Colombo Fort Magistrate's court today, the Defence Counsel submitted a new bail application on behalf of MP Wimal Weerawansa who was accused of misusing 40 government vehicles and thereby incurring a loss of Rs. 90 million to the State.

The Counsel put forward the bail application on the ground of exceptional circumstances that the suspect's daughter was admitted to hospital due to bad health condition.

Considering the bail request subsequently, Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne fixed April 3 to deliver a decision on the request. (Shehan Chamika Silva)
(L-R) - Rishard Rheyas - Director, American Remedies (Pvt) Ltd and Saurabh Chauhan- CEO, Daraz Sri-Lanka

One of Sri Lankas leading e-commerce platforms, Daraz.lk announced Daraz Avurudu Wasi in partnership with Buffalo Energy Drinks, to be held from 24th March to 17th April 2017.

Claiming to be the largest online shopping event in Sri Lanka, Avurudu Wasi promises to offer discounts up to 70% for over 1500 products. The range of merchandize include fashionable clothes and accessories, health and beauty products, electronic and household items, and a wide array of brands such as Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Canon, Nikon, Asus and Sony.

Daraz.lk revolutionized the e-commerce industry by introducing the first Black Friday shopping event to Sri Lanka last year, which proved to be an immense success. Building on it, the team has tirelessly created the Avurudu Wasi platform to provide a wide opportunity for all online shopping enthusiasts.

Partnering with Daraz.lk as Platinum sponsor is American Remedies (Pvt.) Ltd., sole distributor for Buffalo Energy Drinks in Sri Lanka.

Commenting on the event, Saurabh Chauhan, CEO of Daraz Sri Lanka stated, We are very pleased to have Buffalo on board to power our Daraz.lk Avurudu Wasi. Following our immense success during the Black Friday campaign, we were on the lookout to kick off an event that Sri Lankan's can relate to, and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year was the perfect opportunity. All of us at Daraz have been gearing up towards Avurudu Wasi, for which we have ramped up the assortment to include a plethora of exclusive deals from a variety of brands at up to 70% off! We are looking forward to the campaign with the primary motive of offering the best shopping experience that shoppers can have, all from the comfort of their home."

Every year we work with different event organizers and retail chains to offer discounts and free offers on all our products for the grand Avurudu Season. With the growing trend of e-commerce in Sri Lanka, we are very excited to work with Daraz.lk on their Avurudu Wasi Campaign this Sinhala and Tamil New Year. We will offer exclusive and special discounts on all our product lines including but not limited to Buffalo Energy (Swiss), Cool & Cool (Dubai), Arocafe Coffee, and Clear Fairness Cream, added Rishard Rheyas, Director of American Remedies (PVT) Ltd.

A wide array of exciting products await you at Daraz.lk Avurudu Wasi, and it is just a click away!
In the wake of the recent attack on a prison bus in Kalutara, officials of the Kegalle prisons have transformed an ordinary prison bus into a bullet-proof vehicle at a cost Rs. 0.7 million in less than ten days under the instructions of Prisons Reforms Minister D.M. Swaminathan.

It was reported that after the Kalutara shooting that killed two prison officers and five prisoners, Minister Swaminathan had provided funds to prison officials to build a secured vehicle to transport prisoners.

Kegalle prisons ASP Sampayun said the upgrading was done in collaboration with the Army Engineering Corps and the Kegalle Police HQI had assisted in verifying the quality of the invention.

This vehicle which cannot be damaged with any weapon is already assigned on prison duties, he said adding that the project was totally funded by the Ministry of Prison Reforms.

The Minster Swaminathan was also present at the Kegalla Prisons premises to observe the new bus and has advised other prisons in the country to make at least one such bus to ensure the safety of prisoners and the prison officers. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Video by RM
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara left for Malaysia to attend the 210th Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) Day, this morning, Police Headquarters said.

Police Media Spokesman Priyantha Jayakody said that the visiting Police Chief is to participate on four-day conference during the tour on the sideline of the celebration.

Senior DIG C. D. Wickremeratne (Administrative) has been appointed as the Acting IGP, he said.
TOKYO AFP March23, 2017-

A controversial nationalist educator said under oath Thursday he had received a donation for his school from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe despite the premiers repeated denials in an intensifying political scandal that has gripped the country.



The nationally televised testimony by Yasunori Kagoike came as his reportedly shady purchase of government land at a huge discount has dominated media coverage for weeks.



Abe, whose high approval ratings have taken a hit, has repeatedly denied giving Kagoike money and on more than one occasion offered to resign if he was found to be involved in the land deal.



Analysts have said that there would likely be nothing illegal in such a donation, but if proven it could damage Abes credibility given his steadfast denials.



Kagoike operates a kindergarten in western Japan that inculcates pupils with pre-World War II nationalist and native Shinto religious values and has made insulting comments about Chinese and Koreans.



When the controversy erupted last month, he was preparing to open an elementary school on the land purchased from the government at a price reportedly some one-tenth the market value.



The complex scandal has dominated parliamentary deliberations for weeks and his testimony prompted a media frenzy with five networks broadcasting it live. Kagoike was summoned for questioning by lawmakers after his claim last week that Abes wife Akie handed him one million yen ($9,000) in cash in his office in 2015 and said the money was from her husband.
Global real estate consulting powerhouse, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) announced that the company would be substantially expanding their presence in the Sri Lankan market, commencing with the opening of its new dedicated office at the World Trade Centre, in a bid to cater to rapidly growing demand for specialized real estate services on the island.

Entering the Sri Lankan market at the start of the construction boom in 2011, JLL has quickly emerged as one of the islands leading resources for information and data on trends and developments in the domestic real estate sector together with property management services, real estate transactions and strategic consultancy.

Having since gathered an impressive portfolio of clientele in the Sri Lankan market, including major local brands in the apparel and IT industries, together with several respected multinationals, JLL expects to grow its team to in excess of 120-strong before the end of 2017.

Elaborating on the potential for growth in Sri Lanka, JLL Sri Lankas recently appointed Managing Director, Steven Mayes noted that increasing sophistication in the requirements of the domestic market had resulted in increased demand for more comprehensive, real estate advice across a broad spectrum of services and asset classes.

The Sri Lankan economy is among the most vibrant in the South Asian region and we see tremendous potential for development. This potential is best reflected in the broad-based growth being recorded in the real estate sector.

For our part, we will continue to work to introduce international expertise and best practices to the local real estate market, and through these efforts, we believe that JLL will be able to play a vital role in developing a more systematic approach to real estate, which will serve as an important precursor towards attracting greater foreign direct investment into the country over the medium-long term.

Since being established in the Sri Lankan market, JLL has been actively engaged in thought leadership, most recently publishing comprehensive reports analyzing developments in the countrys booming hospitality sector and tracking notable trends across its real estate sector.

The Company has also recorded substantial growth in its Project Development Services (PDS) division, in its Integrated Facilitates Management portfolio, operating multiple real estate locations for corporate clients, and Markets Division which handles real estate leasing and sales transactions.

JLL is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients in more than 80 countries worldwide. The Fortune 500 Company operates from 280 corporate offices with a global workforce of 70,000 providing management and real estate outsourcing services for a property portfolio of 4 billion square feet. In 2015, the company completed USD 138 billion in sales, acquisitions and financial transactions.
President Maithripala Sirisena, who is on a three-day State visit to Russia, yesterday received a royal sword of Kandy era of the 19th century from Russian President Vladimir Putin symbolizing the close relationship between two countries.

This sward had been brought to England in 1906 and later bought by Russia at an archeological artifact auction named Sotheby in England. Pic by Presidents Media
Three Army personnel were arrested today by the CID in connection with the shooting incident at Rathupaswala in Weliweriya on August 1, 2013.

The investigations have been resumed under the unity government three years after the incident. Among those arrested are: staff sergeant Sirisena, corporals Lalithge and Tillekaratne. They were asked to report to the CID to record a statement this morning and were subsequently arrested. Police said they were produced in Court and remanded till April 3 by acting Gampah Magistrate Wasantha Gunasekera.

However, Army Spokesman Roshan Seneviratne said no action had been taken so far against the personnel taken into custody.

The residents had staged a protest asking for safe drinking water when the army which had been called to defuse the situation had fired at the protesters killing three people and injuring 30. The water in the area had been allegedly polluted by the effluents being discharged by a factory manufacturing rubber gloves. Among those killed were two students -- Akila Dinesh and Ravishan Perera and a person identified as Nilantha Pushpa Kumara.

Human rights groups condemned the crackdown against the protesting villagers who were only demanding for clean drinking water for the thousands of residents of Weliweriya.

The Sri Lanka Human Rights Council (SLHRC) in 2013 submitted a report on the Rathupaswala tragedy and recommended the army to carry out an investigation. (Thilanka Kanakarathna and Tony Karunanayake)
Earth Hour: Saturday 25th March 8:30pm-9.30pm. Join the movement at www.earthhour.org/

Around the globe, millions of people, businesses, and landmarks will set aside an hour to host events, switch off their lights, and make noise for climate change action. This year Earth Hour is at 8:30pm on Saturday 25 March 2017.

Ten years after the worlds first Earth Hour in Sydney put climate change in the spotlight, WWFs landmark movement is set to once again unite millions of people around the globe to shine a light on climate action. As the planet continues to witness climate records being broken and the need for greater ambition and commitment accelerates, the worlds largest grassroots movement for the environment is mobilizing individuals, communities and organizations globally to do their part to help change climate change.

Starting in 2007 as a single-city event, Earth Hour is now celebrated across all continents. In the past decade, as global climate efforts gained momentum, Earth Hour has helped bridge the gap between the grassroots and the corridors of power, taking climate action from conference rooms to living rooms. It has empowered millions to support and participate in critical climate and conservation projects led by WWF and many others, helping drive climate policy, awareness and action.

We started Earth Hour in 2007 to show leaders that climate change was an issue people cared about. For that symbolic moment to turn into the global movement it is today, is really humbling and speaks volumes about the powerful role of people in issues that affect their lives, said Siddarth Das, Executive Director, Earth Hour Global. Every flick of a switch or click online is a reminder that people see themselves as an integral part of climate action and it is this kind of collective determination we need to tackle the most pressing environmental challenge our planet has ever faced.

Earth Hour Sri Lanka is calling on all Sri Lankans to take a stand against climate change and to preserve the natural resources of our beautiful country. Through traditional and social media, the campaign aims to shine a light on the positive actions Sri Lankans can take both as individuals and as communities to change climate change and help protect our countrys incredible natural resources.

When asked about what actions individuals can do to be part of this global campaign, the local Earth Hour Country Manager and Coordinator, Abdul Qadir Uvais had this to say;

Earth Hour Sri Lanka is asking the government, businesses, organizations & individuals to:

 Switch off non-essential lights (corporate signage) on Saturday 25th March 2017 from 8.30 pm- 9.30 pm

 Join the movement by signing up and donating the social feed at https://www.earthhour.org/

 Spreadawareness about climate change issues & solutions! Please visit www.earthhour.org for more information!

 Go beyond the symbolic gesture of switching off non-essential lights for Earth Hour and drive climate action throughout the year, leading an environmentally conscious lifestyle.

Depending on where you may be, climate change has different faces or impacts but the reality remains the same: the time to change climate change is now, added Das. Our actions today will define tomorrow - WWFs Earth Hour shows us that together we can create the sustainable future we desire, and our children deserve.

Growing up, we have all had dreams about our future, and the children of today are no different. But their dreams for tomorrow depend on our actions today. Therefore we urge you to join us to #ChangeClimateChange and help shape the Future of our Children and our Beautiful Country  Sri Lanka, added Abdul Qadir Uvais.

Earth Hour 2017 will take place on Saturday 25 March at 8:30 p.m. local time.Log on to www.earthhour.org to know more and read additional stories and individuals using the Earth Hour movement to shine a light on climate action. This is our time to change climate change.
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Octogenarian leader of the Opposition Rajavarothayam Sampanthan in a hard-hitting Parliamentary speech made four weeks ago drew attention to the prevailing practice of persons being condemned as Traitors (Thurogi) within the sphere of Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalist Politics. The Trincomalee District MP who is also the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader made specific reference to the recent attacks on TNA Jaffna District MP M.A.Sumanthiran by defeated political rivals. Here are a few excerpts from Sampanthans speech during the adjournment motion debate on February 22, 2017:



My Friend Mr.Sumanthiran has been accused of being traitorous by some Tamil Leaders who have been resoundingly rejected at the last Parliamentary Elections, some persons whose party polled around 15,000 votes. Mr. Sumanthiran got four times that number of votes in Jaffna. I have got the particulars with me. That whole party did not poll 15,000 votes. Mr. Sumanthiran polled four times that vote by himself  preference votes. Today, he is being called a traitor because he is working with the Government. We look upon Mr. Sumanthiran as a very useful Member of Parliament performing valuable services on behalf of the people, and we want that to be recognized. But, he is being attacked. He is being attacked because these persons who were resoundingly rejected by the people in 2015 are using your failure to do what you must do by the people as the ground for attacking people like him, me and others too, even Mr. Maavai Senathirajah.



There has been a report filed by the police in the Kilinochchi Magistrates Court where they have definitely stated that there was an attempt at assassination of Sumanthiran MP. That is a matter of record, nobody can deny that. Some people are calling him Thurogi. It is a very unbecoming word. It is a word that is inciting violence. Why are you calling him as such? Is it because he is working on our Constitutional Proposals along with me and others?



Tamil people are not protesting in support of you? They are protesting on account of wrongs being done to them by the Sri Lankan Government. They want that to stop. These jokers who could not even win one seat, could not come even close to winning one seat. They came long after us, we polled 200,000 votes, they polled only 15,000 votes. They came after the EPDP; they came after the UNP and they came after the UPFA. They were totally rejected by the Tamil masses.



The Tamil political party being targeted in Sampanthans speech as jokers who could not even win one seat or even come close to winning one was the All-Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) contesting under the cycle symbol. Despite being resoundingly rejected at the August 2015 elections, the party leader Gangaesar Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has been leading the verbal attacks against the TNA, notably Sampanthan and Sumanthiran. Gajendrakumar as he is generally known, has been particularly vicious against fellow lawyer Sumanthiran, accusing the TNA spokesperson of being a traitor to the Tamils.



Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam

When details of a plot to assassinate Sumanthiran MP were uncovered by the Police Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) Gajendrakumar ridiculed it as a drama orchestrated by the former. The latter was left with a lot of Muttai (egg) on his face when Police produced five former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as suspects in courts and filed an exhaustive report about the assassination conspiracy targeting the TNA Parliamentarian. Security too was intensified for Sumanthiran and Sampanthan.The Special Task Force (STF) was placed in charge of their personal security.



Gajendrakumar then started saying that the abortive assassination attempt was a drama enacted by military intelligence to provide valid grounds to enhance Sumanthirans personal security. He alleged that the traitorous Sumanthiran was unable to face the Tamil masses due to his treachery. It appears that Gajendrakumars persistent efforts to traitorize the TNA in general and Sumanthiran in particular, had impelled Sampanthan to lash out at the ACTC.



Sampanthans concern and indignation over the unfair usage of the Thurogi or Traitor label is quite understandable. Past Tamil politics is replete with instances of persons being character assassinated as traitors and then being physically assassinated. There was, however, a lull after the Tigers were militarily defeated in May 2009. Thereafter killings ceased but the practice of traitorizing continued. The TNA has been cooperating with the Maithri-Ranil Govt to a great extent in the exercise of drafting a new Constitution. It is being attacked as traitors for that. The plot to assassinate Sumanthiran coupled with Gajendrakumars consistent cry of traitor should be viewed seriously. It must be remembered that his father Gasinather Gangaesar Ponnambalam known as Kumar Ponnambalam used to attack Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam as traitor before the reputed Constitutional lawyer cum MP was blown up by the LTTE in 1999.



The process of traitorization in Tamil nationalist politics is a phenomenon which I have written about earlier. Traitorization has usually been a prelude to assassination in the Tamil nationalist political sphere. With the military defeat of the LTTE,traitorization lost much of its lethal venom. The assassination plot against Sumanthiran MP indicates that traitorization of a lethal nature is trying to raise its ugly head again. It is in this context therefore, that I focus again on the recurrent phenomenon of traitorization relying to some extent on my earlier writings.



Traitors or Thurogigal

Traitorization is a terrible Goebbelsian process by which political rivals are falsely portrayed or depicted as traitors. I use the word traitorization instead of treachery or treason in order to differentiate between those who are actually treacherous or are really committing treason as opposed to those being accused unfairly or being labelled wrongly as traitorous or traitors. The reality is that most persons dubbed as traitors or thurogigal by their political opponents are not guilty as charged and do not deserve such a description.



The Traitor label in contemporary Tamil political discourse refers generally to Tamils accused of working against what is depicted as the true Tamil cause and/or collaborating with the enemy.

Concrete proof of such conduct is not necessary. What is required is a massive propaganda effort by which the cry, traitor, is repeated incessantly at multiple levels as advocated by Herr Goebbels in Nazi Germany. It was Adolf Hitlers propaganda minister Paul Joseph Goebbels who stated If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. Repeating the charge traitor continuously is the modus operandi of traitorization in Tamil National politics. Cry Traitor and let slip the dogs of propaganda war!

Traitorization has usually been a prelude to assassination in the Tamil nationalist political sphere. With the military defeat of the LTTE,traitorization lost much of its lethal venom



Tamil nationalist politics made use of the Goebbels technique liberally in dubbing those perceived political rivals as traitors. Merely holding a different political view was sufficient to be called traitors to the cause or collaborators with the enemy. The problematic was that both the cause and enemy were difficult to define clearly. Moreover, the nature of the cause as well as the identity of enemy underwent changes periodically. Despite these fluctuations, what remained constant was the practice of traitorization. Success in its process was not determined by the substance of truth but by the ability to propagate what was supposed to be the truth. It was not the absolute truth or superior idea that prevailed in the hurly-burly of Tamil nationalist politics. What succeeded ultimately was the powerful propaganda of one side to paint the other as traitor.



The absurd logic followed in this traitorization exercise could even be viewed as farcical but for the fact that the process gradually assumed a drastic form . When people got killed as traitors, it was no longer a comical exercise. It became tragic. The tragedy in Tamil politics is that this process of traitorization has led to large scale killings of politicians, govt. officials, Police and defence personnel, media personalities etc, as traitors by contending political groups.



Killed without killing

Also countless persons, though not killed physically have been killed without killing(Nomaraa maru / Kollaamal Kondru) by character assassination as traitors. Almost all Tamil political groups and organizations have engaged in traitorization, but the lions share in physically exterminating people as traitors goes to the Tigers. It is a sad fact that the cream of Tamil society was destroyed extensively as traitors by the LTTE. Members of the Tamil political elite killed by the Tigers outnumber those killed by the Sri Lankan or Indian armed forces.



In contemporary times, the evolution and growth of representative democracy in Sri Lanka saw the term thurogi or traitor being bandied about liberally and rather loosely. Politicians of all communities have at times accused their rivals of being traitors to the people or towards their just causes. This tendency however, has been more pronounced and deeply embedded amidst the local Tamil polity.

Ever since universal franchise and territorial representation shattered the Tamil self-perception of being equal to the Sinhala numerical majority, the nature of Tamil politics underwent transformation. The underlying thread of Tamil politics became political emancipation. Be it balanced representation, responsive co-operation, federalism, regional autonomy or separatism - it was the discourse of Tamil liberation that dominated the polity.

Politicians of all communities have at times accused their rivals of being traitors to the people or towards their just causes. This tendency however, has been more pronounced and deeply embedded amidst the local Tamil polity



The growing community consciousness and the high premium placed on ethnic solidarity created a situation where the people at large were expected to strike common course on political issues. Ottrumai or unity became the dominant cry.



It was seen as the most convenient mode of mobilizing votes for a particular party on an ethnic basis. It was also easy to label any Tamil involved with Sinhala dominated parties - be they nationalist or leftist - as being collaborationist with negative connotations.



Thus, anyone differing or seen as deviating from whatever dominant political opinion within the Tamils was depicted as betraying the cause and community. They were described as weeds that had to be weeded out (kalai eduppu). In the early days, this weeding-out of political rivals depicted as traitors was strictly electoral. They had to be defeated at the polls and nothing more. It was also easier to undermine those in power through this type of propaganda.



Tamil unity emphasised

Another aspect of traitorization was the emphasis on Tamil unity. It was argued that Tamils should unite and rally around a single political formation or party. In short, everyone should vote for THEparty. Other parties cutting into these Tamil votes were engaging in traitorous activity it was alleged. Only candidates from THE party should be supported and elected. If not traitors from other parties would be elected was the rationale.



When democratic politics gave way to armed militancy, this emphasis on Tamil unity continued. Katchi (party) gave way to Iyakkam (movement). Only THEmovement should be supported to demonstrate Tamil unity. Other movements were traitorous. This attitude soon led to skirmishes and then to fratricidal warfare. Youths who thought they were sacrificing their lives at the altar of Tamil Eelam found themselves being butchered as alleged traitors. The same Tamil society which exalted one group of militants as great heroes allowed other groups of militants to be massacred as traitors.

Apart from the moral question as to what right anyone has to dub someone a traitor and kill him/her, there is also the terrible fact that most of those killed as traitors did not fit that description at all. They were mostly people holding different political views from those opposing them. In many instances those projected as traitors were seen as impediments to the progress of others in political terms. Politicians would promise the moon and get votes. They would then give excuses for their inability to deliver by blaming opponents as traitors. It is because of these traitors that we are unable to reach the promised land was the lament.

The spate of political killings within the Tamil community that began with the Duraiyappah assassination continued for years and then decades. So many eminent Tamil leaders like Dr. Neelan Thiruchelvam and Lakshman Kadirgamar have been killed as traitors



Arguably the Tamil politician who first promoted the practice of traitorizing political rivals or opponents was Gajendrakumar Ponnambalams grandfather Ganapathipillai Gangaesar Ponnambalam or GG Ponnambalam (Snr). At the tail end of the British rule, G.G. Ponnambalam and his party, the All-Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) demanded a scheme of balanced representation popularly known as 50-50. This was unacceptable to the Soulbury Commission which granted a Dominion Constitution. When elections were held in 1947, G.G. Ponnambalam and the Tamil Congress got the better of Sir. Arunachalam Mahadeva and the UNP Tamil candidates by calling those Tamils who supported the Soulbury Constitution traitors.



After Independence dawned, the pragmatic Ponnambalam changed his stance to responsive cooperation. He joined the Government and became Industries and Fisheries Minister. Then it became GGs turn to be called traitor by S.J.V. Chelvanayagam and the federalists after the former became a Minister in the DS Senanayake Cabinet. The Federal Party (FP) used the traitor label liberally to undermine their rivals. However, when Chelvanayagam and the FP became ensconced in Dudley Senanayakes national government in 1965, former Kayts MP V. Navaratnam broke ranks and formed the Tamil Self-Rule Party. His criticism of the FP as traitors did not carry much conviction at that time because of the high esteem in which SJV was held. But Navaratnam was called traitor for breaking Tamil unity and forming his own party and suffered the consequences.



Dudleyge bade masala vadae

Earlier it was difficult to brand the Samasamajists and Communists as traitors by the Tamil nationalist parties because of the very progressive stance taken by the left on the national question and language issue. After the left changed course and joined forces with the SLFP and adopted the Dudleyge bade masala vadae line, it became easier to traitorise them too.



The practice of demonizing political adversaries as traitors took a qualitative turn in the 1970-77 period. The fiery Tamil poet Kaasi Anandan thundered in 1972 that none of the traitorous six Tamil MPs who supported the Republican Constitution of 1972 should die of natural causes.



It also became clear that some Tamil politicians like the popular Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiyappah would be difficult to defeat politically because of widespread people support. Duraiyappah was continually described as traitor in the TULF organ Suthanthiran. He was portrayed as the cause for all problems affecting Tamils and it was argued that his elimination would usher in a new dawn for the Tamils. Impressionable young Tamil minds got the message. Duraiyappah was gunned down in July 1975. Later Prabhakaran was to call the assassination his first military operation. None of the TULF leaders condemned Duraiyappahs assassination then.



By the mid 70s of the last century, the dominant mood in Tamil politics was separatism. This led to armed struggle as the only way to achieve Tamil Eelam. As the years progressed the scenes and actors changed from time to time but the drama of traitorization went on.



Another aspect of this traitorization phenomenon was that nothing was constant. Everything was variable. In the 1940s of the 20th century, any Tamil not subscribing to 50-50 was a traitor. After Independence, any Tamil rejecting Federalism was a traitor. Later on, any Tamil opposing a separate Tamil State became a traitor. Then any Tamil protesting against armed struggle became a traitor. Thereafter all organizations, other than the LTTE were called traitors. After the LTTE was defeated and the Tamil Eelam demand lost its vigour, the concepts of Thaayagam (homeland), Suyanirnayam (self-determination) and Theasiyam(nationhood) became the new mantras of contemporary Tamil nationalism. Anyone opposing these three concepts was a traitor.



UNHRC resolution

When the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Sri Lanka, the Tamil extremists said it lacked sting and opposed it. The UN resolution was an eyewash it was alleged. Tamils supportive of the resolution were called traitors. Now the very same lunatic fringe is opposed to the UNHRC giving an extension of two years time for implementing the resolution. Any Tamil in favour of Sri Lanka being given time is a traitor. In the aftermath of CV Wigneswarans genocide resolution all Tamils were expected to chorus Genocide, Genocide. Anyone failing to chant the G-word were dubbed traitors. Traitors will be created and traitors will be decimated but, Traitorization like Tennysons brook will go on for ever.



As noted earlier, the political violence that destroyed hundreds of alleged traitors in the past was explicitly and implicitly justified by the perpetrators as being necessary to ensure Tamil unity and take forward the struggle for Tamil equality. The tendency was to view all those holding or perceived to be holding different political opinions to that of the dominant one in vogue as being traitors. Dissidence was equated with treachery.

Later on, any Tamil opposing a separate Tamil State became a traitor. Then any Tamil protesting against armed struggle became a traitor. Thereafter all organizations, other than the LTTE were called traitors



The spate of political killings within the Tamil community that began with the Duraiyappah assassination continued for years and then decades. So many eminent Tamil leaders like Dr. Neelan Thiruchelvam and Lakshman Kadirgamar have been killed as traitors.

During the time of Sirimavo Bandaranaike from 1970 to 77, Tamil policemen, suspected informants, Tamil activists of the SLFP etc. were wiped out as traitors. In July 1977, JR Jayewardene and the UNP target shifted. After 1977, it became the turn of Tamils affiliated to the UNP to be killed as traitors. This killing spree continued throughout the Premadasa, Wijetunga, Kumaratunga and Rajapaksa periods until 2009.



Intra-Tamil killings of alleged traitors took on new forms and content. The TULF which called Tamil political opponents traitors found themselves traitorized with the passage of time. Tiger guns turned on the TULF and ex-Kopay MP Aalalasundaram was shot and injured in 1982. It was only then that Appapillai Amirthalingam issued a hard-hitting statement saying after biting the goat and the cow, the animal had now bitten a human. As the Tamil liberation struggle progressed the militants began calling the TULF leaders traitors. Soon many were killed. Amirthalingam who had described many a political opponent as being traitor was killed and unfairly accused as traitor himself.



The guns also began turning sideways and inwards. Soon there was fratricidal warfare among the Tamil groups. Organizations were dubbed wholesale as traitors by the LTTE and were prohibited from the Tamil areas. Massive killings of rival groups followed.



When the Indian Army (IPKF) was here and war with the LTTE erupted, several Tigers were killed by groups toeing the Indian line like EPRLF, ENDLF and TELO. After the Indian Army left, the Tigers massacred wholesale those members of the pro-India Tamil National Army. Both sides described each other as traitors of the Tamil cause. This practice continued.



Branded as traitors

The LTTE killed more than 60 members of organizations like the EPDP, PLOTE, TELO and EPRLF after the ceasefire in 2002. They were all branded as traitors. Later the roles reversed and Tamil paramilitary groups aligned with the State killed many Tamils suspected of LTTE links as Enemies of the State. They were traitors to Mother Lanka from the Sri Lankan States point of view.



After President John F. Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas in November 1963, the Black American leader Malcolm X spoke at a Nation of Islam meeting in December 1963. When asked about Kennedys killing, Malcolm X in his reply seemingly justified it. He said President Kennedy never foresaw that the chickens would come home to roost so soon...Being an old farm boy myself, chickens coming home to roost never did make me sad; they always made me glad. Malcolm X himself was shot dead two months later in February 1965.



It was a case of the chickens coming home to roost as far as Sri Lankan armed militancy was concerned. The Greek myth about Titan Cronus or Saturn feared that he would be overthrown by one of his children. So he devoured the children one by one as they were born. Like Saturn devouring his own children, the Tamil liberation struggle too devoured its own children. The internecine violence was sought to be justified by the real or imagined existence of traitors. The victims of violence were all traitorized. Later some of the perpetrators themselves were victimized by the violence. The pendulum now swung the other way and those who traitorised others were in return traitorised.

The LTTE killed more than 60 members of organizations like the EPDP, PLOTE, TELO and EPRLF after the ceasefire in 2002. They were all branded as traitors



What is of importance here is to note that Tamil nationalist politics has not succeeded so far in achieving any of their objectives independently. Be it the Tamil Congress, the ITAK, the TULF or the TNA, on the one hand and the Tamil militant groups including the LTTE on the other; they have all failed so far. The solitary gain has been the 13th Constitutional Amendment brought about by the Indo-Lanka agreement. Despite this failure on the political front, Tamil nationalist parties and organizations have continued to reign supreme. A key device in this near monopolistic control of the Tamil polity by Tamil nationalist politics has been the usage of the traitorization practice. The failure to deliver has been explained away by the excuse of traitorization. The political stupidity of setting unrealistic unachievable goals is not accepted, instead, the fault is attributed to traitors in our midst. Tamils are told that the fault lies not in ourselves but in our traitors!



Mythology and history

There has been a tendency to view mythology and history in a convoluted form. Signs of real or imaginary betrayals were portrayed as the causes for the downfall of those depicted as heroes in mythology and history. Ravana, the demon king of Lanka who abducted Sita was defeated by her husband Rama, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. The Dravidian ideologues however attribute treachery as the cause because Ravanas brother Vibheeshana crossed over to Ramas side.



The feudal Paanchaalankurichi chieftain (Polygar) Veera Paandiya Kattabomman defied the British and was vanquished by superior firepower. In popular parlance, Kattabomman lost only because another Polygar Ettappa Nayakkar of Ettayapuram joined forces with the British. Perceived betrayals by traitors is assumed as cause of defeat. Thus Ravanan had his Vibeeshanan and Kattabomman his Ettappan in mythology and history.



Against this backdrop, any Tamil proposing conciliatory politics or supportive of co-operation with the Government will have the Damoclean sword of Traitorization hanging over him. This is why in the present situation, comparatively moderate TNA leaders such as R. Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran are also being labelled as traitors.



This traitorization mania affecting Tamils has resulted in countless people being killed as traitors in the past. It has reared its ugly head again in the present and has the potential to become a serious issue in the future.The recurring phenomenon of traitorization is a Tamil tragedy for which others cannot be blamed. There is an urgent need for serious introspection. The Tamil people must address this issue that has destroyed the community in the past and could do so in the future too.



D.B.S. Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com
The German carmaker has unveiled a new Maybach with a retractable roof and a V12 engine, along with high-tech amenities such as thermal cup holders and folding tables stashed in the middle console.



Called Mercedes-Maybach G-Class 650, the firm unveiled the vehicle at the Geneva auto show and it has been deemed the worlds most expensive SUV with a price tag of $500,000 - and only 99 will be built.



The $500,000 SUV is Dailmer AGs latest newcomer of its luxurious line, Maybach Marque, which was first released to meet the demand of higher-end models, reported Bloomberg Pursuits.

It boasts a V12 engine and a landaulet style  there is also a fabric roof that can be transformed into a convertible top.



The vehicle stretches 17 feet long (5,345 millimeters), has a wheelbase of 11 feet (3,428 millimeters) and stands about seven feet tall (2,235 millimeters).



Although the Maybach seats four passengers comfortably, those sitting in the back receive the best treatment  they have access to the retractable roof.



Riders simply press a button and the large folding top opens electrically to offer a view of the blue sky



There is also a feature that electrically operates glass partition separates the rear compartment from the drivers section.



And the glass can be changed from transparent to opaque at the press of a button.



There is also a large business console that houses folding tables and thermal cup holders between the seats.



The vehicle includes control for the rear air conditioning and two 25.4 cm (10 inch) high-resolution media displays.



Although the inside is built for luxury, the outside is designed to take on any terrain.



In contrast to a conventional rigid axle, the wheels are not at the height of the axle center, but are instead situated much further down on the axle heads owing to the portal transmission.

Electrically extending entry aids make for easier access to the vehicle.



And the vehicle is positioned almost half a meter (1.6 feet) above the ground to tackle the toughest terrain.



The Mercedes-Maybach G-Class 650 also features the same 100 percent differential locks as the rest of the vehicles in its family, which can be engaged while the vehicle is in motion.



The combination of this 4WD technology, unique in the off-road segment, makes the G 650 Landaulet stand out from all other 4x4 vehicles,.



High drive comfort comes courtesy of the most powerful available engine, the Mercedes-AMG V12 biturbo, which delivers a maximum output of 463 kW (630 hp) with a peak torque of 1000 Newton-meters.



The German carmaker plans to release the vehicle to the public after September.
Thousands were evacuated after the blowing up of a warehouse storing tank ammunition at an eastern military base early on Thursday morning,



Ukraine said it suspects the Russian military or its separatist rebel proxies were responsible for blowing up the warehouse storing tank ammunition at an eastern military base early on Thursday morning, Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said.



Fire and explosions caused the detonation of ammunition in several sites at the base, possibly set off by a drone attack or a radio or timed device, Poltorak told a press conference.



Nobody was hurt but around 20,000 people have been evacuated from the surrounding area in the eastern Kharkiv region. Firefighters have struggled to douse the flames and explosions at the site continue, sending clouds of thick grey smoke into the sky.



We have a friendly country - the Russian Federation, Poltorak said. I think that first of all it could be representatives who help the (separatist) groups that carry out combat missions, he said.

Ukraine did not provide evidence of Russian or rebel involvement. The Russian military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



The base, which held about 138,000 tonnes of ammunition, is located in the city of Balaklia, about 100 km (60 miles) from the frontline of Ukraines war against Russian-backed separatists. The warehouse was guarded by around 1,000 people, some of whom heard the sound of an aircraft just before the explosions. Military spokesman Oleksander Motuzyanyk said security around other bases was being beefed up.

- KIEV REUTERS March 23
Indira Gandhis State of Emergency proclaimed on June 25, 1975, officially ended on March 23, 1977, following the defeat of her Congress party in an election she announced on January 18 that year, when she also freed a large number of political prisoners.

Hers had been a declared state of Emergency, what we are experiencing since mid-2014 is an undeclared one, as shall be discussed presently.

Mrs Gandhi quite clearly resented admonition from peers around the world: a Brahmin, patrician born with impeccable command of English, French and so forth, she craved acceptance.

However, the move backfired badly for her and the Congress suffered a crushing defeat, especially in the northern states at the hands of the Janata Party, a brand new gaggle of politicians with disparate ideologies.

How did she get there?

After the death in 1966 of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent (in what was then Soviet Uzbekistan) where he had just signed an accord with Pakistani president Ayub Khan following the previous years Indo-Pak war, Congress bigwigs chose Mrs Gandhi to succeed him, many of them believing she would be a pliable goongi gudiya meaning dumb doll.

They ought to have known better: while briefly serving as Congress president she persuaded her father, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, to dismiss the Communist Party government of CM EMS Namboodiripad in Kerala, a move widely alleged to have been at the goading of the US Central Intelligence Agency which was alarmed at the prospect of a Left grouping coming to power through respectable elections rather than through armed insurrections that were easier to condemn.

Ironically, after taking power, Mrs Gandhi began to move leftward, nationalising 14 major banks, abolishing privy purses for scores of families of princely states, requiring that the judiciary be "committed" and thus effecting highly controversial supersessions of respected judges and adopting slogans such as "garibi hatao" (abolish poverty) which, however remained just that - mere slogans of what was to prove to be a cynical Brahminical regime that did little to promote literacy and employment.

Some of the Congress stalwarts who could not stomach her highhandedness left to found the Congress O (for organisation but also referred to as Old Congress) which only strengthened her autocratic hold over the rest of the party.

An uprising by proud Bengalis in what was then East Pakistan at being disregarded by Islamabad led to a brief but bloody war in 1971 in which India intervened on the side of what was soon to be Bangladesh, with India seeing off the American threat, helped by then Soviet Union.

Mrs Gandhi was thus at the pinnacle of adulation and power and naturally it went to her head. Corruption grew apace and resistance began to build under the leadership of one of the most respected of Indias politicians who had scrupulously stayed away from associating with any political party and had spurned office - Jayaprakash Narayan.

JP, as he was popularly known, drew vast crowds to his rallies, especially in his native Bihar. JP came out with the slogan sampoorna kranthi or total revolution (a nebulous one, in hindsight) and gathered around him numbers of idealistic youth, Gandhians and non-communist Leftists. Crucially, he also let into his tent the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and their political party front, the then Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. Photo: India Today

There was widespread alarm over JPs tolerance of forces that were anathema to much of the prevailing political spectrum in the mid-1970s. But to their dismay, JP declared: Agar RSS fascist hai, to JP fascist hai (If RSS is fascist, JP is fascist).

The situation that India finds itself in today can partly be blamed on this uncalled for laundering of the Hindutva forces that JP allowed to happen.

When, on June 12, 1975, Justice JML Sinha of the Allahabad High Court set aside her election from Rae Bareli in 1971 in a case filed by firebrand politician Raj Narain citing corrupt practices, turmoil spread and 13 days later she declared Emergency, suspended constitutional rights and jailed scores of opposition stalwarts as well as JP.

Repressive measures, some of them directed by her younger son Sanjay Gandhi - her older son Rajiv then enjoyed a quiet life as an airline pilot - such as forcible family planning in parts of northern India and destruction of slums in old Delhi as well as overzealous and quixotic press censorship followed.

Especially slum destruction in Delhi - homes of Muslims who had been traditional Congress voters - overseen by an Indian Administrative Service officer named Jagmohan who had grown close to Sanjay Gandhi and the forcible family planning earned much ill will for the Congress. Jagmohan was later to become a darling of the Hindutva establishment and a scourge for the people of Kashmir.

During their incarceration through the course of Mrs Gandhis Emergency, many of the opposition politicians forged links that helped later in quickly putting together a united opposition to the Congress.

The Janata Party government that took office following her defeat in March 1977 was led by a curmudgeonly old Congressman, Morarji Desai, and included members of assorted non-communist socialist parties, some then recent defectors from Mrs Gandhis Congress and Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

It was a doomed experiment although it did last just over two years by which time Mrs Gandhi worked up enough strength to engineer defections and foist a rival of Desais - Charan Singh, an influential Jat caste leader - as prime minister.

That was just preparatory to pulling the rug for triggering fresh elections. By then the Janata Party had splintered and the former Bharatiya Jana Sangh  until then a much suspect entity in the eyes of most Indians  emerged in a strong reincarnation as the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mrs Gandhi was back as Prime Minister in 1980. And a full blown communalisation of her party had begun. With Sanjay Gandhi back in power as her sidekick, she sought to engineer changes in many states and especially in Punjab. Sanjay Gandhi died in an accident but an attempt initiated by him to outwit the then increasingly influential Akali Dal by building up a rival force in Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale eventually led to the bloodbath at Amritsar in June 1984.

JP, as he was popularly known, drew vast crowds to his rallies, especially in his native Bihar. Photo: India Today

Later that year, when she was killed by her Sikh bodyguards, leaders of the Congress unleashed a pogrom (ably assisted by the RSS as has been widely documented) in which thousands were killed and all that her older son  who had by then been inducted into politics and just been elevated as Prime Minister  could say was that when a big tree falls, the earth shakes as documented by Manoj Mitta and HS Phoolka in their book When a Tree Shook Delhi, 2008, Roli Books.

Fast forward to 1991, when following Rajiv Gandhis assassination at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu at the hands of Sri Lankan Tamil nationalists after Indias disastrous military intervention in the island  and his security overseen by an intelligence officer named RK Raghavan who was to rise to be head of the CBI and go on to give a clean chit to Narendra Modi following the 2002 Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom: PV Narasimha Rao became Prime Minister, his party having ridden the sympathy vote following Rajiv Gandhis killing.

He let his finance minister Manmohan Singh usher in economic reforms that eventually metamorphosed into neo-liberal policies costing the lives of tens of thousands of farmers, throwing workers out of their jobs, seizing lands from indigent farmers, Adivasis (indigenous peoples) and others to be handed to industrialists, forming extra-constitutional armies such as Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh to terrorise the Adivasis, human rights activists and journalists and so forth. Manmohan Singh had the gall to say that those opposing his governments anti-Adivasi policies were the greatest internal security threat to our country.

But to get back to Rao, a south Indian Brahmin: in 1992 he was asleep at the wheel when Hindutva hordes egged on by BJP stalwarts such as LK Advani, MM Joshi and Uma Bharti went about destroying the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya under the glare of world media.

Thousands of Muslims were killed. It eventually earned Rao the sobriquet of being Indias first BJP Prime Minister. There was an Ayodhya link to another massacre of Muslims, that in 2002 in Gujarat: 59 Hindu fanatics returning from that city died in a fire in a train at Godhra station in circumstances that have never been conclusively established.

However, it was cue for an anti-Muslim pogrom in which an estimated 2,000 people were killed in the state then ruled by a man then somewhat freshly minted as chief minister  Narendra Mod.

Then BJP Prime Minister AB Vajpayee and then President APJ Abdul Kalam failed to call Modi to account. Neither the Congress government at the Centre  with its own 1984 albatross round its neck  nor the bumbling courts which fail to act unless goaded by tremendous amount of activism, have been able to bring to book the perpetrators of such crimes against humanity.

Indefatigable efforts on the part of Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand led to convictions in one and alas just one case in Gujarat  that in Naroda Patiya  of Maya Kodnani (once a cabinet colleague of Modis in Gujarat), Hindu fanatic firebrand Babu Bajrangi and numerous others.

But Setalvad, Anand and other human rights activists, as also environmental activists such as Priya P Pillai of Greenpeace and Bela Bhatia who works for Adivasi rights in Bastar, in Chhattisgarh, have faced massive state-sponsored harassment.

Pro-Adivasi and environmental activists including Delhi University professor Nandini Sundar have had to face grief during the previous Congress dispensation but they are being increasingly harassed by the BJP regime.

Now that the Supreme Court seems to have more or less capitulated on two prominent counts  accepting a "national security" clause in judicial appointments (meaning a virtual BJP veto) and asking that the Babri Masjid issue be dealt with out of court  and this coming on the heels of Yogi Adityanaths appointment as Uttar Pradesh CM  it is clear that Hindutva forces mostly of the dominant caste hold the helm.

Exactly two years ago, eminent civil servant and diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi, delivering a lecture on March 23, 2015 in Bangalore honouring JP, who founded the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties, said: The fear that is prevailing in our country is the starkest and most palpable among the minority communities of India. This level of fear among those communities has precedence only in times of riots that have defaced the history of our country. But in times when there are no riots or riots in real time there has never been a time when fear has been so pronounced in the hearts and minds of the minority communities in India. JP would not have been able to stand or stomach the sight of a cow being slaughtered but he would not have allowed cow slaughter to become a political tool in the hands of a majority party which is using the majority communitys susceptibility, sentiments and heartstrings to needle the minority community, in this case the Muslim community in particular.

Mr Gandhi had himself chosen the title of his lecture: A State of Emergency. And although he did not say so in as many words, what he was hinting at was that we are faced with an undeclared state of Emergency under Modi.

Mr Gandhi concluded with a couple of powerful observations ending on a positive note: During the Emergency, 75-77, there was a kind of an attempt to combine socialist rhetoric with the realpolitik or opportunism. Today there is a great attempt at combining two pulls, two compulsions in the public. One is the inborn set of prejudices that all of us have about other communities, polarisation by bringing about things like temples, cow slaughter. But the other great pull, the pull for the good life via the world model of globalisation, the corporate communal binary is like the great combination of two demi-gods wanting to snuff out dissent by a combination of fear and seduction."
Yogi Adityanath is turning out to be a hard task master. Though it's too early to make a judgment on his work, the famous saying goes that "morning shows the day". Right after taking oath of office as UP CM, he has got into the act of streamlining the administrative machinery and is keeping officials on their toes.

After the swearing-in, officials were made to pledge swachhta (cleanliness) not just in the external environment but also in the style of functioning. The same brief has been cascaded down to cabinet colleagues, who are then enjoining their respective departments to do the same.

The day begins early for Yogi, who is still lodged in the VVIP guest house in Lucknow, and he is meeting people, holding talks with the top bureaucracy and also police officials.

It does not stop here. The Yogi knows the state has plunged into corruption due to inaction and bureaucratic bottlenecks and would require real effort to break the vicious cycle. He is giving ample signals that he means business and will not leave any stone unturned to ensure rule of law and speedy development in the state.

He deftly chose his cabinet colleagues and took extra care in portfolio distribution, keeping home revenue, housing and urban planning besides food and civil supplies to himself.

On Wednesday, he paid a visit to government offices in Lucknow and asked officers not to chew pan and gutka in the premises (and also eschew use of plastic) after spotting stains of the same.

But beyond these publicity gestures, as many would call them, he has instructed officials to note dates on files with a red pen to keep track of the work done and to expedite the process of clearing of files that have been lying in piles of dust for years.

Cleanliness in offices and in functioning has been attached much priority and the impact of his visit is already visible, with attendance and punctuality improving. On Thursday, Yogi called the DGP and Lucknow SSP for a meeting and went on a surprise visit to the Hazratganj police station.

At the station, the CM examined almost every room. The message he wanted to send was spelt clearly to the officials. The surprise element in Yogi's work is bound to create ripples in the system and fast-track work as well as establish rule of law.

Within hours of his taking oath, a massive crackdown started on illegal slaughterhouses across the state, as was promised in BJP's poll campaign, though the move is being termed as ambiguous by many.

Anti-romeo squads have been formed and a state-wide crackdown has begun on eve-teasers. As many as 23 such teams were constituted in Lucknow itself and a team of five policemen with two female constables have been strategically deployed.

The Yogi has much at stake after the huge mandate he won from the people. The functioning of the state government is bound to impact the general elections of not only 2019 but also other states. Yogi knows he has to deliver and deliver within a short time as expectations run high and patience is thin.

With his day starting early and ending late, the Yogi will have to spell priorities. In the last couple of days, despite action on slaughter houses and women's safety, the intent to bring in investment and generate employment is not visible.

A roadmap will have to be prepared for sustained all-round development of UP as exodus of people for employment in other states is a grim reality.

Another challenge for Yogi would be to dispel fear among the minority community and integrate them to the mainstream of development.
A CCTV grab that surfaced on social media, on March 12, showed a group of more than 30 people thrashing a doctor in the hospital ward at Government Medical College, Dhule.

He was beaten up because he referred the relatives of a patient who had suffered a massive head injury to a neurosurgeon at a tertiary-level hospital.

The assaulted doctor's brain scan shows a fracture in the left eye orbit that could lead to vision loss.

Similar cases of assault on resident doctors were reported from Civil Hospital, Nashik and Sion Hospital, Mumbai  all within the span of one week.

The issues over which the incidents took place were either systemic or inevitable  and not remotely the fault of the hapless doctors.

Save the saviour. Photo: PTI

I am propelled to write this piece here not just because it spells a harsh future for the medical profession in India, but also because its saddens me that my best friend, who is one of the most formidable women I've met, resigned from her residency at JJ Hospital.

She has always been a proponent of hope and beacon of inspiration.

Her tenacity has made her endure the rigorous academic cycle, competition as well as the deplorable conditions of sleeping in wards, skipping meals and several hours of being on call  all this she has done with unparalleled zeal.

I have sensed her trauma as she saw babies die every odd day, her elation as she held newborns she had helped bring into this world, in neonatal ward.

Over the years, she has compromised on many things  festivals, marriages, anniversaries, what have you.

I distinctly remember joking that she should have opted for an MHA (Masters of Health Administration) instead of MD (paediatrician) for better financial prospects, to which she had a dignified reply: I work for I care."

Today, for the first time, I see her question her decision to opt for medicine  not because she's vulnerable or weak, but because she isnt allowed to demand her right to safety.

If you (doctors) do not want to work, then resign. You are not factory workers who resort to such protests. Shame on you. How can doctors behave in such a manner? asked the division bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday, slamming the no-show agitation launched by resident doctors across Maharashtra.

With due respect, the verdict and comparison are imperious and left us desolate.

A resident isn't a worker for no industrial worker would engage in jobs where you labour for 15 to 37 hours.

At district hospitals, a resident doctor is not only the first point of contact with patients, but also the one handling the maximum workload. Photo: PTI

It's a complete failure of the judicial machinery as it chose to indict a profession on the whole, when it is incumbent upon it to offer real-time measures for the crisis.

Rebuke doctors for the "mass leave" if you must, but ensure the grievances are heard, that security is provided and that residents are not overworked and underpaid.

Doctors need this confidence and compassion if they are to deal with grave cases, not live in the constant fear of being lynched by a mob.

Indian media has played a major role in demonising doctors with the purpose of peddling news.

Journalism has become increasingly combative and, as a result, indicting doctors sans proof has been normalised.

This brand of journalism sells a negative image of the medical community.

Since it might be callous to pin the blame on the patient or the attendants, Indian media outlets find it convenient to scapegoat the physician, causing the public to start a witch hunt, no less.

Such fear mongering has sown seeds of deep suspicion in the minds of the people.

For instance, among major media outlets, there has been a predilection to suggest that due to the striking resident doctors, emergency cases are being compromised, which is factually wrong as the only reason senior doctors have not joined the protests is to ensure emergencies are covered.

Anybody who cares to scrutinise the multitude of episodes of violence would establish that the greatest proportion of such assaults happen with resident doctors, or doctors who are still in the process of honing their skills.

This is perfectly understandable because in big tertiary centres such as district hospitals, a resident doctor is not only the first point of contact with patients, but also the one handling the maximum workload.

They put in hours, even days at a time and, in the process, presumed to be tolerant and compliant enough to earn a satisfactory evaluation from their seniors.

Shouldn't the resident doctor, based on the precedent put forward by the judicial verdict, legally decline to work more than what human rights law allows the world over?

A study by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has revealed that more than 75 per cent doctors have experienced violence at work.

The Maharashtra government, in 2010, yielded to the long-standing demands of the medical community and passed the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2009.

According to the Act, violence against doctors, medical staff and medical establishments is a non-bailable offence, attracting imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

Also, the offender would have to pay twice the amount of damage or loss caused to property as compensation.

Unfortunately, with no awareness created about around it, the Act seems to be followed only on paper.

The police is largely unaware of its existence. The handling of such assault is so depraved that despite 53 doctors suffering attacks in the past two years, not a single conviction was made.

Disowning responsibility amounts to nothing short of laxity of duty.

Perceiving the ever-sensitive atmosphere in any healthcare vicinity, the action plan to foil episodes of violence should have been conceived long ago.

Yet, every new incident brings little in the form of action other than verbal condemnation, futile protests and candlelight marches.

Faith in the doctorpatient relationship has taken a beating over the last few decades. Photo: Reuters

Every time such horrific assaults take place, we see the political powers turn into mute spectators, waiting for flames to subside.

What keeps us from addressing the issue? Have we reached the rock bottom of appeasement politics?

A multi-faceted problem

The origin of the issue is multi-faceted.

Over the past two decades, the Indian subcontinent has experienced a fiscal boom  so much so that the social fabric of the region, as laid down by Gandhi, has slowly become capitalistic.

With the rise of commercial hospitals, the mentality of parents to let their children choose medicine has changed from a charitable to a lucrative one.

This change has drastically influenced people's perception of doctors.

Earlier even when there used to be one medical officer for an entire village or a small district, people's trust in the doctor remained high.

The doctor was regarded as part of the local community and integral to the health and well-being of the social unit.

Faith in the doctorpatient relationship has taken a beating over the last few decades.

In earlier times, people went into the medical profession for the predominant vision of serving the ailing mankind, and thus were viewed as saints.

Over time, with the privatisation of healthcare, some doctors were blamed of being driven by greed and of embracing unethical practices.

The ravenous media rapidly jumped to conclusions and published sensational stories of organ theft, medical negligence and malpractice.

Reports about unnecessary tests and needless invasive procedures have caused patients' distrust to grow.

Government hospitals in India follow the welfare model, as the majority of the population is poor and does not have health insurance.

Such hospitals, offering subsidised medical care are flooded with patients and their attendants.

In addition to jeopardising the safety of medical personnel, violence threatens patient safety and hampers their recovery to health. Photo: Reuters

The average medical officer posted in the outpatient department sees close to 350 patients a day.

It is reasonable to conjecture that the quality of healthcare is compromised while attending to such a huge number of patients in a short period.

This may lend the impression of neglect to the patient and leave him/her only partially satisfied.

After waiting in long queues for hours, some patients' attendants find themselves at the brink of an emotional cliff.

Ineffective communication or delay in attending to a patient can easily drive them over the edge.

Since most patients lack health insurance, at times, the diagnosis comes as a financial disaster and shocks them into emotional turmoil.

This results in the displacement of anger toward the physician.

The expenditure on healthcare in last fiscal (2015-2016) by the Centre and state governments was merely 1.3 per cent of the GDP.

Most government hospitals in India lack adequate security personnel. During the late hours, it is often the medical officer who plays the role of the doctor, as well as that of the security guard.

There is no established protocol for tackling violence or shooting incidents.

Laws against doctor assault should be prominently displayed on the walls of the hospital. Photo: Independent Blog

Most of the police force is plagued by corruption and prone to bribery. Hence, relying on the police for safety is more often than not useless.

The public struggles with a lack of faith in the judicial system and feels it is only the rich who obtain justice.

Thus, in instances of patient deaths, people believe in exacting immediate revenge, seeking their "pound of flesh" using physical means rather than filing a case in courts.

The cure

What can be done? Though the scenario seems gloomy, tackling the problem requires residents' participation.

Doctors should work with the government in creating an effective strategy to prevent hospital violence.

Security personnel should be posted at the entrance of every hospital and should not let anyone through without checking for identification.

Weapons should be confiscated before allowing passage to anyone.

All attendants must register at the front desk and be given a visitor badge to be worn at all times.

No more than two attendants should be allowed with the patient.

Laws against doctor assault should be prominently displayed on the walls of the hospital.

To ensure doctor safety, every hospital should create an emergency protocol and an evacuation plan in case of a major act of violence.

The above measures are in conjunction with the demands listed by Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) and Indian Medical Association (Maharashtra unit).

Violence in any form and, in any setting, is despicable.

However, acts of violence in a hospital are the most extreme and should be dealt with an iron hand. Hospitals are sanctums of healing and recuperation.

In addition to jeopardising the safety of medical personnel, violence threatens patient safety and hampers their recovery to health.

For the better of the society, doctors too  rather than giving the cold shoulder to the other aggrieved parties  should work in tandem with the government as well as the public, to tide over this crisis.
The conference, held to recognize top female Edward Jones financial advisers, provided attendees with the opportunity to network, hear from internationally recognized speakers, participate in elective sessions that explore performance excellence best practices and interact with firm leadership.

We are thrilled to be bringing together our most successful women financial advisers to recognize their contributions and facilitate mentorship, said Alan Kindsvater of Edward Jones Branch Training. The success of women financial advisers is a firm priority because it will enable us to serve more diverse clients and have greater choices for future leaders.

Today, about 19 percent of Edward Jones financial advisers are women, compared to the industry average of less than 16 percent, according to global research firm Cerulli Associates. Edward Jones strives to have at least 25 percent women in its financial adviser population.

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company, provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firms business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work.

The firms 15,000-plus financial advisers work directly with more than 7 million clients. Edward Jones, which ranked No. 5 on Fortune magazines 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2017, is headquartered in St. Louis. The Edward Jones website is located at www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting website iswww.careers.edwardjones.com.
Randolph Randy Cooper Bunch passed away peacefully at his home in Tuscarora on March 15, with his wife of 52 years, Linda, and their canine menagerie nearby, just a few days short of what would have been his 78th birthday.

Randy was born March 18, 1939 in Twin Falls, Idaho, to Arville and Mary Molly Bunch. He grew up in Battle Mountain but spent the majority of his adult life near Tuscarora in Independence Valley where he spent over sixty years as a buckaroo, trapper, lion hunter, dozer operator, and breeder of American Quarter Horses, and bucking bulls. Randy was an anachronism in the modern world  a throwback to an earlier time when rugged individualism was the norm.

Just as Randy learned the old cowboy, horsemen, and hunters ways from legendary men, he generously shared them with his own friends. It was his nature to help those he cared about in any way possible; he and Linda blessed many young people with stock from their breeding programs, and it was well known in his circle that if you were in a real pickle, Randy was the one to call. He never lost his love of a good adventure, and even in his later years, his help and humor were needed and appreciated in neighbors branding pens.

Anything Randy did, he did well, and in his early sixties, he taught himself to weld. The white pipe corrals and green gates on his and Lindas property stand as a monument to this skill.

He was preceded in death by his parents, by brother, Bud Bunch, and by sisters Mary Ellen Schroeder and Kate Barredo. He is survived by his wife, Linda, several nieces and nephews and their families, and by a close-knit network of dear friends and adopted family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Friends of Tuscarora and Independence Valley Association (FsTIV) c/o of Julie Parks, Tuscarora, NV 89834. This is a community organization donated to preserving Society Hall (formerly the Tuscarora Tavern), the Tuscarora Cemetery, and the history of Independence Valley and Tuscarora.

A celebration of his life will be held May 13 at 1:00 pm at Society Hall in Tuscarora where friends will gather for food, drink, laughter, tears, and stories.
Humana Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a health and well-being company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail, Group and Specialty, and Healthcare Services. The company offers medical and supplemental benefit plans to individuals. It also has a contract with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition prescription drug plan program; and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible, and long-term support services benefits. In addition, the company provides commercial fully insured medical and specialty health insurance benefits comprising dental, vision, and other supplemental health benefits; and administrative services only products to individuals and employer groups, as well as military services, such as TRICARE T2017 East Region contract. Further, it offers pharmacy solutions, provider services, and home solutions services, such as home health and other services to its health plan members, as well as to third parties. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 17 million members in medical benefit plans, as well as approximately 5 million members in specialty products. Humana Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through two segments, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics and Spine. The Orthopaedics and Spine segment provides implants for use in hip and knee joint replacements, and trauma and extremities surgeries. This segment also offers spinal implant products comprising cervical, thoracolumbar, and interbody systems that are used in spinal injury, deformity, and degenerative therapies. The MedSurg and Neurotechnology segment offers surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems, endoscopic and communications systems, patient handling, emergency medical equipment and intensive care disposable products, reprocessed and remanufactured medical devices, and other medical device products that are used in various medical specialties. This segment also provides neurotechnology products, which include products used for minimally invasive endovascular techniques; products for brain and open skull based surgical procedures; orthobiologic and biosurgery products, such as synthetic bone grafts and vertebral augmentation products; minimally invasive products for the treatment of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke; and craniomaxillofacial implant products, including cranial, maxillofacial, and chest wall devices, as well as dural substitutes and sealants. The company sells its products to doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities through company-owned subsidiaries and branches, as well as third-party dealers and distributors in approximately 75 countries. Stryker Corporation was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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.
Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. provides early education and child care, back-up care, educational advisory, and other workplace solutions services for employers and families. The company operates through three segments: Full Service Center-Based Child Care, Back-Up Care, and Educational Advisory and Other Services. The Full Service Center-Based Child Care segment offers traditional center-based child care and early education, preschool, and elementary education services. The Back-Up Care segment provides center-based back-up child care, in-home child and adult/elder dependent care, school-age camps, virtual tutoring, and self-sourced reimbursed care services through child care centers, school-age campuses, and in-home caregivers, as well as the back-up care network. The Educational Advisory and Other Services segment offers tuition assistance and student loan repayment program administration, workforce education, and related educational consulting services, as well as college admissions advisory services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 1,014 child care and early education centers in the United States, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, and India. The company was formerly known as Bright Horizons Solutions Corp. and changed its name to Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. in July 2012. Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts.
Lawmakers from the GOP moved on Thursday to tear down landmark protections covering Internet privacy for consumers in a first decisive strike against technology and telecommunications regulations created under the Barack Obama administration and what is looked at as the beginning of more deregulation.

In a vote of 50-48 that was partisan voting, the Republican majority in the Senate voted on Thursday to overturn privacy rules that were created last October by the FCC.

Get

Warning: Undefined variable $CompanyName in /home/acctdp/public_html/wp-content/themes/responsalambre/single.php on line 65

alerts:

It is expected that the House will mirror the action taken by the Senate in a vote next week, followed by the signing of the measure by the President.

This move means AT&T, Comcast or Verizon will be able to track and share the app and browsing action of users without asking permission.

The vote by the Senate has alarmed Democrat lawmakers and consumer advocates, who warned that providers of broadband will have the biggest view into the habits online of Americans.

Without these rules, Democrats said, the companies will have additional power to collect all the data they want on people and then sell the information.

The determined and brisk action taken by Congressional Republicans only two months into the new White House administration, has foreshadowed a wider ranging rollback of conservative members of Congress and companies such as Charter, Verizon and AT&T.

GOP lawmakers and Ajit Pai the new FCC chairman has said privacy rules had been onerous and strapped regulations unfairly on telecom companies, but not on companies on the Internet such as Google and Facebook that provide access as well, to content online.

The vote in the Senate was a big win for giant cable and telecommunications companies. Tom Wheeler, the chairman under the FCC during the Obama administration, had said that broadband would be more heavily regulated by categorizing service under the same regulatory grouping as telephone services that are looked at as utilities.

The move acknowledged how important internet was for communications, work, commerce and education, and a need for protecting users online said Wheeler.

Under the privacy rules for Internet that were passed by Wheeler apart from providers of broadband needing to ask users permission to track their browsing and other activities online, the companies also were required use of reasonable measure as a way to secure data of consumers against hackers.

Privacy rules were to go into effect the end of 2017.
At first glance, two panels of stained glass in the chapels back windows at St. Josephs Catholic Church look like a wonderful collage of colors and shapes.

But look a little closer and youll see mountains, cliffs, trees in all seasons, and wildlife.

Father Dan Hussey said stained-glass windows in Catholic churches are often based on Biblical scenes. St. Josephs church is unique in that the artist, Roger Hogan, based the image off the nearby Ruby Mountains and Lamoille Canyon.

Its not exactly a religious theme, Hussey said. But its about the beauty of creation.

Although not straight out of the Bible, the left panel includes a Christ figure.

The window was created in 1989 by Hogan, who learned the craft from his father.

Hogans father worked under Harry Clarke, renowned Irish stained-glass artist. Clarke also worked throughout the United States, according to Hussey.

Hussey said church members have expressed an appreciation of the window.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)  Nearly 20 pieces of construction equipment stolen from Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were recovered on two Cecil County, Maryland, properties earlier this month.

It was called a landmark arrest, not because of the magnitude of the crime, but because of the method used to crack the case.

The Cecil County Sheriffs Office used an unmanned aerial vehicle, otherwise known as a drone, to find the missing equipment.

This was actually our first, outside of training, operation, Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams said. So Im pleased with the outcome so far.

One person has been arrested and more arrests are expected, according to the department.

More and more police departments are using drones as an investigative means to an end.

The Somerset County, New Jersey, Sheriffs Office became the first law enforcement agency in the country to receive new drone technology for search-and-rescue missions. That drone is part of a partnership with Project Lifesaver International, a group with 1,600 partners that trains law enforcement to locate missing people.

But there are concerns about the type of surveillance the drones carry out.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department in January said it would be deploying drones to help at disaster response scenes, hostage rescue situations and in cases of barricaded and armed suspects. Sheriff Jim McDonnell said the department would not use drones for random surveillance missions or missions that would violate the privacy rights of the public.

Groups such as the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, a Los Angeles-based anti-drone campaign, want the drones grounded.

The coalitions rejection of the deployment of drones by LASD arises from deep concerns and history of violence, brutality, disregard for privacy rights, and several other factors, said Hamid Khan, campaign coordinator with Stop LAPD Spying Coalition.

Some of the coalitions objections include that the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department is one of the most militarized police departments and drones could further it becoming an occupying institution that operates as a counter-insurgency force.

Wilmington police Master Sgt. Adam B. Ringle said using drones helps officers with real-time intelligence with whats happening on the ground, which officers working a special event or in a tactical situation would not be able to instantly see.

A lot of things happen that are not visible when you can only see 10 or 15 people, Ringle said. Its the same purpose that a police helicopter would be used, but its much less of a cost.

Ringle said people get concerned when they hear that police will be using drones; it happened when Wilmington first announced it would deploy them, but he said using them properly diminishes those worries.

Its not really an issue unless the drone operator flies it low in somebodys yard, like a paparazzi type of thing, he said. And youre not going to find any law enforcement agency behaving that way.

In the construction equipment case, the Cecil County Sheriffs Office was contacted March 9 by New Jersey State Police about an ongoing investigation into multiple pieces of stolen heavy duty construction equipment, including a bulldozer, excavators and a backhoe. The New Jersey investigation pointed to an Elkton, Maryland, man.

The sheriffs office also received a tip that the same man was responsible for several pieces of stolen property in other states. The sheriffs office then contacted Pennsylvania and Delaware state police and officers with the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources  all of whom were investigating recent equipment thefts from their jurisdictions.

It was then decided to use the offices new drone.
CARSON CITY  Nevadas rural tourism professionals will gather April 26-28 in Elko for the annual Rural Roundup conference, Lieutenant Governor and Nevada Commission on Tourism Chairman Mark Hutchison announced.

Rural Roundup is essential to the growth and advancement of Nevadas continually expanding tourism markets, Hutchison said. Through this event, we can provide our rural communities with the most recent marketing and communications trends and insights, and showcase tactics to better drive visitation through unique offerings that appeal to domestic and international markets.

Getting the most out of marketing dollars, distinguishing communities through a comprehensive gateway plan, and driving business through new cooperative marketing and sales programs at TravelNevada are among the topics to be addressed in this years general sessions.

Other sessions cover exploring outdoor adventure tourism in rural Nevada, maximizing the ever-changing social media environment, and securing editorial coverage via earned media. And, back by popular demand: the Rural Roundup Film Festival, spotlighting the top marketing videos developed by rural destinations.

Year over year the tourism industry in Nevadas rural communities continues to grow in new and exciting ways, Claudia Vecchio, director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, said. Rural Roundup provides a place for statewide partners to come together and gain insights essential for promoting the rural communities of Nevada as authentic and compelling travel destinations.

Registration for the Rural Roundup is $65 through April 13, and $100 thereafter. For the full agenda and information about conference speakers, visit Rural Roundup.com.
Elko residents who want to purchase marijuana may not need to drive any farther than West Wendover.

The state Department of Taxation plans to begin licensing retail establishments by July 1. The border city is hoping to jump on the bandwagon, offering sales that would no doubt draw more visitors from Utah and boost coffers with a 3 percent tax on pot sales.

The West Wendover City Council has held two public hearings in the past month, and next month members will pay a visit to a dispensary in Mesquite to learn more about the business.

Mayor Daniel J. Corona told the council about his recent visit to the Legislature and his meeting with Sen. Tick Segerblom. They have been working on a bill allowing municipalities to offer medical marijuana licensing.

Corona reported Tuesday that the bill had been introduced by this weeks deadline.

It would allow us to go directly to the department of taxation if we decide to go ahead with marijuana in the City of West Wendover, and it would also allow us to put a tax of no more than 3 percent, or a fee, on the total gross revenue from the sales of marijuana in the City, Corona said. And my favorite part, it prevents the County from placing an extra tax on top of it, so well get the 3 percent and the County cant take it from us.

If passed, SB 341 would allow any city or town  even an unincorporated jurisdiction within a county  to license additional marijuana establishments beyond what the law currently allows. In Elko Countys case, the current law limits the county to two establishments.

The hearings in West Wendover drew several public comments, many of which were similar to those aired in the City of Elko during hearings on its medical marijuana moratorium.

Several residents spoke in favor of medical and-or recreational marijuana, some of them pointing out that if a dispensary were established it would then be illegal for people to grow their own  thereby reducing criminal marijuana activity.

Others were opposed, citing Colorado as an example of the negative social impact outweighing the fiscal benefits. We agree, and are equally skeptical of the direction Nevada is going.

West Wendover council members will be getting a firsthand look at their potential future on April 10 when they visit the Deep Roots Harvest facility in Mesquite to conduct a special meeting.

The purpose of the meeting is to be given an educational tour on the operations of a marijuana dispensary operating under the laws of the State of Nevada, according to the council agenda.

Elko County officials should not be surprised by their interest. For several decades the border towns of West Wendover and Jackpot have thrived on casino tourism from neighboring states. Business has leveled off in recent years, however, as casino gambling has been legalized in many other parts of the country.

Marijuana could be a real shot in the arm for West Wendover. Jackpot could also benefit, but Idaho pot smokers already have the option of crossing their western border into Oregon to buy the drug.

At any rate, it is clear that West Wendover does not want to be held back by Elko County, should commissioners decide to license their quota of two marijuana establishments elsewhere.

Nevadas drug laws could become even more lax in the near future, as Segerblom also introduced a bill this month allowing public pot smoking.

SB 236 would let local governments create marijuana safe-havens, according to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Local governments would be able to issue licenses to businesses like bars, marijuana dispensaries and even yoga studios, or for one-off events like the Electric Daisy Carnival, under the bill.

The proliferation of pot seems inevitable now that Nevada voters have made it a reality. It may take years or longer for communities to realize that setting up marijuana establishments was a bad idea.
 Christ Church (Scottsville) holds Quiet Day for Contemplation, consisting of meditation, prayer, discussion and journaling, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. 900 Glendower Road. (434) 286-3437.

 First United Methodist Church holds a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the 4K for Cancer race, 5 to 6:30 p.m. April 2. $5. 101 E. Jefferson St. (434) 296-6193.

 Mechanicsville Baptist Church (Gordonsville) holds How Can I Be Blessed?, a Precepts Bible Study of the Sermon on the Mount, 12:30 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday. 10200 Louisa Road. (540) 832-3269.

 Operation Esther Circle meets to fast and pray for stranded international students and missions at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays at the University of Virginia. For details, call (434) 227-0811.

 Piedmont Baptist Church (Yancey Mills) will hold a pancake breakfast fundraiser from 8 a.m. to noon April 1. $8. 596 Half Mile Branch Road. (434) 823-4195.

 Rock & Worship Roadshow features performances by Steven Curtis Chapman, Francesca Battistelli, Rend Collective, Passion, Family Force 5, Jordan Feliz and speaker Tony Wolf, 7 p.m. April 1. John Paul Jones Arena. $10. Tickets available at the door or theroadshowtour.com. (434) 243-4960.

 Scottsville United Methodist Church hosts a free St. Patricks Community Dinner from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. 158 Main St. (434) 286-4736.

 St. Pauls Memorial Church hosts author Terry Lindvall presenting If C.S. Lewis Met Stephen Colbert at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and a service of Choral Evensong at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. 1700 University Ave. (434) 295-2156.

 Still I Rise Womens Conference, themed Work It Out, will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 1. DoubleTree Hotel, 990 Hilton Heights Road. Details and schedule available at mountcalvary-nasons.org. (540) 672-2848.

 Union Baptist Church (Scottsville) hosts a performance by Denise and the Traveling Aires of Gladstone, 3 p.m. Saturday. 301 Hardware St. (434) 286-3312.

 Westminster Presbyterian Church hosts the Walk 6,000 Miles in My Shoes refugee resettlement simulation, 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday. The Westminster Organ Concert Series with Monteverdi at 450 featuring Zephyrus and the Washington Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble, will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. April 2. 400 Rugby Road. (434) 963-4690.
RICHMOND  A federal judge in Virginia on Friday declined to issue another injunction against President Donald Trump's second travel ban.

The ruling by Anthony Trenga has no immediate impact, as judges in Hawaii and Maryland have already issued nationwide orders blocking Trump's second attempt to limit travel from several majority-Muslim countries. However, the ruling is a small victory for an administration that has been battered in court.

During a March 21 hearing on the case in federal court in Alexandria, Trenga asked whether Trump's past statements about banning Muslims would forever outweigh "enormous deference" a president is supposed to receive in national security matters.

In his decision, he decided they did not.

"The Court cannot conclude for the purposes of the Motion that these statements, together with the President's past statements, have effectively disqualified him from exercising his lawful presidential authority," the judge wrote.

Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokeswoman said officials there were pleased with the decision.

"As the Court correctly explains, the President's Executive Order falls well within his authority to safeguard the nation's security," Flores said in a statement.

On the other side of the argument, Gadeir Abbas, an attorney representing the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the ruling was disappointing but had little practical significance.

"It really doesn't change much for us," he said. "While we disagree with the decision, it doesn't affect any of the other injunctions that have been put in place, and it allows us now to take the next step which is to get the full hearing before the Fourth Circuit."

The Justice Department has already appealed the Maryland judge's decision blocking the ban to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. An appeal of Trenga's ruling would go to the same court, where the two cases could be combined.

Unlike Trump's first travel ban, Trenga concluded, the newer order is free of explicit religious discrimination, offers a national security rationale for the six specific countries included, and offers exceptions in the form of waivers.

"Were it issued by an executive other than the executive who made those previous statements, it wouldn't be challenged in this way," Trenga said during the Tuesday hearing.
For the past four years, Cintas Corporation (a company that provides facilities maintenance supplies and services) has sponsored its Janitor of the Year contest.

The company solicits nominations from K-12 schools as well as colleges and universities, which are invited to provide brief bios on their janitors or custodians and to explain why they are invaluable members of the school community.

The contest was brought to my attention when my sister let me know that Fred Nieves, the janitor at her school, Saint Bridget School, in Framingham, Massachusetts, had made the top 10. Anyone could go to the site and vote, she told me, and so she asked if I'd please vote for "Deacon Fred."

Of course, I was happy to do that. But as long as I was on the site, I decided to read all the bios of the other nominees. What an inspiration it was to read about the many ways that these individuals improve the lives of those around them on a daily basis.

At Saint Bridget, Deacon Fred is one of the first faces children see every morning, as he helps them from car seats, carries in school projects, greets them with warmth and love.

Other schools offered equally glowing praise for their nominees.

Essex Elementary School praises the efforts of custodian Wendy Boyden for her attention to detail and ability to fix anything  including the school's stage curtains. John Dawson is a trusted friend and advisor to many of the students with learning disabilities at Pepin Academies. Michael Eldridge teaches American Sign Language to students at Deer Crossing Elementary.

Seymour Middle School credits George Hoffman for his unflagging positive attitude. Woodmere Elementary School notes that Sauveur Jean has a "sixth sense" for finding kids having a bad day and cheering them up. Rio Rancho Middle School describes Loy Lopez as a brainstormer and innovator, great at solving problems. North Calloway Elementary School nominated Cecil Lovett because he is a gallant gentleman, and the children's "Unofficial Grandpa."

Veteran Ted Qualli Jr. is "the glue" that holds Newtown Elementary School together, happy to talk about his service to the country, and knowing every child's name. And Andy Wegner brings his safety expertise as associate fire department chief to Big Bend Elementary school.

I called Cintas and spoke with Jillian Bauer, marketing manager for the company. Bauer explained that Cintas created the contest to express appreciation for the important work that janitors and custodians do every day. "Janitors do a lot of hardy, dirty work," she explained, "but they don't often get the praise they deserve."

The contest is a wonderful opportunity for schools to provide that praise. It is crystal clear from reading excerpts from the nominations on Cintas' contest page, that the nominees are not merely janitors; they are beloved members of the school community.

And more schools are participating every year. This year, Bauer said, Cintas received over 1,200 nominations. They have narrowed these down to 10 finalists, and the winner is then chosen by online voting. That winner will be announced in the latter part of April, and will receive $5,000. The nominating school will receive $5,000 in Cintas cleaning supplies and services.

This contest is a refreshing change of pace  particularly at present, when the news and social media have been filled, for months, with diatribes and rants by one-half of the American population against the other half. As I and others have noted, the "politization of everything" is making our attitudes morose and our lives miserable. We should be able to watch the Oscars or the Super Bowl without being subjected to political harangues. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram should offer something other than nonstop pointed political commentary.

More importantly, when we look at those around us every day, the first thing that should come to mind is the many ways in which they make our lives richer, our days smoother, our work easier, our streets safer, our schools and offices cleaner. If we had to write a paragraph thanking all those people for their efforts, how different would our attitude be?

When you read the bios of the finalists for Cintas' Janitor of the Year, you're left with a powerful sense of these individuals' importance to those around them. You don't know what political party they belong to, their views on the pressing social issues of the day, or for whom they voted for president. Those things don't matter; what matters is who they are as people.

That's how we should be treating each other.

Laura Hollis is a Creators Syndicate columnist and a teacher of business law and entrepreneurship who holds faculty appointments at the Mendoza College of Business and the Law School at the University of Notre Dame.
Frans Timmermans in his Brussels office. Delmi Alvarez

The European Union is currently living through a perfect storm. Added to the cocktail of ongoing crises  the economic one, the wave of refugees, terrorism  we can add Brexit, which has brought about an existential debate in the EU family. The number two at the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, will not be intimidated. A polyglot and a convinced Europhile, Timmermans insists on the need to rebuild the bridges that have been destroyed in recent years. The Dutch social democrat spoke to EL PAIS on Thursday in an office full of books and modern photography, discussing the European project, which is about to turn 60 years old.

No one, not even the British, thought article 50 would ever be invoked

Question. Terrorist attacks continue to happen. Do we have to get used to this new Europe?

Answer. Terrorism has been a part of European society for a long time. But not all societies have experienced it. In my country people were very impressed by the reaction of Spain to the attacks in Madrid in 2004, which was so calm, without rebelling against a community or a religion. We will learn to cope with it. Terrorist are criminals who hate our way of life. If we react like Spain did, they will never defeat us. If we start to blame a religion or a community, they are already halfway to winning.

Q. Has Europe failed to integrate some collectives?

A. Yes, when there are young people who apparently dont feel part of this society and are willing to kill. But at the same time, I know a lot of young people from immigrant communities whose parents are illiterate and who have one or two degrees. How can you describe them as a failure? They are a success. Extrapolating that small group to the entire Muslim community is a huge injustice. Of course there are problems. But lets not put the entire community in the same orbit.

Q. The EU is going through an existential crisis, whose main symbol is Brexit.

In the north of Europe people think that in the south we are lazy and in the south they think that they are not respected

A. I was at the meeting [that finalized the Lisbon Treaty, with article 50 to leave the EU]. I can assure you that no one, not even the British, thought that it would ever be invoked. It was added to show that the EU was not a prison. Now we have a fundamental paradigm shift. Whats more, as it is taking place at a moment when we are suffering the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, and an unprecedented migration crisis, Brexit is becoming a symbol of Europes failure of achievement. But the reaction is clear: the 27 member states are together on this. In the Netherlands, the countries that called for an exit from the EU stopped mentioning it during the campaign because they knew that the people didnt want it.

Q. Do you think that the elections in your country show a defeat for populism?

A. Geert Wilders did not win the most votes, but the phenomenon is more permanent than we would like to admit. He has won support. And the left really suffered. What worries me is that we are building fewer bridges. We are left with the people who think like us. Its a trend linked to populism, you can see it in the United States and in other countries. But what makes the Union work is that, while we are different, we sit down at the table and find a compromise. We need to return to compromise as a political tool rather than talking about winners and losers in the EU.

Q. Why are those bridges falling?

A. With the crisis, the concept of a moral risk has arrived. The words of Jeroen Dijsselbloem [the president of the Eurogroup, who stated that southern countries cannot spend their money on liquor and women and later ask for a bailout] show this. We think according to our cultural baggage and we dont have enough sensitivity toward others. That doesnt help us to build a common future. I thought that we had got over this, but its not the case: in the north people think that in the south we are lazy and in the south they think that they are not respected. There is a lot of senselessness If you look at working hours, in the south they are almost twice as long. Its a problem of productivity, not effort.

If we react like to terrorist attacks like Spain did, they will never defeat us

Q. Do examples like this explain the poor results of social democrats in Europe?

A. The reason for being a social democrat is to improve the situation of the people. For that you need a social elevator. And now, for the first time, the middle classes believe that there is an elevator, but that it can only take you downward. All of the premises of our societies, including those of [Spains former Socialist Prime Minister] Felipe Gonzalez, are based on improving the situation of the people. Now, the middle class does not want to approach those who are below them just in case they drag them down. That undermines solidarity and damages the socialists.

English version by Simon Hunter.
The Orange County Animal Shelter will apply a $10,500 short-term solution it hopes will resolve state veterinarian citations issued last May.

The shelter is inspected annually by the Office of Animal Care and Emergency Response. It was during last years visit that the inspector cited significant findings of noncompliance. In a letter sent to the county in May, the inspector identified areas where the shelters walls and floor were chipped, leaving exposed concrete, which is a violation of state code. It warned if the county did not take action to correct the issues by the next inspection, the county could face civil penalties of up to $1,000 a day.

The county hired Dominion Seven Architects of Lynchburg, a firm that specializes in the design and maintenance of animal shelters, to develop recommendations and a plan to bring the shelter back into compliance. However, the firms recommendation to install resinous epoxy floors and a resinous wall coating throughout the entire facility at an estimated cost of $220,000 made the Orange County Board of Supervisors question whether that cost was too much for a temporary fix.

With an estimated life expectancy of eight years for the resinous epoxy floors and various other issues at the shelter such as high humidity, the supervisors said they would prefer to put that much money toward a longer-term solution.

With the inspector expected to visit within the next two months, said Orange County Assistant County Administrator for Operations Kurt Hildebrand, he suggested the county needed to take some corrective action quickly.

He returned to the board Feb. 28 with a more cost-effective option to resolve the citations.

In working with the contractor, we came up with a material that we think that we can use, understanding that its not going to be as durable as the ultimate permanent fix, but for the moment, its a lot less expensive, he said.

For about $10,500, problematic areas of the floor and walls would be patched, he explained, bringing the county into compliance with state codes, but without making major repairs to all the floors and walls.

Its not re-coating the unit; its not removing any of the kennel hardwareits just fixing the problems that we see and our guess is that it will last a year, Hildebrand told the board. Its not going to be nearly as durable as other products, but thats the best weve been able to come up with.

The board gave Hildebrand the authorization to proceed. The repairs will be made in three phases because there are three dog run sections.

Meanwhile, Orange County Administrator Bryan David said hell begin a process of looking at a more long-term solution to address other concerns at the shelterincluding heating ventilation, air conditioning, septic systems and structural components.

What I will be doing as part of our five-year capital improvements program process is bring to the board essentially an architectural assessment of the building, he said. Itll be a top-to-bottom assessment of the building to find out whats doing well and how much longer will it do well and things that need attention now versus mid-term.

David said hell fold those needs into the broader capital improvement process to ensure the county maintains the facility properly.

Blair Smith, of Dominion Seven Architects, said the state veterinarians guidelines for shelters are vague and are often left up to interpretation.

Its really a challenge for us to address, he said. Its even more of a challenge for you guys trying to administer policies for the county and staff to take care of the facility, because things are not very specific.

District 4 Supervisor Jim Crozier said hed like to see the county meet with the state veterinarian to get clarification on the state code, regulations and the offices expectations for localities.

There are a whole lot of variables there, he said. In my opinion, the state code does not match what the state vet is doing.

Louisa County is facing similar circumstances with its animal shelter, David said, indicating he may contact the Virginia Association of Counties to see if the organization can connect localities experiencing the same situation.
Few people have captured the imagination and changed the course of history like Pocahontas.

Four hundred years after her death, shes remembered as a child cartwheeling through the streets of Jamestown, a savior of Captain John Smith and the entire English attempt to colonize America, a young woman kidnapped by the colonists, the first Indian convert to Protestant Christianity, the bride of an important English settler, the mother of a celebrated Virginia lineage, an Indian princess presented to the English king and finally the victim of a grave illness as she started back to her homeland.

Who could have predicted that an Indian girl born in the Virginia wilderness around 1595 would have been so widely remembered?

At the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian, associate curator Cecile Ganteaume said a film and exhibition will recognize her unique place in the development of America.

Were trying to get people to recognize what an important historical figure she was and how very unique it is to know details of somebodys life who lived 400 years ago  let alone a woman and let alone an American Indian woman, Ganteaume said. ... It puts her in the category of very, very few women, like Joan of Arc or Cleopatra.

She is the person who put a human face on the indigenous people of the Americas.

In England, where Pocahontas was buried at Gravesend on March 21, 1617, her legacy has been celebrated this month by participants who included four Richmond students from Franklin Military Academy: Shakiyah Bolden-Jones, LilMeal Boyd, Alyssa Brown and Saki Nowacki. They were part of a delegation organized by Replenish Richmond to participate in commemorations on Monday at Syon House, where Pocahontas and John Rolfe lived near London, and on Tuesday at Gravesend.

In Virginia, where in 1607 her father, Powhatan, was the powerful ruler of an Indian federation when the first permanent English settlers landed at Jamestown, Pocahontas legacy has inspired events this weekend at Henricus Historical Park and this summer at Jamestown Settlement.

Theres still this fascination with this woman who lived between two different cultures, said Nancy Egloff, historian for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, which operates Jamestown Settlement and will open a Pocahontas exhibit July 15.

We like to put thoughts into her head, but we cant really understand what was motivating her. We still look at her as the savior of Jamestown, the savior of John Smiths life, although we dont know if that happened for sure. ... By saving Jamestown shes saved America. She has this saintlike virtue about her, that she was willing to sacrifice herself to save a person of another culture, that she was willing to embrace another culture.

At Henricus, where she may have lived at the time of her conversion and marriage, the anniversary of her death will inspire a look at sickness, death and burial in Indian and English cultures, said John Pagano, supervisor of historical interpreters.

Both in the Indian village and on the English side, we will give visitors a scenario. If Pocahontas was very ill, how would she have been treated? How would she have been cared for, how would she have been buried and how would she have been remembered when she died? We will match that on the English side by replicating a couple different scenarios of what may have killed her. Tuberculosis or a deadly virus are among the possibilities, he said.

At the Virginia Historical Society, William Rasmussen, lead curator, says hes been talking professionally about Pocahontas for longer than she lived. The book he co-authored in 1994, Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend, was a companion to a major exhibition that celebrated the year of her birth.

Rasmussen sticks to the facts about her life as he works on plans for a traveling Pocahontas exhibition. Shes the young woman who concerned herself with John Smiths safety in 1607 and in 1609, was abducted and baptized in 1613, married John Rolfe in 1614, and traveled to England in 1616-17

Artists and writers have celebrated Pocahontas in a variety of guises, he said, as Guardian Angel of the Colony and peacemaker; as princess; as Native American willing to immerse herself in English culture (a civilized princess); as a beautiful woman; as embodying the European ideal of the virtuous primitive (a beautiful forest girl); as a woman of achievement; as the figurative mother of the antebellum Virginia aristocracy  and in turn of the Confederacy; as the precursor of the 20th-century modern woman who acts independently; as representing Americas mistreated minorities.

Whats common to all those guises is an affection for the young woman who played such a large role in Americas founding. Rasmussen likes to quote a line from Herman Melvilles novel, The Confidence Man, written in 1857:

When I think of Pocahontas I am ready to love Indians.

The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian shares the love for Pocahontas in two projects this year.

First is a film, Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Channel. It premieres , at 8 p.m. Monday, March 27.

Second is a new permanent exhibition, Americans, that will open Oct. 26. It will examine the staying power of four stories about Indians: Thanksgiving, Pocahontas, the Trail of Tears, and the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Ganteaume, the NMAI curator, said Pocahontas was embraced early on as a founding figure of the country.

In the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, for example, shes portrayed in three images: a sandstone carving and a frieze showing her legendary rescue of Captain John Smith in 1607 and a painting depicting her baptism in 1613.

The most famous, of course, is the rescue scene that Smith described in his Generall Historie of 1624  the one where Pocahontas lays her head on Smiths to keep the Indians from clubbing him to death. Historians debate whether it really happened the way Smith told it, but its too good a story to forget. Two years later, in 1609, she saved Smith again by warning him that her father intended to kill him.

In fictional versions of her life, starting in the early 1800s and continuing up to the Disney animated film in 1995, Pocahontas was motivated by romantic feelings for Smith, even though she was about 12 at the time and Smith was about 28.

That romantic image is part of the reason that shes had such staying power, Ganteaume said, but just part of it. Its her association with the colony, and the birthplace of representative government, and what begins the United States, and the wealth and power of Virginia.

The ultimate secret of her success then and now may have been her personality.

Shes perhaps vivacious, upbeat and very, very bright, Ganteaume said. Whoever writes about her, whoever knew her, says shes somebody who is noticed.

---

What: Activities commemorating the death of Pocahontas

Where: Henricus Historical Park, 251 Henricus Park Road, Chester

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, March 25

Cost: $8 adults, $6 ages 3-12, free for members

Go to Richmond.com to see more images of Pocahontas.
Fatu Ndeye arrived in Spain in 2010 on a tourist visa. The 35-year-old Senegalese ended up hawking trinkets around the streets and beaches of Barcelona to tourists, like dozens of other mainly undocumented African immigrants, who often set up their wares on cloths alongside each other on the seafront, avenues or squares of the city, keeping an eye out for the police, who have cracked down in recent years on what is known as top manta.

DiomCoop is a new cooperative in Barcelona. Carles Ribas

On Thursday morning in Barcelona, 15 such unlicensed street vendors, 12 men and three women, launched a cooperative, set up with the help of Barcelona City Hall, to help provide a legal way to make a living. Only three of the team have their residency and work permits. The rest are waiting for their papers to be processed.

Ndeye, despite not having his papers in order, has been elected head of the Diomcooop cooperative: Diom means dignity, hospitality and strength, he told reporters at the launch.

People do not set out to become unlicensed street vendors Barcelona deputy mayor

Last September, around 80 street vendors responded to City Halls offer of help to set up a cooperative. Only 15 were selected. Since then they have received a grant of 500 a month and attended training sessions and divided the business into different areas: Communication, administration, logistics, and social cohesion. In return, they have had to stop selling on the streets.

Diomcoop aims to provide its members with access to traveling markets and fairs, where they will sell fair trade goods, along with clothing, jewellery and handmade art and decorations.

Gerardo Pisarello, Barcelonas First Deputy Mayor, told reporters at the launch of Diomcoop that 234 sales points throughout Barcelona will be available for Diomcoop members each year, such as Fleedonia, Flea Market, el Rastro de la Virgin, the Mercat de Segona ma de Sants, el Traster de Can Ricart. Pisarello admitted that the cooperative would not solve the problem of street vendors in Barcelona overnight, but noted: People do not set out to become unlicensed street vendors, and they should have the same rights as anybody else. He hopes that between five and 10 people will join the cooperative each year.

I looked for work from the start, but I have always ended up selling bags and scarves on the cloth

Pape Diop, one of the cooperatives three members whose papers are in order, arrived in Barcelona in 2009. I looked for work from the start, but I have always ended up selling bags and scarves on the cloth, he said. Diop set up a union of top manta sellers to draw attention to what he saw as police harassment.

I am really looking forward to starting work, said Diop at the launch. Fatu Ndeye admits that getting the cooperative off the ground will be hard work to begin with, but that he is optimistic: Its the start of a lot of good news: on Sunday I am getting married.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Beauty and the Beast on stage  or in the movies  the Virginia Festival of the Book, the Harlem Rockets, an art show opening, oldies music, genealogy and classic films are all on tap this weekend in the Culpeper area. Heres a look at whats happening:

FRIDAY

Virginia Festival of the Book

Featuring numerous literary events until 9:30 p.m. March 24 taking place around Charlottesville including, Crime Wave Bestsellers at 8 p.m. at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center with best-selling authors Megan Abbott, Bill Beverly and John Hart. vabook.org. 434/924-3296.

VFW Friday Night Bingo

At Post 2524 in Culpeper. Doors open at 5 p.m., play starts at 6:45. Guaranteed $1,000 jackpot, regular games pay $100 if 90 or more players. Upstairs and downstairs seating, the entire facility is non-smoking.540/825-3424.

Progression  an art show opening

With reception at 5:30 p.m. March 24 in the Baker Gallery of the Walker Fine Arts Center at Woodberry Forest School featuring the paintings of Charlottesville artist Matalie R. Deane. The show runs through April 29. Free and open to the public. 540/672-3900.

Family Fun Night

From 6 to 8 p.m. March 24 in the gym at A.G. Richardson Elementary School in Culpeper.

National Art Honor Society

Spring Painting Party at 6 p.m. March 24 in the art room at Culpeper County High School.

Live music at Grass Rootes

Starting around 6:30 p.m. March 24 featuring rhythm and blues by Mississippi Tom Robbins. No cover. The restaurant is located at 195 E. Davis St. in downtown Culpeper. 540/764-4229.

Culpeper All Stars vs. Harlem Rockets

At 7 p.m. March 24 in the Eastern View High School gym.

Beauty and the Beast

At 7 p.m. March 24 live on stage in the auditorium at Eastern View High School. $12/adults, $6/students, age 10 and younger get in free with paying adult. jwalker@culpeperschools.org.

The Student Nurses

Screens for free at 7:30 p.m. March 24 in the Library of Congress Packard Theater, 19053 Mt. Pony Road in Culpeper. Its a cult film from 1970 thats Rated R. No reservations needed. 202/707-9994.

Chicago in Barboursville

At 8 p.m. March 24 on the Four County Players stage in Orange County as part of the productions final weekend. Fourcp.org or 540/832-5355.

SATURDAY

MS fundraiser

Local multiple sclerosis team Carefree Cruisers will hold a fundraising event at Culpepers Starbucks from 9 to 11 a.m.

Virginia Festival of the Book

Featuring numerous literary events 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 25 taking place around Charlottesville. vabook.org. 434/924-3296.

Abilities in Action Special Needs Expo

From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Culpeper County High School Studio.

Read to the Dogs

From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Culpeper County Library featuring the specially-trained Welcome Waggers Therapy Dogs. Children of all ages are welcome to visit with the dogs. No registration necessary.

Cheesecake & Wine Pairing

From 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday Michel Vineyard and Winery in Leon. Free for Wine Club members, $5 for non-members.

Beauty and the Beast

At 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday live on stage in the auditorium at Eastern View High School. $12/adults, $6/students, age 10 and younger get in free with paying adult. jwalker@culpeperschools.org.

Songcatcher

Screens for free at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Library of Congress Packard Theater, 19053 Mt. Pony Road in Culpeper. Its a period drama from 2000 set in 1907 Appalachia. No reservations needed. 202/707-9994.

Open Mic at Narmada Winery

From 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday is a free afternoon for all ages to share songs, poems, visual media, dance skits and more. Narmada is located in Amissville.

Live music at Grass Rootes

Starting around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, featuring bluegrass by Hardware Hank. No cover. The restaurant is located at 195 E. Davis St. in downtown Culpeper. 540/764-4229.

Making Joyful Noise

The Lakers perform a free oldies concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Lake of the Woods Church featuring Irene Robinson on the piano, Charlie Bocook on drums and Jordan Medas on bass guitar. 540/972-9060.

Point Break

Screens for free at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Library of Congress Packard Theater, 19053 Mt. Pony Road in Culpeper. Keanu Reeves stars as FBI agent who goes undercover to catch a gang of surfers who may be bank robbers in this Rated R film from 1991. No reservations needed. 202/707-9994.

Chicago in Barboursville

At 8 p.m. March 25 on the Four County Players stage in Orange County. Fourcp.org or 540/832-5355.

SUNDAY

Mountain View Community Church

Holds services at 8:30, 10 and 11:30 a.m. on Sundays with a sermon topic for March 26 of Extremes  Say No to Contempt. The 10 a.m. service is live streamed at mountainviewcc.net. Childrens programs for birth through 5th grade at 16088 Rogers Rd., behind Brusters Ice Cream in Culpeper.

Christ Episcopal Church

Meets at 9 a.m. on Sundays in Brandy Station. 540/321-4301.

LIVE Church Ministry

Will lead worship through music at 11 a.m. March 26 at at Lael Baptist Church in Lignum. The public is invited.

Virginia Festival of the Book

Featuring numerous literary events 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 26 taking place around Charlottesville including a conversation with author and "Breaking Bad" actor Bryan Cranston at 2 p.m. at the John Paul Jones Arena. vabook.org. 434/924-3296.

Benefit auction

At Rapidan Volunteer Fire Dept. 1 to 6 p.m. on March 26 to raise money to for an off-road tracked wheelchair for paramedic/firefighter Hugh Seymour. Auction items will include fishing trips, gift cards, house power washing, boat ramp fees and more.

Teen Writers Group

From 2 to 4 p.m. March 26 at the Culpeper County Library for grades 6-12. Cupcakes, creativity, writing and sharing. Writing prompts available if necessary. Bring your favorite notebook. Sign up in advance. 540/825-8691.

Genealogy workshop

From 2 to 4 p.m. March 26 at the Graffiti House, 19484 Brandy Rd. in Brandy Station sponsored by the Brandy Station Foundation. Find out if your relative fought at the Battle of Brandy Station. 540/341-7019, pauladrdr@aol.com or brandystationfoundation.com.

Chicago in Barboursville

Final performance at 2:30 p.m. March 26 on the Four County Players stage in Orange County. Fourcp.org or 540/832-5355.

Mid-Day Lions Bingo

Held at Peppers Grill every Sunday, doors open at 6:30 p.m. Three progressives each night, $1,000 jackpot. 540/937-1730.
The cold weather affecting Spain will hang around throughout the weekend, bringing abundant rain to the western Mediterranean area. So far, Galicia has been hardest hit by the falling temperatures, which brought snow to the northwestern region.

Waves on the coast of Baredo, in northwestern Spain. Salvador Sas (EFE)

On Thursday, over 24,000 preschool, elementary and high school students stayed home in 173 municipalities across the region. The snow was up to five centimeters deep at elevations of 500 meters.

Heavy snowfall in the city of Avila on Thursday. Raul Sanchidrian (EFE)

Three flights to the city of Vigo (two from Madrid and one from Bilbao) had to be rerouted to Santiago de Compostela due to the adverse weather conditions.

Weekend forecast

The western Mediterranean, including the Balearic Islands, will see heavy showers beginning on Friday afternoon and extending to Saturday.

The Spanish meteorology agency AEMET is forecasting that the rainy, occasionally stormy weather will gradually move northeast, sweeping across Catalonia, northern Aragon, Navarre and eastern parts of the Cantabrian coast on Saturday.

The western Mediterranean will see heavy showers beginning on Friday afternoon

Snow is expected in northeastern Spain at elevations of around 1,000 meters on Friday and around 800 meters on Saturday.

The rest of the peninsula will experience scattered showers and falling temperatures. A new Atlantic front could affect southwestern Spain on Saturday and Sunday, bringing rain to the area.

The new rainy spell comes shortly after weather authorities announced that Spains eastern Valencia region has just experienced the wettest winter on record.

The village of Castro Caldelas in Galicia's Ourense province. Brais Lorenzo (EFE)

English version by Susana Urra.
WASHINGTON D.C.  USA  According to Republican Devin Nunez Nunes, Obama is guilty as hell for wiretapping Trump during the run up to the 2016 election.

The intelligence is said to leave no doubt the Obama administration, in its closing days, was using the cover of legitimate surveillance on foreign targets to spy on President-elect Trump. Unlike the FBI, the NSA have capitulated and will present the full evidence to the congressional investigators at the House Intelligence Committee on Friday.

Obviously, the augurs do not bode well for Obama, who has denied any wrongdoing, however with the evidence presented in plain black and white, how can he deny the charges against him?

As for prison time, according to the U.S. Constitution presidents, current or past are liable for crimes committed. They can of course argue executive privilege however under the circumstances of Obama, and the severity of the accusations, he would not be able to hide behind any special legal excuse for his crimes.

Tyrone Jackson, 27, an inmate of San Quentin State Prison in California doing 120 years for crimes of murder and rape, says he cant wait to be cell buddies with Barack, and show him a good time.

Looks like its going to be breaking rocks time with his butt cheeks for the disgraced Obama sometime in 2017. Whilst tucked away in some maximum security prison, Obama will no doubt be preaching the benefits of homosexuality and anal sex to his fellow inmates, who no doubt will take him up on the offer.

If Obama is released by 2065, who knows what the world will look like, and whether Obamacare will still be around to treat his sore ass?
Miroslava Breach was killed in her car. Twitter

More information Asesinados tres periodistas mexicanos en menos de un mes

The murder of Miroslava Breach on Thursday brings to three the number of journalists killed in Mexico so far this month.

Breach, who reported mainly on security and politics for leading national daily La Jornada and Juarez-based Norte, was gunned down as she left for work in her car in Chihuahua, in northern Mexico, police said. Another vehicle drew up alongside her and she was shot eight times. The 54-year-old died while she was being taken to hospital.

Miroslava was an exemplary journalist, rigorous in her professional activities, committed, a woman of values and spirit, wrote Norte in an obituary published on Thursday.

Local journalists staged a protest, covering their mouths with sticking tape

Javier Corral, governor of the state of Chihuahua for the center-right PAN party, visited the scene of the crime, and made a statement to the media there condemning the murder. Local journalists staged a protest, covering their mouths with adhesive tape. They also protested at the state legislature, demanding that police investigate the murder fully.

So far police have given no motive for the killing and have no leads on who was responsible and whether the killer acted alone. Corral, who explained that he had a close relationship with Breach, said he had no knowledge that Breach had received death threats recently, although he said that two years ago the journalist said she was worried about a number of stories she had written.

Corral confirmed social media reports that a message was left at the crime scene, but would only say: There are indications this was planned.

Journalists in Chihuahua have called on the governor to provide them with protection, and have described the state as lawless.

The murder came four days after journalist Ricardo Monlui was shot dead in the southern state of Veracruz on March 19.

Cecilio Pineda, a journalist in the western state of Guerrero, was killed on March 2.

Since President Enrique Pena Nieto took office in 2012, 30 journalists have been killed in Mexico, says British human rights and freedom of expression organization Article 19.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Photo: reuters_live | Video: MONUMENTAL PLAZA MEXICO / EPV

More information Un torero mexicano sufre una grave cornada que le destroza el esfinter

Mexican torero Antonio Romero suffered a serious injury after he was gored in the rectum during a bullfight in Mexico Citys Monumental Plaza on Sunday.

The bullfighter from Zacatecas underwent surgery after a 500-kilogram bull, Caporal, toppled him and then rammed a horn 30 centimeters inside him, damaging his sphincter and rectum.

After the incident, Romero was rushed to hospital. He is now in a stable condition.

English version by Nick Lyne.
New Delhi: With 65 PSUs failing to appoint at least one woman director, the government has asked Registrars of Companies to take up the matter with the ministries concerned and initiate penal action against 1,355 private listed firms in default.

A Sebi directive and the Companies Act, 2013, mandate all listed firms to have at least one woman director on their boards from April 1, 2015. These rules are aimed at ensuring gender diversity in boardrooms.

A total of 1,355 private listed companies are without a woman director while 292 unlisted firms have not appointed any woman on their boards, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The minister said the Registrars of Companies (RoCs) have been directed to take up the matter with the ministries concerned in the case of PSUs. They have been asked to initiate appropriate penal action in case of other firms.

According to Meghwal, 4,558 listed companies, 1,009 unlisted ones and 134 PSUs have representation of women at the board level.
The development is a step forward towards securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore.

New Delhi: Setting in motion the process of extradition of Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, the British government has certified Indias request and sent it to a district judge for further action.

The UK Home department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for extradition of Mallya has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster Magistrates Court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of warrant, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. The development is a step forward towards securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore. Mr Baglay also noted that a formal extradition request in respect of Mallya as per the Extradition Treaty between India and the UK was handed over on November.
A medic moves the Portuguese man who was helped by Manuel Labrado after the attack. Getty

My name is Manuel Labrado, Im 43 years old and Ive been living in Paris for three years. I was in London on the day of the attack because Im a big fan of Swinging London, the music and the culture of London from the 1960s. Given how quickly the Eurostar train gets you to London, every year I go on a trip for two or three days to visit some of the legendary sites from the era, such as Soho, the Marquee, and to places that appear on the covers of albums by Jimmy Page, Ray Davies, The Who, Pink Floyd

I was waiting to cross and suddenly I saw something black go past at great speed, and three people went flying

On Wednesday morning, I was walking to Richmond. Its a neighborhood on the outskirts, on a bend of the River Thames. Its a really pretty area with some very impressive mansions, such as the houses of Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones and Pete Townsend from The Who. Both of them have houses in the same street. I had a Coca-Cola in Richmond Park, and as I had already walked a long way, I took the Underground to get back to the center, in the direction of Westminster. Whenever I go to London, I like to take a selfie emulating the legendary photo from My Generation, by The Who, in front of Big Ben.

When I got to the station, I climbed the stairs and went to take the photo. I was about to cross the street, when the traffic light turned red and the cars stopped. I was waiting to cross and suddenly I saw something black go past at great speed, and three people went flying. I heard a very unpleasant sound. A few seconds later and it would have hit me. The car was already running people over before it passed me but with the noise of the traffic I hadnt seen it. This was at the end of the bridge already, next to Big Ben. The people who were killed in the attack were behind me, in the middle of the bridge.

A record cover from The Who (l), and Manuel Labrados own version of the photo.

Once the car had gone buy I saw a young man on the ground right in front of me. He said to me, Help me please, so I approached him. Just a few meters away there was another girl whose head was bleeding. I started talking to him and he told me he was Portuguese. I said to him, I saw you go flying through the air.

I think I was there with him for 15 or 20 minutes, although its difficult to know. I tried to give him encouragement. I said to him, Youre a hero, youre going to get better. I was really impressed to see that he didnt shed a single tear. I was almost crying myself, but he was really calm. His legs were shattered, he had tried to jump on top of the car but it had struck his legs, he had cuts and he was bleeding, and he also had injuries to one hand. I still have bloodstains on my jacket from when I was with him. It also seemed to me that his legs were bent in a strange way.

Ill carry on going to London, despite the attack. Every year I need to have a dose of Swinging London

He told me his name was Francisco and that he was Portuguese. He told me that his father owned a bar in Calalberche, an area in Toledo. Im from El Arenal, in Avila, which is near, and I pass by there when Im traveling from Madrid to my home village. He told me that he had heard shouts, that he had looked back and had seen a car traveling at high speed and that he had tried to protect himself, or to jump to avoid the impact, but that he was unable to avoid it. The car had also hit two other people, I think one was a Romanian girl, and the other an Italian girl.

The car had passed just four or five meters away from me. I was the first to get to where Francisco was lying. Soon there were a lot of police cars, ambulances and police officers with machine guns on the scene.

I didnt find out about what happened in parliament until later. What I did see was that on the bridge there were groups of injured people, but in a street with so much traffic, with two or three lanes on each side, I didnt see the car coming. When it went past me, I just saw a black car, but it was impossible to tell what make or model it was, or to see the license plate, it was all so fast.

Then the police arrived to where I was. An officer asked me for my personal details. I gave him my name, Manuel Labrado, and my phone number. He said: Well probably call you, but they havent been in touch. The police told me that I could go. That doctors and ambulances were on their way.

I think that the Portuguese guy just had slight injuries in the end. He had to get stitches in his hand and in one leg, where he had the biggest impact, but he was out of danger and they have already discharged him from hospital.

That day, I didnt get my photo in front of Big Ben. I later told my family what had happened. And the next day, as I had planned, I went back to Paris by train. Ive been living there for three years with my wife and two children. I work at a hotel near the Champs-Elysees.

Ill carry on going to London, despite the attack. Every year I need to have a dose of Swinging London and remember that there was once a more romantic time.

This text was written by Miguel Jimenez based on the testimony of Manuel Labrado. English version by Simon Hunter.
Mumbai: Sonakshi Sinha will soon be seen as one of the judges on this reality show Nach Baliye Season 8 and her film, Noor, is also set to release soon. Over the years, Sonakshi has proved her acting caliber by doing varied characters be it comic roles, emotional, romantic or even action. Since Sonakshi is also known to put forth her views unhesitatingly, it wouldnt be too much if we say she is like her father Shatrughan Sinha.

The actress spoke about sexual harassment, urging the government, nepotism and her love for dance and more.

About her stint at Nach Baliye, Sona said, I got attracted to this dance show obviously because I too love dancing. I was always looking for something, if not better, as good as Indian Idol, for me to be a part of. No sooner Nach Baliye came to me and I instantly related to it for the dance factor and of course, Madhuriji. Any girl from my generation would look up to her. Good dancers from the field of glitz and glamour today, have to be Deepika Padukone, who is graceful, Alia Bhatt, who is spunky; Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, all of them are exuberant dancers in their own way.

About the current ugly war of words between Karan Johar and Kangana Ranaut on the topic of nepotism, Sonakshi has her own perspective.

Infact, I dont have a take on nepotism. I feel people talk about that a lot and I feel I can give a lot many examples of people who have made it without any connections into the industry. Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, John Abraham, Anushka Sharma, Shahrukh Khan and many more people from different spheres of film making have made it to the top without pointing fingers at anyone, without playing a blame game or without any support from the industry, she commented.

Blaming the women for not openly coming forward on being subjected to sexual harassment and expressing their views on what may have happened with them at their workplace, she says, Sexual harassment at work is neglected by women as they do not wish to come openly about their experience. Women are still ashamed of the repercussions that will come their way when they speak about it. I also feel that women still feel they will be blamed for whatever has happened to them, like it is happening right now. Until and unless women support each other and stand by each other, that will not change."

Also urging the government to take initiative, Sonakshi puts forth her view point humbly and says It should be made very important for the government to take an initiative where they make women understand that you are not at fault if something like this happens to you. So that they can have the courage to come up and share their not so good experiences with the concerned authorities in order to enable them to get justice at least, she concludes.
Mumbai: In order to do justice to the character he will be essaying on screen, method actor Ranbir Kapoor likes to do his bit before shooting for his films and his upcoming biopic on Sanjay Dutts life is no exception.

The actor has undergone drastic physical transformation and spent hours with Sanjay Dutt to get his mannerisms right. And now that his look for the movie is out, Ranbir Kapoor is mighty disappointed with his fans reaction to the weight gain.

Ranbir isn't the one to get affected by negative comments about his appearance; however, he was really disappointed to see other fandoms react to his weight gain. Now, he has become very conscious and can't wait to loose all the weight he put on which made him look extra chubby around the face, a source reportedly informed a daily.

Ranbir, who was recently shooting in Bhopal, can shed those extra kilos once he winds up the first leg of the film.

Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Dia Mirza and television actress Karishma Tanna will be seen in crucial roles and the film is expected to release later this year.
Mumbai: After the mammoth success of xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, rumours of Deepika Padukone doing another Hollywood film with her xxx co-star Vin Diesel were all over the internet. But, at a recent event, the beautiful actress cleared the air saying that she has not signed any projects yet.

When the Bajirao Mastani actress was asked about her upcoming projects in Holywood, Deepika reportedly said, No nothing happening in Hollywood as yet. Would let you know for sure but yes, a lot of films coming on way and Im happy.

DP is currently busy with Sanjay Leela Bhansalis (SLB) highly controversial period drama Padmavati. Deepika, who plays the character of Rani Padmavati in the film, reacted to the recent acts of vandalism on the sets of the film calling them childish and based media for it.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is someone who lives for cinema and I've never met anyone more passionate. I know for a fact that he will take everything in a positive way and pour it back into the movie. He's here to tell a story through his film and glorify PadmavatiThese complaints are attacks are childish and based on some tabloid news. Media should be mindful of these things. It's gossipy for them but look at the end result! People could've died, said Deepika.

In January, a few Karni Sena activists barged into the sets of Padmavati in Jaigarh Fort (Jaipur) and beat up the Director. If that wasnt enough, the film set was vandalised for the second time and set on fire in Kolhapur earlier this month. Bhansali has been accused of distorting facts and portraying the historical character of Rani Padmavati in poor light.

The film will also see Shahid Kapoor as Padmavatis husband Raja Rawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as the 13th century tyrant Alauddin Khilji.
Mumbai: Ranbir Kapoor has impressed all of his directors with stellar performances but if his fans are waiting for him to team up with the countrys one of the most celebrated Director-Producer Aditya Chopra, then they will have to wait a great deal.

After reports of Ranbir doing a film with Aditya Chopra started doing the rounds, YRF spokesman reportedly rubbished these rumours calling the news untrue.

The actor is currently absorbed in the making of Sanjay Dutt biopic and is also awaiting the release of his detective drama Jagga Jasoos opposite alleged ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif. The film, which was originally supposed to release on April 7, has now been postponed until further notice.
Both collaborations of Deepika and Bhansali have been hits at the box office.

New Delhi: Deepika Padukone says working with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has always been a learning experience but collaborating with him for the third time on 'Padmavati' was more challenging for her.

The 31-year-old actress says the filmmaker extracts the best from her as an artist and she draws a lot from that creative experience.

"Sanjay Leela Bhansali brings out the best in me as an actor. Working on 'Padmavati' with him brings out a creatively- enriching feeling in me... The way he pushes you, challenges you... That's what drives me to do his films," says Deepika.

The actress, who was in the capital for an event, says she is curious to know whether they can bring something new despite the familiarity.

"It is difficult as an actor to work with someone you have worked for so long. It's challenging for both the director and actor to bring something new to the table every time they come together.

"Even when he worked with Ranveer (Singh) in 'Ram Leela' and 'Bajirao Mastani', it was a similar feeling and these films are classic examples. We hope we are able to deliver something different for the audience this time again with 'Padmavati'," says Deepika.

When asked about the controversy around the shooting of 'Padmavati', Deepika declined to comment on the issue.
Mumbai: Actress Sonakshi Sinha says if she was a journalist, she would ask superstar Salman Khan the same question that everybody puts to him - about his marriage plans.

The actress plays a journalist in her upcoming 'Noor'.

When quizzed what questions she, as a journalist, would ask her father Shatrughan Sinha and actor Salman Khan, Sonakshi says in a lighter vein, "If I had to ask my dad a question, I would ask something to which he won't say 'khamosh'.

"To Salman, I would ask the same question everyone is asking him for years," she says hinting at the question of when he would get hitched.

The actress was talking to reporters at a special event of the film recently

The 'Akira' star feels as an artist, she would love to be asked questions about the craft of acting.

"If I were a journalist, I would ask questions regarding an artist's work, the amount of hard work that goes behind a film is often not known. As an artist I would like them to see what kind of hard work is put into it," she says.

Directed by Sunhil Sippy, 'Noor' is based on Pakistani author Saba Imtiaz's novel 'Karachi, You're Killing Me!'

The actress says she had a great time playing a journalist in the film as she got to experience the "other side" of things.

"It was a great experience. It was great to be on the other side of the mike, behind the camera. But of course, the kind of journalist I play in the film is not the kind of journalist my character wants to be," she says.

"But it was a great experience. I am glad I got to play this character," Sonakshi says.
The buzz around Kapil Sharma and Sunil Grovers fight just doesnt seem to subside, as more and more details spill out about the big tiff. Kapils image is taking a beating as someone who cant handle either his stardom or his drinks. The latest account of an eyewitness suggests that the star anchor even hurled a shoe at the Sunil. But thats far from the truth, suggests our source. Kapil never hurled a shoe at Sunil on the flight. This is purely a figment of someones imagination. Kapil is now being painted as the full-blown villain of the piece. The villain is actually his addiction to the bottle. Hes otherwise a decent and kind man, a wonderful son and a true animal-lover. The team likes Kapil when he is sober.

Says an actor who was on Kapils show recently to promote his film, We were at the studio for a good two hours before he showed up. Of course we were annoyed. But once he reached it was okay. He is a lot of fun to work with.

Actors also complain that Kapil doesnt call them directly anymore to extend an invitation to come on the show. A senior actor says, He gets his staff to ring me up to come on the show. I told the girl who called to invite me to tell Kapil to call if he wants me to be on the show. Thats how it was earlier.
New Delhi: Mohammad Faisal, known as 'memory boy' who won Guinness World record four times for India in the category of "Most Countries identified from Capital Cities in One Minute" is all set to break another record in December this year.

Faisal, son of Haji Hafeezullah, a farmer in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, won his first Guinness World record of having the fastest memory in 2011.Faisal won the fourth time on March 30 last year.But the road to attain this success was not that easy for Faisal.

Belonging from a lower-middle class family, he was not able to take part in the memory workshop in his early days of school. But it was when he got adamant to attend the classes, his mother lent him Rs. 1, 500 from the neighbours for his admission.It was due to Faisal's hard work and dedication that he broke the record four times.

After completing his graduation in engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia, Faisal is now working as a Memory Trainer, Speed Maths Trainer and Vocabulary Trainer and organizes camps all across India.
The resort officials, however, said they hold dance performances to showcase the cultural heritage of the state and do not entertain such episodes. (Representational Image)

Jaipur: Acting on a complaint of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, Rajasthan Police has filed a criminal case against a resort in Jaipur for alleged harassment of a minor girl during a dance performance.

The FIR was lodged on complaint of the DCW chairperson who during a personal visit to the Chokhi Dhani resort on Tonk Road earlier this month had noticed the 13-year-old girl being "harassed" by some visitors during the evening show.

The resort officials, however, said they hold dance performances to showcase the cultural heritage of the state and do not entertain such episodes.

"Maliwal was on her personal visit to the resort and noticed the alleged inappropriate behaviour of some tourists with the girl.

"She wrote a letter to DGP (Director general of Police) Manoj Bhatt following which the FIR was registered on Thursday," Station House Officer of Sanganer Sadar police station Dharmveer Singh said Friday.

"In the complaint, she (Maliwal) said that the girl was surrounded by male tourists who were showering currency notes and inappropriately touching her while she was dancing," the SHO said.

The case was lodged against the resort administration under IPC sections 354 (assault with intent to outrage modesty), 374 (unlawful compulsory labour) besides relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and the POCSO Act.

When contacted, Chokhi Dhani manager Govind Sharma said cultural performances are held every evening in the resort to present the culture of the state but no such activity takes place.
When she refused he offered to drop her home. The girl rejected his offer of a lift. The angry Ashok snatched her gold chain and drove away saying that she will have to go to him for the chain.

Hyderabad: A 19-year-old youth who was harassing a girl snatched her gold chain in LB Nagar. Police said that D. Ashok Yadav who had proposed to the girl intercepted her on Thursday, and asked her to come with him. When she refused he grabbed her chain and fled. Police arrested Ashok on Friday.

Ashok Yadav, a resident of Nagole, was stalking the girl. On Thursday night, as she was returning home after purchasing groceries, Ashok who was following her on a bike, intercepted her and asked her about his proposal.

When she refused he offered to drop her home. The girl rejected his offer of a lift. The angry Ashok snatched her gold chain and drove away saying that she will have to go to him for the chain.

However, after coming to know that the girl was going to lodge a police complaint, he sent back the chain through his friend.

Although he returned the gold chain, a case was registered as per the girls complaint considering his behaviour towards her, LB Nagar SI G. Sudershan said. Ashok was arrested and remanded.
The issue of copyright is a veritable hornets nest. Even a small change in the rules can stir up controversies, accusations and apocalyptic prophecies. Chaos prevents clarity in a subject experts describe as incredibly complex by its very nature. For that reason it is hardly surprising that reforms on the scale of those being prepared by the European Union (EU) have unleashed a storm of opinions both in favor and  above all  against the changes.

Installation created with CDs by the artist Daniel Canogar. VILLAR LOPEZ (EFE)

More information A digital agreement

The European Commission (EC) announced its proposals in September, among them establishing exclusive rights for media outlets in terms of authorizing or prohibiting news aggregators from using their online content, and obliging platforms such as YouTube to use an anti-pirating filter. Since that announcement, media firms, journalists, professors, politicians, lobby groups, technology giants such as Google and organizations defending online rights have exchanging fire over their views on the project being examined by the European Parliament. Millions of principles and millions of euros are at stake.

Our objective is to create a more level playing field Andrus Ansip, European Commission Vice President

The starting point is one of the (few) certainties: the current directive approved in 2001, or back in the prehistory of the internet. Brussels now wants an update.

We have two opposing starting points: we have to open up the market for culture but we also have to protect the creators. We can only achieve that through debate, says Tibor Navracsics, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.

Our objective is to create a more level playing field, says Andrus Ansip, Vice President for the European Commission and responsible for the equally fraught Digital Single Market strategy.

The road map was made public in September. It includes, among others, the controversial article 11. This creates a neighboring right that media editors havent had until now, explains Raquel Xalabarder, professor in intellectual property at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). Protection under the article will last 20 years and will only be valid online. As such, legislators hope to help media outlets negotiate financial compensation with news aggregators like Google News, who use part of their content for free, and to protect quality journalism.

For newspapers, its a good proposal. We are only asking that they dont take fragments of our news stories without authorization, says Miguel Ortego Ruiz, Assistant to Operations General Management with the Spanish Newspaper Publishers Association (AEDE).

The Spanish of German model? The reform planned by the European Commission has been compared with the laws approved by Germany and Spain. But there are a number of differences. What the EU is proposing doesnt exist in any country. There have been similar measures. The neighboring right created in Germany in 2013 was in force for a year and protected digital and printed formats against commercial use. The 2014 reform in Spain took the opposite tack: it authorized aggregators to use fragments of protected works and established compensation for media outlets, explains professor Xalabarder. In both cases, the results were controversial. In Spain, Google News left, never to return, something that could now happen in the EU as a whole. After an impasse lasting years, Cedro, the Spanish body that manages copyright for authors and publishers of books and newspapers, is negotiating possible tariffs with aggregators. In Germany, Google refused to look at the licenses option and limited itself to asking media outlets who wished to be linked to from the aggregator to submit a request. Many of the countrys major newspapers removed their content from Google News but changed their mind after they saw a serious drop-off in online traffic

The party facing the most damage from the new legislation believes, of course, that the opposite is true. If someone has to charge for something to be published via a third party, then that is a business decision and not a legal one. We also disagree that the current situation is unjust: aggregators bring in a lot of traffic, which is being monetized by means of advertising, says Antonio Vargas, Public Policy Manager for Google Spain.

Referring to aggregators having a priori control over possible pirate content on their platforms, Vargas says: If YouTube had to take responsibility for all of the content it hosts it wouldnt be able to offer the service it currently does. More than 400 hours of videos are uploaded to the platform every minute!

The blanket opposition continues: the AEDE argues that media outlets lose traffic because many users only read a headline in the aggregator and dont access the news item. Google counters that this thesis has not been demonstrated by any studies.

Opposition to the directive has even generated a strange alliance between Julia Reda, a member of the European Parliament for the European Pirate Party, the Creative Commons organization, the Berlin State Government, 37 lecturers from some of Britains top universities, and a group of intellectual property experts who have published a document describing the neighboring right as unnecessary and unwanted. The German Journalists Association (DJV) has outlined the 12 lies perpetrated by editors while various media outlets have come out against the AEDE criteria. In Spain, internet rights group Xnet and other online activist organizations have launched an online campaign against the directive.

Their arguments are as numerous as they are strong. They believe that given that media outlets already hold the copyright ceded to them by journalists and photographers, a second protection for these companies is not necessary and only complicates the panorama. Some critics argue that the directive could even weaken the position of journalists against their employers or that the reform could reduce access to information and peoples right to cite works. Meanwhile, both Reda and Xnet have highlighted another risk: that the directive will affect any user who wishes to link to content and provide a summary of just a few words  someone, for example, sharing a story on Facebook. The Commission has promised that a simple link is excluded in the reform as this does not constitute public communication. This has already been established by the Court of Justice of the European Union in the celebrated Svensson case. But where does that leave the so-called snippet, a link with a short piece of content?

We have to open up the market for culture but we also have to protect the creators Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport

Media outlets can concede the license to one platform and not to another according to their preferences. Or an aggregator could obtain a more favorable position by paying more. It could be that end users are the ones who suffer, says Xalabarder from the Open University of Catalonia. She also points out the risk to small media companies, which are not in a position to license their content with the same ease as larger firms.

All parties from both sides of the debate are hoping to be heard in the European Parliament, where the text is at the committee stage. Recently, MEP Therese Comodini Cachia with the Group of the European Peoples Party, called for Article 11 to be eliminated. Other parliamentarians want it to be watered down. A Culture and Education committee draft suggests limiting the protection to three years, and limiting it to professional journalistic content and platforms that provide links for commercial reasons. Negotiations could last until summer and one person interviewed predicted the directive will be approved this coming fall. After that, it will be at least a year until the reform is incorporated into the legislation of member states. That means a total of two years. This begs one last question: what will have changed in the digital world by then?

English version by George Mills.
New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was today barred from flying by four private Indian carriers after his brazen assault on an Air India officer.

The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as its members, has taken a strong view of the incident and accordingly taken a decision to bar Gaikwad from flying. A joint statement issued by all 3 airlines and Air India announced that Gaikwad had been banned.

The FIA will not allow the Sena MP to fly on its member carriers.

The MP's return ticket from Delhi to Pune has also been cancelled.

Air India said it has also written to the Shiv Sena communicating the decision to cancel the ticket. Shiv Sena Secretary Anil Desai told PTI that he has asked Gaikwad to change his travel plans as the party doesn't want the tensions to escalate.

Gaikwad was booked on Delhi to Pune flight AI 849 scheduled for departure at 4 PM today.

"We have intimated Shiv Sena that we can't fly Gaikwad on his return flight because our employees are agitated. He has assured us that the party will advise the MP not to fly Air India today," said an Air India source.

"Our airport employees have said that they won't attend to him and they won't let him enter. In order to avoid any violence, we have written to Shiv Sena," he added.

Gaikwad told TV channels this morning, "I am booked on a 4 PM flight to Pune. I will take that flight. How can they not let me travel when I have a booking and I am their passenger."

Desai, also an MP, said that he has "acceded" to Air India's request and has also asked Gaekwad to "change his travel plans".

"An Air India official called me that their staff is upset over the issue. I have acceded to their request by asking my MP not to go ahead with his plan to fly Air India today," said Desai.

"I have also asked him to change his travel plans. We don't intend to escalate the tension," he added.

Meanwhile, budget carrier IndiGo today said it will support any move which bars unruly passengers from flying, a day after Air India said it was mulling preparing a no-fly list for such people.

"We will support a no-fly list," IndiGo President and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh told PTI.

Yesterday Gaikwad had repeatedly hit a 60-year-old Air India officer with a sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

But Gaikwad remained unapologetic today, claiming that the officer should apologise to him, and daring police to arrest him.

The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, while the Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from him.
New Delhi: The government is working on an institutional mechanism to check "undesirable flight behaviour" while Air India is mulling preparing a no-fly list for unruly passengers.

This follows an incident on Thursday at the IGI airport here in which a Shiv Sena MP allegedly assaulted a 60-year-old airline staffer.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said such regrettable incidents should never happen again.

"We are also working on creating institutional mechanisms to check undesirable flight behaviour or unruly passengers," Raju said in a series of tweets.

Following the incident, the national carrier is also looking to have a no-fly list.

"Air India is examining creation of no-fly list of unruly passengers on the lines of other carriers," a senior airline official said.

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was flying on an Air India flight from Pune to Delhi, hit the airline's duty manager Sukumar with his slipper several times when the latter urged him to deplane after the lawmaker refused to do so once the plane landed at the Delhi airport.

"The MP turned violent, broke the duty manager's spectacles, tore his shirt and hit him with slippers several times," an airline source said.

Gaikwad, carrying a business class ticket, insisted on taking the airline's early morning flight AI-852 from Pune to Delhi, which is an all-economy class. This led to an argument with the airline employees in Pune and an assault on the manager by the MP when the aircraft landed in Delhi.

In recent times, there have been reported incidents of unruly behaviour by the fliers onboard various airlines.

Last month, AirAsia India filed a police complaint in Bengaluru against two drunk fliers for creating "nuisance" onboard one of its flights.

In January, IndiGo was forced to tie down a passenger to his seat for being violent onboard one of its flights from Dubai to New Delhi.

According to the officials, between July 2016 and February 2017, 53 incidents of unruly behaviour by passengers have been reported by domestic airlines.

Global aviation body International Air Transport Association (IATA) had earlier said "unruly passengers" are one of the top three safety issues that concern cabin crew.

In 2015, there were 10,854 reported cases of unruly behaviour by passengers across airlines worldwide, which translate into one incident for every 1,205 flights, according to IATA.
New Delhi: India today reacted sharply to The New York Times' editorial criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's choice of Aditya Nath Yogi as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and said the paper's wisdom to write such a piece was "questionable".

"All editorials or opinions are subjective. This case is particularly so. The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises, at home or abroad, is questionable," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay.

The NYT in the highly critical editorial, titled 'Modi's Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists', said since he was elected in 2014, Modi has played a "cagey game, appeasing his party's hard-line Hindu base while promoting secular goals of development and economic growth".

The move by Prime Minister Modi's party to name "firebrand Hindu cleric" Aditya Nath as Uttar Pradesh's chief minister is a "shocking rebuke" to religious minorities, the editorial said.
New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who hit an Air India staffer with his slipper at Delhi airport, on Thursday bragged about how hed done it 25 times after refusing to get off Flight AI 852.

But this extraordinary portrayal of arrogance may not be the worst part of the incident. According to reports, the 83-second video clip that has emerged shows an Air India stewardess repeatedly pleading with the MP to stop hitting the staffer, as he was a democratic leader and a role model.

At one point in the video, the stewardess is heard telling the MP, Aap fenk denge toh murder case ho jayega na, sir (If you throw him down, it will be a murder case, sir). The MP is heard replying: Hone do na, bahut cases hai hamare upar (Let it happen, there are many cases against me).

Yes, I beat him as he misbehaved with me. I hit Air India staffer 25 times Gaikwad said to the media on Thursday, adding that the staffer raised his voice and said What MP? I will talk to Modi.

"Do you expect me to hear their abuses quietly? What should have I done? He first misbehaved with me," Gaikwad told ANI. I wont take abuses from anyone. I am a Shiv Sena MP, not BJP, he added.

He further said that he had filed a complaint regarding the seating arrangement but nobody was there to answer the problem, adding that he had take such an action.

"I will complain about this misbehaviour in the Parliament. They can complain whoever they want to, I will give my answer," he said.

Meanwhile, the Air India staffer, Sukumar, who was hit by Gaikwad said that the MP broke his glasses, used bad words and humiliated him in front of the entire crew.

"When I told him what he (Gaikwad) is asking isn't possible, he became abusive and started using foul language. God save our country if this is the culture and behaviour of our MPs," the Air India staffer said.

Gaikwad was travelling from Pune to New Delhi when the scuffle broke out over the sitting arrangement.

The MP claimed that his ticket was for business class but Air India provided him economy class.

An Air India spokesperson said a team has been constituted to probe the entire incident. FIR lodged, examining creation of no fly list of unruly passengers, Air India said.

Air India will also register another FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for forcibly holding the flight and delaying it for 40 minutes.

Reacting to the incident, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said, "No political party will encourage physical assault. It should never have happened."

Incidentally, Gaikwad was one of 11 Shiv Sena MPs who allegedly force-fed a chapati to a Muslim catering supervisor at the new Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, even though he was on a Ramzan fast.
Kolkata: Dismissing the Narada tapes as attempts to malign TMC, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the Centre of hatching a "communal and political" conspiracy to stop her party from emerging as a contender against the BJP in national politics.

Banerjee also expressed her doubt over BJP's massive mandate in the just-concluded Uttar Pradesh polls, saying "there is something fishy about it" and felt the BSP should move court and challenge the functioning of EVMs.

Interestingly, Banerjee criticised the BJP but stopped short of making any personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom she had repeatedly targeted post demonetisation, saying, "I will not say anything personal about the Prime Minister."

"The matter (Narada tapes) is subjudice so it won't be right to make any comment. But I will say this is nothing but a political conspiracy to malign our party. It has no credibility at all," she said in an interview to a news channel.

She added, "It is a communal and political conspiracy by the BJP to stop Trinamool Congress from emerging as a contender against it in national politics."

Talking about the tapes, she questioned, "First of all, why was the video, which was shot in 2014, released just ahead of 2016 polls? Secondly, did any of the leaders or MPs ask for money or bribes in lieu of getting a job done? The answer is no. So how can someone say they have taken bribes?"

Banerjee said there should be a complete inquiry to find out why a journalist went with bundles of notes to meet the politicians.

"I have information that the day when these tapes were released, he (Mathew Samuel) had made several calls to Dubai. What is the source of money, that has to be investigated," she said.

Asked about reports of her party MP K D Singh funding the entire sting operation, she said, "K D Singh had relations with the BJP for running his own business. I thought he was a nice man with good credentials. But nominating K D Singh as a

Rajya Sabha MP was the biggest mistake. At times you learn lessons from your mistakes."

Incidentally, the Kolkata Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a case against Alchemist group, a company owned by Singh.

Accusing the BJP of carrying out a "malicious propaganda" about minority appeasement, Banerjee said she did not need lecture on Hinduism from the saffron party.

"We do not need lectures from the BJP on Hinduism. I organise Kali Puja at my home every year. They paint all Muslims as ISI agents but are themselves engaging religious

extremism. Killing chicken, goat or other animals is okay but eating beef is not? Who are they to decide who will eat what?," she said, amid a massive crackdown on illegal meat shops and slaughterhouses in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.

The Chief Minister claimed that religious intolerance was surely on the rise in the country.

Further alleging that the BJP was using central agencies to intimidate political opponents, Banerjee said, "The Centre is using dirty tricks to corner TMC in national politics".

While talking about RSS resolution regarding Bengal expressing concern about "decline" in Hindu population, Banerjee said, "These are nothing but expressions of frustration as they have failed to expand base in Bengal."

The RSS earlier this week had adopted a resolution accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of encouraging "jehadi" groups and "anti-national" elements in West Bengal due to what it called TMC's "Muslim vote bank politics".
A file photo of Cauvery water being released to Tamil Nadu from the KRS dam near Mandya.

Bengaluru: Karnataka today said there is no question of releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in line with the Supreme Court's directive as the state itself is facing a shortage of drinking water.

"There is no water for drinking purposes. If we had water we could have released. We have 3-4 tmc ft shortage to provide drinking water to Bengaluru, Mysuru and surrounding villages. Therefore, there is no question of releasing water," Water Resources Minister M B Patil told PTI.

He was replying to a question on whether the state will release water to Tamil Nadu in the backdrop of the apex court directive.

Patil said the Karnataka government had also mentioned this before the apex court and that the state's legal team was working on the matter. "There will not be any meeting (with the legal team) per se as of now," he said.

This is the second time in a year that Karnataka is defying the top court.

In October, the Karnataka government, backed by a state assembly resolution, refused to release water to Tamil Nadu in compliance with the Supreme Court directives to release 6000 cusecs of water for 6 days. But the state government gave in after the court rebuked the authorities and the state's lawyers advised it not to push it luck.

Karnataka is facing an acute water crisis, with its reservoirs 37 per cent short of capacity. But Tamil Nadu has a much more severe problem, with reservoirs in the state 80 per cent deficient.

Despite strong objections from senior counsel Fali Nariman, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Karnataka to continue the release of 2,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu till final orders are passed in the batch of appeals challenging the award of the Cauvery River Water Tribunal.
New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday hit out at Opposition leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy for taking a "cynical stand" on the state's achievements at a time when it was receiving international acclaim.

"It is only the Opposition which is not recognising the works of the government, while the state has been receiving several awards globally for its excellence in various fields," he said at an award function here.

Andhra Pradesh was given CNBC's "state of the year" award on the occasion.

"The Opposition leader believes that everybody else works according to his style, that is why he takes a cynical stand," the Chief Minister said.

Naidu also requested Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was also present at the event, to continue offering a helping hand to the southern state.

"We wish that the Central government continues to hand-hold till our new state stabilises," he said.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y Sujana Chowdary and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who assaulted an Air India official at Delhi Airport, on Friday refused to apologise, claiming that the AI staffer should do so instead.

Earlier, there were reports that the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) had banned the MP from flying, but this was denied by the organisation.

"We have not banned the MP. We do not have powers to ban anyone. In any case, Air India is not part of FIA," Director Ujwal Dey said to ANI.

However, he added that, "We are discussing and asking operators also about banning the Shiv Sena MP".

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday said the Parliament cannot take suo-moto cognisance of the incident of Gaikwad assaulting an Air India Duty Manager as the incident happened outside the House.

Talking to the media outside the Parliament, Mahajan said "We cannot take suo-moto cognizance as the incident happened outside the Parliament, so will ascertain details and act on any complaint."

Earlier, the Centre also took cognisance of the incident and assured a thorough probe into the matter.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has sought a report on the incident, said ANI.

Gaikwad had assaulted an AI staffer for providing him an economy class seat instead of a business class one. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Gaikwad boasted about his act, saying he had slapped the staffer 25 times.

Yes, I beat him as he misbehaved with me. I hit Air India staffer 25 times Gaikwad said to the media on Thursday, adding that the staffer raised his voice and said What MP? I will talk to Modi.

"Do you expect me to hear their abuses quietly? What should have I done? He first misbehaved with me," Gaikwad told ANI. I wont take abuses from anyone. I am a Shiv Sena MP, not BJP, he added.

He further said that he had filed a complaint regarding the seating arrangement but nobody was there to answer the problem, adding that he had take such an action.

"I will complain about this misbehaviour in the Parliament. They can complain whoever they want to, I will give my answer," he said.

But a video of the incident showed a stewardess pleading with Gaikwad to stop, as he was a democratic leader and a role model.

At one point in the video, the stewardess is heard telling the MP, Aap fenk denge toh murder case ho jayega na, sir (If you throw him down, it will be a murder case, sir). The MP is heard replying: Hone do na, bahut cases hai hamare upar (Let it happen, there are many cases against me).

Meanwhile, the Air India staffer, Sukumar, who was hit by Gaikwad said that the MP broke his glasses, used bad words and humiliated him in front of the entire crew.

"When I told him what he (Gaikwad) is asking isn't possible, he became abusive and started using foul language. God save our country if this is the culture and behaviour of our MPs," the Air India staffer said.

Gaikwad was travelling from Pune to New Delhi when the scuffle broke out over the sitting arrangement.
Lucknow: New Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday issued instructions to senior officials in the government and police force, telling them to tackle cow vigilantism and moral policing with an iron fist.

According to reports, Adityanath said that failure to rein in elements indulging in cow vigilantism or moral policing will invite stringent action.

The UP CM is reportedly concerned over mutton shops being torched in Hathras district, and several instances of moral policing where young boys and girls in friendly conversations were allegedly harassed by anti-Romeo squads of the police.

Adityanath on Thursday paid a surprise visit to the Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow to check general preparedness and said the rule of law will be established in the state.

Yogi, who has kept the Home portfolio with himself, took a round of the premises this morning, catching policemen and officials by surprise.

"I have come here to inspect as to how the rule of law is enforced in the state and gauge the morale of the police, and see what effective action can be taken in this regard," the chief minister told news persons.

"The rule of law will be established in the state and government will not hesitate in taking whatever steps are required for peoples' welfare," he said.

Yogi also enquired about the working of the police force from the officials present there and inspected the crime branch and cyber cell of the state police.

Cautioning that this was not his last inspection but only a beginning, he exuded confidence that an improvement will be seen at all levels.

Seeking to send a strong message that laxity in enforcing law and order will not be tolerated, Uttar Pradesh police has suspended over 100 policemen since the new government led by Yogi Adityanath assumed office.

Most of these suspensions were in Ghaziabad, Meerut and Noida. In Lucknow, seven inspectors have been suspended.

The crackdown followed directives issued by DGP Javeed Ahmed a few days back to identify the "black sheep" among the policemen.

PRO UP Police, Rahul Srivastava, said, "More than 100 policemen, mostly constables, have been suspended as per the directives of the DGP to identify the black sheep and take exemplary action against them."

The directive was issued to all the Superintendents of Police through video conferencing by the state police chief and Principal Secretary (Home) Debashish Panda hours after Yogi Adityanath assumed office.

Without mincing words, the Chief Minister had also yesterday directed officials to maintain punctuality and hygiene.

During his visit to the annexe building, where the CM's office is located, he was annoyed to see stains of paan and paan masala all over and directed the staff not to chew tobacco or consume masala while on duty.
New Delhi: Setting in motion the process of extradition of industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, the British government has certified India's request and sent it to a district judge for further action.

"The UK Home department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for extradition of Mallya has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of warrant," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

The development is a step forward towards securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore.

Baglay also noted that a formal extradition request in respect of Mallya as per Extradition Treaty between India and the UK was handed over to the British High Commission here through a note verbale on February 8.

While handing over the request, India had asserted that it has a "legitimate" case against Mallya and maintained that if an extradition request is honoured, it would show British "sensitivity towards our concerns".

The extradition process from the UK involves a number of steps including a decision by the judge whether to issue a warrant of arrest. In case of a warrant, the person is arrested and brought before the court for preliminary hearing followed by an extradition hearing before a final decision by the secretary of state.

The wanted person has a right to appeal to the higher courts against any decision all the way up to the Supreme Court.

Earlier in January this year, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

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

Google Ad

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

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
Hyderabad: The Telangana Government will take steps to get the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast accused Swami Aseemanand's bail "cancelled", the Legislative Assembly was told today.

The MIM (Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi raised the matter through a Point during Zero Hour in the House.

The court of the Fourth Metropolitan Sessions Judge here yesterday granted bail to Aseemanand and Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat Bhai, a co-accused in the case.

In his reply, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said, "Whatever question raised by the member Akbaruddin Owaisi is a valid question. Definitely, an inquiry will be conducted on how he (Aseemanand) got bail. Efforts will be made to get the bail cancelled. We will ensure justice is done."

The MIM MLA demanded that the TRS government should "pressurise" the NIA (National Investigation Agency), which is probing the case, to ensure that the bail granted to the right-wing activist, Swami Aseemanand gets cancelled.

"The cases were registered and Hindutva members were arrested after the CBI inquiry. However, Swami Aseemanand was granted bail by a court. I appeal to the government to put pressure on NIA and they should be told that whoever has got bail in the (Mecca Masjid bomb blasts case)...their bails get cancelled," Owaisi said.

Alleging that Aseemanand is a "Deshatgard" (terrorist), Owaisi said that terrorists have no religion.

"Whether it is Osama Bin Laden or Aseemanand, terrorists should be dealt with sternly. I am hopeful that the government will prevail upon and pressurise the NIA to get the bail to Aseemanand cancelled and he, along with others, is sent back to jail," the MLA said.

Swami Aseemanand, whose real name is Naba Kumar Sarkar, was arrested on November 19, 2010, from Haridwar in connection with the blast at the Mecca Masjid here on May 18, 2007, which had killed nine persons.

On March 8 this year, Aseemanand and six others were acquitted in the 2007 Ajmer blast case by a court in Jaipur.

He was then brought from Jaipur and lodged in a prison here.

Owaisi also demanded that the government should make public the Bhaskar Rao Committee Report on the Mecca Masjid blast and subsequent events.

While granting the bail, the court had asked Aseemanand not to leave Hyderabad without court's permission and remain present for the trial when required.

However, whether NIA will challenge the bail or otherwise is not known.
Hyderabad: An IT professional from Andhra Pradesh and her seven-year-old son were found murdered in their apartment at Burlington, New Jersey, US, on Thursday.

Narra Sasikala, 40, and her son Anish Sai were found stabbed to death. According to reports coming in from the US, the bodies were found with multiple stab wounds. Authorities said at this point, there is no indication that this is a hate crime.

Hanumantha Rao, who also works as a software engineer, had informed his in-laws that he found the bodies of his wife and son when he returned home from work on Thursday evening and called emergency services.

New Jersey police has questioned Hanumantha Rao in connection with the murders. His relatives in Prakasam district claimed he had been released, and had called home.

The family had migrated to the US 10 years ago. The murder comes amid hate crimes against Indians, including the shooting down of a Hyderabadi techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla.

Sasikalas parents, retired teachers Sunkara Venkateswar Rao and Krishna Kumari, who stay in Vijayawada, alleged that Hanumantha Rao, who is also a software engineer, had committed the murder because he was having an extramarital affair.

Representatives of the Telugu Association of North America said they had been following up with the police and were trying to make arrangements to send the bodies to India.
New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was on Friday barred from flying by Air India and six private airlines, a day after he repeatedly hit a 60-year-old staffer of the state carrier at Delhi Airport.

The Delhi police lodged an FIR against him on the basis of a complaint lodged by Air India, and transferred the case to its crime branch. I dare the Delhi police to arrest me... I will not apologise, the MP said. The national carrier had also lodged another complaint against him for holding up the aircraft.

Sources said the Federation of India Airlines had taken a strong view of the incident and accordingly decided to bar the MP from flying on their network. Jet Airways and three budget carriers  IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir  are FIA members.

Two non-FIA member airlines  AirAsia India and Vistara  also came out in support of the ban, which left Mr Gaikwad grounded in the national capital.

The national carrier cancelled Mr Gaikwads return ticket to Pune after he boastfully asserted he would board the afternoon flight. Private airline IndiGo followed suit.

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad says will sue Air India staffer

With no travel option available, reports said he was forced to take a train back from Delhi.

But the government said there was no law under which such proscription can be made. Minister of state for law P.P. Chaudhary said if a person committed a crime he can be punished but he cannot be prevented from flying. Earlier in the day, minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha reportedly said the legality of the ban needed to be examined. We have to see if this action of the airlines is within the framework of law, Mr Sinha said.

As per Schedule VI of Aircraft Rules, 1937, such an offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or with fine not exceeding Rs 5 lakh.

Gaikwad, an MP from Osmanabad, had assaulted R. Sukumar after being unable to travel business class on an all-economy flight. Air India officials claim they had informed the MPs office, at the time of booking, that the plane was all-economy.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot take suo moto action and that she would take a call only if the case was brought to her notice in the House.

But Gaikwad remained defiant, saying he would not apologise to the Air India staffer and accused him of misbehaviour. Incredibly, he said he would file a defamation case against the Air India CMD and its staffer if they did not apologise.

He (R. Sukumar) should come and apologise... then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave, he said. Gaikwad said he has also filed a police complaint about the alleged misbehavior, and written to the civil aviation ministry.

The Air India staffer, who was hit 25 times with slippers, said the MP must be punished so that no one takes it as his birthright to assault a person.

Meanwhile, Gaikwad boarded Hazrat Nizamuddin-Rajdhani for Mumbai on Thursday. He boarded the train in Delhi but disembarked at Mathura station complaining of chest pain.
Mumbai: Sending a stern message to the states resident doctors who are on a mass leave stir since Monday to protest instances of assault on doctors by relatives of patients, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warned them of strict action if they did not resume work by Friday.

Enough is enough. We are not elected to let people die without medical treatment. We are here to help every patient. We have already agreed on all demands (from doctors) about security. Still doctors are not resuming work. It is insensitiveness. We are ready to take all legal actions, Mr Fadnavis said.

Mr Fadnavis was aggressive while making a statement on the doctors strike. He said, I personally met representatives of all doctor unions. Gove-rnment has accepted all their demands regarding security. We will set up an ex-DG level committee for security audit of all hospitals. At the same time, government has assured them of providing all legal aid if necessary. Giving details about the meeting between the government and doctors unions, the Chief Minister clarified his stand on legal action. We do not want to take action on doctors. But there is a limit to our patience. People across the state are also angry and blaming the government for inaction. In such a situation, it will not be possible for us to wait for long, he said.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths visit to a hospital where a gangrape survivor is recovering has unearthed a shocking tale of delayed justice.

The woman, was on Wednesday morning, forced to drink acid by two men aboard the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express. After getting off the train, the victim wrote down her complaint with railway police because she could not speak. But this was the fifth attack on the woman, it has been revealed.

The victim has faced acid attacks on four occasions because she refused to withdraw her complaint after being gangraped.

The two men had allegedly gangraped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar (Raebareli) in 2009. In 2012, the woman was attacked with a knife, in a serious attempt on her life and in 2013 she was attacked with acid, police sources said.

In the meanwhile, three women constables, who took selfies with the acid attack victim, were suspended by their superiors.

The photographs of the three women constables, sitting next to the bed of the victim and taking selfies went viral on the social media. All three were deployed at the hospital to protect her.
New Delhi: A 'chaadar' (shawl) will be offered at the famous Ajmer Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who today hailed the Sufi saint as a "symbol of great spiritual traditions of India".

Modi handed over the "chaadar" to Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh here for offering it at the shrine during the 'Urs' (festival) which starts on March 30.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister conveyed greetings and best wishes to Khwaja Chishti's followers across the world.

In his message, Modi said "Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is a symbol of the great spiritual traditions of India", according to a PMO statement.

"Gharib Nawaz's service of humanity would remain an inspiration for future generations," he added.

Khwaja Chishti, a great 6th century sufi saint, is also known as 'Gharib Nawaz' (patron of the poor).

The Prime Minister offered his best wishes for the successful conduct of the 'Urs'.
Bengaluru: Asserting that his government has taken stringent steps to check drug menace, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has said 'Udta Punjab' will not happen in the state after the BJP raised the issue in the legislative council.

'Udta Punjab' is the name of a Hindi film which highlights drug abuse by youths in Punjab.

"A special drive has been launched to curb drug menace in the state, especially Bengaluru and Mangaluru. We will not allow Bengaluru to go the Punjab way. Udta Punjab will not happen here," he said.

The Minister was replying to BJP MLC Lahar Singh in the legislative council yesterday.

Raising the issue in the House, Singh rapped the government for its "inaction" to curb the drug menace in the state.

Parameshwara said the government has taken the matter seriously and directed police to take stringent action against drug peddlers. "It has been come to the notice of the police that petty shops near colleges indulge in peddling," he said.

Parameshewara said 65 Indian and 23 foreign nationals have been arrested in connection with drug-trafficking cases in the past two-and-a-half months.

The minister also said there are 1,023 foreign nationals overstaying in the state."We have been in touch with the External Affairs Ministry, and around 59 of overstaying foreign nationals have been deported," he said.

About the recent mysterious death of a Nigerian national, who overstayed his visa, here, Parameshwara said he was a drug trafficker and had died in a road mishap.

"Nobody has claimed his body despite the Nigerian High Commission being informed. Right steps will be taken to dispose of the body after getting court orders," he said.

BJP's Capt Ganesh Karnik said steps should be taken to destroy the entire drug network instead of merely arresting traffickers.
Bengaluru: Opposition parties in Karnataka Assembly today attacked the government over 'empty' Treasury benches and sought summoning of a Minister who they said was busy campaigning for the April 9 assembly by-elections.

As the House met for the day, BJP members pointed to the 'empty' treasury benches and raised the issue of Ministers being absent and demanded that the Speaker read out the list of Ministers who were to be present.

Expressing his displeasure, Speaker K B Koliwad read out the list of Ministers who were to be present during the Question House and for other business.

Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar (BJP) said the government was not interested in running the House.

The issue came up again during the question hour when BJP MLA C T Ravi refused to accept an answer to his question from Law Minister T B Jayachandra, who was representing Public Works Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa.

Ravi said he would accept answer only from the Minister concerned and demanded his presence.

Jayachandra said the Minister had taken the Chair's permission, following which BJP members sought to know the reason cited by Mahadevappa for his absence.

Koliwad said the Minister in his letter had cited a visit to Mysuru for an emergency work.

Rejecting the reason, BJP members said he was campaigning for Congress candidates in Gundlupet and Nanjangud by-polls.

The Minister's primary responsibility was to the Assembly and not party work related by-polls, they said.

He has not been attending the House from the beginning of the session and can been seen on TV campaigning for Congress candidates every day, they said.

"Summon the Minister to the House...if our statements about Minister campaigning for by-polls is not true, search for him, inform the police department," Ravi said.

Shettar expressed his anguish by questioning whether the government was "dead or alive."

The Speaker then said he will ask the Minister to be present in the House on Monday and Tuesday.

JD(S) member YSV Datta said, "Lets not make a mockery of the Question Hour and the House. If Ministers are not present, lets not have the Question Hour, let them finish their by-election and come."
New Delhi: Opposition parties led by the Samajwadi Party today forced a brief adjournment of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha alleging a move to disband the OBC Commission, a charge vehemently denied by the government.

SP members rushed into the Well of the House and shouted anti-government slogans, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the proceedings for 10 minutes.

Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot said Prime Minister Narenda Modi has repeatedly said that the constitutional position of reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs will continue.

"Since the time of Jan Sangh, we have been a supporter of reservation to these communities and will continue to be a supporter," he said.

The Government, he said, has taken a decision to give constitutional status to the commission for other backward classes (OBC) and it will get the same rights as Commission for SC and STs.

Earlier when the House assembled, Ramgopal Yadav (SP) said the National Commission for Backward Classes, created in response to a Supreme Court ruling in 1992, has been disbanded instead of giving it the promised constitutional status.

This Commission is to be replaced by a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NSEBC) and part of a larger "conspiracy" to do away with reservation to dalits, Yadav alleged.

The new commission will examine and recommend requests for inclusion and exclusion in the list of other backward classes (OBCs).

Without naming the RSS, he alleged that the move was guided by the philosophy of the ruling party's "fountain head" that reservation should end. "Backward classes feel cheated."

He alleged that backward communities like Yadavs, Kurmis, Lodhas and Kushwaha, who have made some social progress, were being removed from the OBC list.

His assertion found support in rival BSP, as well as the Congress whose members too vehemently opposed move to disband the OBC Commission.

Rejecting the Minister's statement, Yadav said the OBC Commission has been disbanded and it is a conspiracy to end reservation.

Soon thereafter, his party colleagues rushed into the Well raising slogans against the government. They found support in the BSP and Congress too.

Kurien said the minister has given "a very clear reply" and so there was no reason for the protests. "Your concern is very genuine. I agree. (But) Minister has very categorically replied," he said.

As the protests continued, he said, "The minister said in Hindi. May be you don't understand (that). You haven't understood what Minister said."

Gehlot repeated again that the Prime Minister has said several times that the government has been a supporter of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs and will continue to remain. "A decision to provide constitutional status to the OBC commission has been taken," he said.

But as the protests continued, Kurien was forced to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday said internal efforts are on in the party to reorganise and strengthen it and former Union Minister S.M. Krishna could have waited for the results to come out in the Karnataka elections next year.

Congress spokesperson Prof. Rajeev Gowda also accused the BJP of poaching its leaders with a clean image.

"If he had waited for little more time, he would have realised that there is lot of internal effort that is going on for reorganising the party, revitalising the party. Karnataka would have been a wonderful example of how we are going to not just reorganise and strengthen the party but also deliver results which will change the momentum just like Punjab had delivered a vote of confidence in Congress," he said

"Krishna would have seen the impact of these changes and we could have used his advice and experience as well," he said and added that the Congress had given him everything except the positions of President, Vice President and PM. "There is a possibility that these are positions on offer," he said.

"In Karnataka, the BJP is looking for a fig leaf; who are their leaders? Their leaders are jailbirds and people who have a tremendously horrible reputation in front of the people of Karnataka - Shri Yeddyuruppa has been to jail, Shri Janardan Reddy has come out of jail and who else? Mr Gowda remarked.

With SMK on our side, will win all seats in Bengaluru: BSY

Once again exulting that the entry of veteran leader and former chief minister S.M. Krishna was a big plus for his party, state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday declared that its victory in all the assembly seats in Bengaluru in the 2018 poll was now most certain.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru before heading for campaigning in Gundulpet, he said he would personally welcome Mr Krishna into the party at a huge event at its office in Bengaluru and request him to participate in three or four rallies in both Gundlupet and Nanjangud in the run-up to the bypolls.

"The atmosphere is right for the victory of BJP candidates in Nanjangud and Gundlupet. We are confident our candidates will win in both," he asserted.

Referring to the agitation by anganwadi workers for a pay hike, he regretted that the state government had failed to resolve their problems. "It has also failed to handle the drought or take a clear stand on waiving off farmers' loans. It has become a habit with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to blame the Centre for all the state's problems," he said.

Refusing to comment on the demand by legislators in both Houses of the state legislature to bring in measures to regulate the media, he merely observed that in a democracy, the legislature, the executive, the judiciary and the press were all important. "All four should be complementary to each other," he added.

Meanwhile, both the Congress and BJP candidates, Dr Geetha Kumari and Niranjankumar respectively, were greeted by people carrying empty pots in a couple of villages of Gundlupet which is in the grip of an acute drinking water crisis.
Youth wing of Hamakhmbum party condemns Samvel Babayan's arrest

Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian's Hamakhmbum (Consolidation) party condemns the arrest of Samvel Babayan, a former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army. It [arrest] shows that they [authorities] are trying to quell the fighting spirit, aspiration to freedom and suffrage. Babayan was and remains a living example of a patriotic and dignified citizen for the young generation and we cannot allow him to stay in custody. We believe that the trumped-up charges against the Artsakh hero will burst like a balloon and all perpetrators will have to answer for their actions sooner or later. Members of the partys youth wing, together with our supporters and non-partisan young people, are ready to use all political means, including strikes and sit-ins to defend the rights of Samvel Babayan," reads the statement. Samvel Babayan, a former top military commander of the Artsakh Republic, was arrested on March 22 on charges of attempting to smuggle a missile launcher into Armenia. According to a statement of the Armenian National Security Service, Bababyan and two other individuals attempted to smuggle an Igla shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile. The NSS said the other two persons purchased and transported the missile system on the orders of Babayan.
Chennai: The Sasikala faction of the AIADMK sees a conspiracy in the Election Commission freezing the two leaves symbol while the rival OPS group has taken it in its stride - expressing just shock at the poll eve setback- and is going about its campaign for the MGR-Jayalalithaa votes in RK Nagar for the April 12 byelection.

After the EC froze the symbol and prevented both factions from using the name of the AIADMK in the byelection, the party said the setback was just temporary in nature and moved the poll body for a new symbol and party name to be allotted to its candidate.

The EC on Thursday then granted separate symbols as well as party names to the Sasikala and OPS factions. While Sasikala camp got the symbol of 'Hat', and the party name AIADMK Amma, Panneerselvam camp now owns the 'Electric pole' symbol and the name AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma.

Party deputy general secretary T. T. V. Dhinakaran, nephew of V. K. Sasikala, also supported the claim of his colleagues by declaring on Thursday that everyone knew who was behind the EC freezing the symbol.

Everyone knows who was behind the EC freezing the symbol. Still we will emerge victorious with the thoppi symbol allotted to us, Mr Dhinakaran said.

His comments were in sharp contrast to his reaction on Wednesday night when he ducked the conspiracy question posed by a reporter at a media interaction, saying he did not want to speculate on such a possibility.

AIADMK (Sasikala) spokesman Nanjil Sampath was more vocal in his criticism against the Election Commission by calling the decision one-sided.

There has been a large conspiracy behind the EC freezing the symbol. We will definitely win the by-election because we have been allotted the thoppi symbol, which is easy to popularize among the voters because MGR had worn thoppi in his hit film Anbe Vaa. This film was made in 1966, a little over 50 years ago, Mr Sampath said.

However, senior AIADMK (Sasikala) leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai downplayed the ECs decision on freezing the symbol by terming it a temporary arrangement and is not permanent.

They (EC) were not able to take a decision in such a short time because of the voluminous evidence presented by the two sides, Mr Thambidurai said.
New Delhi: After the drubbing in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, along with vice- president Rahul Gandhi, returned back to Delhi early on Friday morning.

Sonia had gone abroad for her medical checkup prior to election results, which were declared on March 11. She has not been keeping well for sometime now and Rahul has been at the helm of affairs. In the recently concluded Assembly elections in five states, Ms Gandhi did not even campaign.

After the poll results and swearing in of Capt. Amarinder Singh, Rahul Gandhi also travelled abroad to be with his mother. The two leaders have returned to the country amid a growing clamour for structural changes within the party after its debacle in the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls.
New Delhi: After his meeting with parliamentarians from Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a breakfast meeting with MPs from his home state Gujarat and asked them to work overtime as public servants to fulfil peoples expectations.

Parliamentarians from Rajasthan, Goa, Daman and Diu and Andaman and Nicobar islands were also present in the informal meeting with Modi at his residence. MPs also apprised the Prime Minister about development works in their respective constituencies and congratulated him and party president Amit Shah for recent poll victories.

Assembly elections in Gujarat are scheduled for later this year and Modi asked MPs to make sure that central governments schemes are known to people for whom they are aimed for. With currently 123 of the total 182 assembly seats in Gujarat assembly, the BJP has announced Mission 150 for the polls.

Modiji asked MPs to work overtime to fulfil expectations of the people and told them to make people aware about various initiatives taken by the Centre for public welfare, said an MP who was present at the meeting.

Later in a statement, the BJP said that the Prime Minister has requested MPs to use digital platforms for doing transactions and also connect with social media to reach out to the people.

The MPs were also told that they should spread the message among people about the Centres welfare schemes.

Besides Modi, party veteran and Gandhinagar MP, L K Advani, party president Shah and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar were also present at the meeting. Union Textiles minister Smriti Irani, who is party MP from Gujarat, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Shah informed the MPs about Centres decision to set up a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NCSEBC), a constitutional body for welfare and addressing the grievances of backward classes. Shah said the commission will lead to substantial improvement in lives of people from backward classes.
Several BJP workers were arrested during a protest near the Assembly against introducing a Bill for providing reservations for Muslims, in Hyderabad on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

Hyderabad: Five BJP MLAs were on Friday suspended from the Assembly for two days for disrupting the proceedings over the governments moves to enhance reservations to Muslims from the present 4 per cent to 12 per cent.

The suspended BJP MLAs  K. Laxman, G. Kishan Reddy, Chintala Ramachandra Reddy, N.V.S.S. Prabhakar and Raja Singh  and hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists were later arrested at Basheerbagh when they tried to gate-crash into Assembly as part of their Chalo Assembly rally on the issue.

BJP and its frontal organisation BJYM termed the 12 per cent quota proposal for Muslims as unconstitutional.

They said that dissent was a right of the people in a democracy and demanded retaining of Dharna Chowk at Indira Park.

After their release, Dr. Laxman told DC: 8,000 BJP leaders and activists were arrested across Hyderabad by the police. We will continue our protests on Saturday.

Earlier, as soon as the Assembly session began, the five BJP MLAs wearing black khandwas rushed to Speakers podium and raised slogans against reservations for Muslims and also against shifting of Dharna Chowk.

When all attempts by Speaker Madhusudhana Chary to convince the BJP leaders to return to their seats and raise the issue after Question Hour failed, Legislative Affairs minister T. Harish Rao moved a resolution suspending the five MLAs for this week (two days, Friday and Saturday).

Mr Harish Rao told Assembly that Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly took a decision that all issues should be raised only after Question Hour.

Their intention was clear. Since BJYM gave Chalo Assembly call, they wanted to join the march, hence disrupted the proceedings so that they get suspended. This is not right, Mr Harish Rao alleged.

Congress Floor leader K. Jana Reddy who also opposed the suspension of the BJP MLAs, walked out in their support.

Speaking at media point in the Assembly, Dr Laxman alleged the state was witnessing emergency-like situation under Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

The behaviour of the TRS government is highhanded. We will go to people and expose the governments games, he said.

BJP Floor leader G Kishan Reddy said they moved an adjournment motion on the issue, but the Speaker disallowed it.

Security was beefed up around the Assembly and Legislative Council following BJP and BJYM protests. BJP national general secretary Muralidhar condemned the arrest of BJP leaders.
Hyderabad: The Legislative Assembly on Friday approved the Telangana State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Special Development Fund (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Bill, 2017 amidst protests from the Congress.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao termed the new Act historic and said that it coincides with Dr B.R. Ambedkars 125th birth anniversary.

The new Act replaces the old SC, ST Sub-Plan Act made in 2013 by government in undivided AP.

The Congress demanded an amendment to existing Act instead of enacting a fresh one. It alleged that this was done to take away credit from the Congress which had passed the previous Act for the welfare of SCs and STs for the first time in the country.

However, the CM denied these allegations saying that the new Act had many good things which the old Act lacked. If the old Act has to be amended to bring it on par with the new Act, we need to make 109 amendments. Such is the difference between the old and new Acts, he said.
The devil is but truths disguise

The words perverted veil

Which promises you paradise

If you kill to no avail

From The Martyrs Hymn Book by Bachchoo

Jehangir Jhadoowalla, my second cousin thrice removed (twice by the police and once by bailiffs) has ended his unsuccessful attempt to join Arun Jaitley when he toured Britain to inaugurate the India-UK year of culture. Despite persistent emails to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he received no answer  or as we used to say apply, apply, and no reply! Now cultural exchanges are the circuses that go before or hand-in-hand with the real motivation of promoting the bread angle. The dances preceded and open the way for trade talks. JJs plea was prompted by the passage to India earlier this year of UK Prime Minister Theresa May, a consequence of the Brexit vote, which causes her to seek trading deals with countries outside Europe. Her delegation included Sir James Dyson and that simple but significant inclusion is what set our Jehangir Jhadoowalla off on, at first, a protest mission. You see, JJ and his ancestors built their business empire on sweeping instruments. At first, in the 19th century, their business consisted of tying stiff sticks into bunches and sending them from their farm in Gujarat to Bombay and other cities where these stiff brooms would be used to sweep wet and dry outdoor floors.

JJs great-grandfather, a tireless inventor, on a trip to the Bombay of the time, noted that the mosaic floors of rich Parsi houses required a softer instrument than the stiff-stick jhadoo. He claims in his diaries, perhaps boastfully and wrongly, that he then proceeded to invent the soft-feather jhadoo and its jute-string-bundled handle, which would be the ideal instrument to sweep up dust from interior tiled floors. The first slogan that the company adopted was The Jadoo of Jhadoo  Well Clean You Out. It proved very popular and JJs great-grandfather became rich overnight. By the time JJ and his two boys Pinky and Slinky took over the firm, the Jhadoowalla empire had moved into a hundred varieties of brushes for all surfaces  hard ones, soft ones, big ones for factory floors, small ones for shaving gentlemens faces, severe ones for carpets, spiky ones to brush pet dogs and cats, tiny, fine ones for painting with water colours or on canvas and any other brush-related activity. Now gentle reader, you might ask what this illustrious history has to do with Sir James accompanying Ms May on her diplomatic mission to India. Wonder no more. Sir James is one of Britains leading modern inventors. He invented the bag-less vacuum cleaner and set up a factory to make and sell them. Now in any store that sells electrically-operated machines one may find 20 or more models of Dyson vacuum cleaners, some without cords to electrical sockets, operated wirelessly  and other wonders of the modern world. Again, like Jehangirs jhadoos, Dyson and his engineers made his vacuum cleaners in all sizes and shapes  one that could clean carpets and others that could conveniently vacuum your car.

Sir James was knighted for his ingenuity and, one has to say, for his philanthropy as he donated money to good and charitable works such as buildings for art and design colleges. And as a leading figure in British business he joined Ms May in India, no doubt to be photographed at the Taj and of course to sell vacuum cleaners. Thats what got JJs goat. He had the journalists whom he regularly pays write articles in the international press saying Sir James visit raised questions. Heres an extract from one of the more discerning: Sir James Dysons sojourn on a trade delegation to India from the UK is the harbinger of the entry of the country into the robotic future of the globalised world. The moot question his visit poses is the replacement of human labour with the machine. How will the millions of sweepers in India who have wielded the brushy broom react to unemployment when the Dyson replaces the sweeping instruments traditionally used in our villages and cities? Not that the vacuum cleaner is an unknown machine in India. The model invented by the late head of the US FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, is still in use in many households and Edgars surname has indeed replaced vacuum cleaner as the common noun for the machine

The quote above poses the central question. India over thousands of years has evolved castes of people known as sweepers. Is the country ready to evolve or transform these castes to Dysonians? Or is there going to be mass unemployment when Sir James and Ms May have their way and flood the market with cheap vacuum cleaners made in factories in Oldham? And what about the question of the diversion of electricity into these machines? Will it, as JJ pointed out in his emails, not contribute to global warming? To tell the truth, I am in two minds about JJs case and protests. One cant stand, Luddite-like, in the path of progress, and there is a case for relieving the tedium of sweeping. Maybe Sir James will make his machines in Gujarat! Take the case of Panasonic who, I believe have invented a washing machine aimed specifically at the subcontinental market that removes curry stains from clothes. Again I dont know how popular this will be. My mother taught me that when I get turmeric or curry stains  which are super-resistant to soap and bleach  on any clothing, the way to make them disappear is to soak the stained area in acid and then expose it to strong sunlight  and hey presto! The acid can be white vinegar, citric acid from limes or lemons or even lactic acid from milk. It works. Simple and ecologically sound, it has saved several of my designer outfits. The only drawback is that England doesnt have much sunshine, so maybe Panasonic should target the curry-loving market of Britain!
UK Prime Minister Theresa May is facing yet another test (and no, it doesnt involve her shoes) after the London terror attack in which three people were killed by a lone wolf called Khalid Masood. Ms Mays report card hasnt displayed high grades so far, and her response to the five minutes of undiluted horror that shook the world once again, has been described as tepid by critics. It is wrong to describe this as Islamic terrorism, it is Islamist terrorism, it is a perversion of a great faith, she carefully explained to a shell-shocked nation. Oooof! British semantics! Since the ISIS has claimed responsibility, and described Masood as a soldier of the Islamic State, isnt it a bit corny to get into that tricky word-game space? Does it matter what the politically correct term is, when casualties included people of so many mixed nationalities  innocents, who were strolling on the worlds most famous bridge (Westminster), taking in the sights, enjoying the crisp spring weather and a bit of welcome sunshine after a long and harsh winter. Meanwhile, the police had moved fast to ensure the safety of MPs still inside the historic Parliament building and bundled off Ms May to an undisclosed destination. Indignant viewers were quick to comment on the insensitivity of those MPs who wanted assurances they would have sufficient security when they exited Parliament... and displayed no concern for unprotected bystanders who had been attacked by a cold-blooded killer.

Then came the social media chatter, where several Londoners boasted about how they kept calm and drank tea through those dreadful hours of uncertainty and fear. London bounced back swiftly and it was business as usual, despite the cordoned-off tourist areas around Piccadilly. The world was introduced to a new monster: the Lone Wolf. This is the latest reality show on screens across the world. For us in Mumbai, there is just no question of our frantic lives hitting the pause button, terror attack or no terror attack. We have zero option but to carry on  with or without chai. The much-lauded Spirit of Mumbai has become such an over-used cliche, even our over-dramatic television anchors have stopped using it. Today, we hurtle on stoically, living for the moment, and not bothering about semantics. Now that we have been introduced to the lethal Lone Wolf strategy, which is being unleashed across continents, what possible preparedness can one discuss? One thing the London attack did establish emphatically is the rapid response of security agencies to the crisis. Credit must be given to the efficient handling of a totally unexpected form of terrorism we may be seeing a lot more of henceforth. There could be a Lone Wolf or even a hungry pack of wolves in the neighbourhood right now. Is Mumbai equipped to deal with such an eventuality? I fear not. Despite a crack police force, which was once rated as one of the best in the world, along with Scotland Yard, today that same force is demoralised and considerably less proactive due to the lack of required political support. While a lot of upgradation is very much on and the initiatives are visible, (more patrol cars and motorbikes, better uniforms, superior weapons), what is required is an ongoing, aggressive training which better equips the men and women responsible for the safety of this humongous megapolis.

Unfortunately, instead of dynamic, result-driven leaders we have MPs whose idea of herogiri is to pull off their chappals and thrash those who insult them. As it happened on an Air India flight from Pune to Delhi, when Ravindra Gaikwad, the MP from Osmanbad district, (Maharashtra), assaulted Sukumar Raman, an airline employee, because he was not given a business class seat on a flight that only provides economy class seats! When the MP, who is referred to by Ravi Sir by acolytes, was reminded he could face a murder charge for viciously attacking the AI employee, the MP replied cockily, Let it be... I have many cases against me. Which he indeed does. With rowdyism and toadyism rampant in our Parliament and Legislative Assemblies, our fear factor comes from men like Mr Gaikwad  though it is not clear, whether he can be described as a lone wolf, or the leader of the pack. This is another sort of terrorism. A terrorist armed with a large knife (Masood) killed and injured innocents. Ravi Sirs chappal is also a weapon he used with enough force to break Mr Ramans spectacles. The message remains identical: violence will be used against anybody who comes in the way. Unless our politicians condemn people like Mr Gaikwad and throw them out of the party, nothing will change. For a minister to say weakly, Such incidents will not be encouraged, is to reduce and trivialise the seriousness of the offence. We want to know how Mr Gaikwads atrocious behaviour will be actively discouraged. In this topsy-turvy, chaotic social order, what is needed is moral leadership, where doing the right thing is seen as being the only thing  no strings attached. Whether it is Masood or Mr Gaikwad, the victims are defenceless, unarmed innocents. Masood, described as a peripheral by security agencies, was shot dead. But Mr Gaikwad, the braggart, is running around, unashamed and brazen. In all such cases, it is the murder of decency that shocks the world.
An Ariane 5 rocket sits on the launch pad at the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana (Photo: AFP)

After three days of delays caused by worker strikes in French Guiana, rocket firm Arianespace opted Thursday to postpone indefinitely the launch of satellites for South Korean and Brazilian clients.

At first scheduled for Tuesday, then the two following days, launch operators finally gave up and announced Thursday that the Ariane 5 rocket will remain grounded until further notice.

The launch will not be rescheduled "until the labour situation is resolved," Didier Faivre, director of Europe's Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, told local radio.

"It is up to the competent authorities and elected representatives to resolve this situation," he added.

The problems started on Monday when striking workers erected a barricade of tyres and wooden pallets at the space centre, preventing the transfer of the rocket to its launch pad.

The rocket is to deliver communications satellites for Brazil and South Korea into Earth orbit.

The strikers include workers for public energy company EDF Guyane and staff at the Kourou hospital, according to the local trade union.

They are demanding better career development opportunities, higher salaries and improved health care.

"The evolution of the situation does not permit the restart of operations," Arianespace announced on Thursday.

"The launch vehicle, with its SGDC and KOREASAT-7 satellite payloads, remain in a stand-by mode and are being maintained in fully safe conditions."

The SGDC satellite will provide strategic communications for the Brazilian government and military services, and beam broadband services across the country, helping to provide internet access to remote and underserved communities.

KOREASAT-7, owned by South Korea's KTsat, will provide a range of video and data services over Korea, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, India and Indonesia.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Equipment at Regional Meteorological Centre on display for students on World Meteorological Day on Thursday. (Photo: DC)

Chennai: Throwing up a challenge to young engineering students Satish Dhawan Space Centre director P. Kunhikrishnan has urged them to come up with innovative applications to make use of the indigenous navigation system and the navigation satellites.

While participating in the international conference on NextGen electronic technologies  Silicon to Software at VIT Chennai Campus on Thursday, he said: Now, the challenge is to find out how effective and optimally we can use the satellites which are sending 24X7 navigation signals for societal applications.

The students have to spend time and come up with ideas for new areas and applications for navigation satellites, he said.

The senior scientist who spearheaded many successful PSLV missions said, PSLV is rated as one of the most reliable and versatile launch vehicles in the world. Thats why we are able to service not only our own needs, but other nations as well. PSLV has so far successfully completed 37 consecutive missions.

Sriharikota, the spaceport of India is now gearing up for two GSLV launches in next two months. One is GSLV-F09 (GSLV Mk-II) rocket which will launch the Saarc satellite and another one GSLV Mk-III development rocket which will carry a 3.2-tonne payload, he said.

The launch of GSLV-Mk III rocket will be a significant milestone in the Indian Space history. VIT Chancellor G. Viswanathan presented Technology Excellence Award to P. Kunhikrishnan at the function.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
It would be wrong if we said the tech arena is not excited about the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8. The smartphone which has already started breaking record on benchmark platforms even before it has made its debut. Along side the Galaxy S8 Samsung will be launching the much acclaimed digital voice assistant Bixby. Yet before all that happens, Bixby could be hard for some users to call upon because of the placement of one letter x.

The "x" in Bixby sounds essentially like a "k" and an "s" combined, which is difficult for many people around the world to say, according to linguists, including for those in Samsung's native South Korea.

"Lots of languages do not allow for certain kinds of consonant clusters," William Idsardi, head of the linguistics department at the University of Maryland, said in an email.

The main problem as he stated is by the fact that a "b" comes right after the "x," making it a three-consonant cluster ("k", "s" and the "b"). In languages such as Korean and Japanese, speakers would have to put an extra vowel in between the "x" and "b" to make it possible for them to say. That's something that competitor Alexa manages to avoid, despite having an x in its name. So does Samsung's "Galaxy".

Samsung however is not the only one to go through naming issues. Apple had faced issues with its digital assistant Siri when it noticed that the si became shi in Japanese pronunciation and shiri becomes a word for ones posterior in Japanese.

While it is easy to pile on to Samsung for its linguistic issue, the truth is that it is very difficult to choose a name for anything, stated Barbara Kahn, a professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School.

And when it comes to voice assistants, picking an uncommon word is important. Tech firms must choose names that wont be confused easily with other words, or words that could be used in everyday activities, so that the assistant doesnt trigger by accident. But the word must be also easy so that it becomes easy for the assistants microphone to understand.

In that way, Sutton said, Samsung chose a good word. Having a consonant cluster flanked by two vowel sounds, she said, makes "Bixby" both unique and easy to pick up for a computer. Alexa, she said, also uses this trick. The pattern is also repeated in another trademark, "Kestra," that Samsung registered for voice assistants in the US Trademark Office's public database.

Overall, Kahn says that Samsung did a good job picking a name. And, in the end, the name is only part of the equation. If Samsung proves Bixby has value to its customers - however they say it - that's what will make or break the assistant. "Ultimately, what your brand name means is what consumers think it means," she said.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a 'New India', Google India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) announced a set of initiatives aimed at empowering citizens and creating abundant opportunities for all.

Some key areas outlined as part of this initiative include enabling a safe and secure digital payments experience, imparting digital skills for artisans and Android skills training for students and developers. The announcements were made at an event, here, by Aruna Sundarajan, MEITY Secretary, and Rajan Anandan, VP SouthEast Asia and India, Google.

Speaking at the event, Aruna Sundarajan, Secretary, MEITY said, "The Ministry of Electronics and IT intends to give impetus to Prime Minister's recent call for a 'New India'. Collaboration with Google will be hugely beneficial in harnessing the capabilities of technology for the "India growth" story."

Making the announcements, Rajan Anandan, VP, SouthEast Asia and India, Google said, "We are delighted to support PM Modi's vision of creating a 'New india' where technology unleashes a wave of new opportunities. We are committed to and look forward to working with MEITY across these broad range of initiatives and help every Indian to leverage the power of the Internet."

Digital Payments

As India moves to a less cash society through adoption of digital payments, Google India and MEITY will support the launch of a 'Digital Payments Security Alliance' in collaboration with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI).

The Alliance will bring together several stakeholders from the ecosystem including Banks, Fintech Companies and Government. The Alliance will enable key initiatives to make security a foundation for India's twin pronged Digital and Financial Inclusion Programs.

A campaign to create community awareness on safe and secure practices, as users adopt digital/mobile payments, capacity building through appropriate Train the Trainer Programs for CSCs, Financial Inclusion Agencies, will be some of the key priorities.

"Digital Unlocked" for Artisans

Handicrafts industry with over seven million artisans provides the second largest source of employment in India, after agriculture. Further, it has a huge impact on export and foreign exchange earnings for the country.

Google India which had announced Digital Unlocked, a program to impart training to SMBs earlier this year will extend this training in partnership with MEITY to over 100,000 artisans per year across India. The aim is to enable them to tap into newer markets through improved visibility and discoverability of their products through the internet.

The training will be delivered by National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT). Google India will equip the National Institute trainers with training modules and content. And they will in turn do the outreach by leveraging the 10,000 NIELIT centres across the country. Additionally, Google India will also provide mobile training labs to reach artisan clusters across India.

Skills development

The majority of India's Internet user base today accesses the Internet from their mobile phones and almost all the future Internet users in India and many of the world's emerging countries will be mobile only.

There is a huge opportunity for India to become a global leader in mobile app development. Towards this, Google had announced the launch of its Android Skilling program with an aim of training two million developers in India. This included developing a specially-designed instructor-led training program course curriculum.

Google will extend this course curriculum to the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) who will in turn train over 100K developers and students through its network of centres.

Other initiatives that Google India and MEITY will undertake in India include: proliferating the Indic web; enhancing government's online presence especially on mobile platforms to enable citizen engagement and training and capacity building programs on digital tools.

Google India with its mission of Internet for every Indian has been very focussed on solving for the next billion users who're not online. Bringing fast, high quality Internet access; building products that perform even when there is low connectivity; make the web more accessible and useful for Indic language speakers; increasing internet usage amongst women in rural India and skills development for developers and SMBs are some of its key initiatives.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Apples plans to start manufacturing its products in India are known since the past couple of months. Along with iPhone SE, it also appears like Apple will be assembling iPhone 6 and 6S models in India in the next few weeks.

According to a report published by Business Standard, government officials familiar with Apples plans say that Taiwan-based contract manufacturer Wistron Corp. will begin manufacturing iPhone 6 and 6S models at Apples plant in Bangalore in the next four to six weeks.

Almost all preparations have been done for launching Apples first phase project in Bangalore through Wistron, the official reportedly told Wall Street Journal. Weve been working hard to develop our operations in India, an Apple spokeswoman added. We appreciate the constructive and open dialogue weve had with government about further expanding our local operations, she added.

Apples devices are priced relatively higher in India when compared to other markets and the company realises that. Thus, they have been attempting at chalking out a plan with the Indian government to ensure that the devices prices drop somehow. If Apple were to start manufacturing iPhones in India then the prices would drop by at least $100 (Rs 6,000-7,000).

The company is continuously negotiating with New Delhi for its next-level of production in India. Apple has even sought for tax concessions on the import of key components. However, the Indian government hasnt accepted most of the demands of Apple yet.

"Apple is closely working with [the] government to move forward with its India plans. We want Apple to manufacture in India. They are also very keen," an official who works closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, declining to be named. "We will try to accommodate as much of their demands as possible, but they too appreciate and understand our limitations."

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
New York: The move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party to name "firebrand Hindu cleric" Aditya Nath Yogi as Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister is a "shocking rebuke" to religious minorities, a leading US daily said on Friday in its editorial.

The New York Times in the highly critical editorial titled 'Modi's Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists' said since he was elected in 2014, Modi has played a "cagey game, appeasing his party's hard-line Hindu base while promoting

secular goals of development and economic growth".

There was no immediate comments on the editorial from the Prime Minister's office in New Delhi. While there were "worrying signs" that he was willing to

humour Hindu extremists, the editorial said Modi refrained from overtly approving violence against the nation's Muslim minority.

However, Modi "revealed his hand" when emboldened by a landslide victory in recent elections in India?s largest state of Uttar Pradesh, his party named a "firebrand Hindu cleric, Yogi Adityanath, as the state's leader", it said.

"The move is a shocking rebuke to religious minorities, and a sign that cold political calculations ahead of national elections in 2019 have led Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party to believe that nothing stands in the way of realising its

long-held dream of transforming a secular republic into a Hindu state," the editorial said.

It noted that Aditya Nath has made a political career of demonising Muslims. The editorial said Uttar Pradesh badly needs development and not ideological showmanship.

It said Aditya Nath has sounded the right notes by saying that his government will be for everyone and not specifically for any caste or community.

"But the appointment shows that Modi sees nocontradiction between economic development and a muscular Hindu nationalism that feeds on stoking anti-Muslim passions," the editorial added.

In a criticism, it said Modi's economic policies have delivered growth, but not jobs at a time when India needs to mgenerate a million new jobs every month to meet employment demand.

"Should Adityanath fail to deliver, there is every fear that he and Modi's party will resort to deadly Muslim-baiting to stay in power, turning Modi's dreamland into

a nightmare for India?s minorities, and threatening the progress that Modi has promised to all of its citizens," it said.
Police say Jackson admitted stabbing Timothy Caughman multiple times near the homeless shelter where the victim lived. (Representational image)

New York: A white US army veteran accused of fatally stabbing a 66-year-old homeless black man in New York was charged Thursday with second-degree murder as a hate crime, after telling police he was planning a race-based killing spree.

James Jackson, 28, is also facing a charge of criminal possession of a weapon in connection with Monday night's incident near the city's main Port Authority bus terminal.

The attack comes as several major US cities including New York are grappling with an increase in hate crimes.

Police say Jackson admitted stabbing Timothy Caughman multiple times near the homeless shelter where the victim lived. Caughman managed to walk two blocks to a police station but was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

Jackson -- who served in the US Army from 2009 to 2012, a stint that included a tour of duty in Afghanistan -- turned himself in to police in Times Square on Wednesday, according to local media reports.

He told police he considered the killing to be "practice prior to going to Times Square to kill additional black men," according to the complaint.

It said he was "angered by black men mixing with white women." The ex-serviceman told police he had traveled to the city on a bus from his home in Baltimore, about 170 miles (275 kilometers) to the south.

"In general he came here to target male blacks," Assistant Chief William Aubry, head of the Manhattan detectives' squad, was quoted as saying.

Jackson came to New York because he wanted to make a statement in the "media capital of the world," Aubry said.

Police reportedly recovered Jackson's sword, which had a 18-inch (46-centimeter) blade, after he told them where to find it.

"On Monday evening, an innocent man was stabbed to death in what appears to be an unprovoked attack prompted by the victim's race," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.

"More than an unspeakable human tragedy, this is an assault on what makes this the greatest city in the world: our inclusiveness and our diversity," he said.

"Now it's our collective responsibility to speak clearly and forcefully in the face of intolerance and violence."

On Wednesday, the office of Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance launched a promotion called "Too New York To Hate" to encourage victims and witnesses of violence against an ethnic group, community or religion to come forward to testify.
The 1,700-mile (2,735 kilometres) pipeline, as envisioned, would carry oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast, passing through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The Trump administration issued a permit on Friday to build the Keystone XL pipeline, reversing the Obama administration and clearing the way for the USD 8 billion project to finally be completed.

The decision caps a years-long fight between environmental groups and energy industry advocates over the pipeline's fate that became a proxy battle over global warming. It marks one of the biggest steps taken to date by the Trump administration to prioritize economic development over environmental concerns.

The State Department, responsible for reviewing the project because it crosses an international border, determined that building it serves US national interests. That conclusion followed a review of environmental, economic and diplomatic factors, the department said.

It wasn't immediately clear what, if anything, had changed since the State Department reached the opposite conclusion two years ago, other than the election of a new administration. President Donald Trump planned to address Keystone during an announcement on Friday morning, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Twitter.

TransCanada, the Calgary-based company that first applied for a presidential permit in 2008, called the decision a "significant milestone."

"We greatly appreciate President Trump's administration for reviewing and approving this important initiative," said TransCanada CEO Russ Girling. "We look forward to working with them as we continue to invest in and strengthen North America's energy infrastructure."

But Greenpeace, one of the pipeline's most vocal opponents, said it sent a signal to the world that the US is "moving backwards" on climate and energy, and pledged to keep fighting it nonetheless.

"Keystone was stopped once before, and it will be stopped again," said Annie Leonard, the group's US director.

The 1,700-mile (2,735 kilometres) pipeline, as envisioned, would carry oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast, passing through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. The pipeline would move roughly 800,000 barrels of oil per day, more than one-fifth of the oil Canada exports to the US.

Portions of Keystone have already been built. Completing it required a permit to cross from Canada into the US.

Yet even with a presidential permit, the pipeline still faces obstacles - most notably the route, which is still being heavily litigated in the states. Native American tribes and landowners have joined environmental groups in opposing the pipeline.

TransCanada said Friday it would continue engaging with "neighbours throughout Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota to obtain the necessary permits and approvals to advance this project to construction."

In an unusual twist, the presidential permit was signed by Tom Shannon, a career diplomat serving in a senior State Department role, rather than by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The former CEO of oil company Exxon Mobil recused himself after protests from environmental groups who said it would be a conflict of interest for Tillerson to decide the pipeline's fate.

Canadian Natural Resource Minister Jim Carr said the Canadian government is pleased with the decision. Ninety-seven percent of Canada's oil exports go to the US.

"Nothing is more essential to the American economy than access to a secure and reliable source of energy. Canada is that source," Carr said.

Oil industry advocates say the pipeline will improve US energy security and create jobs, although how many is widely disputed. Calgary-based TransCanada has promised as many as 13,000 construction jobs - 6,500 a year over two years - although the State Department previously estimated a far smaller number.

The pipeline's opponents contend the jobs will be minimal and short-lived, and say the pipeline won't help the US with energy needs because the oil is destined for export.

A Trump presidential directive also required new or expanded pipelines to be built with American steel "to the maximum extent possible." However, TransCanada has said Keystone won't be built with US steel.

The company has already acquired the steel, much of it from Canada and Mexico, and the White House has acknowledged it's too difficult to impose conditions on a pipeline already under construction.

Environmental groups also say the pipeline will encourage the use of carbon-heavy tar sands oil which contributes more to global warming than cleaner sources of energy.

President Barack Obama reached the same conclusion in 2015 after a negative recommendation from then-Secretary of State John Kerry.

TransCanada first applied for a permit in 2008. Years of politicking, legal wrangling and disputes over the pipeline's route preceded Obama's decision to nix the project.

The Obama administration argued the pipeline would undercut US efforts to clinch a global climate change deal that was reached weeks later in Paris.

The Trump administration has dropped fighting climate change as a priority and left open the possibility of pulling out of the Paris deal.
Health care activists march to the Trump International hotel during a protest on March 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: US President Donald Trump warned House Republican lawmakers that he will leave Obamacare in place and move on to tax reform if they do not get behind new healthcare legislation and support it in a vote on Friday.

It was not clear late on Thursday evening that Trump and the Republican leaders who crafted the bill had enough support to pass it, meaning they now risk defeat in their first attempt at major legislation and may fail to deliver on a key campaign pledge.

We have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because its collapsing and its failing families, and tomorrow were proceeding, House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters after an evening all-hands meeting. He ignored reporters who asked if he had secured the votes to pass the bill.

Ryan and leaders in the House of Representatives were forced to postpone a vote on their healthcare bill, formally called the American Health Care Act, earlier on Thursday, dealing Trump an embarrassing setback.

The vote had been symbolically planned for the anniversary of former Democratic President Barack Obama signing his namesake healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, in 2010. It was supposed to have been Trumps first legislative victory.

Trump and his fellow Republicans had pledged to replace Obamacare, which they view as too intrusive and too expensive.

But, after a week of calling Republican lawmakers and bringing them into the Oval Office for meetings, Trump failed to close the deal with two different factions within his party on time for the planned Thursday vote.

Conservatives felt the bill did not go far enough to repeal Obamacare and moderates felt the plan could hurt their constituents. House Republican leaders had signaled they were ready to work through the weekend to figure out a way to reconcile their differences.

As the healthcare drama unfolded on Capitol Hill, Trump played it cool, taking a break from negotiations to hang out with some truckers, climbing into the cab of a long-haul transport truck parked on the back driveway of the White House, and blowing the horn a few times.

He told reporters the vote would be close but he remained optimistic. I think were doing well. Well find out in about three hours, he said, just as reports began to surface that the vote had been postponed.

By evening, Trump sent his top lieutenants to a dramatic meeting on Capitol Hill on Thursday night with an ultimatum: he was done talking. According to Representative Chris Collins of New York, a top Trump ally, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told House Republicans that Trump wanted a vote.

The president has said he wants a vote tomorrow, up or down, Collins said.

If for any reason it is down, we are just going to move forward with additional parts of his agenda such as tax reform, Collins told reporters after leaving the meeting.

However, the vote has been seen by financial markets as a crucial test of Trumps ability to work with Congress to deliver on his other priorities, such as tax cuts and infrastructure spending.

Even if their replacement plan does eventually get approval from the House, the legislation faces a potentially tough fight in the Republican-controlled Senate.

The House and Senate had hoped to deliver a new healthcare bill to Trump by April 8, when Congress is scheduled to begin a two-week spring break.

Getting to yes?

The Republicans have a majority in the House but, because of united Democratic opposition, can afford to lose only 21 Republican votes. By Thursday morning, NBC News said that 30 Republicans had planned to vote no or were leaning that way.

North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, the chairman of the pivotal conservative bloc known as the Freedom Caucus, said he and others were struggling to support the plan.

I am desperately trying to get to yes and I think the president knows that. I told him that personally, Meadows said. However, after Thursday nights meeting, he was still a no.

Obamacare aimed to boost the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. Some 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law.

The House replacement plan would rescind the taxes created by Obamacare, repeal a penalty against people who do not buy coverage, slash funding for the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled, and modify tax subsidies that help individuals buy plans.

House leaders agreed to four pages of last-minute amendments to the bill, including allowing states to choose which essential benefits are required in healthcare insurance plans, and keeping a 0.9 percent surcharge on Medicare for high-income Americans for six years. It was unclear whether that was enough.

Representative Trent Franks, a Freedom Caucus member who had been undeclared on his position on the bill, said he liked the changes. Its going in the right direction, Franks said outside the House.

The amendments will give states more money for maternal health and mental health, said Representative Jeff Fortenberry, a Nebraska moderate who still has not said how he will vote.

Markets watching closely

Uncertainty over the healthcare bill rattled financial markets this week. The delay in the house vote is likely to extend the ups and downs in the stocks of some hospital groups and health insurers.

US stock markets rose steadily in recent months on optimism over a pro-business Trump agenda but fell back sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that failure to push through the healthcare bill could postpone other business-friendly Trump priorities.

Delay on healthcare equates to delay on tax cuts. That is why the market turned red when the news flow suggested they didnt have a deal, said David Kotok, chairman and chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, a money management firm.

Others said it was too soon to panic.

If this thing gets materially delayed or if we get a no vote, were going to see a horrific market reaction. But if they vote in the morning and it passes, well have a hell of a rally, said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Court documents say investigators learned the couple often fought over Chow's gambling. (Photo: Representational/File)

Dedham: Prosecutors in Massachusetts say a man ran over his ex-wife four times in the driveway of their Quincy home, killing her, after they fought over his alleged gambling in 2016.

Yan Long Chow pleaded not guilty on Thursday in Norfolk Superior Court to first-degree murder. He was ordered held without bail.

Prosecutors say Chow had told police he accidentally hit Zhen Li in the driveway on September 2. The 52-year-old Li died at the scene.

Court documents say investigators learned the couple often fought over Chow's gambling. Chow's layer, Scott Martin, tells The Boston Globe his 55-year-old client had nothing to gain from Li's death.

Martin says Chow and Li married in 1985, divorced in 1993, remarried in 1998 and divorced again in 2005, but remained a couple.
Washington: Senior Trump administration officials have held intensive consultations with an Israeli delegation to advance the prospects for a genuine and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine, the White House has said.

A principal focus of the discussions was specific measures that could have a meaningful impact on the economic environment in the West Bank and Gaza, allowing the Palestinians to more fully realise their economic potential, it said.

While the American delegation was led by Jason Greenblatt, President Donald Trump's Special Representative for International Negotiations, the Israeli delegation was led by the Chief of Staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Horowitz.

"The issues the two delegations discussed are exceptionally complicated, and the fact that both governments dedicated such senior delegations for nearly a full week of talks reflects the close cooperation between the two countries and the importance both assign to this vital task," the joint statement read.

The two delegations also discussed Israeli settlement construction, following up on Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington and Greenblatt's recent visit to Israel.

The US reiterated Trump's concerns regarding settlement activity in the context of moving towards a peace agreement. The Israeli delegation made clear that Israels intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes those concerns into consideration.

Meanwhile, the US Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of David Friedman as the US Ambassador to Israel. He is known for his hardline views and has been critical of a two-State solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
New Jersey: A man from Andhra Pradesh found his wife and their seven-year-old son dead in their home in New Jersey, United States, on Thursday evening.

According to an ANI report, the couple, both software professionals, had been living in the US since the last nine years, and the wife, Sasikala worked from home. On the day of the incident, N Hanumantha Rao had returned from office to find his wife and son dead.

The mother of the deceased woman suspects that they were murdered after they discovered Hanumantha Rao's affair with another woman.

The police have launched a criminal investigation and though they are exploring all possible motives behind the murder, no details are yet available to ascertain if the case involved any domestic dispute.

Andhra Pradesh state Legislative Assembly member from Prakasam district, Y Sambasiva Rao, who spoke to Telugu Association of North America (TANA) representatives said that the victims had been strangled to death.

However, Indian-American community leader and President of the non-profit Indian American Friendship Council (IAFC) Prasad Thotakura claimed that Rao allegedly found his wife and child "in a pool of blood" and "with their throats slit".

Meanwhile, members in both Houses of Parliament expressed concern over the incident and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi take up the matter with Donald Trump. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Congress member T Subbarami Reddy said the wife and the son of a software engineer were "brutally killed" last night.

"It is a serious matter. This is very dangerous. Just two weeks ago, two Indians were killed and now two more people have been killed. Modi must take (it) up with the President of America," Reddy said.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien too expressed shock over the incident and said the matter should be taken up at the highest level. He also asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to convey the incident to the External Affairs Minister.

In the Lok Sabha, Y V Subba Reddy of YSR Congress Party also raised the issue and asked the government to take a "very strong stand" in protecting Indians in the US.
A diary maintained by former US President John F. Kennedy as a young man, revealing a fascination with Adolf Hitler, is up for sale.According to the BBC, the set of notes from when Kennedy was 28, predicts Hitlers rise to power.

Hitler will emerge from the hatred that surrounds him now as one of the most significant figures who ever lived. He had in him the stuff of which legends are made, Kennedy wrote. Experts claim the diary entry is from the summer of 1945, during Kennedys tour of German dictators Bavarian mountain retreat.

Adolf Hitler died on April 30 of that same year and a young Kennedy is believed to have kept the diary around for four months after the German dictators suicide. Historians added that this was the only diary maintained by the man who would go and become the 35th President of the United States.

The auction of the original copy will take place on April 26, in Boston. The current owner of the ledger is one Deirdre Henderson, who worked as a research assistant for JFK while he was a US senator. Hitler had boundless ambition for his country which rendered him a menace to the peace of the world, but he had a mystery about him in the way he lived and in the manner of his death that will live and grow after him, an entry read.

In 1945, Kennedy was touring Europe as a newspaper reporter following a stint in the United States armed forces aboard a ship on the Pacific. Henderson would later receive the diary from Kennedy himself because he wanted to inform her of his views on foreign policy, the BBC reported. However, she has dismissed speculation that her former boss was a Hitler sympathiser.
Raffi Hovannisian to Joseph Dual: You have let down the Armenian voter, civil society, the EPP

Yerevan--Raffi K.Hovannisian, Armenia's first minister of foreign affairs and current chairman of its Heritage Party, has sent the following letter to Joseph Daul, president of the European People's Party (EPP) of which Heritage is a member. "24 March 2017 Mr. Joseph Daul President, European People's Party Brussels Dear Mr. President: The ruling Republican party has widely distributed, on public television and elsewhere, an Armenian-language voice-over of a video message portraying your image purportedly expressing your support of--and wishing success to--it and all of its candidates in the upcoming elections. If this does not correspond with reality, I apologize for the inconvenience and urge you immediately to set the record straight in a second video message, this time addressed to the Heritage party and the alliance of which it forms part. If, however, the translation of the words attributed to you is correct, I must ask whether they constitute the EPP's official position or your personal opinion. I am obliged to add, moreover, that your overt solidarity with one sister party at the expense of the two others is a gross violation of ethical standards and an unwarranted interference into Armenia's internal affairs. The intervention itself as well as the content of your message are shameful for Europe and the EPP and for all those in Armenia--one of the ancient sources of European civilization--who wish to propagate European values and forge a European-modeled state and society upon our land. What is more, as you list a variety of abiding democratic principles such as free and fair elections, the rule of law, the fight against corruption, independence of the judiciary and protection of civil rights, you are in fact endorsing the very same party (and its president) which is responsible for forging elections, for applying the law selectively and wrongfully as it (he) sees fit, for corruption, abuse of power, and conflicts of interest from the top down, for the partocratic monopolization of all spheres of public life, for the absolute subjugation of the judiciary to its (his) whims, and for persecuting and imprisoning citizens for the exercise of their freedoms of political expression, assembly, conscience, and constitutional civic activity. The list is long. Once again, if the message is truly yours, it translates into a flagrant self-breach of European moral and legal benchmarks, not to mention its blatant violation of--and deleterious and prejudicial partisan impact upon-- the electoral process itself, the ongoing campaign and its ultimate results, whether finally clean or once again falsified. I trust the foregoing will be duly noted in the reports filed by domestic and international monitoring missions including your own. You have not let Heritage down. You have let down the Armenian voter, civil society, the EPP and its system of values, the very definition and meaning of what we have known as Europe. Respectfully yours, Raffi K. Hovannisian Chairman, Heritage Party Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of Armenia Yerevan"
Belgian authorities tightened security in the port city of Antwerp after a Frenchman drove his car at high speed through a busy shopping area, forcing pedestrians to jump out of the way. (Photo: AP)

Brussels: A man who sped a car down a pedestrian shopping street in Antwerp has been charged with attempted terrorist murder, Belgiums federal prosecutors said on Friday.

No one was injured in the incident, but authorities said pedestrians had to jump out of the way and police found knives in the vehicle of 39-year-old Mohamed R., a French resident of North African origin.

He has also been charged with illegal possession of weapons.

A French source close to the investigation said they believed there was no terrorist motive and that the suspect had not been trying to hit anyone. The source said on Thursday that the suspect was probably drunk and trying to escape a police check.

Belgian media said police found the man asleep in his car after chasing him through town and he was too intoxicated to be heard about the incident.

It appears he still wasnt questioned this morning, given his state, the French source said.

Belgiums federal prosecutors did not give any further details about the case.
In this photo taken on Sunday, March 5, 2017 thousands of people take part in a demonstration against violence on women in downtown Turin, Italy. (Photo: AP))

Rome: Italys justice minister has reportedly asked officials to look into a case in which a court acquitted a man of raping a woman because she didnt scream.

The Italian news agency ANSA said on Thursday that minister Andrea Orlando has asked ministry inspectors to begin checking into the case.

ANSA said a court in Turin had ruled last month that the womans saying Enough! to her colleague who allegedly raped her constituted too weak a reaction to prove that she was sexually attacked. The ruling specified she didnt scream or ask for help.

Center-right Forza Italia opposition lawmaker Annagrazia Calabria decried the ruling, saying, Certainly, you cannot punish the personal reaction of a woman terrified by what is happening to her.

The ruling has also triggered an outcry by womens groups.
Police have searched 16 addresses, with five more raids still underway, mainly in London and the central city of Birmingham. (Photo: AP)

London: British police said on Friday they had made two further "significant" arrests over the Islamist-inspired terror attack on parliament, as they appealed for information about the homegrown killer who left four people dead.

Nine people are now in custody over Wednesday's rampage in Westminster, in which at least 50 people were injured, 31 requiring hospital treatment, counter-terrorism commander Mark Rowley said.

Police have searched 16 addresses, with five more raids still underway, mainly in London and the central city of Birmingham, where the attacker reportedly lived and near where he rented the car used in the assault.

The police officer also revealed the attacker's birth name as Adrian Russell Ajao, after naming him Thursday as Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old who used "a number of aliases" and had a history of violent offences but no terrorist convictions.

The Islamic State group claimed the assailant behind Britain's deadliest terror attack in 12 years was one of its "soldiers" acting on a call to target countries in the US-led coalition fighting the jihadists.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said that Masood was known to intelligence services as a "peripheral" figure some years ago but there was no warning of his intention to mount an attack.

Rowley said on Friday that police were trying to establish whether Masood acted totally alone "or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him".

Masood ran over dozens of pedestrians and tourists on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon before crashing his car into parliament, where he managed to stab a police officer before being shot dead.

Lawmakers returned to work as normal on Thursday morning, even as forensic officers worked at the scene, but a review of parliamentary security is now underway.

Hundreds of people gathered in nearby Trafalgar Square late Thursday for a vigil led by Mayor Sadiq Khan who vowed that "Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism."

The death toll rose late on Thursday after life support was withdrawn from a 75-year-old man injured in the attack, who the police named as Leslie Rhodes from south London.

The other victims were 48-year-old policeman Keith Palmer and, on the bridge, a 43-year-old British woman, Aysha Frade, who was on her way to pick up her two daughters, and an American citizen in his 50s, Kurt Cochran.

Police earlier said that five men and three women aged between 21 and 58 were arrested "on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts". One woman was later released on bail.

Rowley gave no details of the new arrests, only to say that they took place in the West Midlands -- the area of the country that includes Birmingham -- and the north-west of England.

Born in Kent in southeast England, Masood was a British citizen with convictions for assault and possession of offensive weapons dating from 1983 to 2003.

According to The Sun tabloid, he married a Muslim woman in 2004 and moved the following year to Saudi Arabia to teach, returning in 2009.

Police said he went by numerous aliases, including, reportedly, Adrian Elms, while reports suggest he lived all over England, including in Luton and east London.

He was described as "a nice guy" by Iwona Romek, a former neighbour in Birmingham, who told the Birmingham Mail: "He had a wife, a young Asian woman and a small child who went to school."

Rowley said police were "looking at his history" and appealed for any public information about him, adding: "Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, preparation and associates."

The crowds at Trafalgar Square late on Thursday brought messages of defiance, flags and flowers, and offered their condolences to officers who lost a colleague in the attack.

Naveed Mirza, a Muslim student, said he had received "overwhelming" support since the attack described by police as "Islamist-related terrorism".

"We have come to say how, as Muslims, we unequivocally condemn all the violent actions that took place yesterday," he said.

The IS group said it was responsible, according to the Amaq propaganda agency, its first claim of an attack on British soil.

The latest attack had echoes of the atrocities in Nice and Berlin when trucks ploughed into crowds of people, killing 86 people in the French Riviera city in July and 12 at a market in the German capital just days before Christmas.

The assault on Westminster was the deadliest in Britain since four suicide bombers killed 52 people on the city's transport system in July 2005.

A defiant May had told the reopened parliament that Britain's resolve "will never waver in the face of terrorism," as MPs stood heads bowed for a minute's silence in remembrance of the victims.

Britain's last terror attack was the 2016 assassination of MP Jo Cox by a pro-Nazi sympathiser shortly before the historic but deeply divisive June vote to leave the EU.

In 2013, British soldier Lee Rigby was run down and knifed on a London street to death by two Islamist extremists.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will keep up his Nazi taunts targeting European leaders as long as they keep on calling him a dictator. (Photo: AP)

Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will keep up his Nazi taunts targeting European leaders as long as they keep on calling him a dictator.

How does that work, you have the right to call Erdogan a dictator but Erdogan doesnt have the right to call you fascist and Nazi? he said during an interview with the CNN-Turk and Kanal D television channels.

Relations between Turkey and Europe have been severely strained since Turkish ministers were thwarted from campaigning on the continent for a yes vote in next months referendum on expanding Erdogans powers.

Ankara has said such behaviour was reminiscent of Nazi Germany and also raised alarm over what it sees as rising racism and Islamophobia.

Germany on Monday branded as unacceptable Erdogans charge that chancellor Angela Merkel was using Nazi measures, but signalled it wanted to avoid escalating the feud.

Erdogan, who has also taken similar aim at the Netherlands, did not sound conciliatory.

They accuse me then they speak of Erdogan as a dictator, he continued, still referring to himself in the third person. So Ill continue to address them in these terms, he added.

Erdogan again denounced the cancellation of his ministers trips to European countries with a large Turkish diaspora ahead of the referendum.

On Wednesday he warned that Europeans risk being unsafe on the worlds streets, as the crisis between Ankara and the EU showed no signs of abating.

The same day Germanys new President Frank-Walter Steinmeier again urged the Turkish leader to stop these appalling comparisons with Nazism, do not cut the ties with those who want a partnership with Turkey.

Erdogan said he was good friends with Steinmeier and deplored his comments.

He added that there could be a period of review of Turkey relations with the European Union, while stressing the importance of economic ties with the bloc, his countrys biggest trading partner.

Turkey is officially an EU-candidate nation but its accession process has been practically blocked for years.

He said that an EU-Turkey agreement on migrants, aimed at reducing the numbers reaching Europe from Africa and the Middle East, would be part of an A to Z review of government policy to begin after the April 16 referendum.

Turning to the issue of Kurdish separatists in Turkey and Syria, the Erdogan said he was saddened by links which Russia and the US have with Kurdish militias.

While he is a regular critic of Washington over its support for the Kurdish YPG militia operating in Syria it was the first time he had expressed his unhappiness with Moscows stance

Turkey summoned the Russian charge daffaires on Wednesday and sent him another message Thursday to convey deep unease over two incidents in Kurdish militia-controlled Syria, Ankara said.
Amman, Jordan: Say hello to the person next to you. Reclaim territory on the armrest. Think of the reasons why you dont have a laptop or tablet with you.

This is some of the light-hearted advice dispensed by Royal Jordanian on social media Thursday, a day before the carrier is to enforce a new US ban on most onboard electronics on US-bound flights from 10 cities in Muslim-majority countries.

Royal Jordanian flies to New York, Chicago and Detroit.

The US ban took effect Tuesday, with a Saturday morning deadline for compliance. Britain announced similar restrictions.

Earlier this week, Royal Jordanian was among the first to announce the US was banning most electronics, including laptops, on board certain flights. The airline later deleted the tweet because Washington hadnt announced the ban at the time.

Since then, the carrier has been trying to cheer up passengers and potential customers with humorous Twitter messages.

It posted a list of 12 things to do on a 12-hour flight with no laptop or tablet.

In another post, it took up rhyming, with a five-line poem that begins: Every week a new ban. Travel to the US since you can. It promises that No one can ruin our in-flight fun.

But theres a serious side to the restrictions, including the potential for theft, damage or compromised data if laptops are checked with luggage. Travelers can also lose precious work time without access to laptops on long-haul flights.
Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in 2012 in the case, but an appeals court ordered a retrial which dismissed the charges two years later. (Photo: AP)

Cairo: Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak left a military hospital on Friday where he had spent much of his six-year detention, his lawyer said.

Mubarak had been cleared for release earlier this month after a top court finally acquitted him of involvement in protester deaths during the 2011 revolt that ousted him.

"Yes," his lawyer Farid al-Deeb said when asked if Mubarak had left the hospital on Friday.

Mubarak was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt, in which about 850 people were killed as police clashed with demonstrators.

He was sentenced to life in 2012 in the case, but an appeals court ordered a retrial which dismissed the charges two years later.

Egypt's top appeals court on March 2 acquitted him of involvement in the killings. In January 2016, the appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons on corruption charges.

But the sentence took into account time served. Both of his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were freed.

On Thursday, a court ordered a renewed corruption investigation into Mubarak for allegedly receiving gifts from the state owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Meanwhile several key activists in the 2011 uprising are now serving lengthy jail terms, and rights groups say hundreds of others have been forcibly disappeared.
Lahore: JuD acting chief Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki said on Thursday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif celebrated Hindu festival Holi to please the Indian government.

The prime minister and other ruling elite celebrated Holi festival to please the Indian government. The rulers must realise that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations. Their culture and civilisation are different. They cannot live together, Makki, who is the brother-in-law of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, said this at a conference in Lahore.

Makki said the rulers are weakening Pakistans ideology for extending hand of friendship with India.

We will defend Pakistans ideology and will make nation strong to fight the enemy, Maki said.

Sharif participated in a function in Karachi to celebrate the Holi festival with the Hindu community.

In his message to minorities, Sharif warned against the forced conversion and destruction of worship places of other religions, describing them as crime in Islam.

Earlier, cleric Allama Ashraf Jalali, secretary general of Sunni Ittehad Council, said that the Prime Minister had not only blasphemed against Islam but also demeaned the ideological foundations of Pakistan by participating the function.

Issuing a fatwa against Sharif the cleric demanded an open apology from the premier for violation of his oath.
He urged the international community to 'influence' India to respond positively to Pakistan's initiatives for peace. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday asked the international community to "influence" India to respond positively to its initiatives for peace, saying that Islamabad wants to resolve differences with New Delhi through dialogue.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan is not in favour of any arms race in the region and wants to solve issues with India through dialogue. He also claimed that India was involved in massive purchase of weapons.

He urged the international community to "influence" India to respond positively to Pakistan's initiatives for peace.

Zakaria also claimed that the Pakistan Day was not only observed in the country but also in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan Day was "celebrated across the length and breadth" of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

"Pakistani flags were fluttering there and entire Jammu & Kashmir region was echoing with Pakistan's National Anthem, which was a clear verdict by the Kashmiris who they want to be with. And this happens every year and every day," Zakaria claimed.
The main event was organised by the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation at Lahore's Fawara Chowk yesterday where the three freedom fighters were hanged on March 23, 1931.

Lahore: The civil society members and academics in Pakistan have demanded a public apology from the British Queen for the "unjust killings" of Indian freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev as the country marked their 86th death anniversary.

The main event was organised by the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation at Lahore's Fawara Chowk yesterday where the three freedom fighters were hanged on March 23, 1931.

Amid high security, the participants attended the memorial ceremony and urged the British Queen to visit Shadman Chowk and tender a public apology for the murder of the trio.

Adopting a resolution, the activists also demanded the Queen should pay should apologise to India and Pakistan and to the families of the freedom fighters, besides paying pecuniary compensation for the "unjust killings."

The civil society members also held a candle light vigil to remember the sacrifices of the freedom fighters.

Some descendants of Bhagat's family, including Sardar Hakoomat Singh, Gurjit Dhat, Abhe Singh Sindhu, Kiran Jeet Singh and Sardar Sukhvendra Singh Sanga delivered telephonic speeches from Canada and India.

"We will not forget the courage and sacrifice of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his companion. Singh will be echoed against every imperialistic regime," said Abdullah Malik, president of Bhagat Singh Foundation Pakistan.

He criticised the Punjab government for not honouring the freedom fighters and not renaming Shadman Chowk as Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk.

Foundation's chairman Imtiaz Qureshi said people like Bhagat and his comrades were born in centuries and their great sacrifice would always be remembered.

On the order of the Lahore High Court, the Lahore police provided security for the event which had faced threats from "religious extremists."

Taran Geet Sing, Amir Sohail and other Sikh students also spoke on the occasion and paid rich tributes to freedom fighters.

The Dyal Singh Research and Cultural Forum also held a separate function at the Dyal Singh Auditorium Lahore to pay tributes to the three freedom fighters.

Forum's director Ehsan Nadeem said the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh lit the candle of freedom that wiped out British colonialism.

Punjab University's Dean of Social Sciences Iqbal Chawla said unlike Gandhi, founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah had supported Bhagat's struggle and declared it was legal.

"It was Maulana Zafar Ali Khan who in a poem declared Bhagat Singh a martyr. All this indicated Muslims' love for Bhagat Singh and the Sikh community," he said.
Sorry, the page you are looking is no longer available.

Click here to go to Home
Asserting that his government has taken stringent steps to check drug menace, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has said 'Udta Punjab' will not happen in the state after the BJP raised the issue in the legislative council. 'Udta Punjab' is the name of a Hindi film which highlights drug abuse by youths in Punjab.



"A special drive has been launched to curb drug menace in the state, especially Bengaluru and Mangaluru. We will not allow Bengaluru to go the Punjab way. Udta Punjab will not happen here," he said. The Minister was replying to BJP MLC Lahar Singh in the legislative council yesterday.



Raising the issue in the House, Singh rapped the government for its "inaction" to curb the drug menace in the state. Parameshwara said the government has taken the matter seriously and directed police to take stringent action against drug peddlers. "It has been come to the notice of the police that petty shops near colleges indulge in peddling," he said.



Parameshewara said 65 Indian and 23 foreign nationals have been arrested in connection with drug-trafficking cases in the past two-and-a-half months. The minister also said there are 1,023 foreign nationals overstaying in the state."We have been in touch with the External Affairs Ministry, and around 59 of overstaying foreign nationals have been deported," he said.



About the recent mysterious death of a Nigerian national, who overstayed his visa, here, Parameshwara said he was a drug trafficker and had died in a road mishap. "Nobody has claimed his body despite the Nigerian High Commission being informed. Right steps will be taken to dispose of the body after getting court orders," he said. BJP's Capt Ganesh Karnik said steps should be taken to destroy the entire drug network instead of merely arresting traffickers.


An AIADMK member in the Lok Sabha today sought a CBI probe into the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, saying any inquiry by the state government will not be able to unravel the "truth".



PR Sundaram, who has switched to the rebel group headed by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, said the Centre must order a CBI probe into Jayalalithaa's mysterious death.



"Even if Tamil Nadu government orders a probe, hidden things will not come out. So we are demanding a CBI probe," he said.



In January, the Supreme Court had dismissed petitions filed by expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa and a youth organisation seeking CBI probe into Jayalalithaa's death.



During the Zero Hour, another AIADMK MP Poonaswami Venugopal raised the issue of human rights violation of Tamil population during the civil war and asked the government to take a strong position on the issue. He said government should not to consider Sri Lanka as a friendly country.



He also slammed the government on "maintaining a studied silence" over the UNHRC resolution on giving two more years to Sri Lanka to submit report on the killing of Tamils in the island nation.



"There should be an international probe into atrocities on Tamils in Sri Lanka. We must ensure justice to Tamil people in that country," he said.



Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar termed the security of Tamils in Sri Lanka as a serious issue.



He told Venugopal that his concerns will be conveyed to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj so that appropriate action is taken to protect interests of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.



Venugopal also raised the issue of killing of an Indian fisherman earlier this month, with Kumar saying the matter was of paramount importance for India.



BJD member Bhartruhari Mahtab asked what steps have been taken for the welfare of Tamil population in Sri Lanka after the visit of Swaraj there last year as the issue was taken up by her with Sri Lankan leadership.




Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak was today released from a military hospital for the first time in six years during which he faced a number of trials over charges of killing more than 200 protesters during the 2011 revolution that toppled him.



Mubarak, 88, left the Maadi Military Hospital where he had been detained for the past few years, heading to his home in Heliopolis, his lawyer Farid El-Deeb told local media.



Earlier this month, the Appeals Court gave its final verdict and acquitted Mubarak over charges of taking part in killing protesters during the 2011 revolution that toppled him.



Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for taking part in killing over 200 protesters during the 18-day revolt which began on January 25, 2011, but a retrial was ordered on appeal.



In 2013, the court cleared Mubarak and his seven aides, including his interior minister Habib el-Adli, from the charge, but public prosecutors appealed the sentence.



Mubarak will face retrial in the "Ahram's gift" case as he and some of his aides are accused of accepting gifts from the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.



Mubarak, who ruled Egypt since the 1952 abolition of the monarchy, became president in 1981 after Anwar Sadat's assassination.



He was initially arrested in April 2011, two months after leaving office and had been at the hospital since 2013, when he was transferred there on bail from Torah prison.



A judge at a trial in May 2015 decreed that Mubarak could be released from detention.



However, the government of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was reportedly reluctant to free him, fearing public backlash that may accompany such a move.



Sisi served as Mubarak's military intelligence chief and led the military's overthrow of his democratically elected successor Mohammed Morsi in 2013.



Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed as security forces clashed with protesters in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities around Egypt during the 18-day uprising that forced Mubarak to resign.




Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad said today he would file a defamation case against the Air India CMD and its staffer R Sukumar, who he allegedly thrashed, if they do not apologise for bringing "ignominy" to him.



Speaking to PTI, Gaikwad said he plans to file the case at a court in Osmanabad (Maharashtra), his Lok Sabha constituency, next week against the "main officials" of Air India for allegedly defaming him.



He has also filed a complaint at the airport police station against the airline officials for allegedly misbehaving with him.



"I have made a written complaint with DCP Sanjay Bhatia... I will file a defamation case against the CMD (Chairman & Managing Director) and officers (of Air India) next week for bringing ignominy to me across the country by spreading false information against me, besides insulting me.



"Now they will come to apologise to me there (in court). I will not sit quiet until they apologise," Gaikwad said.



Referring to the police complaint filed against him by Air India, he claimed the FIR cannot be registered against him without the approval from the Lok Sabha Speaker as Parliament is in session.



The Sena lawmaker said he has also raised the issue with Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, urging him to take action in the matter.



Hitting out at Sukumar, Gaikwad reiterated that the Air India staffer "misbehaved" with him and said the footage of the CCTV camera installed in the aircraft concerned can be checked to verify "who was at fault".



"The other AI employees kept telling him (Sukumar) that I was not at fault. Yet, he was arrogant, misbehaved with me..he spread false information that I misbehaved over seat issues," he added.



Gaikwad also said that he has already discussed the entire episode with his party leadership.



Confirming the filing of a complaint by the MP, a senior Delhi Police officer said, "He has given a complaint to DCP (Airport) against Air India officials alleging that they misbehaved with him by pushing him. He has also alleged that they didn't give him Business Class seats and instead made him sit in Economy Class."



Gaikwad is in the eye of a storm for repeatedly hitting the 60-year-old employee of Air India yesterday with a sandal.


A young man, suspected to be a suicide bomber, blew himself up at the international airport in Dhaka today, nearly a week after a similar attack on a nearby camp of Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force.



The man, said to be in his 30s, blew himself up in front of a police outpost near the Shahjalal International Airport.



The 'suicide attacker' exploded a bomb apparently in an attempt to target security personnel at the entrance of the airport, killing himself, Bdnew24.com reported.



The attacker could not be identified immediately.



Armed Police Battalion Assistant Commissioner Tanzila Akter told the news outlet that the incident happened around 7 p.m. local time.



"The young man died on the spot," the police officer said. She added that no law enforcer was injured in the blast.



The attack comes a week after a similar attack on a nearby RAB camp on March 17. Security was tightened at airports and prisons across Bangladesh after the attack.



A suspected suicide attacker was shot dead at a RAB check post in Khilgaon on the following day.
Are there health benefits to staying in the workforce longer? The scientific research is inconclusive, though it tends to tilt toward yes. This is particularly pronounced among people who find work fulfilling in the first place, who tend to be office workers, teachers and others whose workplace is not, say, a factory or a construction site.



More so than people in most previous generations, baby boomers are continuing to work past their early 60s, often well beyond. Sometimes, this means delaying retirement from a longtime job, but it can instead involve some kind of bridge job, part-time employment or self-employment.



What is the benefit of work? Activation of the brain and activation of social networks may be critical, Nicole Maestas, an associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, said in an interview.



Use it or lose it



Researchers have long assumed that only well-educated and healthier people benefit from working after a certain age. Lately, however, scholars and retirees themselves have been exploring an intriguing question with implications for both potential workers and policymakers: Is a job a force for keeping older people mentally and physically healthy?



Mark Truitt (70), a longtime educator in Pembroke Pines, Florida, weighs in on the yes side. He has tried to retire four or five times but keeps returning  part time  to the working world. Ive seen a number of teachers who retire and dont do anything they think is of value, and they go into decline pretty fast, he said.



Mark now puts in about 10 hours a week as a consultant with the Council for Educational Change, a Florida nonprofit that encourages business executives and principals to collaborate to improve school leadership. Im loving the heck out of it, he said.



Academics who have studied the correlation between health and working into the senior years say this: Work offers a routine and purpose, a reason for getting up in the morning. The workplace is a social environment, a community. Depending on your occupation, doing your job involves engaging with cubicle mates, bosses, subordinates, union brothers and sisters, suppliers, vendors and customers. The incentive for workers to invest in their health while employed is strong.



In the beginning when you retire, it might feel more like a holiday, said Gabriel Heller-Sahlgren, the director of research at the Center for the Study of Market Reform of Education and a Ph.D. student at the London School of Economics. But after that, we see more of a use it or lose it effect.



Negative effects of joblessness



If the engagement and connections from a job  as well as the income  can contribute to a healthier older population, the implication is that policymakers should make it easier for older workers to engage in paid work. This does not mean politicians should force people to work until they die, Gabriel said. They should remove disincentives to working.



Gabriel looked at the short- and longer-term effects of retirement on mental health. His database  drawn from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe over various years  found that there was no short-term impact of retirement on mental health, as defined as a range of depressive tendencies (such as appetite, concentration, fatigue and so on) to clinical depression.



The survey results, Gabriel said, suggest that the negative effects of retirement start to appear after the first few years of ceasing to work. The results, he found, do not differ by sex or between people with different educational and occupational backgrounds.



Relationships rule, said William Wells Jr. (72), who owns a consulting business in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, that specialises in ethnic and racial diversity. He cut back on his hours several years ago when his granddaughter was born, but the 15 to 20 hours he estimates he spends on work do not count networking and going out to dinner with potential clients. Im still doing 10 hours or so just networking and relationship building, he said.



Theres still a lot to learn



Sharon Wills (65) still works for the company with which she spent her career. I dont do well at home, said Sharon, who started working for the staffing company Kelly Services in 1986, eventually specialising in recruitment.



She lives in Amarillo, Texas, and she retired in 2011, taking a year off  and not loving it. When the company called and asked if she wanted to become a ninja  someone who helps out branches or locations around the country  she leapt at the opportunity.



There is a lot to learn about our business, Sharon said, adding that she has continued to absorb new skills. The way we recruit now is not the way we recruited 25 years ago.



Despite what may seem like obvious benefits, scholars cant make definitive statements about the health effects of working longer. The research is inherently difficult: Just as retirement can influence health, so can health influence retirement.

I would say, in my experience, the research is mixed, said Maestas of Harvard Medical School. The studies I have seen tend to show that there are health benefits to working longer.



As economists Axel Borsch-Supan and Morten Schuth of the Munich Center for the Economics of Aging of the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy put it in an article for the National Bureau of Economic Research, Even disliked colleagues and a bad boss, we argue, are better than social isolation because they provide cognitive challenges that keep the mind active and healthy.



Not everyone can work into old age or desires to do so. The thought of working longer in low-wage jobs can be painful. As H L Mencken, the journalist and satirist, wrote: If he got no reward, the artist would go on working just the same; his actual reward, in fact, is often so little that he almost starves. But suppose a garment worker got nothing for his labour: Would he go on working just the same?






The terrorist attack in London, with its combination of random deaths and the strong symbolism of Parliament shut down, comes in an important election year in critical European countries, as well as at a moment of high anxiety  about the rise of populism, migration and the integration of Muslims.



With France, Germany and possibly Italy going to the polls, analysts have long wondered whether an act of terrorism could jolt electoral dynamics and boost the broader Europe in crisis narrative that has elevated far-right parties across the Continent. This will have an echo in France and in Germany, said Mark Leonard, the director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. It becomes part of a pattern. Its another link in the chain.



But if it is an echo, it may be a muted one. Many European voters, anxious but increasingly inured, have essentially priced in the cost of terrorism  at least when it happens outside their own borders and when the toll is not so high. A relatively limited attack, like the one in London, was considered unlikely to shift the electoral terrain.



This connects London to Paris, Nice, Berlin and Brussels in the context of the political space were in, said Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House, rattling off the list of European capitals that have been scarred in the last two years. While a terrorist attack may feed the narrative of a minority, politically it can also pull people together at a time when were at a constant risk of fragmenting, he said.



Unity is what the leaders of the European Union want to emphasise when they gather this weekend in Rome to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the bloc. But the London attack is a reminder of yet another problem on the list: Britains pending exit from the bloc, regional divisions, economic disparities, unemployment, anti-Europe sentiment and terrorism.



While the effect of another large-scale attack in a voting country could still be dramatic, the ability of Islamic radicals to organise such assaults appears to have been sharply diminished. Like voters, police and counterintelligence officials are also getting used to the threat and have toughened tracking and border controls in many parts of Europe.



Even as British investigators looked for evidence that might link this lone attacker to a larger network, Europeans seemed particularly hardened to terrorist attacks like this one  unsophisticated, if almost unstoppable, the death toll relatively small and a far cry from the organised mayhem perpetrated in Paris in January and November 2015.



The London attack, then, was a reminder of ways that the West will always be vulnerable: The means used were ordinary and available everywhere; the targets were high-profile landmarks; the victims were civilians of 10 nationalities going about their daily lives. For that, there may be no remedy a ballot box can provide.



But the rhetoric in and around Europe remains generally incendiary, as the problems facing it loom. Just hours before the London attack, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey issued a strange warning to the Western nations that have criticised his rule.



If you go on behaving like that, tomorrow nowhere in the world, none of the Europeans, Westerners would be able to walk in the streets in peace, safely, he said.



Its hard to know what he meant, but he has repeatedly threatened to renege on a deal with Brussels under which he has restrained the flow of West Asian migrants to Europe.



That migration, sometimes erroneously, sometimes not, has been linked to prominent terrorist attacks in European capitals, which have been interspersed with numerous others much more minor in smaller towns and cities, including in Germany and France.



Many attackers, like Khalid Masood, 52, who had a long criminal history but no terrorism convictions, have been homegrown, if influenced from abroad, particularly by the Islamic State. Certainly the group, which called the London attacker one of its soldiers, has been interested in staging an attack in Britain for at least the past two years.



The British have said publicly that they have disrupted 13 plots since July 2013, when a soldier, Lee Rigby, was hit by a car and then knifed to death by British Muslim converts. At least two of the disrupted plots, the British said, were meant to be larger scale.



But organising larger attacks has apparently been difficult in Britain, which has stronger border controls than most of Europe and strict gun laws. Britain is also known for good counterterrorism work.



Im a bit wary of saying this is reflective of massive success by the authorities, said Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute. But the fact is we have seen plotters in the UK have had a lot of difficulty getting access to guns and finding other means.



Uneasy calm



An attack like the one on Wednesday, with a car and a knife, is nearly impossible to prevent. While the symbolism is very strong, the death toll was low and the attack failed to provoke a lingering sense beyond the first chaotic day of security falling apart, especially when viewed from a Continent grown more jaded about terrorism.



Christoph Schult, an analyst with Der Spiegel in Berlin, noted that Germans reacted surprisingly calmly to the major attack on a Christmas market in Berlin last December.



Life was largely back to normal in a day, he said. So an incident like London is even less likely to create any extra sense of insecurity. While some people do feel insecure about terrorism and might link it to the refugee crisis, they think the government is now doing OK, that there are some fanatics in the world and what can you do?



Guntram Wolff, a German who leads the Bruegel research institution in Brussels, an economic think tank, noted that people dont see any of the populist forces doing a better job on terrorism, and the government is responding.



Jeremy Shapiro, a former State Department official now at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that the London attack was consistent with the recent pattern of less organised attacks and less frequent simultaneous attacks, which are harder to organise especially for the IS, which is now under intensive pressure in Syria.



Its spectacularly easy to kill a bunch of people with a car or a truck if you dont care who they are, he said. Organised attacks like those in Paris are increasingly difficult to pull off, he said, but the capacity of one person inspired by some ideology to do damage is inescapable.



It is a senseless tragedy, he said, but similar things happen in the United States, too. And its sad also because our societies overreact to it and make it worse, Shapiro said.


There has been an undeniable increase in the Chinese strategic capabilities while those of the other superpowers  USA and Russia  have diminished. This shift in power levers has resulted in the new-found confidence, proactivity and assertion of the Chinese roadmap that has threatened the established global equations.



China was historically shy of voting in the UN on international issues, but recently it has modulated its response from jettisoning the move to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist (even though his group Jaish-e-Mohammed is already a UN designated terrorist group). Beijing has expressed limited support for US strikes against terror group Islamic State (IS)  nuancing its response to suit its own national narrative, pursuant to its fancied image as a responsible stakeholder in the international arena.

Flush with financials coughed up by its economic juggernaut, China blatantly practices chequebook diplomacy and infrastructure diplomacy to win over new friends. In a world fractured by the past mistakes, humiliation and perceptions  China emerges as the perfect antidote for various disgruntled regimes.



While it retains relationship with the isolated (or increasingly isolated) countries like North Korea or Pakistan, its proposition is equally seductive for historical foes like Philippines (with whom they have had a bitter territorial dispute that got escalated to the International Tribunal in Hague). Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has made a complete U-turn in its foreign policy by ditching the US, and unabashedly courting the Chinese, as a counterpoise.



Expectedly, all these converts are rewarded with generous Chinese largesse in the form of developmental aid. Masked behind the nobility of the developmental aid is the invisible benefit that invariably accrues back to the Chinese mainland  the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) or the tectonically transforming OBOR (One Belt, One Road) for the landlocked and energy-rich Central Asian countries.



This is an irresistible economic manna for the participating countries, as indeed to the Chinese, which ensures an uninterrupted supply chain, market for its wares and the critical reduction in dependence on the hostile West. But perhaps the most convenient aspect of cosying up to the Chinese is their deliberate lack of concern on the internal affairs and the governance style of the friendly regimes. It seldom criticises the means and methods of quelling internal dissent, human rights or other preachy issues propagated by the Western powers.



The lure of an alternative benign power, which doles out the moolah to cash-starved nations without any strings attached, is a welcome alternative to the much-conditional ifs and buts, of the Western powers.



China is the veritable high church of cold realpolitik, it is behaviourally driven by what serves its interests best, without injecting the moral, democratic or ideological angularities in its bilateral relations. So, elegance in diplomacy is a complete non-consideration and China never hesitates from flexing its military muscle to protect its geostrategic ambitions.



On the contentious South China Sea issue, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi bluntly called for elimination of interference by the US and merrily deployed the still sub-Blue Water capability naval elements to intimidate the wary neighbourhood. It even went more brazen with the creation of artificial islands with offensive capabilities like landing airstrips for fighter planes and missile systems.



The Sino-USSR relationship offers an insight into the famed Chinese fleet-footedness that is based on tactical requirements and need-based approach, shorn of any emotionalities (Hindi-Cheeni-Bhai-Bhai).



The Chinese relationship with the Soviets was borne of ideological convergence, economic dependence and fears of regime change (Mao feared a US invasion to re-establish Chiang Kai-shek). Expectedly, the Soviets lent aid and diplomatic support (USSR singularly supported China on Taiwan and jointly supported North Korea in the Korean War etc).



Soon the Chinese outlived their dependence on the Soviets and started to chart their independent course, the Soviets retaliated by supplying weapons to India in the Sino-India war of 1962  but it climaxed in 1969 with the unprecedented border clashes, with both countries reconfiguring their nuclear missiles at each other, as opposed to the US. Since then, the ties have seen ups and downs, but essentially China has emerged from the shadows and is posited to fructify the neologism of the Chinese Century.



Global conflicts



Interestingly, the Chinese strategy of remaining non-committal in most of the recent global conflicts like West Asia, Balkans, Somalia, Afghanistan, Libya etc, has ensured that while the coffers of the Western powers have bled profusely with the outreach (US spending on West Asian wars and Homeland Security is expected to reach $4.79 trillion in 2017), the Chinese have gingerly stepped aside, and conserved their energy and resources towards strengthening themselves.



Today, it would be naive to presume that the Chinese are not convinced of the antecedents of elements like Masood Azhar and their ilk, yet they play hardball with India to score a larger geopolitical goal of retaining its equations with its all-weather-friend Pakistan. Clearly, the Chinese are aware of the dangers of pandering to Islamist hardliners, as it fights Islamic separatist groups like East Turkestan Islamic Movement in its restive Xinjiang province.



The Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang are routinely subjected to ruthless clampdowns, ban on protests and disallowance of religious rituals and observances. However, the Chinese realpolitik mandates the parallel thwarting of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, as it ostensibly seeks solid evidence. The Chinese are adept at compartmentalising issues without a linear or consistent logic, as that could trip its own narrative, internally and externally.



The way to approach the Dragon is without the shenanigans of a holistic charm offensive. Instead, it should be a piece-meal discussion based on individual issues like the border issue, NSG entry, Arunachal or even Masood Azhar, without necessarily hoping for inter-linkages of common logics across all sore points.



China offers a simpler and modular opportunity of negotiating issues that can be addressed given hand of the cards on the specific issues, without attaching usual notions and romance of civilisational-connect, statesmanship or even joint-destiny.



(The writer is former Lt Governor of Anda-man & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry)
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has returned home after spending a fortnight abroad for medical check up related to her undisclosed illness.



The 70-year-old Congress chief was accompanied by her son Rahul, who had gone to be by her side on March 16.



Sonias absence was sorely felt by the Congress which received a severe drubbing in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand elections leading to demands for structural reorganisation of the party. The Congress president and vice president returned to India last night, AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. She is hale and hearty, Singhvi said to questions on the health condition of the Congress chief.



Party leaders were awaiting Sonias return to review the electoral loss and put in motion the process of reshuffle of the party organisation.



There is growing anger within the party for the way senior leaders were outwitted by the BJP in Goa and Manipur.


Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

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

Google Ad

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

Google Ad

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

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
The Opposition on Friday accused the Centre of disbanding the OBC commission. In response, the government said that it does not have any plans to reverse the decision on providing quota to Dalits and OBCs.



Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ramgopal Yadav said the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), which was set up after a Supreme Court order in 1992, has been disbanded instead of being given constitutional status.



He said the commission is to be replaced by a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NSEBC) and that the move is part of a larger conspiracy to do away with reservation.



The SP MPs were joined in by MPs from other Opposition parties in demanding an immediate response from the government. SP MPs also rushed into the Well of the House and shouted anti-government slogans, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the proceedings for 10 minutes.



Without directly taking the name of the RSS, Yadav said the move was guided by the philosophy of the ruling partys fountainhead that reservation should end. Backward classes feel cheated, he said, adding that backward communities like Yadavs, Kurmis, Lodhas and Kushwaha, who have made some social progress, are being removed from the OBC list. Social Justice Minister Tawarchand Gehlot refuted the allegations, saying Prime Minister Narenda Modi has repeatedly assured that the constitutional position of reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs will continue.



Since the time of the Jan Sangh, we have been a supporter of reservation to these communities and will continue to be a supporter, he said.



Gehlot said the government has taken a decision to give constitutional status to the commission for OBCs and it will get the same rights as commission for SC and STs.
The government on Friday said the safety of fliers and cabin crew is a top priority and unruly behaviour will not be tolerated.



The statement came after the assault on an airline manager by a Shiv Sena MP snowballed into a controversy.



Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said law will take its course and one has to ensure that such regrettable incidents are never repeated.



It was an unfortunate incident. It should never have happened. What has to happen (now), will happen. I am not saying no action has to be taken. Action has to be taken and we will do it. That is not the problem at all. I am also an MP. We are not above the law and we have to follow the law of the land, he told reporters outside the Parliament House.



Raju said his ministry is also working on creating institutional mechanisms to check undesirable flight behaviour and unruly passengers.



Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said people expect dignified conduct from MPs.



Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said unruly passengers will be dealt with. After all, when you are flying at 30,000 feet, you are in a very fragile environment. Under those circumstances, it is very important to ensure that the behaviour by all parties is appropriate. We take all such situations very seriously. Every such incident is investigated and then the law takes its own course, he said.



Airlines supported a no-fly list to bar unruly fliers who are a safety hazard for not just the crew but also the passengers.



SpiceJet said the government needs to act on the list soon.



An attack on our employees and crew is an attack on us and we strongly condemn such incidents, the airline said in a statement.



IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh said his airline would support a no-fly list, PTI reported.

Vistara spokesperson said disruptive and abusive behaviour by passengers is a serious issue and cannot be tolerated, both for safety and security reasons in a critical and sensitive industry such as aviation, as well for the safety and well-being of staff and passengers.



We also fully support the promulgation of a no fly-list and concur with the Federation of Indian Airlines and Air India in seeking the support of the government and security agencies to enforce such a directive, whereby passengers on the no-fly list will not be permitted to fly on any of the airlines, the spokesperson said.


For Ravindra Gaikwad, a Shiv Sena MP, being in public glare because of controversies is nothing new. He is now in the eye of the storm for bashing up an Air India employee.



The 56-year-old is popularly known as Ravi Sir in Osmanabad, his home district in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.



On Thursday, Gaikwad beat up a 60-year-old Air India staffer after a Pune-Delhi flight landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, as he was given an economy class seat in a flight that did not have business class.



He is on the firing line on the social media and major Indian airliners have decided not to allow him on flights by putting the lawmaker on a no-fly list.



In 2014, his name cropped up when a group of 11 Shiv Sena MPs attempted to force-feed a Muslim catering worker during the month of Ramzan at the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi. The MPs were unhappy with the quality of food.



A few days ago, Gaikwad was in the news for scolding a deputy superintendent of police.



The Solapur-born Shiv Sainik completed his BCom and MCom from the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. He also holds a BEd. His Lok Sabha records show his profession as an agriculturist and a professor.



His special interests are helping the poor, promoting social integration, wholehearted participation in matters of national interest and raising voice against injustice.



Before getting elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Osmanabad in 2014, he had served as an MLA twice from 1995-1999 and 2004-2009. In the parliamentary elections, he had defeated Dr Padmasinh Patil, a Marathwada strongman and a close confidante of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.



Gaikwad is a member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Consultative Committee on Ministry of Textiles. He is also a member of the Joint Committee on Security in Parliament House Complex.



He is quite popular among the people and has won the Lok Sabha elections once and Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections twice. As an MLA, his performance has been good...he had given some excellent speeches on the issues concerning farmers, a veteran political observer said.



He had worked with the people to tide over the drought and power crisis, a senior leader said.



MPs can fly 34 times a year for free

Parliamentarians are entitled to 34 single journey air tickets annually in addition to air travel they undertake to attend Parliament session and committee meetings, DHNS reports from New Delhi.



Air India has a booking office on the third floor of Parliament House, which is used by the lawmakers to buy their tickets for the national carrier. The airliner issues coupons to parliamentarians. They can also choose to travel by private airliners for which bookings are done through executive managers. There are some private airliners who refuse to give preferential treatment to parliamentarians or even Union ministers. But not many make a fuss out of it, said an assistant private secretary of a Union minister.

No MP allowed to misbehave: Speaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday said suo motu action cannot be initiated against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Mahajan for assaulting an airline staffer even as fellow parliamentarians disapproved of his behaviour, DHNS reports from New Delhi.



The Speaker voiced disapproval over Gaikwad's behaviour, saying No MP is allowed to misbehave with anyone. No one is allowed to misbehave with anyone, even if he is an MP, a common man or any official. As a mother, I teach children not to misbehave with people, Mahajan said.



Asked whether any action could be taken against the member, Mahajan said she cannot take suo motu action as the incident had taken place outside Parliament.



I have not seen any complaint in the case till now. Let me see and study first, then I can say anything over it, she said. Gaikwad, who had admitted to assaulting an Air India staffer 25 times with a slipper on Thursday, remained unrepentant saying there was nothing to apologise for in the matter.



The Air India manager should apologise... a 60-year-old man should know how to behave, he said, adding he was not bothered about the fallout of the matter and watched a Hindi movie last night to relax.



Police can arrest me. My party, (Shiv Sena chief) Uddhav (Thackeray) saheb will take care of it, he added.



Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the "unfortunate" incident "should never have happened".



Senior Janata Dal (United) MP Sharad Yadav told DH that he condemned the incident in strongest possible words and such behaviour brings shame to Parliament. Strong action should be taken against him, he said.
The police have registered cases against seven persons on charge of violating the permit conditions during protests by anganwadi workers in Bengaluru.



According to police, permission was granted to the protesters on the condition that they would hold a peaceful demonstration within Freedom Park. However, on the day of protest, they spilled on to the roads affecting traffic.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the government to produce records to explain the reasons for closing the investigation into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.



This came even as the court expressed concern about 240 of the 293 cases pertaining to the riots being closed by the Special Investigation Team set up by the central government.



A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to place files pertaining to 199 cases, which were closed by the SIT, before the court on April 25.



Rohatgi stated that 33 years have gone by since the incident and that the investigations could not go on forever when victims, accused or eyewitnesses remained untraced.



The 1984 riots, in the wake of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had claimed more than 3,000 lives.



The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Mohan M Shantanagoudar, sought the AGs views on setting up a high-level committee to monitor the probe by the SIT for now. The court observed that this committee could be entrusted with the task of looking at the cases closed by the SIT.



Senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for PIL petitioner S Gurlad Singh Khalon, who sought speedy justice for the victims, submitted that no information was in public domain as to why 80% of the cases have been closed by the SIT.



The bench concurred with Datars contention that the cases have been closed at the stage of pre-registration of an FIR and hence, even a trial court did not have the opportunity to examine whether they had been rightly closed.



The court asked the AG to produce files of 199 cases on the next date of hearing.



In the remaining cases, charge sheets were filed by the police, and they have been either decided by trial courts or await a final decision.


India on Friday declined to confirm its participation in a meeting with Pakistan in the US next month to resolve disputes over hydropower projects on the cross-border rivers.



Pakistan media had reported earlier this week that New Delhi and Islamabad had agreed to a US proposal of mediating the disputes on the sharing of water in the common rivers. It had also reported that India had agreed to hold a meeting with Pakistan in the US to resolve disputes over the Kishenganga and Ralte hydropower projects.



So long as we are a party to the Indus Water Treaty, it is our legal obligation to attend the treaty-mandated meetings that are held at least once every financial year, Gopal Baglay, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs, told journalists in New Delhi. At this stage, it would be premature to talk of hypothetical contingencies, he added.



India and Pakistan recently held the meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission  a bilateral panel that oversees the implementation of the Indus Water Treaty, which the two countries had inked in 1960.


Former Chief Minister S M Krishna made his maiden entry into the BJP headquarters in Bengaluru by stating that he will strive to bring the party to power in the state.



Krishna said there will be political polarisation in the state within the next five to six months. Mahatma Gandhi wanted the Congress wound up after Independence. It looks like his words are coming true Krishna said, as the audience applauded.



Krishna, who had joined the BJP in New Delhi in the presence of party national president Amit Shah on Wednesday, was given a rousing welcome amid folk dances and bursting of crackers at the Kempegowda International Airport around 7.45 pm.



Later, a grand reception awaited him at the BJP headquarters in Malleswaram, including Poornakumba welcome by 21 priests.



Speaking after being felicitated by party state president B S Yeddyurappa in the presence of state unit leaders including R Ashoka, Ramachandra Gowda and Aravind Limbavalli, Krishna said he will campaign for the party in the byelections to Gundlupet and Nanjangud constituencies.



Krishna called BJP the most disciplined party and said he was impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership and joined the party to support him and his developmental programmes.



He praised Modis move to demonetise high-denomination currency notes, his surgical strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Swachh Bharat initiative. He had a high regard for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stating that the young leader had a bright future.



The Congress talks about my age, but what is the age of their leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge?..... He should be 75..76...77 years! he said amid peals of laughter.



Yeddyurappa said Krishna's entry into the BJP has given a boost to its mission of making Karnataka Congress-free and securing 150+ seats in the Assembly elections next year.




Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, Amber Rudd, has certified New Delhis request for the extradition of business tycoon Vijay Mallya to India, and forwarded the same to a court in London. The court will decide if an arrest warrant is to be issued.



Gopal Baglay, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs, on Friday told journalists in New Delhi that Indias request had been certified by the British secretary of state for the home department and sent to the Westminster Magistrates Court for a district judge to consider issuing an arrest warrant against Mallya.



India had on February 8 issued a note verbale to the British High Commission in New Delhi, formally requesting Mallyas extradition from the UK.



Mallya, however, still has many safeguards to take recourse to within the UK legal system.



India and the UK have a bilateral extradition treaty in place since 1993, but it is unlikely to help much in expediting the process. The district judge will issue the arrest warrant if he or she is satisfied that the case has reasonable grounds for believing that the offences Mallya has been accused of committing in India can be treated as an extradition offence. If a warrant is issued and Mallya is arrested, he will be brought before the court.



When the extradition hearing commences following the preliminary hearing, the judge must be satisfied that the offence he has been accused of committing in India will be considered a criminal offence even if it had been committed in the UK.



The judge will also have to determine that none of the statutory bars to extradition applies in Mallyas case and the bars include rules against double jeopardy, the absence of a prosecution decision (whether the prosecution case is sufficiently advanced) and extraneous considerations.


On the lines of Land to the Tiller law, the Karnataka legislature on Friday passed a Bill which gives tenants ownership of the house in which they live in new revenue villages. The occupants should be agriculture labourers living in groups or colonies.



The Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The ruling Congress, in particular Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, hailed the Bill as revolutionary and historic.



Karnataka has created history by bringing in such a law. The party has fulfilled one of the promises made in the election manifesto in 2013, Siddaramaiah said. Congress members welcomed the passage of the Bill by thumping the desks.



The Bill, piloted by Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, has made a provision for creating new revenue villages by altering the boundaries so that agriculture labourers get possession certificates of the houses they have occupied. But they should be living in new revenue villages to be created by deputy commissioners.



Only those living in these villages prior to January 1, 1979 are eligible for ownership. Lambani tandas, gollara hattis, vaddara hattis among others will get the new revenue village tag. And houses on all types of land would be covered. It is estimated that nearly 240 tribal hamlets would come under the revenue village classification.



Siddaramaiah said, Those living in colonies or habitations which lack land records too would become eligible for certificates. The move can be equated to getting freedom. The passage of the Bill should be mentioned in letters of gold in the Assembly.



BJP leaders, led by Jagadish Shettar, complimented Kagodu as well as Siddaramaiah for amending the Act, an exercise which began long ago. They said it would go a long way in protecting the rights of the poor and oppressed.




Hosni Mubarak freed after six years in detention (video)

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been freed from detention, six years after being overthrown following the Arab Spring uprising in 2011. On Friday, Mubarak left a military hospital in southern Cairo and went to his home in the northern suburb of Heliopolis. Mubarak was the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region. He was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters in the 18-day revolt. He also faced a number of other charges that eventually were dismissed. Earlier this month, he was cleared of the murder charges. Mubarak's lawyer confirmed that the former leader is now ensconced at home in the upscale Heliopolis neighborhood. Mr Mubarak, 88, became president in 1981 after Anwar Sadat's assassination. He had been at Maadi Military Hospital since 2013, when he was transferred there on bail from Torah prison. Mr Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in 2012 of complicity in the killing of protesters who died at the hands of security forces in February, 2011. Another trial was held and a judge decreed in May 2015 that Mr Mubarak could be released from detention.
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Friday became the first lawmaker in the country to be barred from flying by around half a dozen airlines after his outrageous assault on an Air India manager.



The MP has also been booked by the police, who have charged him with attempt to commit culpable homicide.



In more ignominy for the first-time MP from Osmanabad, Air India and IndiGo cancelled his ticket to Pune in protest, upsetting his plans to return to his hometown for the weekend.



All this while, the chorus for a no-fly list to debar unruly passengers grew louder.



Gaikwad was to leave for Pune by air around 4 pm. But he is now understood to have taken a Mumbai-bound train in the evening after the airlines cancelled his ticket. IndiGo refunded his money even as he insisted that he will board their flight.



He is likely to meet Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray with his side of the story.



Gaikwad, whose profession is described as professor and agriculturist on the Lok Sabha website, continued to be unapologetic even as his colleagues in Parliament found no reason to support him.



There seemed to be unanimity among them that such acts by one or two politicians were defaming the institution of Parliament and lowering the prestige of MPs.



If public condemnation was not enough, more trouble brewed for the 57-year-old MP with Delhi Police registering a case for attempting to commit culpable homicide (section 308 of Indian Penal Code) and assault or using criminal force with intent to dishonour a person (section 355) against him.



The crime branch of Delhi Police will investigate the case.



In a counter move, Gaikwad filed a complaint claiming misbehaviour by Air India officials. The police said the complaint has been sent for legal examination. Gaikwad waded into a controversy on Thursday after he repeatedly hit 60-year-old Air India manager R Sukumar (correct name) with sandals, tore his shirt, broke his glasses and tried to throw him out of an aircraft at Delhi airport.



His complaint was that he could not travel business class  on an all-economy flight.



But Gaikwad said, I will not apologise, why should I? First ask him to apologise, then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave.



Air India employees were angry over the incident and the management moved swiftly to rally other airlines together for strict action against the MP. Air India and Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), whose members are Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, announced that they will not fly Gaikwad on their planes.



The Indian Commercial Pilots Association, a body of Air India pilots, wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, saying they will be forced not to operate any flight with Gaikwad on board if he does not apologise unconditionally. Two other airlines, Vistara and AirAsia India, also supported the decision while all the operators backed the demand for immediately taking measures to have a no-fly list, ensuring that unruly passengers are denied seats on planes.



However, there were doubts over the airlines move to deny a ticket to Gaikwad. Minister of State for Law P P Chaudhary said there was no law that barred anyone from travelling anywhere or being denied a ticket. If someone has committed a crime, he can be punished but denying a ticket is seriously wrong, Chaudhary was quoted by ANI as saying.
Metro trains will start running on the underground section of north-south corridor in three days as the BMRCL heads to the final stages of the trial run to meet the April 15 deadline.



BMRCL managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola said French multinational Alstom has finished most of the tests prerequisite for running the trains. We will start running the train within the next three days, he said, but refused to comment further on the time required for the exercise.



According to Bengaluru Development Minister K J George, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has set April 15 as deadline for operationalisation of the entire Metro Phase 1. However, the deadline seems unrealistic in the face of the time required for trials and the CRS inspection.



Senior BMRCL officials said they would take a month to complete the entire test and go for CRS inspection but said the project will meet the April deadline. The CRS inspection will not take much time unless there are problems that need to be fixed, they added.
Police have detained a self-styled human rights activist on the charge of assaulting a BBMP assistant engineer. According to police, the suspect Srinivas (47) is a resident of Lakshmipura and claims to be the leader of Karnataka Human Rights Panel.



Srinivas barged inside the BBMP office at Hanumanthnagar ward on March 21 around 6 pm and complained that the Palike had failed to implement development works in the ward. He threatened to kick Girish, an assistant engineer and teach him a lesson. When Girish objected to it, Srinivas assaulted him. The latter also abused Devavarma, a BBMP work inspector, who rushed to Girishs rescue.



Police detained Srinivas on Girishs complaint. Srinivas has been shifted to a hospital after he complained of chest pain. He will be produced before the magistrate after he recovers. Srinivas had assaulted a staffer in 2016 in the same office and the police had registered a case against him.


A few contract employees of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) on Friday kidnapped a former special officer of the varsity who had allegedly duped them by promising to regularise their employment.



Police, however, acted fast and not only rescued the victim within four hours of the crime but also caught three of the suspected kidnappers.



The former special officer (on deputation), S K Dhulkhed, was riding to a private engineering college where he is presently employed when a group D employee of the VTU caused an accident with a motorcycle around 9.30 am. As an argument ensued, another group D employee, Ashok Mattikoppa, drove up in a rented Chevrolet Tavera. The two men then bundled Dhulkhed into the car and drove off, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Radhika G told journalists.



Police dashed to the spot after receiving information and found two motorcycles abandoned there.



They also found some documents in one of the motorcycles, which was later identified as Dhulkheds. The owner of the other motorcycle is still being traced.



Police surmised that the kidnap could be linked to the multi-crore recruitment scam in the VTU, in which Dhulkhed is the main accused.



They looked for employees who had filed a cheating complaint against Dhulkhed and other senior officials of the VTU at Belagavi rural police station on June 10, 2016.



The complainants alleged that officials had pocketed Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh from each of the 320 contract employees of the university for regularising their service.



The search led police to Ashok Mattikoppa, an employee who once tried to commit suicide outside Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru, demanding justice in the scam. Police found out that Dhulkhed had been taken to Bairanatti village in Baihongal taluk.



They raided the house and rescued him, besides arresting Mattikoppa, another employee Bhimappa Nayak, Adveppa Kori, a car driver, and seizing a motorcycle. They are on the lookout for three others.



The DCP, who herself is investigating the scam, said the suspects had beaten up Dhulkhed demanding their money back.




Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said the government had no plans to set up anti-Romeo squads on the lines of those in Uttar Pradesh.



There is no need for anti-Romeo squads in the state as our police are capable of nabbing those committing crimes against women. The government will set up a stronger squad than anti-Romeo squads if crimes against women and eve-teasing cases go up, he told reporters during his visit to the All Womens Station at Shivajinagar. The police station was shifted to Shivajinagar TTMC.



The government would soon start patrolling by women police personnel in the city to ensure safety of women and children, he said.



The government has taken steps to strengthen 35 womens police stations across the state, he said.






Members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who attacked the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, on December 28, 2005, had initially planned to target one of the three other places in the city, police have claimed.



Their plan was to kill high-profile people attending various seminars in the city and tarnish Indias global reputation. Their first choice was Le Meridien hotel, Sankey Road, where the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) had organised a seminar. But the plan was dropped as they could not find a suitable way to sneak into the hotel, a senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity.



They then decided to target PES Institute of Technology in Hosakerehalli where another seminar was scheduled. This target, too, was dropped as there was no easy escape route. The third choice was the Indian Institute of Management on Bannerghatta Road, but the accused failed to reach there on time because of traffic jam and the seminar got over, the officer said.



They found the IISc an easy target as it had an uncomplicated escape route and was closer to their residence in Kempapura, Hebbal, another officer, also speaking anonymously, claimed. These details, both the officers said, were revealed by Habib Mia, an accused who was brought to Bengaluru from Agartala, Tripura, last week. He is accused of helping the main accused, Noorullah Khan alias Sabahuddin, and two others flee to Bangladesh. Police said Sabahuddin, along with his friend, carried out the attack on the IISc. But one of their AK-47s got jammed and they had to throw a grenade without pulling out the trigger pin which resulted in low casualties, the second officer said.



The officer quoted Mia as saying that Sabahuddin had enrolled at a well-known college in Bengaluru. His handlers ordered him to carry out the attack in December 2005. He did a recce and found out about a few seminars where prominent people were to take part.



He continued, Sabahuddin and another person, who is still at large, asked Mia to send some people to help them carry out the attack. Mia contacted his friends in Hyderabad and Tripura and sent four people.



Who is Habib Mia?



Habib Mia was working as a plumber and auto-rickshaw driver in Agartala. He was also engaged in the business of exporting jackfruit to a small place in Bangladesh close to the Indian border. He also imported pineapples from Bangladesh and sold them in Agartala. Police said he had met Sabahuddin in a mosque. Mia agreed to help Sabahuddin when he asked him to serve the community and gave him money, they added. Police said soon after the IISc attack, Sabahuddin fled to Tripura where Mia arranged his travel to Bangladesh from where he escaped to Pakistan. Mia played a key role in helping the accused escape to Bangladesh.






A British firm has offerred to revive Bellandur lake within six months. At a meeting chaired by Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister R V Desphande on Friday, the delegates of Bluewater Bio made a presentation, saying that they could revive Bellandur lake within six months.



Though the exact cost of the project was not discussed, the team from London, headed by Dominic McAllister, Deputy High Commissioner, British Deputy High Commission, said that it was keen to fund 85% of the project cost and the balance would have to be met by the state government. The government will have to repay monetary assistance six months after the completion of the project, with an interest at the rate of 2.36%.



Deshpande said that the proposal would have to be routed through the Union government since it was funded by the British government. Also, global tenders would have to be called for as the state government follows the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act.



C M Dhananjaya, chairman of the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (KSIIDC) said the proposal made by BlueWater Bio would placed before the lake expert committee and the state government. He said that the KSIIDC has written to the chief minister with a request to appoint the corporation as the nodal agency for the Bellandur lake revival project.

Biological treatment best for lake

With stench from Bellandur lake unbearable, the visit to the lake by delegates from the UK and Israel arranged by Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd (KSSIDC) lasted a mere five minutes.



Jeremy Biddle, Engineering Director of Bluewater Bio, a global specialist firm offering technologies for cost-effective water and waste water treatment told reporters: Biological wastewater treatment is the best method to combat the issue at Bellandur lake. It is a standard and straightforward process that has been there for 100 years. We offer advanced technology in biological wastewater treatment. How soon we start this project depends on the response from government here.



KSSIDC chairman C M Dhananjaya said they were approached by the delegates from the UK to find out possible solutions to the foaming.



Meanwhile, K Jagannath, former president of Bellandur gram panchayat said this was not the first visit by international experts.



The so-called 'experts' have been visiting the lake for more than 10 years. But no action has been taken to prevent foaming. Another resident who did not wish to be named said that in 2015, government representatives met experts from Hungary to find solutions to the problem but so far no action has been taken.
Police have obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Nigerian High Commission for conducting an inquest and post-mortem on a Nigerian whose death at Byrathi Cross in eastern Bengaluru on March 13, 2017, remains a mystery.



We contacted the high commission to identify the deceased. When there was no response, our officers went to Delhi and got the NOC on Friday, a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity.



The NOC was granted on the basis of a letter written to the high commission by the deceaseds younger brother, Uchenna Anthony Nduka, naming Igwe Elvis Ohachosim, the president of Nigerian Community Association, as the local point of contact on any decision-making on the legal formalities, the officer added. The inquest and post-mortem will be conducted on Saturday.



For the record, police maintain that the deceased is yet to be identified. On Thursday, Home Minister G Parameshwara informed the Legislative Council that the deceased was yet to be identified. The officer said Ohachosim, along with other Africans living in Bengaluru, had identified the deceased as Nduka Ifeanyi Christian based on the photocopy of a passport (No A01796255).



We still have not received the original passport. The photocopy of the passport is the only document the Nigerians have submitted to claim that the deceased is Nduka Ifeanyi Christian whom they earlier identified as Ifeanyi Madu alias Nwa Jesus, the officer said. A police enquiry about the passport holder showed that he had arrived in India at Mumbai and flew out of New Delhi. Technically, the person by the name of Nduka Ifeanyi Christian is non-existent in this country, the officer said. This could be the reason behind the non-cooperation of the high commission.



The passport holder was on a two-month business visa which expired in 2012. According to Africans living in Bengaluru, the deceased was 36 years old and his place of birth is Onitsha in Nigerias Anambra state. If he had arrived in India on a fake passport or visa, then we have to look out for that document. We still have nothing on record to establish his identity, the officer said.


An engineering student was fatally stabbed by his hostel mate during a fight over closing the door of a common toilet. Another student, who tried to intervene in the fight, ended up with stab wounds.



The incident occurred at a students hostel run by the Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation near BEL 1st Stage, Byadarahalli, around 11 pm on Thursday. Rohith (22), a third-year student at East West Institute of Technology, was angry that his hostel mate, Ravish (21), hadnt closed the door of a toilet after using it. Ravish, a third-year BA student at Government First Grade College, Vijayanagar, and a native of Kunigal, Tumakuru district, had returned from a party and was visibly drunk. He reportedly caused a ruckus in the hostel, which disturbed other students trying to fall asleep. Thereafter, he went to the toilet.



Rohiths room is located close to the toilet. As Ravish came out of the toilet, Rohith asked him to flush the restroom and close its door saying the smell was unbearable. But Ravish refused to do so, leading to an argument. The students soon got into fisticuffs.



Another student, Amaresh (21), a second-year engineering student from Gadag, tried to intervene. In a fit of rage, Ravish picked a knife and stabbed both Rohith and Amaresh.



Hearing their screams, the warden rushed in and found them lying in a pool of blood and Ravish trying to flee. He called the jurisdictional Byadarahalli police, who dashed to the spot and caught Ravish. They took Rohith and Amaresh to hospital where Rohith was declared brought dead while Amaresh is being treated. Rohith hailed from Solur village near Nelamangala.


As the head of school for Academy of Our Lady of Peace, Carmel Valleys Lauren Lek is preparing 750 young women for the future, carrying on the 134-year-old schools legacy of educating the next generation of women leaders and innovators; helping them find their voice and compete at all levels regardless of what their career and aspirations might be.

Lek is a champion of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs for young women, including the recent build-out of the first virtual reality space of its kind in an all-girls school or of any school in San Diego County with its new zSpace laboratory.

Lek has brought much more to the school than just the state-of-the-art zSpace lab  she works hard to nurture girls in STEM and ensure that young women are provided with exposure to strong women mentors and champions in all fields.

OLP is my first exposure to the power of an all-girls environment, said Lek. Society loves to play up the myths of all-girls school but the reality is so differentGirls here are authentically themselves, they are able to enjoy learning and leadership. For these four years theres no pressure from boys, the opportunity to explore new things. They gain confidence and courage and really develop here.

Lek has been the head of school at OLP for the last four years. Before coming to OLA, she was the principal at the co-educational Moreau Catholic High School, her alma-mater in Hayward, Calif.

Her educational background isnt rooted in STEM but in English  she attended UC San Diego for her undergraduate degree in literatures of the world and received her masters degree in educational leadership from St. Marys College.

While serving as the assistant principal of instruction at Moreau, she oversaw the schools first 1:1 laptop deployment and that was when she really started to explore the role of technology as a learning tool. She went back to school at Pepperdine University and got her doctorate in educational technology leadership.

Its become a passion point for me to learn and understand how technology can be integrated with learning, Lek said.

When I came to OLP, the school already had an amazing reputation as a center of excellence for young women but it was not integrated in the subjects like technology, science and computer science. They were fairly siloed, Lek said.

Over the last few years, the school went through a lot of professional development with teachers and worked on integration of subjects and adding classes, such as engineering and increased math options.

She coordinated the STEM Certificate program, added AP computer science, bio-technology, entrepreneurship, orchestra, architecture and engineering design, and built the schools Makers Engineering Space.

OLP also launched the only all-girls competitive robotics team, the MicroChicks, which received a grant from the National Defense Education Program and is sponsored by Qualcomm.

The new virtual reality zSpace lab has limitless applications, allowing students to learn visually and interact with a catalogue of course materials from anatomy, ecosystems, botany, physics, earth science, biochemistry, geography and history.

Students wear special glasses and a stylus to manipulate 3-D graphics on a screen. They can also work in groups and witness the same imagery as long as they are wearing the glasses.

They can do a 3-D dissection of a heart or the entire living body. At the high school level, no student has access to those types of experiences, said Lek, noting the technology can also whisk students away to the Louvre or the Taj Mahal. Today, students are challenged to compete on a global scale and be adept at leveraging rapidly changing technologies. At OLP, we are thrilled to place these new tools in the hands of our remarkable students, Lek said.

As an advocate for women in leadership, Lek also created the OLP Womens Symposium, providing the students with exposure and access to leaders in the field.

The third annual Womens Symposium will be held this year on Friday, March 31 and features leaders not just in STEM but in healthcare, arts, business and entrepreneurship.

Through dialogue and modeling, these female leaders empower young women to stand up for themselves and fearlessly chase their dreams, Lek said.

In the hub she has created, women have an opportunity to network and be together  Lek said its amazing to see a community leader sitting next to high school and middle school students and all of them learning about the same opportunities together.

The best compliment Lek received was from one of the women professionals who said the $50 symposium (which includes breakfast, lunch and the speakers) was better than a $500 conference.

Leks approach to stimulate STEM minds at OLP is working  the number of school graduates heading into STEM fields has skyrocketed. The national average for co-ed graduates pursuing STEM careers is 16 percent. At OLP last year, 40 percent of graduates chose to pursue STEM.

Our girls are really thriving in those areas, Lek said.

In San Diego, Lek has been recognized for her work by Athena, founded by District 1 City Councilmember Barbara Bry to support the advancement of women in the STEM-related industries. In 2016, Lek won Athenas Pinnacle Award for best in the education field.

It was a very humbling experience and one of the most special awards Id ever received because of what Athena stands for, Lek said. The Pinnacle means the top of your career. Im humbled to receive this at 37 years old and I just feel like I have so much more; the award is acknowledging what Ive done and honoring what is yet to come.

As the leader, I want to ensure that at OLP all of us are ever restless in not settling for what was done, but searching for what our girls will need for today and tomorrow. In our rapidly changing world, that need for evolution in pursuit of excellence is always shifting.

In March, Lek served as the keynote speaker at the San Diego Diplomacy Councils Celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls, which featured 33 dignitaries from 16 different countries discussing the role that law plays in protecting womens rights, domestically and abroad.

Lek was proud to bring OLP senior Daniella Gomez-Ochoa to the celebration, as she represents everything Lek is trying to achieve at the school.

Daniella, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Mexico who lives in the Mira Mesa area with her grandmother, will attend Harvard University in the fall. A first-generation college student in her family, she plans to study neurobiology.

At the San Diego Diplomacy Council event, Daniella shared how grateful she was that her family sacrificed so much for her education and said she is carrying on for others who are just as smart as she is but didnt have the same opportunities. She gave the example of her grandmother, who aspired to be a nurse but was pulled from secondary school to work at a store so she could start saving money for her dowry. When Daniella was feeling anxious about writing her admissions essay, her grandmother gave her the push she needed, saying: I want you to have the same opportunities as a man, and you should have them.

She is a woman who will transform this world, Lek said of Daniella. She is an example of what can happen when a young girl is told You can achieve this. Look out. Because she will.
Millions of pounds are to be invested into researching pancreatic cancer and improve life expectancy for the condition.

There is a diabetes link as diabetes can be a risk factor or a symptom of pancreatic cancer.

Cancer Research UK has donated 10 million to the PRECISION-Panc project, the latest research taking place in order to discover specific treatment for individual tumours faster.

Scientists at the University of Glasgow will be given 8 million to work on the project. Pancreatic cancer patients will be asked if they want to take part in the research.

Scientists will then look closely to identify and document the structure of the specific DNA, RNA or protein molecule of each individual cancer. The results will enable people to be offered specific trials tailored to their own circumstances.

Pancreatic cancer expert, Professor Andrew Biankin at the University of Glasgow, said: Its essential that the most suitable treatment is identified quickly.

Its important we offer all patients the opportunity to be part of research alongside their standard care.

Tumour samples will be taken from people who have just been diagnosed for the team at University of Glasgow to analyse. The findings will then be used to steer future clinical trial options.

Three trials led by the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit at the Beaston West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow will take place as part of the project which is recruiting 658 people from all over the UK to take part.

Professor Biankin added: PRECISION-Panc has been developed over the course of three years.

I believe were on the cusp of making some incredible advances which will provide therapeutic options to help people affected by this terrible disease.

Cancer Research UKs Victoria Steven said: This ambitious project marks a new era for pancreatic cancer and puts Glasgow at the forefront of pancreatic cancer research.
Baywatch

The first full trailer of the upcoming Baywatch movie is out! From what weve seen, the movie seems to be full of slapstick humour with numerous references to the history of Baywatch. While the movie will star the original Baywatch babe, Pamela Anderson, it will also feature Bollywoods own Priyanka Chopra, next to Dwayne Johnson, and Zac Efron. Heres the trailer.

Transformers: The Last Knight Trailer 2

Will Mark Wahlberg be able to redeem the Transformers franchise? Well, only time will tell the outcome of this humans vs Transformers saga, hopefully the last one. Secrets of the past unfold as Optimus Prime is once again indisposed to handle the extinction of humankind. Will he return in the end? You know the answer, dont you?

Despicable Me 3 Trailer 2

The cutest animated movie is back in its third avatar. This time Gru teams up with his twin brother Dru to face off against Balthazar Bratt, a child star from the 1980s who has hatched a scheme for world domination and stolen a diamond. Starring the voice of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and Trey Parker, Despicable Me 3 releases on June 30. Watch the second trailer now.

Coco Teaser Trailer

Disney and Pixar have teamed up for yet another animated film - Coco. The story follows 12-year-old Miguel, who, from the looks of the trailer, has a passion for music and playing the guitar. Miguel seems to be searching for his origin story, as he stumbles upon a century-old mystery. Check out the trailer below.

Smurfs: The Lost Village 'Lost' Trailer

It seems to be raining animated movie trailers this week and we have yet another popular one for you. Smurfs: The Lost Village releases this April and it looks smurfier and bluer than ever. Tired of living in a mushroom, Smurfette ventures out into the forbidden forest with her friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty. What follows is a grand adventure and a big revelation! Check out the trailer below.

Wonder Woman 'Origin' Trailer

Oh Yeah! Now thats what I call a well cut trailer! I wont say much here, but watching Gal Gadot and her Amazonian sisters fight like badass ladies is a treat for the eyes. Why dont you just see for yourself.

Baby Driver

His name is Baby, but he can drive like a boss! (No, we are not talking about Boss Baby) Baby Driver is a movie about a guy name Baby, who looks like a baby, but drives like a stuntsman to aid criminals on the run. Starring Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx, Baby Driver releases sometime in August.

Atomic Blonde Red Band Trailer

Academy Award Winner Charlize Theron is kicking, shooting and punching up a storm in this action packed Red Band trailer of Atomic Blonde. Theron plays an undercover MI6 agent, who is sent to Berlin during the cold war. Shes like the female version of John Wick in this one.

Deadpool 2 'No Good Deed' Teaser

This one will have you in the splits. A hilarious nod to how Superman used to run and change into his superhero costume in a phone booth. Only this time, its done Deadpool style.

The Fate of the Furious Trailer 2

Dominic Toretto just went rogue and that about sums up the not-so-elaborate plot of The Fate of the Furious. Nonetheless, heres trailer number 2 for the never-ending race car themed movie series.
As known previously, Apple has contracted Taiwanese OEM Wistron to manufacture iPhones in India. Assembly operations for iPhone SE will reportedly begin in the next three months

Update: The Ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has denied Apple's requests seeking duty exemptions on certain components required for assembling iPhones in India. The ministry has said that Apple's exemption requests for its phased manufacturing programme cannot be met and are not feasible.

A fresh report from WSJ suggests that Cupertino based Apple will start manufacturing iPhones in India within the next two months. The report also says that Apple will start assembling its iPhone 6, iPhone 6S models at Taiwanese OEM Wistrons Bengaluru facility.

A Karnataka government official told the publication that Apples India iPhone assembly process will begin in the next four to six weeks. The official went on to say that Apples cheaper iPhone SE model will also be assembled at the Wistron facility, but the process for the same will start in about three months.

The unnamed official was quoted saying, "Almost all preparations have been done for launching Apple's first phase project in Bangalore through Wistron." An Apple spokeswoman also added, We've been working hard to develop our operations in India. We appreciate the constructive and open dialogue we've had with government about further expanding our local operations.

Apples India manufacturing plans have been known for a while now. It was expected that the worlds most valued company will begin iPhone assembly operation in Bengalurus Peenya industrial area starting April, following various visits by top Apple officials to India since last year. Apple was however known to be seeking various concessions from the Indian government before starting its Make In India journey. However, as Trade Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told lawmakers on Wednesday that the government has not accepted most of Apples demands yet. "We will try to accommodate as much of their demands as possible, but they too appreciate and understand our limitations, said an official close to the PMO.

When contacted to verify the news, OEM Wistron had previously told Digit that it was not aware of any such partnership with Apple, and had dismissed it as pure speculation. Beyond Bengaluru, Apple is also reportedly looking to set up shop in New Delhi for manufacturing iPhone components. The company is currently is known to be in negotiations with concerned official in the capital for the same.
The mid-tier smartphones will be introduced to a wide number of markets to reinstate the Nokia brand's presence worldwide.

HMD has stated that its new smartphones, the Nokia 3, 5 and 6, will be launched in 120 countries by mid-2017. Nokia Power User has quoted an HMD spokesperson as saying, "HMD has ambitious plans to release Nokia 3, 5 and 6 in 120 markets at same time in Q2 2017. This is ambitious because HMD is de facto a start-up, though it has support from Nokia and Foxconn."

HMD Global Oy, licensed by Nokia to use its brand, unveiled the Nokia 6 Android smartphone in China earlier this year, followed by the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 at the Mobile World Congress 2017. It also unveiled a revamped edition of the Nokia 3310 feature phone sparking nostalgic reactions, and all of these devices are now expected to be launched in India in Q2 2017. Prices of the smartphones will vary depending on which region of the world you buy it from.

The Nokia 6 was first announced exclusively in China on January 8. The smartphone comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 430 SoC, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. There is a 16MP primary camera and an 8MP front camera. The handset is backed by a 3000mAh battery.

The Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 come with 5-inch and 5.2-inch HD displays respectively, along with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. The Nokia 3 is powered by the MediaTek MTK6737 SoC, while the Nokia 5 gets the Snapdragon 430 SoC. Other features of the two phones include 8MP front and rear cameras on the Nokia 3, and 13MP/8MP rear/front cameras on the Nokia 5. The Nokia 3 houses a 2650mAh battery, while the Nokia 5 gets a larger, 3000mAh battery.
FastJet has appointed a new chairman and chief financial officer, along with another director appointment, to strengthen its board as the African budget airline attempts to turnaround its fortunes.

The AIM-listed company has appointed Rashid Wally as chairman from 1 April. He was presently chairman and member of the Audit Committee at Mango Airlines, which he would step down from.

The move would see him reunited with Nico Bezuidenhout, chief executive and interim chair. Bezuidenhout was previously head of Mango Airlines for a decade.

FastJet has also appointed Michael Muller as its new chief financial officer, replacing Lisa Mitchell, who was stepping down by end-April to pursue other opportunities.

Muller has been with FastJet since November 2016, in the Johannesburg office, and was previously chief financial officer of South African Airlines subsidiary Air Chef. He was expected to play a role in FastJet moving its headquarters from London Gatwick to Johannesburg.

The company also appointed EasyBus board member Peter Hyde as a non-executive director.

Bezuidenhout has been attempting to turnaround the embattled airline after the companys former chairman, Colin Child, left after less than a year and warned it needed more capital.

Earlier in the year Fast Jet raised 23m from a placing of 143m shares. In 2016, it raised 15m.
Crude-oil futures traded essentially sideways ahead of Opec's meeting on Sunday, with traders already nervous about the global glut of the black liquid looking for a further production-cut pledge from the cartel.

At about 15:26 GMT, Nymex-priced WTI crude was flat at $47.70 a barrel. Intercontinental Exchange-traded Brent was down 0.12% to $50.50 a barrel, having dipped below $50 on Wednesday.

"In the oil market, it is the upcoming OPEC meeting on Sunday, which will drive prices next week," said Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets UK.

An Opec committee that monitors compliance with its late-2016 output pledges meets on Sunday in Kuwait. The black liquid's pricing has been under chronic siege amid the global oversupply.

"Opec has done their part, but US inventory data is still rising, keeping the lid on the oil price," said Aslam, commenting there were no signs of a demand shock for crude and for the price to rise further and start a new journey.

"We not only need a renewal of the current plan by Opec, but also a further cut in their production," he opined, commenting US shale producers would see any price rises as a gift and up their output at the cost of Opec.

"Therefore, it is arduous to knit a scenario under which we can see some serious upward bias for the oil price," said Aslam.

FXTM research analyst Lukman Otunuga added sentiment remained firmly bearish towards oil with further downside expected as the fading confidence over the effectiveness of Opecs output cut encouraged bears to install renewed rounds of selling.

"While speculations have heightened over Opec extending the supply cuts by another six months, questions may be raised if such may stabilise the oil markets especially when factoring the resurgence of US shale.

"From a technical standpoint, WTI remains heavily pressured on the daily charts. Bears remain in firm control below $50 with the next level of interest at $47," said Otunuga.

Turning to metals, on Comex, gold was down 0.02% to $1249.90 an ounce, with silver up 0.75% to $17.73 an ounce and copper down 0.74% to 262.50 cents a pound.

Otunuga noted that although the precious yellow metal's price had edged lower Friday, amid a stabilising US dollar, bulls remained somewhat in control on the daily charts above $1225.

"Much attention will be directed towards the pending (US) healthcare vote this evening, which could create further uncertainty if the bill is rejected," said Otunuga, noting this would add to gold's safe-haven appeal.

Aslam commented that a negative outcome to the vote of US President Donald Trump's healthcare bill could favour gold.

"However, be careful in taking that trade, because investors are going to put their focus towards the tax reform bill which is the main reason behind the massive rally in the market."
Donald Trump has handed out an ultimatum to his Republican colleagues in Congress ahead of a crucial vote on healthcare reform on Friday - vote it in or the US sticks with Obamacare.

The House of Representatives was due to vote on the American Health Care Act on Thursday but stern opposition from some Republican representatives held the decision back.

The President has now said that Friday will be the only vote on healthcare reform, telling Congress members that his administration will be moving on if the bill is defeated.

Senior members of Trumps cabinet, including Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway and Rience Priebus, met with Congress leaders on Thursday in order to convince Republicans to push the legislation through.

House majority leader Paul Ryan said on Thursday that it was highly important that Congress backed the vote to repeal Obamas broken healthcare laws.

"For seven-and-a-half years we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it's collapsing and it's failing families, and tomorrow we're proceeding, Ryan said.

The proposal from the administration offers several key alterations to the way healthcare works in the US, including the removal of a requirement for insurance plans to include basic services such as hospital visits and prescription drugs.

"For seven-and-a-half years we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it's collapsing and it's failing families

Republicans are at odds over the legislation, with some arguing that it the change is too radical, and others believing that it falls short of real change.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office revised its estimate for the AHCA on Thursday to reflect amendments added on Monday, saying 24m more Americans could be uninsured by 2026 compared to the current healthcare system.

Another significant change was that the reduction of the federal deficit was forecast to be less than under the previous version of the AHCA.

Democratic House minority leader Nancy Pelosi criticised President Trump for dishing out the ultimatum, calling it a rookie's error for bringing this up on a day when clearly you're not ready.

The vote will represent a significant indicator for the new-born administration of how the House and Senate, which both have Republican majorities, will align themselves following a divisive election campaign in 2016.

London Capital Group's chief market analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya commented on the significance of the vote for investors.

A validation would also grant Trump the credibility on his ability to pass through his fiscal policies, including tax reforms and large infrastructure spending," Ozkardeskaya said. "An eventual failure could let down investors, yet it is worth noting that the major market focus is still on the US fiscal plans and the Trump administration could carry on with its expansive fiscal plans regardless of a disappointment on the health-care bill."
Francois Fillon , French presidential candidate and former prime minister, has accused President Francois Hollande of unduly interfering in the countrys election.

The first round of voting is due to take place next month with centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron leading the way, followed by the National Fronts Marine Le Pen. Fillon has faltered in the polls off the back of allegations that family members were paid for jobs they did not do during his time as PM.

Now Fillon has alleged that Hollande directed an operation to influence the outcome of the investigation into his actions.

I am calling into question the president of the republic, Fillon said in an interview on the France 2 television channel.

"You have newspapers today which receive documents 48 hours after they were seized in searches, for example in my office in the National Assembly. Who gives them these documents? The government," he added.

Fillon had been leading the race to win this years election until the scandal regarding his family no-shows hit. His British wife Penelope Fillon is said to have received 700,000 euros over 15 years for working as his parliamentary assistant, but not carried out any of the positions duties.

Hollande has firmly denied the accusations that he was involved with the investigation in any way, saying that he condemns with the greatest firmness the false allegations of Fillon.

Current polls have Macron slightly ahead of Le Pen as the vote on 23 April approaches, with the former on 26% and the latter on 25%.
Orders for goods meant to last more than three years jumped in February on the back of a large increase in those for civilian aircraft.

Total durable goods orders grew 1.7% month-on-month to reach $235.4bn (consensus: 1.1%), according to the Department of Commerce, whereas economists had penciled in an increase of 1.1%.

Excluding the transportation sector, new orders were up by 0.4% on the month (consensus: 0.5%) and if defence was excluded then by 2.1%.

A 47.6% rise on the month in non-defence aircraft and parts to $12.68bn played a large part behind last month's growth.

Orders for primary metals increased by 2.3% on the month to $18.89bn, while those for electrical equipment were up by 2.2% to $9.8bn.

However, defence orders fell by 8.3%.

Capital goods orders, excluding those for defence and aircraft dipped 0.1% on the month to $64.64bn (consensus: 0.6%).

"Core capital goods orders fell 0.1% m/m (previous: 0.1% m/m), while core capital goods shipments rose a modest 0.1% m/m. The weakness in core orders and shipments is a concrete sign that the surge is business sentiment is not pulling activity data higher," said Blerina Uruci and Rob Martin at Barclays Research.

Following Friday's data, Barclays said its tracking estimate for the rate of growth of gross domestic product in the first quarter slipped from 1.3% to 1.2%.
Markets in Asia finished mixed on Friday, as Samsung Electronics held a shareholder meeting without Jay Lee, and a key healthcare vote was delayed in the US.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 was 0.93% higher at 19,262.52, with the yen remaining relatively strong against the greenback.

It was last marginally weaker, retreating 0.08% to JPY 111.03 per $1.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite was up 0.63% at 3,268.93, while the smaller Shenzhen Composite added 0.4% to 2,046.74.

South Korea's Kospi was down 0.17% at 2,168.95, as shareholders in Samsung Electronics gathered for the companys first annual general meeting since the arrest of Jay Lee.

The Samsung Group heir was taken into custody over his alleged involvement in the cash-for-influence corruption scandal surrounding impeached president Park Geun-hye.

In its meeting, the technology giant told shareholders it would be a tough ask to adopt a holding company structure at the present time.

Chief executive Kwon Oh-hyun blamed the negative effects that would arise from transitioning from a holding company.

The structure was first proposed by US-based activist hedge fund Elliot Management, and had been under consideration by Samsung since November, as a way to improve the firms corporate governance.

Shares in Samsung Electronics fell 0.72% during the session.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index was up 0.13% at 24,358.27.

Traders in the special administrative region had their eyes on the Hong Kong Chief Executive election, being held on Sunday.

It would be the first election since the Umbrella Revolution pro-democracy protests were held in 2014.

Attention was also drawn stateside, as the ongoing battle to dismantle Obamacare continued, with President Trump failing to reach agreement with Republican politicians on how it could be achieved, delaying a vote in the House of Representatives.

Trump had hoped to secure the vote quickly, as it was being looked at by commentators as a barometer for the strength of his mandate.

Oil prices were higher during Asian trading, with Brent crude last up 0.37% at $50.75 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate adding 0.52% to $47.95.

Australias S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.8% at 5,753.54, with most subindexes finishing in the green apart from gold and industrials.

BHP Billiton was 0.29% higher in Sydney, as it emerged a long-running strike at its Escondida copper mine in Chile was looking to come to an end.

It was reported that worked were looking to invoke a seldom-used legal tool, which would allow them to extend their old contracts.

In New Zealand, the S&P/NZX 50 rose 0.2% to 7,073.83, with manuka honey producer Comvita adding 2.3% amid reports Chinese authorities were easing their restrictions on online trading in such products.

Comvita had struggled with an apparently thriving web-based grey market for its honey in China.

Chicken products producer Tegel was off 2.5%, as local analysts circulated rumours the chicken glut was continuing, putting downward pricing pressure on farmers and producers.

The down under dollars were both weaker, with the Aussie last retreating 0.14% to AUD 1.313 against the greenback and the Kiwi weakening 0.2% to NZD 1.4254 to $1.
London stocks were set for a slightly firmer open on Friday despite a downbeat close on Wall Street, as Asian shares advanced.

The FTSE 100 was expected to open eight points higher at 7,348.

CMC Markets' Michael Hewson said: "While markets in Europe managed to eke out some gains yesterday the decline in US markets continued after the expected vote on the new health care bill to replace Obamacare was postponed, due to a failure to garner enough support for it.

"Nonetheless it looks set to be a disappointing week for stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic as a semblance of realism starts to creep into proceedings in terms of what the new US administration will be able to deliver in terms of its reform program in the coming weeks and months."

On the data front, BBA mortgage approvals are at 0930 GMT.

In corporate news, as it makes early progress with a new strategy, Smiths Group reported flat first-half revenues of 1.6bn on an underlying basis but growth of 18% on a reported basis thanks to the weak pound.

With operating margins improving 130 basis points, operating profits increased 8% underlying and 27% reported to 277m and pre-tax profits 10%/31% to 248m.

Land Securities confirmed it was in discussions with Deutsche Bank on pre-letting a site for the German banking giant's London headquarters.

LandSec said it would finish shortly the demolition of existing buildings at 21 Moorfields in London's central business district. The site sits above Moorgate tube station and the new development will contain offices and shops, media reported on Thursday.

Acacia Mining has said there has been no change on the Tanzanian government's ban on exports of gold and copper ore despite efforts by the company.

The FTSE 250 miner has been engaging with key government official and other stakeholders in order to lift the ban which has been in effect since 3 March.

Syncona noted on Friday that Blue Earth Diagnostics - which it funds - had received a positive opinion recommending that Axumin be granted marketing authorisation in the European Union from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency.

The FTSE company holds a 90% interest in the share capital of Blue Earth.
Britons could be about to get less bite for their buck as US-owned chocolate maker Cadbury has indicated that its products could be trimmed in size or increased in price post-Brexit.

Cadbury's UK chief Glenn Caton told the Guardian that the countrys exit from the European Union may well have an adverse affect on the businesss profitability.

He stressed however that the UK would still be considered the home of chocolate manufacturing.

There are obviously challenges and there are three things that we really care about in the context of the Brexit negotiations, Caton told the publication.

First of all is making sure we have a stable and thriving UK economy. If the economy is growing all businesses benefit from that. The second is ensuring that there is no new, more complex regulation and that there is free movement of goods and minimal barriers to trade.

Cadbury is currently owned by US snack giant Mondelez International, which has faced criticism over the fact that it did not pay tax in 2014 or 2015, the last two years for which there are figures.

The executive added that the company will have to adapt after Britains decision to leave the EU last June, as many others will have to.

All we can do is to move to the times that we face, Cotan said. I am confident though because a 200m investment in the last five years is not something we are going to walk away from. I cant guarantee anything forever but am I confident that we are still going to have world-class manufacturing and research sites in the UK for the long term? I do feel confident of that.
Britain's bill for exiting the European Union will be close to 50bn and "must be honoured", European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker said, but he is not approaching the impending divorce proceedings in a hostile mood.

The EC chief told the BBC that the Brussels would negotiate with the UK in a friendly and fair way but that a bill would have to be paid - but the final amount had not been precisely calculated yet but that it was "around" 50bn.

"The British government and parliament took on certain commitments as EU members and they must be honoured. This isn't a punishment or sanctions against the UK," he said.

Part of the reason seemed to be the prevention of other countries from following the UK lead.

Juncker insisted the 4.5m EU citizens living in the UK and British citizens currently living across the EU would not be forced to leave.

Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to launch the two-year process of negotiations to leave the EU on 29 March by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

In a 'guide to Brexit' published on Thursday, Deutsche Bank said a so-called 'hard Brexit', with no transitional agreement and WTO rules was avoidable, with a very broad agreement on a new relationship between the UK and EU27, combined with a transitional deal, possible before March 2019.

The bank felt it was likely that the UK will have to abandon its strategy of a comprehensive new relationship being concluded by March 2019 and accept compromises on the budget, sovereignty and freedom of movement for a transitional deal, while some political difficulties only look resolvable with an early UK general election.
Land Securities confirmed it was in discussions with Deutsche Bank on pre-letting a site for the German banking giant's London headquarters.

LandSec said it would finish shortly the demolition of existing buildings at 21 Moorfields in London's central business district. The site sits above Moorgate tube station and the new development will contain offices and shops, media reported.

Land Securities is also in discussions with Deutsche Bank regarding a pre-let for the development which would require alterations to the design of the building above ground, the company said in a statement on Friday.

These negotiations will take several months and there is no guarantee they will lead to a transaction.
The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG) said it planned to raise 50m through a share issue to fund new project acquisitions.

The placing will be at a fixed price of 103.0p a share.

TRIG said it was in advanced discussions with a view to acquiring a number of projects in the UK.

These included two projects under exclusivity agreements with TRIG's Operations Manager, Renewable Energy Systems (RES) with an aggregate price in the region of 100.

The two investments, which are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2017, are a 100% interest in Garreg Lwyd Hill, an onshore wind farm in Powys, Wales with 30.6MW of generating capacity and a 100% stake in Broxburn, a battery storage project in West Lothian, Scotland with 20MW of output capacity.

Neither of the two projects has debt financing, TRIG said. Garreg Lwyd includes 17 Vestas 1.8MW turbines, has been developed and built by RES and will be eligible for 0.9 renewable obligations certificates per MWh under the UK government's support scheme.

Broxburn benefits from a bespoke bilateral contract with National Grid Electricity Transmission to provide dynamic grid balancing services, TRIG said.

For the initial four years of operations under the contract, revenues are substantially based on pre-determined, RPI-indexed availability payments, it added.
Britain's United Kingdom Independence Party found itself at the centre of another storm on Friday as one of its most prominent donors demanded his money back.

UKIP backer Arron Banks said he wanted 200,000 back for office services to the right-wing, anti European Union party.

Multimillionaire Banks left the party this month, claiming the party had suspended him. He donated 1m to the group before the 2015 General Election. UKIP claim his membership had lapsed.

Services he provided included call centres and membership administration. Banks said that since he had effectively been suspended he did not know why I am going to provide the service for free

"I dont think so. So  yes  there is a bill in the post for the thick end of 200,000," the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

Confirming the existence of an invoice a UKIP spokesman said: Since Arron Banks first became involved with UKIP, before the last general election, he has been a generous donor. All the support he has given UKIP has been on that basis and not on a supplier-client one. We dont understand why he now claims his generous donations were something different.

Lately Banks has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of the party after its poor showing at the recent Stoke by-election where new leader Paul Nuttall failed to take the seat from Labour.

Electorally the party has struggled. It only has one MP at Westminster, the Conservative defector Douglas Carswell who Banks has demanded be sacked.
Jones Bootmaker is expected to call in administrators on Friday in a move that will put more than 1,100 jobs at risk. The shoe retailer, which employs 1,145 people, has nearly 100 stores and a handful of concessions in department stores. It is understood to be close to going under after a deal with a private equity firm collapsed.  Guardian

Shareholders in Crest Nicholson, one of the largest housebuilders in Britain, have voted against a pay deal for the companys directors because of concerns that the performance targets were too easy. The rebellion means Crest Nicholson is the first major company this year to see investors reject its remuneration report, which is a major embarrassment. - Guardian

Deutsche Bank has agreed a deal to move to a new City headquarters, defying fears that large financial institutions are planning to leave the capital after Brexit. An internal memo sent to staff today and seen by The Daily Telegraph said that in 2023 the bank will move to the new headquarters, which are owned by property developer Land Securities.  Telegraph

The boss of North Sea takeover target Ithaca Energy has reasserted his backing for the 517m cash bid from the group's largest shareholder after reporting a 54m loss for last year. Delek, which holds a 20pc stake in Ithaca, has steadily deepened its interest in the North Sea over the past year. Deleks offer to buy Ithaca in February came just months after snapping up 13.8pc of Faroe Petroleum in a 42.8m Christmas Day spending spree.  Telegraph

The City watchdog has reopened its investigation into Barclayss 7.3 billion Middle East capital raising in 2008 that helped the lender to avoid falling into government ownership. The Financial Conduct Authority concluded an investigation three years ago but is understood to have begun interviewing individuals after starting the process again.- The Times

Britain is dangerously exposed to money launderers as investigators are failing to work with other agencies to gather evidence against foreign criminals, a think tank has claimed. A report by the Organisation for Co-operation and Economic Development, published today, criticises the Serious Fraud Office and the financial intelligence unit at the National Crime Agency for failing to co-operate and share information that could bring foreign money launderers to trial.  The Times
London's FTSE 100 was flat at 7,341.06 in afternoon trade, as investors looked to a key vote on a healthcare bill in the US.

Engineer Smiths Group was the standout riser as it reported flat first-half revenues of 1.6bn on an underlying basis but growth of 18% on a reported basis thanks to the weak pound.

Provident Financial got a boost as RBC Capital Markets upgraded the stock to 'outperform' from 'sector perform' and upped the price target to 3,200p from 3,000p, saying risks were to the upside ahead of the upcoming capital markets day.

The bank said Provident maintains a considerable surplus capital position and that its revised price target shows a 9% implied return with a 5% dividend yield, which it reckons justifies an outperform rating.

National Grid was on the front foot following two positive broker notes. JP Morgan Cazenove reiterated its 'overweight' stance on the stock, saying it has a strong investment case as its earnings momentum accelerates and represents a hedge to a reversal of the Trump rally.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley resumed coverage of the stock at 'overweight', saying it was closing the value gap in the US.

"As better returns and growth in the US are delivered, the valuation discount should narrow. Crystallisation of further property value will be a positive, and all this underpinned by a strongly supportive macro backdrop enabling best in class RAB growth."

Clothing retailer Next was on the back foot, giving back some of the gains from the previous session, when it rose sharply despite reporting that underlying pre-tax profits fell 3.8% to 790.2m last year and warning that 2017 will be "another tough year" due to a shift away from spending on clothing and a squeeze on UK wages.

Admiral was weaker after UBS downgraded the stock to 'neutral' from 'buy' as it adjusted ratings on UK motor insurers following the reduction in the Ogden discount rate.

Risers

Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,591.00p 2.25%

Barclays (BARC) 226.20p 1.03%

Provident Financial (PFG) 2,958.00p 1.02%

Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 7,165.00p 0.99%

Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 761.00p 0.93%

Informa (INF) 641.00p 0.87%

National Grid (NG.) 1,015.50p 0.79%

Fresnillo (FRES) 1,548.00p 0.78%

British American Tobacco (BATS) 5,210.00p 0.70%

Shire Plc (SHP) 4,695.50p 0.65%

Fallers

Next (NXT) 4,088.00p -2.64%

Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) 2,110.00p -2.09%

Ashtead Group (AHT) 1,623.00p -1.58%

BT Group (BT.A) 326.20p -1.57%

Admiral Group (ADM) 1,961.00p -1.56%

Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 332.40p -1.45%

Johnson Matthey (JMAT) 2,932.00p -1.28%

Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 2,002.00p -1.18%

Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 192.50p -1.18%

CRH (CRH) 2,799.00p -1.06%
Save my User ID and Password

Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site.

Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.
Flipkart set to absorb eBay's Indian unit: report

In another sign of possible consolidation in India's crowded ecommerce space, eBay is reportedly in talks to sell its under-performing India unit to Flipkart as part of a deal that could see the US company invest $500 million for a minority shareholding in the Indian firm.

According to Business Standard, the investment will be part of a $1.5-2 billion funding round, out of which Flipkart has already secured $1 billion from China's Tencent and Microsoft. Flipkart is being valued at close to $11 billion for the latest funding round, lower than its previous high of around $15 billion.

Flipkart's biggest rival Amazon owns peer-to-peer marketplace Junglee and recently integrated the services with its main platform.

Earlier this week, ecommerce marketplace Snapdeal flatly denied reports that it was in talks to sell the firm, after Mint newspaper reported the company was in talks with domestic rivals including Flipkart and Paytm for a potential sale.

Despite eBay having a first mover advantage in India after acquiring Baazee.com in 2004 and making an entry into the market in 2005, it has never managed to become a major player. The company is outranked not just by Flipkart and Amazon, but also by younger local firms Snapdeal, Paytm and Shopclues.

While undergoing one of its biggest transformations globally, eBay has been showing less and less interest towards its India marketplace. The company's current focus is towards once again becoming relevant to users in developed markets such as the US and Europe, the BS report points out.

With its investment in Flipkart, the US firm plans to remain a stakeholder in India's fast-growing ecommerce marketplace that hit a high of $18 billion in 2016.

Signs of its waning interest in India were seen when eBay reported a one per cent decrease in the growth of active buyers globally, citing the folding of a campaign to acquire new users in India as the reason. ''Specific to the deceleration, it's really driven by lapping a campaign we did last year in India,'' said Scott Schenkel, chief financial officer at eBay, in a call with investors to discuss the company's Q4-2016 earnings.

For Flipkart, the investments from eBay, Tencent and Microsoft give it the firepower to take on Amazon's fast-paced expansion in India. The company underwent tremendous stress in the past 18-24 months with a complete top management overhaul.

As for the C2C e-commerce market in India, it is currently dominated by players such as Quikr and OLX. Snapdeal, the number three ecommerce player in India, recently exited the C2C business when it shut Shopo. However, Amazon continues to remain bullish about this market, says BS.
Hundreds of Donegal commuters will be affected by travel chaos and forced to make alternative arrangements following an announcement that Bus Eireann drivers are to go on strike from midnight tonight, Thursday, March 23.

Students returning from third level colleges across the country will also be impacted, although many will, if seats are available, opt for the many private services that run from university campuses such as Galway to Donegal.

The National Bus and Rail Union and SIPTU have said their members are to engage in an all-out and indefinite strike at Bus Eireann as a reaction to management's decision to implement significant cost-saving measures without union agreement.

Unions had warned that any such move by management would result in a strike.

Bus Eireann has said that the strike is extremely disappointing and will only worsen its already difficult financial crisis.

In a statement, it said the company is facing insolvency in a matter of months and insisted that it would be completely irresponsible not to act to implement cost saving measures urgently.

The company have said that financial losses for January and February of this year are 41% higher than for the same period in 2016. It also said that losses for last year were 9.4m.

School bus drivers will not be a part of the planned strike, which is set to come into effect tonight, but unions have said they could be brought into stoppage if the dispute escalates.

The Small Firms Association (SFA) has condemned the announcement by the five unions at Bus Eireann that they plan to engage in an indefinite strike, with just 9 hours notice. Patricia Callan, SFA Director, commented: "Thousands of commuters all around the country will face severe difficulties in getting to and from work. In addition, the delays caused by the inevitable increase in traffic will be costly for all small businesses trying to get their goods to market throughout the country and to the ports/airports."

Callan continued: "This strike is unjustifiable. Bus Eireann operates in a deregulated, competitive market and states that it is losing 50,000 each week and is facing insolvency. In order to survive, work practices will need to change and cost efficiencies gained. The threat by the NBRU of spillover action to Dublin Bus and Irish Rail is entirely reprehensible and must be stopped."

Retail Excellence (RE) is calling for an immediate solution to resolve the Bus Eireann impasse as retail sales could plunge by up to 60% once strike action is implemented said Lorraine Higgins, Head of Public Affairs and Communications.

Commenting on the situation Lorraine Higgins, said: The planned strike will cause havoc for our retailers who will see a negative impact on footfall and retail sales activity at a time when they can least absorb it. Significant damage will be done to retail activity in the coming days and there will undoubtedly be a double digit decline in sales. On that basis everyone loses".
Fianna Fail TD for south Donegal, Sligo-Leitrim, Marc Mac Sharry has accused the Government of embarking on a mission to isolate the North West region. He says the fact that State jobs are being relocated out of Sligo is evidence that the Government has no interest in investing in or developing the area.

Deputy Mac Sharry commented, The North West region appears to be the target of many of the job transfers and service reductions that are being implemented by this Government.

"In December it was announced that 32 jobs attached to the information section of the Department of Social Protection based in Sligo are to be moved to Dublin. Now its emerged that a number of positions within the PAYE section of Revenue are to be transferred to Dundalk. This recentralisation programme is typical of the Dublin centric administration, which is only concerned with the capital and surrounding commuter counties.

The North West region has been completely disregarded by Fine Gael. Despite a series of promises on rural Ireland, along with commitments in the Programme for Government, the reality of the situation is that jobs are being lost, services are being cut and the threat of Brexit looms large.

Not only are we seeing State positions being redirected to Leinster, the regional veterinary lab is facing the threat of closure and there are concerns about job losses at Protek Medical. On top of that, Post Office closures are on the cards, and Ulster Bank announced that it's to shut branches in Sligo, Donegal and Cavan," he said.
A woman has appeared in Letterkenny District Court charged with two offences relating to an alleged air rage incident on a flight from Glasgow to Donegal.

Alison Devine, 279 Main Street, Bogside, Lanarkshire, Scotland, drank a bottle of wine and then several small bottles of gin before getting on board an Aer Lingus flight from Glasgow to Carrickfinn Airport.

She was arrested under the State Airport Shannon group Act of 2014 and charged with being drunk and also assaulting air hostess Haley Walsh.

The 41-year-old mother-of-two had to be restrained by cabin crew when she became violent on the flight.

She attacked the air hostess and had to be restrained by another passenger before the plane landed.

Garda Eamon McGinley told Judge Paul Kelly that he arrested Ms Devine and when the charge of assault was put to Ms Devine at Letterkenny Garda station, she replied She didnt like me from the start, she was obnoxious.

Garda McGinley told the court that the air hostess had suffered bruising and was quite traumatised when Ms Devine grabbed her by the wrists.

He stressed that Ms Devine was not served alcohol on the Aer Lingus flight and how it would not have been able to land in Donegal but for the intervention of another passenger in helping to restrain the accused woman.

Solicitor Patsy Gallagher told the court that his client was pleading to both charges.

He revealed how Ms Devine had come to Donegal to attend the De Exeter Rehabilitation Centre in Termon.

The centre had arranged to meet Ms Devine off her flight and a counsellor from the centre was there when she landed.

However, Mr Gallagher said that his clients family had left her at Glasgow Airport and she was allowed to access to alcohol.

She was basically left at the airport alone and allowed to get the plane to Ireland. There was no support on the other side for her. She drank a bottle of wine in literally two minutes and bought five or six small bottles of gin and downed them.

Jeckyl and Hyde

She is a Jeckyl and Hyde character and she is deeply tearful and fearful of where she has now ended up,he said.

Judge Paul Kelly said he was agreeing to bail in the case on the understanding that Ms Devine attend the rehab centre which she had come to Ireland for.

He ordered her to surrender her passport and drivers license and to reside at De Exeter House in Termon until March 30th next.

He also asked Garda Inspector Sean Grant to find out if the airline or air hostess Ms Walsh was out of pocket.
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.
A handful of late additional costs could raise the final price tag on the new Houston County Sheriffs communication system, but county officials hope lower-than-anticipated bids will absorb the extra bills.

The Houston County Commission has already borrowed around $1.7 million to fund the new system, which includes almost all new equipment for deputies, their vehicles and radios for county first responders. The system also calls for the construction of an additional tower to house an antenna necessary for coverage throughout the county. The tower appears to be the source of most of the additional requests.

The sheriffs office sought an additional $20,000 for site engineering for the new tower, set to be raised in the southeastern part of the county. The office may request more money because Native American tribes could lay claim to the land and would be eligible for a small financial payment in exchange. The sheriffs office also sought an additional consulting fee of $19,392.16 for Engineering Associates, LLC.

The commission decided to delay the approval of the requests until the bid for implementation of the new system has been awarded. Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver said the additional costs may be absorbed if bids come in lower than anticipated. Culver said the commission can re-visit the request if bids do not come in lower than anticipated.

However, the commission is expected to approve an unrelated request for additional funds from the sheriffs office. The office is requesting an additional $8,500 to fund encryption for transmissions made by dispatchers or deputies requesting information through the National Crime Information Center. The encryption equipment is required before county dispatchers can move into the new Emergency Operations Center.
A winner of this months Business News 40Under40 awards, WA solicitor and entrepreneur Sarah Mateljan spoke to Dynamic Business about creating and running two successful EduTech start-ups and the utility of eLearning in countries experiencing conflict.

In 2008, Mateljan joined forces with her husband Vincent and their friend Lee Goldsworthy to develop LawCPD, an online platform where lawyers could complete mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) courses remotely using a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Before LawCPD, lawyers had to travel to major cities to attend training in-person, she said. This wasnt workable, particularly for my friends who lived and worked in the country. So, I looked for a technological solution to this problem, and when I couldnt find one I worked with Vincent and Lee to create a new online platform. Its now being used by lawyers and law firms throughout Australia to help keep up to date with their CPD.

When the founding trio began fielding enquiries from companies and industry bodies outside the legal industry, they saw an opportunity to scale LawCPDs technology to reach a wider audience. In 2012, they co-founded their second EduTech start-up, CourseGenius  an online platform that allows SMEs to create bespoke eLearning courses. While LawCPD is focused purely on the Australian Market, Mateljan and her cofounders are scaling CourseGenius for global growth.

With CourseGenius, our aim was to make each step of the online training journey easy for SMEs, Mateljan said. People dont need coding skills, an IT background or instructional design experience to use our platform  its accessible to everyone.

Some businesses use CourseGenius to deliver in-house training to 50 staff and track their progress, while others take advantage of the eCommerce plugin it to sell bespoke course to 10,000+ customers. Our customer base is extremely diverse. We have customers in more than 25 industries including manufacturing, law, health, safety, retail chains, plus many more.

Mateljan said the three biggest factors in the success of her two EduTech start-ups has been our team, our technology and our marketing. She explained: Hiring the right team has been one of the most significant factors in the success of both companies, as has building a positive and productive work culture. The scalability and user-friendliness of our technology has made it easy for a range of businesses to quickly adopt and succeed with delivering online training. Implementing an aggressive digital marketing strategy has helped us reach a wider audience than would have been possible with traditional methods, helping us to rapidly scale the companies.

In 2014, CourseGenius was brought to Afghanistan by Mateljan and her husband, who spent 18 months volunteering with an international NGO.

We got involved because we saw how CourseGenius could help expand the reach of the NGOs existing educational projects, she explained. I used our platform to establish an eLearning pilot program for the NGOs leadership school in Kabul. This program enabled the NGO to continue delivering the leadership training remotely during a volatile and unstable period around the Presidential elections.

Running this program was very rewarding both personally and professionally, as I firmly believe economic development and education have the potential to create stability in countries that currently have none. The experience also showed me how eLearning could be used to allow education to continue successfully in countries experiencing conflict.

Mateljan said she was honoured to be recognised alongside Western Australias leading young entrepreneurs and business people in the Business News 40Under40 awards.

I think its very encouraging, both for me and my team, because it shows our two businesses are on a par with some of WAs leading companies, she said. It gives all of us the confidence of knowing we are on the right track, and to continue working hard to scale CourseGenius to become a global name in online training.

Asked how she and her partners find time to run two start-ups, Mateljan said they manage their commitments to both pretty well most of the year.

Weve been running LawCPD for nearly nine years now so everything runs quite smoothly, she explained. Throughout the year we tend to focus most of our time on CourseGenius, as this company is rapidly growing and scaling both in Australia and internationally. Things get a bit hectic in March, which is the CPD deadline for lawyers, and consequently LawCPDs busiest month, but apart from that we manage very well!
The Treaty created the foundations of the EU we know today

Tomorrow, 25 March, people across Europe are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which set out a vision for the European Union (EU) much as we know it today, namely, an EU with an open market for goods, services, capital and people. The Treaty also led to 60 years of peace among EU Member States, progressively enlarged in number from 6 to current 28.

The EU is one of the EBRDs founding members, along with the European Investment Bank which was created under the Treaty of Rome. In addition, all EU Member States are shareholders of a growing EBRD family that now extends to 67 members.

The EBRD was established in 1991 to support market-oriented economies and to promote entrepreneurial initiative in central and eastern Europe. Over the years the geographical mandate of the Bank was extended and today includes the south and eastern Mediterranean region, where successful operations have been launched following the 2010/11 events.

This goal complements the EUs aim of promoting peace, stability and prosperity. Consequently, the Bank has enjoyed very close ties with the EU since our foundation in 1991.

Bringing East and West together and promoting stability in EU neighbouring regions

For decades, the people of central and eastern Europe had been isolated behind the Iron Curtain. They were now free to travel, free to trade, free to determine their own success. After the fall of communism the prospect of EU membership provided a clear perspective. Alongside the EU, the EBRD offered support: investing in businesses, addressing the legacy of energy-intensive economies and building new links between East and West.

Given the EBRDs mandate and presence in the countries where it invests, the Bank was uniquely positioned to build a dynamic small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. We supported businesses through direct loans, credit lines to local partner banks and concrete, hands-on advice  and we have done this continuously across the region. For example, in Croatia, the newest EU Member State, our EU-funded Advice for Small Businesses helped hundreds of enterprises to take full advantage of the opportunities arising from EU accession.

Europe is a transformed continent today, but the EUs pull factor remains potent. EU approximation is a major driver for change in many countries where we invest. In the Western Balkans, for example, we help SMEs to invest in improving their production facilities so they can achieve EU standards. We also work closely with our partners to upgrade and build vital transport arteries across the region, so that entrepreneurs can export to new markets and citizens can travel more easily and safely abroad.

The EU also binds countries in its neighbourhood to democratic values and helps them build sustainable economies through Association Agreements and access to the Single Market. In Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine the EBRD prepares businesses for trade opportunities through investment and advice. This makes firms more competitive in their home markets and beyond.

The Bank supports economic integration as a key element of well-functioning market economies. This approach benefits everyone  our countries of operations, the EU and people across the globe  as it offers consumers affordable, high-quality goods and develops strong, sustainable economies worldwide.

Effective long-term support

The EBRD has provided effective solutions time and again and, most importantly, it has made a tangible difference to millions of people. This impact would have been impossible without the EUs political and financial support. It is the largest donor to our projects, contributing 289 million in 2016 alone for activities that, for example, support SMEs, finance vital infrastructure improvements and build green economies.

Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our generation and we work closely with the EU to address it. For example, our activities help households and businesses to invest in energy-efficient equipment  with concrete results. In more than 1,000 projects we have helped people to save money on their energy bills, businesses to become more competitive and we have contributed to a cleaner environment. This work has reduced CO 2 emissions by over 80 million tonnes each year, equivalent to the annual emissions of Romania.

Nowhere else has the legacy of the Soviet era left a deeper and longer-lasting mark than in Chernobyl, the site of the 1986 nuclear accident. In 2016, the EBRDs work as fund manager of the New Safe Confinement project has helped to place a 36,000-tonne protective shelter over the site of the destroyed reactor. The project would not have been possible without the political and financial commitment of donors, including the European Commission and the G7 countries.

In total, the EBRD has invested more than 117 billion in more than 35 countries and has offered donors such as the EU an efficient way to maximise their funds by mobilising additional investment from other sources. Reacting rapidly to pressing political needs the Bank last year launched a refugee crisis response, with EU support, which is supporting countries exposed to this huge humanitarian, economic and social challenge.

In parallel, the EBRD increasingly shares its experience when there is a need to define reform objectives and to see how our financial tools can be used for the implementation of reforms.

International solutions in a fast-paced, interconnected world

The EBRD has helped to take urgent action when it was needed over the past decade. It was a founder of the Vienna Initiative, which coordinated actions between international financial institutions, governments, banks and regulators in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. And it helped to prevent the threat of an uncoordinated withdrawal of international banks from central and eastern Europe. In 2015, the Bank started operations in Greece to support the countrys economy and has invested more than 800 million there to date.

In addition to these efforts, we must address the challenges of globalisation. Some segments of society feel that they have fallen by the wayside of economic progress. This is why the EBRD has made inclusion a strategic priority and is stepping up its drive to offer new opportunities, in particular, for young people and women. The solution cannot be to deny businesses opportunities to trade their goods abroad or to close our economies to the outside world and propose protectionist measures. A fast-changing, connected world needs international solutions  now more than ever.

The EU has been an anchor of peace, prosperity and democracy and continues to fulfil this role. It has been a strong partner for us, for the governments in our region and has helped to change the lives of millions of people. This should be remembered on the anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, as the EU has provided a vision of how to catalyse political leadership and overcome difficulties as we build and preserve our European and democratic values.

Pierre Heilbronn is the EBRDs Vice President, Policy and Partnerships
Several top U.S. advertisers  including AT&T, Verizon and Johnson & Johnson  this week pulled out of their agreements with YouTube due to their ads appearing with videos advocating extremism, or with other offensive content.

Such placements represent violations of their agreements with Google, according to the companies.

We are deeply concerned that our ads may have appeared alongside YouTube content promoting terrorism and hate, AT&T said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by spokesperson Fletcher Cook. Until Google can ensure this wont happen again, we are removing our ads from Googles non-search platforms.

Johnson & Johnson posted a statement on its media page saying it would pause all YouTube digital advertising globally to ensure that its ads dont appear on sites containing offensive comment.

Once we were notified that our ads were appearing on non-sanctioned websites, we took immediate action to suspend this type of ad placement and launched an investigation, Verizon said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by spokesperson Sanette Chao. We are working with all of our digital advertising partners to understand the weak links so we can prevent this from happening in the future.

UK Furor

The exodus comes on the heels of a boycott major UK companies launched against YouTube last week.

Recently, we had a number of cases where brands ads appeared on content that was not aligned with their values. For this, we deeply apologize, said Google Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler said in a Tuesday post.

We know that this is unacceptable to the advertisers and agencies who put their trust in us, he continued. Thats why weve been conducting an extensive review of our advertising policies and tools, and why we made a public commitment last week to put in place changes that would give brands more control over where their ads appear.

Googles UK Managing Director Ronan Harris delivered that commitment last week, after the controversy erupted in the UK.

We recognize the need to have strict policies that define where Google ads should appear, Harris said in an online post. The intention of these policies is to prohibit ads from appearing on pages or videos with hate speech, gory or offensive content.

The company spent millions to crack down on offensive and misleading content in 2016, he noted, removing nearly 2 billion bad ads from its network, blocking ads from appearing on 300 million YouTube videos, and removing 100,000 publishers from its AdSense program.

Closer Look

Google outlined several steps designed to raise the bar for its ad policies.

Starting today, were taking a tougher stance on hateful, offensive and derogatory content. This includes removing ads more effectively from content that is attacking or harassing people based on their race, religion, gender or similar categories, Schindler said.

Google will tighten its policies to make sure ads show up only against legitimate creators participating in its YouTube Partner Program  a program that allows creators to monetize content through ads, subscriptions or merchandise  as opposed to those that violate community guidelines or impersonate other channels, he added.

It will deploy additional tools to help companies maintain greater control over where their ads appear on YouTube and on the Web generally, Schindler noted, including safer default settings for brands to exclude objectionable content; new account level controls to exclude specific sites from AdWords for Video and Google Display Network campaigns; and new controls for advertisers to exclude higher-risk content.

In addition, Google will hire significant numbers of people and use new artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to increase its capacity to better screen questionable content, he said.

The company also will establish a policy that lets advertisers escalate questions about the placement of their ads within a few hours.

Less Algorithm, More People

Managing ad placements to avoid extremist sites is similar to the problem social media companies have in managing ad placements to avoid fake news, observed Tim Mulligan, senior analyst at Midia Research.

Algorithms struggle to effectively screen out extremist content because, paradoxically, they both lack human oversight and they also reflect the narrow parameters of their human coders, he told the E-Commerce Times.

YouTube and its peers in the social media world focus on minimizing human overhead and rely on technology to resolve content curation issues that cannot be managed effectively with existing technology, Mulligan maintained.

Facebook woke up to this reality in the backlash from the fake news controversy around their failure to screen out inaccurate news articles during the most recent presidential election, he pointed out. You Tube is now in a similar position having to deal with the fallout from not sufficiently investing in human screening teams.
Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)
In a 2-1 decision Thursday, the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commissions order denying a youth-brought rulemaking petition against fracking and a lower courts order upholding the denial. The court remanded the case to the district court and the commission, finding that the commission erred in its interpretation of Colorado law:

We therefore conclude that the commission erred in interpreting [the Oil and Gas Conservation Act] as requiring a balance between development and public health, safety and welfare.

The clear language of the act  mandates that the development of oil and gas in Colorado be regulated subject to the protection of public health, safety and welfare, including protection of the environment and wildlife resources.

The commission had argued that the Oil and Gas Conservation Act required it to strike a balance between the regulation of oil and gas operations and protecting public health, the environment and wildlife resources.

The six plaintiffs in the case are Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Itzcuahtli Roske-Martinez, Sonora Brinkley, Aerielle Deering, Trinity Carter and Emma Bray. All are members of the Boulder-based youth group Earth Guardians.

The youth hand-delivered their petition for rulemaking in November 2013 to the commission. Their petition asked the commission to develop and implement a rule to stop the permitting of fracking until and if, oil and gas development can be done without causing harm to humans and without impairing Colorados natural resources, including atmospheric resources and climate change.

By its decision today, the court has concluded that the commission has full statutory authority to adopt Petitioners proposed rule, Julia Olson, plaintiffs counsel and executive director of Our Childrens Trust, said. The commission can no longer decide to prioritize oil and gas development over the health and safety of Coloradans. This is an enormous victory for these youth. We look forward to helping the youth of Colorado go back before the commission on remand.

Martinez, youth director of Earth Guardians, shared his excitement on the win. Our movement to fight for the rights of people and our environment is evolving, he said.

From the streets to the courtroom, the voices of the younger generation will be heard and the legal system is a tool for our resistance. Small wins build up to create massive change. Im very optimistic about the potential this lawsuit has to protect my Colorado. Now more than ever, we will see people reclaiming the power.

Martinez is one of 21 youth plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States, a climate case brought in federal court and headed to trial this fall in U.S. District Court in Oregon. The American Petroleum Institute (API) is an intervenor defendant in both Martinezs Colorado and federal case. API represents the interests of the oil and gas industry supporting the commission in Colorado and the Trump administration in federal court. On Friday, attorneys representing Martinez and his co-plaintiffs in that case, served API and the federal government with requests for emails to or from Secretary of State Rex Tillersons pseudonym,Wayne Tracker.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/844296328326909959

Judges ruling on the side of youth plaintiffs were Judge Terry Fox and Judge JoAnn Vogt, with Judge Laurie Booras dissenting. In Booras dissent, she wrote:

I respectfully dissent from the majoritys conclusion that the statutory scheme of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act (the Act),  34-60-101 to -130, C.R.S. 2016, requires protection of public health, safety and welfare as a determinative factor, instead of requiring balancing between those considerations and oil and gas production.

In this Colorado case, however, the youth won their right to have their health, safety and welfare take precedence over oil and gas drilling. They will head back to district court with the support of Coloradans from across the state, hundreds of whom marched in support of their case prior to their hearing before the Colorado Court of Appeals last month.

Martinez v. Colorado Oil and Gas is one of many related legal actions brought by youth in several states and countries, all supported by Our Childrens Trust, seeking science-based action by governments to stabilize the climate system.
The amount of crude oil that spewed near Belfield, North Dakota from the ruptured Belle Fourche pipeline in December was vastly underestimated.

The original estimate was around 176,000 gallons of oil. After further review, pipeline operator True Companies now reports about 12,615 barrels (529,830 gallons) of oil spilled, spokeswoman Wendy Owen told Inforum. The cause of the leak has not been determined.

The spill contaminated a hillside and Ash Coulee Creek which empties into the Little Missouri River. The break was also significant because it happened less than 200 miles away from the Oceti Sakowin Camp, where Water Protectors were protesting the heavily contested Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/806621852374286336

The new number makes the Belle Fourche spill one of the largest in state history and perhaps the largest oil pipeline spill that contaminated a North Dakota water body, Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the states Department of Health, told Inforum.

North Dakotas largest spill happened in September 2013 when a Tesoro Corp. pipeline leaked about 840,000 gallons of fracked oil in a wheat field near Tioga, causing one of the biggest onshore oil spills in recent U.S. history. That spill has still not been cleaned up more than three years later.

Additionally, based on data from Hart Energy, the revised estimate makes the Belle Fourche Pipeline spill the largest pipeline leak in all of 2016. Second place now goes to Sunoco Logisticsa DAPL operatorwhich spilled 8,600 barrels of oil from its Permian Express II Pipeline near Sweetwater, Texas in September.

Cleanup of the Belle Fourche Pipeline bust is still ongoing. We continue to work on the recovery and the cleanup. We will be there until this is finished, Owen said.

Traces of benzene, a petrochemical solvent linked to cancer, have been detected throughout Ash Coulee Creek, Suess said.

Earlier today, the Trump administration granted a presidential permit to TransCanada for its $8 billion Keystone XL pipeline which will carry Alberta tar sands to processing and export facilities in the southern U.S.

https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/845254270467428353

On Jan. 24, President Trump signed an executive order making it easier for both the Keystone XL and the DAPL to go forward.

Despite repeated safety assurances from the industry, breaks happen. EcoWatch mentioned in October that 220 significant pipeline incidents occurred in 2016 and 3,032 since 2006.

Pipelines spill; its not if, its when, Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with Standing Rock and the Indigenous Environmental Network, said in reaction to the Belle Fourche spill in December. And the state-of-the-art leak detectors the pipeline companies always tout dont work.

As EcoWatch reported, the Belle Fourche Pipeline Co. is part of the family-owned True Companies, which also operates Bridger Pipeline LLC. Both pipelines are operated from the same control room in Casper, Wyoming. From 2006 to 2014, Belle Fourche reported 21 incidents, leaking a total of 272,832 gallons of oil. Bridger Pipeline recorded nine pipeline incidents in the same period, spilling nearly 11,000 gallons of crude.

A Belle Fourche pipeline that spilled 12,200 gallons in May, 2014 occurred on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land near Buffalo, Wyoming. It was later discovered that Belle Fourche did not have a permit to operate the land. Sister company Bridger was fined $27,029 for trespassing by the BLM.

Bridger was also responsible for dumping up to 50,000 gallons of crude into the Yellowstone River in 2015.
(Photo: http://www.manchester.anglican.org/serving-communities)UK aid worker before his beheading by the group that calls itself the Islamic State.

Muslim leaders in Britain and across the world have condemned as "despicable" the brutal beheading of aid worker Alan Henning, a taxi driver from the northern England city of Salford.

One hundred prominent Muslim leaders were among those across the world who had appealed for the release of Henning by the group that calls itself Islamic State or ISIS. Ekklesia, a British Christian think tank reported .

A video was released which showed his beheading by the renegade group in Syria.

Henning's grieving was joned by hundreds of mourners, including leaders of the Muslim community, at a service of on October 4.

The taxi driver's wife Barbara, and two children Lucy, 17, and Adam, 15, were embraced in emotional scenes at St Mary's Church in Eccles, Manchester, the Daily Mail reported.

The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the killing of British humanitarian aid worker Alan Henning on October 4 as "heinous and cowardly."

The Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Shuja Shafi, declared, "This reported murder is a despicable and offensive act, coming as it does on the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha.

"It is quite clear that the murderers of Alan Henning have no regard for Islam, or for the Muslims around the world who pleaded for his life.

"Alan was a friend of Muslims, and he will be mourned by Muslims.

"In this period of Hajj and this festival of Eid, Muslims remember the mercy of God and the emphasis God places on human life.

"Alan Henning's murderers have clearly gone against that spirit of Islam. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, called Henning "a hero" and added that the "barbaric killing is an attack against all decent people around the world".

Earlier Henning's distraught wife, Barbara, made a desperate plea to IS/ISIS to release him after he was shown in a video.

'DOING THE RIGHT THING'

She said: "Some say wrong time, wrong place. Alan was volunteering with his Muslim friends to help the people of Syria. He was in the right place doing the right thing."

Ekklesia commentator Harry Hagopian, wrote on October 5, "The key challenge facing us all today is to resist our testosterone-driven instincts of bombing empty buildings and in so doing feel vindicated that we are physically acting against an evil ogre.

"Rather, it requires winning the ideological battle of minds (before hearts) against such thugs.

"This could happen if we discredit their methods and  here comes the crunch  challenge their backers," said Hagopian, an international lawyer, ecumenist and EU political consultant.

"After all, a lot of ink has been spilt on whether the Gulf States are subsidising ISIL or other jihadist radical movements such as Jabhat Al-Nusra.

"While that might well be untrue directly, do we not have the means to ensure that some of those countries proscribe their own wealthy citizens from bankrolling such terror movements, too?"
(Photo Credit: Adrian Pingstone/Public Domain)The Houses of Parliament in England are seen across Westminster Bridge in a 2005 photo.

Shock and outrage at the terror attack carried out next to the UK parliament apparently in the name of Islam was expressed by Christian and British Muslim leaders as all faiths rallied the day after the attack.

The man responsible for the attack was not from Iraq, Syria, Libya or Egypt, but was born and grew up in Britain.

British Muslim leaders condemned the terrorist attack in Westminster, with many imams expected to express shock and horror at Friday prayers, The Guardian newspaper reported.

More than a dozen faith leaders  Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Jews  met officers at Scotland Yard, the police headquarters, on March 23 to discuss responses to the Westminster attack the day before.

The Muslim Council of Britain, which condemned the attack and offered prayers for the victims on the day of the attack, issued a further statement the day after, praising the London's Metropolitan police, the prime minister and the mayor of London, who is a Muslim.

The group's general secretary, Harun Khan, said: "This attack was cowardly and depraved. There is no justification for this act whatsoever. The best response to this outrage is to make sure we come together in solidarity and not allow the terrorists to divide us."

The British-born jihadi who killed four people and injured 29 in Westminster was revealed by police as middle-aged man with a criminal career who the MI5 intelligence agency had investigated in the past and had a previous conviction for stabbing a man.

English teacher Khalid Masood, 52 was a 'lone wolf' attacker, who was living in the Birmingham area, had a series of convictions for assault and other crimes.

Scotland Yard revealed how Masood was known by a number of aliases and The Daily Mail reported he was born Adrian Elms to a single mother in Kent before his religious conversion to Islam.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, described the incident the terror-inspired killing in the name of Islam at the UK's Houses of Parliament as "brutal and senseless", while Cardinal Vincent Nichols said it was "terrible".

After Britain's deadliest terror attack in 12 years on March 22, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit offered sympathy for those who lost loved ones from both Great Britain and other countries.

The group calling itself Islamic State said the attack was carried out by one of its fighters in which four people, including the attacker was killed and scores injured as he ran amok with a car, before stabbing a police officer.

The ISIS-linked Aamaq news agency said March 23 that the person who carried out the "attack in front of the British parliament in London was a soldier of the Islamic State."

TELGRAM FROM POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis sent a telegram expressing his condolences to the victims of the terror attack at the House of Parliament in which the attacker killed four people before armed police shot him dead.

Addressed to the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, and signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, the telegram conveys the Pope's promises of prayers and spiritual closeness to the grieving families, as well as his spiritual solidarity with the whole people.

Welby is as the spiritual head of the Church of England a member of the upper chamber of the UK Parliament, the House of Lords and spoke there about the attack on March 23.

He said he wanted to acknowledge, "The work of so many members of the public who pitched in and did what they needed to do, when faced with things for which they had never been trained or prepared.

"Yesterday afternoon, one of our own security staff at Lambeth Palace, a Muslim, arrived at the gate having been missed by the vehicle very narrowly, and spent time helping those who had been injured. It was typical of this community and this country that he refused to go home until the end of his shift, and simply spent the time doing his job as he expected."

Welby said, however, he wanted "in terms of values, to refer to something that seems to me to go deeper, to something that is really at the foundation of our own understanding of what our society is about, and to do that in three very simple, very brief pictures.

"The first is of a vehicle being driven across Westminster Bridge by someone who had a perverted, nihilistic, despairing view of objectives of what life is about, of what society is about, that could only be fulfilled by death and destruction.

"The second is of that same person a few minutes later, on a stretcher or on the ground, being treated by the very people he had sought to kill.

"The third is of these two Houses, where profound disagreement, bitter disagreement, angry disagreement is dealt with not with violence, not with despair, not with cruelty, but with discussion, with reason and with calmness."

For his part Tveit said, "I speak for the whole fellowship of Christian churches around the world when I say that we unconditionally condemn this criminal act of terror, whatever the motivation behind it have been, and we stand in solidarity with you in these difficult and trying circumstances."

He urged the WCC's churches which represent more than 560 million Christians and all people in Great Britain and elsewhere to stay strong in their faith in God and also in their commitment to God's love.

This he said embraces all, and God's reign, holds out hope for a just and inclusive society, one of compassion and reconciliation. "It is sorely needed now," Tveit wrote.

The aspiration of an inclusive society is tested by such events as this attack, he noted.

"Yet It was St. Bede who summoned a vision not only of individual Christians healing the wounds of their neighbours but also of a whole compassionate community - a cradle of redemptive love - leading the way to reconciliation through practicing the values of the reign of God."


Last week, the NSW Government announced that the nation's first science-focused school will open in 2019, offering a raft of new opportunities for the states students.

The Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) school will take students from pre-school to Year 12 and will be part of Sydney Science Park, a development being planned for Luddenham in western Sydney.

The $5bn, 280ha Science Park is a joint project between developers, Celestino, the NSW Government and the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP), which will run the school.

NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian was joined by the states education minister, Rob Stokes and CEDP executive director, Greg Whitby, announcing the school as a facility that would put NSW at the cutting edge of education in Australia.

In an interview with The Educator, Whitby said the school will be a unique learning community in which students will study, among other things, how to code robots, liaise with NASA space stations and discover the latest in IT programming.

This is the first school of its kind in Australia, and will be pre to post [preschool to beyond Year 12], drawing on the collaboration and resources of businesses, research organisations, educational institutions and community groups within the park, he said.

Whitby added that this innovative approach will examine how resources within the school  which will be open beyond normal hours  are used. Students and teachers will also be able to contribute back to the community through real-world learning projects.

Through local and global networks, this Catholic school will make a positive and real contribution to our changing and challenging world. This school will also work with post-school institutions to provide direct enrolment to their courses rather than access via the traditional HSC/ATAR pathway, he said.

And the arts will not be forgotten. They will be embedded into the curriculum and in the everyday life of the school.



Whitby pointed out that the schools leadership framework will be based collaboration and cooperation among school leaders and teachers and educators and will work with the scientific and tech-focussed enterprises in the park.

Our schools have to keep pace with the dramatic changes in modern society, and unfortunately our education systems have struggled to keep pace with these changes. We realise that we need to look ahead with new eyes, he said.

The young people of western Sydney deserve this opportunity  we owe these young people the best.

Whitby said young people need to be taught to develop a broad skill set that includes collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity that can be applied across any discipline and can take advantage of any technology developed now and in the future.

The ability of all students to learn and relearn will be the best skill we can teach our young people in an ever-changing world. Lets focus on the long game of learning for life, not the short term skilling up of students, he said.

We need to address the broader challenge of designing a new curriculum for todays world, one that enables new forms of knowledge and competencies that includes arts, sciences, values and attitudes needed to contribute to growth and innovation.

He added that it doesnt make sense for schools to simply shift their focus towards one specific skill set, such as coding and programming.

The reality is, the technical skills we are teaching students today may well be superseded by the time they enter the workforce, he said.

Whitby explained how the new school will differ from the existing P-TECH program, which is being rolled out across Australia.

At McCarthy Catholic College we have a technology emphasis in the P-TECH program and have two main industry partners as a start PwC and Telstra. In 2017 every Year 9 students will have immersion experiences in both industries in areas such as cybersecurity and Big Data, he said.

The students will be connecting and building relationships with our industry partners, and engage in hands-on, project-based activities, both at school and in the workplace. These experiences will help students to make informed decisions about their future careers and pathways.



Whitby said that with the College and industries working together, the CEDP are able to engage students with the world of work before their senior years and enable students to better understand the relevance of their learning to jobs and post-school pathways.

Another important element of our partnership is our connection to Western Sydney University (WSU) and TAFE. Together these post school pathways are offering early support and transitions for our students from school to further education and post-school qualifications, he said.

Whitby added that the mentor relationship between young people and industry personnel provides continuity of support for students to achieve a post-school qualification.

The mentor relationship ensures that student learning stays on track and also provides opportunities for guidance, to help young people make informed decisions regarding their education, training and employment options, he said.
While the senators were lecturing, Tera Myers was fuming.

Myers, the mother of an adult son with Down syndrome, had traveled to Washington to support Betsy DeVos, then the nominee for U.S. secretary of education, during her confirmation hearing. DeVos, a staunch supporter of school choice programs such as vouchers, faced pointed questioning from skeptical lawmakers at the January hearing. Several of them said that such options leave students with disabilities behind.

Myers, who lives in Mansfield, Ohio, said she felt the questions were deeply unfair. Not only had a voucher program helped Myers provide the best education for her son, she said, but the choice options had pushed school districts in her area to improve their offerings as well.

No one, from my perspective, is saying, I dont like public school,  Myers said. I believe, just from my experience, the competition has created better public schools and better private schools.

But in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Lynn Ambert watched the same hearing live on C-SPAN with far more skepticism. Her 9-year-old son is eligible for a voucher under Floridas program, and she wanted to use it. However, no private school in her area will accept Ayden, who has autism and behavioral disabilities. Even the schools that advertised on their websites that they offered behavioral programs turned her away.

School Choice for Students With Disabilities Special education students are allowed to enroll in any school choice program that is available in their state, but certain voucher programs, educational savings accounts, and tax credit scholarships are open only to students with disabilities. Vouchers AR Succeed Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities FL John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program GA Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program LA School Choice Pilot Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities MS Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia Program MS Nate Rogers Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program NC Special Education Scholarship Grants for Children with Disabilities OH Autism Scholarship Program OH Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program OK Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities UT Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Program WI Special Needs Scholarship Program Educational Savings Accounts AZ Empowerment Scholarship Accounts FL Gardiner Scholarship Program MS Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Program TN Individualized Education Account Program Tax Credit Scholarships AZ Lexies Law SC Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children Individual Tax Credits/Deductions SC Refundable Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children Sources: EdChoice

School vouchers are greatin theory, Ambert said. But implementation is where they lack, because they dont accept everybody.

Federal Backing

School choice options, such as charter schools, vouchers, and educational savings accounts, have powerful support in Washington right now, including in the White House. In a recently released budget blueprint, the Trump administration has called for $1.4 billion in school choice funding; DeVos has also indicated her approval of choice for students with disabilities.

But for such students, some of those options come with trade-offs, including the loss of specific protections under the four-decade-old Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

While politicians debate how the federal government should back school choice, many states have forged their own paths by offering school choice programs aimed specifically at students with disabilities.

Many parents who accept those options say that the powers and protections that are outlined in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act existed for them only in theory. Battling a school district over their childs education was something they didnt have the time, money, or knowledge to take on.

Are you going to spend your time arguing with politics, or are you going to teach your child? said Lynn McMurray, a Prescott, Ariz., mother who is home schooling three of her children using Arizonas Empowerment Scholarship Account, which provides state funds to parents that they can use to pay for tuition, school supplies, online programs, or therapy.

Mixed Feelings

But even parents who are happy with their school choice say they realize that they are benefiting both from having good private school options available to them and financial resources to supplement a voucher, if necessary.

Cynthia Greaux of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., uses Floridas McKay Scholarship to pay part of the tuition costs for her two children, Tyler, 14 and Chloe, 8. Both have dyslexia. McKay is the oldest and largest voucher program in the country specifically for students with disabilities; more than 31,000 children in Florida use that program to pay for public or private school.

Greaux said she knows that not all parents can pay thousands of dollars for expensive neuropsychological assessments, as well as the balance of private school tuition for one child, let alone two.

She noted that her public school district offers a multitude of choicesfrom arts-focused programs to certificates for budding web designers. Why not, Greaux asked, a special program for children with dyslexia?

I dont feel like my kids needs were all that special, she said. But her son, who was doing well in public school through one reading program, was switched to another that didnt work for him.

By putting the right services at the [public] schools, you could solve a lot of problems. ... I find it mind-boggling that they cant staff for such a common learning disability.

The umbrella term school choice encompasses a variety of options, including magnet schools, public charter schools, and other programs that help pay for private school tuition or for services for home-schooling parents.

The view from the White House has been to support them all.

In a February address to a joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to pass a school choice bill aimed at disadvantaged youth.

These families should be free to choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious, or home school that is right for them, Trump said.

The president did not specifically mention students with disabilities. But DeVos, whose seeming unfamiliarity with special education policy prompted stiff opposition from some disability advocates before her confirmation, has said that students in special education need a full spectrum of options.

In far too many cases, the parents of students with disabilities in the public schools are currently not satisfied with the services their children are receiving, DeVos wrote before her confirmation in response to one of more than 100 questions from Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state. Murray is the top Democrat on the Senate education committee.

But too often, the only way that parents can obtain what is best for their child is through legal recourse. This can take months and sometimes years, DeVos wrote. Children dont have years to wait for courts to decide.

Students Rights

As long as students with disabilities choose to remain within the public school system, however, they have an array of protections. For example, a students individualized educational program, or IEP, must be drafted with parent input. Its also harder to suspend long-term or expel a student with a disability than a student without one. Except in certain serious cases, schools must go through a process to determine if a students misbehavior is a manifestation of his or her disability.

For students with disabilities enrolled in private school, those rights do not exist. Nor do students in private school retain an individual right to special education services, though local districts are supposed to provide equitable services to private school students within district boundaries.

The loss of protections, along with a lack of viable private school options, could be reasons why private schools are used less often by students with disabilities who are covered under the IDEA. While about 10 percent of all school-aged children are enrolled in private school, just over 1 percent of students with disabilities covered under that law are placed by their parents in private school. (Charter schools are public schools, but independently run.)

But Myers said that the private school her son used, through the support of Ohios Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program, offered her far more control than the public school system did.

I found due process to be a hindrance to me. I didnt have the money for it, I didnt have the time for it, Myers said. At the public school, I was at their mercy.

In contrast, at her sons private school, she was able to negotiate an appropriate education for her son. And if she didnt like what the school was doing, she had the option not to pay the school and to find another educational option, she said.

Myers eventually took a position at her sons private school, Mansfield Christian School, and worked with several nearby districts that had families considering the Peterson scholarship. Her once-rocky relationship with her local school district has improved dramatically, she said, and she has strong partnerships with others.

Sometimes, it takes that alternative method to fix the system as it is, she said.

For McMurray, in Arizona, her three youngest children have an array of special needs that just werent being met in a private or public school setting, both of which she tried, she said.

For example, her daughter Alicia, 17, has Kabuki syndrome, a rare disorder that causes developmental delays. In public school, their expectations were way too low. They would say, Well, what do you want us to do? I want you to challenge her. You having her sit at a table, that means shes shut up, quiet, and out of your way, but youre a teacherteach her.

In private school, the class sizes were low, but her children were still failing tests.

The public dollars, along with the one-on-one attention she is able to provide them as a home-schooling parent, has helped the children blossom, she said.

I think every parent in the United States of America should have this choice, McMurray said. At the same time, she added, its not for everybody. You have to be disciplined. You cant just say, maybe Ill teach them today but not tomorrow. You have to keep with it.

But for some parents, home schooling is not an optionand neither is private school, even with a voucher.

Ambert, the Port St. Lucie parent, had a difficult experience with her local district. Her sons school was not equipped to deal with his behavioral challenges, restraining him so often that he came home from school with bruises and was eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He is now receiving instruction at home from the public school district.

Ambert is currently trying to decide what the best options are for her son. An expanded voucher program, she said, is not what she needs. What she wants is a public school option that can properly educate children like her son, who have autism but can learn at grade level.

Even if she could find a private school, whos not to say theyre not going to kick him out within two weeks? ... I just want somewhere that I know that he cant be asked to leave, Ambert said.

Private School Challenges

For other parents, private school may not offer the right fit.

Brenda Ramirez, a Miami parent, enrolled her 15-year-old son Ryan in a local Roman Catholic school using the McKay voucher program. He has dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The school says that it has a program for students with special learning needs, but the reality has been different, Ramirez said: large classes, few accommodations, and strict behavioral rules that leave her worried that her son will be asked to leave for minor infractions.

If McKay was offering to pay for part of a childs tuition, I thought there would be some kind of stipulation that the school would have to have some kind of [exceptional-student education] department, Ramirez said. The state, she said, should say, OK school, if youre going to accept the McKay money, you have to have the ability to teach these kids.

A return to the public system is possible, Ramirez said, but shes worried about her son having to pass standardized tests in order to earn a diploma.

These tests are not road bumps. They are like mountains kids have to climb, she said.

From a policy perspective, parents said theyd like to see a choice that may be difficult to manage in todays political environment: improve public schools and also provide school choice for those who need it.

Maria Albrecht and her family picked up and moved more than 60 miles from Pawleys Island, S.C., to Mount Pleasant, S.C., to enroll their daughter in a private school, which they pay for through support from that states Exceptional Needs Scholarship.

In a familiar refrain, Albrecht said that the local public schools didnt seem to offer the support she believed her child needed. Her daughter, now in 2nd grade, did not have to enroll in public school to be eligible for the scholarship.

But Albrechts three older children, all boys, went through the public school system.

I am pro-public. I am for helping the public system, said Albrecht, who worries that vouchers are a financial drain on school districts. Theres so many families out there that do not have the capability or the money to do what we have with our youngest child, she said.

When it comes to vouchers and school choice, Albrecht said, Im not for, Im not against, Im just ... What is the answer? I have no idea.
An alleged rape in a bathroom stall at a suburban Maryland high school has become the white-hot center of the national debate on immigration, raising questions about public schools legal obligations to educate students regardless of immigration status and about blind spots in school safety.

The two suspects in the case, both undocumented immigrant male students from Central America, came to the United States on their own within the last year to join relatives already living in the country. They enrolled at Rockville High School in Rockville, Md., soon after.

Now they sit behind bars, charged with forcing a 14-year-old female student into a boys bathroom and repeatedly assaulting her.

The case and its searing details captured the attention of the White House. It has garnered national headlines, sparked fear among parents, and renewed concerns among anti-immigration advocates about why the United States has admitted tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, many of whom are fleeing violence and unrest in their home countries.

School officials in Montgomery County, Md.a Washington suburb and home to one of the nations 20 largest school systemshave expressed profound sorrow and apologies for the alleged rape, pledging more vigilant security and assuring parents that their childrens schools are safe.

But theyve been forced to spend as much time explaining their legal duty to enroll students regardless of their immigration status and urging the public not to judge an entire immigrant community based on one disturbing incident. Hispanic students make up 30 percent of the enrollment in the 159,000-student district.

The teenagers accused in the sexual assault, 18-year-old Henry Sanchez Milian and 17-year-old Jose Montano, were enrolled in a program designed for newly arrived students who do not speak English.

Some individuals are using this horrific event to cast a negative light over an entire population, said Diego Uriburu, the executive director of Identity Inc. , which works with Hispanic youth and families in Montgomery County. The population feels more scared now. It is very difficult for these young people and for Latinos, in general, even for those born in the United States.

A former schools police chief in Georgia, Michael Dorn, said the divisive politics of immigration should not subsume the horrific nature of the alleged crime and the bigger issue of sexual assault in K-12 schools, which he argues receives too little attention.

Unfortunately, the problems of sexual assault in K-12 schools is not at the forefront of our national discussion on school safety ...and its a pretty significant issue, said Dorn, who runs the Atlanta-based Safe Havens International Inc., a nonprofit school-safety organization. We dont really have an opinion on whether the status of students is legal or illegal. Our focus is How did the event occur?

Alleged Assault

The alleged Rockville assault happened in a restroom thats in a sort of secluded area of the school, early in the morning on a regular school day, Montgomery County police Capt. James Humphries told parents during a public forum at the high school earlier this week . The two male students allegedly dragged the victim into a bathroom and took turns assaulting her while she cried out in pain, begging them to stop.

Along with unlocked classrooms and unmonitored stairwells, restroom stalls are often trouble spots for schoolsso much so that some schools now use security devices posted outside that can detect unusual activity, Dorn said.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Education reported that its office for civil rights had Title IX sexual violence investigations pending in nearly 100 school districts. But statistics that detail how frequently sexual assaults occur in K-12 schools are hard to come by, though their reported incidence is relatively rare, according to federal data.

In 2013, 3 percent of students ages 1218 reported being victimized at school during the previous six months, according to the most recent edition of a federal report known as Indicators of School Crime and Safety . Two percent of students reported theft, 1 percent reported violent victimization, and less than one-half of 1 percent reported serious violent victimization, a category that includes rape and sexual assault.

A 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 10 percent of high school girls say they have been forced to have sex. A 2009 Justice Department survey found that 18.7 percent of 14- to 17-year-old girls have experienced an attempted or completed sexual assault. But neither of the reports reveals how often the assaults or coerced sex happen on school campuses.

We only really know the half of it, because all our information, all of the data that we have is based on self-reporting, and that obviously only tells us so much, said Alexandra Brodsky, a fellow with the Washington-based National Womens Law Center .

Brodsky argues that the Trump administrationwhich has taken an aggressive stance on immigrants who are living illegally in the Unites Stateswants to use the Rockville High incident to broadly indict immigrants, as part of a coordinated effort to manipulate public fears and rally support for ramped-up enforcement.

This isnt a new thing, she said. We know that violence against women has been used as a justification for attacks on undocumented people and on black people for over a century.

Schools Legal Duty

A 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Plyler v. Doe, prohibits public schools from asking for the immigration status of any child and his or her parents as part of the enrollment process. That means public schools legally cannot deny access to public education, whether a student or parent is residing here legally or not.

Montgomery County police said neither suspect in the rape case had a prior criminal history in the United States, or known gang ties. Both remain jailed without bond.

As President Donald Trump has sought to drum up popular support for his efforts to ramp-up immigration enforcement, he has highlighted some of the most sensational crimes committed by immigrants. His administration and anti-immigration activists have seized on the Rockville High incident, pointing to it as the latest hard proof that undocumented immigrants pose a serious threat to safety and that stricter enforcement is necessary.

School should be a safe place for children, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said earlier this week when asked about the case. Part of the reason that the president has made illegal immigration and crackdown such a big deal is because of tragedies like this. Immigration [takes] its toll on our people if its not done legally.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos weighed in as well, ahead of a short visit to another Montgomery County school, though she made no mention of the immigration status of the suspects or the legal duty of schools to enroll all students.

As a mother of two daughters and grandmother of four young girls, my heart aches for the young woman and her family at the center of these terrible circumstances, she said in the statement. We all have a common responsibility to ensure every student has access to a safe and nurturing learning environment.

Two studies released this month, one from the Sentencing Project , which advocates for changes to sentencing policies, and the other from the libertarian think tank Cato Institute, confirmed past reports that immigrants, including undocumented residents, commit crimes at lower rates than do native-born Americans. The reports dont offer breakdowns of crimes rates of school-age children.

The Trump administration now publishes a weekly list of crimes committed by immigrants through its recently created office of VOICE, Victims of Immigration Crime Enforcement Office.

School districts around the country have been dealing with the fallout from the radical change in immigration policy from the Obama administration to the Trump White House.

Any time that we react politically through superlatives or through generalizations, at the very least, we hurt people, said Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of the Miami-Dade school district in Florida, and a former undocumented immigrant who came to the United States from Portugal.

We should actually be incensed and take action against anyone who does wrong, but [to] generalize and put everyone under the same umbrella just on a basis of country of origin, immigration status... it is disturbing that we would elevate what stands as exceptions as a national narrative that paints it as the rule.

Existing Tensions

President Trump signed an executive order in January halting a government program that allows Central American children to seek refugee status in the United States. The order also allows federal agents to immediately turn away asylum seekers caught trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. (Since the end of 2013, more than 150,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America have entered the United States, according to data from the federal immigration authorities.)

With that policy in place, more deportations and other actions taken by the Trump administration, schools should see a decrease in the number of undocumented students arriving at their doorsteps, said Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies , which advocates for lower immigration levels.

Schools are going to be dealing with the fallout of Obamas Central American policy for quite a while, but its probably not going to get much bigger, Krikorian said. Its going to be gang issues, and then theyre going to have to just keep dealing with the so-called unaccompanied minors that have already been dumped on them.

Educators argue that language used to stoke fear over immigrant students only inflames existing tensions. Rockville High and its immigrant students have been the targets of racist and xenophobic phone and email threats in the days since the alleged assault occurred, including a caller who threatened to come shoot all of the illegals in the school, according to Derek Turner, the spokesman for Montgomery Countys school district.

Theres these language barriers. Theres these stereotypes of these people as criminals, that they are bringing crime, said Ernesto Castenada-Tinoco , an assistant sociology professor at American University. People assume they are here taking advantage of opportunities, that they are here and that means that the other kids are going to get less of something.

In 2000, the federal government rejected a request by the Anaheim Union High School District in Southern California for help in billing foreign countries for the cost of educating undocumented immigrant children. The districts school board at the time had asked the federal government to reimburse the school district for the cost of educating the children and negotiate with the countries to recover the funds.

The districts approach to educating immigrant students has changed markedly in the time since, Superintendent Michael Matsuda said. The school system is among dozens across the country that have adopted so-called safe zone policies, reaffirming their commitment to serve students regardless of their immigration status.

Matsudas parents were Japanese-Americans who were forced into internment camps in World War II. His mother was a freshman at Anaheim High, a school in the district he now oversees, when the federal government ordered her and her family to relocate to a camp in Arizona.

The sort of scapegoating that went against an entire ethnic group, theres some of that going on right now, Matsuda said. We really need to reflect on the role of public schools in a democracy, in very tumultuous times.
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.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomes visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong



The two Government leaders held talks on March 23rd immediately after a welcoming ceremony in Hanoi for the Singaporean Prime Minister.

During the talks, the two sides concurred to develop trustful political ties through the regular exchange of high-level delegations and people-to-people contacts, which they described as an important foundation for partnership in other fields.

PM Lee pledged that Singapore will continue assisting Vietnam in personnel training, including Party officials, via technical collaboration under the Singapore Cooperation Program.

The two sides noted that the strong growth of bilateral economic, trade and investment is a firm pillar for the strategic partnership of the two countries, highlighting the need to create a favourable business environment and promote connectivity among businesses.

PM Lee promised to assist Vietnamese firms in their bid to join the global market and supply chains, while considering the setting up of high technology industrial parks. Singapore will also work as a bridge to connect Vietnam with other countries in Southeast Asia, he said.

He shared his Vietnamese counterparts view on the potential of cooperation between the two sides in finance and transport, affirming that his country will continue to help Vietnam improve capacity in financial service by encouraging Singaporean firms to engage stronger in the field in Vietnam.

Both sides agreed that along with optimising the framework agreement on connectivity between the two economies, the two countries should seek new and creative directions for cooperation to keep pace with the ongoing technology revolution.

Singapore will help Vietnam develop smart cities, facilitate startup firms, especially in science-technology, capital access and management capacity, and encourage linkages with some major cities of Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh city and Da Nang.

The two PMs shared common perspectives on the value of peace, stability, security, safety and prosperous development in the region, promising to further bolster the sound security-defence between the two countries via delegation exchanges, consultation mechanisms and bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities.

They expressed concern about rising terrorism and piracy problems in the region, concurring to increase the sharing of information and experience in anti-terrorism, cyber security, maritime security and combating trans-national crimes.

The Singaporean PM declared that his country is willing to help Vietnam in improving capacity for law enforcement forces as well as crime prevention and control.

The two leaders discussed measures to further bilateral partnership in other fields such as environment, tourism, science-technology, information-communications, and justice.

They reach high consensus on the need to step up negotiations for a labor cooperation deal to create a legal framework in the field.

PM Lee stated that Singapore will provide more scholarships for Vietnamese young people in the framework of bilateral and ASEAN cooperation, noting that mutual understanding between the two peoples is a firm foundation for close and strong ties.

The two sides also shared views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. They committed to accelerate trade liberalization and participate in regional initiatives such as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

They said the two sides will continue working closely together and with other countries in seeking solutions for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

PM Lee pledged to support Vietnam in hosting the APEC Year 2017.

The two government leaders agreed to maintain bilateral consultations and cooperation with other ASEAN countries to build an ASEAN of solidarity and unity, dynamism and innovation, promoting the associations central role in coping with strategic regional issues, especially East Sea matters.

Both Vietnam and Singapore highlighted the significance of peace, stability and maritime and aviation security and safety in the East Sea, as well as the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, with respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without using or threatening to use force.

They also affirmed the importance of the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea as well as the early building of a quality Code of Conduct framework and the signing of the deal soon.

PM Phuc appreciated the role of Singapore as coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, stating that Vietnam will continue to affiliate with Singapore in boosting the ties.

Following the talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing ceremony of several cooperation documents, including the hand-over of approval letter of State Bank of Vietnam to Singapores United Overseas Bank on the setting up of a branch in Vietnam, and the signing of MoUs between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Sembcorp Group, between Da Nang and Sembcorp joint venture in developing a software park in Da Nang, and another on the building of a Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Quang Tri, among others.

Earlier the same day, PM Lee paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and laid a wreath at the Monument for Heroic Martyrs in Hanoi.

He is scheduled to pay a courtesy call to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and meet President Tran Dai Quang and NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

PM Lee and his spouse will also attend a banquet hosted by PM Phuc and his wife in the evening of March 23rd./.
Two lambs killed in dog attack at Langness



Farmer Kirree Kermode shared images of the lambs on Facebook.

Two lambs have been killed in a dog attack in the south of the Island.

The farmer shared images of the injuries suffered by her lambs on Facebook, revealing one suffered a skull puncture, while the other had crushed ribs and a spinal injury.

Kirree Kermode described the incident as heartbreaking, as the lambs were the first to be born at Langness in a number of years.

One of the ewes on the land was also found to have suffered a leg injury, having seemingly tried to defend her lamb.

The Manx National Farmers Union and Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture have been appealing for dog owners to control their animals around livestock during lambing season.
Chief Minister extends condolences to British PM



Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK

The Chief Minister has written to the British Prime Minister to express his condolences following the attack at Westminster earlier this week.

Howard Quayle said he is deeply shocked and extremely saddened by the incident, which resulted in the death of five people, with several others critically injured.

Mr Quayle also offered Theresa May the Isle of Man's full support and deepest condolences.

He added that the Island's thoughts are with the victims, their families and all those affected by the attack.
Eastern Airways to operate Glasgow route

Eastern Airways will operate a third Isle of Man route, starting flights between Ronaldsway and Glasgow from May.

The airline returned to the Island earlier this month following the collapse of CityWing, taking over the Belfast and Newcastle services.

The operator's flights will start from May 2nd and run from Monday to Friday using a 29-seat Jetstream 41 aircraft.

The Isle of Man Airport says the route is vital for TT fans and the Celtic Media Festival.
President Tran Dai Quang shakes hands with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. (Source: VNA)



President Quang said Singapore has continually been a leading economic, trade and investment partner of Vietnam, elaborating that the two countries Connectivity Framework Agreement has been implemented effectively while Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) are being expanded to the northern and central regions of Vietnam.

The solid political relationship has helped step up economic ties as well as cooperation in defence, security, science-technology, education-training, education and people-to-people exchange.

Vietnam is prioritising the production of high-quality agricultural products, he said, asking Singapore to facilitate its products to access the Singaporean market and, through Singapore, to make inroads into other countries.

He also hoped that the Singaporean Government will encourage the countrys businesses to invest in and expand hi-tech and food industry parks in Thanh Hoa province and the software park in Da Nang city while building another VSIP in Quang Tri province.

PM Lee, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, noted with satisfaction the growing strategic partnership between the two countries, adding that sound political relations have provided a driving force for economic, trade and investment links.

Singapore wants to work with Vietnam to build hi-tech and software parks. It also hopes to promote cooperation in cyber security, he said.

Voicing his delight at Singapores effective investments in Vietnam, he stressed his countrys ministries and sectors are working hard to bolster connections with Vietnam such as in agriculture. His country is actively cooperating with Vietnamese suppliers to ensure Vietnams agricultural products will be qualified for entering this market.

At the meeting, the two leaders shared the view on the need for a region of peace, stability, security, safety and development. They also voiced concerns about increasing terrorism and piracy in the region.

PM Lee highlighted the countries good coordination in ASEAN and other multilateral mechanisms, as well as in the East Sea issue, free trade promotion, and new-generation free trade agreements like TPP and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

President Quang asked both sides strengthen collaboration in security-defence and anti-terrorism and crime information and experience sharing. He also asked Singapore to continue bringing into play its role as the coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, and to push for the finalisation and effective enforcement of a quality code of conducts (COC) of parties in the East Sea.

He echoed the Singaporean PMs viewpoint on challenges facing ASEAN, adding that the bloc should intensify solidarity, cooperation and consensus to jointly resolve relevant challenges. He highly valued Singapores role in the region and the world and hoped that the two countries will boost coordination and consultation at regional and global events.

The Vietnamese leader took this opportunity to invite PM Lee to attend the 25th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting slated for this November in Da Nang city. PM Lee thanked and expressed the readiness to participate in the event./.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's secret visit to the Natural History Museum in London recently only intensified speculations they will get engaged soon. The museum visit was not just an ordinary tour but more like a romantic date since it was a private after-dark visit with all the lit-up dinosaurs as a backdrop. Harry and Markle were together most of the time prior to their private tour of the museum.

Harry reportedly arranged the private museum tour since Markle liked to see the Natural History Museum. The couple managed to slip into the museum after closing hours on Sunday.

Harry and Markle previously attended Tom Inskip's wedding in Jamaica. The after-wedding party went on until the wee hours, but the couple left early to enjoy the night in private. Inskip is one of the closest friends of Harry.

Reports show that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spent most of the first two months of the year together, according to The Daily Beast. Markle has stayed at Harry's Nottingham Cottage at the Kensington Palace grounds for long periods. The couple has been seen in public more often since they started dating last July.

Harry has been romantically linked to various women in the past, but his relationship with Markle is the most visible one. The Toronto-based actress has engaged in various United Nations humanitarian activities especially when it comes to advocating women's participation in leadership and political participation. Markle is known as Rachel Zane in the "Suits" television series and as agent Amy Jessup in the "Fringe" science fiction thriller.

Harry has introduced Markle to his family including Prince William and his wife Kate, and even Prince Charles. Harry and Markle have been very vocal about their relationship, and have exerted little effort to hide their love affair. Harry, however, sought privacy from the media.

Markle will fly to Canada at the end of the month to film "Suits", according to The Sun. Markle will have to decide soon if she wants to make London her home base now that her relationship with Harry looks serious. The "Suits" actress loves to cook and concocts new dishes for Prince Harry.
"Girl Meets World" is expected to keep going, and the team is working on Season 4. In January, it was announced that the show is going to continue onward. This unexpected announcement caused shock to all their fans who couldn't swallow up the news and constantly kept on insisting the concerned team to revive the show back. And now we can see some positive green lights about the show though it would be in a new network unlike previous one.

"Girl Meets World" is an American coming of an age television sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly which was premiered on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series is actually a sequel to Boy meets World which was aired on ABC from 1993 to 2000. As mentioned in E! News, the final episode of Season 3 was aired on January 20 which features the largest reunion of 'Boy Meets World' cast members in GMW history.

All the cast members including both the actresses who played Riley's Aunt Morgan on the original ABC sitcom appeared in the final episode which was aired with a title "Girl Meets Goodbye." But then fans were not willing to accept the end of the series. The creator and his teams were approached directly and indirectly through various means pleading them to keep the show moving on by making required acceptable changes. On the other side, amid the talks for "Girl Meets World" Season 4, the cast still maintains their friendships off the screen. They are often seen spending time together and social media happens to be the biggest proofs.

Michael Jobs has admitted that he will be doing his best to keep the show alive on another network or in any streaming service. He informed TV Line that there are talks underway but then they are at very beginning stages. He again emphasized that they are just merely at a very beginning stage. He offers the credit to the audiences because of their reaction to the cancellation of "Girl Meets World" has helped to attract another network to bring this series back to the screen.

His statements stated that some or the other way the show will revive back though not on the same network who canceled it. He also mentioned that the one who sustains longest in show business is them who do things for the audience rather than doing it for them and his work was a perfect example for this. He also added that networks wanted to do something so that they could raise their audience but then the fact is that the audience has been loyal to us. The public demand has given a break through to the canceled show by raising it again in new form as "Girl Meets World" Season 4.
The first striking feature of the seven-phased Uttar Pradesh (UP) polls was the ambiguity or thesilence maintained by the Hindu voters, especially those from the upper castes who have been vocal in articulating their preferences in previous elections.

Whenever we met the Brahmins,Rajputs and Banias singly or in small groups, we found them curiously reticent, replying in generic terms about the principal parties and contestants in their constituencies. In the past their answers would be contextualised in a broader perspective, embellished with historical nuggets, statistical data (subject to cross-verification) and insightful anecdotes.
Photo for illustration. (Source: dantri.com.vn)

In February alone, the import turnover of the commodity reached USD155.3 million, a 85.3% rise from the previous month.

During the period, Thailand surpassed China to become the main market for Vietnam's import of the commodity, with a turnover of USD120 million, up 3.1% year on year or accounting for 54.5% of the total.

For China, the market saw a year-on-year decrease of 2.49% in shipping the commodity to Vietnam, valued at USD42.5 million, followed by Malaysia at USD32.9 million (down 8.62%).

Import turnover from Italy, while posting only USD1.9 million, witnessed sharp growth of 167.7%./.
Ever since the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was set up in 2009 by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to implement the Unique Identification (UID)/ Aadhaar Number project for creating a database of biometric and demographic information, it has been dogged by controversy. It has also been the subject of a number of petitions in the Supreme Court. In 2016, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government introduced the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill in the Lok Sabha as a money bill abandoning the vociferous objection to the project that it had shown while in the opposition benches. It was passed on 11 March 2016 by the Lok Sabha and later certain provisions of the Act came into force from 12 July and September 2016The act aimed at providing efficient, transparent, and targeted delivery of subsidies, benefits and services, the expenditure for which is incurred from the Consolidated Fund of India, to individuals residing in India through assigning of unique identity numbers to such individuals". According to media reports the 12-digit Aadhaar numbers have already been issued to 1.08 crore people in the country.

Linking of biometric Aadhaar to all public services is designed to cause civil death. Civil death is the loss of all or almost all civil rights by a person caused by the government of a country. It is clear that denial of rights in the absence of Aadhaar is an act of coercion that would lead to civil death. Despite promotion and normalisation of such cruelty most opposition political parties are avoiding a clear political position demanding the scrapping of the biometric identification exercise.

While looking at the experiences of other countries where technology and human rights have come into conflict, this article also lists the violations of Court rulings that have marked the governments actions in regard to Aadhaar.

Politics Will Deal With You

Justice Klara Sooronkulova, a judge at the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan was dismissed by Parliament of the central Asian state through an engineered majority. She had been in the process of drafting a document declaring the countrys law on biometric registration unconstitutional when she was sacked on 18 June 2015 for challenging the governments plan to collect fingerprints and other biometric data from citizens. Just before her dismissal she had been taken off a case related to biometric identification which she had been handling (Eurasianet.org 2015).

Sooronkulova said that the judges who voted against her in the Judicial Council were subject to undue influence from the office of President Almazbek Atambaev to ensure that she did not declare the biometric identification law unconstitutional. She said, everyone has to decide for himself whether he wants to trust the state or not. If you do not deal with politics, politics will deal with you. Endorsing her position, Temirbek Asanbekov, a former presidential candidate of Kyrgyzstan said

By introducing biometric registration as a condition for participating in the election, the state creates artificial barriers. To elect and be elected is a constitutional right and not an obligation. We should bear in mind the general state of information security in the country. Citizens data could become accessible by various extortionists or even international terrorists. Who will guarantee that evil-minded people will not gain access to this database? (Eurasianet.org 2015)

On 23 July 1998 the Supreme Court of Philippines invalidated the order of President Fidel V Ramos of 12 December 1996 adopting the National Computerised Identification Reference System for citizens and foreigners in the Philippines. "Adoption of a National Computerised Identification Reference System (has been) declared null and void for being unconstitutional concluded the final decision by a 12-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court. The Court pronounced this verdict after observing that given the record-keeping power of the computer only the indifferent fail to perceive the danger that law can give to the government the power to compile a devastating dossier against unsuspecting citizens. The Court also recollected the warning of Harry Kalven, Jr, an American jurist, who said, "the disturbing result could be that everyone will live burdened by an unerasable record of his past and his limitations. In a way, the threat is that because of its record-keeping, the society will have lost its benign capacity to forget." (The Lawphil Project 1998)

On 27 February 2008 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found that the blanket and indiscriminate nature of the power of retention of the fingerprints, cellular samples, and DNA profiles of persons suspected but not convicted of offenses, failed to strike a fair balance between competing public and private interests and ruled that the government had overstepped any acceptable margin of appreciation. The ruling on 4 December 2008 was the unanimous decision of 17 judges and cannot be appealed against. (European Court Of Human Rights 2008)

Court Rulings

In India, however, a plethora of interim and final rulings notwithstanding the Supreme Court continues to be seized with the case of the 12-digit biometric Unique Identification (UID)/Aadhaar number since 30 November 2012.

In Justice K S Puttaswamy v Union of India (WP(C) No.494/2012) a bench of then Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J Chelameswar issued notices after the National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010 was trashed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance in December, 2011. The Bill had been introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 3 December, 2010. After its introduction, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha in consultation with the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha had referred the Bill to the Standing Committee on Finance, which presented the report to the Lok Sabha and laid it in the Rajya Sabha on 13 December 2011.

On 23 September 2013 in the matter of biometric data based unique identification of Indian residents a bench of Justices B S Chauhan and S A Bobde issued an interim order stating that no person should suffer for not getting the Adhaar card in spite of the fact that some authority had issued a circular making it mandatory. The same bench reiterated on 26 November 2013 that "Interim order to continue, in the meantime." In Unique Identification Authority of India of India v Central Bureau of Investigation, the bench of Justices B S Chauhan and J Chelameswar ordered on 24 March that

In the meanwhile, the present petitioner is restrained from transferring any biometric information of any person who has been allotted the Aadhaar number to any other agency without his consent in writing. More so, no person shall be deprived of any service for want of Aadhaar number in case he/she is otherwise eligible/entitled. All the authorities are directed to modify their forms/circulars/likes so as to not compulsorily require the Aadhaar number in order to meet the requirement of the interim order passed by this Court forthwith.

This categorical order made it crystal clear that biometric UID/Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory in any situation. This order was repeated on 16 March 2015 by the bench of Justices J Chelameswar, S A Bobde and C Nagappan saying,

In the meanwhile, it is brought to our notice that in certain quarters, Aadhar identification is being insisted upon by the various authorities, we do not propose to go into the specific instances. Since Union of India is represented by learned Solicitor General and all the States are represented through their respective counsel, we expect that both the Union of India and States and all their functionaries should adhere to the Order passed by this Court on 23rd September, 2013.

After hearing the matter at length, the same bench observed on 11 August 2015:

In this batch of matters, a scheme propounded by the Government of India popularly known as Aadhaar Card Scheme is under attack on various counts. For the purpose of this order, it is not necessary for us to go into the details of the nature of the scheme and the various counts on which the scheme is attacked. Suffice it to say that under the said scheme the Government of India is collecting and compiling both the demographic and biometric data of the residents of this country to be used for various purposes, the details of which are not relevant at present.

It specifically ordered,

The Union of India shall give wide publicity in the electronic and print media including radio and television networks that it is not mandatory for a citizen to obtain an Aadhaar card; the production of an Aadhaar card will not be condition for obtaining any benefits otherwise due to a citizen.

Bench of Appropriate Strength

Disregarding the opposition of senior counsels including by a former solicitor general and pursuant to the submission of the attorney general that the legal position regarding the existence of the fundamental right to privacy is doubtful, this bench inferred that it is better that it be examined and authoritatively decided by a bench of appropriate strength. It directed the Registry to place these matters before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders.

A constitution bench of appropriate strength consisting of then Chief Justice H L Dattu, Justices M Y Eqbal, C Nagappan, Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy ordered,

We impress upon the Union of India that it shall strictly follow all the earlier orders passed by this Court commencing from 23.09.2013. We will also make it clear that the Aadhaar card Scheme is purely voluntary and it cannot be made mandatory till the matter is finally decided by this Court one way or the other.

The order of the Chief Justice headed constitution bench of appropriate strength further said, "Since there is some urgency in the matter, we request the learned Chief Justice of India to constitute a Bench for final hearing of these matters at the earliest" on 15 October 2015.

Even as a Constitution Bench of appropriate strength remains to be constituted even after one year and three months despite the order of the Chief Justice headed constitution bench of five judges comprising appropriate strength since 15 October 2015 the Supreme Courts Registry has ignored it. In the mean time nearly 639 organisations denied fundamental rights to Indians in violation of the Supreme Courts constitution bench order on the subject of 12-digit biometric Unique Identification (UID)/Aadhaar number (explained a little later on in this article).This has been revealed by a government document titled Aadhaar: Dynamics of Digital Identity. On 14 September 2016, the Supreme Courts bench of Justices V Gopala Gowda and Adarsh Kumar Goel reiterated the earlier order of the constitution bench after the passage of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 underlining the fact that last written order of the Supreme Court is the law of the land.

This case of the All India Muslim Minority Students Council was referred to this bench by the bench of Justices T S Thakur, A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud on 9 September 2016.

It must also be noted that responding to the direction issued to the Union of India and the union territory of Chandigarh by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the matter of the civil writ petition 569 of 2013 filed against the Union of India and others, the Executive Order for making the Unique Identification (UID)/Aadhaar mandatory has been withdrawn. The bench of Justices A K Sikri and Rakesh Kumar Jain had noted on 19 February 2013 that the petition raises a pure question of law. Since the Executive Order was withdrawn, the case too was disposed of on 2 March 2013 with a two-page order.

The Court had observed, In this writ petition filed as PIL, the petitioner has challenged the vires of notification issued by Union of India for making it compulsory to have UID Cards." Several high courts have taken similar positions. Drawing on the Supreme Courts orders, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court bench of Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey stayed a government order regarding the installation of Aadhaar Enabled Biometric System (AEBAS) in government departments to ensure the attendance of employees in their respective departments. This makes the use of the AEBAS by 639 organisations and other agencies questionable because its implementation amounts to denial of fundamental rights.

A Legitimate Fear

Disregarding such categorical directions and continuing its assault on fundamental rights, the Union Ministry of Finance under Arun Jaitley has communicated a common strategy to be adopted by banks to achieve the targets under Aadhaar Seeding in mission mode (letter F No 21(23)/2014-FI (MISSION) of 13 July 2016). It fixes the timelines for achieving 100% Aadhaar seeding of all the accounts and common strategies to be adopted by all the banks have also been communicated. The list of notifications and circulars issued by the UIDAI indicate that there were no steps taken to strictly follow all the earlier orders passed by the Court.

The application programming interfaces (API) Aadhaar authentication usage and the UIDAI press release of 29 November 2016 indicates that they have directed regional centres to enrol joint entrance examination (JEE) aspirants on priority. This is discriminatory and vindicates the apprehensions expressed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its submission before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance that had examined and trashed the Aadhaar Bill 2010.

Referring to the arrival of the era of the Adhaar number and the incident of surveillance, in an article titled My Call Detail Records and A Citizens Right to Privacy published in Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu and English, Jaitley as the then leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha had written, This incident throws up another legitimate fear. Notably, his government through the attorney general successfully managed to plant doubts in the mind of the Justice Chelameswar headed bench regarding the right to privacy being a fundamental right despite pre-existing judicial pronouncements in this respect.

Blatant Disobedience of Court Order

The Aadhaar authentication description ignores modification of its authentication framework and consequently the forms/circulars/API so as to not compulsorily require the Aadhaar number. The perusal of UIDAI related events on its website indicates that it is running sensitisation workshops on Aadhaar Seeding and Authentication Services every fortnight. A circular also indicates that the UIDAI has not restricted its activities to those permitted by the Court. The UIDAI ignores the requirement to give wide publicity in the electronic and print media including radio and television networks that it is not mandatory for a citizen to obtain an UID/Aadhaar Number. The Aadhaar authentication description has ignored modification of its authentication processes and APIs so that Aadhaar identification cannot be insisted upon by the various authorities. The UIDAI website shows UIDAI has undertaken multiple activities to ensure Aadhaar seeding in facilitated in various scheme databases.

The introduction to Aadhaar Authentication from its authentication API shows that it ignores any modification of its authentication API or know your customer (KYC) frameworks so that the production of an UID/Aadhaar number will not be a condition for obtaining any benefits otherwise due to a citizen. The operation model overview for the Aadhaar authentication continues to ignore altering its authentication and KYC services to ensure that the Aadhaar card scheme remains purely voluntary and cannot be made mandatory.

The API Aadhaar authentication usage form has not been modified to restrict the access of the authentication and KYC services. A copy of the list of live authenticated user agencies (AUA), authentication service agencies (ASA), e-KYC user agencies (KUA) indicates that hundreds of private parties have been allowed by the UIDAI to access the Aadhaar number and associated data thus not restricting the use of the Aadhaar number. Its website shows that the UID/Aadhaar number is being promoted as a financial address and it also promotes Aadhaar authentication for financial transactions to encourage electronic payments.

A press note titled 10 crore Aadhaars linked to Bank Accounts issued by the UIDAI indicates that they have not restricted the use of the UID/Aadhaar number. One spreadsheet on the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)s website highlights that the UIDAI has been providing authentication and KYC services to this non government company for various banking services.

It is instructive to observe that the Election Commission of India is the only agency that has complied with the Supreme Courts orders in letter and spirit. The Commission revised its order dated 27 February 2015 on 13 August 2015. Its revised order reads:

All further activities relating to collection/feeding/seeding of Aadhaar Number being undertaken currently under NERPAP shall be suspended with immediate effect till further directions from the Commission. In other words, henceforth no more collection of Aadhaar Numbers from electors or feeding/seeding of collected Aadhaar data shall be done by any election authority or officials connected with the NERPAP. (National Electoral Rolls Purication & Authentication Programme) .

This revised order of the Election Commission is a model order. It demonstrates how to comply with the Courts order in letter and spirit. All the 639 organisations and other public and private agencies who are implementing UID/Aadhaar related schemes and systems are under a legal obligation to issue similar orders. It is unbecoming of a government to be proven repeatedly wrong in the highest court of law. It signals illegitimate advances of the state which does not wish to be limited by the Constitution.

It must be noted that whenever circulars and letters of central and state government agencies have been challenged and contested they have consistently withdrawn their circulars and letters. After its circular making UID/Aadhaar number mandatory was challenged, University Grants Commission (UGC), Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has clarified that any student who have applied or wishing to apply for scholarship/fellowship shall not be denied benefit thereof due to non availability of Aadhaar No./Card. The revised public notice was issued on 14 September 2016.

Is It A Big Deal?

When the issue of admitted urgency was mentioned before the Supreme Courts three-judge bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar, Justices N V Ramana and D Y Chandrachud on 5 January 2017, instead of acting as per the written request made to the Chief Justice by the Chief Justice headed constitution bench of appropriate strength this bench of inappropriate strength refused to expedite the hearing of UID/Aadhaar cases challenging the denial of fundamental rights by the UIDAI and related schemes. The Chief Justice headed bench orally observed, We are not inclined to give immediate hearing as there are limited resources but biometric data collection by private agencies is not a great idea.

This bench of inappropriate strength also posed a seemingly innocent question: Surveillance to what. Is it a big deal? Given the fact that none of the three judges on the bench were ever part of the earlier benches that heard the biometric identification based UID/Aadhaar case, the observation are manifestly and frighteningly inconsistent because simple judicial reasoning makes it vividly clear that surveillance based on biometric data collection by private agencies is admittedly not a great idea.

The operation model overview for the Aadhaar authentication indicates that there is no provision to verify the written consent of any person to share biometric information. "Before implementing any biometric application, the Army must undertake a thorough legal analysis of exactly what it wants to do and where it wants to do it" concluded John D Woodward, Jr et al in "Legal Assessment: Legal concerns raised by the U.S. Armys Use of Biometrics" published by RAND Corporation. This implies that besides application in defence, the civilian and defence application of biometric profiling in India also merits legal attention. As a consequence, biometric profiling for UID/aadhaar is indeed a big deal.

Meanwhile, on 6 April 2016 Jairam Ramesh, a former member of the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI related matters moved the Supreme Court challenging the decision to treat the Aadhaar bill as a money bill, which was passed during the budget session in March 2016. It was passed by overruling amendments moved in the Rajya Sabha against taking the money bill route to pass the Aadhaar bill. It is germane to note that the revised National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2013 was withdrawn from the Rajya Sabha on 3 March 2016. On the same day The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 was introduced as a Money Bill by Jaitley in Lok Sabha.

When the issue of violation of fundamental right to privacy was raised in the Lok Sabha, he said, I am not concerned with the issue of privacy which is pending before the Supreme Court and whether it is a fundamental right or not, I am assuming let it be a fundamental right. He contended, Now under article 21, a person is entitled to his right of life and liberty which can be taken away by a procedure established by law. That is the Constitution. So privacy in an exceptional case by a fair, just and reasonable procedure can be taken away. That is the law as it stands. It is not an absolute right. Several months have passed but the Court has not made it clear as yet as to whether it agrees with the Finance Minister.

Amidst the observations by this bench of inappropriate strength, the Supreme Courts website continues to refer to the case as a Five Judges Bench Matter since October 2015 as per a written order of a five judge Constitution Bench of appropriate strength headed by Chief Justice which underlined that there is some urgency in the matter.

It is apparent that the advertising and public relations blitzkrieg unleashed by identification and surveillance technology vendors have clouded the minds of legal fraternity. The dangers of trusting such technological advances for determining social policies will consequent in a situation where [A] warrant requirement will not make much difference to a society that, under the sway of a naive and discredited theory of genetic determinism, is willing to lock people away on the basis of their genes among other adverse effects.

This entire issue is about denial of fundamental rights. It is not about contempt of court. It never was. When the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act and the 99th Constitutional Amendment assaulted judges' autonomy and independence provided by Constitution, it was rejected by the five-judge Bench. The bench in a majority of 4:1 rejected the NJAC Act and the Constitutional Amendment as unconstitutional and void. Unmindful of the fact that judges are citizens first, the Court has not shown similar alacrity in safeguarding the fundamental rights although these inalienable rights pre-date Constitution. So far it has saved basic structure from an unlimited government, can it save it and the citizens from an unlimited database of present and future Indians? Hopefully, India has not become Kyrgyzstan as yet.

References

Eurasianet.org (2015): Kyrgyzstan: Judge Fired for Opposing Governments Fingerprint-Collection Drive, 24 June, http://www.eurasianet.org/node/73996

European Court Of Human Rights (2008): Press release issued by the Registrar Grand Chamber Judgement S and MARPER v The United Kingdom, 4 December

The Lawphil Project Phillippines Law and Jurisprudence Databank (1998): http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1998/jul1998/gr_127685_1998.html
Participants at the seminar. (Photo: CPV)

The affirmation was made by MARD Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh at the seminar Israel  Hi-tech for Vietnams Agricultural Development held in Hanoi on March 21

The event is part of various activities of the ongoing visit to Vietnam by Israeli President Reuven Ruvi Rivlin.

Mr. Le Quoc Doanh said aiming to tackle difficulties of Vietnams agriculture sector like scattered production, climate change impact and increasing competitive pressure, it is indispensable to continuously be creative, and apply hi-tech and modern technology in production.

He praised the support and cooperation between the two sides in recent time. Specifically, the two countries signed an agricultural cooperation deal in 1997; Israel assisted Vietnam to carry out projects, technological conversion in breeding, cultivation and irrigation. Since 2008, the country has received thousands of trainees.

Mr. Jonathan Hadar from Israel's Ministry of Economy and Industry said Israel would share about agricultural strengths which Vietnam can cooperate and transfer, while confirming that the agricultural cooperation between the two sides should be raised to a higher partnership level, towards large-scale production.

Mr. Tran Cong Thang, Deputy Head of the Institute for Policy and Strategy of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnam and Israel have opportunities to cooperate in agricultural production and technology transfer. Israel has many models which can help Vietnam improve the quality of flowers, vegetable, seafood, water management and land expansion.

On the sidelines, some Vietnamese and Israeli firms met to introduce technology and products, as well as seek cooperation opportunities in the near future./.
Libya is slowly sliding into another wave of escalation as the division between the eastern region under General Khalifa Haftar and the rest of the country nominally under the control of an ever-weaker UN-backed government headed by Fayez Serraj is deepening. At the beginning of this month, fighting started in the Oil Crescent, the part of Libyas central coast through which 60 percent of the countrys oil exports pass. Coupled with renewed fighting in the capital Tripoli and a growing Russian influence and migration crisis, the country has a pressing mix of problems to awaken Western attention.

As a result of the fighting for the control of Libyas biggest oil terminals, General Haftar managed to seize the oil wealth but the parliament loyal to him, the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, has made it clear that it will no longer share the revenues of the oil sales with the government in Tripoli. However, the UN-resolutions stipulate that Libyan oil can only be sold by the National Oil Company (NOC) based in Tripoli. Trying to market it through other channels, like the parallel NOC based in Benghazi, means incurring international sanctions  and not selling the crude at all. Without oil sales, Libyas production will fall, knocking down government revenues and therefore accelerating the fiscal collapse of the economy.

The fight over the oil fields has destroyed any meaningful channel of communication between the east and west of the country and at this point, none of the parties can militarily defeat the others but each side thinks it can win and is reluctant to back down. It would therefore be more likely to see a faction deciding to block all exports rather than compromising with its opponents. As such, a political deal that would manage the future institutional asset of the country, bringing all these stakeholders together, could be hard to achieve in the immediate and perhaps even mid-term future. In the meantime, fighting on the ground escalates, which suggests that other matters are taking precedence to a political process.

Therefore, the major international players  the United States, the European Union and regional powers involved in Libya such as Egypt, the UAE, Algeria, Tunisia and Qatar  should push for a de-conflicting mechanism and cooperate with Russia. At the same time, these countries should also urge UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to overcome the impasse on his Special Representative for Libya created by the US rejection of Salam Fayyad so that the UN can play an active role in setting up a political process.

Furthermore, Europeans and Americans should push Prime Minister Serraj to offer to Eastern Libya a Libyan Economic Agreement on how to manage oil wealth in a way that will benefit the Libyan people and stabilize the country. Such an agreement should include a new social contract between the people and the state regarding the distribution of the oil wealth. Moreover, a neutral body should be established so that US and EU sanctions should be issued against those who try to sell oil outside of what the UN mandates.

Finally, the militia rule in Tripoli is incompatible with any stabilization effort and poses a threat to any Libyan government while hampering any form of international assistance. Thus, the international community should also push for a Libyan-led agreement to rid the capital at least of heavy weapons and convince the militias to stock them in less densely populated areas.

Libya, the Time to Avoid Escalation is Now  Commentary by Mattia Toaldo and Karim Mezran  European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

(The Commentary can be downloaded here)
3 EU Parliament votes to boost EuroGroup !

---------------------------------

After EuroZone Paris Summit's succes, Sarkozy calls to "think anew how to re-construct Europe !

"EuroZone and EU Institutional debates pave the way to 2009 discussions on EU Future, including Enlargment, Turkey etc. ?





23 October 2008



After EU Parliament strongly suppported in 3 successive Votes this week in Strasbourg French EU Chairmanship's move to boost Euro-Group at EU's core, while ideas on EU Institutional problems are awaited on December, "it's an open Question now" if this may lead to a debate on EU's Future, or not, told us French President, Nicolas Sarkozy''s Spokesman, Pierre-Jerome Henin.



MEPs voted on Thursday fresh Funds to support EuroGroup, after adopting on Wednesday a Resolution asking a "further Evolution" to "the 1st ever meeting of Heads of State and of Government of the Euro-Zone, taking decisions in that capacity", while earlier this week a Report asked "a stronger Institutional setting" for "EuroGroup", extended from "competitiveness/industry" to "environment, employment and education", with "increased powers for Political decision-making", according to a text drafted by French MEP Francoise Beres and German MEP Werner Langen, "10 Years after the creation of Euro" (1999 - 2009).



- Brussels' subsequent "EU Council ..(simply)..ratified the measures decided by EuroGroup on October 12" in Paris, which "were necessary to contain the current Financial Crisis", Resolution observes, expressing also support to the new process succesfully initiated by Sarkozy and due to be completed by agreements with USA and other countries at a Global level.



From now on, it's between two differend but parallel moves : EU's delay, and EuroZone's acceleration, that Enlargement and particularly Turkey's controversial EU bid, will have to search its way :



Indeed, EU's 27 expect a "Roadmap on how to deal with the Irish problem" on Lisbon Treaty ratification after December, risking to pass even 2009 Elections and next Commission with the old Nice Treaty of 2000, out-dated and unfit even for 2004's Enlargement...



On the contrary, EU's core launches a real "Economic Governance for EuroZone at the highest level of Heads of State/Government" of the 15, which started in Paris on October 12 and was strongly supported this week in Strasbourg by Sarkozy and EU Parliament.

----------

- "It's a good idea, to launch such a debate ("on EU's Future") in EU Parliament in view of 2009 Euro-Election : Perhaps some MEPs will seize an opportunity", told us mainstream French MEP Alain Lamassoure, former EU Minister and EU Spokesman for France's governing party UMP.



- "All MEPs' debates on such EU Councils are also part of the larger debate on Europe's future : Now with EuroZone, and even more when, on December, Irish Prime Minister is due to table proposals in Strasbourg on how to deal with EU Treaty's ratification", replied earlier to our question EU Parliament's Press Director and Spokesman, Jaume Duch.

--------------------------------------

Sarkozy has formally anounced his intention to open EU Debates on Economy, Identity/Enlargement (i.e. mainly Turkey), etc. both linked to a popular Political view of Europe, since his Historic speeches on EU in Strasbourg, on February and July 2007, when he stressed that "Europe needs a New Renaissance". At the beginning of the French EU Presidency, on July 2008, replying to a MEP, he suggested that EU Parliament takes an active part in Debates on EU's Future.



- Now, in 2008, "Crisis are an opportunity to re-think how to re-construct Europe", Sarkozy stressed. At any case, the Historic 1st EuroZone Summit of Heads of State/Government, which started replying to the Financial crisis,"is a Turning Point : After that, Europe cannot be governed as before, but differently" : People "like a Europe with Strong Will".



- "We must make the System move !", "Europe needs Innovation" and free political debates. EU "Elections are in a few Months", Sarkozy warned.



He invited EU Parliament to fully play its role as "the Democratic Heart of the Europe we want : United, Independent and Voluntarist, because the World needs Europe's voice".



- "It's no more possible for Euro-Zone to continue without an Economic Government" at the Highest Level of Heads of State/Government, who provide "Democratic Legitimity" and can take important decisions, he announced, strongly supported by EU Parliament's Economic Committee which just voted to boost the "Institutional" aspects of "EuroGroup".



Plasticity offered by the current absence of a special Treaty on EuroZone's Institutions "made it easy to adapt the organization of the 1st Summit with imagination, to efficiently meet urgent needs", he observed, on the occasion of Brittish Prime Minister's exceptionnal presence at the greatest part of EuroGroup's Paris Summit.



- "In EuroZone we have the same Bank, the same Money, and, thus, a same duty for Unity" : "By bringing together EuroGroup's 15 members States we suceeded to find a solution and prepare a Giant Plan of 1.800 Billion euros", Sarkozy reminded of Paris' 1st Historic EuroZone's Summit.



Afterwards, Brussels' EU Council followed the move, and USA's Paulson II Plan was inspired from that. "Europe must promote the idea of Global Economy's Refoundation", he stressed.







- "I was frankly astonished when I found, at the EU, a rigid system, where any New Idea was seen from the outset as a sacrilege, while, on the contrary, Europe needs Innovation !", he described.



F.ex. ,"'When we first spoke about the "Union for the Mediterranean", it was misunderstood as something extraordinary.. When later we had the Russia -Georgia crisis, it seemed against EU's custom to act "in the middle of August", instead of staying a passive spectator ! And when, in front of the Financial ciris, we gathered the 1st EuroZone Summit of the "15", some thought of it as a lese-majeste", he denounced.

----------------------

On Geo-Political Principles :

----------------------

- But, by moving resolutely, "EU obtained the ...withdrawal of Occupation Troops in 2 Months !", reminded Sarkozy, observing that Russia "fulfilled its commitments", in the Georgian crisis, where a "disroportionate reaction" from Moscow followed a "totally inappropriate action" from Tbilisi's troops. "It would be crazy to reply by military means : EU should not become accomplice of another Cold War, imposed by lack of cool heads".. as he said.



In future, "the creation of a common European Economic Area with EU and Russia, would also obtain a raprochment on our Human Rights and Democratic Values", added Sarkozy, in a statement which should logically be applied, a fortiori, to controversial EU "candidate" Turkey..



Particularly when, the same week that EU Parliament voted 2009 EU Funds for Turkey's controversial EU bid, ECHR took a series of judgements condemning Turkey for grave Violations of Human Rights, such as : Torture, death of a political prisoner in unclear circumstances followed by failure to conduct a proper Investigation, "enforced Disappearance" of a youngster aged 17, Killing of a sepherd with Tank Shells, persecuting Journalists for articles on "Missing" People, even a former President of Human Rights' Association, (etc)



- "We (EU) can defend our ideas on respect of Sovereignity and territorial Integrity, on Human Rights and other differences ... without confrontation", Sarkozy stressed, on the occasion of Russian/Georgian conflict, reminding that : "we were only 2 steps from catastroph", when a Peace agreement brokered in Moscow prevented, at the last minute, Russian troops' advance towards Tbilisi.



An EU Parliament Resolution adopted Wednesday in Strasbourg on the occasion of Russia - Georgia conflict, outlines a set of Principle which apply elsewhere too, (particularly when EU Rapporteur for Russia and Turkey is one and same person ; Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijtanen !)



Clearly rejecting any "military solution to the conflicts", MEPs "condemn ..all those who resorted to force and violence". They denounce a "disproportionate military action", "as well as (an) unilateral decision to recognise the independence" of brekaway regions, "calling.. to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the concerned country, "and the inviolability of its borders recognised by all EU Member States". They warn that "EU must review its policy towards" a 3rd Country, "should .(it)...not comply with its commitments", and "stress that the withdrawal of.... troops from the areas ....is an essential additional step".



EU Parliament "calls for the safe and quick return of refugees, (accepted by Russian President Medvedev) accompanied by the deployment of EU observers on the ground", and "regrets ...that ..EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) is not allowed to enter the ...breakaway regions". Moreover, "It's important to ensure that persons and NGOs ..engaged in defending human and civil rights can operate". "Until ...all remaining issues (are) resolved..., and notably the continuing ...Military presence", "relations with the EU ..cannot be fully normalised", MEPS warned.



As nobody likes to be accused to practice "Double Standards", this should be regarded as "Principles" applicable to any Third Country at EU's Neighborhood.. No ?

-------------------

On Economy :

-----------------------

- "When Financial crisis shook US and EU's Banks, without result from the 1st (American) Paulsen plan, it was the common reply of the 1st EuroZone's Summit, involving some 1800 Billion euros, which started a positive move in the markets, soon strengthened by the follow-up of the US Paulson 2 Plan, noted Sarkozy.



- "Europe should not be only on the defensive, but, if necessary, know also how to take an offensive", he said, brushing away hesitationsto act on Economy: - "I'm for a refondation of Capitaliism, but against Speculators, who betray its values" : "Lack of Rules was profitable to speculators, Not to businessmen !" We must make sure to prevent any such crisis in future". "We, the rest of the World, cannot continue to bear the deficits of the 1st World power without saying anything !", the French President said, applauded by EU Parliament. All this needs "a New Global Governance", on which EU Parliament must debate. That's why "we proposed together with USA, several Summits from mid-November", to which G-8, enlarged to China, India a.o. countries, should participate. UNO's SG; Ban Ki Moon, the IMF, etc.



Financial crisis lowered shares' prices even for healthy companies, sometimes to 1/3 of their initial price, so that strangers might buy EU industries for only a portion of their real value, and Europeans may wake up one day with their main industries sold out to foreigners !



That's one of the reasons for which EU should debate about creating "Golden Shares" for States to jointly take Strategic participations to help European Industries until the end of the Crisis, particularly against distording competition, he suggested, pointing at USA's 35 billion $ plan for American Car Industry."We shall struggle for Europe to be able to build Airplanes, Ships, Trains, Cars, because we need a strong Industry", he concluded.



"F.ex. as we did back in 2004, when as Finance Minister, we bought Alsthom's shares for 800.000 euros, and, after restructuring, we sold them for 2 Millions : Help a company and make money is not so bad"...



As for the UK, "when Ireland announced that it would guarantee only Irish Banks, London City emptied from liquidities in 24 hours : It's the EU which helped to restore the situation, Not the UK alone !", reminded Sarkozy to nationalist British MEP Nigel Farage.







On the contrary, in a last-minute attempt for the EU to catch-up with its Institutional delay "before the European Elections" of June 2009, MEPs simply voted a call for a "set of proposals" to be made for the "Irish public opinion" at the end of the year...

- "As long as Lisbon Treaty is not ratified by all 27 EU Member States, there is an unanimous decision to stop Enlargement, reminded Wednesday in Strasbourg the French Minister for EU affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet..

Added to an indirect but clear warning that, without Lisbon Treaty, all 27 EU Member Countries may not have a Commissioner in the 2009 resuffle, MEPS in the Constitutional/Foreign affairs Committees applauded hoping that this might motivate their Irish friends..
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Houston-based Kinder Morgan is the latest company to announce plans to build a new pipeline from West Texas to the Gulf Coast, this time to transport natural gas.

The 42-inch-wide Gulf Coast Express pipeline would transport 1.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas from the Waha Hub near West Texas oil-rich Permian Basin to Agua Dulce in Nueces County, west of Corpus Christi.

We clearly see that theres a very big market for natural gas, Kinder Morgan spokeswoman Melissa Ruiz said. As far as fossil fuels go, its clean, efficient, abundant. Its a great source for power generation when theyre replacing coal units. We think that natural gas is a very strong fuel of choice in the future.

The projects open season for bids started this week and goes through April 20. Ruiz said the company plans to break ground in the first half of 2018, pending signed commitments from shippers, and would be online by mid-2019. She would not comment how much the pipeline would cost.

Kinder Morgan operates about 70,000 miles of natural gas pipelines throughout North America.

The pipeline is the second one announced this month that will run from West Texas to the Gulf Coast. The 730-mile EPIC pipeline, announced by TexStar Logistics in early March, would transport up to 440,000 barrels of oil a day from the Permian to Corpus Christi. An additional 150,000 barrels of oil could be taken from Eagle Ford Shale production and delivered to the Corpus area.

Deren Gursel, a senior research analyst of the North America natural gas market for Wood Mackenzie, said the pipeline is addressing growing global export capacity from South Texas, export demand from Mexico and growing industrial needs from petrochemical plants. Houston-based Cheniere Energy is currently constructing a liquidified natural gas, or LNG, project north of Corpus Christi that, when completed, could take in 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily.

Currently, pipelines between Houston, the states major petrochemical hub, and South Texas are geared to move product north to the petrochemical facilities in and around Houston.

This is an interesting pipe, Gursel said. Its not really a surprise, and its a nonbinding open season. Kinder Morgan is trying to get a feel for the open market, and they wouldnt do this if they didnt already know some of the producers were looking.

Ruiz said the Gulf Coast Express will tie into existing infrastructure across South Texas to facilitate additional delivery points. One of the potential tie-ins would be to Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners Trans-Pecos pipeline, which is under construction in West Texas.

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.

That pipeline, when completed, will be able to transport 1.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas from Waha to the U.S.-Mexico border near Presidio for export into Mexico.

Ruiz said there is demand from both consumers in the U.S. and those wanting to export natural gas into Mexico and abroad.

Theres quite a bit of interest on the Gulf Coast as well as Mexico through LNG exports as well, she said.

Nikolay Filchev, an associate director at IHS Markit, said the market for natural gas has grown tremendously.

rdruzin@express-news.net

@druz_journo
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

First of a two-part report.

A Coast Guard cutter glides along the waters of the Sabine-Neches waterway in Southeast Texas, conducting sweeps for unprotected wireless signals that hackers could use to gain access to oil, gas and petrochemical facilities.

Four massive refineries sit along the 79-mile channel that cuts through this stretch of Gulf Coast. Its one of the largest concentration of refineries, pipelines, chemical plants and natural gas terminals in the United States  and an alluring target for espionage, disruption or worse.

There are actors that are scanning for these vulnerable systems and taking advantage of those weaknesses when they find them, said Marty Edwards, director of U.S. Homeland Securitys Cyber Emergency Response Team for industrial systems.

As attention focuses on Russian cyberattacks aimed at influencing the last presidential election, oil and gas companies face increasingly sophisticated hackers seeking to steal trade secrets and manipulate industrial sensors and operations.

Nowhere is the threat more consequential than in Houston and Southeast Texas, where the worlds most celebrated names in energy produce, refine and transport fossil fuels, including Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and Phillips 66.

The operation aboard the Coast Guard cutter, a joint effort with Houston Police last April, was one of the first in the U.S. to focus on cyberattacks by sea.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, responsible for protecting the nation from cybercrime, received reports of more than 400 incidents between 2011 and 2016. In most cases, a hacker infiltrated or tried to infiltrate the control systems of energy firms. During that period, the agency identified nearly 900 security vulnerabilities within U.S. energy companies, more than any other industry.

Homeland Security received reports of 59 incidents at energy facilities last year, up nearly a third from the year before.

The vastness of oil and gas operations makes it difficult to secure. Thousands of interconnected sensors and automated controls that run oil and gas facilities remain rife with weak spots.

Much of this equipment was designed decades ago without security features. In recent years, companies have linked devices that monitor pressure, control valves and initiate safety procedures to computer networks and  sometimes inadvertently  the internet.

Those connections expose refineries, pipelines and offshore oil platforms to online threats.

You could mess with a refinery or cause a vessel to explode, said Richard Garcia, a former FBI agent who became a cybersecurity specialist.

The Coast Guard has received several reports that foreign ships attempted to probe the wireless networks of industrial facilities along U.S. waterways, federal authorities say. Homeland Security, which oversees the Coast Guard, declined to confirm details but acknowledged a growing effort to protect oil, gas and chemical systems from hacking.

Many energy companies, however, lack the technology and personnel to detect whether hackers have broken into operational systems using sophisticated malware that can take over controls or extract data.

In fact, many oil and gas facilities use networks run by Windows XP, a 2003 system that Microsoft no longer updates, according to federal authorities and cybersecurity consultants. Others use even earlier versions of the Windows operating system from the 1990s; in rare cases, a few still use MS-DOS, the precursor to Windows.

More often than not, Edwards said, we find that theres been corners cut or they havent taken a hard look at security when they designed those networks.

What we dont know

Strict cybersecurity regulations govern power, chemical and nuclear facilities, but no federal laws impose such standards in the oil and gas industry.

When oil and gas companies have been infiltrated by a hacker, they arent required to report the incident. And if they turn to federal authorities for help, the specifics are typically kept secret because companies disclose information in exchange for anonymity and discretion.

Homeland Security publishes data on cyberattacks, but with no reporting requirements, the data represent only a small share of the cyberattacks against the energy industry.

We only know whats reported to us, Edwards said. We dont know what we dont know.

Most companies are loath to talk publicly about the security of computer systems and industrial controls for fear of providing information that could be used to exploit their operations.

More than 20 of the nations largest oil companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips, refiners Phillips 66 and Valero, service companies Halliburton and Baker Hughes, and pipeline operators Kinder Morgan and Enterprise Products Partners, declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment. The American Petroleum Institute, the national trade association of oil and gas, declined comment.

The Department of Energy has developed a model of best practices, while trade groups such as the American Petroleum Institute have adopted industry standards, but none is mandatory.

In recent years, forward-looking oil companies have treated potential cyberattacks on critical assets as a major financial risk, but others havent taken the threat as seriously, said Charles McConnell, executive director of Rice Universitys Energy and Environment Initiative.

Oil companies tend to rush to deploy new computer technologies that make operations more productive, he said, but only afterward consider ways to mitigate online threats.

The pace of change of the technology weve adopted is every step of the way more and more vulnerable to cyberattack, said McConnell, who spent 35 years in the energy industry and served for two years as assistant secretary of energy.

Of nearly 400 U.S. oil employees who specialize in industrial cybersecurity, 61 percent said their companies lack adequate cyber defenses to protect the technologies that run oil and gas facilities, according to a recent survey by the research firm and consultancy Ponemon Institute. Almost 7 of 10 respondents said their companies experienced a security breach within the last year, and yet less than half believe their companies have met industry standards and guidelines for cybersecurity.

Oil and gas companies generally have gotten better at securing their information and data systems, Edwards said, but it would be dangerous to characterize the progress as universal.

Some companies have begun to install firewalls, anti-virus and anti-malware programs and require stricter security measures from equipment manufacturers, among other improvements, cybersecurity consultants said.

In regulatory filings, Exxon Mobil said its cybersecurity programs block 64 million emails, 139 million internet access attempts and 133,000 other potentially malicious actions each month.

There are definitely some leaders that have done a lot to stand out, said Robert Lee, a former Air Force cyberwarfare operations officer and chief executive of security firm Dragos in San Antonio. But thats not representative of the industry. Its clear a lot of sites havent done the minimum for security, and there are many more in the middle.

Boom in the night

Devices running automated processes within plants  known as operational technology  were designed years or decades ago before the advent of serious online threats. Security experts say even newer models of sensors and automated controls cant automatically block intrusions.

Marc Othersen, former chief information security officer of New York oil producer Hess Corp., says equipment makers must do more to develop adequately secured devices.

The technology offered to us has not closed the gap, he said. We will always be behind.

Last year, Exxon Mobil and Lockheed Martin announced plans to advance automated systems for refineries and chemical facilities with built-in cyber defenses. The initiative, which includes collaboration with 40 other companies, was prompted primarily because devices with protections strong enough to thwart the most skilled hackers arent widely available, said Joe Weiss, managing director of the international cybersecurity standards body ISA99.

Ironically, its the most important (of the systems) but the least secure, he said. Thats where you go boom in the night.

If hackers, for example, figured out how to exploit devices running along 2.6 million miles of U.S. pipeline, they could tell a monitoring system the flow of oil and gas has stopped along a pipe, prompting automated systems to begin pumping until they cause a pressure blast.

When such systems malfunction, it can lead to disasters on the scale of the 2005 Texas City refinery blast, which killed 15 people and injured 180 more. In that tragedy, there was no malicious intent, but devices were incorrectly calibrated and provided erroneous readings, which, investigators concluded, were factors leading to the blast.

There are a lot of people out there who would love to disrupt (a pipeline) for visual effect  terrorists or other people who want to see black smoke or flames, said Philip Quade, who recently retired as chief of the National Security Agencys cyber task force. The more strategic threat is what nation-states can do to affect the psyche of the American public.

In a dark room

The majority of U.S. oil and gas companies dont have the capability to find or track malware or viruses that have penetrated control systems, according to Homeland Security, including devices such as sensors and industrial computers.

This means hackers can gain access to the systems and root around for months or years seeking weaknesses, collecting sensitive data and lying in wait with viruses that can disrupt operations.

Were in a dark room, said Damiano Bolzoni, chief executive of Dutch security firm Security Matters. Nobody is switching on the light.

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.

Cyber criminals have tried to steal money by sending employees fake invoices. Other hackers lured workers to download malicious software designed to lock people out of devices until they pay a ransom.

In many cases, oil and gas companies wait to react to problems, said Chris Sistrunk, a consultant with Mandiant, which specializes in cybersecurity. For example, he recalled how an oil companys cybersecurity team was alerted to a security breach, in which a 7-year-old computer worm had been discovered in a Windows operating system. Its presence suggested that the company hadnt updated protection software in at least seven years.

Security people are putting out fires instead of hunting for evil on the network, Sistrunk said.

The most sophisticated threats come from hackers backed by foreign governments. Cybersecurity researchers say both Russia and China have sponsored hacking groups, often recruited from the cyber-underworld, to probe industrial control systems in the United States and Europe.

More recently, hackers allegedly from Russia and China have used phishing emails, infected USB drives and other techniques to penetrate computer networks in broad espionage campaigns against U.S. energy companies aimed at siphoning information about industrial control systems, according to the National Security Agency and cybersecurity firms.

These attackers are adaptive and intelligent, said Michael Assante, former chief security officer of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., which regulates the security of electric grids. Thats a scary thing to be up against.

For the most part, federal officials said, cyberattacks against energy companies appear aimed at stealing trade secrets to boost foreign industries and economies. But some officials anticipate that hacker groups may try to gain footholds in pipelines, refineries and power plants, should the time arise when a rival nation or extranational group has reason to hold assets hostage or launch a disruptive attack.

When the day comes and they need leverage in negotiations or a full-blown act of war, its not hard to imagine how they might use such a capability, said Barak Perelman, chief executive of the Israeli cybersecurity firm Indegy.

Quade, the former chief of the NSAs cyber task force, said the threat is more than theoretical, pointing to two viruses launched at energy operations: Stuxnet, which damaged thousands of centrifuges at an Iranian nuclear facility in 2010, and Shamoon, which wiped out computer files in Saudi Arabian oil and gas facilities two years later.

In the last five years, weve had repeated demonstrations in the willingness of certain nation-states or other actors to actually use this stuff, Quade said.

Its unlikely that Russia or China would sabotage the nations energy infrastructure because of the probability of retaliation, but the two powers have honed their abilities to hold key U.S. assets hostage and use cyber capabilities to thwart U.S. military responses to online assaults on domestic soil, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a report last month.

This emerging situation threatens to place the United States in an untenable strategic position, the Defense Department said.

But security professionals say a major cyberattack against the United States remains a distant possibility, at least for now.

Theyre waiting for a rainy day, said Margrete Raaum, who leads the Norwegian computer emergency response team for the energy sector.

Security vs. costs

Despite improvements, some oil and gas companies still dont make it particularly hard for hackers to get into many systems. Consultants have found lapses in security as egregious as writing passwords of critical computer systems on sticky notes pasted to consoles.

Other networks had weak passwords or the default passwords set by manufacturers.

Theres a lot of those, Edwards said.

Part of the problem reflects the culture of the oil and gas industry, said Steve Mustard, an industrial cybersecurity expert at the trade group Automation Federation.

Upgrading a multitude of devices could cost millions of dollars, and oil companies often find it too expensive and time-consuming to patch software running multibillion-dollar refineries that produce gasoline almost all the time.

Even a four-hour security upgrade can stop production for days, said Philip Hurlston, who works with oil companies and the FBI as oil and gas sector chief at security group InfraGard in Houston. He says an industry mantra still plagues the mindset of some executives: Run the equipment until it dies.

Security experts said the steps that energy companies can take arent necessarily difficult. Its often a matter of limiting unauthorized access, adopting procedures for protecting networks and making sure the latest cybersecurity measures are in place.

The question remains how quickly companies are moving to take such actions, and perhaps more fundamentally, how seriously do they take the threat.

For an oil executive, worrying about a cyberattack sounds like science fiction, said Brett Young, a consultant and founder of the cybersecurity collaborative, OpenICS Project. Its like worrying about a meteor strike.

Collin.eaton@chron.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SAN ANTONIO  The University of the Incarnate Word's quest to open what would be San Antonio's second medical school likely will bring more attention to a type of health care that's growing rapidly  osteopathic medicine.

The venture, if approved by the required accrediting bodies, would be the second osteopathic medical school to open its doors in Texas.

The first  Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, which opened in Fort Worth in 1970  has more than 900 students and about 200 graduates a year.

UIW expects to wrap up a required feasibility study by next month for the national Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, with hopes of getting credentialed for up to 150 students when the medical school opens at Brooks City Base in summer 2016.

If the university succeeds, the new school ultimately will bring more doctors to San Antonio and the South Texas region, which is grappling with a shortage of primary care physicians like the rest of the country.

Consumers in the local market will benefit, Texas A&M University-San Antonio assistant Professor Alan Preston predicts.

Patients that are indigent and don't have health insurance ... can have yet another place, another option that they can go to and seek care, said Preston, who specializes in epidemiology and health care policy.

Another health care expert agreed consumers will reap the rewards of increased competition if San Antonio becomes home to two medical schools.

If we're graduating more doctors and they stay in the region, there's going to be better access for the patients and presumably lower costs, said Dana Forgione, chair of the University of Texas at San Antonio's business of health program and an adjunct professor at the local area's other medical school, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Osteopathic medicine, known for taking a holistic approach to patients, has a long history, but its popularity has markedly increased in recent years.

The number of osteopathic physicians nationwide has jumped exponentially in the past 50 years, soaring to more than 82,000 last year  six times the number seen in 1960, according to the American Osteopathic Association. More than 73,000 of those doctors are engaged in active medical practice, the group said.

That growth is expected to continue, with at least 5,000 osteopathic medical students graduating annually, a more than tenfold increase from numbers seen nearly 80 years ago.

Reaching out

Many osteopathic medical schools have established missions to provide health care to underserved and rural populations.

Almost all of the UIW medical school's designated service area  spanning South Texas and extending westward to include San Angelo, north toward Abilene, and eastward to encompass Killeen and Austin  is medically underserved, statistics show.

While traditional medical schools for allopathic physicians or MDs emphasize research and specialized types of medical care, osteopathic medical schools focus more on primary care, internal medicine and prevention, Forgione said.

MDs might be apt to treat symptoms with medications or surgeries, but osteopathic physicians  known as DOs  subscribe to a philosophy that the human body has an innate ability to heal itself. However, osteopathic doctors also can prescribe medications, perform surgeries and can have admitting privileges at nonosteopathic hospitals.

They may also venture into medical specialties, such as gastroenterology, cardiology and pulmonology.

Additionally, they receive 200 hours of training in osteopathic manipulative treatment, hands-on techniques to improve body function and relieve discomfort.

Medicare treats both types of physicians equally, paying them the same amount per procedure, Forgione said.

Osteopathic physician Melissa Walker, who has practiced family medicine in San Antonio for 10 years, supports UIW's plans to open a new medical school here.

I think that there is room for another program, whether it's osteopathic or allopathic, Walker said. I'm actually very excited that it's osteopathic, because I don't think there's anything like osteopathic medicine. I think (UIW President Louis Agnese Jr.) is a brilliant man to even go after such a pursuit.

The academic training is nearly identical at both types of medical schools. Both institutions offer four-year programs with similar curriculums that include anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, epidemiology and clinical skills. Graduates go on to residency programs lasting three to eight years.

Because of osteopathic medicine's focus on primary care, prevention and community outreach, UIW plans to look for students with significant life experiences  candidates who have persevered or overcome hardships, demonstrate compassion and show a commitment to social responsibility, said the medical school's founding dean, Dr. Robyn Phillips-Madson.

Prospective students also must have a bachelor's degree, take the Medical College Admission Test, undergo extensive interviews and show an ability to handle the rigor of a medical education program, she said.

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.

Accountability to society will be part of the school's mission.

You want to inspire them to become a physician who's working at a community health center or in a rural area that's underserved  or even doing little things, like a couple of weeks of outreach to a particular community, whether it's here in the United States or abroad, Phillips-Madson said.

UIW's program would offer medical students another option besides the UT Health Science Center's School of Medicine, an allopathic program that admitted its first students in 1966.

Phillips-Madson doesn't see UIW competing for space in the same hospitals where UTHSC's medical students do their rotations. Osteopathic medical students tend to work in free clinics, community health centers or community-based hospitals rather than large tertiary care centers, she said.

Our intent is to go to places that haven't had students to a large extent before or where there's excess capacity, she said. For example, at University Health System, I know that a lot of (UTHSC) students rotate there. So I would never imagine that being a primary site to have our students

Nor does Phillips-Madson expect to cull faculty from the health science center.

I won't poach faculty from other institutions, she said. I'm not actively recruiting people from the area.

It wouldn't be a surprise, however, if some faculty members at the health science center's medical school end up teaching at UIW's osteopathic medical school as well, said Dr. Stephen Shannon, president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

It's very usual for faculty with certain types of expertise to be shared with other academic institutions, Shannon said. But I have no doubt that (UIW) will also be recruiting for new faculty nationally to complete their curriculum.

UIW plans for its medical school to have around 45 faculty members by the program's fourth year.

Potential partnerships with health care systems might allow UIW to share faculty with a medical practice, which would allow physicians to see patients three or four days a week and teach medical students one or two days a week.

Phillips-Madson has begun discussions with several health care systems exploring such an arrangement.

pohare@express-news.net
San Antonians still jonesing for their fix of the best burger in Texas will soon be joined in their hangry grief by fans of coq au vin and the perfect bearnaise.

Olmos Park will bid adieu to Chez Vatel Bistro in June. Its neighbor Folc closed after a November electrical fire damaged the restaurant. Folc and its bar Park Social chose not to return, suing their landlord over faulty wiring and failing to make repairs following the blaze.

It seems Chez Vatel owner Damien Watel has the same beef.

Watel is closing his French eatery when the lease expires. Both restaurants are vacating the Olmos Village on East Olmos Drive after the fire damaged the buildings electrical system and was never properly repaired by their landlord, they say in two separate lawsuits against landlord Carolea LLC.

Watel plans to open a slightly different restaurant and is already looking for a new location. Folc owners Luis Colon and Daniel Eisenhauer, who is also scouting out new locations, are suing their former landlord for more than $1 million in damages.

Landlord Carolea locked the restaurant out of its space on Feb. 27 following a dispute over rent, according to Watels lawsuit. The next day, state District Judge Stephani Walsh issued a temporary restraining order barring Carolea from interfering with the restaurants right to occupy the space. The TRO was extended by agreement on March 9.

Carolea principal Kenneth Trigg Dealey couldnt be located for comment. Judith Gray, a San Antonio lawyer who represents Carolea in the Watel lawsuit, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Dealey and Carolea denied Watels allegations in a March 8 court filing, but they have yet to respond to the Folc owners lawsuit.

Chez Vatel was rated the best French restaurant by readers and critics in the Express-News Readers Choice guide last year. It also has been named one of best restaurants in the city the past three years in the Express-News Top 100 Dining & Drinks guide.

Folc, home to the best burger in Texas according to Texas Monthly, also was named a top restaurant in the Top 100 Dining & Drinks guides in 2015 and 2016. It wasnt included in this years guide as it was not open.

Both lawsuits, which contain breach of contract claims, raise similar allegations about deteriorating conditions at Olmos Village. Folc owners say they had to repair an air conditioning unit and electrical panel that failed after Carolea wouldnt fix them.

Chez Vatel experienced significant problems because of delayed maintenance and deterioration, Watel alleged. He added a CPS meter twice caught fire because of faulty wiring. Over a one-year period, Watel said in an affidavit attached to his lawsuit that the restaurant had more than 30 power failures.

The electricity will go off as many as five times a day, which makes running a business complicated, Watel said in an interview. Especially in summer, the electrical system cant handle the load.

The loss of air conditioning or heating has made customers uncomfortable and there have been food spoilage issues because of the power outages.

The building is not in good shape, Watel said. Carolea has refused to upgrade the electrical system and Watel said he has no interest in doing it himself.

Id rather fix up new space, he said. He has operated the restaurant in Olmos Park for 18 years. The restaurant intends to close in late June when its lease expires, he added.

Watel added he got the landlord to reduce his rent, but then in August, Dealey asked for back rent. The dispute culminated when Watel was locked out of the restaurant, he said in the affidavit. His lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Watel said he has not signed a lease for his new restaurant yet, but hopes to open in early July.

Ive been wanting to remodel and modernize for a long time, to make a restaurant that welcomes Millennials, he said. He also wants to have a full alcohol license. Chez Vatel currently is licensed to sell only beer and wine.

Of course Im concerned about moving to a new location, but anything has to be better than what Im going through right now, Watel said.

Folcs Colon told the Express-News last month that it would not reopen in Olmos Park. The restaurant is looking for a new home. Folc and Park Social cocktail bar are operating Bexar Pub at 114 Brooklyn Ave. The restaurant features the famous Folc Burger.

In their lawsuit, Folcs owners allege that following the Nov. 8 fire that made the kitchen inoperable, Carolea never made any attempt to repair the property. They kept Folcs bar open for a period after the fire, assuming that the repairs would be made and the restaurant would return to full operation, the suit said.

Colon and and Eisenhauer sought a reduction in rent in the wake of the fire, but the suit said Carolea refused. Carolea commenced demolition before the restaurants insurance adjustor could inspect the damage, the suit further alleged. In addition, they say Carolea locked them out of the property before they could get their property, including furniture, electronics and a refrigeration system.

@pdanner@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Manuel Medina likes to tout his managerial skills by saying he helped a chronically mismanaged Bexar County Democratic Party achieve stability.

In fact, it was Medinas predecessor, the late Choco Meza, who dug the party out of a $200,000 hole created by former treasurer Dwayne Adams, who was convicted in 2011 of embezzling funds from the organizations primary account.

In fairness, Medina, a party-boss-turned-mayoral-contender, does acknowledge Mezas contribution. Along with Choco, he said Thursday, weve been able to transform a dysfunctional party into one of the most successful party organizations in the country.

His message, however, suggests that while Meza got the car moving in the right direction, it took Medina to get it out of first gear.

To put things in perspective, by the time Medina took over BCDP in the spring of 2012, the party had settled its debts and built up its operating account to more than $32,000. Five years later, that account balance stands at less than $500, according to a treasurers report delivered at the February 14 meeting of the partys County Executive Committee.

The bigger problem with Medinas leadership style, however, is his strained relationship with transparency and accountability.

He routinely mixes his own consulting business, Professional Campaign Services, with that of the party organization, to the point where its tough to tell where one ends and the other begins. That was particularly true in 2014, when he used the party headquarters to handle primary campaign work for U.S. Senate candidate David Alameel, for which Alameel paid Medinas firm more than $393,000.

Medina has leased the partys headquarters for the first six months of this year, for use as his mayoral campaign office. At the same time, he has donated a couple of offices in the building to the party, meaning that he has created a co-dependent mishmash, where his personal political ambitions are inextricably linked with the party organization he has come to dominate.

He achieved that domination by packing the County Executive Committee with loyalists, but a few dissident party veterans remain. These detractors complain that BCDP has been forced to go on hiatus for six months while Medina indulges his mayoral ambitions.

They grumble that Medina consistently blows off their calls for an accounting of the partys big annual fundraiser, the Family Reunion, or last years primary campaign. And they get annoyed when Medina chooses sides between competing Democratic primary candidates, as he did by picking Trey Martinez Fischer over Jose Menendez in a 2015 race for the state Senate.

The fiscal looseness of the Medina-era BCDP shows up in a series of transactions between the Bexar County Democratic Party and the 2016 legislative campaign of Diana Arevalo, the freshman representative for Texas House District 116, who previously served as BCDP secretary under Medina.

In her most recent campaign-finance report, Arevalo reported that her campaign made a payment of $6,000 in cash to the Bexar County Democratic Party last November 8, for block walkers.

Arevalo explained Thursday that she served as co-chair of the partys coordinated campaign and was responsible for getting various Democratic candidates to chip in to pay block walkers.

Because I didnt have an opponent (in November), I felt obligated to make sure that the block walkers got paid, Arevalo said, with the understanding that the party would pay me back.

BCDPs semiannual campaign-finance report, however, does not list this payment from Arevalo, meaning that her report and the partys report do not match up.

When the party reported three payments to Arevalos campaign  between November 7 and 10  in the amounts of $2,000, $3,000 and $3,000, it identified each of those payments as a loan repayment/reimbursement. But the party has provided no evidence on its finance reports of any payments that needed to be reimbursed.

That wasnt the only place where BCDP reports didnt align with Arevalos.

Arevalos January report did not acknowledge the receipt of the $2,000 payment the party reported to have made to her campaign. Medina and Arevalo now say the party mistakenly identified the $2,000 as going to Arevalos campaign, when it really went to her personally, so she could get cash to pay block walkers on election day.

If that back-and-forth tango of misreported transactions seems confusing, then welcome to Medinas world.

ggarcia@express-news.net

Twitter: @gilgamesh470
In 2014, the two nations signed a Strategic Partnership Arrangement in sustainable agriculture and food security, as a structure for cooperation. The partnership aims to develop a mutually beneficial and true partnership.

During this visit, the Vice Minister was accompanied by a business delegation which was a mix of companies that are new to Vietnam and those that have prior experience of doing business in the country. Most had concrete business plans and they invested time and money to be part of this visit. Networking events and matchmaking opportunities with Vietnamese companies and Government stakeholders were organized, making an excellent chance for the firms to get to know Vietnam better and move their plans forward.

Photo: Hoai Linh

Ms. Sonnema attended ASEAN+6 regional Food Security Conference themed Lets get to work - Building a food secure future which was hosted in Hanoi by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands.

This conference was a direct result of close cooperation in the areas of sustainable agriculture and food security, focusing on reducing food waste and food losses in order to find new solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals. Food security deals were expected as results of the conference, which from now on will seek to prompt and reinforce real actions.

According to the Dutch Vice Minister, Vietnam and the Netherlands are natural partners. Both are world-class players in the export of agricultural products. Both are coastal states in strategic locations.

Photo: Hoai Linh

And as delta countries, we both face the challenges of climate change, especially in the area of agriculture water management. The Netherlands has the experience, expertise, technology, and transferable skills that can serve as a catalyst for sustainable agricultural production in a middle-income country like Vietnam, stressed Ms. Marjolijn Sonnema.

Numerous deals and agreement were made during her visit, thus enhancing economic ties between the two countries. Having shared the vision of a sustainable future where the economy thrives and the environment is well-maintained, the Netherlands and Vietnam can continue working collectively as one and continue marking many other milestones in our partnership.

In 2015, bilateral trade reached USD5.4billion. The Netherlands is Vietnams second largest trade partner and the largest investor from the EU./.
Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong and Minister of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba Sen. Lieut. Gen. Leopoldo Cintra Frias (Source:VNA)



At a meeting with the Vietnamese Party chief in Hanoi on March 23rd, the Cuban officer informed the host of the results of the working sessions between the Cuban officials and Vietnams Ministry of Defence, and thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their remarkable support for his country.

While speaking highly of Vietnams great achievements during the Doi Moi renewal process, he stressed that those are valuable experience and a source of reference for his country.

For his part, Party General Secretary Trong said he believes Friass official visit to Vietnam will contribute to pushing the traditional relations and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, especially links between their armed forces.

He expressed his hope that the two countries armed forces will always deserve the trust of the two Parties and people, and are always willing to fight for the independence and freedom of the two nations.

The same day, the Cuban minister was received by President Tran Dai Quang, who affirmed Vietnams policy to step up the friendship and special solidarity with Cuba.

Vietnam is willing to share experience with and support Cuba across cooperative fields, including defence and security, contributing to ensuring peace in the region and the world, the President said.

He hailed the close all-around cooperation between Vietnams Ministry of Defence and Cubas Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces, stressing the importance for the two countries to foster defence links.

Sen. Lieut. Gen Leopoldo Cintra Frias expressed his joy at the fine development of the bilateral ties in general and the cooperation between the two ministries in particular, saying that he hopes President Quang will continue advocating the two ministries strengthening their affiliation in the coming time./.
America is a nation of part-time farmers. According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, over 52 percent of farmers have a primary occupation other than farming. Sixty-one percent worked some days off the farm (NASS USDA, 2012).

Part-time farming doesnt mean farming fewer than 40 hours a week. It means putting in long, hard hours of farm labor around 9-to-5 jobs. For many of us, it means getting up extra early to do chores before work, and heading back to the barn after a day at the office.

Part-time farming is challenging but offers big benefits, especially for young farmers beginning a farm business. It boosts household income, provides access to health and life insurance and offers economic stability. Off-farm income looks good to lenders, and can help new farmers finance a farm. It gives new farmers an opportunity to learn from mistakes as they grow their operation. Part-time farmers bring specialized skills and knowledge to other career fields like education, sales and maintenance.

Farming part-time isnt for everyone. Limited time, reduced access to markets, stress, poor performance and lack of commitment make it tough to run a profitable farm business on the side. Here are lessons learned from my personal experience and the experience of part-time farmer friends.

Why part-time farming works

Boosts household income. Many farmers operate at a loss, or minimal profit  1.5 million American farmers have agricultural sales less than $50,000 annually; 1.2 million farmers have agricultural sales less than $10,000. Only 46 percent of farmers had a positive net cash income in 2012 (Census of Agriculture, NASS USDA).

Off-farm employment helps farmers provide for their family and still practice their passion for farming. A farmer friend agreed, I want to raise my children on a farm, even if it means working double duty.

Health coverage and life insurance. Farming and ranching are dangerous jobs. Working with large animals and heavy equipment in physically challenging environments makes good coverage critically important for farmers and their families.

Off-farm employment can provide access to healthcare and other benefits at a reasonable rate. Many full-time farmers have a spouse that works in town to provide the family with health coverage and insurance.

Economic stability. Prices fluctuate from year to year, resulting in unstable farm income. Farmers have difficulty making sound financial decisions, such as investing in growth with new equipment or land, based on volatile markets. Income from off-farm employment offers farmers a degree of certainty and financial security to help grow their operations with less risk.

Financing a farm. Young beginning farmers have trouble securing financing for land and equipment. Many Ag lenders require a 20 to 30 percent down payment to purchase farmland. Most young beginning farmers dont have that kind of cash on-hand. They also dont have assets, equity or collateral to encourage lenders to invest. Off-farm income can be used to make a down-payment on a farm, and serve as operating income the first few years of start-up.

Learn from mistakes and grow. Off-farm income allows new farmers to make mistakes and learn as they grow. In the five years I have been farming, Ive pivoted my business multiple times as Ive found more profitable niches and better markets. Off-farm income gave me the flexibility to fail and adapt without going out of business. Off-farm income has helped me bounce back from unexpected problems like livestock deaths, crop losses and expensive equipment repairs.

Complementing occupations. Part-time farmers bring specialized knowledge and skills to other career fields. Part-time farmers are Ag teachers, Extension educators, machinery salesmen and maintenance technicians. They work for Farm Credit, Farm Bureau and other Ag friendly organizations. They have keen insight into what it takes to run a farm business. They establish strong relationships within the agricultural community that benefits their work on- and off-farm.

Why part-time farming doesnt work

Limited time. There are only 24 hours in a day; each hour spent working off-farm is one less hour a farmer can spend building the farm business. Its especially challenging during the summer, a part-time vegetable grower told me, I lose a lot of sleep picking and packing produce.

Reduced access to markets. Working a 9-to-5 job during the week limits marketing opportunities. Weekday farmers markets are out of the question. Farm to school is also a problem. Restaurants and wholesalers make food purchases and accept deliveries during normal business hours. Livestock auction barns operate on weekdays.

Stress. Farming part-time alongside off-farm employment leaves farmers with little time for family or leisure. Farmers struggle to keep up with changing regulations, required food safety and applicator certifications and licensure. They worry about falling prices and revenue. Livestock diseases, biosecurity and other health issues are cause for concern. All this in addition to off-farm job stress is more than many farmers can handle.

Poor performance. Off-farm income provides a safety net that allows poor performance. If I dont meet production and sales goals I can still make my tractor payment and keep the roof over my head. Without a safety net of off-farm income I might take bigger risks, hustle harder and innovate more on the farm.

Lack of commitment. As a part-time farmer I constantly struggle to commit myself 100 percent to my farm and 100 percent to my career. When something has got to give it is always the farm because my job in town generates more income.

Some people are naturally better at managing multiple commitments. Others find they need to focus on one thing to push it to full potential. A farm friend told me, Im all in or all out. I left my job in town to farm full-time because it was the only way Id truly commit to making my dream a reality.
But this now demonstrates that actually all Australian farmers are going to be treated the same and all Australian food exporters will be treated the same and most importantly China is recognising Australia, not as its back yard, but as a legitimate and major food producer, he said.
The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement.

Support
In an effort to reduce the lines at the Prince William landfill and compost facility, now that both are closed on Sundays, the county is encouraging residents who regularly visit such faciliti
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh city Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong meets with Israeli President Reuven R. Rivlin. (Photo: VNA)

Chairman Phong expressed his happiness to welcome Israeli President Reuven R. Rivlin to Ho Chi Minh city, saying that over the past years, the two sides had signed a number of documents on agricultural, commercial, financial and education cooperation. At present, Israel has invested over 10 projects with a capital of some USD10 million in Ho Chi Minh city. Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh city Peoples Committee added that he hoped to welcome greater investment from Israel in the future.

During the reception, President Reuven R. Rivlin revealed his belief that the economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries would see stronger development in the future, and that Israeli businesses would continue to invest in Ho Chi Minh city, especially in areas that are strengths of Israel, including hi-tech agriculture, information and technology, chemicals and telecommunications.

After the reception, Chairman Phong and President Reuven R. Rivlin witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding worth USD200 million between the Dat Vang (Golden Land) Real Estate Investment Joint Stock Company and Jasmine Group in healthcare area in Ho Chi Minh city.

The Israeli President also attended the Vietnam  Israel Business Forum and witnessed the signing ceremony on research development cooperation for businesses between the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Israeli Creative Commission.

Earlier, President Reuven R. Rivlin visited a dairy farm using Israeli technology in Pham Van Hai commune, Binh Chanh district; and visited a school, medical foundation and social project for disabled people in Ho Chi Minh city./.
ING is under criminal investigation by Dutch prosecutors for money laundering and corruption in Uzbekistan, and authorities in the United States have also requested information from the bank.

In its annual report, ING said this week it is the subject of criminal investigations by Dutch authorities regarding various requirements related to the on-boarding of clients, money laundering, and corrupt practices.

Netherlands-based ING has also received related information requests from U.S. authorities, the bank said.

A spokesperson for the Dutch financial crimes prosecutor said ING is suspected of having failed to report, or report in a timely fashion, irregular transactions.

Marieke van der Molen also said one aspect of the investigation is unusual payments by VimpelCom to the company of an Uzbek government official.

In February 2016, VimpelCom settled U.S. and Dutch bribery charges. The Amsterdam-based company paid $397.6 million in penalties to the DOJ and SEC for FCPA offenses, and about the same amount to Dutch authorities.

VimpelCom admitted paying more than $114 million in bribes to a government official in Uzbekistan through a shell company between 2006 and 2012.

Documents the DOJ filed in court showed that some of the payments were transferred from ING Bank, Reuters said.

ING said it cooperating with the Dutch and U.S. probes.

* * *

Heres the disclosure from the Form 20-F/A that ING Groep N.V. filed with the SEC on March 20, 2017:

ING Bank is the subject of criminal investigations by Dutch authorities regarding various requirements related to the on-boarding of clients, money laundering and corrupt practices. ING Groep has also received related information requests from U.S. authorities. ING Groep and ING Bank are cooperating with such ongoing investigations and requests. It is currently not feasible to determine how the ongoing investigations and requests may be resolved or the timing of any such resolution, nor to estimate reliably the possible timing, scope or amounts of any resulting fines, penalties and/or other outcome, which could be significant.

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
Magnitsky family lawyer Nikolai GorokhovA Russian lawyer representing the family of whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky suffered serious head injuries after falling from the fourth floor of his apartment building near Moscow.

Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta said Nikolai Gorokhov apparently fell from the window Tuesday while trying to lift a bath tub up to his apartment. The paper showed pictures of a shattered tub near the building.

Other reports suggested Gorokhov might have been thrown from the window.

He was taken by helicopter to the hospital.

Gorokhov, 53, has represented the Magnitsky family since 2011.

Magnitsky died in custody in 2009 after uncovering a $230 million tax fraud against the Russian treasury. His evidence implicated a number of government officials and mobsters. The Russian government has said Magnitsky died of natural causes while in jail.

Gorokhov was scheduled to appear in court this week for a case Magnitskys mother filed against some of those allegedly involved in the fraud her son uncovered.

Magnitsky had acted as a lawyer for London-based Hermitage Capital, run by William Browder.

Browder pushed the United States to adopt the Magnitsky Act. The 2012 law imposes sanctions on those responsible for the 36-year-old lawyers detention, abuse, or death. It also reaches those who concealed his mistreatment, or were involved in or benefited from the criminal conspiracy he uncovered.

Hermitage said this week that Gorokhov was thrown from the fourth floor of his apartment building. It didnt provide detals.

Russias Interfax news agency reported that police dont believe there was criminal intent or anything suspicious about Gorokhovs fall.

Browder told the New York Times there is a trail of dead and seriously injured people leading from the Magnitsky case.

Gorokhov is a key witness for the U.S. Justice Department against a Cypriot company accused of laundering some of the proceeds from the tax fraud Magnitsky uncovered.

Browder told the Times that Russia is doing everything it can to shut down any serious investigation.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
It started with a simple enough idea; Friendship Friday. A night where you get together with your best girlfriends, sans makeup and in jammies, while indulging in junk food, cheesy romantic comedies, and drinking the weeks troubles away. Gosh, I wanted so badly to be one of those girls. I did the very next best thing, I wrote about them. Single in Seattle was created with all those desires of having that kind of magical friendship with other women. I wanted to celebrate the importance of female friendship even as we crawl through our 30s and make some sort of sense of all this life stuff.

Reeling In Love

Reeling in Love, the first title in Single in Seattle will be released on March, 28th 2017 by Totally Bound Publishing. The concept for the story was inspired by several readers who had become my friends. Granted, these lovely gals lived across the pond in the UK and I could only dream of a Friendship Friday with them, but the connection was strong even across all those miles. Each character we meet in Single in Seattle represents various types of women dealing with issues we all struggle with. In Reeling in Love, we meet Molly, Tiffany, and Mackenzie and follow these thirty-somethings as they navigate single life in Seattle, Washington. The good, the bad, and the not so pretty aspects of adulthood. They dont make any apologies for being who they are and I simply adore that about these characters. Writing this story came easy, I identified and even wished at times I were half as cool as these chicks. I also wished I had the kind of friendship they all shared. That bond that rarely lasts past college, that seems to disappear after those wedding bells ring, and babies are born. However, in this series we learn that friendship can survive through all the trials of adulthood.

Puppy Love, the second title in Single in Seattle will be available for pre-order on the same date as Reeling in Loves release. The second book continues right where book one left off. Im currently writing, Lessons in Love. This story is proving to be much more difficult to finish than I imagined. Why? I had no trouble with the first two books in this erotic contemporary series. The short answer is that Im having a difficult time saying goodbye to Molly, Tiffany, and Mackenzie. Let me tell you, these women have been through some stuff and I was there the whole time. They have become the friends I want to share Friendship Friday with, the girls I want there when life punches me in the gut and to party with when in the end everything works out.

When I submitted these two manuscripts, I received several offers to sign the series. However, Totally Bound Publishing shared my vision for Single in Seattle. At the core of these steamy romances, theres a great deal of heart mixed with all the real aspects of true friendship and life. I think by the time you finish reading this series youll be like me and want to start your very own Friendship Friday.

You can find the first two books in Single in Seattle at www.totallybound.com

About Gloria Herrmann

Gloria Herrmann is a romance author living in beautiful eastern Washington. She is an avid reader and lover of words, and becoming an author has been a dream come true for her. She still pinches herself all the time and wonders how she got so lucky.

She released her debut novel, Loving Liam, the first book in The Cloverleaf Series in October of 2015, and three more titles from that series were released by Limitless Publishing. Gloria wrote Single in Seattle, a three-book erotic contemporary series that will be released by Totally Bound in 2017. She has several self-published titles, including The Pass Through, which hit #1 in Native American Literature on Amazon. To find out more about her books and current projects, please visit the links below. FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/AuthorGloriaHerrmann INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/gloriaiswriting TWITTER www.twitter.com/gloriaiswriting AMAZON amazon.com/author/gloriaherrmann GOODREADS www.goodreads.com/authorgloriaherrmann LIMITLESS PUBLISHING www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/gloria-herrmann TOTALLY BOUND PUBLISHING: www.totallybound.com/author/gloria-herrmann
Kris Jenner is making a bid for an animated television series featuring the Kardashian/Jenner family.

Kris Jenner

The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star is reportedly keen to score the family another primetime slot with an animated show about "the entire family" including Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

Kim reportedly met with Harvey Weinstein's company in Los Angeles at the beginning of March to pitch the idea, TMZ reports.

And with the hope of a new series, Kris' hope of finishing work at 5pm each day so she can spend more time with her family and friends could be out the window.

Of her plans to finish work at a sensible time, she revealed previously: "Some days that is more successful than others! I'm so lucky that my kids all live nearby so we are always spending a lot of time together.

"I love to have family dinners, barbecues or movie nights with my grandkids. A lot of the time we're all moving at a million miles a minute, so it's important to slow down, relax and enjoy the greatest pleasures in life: my wonderful friends, my amazing children and my beautiful grandkids."

And despite starring in the family's E! reality show, Kris wishes her life was "a little more private" sometimes.

She said: "We've been doing the show for nearly a decade, and since the show started we've opened up our homes to everyone and invited people into our lives, which means showing you the good along with the bad.

"As people got to know us through years of watching the show, we found that it wasn't really possible, nor would it be authentic to who we are and what the show is all about, if we tried to keep things from being filmed.

"There are moments that you wish could be a little more private, but the show has opened up so many doors to so many incredible opportunities, and I wouldn't change that for anything."
Charlie Hunnam could have been killed when he was filming 'The Lost City of Z' when a deadly scorpion crawled up his arm.

Charlie Hunnam

The 36-year-old actor portrays British adventurer Colonel Percy Fawcett in the real-life biographical film which follows his journey deep into the unexplored Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century which led him to discover a new ancient civilisation.

Hunnam stars in the movie with Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland among others and they all had to shoot the movie on location in Colombia and one encounter with a poisonous arachnid almost cost him his life.

In an interview with the Metro newspaper, Hunnam recalled: "I improvised in a scene where Tom and I were being surrounded by a hostile tribe. I pulled us to the ground and a scorpion ran onto my hand. It stopped there for a while and I just froze.

"I didn't want to say anything and we kept on trying to interact with the people in the scene while I kept on looking at the scorpion. Then it ran up my finger to my arm and hoped off. The crew snake wrangler [expert] said that if it had stung me, I would have been dead in about five minutes."

Despite his near-miss, British star Hunnam admits it was an incredible experience to film in South America and get that close to the natural world.

Speaking about working in the jungle, he said: "It was so reassuring to shoot this in a place that is so filled with life. It felt like the entire environment was living and breathing. It was really energising and nurturing to be there."
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong receives Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. (Source: VNA)



Meeting Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hanoi on March 23rd, he expressed his hope that the two parties will continue working closely through visits and experience sharing.

The Party chief was delighted with the two countries productive and trustworthy cooperation and suggested Singapore share more experience, support businesses to tap the respective cooperative potentials, promote people-to-people exchange, and collaborate well at regional and international forums, particularly in ASEAN.

The two countries should continue focusing on deploying agreed contents of the strategic partnership to make their cooperation practical, he said.

He highly valued the Singaporean Governments assistance in human resources training and development.

PM Lee briefed his host of the productive outcomes of his talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and stated that the Singaporean Government always treasures bolstering multi-dimensional cooperation with Vietnam.

The visiting leader also noted that Singapore attaches importance to promoting its strategic partnership with Vietnam and is willing to share its experience in fields of its strength.

He also affirmed that Singapore will continue working together with Vietnam in implementing the ASEAN Community as well as at regional and international forums.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his spouse are on an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc from March 21st-24th.

PM Lee held talks with PM Phuc and met with President Tran Dai Quang earlier on the day./.
The Prince of Wales is set to make the grounds of his Scottish home "smoke free".

Prince Charles

Prince Charles is reportedly set to take action against smoking outdoors and plans to help prevent nicotine being smoked by banning it from being used in all three of the outdoor areas of his 2,000 acre grounds at Dumfries House in Cumnock.

Speaking about the plans, a spokesperson at the Ayrshire country house told the Mail Online: "As part of a Scottish Government initiative and our integrated health programme at Dumfries House, we are the first local organisation to make their play parks smoke-free."

And the 68-year-old royal - who is married to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall - has strongly urged people playing with their children in the fun areas to not light a cigarette during their visit.

The official website states: "We ask visitors not to smoke while playing with their children at these play parks."

Charles' plans will mark the first area in the northern part of the UK to forbid smoking outside, and this motion comes 11 years after Scotland prohibited smoking in all enclosed public areas, including pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs, which was swiftly followed by the rest of the UK.

And it appears Charles' appears to hold a strong anti-smoking stance ever since his late grandfather, George VI, died from lung cancer.

And it has been reported even Charles' spouse has taken a leaf out of his book as she quit the habit "many years ago".

The website added: "The Duchess of Cornwall gave up smoking many years ago."
In a step towards using the internet to bring small businesses around the world into the global economy, an e-hub has been set up in Malaysia. The e-hub is the first facility outside China where creation of digital free-trade zones for small and medium-sized enterprises was proposed by Alibaba. The concept is called Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).

In a step towards using the internet to bring small businesses around the world into the global economy, an e-hub has been set up in Malaysia. The e-hub is the first facility outside China where creation of digital free-trade zones for small and medium-sized enterprises was proposed by Alibaba. The concept is called Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).#

The opening of the e-hub was announced by Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma in Kuala Lumpur. The digital free trade zones are meant to offer simple and straightforward regulations, lower barriers for entry into new markets and provide small businesses with easier access to financing.

In a step towards using the internet to bring small businesses around the world into the global economy, an e-hub has been set up in Malaysia. The e-hub is the first facility outside China where creation of digital free-trade zones for small and medium-sized enterprises was proposed by Alibaba. The concept is called Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).#

Alibaba said it wants to establish these special trading areas in markets around the world, creating an "e-road" between them. Last year, the company helped to launch the China (Hangzhou) Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Free Trade Area, which will now be connected to the hub in Kuala Lumpur.

In a step towards using the internet to bring small businesses around the world into the global economy, an e-hub has been set up in Malaysia. The e-hub is the first facility outside China where creation of digital free-trade zones for small and medium-sized enterprises was proposed by Alibaba. The concept is called Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).#

The new e-hub involves multiple partners carrying out numerous functions to facilitate cross-border trade. They include an e-fulfillment hub based near Kuala Lumpur International Airport which will function as a customs clearance, warehousing and fulfillment center for the region, a one-stop, online, cross-border trading services platform to link the Malaysian e-hub to the original one in Hangzhou, allowing for easier trade for SMEs between the two countries, e-payments and financing to facilitate business-to-business trade for Malaysian SMEs, and training programmes for startups.

In a step towards using the internet to bring small businesses around the world into the global economy, an e-hub has been set up in Malaysia. The e-hub is the first facility outside China where creation of digital free-trade zones for small and medium-sized enterprises was proposed by Alibaba. The concept is called Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).#

For the past year, Ma has been calling for the establishment of an eWTP. The idea has since gained traction with business and government leaders. The eWTP was included in the official communique of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, Alibaba's home base, in September 2016. But the new Malaysia location, a partnership with state-run Malaysia Digital Economy Corp, the country's digital economy development agency, is the first such e-hub to be set up outside of China.

In a step towards using the internet to bring small businesses around the world into the global economy, an e-hub has been set up in Malaysia. The e-hub is the first facility outside China where creation of digital free-trade zones for small and medium-sized enterprises was proposed by Alibaba. The concept is called Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).#

"I laid out the vision for eWTP last year, and we, as a company, have taken on the responsibility to make this a reality. The first e-hub under the eWTP outside of China will go a long way towards making global trade more inclusive and provide much needed support to a hugely important constituent: SMEs and the younger generation," Ma said in a statement.

In a step towards using the internet to bring small businesses around the world into the global economy, an e-hub has been set up in Malaysia. The e-hub is the first facility outside China where creation of digital free-trade zones for small and medium-sized enterprises was proposed by Alibaba. The concept is called Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).#

Malaysia is tying up with Alibaba because the country is looking for ways to position itself as a fulfillment and logistics center, expand its internet economy and attract foreign investment, the statement said.

In a step towards using the internet to bring small businesses around the world into the global economy, an e-hub has been set up in Malaysia. The e-hub is the first facility outside China where creation of digital free-trade zones for small and medium-sized enterprises was proposed by Alibaba. The concept is called Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).#

During the launch ceremony, Alibaba and MDEC, affiliate Cainiao Network and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, and Ant Financial and Malaysian banks CIMB and Maybank, signed memorandums of understanding to offer a greater range of services related to digital free trade. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Online retail sales in UK have grown by 15 per cent year-on-year in February this year, building on solid growth in February 2016. It has been revealed in the latest report from IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. However, sustaining this growth throughout the year may be a challenge since sales through smartphones have slowed down, the report warns.

Online retail sales in UK have grown by 15 per cent year-on-year in February this year, building on solid growth in February 2016. It has been revealed in the latest report from IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. However, sustaining this growth throughout the year may be a challenge since sales through smartphones have slowed down, the report warns.#

For the past three months the rate of growth through smartphone devices has roughly halved year-on-year - in February 2016 it was +96 per cent YoY, but in February 2017 it was just +57 per cent. Growth of sales through smartphone devices has been one of the main drivers for online retail in recent years.

Online retail sales in UK have grown by 15 per cent year-on-year in February this year, building on solid growth in February 2016. It has been revealed in the latest report from IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. However, sustaining this growth throughout the year may be a challenge since sales through smartphones have slowed down, the report warns.#

Tablet growth remains low at 3.5 per cent and, with smartphones taking a greater share of sales through mobile devices, a sustained slowdown in sales growth through this channel will come to impact upon growth rates for online retail overall, the report says.

Online retail sales in UK have grown by 15 per cent year-on-year in February this year, building on solid growth in February 2016. It has been revealed in the latest report from IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. However, sustaining this growth throughout the year may be a challenge since sales through smartphones have slowed down, the report warns.#

However, this slowdown in growth through mobile devices - smartphones and tablets - is specific to online-only retailers. For multichannel retailers, which have both an online and in-store offering, growth in sales made on mobile devices was up slightly year-on-year, while the average basket value of online retail sales in general rose by nearly 20.

Online retail sales in UK have grown by 15 per cent year-on-year in February this year, building on solid growth in February 2016. It has been revealed in the latest report from IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. However, sustaining this growth throughout the year may be a challenge since sales through smartphones have slowed down, the report warns.#

For the second month running, the average basket value was at a seven-year high for that month of the year.

Online retail sales in UK have grown by 15 per cent year-on-year in February this year, building on solid growth in February 2016. It has been revealed in the latest report from IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. However, sustaining this growth throughout the year may be a challenge since sales through smartphones have slowed down, the report warns.#

"Although there are some warning signs for the retail industry - with sales made on smartphones falling month-on-month, for example - these are trends we've seen echoed in previous years. Traditionally January and February are slower months for purchases made on smartphones, and e-retail sales in general," principal consultant in retail customer engagement design, Capgemini, said.

Online retail sales in UK have grown by 15 per cent year-on-year in February this year, building on solid growth in February 2016. It has been revealed in the latest report from IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. However, sustaining this growth throughout the year may be a challenge since sales through smartphones have slowed down, the report warns.#

Justin Opie, managing director, IMRG, said "It's encouraging to see the second month of seven-year highs for average basket values in a row. When it comes to smartphones though, the slowdown in sales growth does appear to be fairly dramatic. That said, rates of smartphone growth over the past two years have been very high, and that couldn't continue indefinitely." (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The UK is the most popular destination for retailers looking to expand their store presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa or EMEA in 2017. A big 65 per cent of retailers cited the UK as their target market for expansion, according to the latest research from global property advisor, CBRE. UK was followed by France, Germany and the UAE.

The UK is the most popular destination for retailers looking to expand their store presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa or EMEA in 2017. A big 65 per cent of retailers cited the UK as their target market for expansion, according to the latest research from global property advisor, CBRE. UK was followed by France, Germany and the UAE.#

The core markets of Western Europe are on top of retailers' agenda as the most popular destinations for expanding their store network in 2017, despite the political and economic uncertainty in Europe.

The UK is the most popular destination for retailers looking to expand their store presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa or EMEA in 2017. A big 65 per cent of retailers cited the UK as their target market for expansion, according to the latest research from global property advisor, CBRE. UK was followed by France, Germany and the UAE.#

The UK came up as the most attractive retail market in the region, followed closely by France cited by some 43 per cent retailers, Germany, 38 per cent, and UAE, 24 per cent. Spain, Netherlands and Hungary attracted 19 per cent of respondents, to occupy the fifth spot as the most popular markets for retailer expansion.

The UK is the most popular destination for retailers looking to expand their store presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa or EMEA in 2017. A big 65 per cent of retailers cited the UK as their target market for expansion, according to the latest research from global property advisor, CBRE. UK was followed by France, Germany and the UAE.#

CBRE's research report - How Active are Retailers in EMEA? - found that 51 per cent of international retailers surveyed intended to open up to five stores across EMEA by the end of 2017. Street shops and regional shopping centres remain the most popular formats for expansion with over 80 per cent of retailers choosing these methods of growth.

The UK is the most popular destination for retailers looking to expand their store presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa or EMEA in 2017. A big 65 per cent of retailers cited the UK as their target market for expansion, according to the latest research from global property advisor, CBRE. UK was followed by France, Germany and the UAE.#

The survey also found that the biggest concerns for retailer expansion in 2017 are real estate cost escalation which was cited by 57 per cent of retailers, closely followed by lack of quality retail space at 51 per cent. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2017 has added four new celebrated names to the speaker line-up for this year  designer Prabal Gurung, Public School's designer duo, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, and the former dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons School of Design, Simon Collins. They will take part in the panel debate 'Fashion for a cause'.

Designers and fashion houses have taken to the runway to voice their opinions on the current political climate, using their designs as tools of expression to make statements, celebrate their values and pose questions about the future of our world. Moderated by Simon Collins, the 'Fashion for a cause' panel debate will explore fashion's role in current culture and politics, with panellists sharing their unique experiences and discussing the importance of taking a stance and challenging the meaning of fashion in our society.

Designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, born and raised in New York City, founded Public School in 2008 and have since then redefined the landscape for menswear and womenswear. Public School has its production roots in New York, supporting local tailors, pattern makers and skilled garment workers.

Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2017 has added four new celebrated names to the speaker line-up for this year  designer Prabal Gurung, Public School's designer duo, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, and the former dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons School of Design, Simon Collins. They will take part in the panel debate 'Fashion for a cause'.#

Prabal Gurung launched his collection in February 2009 with a philosophy encompassing modern luxury, indelible style and an astute sense of glamour. Born in Singapore and raised in Nepal, Gurung began his design career in New Delhi, before moving to New York to complete his design studies at Parsons the New School of Design.

Simon Collins is founder and CEO of the Fashion Culture Design Series and principal consultant at The House of Collins. Following a career as a fashion designer, then creative director for some of the world's leading brands, including Nike, Polo and Zegna, he recently spent seven years as dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons School of Design.

Some of the other speakers at the Summit include Anna Gedda, head of sustainability, H&M; Eileen Fisher, founder & chairwoman, Eileen Fisher, Inc.; Ellen MacArthur, founder, Ellen MacArthur Foundation; Jason Kibbey, CEO, Sustainable Apparel Coalition; Julie Gilhart, creative business consultant; Marie-Claire Daveu, chief sustainability officer, Kering; Mark Langer, CEO, Hugo Boss; Michael Kowalski, chairman & interim CEO, Tiffany & Co.; Vanessa Friedman, fashion director & chief fashion critic, The New York Times and Wendy Schmidt, president, The Schmidt Family Foundation.

The event on sustainability in fashion, Copenhagen Fashion Summit, will take place on May 11, 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Over 300 delegates from Singapore, Southeast Asia, Korea, China, the US and South Africa attended the first ever Fuze Fashion Technology 2017 that was recently held in Singapore. The event sought to explore and offer new insights into some of the exciting opportunities for businesses to drive future innovation and business growth through the use of technology.

The summit was organised by Taff and presented by Decoded Fashion with the support of International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board, Infocomm Media Development Authority, DesignSingapore Council and Workforce Singapore. Mark Lee, president of the Textile and Fashion Federation (Taff) & CEO of Textile and Fashion Federation, had inaugurated the event.

The fashion and retail industry is undergoing extensive structural changes globally and the shift towards e-commerce has forced many brand owners to adapt and change the way they run their business, said Lee.

Over 300 delegates from Singapore, Southeast Asia, Korea, China, the US and South Africa attended the first ever Fuze Fashion Technology 2017 that was recently held in Singapore. The event sought to explore and offer new insights into some of the exciting opportunities for businesses to drive future innovation and business growth through the use of technolog#

Giles Cummings, Managing Director of Decoded Fashion, said, "Opportunities are abound in Southeast Asia, it is essential not only to embrace the consumer-facing challenges but the B2B innovation opportunities as well. Bring together experts and professionals from both upstream and downstream segments of the fashion value chain to address the increasing urgency for 'fashion immediacy' in both manufacturing and retail."

Illustrating this opportunity was Adrian Leu, CEO of Inition, who presented the Opening Keynote on Virtual Change: Tech + digital Transformation. Leu posed a valuable question about the growth opportunities that technology provides, especially in consideration of immersive technology and business transformation, through the use of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are new media platforms, which would make it possible to bring different strands of media into one single space thereby enhancing the front-end, consumer facing experience, allowing for non-linear storytelling as well as greater involvement and empathy on the part of the consumers.

"As the fashion cycle shortens in response to consumer's growing preference for instant made-to-measure products, there is an increasing necessity for the fashion industry to move closer to its customers with the help of technology. This puts into question the persisting tendency of the industry to move production globally in search of more economic means of production. This traditional production methodology essentially moves production further away from customers at the expense of meeting the customer's need for immediacy," said Joachim Hensch, Managing Director of Hugo Boss Textile Industries.

To mitigate such changes in consumer habits, Hensch proposed that companies rethink traditional multi-level manufacturing methodologies and to instead, adopt technology which will increase agility.

Exemplifying this fashion and technology integration is the second edition of FashionisTech, an initiative by Taff, in collaboration with IE Singapore, which aims to promote the advancement in material innovation and creative partnerships with the use of technology amongst Singapore fashion companies.

Local labels Wai Yang, Pleatation and Ying the Label collaborated with Epson Singapore to create and showcase their digitally printed collection using innovative dye sublimation and direct-to-garment printing technologies at the event.

Inspired by their belief in children's penchant for adventures, Curiosity introduced a range of high quality clothing for children, which offers high tech UV protection of up to a UPF rating of 50+, protecting little kids from the harmful sun's rays while they explore the great outdoors.

In another show of technological ingenuity, local label Chainless Brain  Alverina Wijaya  collaborated with 3D Printing Studio for her Series 2 collection. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
More than 3,341 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions participated in the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabric trade fair that was recently held in China. This edition recorded a 5.9 per cent increase in exhibitors from last year (3,155 from 27 countries and regions) and played host to over 71,000 visitors from 103 countries and regions.

The three-day fair successfully generated steady business for the participants and helped them network with companies from around the globe. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics  Spring Edition 2017 was co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT, and the China Textile Information Centre. Yarn Expo, CHIC and PH Value fairs were also held concurrently with Intertextile in Shanghai.

"This fair is one of the most important events for the worldwide textile market, and the strong business results for exhibitors and buyers this edition once again validates this. The amount of new business that was generated here this week, as expressed by many exhibitors, was the most pleasing aspect for us," said Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

More than 3,341 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions participated in the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabric trade fair that was recently held in China. This edition recorded a 5.9 per cent increase in exhibitors from last year (3,155 from 27 countries and regions) and played host to over 71,000 visitors from 103 countries and regions.#

"This is due in part, we believe, to our efforts over the last few editions to improve the quality of buyers sourcing at the fair, as well as a strong focus on our product zones, which target the growth areas of the market. We have also continued our work with the venue to ensure service standards continue to improve, which has provided a more conducive environment all-round for business to take place," added Wen.

Amongst the many exhibitors reporting strong results were two world-renowned brands who were returning to the fair. Even with their long participation at Intertextile Shanghai, they still managed to meet new, quality buyers this edition.

"Although we are always exhibiting here, we still see new people at the fair and can always find potential customers. Many of the companies in China are growing in size as well as quality, so they are interested in our products. Around 70 per cent of people to our booth have been new and interested customers, so Intertextile Shanghai is the show to be at and is an absolute must! We are telling everyone if you want to be serious in this business then you have to be here," said Eberhard Ganns, managing director of German company Union Knopf (HK) Ltd.

Hyundai Chemical from Korea has been participating in the Spring and Autumn Editions of the fair for four years, with Youn Seok Jang, Overseas Sales Team Manager, explaining their reason for returning is Intertextile Shanghai's ability to attract the right buyers. "In the past two days of the fair, we have obtained over 50 business contacts from both new and existing clients. A large number of the contacts were domestic Chinese buyers, while buyers from the Americas and Europe also showed genuine interest in our latest products. The fair keeps getting better year after year, and we are able to connect with enough new buyers every edition to make it worthwhile for us to come back repeatedly."

Returning American buyer Steven Fuller, director men's woven's, Tommy Bahama, was at the fair to source unique and innovative fabrics. "I have been to many of the previous editions and I can confidently say that this is one of the most comprehensive sourcing platforms for our company to gain business contacts. There is no place in the region that has this many suppliers to choose from. I met with companies who develop their own fabrics, and have also had the chance to speak with the product developers, which is helpful in explaining the nature of their product."

"This edition we connected with over 20 suppliers, while having already placed orders with four of them, including from China, Korea and Taiwan. Overall, I am very pleased with the fair and like every year, it is able to fulfil our sourcing needs. We will most definitely be back again this October," added Fuller.

The next edition, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics  Autumn Edition 2017, will take place from October 11-13, 2017. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Mahesh Bhatt was forced to lodge a police complaint against the multiple extortion calls he received, threatening to kill his wife Soni Razdan and daughter Alia Bhatt if Rs 50 lakhs was not given to him. The police traced the calls and messages to Lucknow resident Sandeep Sahu, who was jailed. However, Sandeep has now been granted bail for Rs 20,000. Sandeeps lawyers cited that he could only be booked for criminal intimidation and not extortion. "For this section of extortion to be applicable, there should be some transfer of valuable security or money, grievous hurt or injury. However, there is no such thing in the present case. The police in their overzealousness has booked him for a graver offense, Sudha Dwivedi, one of his lawyers, told a news daily.
critic's rating: 4.0/5

: 4 stars: Fun-filled love balladFamous Scottish poet most famous poem, A red, red rose ends with the lines: Its an old school, endearing thought of romance. The kind that used to flame in books and diaries, a far cry from modern romances of Facebook and Instagram. It was a time when love seemed like a feeling reserved for ever after. Anushka Sharma's Phillauri is like a bridge between these two worlds, set generations apart. It has the subtle, sublime emotions of old world romance. It also has the spunk and verve of modern day relationships. Creative, funny, romantic, Phillauri is just as entertaining as its heart breaking. Its one deeply gratifying film about love just going on and on, till infinity.The story kicks off as young Kanan (Suraj Sharma) returns from Canada to get married to his childhood sweetheart in Amritsar. He has LSD inspired dreams of getting hitched and losing his freedom. Hes very much in love but he cant get over his cold feet for commitment. Things get interesting when hes married off to a tree, since he turns out to be manglik. Thats when the ghost of Shashi (Anushka Sharma) shows up, claiming to have been married to Kanan, since she was part of the tree. The premise of Phillauri is slightly outrageous and that works in favour of the film. Debut director Anshai Lal keeps the film quirky in modern times and the end result is extremely funny. In complete contrast, the flashbacks to Anushka Sharma's and Diljit Dosanjh's period romance are highly dramatic and follow a more traditional approach of story telling. They remind of you old world love sagas while the new age Punjabi marriage love story keeps things hip and happening.As romances and comedies go, Phillauri requires a considerable amount of suspension of disbelief. You have a glittery ghost whos an uninvited guest at an Indian wedding. But as the backstory unfolds and as the screenplay draws comparisons between old and new romance, Phillauri turns into a deeply satisfying experience on what love truly means. The film establishes a certain respect towards the meaning of love. Both Anushka's and Mehreen Pirzada's characters pine for love, but not at the cost of their respect. Both men, Suraj Sharmas and Diljit Dosanjh's characters, go the extra mile to assure their loved ones of their commitment and feelings.If you are a hopeless romantic, youll enjoy Phillauri beyond imagination. But even those with reservations against rom-com kind of love, will enjoy the quirky humour of the film as a ghost and a confused young man, bumble around in a colourful wedding. The CGI of the film is top notch as Anushka's Shashi glides around like an apparition with gold and pixie dust of course. The use of poetry and restrained emotions in the flashback period romance lend gravitas to the film. That successfully manages to tie up all ends and interconnect the old and modern romance is fantastic.Anushka Sharma's performance as a loveable and slightly sarcastic ghost is entertaining. Portions of her role that are set in 1919, show a more sombre and serious side. The actress handles all shades of her character with aplomb. Diljit Dosanjh is a find for Hindi cinema. His natural talent to perform makes his character in Phillauri that much more endearing. Suraj Sharma and Mehreen Pirzada as the young couple make things affable.Phillauri is truly a fun film. For romance enthusiasts, this movies got everything. For the casual movie goer, its got the right amount of humour. But for the auteur of love, this film and its poetic old world charm can weave a spell of magic.
Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry Le Hai Binh. (Source: VNA)



Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry Le Hai Binh made the statement when replying to a reporters query sent on March 23rd seeking for Vietnams reaction to the terror attack outside the British Parliament on March 22nd.

He said after learning about the attack, the Foreign Ministry instructed the Vietnam Embassy in the UK to promptly seek information on any Vietnamese victims from local authorized agencies.

The Embassy reported back that it has not gotten information on Vietnamese victims in the attack so far and that it is still maintaining liaison with local authorized agencies and keeping a close watch on the case in order to take assistance measures when needed, he noted.

Foreign media reported that at least three people were killed and 29 others hospitalized in the attack outside the British Parliament when a man mowed down pedestrians with a car then leapt out and stabled a police officer./.
Just a few weeks ago, Mahesh Bhatt had received an extortion call from an unidentified caller who claimed to be from the underworld and demanded a sum of Rs 50 Lakhs and if he failed to pay up, he threatened to shoot his daughter Alia Bhatt and his wife Soni Razdan. The film-maker filed an FIR with the Mumbai Police and the caller was nabbed in Uttar Pradesh and sent to police custody. However, it is now reported that the accused Sandeep Sahu will soon be granted bail on a sum of Rs 20,000 and he should visit the police station every Sunday between 2-4 PM.

Hot! Julie 2 Star Raai Laxmi Flaunts Her First Look In A Bikini!

As per the chief metropolitan magistrate, granting bail to Sandeep will in no way hamper the ongoing investigations and all charges are pinned against him, until he is proven guilty of the crime. As per the investigations, Sandeep made the threatening call to Mahesh Bhatt as he needed to repay a loan of Rs 6 Lakhs to his relatives.



Bikini Diaries! Amyra Dastur Chills By The Pool In Colombo

It's also surprising that the police have booked Sandeep Sahu under criminal intimidation (section 506 of the IPC) and not extortion (section 387 of the IPC). Sudha Dwivedi, a lawyer fighting the case opened up by saying, "For this section of extortion to be applicable, there should be some transfer of valuable security or money, grievous hurt or injury. However, there is no such thing in the present case. The police in their overzealousness has booked him for a graver offense."

Riya Sen: I Am Hot, Even Girls Make Passes At Me!

We hope the law and order of the land will soon catch up with Sandeep Sahu and deliver the much required justice. The delay in doing so will only make things worse as the criminal can find several loopholes in the Indian judiciary system and play according to his needs and requirments leaving justice in the lurch.

Guess Who? This Bollywood Actress Is Donald Trump's Favourite
The celebrated American actor and producer Morgan Freeman who has been on a trip to India for work purpose, says he has been fascinated by the Ganges here.

"I was fascinated by India. So going there was a very settling experience. I went there for a spiritual trip more than a sight-seeing trip. So, it was a spiritual experience for me. The time I spent on the Ganges will stay with me forever," said Freeman in a statement.

"I didn't see enough of the country to make a film on it. I haven't been able to stay for so long to have a judgment on the same. However, we all are looking for great content. So, yes, will I ever make a film in India? Absolutely!" Freeman added.

Talking about his show titled Madam Secretary, Freeman said, "After we sat down with the story we realised we had three strong female characters from the State Department. Initially, when we sat down with the story we thought it will be based on Hillary Clinton's life."

"But later we realised it's a lot more than that. The Secretary of State involves a lot of intricate things." Freemans added.

Freeman also stated that working in television is rather "pretty difficult" in comparison to films.
Ending all speculations, the Zombieland 2 movie is all in development assured writer duo, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.

Both the writers assured about the movie and said it is all in the process of getting the final nod from Sony.

"It is in active development. We're trying to get it going. All of our cast have read the script and love it. Ruben [Fleischer] is signed on. It's just a matter of making our cast deals and making it for a budget number." Said Wernick

"All the cast have become superstars now so, we made Zombieland with 20 million, so it's trying to fit that financial model into the sequel model so it makes sense for the studio and being able to pay the actors what they now get paid and deserve to paid," Wernick added.

Adding to that another writer Rhett Reese compared this project with Deadpool and said they are hoping for the final nod from the Sony Pictures chairman, Tom Rothman.

"We see Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman pretty frequently now and we're pestering that dude. He's like, 'Please, enough with the Zombieland talk!' We're pestering him the way we pestered Fox on Deadpool. We're not letting it go." Said Reese

"We really want to see Zombieland 2," Reese stated further.
Finally, the D-day has arrived for Team Raajakumara. By the time, you read this article, the shows would have started already throughout the state. First show was at around 12:30 AM in Bellary, which is stronghold area for Shivanna and Appu.

Film has been released throughout the country in a big way. In Karnataka, film has been released in over 300 theaters which is a good number considering the fact that there is another Telugu biggie releasing along with Raajakumara.

Film has been released by producers Hombaale Films throughout the state. Local distributors like Jayanna Films (BKT) and Shankara Enterprises (MMCH) are facilitating the makers in releasing the film. Jolly Hits is releasing the film in overseas.

Puneeth's previous film Doddmane Hudga had released in over 340 theaters and had 254 shows at multiplexes on day 1. Raajakumara has managed to get 260 shows in multiplexes on day 1 and this is highest for a Puneeth Rajkumar film, till date.

Most of the early morning shows throughout the state were sold out which shows the expectations and hype this Puneeth starrer has managed to get. In places like Tumkur, where the film is released in a singlr theater will have record six shows on day one.

In Bangalore alone, film had around 28 early morning shows. Previous best was Kiccha Sudeep's Hebbuli, which had 25 early morning shows in Bangalore. Srinivasa (Gowdanapalya) and Balaji (Tavarekere) were the first theaters to screen the film in Bangalore.

Bookings in pan-India looks good which should ensure solid opening for the film and should ease the efforts of getting screens for Kannada films in pan-India going forward. With positive response, shows will be increased by evening in most of the multiplexes.
Rating: 2.5 /5

Cast: Konidela Pawan Kalyan, Shruthi Hassan, Ali, Rao Ramesh, Nassar, Pradeep Rawat, Siva Balaji, Chakravathy, Pavithra Lokesh

Produced By: Sharath Marrar

Direction: Kishore Kumar Pardasani (Dolly)

Written By: Akula Siva, Vema Reddy, Srinivasa Reddy & Timma Reddy

Story: Siruthai Siva

Music: Anup Rubens

Cinematography: Prasad Murella

Editor: Gautham Raju

It's already summer and people are sweating profusely due to the sun's blazing charm. In addition to this, our "Suriyudu" Power Star Pawan Kalyan is back setting the screen on fire. It's Katamarayudu day for all the Power fans who are celebrating Ugadi much in advance.

This Tamil movie remake of Ajith-Tamannah Starrer, Veeram, has constantly been successful in creating abuzz in the Tollywood circuits, thanks to its teaser, songs, posters and trailer.

Story

Katamarayudu (Pawan Kalyan) leads a do-gooder life with a high dosage of violence for the evil in a certain village with Rayalaseema backdrop with four brothers and his friend-cum-lawyer, Ali. Rayudu is against women and the concept of marriage as he majorly feels that a woman entrant into the family might disrupt the relationship between the brothers who are bonded like Pancha Pandavas.

Rayudu's three brothers (Apart from Ajay) and Ali are actually in love and the fact is hidden from the caring brother, respecting his opinion and also out of extreme fear. This makes the team hatch a plan and eventually gets him close to Avantika (Shruthi Hassan), who actually visits Rayudu's village for a cultural event. Avantika reminds Rayudu of his childhood girlfriend, and a series of cooked up scenarios by Rayudu's brothers and lawyer-friend gets both Rayudu and Avantika into the love mood set.

Avantika's father, Nasser (Ex-Justice), a man who practices and preaches non-violence, supports his daughter's decision and asks the former to introduce him to his future son-in-law. It's only upon the journey does Avantika realize that Katamarayudu is not a peace loving person similar to the characteristics of her family members but instead, the opposite of it.

Rayudu persuades Avantika and wins over her father's trust through the non-violence path. He eventually saves the entire family from the wrath of Tarun Arora, the supposedly third antagonist of the movie after Pradeep Rawat and Rao Ramesh.

Read on to know how the cast and crew members of Katamarayudu have fared for the movie..

Pawan Kalyan What else do you need when there is Pawan Kalyan all the way? His attitude, typical dialogue delivery, mannerisms and few unusual dance moves make it a paisa vasool watch for his fans. He excels in comical and romantic sequences and is definitely the biggest plus of the movie. Shruthi Haasan Shruthi Hassan is neat with her character and has a restricted amount of scope in the movie. Her dance moves are worth mention. Rest Of The Cast Rayudu's brothers does justice to their roles and it's Ajay who stands out in terms of performance amongt the other brothers. Pradeep Rawat and Tarun Arora appear on screen for the sake of antagonist characters but their roles lack clarity and importance. It's Rao Ramesh who steals the show with his language dialect and dialogue delivery. Ali is entertaining and is sure to tickle your funny bone at parts. Director - Kishore Kumar Pardasani Kishore Kumar Pardasani (Dolly) has taken the story line from Veeram and has added quite a few ingredients in order to satisfy the Telugu audiences. However, the screenplay could have been even snugger with powerful antagonist characterization and strong flashback line for a better revenge episode. Editor - Gautham Raju Editing by Gautham Raju seems a bit choppy as transitions from one scene to the other and from songs to sequences, are very haphazard and not smooth. BGM & Music - Anup Rubens However, Anup Rubens, the music director comes with a mixed package. Mira Mira Meesam song and the hero introduction BGM at the very beginning of the movie gives a top-notch feel making the audience go ecstatic over his work, at the same time he fails to impress with rest of the average songs and very ordinary BGM. Pawan Kalyan's screen presence deserved a better quality level of background music.

Verdict

Watch Katamarayudu if you are a Power Star Pawan Kalyan fan without forgetting papers for celebration.
PARIS, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Last night, for the 19th edition of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Ceremony at the Maison de la Mutualite, the international scientific community gathered to honour and celebrate five exceptional women scientists and their accomplishments in the physical sciences. The event was opened by Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO and M. Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L'Oreal and Chairman of the L'Oreal Corporate Foundation. Read the full press release here:http://fondationloreal.com/documents/9e75d9f5-f216-4afa-95a5-ad4fd0747852/download?lang=en



(Photo:http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480061/LOreal1.jpg)





(Photo:http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480062/Loreal2.jpg)





(Photo:http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480063/Loreal3.jpg)





(Photo:http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480064/Loreal4.jpg)





(Photo:http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480065/Loreal5.jpg)



The 2017 Laureates: Women At The Cutting-Edge

The 2017 Edition of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Ceremony celebrated 5 eminent women scientists and their excellence, creativity and intelligence. Each woman received an Award of 100,000  to commend their scientific contributions in the fields of quantum physics, physical sciences and astrophysics.

VISUAL

These 5 exceptional women, from 5 different world regions, are each contributing in their own way to change the world for the better:

Professor Niveen M. KHASHAB (Saudi Arabia), for designing novel nanoparticles that could improve early detection of disease.

Her work in analytical chemistry could lead to more targeted and personalized medical treatment.

Professor Michelle SIMMONS (Australia), for pioneering ultra-fast quantum computers.

Her work on atomic-scale transistors could give birth to tomorrow's computers.

Professor Nicola A. Spaldin (Switzerland), for reinventing magnetic materials for next-generation electronic devices.

Her research on multiferroic materials could lead to a new generation of electronic equipment components.

Professor Maria Teresa Ruiz (Chile), for discovering a new type of celestial body, halfway between a star and a planet, hidden in the darkness of the universe.

Her observations on brown dwarfs could answer the universal question of whether there is life on other planets.

Professor Zhenan Bao (United States), for inventing skin-inspired electronic materials.

Her research on flexible, stretchable and conductive materials could improve the quality of life of patients with prostheses.

Jean-Paul Agon highlighted the power of these women scientists, as well as all of the women scientists who have been celebrated this year, in his opening speech: "A shared, controlled science, at the service of the world's population, is able to meet the major challenges of the twenty-first century, and our researchers are the proof. They are the ones that give science all its greatness."

Contacts:

L'Oreal Foundation

Ludivine DESMONTS-MORNET

ludivine.desmonts-mornet@loreal.com

+33-(0)1-47-56-77-47

UNESCO

Vincent DEFOURNY

v.defourny@unesco.org

+33-(0)-1-45-68-12-11

Agence MATRIOCHKA for the L'Oreal Foundation

Delphine HILAIRE

delphine.hilaire@mtrchk.com

+33-(0)-6-22-68-29-64

Carly NEWMAN

carly.newman@mtrchk.com

+33-(0)-6-65-00-41-66


CAMARILLO, California, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --BNK Petroleum Inc. (the "Company" or "BNK") (TSX:BKX), is providing the results of its December 31, 2016 independent reserves evaluation.

The evaluation of the Company's reserves in the Caney formation of the Tishomingo Field in Oklahoma was conducted by Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. ("NSAI") in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities.

2016 Gross Reserves Summary

Total Proved Reserves 18 million Barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) an increase of 1% over the December 31, 2015 estimate

Proved plus Probable Reserves 42 million BOEs an increase of 2% over the December 31, 2015 estimate

Proved plus Probable plus Possible Reserves 66.5 million BOEs a decrease of 4% from the December 31, 2015 estimate



Net Present Value of Reserves discounted at 10%

Total Proved Reserves before tax of U.S. $149.9 million

Proved plus Probable Reserves before tax of U.S. $370.7 million

Proved plus Probable plus Possible Reserves before tax of U.S. $695.4 million

The above total Proved reserves are attributed to 11 of the Caney wells already drilled, four Woodford wells (4.9% working interest for the Company) and the drilling of 32.7 net additional wells over the next 5 years. The Probable reserves are attributed to the drilling of 40.99 net additional wells. The wells in this report are planned at 107 acre spacing (6 wells per section) on approximately 11,448 net acres. This is approximately 69 percent of the 16,650 net acres the Company has in this project. The other 31 percent of the acreage is on the easterly side of the Company's acreage and based on data from the Company's historical drilling of the deeper Woodford formation wells, correlated with a 3D seismic survey, the Company anticipates that future wells on its easterly acreage will demonstrate that the Caney is also productive over this easterly acreage.

Wolf Regener, President and CEO commented. "We are very pleased with the way our existing wells are performing. The estimated ultimate recovery from the existing wells increased by 1.2million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), as the existing producing wells once again exceeded the previous year forecast. Our Proved and Probable reserves increased this year as well. These increases do not incorporate any of the wells from our 2017 drilling program, which started in the 3rd week of December 2016. The Company expects these wells to further increase the Proved and Probable reserves, once the wells are brought online and a new reserve report is generated."







Summary of Oil & Gas Reserves

Tight Oil Shale Gas Natural Gas Liquids MBOE's Reserve Category BNK

Gross

(Mbbl) Net

(Mbbl) BNK

Gross

(MMcf) Net

(MMcf) BNK

(Mbbl) Net

(Mbbl) BNK

(Mbbl) Net

(Mbbl) Proved

















Developed Producing 1,474.0 1,139.2 2,351.5 1,819.9 556.6 430.8 2,422.5 1,873.3

Developed Non-Producing 0.0 0.0 251.2 204.1 72.2 58.7 114.1 92.7

Undeveloped 10,686.1 8,373.0 11,777.5 9,180.1 2,787.9 2,173.1 15,436.9 12,076.1 Total Proved 12,160.1 9,512.2 14,380.2 11,204.1 3,416.7 2,662.6 17,973.5 12,076.1 Probable 16,270.7 12,944.6 19,258.6 15,350.9 4,562.7 3,637.0 24,043.2 19,140.1 Total Proved Plus Probable 28,430.9 22,456.8 33,638.8 26,555.1 7,979.6 6,299.6 42,017.0 33,182.3 Possible 16,461.2 13,183.6 19,935.5 15,899.9 4,726.0 3,769.4 24,509.8 19,603.0 Total Proved Plus Probable Plus Possible 44,892.1 35,640.0 53,574.4 42,455.0 12,705.5 10,068.9 66,526.7 52,784.7



Net Present Value of Future Net Revenue As of December 31, 2016 Forecast Prices & Costs























Net Present Value of Future Net Revenue ($ millions)

Before Income Tax After Income Tax Reserve Category 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% United States



















Proved





















Developed Producing 57.7 43.5 34.9 29.2 25.2 57.7 43.5 34.9 29.2 25.2

Developed Non-Producing 1.4 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.7 1.4 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.7

Undeveloped 314.9 185.9 114.1 70.4 42.1 236.8 147.2 92.8 57.7 34.2 Total Proved 373.9 230.5 149.9 100.4 68.0 295.9 191.8 128.6 87.7 60.1 Probable 612.5 354.4 220.8 144.5 97.6 404.2 236.4 146.6 94.9 62.9 Total Proved Plus Probable 986.4 584.9 370.7 245.0 165.8 700.1 428.2 275.2 182.6 123.0 Possible 846.4 497.0 324.7 228.6 169.8 558.7 327.6 215.2 153.7 116.6 Total Proved Plus Probable plus Possible 1,832.8 1,081.9 695.4 473.5 335.5 1,258.8 755.8 490.4 336.3 239.6



Note: All dollar values are expressed in U.S. dollars.

The Company's reserves are derived from non-conventional oil and gas activities. The Company's reserves are contained in a shale oil reservoir from which gas and natural gas liquids are produced as by-products. "Tight oil" means crude oil (a) contained in dense organic-rich rocks, including low-permeability shales, siltstones and carbonates, in which the crude oil is primarily contained in microscopic pore spaces that are poorly connected to one another, and (b) that typically requires the use of hydraulic fracturing to achieve economic production rates. "Shale gas" means natural gas (a) contained in dense organic-rich rocks, including low-permeability shales, siltstones and carbonates, in which the natural gas is primarily adsorbed on the kerogen or clay minerals, and (b) that usually requires the use of hydraulic fracturing to achieve economic production rates.

These after income tax net present values reflect the tax burden on the Company's Tishomingo Field interests on a standalone basis, do not consider the business-entity-level tax situation, or tax planning and do not provide an estimate of the value at the level of the business entity, which may be significantly different. The financial statements and the management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) of the Company should be consulted for information at the level of the business entity.

Readers are referred to the Company's Form 51-101F1 Statement of Reserves Data and Other Oil & Gas Information for the year ended December 31, 2016, which can be accessed electronically from the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, for additional information.

"BOEs" refers to barrels of oil equivalent. BOEs/boes may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 Mcf:1 Bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Possible reserves are those additional reserves that are less certain to be recovered than probable reserves. There is a 10% probability that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the sum of provided plus probable plus possible reserves. The present value of estimated future net revenues referred to herein does not represent fair market value and should not be construed as the current market value of estimated crude oil and natural gas reserves attributable to the Company's properties.

About BNK Petroleum Inc.

BNK Petroleum Inc. is an international oil and gas exploration and production company focused on finding and exploiting large, predominately unconventional oil and gas resource plays. Through various affiliates and subsidiaries, the Company owns and operates shale oil and gas properties in the United States. Additionally the Company is utilizing its technical and operational expertise to identify and acquire additional unconventional projects. The Company's shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the stock symbol BKX.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding estimates of reserves and future net revenue, expectations regarding additional reserves and statements regarding Caney wells development, including plans, anticipated results and timing. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Estimated reserves and future net revenue have been independently evaluated by NSAI with an effective date of December 31, 2016. This evaluation is based on a limited number of wells with limited production history and includes a number of assumptions relating to factors such as availability of capital to fund required infrastructure, commodity prices, production performance of the wells drilled, successful drilling of infill wells, the assumed effects of regulation by government agencies and future capital and operating costs. All of these estimates will vary from actual results. Estimates of the recoverable oil and natural gas reserves attributable to any particular group of properties, classifications of such reserves based on risk of recovery and estimates of future net revenues expected therefrom, will vary. The Company's actual production, revenues, taxes, development and operating expenditures with respect to its reserves will vary from such estimates, and such variances could be material. Estimates of after-tax net present value are dependent on a number of factors including utilization of tax-loss carry forwards. In addition to the foregoing, other significant factors or uncertainties that may affect either the Company's reserves or the future net revenue associated with such reserves include material changes to existing taxation or royalty rates and/or regulations, and changes to environmental laws and regulations. Forward-looking information regarding Caney wells development and expectations regarding additional reserves are based on plans and estimates of management and interpretations of exploration information by the Company's exploration team at the date the information is provided and is subject to several factors and assumptions of management, including that required regulatory approvals will be available when required, that completion techniques require further optimization, that production rates do not match the Company's assumptions, that very low or no production rates are achieved, that no unforeseen delays, unexpected geological or other effects, equipment failures, permitting delays or labor or contract disputes or shortages are encountered, that the development plans of the Company and its co-venturers will not change, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information, including that anticipated results and estimated costs will not be consistent with managements' expectations, the Company or its subsidiaries not being able for any reason to obtain and provide the information necessary to secure required approvals or that required regulatory approvals are otherwise not available when required, that unexpected geological results are encountered and that equipment failures, permitting delays or labor or contract disputes or shortages are encountered.

Information on other important economic factors or significant uncertainties that may affect components of the reserves data and the other forward looking statements in this release are contained in the Company's Form 51-101F1 Statement of Reserves Data and Other Oil & Gas Information for the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis and the Company's Annual Information Form under "Risk Factors", which are available under the Company's profile at www.SEDAR.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

For further information: Wolf E. Regener, +1 (805) 484-3613, Email: investorrelations@bnkpetroleum.com, Website: www.bnkpetroleum.com
NEC Seiichiro Toda s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com +81-3-3798-6511

TOKYO, Mar 24, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced its contribution to INTERPOL's Digital Security Challenge (DSC) cybercrime investigation training held at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore from Tuesday, March 14 to Friday, March 17, 2017.This DSC was conducted by INTERPOL in order for police to increase their cybercrime investigation capabilities. Participants in the four-day session included cybercrime investigation officers from the police forces of INTERPOL member countries and experts in digital forensics.Participants in this training aimed to identify a criminal based on a fictitious cybercrime through analysis of digital evidence. In addition, private companies sponsoring this event introduced technologies available for cybercrime investigation.In cooperation with a subsidiary company, Cyber Defense Institute, NEC's support for the INTERPOL training based on a fictional cybercrime scenario, included the provision of information for analysis and the provision of an analysis environment for the investigation. Moreover, NEC delivered a lecture and conducted hands-on training about cutting-edge face recognition technology. By applying face recognition technology to cybercrime investigations, NEC showed how analysis of footage from a surveillance camera can be analyzed for the number of suspects to be narrowed down in a short amount of time."We are proud to have contributed to this DSC as a strategic INTERPOL partner," said Masakazu Yamashina, Senior Vice President, NEC Corporation. "NEC began cooperating with INTERPOL in cybersecurity measures in 2012, and we are conducting a variety of activities to confront the cyberattacks that are becoming increasingly complicated and sophisticated. We look forward to continuing our support for INTERPOL training of police and contributing to the achievement of strong global security."INTERPOL press releasehttps://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-media/News/2017/N2017-034About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.nec.com/en/global/about/solutionsforsociety/message.html.Source: NEC CorporationContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
SINGAPUR (dpa-AFX) - Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) Friday said it has opened an advanced additive manufacturing center at its Singapore campus. This is Emerson's second location to have additive manufacturing capabilities, ie., making 3D objects from a digital model. Through this center, Emerson will use additive manufacturing technologies to produce special customized and application-specific parts and products which are impossible with traditional technology. Emerson noted that additive manufacturing enables its engineers to develop cutting edge solutions to meet more demanding and stringent processes. It also significantly accelerates the testing of multiple versions of a prototype product or part, and promises to greatly simplify the production supply chain. The company's additive manufacturing program was launched three years ago with the opening of its first additive manufacturing technology center in Marshalltown, Iowa, USA. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Fitch Ratings said the policy targets announced at China's National People's Congress are likely to result in a further build-up of economic imbalances, at least in the short term. Fitch noted that the NPC, which concluded last week, appeared to confirm a partial shift in policy focus toward curbing leverage and away from supporting growth. According to Fitch, the quantitative targets set for 2017 show that near-term growth targets are still being prioritized, at the expense of medium-term financial risks. The government targets 'about 6.5 percent' economic growth for 2017. Leverage across the economy will continue to rise over the coming year, although Fitch expects the pace of increase to slow. The rating agency expects China's GDP growth to remain strong at 6.3 percent in 2017. But Fitch said efforts to keep the economy growing at its current pace would build financial risks, and could eventually put pressure on the external accounts through a narrowing of the savings-investment gap and current account balance. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.




Czech delegates presented the book (Photo: baotintuc.vn)

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Truong Manh Son emphasized that the traditional cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic are being strengthened and developed. In particular, the good political relations with the exchange of high-level delegations in recent and forthcoming time have created momentum for economic, trade and investment development relations between the two countries.

The Ambassador emphasized the priority for Vietnam in Czech development cooperation policy over the past time and for the 2016-2020 period. At present, the economies of Vietnam and Czech are both developing at high rates and deeply integrating into the global and regional economies. This has created favourable conditions for the economic, trade and investment bilateral cooperation development between the two countries.

However, the results of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries in recent years hasnt been commensurate with the potential and desire of each country. As of mid-2016, 30 Czech enterprises invested in Vietnam with a total capital of more than USD170 million, ranked 40th among more than 150 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Export and import revenue between Vietnam and the Czech Republic in 2016 reached nearly USD1 billion.

The field of economic, trade and tourism cooperation between the two nations have many obstacles, such as no direct flights between Hanoi and Prague, major barriers in visa granting procedures for Vietnamese businessmen and tourists to the Czech Republic, and recommendations of some Czech enterprises operating in Vietnam.

In order to contribute to promoting the bilateral economic-trade cooperation, especially calling on Czech businesses to invest in Vietnam, the Vietnamese Embassy defined that 2017 will continue to be the "Diplomatic operation year serving economic development".

This year will bring many investment, trade and tourism activities initiated by the Vietnamese Embassy, as well as Vietnams ministries, businesses and sectors and their partners in the Czech Republic.

The launch of a book in Czech language introducing the Vietnamese market, and a book in Vietnamese language introducing the Czech market, is part of a series of diplomatic activities for economic cooperation development.

At the event, Commercial Counsellor Tran Hiep Thuong briefly introduced the content of the book on the Vietnamese market to Czech delegates, highlighted the current economic situation, basic characteristics of the Vietnamese market, policies to attract foreign investment and key projects given preferential treatment in terms of land, tariffs and loans.

In addition, Ambassador Son and Counsellor Thuong also answered questions of Czech journalists and entrepreneurs about some policies of the government of Vietnam calling for investment./.
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 5:30 am ET Friday, British Bankers' Association releases mortgage approvals figures for February. The number of mortgage approvals is expected to rise to 44.9K in February from 44.65K in January. Ahead of the data, the pound fell against its major rivals. As of 5:25 am ET, the pound was trading at 0.8647 against the euro, 1.2380 against the Swiss franc, 1.2485 against the U.S. dollar and 138.77 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BANGKOK, Mar 24, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Thai Wah Public Company Limited (SET:TWPC) Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ho Ren Hua discusses the company's strategy and outlook in The Executive Talk (TET) by ShareInvestor.com.TET: Please explain the history of TWPC and its business today.In 2015 TWPC was created through the merger of two companies, Thai Wah Food Products PCL and Thai Wah Starch PCL. This merger is a historical milestone for Thai Wah Group which was founded 70 years ago. The reasons for the merger are twofold. Firstly, both the starch and the food businesses have a similar platform of distribution and export channels. Secondly, the DNA of the culture for both entities are the same with the focus on operational excellence and financial prudence. As a combined entity, TWPC is a larger company with a stronger efficiency platform, financial strength and a diversification with the starch business being export driven to China and Taiwan and the vermicelli business that is more domestic focused in Thailand and export to USA, Europe and South East Asia .TET: How are both businesses operating and what are the plans going forward?For our starch products we sell and distribute under the "Rose" brand which is a leading export brand in the overseas markets, particularly China and Taiwan. The applications for it are in foods such as snack and MSG. There are a whole range of applications for starch. Our vision is to continue being a leading producer and distributer of starch-products in the region and to explore new opportunities in ASEAN. For the food business, we have three brands, "Double Dragon", "Phoenix", and "Double Kilin" and our products are predominately vermicelli and rice noodles. In Thailand our market share is around 40% for vermicelli as there is brand heritage, trust by our key customers whom are food operators and restaurants. We see room for growth in both Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar and with the continued consumption growth in those three countries, we feel that there are clear market opportunities. We have recently established new subsidiaries in both Cambodia and Vietnam to help facilitate our expansion efforts in the CLMV. Currently sales 90% of our food business is from Thailand but with these latest developments we are targeting for export in order to contribute to 20-30% within the next three to five years. It takes time to build and execute this strategy and we are confident in pursuing and capturing the growth in the neighbouring markets.TET: What key decisions were taken that allowed TWPC to grow into the business it is today?It is the culture of the team that has led the company to the position that it is today. The senior team has been with us for 20 years focused on operations and management discipline. We merged the two companies which were both in healthy condition thereby allowing TWPC to be financially and operationally healthy and with a strong platform to continue our growth. When you look at the past few years you will see that our asset efficiency, returns on capital, assets and so forth have generally been quite strong. This is because we maintained a focus on the business and will continue to going forward, we do have ambitious goals but will continue to adhere to the core principles.TET: How has technology impacted your business?The core process is fundamentally the same which is buying the tapioca root, processing it and distributing the end of tapioca starch product. However the impact of technology has been positive with the manufacturing and operations processes where we do upgrade with new technologies as long as it is value added to our overall business. From a research and development perspective, specifically biotech, we are beginning collaborations with universities to innovation the different properties of starch whether it be physical or chemical that will hopefully lead to different types of food products in the coming years.TET: What impact does commodity prices have upon your business?Tapioca is a niche crop that is primarily grown in ASEAN and therefore is less volatile to global events that impact commodities such as oil, soybean, sugar and others. It is important that we define ourselves as a premium branded export product providing our customers with a solutions application and not a commodity. Because of this we are able to maintain our margins at a level that is higher than pure commodity products.TET: What are the biggest risks facing your business?I think that every CEO should be aware of the potential macro risks such as international trade, border adjustment tax changes, China's domestic consumption and so forth. But we have to be continuously prepared whether it happened or not and the more important is focus on building the team, the people, the company and the business to be more efficiency.TET: Where do you see TWPC in five years from now?By 2021 we want to have one of a leading in ASEAN. The business expansion and the numbers are important aspirational goals but these goals are only achievable with a strong management team that will drive the business towards long-term sustainable growth and market leadership.- The Executive Talk Interview Series is presented by ShareInvestor, Asia's leading financial internet media and technology company, the largest investor relations network in the region.- For more information, email admin.th@shareinvestor.com- Please visit www.ShareInvestorThailand.comSource: Thai Wah PCLCopyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
SINGAPORE, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --FrieslandCampina, one of the world's leading dairy companies, today announced that it has been awarded the Winsemius Award for Sustainability & Innovation 2017 in the Food and Nutrition category.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/482172/FrieslandCampina_Winsemius_Awards_2017.jpg

The award recognises the innovation behind FrieslandCampina's Friso Online e-commerce platform which was launched in 2015. For 2017, the channel is projected to constitute about 20 percent of Friso's sales in Singapore. Friso Online allows consumers in Singapore to purchase Friso baby products from the dedicated site, offering free delivery and a host of different rewards. The Friso brand is now the leading baby formula brand online.

The adoption of a 'test and optimise' strategy in the development and management of the platform has enabled a critical understanding of user preferences, allowing FrieslandCampina to both customise and adapt the platform to provide the best possible user experience, as well as generate insight that can inform business decisions.

Commenting on the award win, Mr. Piet Hilarides, Chief Operating Officer, Consumer Products Asia, FrieslandCampina said: "We are pleased to be presented this award, which highlights our Dutch heritage in innovation and sustainability.

"We are very proud that Friso has become a household name amongst consumers and that it has grown into such a strongonline brand in Singapore. We look forward to continued brand growth in Asia."

Ms. Lies Ellison-Davis, Managing Director, Global eBUsaid: "We are very proud of our achievement in building a platform that is user-friendly and that responds to consumers' demand for fuss-free online shopping. Our business continues to look at ways to enhance our consumers' shopping experience, both on and offline. We have recently invested in our digital capability by establishing an innovation hub within Singapore that will drive the e-commerce business locally and around the region."

Organised by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, the Winsemius Awards honours the achievements of businesses and institutions in areas associated with Dutch business culture and Dutch sector excellence in Singapore. This year's awards ceremony took place at the Grand Hyatt on 23 March 2017.

For more information, please contact:

Media Contacts

FrieslandCampina Spurwing Communications Ada Wong Stephanie Tan / Eoin Ee Head of Public Affairs and Communications, Asia T: +65 6340 7287 T: +65 6850 7931 Email: FC@spurwingcomms.com Email: Ada.Wong@frieslandcampina.com



About Royal FrieslandCampina

Every day Royal FrieslandCampina provides millions of consumers all over the world with food that is rich in valuable nutrients. With annual revenue of 11 billion euros, FrieslandCampina is one of the world's largest dairy companies, supplying consumer and professional products, as well as ingredients and half-finished products to manufacturers of infant & toddler nutrition, the food industry and the pharmaceutical sector around the world. FrieslandCampina has offices in 33 countries and over 22,000 employees, and its products are available in more than 100 countries. The Company is fully owned by Zuivelcooperatie FrieslandCampina U.A, with almost 20,000 member dairy farmers in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium -- making it one of the world's largest dairy cooperatives.

For more information please visit: www.frieslandcampina.com.

About FrieslandCampina Consumer Products Asia

FrieslandCampina's Consumer Products Asia business group consists of operating companies that are active in the consumer products segment in Asia. FrieslandCampina has acquired excellent positions in many countries with strong brands and a wide range of products. These activities have a long and rich history. The export of dairy from Western Europe began back in the 1920s. The range of long shelf life products has expanded significantly: from milk powder, condensed milk, infant and children's nutrition to dairy drinks, yoghurts and desserts.FrieslandCampina has operating companies in mainland China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Pakistan. In Asia we market brands that have acquired strong positions. Dutch Lady is legendary in Malaysia and Vietnam, Foremost is a leading brand in Thailand, Frisian Flag is widely known in Indonesia.

For more information please visit: www.frieslandcampina.com/en/countries/frieslandcampina-asia
Imperial Minerals Plc

("Imperial", the "Group" or the "Company")

Unaudited interim report for the six months to 31 December 2016

24 March 2017

Dear Shareholder,

I am pleased to present the unaudited financial results for Imperial Minerals Plc for the half-year ended 31 December 2016.

In summation, while markets remain challenging for small companies, what a difference 12 months can make.

This time a year ago Imperial was seriously questioning its natural resources focus being regularly frustrated by the twins of negative industry sentiment and gloomy commodity prices. Today, we are enjoying a turnaround with price green shoots in bulk commodities, base metals, precious metals and specialty metals - particularly those related to the emerging global battery industry.

This sector-wide rebound is again stoking investor and broker enthusiasm meaning at long last risk monies are being raised in the junior sector particularly in places such as Australia. This bodes well for Imperial as it continues its global search for opportunities.

Imperial stays cognisant of ensuring it has sufficient capital to keep working on its deal pipeline. Hence, during the half year period, the Company announced that it had raised GBP 35,000 before expenses for general working capital through the placing of 1,750,000 new Ordinary Shares of 0.1p each at a price of 2p per share. The Company's enlarged capital is now 30,745,000 shares and 5,000,000 options.

Also, subsequent to the period, Imperial sold its remaining share position in AIM-listed North River Resources Plc ("NRR") which yielded GBP 30,000. The decision to exit was taken after NRR announced it was planning to delist from AIM meaning there would be no formal market mechanism for the quoting of prices and trading of NRR shares.

Financial Review

During the period, the Company only earned revenue in the form of proceeds from the issue of new shares. Its cash reserves will be used in the short term to cover travel costs, professional consultancy fees, initial due diligence and other costs incidental to the identification and development of acquisition opportunities.

During the six month period ended 31 December 2016, the Company made a pre-tax loss of 92,026 (2015: loss of 38,760). Cash at bank at the end of December 2016 was 65,958 (30 June 2016: 42,863).

Total expenses during the period were 92,029 (2015: 44,671) which consisted mainly of realised loss on disposal of available for sale investment of 74,288, and the balance comprising corporate and administration expenses.

Financial Position

The Group's Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 2016 and comparatives at 31 December 2015 and 30 June 2016 are summarised below:

31 Dec 2016 31 Dec 2015 30 June 2016    Current assets 79,699 23,649 57,790 Non current assets 13,500 41,384 53,533 Total assets 93,199 65,033 111,323 Current liabilities 6,471 6,675 9,913 Total liabilities 6,471 6,675 9,913 Net assets 86,728 58,358 101,410

James Hamilton

Chairman

Imperial Minerals Plc

23 March 2017



The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.



For further information please contact:



Imperial Minerals plc

Russell Hardwick

Tel: + 61 417 714 292



Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited

Guy Miller and Mark Anwyl

Tel: 020 7469 0930

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the six months ended 31 December 2016

6 months to 31 Dec 2016 Unaudited 6 months to 31 Dec 2015 Unaudited Year ended 30 June 2016 Audited Note    Continuing operations Revenue - - - Impairment of receivable and loss on disposal of available for sale investment (74,288) (17,979) (42,135) Administrative expenses (17,741) (26,692) (53,097) Loss before taxation (92,029) (44,671) (95,232) Finance income - interest receivable 3 5,911 5,915 Income tax 2 - - - Loss for the year attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent (92,026) (38,760) (89,317) Other comprehensive income Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss Prior year reversal of unrealised changes in value of available for sale financial asset 70,844 - - Unrealised changes in value of available for sale financial assets (28,500) (232,750) (189,141) Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax 42,344 (232,750) (189,141) Total comprehensive income for the period/year attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent (49,682) (271,510) (278,458) Loss per share Basic and diluted loss per share attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent (pence)

3 (0.316p) (0.204p) (0.378p)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

As at 31 December 2016

As at

31 Dec 2016

Unaudited As at

31 Dec 2015

Unaudited As at 30 June 2016

Audited    ASSETS Non-current assets Financial assets - Available for sale 13,500 41,384 53,533 Total non-current assets 13,500 41,384 53,533 Current assets Trade and other receivables 13,741 6,655 14,927 Cash and cash equivalents 65,958 16,994 42,863 Total current assets 79,699 23,649 57,790 TOTAL ASSETS 93,199 65,033 111,323 LIABILITIES Current Liabilities Trade and other payables 6,471 6,675 9,913 Total current liabilities 6,471 6,675 9,913 TOTAL LIABILITIES 6,471 6,675 9,913 NET ASSETS 86,728 58,358 101,410 EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO OWNERS OF THE COMPANY Share capital 201,700 189,950 199,950 Share premium 855,658 782,408 822,408 Other reserve - 24,241 24,241 Available for sale reserve (287,564) (373,517) (329,908) Retained losses (683,066) (564,724) (615,281) TOTAL EQUITY 86,728 58,358 101,410

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

For the six months ended 31 December 2016

Share capital Share premium Shares to be issued under options Retained losses Available for sale reserve Total Equity       At 1 July 2015 189,950 781,171 25,478 (525,964) (140,767) 329,868 Loss for the period - - - (38,760) - (38,760) Other comprehensive income for the period - - - - (232,750) (232,750) Total comprehensive income for the period - - - (38,760) (232,750) (271,510) Expiry of share options - 1,237 (1,237) - - - Balance at 31 Dec 2015 189,950 782,408 24,241 (564,724) (373,517) 58,358 At 1 July 2016 199,950 822,408 24,241 (615,281) (329,908) 101,410 Loss for the period - - - (92,026) - (92,026) Other comprehensive income for the period - - - - 42,344 42,344 Total comprehensive income for the period - - - (92,026) 42,344 (49,682) Issue of ordinary shares 1,750 33,250 - - - 35,000 Expiry of share options - - (24,241) 24,241 - - Balance at 31 Dec 2016 201,700 855,658 - (683,066) (287,564) 86,728

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

For the six months ended 31 December 2016

Note 6 months to 31 Dec 2016

Unaudited 6 months to 31 Dec 2015

Unaudited Year ended 30 June 2016

Audited    Cash flows from operating activities 4 (11,908) (29,933) (54,068) Net cash used in operating activities (11,908) (29,933) (54,068) Cash flows from investing activities Interest received 3 26 30 Proceeds from disposal of available for sale financial assets - 1,064 1,064 Cash flows generated from investing activities 3 1,090 1,094 Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from issue of shares 35,000 - 50,000 Cash Flows generated from financing activities 35,000 - 50,000 Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 23,095 (28,843) (2,974) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period 42,863 45,837 45,837 Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period 65,958 16,994 42,863

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the six months ended 31 December 2016

NOTE 1: BASIS OF PREPARATION

The condensed consolidated interim financial information of the Group for the six months ended 31 December 2016 which comprise the Company and its subsidiary (together referred to as the "Group) were approved by the Board on 23 March 2017. The interim financial information has not been reviewed or audited. The interim financial information has been prepared in accordance with the recognition and measurement criteria of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS and IFRIC interpretations) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") as adopted for use in the EU. The financial information for the six months to 31 December 2016 does not constitute statutory accounts of the Group. This financial information has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies that are expected to be applied in the Report and Accounts of Imperial Minerals PLC for the year ending 30 June 2017. The statutory accounts for the year ended 30 June 2016 have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's report on those accounts was unqualified, did not include any references to any matters to which the auditors drew attention by way of emphasis and did not contain a statement under section 498(2)-(3) of the Companies Act 2006.

Imperial Minerals plc, the legal parent, is domiciled and incorporated in the United Kingdom. The functional currency of Imperial Minerals plc is  sterling.

The Financial Statements are presented in sterling (), rounded to the nearest pound and have been prepared on the going concern basis.

NOTE 2: TAXATION

No taxation has been provided due to losses in the period. No deferred tax asset has been recognised for past or current losses as the recoverability of any such assets is not probable in the foreseeable future.

NOTE 3: LOSS PER SHARE

The calculation of the basic loss per share of 0.316 pence is based on the loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of 92,026 and on the weighted average number of ordinary shares of 29,100,479 in issue during the period.

In accordance with IAS 33, no diluted earnings per share is presented as the effect on the exercise of share options or warrants would be to decrease the loss per share.

NOTE 4: NOTES TO THE CASH FLOW STATEMENT

6 months to 31 Dec 2016

Unaudited 6 months to 31 Dec 2015

Unaudited Year ended 30 June 2016

Audited    Reconciliation of loss from operations to cash flows from operating activities Loss from operations (92,026) (38,760) (89,317) Interest receivable 3 (5,911) (5,915) Impairment of loan receivable - 5,885 5,885 Net loss from disposal of available for sale financial assets 74,288 6,335 30,459 Decrease in trade and other receivables 9,275 1,567 629 Increase / (Decrease) in trade and other payables (3,448) 951 4,191 Cash flow from operating activities (11,908) (29,933) (54,068)

NOTE 5: POST BALANCE SHEET EVENTS

On 13th January 2017, the Company announced that it had granted 5,000,000 options over ordinary shares of 0.1p each in the share capital of the Company. The options have a 5 year term and are exercisable at a price of 4p per ordinary share. The options were granted to the Directors of the Company.

Other than the above, there has not been any matter or circumstance occurring subsequent to the end of the half year, that has significantly affected or may significantly affect the operations of the Group, the results of those operations or the state of affairs of the Group in future financial years.

NOTE 6: FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report contains certain forward looking statements, which include assumptions with respect to future plans, results and expenditures. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information may prove to be incorrect. All such forward looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Please refer to the Company's Annual Report available from the Company's web site for a list of risk factors. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this report are made as at the date of this report

NOTE 7: INTERIM REPORT

Copies of this interim report for the six months ended 31 December 2016 will be available from the offices of Imperial Minerals Plc, 2 Stone Buildings Lincolns Inn London WC2A 3TH, and on the company's website www.imperialminerals.com
STAMFORD, Conn., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --US based RiverOak Investment Corp., LLC today announced that RiverOak Strategic Partners Limited, a newly UK-registered joint venture company has acquired all rights and interests and has assumed full financial and operational responsibility for the Development Consent Order in respect of Manston Airport and the future reopening and operation of the airport.

The new operating company which is not affiliated with RiverOak Investment Corp., LLC, is fully resourced and funded to accommodate all costs arising from the Development Consent Order application to acquire and reinstate Manston as a fully operational airport and will be operated, owned and managed completely independently of RiverOak Investment Corp., LLC.

Directors of RiverOak Strategic Partners Limited are Niall Lawlor, Tony Freudmann, George Yerrall, Nick Rothwell, Rico Seitz and Gerard Heusler. Messrs. Lawlor, Freudmann and Yerrall have assumed day-today operational control of the project.

Said Lawlor: "This is an important milestone for the Manston DCO. We have always been aware that, without a fully independent UK operating company, it has been much tougher to convince some of our stakeholders of our genuine commitment to Manston. The creation of RiverOak Strategic Partners Limited should therefore be viewed as a firm indication of our absolute and ongoing determination to revive Manston Airport as a successful and profitable airfreight hub, of national significance, with complementary passenger and engineering services."

"We believe that we can bring a comprehensive approach to the shaping of a stronger economic future for Thanet and the wider East Kent region, creating a vibrant economic air cargo hub which delivers high quality jobs for local people and utilizes the much-needed runway capacity for the South East that Manston is ready and able to provide."

Steve DeNardo, Chief Executive of RiverOak Investment Corp., LLC said that the best course forward for the success of the Manston DCO is to put it in the hands of RiverOak Strategic Partners Limited, the principals of which have worked tirelessly to revive Manston as a viable airport in Southeast England. We wish them and the supporters of the airport every success.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/riveroak-investment-corp-announces-new-venture-for-manston-airport-dco-300428979.html
DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- Masergy today announced that TMC has named its Global Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) as a 2016 Cloud Computing Excellence Award winner. Masergy's UCaaS offering was selected for its extensible, highly scalable IP communications infrastructure, redundant carrier-grade platform for voice, video and mobility communications as well as providing comprehensive 24/7 client support that has achieved a record 70.3 Net Promoter Score (NPS).

The Cloud Computing Excellence Award, presented by Cloud Computing magazine, recognizes companies that have most effectively leveraged cloud computing in their efforts to bring new, differentiated offerings to market. Judges -- once again -- selected Masergy's UCaaS as the winner, this year noting their advanced unified communication features, built-in automatic failover and disaster recovery to increase reliability.

In addition, Masergy underscored the real-world value of their UCaaS features by spotlighting the Canyon School District in Sandy, Utah. Serving approximately 33,000 students in 29 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 4 special programs, the school district has dramatically lowered operational costs and simplified phone administration procedures -- all while embracing modern collaboration tools vis-a-vis award-winning, UCaaS services.

"Recognizing leaders in the advancement of cloud computing, TMC is proud to announce Global UCaaS as a recipient of the sixth Annual Cloud Computing Excellence Award," said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. "Masergy is being honored for their achievement in bringing innovation and excellence to the market, while leveraging the latest technology trends."

Masergy's global carrier-grade UCaaS platform is integrated with the company's managed global network. This provides enterprises with a total business communications solution. Additional features include:

Hosted VoIP -- Business grade, feature rich, HD voice, cloud-based applications.

Unified Messaging -- One inbox for voicemail/email/fax, voicemail transcription.

Chat -- IM integration with office telephones.

Presence -- Real-time status of team members for immediate access, minimized communications delays, and enhanced productivity.

Video Calling -- Video calls with exceptional clarity and reliability.

Audio/Video Conferencing -- Conference Bridge for pre-scheduled and ad hoc conferencing.

Mobility -- Seamless, consistent communication across all devices regardless of location.

Contact Center -- Distributed contact center with real-time, web-based queue management.

"Rigid PBX-type phone systems will never be able to offer the features and conveniences that cloud-based communications bring to the market," said Dean Manzoori, Vice President of UCaaS Product Management at Masergy. "We are proud that our UCaaS solutions are having such a notable impact for customers including the Canyon School District and we're honored that TMC continues to view Masergy as offering excellence in cloud communications."

About Masergy

Masergy owns and operates the largest independent Software Defined Platform in the world, delivering hybrid networking, managed security and cloud communication solutions to global enterprises. Our patented technology, customizable solutions and unmatched customer experience are why a growing number of leading organizations rely on Masergy to deliver performance beyond expectations. Learn more about Masergy and follow us on our blog Transforming Enterprise IT, Twitter @Masergy, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3122385



For more information, contact:

Betsey Rogers

Public Relations

BridgeView Marketing

603-886-7087

betsey@bridgeviewmarketing.com




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- Prairie Provident Resources Inc. ("Prairie Provident" or "PPR" or the "Company") (TSX: PPR) is pleased to report that it has posted an updated corporate presentation on its website following the closing of its previously announced acquisition of strategic assets in the Greater Red Earth area of northern Alberta, as well as the related financing. PPR is an oil and liquids weighted company with low-decline production that generates attractive netbacks in the current environment. The Company has high working interests and operatorship in its core areas, and ample financial flexibility supported by an active hedge program.

Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to visit www.ppr.ca for further details and to review the updated presentation.

ABOUT PRAIRIE PROVIDENT

PPR is a Calgary-based company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in Alberta. The Company's strategy is to focus on the organic and efficient development of its low-risk, conventional oil prospects targeting per share growth in production, reserves and funds flow. PPR's operations are primarily focused at Wheatland and Princess in Southern Alberta targeting the Ellerslie and Lithic Glauc formation, along with an early stage waterflood project at Evi in the Peace River Arch that was recently supplemented through an asset acquisition. The Company also holds a large acreage position of approximately 240,000 net acres in the Utica shale in Quebec's Saint Lawrence lowlands. Prairie Provident protects its balance sheet through an active hedging program and manages risk by allocating capital to opportunities offering maximum shareholder returns.

Contacts:

Prairie Provident Resources Inc.

Tim Granger

President and Chief Executive Officer

(403) 292-8110

tgranger@ppr.ca



Prairie Provident Resources Inc.

Mimi Lai

Chief Financial Officer

(403) 292-8171

mlai@ppr.ca

www.ppr.ca




HOUSTON, TEXAS and CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- News Release - TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP) (NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) today announced that the U.S. Department of State has signed and issued a Presidential Permit to construct the Keystone XL Pipeline.

"This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project," said Russ Girling, TransCanada's president and chief executive officer. "We greatly appreciate President Trump's Administration for reviewing and approving this important initiative and we look forward to working with them as we continue to invest in and strengthen North America's energy infrastructure."

Keystone XL is an important piece of TransCanada's comprehensive U.S. growth portfolio driving an investment of more than US$15 billion in liquids and natural gas projects that will create thousands of well-paying jobs and generate substantial economic benefits across the U.S.

TransCanada will continue to engage key stakeholders and neighbors throughout Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota to obtain the necessary permits and approvals to advance this project to construction.

In conjunction, TransCanada has discontinued its claim under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and will end its U.S. Constitutional challenge.

With more than 65 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 91,500 kilometres (56,900 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is the continent's leading provider of gas storage and related services with 653 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A large independent power producer, TransCanada currently owns or has interests in over 10,700 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is also the developer and operator of one of North America's leading liquids pipeline systems that extends over 4,300 kilometres (2,700 miles), connecting growing continental oil supplies to key markets and refineries. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com and our blog to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This publication contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. All forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to the Quarterly Report to Shareholders dated February 16, 2017 and 2016 Annual Report filed under TransCanada's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Contacts:

Media Inquiries:

Terry Cunha

403.920.7859 or 800.608.7859



TransCanada Investor & Analyst Inquiries:

David Moneta / Stuart Kampel

403.920.7911 or 800.361.6522




BOCA RATON, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- Grom Holdings Inc.("Grom" or the "Company") which owns and operates an innovative social media website for children through its wholly-owned subsidiary Grom Social, Inc., as well as other synergistic businesses; today announced that its Manila, Philippines based subsidiary, Top Draw Animation ("TDA") is expanding its operations to address its current and upcoming contractual commitments.

TDA is an award winning producer of top-quality animation and is one of the leading producers of 2D animation for television markets around the world. TDA is recognized by producers and broadcasters as a provider of quality television animation and currently provides services to many high-profile properties, including Tom and Jerry, My Little Pony, and Disney Animation's Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero.

Wayne Dearing, the Founder and CEO of TDA, stated, "For 2017, we are projecting a 15% increase to our annual output over 2016 levels, with 2017 expected to exceed 260 half hours. TDA will be increasing its current workforce by an additional 100 artists, bringing the workforce in Manila to approximately 600 employees. Consistent with past practice, we will utilize our successful internal training programs for these artists to help ensure that we maintain our high quality standards. Additionally, studio space will be also be increased accordingly to accommodate this expansion and this will include the addition of a Wellness Center and expansion of our in-house Animation Cafe."

Darren Marks, Grom's Chairman and CEO stated, "We are very fortunate to be able to work with Wayne Dearing, a visionary and leader in the animation space. To date, TDA has been a fantastic acquisition for Grom. We look forward to continuing to work with Wayne not only with TDA, but also by relying on his guidance and experience as a valued member of the Grom executive team."

Mr. Marks further stated, "Overall as a company we have made tremendous strides in increasing our enterprise value for shareholders by significantly growing our user base, by acquiring a best in class animation company, TDA, as well acquiring an entity that provides web filtering services to over two million school-aged children in over 400 school districts in the United States. Also, we have acquired an application called MamaBear that enables parents to monitor their children's activities. Finally, we have increased our base of high visibility partners that will help us to monetize our unique database."

Additionally, Grom announced that Sander Schwartz is stepping down as President to pursue other interests. Darren Marks, currently the Company's Chairman and CEO, will temporarily assume the additional role of President.

About Grom

Grom Holdings, Inc. is a Delaware holding company that conducts its operations through its subsidiaries, Grom Social, Inc., TD Holdings Limited, and Grom Educational Services Inc. Grom operates its social media network for children through Grom Social, Inc. TD Holdings Limited which was acquired in July 2016, is a Hong Kong corporation and is the parent company of Top Draw Animation, Inc., Philippines, through which Grom operates its animation business; and Grom Educational Services which provides its NetSpective Webfiltering services to approximately 2 million school aged children in 400 school districts in the United States.

Grom's core business is its social media website that delivers a friendly, safe environment to millions of children between the ages of 5 to 16. Grom Social follows COPPA guidelines and focuses on anti-bullying and good digital citizenship, as core issues. The concept for Grom Social was developed in early 2012 by 12 year old Zach Marks in response to his parents blocking access to a popular social media site over their concerns of potential exposure to unsuitable content. Visitors to the Grom Social website located at www.gromsocial.com may log on via mobile phone, desktop computer or tablet and chat with friends, view original content or play games created by Grom.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release may contain forward looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues and any payment of dividends on our common stock, statements related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors. Among other matters, the Company may not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including, but not limited to, general stock market conditions. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in our expansion of our existing and new service lines, noting there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. Additional service offerings may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s) based upon the various geopolitical locations where we will be providing services, the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or other information contained herein. Stockholders and potential investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements in this report are reasonable, we cannot assure stockholders and potential investors that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. Except to the extent required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, a change in events, conditions, circumstances or assumptions underlying such statements, or otherwise.

Contact Information:

Investor and Media Contacts:

Melvin Leiner, Executive Vice-President

Ralph Sabella, Vice President Operations

Phone: 1-844-704-4766

Investor.relations@gromsocial.com




HANNOVER, Germany, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 20, five-day CeBIT 2017 was grandly kicked off in Hannover, Germany. Themed "Endless Digital Economy", it fully displayed the innovative achievements in such fields as digital IT, household, Internet of Things and office communication. Figigantic, which is a leading enterprise of the platform-enabled intelligent hardware, brought its several independently developed platform-enabled robots and lots of intelligent hardware to it for the first time to show its artificial intelligent products and application achievements. On the first day, Figigantic received customers from 23 countries including Russia, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands and deeply communicated with 35 overseas customer representatives represented by Telefonica, the second largest telecommunication Company in Europe, winning hundreds of intended cooperation on site. Several customers sought for the national exclusive agent.

At CeBIT, Figigantic displayed its "intelligent housekeeper" represented by super platform-enabled intelligent robot CC to the visitors, attracting lots of visitors to it. This product may be connected with the online, offline and cloud platforms. With scene expansion based on the Internet content operation, it quickly enters a high-end intelligent scene to communicate with the users and continuously combine the highest value of themselves and their families. Except active deployment of the intelligent hardware products, Figigantic continuously attempts the innovative business and cooperation models in the artificial intelligence field and connects the cloud background information processing services through the cloud platform bearing intelligent equipment to lay a foundation for multi-industrial cooperation and establishment of subdivided industrial ecosystem. Recently, Figigantic has continuously achieved great achievements in the intelligent ecological strategy in the domestic market. Meanwhile, it accelerates its global strategic layout step by step. Its business has been developed to several countries and regions and its influence in the American and European markets are enhanced gradually. It achieves great achievements in developing key customers in real estate and hotel industries.

Hua Wu

+86-159-0755-5865

hua.wu@fgecctv.com

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/482207/Figigantic_at_CeBIT_2017.jpg
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- Garda World Security Corporation ("GardaWorld"), one of the world's largest privately owned security and cash services providers, announced today that Stephan Cretier, along with certain members of management and an entity held by investment funds affiliated with Rhone Capital ("Rhone"), a global alternative investment management firm, have entered into a conditional purchase agreement with a subsidiary of funds advised by Apax Partners ("Apax") to acquire all of Apax's remaining shares of the parent company of GardaWorld. Closing of the transaction, if all conditions are satisfied or waived, is expected to occur during the quarter ending July 31, 2017.

"Apax has leveraged its financial expertise to support management in the growth of the company" highlighted Stephan Cretier. "The Board of Directors wishes to thank the Apax team for its contribution. Since November 2012, the company underwent exceptional growth, almost doubling in size in terms of its revenues and its employees. GardaWorld now operates in 29 countries in Africa, Middle East and Europe. The Management Team and myself are excited to continue our partnership with Rhone to build a true global Canadian Champion."

Upon closing of the transaction, Apax will no longer own shares in GardaWorld's parent company, while Stephan Cretier, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GardaWorld, will hold, along with certain management stockholders, approximately 39% (fully diluted) of the shares in GardaWorld's parent company and Rhone will increase its holding to 61% (fully diluted). Each party will be subject to customary shareholder provisions for an investment of this type.

About GardaWorld

GardaWorld is one of the world's largest privately owned security services providers, offering a range of highly focused business solutions including cash services, protective services and aviation services. GardaWorld's more than 62,000 highly trained, dedicated professionals serve clients throughout North America, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. GardaWorld works across a broad range of sectors, including financial services, infrastructure, natural resources and retail, and services Fortune 500 companies, governments and humanitarian relief organizations. For more information, visit www.garda.com

About Rhone Capital

With over 20 years of investing experience, Rhone is a global alternative investment management firm with a focus on investments in market leading businesses with a pan-European or transatlantic presence and prospects for global expansion. Rhone, which is currently investing capital from its fifth private equity fund, has prior experience with service companies, as well as in the chemical, consumer product, food, packaging, specialty material and transportation sectors.

About Apax Partners

Apax Partners is one of the world's leading private equity investment groups. It operates globally and has more than 30 years of investing experience. Apax Partners has advised funds that total over $40 billion around the world in aggregate. Funds advised by Apax invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech & Telco, Services, Healthcare and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For further information about Apax, please visit www.apax.com.

Contacts:

Media contact:

514-281-2811 x2700

media@garda.com




MITCHELL, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- Ontario growers and processors of fruits and vegetables have successfully concluded an agreement for the 2017 vegetable season, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Processing Association (OFVPA) announced.

"For the first time we could sit down directly with our partner growers and resolve many issues," said Steve Lamoure, President of OFVPA. "This happened because the Wynne government stepped in to get both parties to the table. We were within hours of losing significant parts of the growing season," said Lamoure.

"The results of working with our grower partners, the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission and the Ontario government yielded positive results," Lamoure said. "The professional handling of the negotiations of all crops made for a more constructive dialogue on the issues that affect us all. We will continue to work with all parties for the advancement and growth of all processing vegetables."

"The changes to the negotiation process was never about price. This was about a working relationship that can protect and grow the industry. Our workers, growers, companies and communities all benefit," Lamoure pointed out. As part of the deal growers successfully negotiated to get back over 100,000 tons of tomato production previously cut. "This is a major win for the growers, worth approximately $10 - $11 million," Lamoure added.

"It is important that the Minister set in place permanent regulations to the interim changes he made to save the 2017 season," said Lamoure. "We can't be back to the same impasse come September. We have proven that reform leads to investments and jobs. Working directly with our partner growers really worked well."

"Cooperation, trust and willingness to work together does make a difference," said Don Epp, Executive Director of the OFVPA. He went on to say, "Hopefully we have marked a turning point that will allow us to focus on growing our industry and open new opportunities for growers and processors. This will benefit everyone and strengthen the local economies of Southwestern Ontario. If not for the intervention and the leadership of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission the results could have been much dire," concluded Epp.

The agreements cover fruits and vegetables processed in Ontario.

Contacts:

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Processors Association (OFVPA)

Don Epp

Executive Director

519-498-8105

donaldjepp@gmail.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/26/17 -- Aldershot Resources Ltd. ("Aldershot" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: ALZ)(FRANKFURT: ASL1)(OTC PINK: ALZTF) is pleased to announce assay results from surface sampling completed at the Company's Gowganda Gold Project located in the Abitibi Gold Belt southwest of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. A program of reconnaissance sampling in May and June of 2017 was undertaken to follow up on the extension of a favourable structural trend highlighted by the winter 2017 drill program along which a number of historical pits and trenches were identified. In addition, some other historical shafts and trenches on other portions of the property were also sampled.

In total, 28 locations were sampled and 61 grab samples were collected this spring with assay results returned ranging from nil to 1.0 g/t gold, nil to 13.4 g/t silver, nil to 4.68% copper and nil to 0.31% cobalt. The results highlight a trend of quartz/calcite veining hosting anomalous gold, silver, copper and cobalt mineralization occurring in younger (Proterozoic rocks) that overlie the older (Archean rocks) southeast-trending structure identified during the 2017 drill program on the Haultain Gold discovery. This structure, also known as the Jacob Lake Fault, appears to be associated with the gold mineralization along the west side of Jacob Lake. A number of other historical occurrences were also sampled with the best results being a sample from a historical occurrence referred to as the "Big Four" collected near the southern boundary of Aldershot claim 4227300 in 2010 which returned a value of 3.03% cobalt, 17.3 g/t silver and 1.83 g/t gold.

"Not only are we encouraged by the results to date it is important to note that Aldershot's Gowganda property covers significant extensions of the favourable silver-cobalt-copper bearing stratigraphy of the historical Gowganda silver camp," commented Jeremy Caddy, President and CEO of Aldershot.

Plans Moving Forward:

The results of the winter 2017 drill program confirmed the presence of a significant gold system that appears to be improving at depth as evidenced by increasing gold grade thickness trends and apparent IP resistivity at depth in proximity to the Annie's Ladder zone (please refer to Aldershot news releases dated February 28, 2017 and April 5, 2017). To follow these trends and to test identified targets at depth, a 2,500 metre drill program has been proposed.

In addition, regional prospecting, trenching and mapping work is planned along the trend of the Jacob Lake Fault in both Archean and Proterozoic host rocks to follow up on elevated gold, copper, silver and cobalt values highlighted by the recent sampling. In particular, additional work is planned in the area of the Jacob Lake gold showing.

About the Gowganda Gold Project

The project consists of mining claims totaling approximately 3,520 hectares centrally located about Hwy 560 adjacent to the unorganized municipality of Gowganda, Ontario in Nicol, Haultain, Milner, and Van Hise townships, Larder Lake Mining Division. The project is focused on Archean greenstone overlain by Proterozoic sediments of the Cobalt Embayment located south of the Round-Lake Batholith in the south-western part of the prolific Abitibi greenstone belt. A short animated video that introduced Aldershot and the Haultain project may be viewed at: http://iresourcemedia.com/companies/aldershot/

Qualified Person

The technical elements of this press release have been approved by Mr. Greg Collins, P.Geo. (APGO), Chief Operating Officer for Transition Metals Corp., and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. All analytical work performed on the rock samples was conducted at ALS-Chemex with sample preparation completed in Sudbury, Ontario and analyses completed in North Vancouver, B.C. The quality system used by ALS-Chemex complies with international standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025:2005.

About Aldershot

Aldershot has 49,700,000 shares issued and outstanding and is engaged in the acquisition and exploration of gold properties. The Company has signed an option and joint venture agreement with Transition Metals for the Gowganda Gold Project as highlighted above. The mission of Aldershot is to find and develop a gold prospect to create wealth for shareholders. This is being achieved by identifying quality gold properties and exploring those that have the highest potential for future discoveries, sale or development of existing mineral resources into mineable reserves. On a regular basis management will rationalize all of its core mineral property holdings to maintain percentage ownership by funding the exploration work. Management will sell its properties when it feels value for shareholders has been created and management is able to obtain fair value for the assets.

The Company is a publicly listed corporation whose shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ALZ.

FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Jeremy Caddy

President, CEO and Director

Forward-looking statements:

This press release may contain forward-looking statements about certain of the Company's current exploration plans, goals and expectations. Statements containing the words: 'believes', 'intends', 'expects', 'plans', 'seeks' and 'anticipates' and any other words of similar meaning are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances beyond the Company's control. As a result, the Company's actual financial condition, performance and results may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set out in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the Company's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Jeremy Caddy

President, CEO and Director

604 727-7148

jcc4tlx@intergate.ca

www.aldershotresources.com




ROLLING MEADOWS, IL--(Marketwired - March 24, 2017) - Charles Industries, Ltd., a leading provider of innovative enclosed solutions for communications service providers, has expanded its fiber distribution hub (FDH) lineup of indoor and outdoor solutions with many new form factors that increase providers' ability to deploy FDH in a variety of manners and environments. With the industry's broadest line of cabinet, pedestal and terminal FDH solutions, Charles is able to offer service providers scalable, economical FDH enclosures that are right-sized to their location within the provider's fiber network.

In the past, fiber networks mostly relied on large metal cabinet FDH that required placement on concrete pads or utility poles. As the network has evolved, so too have considerations for FDH placements. Municipal permitting restrictions, community aesthetics, and security considerations have necessitated smaller FDH footprints and new form factors from manufacturers. Charles Industries has worked closely with its customer partners to meet these requirements and develop a diverse line of FDH solutions optimized for many different deployment locations.

Charles Industries has created indoor FDH cabinets and terminals capable of serving as few as 32 subscribers to as many as 384 subscribers from a single enclosure. The CFBT-Hub ' metallic cabinet series offers four sizes (48, 96, 144 and 384 port bulkheads), while its new non-metallic CFIT-Flex ' compact hub series offers two sizes (32 and 64 port bulkheads). All models feature hinged fiber splice trays, cable management guides and bend controls, secure locking mechanisms, and other technician-friendly features. CFBT-Hubs and CFIT-Flex Hubs are rapidly-deployable solutions that may be wall mounted in equipment rooms or closets within the customer premises.

For outdoor FDH placements, Charles lineup includes CFFP ' Fiber Flexibility Pedestals, CFIT-Hub ' metallic cabinets, and CFIT-Flex ' Hub non-metallic terminals. CFFP buried distribution pedestals offer flexible placement opportunities in outside plant networks at a fraction of the cost of metallic pad mount FDH cabinets and are available in 72, 144, and 288 port sizes, with a patch and splice 96 port option also available. Their non-metallic, one-piece dome and expanded-capacity base design is flood, fire, rodent, corrosion and impact resistant. CFIT-Hub metal cabinets are available in 48 and 96 port bulkhead models that feature weatherproof, powder-coated welded aluminum construction, while non-metallic CFIT-Flex compact hubs are available in 32 and 64 port models, with all cabinet and terminal mountings being pole or wall mountable.

To assist service providers in determining which Charles FDH solution is optimal for a particular deployment, a Charles Fiber Distribution Hub Overview fact sheet is available for internet download at: http://www.charlesindustries.com/main/te_fdh_overview.html.

About Charles Industries, Ltd.

2017 marks Charles Industries' 49th year as a privately held, diversified manufacturing and technology company serving telecommunications, wireless, utility, broadband, marine and industrial markets. Founded in 1968, the company is ISO 9001:2000 and TL 9000 registered and headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, with five additional U.S.-based manufacturing centers. For further information, please visit www.charlesindustries.com or call (847) 806-6300.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/3/24/11G134004/Images/Fiber_Hubs_PR-0940df55d8a18b9f846d6b7c036a4f42.jpg

Brad Wackerlin

Charles Industries, Ltd.

(847) 258-8458

bwackerl@charlesindustries.com
Hanwha Q Cells, Enphase Energy, Solarwatt and EDF are among the big names grabbing the headlines in a week where new product launches and new GW-scale tender details were revealed.Reams and reams of copy have been written about Turkey over the ages. This curious country holds the (un)enviable position of straddling east and west, both a buffer and a bridge between Europe and the Middle East, and a source of much hope and frustration for the lands and cultures that lay either side of it. Within Turkey there is division or harmony - depending on where you look and to whom you speak. But this fascinating country equally holds many truisms: it is beautiful, diverse, dripping in history and blessed with some of the highest levels of solar insolation in the world. That Turkey's abundant solar resource has long been ever-so-slightly out of reach for international developers has been a regular source of consternation. But the era of unfulfilled Turkish PV potential could be coming to an end following the confirmation this week that Hanwha Q Cells, the South Korean solar giant, has entered into a partnership to develop the 1 GW solar plant in Konya after winning the government's tender with a bid of $0.0699/kWh. Collaborating with local firm Kalyon Enerji, Hanwha Q Cells' presence in the Turkish market has been welcomed by local analysts who believe that such a recognizable and respected candidate could help usher in greater international interest in Turkey's solar sector. As part of the tender win, a 500 MW PV factory will also be built, handling everything from ingots through to solar modules. Gotz Fischbeck of Smart Solar Consulting believes that this deal could mark the beginning of a new manufacturing landscape in Turkish solar. "The key issue of this investment from the government's perspective is to establish state-of-the-art PV manufacturing know-how in Turkey with the hopes of this being the nucleus to further growth of PV manufacturing in the long run," Fischbeck said. "If we foresee global annual PV demand as greater than 100 GWp by 2020 and greater than 150 GWp by 2025, I do not expect that +90% of these volumes will only originate from fabs in China and Taiwan. "Through ...

Den vollstandigen Artikel lesen ...
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 24, 2017) - Los Andes Copper Ltd. (TSXV: LA) ("Los Andes", or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has initiated the work program, including a drilling campaign, for its 100% owned Vizcachitas porphyry copper-molybdenum project located in Region V, Chile.

Work Program - Drilling Campaign

The drilling camping is expected to include approximately 10,000 metres of diamond drilling, in the higher grade central core of the deposit. The objectives of the drilling program are:

Test extensions of new geological model

Delineate early diorite porphyry and hydrothermal breccias

Deeper drilling in high grade area

Converting of inferred resource to indicated

Drilling extensions within PEA pit area

Drill testing extensions to mineralization within 1km of current deposit

Evaluating silver content and distribution

Provide samples for metallurgical testing

Work Program - Additional Activities

In addition to the drilling campaign, the work program includes:

Reprocessing historical pulp samples to create silver model and revise molybdenum grades

Mapping of alterations north of current mineralized area

Updating resource model

Preparing optimized PEA

We expect the drilling campaign to last 3-4 months, with the final assay results being completed during the third quarter of 2017. The remainder of the work program is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

About Vizcachitas

The Vizcachitas Project offers potential for a low strip, open pit operation in an area of low elevation with excellent infrastructure in central Chile. On February 18, 2014, the Company filed a National Instrument 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment prepared by Coffey Consultoria Y Servicios Spa (Coffey) and Alquimia Conceptos S.A. (PEA). Based on 40,383 metres of drilling at the time, using a 0.30% copper equivalent cut-off, the project contains an indicated resource of 1,038 million tonnes grading 0.434% copper equivalent and an inferred resource of 318 million tonnes grading 0.405% copper equivalent. Using a 0.40% copper equivalent cut-off, the project contains an indicated resource of 566 million tonnes grading 0.501% copper equivalent and an inferred resource of 130 million tonnes grading 0.488% copper equivalent.

Mr. Antony Amberg is the Qualified Person who has read and approved the technical disclosure in this news release.

Additional information about the Vizcachitas Project is available on our website at www.losandescopper.com.

For more information please contact:

Antony Amberg, President & CEO Tel: (56-22) 954-0450

Aurora Davidson, Chief Financial Officer Tel: 604-697-6207

E-Mail: info@losandescopper.com or visit our website at: www.losandescopper.com

Certain of the information and statements contained herein that are not historical facts, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Securities Act (British Columbia) and the Securities Act (Alberta) ("Forward-Looking Information"). Forward-Looking Information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend"; statements that an event or result is "due" on or "may", "will", "should", "could", or might" occur or be achieved; and, other similar expressions. More specifically, Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such Forward-Looking Information; including, without limitation, the achievement and maintenance of planned production rates, the evolving legal and political policies of Chile, the volatility in the Chilean economy, military unrest or terrorist actions, metal and energy price fluctuations, favourable governmental relations, the availability of financing for activities when required and on acceptable terms, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, current and future environmental and regulatory requirements, the availability and timely receipt of permits, approvals and licenses, industrial or environmental accidents, equipment breakdowns, availability of and competition for future acquisition opportunities, availability and cost of insurance, labour disputes, land claims, the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates, currency fluctuations, expectations and beliefs of management and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in Management's Discussion and Analysis in the Company's financial statements. Such Forward-Looking Information is based upon the Company's assumptions regarding global and Chilean economic, political and market conditions and the price of metals and energy, and the Company's production. Among the factors that have a direct bearing on the Company's future results of operations and financial conditions are changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, a change in government policies, competition, currency fluctuations and restrictions and technological changes, among other things. Should one or more of any of the aforementioned risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from any conclusions, forecasts or projections described in the Forward-Looking Information. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise Forward-Looking Information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
The global thyroid gland disorder treatment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 3% during the forecast period, according to Technavio's latest market research.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005157/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global thyroid gland disorder treatment market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

In this market research report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the globalthyroid gland disorder treatmentmarketfor 2017-2021. The market is further categorized into two segments based on the type of disorder, which are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

"Globally, 750 million people suffer from thyroid disorders, among which more than half are undiagnosed. The major players in the market are introducing innovative and improved formulations and drugs using new drug-delivery technologies. The quick and easy delivery routes used by new formulations along with increased awareness are expected to increase patient compliance, thereby, fostering the market growth during the forecast period," says Sapna Jha, a lead cardiovascular and metabolic disordersresearch expert from Technavio.

Technavio's healthcare and life sciences research analysts segment the global thyroid gland disorder treatment market into the following regions:

Americas

EMEA

APAC

Thyroid gland disorder treatment in the Americas

The thyroid gland disorders treatment market in the Americas is growing at a moderate pace as compared to the global market, owing to the introduction of natural extracts drugs. Associations such as American Thyroid Association (ATA) and Human Growth Foundation are involved in spreading awareness about the disorder and the available treatment options. For instance, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has initiated a campaign to increase public awareness about the thyroid disorder and educate the Americans about the treatment.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=57206

Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

Thyroid gland disorder treatment market in EMEA

EMEA is emerging and facing challenges regarding regulatory guidelines such as rigorous analytical data to compare similarity with the approved products. However, the thyroid gland disorder treatment market in EMEA is expected to benefit from the growing incidence of hypothyroidism in key regions such as Europe.

"The rising number of individuals with hypothyroid, and increasing thyroid awareness programs contribute to this growth," says Sapna

For instance, in 2016, Merck Sharp Dohme collaborated with Thyroid Federation International (TFI) for a campaign called Catching the butterflies, which detects the symptoms of thyroid disorders in children.

Thyroid gland disorder treatment market in APAC

APAC is expected to grow at a higher rate compared to EMEA and the Americas, due to the growing awareness programs through various companies. For instance, in 2015, Abbott collaborated with Indian Thyroid Society (ITS) to spread thyroid awareness in coastal Andhra Pradesh in India. The data estimated from these awareness programs suggests that one in 10 adults in India suffer from hypothyroidism, and the disease ranked ninth among other common ailments such as depression, asthma, cholesterol problem, diabetes, insomnia, and heart problems.

The top vendors in the global thyroid gland disorder treatment market as highlighted in this market research analysis are:

Abbott

AbbVie

Allergan

Merck Sharp& Dohme

Pfizer

RLC LABS

Browse Related Reports:

Global Endocrinology Drugs Market 2016-2020

Global Pharmerging Markets 2017-2021

Global Central Nervous System Disorders Therapeutics Market 2016-2020

Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like cardiovascular devicescentral nervous system, and in-vitro diagnostics. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005157/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- Quorum Information Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE: QIS), a leading provider of dealership and customer management software and value-added services to the automotive industry, intends to release its 2016 year end results after the market closes on Thursday, April 20, 2017.

A conference call has been scheduled for April 21, 2017 beginning at 11:00 a.m. MT (13:00 p.m. ET), at which time Maury Marks, President and Chief Executive Officer and Marilyn Bown, Chief Financial Officer will provide a presentation of the results followed by a question and answer period.

Anyone wishing to participate in the call is asked to dial-in using the following numbers and ask for the Quorum Information Technologies Inc. 2016 Year End Conference Call. Callers are asked to dial-in 10-15 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Details for anyone wishing to participate in the conference call are:

Local: 1 (403) 451-9838 Toll-Free North America: 1 (866) 865-3086

A replay of the conference call will be available beginning at 14:00 p.m. MT April 21, 2017 until 21:59 p.m. MT on May 5, 2017, and can be accessed by dialing:

Local: 1 (403) 451-9481 Toll-Free North America: 1 (855) 859-2056 Password#: 93412869

A replay of the conference call will also be available for at least 30 days following the call on Quorum's website, under the Investors section, at www.quorumdms.com.

Quorum's 2016 Year End Results investor presentation will also available for download after the press release has been issued, again under the Investors section on the Company's website at www.quorumdms.com.

About Quorum

Quorum is a North American company focused on developing, marketing, implementing and supporting its automotive dealership and customer management system, XSELLERATOR. Quorum offers the system to franchised, independent and some non-automotive dealerships in Canada and the United States. XSELLERATOR automates, integrates and streamlines every process across departments in a dealership. The system includes tools designed to maximize revenue opportunities for dealerships such as Customer Relationship Management and service inspection and quoting processes. Quorum is a Microsoft partner and XSELLERATOR is developed with modern mobile-enabled technology. Quorum Information Technologies Inc. is traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol QIS and in 2016 was selected to the TSX Venture 50, an annual ranking of the strongest performing companies on the TSX Venture Exchange. For additional information please go to www.QuorumDMS.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has reviewed this release and neither accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Quorum Contact:

Maury Marks

403-777-0036

MarksM@QuorumDMS.com




Technavio market research analysts forecast the data center colocation market in APAC to grow at a CAGR of more than 16% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005494/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the data center colocation market in APAC from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The market study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the data center colocation market in APAC for 2017-2021. The report also lists retail and wholesale as the two major segments based on type of colocation, of which the retail segment accounted for close to 79% of the market share in 2016.

Request a sample report: https://goo.gl/dom8H2

Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

Technavio ICT analysts highlight the following four market drivers that are contributing to the growth of the data center colocation market in APAC:

Increased adoption of cloud and IoT technologies

Reduction in capital and operational expenditure

Availability of advanced network connectivity

Increased support from governments

Increased adoption of cloud and IoT technologies

According to Abhishek Sharma, a lead analyst at Technavio for data centerresearch, "The significant increase in internet traffic over the past five years, has also increased the need for the enterprises to operate through technologies such as cloud and big data."

Owing to the increased adoption of advanced technologies for business operational needs, enterprises in APAC are prompted to expand their data center footprints. The main contributors to the increase in data centers include CSPs, telecommunication organizations, and colocation service providers. The increased demand for retail colocation spaces in APAC is witnessed through higher investments in data center construction by colocation and telecommunication service providers such as NTT, China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile, Equinix, Global Switch, and others.

Reduction in capital and operational expenditure

Business operational demands are growing among enterprises in APAC, which is leading to an increase in data center construction activities. The construction and operation of data centers involve high capital expenditure. With the inception of colocation, enterprises with less need for data centers can colocate space from the existing data center operators. Data center colocation reduces the need for capital investment that is involved in the construction of data centers. Many SMEs with lower IT budget will also be able to operate through data centers, enabling higher availability for the services offered.

"In addition, the vendors offer uninterrupted services and maintenance of data center facilities, which increases the productivity and performance of the enterprises," says Abhishek.

Availability of advanced network connectivity

Enterprises are witnessing a rapid increase in the digital content transmitted and manipulated in their networks. The adoption of colocation services makes it easier for enterprises to manage network dynamics, control traffic flow, and scale up data center infrastructure efficiently.

Many enterprises in APAC also require better interconnection to public and private cloud environments operated by the CSPs. Interconnections also enable better connectivity and higher availability of services as demand grows. Colocation providers such as Equinix and Digital Reality enable interconnectivity between their facilities in APAC and extend it to the major cloud data centers to grow their customer base.

Increased support from governments

In APAC, many colocation providers and CSPs are being welcomed by the respective governments to establish their facilities as it will facilitate the growth of their countries' economies. For example, the Thai government supports data center investment from SUPERNAP, which aids in growing the digital economy, while encouraging more investment in the future. Most of the countries in APAC welcome foreign investments from colocation providers. This aids in overcoming the increased need for IT operations for local customers as well as social media platform operators such as Facebook.

Browse Related Reports:

Data Center Colocation Market in Western Europe 2016-2020

Data Center Colocation Market in the US 2016-2020

Global Data Center Storage Market 2016-2020

Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like IT hardwarecloud computing, and product lifecycle management. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently.

About Technavio

Technaviois a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005494/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 --

-- Equity privatization transaction unanimously recommended by a Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Discovery Air Inc. comprised of four independent directors, and unanimously approved by Discovery Air Inc.'s board of directors, excluding directors not eligible to vote; -- Cash consideration of $0.20 per share to be paid to public shareholders of Discovery Air Inc.; -- Transaction will provide liquidity to public shareholders; -- Unsecured convertible debentures to remain outstanding/listed and treated in accordance with their terms; -- Following closing, Discovery Air Inc. will be wholly-owned by certain funds and affiliates of Clairvest Group Inc. and certain management shareholders of Discovery Air Inc.; and -- Over 90% of the shareholders of Discovery Air Inc. have indicated their intent to vote in favour of the equity privatization transaction at the special meeting of shareholders held to consider such transaction, the implication of which is (i) minority approval under securities laws is not required and (ii) the result of the special meeting of shareholders is assured.

Discovery Air Inc. ("Discovery Air" or the "Corporation") (TSX: DA.A) and Clairvest Group Inc. (TSX: CVG) announced today that the Corporation and certain funds managed by Clairvest Group Inc. (collectively "Clairvest") have entered into a definitive agreement (the "Arrangement Agreement") which will result in Clairvest, along with certain management shareholders of the Corporation (the "Rolling Shareholders" and, together with Clairvest, the "Purchaser Group"), acquiring all the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of the Corporation by way of a plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") pursuant to the Canada Business Corporations Act.

Pursuant to the terms of the Arrangement, Clairvest will indirectly acquire from the shareholders of the Corporation (the "Corporation Shareholders") all of the issued and outstanding Class A shares (the "Class A Shares") and Class B shares (the "Class B Shares", and together with the Class A Shares, the "Corporation Shares") of Discovery Air not already held by the Purchaser Group for $0.20 per Corporation Share (the "Cash Consideration"). The total transaction Cash Consideration is approximately $1.5 million.

Jacob (Koby) Shavit, the President and CEO of Discovery Air Inc. stated "the proposed transaction is a logical evolution for Discovery Air given our current ownership structure. Our management team and employees look forward to continuing to work with Clairvest as we maintain our ongoing focus on delivering skillful and efficient specialty aviation and logistics services to our customers."

The members of the Purchaser Group, acting jointly and in concert, currently own over 90% of the Corporation Shares and have indicated their intent to vote in favour of the Arrangement at the special meeting of Corporation Shareholders held to consider the Arrangement, as further described below.

The Arrangement will provide holders of the Corporation Shares (other than the Purchaser Group and their affiliates) (the "Public Shareholders") with liquidity and the opportunity to realize immediate and certain value for their Corporation Shares. On the basis of, among other things, the valuation and fairness opinion provided by the special committee's financial advisor, Capital Canada Limited, the special committee and disinterested members of the Corporation's board of directors (the "Board") believe that the Cash Consideration to be received by the Public Shareholders pursuant to the Arrangement is fair, from a financial point of view, and that the Arrangement is in the best interests of the Corporation.

The Arrangement will enhance the Corporation's ability to meet future financing needs in an efficient and timely manner, which will allow the Corporation to reduce the risks associated with its business, improving the operations and future prospects of the Corporation.

The special committee also determined that it is unlikely that a competing offer for equal or greater consideration could emerge given the Corporation's ownership structure together with the fact that Clairvest advised the Corporation, and subsequently publicly announced, that it has no interest in selling its holdings in the Corporation. The Arrangement will not result in a change in the effective control of the Corporation, which would have resulted had any third party acquirer effected a similar transaction, including associated implications for and potential costs arising from the Corporation's contractual commitments.

Transaction Details

Unanimously recommended to the Corporation Shareholders by all of the independent directors of the Corporation, the Arrangement will be completed by way of a plan of arrangement pursuant to the Canada Business Corporations Act through which Public Shareholders will receive the Cash Consideration.

Fairness Opinion and Formal Valuation

The special committee of the Board has unanimously recommended that Corporation Shareholders approve the Arrangement. The special committee received a formal valuation from its financial advisor, Capital Canada Limited, valuing the Corporation Shares at a range of nil to $0.07. The special committee also received a fairness opinion from Capital Canada Limited that the Cash Consideration to be received by the Public Shareholders pursuant to the Arrangement is fair, from a financial point of view, to the Public Shareholders.

Process of Approval

The Arrangement is subject to, among other things, the approval by 66 2/3% of the votes cast by Corporation Shareholders at a special meeting of Corporation Shareholders to be held to approve the Arrangement. As the Purchaser Group holds over 90% of the Corporation Shares and have indicated their intent to vote in favour of the Arrangement at the special meeting, minority approval under securities laws is not required. The Arrangement is also subject to receipt of court and any necessary regulatory approvals. On closing of the Arrangement, it is anticipated that the Corporation Shares will be de-listed from the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX").

The Arrangement is expected to close once all of the approvals have been obtained, which is expected to occur no later than June 2017. Certain holders of Corporation Shares who are directors, officers or employees of the Corporation have entered into voting and support agreements (the "Voting and Support Agreements") pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, to vote in favour of the Arrangement and, in lieu of receiving the Cash Consideration, to exchange their Corporation Shares on a one-for-one basis for shares in, and continue as shareholders of, the successor entity to the Corporation.

Secured and Unsecured Debentures

Discovery Air's outstanding senior secured convertible debentures in an initial aggregate principal amount of $70,000,005 issued by the Corporation on September 23, 2011, and the 8.375% convertible unsecured subordinated debentures issued by the Corporation pursuant to a convertible debenture indenture dated as of May 12, 2011, as amended by a first supplemental convertible debenture indenture dated as of November 27, 2014 (the "Listed Debentures", and together, the "Debentures"), will be treated in accordance with their terms. The Listed Debentures will not be de-listed from the TSX and, as such, the Corporation will remain a reporting issuer subsequent to the completion of the Arrangement. The Debentures will remain outstanding in accordance with their terms and will not be included in the Arrangement.

Corporation Shareholders and other interested parties are advised to read the materials relating to the proposed Arrangement that will be filed with or furnished to securities regulatory authorities in Canada when they become available, as they will contain important information. Additional details regarding the Arrangement will be disclosed in the Management Information Circular to be mailed to Corporation Shareholders and filed in due course. Anyone may obtain copies of these documents when available free of charge under the Corporation's profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval at www.sedar.com.

This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer to sell the shares of the Corporation or a solicitation of a proxy.

Early Warning Report Filed for Clairvest

Clairvest has filed an updated early warning report in connection with entering into the Voting and Support Agreements and the Arrangement Agreement. A copy of the report can be obtained under the Corporation's profile at www.sedar.com, or by contacting the Director, Investor Relations and Marketing for Clairvest at (416) 925-9270.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. These statements include, without limitation, statements relating to the proposed equity privatization of the Corporation pursuant to the Arrangement, approval of the Arrangement by shareholders and regulatory authorities and the timing thereof, the subsequent ownership structure of the Corporation, the Cash Consideration, the expected timing and impact of the Arrangement, certain strategic, operational and financial benefits expected to result from the Arrangement, the Corporation's business outlook, objectives, plans and strategic priorities, and other statements that are not historical facts.

Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on assumptions, both general and specific, which give rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ materially from our expectations expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. For a description of relevant assumptions and risks, please consult the Corporation's 2016 Annual Information Form dated April 28, 2016 and the Corporation's 2016 Third Quarter MD&A dated December 7, 2016, all filed with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities (available at sedar.com) and which are also available on the Corporation's website at www.discoveryair.com. Additional details regarding the Arrangement will be disclosed in the Management Information Circular to be filed in due course.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release describe our expectations at March 24, 2017, and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by Canadian securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Discovery Air

Discovery Air is a global leader in specialty aviation services. We deliver exceptional air combat training, medevac equipped aircraft services, air charter services, helicopter operations, and transport and logistics support to ensure operational readiness, health, safety and vital lifelines for our clients and the communities we serve.

Discovery Air's Class A common voting shares and unsecured convertible debentures trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbols DA.A and DA.DB.A, respectively).

About Clairvest

Clairvest Group Inc. is a private equity investor which invests its own capital, and that of third parties through the Clairvest Equity Partners ("CEP") limited partnerships, in businesses that have the potential to generate superior returns. In addition to providing financing, Clairvest contributes strategic expertise and execution ability to support the growth and development of its investee partners. Clairvest realizes value through investment returns and the eventual disposition of its investments.

Contacts:

Discovery Air Inc.

Sheila Venman

Investor Relations

866-903-3247

Sheila.venman@discoveryair.com



Clairvest Group Inc.

Maria Klyuev

Director, Investor Relations and Marketing

(416) 925-9270

(416) 925-5753 (FAX)




OAKLAND PARK, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- BioStem Technologies, Inc. (OTC PINK: BSEM) ("BSEM" or "the company"), an emerging International BioTech company, celebrated the opening of its new laboratory and corporate offices with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the BioStem Technologies executive team. BSEM's Founder and CEO, Henry Van Vurst, commented, "With the recent regulation changes we amended our original facility design to comply with FDA 503b regulations, which caused an extension to our timeline, but I couldn't be prouder of this new state-of-the-art facility. Cutting the ribbon with Mayor Lamar Fisher (City of Pompano Beach) was a very proud moment for the entire BSEM team, and it is a testament to how far we have come since the Company's inception in 2014."

The facility is a showcase of quality that will enable BSEM to leverage its vertical integration strategy in the Health, Wellness and Biotechnology sectors. The lab will serve as the Quality, R&D, and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Laboratory, not only for the Company's in-house operations, but also for its contract formulation and contract manufacturing services. The Company is in the process of finalizing its certifications for the ISO 8, 7, and 5 suites, as well as validation of the cGMP and cGLP areas. Corporate operations are expected to move to the new facility in Q2 2017, while the operations of Qualified Pharma Ingredients, one of the company's subsidiaries, will remain at its current location in Oakland Park, Florida.

About BioStem Technologies, Inc. (OTC PINK: BSEM): BioStem Technologies, Inc. (OTC PINK: BSEM) is in the business of regenerative medicine and antiaging strategies throughout the United States, Europe, and Mexico. The Company's mission is to conquer the effects of biological aging (and related acute disease), and its strategy is to discover, develop, produce, and deliver the most effective stem cell and wellness products in the world. The Company is comprised of a diverse group of scientists, physicians, and industry visionaries who are creating innovative products for helping customers live their best, feel their best, and be their best. The company operates six strategic business units -- BioStem Cell Therapy, BioStem Wellness, BioStem Pharmaceuticals, Qualified Pharma Ingredients, BioBlue, and BioStem International -- providing a diversified line of products and services that include: clinical stem cell therapy, stem cell R&D, state-of-the-art laboratory services, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, API repackaging, and medical tourism.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward looking and made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "future," "plan" or "planned," "expects," believe" or "projected." These forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. These risk factors include, among others, limited operating history, difficulty in developing, exploiting and protecting proprietary technologies, intense competition and additional risks factors as discussed in reports filed by the company with OTC Markets.

BioStem Technologies, Inc.:

Phone: 954-380-8342

Website: http://www.biostemtech.com

Email: info@biostemtech.com

Twitter: @Biostemtech

Facebook: BioStem Technologies



Investor Relations:

Andrew Van Vurst

info@biostemtech.com

954.380.8342






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A majority of voters support President Donald Trump's proposal to increase the size of the military, according to the results of a Quinnipiac University poll, although they largely oppose plans to cut spending on a number of domestic programs.



The poll found that 58 percent of voters think increasing the size of the Army, the Marine Corps, and the Navy's fleet is a good idea, while 39 percent think it is a bad idea.



Eighty-five percent of voters also think it is a good idea to increase funding for health services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.



Trump's budget proposal includes a $54 billion increase in defense spending and a matching reduction in spending on domestic programs and foreign aid.



However, the poll found that a majority of voters are opposed to reductions in government spending on several specific domestic programs.



More than eighty percent of voters say it is a bad idea to cut funding for medical research, new road and transit projects, and after school and summer school programs.



A majority of voters also oppose cutting scientific research on the environment and climate change and eliminating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.



'It's a rousing yes for healing the vets and growing the military,' said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. 'But when it comes to cutting Public TV, the arts, after school programs and scientific research to improve the environment, it's a stern 'hands off' from voters.'



The poll also found that 64 percent of voters think it is bad idea to start funding a wall along the border with Mexico, while 35 percent think it is a good idea.



Quinnipiac said a majority of Republicans support the wall, but GOP voters are the only party, gender, education, age or racial group listed to support the idea.



The Quinnipiac survey of 1,056 voters was conducted March 16th through 21st and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.



(Photo: Gage Skidmore)



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) welcomes measures in Budget 2017, Building a Strong Middle Class that promote financial stability by strengthening Canada's deposit protection and bank resolution regime.

Enhancing the Bank Resolution Regime

In the 2017 budget, the Government proposes to introduce measures to:

-- Formally designate CDIC as the resolution authority for its members and formally require Canada's biggest banks to develop and submit resolution plans; and -- Clarify the treatment of, and protections for, eligible financial contracts- such as derivatives-in a bank resolution process.

"CDIC fully supports these initiatives by the Government," said CDIC President and CEO Michele Bourque. "These initiatives will enhance Canada's resolution framework for deposit-taking institutions."

Deposit Insurance Review

The budget also states the Government's intent to introduce legislative amendments to modernize and enhance the Canadian deposit insurance framework to better meet its objectives, including supporting financial stability.

"CDIC has protected the savings of Canadians for 50 years, and these measures will ensure that deposit protection keeps pace with the way Canadians bank and save today," said Ms. Bourque. "CDIC is working closely with the Department of Finance on this policy initiative."

CDIC is a federal Crown corporation that contributes to the stability of the Canadian financial system by providing deposit insurance against the loss of eligible deposits at member institutions in the event of failure. CDIC protects over $700 billion of savings held by its member institutions which include banks, federally regulated credit unions as well as loan and trust companies and associations governed by the Cooperative Credit Associations Act that take deposits. CDIC is funded by premiums paid by member institutions and does not receive public funds to operate.

Contacts:

Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC)

Brad Evenson

Director, Communications and Public Affairs

613.943.4395

media@cdic.ca






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In a major blow to Republican leaders and President Donald Trump, the GOP has withdrawn a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on Friday.



House Republicans decided to pull the bill amid signs that the legislation would be rejected in a planned vote.



The move comes despite vigorous efforts by Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to build support for the legislation.



A number of more conservative lawmakers opposed the bill amid criticism that it did not go far enough to repeal the provisions of Obamacare.



Moderate Republicans were also concerned about predictions the plan would cause millions of people to lose their insurance.



Ahead of the planned vote, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer acknowledged that Trump could not force members of Congress to vote a certain way.



Spicer argued that Trump and Ryan did everything possible to convince Republican lawmakers to fulfill their promise to repeal and replace Obamacare.



House Republican leaders delayed a vote on the bill on Thursday amid indications of a lack of support, but Trump had previously demanded the vote go forward on Friday.



'After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!' Trump said in a post on Twitter.



Trump took aim at members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus earlier in the day, noting that they would allow federal funding for Planned Parenthood to continue if they voted against the bill.



'The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!' Trump tweeted.



The Republican bill known as the American Health Care Act would have cut off funding for Planned Parenthood for one year.



Even if the Republican healthcare bill had been approved by the House, the legislation was expected to face an even tougher uphill battle in the Senate.



The reconciliation process being used to advance the bill would have prevented a Democratic filibuster, but a number of Senate Republicans had expressed opposition to the plan.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
For those without a strong government-supported healthcare structure, drug prices can be prohibitive. While this tends to benefit the pharmaceutical companies providing those drugs, it can have a significant negative impact on patient quality of life. Because of this issue, the United States is putting forward laws that will increase competition in the market.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005645/en/

Infiniti Research helps companies identify new market opportunities. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Rheumatoid arthritis is one example of a condition with costly treatments. In the US, it can cost $30,000 or even more just for medication annually. Infiniti Research notes that there are also indirect costs to this and other health problems, such as the inability to work, as well as psychological effects such as anxiety and depression. For these reasons, several lawmakers are developing bills to bring some relief to patients.

In their latest research study, Infiniti Research developed a database of rheumatology centers within the target regions, which could be updated on a regular basis. The insights offered through this study would function as a country-specific market map to identify potential market opportunities in specific countries.

View study: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/casestudy/market-opportunity-rheumatology-centers

Market Developments

Last year, the Senate Judiciary Committee introduced the CREATES Act, which is designed to make it easier for generic drug companies to obtain the samples they need from branded pharma manufacturers to develop their own version of a drug. Currently, it is very easy for large pharma companies to block this, preventing the creation and release of more generic alternatives to expensive drugs. The bill is currently being reintroduced, and if passed, will enable greater competition in the market.

The state of Texas is also taking steps to make medication more affordable. Lawmakers have been considering two bills that would allow pharmacists to substitute biosimilar drugs for brand-name products. This move could reduce costs for New Mexico's Medicaid program, as well as other state-run insurance plans, as well as benefit patients. Biosimilars, while more common in other parts of the world, are currently underused in the US. These bills could pave the way for similar ones around the country.

Market Opportunities

It is important to keep abreast of proposed legal changes, as well as how laws differ both between and countries and from one part of a country to another. Market intelligence can inform you of laws that may threaten or benefit your business, and identify markets where they are particularly favorable. It can also identify potential partners and competitors, as well as other qualities of the market.

Infiniti Research recently worked with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world to engage in a market opportunity assessment to identify and profile the top rheumatology centers across North America and Europe. They main objective of the research project was to develop a master database of major rheumatology centers across the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Have questions about this study? Request more information

Have questions about this study? Request more information on this report

About Infiniti Research

Established in 2003, Infiniti Research is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies.

With 13 years of experience and offices across three continents, Infiniti Research has been instrumental in providing a complete range of competitive intelligence, strategy, and research services for over 550 companies across the globe. Request a brochure and see how Infiniti Research can help your organization.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170324005645/en/

Contacts:

Infiniti Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.infinitiresearch.com

Contact Us
CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/17 -- ROOSTER ENERGY LTD. (or the "Company") (www.roosterenergyltd.com) (TSX VENTURE: COQ) is pleased to announce that it has complied with terms of the Third Amendment (entered into March 10, 2017) to the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement dated as of November 17, 2014, as amended and restated as of June 25, 2015 (the "NPA") with the holders of the senior secured notes (the "Notes") issued pursuant to the NPA. Specifically, a non-binding term sheet has been entered into with the holders this date setting forth the general terms of a potentially acceptable restructuring of the NPA. Additionally, as required by the terms of the Third Amendment, the Company has on this date paid the applicable interest due on the Notes that was due and payable on January 31, 2017 and February 28, 2017. Pursuant to the Third Amendment, the holders agreed to extend until March 24, 2017 the payment dates pending satisfaction of all other terms of the Third Amendment.

The Company is and continues to conduct business as usual and will continue in negotiations with the holders to restructure the terms and conditions of the NPA and its obligations thereunder in accordance with the term sheet. However, the holders of the Notes may exercise their remedies against the Company at any time since there is no forbearance agreement in place. In that event, or if the Company is ultimately unable to finalize documentation to satisfactorily restructure the NPA, then the Company would in all likelihood seek relief under applicable bankruptcy or reorganization laws to preserve the going concern value of the Company.

ABOUT ROOSTER ENERGY LTD.

Rooster Energy Ltd. is a Houston, Texas, based vertically integrated oil and gas production company combined with a well service intervention/plugging and abandonment subsidiary focused in the shallow waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Our primary business is a service company whose assets consist of rigless well plugging and abandonment/intervention units and our oil and gas assets consist of producing oil and gas wells located on US federal oil and gas leases. Investors are welcome to visit our website at www.roosterenergyltd.com or contact the following for all corporate updates and investor inquiries:

Gary L. Nuschler, Jr. Chief Financial Officer 16285 Park Ten Place, Suite 120 Houston, Texas, USA 77084 Telephone: (832) 772-6313 ext. 555

Forward Looking Information and Statements

Certain statements and information in this press release may constitute "forward-looking information" or statements as such terms are used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statement that expresses, involves or includes expectations of the anticipated benefits of the refinancing, restructuring or modification of existing debt or failure to obtain same or future operations (including drill rig commitments and use of proceeds), commerciality of any hydrocarbon discovered, production rates, operating costs, commodity prices, administrative costs, commodity price risk and other components of cash flow and earnings, management activity, acquisitions and dispositions, capital spending, access to credit facilities taxes, regulatory changes, projections, objective, assumptions or future events that are not statements of historical fact should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. These risks include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with the oil and gas industry, commodity prices, and interest and exchange rate changes. Industry related risks could include, but are not limited to, operational risks in exploration, development and production, delays or changes in plans, risks associated with the uncertainty of reserve estimates, or reservoir performance, health and safety risks and the uncertainty of estimates and projections of production, costs and expenses. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement in this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Financial outlook information contained in this press release about the Company's prospective cash flows and/or financial position is based on assumptions about future events, including economic conditions and proposed courses of action, based on management's assessment of the relevant information currently available. Readers are cautioned that any such financial outlook information contained herein should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.

Contacts:

Gary L. Nuschler, Jr.

Chief Financial Officer

16285 Park Ten Place, Suite 120

Houston, Texas, USA 77084

Telephone: (832) 772-6313 ext. 555




Big Squid, a Salt Lake City, UT-based predictive analytics and machine learning software platform provider, closed a $3m seed funding round.

The round was led by Silverton Partners and Kickstart Seed Fund. In conjunction with the funding, Dalton Wright (Kickstart Seed Fund), and Mike Dodd (Silverton Partners) joined Big Squids Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the adoption of its predictive toolkit in the enterprise.

Led by Chris Knoch, CEO, Big Squid is a Premier Domo* Partner that develops and implements innovative solutions that assist business users in identifying their key business questions. Its predictive toolkit leverages predictive analytics to enable business users and decision makers to gain insight on future trends and projects. With the toolkit, organizations can construct predictive models, explore different what if scenarios and allow them to forecast key business metrics to make smart decisions.

The company has over 400 customers.

FinSMEs

24/03/2017

*Domo, provider of The Business Cloud  a platform for business optimization, will remain an investor in the company following the round.
Blue Industry and Science, a Paris, France-based manufacturer of analyzers that quantify traces of gases in real time, raised 1m in funding.

Backers included Newfund, business angels and the management of Blue.

The company, which has raised 6m in total funding, intends to use the capital to increase its commercial deployment, targeting major international industrial partners.

Led by Julien Roquette, CEO, Blue makes tunable lasers adapted to the detection of infinitesimal amounts of hundreds of gases, in real-time, for the monitoring of industrial processes and work atmospheres. The company has developed dedicated solutions for customers in Oil&Gas, Energy, Food, Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals.

FinSMEs

24/03/2017
NFWare, a Madrid, Spain-based developer of network software that allows the processing of traffic at the speeds of expensive hardware on standard x86 servers, raised $2M in funding.

The round was led by Sistema Venture Capital fund, with participation from existing investors including Maxfield Capital and Almaz Capital as well as Wayra, the accelerator of Telefonica Open Future_.

The company will use the funds to expand operations.

Established in 2014 as a spin-off startup from non-profit organization Applied Research Center for Computer Networks by Alexander Britkin, CEO, NFWare develops virtualized IP routing technology for telco networks and data centers.

The companys approach is based on NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) and SDN (Software Defined Networking) technology solutions, which allow migration of network infrastructure functions to a virtual environment shifting the networking industry away from the pre-packaged hardware towards software.

Products include:

 Virtual ADC (Application Delivery Controller), a load balancing solution that allows to increase traffic processing speed for high-loaded projects and protects against DDoS attacks, and

 Virtual CGNAT (Carrier Grade Network Access Translation), a solution for telco networks to extend the life of an IPv4 network infrastructure, mitigate IPv4 address exhaustion and provide a seamless migration to IPv6.

FinSMEs

24/03/2017
Putting state governments that promised loan waivers for farmers in difficulty, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday ruled out such waivers by the Centre insisting states can utilise their own resources in this regard.

He clarified that the Centre will not adopt a selective approach by helping one state and not the others. The move is likely to put even BJP governments, including Devendra Fadnavis administration in Maharashtra and the newly elected one under Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, in a spot.

"This issue (loan waiver) has cropped up in several states. The Centre has its policies for agriculture sector under which we provide interest subvention and other support. We will continue to give all that.

"If a state has its own resources and want to go ahead in that direction, it will have to find its resources. The situation where the Centre will help one state and not the others will not arise," Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha.

However, agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had said the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh will waive off loans of small and marginal farmers as has been promised in the party's state election manifesto in the recent assembly polls.

The Congress had demanded that the government announce a loan waiver for farmers across the country as was done by the UPA in 2006 and not just for Uttar Pradesh where the BJP has returned to power with a major mandate. The clarification from Jaitley came in this context.

There has been demand for loan waivers from states such as Rajasthan and Punjab too.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and made a strong pitch for a one-time loan waiver for the debt-ridden farmers of the state.

Singh met Modi in his Parliament complex office, first time after becoming the Chief Minister.

"I mentioned the debt waiver issue to the PM. It was an extension of the demand we made earlier when we had gone to meet the PM as part of a Congress delegation led by party vice president Rahul Gandhi.

"I said the debt loan waiver should be extended to Punjab farmers along the lines of Uttar Pradesh," he told reporters after meeting the Prime Minister here.

Singh expressed concern over the recent spate of farmers' suicide in Punjab and requested the PM to announce a special package to pull out them out of the debt-trap.

He said the mounting farm debt is making agriculture increasingly unsustainable, endangering not only the food security of the nation but also the social fabric of the sensitive border state.

In a letter to Modi, the chief minister had said the total farm debt in Punjab was over Rs 80,000 crore including crop loans in cooperative sector of about Rs 12,500 crore.

Meanwhile in Maharashtra, Opposition parties and BJP ally Shiv Sena have beeen protesting in the state assembly seeking farm loan waiver after a rise in farmer suicides. The Budget session that started on 6 March has seen ruckus from the protesting political parties, with hardly two days seeing any business being conducted.

Speaking to Firstpost earlier, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had pointed out that Fadnavis had earlier said that the BJP will not be giving any loan waivers and would rather explore alternative solutions to reduce farmer suicides.

"If Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given assurances to farmers in Uttar Pradesh for loan waiver, then why not in Maharashtra? This exposes the double standard of BJP and Fadnavis," he said. "Earlier in the UPA regime, Manmohan Singh had approved Rs 72,000 crore across the country as farmer aid," he added.

Fadnavis, meanwhile, told Firstpost that the total amount required for such a waiver will be Rs 30,500 crore. However, the state government with the central assistance has already spent 31,800 crore to help farmers in various ways.

"The state doesn't have enough resources to waive off such a huge amount," he had said. The state has a debt burden of Rs 2 lakh crore. He also said his government has made presentation in front of the finance minister and agriculture minister at the Centre seeking help.

However, with Jaitley now ruling out any financial assistance for state governments, it remains to be seen how these governments are going to handle the situation.

With inputs from Sanjay Sawant and PTI
New Delhi: So why is Bharti Airtel on a shopping spree? First, Indias largest telecom service provider struck a deal to buy out Norwegian telco Telenors Indian operations and now, it has announced a definitive agreement with Tikona Digital Networks to acquire its 4G business, including the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum and 350 sites, in five telecom circles for Rs 1,600 crore.

Tikona currently has 20 MHz spectrum in the 2300 MHz band in Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West), Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh circles. Airtel plans to roll-out high speed 4G services on the newly acquired spectrum in the five circles immediately after the closure of the transaction, it said in a statement.

As per the agreement, the acquisition of the 4G business in Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Himachal Pradesh will be undertaken by Airtel, while in the Rajasthan circle, it will be accomplished through Airtels subsidiary Bharti Hexacom Limited.

Post-acquisition, the combined spectrum holding of Airtel in these five circles will be within the spectrum caps prescribed by the Government. It is another smart buy by Bharti, since this acquisition will enable Bharti to fill BWA spectrum gaps in the 2300 MHz band in Rajasthan, UP (East) and UP (West), thereby securing a pan India footprint in the band.

That the future telecom wars will be fought in the fourth generation (4G) airwaves space has been quite clear from the day Reliance Jio Infocomm entered the market with its 4G ready network and eye-popping freebies to lure data hungry customers away from incumbent telecom operators. RJios USP, besides the pricing, has been its 4G-ready network and the speed with which Indian subscribers have ramped up data usage since Rjios entry last September is the stuff of legends.

This rapid transformation of a primarily voice market into a rapidly scaled up data market has forced incumbent telecom operators to bolster their 4G footprint. Now, when in addition to the RJio threat, Bharti is also set to face competition from the merged entity being formed after the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, it makes sense for the market leader to stock up on 4G spectrum. This is precisely what it has done with the Tikona deal.

Parag Gupta and Amruta Pabalkar of Morgan Stanley (MS) have said in a note to clients that between now and 2020, data subscriber growth will be driven by 3G/4G users. In a series of charts, the two analysts have predicted that 3G/4G subscribers will grow to comprise 80 percent of data subscribers by 2020 from a mere 43 percent now. By 2020, over half a billion Indians among data subscribers will be consuming data on 3G/4G ecosystems.

The two MS analysts have gone on to say that "Currently, there are ~120 million (~10 percent penetration) 4G handsets in the India telecom market and incremental additions are ~10 million per month. On average, 4G data users consume 6-7x more data than do non-4G users. Incrementally, since 2H F16, over 85 percent of the smartphones shipped are 4G in India  a positive for data consumption in the long term. We expect overall wireless data users to reach 678 million in FY20, 80 percent of whom will be 3G/4G users, thus representing ~40 percent penetration, with each user consuming ~1.3GB/month of mobile data by FY20.

Given the rapid scaling up of the 4G ecosystem, Bhartis alacrity in acquiring 4G spectrum is welcome. But will all this franctic M&A activity actually help incumbents (Bharti, Vodafone, Idea being the top three telcos affected most by RJios entry) fight back? The Morgan Stanley analysts do not hold out much immediate hope on this front for the three biggies.

Their analysis shows that while per GB price across Indias telecom industry was Rs 299 in 2015 and fell to Rs 250 in 2016, by January 2017 it had crashed to Rs 151. Obviously this happened due to RJios arrival in September 2016 with data freebies and offering voice free, for life. By January, RJios per GB price was a third of this crashed industry average, at just Rs 50. Is it any wonder then that the incumbents are scrambling to staunch the red ink spreading across their balance sheets?

The MS analysts have predicted that Bhartis market share will fall to 30 percent from FY18 as RJios increases, from 12 percent in FY18 to almost a fifth of the market by FY20 (the analysis does not take Bhartis Tikona buy into account). Airtel's F3Q17 (December quarter) India wireless revenues declined 6 percent QoQ, driven by a 13 percent decline in data revenues and a 4 percent decline in voice revenues. The decline in data revenues was driven by a 3.5 percent QoQ decline in volumes (as volumes shifted to RJio) and a 10 percent decline in average revenue per megabyte (ARMB) pricing. Average revenue per minute (ARPM) for voice pricing also declined, ~9 percent QoQ, as a result of higher traffic of incoming minutes. We expect these downward revenue pressures to continue as RJio plans are currently at ~40-60 percent discounts to that of Airtel's (and other incumbents') standard plans and hence competitors will likely see volumes shift to RJio or they will have to drop pricing to retain customers/usage.

So while Bharti is being smart in buying out telecom operators who can bolster its spectrum footprint and get it additional subscribers, the threat from RJio, changing market dynamics towards data and resultant profitability decline has not abated yet.

(Disclosure: Reliance Jio is owned by Reliance Industries, who also owns Network18, the publisher of Firstpost)
New Delhi: Competition Commission today imposed a fine of Rs 591 crore on state-owned Coal India for having discriminatory conditions in fuel supply pacts. Apart from directing the company to "cease and desist" from anti-competitive practices, the watchdog has ordered modification in the agreements.

In a 56-page order, the watchdog has found the company violating competition norms by "imposing unfair/discriminatory conditions in the matter of supply of non-

coking coal to power producers".

Further, Competition Commission of India (CCI) said that Coal India did not "evolve/ draft/ finalise the terms and conditions of FSAs through a mutual bilateral process and the same were imposed upon the buyers through a unilateral conduct".

The penalty amount of Rs 591.01 crore translates to one percent of Coal India's average turnover for the three-year period from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

This is the second order by CCI on the complaints after its first ruling, passed in December 2013, was set aside by the Competition Appellate Tribunal (Compat).

Setting aside the first order, where CCI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1,773 crore on Coal India, the tribunal also asked the regulator to take a fresh look at the allegations. After having a fresh look, CCI has imposed a reduced penalty of Rs 591 crore on the coal behemoth.

The complaints were filed against Coal India and its three subsidiaries -- Mahanadi Coalfields, South Eastern Coalfields and Western Coalfields. They were filed by Maharashtra State Power Generation Company and Gujarat State Electricity Corporation.

In today's order, the regulator has asked Coal India to modify the Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) and also ensure that uniformity between old and new power producers as well as between private and PSU power producers.

Even though Coal India enjoys operational freedom on commercial matters, CCI said its conduct is constrained by directions received from various stakeholders including Coal and Power Ministries.

"... all of whom exert influence and are involved in making decisions that impact various aspects of Coal India Ltd's business," the order said.

The regulator also noted that the company decides on pricing of coal keeping in mind the larger public interest and its social obligations.

Notwithstanding the overarching policy and regulatory environment within which Coal India has to operate, it has sufficient flexibility and functional independence in carrying out its commercial and contractual affairs, the order noted.

Coal India has also been directed to incorporate suitable modifications in the fuel supply agreements to provide for a fair and equitable sampling and testing

procedure.

"Keeping in mind the continuous steps taken by Coal India Ltd in resolving issues with stakeholders, the CCI has drastically reduced the penalty amount to Rs 591.01 crore as opposed to a previous amount of Rs 1,773 crore," Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM & Co) said in a statement.

SAM & Co, which acted as the legal advisor to Coal India, said this is for the first time that the CCI has reduced penalty in a case of remand.
Finance Bill 2017 was unique. It contained many things that one would normally not find in a Finance Bill. Apart from some changes to the tribunals, it also significantly changed how political parties were to be funded in India. This was done by way of certain amendments to the Companies Act.

Earlier, a company could donate money to a political party provided it disclosed the name of the party in it's profit and loss account. Also these donations were capped to 7.5 percent of the average net profits of the last three years. This made things quite transparent. You can find the financial statements of all companies online via the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal at www.mca.gov.in. For a small inspection fee, you can easily find out who has paid who and how much money. The pre-existing system was not just transparent, it was quick, efficient and accessible. It allowed the information to be accessed, not just by academics, journalists and NGOs but also by the general public.

But the amendments in Finance Bill 2017, things have changed slightly. You can still inspect the financial statements of the company, but you will only be able to see the amount of money donated to a political party, but not the party to which the money has gone to. This information is something that a company's own shareholders may not have access to as it no longer needs to be disclosed in the annual financial statement. Also the Bill now gets rid of the cap.

This becomes highly problematic for many reasons. A company is an artificial creature created by law for the sole purpose of fulfilling the mandate of its shareholders. This is why it ends up having certain rights that regular people do. One such is the right to conduct political activity like making contributions to parties.

The right doesn't come directly to the company, but the right is vested in the company as an extension of the right possessed by its shareholders. This means disclosures are important. Every shareholder has the right to know what political activities are being carried on in their names.

Unless this is disclosed publicly, they will never have access to that information, thereby resulting in a situation where people are contributing to political parties against their will.

By allowing the companies to not disclose the political party, the government is encouraging secrecy. This will only help those political parties and companies that want to cozy up to each other. Companies can now channel unlimited money from their profits to political parties without disclosing the name of the parties to whom this money is being sent to. The minority shareholders who don't have a control of the board, or small shareholders in public companies, may not even know what political activity is being carried on in their name.

While the move towards cashless donations to political parties may be a game-changer, this provision shows that the government's intent is not to eradicate corruption in political funding.

This provision legalises corruption and in its wake walks over the right of shareholders to make their own political decisions.
When there is a big problem, say a whale of a problem, can you remove one fin of the whale and claim that you have solved the problem.

Sometimes the timidity of the system prevents it from even looking at the whole problem. After all, if its a whale of a problem to solve it would take a long time and no one knows it can even be solved. It is better to solve small part of the problem. People might argue, but it is better to solve a small part instead of doing nothing.

The trouble with solving small parts of a public policy problem is which part. The easiest part is the most impactful part or any part. While framing any public policy this is a crucial choice and it is never taken by the political leadership. It is a choice that is influenced by several constituents but primarily taken by the bureaucratic leadership or the real government.

Matter of fact is this choice is well documented in theory Public choice theory (PCT), expounded by Nobel prize winning economist James Buchanan. While simplistic logic will dictate it would be taken in public interest and that is what the government would like to believe. There are number of interests, constituents, lobbies which dictate it.

In the last few weeks two policies have come up one National Healthcare Policy 2017 and the Fertiliser subsidy distribution policy. Both these policies have one thing in common they have taken the route of fin route to solve the problem. In a way in both these policies the system has prevailed over the politicians. Ironically, the justification for both these policies has come from political leadership. Which shows that the Luytens Delhi is still overpowering Modis government.

First, the NHP 2017, after two years this policy has been approved in a such a diluted form that it shames the draft on which it was based upon. The original draft of NHP wanted to give citizens the right to healthcare, universal healthcare insurance, affordable healthcare service, set standards for pricing and quality. I wrote about the draft here. The policy was opposed by the private healthcare sector as it curtailed its capability to charge whatever it wanted without promising anything. This lobby convinced the government that it was not wise to go the whole whale but do it incremental.

Ministry of Finance and even Niti Aayog opposed the implementation of such an ambitious policy. A policy envisaged increasing public investment in healthcare to 2.5 percent of GDP, almost double of what it is now. The logic was that it is just too high an expenditure to be borne by the exchequer. Since then I have been part of two public debates on this issue with bureaucrats from health ministry. One of whom explained that it is not possible to give the right to health without building the healthcare infrastructure on the ground. A perfect catch-22, you cannot deliver healthcare services because the government does not have healthcare infrastructure. There is no public healthcare infrastructure as the government does not believe it needs to deliver healthcare services. In the last 40 years, healthcare services almost 80 percent of it has shifted to private sector, besides AIIMS there isnt any public-owned healthcare service for critical care.

The second argument offered for going in for an incremental approach in NHP 2017, was it is a state subject and the central government cannot legislate it directly. Variant of this argument that it requires a constitutional amendment etc. This at a time that the finance ministry is carrying out the biggest amendment in the form of GST. Maybe, the health ministry and finance ministry is part of two different governments.

The timid approach adopted by the health ministry in adopting NHP 2017 also shows that corporate lobbyists have won over public interest. This is not new but the bravado amidst this defeat is ridiculous.

Now, the second policy that is in the offing and will be publicly announced soon is the subsidy policy on fertilisers. The government is expected to announce a process revamp in the way that the subsidy will be paid to fertiliser companies.

The government will now only pay the subsidy after the sale of fertiliser to a farmer. Earlier it was paid after the companies had shipped the product to depots and stockists. This process revamp is being done to ensure that the fertilizers are bought by the farmers only and subsidy leakage does not happen.

Therefore, two lakh odd fertiliser retailers spread across the country will have to keep electronic point of sales equipment and record each sale. They will have to identify and keep the record of a farmer who has bought the fertiliser. The farmer will have to show Id proof like Aadhar card or Kisan credit card or voter Id card. This is expected to reduce the diversion of subsidised urea and other chemical fertilisers to other industries. The logic here is that farmers will buy limited stock so any single sale of 200 bags or such will be detected and subsidy rejected for it.

This does not take into account that other industries will use farmers Id cards to buy these chemicals. Very similar to how some industrialists used the bank accounts of their workers to convert their currency during the demonetisation days. Ostensibly this is an interim step towards transferring fertiliser subsidy directly to farmers.

The government cannot determine the exact subsidy to be given to each farmer. As the amount of fertiliser a farmer needs varies as per fertility and size of his land holding. This approach or focus on just distributing subsidy for fertiliser ignores the bigger problem. The bigger problem is that farmers need to be weaned away from using chemical fertilisers. Every year his requirement for chemical fertilisers increases and the soil fertility keeps going down due to use of chemical. Heavy usage of chemical fertilisers erodes soil fertility, increases water consumption and leads to over dependence on food grains like rice and wheat.

Addressing the fertiliser subsidy is a problem the system wants to address, but it has a very powerful industrial lobby behind it. They want to keep the gravy train running. This industrial lobby does not want the farmers to move away from chemical fertilisers to organic manures.

PCT plays to benefit of the industrial lobby that defines the problem as distribution of subsidy not increasing productivity of the land more efficiently. If the problem is defined as : What should be the system that will incentivise farmer to use the most sustainable method to improve productivity and increase his profit from his holding? The answers to this question will lead to better utilisation of Rs 70,000 crores given in the name of farmers to companies to subsidise chemical fertilisers,

The system needs to define the real problem and makes independent choices of its own. Otherwise, Prime Minister Narendra Modis efforts to usher in reforms will be waylaid by the same lobbies that have been holding back the progress in these country forever.

The writer is Delhi-based policy analyst and digital strategist; he tweets @yatishrajawat
The government is likely to set 31 December deadline to link PAN card with Aadhaar, a report in The Hindustan Times said quoting government sources. If it is not done by that date, your PAN card will become invalid, the report said.

In the Finance Bill passed on Wednesday, the government had inserted an amendment making Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns.

As per the amendment, Every person who is eligible for an Aadhaar number shall, on or after the 1st day of July 2017, quote Aadhaar number, (i) in the application form for allotment of the permanent account number; (ii) in the return of income.

Political parties, including Biju Janata Dal, had opposed the move and walked out of the Lok Sabha in protest.

However, finance minister Arun Jailtey had rejected all demands for a relook insisting that the step was necessary to curb tax evasion and frauds as people have multiple PAN cards and are using it as a tool for not pay taxes.

"Aadhaar has biometric details, so its chances of misuse become minimal. When the country has so much technology, and when it is being put to use, then why create such a hue and cry about it? It is an anti-evasion measure which will benefit the country. So the government considers it right to implement it," he said.

Jaitley said the UIDAI had been conceptualised by the previous UPA dispensation and the NDA government is putting it to use with 98 per cent adults or more than 108 crore people in India having been issued Aadhaar number.

However, experts have warned that the Aadhaar system has been put in place without required privacy protection for individuals and this poses a serious threat to the citizens.

The government's move also goes against the Supreme Court's interim order that said Aadhaar is purely voluntary and should not be made mandatory until its final order on the privacy aspect comes.

With inputs from PTI
Ukraine as a transit state is interested in development of business of leading foreign companies on the Ukrainian market and focuses on development of multimodal transportation. The country is ready to cooperate in the area with Finland.

The press service of Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry reported that Deputy Minister Yuriy Lavreniuk gave the information at a meeting with a Finnish delegated headed by Finnish Ambassador to Ukraine Juha Virtanen and President of Containerships Plc Kari-Pekka Laaksonen with participation of representatives of Ukrzaliznytsia.

The sides discussed the problems of export-import transportation between Ukraine and Finland and further cooperation of Ukraine with Containerships Plc, a leading Finnish container line, which is actively working to develop freight transportation by rail in own containers between Ukrainian and Baltic ports using Viking and Zubr container trains.

"Today the quota principle for freight transportation by road is in effect between Ukraine and Finland. In 2017, the quota for freight transportation by road from/to third countries is 600 permits. The last meeting of the mixed commission for transportation by road of the two countries was held in October 2013. Today we have a shortage of permits for freight transportation by road from/to third countries," Lavreniuk said.

As of March 2017, 243 permits were used. This means that the quota for permits from Finland for freight transportation by road should be increased.

Virtanen expressed readiness to help to solve the issue of increasing the quota in the near term.
Mumbai: Dobaara, starring actors and siblings Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem, is slated to release on 19 May.

"So guys! The date has been set. 'Dobaara' releases May 19th. Saqib Saleem," Huma tweeted on Friday. Huma will be seen sharing screen space with her brother Saqib in the Hindi film remake of the Hollywood film Oculus.

So guys ! The date has been set #Dobaara releases May 19th @Saqibsaleem @THEOFFICIALB4U   Huma Qureshi (@humasqureshi) March 24, 2017

Oculus, which released in 2013, is a supernatural psychological horror directed by Mike Flanagan. The film starred Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites. It revolved around a young woman who is convinced that an antique mirror is responsible for the death and misfortune that her family suffered.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is at it again. Along with instructing three absurd cuts in Shivam Nair's upcoming action thriller Naam Shabana, it has also asked the makers of Anshai Lal's directorial debut Phillauri to make certain amends to the film.

Hindustan Times reports that the makers were asked to insert a disclaimer at the beginning of the film that they neither encourage superstitions nor believe in ghosts. The film revolves around Shashi, a friendly ghost played by Anushka Sharma, who has some unfinished business in her past life. The CBFC was of the view that the film might promote superstitions or ghosts.

DNA quotes Pahlaj Nihalani, the CBFC chairperson, as saying, "In my opinion its not the CBFCs job to sit in judgment on the content of a film. We can only make amends in the presentation of the content. Not propagating superstition and blind faith falls in the jurisdiction of the State government. If we sat judgement over films on ghosts then wed have to question why classics like Mahal, Gumnam, Woh Kaun Thi and Lekin were passed."

The CBFC has also asked the makers to mute 'Hanuman Chalisa' that Suraj Sharma's character chants, while sitting in a bathtub, to ward off the ghost of Anushka's character. The same report states that the CBFC was of the opinion that ghosts should be "eradicated and not pacified with 'Hanuman Chalisa'". They added that the scene amounted to "hurting of religious sentiments". Thus, now, the scene appears with Suraj's character mumbling an inaudible chant.

Also, The Quint reports that the CBFC also instructed the makers to insert a scroll in a scene featuring a snake, saying that no snakes were harmed during the filming and that the snake is a product of Computer Graphic Imagery (CGI).

Phillauri stars Anushka, Suraj and Diljit Dosanjh. It is produced by Fox Star India and Anushka and her brother Karnesh Sharma's Clean Slate Films.
We live in a time when more people are scrolling through their social media feeds and browsing on the Internet than reading books and visiting libraries. One bookshop has used this to their advantage and undertaken an initiative to get people to read literary classic.

The Wild Detectives, a bookshop-cum-bar based in Texas, introduced 'Litbaits' to their Facebook page. A litbait is a click-bait headline, which when clicked on leads to a full-text copyright-free e-version of a book. The headline contains the plot of the book summarised in less than 10 words, with important details missing. The concept works because of the ability of the headline to intrigue the reader and tempt them to click.

They encapsulate the essence of this initiative in its tagline: "You fall for the bait, now fall for the book."

Here are some of the classics they experimented with:

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.

Some of the other titles they have turned into litbaits are The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift and Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Check out Litbaits here.
By Jeff Mason and Ethan Lou

| WASHINGTON/CALGARY

WASHINGTON/CALGARY U.S. President Donald Trump's administration approved TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, cheering the oil industry and angering environmentalists even as further hurdles for the controversial project loom.The approval reverses a decision by former President Barack Obama to reject the project, but the company still needs to win financing, acquire local permits, and fend off likely legal challenges for the pipeline to be built."Transcanada will finally be allowed to complete this long-overdue project with efficiency and with speed," Trump said in the Oval Office before turning to ask TransCanada Chief Executive Officer Russell Girling when construction would start."We've got some work to do in Nebraska to get our permits there," Girling replied."Nebraska?" Trump said. "I'll call Nebraska."Trump announced the presidential permit for Keystone XL at the White House with Girling and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Unions, standing nearby. He said the project would lower consumer fuel prices, create jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.TransCanada's U.S.-listed shares rose 0.52 percent to $46.50, having surged as much as 7 percent in premarket trading. The pipeline linking Canadian oil sands to U.S. refiners had been blocked by Obama, who said it would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for U.S. motorists and would contribute to emissions linked to global warming.Trump, however, campaigned on a promise to approve it, and he signed an executive order soon after taking office in January to advance the project.JOBS

Trump has claimed the project would create 28,000 jobs in the United States. But a 2014 State Department study predicted just 3,900 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs.

The president said he would get in touch with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts later in the day.TransCanada applied to the Nebraska Public Service Commission in February for approval of the pipeline's route through the state. The company said it expects that process to conclude this year.Ricketts said in a statement posted on Twitter that the project would help his state. "I have full confidence that the Public Service Commission will conduct a thorough and fair review of the application," he said.The White House has said the pipeline is exempt from a Trump executive order requiring new pipelines to be made from U.S. steel, because much of the pipe for the project has already been built and stockpiled.

"As we move forward, we'll continue to look to buy the rest of the materials we need from ... American manufacturers. We'll put American workers to work," Girling told reporters. Environmental groups vowed to fight it. Greenpeace said it would pressure banks to withhold financing for the multi-billion dollar project, and others said they would fight the pipeline in court."We'll use every tool in the kit," said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Since Obama had nixed the pipeline based on an environmental assessment commissioned by the State Department in early 2014, opponents will likely argue in court that Trump cant reverse the decision without conducting a new assessment.CHALLENGES

Fred Jauss, partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and a former attorney with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said local permitting would also be a challenge."The Presidential Permit is only one part of a web of federal, state, and local permits that must be obtained prior to starting construction," he said. "Other federal agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, state regulatory commissions, and even local planning boards may have requirements that need to be fulfilled by Keystone prior to construction.""In addition, TransCanada may still need to reach deals with hundreds of potentially affected landowners on the pipelines route. There is a lot of work ahead for TransCanada.The multibillion-dollar Keystone XL pipeline would bring more than 800,000 barrels per day of heavy crude from Canada's oil sands in Alberta into Nebraska, linking to an existing pipeline network feeding U.S. refineries and ports along the Gulf of Mexico. The project could be a boon for Canada, which has struggled to get its vast oil reserves to market."Our government has always been supportive of the Keystone XL pipeline and we are pleased with the U.S. decision," said a spokesman for Canada's minister of natural resources. "The importance of a common, continental energy market cannot be overstated."The president of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, said the approval was "welcome news" and would bolster U.S. energy security.Expedited approval of projects is part of Trump's approach to a 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure package he promised on the campaign trail. The White House is looking for ways to speed up approvals and permits for other infrastructure projects, which can sometimes take years to go through a regulatory maze.TransCanada tried for more than five years to build the 1,179-mile (1,897-km) pipeline, until Obama rejected it in 2015. The company resubmitted its application for the project in January, after Trump signed the executive order smoothing its path. (Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington, Luciana Lopez in New York, Ahmed Farhatha in Bengaluru, and Denny Thomas in Toronto; Writing by Richard Valdmanis and Jeff Mason; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The government is working on an institutional mechanism to check "undesirable flight behaviour" while Air India is mulling preparing a no-fly list for unruly passengers.

This follows an incident on Thursday at the IGI airport in Delhi in which a Shiv Sena MP allegedly assaulted a 60-year-old airline staffer.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said such regrettable incidents should never happen again.

Recd. report from @airindiain on the incident of unruly behaviour today morning. FIRs have been filed for assault and causing flight delay  Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017

Such regrettable incidents should never happen again. Let's all resolve to make them a thing of the past.  Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017

Ministry has launched #AirSeva -the one-stop solution to all aviation grievances. Urge all passengers and stakeholders to use it extensively  Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017

We are also working on creating institutional mechanisms to check undesirable flight behaviour or unruly passengers  Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017

"We are also working on creating institutional mechanisms to check undesirable flight behaviour or unruly passengers," Raju said in a series of tweets.

Following the incident, the national carrier is also looking to have a no-fly list.

"Air India is examining the creation of a no-fly list of unruly passengers on the lines of other carriers," a senior airline official said.

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was flying on an Air India flight from Pune to Delhi, hit the airline's duty manager Sukumar with his slipper several times when the latter urged him to deplane after the lawmaker refused to do so once the plane landed at the Delhi airport.

"The MP turned violent, broke the duty manager's spectacles, tore his shirt and hit him with slippers several times," an airline source said.

Gaikwad, carrying a business class ticket, insisted on taking the airline's early morning flight AI-852 from Pune to Delhi, which is an all-economy class. This led to an argument with the airline employees in Pune and an assault on the manager by the MP when the aircraft landed in Delhi.

In recent times, there have been reported incidents of unruly behaviour by the fliers onboard various airlines.

Last month, AirAsia India filed a police complaint in Bengaluru against two drunk fliers for creating "nuisance" onboard one of its flights.

In January, IndiGo was forced to tie down a passenger to his seat for being violent onboard one of its flights from Dubai to New Delhi.

According to the officials, between July 2016 and February 2017, 53 incidents of unruly behaviour by passengers have been reported by domestic airlines.

Global aviation body International Air Transport Association (IATA) had earlier said "unruly passengers" are one of the top three safety issues that concern cabin crew.

In 2015, there were 10,854 reported cases of unruly behaviour by passengers across airlines worldwide, which translate into one incident for every 1,205 flights, according

to IATA.

With input from PTI
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday signed the transfer orders of Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who is popular amid people as a no-nonsense incorruptible officer. S Ramaswamy, who was the Inspector General, Stamp Duty department in Pune, has been chosen to replace Mundhe.

According to Firstpost correspondent Sanjay Sawant, the wheels behind the move were set in motion six months ago, when Navi Mumbai corporators passed a no confidence resolution against him. However, Fadnavis, who handpicked the IAS officer to scale up development work in Navi Mumbai, had put a stay on the move in view of the BMC elections. It was also learnt that Fadnavis delayed the transfer to avoid public outcry against the move, as Mundhe enjoys a favourable image amid the people of Navi Mumbai.

However, the elected corporators from the region rallied against him, across party lines, and passed the no-confidence motion. BJP, it was learnt, was the sole party that voted against the motion in the civic body where NCP enjoys a majority. That Mundhe was unpopular amid politicos was common knowledge amid Navi Mumbai residents. This can further be ascertained by the fact that the Navi Mumbai Mayor, Sudhakar Sonawane had slated Mundhe's style of work publicly, on more than one occasions, before he was finally transferred from the area.

Mundhe, before being appointed as the NMMC chief in May 2016, was the Municipal Commissioner of Solapur. However, there too, all major political parties are said to have ganged up against him before he was transferred out to Navi Mumbai. Mundhe has not received an intimation on his next posting.

Meanwhile, Mundhe found rare support in journalistic communities, with senior journalists such as Rana Ayub, Sachin Kalbag rooting for him.

What the hell ? A man who reined in corruption by politicians including many bigwigs here in navi mumbai transferred. Truly truly shameful https://t.co/8AlZ5dBHEu  Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) March 24, 2017

Upright, no-nonsense Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe transferred. People did not want the transfer, politicians did.  Sachin Kalbag (@SachinKalbag) March 24, 2017

Earlier too, reports of Mundhe locking horns with Navi Mumbai corporators have surfaced. In January this year, he gained a rare "moral victory" with Fadnavis backing him, as the chief minister suspended a resolution unanimously approved by the municipalitys general body "permitting contract labourers appointed for housekeeping duties in the civic headquarters wages at par with permanently employed labourers from 2014 onwards," as reported in The Indian Express. Mundhe had opposed the resolution on the grounds that it would put unnecessary pressure on the city coffers.
If there is one thing that most Mumbaikars should really be proud of, it is their public heath care system. Mumbai's major public hospitals run by the Government and the charities have some of India's finest doctors, who are placed directly at the disposal of the public at subsidised prices. In a 2014 report released by the Praja Foundation, Mumbai had the best public healthcare system in the country. According to a report in IndiaSpend the city had 403 hospitals, with Chennai trailing far behind at the second position with 106 hospitals.

However, despite this, the fact is remains that even India's "best public healthcare system" is in dire need of improvement. It's woefully underfunded, understaffed and under resourced. The 2015 report released by the Praja Foundation shows that there is a 60% shortage of medical staff (Page 18) just at the State Hospitals in the City with an average shortage of 28% across the board. This for a public health system that caters to a population that is now bordering on 21 Million (210 Lakh) people.

But even then, somehow, despite these chronic shortages, the public health system in Mumbai ticks on. It manages to do so because it is staffed by resident doctors who literally work round the clock at it's public hospitals. These doctors form the backbone of the city's public health infrastructure.

So last Sunday, when fifteen relatives of a patient attacked a junior doctor at LT Hospital Sion Mumbai after the patient died of kidney failure, it should have shocked more people than just the medical community. Our city's doctors work shifts of more than 18 hours a day  and sometimes that extends on to 36 hour at a stretch  to keep the hospitals functioning. Today they are being forced to strike, not to demand things like better working conditions and infrastructure, but to merely seek basic security to do their job.

To work as a doctor in a public hospital is a choice that should be celebrated. It is a service to the community and those who perform it deserve to have the right to basic safety. The Government's response to this strike seems to be rather highhanded, from serving expulsion notices to threatening pay cuts to the striking doctors.

The government notice has, however, been kept in abeyance on Thursday after the Bombay High Court order directed the government to resolve the matter amicably, while requesting the doctors to resume work . But the Government's response of issuing those expulsion notices itself is wrong.

It's sad that instead of actually assuring that the healthcare system would be fixed, the government would go after the striking doctors. It is evidence of a sense of misplaced priorities. The demands of a safe working environment are not unreasonable. Add to this the fact that this was not the first time an incident like this has happened  the doctors have good reasons to be wary of what the government says. But instead, the government comes out and demonises the doctors for apparently "neglecting their duties", which remain sacrosanct; after all it's easy to make them the targets. The argument goes that doctors should work in all conditions as they have a sacred duty to heal their patients.

However, this argument does beg an answer to a fundamental question.

Is being subject to violence from angry relatives of the patient/members of the public now an essential condition to practice medicine in India, which is why the strike is deemed immoral by our government?

Being subject to violence in the event of failure to deliver an expected outcome shouldn't be an essential condition to practice medicine in India and the Government should be able to guarantee that. The Government should have immediately stood by it's doctors, who literally work round the clock to keep this city healthy. They deserve better. It's a matter of shame the city hasn't stood by them through this.
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Election Commission seeking a response over allegations regarding tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the recently held Assembly elections.

Tampering of EVMs plea: Supreme Court has issued a notice to Election Commission pic.twitter.com/rmtNB82b9G  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar directed the EC to probe the allegations and submit its response within four weeks over the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate ML Sharma, reported India Today.

According to The Hindu, the plea sought probe into quality, software/malware and hacking effect in the EVMs from a reliable electronic lab/scientist and software expert and to file their report before this court for further action/prosecution.

The petitioner had filed the PIL after BSP chief and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal complained of malfunctioning of EVMs which allegedly led to their defeat in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, reported The Times of India. The report added that apex court did not issue a notice to the CBI even though it was requested by the petitioner.

The EC had earlier stated that the EVMs were tamper-proof and termed the allegations as "baseless, speculative and wild".

"ECI unequivocally reiterates that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs cannot be tampered with and integrity of electoral process is preserved," the EC said in a statement.

It said the commission did not receive specific complaints or concrete material from political parties/candidates about alleged tampering of EVMs in Assembly elections in five states.

"If any specific allegation with material facts is presented to the ECI, it will be looked into with all seriousness," the poll panel said.

"At this stage, baseless, speculative and wild allegations are being made which deserve to be rejected," it added.

The statement said it was not for the first time that allegations and suspicions have been raised "but none of those alleging tampering has been able to demonstrate to the commission... that EVMs used by it can be manipulated or tampered with," it said.

"Today, the EC once again completely reaffirms its faith in the infallibility of the EVMs. These are fully tamper-proof", the EC said.

The statement said that faith on the machine has never wavered through the conduct of elections in the last many years.

"To date, no one has been able to actually demonstrate that EVMs used by the EC can be tampered with or manipulated."

Since 2000, EVMs have been used in 107 elections to state legislative Assemblies and three Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, 2009 and 2014.

The poll panel said that it will "further enhance confidence of citizens in its electoral process by deploying paper audit trail (VVPAT) in a phased manner".

After the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had also raised misgivings about the integrity of the EVMs.

Mayawati had claimed EVMs were tampered with to favour the BJP in the recently-concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Congress and the AAP also demanded that the Delhi municipal elections scheduled for next month be held using paper ballots.

The state election commission has rejected the demand, saying it was too late to do so at this stage.

(With inputs from IANS)
However the lead contenders like Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, brother of Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP candidate for Anantnag, and Farooq Abdullah, who is contesting from Srinagar for the NC, have started making the right noise.

Earlier this week, Tassaduq tried to win the hearts of his supporters by telling them not to risk their lives for his victory on election day and Abdullah, on Thursday, said talks and election cannot go together. In the coming days, more of this rhetoric is expected to dominate the headlines and set the tone for the bypolls.

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said on Thursday that talks and crackdown on separatists leaders cant go together and if New Delhi was serious about holding dialogue with stakeholders in Kashmir valley, its alliance partner in the state, Peoples Democratic Party, would not have lodged separatist leaders in jails.

How do you expect to hold talks with leadership of the Hurriyat when they are under custody or house arrest. Is this kind of situation not going to vitiate the atmosphere in valley, instead of creating sustainable peace, Abdullah told Firstpost.

These theatrics wont solve the issue of Kashmir. Serious initiatives and consultation with all stake holders including an institutionalised and sustained dialogue would, Abdullah, added.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said in New Delhi on Wednesday, that government of India was ready to talk to stakeholders in Kashmir to normalise the situation in Kashmir. "We are ready to talk to everyone... The entire nation wants the situation to normalise in Kashmir. We are ready to cooperate with everyone and have taken all initiatives in this regard, he said.

The statement by the home minister is seen here as a political gimmick to help the BJPs alliance partner PDP to wrest the lost electoral ground due to the 2016 unrest and a massive crackdown on separatist leadership.

The election to the Lok Sabha constituencies in Kashmir is due after the two seats fell vacant. On 4 July, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who represented Anantnag constituency in Lok Sabha, resigned, following her election to the Legislative Assembly. The Srinagar parliamentary constituency seat also fall vacant in September after PDP leader Tariq Hamid Karra resigned from the party as well as Lok Sabha.

The National Conference and Congress are fighting the bypolls together. To this Congress state chief, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who is fighting from Anantnag, says 'keep away the RSS Raj from the state, so that Kashmir peace and harmony prevails in the state'. Srinagar Parliamentary constituency is going to polls on 9 April.

Although, the grass root political activity of workers in south Kashmir is limited to Dak Bungalows and houses of political leaders in Srinagar and other adjoining area have been able to hold some rallies freely.

The state government had last year requested the EC to defer the polls due to the political uncertainty in the state, after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The unrest that followed after the killing of Wani left close to hundred people dead and thousands injured. Since then the state government, formed after an alliance between BJP and PDP, has led a massive crackdown against stone pelters and Hurriyat leaders and jailed thousands of people.

A total of 3,194 polling stations are being set up to enable nearly 27 lakh voters to cast their ballot in the two parliamentary constituencies of Srinagar and Anantnag. While 1,559 polling stations have been identified in Srinagar, 1,635 are being set up in Anantnag constituency. Srinagar and Anantnag parliament seats would go to polls on 9 and 12 April respectively. Votes would be counted on 15 April.
Mumbai: In a late night development, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Thursday urged all resident medicos to call off their four-day-long mass CL agitation immediately.

The MARD said the Bombay High Court had taken a very sympathetic view of the doctors concerns about physical security and related issues, which it would monitor every 15 days.

In view of the same and high court orders, MARD requested all doctors to resume work immediately, MARD president Yashowardhan Kabra said in a statement.

Hospitals expect doctors to resume normal duties from Friday morning.

Earlier in the day, the high court directed the government and hospital administrations to provide at least 500 security guards in these state hospitals, including four in Mumbai, by 5 April and the remaining 600 by 15 April.

The court said it will monitor the issue of security of medicos at their workplaces at regular intervals and posted the public interest litigation for hearing after a fortnight.

"We are awaiting a certified copy of the court orders; we will decide when to resume duties after studying it," a member of the MARD had said.

Both MARD and Indian Medical Association (IMA) welcomed the high court ruling but pointed out that the ground realities have not yet changed.

"The court has directed to provide security in all hospitals by 5 April. But attacks on doctors have not yet stopped, with at least three assaults reported in the past 24 hours," IMA Secretary Parthiv Sanghvi said.

The high court asked authorities to permit only two relatives per patient inside the hospital and said the government should deploy security at various hospitals as assured.

MARD, whose around 4,000 members were on mass casual leave since Monday in all public hospitals, also filed an affidavit to say the resident doctors were prepared to work but the government and hospital administrations should assure them of safety and security.

Making his first comments on the issue, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Thursday appealed to all doctors and organisations like MARD and IMA to withdraw their protest and assured better security and law enforcement.

Around 40,000 members of the Indian Medical Association working in private hospitals or as general practitioners also joined the protest since Wednesday evening. Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and other places also went on token strikes to express solidarity.

A general practitioner, Dr Gaurav Borde, said IMA activists came and forced him to shut down his clinic in Powai on Thursday morning, with similar reports coming in from other parts of Mumbai and rest of the state.

"I fully support the doctors' agitation, but feel they should not hold thousands of poor patients to ransom. Many doctors feel they should work out a solution across the table," Borde had said.

Since Wednesday, hospital administrations have served show cause or suspension orders to more than 2,000 resident doctors, with more severe action expected.
EBRD alarmed with attempts of unlawful return of wagon fleet by ex-owners of Interleaseinvest

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is concerned about the fact that former owners of Interleaseinvest that earlier had a fleet of 2,400 freight wagons, which the bank later took away under the collateral agreement in court, are fighting for control over the company and the fleet.

Allies of the ex-owner continue fighting for control over Interleaseinvest and the wagons with the EBRD. Their tactics includes abuse of weak points and imperfectness of the judicial system, physical intimidation of persons acting in the legal interests of the EBRD. Recently they used mass media to spread rumors and untrue information about the ownership structure and the role of CREA company belonged to the EBRD and Ukrainian private wagon operator Spetsvahon Transleasing, the Ukrainian representative office of the EBRD told Interfax-Ukraine.

The bank said that in 2011 the bank provided a $90 million loan to the private wagon operator  Interleaseinvest, the largest owner of which was Honorable President of Inter Car Group and later defense minister (2013-2014) Pavlo Lebedev.

The bank said that Interleaseinvest failed to implement its payment liabilities to the EBRD and sent hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars to the company affiliated with Lebedev.

Synchronously with the default on the loan in September 2014 Vesta Services Ltd. tried to seize Interleaseinvest, the EBRD said.

The bank decided to protect its investment via filing a claim to collect the collateral, including Interleaseinvest's wagons. Ukrainian courts declared that the EBRD has ownership rights to the wagons.

The decision was confirmed by the courts of appeals and the Supreme Court. In December 2016, Ukraine's State Enforcement Service officially transferred ownership rights to 2,387 wagons to the EBRD, the bank said.

The bank founded special Ukrainian company CREA I UA LLC to observe Ukrainian legislation for ownership rights to the wagons and their use. The company will own and use the wagons on behalf of the EBRD.

The bank said that CREA is a holding company without experience of managing the wagon fleet it used the services of Ukrainian private wagon operator - Spetsvahon Transleasing LLC. The operator was appointed by court to manage the wagons and currently it is registered as the owner and the operator in the database of public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia.

Interleaseinvest, part of Inter Car Group, was registered in 2005. The company started operations in 2009.

In October 2014, the company claimed an illegal seizure of the company and the change of the owner.

The company said that according to extracts from the unified register of companies presented by a group of persons entered the office on October 8, 2014, instead of Interleaseinvest Ukraine B.V. (the Netherlands) as of October 1, 2014 Inter-Blitz (Yuvileine, Dnipropetrovsk region) registered on September 26, 2104 became the owner of the company.

According to the register, as of October 9, 2014, this company held 1% and 99% of shares belonged to offshore company Vesta Services Ltd. (British Virgin Islands).

Spetsvahon Transleasing LLC was registered in 2008. Its core business is operation of freight railway transport. Its founder is Cyrpus-based Javier Investments Limited.

CREA I UA was founded in November 2016. Its core business is car, equipment and goods leasing and operation of freight railway transport.

The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. As of January 1, 2016, the bank had a total cumulative commitment of EUR 12 billion in 355 projects in the country.
Even as 4,500 resident doctors in Maharashtra have not indicated yet if they are going to end their strike anytime soon, 40,000 medical practitioners associated with the Indian Medical Association on Friday afternoon ended their strike after state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured them of security at their workplaces.

A meeting was held on Friday between Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan and representatives of the resident doctors, an IMA member said.

The representatives of IMA called on the chief minister at Vidhan Bhavan in afternoon. Fadnavis told them that security has already been provided in 16 hospitals since Thursday. "Government is working on (providing) security to doctors and more arrangements will be done within ten days," he said.

The IMA had joined the strike two days back. The strike was originally started by the resident doctors in Mumbai following a brutal beating of a doctor by relatives of a patient, who passed away during treatment.

With the IMA associated doctors returning to work, the surging number of patients have heaved a sigh of relief as they were at the receiving end following the agitation. The civic hospitals usually cater to the economically weaker sections, mostly those who cannot otherwise afford treatment in expensive private hospitals.

Meanwhile, the state's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also gave an ultimatum to striking resident doctors to resume duty or face legal action even as the Bombay High Court gave the state-run hospitals an option to terminate their services. "Enough is enough. If the doctors fail to resume work today, government will not sit quietly," Fadnavis said, describing as "adamant" and "insensitive" the attitude of doctors whose strike in support of enhanced security at hospitals entered the fifth day.

"We cannot leave the patients to die. I am making a final attempt to break the deadlock by meeting the doctors' representatives. If no solution is found and doctors don't resume work, they should be prepared to face legal action," the Chief Minister told the state legislative assembly.

The Bombay High Court also stepped in, seeing the plight of the patients, asking the government to provide security and directing the doctors to return to work.

With the doctors away from work during the strike, the functioning of the OPDs and general wards in the government and the civic hospitals took the actual brunt.

"The OPDs in KEM, Sion and Nair hospitals have not yet become fully operational. Some doctors are managing them but it has increased the waiting period for patients," Avinash Supe, dean of KEM Hospital, had told PTI earlier.

Asked about the striking doctors resuming duty, Supe said, "Very few have returned to work. Hence, full medical services will not be available immediately."

The High Court had on Thursday directed the resident doctors to resume work immediately. However, the order was not available on the high court website till Thursday night and therefore, protesting doctors decided to wait.

After the court order, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) late Thursday night appealed to the striking medical practitioners to join duty.

"The order is now available on the HC website and we find it satisfactory. Now, there is a meeting scheduled with some state ministers at 1 pm today where we will discuss the issue (about their safety) once again," Swapnil Meshram, general secretary of MARD, had said.

After holding a meeting with Fadnavis on Wednesday, the doctors decided to wait for a copy of the minutes before taking a call on joining duty.

In a bid to end the strike, Fadnavis proposed setting up a panel to resolve security issues in state-run hospitals.

"We have been fooled in the past when promises and assurances made by officials were not strictly implemented. This time we are being careful," said a MARD official, explaining the delay in the doctors returning to work.

Nearly 4,000 resident doctors have stayed away from work since Monday, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on their colleagues by patients' relatives at government hospitals across the state.
Lahore: JuD acting chief Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki on Thursday said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif celebrated Hindu festival Holi to please the Indian government.

"The prime minister and other ruling elite celebrated Holi festival to please the Indian government. The rulers must realise that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations. Their culture and civilisation are different. They cannot live together," Makki, who is the brother-in-law of the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, said this at a conference in Lahore.

Makki said the rulers are weakening Pakistan's ideology for extending hand of friendship to India.

"We will defend Pakistans ideology and will make nation strong to fight the enemy," Makki said.

Sharif participated in a function in Karachi to celebrate the Holi festival with the Hindu community.

In his message to minorities, Sharif warned against the forced conversion and destruction of worship places of other religions, describing them as "crime in Islam".

Earlier, cleric Allama Ashraf Jalali, secretary general of Sunni Ittehad Council, said that the Prime Minister had not only blasphemed against Islam but also demeaned the "ideological foundations" of Pakistan by participating the function.

Issuing a fatwa against Sharif the cleric demanded "an open apology from the premier for violation of his oath."
Leaders across party lines have reacted sharply to the incident where a Shiv Sena MP thrashed an Air India staffer and demanded strict penal action against the legislator, terming the incident as "sad and unfortunate".

Shiv Sena on Thursday sought an explanation from its Lok Sabha MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who allegedly hit an Air India staffer at IGI airport in Delhi with a slipper, and remained defiant over the incident. "The party has sought an explanation from Gaikwad over the incident. The Sena does not condone violence of any kind," Harshal Pradhan, media adviser to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, told PTI.

"We have also sought a version of the incident from the Air India staffer. The Sena has a workers' union in Air India," he said.

Party supremo Uddhav Thackeray, had also sought an explanation on Gaikwad's action on Thursday.

Earlier, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said that there should be a probe into the entire incident.

"Gaikwad is our MP and as far as we know him, he is not the kind of person who loses his temper so soon. He is a good MP. If you go to his constituency, you will find people talk good things about him. He has worked for the people. But what happened here, what was the mistake of the airline official and what was the instigation which led to him taking such an extreme step, it should be probed," she said.

Shiv Sena MLA and cabinet minister Eknath Shinde, apart from advising that being violent is not the right thing to do, said that the matter needs to be probed, mouthing his party's stance on the incident.

Shinde said, "We are not supporting his actions, but right now we are waiting for the details of the incident  like who started it etc. And then Uddhav Thackeray will take a call."

Turant violent hona theek nahi hai aur kisne pehal ki ye bhi dekhna padega: Eknath Shinde,Maharashtra Minister on Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad pic.twitter.com/yFoBjzxidL  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said such regrettable incidents should never happen again. "We are also working on creating institutional mechanisms to check undesirable flight behaviour or unruly passengers," Raju said in a series of tweets.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan reacts to the incident

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday said that "suo motu action" cannot be taken against Shiv Sena member Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an airline staffer, but stressed that "no MP is allowed to misbehave with anyone".

"No one is allowed to misbehave with anyone, even if he is an MP, a common man or any official. As a mother, I teach children not to misbehave with people," Mahajan said.

Asked if any suo moto action will be taken against Gaikwad and whether any complaint was received by her against him, Mahajan said: "(I) can't take suo moto action as the incident took place outside Parliament."

Incident happened outside Parliament, so will ascertain details & act on any complaint: LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Shiv Sena MP R.Gaikwad pic.twitter.com/8SwXzYdlsu  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

"I did not see any complaint in the case till now. Let me see and study it first, then I can say anything about it," she added.

Air India blacklists Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad

Air India on Friday blacklisted "unruly" Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who admitted to assaulting an airline staffer "25 times" with his shoes and attempted to throw him out of the aircraft on Thursday. A common practice among many international and some Indian private airlines for safety and security reasons, this is the first time that the national carrier has introduced such a 'blacklist' of rowdy passengers.

Ironically, the first law-breaker who figures on the Air India 'blacklist' happens to be a law-maker from Maharashtra, a former teacher with two terms as legislator and now a first-time MP from Osmanabad district.

Gaikwad's grouse stemmed from the fact that he was forced to travel economy class on a Pune-New Delhi flight AI-852 though he held an open business class ticket. He later refused to disembark from the flight at New Delhi airport for an hour, hurled abuses, indulged in violent and unruly behaviour and even tried to physically fling out the staffer from the aircraft.

Political parties demand action against the MP

Although Shiv Sena supported its legislator, saying he is not the kind of person who loses his temper, the Congress threatened to rake up the issue in Parliament demanding strict action against Gaikwad.

"This is unacceptable and some kind of action needs to be taken. It should be coming from his party as well as all the MPs when they speak in one voice in regards to privileges accorded to them. They should also be speaking in one voice to seek accountability when this privilege is misused. It is not only Shiv Sena's responsibility, it is also the responsibility of the government which is in power. Aviation minister should take action because it is a government employee who has been attacked by this MP," Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said.

Chaturvedi said elected representatives should not be allowed to get away with such behaviour.

"We will raise this issue in Parliament and not only this, lots of BJP MPs have been found guilty of misusing their power like this and using their position of authority to get away with this kind of behaviour. It needs to be condemned," she said.

BJP MP Kirit Somaiya maintained that Members of Parliament need to behave in a more mature manner.

"We the MPs are more responsible persons and we have to behave in more mature manner. Anybody, particularly MPs like me have to take the responsibility and not beat anybody whether Air India crew or common man. If my colleague MP has done some error, I feel I can apologise on behalf of MPs who are sitting here in Delhi," he said.

Congress leader Oscar Fernandes said that whether it is an MP or a citizen, nobody has the right to beat anybody.

"We have great responsibility as Members of Parliament to support the staff who work in difficult conditions. I appeal to all people to treat our workers or public servants with all kindness and humility," he said.

Shaina NC of BJP said that the incident should be condemned in totality in one voice.

"This is not about Shiv Sena, Congress, BJP or any party, it is about a conduct of an elected representative especially when you are in a position of power.

"Assuming there is somebody who is not polite to you, the least one expects from elected representative is to show restraint in a situation where you have not just public watching but the entire aircraft wondering if this is going to be the conduct of a politician," she said.

She wondered how will ever people have respect for the political class which chooses only VIP one-upmanship and one cannot justify this.

"When we talk about probity in public life or certain kind of restraint, it stems from your leadership, and if you are MP, MLA, corporator, even a Panchayat Samiti member, you should show some kind of restraint to your position and your electorate," she said.

Nitish Rane of the Congress condemned the incident and stated that Shiv Sena is a frustrated party and since they can't vent their anger on PM Narendra Modi or Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, they choose to take it out on the common public.

Shiv Sena is a frustrated party, they can't vent their anger on Modi ji or Fadnavis ji so they target common people: Nitesh Rane,Congress pic.twitter.com/6sYaB3LT9N  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

Manish Tewari of Congress announced that Lok Sabha should immediately sack Gaikwad from the House using its plenipotentiary powers as had been done for cash for questions scam.

Lok Sabha should use it's plenipotentiary powers and expel Ravinder GAIKWAD MP from house as it had done for Cash for questions scam ASAP  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) March 24, 2017

NCP leader Majeed Memon termed the incident as "sad and distressing" where one finds people holding important positions and those are supposed to be leaders involved in such incidents.

"If such people's misdemeanour is to the extent of turning violent for smallest provocation and reacting with physical assault, it is a matter of great disgrace. Their bosses should take serious action against erring legislators and law must take its own course. What was the provocation for raising a hand on a government employee? These things are happening often in our country and need to be seriously examined and we must have some kind of provision, ethically, legally or politically, whereby, if such incidents occur, political bosses will swing into action and punish the person appropriately," he said.

Another NCP leader Rahul Narwekar termed the incident as that of "extreme highhandedness and unfortunate".

"The MP has forgotten that he is here to serve the people and not to rule them. Strict action should be initiated against such erring public representatives. We demand that necessary penal action should be taken. He has not only done a disservice to the people, but he has brought complete disrepute to the office of an MP, if this continues, people will lose faith in public representatives," he said.

Former Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam demanded action against the Shiv Sena leader and termed as "absolutely wrong" the act of Gaikwad.

"Shiv Sena is a party in the government in Delhi and Mumbai. Its leader must behave properly and like a responsible politician or worker. It is up to the government now that they take action against the person who has done such a criminal act against a government official," he said.

Stressing that nobody can take the law in his or her hand, Nirupam said action has to be taken against any person who goes against the legal framework of the country and resort to violence.

With inputs from agencies
Far from taking its ill-tempered MP Ravindra Gaikwad to task for his unparliamentary behaviour towards an Air India staffer on Thursday, the Shiv Sena is contemplating on an all out war against Air India by deciding to move a privilege motion against the state carrier when the Parliament convenes on Monday.

According to developments in the Shiv Sena on Friday, which Firstpost is privy of, the party is mulling to make a huge issue out of the Gaikwad episode inside the Parliament as well as outside.

The party believes that the rights of its MP were violated and will meet Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday to apprise her of the situation. The party has also sought for an audience with Air India chairman-cum-managing director Ashwini Lohani on Monday.

In a strategic meeting to discuss the party's next course of action as it finds itself embroiled in the Gaikwad-Air India controversy, Shiv Sena chief Udhhav Thackeray made it abundantly clear that any punitive action against its errant parliamentarian is out of the question.

"We will rally in full support for Gaikwad. His honour as an MP has been hurt and he has been mistreated. We must stand by him," Thackeray apparently told MPs in New Delhi over the phone from Mumbai.

Violent behaviour by the Shiv Sena MP had an immediate fallout as both Air India and IndiGo cancelled his ticket forcing him to take a train.

In an unprecedented step, Air India and all private carriers had on Friday refused to fly Gaikwad for assaulting an airline employee.

But the Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad in Maharashtra remained defiant and refused to apologise for repeatedly beating and trying to push down Air India employee R Sukumar from the aircraft.

Gaikwad, who has been in the eye of the storm ever since the Air India controversy, on Friday took a train from Delhi to Pune after Indigo and Air India cancelled his tickets on their respective flights, according to NDTV.

"Air India and member airlines have decided to ban this MP from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," the Federation of Indian Airlines said in a statement.

"We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," said FIA associate director Ujjwal Dey.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association also sought an unconditional apology from Gaikwad and threatened to direct its members "not to operate any flight which has Gaikwad on board".

The Sena leader earlier vowed to fly back to Pune but Air India cancelled his ticket.

Besides Air India, the airlines which won't allow Gaikwad to fly as FIA members are IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir. AirAsia and Vistara, which are not with FIA, joined them.

The decision was taken a day after Gaikwad thrashed Sukumar repeatedly with a slipper after he was forced to travel in economy class from Pune to Delhi despite holding a business class ticket.

However, the government said there was no law under which such proscription can be made.

Minister of State for Law, PP Chaudhary told a private television news channel that if a person commits a crime he can be punished but he cannot be prevented from flying.

"There is no such law that restricts a person from flying. If somebody has committed a crime, then you can punish him. But refusing a ticket is no punishment when there is no such law. And, to my knowledge, there is no such law," Chaudhary said.

Earlier in the day, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha reportedly said the legality of the ban needed to be examined.

"We have to see if this action of the airlines is within the framework of law," Sinha said.

However, airlines defended the move, saying imposing a ban on a person from flying is very much within their jurisdiction.

Sources in Air India cited Chapter IV of Carriage by Air Act, 1972, which confers on the airlines the right to refuse a ticket to any person.

Sources also cited Rule 22 and 23 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, to justify the ban on Gaikwad.

The rules state that "no person onboard an aircraft shall assault, intimidate or threaten, whether physically or verbally a crew member/ any person...which is likely to endanger the safety of the aircraft or of any person."

As per Schedule VI of Aircraft Rules, 1937 such an offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term not

exceeding one year or with fine not exceeding Rs 5 lakh.

Amid speculation that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had sought an explanation from Gaikwad, the MP dared Delhi Police to arrest him and also alleged that it was Sukumar who hit him first.

Gaikwad had on Thursday hit a 60-year-old Air India duty manager with a slipper because he was refused a business class seat. The MP went on to say unapologetically that he hit the staffer because the latter misbehaved with him. The Shiv Sena justified his actions by saying that he had paid for a business class ticket but was not given and it is not the first time such a thing had happened.

"I hit the staffer 25 times, not just once," was Gaikwad's brazen response when Firstpost asked him about the incident. "I kept asking for a complaint book but they kept refusing. Finally, I told them I am an MP but they said 'Who MP, we only understand Narendra Modi,'" Gaikwad said.

With inputs from PTI
Honourable is the word that precedes any mention of members of Parliament in India. And what is the point being honourable when you dont make others around feel it? Ravindra Gaikwad was doing exactly that when he wielded his sandal on an elderly Air India staffer at Delhi Airport on Thursday. Of course, other parliamentarians resort to subtle ways, but then what would the great democracy be without variety?

The parliamentarian from Maharashtra sees no reason to apologise for his conduct. He has also pooh-poohed his blacklisting by the Federation of Indian Airlines besides writing to the Speaker about the unfair treatment he was subjected to. After all these, he can well ask the country to apologise to him. Because few treated him honourably after the episode and all expressed shock at his action instead of being appreciative.

The country indeed owes him an apology. Heres why.

One, how can you make him travel economy class? It is also called cattle class because ordinary stinking Indians fly in this non-exclusive category. And Ravindra Gaikwad is no ordinary individual. Besides being a parliamentarian he is also the member of the Shiv Sena. The airlines should have been reverential and removed seats around him to make him feel special. Obviously, no such effort was made.

Two, in his letter to the Speaker of Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, Gaikwad is believed to have complained about service in the flight not meeting international standards. Towels, tissues papers and television were not provided to passengers, he has written. Now, how unfair is this? Ordinary fliers can make do without all this, even without a properly functioning air-conditioner, but how can an honourable MP be made to suffer?

Three, asked why he thrashed the airline staffer, Gaikwad told the media that he was not a BJP MP. He was a Shiv Sena MP. He would not tolerate any insult. The airline staffers should have known that. The Shiv Sena has a special way of dealing with people they are not comfortable with. It is violent almost as a rule. Gaikwad claimed to have struck the 60-year-old staffer several times with his sandal. He was just showing the world why being a member of the party is so special.

Four, when the MP was asked to de-board which he refused. The flight was already delayed by 40 minutes and it was then the deputy manager was sent to pacify him. Gaikwad besides assaulting him physically threatened to throw him off the flight. When the stewardess told him that it would be a murder case, he proudly claimed let there be. There were many cases against him. Now, how dare the airline staff ask him alight? They should have been more respectful given his past record. Henceforth all MPs should carry mention of criminal cases against them as a badge of honour and flaunt these on their chests.

Five, the honourable member of Parliament appeared to have lost it when told that he was an elected representative and he should behave according to his status. Surely, the airline staffer had no business reminding him what he was, particularly when he is a member of the Shiv Sena. Didnt he sound entirely dignified when he corrected a reporter asking him whether he had hit the staffer with shoes. He replied it was not shoes but sandals. And he gave a count for the number of strikes: 25. His status demands that he receive an apology from the staffer.

And for no reason the country went berserk, accusing him of all things  arrogance, goondaism, uncouthness and what not. The country needs to apologise to the great soul. His honour has to be restored.
The Uttarakhand High Court recently declared rivers Ganga and Yamuna as living entities  a first of its kind recognition in India. This move is likely to redefine the existing laws to protect the environment in India. The parliament of New Zealand, also recently passed a bill, granting same legal rights as a human being to River Whanganui.

It was a case of removal of encroachment from the rivers floodplains, a common phenomenon in the catchment areas of Uttarakhand, which was one of the major reasons that led to the huge loss of property and human lives during the 2013 floods. Ganga and Yamuna now have been reduced to a deteriorated form of life as a result of dumping of sewage, building dams and diverting their natural flow and illegal mining.

The newly appointed chief minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Rawat, is the national convener of the Narendra Modi governments Ganga cleaning project 'Namami Gange' that includes concepts like 'aviral' (unhindered) and 'nirmal' (unpolluted) Ganga, but studies claim that Gangas water, flowing after Rishikesh, is not drinkable. Around Rs 20,000 crores have been pumped in by the Union Cabinet for cleaning up Ganga over the next five years. Twenty projects worth Rs 1,900 crores have been approved for swift implementation of 'Namami Gange' but the results are yet to show. According to the website of the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, 45 hydro-power projects with a total capacity of 3,164 MW are operational in the state, and 199 big and small projects have been proposed or are underway in the state.

As per the information available on the website of pollution control board, each day, in the Ganga basin approximately 12,000 million litres per day (mld) sewage is generated but there is treatment capacity of only around 4,000 mld. Waste water from sewage, domestic and industries, dumped directly into the river is a massive health hazard to not only to 500 million humans residing in the river basin but also affecting the aquatic and natural habitat. Treatment capacity of about 1,000 mld has been created till date.

In the last 30 years, the government started the Ganga action plan-1 in June 1985 that was closed in March 2000 after investing a lot of money. Later, the government rolled out Ganga action plan-2 in 1993 and it was closed in 2009.

In February 2009, the government had established the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) that included, augmentation of sewerage infrastructure, catchment area treatment, protection of floodplains and creating public awareness. It also declared Ganga as the national river of India. The chair included the prime minister and the chief ministers of the state through which the Ganga flows. In 2011, the World Bank approved $ 1 billion in funding for the (NGRBA), but there was no improvement in the rivers condition.

In 2010, the government declared the stretch of river between Gomukh glacier and Uttarkashi as eco-sensitive zone. In July 2014, the Modi government launched an integrated Ganga conservation mission called, 'Namami Gange' with a budget of Rs 2,037 crores. In addition, Rs 100 crores have been allotted for the development of the ghats and beautification of rivers. All departments concerned have been working together for the appropriate implementation of the plan.

On the other hand, around 57 million people depend on the River Yamuna. Though 70 percent of Delhi's water supply comes from the Yamuna, Delhi alone contributes to around 3,296 mld of sewage in the river.

Under the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) in 1993 by National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD), cleaning measures were taken up with the help of Japan government. It took place in three phases and lasted till 2015 with an investment of Rs 1,656 crores. The Energy and Resources Institute reports claim that though the results of YAP werent 100 percent successful, but the water quality has not further deteriorated.

Ganga and Yamuna have been at the centre of peoples faith and was already a living entity in the heart of the common folks but this decision can influence and resurrect the desensitised machinery that couldnt contribute much to its rejuvenation and free flow.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed the state's top officials to chalk out clear guidelines for anti-Romeo squads so that there is no "unnecessary harassment" of boys and girls.

In a meeting on Friday, he also warned that in case of deaths due to drought and floods anywhere in the state, the concerned department officials will be held responsible. Giving specific instructions, the Chief Minister asked the principal secretary (home) to chalk out clear guidelines for anti-Romeo squads and "ensure there is no unnecessary harassment of boys and girls moving around or sitting at any place", an official statement said.

He also asked for effective steps in cases of acid attacks. In the first meeting with ministers of state and senior officials of departments held by him, the chief minister also stressed on blanket ban on illegal mining saying that there were adverse reports about some districts.

He said District Magistrates (DMs) and district police heads will be held directly responsible in case of illegal mining in their districts. Directing the officials to complete floods preparations in a transparent manner before June 15 without involving any middlemen, the chief minister warned that officials of the departments concerned will be held directly responsible for any loss of life due to drought or floods.

He sought drafting of proper plans for drought relief especially in Bundelkhand region. The UP chief minister also suggested a Parliament-type security arrangement of Vidhan Bhawan and it was important to see that wrong people were denied entry.

Aditya Nath who has termed law and order as the top priority of his government also asked for daily report from all DMs and Superintendents of Police in connection with all these points, the release said.

Cautioning that laxity will not be tolerated in implementation of schemes meant for farmers, Yogi asked for preparing a transparent plan for wheat purchase and extended the target of its procurement to 80 lakh metric tonnes from the present 40 lakh metric tonnes which he said was not enough.

The new Chief Minister, who has already made his views on punctuality and hygiene clear and said biometric system should be put in place to register presence in offices and CCTV cameras should be installed in rooms.

Adityanath, who has ordered closure of illegal slaughter houses, asked officials to act against criminals, smugglers and land mafia in a just and unbiased manner.

Discussing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, the chief minister said people have so far been kept deprived of its benefits because of the uncooperative attitude and directed transferring the scheme to Housing development department from Urban development.

He suggested preparing a plan for completing houses under the Kanshi Ram Scheme and allotting them to the homeless in a transparent manner, the release said.

He also asked for opening 3,000 shops providing generic medicines at reasonable rates and availability of doctors in government officials. He also directed that a team of officials be sent to Chhattisgarh for studying their wheat procurement policy and implementing their suggestions.

The Chief Minister has already issued directives through the chief secretary to cancel the registration of all tainted firms and mafia elements as contractors and instead asked for giving chance to those who can work qualitatively and stressed for lodging of FIRs against the offenders without bowing under any political pressure.

Yogi said that soon, the government will fix its target for 100 days and make arrangements for redressing the problems of the people. Taking stock of the ongoing works of the Lucknow metro project, the Chief Minister also asked for giving momentum to the Varanasi and Kanpur projects besides directing preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for metro in Allahabad, Meerut Agra, Gorakhpur and Jhansi and said that his government was committed to start work on them in one year's time.

He reviewed the working of the Cooperative department also and banned political appointments in department of languages.
Srinagar: PDP on Friday accused the opposition National Conference of being responsible for the "mess" in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed confidence that the ruling party's candidates would win the upcoming bypolls as the "NC-Congress alliance symbolises deceit and treachery".

"(National Conference president) Farooq Abdullah and (his son) Omar are the main reasons behind the mess the state was in. The National ConferenceCongress alliance symbolises deceit and treachery in Jammu and Kashmir," roads and building minister Naeem Akhtar said after attending a poll review meeting at the People's Democratic Party headquarters in Srinagar.

The meeting was held to review the ongoing poll campaign for Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency for which Nazir Ahmed Khan has been fielded as PDP candidate.

Akhtar said the NC-Congress alliance has always brought "miseries and added to the sufferings" of people. The two parties have understood that they cannot stand

alone against PDP, he said adding "they are down and out".

"They are just trying to hoodwink the people with their utterances and political drama as they are fighting the battle for their survival. Farooq Abdullah and his son have made their political debut from this constituency and made it as a stepping stone for getting ministerial berths in New Delhi.

"I will be happy to know if the duo can pinpoint a single major intervention they have made in this parliamentary segment which may be seen as their contribution as public representatives in Parliament," Akhtar said.

He said "the moral stand that Farooq, the NC-Congress alliance candidate for by-polls, is trying to take on Kashmir today doesn't stand anywhere because whatever problem Jammu and Kashmir is facing today was the outcome of his party and the Congress handling better part of last 60 years of governance in the state".

"If we feel that we are disempowered today it is because of their politics and policies. These two parties and the leadership are the real architects and implementers of this," he said adding whenever the two came together the main aim was to gain power.

"Whenever they formed an alliance they brought miseries and added to the sufferings of general masses," he said adding "In 1987 the two parties fought the elections together and we are still facing the brunt".

"The present unrest among the masses was the outcome of the policies and programmes the two parties followed during their six years of governance since 2008 reversing all achievements made by PDP-led government on the political and development fronts," the minister said.

"Abdullahs are known for their doublespeak and stands. They oppose dialogue and peace process with Pakistan and instead advocate war when in power and bracket themselves with separatists when they sit in opposition," he said adding, "They raise slogans of 'Plebiscite', 'Azadi' and 'Autonomy' when they are out of power only as a political trump card to exploit the public sentiments".

The electorate was wise enough to understand the political "dichotomy" of the two parties, Akhtar said adding PDP candidates will win both the constituencies with thumping majority.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, instructed BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh to refrain from seeking favours from chief minister Yogi Adityanath in transfers and postings of officials, saying his administration should be allowed to focus solely on delivering good governance.

Meeting the MPs over breakfast, Modi thanked them for working hard in ensuring BJP's resounding victory in the UP assembly polls and asked them to work with party MLAs as a team to transform the state.

"Modiji said that the party's MPs and MLAs from the state need to work as a team. The Prime Minister also made it clear that we have been given mandate to work hard but not to enjoy," an MP present in the meeting said.

The prime minister also categorically conveyed to party MPs that they should refrain from approaching Adityanath or anybody else for transfers and postings of officials, another MP said.

The prime minister said the party has got a huge mandate to serve the people and wants to give them corruption-free government, the MP said.

On Thursday Modi called a meeting of the MPs over breakfast at his residence which was also attended by BJP President Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

Congratulating the party MPs for BJP's massive victory in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Modi asked the MPs not to become complacent and continue to work to strengthen the party, adding that there should be all around development which is visible to the people, the BJP said in a statement later.

Emphasising that the BJP has regained power in the state after 15 long years, Modi said both the party and the state government would work with all its strength to transform Uttar Pradesh into a fully developed state. "We need to transform Uttar Pradesh from a 'Bimaru' state to a fully developed one."

The government should be able to fulfil expectations of the people by ensuring a corruption-free government in the

state, he told MPs.

This was Modi's first meeting with the BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh after the party's victory in the state assembly election.

In coming days, Modi is scheduled to held five more such informal meetings with party MPs from different regions.
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who has been at the eye of the storm ever since the Air India controversy, on Friday took a train from Delhi to Pune after Indigo and Air India cancelled his tickets on their respective flights, according to NDTV.

In an unprecedented step, Air India and all private carriers had on Friday refused to fly Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an airline employee.

But the Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad in Maharashtra remained defiant and refused to apologise for repeatedly beating and trying to push down Air India officer R. Sukumar from the aircraft on Thursday.

"Air India and member airlines have decided to ban this MP from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) said in a statement.

"We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," added FIA Associate Director Ujjwal Dey.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association also sought an unconditional apology from Gaikwad and threatened to direct its members "not to operate any flight which has Gaikwad on board".

The Sena leader earlier vowed to fly back to Pune but Air India cancelled his ticket.

Besides Air India, the airlines which won't allow Gaikwad to fly as FIA members are IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air. AirAsia and Vistara, which are not with FIA, joined them.

The decision was taken a day after Gaikwad thrashed Sukumar repeatedly with a slipper after he was forced to travel in economy class from Pune to Delhi despite holding a business class ticket.

Amid speculation that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had sought an explanation from Gaikwad, the MP dared Delhi Police to arrest him and also alleged that it was Sukumar who hit him first.

Air India has said it was examining the possibility of creating a 'no fly' list of unruly passengers.

It also lodged FIRs against Gaikwad  for assaulting a shift manager and delaying a scheduled flight to Goa.

When Gaikwad refused to de-board, Sukumar said he first requested the MP in English to get off the plane but was told to speak in Hindi.

When he began to speak in Hindi, Gaikwad flared up and hit him with his slipper. All though Thursday, Gaikwad boasted how he hit the staffer with his slipper "25 times".

"I will not apologize. Why should I? It's not my mistake. They should apologize first, then (we) will see."

Gaikwad also shot off complaints to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding an inquiry into the incident.

FIA's Dey said: "We believe an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living."

Vistara said it was "in full solidarity" with Air India.

Gaikwad "will be barred from flying in any of our flights with immediate effect", it said. "Disruptive and abusive behaviour by passengers is a serious issue and cannot be tolerated."

AirAsia said it "does not tolerate abusive or unruly behaviour by passengers that puts the safety of other guests and crew members on board at risk".

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju added: "Politicians are not above law."
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussed trade and economic interaction between their countries and the settlement process in Ukraine during a phone call on Thursday, the Belarusian presidential press service said.

"Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in the evening on March 23," it said.

"The heads of state discussed various issues on the agenda of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations," the press service said.

The presidents discussed ways to further develop trade and economic cooperation between the two countries and broaden contacts between their regions, it said.

"The sides also discussed interaction on international platforms and also the peace process in Ukraine and the assistance being provided by the Belarusian side to secure the soonest possible settlement of the conflict," it said.

The Ukrainian presidential press service said also that Lukashenko and Poroshenko had reiterated the importance of fully implementing the agreements reached at a session of the two countries' intergovernmental joint commission for trade and economic cooperation at the end of last year.

Lukashenko also welcomed the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to Belarus, it said.
All is not well in the Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar.

After the name of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav was excluded from the invitation card issued for the inaugural function of the three-day Bihar foundation day, RJD  a grand alliance partner in the state  on Thursday protested over the issue.

Neither Tejaswi Prasad Yadav nor his father and RJD President Lalu Prasad were present at the function to celebrate the 105th year of the foundation of Bihar.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was the chief guest at the programme.

RJD ministers Shiv Chander Ram and Ram Vichar Rai were, however, present at the dais with the chief minister.

The Bihar Day function is organised by Education department, the portfolio of which is held by Ashok Choudhary of Congress, another grand alliance partner.

RJD state spokesman Mritunjay Tiwari told PTI, the exclusion of the deputy chief minister's name from the invitation card was a "big lapse" which should be probed and action should be taken against officials responsible for it.

Though former chief minister and the deputy chief minister's mother Rabri Devi refused to speak on the matter, RJD MLAs Bhai Birendra and Shakti Singh Yadav voiced their protest and sought action against the concerned officials.

Bhai Birendra said, "RJD is the largest constituent of the grand alliance, hence its respect should be kept in mind in any official function."

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said none from Lalu Prasad's family attended the function due to the "boycotting" of the deputy chief minister.

"While the chief minister's photograph is missing from advertisements of any official function of the road construction department, a portfolio held by the deputy chief minister, likewise the latter finds no place in such an important function, where the chief minister is the chief guest," Sushil Modi told reporters.

His party colleague, Nand Kishore Yadav said, "There is something wrong in the coalition."

With inputs from PTI
With Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asking the states to find own resources to carry out farm loan waivers, Yogi Adityanath is set to face his first big political test in his new avatar as Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

During the UP poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised the farm loan waiver in the first cabinet meeting once his party takes over power in the state. Now, it is impossible for Yogi to outright disown a promise made by his top leader in the poll campaign and something that prominently figure in the partys poll manifesto. Modi was the face of the BJP but Yogi is the one who will have to answer to the poor farmers of UP who would have voted to the party in the hope of getting their loans waived. Hence, the buck stops at Yogi not Modi.

Yogis dilemma will be to find the resources to fulfill this promise given the states constrained balance sheet. There is absolutely no clarity on who will foot the bill. That leaves only two options for him -- either to simply pass the blame to the Centre or find some ways to raise the money. The latter looks difficult for UP at this stage.

What is the cost of the UP loan waiver? A recent SBI research report had warned about this problem. Going by this, the hit to the state would be approximately Rs 27,420 crore (total loans that will have to be waived off for the small and marginal farmers for all banks).

UP Governments total revenue for FY17 was Rs 3,40,255 crore according to revised estimates. Thus, the amount of Rs 27,420 crore to be waived off is approximately 8 percent of total revenue. This will definitely cause some amount of stress for the states fiscal arithmetic in the coming year. The incumbent Government in UP has to go beyond the traditional solutions and find innovative ways of adding to its revenues, the report said. SBI analysts have arrived at this figure looking at the Socio-economic and Caste Census 2011, that said 40 percent of rural households of Uttar Pradesh are engaged in cultivation.

When it comes to landholdings, 92 percent are marginal and small landholdings in Uttar Pradesh according to 2010-11 Agriculture Census. Total outstanding credit, in 2016, for the agriculture sector is Rs 86,241 crore in Uttar Pradesh, with average ticket size of Rs 1.34 lakhs.

According to 2012 the RBI's data, 31 percent of the direct agriculture finance went to marginal and small farmers (landholdings up to 2.5 acres), the report said. Taking this as a proxy for Uttar Pradesh as well, approximately Rs 27,420 crore will have to be waived off in case the loan waiver scheme is implemented for the small and marginal farmers for all banks, the SBI report said. The demerits of loan waiver and how it irrevocably destroys the credit culture of an entire geography is discussed in an earlier column.

To begin with, making a loan waiver promise itself was a mistake by Modi on account of well- documented reasons. Such a measure instantly and irrevocably destroys the credit culture of the farmer in an entire geography and even lessens the chances of these farmers for securing future credit with ease. It has happened during the 2008 UPA farm loan waiver and elsewhere in the country. Also, never in the past state-run banks (which are the obvious targets to roll out populist policies) have been compensated on time for waiving loans. Hence, this puts a major burden on the banks balance sheets.

Not just Modi, even for the Congress party, loan waiver promise has been the biggest poll plank in the run up to the UP polls. Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi assured the farmer that the waiver will happen within 10 days of his party coming to power. For a seasoned politician, offering freebies has become the easiest way to woo the poor to win votes. But, rarely the politician thinks about the deep damage the announcement is likely to cause to the credit culture and state finances. This is the reason why the Reserve Bank of India has repeatedly cautioned against such an exercise.

If one looks at the RBI's credit growth figures, funding shortage has never been an issue for farmers. Every year, under the target set by Union Budget and also to comply with priority sector lending rules, banks lend heavily to the sector. But, despite this, the sector continues to be economically stressed. That gives us the sense that it is not money or freebies that the farmer need and problem lies somewhere else. May be the solution lies in offering better farm technology, assistance to procure and store farm products and get good value for the farmer for the produce.

In the context of Uttar Pardesh, Yogi has a tougher economic environment now. The ongoing slaughter ban might help the party strengthen its core Hindutva agenda and consolidate its voter base but, it will give a jolt to the state exchequer.

According to an Icra report, UP accounts for the highest share of buffalo population at 28 percent and houses 60 percent of slaughter houses and meat processing units in the entire country. In 2015-16, Uttar Pradesh exported 5,65,958 metric tonnes of buffalo meat. There is no other state in the country with the resources or the bovine numbers that could even come close to filling this huge hole, the report said. This means, Yogi can right away forget about unnecessary populist expenditures such as loan waivers and work on getting the state finance in order by focusing on the fundamentals.

For now, failing to fulfill Modis election promise on loan waiver will be an image-spoiler for Yogi, who will have to face the wrath of poor farmers. How will the Gorakhnath temple priest deal with the situation is something one needs to wait and watch.
In quantum physics, the uncertainty principle says that the more precisely the position of particles is determined, the less precisely its dynamics can be known. This postulate of pure science seems to be perfectly applicable in politics as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) acquires hegemonic position in the past three years.

Look at the manner in which the countrys biggest political state, Uttar Pradesh, has been taking a roller-coaster ride since declaration of the polls results. After the massive victory, the question naturally popped up: Who will be the chief minister? Names were thrown and rejected in a manner which created a height of uncertainty at a time when the BJP got overwhelming mandate.

It would be naive to believe that the presiding head of Gorakhnath peeth Mahant Adityanath was chosen on the spur of the moment. Of course, given Prime Minister Narendra Modis own political persona of being a strongman, it is hard to believe that either the Sangh Parivar or any leader could arm-twist him to accept a fait accompli. Yet, its prediction was impossible if one goes by conventional wisdom.

Once the question of the chief ministers name is settled, the uncertainty continues to dog the state largely at the social level. The chief ministers visit to Hazaratganj police station in Lucknow on Thursday was nothing short of the chief ministers keen desire to be seen as a daroga, a most critical unit representing all-powerful and omniscient symbol of the state.

As a result, the entire state police machinery has been frantically running around like a headless chicken. It is indeed a pathetic sight to see all top police bosses in a tow with the chief minister explaining the functioning of the thana in front of their juniors notorious for their corrupt conduct. It is nobodys case that thanas or police stations need to be corrected and upgraded and made people-friendly. The question arises, Is it the right way to do it?

Similarly, nobody can dispute that illegal abattoirs all over the state were nuisances in public places. Slaughtering of animals in public places was the most uncivil sight one could see all over the state. Those having political patronage have been running these abattoirs with impunity, caring two hoots about the legality. In west Uttar Pradesh, the issue caused a massive social discontent on account of a fear that stolen milch animals are often slaughtered in these abattoirs.

But it would be patently wrong to pin the entire blame of running these abattoirs on the police. The entire civil administration ranging from district magistrates to veterinary doctors has been involved in running this established rackets for decades on end. It requires an institutional solution, not a knee-jerk reaction of forcing closure through some policemen merely for optical effect.

Another social issue pertains to safety of women in the state. In the past five years, there have been several instances of communal conflagration due to eve-teasing. Muzaffarnagar riots were caused by such events. But the manner in which the Uttar Pradesh Police has been going berserk in parks and shopping malls is not only uncivil but obnoxious, to say the least. Those who have the faintest idea of Uttar Pradesh Police would testify that its constabulary and officers need a sustained and thorough educational sessions on gender equity. There have been instances of rapes inside the police stations. It would be a remedy worse than disease to empower darogas of local thanas to do moral policing. Adityanath has been doing precisely that.

There is little doubt that Yogi has been hogging the medias attention for all the wrong reasons. Despite a massive mandate that would have ensured a stability and certainty in governance, the state seems to be drifting towards an unknown path. Much of this emanates from enigmatic political personae of the Yogi who does not easily conform to established tenets of a modern state. He is avowedly religious revanchist who ironically heads a modern and secular state. The contradiction is too glaring to be ignored.

Of course, it would be too early to surmise that Yogi would continue to persist with the kind of uncertainty he continues to unleash. There is a possibility that he may find his bearing and reset the social political and social equilibrium sooner than later. If that does not happen, the application of uncertainty principle of science into politics runs the risk of creating a social schizophrenia that may take an unpredictable and disastrous course.
It is unfortunate that some opponents, communalists are trying to portray him as a rabble-rouser and fringe personality. They should go through his parliamentary debates. Those reveal his seasoned thinking on various issues of governance, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on his Facebook page on 19 March, 2017, referring to Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Factchecker did just that, analysing Yogi Adityanaths performance over the last eight years as a member of Parliament (MP) in the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament), using data from PRS Legislative Research, an advocacy focussed on parliamentary affairs, and the Lok Sabha archives.

Our four main findings:

 While the 44-year-old politician raised a variety of concerns  including river pollution and rising cases of encephalitis  his most recurring choice of debates focussed on Hindu affairs and cow slaughter, particularly over the last three years.

 In the 16th (current) Lok Sabha, 18 percent of Adityanaths debates have focussed on Hindu issues, seven-percentage points more than during his previous term as MP. The topics include cow slaughter, enforcing a uniform civil code, and protection of Hindu pilgrims. Even his debates on the Enemy Property Bill (now an Act) and his concerns about Indian youth in Islamic State, counted under internal security debates, held religious underpinnings.

 A science graduate, Adityanath had the most queries (57) for the ministry of health during the 16th Lok Sabha: 11 were on corruption in medical bodies, and six on population control measures to address Indias reported demographic imbalance, a reference to his belief that Muslims, who make up 14.2 percent of Indias population, were growing faster than Hindus.

 Adityanath asked almost as many questions (52) of the ministry of home affairs over the last eight years of the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha. Of these, 34 percent were related to fears about the effect of Islamic State, Indian Mujahideen extremists and Christian separatists on internal security.

Here is a more detailed analysis:

15th Lok Sabha (June 2009 to February 2014): Although Adityanaths parliamentary attendance (72 percent) was slightly below the average for MPs from his state (79 percent) and the rest of the country (76 percent), he participated in more debates and asked more questions than the average MP, according to PRS Legislative Research data.

Adityanath participated in 82 debates against the average of 38 for other MPs.

While seven, or 8.5 percent, of the debates in which he participated were related to the railway budget, 11 percent of Adityanaths debates were related to Hinduism. The topics included reorganisation of the Amarnath Shrine Board and facilities for Amarnath pilgrims; lifting the ban on Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to Nepal; and the need to develop the area related to Ramayan era in Mithilanchal (a proposed state in India that comprises part of the historic Mithila region, which extends into modern-day Nepal).

During this term, Adityanath, who has been charged for intimidation, rioting, promoting enmity between different groups and defiling a place of worship, also raised concerns over violence in Muslim-dominated Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, and UPs Moradabad district, where Muslims constitute nearly half the population.

Adityanath, a science graduate as we said, also discussed the pollution of Indian rivers six times. He participated in five debates on the spread and eradication of encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis, and five on according central university status to Gorakhpur University. On four occasions, he spoke about carving a separate Poorvanchal state from eastern UP.

16th Lok Sabha (1 June, 2014 to 15 March, 2017): Adityanath participated in 56 debatesfewer than the average of 72 clocked by MPs from his state, PRS data show.

In nearly a fifth of these  a seven-percentage-point jump over the previous term  the five-time MP (he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 at age 26) participated in debates that focussed on Hindu affairs. These included a national ban on cow slaughter, enforcing a uniform civil code, and ensuring the safety of Hindu pilgrims. Even his debates on internal security that voiced concerns about a conspiracy to bring Pakistanis to India through the Enemy Property Bill, and the alleged involvement of Indian youth in the Islamic State, carried religious undertones.

During this term, in four of five Demand for Grants debates on the railway budget that Adityanath participated in (data for the most recent debate in 2017 are yet to be put out)which Naidu described as levelheaded and inspiringthe Gorakhpur MP primarily praised the budget and congratulated the railway ministry while criticising the previous Congress-led government and states where the party still holds power. In one debate, he presented demands for grants to set up rail lines and to upgrade rail infrastructure in his constituency, Gorakhpur.

He also wanted central university status for Gorakhpur University, and asked  in four debates  for the Bhojpuri dialect of eastern UP and Bihar to be regarded as a national language.

His concern for polluted rivers and the spread of encephalitis continued in his debates but took up a considerably smaller share (5 percent).

Some of Yogi Adityanaths choice of debates and his arguments: Alleged disadvantage to candidates appearing for civil services examinations in Hindi and other Indian languages: This is a conspiracy against Indian and Indian languages. Those people who have formed this conspiracy, they still want to impose the British tradition in India forcibly. Regarding deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh: According to an estimate, incidents of murder, robbery, abduction and misbehavior are happening between 250 to 275 per day in Uttar Pradesh These incidents are not only in conformity, but also by the National Crime Bureau. Regarding 5151st anniversary of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: I would like to request to you through the ministry of culture of the government of India that this event is required to be celebrated (sic) at the national level and at the international level, even then, wherever the world is full of jihadi terrorism, somewhere other religious obsessions, the whole humanity is moaning in those situations, the message of the Bhagavad Gita can pave the way for the welfare of all humanity. Regarding the Disapproval Of Enemy Property (Amendment And Validation) Ordinance, 2016 And Enemy Property (Amendment And Validation) Bill, 2016: If a government really fulfills this order (allowing properties to be returned to owners), half the cities of this country will be destroyed, a large population will be destroyed. A new class struggle will be created inside the country, and under it, all the citizens of Pakistan will start to make backdated ration cards together with those few vote bank merchants within India, and will start saying we are living in India since 1947. Under this guise, an attempt is being made to bring those people inside India.

Rapid reduction in the number of Sikhs and Buddhists along with sanatan (classical) Hinduism and the rapid increase in the Muslim population attract attention to the dangerous situation of demographic imbalance, it is shocking the need for an effective equal civil law and population control is being felt within the country, Adityanath said in a 2016 debate on uniform civil code.

While the countrys overall population grew at 17 percent in the decade to 2011, Census data showed Muslim population growth hit a 20-year low of 24.6 percent in 2011, as IndiaSpend reported in August, 2015.

Naidu, in his Facebook post, quoting a Hindustan Times report, said Muslims in the state welcomed Adityanaths appointment. A large number of Muslims seem to be celebrating, the post reads.

30 percent of Adityanaths questions to four ministries

In both the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha, Adityanath raised more questions than the average MP, with 347 queries (against the average of 300) upto February 2014 and 284 upto March 2017 (against the average of 180).

In the 16th Lok Sabha, queries to four ministries  external affairs, health and family welfare, home affairs and human resource development  formed 30 percent of his questions to 43 ministries.

In the 15th Lok Sabha, he directed nearly 50 percent of his questions to six of 39 ministries which include the four we mentioned earlier, and the ministries of railways and road transport and highways.

The external affairs ministry received 51 questions from Adityanath since 2009. Two-thirds of these pertained to his suspicions of anti-Indian activities and sentiments across Indias border, particularly in Nepal. Others include questions about imposing a ban on Pakistani movies and artists coming to India, security of the Indo-Nepalese border, and the misbehaviour of a Nepalese airliner towards Hindu pilgrims.

UP chief ministers bills in Parliament: Ban on cow slaughter, renaming India Hindustan

Since 2009, Adityanath has had five private members bills pending in the Lok Sabha, more than the average of one per MP. They are:

 The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Amendment of article 1, etc.): This proposes a change in the countrys name, from India, that is Bharat, to Bharat, that is Hindustan, according to this 2014 report on private members bills and resolutions.

 The Ban on Cow Slaughter Bill, 2014: This bill, reintroduced in the 16th Lok Sabha, is a replica of Adityanaths 2009 bill for the 15th Lok Sabha. In both versions, the three-page bill, which says slaughter of cow, bullocks, bulls and oxen should be banned on scientific lines, offers no details justifying the need for such a restriction.

 The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Omission of article 44, etc.): This would turn the directive principle of creating a uniform civil code for India into a law. The implications of this bill would have far-reaching effects on the personal laws and practices of people of various religions in India.

 The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2015 (Insertion of new article 25A): This seeks to insert a new article in the Indian Constitution that will ban forcible religious conversions.

 The High Court at Allahabad (Establishment of a Permanent Bench at Gorakhpur) Bill, 2015: This seeks a permanent bench of the Allahabad High Court in his constituency.

None of these bills has been passed yet. Adityanaths High Court bill and the ban on forced religious conversions are yet to be introduced in the House, as The Indian Express reported in March, 2017.

(Saldanha is an assistant editor with IndiaSpend & FactChecker.)
Dhaka: A young man, suspected to be a suicide bomber, blew himself up at the international airport in Dhaka on Friday, nearly a week after a similar attack on a nearby camp of Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force.

The man, said to be in his 30s, blew himself up in front of a police outpost near the Shahjalal International Airport.

The 'suicide attacker' exploded a bomb apparently in an attempt to target security personnel at the entrance of the airport, killing himself, Bdnew24.com reported.

The attacker could not be identified immediately.

Armed Police Battalion Assistant Commissioner Tanzila Akter told the news outlet that the incident happened around 7 pm local time.

"The young man died on the spot," the police officer said.

She added that no law enforcer was injured in the blast.

The attack comes a week after a similar attack on a nearby RAB camp on 17 March. Security was tightened at airports and prisons across Bangladesh after the attack.

A suspected suicide attacker was shot dead at a RAB check post in Khilgaon on the following day.
Antwerp: Belgian security forces arrested a man Thursday after he drove into a shopping area at a high speed in the port city of Antwerp, officials said.

Authorities found a rifle and bladed weapons in the car after the suspect, identified by prosecutors as 39-year-old Mohamed R, tried to flee and was detained in the northern city.

The man was "under the influence of something" but it was not clear what substance, a source close to the investigation told AFP.

Authorities were not certain if it was an attempted attack and the incident remained under investigation, several Belgian sources added on condition of anonymity.

The Belgian prosecutor's office said the man, identified as 39-year-old Mohamed R, was a French national but a French police source told AFP he was Tunisian legally residing in the French city of Lens near the Belgium border.

"He has an address in Lens and as far as we know at the moment, he is not known for large-scale criminal acts," the source said.

"His only previous convictions are minor, such as drunk driving or drug use. He was not on the (French) list of known extremists and according to the initial findings of the investigation had not been flagged up as being radicalised," the source added.

Pierre Camarre, the man's neighbour, told AFP he was about 1.85 metres (six feet) tall "with no beard and wore western clothes."

The incident jangled nerves following attacks at the Orly airport in Paris and Wednesday's carnage in London, and coming the day after the first anniversary of the Brussels suicide bombings that killed 32 people.

"A vehicle with French plates has tried to drive at high speed into the Meir (shopping street) so that pedestrians had to jump aside," Antwerp police chief Serge Muyters told a news conference.

"Our army colleagues forced the driver to stop but he pulled away and ran a red traffic light. We sent a special forces team and the car and the driver was stopped," he added.

"A man in camouflage was taken away."

Images on social media showed investigators searching a burgundy-coloured vehicle near the bank of the Scheldt river.

The Belgian federal prosecutor's office said the suspect was driving at "very high speed" and that "at different times pedestrians were placed in danger."

"Various arms were found in the boot, bladed weapons, a pump-action rifle and a container of as yet unidentified liquid," the prosecutor said in a statement.

Bomb disposal experts attended the scene.

"In light of what has initially been gathered, and taking into account what happened in London on Wednesday, it has been decided to send this case to the federal prosecutor," the statement added.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said security services in the Flemish-speaking city "did an excellent job" and the government was following this "suspicious incident" closely.

A French source close to the investigation said the man had "spent the night in a holding cell in Belgium before being released on Thursday morning."

A woman close to the suspect had called the police on Wednesday evening complaining that he had stolen her bag, the source added.

Meir is the main commercial street in Antwerp's historic centre and is mostly pedestrianised. It is one of the country's biggest shopping areas.

The Antwerp incident put Europe further on edge after the attack on the British parliament that killed three people plus the attacker, and the incident at Paris's Orly airport on Saturday when a man was shot dead after grabbing a soldier's rifle.

With soldiers deployed at key sites, Belgium has been on high alert since 22 March last year when suicide bombers attacked Zaventem airport and Maalbeek metro station, killing 32 people and leaving more than 320 wounded.

Belgium suffered a further shock in August when a machete-wielding man shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) attacked two policewomen in the industrial town of Charleroi, before being shot dead.
By Brendan Pierson

A U.S. judge on Friday refused to overturn the conviction of two nephews of Venezuela's first lady on charges that they tried to carry out a multimillion-dollar drug deal to help their family stay in power.Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas and Efrain Antonio Campo Flores had argued in a motion challenging their conviction that they were entrapped in a sting operation and that their trial was tainted by a witness who perjured himself.But U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty in Manhattan rejected those arguments."The Court is not in any better a position than the jury was to find the facts of this case, nor do the interests of justice require that the verdict be set aside," he wrote.Attorneys for Flores de Freitas and Campo Flores did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Flores de Freitas, 31, and Campo Flores, 30, were convicted by a Manhattan jury in November of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. The two men are nephews of Cilia Flores, the wife of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.Days later, Maduro blasted the conviction in a speech as an instance of "U.S. imperialism."The two men were arrested in Haiti in November 2015 and flown to the United States following a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation.

Prosecutors said the two men plotted to use a Venezuelan airport's presidential hangar to send 800 kgs of cocaine to Honduras for shipment into the United States.They said recordings of meetings with two DEA informants showed the nephews wanted the cash to counteract money they believed the United States was supplying to Maduro's opposition before Venezuela's December 2015 National Assembly elections.

Maduro's Socialist Party lost its parliamentary majority in the election.At trial, defense lawyers said neither man was sophisticated enough to have carried out the transaction and did not intend for drugs to be shipped into the United States.One of the government's witnesses was a DEA informant posing as a Mexican cartel member who later pleaded guilty to lying to the government to engage in drug trafficking himself. He testified under a cooperation agreement with prosecutors.In an unusual twist, that witness, Jose Santos-Pena, was revealed at trial to be lying on the stand, and prosecutors threw out his cooperation agreement. Flores de Freitas and Campo Flores argued that they should get a new trial in light of Santos-Pena's perjury. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson and Nate Raymond; editing by Grant McCool)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Nidal al-Mughrabi

| GAZA

GAZA A senior Hamas militant was shot dead near his home in the Gaza Strip on Friday, the group said, blaming Israel for the killing.An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the incident in the Hamas-run Palestinian coastal enclave.Mazen Fuqaha, a militant from the occupied West Bank whom Israel released in a prisoner swap in 2011 and exiled to the Gaza Strip, was shot several times, said Hamas police. Another senior Hamas official, Izzat El-Reshiq, said the killers used silencers.Thousands of people were expected to turn out for Fuqaha's funeral on Saturday.

"Hamas and its (military wing) hold (Israel) and its collaborators responsible for this despicable crime... (Israel) knows that the blood of fighters is not spilt in vain and Hamas will know how to act," the group said in a statement.Khalil al-Haya, Hamas's deputy chief in the Gaza Strip said only Israel would have had something to gain from the death.

Fuqaha, 38, was one of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners that Israel released in exchange for soldier Gilad Shalit whom Gaza militants had held captive in the coastal enclave after abducting him in a cross-border raid in 2006.Israel jailed Fuqaha in 2003 for planning attacks against Israelis and sentenced him to nine life terms. Israeli media said that after his release while in exile in Gaza, he continued to plan attacks by West Bank militants.Cross-border violence between Gaza militants and Israel has largely died down since a 2014 war in which militants launched thousands of rockets into Israel.

According to Gaza health officials, more than 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in 50 days of fighting. Israel put its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.Militants from small Jihadist Salafi groups have continued to fire an occasional rocket into Israel from Gaza despite Hamas's efforts to rein them in but Israel says it holds Hamas responsible and responds with air strikes and tank fire.Hamas has recently said it is becoming impatient with Israel's bombing of its facilities and has hinted that it may end the current state of relative calm. (Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The attack near the British Parliament, we have been told, was carried out by a Birmingham-based Briton called Khalid Masood whose birth name was Adrian Elms before he converted to Islam. The 52-year-old was a history-sheeter who had previously dallied with terrorists, without throwing his hat into the ring, and was briefly a subject of interest for British spy agency MI5.

Reuters quoted London police as saying that Masood "had a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH (grievous bodily harm), possession of offensive weapons and public order offences" but there was "no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack."

Till this Wednesday.

The Islamic State connection

A petty criminal without any known linkages with religious fundamentalism, Masood fits right into the profile of individuals targeted or recruited by Islamic State which has since claimed responsibility for the attack. The New York Times correspondent Rukmini Callimachi, who covers Islamic State/Al-Qaeda operations and has done extensive research in areas of global terrorism, recently wrote in an article how a "secretive branch" of Islamic State built a global terrorist empire by tapping into the local criminal network. Harry Safro, an Islamic State defector from Germany, told her that "new converts to Islam" with no established ties to radical groups are extensively targeted either online or through sleeper cells.

The bond between Islamic State and so-called 'lone wolf' attackers (who may have never travelled abroad and have either been self-radicalized or via an operative) is a trade-off. Islamic State finds it easier to transfer petty criminal "skills" to jihadism and for the crook, the act of terror offers a path to glory and perhaps even redemption.

A study on the link between petty crime and jihadism by authors Rajan Basra, Peter R. Neumann and Claudia Brunner (referred to by Callimachi in a tweet) finds evidence for this 'redemption narrative'. According to the study, "jihadism offered redemption for crime while satisfying the same personal needs and desires that led them to become involved in it, making the jump from criminality to terrorism smaller than is commonly perceived."

At this stage it is not very clear whether Masood had been in any contact with an operative or had pledged allegiance to Islamic State but the telltale signs indicate that he perhaps got self-radicalised, becoming what the media describes him  'the lone wolf'.

'Lone wolf', a semantic jugglery and study in self-delusion

There is already a mountain of literature, reports, studies and articles on why the term 'lone wolf' is misleading when it comes to Islamist terrorism. In an article for The Guardian Jason Burke has written why "talk of lone wolves misunderstands how Islamic militancy works"; research analyst Bridget Moreng has written in Foreign Affairs journal on how Islamic State inspires, recruits and trains 'lone wolves' and Callimachi has cited the example of an aborted terrorist attack in Hyderabad to explain this in her article: 'How ISIS Guides Worlds Terror Plots From Afar'.

Media has already started calling the London terrorist incident a 'lone-wolf' attack even though London Metropolitan Police have acknowledged its links with "Islamist terrorism" and have since arrested several people after raids in Birmingham and in other parts of Britain.

The term 'lone wolf' is a semantic jugglery and a study in self-delusion. It is an attempt to disconnect any instance of terrorism from larger ideological moorings and transfer the onus of the moral failing from society to the individual, as if he was "acting on his own".

Jason Burke, writing for The Guardian, says that this "implies that the responsibility for an individuals violent extremism lies solely with the individual themselves or with some other individual or group, all of which could be eliminated. The truth is that terrorism is not something you do by yourself. Like any activism, it is highly social, only its consequences are exceptional People become interested in ideas, ideologies and activities, even immoral ones, because other people are interested in them."

Reuters, quoting a US government source, has already informed us that though some of Masood's associates were suspected to have keen interest in travelling and joining jihadi groups overseas, he "himself never did so." But the signs are interesting.

The Kent-born Briton became a religious convert and according to Sky News, he was a "very religious, well-spoken man. You couldn't go to his home in Birmingham on Friday because he would be at prayer."

It's Birmingham again

This brings us to the curious case of the West Midlands city of Birmingham and its close links with Islamist terrorism. According to NBC News, cops have arrested two women in their twenties and four men in their mid to late twenties from separate addresses in Birmingham. Another person, a 58-year-old man, was arrested on Thursday morning at another address in Birmingham, according to the report.

This would then point us to the inference that Birmingham had some sort of influence on Masood in his transformation from a petty criminal to a jihadist. The city has a troubled connection with Islamist terrorism and Reuters tells us, quoting a study by Henry Jackson Society (a British think-tank), that 39 of 269 people convicted in Britain of offences related to terrorism between 1998 and 2015 came from the city. British newspaper The Independent further parses the figures, pointing out that one in 10 of all those linked to Islamist terrorism in Britain and abroad came from just five council wards in the city  Springfield, Sparkbrook, Hodge Hill, Washwood Heath and Bordesley Green. A fifth of Birmingham's population are Muslims (2,34,000) and Masood's vehicle was rented from the Birmingham branch of a car rental firm.

In an article titled: 'Why has Birmingham become such a breeding ground for British-born terror?', The Independent's Kim Sengupta writes that most of the terrorists (linked to 7/7 London bombings, 9/11 attacks) "have family links to Kashmir. Many young men went to Pakistan to train to fight against Indian forces in Kashmir Some joined Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. Indoctrination took place in mosques which had been taken over by radical clerics and, it is claimed, a number of schools. Birmingham is in the centre of the so-called 'Trojan Horse' plot in which, it is alleged, an organised group of Islamists seek to infiltrate and take over state education establishments."

Why "inclusiveness" alone can't prevent terrorism

This clearly points to a huge problem of assimilation of culture and belies liberalism's core argument that multiculturism is the only antidote for Islamist terrorism. London's top counter-terrorist officer Mark Rowley recently said that if 13 plots of terrorism have been busted in the UK since 2013, when Lee Rigby was murdered, then it stands to reason that despite its all-pervasive political correctness and fierce inclusiveness, there exists deeply dissenting areas of defiance against England's multicultural ethos.

From London Mayor Sadiq Khan, France President Francois Hollande to former US president Barack Obama, political leaders have harped on the grievance narrative of Islam whenever there have been Islamist terrorist attacks. Wide range of excuses  from poverty to victim-hood to alienation  have been offered to contextualise terrorism and the world at large has been constantly reminded that the moral failing of a terrorist attack lies with the people who have been victimised, not the poisonous ideology that lies behind it.

A little scratching of the surface exposes the truth. In an erudite article, Praveen Swami of The Indian Express explores the reasons behind Britain's brushes with Islamist terrorism and finds that the "idea that the English terrorist is a product of the well-documented economic and educational backwardness of its Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities isnt true in all cases." He gives examples of a student from King's College, or members of Britain's affluent middle class or even the wealthy among 800 of its nationals who are actively engaged in terror or another 600 who have been reportedly prevented from doing so.

Swami argues that the problem lies with Britain's identity politics: when Britain "outsourced its engagement with ethnic minorities to a new contractor-class" and in time, this strategy backfired as it created pockets of profound resentment against the "secular-democratic order."

Swami writes: "Instead of a rich cultural landscape, official multiculturalism created a homogenised Muslim identity. Thus, Choudhry defended her attempt to kill Timms by pointing to his support of the Iraq war  a land she had never visited. 'We must stand up for each other,' she said. 'We must fight them,' said Adebolajo  'I apologise that women have had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same'. "

The solution

This then, right here, is the biggest problem with the argument that 'political correctness and more stress on multicultural inclusiveness will be enough to tackle terrorism'. France tried and failed. Britain, too, seems to be failing. The failure lies in the fact that we are barking up the wrong tree. Instead of throwing money or trying to figure newer and newer methods of contextualising and justifying terror and floating a multiplicity of grievance narratives, the world must encourage Muslims to have an honest self-engagement on terrorism.

Hussain Haqqani, member of US-based think tank Hudson Institute and a former Pakistan envoy to US, puts his finger on the pulse in his column for The Telegraph, UK.

"The violence over 'Islams honour' is a function of the collective Muslim narrative of grievance. Decline, weakness, impotence, and helplessness are phrases most frequently repeated in the speeches and writings of todays Muslim leaders. The view is shared by Islamists  who consider Islam a political ideology  and other Muslims who dont. The terrorists are just the most extreme element among the Islamists."

Let the liberal media and politicians urge Muslims to tackle the problem on their own while, as senior journalist R Jagannathan says, empower the reformist voices from within the community, only then may we rid the world of this scourge.
It turns out his name was Khalid Masood. Or Adrian Elms, if you'd rather go by his birth name.

Either way, the identity of the perpetrator of Wednesday's abhorrent attacks on pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and a police officer near Parliament Square was out in the open in less than 24 hours after the incident. But, as some have opined, this was apparently not good enough and was tantamount to dishonesty.

The article hyperlinked above continues, and I quote, "Beyond the time required to clear reasonable doubt and investigation compulsions, what purpose is served by going slow in releasing crucial information? The only thing it succeeds in doing is to force media, which must cope with public need for information, by making erratic assumptions of the kind we saw on Wednesday night when Britain's Channel 4 erroneously blamed a hate preacher who is safely lodged inside jail" (emphasis mine).

Therein lie two dangerous assumptions: First, about the role of law enforcement agencies and second, that of the media. But these will be addressed in good time.

Mum about Masood

The 52-year-old Birmingham resident was, as The Guardian noted, identified by the police as "a criminal with a 20-year record of offending, who had once been investigated for extremism but was assessed as posing a low risk". Prime Minister Theresa May was quoted as telling MPs, "He was a peripheral figure. The case (of violent extremism against him) is historic  he was not part of the current intelligence picture."

In the wake of Masood's actions, the Metropolitan Police took the conscious decision of not revealing the identity of the attacker and requested the media to do the same.

"I would continue to ask the media not to identify the attacker whilst we are at a sensitive stage in our investigation" #WestminsterAttack  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 23, 2017

At the time, Scotland Yard commander BJ Harrington released a statement in which he noted that the attack was being treated as a 'terrorist incident'. He added, "Although we remain open minded to the motive, a full counter-terrorism investigation is already underway... At this stage I will confirm what we know has happened, but I will not speculate." This did not go down too well in some quarters.

But, there are three reasons  listed below in no particular order of importance  that explain this pragmatic and mature decision:

The first is that the need of the hour was to prevent panic and wild speculation among citizens.

The second is the need to avoid witch-hunts carried out by vigilantes or lynch mobs.

And the third is the need to keep obstructions away from an ongoing investigation.

In order to elaborate on these points, let's revisit the two dangerous assumptions highlighted earlier.

The role of law enforcement agencies

It was by keeping away obstructions from ongoing investigations that the police was able to conduct raids on six homes in London, Birmingham and Carmarthenshire in Wales, and arrest eight people in connection with Wednesday's attack. That is the job of law enforcement. It is not, however, the job of law enforcement to be a source of non-stop soundbites to satisfy the needs of bloodthirsty TV news anchors, their assortment of cantankerous talking heads or keyboard warriors itching to rage on Twitter or Facebook. In other words, all those TRPs, clicks, hits, shares, likes and such-like are really not the concern of the law enforcement. In any case, in an unfolding situation, it's always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to disseminating information.

And it is here that we must look at the concept of 'crucial information' that the police is meant to be putting out in a timely manner. Through its social media channels and releases to the press, the police certainly was putting out crucial information quickly. Aside from Harrington's statement in which he highlighted the areas to avoid, the Metropolitan Police's Twitter handle also put out this timely advisory. Late on Thursday night, the police put out some more information, this time relating to the arrests made until that point.

To describe a piece of information as 'crucial' in this context means it should contribute to the safety of citizens. Just how does the name of the attacker immediately after the attack fall under that category? Aside from contributing to the safety of his accomplices who could have potentially made their way to safer pastures and avoided detection by the police, what difference would it have made to the public at large, at that point in time, if his name was Khalid Masood, Adrian Elms or anything else? Your answer may vary depending on what side of the liberal-conservative divide you stand, but it can be safely concluded that this particular bit of information would not have done much to contribute to citizens' safety.

This brings us to a pricklier issue.

The role of the media

A handful of French news outlets took the decision in the wake of the Bastille Day attacks in Nice last year not to publish the images or names of the terrorists. The thinking was that by doing so, these actions and the associated actors would be deprived of the oxygen of publicity that would have otherwise glorified their martyrdom. Or as Simon Jenkins points out rather succinctly in The Guardian, "The terrorist is helpless without the assistance of the media and those who feed it with words and deeds". In fact, this particular oxygen doesn't only sustain the terrorist, it also keeps the Far-Right alive and kicking (see here and here).

In fact, this sort of publicity doesn't just keep them afloat, it serves to further their respective agendas. Unconvinced? Let's look at a hypothetical example around Wednesday's events.

Imagine a scenario where the identity of the terrorist had been revealed right off the bat by the Metropolitan Police. And given the aforementioned media need to 'cope with public need for information', imagine that a local daily had splashed the terrorist's visage across its front page with the words "The New Face of Global Jihad" emblazoned below it. (Note: This simulation cannot account for whether or not those words would be printed in massive letters with flames emanating from them). Now think about the sort of mileage that the Far-Right, the terrorists (whether those already indoctrinated or those on the verge of being indoctrinated) and the sympathisers of either set can claim from this.

This is where the media must show restraint, maturity and dare-I-say-it common sense. The public need for information cannot outweigh the media's responsibility to put out factual and ethical (used for want of a better word to describe information that doesn't endanger the safety of citizens or jeopardise an investigation that is underway or hurt national security) information. And if the absence of credible information 'forces' news organisations like Channel 4 to make erratic assumptions, it's really their own fault. After all, if demand is outstripping supply, you don't go and manufacture knock-off or counterfeit goods  in this context, fake news  to fill the gap.

In closing, confusing the police's discretion with dishonesty and defending the dishonesty of a news channel as desperation to keep the masses happy is not only disingenuous, but sets a dangerous precedent. Let's hope more media houses take a cue from the French media as also the London Metropolitan Police.
Ukrainian president orders asking NATO for help in demining Balaklia

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ordered the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and the State Emergency Service to ask NATO for help in demining the ammo depot ablaze in Balaklia in Kharkiv region.

"I've given urgent instructions to the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and the State Emergency Service to ask NATO for assistance in Balaklia's humanitarian demining," Poroshenko said on Twitter on Thursday evening.

Explosions at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's ammo depots near Balaklia began in the early hours of March 23.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said the explosions were continuing on about half of the depots' area, and the emergency may last from three to seven days.
By Patricia Zengerle

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON The Republican head of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee apologised on Thursday for the way he handled sensitive allegations about U.S. spy agency surveillance of President Donald Trump's team. Representative Devin Nunes was criticized by colleagues on Wednesday for calling a news conference to announce that the communications of members of the team that ran Trump's transition to the presidency were swept up in incidental surveillance targeting foreigners.Democrats were upset that Nunes made the comments to the media and then briefed Trump in the White House without informing them. They questioned whether the intelligence panel could run a credible investigation.A Republican intelligence committee aide said on Thursday that Nunes had apologised to Democrats on the panel."Yes, he apologised to the minority on the committee today for going public and to the (White House) with his announcement yesterday before sharing the information with the minority. He pledged to work with them on this issue and share information with them about it," the aide told Reuters.The panel is conducting one of the main congressional investigations over allegations by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election, including claims of ties between Trump's team and Moscow. Russia denies the allegations.Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat on the panel, said Nunes had apologised "in a generic way."

Asked if Nunes knew whether Trump's associates were party to these communications or if they could have been communications between two foreigners talking about Trump's associates, Nunes' spokesman said:"He (Nunes) said hell have to get all the documents he requested from the IC (intelligence community) about this before he knows for sure." At a hearing of the committee on Monday, FBI director James Comey confirmed the existence of the investigation for the first time.

The top Democrat in the House, Nancy Pelosi, on Thursday described Nunes as "a willing stooge" of Trump who had "committed a stunt at the White House" with his comments."The necessity of an independent investigation is increasingly being recognised," she said, referring to the probe involving Russia.The White House had on Wednesday seized on Nunes' remarks, which had cited anonymous sources, to bolster Trump's unproven assertion on Twitter this month that President Barack Obama wiretapped his election campaign headquarters in Manhattan's Trump Tower.Nunes himself has said that the information he had did not support Trump's allegation. He also said that none of the surveillance he knew about was related to Russia.

Democrats said Nunes may have revealed classified information with his comments to reporters but the congressman's spokesman said that he did not.Nunes, who was a member of Trump's transition team, seemed contrite on Thursday for the timing and manner of his statement."There was a lot going on yesterday and it was a judgment call on my part. At the end of the day, sometimes you make the right decisions and sometimes you make the wrong ones but you've got to stick by the decisions you make," he told reporters after the intelligence committee's regular classified meeting.Another Democrat on the committee, Representative Eric Swalwell, told MSNBC that its members had not yet seen the material referred to by Nunes. The House committee is investigating whether Russia hacked emails of senior Democrats and released embarrassing information to hurt the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, interfering in the election to benefit Trump. (Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, David Alexander, Mark Hosenball and Jonathan Landay; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Yara Bayoumy, Grant McCool and Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Polina Nikolskaya and Andrew Osborn

| MOSCOW

MOSCOW President Vladimir Putin granted an audience to French far-right party leader Marine Le Pen in the Kremlin on Friday, bestowing a level of international recognition that has so far eluded her in the countdown to France's presidential election.Opinion polls show Le Pen getting through to the second, decisive round of the French presidential election on May 7 but then losing to centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron.Le Pen, who has said she admires Putin, reiterated her call for a lifting of the European Union's economic sanctions imposed on Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict."We attach great importance to our relations with France, but at the same time we try to maintain equal relations both with the current authorities and with representatives of the opposition," said Putin ahead of his talks with Le Pen.

"Of course I know that the election campaign in France is actively developing," said Putin. "We do not want to influence events in any way, but we reserve the right to talk to representatives of all the country's political forces, just as our partners in Europe and the United States do."Le Pen told reporters after the talks that the aim of her visit to Russia was not to boost her election chances, though her meeting with Putin is likely to go down well with her core supporters in France, many of whom admire the Russian leader's conservative stance on social and moral issues.

Other French voters, however, may be put off by her association with a leader widely seen in the West as autocratic.The meeting also shows that the Kremlin is not shying away from actions that could influence foreign elections, even after the storm over U.S. intelligence agencies' allegations that Russia tried to interfere in the U.S. presidential election to help Donald Trump win the White House.

Russia has denied trying to influence the U.S. vote, and has also dismissed allegations that Kremlin-funded media outlets are spreading "fake news" in an attempt to interfere in the French presidential race.Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, told reporters on a conference call that Putin and Le Pen had not discussed the possibility of Russia offering any financial help to her political party.Her party took a 9-million-euro loan from a Moscow-based bank in 2014, and is actively seeking new sources of funding. (Reporting by Polina Nikolskaya, Denis Pinchuk and Katya Golubkova in Moscow and Ingrid Melander in Paris; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Christian Lowe and Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump will get a second chance to try to close the deal with Republican lawmakers on dismantling Obamacare in a high-stakes vote on a new healthcare bill rescheduled for Friday.After a week of calling Republican lawmakers and bringing them into the Oval Office for meetings, Trump was dealt a setback on Thursday when a vote on what was supposed to have been his first legislative victory had to be postponed because of opposition from two flanks in the party.Conservatives felt the bill did not go far enough to repeal Obama's namesake healthcare legislation, and moderates felt the plan could hurt their constituents.House Republican leaders had signalled they were ready to work through the weekend to figure out a way to reconcile their differences. But Trump sent his top lieutenants to a dramatic meeting on Capitol Hill on Thursday night with a message: he was done talking.White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told House Republicans at a Thursday night meeting that Trump was finished negotiating and wanted a vote, said Representative Chris Collins of New York, a top Trump ally."The president has said he wants a vote tomorrow, up or down," Collins said.

"If for any reason it is down, we are just going to move forward with additional parts of his agenda" like tax reform, Collins told reporters after leaving the meeting.There were last-minute changes being considered to the bill. But it was unclear whether the House of Representatives would be able to pass it, said North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, the chairman of a group of conservatives known as the Freedom Caucus, which has been critical of the bill."I'm still optimistic" about reaching an agreement, Meadows told reporters.

The Republicans have a majority in the House but because of united Democratic opposition, can afford to lose only 21 Republican votes. As of Thursday morning, NBC News said that 30 Republicans had planned to vote "no" or were leaning that way.The vote was seen by financial markets as a crucial test of Trump's ability to work with Congress to deliver on other priorities like tax cuts and infrastructure spending.Trump and Republicans had campaigned on a promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, passed in 2010. They see the law as too invasive and expensive.

Even if their replacement plan does eventually get approval from the House, the legislation faces a potentially tough fight in the Republican-controlled Senate.The House and Senate had hoped to deliver a new healthcare bill to Trump by April 8, when Congress is scheduled to begin a two-week spring break.Graphic on Obamacare and Republican healthcare bill (tmsnrt.rs/2n0ZMKf)Graphic on shifting positions in the U.S. Senate on Republican healthcare bill (tmsnrt.rs/2mUE4Xf)Graphic on poll on Americans' views of the Republican healthcare bill ( tmsnrt.rs/2n7f3e4) (LEAVE THIS HERE, INSTRUCTIONS FROM REUTERS.COM (Additional reporting by David Morgan, David Lawder, Amanda Becker, Eric Beech, Eric Walsh, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Caroline Humer, Megan Davies, Emily Stephenson, Jennifer Ablan, Noel Randewich, Lewis Krauskopf, and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Frances Kerry and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Michael Perry, Bill Trott and Bill Rigby)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Michelle Nichols

| UNITED NATIONS

UNITED NATIONS The United States warned South Sudan's government on Thursday that preventing humanitarian aid workers from reaching parts of the war-torn state that are suffering famine could "amount to deliberate starvation tactics."A civil war erupted in 2013 when President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, fired his deputy, Riek Machar, a Nuer, who has fled and is now in South Africa. The United Nations says at least one-quarter of South Sudanese have been displaced.The United Nations has declared a famine in some parts of South Sudan, where nearly half the population - some 5.5 million people - face food shortages. But the country recently hiked work permit fees a hundredfold for foreign aid workers, to $10,000."The famine is not a result of drought, it is the result of leaders more interested in political power and personal gain than in stopping violence and allowing humanitarian access," Deputy U.S. Ambassador Michele Sison told the Security Council.

"The government's continued unconscionable impediments to humanitarians seeking access to famine-stricken populations may amount to deliberate starvation tactics," she said.Russian Deputy U.N. Ambassador Petr Illichev disagreed, saying the famine was "linked not just to problems with security, but also with inclement weather conditions."

The Security Council said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned about the actions of all parties to the conflict that are perpetuating the humanitarian crisis." However, the language was toned down from a draft that said the crisis was "the result of the actions of all parties to the conflict."South Sudan Deputy Ambassador Joseph Mourn Majak Ngor Malok rejected accusations that the government was to blame for the famine, saying "it will spare no efforts to help address the situation and calls upon the international community to assist in addressing this urgent matter."

Sison's remarks give the first indication of how President Donald Trump's administration views the crisis in South Sudan. The previous administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama were heavily involved in the birth of South Sudan, which signed a peace accord with Sudan in 2005 and gained independence in 2011. "I wouldn't characterize South Sudan as their top priority by any means, but I think it is positive and constructive... that they are planning to carry on being the lead in the Security Council," said a senior U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Dan Grebler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
An Indian IT professional and her six-year-old son found murdered in their home in the US were stabbed "multiple times", law enforcement officials said on Friday but ruled out that the brutal killings were hate crime.

Sasikala Narra, 38, and her son Anish were killed at their residence in Maple Shade in New Jersey state on Tursday, said Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi and Maple Shade Police chief Gary Gubbei.

Law enforcement officials have denied the killings were hate crime or a result of bias against the Indian origin of

the victims, according to a statement provided to PTI by Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

"Contrary to some media reports, at this point there is no indication that this is a hate crime connected to the fact that the victims are of Indian origin," the statement said. The Public Information Officer at the prosecutor's office

Joel Bewley stressed there was no information that suggests the incident was motivated by any kind of bias.

He rejected reports that claimed the victims were targeted because of their Indian-origin. Police officers were called to the victims' home just after 9 p.m. local time by Sasikala's husband after he found their bodies.

Officials said no arrests have been made and the deaths were being investigated as homicides. "The preliminary

investigation revealed that both victims were stabbed multiple times," the statement said.

Autopsies were yet to be performed

Sasikala's husband N Hanumantha Rao found the bodies when he returned home from work on Thursday evening.

The couple worked in IT fields and had been living in the US for the past 12 years, according to the family in Andhra Pradesh.

Y Sambasiva Rao, a member of Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly from Prakasam district, spoke to representatives of Telugu Association of North America (TANA) over phone about the incident.

He said the mother and her son were strangulated to death.

This is the latest in a series of incidents involving Indian techies.

The incident comes weeks after the tragic shooting in Kansas of a 32-year-old Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was killed when 51-year-old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling "get out of my country."

Purinton had assumed the two Indian men were from the Middle East. Earlier this month, a 39-year-old Sikh man was shot in his driveway in Washington state. The gunman had reportedly told the man to "go back to your own country" before pulling the trigger.

With inputs from agencies
Washington: Tulsi Gabbard, the lawmaker in US Congress, has expressed concern over a series of hate crimes against Indian-Americans and asked the Justice Department to investigate all violent acts motivated by bigotry to promote a pluralistic society.

"I'm very concerned about this. It's always dangerous to our people and our community when you have these violent hate crimes that are motivated out of bigotry," Gabbard told PTI.

A three-term lawmaker from Hawaii, Gabbard was recently elected as the Democratic Co-Chair of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. "This is something that I urge the Justice Department to investigate and to continue to inform and educate people, and to promote a society that is a pluralistic society that respects people no matter their religion, their race, ethnicity, their social status in life or anything else that makes each of us unique," Gabbard said. She was responding to questions on the series of hate crimes across the country.

"This is something that not only affects Indian-Americans or Hindus, but really is something that should be important to every American," she said.

Earlier in the day, several lawmakers, including four Indian-Americans elected to the House of Representatives, joined hands to condemn the hate crimes and asked the community to stand strongly against such acts.

"As a nation, we must come together to stand up to these disturbing acts of hate violence  starting with the President," Congressman Ami Bera said at a Congressional briefing organised by the South Asian Americans Living Together (SAALT).

"I am saddened and outraged when I hear about any American being warned not to speak their language or wear traditional clothing in public out of safety concerns. These hateful attacks do not reflect who we are as a nation of immigrants, but such violence could do irreparable damage to our reputation around the world," said Bera, the senior-most Indian-American in the House of Representatives.

"We will continue to be resilient to counter the fearful, hateful people who think they can control us-they cannot," said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who along with Congressman Joe Crowley have introduced a resolution against hate crimes.

"The hate-motivated crimes we have witnessed these past months have been an attack on the very spirit of America," said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

"As we confront this wave of hate, it is heartening to see so many Americans  from the South Asian community and others  coming together for essential meetings, like this briefing, to speak out and stand up for the values of our country," he said.

Congressman Ro Khanna exuded full confidence that the country will stand together, on a bipartisan basis, against hateful words and actions. "We must prosecute any hate crimes to the full extent of the law," said Khanna in his remarks at the event which was joined by several other influential lawmakers.

The disturbing uptick in hate violence targeting South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and Middle Eastern communities is appalling and must end, said Congresswoman Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian pacific American Caucus.

Recent attacks, including the shootings of Srinivas Kuchibotla, Alok Madasani and Deep Rai are examples of the very real consequences that anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric have on communities of colour, she said.
By Mica Rosenberg

A U.S. federal judge in Virginia ruled on Friday that President Donald Trump's travel ban was justified, increasing the likelihood the measure will go before the Supreme Court as the decision took an opposing view to courts in Maryland and Hawaii that have halted the order.U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Trenga rejected arguments by Muslim plaintiffs who claimed Trump's March 6 executive order temporarily banning the entry of all refugees and travelers from six Muslim-majority countries was discriminatory. The decision went against two previous court rulings that put an emergency halt to the order before it was set to take effect on March 16. The order remains halted.Trump has said he plans to appeal those unfavorable rulings to the U.S. Supreme Court if needed, and differing opinions by lower courts give more grounds for the highest court to take up the case. Trenga, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, said the complaint backed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights group, found that more than 20 individuals who brought the suit had been able to show they were harmed by the travel ban since they might be unable to reunite with their relatives.But he also ruled that Trump's revised order, which replaced a more sweeping version signed on Jan. 27 and rejected by courts, fell within the president's authority to make decisions about immigration.

He said that since the order did not mention religion, the court could not look behind it at Trump's statements about a "Muslim ban" to determine what was in the "drafter's heart of hearts." Trump has said the ban is necessary to protect the country from terrorist attacks, but his first order was halted by a federal judge in Seattle and a U.S. appeals court in San Francisco due to concerns it violated the U.S. Constitution's prohibition against religious bias. "We're confident that the president's fully lawful and necessary action will ultimately be allowed to move forward through the rest of the court systems," said White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer at a briefing.

CAIR said it would appeal the decision to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Lena Masri, CAIR's national litigation director, said the 4th Circuit and the Supreme Court "are the judicial bodies that will ultimately decide whether the Constitution protects the rights of Muslim Americans."OTHER COURT ACTION

A ruling by U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Hawaii - an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama - put a stop to the two central sections of the revised ban that blocked travelers from six countries and refugees, while leaving other parts of the order in place.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland, also an Obama appointee, only put a halt to the section on travelers.The Virginia lawsuit sought to strike down the revised ban in its entirety. Watson scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to decide whether his temporary order blocking the travel and refugee restrictions should be converted into a more formal preliminary injunction. The Justice Department has said it would oppose that bid. The government has appealed Chuang's decision in Maryland, also to the 4th circuit, and a hearing in that case is scheduled for May 8. Other lawsuits against the ban continue to move forward around the country. Also on Friday, the Southern Poverty Law Center and other groups filed a new complaint in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. on behalf of Muslim community organizations. (Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York; Additional reporting from Dan Levine in San Francisco; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The building of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tripoli has been slightly damaged in random shelling, Ukraine's Ambassador to Libya Mykola Nahorny said.

"I wouldn't say this was a targeted attack by extremists. This is a random explosion which happened during the latest escalation in Tripoli, when local armed groups were wiping off old scores using tanks, artillery and other weapons. There were no casualties, only material damages," he said in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday evening.

According to the diplomat, the embassy building hasn't been critically damaged. "It's not the first time this has happened. Since 2011, when this all started, we already had a few sad incidents, fortunately, without human casualties. Over all this time, we've had several cars damaged, as they say, by random bullets," the ambassador said.

He also noted that the embassy is currently under the protection of the Libyan authorities. "Fortunately, there have not been any terrorist or unfriendly acts against Ukraine in Libya. And I doubt that there will be such, because the Libyans have been friendly towards Ukraine," Nahorny said.

The ambassador also recalled that the embassy was relocated to Tunisia on February 28, 2015 due to the worsening situation in Libya.

Earlier reports on Thursday said the building of the Ukrainian Embassy in Libya came under attack.
Dead woman found under house debris in Balaklia where ammo depots are ablaze

Head of Ukraine's State Service for Emergency Situations Mykola Chechiotkin has said a woman was killed in explosions at ammunition warehouses of the Defense Ministry near the town of Balaklia, Kharkiv region.

"Late in the evening during searches at a residential sector a dead woman, born 1951, was found under the rubble of a house," Chechiotkin said at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Friday morning.

He also said quoting the data of the Health Ministry that another woman, born 1962, was injured in the explosions.

As reported, explosions at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's ammo depots near Balaklia began in the early hours of March 23.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said the explosions were continuing on about half of the depots' area, and the emergency may last from three to seven days.
HMD Global introduced its latest Android smartphone  Nokia 3 and Nokia 5, introduced Nokia 6 for global markets and also introduced a redesigned Nokia 3310 at the MWC 2017 last month. When a Twitter user asked if the Nokia Android phones will be available in the US, it said that it is planning to release the phones globally at the same time. When another one asked if the 3310 will be available in India, it said the same.

[HTML1]

[HTML2]

[HTML3]

Later in a separate tweet it said that it is aiming to release its latest phones worldwide in Q2 2017 (Between April and June), as it had said at the announced. It also said that it will be available at an affordable price and also promised that the phone will have a great quality.

In an interview to FoneArena at the MWC 2017, Ajey Mehta, India VP at HMD Global said that the company plans to manufacture its latest phones through Foxconn in India from day one. He also said that the new Nokia Android phones are expected to hit stores in India by June this year.

The complete portfolio will support dual SIM functionality in India. The Nokia 3,5,6 will also support Reliance Jios 4G VoLTE networks as there is support for Band 3, Band 5 and Band 40.

The phones will be sold in offline stores through a network of distribution partners and online as well in India. HMD will have a greater focus on after sales services and will have a network of service centres across India.
The online publication Obozrevatel said with reference to sources that it was Pavlo Parshov, 28, who killed former State Duma deputy Denis Voronenkov in Kyiv on Thursday.

Interfax-Ukraine has yet to receive a confirmation of this report from official sources.

Parshov is listed on the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's website as a person wanted in the Dnipro region on the counts of fictitious entrepreneurship and money laundering (Ukrainian Criminal Code Articles 205 and 209).

Voronenkov was killed in the center of Kyiv on March 23. His killer was wounded by the former deputy's bodyguard and died at a hospital.

Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada deputy and Interior Minister's advisor Anton Gerashchenko (People's Front) said that the killer was an agent of Russian security services embedded in Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

"He was killed by a Russian security services agent embedded in Ukrainian law enforcement agencies; he was serving for them and received the order to eliminate Russia's enemy - Denis Voronenkov," Gerashchenko said in the political talk show 'Right to Power' aired by the 1+1 channel.

The investigators probing Voronenkov's murder made significant progress on Thursday, Gerashchenko said. "The killer's name and biography are already known. We can definitely say that Voronenkov was killed by an agent of Russian security services, a citizen of Ukraine," he said.

Gerashchenko said he was not authorized to say more about the killer. "I think the prosecutor general and the Security Service chief will give an official press conference soon, and they will give you more details. It would be unethical of me to speak first," Gerashchenko said.

As to why the killer had the ID of a Ukrainian National Guard serviceman and a Donbas combatant on him, Gerashchenko suggested he was carrying that ID so that he could produce it if stopped by a police patrol and say, "I am a normal person."
For companies in the European Union, London is the chief gateway to finance. Rerouting the financial lines that run through London will be complex, experts say.

London dominates wholesale banking in Europe, a 5.8 trillion euro ($6.2 trillion) industry that includes financing for companies from big multinationals to family-owned firms that are the backbone of Germany's economy.

London is also the first port of call for companies, such as Italian lender UniCredit, selling shares or raising debt. This is because many fund managers and asset managers have a base in Britain.

The Bank of England estimates that half of the debt and equity issued by EU borrowers involves financial groups in Britain. This could be a London bank organizing a sale of European company bonds, for example.

And London houses the bulk of Europe's derivatives market, where car makers buy protection against swings in the U.S. dollar or airlines guard themselves against a spike in the price of oil. More than 7 trillion euros of trading in such instruments is processed in London daily.

Experts expect EU firms and banks gradually to reduce their reliance on London. Governments in France and Germany want to establish alternatives to London in Paris and Frankfurt.

Over time, some of London's wholesale funding will move to other centers in Europe. Thinktank Bruegel predicts that London's share of this market will eventually shrink from 90 percent to 60 percent.

If mismanaged, however, the migration could raise the cost of funding for European companies, the thinktank said.

Bruegel's Dirk Schoenmaker said that if wholesale funding operations are spread across several locations that could lift costs by between 6 billion and 12 billion euros each year because of the expense of using multiple financial centers. That is equivalent to up to 0.1 percent of the remaining 27 EU countries' economic output.

Shifting the multi-trillion euro derivatives business would be difficult, regulators and bankers said. Some derivatives have a term of many decades. It is unclear, bankers said, what will happen when Britain, where the contracts were drafted, leaves the European Union.

They said that the cost of holding such instruments could rise sharply for European banks if a clearing house in London that processes the deal, for example, is not recognized in the European Union.

A transition period, after initial exit talks of two years, could win extra time. But many bank executives, speaking privately, have said they are working on the assumption that there will be no transition.

EU officials familiar with the bloc's preparations for negotiations have told Reuters that they too fear a "cliff-edge" departure of Britain from the bloc. They are pinning their hopes on banks moving to the continent in time and believe this will minimize any fallout for their economies.

(Edited by Janet McBride and Richard Woods)
The Ukrainian army made a significant progress in the past year, Deputy Director of the NATO Liaison Office in Ukraine Mark Opgenorth has said.

All the necessary conditions for the defense reform were created in 2016, much was done to strengthen the Armed Forces, the efforts were focused on the formation of new brigades, battalions, improving tactical interaction with other formations, improving the architecture of the command, he said during the conference on the current issues of Ukraine's defense reform in Kyiv on Friday.

Opgenorth recalled that thanks to the increase in salaries, about 70,000 Ukrainians signed a contract for military service thus increasing the numbers of professional military personnel.

Despite the continuing Anti-Terrorist Operation, participation in the exercises with Allied forces was stepped up both on the national territory and abroad, Ukraine took part in ten large-scale multinational and 28 command-and-staff exercise, he said.

The Alliance representative also noted the progress in cooperation in strategic communications and within the special operation forces.
Some of the nations biggest advertisers, including AT&T (NYSE:T), Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), are pulling their ads from Googles display network and YouTube videos until the search giant can assure them that their precious brands will not be associated with extremist, offensive or fake content. They may be waiting a very long time.

In an exclusive interview on FOX Business, Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), seemed to brush the growing problem aside, implying that the search giant can simply tweak an algorithm here and tighten a policy there and all will be right with the world.

Not only do I think Schmidt is wrong, but in my view, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The internet is being consumed by low-quality content at such a rapid rate that aggregators like Google and Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) will likely never catch up.

When Schmidt says, It should be possible for computers to detect malicious, misleading and incorrect information, hes talking about making that sort of content harder to find in the search rankings. In my view, search isnt the problem. Marketers arent pulling their ads from Google search, but from its network of millions of third-party websites and videos. Thats a whole different story.

In the digital world, display advertising is programmatic, meaning companies like Google and Facebook use software to match ads with websites and videos viewed by certain demographics that marketers specify when they place their ads. The quality of content is determined by automated scans of metadata, including title and description, for certain keywords and phrases.

Thats one of the reasons why big online advertisers are so profitable. Besides the ongoing trend of ad dollars flowing from TV and print to digital media, Google and Facebook use machines to do all the work. Advances in artificial intelligence are making it possible for computers to scan images and videos, as well as text, and therein lies the rub.

Computer programs  even those the machines generate from their own neural networks that mimic the way the human brain works  are far from perfect. Content can be highly subjective and nuanced, and computers dont do subjectivity and nuance very well. Come to think of it, neither do most people, but I digress.

With millions of websites and videos to police, an enormous amount of low-quality content still manages to squeak through, as you and I know all too well. And if the rules are too stringent, theres a risk of legitimate content getting blocked. Thats the dilemma that Google faces. And as Schmidt was careful to point out, the problem may be far worse for his biggest competitor, Facebook.

Sadly, most people get at least some of their news from their Facebook news feed  a misnomer if there ever was one. If you follow legitimate media sites then some of what appears in your stream may actually be news, but the feed is mostly a mashup of posts from friends, sites you follow and some recommended by the social network. How much of that is legitimate journalism? For most of us, Im guessing not much.

Facebook has more than 1.8 billion users, so all those feeds are aggregated by computer programs. And what determines what ends up in your feed? Im not privy to the companys algorithms, but Ill take a wild guess and say it probably has something to do with the number of likes, shares and views among those of similar demographics and interests. Last time I checked, popular and factual are two different things.

No wonder Verizon has taken the extraordinary step of suspending all its non-search digital advertising until the Googles and Facebooks of the world get their act together. The telecom giant cant afford to have its brand associated with terrorist recruiting videos or made up stories by sites that traffic entirely in clickbait.

Schmidt can try to sweep this mess under the rug, but hes going to have a pretty hard time finding a rug big enough to hide all the internets crappy content.
A sobering portrait of less-educated middle-age white Americans emerged Thursday with new research showing them dying disproportionately from what one expert calls "deaths of despair"  suicides, drug overdoses and alcohol-related diseases.

The new paper by two Princeton University economists, Anne Case and Angus Deaton, concludes that the trend is driven by the loss of steady middle-income jobs for those with a high school diploma or less.

The economists also argue that dwindling job opportunities have triggered broader problems for this group. They are more likely than their college-educated counterparts, for example, to be unemployed, unmarried or suffering from poor health.

"This is a story of the collapse of the white working class," Deaton said in an interview. "The labor market has very much turned against them."

Those dynamics helped fuel the rise of President Donald Trump, who won widespread support among whites with only a high school diploma. Yet Deaton said his policies are unlikely to reverse these trends, particularly the health care legislation now before the House that Trump is championing. That bill would lead to higher premiums for older Americans, the Congressional Budget Office has found.

"The policies that you see, seem almost perfectly designed to hurt the very people who voted for him," Deaton said.

Case and Deaton's paper, issued by the Brookings Institution, follows up on research they released in 2015 that first documented a sharp increase in mortality among middle-aged whites.

Since 1999, white men and women ages 45 through 54 have endured a sharp increase in "deaths of despair," Case and Deaton found in their earlier work. These include suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related deaths such as liver failure.

In the paper released Thursday, Case and Deaton draw a clearer relationship between rising death rates and changes in the job market since the 1970s. They find that men without college degrees are less likely to receive rising incomes over time, a trend "consistent with men moving to lower and lower skilled jobs."

Other research has found that Americans with only high school diplomas are less likely to get married or purchase a home and more likely to get divorced if they do marry.

"It's not just their careers that have gone down the tubes, but their marriage prospects, their ability to raise children," said Deaton, who won the Nobel prize in economics in 2015 for his long-standing work on solutions to poverty. "That's the kind of thing that can lead people to despair."

The issues identified by Case and Deaton are likely contributing to a slight reversal in a decades-long trend of improving life-expectancy data. It's not entirely clear why these trends have affected whites much more than they have African-Americans or Hispanics, whose death rates are improving.

Case and Deaton note that many Hispanics are "markedly better off" than parents or grandparents who were born abroad, enabling a greater sense of optimism. African-Americans, they add, may have become more resilient to economic challenges given their long-standing disadvantages in the job market.

Other researchers have said that whites may have an easier time obtaining painkillers that are behind an epidemic of drug overdoses.

The data is clear, though: In 1999, the death rate for high school-educated whites ages 50 through 54 was 30 percent lower than the death rate for all African-Americans in that age group. By 2015, it was 30 percent higher.

The educational split is also growing. Even while the death rate for whites without a college degree is rising, the rate for whites who are college graduates is falling, Case and Deaton found.

The trends cut across diverse regions of the country, the researchers found. While the worst-hit spots include Appalachian states such as West Virginia and Kentucky, they also include such areas as Maine, Baltimore and eastern Washington state. The patterns are evident in rural sections and smaller cities as well as in some large metro areas, the research found.

Americans with less education are also faring much worse when compared with adults in other countries, Case and Deaton concluded. Death rates in Europe for people with limited education are falling  and in most countries, they're falling faster than death rates for those with more education.

For those reasons, Case and Deaton discount the notion that government disability benefit programs are responsible for some of these problems by enabling more Americans to stop working. Social welfare programs in Europe are typically more generous yet haven't caused a rise in death rates.

Given the long-running nature of these trends, many of which stem from the 1970s, reversing them could take years, Case and Deaton write. But there are immediate steps that could be taken, Deaton said in the interview. Routine prescriptions for opioids should be cut back.

And, "Europe has a much better safety net than we do, and they're not seeing the same sort of problems as we are," he said.

____

Follow Chris Rugaber on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/ChrisRugaber .
The Big Board is closer to winning a piece of the biggest initial public offering in history; Aramco. Saudi Arabiaas state-owned oil company is expected to have a market value of about $2 trillion, at least, following the IPO.

aThere are serious discussions with the New York Stock Exchange about having the New York Stock Exchange be one of the exchanges for the Aramco IPO. And I believe the decision will ultimately be made on the financial merits of the transactions,a said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir during an exclusive interview with Fox News Channelas James Rosen.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: FOX's James Rosen With Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir Saudi foreign minister talks relations with US, Iran deal

aOur objective is to try to complete the IPO sometime in 2018. We are talking to a number of stock exchanges and investment banks and financial institutions a to see what the best way and most efficient way is to go about it,a he noted to Rosen.

The deal will come during President Trumpas second year in office, however the Saudias already like what they see.

aI believe that he is an exceptional human being. I believe that he has vision. I believe that he understands the importance of having America play a big role in the world. We support that,a said Adel al-Jubeir when asked his opinion of President Trump by Rosen.

While a NYSE listing would be a positive sign for U.S.-Saudi relations, Torontoas TSE, owned by the TMX Group and the London Stock Exchange, are also in the running, according to reports.

aWe think it is likely that Aramco will list shares on more than one exchange. As an energy company TMX makes sense as Canadian investors understand energy. The LSE makes sense in covering European energy investors,a Kathleen Smith, a principal at Renaissance Capital and manager of IPO-focused ETFs, tells FOX Business. She also points out adual listings are growing in popularity,a noting the Canada Goose IPO (NYSE:GOOS) was listed on the TMX and NYSE.

Inquiries to the NYSE, TSE and LSE by FOX Business were not returned at the time of publication.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:ICE), the largest and most liquid in the world, is no stranger to global giants. It welcomed Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) and CEO Jack Ma in 2014. The deal raised nearly $22 billion and remains the largest IPO in history.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % BABA ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD. 69.71 -0.10 -0.14% SNAP SNAP INC. 10.01 +0.87 +9.52% GOOS CANADA GOOSE HLDGS 16.43 +0.39 +2.43%

Winning Aramco would be would be another high-profile win for the U.S. exchange which also celebrated Snapas (NYSE:SNAP) debut earlier this month. The parent of Snapchat, it raised over $3 billion.

U.S. financial firms may also cash in on the deal. JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM), Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) and HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) have been tapped as lead underwriters, according to a Wall Street Journal report last month. The companies declined to comment on that report.

Suzanne OaHalloran is Managing Editor of FOXBusiness.com and a graduate of Boston College. Follow her on @suzohalloran
If there's much going for Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) lately, it has been strikingly quiet on theIllinois Tool Works(NYSE: ITW) front. But you wouldn't guess so looking at the two stocks right now: Shares of both industry stalwarts are racing to the top, up double-digit percentages in the past six months and currently trading close to their respective 52-week highs. The stories behind Illinois Tool Works' and Caterpillar's rise, however, have few similarities, which is what makes both stocks so interesting. So, before you decide which stock to buy today, you need to know why they're soaring and which one suits your risk appetite.

Caterpillar: Riding the wave of expectations

Bulls have been chasing Caterpillar for about a year now, encouraged by a recovery in commodity prices and hopes of America's infrastructure gaining priority under Donald Trump's presidency. The funny thing is that the company itself doesn't expect to see any benefits from higher potential infrastructure spending until at least 2018. Management even lowered its guidance for 2017 when it last reported numbers, projecting full-year earnings of only about $2.30 per share on revenue worth $37.5 billion at midpoint. That might impress when you pitch it against its 2016 losses of $0.11 per share, but if you strike out the goodwill impairment and restructuring charges, Caterpillar took in an adjusted earnings per share of $3.42 last year.

Image source: Getty Images.

None of it matters to Caterpillar bulls, however. To be fair, Caterpillar's prospects are looking brighter after several years of struggle. Manufacturing activity has picked up pace, prices of commodities like iron ore have shot through the roof, and oil prices, though volatile, have bounced back from multiyear lows hit earlier this year. Each of these factors has a strong bearing on the fortunes Caterpillar's three businesses of construction industries, resource industries (mining), and energy and transportation (E&T).

Then there's the surprisingly strong retail machine sales statistics that Caterpillar recently released: It reported an astounding 39% jump in its machine retail sales from the Asia-Pacific region for the three months through February. Sales from every other region, including North America, EAME, and Latin America also declined at a lower clip versus the comparable period last year as well as the three-month rolling period through January. Overall, Caterpillar's total retail sales were down only a percentage point during the period. The last time the company reported single-digit percentage declines was early 2014.

As it turns out, you can't really blame the market for overlooking Caterpillar's own cautious stance or the ongoing IRS probe regarding possible tax fraud. Investors have, after all, waited several years for the company's fortunes to turn around, so even the tiniest positive sign was bound to send shares soaring.

Illinois Tool Works' bull run, on the other hand, is backed more by facts than expectations.

Illinois Tool Works: Delivering where it matters

Much like Caterpillar, Illinois Tool Works' shares, too, have had bulls backing them for a year or so. Unlike Caterpillar, though, the company is growing like gangbusters: Its EPS grew 11% in 2016, operating margin hit a record high of 22.5%, and it is targeting 5%-9% growth in EPS for 2017. Each of its seven businesses -- yes, Illinois Tool Works is a heavily diversified company -- ended 2016 with double-digit operating margins, the lowest being 18.9% for its test and measurement and electronics segment.

Data source: Illinois Tool Works. Chart by author.

In another contrasting element, while Caterpillar skipped its traditional annual dividend increase last year, Illinois Tool Works bumped up its dividends by 18% in 2016. So while Illinois Tool Works is among the strongest Dividend Aristocrats today, with a more than 50-year history of annual dividend increases, Caterpillar might have just missed the bus to making it to the list.

That's not to say Caterpillar's financials are in a dire state, though. In fact, the company has done a tremendous job of generating free cash flows over the years, and its FCF comfortably covered its dividend payments even in a challenging year like 2016. The only concern is that while Illinois Tool Works' FCF has been fairly stable and is trending upward, Caterpillar's has been volatile and has spiraled downward in recent years.

ITW free cash flow (TTM). Data source:YCharts.

Another thing I like about Illinois Tool Works is that management has a clear line of sight. Again, much of it might have to do with the company's diversity, which allows it to offset pockets of weakness with strength elsewhere. Caterpillar's pure cyclical business makes it a wee difficult for management to set out goals for the future. That said, Illinois Tool Works isn't entirely a defensive company and has substantial exposure to cyclical sectors, so I must give credit to its management for its foresight.

Image source: Illinois Tool Works' Q4 earnings presentation.

Foolish bottom line

Frankly, neither of the two stocks is a value play right now, but if Illinois Tool Works looks cheaper on a price-to-earnings basis, Caterpillar is downright cheap if you look at price to cash flow.

ITW P/E ratio (TTM). Data source:YCharts.

As tempting as Caterpillar might appear, though, I'd be wary of putting money in a business that relies so heavily on macro factors to grow and is yet commanding a high premium despite the lack of concrete signs of improving end markets. Illinois Tool Works' premium is pretty much justified going by its operational performance, and I see more upside potential in the stock than downside risk -- something I can't really say for Caterpillar.

10 stocks we like better than CaterpillarWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Caterpillar wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017

Neha Chamaria has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Illinois Tool Works. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy
Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) has stumbled out of the gate in 2017, falling about 8% since the start of the year. That dip came after a sharp rally over the last year, with the stock surging more than 65% at one point. While shares are still up nearly 42% over the past year, the recent oil price-inspired sell-off certainly raises the question of whether it's time to buy this dip.

A series of disappointments

Halliburton hasn't given investors much to cheer about this year. In mid-January, the company disappointed investors with its lackluster fourth-quarter results. While it beat the consensus estimate for earnings, it missed on revenue. It also warned that business activities in international markets had yet to turn the corner, which was something rival Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB)pointed out. Meanwhile, Halliburton said that it planned to raise prices this year, though it would need to sacrifice market share for margin improvement.

Image source: Getty Images.

Furthermore, Halliburton just last week warned that its first-quarter earnings would likely miss expectations due to higher costs and continued market weakness outside North America. It appears that the company will whiff on the analyst consensus by quite a bit since it anticipates earnings per share to be in the low single digits while analysts had been expecting earnings of $0.13 per share.

Finally, there have been several reports that the company is close to a deal to buy Norwegian oil services company Aker Solutions or its subsea unit. Analysts seem to like the combination because it would give Halliburton a product suite that rivals both Schlumberger and the soon-to-be-combined oil and gas division of General Electric (NYSE: GE) withBaker Hughes(NYSE: BHI). That's because Aker would provide Halliburton with a subsea product offering, though that business is already part of a joint venture with Baker Hughes. Investors, however,aren't so sure this deal is a good idea because of the cost issues that plague the offshore drilling space. As a result of those higher costs, many offshore drillers don't expect business conditionsto turn around for at least another year, if not more. In fact, the CEO of GE's oil and gas business recently said that the company doesn't anticipate a rebound in activity until 2018 or 2019.

Image source: Getty Images.

The double-edged sword

While all those disappointments have weighed on the stock, what has affected it the most is the recent slump in crude prices. After running up for much of the past year, and rising to the low $50s, crude went lower a few weeks ago and has now fallen to the upper $40s. Fueling that sell-off has been the rapid increase in U.S. oil production as producers are ramping up drilling and completion activities. That work has been a boon for Halliburton, which anticipates that its revenue in North America will rise 25% in the first quarter versus the fourth.

However, with oil supplies piling up as a result of this activity increase -- and despite OPEC's best efforts to drain the glut -- it's causing oil prices to fall below the comfort level of shale producers. Because of that, there is a growing concern that shale drillers will need to slow down activities so that they don't make matters any worse -- especially considering that they're relying on OPEC's good graces and need the oil cartel to extend its output cuts so that supplies don't keep piling up. That said, if shale drillers start tapping the brakes, it could have a significant impact on Halliburton because shale is such an important business driver for the company.

Investor takeaway

The industry appears to have ramped up drilling activitiestoo quickly. As a result, crude prices seem to be on shakier ground than the industry had hoped. That is having several impacts on Halliburton, including increasing its costs while clouding its outlook because there's a growing possibility that shale drillers might need to pull back on spending if crude continues to slide. Because of that, there could be more downside ahead for the oil-field service giant. Now, therefore, might not be the best time to buy the dip because there could be an even bigger drop up ahead, especially if crude tumbles down to the low $40s.

10 stocks we like better than HalliburtonWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Halliburton wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of General Electric. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
President Trump issued a permit for the long-disputed Keystone XL Pipeline on Friday. The decision ended nearly a decade-long dispute that allows the oil pipeline to be built from Canada to Americas heartland. While a victory for TransCanada (NYSE:TRP), the company behind the pipeline, CEO Russ Girling said there are still hurdles to clear. "Its a great day for our company, and the workers that are going to be put to work, he said during the announcement at the White House.

FOX Business takes a look at the key milestones and setbacks that shaped the pipeline which will now help advance the new administrations pro-business agenda.

How We Got Here:

A Pipeline Is Born September 2008  June 2010: TransCanada filed its first application to the U.S.. State Department for a cross-border permit. Two years later, the initial leg of the Keystone pipeline went into operation.

Obama Administration: Not So Fast January 2012: President Obama formally rejected TransCanada's permit, blaming congressional Republicans for forcing his hand. In May 2012, TransCanada reapplied for the State Department permit, which included a new route through Nebraska instead of the previously planned route through Texas. Finally, in November 2015, Obama rejected the request from TransCanada to build the pipeline, ending a seven-year review.

Environmentalists Resist January 2014: Despite outcries from environmental groups fiercely opposed to the project, the State Department released its final environmental impact statement, finding that the pipeline wouldn't significantly exacerbate climate change.

TransCanada vs. Nebraska 2014: Nebraskan landowners filed lawsuits against TransCanada alleging building the pipeline through the state violated the state's constitution. About a year later, TransCanada filed legal papers in nine Nebraska counties to invoke eminent domain for the land thats needed to construct, operate and maintain the pipeline.

Trump Presidency & the Pipeline Summer 2016: As Trump ramped up his presidential campaign, he publicized his support of the pipeline. This as TransCanada sought $15 billion in damages from the federal government in response to the Obama administrations rejection of the Keystone pipeline. Following Trumps win in November 2016, the pipeline got a new lease on life. Trump signed executive actions to advance the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, along with the four-state Dakota Access oil pipeline in January, leading to the construction permit issuance in March.

Sources compiled from the Fox News Brainroom, Associated Press
President Donald Trump granted a permit to TransCanada (NYSE:TRP) that allows the company to begin building the Keystone XL pipeline, a hot-button issue during the recent election campaign.

The construction of Keystone XL, which Trump called long overdue, will further reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and create a safer way of transporting crude oil to refineries, the president said during an announcement Friday in the Oval Office.

TransCanada CEO Russ Girling said Keystone XL will support thousands of jobs in the U.S. The company has previously estimated that Keystone XL would create at least 20,000 jobs. The Obama administration, which declined to give Keystone XL a green-light, offered a projection of 42,100 equivalent full-time jobs during a two-year construction phase.

On behalf of thousands of people who have worked very hard to get here, as you pointed out, a very long time to get here, were very relieved and very much just want to get to work, Girling said.

According to Girling, TransCanada expects to obtain final permits from other federal agencies by the end of 2017. Trump said he would call Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, whose government must also offer its approval.

The fact is that this $8 billion investment in American energy was delayed for so long, it demonstrates how our government has too often failed our citizens and companies, President Trump said.

TransCanada had warned that costs could balloon to $10 billion as a result of the seven-year delay.

I hope you dont pay your consultants anything because they had nothing to do with the approval, Trump said jokingly to Girling. In fact, you should ask for the hundreds of millions of dollars back that you paid them. They didnt do a damn thing except get you a no vote.

The 1,179-mile pipeline would extend an existing network that connects Canada to the Gulf Coast in Texas. Keystone XL would create a direct line from the Canadian oil sands in Alberta to a connection point in Nebraska. From there, crude oil can travel to Gulf Coast refineries, which turn crude into gasoline, diesel and other products.

TransCanadas stocks rose less than 1% in reaction to the news from the White House. Other midstream energy companies that manage pipelines saw gains, including Phillips 66 Partners (NYSE:PXSP). TC Pipelines (NYSE:TCP) rallied 2.3%, while Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) climbed 1.6%.
The chief executive of U.S. paint maker PPG meets Dutch government officials on Friday to make the case for its proposed 22.7 billion euro ($24.5 billion) takeover of Dutch peer AkzoNobel .

PPG was also due to meet representatives of the VEB, an organization that represents shareholders in the Netherlands, but there was no indication that it would get a hearing from Akzo executives.

Akzo's management, which has rejected the approach and refused to negotiate, has come under pressure from shareholders to at least sit down with PPG and discuss its sweetened March 20 offer.

PPG Chief Executive Michael McGarry, who arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday, said he wanted to meet Akzo "stakeholders" including local media, shareholders, politicians, employee groups and the company's boards.

On Friday, McGarry was to meet Bertholt Leeftink, Director-General Enterprise and Innovation at the Economic Affairs Ministry in The Hague, a ministry spokesman said. He declined to provide details.

PPG spokesman Bryan Iams said the company was meeting "various stakeholders" including government officials, but declined further comment, citing privacy reasons.

Akzo has said PPG's offer "not only fails to reflect the current and future value of AkzoNobel, it also neglects to address the significant uncertainties and risks for shareholders and other stakeholders".

But many Akzo's shareholders see it differently and have urged Akzo Chief Executive Ton Buechner to meet PPG's McGarry.

A poll of 50 Akzo Nobel shareholders published by SanfordBernstein found that 80 percent of them wanted Akzo's management to enter talks with Pittsburgh-based PPG.

(Reporting By Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Keith Weir)
President Donald Trump wants to kick defense spending up a notch. Actually, by quite a few notches -- he wants to increase military spending by $54 billion.

Now, if you're invested in defense stocks, that probably sounds like good news to you. More money for F-35 fighter jets, more money spent building aircraft carriers to carry them, and more money spent buying missiles to shoot from them -- this is all great news for Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), Huntington Ingalls (NYSE: HII), and Raytheon (NYSE: RTN), respectively. Yet if you look beyond all the military hardware changing hands, there are also more than a few line items in President Trump's proposed fiscal 2018 budget that investors in aerospace and defense might not like.

Things like ...

The Pentagon benefits bigly from President Trump's new budget -- but at what cost? Image source: Getty Images.

Zero dollars for ARPA-E

The Advanced Research Projects Agency- Energy (ARPA-E) -- is the U.S. Department of Energy analog to the Pentagon's DARPA. President Trump apparently isn't enthused with ARPA-E's focus on fostering green-energy initiatives, but ARPA-E is about a whole lot more than just windmills and shiny mirrors. It's one of the prime movers behind America's effort to develop better batteries for electric cars, for example.

With an annual budget of only $350 million,ARPA-E helps provide seed capital to incubate "transformational energy projects that can be meaningfully advanced with a small investment over a defined period of time." In addition to batteries, ARPA-E is helping develop better electric transmission technologies to improve the nation's power grid and eliminate blackouts. Why, it's even working on the holy grail of energy -- development of a cold-fusion reactor to create an endless supply of free energy for the nation, a technology Lockheed Martin has also shown interest in.If ARPA-E succeeds in making cold fusion a reality, America could free itself from dependence on OPEC oil, and from the need to spend so much ensuring steady access to that oil.

Free of Middle Eastern entanglements, the U.S. would finally be able to spend less on defense, which makes ARPA seem like something worth a few hundred million dollars' investment. And private industry agrees -- over the past eight years, companies have invested more than $1.8 billion of their own in ARPA-E-sponsored projects.

Putting the space tow truck fleet in "park"

Every year, America spends billions of dollars building huge, highly advanced satellites, and then paying Lockheed and Boeing to launch them into orbit. These satellites' missions cover everything from exploring the reaches of outer space to facilitating communication (and GPS) among U.S. troops, to keeping an eye out for nuclear weapons testing in North Korea. One huge drawback to this satellite fleet, however, is that it requires fuel to run on, and that fuel eventually runs out.

NASA has proposed a solution -- developing a Robotic Refueling Mission to pave the way for building a fleet of spaceships that could refuel satellites when they run out of gas, conduct repairs when they get glitchy, and even tow satellites into correct orbits when they wander astray. Just one such space tow truck could salvage literally billions of dollars' worth of space infrastructure investment. Yet President Trump's budget proposes to kill the Robotic Refueling Mission to save a measly $88 million.

I see nothing. I hear nothing. I want to know -- nothing!

Perhaps the greatest flub of the 2018 budget proposal, though, is the Donald's desire to cut $250 million from such climate change-oriented programs as NOAA's "Sea Grant"research, education, and training programs, zero out funding for "climate change research and partnership programs"as well, and ax various NASA missions also studying climate.

President Trump's antipathy for climate-change research is well known,and cutting funding for programs that keep an eye on rising sea levels is certainly one way to ensure the global-warming phenomenon gets less press. Yet the Defense Department itself calls climate change an "urgent and growing threat to our national security."

"Global climate change," wrote the Pentagon in a 2015 report,"degrades living conditions, human security, and the ability of governments to meet the basic needs of their populations." By inciting global turmoil, it poses a "security risk" to the United States. So in the opinion of the president's own generals, the government needs to keep aware of "the effects of climate change -- such as sea-level rise, shifting climate zones, and more frequent and intense severe-weather events -- and how these effects could impact national security."

The upshot

Put aside questions of whether global warming is caused by burning dinosaur bones or not. Whatever your opinion on the cause of climate change, it's still essential to know the facts about whether global warming is happening -- and if so, how fast, and with what consequences. That has serious national security implications for everything from the navigability of littoral zones to estimates of how soon China's super-expensive "fake islands" will be put right back underwater again by rising sea levels.

And the story is similar with the cuts in funding to ARPA-E, and to satellite refueling. Funding a $54 billion defense spending increase, by cutting a few hundred million in funds from projects that could make much of this spending unnecessary, seems incredibly short-sighted. This budget might be good news for defense contractors in the short term -- but it could cost taxpayers much, much more in the long run.

10 stocks we like better than Lockheed MartinWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Lockheed Martin wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017

Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
A meeting of foreign ministries representatives of the Normandy Four countries is being held in Paris without the participation of the Russian side, a source in the diplomatic circles told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

"A Normandy format meeting at the level of political advisors is taking place in Paris without Russia's participation. Vadym Prystaiko is representing Ukraine," the source said.

Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Prystaiko said earlier that the Russian side has refused to participate in this meeting.

The Normandy format of the negotiations on Donbas envisages the involvement of Ukraine, Germany, Russia and France.
Once every three months, institutional investors have to file a form 13F to disclose the investments in their portfolio. These filings give Average Joes an opportunity to "steal" investment ideas from legendary investors like Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A)(NYSE: BRK-B) or Renaissance Technologies' Medallion Fund.

But before you rush out to buy what the legends are buying for their portfolios, it's important to understand the investor you want to copy, and the limitations of regulatory filings. Join The Motley Fool's Gaby Lapera and Jordan Wathen as they discuss the ups and downs to form 13F filings in this segment of Industry Focus: Financials.

A full transcript follows the video.

Find out why Berkshire Hathaway is one of the 10 best stocks to buy now

Motley Fool co-founders Tom and David Gardner have spent more than a decade beating the market. (In fact, the newsletter they run, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market!*)

Tom and David just revealed their ten top stock picks for investors to buy right now. Berkshire Hathawayis on the list -- but there are nine others you may be overlooking.

Click here to get access to the full list!

*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017

This podcast was recorded on March 20, 2017.

Gaby Lapera: I had anonymous write in and ask, they have a name but, you know, "Should I base my investments on 13Fs?" This question needs to be broken down a little bit, starting with, what is a 13F. Jordan Wathen, a softball question for you.

Jordan Wathen: All right, one of my favorite regulatory filings. A 13F is a filing that large investors or funds have to file, and they have to disclose their holdings at a point in time at the end of the quarter four times a year. That's as simple as I can say it. But they only disclose their long positions, so, they only disclose what they own, not necessarily what they're short selling. So, with hedge funds, you have to be a little bit careful.

Lapera: Yeah, and the type of people who have 13Fs are, like, George Soros or Warren Buffett or, like you said, hedge funds. So, I think that's why the person asked this question, because it is, in theory, these people who have some sort of deep insight into the market. You know what I mean?

Wathen: Right, that's why anybody looks at them. I would be lying if I said I didn't, because I really want to reverse engineer a great investor's process. I look at it and try to figure out how they're shaping their portfolio, and if I can learn something, why not, it takes 10 minutes to look at a 13F, so I, of course, do.

Lapera: But, the short story on this question -- which is, to remind you, "should I base my investments on 13Fs" -- is no, you shouldn't.

Wathen: No. I actually want everyone who's listening to this to google this. It's called The Medallion Fund, and it's managed by Renaissance Technologies. It's the greatest hedge fund of all time, period, end of discussion, ungodly returns. I'm talking like 30% a year. They only have one losing year since 1988, and it wasn't 2008, it was 1999. But, they've blown it out of the water. But if you look at their 13F, you will learn nothing, because The Medallion Fund trades in and out of stocks more often than you change your socks on your feet. They trade constantly. So the point in time snapshot which you get from a 13F has actually no value whatsoever.

Lapera: Yeah, and that's exactly why you shouldn't be making these long-term investing decisions on what's going on with the 13F. I think one of the most popular people to look at is Warren Buffett. Recently -- you told me this when we were talking about it before the show -- he bought ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), and he said he bought it because it was better than having that money in cash.

Wathen: Yeah, at the Daily Journalannual meeting, Charlie Munger basically said, "Do you know why we bought ExxonMobil? We thought it was better than cash." And they literally held it for less than two years. If you think about what Buffett does and what Berkshire Hathawaydoes, they're trying to beat the market over long periods of time. But if you don't understand that nuance, you might look at it and say, "Oh, ExxonMobil, they bought it, it must be great, they're trying to beat the market," when in actuality, all they wanted to do was beat a savings account. There are so many investments to do that. So, I think you really just have to understand who's filing the 13F, first of all, and second of all, what is the goal with the stocks that they buy? With Berkshire, it's changed so much. They used to want to smash the market, and now, apparently, they're really just trying to be the savings account, which is a really low threshold.

Lapera: Yeah. It's also hard because Berkshire Hathaway, like we talked about earlier with those really big companies that have trouble out-performing how they did historically, Berkshire Hathaway has the exact same problem.

Wathen: Right. I'm not trying to give Berkshire a hard time. I can see, they're probably thinking, dividend incomes, tax at a lower rate, those kinds of things. I'm not trying to rag on Buffett. He's the most successful investor of all time. I don't know if anyone will ever top him. But if you follow him now, he's investing much differently than he did in the 1980s and 1990s, what he's really known for.

Lapera: Yeah. Again, short story to, "should I base my investments on 13Fs" is no. And if you want, I'm more than happy to send you an article on this. We write approximately a million every year. That might be a mild exaggeration. But it feels like that, because I edit it all of them.

Wathen: You just have to look at them as shopping lists. You still need to do your own analysis, but I don't think it's ever bad to look at what a great investor is buying and try to understand why. I actually think that's a really productive use of your time.

Lapera: Yeah, definitely. And it's definitely also really interesting to get a stack of 13Fs together, historical 13Fs, and see what's going on over time. But yeah, you should not base your entire portfolio around what one person, or even a set of really good investors, is doing, because you have no idea what's going on in their mind. They're just saying what they own, not why they own it.

Wathen: And that's the thing, too. Because they don't report short sales, it's really important that you are really careful about how much weight you put on to it, because someone could be long Wal-Mart and short Target, to have neutral to retail, but they don't really love Wal-Mart that much. They just love it more than Target. It's a pair straight, but you would never know the opposite side of it with a 13F.

Lapera: The other thing to keep in mind is that it's kind of a snapshot of an investor's portfolio. They could exit the position the day after 13Fs are out, and you wouldn't know until the next 13F comes out. And, those come out about once a quarter, in case you're curious. But you don't really 100% know exactly what's in there based on the 13Fs.

Gaby Lapera has no position in any stocks mentioned. Jordan Wathen has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
President Donald Trump suffered a stunning political setback on Friday in a Congress controlled by his own party when Republican leaders pulled legislation to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, a major 2016 election campaign promise of the president and his allies.

House of Representatives leaders yanked the bill after a rebellion by Republican moderates and the party's most conservative lawmakers left them short of votes, ensuring that Trump's first major legislative initiative since taking office on Jan. 20 ended in failure. Democrats were unified against it.

House Republicans had planned a vote on the measure after Trump late on Thursday cut off negotiations with Republicans who had balked at the plan and issued an ultimatum to vote on Friday, win or lose. But desperate lobbying by the White House and Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan was unable to round up the 216 votes needed for passage.

"We learned a lot about loyalty. We learned a lot about the vote-getting process," Trump told reporters at the White House, although he sought to shift the blame to the Democrats even though his party controls the White House, the House and the Senate.

With Friday's legislative collapse, Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement, the 2010 Affordable Care Act - known as Obamacare - remains in place despite seven years of Republican promises to dismantle it.

The healthcare failure called into question not only Trump's ability to get other key parts of his agenda, including tax cuts and a boost in infrastructure spending, through Congress, but the Republican Party's capacity to govern effectively.

Neither Trump nor Ryan indicated any plans to try to tackle healthcare legislation again anytime soon. Trump said he would turn his attention to getting "big tax cuts" through Congress, another tricky proposition.

Republican supporters said the legislation would achieve their goal of rolling back the government's "nanny state" role in healthcare. The White House made undoing Obamacare its top priority when Trump took office two months ago.

But the White House and House leaders were unable to come up with a plan that satisfied the clashing interests of moderates and conservatives, despite Trump's vaunted image as a deal maker.

Amid a chaotic scramble for votes, Ryan, who championed the bill, met with Trump at the White House. Ryan said he recommended that it be withdrawn from the House floor because he did not have the votes to pass it, and Trump agreed.

"We were just probably anywhere from 10 to 15 votes short," Trump said. "With no Democrat support we couldn't quite get there."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the bill failed "because of two traits that have plagued the Trump presidency since he took office: incompetence and broken promises."

Democrats said the bill would take away medical insurance from millions of Americans and leave the more-than-$3 trillion U.S. healthcare system in disarray.

And some moderate Republicans opposed the bill because of worries that millions of America would be hurt.

"There were things in this bill that I didn't particularly like," Trump added, without specifying what those were, but expressed confidence in Ryan's leadership.

"Perhaps the best thing that could happen is exactly what happened today, because we'll end up with a truly great healthcare bill in the future after this mess known as Obamacare explodes," said Trump, who had posted multiple tweets throughout March proclaiming that "Obamacare is imploding" and repeatedly saying that Republicans were coming together to pass the bill.

Friday's events cast doubt on whether Ryan can get major legislation approved by fractious Republican lawmakers.

"I will not sugarcoat this. This is a disappointing day for us. Doing big things is hard," Ryan said at a news conference, adding that his fellow Republicans are experiencing what he called "growing pains" transitioning from an opposition party to a governing party.

"Obamacare's the law of the land," Ryan added. "We're going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future."

"A LITTLE SURPRISED"

Members of the Freedom Caucus, the House's most conservative members, were instrumental in the bill's failure, opposing it among other reasons because they considered parts too similar to Obamacare.

Trump said he was disappointed and "a little surprised" with the Freedom Caucus opposition.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said under the Republican legislation 14 million people would lose medical coverage by next year and more than 24 million would be uninsured in 2026.

News that the bill had been pulled before a final vote was greeted initially with a small sigh of relief by U.S. equity investors, who earlier in the week had been fretful that an outright defeat would damage Trump's other priorities, such as tax cuts and infrastructure spending.

Benchmark U.S. stock market indexes ended the session mixed after rallying back from session lows following the news. The S&P 500 Index ended fractionally lower, the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped about 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose about 0.2 percent.

Shares of hospital operators finished sharply higher, with the S&P healthcare facilities index up 2.7 percent, while the S&P 500 healthcare sector edged down 0.03 percent.

The dollar strengthened modestly on the news, and U.S. Treasury bond yields edged up from session lows.

Trump said he would be "totally open" to working with Democrats on healthcare "when they all become civilized." House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said working to lower prescription drug prices was one area of possible cooperation with Republicans.

Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher said before the bill was pulled that voting it down would be "neutering Trump" while empowering his opponents.

"You don't cut the balls off a bull and then expect that he can go out and get the job done," Rohrabacher told Reuters. "This will emasculate Trump and we can't do that. ... If we bring this down now, Trump will have lost all of his leverage to pass whatever bill it is, whether it's the tax bill or whatever reforms that he wants."

Representative Joe Barton of Texas, when asked why his fellow Republicans were so united over the past seven years to dump Obamacare only to fall apart when they actually do something about it, said, "Sometimes you're playing fantasy football and sometimes youre in the real game."

Obamacare boosted the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. About 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law.

The House plan would have rescinded a range of taxes created by Obamacare, ended a penalty on people who refuse to obtain health insurance, and ended Obamacare's income-based subsidies to help people buy insurance while creating less-generous age-based tax credits

It also would have ended Obamacare's expansion of the Medicaid state-federal insurance program for the poor, cut future federal Medicaid funding and let states impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients.

House leaders agreed to a series of last-minute changes to try to win over disgruntled conservatives, including ending the Obamacare requirement that insurers cover certain "essential benefits" such as maternity care, mental health services and prescription drug coverage.

(Additional reporting by Dustin Volz, David Morgan, David Lawder, Susan Cornwell, Susan Heavey, Richard Cowan, Steve Holland, Roberta Rampton, Patricia Zengerle and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Bill Rigby and Leslie Adler)
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration approved TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, cheering the oil industry and angering environmentalists even as further hurdles for the controversial project loom.

The approval reverses a decision by former President Barack Obama to reject the project, but the company still needs to win financing, acquire local permits, and fend off likely legal challenges for the pipeline to be built.

"Transcanada will finally be allowed to complete this long-overdue project with efficiency and with speed," Trump said in the Oval Office before turning to ask TransCanada Chief Executive Officer Russell Girling when construction would start.

"We've got some work to do in Nebraska to get our permits there," Girling replied.

"Nebraska?" Trump said. "I'll call Nebraska."

Trump announced the presidential permit for Keystone XL at the White House with Girling and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Unions, standing nearby. He said the project would lower consumer fuel prices, create jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

TransCanada's U.S.-listed shares rose 0.52 percent to $46.50, having surged as much as 7 percent in premarket trading.

The pipeline linking Canadian oil sands to U.S. refiners had been blocked by Obama, who said it would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for U.S. motorists and would contribute to emissions linked to global warming.

Trump, however, campaigned on a promise to approve it, and he signed an executive order soon after taking office in January to advance the project.

JOBS

Trump has claimed the project would create 28,000 jobs in the United States. But a 2014 State Department study predicted just 3,900 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs.

The president said he would get in touch with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts later in the day.

TransCanada applied to the Nebraska Public Service Commission in February for approval of the pipeline's route through the state. The company said it expects that process to conclude this year.

Ricketts said in a statement posted on Twitter that the project would help his state.

"I have full confidence that the Public Service Commission will conduct a thorough and fair review of the application," he said.

The White House has said the pipeline is exempt from a Trump executive order requiring new pipelines to be made from U.S. steel, because much of the pipe for the project has already been built and stockpiled.

"As we move forward, we'll continue to look to buy the rest of the materials we need from ... American manufacturers. We'll put American workers to work," Girling told reporters.

Environmental groups vowed to fight it.

Greenpeace said it would pressure banks to withhold financing for the multi-billion dollar project, and others said they would fight the pipeline in court.

"We'll use every tool in the kit," said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Since Obama had nixed the pipeline based on an environmental assessment commissioned by the State Department in early 2014, opponents will likely argue in court that Trump cant reverse the decision without conducting a new assessment.

CHALLENGES

Fred Jauss, partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and a former attorney with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said local permitting would also be a challenge.

"The Presidential Permit is only one part of a web of federal, state, and local permits that must be obtained prior to starting construction," he said. "Other federal agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, state regulatory commissions, and even local planning boards may have requirements that need to be fulfilled by Keystone prior to construction."

"In addition, TransCanada may still need to reach deals with hundreds of potentially affected landowners on the pipelines route. There is a lot of work ahead for TransCanada.

The multibillion-dollar Keystone XL pipeline would bring more than 800,000 barrels per day of heavy crude from Canada's oil sands in Alberta into Nebraska, linking to an existing pipeline network feeding U.S. refineries and ports along the Gulf of Mexico.

The project could be a boon for Canada, which has struggled to get its vast oil reserves to market.

"Our government has always been supportive of the Keystone XL pipeline and we are pleased with the U.S. decision," said a spokesman for Canada's minister of natural resources. "The importance of a common, continental energy market cannot be overstated."

The president of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, said the approval was "welcome news" and would bolster U.S. energy security.

Expedited approval of projects is part of Trump's approach to a 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure package he promised on the campaign trail. The White House is looking for ways to speed up approvals and permits for other infrastructure projects, which can sometimes take years to go through a regulatory maze.

TransCanada tried for more than five years to build the 1,179-mile (1,897-km) pipeline, until Obama rejected it in 2015. The company resubmitted its application for the project in January, after Trump signed the executive order smoothing its path.

(By Jeff Mason and Ethan Lou; Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington, Luciana Lopez in New York, Ahmed Farhatha in Bengaluru, and Denny Thomas in Toronto; Writing by Richard Valdmanis and Jeff Mason; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
The conservative revolt inside the House of Representatives is steamrolling President Trumpas revamp of ObamaCare, known as the American Health Care Act, and possibly along with it the man in charge getting the bill through Congress: House Speaker Paul Ryan.

The Republican House Speaker, who reluctantly took the post following the resignation of Ohio Republican John Boehner in 2015, faces mounting questions about his leadership abilities amid the heath care debacle, especially after the bill was pulled from the House floor Friday since the GOP failed to procure enough votes. On Friday President Trump gave what appeared to be a vote of confidence in Ryanas leadership, saying he should remain as Speaker even if the Republican health care bill failed, due in large part, to dissenting votes from the Conservative Freedom Caucus.

However, FOX Business has learned Trumpas senior adviser, Steve Bannon, has been telling people that if the bill fails, Ryan should be replaced as Speaker of the House. One name Bannon has allegedly floated as a potential replacement is Freedom Caucus chief Mark Meadows (R-NC).

aSteve is telling people if this thing fails Ryan should go,a said one GOP insider. aAnd he has said Meadows could be the guy.a

Itas unclear whether Meadows, leader of the conservative faction of the GOPas House contingent, could muster enough votes to successfully challenge Ryan. A spokesman for Meadows didnat return repeated telephone calls for comment. A Trump spokeswoman had no comment on Bannonas involvement. A spokesman for Ryan had no immediate comment.

One thing is clear: Ryan, who was once the darling of the national conservative movement due to his support for tax cuts and budget restraint, has had his conservative bonafides questioned in recent years. Like Boehner, Ryan is now perceived as weak-willed when it comes to key issues near and dear to the Republican Right, such as voting for Wall Street bailouts and immigration reform.

aThe conservatives didnat want another Boehner,a Democratic political strategist Hank Sheinkopf said. aThey want Gingrich from 1990a Sheinkopf added, referring to the former House Speaker Newt Ginrich who led a conservative takeover within the chamber during the early 1990s. aInstead they have a Ryan, whoas similar to Boehner.a

Ryanas management of the American Health Care Act has made the former aYoung Guna of the conservative movement appear even more establishment to the right wingas most faithful. Some conservative House member say he tried to get their approval on a bill that left standing key elements of ObamaCare, a patchwork of regulations and government edicts designed by the former president and Democrats in Congress to provide health insurance for every American.

While there is vast agreement among Republicans that ObamaCare needs to be altered dramatically as premiums increase and costs begin to explode, how this should be achieved has caused a civil war inside the party. Ryan, with the help of President Trump and the support of the moderate members of the House, offered an approach that gradually reduced ObamaCare mandates and left some key aspects of the law in place so Americans wouldnat be left without coverage.

More conservative lawmakers, including those from the House Freedom Caucus, are arguing that a dramatic overhaul is needed to prevent costs and premiums from skyrocketing. They also believe that Ryan misled them on a Congressional parliamentary procedure known as reconciliation, when Ryan argued that certain aspects of ObamaCare couldnat be removed immediately, and would have to remain until later in the process.

They found his reasoning unsupported, particularly after Ryan on Thursday, attempted a last-minute effort to gain their votes, proposing the elimination of the elements of ObamaCare that he said initially couldnat be included in the bill.

aA notable moment in the meeting (Thursday) night is when Paul Ryan spent five tortured minutes [saying] that they can now magically remove the essential health benefit mandates form ObamaCare when before they said it wasnat possible due to Senate rules,a Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who said he would vote against the bill, told Fox Business. aSo what happened there? Did the Senate rules change overnight or did they concede something? Thatas always possible.a

Choosing Meadows as a replacement Speaker may seem odd, because at least publically, Trump and some of his senior staff have blamed the Freedom Caucus for the enormous headwinds in getting the ObamaCare revamp through the House. But Bannon has told people he favors Meadows if it means being able to nix Ryan as speaker.

Before joining the Trump team, Bannon ran the conservative website Breitbart News, a frequent critic of Ryanas more moderate brand of conservatism, and he would like a more staunchly conservative voice leading the House.
If you werent lucky enough to nab a limited-edition bottle of Big Mac sauce when McDonalds was giving them away in January, dont fret. You can still get yourself a bottle  but only if you feel like driving to Canada.

McDonalds Canada announced earlier this week that they will soon be offering bottled versions of their famous Big Mac sauce in Canadian grocery stores. In addition, the company is also planning to launch bottled versions of the sauces they use on their Filet-O-Fish and McChicken sandwiches  or as theyre known in parts of Canada, Filet des Poissons and MacPoulet.

MCDONALD'S BIG MAC SAUCE GOING FOR UP TO $100,000 ON EBAY

"With this launch, Canadians will now be able to experience the world famous sauces they love at home," said McDonalds Canada spokesman Adam Grachnik in a company statement.

The company also confirmed on social media that the sauces will be available starting sometime in the spring.

According to Foodology food blogger Diana Chan, who first spotted the bottled sauces at the Grocery & Specialty Food West Convention in Vancouver, McDonalds Canada is working with Heinz/Kraft to produce the new sauces. Chan wasnt able to taste them  the three sauces were locked in a display case  but representatives told her the sauces taste very identical to those used in McDonalds sandwiches.

The McDonalds Canada representatives also would not confirm whether the sauces will ever appear in American markets.

Americas fervor over bottled Big Mac sauce began in January, after the company announced they would be giving away 10,000 bottles in a stealthy promotion that required patrons to utter a secret phrase  Theres a Big Mac for that  in order to obtain one. But those bottles were only available on Jan. 26-- and only in select locations throughout the country.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Some who were able to secure a bottle later tried to capitalize on the excitement by re-selling the sauce online. One especially hopeful eBay user even set a price of $100,000 for his limited-edition bottle.

Pretty soon, however, special-sauce enthusiasts in the U.S. only need to pop over the Canadian border for a bottle.

Or, you know, they could make their own Big Mac sauce according to McDonalds readily available online recipe:
Americans really, really love canned tuna fish.

According to the National Fisheries Institute, Americans consumed more than 700 million pounds of canned tuna in 2015. That equates to 2.2 pounds per person annually.

The food remains among the top three seafood items Americans consume each year-- and its held that ranking for more than 10 years.

But now retailers are saying that there's something pretty fishy going on in the canned tuna industry and, as is the trend with many other foods, there's been a renewed focus on how the fish is caught and processed-- and where it comes from.

ARBY'S GIANT 'MEAT MOUNTAIN' SANDWICH NOW COMES WITH A FISH FILET

To that effect, on Whole Foods Market recently announced that by next January, all of the canned tuna sold in stores or used in its prepared foods departments will be sourced only from fishers that exclusively use pole-and-line, troll or hand line catch methods. These methods theoretically eliminate the issue of bycatch or the unintentional harvest of other fish, birds or mammals. With Whole Foods' protocols in place, their fisherman will be catching tuna individually to prevent overfishing.

The chains new policy also mandates canned tuna products to originate from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or be sourced from fisheries rated green (best choice) or yellow (good alternative) by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and The Safina Center.

And the supermarket has instituted a traceability requirement, too.

"There are a lot of points in the supply chain where tuna changes hands. We want to map it from catch to can. That's critical," Carrie Brownstein, the global seafood quality standards coordinator for Whole Foods Market, told NPR.

Buts it not just Whole Foods thats shaking things up in the canned food aisle.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

Hy-Vee, a 240-store grocery chain in the Midwest, previous set and met its own sustainable seafood goals for its fresh and frozen seafood departments. In January, Hy-Vee announced a new canned tuna policy, citing concerns over high levels of bycatch in fisheries that use fish-aggregating devices (FADS) the chain decided to switch policies. Though the chain says it is "committed" to sustainable sourcing, its policy does not specify that it will only source from companies meeting stricter standards.

"There's a huge issue of bycatch with those," Ryan Bigelow, the program engagement manager with Seafood Watch, said of the way the tuna is often caught.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

"FADs can be anything from a bamboo raft in the ocean to a large platform," Bigelow said. "You wait for the little fish to congregate under it, and then other fish come, and soon, you have all sorts of animals swarming around the platform."

But whats often in the net isnt just tuna. There are also dolphins, sea birds, and other fish not initially targeted.

Chicken of the Sea, Starkist and Bumble Bee are the biggest canned tuna brands in the U.S. and though carried by most major chains, fishing industry insiders think Whole Foods' initiatives and others will push them to consider how they catch their fish.

Bumble Bee launched its Trace My Catch program in 2015 which allows people to enter a code found on their can of tuna to get more information on the exact species they're consuming and how it was caught. But the brand still supplies its tuna cans with fish caught in traditional fishing methods.

So what should consumers look for in the grocery store? According to Bigelow, there are some important labels to consider.

"Look for pole and line caught, labels that say FAD free, and some kind of certification is usually a helpful guide, he said. Those are the big ones."
In a restaurant world plagued by episodes of receipt rage, one Starbucks customer flipped the script, surprising a barista with a welcome gift after an unpleasant encounter.

Andrew Richardson, a 20-year-old Starbucks employee who works at a location in Bishop, Calif., says his first encounter on Monday with a customer named "Debbie" started out fairly typically.

On the 20th, this woman Debbie came through the drive through while I was working," Richardson recalled to ABC News. "She was extremely pleasant, and we had some friendly conversation while her drinks were being made.

"She had multiple drinks, and we didn't have drink carriers. I informed her and she was a touch frustrated like anyone would be, Richardson continued.

TRUMP SUPPORTERS VOW TO BOYCOTT STARBUCKS OVER CEO'S PLAN TO HIRE REFUGEES

The barista says Debbie then asked him to throw away some trash she had been hauling around in her car, but he couldn't do it for her.

I cannot do this because it would be a California health code violation, Richardson reportedly explained. She then became a bit more frustrated, but nothing that I would perceive as rudeness. At worst, she was playfully sassy. I really didn't think too much of it.

After the woman pulled off, the barista says he resumed his day.

It was not a big deal at all in my eyes, he said of Debbie's behavior. Being in customer service you can experience a lot of negativity and frustration. I try and counter it with positivity and patience. This was an extremely mild interaction compared to other incidents.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

But Richardson's customer's conscience apparently got the best of her after a little caffeinated clarity.

The very next day, Debbie returned to the Bishop Starbucks and askedRichardson if hed been working the day before at the drive-thru. When he confirmed that he had been at the window, Debbie started profusley and two chatted for a bit. Before driving off, she handed Richardson a surprising token of repentance.

She then handed me the card, [and] I was even more grateful and uplifted, he said. I thanked her for another minute and she left.

COFFEE COMPANY TAKES ON STARBUCKS' REFUGEE PLAN, PLEDGES TO HIRE 10,000 VETERANS

Richardson opened the card to discover not only a long and, in his own words, one of the most beautiful and heartfelt things I have ever read, but a crisp $50 dollar bill as well.

The money was unnecessary. The card alone was the best part. I would have turned the money down had I opened it when she was there. It's hard to take things like that.
Subway may be known for its toasty bread but in the UK, the chain is feeling some serious heat after a help wanted post surfaced online seeking young apprentices to work at the store building subs-- for substantially less pay than traditional employees.

In an advertisement (which has since been removed) posted on the UK "Governments Find Apprenticeship" site, applicants were being sought to work as apprentice sandwich artists, reports The Independent.

The ad posits to potential applicants,Do you have what it takes to be a sandwich artist for one of the leading fast food restaurants in the world?

As a sandwich artist you will greet and serve guests, prepare food and maintain food safety and sanitation standards.

5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SUBWAY

According to the listing, it takes 14 months to complete an apprenticeship in making Subway sandwiches.

Candidates were being offered 119 pounds per week (about $148.95) to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week  which is the minimum employers are required to pay apprentices (or interns) by law in the UK.

But to many critics of the post, the job description appeared to have very little educational value for young workers as the apprentices would be doing similar duties as average Subway employees  working the cash register, food preparation and cleaning up.

Union leaders said Subway's use of apprentice title stretched the limits of what should be acceptable and said the job appeared to be an exploitation charter by unscrupulous bosses to hire young people on the cheap.

If the government is serious about making apprenticeships work, than it must act to stop rogue employers using the apprenticeship scheme as a cheap form of labor. We certainly dont expect rich multi-nationals like Subway to be exploiting young people in this way, Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy told the Chronicle Live.

McCarthy wasn't the only voice to sound off against the chain's job posting, with many online blasting Subway for appearing to seek out cheap, young labor.

Scam. Pathetic. A joke. Sandwich artist. Workers are getting abused here. Time for a basic income. #basicincomehttps://t.co/2o6VMHZ3CZ  Ben Griffin (@bcwestmind) March 22, 2017

Absolutely pathetic that @SUBWAY is robbing prospective employees blind with title of Sandwich Artist for 3.50 (UK Pounds) / hour.  Disciple of Matthews (@hockeeyyy) March 21, 2017

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

When contacted by the Chronicle Live, a spokeswoman for Subways representatives said, The franchisee of this store was unaware of this advert which was posted by a recruitment agency. Together we are working to have this advert removed immediately.

"Subway requires that all franchisees comply with employment law when recruiting and contracting, and in all dealings with, employees.

Subway was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Fox News.
A rough translation of Marylands state motto is Strong Deeds, Gentle Words. In the case of a 14-year-old girl who was recently raped and sodomized in a restroom at Rockville High School by two males students, both immigrants, one facing a deportation hearing, that motto in practice has been reversed.

The police report of the incident is so graphic that it cannot be printed in full, but the facts are these: Henry Sanchez, 18, a Guatemala native who has a pending alien removal case against him, and 17-year-old Jose Montano, who came to America from El Salvador eight months ago, have been charged with first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual offenses.

The two are alleged to have dragged the 14-year-old girl into a boys restroom where they raped and sodomized her after she repeatedly screamed no.

Compounding the physical and possible long-term psychological damage to the girl is the response of school authorities and state legislators.

A letter sent to parents from Rockville High School officials said, Ensuring a safe, secure and welcoming learning environment for all of our students is a top priority. Our staff remains vigilant in the monitoring of our school each and every day.

Apparently not.

Among the many questions that should be asked is why Sanchez and Montano  both old enough to be seniors  were placed in a freshman class in the first place? They were given a translator to help them understand what the teacher said in English, but the word that describes that ludicrous decision is easily understood in both English and Spanish  estupido.

Equally stupid is a bill in the legislature that would declare Maryland a sanctuary state. If it passes and survives a likely veto by Gov. Larry Hogan, it would shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration laws. The Republican leader in the House of Delegates, Nic Kipke, says the measure ignores the rule of law and would create anarchy in the state.

One of the things the left claims to always be concerned about are the rights of minorities and the disenfranchised. One hears that argument invoked often in debates over transgender individuals and which bathroom they can use. If that works for liberals in this case, what about the right of a teenage girl to be protected against a violation of her person by illegal immigrants?

A corollary argument is that most illegal immigrants are not violent criminals. We hear the same argument when it comes to Muslims, that not all members of the religion should be judged by the acts of a violent few. Ask the victims or relatives of people who have died or been injured by radical Islamists how they feel about that argument. In the case of the young Rockville High School girl, ask her and her parents, siblings and other relatives if they are OK with allowing people like Sanchez and Montano into their childs school.

The high school from which I graduated is located not far from Rockville High. My school was a much safer place. Chewing gum and running in the halls were the worst offenses one could commit, and for repeat offenders that got you a trip to the vice principals office, or detention, and a note home to parents where further discipline was often applied.

If a law like the one under consideration by the Maryland legislature had been in force, Sanchez and Montano might have been shielded from a deportation hearing because authorities would have been prevented from asking them about their immigration status or even their country of origin.

If convicted of the rape charges, they should be punished and then deported. School officials and legislators who have helped create the environment that has allowed such a horrible incident to occur must be held accountable by the citizens of Montgomery County, Maryland, and voters statewide.
FBI Director James Comey should recuse himself from all further investigations into the 2016 presidential campaign and its aftermath.

Heres why:

On Oct. 28, Comey announced the discovery of new Clinton emails, creating a media firestorm that tilted the election toward Donald Trump.

This week, testifying before the House Intelligence Committee, Comey confirmed a report leaked to the media last summer that the FBI was investigating allegations of a connection between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

Director Comey has put himself in an untenable position. He has a vested interest in focusing on Trump and Russia, because that narrative diverts our attention from his personal effect on the outcome of the 2016 election.

Comey could have shared his concerns about both campaigns before the November election, and let the public decide. He did not.

If it was appropriate to withhold information about an investigation into the Trump campaign in July, he should have applied that same logic to the Clinton campaign in October. Hillary Clinton, charged not with a crime but by innuendo, paid the price at the polls. She was convicted in the court of public opinion.

Comeys announcement this week that the FBI was investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government made national and world headlines and rocked the White House.

But why now? Why not eight months ago? Has new, substantive information been brought forward? Was there even a real investigation in July? Or did an insider leak a story to the FBI back then for political purposes?

Someone on the House or Senate Judiciary Committee should ask for the FBI agents time sheets over the past eight months to see if the Bureau was actually investigating, or whether this is another case of abuse of process  using an alleged investigation to smear a candidate.

A torrent of leaks and partisan charges has been passed off as fact. But was the Russia investigation, excuse the expression, a red herring?

On Wednesday, House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes said he had proof of government agents incidental collection of information concerning Trump transition team members. Thursday, Fox News James Rosen reported that new questions have been raised about alleged spying by the Obama administration on the incoming Trump administration during the transition period.

Comey has publicly dismissed President Trumps claim that the Obama administration wiretapped his campaign and transition teams. If that occurred, it happened while Comey was working for the Obama administration.

Should he be the one in charge of an investigation?

Director Comey has put himself in an untenable position. He has a vested interest in focusing on Trump and Russia, because that narrative diverts our attention from his personal effect on the outcome of the 2016 election.

At best, this is the textbook definition of a conflict of interest. At worst, its bait-and-switch.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, wisely, from an investigation into an alleged Russian role in the election, given his contacts last year with the Russian ambassador.

The American system of justice depends on the FBI being above politics. Director Comey, with his unprecedented intrusion into presidential politics, has damaged public confidence in the Bureau.

To restore trust and to protect his tenure, he must recuse himself from all further investigations into the 2016 presidential election and the transition period.
The explosions that rocked the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's ammo depots in Balaklia in Kharkiv region have destroyed 12 private utility buildings, State Emergency Service Chief Mykola Chechotkin said.

"According to tentative reports, shells and fires have destroyed 12 private utility buildings. The blast wave and shell fragments have hit the roofs of residential and private buildings, a general education school, a rail station, a dairy factory, and other facilities located close to the depots," Chechotkin said during the parliament's Hour of Questions to Government on Friday.

An inquiry has been launched to assess damage done to the buildings and social and critical infrastructure, he said.
The House Intelligence Committee is supposed to be more bipartisan than other House committees and a place where members conduct serious oversight of Americas intelligence agencies. Its members are expected to put politics aside to oversee sensitive intelligence programs that are crucial to protecting our nations national security.

Thats not what we saw in Mondays rare open Intelligence Committee hearing. Democratic members spent every minute of the hearing to smear the president before the cameras. By doing so, they made a mockery of bipartisan intelligence oversight.

Republican Intelligence Committee members were taken off guard by hyper-partisan behavior of their Democratic colleagues. At the hearing there were some useful exchanges between Republican members and Comey on the seriousness of recent leaks of intelligence as well as the unmasking and illegal disclosure of General Michael Flynns name from NSA reports. Unfortunately, these discussions were overshadowed by the Democrats who were much more aggressive in pushing their Trump-Russia conspiracy theories.

Congressional Republicans must learn from this episode that the Democratic Party is so obsessed with destroying President Trump that their Democratic colleagues cannot be trusted to engage in good faith deliberations or hearings on anything that they can use to hurt Trump. Sadly, this includes national security.

This means there should be no more open hearings on issues like Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Additional open hearings that the Senate and House Intelligence Committees have scheduled on this issue should be made closed hearings.

Republicans seemed to have gotten the message on this. Friday, an open House Intelligence Committee hearing scheduled for next week on the Russia/election hearing scheduled was cancelled. It will be replaced with a closed hearing.

If open congressional hearings on the Russia/election or similar issues are held, Republican members must be much more aggressive in pursuing leaks of classified information and the abuse of U.S intelligence by the Obama administration to spy on the Trump campaign. Committee chairmen should run such hearings with iron gavels and give Democratic members zero leeway to turn them into political circuses.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes proved that he knows what hes up against in the aftermath of Mondays intelligence committee hearing by the way he handled new information suggesting that the Obama administration did surveil the Trump campaign.

Nunes was given intelligence, apparently under the table from U.S. intelligence officers, which indicates the names of Trump campaign aides were demasked in intelligence reports that had nothing to do with Russia or any alleged wrongdoing by the Trump campaign.

This is a big deal because the names of American citizens incidentally collected by U.S. intelligence agencies are blacked out and are not supposed to be revealed unless there is a compelling national security reason.

Nunes has been condemned by Intelligence Committee Democrats and the news media by the way he disclosed this information since he presented it to the press without informing his Democratic colleagues in advance. Nunes also informed the White House about this information before he briefed the committee and is refusing to tell Democratic committee members the name or names of his sources.

Maybe Nunes should not have brought this information to the White House before he briefed committee members. (He apologized to them for this.)

My view is that Nunes took the right approach. He knows it is pointless to work with committee Democrats on this issue and if he had brought this intelligence to them before his press conference, they would have quickly leaked this information to the press to discredit it.

Nunes also is absolutely right in not revealing the name or names of his sources since there is a good chance committee Democrats would try to out these sources or get their managers to retaliate against them. I saw this happen when I worked for the CIA.

This story looks like it will soon get even more interesting. Fox News James Rosen reported Thursday that the committee may soon receive  possibly today -- intelligence that is said to leave no doubt the Obama administration, in its closing days, was using the cover of legitimate surveillance on foreign targets to spy on President-elect Trump.

Nunes was smart to double down on his effort to fight back against Democratic politicization of intelligence oversight when he said at a press conference Friday that he was cancelling an open hearing next week on the Russia election hearing and had turned it into a closed hearing.

In addition, Nunes said he has recalled FBI Director Comey and NSA Director Rogers to testify to this hearing.

I assume Nunes new information, the FBIs refusal to fully cooperate with the committees investigation and Comeys failure to fully answer questions about intelligence leaks are why Nunes is recalling Comey and Rogers.

Predictably, Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee complained bitterly in a follow-up press conference Friday that Nunes cancelled the open hearing and questioned why Comey and Rogers were being recalled.

It was the height of gall for Schiff to complain that Nunes actions indicate he is not interested in an independent and objective investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election after Schiff and his Democratic colleagues proved at Mondays hearing that they are only interested in using this investigation to destroy the Trump presidency.

Nunes realizes this and decided to fight back. Until congressional Democrats start putting the good of the country above their hatred of President Trump, Republican congressional leaders must employ similar tactics to do the work of the American people and safeguard our national security.
This is the truth: the Freedom Caucus has breathed new life into the demolished Democratic Party.

It is Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer who are celebrating the breakdown of efforts to pass the Affordable Care Act  not the country.

For eight years Democrats have accused Republicans of being the Party of No, only capable of obstruction and posturing but not of governing. In defeating the efforts of Paul Ryan, Mike Pence, Tom Price and Donald Trump to dump ObamaCare and replace it with a slimmed-down, more intelligent and flexible program, they have given Democrats incalculable ammunition to make that case.

Its not the first time. Over the past several years the House voted dozens of times to repeal all or part of ObamaCare, a gesture both pointless and borderline absurd; President Obama was never going to sign legislation dooming his legacy achievement, even if somehow the measure made it through the Senate. But it sure made House Republicans feel good about themselves.

Now that they actually have a chance to do something meaningful  repeal the taxes and fees that are the undercarriage of the Affordable Care Act  they cant make it to the finish line.

Let us consider some hard facts:

Number One: Conservatives are not in the majority in the United States. If they were, Evan McMullin would be president.

Number Two: The country does not want to return to the pre-ACA era. President Obama produced a monstrous piece of legislation, which was doomed by its excessive mandates and its inability to attract young, healthy patients. But the bill itself is not Obamas legacy. Rather, he will be credited with changing the countrys viewpoint on universal health care. Few Americans today think we should be the rare developed nation that fails to provide medical services to every citizen.

Number Three: Crafting a compromise health care bill that will safeguard popular provisions that President Trump vowed to keep, like protections for those with preexisting conditions or the ability to keep children up to the age of 26 on their parents insurance, is not easy.

The ACA is something of a mess, and the scoring received by the CBO reflects its shortcomings. But there is more to follow, such as allowing insurers to compete across state lines, which will make it better.

The Senate, too, will have a chance to weigh in.

The vote, in other words, is not strictly on the ACA, but on a process which will lead to an improvement over the status quo. The bill as it now stands is imperfect, but its better than ObamaCare.

The Freedom Caucus and others opposing the ACA must accept that the push for this bill is bigger than their principles and it is bigger than health care.

This is a battle to establish the legitimacy of the Trump presidency. Never in our countrys history has a duly elected president faced such opposition  from his political opponents and from different voices in his own party. And also perhaps, from the countrys intelligence services.

The United States has entered a danger zone, where trust in our political leaders and our institutions has plummeted. The only way out is for President Trump to follow through on the promises he made to voters, promises which will put the country back on track.

But, it all starts here. If the health care bill does not pass because of resistance within his own party, the president will be gravely wounded.

Since other measures, and most especially tax reform, are backed up behind the ACA, it is quite possible that the reckless behavior of the Freedom Caucus will derail the Trump train.

That would be a disaster. The country has seen a healthy surge in optimism since President Trump was elected. Consumers, small business owners, investors  all have high hopes that lower taxes and lighter regulation will buoy spending and investment, ushering in higher growth, more jobs and better pay after these past eight sluggish and dispiriting years.

They are hopeful that Obamas progressive agenda will be swept aside, allowing the country to return to policies buttressed by common sense and a common purpose. That agenda hangs by a thread.

With Republican majorities in the House and the Senate and with President Trump in the Oval Office, conservatives have the best chance theyve had in well over a decade to help craft policy. If they cannot find a way to support President Trump at this critical juncture, they may well lose that opportunity in 2018.

That said, they are not the voice of the nation or even of the Republican Party; what they want is unrealistic. It is not politically possible to repeal ObamaCare and not put something in its place. Imagine the confusion and anxiety; real people will suffer, and for what? Only 20 percent of the country wants ObamaCare repealed, according to a recent poll. This is not a popular position.

What do most people want? To make insurance more affordable and accessible, which is what the ACA aims to do as well.

The Freedom Caucus needs to get on board  now.

Bradley Byrne of Alabama summed it up beautifully on Thursday, asking: Are you for President Trump and for repealing and replacing ObamaCare or are you against President Trump and against repealing and replacing ObamaCare? Hes correct  its that simple.
The whole world now knows that the London terrorist was an Islamist radical, but news outlets are downplaying it or hiding the information, especially on the internet. While ABC and CBS evening news shows Thursday admitted the attacker was Islamic, only NBCNews.com showed any prominent connection of the Big Threes websites.

Oddly, it was "NBC Nightly News" that linked the attacker to ISIS, but never said Islam or Muslim. Chief global correspondent Bill Neely undermined that connection, saying of terrorist Khalid Masood, ISIS propaganda calling him their fighter but no evidence.

NBCNews.com was more honest, writing on its front page: London Attacker Was Born 'Adrian Russell Ajao,' Was Reportedly Muslim Convert. Interestingly, the headline on the story itself made no mention of the Muslim connection.

ABC and CBS flipped that script, mentioning the link to Islam on their broadcasts but not on the front page of their websites. ABC Newss Chief Foreign Correspondent Terry Moran was clear: Believed to have acted alone, though he was long known to authorities here as an islamist radical.

ABCNews.com was less honest. The main headline about the story hid the connection, perhaps because the story itself also made no connection: Two more 'significant arrests' made over London terror attack.

On CBS, correspondent Elizabeth Palmer did what she could to downplay the Islamic connection. Overnight officers raided properties linked to Masood, who had a petty criminal record but was not currently under investigation for any violent extremism. Nonetheless, ISIS claimed today he was a soldier of the islamic state. Note how she emphasized the connection was a mere ISIS claim.

CBSNews.com had no headline mention of the Islamic connection. Civilian death toll climbs after London terror attack. The only Islamic mention in that story went again to ISIS, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying Thursday that Masood was a soldier of the caliphate, but offering no evidence that he had prior links to or coordination with the group.

At least Wednesday night, Neely didnt pull any punches with viewers, British police now say they know who the attacker was and they believe islamist-related terrorism is behind it. Early Thursday morning, ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) claimed responsibility for the attack. Hours later all three broadcast news sites still had no obvious indication that Islam, Muslims or, in some cases, even ISIS were to blame.

Even when British police identified the attacker as Khalid Masood, who the Herald Sun called a Muslim convert, that information was to find. Again, none of the three outlets mentioned Islam or Muslim in their stories about the terrorist. Its as if media think by not saying hes Muslim, we wont notice.

Its a theme. (Some of the stories below may have been updated since they were first posted, as web news often is.) More than three hours after ISIS took credit for the attack, the main ABCNews.com page had no mention of ISIS or Islamists were involved. There were four headlines about the terror attack, including the major one which read: Utah man celebrating wedding anniversary killed in London attack.

NBCNews.com had several stories about the London attack but never admitted ISIS had claimed responsibility. The site focused on the extremism angle and left out Islam: London Attacker Was British-Born, Had Been Investigated for 'Violent Extremism.'

CBSNews.com was only slightly better. It acknowledged ISIS had claimed the attack, but even undercut that link by writing: ISIS makes claim, but provides no evidence. The only mention of Islam on the sites front page was: CBSNews.com Islamic television station in Senegal blames saboteur for airing hardcore porn. Because thats the big news of the day.

Perhaps the outlets web teams should watch their own network programs. "Good Morning America's" Moran was willing to make the connection as the program began Thursday at 7 a.m. Usually such a bustling area but now a crime scene. This is where it ended. Right there under the shadow of Big Ben where the attacker was killed and we know now he was British born. Homegrown terror inspired by Islamist ideology.

Elizabeth Palmer was equally direct during "This Morning" at almost the same time: This morning they announced the attacker was a lone wolf, probably inspired by islamic extremism.

Instead, the news sites undoubtedly take their cues from a profession that has hidden identity of crime suspects for decades. And, of course, from major news outlets who ignored that component on their front pages. The New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today had no mention of Islam, Muslims or ISIS on Thursday mornings front pages. While The Wall Street Journal didnt have it in a headline, its main story began: A suspected Islamic terrorist.
According to the U.N.'s top human rights body, Israel is the worst human rights violator in the world today. Thats the result of the latest session of the UN Human Rights Council which wrapped up in Geneva on Friday by adopting five times more resolutions condemning Israel than any other country on earth.

President Trumps administration is currently a member of this reprehensible body. To borrow Elie Wiesels counsel to President Reagan not to pay his respects at a German graveyard containing Nazi SS remains: That place, Mr. President, is not your place.

The Bush administration refused to join the Council when it was created in 2006.

On March 31, 2009, President Obama  fully aware of its entrenched anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias  made jumping on board one of his very first foreign policy moves. Moreover, in an unscrupulous attempt to control his successor, the former President obtained yet another three-year term for the United States on the Council that began on January 1, 2017.

If President Trump were to choose a swift departure from the Council as one of his very first foreign policy moves, it would demonstrate a principled reset of American values and priorities on the world stage. March 31, 2017, the anniversary of Obamas decision, would be an auspicious date to make that point.

The reasons for leaving are many. Here are a few:

The Council plays a leading role in the demonization and delegitimization of the Jewish state by the United Nations.

In its history, the Council has condemned Israel more often than any other of the 192 UN states. Comparative totals after this sessions pogrom tell the story: Israel  78 resolutions and decisions, Syria  29, North Korea  9, and Iran  6. As for Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China, theres nothing at all.

Think of it this way: 500,000 dead in Syria, forced starvation and mass torture in North Korea, systematic and lethal oppression in Iran, gender apartheid in Saudi Arabia, and an elementary lack of basic freedoms affecting over a billion in Russia and China.

But at the U.N. Human Rights Council, little democratic Israel is the problem.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley rightly objected to a recent UN report charging Israel with apartheid. But the malicious slur of apartheid Israel is a staple of the Councils fixed agenda, which dedicates time for hate-speech and incitement at every session, and transmits it around the world via a U.N. webcast.

Contrary to rule of law 101, the Council has an investigator on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a license only to report on Israel.

This week, expert Michael Lynk presented a report praising one Manal Tamimi as a human rights defender.

In the last six months alone, her twitter feed features: God-chosen-Baby-burning #Israeli scum Nazi Zionists force[s] shot a girl, and a caricature of Satan beseeching Netanyahu for lessons on evil.

The Human Rights Council is now the principal U.N. engine of BDS  the campaign to boycott, divest and sanction Israel. Economic strangulation is Plan B for Israels enemies, war and terrorism having so far failed to rid the world of a Jewish state. The Council has sponsored the creation of a blacklist of companies around the world directly or indirectly doing business with Israeli settlements  in effect, Israel period.

Obamas council routine was to vacate the U.S. seat temporarily during the Israel-bashing agenda item, make a speech about unacceptable Israel-bias, vote against the anti-Israel resolutions, and then pay for their implementation in the name of some greater good. The Trump administration should not be working from the same playbook.

Make no mistake: there is no middle ground. Staying on the Council means American taxpayers will pay for the production of a blacklist of American companies doing business with Israel. The State Department representative told the Council Friday that it will not provide information for the blacklist. But, of course, the U.N. will simply get what it wants from the Palestinian entourage.

With predictable regularity, the subject of U.N. reform bubbles to the surface of this toxic environment. The ploy needs to be challenged head on.

The only body that can change the Human Rights Council is the one that created it  the General Assembly, where the U.S. has one vote and Islamic states have 56.

As Freedom House attests, less than half the members of the General Assembly are fully free democracies. The majority aren't going to create a club they cant join.

It is understandable why Council members like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Cuba and China want to masquerade as human rights authorities. But why would the United States want to legitimize this charade by standing beside them?

While America fiddles, the worlds rogues are reaching into your pockets in the name of their entitlements. This week the Council adopted resolutions inserting itself into foreign investment, capital inflows, foreign trade, and financial markets, while demanding more technology transfer, and a development-oriented outcome of trade negotiations of the World Trade Organization.

Sure, we voted against  and we lost. In fact, of the 15 resolutions this session adopted by vote, the United States lost 12 of them. Setting ourselves up for target practice is not a foreign policy in which Americans can take pride.

Mr. President, the UN Human Rights Council, is not your place.
Contrary to media reports Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumers promise to invoke a filibuster signals the success, not the failure, of Judge Neil Gorsuchs Supreme Court nomination. If Democratic Senators had made any progress in attacking Gorsuchs qualifications, record, or judicial philosophy, they could persuade their Republican colleagues to reject Gorsuch. With 48 Senators in their caucus, Democrats would only need persuade three Republicans to join them.

But they cannot. Anyone watching the confirmation hearings  and between us we have watched all of them going back to the ones for Antonin Scalia, whose untimely death created the current vacancy  can tell that the Democratic Senators had already thrown in the towel. They have spent most of their time attacking Donald Trump for matters that have almost nothing to do with Gorsuch, or criticizing their Republican counterparts for refusing to confirm President Barack Obamas nominee, Merrick Garland, for the same seat a year ago.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) pursued the standard Democratic attack line. He questioned Gorsuch on the obscure Emoluments Clause, which prohibits federal officers from receiving gifts or titles from foreign governments. The Emoluments Clause has not given rise to a single Supreme Court case in American history, but Leahy just wanted to score political points on Trumps difficulties in disentangling himself from his businesses. Gorsuch easily avoided the question. Given "ongoing litigation" involving that clause, Gorsuch said, "I have to be very careful about expressing any views."

Leahy also invited Gorsuch to criticize White House counselor Stephen Bannon, whom Leahy accused of giving a platform to extremists and misogynists and racists. This, of course, also has almost nothing to do with whether Gorsuch would be a fit Supreme Court Justice. Again, Gorsuch easily sidestepped. "What vision do you share with President Trump?" the senator asked. "Respectfully, none of you speaks for me," Gorsuch said. "I am a judge. I am independent. I make up my own mind."

Gorsuch is running out the clock and the Democrats can see that they are behind on the scoreboard.

In deciding to play to the peanut gallery of left-wing activist groups with these questions, Democratic Senators gave up their opportunity to build a constitutional case against Gorsuch. Nor could Democrats cannot seem to get past their grievance about the Scalia seat. The Democratic base feels that the Scalia's seat is properly Garland's and that Gorsuch should not benefit from "stolen goods." But this sort of theft, if theft it be, has a long history. Distinguished Virginia law professor Lillian Bevier never got her committee vote, much less a floor vote for her nomination to the Fourth Circuit when Democrats controlled the Senate in 1992. Stellar appellate lawyer Miguel Estrada never received a floor vote in two years for his nomination to the D.C. Circuit. Does anyone doubt that if the shoe were on the other foot, a Democratic Senate majority in 2016 would have delayed confirming Gorsuch if proposed by a Republican President?

Democrats have finally pursued one last strategy, to paint Gorsuch as the cold-hearted nominee who always sides with big business. Their favorite example is the tale of the "frozen trucker". A statute provided that employers may not fire an employee who refuses to operate a vehicle because ... the employee has a reasonable apprehension of serious injury to the employee or the public. In this case, Gorsuch concluded that by driving a truck to avoid the effects of frigid weather, the employee had "operate[d] the vehicle" and hence the bar on firing an employee for refusing to operate the vehicle did not apply. At a minimum, this seems a reasonable interpretation, for the statute apparently focuses on an employee's unwillingness to drive an unsafe vehicle.

But whether Gorsuch was right or wrong, Democratic Senators argue that Gorsuch simply had to agree that the statute protected the driver because the driver was the "little guy." There is no legal principle that demands that judges should always favor the weaker party. Many Democratic judges recognize that the law does not systematically favor the underdog and rule for "big business" all the time. The aphorism "Justice is blind" and "equal justice under law" reflect a proper desire to level the legal playing field. We know a way to decide cases so that the big guy wins 50 percent of the time and the little guy wins 50 percent of the time  it is called a coin flip.

Democrats have tried to "Bork" Gorsuch. But every nominee to the High Court has taken a page out of the post-Bork playbook. The more a nominee says, the more ammunition she supplies to her opponents. Nominees say nothing of consequence, other than defending the rule of law and asserting that judges should enforce existing rules rather than revising them. After Bork, a nominee will never again attempt to educate the Senators who will decide his or her fate. Humility, circumspection, and an insistent refusal to answer hypothetical questions are the cardinal rules of confirmation hearings. Gorsuch is running out the clock and the Democrats can see that they are behind on the scoreboard.

Republicans have created a target-rich environment for Democrats, with Russia, executive orders, health care, the budget, and the Donald's tweets all vying for limited attention. Paradoxically, President's Trump's troubles make it almost impossible for Democratic Senators to focus their opposition on Gorsuch.

The sense that Gorsuch is going to be confirmed is nearly universal, making these hearings as exciting as a Soviet show trial. Some people are going to pay attention. But most already know the ending.
The images coming from London have been stomach-turning.

Videos and photographs showed broken bodies strewn about the Westminster Bridge. Terrified tourists and locals ran for their lives. Bystanders, covered in blood, could be seen trying in vain to save a police officer -- who was viciously stabbed.

Educate yourself about the Rise of Islam in America - Click here to get Todd's new book.

The savagery of the alleged jihadist was breathtaking -- and yet all too familiar.

Men and women on British soil were slaughtered and severely wounded in the name of the religion of peace.

The British are no strangers to the evil work of the jihadists - nor are we. American cities have also been turned into killing fields for the Islamic radicals.

Orlando, Fort Hood, Chattanooga, San Bernardino, Boston. New York City, Washington, D.C. The list goes on and on.

To continue reading Todd's column, click here.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford both told Congress Wednesday that a residual force of U.S. troops should remain in Iraq after the Islamic State is defeated to prevent a resurgence of the terrorist group. That's in line with what Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday at a meeting of the coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Washington.

Testifying before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Mattis said it would be a mistake to declare victory and leave, as the U.S. did in 2011.

"I don't see any reason to pull out again, and find the same lesson," he said.

Many analysts blame the Obama administration for failing to negotiate an agreement with the government of former Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki to keep U.S. troops in an advisory role, a failure they argue led to the rise of the Islamic State.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
A series of controversies and a stalled legislative agenda might be a drag on President Trumps approval ratings, but campaign finance records show Democrats have failed to cash in on the chaos.

Despite making a money pitch after every misstatement or errant tweet, the Democratic National Committee raised $6.4 million last month, compared to $9.5 million pulled in by the Republican National Committee, according to FEC reports filed Monday.

Republicans got off to a good start with a record-setting $20 million haul in January, which is double the total raised by their Democratic counterpart in the first two months of 2017.

To date, the RNC has outpaced the Democrats with nearly $30 million in total receipts, compared with nearly $11.5 million for the DNC.

So far this year, Republican campaign committees have raised nearly $60 million, as opposed to the $36.6 million in receipts brought in by the Democrats, according to the FEC.

The lackluster showing by the DNC is made worse by the fact the party has $10.2 million in cash-on-hand, compared with $39.2 million in GOP coffers  despite the DNC spending $4 million more this year.

In addition, the DNC is carrying $2.8 million in debt, while the RNC has none.

Voters are enthusiastic about the strong leadership from President Trump and Congressional Republicans, who are committed to keeping their promises to the American people, said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Tuesday.

Democrats say they will increase their efforts after the DNC is reoganized.

"The DNC, under the leadership of Tom Perez, is currently doing a top to bottom review of each department and that includes our fundraising efforts. Over the next few months and as we put top leadership in place, the DNC will be ramping up its fundraising efforts," says DNC spokesman Xochitl Hinojosa.

But Republicans also have an advantage on raising funds for their congressional campaigns, albeit a smaller one.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has 25 seats at play in 2018, raised $7.5 million in the first two months.

That lags behind the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which brought in $9.3 million and only has nine seats to defend. According to its March 17 filing, the NRSC has $10.2 million in cash-on-hand.

The cash race is equally close between the National Republican Congressional Committee ($20.5 million) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ($17.6 million).

According to the NRCC, the $10.5 million raised in February 2017 shattered their previous record of $8.1 million in February 2003.

With record fundraising totals for 2 straight months, there is simply no denying that Republican momentum is building for 2018, said NRCC Chairman Steve Stivers in a statement.

Like polls, fundraising totals mean very little with more than 19 months left before the midterm elections.

Nathan Gonzalez, editor of the non-partisan Inside Elections, cautions against drawing correlations between fundraising and electoral results.

The Republicans are certainly benefitting from having the presidency, but Democrats have an opportunity to raise money off of the realities of a Trump presidency, he tells Fox News.

Sometimes there are political problems that money cannot fix and many strategists would rather have enthusiasm rather than money, adds Gonzalez, who notes the debate over repealing Obamacare and achieving tax reform could affect future fundraising.

Rather than continuing to direct their financial support to the national party, Democratic voters may be putting their money into outside interest groups.

In the weeks after the election, the ACLU took in $15 million in contributions and in the weekend after the inauguration, they raised more than $24 million in online donations, according to The Washington Post.

It was just announced that Hollywood activists are holding a benefit on Facebook Live to raise money for the ACLU. The March 31 event will feature featuring A-listers like Tina Fey, Tom Hanks and Alec Baldwin.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that after the initial congressional battle over health care, the administration plans to turn quickly to tax reform with the goal of getting a program approved by Congress by August.

"Health care is a very complicated issue," Mnuchin said. "In a way, tax reform is a lot simpler."

Mnuchin said he had been overseeing work on the administration's bill over the past two months and it would be introduced soon. He said it would be one proposal that would cover both cutting individual and corporate taxes in the same legislation.

"We are not cutting this up and doing little pieces at a time," Mnuchin said.

He said the goal was still to win congressional approval of the tax measure by August. But if the timeline is delayed, he said he expected the proposal to pass by the fall.

At the White House, press secretary Sean Spicer acknowledged the August deadline is an "ambitious one" for such a comprehensive and complicated project, but he said it's a goal the administration "is going to try to stick to."

"Tax refund is something the president is very committed to," Spicer told reporters. Mnuchin had lunch at the White House Friday with President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

In his earlier appearance, Mnuchin did not reveal whether the administration will include a contentious border adjustment tax that is in a House tax proposal. The measure, which would impose a 20 percent tax on imports, has positive and negative features, Mnuchin said. He also would not reveal exactly what corporate tax rate the administration would propose, other than it will be "a lot lower" than the current 35 percent rate.

In a wide-ranging public interview event with the news site Axios, Mnuchin also said Trump's proposal to boost infrastructure spending would probably include $100 billion to $200 billion in federal money and depend on public-private partnerships to boost the total to $1 trillion over the next decade.

Mnuchin was asked whether the administration's tax plan would lower rates at all levels but not include an absolute tax cut for high income individuals because the lower rates for the wealthy would be offset by increases in other areas such as reduced deductions. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, dubbed this goal the "Mnuchin rule" during his confirmation hearing.

Mnuchin did not commit specifically on the goal but said, "The president's objective is a middle income tax cut. ... Our primary focus in a tax cut for the middle income (earners) and not the top."

While Wall Street has staged a huge rally since Trump's surprising election victory, Mnuchin said he believed the market could move still higher as the administration succeeds in implementing its economic program to cut taxes and eliminate burdensome regulations.

He predicted Trump's plan would achieve economic growth of 3 percent to 3.5 percent, up significantly from anemic growth around 2 percent seen in the current recovery, the weakest in the post-World War II period. He said "this is definitely not all baked in" to market expectations.

The Treasury secretary, who participated in his first meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers last weekend in Baden-Baden, Germany, called the meeting a success. He said while news coverage focused on the administration's successful push to drop a pledge to oppose trade protectionism, that took only a small portion of the discussion time.

"On trade, the point I made was that the president wants to have free trade ... but he wants to renegotiate deals" that are not favorable for American workers, Mnuchin said.

In addition to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, Mnuchin said the administration was also planning to focus on stronger enforcement of other trade agreements.
This whole Trump/FBI/Russia/wiretap/surveillance/leaking/intercept thing has become a monumental muddle.

I do this for a living and its become increasingly difficult to unravel, especially in the face of fierce partisanship. Nobody looks good in this mess.

We thought we had some clarity on Monday when James Comey testified that the FBI has no evidence to support President Trumps claim that Barack Obama had him wiretapped or surveilled during the campaign. The two congressional intelligence committees agreed.

Now Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House panel, has muddied the waters on this issueand damaged his credibility in the process. In fact, he apologized yesterday for his handling of the matter.

Nunes big mistake was rushing over to brief the White House about his findings. Remember, this guy is supposed to be heading a bipartisan investigation, and he looked like he was huddling with his home team.

The panels ranking Democrat, Adam Schiff, said the chairmans action casts quite a profound cloud over our ability to do the work.

But the president says he now feels somewhat vindicated by what Nunes is saying. That means Im right, he told Time magazine.

So what exactly is Devin Nunes alleging?

Well, he says hes seen intelligence reports that refer to Americans affiliated with Trump, and possibly the president, being incidentally picked up in some level of surveillance activity  perhaps legal, but I dont know that its right.

This appears to mean the Trump people were picked up or discussed on routine intercepts of foreign citizens, information that is obviously classified. Nunes said U.S. intel agencies were abusing their power.

Even if true, this involves the transition period when Trump was already president-elect, not Trumps charge that the Obama administration was going after him during the campaign. And incidental intercepts dont square with Trumps original charge that he was targeted.

Nunes would not say how he obtained the documents and did not share them with other committee members.

As if that werent convoluted enough, CNN carried a report about Trump and Russia that is also hard to unpack.

Pamela Brown, part of the networks investigative team, said that according to unnamed officials, the FBI has information that indicates associates of Donald Trump communicated with suspected Russian operatives to possibly coordinate the release of information damaging to Hillary Clintons campaign.

That would be explosive if true. But possibly coordinate? If its only possible, doesnt that fall short of a solid story?

A couple of sentences later, Brown offered this caveat: Though officials weve spoken to caution that this information is not conclusive and the investigation is ongoing. These other officials say it is premature to assume the campaign colluded with Moscow based on largely circumstantial evidence.

Not conclusive? Premature? Circumstantial?

I spent many years as an investigative reporter, and to me, information that is not conclusive and circumstantial about something that possibly happened doesnt clear the bar. Its a sign that you should keep on reporting.

So between partisan sniping and qualified media reports, all based on anonymous sources, the whole controversy is increasingly coming across as Beltway noise.
The European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, has today renewed its strong support for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine, under its recently extended mandate, for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements - funding will be provided in the amount of EUR three million in the field of satellite visual reconnaissance.

"The use of satellite imagery allows for more in-depth monitoring of the situation in areas where regrettably monitors still do not have access to, and also for a more efficient deployment of monitors in general. This fresh support again underlines the European Union's strong commitment to the full respect of the Minsk agreements, which offer the best chance for moving towards a peaceful, sustainable solution to the conflict in Ukraine based on respect for its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and our determination to accompany and support the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission," the EU representation in Ukraine quotes High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini as saying.

The embassy noted that satellite visual reconnaissance is an extremely important analytical and planning mechanism, especially given that it allows the OSCE SMM to identify broad areas to which mission monitors do not have access. With this mechanism, you can also receive information about the damage to the infrastructure, the presence or movement of manpower and equipment.

This funding will be distributed through the European Union's Satellite Center. The center will search for the necessary images and, at the request of the OSCE, provide the mission with the results of the analyses.

Since the beginning of its activities (April 2014), the OSCE SMM in Ukraine has received support from the instrument to promote stability and peace in the amount of EUR 30 million, the representative office recalled.

The mandate of the OSCE SMM was extended until March 2018.
A key lawmaker who went public this week with charges the Obama administration collected and spread information from surveillance of President Trumps transition team said Friday documents he's been shown "concerned me."

Theres some information in those documents that concerned me and I dont think belonged in there, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told reporters at a press conference.

He reasserted that it seemed that the information was still collected legally, and also expressed concern about the decision to unmask names.

By law, Americans caught incidentally during surveillance of foreign targets must be protected by having their names "masked." Nunes said more than one American - and possibly Trump - had their names "unmasked" and their names and information were widely distributed within the intelligence community.

It appears like this was all legal survillance from what I can tell, he said, but later added: You have to ask why were names unmasked.

"Maybe someone has a good reason for it but not from what I've been able to read," he said.

Nunes said NSA Director Mike Rogers has been "highly cooperative" with his committee and could turn over documents, possibly transcripts of surveilled conversations, Friday or sometime next week.

Nunes did not say how many names were unmasked.

"There was additional unmasking that was done in the documents I read the other day. I don't know who asked for them to be unmasked, i just know there are more," he said, although he said he knew about the unmasking before he read the documents.

He re-emphasized, however, that President Trumps claims that Obama had Trump Tower wiretapped, appeared unfounded.

There was no wiretapping of Trump Tower -- that didnt happen, he said.

Nunes dropped a midweek bombshell when he told reporters Wednesday that he had seen information showing that communications by Trump transition officials had been picked up via incidental collection  meaning they had been picked up as security agencies had been monitoring other targets.

Nunes said while the information had been obtained legally, he added that it showed that communications were then widely disseminated in an improper manner during the last days of the administration.

He also told reporters that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had volunteered to be interviewed by the committee.

REP. NUNES: 'I HAD A DUTY AND OBLIGATION' TO TELL TRUMP OF SURVEILLANCE INTEL

Manafort acknowledged this week that he had worked for a Russian billionaire about a decade ago, but he denied an Associated Press report suggesting the lobbying efforts served Russian political interests.

Manafort resigned from the Trump team in August after it was revealed he had previously worked for the pro-Russian party of ex-Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych.

But Nunes warned about reading too much into it, and emphasized that Manafort had volunteered to be interviewed. As for other people mentioned in press reports, Nunes warned against that.

Were not going to get into neo-McCarthyism era where we just start bringing in Americans just because they were mentioned in a press story, he said.

Both Rogers and FBI Director James Comey will return for closed sessions testimony next week, Nunes said.

Trump's initial National Security Adviser, Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, was forced to resign after information leaked to the press showed he had been in contact with the Russian ambassador, who was under surveillance.
The most talked-about man in Washington this week might have gone unrecognized outside the beltway before a dramatic press conference at which he claimed to have seen evidence President Trump was spied on.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is now solidly in the public eye as he leads the charge on two major investigations. One is the investigation into Russias apparent interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the other is President Trumps claim that former President Barack Obama wire-tapped Trump Tower.

Nunes hasn't exactly been silent about the investigations, but it was a meeting he had with Trump Wednesday - and a memorable news conference right before - that put him front and center.

I have a lot more friends, thats definitely for sure. Every time Im on the (House) floor, I have members coming up to me.  Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

At the dramatic news conference, Nunes announced he had obtained on Tuesday intelligence that indicated President Trump's personal communications had been swept up in what he described as "incidental" surveillance.

"There seems to me to be some level of surveillance activity, perhaps legal, but I dont know that its right," Nunes said Wednesday. He added that he wasn't sure "the American people would be comfortable with what I read."

Nunes disclosed he had not shared any of the documents he discussed with the president with a single one of his committee colleagues. His democratic counterpart, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said that by Friday afternoon, he still hadn't been shown the information.

"It's not just that he hasn't shared them with Democrats on the committee," Schiff said on Friday, "he hasn't shared them with the Republicans on the committee. All of us are essentially in the dark."

Complicating the matter, Schiff said, was the fact that "it is associates of the president who are potentially the subject of investigation... So to take evidence that may or may not be related to the investigation to the White House was wholly inappropriate and, of course, cast grave doubts into the ability to run a credible investigation."

Nunes may be crusading against the surveillance of Americans, but in the past he has criticized those who would limit the scope of National Security Agency programs. Speaking with CQ Roll Call back in 2014, Nunes suggested the attack on NSA has just been sad to watch... Weve got other foreign governments spying on everyone.

At the time, House Intel was drafting a bill to revamp surveillance policies and end the NSA practice of collecting and storing data on Americans' phone, email and Internet use.

Nunes represents California's 22nd congressional district, and has served in the House of Representatives since 2003. He worked on his family's farm as a child and raised cattle as a teenager, before buying some farmland of his own along with his brother. At the age of 23, he became one of the youngest Californians to be elected to public office, serving as a trustee for a local community college.

When former House Intel Committee Chairman Mike Rogers' announced his surprise retirement back in 2014, Nunes' name quickly bubbled up as a possible replacement. Nunes was quoted at the time as saying he had always planned on pursuing the chairmanship, offering both his work on the committee itself and as chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, of which he remains a member, as proof of his credentials.

When then-Speaker John Boehner announced Nunes would assume the chairmanship in November of 2014, he suggested Nunes had been "instrumental in ensuring that our intelligence professionals have the resources they need to keep America safe."

The appointment of Nunes, a harsh critic of the Obama administration on issues like Benghazi, created concerns that the frequently secretive committee could be plunged into a cycle of public partisanship. The ongoing & increasingly public feud this past week between Nunes and Schiff suggests that some of those concerns may have been justified.

Nunes wound up becoming a member of the president's transition team, and was reportedly instrumental in the selection of Gen. James Mattis for the role of Defense Secretary, with McClatchy DC describing Nunes as "a combination of headhunter, Capitol Hill liaison and shaper of policy."

I have a lot more friends, thats definitely for sure, Nunes told McClatchy back in December. Every time Im on the (House) floor, I have members coming up to me.
The chairman of the House intelligence committee told Fox News' "Hannity" Thursday night that "I felt like I had a duty and obligation to tell" President Trump that members of the intelligence community "incidentally collected" communications from Trump's transition team.

POTENTIAL 'SMOKING GUN' SHOWING OBAMA ADMINISTRATION MAY HAVE SPIED ON TRUMP TEAM, SOURCE SAYS

"As you know [Trump]s been taking a lot of heat in the news media," Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told host Sean Hannity, "and I think to some degree there are some things that he should look at to see whether in fact he thinks the collection was proper or not."

Nunes was criticized by the committee's ranking member, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., for making the information public without first telling them. Another of the committee's Democrats, Jackie Speier of California, told reporters Nunes had apologized to them earlier Thursday.

TRUMP TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CAPTURED BY INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY SURVEILLANCE, NUNES SAYS

Nunes told Hannity that the committee expected to get further information about the intercepted messages Friday. He reiterated that the reports he saw "had nothing to do with Russia ... but it was important enough that I thought the president of the United States should know what is being said about him and his transition team."

The chairman also said the lack of an FBI investigation into who leaked details of phone calls between then-national security adviser Michael Flynn and the Russian ambassador to Washington was "quite concerning."

"We need to make sure that these leaks are being tracked down," Nunes said, "and its part of our investigation ... to make sure that we do try to find who was at least knowledgeable of the information that eventually got leaked."
The White House expressed optimism Friday afternoon that the Republican-backed health care bill would pass the House despite speculation it was short of support ahead of an afternoon vote demanded by President Trump.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump is looking forward to the House passing the bill and confirmed House Speaker Paul Ryan is meeting with Trump to discuss the way forward on the bill.

According to GOP lawmakers and congressional aides, House Republican leaders were short of the votes needed for the bill to pass.

Trump on Friday told lawmakers still on the fence over repealing and replacing ObamaCare with TrumpCare, that voting against the White House-backed bill is tantamount to voting for Planned Parenthood.

Trump tweeted Friday, The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!"

In a bid to coax support from conservatives, House leaders proposed a fresh amendment repealing Obama's requirement that insurers cover 10 specified services like maternity and mental health care.

Conservatives have demanded the removal of those and other conditions the law imposes on insurers, arguing they drive up premiums.

The president met with members of the Freedom Caucus Thursday in an effort to win them over. But the vote was postponed after administration officials fell short.

Trump issued lawmakers an ultimatum Thurday night. He wants the House to vote Friday on the legislation to begin dismantling ObamaCare and if it fails, he is "done with health care, and ready to move on to tax reform, a source told Fox News.

"My understanding is hes going to get it," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on "The O'Reilly Factor."

"Were hoping to make this the last anniversary that any American has to suffer under ObamaCare by instilling a patient-centric health care system in place, and the president has made that case to members throughout the spectrum of the Republican conference, and tomorrow, its time to vote," he added.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., thinks it will wrap up by 4:30 or 5 p.m. ET (WATCH FOX NEWS CHANNEL FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE). If the bill passes, it will be a monumental achievement for Speaker Ryan and Trump. But if the bill stumbles, recriminations will abound.

Trump's demands aren't sitting well with some Republicans.

Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie tweeted Friday morning:

"If Exec branch tells Legislative branch "when 2 vote" "how 2 vote" & "what it will b allowed 2 work on if vote fails," is that a republic?"

Republican leaders Thursday canceled a vote after leadership's attempts to lobby enough votes apparently failed -- a major setback for Ryan and Trump.

"For seven and a half years we've been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it's collapsing and failing families," House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters after meeting with Republican leaders. "Tomorrow we're proceeding."

Trump and Republican leaders had spent much of the day scrambling to get both moderates and conservatives on board with the increasingly unpopular legislation.

"We have not gotten enough of our members to get to yes at this point under what we have now," House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., told reporters.

Ryan postponed his press conference twice as he worked with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy R-Calif., Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., to get enough votes to get the American Healthcare Act through the House on the seventh anniversary of ObamaCare's passage.

The House Rules Committee is expected to prep the health care bill starting at 7am ET Friday.

When asked about the timing of the vote McCarthy told Fox News the House should be "done in the afternoon" but said Democrats could delay things.

Meanwhile, Trump met inside the Cabinet room with the Freedom caucus to try and rally conservatives to the cause. He also tweeted, urging supporters to call their representatives to back the bill.

A senior administration official told Fox News after the meeting with Trump and the conservative group that there was a deal in the works, but that it was not yet finalized. A source from the Freedom Caucus later said there wasn't yet a deal.

"I would say progress is being made, and that progress should be applauded with the efforts by the White House to deliver on a campaign promise, and to lower premiums for every American from coast to coast and in between," Meadows said. He also called Trump's involvement "unparalleled in the history of our country."

When asked if this was a loss for the president, Meadows said: "Absolutely not."

Earlier in the day, Spicer had expressed confidence that the White House was would be voted on and would pass.

"Its going to pass. Thats it," he said at his daily press briefing.

Spicer also noted that Trump had been making calls past 11 p.m. Wednesday night to try and bring members on board.

Sources later told Fox News that the White House was anticipating a vote after midnight, but that was before the vote was canceled.

House Republicans were due to meet about the around 7 p.m. ET, but there appeared no clear path to pass the bill.

In appealing to conservatives with concessions that include limiting requirements that plans offer benefits including maternity and substance abuse care, Republican leaders risk scaring off moderates. A plan to cut funding to Planned Parenthood also risked spooking centrist Republicans.

Meanwhile, Democrats blasted what they saw as Republicans amateurish maneuvering. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said it was a "rookie's error" to bring the legislation to a vote so early, and urged fellow Democrats to oppose the legislation.

While Republicans scramble to make TrumpCare even more destructive, our Caucus must continue to be fully engaged today in exposing its disastrous consequences for the American people, she told colleagues in a letter Thursday.

The AHCA would stop ObamaCares tax penalties against Americans who choose not to buy coverage, as well as cutting the federal-state Medicaid program for low earners. It would also give tax credits to help people pay medical bills, while allowing insurers to charge older Americans more. It would also repeal tax increases on high-earners and health companies.

Fox News' John Roberts, Mike Emanuel, Serafin Gomez, Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump is praising a plan by cable company Charter Communications to invest $25 billion and hire 20,000 American workers over the next four years.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Charter Communications CEO Thomas Rutledge joined Trump at the White House for the announcement.

Rutledge says that the company will return the call center jobs acquired through Time Warner Cable to the United States, opening a new call center in McAllen, Texas, and hiring 600 workers there.

Trump says the plans will be great for American workers. The president is telling Rutledge, "you watch, it will be one of your really fantastic decisions."
Are kitchens destined to end up on the list of endangered rooms?

With Americans opting to dine out-- and order in-- more and more, kitchens may be getting used less for prepping food. Still, interior designers like Bea Pila arent concerned about losing the kitchen portion of their business. In fact, Im currently designing a $100,000 kitchen for a client who doesnt even cook, says the owner of B. Pila Design in Miami.

So what does a kitchen look like if its not used for cooking? Or what can it look like?

Here are a few things to do in your kitchen if you dont need the space for food storage or prep.

1. Alternative Appliances

By swapping out a toaster and Kitchen-Aid for an espresso machine and a wine cooler you can easily transform your kitchen into a beverage station. Add comfortable seating and low lighting and you have a well-stocked lounge. The kitchen is a default gathering spot, so even if you dont use it for cooking, that doesnt mean it cant be company-friendly. It can also be used as a command center.

My plan in our current kitchen is to install an oversized, wall-mounted tablet, says Donna Garlough, Style Director at Wayfair and Joss & Main. We'll use it to display a family calendar of all our work and school events, childcare schedule, doctors' appointments, etc. It'll also control our Nest system, the sound system and a home security system.

2. Anything but the Kitchen Sink

Kitchen sinks are great for spot washing delicates and shampooing your hair, says designer Edgar Marroquin of ABQ Home Staging. If you fancy turning your kitchen into a pseudo-greenhouse, kitchen sinks also make perfect watering and potting stations. L.A. based designer, Mark Cutler, can also see the kitchen making a great home for your indoor pets: Use it for your reptile house or aquarium. Both are notorious for the amount of work needed to keep them clean, so having running water nearby is perfect. Its also handy to have a fridge for storing fresh pet food.

For clients who are serious wine drinkers, designer Nancy Dalton, owner of Baywolf Dalton, Inc., suggests utilizing the compost bin section as an ice cooler for chilling bottles of bubbly. For clients who are crafters or painters, Dalton incorporates sophisticated storage systems of multi-layered grids and self-healing cutting mats so the sink area can be used for drip drying and precision cutting.

3. Unplug the Oven

In New York City, its not uncommon to open someones oven and find piles of clothes, books, cleaning supplies or shoes staring back at you. With their racks, built-in insulation and easy-to-open doors, ovens are convenient places to keep items you frequently access but dont want laying around as eyesores. New York City-based designer Sasha Bikoff believes the kitchen makes a great extension of the closet (for example: line drawers with velvet for displaying jewelry) and she recommends storing your sweaters or bulkier items in the oven if youre short on closet space. Just remember to unplug the oven before stashing your flammables.

4. Dishwasher Duty

If youre not cooking, you probably dont have many dishes to wash so why not use your dishwasher as extra storage space? Dishwashers are handy for storing smaller items like handbags, hats and jewelry. Like the oven, its probably best to make sure its unplugged before its used as a closet. Granted, you may want to keep it plugged in if you plan on utilizing it as a sanitizer. Dishwashers are great for sanitizing shoes, plastic toys and hair combs and accessories. See here for a curated list of 20 things to wash in the dishwasher.

5. Cabinets Be Gone

When Monica Mangin, host of Lowes The Weekender, was transforming a homeowners kitchen into her dream photography studio, she immediately got rid of the cabinets. In their place, she installed cubes where the photographer could display her work. Even if youre not a professional artist, clearing up this wall space is like creating a blank canvas, giving you room to show off your work-- or, if youre an avid collector, your latest finds. If books are your thing, replace the cabinets with shelves and you have an instant library with great lighting.

6. Keep Your Fridge

Its hard to live without a fridge. Even hotels have mini fridges. It may have been a dozen years since you last bought a dozen eggs, but fridges are nice to have on hand for storing takeout leftovers and cold beverages. If you choose to store extra clothing in your fridge, use the tall space next to the fridge to store your ironing board so you have an easy setup for steaming and pressing. Interested in dabbling in creating flower arrangements? Use your fridge to store fresh bulbs.

7. Countertop Desks

Because of the task lighting commonly found in kitchens and the abundance of accessible outlets within reach, countertops make great work spaces for everything from drawing to sewing and crafting. If you have a home office, consider your kitchen island your desk which can easily convert into a standup desk when you remove the stools. Dalton often includes built-in USB charging stations in countertops for clients who work from home. She also knows how to install TV screens and monitors that rise up out of the counter so clients can have their high tech and hide it too.
The Senate Thursday voted to roll back the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) broadband privacy rules designed to give consumers greater control over how internet service providers (ISPs) collect, share, and sell personal information.

The rules, scheduled to go into effect later this year, would require ISPs to get consumers' permission before using "sensitive" information for commercial purposes. And the term sensitive was expanded beyond all children's information, Social Security numbers, and medical and financial data to include web browsing and app usage histories, and the content of communications such as email.

The Senate move signals an end to the FCC's effort to beef up ISP privacy requirements. The consumer-protection measures were adopted by the FCC in 2016 under then-chairman Tom Wheeler. But his Trump-era successor, Ajit Pai, opposes the rules. The agency under Pai already has rescinded a separate provision that imposed stronger data protection on ISPs.

Internet service providers like Comcast and AT&T have been trying to get rid of these rules since the day they were approved, and the Senate just handed them a big victory," said Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel for Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports. "Consumers have a fundamental right to privacy. This move by the Senate is a huge step in the wrong direction, and it completely ignores the needs and concerns of consumers.

The organization noted that nearly 50,000 consumers joined an online petition last month favoring the FCC's privacy rules. And in a nationally representative CR Consumer Voices Survey, 65 percent of Americans said they were either slightly or not at all confident that their personal data is private and not distributed without their knowledge.

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson before the vote on Wednesday said the rules put "American consumerseach one of us who pay these monthly fees for their broadband servicein the driver's seat of how our personal data is used and shared. Is that too much to ask? I don't think so."

The resolution will still have to pass the House of Representatives, which it is likely to do, and then be signed by President Trump.

What's Next for Consumer Privacy?

ISPs have been under the FCC's jurisdiction only since 2015, when they were reclassified as public utilities under something called Title II of the Communications Act. Meantime, web-based companies such as Amazon and Google are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and face less stringent requirements.

Republican legislators and lobbyists from cable, telecom, and advertising industries say that difference in regulation is unfair. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) said Wednesday that the FCC had "unfairly distorted the marketplace when it imposed unnecessarily onerous privacy restrictions on broadband providers while leaving the rest of the internet under the strong and successful regime at the FTC."

The federal government could move authority over ISPs back to the FCC. However, that would be a complex process, and one not favored by advocacy groups, including Consumers Union. "Any fondness for the FTCs approach to privacy is merely support for dramatically weaker privacy protections favored by most corporations," the organization wrote in a letter to senators earlier this week. "There is no question that consumers favor the FCCs current broadband privacy rules."

The measure passed by a 50-48 vote along party lines Thursday.

To roll back the rules, Republican senators employed a legislative maneuver that "prevents the FCC from adopting similar rules, even far weaker ones, to protect internet users in the future, said Consumer Union's Schwantes. That restriction is one of the facets of the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which the Senate used Thursday.

The CRA, passed in 1996 to allow Congress to overturn a rule issued by a federal agency, had been used successfully only once before 2017. However, since his inauguration, Trump has signed three CRA resolutions of disapproval into law.

Copyright  2005-2017 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission. Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this site.
More than two dozen school buses in a rural county in South Carolina have a Wi-Fi connection to help students with their homework.

Tech giant Google has invested nearly $180,000 for the states first Rolling Study Hall initiative. The money was used to provide Wi-Fi on 28 of 194 buses that drive to and from the Title I Schools. The company also provided Chromebooks.

Lilyn Hester, a spokesperson for Google, says the Rolling Study Hall Initiative is an investment in young people. Their goal is to prepare children for future jobs.

It opens up the world to these young children, Hester told Fox News. At Google we dont want the fact that they do not have access to the internet or devices to be a barrier.

FEELING SICK AND NEED A DOCTOR? THERE'S AN EMOJI FOR THAT

Most families in Berkeley County lack internet access, but now 1,700 students have laptops and Wi-Fi access to complete their assignments.

Trinity Barnes, a 4th grader at the school, says she loves her new laptop.

It makes me feel more comfortable with the lesson," Barnes said. It makes me feel more confident when she (teacher) asks me a question.

Kimberly Council, a teacher at St. Stephen Elementary School says teaching doesnt stop once the kids leave the classroom. After teaching a full day she gets on the bus right along with her students.

TOP 10 'BREAKTHROUGH' TECHNOLOGIES FOR 2017

With the teacher being on the bus it allows us the opportunity to continue helping them with their homework.

Many of the students have a two-hour commute before making it home, which gives them plenty of time to complete their assignments and they have a teacher, like Council, on the bus to answer any questions they may have.

The kids are, they are technology savvy. With the teacher on the bus we can enhance that, Council said. Their homework is done and they dont have to rely on their parents, because a lot of the parents sometimes cant help them with their homework.

Deanna Milford is a parent of five students that attend St. Stephen Elementary School. Chromebooks were issued to two of her children for free. She says the rolling study hall makes a difference.

KIDS IN 'NETFLIX ONLY' HOMES DON'T KNOW WHAT TV ADS ARE

It helps because, like I said everything is done and the kids, when they get home, all I have to do is get them ready for bed, the homework part is already done, Milford said. So thats better for me.

Milford says she has even noticed her daughters' grades improve. My oldest, she was actually failing two of her classes, Milford told Fox. And her grades have gone up to passing.

Council says other teachers have noticed a difference too.

Teachers say they see a big improvement in the grades because of the fact that they can continue on the Chromebooks on the bus. It gives them something to do while they take the long ride. It keeps them motivated, Council said.

FOR THE LATEST TECH FEATURES FOLLOW FOX NEWS TECH ON FACEBOOK

A filtration system is installed on each device, preventing students from surfing on inappropriate sites according to Diane Driggers, executive director of technology at Berkeley County School District.

We go through a process. Our filter blocks some things based on the category of the site, Driggers said.

If any teachers or any administrators find other sites that students have gotten to that we need to block, we can manipulate that filter and add those sites to it as well.

Council says the work is rewarding. I feel as though if I can just do a small portion to help the students and help the parents that dont have Wi-Fi, that cant help their kids with their homework. It makes me go home and know I did something to make a difference in that childs life.
The flight attendants at American Airlines have been itching for new uniforms since late last year, and now theyre finally going to get them.

In response to thousands of complaints over their recently redesigned uniforms, American Airlines announced Monday that they will be providing new off the shelf alternatives from industrial clothing company Aramark. The new items which will be made from both polyester and cotton.

The companys current uniforms, which reportedly contain wool, were first introduced in September. Within weeks, flight attendants were blaming their new gear for causing a variety of health issues, from hives and rashes to burning eyes and headaches.

Bob Ross, the president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (AFPA) union, considers the companys concession to be a victory, reports Forbes.

SODA SPILL PROMPTS EMERGENCY LANDING OF AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT

We were able to get the company to work with us and to recognize the problem and to search out avenues to mitigate it, Ross said.

The AFPA first asked American to recall the problematic uniforms in November on behalf of its 25,000-plus members, more than 3,000 of which filed complains, according to Ross.

The company recognized that our data collection was detailed and accurate, he said.

Even after months of mounting complaints, the legacy carrier seemed hesitant to blame their wool-rich uniforms for the majority of the allergic reactions in a letter to the staff.

We continue to have full confidence that the current uniforms are safe, and we know that the vast majority of team members have not had any issue with them, wrote the airline, in a letter obtained by The Consumerist. However, we recognize that some still have concerns about the current collection.

Twin Hill, the company that manufactured the current uniforms, has also maintained that the clothing is safe. However, they have said they fully cooperated with Americans decision to provide Aramark alternatives.

We hope this option resolves the unions concerns, Twin Hill wrote in a statement.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The AFPA has already told its members that they will continue to push for a permanent replacement uniform.

It is an interim solution at best, the union told members on Tuesday, reports The Dallas Business Journal. APFA will continue to demand that the company find a permanent, long-term solution to ensure that all flight attendants have confidence in the uniforms that they wear.

Meanwhile, American will distribute their limited-supply of Aramark uniforms to staff in immediate need first. More of the Aramark alternatives will be available in the fall.

A representative for American Airlines was not immediately available for comment.
One of the world's biggest cruise lines has pulled a popular resort city from its itineraries because of concerns about violent crime in the area.

Carnival Corporations Holland America line runs eight different cruises that stop in Mexican locations, but it has now scrapped Acapulco from its itineraries for both 2017 and 2018 due to rising security fears.

Holland America released a statement Wednesday which read, Due to recent security concerns, Holland America Line has replaced calls at Acapulco, Mexico, with alternative Mexican ports on eight scheduled 2017/2018 cruises.

Itineraries include seven Panama Canal [sailings] and one South America cruise.

Guests on affected cruises have been notified of the change. At Holland America Line, the safety of our guests is our top priority.

Acapulco is a major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico that has long been popular with vacationers within Mexico and from around the world.

It became famous as a luxury destination in the 1950s for Hollywood stars. It was later immortalized in the 1988 hit song by the Four Tops, that was written and produced by Phil Collins and Lamont Dozier for the soundtrack to the film "Buster."

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

In the film, Buster, played by Collins, flees to Acapulco after taking part in a robbery in London.

Since then, million the world over have flocked to beautiful rocky beaches of Pacific town.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

But the area in Mexico has been marred by violence in recent years.

A message on the UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) reads: Due to an increase in violent crime in recent months, you should exercise a high degree of caution in Acapulco and surrounding areas.

Although Carnival has dropped Acapulco from its itinerary, other cruise companies including Norwegian Cruise Line Holding and Silversea Cruises are currently continuing to operate in the area.

This article originally appeared on The Sun.
The first deputy head of the Shevchenkivska District State Administration in Kyiv, Viktor Andreyev, has been detained on suspicion of creating a criminal organization that appropriated property and funds (the total amount is about UAH 30 million), the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has said.

"The metropolitan prosecutor's office handed over a suspicion and detained Andreyev, deputy head of Shevchenkivska District State Administration, who is suspected of creating a criminal organization that appropriated the property of the territorial community amounted to UAH 27 million, and also seized the funds of private enterprises in the amount of UAH two million," the prosecutor general wrote on his Facebook page on Friday.

Lutsenko also thanked the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko "for signals about corruption."
A plane that was about to depart Kennedy Airport for Florida was forced to return to the gate Wednesday when a 24-year-old man overdosed on heroin and anxiety medication, officials said.

The JetBlue plane was on the taxiway and about to take off when the man, who lives in Bethpage, Long Island, started foaming at the mouth around 10:50 p.m.

The flight returned to the terminal and was boarded by Port Authority cops Eric Stern and Sean Pomerantz, who found the distressed man floating in and out of consciousness.

The man also appeared confused and was having trouble breathing, officials said.

The officers determined the man was under the influence of heroin and anti-anxiety pills and administered a dose of Narcan, a drug that reverses the effects of an overdose.

The mans condition improved and he was rushed to Jamaica Hospital for treatment, officials said.

Click for more from the New York Post.
Unsurprisingly, a new study has confirmed that surfers know what's cool before anybody else.

A study from the University of Oxford suggests that promoting areas with good surf breaks could help spur economic growth (especially in developing areas) by 2.2 percentage points a year.

"We conducted four sets of experiments, and they all confirm that good waves significantly increase growth, particularly after recent discoveries and during El Nino years," Sam Wills, a co-author of the study and economist at University of Sydney, told Bloomberg.

The study, released last week, was inspired by Wills's trip to Taghazout, Morocco -- where he discovered that the town, now dominated by surfers, had once just been a sleepy fishing village. He decided to explore global trends from 1992 to 2013 to discover the impact that surfing has on an area.

The fastest growing surf breaks from that time period were found in Costa Rica, Peru, Malaysia, Vietnam, and New Zealand. Western Australia also took several top spots.

According to Wills, once surfers discover a high-quality surf break and begin frequenting it, they provide a channel for investment, which then grows to support an entire tourism industry. He specifically pointed to Byron Bay in Australia and Jeffreys Bay in South Africa as tourism centers that once start as small surf towns.

However, the trend also works in reverse: As surf breaks disappear, the tourism surrounding the area also diminishes.

"Surfers are the trendsetters, then the other tourists follow," Tarik Senhaji, director-general of the Moroccan Sovereign Wealth Fund, said last year.

In other words: If you want to know what's cool before anybody else, it's time to pick up a surfboard.
Two Southern California toddlers subject of an Amber Alert after the car they were in was stolen have been found safely, authorities said.

Cathedral City police said on Twitter that the brothers, 1-year-old Jayden Cortez and 2-year-old Carlos Cortez, were inside of their babysitters Honda Accord when she stepped out for an errand Thursday night and someone stole it.

Police said the incident happened around 6:44 p.m. and an Amber Alert was issued soon after.

Authorities said the abandoned car and the children were found early Friday in Desert Hot Springs, which is about 12 miles north of Palm Springs and about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.

On Facebook, Cathedral City police said they would be reunited with their family shortly.

Police said they have no information on the suspect.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An off-duty Indiana State Trooper is being recognized for his heroic actions after he helped a couple escape a fire at their home.

Trooper Jacob Ridgway was driving his marked state police vehicle around 6 p.m. Wednesday when he noticed white smoke coming from the rear of the residence, the Indiana State Police said in a news release.

After he drove past, Ridgway noticed in his rear view window the smoke went from white to black and got increasingly thicker. When he backed up to the house, police said he saw a vehicle fully engulfed in flames under the home's carport.

The homeowner, 79-year-old Jack Mitchener, appeared to be "in shock" outside the carport, according to police. Ridgway was able to get him away from the fire, but he was unable to get any information from him.

A neighbor arrived shortly afterwards and told Ridgeway that Mitchener's wife, Virginia, age 72, was still in the house. Police said at that point the fire had spread to the rear of the house.

Ridgway then was able to enter the home through a side door and found Virginia sitting in a chair with her walker nearby. The trooper was able to help her out the door as smoke was filling the home, police said.

He ran to his car and radioed dispatch to summon fire units. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident, according to the ISP.

This incident demonstrates more than just being at the right place at the right time," the ISP said in a news release. "It serves as a reminder that an Indiana State Trooper is always on duty, and it further demonstrates the value of troopers living in the communities they serve."

Ridgway has been with the ISP for one year.
Ohio has agreed to pay about $1.45 million each to two men declared wrongfully imprisoned for more than 16 years in a woman's 1988 slaying.

The Ohio Court of Claims announced Thursday it has approved a settlement between the state and Robert Gondor and Randy Resh. The men were 24 years old when a man who pleaded guilty in the murder of 31-year-old Connie Nardi in Portage County implicated them as accomplices.

Both were convicted. But they continued to argue their innocence.

Resh was acquitted in a retrial. Charges against Gondor were dropped. The men were freed in 2007.

A 2014 civil case ruling affirmed by an appeals court found both men were wrongfully imprisoned.

An attorney for Resh and Gondor says they're moving forward with their lives.
A 20-year old Pennsylvania man is suspected of murdering his girlfriend's 4-year-old son and now his mother is being accused of helping him.

Keith Jordan Lambing and Lambing's mother Kristen Herold, were found by police in an abandoned home in Butler, Pa. after receiving a tip. The two were sent to Butler County Prison, Butler Township Police told Fox News.

Officials plan to charge Lambing with homicide, Butler District Attorney Richard Goldinger told Fox News.

Herold is charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution, endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person, Butler Township Police said in a statement.

Both Lambing and Herold were found at the abandoned home, Goldinger said. They had warrants for their arrest unrelated to the child's death, Butler Township Police Lt. Matthew Pearson told Fox News. Keith Lambing didn't show up to a burglary hearing the day before the 4-year-old died.

The 4-year-old had been staying at the Super 8 motel in Butler with his mother, Lambing and a baby.

The childs mother was at work when the 4-year-old needed medical attention, Goldinger said. Lambing called Herold for help. She came and picked up the boy but the child became unresponsive in the car. Herold called 911 for help and pulled into a parking lot. Paramedics came to the scene, performed CPR on the unresponsive child and took him to Butler Memorial Hospital where he died Tuesday, Goldinger said.

The baby who was also staying at the motel is no longer under the mother's custody, Goldinger added. Youth services took the baby under protective custody.

The 4-year olds mother is not considered a person of interest, Goldinger noted.

The pathologist ruled the boy's death a homicide, Goldinger said, but when Fox News reached out to the Butler County Coroners Office, they said they were not releasing information about the autopsy at this time.

A vigil for the 4-year-old was held Wednesday.
A Texas judge is being sued in federal court by the nation's leading secularist legal organization because of his courtroom tradition of having guest pastors and chaplains offer an invocation before each session.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates for a strict separation of church and state, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Montgomery County Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack that argues that he has repeatedly violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by holding Christian prayers at the beginning of each session.

END BIBLE CLASSES? WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL SEEKS TO DISMISS ATHEIST LAWSUIT

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three plaintiffs directly affected by Mack's courtroom prayer tradition and was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston.

According to the lawsuit, Mack vowed to institute "religious values within the office" during his 2014 Republican primary campaign for his position as Justice of the Peace for Montgomery County Precinct 1. He also said that he would implement a "chaplaincy program."

ALABAMA CHURCH AIMS TO HIRE ITS OWN POLICE

"Shortly after assuming the office of Justice of the Peace on May 1, 2014, Judge Mack implemented the practice of opening each court session with a prayer delivered by a guest chaplain," the lawsuit explains.

In August 2014, one of the plaintiffs appeared in Mack's courtroom and quoted Mack as telling the crowd that if they are offended by the prayer, "you can leave into the hallway and your case will not be affected."

"The guest chaplain then stood and read from the Christian Bible for five to eight minutes, directing the reading to those present in the courtroom," the lawsuit claims. "After the five-to eight-minute sermon, the guest chaplain asked everyone to bow their heads for a prayer. During the prayer, Judge Mack did not bow his head, but observed those in the courtroom."

The lawsuit further explains that the plaintiff felt as though "the outcome of her case would be affected by how she chose to react."

Commenting on FFRF's lawsuit filed Tuesday, First Liberty CEO and President Kelly Shackelford called Mack's prayer practice a "settled issue."

"Judge Mack's program is an excellent idea and a great way to serve the community," Shackelford said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "It has already been upheld by both The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct and the Texas Attorney General."

Click Here to Read the Full Story at ChristianPost.com
A Houston middle school staff member is facing charges after he was accused of impregnating a 13-year-old student.

Mauricio Orlando Mendoza was an information technology worker at the school until the accusations surfaced in December. Prosecutors allege that he and the girl had sex on school grounds on multiple occasions. After the girl's parents found out about the alleged misconduct, the teen learned she was pregnant.

The 37-year-old married father was arrested Wednesday and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was released on $50,000 bond.

His attorney did not return a message seeking comment.
Corpus Christi police said they have been unable to substantiate a tip that a Tennessee school teacher and a student he's accused of kidnapping were in the South Texas Gulf Coast city.

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

Tennessee authorities have been hunting for 50-year-old Tad Cummins and 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas, who last was seen March 13.

Tennessee authorities shared a tip with Corpus Christi police that a vehicle matching the description of Cummins' car, with Tennessee tags, had been spotted in the city's North Beach area.

TENNESSEE SCHOOL BUS CRASH: FORMER DRIVER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER

Police said officers checked the area, businesses and surveillance videos Thursday and can't confirm the information. Police said in a statement they haven't found any credible witnesses placing either the health sciences teacher or the missing teen in the area about 200 miles southwest of Houston.

On Thursday, lawyers representing the Thomas family released photos of what Thomas might look like with dyed hair.

Cummins was added to Tennessees Most Wanted List after he was suspected of kidnapping Thomas last week. Authorities issued an Amber Alert for a silver Nissan Rogue with license plate 976ZPT.

Investigators believe Cummins may have abducted the girl to "potentially sexually exploit her."

Cummins was Thomas' former teacher and is wanted for having sexual contact with the teen while teaching at the Culleoka Unit School as a health science teacher.

Maury County Public Schools, meanwhile, announced Friday the formation of a new task force to review parental-notification policies, according to The Tennessean.

The school system said the task force will review notification policies regarding "any range of potential student and/or faculty/staff incidents" and make recommendations for improvements and stronger checks and balances, the newspaper reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two passenger trains clipped each other during the morning rush Friday at Penn Station, jolting commuters and creating major travel disruptions but causing no serious injuries.

My @NJTRANSIT train just collided with another oncoming train. Blew my window out and into me. Thankfully everyone is okay. pic.twitter.com/TsjS73j1Dn  Jordan Geary (@THEJordanGeary) March 24, 2017

The accident involved an Amtrak Acela Express train headed from Boston to Washington that partially derailed as it slowly pulled out of the station at around 9 a.m.

As it listed, it scraped the side of a New Jersey Transit train that was coming into the station, the busiest in the U.S., officials said.

Passenger Jordan Geary posted on Twitter that the impact blew out his window. Photos posted on social media by several passengers showed dents, scrapes and some twisted metal on the side of one train.

Amtrak was quick to issue a statement, saying, "all 248 passengers have exited the train onto the platform and into the station safely."

The Fire Department of New York said no serious injuries were reported.

A New Jersey Transit spokeswoman said service was suspended into the station. Some trains backed up the line into New Jersey.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has said that the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) has stepped up the appeal of the Ukrainian authorities with a request for assistance in the clearance of the territory in Balaklia of the Kharkiv region.

"The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Centre has already stepped up the mechanism for attracting assistance for humanitarian demining in Balaklia. Thanks to NATO partners for prompt reaction to my appeal," a statement, released on Poroshenko's Twitter on Friday afternoon, says.

As reported, on March 23, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Defense Ministry along with the State Emergency Situations Service to involve NATO's assistance in mine clearing in near the town of Balaklia in Kharkiv region.
Beginning in October 2019, the U.S. Army plans to require soldiers to compete for the Expert Action Badge, an annual physical and skill-based test similar to the prestigious Expert Infantryman Badge and the Expert Field Medical Badge.

"Right now, it's a concept that we have developed that is very similar to the EIB program for the infantry and EFMB program for the medics," Army Training and Doctrine Command's Command Sgt. Maj. David Davenport told reporters Friday.

The EAB will be discussed at an NCO Development Town Hall that Davenport will host March 30 at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Since 1944, infantrymen have undergone EIB testing on an annual basis to prove their expertise in infantry skills such as land navigation, weapons knowledge and tactical skills. The ones that pass are awarded the EIB, which displays a silver musket on a blue rectangular background.

Beginning in 1966, combat medics began taking a similar annual test to prove expertise in wound identification, bandaging, removing casualties from combat vehicles and other skills that save wounded soldiers' lives on the battlefield. Like the EIB test, medics who pass receive the EFMB, which portrays a silver stretcher placed horizontally behind a caduceus with a cross of the Geneva Convention at the junction of the wings.

Both the EIB and EFMB have versions that are awarded for demonstrating these skills on the battlefield.

The Expert Action Badge would be generally for the remainder of the military occupational skills that don't have a formal way of certifying competencies like the EIB and EFMB, Davenport said.

"The idea was that you model the EAB program off of those two established programs," he said, describing that the test will consist of physical challenges such as the road march, the Army Physical Fitness test and the land-navigation test.

For the skill evaluation portion of the EAB test, the Army plans to have soldiers demonstrate expertise in the 39 Warrior Tasks and nine Battle Drills that all soldiers must know.

The design for the Expert Action Badge has not been approved, but Davenport said it will likely be based on the current Combat Action Badge, which portrays an M9 bayonet and an M67 fragmentation grenade with a silver wreath around it. The CAB was approved in 2005 as a combat award for non-infantry soldiers.

"All this is concept-based right now, so if you think about the prestigious Combat Infantry Badge and the Expert Infantry Badge  one has a wreath and one does not," Davenport said. "In concept  it's just removing the wreath from around the Combat Action Badge, so it will have the bayonet and the fragmentation grenade on there."

The plan is to have to EAB test administered at the brigade level. Units will be given a week to set up the test course, a few days to train for the test and a few days to actually conduct the test, Davenport said.

Davenport said he will answer questions about the EAB effort at the March 30 town hall, the fourth in a series of town hall meetings to discuss aspects of NCO 2020 Strategy. Soldiers can participate in the town hall by going to tradoc.army.mil/watch.

The meeting will also cover the Army's new Occupational Physical Assessment Test, which is designed to determine if new recruits and soldiers can meet the physical demands of certain jobs, such as infantry and armor specialties.

The town hall will also discuss how 2020 has been designated as the Year of the NCO and the Army's strategy to improve written and oral communication skills as part of the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development System.

NCOPDS consists of both professional military education and civilian education but also doing jobs such as drill sergeant, recruiter and training with industry "to give that NCO a deeper and broader understanding of how our Army works," Davenport said.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
Police in South Carolina say a 19-year-old black man spray-painted racist, misogynistic and anti-gay graffiti on three buildings, including a library named for one of the black victims of the Charleston church shootings.

A police report says the graffiti left at the Cynthia Hurd Library on March 13 targeted black women, the police and white people. Hurd was one of nine black parishioners fatally shot by a white supremacist at the Emanuel AME Church in 2015.

A police report says graffiti on the other three buildings included racial slurs against blacks and Hispanics.

Jail records show Cainin Milton was arrested Thursday and charged with four counts of malicious injury to real property. The records didn't show an attorney for Milton, and no police report was available to explain a possible motive.
An Illinois mom behind a viral Facebook post spoke to Fox 2/News 11 Wednesday.

Her son, Hunter, 4, has been suspended from his preschool for bringing a shell casing from a fired bullet to school.

Hed been at the preschool for about a year, she said, and now was in tears.

Neither she nor Hunter's dad knew it, but he found something he thought was pretty neat and he took it to school Tuesday to show his friends.

FLORIDA FOX REPORTER FINDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCUSED OF BOLTING FROM SUV CRASH

This is a spent .22 caliber bullet casing, Kristy Jackson said, holding the object that got Hunter into so much trouble.

I was met with a stone-faced teacher who said that my son had a shotgun bullet. I was horrified thinking, where could he have gotten this? Jackson said, recalling when she picked up Hunter from the preschool in Troy, IL, Tuesday.

Hunters parents got a letter from the schools director saying Hunter had been suspended for 7 days. The letter says theyd repeatedly been reminded about Hunter using other toys as make believe guns, in violation of school policy including Monday, when Jackson picked Hunter up from the preschool, the day before the shell casing incident.

BLUE LIVES MATTER FLAG FORCED DOWN, DEEMED 'RACIST'

The schools vice-president told Fox 2 the suspension was for more than the shell casing; that the school was simply following its discipline policy. He said he couldnt go into further detail, citing confidentiality concerns.

Hes cried about it and he doesnt understand why his school hates him, Jackson said of her son.

Her Facebook post about it being shared across the country.

Read more at Fox 2.
A Minnesota colleges student-run diversity council has issued an apology for posting racist fliers on campus that were torn down by angry students.

A dean at Gustavaus Adolphus College, a prestigious private liberal arts school in St. Peter, told Fox 9 Minneapolis Wednesday that administrators knew about the fliers which called on white Americans to report all illegal aliens to federal authorities because they are criminals and America is a white nation.

CONSERVATIVE STUDENTS AT LUTHERAN COLLEGE SAY THEY FEAR FOR PERSONAL SAFETY

Dean of Students JoNes VanHeck told the station that staffers were supervising when students put up the fliers Monday. Students ripped them down minutes later.

We had multiple students who reported the incidents to the institution and thats the kind of positive bystander interaction we would hope for, VanHeck said.

COLLEGE STUDENTS VIOLENTLY PROTESTING CONSERVATIVE SPEAKERS TEND TO COME FROM WEALTHY FAMILIES, STUDY FINDS

The Diversity Leadership Council, an organization representing 21 student groups at the college was behind the fliers.

The council said on Facebook that a subcommittee and a social justice theater troupe posted the fliers to educate the campus about bias and the importance of being an active bystander.

We understand the language in these images may be hurtful, the council said. We apologize to those who were negatively impacted.

VanHeck expressed some regret about what happened, the station reported.

I think a message to students earlier in the day would have been a good move in retrospect, she told the station.

Click here for more from Fox 9 Minneapolis.
An Indiana woman married to an undocumented immigrant for nearly 20 years is fighting authorities, claiming her husband has been wrongly slated for deportation.

Even though she has been and is a vocal Trump supporter, Helen Beristain says she is puzzled because her husband Roberto is a good man and is in the process of applying for a green card.

"I understand when you're a criminal and you do bad things, you shouldn't be in the country," Helen told Indiana Public Media. "But when you're a good citizen and you support and you help and you pay taxes and you give jobs to people, you should be able to stay."

IMMIGRANT VET AWAITS JUDGE'S DEPORTATION RULING AFTER DRUG CONVICTION

"We were for Mr. Trump," she added. "We were very happy he became the president. Whatever he says, he is right. But, like he said, the good people have a chance to become citizens of the United States."

Like many others, Roberto Beristain was arrested when he was doing his yearly check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Indianapolis.

The man entered the ICE radar when in 2000, during a family trip to Niagara Falls, he inadvertently crossed the border into Canada. Federal authorities found out he was in the country illegally when he tried to reenter the U.S.

FLORIDA FOX REPORTER FINDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCUSED OF BOLTING FROM SUV CRASH

After the incident, Beristain was ordered to leave the country voluntarily twice, but he refused.

[Trump] did say the good people would not be deported, the good people would be checked, Helen said.

Beristain has been in detention since Feb. 6 and reportedly will be put in a plane to Mexico this weekend.

If Roberto is deported, he could be barred from entering the U.S. for up to a decade, according to the Indiana outlet.
The FBI searched a remote location in South Carolina Friday in connection with the disappearance a teenage girl who investigators believe was abducted nearly eight years ago.

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

A jury heard testimony last summer that a jailhouse snitch told the FBI that in 2009 the body of 17-year-old Brittannee Drexel was fed to alligators after she was shot and killed trying to escape from a drug stash house where she was being held against her will by captors who raped her repeatedly.

An attorney for Drexels mother said the FBI was searching a location in Georgetown County, Fox Carolina reported.

BRITTANEE DREXEL, TEEN WHO VANISHED IN 2009, WAS RAPED, SHOT, EATEN BY ALLIGATORS, FBI SAYS

An FBI spokesman in South Carolina told Fox Carolina that agents were involvined in investigative activity with law enforcement partners in Georgetown County.

The search was taking place near a dirt road off Highway 521, WBTW-TV reported.

A TV crew was told to leave because the spot was private property.

In June the FBI announced that it believed Drexel was killed in the McClellanvill area in April 2009, Fox Carolina reported.

Drexel was last seen in a video shot April 25, 2009. She was leaving the Blue Water Hotel in Myrtle Beach. She was from Rochester and traveled to South Carolina without the permission of her parents.

Click for more from Fox Carolina.
The driver and passenger who fled on foot from a single-car crash that left another passenger dead Friday have been located-- thanks to a FOX 13 reporter.

BREAKING: Men involved in hit and run crash this morning ARRESTED. We spotted them walking down the street and called 9-11 pic.twitter.com/28Hb1H4SWq  Alcides Segui FOX (@seguifox13) March 24, 2017

TEXAS BABY ABANDONED IN PARKING LOT; PARENTS CHARGED

FOX 13's Alcides Segui was reporting on the crash near the scene Friday morning, when he says he saw two shirtless men in the woods. Segui called Florida Highway Patrol to report the suspicious individuals, then followed the men as they walked southbound.

FHP made contact with the men, and discovered that they were in fact the driver and passenger involved in the crash who fled the scene on foot. Both were arrested, and said they were illegal immigrants.

UPDATE: Both men involved in hit and run crash this morning tell troopers they're illegal immigrants. Both admit to leaving friend in SUV pic.twitter.com/aBwvH1x3ui  Alcides Segui FOX (@seguifox13) March 24, 2017

BLUE LIVES MATTER FLAG DEEMED 'RACIST,' ORDERED TO COME DOWN

According to Florida Highway Patrol, the SUV, a 2004 GMC Yukon, was headed southbound when the driver lost control for unknown reasons. The vehicle rotated, left the roadway, and collided with several trees before coming to a rest.

Investigators believe three people were in the car at the time of the crash. The driver and one passenger fled the scene on foot, leaving another passenger in the car.

The remaining passenger suffered fatal injuries and was found dead at the scene of the crash.

A massive search was launched for the two suspects, using K9s and helicopters.

But it was FOX 13's Alcides Segui who spotted the men walking southbound along U.S. 301.

Click for more from Fox 13.
A Los Angeles-based group is set to begin its "No Sanctuary Campuses" campaign Friday that calls for state universities that refuse to cooperate with federal officials on illegal immigration to be defunded and the ouster of the school system's president, Janet Napolitano.

The David Horowitz Freedom Center plans to target 11 state schools and wants Napolitano--the former head of homeland security-- to be "prosecuted for sedition," David Horowitz, the organizations founder said in a post online.

The campaign calls for wanted posters that feature the pictures of Napolitano and Cal State University Chancellor Timothy White to be place on campuses. The signs would also call on the campuses to be defunded.

Sanctuary campuses are not only part of a radical attack on Americas social, political, and educational establishment but a dagger aimed at the rule of law and the nations safety, Horowitz said in the online post.

The group said its mission is to defend free societies whose moral, cultural and economic foundations are under attack by enemies both secular and religious, at home and abroad.

This is not the first time Horowitz has caused commotion at a San Diego school. In April, he reportedly placed posters at the San Diego State University campus accusing some students of supporting terrorism, the San Diego Union Tribune reported.

Alyssa Madruga is a news editor for FoxNews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlyssaMadruga.
A Wisconsin freshman is being hailed a hero after he sprung into action and saved his choking classmate.

Ian Brown was eating lunch with his friends Wednesday at Central High School in La Crosse when his friend started coughing and motioning that he was choking.

Central school nurse Kim Mahlum told police that several of the teens at the table thought the student was joking.

PROM SEASON DONE EASY: STUDENTS RANDOMLY PICK DATES AT ILLINOIS SCHOOL

When Brown noticed that the victim's face and neck began changing color, he realized the student was in trouble.

Brown gave the student the Heimlich maneuver and was able to dislodge the food from the victim's throat. He then brought the student to the nurse to be looked at and make sure his airway was clear.

TEXAS STUDENT STRANDED AT GRAND CANYON REVEALS 'DUMB' DECISION SHE MADE

Mahlum told police that Brown learned the Heimlich maneuver during the training her received in a youth police training program.

"Brown learned the Heimlich maneuver as part of his first aid training as a Police Explorer with the City of La Crosse Police Department," a post from the police department's Facebook page read.

According to La Crosse police, the Police Explorer program offers young adults "a personal awareness of the criminal justice system through training, practical experiences, competition, and other activities."

The freshman's quick thinking and calm under pressure have people praising him on Facebook.

"Thank you for staying calm and knowing exactly what to do!" one woman commented on the School District of La Crosse video. "You are a hero!"

Click for more from Fox 6.
The National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) will consider a concept of the Ukrainian Security Service's (SBU) reform to NATO standards, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"The National Security and Defense Council will soon consider a concept of the SBU's reform based on the best available practices of NATO member countries," Poroshenko said at the special operations center in Kyiv region on Friday, during celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the SBU.

According to the president, certain functions of the SBU uncharacteristic of a classic security service will eventually be reassigned to other law enforcement agencies.

For instance, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the National Police will investigate certain types of abuse of office and offenses committed by criminal organizations.

The SBU will remain the principal counterintelligence agency of Ukraine, Poroshenko said.
Police in Utah are searching for a suspect accused of trying to rob a woman at gunpoint Friday morning -- before she scared him off by hurling her hot coffee.

Officers said a man approached a woman who was in her car in a gym parking lot in Salt Lake City.

FLORIDA FOX REPORTER FINDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCUSED OF BOLTING FROM SUV CRASH

Authorities said the suspect opened the womans car door and pointed a gun at her.

She threw her coffee on him, he ran to a tan SUV and drove off.

Police said the suspect is described as a Hispanic man wearing dark clothing and sunglasses.

Click for more from Fox 13.
Kansas cattle rancher Jenny Giles-Betschart and her family have owned 30,000 acres in the southern part of the state since the 1940s, but earlier this month wildfires decimated most of that land.

It burned everything, Giles-Betschart tells FoxNews.com. We dont have anything left.

The fires ripped across the Plains states, killing grazing animals, incinerating grasslands and destroying homes and barns. Kansas was particularly hard hit. In Clark County alone, where Giles-Betschart lives, 400,000 acres were burned, according to the Kansas Farm Bureau.

SC DEACON, WIFE, 2 CHILDREN KILLED IN HOUSE FIRE

The wildfires in Kansas were the largest in the states history, with more than 651,000 acres destroyed in total. Large overgrowth combined with a long stretch without rain plus high late-winter temperatures led to much of the terrain becoming a tinder box that quickly became uncontrollable.

The fire has taken the lives of thousands of cattle, ruined thousands of miles of fence, decimated most of the pasture used for grazing, consumed much of the hay they use for supplemental feed, and destroyed a substantial number of homes, Meagan Cramer, with the Kansas Farm Bureau, tells Fox News. Rebuilding will take years, not months, and tens of millions of dollars to rebuild herds, fence and other infrastructure these ranchers rely on for income.

TEXAS TRACK COACH, TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN HIGHWAY CRASH

Not only was all the grass and hay on Giles-Betscharts land singed to ash, but the family lost 1,000 cows and calves in the fire. Two and half weeks later, they are still putting down cattle that barely survived the blaze.

It was gruesome, she said. We spent four days putting down and burying animals. The toll on everyone was incredible.

Besides the animals deaths and scorched land, her family also lost three houses and barely made it out alive.

It was awful. We saw the fire in the distance around 2 p.m. that day, she said. The winds were really high and it just pushed the flames right towards us. Before we knew it, there was smoke everywhere.

The high wind speeds just fed the flames. It was the perfect storm.  Jenny Giles-Betschart, Kansas rancher

We tried to free our cattle by cutting open fences for them to run free but with all the smoke they were confused and wound up running into the flames. We then had to get out of there. The fire was too strong. We split up but some of us didnt make it out. My sister Katie was trapped, but she got to a wheat pasture [which is resistant to fire] to ride it out.

The rancher says it was something that no one could have prepared for.

The high wind speeds just fed the flames, she said. It was the perfect storm.

For Giles-Betscharts family, insurance will cover most of the damages to their ranch, but it wont cover the vital fencing needed to keep their future herds on the property.

We lost 100 miles of fence, she said. It costs about $10,000 per mile to fix. None of it is covered. Weve been fortunate to have people from all over help to donate supplies and their time to help us rebuild.

Cramer says that the outpouring of support to the states ranching community has been overwhelming.

Ranchers are a resilient group, and they will overcome, but it wont be easy, she said. Its been heartwarming to see the generosity of people all over the United States who have sent hay, fence supplies and monetary donations.

According to economists from the American Farm Bureau, its too soon to tell how much cattle has been lost.

They are still putting together numbers of how much was lost, Katelyn McCullock, economist for the American Farm Bureau, said to FoxNews.com. Right now it has little effect on the consumer market, but the range losses are much higher in terms of livestock and hay.

There are some insurance programs that will help these ranchers get back to full operation, but thats something that may take time.
The Congressional Black Caucus is calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the FBI to help in the search for missing black girls in the Washington, D.C., area, following an alarming string of missing children cases from the nation's capital.

The District of Columbia logged 501 cases of missing juveniles, many of them black or Latino, in the first three months of this year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department, the city's police force. Twenty-two were unsolved as of March 22, police said.

The letter, dated Tuesday and obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, was sent by Congressional Black Caucus chairman Cedric Richmond, D-La., and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the District in Congress.

They called on Sessions and FBI Director James Comey to "devote the resources necessary to determine whether these developments are an anomaly or whether they are indicative of an underlying trend that must be addressed."

According to reports, the names of the missing girls include: Yahshaiyah Enoch and Aniya McNeil, both 13; Juliana Otero, Jacqueline Lassey, Dashann Trikia Wallace, Dayana White and Morgan Richardson, all 15; and Talisha Coles, 16.

Richmond said he hopes to meet with Sessions and bring up the issue. No meeting is currently scheduled, according to the AP.

But President Donald Trump assured caucus members on Wednesday that he would make his Cabinet secretaries available to them.

D.C. police officials, meanwhile, said there has been no increase in the numbers of missing persons in their jurisdiction.

"We've just been posting them on social media more often," said Metropolitan Police spokeswoman Rachel Reid.

Have you seen them? 8 yo Leera Gillespie & Rayneka Williamson last seen 700 b/o 24th St, NE. Text 50411/ call 202-727-9099 #MissingPerson pic.twitter.com/qm0s1f3hYx  DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) March 19, 2017

According to local police data, the number of missing child cases in the District dropped from 2,433 in 2015 to 2,242 in 2016. The highest total recently, 2,610, was back in 2001.

But the increased social media attention has caused concern in the U.S. capital area, which has long had a large minority population and is currently about 48 percent black.

Hundreds of people packed a town-hall style meeting at a neighborhood school on Wednesday to express concern about the missing children cases.

"Ten children of color went missing in our nation's capital in a period of two weeks and at first garnered very little media attention. That's deeply disturbing," Richmond's letter said.

Derrica Wilson, co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, said that despite the assurances from police, it was alarming for so many children to go missing around the same time.

On Tuesday night, she noted, her group had four reports of missing children and only one had been found.

"We can't focus on the numbers. If we have one missing child, that's one too many," Wilson said.

Wilson said she is concerned about whether human trafficking is a factor, citing the case of 8-year-old Relisha Rudd, who has been missing since she vanished from a city homeless shelter in 2014.

A janitor who worked at the shelter was found dead of apparent suicide during the search for the girl.

"They prey on the homeless, they prey on low income children, they prey on the runaways, they prey online," Wilson said.

Information from the National Crime Information Center showed there were 170,899 missing black children under 18 in the United States, more than any other category except for the white/Hispanic combined number of 264,443.

Both numbers increased from the year before, which saw 169,655 missing black children and 262,177 missing white/Hispanic children.

"Whether these recent disappearances are an anomaly or signals of underlying trends, it is essential that the Department of Justice and the FBI use all of the tools at their disposal to help local officials investigate these events, and return these children to their parents as soon as possible," Richmond said.

On Monday, local pastors, activists and parents gathered at the Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C., to discuss the disappearance and the possibility of human trafficking, according to Latina.com.

"Sometimes when girls of color are missing they are deemed 'runaways' and sometimes that prevents an Amber Alert from being sent out," Dr. Vanetta Rather, founder of the support group My Sister My Seed, told the group, according to the website.

"It appears that when it's girls of color there's not this urgency," Rather said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pressure is mounting, as Senate lawmakers demand answers on the immigration history of two suspects in the rape of a 14-year-old girl in the boys bathroom of a Maryland public high school, but school officials say they were obligated to educate the pair.

On Friday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa fired off letters to both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, demanding answers to questions raised by parents in Rockville, Md., in the wake of Thursday's incident.

The missives come on the heels of a March 22 letter from Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, to Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Both senators want to know if suspects Jose Montano, 17, and Henry Sanchez Milian, 18, were two unaccompanied minors who crossed the border illegally from Central America. Both students were enrolled as freshmen with students several years younger, such as the victim.

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith told the local DC Fox affiliate, we have a lot of 18-year-olds in our schools. He said it was common for that school system to have adults with limited English speaking skills enrolled as freshman.

Smith opened a press conference on Tuesday by citing a 1982 Supreme Court case, Plyler v Doe, that struck down a Texas law that had barred students who had not legally entered the country from attending public schools, citing a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

According to a fact-sheet released in 2014 by the Federal Department of Education, under the law, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is required to care for unaccompanied children apprehended while crossing the border.

The DOE document goes on to state, recently arrived unaccompanied children are later released from federal custody to an appropriate sponsor  usually a parent, relative, or family friend  who can safely and appropriately care for them while their immigration cases proceed.

As for education after they are released into the custody of a family member in the U.S., these children have a right under federal law to enroll in public elementary and secondary schools in their local communities and to benefit from educational services, as do all children in the U.S.

Because Montano and Sanchez Milian were unaccompanied minors at the time they crossed the border, HHS was in charge of their care and placement while in the United States, Grassley wrote to Secretary Tom Price of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Grassley asked for a comprehensive timeline of events beginning with their entry into the U.S., as well as a report on the family members or sponsors in Maryland that took custody of the minors once they were released from HHSs care last year.

But although school systems may be constitutionally obligated to welcome unaccompanied minors or undocumented immigrants, communities are not. Sanctuary cities are not only not mandated by the constitution, their refusal to cooperate with federal immigration officials can in some case be against the law.

Although Montgomery County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction, it is on a recent list of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement designated localities that have enacted policies which limit cooperation with ICE.

Just days after the alleged rape of the young girl that distressed the nation, Maryland state legislature presented a bill to become a sanctuary state. Gov. Larry Hogan pledged to veto the bill, citing the brutal and violent Rockville rape.
Marylands governor said Friday he cannot promise parents of children in Montgomery County schools, where a freshman high school student was allegedly raped by two older teenagers, that their children will be safe.

Republican Gov. Larry Hogans remarks came as the assault last Thursday by two immigrants, at least one of whom is in the U.S. illegally, has become a flashpoint for parents worried that the countys sanctuary status for illegal immigrants exposes their school children to danger.

MS-13 GANG MEMBER DEPORTED 4 TIMES STABBED 2 WOMEN, ABUSED CHILD, COPS SAY

Im not sure I can give assurances that their children will be safe, he said.

What he did give assurances about, however, was that he would do three things: Get to bottom of the case, end the sanctuary status of Montgomery County and make the countys school district more accountable.

Thats a big part of the problem, Hogan said of the countys decision to not cooperate with federal authorities in their hunt for illegal immigrants.

DEPORTED KILLER NABBED SLIPPING BACK INTO UNITED STATES FROM MEXICO

Hogan's comments put further pressure on the superintendent of the Montgomery County school district who has accused some parents of displaying "racism and xenophobia" in their responses to the rape.

The two teenage boys, 18 and 17, are accused in the rape. One of the two, 18-year-old Henry Sanchez-Milian, is an undocumented immigrant.

The older suspects attorney, David Moyse, confirmed that he plans to argue the sexual encounter was consensual, "not a rape in any sense."

Meantime, a leading U.S. senator is demanding to know why the accused teenager from Central America was allowed to enter and remain in the U.S. since crossing the border illegally months ago.

Sanchez, 18, of Guatemala, had been stopped by a Border Patrol agent in August 2016 in Rio Valley Grande, Texas, when he entered the country illegally from Mexico. Sanchez was ordered to appear before an immigration judge, but the hearing had not yet been scheduled.

It was not immediately clear if the other suspect, Jose O. Montano, 17, from El Salvador, was in the county illegally but county executive Ike Leggett told local press both had outstanding ICE orders.

I have nothing to say," Montano's uncle, Orlando Montano, told Fox News Friday. "Speak with the police. You guys need to say the truth."

Both suspects were charged with first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual offense. Charging documents allege that the pair dragged their female classmate into a boys bathroom last Thursday at 9 a.m., where they allegedly raped and sodomized her and forced her to perform oral sex.

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department Special Victims Investigations Division arrested Montano and Sanchez after school officials reported the incident. A forensic team recovered blood and male fluids from the bathroom, court records show.

ICE has since lodged an immigration detainer against Sanchez, so ICE can take custody of him when he is released, but it is unclear whether local law enforcement will comply.

Fox News' Christopher Wallace contributed to this story.
President Donald Trump's immigration policy has caused people smugglers known as "coyotes" to raise their rates to bring migrants into the US now that the routes are longer and have become more dangerous because of the increased border vigilance, undocumented immigrants say.

Because border monitoring has increased and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that it will hire more than 5,000 new agents, the coyotes have been raising their prices.

TRUMP BUDGET CALLS FOR BILLIONS FOR BORDER WALL WITH MEXICO

"If before this there were six immigration police watching [a stretch of border] now there are 22 divided into different shifts," Altagracia Tamayo Madueno, the founder of the Cobina shelter for migrants in Mexicali, told EFE.

As a result of the increase in border vigilance, coyotes are now charging "exorbitant" fees to guide migrants into the U.S., but people are still crossing, she emphasizes.

"Definitely, the traffickers have really benefited from these changes, because now they've raised their fees from $5,000 to $12,000, and the cheapest one's going to charge you $8,000," she said.

AGENTS DETAIL 'DAILY' BORDER FENCE BATTLE, SEEK POST-OBAMA 'RESTART'

Mexican citizen Santos Olea, who over the past four months has tried four times to cross into the US but failed on each attempt, and the last time he was deported and warned that if he returned he would go to jail, corroborates what Tamayo said.

Olea said that the costs have risen greatly, the routes are longer and the crossings have become more dangerous due to the increase in border monitoring by U.S. agents.

With his eyes fixed on the enormous iron fence separating Mexicali from the California city of Calexico, Olea told EFE that his dreams of reaching the US - each time through the Tecate Mountains - have evaporated.

Now he wanders around with a worn-out backpack, his only possession, through the Mexican city's downtown, trying to collect enough money somehow to pay for a return ticket to his home in Acapulco, far from the border.

MEXICAN CONGRESSMAN CLIMBS BORDER FENCE TO PROVE A POINT

Daniel Martinez, born in El Salvador and deported from Los Angeles three months ago, told EFE that because of the coyotes' high fees he had not been able to return to the US.

"Now everything's more difficult. They ask thousands of dollars, the routes are longer and ... more dangerous. It's a battle to cross," he emphasized.

He said that Central Americans have to flee their countries due to poverty, violence and drug trafficking, but now their options for achieving a better life have been reduced at the border by the extreme US vigilance and the greed of the coyotes.

It used to be that hundreds of undocumented migrants would cross through the border fence in broad daylight, Antonia Vazquez, a Calexico resident who has lived for 25 years close to the dividing line between the two countries, told EFE.

And Juan Garcia Elizalde, seated on a bench a few yards from the border, said with a smile, "There will always be illegals. If this guy Trump puts up walls, it doesn't matter, we'll put up ladders and cross because Mexicans go wherever they want."
Police say a man arrived at a Missouri hospital with his lips apparently glued together after coming under attack from several people in an ongoing dispute.

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

Lt. Tad Peters says the man showed up Thursday at a hospital the Springfield, Missouri, suffering from injuries consistent with having his mouth glued shut. Peters says the man had also been struck with some type of object.

Peters says no one has been arrested in the attack.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that the man's injuries are non-life threatening.
Here's a look at the most popular stories this week on Military.com:

At a conference near Washington, D.C., in February, the commander of all Navy special operations units made an unusual request to industry: Develop and demonstrate technologies that offer "cognitive enhancement" capabilities to boost his elite forces' mental and physical performance.

By Hope Hodge Seck | Read more

Former 12th Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Jose A. Barraza was charged Thursday with 15 violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to an Air Force statement.

By Tara Copp | Read more

The Defense Department is adding two new award devices -- a C device for personnel who distinguish themselves under combat conditions and an R device for service members such as drone pilot who "remotely, but directly, contributed to a combat operation," according to the chief of the Army awards branch.

By Matthew Cox | Read more

Army Shows Off Its Lightest Combat Helmet Ever

Parents: Green Beret Son Was Murdered in Crime Complicated by Politics

Navy Instructor Pilots Refusing to Fly Over Safety Concerns

Navy SEAL Loses Rank, Gets Jail Time for Assaulting Ex

Group Files IG Complaint Over Blog on Incoming Academy Commandant

Air National Guard F-16 Crashes Near Washington, DC

Marines to Offer Retention Bonuses for F-35, V-22, F-18 Pilots

Marines Killed in Chattanooga Shooting to Receive Heroism Medal

These 'Swimming Bullets' Can Obliterate a Target Underwater

Marines Testing Polymer Solutions to Cut Ammo Weight

These Foreign Tanks Now Match the M1 Abrams, US General Says

In Innovation Push, Navy Brass Look to Repurpose Seabasing Vessels

Boeing Ramps Up Bomb Production as Stockpiles Decrease

Future V-22 Weapons May Range from Lasers to Sonic Waves

Bob Seger Rethinks the Vietnam War

The 13 Funniest Military Memes of the Week 4/5/17

10 School Tips for Military Families With Gifted Children

5 Things This Military Mom Learned As a Military Kid

Dentists Warn New Tricare Rates Will Cause Drop in Providers

Coast Guard to Congress: Don't Move Us to Pentagon

-- Justin Sloan can be reached at Justin.Sloan@monster.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JustinMSloan.
An MS-13 gang member accused of stabbing two women and sexually assaulting a 2-year-old girl in a New York City suburb had a string of arrests to his name, on top of his four deportations.

Tommy Alvarado-Ventura, 31, is suspected of assaulting the child between Tuesday and early Wednesday while the girls mother was at work. He lived on Long Island and had been deported from the U.S. four times.

MARYLAND GOVERNOR: NO GUARANTEES OF CHILDREN'S SAFETY AMID RAPE CASE

Alvarado-Ventura had a history of prior arrests for offenses including drunken driving, disorderly conduct, assault, false impersonation and contempt of court, according to police. Details on those arrests were not immediately released; police said their investigation is ongoing.

Authorities said Alvarado-Ventura had been with the child before going to a nearby bar, where he argued with a 24-year-old woman over a marijuana deal and then stabbed her in the parking lot. The woman suffered a collapsed lung, police said.

DEPORTED KILLER NABBED SLIPPING BACK INTO UNITED STATES FROM MEXICO

He then returned to the apartment where the child lived, police said. When the child's mother returned home from work at about 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, she discovered injuries to her child and argued with Alvarado-Ventura. During that argument, he beat and stabbed the woman, police said.

After the stabbing, the girlfriend ran to another woman who lived in the apartment, WNBC reported.

That woman told the station in Spanish that the girlfriend came to her frantic and bleeding and that the 2-year-old was covered in bruises.

She was being treated for stab wounds, according to the station.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter accused Alvarado-Ventura of committing probably the most heinous criminal act I've ever seen in 28 years in law enforcement.

It really is nauseating, he told a news conference Thursday.

Alvarado-Ventura was deported to El Salvador four times between 2006 and 2011, police said. It was not known when he returned to the United States.

He has been accused of attempted murder, predatory child sexual assault, assault and weapons possession. He faces life in prison, if convicted.

He was behind bars Friday, a day after appearing in court, pleading not guilty and being ordered held without bail.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
On Thursday, March 30, at 10.00, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference entitled "Corporate Directors Registry as an Element of Corporate Governance Reform," dedicated to the launch of a new project  the Professional Association of Corporate Governance. The participants will include members of the council of the registry: IFC's Head of Operations in Ukraine Olena Voloshina, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PJSC National Depository of Ukraine Ihor Mitiukov, and Chairman of the Board of the Professional Association of Corporate Governance Oleksandr Okunev (8/5a Reitarska Street). Accreditation is required until 9:00 on March 30 at https://goo.gl/7QPDLm . Details by phone: (044) 228 8759, info@cgpa.com.ua
A Philadelphia policeman has been accused of putting his adopted dog in a trash bag and dumping it at a park.

The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says Officer Michael Long was arrested Thursday on animal cruelty and related misdemeanor charges.

A passer-by came upon the trash bag Nov. 23 and noticed a dog's head visible inside. Animal welfare officers took the emaciated pit bull mix to a shelter for medical care.

The PSPCA says the dog was microchipped and a search of Long's home turned up a sheet that matched one inside the trash bag.

The 3-year-old dog is named Cranberry. The dog has recovered and been adopted.

Police say Long has been suspended with the intent to dismiss.

Long can't be reached for comment because there's no listed telephone number for him.
next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

A woman who rose to prominence as a black civil rights leader then lost her job when her parents exposed her as white is struggling to make a living these days.

Rachel Dolezal said she has been unable to find steady work in the nearly two years since she was outed as a white woman in local media reports, and she is uncertain about her future.

"I was presented as a con and a fraud and a liar," Dolezal, 40, told The Associated Press this week. "I think some of the treatment was pretty cruel."

She still identifies as black, and looks black, despite being "Caucasian biologically."

"People didn't seem able to consider that maybe both were true," she said. "OK, I was born to white parents, but maybe I had an authentic black identity."

Dolezal had blond hair and freckles while growing up near Troy, Montana, with religious parents. She says she began to change her perspective as a teenager, after her parents adopted four black children. Dolezal decided to become publicly black years later, after getting divorced.

The ruse worked for years until 2015 when her parents, with whom she has long feuded, told local reporters their daughter was born white but was presenting herself as a black activist in the Spokane region, an area with few minorities.

The story became an international sensation, and Dolezal lost the various jobs by which she pieced together a modest living for her family.

Attacked by both blacks and whites, she was fired as head of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP and kicked off a police ombudsman commission, and she lost her job teaching African studies at Eastern Washington University in nearby Cheney.

Despite failing to find a job, Dolezal says she has to stay in the area because of a custody agreement involving one of her sons.

She has sold some of her artwork, and also braids hair to earn money. But she said local colleges have refused to hire her, as have nonprofits, government agencies and even local grocery stores.

She was worried she might become homeless in March, but friends bought some of her artwork, which provided enough money to pay the rent for a few months.

Dolezal has written a book about her ordeal, scheduled to be published next week. The book, called "In Full Color," features a cover photo of the author with the darkened skin and frizzy hair that allowed her for years to pass as a light-skinned black person.

Dolezal last year legally changed her name to Nkechi Amare Diallo, a west African moniker that means "gift from the gods." She changed her name in part to give her a better chance of landing work from employers who might not be interested in hiring the controversial Rachel Dolezal, a name she still intends to use as her public persona.

"Maybe if I applied with a new name, people would see me for the qualifications and expertise on my resume, and not toss my application in the trash based on my name," she said.

The local chapter of the NAACP was not interested in commenting on Dolezal.

"We moved on long ago," the organization said in an email.

Dolezal is the mother of two sons, ages 15 and 1, and also raised a stepbrother who is now 21 and a college student.

One of the reasons she wrote a book was to "settle the score."

"People might as well know the whole truth of my life story,'" she said. "My life is not a sound bite."

Race, she believes, is a "social construct" used to pigeonhole people.

"I unapologetically stand on the black side," she said. "Blackness better defines who I am philosophically and socially than whiteness does."

Dolezal said it is hard for her to look toward the future when she is struggling so hard to survive the present.

"I want to provide for my kids," she said. "I want to get back to activism. I'm no less committed to that work."
Polk County Sheriff's office responded to a call about a ssssneaky intruder Friday morning. Deputies removed a huge snake from a woman's home.

The elderly woman called deputies to remove the unwanted guest inside her home in Lake Wales. The Agricultural Crimes unit responded and wrangled the snake, which looks to be about six-feet long.

The snake is identified as a banded water snake.

Click for more from Fox 35.
The facts are horrifying enough to lend powerful emotion to a national policy debate.

On March 16, inside a Rockville, Md., high school restroom, Henry Sanchez-Milian, 18, and Jose Montano, 17, allegedly forced a 14-year-old female student into a boys bathroom where they sexually assaulted her. The suspects, like their much-younger victim, are ninth-graders.

The two have been arrested and charged with first-degree rape and sexual offense. But, as appalling as the attack was, its become about something bigger.

Thats because the attackers had apparently entered the U.S. illegally the year before. Montano, from El Salvador, was apprehended in April, and Sanchez-Milian, from Guatemala, in August. Border Patrol agents caught them near McAllen, Texas. They were ticketed for deportation, but after being detained in federal custody, both were handed over to the Office for Refugee Resettlement and allowed to join relatives in Maryland.

The two were among 150,000 unaccompanied minors, mostly from Central America, who have been admitted into the U.S. in the past few years.

The story has put a spotlight on President Trumps efforts to stem the flow of such immigrants. As White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer put it, part of the reason the president has made illegal immigration and [a] crackdown such a big deal is because of tragedies like this.

Despite the alleged rape and a lengthy list of other crimes committed by illegal immigrants in recent years, including murders, rapes and drunken driving manslaughter cases, there has been open defiance of Trumps policies in states and cities that declare themselves sanctuaries and refuse, to varying degrees, to cooperate with federal immigration authorities when they come into contact with an illegal immigrant.

Communities in Maryland have long promoted themselves as safe havens for illegal immigrants. Montgomery County, in which Rockville sits, denied 63 Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests to turn over such aliens just last year.

Even in the aftermath of the Rockville High School attack, the state legislature is considering a bill to resist the demands of federal authorities and declare Maryland Americas first sanctuary state. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has called the legislation outrageously irresponsible and promises to veto it.

The Rockville case has emboldened Maryland citizens to fight back, challenging policies that allow illegal immigrants into the country and place them in their schools.

The system failed this girl Bruce Botwin, director of Help Save Maryland, a group opposing illegal immigration, told The Washington Times. If my kid didnt have a polio shot, they wouldnt allow my son or daughter to enter the school but theyre telling me they arent screening [immigrant students]?

Montgomery County Public School Superintendent Jack Smith defended the system amid rising anger from parents.

While some would try to make this into a question and issue of immigration, what comes down here is we serve every student who walks through our door, Smith told CNN. We are a public school system, and we serve all of our students when they come to us.

While Smith agrees the rape was unacceptable and tragic, he notes people choose to do very bad things and that schoolsrelative to the rest of the worldare among the most safe places we can be in our community.

The Rockville case, like the July, 2015 murder of Kate Steinle by an illegal immigrant in San Francisco, has already become a new flashpoint in the policy debate over sanctuary cities. The Trump administrations Department of Homeland Security is pressing the fight with its recent name-and-shame list of sanctuary cities118 jurisdictions that dont cooperate with federal agents.

While many across the nation are defying the White House, polls suggest a majority of American oppose sanctuary cities. After the horror of Rockville, critics of sanctuary cities may find they have added momentum on their side.
A U.S. sailor attached to the destroyer Donald Cook is back in the hands of the Navy after being taken into custody by Irish authorities on suspicion of sexual assault.

The alleged assault took place Wednesday at a Dublin Hotel while the Cook made a port visit to Cobh, Ireland, U.S. 6th Fleet spokeswoman Capt. Pamela Kunze told Military.com. The incident was first reported by Navy Times on Thursday.

Kunze said Irish authorities on Thursday released the sailor back to the Navy without filing charges. The service is investigating the incident, she added.

"Because the alleged assault is under investigation by the U.S. Navy, additional details will not be provided at this time," Kunze said. "The Navy takes every report of sexual assault seriously. Prevention is an all-hands effort, and we all work toward maintaining a culture that is intolerant of sexual assault."

Citing an internal Navy account of the incident, Navy Times reported the sailor is a chief petty officer who was assigned to the Rota, Spain-based Donald Cook on temporary duty status. The alleged victim in the assault was another sailor, the paper reported.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, John Murphy, told Military.com that the Navy is cooperating fully with An Garda SAochAna, the local Irish police force, as they investigated the alleged incident.

"The U.S. Navy would like to express deep respect and gratitude to the people of Ireland for the personal friendship that they have extended to visiting U.S. servicemen and women," he said.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck.
The last time Courtney Connolly saw her stolen wallet was back in the summer of 2009, right before it was taken out of her car during a summer internship.

She had given up on getting it back years ago, but then on Monday, a Boston police officer found it.

It was like the wallet hadnt ever gone missing.

MASSACHUSETTS POLICE DEPARTMENTS BEGIN 'HIGH FIVE FRIDAYS' WITH KIDS

The cash was never used! The credit cards were never used! My social security number was never used! said Connolly.

Someone had handed the wallet to a Boston Police Officer, who found an address on Courtney's old pay stub and gave it to her sister-in-law.

Story I'm working on for 6 PM on @fox25news will hopefully inspire you to keep believing! Woman's stolen wallet returned intact 8 yrs later! pic.twitter.com/LkrfM8RLpG  Stephanie Coueignoux (@StephanieFOX25) March 22, 2017

My first reaction was - I think I sent her a question mark, she said.

Courtney says the timing is more than just coincidence. Her passion is powerlifting. But as a nursing student, money is tight and she needed about $141 to enter a powerlifting competition. Inside the wallet? $141 from when she cashed her pay check eight years ago.

Click for more from Fox 25.
Johnthony Walker, the Tennessee man charged with manslaughter for the deaths of six children after crashing a school bus, pleaded not guilty during an arraignment at the Hamilton County Criminal Court on Friday.

In November 2016, the former school bus driver picked up 37 children from Woodmore Elementary School. An affidavit of complaint states Walker was traveling at high speeds on an unauthorized route when he swerved and hit a mailbox and telephone pole, causing the school bus to flip and crash into a tree.

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

Six children died and more than 20 other students suffered critical and non-critical injuries.

According to Hamilton Criminal County Clerks Office court documents, the 24-year-old was indicted earlier this month on six counts of vehicular manslaughter and faces four counts of reckless aggravated assault, one count of reckless driving, one count of use of a portable device by a bus driver and one count of reckless endangerment.

A clerk at the Hamilton Criminal County Clerks Office told Fox a motion for discovery was filed in open court.

His next court date is set for April 19th.
A 72-year-old man in Texas confessed to murdering his 72-year-old wife, police said Thursday.

Officers say they found him with the woman's body in a Granbury neighborhood. They're from Arlington, but she had been staying in Granbury.

NJ MAN FINDS WIFE, 6-YEAR-OLD SON STABBED TO DEATH IN HOME

Joseph Scala was processed at the Hood County Jail. Residents say Granbury is not known for murders. Police say the case is as bizarre as it is disturbing.

Granbury police say they got a 911 call just before 11 a.m. Thursday morning about a man carrying or dragging a womans body and loading her into a vehicle.

SACRAMENTO MAN ARRESTED IN KILLINGS OF 2 ADULTS, 2 CHILDREN

Sgt. Chris Brichetto described the scene as officers arrived at the Granbury home inside a gated community.

"She was laying next to the vehicle. He was kind of trying to catch his breath, he said. That is what was reported to me. They asked what happened. He said, I suffocated her.

Scala is now charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Betty. Police say the couple is from Arlington.

She was staying out here with a friend. He was not, said Brichetto. So he drove out here today, apparently for that reason."

"Dragging her out the middle of the daytime is just unimaginable to me, said neighbor Billy Lee.

Click for more from Fox 4.
The top U.S. general in Europe told lawmakers Thursday that he sees evidence Russia might be supplying the Taliban in an effort to undermine the United States, in what could be a significant turning point in the Afghanistan conflict.

"I've seen the influence of Russia of late, increased influence in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban," Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the head of the U.S. military's European Command and the Supreme Allied Commander for NATO, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Scaparotti did not specify what Moscow may have been supplying to the insurgents.

Until now, top Pentagon officials have said Moscow has only been influencing the Taliban to an effort to counter NATO. Officials say Iran and Pakistan have also lent support to the Taliban in the past year.

General Scaparrotti spoke hours after the key Sangin district in southern Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province fell to the Taliban. Sangin was once considered the deadliest battlefield for British and U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Three hundred Marines will return there this spring to relieve an Army unit, the first time Marines have deployed to Helmand since 2014.

Since the withdrawal of foreign NATO combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of that year, and with only a smaller, U.S.-led advise and training mission left behind, Sangin has been seen as a major tests of whether Afghan security forces can hold off advancing Taliban fighters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

Shareholders of Samsung Electronics are praising the company for big gains in its share price while lamenting its involvement in a massive political scandal that brought the arrest of the company's de facto leader.

Kwon Oh-hyun, Samsung's chief executive, told an annual shareholders meeting Friday that the scandal was regrettable, but that the company did nothing illegal.

Five Samsung executives, including its vice chairman and founding family heir apparent Lee Jae-yong, have been indicted on bribery and other charges linked to the scandal, which led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

Calls to reform Samsung and other big businesses are gaining momentum and some shareholders expressed concern over growing public hostility to South Korea's biggest company.
next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

A woman has died in an enormous fire at a Ukrainian munitions dump in the country's Kharkiv region near the Russian border.

The body of the 66-year old woman was found in a house that had been hit by a shell in a town near the depot in Balaklia, Ukraine's State Emergency Service minister Mykola Chechetkin told lawmakers Friday.

About 20,000 people were evacuated when the fire broke out Thursday at one of Ukraine's largest military arsenals, which held huge stocks of large-caliber artillery rounds.

Chechetkin said the blaze was continuing but its intensity had lessened.

Ukrainian officials have accused Russian or separatist saboteurs of causing the fire with the aid of a drone. Separatists deny the claim and say it likely was caused by what they call Ukrainian military incompetence.
Authorities in London made two more "significant" arrests in the investigation into Wednesday's terror attack that sent shock waves through the country.

The latest sweep brought to nine the total of arrests made in the wake of the attack. One woman was released on bail, Reuters reported. Authorities are working to determine if the attacker, Khalid Masood, who died at the scene, was directed or acted alone.

Masood killed four in the attack outside British parliament. Police said they believe Masood, 52, acted alone when he drove an SUV into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer on the Parliaments grounds.

The dead included a British policeman, stabbed repeatedly, an American tourist who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary and a school administrator adored in the Spanish town where she spent summer vacations with her family. A 75-year-old victim of the bridge attack died late Thursday after he was taken off life support, police said.

Authorities said two officers are listed in critical condition. Reuters reported on Friday that the attackers birth name was Arian Russell.

According to police, Masood was born in Kent, U.K., and they believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands, which includes the city of Birmingham.

Masood was known to authorities and had a range of previous convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offenses.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the rampage, saying Masood was an Islamic State soldier who carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the coalition.

London has been a target for terrorism many times over past decades. Just this weekend, hundreds of armed police took part in an exercise simulating a "marauding" terrorist attack on the River Thames.
next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

Belgian authorities have charged a Tunisian man with terror-related offenses after he allegedly drove his car at high speed around a busy shopping area in Antwerp.

The Federal prosecutor's office said Friday that Mohamed R., 39, was charged with "attempted murder in a terror context," and gun offenses.

TWO MORE 'SIGNIFICANT' ARRESTS IN INVESTIGATION INTO LONDON ATTACK

After driving in the area around the Meir shopping road on Thursday, he was arrested at the port docks. No one was injured.

Authorities found knives, a shotgun and a gas can containing an unknown liquid inside the car.

ISIS' NEXT STEPS AFTER MOSUL FIGHT

Despite reports that people had to jump out of the way of the vehicle, several shop owners in the main Meir shopping area contacted by The Associated Press said they heard or saw nothing unusual.

An official at the prosecutor's office said the suspect had been "under the influence" but refused to elaborate whether it was drugs or alcohol.

At first, the incident appeared to have the hallmarks of several extremist attacks in Europe -- a vehicle in a busy area bent on mowing down pedestrians.

It came the day after an SUV was used to run people over on Westminster bridge in London, and follows two truck rampages in Berlin and Nice last year.

It also happened a day after Belgium held anniversary remembrance services for the Brussels airport and subway attacks, which killed 32 people on March 22, 2016.

Belgium has been living under the second highest anti-terror alarm ever since, with police and troops stationed in some public areas.
Mexican authorities have rescued 14 crocodiles and found 20 others dead in a squatters' settlement where people were apparently "milking" the crocs for their blood.

SEARCH IS ON FOR 10-FOOT CROCODILE WHO ATE A MAN WHILE

FISHING IN MEXICO

The office for environmental protection said Thursday that some local residents in Chiapas wanted the blood because they believed it could cure cancer, diabetes, AIDS and other diseases. Scientists say there is no evidence that crocodile blood cures these diseases.

The office said the 14 living crocs were released back into the wild.

CROCODILE ATTACKS AUSTRALIAN TEEN WHO JUMPED INTO RIVER ON DARE

Many of the dead crocs had their heads or tail hacked away. The crocs are considered a protected species in Mexico.

The squatters have set up a settlement in Chiapas' coastal nature reserve known as la Encrucijada, and have been hunting crocodiles.
next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

Independent French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron has won the backing of the defense minister, which could bolster voter confidence that the 39-year-old is presidential material despite having no party and minimal political experience.

Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, leading France's military operations against Islamic extremists in Syria and Iraq, announced the move in Ouest-France newspaper Friday.

Le Drian's support adds weight to Macron's centrist campaign, and comes after two other members of President Francois Hollande's Socialist government joined Macron.

However Macron is being careful not to associate himself too closely with Hollande's unpopular outgoing administration and the divided Socialists.

Macron, a former banker with pro-market views who has never held elected office, is considered the front-runner for the two-round vote April 23 and May 7.
next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

French President Francois Hollande is vigorously denouncing suggestions by conservative presidential hopeful Francois Fillon that Hollande has a "cabinet noir" to discredit political rivals.

Fillon told France-2 television Thursday night that he wants an investigation into supposed revelations in an upcoming book that Hollande intervenes in legal cases for political reasons.

Fillon's campaign is flailing because of corruption charges.

Hollande, a Socialist, responded in a statement saying he "condemns these false allegations with the greatest firmness." He insisted he had never intervened in any judicial procedure  including the investigation into accusations that Fillon employed family members for parliamentary jobs they never performed. Fillon denies wrongdoing.

For the first time in generations, neither the conservative nor Socialist party is likely to win the presidency, amid voter frustration with the establishment.
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says he is opposed to Austrian and German initiatives to reduce state child support payments to workers from some countries with dependent children in their homelands.

Both countries are lobbying the EU for the change, saying it should be instituted for European countries where wages are substantially lower than in theirs.

Juncker told the Austrian daily Kurier on Friday that he is "not positively receptive to these demands." He says they would not result in substantial savings for the countries making the payments and would increase EU bureaucracy.

Austria pays out about 112 euros ($120) per child per month at birth,with the amount rising in stages until the child is 19. That is to about four times the amount in neighboring Hungary, depending on the child's age.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

The Latest on the attacks in London (all times local):

8:30 a.m.

London's top terror officer says Khalid Masood, who attacked Britain's Parliament, killing four people and wounding some 50, was born Adrian Russell Ajao.

Counter-terror chief Mark Rowley revealed the name in a briefing Friday outside Scotland Yard in which he also said there were two other significant arrests. That brought the total number of people in custody for the Wednesday attack to nine.

The attacker was born in southeastern England and had most recently been living in the central city of Birmingham.

___

8:20 a.m.

London's top anti-terror officer says two more "significant arrests" have been made in connection with the Westminster attack, in central and northern England. Nine people are currently in custody, while one has been released on bail.

Counter-terror chief Mark Rowley on Friday also identified the latest victim, who died in the hospital on Thursday, as 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham, south London.

The attacker, identified as Khalid Masood, drove his car into crowds of people on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon, killing three and wounding some 50, before stabbing a police officer to death at the Houses of Parliament. He was shot dead by police.
Westminster terrorist Khalid Masood told staff at a budget hotel: Im off to London today  just hours before his horror attack.

The 52-year-old, holed up near Brighton ahead of Wednesdays carnage, said the capital isnt like it used to be, workers said.

Masoods comments emerged as a 75-year-old man became the fourth victim to die following the car and knife atrocity.

BELGIUM TERROR SCARE: CHARGES FILED AGAINST ARMED TUNISIAN DRIVER

Cops swooped on the hotel after it was identified from a receipt found in the beasts Hyundai motor.

He used the vehicle to mow down dozens of people on Westminster Bridge before he knifed a hero cop to death and was then himself fatally shot by an officer at Parliament.

Jihadi Khalid Masood spent his final night at the budget hotel before killing four people in Westminster.

Masood put the finishing touches to his deadly plot in room 228 at the 59-a-night Preston Park Hotel in Brighton.

He shovelled down his last meal of a takeaway kebab on Tuesday night before checking out of his room on Wednesday morning.

2 FURTHER ARRESTS IN LONDON TERROR ATTACK

He then drove to London where he ploughed into pedestrians, killing three, and stabbed hero cop PC Keith Palmer to death.

The Sun watched as anti-terror detectives swooped on the room on Wednesday night after finding his hotel bill in the hired Hyundai he used as his battering ram.

Forensic officers swept the first-floor room for Masoods fingerprints and DNA, stripping his sheets and taking the kettle.

They even prised the wall-mounted trouser press and toilet roll holder from the walls, as well as removing the telephone.

Yesterday police IT experts were trying to discover which websites Masood had visited during his stays or if he contacted accomplices through the hotels wifi.

Detectives also seized CCTV as it emerged Masood used his real name, ID and credit card to check in.

LONDON TERROR ATTACK: KILLER IDENTIFIED AS 52-YEAR-OLD KHALID MASOOD

A source said he had coolly chatted to staff and guests hours before setting off, telling them he was off to London today.

It is thought Masood had spent a number of days over the last week at the hotel.

A source told The Sun: No one knows why he came. He used a credit card with the name Masood to check in on Tuesday at 11.30am.

Police traced him to the hotel because he got a receipt and left it in the car. It was definitely the car he used in the attack because that was parked in the car park when he stayed here. It was a hire car.

He was very English but mixed race with a big beard.

He said he lived above a guitar shop in Birmingham but hes not originally from the Midlands and had a London accent. But he said London wasnt like what it used to be. Police told us later it was definitely the Westminster attacker.

The Sun can reveal Masood stayed at Preston Park on Friday night, checking out the next morning, and then on Tuesday night after asking for a cheap room.

A source said: On both occasions he was asking for a cheaper rate. You would have thought if you were hellbent on committing a terror attack youd chuck it all on a credit card and forget the cost.

Staff liked him so much they even wrote nice man on his computer booking.

Police are trying to trace his whereabouts between the two stays but he apparently said he had stayed in London and Gatwick.

The source added: He said hed been in London the night before and possibly Gatwick then Brighton on the Tuesday night and going off back to London.

Witnesses said he appeared nice, polite and calm and gushed about his Muslim wife.

He told staff he was worried about his parents who lived in Wales.

He told them he was sad his dad was suffering from cancer and his mum was struggling to cope at the family home.

He also bragged they had bought the house for 10,000 and that it was now worth 500,000.

After checking out on Wednesday, a cleaner found him back in his room dressed in his underwear.

A source said: Hed taken two bags to his car and checked out.

But when the cleaner came back he was apparently back in his room wearing just his underwear. They were all shocked because they thought he had left.

Everyone says he was nice and polite and acted totally normal.

Cops began searching the room on Wednesday evening and left clutching bags containing bedsheets and several boxes of evidence.

They closed the hotels 24-hour bar and restaurant to launch the investigation and took photos of the foyer and reception.

They searched the grounds and bins and left the hotel at 3.30am.

Detectives returned yesterday at 10.15am to take statements from staff. They took a Russian interpreter to help question a maid who dealt with the killer but does not speak English.

Cleaners yesterday left the door open to room 228, revealing a double bed, desk with Goodmans TV, wardrobe and mirror and en-suite toilet with shower.

Our photos show the kettle, telephone, toilet roll holder and trouser press had been removed.

The scruffy room faces the busy road and hotel car park.

A sign outside advertises rooms for as little as 40 a night.

Preston Park Hotel is 50 miles from Westminster and it is unclear what he was doing there  but sources say he left the hotel on Tuesday evening for several hours.

The hotel is an easy drive to the A23 and on to Gatwick and London.

It is ranked 41 out of 44 Brighton hotels by online travel bible TripAdvisor.

Only a handful of guests were booked at the hotel this week, which has poor reviews and a rating of just 2.5 out of five on the site.

One guests review read: Stayed for one night only, very tired looking hotel in need of refurbishment.

Another unhappy guest gave it one star out of five and said: On my second night my vehicle was robbed on site of about 450 worth of my possessions.

Hotel not sympathetic, reluctant initially to call police. Turns out there was no CCTV.

Another added: Television didnt work, hair drier didnt work and kettle didnt work along with the socket which was not good.

One said: This hotel is a joke. Fittings falling off walls, taps and showers not working. Wall tiles ripped or missing. Another complained: Shower grubby, dusty floor, dribble of water, poor excuse for a shower.

And one said: I stay in hotels most weeks and this has to be one of the worst I have stayed in.

This story first appeared in The Sun.
Police officers salute during a minute's silence outside New Scotland Yard the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife left five people dead and dozens injured, in London, Britain, March 23, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Chinas president condemns London attack and says terrorism is a common enemy

President Xi Jinping sent his condolences on Thursday to Queen Elizabeth II following Wednesdays terror attack in London that left four people dead, including the assailant.

In his message, the president strongly condemned the attack, which targeted Britons and foreign nationals alike, and offered his profound condolences and sincere sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who were killed or injured.

Xi said terrorism was the common enemy of the international community, and noted that China was firmly opposed to it, in all its forms.

British police named the attacker as KahlidMasood, 52, who was originally from the southeast of England but who had been living in Birmingham. They said he had a string of criminal convictions that started in 1983 and continued to 2003, ranging from criminal damage to assault, but that he did not have convictions related to terrorism. British Prime Minister Theresa May said Masood, who was born in Britain, had been investigated for his extremism by British security services but was regarded as a peripheral figure who showed no signs of wanting to carry out attacks.

May, who was rushed to safety from the House of Commons as the attack unfolded, had earlier told Parliament that the incident on Wednesday was an attack on free people everywhere, and she thanked friends around the world whohad stood with the UK.

British police made eight arrests on Thursday in connection with the attack, during raids on six locations in London and Britains second-biggest city, Birmingham.

Masood was fatally shot after he drove his car at pedestrians and then stabbed a police officer to death as he tried to enter Parliament.

The Islamic State group said on Thursday the attack was carried out by one of its soldiers, although there was no indication it knew Masoods identity.

The IS-linked Aamaq news agency said on Thursday the attacker carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of the coalition, referring to the group of countries fighting IS.

Meanwhile, Premier Li Keqiang, who is on a trip to Australia, said on Thursday he had sent his condolences to Prime Minister May, expressing a strong condemnation of the attack.

Michael Fallon, the UK defense minister, told the BBC the attacker was believed to have been an Islamist extremist, but the investigation was continuing. He said Parliament and all aspects of life in London were continuing as normal on Thursday.

Britain has been on high alert for several years. Its security services monitor about 3,000 individuals, many of whom have fought in Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya or Yemen. Sources said Masood did not feature in that list.

The security services are expected to track down the assailants associates and those he communicated with and check on the places he visited before the attack.

Officials said Masoodlikely acted alone, but may have been inspired by communications from abroad.They are particularly focused on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and different branches of al-Qaida.

The police officer who was killed was identified as Police Constable Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old father of two.

AyshaFrade, 43, a mother of two, who worked as a teacher in London but came from the Spanish town of Betanzos in Galicia, was killed on Westminster Bridge.

The third victim was named as Kurt Cochran, 54, from Utah in the United States, who was in London to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary.

Those injured included 12 Britons, three French schoolchildren, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks and one person each from China, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Italy and the US.

Three off-duty police officers were hurt, two seriously.

Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, confirmed that a Chinese tourist suffered minor injuries in the attack.

Wednesdays incident was the latest in a series of attacks committed for political and religious reasons in Britain. Most were committed by Islamists, but at least two murders were carried out by far-right extremists, including the killing of Jo Cox, a member of Parliament who was killed last year before the referendum on Britains future with the European Union.
The boyfriend of the woman who plunged into the Thames as a car plowed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge was planning to propose later that day.

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

Andreea Cristea, 29, was pulled from the river alive after she fell into the water during the attack.

Cristea was on holiday from Romania with partner Andrei Burnaz to celebrate his birthday.

The BBC reports she was due to receive a marriage proposal the same day as the terror attack in which five people, including the terrorist, died.

SLIDESHOW: LONDON GRIEVES AFTER TERROR ATTACK

The architect, who is still in a serious condition, "was practically thrown into the Thames" during the incident the Romanian ambassador has said.

The driver of the car smashed it into railings outside the Houses of Parliament before running into a courtyard and stabbing a policeman - who later died.

The couple were on the bridge at about 2.40pm when the terrorist waged his manic attack in the London tourist hotspot.

Burnaz suffered a fractured foot during the attack as the pair walked in the direction of the London Eye.

Romanian ambassador Dan Mihalache said Andreea remains unconscious in a London hospital.

He said she was "stable, but in a good direction" and added: It's a miracle she survived. She was practically thrown into the Thames."

Click for more from The Sun.
London investigators were sifting through more than 2,500 seized items and talking to more than 3,500 people Friday as they try to piece together why a British-born man became radicalized and launched a deadly rampage outside Parliament earlier this week.

Detectives have searched 21 properties in London, the central English city of Birmingham and Wales as they look into the life of killer Khalid Masood, London's top counterterror officer Mark Rowley said, as police released a new photo of the attacker. Ten people remain in police custody of raids across the country.

LONDON TERROR ATTACK: KILLER IDENTIFIED AS 52-YEAR-OLD KHALID MASOOD

Massod was born Adrian Russell Ajao in Kent on Christmas Day in 1964 and moved through several addresses in England, Rowley added. The killer was known to have lived recently in Birmingham.

Our investigation focuses on understand his motivation, his operation and his associates, Rowley said. Whilst there is still no evidence of further threats, youll understand our determination is to find out if either he acted totally alone, inspired perhaps by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him.

LONDON KILLER'S FINAL HOURS

He added: We've seized 2,700 items from these searches, including massive amounts of computer data for us to work through. We've received hundreds of uploads of video images to our online platform. Given this attack was in the heart of the capital we also, of course, are dealing with statements from a wide range of nationalities."

Masood plowed an SUV into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday before stabbing a police officer. He was late shot and killed by police.

An American man from Utah, a British man and a British woman were killed on the bridge, and police officer Keith Palmer died at Parliament. More than 50 people of a dozen nationalities were injured, 31 of whom required hospital treatment.

Those affected include a real cross-section of ages from at least 12 nationalities, Rowley said. Its a poignant reminder, I think, that the impact of this attack on the capital will reach around the world.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, saying Masood was an Islamic State soldier who carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the coalition.

British police have released little detail about the man and what might have led him to carry out Wednesday attack. It was the deadliest in Britain since the London suicide bombings of 2005 by four young British Islamists, which killed 52.

He had a long list of convictions, but none terror related. His last came 14 years ago in December 2013 for possession of a knife.

However, once his identify became known police and the media began to trace his movements in his final hours.

The manager of a hotel in the beachside city of Brighton where Masood attacker stayed the night before the incident said he seemed unusually outgoing and mentioned details about his family, including having a sick father.

"He was normal, in fact friendly, because we spent possibly five or 10 minutes talking to him about his background and where he came from," Sabeur Toumi told Sky News on Friday.

UTAH MAN KILLED, WIFE SERIOUSLY HURT IN RAMPAGE

Police raided the room at the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton after the attack, searching for clues about Masood. Among the items seized were the trouser press and the toilet paper holder.

At the age of 52, Masood does not fit the profile of militant attackers, who are typically younger than 30, counter-terrorism experts told Reuters.

Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday that Masood was "investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism" some years ago. But she called him "a peripheral figure."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
El Chapo may be gone from Mexico, but tunnel-aided escapes by inmates are alive and well.

On Wednesday, 29 suspected drug cartel members used a 120-foot tunnel to escape from a state prison in the northern Mexico border state of Tamaulipas, authorities said.

One of the inmates, who escaped close to midnight, shot to death a passing motorist in an apparent carjacking in the state capital, Ciudad Victoria.

The Tamaulipas state security spokesman Luis Alberto Rodriguez said 12 of the 29 have been recaptured.

Rodriguez said the inmates had dug a tunnel about 5 yards (meters) deep and 40 yards (meters) long to flee. Rodriguez said the tunnel opening was hidden in a hut that inmates had illegally constructed in a part of the prison they essentially controlled.

Ciudad Victoria has been dominated for years by the fragmented Zetas cartel.

The escape of so many inmates comes just two years after the highly publicized prison break of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who escaped twice from maximum-security jails, the second time through a mile-long tunnel dug to the shower in his cell.

That tunnel escape was highly embarrassing for the government of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand the headache off to the United States afterward.

Guzman was extradited to the United States in January.

After his 2015 escape, Guzman became something of a folk legend for a segment of Mexico's population for his defiance of authorities. He has been immortalized in songs known as narco-corridos, ballads about the drug trade and drug bosses.

On Thursday, Mexican police officers set up a perimeter around the Tamaulipas jail to determine how the suspected cartel members got away, according to Breitbart News.

The tunnel reached 15 feet underground, Breitbart reported.

Overcrowding, corruption and inmate control of prison areas have been persistent problems in Mexican prisons.

Rodriguez said about 30 guards at the facility were being investigated and appealed for help from neighboring states in apprehending the escaped inmates.

He said the prison dates to the 1940s and is outmoded. State authorities have been looking into moving the prisoners to other facilities, outside the city.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

Chancellor Angela Merkel is reiterating Germany's long-held support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and its rejection of Israeli settlements.

Speaking ahead of talks in Berlin with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, Merkel said "I see now, as in the past, no reasonable alternative than the goal of a two state-solution."

The possibility of a two-state solution seemed to have been weakened by U.S. President Donald Trump's statement in February that he could accept a single state, though he's also left the door open to two states.

He's also urged restraint on Israeli settlement construction. Merkel says the settlements are leading to an "erosion of the two-state solution."

The chancellor also warned that if Palestinians want peace, they should not "unilaterally denounce" Israel in international forums.
The Pentagon on Friday acknowledged that the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria carried out an airstrike in a western Mosul neighborhood and that it is looking into reports that the bombing left more than 100 civilians dead.

We are aware of reports on airstrikes in Mosul resulting in civilian casualties, Eric Pahon, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement to Fox News. The Coalition conducted several strikes near Mosul and [coalition forces are] looking in to these reports. The Department of Defense takes all reports of civilian casualties very seriously and assesses all incidents as thoroughly as possible.

The suspected civilian body count underscores the problems that Iraqi troops face in their weeks-long campaign to drive out the Sunni militant group from the densely urban part of Iraq's second-largest city.

Residents of the neighborhood where the airstrike occurred, known as Mosul Jidideh, told a team of Associated Press reporters at the scene that scores of residents are believed to have been killed by a pair of airstrikes that hit a cluster of homes in the area earlier this month.

"Over 137 people were inside. The entire neighborhood was fleeing because of missiles that hit, so people were taking refuge here," said Ahmed Ahmed, one of the residents of the neighborhood.

One airstrike hit the residential area on March 13, followed by a second strike four days later, the residents said.

The Department of Defense takes all reports of civilian casualties very seriously and assesses all incidents as thoroughly as possible.  Eric Pahon, a Pentagon spokesman

Faced with their most difficult fight yet against ISIS, Iraqi and the U.S.-led coalition forces have increasingly turned to airstrikes and artillery to clear and hold territory in Iraq.

As of March 14 of this year, the U.S. alone has carried out over 7,700 airstrikes in Iraq -- many centered around the ISIS stronghold in Mosul  while coalition forces have conducted an additional 3,634 airstrikes in the war-plagued Middle Eastern nation. The military intervention against ISIS  dubbed Operation Inherent Resolve  has involved almost 19,000 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq since 2014.

The Pentagons announcement on Friday comes two days after it reported it was investigating claims that a U.S. military airstrike recently hit a school in northern Syria and allegedly killed dozens of civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said that at least 33 bodies were pulled from the rubble at the school, which had housed at least 50 families fleeing violence elsewhere in the war-torn nation.

Dozens of civilians were also purportedly killed last week when a strike on an al-Qaida target blasted a prayer hall in the town of Jinah, in Syrias Aleppo province. While the Pentagon, which opened an investigation into the bombing, said that numerous al-Qaida fighters were killed in the strike, local residents claim the dead were civilians who had gathered for a religious class.

The Pentagon, which has yet to release casualty figures from last month's fighting, has acknowledged 220 civilian deaths from coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria since its campaign against ISIS began in 2014. Independent monitoring groups, such as the London-based Airwars, put the casualty figures much higher, at just over 2,700 killed by coalition strikes since 2014.

The U.S. is conducting strikes on IS daily from bases in Jordan, Turkey and elsewhere in the region. U.S. military commanders have also raised the prospect of sending additional forces into the region to be ready to assist in accelerating the fight in either Syria or Iraq.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Vladimir Putin held a surprise meeting Friday with France's far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, yet dismissed suggestions that Russia aims to influence the election in her favor.

Le Pen met Putin hours after a previously announced visit to the lower house of Russia's parliament. In the meeting with members of the Duma, Le Pen urged Russia and France to work together to save the world from globalism and Islamic fundamentalism.

RUSSIAN EX-LAWMAKER KILLED IN UKRAINE; POROSHENKO CALLS IT 'STATE TERRORISM'

Such positions put her in parallel with Kremlin stances and there has been wide speculation that Russia aims to influence the upcoming French election. But Putin dismissed those claims.

"We in no way want to influence events, but retain for ourselves the right to meet with all representatives of all political powers, just as our partners in Europe and the U.S. do," he said.

LAWYER FOR RUSSIAN WHISTLEBLOWER'S FAMILY PLUMMETS FROM APARTMENT

Le Pen has made multiple trips to Russia and often met with Russian lawmakers. Moscow has courted far-right parties in Europe in an influence-building campaign amid friction between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine and the war in Syria.

Over the years, Putin has frequently met with Francois Fillon, the center-right Republican Party's presidential candidate who was French prime minister in 2007-12. An unconfirmed report this week said that Fillon was paid $54,000 to arrange a meeting between Putin and a Lebanese magnate. Fillon has called the accusation a "shameful lie."

France's two-round presidential election takes place on April 23 and May 7. Le Pen is expected to be among the top two vote getters on April 23 who move on to a presidential runoff on May 7.

Putin's meeting with Le Pen came amid rising controversy over whether Russia tried to influence the U.S. presidential election by hacking computer accounts of the Democratic National Committee, and over meetings between members of President Donald Trump's inner circle and the Russian ambassador.

Moscow has courted far-right parties in Europe in an influence-building campaign as friction between Russia and the West has mounted over the conflict in Ukraine and the Syrian civil war.
Scores of military minded westerners have flocked to the Kurdish-dominated enclave of Syria in recent years, armed and ready to defeat the jihadist threat that is the Islamic State (ISIS). But while many are there to blast and burn the enemy, many too have descended for reasons more akin to those of Burning Man participants  to take part in a socialism-rooted, communal and ideological revolution.

Most of the (foreign volunteers) joined for social justice reasons, prominent war photographer Jake Simkin told Fox News. There are Brooklyn hipsters who love the idea of communism and are into working on the law side and governance of Rojava.

Indeed, a desire to be part of history and the grassroots Rojava Revolution  the de facto autonomous Syrian-Kurdish regions push to completely sever ties with the Syrian government and create a self-rule, not just win a war  is the draw for such anarchists, activists and peaceniks.

SYRIAN MILITIA HAS OFFICE IN MOSCOW: DUNFORD

The most common way to play a role is by joining the Peoples Protection Units  better known by their Kurdish acronyms YPG and YPJ  who are backed by the U.S-led coalition in the operation to take back the ISIS caliphate capital of Raqqa and deemed one of the most effective fighting forces on the ground.

The Rojava Revolution is about recreating a society that promotes womens empowerment and enables people of all races and sexes the chance to live free from injustice that would normally take place in the Middle East, explained YPG soldier Rojhat Rojava. Just liberating with war doesnt bring freedom, we will give education to the people, which gives power to the people to organize their society and never be forced under dictatorships or regimes or ISIS again.

And with that, comes a cast of characters from over the seas.

The westerners, were told, predominantly hail from the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, France and the Czech Republic and are generally smuggled from the Iraqi-Kurdistan city of Sulaymaniyah into the Syrian-Kurdish side. For those officially joining the YPG ranks, one month of training is typically required  learning military tactics, physical training, language class and YPG ideology class. For many outlanders, it is that last component that is the allure.

PENTAGON CALLS ON TURKEY AND SYRIAN KURDS TO STOP FIGHTING

Patrick Ryan Kasprik  a 25-year-old native of Fort Myers, Florida  took a break from Florida Southwestern University and spent a year volunteering with the YPG, returning in January. He describes himself as a bit of a socialist, and was initially drawn to the war zone not only by the need to do something against Daesh,  the Middle East acronym for ISIS  but also because he appreciated the Kurds views on womens liberation and some of their more nuanced political views.

However, he soon realized that he could be of most service training as a combat medic

I didnt interact with many of the political folks. I found them to be do-nothings, whereas I was interested in helping the wounded, Kasprik told Fox News.

Mixed in among the ranks of foreign fighters, he recalled, were western communists trying to build silicone valleys or Rojava, or start fertilizer projects that fail months later.

I never saw one person in the political and civil group of Rojava just taking on realistic projects that will actually benefit the people, like consistent sources of electricity or building roads, Kasprik continued. Idealists have no place in a war zone. They were more of a resource drain than anything else.

And Robert Amos, a politics and sociology graduate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was motivated to join the YPG cause after seeing painstaking images of the genocide and rape committed by ISIS against the Yazidi community in neighboring Iraq.

But soon after traveling to Syria at the beginning of 2015, the then 28-year-old was faced with preachy hipsters from the U.S. and Europe who were motivated by socialist or anarchist ideology. Amos said that although they werent the majority, they made their presence known  although they tended to head home early or try not find non-combat positions.

Generally, they were young males who maybe had gone to college, what you would describe as a hipster. Idealistic and young, Amos told Fox News. But they got disillusioned a lot of the time. This was a war."

Some western volunteers espoused utopian ideology while one of them was a known U.K hacktivist who brought Guy Fawkes masks  the symbol of hacktivist group Anonymous  and aspired to turn the YPG into an Anonymous army. One American showed up with tattoos in homage to Che Guevara  the infamous Argentine Marxist revolutionary.

Fox News was also told by fighters on the ground that some came straight from taking part in such stateside movements as Black Lives Matter, while others were purely into championing peace and humanitarian issues without the politics.

MASS EXODUS AS ISIS FIGHTERS, FAMILIES FLEE MOSUL FOR RAQQA

Although supported by the U.S-led coalition, the YPG is closely connected to the controversial Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The Turkey-based militia is designated by the State Department and the European Union as a foreign terrorist organization given their 40-year-old, independence-driven conflict with the NATO member.

The philosophies  from decentralization and statelessness to commune and egalitarianism  of the PKKS founder Abdullah Ocalan, who languishes in a Turkish prison, are devoutly hailed by the Rojava Revolutionists.

According to Zach Medeiros, co-chair of Socialist Party USA International Relations, the endeavors of the revolutionists  both native and newcomer  are for the most part, to be admired.

Hundreds of foreign, non-Kurdish volunteers have joined the YPG/YPJ in their fight, and a number of them have paid with their lives, while others have been unjustly prosecuted for their actions upon returning to their home countries, Medeiros told Fox News. I think there is a certain element of naivety in this phenomenon, especially among those who dont seriously consider what theyre getting into. On the other hand, its also an inspiring display of internationalism. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to put your life on the line for another peoples struggle.

Simkin, the prominent war photographer, also pointed out that even though many of the ideologist types did more harm than good, the western volunteer was still a welcome sight for the international leverage that it brings.

The YPG does want foreign ambassadors, he added. It helps fight their cause.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Last month, British woman Sue Howarth and her husband Robert Lynn were woken at 2am by three men breaking into a window of their remote farm in Dullstroom, a small town in the northeast of South Africa, about 150 miles from the nearest capital city.

The couple, who had lived in the area for 20 years, were tied up, stabbed, and tortured with a blowtorch for several hours. The masked men stuffed a plastic bag down Howarths throat, and attempted to strangle her husband with a bag around his neck.

The couple were bundled into their own truck, still in their pyjamas, and driven to a roadside where they were shot. Howarth, 64, a former pharmaceutical company executive, was shot twice in the head. Lynn, 66, was shot in the neck.

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

Miraculously he survived, and managed to flag down a passerby early on Sunday morning. Howarth, who police said was unrecognizable from her injuries, had multiple skull fractures, gunshot wounds and horrific burns to her breasts.

Sue was discovered amongst some trees, lying in a ditch, writes Jana Boshoff, reporter for the local Middelburg Observer newspaper. Her rescuers managed to find her by following her groans of pain and then noticing drag marks from the road into the field.

NJ MAN FINDS WIFE, 6-YEAR-OLD SON STABBED TO DEATH IN HOME

Her head was covered with a towel. Her eyes were swollen shut. She was partially clothed with just scraps of her shirt remaining. Her breasts and upper body was bloody. The plastic bag, shoved down her throat, took some effort to remove because her jaw was clamped down tightly.

How she managed to breathe with the bag in her throat remains a mystery. One of her rescuers later recalled how Sue was unresponsive except for the constant groaning. Whilst the man ran back to the road to see if an ambulance has not arrived yet, she managed to curl one of her arms around her breasts in a last attempt to protect herself.

She was rushed to hospital and placed on life support, but died two days later. Due to her British nationality, her murder attracted an unusual amount of overseas media attention.

In any other country, such a crime would be almost unthinkable. But in South Africa, these kinds of farm attacks are happening nearly every day. This year so far, there have been more than 70 attacks and around 25 murders in similar attacks on white farmers.

Earlier this month, for example, 64-year-old Nicci Simpson was tortured with a power drill during an attack involving three men at her home on a farm in the Vaal area, about two hours drive from Johannesburg.

When paramedics arrived, they found three dead dogs, and the woman lying in a pool of blood, spokesman Russel Meiring told News24. They used a drill to torture her, police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said.

Official statistics on farm attacks are non-existent, due to what human rights groups have described as a cover-up by the notoriously corrupt  and potentially complicit  South African government.

Click for more from news.com.au
A mischievous 3-year-old boy who wanted to get his hands on a teddy bear got trapped inside a claw machine after climbing inside.

Jamie Bracken-Murphy of Tipperary, Ireland, was apparently disappointed he didn't win a toy in the toy machine so he took matters into his own hands. He quickly climbed inside the small flap but after scooting inside, he noticed he couldnt get out.

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

His father Damien Murphy told Independent.ie that it all happened in a matter of seconds when he had taken his eyes off the toddler.

We were in a player center here in Nenagh and I took my eyes off him for about 5 seconds as he walked towards the claw machine, he said. I then heard a muffled complain and when I looked up, he was behind the glass of the machine.

'HERO' FRIEND SAVES WISCONSIN TEEN CHOKING AT SCHOOL

At first he tried to maneuver his son out, but there was just not enough space.

The little boy did have to wait long as an off-duty fireman at the play center came to his rescue.

He was quite experienced with these sorts of things, Damien said. He told Jamie to crouch down and move back further into the machine, which he did calmly, and the fireman shimmied him out.

The play centers staff told the father that they had never seen a child manage such a feat.

Jamie was able to keep all the stuffed animals that came out of the machine during his rescue.
Canada's largest school board will no longer book any trips to the U.S. because of fears students might have trouble at the border due to travel restrictions enacted by President Donald Trump.

The Toronto District School Board cited the uncertainty of the new travel restrictions Wednesday. Director of Education John Malloy said students should not be placed into situations of potentially being turned away at the border. He said the board remains committed to fairness, equity, and inclusion.

"We just can't have trips going across the border and a student for no legitimate reason being denied entry to the U.S. We're obviously not going to leave that student and continue on," said Ryan Bird, a spokesman for the board.

The board is among the largest in North America with over 246,000 students and 584 schools. It books dozens of trips to the U.S. every year. Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

Other Canadian school boards have canceled or are considering canceling trips to the U.S. The Girl Guides of Canada have canceled all U.S. travel.

The Toronto District School board said that for now, it will move forward with the 25 U.S. trips involving about 900 students that have already been approved, but said the entire group will turn back if any students with appropriate documentation are turned away.

Malloy said if Trump's executive order is fully implemented and students are prevented from crossing all trips will be canceled. Judges in the U.S. have ruled against Trump's revised travel ban against six Muslim-majority countries, temporarily blocking it from taking effect.

"It is my hope that our students, staff and parents will understand and support this difficult decision," Malloy, the board's director of education, said in a statement. "We feel it strikes a balance between our equity and inclusion commitments as a school board, while not cancelling already-approved trips for which a financial loss would be incurred."

Bird said he was not aware of any students being turned away by U.S. officials.

Essex County school board in southwestern Ontario decided last month to cancel a handful of trips over concerns of equity. And the Ottawa-Carleton District school board sent a letter to parents to confirm whether their children would participate in upcoming trips across the border to determine whether plans should go ahead.

A Winnipeg junior high school canceled a trip by its track team to Minnesota in January because it wasn't certain all students would be able to cross the border. Students in the Pembina Trails School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, participate in many international trips, but superintendent Ted Fransen said the recent decision to cancel one was made easily.
(Xinhua) 08:29, March 24, 2017

Chinese Premier Li Keqiangaddresses a welcome luncheon held by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra, Australia, March 23, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiangon Thursday pledged to work with Australia in demonstrating the two nations' determination to safeguard trade liberalization and to promote economic globalization.

"I come here first for pushing free trade," Li told more than 400 lawmakers, businessmen, people from different walks of life and foreign diplomats at a luncheon hosted by his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull in the Parliament House in Canberra.

Li arrived in the Australian capital on Wednesday night for a five-day visit to the country.

Also on Thursday, he held talks with Turnbull, and met with Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, Senate President Stephen Parry, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith and Bill Shorten, leader of Australian opposition Labor Party.

With the historic trend of economic globalization, opportunities need to be seized to promote development and to fix problems emerging from the process of development, he said.

"We are willing to strengthen cooperation with Australia and jointly show the region and the world our resolve in pushing trade liberalization and economic globalization," said the Chinese premier.

Li also said China will unswervingly stick to the path of peaceful development and is willing to work with Australia and other relevant countries to maintain regional peace and stability and promote common prosperity.

"Deepening cooperation must be based on mutual respect," said Li, adding that China always adheres to an independent foreign policy of peace as well as a development path that befits its own national conditions.

China respects Australia' s choice of foreign policy, and the two sides should jointly push forward agendas that are in line with the UN Charter and widely-recognized international norms, said Li in his speech.

He also called on the two sides to solve problems according to established norms and consensus in economic, political and other aspects.

"We are willing to join Australia in promoting harmonious co-existence of different civilizations and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in such fields as education, tourism and sports, to create a broader landscape for China-Australian relations," said Li.

Li and Turnbull will hold the fifth annual meeting of the two prime ministers on Friday. They will also attend a forum on China-Australia economic and trade cooperation in Sydney.

Following his Australian tour, the Chinese premier will also pay an official visit to New Zealand. Li's visits to the two Oceanian countries are the first by a Chinese premier in 11 years.
Coldwell Banker Commercial Elite has earned the 2016 Commercial Elite award which is given to the Top 15 Coldwell Banker Commercial affiliated companies globally. CBCE was also awarded the No. 1 Coldwell Banker Commercial affiliated company in Virginia for the fourth consecutive year. In addition to the companys achievements, four agents with CBCE have been recognized individually. Brian Cunningham was awarded the Circle of Distinction-Gold Award, also recognized as the No. 1 CBC affiliated sales agent in Virginia. Ben Keddie and Heather Hagerman were awarded the Circle of Distinction-Silver. Carl Braun was awarded the Circle of Distinction-Bronze Award.

A former Washington Redskin and two-time Super Bowl champion is tackling a career with a Fredericksburg-based real estate firm. Clarence Vaughn has joined the Tessa Wilborne Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Realty. He was a safety with the Redskins when they won Super Bowl XXII over the Denver Broncos and when they beat the Buffalo Bills for the Super Bowl XXVI victory.

The Quantico Innovation Center is hosting a seminar called The Psychology of the Spy: A Pathway to Insider Threat. The seminar aims to educate participants on the impact of professional unhappiness and disgruntlement in the workplace, and to see how these factors contribute to insider sabotage. The two-hour seminar will be held April 13 at 10 a.m. at the Quantico Innovation Center located at 1000 Corporate Dr. in Stafford. Laura Sellers, who is also a Stafford supervisor, is presenting a model co-developed with partner, Eric Shaw. The fee is $30 but active duty military and veterans discounts are available. For more information or to register, email allisonj@quictech.net.

Virginia Credit Union is testing a new skill for Amazons voice-activated digital assistant Alexa so the assistant can provide information about the credit union such as branch locations and hours, loan rates and credit card rates. Echo users can ask Alexa basic questions about the credit union and get answers.

On Tuesday, Campus Dining by Sodexo and the UMW Office of Human Resources are sponsoring a Health & Wellness Fair in Chandler Ballroom at the University Center for the entire community. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

More 14,000 members of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative voluntarily participated in The Power of Change, a program where the Cooperative rounds up electric bills to the nearest whole dollar, with the extra change used to support community efforts. These 12 organization have benefited from the program this year: Blue Ridge Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship of Millwood; Families Reaching Out Group of Winchester; The Fork Church of Doswell; House of Hope/Warren County Shelter for the Homeless of Front Royal; Literacy Council of Madison County; Living Water Community Clinic of Locust Grove; Madison County Education Foundation; Piedmont Environmental Council of Warrenton; Rappahannock Regional Uplift and Scholarship Foundation of Fredericksburg; Riverside Foundation for the Performing Arts of Fredericksburg; Stafford Junction of Fredericksburg; and Blessings in a Backpack of Fredericksburg.

During its Annual Meeting in San Diego on Feb. 27, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation selected Rappahannock Electric Cooperative CEO and president Kent Farmer as its secretary-treasurer of the CFC Board of Directors. Farmer is serving his second term on that board.

ECS Mid-Atlantic LLC Engineering Consulting Services announced that Michael Maloy has been promoted to principal of the firm last week.

ECS Mid-Atlantic LLC also announced last week that vice president and principal engineer Allen R. Parker has been appointed branch manager for the Fredericksburg office. A member of the ECS team since 2011, Parker was previously the branch manager of the Charleston, SC office.

Lindley Estes
Govt says no need for JV tech transfers

A technician tests a fuel sample at Cargill Inc's biodiesel processing facility in Rosario, Argentina. [Photo/Agencies]

Foreign companies have no obligation to transfer their technologies to local partners under a joint-venture format in China, the Ministry of Commerce reiterated on Thursday.

The ministry's response follows foreign media reports that global investors were required to share their technologies with their Chinese partners, violating World Trade Organization rules.

Sun Jiwen, the ministry's spokesman, said there are no compulsory technology transfer obligations for foreign investors. All the terms and conditions in business negotiations between two parties result from market behavior rather than such a "nonexistent duty", according to Sun.

"Attracting foreign investment is crucial to China's opening-up. Therefore, we need to underpin a healthy and regulated market environment," said Sun.

Most industries are completely open for foreign investors in China. Only a few sectors deemed sensitive have equity share limits and restrictions, according to relevant regulations. These were reduced from 43 to 15 in 2015.

Eager to maintain its core competitiveness, China started to allow foreign businesses to invest in sensitive industries such as telecommunications, internet-based sectors and education in 2016. Local governments are not permitted to make arbitrary decisions that limit foreign investment.

The Ministry of Commerce and other government bodies are now revising the catalogue of industries open to foreign investment, for example, cutting the number of industries with equity share limits.

The government has repeatedly said that "because of its huge market size, industrial infrastructure foundation and logistics network, China is, in the long term, the most attractive market for global companies".

Foreign companies such as German conglomerates Robert Bosch GmbH and Siemens AG, the United States-based Cargill Inc and Royal Philips NV of the Netherlands, have all made new plans to increase their investments in China through building new plants, joint ventures and research centers.

Johnson Controls Inc, the US manufacturer of energy-efficient products, control systems and batteries, will open its second global headquarters with capacity for between 1,200 and 1,600 employees in Shanghai in June.

Clay Nesler, vice-president of global energy and sustainability at Johnson Controls, said that the company will continue to seize the green building business opportunities that arise from China's ongoing urbanization and industrial upgrading.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
GAINESVILLE, Virginia - The camouflage ribbon was in place. Fifteen yards away and 21 feet off the ground, archer Jeff Ware pumped his fist into the air, cocked his bow and released. The arrow pierced the ribbon in one go, and the crowd went wild.

"Y'all ready to go shopping?" Ware shouted. "Whoo!"

And with that, the doors of the region's first Cabela's - the chain of hunting, fishing and camping gear stores - swung open and 2,000 people streamed in, clapping and cheering.

This opening, many shoppers said, was proof that Donald Trump's America is thriving, even near the nation's capital. The megastore - about 35 miles up the road from the White House - is the company's 86th location and its closest to Washington. Among its offerings: an indoor archery range, a gun library with antiques that cost as much as $6,500, and a display of special firearms donated by the National Rifle Association. Opening weekend festivities included an all-ages BB gun shooting range in the parking lot.

In short, shoppers heralded the new store as a victory for Virginia gun owners. Many said they feel underrepresented in a state that would have put Hillary Clinton in office (she skimmed past Donald Trump here with 50 percent of the vote). Meanwhile, back in Sidney, Nebraska, where Cabela's is headquartered, 79 percent of residents had voted for Trump.

"It's a constant battle, keeping our gun rights," said William Fisher, 71, of Haymarket, Virginia, who got his first gun at age 16. "The fact that Cabela's is here now, and that they carry firearms, is another step in the right direction."

Among the first in the door was Dustin Heinssen from Culpeper, Va., who had been waiting outside for 13 hours in a sleeping bag. He held his 6-month-old daughter, McKenzie, who had joined him in the morning wearing a pink camouflage cap that said, "I hunt for hugs."

"Cabela's is awesome," he said. "I was hoping to possibly get some more guns."

In a region full of them, Cabela's stands as its own monument to gun rights. Among the first things customers see when they walk in is the Second Amendment, etched floor-to-ceiling in stone at the store's entrance: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

There are other patriotic displays throughout the 79,999-square-foot space, too: A Bill of Rights mural at the front of the store flanked by buffalo and bald eagle mounts, and an homage to President Teddy Roosevelt in the gun library.

"We wanted to do a patriotic theme for this store, since this is the nation's capital," said Nathan Borowski, a spokesman for the company. "There's a lot of outdoor heritage here - and seeing how the NRA's headquarters are just down the street, it just made a lot of sense."

The U.S. Constitution matters a lot to shoppers like Guy Arndt, 63. He had driven more than two hours from Augusta, W.Va., to see the store.

Arndt was buying two chairs, rifle primers and a dog collar for his German coonhound mix.

No guns today, though. "You name it and I already have it," he said. But he couldn't remember how many.

"Hey, Bradley," he shouted to his son, "how many guns do we have altogether?"

Bradley shrugged. "60?"

Like many others here, Arndt says he is breathing a sigh of relief after President Trump's victory. For weeks before the election, he had worried that Clinton would win the presidency and threaten his gun rights. To prepare, he bought a rifle and stocked up on ammunition.

"I really don't know what would've happened had she gotten in there and done what she said she was going to do to," Arndt said. "It would've killed the Second Amendment."

Clinton had called for closing loopholes that allow people to buy guns online or at gun shows without undergoing criminal background checks. She also vowed to "keep military-style weapons off our streets." (It's quite complicated to kill a constitutional amendment, requiring action by both houses of Congress and state lawmakers.)

It is well-documented that gun sales ebb and flow depending on who is in the White House. A Democratic president - or the expectation of one - can send gun sales soaring to record highs. A Republican president generally has the opposite effect, and Trump is no exception.

In the two months since Trump took office, gun-sale background checks have fallen 18 percent compared with a year earlier, according to FBI data.

Gunmakers' stocks have also tumbled: Share prices of American Outdoor Brands, formerly Smith & Wesson Holding, have fallen as much as 34 percent since election night. Sturm, Ruger & Co.'s stock, meanwhile, is down about 20 percent.

"You've never had a better administration for the gun industry than Obama," Bob Evans, an analyst for Pennington Capital said on a recent call with Sturm, Ruger executives. "And now, never a worse one for the gun industry than Trump."

Fisher, the 71-year-old from Haymarket, doesn't see it that way. Right after the election, he went out and bought another handgun. (He declined to say how many he owns but said he also has two hunting rifles and a shotgun.) He takes the 9mm with him most everywhere he goes.

He worries. People seem on edge these days. It's more important than ever, he said, to be armed.

"I hate to say this, but I won't be surprised if we start to see some major attacks in this country," Fisher said. "I've never seen people as divided as they are now."

The retired machine maintenance worker says he's glad Trump is in the White House - he donated $200 to his campaign, and most days he wears a camouflage "Make America Great Again" cap.

Trump, he said, is the first president who talks like he does and seems to understand the issues important to him, like clamping down on illegal immigration and loosening gun laws. His biggest hope, Fisher said, is that Trump will deliver on his promise to make concealed-carry permits valid in all 50 states. Right now, Fisher said, it is difficult to take road trips across the country with his gun in tow.

"If I want to drive up to Niagara Falls, I've got to check every state to make sure I'm compliant," he said. "It's a big hassle, and completely unnecessary."

Cabela's executives said they homed in on Gainesville because they knew the demand was there. Thousands of locals were already customers of the company's website and catalogues, and many others had visited its other stores. And it didn't hurt that Virginia has more than 2 million acres of public hunting land. This is the third Cabela's in the state to open in as many years. The others are in Bristol and Short Pump.

"We knew we had a lot of customers here," said Borowski, the spokesman. "This crowd - 5,000 people in two hours - definitely shows we made the right choice."

The first customers had arrived, he said, by Tuesday at 4 p.m. Now it was Thursday morning at 10, and the crowd had swelled to thousands. The night before, more than 200 people had slept outside, scattering tents, cots and sleeping bags along the perimeter of the store, waiting for it to open.

"It's almost like they were tailgating," Borowski said. "They love this store."

Chris S., who is 41 and declined to give his last name, had driven nearly five hours from Lebanon, New Jersey, to be at the opening. He wore a red "Make America Great Again" cap and was looking to add an air rifle to his collection of a dozen pistols.

"This is like Toys R Us for me," he said, standing under an antler chandelier in the store's gun library. "Since I'm here, maybe I'll buy some ammo and scopes, some other gear, too."

Over by the store's archery range, Michael Thompson, 22, and two friends were eyeing a display of crossbows. Between the three of them, they had 14 guns and were considering buying more.

"Coming here when you're a gun enthusiast is kind of like going to a grocery store while you're hungry," said Thompson, from Bristow, Va. "You just want to buy everything."

Since its founding in 1961 as a mail-order fishing bait service, Cabela's has built a loyal following at its 86 stores, which have become a one-stop shop for all types of outdoors gear. Last year, the company had sales of $3.56 billion, a 73 percent increase from a decade earlier.

In October, rival Bass Pro Shops announced plans to take over the company for about $5.5 billion. Antitrust regulators have since raised concerns about the merger. The deal has yet to be finalized.

But business at Cabela's has slipped in recent years because of competition from smaller outfitters and online retailers. In the first half of 2016, the number of purchases at the company's stores fell by more than 8 percent. New megastores like the one in Gainesville are part of Cabela's plans to attract large swaths of customers from new parts of the country.

A couple of hours in, it seemed to be working. More than 5,000 people had been through the store's front doors. Another hundred or so waited outside.

"This is unreal, just unreal," said Gary Lawrence, 70, who has about 25 guns. "The lines were so long we could see them from the interstate."

By the time Jennifer McClure made it to the checkout counter, she had been at Cabela's for nearly four hours. She and her 2-year-old daughter had arrived at 7:50 a.m. "My husband got called into work; otherwise, he'd have been there, too," she said.

A few yards away, a man pushed a boy in a shopping cart through a display of 3-D shooting targets.

"Deer, deer, duckie, gobble gobble," said the child, wearing a camouflage pullover. "Deer, deer, deer. So many deer."

Back in the gun library, 25-year-old Carissa Phillips picked up a rifle. Her Smith & Wesson pistol was tucked into her denim skirt. Her 12-gauge shotgun was at home.

"This is one of my favorite guns," she said, moving her fingers down the barrel of the lever-action 30-30. "It's got that Old Western-y feel that I love."

The rifle - which costs between $500 and $700 - is the next big purchase on her list. Sometimes, she said, she borrows her friend's to hunt deer in her family's back yard in Warrenton, Va. But really, she'd like to buy her own.

Today, though, is not the day. She leaves Cabela's with just one item: a coffee mug printed with the Bill of Rights, for $6.99.

"But I'll definitely be back," she said. "I'm going to buy that rifle."
As soon as Cedell Brooks Jr. saw conceptual floor and site plans for the Ralph Bunche Community Centre and Museum, he wanted the King George Board of Supervisors to commit $1 million to the project.

Were at a point we either do something or not do something, said Brooks, who has supported, for years, the notion of renovating the former all-black school.

The center and museum would celebrate the role that the Ralph Bunche School, on U.S. 301 in King George, played in the civil rights movement. And it may indeed be moving closer to reality. Representatives from the Wiley|Wilson architectural and engineering firm in Richmond on Tuesday presented a virtual tour of what the building would look lifeif considerable improvements were made and the former school was renovated into museum space, conference rooms and a multipurpose area for events such as wedding receptions.

The preliminary budget for the project is between $2.9 million and $3.6 million, said Corey Clayborne, design project manager for Wiley|Wilson.

Because this is Brooks 26th and final year as a supervisorhe wont seek re-election in Novemberhe wanted to commit financial support to the Ralph Bunche project. He said hed like the whole board to be in unison.

But as has happened often lately, his ideas clashed with those of Supervisor Chairwoman Ruby Brabo.

Its not that we dont support it. Id love to be able to commit to fully funding it, she said.

But Brabo said the board couldnt allocate any money until it looks at all the capital improvement needs in King George. County department heads currently are compiling lists of projects and equipment that would be purchased by capital improvement funds, then the supervisors will prioritize those requests.

Brooks said the county has the money. As of June 30, there was $16 million in the capital improvements fund, according to county records, but all but $2.9 million was allocated. Projects include ongoing building programs, a gas line into the county and the $6 million King George keeps in reserves, as part of its financial policies.

Brooks still made his motion, and Supervisor Jim Howard, whos also serving his last year on the board, voted with him.

Supervisors John Jenkins Jr. and Richad Granger agreed with Brabo, that the board needs to look at all financial needs before making a decision.

All the supervisors, as well as members of the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association in attendance, seemed excited by the presentation.

Audience members clapped after a video provided a virtual glimpse into the 1960s-era classroom that would be included in the museum, as well as the historical timelines and stories from alumni and teachers.

Museum displays also would address the role black families in King George played during the days of segregation. While the Supreme Court in 1896 decreed that facilities for black children would be separate but equal from those for white students, King George families said that was hardly the case. They sued in 1947 for proper facilities.

Theirs was a landmark case in the state and nation and the lawsuit led to the 1949 opening of the Ralph Bunche High School. The facility was named after a noted scientist, diplomat and the first AfricanAmerican to earn the Nobel Peace Prize.

After schools were desegregated, students stopped coming to the building in 1968, and the facility was used for office space and later for storage. Time took its toll on the brick structure while it was unoccupied, and the alumni association has lobbied for years that something be done before the school becomes totally dilapidated.

Alumni members developed the plan for the community center and museum. Last fall, the county set aside $53,462 for Wiley|Wilson to come up with conceptual plans and a cost estimate.

Its not clear where funding would come from to make the museum a reality. Brabo asked if grants might be available, given the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Clayborne said thats likely.

Marc Waller, a museum exhibit specialist who helped Wiley|Wilson with the presentation, said a museum in the old Ralph Bunche school could have far-reaching impact.

Visitors will leave with a message that change is possible, obstacles can be overcome and that we all must strive to make a difference, he said.
Christal Webbers mind went blank.

She never even heard the genial announcer state her name and proclaim, Come on down!

Are you sure? she asked her husband after he told her she had been called to the stage.

Then, Webber recalled with a laugh, he pushed me out of her seat.

Moments later, she was on The Price Is Right stage in Hollywood with host Drew Carey. The episode, filmed in January, airs 11 a.m. Monday on CBS.

I really, honestly dont remember hardly anything because it went by so fast, and it was so exciting, said Webber, 45, who lives in Spotsylvania County.

And no, she will not spoil the outcome, telling curious friends: You gotta wait and see.

The part-time actress is no stranger to cameras, having appeared in national TV commercials for Geico, the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. She played a mom in her first commercial nine years agoa natural for the mother of seven.

But a commercial gig is a lot different than starring in a game show with no time to prepare, she said. I was so out of my element, Webber said. It would seem like the most comfortable place for me, but no, it was a total shock.

At the taping, she wore a custom-made T-shirt celebrating 15 years of marriage to her husband, Jason, who is retired from the U.S. Air Force.

The couple, who own Bubba Jays BBQ & Catering, had flown to Los Angeles to celebrate Jasons birthday following their anniversary in December.

Every year, we ask each other, What do you want to do?  she said. He said, You know what, Ive always wanted to go to The Price Is Right. 

Carey, the shows host, visited Fredericksburg in 2011 as the celebrity runner in the Marine Corps Historic Half. Webber said he did not mention the local connection, but described him as very welcoming and funny.

This may not be her last appearance on a TV series. Webber said shed like to eventually snag a role in a prime-time drama such as Chicago P.D. or Chicago Med, two of her favorite shows.

For now, though, she plans to enjoy the moment.

I still get excited when I see myself on TV, she said. It never gets old for me.
Sorbus cibagouensis sp. nov. (A) wild plant, (B) flower, (C) type specimen.

Chinese scientists have found a new plant species belonging to the genus Sorbus in Zayu county, Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, and their findings have been published by the Nordic Journal of Botany.

Researchers Yin Zhijian and Zhao Mingxu, from China Forest Exploration & Design Institute in Kunming, joined in a comprehensive exploration team to study the Cibagou National Nature Reserve in Zayu in 2013 to find the new species.

The genus Sorbus now has more than 250 species, widely spreading throughout the temperate regions of Asia, Europe and North America. China has 67 species and 43 of them are endemic, according to Flora of China.

Many species of the genus could be used as ornamental plants with beautiful flowers and the pomes.

The Cibagou reserve covers an area of about 101,400 square kilometers and spans an elevation of 1,500 to 6,167 meters above the sea level. Few researchers had collected specimens in the reserve before the exploration.

Scientists collected the specimens of the new species in the mixed broadleaf-conifer forest about 2,600 meters to 2,950 meters above the sea level in the reserve.

The new species is related to Sorbus monbeigii (Cardot) Balakr, a species found in northwestern part of Yunnan province, but it has five styles, one more than the former, and small stipules and more leaves.

The new species has been named as Sorbus cibagouensis, which is related to where it was found, and it is the first plant species to be named after Cibagou reserve, which attempts to bring scientists' attention to the reserve.

In fact, the new plant is the second new species found in Zayu. In 2013, Professor Sun Guozheng found a new frog species named as Amolops chayuensis in Zayu.

Scientists in the comprehensive exploration in 2013 also found other 194 plant species for the first time in Zayu, 31 of which were for the first time recorded in Tibet.
An 8-month-old boy was killed Thursday in Maryland when the family's pit bull attacked him, authorities said.

Officers responded about 1 p.m. to Prancer Court in Lusby, Maryland, for the report of a dog attack, the Calvert County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The deputies, who arrived within a minute of the call, saw the family's pit bull attacking the boy - who was in the care of a family friend - and shot the animal to stop the attack. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

At a news conference Friday, Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans said that the pit bull was 6 to 8 years old and that the family had had it since it was a puppy. The dog attacked the baby "out of the blue," he said.

"Our hearts are heavy after this tragic event," Evans said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and everyone involved. No one should have to endure this type of traumatic event."

The dog, which weighed about 65 pounds, had no history of being aggressive and would be tested for rabies, the sheriff said. The family friend, a female neighbor who unsuccessfully tried to stop the attack, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the sheriff said.

Evans said that no charges would be filed and that the victim's name would not be released at the family's request.

At the news conference, Tom Hejl, president of Calvert County's Board of County Commissioners, said he favors pit bull restrictions in the county. The dogs have been outlawed in neighboring Prince George's County for more than two decades.

"I would hope that it would actually spur some conversation," he said.

Evans said the last fatal dog attack in Calvert County was in 2006 when a group of pit bulls killed their owner.
Caring for environment is a bipartisan issue

I do not understand when protecting the environment became a political issue. If we destroy the planet, it does not matter which party you vote for, we all lose.

As a Christian nation, we should be concerned about caring for the Earth that God created for us. If you claim to be a Christian and believe that God created the Earth, how can you not care for it?

I dont want to get Trump voters all worked up, but did you vote for polluting the rivers, water and air?

Isnt it great that we can now dump coal ash in the rivers? The new Trump administration budget would cut EPA funding by 31 percent. And for those of us who live around here, the proposal guts funds that have been used to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

For those of you who care about flooding in the Tidewater area, well, the money is being cut for that problem, too.

I cannot buy into the talk of if we remove all the regulations, more people will find jobs. If we destroy the planet, who cares about jobs?

I know that a lot of people differ as to what science says about how the planet is being affected by man, but no one seems to differ about the issue that things in the climate are changing.

Do you want to live as they do in China and India and hope you wake up to a morning where you can breath? If you cannot clean up our planet for us, how about for your children and grandchildren?

Elliot Hatfield

Stafford
Figuring out how to do effective outreach can be challenging for health advocates given cultural and language diversity among more than 560 federally recognized tribes, said Dodge. Other barriers she described, such as poverty, lack of access to healthcare and mistrust of care providers, are common among many vulnerable populations in the U.S. And Native Americans share with all groups a dwindling awareness of HIV, particularly since the advent of modern treatments drove AIDS deaths down but also drove HIV out of the headlines.

American Indians/Alaska Natives share one additional barrier with all those infected with HIV: the stigma that still surrounds the virus, even today.

Bill Hall knows about the stigma firsthand. A Tlingit from Southeast Alaska, he tested positive in 1986, he told the group on Monday and has been living with HIV for more than 30 years.

Theres great stigma attached to HIV in this community and in others, he said. Its the biggest obstacle to effectively battling this disease.

Hall described knowing fellow Natives who, when they learned they were positive, were so ashamed and so afraid that their families and communities would find out that they avoided seeing doctors or taking the antiretroviral drugs that would have saved them. They all died, he said.

The feeling of having no one to turn to is indescribable, he said. Our silence inadvertently tells them that their lives do not matter.

Hall has spoken openly and movingly of his own struggles with depression and the despair he felt when he was diagnosed with HIV.

He has also described the hope that returned after many years when he met others who spoke openly of having HIV/AIDS and when he joined the defeatHIV community advisory board.

Why do we need a cure?

Given that treatment can extend the lifespan of people with HIV to near normal, Michael Louella, the defeatHIV community advisory board coordinator, fields this question often: Why do we need a cure?

He has an answer ready.

Only people who live without HIV in their bodies ask that question, he said. Theres a disparity of access to care: Only about half of those with HIV have access to medication that keep them alive. Even if they have access to medicine, theres the burden of taking pills every day for the rest of your life. Not everyone is good at remembering. Also, there are strains on the liver and kidney of taking pills every day. People with HIV also have a higher incidence of cancer.

There is also the expense of taking life-long medication.

Depending on how a cure is priced and subsidized, it could be more cost-effective to cure people than to treat them for life, Louella said.

More than 70 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV since the first cases were reported in 1981. Roughly half of them died. Just one has been cured.

Louella told the group about the Seattle-born Timothy Ray Brown, who while living in Berlin had undergone two grueling bone marrow transplants to treat acute myeloid leukemia. In what proved to be a successful attempt to also cure Browns HIV infection, his Berlin doctor found a stem cell donor who carried two copies of a rare gene mutation that confers natural resistance to the virus. Brown stopped taking antiretroviral drugs after the first transplant in 2007 and today shows no sign of HIV.

Such a harsh  and expensive  treatment is only appropriate for someone who faces a life-threatening cancer in addition to HIV, said Louella. He and Smitty Buckler, another advisory board member and an unenrolled member of the Choctaw tribe, gave an update on HIV cure research underway at Fred Hutch.

In its first five years, defeatHIV used Browns cure as a blueprint for researching a less toxic therapy by seeking to genetically engineer resistance in an infected persons own immune cells. In preclinical experiments, Fred Hutchs Dr. Hans-Peter Kiems lab has successfully modified blood stem cells using a gene editing technique and returned the resistant stem cells to repopulate the immune system. Research into this approach is continuing.

In 2016, defeatHIV received a second five-year round of federal funding to explore using immunotherapies against HIV. This approach  which looks for ways to harness the bodys own immune system to fight a disease  is generating great excitement in cancer research.

Drs. Keith Jerome and Hans-Peter Kiem have assembled a powerful team of scientists at the forefront of HIV, bone marrow stem cell transplants and cell and gene therapy, said Louella, Our goal is to develop innovative ways to cure HIV.

Hall also had message for those attending.

For efforts like ours to succeed, he said, its going to take every community affected by HIV/AIDS to become involved in the search for a cure.

The way home

Earlier this year, the Seattle Indian Health Board gave Hall its Adeline Garcia Community Services Award for his leadership in HIV outreach to Native communities. Garcia, who died in 2004, was a longtime president of the Seattle Indian Health Board and an activist for urban Indians.

Bill is so vital for our community advisory board that it would be impossible for me to envision our group fulfilling its mission  without his constant and dedicated involvement, said Louella.

Mondays HIV seminar concluded with an announcement that the Urban Indian Health Institute was initiating a national survey on Native Americans/Alaska Natives and HIV. (If you would like to complete the survey, email info@uihi.org.)

When Louella posted notices on the defeatHIV Facebook page and around town about Mondays presentations, both he and Hall were surprised  and pleased  at the positive response.

Theres a hunger out there to learn more about this, Hall said. It is time, long overdue, for us to step up and show Native Americans with HIV the way home. As Natives, its what we do.

Join the conversation about this story on our Facebook page.
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.
Xiaomi, a smartphone maker headquartered in Beijing, is planning to build its second factory in India in cooperation with Foxconn. With a manufacturing speed of one mobile phone per second, the new factory will help Xiaomi to further expand its share in the Indian market.

Xiaomi India Vice-President Manu Kumar Jain said the factory will be located in eastern India, where it will create 5,000 jobs. Xiaomi entered the Indian market in July 2014. A year later, its Indian factory, established in cooperation with Foxconn, officially began operation. By last March, 75 percent of Xiaomi smartphones in the Indian market were manufactured in the country. The figure will go up by 20 percent with the opening of the new factory.

India has always been a major smartphone market. Apart from Xiaomi, Chinese smartphone manufacturers Huawei and Lenovo also have production lines in the country. Statistics from research institute IDC show that Xiaomi has become the No. 2 player in the Indian market, behind only Samsung, with a market share of 10.7 percent. In addition, its shipments grew by 15.3 percent in the last quarter of 2016, while those of Samsung dropped by 13.1 percent.
A ban on neonicotinoid pesticides could be extended across all crops  not just crops such as oilseed rape, it has emerged.

Neonicotinoids could be banned from all fields across Europe under draft proposals from the European commission, according to a report by The Guardian.

The newspaper said it has seen documents described as the first indication the commission wants neonicotinoids banned completely because of the risks posed to bees.

See also: EU food watchdog delays neonicotinoid review

A ban could be in place this year if the proposals are approved by a majority of EU member states, reports the paper.

Three neonicotinoid pesticides  imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam  were banned by the commission on flowering crops such as oilseed rape in 2013.

Three-year moratorium

The three-year moratorium was introduced amid concerns that neonicotinoids pose a high acute risk to honeybees when used on crops they find attractive.

Pesticide manufacturers  and farmers who believe the ban is unjustified  have been at loggerheads with environmental campaigners over the issue.

The moratorium remains in place pending a full re-evaluation by Brussels of the scientific evidence of the risks post by neonicotinoids to bees.

Findings from the re-evaluation were expected to be published earlier this year.

But the deadline was extended until the autumn to give scientists more time to consider the large amount of information they received as part of the study.

Dismayed

The Crop Protection Association (CPA), which represents agrochemical manufacturers, said it was dismayed at the suggestion neonicotinoids could be banned completely.

CPA chief executive Sarah Mukherjee said: We are disappointed with this proposal, which seems more of a political judgement than sound science.

Ms Mukherjee said the proposal was based on an assessment using an unapproved bee guidance document  which, she said, was a theoretical guidance paper.

The document was not supported by EU member states, she said. It was impractical, overly conservative and did not take into account realistic scenarios.

Ms Mukherjee said: It also lacks the legally required approval by EU member states, and is therefore not applicable for regulatory purposes in the EU. These proposals perfectly illustrate the consequences of using this guidance. Most crop protection products, including those used in organic agriculture, would not pass the unrealistic criteria.

These proposals perfectly illustrate the consequences of using this guidance. Most crop protection products, including those used in organic agriculture, would not pass the unrealistic criteria.

Using the bee guidance document for regulatory purposes, will further limit farmers ability to bring healthy, safe, reliable and affordable food to tables across the UK.

But environmental campaigners disagreed.

Friends of the Earth senior nature campaigner Paul de Zylva said: Evidence of the harm neonicotinoids cause to our bees is strong enough to justify a complete ban.

Studies showed the chemicals affected other wildlife  including wild flowers  as well as the quality of soils and water, said Mr de Zylva.
Story Highlights 53% oppose opening lands for oil exploration

Five years ago, about two-thirds were in favor

Declining support evident in all key subgroups

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Slightly more Americans now oppose (53%) rather than favor (46%) opening up land owned by the federal government for oil exploration. In prior years, a majority favored the proposal, including 65% in 2012.

The results are based on Gallup's annual Environment poll, which explores Americans' opinions on issues involving energy production and environmental consumption. The federal government currently allows oil exploration on a limited amount of land that it owns, but many political leaders and energy production advocates have called for an expansion of federal lands open to energy exploration.

When Gallup first asked about opening federal lands for oil exploration using this question wording in March 2012, gas prices were much higher than they are today. At that time, a gallon of gasoline averaged $3.91, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Two years later, gas prices had fallen but were still relatively high, averaging $3.61. By November 2014, gas prices had fallen below $3; the most recent estimates, from February 2017, show gas averaging $2.42 a gallon.

Declining gas prices are likely a key reason Americans' concerns about energy have waned in recent years. In 2012, 48% said they worried "a great deal" about the availability and affordability of energy, tied for the high in Gallup's 17-year trend. Currently, 27% worry a great deal, tied for the low.

As such, Americans may not see a compelling need to explore for oil on land that is currently off-limits to energy producers. That is consistent with Americans' prioritizing protection of the environment over developing new energy supplies.

Support for Exploration on Federal Lands Down Among All Key Subgroups

Since 2012, all key U.S. subgroups show significant declines in the percentage in favor of opening federal lands for oil exploration. Still, differences exist between certain groups, especially by partisanship. Currently, 73% of Republicans -- versus 27% of Democrats -- favor oil exploration on federally owned lands. While there was also a large partisan gap in 2012, it was not as wide as it is today, given that 86% of Republicans and 50% of Democrats then favored such oil exploration.

In addition to party, there are sharp differences by age, with 58% of senior citizens but only 28% of young adults now in favor of allowing oil exploration on federal lands.

Support for Opening Federally Owned Land for Oil Exploration Down Among Key Subgroups Figures are the percentage in favor 2012 2017 Change % % pct. pts. U.S. adults 65 46 -19 Republicans 86 73 -13 Independents 60 44 -16 Democrats 50 27 -23 18 to 29 years old 48 28 -20 30 to 49 years old 66 46 -20 50 to 64 years old 67 51 -16 65+ years old 79 58 -21 Men 69 50 -19 Women 60 43 -17 High school or less 70 50 -20 Some college 63 47 -16 College graduate only 62 48 -14 Postgraduate 58 33 -25 Non-Hispanic white 69 49 -20 Nonwhite 53 41 -12 East 56 40 -16 Midwest 67 52 -15 South 73 50 -23 West 59 40 -19 Gallup

Americans' orientation to environmental causes is also strongly related to their views of oil exploration on federal lands. Just 31% of those who describe themselves as "active in" or "sympathetic to" the environmental movement support opening federal lands for oil exploration, compared with 70% of those who say they are "neutral" or "unsympathetic" to the environmental movement. Support for opening federal lands to oil exploration among those who are active or sympathetic has declined 23 percentage points since 2012, compared with a much smaller nine-point decline among those who are neutral or unsympathetic.

Implications

Americans' support for opening federally owned lands for oil exploration has declined significantly in recent years, likely in response to lower gasoline prices. Last year, Gallup reported similar declines in public support for nuclear energy and fracking. Americans may not see the need for taking environmental or other risks to produce energy when prices are low, and energy is widely available.

President Donald Trump has advocated increased oil exploration on federal lands and is looking to roll back regulations put in place by the Obama administration. Barack Obama's environmental policies were a factor in the reduction of oil production on federal lands for most of his presidency, at a time when production on nonfederal lands was increasing sharply.

But even if Trump relaxes some of the restrictions, oil companies may opt not to invest the money needed to develop new oil sources when oil is cheap and plentiful. They are more likely to make such investments when oil prices are higher and the supply is scarce.

Trump's plans to expand energy exploration on federal lands aligned with U.S. opinion five years ago, but are out of sync with the public's views today. However, his policies on oil exploration are in line with Republicans' views today. With the president getting limited support outside his party, keeping the GOP constituency happy may be more important to accomplishing his goals as president than appealing to those outside his base.

Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics.
Photo taken on March 24, 2017 shows the giant panda Bao Bao at the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Bao Bao, a giant panda born in the United States, ended its one-month quarantine here on Friday after returning to China. (Xinhua/Xue Yubin)




Readers, we need your help to prove a merry Christmas for victims of domestic violence.
By Zhang Huan () 16:43, March 24, 2017

Chinas Ministry of Commerce claimed that statements criticizing China for violating WTO commitments have no basis in reality, refuting complaints made by South Korea to the WTO that China may have adopted such policy measures on its domestic industry, according to Cnstock.com on March 23.

The representative of South Korea said on March 17 at a meeting of the WTO Council for Trade in Services that some of its enterprises have been affected in China. Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Sun Jiwen noted that Chinese delegates immediately responded, stating that China attaches great importance to its development of economic and trade relations with South Korea. Sun also pointed out that the deputy prime minister and minister of planning and finance of South Korea told media that there is no evidence of China adopting such measures.

As a responsible member of the WTO, China has consistently adhered to and will continue to comply with WTO rules and commitments, Sun stressed.
AUDITIONS

First time director Lance Duddlesten will hold open auditions for the play Red, White and Tuna, 7 p.m. April 3-4, at Albany Civic Theater, 111 First Ave. W. Call backs will come April 5. The third play in a series of comedies, Red, White and Tuna, by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams, takes audiences on a satirical ride into the hearts and minds of the polyester clad citizens of Texas third smallest town. Performances are June 23-July 8. For more information at cast requirements and role descriptions, see http://albanycivic.org/16-17-Tuna.htm.

Director Daniel Stone will hold auditions for his play Peace Be Upon You at 6 p.m. April 5-6, at the Russell Tripp Performance Center, Linn Benton Community College, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany. The play written by Stone through collaborations, interviews and story circles conducted with college students of the Islamic faith. For detailed descriptions of the roles and cast requirements, see https://www.facebook.com/events/619934808190548.

CALL TO YOUTH ARTISTS

The Benton County Health Department is collecting submissions for the annual Gambling Awareness Calendar art contest, which is designed as a creative way to raise awareness around problem gambling.

Oregon middle school students are invited to submit artwork by March 31. The twelve submissions will be included in a 2018 calendar that will be distributed throughout the state. Artwork should be created on an 8.5 inch by 11 inch white paper and illustrate a gambling prevention message. Specific gambling prevention messages are available at oregonpgs.org/problem-gambling-awareness-calendar.

The contest is sponsored by the Oregon Health Authority, Health Systems Division. The art contest is also held in conjunction with Problem Gambling Awareness Month in March, which strives to increase public awareness of pathological gambling, ensure the widespread availability of treatment and resources for problem gamblers and their families, and to encourage research and programs for prevention and education.

To submit entries to the Problem Gambling Awareness Calendar Art Contest or for more information about Problem Gambling Awareness Month, contact Kelly Locey at 541-766-6247 or Kelly.locey@co.benton.or.us.

YOUTH THEATER WORKSHOP

Platform Theatre Company, a new theater company for youth in Albany, will hold its first workshop, "Nailing Your Audition," March 27-30, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at Albany Civic Theater, 111 First Ave. W. The workshop is for youth grades 5 through 12, and will the process of auditions and offer tips for success. It will be led by Karlissa Cornwell, who has been a teacher for 17 years and directed dozens of plays.

The cost is $50 for a 10-hour workshop and includes a T-shirt. For more information, see http://tiny.cc/e9b0jy.
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, the Benton County Sheriffs Office and Oregon State Police. 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

TUESDAY, MARCH 21

RECOVERED STOLEN VEHICLE: 3:45 p.m., 4400 NW Walnut Blvd. Officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle that was towed to the impound lot. The vehicle, a 1993 Gold Honda Accord, was confirmed as stolen on Dec. 15 out of Linn County. Officers informed the original owner but found nothing of significance inside the vehicle. The case was discontinued due to lack of suspects.

CAMPSITES POSTED: 12:55 p.m., 800 SW Fourth St. Officers and ODOT employees responded to the north side of the Marys River and posted six tents identified in the area. The occupants were told they had to vacate the area within 10 days.

Benton County Sheriff's Office

MONDAY, MARCH 20

DUII: 2:30 p.m., Highway 99W and Bruce Road. A deputy charged Carly Ranee Mike, 24, of Salem with DUII, second-degree criminal mischief, reckless endangering and reckless driving following a single-vehicle crash. Mike had a reported blood alcohol content of 0.29 percent.
Time for a survey

To the Editor: Its time for a St. Paul survey One of the mistakes of the past with respect to deciding on the future of St. Pauls is that previous...

Election for St. Pauls

To the Editor: Perhaps someday there will be an election where some folks decide about St.Pauls. If the election is conducted in the most popular way, the outcome might not...

Proposal on the ballot

To the Editor: On the bottom of your ballot you will be asked to vote yes or no on creating a state bond which will amount to $4.2 billion. Subject coverage should be...

Botched RFP process

To the Editor: During the last several weeks, village officials sent out RFPs (requests for proposals) seeking candidate firms to provide them with comparative analysis and cost estimates -- ...
People.cn, Beijing, March 21, 2017  Mr. Olivier Brandicourt, CEO of Sanofi, gave an interview with People.cn on March 20 during his trip to Beijing for the China Development Forum. During the interview he discussed a number of topics, including the significance of the Healthy China Strategy for Sanofi, Sanofis future plans for innovating drugs and vaccines, and Sanofis organizational re-structuring.

Mr. Olivier Brandicourt, CEO of Sanofi Group, giving an interview. (Photo: People.cn/Zhao Jinghan)

Journalist: Youve just attended the China Development Forum. What were your thoughts on the event? And what are your opinions of the Chinese market?

Olivier Brandicourt: The Chinese market is of great strategic importance to Sanofi. This years China Development Forum was held at the right time, when the Healthy China 2030 blueprint was just being published. It was a very important opportunity for all attending CEOs, including myself, to better understand the considerations and targets behind this vision. Id like to firstly congratulate the Chinese government on such a broad and ambitious vision. At the same time, we must continue to further understand the content of the Healthy China 2030 strategic plan and the specifics of Article No. 13 [suggestions on improving the regulations on drug production and distribution], published by the State Council. It is particularly important that we also have a deeper understanding of what we can do with the Chinese government to implement the Healthy China 2030 program in this process.

As a leading healthcare company, the first thing we can do is to accelerate innovation. The second is disease prevention. Sanofi has a unique advantage in this realm with Sanofi Pasteur, our global vaccine business unit, which helps us to better contribute to disease prevention. The third is chronic disease management, with a special focus on high-incidence diseases in China and primary healthcare.

Journalist: The Chinese government recently announced its Healthy China 2030 blueprint. What opportunities will it create for Sanofi?

Olivier Brandicourt: The announcement of the Healthy China 2030 blueprint is of significant meaning and value. First and foremost, the Chinese governments efforts to improve accessibility to drugs, particularly the availability of innovative drugs, will certainly accelerate the review and approval of new drugs.

Second, the Chinese government is committed to expanding medical insurance, and this will be a very important driving force behind the implementation of the Healthy China 2030 program. The government is willing to invest more resources and funds to further support the development of the healthcare industry. Today, 5.6-5.7 percent of Chinas GDP is invested in healthcare, and according to this plan, that figure will rise to 7 percent by 2020. Among OECD countries, an average of 9 percent GDP is invested in the healthcare industry, and we believe China still has further room to rise.

Third, the Healthy China 2030 strategic plan will encourage more medical professionals to devote themselves to primary healthcare. Major academic research institutes and large medical centers will address the needs of primary healthcare as well, as manifested by the tiered medical system outlined in the strategy.

Journalist: Disease prevention is an important component of Healthy China 2030. Are there any new plans for Sanofi Pasteur in China?

Olivier Brandicourt: The vaccine products we launch in the Chinese market are usually among the first of their kind in the category, such as our influenza vaccine. We also brought the first vaccine against invasive infections due to Haemophilus influenza type B bacterium, as well as the inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine (IPV). Most recently we were the first to bring the Pentaxim pentavaccine for children, which covers five diseases in one vaccine. These are examples of our highly important contributions and active participation in Chinas disease-prevention initiatives.

We can do more with regard to disease prevention, including with influenza vaccines, to benefit the larger population in a wider range of areas. We are actively discussing with relevant regulatory bodies in Beijing how to enable more healthcare professionals to be vaccinated, increase the rate of vaccinations for patients with chronic diseases, and further increase the influenza vaccination rate among children. IPV has been widely used across China and is listed in the national vaccination program across 22 provinces. Through effective prevention and vaccinations, we will continue to see a reduced number of infantile poliomyelitis cases in China, and we are confident they can be eradicated worldwide in the next five years. As the largest multinational vaccine company, we play an important role in the entire immunization ecosystem.

Journalist: Could you please share with us Sanofis approach to innovation? And what is the plan to launch new products in China? Will you continue to strengthen your local R&D capabilities?

Olivier Brandicourt: Sanofi has launched more than 40 innovative drugs in China over the past 35 years to help meet the health needs of a large number of Chinese patients. We provide dedicated products to treat seven of the top 10 fatal diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, tumors and more. By 2020, 11 products and indications will be launched in China, and five of six major products will be launched in China. In addition, we are working with local partners, for instance JHL Biotech [a biosimilar company], to research and develop innovative drugs specifically designed to meet Chinas needs. In February 2017, we submitted to the CFDA for clinical trials of JHL1101 [a rituximab biosimilar] in treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Rituximab biosimilars will bring high-quality, affordable and innovative biotherapy to Chinese patients, and further improve treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in China.

In China, we are not solely conducting research on high-quality and affordable biotherapy, we are also carrying out clinical trials at our R&D headquarters in Shanghai and with our team in Beijing. Over the past five years, we have successfully carried out 48 clinical trials, including 13 international studies, involving more than 41,000 patients. In addition, we are collaborating with leading universities, local pharmaceutical companies and researchers and institutions on various projects. So far, we have developed more than 60 collaborations, with an open R&D model that allows us to carry out research together with our external partners.

Journalist: The Chinese government is attaching greater importance to chronic disease management. Does Sanofi have any plans in terms of chronic disease management?

Olivier Brandicourt: Chronic disease is a major pathogenic and lethal factor in emerging countries. There are 260 million patients with chronic diseases in China, and more than 85 percent of mortalities can be attributed to chronic diseases. Treatment and management of chronic diseases is heavily dependent on community healthcare centers. With our wide portfolio, including Lantus for the treatment of diabetes and Plavix for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, Sanofi believes we have the right knowledge and resources to help community healthcare centers in China to better prevent and manage chronic diseases.

In terms of action plans, we will: work with large academic institutions to educate community healthcare centers about disease diagnosis and treatment through training programs; help them to develop apps so patients can stay in contact with physicians digitally; and continue to help community healthcare centers screen chronic disease patients. We believe Sanofi will play a very important role in helping community healthcare centers to combat chronic disease.

To give one example, Sanofi launched the China Healthy Community Program in 2016, which has already covered 3,500 community healthcare centers in 19 major cities. In addition to disease screening, we are also contributing to disease management education in order to enhance awareness among patients through a series of educational programs. This includes TRIO (a clinical optimization and practice standardization management program for patients with basal insulin) to improve medication compliance among diabetes patients. Just like with cardiovascular diseases, patient compliance is crucial for treating diabetes in order to monitor blood glucose levels and avoid any complications. We are very proud of TRIO for its achievements in improving patient compliance.

Journalist: In your view, whats the biggest challenge in the Chinese market and how does Sanofi cope with it?

Olivier Brandicourt: Article No. 13 [suggestions on further improving the regulations on drug production and distribution), published by the State Council, might be a challenge to Sanofi with regard to pricing, since drugs of all categories will be involved in the bidding process in the future. This kind of pricing challenge is across the world, not only in China. Price negotiations will happen once more drugs are added to the Chinese National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) to improve accessibility. Whats important is finding a new balance when there are more patients, demanding a higher volume.

The second challenge is that healthcare policy in China is currently governed by provinces, which adds a certain level of diversity and complexity, including around pricing and medical insurance.

The third challenge is talent. China is a very dynamic market with fierce competition over talent. We highly value our employees and their career development, and we expect to attract the best. A large portion of our employees were born in the 80s and 90s, so it is a challenge to create a work environment where they feel fully satisfied. We need to do more to retain and develop talent so employees feel more focused and interested in their careers here. I think these are all challenges.

Journalist: We understand Sanofi has been making local and global adjustments on both internal structure and external strategy. Does this indicate new strategic planning?

Olivier Brandicourt: One of the important changes I have made since becoming Sanofi CEO is to do organizational re-structuring. Now we have established five global business units. All the supporting functions have become globalized and we have broken down geographic boundaries. This new global approach means that the person in charge of the HR department, or the finance department, has a truly global perspective. They know the current situation with regard to all relevant areas, all around the world. This is a new approach we have adopted. We are no longer focusing on geographic perspectives, but product perspectives.

The biggest challenge under the new structure is, in my opinion, culture. In the past, the country chair was responsible for all matters including business and supporting departments. He or she oversaw a pre-defined market segment  China, for example  and all people would report to him or her directly, a traditional hierarchical structure from top down, high to low. What Im proposing is a matrix structure focusing on teamwork, both vertically and horizontally, instead of reporting from the bottom up. This type of new structure may bring large cultural challenges but will also put more emphasis on collaboration and team spirit.
Hate comments and fake news : 40 new jobs in Bonns Federal Office of Justice

Bonn The fight against hate commentaries and fake news from social networks is to be launched from Bonn. Taking on the legal challenge, 40 new jobs will be created at the Federal Office of Justice.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

Based in Bonn, the Federal Office of Justice will be called on to strengthen the fight against the spread of hate commentaries and so-called fake news in social networks. Around 40 jobs will be created. It is part of a draft law of the Federal Government.

The Federal Office of Justice, which sits on the premises of the Federal Foreign Office on Adenauerallee, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. With 1,060 employees, the workforce has more than doubled in this time.
Photo exhibition in Haus der Bildung : GA photographer presents Rhine perspectives

Bonn GA photographer Volker Lannert is presenting his photos from Bonn in an exhibition at the Haus der Bildung. His title in German is "R (h) einperspektiven" and his pictures offer very special impressions of Bonn and the Rhine.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

"A city without a river is not a city," says Bonn photographer Volker Lannert. On the banks of the Rhine, he can relax and think wonderfully. For him, the Rhine is not only a recreational feature, but also an artistic function that inspires him again and again. "The water of the Rhine is an important element that changes every day; it flows differently every day," says Lannert. In the exhibition "R (h) einperspektiven", which was opened yesterday in the Haus der Bildung by the Volkshochschule (community adult education) and the City Archives, the river is the element that connects many of the approximate 60 photos on display.

One of them shows a photo of the Kennedy Bridge taken on a summer evening near the river, with impressive colors in the sky. For this motif, Lannert had to click several times: "Here I have six to seven pictures partly superimposed," explains the professional photographer, who is often on the search for unusual perspectives.
Bonn confectioner is expanding : Haribo planning to build huge plant in the U.S.

Bonn Haribo, the confectionery company based in Bonn, is building a gummy bear factory in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It will be one of the largest production facilities in the industry.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

Haribo wants to build its first production site in the American midwestern city of Kenosha, Wisconsin. It indicated that this would be one of the largest confectionery manufacturing sites to be developed, from which the entire U.S. market could be supplied with gummy bears and other sweets. This means continued growth for Haribo in the U.S.

The Bonn concern had been searching for years for the right place to build a factory in the U.S. An agreement has now been reached on purchase of the property for the facility. Haribo is the fastest growing confectionary company in the U.S., so it is important for us to start with our own production from 2020 onwards, said Hans Guido Riegel, managing partner of the Haribo Group. Until now, the U.S. market has been supplied with sweets from European production sites, including the Bonn headquarters. The new construction in the U.S. will not reduce production in Europe, according to a company spokesperson.

In Wisconsin, officials are pleased that Haribo has chosen to come to their state. On CNN, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said, "Haribo is a great fit with the many other iconic companies that already call Wisconsin home," and he referred to the state's "business-friendly climate and strong fiscal management."

According to CNN, construction of the 500,000 square foot factory is expected to start next year. The Kenosha County plant will bring 400 jobs, said the governor and it is scheduled to open in 2020. Mark Maley, Public Affairs and Communications Director for Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, told CNN Were thrilled that a global company like this....chose Wisconsin.
Pulse of Europe : Hundreds to demonstrate on Sunday

Bonn People will gather again this Sunday in Bonn city center to show their support for a united and democratic Europe. Marktplatz is the meeting point and everyone is invited to take part in the initiative.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

On Sunday once again, some hundreds of people will be gathering at the Alten Rathaus (Old City Hall) to send out a signal of support for Europe and the European Union. The show of unity comes at a time when France and Germany await upcoming elections.

The goal of Pulse of Europe is to make a contribution to the continuation of a united and democratic Europe through this show of support. The demonstrations are scheduled to take place every Sunday leading up to the French election, with a starting time at 2 pm at the Marktplatz in Bonn city center. Bonn representatives of parliament at federal and state level, as well as members of the European Parliament have expressed clear support for the initiative and call for all Bonn residents to take part in the action.
An opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to get lost in a world of food and drink from a hand-selected range of food trucks and breweries from around New Zealand.
According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China plans to launch its fourth Fengyun-3 (FY-3) meteorological satellite in the second half of 2017, Xinhuanet.com reported on March 23. It will be China's 16th meteorological satellite.

Having more satellites in orbit means better weather forecasts, storm analysis and environmental monitoring. Zhu Wei, deputy chief designer of the satellite, explained that the fourth FY-3 satellite has clear advantages over the previous three, as it possesses better stability, reliability and accuracy. It is also equipped with remote sensing instruments including an Infrared High-Spectrum Atmospheric Sounder, Wide-Angle Aurora Imager and Ionosphere Photometer.

The satellite will achieve continuous all-weather monitoring of atmospheric parameters including liquid water path, moisture content, surface emissivity and surface temperature. It will be unaffected by adverse weather conditions, unlike most satellites.

Zhu also stated that China eventually plans to launch four more FY-3 satellites so that the global weather forecast model can be shortened to four hours from the current six, in order to predict natural disasters earlier and with greater accuracy.

According to Chinas Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, only the U.S., Europe and China possess both polar-orbiting and geostationary meteorological satellites. Currently, Chinas meteorological satellites are the primary source of information for weather forecasts in the eastern hemisphere.
An Asian university union, expected to promote ties and communication between universities throughout the region, will be established on April 29, according to Qiu Yong, president of Tsinghua University.

Initiated by Tsinghua, the union will gather 15 top universities in Asia, including Tsinghua University, Peking University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, together with universities in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and other countries, Qiu said during the Boao Forum for Asia on March 23.

The union will be tasked with exploring the value of education in Asia and amplifying the voice of Asian universities in global higher education, according to Qiu. Reform, globalization, innovation, new technologies and other major issues in higher education were also discussed at the forum.
bohlah at 24-03-2017 06:36 AM (5 years ago) (m)

The Nigeria Police Force has established a national broadcasting and radio service which it is set to launch anytime soon.

The Nigeria Police Force has established a national broadcasting and radio service which it is set to launch anytime soon.

The media outfit will be managed by the Nigeria Police Broadcasting Service Limited (NPBS), a company jointly owned by the police and a private entity.



It was also learnt that the news and current affairs station will have operational bases in all the states of the federation and the FCT, and will be jointly funded by the force and private investors.



According to the brief, the force has applied for a broadcasting license with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Once granted license, the TV and radio service will hit the Nigerian airwaves.



The establishment of the broadcast service has been hinged on the need for the police as well as other security agencies to communicate effectively with the general public and improve community policing. The media outfit will be managed by the Nigeria Police Broadcasting Service Limited (NPBS), a company jointly owned by the police and a private entity.It was also learnt that the news and current affairs station will have operational bases in all the states of the federation and the FCT, and will be jointly funded by the force and private investors.According to the brief, the force has applied for a broadcasting license with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Once granted license, the TV and radio service will hit the Nigerian airwaves.The establishment of the broadcast service has been hinged on the need for the police as well as other security agencies to communicate effectively with the general public and improve community policing.

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 24-03-2017 06:36 AM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero
AKAI launches LEDs, Washing Machines, Air Conditioners; Prices start from Rs. 10,990 News oi -GizBot Bureau AKAI launches a new product lineup.

AKAI launches its new range of LED TVs, Washing Machines and Air Conditioners in India with the latest technology standards and advanced features at an attractive pricing. The new product lineup is engineered and designed in order to satisfy the growing demand of the customers for discerning lifestyle.

The last few months went into setting up the infrastructure, service centers, offline portals and the toll-free numbers to make sure that the consumers get the best-in-class customer service when they invest in AKAI products in the coming months.

Now they have announced these products in order to enhance the lifestyle of their customers.

In the TV category, AKAI offers skilfully engineered LED TVs that come with an inbuilt excellent colour range starting at Rs. 12,990 onwards. The new washing machine range comprises of innovative features, advanced technology and are energy efficient starting at Rs.10,990 onwards.

AKAI's range of air conditioners are engineered to deliver pleasant cooling, energy efficiency and effortlessly blends in with the elegant living room at Rs.22,990 onwards.

Speaking on the launch Mr Anurag Sharma, Director AKAI India, said "The new range of home appliances is an endeavour to integrate best-in-class products with cutting-edge technology into the customer's daily life.

SEE ALSO: Sony contributed in Android O by improving wireless audio quality

AKAI with its extensive product line aims to make in-roads into the Indian market with a dedicated focus on after-sales service and superior customer satisfaction. All our products are developed as per latest Japanese technology standard and offer high value to customers."

"We are confident that the new products will be well-accepted in the market and plan to add to new segments like Home Theatres, air -purifiers, refrigerators, etc." he added.

Hometech Digital Pvt. Ltd., a PARAS Group company is AKAI's owner for India operations and other SAARC nations. AKAI with its latest product portfolio offers cutting edge technology leading to an enthralling product experience for the customers.

Hometech Digital Pvt. Ltd. is in a technical tie-up with the Japanese company to ensure best- in class quality products. The company is targeting to be among the top 5 Consumer Electronics brands in the country.

Click Here for New Smartphones Best Online Deals

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
Pixel users can now rejoice, Google fixes Bluetooth connectivity issue News oi -Vigneshravi Google finally after a month long wait fixes the Bluetooth connectivity issue faced by Pixel and Pixel XL users through a server side fix.

As we had reported earlier, several Pixel users have been facing Bluetooth connectivity issues and the company was working on releasing a fix to address the issue. While the March security patch didn't address the issue, a month later Google finally fixes the Bluetooth bugs faced by Pixel and Pixel XL users.

The issue surfaced shortly after users downloaded the February security patch. Several users faced the Bluetooth connectivity issue after that, which would randomly turn off without warning, causing accessories to disconnect. This was extremely annoying to users as it distracted the music streaming to an external speaker or paired devices through Bluetooth.

SEE ALSO: Google's Pixel and Pixel XL users report Bluetooth connectivity issues

Though the company has taken a while to release the fix, it is finally out today, this was confirmed by a fellow Google employee. The announcement was posted in the product forum, which is relevant to the issue that Google was pushing a server-side fix for the problem at hand.

Google Pixel 2: What we expect to see later this year

This simply means that users do not need to download anything onto their device as the fix was a server side one. Furthermore, Google Play Services update will gradually be rolled out over the next several days.

Post this, no further action will be needed from users affected by the issue as Google Play Updates happen seamlessly in the background. As of now, these are the latest updates we have received, we will keep posted with latest updates as and when we get them.

Best Mobiles in India
No SIM card without Aadhar card News oi -Priyanka The report also says that both prepaid and postpaid customers will have to be re-verified by the telecom companies. It can be done by SMSes.

The Government is planning to ask telecom companies to link customers' SIM Cards with their Aadhar number, according to a report by a news channel.

"The Department of Telecom has already issued notices to telecom companies asking them to ensure that the SIM card of the mobile subscribers is linked to his/her Aadhaar card," the report said.

The DoT has also asked the telcos to complete the process within a year," the report added.

Nearly 82% of the Reliance Jio users are expected to opt for Prime membership

The report also says that both prepaid and postpaid customers will have to be re-verified by the telecom companies. It can be done by SMSes. Telecom companies will send verification codes to its customers.

Aadhaar may become the only card required to identify a person, replacing Voter ID and PAN, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently said in the Lok Sabha.

The unique identification number Aadhaar may become the single identity card in future, he added.

Recently, Supreme Court has also asked the Central government to link all mobile numbers to Aadhaar within a period of one year. The Apex Court urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to frame policies regarding rules and regulations to ensure the fact that the SIMs (Subscriber Identification Module) are not misused by anyone.

The Apex court has said that its mandatory for all mobile subscribers including pre-paid SIM card users to link their SIM cards to Aadhaar cards. The Court asked the Centre to devise a plan for pre-paid SIM card users so that each person will have to fill and deposit a form whenever he or she recharges.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
Swatch to release its own smartwatch Operating System News oi -Shilpa New Smartwatch OS is on its way

Smartwatch offering the similar feature as mobile handsets, gained wide popularity among youngsters because of its sleek and easy-to-wear design. As the demand for smartwatches kept increasing, the companies started taking this smart device to another level by offering exciting features in them.

Giants like Apple, Google and Samsung have their own custom OS for their brand watches. Now, Swatch is also diving into this market by releasing its own operating system for their smartwatch. Swatch CEO Nick Hayek said in an interview with Bloomberg Technology that the company is making an alternative to the iOS and Android operating systems, for smartwatches.

Also Read: Get a free Google Home if you buy LG G6 by April 30



The company is said to introduce a new brand by name Tissot late next year and it will be the first smartwatch to use this custom OS. This new operating system is being developed with the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology.

According to Hayek, this smartwatch can operate longer with less battery power and its 'think small' approach will work better since the company is trying to solve the biggest problem faced by its competitors. The company also said that it has developed the world's smallest Bluetooth chip to use in watches and household objects.

Also Read: Samsung Gear S3 Classic review: the best Smartwatch till date



Ben Wood, an analyst with CCS Insight says, "Swatch may be able to develop its own software platform, but attracting developers to get access to the most popular apps needs an operating system with scale."

Since smartwatch is still the new segment in today's market, Swatch can try to meet the requirement of users by providing unique features for it.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
Overall, dont let the bhoot mislead you, nothing bhootiya about this story. Had the makers tried to push the envelope, the idea could have been outstanding for a bhootiya comedy.
US House intel. chair apologizes to Democratic members

Iran Press TV

Thu Mar 23, 2017 5:15PM

The House Intelligence Committee chairman has apologized to committee Democrats for going public with information about government surveillance on the Trump election campaign prior to speaking to them, according to a member.

On Thursday, Devin Nunes expressed his regrets about informing US President Donald Trump of surveillance affecting his transition team before he updated his panel.

When asked why he spoke with Trump and the media before House Intelligence Committee Democrats, he said, "It's a judgement call on my part".

"At the end of the day, sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you don't," Nunes added.

He further noted that he could not show the panel information that was given to him by a source.

On Wednesday, Nunes had said that the US intelligence community "incidentally collected" information on members of Trump's transition team, ultimately putting it into various intelligence reports.

The House Intelligence Committee's ranking Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff, expressed his frustration over Nunes's handling of the information.

"If accurate, this information should have been shared with members of the committee, but it has not been," Schiff said.

Schiff further said that he had warned that his colleague had cast a "profound cloud" over their effort to investigate Russian attempts to interfere in the election.

He added, "The chairman also shared this information with the White House before providing it to the committee, another profound irregularity, given that the matter is currently under investigation. I have expressed my grave concerns with the chairman that a credible investigation cannot be conducted this way."

Alleged surveillance of the Trump campaign became part of the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election after the president's claim early this month that former President Barack Obama wiretapped the Trump Tower.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US House Intelligence Panel Weighs Future of Wiretap Probe

By Ken Bredemeier March 23, 2017

The House of Representatives Intelligence Committee met behind closed doors Thursday, a day after its investigation into wiretapping allegations involving President Donald Trump and his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, was thrown into disarray.

Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, chairman of the panel, defended his disclosure Wednesday that legal, wiretapped conversations of foreign agents talking with Trump officials after the November election, but before he took office in late January led to the "incidental collection" of comments made by the Trump aides, and possibly Trump himself.

Nunes spoke with reporters and the president about the material without informing any of the other 21 members of the committee.

Before heading into the panel's meeting, Nunes said his disclosures and a subsequent briefing he gave Trump at the White House were "a judgment call." He said of his meeting with Trump, "I called down there and invited myself."

After the hearing, one Democrat on the panel, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, said Nunes apologized for his unilateral disclosure of the information.

Before the meeting, Nunes deflected a question about whether the White House had orchestrated the release of the documents to undercut the testimony before the committee earlier this week by Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey.

Comey refuted Trump's wiretap claims

In his remarks, Comey testified that there is no information to support Trump's March 4 Twitter allegations that Obama wiretapped his Trump Tower headquarters in the weeks before the election.

Nunes declined to say who gave him the documents, saying, "We are not going to ever reveal sources."

After meeting with Trump, Nunes, a political supporter of the president's during his long run to the White House, told reporters, "What I've read seems to me to be some level of surveillance activity - perhaps legal, but I don't know that it's right. I don't know that the American people would be comfortable with what I've read."

Trump said he felt somewhat validated about his wiretapping allegations, even though Nunes' disclosure did not mirror Trump's claims in his string of Twitter comments earlier this month.

Lawmakers criticize Nunes' action

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence panel, Congressman Adam Schiff, said Nunes' action of disclosing the material and then briefing Trump, his political ally, "casts quite a profound cloud over (the committee's) ability to do the work," and he called for the formation of an independent commission.

"If the chairman is going to continue to go to the White House rather than his own committee, there's no way we can conduct this investigation," Schiff said.

Senator John McCain, a veteran lawmaker who was the losing 2008 Republican presidential candidate, called Nunes' actions Wednesday "remarkable" and "bizarre." McCain called for a special committee to look into the various wiretapping allegations and whether Trump aides colluded with Russian officials to help Trump win.

"It's a bizarre situation," McCain said of the House Intelligence panel's actions. "I think that this back and forth and what the American people have found so far is that no longer does Congress have the credibility to handle this alone."

Comey said the FBI is investigating whether Trump officials criminally colluded with Russian operatives during the election campaign to help Trump win. The Senate Intelligence Committee is also probing the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in the election to support Trump.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Statement by Ministers of the Global Coalition: Meeting on the Defeat of ISIS

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

March 22, 2017

The following is the text of a statement by the Ministers of the Global Coalition: Meeting on the Defeat of ISIS.

Begin text:

1. Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition met in Washington today at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to review and accelerate the campaign for the lasting defeat of ISIS. We remain firmly united in our outrage at ISIS's atrocities and in our determination to eliminate this global threat and overcome its false, destructive narrative. We reiterate our commitment to an integrated, multidimensional, and comprehensive approach to defeat ISIS and its global networks, fully recognizing this will require sustained, focused efforts.

2. We welcome the decisive milestones to date in reducing ISIS' territorial control and degrading its leadership, access to resources, and global networks. We commend the efforts of our Iraqi partners, who have liberated more than 60 percent of their territory once held by ISIS and made significant progress recovering Mosul. We are gratified that Syrian partners have cleared ISIS from more than a third of the territory it once controlled in Syria. Now ISIS is on the defensive in Raqqa. We commend the efforts of Coalition and Syrian opposition forces who, via Operation Euphrates Shield, have successfully cleared ISIS from al-Bab, Dabiq, Jarabulus and other areas. Overall, the number of ISIS fighters has been reduced by half. They have been scattered in Libya and pressed on multiple fronts elsewhere, including Afghanistan and Africa. Outside of Iraq and Syria, we have put greater pressure on ISIS' branches and global networks. Coalition partner information sharing, diplomatic engagement, and military strikes have put pressure on ISIS finances. Multinational cooperation has disrupted potential attacks worldwide, degraded ISIS' ability to operate across international borders and diminished its on-line influence.

3. We recognize that the gains against ISIS have not been without cost. We honor the sacrifices of our partners, notably those in Iraq and Syria, but also in Libya, Afghanistan, Turkey and elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East, who have been on the front lines of this effort. We also recognize and deplore the suffering of countless civilians because of ISIS, exemplified by its violence against men, women and children, enslavement and trafficking of women, recruitment of child soldiers and persecution of minority communities.

4. Looking ahead, we are committed to denying ISIS sanctuary and to preventing ISIS from dispersing its fighters, weapons, or resources within Iraq and Syria or elsewhere. Our Coalition is committed to supporting local forces as they move to liberate Mosul, Raqqa and other ISIS strongholds and work toward its final defeat. We also stand ready to help liberated communities recover from the damage and suffering inflicted by ISIS. We underscore the need for safeguarding civilians, as well as full and immediate humanitarian access, especially for UN agencies and their partners, in order to address the basic needs of the communities liberated from ISIS, as well as displaced persons and others in need in besieged and hard-to-reach areas of Syria.

5. ISIS cannot be allowed to re-emerge in areas it once held in Iraq and Syria or spread to the wider region. While the primary responsibility lies with national and local governments, support for stabilization and public safety in liberated communities continues to be a top priority for our Coalition. Successful stabilization and long-term recovery will stem from good governance, the provision of services, and security arrangements that benefit all communities. We welcome the pledges by Coalition partners to assist with stabilization, demining, humanitarian and public safety requirements in liberated areas of Iraq and Syria. We are gratified that partners have already pledged more than two billion dollars for such assistance in 2017 and continue to provide other vital support, notably for the Italian-led police training program in Iraq. Such contributions will create the conditions necessary for local reconciliation and for affected families to return home voluntarily, safely, with dignity, and at a time of their choosing. We welcome efforts to help Syrians promote stability in liberated communities and resist inroads by extremists. In all liberated areas, we support efforts to promote community-level reconciliation and accountability for ISIS's crimes. We stand ready to support further development of Iraq's comprehensive plan for the stabilization of Mosul and the coordination of international support.

6. We strongly support Prime Minister Abadi's vision for an Iraq free of ISIS and his government's work to enhance public services, reinforce inclusive governance, reduce corruption, decentralize certain federal authorities, and ensure the equal rights of all Iraqis irrespective of their ethnicity, gender, religion, or belief, in line with the Iraqi Constitution. We applaud the Government of Iraq for protecting civilians in conflict zones. We reaffirm our unwavering support to Iraq and its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We encourage the Government of Iraq to persevere in its work toward national and local reconciliation, stabilization and reconstruction of liberated areas.

7. The Coalition stands with the Syrian people in support of a genuine political transition based on the 2012 Geneva Communique and UNSCR 2254, aimed at establishing an inclusive, pluralistic, and non-sectarian government that represents the will of all Syrians. To this end, we support the mediation efforts of UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura. A negotiated political resolution to the conflict is essential to bring about the defeat of ISIS, achieve peace in Syria, and preserve the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Syria. We recognize the contribution of the Astana meetings in paving the way for the resumption of UN-sponsored talks in Geneva. We condemn all indiscriminate violence and violence targeting civilians, whether by the regime and its supporters, ISIS, al-Qaeda affiliated groups, or other armed actors. We are united in our call for a genuine commitment to a sustained ceasefire and for full, unobstructed humanitarian access. We express concern for the plight of refugees and internally displaced persons and stress the imperative of building conditions for their safe return, consistent with the principle of non-refoulement and in accordance with applicable international law and taking into account the interests of host countries. The Coalition welcomes the "Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" in Brussels on 5 April 2017 as a positive step to benefit the people of Syria.

8. We commend Libyan Prime Minister Sarraj and the forces aligned with the Government of National Accord (GNA) for the liberation of the city of Sirte from ISIS. We pay tribute to those Libyans who have lost their lives or have been wounded confronting ISIS in Sirte, Benghazi, and in other parts of the country. However, the continued political and security instability in Libya risks undermining the strategic objectives of political reconciliation and countering terrorism. We call on all parties including the relevant security actors to commit to the Libya Political Agreement and resolve their differences through dialogue and national reconciliation. We also remain vigilant against the threat of ISIS in other parts of the country and continue to support efforts to deprive it of finances, fighters, and avenues of recruitment and influence.

9. We commend the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan, along with its National Defense and Security Forces, in the fight against ISIS and in implementing its National Strategy against ISIS.

10. We recognize and support efforts by Nigeria and its partners to defeat ISIS affiliates and stabilize affected areas in the Lake Chad basin region.

11. Coalition members are actively disrupting ISIS networks that move individuals, material and funds to enable external attacks. Information sharing, enhanced traveler screening and law enforcement cooperation  including collection of evidence admissible in courts of law  are essential to this effort, as is the ability to prosecute and penalize foreign terrorist fighters and others providing material support to ISIS. We encourage information sharing through INTERPOL and other collective law enforcement channels, such as EUROPOL, as well as through financial intelligence unit (FIU) channels. We encourage members to contribute and screen against records of lost and stolen passports, foreign terrorist fighter profiles and biometric filters maintained in INTERPOL's global criminal investigative databases. We likewise encourage establishing access between INTERPOL's I-24/7 system and all borders and ports of entry to prevent, interdict and deter foreign terrorist travel. We underscore our support for international frameworks  including, but not limited to, UN Security Council Resolutions 2178 and 2253  along with institutions such as the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the Financial Action Task Force, and the Egmont Group of FIUs, to curb foreign terrorist fighter travel, financing, trafficking and illicit trade, including in controlled materials. We support greater international cooperation to repatriate artifacts stolen by ISIS and others as a source of income for terrorist activities, consistent with obligations established by applicable UN conventions and resolutions.

12. The Coalition supports enhanced efforts to prevent radicalization and recruitment into ISIS and its branches by addressing the factors underpinning its emergence and continued appeal. Success against ISIS's radicalization and recruitment efforts includes strengthening social cohesion and enhancing the resilience of communities  including teachers, social workers, religious leaders, women and youth  to recognize and respond constructively to these challenges. We recognize that returning ISIS fighters may pose a threat to their home countries and that we must address the issue by various means that may include reintegration and rehabilitation, as well as monitoring, investigation, and prosecution.

13. We will intensify our efforts to confront ISIS in the digital battlespace and reshape the public narrative around ISIS to one of failure. Members will continue their collaboration to discredit ISIS's propaganda, emphasizing credible, authentic voices that provide alternative narratives to challenge ISIS's world view. We will work with the private sector to develop long-term, sustainable initiatives that make communities, especially youth, more resistant to ISIS's message. We welcome private sector initiatives to prevent ISIS and its supporters from exploiting social media platforms. These include technical means to facilitate removal of material which violates terms and conditions for users.

14. We are gratified by the momentum collectively generated by the Coalition and its partners and express our determination to intensify and accelerate our efforts to eliminate ISIS. We recognize the need for sustained coordination of the Coalition across all its lines of efforts. The working groups of the Coalition are essential to this coordination, and we remain committed to their continued progress. With this in mind, we look forward to the next meeting of the Small Group and working groups of the Global Coalition in July 2017.

End text.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






A professor at China's Zhejiang University recently became an internet sensation after broadcasting his lectures online. The professor has turned calculus, considered an exceptionally difficult course among students, into a popular class.

The professor, Su Dekuang, is one of the most admired professors at Zhejiang University. His humorous teaching style has earned him love and respect from students throughout his 30-year career. This semester, Su began broadcasting his lectures online, and each lesson has been watched by thousands of people. The most popular session was viewed more than 20,000 times.

The internet has a major influence on students nowadays, Su explained, adding that cyberspace offers a perfect environment for learning. He believes more university professors should utilize the internet to keep students interested in their studies.

Su has also created an account on Sina Weibo, intended as a platform to help students solve particularly challenging problems. So far he has attracted nearly 80,000 followers. Su also shares his lectures by uploading the videos on his Weibo home page.

"Online courses are free from space restrictions, and the videos can also be replayed, which helps students who are struggling to catch up," Su said, joking that students can even "attend" class while lying in bed.

These days, Su's students are not only from Zhejiang University, but from all over the country, covering a wide span of ages. The professor says his next plan is to publicly broadcast all his higher mathematics courses.
Remarks at the Ministerial Plenary for the Global Coalition Working to Defeat ISIS

Remarks

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi

The Department of State

Washington, DC

March 22, 2017



SECRETARY TILLERSON: Good morning, and thank you all for traveling to Washington, D.C. to participate in this counter-ISIS/Daesh ministerial conference. It is indeed encouraging to see the attendance. When the forces of ISIS and Daesh tune into their TVs and their computer monitors, they will see the strength of a combined 68 nations and organizations. Together, we share a resolve to deal ISIS or Daesh a lasting defeat. Our coalition is united in stopping an ISIS resurgence, halting its global ambitions and discrediting its ideological narrative. And we're ready to grow stronger and stay aggressive in this battle.

President Trump, in his recent address to the joint session of Congress, made clear that it is the policy of the United States to demolish and destroy this barbaric terrorist organization. That is what we are going to do.

Many of us here today represent countries who know ISIS's carnage firsthand. In fact, today marks one year since 32 innocent people were killed and 300 wounded in attacks in Brussels. The Belgian foreign minister is home commemorating this solemn day for his country, but we are grateful to have the ambassador from our ally, Belgium, joining us today.

In the same month as the attack in Brussels, a child was killed and 600 Iraqis were injured in an ISIS chemical weapons attack in Taza, just south of Kirkuk. ISIS has carried out horrific attacks in the streets of Paris and Istanbul, each planned from its headquarters in Raqqa. The United States has also experienced attacks inspired by ISIS on social media, a phenomena we are working to combat together and which will be a major point of discussion among us today.

As we commemorate and mourn for the victims of ISIS's hatred, let us also honor them with unwavering dedication to victory. The great commonality among we who have gathered today is a commitment to bringing down a global force of evil, and I emphasize the word "commitment." The success of our mission depends on a continual devotion to our stated objective of defeating this terrorist organization.

In the run-up to this meeting, we identified over $2 billion in humanitarian, stabilization, and de-mining needs for liberated areas in Iraq and Syria for 2017. I'm pleased to announce that we have surpassed that total in dollar pledges. Let's fulfil our pledges so we can quickly disburse the funds we need to carry out operations for the rest of the year.

Reflecting on the past year or so, we should be encouraged by the significant progress we as a coalition are making. In addition to the latest meaningful financial contributions, the flow of foreign terrorist fighters into Syria and Iraq is down 90 percent over the past year. It is harder for terrorists to get in, and more importantly, harder for them to get out to threaten our homelands.

Turkey has pushed ISIS off the Turkey-Syria border through Operation Euphrates Shield. This entire border is now inaccessible to ISIS, and we will ensure that it stays that way. Nearly all of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's deputies are now dead, including the mastermind behind the attacks in Brussels, Paris, and elsewhere. It is only a matter of time before Baghdadi himself meets the same fate.

The Libyan Government of National Accord-aligned fighters from Misrata routed ISIS in Sirte, depriving ISIS of its only territory outside of Iraq and Syria. We are pleased to have representatives of the Libyan Government with us here today.

In Iraq and Syria, our partners on the ground have liberated 50,000 square kilometers of territory from ISIS, freeing nearly two-and-a-half million people in cities, villages, and towns. Most importantly, the liberation of all of this territory has held. ISIS has recovered none of it.

Seventeen coalition members are producing content in five languages to counteract ISIS's propaganda and attack on its online presence. These efforts have yielded a 75 percent reduction of ISIS content on the internet in one year, and the takedown of 475,000 ISIS-linked Twitter accounts.

In Iraq, more than one-and-a-half million Iraqis have now returned to their homes in areas that had been under control of ISIS. The displacement flow outward has been reversed, and this is a trend we must ensure continues. And neighboring countries closest to the conflict, like Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, have undertaken a widespread humanitarian response to the regional refugee crisis, including the acceptance of millions of refugees, many of whom they are working to reintegrate into normal life in their own nations.

We especially should recognize the Republic of Iraq. Prime Minister Abadi, who is with me on stage, has shown commitment and courage, often visiting the front lines to encourage his troops and ensure that people are being cared for after the battles. His desire for stability and inclusive governance drives his vision for the future of Iraq.

The ongoing Iraqi-led retaking of Mosul is pushing ISIS out of a key stronghold and liberating more than a million civilians. Iraqi forces, many trained by our coalition, are performing heroically and placing protection of civilians at the forefront of their military plan.

This Mosul campaign could not have succeeded without the cooperation between the Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga. I am pleased to see a representative from Kurdistan Regional Government, Mr. Fuad Hussein, here today with Prime Minister Abadi. It is this close cooperation between the Iraqi people and their leaders that hastens ISIS's ultimate defeat and ensures it can never return to Iraq.

Hard-fought victories in Iraq and Syria have swung the momentum in our coalition's favor, but we must increase the intensity of our efforts and solidify our gains in the next phase of the counter-ISIS fight. Degradation of ISIS is not the end goal. We must defeat ISIS. I recognize there are many pressing challenges in the Middle East, but defeating ISIS is the United States number one goal in the region. As we've said before, when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. We must continue to keep our focus on the most urgent matter at hand.

At this moment, we are still in a phase characterized by major military operations. The expansion of ISIS has necessitated a large-scale military response, and our offensive measures are reclaiming areas in Iraq and Syria in which ISIS has had a large and destructive footprint. Our end goal in this phase is the regional elimination of ISIS through military force. The military power of the coalition will remain where this fraudulent caliphate has existed in order to set the conditions for a full recovery from the tyranny of ISIS. Under President Trump's leadership and with the strength of this historic coalition, our common enemy will remain under intense pressure.

Soon, our efforts in Iraq and Syria will enter a new phase defined by transition from major military operations to stabilization. In this transition to the stabilization phase, our coalition will continue to clear land mines and return water and electricity  the basic elements that permit people to return to their homes. We will pursue regional diplomatic solutions for the underlying political and sectarian disputes that helped ISIS to flourish. The coalition and future partners will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to affected communities as necessary.

We appreciate the work of the UN-managed Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization, which has helped Iraq return home over half a million displaced persons in Anbar province alone. Continuing coalition support for police training will be essential, as will be coalition support for demining and clearing hazardous materials.

We will continue to facilitate the return of people to their homes and work with local political leadership. They will provide stable and fair governance, rebuild infrastructure, and provide the essential services. We will use our diplomatic presence on the ground to facilitate channels of dialogue between local leadership and coalition partners. These initiatives are working well in Iraq, and we are working to tailor a similar approach specific to the challenges in Syria. While a more defined course of action in Syria is still coming together, I can say the United States will increase our pressure on ISIS and al-Qaida and will work to establish interim zones of stability through ceasefires to allow refugees to go home.

As a coalition, we are not in the business of nation-building or reconstruction. We must ensure that our respective nations' precious and limited resources are devoted to preventing the resurgence of ISIS and equipping the war-torn communities to take the lead in rebuilding their institutions and returning to stability.

A successful stabilization period will improve daily life for millions of people. Today in east Mosul, stabilization projects are clearing rubble, clearing land mines, restoring water services and electricity, and nearly 30,000 boys and girls are now back in school. These efforts are being led by Iraqis locally in cooperation with the central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Abadi.

A successful stabilization phase will set the stage for a successful normalization phase. In the normalization phase, local leaders and local governments will take on the process of restoring their communities in the wake of ISIS with our support. The development of a rejuvenated civil society in these places will lead to a disenfranchisement of ISIS and the emergence of stability and peace where there was once chaos and suffering.

But none of this will happen automatically. We all need to support this effort. To date, in Iraq and Syria, the United States provides 75 percent of the military resources supporting our local partners in their fight against ISIS. For humanitarian and stabilization support, the ratio is reversed, with the United States providing 25 percent and the rest of the coalition providing 75 percent.

The United States will do its part, but the circumstances on the ground require more from all of you. I ask each country to examine how it can best support these vital stabilization efforts, especially in regard to contribution of military and financial resources.

As we stabilize areas encompassing ISIS's physical caliphates in Iraq and Syria, we also must prevent their seeds of hatred from taking root elsewhere. The loss of territory in Iraq and Syria has forced ISIS to extend its current branches and build new bases of operations in countries around the world. Already we are seeing ISIS-linked cells from the Pacific Rim to Central Asia to South America. Just this month, dozens of people were killed and wounded when members of ISIS disguised as doctors attacked a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.

We know military strength will stop ISIS on a battlefield, but it is the combined strength of our coalition that will be the final blow to ISIS. In order to stay ahead of a global outbreak, we must all adopt the following countermeasures: First, continue to persist with in-country counterterrorism and law enforcement operations. All of us must maintain pressure on ISIS's networks within our own countries and take decisive law enforcement action to stop its growth. ISIS is connected across every continent, and we must work to break every link in its chain. INTERPOL is the newest member of our coalition and is critical to closing all routes through which ISIS terrorists seek to travel and threaten our homelands.

Second, we need greater intelligence and information sharing within our own domestic intelligence agencies and among our nations. Our information sharing as a coalition has prevented a number of attacks, and this must expand and accelerate regardless of departmental or international rivalries. One example of this is West African nations who have put aside national differences to combat Boko Haram. Let us build on this good example.

We also must look this enemy's ideology in the eyes for what it is: a warped interpretation of Islam that threatens all of our people. As His Majesty, King Abdullah II of Jordon, has recently said, and I quote, "Everything they are, everything they do, is a blatant violation of my faith." ISIS fighters are not all from poor or impoverished communities. Many come from middle class or even upper class backgrounds, drawn to a radical and false utopian vision that purports to be based upon the Quran. Muslim partners and leaders of their faith must combat this perverse ideological message. And we are grateful that so many have and are ready to take up this responsibility.

Lastly, in tandem with our aggressive push-back on the ground in multiple countries, we must break ISIS's ability to spread its message and recruit new followers online.

A "digital caliphate" must not flourish in the place of a physical one.

As we have seen from attacks in Nice, Berlin, Orlando, and San Bernardino, the internet is ISIS's best weapon for turning a recruit into a self-radicalized attacker. As traveling to Iraq and Syria as a fighter has become more difficult, ISIS's new call has become, and I quote, "Stay where you arewage war in Daesh's name wherever you live."

ISIS's handlers around the world spend their days at keyboards communicating with a would-be terrorist, methodically feeding a recruit's deranged desire to develop local networks or carry out attacks in their own countries.

We are making progress, but we need to do more to attack this threat. Our Coalition's 24/7 counter-messaging hubs in the UAE, the UK, and Malaysia are having an impact, and these types of efforts should be replicated and expanded elsewhere.

Counter-messaging efforts should continue both in the online arena and on the ground in countries where religious leaders have opportunities to speak out against radicalization. Our Muslim partners, particularly Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have important roles to play in combatting the message of ISIS and other radical Islamic terrorist groups.

We all should deepen cooperation with the tech industry to prevent encrypted technologies from serving as tools that enable extremist collaboration.

We need the global tech industry to develop new advancements in the fight, and we thank those companies which are already responding to this challenge. We must capitalize on the extraordinary advancements in data analytics and algorithmic technologies to build tools that discover ISIS's propaganda and identify imminent attacks.

Researchers in the United States are already developing tools for sweeping the dark corners of the internet for ISIS material, but they need help to get to their destination even faster. Later on, we will hear at lunch from Ali Jaber, who will speak in great detail on how to achieve victory in this arena.

But let me be clear: we must fight ISIS online as aggressively as we would on the ground.

In closing, ISIS presents an ongoing challenge to our collective security, but as we have seen, it is not more powerful than we are when we stand together. We must thwart ISIS as it tries to maintain a presence on the ground and in cyberspace. We must enhance cooperation and border security, aviation security, law enforcement, financial sanctions, counter-messaging, and intelligence sharing. And we must keep making the investment in liberated areas in Iraq and Syria to help innocent people rebuild and stabilize their communities.

Right now, this means continuing to clear explosives, restore water and power, deliver humanitarian and resettlement assistance, and forge partnerships with the local leaders who reject extremism. Our time today is an opportunity for the open and honest exchange of information and encouragement. As allies dedicated to defeating a common enemy, we should strive to understand and respect one another's perspectives and adopt the ideas that will achieve our mission.

Most of all, now is the time to strengthen our shared commitment to security and invest in a fight in which we all have a stake.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

As I mentioned in my remarks, our next speaker is a leader who has been a courageous ally in this fight. His army has shown bravery and persistence against a fierce enemy. And we admire his people who, though they have suffered, are resolute in their commitment to throw off tyranny.

Please join me in welcoming Prime Minister Abadi of Iraq. (Applause.)

PRIME MINISTER ABADI: (Via interpreter) In the name of God, most compassionate, most merciful, Secretary Tillerson, your excellencies, heads of delegations, ladies and gentlemen, peace of God be upon you.

Since our previous meeting for the global coalition, in this coalition against Daesh we have achieved many great victories. We were able to achieve all these victories by cooperating together and the brave fighting of the Iraqis on the ground, a fighting that went from south of Baghdad to its western part, and today we're fighting with bravery in Mosul. Before coming to this meeting in Washington, I was in Mosul, visited the front lines, found the Arab fighting side by side with the Kurd and the Christian with the Muslim and with the Yezidi and the (inaudible) and the Turkman. All of them believe steadfastly in the unity of Iraq and in the common determination and destiny for all against a enemy that wanted to break us apart and kill the minorities among us and to exclude a large part of the Iraqi society and communities and drive them out of their cities.

Our common and one-front response is an indicator of the failure of the efforts of Daesh. We are now undertaking all the efforts to make sure the displaced return to their cities and their villages, and we are trying to stabilize the liberated areas and stabilize many of these cities and villages. Over 70 percent of the residents of Fallujah, the city of Fallujah and the Ramadi, and more than 90 percent of the city of Tikrit have returned to their homes thanks to the efforts of stabilization and the return of all the necessary and essential services.

Ladies and gentlemen, you know the impact of the economic situation and the dropdown of oil prices while we also fight this very ferocious fight that costs us very much as well. Despite all of that, and thanks be to God, we were able to return stability to many regions. Even in Mosul as we fight against ISIS and Daesh and terrorism, we are at the same time simultaneously stabilizing, and we have opened 250 schools in the left side of Mosul while the ongoing fight in the right side of the city. We also open many hospitals, many medical centers, and we have tried hard to provide services to the citizens while we fight at the same time and fight the enemies, while also the enemies try to provide otherwise. This is the Iraq that we are trying to build, and we are very proud of our diversity in our unified country, and we are united within the boundaries of our country.

Today, as we fight ISIS in the final stages militarily in Iraq and we have given them very harsh blows to this enemy, we fought also the slogan of ISIS as if they pretend to build an empire and pretend to expand this empire. We prove today that this empire that they tried to build is today very much on the decrease, and we are trying to liberate today Mosul that they attempted to make their own capital. We also sent a very strong message to the youngs that they  that Daesh try to appeal to. We see many Daesh members being killed and many those who tried to get recruited with ISIS. We are on the decrease. We have  we broke many of their dreams. Today, for that reason, Daesh is resorting to many terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and many other places in Europe in order to send a message that they are still standing and they want for those young people to go fight in its ranks.

Today, our fight on Daesh and against Daesh is a major victory. Today, we are in the stage of completely decimating Daesh and not containing it. We are not containing it. Containing Daesh is not  it's a very dangerous matter. We cannot go there. This is a terrorist group. It cannot be trusted. We cannot deal with it, it's organizing, killing, and chaos and destruction; a very corrupted ideology. There is no humanity to ISIS, and today is trying to oppress the human being in our modern world. Today, they're trying to sell women, sell children. This is a very heinous crime that they do sell women and children in Iraq and Syria.

This terrorist group must be decimated, must be completely killed. And what we have achieved in Iraq is that we forever can destroy and decimate this terrorist group by being allies, by unifying our efforts and remaining focused on destroying and decimating and Daesh and not to be distracted by regional differences and regional conflicts. In Iraq, as we decentralized, and since two and a half years after our government has come to place, we made many efforts to provide many powers to the various governorates. We have a local council in every governorate and we have a governor who is elected, and we deal with local councils and the governors as being local governments. Decentralization strengthens Iraq, and we provide more powers, more authorities. We are committed to that and we cannot ever go back on that, just as we launched our major project to stabilize and to return major, essential services through the liberation and through also having major committees in each governante that work with the governors to implements these projects.

Through this great cooperation we were able to succeed in seeing a lot of displaced returned to their homes. Today, we have a strong economic activity in these liberated cities, because the citizens are able today to resume their normal lives, their economic life, and support the local economy.

Over the past two and a half years, despite the terrorism of Daesh and ISIS, Iraq was able to increase its oil production. Today, Iraq can provide over 5 million barrels a day. Despite the harsh cost of the war and the destruction of the war, we were still able to progress and to provide essential services to the citizens.

In Iraq for the past 20 years, we have daily demonstrations by the citizens that are calling for their rights and expressing their views, and we respect that. We respect democracy in Iraq. Democracy today in Iraq respects the will of the people, and our security forces provide protection to these citizens who are expressing their views freely as long as they are doing it within the boundaries of the law and not attacking people's properties and so forth.

This is a great progress in a country that had seen sufferance and dictator oppression. If someone expressed his views, he was killed in the past. Today, we have done great strides in that field and we provide such freedom to other regions. We will be victorious over ISIS with our democracy and our freedom and with our diversity. Daesh hates diversity. Daesh kills those who are opposed to their views.

Today, we demonstrate to the others that we remain united, despite the divergent perspectives in Iraq and the divergent affiliations. Iraq since its history has always seen such diversity and lived for centuries with such diversity. And I will also say that the structure in Samarra and that the tower that also saw the Mongol and the other occupations and remained resistant and with Daesh was destroyed. That shows the extent of the destruction that these terrorist groups have caused to the ziggurats and other historic monuments. I hope that we will all agree on a common definition that this is a terrorist group and other similar groups are terrorist groups. It is not sound and correct that we call Daesh that is a terrorist group when it's working against me, and then I don't do so when it's going to conduct its terrorist operations in other countries.

We have to be unifiers. The threat of ISIS is a threat to the entire region if we are to be very lenient towards it. We must destroy this threat and in this scope we must destroy ISIS. If we continuously cooperate  and I call on everybody in this global coalition to continue the cooperation to decimate Daesh and not contain it  we are able to kill Daesh and destroy it in this final stage.

Also, as we fight this war, we started a program of reform in Iraq to simplify all procedural and bureaucratic procedures in Iraq, and also fighting corruption. The citizens have every right to know where the wealth of the people is going. The oil of the Iraqi people and the wealth of the Iraqi people is for the Iraqis, not for other place, not for other region, not to other countries. This wealth is for all Iraqis regardless of other affiliations, other beliefs. We all believe that terrorism is a plague as dangerous as corruption, and corruption is as dangerous as terrorism because it leads to very dangerous consequences.

The collapse of some army  Iraqi army units and some other forces when Daesh came in, it was due to corruption. The soldier cannot fight if he sees his officer and his superior is corrupt and cannot work with devotion if he sees that his superior is corrupt. And I know this is a very difficult issue and I know there are many opposing our reforms in that regard. This is an institutional corruption as well, and has been festering for a long time; however, we are determined to eradicate it in order to rid Iraq of this evil. Corruption and terrorism are a common plague and we are cooperating to fight against the goal of the terrorists who try to use corruption to further their goals.

We are determined to fight ISIS. There is an Iraqi today force fighting  the counterterrorism unit of the Iraqi army  and the Peshmerga are with us for the first time in the history of Iraq fighting side by side. Today, Iraqis are fighting side by side with the Peshmergas, not against each other, but together against the terrorism of Daesh. This is not a matter of interests, it is the relationship between the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga has been sound and excellent, and there is a great deal of cooperation and understanding. I can say very much and affirm that the Iraqi army today has earned the respect of the Iraqi citizens. We work for all the Iraqis, and this is our direction as well for our security internal forces and our military forces, and to all the other units, that their goals is to protect the Iraqi citizen and not to oppress the citizen, providing security for the citizen, protecting the citizen. And we hold accountable any violation that we can assert by law that is violating the human rights and the dignity of people. We have also demonstrated that we hold people accountable for that.

Also, there are volunteers from the Iraqi people who also participated in the fight from the various groups of the Iraqis  Sunni, Shia, Turkmen, Yezidis, Christians, the (inaudible), and other the  all the other governorates fought with us, with the Iraqi forces, under the umbrella of the Iraqi forces, to fight and decimate Daesh.

Also, we had the law on the PMF, the law on the PMF, based on the  how it was adopted by the parliament. The PMF accordingly is under the general commander of the armed forces, and that is the prime minister. The PMF is within the system of the Iraqi Government, is under the Iraqi discipline and the  we cannot consider it as a security apparatus, cannot only be involved in security and military scopes, because we have the elections coming up. It must not  it  also, other political groups who hold up weapons must not also enter into the elections. We must separate the weapon from the political effort and the political track, and no weapon must be outside the scope of the government. The constitution of the Iraq state is very clear on that. No weapon that is outside the umbrella of the government, and those who will do so are doing so against the law. We consider them outlawed, and we will fight them accordingly.

Therefore, the law on the PMFs will bring those brave fighters who came and sacrificed themselves, fought bravely, and sacrificed everything to defend Iraq and defend all the citizens, are under the umbrella of the Iraqi leadership and command and under the Iraqi law, and no one can carry weapons outside that system. We are very keen on absorbing all the citizens in order to maintain the dignity of this country and destroy terrorism.

This threat threatens the entire world, threatens the region, just like you said, Mr. Secretary. This heinous terrorism is very dangerous. This is a very dangerous group. We were talking about al-Qaida and its terrorism, and the terror al-Qaida groups are still there. Now we have moved to the terrorism of ISIS  very dangerous terrorism, and other terrorist groups. We must combat and decimate this threat and this terror, because it's draining our resources, draining our efforts, and draining our economic means and preventing economic progress and modernity. We must fight terror and terrorism, and that requires us to change our way of doing things and our way of governing.

Terrorism is exploiting the injustice that is happening in the region, and exploiting the regional conflict that is happening in the region. When there is a regional conflict, there is void, and where there are regions that are suffering from void, terrorism will exploit. Therefore, I call on containing the regional differences and the regional conflicts, because these are the main  one of the main reasons to seeing these groups rise that's in Syria and Libya and other places, where these groups are rising because of all of that.

We welcome all the support that is offered to Iraq, and thank everyone who supports in the global coalition that supports Iraq. This coalition proved that we can fight together terrorism; we all have common interests. Iraq is not begging for support, and is not asking for support from a position of weakness, but we all are asking for it altogether, all in the same boat, all on the same ship, facing this terrorism. And we fight side by side on the ground, and we benefit from all the logistical support and all the air support that is being given to us and to our forces as we move forward to the next phase to protect our borders and rebuild our countries  our country.

We have the mean to deal with that. We have absorbed and we are working with all the components of Iraq. I can't pretend that we have resolved all of our issues, but these problems go back to many years in the past when Saddam and the Baath regime oppressed the Iraqi people and fought many wars in the region, and destroyed the means of the Iraqi people until 2003, and the heinous terrorist attacks by the terrorists on Iraq who came from around 100 countries from all over the world. We have to cooperate to contain these and destroy this terrorism, these terrorists, and prevent them from expanding their efforts. And again, not containing ISIS, but destroy and decimate Daesh.

And thank you. Peace of god be upon you all. Thank you for listening.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






The Global Coalition - Working to Defeat ISIS

Fact Sheet

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

March 22, 2017



Since its formation in 2014, the Global Coalition has worked diligently to reduce the threat ISIS poses to international security and our homelands. Coalition members are united in common cause to defeat ISIS through a robust approach, including working by, with, and through local partners for military operations; supporting the stabilization of territory liberated from ISIS; and, enhancing international cooperation against ISIS' global objectives through information sharing, law enforcement cooperation, severing ISIS' financing, countering violent extremist recruitment, and neutralizing ISIS' narrative. The Coalition is also engaged in broad-based civilian efforts to provide humanitarian aid to communities suffering from displacement and conflict, and supporting stabilization efforts in territory liberated from ISIS. The Coalition's combined efforts have diminished ISIS' military capability, territorial gains, leadership, financial resources, and on-line influence.

The 68-member Global Coalition is the largest international coalition in history. It is a diverse group, in which each member makes unique contributions to a robust civilian and military effort.

THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN

Twenty-three Coalition partners have over 9,000 troops in Iraq and Syria in support of the effort to defeat ISIS. Working by, with, and through our local partners, the Coalition has made significant progress in denying ISIS safe haven and building the military capacity of those engaged in direct action against ISIS.

Coalition operations have liberated 62 percent of the terrain ISIS once controlled in Iraq and 30 percent in Syria, including key cities in both countries. The number of ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria is at its lowest level since the group declared its "caliphate," down by more than half since its peak in 2014.

Coalition air assets have conducted more than 19,000 strikes on ISIS targets, removing tens of thousands ISIS fighters from the battlefield and killing over 180 senior to mid-level ISIS leaders, including nearly all of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's deputies, his so-called ministers of war, information, finance, oil and gas, and his chief of external operations. Beyond fighters, these precision airstrikes are targeting ISIS external attack plotters, military commanders, administrative officials, facilitators, and communicators, as well as its energy assets, command and control facilities, and bulk cash storage facilities.

The Coalition has supported our Iraqi partners to achieve significant progress in the fight to retake Mosul. Iraqi Security Forces officially liberated eastern Mosul on January 24, 2017 and now are making significant territorial gains in the western portion of the city. To date, Coalition efforts have trained nearly 90,000 Iraqi Security Forces members, including Iraqi Army soldiers, Counterterrorism Services soldiers, Kurdish Peshmerga, federal police and border security soldiers, and tribal volunteers. Coalition members have also donated some 8,200 tons of military equipment to our Iraqi and local Syrian partners in the fight against ISIS.

With the support of the Coalition, our Syrian partners have liberated over 14,000 square kilometers of terrain in Syria, including more than 7,400 square kilometers of territory since isolation operations around Raqqa began on November 5. We are now pressuring ISIS in Raqqa, its external operations headquarters, from where ISIS is plotting against Coalition member interests around the globe. Turkish-led and Coalition-supported operations have also cleared more than 2,000 square kilometers of territory, including removing ISIS off the remainder of the Turkey-Syria border, cutting off a critical transit route for foreign fighters to Europe. As part of these efforts in Syria, the Coalition has helped train thousands of Syrians who have joined the fight to defeat ISIS.

THE CIVILIAN EFFORT

STABILIZATION, HUMANITARIAN, AND ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE

Since 2014, Coalition members have provided more than $22.2 billion in stabilization, demining capabilities, economic support, and humanitarian assistance in Iraq and Syria  all of which guard against a resurgence of ISIS. Last July, at the Iraq Pledging Conference held in Washington, partners pledged more than $2.3 billion for humanitarian assistance, stabilization, and demining in Iraq. The Coalition expects to raise approximately $2 billion for these efforts in Iraq and Syria for 2017.

Coalition support for stabilization programs is crucial as we seek to hold terrain taken from ISIS and provide for people in liberated areas. Support for stabilization efforts is a strategic investment in the fight against ISIS. As a result of this support, local partners in Iraq are holding ground against ISIS, restoring services, clearing schools and clinics of explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices, helping families return home once they are ready, providing security, and contributing to re-establishing the rule of law in liberated areas. ISIS criminals have perpetrated some of the worst international crimes the world has seen in decades and members of the Coalition are documenting these atrocities and working toward holding members of ISIS accountable. Iraq has requested additional assistance to support domestic capacity in pursuing accountability. Internationally, coalition partners are exploring ways to also hold ISIS members accountable for international crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity with international investigative mechanisms.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), working on the ground in Iraq with local partners, has implemented more than 350 projects to date, all of which have achieved their intended objectives on time and at cost. The first projects for Mosul have already started in the outskirts, and $43 million in prepositioned equipment is being deployed. The provision of civilian security by trained police is also critical to the stabilization effort. Five countries have joined the Italian-led effort to train more than 7,000 Iraqi police to date, now graduating approximately 900 new police officers each month.

Iraq's central government has proven its improved capacity to handle a range of important issues, to include supporting local governance, maintaining security, providing electricity and other essential services, managing the economy, defending its territorial integrity, and upholding the rights of all Iraqis irrespective of their ethnicity, gender, religion, or beliefs. Iraq's success in rehabilitating liberated communities is due in part to the partnership it forged with Coalition members that has enabled the UNDP to provide more than $240 million in stabilization programs over the last two years.

In Iraq, the Coalition supports and enables Government of Iraq-led military operations to ensure that cities are liberated and secured in a sustainable manner. By working with the United Nations and in partnership with the Government of Iraq, aid organizations have worked to ensure that humanitarian assistance is staged prior to military operations and in preparation for outflows of internally displaced persons (IDPs). By pre-positioning emergency assistance, identifying local hold forces to provide post-ISIS security, establishing a demining capacity, and implementing quick-impact stabilization projects, we have seen a significant reduction in Iraq's IDP population and helped create conditions that facilitate voluntary, safe, and dignified IDP returns. In total, more than 1.5 million Iraqis have returned to their homes. UN stabilization projects, funded by Coalition partners, have helped set the conditions for the return of more than 500,000 IDPs to Anbar Province alone, including to the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah. In eastern Mosul and surrounding areas, more than 70,000 IDPs have returned voluntarily to their homes, the Ninewa Provincial Council has also returned, and the UN has initiated stabilization operations. We will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need throughout the country while stabilization programs are ongoing.

Ten Coalition Members are on tap to meet one-third of Iraq's demining costs through 2018. Canada, Denmark, and Germany provided generous funding that has allowed Janus Global Operations to clear an estimated 1.7 million square meters of at least 21,248 kilograms of explosive hazards in Iraq's Anbar Province. UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is similarly working to demine liberated areas, while also focusing on building local demining capacity. Janus and UNMAS have coordinated closely with UNDP and the Government of Iraq to support stabilization planning for Mosul.

As the Coalition-backed forces make rapid progress in military operations to isolate Raqqa, we are applying lessons learned from Mosul to facilitate the stabilization of liberated territories in Syria. Since the start of the Coalition-supported Raqqa campaign last November, military operations have generated approximately 35,000 IDPs. Approximately 27,000 have already returned home following expeditious clearance operations by Coalition-supported C-ISIS forces. The majority of IDPs continues to flee towards, and seek refuge in, areas cleared by Coalition-supported forces, where they have been assisted by host communities and supported by NGOs. The UN and NGO partners have provided assistance to tens of thousands of IDPs in this area since November.

Humanitarian and stabilization efforts are also reaching civilian populations in the liberated cities of Jarabulus and Manbij. In Manbij alone, the Coalition facilitated the delivery of more than 200 metric tons of food to 2,400 families. With Coalition support, over 200 schools have been cleared of explosive remnants of war, 400 schools have reopened, over 70,000 children are back in school, markets are open and bustling, and local medical and social services have resumed. There is now a longer-term effort by a commercial partner to survey, mark, and clear key infrastructure areas in Manbij, while simultaneously training a local Syrian capacity. We intend to expand this project to cover the road to Raqqa and, eventually, Raqqa City.

MULTILATERAL INITIATIVES TO COUNTER A GLOBAL THREAT

ISIS has deliberately fostered interconnectedness among its scattered branches, networks, and supporters, seeking to build a global organization. It continues to provide guidance and funds its branches and networks, has carried out attacks well beyond the territory it directly controls, and retains a robust online presence. Coalition partners have recognized the importance of being networked together to effectively counter this global threat and coordinate efforts to disrupt and degrade ISIS activities. Coalition members and other partners have taken steps to strengthen their capacity to share information, while building and reinforcing partnerships with multi-national organizations like INTERPOL and EUROPOL, and among national agencies like Financial Intelligence Units.

In addition to humanitarian and stabilization assistance, the United Nations has developed a Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and nations around the world are working to implements its recommendations. The Coalition is also pressing for full implementation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions requiring states to take certain actions against ISIS, such as preventing arms transfers or the provision of funds. The Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) has developed a series of initiatives, training programs, and global good practices to address the lifecycle of a violent extremist. Such steps are essential to curbing ISIS' ability to operate freely across international borders.

COUNTER-MESSAGING

Building resistance to extremist propaganda and countering terrorist use of the internet is vital to our effort. Counter ISIS content is now more prevalent online and pro-ISIS content is declining in open forum social media channels. This is a terrorist group that is increasingly struggling in the face of an increasingly organized and sophisticated set of initiatives by the Coalition.

Global Coalition member countries are producing national responses and coordinating counter ISIS communications efforts regionally and globally. The Global Counter ISIS Coalition Communications Working Group (led by the UAE, UK, and U.S.) regularly convenes over 30 member countries with media and tech companies to share information and strategies to counter violent extremist messages online and present positive alternative narratives: its last meeting in London on February 28 was attended by a record 38 countries.

The Communications Working Group also supports a network of messaging centers that expose, refute, and combat online terrorist propaganda. These centers harness the creativity and expertise of local actors to generate positive content that challenges the nihilistic vision of ISIS and its supporters. The Counter-ISIS Communications Cell in London and the Sawab Center in Abu Dhabi lead the Coalition's efforts to tackle ISIS propaganda.

The Global Coalition is actively engaged with the private sector in these efforts. For example, the Global Engagement Center, an interagency entity within the State Department, uses online technology to target potential recruits of terrorist organizations and redirect them to counter ISIS content. In addition, videos developed by partners across the Coalition for a recent campaign targeting vulnerable audiences in Tunisia, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia were watched more than 14 million times. The effort has since expanded to other nations, including Libya, Jordan, and France. And Twitter has suspended more than 635,000 ISIS- related or affiliated accounts that have been shown to abuse their platforms since the middle of 2015. We are making it increasingly difficult for ISIS to spread its poisonous ideology among vulnerable audiences.

We remain focused on growing our online presence. Global Coalition Twitter accounts in Arabic, French, and English continue to increase their number of followers. The Coalition Communications Cell in London, with staff from 10 countries, guides our public global messaging through daily media packs that are distributed to 850 government officials in 60 countries worldwide.

COUNTER-FINANCE

Coalition collaboration on financial intelligence and broad-spectrum information sharing has supported our military effort to damage or destroy more than 2,600 ISIS energy targets. Coalition airstrikes against energy assets have impeded ISIS's ability to produce, use, and profit from oil. Coalition airstrikes have also targeted more than 25 ISIS bulk cash storage sites, destroying tens of millionsand possibly hundreds of millionsof dollars.

Additionally, the Coalition has worked closely with the Government of Iraq in its efforts to prevent ISIS from abusing its financial system. The Government of Iraq has cut off over 90 bank branches in ISIS territory from the financial system and Iraq's central bank has created a list of over 100 exchange houses and money transfer companies operating in ISIS-held areas or with links to ISIS. The entities on this list are now banned from accessing U.S. banknotes through the central bank's currency auctions, and the list has been shared with regional regulators and through FIU channels. The Government of Iraq, with the support of Coalition partners, also banned the distribution of government salary payments in ISIS-held areas, denying ISIS the ability to tax these funds.

The Coalition's Counter-ISIS Finance Group (CIFG)made up of nearly 40 members and observershas also adopted an assessment of cross-border financial flows into Iraq and Syria that will enable Coalition members to better prevent ISIS from exploiting money transfer mechanisms. CIFG is finalizing a report on ISIS branch financing that will provide Coalition members with a baseline understanding of financial linkages between ISIS core and its global branches, and of branch financing mechanisms. CIFG is also leading global efforts to ensure full implementation of the multiple UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit all forms of financial support to ISIS, including funds raised from kidnapping for ransom, illicit trade in stolen cultural heritage objects, and sale of natural resources.

COUNTERING FOREIGN TERRORIST FIGHTERS (FTF)

The flow of foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) to Iraq and Syria, many of which joined ISIS, is down significantly over the last year after peaking in 2014. This decline has been dramatic, prolonged, and geographically widespread. Significant milestones include: 1) Securing of the Syria-Turkey border as of November 2016; 2) the EU's adoption of a Passenger Name Recognition (PNR) protocol; 3) 31 non-EU members implementing enhanced traveler screening measures; and 4) countries enacting measures in UN Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014) to strengthen their response and abilities to counter foreign fighters and prosecute related crimes.

More than 60 countries have laws in place to prosecute and penalize FTF activities and create obstacles to traveling into Iraq and Syria.

have laws in place to prosecute and penalize FTF activities and create obstacles to traveling into Iraq and Syria. At least 65 countries have prosecuted or arrested foreign terrorist fighters or FTF facilitators.

have prosecuted or arrested foreign terrorist fighters or FTF facilitators. At least 60 countries and the UN now pass fighter profiles to Interpol.

and the UN now pass fighter profiles to Interpol. There were more searches of Interpol databases in November 2016 than in all of 2015.

in November 2016 than in all of 2015. At least 26 partners share financial information that could provide actionable leads to prosecute or target FTFs.

that could provide actionable leads to prosecute or target FTFs. At least 31 countries use enhanced traveler screening measures.

Since the flow of foreign terrorist fighters has diminished, the challenge has evolved. Now, countries are grappling with foreign terrorist fighters returning home as well as coping with those individuals who aspire to travel, but cannot get to Iraq and Syria and thus aim to initiate attacks in their home countries. A key component to addressing returning foreign terrorist fighters is rehabilitation and reintegration. Countries are focused on strengthening their capacity to assess, classify, house and manage returning foreign terrorist fighters within their prison systems.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Eucom, NATO Confront Dynamic Challenges From Russia to ISIS

By Karen Parrish DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2017  Threats from violent extremists and a resurgent Russia require both strong U.S. capabilities in Europe and a sustained commitment to the NATO alliance, the senior U.S. military leader in Europe told the Senate Armed Services Committee here today.

Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, told the committee that the current European strategic environment is the most dynamic it has been in recent history.

European Theater Critical to U.S. Interests

The European theater holds about a billion people and its trade is roughly half of the world's gross domestic product, the general said.

Scaparrotti said the transatlantic NATO alliance confers a unique advantage over adversaries. It is, he said, a united, capable warfighting alliance resolved in its purpose and strengthened by shared values that have been forged in battle.

"Eucom's relationship with NATO and the 51 countries within our [area of operations] provides the United States with a network of willing partners who support global operations and secure international rules-based order," he said.

Russian Threat: Malign Activities, Military Actions

Political volatility and economic uncertainty in Europe are compounded, the general said, by security threats that are "transregional, multidomain and multifunctional."

"In the east, a resurgent Russia has turned from partner to antagonist as it seeks to reemerge as a global power," Scaparrotti said. "Countries along Russia's periphery, including Ukraine and Georgia, struggle against Moscow's malign activities and military actions."

In the southeast, he said, "strategic drivers of instability converge on key allies, especially Turkey," which faces simultaneous threats from Russia and terrorists coupled with the challenge of refugee flows.

To the south, the general said, violent extremists and transnational criminal elements "spawn terror and corruption from North Africa to the Middle East."

In the north, Scaparrotti said, Russia is reasserting its military presence and positioning itself for strategic advantage in the Arctic.

U.S. Priorities in Europe: ISR, Ground Forces, More

Scaparrotti listed his command's priorities in meeting European security challenges.

"Eucom has identified the following focus areas: [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] collection platforms that improve timely threat information and strategic warning; land force capabilities that deter Russia from further aggression; enhanced naval capabilities for anti-submarine warfare, strike warfare and amphibious operations; prepositioned equipment to increase our responsiveness to crisis; and enhanced missile defense systems," he said.

Countering ISIS in Europe

Scaparrotti noted that Europe faces "a difficult challenge" from extremists connected to or emulating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

"Europe is challenged by both a flow of terrorists returning to Europe from Syria and other places, [and] they're challenged by an internal threat of those inspired by ISIS or directed by ISIS," he said.

"The number of threat streams that we have of this type within Europe -- it's probably higher in Europe than any other part of the globe, with the exception of the places we're actually physically fighting them, like Syria  Afghanistan and Iraq," the general said.

Scaparrotti expressed his condolences to those injured or killed in yesterday's terrorist attack in London, which left three people dead and at least 20 others injured.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to these victims and their families impacted by this senseless attack," he said. "We strongly condemn this attack, and will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our NATO ally, and our partners, to defeat terrorism."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Mali hit by deadly ethnic clashes amid drought

Iran Press TV

Thu Mar 23, 2017 3:44PM

Eight people have died in violent clashes between two ethnic groups in central Mali, local sources told AFP Thursday, as tensions grow over use of land and food scarcity in the region.

Increased availability of arms from Libya has also contributed to intercommunal violence in Mali, experts say, while drought has forced herders into areas traditionally cultivated by farmers.

Cattle rustling in the village of Tougou angered traditional hunters who cultivate the land with their animals, a local official told AFP on condition of anonymity, who then carried out reprisals Wednesday against Fulani people they believed had stolen the cows.

Clashes in the nearby town of Diabaly "killed eight people", the source said.

Fulani people are frequently accused of criminality and colluding with Takfiri militants who have sowed chaos in Mali in recent years, especially in the north but more recently in the center as well.

A hospital source confirmed 13 wounded people had arrived on Wednesday night for treatment, with victims corroborating the deaths of eight people.

Military reinforcements were on the scene to calm tensions, a security source based in the northern city of Gao confirmed to AFP.

Hundreds of people were displaced by similar violence in February, also between members of the Fulani minority and majority Bambara people, and 20 were left dead.

Since the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi's regime in Libya, weapons have traveled freely from the chaotic state in an arc of unrest through Mali and Niger.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Yemen retaliatory raids kill, injure 100 on Saudi military targets

Iran Press TV

Thu Mar 23, 2017 7:39AM

Yemen's army, backed by popular forces, has killed and injured at least 100 Saudi soldiers and mercenaries in less than two days of retaliatory attacks against military positions in the kingdom's southwestern regions.

According to a report by Yemen's al-Masirah TV, some half of those killed in Saudi Arabia's border regions of Jizan, Najran and Asir in the last 36 hours were Saudi soldiers.

In Jizan, a military source said the Yemeni troops stormed the Saudi military bases of al-Dafina, al-Kars, al-Qarn, Qaem Zubaid and al-Bahtit, killing and injuring at least 40 military men, including officers.

The source added that seven American-made Bradley fighting vehicles were also destroyed during the attacks.

Yemeni forces fired a number of Zelzal-1 and Katyusha missiles on Saudi military positions in the same region.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni soldiers also killed and wounded many Saudi mercenaries during the operations that started Tuesday in the Alib mountain range near al-Khadra border crossing in Najran. An unspecified number of mercenaries were also captured.

Yemeni snipers also shot dead a soldier in al-Makhrouq base in Najran.

In Asir, the Saudi army also suffered heavy losses as the Yemeni forces targeted their military positions.

The Yemeni troops stormed the region's al-Masial military base and Alib command post, leaving many soldiers dead.

Yemeni artillery shells also hit a gathering of Saudi army troops in al-Rabou'a as well as al-Hajer military camp in Asir.

The attacks come in retaliation for Saudi Arabia's destructive military campaign against Yemen that has started since March 2015 to reinstate former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and crush the Houthi movement.

The campaign has seriously damaged the country's infrastructure. Local Yemeni sources have put the death toll from the Saudi war at over 12,000, including many women and children.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Influential Former Military Commander Arrested Ahead Of Armenian Elections

RFE/RL's Armenian Service March 23, 2017

A former top military commander in Nagorno-Karabakh who is close to an Armenian opposition alliance has been arrested in Armenia on suspicion of smuggling weapons into the country.

Samvel Babayan and two other people were arrested on March 22, less than two weeks before April 2 parliamentary elections in the South Caucasus country.

The three former government ministers who lead the ORO opposition alliance charged that Babayan's arrest was politically motivated.

In a statement, they accused the Armenian authorities of seeking to "create an atmosphere of fear in the country and influence the election results with illegal methods."

They urged foreign diplomatic missions and international election monitors to closely follow the case brought against Babayan.

Armenia's National Security Service confirmed the arrests hours after announcing that it confiscated a shoulder-fired surface-to-air rocket launcher that it said was smuggled from neighboring Georgia.

The agency said it had "credible information" suggesting that the Russian-made Igla rocket launcher was brought into the country on Babayan's behalf.

Babayan, 52, commanded the Armenian-backed army in Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region from 1993 to 1999.

He was arrested in 2000 and sentenced to 14 years in prison for allegedly masterminding a botched attempt on the life of the president in Nagorno-Karabakh's separatist government.

After his release in 2004, Babayan relocated to Yerevan, where he set up a political party that fared poorly in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections, and then emigrated to Russia in 2011.

He returned to Armenia in May 2016, citing what he said was the increased risk of renewed war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh and the neighboring regions that the separatists control.

Babayan has publicly backed the ORO opposition alliance, a major contender in the parliamentary elections, but has denied any involvement in the bloc's campaign.

ORO is led by former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and two former foreign ministers, Raffi Hovannisian and Vartan Oskanian.

"The Ohanian-Raffi-Oskanian alliance is continuing its normal activities," the trio said in the statement. "We will not succumb to provocations. Our structures, election candidates, and supporters will redouble their efforts."

Ohanian told reporters that Babayan was an "ideological comrade and supporter" of the alliance.

Another senior figure in ORO, Armen Martirosian, also charged that Babayan's arrest was "directed against" the opposition bloc.

"Since there is growing public trust toward us, the authorities resorted to yet another repressive and illegal action," he said.

The National Security Service statement did not identify the two other suspects it said were arrested.

Relatives of Babayan declined to comment on his arrest when they were contacted by RFE/RL.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-babayan-former-karabakh- commander-arrested-weapon-charge/28386258.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Afghan Sangin District Center Repositioned as Taliban Advances - Pentagon

Sputnik News

17:54 23.03.2017(updated 18:17 23.03.2017)

The Afghan authorities have moved the Sangin district center in the southern province of Helmand about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) south as the Taliban terror group (banned in Russia) has destroyed infrastructure in the area, US Department of Defense spokesperson Adam Stump told Sputnik on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The spokesperson added that the Afghan government, the Afghan National Defense and Security Force and the Afghan National Police remain in Sangin district.

"They repositioned the district center and ANP [Afghan National Police] headquarters just over two kilometers south because the enemy had destroyed so much of the infrastructure in and around the center over the last several months and made it difficult for the people to reach the district governance," Stump said.

"This move to a new district center has been planned for some time," Stump added.

The Taliban caused "excessive damage" to the bazaar area making it difficult to provide services, the Pentagon spokesperson continued.

Stump also said it has become impossible for the people in the area "to see the government leaders."

The US military assisted the Afghan authorities with relocating Sangin district center in the southern province of Helmand, US Department of Defense spokesperson added.

Earlier on Thursday, local media reported that the Taliban terrorist group, outlawed in Russia, took control of the Sangin district after driving out government forces.

"US forces assisted the repositioning with airlift to the new district center. All forces were moved there safely," Stump said.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Kremlin Unaware of Manafort's Program to Promote Russia's Interests Abroad

Sputnik News

13:36 23.03.2017(updated 14:12 23.03.2017)

US President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort's program to promote Russia's interests in post-Soviet countries has no connection to Russian authorities and had never been brought to the attention of the Kremlin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Wednesday, Associated Press claimed it had obtained business records that proved Manafort had signed an annual $10-million contract with Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska in 2006. The outlet cited people familiar with the matter, as well as a strategy plan allegedly authored by Manafort, which implicated him in representing the Russian government's political interests abroad, particularly in the post-Soviet states.

"Kremlin knows nothing about this. I know that there have been relevant statements from Manafort and representatives of Oleg Deripaska, but they have no connection to the Kremlin," Peskov said.

Asked whether the Kremlin and Manafort held any contacts during his work, Peskov stressed that he knew nothing about such contacts.

Manafort reportedly confirmed having worked for Deripaska in various countries nearly a decade ago, but stressed that his work was limited to representing Deripaska's business interests in places where he had investments.

On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that Manafort did not encourage or pressure Trump's team to side with Russia on any issues or matters, adding that the former campaign manager's contacts with Russian companies took place a "decade ago" while representing a number of foreign clients, including those in Asia, the Caribbean, and Europe.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Somalia: A moment of hope amid tragedy, says UN envoy

23 March 2017  Noting that Somalia faces a number of "daunting difficulties" after decades of conflict, a senior United Nations official today highlighted that there is also a new momentum in the country for fresh political engagement amongst its people with the recent electoral process.

"The new Government and Parliament now have an opportunity to use the goodwill to reboot efforts to build a functional and inclusive Federal State," Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia and the head of the UN Mission in the country (UNSOM), told the UN Security Council.

The results of the electoral process, accepted as legitimate by all stakeholders, as well as a smooth and peaceful transfer of power, also made efforts to respond to the ongoing drought and the looming spectre of famine much easier, he noted.

"Somalis, including politicians, business people, civil society and members of the diaspora, are taking responsibility for [the] response, distinguishing Somalia from other countries facing humanitarian catastrophe," added Mr. Keating.

In his briefing, the UN official pointed out that eliminating the scourge of terrorism in the country remained another pressing issue and said that a multi-pronged approach, embedded in a political strategy, was needed to degrade and dismantle the Al-Shabaab militant group.

He also noted that building a trusted security apparatus that are acceptable to all Somalis is essential and added that doing so also offered a major opportunity to build and consolidate the Federal State.

"[This] needs to be approached as such, not just as a military undertaking," he noted.

He also spoke about the need to advance the constitutional process and to strengthen conflict resolution efforts through the inclusion of all sections of society, including women, youth, minorities and business, in the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Work was also need to improve the human rights situation in the country, said Mr. Keating.

"I am particularly concerned about attacks on journalists and the increase in sexual violence against internally-displaced women and members of minority clans," he said, underlining the need to strengthen the human rights protection capacity in the country as well as fully implementing the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy.

Concluding his briefing, Mr. Keating urged the 15-member Security Council to continue to support the Somalia's new leadership, new President, and new Prime Minister, to address the challenges the country is confronting.

Security Council extends UNSOM mandate until mid-June 2017

Also today, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution in which it extended the UNSOM's mandate until 16 June 2017.

Also the resolution, the Security Council said that that it looked forward to the report of the review of the UN presence in Somalia which had earlier been deferred until the conclusion of the electoral process.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Kenya to Reopen Border With Somalia

By Mohammed Yusuf March 23, 2017

The Kenyan government says it will open the border with Somalia to boost trade and allow the flow of people between the two countries. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta also pledged to help Somalia in the fight against al-Shabab militants and support and train government workers. His remarks followed a meeting he had in Nairobi with his Somali counterpart, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

After a closed door meeting that lasted more than three hours, the two heads of state addressed the media in a display of friendship.

President Kenyatta discussed the border issue.

"We agreed to take the following actions within the shortest possible time, open two border posts, in Dobley-Liboi and Mandera-Bula Hawa, and to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services," he said.

The borders have remained closed for the last two-and-a-half decades since Somalia descended into conflict; however, people living along the borders and refugees have found a way to get into Kenya.

Kenya has also agreed to train 500 Somali men and women in different economic fields including teaching, nursing, and administration, to help in their country's rebuilding and recovery.

Despite the optimism expressed by the two leaders, the threat of Somali militant group al-Shabab exists, and both countries have reaffirmed their commitment to defeating the organization.

Kenya has also had issues with Somali refugees living at the Dadaab refugee camp, in the northeast of the country.

The east African nation plans to close the refugee camp, the world's largest, by the end of May, but, in what some say might be a change of heart, Kenyatta says his government will build a training institute at the camp to educate high school graduates.

Education

"Kenya will establish a technical training institute for youths currently in the refugee camps as well as the environs of Dadaab and this I believe will greatly help in providing these young men and women the necessary skills they will require to develop and grow Somalia," said Kenyatta.

Thousands of Dadaab high school graduates can not join universities and training institutes in Kenya because they are confined to the camps.

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed says the latest economic collaboration will improve the security of the region.

"Close economic cooperation between Kenya and Somalia will not only help to improve the lives of our millions of people but will also enhance the security situation in East Africa. Therefore my government is ready to work very closely with your government in the realization of full economic cooperation between our two nations," he said.

The two eastern African countries also agreed to cooperate on security issues to confront the threat of al-Shabab in the region.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Liao Hongjun, a veteran in Dazhu County, Sichuan province, has successfully led a local movement to plant white tea over the past six years, helping many villagers emerge from their impoverished circumstances.

On March 23, a tea-picking festival was held in Dazhu. Local men played the suona, a traditional Chinese instrument, to celebrate the harvest. Over the last six years, with enormous support from both entrepreneurs and the local government, Liao taught the villagers to plant white tea, turning a poor area into a beloved place.

There were 2,018 impoverished people in Dazhu before 2011. That number has plummeted to only 45 in 2017, according to Lu Hualin, the party branch secretary of the village. Liu added that the 10,000 mu of white tea crops can bring tens of millions of RMB in output value to the villagers.

Liao also disclosed to the media that he hopes the premium Dazhu white tea can become a national product someday, provided that the growers take full advantage of the local ecology.
Police Name London Suspect As 52-Year-Old British-Born Khalid Masood

RFE/RL March 23, 2017

London police have named the suspected assailant in the March 22 Westminster terrorist attack as 52-year-old Khalid Masood, a British-born man thought to have resided most recently in the West Midlands, a metropolitan county that includes the city of Birmingham.

A police statement on March 23 said Masood, who was shot dead by police within the security perimeter of the British parliament in the midst of the March 22 terrorist attack, also was known by several other aliases.

The statement said Masood had not been the subject of any current investigations by British authorities and there was "no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack."

British Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons earlier on March 23 that the attacker was "a peripheral figure" known to security authorities and had been investigated for violent extremism.

Police said they were working on the assumption that Masood was inspired by Islamist terrorism.

They said he did not have any convictions on terrorism charges.

But authorities confirmed that Masood was "known to police" and had previous convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons, and public disorder.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for the illegal possession of a knife.

Masood was shot dead by police on March 22 after a car he is believed to have been driving rammed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing two people and injuring at least 30. He is then suspected of fatally stabbing a police officer within the British Parliament's security perimeter.

The so-called Islamic State (IS) claimed the assailant was one of its "soldiers."

The extremist group said on March 23 through its unofficial news agency, Amaq, that the attacker "carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens" of countries in the international anti-IS coalition.

Meanwhile, all of the victims who were killed in the attack have been publicly identified.

The two pedestrians killed on the bridge were Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old British woman who worked as an administrator at a college near Parliament, and Kurt Cochran, an American tourist from the state of Utah who was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary in London with his wife.

Also killed was 48-year-old police officer Keith Palmer, a 15-year-veteran of Britain's parliamentary and diplomatic protection forces who was on duty at Parliament when he was stabbed to death.

Victims who were injured on Westminster Bridge came from 12 countries.

They included teenaged schoolchildren from France, a Romanian couple, and others who traveled from as far as China to explore London.

Authorities said that seven of the injured victims who were taken to hospitals were in critical condition, including a woman who was pulled alive from the River Thames after falling from Westminster Bridge.

British investigators say that while Masood is thought to have carried out the Westminster attack on his own, they have not ruled out the possibility that others may have been involved.

Eight people were arrested on March 23 in police raids across Britain connected to a counterterrorism investigation into the Westminster attack.

Britain's top counterterrorism officer, Mark Rowley, said there were searches of six different addresses in London, Birmingham, and elsewhere.

But he would not disclose further details, saying the investigation was ongoing.

"To be explicit: At this stage, we have no specific information about further threats to the public," Rowley said at a news conference.

May reiterated to the House of Commons on March 23 that the government will not raise its terrorism threat level following the attack. Instead, she said Britain's terrorism threat level will remain at "severe" -- the second-highest level -- which means an attack is highly likely.

The BBC reported that the vehicle used in the attack was rented last week from a branch of Enterprise car rentals in Birmingham, about 165 kilometers northwest of London.

With reporting by Reuters, BBC, AFP, Sky News, Press Association, and AP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/uk-parliament-attack- birmingham-raid/28385847.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Trump's Travel Order Mired in Multiple Courts

By VOA News March 23, 2017

While President Donald Trump's second executive order restricting travel is still on court-ordered hold, it continues to work its way through multiple courts.

A ruling is expected in a Virginia court after hearings were held Tuesday. And in Hawaii, where a district court issued a temporary restraining order hours before the executive order was to take effect March 15, the state is asking for a more permanent hold. A preliminary injunction would halt implementation of the order while the court reviews its constitutionality.

The court has given government lawyers until Friday to respond to the request.

Fourth Circuit

Rather than appeal the Hawaii decision, the Department of Justice requested that an appeals court review a second stay on the travel order issued by a Maryland court.

But the DOJ did not request immediate relief, so the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is taking an unhurried approach to its review. The higher court has set an April 26 deadline for DOJ lawyers to file their arguments. The refugee support groups that brought the suit do not have to file until a month after that.

The lack of haste on the part of government, which could have asked for the case to be expedited, seems to contradict Trump's position that the travel order is urgently needed to protect Americans from terrorist activity.

"It does tend to undercut any claim that the executive order is responding to some clear and present danger to national security. If that were the case, it's hard to imagine that the government would sit around for days and days before trying to get the order implemented," wrote immigration lawyer Pamela Karlan in response to a VOA query. Karlan is a professor of public interest law at Stanford Law School.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said at a press briefing last week that the government would "vigorously defend this executive order," both in Maryland and Hawaii.

Ninth Circuit

A week after U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson issued the stay in Hawaii, the administration has yet to appeal it. The Hawaii appeal would have to be made to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld a stay on the first travel order. Rather than pursue that case in the appeals court, Trump signed the second travel order March 6.

The second order barred the issuance of new visas for 90 days to people from six countries: Somalia, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Yemen. Iraq, which had been on the list in the first travel order, was omitted because it agreed to stricter vetting. Like the first travel order, the second one barred refugee admissions for 120 days, but it did not ban Syrian refugees indefinitely, as the first one did.

Critics of the first travel order, who said it amounted to a Muslim ban, were not appeased by the new version. Hawaii sued the government on the grounds that the travel order would harm the state's Muslim population, as well as tourism and foreign students.

In his opinion, Watson said the case before him included "significant and unrebutted evidence of religious animus driving the promulgation of the executive order and its related predecessor."

In Washington State, where the second ban also is being challenged, U.S. District Court Judge James Robart put a stay on proceedings for as long as the Hawaii court's nationwide temporary restraining order remains in place, to "conserve resources."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Belarus KGB Detains Suspects As State Pushes 'Armed Provocateurs' Claim

RFE/RL's Belarus Service March 23, 2017

MINSK -- State television reports in Belarus say the country's security agency, the KGB, has detained an unspecified number of people suspected of plotting mass disorder.

The reports late on March 22 said that members of groups called White Legion and the Patriot club were detained on March 21 and 22. They said the Patriot club has training camps in the eastern cities of Babruysk and Mahilyou.

The reports appeared aimed at adding substance to a claim by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who said on March 21 that some 20 armed militants who had been trained in militant camps in Babruysk and Mahilyou -- as well as in Ukraine and "most likely" in Lithuania and Poland -- had been apprehended on suspicion of planning "armed provocations" nationwide.

Lukashenka's claims came amid a series of protests in cities nationwide over a tax on unemployed people, with more protests planned on March 25. Facing some of the biggest demonstrations in years in the tightly controlled country, the long-ruling authoritarian leader branded political opponents on March 20 as a Western-backed "fifth column" that wants "to impose tension in Belarus."

More than 150 people were detained in Belarus between March 1 and March 20, and the Minsk-based human rights group Vyasna (Spring) said that at least 17 people the authorities claim are members of White Legion or the Patriot club have now been detained as well.

It said they included the leader of the unregistered opposition Malady Front (Youth Front) movement, Zmitser Dashkevich.

Relatives of detainees told RFE/RL on March 23 that family members and lawyers had not been allowed to see them.

The opposition Belarusian Popular Front (BNF) party condemned the detentions, calling them politically motivated and demanding the immediate release of the detainees.

The BNF disputed the authorities' claim that detainees had been armed or that they were members of the two groups named in the state TV reports, saying that White Legion ceased operations 10 years ago and the Patriot club is now registered as a part of the Center for Youth and Children.

On March 22, Ukraine and EU-member Lithuania strongly rejected Lukashenka's claims that they were involved in "training armed provocateurs."

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius suggested Lukashenka was resorting to a Soviet-style "search for enemies."

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said Lukashenka's statement "does not correspond to reality, is provocative, and imposes damage on neighborly ties between Ukraine and Belarus."

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-kgb-detains-suspects -plotting-mass-disorder/28386951.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia Started Su-35 Fighter Jets Supplies to China in 2016 - Putin's Aide

Sputnik News

21:33 23.03.2017

Russia began Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets supplies to China in 2016, the two countries are discussing further cooperation, Russian Presidential Aide for Military-Technical Cooperation Vladimir Kozhin said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia and China signed a contract on the delivery of 24 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, estimated to be worth $2 billion, in 2015.

"We have relatively far advanced [in cooperation] with China, we discuss different joint programs. At the same time, we keep supplying there a large amount of our modern equipment. Last year it referred to Su-35 jets," Kozhin said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television channel.

In November 2016, the head of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said that deliveries had not yet started but the deal's implementation was underway, since the company planned to supply four Su-35 to China by the end of 2016.

The Su-35 fighter is a 4++ generation aircraft employing technologies of the fifth generation, designed by the Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company, which belongs to Russia's United Aircraft Corporation. The first experimental Su-35 was first presented at Russia's MAKS-2007 air show and later it was introduced to a foreign audience at the 2013 Paris Air Show.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Premier Li Denies China's World Dominance Ambition, Warns About New Cold War

Sputnik News

10:09 23.03.2017(updated 12:39 23.03.2017)

China is not seeking global dominance, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang assured on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Chinese Premier Li Keqiang assured Australia's parliament on Thursday his nation was not seeking global dominance and warned against splitting the world along geopolitical boundaries, local media reported.

"Even when China grows in the future, we will never seek dominance. We stand ready to work with Australia peace in our region," he was quoted as saying by The Australian newspaper.

Li arrived in Australia on Wednesday for talks on security and free trade with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in what is the first visit of a sitting Chinese premier to the country in over a decade.

He said Beijing was committed to engaging with Canberra on trade and security in line with UN rules and existing economic regulations. The two nations have been engaged in a dispute over China's artificial islands in the South China Sea.

"We don't want to see taking sides, as happened during the Cold War," Le reassured Australian lawmakers, adding Beijing wanted a "stable world environment."

On trade, Lee said his country stood against protectionism and in favor of economic globalization. He said Beijing wanted to build on the existing Chinese-Australian free trade deal to increase investment and trade in services.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Turkey to Seize Assets of Sponsors of North Korean Nuclear, Missile Programs

Sputnik News

18:10 23.03.2017

Turkey will seize the assets of any persons found financing North Korea's missile and nuclear related programs, according to the announcement published in the Official Gazette on Thursday.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  Turkish authorities will freeze financial and other assets, as well as the sources of income of companies and individuals enlisted in the UNSC sanction lists on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The persons and entities from the sanction list will also be prohibited to enter or pass through Turkey.

North Korea carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests last year, with one of the latest being a launch of four missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan conducted on March 6 and a new high-thrust rocket engine being tested on the ground on Sunday. The launches are considered to be in violation with the UNSC resolution by the United Nations.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






'Blind' Sanctions Unable to Solve N Korean Nuclear Issue - Beijing

Sputnik News

15:28 23.03.2017

The "blind" sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear activities are unable to help overcome tensions on the Korean peninsula, since dialogue is necessary to solve this long-standing and complex issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to Hua, China hopes that the parties will seriously consider the "dual track" and "dual suspension" initiative put forward by Beijing.

"It has been proven that blind sanctions simply can not solve the problem, dialogue and consultation is the right way out. The DPRK nuclear issue is complex and long-standing one, and it is only possible to fundamentally solve the nuclear issue on the peninsula by taking into account the reasonable security concerns of all parties," Hua said at a press briefing.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on March 8 suggested that North Korea stop launches of its missiles and halt development of nuclear program in exchange for the termination of military drills conducted by the United States and South Korea. However, the proposal was rejected by the United States.

North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2005. The United States, Japan and South Korea, as well as Russia and China, took part in talks with Pyongyang between 2003 and 2009 on denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, but North Korea withdrew from the talks.

Since the beginning of 2016, North Korea carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests, with the latest being the launch of four missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan, conducted on March 6, 2017, prompting new round of tensions on the peninsula.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






DPRK's latest ballistic missile and engine test raises risk of regional arms race - UN Security Council

23 March 2017  The United Nations Security Council today strongly condemned the ballistic missile launch and a ballistic missile engine test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) this week in flagrant and provocative defiance of a number of Council resolutions expressly forbidding such activities.

"The launch and engine test are in grave violation of DPRK's international obligations under [numerous] UN Security Council resolutions," said the 15-member Security Council in a statement today.

"The members of the Security Council reiterated that DPRK refrain from further actions, including nuclear tests [] and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions," the statement added.

They also deplored all ballistic missile activities, including the most recent launch (on 21 March) and the engine test (on 19 March) and noted that such activities contribute to the country's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension in the region and beyond as well as the risk of a regional arms race.

They further regretted that the country is diverting resources to the pursuit of such activities while its citizens have great unmet needs.

Also in the statement, the Council called upon all UN Member States to redouble their efforts to implement fully the measures imposed on the DPRK by the Council, and directed the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) to intensify its work to strengthen enforcement of relevant resolutions and assist Member States to comply with their obligations under those and other resolutions.

Further, reiterating the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in North-East Asia at large, Council members expressed their commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomed efforts by Council members, as well as other Member States, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue.

They also emphasised the vital importance that DPRK shows "sincere commitment" to denuclearization.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia, India in Talks on Creating New Models of BrahMos Missiles  Putin's Aide

Sputnik News

19:59 23.03.2017(updated 20:13 23.03.2017)

Russia and India are in talks on creating new models of missiles at the BrahMos Aerospace joint enterprise, Russian Presidential Aide for Military-Technical Cooperation Vladimir Kozhin said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  India has set a target of $2 billion defense exports, a six-fold increase from current exports, by 2019. In order to give impetus to exports, the Narendra Modi government has allowed government-owned defense companies to earmark 10 per cent of their production for exports. "The biggest challenge in boosting defense exports from India is the limited range of exportable products, limited overseas markets and predominance of defense manufacturers who have been in the business far longer than India," Cowshish added.

"Today, Indian partners propose to develop, deepen this cooperation, make new models of the missile, these talks are underway," Kozhin said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television channel.

A hypersonic version of the BrahMos cruise missile, capable of flying at up to 5,000 kilometers per hour, is expected to be created by 2020.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hashd al-Sha'abi begins aid delivery to liberated Mosul areas

Iran Press TV

Thu Mar 23, 2017 9:2AM

Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha'abi, have begun delivering humanitarian aid to the Mosul districts recaptured from Daesh terrorists, as government forces push deeper into the city's western half.

PMU convoys of trucks and cars deliver food, water and blankets sent from cities in southern Iraq to the war-hit districts of Mosul, the last Daesh stronghold in Iraq, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Hashd al-Sha'abi is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of some 40 groups, which are mainly Shia Muslims. The force reportedly numbers more than 100,000 fighters. Iraqi authorities say there are between 25,000 and 30,000 Sunni tribal fighters within its ranks in addition to Kurdish Izadi and Christian units.

The fighters have played a major role in the liberation of Daesh-held areas to the south, northeast and north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, ever since the terrorists launched an offensive in the country in June 2014.

The news comes as a large number of injured civilians inside Mosul do not have access to medical treatment and many families, whose homes have been destroyed, are fleeing the intensifying clashes between the Iraqi forces and Daesh terrorists.

Many of the residential houses close to the frontline in the conflict zone have been abandoned.

Local sources say Daesh has been using chemical weapons with some mortars.

Iraqi army soldiers and allied fighters are leading military operations to win back militant-held regions, trying to eliminate terrorists or driving them out of their country.

They took control of eastern Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19.

Iraqis advancing in W Mosul

In their latest gains against the terrorists, Iraqi forces managed to liberate the Badush Bridge in western Mosul and a water plant in the area, according to Abdulamir Rashid Yarallah, the commander of the liberation operation for the city of Mosul.

The Iraqi air force was also providing air cover to the soldiers operating on the ground against Daesh elements.

Iraqi Federal Police forces also said Wednesday that they took control of internal passageways at western Mosul's Old City, through which Daesh bombers and vehicles would sneak to target the security forces.

"Daesh resorts to shelling the populated, liberated areas so as to distract our troops, leaving tens of casualties, which requires us to hurry to the rescue," said Iraqi Federal Police Chief Lieutenant General Shaker Jawdat.

The United Nations said Wednesday that around 45,000 people have fled the fighting between Iraqi forces and Daesh terrorists in western Mosul over the past week, a 22 percent increase from the previous week.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iraq: U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Efforts Help Defeat ISIS

Fact Sheet

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

March 23, 2017



The United States has invested more than $333 million in Iraq since 2003 toward the clearance and safe disposal of landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and securing excess conventional weapons and munitions. This assistance, directed through several Iraqi and international nongovernmental organizations, has made significant progress toward countering the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This progress includes making possible the return of internally-displaced persons and refugees to areas liberated from ISIS; protecting communities who fled ISIS from potential risks; restoring access to land and infrastructure; and developing Iraqi capacity to manage weapons abatement programs independently over the long term.

The Landmine/Unexploded Ordnance Challenge

The activities of ISIS in Iraq have dramatically altered the Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) landscape. As civilians flee large population centers like Mosul, displaced families live in areas where they are not familiar with the local mine and UXO hazards. As families begin to return to their homes, they are confronted with hazards from the recent conflict as well as deliberate mining and booby-trapping of homes by ISIS.

Already, communities across Iraq faced danger from an estimated 10 to 15 million landmines and pieces of UXO from conflicts dating back to the 1940s. Numerous large barrier minefields and UXO remain along the Iran-Iraq border as a result of the 1980s conflict between the two nations. The war in 1990-1991 and the conflict that began in 2003 scattered significant numbers of additional UXO, particularly in the south of the country. The use of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by ISIS has compounded this problem.

Recent Accomplishments

During the past year, the Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs' Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement provided over $33 million to support CWD efforts in Iraq which led to the following results:

- Delivered risk education to more than 90,000 Iraqi men, women, and children, saving lives and preventing injuries with outreach programs to warn about the potential dangers from landmines and UXO in their communities.

- Cleared improvised explosive hazards and UXO in areas liberated from ISIS to facilitate stabilization efforts and allow for the return of displaced Iraqis.

- Continued clearance of legacy contamination in northern and southern Iraq to protect local populations and promote economic growth and security.

U.S.-Funded Partner Initiatives:

- Danish Demining Group (DDG): DDG survey and clearance operations in southern Iraq are ongoing and have already resulted in the clearance of several hundred landmines and UXO. DDG continues to develop the program capacity of the Regional Mine Action Center-South (RMAC-S) in coordination with the Directorate of Mine Action (DMA). In addition to battle area clearance, DDG coordinates with the RMAC-S and local communities to provide emergency explosive ordnance disposal services.

- Information Management and Mine Action Programs (iMMAP): iMMAP advisors continue to serve as a critical coordination body between DMA and Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) information management database to track humanitarian mine action in areas liberated from ISIS, and facilitate the flow of data among various mine action nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) assisting in reconstruction efforts. Through monthly meetings, NGOs, representatives from DMA and IKMAA, coalition stakeholders, and Embassy Bagdad representatives coordinate efforts to counter contamination placed by ISIS and share the latest information about hazards and challenges.

- Janus Global Operations (JANUS): JANUS continues surveying, marking, and clearing UXO and IEDs from key infrastructure areas in the provinces of Anbar and Nineveh. In Nineveh, JANUS has prioritized key infrastructure in recently liberated areas identified in coordination with UNDP and local authorities. Clearance operations are ongoing at schools, power stations, and medical facilities in Bartallah and other districts. As the security situation permits, JANUS has begun initial preparations for clearance of Mosul Airport and Mosul University. In Anbar province, clearance efforts allowed for the first class of students to return to Anbar University since liberation from ISIS. In addition to clearing several medical and residential facilities, future JANUS operations in Anbar will focus on Ramadi's glass and ceramics factories that, when running at capacity, employ over 3,000 people.

- MAG (Mines Advisory Group): MAG continues survey, clearance, and spot tasks to safely remove and destroy landmines and UXO from northern Iraq, and focuses clearing efforts on newly liberated areas for the safe return of IDPs. In just one month of operation in recently liberated areas, multi-task teams removed 103 improvised landmines from Tul Aband, where high rates of returning civilians were anticipated. MAG also provided risk education through community liaison teams to increase the safety and security of civilians affected by ISIS.

- Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI): MLI provides training for mine detection dogs integrated into clearance operations in areas liberated from ISIS in northern Iraq. MDDs allow for accelerated search and marking of UXO.

- Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA): NPA provides technical advisors to RMAC-S to assist in its role as a regulatory body to coordinate and monitor mine action activities. NPA teams clear legacy contamination in southern Iraq including cluster munitions, UXO, and land mines. In addition to clearance, NPA teams are identifying and conducting pre-clearance assessments on ten future sites identified by the RMAC.

- Spirit of Soccer (SoS): SoS programs teach children and at-risk populations about the risks of landmines and UXO. Through drills focused on awareness, mine risk education sessions, and soccer tournaments, SoS harnesses youth participation in soccer to raise awareness of explosive hazards in liberated areas. SoS also incorporated trauma training for youth affected by ISIS-related violence, and pursued local league and tournament sponsorships, targeting young Iraqi males at risk of joining extremist groups.

- Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD): FSD continues survey and clearance tasks in the Kirkuk Governorate coordinated by IKMAA to increase civilian security for returning IDPs in liberated villages, destroying 1,249 IEDs/UXO since operations began in March 2016. In addition to clearance, FSD is working to increase national capacity by training Iraqi staff in manual render safe techniques including IED excavation.

For more information on U.S. humanitarian demining and Conventional Weapons Destruction programs, check out the latest edition of our annual report, To Walk the Earth in Safety.

For further information, please contact David McKeeby in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at PM-CPA@state.gov.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China on high alert for Japan's military move

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 20:00, March 23, 2017

BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday it is on high alert for Japan's true intentions as the Japanese helicopter-carrier destroyer Kaga went into service on Wednesday.

According to Japanese media reports, the 19,500-tonne Kaga will be used for surveillance.

"The situation in the South China Sea is stable through the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries. China and its neighbors will never allow Japan to make trouble," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

In recent years, Japan has played up the so-called "China threat," as an excuse for expanding its military, Hua said.

For historical reasons, the international community and especially Japan's neighbors keep a close eye on Japan's military moves, she told a routine press briefing.

"We have every reason to remain on high alert," she added.

The original Kaga was sunk by U.S. military during World War II. Japan should learn the lessons of history, Hua said.

"We hope the Kaga's reappearance is not resurgence of Japanese militarism," she said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Kremlin Says 'Absurd' to Claim Russian Trace in Ex-Lawmaker's Death in Kiev

Sputnik News

15:07 23.03.2017(updated 15:50 23.03.2017)

The Kremlin believes that claims of a so-called Russian trace in the reported killing of ex-lawmaker Denis Voronenkov are absurd," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Russian former lawmaker was shot dead in central Kiev.

"We believe that any allegations that are already being heard of the notorious Russian trace are absurd," Peskov told reporters.

He said Kiev was unable to ensure Voronenkov's safety and stressed that "we hope that the killer and those who are behind those actions will be identified."

Addressing Voronenkov's assassination in central Kiev earlier in the day, the Kremlin spokesman said "the killing of a person is always a tragedy."

There are no obstacles or entry bans for the widow of the slain former Russian lawmaker to return to Russia, Peskov said.

"No one shut down entrance for her, she does not need to turn anywhere," Peskov said of Denis Voronenkov's widow Maria Maksakova.

Earlier in the day, Peskov said that Putin was briefed on Voronenkov's death in Kiev.

Denis Voronenkov, along with his wife, also a former State Duma deputy, Maria Maksakova, left Russia last year and soon received Ukrainian citizenship. The ex-lawmaker himself claimed political reasons are behind his departure, but the Russian Investigative Committee considered Voronenkov's move as an attempt to hide from the investigation as the former deputy was arrested in absentia over the case of an illegal seizure of a building in Moscow.

After moving to Kiev, Voronenkov testified to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine against former President Viktor Yanukovych.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Former Russian Lawmaker Killed in Kyiv

By VOA News March 23, 2017

Former Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov was shot dead in Kyiv Thursday in a likely contract killing ordered by Russia, Ukrainian police said.

Voronenkov fled to Ukraine last year, fearing for his safety and testified in a treason case against Ukraine's pro-Russia former president, Viktor Yanukovych.

Ukraine's general prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, said Voronenkov's testimony in the case likely led to his death.

"In broad daylight in the center of Kyiv, former Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov was shot," Lutsenko said. "He had provided investigators of the military prosecutor's office with highly important (witness) testimony for the case. This was a typical show execution of a witness by the Kremlin."

Police said Voronenkov was standing outside a hotel in central Kyiv when the assailant shot and killed him. Voronenkov's bodyguard was also wounded, but returned fire and hit the gunman.

Both men are now hospitalized, police said.

Ilya Ponomarev, another former Russian lawmaker who fled to Ukraine, said Voronenkov was on his way to meet him when the shooting occurred.

"I have no words. The security guard was able to injure the attacker. The potential theory is obvious. Voronenko was not a crook, but an investigator who was fatally dangerous to Russian authorities," he wrote on Facebook.

Moscow has denied any involvement in the murder.

"We believe that any insinuations that can already be heard of a so-called Russian connection are absurd," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Full Throttle: US Apache Helicopters to Take Part in Raqqa Operation

Sputnik News

21:20 23.03.2017

The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Nasir Hec Mansur, in an interview with Sputnik Turkey, said that the US is carrying out preparations for the Raqqa operation.

"The US is helping us with the issue of providing arms and ammunition. We are constantly supplied with armored vehicles and heavy weapons. The US continues to conduct preparatory work for the operation in Raqqa. We are also waiting for shipments of American Apache helicopters," Mansur said.

He further said that it is assumed that Apache helicopters will be used as part of the military operations in liberating Raqqa from the terrorists.

Earlier it was reported that the US military uses heavy weapons in its operations against Daesh.

Apache combat helicopters have been used during the operation in Mosul. It is reported that these helicopters are equipped with night vision sensors and a high-precision navigation system, thanks to which they can fly at a very low altitude.

Currently, the military is coordinating the training of the Syrian forces and teaching them how to use heavy weapons.

The SDF commander told Sputnik Turkey that the United States intends to send additional military resources to the area near Raqqa.

Meanwhile, a military source told Sputnik on Wednesday that yesterday Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), jointly with the US military, launched a large-scale military operation against Daesh in the area of Tabqa, located 45 km from Raqqa.

"There are 400 SDF fighters involved in the operation together with 100 US soldiers and a military group from France and the United Kingdom. The Special Forces of Kurdish self-defense units YPG are also taking an active part in this operation," the source said.

Furthermore, the coalition's aircraft provided the fighters with intensive air support.

"During the operation, we succeeded in destroying a significant number of Daesh terrorists and four were taken prisoner," the source said.

He further said that violent clashes continue. The Aleppo-Tabqa road has been blocked and currently the fighters are trying to establish control over villages in the west and south of Tabqa.

"Since yesterday, our forces managed to free eight villages from Daesh. After the surrounding villages are cleared of the terrorists, we will begin the siege of the city after which we plan to establish control over Tabqa Dam," the SDF source said.

During a briefing on Wednesday, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Joseph Scrocca confirmed the use of Apache helicopters and Marine artillery during an air assault in Syria's Tabqa against Daesh.

"The Coalition supported this offensive with air movement and logistical support, precision airstrikes, Apache helicopters in close air support, marine artillery and special operations advice and assistance to SDF leadership," Scrocca told reporters.

The United States informed Russia of moving forces into Syria's Tabqa dam region, Col. Joseph Scrocca also said.

The Operation Inherent Resolve said liberation of Tabqa is critical for the offensive on Raqqa.

"Tabqah Dam has been used as an ISIS [Daesh] headquarters, a prison for high-profile hostages, a training location, and for external terror plotting since ISIS took control of the location in 2013," it stated.

Scrocca added that the coalition stands ready to provide logistical support to partner forces fighting on the ground in Tabqa.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russian, Turkish Tensions Reopen Over Syria

By Dorian Jones March 23, 2017

The Turkish foreign ministry says it has summoned Russia's top diplomat in Turkey over the killing of one of its soldiers that has been blamed on a Syrian Kurdish group that Moscow is supporting. The dispute is putting increasing strain on rapprochement efforts between the countries.

The Russian charge d'affaires was summoned Thursday by the Turkish foreign ministry and warned that Turkey will retaliate against a Syrian Kurdish group if there is a repeat of Wednesday's cross-border attack. The Turkish military claims that a sniper of the the YPG, a Syrian Kurdish militia, killed one of its soldiers.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said in his weekly press briefing that Moscow was responsible for preventing such instances as its forces are deployed in the Kurdish-controlled Afrin region to monitor and prevent such occurrences.

"Steps that should be taken in order to prevent similar cases in the future" and a reprisal would be aimed at the Syrian Kurdish group if such an attack was repeated, said Muftuoglu.

Russian troops sent to Afrin

The Turkish army regularly shells Afrin, accusing the YPG and its political wing the PYD, of being terrorists, affiliated with the PKK, which is fighting the Turkish state. But Moscow has been courting the Syrian Kurdish groups.

This week, Russian forces were deployed in Afrin, despite protests by Ankara. The deepening dispute is casting a shadow over efforts to foster reconciliation between Ankara and Moscow, following a collapse in relations in 2015 after Turkish jets downed a Russian bomber operating from a Syrian airbase.

Former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who served widely in the region, says the latest dispute over Afrin reveals the limitations of rapprochement efforts.

"Ankara is quite active in promoting the positive progress in relations." Selcen said. "But practically speaking, there is no progress. In fact, we can even speak of deterioration with what we can see in Afrin."

Peace talks set for Geneva

Turkish displeasure reportedly also was expressed to Russia's charge d'affaires over pictures of senior Russian officers in Afrin wearing YPG insignias on their uniforms. Moscow's deepening relations with the Syrian Kurds are causing growing unease in Ankara. Foreign ministry spokesman Muftuoglu also called on Moscow to close the political offices of the PYD in the Russian capital.

Ties could be further strained with Moscow lobbying for the inclusion of the PYD at next week's U.N.-sponsored Syrian peace talks in Geneva. Ankara has been at the forefront of trying to block their participation, asserting that the PYD is a terrorist organization.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that it is very important to overcome Turkey's resistance and include the Syrian Kurds in upcoming talks.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwanese Militarization Amid Growing Asia Pacific Instability

Sputnik News

17:03 23.03.2017

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has said Taiwan faces no choice but to arm itself with a submarine fleet, in the face of growing "Chinese aggression" in the South China Sea. In a development that will alter the military balance in the region, Taiwan expects deployment in less than a decade.

Veteran Chinese revolutionary Deng Xiaoping once proclaimed that China had the patience to wait for 100 if necessary, years to force reunification with Taiwan.

It's been nearly 70 years since Taiwan broke away from China, and the Taiwanese have not forgotten the threat.

President Tsai Ing-wen has announced a significant increase in military spending to 3% GDP, and the beginning of the construction of a domestic submarine fleet.

Taiwan has spent almost a decade in fruitless negotiations with US and European suppliers trying to build up the Taiwanese navy. However, Western leaders have been hesitant to anger Beijing.

"Underwater combat readiness is the part of Taiwan's defense that needs the most support. I understand it is challenging to build submarines locally. The rule in the international political reality is that you need to help yourself before getting help from others," President Tsai said.

In January, Taiwan carried out a two-day drill with a mock Chinese invasion, to test combat readiness. It came after a Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was sailed through the Taiwan strait, accompanied by a fleet of warships. Although the Liaoning did not sail into Taiwanese waters, it did enter an area covered by the island's air defence zone.

Relations have been dire between China and Taiwan  which Beijing views as a renegade Chinese province  for decades but geopolitical developments across the Asia-Pacific in the last six months have significantly destabilized the region even further.

A perfect storm of heightened tension and escalating military activity by several Asian neighbors, together with an unpredictable new US administration, means 2017 could be a dangerous year.

China continues to ramp up it's military spending and activity in the South China Sea: re-claiming land around islands that are disputed by several nations in the area.

According to a 2016 Pentagon report on China's military, China has at least 53 diesel-powered attack submarines, and intends to increase that number to as many as 79 by 2020, to help patrol it's newly acquired controversial territory.

In March, North Korea caused global consternation by firing Ballistic Missiles towards Japan, two of which landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone off the Oga Peninsula in the Akita prefecture, home to the Japanese Self Defense Force.

Nationalist Japanese lawmakers, led by Premier Shinzo Abe have pointed to the infraction as motivation to amend Japan's Peace Constitution  to allow japan to take preemptive military measures against a foreign enemy. The proposal has significant opposition within Japan  however, if Abe's government is able to push such legislation through, it would be a momentous change in the balance of power in the region.

Added to this potentially toxic mix is the uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's intentions in Asia.

While campaigning for the presidency Trump suggested that Japan deal with the threat of North Korea by acquiring nuclear weapons:

"So, North Korea has nukes. Japan has a problem with that. I mean, they have a big problem with that. Maybe they would in fact be better off if they defend themselves from North KoreaIncluding with nukes, yes, including with nukes," Trump said in April 2016.

In March 2017, Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that preemptive military action by the US against North Korea was an option "on the table."

The newly announced Taiwanese submarines are not expected to be operational for a decade. In the meantime, relations between Taiwan and it's neighbours look unlikely to thaw.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Thousands Evacuated As Ukraine Blames Munitions Depot Fire On Sabotage

RFE/RL March 23, 2017

A munitions depot near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv caught fire and was rocked by a series of explosions in a huge conflagration that the authorities have blamed on "sabotage," prompting the evacuation of thousands of people living nearby.

President Petro Poroshenko pointed the finger at Russia, saying it was "no accident" that it occurred on the day that a former Russian lawmaker who has criticized Russia's government was shot dead in Kyiv.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman said he was on his way to the depot at an army base in Balaklia, near Kharkiv and around 100 kilometers from the front line in the conflict between government forces and Russia-backed separatists further southeast.

The depot, which stores 138,000 tons of ammunition including artillery shells and missiles, is used to supply Ukrainian forces fighting against the separatists.

Chief military prosecutor Anatoliy Matios wrote on Facebook that investigators on the scene believed the fire and subsequent explosions were the "result of sabotage."

Officials said some 20,000 residents in the area were being evacuated.

Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said that one-third of the 368-hectare depot was on fire, adding that the situation might get worse if the fire reaches underground storage areas, where long-range cannon shells are being kept.

Poltorak also said that aircraft were barred from a 50-kilometer zone around Balaklia as the blasts were scattering shells as far as 2 kilometers from the site.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said that it had launched an investigation on suspicion of "sabotage."

Poroshenko also called it sabotage and said it was "no accident" that the munitions depot fire and the killing of former Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov, who moved to Ukraine last year, occurred on the same day.

In a statement posted on Twitter and Facebook, Poroshenko said that Voronenkov's killing was a "act of state terrorism" by Russia.

He issued the statement after meeting with senior security officials to discuss the situation in Balaklia and the Voronenkov killing.

Ammunition depot fires occur frequently in the former Soviet Union.

Poltorak also said the blasts could have been set off deliberately, and that the same depot had been set on fire by saboteurs using drones in 2015.

The war between government forces and Russia-backed separatists who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, both of which border the Kharkiv region, has killed more than 9,900 people since April 2014.

It continues despite a February 2015 agreement on a cease-fire and steps to end the conflict.

Poltorak said that security had been tightened around all military depots across the country.

Regional natural-gas supplier Kharkivgaz suspended gas delivery to Balaklia to avoid further explosions, and all rail service near the area was suspended.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, UNIAN, and Begemot.media

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kharkiv-munitions-depot -fire-blamed-sabotage/28386046.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Alan Burkitt-Gray speaks to Don MacNeil, chief operating officer of GTT, about its company restructuring after coming out of Chapter 11 and its strategic roadmap for the next 12 months.
China communicates with the Philippines over naval ship visit: FM

BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) - China is maintaining contact with the Philippines over a possible visit by a Chinese naval ship to the Southeast Asian country, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Friday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday that the Philippines would invite a Chinese naval ship for a visit.

"China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with the Philippines in relevant areas," said Hua, adding that military exchanges and cooperation are important components of bilateral relations.
MANILA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday that he is looking forward to his second trip to China this May to attend the "One Belt, One Road" summit organized by the Chinese government.

"I'm going there. I was invited by the president himself... It's a very ambitious project of China," he said in a speech to a meeting of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) in Manila.

"I'd like to thank China again. Our exports of banana have doubled and the pineapple increased by 50 percent," Duterte said.

Duterte said China has also promised to "open the floodgates" for more Philippine products.

The president reiterated that he has no plan to enter into a military alliance with any country right now.

"But certainly I can choose friends who are kind to us and those who understand us and those who do not make imposition," he said, alluding to China.
A federal judge has ruled that arsenic seeping into the Elizabeth River from ash ponds at Dominion Virginia Power's now-shuttered Chesapeake Energy Center violates the federal Clean Water Act, but he opted not to impose penalties or dictate how the violation should be addressed.

"The finding of a violation, however does not end the inquiry, for the court must fashion a remedy in this case," U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. wrote in his order dated Thursday. Gibney directed the parties "to suggest a remedial plan consistent with the court's opinion."

The suit, brought by the Sierra Club and the subject of a bench trial that ended in June, sought to force the utility to excavate the ash and haul it away to a lined landfill.

According to the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented the Sierra Club, Gibney's order is the first time a "federal judge has ruled after a full trial that a utility broke the law because of the way it stores coal ash."

"We're pleased the court agreed Dominion is breaking the law because its coal ash is polluting the Elizabeth River, but we are disappointed the court did not order a full cleanup," said Deborah Murray, an SELC attorney. "The law is clear. When someone violates the Clean Water Act, the polluter must stop the violation. Here, that means getting the ash out of the groundwater. It is not a viable option to leave the pollution source in place and allow the pollution to continue."

Dominion spokesman David Botkins said the company "is pleased that the court has confirmed there has been no threat to health or the environment resulting from the coal ash," adding that "the safety of the public, the water and the environment is our top priority."

Botkins also noted Gibney's determination that the removing the ash would cost hundreds of millions "for very little return."

"While we are still reviewing the order and considering further actions, Dominion remains committed to protecting the people, environment and waterways of the commonwealth," he said.

In a later statement, the utility said it is "evaluating additional groundwater treatment options for the site, including technologies that would treat any impacted groundwater at the property boundary, for DEQs consideration as part of the closure process."

The Chesapeake Energy Center generated power from 1953 to 2014, creating about 3.4 million tons of ash that it stored in unlined pits until 1984, when it built a lined landfill on top of part of one the ponds.

Monitoring wells on the site showed high concentrations of arsenic in groundwater and evidence during the trial showed that the groundwater at the site was "hydrologically connected" to surface water sources like Deep Creek and the Elizabeth River, where samples showed "extremely high" arsenic concentrations, the SELC said.

"Dominion itself has agreed that that groundwater moves laterally into the surrounding surface water," the judge's opinion says. "But now that Dominion finds itself in a lawsuit about its discharge of arsenic, it changes its tune."

The company had argued that the groundwater did not connect directly with surface water, "because the aquifer confines the groundwater and impedes it from reaching the surface water," the judge wrote.

"The court rejects this argument," Gibney wrote. "It runs counter to the geography of the region and to Dominion's more candid statements made before the pressure of litigation. ... The ponds and landfill convey arsenic directly into the groundwater and, from there, directly into the surface water."

The judge also rejected Dominion's claim that the arsenic found in surface waters around the Chesapeake site comes from other industrial sources.

"It defies logic to argue that an enormous mound of arsenic does not contribute to the arsenic in the soil and water right next to it, especially given the evidence of groundwater movement from the mound outward," Gibney wrote.

However, the opinion notes that the judge could not determine how much arsenic goes from the ash site to surrounding waters.

"What the court does know, however, is that the discharge posed no threat to health or the environment," Gibney wrote, adding that tests around the facility "have been well below the water quality criteria for arsenic."

Even a large arsenic discharge would "amount to a drop in the bucket," given the volume of water surrounding the ash ponds.

"This fact does demonstrate the absence of significant environmental harm," the judge wrote.

The opinion appears to convey the judge's frustrations with the remedies suggested by the Sierra Club  digging up the ash and moving it to a lined landfill, which Dominion said would cost more than $600 million and the judge called "draconian"  and by Dominion, whose preferred "monitored natural attention" method he called a "a scientific or regulatory term that means 'do nothing.'"

Another issue in the case was whether Dominion was in compliance with its existing permits issued by the state Department of Environmental Quality. The DEQ does not believe that its Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, which govern discharges to "state waters," a term that includes groundwater, applies to groundwater.

"In this instance the court defers to DEQ's determination that the VPDES permits do not regulate pollutants seeping into the groundwater at the CEC site," Gibney wrote. "As the court observed at trial, Dominion has been a good corporate citizen, not a chronic violator of water laws at the CEC. ... Dominion should not suffer penalties for doing things that it, and the commonwealth, thought complied with state and federal law."

Gibney said his order constitutes a "middle course" that requires Dominion to conduct more monitoring of the site, including sediment sampling on site and in surrounding waters, and to reopen its solid waste application with DEQ to close the site.

"If the parties cannot agree on a remedial plan they may submit dueling proposals to the court," he wrote.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 24

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev congratulated President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos on the occasion of his countrys national holiday.

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my most sincere congratulations to you and the people of your country on the occasion of the national holiday of the Hellenic Republic  Independence Day, noted the president.

On this remarkable day, I wish you robust health, success in your work, and the friendly people of Greece everlasting peace and prosperity, he added.
After more than eight years of work by regional officials and years of wrangling with bureaucratic regulations, leaders finally broke ground at the 3,500-acre Berry Hill Industrial Park on Thursday afternoon.

The groundbreaking ceremony was for phase one development  grading  of a 133-acre site at the park.

For local, regional and state officials who attended the event in southwestern Pittsylvania County, the moment was a long time in the making, arriving after years of struggle against a Catch-22 rule from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps would not issue a permit for the site if there were no committed industries, but the park could not attract committed companies unless it already was permitted and ready for development.

Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore  a Dan River Region native  spoke at the event, along with local, regional leaders and those from North Carolina.

In my 10 years in state government, this is the best groundbreaking I have ever been to, Haymore told attendees.

Thursdays groundbreaking shows what perseverance and patience will do, he said.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe has talked of building a new Virginia economy less dependent on federal dollars, especially after sequestration cost the state thousands of jobs, Haymore said. Sites like the Berry Hill park are one way of diversifying the economy of the commonwealth, he said.

Haymore called the site and the park another economic development tool to grow the regions and the states economy.

The 133-acre site was finally permitted in June 2016

Our resolve never wavered, Sherman Saunders, chair of the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority, told attendees at the ceremony.

The park is located along Berry Hill Road in Pittsylvania County, a few miles west of the Danville city limits. RIFA  a joint entity including Danville and Pittsylvania County  owns the mega park.

Officials hope to attract major industries to the park creating thousands of jobs for residents in Southside Virginia and northern North Carolina.

This industrial park is an essential building block in the future of southern Virginia and northern North Carolina, Saunders, a Danville city councilman, said Thursday. Today, we are here to celebrate a milestone in its development.

Since the mega park project began nearly a decade ago, the Virginia Tobacco Commission has awarded about $29.8 million in grants for site development and infrastructure at the industrial park.

Saunders pointed to partnerships formed around the park that have remain in place  state of North Carolina, the Golden Leaf Foundation, and the city of Eden, North Carolina, dedicated funding toward water and sewer infrastructure that will serve the park, he said.

Virginia and the tobacco commission provided money for site development and infrastructure improvements, he said.

Delegate Danny Marshall, R-Danville, who chairs the Special Projects Committee for the tobacco commission, compared the groundbreaking and upcoming grading to a farmer planting seeds to grow crops.

Were going to grow jobs, Marshall said during the ceremony.

It is all about jobs, he added. The vision and long-term planning for Berry Hill are coming together to create major moves in economic development for our region.

Officials: Grading for Berry Hill to make mega park more competitive Grading of a 133-acre site at Berry Hill mega park will be a game-changer that will make t

The committee helped provide the $29.8 million for the project.

At 3,500 acres, the mega park is the largest in the state and the fifth largest on the East Coast, Marshall pointed out.

Danville Mayor John Gilstrap echoed Saunders and Haymores statements about the regions perseverance in getting the park permitted.

The journey to this point has had many twists and turns, but we never wavered, Gilstrap said.

With a graded site, well be able to show industrial prospects a site that is construction-ready, he said. Its another step in efforts to diversify the regions economy, Gilstrap said.

Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Bob Warren credited former supervisor Coy Harville, who represented the Westover District and served on the RIFA board, for envisioning the Berry Hill park project years ago. Harville also attended the event.

Warren said the groundbreaking was symbolic.

Were not just breaking the surface  were also breaking the ground on our future, Warren said.

Pittsylvania County is both honored and humbled to have been entrusted by our regional and state partners to host the location of this site, and values its relationship with the many stakeholders and individuals that have been involved in getting us to this momentous occasion, Warren said.

Eden Mayor Wayne Tuggle said he had been waiting a long time for the groundbreaking.

It has been a wonderful thing and today it all comes to fruition, Tuggle said. The citizens of our region will be the ultimate winners.

Artificial state lines should not separate what is best for citizens, Tuggle added.

In August 2016, Atlanta-based Southern Company announced a new natural gas-powered electric energy generating plant coming to the park.

Southern Power  a subsidiary of Southern Co.  signed a purchase and sale agreement option in June 2016 with RIFA for 300 acres in the park. That land and project are separate from the 133 acres.

Power plant moves closer to reality at the Berry Hill Mega Park The potential for a Southern Power plant in the Berry Hill Mega Park moved a step closer to reality Monday when the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority voted to extend its due diligence period by six months.

At that time, RIFA announced the company would invest at least $250 million.

The chosen site is adjacent to the Williams-Transco natural gas intercontinental pipeline, which runs through the mega park site and transports natural gas from the Gulf Coast to the northeastern and southeastern states.

Grading of the 133-acre site at Berry Hill mega park will be a game-changer that will make the 3,500-acre park more competitive, officials have said.

The RIFA board  which includes members of Danville City Council and the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors  voted Feb. 24 to approve a resolution accepting a $3.77 million bid from Haymes Brothers Inc. in Chatham for the project.

RIFA will pay for the project with money from the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

The project includes site grading, erosion and sediment control, site stabilization, clearing and grubbing, and storm water management. The site includes four pads, the largest of which is 109 acres.

The contractor will have 360 days to complete the project that will make a level, buildable site for development.

A graded site will shorten the time it takes for a business to be operational if theyre looking for a new location, officials have said.
Vancouver, March 24, 2017 - Durango Resources Inc. (TSX.V-DGO) (OTC-ATOXF), (the "Company" or "Durango") announces that additional properties have been offered to the Company in the Windfall Lake gold camp area for purchase. Company management and consultants are looking at the land packages offered and reviewing the available technical data.

The Windfall Lake gold deposit is located between Val d'Or and Chibougamau in the Abitibi region of Quebec and hosts one of the highest-grade gold resource stage projects in Canada. Last month, $109M dollars in financings were announced by four companies exploring in the area, gaining increased attention for the Windfall Lake gold camp.

Additionally, Durango would also like to provide an update on its Trove Property which lies in a highly favorable area of the Windfall Lake Gold camp and is almost entirely enclosed by Osisko Mining's (TSX-OSK) ground. As previously announced on February 24 and 27, 2017, negotiations are progressing and Durango expects to be providing a detailed update to the market in the near future.

Marcy Kiesman, CEO of Durango stated, "Durango remains a firm believer in the favourable geology in the Windfall Lake Camp and the possibility of the regional gold discoveries being pervasive throughout the region. The Company has been positioned for discovery in the area since 2010 and is working conscientiously to bring additional value to our shareholders as the district heats up."

About Durango

Durango is a natural resources company engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company has a 100% interest in the Mayner's Fortune and Smith Island limestone properties in northwest British Columbia, the Decouverte and Trove gold properties in the Abitibi Region of Quebec, and the NMX East lithium property near the Whabouchi mine and the Buckshot graphite property near the Miller Mine in Quebec, the Whitney Northwest property near the Lake Shore Gold and Goldcorp joint venture in Ontario.

For further information on Durango, please refer to its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Marcy Kiesman, Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: 604.428.2900 or 604.339.2243

Facsimile: 888.266.3983

Email: durangoresourcesinc@gmail.com

Website: www.durangoresourcesinc.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This document may contain or refer to forward-looking information based on current expectations, including, but not limited to the acquisition of additional ground, the sale of the Trove Property or any other properties held by Durango, the entering into of any transaction with any third parties, exploration results on the Trove Property or the New Windfall Property and the impact on the Company of these events. Forward-looking information is subject to significant risks and uncertainties, as actual results may differ materially from forecasted results. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date hereof and we assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. For a detailed list of risks and uncertainties relating to Durango, please refer to the Company's prospectus filed on its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

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.

Copyright (c) 2017 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.


/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

MONTREAL, March 24, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Algold Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ALG  the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has raised aggregate gross proceeds of $7.5 million by issuing a total of 37,500,000 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.20 per Unit (the "Issue Price") under its previously-announced "bought deal" private placement offering of Units (the "Bought Deal Offering") and concurrent non-brokered private placement offering of Units (the "Concurrent Offering", and together with the Bought Deal Offering, the "Offering"). A total of $7.0 million (representing 35,000,000 Units, including 3,000,000 Units issued as a result of the full exercise of the Underwriters' option) was raised under the Bought Deal Offering through a syndicate of underwriters led by Beacon Securities Limited and including Paradigm Capital Inc. (collectively, the "Underwriters"). The remaining $500,000 (representing 2,500,000 Units) was raised under the Concurrent Offering.

Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Corporation (each a "Common Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant") of the Corporation. Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.30 for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering. The Warrants may be accelerated by the Corporation, at its sole option, at any time in the event that the closing volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange, or such other exchange on which the Common Shares may primarily trade from time to time, is greater than or equal to $0.45 for a period of 20 consecutive trading days occurring no earlier than four months and one day from the closing of the Offering by giving notice to the holders thereof.

The Offering remains subject to receipt of the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Units, including all underlying securities thereof, are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from their date of issuance under applicable Canadian securities laws.

In addition, securities issued to subscribers in the United States will be subject to a hold period under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "U.S. Securities Act") and can only be resold in strict compliance with the applicable exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.

The Corporation paid to the Underwriters an aggregate cash commission of $312,880 and issued to the Underwriters an aggregate of 1,564,400 compensation options, each exercisable into one Common Share of the Corporation at the Issue Price for a period of 24 months from the closing date of the Bought Deal Offering.

The net proceeds from the Offering will be used to carry out exploration drilling on the Corporation's Tijirit property and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction.

ABOUT ALGOLD

Algold Resources Ltd. is focused on the exploration and development of gold deposits in West Africa. The board of directors and management team are seasoned resource industry professionals with extensive experience in the exploration and development of world-class gold projects in Africa.

CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains and refers to forward-looking information based on current expectations. All other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward looking statements (or forward-looking information). The Corporation's plans involve various estimates and assumptions and its business is subject to various risks and uncertainties. For more details on these estimates, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, see the Corporation's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis on file with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward looking statements are made as of the date hereof and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, such statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements that are included herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Algold Resources Ltd.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2017 / Los Andes Copper Ltd. (TSX-V: LA) (OTC PINK: LSANF) ("Los Andes," or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has initiated the work program, including a drilling campaign, for its 100% owned Vizcachitas porphyry copper-molybdenum project located in Region V, Chile.

Work Program - Drilling Campaign

The drilling camping is expected to include approximately 10,000 metres of diamond drilling in the higher grade central core of the deposit. The objectives of the drilling program are:

Test extensions of new geological model

Delineate early diorite porphyry and hydrothermal breccias

Deeper drilling in high grade area

Converting of inferred resource to indicated

Drilling extensions within PEA pit area

Drill testing extensions to mineralization within 1km of current deposit

Evaluating silver content and distribution

Provide samples for metallurgical testing

Work Program - Additional Activities

In addition to the drilling campaign, the work program includes:

Reprocessing historical pulp samples to create silver model and revise molybdenum grades

Mapping of alterations north of current mineralized area

Updating resource model

Preparing optimized PEA

We expect the drilling campaign to last 3-4 months, with the final assay results being completed during the third quarter of 2017. The remainder of the work program is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

About Vizcachitas

The Vizcachitas Project offers potential for a low strip, open pit operation in an area of low elevation with excellent infrastructure in central Chile. On February 18, 2014, the Company filed a National Instrument 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment prepared by Coffey Consultoria Y Servicios Spa (Coffey) and Alquimia Conceptos S.A. (PEA). Based on 40,383 metres of drilling at the time, using a 0.30% copper equivalent cut-off, the project contains an indicated resource of 1,038 million tonnes grading 0.434% copper equivalent and an inferred resource of 318 million tonnes grading 0.405% copper equivalent. Using a 0.40% copper equivalent cut-off, the project contains an indicated resource of 566 million tonnes grading 0.501% copper equivalent and an inferred resource of 130 million tonnes grading 0.488% copper equivalent.

Mr. Antony Amberg is the Qualified Person who has read and approved the technical disclosure in this news release.

Additional information about the Vizcachitas Project is available on our website at www.losandescopper.com.

For more information, please contact:

Antony Amberg, President & CEO

Tel: (56-22) 954-0450

Aurora Davidson, Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 604-697-6207

E-Mail: info@losandescopper.com or visit our website at: www.losandescopper.com

Certain of the information and statements contained herein that are not historical facts, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Securities Act (British Columbia) and the Securities Act (Alberta) ("Forward-Looking Information"). Forward-Looking Information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," and "intend," statements that an event or result is "due" on or "may," "will," "should," "could," or might" occur or be achieved, and, other similar expressions. More specifically, Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such Forward-Looking Information; including, without limitation, the achievement and maintenance of planned production rates, the evolving legal and political policies of Chile, the volatility in the Chilean economy, military unrest or terrorist actions, metal and energy price fluctuations, favourable governmental relations, the availability of financing for activities when required and on acceptable terms, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, current and future environmental and regulatory requirements, the availability and timely receipt of permits, approvals and licenses, industrial or environmental accidents, equipment breakdowns, availability of and competition for future acquisition opportunities, availability and cost of insurance, labour disputes, land claims, the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates, currency fluctuations, expectations and beliefs of management and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in Management's Discussion and Analysis in the Company's financial statements. Such Forward-Looking Information is based upon the Company's assumptions regarding global and Chilean economic, political and market conditions and the price of metals and energy, and the Company's production. Among the factors that have a direct bearing on the Company's future results of operations and financial conditions are changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, a change in government policies, competition, currency fluctuations and restrictions and technological changes, among other things. Should one or more of any of the aforementioned risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from any conclusions, forecasts or projections described in the Forward-Looking Information. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise Forward-Looking Information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Los Andes Copper Ltd.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Mar. 24

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

Three TV channels of Afghanistan (Ariana TV, Noorin TV, Jawan TV) have started broadcasting via the TurkmenAlem 52E satellite, Turkmenistan State News Agency reported.

More than 20 foreign TV channels are already broadcasting in the test mode via the satellite, and it is planned to start their commercial broadcasting in April 2017.

TurkmenAlem 52E, Turkmenistans first telecommunications satellite, was launched Apr.28, 2015, from Cape Canaveral (Florida, US).

The satellite has three antennas covering dozens of countries in Europe and Asia, as well as the Middle East and North Africa.
A bipartisan group of US senators in Congress have introduced a bill that would impose tighter sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile tests and other non-nuclear activities, PressTV reported.

The bill was introduced on Thursday by 14 Democratic and Republican senators, including senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The legislation would set mandatory sanctions for anyone involved with Iran's missile program and those who trade with them. It also would apply sanctions to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Lawmakers were expected to roll out the new sanctions ahead of a conference by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which is scheduled to start Sunday.

Senators Bob Corker, Robert Menendez, Marco Rubio, Ben Cardin and Tom Cotton are among the bills sponsors.

Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, claimed that the new bill had been written not to interfere with the international nuclear accord reached with Tehran.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China -- plus Germany started implementing the nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on January 16, 2016.

In February, US President Donald Trump undermined the multilateral deal by introducing a new round of sanctions against Iran following the countrys successful test-launch of a ballistic missile, which Washington said was a breach of the JCPOA.

The US Treasury Department said Washington had imposed sanctions on 13 individuals and 12 entities as part of an effort to ratchet up pressure on Iran over its missile program.

The United States claims that Iran's recent missile test violated Resolution 2231 that endorsed the Iran nuclear agreement.

Tehran insists its missile tests do not breach any UN resolution because they are solely for defense purposes and not designed to carry nuclear warheads.
Gov. Sam Brownback endorsed the federal health care legislation backed by House GOP leaders in a letter his office released Thursday after a planned vote on the bill was called off.Brownback, along with seven other governors, urged passage of the bill, known as the American Health Care Act, in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell."Transformational change from a 'free' entitlement where all rules are made in Washington to a true state-driven healthcare system will not be easy and will take coordinated effort from government and all sectors of the healthcare industry," the governors wrote.In Washington, legislative leaders were scrambling to put together enough support to pass the bill in the House. Democrats vehemently oppose the bill, and a number of conservative Republicans have said they won't support it because they don't think it goes far enough.A planned vote on the bill for Thursday night was canceled, but a debate could still come Friday.Brownback released his letter on the same day a Kansas Senate panel advanced legislation that would expand Medicaid in Kansas. The letter says the 2010 federal health law championed by President Barack Obama expanded Medicaid "in a way that diverts resources away from the program's core mission."In addition to Brownback, the letter was signed by the governors of Indiana, Alabama, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri and Utah.
Party reactions

Party acceptance

State Rep. Beth Fukumoto, who was ousted as House minority leader by Republican colleagues last month over her criticism of President Donald Trump, announced Wednesday that she is leaving the Republican Party, citing its failure to condemn elements of racism and sexism within its base. She will seek membership in the Democratic Party.Her departure further depletes the Hawaii Republican Party, which is now reduced to just five elected officials, all of whom serve in the state House of Representatives."I believe that there has been racism and sexism in the Republican Party and that the refusal to contradict that racism and sexism is the reason ultimately that I'm choosing to leave the party," Fukumoto, 33, told reporters gathered in her office at the state Capitol for a news conference.As an example, she cited Republicans' failure to condemn Trump's remarks during the campaign that suggested he may have supported Japanese internment during World War II."For me, as a Japanese-American whose grandparents had to destroy all of their Japanese artifacts and items and bury them in the backyard to avoid getting taken and interned, how could I not have said anything and how could my party not have said anything? But they didn't," she said.Here's my letter of resignation from the Republican Party outlining my reasons for leaving. https://t.co/w6asstD8YS-- Beth Fukumoto (@bethfukumoto) March 22, 2017Tensions over Fukumoto's views on Trump within the Hawaii Republican Party came to a head in January when she marched and spoke at the worldwide Women's March in Honolulu, calling the president a bully who won the White House with "anger and hate."Two weeks later, House Republicans voted 3-2 to remove her from leadership, citing her ongoing criticism of the president and the party.Following Fukumoto's announcement Wednesday, Democratic leaders and lawmakers from her district released statements saying they looked forward to working with Fukumoto, while noting that she still has to apply and be accepted by the party.Democrats "have a big tent and there's always room for one more," House Speaker Joe Souki said in a statement. "We look forward to her joining us and working with her."Hawaii Democratic Party Chairman Tim Vandeveer said Fukumoto needs to apply for membership in the party through the Oahu County Committee of the Democratic Party, a process that could take several months.Hawaii Republican Party Chairman Fritz Rohlfing said Fukumoto should have resigned as a state representative so the party could recommend Republican replacements for the governor to choose from."I am extremely proud of how our party welcomes and fosters voices from every background, and I look forward to electing more Republicans in Hawaii as we move forward," Rohlfing said in a statement.Reactions from Fukumoto's Republican colleagues were mixed. Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R, Kailua-Kaneohe), who has been a member of the Republican Party since 1951 and a strong supporter of Fukumoto, criticized her party for alienating someone she's described as a talented young leader. She suggested that the party's traditional values of fiscal conservatism and limited government have been overshadowed by intolerance around social issues.The "tiny party's brand is further weakened and its relevance to the wider, diverse constituency looks bleak," she said in a statement.Rep. Bob McDermott, who was one of the three House Republicans to vote to remove Fukumoto as minority leader last month, said that Fukumoto was after publicity and angry that she was removed from the post."I really am tired of hearing her keep talking about racism and sexism in our party without mentioning names," he said. "She makes these baseless allegations and throws these inflammatory terms around like they are meaningless. ... She doesn't identify anyone except Trump. It isn't much to do about anything, I think."Asked whether he thought the Republican Party had a problem with racism and sexism within its ranks, he said: "No. I think she is full of crap. That is the only time she gets publicity."McDermott said Fukumoto wasn't removed because of her criticism of Trump, although he told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser last month that Fukumoto was removed because of her continuing criticism of the Republican Party and Trump."She was fired not because of the Trump remarks. She was fired because she stunk as a leader," he said Wednesday.Fukumoto said she spent weeks contemplating leaving the party and receiving feedback from constituents in her district of Mililani and Waipio Acres. She said she received just fewer than 500 responses, of which about 70 percent were positive. Of the positive responses, she said constituents said they were either supportive of her switch, were Democrats who said they would embrace her in the party, or said they didn't care which party she belonged to.She said there were many issues on which she aligned with the Democratic Party, particularly on the need for more affordable housing and the need to create a more progressive, and not regressive, tax structure."We tax the poor the highest in Hawaii," she said.Fukumoto said she tends to be fiscally conservative, but isn't a hard-liner when it comes to no new taxes.Her record on social issues, and in particular gay marriage, might be more problematic to her acceptance within the Democratic Party. She voted against legalizing gay marriage during the 2013 special session in Hawaii. However, Fukumoto said Wednesday that she personally supports gay marriage and that her vote against the measure had more to do with concerns about the process.
The moment felt historic enough that some lawmakers in Nevada's Capitol autographed paper copies of the resolution.Nevada's state Assembly voted Monday 28-14 to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment _ 35 years past the deadline set by Congress and four decades since the last state voted to adopt its language.The vote marked a stirring victory for the resolution's chief sponsor, state Sen. Pat Spearman, the Las Vegas-based Democrat who had seen it fail previously when she tried to move the measure through the state legislature in 2015.This month, the resolution narrowly passed the state Senate."We did it," Spearman said shortly after the state Assembly vote. "It was overwhelming, but we did it. It shows that it's never too late to support equality."The ERA was first proposed in 1920s, but Congress didn't pass it until 1972. The key part of its text reads: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex."Thirty-eight state legislatures needed to ratify the proposed amendment, but it fell short by three when the deadline expired in 1982. Many credit the defeat to the Eagle Forum, a conservative lobbying group, and its founder Phyllis Schlafly, who argued among other things that it would open women to being drafted into the military and combat.Once the expiration date passed, groups such as the National Organization for Women adopted a "three-state strategy" in hopes of getting to the three-quarters goal needed for ratification. Some have suggested the 1982 deadline was arbitrary and believe Congress didn't have the power to set a deadline for passage.Terry O'Neill, president of NOW, said she hoped Nevada's ratification would embolden some other states like Virginia and Illinois to follow the Silver State's lead."Now it's a two-state strategy," she said. "It's very exciting. Over the past five years, Illinois and Virginia have come close. I think there is clear interest in this."Since the early 1990s, supporters of the amendment have been trying to get a trio of the 15 state legislatures that rejected it to reverse course.In Virginia, one chamber had approved ratification while the other refused on multiple occasions in the last few years. Illinois had a similar scenario play out in 2014, but currently has a ratification resolution alive in its legislative session.This year, Nevada was one of eight states with resolutions calling for ratification. But in six of those states _ Utah, Arizona, Missouri, Virginia, Florida and North Carolina _ at least one house of the legislature is controlled by Republicans, who have opposed ERA ratification.Nevada flipped its legislature in November, with Democrats taking control of both chambers. With its state legislature at just about 40 percent women _ the highest percentage in the nation _ Spearman thought she had a good chance this year.Hearings brought out large groups of supporters testifying _ often emotionally _ about the need for the ERA. Spearman said after the Assembly's vote, she thought of Nevada Democratic State Party Office Manager Naomi Millisor, who died last week. Spearman said Millisor continually had inspired her to keep pushing for passage of the measure."She was rooting for this and sadly didn't live long enough to see it," Spearman said. "She was a cheerleader for it and I remember her telling me to stay with it. I had told her, 'Yes ma'am, it will pass.'"Spearman said the resolution must go back to the Senate for some technical amendments before it is certified by the Nevada secretary of state and copies are transmitted to the National Archives and Records Administration, the offices of the vice president of the U.S. and speaker of the House. She said the state Senate votes on the amendments would probably happen Wednesday.Republican Assemblywoman Robin Titus opposed the resolution, saying she was "deeply disturbed by the theatrics" in the legislature over ERA ratification."I don't believe my constituents sent me to cast symbolic votes with no chance of success," Titus said.While both legislative chambers were mostly split down party lines, some Republicans chose to back the resolution.Jill Tolles, a Reno Republican, said she didn't buy the arguments that the ERA would entrench abortions into the Constitution, and that even symbolic votes have a place in the legislature. She said legislators say the Pledge of Allegiance every day before the floor session starts and that the flag is a symbol for America. She said her wedding ring is symbolic of her commitment to her husband."I would argue this chamber is full of symbolism," Tolles said.Maggie Carlton, a Las Vegas Democrat, offered an impassioned argument for the resolution, telling a story of her mother having to take off her wedding ring to go to work every day for fear of being fired. She said the company fired women who were married because they might have children and it would hurt productivity.Her story built on others who spoke about pay inequality and perceptions that President Donald Trump's administration is rolling back rights for women through proposals to defund Planned Parenthood and appointing judges who appear to oppose abortion rights."I vote for this for today in honor of my mother, my grandmother and my two daughters," Carlton said. "Symbolism or not, it's time to send the message."
Description

GIS - 24 March, 2017: The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, conveyed yesterday his deepest condolences to the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mrs Theresa May, in the wake of the terrorist attack in London in which five persons died and several were injured. The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, conveyed yesterday his deepest condolences to the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mrs Theresa May, in the wake of the terrorist attack in London in which five persons died and several were injured.

It is with profound grief and sorrow that we learnt of the tragic deaths of five persons and ensuing casualties following the terrorist attack in London, said the Prime Minister.

Mauritius firmly condemns such unwarranted acts of violence and all forms of extremism which was perpetrated outside the British Parliament, he added.

In his message Mr Jugnauth said: We believe in the values of democracy and we are committed to closer collaboration with the international community to address the challenges posed by terrorism and threats to democracy.
On March 21, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner gathered with officials from the states Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) to roll out a cybersecurity road map The five-part strategy , developed in conjunction with the National Governors Association and National Association of State Chief Information Officers, is part of what officials see as the next leg in a journey to better protect state systems and constituent data.State CIO Hardik Bhatt toldthat the aggressive push to a more forward-looking strategy is based more on necessity than anything else. Early in his tenure, the CIO said high-level assessments identified what could only be described as mind-boggling deficiencies throughout the government.To be on the leading edge is, unfortunately for us, a requirement as opposed to being a nice-to-have, because we have not been on the leading edge for quite some time, Bhatt said. We have not utilized the last couple of decades in the right manner.Under the newly released strategy, DoIT will focus on protecting systems, reducing risk, strengthening cybersecurity capabilities, building an enterprise approach and extending efforts outward for holistic security.Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Kirk Lonbom said the efforts to bring the 62 agencies, boards and commissions under the governors purview with a more unified policy and security structure has not been without its challenges.You can imagine trying to do that many mergers and acquisitions at the same time and the potential impact that you would have on security, he said.Since coming on board in August 2015, Lonbom said agencies have encrypted or eliminated around 5 billion pieces of personally identifiable information from various systems.But the commitment to better defenses is only one part of the larger story. At the same time officials are trying to maneuver state infrastructure to more secure waters, the state comptroller is calling for a closer look at efforts to implement a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system The ERP project, Bhatt explained, is a key cornerstone to the larger cybersecurity goal. According to the CIO, many of the 400 or so systems used to manage the states financial and human resource programs within state government are not only inefficient, but badly outdated.We have 400 systems that manage our finance, grants, do [human resources] and everything, and all of them access databases: Excel spreadsheets, mainframe systems and everything that you can think of ... We have to go through four systems to even buy a paperclip. Its just a crazy way of doing business, he explained.About 30 percent of these systems are so old, and dependent on much older technology, that we cannot even apply security patches, Bhatt added.Concern from Comptroller Susana Mendozas office centers on the what spokesman Abdon Pallasch described as the need for greater transparency when it comes to paying for the work being done.Most recently, Mendoza suspended $27 million in funds, including $21.6 million meant to pay a number of project consultants, pending a review of the ERP program.Its really just an effort to get more answers as to what is going on with ERP, Pallasch said.In two press releases ( 1 and 2 ), Mendoza took issue with what she characterized as cuts to health-care programs to pay for IT projects, including the ERP.Bhatt said in the 17 months since the five-year ERP project first launched, roughly 25 percent of the project has been completed. According to Bhatt, it is on time and on budget. Not only that, its completion will help put Illinois  a state with notoriously troubled finances  in a better financial position going forward.In general, we are losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars just because we dont have our financial house technically in order, he explained. This is something I wish the state would have done 15 years ago. Then we would not be having this problem.Efforts on the CIOs part to break the stalemate have only garnered one 30-minute call with Mendozas senior staff.Controversy aside, Lonbom agrees that updating the financial systems would go a long way to improving the security stance of Illinois government. The inability to patch certain systems requires alternative measures and extra time and cost.It certainly is a problem, the CISO said of the existing infrastructure. Obviously, we put compensating controls in place to reduce our risk. Information security is really all about reducing risk to the enterprise and to our citizens, but I think enterprises across the country, especially governments, are facing this issue.Pallasch clarified that no one is questioning the need for a new financial backbone.What they are saying about old computers is absolutely true. A lot of these computers are from the 1970s. The comptroller absolutely supports the goal of modernizing the states computer system . he said. We all should be able to go forward with a computer modernization, but it has to be done right. It cant be done without accountability.While the future remains uncertain, Bhatt and Lonbom are looking forward to ironing out the details and moving forward with plans to secure the states technical infrastructure.
A FUTURE OF INNOVATION

A BROAD BASE OF TALENT

(TNS) -- When the Wright Brothers flew in 1903, Dayton had more patents per capita than any other U.S. city, records show.And that was before NCR, Delco Labs, Frigidaire, General Motors, Mound and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base invented products or processes that have transformed the world.At one point, Dayton was essentially the Silicon Valley of its day, said Eron Bucciarelli-Tieger, CEO of Sounstr and an Englewood resident.While the Dayton area does not produce the number of patents it once did, innovation is well alive today with area inventors, researchers and companies.It can be found at the Air Force Research Lab, which does more than $4 billion of research nationally, all anchored at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Or the University of Dayton Research Institute, where more than 500 employees conducted about $117 million of sponsored research in fiscal year 2016, an increase of almost 20 percent over 2015.It can also be found in individual inventors like Jon Jackson of Centerville who has invented a machine that can mow your lawn and eradicate weeds without chemicals all at the same time.Or theres Joe DSilva, founder of P&C Pharma in Washington Twp., who devised a way to blend medicines into a liquid blend that can be easily swallowed  and at what he calls a reasonable cost.U.S. Patent and Technology Office records show that more than 3,500 technology-class patents have been awarded to people or companies from Dayton between 2000 and 2015.Thats well below the Cincinnati area that leads the state with 13,482 patents or the 143,473 created in the Silicon Valley area in California during the same time period, but itd only a glimpse of the rich history of invention in Dayton.Dayton has an array of inventions that have made history: Piloted powered aviation. The cash register. The automotive self-starter. The search engine. Pop-top cans. And much more.That spirit of innovation remains alive  although its quieter than it once was, some say.Dayton is probably not a town that is going to build the next Facebook, said Scott Koorndyk, president of the Entrepreneurs Center.What Dayton inventors specialize in is research, particularly military and business-to-business research, he said. Dayton builds real businesses with real technology, Koorndyk said.Most consistently, Dayton answers the challenge of the warfighter.The Air Force as a service is one of the biggest generators of patents. The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, secured 49 patents in 2016, from work across the country.Locally, AFRL garnered 16 patents from work at Wright-Patterson in fiscal year 2016, and so far in fiscal 2017, AFRL personnel at the base have won 10 patents, a base spokesman said.Two years from now, AFRL patents will approach 100, predicted William Harrison, small business director for AFRL.That relentless push to invent is urged on by the AFRLs single mission: Solve problems for pilots and warfighters.We are constantly being challenged with tougher and tougher problems, Harrison said.The Dayton area absolutely helps AFRL fulfill its mission, he said.Harrison said Dayton has strengths in materials, manufacturing, and increasingly, cyber-security and health care research.Those are the ones I see almost on a daily basis, he said.Theres a fair bit of famous technology out there with ties to Dayton, Dayton Historys Brady Kress said.The iPhone didnt originate in Dayton, he said. But the LCD sure did, the liquid crystal display.That spirit of innovation may be Daytons history, but its also the future, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and others saidI think the community is really trying to do something different. There are a lot of really positive things evolving, said Roger Edwards, entrepreneur in residence for Accelerant, the Dayton Development Coalitions entrepreneurial venture fund.Accelerant has invested money in nine companies and is considering a 10th, with two or three others at different stages in the funds due diligence process.Innovation is alive locally, said Hugh Bolton, senior cyber and intelligence fellow at Wright State University. I believe that.Patents grant an inventor of something new ownership to her or his invention for a set time from its filing, usually 20 years. The idea is to put a stake in the ground and exclude others from making or selling ones established intellectual property.A search of the U.S. patent collection database for patent applicants from Dayton shows 3,519 technology-class patents have been awarded to people or companies from Dayton between the years 2000 and 2015.But the data is limited: The database lists the origin city based on the address of the inventor listed first on the patent. Patents can have many inventors who are involved, all from potentially different cities. That means the number of patents with a Dayton connection is likely higher.And patents in general can be misleading as an indicator of prosperity and innovation, cautioned Meghan Sheehan, a licensing associate at Wright State University and patents attorney.Patents are important, but theyre not the end-all, be-all of a business strategy related to innovation, she said.Better evidence of innovation may be revenue and the number of jobs created, Bolton said.Still, when it comes to demonstrating publicly that something new has been devised, patents do matter, Sheehan said.A look at the governments patent database shows a whos who of commercial innovators in Ohio, many who have a presence in the Dayton area and Southwestern Ohio or have a history here.In Ohio, the private company securing the highest number of patents since 2011 is Procter and Gamble, with a total 1,346 patents, according to a U.S. Patents and Trademark Office search.When it comes to intellectual property, Dayton has a lot going for it, observers say.Health care in particular is emerging as a strength, Harrison said, pointing to Ascend Innovations, CareSource, both in downtown Dayton, as well as the areas vibrant hospitals.A huge part of the revitalization of the downtown is health care companies, Harrison said.Dayton enjoys a broad base talent of engineers, computer programmers, many others, said Daniel Kincaid, chief executive at Sense Diagnostics in Loveland and an investor with Cincinnatis Queen City Angels, a group of high net-worth investorsYou have a lot of assets, obviously, Kincaid said. You have the (Wright-Patterson Air Force) base and the Air Force Research Lab. You have UD (University of Dayton). You have universities. You have big companies here that are tech-heavy, tech savvy.But Dayton doesnt yet have an equivalent of Queen City Angels, a private group of venture capitalists, who unlimber their wallets to encourage local inventors.Ive met a few people in Dayton who are interested in investing in start-ups, who want to get involved, Kincaid said. I know Roger (Edwards) is working on that, on putting together a group of those folks.Added Kincaid: Its starting to happen.Sense Diagnostics itself is working with a Franklin company for production of prototypes of his companys brainchild, non-invasive monitors that can help doctors determine the severity of a brain injury.Kincaid said inventors and start-ups will go where there is funding and backing.At least for us, we have an Ohio focus. It doesnt matter if youre Dayton, Kincaid said of Queen City Angels. We invest in Columbus, we invest in Cleveland. Frankly, well go to wherever the best technologies are. From an investment perspective, we invest all over the state.However, he added: Thats certainly gotten better (in Dayton) through the efforts of Accelerant and some of the other folks here in town."
(TNS) - The Fremont Police Department earlier this month got the OK to to begin using a device to locate and track people through their cellphones.At its March 7 meeting, the Fremont City Council approved the departments request for the device, called a cell site simulator. The request was listed on the councils consent calendar, which contains items considered routine enough to be collectively approved with a single vote.The device imitates a cell site tower, making cellphones within range relay information to it such as relative signal strength and general direction, according to city staff reports. That allows police to focus on a particular phone whose user theyre trying to find.According to public records obtained by The Center for Human Rights and Privacy and shared with The Argus, the cell site simulator is manufactured by Harris Corp. under the brand Hailstorm. Its typically mounted in a vehicle and may include mobile devices that work in tandem with the main unit.Cell site simulators are also commonly known by other model names, such as Stingray, or Triggerfish.Their ability to invade peoples privacy have made the devices controversial.Stingrays are capable of dragnet surveillance that can reveal sensitive information about our location and associations, said Matt Cagle, a technology and civil liberties policy attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.For too long, law enforcement across California and the United States were using Stingray devices in secret and without adequately informing the public or the courts about what was going on, Cagle added.The device connects with all cellphones in a given area and seeks a unique identifying code for the specific one it is programmed to find. Once it finds that phone, it locks onto it and rejects all others, according to the staff report.The device is useful when deployed to assist fugitive apprehension efforts, to locate at-risk people, to locate missing children, or to provide search and rescue support in natural disasters and emergencies, the staff reports state. They add that the device wont collect emails, contacts, text messages and other data while in use, and any information about other phones pinged during Hailstorms search will be regularly purged.Fremont police Capt. Sean Washington said in an interview he understands the publics concern about privacy and noted the device wont be an everyday thing. He added that in most situations, a search warrant will be required to activate it.These are significant cases that we feel pose a significant risk to the public, Washington said. It all goes back to safety.Fremont police do not own the device. It was obtained by the Alameda County District Attorneys Office, in conjunction with Fremont and Oakland police departments.The device, a vehicle to mount it in and training add up to a $535,000 cost, according to public records.Craig Chew, the district attorneys assistant chief of inspectors, said in an email to colleagues the joint effort between Fremont and Oakland police and the district attorneys office raised $355,000  $100,000 from a Homeland Security grant, $170,000 credited to Oakland for trading in older cell site technology and $85,000 from general operating funds, though its unclear from which agency.The three agencies then jointly applied for a $180,000 Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative grant in 2014 to cover the remaining costs.Hailstorm is managed by the district attorneys office and available for use by any law enforcement agency in the region. With the city councils approval, Fremont police agreed to follow the district attorneys policy when using Hailstorm.Mike Katz-Lacabe, a member of the group Oakland Privacy, which had input on the county policy regarding cell site simulator use, told the council that although the staff report states the device does not have the capacity to intercept or capture communications, emails, texts, contact lists, images or other data from the phones tracked, it could do all that with a software upgrade.The district attorneys policy calls for an annual report detailing how many times the device has been used and for what general purpose.Cagle said those reports will be instrumental in helping the community decide whether such tools are effective.He said he hopes more communities will consider laws that help elevate the discussion and restrictions involving surveillance technology, similar to an ordinance passed by Santa Clara County last year.Surveillance technology should be subject to an open, robust debate that includes more than just a simple consent calendar item, Cagle said.2017 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 24



By Emil Ilgar - Trend:



Iran has condemned the terrorist attack in London has also given consolation to the families of victims, said the website message of Iran's Foreign Ministry.



According to the report, Bahram Qasemi the spokesperson of Ministry called the international community to establish a coalition for a comprehensive fight against terrorism, saying that no country is safe from terror attacks, adding that the West has double standards with regards to fighting terrorism.



On Mar. 22, at 14:40 GMT, a single attacker drove a car over Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament in central London. The car had mounted the pavement and driven the whole way across the bridge, knocking people over. The car then crashed into railings outside the Houses of Parliament.



The attacker, armed with a knife, ran to the parliament where he was confronted by the police. One officer - who was not armed - was stabbed and killed.



The attacker was shot dead by armed police officers. Five people have died and 50 people have been injured in the attack, according to the latest information.
(TNS) -- Uber plans to double its office and storage space at its test track at the Almono development site in Pittsburgh's Hazelwood neighborhood.The company wants to add about 7,000 square feet of office space to the existing 6,000 square feet at the test track site and 9,250 square feet of storage space to the existing 11,000 square feet, the company told Pittsburgh's Zoning Board of Adjustment on Thursday.Jeff Fullerton, engineering operations manager at Uber's Advanced Technology Center, said as the company's operations in Pittsburgh have expanded, it has needed more room at the test track. Fullerton said the company is in the early planning stages of the project and didn't have a timeline for completion.Appearing before the Zoning Board of Adjustment to seek approval was the first step, Fullerton said.So what the heck is a test track and what are you going to do with it? asked Alice Mitinger, chair of the board.Fullerton replied that the track is Uber's local proving ground for its autonomous vehicles but didn't elaborate much more. Uber tests new autonomous driving software at the track before it is used on public roads.Uber's test track sits at the southern end of the 178-acre Almono development at the site of the former LTV steel mill. The facility's roads and buildings are temporary. The section of the Almono development where the test track sits ultimately will become housing. Uber is responsible for removing its test track and the buildings associated with it to make way for the housing. The site is zoned residential, but Uber is using it for commercial purposes. That's why it needs board approval to expand.Uber began developing the site last year and has it for three to five years.The 42-acre test track site is surrounded by a high fence draped in black cloth. Peering over the fence gives a glimpse of a network of streets, stop signs and traffic lights. There are shipping containers stacked to look like buildings and parked vehicles along the roads.Fullerton wouldn't say how many cars the company tests at the facility. On an afternoon this month, at least six cars could be seen driving around the facility.The company has been hesitant to identify its facilities throughout the city. Five are known: four in the Strip District and the Almono test track. The company also signed a 10-year lease for a portion of the roundhouse building at Almono.The company will be back in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment in April when it will ask to build an eight-foot privacy fence at its 32nd Street facility in the Strip District. Zoning rules require side and rear setback for fences. Uber is requesting no setbacks.Enforcement of zoning rules and careful consideration of requests for zoning variances are among the few tools the city has to control Uber's use of Pittsburgh as a proving ground. The state controls the rules of the roads, and legislation aimed at regulating the testing of autonomous vehicles in Pennsylvania is stuck in committee in Harrisburg.Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has been critical of Uber of late and its reluctance to partner with the city. The mayor has blamed Uber's unwillingness to work with the city for Pittsburgh losing to Columbus, Ohio, in the U.S. Department of Transportation's $50 million Smart City Challenge.Uber and city officials have no formal agreements or partnerships, said Tim McNulty, a spokesman for the mayor.Uber did not request nor did the city grant permission for it to use the city streets for testing its self-driving cars. The city couldn't grant or deny such permission if it wanted to, McNulty said.
(TNS) -- DES MOINES  Drivers would be able to use their hand-held devices to make phone calls or check GPS directions but could be pulled over for using them to write, send or view an electronic message under a bill that won Iowa Senate passage by a 43-6 margin Wednesday evening.The changes in Senate File 234 drew bipartisan support, but several senators expressed disappointment that the Legislature was not banning hand-held devices entirely, given that Iowas traffic deaths have risen from a five-year low of 317 in 2013 to 403 in 2016.Sen. Michael Breitbach, R-Strawberry Point, said he would have preferred to have gone further, but the compromise language was the best chance of getting legislation approved by both the House and Senate and signed by the governor.This is as far as I think that I can get with this bill right now, Breitbach told his Senate colleagues. He said he expected at some point Iowa would prohibit the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving, but this appeared to be the bipartisan bill that could move forward this year.I think this is at least a step in the right direction, said Sen. Tim Kapucian, R-Keystone, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.Sen. Tod Bowman, D-Maquoketa, said it is a bad idea to take your eyes off the road, to take your mind off your driving and to take your hands off the wheel. But, for now, he said it makes sense to make incremental progress toward reducing distractions and making Iowa highways safer.Iowa is one of five states that classify texting while driving as a secondary offense for adults, meaning law enforcement officers are not allowed to pull over a driver unless they suspect another violation also may have been committed. Iowa has a texting ban for young drivers. SF 234 would eliminate the provision that prohibits an officer from stopping or detaining a person solely for a violation that relates to texting while driving. The new primary offense would carry a $30 fine.Im ready for hands-free, said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, who noted his support for the bill was reluctant. I think its hard to explain what were doing to the average Iowans. I dont think Iowans are going to understand what were doing here.In passing the bill and sending it to the House, 23 Republicans, 19 Democrats and one independent voted for the bill, and five Republicans and one Democrat opposed it.The Stay Alive: Dont Phone & Drive coalition, which is made up of public safety groups, insurance carriers and wireless service providers, called SF 234 s passage in the Iowa Senate a positive step forward.The passage of SF 234 is a positive step forward in our coalitions efforts to make Iowas roads safer for travelers, said Susan Cameron, a lobbyist for the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association. Senate File 234, with the adopted amendment , takes the critical step of making it unlawful to use a phone or electronic device to perform activities such as send or view emails and text messages, browse the web, view or update social media, or play games while driving.Our coalition looks forward to continuing to work with lawmakers to eventually move to a full hands-free communication while driving policy, but S.F. 234 strengthens and expands Iowas current texting only ban significantly, she added.
Red Bull was the team most affected by a clampdown on controversial suspension systems ahead of the Australian grand prix.

That is the claim of the latest media reports, amid paddock speculation in Melbourne that both Mercedes and Red Bull had to take 'active suspension'-mimicking systems off their cars after winter testing.

But Germany's Kolner Express says Ferrari managed to win the technical argument with the FIA only in relation to Red Bull's trick system.

"Only Red Bull and Force India had to change," the report said.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told Auto Motor und Sport: "There is nothing in the clarification of the rule that forces us to change anything, or that would affect the performance of the car."

But Red Bull chief Christian Horner downplayed any change the team had to make before Melbourne, saying "Our system does not contribute much to the overall performance of the car."

(GMM)
Fernando Alonso has refused to comment on speculation McLaren is contemplating dumping its hapless works engine partner Honda.

After a tough opening two years of the Anglo-Japanese collaboration, McLaren is still at the back of the field and struggling for mere reliability due to Honda's new power unit.

One rumour is the McLaren has basically already written off the first four races as it looks towards the return to Europe for the Spanish grand prix in May.

"I don't know. I don't write anything off," Alonso is quoted by the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.

"We are not here to wait four, six or eight races to improve the situation. That's how formula one works -- it's not a charity."

Some might say that sounds like the Spaniard's endorsement of rumours McLaren must now dump Honda and switch to customer Mercedes power.

Alonso said: "This question is better addressed to the leadership of the team.

"Of course I am aware of the rumours, but I try not to pay attention to them.

"It's frustrating that after two years, everyone is moving forward and Honda is where they were two years ago. Let's hope we can fix the situation -- I asked the team to react strongly and very soon," he added.

Alonso acknowledged that Honda has already made "a lot of changes" between the Barcelona tests and Melbourne, but trackside observers noticed that the Honda engine was making odd 'bang' sounds during practice on Friday.

Yet another rumour is that Honda is not willing to take all the blame for McLaren's situation.

Honda's Yusuke Hasegawa said: "In the last two days of the second test week, the problems were caused by vibrations of the car. It was not just a problem with the engine."

He also seemed to hit back at Alonso's claim that while the new generation of F1 cars is much faster, his McLaren can take almost every corner at full-throttle due to the weakness of the power unit.

"I think the power is better than Abu Dhabi last year," Hasegawa insisted, "but the drag has increased. And as the tyres are wider, the drivers may feel that the speed has dropped."

(GMM)
Sebastian Vettel says he "will not be distracted" amid speculation he could be first in line for a move to Mercedes for 2018.

Mercedes signed up Valtteri Bottas only for this year, with team boss Toto Wolff admitting quadruple world champion Vettel "would fit" at the German team.

Vettel said he is not surprised about the rumours, given his own expiring contract.

"I understand if from the outsider's perspective," the Ferrari driver is quoted by Germany's Auto Bild.

"But at the moment, my only goal is to keep moving forwards with Ferrari, and I will not be distracted from that. To succeed, every single step must be taken.

"There is no shortcut to success," Vettel insisted.

However, Vettel did say he can imagine spending the rest of his career at Ferrari, as it is "more than a mere racing team".

But he insisted he is "Not thinking about" contractual matters at the moment.

F1 pundit Marc Surer, however, said Vettel could start to think about it later in 2017.

"If his third year at Ferrari doesn't lead to success, he is on the market," the former F1 driver predicted to German broadcaster Sky.

(GMM)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is to set off for Moscow at the official invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, PressTV reported.

Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Rouhani will leave Tehran for Moscow on Monday to hold talks with Putin and other senior officials of the country, Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for communications and information, Parviz Esmaeili, said on Friday.

He added that the sides would discuss leading bilateral, regional and international issues.

He noted that Iranian and Russian officials would sign agreements to bolster cooperation in legal and judicial sectors, roads and urban development, technology and communications, energy and sports.

Esmaeili said Iranian entrepreneurs and tradespeople would also hold negotiations with their Russian counterparts and sign deals to strengthen cooperation between the two countries private sectors.

Pointing to prominent positions of Iran and Russia in the region and the world, the official said the continuation and development of mutual relations, the ways to promote regional stability and security and the fight against terrorism would be among the main topics on the agenda of the talks.

Rouhani and Putin have held eight meetings over the past four years. Tehran and Moscow enjoy strategic relations with senior delegations of the two countries regularly exchanging visits.

The two presidents have also held several phone conversations and discussed the avenues for the continuation of bilateral cooperation on the crisis in Syria and the fight against international terrorism.

Russia has been carrying out an aerial campaign against militants in Syria, including formerly in Aleppo, on a request from the Syrian government. Iran, too, has been offering Damascus advisory military help.
The US-led coalition air forces launched 35 strikes consisting of 89 engagements against the Daesh targets in Syria and Iraq, according to Operation Inherent Resolve, Sputnik reported.

The US-led coalition in Syria and Iraq carried out 35 strikes consisting of 89 engagements against the Islamic State on Thursday, including 22 strikes near Raqqa, Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release.

"Near Ar Raqqah, 22 strikes engaged eight ISIS [Islamic State] tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, five vehicles, three IEDS, two tunnels, and a VBIED; damaged five supply routes and a bridge; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit," the release stated on Friday.

On Wednesday, the US-led coalition said it assisted the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF) with an air assault in the vicinity of Tabqah dam near Raqqa.

In Iraq, the coalition conducted 13 strikes consisting of 45 engagements. The strikes, which took place near Kisik, Mosul, Rawah, Sinjar and Tal Afar, destroyed multiple terrorists buildings, tactical units, supply routes and an Daesh headquarters, among other targets.

The US-led coalition of 68 nations is conducting airstrikes, ground-based and rocket-propelled artillery fire against the Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

The strikes in Iraq are conducted in support of the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the UN Security Council or the government of President Bashar Assad.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Chief Prosecutor Gregory Yeboah said Boahene and Jennifer Annor were lovers who dated for about one and half years till a misunderstanding between the two ended their relationship.

According to the prosecution, Boahene made frantic efforts to reconcile with Jennifer but she refused.

C/Insp. Yeboah told the court that on October 17, 2016 at about 10:30 p.m., Boahene, who was armed with a machete, went to Jennifers house and inflicted multiple wounds on her and thereafter went into hiding.

Mr Yeboah said a complaint was lodged at the Anyaa Police Station and while the police were searching for Boahene to effect his arrest, his family approached Jennifers family at Twifo-Praso where both families lived.

C/Insp. Yeboah said Boahenes parents paid GH7,700 as medical bills and compensation to Jennifers parents to discontinue the case.

The prosecutor said Jennifer, who was not part of the decision to settle the case out of court, informed the police when Boahene resurfaced, and on March 3, 2017 he was arrested in his house at Ablekuma Fan Milk.
Chief Inspector (C/I) Gregory Yeboah told the court that on Saturday, February 4, 2017, the mother of the victim, went out early in the morning, leaving her son and the victim in the room.

The prosecutor said in her absence, Abbey, aware of the condition of the victim, entered the house with the aim of collecting rubbish.

On realising that the mother was absent, he sent the little boy on an errand, leaving him alone with the victim in the room.

According to prosecution, Abbey took advantage of the victims condition, had sexual intercourse with her and bolted after satisfying his lust.

C/I Yeboah said that the victim informed her mother of the ordeal she had gone through at the hands of Abbey and the mother proceeded to the police station where she made an official report.

He said a police medical form was issued to the mother to take her daughter to the hospital for examination and treatment.

According to the prosecutor, Abbey was subsequently arrested.
An informed source at the scene said that the Syrian Armed Forces on Friday established control of the city of Dayr Hafir in the Aleppo province, Sputnik reported.

The Syrian Armed Forces on Friday established control of the city of Dayr Hafir in the Aleppo province, an informed source at the scene told Sputnik.

The source said the liberation of the city was preceded by a series of bitter clashes between the army and militants of the Islamic State (Daesh) terrorist group.

Dayr Hafir is Daesh last major stronghold on the Syrian army's way to Raqqa.
The Polish prosecution initiated on Thursday a criminal case after the terror attack in London when it turned out that as a result a Polish citizen was injured, Sputnik reported.

According to the Polskie Radio station, the investigation will be carried out by the Mazovian prosecution's department on organized crime and corruption cases.

The investigation will be conducted under two articles of the Criminal Code, namely the terrorist attack and the responsibility of a foreign national, Bialik specified.

On Wednesday, a man drove his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London and then attempted to enter the parliament, armed with a knife.

The attack resulted in deaths of two civilians and one police officer, while 40 people were injured. The attacker was shot dead by the police.
In November 2016, then US Secretary of State John Kerry had rejected the controversial Keystone XL, citing combatting climate change as the critical factor. Kerry noted at that time that the arguments pro and con had been overstated. ( Earlier post .) In January 2017, two days after newly inaugurated President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum inviting TransCanada to  promptly re-submit its application to the Department of State for a Presidential permit for the construction and operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline , the company did so .

The US Department of State has signed and issued a Presidential Permit to construct the Keystone XL Pipeline. The permit authorizes TransCanada to construct, to connect, to operate, and to maintain pipeline facilities at the US-Canadian border in Phillips County, Montana for the importation of crude oil.

The Department of State reviewed TransCanadas application in accordance with Executive Order 13337 (30 April 2004) and the 24 January 2017 Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The permit was signed by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. (Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, formerly the CEO of ExxonMobil, had recused himself from decisions on the application.)

The proposed Keystone XL project consists of a 875-mile (1,408 km) pipeline and related facilities to transport up to 830,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Alberta, Canada and the Bakken Shale Formation in Montana. The pipeline will cross the US border near Morgan, Montana and continue through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it will connect to existing pipeline facilities near Steele City, Nebraska for onward delivery to Cushing, Oklahoma and the Gulf Coast Area.

Keystones first application for the Keystone XL pipeline was submitted on 19 September 2008, and a Final EIS was published on 26 August 2011.

This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project. We greatly appreciate President Trumps Administration for reviewing and approving this important initiative and we look forward to working with them as we continue to invest in and strengthen North Americas energy infrastructure.Russ Girling, TransCanadas president and CEO

The issuance of the Presidential Permit does not bring the issues surrounding the pipeline to close, but does advance the process. Additional state-level approvals are still required in Nebraska, where the pipeline would cross, and from other federal agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers. TransCanada said it will continue to engage key stakeholders and neighbors throughout Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota to obtain the necessary permits and approvals to advance this project to construction. Among these:

An application to the Bureau of Land Management for construction of the project on Federal Land.

An application to the Nebraska Public Service Commission in early 2017 for approval of its proposed routing in Nebraska. The proposed route will be essentially the route previously evaluated by the NDEQ in 2012 and approved by the Nebraska Governor in 2013 and included in the FSEIS review. Keystone expects the Nebraska alternative route selection process to be complete in 2017.

County and local permites in Montana and South Dakota.

In conjunction with the issuance of the permit, TransCanada has discontinued its claim under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which it brought after the Obama Administration rejected the pipeline, and will end its US Constitutional challenge.

The expected resurrection of the pipeline outraged environmental groups, which had campaigned for years to halt construction of the pipeline. Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said that This project has already been defeated, and it will be once again. The project faces a long fight ahead in the states.
Greensboro native Jeff Varners career has taken him all over the country. His appearances on the competitive reality TV series, Survivor, have even sent him to some exotic destinations.

But now, Varner, 50, is ready to settle down in his hometown.

Varner is a former news anchor for CBS and Fox affiliates. Hes also worked in technology and marketing for Citibank and Martha Stewart in New York City. And last month, he made his third appearance on the 34th season of Survivor. The Game Changers season features 20 returning castaways, who filmed last summer in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji.

The series is ongoing. But Varner is back in Greensboro, fully launched into a new career: Allen Tate realtor.

Varner recently agreed to share his thoughts about Greensboro and the comforts of home.

Q: How do you describe Greensboro to people elsewhere?

A: Greensboro is like that friend you grew up with. You know their greatness. Youve witnessed their weaknesses. Youve gone through a lot together. And no matter how long its been since youve seen them, the second you do, its like you never left.

Q: How do you define home?

A: Home is a place we all have to find, child. Its not just a place where you eat or sleep. Home is knowing. Knowing your mind. Knowing your heart. Knowing your courage. If we know ourselves, were always home. Anywhere.

Thats from The Wiz. I was in that musical in the 6th grade at Sumner Elementary and never forgot it.

Its so true. Home is full of love, safety and energy to grow and be better humans.

Q: Where is home now?

A: I grew up in southern Guilford County and am a country boy at heart. But now I live in a 2-bedroom loft and love it. Im in the market to buy a home, so Im looking for something that speaks to my love of nature by bringing the outdoors inside. Big mature trees are necessary. I love the cute bungalows in Westerwood and Sunset Hills.

Q: What do you always have in your home (wherever that may be)?

A: God is in my home. Inspiration is everywhere. I have signs and artwork that offer words of wisdom and growth. I have a quirky style, so lots of eclecticness (totally not a word) that I picked up on my travels. Im really into creating an atmosphere, and I do that with texture, color and lighting.

And theres usually a pile of dirty clothes somewhere laying next to a pile of clean ones. I absolutely hate doing laundry.

Q: Did you think about home when you were doing the Survivor episodes, and if so, what did you think about?

A: The first two times I did it, yes.  I missed everything about home. Thoughts of home got me through. The third time, not so much. I went in with the guard down and the fire lit to do whatever it took to keep from getting voted out. ... I didnt want to feel inhibited or afraid to embarrass myself or my family. That made for quite a different experience.

I missed my giant fluffy bed every minute of every day. There arent words to describe what it felt like to crawl back in it.

Q: What drew you to the real estate industry?

A: A passion for people and helping them. A love for houses and property. Im a little nosey, so getting to peek inside homes and see how other people live is fun. But overall, after being a news anchor for 15 years, I decided to do something with my life that let me be my authentic self, doing what I love to do.

Q: What is it like to sell real estate in your hometown and with your (celebrity) background?

A: Its like Im a spokesperson for Greensboro and all thats great about it. I get to sell living here and believe so strongly that its a great place to be.

Most often people stare at me without saying anything. I usually know what theyre thinking. You look familiar. Where have I seen you before?

I never bring being a TV personality or Survivor up in the conversation. But it has given me a distinct advantage in meeting and relating to people.

The ones who recognize me off the bat are always fun. They always have something to say about island Varner.

Q: How are real estate, journalism and show business similar?

A: I have found that no matter what Ive done in my life, Ive been presenting, selling and marketing. At my core, Im a storyteller and everything has a story. A first-time homebuyer nervous about their lifes biggest purchase has a story. A home has a past, present and future waiting to be told.

Journalism has taught me to be a good interviewer and listener. Give me a few minutes and Ill not only know your story, but find the home that helps complete it.

Jeff Varner can be reached at www.callvarner.com
A suicide bomber blew himself up at a security checkpoint near Bangladesh's international airport on Friday, police said, the second such incident in a week, Reuters reported.

A young man set off a bomb in front of a police checkpoint and killed himself, police official Ruhul Amin said. No other casualties were reported.

The attacker could not be identified immediately. Police have cordoned off the area.

The latest incident came a week after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a security forces base near the international airport in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, injuring two police officers.

The Muslim-majority country of 160 million people has seen a series of deadly attacks in recent years. In the most serious attack last July, gunmen stormed a Dhaka cafe and killed 22 people, most of them foreigners.

More than 50 suspected militants have been killed and scores arrested since the cafe attack as the government launched a crackdown on Islamists.
A Kansas abortion clinic that was among the first in the country to open after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade has been inundated with patients. Some drive 10 hours or more to get there, coming from Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and even Louisiana. But thats only if they can get an appointment. Planned Parenthood clinics in the state, including this newest one, are only able to take about 10% to 15% of the patients seeking abortions. Kansas is one of the few states in the region still providing abortions in the wake of the court's ruling.
WINSTON-SALEM  Charlie Lovett and his wife, Janice, live in a house tucked away in an improbable wooded nook in Winston-Salems Buena Vista neighborhood and filled with books and bookish things.

There are rare books, new books, papers, memorabilia and works of art picturing fictional characters, all tastefully arranged. In Lovetts light-filled, spacious upstairs study, the wood-and-metal Hammond No. 1 typewriter that Lewis Carroll (of Alices Adventures in Wonderland fame, aka Charles Dodgson) bought in 1888 has pride of place. Close by is a well-preserved note that Carroll wrote (by hand) and presumably posted where he worked, asking for help operating his new typewriter.

Lovetts lifelong love affair with books includes a stint in the 1980s, with his first wife, as an antiquarian bookseller in Winston-Salem. After he left the business in the early 1990s, he continued to collect books and artifacts, rare and otherwise, especially those having to do with Carroll. Hes written 11 books of nonfiction, five about Carroll. His award-winning plays for young people have been widely performed, in this country and abroad. Hes active in various organizations for bibliophiles and for Lewis Carroll scholars. If it has to do with the love of books, Lovett is likely to be involved.

But four years ago, his passion for books took a new turn, when, with the publication of The Bookmans Tale, Lovett became a best-selling novelist. That novel was followed by another success, First Impressions, a novel with the beloved author Jane Austen as a character. And now hes in the midst of a book tour for his new novel, The Lost Book of the Grail.

Hard work

Lovett often refers to a dear friend in England who described me as the man who took 20 years to become an overnight success.

Young people ask me how to become a writer, he said. I tell them you write for 25 years. Theres not really a secret to it. Its just a lot of hard work.

Lovett came by his passion for books naturally, growing up as the son of Bob Lovett, who taught English literature at Wake Forest University and amassed an extensive collection of the novel Robinson Crusoe, which he donated to Emory University in Atlanta. One of Charlie Lovetts nonfiction books is Love Ruth: A Sons Memoir, about his mother, Ruth Candler Lovett, a great-granddaughter of the founder of the Coca-Cola Co. She died in 1964 when he was 2.

He attended Summit School, a private school in Winston-Salem where, as an adult, he spent 12 years writing those popular plays for children. After Summit, it was off to Woodberry Forest School in Virginia and Davidson College. Though he shared his interest in literature and fondness for collecting, Lovett was not tempted to follow his fathers footsteps into academia. He did not, he said, have the patience to pursue a Ph.D.

Nor does he think the life of a college professor would have suited him. Tellingly, the main character in The Lost Book of the Grail is a college professor. I would have been like Arthur Prescott at the beginning of the novel, he said. I would have had too many committee meetings.

I wouldnt have had time to write novels.

Getting started

Through those years, when he was collecting, writing nonfiction and plays, working with children, Lovett said, I wanted to write a novel. I have had many, I would say, false starts, many attempts to write a good novel. The first time I wrote something that as a piece of narrative was 200-plus pages. I wouldnt use the word novel to describe it. Its in a drawer somewhere or maybe in a computer file that can no longer be opened. That would be good.

His first published novel, The Program, about this evil weight-loss clinic, appeared in 2008, courtesy of Pearlsong Press, a micropublisher in Tennessee. It was one lady in her basement who publishes mostly things that have to do with body image issues in one way or another. This kind of fit her focus.

Im slightly horrified when people come to an event and say theyve read that, because Ive come a long way since that, he said. Pearlsong also published a young adult novel he wrote. When I look back at those things, I dont regret them, because it was a step toward ultimately having a broader level of success, he said.

Lovett credits a few key factors with his eventual breakthrough. After hed gone back to school for an MFA in writing at Vermont College, he and his wife lived in Kingham, Oxfordshire, England for about six months in 1997. He needed to overcome the immersion in literary fiction and the emphasis on writing short stories, which he finds difficult.

During that time, his passion for England and all things English blossomed. Ten years later, the Lovetts were able to buy the cottage where theyd stayed, and after that, they spent considerable time there and traveling in England.

And then, I stopped trying to write a great novel and just tried to tell a great story.

Old books and England

For The Bookmans Tale, he combined his love for the English countryside with his passion for rare books, and things clicked. The key was relaxing and not trying to write the great American novel. People say write what you know. I think its not so much that, but to write what you care about.

That novel, published by Viking, was well on its way to success when it was chosen as a Barnes & Noble Recommends selection. After that, Lovett said, writing his second and third novels was easier, because I knew Id get a fair reading.

England and old books are important in all three of his novels. A major theme in The Lost Book of the Grail is the perceived tension between printed and digital books, and Lovett subtly makes a point by working in fears centuries earlier that as the printing press replaced handwritten manuscripts, civilization would suffer.

I think we spend a lot of time on a lot of things focused up close. We hear a lot about digital books versus printed. Lets just back up the camera a little bit,  he said. We have been moving from one way of recording information to another throughout human history. Its nothing new. One of the biggest concerns when movable type started to take off in western Europe was Thats it for the universities. Why would anybody go to university if you could just go off and buy a book?

Thats why it was so easy for me to write about his two main characters quarreling about digital books. To me they are both right. ... I surround myself with old books, and I still think ink and paper is the most surefire way to make sure that information is passed on to future generations, but I also think there is a huge value in digitizing materials and, as it has been said, making the world flat by increasing access.

Basically, anything that gets people to read books is a good thing.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet NATO foreign ministers at a rescheduled gathering on March 31, a senior State Department official said on Friday, ending a furor over his earlier decision to skip the event, Reuters reported.

Reuters exclusively reported on Monday that Tillerson had decided not to attend his first meeting with the ministers, originally scheduled for April 5-6 - raising fears about the new U.S. administration's commitment to the military alliance.

But the State Department official said the meeting in Brussels had been brought forward and would now go ahead. There was no official statement from NATO.

Tillerson's potential no-show had increased unease caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's description of NATO as "obsolete" during his election campaign.

Trump has since said he strongly supports the alliance, but in interviews and speeches he continues to air grievances over what he see as Europe's failure to pay its fair share of protecting the West.

Tillerson met many of the NATO foreign ministers in Washington this week at a gathering of the coalition fighting Islamic State militants, but the meeting in Brussels would be his first formal NATO ministerial.

Given the U.S. role as the de facto head of the alliance, it is rare for the United States' top diplomat to miss a NATO meeting. The last time was during the Iraq war in 2003, when Colin Powell was forced to cancel at the last moment.

Tillerson, a former top executive at Exxon Mobil Corp who worked with the Russian government, originally decided to attend a U.S. visit by the Chinese president instead of the April NATO meeting, Reuters reported.

"The Secretary of State will visit NATO in Brussels on Friday, March 31st. The visit will come after his trip to Ankara, Turkey. Details about his schedule are forthcoming," the State Department official said on Friday.
It takes three villages  and an international supporting cast  to tell the story of 2nd Lt. Floyd Phillip Foss  Fanano, Italy; Fort Mill, S.C.; and Oak Ridge, N.C.

On a Nov. 13, 1944, night reconnaissance mission over Northern Italys infamous and fiercely defended Gothic Line, Foss twin-engine Beaufighter was brought down by German anti-aircraft fire. Navigator Foss and the pilot bailed out over the small village of Fanano, landing on different sides of a formidable wall that ran through the village.

Germans controlled the pilots side and he was quickly captured.

By the time the Germans came around the wall searching for Foss, he had hidden his parachute, oxygen mask and flight jacket in a drainpipe. Hiding in a ditch with sprained ankles, he was found by two young men who carried him to their home. They hid him in their loft and contacted Italian resistance fighters, two of whom led Foss through the Gothic Line to U.S. Army forces.

Foss died in 2011 without having the opportunity to personally thank his rescuers for saving his life. That would fall to his daughter, Oak Ridge resident Anne Foss Carden.

Dad so often reminisced that he owed his life and entire family to those resistance fighter, she said. To date, that progeny includes eight children, 17 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren  and that doesnt count in-laws.

After his Air Force retirement, Foss served as police chief of Fort Mill, S.C. Just one year after Foss died, an Italian researcher/archeologist contacted the Fort Mill mayor  could his former police chief have been one of the U.S. airmen who parachuted into their village on Nov. 13, 1944?

The mayor was a friend of the family  we all suspected a scam was underway, Carde said. We couldnt have been more wrong. A military museum had been built in Fanano, holding remnants of Dads Beaufighter that had been excavated. A timeline and story about his rescue was among the museums artifacts.

Carden and her husband, Marvin, visited Fanano in 2016.

I couldnt wait to tell them personally how much our family appreciated them, she said.

We were guests of honor at a dinner hosted by veterans of the Fanano Alpine Regiment and another event sponsored by town officials and Linea Gotica  an organization committed to preserving the history of the Gothic Line,she said.

The Cardens presented certificates of appreciation and American flags that had flown over the U.S. Capitol to the surviving resistance fighter, who is 95, and to the family of the other fighter who had died in 2011.

In turn, they presented us a plaque in gratitude of my fathers participation in liberating Italy, she said.

Carden presented a full-color, hardback book featuring the extended family of Floyd Foss to the families of the two resistance fighters and the museum.

With lots of tears and little Italian, I told them we owed our familys existence to them, she said. Their tears and little English told me they understood.

The museum curator, the mayor of Fanano, and several others led the Cardens along parts of her fathers escape route.

His rescuers hid him in a cave while his ankles healed, she said. To avoid raising the suspicion of German soldiers, a village boy brought him food.

Already overwhelmed by the moment and the hospitable villagers who had befriended her father, Carden wasnt prepared for one particular exhibit in the museum: Dads aviators flight jacket and oxygen mask mounted on a mannequin stopped me dead in my tracks  what little composure I had left, I lost completely.

Speaking through an interpreter, an elderly Italian filled in the rest of the story.

I was a young boy when your soldier dad landed in our village, the man said. I found his belongings in the drainpipe and held on to them for decades. When the museum opened, I decided to give them up.

Fosss silk parachute had been made into garments by villagers.

Foss isnt the only family member shot down in World War II. A distant cousin, Joseph J. Foss, a Marine fighter pilot on Guadalcanal, was shot down four times. In the interim, he shot down more Japanese aircraft than any other Marine Corps pilot; President Franklin D. Roosevelt awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Carden deserves special recognition as well. She memorialized her father in the most appropriate manner. Secondly, she home-schooled the four children she and her husband contributed to the Foss progeny. One is in college, the other three have graduated.
GREENSBORO  A man shot outside a gas station earlier this year was shot once in the stomach, according to a recently released autopsy report.

Terry Antwain Allred, 33, of Greensboro, was killed on Jan. 14 when he was shot in the parking lot of the Grab-N-Go Citgo at 637 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. He died from his injuries at Moses Cone Hospital.

Allred was shot once in the right abdomen. The bullet hit a vein, an artery, his colon and other muscle and tissue, according to a recently released autopsy report from the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The bullet was found in the left side of his abdomen, the autopsy report states. In addition to being shot, Allred also had a small, irregularly shaped superficial abrasion.

Police have not made an arrest in the shooting. Capt. Nathaniel Davis said they have no suspects in the slaying and no motive.
HOUSE VOTES

Along with roll-call votes this week, the House also passed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, to encourage the display of the flag of the United States on National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

TRAINING VA WORKERS: The House has passed a bill to authorize the Veterans Affairs Department to establish a program for providing one-year executive management fellowships to VA employees. The vote, on March 17, was unanimous, with 412 yeas.

YEAS: Ted Budd (R-Advance), Mark Walker (R-Greensboro)

OVERSIGHT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: The House has passed the Reducing DHS Acquisition Cost Growth Act to require the Homeland Security Department to notify Congress of significant cost or scheduling problems that develop in the agencys acquisition programs. The vote, on March 20, was unanimous, with 408 yeas.

YEAS: Budd, Walker

HOMELAND SECURITY STRATEGIC PLANNING: The House has passed the DHS Multiyear Acquisition Strategy Act, which would require the Homeland Security Department to submit to Congress a multiyear plan for the agencys purchases of technology systems, property, and other assets. The vote, on March 20, was unanimous, with 409 yeas.

YEAS: Budd, Walker

OVERSIGHT OF TSA SPENDING PLANS: The House has passed the Transparency in Technological Acquisitions Act, which would require Homeland Security to provide Congress with more information about its 5-year strategic investment plan.The vote, on March 21, was 414-2.

YEAS: Budd, Walker

ANTITRUST LAW AND HEALTH INSURERS: The House has passed the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act, which would declare that health insurers are subject to federal antitrust laws. The vote, on March 22, was 416-7.

YEAS: Budd, Walker

SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS: The House has passed the Small Business Health Fairness Act, which would authorize the formation of association group health insurance plans by small businesses in multiple states. The vote, on March 22, was 236-175.

YEAS: Budd, Walker

FOOD SECURITY MEASURES: The House has passed the Securing our Agriculture and Food Act, which would require the Homeland Security Department to develop a program for increasing defenses against terrorism in the countrys food, agriculture, and veterinary sectors. The vote, on March 22, was 406-6.

YEAS: Budd, Walker

SENATE VOTES

Along with roll-call votes this week, the Senate also passed the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act, to encourage effective, voluntary investments to recruit, employ, and retain men and women who have served in the military with annual federal awards to employers recognizing such efforts.

PRISON SENTENCING COMMISSION: The Senate has confirmed the nominations of Danny C. Reevers and Charles R. Breyer to serve as members of the U.S. Sentencing Commission for multi-year terms. The vote, on March 21, was unanimous, with 98 yeas.

YEAS: Richard Burr (R), Thom Tillis (R)

MANAGING ALASKAS WILDLIFE REFUGES: The Senate has passed a resolution disapproving of an Interior Department rule regulating hunting and fishing activities on national wildlife refuges in Alaska. The vote, on March 21, was 52-47.

YEAS: Burr, Tillis

RECORDS OF WORKER INJURIES: The Senate has passed a resolution disapproving of a Labor Department rule adopted on Dec. 19, 2016, requiring employers to keep records for five years of work-related injuries and illnesses suffered by their employees. The vote, on March 22, was 50-48.

YEAS: Burr, Tillis

INTERNET PRIVACY: The Senate has passed a resolution that would disapprove of a Federal Communications Commission rule governing privacy and broadband Internet providers. The vote, on March 23, was 50-48.

YEAS: Burr, Tillis

ISRAEL AMBASSADOR: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of David Friedman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Israel. The vote, on March 23, was 52-46.

YEAS: Burr, Tillis
RALEIGH  Two area parks have been selected to receive grants through the Connect NC Infrastructure Bond program.

On March 3, the program announced $3 million in grants to fund North Carolina parks and recreation projects designed for children and veterans with disabilities, Gov. Roy Coopers office said in a news release.

Graham received the largest grant  $500,000 for its Inclusive Playground.

High Point received $194,344 for Oak Hollow Marina and Sailboat Point accessibility enhancements.

Awardees are required to provide 25 percent in matching funding.

The N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Authority considered 45 grant applications requesting about $9.5 million. It approved 18 of the requests.

Projects that did not receive funding are eligible for other grants from the fund.
The N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts has asked state legislators to merge Rockingham, Person and Caswell counties into one prosecutorial district located in Rockingham County.

On Wednesday, state Reps. David Lewis (R-Harnett) and Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) filed House Bill 439, which would dissolve the prosecutorial district in Person and Caswell counties, known as 9A, and add the two counties into District 17A, which encompasses Rockingham County.

It would also dissolve the elected district attorney position currently held by Wallace Bradsher, effective Jan. 1, 2019, and eliminate three assistant district attorney positions in the three counties.

The new District 17A would be staffed by a district attorney, 10 assistant district attorneys, three Superior Court judges and five District Court judges.

Unrelated to the proposed merger, the bill would also increase the number of assistant district attorneys from nine to 12 in District 11A, which encompasses Lee and Harnett counties.

Neither Lewis nor Stevens returned a voicemail message asking for comment on the bill.

It was an administrative decision from the Administrative Office of the Courts that led to the filing of the bill, said state Rep. Bert Jones(R-Rockingham). They went to the Rules chair. Neither I nor anyone in the Rockingham delegation had anything to do with it.

He was referring to the House Rules Committee

State Rep. Kyle Hall (R-Rockingham) said he learned about the bill from Thursdays calendar.

Obviously there is not a lot of cases heard in Caswell, and this could be a cost-saving measure, Hall said.

Rockingham County has a population of more than 92,000 people. By comparison, Person and Caswell counties both have populations under 40,000 people.

Rockingham and Caswell counties were combined into one district until 1993, when the General Assembly passed a law that transferred Caswell County into a district with Person County and left Rockingham County in its own district.

Sen. Berger thought carving out a special district to split up Rockingham County from its neighbors was a mistake when previous legislators passed it decades ago, said Shelly Carver, spokeswoman for state Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). And he still supports a solution that would make the court system more efficient in Rockingham County and across the state.

The bill filed in the House is not Sen. Bergers proposal, but he plans to review the bill and determine whether it moves toward a goal, Carver said.

Both Jones and Hall said they want more time to review the bill.

I need to hear from my constituents in Rockingham and Caswell counties before I can decide, and need more detailed information, Jones said.

Hall said he wanted to meet with courthouse officials before he makes a decision, but he said he did have concerns about the geographical size of the proposed district.

Im not a lawyer and Im not in the Rockingham County Courthouse every day, he said. I think I need to go home this weekend and maybe next weekend and discuss this with those that are. I want to meet with the judges and the district attorney and the assistant district attorneys and come up with a good solution.

State Rep. Larry Yarborough (R-Person) expressed concerns about the differences between the counties.

I do have concerns with the first draft of this bill, Yarborough said. Rockingham County is much larger than Person and Caswell counties combined, and Rockingham County has some serious crime that we have been able to prevent in our smaller communities.

He said he also was told the state court administrative office asked for the bill after identifying cost-saving measures.

While we are happy with the precinct district, I will work to protect our community and save the taxpayers money, Yarborough said.

Since the summer of 2016, the State Bureau of Investigation has been looking into a possible theft of state money connected to an alleged misuse of the states payroll system in the Person, Caswell and Rockingham district attorneys offices. A subsequent whistleblower lawsuit has accused Bradsher, the Person/Caswell district attorney, and Rockingham County District Attorney Craig Blitzer of hiring each others wives and then paying them for hours they did not work. Blitzer has since resigned.

Yarborough said he spoke to Judge Marion Warren, the director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, about the bill.

I was personally assured by Judge Warren of the AOC that there was no connection to the DA investigations, Yarborough wrote in an email.

The News & Record sought comment from the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts, but emails were not answered Thursday.

Superior Court Judge Joe Crosswhite ordered the SBI to investigate the two district attorneys offices on July 25, 2016. Crosswhite named as suspects Cindy Blitzer, a former legal assistant in Person/Caswell district attorneys office and the wife of Craig Blitzer, as well as former Person/Caswell Chief Assistant District Attorney and current District Court Judge John J. Stultz.

In February, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman adopted the investigation from Crosswhite and ordered the SBI to continue to investigate the two offices.

On March 8, SBI agents searched the Rockingham County district attorneys office for evidence. Craig Blitzer resigned from his elected district attorney position two days later.
Thanks to Doug Clark for his column March 15 concerning climate change and the necessity of sometimes giving up immediate gratification for long-term gains. Children usually prefer instant gratification, but maturity ought to bring sacrifice of that in favor of a better future. Unfortunately, some of our leaders seem not to have reached this level of maturity and dont love their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, present or future, enough to make some sacrifices to make sure they have an inhabitable planet. Whatever happened to the desire for your heirs to have a better life than you have?
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with senior Turkish officials in Ankara next week, in talks that could be vital to an advancing U.S.-backed campaign to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, U.S, Reuters reported.

Turkey has been pressing the United States to drop its military alliance with the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which it considers part of the Kurdistan Workers' Party that has been fighting an insurgency for three decades in Turkey.

But U.S. officials have long viewed Kurdish fighters as key to an approaching assault on Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital. It would work alongside Arab fighters in the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Instead, Turkey wants the United States to draw from Syrian Arab rebel groups backed by Ankara for the final assault on Raqqa, a predominantly Arab city, proposals that so far have failed to convince U.S. officials who are not certain that the Turkish-backed Arab force is large and well-trained enough.

"We first need to work out details with Turkey," one senior official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The decision sets President Donald Trump's wish for quick battlefield victories against the need to maintain the United States' longstanding strategic alliance with Turkey, a NATO ally which provides the United States access to a base critical for the air war in Syria.

The Raqqa campaign appears to be gathering steam as an overlapping U.S.-backed effort in Iraq is drawing closer to driving Islamic State from the city of Mosul.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday that the battle for Raqqa would likely start "in the coming days."

The head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia told Reuters last week that the assault would begin at the start of April, and that the YPG would be taking part.

Some U.S. officials think that timeline is too optimistic, noting that a major battle underway for Tabqa dam, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Raqqa, could take weeks to complete.

The Pentagon also has said the United States has not decided on the composition of an American-backed assault force in Raqqa.

The United States has about 1,000 troops in Syria at the moment, and the Raqqa campaign could involve hundreds more.
Huawei is investing in New Zealand R&D to build labs and a cloud data center that will focus on maximizing the Internet of Things. (Photo : Getty Images)

Chinese telecommunications powerhouse Huawei recently revealed that it is investing around $282 million in research and development in New Zealand, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.



Advertisement

Citing a statement from the New Zealand government, Huawei plans to use the investment for the next five years.



The tech giant's plans include the creation of innovation labs in Wellington and Christchurch, and the establishment of a cloud data center, founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei announced in a statement.



Ren met with New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English on Tuesday and discussed digital transformation as well as information technology-related infrastructure.



Huawei said that they will be teaming up with various local partners for the cloud data center. Meanwhile, the firm disclosed that they are targeting to launch one of the labs at Wellington's Victoria University this year.



For the Christchurch-located lab, Huawei aims to enter more new partnerships with other firms.The innovation labs will be built to focus on the use of big data. They will also be beneficial in optimizing the Internet of Things through different kinds of future technology including 5G.



In his statement, Ren further lauded the country's openness when it comes to trade.



"New Zealand's open and fair trade environment, and its emphasis on developing new technology, facilitates our ongoing commitment," he remarked, as he also enumerated the firm's plan covering R&D, local procurement and cloud computing infrastructure projects.



"New Zealand has rich tourism resources and highly developed agricultural and trade sectors. Digital transformation empowered by advanced ICT technology can enable New Zealand to become better connected with the world, and transform its traditional strengths into driving forces of economic growth," Ren added.



As part of the New Zealand R&D investment, Huawei is also offering 100 undergraduate students to visit China over the next five years to educate themselves about cutting-edge technology.



The Chinese company also plans to open a Wellington regional office and help local businesses be part of Huawei's worldwide supply chain network.



Huawei's presence in New Zealand started way back 2005. Since then, the firm has become a pivotal factor in giving the country the capability to launch its ultra-fast broadband initiative.


GREENWICH  The General Assemblys Education Committee approved state funding for the New Lebanon School building project Friday, as part of a package of school construction grants.

It is the second committee to give a nod to the Greenwich project, which has come under fire from the Malloy administration.

Obviously we are very pleased, state Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-36th, said following the vote. The entire (Greenwich) delegation has been very diligent about talking to as many people as possible on the Education Committee, particularly in leadership, to make sure this was given the attention it deserves.

Funding for New Lebanon School construction is to next be taken up by the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. If it is approved there, the General Assembly will vote on it in late spring. Final approval will require the signature of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

The town is counting on the state to cover more than $20 million of the new schools projected $37 million price tag.

We were able to work with the committee members and show them why its so important for this to move forward, said state Rep. Michael Bocchino, R-150th, who also is a former president of the New Lebanon PTA. We have done our due diligence as a town and followed the state statutes to their core. We have been taking it one step at a time and thats what were going to continue to do to get this approved.

The school received an up vote on funding from the legislative School Construction Grants Committee in January, but the governors administration has been demonstrating increasing opposition to the project since December.

Just hours before the School Construction Committee convened, Melody Currey, commissioner of the state Department of Administrative Services, sent a letter to legislators recommending New Lebanon School be removed from the list of projects in the running for state funding.

I recommend removing this project from the list and working with Greenwich and the state Department of Education to determine their actual programmatic needs and to determine more cost-effective means to meet those needs, Currey wrote.

Currey told the committee she is not comfortable Greenwich has done enough to solve its racial balance problem in the school building space it already has.

I would like to take another look at this to see what might possibly be done within the community without building a brand new school, she said.

The New Lebanon construction project also has drawn criticism from key Malloy advisor Benjamin Barnes, secretary of the state Office of Policy and Management.

In a memo that preceded Curreys Barnes wrote the state should not fund a larger New Lebanon School  proposed as a remedy for overcrowding and a racially unbalanced student population at the Byram school  until the town has made much greater efforts to find a remedy within its existing school infrastructure, meaning redistricting school attendance zones in town.

New Lebanon School has diversity school status because the percent of minority students in the school varies by 25 percent or more from the percent of minorities in the district as a whole, and because the district has demonstrated efforts to correct the disparity. By statute, the status permits New Lebanon School an 80 percent reimbursement rate for building projects.

Barnes, in his memo, said he thought the diversity school statute was not good public policy because it rewards districts for avoiding the difficult decisions around redistricting and school reconfigurations.

State Rep. Andy Fleischmann, chairman of the School Construction Committee, at the time said Currys letter was a sign that the whole process of school construction grants is changing before our very eyes.

New Lebanon is the first project to be called out by the administration, he said. But I doubt it will be the last and I doubt it will be the only.

In a Feb. 28 letter to Superintendent Sal Corda, Currey requested additional information from the Greenwich school district regarding the number of schools and grade levels district-wide, the capacity of each school, current enrollment at each school and renovations to Greenwichs schools.

Corda and architects for the New Lebanon School construction project were scheduled to meet with Currey to discuss this information, which they sent to her, on March 15. That meeting was canceled due to snow.

School officials and Greenwich legislators have rebutted Currey and Barness criticism by reminding that a larger New Lebanon School is a central tenet of the districts racial balance plan, which was approved by the state in 2014.

The town was required to formulate the plan under the states racial balance law.

The state mandated that this happen so were going to make sure the state pays for it, Frantz said Friday.

A bigger building is intended to add capacity so that New Lebanon, 71 percent minority in its student population, can accept more magnet students from other parts of town.

We have done our due diligence. Weve followed a process. Weve been shovel ready, Bocchino testified before the Education Committee earlier this month. These kids deserve a school environment that we can all be proud of in the state of Connecticut.

We have met all of the state requirements for this project, said Board of Education and New Lebanon Building Committee member Peter Bernstein, and the Building Committee will continue to work in anticipation of the funding.

emunson@greenwichtime.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
Chinese troops march with the Pakistani army in celebration of Pakistan Day. (Photo : Twitter)

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang sent their greetings to Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain as the country celebrates Pakistan Day. Xi praised the government and the people of Pakistan for responding to various national issues.



Xi also praised the progress that Pakistan made over the years and wished the people well.



Advertisement

He said, "Over the past year, China-Pakistan relations maintained a rapid momentum of development, with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor moving into the stage of full implementation."



"By taking the opportunity of working together for the Belt and Road Initiative, both sides are making endeavors of jointly building China-Pakistan Community of Shared Destiny," he noted.



The Chinese president said that he appreciates the efforts of Pakistan to work to achieve the goals of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.



"I attach great importance to the development of China-Pakistan relations. I am ready to work with you to push forward China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new level," wrote Xi.



Premier Li Keqiang also sent wishes to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Li's greetings stated that the Pakistani people worked hard toward national security, stability and economic development.



Li said that the progress of work for the CPEC is proceeding and Pakistan has contributed much to create a mutually beneficial relationship between Pakistan and China.



The Chinese premier said, "China is willing to work with the Pakistani government to push forward China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership for new and continuous progress."



During the celebration of Pakistan Day, troops from China, Saudi and Turkey joined the Pakistani military parade.



President Hussain said that this is the first time that China participated in a military parade in a foreign country and coined the event as historic.



Ties between China and Pakistan have remained intact and have withstood various challenges through the years. The two countries pledged that they will continue to work closely together for CPEC.


Information in the article, Greenwich LWV co-sponsors Electoral College talk (March 21 news story 21) demonstrates the importance of the upcoming April 4 public forum at Greenwich Library about the National Popular Vote (NPV) Interstate Compact. The article leads with the factually incorrect statement that the discussion is about the movement to circumvent the Electoral College.

The NPV Compact is not an end run around the Constitution as critics are fond of saying. The Constitution explicitly states, Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors. In her 2013 testimony to the Government Administration and Elections Committee, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said, this plan is consistent with the Constitution.

State Rep. Michael Bocchino is quoted saying the founding fathers established the Electoral College as a compromise between a Congressional vote for president and a popular vote of qualified citizens. He states he fully supports their decision. When the Constitution was ratified in 1788 the only citizens qualified to vote in most states were white, property-owning men. Times have changed, and so to has the way we elect the president. Today women are allowed to vote, as are people of color and renters; none of these citizens were considered qualified by the founding fathers.

State Sen. Scott Frantz applauds the brilliance of the founding fathers in anticipating that concentrated populations in some areas would overwhelm the interests of those in rural areas. The historical record is clear that the Electoral College was designed not to appease rural states, but rather slave-owning states that would lose influence in a direct election of the president. At the constitutional convention James Madison said, The right of suffrage was much more diffusive (widespread) in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Negroes. The fix worked: for 32 of the Constitutions first 36 years, the president was a white slave-holding Virginian.

While protecting rural states from more populous states was not the intent of the founding fathers, neither is it true today. The current winner-take-all system gives influence to competitive states, not rural states. Five of the 12 battleground states are among the 10 most populous in the country, nine have above average populations.

The contention that under a national popular vote candidates would ignore less populated areas is not supported by current campaign practices. In battleground states, presidential candidates spend time in small towns just as they do in large cities. By Sen. Frantzs logic, gubernatorial candidates in Connecticut would campaign in only Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven, and he would campaign in just Stamford. Neither is true.

We are pleased to be co-sponsoring the forum with the League of Women Voters on April 4 at Greenwich Library. It offers a great opportunity to learn the facts about the National Popular Vote Compact, the Electoral College, the Constitution and why we believe the Compact represents a better way to elect the president, especially for Connecticut voters. To reserve free seats, please email your name and number of seats to npv.ct@icloud.com

Leon Levine, Sandy Litvack, Stephanie Paulmeno, Jonathan Perloe, Monica Prihoda, Marina Rosin Levine, Joanna Swomley and Joan Thakor are with NPVct, the citizens movement to have Connecticut join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
In a recent op-ed (March 10, Making Connecticut a more affordable place to die), Greenwichs Republican General Assembly delegation demanded the elimination of the estate tax, charging that the tax is responsible for decades of (economic) decline.

The delegation, including representatives Livvy Floren (who also represents western Stamford), Mike Bocchino, and Fred Camillo, and state Sen. Scott Frantz (who also represents parts of Stamford, Darien, and New Canaan), claims that Connecticut has an estate tax with a very low threshold of $2 million. It is difficult to retire comfortably when residents are taxed beyond their working years. Sen. Frantz, himself a beneficiary of significant inherited wealth, has introduced bills to eliminate both the estate (SB 58) and gift taxes (SB 62), while Mike Bocchino has introduced similar bills (HB 5518, HB 5510) in the state house.

You can be forgiven for being shocked at the proposal to cut taxes on Connecticuts wealthiest residents when the state is facing a serious budget deficit and struggling to fund teacher pensions and basic services. Leaving aside the bizarre equating of death with the period beyond working years, here are the facts.

Fully 20 states levy estate, inheritance, and gift (EIG) taxes. In the northeast, every state from Maryland to Maine, with the lone exception of New Hampshire, levies EIG taxes. Contradicting the Republican delegations claim, a study prepared for the Connecticut General Assembly by professors Karen Conway and Jonathan Rork concluded that Connecticut has among the lowest estate tax burdens in the Northeast region, with a higher exemption, lower maximum rate and lower overall tax burden on large estates ($20 million) than almost all of the other states. The report demonstrates that an estate of $20 million will incur a lower total estate tax in Connecticut than in any other state in the northeast. Further, Conway and Rork point out that Connecticuts economic growth was higher before the state began reducing EIG tax rates.

Connecticuts EIG receipts have fallen from a high of more than a quarter billion dollars in 2000 when rates were first reduced, to approximately $170 million annually. That represents less than 1 percent of the states total revenues. Yet eliminating EIG taxes would increase Connecticuts projected FY18 budget deficit by 10 percent.

The Greenwich Republicans claim that the estate tax is to blame for wealthy residents leaving Connecticut. Yet Conway and Rork debunk that claim as well, citing numerous studies demonstrating that neither tax rates nor the estate tax has any demonstrable influence on out-migration, and showing that the main states to which Connecticut residents migrate are usually themselves high tax-rate states.

Why is it important to maintain the estate tax? It was Republican president Teddy Roosevelt who a century ago advocated for a graduated inheritance tax on big fortunes, which he believed was necessary to preserve a measurable equality of opportunity. A Center for Budget and Policy Priorities report claims that estate taxes serve as a key tool for broad prosperity, and that they raise revenue for public services that build a stronger economy, protect against extreme levels of income inequality, and ensure that the wealthy cannot avoid paying taxes on certain forms of wealth. A report by Connecticut Voices for Children points out that the estate tax is virtually the only tax that is paid by the wealthy only, and that most other taxes are highly regressive, with lower income residents paying substantially higher percentages of their income on state taxes and fees than the wealthy. Just more than 500 tax returns in Connecticut are subject to the estate tax annually, less than eight per 100,000 population.

One can be forgiven for feeling that in a state with the second highest level of wealth inequality in the nation, it is crass and immoral to propose cutting taxes on the wealthiest residents, while forcing the middle class to pay more to close what would be a nearly $1.9 billion deficit.

Instead of demanding tax cuts for the wealthiest, Sen. Frantz and the other local General Assembly Republicans should be demanding that the wealthiest residents of our state demonstrate good citizenship, and pay their fair share of the tax burden.

At a time of tight budgets amidst a recovery from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, General Assembly Republicans should not be foisting even greater tax burdens onto the shoulders of hard-pressed working families who are least able to pay more. Teddy Roosevelt would certainly agree.

Sean Goldrick served two terms as a Democrat on Greenwichs finance board, the Board of Estimate and Taxation. He lives in Riverside.
Duterte Trusts Chinas 'Word of Honor' That It Will Not Start South China Sea Construction

Philippine President Duterte said that he trusts that China will not build anything on the Scarborough Shoal. (Photo : Getty Images)

Amid the rising criticism and public outrage on the South China Sea dispute, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said that he trusts China that it will abide by its word. According to the President, China promised him that the country will not touch Scarborough Shoal.



Duterte said, "I was informed that they are not going to do anything at Panatag out of respect for our friendship."



Advertisement

Panatag is the local name of Scarborough Shoal. He explained that the Chinese government said, "We will build nothing there."



"They are not going to build anything . . . because they do not want to jeopardize our friendship," he added.



The spokesperson from the Chinese foreign ministry, Hua Chunying, said that the reports of China's research center on the shoal were untrue and China is not building a monitoring station there.



China banned Filipino fishermen from going near the shoal in 2012, but it was lifted during Duterte's administration.



Duterte also blamed the U.S. for escalating the tension on the dispute in the South China Sea. He also blamed the Obama administration for pressuring the Philippines to take a stand against China without giving military support.



He said, "You go there in the pretense of challenging them? One single solitary shot, it could lead to an explosion and it could lead to a war and it will be a slaughter."



Duterte also asked why the White House failed in helping the Philippines claim the islands. He said, "Why did you not reprimand them? Why did you not send five aircraft carriers?"



"And you had to wait for the problem to ripen to an international issue involving, this time, so many countries. You could have cut the problem in the bud had you taken a decisive action," he added.



The Philippine president said that he told China that they should share offshore energy resources found in the disputed shoal.


The location in question.

An Orlando Wendys had to fire an employee this week after a state trooper sent the local news a picture of a receipt baring a conspicuous racial slur. The trooper, whos black, says he was getting dinner Tuesday night when his eye caught the receipt sitting next to the register, forcing him to do a double take. He says he looked at the name printed on top, said sort of rhetorically, I didnt just see that, and then snapped a photo. WKMG went with the description of a form of the N word.

The troopers certain he wasnt the only customer who saw it, though if its any weird consolation, he adds that the employee at the register was very cordial, and even thanked him for his service. That really shocked me because I thought for sure that if this is sitting here for an hour or however long it was, how is he going to treat me? he said.

The franchisee issued a statement that says: While this receipt wasnt directed toward anyone in particular, we take this very seriously and find the language to be offensive and not in line with our values. This was a terrible judgment call by one of our employees. Ya think?
At Long Island Bar, the drink is made to the inventors exact specifications. Photo: M. Cooper

This isnt 1999. The Cosmopolitans reign as New Yorks hottest cocktail is admittedly long past. Sure, you can still get one made at most bars, but because the Sex and the City alco-prop now carries a bit of a stigma, it can be difficult to find a first-rate watering hole that derives pleasure from the execution of the drink. However, a few do exist  and at some unexpected spots, youll find bartenders who even honor the 20th-century classic. These are the spots that do it best.

The Absolute Best 1. Long Island Bar

110 Atlantic Ave., at Henry St., Cobble Hill; 718-625-8908 Long Island Bar is the handsome corner cocktail den in Cobble Hill, and its no mystery why the staff excels at Cosmo-making. The co-owner is Toby Cecchini, the bartender who  back in 1988 at Odeon  came up with the version of the drink that we know and drink today. (Authorship of the drink is disputed, but Cecchinis story stands up to scrutiny better than most.) The drink is never on the menu, but theres Absolut Citron and cranberry juice behind the bar, and every bartender employed there knows how to make the drink to Cecchinis specifications: 2 ounces Absolute Citron, 1 ounce Cointreau, 1 ounce lime juice, and 1 ounce Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail. The formula  Cecchinis original  looks none too dainty on paper (today, most people dont use so much cranberry), but it works. And because Cecchini is heavily invested in the cocktails legacy, its made with care, and just a smidgen of pride.

2. The Odeon

145 W. Broadway, at Thomas St.; 212-233-0507

Odeon has every right to hype its status as the probable birthplace of the Cosmopolitan. But not only isnt there a flashing neon sign outside the restaurant advertising that fact, the drink cant even be found on the bill of fare. That, however, doesnt mean the bar doesnt turn out the drink in fair numbers. According to one bartender, Odeon still makes plenty of Cosmos. They render it with Belvedere (not the traditional Absolut), Cointreau, lime juice, a bit of simple syrup, and just a touch of cranberry. Well-shaken, the drink arrives with lovely little shards of ice floating on its surface. Nicely balanced and piquant, it is a credit to the place.

3. Suffolk Arms

269 E. Houston St., at Suffolk St.; 212-475-0400

Giuseppe Gonzalez, the bartender-owner of Suffolk Arms, has long positioned himself as a bar-world provocateur, reveling in jabs at cocktail orthodoxy. With his very first menu at the Lower East Side bar, he dedicated two pages to vodka cocktails that he considered modern classics, knowing full well that vodka is the enemy spirit of the Cocktail Vanguard. Its no surprise, then, that the bar makes a lovely Cosmo. Made of 1  ounces citron vodka, three-fourth ounces lime juice, 1 ounce Cointreau and half-ounce cranberry juice, the drink strikes the right balance between tart and sweet, and remains remarkably light-bodied (perhaps owing to Gonzalezs practice of cutting the Cointreau with simple syrup). Gonzalez says the recipe is based on that of Audrey Saunderss, proprietress of Pegu Club  a surprising twist, given Pegus past rep of eschewing vodka. Both Saunders and Gonzalez garnish the drink with an orange twist, not the usual lemon. Explains Saunders, the essential oil from the orange twist provides additional warmth in the middle of the drink. The end result is more depth when you include it. Its necessary with a drink that is comprised completely of high-pitched ingredients.

4. Genuine Liquorette

191 Grand St., at Mulberry St.; 646-726-4633

Theres no point in pretending the Cosmo is a thinking-mans cocktail. The drink is not a philosophical battleground, the way Martinis and Old-Fashioneds are. That is why the whimsical Cosmo served at Genuine Liquorette can be received with equanimity and a warm chuckle. At the subterranean Little Italy bar, beverage director Eben Freeman specializes in bulldog versions of classic drinks. So his Cosmo involves a mini of Absolut Citron upended into a tiny can of Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail. Already inside the can are a half-ounce each of lime juice and Cointreau. Silly? Yes. Fun? Also, yes. And a Cosmo thats not fun might as well hang it up and go home.
A number of Google Pixel (and Pixel XL) users have been experiencing a Bluetooth problem that randomly caused the radio to turn off without warning, causing accessories to disconnect and proved to be most annoying while streaming music to an external speaker. Thankfully Google is issuing a fix and it will reach affected users via a Google Play Services Update.

The problem first appeared around the time of Googles release of the February Security Patch. Even the March Security Patch did not rectify the Bluetooth issue. Finally today, a fellow Googler posted in the product forum relevant to the issue that Google was pushing a server-side fix for the problem at hand.

As mentioned, a Google Play Services update will gradually roll out over the next several days, so no further action will be needed from those affected as Google Play Updates happen seamlessly in the background.

Are you one of these Pixel owners? Let us know how much the problem affected your Pixel.

Source | Via
Located in Derge in the Kham region, the printing lamasery dates back to the early 16th century and continues to attract throngs of pilgrims to its hallowed halls. (Photo : Getty Images)

One of the most important Buddhist institutions in the world of Tibetan Buddhists, the Parkhang printing lamasery uses ancient ways to preserve the Tibetan language and various Buddhist texts, the New York Times reported.



Advertisement

Located in Derge in the Kham region, the printing lamasery dates back to the early 16th century and continues to attract throngs of pilgrims to its hallowed halls.



Although it receives little to no support from the Chinese government in Tibetan-language education, the Parkhang printing lamasery has carried on in preserving ancient Buddhist texts and, as a result, Tibetan language as well.



The Parkhang printing lamasery is also home to an impressive collection of sutras. 830 classic scriptures are housed within the three-story monastery, along with copies of ancient Tibetan manuscripts from a wide range of Tibetan Buddhist schools, Pema Chujen, a volunteer, told the New York Times.



To make copies of the ancient texts, the printing lamasery has over 320,000 wooden printing blocks, some of which are over 260 years old. The printing lamasery has also been busy reproducing new blocks since the 1980s.



A single printing block is made from red birch wood. A total of 13 steps are undertaken, including soaking the raw pieces of wood in feces for approximately six months. According to Pema, the raw wood that survives during this period are then fashioned into printing blocks.



During the peak of its operations, the printing lamasery employed over 500 people, most of which are monks from Gonchen Monastery.



Nowadays, the Parkhang printing lamasery has about 60 people involved in its printing operations even though the pay is low, said Pema. Some of the laypeople have been with the printing lamasery for about twenty years, and every day the print thousands of pieces of sutras to be distributed in the Tibetan plateau.



Although times have definitely changed, the printing process at the lamasery has not changed.



The operations of the printing press are today similar to what they were in 1985, said Katia Buffetrille, a scholar of Tibet from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris.



Its amazing how many pages they print every day. That can explain the bad quality of the printing sometimes.






Haiti - Dominican Republic : Already more than 180,000 Haitians expelled





Thursday, Lieutenant General Maximo William Munoz Delgado, Director of the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) revealed that his agency had expelled 8,383 foreigners in their respective country since the beginning of the year. He pointed out that foreigners in irregular migratory situations on the Dominican territory were arrested during 285 control operations in different regions of the country.



Most of the citizens were from Haiti, Venezuela and Cuba, and to deport them the authorities coordinated with the embassies of their countries. There are also undocumented immigrants from Albania, Armenia, France, India, Iran, Panama, Puerto Rico and Peru.



A report by the DGM indicates that between August and December 2016, 13,541 Haitians were repatriated by land via the Dominican-Haitian border, and 123 foreigners from Venezuela, Cuba from Albania, Armenia, France, India, Iran, Panama, Puerto Rico and Peru have been by Las Americas International Airport (AILA) in coordination with the embassies of these countries. What since August 2016 up to date represents a total of 22,047 foreign expulsions.



It should be recalled that between June 2015 and July 2016, according to the information made available by the Dominican DGM in combination with those of human rights organizations monitoring the process at the border, more than 160,000 Haitians would have returned to Haiti expelled or voluntarily. Bringing the total with the 2017 figures to more than 180,000 the number of Haitians returning to the country. It should be noted that this figure is probably higher, since voluntary returns are only recorded at official border crossings and do not include Haitians who return to the country through the many informal crossings between the two countries...



In addition, nearly 240,000 Haitians enrolled in the National Regularization Plan of Foreigners, whose deadline falls in July 2017 risk expulsion if they can not complete their file and do not have a compulsory passport, a document that Haiti does not cease promising them but never delivers them...



For its part, the DGM reiterates that it will remain firm in its commitment to control the entry and exit of foreigners on Dominican territory "in order to harmonize the migration movement with the needs of national development."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18780-haiti-politic-high-level-meeting-on-haitian-repatriations.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18008-haiti-dr-the-situation-of-returnees-remains-worrying.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17698-haiti-social-more-than-160-000-haitians-have-left-the-rd-in-12-months.html



SL/ HaitiLibre
























Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





Control of subsidies in Public Administration

As part of the fight against corruption, President Jovenel Moise promises to exercise strict control over the use of public administration subsidies in the budgets of ministries whose use up to now was discretionary. He passed a resolution in the Council of Ministers on Wednesday to demand that the lists of grant recipient organizations, places of implementation of projects and the amounts granted, are transmitted to the Presidency. The Public Administration Subsidy Order was published in the official newspaper "Le Moniteur" No. 45.



Towards the reduction of police work

Earlier this week, Michel-Ange Gedeon, the Director General of the Haitian National Police (PNH), paid a visit to the Port-au-Prince police station. He resolved several on-the-spot problems and also informed staff that his team was working on several files relating to police working conditions, benefits and even work schedules, which should down from 12 to 8 hours a day.



The Minister of Justice visit his employees

Thursday, Heidi Fortune, the new Minister of Justice https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20440-haiti-politics-installation-of-the-new-minister-of-justice.html paid a visit to the various employees of the Institution. Through this nearly two-hour visit, he wanted to inquire about the functioning of the different departments and exchange with the employees in order to be better imbued with their works agenda.



The BCEN heard disputes

The National Electoral Litigation Office (BCEN) has already heard the 174 challenge cases for local elections, according to the BCEN chief of staff, Merline Fleurant. She informed that the two challenges for the legislative elections will be heard next week.



Chantal Laroche decorated by France

On Wednesday evening, the French Ambassador to Haiti, Elisabeth Beton Delegue, awarded the National Order of Merit to Mme Chantal Laroche, President of the Alliance Francaise of Cap Haitien at the residence of France.



The Border Development Commission meets Moise

On Thursday, President Jovenel Moses met with a delegation of the Committee of Defense and Border Development of the Chamber of Deputies.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Is Big Number of LGBTQ Community in China Reason Why Censor Allowed Gay Character in Beauty and the Beast?

'Beauty And The Beast' New York Screening (Photo : Getty Images)

Disney prevailed in both China and Malaysia in showing the film Beauty and the Beast without cuts, particularly the gay moment scene of Le Fou. However, the premiere of the movie in Malaysia was delayed by two weeks to March 30 from March 16.



In China, the sheer number of gays and lesbians in the country could have been a factor that the censor took into consideration in approving the movie without cuts. Since Beauty and the Beast was a chance for young Chinese girls to relive their fantasies of becoming a princess, its exhibition broke Disney records in China as a predominantly female audience trooped to the cinemas since March 17.



Advertisement

LGBTQ Members Watch Movie



Nikkei reported that 43 percent of all the cinemas in China held 100,000 screenings on opening night, showing that China is indeed the second-largest film market in the world. Because the censor kept intact the gay moment scene of Le Fou, it is not only young females who watched the movie but also members of Chinas LGBTQ community.



Given than China has more than 1 billion population, the experts estimate that the countrys LGBTQ members would be between 40 million and 100 million. With most of them single and no family to support, Chinese gays and lesbians likely would have a higher disposable income to support the pink economy, including gay-friendly movies like Beauty and the Beast.



PG13 Rating in Malaysia



In contrast, the entire population of Malaysia is only 31.7 million. Nevertheless, even with a smaller market size, Disney stood its ground, got its way and would show the movie by the end of March without cuts. The movie got a PG13 rating, while two major theater chains in Malaysia confirmed it would show the Disney movie starting March 30, BBC reported.



Malaysias religious and secular laws ban homosexual activity in the country. Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was given a five-year jail sentence after he was convicted of sodomy. In movies, gay characters are allowed in Malaysia only if they are portrayed negatively or repent. Le Fou, however, appears to be an exception to the rule.


By William Schwartz | Published on 2017/03/23

Initially I was wondering whether I had somehow missed an episode of "Saimdang: Light's Diary". The last thing we saw was the grand art heist, and the recap reminds us about the big fire so...why are we starting out with Internet searches, familial awkwardness and comic relief about clothes? Then we get back to the art heist and it really doesn't help the drama's credibility when even the police officer in-story thinks it sounds improbable.

Advertisement

Really, more than anything else this plot mainly just seems to make Ji-yoon look kind of dumb. Does Ji-yoon know for a fact that Director Seon (played by Kim Mi-kyung) is in on the conspiracy? Well no, but considering how paranoid Ji-yoon has been in general up until now it beggars disbelief that she would place so much trust in a woman she doesn't really know all that well. And of course, the framing device ends with a fire and a car crash, and we have to wait until next episode to see how that panned out.

Meanwhile, back in the past, I was surprised to learn that apparently Headmistress Choi is also a painter. Not a real one, thank goodness. Her character has gotten the short end of the stick so much that it really would have just been insulting to learn that Joseon had another famous sixteenth century woman painter but that rather than be a rival she's just a sad petty woman obsessed with high school grudges who is also physically assaulted during sex by her husband.

The painting competition was at least moderately interesting, in that Saimdang finally got a chance to explain how and why she paints the way that she does. It's a little disappointing that she has to do so with a rather arbitrary ruleset. And I'm also wondering why an individual creative competition is being used as a capstone to a contest that was originally about producing high quality Goryeo paper but whatever, at least Saimdang is painting professionally now.

Although that plot point, like every other plot point in "Saimdang: Light's Diary", is as ephemeral as ever. Apparently not satisfied with the two overly violent cliffhangers in the framing device, the production team decides to add one in Saimdang's time involving...gunfights with Japanese pirates. One of these days I'm just going to start making stuff up in my reviews for this drama it's not like I could come up with anything more ridiculous.

Review by William Schwartz

"Saimdang: Light's Diary" is directed by Yoon Sang-ho, written by Park Eun-ryeong and features Lee Young-ae, Song Seung-heon, Oh Yoon-ah, Park Hye-soo, Yoon Ye-joo, Yoon Da-hoon and Kim Hae-sook.

Watch on Viki
Published on 2017/03/23 | Source

Korean movie of the week "The Piper" (2014)

Advertisement

Directed by Kim Kwang-tae

With Ryu Seung-ryong, Lee Sung-min, Chun Woo-hee, Lee Joon, Goo Seung-hyun, Jung Kyung-ho-I,...

Formnerly known as "The Piper" on HanCinema

Synopsis

Shortly after the Korean War, a man and his son, Woo-ryong and Yeong-nam, arrive in an isolated mountain village looking for work in order to make enough money to continue their journey to Seoul. Against the chief's better judgment, Woo-ryong is allowed to do odd jobs and soon realizes the village suffers a major rat infestation. Like a mid-century Pied Piper, he makes a deal with the chief to rid the town of the rats but when the time comes to collect his fee and leave, the chief double crosses the father and son. Vowing revenge, he lures the rats back, fulfilling an old prophesy that brings horror to the village.

Release date in Korea : 2015/07/09

Read Panos's review on HanCinema

Available on DVD and streaming from Amazon
Published on 2017/03/23 | Source

The romantic comedy queens Shin Min-a and Park Bo-young moved over to cable but they have faced different results; Shin Min-a's "Tomorrow With You" is in 1% while Park Bo-young's "Strong Woman Do Bong-soon" is setting a new record every time.

Advertisement

Park Bo-young is a cute and loveable character in "Strong Woman Do Bong-soon" as Do Bong-soon. She is currently in a complicated relationship with her neighborhood fiends Gook-doo (Ji Soo) and her boss Ahn Min-hyeok (Park Hyung-sik). In addition, every episode is a liberating one with nothing to leave viewers frustrated about.

Park Bo-young has been acting for 11 years now and she started "Strong Woman Do Bong-soon" with a big bang. The drama rated 3.829% which is a record breaker for any drama in JTBC history. Every episode has been setting a new record and currently is at 9.6%.

"Strong Woman Do Bong-soon" owes it to Park Bo-young as she came in first in an actor brand reputation research early this year.

Park Bo-young has become the real 'romantic comedy queen' indeed.

Park Bo-young was modest and said, "I know I have a limit somewhere but everyone is just really generous".

She continued, "This drama isn't just a romantic comedy but a story of a woman who goes through life just like anyone else. I think the female viewers relate to that a lot".

On the other hand, could it be the curse of "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God"? "Tomorrow With You" started right after "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" but hasn't been able to cross 1%.

Shin Min-a has failed her name 'romantic comedy queen' with the role of Song Ma-rin in "Tomorrow With You".

Shin Min-a earned a few favors in the beginning acting out drunk, forgetting that she is an actress.

It seemed like things were working out well with Lee Je-hoon from "Signal" but the awkward element of 'time-slip' made viewers get tired of it quickly.
Published on 2017/03/24 | Source

Added episode 3 captures for the Korean drama "Radiant Office" (2017)

Advertisement

Directed by Jeong Ji-in, Park Sang-hoon-III

Written by Jeong Hee-hyeon

Network : MBC

With Go Ah-sung, Ha Seok-jin, Lee Dong-hwi, Kim Dong-wook, Lee Ho-won, Kim Byung-choon,...

16 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00

Synopsis

An abrasive marketing director and a female temporary contract worker at the same furniture company. She faces repeat rejection in her job search until despair drives her to attempt suicide. At the hospital, she learns she has a terminal condition, but then, finally succeeds in getting hired. With nothing to lose, she tackles her job and her life with a perspective.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/03/15

More
11th Asian Film Awards: Fan Bingbing Named Best Actress for Role in 'I Am Not Madame Bovary'

Fan Bingbing stars in the acclaimed social justice drama, "I Am Not Madame Bovary." (Photo : Getty Images/Gareth Cattermole)

Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, who starred in the acclaimed contemporary drama "I Am Not Madame Bovary," was hailed best actress in the recently concluded 11th Asian Film Awards held at the Cultural Center in Hong Kong, news outlet Variety reported.



Advertisement

Fan took the role of Li Xuelian, a woman from the countryside who moved to the capital and took on the country's legal system to defend herself after she was swindled by her former husband. Her character was falsely accused of having an affair.



Proving her acting chops, Fan ditched her widely-known glamorous vibe to play Li, requiring her to wear a peasant costume.



"I Am Not Madame Bovary," directed by Feng Xiaogang and written by Liu Zhenyun, also took the Best Film and Best Cinematography (for Luo Pan) awards.



Another ceremony favorite, South Korea's "The Handmaiden" bagged four tilts. These include Best Supporting Actress for Moon So-ri, Best Newcomer for Kim Tae-ri, Best Production Designer for Ryu Seong-hee, and Best Costume Designer for Jo Sang-kyung.



South Korean cinema, which led the nominations in this year's Asian Film Awards, also took home the awards, Best Director (Na Hong-jin for "The Wailing") and Best Composer (Mowg for "The Age of Shadows").



Meanwhile, Chinese actress Lin Yun (known by her English name, Jelly Lin), received the Rising Star of Asia award. Her young big screen career, which only started in 2016's record-breaking film "The Mermaid," includes starring in "L.O.R.D. Legend of Ravaging Dynasties" and in Stephen Chow- and Tsui Hark-helmed "Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back."



Tsui was handed out the ceremony's Lifetime Achievement award for his meritorious contribution to Asian cinema. The Vietnam-born film prodigy built his career in Hong Kong and is now a major icon in mainland China. Dubbed as "one of the masters of Asian cinematography," his works include "Once Upon a Time in China" and "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate."



Completing the list of the 11th Asian Film Awards winners are Japan's Asano Tadanobu (Best Actor for "Harmonium) and Ohya Tetsuo (Best Visual Effects for "Shin Godzilla"), Lee Chatametikool and Natalie Soh (Best Editing for the Singaporean film "Apprentice), Lam Suet (Best Supporting Actor for "Trivisa"), Fang Tao and Hao Zhiyu (Best Sound for "Crosscurrent") and Sammi Cheng (Excellence in Asian Cinema).



This year's panel of judges was headed by renowned Chinese director Jia Zhangke.


Song Hye Kyo with Babies (Photo : Instagram/Song Hye Kyo)

It took Descendants of the Sun actress Song Hye Kyo two months to resume posting on Instagram photos with babies. Her last post was in mid-January.



The two-month hiatus could be interpreted by some fans as losing faith in marriage as she had admitted in her W Magazine interview, at 35, her fantasies about marriage are fading away. It was about the same time that speculations of Descendants of the Sun co-star Song Joong-ki having a bromance with actor Park Bo Gum spread.



Advertisement

From Bromance to Romance



Now, rumors are the two actors have elevated their relationship from bromance into a secret romantic relationship, speculated Korea Portal. Maybe Song Hye Kyo may have given up dreams of marrying but not having babies, based on her recent Instagram post.



After all, it is not just one but two babies with whom she had a photograph which she posted on Wednesday. As expected, the picture became viral with close to 330,000 likes and elicited more than 2,000 comments.



Song Hye Kyo posting the baby photos make her fans happy, even if the infants are not hers biologically. Dsojtks, an Instagram follower, commented that she was having a bad day but seeing your posts and seeing how you are so confident and happy encourages e to strive for the same.



Her Own Babies



Of course, such kind of images inevitably raises the question from fans when would she have her own babies? Preferably with Song Joong-ki. In fact, firdanitap14 noted that the male baby on the right looks like Song Joong-ki. The same observation was made by nitz_silayan, while dee_orama posted a sentiment what many fans of the couple hope for, which is a SongSong baby.



Lled_ewot1415 was positive that Song Hye Kyo would even have adorable children soon who would love the actress as her fans do. But some fans, like yyy_aaannn206, is pressuring her by asking, What time can see ur babies with joong ki?



However, based on recent developments, it seems like Song Joong-ki, instead of having an interest in marrying Song Hye Kyo and raising a family with her, would rather attend the fan meets and eat Dominos Pizza with Park Bo Gum.


Assisted Suicide Loses in Hawaii

by Wesley J Smith, National Review, March 24, 2017

Mass legalization of assisted suicide is not inevitable.

Now, after losing recently in New Mexico, add Hawaii to the not inevitable list. From the HawaiiNewsNow.com story:

A lack of specifics in the current draft of the controversial Death with Dignity bill is partially the reason some lawmakers decided to table the issue. Lawmakers table controversial death with dignity bill following intense debate House Health Committee chair Della Au Bellati told a packed hearing the seven-member committee was killing the Medical Aid in Dying bill because it lacked specifics and didnt do enough to balance the right to choose death with the need to protect vulnerable people. Were concerned about safeguards, the record-keeping, the physician training to be able to do this prescribing for aid in dying, Bellati said.

Faithful readers might recall I warned here at The Corner that the then draft Hawaii measure would be substantially lacking in safeguards, because, well assisted suicide boosters only promote safeguards to mask their more radical agenda of moving toward a broad assisted suicide/euthanasia license, as seen in Canada and overseas.

But sometimes, as the trite saying goes, in their zeal, they get over their skis. That appears to have been the case in Hawaii.

Repeat after me: NOT inevitable! Onward.



* * * * *

Hawaii Defeats Dangerous Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide

by Alex Schadenberg, Life News, March 24, 2017

Hawaii assisted suicide SB 1129 was defeated by being sent back for amendments. Hawaii political leaders listened and understood that the assisted suicide bill was different than what the assisted suicide lobby was saying.

The paternalism of the assisted suicide lobby astounds me. They assume that legislators will not read the language of the bill but vote based on sound bites alone. Hawaii legislators read the bill.

Hawaii News Now stated:

On Thursday, lawmakers said the bill is poorly written and would need considerable changes.

The House Health Committee deferred the bill, essentially killing it.

Margaret Dore, successfully uncovered the truth. Dore wrote in her analysis that SB 1129 SD 2  Choice is a Big Fat Fib, Dores assessment was correct and the committee agreed.

Dores analysis of SB 1129 correctly stated:

The act is sold as providing a voluntary patient choice, but doesnt even have a requirement of being voluntary, capable or consenting when the lethal dose is administered.

People who ask about the act will lose their right to informed consent: They will lose the right to be told about alternatives for cure.

The claim that self-administration is required is not true. The act says that a patient may self-administer the lethal dose. There is no language that administration must be by self-administration.

Administration of the lethal dose is allowed to occur in private without a doctor or witness present. If the patient objected or even struggled, who would know?

The death certificate is required to list a terminal disease as the cause of death. The significance is that prosecution will not be possible, no matter what the facts. The death will be a terminal disease (not murder) as a matter of law.

Enactment will create the perfect crime to put older people in the crosshairs of their heirs and other predators.

Elder abuse is already not a well-controlled problem. Passing the proposed act will make the situation worse.

For analysis and back up documentation, click here.

For a pdf version of this document, click here.

LifeNews.com Note: Alex Schadenberg is the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition and you can read his blog here.

* * * * *

We won 7  0

From Hawaii Against Assisted Suicide, March 23, 2017

Today, in a drastic turnaround from a lopsided vote in the Hawaii Senate to pass a bill seeking to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia in Hawaii, the Hawaii House Health Committee unanimously (7-0) recommended that the bill be delayed.

The Committee members agreed that SB 1129 SD 2 has too many problems to go forward at this time. What this means is that the bill is most probably dead for the year.

A great victory due to a team effort.

Special thanks to the Committee members who made it a point to read the bill. Special thanks to the people of Hawaii showing up to outnumber the bill's proponents at least 4 to 1. And special thanks to the people who organized them, you know who you are..

To read a bullet point summary of problems with the bill and why the other side's choice claim is a big fat fib, please click here. To read a legal analysis submitted by Choice is an Illusion, please cliick here. To make a generous donation to Choice is an Illusion or other participating organizations who won this for you, please go to their websites.

Thank you again to everyone who participated to make this happen.

You did it!

Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA

Choice is an Illusion, President

* * * * *

Good news, for now!

From Hawaii Family Forum, March 24, 2017

The House Health Committee, under the decision-making power of Rep. Della Au Belatti and unanimous consent, deferred decision making on the physician-assisted suicide bill today. What that means is that the bill is on hold, for now.

Although this may seem like the battle is over, we must stay vigilant! Proponents are most likely regrouping to see what they can do to keep the bill alive for this session.

We ask that do you do these things as soon as you can:

1) Say a prayer of thanksgiving! 2) Contact Rep. Della Au Belatti at (808) 586-9425 and thank her for deferring SB1129. Tell her that you appreciate that she did not move the bill forward because you oppose assisted suicide. Please also contact the rest of the Health Committee and thank them as well. That list is here. 3) Stay tuned. Compassion and Choices will most likely try to get the bill pulled from the committee.

Mahalo for all your prayers and support. We appreciate all the community members who came out today to stand in unity against SB 1129 SD2.

Eva Andrade

Hawaii Family Forum

6301 Pali Highway

Kaneohe, HI 96744

(808) 203-6704

Sign up for alerts!
Ukraine ammunition storage facility fire causes evacuation of 20,000

Around 20,000 people have been evacuated from the area around the Balakliia ammunition storage facility in the eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine after it caught fire on the morning of March 23. Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak accused the Russian military or its separatist rebel proxies of setting off the fire, possibly via a drone attack.

Stock image

Everyone within a 10 km radius of the dump is being evacuated, the Interfax news agency quoted an aide to President Petro Poroshenko as saying. Around 600 firefighters struggled to douse the flames and explosions at the tank and artillery ammunition storage site, sending clouds of thick grey smoke into the sky.

The Balaklia facility, which held about 138,000 tonnes of ammunition, covers 370 hectares and is located about 100 km from the frontline of Ukraine's war against Russian-backed separatists. It was guarded by around 1,000 soldiers, some of whom reportedly heard the sound of an aircraft just before the explosions.

Military spokesman Oleksander Motuzyanyk said security around other bases was being reinforced. Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman was due to fly to the area.



A third of the base is still burning and all airspace within 50 km has been closed off, Poltorak said, adding that the attack would not significantly affect Ukraine's military capacity.

Saboteurs previously tried to destroy the same base using drones in 2015, another military spokesman, Yuzef Venskovich, told the 112 TV channel.



More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict between Ukraine and the separatist rebels since 2014, and a ceasefire agreed in Minsk in 2015 is routinely violated.


Chinese Human Rights Lawyer and Activist Inspected After Allegations of Torture

Jiang Tianyong is one of the lawyers detained by the Chinese authorities. (Photo : Getty Images)

Chinese authorities will be inspecting the office of Chen Jian'gang after he released the transcription of how fellow lawyer Xie Yang was tortured.



During the interview, Xie told Chen a complete account of the torture that was given to him and how he was beaten by Chinese interrogators.



Advertisement

"After five or six days of this, I was basically paralyzed. I couldn't open my eyes, and my entire body throbbed in pain," Xie said.



The account of torture was regarded by the Chinese government as "fake."



A letter was signed by 11 foreign missions vouching for the authenticity of the accounts. The foreign missions included the Canadian embassy and stated that Xie made "credible claims of torture."



Other countries who expressed support were Japan, Australia, France, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.



The missions expressed "growing concern over recent claims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in cases concerning detained human rights lawyers and other human rights defenders."



The foreign offices requested that China stop "residential surveillance at a designated place" that appeared harmless but was in fact used to track activists.



Chen received a notice from the Beijing Municipal Justice Bureau and Chaoyang District Justice Bureau. Both bureaus want to see documents pertaining to previous cases.



The human rights lawyer thinks that the inspection is a sign that the government wants him to keep quiet and to stop defending his fellow lawyers.



He said, "Why are they coming for me? It's because of Xie Yang's case. They want me to be silent."



The human rights lawyer thinks that his phone is under surveillance. The concentrated efforts to harass him is meant to pressure him to stop supporting Xie.



To oppose these acts of harassment, he posted a photo of himself while carrying a banner stating, "Oppose torture, support Xie Yang."


Arriving in Nebraska by chance 25 years ago, a Finnish photojournalist has now won an international award for his photos capturing rural America. Staying with the US, a Midwest museum is celebrating the art of Finnish immigrants in Michigan. Other international news from this week focused on Scotlands admiration for Finnish schooling, an Arctic wind park investment and the same-sex marriage of a Kurd in Helsinki.

Finnish journalists remarkable photos of small-town America

Omaha World-Herald

Finnish photojournalist Markus Jokela discovered Table Rock in 1992 at the end of an index finger.

He and his writing partner, Ilkka Malmberg, had been assigned by the largest newspaper in Finland to do a story about small-town life in America during the 500th anniversary of Columbus discovery of the New World.

So Malmberg closed his eyes and pointed at a map of the US. His finger landed on southeast Nebraska.

Table Rock. 308 inhabitants was the headline on their first story, published in 1992.

By the end of their first day here, everyone knew who they were and what they were up to. Word gets around pretty quick, said Missy Freeman, a local hairstylist.

Now, 25 years later, the Table Rock photos have won an international award, and may soon be compiled in a book.

Original article was published by on 20/03/2017 and can be found here.

Scottish schools shouldnt chase Finnish standard

The Scotsman

Scotland should look at ending its love affair with Nordic education and deal with what is actually happening in this country, the leader of Scotlands largest teaching union has said.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of EIS Scotland, said while countries such as Finland are feted for their innovations and international league table results, Scottish teachers have to work within a financially stretched education system.

Finlands education ambassador Pasi Sahlberg has warned Scots against chasing the Northern Lights. I dont think that education alone can ever close the gap. It can never deliver complete equity or equality. A part of me says no matter how great the national curriculum, it can only do so much. There are always things that the curriculum cannot do, said Sahlberg.

Original article was published by on 18/03/2017 and can be found here.

Finnish billionaire invests in Arctic wind parks

The Independent Barents Observer

The two wind parks to be built in Finnmark, Norway are located some tens of kilometers from the border to Finland.

St1 Nordic Oy, where billionaire Mika Anttonen has a 87% ownership, teams up with two wind power companies to develop the two wind park projects, Davvi and Borealis, in northernmost Norway.

Located in the municipalities of Lebesby and Tana, the wind parks could be connected to both the Norwegian and Finnish grids. A new 220 kV line from the parks to Finlands border town of Utsjoki would strengthen the Norwegian-Finnish cross-border grids in the north.

Original article was published by on 20/03/2017 and can be found here.

Michigan museum celebrates Finnish immigrant artists

The Oakland Press

One of Oakland Countys most prominent institutions, Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills, owes an enormous debt to immigrants.

The Cranbrook Art Museum pays homage to that debt in a new exhibit, Finland 100: The Cranbrook Connection.

The exhibit celebrates both the centennial of Finlands independence from the Russian Empire and Finlands influence on the arts in America.

Although not as obvious as Spanish, French, African or English influences in American culture, Finland had a significant role in development of the arts here, says Andrew Blauvelt, director of Cranbrook Art Museum.

Original article was published by on 20/03/2017 and can be found here.

Kurdish man marries under Finlands same-sex marriage law

Rudaw

A law passed in 2014 by Finlands parliament to legalize same-sex marriages came into effect at the beginning of this month and has since enabled many gay couples, including Kurds, to formally tie the knot.

Many activities were performed in Finland on the day the law came into effect, including same-sex marriage ceremonies which in some cases were held in groups.

There was a Kurdish man there too, along with gay community members coming from other European countries to show support for the law.

A 23-year-old Kurd who identified himself as Ziryan got married to a Finnish man named Tomi on March 1, 2017.

I have decided to marry a man. I am proud to be the first gay Kurd in Finland to hold the ceremony on this historic day, being one of those whose names are written in the history of this country, Ziryan said.

Original article was published by on 19/03/2017 and can be found here.

Dan Anderson

Helsinki Times

Photo Mikko Stig / Lehtikuva
Conducted by the University of Vaasa, the study was commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior in order to find out the attitude of Finns towards the governments asylum policy and the current situation regarding refugees in Finland. 68% of respondents felt that public debates have become dominated by extreme opinions.

This polarized atmosphere has dissuaded many Finns from joining the conversation for fear of being stigmatized. Numerous participants felt that engaging in the public discussion on asylum policy would lead to them being placed on one side of the spectrum  labelled as either a racist or a suvakki. Suvakki is a derogatory term that roughly translates to social justice warrior.

The majority of respondents also believed that debates surrounding the topic of asylum were rarely factually based. This was attributed to a lack of contextual information provided in media reports, which were too often seen as biased.

Others issues that were raised included the opinion that the government should further invest in development aid and crisis management. It was commonly thought that, in order to limit the amount of people seeking asylum, Finland should do more to assist the countries that refugees are coming from and passing through. Many participants in the study also wanted the refugee quota system to be improved to help the most vulnerable, and an early integration process that avoided feelings of idleness and frustration among waiting asylum seekers.

A large amount of respondents took a more critical view. Most believed that the influx of asylum seekers had increased the threat of crime and terrorist acts, while there was fear of an upsurge in conflict among different population groups. It was also mentioned that asylum seekers who receive residence permits should not be entitled to the same social security as Finns; that those who are rejected should be sent home; and that churches, organizations and individuals should not protect those without official documentation.

Commenting on the publishing of the study on Tuesday, Minister of the Interior Paula Risikko said that more facts were needed as a basis for discussions about asylum policy in future. This sentiment was echoed in the Ministry of the Interiors press release, which said: The answers given by those who took part in the survey highlighted the need for direct communication by the authorities. Risikko also agreed with participants by saying that the integration of asylum seekers should begin at an earlier stage.

Dan Anderson

Helsinki Times

Photo Emmi Korhonen / Lehtikuva
The Finnish Council for Mass Media (JSN) ruled yesterday that scaling down its coverage of the issue, the national broadcaster infringed on two sections of the guidelines for journalists .

YLE has been reprimanded for succumbing to political pressure in its coverage of a possible conflict of interest related to Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre) and Terrafame, a state-owned nickel and zinc miner based in Sotkamo.

YLE was ruled to have allowed a third party to make decisions regarding the contents of its coverage and to have failed to resist pressure or persuasion seeking to steer, prevent or limit communications.

JSN issued the reprimand after six of its members voted in favour and six against the complaints filed against YLE, with its chairperson proving the decisive vote.

YLE in November reported about a possible conflict of interest arising from a 500,000-euro contract awarded by Terrafame to Katera Steel, an engineering company owned by the relatives of Sipila. The contract was awarded only a few weeks after the state-owned miner had received a 100-million-euro cash injection from the Finnish Government.

Sipila voiced his displeasure with the report in a series of e-mails sent to the author of the report and the senior editor-in-chief of YLE. He later admitted that his response had been emotional.

JSN states in its ruling that the report did not contain any factual errors nor portray the premier in a particularly negative light. Yet, it points out, the national broadcaster made a number of exceptional decisions to edit the story and to scale down its subsequent coverage of the issue after being contacted by Sipila.

The case contains a number of features that can be interpreted as an indication that the editor-in-chief has succumbed to outside pressure, states JSN.

JSN also commented on the actions of Sipila. The Prime Minister, it acknowledges, has the right to express his dissatisfaction with a news report and even its angle. The tone and volume of e-mails sent in this case, however, was so exceptional that the e-mails can be interpreted as an attempt to apply pressure.

The Prime Minister also declined to comment on his ties to Katera Steel to YLE for two days. Such actions can similarly be considered an attempt to limit the freedom of speech, especially in the case of the Prime Minister, writes JSN.

CORRECTION: Terrafame's mine is located in Sotkamo, not in Kuusamo as an unedited version of this story alleged.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Helicopter Carrier Kaga (Photo : Getty Images)

On Thursday, China expressed its hopes that the commissioning of helicopter carrier Kaga did not mark Japans return to the countrys past militaristic history. Kaga is Japans second largest helicopter-based escort ship.



Advertisement

The 248-meter long vessel entered into service on Wednesday. Accompanied by a military band, Maritime Self-Defense Force commanders took possession of the ship at the Japan Marine United shipyard in Yokohama.



At a ceremony attended by about 500 people, Vice Minister of Defense Takayuki Kobayashi said that China is attempting to make changes in the South China Sea with bases and through acts that exert pressure is altering the status quo, raising concerns among the international community.



With Kaga and its sister, the Izumo, Japan now has a greater ability to deploy forces past its shores. The country is pushing back against Chinas increasing influence in Asia.



According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, the "China threat" had been overstated by Japan in the recent years as an excuse to enlarge its military.



"I also want to say that the Kaga was sunk by the U.S. military in World War Two. Japan should learn the lessons of history," Hua said at a daily news conference.



"We hope the return of the Kaga is not trying to be the start of the ashes of Japanese militarism burning once more," she added.



Japans two biggest warships since World War II are powerful symbols of Prime Minister Shinzo Abes urge to increase the international function of the countrys military.



Both the Kaga and the Izumo are commissioned as helicopter destroyers to remain constrained. Japans war-renouncing constitution does not permit possession of offensive weapons.



The world's second- and third-largest economies have been in a territorial dispute over a group of islets in the East China Sea. China-Japan ties have since been weighed down.



China hopes that Japans wartime aggression has not been kindled with helicopter carrier Kagas entry into service.


Reading Youth Orchestra, Great Hall, University of Reading, Saturday, March 18

SATURDAYS spring concert by Reading Youth Orchestra in Reading Universitys Great Hall turned out to be an extraordinarily momentous and emotional event  as 21-year-old Henley pianist and one-time RYO cellist Edward Reeve carried off a masterful performance of Rachmaninovs Piano Concerto No2 with all the authority of a seasoned virtuoso.

Completing the line-up from Henley were members of Henley Youth Chamber Orchestra, invited to join the RYO for this concert. The RYO emulated Reeves rise to new heights.

First came Sibeliuss Finlandia, a feisty curtain-raiser in which conductor Paul Cox pulled no punches. Guest adult brass and horns lifted the piece at its moments of greatest excitement, while Thomas Freedman was as courageous as he was accurate with his thunderous timpani rolls.

A talented young woodwind cohort acquitted themselves beautifully in the main theme, ably complemented by the strings  although the latter, generally the youngest of the players, were unavoidably overwhelmed by the power of the brass. However, this did not detract from a satisfying performance.

Edward Reeves choice of Rachmaninovs monumental concerto was a defining moment for those in the audience who had witnessed his progress year on year at the Henley Youth Festival. Much credit is due to the HYF for providing a platform for such talent to develop.

Whatever the expectations of this Cambridge University organ scholar and music undergraduate, they were dramatically exceeded by his electrifying playing. Not only was there passion and power in the forte passages and beautiful phrasing of myriad melodies, but also total clarity of line as he brought out the important elements of dialogue with the orchestra.

Closely attentive to the orchestral accompaniment, he simply duetted as if performing chamber music. And there was never a hint of his not having mastered the works technical complexity.

The orchestra were equally empathetic in all departments with, again, impressive woodwind solos and ensemble passages. Throughout, Paul Coxs direction was alert to Reeves rubatos and accelerandos.

The slow movement was especially moving and brought lumps to the throat. The final movement raced along demonically, ending on a high that took the audience by storm.

Post-interval, it was the turn of another RYO alumnus, Alex Illingworth, who had composed Symphony in C minor (Sehnsucht) for the orchestra.

In the style of Beethoven, and relatively lightweight alongside the Rachmaninov, it was appropriately accessible for the younger orchestra members, being fresh, lively and tuneful. And though stylistically 18th century, it was not in any way plagiaristic.

What Illingworth can achieve with a language more his own will be interesting to see.

Many congratulations to Paul Cox, Edward Reeve, Alex Illingworth and the RYO on their fantastic achievement. What next, we ask?

For information about the orchestra go to www.readingyouth orchestra.co.uk, Facebook reading.youth.orchestra or Twitter @RYO_rdgUK.

Trevor Howell
An Irishman caught up in the terror attack in London spoke of seeing "body after body" after the attacker's car mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.

Michael Kingston, from Goleen in west Co Cork, spoke yesterday of his shock after he saw victims "lying dying in the street".

The maritime lawyer, who is a director of the Irish Cultural Centre in London, said he was walking along the bridge on his way to a meeting when "all hell broke loose".

Speaking on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork radio station Red FM, he said he arrived at traffic lights in the vicinity of the bridge when the attack happened.

"I got to the lights and all hell broke loose," he said.

"There were cars racing around the corner and there was a car mounted on the kerb on the far side and people running from it.

"The next thing I heard shots and saw police scrambling. I was closer to the car, which I could see on the other side of the road, and I realised at that point it was a terrorist attack.

"It was quite clear to me that it was a terrorist attack when I saw bodies on the ground that hadn't been in the vehicle and that the police were shouting 'He's down there'. I decided then to take evasive action."

Ushered

Police were telling people to run away from the scene but, before that, he wondered which direction to go.

"There were no paramedics at this stage. There were just bystanders trying to tend to people basically lying dying in the street," he said.

He added he would also have been on the side of the bridge where the attack happened if he had not been delayed by two or three minutes. "I ushered everyone back who was coming across the bridge," he said.

"As I walked, I could see body after body and I didn't know at that stage whether they had been shot by the terrorist. I later found out they had been mown down.

"On the other side of the bridge, where Guy's Hospital is, paramedics started running from the hospital along the railings on the south side of the bridge to tend to the people, to help the bystanders who were doing their best."

Meanwhile, one of the victims injured in the attack was reported to be an Irishwoman. Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police at a house in Winson Green, Birmingham, after the terror attack by Khalid Masood

Emergency services bid to save the life of Khalid Masood after his murderous terror attack was ended by an armed policeman at the Palace of Westminster, London

The London terrorist has been named as Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old former teacher with a string of criminal convictions, including possession of a knife.

Police said Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was "no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack".

However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

Masood was born in Kent on Christmas Day in 1964 and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands. He was also known by a number of aliases.

It is believed he was a married father-of-three, a former English teacher and a religious convert who was into bodybuilding.

Masood's first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last in December 2003 for possession of a knife. He has not been convicted for any terrorism offences.

Earlier yesterday, British Prime Minister Theresa May disclosed that the terrorist was British-born and known to police and MI5.

Tributes

He was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism some years ago but was a "peripheral figure".

The case is "historic" and the attacker was "not part of the current intelligence picture", Mrs May added.

A US government source said Masood had associates with an interest in joining jihadist groups abroad, but there was no evidence he had done so himself.

As police and intelligence agencies mounted a massive investigation to piece together the killer's movements in the lead-up to the attack:

Anti-terror officers arrested eight people and several addresses were raided overnight in London and Birmingham.

Investigators are working on the basis that the attacker acted alone.

Car firm Enterprise confirmed the Hyundai used in the attack was one of its vehicles. Masood reportedly listed his profession as 'teacher' when hiring the car

Islamic State claimed the killer was one of its "soldiers".

A review of security arrangements at Westminster has been launched.

Tributes were paid to the victims of the atrocity.

Mrs May addressed MPs as they gathered at the usual time inside the Palace of Westminster.

In a defiant message to a packed House of Commons, she said: "We will never waver in the face of terrorism."

Paying tribute to PC Keith Palmer, who died after being stabbed, she said: "He was every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten."

The officer's family described him as "brave and courageous", saying his friends and relatives are "shocked and devastated".

Meanwhile, Islamic State made its first public pronouncement since the atrocity, claiming in a statement: "The attacker yesterday in front of the British Parliament in London was a soldier of the Islamic State executing the operation in response to calls to target citizens of coalition nations."

Commentators pointed out the terror group has a record of opportunistically claiming attacks and said it was significant the statement did not appear to claim that it had directed the strike.

A minute's silence was held nationwide at 9.33am, including in the Palace of Westminster and at New Scotland Yard, to commemorate the four innocent people who were killed.

US president Donald Trump last night paid tribute to one of the terror attack as a "great American".

Kurt Cochran from Utah was in London celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife Melissa when the terrorist struck.

President Trump tweeted: "A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends."

Forty other people were injured in the attack, with 29 treated in hospital, where seven remained in a critical condition yesterday.

The casualties included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

Three police officers were also injured, two of them seriously.

With forensic work completed, Westminster Bridge was reopened yesterday, less than 24 hours after the attack.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang chats with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony inside the Great Hall of the People on March 20, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo : Getty Images)

The CEO of China's largest beverage producer said Israel's tech industry will find a huge market and funding in China in exchange for cutting-edge technology.



Zong Qinghou, chairman of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co Ltd, said Chinese firms are actively seeking mature technologies in Israel to bring to China to develop high-return businesses.



Advertisement

"Israeli companies are pleased to sell their technologies because their home market is relatively small," Zong said in an interview with China Daily in a report published Wednesday.



He said that Wahaha is seeking robot technologies from Israel for its new factory set to be built in Lin'an in east China's Zhejiang Province.



Since 2011, Wahaha has been involved in the research and development of industrial robots, including those used for packaging, palletizing, and delivery of production materials.



By 2015, Wahaha had 30 industrial robots operating in its own factories and has set its sights for another 100 to go into production, China Daily reported.



According to data from IVC Research Center, Chinese investors spent around $500 million in Israeli startups in 2015 and $1 billion in Israeli venture capital funds in 2016.



China and Israel have made recent inroads towards establishing top-level mechanisms for cooperation between companies from the two countries.



Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said on Monday that China and Israel had agreed to deepen cooperation in innovation.



The China-Israel Joint Committee on Innovation Cooperation has played an important role in guiding the innovation development between the two nations, said Wan, adding that Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong and Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend the third meeting of the committee on Tuesday in Beijing.



China has been Israel's largest trade partner in Asia and trade between the two nations have bright prospects in the future, he said.



Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel is a "technological global power" that can be "the perfect junior partner" to Chinese companies in sectors such as cyber security, automotive technology, and data.



The Israeli PM went on a three-day visit to China earlier this week, meeting with the heads of China's largest companies including Wahaha's Zong, Jack Ma of Alibaba, Liu Chuanzhi of Lenovo, and Wang Jianlin of Dalian Wanda Group.


Sgt Callaghan said the woman's screams were heard by men in a nearby garage and they came to her aid. (Stock picture)

A teenage boy was shoved to the ground after he tried to protect his mother from a robber who grabbed her around the neck and demanded her mobile phone, it has been alleged.

Herton Diansambu (20) is said to have hit the woman in the face and pushed her and her 13-year-old son to the ground.

The woman's screams were heard by a group of garage workers who came to her aid, a garda sergeant told Blanchardstown District Court.

Judge David McHugh refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case to May.

The accused, of Bealing Walk, Tyrrelstown, is charged with robbery involving a Samsung Galaxy phone worth 700.

The court heard that the Direcor of Public Prosecutions had directed summary disposal of the matter in the district court.

Sgt Maria Callaghan claimed the woman was in the park in Church Road, Mulhuddart, last July 4 when she walked past Mr Diansambu.

Refused

The sergeant said the woman, who was talking on her mobile phone, was accompanied by her 13-year-old son and 15-month-old daughter. It is alleged that Mr Diansambu put his arm around her neck and demanded her mobile phone.

The woman, who refused to hand it over, alleged Mr Diansambu assaulted her.

It is claimed he pulled her hair and struck her in the face before forcibly pushing her, causing her to fall to the ground.

The court heard the woman's teenage son went to protect her but he too was pushed to the ground.

Sgt Callaghan said the woman's screams were heard by men in a nearby garage and they came to her aid.

Sgt Callaghan said the victim was upset but did not suffer physical injuries.

Mr Diansambu has not yet indicated a plea to the charge.
A grandmother accused of stealing a packet of hair clips from a shop has claimed she was simply putting her false teeth into her grandson's buggy at the time.

Pauline Irwin, of Hunter's Green, Hunter's Way, Ballycullen, Co Dublin, lost a 75,000 defamation action against Claire's Accessories UK, The Square, Tallaght, and was ordered to pay the store's costs.

Ms Irwin told barrister James Burke, for Claire's Accessories, that she suffered from painful gums and regularly took out her false teeth to spread antiseptic cream on them and relieve her pain.

She said she had been putting her teeth under the baby's buggy blanket when pictured on CCTV in the Claire's Accessories shop on April 4, 2015.

"I suffer from painful gums and I had to take my teeth out that day," she told Mr Burke.

"I have to do it about three times a day."

Ms Irwin claimed she had been wrongfully accused of taking a 7 packet of hair clips.

She said pictures shown to the judge of her putting something under the baby's blanket were misleading, as it was her teeth she had in her hand.

She took out her denture plate to show the judge and to compare it to the size of the packet of clips it was alleged she had taken.

She said she had left the store to put antiseptic cream on her gums and had been stopped near the multi-storey car park by the store manager and a security guard.

"The manager shouted and screamed at me and searched my buggy and bags," she said.

"I showed my sore gums to the security man and I was frog-marched back to the shop to view the CCTV."

Ms Irwin told Mr Burke that the CCTV did show her putting something under the blanket in the shop, but said it was her false teeth.

When told by Mr Burke that this was the first time false teeth had been mentioned, she said the shop manager had not given her a chance to explain about her teeth.

Manager Claire Benson said she had seen Ms Irwin put the hair clips under the blanket and had taken pictures with her phone from the CCTV monitor to confirm that what she had seen was correct.

"I saw her conceal the packet of clips under the blanket. I'm 100pc certain it wasn't her teeth," Ms Benson said.

She said Ms Irwin had her teeth in her mouth at the time.

She denied shouting or screaming at Ms Irwin who, she said, had searched her own bags and the buggy.

Suspicions

When the clips had been found, Ms Irwin had said they belonged to her daughter, for whom she had been looking after the baby.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane said Ms Benson had been very clear in her evidence of having seen Ms Irwin, by means of angled ceiling mirrors and CCTV, take the clips and conceal them.

The court accepted there was no shouting or screaming or frog-marching of Ms Irwin and the pictures, which the judge said clearly showed her putting something under a blanket, aroused suspicions.

Dismissing Ms Irwin's claim "without hesitation", the judge said she accepted fully "the far more credible" evidence of the defendants.

"Ms Irwin in the shop didn't have the story she presented to the court that she took out her false teeth because her gums were sore," she said.
Two suspected dissident Republicans from Dublin have appeared before the High Court after they were arrested by gardai in the capital yesterday over the attempted murder of a police officer in Northern Ireland in 2015.

Sean Farrell (32), of Kilfenora Road, Crumlin, and Ciaran Maguire (29), of Kippure Road, Finglas, were arrested separately at their places of work in north Dublin.

The PSNI wants to charge both men with attempted murder and possession of explosives with intent to endanger life.

They were detained yesterday morning under a European Arrest Warrant.

The pair were taken to the High Court and remanded in custody after a brief hearing, during which evidence of their arrest, charge and caution was given by Sergeants Jim Kirwan and Mattie Murphy.

The suspects are due to app-ear before the High Court again on April 3.

The alleged offences relate to the discovery of a viable bomb under a police officer's car in Eglinton, Co Derry, on June 18, 2015.

Improvised

An under-vehicle improvised explosive device was found attached to the serving officer's vehicle at an address at Glenrandel.

The target's wife, also a serving PSNI officer, woke in the middle of the night and looked out to see a man planting the device, a previous court hearing was told.

The would-be bomber fled after the woman hammered on the bedroom window. The bomb was made safe.

Three men, including Farrell and Maguire, were detained by gardai just across the Border in Ballybofey, Co Donegal, at about 4am on June, 18, 2015.

They were travelling in a stolen car that had false number plates and a number of items were seized from the vehicle.

The three were released without charge after their clothing was taken for forensic examination.

Both Farrell and Maguire are well-known to gardai. Maguire was jailed for five years in May 2007 for setting two gardai alight by throwing petrol bombs during riots at the Love Ulster parade in February 2006.

Maguire admitted making five petrol bombs, but said he had thrown only three.

In a separate case, Farrell was jailed for five years for IRA membership in December 2012, but his conviction was quashed in April 2014.

His appeal was supported by Independent TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, who were both in court for the verdict.

Farrell was previously arrested but released without charge by gardai investigating the gun murder of Seamus 'Shavo' Hogan, who it is believed was murdered by the IRA in Crumlin in July 2001.
Karamay in Xinjiang (Photo : Getty Images)

The citys four seasons and picturesque surrounding grasslands make Karamay in Xinjiang, China, truly a one-of-a-kind tourist destination.



Out of the 23 million people residing in the petroleum-rich city, 13 million are Muslims.



Malaysians could become interested in the fascinating landscape and appealing range of halal food offered by the city.



Advertisement

According to Liu Gang, vice secretary-general director of the Karamay Tourism Bureau, the city and Malaysia differ in many but advantageous ways.



I see business, tourism and other corporate collaboration opportunities between Karamay and Malaysia, Liu said.



He also encouraged Malaysians to visit the city known for healthful snacks such as almonds, raisins, grapes and dates.



Karamay City is situated in the western part of China, close to Pakistan and Kazakhstan. The culture and attire of the Karamay community are proof of the citys close proximity to the said countries.



A Karamay Theme Activity Month is going on at GXY Cultin Sdn Bhds exhibition hall in Petaling Jaya. The event will last until April 16.



According to GXY Cultin executive director Riva Wang, the purpose of the exhibition is to provide a place where people can learn about the city, browse tourism packages and inquire on business opportunities.



Petaling Jaya Selatan MCA division chairman Datuk Donald Lim, Malaysia-China Welfare Advisory Society secretary-general Adam Huang, Datuk Yip Kum Fook and Puan Sri Pang Siew Ha were among the dignitaries who attended the exhibition launch.



They are here to showcase tourism packages and halal products such as cooking oil, Lim said.



They have four seasons and seem to have almost all types of interesting landscapes besides the ocean, he added.



In 2016, two million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia, Lim noted while saying that Malaysians may also be attracted to visit Chinese cities like Karamay.



With its interesting variety of halal food and fascinating landscape, Karamay in Xinjiang hopes to lure Malaysian tourists.


China Grants Special Permission to Australia for Beef Exports, Talks on More Trade with Oz

Premier Li Keqiang met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to discuss ties and seal trade deals. (Photo : Getty Images)

The second most powerful man in China, Premier Li Keqiang, met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to seal a deal on bilateral trade and enter a new phase of the partnership between the two countries.



During the meeting, China gave access to 11 Australian beef importers and lifted restrictions on Australian chilled meat.



Advertisement

Prime Minister Turnbull said that Australia is the only country with this kind of special arrangement with China.



He said, "Australia is the only country in the world with this market access. This new agreement will drive significant future growth."



The rising purchasing power of the Chinese middle class is driving a huge demand for Australian beef. Annual imports have already reached $600 million a year.



Australia's Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said that he is looking into exporting donkey meat, kangaroo meat and other edible skins to China.



He said, "What we are providing is food for a more affluent society. Once people start making a buck and they eat fillet steak they want to eat it again and again and again."



According to a statement by the State Council, the trade ties between Australia and China have been going strong for the past eight years. Australian imports reached $3.68 billion, a 56.1 percent year-on-year growth.



Both Li and Turnbull took the opportunity to explain China's stand on controversial issues like North Korea and the South China Sea dispute.



Turnbull praised China for putting a stop to coal exports to North Korea and following the United Nation's resolution on security.



Li said that China is not militarizing the South China Sea and the facilities being built in the area are for civilian use.



"With respect to the so-called militarization, China never has any intention to engage in militarization in the South China Sea," said the premier.



He added, "China's facilities on Chinese islands and reefs are primarily for civilian purposes, and even if there is a certain amount of defense equipment of facilities, it is for maintaining the freedom of navigation and overflight."


Supermodels Tyra Banks and Ashley Graham attend Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Money 2016 on September 24, 2016 at Cedar Lake in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Cindy Ord)

It has been confirmed that Amy Schumer is no longer playing the title role of the upcoming live-action "Barbie" movie, which is produced by Sony Pictures. Because of a scheduling conflict, the comedienne had to give up the project.



"Sadly, I'm no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts," Schumer said in a statement obtained by Variety. "The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I'm bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen."



Advertisement

A spokesperson for Sony said in a statement obtained by the publication that they respect and support Schumer's decision. The spokesperson said they look forward to bringing the live-action "Barbie" movie to the world and sharing production and casting updates soon.



The live-action "Barbie" movie was expected to start production on June 23 and Sony had to stick to its June 29, 2018 release date because Mattel already has merchandise and product cycles in motion. Shifting the production to accommodate Schumer reportedly would have put on a strain on other partners on the project.



Represented by UTA, Carrie Byalick at B Company and Maverick Management, Schumer has a lengthy promotional tour for her new Fox action-comedy "Snatched," which opens on May 12, and a new project titled "Thank You for Your Service," which will open in October. She and Steve Carell are also set to film "She Came to Me" by Rebecca Miller.



The character to be played by Schumer in the live-action "Barbie" movie is kicked out from the Barbieland for not being perfect. Considering this, one of the best actresses to replace Schumer is "America's Next Top Model" Cycle 23 judge Ashley Graham.



As a body-image activist, Graham is a role model for women of all shapes and sizes. In 2016, she said on "The Ellen DeGeneres How" that she had "always been told plus-size starts at a size 8 and it goes up to a size 16/18."



Graham has yet to star in a film and the live-action "Barbie" movie would be not only an excellent acting debut project for her but also a great avenue for her as an advocate of several causes. Recently, she attended the celebration of Urban Arts Partnership Celebrates 25th Anniversary Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, Just Jared reported.



Get to know Graham more here:






UN-backed Syria peace talks resumed in Geneva on Thursday, with little hope of a breakthrough and the emboldened regime seen as unlikely to make concessions.

UN deputy special envoy Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy met separately with government negotiators and the main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) at hotels in the Swiss city.

"We have started today preliminary talks," Ramzy told reporters after his meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's representatives.

"We hope we will be starting substantive discussions tomorrow."

Ramzy's boss, UN mediator Staffan de Mistura, was wrapping up a diplomatic tour of the key powers shaping the conflict, which included trips to Moscow, Riyadh and Ankara.

De Mistura is due back in Geneva on Thursday evening to take charge of the negotiations which have yielded little in four previous rounds.

A stalemate persists over most of the toughest issues, notably Assad's fate, with the opposition insisting he quit power and the government declaring the president's future off limits for discussion.

HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri told reporters after meeting Ramzy that his camp was in Geneva to "guarantee the departure of Bashar al-Assad and his clique".

The UN is aiming for a political deal to end a six-year conflict that has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with protests against Assad's regime.

On the agenda for this round is governance -- a political transition, the constitution and elections -- as well as counter-terrorism at the request of Damascus.

De Mistura tried to strike an optimistic note when the previous round ended last month, insisting that "everything is ready" for the talks to move forward while reiterating his view that there is no military solution to Syria's devastating civil war.

But analysts disagree with the UN envoy, putting the chances of compromise at an all-time low, due in part the regime's increasingly strong position on the ground.

"My assessment is that there will not be a formal political settlement at all," Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at Carnegie Middle East Center, told AFP.

"Regime advances make this almost a certainty," he added.

Since Russia's military intervention in support of Assad in 2015, the regime has gained the upper hand, retaking the former rebel bastion of Aleppo late last year.

For Syria specialist Thomas Pierret, as "the regime continues to gain ground ... there's no reason for it to make the slightest concession."

But HNC spokesman Salem al-Meslet told journalists late Wednesday that he hoped this round would "see real talks, not only a waste of time."

An already-fragile ceasefire has deteriorated further in recent days after rebels and allied Islamist militants launched two surprise offensives on government positions in Damascus and central Hama province.

Assad's air force has responded with raids on rebel targets.

The pro-government Al Watan newspaper quoted an unnamed government negotiator as saying that the Damascus and Hama violence "make it clear and without any doubt that these groups and the countries who operate them want to... undermine any chance of finding a solution."

Hariri described the escalation of violence around Damascus as "self-defence."

So far, there is no plan for the government and rebels to meet face-to-face.

De Mistura has said he wants to unify the HNC with two smaller opposition camps -- known as the Moscow and Cairo platforms -- before presenting the government with a single rebel delegation.

Ramzy was scheduled to meet the Moscow and Cairo groups later Thursday, but uniting them with the HNC could be tough due to disagreements over core issues, including Assad's future.

"We still insist on direct negotiations", Meslet told reporters.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Election day forecast? Sunny skies and, perhaps, a good turnout

"I hope that means that more people will go out and vote," said Barry Jackson, deputy elections director in Washington County.
Austrian poultry will be allowed outdoors as of Saturday as the threat from bird flu is fading, the country's health ministry said, lifting a restriction put in place more than two months ago.

Austria said in January that it was ordering all poultry be kept indoors after the highly pathogenic H5N8 virus was found in dead wild birds near its borders with Germany and Switzerland, and other cases were reported in the region.

The virus, which is deadly for birds but has not been found in humans, has spread across Europe and the Middle East since late last year, leading to the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of poultry, but the threat appears to be receding.

"A significant improvement in the situation has been observed since the beginning of March 2017, both in Austria and abroad," the Austrian health ministry said in a statement on Thursday, echoing recent comments by France.

"The Ministry for Health and Women is therefore lifting the order to keep poultry indoors as of Saturday, March 25," it added.

Other measures aimed at preventing the spread of the disease, such as requirements to protect the animals' food and water sources from wild birds, would remain in place, it added.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Eight people have died in violent clashes between two ethnic groups in central Mali, local sources told AFP Thursday, as tensions grow over use of land and food scarcity in the region.

Increased availability of arms from Libya has also contributed to intercommunal violence in Mali, experts say, while drought has forced herders into areas traditionally cultivated by farmers.

Cattle rustling in the village of Tougou angered traditional hunters who cultivate the land with their animals, a local official told AFP on condition of anonymity, who then carried out reprisals Wednesday against Fulani people they believed had stolen the cows.

Clashes in the nearby town of Diabaly "killed eight people", the source said.

Fulani people are frequently accused of criminality and colluding with jihadists who have sowed chaos in Mali in recent years, especially in the north but more recently in the centre as well.

A hospital source confirmed 13 wounded people had arrived on Wednesday night for treatment, with victims corroborating the deaths of eight people.

Military reinforcements were on the scene to calm tensions, a security source based in the northern city of Gao confirmed to AFP.

Hundreds of people were displaced by similar violence in February, also between members of the Fulani minority and majority Bambara people, and 20 were left dead.

Since the overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in Libya, weapons have travelled freely from the chaotic state in an arc of unrest through Mali and Niger.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president overthrown in 2011 and the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region, walked free on Friday for the first time in six years, his lawyer Faree El-Deeb said.

He left the Maadi Military Hospital where he had been detained, heading to his home in Heliopolis.

A Cairo appeals court cleared Mubarak earlier this month on charges of killing protesters in the 2011 uprising that ended his 30 year rule.

On Thursday, the court accepted an appeal by prosecutors against an earlier court ruling that shelved investigations against Mubarak in the case commonly known as the "Ahram gifts."

According to the court, the prosecution have reopened investigations in the case.

The ousted president was accused of illegally receiving gifts from the state-owned Al-Ahram media organisation.

Since his ouster in 2011, Mubarak has stood trial in a number of criminal cases on various charges, but has received only one final conviction on a corruption charge.

In January 2016, the Court of Cassation upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons for using public funds - slated for the maintenance of presidential palaces - to upgrade their private properties.

However, Mubarak was released from detention on the grounds of time served while undergoing investigation and trial.

Mubarak is still banned from travel pending investigations by the Illicit Gains Authority into the increase in his personal wealth since the 2011 revolution, according to his lawyer Farid El-Deeb.

Prior to his release, the 88-year-old had been confined to the hospital while undergoing treatment since 2012.

The former autocrat ruled Egypt from 1981 until a popular uprising ousted him on 11 February 2011.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Related Egypt army chief of staff and UN Libya envoy discuss end to Libyan crisis

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on Thursday in New York with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres where they discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

In a statement issued early Friday, foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said Shoukry and Guterres focused particularly on Egyptian efforts to mediate among the political rivals in war-torn Libya to help the country reach a political agreement.

The two also discussed the results of the fourth round of Syria's peace talks in Geneva. Shoukry underscored Egypt's support for the UN special envoy for the country Staffan de Mistura.

The foreign minister and UN chief also discussed developments in South Sudan. Shoukry emphasised the importance of international support for the country's rival powers to reach a reconciliation based on a peace agreement they signed in August 2015.

Shoukry is currently on a visit to the US.

The minister participated in a meeting of the global coalition working to defeat the Islamic State group in Washington D.C on Wednesday

Search Keywords:

Short link:


TEL AVIV (JTA)-Last week, Israelis for the first time saw a black lead character on a homegrown, primetime television show.

"Nevsu," a half-hour comedy, focuses on an Ethiopian man who is married to an Ashkenazi Jewish woman. Misunderstanding ensues.

"There is definitely a lot of cultural confusion in the show," Yosi Vasa, the star and co-creator of the show, told JTA. "But the great thing about comedy is when the audience laughs, that means they get it. So that's progress."

Following a series of sometimes violent protests between Ethiopian Israelis and police in recent years, the creators of the new show think comedy is called for. They hope that by making light of the frictions between Ethiopian immigrants and the broader society, they can promote mutual understanding.

"People went out to [the highway] Ayalon South and demonstrated with anger. People wrote columns," co-creator Shai Ben-Atar said in a promotional video, referring to 2015 demonstrations protesting police brutality against Ethiopians. "Our demonstration is a demonstration of love. We come to the audience with love. We come with characters full of love."

In the March 9 premiere, Vasa's character, Gili, steps out of his suburban house to run an errand. A police officer driving by stops and demand his ID, which he has left inside the house. Moments later the officer is aggressively frisking Gili against the trunk of his car.

Vasa, 41, said such incidents are part of his reality, which many Israelis find difficult to believe. But one evening last year, the show's third co-creator, Liat Shavi, had a firsthand look. After saying goodnight to Vasa, who had stopped outside the office in Tel Aviv to smoke a cigarette, her cellphone rang.

"Suddenly he's calling me, and I don't understand. He's speaking unclearly, and he says, 'Come here for a second,'" Shavit recalled in the promotional video. "So I look across the street and I see him standing there with a police officer."

Ben-Atar adds: "He didn't care about the fact that he was arrested. He just really wanted us to see that it actually happens, and that was really comedic."

Roni Akale, the director-general of the Ethiopian National Project, said most Israelis don't get where Ethiopians are coming from because they live largely separate lives.

Ethiopians, who make up just 1.5 percent of the population, tend to be clustered in poor areas of the country, with many living on the periphery. They have the highest poverty rate among Jews in Israel, and are stopped, arrested and incarcerated at much higher rates. Their children perform worse in school and finish fewer years than the general population.

"Israeli society doesn't know us because we are not in their environment. They don't see how we live," Akane said. "Maybe this show can highlight the good things that happen in the Ethiopian community."

What Israelis have seen in recent years is Ethiopians protesting in the streets alleging widespread discrimination. The April 2015 demonstrations were a response to video footage showing a seemingly unprovoked police assault on an Ethiopian Israeli soldier. Thousands of members of the community joined demonstrations across the country, sometimes clashing with police officers. There have been smaller protests since.

"Nevsu," which is an Amharic term of endearment, brings Ethiopian culture into Israeli living rooms, and mashes it up against mainstream culture to comedic effect. Gili has had the kind of life that taught him how to pick locks and hot-wire cars while his blond wife, Tamar, played by Merav Feldman, comes from a privileged background.

Although Gili and Tamar are simpatico, their families and the rest of society are another story. Tamar cannot believe that Gili's mother wants to slaughter a goat that her daughter has adopted as a pet. And Gili struggles to eat his mother-in-law's bland Ashkenazi cooking.

Tamar is often outraged by the injustices Gili faces and wants to set them right, whereas he has learned to keep his head down. An exception in the first episode is when Gili explodes at the neighbors, accusing them of changing the locks on their doors because they fear him. Worn out after a racially charged day, Gili turns out to have misjudged the situation.

"There are a lot of times you find yourself in a very white environment, so you see things you would probably see differently if you were surrounded by Ethiopians," Vasa said.

"Nevsu" airs on Channel 2 at 10:30 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays.

Vasa's family came to Israel from a remote Ethiopian village as part of Operation Moses in 1985, one of several daring government operations to rescue Ethiopian Jews. The eight of them settled in coastal Netanya, and he bounced between government boarding schools for Ethiopians. As a theater and education student at the University of Haifa, he and a classmate created a series of videos that went viral in the Ethiopian community.

"All they had for media was some videotapes of TV from Ethiopia, which were sold at grocery stores," Vasa said. "So we started selling our tapes at the same stores. The tapes started getting copied and passed around, so they didn't show us the money, but it was a great thing to do for us and for our community."

Reversing the usual Israeli order, Vasa joined the army after university, performing in the storied theater unit that entertains troops. After his three years of service, he developed a one-man comedy show with Ben-Atar called "It Sounds Better in Amharic," which he still performs. He met his now-wife at an English-languge version of the show in San Francisco. Like Tamar, she is a non-Ethiopian Israeli, but her ethnic background is half Ashkenazi and half Mizrahi Jewish.

Vasa sees the Ethiopians as just "another Israeli immigration story," and thinks racism toward his community will fade, as it has toward Mizrahi Israelis. Attitudes toward Arabs, he said, is a separate issue.

"Arab Labor," a comedy that ran for three seasons between 2007 and 2012, similarly broke down cultural barriers in Israel, in its case between Jews and Arabs. Nevertheless, its Arab-Israeli creator, Sayed Kashua, eventually left the country, despairing that "an absolute majority in the country does not recognize the rights of an Arab to live."

Vasa started working on "Nevsu" in 2012. After he shopped the show to production companies for several years. Reshet picked it up two years ago. Tamar Morom, who heads the Israeli production company's scripted series department, said the pitch immediately struck everyone as a "good idea."

She also said the timing was right.

"Probably it wouldn't have worked five years ago," Morom told JTA. "There were a lot of demonstrations and not very pleasant issues between Ethiopians and police in the last two years. So it's not that it's calm now. I think it's just the right time to criticize our society."
(JTA)A United Nations affiliate removed a report accusing Israel of apartheid from the Internet following a request from the secretary-general of the international body.

Antonio Guterres asked the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, or EWCWA, to remove the report, which was published Wednesday and says it establishes, on the basis of scholarly inquiry and overwhelming evidence, that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid, Reuters reported Friday.

Rima Khalaf, the commissions chief, resigned because of Gutteres pressure to remove the report, according to Reuters.

As of shortly after noon Friday, a previous link to the report yielded an error message and the report was not listed among the publications on the website for the ESCWA, an agency based in Beirut, Lebanon that is comprised of 18 Arab member states, including what is identified as the State of Palestine.

A U.N. spokesman had said earlier that the report was published without consulting the international bodys Secretariat and does not reflect the views of the secretary-general.

The United States and Israel sharply criticized the report.

The United States is outraged by the report, Nikki Haley, the U.S. envoy to the U.N., said Wednesday in a statement. The United Nations Secretariat was right to distance itself from this report, but it must go further and withdraw the report altogether.

Israels U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, said in a statement: The attempt to smear and falsely label the only true democracy in the Middle East by creating a false analogy is despicable and constitutes a blatant lie.
The Orlando Chapter Hadassah presents "Lunch with Cuban-born author Marisella Veiga" on Tuesday, April 4, at Congregation Ohev Shalom at 11:30 a.m. She will present her book, "We Carry Our Homes With Us", a memoir of her flight from Cuba as a young girl and her integration into American life.

Veiga is a professional writer and college professor. Her work has appeared in both literary and commercial publications, including the Washington Post, Poets & Writers and Art in America. In 2004, Veiga was given the Evelyn La Pierre Award in Journalism by Empowered Women International. She is a nationally syndicated columnist with Hispanic Link News Service. She was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota; she now lives and writes in St. Augustine, Florida.

On Dec. 30, 1960, Veiga with her mother and two brothers boarded a plane from Havana to Miami. Her father fled a few months later, joining his family with a total of 14 U.S. cents in his pocket and an understanding that he would never see his homeland again.

Thanks largely to the sponsorship of a host family in St. Paul, the Veigas resettled in Minnesota, miles away from the Caribbean subtropics where the climate was similar to home, Spanish was spoken, and thousands of exiles arrived each month.

Veiga's stories are rich with detail and character as she describes her integration into a northern Midwestern landscape she grew to love, from adapting to the cold, learning to ice skate before learning to speak English to her obsession with Davy Jones. Yet, the weight of her biculturalism-being of two worlds but an outsider to both-has been central to her quest for identity.

In 2014, Veiga was awarded a residency at the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Red Wing, Minnesota. She wrote a basic draft about her formative years as a resettled Cuban refugee in the Twin Cities. "We Carry Our Homes with Us" is the result-published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press this past April.

Signed copies of Veiga's book will be available at the meeting. It is also available for download and in paperback at Amazon.com.

For reservations to "Lunch with Marisella Veiga," e-mail Nancyg357@yahoo.com or call 407-333-0204. Couvert is $12.
Standing up non-violently to anti-Israel activists on the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) campus in South Africa had a positive effect during Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), and BDS demonstrators folded up their flags and didnt even show up for the last day of the event.

We are taking a stand and saying, Enough, Gilad Kabilo told The Algemeiner reporter Lea Speyer.

Kabilo, leader of a group sponsored by StandWithUs, said that the no-show on the last day was because of the strong response of Jewish and pro-Israel students who stood up to the demonstrators message of hate every day of IAW.

The Jewish group withstood Hezbollah and Hamas flags being flown in their faces as they demonstrated against a die-in. In an attempt at intimidation, the BDS activists gave the Nazi salute and goose-stepped toward the Jewish students.

According to The Algemeiner, members of the Jewish community, both on and off campus are demanding that administrators take action against the BDS movement on campus.

More than 1,000 emails were sent to Wits management calling for repercussions against these incidents, Kabilo stated.

Along with the support of StandWithUs is the South African Union of Jewish Students, a nonprofit organization that caters to the needs of Jewish students at all South African university campuses.
The festival spirit was alive and well during Purim 2017 at the Meitin Alliance for Growth and Learning (MAGAL), the collaborative religious school between Temple Israel and Temple Shir Shalom. MAGAL, the name by which the school is known, is the Hebrew word for "circle" and a symbol of oneness. Classes are held at 50 S. Moss Road in Winter Springs. Next open house is scheduled for May 7, or you may call for an appointment at your convenience to take a tour (407-647-3055). Suffice it to say "a picture is worth a thousand words."
The prospect of all-out conflict between the U.S. and the North Korean regime has loomed large over the last fortnight, as a consequence of the latest round of provocations from Pyongyang.

Its always a competition between the worlds rogue states as to which one of them can pose the greatest threat to global peace and order at any given moment. Since 2011, the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, backed by Russian and Iranian military power in the air and on the ground, has wreaked havoc in the Middle East, annihilating around 500,000 people and transforming millions more into an endless column of refugees streaming across the countrys borders. Iran, Assads lifeline, is itself a persistent and urgent threat, temporarily held in check by the flimsy nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration, which at its most generous interpretation allows the conditions for Tehran to weaponize its nuclear program within a decade.

But it is outside the Middle East, on the Korean peninsula, that the most present threat to the U.S. and its regional allies manifests. How we deal now with an angry, nuclear-enabled North Korean regime, and whether we can avoid a perilous confrontation with it, will be decisive when it comes to facing similar flashes of belligerence from Tehran or Damascus.

It was the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the exiled half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, at Kuala Lumpur Airport Feb. 13 that set off this new series of tensions with North Korea. The manner of Kims deathsprayed with a VX nerve agent by two women who appear to have been unwittingly recruited by North Korean agentswas an act of pure terrorism, and one more piece of evidence that North Koreas current dictator, like his father and grandfather before him, has only contempt for the sovereignty of foreign countries. Nothing has changed on that score: The North Korea that carried out kidnappings in Japan in the 1970s is the same North Korea carrying out assassinations in Malaysia decades later.

The grisly murder in Kuala Lumpur was quickly followed by the launch of four ballistic missiles, three of which landed in Japans exclusive economic area 200 miles from its coastline. Fifty-four thousand American troops remain stationed in Japanone of several reasons why Kim is aggressively baiting his neighbor across the sea.

As the crisis has escalated, China, which supposedly wields the greatest outside influence on the North Koreans, has been powerless to rein in Kim Jong Un. Beijings proposal that North Korea end its missile tests in exchange for the cancelation of joint American-South Korean military exercises fell flat, with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley subsequently announcing that all options are on the tablea phrase that is familiar from the Iranian contextin dealing with the unbelievable, irresponsible arrogance of the Kim family dynastys current figurehead.

At times like these, we should be under no illusions about the character of the enemy. North Koreas rulers are first of all an abomination, both in the manner in which they treat their own people, and in the mortal danger they pose to outsiders. We are duty-bound to do everything in our power to bring down the Kim dynasty, and we should apologize to nobody for declaring this our ambition.

The best visual illustration of the nature of Kims regime can be found in a satellite image of the Korean peninsula at night. South Korea sparkles brightly, while North Korea is shrouded in pitch-black darknesssave for a small glimmer around Pyongyang, the capital, where the officials of the ruling party are quartered, and which is spared, relatively speaking, from the famine and electricity shortages that prevail in the rest of the country.

To look upon that image is to be reminded that North Korea isnt a normal country so much as it is a concentration camp with a seat at the U.N. Indeed, large tracts of the country to the north of Pyongyang are given over to North Koreas very own gulag systempenal colonies where up to 150,000 people are incarcerated, and are subjected to forced labor, starvation rations, harsh beatings, rape, torture, exposure to extreme weather, disease and repulsive acts of sadism by guards who could just as easily have served in the death camps of the Nazis.

As is always the case with totalitarian states, there is a ruling ideology that glorifies the fusion of war communism and medieval bloodlust that North Korea represents. In Iran, they call it velayat-e faqihthe concept that only Islamic jurists can legitimately rule on Earth. In North Korea, the total concentration of power in the Kim dynasty is expressed in the doctrines of juche, meaning self-reliance, and songun, putting the military first in terms of resource allocation and placing the armed forces at the heart of the state. These dogmas celebrate cruelty and ideological fanaticism. By the same token, they scorn those very thingslike family ties, friendship and independent thoughtthat give value to the lives of Westerners. In North Korea, fear dressed as ideology penetrates so deeply that parents cannot trust their own children, while children know that the state can seize them from their parents at any time, for any reason.

There are other features that North Korea shares with similarly blood-drenched regimes. For all its talk of socialism, North Korea functions like an unopposed hereditary monarchy, much as Iraq did under Saddam Hussein, and as Syria has done under Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. Like those countries, North Korea has pursued weapons of mass destruction on the biological and nuclear frontsonly with the success that eluded Saddam and the Assads, and for which Iran eagerly awaits.

The old policy on North Korea, which involved alternately dangling tempting rewards in front of the Kims and then hitting the regime with tough sanctions, has failed to slow North Koreas military development. The songun doctrine suggests that Kim Jong Uns sacred duty now is to accelerate that process even further. As Korea analyst Robert E. McCoy explains, The ultimate goal remains one Korea ruled by the Kim Dynasty. What remains unknown is how and when Kim Jong Un would attempt to achieve that.

The answer may lie in the speed with which Kim develops intercontinental ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads toward Hawaii or the U.S. mainland. When and how we prevent him from reaching that point could turn out to be the most fateful foreign policy decision since October 1962, when U.S. aerial photographs revealed the deployment of Soviet missiles in Cuba. And nobody will be cheering on the North Koreans more than Iran.

Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org and The Tower Magazine, writes a weekly column for JNS.org on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics. His writings have been published in Commentary, the New York Post, Haaretz, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications.
The international coalition battling the Islamic State group will begin a final push on the jihadists' Syrian stronghold Raqa in the coming days, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday.

But on the ground, the US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance spearheading the battle for the jihadist group's de facto Syrian capital faces several key obstacles before reaching Raqa.

IS has come under growing pressure from twin US-backed ground offensives targeting Raqa and their other main stronghold, Mosul in Iraq.

"Today, we can say that Raqa is surrounded and the battle will begin in the coming days," Le Drian told France's CNEWS television.

"This will be a very hard battle but essential."

France, which has been targeted by a wave of jihadist attacks, is one of the most active members of the US-led coalition against IS.

It ratcheted up its air strikes against the extremists after the Paris massacre of November 2015 which was claimed by IS.

The jihadists are under attack from several directions in northern Syria, with Russia supporting its Syrian ally President Bashar al-Assad on one front and Turkey providing air cover for rebel groups battling the jihadists on another.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-Arab alliance, has been working for months to encircle Raqa.

The US military has provided air and artillery support involving Apache helicopter gunships to help the SDF in an offensive for the strategically important Tabqa Dam near Raqa.

A US spokesman for the coalition said last week that seizing the dam would "give the SDF a strategic advantage and launching point needed for the liberation" of Raqa.

"The first goal of the SDF is to control Tabqa city (next to the dam) or besiege it completely before starting the battle for Raqa," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.

The US has several hundred troops on the ground in Syria supporting the SDF forces.

But SDF fighters are still around eight kilometres (five miles) from Raqa at their closest point, to the northeast, but mostly stationed further away, between 18 and 29 kilometres from the city, according to the Observatory.

A US official said last week that up to 1,000 additional American troops could deploy to northern Syria under provisional plans drawn up by the Pentagon.

The plan, which still needs to be approved by President Donald Trump, would mark a significant uptick in US boots on the ground in Syria.

But a European diplomat, who did not want to be named, said the situation surrounding the Raqa offensive remained "blurred".

"The Americans are still in the review process. Trump did not make a decision (on who will take Raqa), but it is clear that on the ground it is the SDF option that is developing."

But there are "multiple alliances which make the situation very complex," the diplomat added.

The anti-IS coalition estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 jihadists are in Raqa, a city of about 300,000.

Years of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in March 2011 with protests against Assad's regime.

The latest round of UN-backed Syria peace talks entered a second day in Geneva on Friday but there was little hope of a breakthrough in negotiations that have yielded little in previous rounds.

UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura was holding talks with the government and opposition delegations separately.

Deadlock remains over most of the toughest issues, notably Assad's fate, with the opposition insisting he cede power and the government declaring the subject off limits.

Since Russia's military intervention in support of Assad in 2015, the regime has gained the upper hand, retaking the former rebel bastion of Aleppo late last year.

On the agenda for this round is governance -- a political transition, the constitution and elections -- as well as counter-terrorism, at the request of Damascus.The international coalition battling the Islamic State group in its stronghold of Raqa will begin a final push on the Syrian city in the coming days, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday.

"Today, we can say that Raqa is surrounded and the battle will begin in the coming days," he told France's CNEWS television.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The artificiality of a Palestinian identity is reflected in the attitudes and actions of neighboring Arab nations who never established a Palestinian state themselves.

The rhetoric by Arab leaders on behalf of the Palestinians rings hollow. Arabs in neighboring states, who control 99.9 percent of the Middle East land, have never recognized a Palestinian entity. They have always considered Palestine and its inhabitants part of the great Arab nation, historically and politically as an integral part of Greater Syria - Suriyya al-Kubra - a designation that extended to both sides of the Jordan River. In the 1950s, Jordan simply annexed the West Bank since the population there was viewed as the brethren of the Jordanians. Jordans official narrative of Jordanian state-building attests to this fact:

Jordanian identity underlies the significant and fundamental common denominator that makes it inclusive of Palestinian identity, particularly in view of the shared historic social and political development of the people on both sides of the Jordan... The Jordan government, in view of the historical and political relationship with the West Bank... granted all Palestinian refugees on its territory full citizenship rights while protecting and upholding their political rights as Palestinians (Right of Return or compensation).

The Arabs never established a Palestinian state when the UN in 1947 recommended to partition Palestine, and to establish an Arab and a Jewish state (not a Palestinian state, it should be noted). Nor did the Arabs recognize or establish a Palestinian state during the two decades prior to the Six-Day War when the West Bank was under Jordanian control and the Gaza Strip was under Egyptian control; nor did the Palestinian Arabs clamor for autonomy or independence during those years under Jordanian and Egyptian rule.

And as for Jerusalem: Only twice in the citys history has it served as a national capital. First as the capital of the two Jewish Commonwealths during the First and Second Temple periods, as described in the Bible, reinforced by archaeological evidence and numerous ancient documents. And again, in modern times as the capital of the State of Israel. It has never served as an Arab capital for the simple reason that there has never been a Palestinian Arab state.

Eli E. Hertz is the founder of Myths and Facts, http://www.mythsandfacts.org.
For the past 15 years, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has been promoting the so-called Saudi Initiative, a plan he says proves that Saudi Arabia sincerely wants peace with Israel. But this week, a senior Palestinian leader revealed that at the very moment the Saudis were launching that plan, they were financing a major wave of terrorism against Israel.

Its time for Friedman to publicly admit he was wrong and apologize for the harm he caused to Israel.

It all started Feb. 6, 2002, when Friedman devoted his New York Times column to a memo that he wanted President George W. Bush to send to Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and other Arab leaders. The memo would urge the Arabs to recognize Israel in exchange for an Israeli retreat to the pre-1967 armistice lines (including re-dividing Jerusalem).

Friedman then flew to Saudi Arabia, where he was granted a rare interview with Crown Prince Abdullah. And lo and behold, Abdullah proceeded to unveil a Saudi peace plan identical to what Friedman had been pushing. Friedmans Feb. 17, 2002 column then became the vehicle for announcing the Saudi plan. Quite an unusual channel for an international diplomatic announcement!

The New York Times proceeded to pump up the Saudi proposal in its news columns. MSNBC noted, What newspapers management can resist following up on a plan for Middle East peace that appeared to grow directly out of its own pages?

The plan was based on the premise that the Saudis had given-up their decades-old hatred of Israel and denial of Israels to exist, and now were sincerely interested in living in peace with Israel. Thats what Friedman tried to get the U.S. government, and American Jews, to believe.

Friedman had become, in effect, Riyadhs most important Western spokesperson. And the timing could not have been betterthe Saudis image in the U.S. had been profoundly tarred by the prominence of Saudi nationals (16 of the 19 hijackers) in the 9/11 attacks. So pretending to want peace with Israel could help distract from that.

Friedmans efforts on behalf of the Saudis, however, were undermined by a Palestinian terrorist attack took place just as his PR effort was kicking into high gear. A suicide bomber struck at a Passover seder in the Park Hotel in Netanya. Twenty-seven people were murdered and 140 were wounded. It was the most notorious attack of the second Palestinian intifada, which lasted from 2000-2003.

And now it turns out that the second intifada terrorism was financed by the moderate, peace-seeking, anti-terrorist government of Saudi Arabia.

Nabil Shaath, the former foreign minister and longtime chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority, made this stunning revelation in an interview last month with ON TV. Shaath described how, in the autumn of 2000, Crown Prince Abdullah summoned him to Riyadh, sending a private jet to Jordan to pick him up.

So I went to his palace, Shaath recalled. Abdullah said, You are in the midst of an intifada. It may last two or three years. They will freeze all your assets. How will you continue this intifada? It takes money. Shaath continued, So I named the largest figure I could think of: $1 billion. I said that $1 billion could keep us going for two or three years. Its on me, he said...I will pay half and will collect the other half...Thats what he did. That was the money that enabled us to survive in the three years of the intifada. (Translation courtesy of the Middle East Media Research Institute.)

Thanks for your honesty, Mr. Shaath. Now we know that while Thomas Friedman and the New York Times were promoting the Saudi peace plan, the Saudis were financing second intifada attacks such as the Passover massacre. They were never interested in peace. Their checkbooks expressed their true feelings about Jews and Israel. An apology from their PR agent, Friedman, is long overdue.

Stephen M. Flatow, a vice president of the Religious Zionists of America, is an attorney in New Jersey. He is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995.
Syria's regime said Friday that the latest UN-backed peace talks must start with a focus on terrorism after attacks around Damascus, a call likely to be rejected by the opposition.

A fifth round of negotiations to end the conflict have started in Geneva, with the government delegation meeting UN mediator Staffan de Mistura.

President Bashar al-Assad's representatives and the main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) have agreed to tackle four issues: governance, drafting a new constitution, elections and combating terrorism in the war-ravaged country.

"We can start with any one of these," lead government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari told reporters after meeting de Mistura.

"But developments on the ground... require us to start tomorrow with terrorism," he said, adding that de Mistura "showed understanding" for that plan.

Rebels and allied jihadists this week launched two surprise offensives on government positions in Damascus and central Hama province, which Jaafari said he had discussed with de Mistura.

The HNC has repeatedly accused the regime of invoking terrorism as a distraction from the longstanding stumbling block of a political transition, including the possible removal of Assad from office.

Jaafari, Syria's UN ambassador, added that Assad's government was "not neglecting" the other agenda items and "there will be time devoted to each".

De Mistura, due to meet the HNC later on Friday, has said that the agreement on a "clear agenda" was a sign of progress, although experts have voiced doubt that the negotiations will progress.

Four previous rounds have yielded little. with the government emboldened following major military victories in recent months helped partly by strong support from its ally Russia.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


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/
Agnipankh, which debuts this weekend, promises fire, heat and some good old-fashioned burns.

The Hindi play is set in politically turbulent India of 1948. It tells a tale of Durgeshwari or Baisaab, a Brahmin matriarch with a tight hold on her zamindari household despite complicated relationships with her children and alcoholic husband. Then, Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated by a Maratha Brahmin and her world goes topsy-turvy.

Meeta Vasisht plays Baisaab, and director Ganesh Yadav likens her character to a chess players.

Ganesh Yadav, Agnipankhs director, says he chose the play because 69 years after it was set (and 31 years after it was written for the Marathi stage by Prabhakar Laxman Mayekar), so many of its themes remain relevant. Sure, theres a tight script and great lines, but theres also the tension between Brahmins and Dalits, complexities in familial relationships and women empowerment, he says. At the same time, it is so commercial that it wont fail to entertain.

Meeta Vasisht plays Baisaab, and Yadav likens her character to a chess players. All her moves are well-planned, but will surprise. For Vasisht, however, the play represents all the things missing in todays theatre. We are picking countries like Norway, Vietnam or Iran and talking about their issues or adapting American or English plays, she says. We hardly ever engage with our own history, country, and issues. Thats what makes Agnipankh different.

Weaving through the politics is a love story between Baisaab and her husband, Raosaab. They have this love-hate relationship which gives the play yet another layer, says Yadav.

Art director, Ajit Dandekar, recreated a whole Marathi wada on stage.

Its an old-fashioned tale in more ways than one. Minimalist set design, so typical of modern plays is being abandoned in favour of full costumery and lush sets. Art director, Ajit Dandekar, recreated a whole Marathi wada on stage. Still, says Vasisht, its the story that will shine through. I hope that those who watch the play will carry it back with them, think about every character and feel that they could have become a part of the time they come from.

What:Agnipankh

Where: Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, off Linking Road, Bandra

When: Saturday, 7:30 pm

Cost: Ticket prices from Rs 300. Available on BookMyShow.com

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A breathing Fidel Castro is among several ex-communist leaders gathered in Hong Kong this week  one of the worlds centres of capitalism  as part of a cheeky exhibition at Art Basel.

Lifelike replicas of Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin, Kim Il-Sung, Ho Chi Minh and the former Cuban leader are lying in state in the citys harbourfront convention centre, drawing curious, smartphone-snapping art enthusiasts.

Made from acrylic and silica gel and dressed in their signature uniforms, all lie in glass coffins, except for Castro, who can be seen breathing almost imperceptibly on his deathbed.

Visitors sit behind Chinese artist Shen Shaomin's Fidel Castro. (AFP Photo/Anthony Wallace)

The installation, called Summit, was created by Chinese artist Shen Shaomin who said the work was conceived as a response to the global financial crisis of 2008. It was originally commissioned for the Sydney Biennale contemporary art festival in 2010  when Castro was still alive  as an imaginary meeting of former dictators to parody the now defunct G8 grouping of wealthy industrialised nations.

Many Western scholars have become suspicious about capitalism, and compared and discussed theories of communism, so I have created the G5, Shen said. People from different countries, different cultural backgrounds, different experiences have their own ways to interpret it, said Shen, who jokingly inserted his iPhone into Castros hand.

Gallerist Agnes Lin, who is representing the work at Art Basel, said she had been doubtful whether the exhibit would be allowed into semi-autonomous Hong Kong, where concerns are growing that China is tightening its grip.

Mao remains a controversial figure on the mainland and there is general sensitivity about his image there. Despite that, Maos replica and the other bodies were made in Beijing, where Shen has a base. (Art Basel) really fought hard to have this piece in, Lin said.

Visitors walk past Chinese artist Shen Shaomin's Mao. (AFP Photo/Anthony Wallace)

I think Hong Kong is still free... we can still have the freedom to show this work and Im so happy about that.

Shen said the bodies took a team of seven to eight artisans six months to create after intensively studying the leaders appearances, from their moles to their hair. It makes people want to learn more about them, said Tiernan Breen, 18, a student from Fiji browsing Art Basel.

You ask yourself questions which you wouldnt ask if you hadnt actually seen them.

Shen is not expecting a private collector to take home the bodies, but hopes the work finds a place in a museum. Since the Sydney Biennale, the installation has toured museums in Singapore and France.

Its very unique, I love it... You get goosebumps, you know? said Nesli Vetter, 54, visiting Art Basel from Germany.

All good old boys.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more.
A third of Yemen's 22 provinces are on the brink of famine, the UN said Friday, warning that 60 percent of the war-ravaged country's population was going hungry.

Yemen, long one of the world's poorest nations, has seen its food security deteriorate dramatically since its civil war escalated two years ago after the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition.

"We are deeply concerned that Yemen is on the brink of famine," Bettina Luescher, a spokeswoman for the UN's World Food Programme, told reporters in Geneva.

"Out of the 22 (provinces), seven are in emergency phase four, and that is one level before declaring a famine," she said.

The WFP is currently providing food to around seven million in Yemen each month, she said, pointing out though that they account for fewer than half the 17 million said to be going hungry.

And even those lucky enough to get aid are not receiving all the nutrients they need, Luescher said, because full rations cannot be afforded.

"Lack of funding, the ongoing conflict, restricted movement of humanitarian aid workers are the major obstacles to get food and other assistance to the people," she said.

The Yemen conflict has left more than 7,400 dead and 40,000 wounded since the Saudi-led coalition joined the government side against Iran-backed rebels in March 2015, according to UN figures.

The UN human rights agency said Friday that at least 4,773 civilians had been killed over the past two years.

The conflict has dramatically affected food supply, with around 60 percent of Yemen's population now considered to be struggling to find enough, up 20 percent from a year ago, Luescher said.

"That is why we are so concerned about the fact that the fighting is going on, that the ports often can't operate, that bridges are being blown up, that trucks cannot go to areas," she said.

A famine is declared when 20 percent of the population faces "extreme food shortages with limited ability to cope", World Health Organization spokesman Christian Lindmeier explained.

In addition, for a famine to be declared, acute malnutrition rates must exceed 30 percent for children under five, and there must be more than two deaths per 10,000 people or four deaths per 10,000 children per day, he said.

Yemen is one of four countries currently facing the risk of famine, alongside Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria, with more than 20 million facing starvation, according to the UN.

UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien earlier this month described the situation in Yemen as "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world".

Search Keywords:

Short link:


After her film Veer (2010), actor Zareen Khan had spoken about how she was body shamed for being fat. Much has not changed since then, says Zareen. A major part of the industry still feels that till the time your body looks great, your acting potential does not matter. A large section of the industry still judge you on how you look. Only when you are physically appealing, will they like to know you, she says.

However, Zareen, who has been part of films such as Housefull 2 (2012) and Hate Story 3 (2015), says she is happy with her career graph. I am content. Its been almost six years that I have been a part of this industry. The ups and downs in my career has kept me happy, says Zareen.

Zareens film Aksar 2 will be releasing soon and she will also start work on her movie with filmmaker Vikram Bhatt. Talking about the kind of roles she wants to take up, she says, I would like to choose characters that challenge me. The industry trends to stereotype you, but I am happy that is not happening with me now.

However, she still has a long way to go. I have unfortunately not reached a phase where I have the chance to do multiple projects at the same time. When that happens, I feel it will be challenging but fun to switch between roles, she says.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
InterGlobe Aviation Ltd-run IndiGo and Go Airlines (India) Ltd run GoAir, among the first to fly the new Airbus A320neo, have been forced to find ways to deal with vexing technical snags with the Pratt & Whitney engines that power the aircraft.

IndiGo has asked its pilots to fly snag-hit A320neo planes at a lower altitude, 30,000 ft, and not the usual 36,000 ft to reduce strain on engines even though it will mean higher fuel burn. GoAir CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said in an interview on Thursday that Pratt & Whitney will support us properly with spare engines and other support needs to be there so we can overcome the initial phase and dont have any flight disruptions.

A Pratt & Whitney spokesman said it has no comment on the subject.

Earlier this month the engine maker said there were no safety issues involved with the planes and replacement engines were being sent to India on cargo jets when required.

Still, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked IndiGo and GoAir to increase surveillance of these planes, besides specifying other restrictions on when and where to fly them.

In January, an IndiGo flight had a so-called rejected takeoff at Mumbai. A GoAir flight from Delhi had to return to the airport after an engine fire 15 minutes into the flight. Last month, a GoAir flight had to effect an emergency landing and an IndiGo flight had to fly minus passengers to Delhi from Baroda.

Spokespersons for GoAir and IndiGo declined to comment for this story.

Analysts say the two airlines are facing teething troubles that early buyers of new aircraft do. They point to Air Indias troubles with Boeings Dreamliner.

Usually, such problems are sorted out within the first two years of a new aircraft being launched.

In this case too, technical issues will be sorted out in one-and-a-half years, Prock-Schauer said.

IndiGo, which was the launch customer for the Airbus A320neo, has about 413 planes on order; it has so far inducted 17 in its 129-plane fleet. GoAir flies less than half-a-dozen of them and has about 140 on order. The planes, powered by fuel-efficient engines, are key to both airlines low cost model.

On 21 March, Ashim Mittra, vice president (flight operations), IndiGo said in a note to pilots that Pratt & Whitney had proposed limiting the altitude of flying to 30,000 feet for A320neo planes to avoid a possible glitch in the engine lubrication system and that effective 22 March, IndiGo had decided to adopt the recommendation. Mint has seen a copy of the note.

Since flying at lower altitudes consumes more fuel, the note asked pilots to fuel up accordingly.

Aviation analyst Mohan Ranganathan and former director general of civil aAviation Kanu Gohain said it was rare for an airline to place such altitude restrictions.

Publicly known technical snags in the Neos include erroneous warnings to the pilot, longer startup times, issues with the combustor chamber lining, oil seal failures, and so-called oil chip detected warnings.

Pratt and Whitney have constantly been analysing other teething problems that have emerged during operations, Mittra said in his note to pilots.

Earlier this month, top Pratt & Whitney executives met DGCA officials to update them on the engine issues.

Former DGCA chief Gohain said more inspections would help.

Whenever there are repeated engine issues you increase the frequency of inspections so that you can detect the internal distress of the engine earlier before it fails, Gohain said.
Vodafone and Netmagic on Friday got government clearance for their investment plans in India while the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) will vet the proposals of Flag Telecom, Apollo Hospitals and Twin Star Technologies.

Vodafone India Limited has got the green signal for acquiring the entire stake of You Broadband India Ltd by way of transfer from resident and non-resident shareholder for Rs 55.09 crore.

Following the recommendation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board, the government has also given approval to NTT Communications Corp of Japan to increase its stake in Netmagic Solutions Private Ltd from 81.63% to 100% for Rs 533.83 crore.

The FIPB has referred to the CCEA investment proposals of Flag Telecom, Apollo, and Twinstar Display Technologies.

Reliance Communications subsidiary Flag Telecom Singapore Pte Limited of Singapore has sought FIPB approval to acquire 100% shares of Reliance Global Cloud Xchange Limited for Rs 789.00

Mauritius-based Twin Star Technologies has sought approval to act as an investing company for investing in Twinstar Display Technologies Ltd and other Indian companies.
After rioting by inmates left two warders injured inside Gurdaspur Central Jail around noon on Friday, fresh violence erupted around 9.30 pm when more jail inmates joined the agitated prisoners over alleged insulting behaviour of the security staff.

Sources said police personnel posted on the security towers of the jail fired a number of gunshots in the air to intimidate the agitated inmates who pelted whatever they could seize, including bricks, at the security staff around them.

Meanwhile, armed police laid siege around the building of the jail as a preventive measure, and heavy force was deployed on roads leading to and linked to the jail. Firing by the police was on at the time of filing this report at 11 pm. No police official could be contacted for an update, despite repeated efforts.

Earlier in the day, inmates went on a rampage and jail staff had to fire at least 20 rounds of gunfire to control the violence, which erupted around 12.40 pm. It began when the two warders, Mahesh Kumar and Mohinder Masih, were attacked by five gangsters lodged in barrack number 4. They used water supply pipes to beat up the duo, who had come to take them for a medical examination.

Things came to a head when jail staffers tried to restrain the five  Shamsher Singh, Jagtar Singh, Jagga, Romi and Gopi  and other inmates joined forces and began hurling stones at the staff. A rampage ensued, with inmates breaking CCTV cameras and damaging a mobile-signal jammer. Quilts and bedsheets were also set on fire. The inmates then ran to the first floor and locked themselves in.

Senior superintendent of police Bhupinderjit Singh Virk reached the jail and summoned every station house officer from the district to the spot. Even as the inmates raised slogans against the jail superintendent, police cordoned off the area. Later, additional director general of police (jails) Rohit Choudhary and deputy inspector general Surinder Singh Saini launched negotiations with the inmates.

Stating that the situation has been brought under control, Virk said, After the negotiations, the inmates started coming downstairs. They claimed that the jail warders misbehaved with them. He said a case would be registered only after the prison authorities submit a report.

According to sources, the inmates were peeved because the prison authorities were not allowing their relatives and friends to visit them. Besides this, the offenders didnt approve of extensive security checks that they were being subjected to.

After the fresh violence at night, the officers were incommunicado.

Crime in prison: Recent incidents

March 23: Two groups clashed in Kapurthala jail, two inmates were hospitalised

March 20: The Kotwali police booked five prisoners for attacking and injuring three jail inmates in Kapurthala

February 26: Four mobiles were recovered during an inspection at Nabhas maximum security jail

February 25: 11 mobile phones were recovered from Amritsar jail

February 12: 17 mobile phones, 2 knives were recovered from Amritsar jail

February 5: Eight mobile phones were recovered from Patiala central jail

January 19: A note was pasted outside Faridkot prison, challenging police to stop jailbreak

November 27, 2016: At least 10 armed men broke into the premises of the Nabha jail and freed six inmates
Without waiting for the Supreme Courts clarification, the Maharashtra government on Friday decided to not prohibit restaurants and bars within 500m of state and national highways, even after April 1. The move brings relief to more than 9,000 such establishments.

State excise minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the decision was based on the opinion of attorney general of India Mukul Rohatgi.

On December 15 last year, the Supreme Court had ordered that all liquor shops along national and state highways across India be shut. The Apex Court had also directed state governments to cease and desist from issuing excise licences from March 31. The court issued these directives while expressing concern over nearly 1.5 lakh people who die in road accidents every year.

It was believed the orders applied not only to liquor shops, but also bars and restaurants that served liquor.The state government was in a fix after Rohatgi said on February 24, that the Supreme Courts order applied only to liquor shops and did not include bars and restaurants. The Kerala government had sought the attorneys opinion, citing difficulties in implementing the courts order.

The state had decided to wait for the Supreme Court to clarify the issue on March 20, while hearing petitions from hotel associations. However, this was postponed to March 27.

In the meantime, the state excise department conducted a drive across Maharashtra and identified around 13,650 establishments that would not be allowed to serve liquor from April 1. This included liquor shops, bars and restaurants.

The state excise department decided to change its stand on the issue.

Of the total number of establishments along the highways, 9,097-odd restaurants and bars would have had to completely shut down owing to the Apex Courts order. Based on the AGs opinion, the state has decided to allow them to operate even after April 1, the excise minister said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Heres what they dont teach you in medical school: Self-defence. Perhaps they should. After all patients, or more accurately their relatives, are known to beat up doctors who bear bad news.

Think Im exaggerating? Watch the YouTube video of the assault that landed Dr Rohan Mhamunkar of Dhule in the ICU. The doctors suggestion that a patient with severe head injuries should be taken to another hospital since his didnt have a neurologist, provoked an attack by some 25 relatives. As the doctor falls back on an empty bed, you can see one of them repeatedly stomp on him.

The Dhule attack is one of four in the span of a week in Maharashtra. In Nashik, three doctors and a nurse were assaulted after a patient they brought in died of swine flu.

At Sion Hospital, Mumbai, relatives of a patient who died of chronic kidney failure beat up a first-year resident. The most recent attack on a senior woman pediatrician, also at Sion Hospital, took place after 4,000 resident doctors had already gone on strike, ironically, to demand protection.

Were only asking for safety measures, says Dr Parthiv Sanghvi, secretary of the Indian Medical Associations Maharashtra chapter. Specifically, the striking doctors want security, action against the culprits and restriction on the number of relatives accompanying patients.

Exemplary punishment, adds Parikshit Tank, a doctor in private practice who is supporting his colleagues in government hospitals, Would be a strong deterrent. Right now, of the 53 cases of assaults on doctors in the past three years in Maharashtra, there have been zero convictions. The message is, assault a doctor and get bail, says Tank.

We constantly complain about the state of government hospitals, often with good reason. Doctors dont show up or turn up late. Appointments can take forever. Medicines are in short supply, diagnostic machines dont work and unethical practices, including the demand for bribes by hospital staff are why 67% of people said government hospitals are corrupt in a 2007 Mint survey.

Yet, the view from the other side, while seldom seen, is equally compelling. Doctors arent to blame for lousy infrastructure. They work despite it. With one doctor for every 2,000 patients (the World Health Organisation recommends one for every 1,000), our doctor-patient ratio is worse than Algerias.

Doctors can be super-heroes in white coats. Last year they wrote about their working conditions -- long shifts, short sleep, bad food  to the state Human Rights Commission. Shifts in a stressful job can stretch to 48 straight hours. But when youre short of five lakh doctors in the country, what choice do you have?

The AIIMS outpatient department sees 10,000 patients a day. Some, particularly if theyre from outside Delhi, could be accompanied by five-six relatives to help with appointments, medicines and food.

Overworked doctors simply dont have the time to allay patient anxieties. Patients feel doctors are rude and brusque. The old idea of respect for the doctor is gone, says former AIIMS professor of medicine Anoop Misra, now in private practice. Thirty years ago when he was a resident, physical assault was simply unheard of. Now, a fraught situation, with nerves on edge on both sides can lead to, heated exchanges, or worse, even in private hospitals.

Increased security including CCTVs could help. So could the new health policy, announced last week, that raises the health budget from a miserly 1.2% of the GDP to 2.5% -- still far below the global average of 5.4%. If some of those funds go to infrastructure and to additional primary hospitals and health centres, it might ease the burden. But none of this will happen overnight.

Until then, the least we can do is assure our doctors that we will not tolerate any sort of assault against them.

In Dhule, there are reports that Dr Mhamunkar might lose sight in one eye. Surely, no doctor signs up for this.

Namita Bhandare writes on social issues and gender.

She tweets as @namitabhandare

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The BJPs more hardline supporters are enjoying what they have dubbed a liberal meltdown over the choice of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister. Many explanations have been offered for why the party would choose an unapologetic Hindutva face, notorious for his rabidly Anti-Muslim speeches, to front Indias most populous state. We are told that as the most popular among all party-men the Yogi best captures the mandate. Unlike others who command only certain constituencies of support, Adityanath alone can claim support across the rainbow coalition of castes that catapulted the BJP to victory. That he has political clout as a five term MP gives him the heft needed to turnaround the dismal law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. And of course every last detail has been reported on how, in the priest-turned politicians parliamentary seat of Gorakhpur, local Muslims share a special bond with the Mahant; some work at the temples gau-shala and others recall past generosities from the contentious leader, underlining the distance between his public avatar and his personal warmth.

Perhaps Adityanath is indeed a kindly man in real life but as a person in public life it is his public utterances (and actions) alone that he must be measured against. Calling Kairana in West UP another Kashmir; promoting the poison politics of Love Jihad- basically a discouragement of Hindu-Muslim romance, comparing Shah Rukh Khans words with that of Hafiz Saeed and warning that if he lost the support of a big majority he would end up wandering the streets like an ordinary Muslim, asking those who dont do the Surya Namaskar to leave India, calling Mother Teresa part of the conspiracy to Christianize India  these are all documented statements of bigotry.

But it would do us well to also call out the rabble-rousers of a similar nature from other parties and from other faiths- Abu Azmi; Azam Khan and Imran Masood have all played the politics of hate, using the outrageous as a weapon of political propaganda. When Azam Khan, as a senior cabinet minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government, mocked Adityanath for being unmarried and asked him to prove his masculinity as gawkers around him giggled, it was a truly mindless and distasteful statement. It deserved the same ferocity of protests and media attention that Yogi Adityanath has got for his anti-Muslim diatribes. In some ways extremists across the trenches are mirror images, feeding off the polarization that the other spawns.

When we say the BJP won UP on the back of Hindu consolidation, we must simultaneously talk of Mayawatis open exhortation to Muslim voters or taking support from irrelevant clerics like the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid or worse still, from Mafiosi gangsters like Mukhtar Ansari.

One of the key reasons for the humongous rise of the BJP is the hollowing out of secularism as a political slogan and the multiple opportunities the opposition has given the BJP to pick on liberal hypocrisy or selectiveness of their attacks.

Hamid Dabholkar, the son of renowned rationalist Narendra Dabholkar- who was murdered while the Congress was in government in Maharashtra, once summed up the secularism debate for me like this- One party is programmatically communal; the other is pragmatically communal.

The reduction of secularism to no more than a political trick or instrument for electoral management is the reason why those claiming to speak for it have little credibility. The meteoric rise of Yogi Adityanath  once described as fringe even by BJP spokespersons- is impossible to understand without this recognition. The prevarication of liberals on issues likes scrapping Triple Talaq, for instance, only strengthens the dominant narrative that opposition parties are pandering  not to ordinary Indian Muslims- but to an opportunistic orthodoxy.

It is in fact the Muslims of India who must feel the most troubled today for what is on offer to them from their politicians. Either, it is the politics of Exclusion-the BJP did not give a single Muslim candidate a ticket and though there is a Muslim minister in the Adityanath cabinet, the UP result is a reminder that elections can be won with or without one bloc of voters. Or, it is the politics of cynical manipulation-used by Anti-BJP parties as mere pawns on a chessboard of showmanship or co-opted as symbols and tokens.

The ascent of the Yogi is a challenge for both the BJP and the opposition. By embracing a Hindutva mascot Modi has lost all plausible disassociation from Adityanath and any needless UP controversies will not leave him or the Centre unscathed. For the opposition, this moment is yet another wake-up call. Platitudinous lip-service to secularism is not winning either hearts or votes; what the opposition lacks is both an authentic and distinctive story and a compelling character.

Barkha Dutt is an award-winning journalist and author

The views expressed are personal

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
DEHRADUN: The Trivendra Singh Rawat government in Uttarakhand would soon appoint the Lokayukta (anti-graft ombudsman) to fast track corruption cases against the higher bureaucracy and public representatives, Governor K K Paul said Friday.

In that connection, the Lokayukta Act, (introduced by the erstwhile BJP government in 2011) would be enforced, Paul said in his inaugural address to the states fourth assembly, which has been convened for six-day interim budget session.

Putting to rest the speculation on the status of Gairsain, a sleepy village in the Chamoli district, Paul said, It (government) would soon consider declaring Gairsain as the states summer capital by equipping it with all infrastructural facilities.

The Governor said that the government would also initiate directional changes in planning to check forced migration from the state. (To ensure that) employment and self employment opportunities would be created in different areas, Paul said while listing out the BJP governments development agenda that promises to boost the key sectors like health, education, tourism, farm, horticulture, and infrastructure.

A policy would also be introduced to ensure all-round development of the youth besides employment opportunities for them, he said adding skill development programmes would be initiated to create self employment for the youth as well as women.

The improvement in the states education system is no less than a challenge, the Governor noted, adding, the government would introduce quality education to prepare the youth in keeping with the requirements of the fast changing globalised world. The government would also make the financial resources available to poor but meritorious students to help them pursue their education, he said. Strict measures would be initiated to stop corruption in education and its commercialisation.

A health system easily accessible to the people would also be introduced, he said and added that mobile medical service would be strengthened and all state-run hospitals would be equipped with latest medical facilities. The system of telemedicine would also be introduced, Paul said, adding that the existing medical colleges would be equipped with facilities while efforts would be made to open new medical colleges. Besides, efforts would be made to tackle the problem of the paucity of doctors.

The Governor said that a concrete policy to strengthen tourism, eco-tourism, religious tourism and cultural tourism would also be introduced so that the state could emerge as an international destination. Modern and scientific methods would also be propagated among farmers to make agriculture employment oriented and profitable. Besides, an extensive soil health survey would be carried out so that soil types suitable for different agricultural and horticultural crops could be identified to get maximum productivity.

On the infrastructure front, Paul said providing basic facilities at the level of village, town and cities would be one of the governments top priorities. Besides, all the villages across the state would be provided road connectivity by 2019, he announced. Similarly, rail and air network facilities will be developed in the mountain state, he said and added that villages would also be developed on the pattern of the smart cities.

The Transfer Act introduced by the erstwhile BJP government would also be enforced to bring in transparency in transfer of employees and officials. Strict implementation of the right to services rules would also be ensured, the Governor said adding, e-governance would also be introduced to bring in transparency in governance.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM GUV SPEECH

1. Government to review education policy

2. Boarding schools in each district for girl students

3. Research in astrology, architecture, ancient Sanskrit texts and the ritual aspect of the Hinduism to be encouraged

4. Trauma centres in accident-prone hill areas

5. Ancient temples to be restored.

6. Amount given to ex-servicemen under welfare schemes to be increased

7. All villages to get road connectivity by 2019

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
deep.joshi1@htlive.com

DEHRADUN: By retaining the majority of departments while distributing portfolios among his nine ministers late Thursday night, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has sent out a clear message that he is the boss.

Rawat retained 40 key departments even though it took him about a week to assign duties to his cabinet colleagues who along with him were sworn-in on March 18.

The departments he retained include the public works department (PWD), which two BJP heavyweights ---Satpal Maharaj and Yashpal Arya --- were reportedly eyeing.

Rawat also asserted his authority by retaining two other key departments ---Suraj (good governance) and eradication of corruption. This gives him a clear edge over his ministers as Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign in the state had expressed his resolve to uproot corruption if the BJP won the election. Rawats decision to keep that department (Suraj) would also deter the officials, especially the higher bureaucracy, his ministers and the party legislators from indulging in corruption of any kind while discharging their duties.

The CM also managed to clip the wings of his main adversary and influential BJP leader from Kumaon Prakash Pant who too had been in the race for the post of chief minister. Rawat has given his rival peripheral departments ---legislative and parliamentary affairs, finance, language, sugarcane development and sugar industry, potable water and cleanliness. The only plum post that Pant has got is the department of excise. The chief minister, in comparison, seems to have elevated Satpal Maharaj, the senior most cabinet minister, by giving him the key portfolios such as tourism, pilgrimage, religious fairs, culture, besides Indo-Nepal and Uttarakhand river projects.

A cursory glance at the list of portfolios also shows that most of the five Congress turncoats, including Maharaj, have got a better deal. For instance, Harak Singh has been assigned forest and wildlife, environment and solid waste management. Subodh Uniyal has been given agriculture, agriculture marketing, agriculture education, food processing, and horticulture. Rekha Arya, a minister of state (MoS), has been assigned the departments of women empowerment and child development, besides five other departments including animal husbandry.

CM though did try to balance things by assigning higher education to the other minister of state (MoS), Dhan Singh Rawat, a BJP veteran. Dhan Singh has been assigned three other portfolios namely cooperatives, dairy development and protocol.

Among other two BJP veteransArvind pandey and Madan Kaushik --- the latter has got a better deal in comparison as he has been assigned the departments of urban development, and housing among others. None of the five portfolios Pandey has been assigned --- school education, Sanskrit education, sports, youth welfare and panchyati raj --- is considered plum, according to political observers.

Rawat govt sets up eco-tourism devp corp

The Uttarakhand government has constituted Eco-tourim Development Corporation. The conglomerate is mandated to carry out environmental conservation and create employment opportunities for the locals.

Chief secretary S Ramaswamy presided over the first meeting of the corporation at the state secretariat, according to an official release. At the meeting officials decided that an action plan for eco-tourism development would be submitted to the government. In the next 15 days the corporation officials would select a pilot project to develop infrastructural facilities required for promotion of eco-tourism, the note read. Under the project, the activities like mountain climbing, wellness camps and home stay facilities etc would be promoted across the state.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Five airlines grounded Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Friday and demanded exemplary action against the politician, accused of thrashing an elderly Air India employee amid growing outrage over the assault.

Later, another airline, Vistara, too joined the move to ban the 56-year-old MP.

Indigo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Jet Airways  part of the Federation of Indian Airlines  along with Air India have banned Gaikwad, who remained defiant and refused to apologise.

We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living, a joint statement read. We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety.

Air India also cancelled his Friday return ticket from Delhi to Pune, PTI quoted sources as saying.

R Gaikwad cannot fly on Air India & FIA airlines because of passenger safety issue. He is blacklisted: GP Rao, Gen Mgr, Corporate Comm, AI pic.twitter.com/3OLgYkxu7c  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

Disruptive and abusive behaviour by passengers is a serious issue and cannot be tolerated.... We support the statement made by Air India and the FIA, and are in full solidarity with them in support of the ban. The concerned individual will be barred from flying on any of our flights with immediate effect, said a Vistara spokesperson.

Gaikwad assaulted the 60-year-old Air India officer on board a Pune-Delhi flight on Thursday morning over being denied business class seats. The MP from Maharashtras Osmanabad has admitted to hitting the employee 25 times with his slippers, the attack captured on video and circulated on national television.

The airlines also proposed a no-fly list to include the names of unruly passengers and asked the government and security agencies to enforce such a measure.

Spicejet supports a no-fly list to bar unruly flyers who are a safety hazard for not just the crew but even the traveling public, SpiceJet chief Ajay Singh said.

The government needs to act on this soon. An attack on our employees and crew is an attack on us and we strongly condemn such incidents.

IndiGo, which is often at loggerheads with Air India, also came out in support of a no-fly list. There should be one such list so that unruly passengers are barred from flying, IndiGo spokesperson said.

But despite the frantic political activity and the outrage, no FIR was lodged more than 24 hours after the assault as Delhi Police was waiting for legal opinion in the matter.

Sources said the medical examination was the reason behind the delay in filing an FIR as it didnt suggest any injury. Police say that sections under the IPC could be decided only after the nature of injury was proved.

We have taken legal opinion in the matter expect to receive it soon. The action will be taken accordingly, said DCP (airport) Sanjay Bhatia.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility for an attack Friday on a Russian military base in Chechnya, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist militant communications.

Six attackers stormed "a military base of the Russian National Guard close to Naurskaya village in northwestern Grozny in Chechnya," the IS statement said. "They clashed with those at the base with light weapons for several hours."

The statement said all of the assailants died during the attack, which killed six Russian soldiers.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


An elderly Air India staffer said on Friday that he wasnt scared of Shiv Sena parliamentarian Ravindra Gaikwad who assaulted the government employee after being denied business class seats.

Speaking to news agency ANI, 60-year-old R Sukumar said he had requested Gaikwad to deboard the Pune-Delhi flight on Thursday morning as the cleaning staff had to do their work.

Instead, the MP from Maharashtras Osmanabad hit Sukumar with slippers 25 times in a burst of fury that was caught on video and played on national television.

They are public servants, elected by public they need to behave in a decent manner, Sukumar told ANI.

Gaikwad has remained defiant and called for Sukumar to apologise, maintaining he was right to lose his cool. A clutch of Indian airlines put the politician on a no-fly list on Friday.

But Sukumar appeared unfazed. I am not scared at all, have been doing public dealing. Many people get irritated on such issues, he told ANI.
The Delhi Police on Friday charge sheeted the father and mother of a juvenile accused of mowing down a 32-year-old man with a speeding Mercedes in north Delhis Civil line area in April last year.

In a first, the police had arrested the 17-year-old boys father for allowing the boy to drive the Mercedes without a valid licence.

Police in their chargesheet have reportedly alleged that despite the teenager being challaned for driving without a licence and getting involved in a similar accident earlier, his father was not careful and did not stop him from driving.

The boys father, who runs a business of wedding cards, has been chargesheeted under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

On April 5 last year, management student Siddharth Sharma was hit by a speeding Mercedes car, driven by the 17-year-old, while he was trying to cross the road in north Delhis Civil Lines area.

The teenager was initially apprehended and charged under lenient sections of causing death due to negligence and let off on bail, triggering massive protests in the city.

Delhi Police later apprehended him again and charged him for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The juvenile turned 18 four days after the accident. He was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) later.

Police in their chargesheet against the teenager, who is being tried as an adult, have alleged that the teenager, who is the student of a prominent Delhi school, was warned by his friends not to drive at such a high speed. Police have made his friends as witnesses.

The CCTV footage of the accident shows Sharma crossing the road and being flung at least 15 meters in the air, after being hit by the speeding Mercedes car. While the teenagers fled the spot, their family driver later approached the police attempting to mislead them by claiming that he was driving the vehicle. Later, when the driver learnt that Sharma had died, he broke down and told police that he was told to lie and protect the teenager.
The Shiv Sena backed its MP Ravindra Gaikwad while the Delhi Police filed an FIR against him on Friday amid the controversy over his assaulting an Air India staffer.

The Delhi Police transferred the case to its Crime Branch after registering the FIR under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person) of the Indian Penal Code, said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Polices chief spokesperson and special commissioner (operations).

We are transferring the case to Crime Branch for a thorough probe, he said.

Meanwhile in Mumbai, Sena spokesperson S Raut told ANI that any person  be it minister or a common man  is likely to lose his temper if someone misbehaved with them, supporting Gaikwads version of the events.

Galti hui hai, haat utha hai, uske liye kaun zimedaar hai woh dekhenge. FIR kiya hai na? Hum dekhlenge aur kis par FIR honi chahiye: S Raut pic.twitter.com/2dbVT6dax0  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

Gaikwad, the Lok Sabha MP from Maharashtras Osmanabad seat, slapped and hit 60-year-old duty manager R Sukumar 25 times with his sandal when the official persuaded him to disembark from a Pune-Delhi flight after it landed in the Delhi.

The MP refused to alight due a disagreement over his business-class flight ticket, holding up the aircraft for over 40 minutes on Thursday.

Police received two complaints  one from Air India and the other from Sukumar.

The Delhi Police said they filed the FIR after a seeking legal opinion on the matter.

Earlier in the day, Air India announced that Gaikwad was banned from flying with them, and soon five other domestic airlines followed suit.
There are more homeless people in India than the entire population of Mauritius. In fact, if you gathered all of Indias homeless people and put them all in a new country, its population would be larger than that of 83 countries.

Yet homelessness is not evenly distributed across the countrys 640 districts, an analysis of census data reveals. Instead, the homelessness rate  that is, the number of homeless people as a share of the general population  follows broad geographic patterns.

For instance, districts in the north and west of the country have higher rates of homelessness than those in the south and east. And certain cities, particularly those that attract labourers from surrounding farms and villages, have particularly high rates of homelessness.

The district of Kanpur Nagar, which encompasses the city of Kanpur in central Uttar Pradesh, has the highest rate of homelessness in the country. There, more than 18 people in a thousand are homeless.

Kanpur is a hub of trading activities for more than a dozen districts, said S.P. Singh, a professor at Kanpurs Christ Church College who has partially converted his own village house into a shelter for the parents of young people who have left to seek work in the city. Young people have abandoned their villages to settle down in the city.

But the city often proves inhospitable, and migrants who cannot make ends meet are forced to sleep on the streets. Such is the fate of migrants in cities across the country. Kolkata, where more than 15 people in a thousand are homeless, has the second highest rate of homelessness among Indias 640 districts. Mumbai, where more than 12 people in a thousand are homeless, ranks fourth.

And three districts in the National Capital Territory of Delhi  Central, New Delhi, and North  rank third, fifth, and sixth, respectively, in homelessness rate.

If you talk to these homeless people, and ask them their hometown, almost none of them are from Delhi itself. They are from smaller towns which are around the capital, mainly from UP and Bihar, said Irtiza Quraishi, the president of Marham, an NGO that provides housing and job training for homeless people in Delhi.

Young people come seeking work and money, but they find its completely different from what they think, and they end up being homeless, Quraishi said.

Many of them find themselves in homeless shelters  some run by NGOs like Prayas, which houses some 4,000 people in its Delhi shelters, according to founder Amod Kanth. Kanth said the Census of India likely undercounts homeless people across the country and that the actual number of homeless people could be at least three times as high.

Whatever the number is, those who find themselves in homeless shelters at night often sleep in cramped quarters. In view of this, advocate Sugriv Dubey submitted a petition Tuesday before the Delhi High Court asking the government to provide more homeless shelters and to create separate shelters for males and females, in part to protect homeless girls from sexual violence.

My submission is that if the number of these places is not increased, and boys and girls are not separated, then what will happen? People will sleep on the footpath, Dubey said. In the summer, they will die with the heat. In winter, they will die with the cold. So at least let them reside peacefully. Give them some space.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Most educational institutions in India struggle for funds but Delhi University has a different problem. It had to return Rs 108 crore to the University Grants Commission because it was unable to spend it.

The university will still have more than Rs 151 crore remaining with it that has to be utilised by March 31. As of Thursday, the varsity has only seven days to identify projects where it can spend this money on.

The funds were given to Delhi University under different heads.

Between 2012 and 2017, an amount of Rs 300 crore was given to DU to upgrade its infrastructure. Out of this, only Rs 100 crore was utilised. Due to non-utilisation, the other Rs 105 crore lapsed. Now, the varsity has time till March 31 to use the remaining Rs 95 crore.

The UGC also disbursed Rs 3 crore to buy books for the libraries. But having missed the March 15, 2017, deadline, DU had to return that fund as well to the commission.

An amount of Rs 56.7 crore earmarked to DUs Faculty of Management Studies, South Campus, to develop itself into a centre for excellence is also about to lapse. This fund was allocated ten years ago but the varsity could not think of appropriate ways to utilise it.

On March 3, a letter was sent to buy books and submit the bills before March 15. It was not possible to select journals and books in that short a period, so the fund has lapsed, said an official in DUs central library, on condition of anonymity.

For the Faculty of Management Studies excellence grant, UGC had once in the past given an extension, but still the amount remains unused.

This amount was given to the Faculty of Management Studies in south campus for expanding the buildings and developing infrastructure. As it is in the ridge area, the university could not get environmental clearances for revamp. So they could have taken up the matter with UGC and utilized it for other purposes. But they sat on it and now do not know how to utilize the money, said Rajesh Jha, an executive council member and political science teacher at Rajdhani College.

The university is now proposing to utilize the Faculty of Management Studies funds to develop a centre of excellence and the remaining Rs 95 crore to buy different Delhi Development Authority (DDA) flats across the city.

They say they the flats will later be developed into accommodation for teaching, non-teaching staff and hostels for students.

It has been decided at the executive council meeting that if the DDA allows then the university will purchase flats with the unused amount. The university will also write to the UGC to give them more time to utilize the funds, said AK Bhagi, another executive council member and teacher at Dyal Singh College.

Some officials also said that the university could not use the funds as the UGC released them late.

The fund of Rs 300 crore that was sanctioned, reached the university one and half years late. Then as the funds were focused on infrastructure, the entire process got delayed due to procedural hassles, said a senior university official.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) staged a march outside the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday, against the seat cut in the varsity.

Due to the implementation of UGC 2016 regulation, which fixes the number of research scholars a professor can supervise, there has been massive seat cut in MPhil/PhD programmes.

The seats have been cut by about 86% this academic session, bringing the number of seats from 970 to 102. There are also certain political science centres, history centres, Centre for Indian Languages and several science schools where there will be no admissions this year.

According to the 2016 UGC notification, a research supervisor/co-supervisor who is a professor, cannot guide more than three MPhil and eight PhD scholars. An associate professor as research supervisor can guide up to a maximum of two MPhil and six PhD scholars and an assistant professor can guide up to a maximum of one MPhil and four PhD scholars.

According to the figures released by the university, the number of MPhil/PhD students a teacher was supervising has already exceeded the UGC cap.

On Friday, as Delhi Police tried to stop the students from marching forward, some students misbehaved with the personnel. But later, as they were allowed to march, they raised slogans outside UGC and also submitted a memorandum to the joint secretary of the body.

The memorandum stated that the imposition of rules has several detrimental effects on the social inclusive policy of the university.

The May 2016 UGC notification, far from being a guideline, is in effect a straightjacket with rigid examination criteria, admission rules and the criteria for the eligibility of research supervision, which grossly compromises the autonomy of universities, said Mohit Pandey, JNUSU president.

From the time the university has released the prospectus, students union have called a strike from March 22. Even on Friday, the strike continued with the JNU teachers association has also extended support to the students.
The Congress will bring its popular leaders from neighbouring states to campaign for the party in the April 23 municipal elections.

The party had announced that Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and his minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will hold rallies in Delhi. Singh will attend a public reception in west Delhi on March 30.

Party sources on Friday told HT that apart from the Punjab CM, leaders from Rajasthan , Haryana and UP will also help the Congress campaign.

A senior party functionary said Punjabs finance minister Manpreet Badal, Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda, Sachin Pilot from Rajasthan and former MP and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar will campaign for party candidates in different municipal wards.

Depending on the dominance of the population from a particular state, the leaders from that region will be chosen to campaign there, the leader told HT.

The Hoodas may be roped in for campaigning in the Jat-dominated areas or villages and Badal is likely to be sent to localities where Punjabis and Sikhs are in majority. Similarly, Babbar will be seen seeking votes in colonies where purvanchalis and other UP areas live.

He said Haryana leader Ajay Sharma, who was All India Congress Committee (AICC) coordinator and campaign in charge during Punjab assembly elections, has been appointed the incharge for Delhi municipal elections. Sharma, along with Delhi Congress chief spokesperson Sharmishta Mukherjee, will prepare the schedule for the regional leaders rallies.

The schedule for the rallies is yet to be worked out. It will depend on the demands of the candidates. They may send in their request, inviting a particular leader for canvassing. In consultation with state affairs in charge PC Chacko, city unit chief Ajay Maken, and Sharmishtaji, we will decide the day, time, and venue for the programme, Sharma said.

Maken conducted a Facebook live on Friday, launching partys social media campaign Dilli ki baat, Dil ke saath. He discussed a road map to make three civic bodies self-reliant. Aman Panwar, incharge legal affairs, Delhi Congress, said the hour-long session was viewed by 8,000 people and around 2,000 viewers posted their questions. Due to the time limit, Maken could only respond to 220 questions, he said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Three years ago, 11 Shiv Sena MPs created a ruckus at Delhis Maharashtra Sadan, where one of them force-fed a Muslim catering worker during the month of Ramzan. Among the MPs was Ravindra Gaikwad.

The 56-year-old Gaikwad is in the eye of the storm again for beating up an Air India staffer after a Pune-Delhi flight landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning. This incident, or the Maharashtra Sadan episode, was not Gaikwads first run-in with the law.

As per his affidavit filed ahead of the 2014 General Elections, Gaikwad has three criminal cases against him. In the past, the Osmanabad MP has been booked for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and criminal intimidation.

As per the affidavit, one of the cases was registered in Tuljapur, Osmanabad on March 13, 2003, while two other cases were registered in Omerga, Osmanabad, on January 9, 2013.

On Thursday, a defiant and unapologetic Gaikwad admitted that he hit 60-year-old Air India duty manager R Sukumar 25 times and has dared Air India to take action against him. It was not my fault, it (the AI employee) was his fault. He should apologise. First ask him to apologise then we will see, Gaikwad told mediapersons in Delhi on Friday.

He has been summoned by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to Mumbai, even as the airline and other domestic carriers come together to demand a no-fly list for unruly passengers such as him. The MP was upset because he had to shift from business class to economy after a change of aircraft.

Senior Shiv Sena office bearers say that the MP is leaving Delhi at 7pm on Friday to meet Uddhav at his residence in Bandra.

Three years ago, after the Maharashtra Sadan incident, Uddhav Thackeray had supported the MPs and no action was taken against them. A PIL filed in Delhi High Court to disqualify the 11 MPs was dismissed later.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Senior Air India officials are meeting on Friday to decide how to blacklist Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who assaulted an Air India official at Delhi Airport, and create a no-fly list for unruly passengers.

Gaikwad had hit a 60-year-old airline duty manager with his sandal on Thursday on a Pune-Delhi flight AI 852. He was allegedly angry because Air India changed his seat from business to economy class.

The MP refused to come out of the aircraft for almost an hour. He started hitting the staff when he was requested to de-board. Air India said Gaikwad had an open ticket for business class, which means he could have travelled in any Air India flight.

The legal team will also suggest ways. We will prepare a list of such flyers in the past two years and put their details in the system. Once they try to book through Air India, their name will be showed in the blacklisted category, said an Air India official.

The airline will also come up with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and guidelines and define various parameters of unruly behaviour.

Harassing an air hostess or manhandling airline staff will fall under the category and we will define other parts of unruly behaviour of passengers. We will see how other airlines are doing it, the official added.

However, it is going to take a lot of effort since unlike private airlines, Air India comes under the ministry of civil aviation. The national carrier will need to approach the ministry and get a notification issued to ban a passenger and prepare a SOP.

Air India chief Ashwini Lohani has already asked his staff not to wait for an approval to file a police complaint in the case of misbehaviour or assault by a passenger.

While we have filed two FIRs it is necessary that in all such cases of a passenger misbehaving ie assaulting an Air India staff, the airport manager would invariably lodge an FIR with the local police without waiting for any approvals, Lohani said in a statement released to the staff.

This will be the first time Air India will ban any passenger from flying on its flights.

There have been several incidents of unruly behaviour by the fliers on board various airlines in the recent times. Officials say 53 such incidents have been reported by the domestic airlines between July 2016 and February 2017.

Last month, AirAsia India filed a police complaint in Bengaluru against two drunk fliers for creating nuisance onboard one of its flights. In January, IndiGo was forced to tie down a passenger to his seat for being violent onboard one of its flight from Dubai for New Delhi.

According to the global aviation body, International Air Transport Association (IATA), unruly passengers are one of the top three safety issues that concern cabin crew.

It said in 2015, there were 10,854 reported cases of unruly behaviour by the passengers across airlines worldwide, which translate into one incident for every 1,205 flights.

(With PTI inputs)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Shiv Sena parliamentarian Ravindra Gaikwad, who has drawn flak for assaulting an Air India staffer, said on Friday that he will not apologise even as the national carrier was considering a ban on him.

It was not my fault, it (the AI employee) was his fault. He should apologise. First ask him to apologise then we will see, Gaikwad, 56, told mediapersons in Delhi.

Gaikwad kicked up a storm of criticism on Thursday after he allegedly hit a 60-year-old Air India staffer 25 times with slippers in a burst of fury over being denied business class seats.

#WATCH: Shiv Sena MP R.Gaikwad who assaulted AI Staff says, "won't apologise,not my mistake. Vo (victim) pehle maafi mange fir dekhenge." pic.twitter.com/T8IwCaNsmO  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

The MP from Maharashtras Osmanabad also downplayed reports suggesting that Air India was considering putting him on a no-fly list.

I have the tickets...they cant blacklist me. I will board the Delhi-Pune Air India flight this evening. How can they not allow me? he said.

Let the Delhi Police arrest me. Uddhavji will decide the course of action, news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has sought a report to determine the facts before he decides on what happens next for Gaikwad.

Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said: The incident happened outside Parliament...so we will ascertain details and act on any complaint.

Meanwhile, a senior official from the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), an umbrella body of four domestic carriers, denied media reports that it had barred Gaikwad from flying.
Turkish Airlines said on Friday passengers can use their laptops until they board in a bid to make them "more comfortable" after US and Britain introduced bans on large electronic devices in the cabin of flights from certain countries' airports.

"Laptops, tablets and other electronic devices may be used until the boarding gate where they will be handed over" to the airline's staff, Turkish Airlines said in a statement.

Washington issued a ban on electronic devices larger than mobile phones on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in seven Middle Eastern countries and Turkey, only allowing them to be in hold luggage.

Britain followed with a similar ban from five countries from the Middle East and northern Africa as well as Turkey.

Turkish Airlines said the devices given would then be tagged at the gate for "safe and secure transportation", placed in a special area in the cargo hold of the aircraft and returned to their owners upon arrival at the destination.

The aim was to make sure passengers were "more comfortable" as the bans were implemented, the Turkish flagship carrier added.

The airline said passengers would still be able to use the internet on board with their mobile phones.

Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said Ankara had taken the issue to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) where it would make the necessary arguments against the ban, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Washington and London to withdraw the bans on Turkey "as soon as possible" on Thursday in a televised interview.

The US ban affects around 50 flights per day from nine airlines: Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudia, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

The British ban affects 14 airlines: British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air and Saudia.

Turkish Airlines is the country's largest exporter by foreign sales volume, whose profits have already been hit by a series of terror attacks last year.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


A day after Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted an Air India official and five airlines banned him, the Delhi Police is yet to file an FIR. The police said they are waiting for legal opinion in the matter and cited medical examination as the reason for the delay. Meanwhile, security at Delhi airport was tightened to prevent an altercation in case the MP arrived to catch a flight home.

The MPs return ticket for 4.15pm on Friday was cancelled by Air India on Friday. He then booked an IndiGo flight through an agent which was also cancelled by the airlines.

Security tightened at @Delhi_Airport as Shiv Sena MP tipped to reach to board flight. @htTweets @htdelhi  Faizan Haidar (@FaiHaider) March 24, 2017

Gaikwad had, on Thursday, assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager with slipper and tried to push him off the plane. The police said there was delay in filing FIR as the incident did not suggest any injury and sections under IPC could be decided only after the nature of injury is proved.

We have taken legal opinion in the matter expect to receive it soon. The action will be taken accordingly, said DCP (airport) Sanjay Bhatia. While the police were yet to take action in the matter, five Indian airlines banned the MP.

The defiant MP had admitted on Thursday that he had hit the official because Air India changed his seat from business to economy class.

The MP refused to come out of the aircraft for almost an hour. He started hitting the staff when he was requested to de-board. Air India said Gaikwad had an open ticket for business class, which means he could have travelled in any Air India flight.
Several Twitter handles owned by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and its leaders, suspended on Thursday night, were restored by Friday afternoon following the outrage and complaints. However, the all the account holders lost their followers.

The account of ABVP Delhi state account called the ABVPVoice, ABVPDelhi, DUSUAbvp and accounts of national secretary Rahul Sharma, national media convener Saket Bahuguna, JNU leader Saurabh Sharma and Diksha Verma were suspended on Thursday night. ABVP is a student organisation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Most of the users came to know about the suspension on Friday morning, with people complaining on Twitter about the suspension and questioned the right to freedom of speech and expression.

This surely creates suspension and smells of prejudice when all accounts suspended were following the Twitter policies and never violated them. How can Twitter suspend the handles of the largest student organisation in the country? asked Saket Bahuguna, national media convener.

He said the Twitter did not give them any reason over the suspension of the accounts.

The so-called largest social media platform should issue an apology and state publicly the real reasons for the suspension of these accounts, said a statement from the student body.

Twitter India did not respond to the emails sent by HT.

The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson, Tajinder Pal Bagga, also wrote a letter to Twitter demanding clarification.

Meanwhile, ABVP activists like Diksha Verma also started a campaign holding a placard which read Im and ABVP activist and Im not afraid of Twitter suspension.

The campaign was similar to the one Gurmehar Kaur had started against the ABVP after the Ramjas College violence.
Layoffs in the information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors is expected to continue this year with the pace of job creation slowing down. Several people employed in IT and related sectors in Gurgaon have already started looking for options in other sectors, including pharmaceutical and smartphone manufacturing.

The National association of software and services companies (Nasscom) has confirmed that there will be more job cuts as the companies are focusing on hiring skilled staff, and digitisation and automation are increasing.

I was planning to shift to an IT company in Pune but heard about the massive layoffs. Now, I have applied to a smartphone manufacturing facility in Bangalore as there is more stability in that sector, a software engineer with nine years experience, working in Convergys at Sohna Road, said.

Employees in the human resource and accounts departments have multiple options in other companies but those with technical qualifications are finding it tough to venture out of the IT sector.

I planned to be a lecturer but opted for electrical engineering on my parents insistence. Earlier, the scope was good in the sector... Four of my colleagues have been asked to leave. I am not sure of my position. Meeting routine expenses will be tough without a job, a senior support engineer with an MNC in DLF Phase 3 said. She is now exploring options in a teaching career.

A senior executive involved in recruitment process said the companies are reducing their bench strength as the financial sector has been unstable after high denomination currencies were scrapped in the country and polls in the USA. Earlier, employees in bench strength were not given hike and kept on hold, but, now, they are being asked to leave, he said.

Sangeeta Gupta, senior vice-president, Nasscom, said layoffs are a routine process but the number is higher this time as companies need skilled people. A number of people are already working and automation is increasing; that will impact new job creation, she said.

IT solutions company Cognizant is expected to retrench over 6,000 employees in the country. Industry sources said other major IT giants are also planning to cut down workforce in Gurgaon.

Every year, companies conduct performance based appraisals and about 2% of the workforce is sacked. The business environment is volatile... It will impact new hiring, Gupta said.

According to a report, the hiring process for 2017 is likely to be slow with IT majors expected to cut down intake of engineers by 40%.

Companies, however, are defending retrenchments as part of appraisals.

As part of our workforce management strategy, we conduct regular performance reviews to ensure we have the right employee skill sets necessary to meet client needs and achieve our business goals. This process results in changes, including some employees transitioning out of the company. Any actions as a result of this process are performance-based and generally consistent with those weve made in previous years, a spokesperson of Cognizant said.

A spokesperson of Genpact said there are no layoffs planned but the company will hire only skilled people. As always, we continue to invest in developing and upskilling internal talent to take on better jobs while driving a strong performance culture and we will continue to hire in areas of growth, the spokesperson said..

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Hundreds of parents gathered outside the Delhi Public School Ghaziabad (DPSG), Palam Vihar, on Friday, protesting against a fee hike for about four hours. Parents alleged that the school hiked its fee two-and-a-half fold, and demanded an explanation from the institution and a rollback of the tuition fee hike.

Earlier, we were paying Rs 65,000 annually but, with the new structure, we will have to pay R 1.62 lakh, Yashesh Yadav, a parent, said.

We were paying Rs 7,750 as tuition fees and it has been increased to Rs 26,000. Annual charges have been increased from Rs 5,400 to Rs 15,000, and development fees from Rs 825 to Rs 12,000. How can a school just increase the fee without prior notice and not justify it? Harpreet Kaur, another parent, said.

Parents also demanded that the school share details of expenses. Some parents have also written to the director, school education department.

On the other hand, school authorities said the hike is merely 35% which is reasonable as its a new school in which infrastructure is still being set up. We have not rolled out the new fee structure yet. We had called the parents last week and discussed the fee hike with them. We have decided to raise the fees only after receiving their consent. We are still working on it and discussions are on with the management, Deepika Sharma, principal, DPSG, said.

The parents approached the district education office and requested officials to speak to the school about the hike.

Parents said they got together to devise their strategy to battle the ever-increasing school fee. They also plan to approach district education officials to obtain Form 6 which has details of the fee structure and finances of schools.

We have decided to meet the Fee and Fund Regulatory Committee, demanding a fee audit if they find any irregularities in the form, Dev Kumar, a parent, said.

Parents said they have decided to meet the school management on Saturday, and if their demands are not met, they will continue to protest outside the school.

The school will have to roll back the fee hike as there is already a burden of 10% annual hike, which is reasonable. The additional hike is an extra burden on salaried parents, Ruchi Dhaiya, a parent, said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Ben Affleck recently took his children to Disneyland and spent a fun-filled day with them.

The 44-year-old actor was spotted enjoying the rides with his kids and also interacted with fans, reported People magazine.

The kids love spending time with their dad and vice versa, a friend of the actor told People magazine.

Ben Affleck with daughters Violet and Seraphina  #benaffleck @benaffleck  new Photo 21.03.2017 News and Photo dailymail  A post shared by Ben Affleck (@benaffleckturkey_official) on Mar 22, 2017 at 12:46pm PDT

One of the onlookers, who rode Its a Small World with Affleck, noted the actor was wearing a Batman backpack.

Another onlooker said said Ben was very engaged with his son, adding, They were talking to each other a lot while on the different rides.

Ben Affleck is enjoying ice cream with daughter Violet in Atlanta  @benaffleck #benaffleck #bestdad  News and Photo dailymail  new Photo 23.03.2017 A post shared by Ben Affleck (@benaffleckturkey_official) on Mar 23, 2017 at 11:12pm PDT

Ben affleck and violet school #benaffleck #bestdad  @benaffleck News and Photo dailymail 23.03.2017 A post shared by Ben Affleck (@benaffleckturkey_official) on Mar 23, 2017 at 11:09pm PDT

The source, however, did not specify which of his kids - Violet, 11, Seraphina, 7, and Sam, 5 - accompanied him to the amusement park.

The Superman v Batman star even stopped to pose for a photograph with a fans young daughter, who also tweeted about meeting Affleck.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
It has been 5 years since Tom Cruise broke up with wife Katie Holmes, but a new report claims that the Mission Impossible star is dating British actor Vanessa Kirby.

Known for her role as Princess Margaret in Netflixs The Crown, Kirby was recently cast in Cruises Mission Impossible 6, which is heading into production soon.

An InTouch Weekly report now says that Cruise got her on board after watching her performance in the show, and the pair immediately hit it off.

As per US Magazine, Tom flipped for her work. He told the other MI producers that he had to have Vanessa for a crucial role in the franchises sixth instalment, and was blown away by her endless charm and energy.

According to an unnamed insider, Cruise is already considering a future with the British actor, with one source even claiming that he wants to make her the next Mrs Tom Cruise.

Cruise was married to Mimi Rogers from 1987 to 1990, to Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001, and then to Katie Holmes from 2006 to 2012.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Deepika Padukone has become a hot name in Hollywood after the super success of xXx: Return Of Xander Cage, her action flick with Vin Diesel.

Following the Rs 2,200 crore blockbuster, there were reports that Diesel had taken her under his wings and is counselling on her career in the West. That also fuelled rumours that Diesel will again be seen in her next Hollywood projects.

Well, Padukone has denied all these rumours now. Deccan Chronicle quoted her saying, No, nothing happening in Hollywood as yet. Would let you know for sure. But yes, a lot of films coming on way and Im happy.

She is currently shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati which also features Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor. The film had its run-in with the Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur and its shooting is halted since then.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is someone who lives for cinema and Ive never met anyone more passionate, Deepika said.

I know for a fact that he will take everything in a positive way and pour it back into the movie. Hes here to tell a story through his film and glorify Padmavati, she explained.
Chief minister Adityanath Yogi has asked senior officials to chalk out clear guidelines for anti-Romeo squads to ensure that the police did not act against boys and girls hanging out together with consent.

He said strict action should be taken against those involved in acid attacks and senior officers should review such cases with district magistrates and the district police chiefs on a day-to-day basis.

Yogi was presiding over a high-level meeting convened to review the performance of departments in Lucknow on Friday.

He said the state government was receiving complaints about illegal mining from many districts. Such a situation was not acceptable, he said, asking the principal secretaries of the mining and home departments to check illegal mining immediately.

He said the officers should make security arrangements for the state secretariat on the pattern of the parliament secretariat and cancel the entry passes issued unnecessarily.

He asked officers to install the biometric system and CCTV cameras for marking attendance in state government offices to check the tendency of abstaining from work.

Observing that the attendance of doctors in government hospitals was not satisfactory, he asked officers to take immediate steps in this connection.

The chief minister referred to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to make his point that the state governments non-cooperation in the past towards such schemes had deprived the people of the state of their benefits.

The work for implementation of the scheme should be transferred from the urban development department to housing development department, he said. A scheme for allotment of houses to those not having any house should be worked out and incomplete houses constructed under the Kanshiram Housing Scheme should also be completed, he said.

He also referred to the Union governments scheme to provide generic medicines at cheaper rates and said so far only 150 shops had been opened in the state under this scheme. He said a process to open at least 3,000 such shops in the state should be immediately initiated.

He said the departments should do away with ad hocism and work out a transparent system of functioning to root out corruption. He said the state government offices should be properly maintained to ensure that visitors reaching there felt good and got relief. All the departments should implement the citizens charter to bring out qualitative improvement in their working, he said.

The CM has asked departments to set targets for the next 100 days.

He also said registration of contractors having mafia links should be cancelled and a transparent system should be put in place.

Any political pressure should be ignored and FIR should be registered for any wrongdoing, he said.
From business class air travel to a long, overnight train journey! Shiv Sena parliamentarian Ravindra Gaikwad was forced to take a New Delhi-Mumbai train on Friday after all major airlines in the country put him on their no-fly list for assaulting a senior Air India official.

Gaikwad abused and assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager of the national carrier with his slippers, venting his anger after being denied business class on a Pune-New Delhi Air India flight on Thursday.

Air India and five private airlines banned the 56-year-old MP for Maharashtras Osmanabad from flying as he refused to apologise for the incident that triggered nationwide outrage.

Air India cancelled the MPs return ticket for the 4.15pm flight on Friday, but he booked an IndiGo flight through an agent.

#WATCH: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad refrains from commenting further on Air India row,says Uddhav Thackeray or Anil Desai will speak on it pic.twitter.com/wfNaOtoae9  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

The private airline too cancelled the booking, forcing him to take the August Kranti Express, which leaves for Mumbai from Hazrat Nizamuddin station in the Capital at 4.50pm.

Gaikwad is booked on berth number 21 in the AI compartment. It appears that officials granted him spot reservation for being an MP, after he reached the station, a railway spokesman said.

The Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from the first-time MP, while Delhi Police registered two FIRs, charging him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder..

Gaikwad faces arrest after the FIRs were lodged. But Delhi Police spokesperson Dependra Pathak said: Let the crime branch start the probe and establish their case. They will follow legal procedure.

Fellow MPs have criticised Gaikwads action, and Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she would take a call if any parliamentarian brought the topic to her notice in the House.

The Shiv Sena politician, however, remained defiant and unrepentant, and instead blamed the airline employee, R Sukumar, for the incident.

He told reporters at Maharashtra Sadan this morning that he has no regrets.

Kaahe ka pashchaataap (what is there to repent)? I will not apologise ... he (Sukumar) should come and apologise. Then we will see. A 60-year-old man should know how to behave, he said.

He had bragged before television cameras that he hit the official 25 times with his footwear. Kaan ke nichey bajaa daala (beat him below his ears), he is heard saying in video clips that have gone viral on social media.

He said he went out to watch a Bollywood movie  Badrinath ki Dulhaniya  on Thursday night to relax himself.

Tension-free hona chahiye na ... you also watch the movie, its very good.

Also, Gaikwad boasted that police can arrest me ... my party, Uddhav saheb will take care of it.

His remarks caused further embarrassment to the Shiv Sena, especially after he crowed that party chief Uddhav Thackeray would bail him out.

The Sena chief has sought a report to determine the facts before he decides on what happens next for Gaikwad.

For his part, Gaikwad wrote to the Lok Sabha speaker and civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju for action against Air India and its official. Also, he filed a counter-complaint with police against the airline.

But the minister stood firmly behind the airline and its employees. I am also an MP. We are not above the law and we have to follow the law of the land, he said.

Air India duty manager Sukumar alleged that the MP had used foul language, snatched his glasses, pinned him to the ground and hit him with a slipper when he tried to persuade him to get off the plane.

Gaikwad had refused to move out of the flight for almost an hour in protest, after it landed in New Delhi, against the airline for allegedly changing his seat from business to economy class.

Youre our role model, no  youre our representative, youre our democratic leader, we have elected you, a woman member of Air Indias staff is heard saying in a video clip of the incident.

But the angry politician, who was a college teacher, launched on Sukumar, saying he had misbehaved with him.

Sukumar said on Friday that elected representatives need to behave. I am not scared at all, either with Gaikwad or with the Shiv Sena. I have been serving the public and have also faced many who get irritated on such issues. Its a common thing for me.

Before he took the train, the MP was blacklisted by Air India, Indigo, SpiceJet, GoAir, Jet Airways and Vistara.

But he insisted: I have the tickets, they cant blacklist me. I will board the Delhi-Pune Air India flight this evening. How can they not allow me?

Police beefed up security at the airport after his remarks, as protesters too gathered there, including members of the Aam Aadmi Party.

We will hit him 25 times with slippers as an answer to his misbehavior, AAP leader Prabhat Kumar said.

The airlines proposed a no-fly list to include names of unruly passengers and asked the government and security agencies to enforce such a measure.

Spicejet supports a no-fly list to bar unruly fliers, SpiceJet chief Ajay Singh said. The government needs to act on this soon. An attack on our employees and crew is an attack on us and we strongly condemn such incidents.

IndiGo, which is often at loggerheads with Air India, also came out in support of such a list.

Air India chief Ashwini Lohani has asked his staff not to wait for an approval to file a police complaint in the case of misbehaviour or assault by a passenger.

(With agency inputs)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Even as work on the strategic Rohtang tunnel progresses slowly, the defence ministry has decided to construct four more tunnels in order to effect all-weather connectivity with treacherous roads linking the Chinese frontiers in Leh and Ladakh.

The four proposed tunnels will cut through lofty mountain passes in the Himalayan and Zanskar mountain ranges to facilitate year-round movement of vehicles  both civilian and army  to border areas. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Indias elite agency responsible for the construction and maintenance of borders roads, has already engaged Italian consultants to conduct feasibility studies for the tunnels. Once built, it will cut through the avalanche-prone Shinkula pass  which connects Lahaul valley in Himachal to Zanskar in Jammu and Kashmir .

Though the 16,703-foot-high pass has no glaciers, it is highly prone to avalanches during snowy winters. It was only last year that the BRO completed the 39.6-km stretch to connect Lahaul valley with Zanskar.

The stretch connecting Darcha with Shinkula pass will also drastically reduce travel time between Manali and Leh. Experts say that the road, besides being of strategic importance, will improve connectivity for residents of the 15-odd villages in Zanskar valley  who currently have to walk nearly six days to reach either Leh or Manali.

The road will also aid the construction of a tunnel being planned beneath Shinkula pass. The BRO has hired experts from Italy-based Geodata to conduct a feasibility study, a senior official told Hindustan Times. This tunnel is aimed at reducing the distance between Manali and Leh.

Besides this, the defence ministry has proposed the construction of a 11.25-km-long tunnel beneath the 16,040-feet Baralachala pass in Zanskar range. Using the 470-km national highway connecting Manali and Leh to cross Baralachala pass has been nothing short of a nightmare for both drivers and travellers. While it remains closed to traffic during the winter, summers see melting glaciers create potentially dangerous streams on one of the most treacherous roads in the country.

The tunnel is likely to be built through the 17,480-feet-high Taglangla pass, which is the second-highest motorable mountain pass in the world. The proposed tunnel will be the longest one in the Manali-Leh axis, stretching for approximately 14.78 km.

The last tunnel on the Manali-Leh road will be constructed below the 16,598-feet Lachungla pass, which is on Himachal-Jammu and Kashmir boundary. It will be located just 25 km from Sarchu. The tunnel, measuring 11.25-km, will be second-longest in the axis.

The strategic 8.9-km-long Rohtang tunnel is already running two years behind the schedule. The project, aimed at providing all-weather road connectivity to areas bordering China, has hit another geological roadblock  with engineers finding it difficult to dig through entire strata of withered rocks beneath the 13,050-feet-high pass.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with members of the NATO alliance on Friday next week, a spokesman said, after he had initially planned to skip a ministerial meeting.

The State Department was unable to confirm whether the new March 31 meeting in Brussels will replace the annual foreign ministers' meeting that Tillerson will not attend on April 5 and 6.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


State carrier Air India on Friday barred Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who had assaulted a staffer, from its flights and even cancelled his return ticket to Pune from here, anticipating a backlash by its employees.

Gaikwad, who has been unapologetic about the incident which took place yesterday, was booked on a Delhi to Pune flight, AI 849, scheduled for departure at 4pm on Friday.

Air India said it has also written to the Shiv Sena communicating its decision to cancel the ticket. Shiv Sena Secretary Anil Desai said he has asked Gaikwad to change his travel plans as the party doesnt want the tension to escalate.

Gaikwad, an MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra, refused to deboard a Pune-Delhi Air India flight on Thursday morning and hit a AI staffer with slippers 25 times over allegedly being denied a business class seat.

Four other airlines -- IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir -- have also banned him and and demanded exemplary action against the politician whose actions have triggered widespread outrage.

We have intimated Shiv Sena that we cant fly Gaekwad on his return flight because our employees are agitated. He has assured us that the party will advise the MP not to fly Air India today, said an Air India source.

Our airport employees have said that they wont attend to him and they wont let him enter. In order to avoid any violence, we have written to Shiv Sena, he added.

Gaikwad told TV channels this morning, I am booked on a 4pm flight to Pune. I will take that flight. How can they not let me travel when I have a booking and I am their passenger.

Desai, also an MP, said that he has acceded to Air Indias request and has also asked Gaikwad to change his travel plans.

An Air India official called me that their staff is upset over the issue. I have acceded to their request by asking my MP not to go ahead with his plan to fly Air India today, said Desai .

I have also asked him to change his travel plans. We dont intend to escalate the tension, he added.
Tension gripped the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus on Friday following a clash between two groups of students and an alleged attempt to communalise the issue by the ABVP and two legislators of the ruling BJP.

Police sources said some BSc students were assaulted by another group of students on Thursday. One of the students, identified as Mohit, sustained serious head injuries in the incident.

AMU proctor Prof M Mohsan Khan said, A physical fight took place between students. Mohit had received head injuries but is out of danger now. Show cause notices have been issued to the accused students. Appropriate action will be taken against them.

Claiming that only students of a particular religion were being harassed, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) functionaries staged a sit-in demonstration in front of the SSP office demanding action against the accused.

The right-wing student activists were soon joined by Aligarh City MLA Sanjiv Raja and Koil MLA Anil Parashar in the protest.

Mohit in his complaint said he and his friends were attacked by some youths as he did not invite them to a farewell party.

In the FIR registered with the Civil Lines police station Asif, Abdulla, Faraz and Ashfaq were named as accused.

Mohit has named his friends Mohd Danish and Manzoor as witnesses in the FIR.

District, civil and police administration are keeping a close watch after the incident. An FIR has been registered and investigations are on. The accused will not be spared and stern action will be taken against them, said SP (city) Atul Sriwastava.

The AMU Students Union (AMUSU) termed the clash as a petty confrontation between two groups of students and staged a peace march to protest the uncalled for interference by those with vested interests to communalise the issue.

It appealed to the students to maintain peace, law and order on the campus.

AMUSU secretary Nabi-ul-Usmani told HT, This is an internal matter of the university students but some outsiders are trying to vitiate the situation.

We are with Mohit. But why is the ABVP communalising the incident? I appeal to everyone not to turn the AMU campus into a political arena, AMUSU vice president Nadim Ansari said.

MLA Sanjiv Raj refuted the allegation that they were trying to communalise the issue.

We have only extended our moral support to students. Action should be taken against the culprits. If no action is taken, we may raise the matter at other fora, he said.
The officer first shot at him and then saved his life. Hit by a bullet, Somaru, a Maoist commander, owes his life to an IPS officer who had engaged him in a fierce gun battle last week in the dense forests of Chhattisgarhs Bastar.

Saheb saved my life, says Somaru, referring to Dantewadas additional superintendent of police Abhishek Pallav, as he recovers at a government hospital.

Carrying a bounty of one lakh rupees, Somara was hit in the abdomen by a bullet on March 18 during the seven-hour long encounter that left five Maoists and two policemen dead. Bleeding profusely and writhing in pain, his life was rapidly ebbing when Pallav, a doctor-turned-policeman, came to his rescue.

Time was the key to saving his life as he was losing blood profusely and I being a trained doctor could not have looked the other way, says Pallav.

Before joining the IPS in 2013, Pallav from Begusarai in Bihar had been a practicising doctor, having done his MD from AIIIMS in 2009. Though a bit rusty, he had not forgotten his skills. Even as the gun battle raged, he bandaged the wounded Somaru, gave him painkiller injections and then sent him off to the nearest hospital in an ambulance.

If he had bled for a few more minutes, he would have been dead, says Pallav.

But sending Somaru to the hospital was easier said than done. Bullets were flying and a policeman already lay dead, making the security personnel bay for blood. They wanted Somaru dead.

Though a fugitive, he is an Indian citizen. He deserved treatment, says Pallav. He reasoned with his men and they finally relented to let Somaru be taken to the hospital.

Pallavs act has earned him fulsome praise from his higher-ups and yielded valuable intelligence on the Maoists from Somaru.

What the officer has done is a brilliant example of how rules of engagement should be followed, admits DM Awasthi, the special director general of Chhattisgarh police. Often accused of excesses during their anti-Maoist operations, Pallavs humanitarian act could be a potential PR masterstroke.

Saving Somaru was also a good idea since he is a treasure trove of information on the Maoists. Police say a grateful Somaru is now singing like a canary and divulging secrets.

It was a tip-off that had led the police to the remote village of Chirmur across the river Malangir on that day. As the team approached, the Maoists opened fire and the police retaliated. More than 2700 rounds were fired with Pallav firing no less than 23 rounds.

The battle over, Somaru is receiving treatment under judicial custody. Pallav went to see him at the hospital the other day. Somaru was all smiles, signaling that the officers heroism had swept away the enmity between the two.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A Facebook post can land you in jail, if your target a rich and powerful politician.

This week, at least seven people have been arrested for posting objectionable things against newly-elected Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on social media.

On Thursday, a 22-year-old man, Rahat Khan, was arrested by the Greater Noida police for a status update, while on March 21, a few hours after Adityanath was sworn in, at least four people were arrested from different parts of Uttar Pradesh for Facebook posts against him. Earlier, an FIRs was lodged against a Bengaluru woman for a Facebook post allegedly portraying Adityanath in poor light.

This is not the first time that social media posts against politicians have landed people in a soup. Here are seven incidents where citizens were arrested for sharing posts against politicians:

Class XI student, Rampur, March 2015: A teenage student of Class 11 was arrested and sent to jail for allegedly posting on Facebook objectionable comments attributed to Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan.

The youth was later released on bail and the SC sought explanation from UP Police on the circumstances leading to the arrest.

Rajeesh Kumar, Kerala, Aug 2014: Police arrested CPI-M worker Rajeesh Kumar for posting abusive comments and photos on Facebook about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Police said in one of the posts, Modi was depicted in a picture shown with an imprint of a shoe on his face. They claimed the posts had abusive comments against Modi and a comment in one post could have sparked communal tensions.

Devu Chodankar, Goa, May 2014: Ship-building professional Chodankar was booked for posting a comment against Modi on Facebook. Police filed an FIR against him under sections 153(A) and 295(A) of the IPC and section 125 of the Representation of the Peoples Act and 66(A) of the IT Act.

Police described Chodankars comment as part of a larger game plan to promote communal and social disharmony in the state, but opposition parties saw it as an attempt to muzzle criticism of Modi.

Palghar girls, Mumbai, November 2012: Two young girls from Palghar, Shaheen Dhada and Renu Srinivasan, were arrested when one of them posted a question on her Facebook page questioning why the city was shut down for Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackerays funeral. One of them commented that the shutdown was out of fear, not respect. The second girl, her friend, was arrested for liking the post.

They were arrested for hurting religious sentiments under section 295(a) of the IPC and section 66(a) of the IT Act. All charges were later quashed by a court.

Ravi Srinivasan, October, 2012: A Puducherry businessman Ravi Srinivasan was arrested for allegedly posting offensive messages on Twitter about Congress leader P Chidambarams son Karti Chidambaram.

Air India employees, Mumbai, May 2012: Air India cabin crew members Mayank Mohan Sharma and K V J Rao were arrested by the cyber crime cell of Mumbai police for allegedly posting indecent jokes about then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other politicians and for insulting the national flag.

Both of them said they had merely shared information that was easily available on the internet. They spent 12 days in jail and were suspended till the charges against them were dropped some months later.

Ambikesh Mahapatra and Subrata Sengupta, Jadavpur, April 2012: Jadavpur university professor Ambikesh Mahapatra and his neighbour Subrata Sengupta were arrested for allegedly circulating a cartoon that lampooned West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee. They were accused of emailing the cartoon based on a scene from Satyajit Rays popular movie Sonar Kella.The police had submitted a 93-page charge sheet against the two men.

At the time, Banerjee had said, If one commits an offence, one has to face arrest. Conspiracies wont be tolerated. She even claimed the cartoon contained a coded message to kill her.

In March 2015, the Calcutta high court directed the West Bengal government to pay Rs 50,000 to the duo.
The BJP-led Assam government has fired a madrasa teacher six years after a foreigners tribunal declared him a Bangladeshi. Police said the man, his wife and children are absconding.

In an order issued a few weeks ago, the director of madrasa education dismissed Maqsood Alam Dewan who was an assistant teacher at Telahi Islamia Senior Madrasa in Morigaon district. The madrasa is situated about 75km east of Guwahati.

A case was initiated against Dewan and his wife in 2007 on the suspicion that they were not Indian citizens. They approached the Gauhati High Court after a foreigners tribunal adjudged them Bangladeshis in 2010, but the HC upheld the tribunals verdict in October last year, Swapnaneel Deka, Morigaon district superintendent of police, told HT.

Dewan and his wife have been absconding since the HC ruling. We are hopeful of catching them if they are holed up anywhere in the district, Deka said.

Dewans was one of more than 2.62 lakh cases pending with 100 foreigners tribunals  up from 36 last year  across Assam. A few, declared Bangladeshis under the Foreigners Actof 1946, have been deported while about 300 people are in detention camps awaiting deportation.

In January this year, 17 people kept in such a detention camp in southern Assams Silchar were deported to Bangladesh. These 17 were among 54 people from Bangladesh and Myanmar who were caught after illegally entering India during the past few years.

Last year, on October 13, southern Assam officials had deported 10 Bangladeshis. This followed bilateral meetings between the two governments in 2015  first in January at Silchar and then in October at Srimangal in Bangladeshs Maulvibazar district.

In minority-dominated areas, judges of foreigners tribunals trying cases of D-voters (doubtful voters) have at times been assaulted. On February 15, a group of 20 lawyers assaulted judge Ajoy Phukan in western Assams Dhubri following an argument over a judgement in a D-voter case.

Some of the lawyers were later arrested.

A similar incident happened in Dhubri with another judge of the foreigners tribunal in 2015.

The government needs to take a serious view of such assaults and ensure protection of judges in sensitive areas with a sizeable number of people of suspect nationalities, Upamanyu Hazarika, a senior Supreme Court lawyer and convenor of an anti-infiltration front, said.

NGOs and political parties such as All India United Democratic Front say the religious minorities are often victimised in the name of checking infiltration. A case they cited is that of 11 descendants of Moulavi Muhammad Amiruddin, who was Assam legislative assemblys first deputy speaker from 1937-1946.

The 11, including Amiruddins nephew Rafiqul Islam, had voted in the 2016 assembly elections in Assam. But border wing of Assam police have referred them to a foreigners tribunal where they have to prove they are India.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Union home affairs minister Rajnath Singh on Friday assured a delegation of political leaders from Haryana that further action on the construction of Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal will be taken after seeking legal counsel from the Attorney General.

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who led the all-party delegation to meet the Union minister in New Delhi, said that Haryanas case on the SYL has been submitted to the Central government.

The delegation presented the case of the state regarding implementation of orders of the Supreme Court on construction of the SYL Canal. The delegation also submitted a charter for getting the SYL Canal constructed by the central government at the earliest, he said.

Khattar noted that the Supreme Court had delivered its judgment in favour of Haryana and the responsibility for getting the SYL Canal constructed rested with the Central government.

Water supplied through the SYL Canal was the rightful share of the state of Haryana. It is a joint agreement. It is not an issue between governments. Presently, the issue concerns implementation of the joint agreement.

The case of Haryana has been presented before the Central government by the all-party delegation in a proper manner, and I hope the canal would be constructed at the earliest and the farmers would get their rightful share of water, he added.

Besides Khattar, the delegation included state ministers, state Bharatiya Janata Party president Subhash Barala, leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala, Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Ashok Tanwar, and Kiran Chaudhary and Indian National Lok Dal state president Ashok Arora.

Punjab has refused to allow construction of the SYL canal, saying that it has no water to spare for Haryana.
Bihar lawmakers can spruce up their official residence with latest furniture after proposal to double the allowance for furniture purchase to Rs one lakh is approved.

Bihar Legislators (salary, allowance and pension Amendment) Bill 2017 was presented in Bihar Assembly on Friday by Parliamentary Affairs minister Shrawan Kumar.

The furniture allowance is currently Rs 50,000.

The bill said that the furniture allowance of Rs one lakh could be availed only once during the entire tenure.

Some other highlights of the bill included payment of Rs 2 lakh in a financial year against journey by air or rail along with a maximum of four assistants.

This travel allowance would be Rs 1 lakh for former legislators in a financial year. They could travel by air or trains within the country along with maximum three associates, the bill said.

However, former legislators engaged on payment of salary with universities under central or state government would not get this travel allowance.

Ex-legislators of the Assembly or Legislative Council would get a monthly pension of Rs 25,000. This amount would be enhanced by Rs 2000 every year.

The Amendment Bill was tabled in the Legislative Assembly for 14 days to elicit comments of members.
The Centres move to relax conditions for donations made by corporate entities to political parties has evoked strong criticism from the opposition, which accused the BJP-led NDA government of creating new avenues for large-scale money laundering.

Through one of the 40 amendments moved in the finance bill, the government has proposed to remove the cap that barred companies from donating more than 7.5% of their average net profit to a political party. Till now, companies could contribute up to 7.5% of their average net profit in the past three financial years.

Besides, the companies will now no longer need to disclose the name of the political party to which they make the donations.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said in a statement that through this amendment to the Companies Act of 2013, corporates can now pay political parties an unlimited amount through the election bonds scheme without disclosing the beneficiarys name.

This government has not only widened the process of corporate funding to political parties but also created new avenues for large-scale money laundering, it said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said this move has exposed Prime Minister Narendra Modis claim to bring transparency in political funding. Now that the corporate do not have to declare their contribution and no limits on their contribution, the changes will trigger massive corruption, he told HT.

Yecury said, more importantly, this paves the way for money laundering. For example, a politician transfers his illegal money to a corporate and the corporate transfers it back to the same politicians party. In one word, this is an atrocious move by the BJP government.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be the biggest beneficiary of the amendment and demanded a rollback of the amendment.

Even foreign companies can donate huge funds to parties and this will act as a severe threat to our national security, it added.

The Congress said the electoral bonds will open the door to anonymous donations, crony capitalists and influence the policy outcome without any suspicion. We will not know who contributed, we will not be able to follow them and find out who influenced what public policy and that is a dangerous development in terms of transparency for our democracy, party spokesperson Rajeev Gowda said.

In the Lok Sabha, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) staged a walkout on the issue. It opens the floodgates for potential corruption and removes the means to check it, BJD leader Bhratruhari Mahtab said.

The Trinamool Congress demanded the removal of the anonymity clause. We need to remove the anonymity clause and make it mandatory for firms to disclose to which party they have paid money. Otherwise, we could be flooded with cases of misuse of office to get political donations, Trinamool leader Dinesh Trivedi said.

The opposition parties also came down heavily on the government for tagging along non-tax bills in the finance bill to make them money bills.

The Modi government and the RSS always speak of transparency in dealings and posed as the champions of fighting against black money. But the cat is now out of the bag. Now that the Rajya Sabha does not have powers to reject the money bill, it becomes a law automatically, the CPI said in a statement.

The Lok Sabha passed the finance bill on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha cannot reject a money bill. The bill is, therefore, deemed to have been passed by Parliament and will become a law following the presidential assent.

Through another amendment to the companies act, donations by companies to electoral trusts through account payee cheque, bank draft or electronic transfer have also been allowed. The government claimed that it is part of its move to check black money and bring transparency in political fundings.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A police complaint was lodged against filmmaker Shirish Kunder with Hazratganj police station here on Thursday, for allegedly derogatory remarks against Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The FIR was registered under Section 66 of Information Technology Act, 2008.

Amit Kumar Tiwari, secretary of Thakurdwara Trust, Sita Rasoi, Ramkot of Ayodhya, lodged the FIR against the filmmaker. He said Kunder had first tweeted that Hoping a goon will stop rioting once hes allowed to rule is like expecting a rapist to stop raping once hes allowed to rape.

He posted a second tweet, Going by the logic of making a goon as CM so that he behaves, Dawood can be CBI director. And Mallya - RBI Governor.

Kunders response was to writer Chetan Bhagats tweet after the BJP leadership chose the five term parliamentarian from Gorakhpur and head priest of Gorakhnath Math to head the government in Indias most populous and politically sensitive state.

The filmmaker  famous for the 2012 Bollywood sci-fi comedy Joker  deleted his posts after a section of the twitteratti roasted him for his tweets against Yogi.

Earlier, Tiwari had also lodged the FIR for objectionable post of chief minister and other Hindu seers on facebook with Gomti Nagar police on Tuesday night. He had accused one Raghav Rajput of sharing the objectionable post on facebook and inviting comments on it.
The Royal Bengal is the most protected animal in India and its population is booming, but missing tigers are the weakest link in the conservation success story.

Theres hardly any mechanism to monitor tigers that have strayed out of their designated habitat. The flaw keeps drifters out of the loop and the forest officials have no clue about them.

Among the missing tigers in recent times was Ookhan of Tadoba-Andhari in Maharashtra. He was found this March at a place about 100km away from where he was spotted last almost four years ago.

The photograph taken in 2013 helped track the seven-year-old male. Stripe patterns are unique to every tiger and that is their identity marker.

Ookhan is a lucky break on a long list of tigers that went missing and never found.

The photo shows the strip pattern of the tiger captured in 2012 and 2017. (Aditya Dhanwate)

The Maharashtra forest department has yet to trace Jai, the iconic tiger of Nagpurs Umred Karhandla wildlife sanctuary, who went missing on April 18, 2016.

A year later, and after searches across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, forest officials have no clue if the animal with a radio collar around its neck is alive or dead.

Ookhan or Jai are not stray cases. It is quite common in the wild for dominant tigers occupying the rich prey base to push out the weaker ones to the hinterland.

A tigers territory range from 10 to 12 square km, and the number of tigers moving out to different zones for food and water has increased recently with their population rising on the back of conservation efforts.

Scientists report 20% turnover in tiger population, meaning the older getting replaced by the younger generation every year. In that scenario, tracking them becomes important both for research and understanding the animal outside their protected core areas.

The most common and time-tested monitoring device is the radio collar, which weighs over a kilo and emits signals through a transmitter linked to a satellite.

But Jais collar is on the blink, triggering fears that either the device is buried or thrown into a no-signal zone. That was the last word on Jai from the forest department. Rest has been rumours  from his death to being spotted in Telangana.

Jai, who reached Umred after losing a territorial war in Pench, went missing despite the radio collar.

Less than 5% of tigers in India are monitored round-the-clock through such collars, which is an expensive technology.

The low use of imported collars is primarily because of its high cost  about Rs 4 lakh apiece  and high maintenance. Just a battery, which needs to be replaced every year, has a price tag of about Rs 50,000.

Radio collars are expensive as the equipment is imported from the US and Germany. Nowhere in the world the entire population is collared; only a sample is done for research purpose, said VB Mathur, the director of the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

Highlights A tigers territory range from 10 to 12 square km, but an increasing number is moving out to different zones for food and water. Scientists report 20% turnover in tiger population, meaning the older getting replaced by the younger generation every year. Less than 5% of tigers in India are monitored round-the-clock through radio collars Radio collars are expensive; equipment is imported from the US and Germany The conservation authority has set a target of having a picture database of 90% of tigers counted in 2018

Independent tiger expert Raghu Chandawat agreed that collars are not effective because of their high rate of failure and poor frequency of intercepts.

Mathur countered that the fail rate was less than 1% as the signal is transmitted through two modes: transmitter or satellite. But he admitted that intercepts were an issue.

Another monitoring system is a camera trap. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has prescribed a protocol that includes collecting as many camera trap pictures of tigers, regular updating of albums, sharing it with divisional forest officials and matching them with the feline found in new areas to track from where they have come.

Of the 2,226 tigers in India, the WII has shared pictures of about 1,650 with forest departments of states. Thats done to ensure the WII can help track a tiger spotted at a place for the first time.

But the database has not been effective as most departments have failed to update records on tiger movements. Officials cite poorly trained staff for the flaw.

Inadequate monitoring has put Jai, Gabbar of Todaba, Sundari of Ranthambore and Corbetts Khalli out of the radar in the past several years.

Sundari, daughter of Ranthambores late queen Machhli, went missing from the core area in March 2013 as she was dislodged by a more powerful tiger; a reason that applies to Ookhans disappearance as well.

More than 100 foresters searched for the camera-friendly Sundari. But no one cared for Indu  Sundaris not-so-popular sister, who went missing around the same time.

Ranthambore reserve director YK Sahu presumed Indu to be dead, though her body was not found. Since 2010, there is no trace of 10 tigers that went missing from Ranthambore.

Half-a-dozen strays were, however, spotted in far-off Kuno Palpur and Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, their new homes, almost two years after they went missing.

Tigers travel up to 500 km looking for new homes. That brings them into direct confrontation with humans  villagers keen to protect their livestock and poachers looking for their skin and bones.

Deaths are violent and those who fall to poachers guns and poison never get noticed.

Rajesh Gopal, secretary general of Global Tiger Forum secretariat, said it was not difficult to monitor most tigers provided the NTCA protocol is followed. We need tiger reserves to share information about the animals moving to the periphery to divisional forest officials to help monitor their movement, said the former head of NTCA.

For 2018, the next round of tiger estimation, the NTCA has set a target of having a picture database of 90% of tigers counted. If that happens, tracking missing tigers would become easier.

Mathur said they were working with forest departments to improve monitoring at all levels. The fourth phase of tiger estimation, starting this October, will strengthen this effort, he hoped.

(With Inputs from Nihi Sharma in Dehradun)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
An Islamist militant accused of masterminding a deadly attack in Ivory Coast is also suspected of having planned a major assault in Burkina Faso's capital last year, a senior official said Friday.

Ivorian officials believe Mimi Ould Baba Ould Cheikh organised the gun and grenade attack that left 19 people dead last March at the beach resort of Grand-Bassam, which is popular with foreigners.

Now he is also believed to have been "head of operations" for the attack on a hotel and cafe in Ouagadougou in January 2016 that killed 30 people, said Colonel Serge Alain Ouedraogo of the Burkinabe gendarmerie.

"The weapons and equipment for the attack were carefully hidden in the tyre of a truck that Mimi had sent to Burkina by his lieutenant Ibrahim Ould Mohamed," Ouedraogo told a press conference.

The pair were arrested in Mali by troops from France's Barkhane anti-Islamist militant force -- Mimi in January this year, and his alleged accomplice last May.

Both were formerly living in a refugee camp in Djibo, northern Burkina Faso, Ouedraogo said.

After their arrests, the Burkinabe security ministry sent officials to Mali's capital Bamako and "obtained their confession of their involvement" in the Ouagadougou assault, the colonel said.

Mimi confessed to being in contact with an aide to Algerian extremist Mokhtar Belmokhtar of the Al-Murabitoun group, who offered him 10 millions CFA francs ($15,200, 15,000 euros) to carry out the "plan".

"He came several weeks before the Ouagadougou attack in the company of a white man with the first name Abderrahmane, using Nigerian identity cards for a reconnaissance mission," Ouedraogo said.

They had photographed the Cappuccino cafe and Splendid Hotel that would later be targeted in the attacks, along with another restaurant that was not hit, he said.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


President Pranab Mukherjee, here Friday, appeared to endorse the long standing contention of Bihar and some other states that the policy of freight equalization had played a big part in inhibiting the development of Indias eastern region.

Alluding to a speech by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, as a member of the Lok Sabha in the 1990s, Mukherjee said, Kumar seemed to have made a valid point when he stated that Bihar and other eastern states had lost their competitive advantage because of that policy.

Kumar was sharing the dais at the time with the President. Also present were Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind, deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, education minister Ashok Choudhary and economist Meghnad Desai. Rajya Sabha ex-member NK Singh was in the chair.

Under the freight equalization policy, 1952, the Centre subsidized the transportation of minerals to a factory set up anywhere in the country. The policy hurt the economic prospects of mineral-rich states like undivided Bihar, its successor state Jharkhand, created in 2000, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh (including present-day Chhattisgarh) and Odisha.

The policy weakened the incentives for private capital to establish production facilities in these states. As a result of the policy, businesses preferred setting up industrial locations closer to the coastal trade hubs and markets in other parts of the country.

So, despite having mineral resources and fertile land, Bihar, and now Jharkhand, too, could not make the desired progress, the President said, in his inaugural address at an international conference on, Bihar and Jharkhand: Shared history to shared vision.

The five-day conference has been organized by the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), a social research body based in Patna.

Mukherjee also described as bane of Bihar (and West Bengal), the legacy of the 1793 Permanent Settlement, which gave landlords perpetual and hereditary rights over land, so long as they paid fixed revenue to the British. The settlement was blamed for oppression of peasants.

The President revealed the affectionate side of his personality when he recalled how he had first met deputy CM Tejashwi, who was by his side, during his tenure as deputy chairman of the planning commission (1991-96).

He and his brother (Tej Pratap Yadav, now health minister) had come with their father Lalu Prasad, CM of Bihar (to discuss the states Plan size). As we discussed (matters of the state), the two (kids) were busy outside, eating chocolate, Mukherjee recalled, a smile creasing his face.

Lauding ADRI for its contribution to development oriented research, the President hoped the deliberations during the conference would help find ways of helping Bihar and Jharkhand realize their full development potential.

Mukherjee also called for exploring human development as an alternative development strategy and for prioritizing emphasis on education. Both, the state and non-state actors  especially the civil society, have a role to play in economic transformation of the region, he said.

Governor Kovind expressed hope the conference would help find answers to development issues concerning Bihar and Jharkhand.

NK Singh, who was in the chair, urged the President to direct the Centre to give more attention to the two states, the need for which had been stated in Mukherjees address to a joint sitting of the two houses of parliament on January 31.

At the outset, ADRI member-secretary Shaibal Gupta welcomed the guest. ADRI director PP Ghosh read a citation in the memory of former ADRI president Arvind N Das. Lord Meghnad Desai proposed a vote of thanks.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON


The Uttar Pradesh government announced on Friday security measures and Rs 1 lakh for a woman who was allegedly forced to drink acid by two men on board a train, marking the fourth such attack on her by the same group of suspects.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited the family members of the woman on Friday. Women welfare minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi announced the woman and her daughter will get security cover.

The alleged crime came to light after the woman got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Lucknows Charbagh station on Thursday morning and managed to scribble her plight on a piece of paper, which she gave to the government railway police.

The two suspects got on the train on the outskirts of Lucknow and forced her to drink acid around 10.30am on Thursday, sources said.

Acid probably entered her body and her throat area seems to be affected. She is unable to speak and is in tremendous pain, said Ashish, a volunteer at Lucknows Sheroes Hangout Cafe, an outlet run by acid attack survivors where the woman worked.

The authorities called her friends who took her to a local hospital, where the attending doctor said she was currently stable. No application has been received from the victims husband as yet. The FIR would be registered only after he files a complaint, said Vinod Yadav, superintendent of police, GRP.

The same group of men have previously allegedly gang-raped her and attacked her with acid, all over a property dispute in her home of Unchahar, 100 kilometres from Lucknow.

She had gone home on March 10 because her daughter was having her Class 10 examinations and was returning to her workplace on Thursday alone, sources said.

She was gang raped in 2009, and a case was filed in Unchahar. However, no action was taken in the case and the culprits continued to move freely. In 2012, she was attacked with knife with a serious attempt on her life. In 2013, she was attacked with acid, said Laxmi, an acid attack survivor.

Volunteers at her cafe said she has constantly received threats, some even in January and others targeted at her daughter. Every time the incident occurred, the accused were sent to jail but were let out on bail soon. There never came a chance when her statements could be recorded and suspect identification could be done by her, said Ashish.

Laxmi has now sought support for the woman on social network and has requested people to press for the arrest of the suspects.

The incident brings the focus back on a menace that has dogged Indian society for decades. Every year, hundreds of similar attacks are reported against women who spurn sexual advances, marriage proposals or caught in community crossfire.

India made acid attacks a separate class of crime in 2013. The courts have promised free medical treatment and the government has moved to stop the free sale of acid but such attacks continue unabated.

The crime also puts a spotlight on UPs dismal record of fighting crimes against women, something that the BJP has vowed to fight against. Law and order was a major poll plank of the saffron party that swept to power earlier this week.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The external affairs ministry on Friday took exception to an editorial in The New York Times, which criticised the BJPs decision to appoint Yogi Adityanath as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

Referring to the article, titled Modis Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said: All editorials or opinions are subjective. This case is particularly so. The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises  at home or abroad  is questionable.

The use of the word home in the spokespersons statement is interesting, considering that the paper is also embroiled in a pitched battle with the United States Donald Trump administration.

The editorial, which was highly critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claimed that he has been playing a cagey game by appeasing his partys hardline Hindu base while promoting secular goals of development and economic growth. The move by Modis party to name a firebrand Hindu cleric as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister is a shocking rebuke to religious minorities, it added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
There has been no instance of incursion by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh and other border areas, but transgressions do occur, the government told the Lok Sabha today.

Subhash Bhamre, minister of state for defence, in a written reply said, the government takes up any transgression along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) with China through established mechanisms-- such as border personnel meetings, flag meetings.

The matter is also raised through Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs and diplomatic channels.

There have been no instances of incursions of Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh and other border areas. Since there is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control in the border areas between India and China, there are other areas along the LAC where both sides have differing perception of LAC.

As both sides undertake patrolling up to their respective perception of the LAC, transgression do occur, Bhamre said.

Responding to another question, he said, there has been no report of killing of any Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy during the last three years.

The minister said, there are reports of killing of a fisherman in the Palk Strait after being fired upon allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel, but the island nations government has denied any such involvement.

Replying to another question, Bhamre said, as on February 2017, the government has disbursed Rs 6,375 crore in two installments on account of implementation of One-Rank-One Pension (OROP).
Anti-Muslim posters have surfaced in two villages of Uttar Pradeshs Bareilly district over the past week, prompting a police investigation against suspected hate-mongers trying to provoke communal tension.

Villagers at Kargaina in Subhashnagar said on Friday that posters were found in the local mosques, asking Muslims to stop using loudspeakers for the azaan  the muezzins call to prayer five times a day.

The message printed on a white paper further said namaz or prayer would not be allowed in mosques if loudspeakers are continued to be used.

Kargaina is a thickly populated village on the Bareilly-Badaun highway. Of its population of 9,000, around 3,000 are Muslims, who mostly live on one side of the village.

Two papers were found inside the village mosques, said superintendent of police Sameer Saurabh.

Prima facie, it appears to be a cheap prank of miscreants. But we have alerted our sources in the village and those behind the incident will be arrested.

Police have collected the papers, registered a case against unknown people for promoting enmity between two groups, and started an investigation.

The poster also says sarkar hamari aa gayi hai, sudhar jao (mend your ways, our government is in power) and was signed gaon ke sabhi Hindu (Hindus of the village), said Taqi Ahmed, a mosque caretaker.

The BJP formed the government in Uttar Pradesh last weekend and appointed Yogi Adityanath, a five-term parliamentarian and head priest of Gorakhnath mutt in Gorakhpur, as chief minister after winning an unprecedented 325 seats with its allies in the February-March assembly elections.

The Kargaina incident follows the appearance of similar posters in Jianagla village a week ago.

The posters asked Muslim residents to leave the village by this year-end.

No one has been arrested yet, though the local intelligence unit and crime branch are among three police teams investigating the case.
The Kerala government was planning to free several convicts, including a businessman who crushed his security guard with his Hummer and a gang that murdered a former Marxist, as part of the states 60th anniversary celebrations.

The list of 1,850 convicts, including murderers, the government wanted freed went public on Thursday after the jail department replied to an RTI query sent by a local news portal.

The government sent the proposal to governor P Sathasivam but he refused to clear it and sent it back two weeks ago, the jail department said on Thursday. Sathasivam is a former chief justice of India.

The CPI(Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front government came under attack from the Opposition as well as the wife of TP Chandrasekharan, the ex-Marxist, and have decided to move court.

When the opposition brought up the matter in the state assembly two weeks ago, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had denied the list included Chandrasekharans murderers, three of whom are from the ruling party.

Read | Hummer murder: Kerala beedi king in touch with family, runs business from jail

But the reply submitted by the jail department in response to an RTI filed by a Malayalam news portal, Marunadan Malayali, says otherwise.

The inclusion of beedi baron and NRI businessman Mohammed Nisham, who is undergoing a double life-term for murdering his security guard, in the list caused widespread anger.

Nisham has served only a year of his 14-year sentence.

Two years ago, the controversial tycoon assaulted Chandra Bose when he delayed opening the gates of his luxury apartment complex in Thrissur. As Bose fled, Nisham chased him in his Hummer and crushed him against a wall. In 2016 January, a trial court found him guilty and sentenced him to double life-term and slapped a fine of Rs 70 lakh. The sheer brutality of the businessmans act attracted nationwide attention.

Nisham approached the Kerala high court six times and the Supreme Court four times to delay the case, forcing the top court to set an eight-month deadline for the trial court to deliver the verdict.

It is strange the proletarian party government is planning to release the hardened criminal Nisham who has just completed two (ONE) year in prison, leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said.

Read | Muhammad Nisham: The beedi magnate who used his money to avoid the law

The government would have to explain what prompted it to favour the businessman, the Congress leader said.

The 11 men convicted for the murder of Chandrasekharan, better known as TP, include three members of the ruling party.

Now it clearly shows the party executed TP and it was in hurry to help the guilty. If it happens, I will start a fast before the house of the CM, said Chandrasekharans wife KK Rema.

Chandrasekharan was hacked in 2012 near his home in Vatakara in Kozhikode district.

The government is yet to react to the RTI reply.

The convicts release was planned for November, the concluding act of the year-long celebrations that the southern state is holding to mark its 60 years.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
It is unfortunate that some opponents, communalists are trying to portray him as a rabble-rouser and fringe personality. They should go through his parliamentary debates. Those reveal his seasoned thinking on various issues of governance, union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on his Facebook page on March 19, 2017, referring to Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Factchecker did just that, analysing Yogi Adityanaths performance over the last eight years as a member of Parliament (MP) in the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament), using data from PRS Legislative Research, an advocacy focussed on parliamentary affairs, and the Lok Sabha archives.

Our four main findings:

 While the 44-year-old politician raised a variety of concernsincluding river pollution and rising cases of encephalitishis most recurring choice of debates focussed on Hindu affairs and cow slaughter, particularly over the last three years.

 In the 16th (current) Lok Sabha, 18% of Adityanaths debates have focussed on Hindu issues, seven-percentage points more than during his previous term as MP. The topics include cow slaughter, enforcing a uniform civil code, and protection of Hindu pilgrims. Even his debates on the Enemy Property Bill (now an Act) and his concerns about Indian youth in Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), counted under internal security debates, held religious underpinnings.

 A science graduate, Adityanath had the most queries (57) for the ministry of health during the 16th Lok Sabha: 11 were on corruption in medical bodies, and six on population control measures to address Indias reported demographic imbalance, a reference to his belief that Muslims, who make up 14.2% of Indias population, were growing faster than Hindus.

 Adityanath asked almost as many questions (52) of the ministry of home affairs over the last eight years of the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha. Of these, 34% were related to fears about the effect of ISIS, Indian Mujahideen extremists and Christian separatists on internal security.

Here is a more detailed analysis:

15th Lok Sabha (June 2009 to February 2014): Although Adityanaths parliamentary attendance (72%) was slightly below the average for MPs from his state (79%) and the rest of the country (76%), he participated in more debates and asked more questions than the average MP, according to PRS Legislative Research data.

Adityanath participated in 82 debates against the average of 38 for other MPs.

While seven, or 8.5%, of the debates in which he participated were related to the railway budget, 11% of Adityanaths debates were related to Hinduism. The topics included reorganisation of the Amarnath Shrine Board and facilities for Amarnath pilgrims; lifting the ban on Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to Nepal; and the need to develop the area related to Ramayan era in Mithilanchal (a proposed state in India that comprises part of the historic Mithila region, which extends into modern-day Nepal).

During this term, Adityanath, who has been charged for intimidation, rioting, promoting enmity between different groups and defiling a place of worship, also raised concerns over violence in Muslim-dominated Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, and UPs Moradabad district, where Muslims constitute nearly half the population.

Adityanath, a science graduate as we said, also discussed the pollution of Indian rivers six times. He participated in five debates on the spread and eradication of encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis, and five on according central university status to Gorakhpur University. On four occasions, he spoke about carving a separate Poorvanchal state from eastern UP.

16th Lok Sabha (June 1, 2014 to March 15, 2017): Adityanath participated in 56 debatesfewer than the average of 72 clocked by MPs from his state, PRS data show.

In nearly a fifth of thesea seven-percentage-point jump over the previous termthe five-time MP (he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 at age 26) participated in debates that focussed on Hindu affairs. These included a national ban on cow slaughter, enforcing a uniform civil code, and ensuring the safety of Hindu pilgrims. Even his debates on internal security that voiced concerns about a conspiracy to bring Pakistanis to India through the Enemy Property Bill, and the alleged involvement of Indian youth in the Islamic State, carried religious undertones.

During this term, in four of five Demand for Grants debates on the railway budget that Adityanath participated in (data for the most recent debate in 2017 are yet to be put out)which Naidu described as levelheaded and inspiringthe Gorakhpur MP primarily praised the budget and congratulated the railway ministry while criticising the previous Congress-led government and states where the party still holds power. In one debate, he presented demands for grants to set up rail lines and to upgrade rail infrastructure in his constituency, Gorakhpur.

He also wanted central university status for Gorakhpur University, and askedin four debatesfor the Bhojpuri dialect of eastern UP and Bihar to be regarded as a national language.

His concern for polluted rivers and the spread of encephalitis continued in his debates but took up a considerably smaller share (5%).

Some of Yogi Adityanaths choice of debates and his arguments:

Alleged disadvantage to candidates appearing for civil services examinations in Hindi and other Indian languages: "This is a conspiracy against Indian and Indian languages. Those people who have formed this conspiracy, they still want to impose the British tradition in India forcibly."

Regarding deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh: "According to an estimate, incidents of murder, robbery, abduction and misbehavior are happening between 250 to 275 per day in Uttar Pradesh These incidents are not only in conformity, but also by the National Crime Bureau."

Regarding 5151st anniversary of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: "I would like to request to you through the ministry of culture of the government of India that this event is required to be celebrated (sic) at the national level and at the international level, even then, wherever the world is full of jihadi terrorism, somewhere other religious obsessions, the whole humanity is moaning in those situations, the message of the Bhagavad Gita can pave the way for the welfare of all humanity.

Regarding the Disapproval Of Enemy Property (Amendment And Validation) Ordinance, 2016 And Enemy Property (Amendment And Validation) Bill, 2016: If a government really fulfills this order (allowing properties to be returned to owners), half the cities of this country will be destroyed, a large population will be destroyed. A new class struggle will be created inside the country, and under it, all the citizens of Pakistan will start to make backdated ration cards together with those few vote bank merchants within India, and will start saying we are living in India since 1947. Under this guise, an attempt is being made to bring those people inside India.

Rapid reduction in the number of Sikhs and Buddhists along with sanatan (classical) Hinduism and the rapid increase in the Muslim population attract attention to the dangerous situation of demographic imbalance, it is shocking the need for an effective equal civil law and population control is being felt within the country, Adityanath said in a 2016 debate on uniform civil code.

While the countrys overall population grew at 17% in the decade to 2011, Census data showed Muslim population growth hit a 20-year low of 24.6% in 2011, as IndiaSpend reported in August, 2015.

Naidu, in his Facebook post, quoting a Hindustan Times report, said Muslims in the state welcomed Adityanaths appointment. A large number of Muslims seem to be celebrating, the post reads.

30% of Adityanaths questions to four ministries

In both the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha, Adityanath raised more questions than the average MP, with 347 queries (against the average of 300) upto February 2014 and 284 upto March 2017 (against the average of 180).

In the 16th Lok Sabha, queries to four ministriesexternal affairs, health and family welfare, home affairs and human resource developmentformed 30% of his questions to 43 ministries.

In the 15th Lok Sabha, he directed nearly 50% of his questions to six of 39 ministries which include the four we mentioned earlier, and the ministries of railways and road transport and highways.

The external affairs ministry received 51 questions from Adityanath since 2009. Two-thirds of these pertained to his suspicions of anti-Indian activities and sentiments across Indias border, particularly in Nepal. Others include questions about imposing a ban on Pakistani movies and artists coming to India, security of the Indo-Nepalese border, and the misbehaviour of a Nepalese airliner towards Hindu pilgrims.

UP CMs bills in Parliament: Ban on cow slaughter, renaming India Hindustan

Since 2009, Adityanath has had five private members bills pending in the Lok Sabha, more than the average of one per MP. They are:

 The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Amendment of article 1, etc.): This proposes a change in the countrys name, from India, that is Bharat, to Bharat, that is Hindustan, according to this 2014 report on private members bills and resolutions.

 The Ban on Cow Slaughter Bill, 2014: This bill, reintroduced in the 16th Lok Sabha, is a replica of Adityanaths 2009 bill for the 15th Lok Sabha. In both versions, the three-page bill, which says slaughter of cow, bullocks, bulls and oxen should be banned on scientific lines, offers no details justifying the need for such a restriction.

 The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Omission of article 44, etc.): This would turn the directive principle of creating a uniform civil code for India into a law. The implications of this bill would have far-reaching effects on the personal laws and practices of people of various religions in India.

 The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2015 (Insertion of new article 25A): This seeks to insert a new article in the Indian Constitution that will ban forcible religious conversions.

 The High Court at Allahabad (Establishment of a Permanent Bench at Gorakhpur) Bill, 2015: This seeks a permanent bench of the Allahabad High Court in his constituency.

None of these bills has been passed yet. Adityanaths High Court bill and the ban on forced religious conversions are yet to be introduced in the House, as the Indian Express reported in March, 2017.

(Saldanha is an assistant editor with IndiaSpend & FactChecker.)

Indiaspend.org is a data-driven, public-interest journalism non-profit/FactChecker.in is fact-checking initiative, scrutinising for veracity and context statements made by individuals and organisations in public life.
Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday alleged that the Indian claims about the presence of militants along the Line of Control is aimed at creating unrest in Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir.

Army said in a statement that the Chief of Army Staff visited the LoC in Kel sector and a forward post at Sharda.

He was briefed on the situation along the LoC by General Officer Commanding, Murree, Major Gen Azhar Abbas.

Referring to the Indian claims about the presence of militants along the LoC, Gen Bajwa said people of Pakistan- occupied Kashmir are fully aware of Indian atrocities and Indian agendas, according to a statement by the army.

Pakistan Army shall continue to ensure protection and security of people along LoC, Gen Bajwa said, adding that the Indian propaganda will never succeed.

Earlier this month, Indian Armys Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen AK Bhat had raised the matter of movement of militants along the LoC with his Pakistani counterpart through a hotline call.

But the Pakistan military rejected Indian Armys concerns and asked it to share evidence.

Kashmir has remained a long-standing unresolved issue between the countries causing acrimony on both sides. Both countries have accused each other of repeatedly violating the ceasefire along the LoC.
India will roll out by next month a revised national strategic plan with an aim to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global goal to stamp out the bacterial disease.

The target seems ambitious considering 2.8 million new TB cases are still getting diagnosed annually and the bacterial infection killing more than 4.8 lakh people each year in the country.

The latest data is part of the annual TB report that union health minister JP Nadda released on the occasion of the World TB Day on Friday.

We know we are racing against time. The challenge is immense, but we are up for it. The plan is ready to reach the target by 2025, he said.

The biggest challenge for the country is multi drug-resistant TB that is reported in 75,000 of the cases during treatment. Of these cases, 1.5% is related to more dangerous extensively drug-resistant TB (X-DR TB).

To end TB, we will have to think out-of-the-box. We have to make effective use of the private sector and co-ordinate better with state governments, said CK Mishra, health secretary.

The role of the private sector is important to track all the cases of TB.

The increase in new infections to 2.8 million from the previous 2.2 million is largely attributed to cases that were notified by the private sector after it was made mandatory for all to notify TB cases in 2012.

Better diagnostic facilities in each district also spiked the detection figure.

We started a door-to-door TB screening programme in 50 high risk districts and will expand to 130 districts this year, said Dr Jagdish Prasad, director general of health services.

Each district has at least one of the more accurate gene testing machines CBNAAT, and 100 high priority districts have been identified for intensified TB control initiatives.

Governments main concern and focus will now be to get all cases from the private sector hospitals.

We have to reach out to the estimated 15 lakh patients who are seeking treatment outside the public sector, said Mishra.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Life at the Line of Control (LoC) between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is intricate and difficult as well, especially in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch that is south of the Pir Panjal range in Jammu region.

Reports of exchange of firing between the armed forces of the two countries are routine along the de-facto border.

The tension between India and Pakistan escalated after last years September cross-border raid on an army base killed 19 Indian soldiers and, in reply, the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes against militants in Pakistan.

Both the countries accuse each other of repeatedly violating a 2003 ceasefire. There had been several instances of cross-border firings and terrorist infiltrations within the country from Pakistan.

On March 9, Pakistan army opened fire and killed an Indian soldier Deepak Jagannath Ghadge, 27, of Satara in Maharashtrain Poonch sector.

On March 12 and 13, Indian and Pakistani armies traded heavy fire including 82 mm mortarsagain in Poonch sector. This time around Pakistan targeted Chakan-da-Bagh LoC Trade Facilitation Centre with mortars damaging its administrative block extensively. Consequently, the border trade and travel came to a grinding halt.

After all the firing at the live border, Indian Army personnel on Thursday took some time off their routine regimen to greet their counterparts on the occasion of Pakistan Resolution Day.

The Indian and Pakistan army troops exchanged greetings and sweets on the occasion of Pakistan Resolution Day at Poonch-Rawalakote Crossing Point and Mendhar Hot Spring Crossing Point today (Thursday), said defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta.

The day is celebrated across Pakistan to commemorate the Lahore Resolution passed on March 23, 1940, and adoption of its first constitution during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on March 23, 1956, he added.

The sweets were exchanged as per established drills in a congenial environment. Greetings on the occasion of Pakistan Day were conveyed to the Pakistani people and army by the Indian delegation, he said.

These celebrations keep the bridge of communication open and at the same time de-escalate the situation on the borders, a top defence source said about the celebrations of national festivals between the forces of the two countries on the border vis-a-vis the skirmishes that get really ugly at times.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The artist's new exhibition will be held at Smolna Gallery in Warsaw

Egyptian photographer Sherif Sonbol's work is set to be displayed at the Warsaw Culture Palace's Smolna Gallery in Poland, opening 27 March to celebrate the International Day of Theatre and running through 20 April.

The focus of the exhibition will be the artists ballet photography, a field in which his work is particularly well-known and has received critical acclaim over the years.

Sonbol had long cultivated an interest in the artform before he ever began to photograph dancers. His journey as a ballet photographer started before the opening of the Cairo Opera House, at a time when there were no ballet photographers in Egypt. The artist was first approached by prominent Egyptian ballerina Magda Saleh, who asked him to photograph dancers at the Sayed Darwish Theatre.



It was then that he began to learn about ballet, to better understand what constitutes a beautiful picture of a dancer, or as Sonbol himself told Ahram Online, a picture that captures the dance move at its peak rather than one that is simply pleasing to the eyes.







The photographer was guided in his artistic endeavours by many a prominent figure in the field, including Saleh, Erminia Kamel, and former director of the Cairo Opera House Ratiba El-Hefny, under whose direction he became the Operas photographer. He also cites well-known ballerina Sahar Helmy, with whom he has often worked in the past, as his inspiration and one of the people who ignited his passion for the dance.



The photographers understanding of ballet is evident in his body of work. What renders Sonbols images so exceptional, is that he is able to capture the soul of ballet.

He does not fall into common portrayals or cliches, but rather delves into the dancers world, sometimes taking behind the scenes pictures, or capturing the performance from unexpected angles. His knowledge allows him to recognise the poses and movements which will truly convey the ballerinas skills, elegance and discipline.



While many photographers are able to photograph ballet as something which is pretty, Sonbol seems able to capture the heart and furious intent inside the movement.







Sonbol explained his unique approach to photography by saying that one needs to be able to separate oneself from the subject of the photograph and see it only through the camera lens.



"If am taking a picture of my daughter, for instance, she is no longer my daughter, but the subject of the picture, he said.



As another example, he cites the infamous picture of the Napalm Girl, taken in 1973 during the Vietnam War, by AP photographer Nick Ut. The picture a depicts a nine-year-old girl, running towards the camera as her body is being burned. The photographer ran to the girls rescue, but only after taking the picture. While he took the picture, she was no longer a child. She was the subject of his photograph."

Sonbol has contributed greatly to the world of photography, and was the first Egyptian photographer to have a book of work published.







Self-taught, Sonbol was inspired by the works of Antoun Albert, Emil Makram and Mohamed Youssef, which helped him define his own distinctive style.



He began his artistic career working at Al-Ahram, and went on to become chief photographer at Al-Ahram Weekly. Today, his works are published across all Al-Ahram publications.



Sonbol is the only Egyptian photographer to have had his work exhibited in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Centre. Following the great success of his New York exhibition in 2003, the artist held several exhibitions in Egypt, Germany, Finland and Poland.





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

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Bullet-ridden bodies of three CPI (Maoists) activists, ostensibly killed in a fratricidal feud, were retrieved by police in the wee hours of Friday from an interior area of Jharkhands Palamu district.

Police also nabbed an injured cadre of the extremist group during a combing operation in the area.

A dispute over distribution of extorted money among the CPI (Maoists) cadres apparently triggered the killings, Palamu superintendent of police Indrajit Mahatha said.

Among the deceased was sub-zonal commander of the outfit Ajay Yadav, who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. He was wanted in over a dozen cases, including the one over the killing of seven policemen at Kala Pahar.

Yadav had been one of the few remaining top Maoists leaders operating in the Bihar-Jharkhand bordering areas.

The SP said other two deceased have been identified as Surendra Yadav and Dhirendra Yadav, while the injured activist is Uday Oraon, a foot-soldier of the outfit.

Six sophisticated weapons including an AK-47, SLRs and INSAS rifles were recovered from the spot.

Maoist sources, however, claimed a police-backed armed vigilante group, Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), carried out the killing at Sita Chulha area under Mohammadganj police station of the district.

Talking to media at Daltonganj, addditional director general of police RK Mallick denied involvement of any vigilante group in the incident. He said the incident was the outcome of an internal dispute among the Maoist cadres.

Police said they rushed to the spot only after getting information about the firing.

We have begun an investigation into the incident and a combing operation in the region has already been launched to nab other ultras who might have fled after the shootout, Mahatha said.

Senior police officials, including the DGP, were planning to visit Mohammadganj to take stock of the situation.

According to reports of the ministry of home affairs, Maoists still hold sway in at least 14 districts of Jharkhand. Around 750 people have lost their lives in left-wing extremist violence in the state over the last five years.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad suffered minor injuries in his back after he fell down following a stage collapse during a religious event at Digha in western Patna on Friday evening.

Prasad had gone there to attend a yajna around 7pm. As he started to move towards his seat on the stage, it collapsed as a large number of devotees had climbed on to the temporary structure. Lalu lost balance and fell on the ground.

#WATCH: Stage of a 'Yagya Sthal' in Patna, where Lalu Prasad Yadav was present collapsed; he was later discharged after treatment(24.3.2017) pic.twitter.com/rNm1buOe4b  ANI (@ANI_news) March 25, 2017

Though Prasad went home immediately after the incident, he later complained of pain in the back and ribs. He was then rushed to the IGIMS where doctors carried out tests and also conducted an X-ray.

But the reports showed that there were no fractures and no major injuries, sources said. Later, Prasad also talked to mediapersons and said he was fine but had some pain in the back. The RJD chief returned to his 10, Ciruclar Road residence around 9.30 pm.

Prasads son and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and senior RJD leaders were present at IGIMS. Source said doctors advised complete rest for Lalu for several days.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said she would be happy to see BJP patriarch LK Advani as the next President of India but would not mind if Union minister Sushma Swaraj or Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan became the countrys first citizen.

The comments came during a 45-minute TV interview aired by a Bengali channel on Thursday night.

The term of President Pranab Mukherjee will end on July 24 and there are talk of BJP fielding Advani for the post.

Banerjee also refrained from attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and and BJP president Amit Shah, named the BJP only a few times and referred to the RSS as a saffron outfit.

Asked why the sole Trinamool MP in Manipur was supporting the BJP government, she said: These things happen in the north-eastern states. Money decides politics out there. I dont even know this man.

Refusing to accept the results to the Uttar Pradesh elections, Banerjee said: There is something fishy with the final numbers. I am wondering why Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress have not lodged complaints about EVM machines like Mayawati. They can still move court.

She said the the Bahujan Sawajwadi Party and Samajwadi Party should contest the 2019 general elections as allies as the Congress is weak in UP.

The saffron brigade is so keen to spread in Bengal because it knows that fate of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be decided by Bengal. Dont be surprised if you see Trinamool Congress leading the nation or offering crucial support to the next government.

The chief minister said her party will field candidates for assembly polls in Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. I keep getting invitation from people in many states. Wait and watch, she said.

At a time when a number of Trinamool MPs and ministers are facing a probe by the CBI over the Narada scam, Banerjee said she made a mistake by sending industrialist KD Singh to the Rajya Sabha and announced that Bengal police was probing a chit fund owned by Singh.

It was Singhs media venture, Tehelka, that carried out the sting operation in 2014. Mathew Samuel, who caught the Trinamool leaders on camera, released the tapes in 2016 after forming his own company, Narada News.

Complaints have been lodged against Singhs chit fund. Now law will take its own course, said Banerjee.

Alleging that the sting operation was the brainchild of BJP, Congress and CPI(M) leaders, Banerjee said: I saw a photograph of KD Singh with former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Singh also held shares in a local TV channel. I thought he was a good man and made him an MP. I made a blunder. He has links with BJP leaders. I havent met him in four years. Probably he keeps in touch with our MPs in Delhi, said the chief minister.

She reiterated that her party leaders had been framed and offering bribe was a crime as well. The person (Samuel) posed as a journalist and told Iqbal Ahmed (Kolkatas deputy mayor who took Samuel to most of the accused) that he wanted to interview our leaders. I hold no prejudice against the CBI. I want the truth to be exposed, said Banerjee.
Not just buffalo meat, Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow is fast heading towards a non-vegetarian crisis as entire chicken, goat meat and egg markets have begun shutting down.

While more than 80% markets of non-vegetarian items already downed shutters on Friday, various traders associations have declared strike from Saturday.

Under the circumstances, vegetable prices, which were on the decline for last one week, are likely to register a steep hike.

The indefinite strike begins tomorrow (Saturday), but most of the shops have shut down today (Friday). We have advised the sellers who have stocks in their shops, to sell till tonight and then shut shops from Saturday morning, said Md Rizwan Siddiqui, Lucknow Murga Mandi Samiti member.

His shop in Azad Market in Indira Nagar had all its shutters down. All the nearby shops too are closed and the cages to keep the birds were all empty.

Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh that has seen frantic activity since Yogi Adityanath took charge as chief minister with a vow to crack down on cattle smuggling. The BJP fought on a poll plank of shutting down illegal abattoirs, a move that was seen as hurting Muslim-run businesses. In the past week, several mutton and fish shops have been set on fire as the supply of buffalo meat  which is legal  has dried up.

Not many shopkeepers are ready to speak their mind or speak at all over the issue. A nearby meat seller, at 2.30 pm, was all set to sell off the last five kilos of the goat meat and then pack up. He was not ready to speak anything or tell his name.

A chicken shop in Lucknow downs shutters. (Pankaj Jaiswal/HT Photo)

What would be the strike like?

Roshan Qureshi said: Expect no chicken, no mutton, no eggs. I have heard that even fish markets have been asked to close down.

Meat, chicken, egg sellers are going on strike in solidarity to those whose businesses are getting hit due to the crackdown on buffalo meat sellers and such shops that are on streets.

The strike is going to hit the hotels and restaurants non-vegetarian menu as the supply chain has been broken.

Today the truck that replenishes my stock did not turn up, said Mohammed Shakeel, who runs his business from Qaiserbagh market in Lucknow and supplies chicken to some of the top hotels and restaurants in Lucknow.

Buffalo meat is not an isolated commodity. It is the cheapest meat available. End of its sale will impact demand-supply ratio of chicken, meat, eggs, and vegetables and will lead to steep prices escalation of them. Which means, the non-veg food will become out of reach for many regular non-veg consumers, said a seller of meat.

In Allahabad, beef and mutton shops in the city remained closed after the state governments recent decision to close all illegal slaughterhouses in the state. The biggest beef market in old city area of Atala, which used to be abuzz with customers from all over the district, wore a deserted look.

A meat trader Afzal said that state governments decision has posed a question of survival for him and his family. Whatever little earning we used to do by selling meat is now over, Afzal lamented.

A local leader Dilshad Mansuri said that Nagar Nigam should have done alternative arrangements before locking down the slaughterhouse.

In Varanasi, a meat seller, who doesnt wish to be named, said, There is no impact on chicken and egg sale. Some of the street vendors, who sell fried chickens and other dishes on street near a mall in Bhelupur area, have stopped selling the chicken dishes following the drive against the slaughterhouses. They will start selling fried chicken after wait and watch for few days, if things are normal and there is no such drive.

Lucknow meat-chicken-egg sellers say, the Lucknow strike will spread to the other parts of the state sooner than later.

(With inputs from Sudhir Kumar in Varanasi, Farhan Ahmed Siddiqui in Allahabad)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Sadhvi Kamal is always dressed in saffron, wears a long streak of vermillion on her forehead and insists that no one calls her madam.

Call me didi, she says.

Didi, a 39-year-old cancer survivor, was thrust into the spotlight recently after she forced the administration in Rajasthans capital Jaipur, to seal a hotel for allegedly serving beef. The hotel is owned by a Muslim businessman.

But she has been an activist for a long time and heads the Rashtriya Mahila Gau Raksha Dal, a self-styled cow protection group that operates in three states  Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Cow slaughter is banned in the three states.

With 2,200-odd women  and an undisclosed number of men -- as members, Sadhvi Kamal is unperturbed by allegations of being the law unto herself and restoring to violence for her crusade.

There are 13-14 police cases against me but police dont bother me with them. Cow smugglers register fake cases against gau bhakts, she says.

The Sadhvis outfit is among many such fringe groups which became active after the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over at the Centre.

These groups claim to work for protecting cows from being taken to slaughter houses. Critics, however, accuse the vigilante groups of attacking people, mostly from the minority Muslim community, merely on suspicion.

The new chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, a vocal advocate of cow protection, has flagged the issue again and has ordered a clampdown of cow smuggling and illegal slaughter houses.

Didi, who became a sadhvi at 12 years of age, says shes been a cow vigilante for two years and has rescued 583 cows.

As a child, I was impressed by the social work done by Mother Teresa, she says, clarifying that she liked the founder of Missionaries of Charity only for her social work and nothing else.

Born in Haryana, the Sadhvi grew up in Khetri in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan and apart from her recent role in the beef controversy in Jaipur, she also takes credit for a massive road jam in Choti Sadri in Pratapgarh district in June last year.

The traffic jam happened after a mob of around 150 people thrashed three alleged cow transporters and stripped one of them.

The Sadhvi moves around in an SUV, which she says is often driven by bacchas of the Gau Rakshak Dal.

Despite being a womens organisation, it appears that women from her outfit are rarely seen at the time of intercepting trucks and other vehicles suspected of smuggling bovines for slaughter.

Women play a significant role after the action takes place as they are good in calming the situation and help cows to rehabilitate in cow shelters. The men, on the other hand are good at intercepting vehicles, she adds.

She adds that cow smuggling is increasing every day.

The hotel Hayat Rabbani in Jaipur is involved in various illegal activities including lodging Pakistani nationals illegally and employing child labourers. The locals from the area have also complained to me that every Sunday beef is served in the hotel, the Sadhvi says.

When asked about violence perpetrated by cow vigilantes such as the incident in Gujarats Una last year when seven members of a Dalit family were beaten up by activists for skinning a dead cow, the Sadhvi says most of the reports are not entirely true.

In most such cases it has been seen that the bovines which are skinned has been murdered by lethal injections or sometimes by bludgeoning, the Sadhvi adds.

The Una incident had led to country-wide protests by Dalit activists last year and the Modi government was accused of not reigning in the vigilante groups.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A section of resident doctors from Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) called off the protest late on Thursday night after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assurance that public hospitals will be provided with more security.

How many doctors will resume work, however, will only be known on Friday morning.

Other bodies supporting the striking doctors, such as the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Maharashtra, said they will take a final call on the mass bunk on Friday morning, when the doctors meet.

We need to see the assurances being implemented immediately, said Dr Ashok Tambe, president of IMA.

Fadnavis on Thursday had promised full support and security to resident doctors, who have been on strike following a string of attacks by relatives of patients.

Home department sources told HT three hospitals in Mumbai will be provided round-the-clock security guards.

The state-run JJ Hospital and the civic-run KEM and Sion hospitals have been selected for the deployment of armed guards from the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC). The three hospitals are among the nine (across the state) that have been selected for the first phase of deployment, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) assured the Bombay high court their members will resume work after state government informed the court about the increased security arrangements to be implemented. The order copy has not been updated on the website. The mass bunk will continue until we get the arrangements in black and white, said a resident doctor from KEM Hospital.

Deepening the worries of state government and civic bodies, 1,500 faculty members from medical colleges attached to periphery and tertiary care hospitals served a 48-hour notice threatening mass resignation if the security demands are not implemented. We as faculty members support the stand of doctors taken for their own safety at workplace. No emergency services will be affected, but we will stop all the routine work and protest wearing black ribbons. Moreover, if the demands are not met, all of us will submit our resignations on Monday, said Dr Rajesh Dere, president, Municipal Medical Teachers Association.
The government in Karnataka on Friday said there was no question of releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in line with the Supreme Courts directive as the state itself was facing a shortage of drinking water.

There is no water for drinking purposes. If we had water we could have released. We have 3-4 tmc ft shortage to provide drinking water to Bengaluru, Mysuru and surrounding villages. Therefore, there is no question of releasing water, water resources minister MB Patil said.

He was replying to a question on whether the state will release water to Tamil Nadu in the backdrop of the apex court directive.

Patil said the Karnataka government had also mentioned this before the apex court and that the states legal team was working on the matter.

There will not be any meeting (with the legal team) per se as of now, he said.

A Supreme Court bench headed by justice Dipak Misra had on March 21 said all interim orders of releasing 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water by Karnataka will continue to be in force till further orders.

The Supreme Court had also said it will commence, on July 11, the final hearing of the appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal on sharing of water for 15 consecutive workings days.
Rajya Sabha on Thursday witnessed uproar over the naming of Chandigarh airport, as the Opposition alleged that the BJP government in Haryana does not want to name it after Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh.

During the zero hour, Ritabrata Banerjee (CPM) said there has been a contoversy over the naming of the Chandigarh airport.

Also read | Tribute to Bhagat Singh will be making Punjab free of drug abuse: Minister Rana Gurjit

Also read | In Bhagat Singh country, its not always inquilab zindabad

The Punjab government had agreed that the airport will be named after Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh, (but) the Haryana chief minister said no. They want to name the airport after Mangal Sein, he said.

The CP member said there were agitations to demand naming of the airport after Bhagat Singh. Today is the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Joining the issue, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said on one hand, there is a demand to name the airport after the great freedom fighter, but on the other, the BJP wanted to name it after the partys ex-chief minister.

As several opposition members were up on their feet and created an uproar, minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi countered the allegations saying we have never said it and nobody has said it. Its not proper to make such sweeping statements.

The minister said Bhagat Singh was a martyr and was respected by everyone.
Opposition parties led by the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday forced a brief adjournment of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha alleging a move to disband the OBC commission, a charge vehemently denied by the government.

SP members rushed into the well of the House and shouted anti-government slogans, forcing deputy chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the proceedings for 10 minutes.

Minister for social justice and empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot said Prime Minister Narenda Modi had repeatedly said the constitutional position of reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs will continue.

Since the time of Jan Sangh, we have been a supporter of reservation to these communities and will continue to be a supporter, he said.

The government, he said, had taken a decision to give constitutional status to the commission for other backward classes (OBC) and it will get the same rights as the commission for SC and STs.

Earlier when the House assembled, Ramgopal Yadav (SP) said the National Commission for Backward Classes, created in response to a Supreme Court ruling in 1992, was disbanded instead of giving it the promised constitutional status.

This commission is to be replaced by a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NSEBC) and part of a larger conspiracy to do away with reservation to dalits, Yadav alleged.

The new commission will examine and recommend requests for inclusion and exclusion in the list of other backward classes.

Without naming the RSS, he alleged that the move was guided by the philosophy of the ruling partys fountain head that reservation should end. Backward classes feel cheated.

He alleged that backward communities like Yadavs, Kurmis, Lodhas and Kushwaha, who have made some social progress, were being removed from the OBC list.

His assertion found support in rival BSP, as well as the Congress whose members too opposed the ruling party.

Rejecting the ministers statement, Yadav said the OBC commission had been disbanded and it was a conspiracy to end reservation.
Is Ram Setu a natural phenomenon or a man-made structure? The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) under the HRD ministry will conduct an underwater exploration study to find out.

ICHR chairman Y Sudershan Rao said no underwater exploration has so far been done to find out whether Ram Setu or the Adams Bridge is a myth or artificial phenomenon.

A theoretical training under a pilot project will begin in May and exploration will be done in October.

The bridge between the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka has been at the centre of controversy since the Sethusamudram shipping canal project was planned, requiring dredging in the area.

While some claim the Setu was a bridge was built by Lord Ramas Vanar Sena (army of apes and monkeys) and hence cannot be touched, others insist it is a naturally formed chain of lime shoals. It is a 30-km-long stretch of limestone shoals that runs from Pamban Island near Rameshwaram in South India to Mannar Island off the northern coast of Sri Lanka.

The development assumes significance as it comes in the wake up fresh demand being made from many quarters to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya after the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh.

Read more: Ramayana no basis for Ram Setu debate

The matter reached Supreme Court with petitions challenging the governments decision to construct the Sethusamudram Canal by dredging a portion of the Ram Setu.

The project is being commissioned under the marine technology training programme of ICHR dealing with under-water archeology and research scholars will be given training for this purpose.

It has been found that even Helen of Troy did exist through research. So unless we make an enquiry how will we know whether something exists or not? To know whether it is a myth or aberration or it did exist we need to undertake a physical study. The aim of the project is to collect material evidence, said Rao.

Depending on the success of the project and the material gathered, a decision on further exploration will be taken by ICHR. A group of 15-20 research scholars will be selected across the country and will be trained to conduct the research.

Read more: Photos no proof of Ram Setu: NASA

The project will be headed by former Archeological Survey of India (ASI) director Alok Tripathi for underwater exploration. ICHR officials said they also will seek help of other maritime experts from ASI and maritime institutes.

India has very few maritime archeologists and whether ICHR will be able to get help from such experts is a big question, sources said.

When quizzed that in the past a number of studies have been done for Ram Setu, Rao said this is the first such effort being made by the council to find out whether what is being said exists.

We will only speak about the artifacts and not get into whether it was built by Lord Rama or not, clarified Rao.

Read more: Centre refuses to take stand in Ram Sethu plea

Officials said that a board of studies will be constituted to select the students for this project and the research findings will be published by ICHR.

We will prepare a detailed plan as to what exactly is the research project going to look at. The theoretical two-week long training will be done in Delhi and rest of the work will be done at the site. We will approach the government if a need arises, said a senior official.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Mostafa Amins book, has been published in episodic form in order to narrate past events in Akhbar El-Yom between November and early December 1960

Akhtar Asrar Udwan 1956 (The Deadly Secrets of the Tripartite Aggression 1956) by Mostafa Amin, Dar-Akhbar El-Yom Publishing - Kitab Al-Yom series, 2016. pp.160

It is an established truth in international politics that the global order after the Suez War was irrevocably changed from what existed before. Colonial empires such as those of Britain and France collapsed and the United States began its first steps to replace the defunct empires. Formerly colonized countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America subsequently began to rise on the international stage, resulting in the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement and the increasing assertiveness of newly independent nations.

Despite all this, the Suez Wars sixtieth anniversary passed seemingly without anybody taking notice except Dar Akhbar El-Youm, which issued in its monthly series an unpublished book by Mostafa Amin chronicling this monumental event. It is a work of exceptional significance.

Twin brothers Mostafa and Ali Amin are known as the masters of a still-influential journalistic school they established when they founded Akhbar El-Yom newspaper in the 1940s. It is a populist school that relies on scandalous news and flagrantly sensational headlines. It often employs a deliberately shocking style characterized by misleading angles and excessively loose language. This school remained the most influential and marketable among its competitors and its news publications are the highest-grossing.

Mostafa Amins book, out this month, has been published in episodic form in order to narrate past events in Akhbar El-Yom between November and early December 1960. The events were written in the form of daily news coverage recording incidents in the diplomatic war between Egypt and the three countries, Britain, France and Israel, which launched the Tripartite Aggression on Egypt and occupied parts of its lands.

The impetus for the war was President Gamal Abdel-Nassers nationalization of the Suez Canal in response to the U.S., France and Britains joint withdrawal of financing for the High Dam. As the aggression was taking place, according to the Arab Leagues Charter a summit was held in Beirut. The primary goal of the summit was to discuss severing ties with Britain and France.

It seems astonishing that Mostafa Amin waited for four years before publishing his coverage of the summit in Beirut. What was the nature of the mission which he has described as mysterious, dangerous and secret? Even more curious is that he stopped abruptly without giving any notice and without finishing what he had started, thereby leaving the events hanging. The newspaper published a brief statement:

"Mostafa Amins articles about the summit where Arab monarchs and presidents were present will be postponed until its completion."

Astonishment and questions continue: Why was publishing stopped? Why wasnt it resumed? What was the purpose of Mostafa Amin remembering only four years later the events he covered, and why didnt he publish it in book form while he was keen to collect his articles and publish them in several editions? (Copyeditor's note: I am unsure what the intended meaning of this final sentence is.)

Amin narrates in his book disgraceful incidents on the part of Arab heads of state at the time and their attempts to evade what the Arab Leagues Charter stipulates. The Charter stipulates that Arab countries sever political and economic relations with aggressor nations.

Amin narrates details of his meetings with Arab monarchs and presidents and the secret messages he carried from Nasser to them. As a matter of fact, the messages werent secret at all! He asserts that the Arab heads of state were horrified at the prospect of being compelled to act according to the Arab League Charter and thus sever relations with their previous colonizers. It was viewed by these heads of state that the colonizer nations provided an essential buffer to them in their efforts to combat communism.

Meanwhile, the people governed by these heads of state organized demonstrations against the aggression and newspapers were brimmed with protest, demanding that their governments side with Egypt.

Arab monarchs and presidents concluded their summit by issuing the weak, anemic decisions, an example of which was that each member nation send, on its own, a message to the American President Dwight Eisenhower to thank him for his stand against the aggression.

A question remains that surpasses all the aforementioned ones and it is related to an incident that seems to be fabricated, as no published reference book about the Suez War mentions it. As recounted here, the incident involves the alleged shooting down by Jordan of an Israeli aircraft carrying the Israeli Southern Front Commander.

It is further alleged that Jordanian authorities found with him documents proving Israel's secret complicity with Britain and France and provides evidence of their collective plotting, which was allegedly to start with Israels occupying the Gaza Sector and parts of Sinai.

The questions raised remain pressing: Should what Mostafa Amin published be construed as a part of the continuing wars between Nassers regime, which was leading the global national liberation movement, on one hand, and reactionary regimes on the other? Or are there any other hidden reasons?

Search Keywords:

Short link:


CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday said the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) was planning to destabilise the Kerala government by taking out countrywide misinformation campaign.

The saffron brigade is desperately trying to expand its base in the southern state through violent means and the CPI(M) would give a befitting reply through democratic process, Yechury told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

It is using all its means to portray the CPI(M)-led government in bad light. But people of Kerala will realise its designs, Yechury said, criticising the RSS agitation plan against Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The RSS has announced to stage protest rallies when the chief minister attends functions outside the state. About RSS resolution in Coimbatore about the alleged attack on RSS cadres by CPI(M) activists, he said it was a clear case of pot calling the kettle black.

The CPI(M) general secretary also criticised the Uttar Pradesh governments crackdown on meat outlets, targeting members of the minority community.

It is really shocking that in the name of cow protection, vigilante groups of RSS were vandalising and terrorising the minority community, he said.

Yechury also clarified his partys stand on the Ayodhya dispute that it was not in favour of an out-of-court settlement.

The Supreme Court cannot absolve itself of its responsibility of adjudicating the matter of land dispute. It is a matter of law and not a political settlement, he said, criticising the Congress for what he called its continued vacillation on the issue.
The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Election Commission on a PIL seeking investigation by software experts into allegations that Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were tampered with in the recent Assembly polls.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul issued notice to the poll panel on the plea that alleged that EVMs, used by the Election Commission for conducting polls, can easily be tampered with.

The PIL filed by Advocate M L Sharma in his personal capacity had also sought a direction to the Centre for registering an FIR to investigate the alleged tampering of EVMs for vested interest by a political party and to file their report before the apex court.

However, the court did not issue notice to the Centre and others mentioned in the PIL.

The plea sought examination of the quality, software/ malware and hacking effect in the EVMs from a reliable electronic lab/scientist and software expert and to file their report before this court for further action/prosecution.

The petitioner referred to allegations of EVM tampering in the recent assembly elections in five states and Maharashtra civic polls.

The PIL claimed that it was admitted by the poll panel itself that EVMs are tamper-proof only until their technical, mechanical and software details remain a secret.

These details can be detected via reverse engineering by any expert. Wireless device/software can be prepared via reverse engineering, and with their help voting records can be changed in any location and at any time, the plea claimed.
The Shiv Sena on Friday asked its law-maker Ravindra Gaikwad to watch his behaviour after he was seen in a video clip assaulting an Air India staffer with slippers, prompting at least five airlines to ban him from their flights.

Though the Sena said there will be no leniency, the partys reaction to an incident that has sparked widespread condemnation indicated that Gaikwad might be let off with a warning.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is yet to comment over the incident.

Gaikwad, an MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra, refused to deboard a Pune-Delhi Air India flight on Thursday morning and hit a 60-year-old staffer with slippers 25 times after being allegedly being denied a business class seat.

The defiant MP has refused to apologise and his brazen statements justifying his actions has caused major embarrassment to his party, which is in the ruling alliance in the state.

The party is serious about the incident. We have asked him for an explanation and have also asked the airlines to investigate thoroughly. The partys disciplinary committee will look into it and there will be no leniency in this case, Sena leader Anil Desai said.

The MP met Desai following the incident.

He (Gaikwad) should come to Mumbai either today evening or tomorrow morning to meet Uddhav Thackeray, said Desai, a Rajya Sabha MP.

In the last 24-hours, Gaikwads brazen statements justifying his actions has caused a major embarrassment for his party.

Desai said the party does not endorse such behaviour.

Restrain should be exercised by everybody, whether its a politician or a common man. Politicians especially should exercise more control, he added.

The incident has drawn calls for his suspension from the Parliament but Lok Sabha

speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that suo moto action cannot be taken against him.

She, however, added that no MP is allowed to misbehave with anyone.

I did not see any complaint in the case till now. Let me see and study it first, then I can say anything over it, Mahajan added.

Five Indian airlines including Air India banned Gaikwad and demanded exemplary action against the politician.

Air India also cancelled Gaikwads return ticket from Delhi to Pune, PTI quoted sources as saying. The action was jointly taken by Air India and Indigo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and GoAir.

The airlines demand strict action be taken against the Member of Parliament by law enforcement agencies. We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living, a statement by the Federation of Indian Airlines, which represents Indigo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, GoAir, and Air India read.

Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect. We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety, the statement added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Real-time monitoring of teachers attendance and GPS mapping of schools in rural areas could soon be a reality.

About 10,000 engineering and management students from across the country would produce digital solutions for these problems in the form of mobile/computer applications and software programmes.

Drawn from 29 institutions, these students will digitally address at least 598 serious problems the people face on day-to-day basis.

The issues include geo-fencing of airports, online toll collection, smart/intelligent traffic management, cyber attacks, real-time monitoring of teachers attendance and of cyber attacks, smart drones to make airspace safer and title recognition system for marine animals.

Shortlisted from 42,000 students of 2,183 engineering and management colleges and universities from across India, these students in 1,266 teams will work nonstop for 36 hours to build products based on their ideas across 26 locations in India during the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2017 April 1-2, the Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar said on Thursday.

We have multiple prizes worth Rs 50 lakh for students, we hope the participating ministries will adopt many of the products developed during the Grand Finale. We also expect NASSCOM and other funding agencies like AICTE, DST, DBT and ICMR to select best ideas and support them to convert into start-ups, Javadekar said.

As many as 29 ministries have submitted their problem statements to the human resource development ministry.

Ministry of road transport & highways (MoRTH) tops the tally with maximum 672 problem statements followed by department of defence & production (496) and ministry of railways (488). Ministry of HRD, the event organiser, has 360 problem statements whereas other departments include external affairs, steel, postal services, ISRO, NCPCR, etc.

Javadekar said people need good highways and dont want to wait at toll plazas. We are losing 1.5 lives every year in road accidents. We need to look at good and safe roads. Use of plastics in road construction could be one of the good ideas.

The HRD minister said Smart India Hackathon 2017 has been launched to build Digital India and to engage youth directly with nation-building.

About 30 different government departments/ministries such as ministries of railways, external affairs, steel, postal services, ISRO, NCPCR, are involved as partners.

For the first time, government departments were directly engaging with students and challenging them to build digital solutions to improve their efficiency, plug revenue leakages and corruption, Javadekar said.

The Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2017 will be organised simultaneously across 26 different cities and the winners will get support for converting their ideas into startups apart from cash prizes.

The minister said through Smart India Hackathon we hope to create worlds biggest open innovation model that other countries can replicate.

Javadekar said that the concept of Hackathon is still new in India, so AICTE has arranged 26 awareness workshops across the country to sensitise students about Smart India Hackathon 2017. These workshops helped connect students with problems of our nation.
A video clipping of a district collector defending consumption of beef and blaming it on the dirty Brahminical culture for banning it is going viral in social media in Telangana.

The video clipping shows A Murali, the collector of Jayashankar Bhupalpalli district, making the sensational comment at a rally at the tribal village of Eturu Nagaram on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day on Friday.

The collector said ban on consumption of beef, which was the staple food of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, was affecting their health.

This is a fact. Eating of beef has been our culture for centuries. But later, because of daridrapu (dirty) Brahminical culture, our people were told not to eat beef because it was sin. This is trash. We can eat whatever we had been eating for several centuries to be healthy and fit, he said.

Murali recalled that when he was working in Mahbubnagar and Ranga Reddy districts, villagers used to tell him that they were not able to eat beef because of ban. They told me that they had been missing the taste of beef. They complained that when they were eating beef, they were physically strong and were able to do any kind of hard work. After stopping consumption of beef, they said they had become weak, he said.

The collector was referring to the ban on consumption of meat of wild boars and pork in the name of religious faiths.

I was told wild boars have been destroying crops in these tribal areas. But I am telling you, you can kill these boars and pigs and happily eat their meat. There is no ban on killing wild boars and the forest department has permitted it. In fact, wild boar meat is a very popular dish in western countries like US, he pointed out.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Indias request for extradition of industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, has been certified by UK secretary of state.

The UK home department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for extradition of Mallya has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster Magistrates Court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of warrant, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

The development is a step towards securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore.

Baglay also noted that a formal extradition request in respect of Mallya as per Extradition Treaty between India and the UK was handed over to the British High Commission in New Delhi through a note verbale on February 8.

While handing over the request, India had asserted that it has a legitimate case against Mallya and maintained that if an extradition request is honoured, it would show British sensitivity towards our concerns.

Earlier in January this year, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.
To be spotted outside a girls college in Uttar Pradesh is to invite trouble these days. Two days after Yogi Adityanath took over as chief minister, Nakul, 23, was accosted by a posse of policemen in the western city of Meerut for loitering around the RG PG College on Kacheri Road.

Nakul, though, wasnt a Romeo as the police suspected him to be. He happened to be waiting for his sister taking her Class 12 exam inside. Detained and interrogated, the cops let him off after a while, but not before leaving him shaken.

Policemen across 11 districts of Uttar Pradesh have hit the streets with vigour, following up on the newly sworn-in chief ministers poll pledge to rid public places of eve-teasers. The order to set up anti-Romeo squads have not been formally communicated yet, but over-zealous policemen, including the ones in Meerut, have already swung into action, rounding up whoever found in the vicinity of a girls college.

On Wednesday, at least 15 were rounded up across the city. Ten of them turned out to be relatives or friends of girl students taking exams and were freed. Five were taken to the police station for further grilling and bit of counselling.

The sight of policemen zipping across the city in convoys, beacons flashing and sirens blaring, have sent single men scurrying for cover. The boys are scared. The girls are curious, but not fully convinced.

Lucknow mein chalti train mein ladki ko tezaab pilaya gaya. Aap Romeo pakadiye (A girl was forced to drink acid in train and you are busy in catching Romeos), scoffed Urmi Pundir, a BA final year student at RG College, referring to an acid attack on a woman just a day before.

Her classmates agreed, saying police surveillance minus excesses was welcome. They can help us, but we do not entertain restrictions. We know what is right and what is wrong, pointed out Neha Baliyan.

An undeterred police force is, however, doing what it does best: Wielding the stick. In Jhansi, they forced a teenager to publicly do sit-ups. In Lucknow, a couple headed for a movie was forced to disembark from an auto rickshaw and the man hauled to the police station.

A teenager in Jhansi being punished for loitering in a public place. (Haider Naqvi/HT photo)

For the last three days, we are just chasing eve teasers, said Pooja Singh, a woman constable of Meerut.

She is part of the six-car convoy that has just got out of the Civil Lines residence of the Meerut(City) superintendent of police Alok Priyadarshi on the lookout for Romeos. The city isnt the best place for women  Meerut has the third-highest number of crimes against women in UP but a day after they had picked up 15, Priyadarshis team struggled to lay their hands on anyone.

Their first stop was the Government Girls College in Zakir Colony. No Romeos were to be found there and the police moved to the next stop: Ismail National Mahila College. There too no teenagers were spotted, though some middle-aged men were seen. The police quizzed some of them, but found to their dismay they were nearby shopkeepers.

The police had no luck even at the RG PG College for Girls, or even at the Star Plaza market, their last stop for the day.

A fleet of police cars outside Government College of Women in Zakir Colony, Meerut. (HT photo)

Priyadarshi, however, chose to see only the brighter side: That the city is getting safer. Mindful of the media on their trail, he also got the principal of a girls college to back his claim. Now, the girls are feeling safe, said Sadhna Sahai.

All the while, students of the college looked on from the windows of their classrooms with a degree of incredulity. Some boys used to harass us, but not a cop was seen then. Today, there are so many cops but no boys, pointed out Urmi Pundir.

Others nursed doubts about how long the anti-Romeo drive would go on. One student summed it up succinctly: Wait till the novelty factor wears off. The police will vanish and the Romeos would be back. Meerut will be what it always used to be.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Close on the heels of the Supreme Court suggesting an out-of-court settlement to the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue, a fake UP government website has initiated a sort of referendum on the disputed structure in Ayodhya, attributing the initiative to the states new chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The website  www.ayodhya-issue.gov-up.in  with its URL misleadingly similar to the UP governments official website www.up.gov.in also carries a photograph of chief minister Adityanath. A WhatApp message seeking public opinion on the purported government initiative along with the link of the website went viral on Thursday.

The WhatsApp message reads: Do you want Ram Mandir or Babri Masjid on the Ayodhya disputed land? I have participated in Online Poll on Ayodhya Issue. Request you to vote on http://ayodhya-issue.gov-up.in/. It is important to share our views with Govt.

A similar message along with Adityanaths photograph features on the home page of the website, which also has a link to the UP governments official website at the bottom of the page.

The fake portal is misleadingly similar to the UP governments official website and carries a photograph of chief minister Adityanath. (Screengrab)

The website and WhatsApp message seem to have sprung up soon after the top courts March 21 observation for a negotiated settlement to the dispute, with the Chief Justice of India even offering to mediate between the two sides staking claim to the historic site in Ayodhya.

HT tracked the owner of the dubious website through its URL and found that it was registered in the name of Tarun Chaudhary, a south Delhi resident. But the phone number provided in the websites details belonged to Akhtar Ali of Karnataka. Ali, who runs an IT firm in Bengaluru, said it was a mischief by someone who was misusing his mobile number.

We have just been informed about the website. I will inform the police about it, Ali told HT on phone.

Apart from a deceptive URL and CMs name, the website also carries the standard disclaimer at the bottom: The contents of these sites are not to be construed as a responsibility of or endorsement by Dept. of Information and Public Relations and NIC  a norm with all government websites.

Among the three options the opinion poll provides, the one for constructing Ram Mandir at the disputed site had received more than 80 % votes till Friday evening. Also, one can vote any number of times in the poll.

Interestingly, the UP government, which on Thursday arrested a youth from Noida for allegedly posting objectionable images of Adityanath on social media, was caught unaware when confronted about the dubious website.

It has just come to our knowledge. It is a fake website. Government has nothing to do with it. We will ask cyber cell to probe it, said SK Ojha, director information, UP government.
Acting on a complaint of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, Rajasthan police filed a criminal case against a resort in Jaipur for alleged harassment of a minor girl during a dance performance.

The FIR was lodged on a complaint by the DCW chairperson who, during a personal visit to the Chokhi Dhani resort on Tonk Road earlier this month, had noticed the 13-year-old girl being harassed by some visitors during the evening show.

The resort officials, however, said they hold dance performances to showcase the cultural heritage of the state and do not entertain such episodes.

Maliwal was on her personal visit to the resort and noticed the alleged inappropriate behaviour of some tourists with the girl. She wrote a letter to DGP (Director general of Police) Manoj Bhatt following which the FIR was registered yesterday, station house officer of Sanganer Sadar police station Dharmveer Singh said on Friday.

In the complaint, she said the girl was surrounded by male tourists who were showering currency notes and inappropriately touching her while she was dancing, the SHO said.

The case was lodged against the resort administration under IPC sections 354 (assault with intent to outrage modesty), 374 (unlawful compulsory labour) besides relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and the POCSO Act.
From cleaning of floors to surprise checks and big announcements, the first day of the Yogi government after allotment of portfolios was an eventful one.

The government kept the bureaucracy on its toes throughout the day reviewing major decisions taken in last 15 years, putting on hold the selection processes in higher and secondary education services commission, revamp of states education system, and hinting at an inquiry into the Lucknow- Agra Expressway project, and more.

Chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi surprised everyone by visiting the Hazratganj police station. He stayed there for more than 20 minutes and asked the policemen if all cases were being registered.

The CM also stressed on cleanliness, comfort (for victims) and a corruption- free environment.

In the presence of DGP Javeed Ahmad, SSP Manzil Saini and other top bureaucrats, Yogi said the police should be people-friendly.

Though the CM didnt speak on the controversy on anti-Romeo squads, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma said no one would be harassed.

One of the ministers, Upendra Tiwari, 45, picked up a broom and went about cleaning the floor of his office to emphasise Yogi governments focus on cleanliness.

The CMs surprise visit also caught on with other ministers who carried out similar inspections in their departments or promised to do so.

Read more: Like Modi, Yogi is a hard taskmaster, says Siddharth Nath Singh

Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, 48, directed the officials of the public works department to prepare a list of 10 bully contractors in the department. Maurya said he would continue to carry out surprise inspections in future.

The message is clear. This government wont tolerate any nonsense. We will provide a transparent government, Maurya said.

Education minister Dinesh Sharma held a video conference with senior superintendents of police asking them to ensure there is no mass copying the ongoing UP Board examinations. He also emphasised on cleanliness in schools and colleges. We will undertake surprise checks to verify if the directives are being followed, he said.

New transport minister Swatantra Dev Singh also took officials by surprise by visiting the Kaiserbagh bus station where he took stock of cleanliness and hygiene.

Minority affairs minister Mohsin Raza visited his office and objected to Azam Khans photograph in the department.

Dr Mahendra Singh, minister began his first day as minister with a puja in his office.

Health minister Siddharth Nath Singh directed the officials to remove the word Samajwadi from ambulances. The word Samajwadi was used on ambulances by the Akhilesh Yadav government.

Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi said his department was readying the blue print of loan waiver of small and marginal farmers  a pre-poll promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Read more: After CM Adityanaths cleanliness push, UP minister Upendra Tiwari picks up broom

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Pained to see the Chhota Imambada falling into decay, direct descendants of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah have decided to launch a full-fledged movement to save the citys rich heritage, a reminder of the nawabi era and a testimony to history.

They are also going to take up the issue with newly elected chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi, seeking his immediate intervention in the sad state of affairs.

I cant say about others but my heart bleeds every time I receive a WhatsApp image highlighting the crumbling monuments in the state capital, as it is something personal for me, said Asif Ali Mirza, a direct descendant of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last ruler of Awadh.

Mirza lives in Metiabruz, Kolkata, the place where Wajid Ali Shah spent his life after he was exiled on February 7, 1856.

Asif Ali Mirza (HT Photo)

Mirzas reaction came after Hindustan Times highlighted the decaying state of Chhota Imambara that appeared in its March 18 edition. I was moved to see the condition of Chhota Imambara and was equally shocked over the apathetic approach of the agencies (Hussainabad and Allied Trust (HAT) and Archaeological Survey of India) responsible for its upkeep, Mirza told HT.

He said the agencies seemed more interesting in minting money than preserving the monuments. Nothing concrete has been done so far to strengthen these over-a -century-old structures. Be it the preserving agencies or the tourism department, all seems busy in making money than spending some in the upkeep of the monuments, he said.

It is time to launch a movement against the irregularities, the royal scion said. He said his family, as well as other royal families from Kolkata and from the state capital,were planning to launch a movement.

Our movement is aimed at bringing real, not cosmetic development to the nawabi era structures, an intrinsic part of the citys rich heritage. It will comprise demonstrations at the prime heritage spots. The demonstrators would also hand over a memorandum of demands to the state government, he added.

He also lauded the efforts of the SP government for carrying out extensive beautification work in the Old City area and said he was hopeful that the new government would ensure development the same way.

Read more| Neglected heritage: The inside truth about Chhota Imambadas beauty

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Way back in 1998, Aditya Nath Yogi became a member of parliament by winning the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket. He was only 26 then.

Nineteen years on, he is the chief minister of the countrys most populous state.

It has been a tremendous political journey for Aditya Nath ever since his guru Mahant Avaidyanath decided to bid adieu to active politics and appointed him his successor.

Aditya Nath tested political waters by contesting the 1998 Lok Sabha election. He defeated Samajwadi Party candidate Jamuna Nishad, who enjoyed considerable influence over backward community, by a margin of 62,007 votes.

He faced a tough contest from Nishad in the 1999 Lok Sabha election but managed to defeat him by a margin of 7,339 votes. The narrow victory margin rattled Aditya Nath and he changed his political strategy to expand his support base.

In 2004 Lok Sabha election, it appeared Nishad would pose a tough challenge to Aditya Nath but he lost the election by a margin of 1,42,013 votes. Aditya Nath again won the 2009 Lok Sabha election defeating his nearest rival Vinay Shankar Tiwari of BSP by 2,20,260 votes.

He won the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat for the fifth consecutive term in 2014 defeating his nearest rival Rajmati Nishad of SP by 1,42,309 votes. The message went to the rival parties that Aditya Nath is invincible and he has converted Gorakhpur into an impregnable fort.

But how a young mahant, considered to be a light weight in the state politics, emerged as a towering star? During the 2007 assembly election, he openly rebelled against the BJP leadership and threatened to field his candidates on assembly seats in Gorakhpur-Basti divisions.

The BJP leadership threatened strict action against him but Aditya Nath refused to budge. Later, the party relented and gave tickets to his supporters. Aditya Nath proved his mettle by sending maximum number of MLAs from his area while the BJP faced rout in other regions.

In 2009 Lok Sabha election, the resurgent SP and Congress grabbed maximum seats handing worst defeat to the saffron brigade. The BJP lost in its strongholds of Faizabad, Varanasi, Bareilly and Agra but Aditya Nath held his fort. Again in 2012 assembly election, when the SP swept the polls, maximum number of BJP MLAs won from east UP.

Talking to HT, political analyst Rajesh Singh said though the mahants of Gorakhnath Temple Trust, Digvijay Nath and Avaidyanath, were active in politics but Aditya Nath established himself as a peoples mahant.

Earlier, the mahants used to attend programmes organised by top luminaries of the area but Aditya Nath broke the tradition and started attending events organised by common people, dalits and backwards. Be it marriage ceremony, other festivities or last rites, Aditya Nath was there rubbing shoulders with the have-nots, he said.

The visits of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to Dalit households is often highlighted by the media but Aditya Nath used to organise shahbhoj (community feast) with the dalits and backwards even a decade ago, Singh said.

He worked hard to bring the marginalised Mushahar and Vantongiya communities into the mainstream. He created a constituency among the dalits and backwards though the BSP and the SP have a strong presence in east UP.

According to Singh, Aditya Nath showed political acumen by launching the Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) in 2002. The youths who were earlier associated with gangster-turned-politician Hari Shankar Tiwari and Virendra Pratap Shahi started joining HYV. Soon he had his own network in rural areas of the district and a youth brigade to take forward his agenda, he said.

The BJP leadership also used his network for election campaigns. The HYV also launched an anti-conversion campaign in backward areas to mobilise dalits in support of Aditya Nath, Singh added.

Dwarka Tiwari an aide of Adityanath said, Since 5 am till midnight he is busy meeting the people of his constituency and disposing of their grievances. He leads a simple life and the door of the mutt is open for all, be it Hindus or Muslims.

Chandra Bhusan Ankur, a faculty at Gorakhpur University, said for the people outside Gorakhpur region, Aditya Nath was a rabble-rouser and a firebrand leader taking forward the Hindutva agenda, but for the people of the region he was an educationist and a social worker too.

He has opened a chain of schools and colleges in backward areas of the district. A well-equipped modern hospital has been constructed by Aditya Nath where patient get medical treatment at nominal charges, he said.

Gorakhpur region is known for muscle power. To counter it, Aditya Nath established himself as a dabang saint who delivered fiery speeches and challenged the might of the mafiosi active in the region. For people, he is a Hindutva poster boy as well as vikas purush (one working for development). Several projects have been launched in the region on his initiative. He is also active on the social media communicating with young voters, he said.

Manoj, a member of Jan Sanskriti Manch, said Aditya Nath got the benefit of the influence of Gorakhnath temple over the people in the region.

Communal polarisation played an important role in his rise and establishing hegemony in the area. His vote bank increased as he became the flag-bearer of Hindutva and got support from rightist organisations like the Hindu Mahasabha and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Hindu saints active in Ram Janmbhoomi movement supported him after he raised demand for construction of the temple in Ayodhya, he said.

The Association for Democratic Reform (ADR) mentions in its report that around half-a-dozen criminal cases have been registered against Aditya Nath which include criminal intimidation, rioting, attempt to murder, breach of peace, trespassing, promoting enmity between various groups and endangering the life or personal property. Aditya Nath, however, has claimed that the cases were a political conspiracy by the SP and BSP governments.

In the affidavit submitted during the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Aditya Nath has mentioned that he owns a revolver and a rifle. He has three vehicles  a Tata Safari, an Innova Saloon and a Fortuner.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Carnivorous animals at the Kanpur Zoological Park have been put on a forced fast since Wednesday as the zoo administration has run short of meat supply.

All four slaughterhouses of Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) have been closed, resulting in the suspension of meat supply for animals.

Closure of illegal and mechanised slaughterhouses has been among the pre-poll commitments of chief minister Adityanaths BJP, which was voted to power in the state recently with a massive majority.

The saffron party seems to be acting on its promise, with a number of abattoirs across Uttar Pradesh being subjected to raids and shutdowns.

The Kanpur zoo has 70 carnivorous animals, including lion Ajay and lioness Nandini.

A tiger, Abhay, was brought here in 2010 while the lions arrived in December, 2016.

A senior officer at the zoo said a male carnivorous animal needed 12kg of meat every day while females required 10kg.

The zoo requires 150kg of buffalo meat every day. The meat is provided by a contractor who supplied it on Tuesday but could not today, he said. The pregnant ones are being given chicken but they are not interested. Many of them have not touched food since morning.
A total of 312 of the 2,000 resident doctors on strike joined work late on Friday, according to numbers with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). But the rest, defying the call by doctors associations to end the protest, have decided to continue their agitation.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and six other major bodies representing doctors, which pulled out of the strike on Friday after meeting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, termed it as an unfortunate and immature behaviour on part of the resident doctors.

What more do you want when the CM of a state, with folded hands, is requesting you to resume your work? asked Parthiv Sanghvi, secretary of IMA. The body with over 40,000 members who are doctors in Maharashtra, had continued to support the protests after the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) pulled out of the protest late on Thursday.

The meeting with Fadnavis was positive and he patiently listened to us for an hour. He has accepted all the demands and informed us about the plan of action, said Dr Sanghvi, adding that they have got more than what they demanded.

A section of resident doctors alleged that IMA pulled out from the protest because of personal gains and they are going to continue until they see some results on the ground level. We started the protest, not IMA or MARD. The state has made many assurances in the past and none of them were fulfilled, said a resident doctor from KEM hospital.

However, many of those who participated in the protest, continued to work in the wards, to ensure patients are not inconvenienced. Dr Mukesh Agarwal, head of the paediatric department of KEM Hospital, said that students in his unit, who are also a part of the protest, have prepared their own schedule. They arent signing on the musters, but one of them comes for a round every hour and checks on patients, said Dr Agarwal.

Services in the hospitals remained affected due to the strike, however no untoward incident took place since the emergency wards were working round the clock. The 1,800-bed KEM Hospital, Parel  the largest public hospital in the city  which handles 4,500-6,000 out patient ward (OPD) cases daily checked 254 patients on Friday while the OPDs in LTMG, Sion, and BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central, remained closed due to the mass bunk.

Read

IMA calls off strike after Bombay HC orders doctors to resume work
Police arrested a 35-year-old woman, who allegedly killed her five-year-old nephew as she had no son and was jealous of her sister-in-law, on Friday.

Anita Sham Khandekar, a resident of Sasane Nagar, allegedly strangled Mauli to death on Thursday night and kept his body under a bed in her house.

Maulis parents registered a missing persons complaint with the police after looking for him till late in the night.

Khandekar allegedly took Maulis body from the house and dumped it in a water storage tank when her family members were at the police station. His body was found inside the tank near the house during a police search.

According to a preliminary investigation, Khandekar had two daughters and wanted a son. Her three sisters-in-law, who live in the same vicinity, had sons. Khandekar told the police that she was constantly tortured by family members because she was the only woman in the family who had two daughters.

Police recorded the statements of Khandekars family members and neighbours. They were suspicious about her movements.

Maulis father is physically handicapped and is a rickshaw driver.
For the first time in Maharashtra, the public works department (PWD) in Palghar district constructed a road entirely out of pinewood pulp cellulose, as part of a pilot project.

Officials said an Andheri firm had approached the PWD in 2008, seeking to construct a road with waste pinewood pulp cellulose, mixed with bitumen and stones. The construction was carried out using a technology known as stone matrix asphalt (SMA), which was approved by the Indian Road Congress, the apex body of highway engineers.

A small patch of the World Bank-funded Palghar-Mahim highway was chosen for the trial.

We told the PWD that we would provide them with a state-of-the-art technology to construct the road. The officials were sceptical at first, but after we gave them a presentation, they gave us the go-ahead. We decided to construct the road on a small part of the highway as heavy traffic passes through that area, said Porus Bhatt, director,Genesis Infra Project Consultants.

SMA technology is used in Europe, Russia, China, Germany, Brazil and Sri Lanka. Also, a few It requires either waste pinewood or bamboo pulp cellulose, which is taken from the bark of the trees, said Bhatt. He added that the roads in Mumbai and other metropolises are constructed using inferior quality stones and bitumen, which results in potholes surfacing on the streets.

There is no question of potholes surfacing when SMA technology is used. We use big stones, bitumen and a mixture of pulp and hydrated lime, which acts as a binder. This prevents the road from bleeding for at least five years. Roads bleed when bitumen leaks through the stones due to poor construction techniques, pressure from vehicles or adverse weather conditions, he said.

Bhatt added that a rise in underground water levels also results in potholes. He however, added that the new roads are able to circumvent this problem.We mix the pulp fiber with the bitumen, creating a strong bond. The result is that the road resembles a tarmac or a runway, said Bhatt.

Officialspeak

As the pinewood cellulose was imported from Europe, we are trying to find how we can get pulp. This will reduce the cost. We are considering introducing this technology in other parts of Palghar too, said Rahul Vasaikar,

executive engineer, PWD, Palghar.

READ MORE

New road repair technique quick, inexpensive, says Mumbai civic body

Mumbai civic body blacklists 11 road contractors
A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) core committee discussed alternatives to its uneasy coalition with the Shiv Sena, party leaders said a last attempt would be made to reach out to their partner.

The party has decided to depute two senior ministers  finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil  to extend an olive branch towards Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

They are likely to call on Thackeray at his residence, Matoshree in Bandra on the occasion of the Maharashtrian new year, Gudi Padwa on Tuesday.

HT had reported on Friday that the BJP core committee, upset with Senas continued opposition to the government, discussed the possibility of going for-mid term polls as well as inducting 29 legislators from other parties allegedly in touch with the BJP.

We will call on Thackeray to seek better co-ordination in the ongoing budget session. As far as loan waiver for farmers is concerned, CM has already taken a delegation to meet the PM. So we are not wrong to expect co-operation from our ally, said Mungantiwar.

Political observers said BJP, by indicating mid-term polls, is asking Sena to toe the line as part of the government.

HT had reported that the party core committee was mulling over getting 21 legislators elected in bypolls on its symbols. Senior leaders told HT that on the whole 29 sitting MLAs were in touch with party top brass for shifting their allegiance.

The other option BJP leaders claimed would be to opt for mid-term polls in July after taking a few big bang decisions including the loan waiver.

Reacting to claims that 15 Congress and 14 NCP legislators are in touch with BJP and could contest bypolls on the lotus symbol, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said in such a scenario, all Opposition parties would put up one common candidate in such elections.

READ MORE

Irked with Shiv Sena, BJP discusses mid-term polls in Maharashtra

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
With 70,000 people queuing up to see seven Humboldt penguins, the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan or Byculla zoo has earned 50% of its revenue, Rs3.6 lakh, within a week.

The penguin enclosure was thrown open to public on Friday. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) body is yet to charge fee for viewing penguins. For now, people can view these birds at a nominal cost of Rs5, which is the entry fee to the zoo.

The penguins, kept in a 1,550-sqft soundproof public exhibit, have been attracting a large number of visitors.

The zoo authorities, on an average, sell tickets worth Rs24,000 a day. After the exhibit was thrown open for public viewing, the sale has shot up by more than 100% a day. Last Sunday, the collection crossed Rs1.10 lakh, with more than 25,000 visiting the zoo to see the penguins. The officials said this is the first time they were witnessing such a good response and the crowd has not has not reduced even on weekdays.

The civic authorities are mulling charging Rs100 for the penguin exhibit, said Sanjay Tripathi, director of the zoo. We are expecting good turnout the coming weekend. Increasing the entry fee will get us funds for welfare of the zoo, said a civic official.

Finding it difficult to control the crowd, the civic officials have got police personnel deployed to prevent a law and order situation.

Let children see Humboldt penguins at Byculla zoo: High Court

Let children see the Humboldt penguins, why do you want to deprive them of the opportunity, the Bombay high court (HC) on Friday asked a petitioner who wants the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to return the bird to South Koreas capital Seoul, where they were brought from.

Eight penguins were brought to Mumbai on July 26, 2016. A female penguin, Dory, died on October 23.

The penguins will survive. Over a period of time, they will get acclimatised, said a bench after the petitioner advocate Advait Sethna expressed fears that the birds may not survive in Mumbais hot weather.

Sometimes, things have to be done on a trial basis, the bench said.

After Sethna contended that several local animals had died in the zoo in the past few years because of lack of proper care and facilities, the bench issued a notice to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), seeking a reply.

Sethna said the CZA has already issued a notice to the zoo over lack of proper kitchen and other facilities.

Senior advocate Anil Sakhare, who represented the BMC, countered the contention saying the CZA representatives inspect the zoo every year, and the zoo authorities plug the loopholes pointed by them.

Sakhare said the civic body was not averse to a visit by an expert or inspection of the zoo.

Sethna argued that the penguins fall under the category of vulnerable species under international conventions.

But the bench questioned whether international law or the law in India prohibited exhibition of the penguins.

Is any legal procedure violated? Show us what law prohibits exhibition of penguins, said the bench.

The judges said it would be better for experts to visit the facility and report to the court as to whether the penguins were being looked after properly or not.

Read more: You may have to pay Rs 100 to visit the penguin enclosure at Byculla zoo in Mumbai
Weeks after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed to power with a landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh after a gap of 15 years, the Shiv Sena on Thursday rooted for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying that the political situation in the most populous state is conducive to doing so.

The results of Uttar Pradesh elections show people are in favour of building Ram temple. Today, the entire country is listening to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. Even the Muslims will listen to him now, looking at the scenario in the country, said party mouthpiece Saamana in its editorial.

Apart from this, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has assured that he will not let another riot in the state. Taking this under consideration, the Muslim organisations should give up their demands and support the Ram Mandir, the party said.

It may be noted that the Supreme Court on Tuesday suggested a negotiated settlement to the Ram janmabhomi-Babri masjid dispute, with the Chief Justice of India even offering to act as a mediator between the two sides laying claim over the historic site in Ayodhya.

A Hindu mob demolished the historic Babri Masjid on December 2, 1992 at Ayodhya. Muslims groups are opposed to building a temple at the site.

In September 2010, a three-judge Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court said that Lord Ram was born under the central dome of the makeshift temple and Hindus have the right to worship there.

READ

Supreme Court for amicable settlement to Ayodhya dispute, CJI Khehar offers to mediate

Talks wont work, Ram Mandir will be built by 2024 through legislation: Swamy

Irked with Shiv Sena, BJP discusses mid-term polls in Maharashtra
With state governments patience running thin over the five-day strike by nearly 4,500 resident doctors in Maharashtra, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday warned of legal action if they failed to resume work today after his meeting with their representatives.

He said he will discuss the issue with the doctors on Friday afternoon.

Fadnavis lambasted the doctors for being adamant and insensitive towards patients.

Enough is enough. Now, the government cant sit quiet. We cannot leave patients to die. Despite accepting all the demands, the doctors are not ready to withdraw their strike. They are forcing us to take a harsh step, Fadnavis said in the legislative assembly.

IMA representatives met CM @Dev_Fadnavis at Vidhan Bhavan,Mumbai.Minister GirishMahajan,DrDeepakSawant,Dr RanjitPatil,RavindraChavan present pic.twitter.com/Rgh8jEofwe  CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) March 24, 2017

In the last ditch effort to break the deadlock, he said he will hold a final meeting with representatives of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), a lobby group.

I will along with medical education minister Girish Mahajan and public health minister Dr Deepak Sawant will again request them to call off the strike immediately as the government has accepted all demands, said Fadnavis.

Even after that, if they do not resume the duty, the state government will initiate legal action against them, Fadnavis said.

Security has been already provided in 16hospitals since yesterday.

Govt is working;more arrangements will be made in 10days:CM @Dev_Fadnavis  CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) March 24, 2017

He indicated that the government is considering to file cases for medical negligence against the doctors.

Mahajan also warned the medical practitioners to call off the strike.

They have taken in writing from us that we are accepting their ten demands which include providing 1,100 security guards. These guards will be hired from private agencies run by former police officials at a salary of Rs 20,000 each. The government has sanctioned Rs 33 crore for the purpose, news agency PTI quoted Mahajan as saying.

During Fadnavis statement, Sena and BJP legislators trooped to the well of the house and demanded strict action against the doctors. This prompted the speaker to adjourn the house twice. The Opposition lawmakers benches were empty as they had boycotted the house over the suspension of their 19 MLAs.

The CM on Thursday assured the agitating doctors to provide enhanced security at all government hospitals. The government also promised to provide free legal aid and medical help to doctors in assault cases.

On the same day, the Bombay high court directed them to tend to patients immediately and asked the Maharashtra government to provide adequate security at all government hospitals. It also asked the government and the civic body to withdraw show-cause notices issues to the striking doctors.

READ

Government doctors work in trying conditions. The least they need is safety

Health care crisis in Maharashtra: Despite MARDs appeal, resident doctors strike continues for 5th day

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday ordered a high-level probe after a farmer was allegedly beaten up by security guards at Mantralaya, the state headquarters, on Thursday.

Fadnavis, while making a statement in the lower house on Friday, said the guards did not thrash the farmer instead he bit one of the policemen on duty. He added that after the farmer demanded compensation after loss of his shade net in unseasonal rainfall in 2015, the agriculture department extended an offer of 50% grant, but he did not avail the facility and refused to pay 25% of the expenditure.

Rameshwar Bhusare, 32, a farmer from a village in Kannad taluka in Aurangabad, had alleged that he was thrashed by the security on duty in the Mantralaya on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Opposition leaders alleged that the police tried to suppress the case and wrongly implicate the farmer. ongress and NCP leaders visited Marine Lines police station and demanded an explanation for delay in registering a case. The leaders also alleged that police tried to file false case of attempt to commit suicide. The farmer also claimed that the guards, while taking him to the police station from the Mantralaya, tried to strangulate him.

Meanwhile, police have denied the allegations and said the farmer bit one of the guards when he was asked to leave.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
In an affidavit filed in the Bombay high court, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) president and secretary on Friday said they have no objection if the striking doctors are penalised for the five-day stir.

The MARD informed the court that they had tried their best to persuade the doctors to resume duty.

The high court, however, allowed the junior doctors to report to work by 8 am on Saturday.

The HC will review the situation on Monday.

The agitating doctors in Maharashtra have been on strike against the rise in violence against them by relatives of patients.

Earlier on Thursday, the MARD assured the HC that their members will resume duty during the course of the day. This came after the state government assured to post additional 500 armed guards for doctors safety in government and civic hospitals in Mumbai.

READ

Devendra Fadnavis says enough is enough, warns of legal action against doctors if strike continues
Poor patients continued to be deprived of affordable but overburdened health care at government hospitals across Maharashtra as junior doctors did not resume their work today, despite Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) call to end the five-day strike.

Patient services, especially out-patient departments, will continue to be affected today as doctors are taking up only emergency cases. Hundreds of routine surgeries have been cancelled or rescheduled since Monday, inconvenicing thousands of patients and their families.

Nearly 4,500 resident doctors have been protesting for the past five days against assaults on them by relatives of patients. Seven cases of assaults and threats to doctors have emerged in the last fortnight.

MARD representatives will meet chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at 1pm today on the issue. The CM on Thursday assured agitating doctors to provide additional security at all government hospitals and a legal cell for them. On the same day, the Bombay high court directed them to tend to patients immediately and asked the Maharashtra government to provide adequate security at all government hospitals. It also asked the government and the civic body to withdraw show-cause notices issues to the striking doctors.

After the court order, the MARD asked the medical practitioners to rejoin duty.

The order is now available on the HC website and we find it satisfactory. Now, there is a meeting scheduled with some state ministers at 1 pm today where we will discuss the issue (about their safety) once again, said Dr Swapnil Meshram, general secretary of MARD.

After holding a meeting Fadnavis on Thursday, the doctors decided to wait for a copy of the minutes before taking a call to end the protest.

Our fight is not limited to Mumbai. There might have been an increase in security at KEM and Sion hospitals. But what about Dhule and Aurangabad? said a resident doctor from KEM Hospital, Parel.

Another resident doctor from Sion Hospital added that the MARD may have called off the strike, but we as individual resident doctors havent.

(With inputs from PTI)

READ

Maharashtra: CM steps in; promises guards, CCTVs, free aid to striking doctors

Maharashtra resident doctors demands met, will they resume work?
After Shiv Sena relaunched its attack on the state government over loan waivers, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the demand to completely waive farm loans could not be granted immediately as it will collapse the fiscal discipline. He, however, added that the government is committed to the goal and the Centre was preparing scheme to bring 31 lakh indebted farmers into the institutionalised credit system (ICS) as the state will bear their financial burden.

But the Congress-NCP Opposition continued to boycott the proceedings of the Assembly for the third consecutive day to protest the suspension of its 19 legislators.

The CM said the cost of extending the loan waiver to 31 lakh farmers is Rs 30,500 crore and if the government decided to bear it, that would mean depriving other sections of society from their social schemes. Bearing the entire amount will result in curbing the financial expenditure on infrastructure such as roads and irrigation and schemes meant for students, minorities, economically backward sections and the physically handicapped. We do not want to put crores of other people in trouble, he said in the state Assembly on Friday.

He added, We have requested the Centre to prepare a plan as the state is ready to bear the financial burden to bring the indebted farmers in the ICS net. More than 1 crore farmers, out of the total 1.34 crore, pay their loans regularly, while 31 lakh have been thrown out of the ICS. The state will bear its share to help them.

The CM also said rather than giving loan waivers, the state will focus on sustainable growth of agriculture. Due to impressive agricultural growth  12.5% this year from the negative growth rate last year  the collective income of farmers grew by Rs 40,000 crore.

Fadnavis went on to add that since the state has already made investments in the agriculture sector for rise in potential irrigation, water security, mechanised agriculture, soil testing and launch of the technology, they will now focus on post harvest technology and market linkage for getting a better price for the farm produce.

Whiel listing problems that the state faces while making policies for the sector, he said low productivity and fake number of people dependent on farming are two major issues that need attention. 45% of the population is dependent on agriculture for employment against the fact than only 10% of the GSDP comes from the sector. Most of the unemployed youth in the rural areas are counted as dependent on farming, but thats not true. 

Responding to Shiv Senas demand to scrap the infrastructure projects to avail funds to waive the farm loan, he said the international funding agencies fund the infrastructure projects, but there was no provision of funding the loan waiver to the farmers.

The CM claimed that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was convinced with his stand on sustainable development and has decided to withdraw the protest.

Meanwhile, the Opposition continued to boycott house proceedings to condemn the suspension of their 19 legislators. During their meeting with the government on Friday morning, Fadnavis turned down their demand to revoke the suspension while saying that it was to withhold the dignity of the sovereign house.

The CM later, in the lower house, asked them to participate in the proceedings and said the state was ready to discuss the issues.

State to ask Guv to help clear Appropriation bill

The BJP-led Maharashtra government will approach Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to help clear the Appropriation Bill moved to pass the vote on account in the legislative council, where the Opposition parties  NCP and Congress  enjoy clear majority.

The Bill meant to meet the expenditures of April and May until the budget for the next fiscal year was formally passed. The state parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapat said they will request Rao to direct the Upper House for smooth passage of the Bill, if its not passed on Saturday.

The Appropriation Bill, which has the provision of Rs 50,000 crore, was passed in the Assembly on Thursday. It was moved to pass the vote on account in the Upper House but could not be cleared after the Council was adjourned due to the pandemonium created by the Opposition for demand of loan waiver along with withdrawal of suspension of 19 legislators in the legislative assembly.

However, according to Constitutional provisions, it will be cleared automatically if Council fails to pass it in 14 days after being approved by the Assembly, he added.Bapat, however, admitted that the Bill should be cleared by the Council by March 31 otherwise it will create constitutional hitch for the government. We have written to Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar asking him to help the government clear the Bill on Saturday. Else, we will have to ask the Governor for help, he said.

READ MORE

Farmers, loan waiver and politics in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Assembly adjourned over farmer loan waiver

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Six parents and two people acting as agents were arrested on Thursday for producing fake birth certificates to avail admissions in the first round of the Right to Education (RTE) quota. The agents allegedly helped acquire the fake certificates.

On the certificates, the dates of birth were changed so that it could fit the eligibility bracket  between three and five years depending on the class applied to. The dates was changed to September 30, 2017 from July 31, 2017.

The scam came to light when Rebecca Shinde, principal, Chetumal Bhoolchand Murlidhar School, Sion, was checking the documents of the students. This year, the schools are supposed to verify the documents. Applicants were not required to submit them while filling the online admission forms.

She grew suspicious when she noticed that six birth certificates were issued on March 17, 2017, just a day before the deadline for confirming admissions. Additionally, these documents were of a slightly different colour than the rest, with a hazy logo.

Shinde asked the parents to submit proof of their pregnancy  medical records or doctors bills  but they were unable to do so. I couldnt shake the feeling that something was wrong. Why would someone wait till the last minute to procure such an important document? I immediately informed the education department officials, she said.

But her complaints fell on deaf ears. Instead of helping out, I was asked to mind my own business.

Shinde approached the BMC ward office in the F/north zone and found that the registration numbers on the documents didnt match with the BMC records. The certificates bear the signature of the deputy municipal medical officer. Unless, it was forged, it is surprising that the officer didnt notice the discrepancy while signing them, said Shinde.

The school has cancelled admissions. We will not allow them to continue as RTE students, they will have to pay the normal fee if they want to remain in the school, said Shinde.

According to the Antop Hill police, two agents-Kamruddin Shaikh, 37 and Yunuse Ismail Baza, 42, procured the certificates for the parents. A case of cheating and forgery has been registered against them. We arrested eight persons, including six parents and two agents, based on the complaint of the principal, said Nasir Shaikh, senior police inspector, Antop Hill police station.

The accused were produced before a local court, on Friday and have been remanded in police custody up to Monday.

BMC education officials said that they were looking into the case. The principal didnt inform us before approaching the police, said Mahesh Palkar, education officer, BMC education department, which conducts the admissions.

What was the scam?

Parents have been accused of submitting fake birth certificates so that their children can fit in the age bracket for RTE admissions.

What was the loophole: This time applicants didnt have to submit any documents while filling the online form, onus of verification of documents was on schools.

What is RTE admissions:

Students from economically and socially weaker sections are entitled to free education from Class 1 to Class 8 according to the RTE Act, 2009. Unaided and non-minority schools across the country are mandated to reserve 25% seats for such students.

Previous cases:

Last year in August, two Goregaon schools had found 11 students submitting fake income certificates to show annual income of less than one lakh, when their actual income was much more

A school in Grant Road had hired private detectives and found that a student applying for RTE seat was living in an expensive South Mumbai apartment.

READ MORE

In a first, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme to be reviewed externally

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Grappling with a cash crunch and fiscal challenges, including the seventh pay commission burden and a possible loan waiver, a section within the state government is hoping to make the most of its key resource  land.

From the outright sale of government land to eyeing a manifold hike in the rent of leasehold plots, for which a formula is being considered, the revenue department is looking at ways to bolster the states non tax revenue.

The state governments revenue target for 2017-18 from the renewal of lease rents is Rs3,200 crore.

In 2016-17, this target was Rs1,600 crore. However, the state government still failed to achieve it, with the lease policy yet to be finalised.

Land is our largest resource. If we have to meet demands such as the loan waiver, then our only option is to utilise the land, said a senior minister, who did not wish to be identified.

We can get around Rs1,000 crore just by selling a plot, for instance, one of the mill lands. Similarly, while renewing expired land leases, we can easily fetch up to Rs5,000 crore-plus by way of new rents, penalties and transfer from lease to ownership, added the senior minister.

He added that the existing policy on leasehold plots dates back to 2012 and is clearly in favour of tenants as opposed to the government.

The 2012 government resolution states that according to a high court order, the notional value of the governments share will be 25% and that of the tenant will be 75% in state-owned leased plots. The rent we charge ranges from 2% to 25%, so we get nominal returns. We want to study high court order to see if it can be challenged. Why should an owners share be limited to just 25%? he added.

The third-party rights created, he argued, ended once the lease period expired.

The island city has 1,292 leased properties, of which the leases of 517 have expired.In the suburbs, there are 295 such properties, of which the leases of 49 have expired.

However, sources in the government said that any hike in the rents of leasehold properties in Mumbai cannot be drastic, given the third-party rights and legal implications.

From 1999 onwards, the state governments has been unsuccessfully trying to gain revenues from old properties leased during colonial times.

Currently, the rents of these properties is nominal and starts at Rs1 per square metre.

Last year, the state government amended the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code to enable the transfer of leased land into freehold land after levying a certain penalty on the users.

However, a committee set up under revenue secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava is yet to finalise the formula for the penalty and nitty gritties of such a transfer, including what land can be given this option.Once the committee submits its report, a final decision on leasehold plots is likely.

But, even then, meeting the requisite revenue target for this year seems far fetched.

Read

Maharashtra budget: With falling revenues, government prepares to walk tightrope

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The civic body on Thursday issued show-cause notices to 11 of the 16 contractors named in the second report of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) internal inquiry into the 2015 roads scam. They wont be allowed to take up any new civic contract, an official said.

According to the official, of these 16 contractors working on the 200 roads that were under scanner in the second phase of inquiry, 11 have been accused of sub-standard work. The second report, submitted last week, pointed out alleged irregularities, such as fewer materials used in the foundation layer of the roads.

Meanwhile, civic chief Ajoy Mehta has also ordered for a first-information report (FIR) to be filed against the contractors. According to an official, along with six contractors who had been indicted in the preliminary report last year, another five have been issued notices.

A senior civic official said, We plan to add the names of these five contractors to the FIR registered last year, instead of lodging a new one.

Last year, a preliminary report revealed that work on 34 roads was substandard, after which six contractors, two third-party contractors were blacklisted and were barred from bidding for any civic contracts and were facing criminal cases.

The remaining five contractors have been let off without any action issued against them as three contractors had completed 100% of the work according to the tenders and irregularities were within the tolerance limit in the case of two other contractors, said officials.

The show-cause notice states that if there is no reply from the contractors within 15 days, it will be presumed that there is nothing to say in the matter and further action as deemed fit including blacklisting or deregistration will be taken against them. The show-cause notice also states that contractors have submitted incomplete/inaccurate/fabricated documents in support of their claim to have carried out the work allotted to them with intention of defrauding BMC and causing loss of public money.

In written directives to the road department officials, the civic chief has stated, This is extremely serious and the discrepancies have led to the appalling state of Mumbai roads. It is imperative that again a conclusive and exemplary action is taken to set things right and ensure that public money is spent with care and caution.

He has further instructed, Issue show-cause notices to all contractors whose irregularities are beyond the tolerance limits mentioned in the tender document. Further in view of the large scale and serious irregularities, which have adversely impacted the quality of roads in the city, an FIR must be lodged against all contractors.

Read

Road scam: Mumbai civic body to pay road contractors in parts, keep security deposits

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who assaulted R Sukumar, a 60-year-old Air India employee on a Pune-New Delhi flight on Thursday and later boasted about it, received a dressing down from party chief Uddhav Thackeray, senior Shiv Sena leaders said on Friday.

We have taken serious note of the incident. Uddhav Thackeray spoke to him and gave him a dressing down, Anil Desai, Rajya Sabha MP, told HT. Earlier on Friday, Gaikwad met with Desai in New Delhi and updated him on the details of Thursdays incident.

The dressing down from Thackeray could be the extent of the partys action against Gaikwad. Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said that Thackeray hadnt summoned the MP for disciplinary action and that he didnt in fact need to be disciplined.

Raut said, Firstly, he has not been summoned by the party chief. This is not a matter that calls for disciplinary action. Ravi is an educated person. He has been an MLA for many years and is now an MP. He has been travelling in planes for many years now and this is the first time such an incident has happened. The matter should be probed from both sides.

Raut said the party did not plan to take any action against Gaikwad. Let the law take its own course. But an FIR should also be filed against Air India, he said.

Desai said that the party did not endorse such behaviour. Restraint should be exercised by everybody, whether he is a politician or a common man. Politicians especially should exercise more control.

Gaikwad bragged that he had hit the Air India staffer 25 times with his slipper during a row over seat allocation. The Member of Parliament told crew members that he had a business-class ticket for the flight and became belligerent when informed that Air India had changed it to an all-economy flight.

Gaikwad has so far refused to apologise for the assault or accept that he did anything wrong. In a video that is in wide circulation on social media, he can be seen hitting Sukumar with his slippers and trying to push him down a staircase docked with the aircraft.

Meanwhile, a first information report (FIR) has been filed against the parliamentarian in New Delhi, based on a complaint by Air India.

Gaikwads brazen statements seeking to justify his actions have caused major embarrassment to his party but Thackeray has so far chosen not to comment.

Also read: After airlines deny ticket, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad forced to travel by train

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
After a raid on a paint factory in Palghar, from where the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 282kg mephedrone and arrested four on Monday, the properties of the accused have come under the agencys scanner.

Investigations are on to ascertain if the accused bought property with the money they got by selling drugs, said a DRI officer.

The DRI, an apex intelligence organisation of Indian Customs, raided Palghar Taluka Industrial Co-operative Estate, located on the Palghar-Boisar Road. Officials found 8.2kg hashish. They suspect the mephedrone and hashish were to be smuggled to South Africa via Nepal. The mephedrone seized is worth around Rs10 crore on the international market.

The agency arrested Bhanudas More, 53, the main accused, along with Rauf Lulania, the manager, Pappu Chaudhary, 48, who got the raw materials, and Manish Sesaria, 30, a chemicals expert.

We also found incriminating documents and the accuseds personal diaries at the factory, said the officer.

DRI sources said Chaudhary was involved in smuggling at the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border and was in touch with several drug dealers in Nepal. The seized drugs were to be given to Chaudhary. He was meant to sell the mephedrone for Rs1.25 lakh a kg, of which he was to pay More Rs1 lakh a kg, said the officer.

The DRI said More admitted that to selling 18kg powdered mephedrone two African nationals earlier this month.

Read

Drug syndicate busted: DRI seizes 238kg MD from factory near Mumbai, arrests four

Palghar drug haul: Two were convicted in drug seizure cases

Palghar drug haul: Main accused has links to man held by ATS in 2015, say DRI officials
Giving up to the pressure, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis decided to transfer Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who was appointed to the post in April 2016, on Friday. Ramaswami M, Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamp, Pune will replace him as the new municipal commissioner of the satellite city.

Mundhe was transferred in less than a year of being appointed to the post and has not been assigned a new post yet.

The chief minister was under tremendous pressure, from ally Shiv Sena too, to remove Mundhe, source said. NMMC corporators who passed the no-confidence motion alleged that the bureaucrat disrespects elected representatives and acts arbitrarily.

The decision came when it was assumed that Mundhe will remain at the position for next few months at least after Fadnavis had overturned a no-confidence motion passed by the corporators body against him in November last year by using special powers under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act. CM had said he is an efficient officer and Navi Mumbai needs him.

Sources said Mundhes transfer was one of the main demands made by Sena ministers when they led a delegation to the chief minister few days back.

In normal circumstances, an official has to complete three years on a post, according to transfer rules.

Mundhes work in the corporation, especially regarding illegal construction and corruption in the civic body, has won him applauds from Navi Mumbai residents ever since he took charge. Residents and activists have firmly stood by him alleging that politicians are pursuing their vested interests, with Support Mundhe messages going viral on social media.

Mundhe, an IAS officer of the 2005 batch, has a reputation of being an honest and upright officer. He had faced similar instances of politicians ganging up against him during his tenure in Nagpur and Solapur districts.

Apart from Mundhe, Suhas Diwase has been posted as collector of Bhandara district. He will replace Abhijeet Chaudhary, who has now been appointed as municipal commissioner of Kolhapur Municipal Corporation.

Mukesh Khulkar, principal secretary, general administration department, said, The transfer order is being issued and the officers will have to take charge once they receive it.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
If all permissions come through, students of University of Mumbai might soon see choppers flying in and out of its Kalina campus. The university on Thursday announced their plan to start chopper services in partnership with Pawan Hans from MUs Kalina campus. However, officials from Pawan Hans said permissions are not yet in place to turn this idea into a reality.

The announcement was made during the signing of an MoU between MU and Pawan Hans Helicopters Institute for the launch of a dual qualification course in Bachelor of Science (aeronautics) and Certificate in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering.

While officials from the university released a statement claiming that a dedicated chopper service  a joy ride called Mumbai Darshan  will start from the Kalina campus from March 28, the chairman and managing director for Pawan Hans, Dr B P Sharma told HT that as of now only a suggestion has been made to start chopper services from the Kalina campus in order to give practical lessons to students of aeronautics. The MoU signed is for a course, which will be the first of its kind in this industry. MU vice-chancellor has suggested that we start practical sessions for students and we are in support of this move. However, we will now have to start the process of seeking permissions to see if such a feat is possible, said Sharma.

Officials from MU also claimed that the chopper services for the purpose of Mumbai Darshan will use a helipad available inside the Kalina campus, and students can also avail a 10% discount on these rides. These rides can only be possible if we get necessary permissions from the appropriate authorities. No such service can begin in a week, added Sharma.

READ MORE

Mumbai university presents 539 crore budget, hopes to earn 53 crore this year

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The University of Mumbai (MU) may postpone first semester repeat examination for bachelor of law (LLB) and master of law (LLM) courses, after students complained that they were unable to prepare for the test as the results were declared late.

The first semester law examination, which are usually held in October, were pushed to January due to delay in law admissions. While the LLM results came out last week, the LLB results were declared on Wednesday. The repeat examination for the two courses are set to begin on April 5 and 10, respectively, leaving students with little time to prepare.

The results showed that most students  85% in LLM and 60% in LLB  were unable to clear the tests and all of them are likely to appear for re-examination. "We are considering postponing the examination. A decision will be taken in the next two or three days," said Deepak Wasave, director, board of examinations and evaluation at MU.

Earlier, Student Law Council, a city-based students' group, had written to the university vice-chancellor demanding that the examination be rescheduled to a later date. "The repeat examination has been scheduled soon after the first semester results. Due to which, it is highly impossible that the re-evaluation results will come before repeat exams. The re-evaluation money will be wasted if the results don't come before the exams," read the letter.

Other students had also made the similar demand. "Considering the academic year was delayed and the students have only 15 days to prepare for repeat examinations, the least MU can do is to postpone at least the repeat examination, if not the regular second semester tests," said Ashutosh Paibhale, an LLB student at Government Law College, Churchgate.

The second semester tests have been scheduled in May. Rashmi Oza, head of law department at MU said the first semester LLM examination were delayed this year due to delay in the first semester LLB exam, which was caused by the chaos around state's first common entrance test (CET) for law. "We need to match the schedule of LLM with LLB. But the examination department decided to schedule on the usual time, leaving a short span of time between the two examination," she said.

Wasave, who heads department, justified the scheduling by saying, We conduct around 400 examination every semester. Changing the dates of a particular exam affects the schedule of other tests.

READ MORE

80% fail LLM first semester exams, students blame faulty assessment

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A 22-year-old youth was arrested by the Greater Noida police on Thursday for allegedly posting objectionable content against newly elected Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on his Facebook wall.

A complaint was lodged against accused Rahat Khan by members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, a youth group founded by Adityanath, in Dankaur police station on Thursday evening.

Acting on the complaint, the police nabbed Khan, who runs a Jan Suvidha Kendra (public utility center) in Dankaur.

Rahat Khan has posted morphed image of the newly elected chief minister and captioned it with Yogi hai, ya bhogi hai on his Facebook wall, said Rajpal Tomar, the station house officer of Dankaur police station.

Police said Khan was arrested under Sections 66A (Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service) of IT Act.

Khans mother Munni, however, claimed that her son was innocent and was framed.

Our family is involved in several social service activities. We have even won applauds from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself for raising the issue of triple talaq, she said.

She added that Khan had been framed by the land mafia, who stole his Facebook password, logged in and posted the content online.

The action came close on the heels of four people getting arrested in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly posting and sharing on social media objectionable pictures of Adityanath.

These arrests were made in Varanasi, neighbouring Ghazipur, Sonbhadra and Bareilly districts, police said.

The 44-year-old Adityanath, known as a firebrand Hindu leader, is the head priest of Gorakhpurs influential Gorakhnath shrine. The controversial leader is a five-term parliamentarian for Gorakhpur.
The Ghaziabad municipal corporation has decided to immediately relaunch its previous citizens charter for delivery of services that was introduced in 2006. The move comes after chief minister Yogi Adityanath recently ordered a citizens charter to be put in place in government offices in the state at the earliest.

The 2006 guidelines were majorly not adhered to by corporation officials and their respective departments. The guidelines provide for timebound delivery of services and complaints resolution related to encroachment, civil works, water works, taxes, health and horticulture departments. They state that cleaning of drains and roads and removal of garbage is to be done within one to two days. Likewise, complaints for removal of dead animals are to be taken up within a day.

The time frame for removal of encroachments from roads, parks, drains and on corporation land is three to seven days. The charter also states that resolution of sewage overflow, pipeline leakage or breakage and dirty water should take only one to two days.

We will welcome the citizens charter coming into effect. The complaints should be attended to in a professional manner within a set time frame. Complainants often have to make several rounds of the corporation office, but complaints remain pending as resolution was dependent on the officials whims and fancies. Now, the corporation must enforce the charter in letter and spirit, said Rajendra Tyagi, councilor from Raj Nagar.

Additional municipal commissioner DK Sinha failed to say why the 2006 charter was not put in place earlier despite the corporation being a service provider.

There has been laxity in implementing it. The charter was as per government orders and will now be implemented, he added.

Mayor Ashu Verma said, I have asked officials to implement it at the earliest. The issue will also be taken up in the executive committee meeting to be held on Saturday. I will see to it that it is implemented and enforced.

With the new government taking charge in the state, the lethargy and lax attitude of officials has been shed and they are working to serve the citizens. It is time for officials to start working professionally and deliver services, he added.
Nine cows died under mysterious circumstances while 19 others suffered ailments in Loni town of Ghaziabad on Friday.

The incident took place at Kanhaiya Gaushala when the cows were being given their daily fodder. The district officials deployed police in the area and sought the assistance of veterinary doctors to immediately take up the issue as Loni is a sensitive area with a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims.

The veterinary doctors said, prima facie, it seemed to be a case of poisoning in fodder given to cows.

The samples of viscera are preserved and will be sent for testing to the laboratory in Agra. The report may take more than a week to come. When our doctors received a call, they rushed to the spot but several cows had died by then. Twelve were saved after treatment. It sometimes happens that the fodder develops poisoning if there is no sufficient rain. The incident is being probed, said Dr Brijeshwar Tyagi, chief veterinary officer, Ghaziabad

According to local sources, the gaushala is located in Banthla and houses nearly 150 cows. It is managed by a trust. On Friday morning, the cows were found dead.

So far, nine cows have been confirmed dead while 19 are being given treatment. We have ordered an inquiry and a postmortem examination of the carcass is being conducted. We are awaiting the reports. It could also be a case of food poisoning. Our veterinary doctors were roped in for treatment and autopsy, said Nidhi Kesarwani, district magistrate, Ghaziabad.

For now, officials also deployed personnel from two police posts as a precautionary measure to check for any escalation in law and order.

The incident took place inside the gaushala and the area has remained peaceful. However, we have deployed police as a precautionary measure, said Srikant Prajapati, circle officer, Loni.

It is highly mysterious that only a few cows died of the nearly 150 bovines housed at the gaushala. We demand an immediate inquiry into the matter as the incident could also be a part of the plan to hurt Hindu sentiments. The inquiry should bring the facts to light, said Pinki Chaudhary, president of Hindu Raksha Dal, which is involved in the protection of cows.

.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Finding parking space in the city will cease to be a problem if the agency taking care of urban transport planning in Delhi agrees to the Noida authoritys proposal to maintain parking lots in Noida. The Noida authority on Friday contacted Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd (DIMTS) asking the agency to take over all parking lots in the city.

The DIMTS is a joint venture of the Delhi government and the IDFC Foundation with a focus on urban transportation. They have been providing concept support to commissioning, consultancy, intelligent transport system solutions and urban transport asset management services for the last 10 years.

Parking vehicles is a major cause of concern for commuters in Noida. Complaints of overcharging by contractors and parking mafia encroaching upon public land to run unauthorised parking lots are numerous.

On Wednesday, the Allahabad high court questioned why each Noida sector could not have a multilevel parking in response to a case filed by a Sector 15 resident, Shrikant Vaidya. The respondents counsel had submitted before the court that Noida was an old city and, hence, it is not possible to have multilevel parking lots in every sector. The next hearing in the case is on April 10.

Deepak Agarwal, chief executive officer (CEO), Noida Authority, said he has urged the DIMTS to find a solution to parking woes in the city. The DIMTS is currently not taking any new projects of managing parking lots. However, I have spoken to a senior official in charge of the agency and requested him to rethink. I have also asked a senior official, Ram Shekhar, to partly take over the management of parking areas in the city. The official has promised to consider our proposal. We will schedule a meeting next week to take the matter further, he said.

Rama Raman, principal secretary (industries) and chairman of the Noida Authority, after reviewing the deplorable parking conditions in the city, had decided to hand over a parking lot in Sector 15 to the DIMTS as a pilot project in January 2016. However, it did not come through.

According to officials, the DIMTS has already conducted detailed surveys of the city across residential, institutional, industrial and commercial sectors to draw the parking management plan in January 2016.

If the DIMTS is appointed for the purpose, parking facilities will get streamlined on the lines of parking being done in Delhi, Agarwal said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A surgery was performed on former Punjab unit chief of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kamal Sharma, at Hero DMC Heart Institute in Ludhiana after he suffered a cardiac arrest at his house in Ferozepur.

Sharma was rushed to the hospital on Friday afternoon after initial treatment at Ferozepur. Sharma was brought to DMC at about 2.20pm in an ambulance also carrying a team of doctors.

After examination by chief cardilogist Dr GS Wander, Sharma was operated upon and a stent was inserted to remove the blockage in the left artery. He will be under observation for two days at the hospital.

Several BJP leaders reached the hospital to enquire about Sharmas wellbeing. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley also contacted the family.

Chairman of Punjabs protection of child rights commission, a confidante of Sharma, said he had complained of pain in his arm and was taken to a hospital in Ferozepur. The doctors referred him to Ludhiana, said Kalia.

.
The Punjab government has written to Punjab and Haryana high court, seeking extension of contracts till May 10 of law officers appointed by the previous SAD-BJP government.

It is learnt that the state advocate general, Atul Nanda, sent a letter to the Punjab and Haryana high court chief justice, detailing circumstances the government is faced with, besides seeking extension in tenure of officers.

The government is learnt to have argued that rules are yet to be put in place on appointment of law officers and state was in the process of doing the same. Hence, the states law officers be allowed to continue till May 10 or till the time rules are framed by government, whichever comes earlier.

The March 2016 judgment of the SC makes it mandatory to have an eligibility criteria, besides constituting a search committee. After nod from the search committee, the names are to be sent to the chief justice of the high court and appointments can take place after taking into account observations on suitability of candidates by the chief justice. State is working on legislation to blunt the Supreme Court judgment in order to appoint those who enjoy government confidence.

In march 2017, the state had a strength of 193 law officers  165 at the high court and 28 in Delhi. Of the 165 officers at the high court, 68 are additional advocates general, three senior deputy advocate generals and 40 deputy advocate generals; besides 54 assistant advocates general. 16 officers had resigned recently.

The high court has last week declined to intervene on the plea of 26 law officers who had sought interim protection against their removal till the time state finalises rules on these appointments.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
They took an eight-hour flight just to look out the airplanes window, but it was an extraordinary view.

A charter plane that left Dunedin, New Zealand, late on Thursday flew close to the Antarctic Circle to give the eager passengers an up-close look at the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights.

Otago Museum Director Ian Griffin came up with the idea. An astronomer, Griffin said he was inspired after seeing the Southern Lights while flying as a guest on a NASA observatory plane.

He says the 134 seats on the chartered Boeing 767 sold out within five days and one man travelled from Spain for the trip. He says he could have filled the plane several times over, although they were only selling window seats and seats immediately adjacent, leaving the middle of the aircraft empty.

I thought it was absolutely brilliant, Griffin said. We were right under it. There were beautiful streamers, auroral streamers. This green-colored stuff that moves quickly, it looks like youre looking into a green, streaky river.

Passenger Nick Wong said hed stumbled upon the idea of the flight last year through social media and decided to sign up.

I didnt think we would actually see such a spectacular display, even by the naked eye, he said. It was really great to be a part of an adventure with like-minded people who were equally or more excited at viewing this phenomena as I was.

Woah! Nice trip through the southern auroral zone tonight on #flighttothelights Naked eye auroras were spectacular photographically! pic.twitter.com/QSaz0JHeeK  Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) March 23, 2017

Wong, a cancer research scientist, said he loves going camping and looking at the stars, something he found more stunning in New Zealand after moving from Australia three years ago.

Wong said he didnt have any spare leave and was back at work giving a presentation on Friday after a night without sleep. He said viewing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, remained on his bucket list.

The Northern Lights are more famous in part because the northern polar region has more inhabited land. But the Southern Lights put on a similar show.

Both are caused by particles from the sun interacting with the Earths magnetic field.

Griffin said the plane travelled to more than 60 degrees latitude south and offered about five hours viewing time. He said he chose a day close to the equinox and when the moon phase would allow maximum darkness.

More cool things from last nights #flighttothelights include the flight plan pic.twitter.com/5M09TYP9hD  Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) March 24, 2017

One seat cost 2,000 New Zealand dollars (about Rs 92,000) or double that for business class.

Griffin said hes thinking about another trip next year. Because the Boeing 767 is being decommissioned and the trip proved so popular, he said he may seek a larger jet.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai actor Shilpa Shinde has filed an FIR against the shows producer, Sanjay Kohli, accusing him of sexual harassment The FIR was filed at Walvi Naigaon police station near Mumbai on Thursday.

A copy of the FIR filed by Shilpa Shinde.

In the FIR, Shilpa has alleged that Sanjay often tried to take advantage of her.

The show made headlines last year when Shilpa objected to the exclusivity clause in her contract and accused the makers of mental torture. As a result, she even quit the show abruptly, following which the producers sued Shilpa for Rs 12.5 crore for the losses they had incurred because of her absence. According to sources, the production house owes Shilpa Rs 32 lakh.

In the FIR, Shilpa has alleged that Sanjay often tried to take advantage of her and called her hot and sexy. She said that he even touched her inappropriately once to which she objected with a firm no. Sanjay threatened her that he will throw her out of the show if she spoke to anyone about this. Next day, he again came to her make-up room and told her to get into a physical relationship with him if she wanted to stay on the show. She alleged that her make-up man saw this happening, after which he was fired.

However, sources close to Kohli refute these allegations. For one year, she (Shilpa) has not mentioned this anywhere. In fact, in November 2016, she even came on the sets of the show with a box of chocolates forBinaifer Kohli (Sanjays wife and the shows producer). Why would you do that to someone when her husband has molested you? says the source, adding that Shilpas make-up man was fired because he used to misbehave on the sets.

Defending her husband, Binaifer says, These are obviously false allegations. All I can say is that the matter is subjudice. I have faith in the legal system. I dont want to give her (Shilpa) unnecessary attention.

Shilpa was not available for comment.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
In a rare outburst at a United Nations body, Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of state-sponsored terrorism and told Islamabad that there cannot be a distinction between good and bad terrorists, surprising observers at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Suraya Dalil, the Afghan representative, said on Thursday that the facts behind state-sponsored terrorism can be substantiated by quoting on record former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz and former ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani.

Dalils charges in her statement - after a report on Afghanistan was presented by Kate Gilmore, the deputy high commissioner of human rights - were rejected by the Pakistani representative. But after two rounds of right of reply, she insisted that the evidence presentedwas made up of hard facts.

Recalling a series of terror attacks in Afghanistan this year that left hundreds dead, she said: Our investigations have declared that the attacks were organised, financed and sponsored outside our territory with composite methods and intricate intelligence.

Dalil added: Afghanistan believes that there cannot be a distinction between good and bad terrorists. As long as a distinction between good and bad terrorism is maintained, we are all defeated.

The recent attacks on a hospital in Kabul as well as attacks in the shrine in Pakistans Sindh province serve as unmistakable proof that terror spares no boundaries and targets and that the deceptive classification of good and bad terrorists cost the lives of countless civilians in Pakistan.

Afghanistan, Dalil said, shared the sorrow and pain of the Pakistani people, and that Kabul remained committed to state-to-state cooperation with Pakistan based on the principles of mutual respect and non-intervention.

Dalil and the Pakistani representative sparred in two rounds of right to reply, when the latter rejected the allegations accused Afghanistan of trying to shroud its failures by shifting the blame to Pakistan. The Pakistani representative also said the people of Pakistan were at risk from across the border.

Dalil recalled that Osama bin Laden had been tracked down in Pakistan a few years ago and Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour had been killed on Pakistani territory. She said, The facts presented earlier were not rhetoric from Kabul but hard-core facts. From January until the present, the Pakistani military had violated the frontier several times.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Lawmakers in Canadas House of Commons, with strong encouragement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government, passed a motion Thursday paving the way for future measures to combat Islamophobia.

The motion, which passed easily, asks the government to recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear and condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination.

In the wake of the January attack on a Quebec mosque that left six Muslim men dead, Trudeaus government has come under pressure to denounce all forms of religious discrimination.

In recent months, several mosques and synagogues have been vandalized in towns across Canada.

Nearly all of the deputies from Trudeaus Liberal party and the leftist New Democratic Party approved the measure, which is non-binding, while Conservative Party lawmakers voted against it.

It tasks a parliamentary committee to launch a study on how the government could address the issue, with recommendations due in mid-November.

The study should look at how to develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia, the motion says.

The measure was put forth by Iqra Khalid, a deputy from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, a city of 700,000 people with a major concentration of immigrants.

The motion has divided public opinion: a poll from the Angus Reid Institute published Thursday showed that 42 percent of respondents would have voted against the measure and just 29 percent would have approved it.
Thomas Alva Edison has been described as Americas greatest inventor, but perhaps he was not behind every bright innovation attributed to him. At least thats what Chinese educators appear to have realised, after they removed a popular story about him from textbooks.

For the past 30 years, grade two students in Chinese schools were taught Edison, as a precocious seven-year-old, helped save his mothers life during an appendectomy by using mirrors to reflect light from candles, thereby giving doctors enough light to perform the operation.

As it turns out, the story about the mirrors, though a great lesson in innovation, wasnt correct.

Though the story has been taught for almost 30 years, many educators and scholars have challenged its authenticity, worrying that students could see it as license to lie if it is perceived as false, Peoples Daily online reported.

Epiphany, it seemed, came to Chinas educators but took its time.

According to a scientific article published on Colombia Universitys official website, titled History of Medicine: The Mysterious Appendix, surgical treatment for appendicitis didnt become commonplace until the 1880s. However, Edison would have been seven much earlier, in 1854, the state media reported.

As some teachers researched the truth behind the story and found out it was dodgy, they put it up to the publisher of the textbook, Peoples Education Press.

The report said Peoples Education Press responded to the controversy by announcing on March 21 that the story will not be included its new textbook for the coming autumn semester.

The controversy about the story worried parents and became a hot topic on Weibo, Chinas Twitter. It was talked about and shared more than 600,000 times.

To many parents, it brought back memories of studying stories which later in life they found to be untrue.

Most agreed that untrue stories should be removed from textbooks because students should not be encouraged to lie.

Edison did invent the light bulb later in life but whether he was inspired to do so after witnessing an operation in the dark is another story.
Two years to the day after the deadly Germanwings crash in the French Alps, the father of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz will hold a press conference Friday to dispute that his son deliberately downed the plane.

Both the message and the timing of the first public appearance by a member of Lubitzs close family since the 2015 disaster that claimed 150 lives have been criticised by victims families, who will be holding their own anniversary events to mark the tragedy.

German prosecutors in January closed their investigation after concluding that Lubitz, 27, was suicidal and bore sole responsibility for the catastrophe.

Now his father, 63-year-old Guenter Lubitz, will present his own findings to reporters alongside journalist Tim van Beveren, whom he called an internationally recognised aerospace expert.

Read | Probe into Germanwings flight crash closed, co-pilot held responsible

Up to now, everyone has believed the theory of a co-pilot who was depressed for a long time, who deliberately crashed his plane into a mountain in a planned act. We are convinced this is false, the father said in a press release.

The daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said that the two men would present the theory of a carbon monoxide leak in the cabin which disabled the co-pilot, who was alone at the controls at the time of the crash.

A very responsible person

Lubitz senior told news weekly Die Zeit that the image of the suicidal loner or cold-blooded killer did not correspond with the man he knew.

Our son was a very responsible person. He had no reason to plan and carry out a suicide, and certainly not to take another 149 innocent people with him, he said.

He accused investigators of gross negligence, and called for a new probe.

There were very clearly things that werent even looked into, perhaps because they didnt want to look into them, he said.

Read | Germanwings crash: Airlines across world impose cockpit rule of two

Lubitz insisted he was simply seeking answers just like the other relatives who lost a loved one.

Elmar Giemulla, a lawyer representing several of the victims families, said this week that Lubitz was waging an irresponsible campaign that would be rip open old wounds.

I imagine that Mr Lubitz wants to promote a theory that would absolve his son of any responsibility, Giemulla told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

Prosecutor Christoph Kumpa, whose office led the German investigation, also dismissed Lubitzs accusations.

There are no indications of a cause of the crash that is not linked to deliberate -- presumably suicidal -- behaviour, he told DPA news agency.

Disbelief

Lubitzs parents had already angered the families last year when they placed a heartfelt newspaper advert in their sons memory to mark the first anniversary of the crash.

Entitled simply Andreas and featuring a smiling photograph of the co-pilot, the brief text ended with a message to their son in bold letters: We miss you very much but you are and will remain in our hearts.

They spoke of a year filled with horror and fear but did not explicitly mention the 149 other people killed in the crash.

Meanwhile the victims families will devote the anniversary on Friday to remembering their loved ones.

Relatives of the victims of the Germanwings crash display flowers in front of the commemorative plaque set for the victims of the Germanwings plane which crashed into the French Alps and claimed 150 lives, at Barcelona's airport, in El Prat de Llobregat on March 23, 2017. (AFP Photo)

Five hundred people are expected to travel to the French Alpine town of Digne-les-Bains for an ecumenical church service.

Later in the nearby village of Vernet, where the unidentified human remains from the disaster are buried, a memorial will be inaugurated before some relatives continue on the crash site.

And in the western German town of Haltern am See, which lost 16 students and two teachers who were returning from an exchange programme in Spain, their school will hold a commemorative ceremony.

Its principal, Ulrich Wessel, expressed disbelief about Lubitzs planned press conference.

There are various ways to deal with grief -- perhaps also different ways to perceive reality, or not perceive it, he told public broadcaster SWR.
California firefighters who spent 20 minutes performing mouth-to-snout resuscitation on a dog they rescued from a burning apartment are being hailed as heroes.

The dogs owner, 35-year-old Crystal Lamirande, had just returned to her Santa Monica apartment on Tuesday when a neighbour yelled there was a fire.

Lamirande frantically tried to save her dog, a 10-year-old Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu named Nalu, but the smoke was too thick for her to go inside, she said on Thursday.

Moments later firefighters arrived and Lamirande told them her dog was trapped inside.

Thats when firefighter Andrew Klein sprang into action, getting on all fours to search the apartment for Nalu as another firefighter sprayed water to keep the flames at bay. Klein found the unconscious dog a few feet from the fire in a bedroom.

He was totally lifeless, Klein said. I picked him up and ran out of the apartment because time is key, especially with a small dog ... Failure was not an option.

Santa Monica Firefighter Andrew Klein holds Nalu after reviving him. (AP Photo)

As Lamirande knelt nearby crying, Klein and his crew spent the next 20 minutes working on reviving the dog using oxygen, CPR and whats known as mouth-to-snout resuscitation.

Video taken by a passerby and posted on Facebook shows Klein and another firefighter patting Nalus belly as he starts breathing again with the help of oxygen.

Alright, bud, Klein tells the dog as he continues to rub him and encourage him to walk.

Lamirande, a radiology nurse, said she could not believe how much time the firefighters took to save her dog, who she describes as family.

His eyes were glazed over and he was not breathing and I assumed he was dead, she said. The firefighter said I am a positive person. Lets just get him back.

Lamirande said Nalu spent the next 24 hours recovering in an oxygen chamber and was almost back to his normal self again by Thursday.

He has been coughing but right now he is fine and he is so happy and smiling, she said.

Klein, a self-described dog lover with two four-legged friends at home, said he felt proud of the outcome.

He was essentially dead, so to see him kissing people and walking around wagging his tail was definitely a good feeling, he said. He is very happy, and we are very happy, too.
The famous red star logo of Dutch beer giant Heineken could be banned in Hungary under a government proposal seeking to prohibit the commercial use of totalitarian symbols, Budapest said on Thursday.

The draft law, introduced this week by Prime Minister Viktor Orbans right-wing Fidesz party, wants to outlaw merchandise featuring symbols like the Nazi swastika or the communist five-pointed red star.

If the bill goes through, it will be forbidden to use symbols of totalitarian regimes such as national socialism or communism, Orbans chief-of-staff Janos Lazar told a press briefing in Budapest. The government said it had a moral obligation to Hungarians who had suffered under Nazi and Bolshevik reigns of terror.

Anyone in breach of the proposed law could risk being fined up to 2 billion forint (6.5 million euros) and face a two-year jail sentence.

Heineken insisted its logo had no political meaning whatsoever and that it dated back to medieval European brewers. We use the same brand symbols across the world, in every market, the firm said in a statement. We will closely monitor this local issue and hope... this matter will be resolved soon.

Heinekens trademark red logo first appeared in the 1930s. When the symbol became associated with communism after World War II, the brewery swapped it for a white star before reverting back to the original following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Budapests move is seen as a tit-for-tat reaction to Heineken winning a trademark dispute last month in a part of Romania populated mainly by ethnic Hungarians.

A court ruled that the locally-brewed Csiki beer, popular with ethnic Hungarians, was too similar to Heinekens Romanian-language Ciuc range and infringed trademark rights. Budapest had slammed the decision as undignified, unjust and anti-Hungarian and supported calls to boycott Heineken products.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Olympic fencing champion Tamas Kovacs quipped he would return his medal of honour because it features a red star.

I dont want to risk two years in prison, he wrote on Facebook.
Indonesian police fired tear gas to disperse hard-line Muslims protesting against the construction of a Catholic church in a satellite city of the capital Jakarta.

Several hundred protesters from a group called Forum for Bekasi Muslim Friendship demonstrated in front of the Santa Clara church in Kaliabang, a neighborhood of Bekasi city, after Friday prayers.

Witnesses said police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to force their way into the church, which has been under construction since November. Some also threw rocks and bottles into the 6,500-square-meter site.

Ismail Ibrahim, a cleric and organizer of the protest, said they would not disperse until authorities met their demand to cancel the churchs construction permit.
Iraqi forces are to deploy new tactics in a fresh push against Islamic State in Mosul, military officials said on Friday, after advances slowed recently in the campaign to drive the militants out of their last stronghold in the country.

Elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces made some advances against the jihadists in areas of western Mosul later in the day, a defence spokesman said, despite a hold on operations by other units.

Families meanwhile streamed out of the northern Iraqi city in an ongoing exodus of people fleeing in their thousands each day, headed for cold, crowded camps or to stay with relatives.

The U.S.-backed offensive to drive Islamic State out of Mosul, now in its sixth month, has recaptured most of the city. The entire eastern side and around half of the west is under Iraqi control.

But advances have stuttered in the last two weeks as fighting enters the narrow-alleyed Old City, and the militants put up fierce resistance using car bombs, snipers and mortar fire against forces and residents.

In the next few days we will surprise Daesh terrorists by targeting and eliminating them using new plans being discussed by the joint operations command, Iraqi defence ministry spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told state TV.

He did not elaborate on tactics.

Rasool said CTS forces had advanced in tough, building-to-building battles to recapture areas outside the Old City including al-Yabsat.

Islamic State fighters had been positioning car bombs, and forcing residents to move furniture onto the streets which the militants were booby-trapping to slow Iraqi advances, he said.

Reuters could not independently verify new advances by the CTS.

In the Old City, which Iraqs elite Rapid Response forces, an interior ministry unit, and Federal Police have pushed into, no new advances were reported.

Rapid Response spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi said operations were on hold for the day, but would soon resume, with new techniques more suitable to fighting in the Old City.

A Federal Police officer told Reuters new tactics would include deploying additional sniper units against Islamic State sharpshooters. The officer asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of discussing military tactics.

Islamic State fighters have stationed themselves in homes belonging to Mosul residents to fire at Iraqi troops, often drawing air or artillery strikes that have killed civilians.

SNIPER DANGER

They have also launched counter-attacks, sometimes pinning down Iraqi forces on the southern edges of the Old City. Cloud cover and rain in recent weeks have prevented effective air support, military officials say.

One of the next targets of Iraqi forces inside the Old City is the al-Nuri mosque, whose recapture would be a key symbolic victory. It is where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate spanning large areas of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

As the battle continues, more civilians are being killed or displaced.

Local officials and residents said on Thursday dozens of people were buried in collapsed buildings after an air raid against Islamic State triggered a massive explosion last week.

Outside the city on Friday, hundreds of displaced people poured out of Mosul, walking through the mud with suitcases and bags.

One man said that Islamic State snipers had shot at those fleeing, and some had been killed in explosions.

The situation inside the city is worsening with no drinking water or electricity and no food coming in, residents said.

Khaled Khalil, a 36-year-old carpenter whose shop was destroyed in fighting, clutched his three-year-old daughter.

Weve been on the move since yesterday. Were very tired but now were safe. Anybody they (Islamic State) catch, they kill. If we have time, we run, he said.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility late on Friday for a suspected suicide bomb attack outside the Bangladeshi capitals main international airport, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist communications.

A bomber was killed in the blast, police said, the third in a series of suspected attacks and the second claimed by the Islamic State group since last week.

The bomb, carried by a man on foot, exploded near a police checkpoint monitoring vehicles heading to Hazrat Shahjahal International Airport in Dhaka.

The bomb carrier himself was killed, a Dhaka police spokesman, Yusuf Ali, told AFP.

In an Arabic report, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to US-based monitoring agency SITE Intelligence Group.

A martyrdom-seeking attack targeted a Bangladeshi police checkpoint near the international airport in the city of Dhaka, the IS-linked Amaq news agency said.

Dhaka police chief Asaduzzaman Mia denied it was a suicide attack.

He was carrying it (the bomb) but we cant confirm yet whether he was trying to attack the check-post, he said, adding that the bomb carrier was aged around 30.

However, a police officer, who cannot be named, told AFP that they suspected it was a suicide blast in which only the suicide attacker was killed.

The suspected attack was the third since last Friday, when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a camp for the countrys elite security force near the airport.

The attacker was killed and two members of the Rapid Action Battalion, tasked with combating Islamist militancy, were injured.

The Islamic State group claimed the attack but the Bangladeshi government deny the presence of IS in the country and rejected the jihadists claim.

IS has also claimed responsibility for a wave of killings since 2015 including for a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last year in which 22 people, including 18 foreign hostages, were killed.

The Bangladeshi government argues a new faction of homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind that and other attacks.

Last Saturday a man on a motorbike tried to cross a RAB security roadblock in Dhaka carrying a bag with improvised explosive devices.

Bangladesh police shot the suspected militant dead.

The latest incident came as police in the northeastern city of Sylhet cordoned off a five-storey building early Friday morning where suspected extremists were holed up.

Police have also been carrying out a series of raids in the southern Chittagong region and say they killed four suspected militants when they stormed an extremist hideout last Thursday.
A leader of the ELN, Colombias last remaining active rebel force, has been killed in an operation by security forces, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Thursday.

I congratulate our Public Forces for neutralizing Alvaro Gelves Ortega, alias Jairo, 1st leader of the ELNs Jose Antonio Galan Front, Santos wrote on Twitter.

The operation, which took place in the south of the countrys northern Bolivar department, also left Ortegas escort dead, according to a tweet from General Jorge Nieto, director of Colombias National Police.

The authorities did not provide further details regarding the operation.

The leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Santos government have been engaged in rocky peace talks since February.

The discussions follow a historic disarmament accord last year between the government and the countrys largest rebel force, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Santos is trying to achieve complete peace by seeking a deal with the ELN without a ceasefire in place.

Colombian authorities say the multi-sided conflict has killed 260,000 people, left 60,000 missing, and displaced 6.9 million since it started with a leftist uprising in 1964.
There were renewed appeals for unity in a climate of Brexit-related Islamophobic hate crime after Wednesdays attacker was identified as Khalid Masood, while Scotland Yard made two further significant arrests and the Westminster village returned to normal on Friday.

A 75-year-old man hit by Masoods marauding car on Westminster Bridge died on Thursday evening and was identified as Leslie Rhodes. Two of the at least 50 people injured were described as critical and one person had life-threatening injuries.

A series of inter-faith meetings were being held across London and elsewhere to ensure communal harmony. The Birmingham Central Mosque reported an increase in hate messages after the attack by Masood, who reportedly had links with Birmingham.

A fund-raising site quickly raised over 530,000 (the target was 250,000) for the family of police officer Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death by Masood in the precincts of Parliament.

Scotland Yard said 31 of the injured required hospital treatment. Those affected included a cross-section of ages and from at least 12 nationalities, it said, as forensic efforts were on to piece together the life and associates of Masood across the country.

All roads in and around the Westminster village  including the bridge  were opened on Friday morning as life returned to normal. London mayor Sadiq Khan and home secretary Amber Rudd participated in a large public vigil at Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening.

Khan described Masood as evil and twisted , and said: The victims were people who came from all corners of our worldLondon is a great city, full of amazing people from all backgrounds. When Londoners face adversity we always pull together.

The investigation into Wednesdays terror attack that left five dead is called Operation Classific. Mark Rowley of Scotland Yard said: Yesterday we named the dead terrorist as Khalid Masood  we stated he had a number of aliases  we now know his birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao.

Whilst there is no evidence of further threats you will understand our determination to find out if he either acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him.

To that end, in our continuing investigation and ongoing covert activity we have made two further significant arrests overnight  one in the West Midlands and one in North West, Rowley said, adding that 2,700 items were seized from searches, including what he called massive of amounts of computer data.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
JuD acting chief Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki said on Thursday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif celebrated Hindu festival Holi to please the Indian government.

The prime minister and other ruling elite celebrated Holi festival to please the Indian government. The rulers must realise that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations. Their culture and civilisation are different. They cannot live together, Makki, who is the brother-in-law of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, said this at a conference in Lahore.

Makki said the rulers are weakening Pakistans ideology for extending hand of friendship with India.

We will defend Pakistans ideology and will make nation strong to fight the enemy, Maki said.

Sharif participated in a function in Karachi to celebrate the Holi festival with the Hindu community.

In his message to minorities, Sharif warned against the forced conversion and destruction of worship places of other religions, describing them as crime in Islam.

Earlier, cleric Allama Ashraf Jalali, secretary general of Sunni Ittehad Council, said that the Prime Minister had not only blasphemed against Islam but also demeaned the ideological foundations of Pakistan by participating the function.

Issuing a fatwa against Sharif the cleric demanded an open apology from the premier for violation of his oath.
The Pakistan government has taken its fight against blasphemy to social media, with authorities now claiming Facebook officials will be arriving in the country to help security agencies trace those who are guilty of the offence online.

This has sent a wave of fear through the blogger community, with many insisting they will stop criticising the state or writing on religion.

The move came close on the heels of the detention of six bloggers, who were accused of blasphemy by certain quarters, forcing some of them to flee Pakistan after their release.

Blasphemy is serious business in Pakistan. More than a hundred people are charged with blasphemy every year, according to one estimate. While some victims of the draconian anti-blasphemy laws are non-Muslims, most of the accused have been Muslims.

Under the laws, blasphemy is an offence punishable by death, but no one has been executed on this charge so far. All those who have died were victims of vigilantes, who took the law into their own hands.

The most famous case was the murder of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, killed by his own bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri.

Qadri was hanged for his crime last year and since then, thousands have visited his grave while several thousands came out on the streets in March this year to commemorate his death.

It is an irony that those who are accused of blasphemy see their lives coming to an end, while those who kill the alleged blasphemers become heroes overnight, said an observer.

Since the execution of Qadri, public debate on the blasphemy laws has come to a close.

The manner in which Qadri was hailed as a hero and how the government took two steps back and let the hardliners dictate things has put most progressive elements on the defensive, said Talat Aslam, senior editor of The News daily.

Aslam noted that anyone who questions the blasphemy laws can himself be accused of blasphemy. No one is taking any chances.

Social media, usually the exception to mainstream media, has now become the new battleground in Pakistan. What is interesting, say observers, is that anyone on social media who is perceived as critical of the state, particularly the powerful army, is now being accused of blasphemy.

It is a very dangerous trend we are seeing, where people who are guilty of other transgressions are now being accused of blasphemy, said media analyst Ghazi Salahuddin.

Media observers said Pakistans harsh cyber crime laws, introduced in 2016, have also helped in stifling online dissent. Many websites critical of the army and of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency have been blocked.

But the watershed moment may have been the abduction in January of the six prominent bloggers, whose websites were critical of the armys operations in Balochistan and the tribal areas. Not only were they abducted, they were accused of blasphemy by pro-army elements.

In Pakistan, being accused of blasphemy is enough. That itself can get someone killed today or maybe some time from now. Its a death sentence that hangs on your head waiting for someone to execute it, said a rights activist who didnt want to be named.

Some rights activists, who asked not to be identified because of fear for their lives, said the bloggers were only criticising social injustices and identifying ills in Pakistans powerful establishment, and their material was not intended to hurt any religious beliefs.

This month, Islamabad high court justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui  one of the countrys most notorious judges who was also counsel for Mumtaz Qadri  ordered blasphemous content removed from social media and broke down in tears while issuing his ruling. His dramatics worked.

The government had to comply, and none other than Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued a statement that blasphemers would be dealt with an iron hand.

Siddiqui, however, appears to have a hidden agenda  he is being investigated by the Supreme Judicial Council for corruption and misuse of power. Now no one will be able to touch him, a leading lawyer commented.

Soon after, the parliament passed a resolution condemning blasphemous material and authorised a special committee to suggest measures to block sacrilegious and blasphemous content on social media.

Prime Minister Sharif said he expected daily updates from officials and told them to contact international social media platforms, such as Facebook, to seek their cooperation. The government has requested help from Interpol to trace the sources of such content.

In all this, the biggest victim has been free speech. Under the garb of religion, free speech is being stifled in Pakistan. A growing online community that was gaining importance because of the self censorship practised by mainstream media, is now also being silenced.

It is a tragedy of our own making, said Salahuddin.
British police said on Friday they had made two further significant arrests over the Islamist-inspired terror attack on parliament, as they appealed for information about the homegrown killer who left four people dead.

Nine people are now in custody over Wednesdays rampage in Westminster, in which at least 50 people were injured, 31 requiring hospital treatment, counter-terrorism commander Mark Rowley said.

Police have searched 16 addresses, with five more raids still underway, mainly in London and the central city of Birmingham, where the attacker reportedly lived and near where he rented the car used in the assault.

The police officer also revealed the attackers birth name as Adrian Russell Ajao, after naming him Thursday as Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old who used a number of aliases and had a history of violent offences but no terrorist convictions.

The Islamic State group claimed the assailant behind Britains deadliest terror attack in 12 years was one of its soldiers acting on a call to target countries in the US-led coalition fighting the jihadists.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said that Masood was known to intelligence services as a peripheral figure some years ago but there was no warning of his intention to mount an attack.

Rowley said Friday that police were trying to establish whether Masood acted totally alone or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him.

Masood ran over dozens of pedestrians and tourists on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday afternoon before crashing his car into parliament, where he managed to stab a police officer before being shot dead.

Lawmakers returned to work as normal on Thursday morning, even as forensic officers worked at the scene, but a review of parliamentary security is now underway.

Hundreds of people gathered in nearby Trafalgar Square late Thursday for a vigil led by Mayor Sadiq Khan who vowed that Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism.

A police officer lays a floral tribute near Westminster Bridge following a recent attack in Westminster, in London. (REUTERS)

Numerous aliases

The death toll rose late Thursday after life support was withdrawn from a 75-year-old man injured in the attack, whom police named as Leslie Rhodes from south London.

The other victims were 48-year-old policeman Keith Palmer and, on the bridge, a 43-year-old British woman, Aysha Frade, who was on her way to pick up her two daughters, and an American citizen in his 50s, Kurt Cochran.

Police earlier said that five men and three women aged between 21 and 58 were arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. One woman was later released on bail.

Rowley gave no details of the new arrests, only to say that they took place in the West Midlands -- the area of the country that includes Birmingham -- and the north-west of England.

Born in Kent in southeast England, Masood was a British citizen with convictions for assault and possession of offensive weapons dating from 1983 to 2003.

According to The Sun tabloid, he married a Muslim woman in 2004 and moved the following year to Saudi Arabia to teach, returning in 2009.

Police said he went by numerous aliases, including, reportedly, Adrian Elms, while reports suggest he lived all over England, including in Luton and east London.

He was described as a nice guy by Iwona Romek, a former neighbour in Birmingham, who told the Birmingham Mail: He had a wife, a young Asian woman and a small child who went to school.

Rowley said police were looking at his history and appealed for any public information about him, adding: Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, preparation and associates.

The crowds at Trafalgar Square late Thursday brought messages of defiance, flags and flowers, and offered their condolences to officers who lost a colleague in the attack.

Naveed Mirza, a Muslim student, said he had received overwhelming support since the attack described by police as Islamist-related terrorism.

We have come to say how, as Muslims, we unequivocally condemn all the violent actions that took place yesterday, he told AFP.

Members of the emergency services take an injured person away on a stretcher after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London. (Reuters)

First IS claim of British attack

The IS group said it was responsible, according to the Amaq propaganda agency, its first claim of an attack on British soil.

The latest attack had echoes of the atrocities in Nice and Berlin when trucks ploughed into crowds of people, killing 86 people in the French Riviera city in July and 12 at a market in the German capital just days before Christmas.

The assault on Westminster was the deadliest in Britain since four suicide bombers killed 52 people on the citys transport system in July 2005.

A defiant May had told the reopened parliament that Britains resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism, as MPs stood heads bowed for a minutes silence in remembrance of the victims.

Britains last terror attack was the 2016 assassination of MP Jo Cox by a pro-Nazi sympathiser shortly before the historic but deeply divisive June vote to leave the EU.

In 2013, British soldier Lee Rigby was run down and knifed on a London street to death by two Islamist extremists.
While Middle Eastern airlines grapple with carry-on bans for laptops on flights to the US and Britain, one carrier is encouraging passengers to do the unthinkable: actually talk to each other.

Royal Jordanian, one of the airlines affected by new restrictions on electronic devices bigger than mobile phones on direct flights to the US and UK, has released a tongue-in-cheek list of in-flight alternatives to staring at a screen.

Read a book. Say hello to the person next to you. Meditate, are among the 12 lighthearted suggestions posted on its Facebook page this week.

The post, which has received close to 10,000 likes, also advises customers to enjoy the miracle of flight and analyse the meaning of life.

The US ban will affect around 50 flights per day from nine airlines, and the British ban will hit 14 carriers.

Royal Jordanian, which operates direct flights to London, New York, Detroit and Chicago, followed up its popular post with another alternative in-flight activity: Or do what we Jordanians do best... stare at each other!
Russia dismissed a US allegation it may be supplying Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan as a lie on Friday, saying the charge was an attempt by Washington to try to cover up for the failure of its own policies there, the RIA news agency reported.

The top US general in Europe said on Thursday that he had seen Russian influence on Afghan Taliban insurgents growing and raised the possibility that Moscow was helping supply the militants, whose reach is expanding in southern Afghanistan.

RIA attributed the denial to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
A Sydney teenager pleaded guilty on Friday to plotting a terrorist attack on an Australian Veterans Day ceremony last year.

The then 16-year-old was arrested and charged with one count of planning a terrorist attack on April 24, one day before hundreds of thousands of Australians gathered at ceremonies across the country to mark ANZAC Day. The annual holiday commemorates the April 25, 1915, Gallipoli landings in Turkey  the first major military action fought by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I.

The youth, who cannot be identified because of his age, pleaded guilty in Parramatta Childrens Court in western Sydney to planning a terrorist act by trying to source a gun or a bomb-making manual. He will remain in custody until the case returns to court on April 21. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison.

Police also said they thwarted a planned attack on an ANZAC Day ceremony in 2015. Police in Melbourne arrested five teenagers on suspicion of plotting an Islamic State group-inspired attack intended to coincide with the citys ANZAC service.
US President Donald Trump has defended making unsubstantiated claims about wiretapping and election fraud that have damaged his credibility, saying in a new interview he predicted a lot of things.

When questioned about a litany of controversial statements -- from unrest in Sweden, to Brexit, to dues owed by NATO states -- Trump told Time magazine in an interview published on Thursday that he often foresaw things that later were revealed to be true.

I am a very instinctual person, but my instinct turns out to be right, he said. I predicted a lot of things, some things that came to you a little bit later.

Trump defended his most audacious claim -- rejected by Republicans and Democrats alike -- that his predecessor Barack Obama ordered the tapping of his phone.

On March 4, Trump implied his predecessor had broken the law in targeting him.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! he tweeted.

The claim has snowballed into a political scandal that has called Trumps credibility into question and damaged relations with foreign intelligence partners.

On Wednesday, representative Devin Nunes -- who worked on Trumps transition team and is now leading a congressional investigation into possible links between that campaign team and Russia -- said Trumps communications might have been swept up in intelligence gathering on suspected foreign agents.

Trump claimed that as a victory. So that means I am right.

When I said wiretapping, it was in quotes. Because a wiretapping is, you know today it is different than wire tapping. It is just a good description. But wiretapping was in quotes. What I am talking about is surveillance.

Riot, death, problem

Trump spoke with Time the same day as a deadly attack in London outside British parliament, though his mind was on issues elsewhere in Europe.

Sweden. I make the statement, everyone goes crazy. The next day they have a massive riot, and death, and problems.

Trump astonished Sweden last month by appearing to refer to a non-existent terror incident in the country, which he argued was paying a high price for its generous asylum policy.

Two days after his comments a riot broke out in a Stockholm suburb with a large immigrant population, leading Trump supporters to argue he had been vindicated.

Some cars were set on fire, and police hit with stones, but there were no reports of serious injuries, let alone deaths.

Trump also claimed his remarks concerning the NATO alliance and the British vote to leave the European Union had been prescient.

NATO, obsolete, because it doesnt cover terrorism. They fixed that, and I said that the allies must pay. Nobody knew that they werent paying. I did. I figured it.

Brexit, I was totally right about that.

Pressed on his unsubstantiated and widely-challenged claims that three million illegal votes were cast in the election, or that Obama had tapped his phones, Trump insisted his credibility was not dented.

I guess, I cant be doing so badly, because I am president, and you are not. You know.
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in US Congress, has expressed concern over a series of hate crimes against Indian-Americans and asked the Justice Department to investigate all violent acts motivated by bigotry to promote a pluralistic society.

Im very concerned about this. Its always dangerous to our people and our community when you have these violent hate crimes that are motivated out of bigotry, Gabbard told PTI.

A three-term lawmaker from Hawaii, Gabbard was recently elected as the Democratic Co-Chair of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

This is something that I urge the Justice Department to investigate and to continue to inform and educate people, and to promote a society that is a pluralistic society that respects people no matter their religion, their race, ethnicity, their social status in life or anything else that makes each of us unique, Gabbard said.

She was responding to questions on the series of hate crimes across the country.

This is something that not only affects Indian-Americans or Hindus, but really is something that should be important to every American, she said.

Gabbard is the first ever Hindu elected to the US House of Representatives.

Earlier in the day, several lawmakers, including four Indian-Americans elected to the House of Representatives, joined hands to condemn the hate crimes and asked the community to stand strongly against such acts.

As a nation, we must come together to stand up to these disturbing acts of hate violence -- starting with the President, Congressman Ami Bera said at a Congressional briefing organised by the South Asian Americans Living Together (SAALT).

I am saddened and outraged when I hear about any American being warned not to speak their language or wear traditional clothing in public out of safety concerns. These hateful attacks do not reflect who we are as a nation of immigrants, but such violence could do irreparable damage to our reputation around the world, said Bera, the senior-most Indian-American in the House of Representatives.

We will continue to be resilient to counter the fearful, hateful people who think they can control us-they cannot, said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who along with Congressman Joe Crowley have introduced a resolution against hate crimes.

The hate-motivated crimes we have witnessed these past months have been an attack on the very spirit of America, said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

As we confront this wave of hate, it is heartening to see so many Americans - from the South Asian community and others - coming together for essential meetings, like this briefing, to speak out and stand up for the values of our country, he said.

Congressman Ro Khanna exuded full confidence that the country will stand together, on a bipartisan basis, against hateful words and actions.

We must prosecute any hate crimes to the full extent of the law, said Khanna in his remarks at the event which was joined by several other influential lawmakers.

The disturbing uptick in hate violence targeting South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and Middle Eastern communities is appalling and must end, said Congresswoman Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian pacific American Caucus.

Recent attacks, including the shootings of Srinivas Kuchibotla, Alok Madasani nd Deep Rai are examples of the very real consequences that anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric have on communities of colour, she said.
A Britain-based Sikh organization and defence secretary Michael Fallon have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, formally recognising the strong historical and contemporary ties between the community and the armed forces.

The covenant was signed at an event to celebrate Vaisakhi with the British Sikh Association on Thursday.

Fallon said: A diverse military is a strong military, which is why were committed to making sure our forces better represent the society they serve  this covenant signing is yet another demonstration of this.

Sikhs have a rich history with the armed forces, from their unsurpassed courage at the Battle of Saragarhi 120 years ago, to the hundreds of thousands of Sikhs who fought for Britain during the First and Second World Wars. We will work with the association to ensure that tradition continues.

Currently 170 Sikhs serve in the Royal Navy, Army and the Royal Air Force, with many more serving as reservists. A poll by the British Sikh Report, published on Tuesday, found that 69% of Sikhs would support their child taking a career to defend the nation, an official release said.

The signing of the covenant is considered a demonstration of the commitment to ensure a more diverse force. The ministry of defence said it was aiming to ensure 10% of recruits come from black, asian, or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds by 2020. BAME personnel currently comprise nearly 6% of new recruits.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a commitment from the nation, enshrined in law, that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly and not disadvantaged due to their service, the release added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
In a rare outburst at the United Nations, Afghanistan on Thursday accused Pakistan of state-sponsored terrorism and told Islamabad that there cannot be a distinction between good and bad terrorists, surprising observers at the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Suraya Dalil, the Afghan representative, said facts behind state-sponsored terrorism can be substantiated by quoting on record former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz and former ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani.

Dalils charges, which she made after a report on Afghanistan was presented by deputy high commissioner of human rights Kate Gilmore, were rejected by the Pakistan representative. However, after two rounds of right of reply, she insisted that the evidence presented was made up of hard facts.

Recalling a series of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan this year that left hundreds dead, she said: Our investigations have declared that the attacks were organised, financed and sponsored outside our territory with composite methods and intricate intelligence.

She said: Afghanistan believes that there cannot be a distinction between good and bad terrorists. As long as a distinction between good and bad terrorism is maintained, we are all defeated.

The recent attacks on a hospital in Kabul as well as attacks in the shrine in Pakistans Sindh province serve as unmistakable proof that terror spares no boundaries and targets and that the deceptive classification of good and bad terrorists cost the lives of countless civilians in Pakistan.

Afghanistan, Dalil said, shared the sorrow and pain of the people of Pakistan, and added that Kabul remained committed to state-to-state cooperation with Pakistan based on the principles of mutual respect and non-intervention.

Dalil and the Pakistan representative sparred in two rounds of right to reply, when the latter rejected the allegations, accusing Afghanistan of trying to shroud its failures by shifting the blame to Pakistan, and claiming that the people of Pakistan were at risk from across the border.

Dalil recalled that Osama bin Laden had been tracked down in Pakistan a few years ago. Mullah Mansour had been killed on Pakistani territory, she said, adding, The facts presented earlier were not rhetoric from Kabul but hard-core facts. From January until the present, the Pakistani military had violated the frontier several times.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Trump administration announced sanctions on Friday on 30 foreign companies and people from 10 countries, including China, and accused the entities of engaging in proliferation activity.

These determinations underscore that the United States continues to regularly impose sanctions under existing authorities, as warranted, against entities and individuals that engage in proliferation activity with Iran, North Korea, and Syria, the State Department statement said in a statement.

The companies included under the newly imposed sanctions are based in China, North Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

The State Department said that 11 of the entities and people contribute to activity that serves to escalate regional conflicts further and poses a significant threat to regional security.

Eleven entities and individuals were sanctioned for transfers of sensitive items to Irans ballistic missile program.

The government also implemented sanctions on 19 companies or people found to have transferred to, or acquired from, Iran, North Korea, or Syria goods, services, or technology listed on multilateral export control lists, or on US national control lists, or other items that could make a material contribution to the development of weapons of mass destruction or missile proliferation.

Most of the companies listed engage in export activity.

As consequence of the sanctions, which were officially implemented on March 21, no US department or agency can procure or contract for any goods, services, or technology from the designated entities. New licenses will be denied and these companies are ineligible for any US assistance.
The death toll in Wednesdays terror attack rose to five  including attacker Khalid Masood  after a 75-year-old man who was critically injured succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on Thursday evening.

Scotland Yard said life support to the unidentified man was withdrawn, and added that five remained in a critical condition in London hospitals, while one person had life-threatening injuries.

The other four dead in the attack have been identified as: Khalid Masood; police officer Keith Palmer; Kurt Cochran, 52, from Utah in US, and teacher Aysha Frade.

Scotland Yard said detectives were continuing to search a number of addresses linked to the attack -- three in Birmingham and one in east London. Searches were also conducted in Carmarthenshire, Brighton and south east London.

Eight people arrested from six locations included three women and five men on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts.

The police said, After the fatal shooting of Khalid Masood by a police firearms officer, as is required, a referral was made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The investigation by the Counter Terrorism Command into the terrorist attack on Wednesday continues to develop at a fast pace and involves hundreds of detectives.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will keep up his Nazi taunts targeting European leaders as long as they keep on calling him a dictator.

How does that work, you have the right to call Erdogan a dictator but Erdogan doesnt have the right to call you fascist and Nazi? he said during an interview with the CNN-Turk and Kanal D television channels.

Relations between Turkey and Europe have been severely strained since Turkish ministers were thwarted from campaigning on the continent for a yes vote in next months referendum on expanding Erdogans powers.

Ankara has said such behaviour was reminiscent of Nazi Germany and also raised alarm over what it sees as rising racism and Islamophobia.

Germany on Monday branded as unacceptable Erdogans charge that chancellor Angela Merkel was using Nazi measures, but signalled it wanted to avoid escalating the feud.

Erdogan, who has also taken similar aim at the Netherlands, did not sound conciliatory.

They accuse me then they speak of Erdogan as a dictator, he continued, still referring to himself in the third person. So Ill continue to address them in these terms, he added.

Erdogan again denounced the cancellation of his ministers trips to European countries with a large Turkish diaspora ahead of the referendum.

On Wednesday he warned that Europeans risk being unsafe on the worlds streets, as the crisis between Ankara and the EU showed no signs of abating.

The same day Germanys new President Frank-Walter Steinmeier again urged the Turkish leader to stop these appalling comparisons with Nazism, do not cut the ties with those who want a partnership with Turkey.

Erdogan said he was good friends with Steinmeier and deplored his comments.

He added that there could be a period of review of Turkey relations with the European Union, while stressing the importance of economic ties with the bloc, his countrys biggest trading partner.

Turkey is officially an EU-candidate nation but its accession process has been practically blocked for years.

He said that an EU-Turkey agreement on migrants, aimed at reducing the numbers reaching Europe from Africa and the Middle East, would be part of an A to Z review of government policy to begin after the April 16 referendum.

Turning to the issue of Kurdish separatists in Turkey and Syria, the Erdogan said he was saddened by links which Russia and the US have with Kurdish militias.

While he is a regular critic of Washington over its support for the Kurdish YPG militia operating in Syria it was the first time he had expressed his unhappiness with Moscows stance

Turkey summoned the Russian charge daffaires on Wednesday and sent him another message Thursday to convey deep unease over two incidents in Kurdish militia-controlled Syria, Ankara said.
Roua Ahmeds classes ended abruptly when her school in Yemen was bombed, but she still clings to her dream of getting an education.

She is one of hundreds of thousands of young Yemenis forced out of school since fighting escalated with a Saudi-led intervention against Shia Huthi rebels two years ago.

The war has since killed around 7,700 people, including nearly 1,550 children, and shut down hundreds of schools.

After hers was bombed, Roua sought out classes at a mosque in her home city of Taez. But as clashes escalated, her family saw little choice but to flee.

Braving sniper fire, they walked 10 kilometres (six miles) before finding a taxi to the capital.

I tried to register myself at a school here, but my application was rejected because the classes are overcrowded, Roua said.

My education has stopped because of the war. I dont know what I did wrong - I didnt do anything.

The slender 12-year-old, who loves painting and dreams of becoming a teacher, is one of 3.5 million Yemeni children out of school, according to the United Nations childrens agency UNICEF.

The fighting has halted the education of nearly two million children on top of the 1.6 million already out of school before the conflict, it said.

If Yemens current generation misses out on school, the long-term consequences will be another generation that is likely to perpetuate the cycle of violence, it warned in a November report.

As a result, an entire generation of children risk losing out on their future, said Shabia Mantoo, Yemen spokeswoman for the UNs refugee agency UNHCR.

Huthi rebels seized control of Yemens capital in September 2014 and went on to expand their clout across the country.

As they closed in on Aden-based President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, forcing him into exile, the Arab coalition launched a military operation in his defence on March 26, 2015.

UNICEF has since counted 212 direct attacks on schools, including air strikes that killed pupils.

The fighting has put 1,640 Yemeni schools out of service, with 1,470 destroyed or damaged and others converted into refugee shelters or barracks for fighters, it said.
Belated Medals of Honor Awarded

Decades after they proved their valor, two dozen Americans are recipients of long overdue Medals of Honor. In 2002, the Defense Department began reviewing records of troops awarded the second highest honor: the Distinguished Service Award, the Air Force Cross and the Navy Cross. The examination was in response to criticism that troops of various ethnicities in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War may have been overlooked for the Medal of Honor because of prejudice. After more than a decade of examination, the Defense Department identified 24 deserving soldiers all but five are of Jewish, Hispanic or African-American descentand they were awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama on March 18. Only three are still living, all Vietnam veterans. Five of the remaining 21 served in Vietnam. Nine served in Korea, and seven served in World War II.

Hagel Targets Bungled JPAC/MIA Mission

A fter the Government Account- ability Offices disturbing report in July on mismanagement in the recovery of fallen soldiers remains, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is seeking answers. Hagel announced February 21 that he had ordered a review of the problems plaguing the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office. Hagel requested solutions that will address duplication of efforts, lack of transparency and overlapping or unclear jurisdictions in the POW/MIA programs. The goal is to improve efficiency and expedite retrievalas well as to shore up confidence in the mission itself, the Defense Department said. Michael Lumpkin, acting undersecretary for defense, will lead the review. One of the ugly surprises was the Pentagons admission that ceremonies honoring the return of remains were staged for press coverage, and the remains being symbolically returned had already been examined in the forensics lab.

Vietnam Wall Replica on Long-Term Display

A traveling exhibition featuring a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall will have a five-year stint at the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center in Columbus, Ga. One of several traveling replicas of the Wall, this three-quarter size model has been touring the country since 1990. A motorcycle escort was scheduled to accompany the memorial to its new home on March 2, followed by a symposium on March 20 and the formal dedication on March 21. For more information on the infantry museum and its Vietnam Memorial Plaza visit www. nationalinfantrymuseum.org/vietnam-memorial.

Helmet Returned to Family of NVA Soldier

A poignant memento of a tough year is back in Vietnam. Sergeant John Wast picked up the helmet of a dead North Vietnamese soldier after the Battle of Duc Lap in August 1968. He noticed that the soldier, one of some 800 killed in the battle, had etched inside the rim pictures of a dove and palm tree and signed his name, Buic Duc Hung. In 2012, Wast, of Toledo, Ohio, decided to hunt for the soldiers family. He reached out to the nonprofit Development of Vietnam Endeavors, known by its acronym the Dove Fund, which helps to rebuild Vietnam. The group, with assistance from a Vietnamese emigre, contacted the soldiers extended family (his wife and daughter are dead) and returned the helmet to them in their hometown on the outskirts of Hanoi. Wast served as the platoon commander ofand the only American ina special forces unit of Australian and Montagnard troops.

The Rare Saola Survives

In 1992 a new species of an antelopelike mammal, the saola, was discovered in the dense lush mountains of central Vietnam. This past January a camera documenting wildlife in Vietnams Annamite Mountains captured a saola on film, according to the Los Angeles Times. Only a few hundred of the gentle, relatively defenseless and critically endangered mammals are believed to survive. Another piece of good news from the conservation front: The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, a native of Vietnam, is no longer in decline. The current population, at more than 100, is the highest ever recorded.

Heritage Mango Trees of Vietnam

Twenty sprawling mango trees on the campus of a Buddhist temple in Can Luong village in south central Vietnam have been named heritage trees, according to VietnamNet. The heritage tree program recognizes trees in the wild that are at least 200 years old. Planted trees like the mango tree below, placed in the ground by Buddhist monk Phap Chuyen in 1793must be more than 100 years old to get the heritage tree designation. The tree joins nearly 500 others noted by the program.

Texans Commemorated

Rows of suspended dog tags representing more than 3,400 Texans who died in Vietnam were put on temporary display at the USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi. The exhibit, conceived by the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument Committee, also includes the dog tags of 102 Texans listed as missing in action. The display will have a permanent home in Austin.

GI Joe Turns 50

In February 1964, a 12-inch action figure debuted at a price of $4. Envisioned as a multijointed21 movable parts!toy soldier along the lines of the popular Barbie doll, GI Joe was the brainchild of toy designer Stan Weston and Hasbro Creative Director Don Levine. Four versionssoldier, sailor, pilot and Marinewere marketed. Later on, a GI Nurse became available, but that figure did not sell nearly as many copies and is now a rare, collectible item in its own right. The original GI Joe prototype, carved from wood, was sold for $200,000 in 2003.

Brothers in War Movie Premieres March 26

A documentary film based on the book The Boys of 67: Charlie Companys War in Vietnam, by Andrew Wiest, features interviews with the soldiers and archival footage of Charlie, 4th of the 47th, in the reactivated 9th Infantry Division, raised, drafted and trained for service in Vietnam. The two-hour program, narrated by Charlie Sheen, premiered March 26 on the National Geographic Channel.

Vietnams First Submarine Arrives

Vietnams first submarineone of six purchased from Russia under a $2 billion 2009 dealarrived at Cam Ranh naval base, according to military.com. The diesel-electric sub is part of a plan for a fleet established in June 2013. Nearby nations with submarines in their fleets include Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Originally published in the June 2014 issue of Vietnam. To subscribe, click here.
Above and Beyond

Look at every year of the Vietnam War and in every corner of the battlefield, and you will find heroism. In some cases, overcoming fear and staying calm under pressure gets the job done. In other situations, heroism requires more than bravery. It requires exceptional skilland good equipment doesnt hurt either.

That is particularly true for those who perform their acts of valor in aircraft. The derring-do of pilots and their flying machines is on display throughout this issue.

In the evacuation of Kham Duc as the camp was being overrun by North Vietnamese forces, helicopter after helicopter, plane after plane flew to the rescue. Some pilots and crew were added to the list of the dead. Just when commanders thought that the evacuation was complete, they discovered that three Air Force combat controllers were still at Kham Duc, lying in a ditch, surrounded by the enemy.

For Huey helicopter pilots, rescues were just one of the many audacious feats they performed almost daily and nonchalantly. Indeed, the omnipresence of choppers in Vietnam gave rise to the phrase The Helicopter War. The Vietnam Center and Archive at Texas Tech University has put together an exhibition of photographs showing helicopter pilots in action. You can see many of the photos beginning on page 38.

Some aviators showed their mettle not only in the air but also on the groundas prisoners of war who led POW efforts to maintain their dignity in captivity. Their stories are told in an excerpt from the book Defiant, by Alvin Townley.

Military pilots were not the only fliers who did amazing things in Vietnam. As the country crumbled in 1975, pilots in civilian planes performed courageously and skillfully as they helped South Vietnamese citizens escape the approaching Communists.

Homesick Angel: Last Flight From Da Nang chronicles the exploits of World Airways pilot Ken Healy, who saw a seemingly impossible task ahead of him. But doing the impossible was just another day on the job for American pilots in Vietnam.

Originally published in the June 2014 issue of Vietnam. To subscribe, click here.
Ukraine will defeat Hungary if the latter keeps meddling in Transcarpathia by supporting Hungarian separatism. Dmitry Suvorov, a Ukrainian blogger, made these comments during a televised talk show. He stated that the Ukrainian army is almost ten times larger than the Hungarian one, thus, defeating Hungary will not be a problem.

Hungary has an army composed by just 29,000 people. Pravda reports that Ukraine has an army of 250,000 men. Dmitry Suvorov stated that the Hungarian army will not even jerk to cross the border with Ukraine. The blogger added that if there is no military support from a neighboring state, there will be no separatism.

He said that the Hungarian army has 29,000 people, thus, Ukrainians will drive them out of the country in a week, if necessary, no problems about it. Ukraine is about four times more populated than Hungary, and much bigger. There is growing tension between both countries because of ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine.

Hungary is a member of NATO

Hungary belongs to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which is also called the North Atlantic Alliance. Hungary provided bases on its territory to the American military in 1992. In the past Hungary belonged to the Warsaw Pact. Hungary has been taking part in all NATO events since 1994, it has also participated in several military operations.

The NATO has been expanding eastwards, many countries that were satellites of the Soviet Union have joined. Russia dislikes the NATO policy and believes this is a potential threat against its borders. NATO was created in the years of Cold War to stop the Soviet Union.

Ukraine and Russia have deteriorated relationships because of Crimea and other factors. Russians believe that the West is meddling in Ukraine. Could we see another focus of war in the short term because of Transcarpathia? Time will tell us if relationships between Hungary and Ukraine worsen or not.





@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The US led coalition air strike in Syria killed more than 30 people in a school near Isis held Raqqa. Activist group stated that the school was sheltering around 50 families when it was destroyed. The Observatory for Human Rights says that it is believed that the US led coalition carried out the attack.

More than 33 people are said to be killed in the airstrike and the school was sheltering displaced people near the Isis city in Syria. It was the activists that counted around 33 bodies at the site of the strike, while this took place in a village of al-Mansoura.

According to the Independent, a US Central Command spokesperson said they have no indication about any striking of civilians near Raqqa, However, the spokesperson said the coalition strikes Isis targets in the area often. Another report said that at least 46 people were killed and most of them were civilians as per the Independent.

The reports stated the strikes targeted an al-Qaeda meeting location in Idlib province, but it denied that the US jets deliberately hit any mosque. Later on another statement said it was not clear where the strikes had taken place. A US Major Josh T Jaques clarified by saying they did not target or strike down a mosque.

Instead the Major said they targeted an al Qaeda gathering across the street from a mosque. The US led coalition accepted to killing nearly 220 civilians in airstrikes against Syria and Iraq. Some of the organizations have warned the real figure may be higher to around 2,700 innocent men, women and children killed during the anti Isis bombing campaign.

People in the Middle East have become frustrated and tired of the terrorists, but unfortunately in war there will be causalities, some terrorists and some innocent civilians. It is a part of the process and in order to end evil some lives need to be sacrificed.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Not everything is over for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as the couple is on talking terms now. Jolie is said to have extended an olive branch to Pitt and surprisingly it is Jennifer Aniston who has worked as the catalyst in getting them to patch up. Jolie is said to be insecure of Pitt's new-found friendship with Aniston and does not want them together.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are in the mood to bury the hatchet as the "Lara Croft" actress has been making attempts to mend fences with her estranged husband. According to E! News, they are communicating and things have calmed down between them. The estranged couple is trying to mend the broken fences and it is reported that Pitt's ex Jennifer Aniston is the one who has caused Jolie to shun her stubbornness.

The rumors of Pitt and Aniston's growing friendship have not gone down well with Jolie. Also, the fact that her smear campaign failed to tarnish Pitt's image has made her realize her mistake. Last but not the least, their six kids are making them reconnect. It is said that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are desperate to bury their differences before the upcoming eleventh birthday of their daughter Shiloh that falls on May 27.

In fact, Both Jolie and Pitt have mended their "once-beyond-repair" relationship for the sake of their children. They are talking to each other and Pitt, who was accused of manhandling Maddox, has spent quality time with the kids along with a therapist. In fact, previous reports suggest that he was overjoyed when Jolie and children recently returned from their London and Cambodia trip.

It is worth mentioning here that Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt last year in September and also sought the sole custody of the children. As of now, the children are staying with her and Pitt has been only granted visitation rights.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
P artners JP and Chris have snapped up a flat in Lewishams spectacular Renaissance scheme after years of believing that they would probably never own their own home.

JP had been in private rented accommodation for the 15 years, the last five with Chris, and both thought they would never be able to buy because their saving could not keep up with rising prices.

Without help from the government-backed Help to Buy loan scheme, they would have been stuck renting for the foreseeable future, they say  facing higher and higher rent bills.

New build: the Renaissance building that JP and Chris call home

They needed a flat that was affordable but also within easy reach of work and Lewisham,with a DLR station, was perfect.

But it would have taken us another 10 years to save for a deposit and by then the amount needed would have increased, so we were chasing an impossible goal, says JP.

It feels good to know that weve made an investment in our future and the guarantees associated with a new build have given us a great deal of peace of mind as new homeowners.
News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits.

Tuesday, October 25, 4:30  7 p.m.

Orr Area EMS Open House

Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798.

Orr Fire Hall

4540 Lake St., Orr

Tuesday, October 25, 12  6 p.m.

Essentia Health Job Fair

Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org.

901 9th St. N., Virginia
Contrary to other sectors, the world of hospitality need not fear disappearing into a black hole and despite the upsets it might traverse, it is growing and will continue to do so. To each his place in the sun.

From the inns of yesteryear to the hotel capsules found in airports today, and, of course, youth hostels, residences, traditional palaces and hybrid formulas, the hotel universe has not stopped adapting to travelers' changing needs. The good news is that these travelers are increasingly numerous and will continue to stay in commercial accommodations. But which? The challenges experienced by hotel businesses lie in providing the right answer at the right time because an all-purpose product doesn't exist - thank goodness!

So why worry about the arrival of newcomers if they contribute to the renewal and development of the supply? No one can reasonably pretend to satisfy all segments of a clientele that is increasingly divided, nor is it possible to capture all the influx without risking getting more fragmented and losing all legitimacy.

It is important to be able to claim the strength of one's concept and accept its limits. In the past, independent hoteliers made the mistake of fearing the advent of standardized chains, just like hoteliers wasted time fighting the development of residence-hotels. The time and energy would have been better spent reinventing their supply using the capex and innovation needed. In the end, independent hotels found their way by leaving behind an incongruous economy hotel supply and developing the boutique hotel concept. At the same time, brands successfully relied on independent investors to develop their network through franchising and it was a win-win situation. XXXX Today, the big bang of sharing platforms is once again upsetting the hotel universe. But they are only just identifying the weakness of the supply in major cities and a shortfall of investment by players that are too happily established. Time must not be wasted once again time staring into the neighbor's dish only to say that their own is not full. The table is generally big enough so that everyone may take a seat comfortably. It is important to establish a dialogue so that no one person serves himself without regard for the others. Mutual respect is not just common sense, it is the rule of thumb for success.

The entire hospitality community in the broader sense must recognize that the complementarity of offers, the diversity of commercial accommodations options are strong arguments for attracting all kinds of clientele who have, by nature, different needs, different expectations. The more the market grows, the better each one finds his position. But this position must be justified by real added value, good value for price. Before denigrating the neighbor's or competitor's product, it is best to look in one's own backyard and be certain of one's own quality, of the experience being offered to the customer.

Destinations are key to this tourism ecosystem because they motivate desire, the wish to travel. It is clear that political will and global control over strategy could cause a tourist destination to sprout up in arid desert such as Dubai. Without starting from a clean slate like in the Emirates, French cities have capitalized on their cultural heritage, a major event, a priority outlook like Bordeaux, Cannes, Chamonix, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and others. They have taken control over their tourism destiny by not relying on an obsolete image do develop their future. While this will not prevent power struggles between local players, it will force them into constructive dialogue, a solidary effort, a single-minded outlook.
Morocco has become the latest country to join UNWTO as partner of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017. The commitment was delivered at the Moroccan Day of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism held on 20 March in Rabat.

Morocco has become the latest partner of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.

On the occasion of the Moroccan Day of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism on 20 March, the government of Morocco committed to support the International Year and advance the promotion of the first African Charter on Sustainable and Responsible Tourism.

The African Charter on Sustainable and Responsible Tourism, signed last November in Marrakesh during the Ministerial Forum on Tourism and Climate in Africa, on the sidelines of the COP22, aims at becoming an instrumental tool for the continent to engage in sustainable tourism best practices by reconciling social and economic growth, the preservation of the environment and the respect for the cultural diversity of each country.

"The commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco with the tourism sector is remarkable, not only by joining now the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, but also by other gestures done in the past such as partnering with the World Tourism Organization in promoting more responsible practices and leading the process of adoption of the African Charter" said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

The United Nations 70th General Assembly has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. In the context of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector than can contribute to the SDGs.

The IY2017 will promote tourism's role in the following five key areas: (1) Inclusive and sustainable economic growth; (2) Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction; (3) Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change; (4) Cultural values, diversity and heritage; and (5) Mutual understanding, peace and security.

About The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency fostering tourism as a vehicle for equal, inclusive and sustainable development. Working with its Member States, international organizations and the private sector, UNWTO promotes safe and seamless travel for all. UNWTO also works to make tourism the foundation of trust and international cooperation and a central pillar of recovery. As part of the wider UN system, UNWTO is at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through its ability to create decent jobs, promote equality and preserve natural and cultural heritage.

Follow UNWTO on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.

Rut Gomez Sobrino

Principal Media Officer

(+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas  Seattle's iconic Art Deco gem, the Hotel Deca, is the newest member of the Gemstone Collection, a dynamically expanding portfolio that is part of BENCHMARK, a global hospitality company . The historic 158-guestroom property, featuring three Penthouse Suites, is situated in Seattle's spirited University District, close to the campus of the University of Washington and just minutes from the attractions of downtown Seattle. BENCHMARK includes 70 domestic and international properties under two distinctive and unique brands, Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and the Gemstone Collection.

"We are delighted to add another distinguished property to our portfolio in the Pacific Northwest," said Benchmark CEO Alex Cabanas, noting the hotel's landmark status and architectural significance. "Hotel Deca joins the renowned Willows Lodge located in Woodinville, in Washington's wine country, as a signature member of the Gemstone Collection."

The owners of the property, AJ Capital Partners, plan a total renovation of the hotel, covering all guestrooms, meeting space and public areas. A stylish rooftop bar will be added, with stunning views of the city, bay and mountains. Following renovations and in the spring of 2018, Hotel Deca will become a Graduate Hotel, a well-curated, thoughtfully crafted collection of hotels set in the most dynamic, university-anchored cities across the country. From the colonial grace of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville to the stunning desert mountains of Tempe's Arizona State University, these singular hotels reflect the spirit and individuality of some of America's most acclaimed academic centers and the surrounding areas.

Designed by the celebrated architect, Robert C. Reamer, Hotel Deca opened in 1931, and in 1938 was included in the American Institute of Architects list of the 100 most distinguished buildings in America. Today the hotel features Art Deco splendor with a modern, stylish and playful atmosphere. In the lobby, a cozy fire and mahogany bookcases welcome guests. Striking murals, inspired by the Jazz Age, make a bold statement. A well-equipped Fitness Center is complimentary to hotel guests and the entire property is completely smoke free. Hotel Deca is popular with visitors to the University of Washington and area corporate headquarters.

Elegantly Appointed Guestrooms Offer Iconic Views

Many of the elegantly-appointed guestrooms and suites offer views of the iconic Seattle Space Needle, Puget Sound and Mt. Rainer, or Lake Washington and the Cascades. The epitome of luxury, the Penthouse Floor features three suites with fireplaces, marble baths and wraparound decks. All rooms are appointed with boldly patterned textiles and luxurious down blankets and feature corner bay windows, flat-panel TVs, home radios with docking stations, safes and complimentary WiFi.

Superb Seasonal & Sustainable Dining

With a sustainable, seasonal menu and a commitment to using local and regional purveyors, The District Lounge offers guests of Hotel Deca a true Seattle dining experience. The intimate neighborhood restaurant is noted for its Pacific Northwest dishes, regional wines, craft beers and signature cocktails. Its oversized furnishings, serpentine drop lighting and eclectic art add to the hip, casual ambiance. The District Lounge also provides room service for the hotel.

The Post Alley Cafe pays homage to Seattle's fabled coffee culture. Named for the historic Post Alley located in Pike Place Market, the cafe is partnered with Herkimer Coffee to provide premium northwest roasts, sustainably grown and purchased per Fair Trade standards. Baristas are trained by Herkimer to create coffee drinks in the best Seattle traditions. The Post Alley Cafe is perfect for a leisurely breakfast or lunch of handcrafted salads, wraps, and breakfast sandwiches. Or guests can opt to simply Grab and Go.

Art Deco Glamour in Event & Meeting Space

Hotel Deca offers 5,500 square feet of meeting and event space, including seven newly refurbished conference rooms equipped with audiovisual technology and high-speed Internet. The elegant Grand Ballroom reflects the hotel's Art Deco glamour and history. Its 18-foot ceilings, antique chandeliers and gold and burgundy decor set the scene for meetings, weddings and special events, accommodating up to 270 guests. The Presidential Suite, with its spacious patio and striking views, is ideal for private dining and VIP guests. The University of Washington, a leading research university, just two blocks away, can provide a number of inspiring and interesting programs to enhance any conference.

Easily accessible via Routes I-5 and 520, Hotel Deca is set in Seattle's vibrant University District, known for its shops, art galleries, restaurants and attractions such as the Neptune Theater and the Burke Museum of Natural History. The nearby Burke-Gilman trail offers 27 miles of scenic hiking and biking trails. The attractions of Downtown Seattle are just a short bus ride away. Visitors can explore Westlake Center, Pike Place Market and The Space Needle, take a cruise on Puget Sound, shop, dine and enjoy Seattle's thriving arts, music and theater scene. An airport shuttle serves Seattle Tacoma International Airport, a 30-minute drive.

About Benchmark Pyramid

Benchmark Pyramid was formed by the 2021 merger of two hotel and resort management companies, creating the most owner-focused, experiential company in the industry and its best workplace. The organization's global portfolio spans more than 240 properties in the U.S., Caribbean and Europe. It maintains offices in Boston; The Woodlands, Texas; Cincinnati; and London. For more information, visit www.benchmarkpyramid.com.

Ken Ellens

Ken Ellens Communications

+1 201 758 2864

Pyramid Global Hospitality
It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore).

Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net.

Go back to home
Sticking to the schedule, Nigerian-born, Atlanta-raised artist Daye Jack decides to release his new album today called No Data.

My new project is about self acceptance, he writes on Instagram. The lost teen entering adulthood. Finding yourself in the digital age where theres so much information, people telling who to be, how to act, how to dress, whats cool and whats not. Its is a fuck you to the bullies, a nod to the youngings who feel confused, who dont fit into any of societies boxes.

Featuring 12 songs in total, No Data comes with guest appearances by Donmonique, Denzel Curry, Grim Dave, and more. Stream the new album, and show your support on iTunes.
Kendrick Lamar took no prisoners on his new release The Heart Part 4, and though he spreads the shade around to a variety of individuals, Twitter has taken the liberty of dragging Drake in particular. Many are of the opinion that The Heart Part 4 is better than any of the 22 stracks on More Life. The memes were out in full force witness the carnage below.

***

Listen to The Heart Part 4.

Kendrick Lamar
The worlds most successful virtual band, who have just uploaded a new music video on social media, have also just announced details about their highly anticipated new studio album titled 'Humanz', to be released by Parlophone Records on 28 April.

Produced by Gorillaz, The Twilight Tone of D / P and Remi Kabaka and recorded in London, Paris, New York, Chicago and Jamaica, 'Humanz' comes seven years on from the release of albums 'The Fall' and 'Plastic Beach'.



Murdoc Niccals (bass), Noodle (guitar), Russel Hobbs (drums) and 2D (vocals) are - as always - joined by a stellar line up of featured artists which includes Jehnny Beth (Savages), Danny Brown, Benjamin Clementine, De La Soul, D.R.A.M., Peven Everett, Anthony Hamilton, Grace Jones, Zebra Katz, Kelela, Mavis Staples, Vince Staples, Popcaan, Pusha T, Jamie Principle and Kali Uchis among others.

A six-minute Jamie Hewlett-directed epic animated film, featuring four Humanz tracks - being Saturnz Barz in full, plus highlights of Ascension, Andromeda and We Got The Power - is now available to watch online.



The 14-track album Humanz is available on standard CD, vinyl and as a digital download, as well as a 19-track 2-CD Deluxe. A limited edition Super Deluxe Vinyl Box Set featuring additional alternative versions of all 14 album tracks will also be available (more details below).

Gorillaz will play the complete album live for fans for the first time, at a secret London location today (Friday 24 March). While Gorillaz will headline the recently announced, sold-out Demon Dayz Festival at Dreamland Margate on 10 June. Full details of dates scheduled for later in the year, will be announced soon.

Here's the full track listing for 'Humanz':

1. Ascension feat. Vince Staples

2. Strobelite feat. Peven Everett

3. Saturnz Barz feat. Popcaan

4. Momentz feat. De La Soul

5. Submission feat. Danny Brown & Kelela

6. Charger feat. Grace Jones

7. Andromeda feat. D.R.A.M.

8. Busted and Blue

9. Carnival feat. Anthony Hamilton

10. Let Me Out feat. Mavis Staples & Pusha T

11. Sex Murder Party feat. Jamie Principle & Zebra Katz

12. Shes My Collar feat. Kali Uchis

13. Hallelujah Money feat. Benjamin Clementine

14. We Got The Power feat. Jehnny Beth

Bonus material on Deluxe:

15. The Apprentice feat. Ragn Bone Man, Zebra Katz & RAY BLK

16. Halfway To The Halfway House feat. Peven Everett

17. Out Of Body feat. Kilo Kish, Zebra Katz & Imani Vonsha

18. Ticker Tape feat. Carly Simon & Kali Uchis

19. Circle Of Friendz feat. Brandon Markell Holmes

*With interludes narrated by Ben Mendelsohn
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Google's advertising crisis has gone global after some of the biggest marketers including AT&T and Johnson & Johnson halted spending on YouTube and the internet company's display network, citing concern their ads would run alongside offensive videos.

The controversy erupted last week after the London-based Times newspaper reported that some ads were running with YouTube videos that promoted terrorism or anti-Semitism. The U.K. government and the Guardian took down ads from the video site and Havas, the world's sixth-largest advertising and marketing company, pulled its U.K. clients' ads from Google's display ad network and YouTube.

On Wednesday, the boycott spread across the Atlantic as U.S. companies that are among the heaviest ad spenders pulled back, potentially costing Google and YouTube hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business.

AT&T and Verizon Communications, the largest U.S. wireless carriers, said they had stopped non-search advertising spending with Google. Johnson & Johnson, the world's biggest health care company, paused all YouTube advertising globally.

"We are deeply concerned that our ads may have appeared alongside YouTube content promoting terrorism and hate," a spokeswoman for AT&T said in a statement Wednesday. "Until Google can ensure this won't happen again, we are removing our ads from Google's non-search platforms."

To shield its brand, Verizon took the same action. It's also started an investigation, Sanette Chao, a Verizon spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Search represents the lion's share of Google's advertising revenue, which totaled $79.4 billion last year. However, large advertisers such as AT&T tend to spend more heavily across Google's video and display advertising network. AT&T is the fourth-largest advertiser in the U.S., spending nearly $942 million in 2016, according to Kantar Media, and Verizon is No. 3.

Google's network business, which serves display ads on other sites, generated $4.4 billion in fourth-quarter revenue, about 20 percent of the company's total ad sales. While YouTube revenue isn't reported separately, analysts estimate the site brings in billions each year, and say it's among Google's fastest-growing businesses.

"American advertisers making statements will cause American investors to pay infinitely more attention to an issue that is already gripping much of the industry," said Brian Wieser, analyst at Pivotal Research Group, which downgraded Google parent Alphabet's stock on Monday.

over the issue.

Google tried to head off the backlash this week, implementing new tools and policies. But many advertisers were waiting to see further details or results, before placing ads again.

Sainsbury's Plc, the British Broadcasting Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Volkswagen AG and Havas each said Wednesday that their decision to pull ads from YouTube hasn't changed following Google's announcements.

Brentford, U.K.-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc, one of the biggest drug makers, joined the boycott on Wednesday.A

"The placement of our brands next to extremist content is completely unacceptable to us and we have raised our concerns directly with Google," the company said. "We are encouraged by Google's steps over the past few days."

A representative for Google declined to comment on individual customers.

"As announced, we've begun an extensive review of our advertising policies and have made a public commitment to put in place changes that give brands more control over where their ads appear," the representative said. "We're also raising the bar for our ads policies to further safeguard our advertisers' brands."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

How big of a health care network do you really need?

Do you need an inch-thick directory of primary care doctors and specialists to choose from? Would you give up some choice for more convenience? How about agreeing to a few restrictions in return for lower premiums?

These are the questions employers ask themselves every year when it comes time to renew health care plans. Striking the right balance between giving employees a wide choice of doctors and limiting costs is critical to the bottom line.

Larger networks offer more choices, but they make it difficult to control costs. That's why Preferred Provider Plans, better known as a PPOs, charge patients more for visiting an out-of-network doctor while still agreeing to pay some of the bill.

The other option is a Health Maintenance Organization, or an HMO. Now I know uttering those initials will send cold shivers down readers' spines because HMOs don't cover out-of-network doctors. Many also know the bureaucratic horror of faceless insurance adjustors arguing with their doctors over proposed treatments.

That's why most people prefer PPOs, because they can make an appointment with any doctor or specialist they want. That kind of freedom comes with a high premium, though, and studies show it doesn't necessarily result in the best care.

That's because about 30 percent of health care spending goes toward unnecessary procedures that might actually hurt patients, according to a 2012 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That's $1 trillion in waste from redundant tests, unnecessary care and doctors acting on hunches rather than relying on data.

If you recognize the business opportunity to cut out waste and offer better services, get in line. Doctors' groups across the country are overhauling the HMO model to put themselves in charge of patient care and installing high-tech systems to improve quality, all the while cutting back on overhead to bring down prices.

Some are even offering their own health plans and helping companies self-insure, cutting out middle-man insurance companies. In Houston, a prime example is Kelsey-Seybold and its KelseyCare program - where the decisions are made by doctors instead of insurance bureaucrats.

The first step is to align everyone's financial interests. Instead of billing by the procedure, KelseyCare charges a flat annual fee based on a person's age and pre-existing conditions. If that person stays healthy, Kelsey makes a higher profit. If that person has a heart attack, Kelsey will likely take a loss. This is called a capitated system, and the doctors assume a lot of risk.

"We get paid on a monthly basis to keep patients healthy over a period of time, with a quality of service patients find attractive," explained Spencer Berthelsen, Kelsey's recently retired board chairman who developed the model. "In capitated care, we try very hard not to provide services the patient doesn't need."

If that sounds like an opportunity for doctors to deny care and save money, consider that when patients don't get treated, they usually get worse. A sicker patient is more expensive to heal, so the incentive is to provide quality care, not ration it.

And what if you need a specialty outside the Kelsey network or have an emergency?

"Those bills are sent to Kelsey-Seybold," said Ann Cook, vice president for business development.

Since physician care is paid upfront, there is no surprise billing. The only bills will come from clinics and hospitals. The money saved on billing and collection is invested in electronic health records accessible by all of Kelsey's 430 doctors and 1,600 affiliates in 20 Houston metro locations. A Kelsey doctor will always have your most up-to-date health record.

Those records also feed a database that lets doctors know how they are performing compared to other doctors. If one has a lot of readmissions or complications, the computer alerts a supervisor. Groups that do this are called Accountable Care Organizations. Many of them offer low-cost HMO plans to employers.

Amy Milstead, president of Milstead Automotive, put her 130 employees and dependents on KelseyCare three years ago and switched to a self-insurance plan in which she pays the bills, reducing her premiums. Kelsey doctors also visit her shop four times a year to teach healthy living classes, and Kelsey staff visit twice a year to administer flu shots and schedule routine checkups. She says the program has saved her company about 10 percent on health care costs, and she believe she gets more for the money.

This winter, Kelsey provided every employee with a Fitbit health monitor and will award a prize to the first employee to walk 1 million steps, all at Kelsey's expense. Kelsey wants to keep her employees out of the hospital.

"It helps keep our employees healthy. They teach them healthy eating habits, teach them to move more," Milstead said. "They are so helpful, so over the top."

Federal surveys show that Kelsey's patients are among the most satisfied in the country and their health care outcomes are among the best. But Kelsey doesn't own a copyright on this kind of care, and more ACOs are forming and offering similar plans in Houston every year, including Memorial Hermann.

So let me ask again, how big of a health network do you really need?
Nati Harnik/STF

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration will approve the Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, senior U.S. officials said, after the State Department delivers a positive recommendation to start construction on a long-delayed project that has served as a flashpoint in the debate about climate change.

Two senior officials said Tom Shannon, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, would make a recommendation on Friday that the pipeline serves U.S. national interests. Then, the White House would formally announce final approval, said the officials, who weren't authorized to comment publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.
Melissa Phillip/Staff

The Houston Symphony announced today that it will be extending its contract with current music director Andres Orozco-Estrada for another three seasons.

Orozco-Estrada, who is in his third year leading the symphony, now has a contract that extends through the 2021-22 season.
"Mississippi Blood," the concluding novel by Greg Iles in a trilogy featuring lawyer Penn Cage, is part fast-paced crime thriller and part tense-but-tedious courtroom drama.

All of it flows darkly around racial mysteries and revenge along the Mississippi River.

The legal case involves Cage's father, Dr. Tom Cage, a beloved physician in Natchez. He is charged with killing his former nurse, Viola Turner. The Cages are white, the nurse an African-American dying of lung cancer who asked him to inject her with morphine to end her life.

Those agreed-upon facts, however, are just the beginning of a court case and Penn Cage's fight for justice that takes readers into many far-from-the-courthouse venues. They include a world of racist mayhem by violent white supremacists and the searing consequences for blacks and whites alike as the South struggles with the sins of its past.

"Mississippi Blood," like the two previous novels - "Natchez Burning" (2014) and "The Bone Tree" (2015) - is a thick book running several hundred pages. But Iles draws his characters so well, and brings off scenes so deftly, that it is only on occasion that the story seems to drag.

More Information Author appearance Greg Iles will discuss and sign "Natchez Burning," 6:30 p.m. April 19, Murder By The Book, 2342 Bissonnet; 713-524-8597 or murderbooks.com. 'Mississippi Blood' By Greg Iles William Morrow, 704 pp., $28.99 See More Collapse

The defense lawyer for Dr. Cage, Quentin Avery, and the prosecutor, Shadrach Johnson, are both black, as is the presiding judge, Joe Elder, and all are so vividly described - Avery is a diabetic with a motorized wheelchair - that they at times carry the narrative just by their engrossing personalities.

The trial of Dr. Cage consumes much of the narrative. Though the dialogue is mostly sharp and keen to legal decorum, Penn Cage repeatedly screams to himself that Avery should be objecting to one impermissible prosecution tactic or another. This occurs so many times that the reader may finally want to shout: "I object!"

But Iles can write beautifully, and his subject matter is far more serious than the run-of-the-mill mystery or crime thriller. Characters actually discuss the real-life biracial writer, James McBride, and his celebrated memoir, "The Color of Water," as well as Atticus Finch defending the wrongly accused black Tom Robinson in the Harper Lee classic "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Iles' landscape, the river city of Natchez and its environs, is one he knows and describes well, and his sense of the South's history and its current conflicts are evident throughout as he brings his "Natchez Burning" trilogy to an end.
It's difficult to understand what Danny Boyle is saying.

Part of this is because we're talking on cellphones in cars - his moving en route to an airport, mine illegally parked in residential Houston. The background crackle of digital networks provides a patina of dull noise.

Then there's Boyle's British brogue. It's a beautiful sound, words bumping into one another, others elongating with a strange fluidity marked by staccato pops of emphatic gestures of enunciation. But to the casual ear, there are areas of misunderstanding during this swift dialogue about aging, nostalgia and our place in life. Without some reflective processing, it's a conversation marked by moments of confusion.

In other words, it's kind of like watching Boyle's beloved 1996 film "Trainspotting" without the aid of subtitles to translate the characters' sticky Scottish accents.

Which is fitting, I suppose, as the reason for this phone call is the director's long-gestating sequel to "Trainspotting." The film, which opens Friday, reunites the director from Manchester, England, with the story of four Scottish lads addicted to heroin and the crimes of youth. They're now grown men - at least in body - and mostly sober, but struggling with a new dilemma: the consequence of aging as it relates to the price of the past.

That framework is a topic anyone from the "Trainspotting" era can relate to. The film, and before it the novel by Irvine Welsh, implored a generation on the verge of being tapped into the internet to choose life, a cry to get off our sofas and engage with the world around us - results be damned. Yet, 20 years after hearing that, life has swept past us like one of those rushing trains that didn't really play a large part in the film.

Whether by choice or not, life has taken its toll on us, and this new film feels like a forced perspective of nostalgia and reflection.

"The past is part of us all, especially with men, we cannot relive it without acknowledging the lessons of it or the reality of it," Boyle says.

This, I can understand.

Tapping the zeitgeist

If you're honest about it, 1996 was a strange time to be an adolescent.

The ghost of Kurt Cobain was still haunting us, his screams from the grave echoing an effective argument against the id-soaked stains of the '80s. But the burn of the so-called "alternative" revolution he ignited had left a legion of kids and young adults branded by a contradictory sense of conformed independence.

There was more confusion.

That summer, a bomb disrupted the sense of peace at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In September, someone tried to kill Bjork with a failed mail bomb - which, at the time, felt like trouncing on cultural royalty. That was also the month rapper Tupac Shakur was killed, which oddly was a jolt of life to hip-hop and Machiavellian conspiracy theories.

Oh, and there was the internet, bubbling up into all our lives with its welcoming chat rooms and pages upon pages of alien abduction reports.

The future was forming, faster than some people could handle. And in the search for relief, some of us fell into the calming balm of a frenetic film about Scottish heroin addicts in the '80s.

"Trainspotting" felt like a mainline to the zeitgeist of the moment. The tale of a group of adolescent, male junkies trying to find purpose and pleasure in a crumbling world that didn't reflect their interests and needs was a reflecting pool of frustration and desire.

Watching Renton (Ewan McGregor) crawl into "the worst toilet in Scotland" was more than a metaphor for life's "crappy" rites of passage. It felt like communion. And though the story was sent through the prism of opiate addiction, the lads' chase for their next fix felt like the continuing run toward purpose. Or enlightenment. Or anything else we were fixated on in a world still numbed by sitcoms with contrived laugh tracks. It felt like a portrait of freedom.

As the years have passed, "Trainspotting" has been discussed as a stylistic champion with great use of dialect, composition and music. As a sympathetic, yet realistic, view of drug abuse. And as a true view of Scotland's working-class folk.

But when Boyle hears people reflect on the film and what it meant to them, the drugs and that infamous toilet aren't top of mind. It's the bond between the movie's young men.

"I mean, they talked about them in the circumstances of the scenes, I'm not denying that, the toilet and all that. But they remember the characters' names, and that's not because we freeze-framed their names early in the film. Because you rarely remember a character's name in a film. You remember the actor who played them," Boyle says. "But these people would rattle off the characters' names  the characters meant something to them."

Indeed. I have friends who still talk about the "Trainspotting" lads as avatars or examples of their own friendships.

"I don't know why, but I have my theories," Boyle says. "They're all extreme characters, of course. I mean, we've all had friends and there's always someone who is in a fight. That's the Begbie.  And Spud is the chaotic one. And I think they see their friends and remember them like that."

He's right. Which is why it's sometimes difficult to watch the aged versions of them in "T2 Trainspotting."

The new film, based off of Welsh's novel "Porno," is set 20 years after "Trainspotting." It's a continual reminder of the evaporation of youth.

Seeing the body of Spud (Ewen Bremner) contort and bend is a jab at our degrading joints. Watching Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) color his hair is a subtle nod to our overt insecurities about getting old. And the juxtaposition of Renton's weathered, wrinkled face next to his elastic and youthful visage of 1996 plays like those surreal moments of realization found in the mirror.

This isn't an accident.

"It's the reason for doing (the film)  otherwise, why would you look at them 20 years later? Other than to see what does the past mean to them now? What's left? What's become of them? It's a big part of the deal," Boyle says. "So you have to look at yourself as well, as part of that."

Aging with us

For those of us who came through the '90s with "Trainspotting" as a benchmark experience, this sequel will be a journey into the self. But, imagine how that passage of time and perspective must be for the man who made these movies.

Remember, "Trainspotting" was Boyle's first major success, vaulting him toward a resume that now boasts an Oscar-winning film ("Slumdog Millionaire"), a genre flick that redefined the modern zombie movement ("28 Days Later") and a movie built around the inevitability of James Franco cutting his arm off ("127 Hours").

He's become a top-flight Hollywood director since those final edits to "Trainspotting." As expected, his own journey into the past wasn't an easy trek. Which is part of the reason why it took two decades to get a follow up made.

Some of the quick twitch looks at "T2 Trainspotting" will reference the one-time rift between Boyle and McGregor as the reason for the film's delay. But the truth might be closer to Boyle not being ready for it.

"We tried to do (the movie) 10 years ago, and I know why we didn't do it. It was a superficial reason, which is that we didn't think (the script) was good enough, which it wasn't," Boyle says. "But the real reason is, I think, is that John Hodge, the screenwriter, and I, we weren't ready to be honest enough to do it.

"When we sat down a couple years ago in Edinburgh, with the last chance, because the 20th anniversary was looming on the horizon, it became much more personal. Just because we wanted to, not because we thought we had to."

The new film is filled with personal nuances built from Boyle's life experiences through the past two decades.

"I missed my mother's death. And at the beginning, there's this good scene with Renton, and his mother had passed away and he didn't make it back for the funeral and there's her shadow on the wall," Boyle says. "And, also, then, the film is littered with children who apparently have no father."

It's a universal motif, as is the reason for Boyle's use of it - the guilt of spending more time with his work than his children.

"It's saturated with these images of fathers and sons, particularly," Boyle says.

Which is one reason why "T2 Trainspotting" might be as penetrating as its predecessor was to fans of the original film: It tells us the story of ourselves, in the moment.

It's not quite an easy view, but it's fulfilling.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Patrick Walsh was new to the wheelchair, an unwieldly black contraption that the amputee called a "pisser-offer." And sure enough, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, it was earning its name: The chair caught on the petting zoo's wire fence, holding up dozens of people in line behind Walsh.

His assistant, a physical-therapy student, had to kneel down and detach the part that was stuck. It was the leg rest that Walsh didn't need, for the leg he no longer had.

It had been only a month since a bone infection forced surgeons to amputate Walsh's left leg just below the knee. Now Walsh, a former courier and taxi driver in his 50s, was a rehab patient learning to navigate the world in the most basic ways.

Five other physical rehab patients from Quentin Mease Hospital, plus a support team of a dozen or so people, roamed the rodeo with Walsh on March 10. The motley crew resembled a hospital jailbreak.

Outings like this let patients practice navigating the world beyond the hospital's flat floors, explained Jorge Neira, the physical therapist who supervised the rodeo trip. At places like grocery stores, museums and Astros games, each participant pursues treatment goals such as steering through crowds, improving endurance and wheeling over uneven surfaces.

For them, the rodeo wasn't just fun. It was a challenge.

Already that day, Walsh had encountered all sorts of obstacles. Uneven surfaces. Speed bumps. Children and the occasional adult staring at the place his left leg used to be.

His wheelchair disentangled, Walsh wheeled himself in.



BESIDES OFFERING rehab patients new experiences, Neira said, outings to places like the rodeo have another important benefit: new motivation. By the time that patients reach physical rehab, Neira said, it's common that long hospital stays have left them feeling isolated, frustrated, and worried they'll never be able to function in the real world.

For Walsh, the real-world, real-life test would come soon. Only twelve days after the rodeo outing, he'd check out of the rehab hospital. And just to go home, he'd have to navigate the stairs to his family's second-floor apartment.

To pay the rent for that apartment, his wife is working double shifts at a Tex-Mex restaurant. Walsh, once a taxi driver, likely won't be able to drive again until he gets a prosthetic leg; depending on how his therapy progresses, Neira said, that could take as long as a year.

Simply getting around town will pose new challenges. Jay Blazek Crossley, a mobility advocate who formerly led the Houston Tomorrow group, knows that firsthand: In 2014 and 2015, a rare neurological condition temporarily robbed him of the ability to walk. For the months that he used a wheelchair or cane, the activist who'd campaigned for better sidewalks felt their importance even more acutely: "I actually understand what a total transportation failure our policies are for people with disabilities."

The average sidewalk was broken, cracked, interrupted by gaping holes or otherwise unusable, Crossley said. "There are vast areas of Houston that you're essentially not allowed, that are not available to you if you're not an able-bodied person."

INSIDE THE petting zoo at last, Walsh traversed yet another a surface he'd never rolled over before: animal bedding. When an assertive pygmy goat lodged itself under his seat, a petting-zoo attendant nervously tugged the animal away. Walsh laughed, his broad shoulders shaking under a baggy orange T-shirt.

In short order, a sheep plopped its front hooves on his left thigh, not far from his stump. Walsh's assistant looked ready to rush him out of the petting zoo. But Walsh laughed and brushed the animal away. Goats and sheep were not his biggest fear.

At the pig races, Walsh volunteered as a cheerleader for the pig who ended up winning. That victory earned Walsh a cheap prize meant for kids: a plastic pig snout on an elastic band. First he wore it over his own nose, drawing laughs from the hospital staff members. A few minutes later, he took it off his face and put it instead on his bandage-wrapped stump.

"I'm having fun with it," he said later. "Some people say I'm stupid for it ... that I'm using laughter and jokes to hide from it."

He was solemn for a moment. But at mutton bustin', where 5- and 6-year-olds clung to sheep sprinting across a dirt arena, Walsh's enthusiasm returned. Most of the young spectators walking by his wheelchair gaped at the sheep, not Walsh's amputated leg.

Walsh cheered for the sheep riders, sometimes letting out a loud whistle. Over time, a pattern emerged. He applauded the kids who made it across the arena and got high scores. But he cheered even harder for the ones who had rough rides, whose sheep dumped them unceremoniously or tossed them in painful-looking tangle of limbs.

For those kids, his clapping hands, pale from weeks stuck indoors, reached over his head.
A woman who fled to Mexico in January with her three small children in tow was in the Harris County Jail Thursday where she has been charged with aggravated kidnapping.

Doris Camarena, 24, became an international fugitive after January 11 when she took her children, who range in age from 3 to 5, from their grandmother's home in the 1700 block of Roxella, according to Harris County court documents.
Nineteen years ago, my wife, our 14-year-old daughter, Cate, and I set out from the little principality of Andorra in the Pyrenees mountains and headed west on the long-distance Spanish hiking route called GR 11. With optimism born of ignorance, I had bought a dozen detailed trail maps - enough to get us 200 miles closer to the Atlantic. At the end of our allotted 19 days, we had used six of the maps and covered 86 miles - kind of like Lewis and Clark getting as far as Nebraska.

A lot happens in 19 years. Not, obviously, to the Pyrenees; they endure. But how about us humans? Creakier, to say the least. "Hey, how old are you, anyway?" a younger man - well, who the hell isn't younger - asked as he breezed by us this past summer on our way up to Collata Anisclo, an 8,000-plus-foot pass in the heart of the High Pyrenees along the northern tip of Spain's Aragon region.

Daughter Cate is long gone from the nest, but in August, my wife, Margaret, and I set off on the GR 11 from the same Spanish village where we ended the trip 19 years ago. In addition to finally using those surplus maps, the two of us were going to find out to what extent we had endured.

In truth, there was another, more powerful force pulling us back. The Pyrenees, that massive chain of soaring peaks separating Spain and France, offer the walker a constantly changing mix of visual pleasures. Nineteenth-century explorer Henry Russell was downright lyrical on the subject: "It is to the Pyrenees that the smiles of the artist and the heart of the poet will always turn." I'm neither artist nor poet, just an old newspaper hack, but in those intervening 19 years, I often daydreamed about taking up where we had left off.

More Information What to know before taking on the GR 11 WHEN TO GO The GR 11 guidebook published by Cicerone ("The GR11 Trail: La Senda: Through the Spanish Pyrenees," $19.15) warns that snow can be a problem in the passes until late June and says the best months are July, August and September, though even then snow is not impossible at high elevations. We had no snow, but our August mornings were cold, and I was glad for gloves, a warm hat and lots of layers. The Cicerone guide - the bible for GR 11 trekkers judging by the number carrying it - includes helpful information on trip timing and logistics. GETTING THERE We flew to Barcelona, which has bus service to a number of villages in the High Pyrenees near the GR 11. The bus we took - part of the Alosa/Avanza system - departed from the city's Diagonal terminal (next to the train station). Advance tickets are advisable in the busy vacation months and can be purchased online; alosa.avanzabus.com/index.jsp. WHAT DIRECTION TO TAKE Guidebook author Brian Johnson recommends doing the GR 11 west to east, in part to put the prevailing weather at your back, but also because he says the most difficult descents are encountered east to west. We ran across others like us who were walking a portion of the route on an east-west course. But the few end-to-enders we met were eastbound. ACCOMODATIONS Overnight facilities along the GR 11 vary widely in creature comforts and price. Our stay at the basic Refugio de Estos, including dinner, breakfast and snacks, cost about $104 for the two of us. At the luxurious Parador de Bielsa, the charge was around $245 including a light supper, breakfast and two bagged lunches. Most facilities, including refuges, take advance reservations online, though with one exception, we just showed up and were able to get in. The exception was Parador de Bielsa; we called a day ahead to reserve a room there. Most places also took credit cards but not all; the small hotel in Parzan was cash only. We carried a backpacking stove and cooking pot but found them largely unnecessary given the general availability of stores, restaurants and refuges. CAMPING Theoretically, you can spend every night on the GR 11 under some kind of roof. (In addition to refuges, hostels and hotels, there are primitive huts along the way that hikers can use in a pinch.) But that assumes a strength and speed we knew we didn't have, so we carried a tent - and were glad we did. It gave us flexibility and ease of mind. Once, for example, when our legs and the afternoon both gave out halfway up a pass, we camped on a stamp-size piece of flat near a spring. Our bedroom view that night was a glorious panorama that included Mount Perdido, the third-highest peak in the range. In addition to those posed by topography, there are some limitations on where you can pitch a tent; we passed through two national parks - Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park and Posets-Maladeta Nature Reserve - with camping restrictions. WHAT ELSE TO BRING Even if you don't camp, a sleeping bag and pad are useful in refuges. Some kind of water purification device is also advisable; there are too many sheep and cows around to trust even the most seemingly pristine water source. The guidebook includes maps and elevation charts, but we also carried large-scale walking maps from the Spanish publisher Editorial Alpina. SAFETY Thunderstorms are the big concern in summer, especially above the tree line. Margaret, whose respect for the danger of lightning is robust, insisted we cut short one day and camp in the woods instead of pressing on into open country. That storm did not materialize, but one did the day before - a doozy that went on for hours; luckily, we were near a refuge when it started. The folks who run the refuges are helpful with weather predictions. We also consulted online forecasts when WiFi was available. See More Collapse

Almost daily, the High Pyrenees trekker makes his or her way through a valley village of small stone houses, up green pastures punctuated by patches of blue wolfsbane and streaks of cascading streams, and then up more steeply across the gray scree to a notch in a wall, usually of limestone or granite, but always with a top-of-the-world view. The distant peaks may be a glistening white if the sun is shining or dark, even forbidding if it is not. The whining of the wind, the whistle of a marmot and an occasional bleat from sheep somewhere in the distance are the only sounds.

It is a magnificent experience and a challenging one. Not as tall as the better known - and more heavily visited - Alps to the north, the Pyrenees nevertheless are plenty steep and rugged, especially for someone with crying knees. Mine were absolutely bawling as we inched up the almost impossible Anisclo incline - almost impossible for us but not for Franco, the speedy Italian who inquired about our age as he zipped by.

Maybe it was our less-than-rapid pace - indeed, the use here of "pace" is debatable - that informed his question; no doubt Margaret's white hair and the scarcity of mine contributed. The answer, which we gladly shared with our new and fast-disappearing acquaintance, was that I was at the tail end of my 73rd year and Margaret was early in her 72nd.

The Pyrenees stretch a little over 250 miles from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. But the GR 11 covers twice that distance as it twists and turns to find gaps and avoid summits. It's part of Europe's GR network of long-distance footpaths, GR for Grande Randonnee in French, Gran Recorrido in Spanish, meaning great excursion or tour.

Except for one brief skip across the French border and a short section in semi-independent Andorra, the GR 11 is entirely in Spain, running from near the resort city of San Sebastian on the Atlantic to the Mediterranean shore of Catalonia at Cap de Creus, mainland Spain's easternmost point. The High Pyrenees, where we were, cover the trail's 235-mile middle section. Peaks there top 9,000 feet, and hikers cross a 7,000-plus-foot pass almost daily.

Not to confuse things, there is also a GR along the Pyrenees' French side - GR 10. It's a bit longer than the Spanish version but not as rough, according to Brian Johnson, author of guidebooks on both for the British publisher Cicerone. Johnson makes two other comparisons of interest to anyone weighing the options: GR 11 is generally sunnier and drier, and spends more time above the tree line. Neither requires technical climbing know-how or equipment - just some stamina and, every now and then, free hands. On particularly steep ups and downs, I needed all four extremities and would have welcomed a fifth. Hiking poles were definitely a must.

We started last summer's trip - and ended our previous one - in Benasque, an attractive tourist village not far from Aneto and Posets, the Pyrenees' two highest peaks. The bus ride there was itself an adventure. The first leg from Barcelona to Barbastro was uneventful. But the second into the mountains was on a narrow, sharply curving road, and as we were going up, one large, heavily loaded truck after another was coming down. That our driver and his co-pilot managed to get past each without a scratch seemed a small miracle, and that they did it in continuing good humor a large one. It definitely took both of them, one inside slowly turning the wheel, the other outside negotiating with the oncoming trucker and measuring inches between vehicles.

We picked up the GR 11 just north of Benasque, and had an easy walk up to the Refugio de Estos, one of the route's numerous backcountry hostels offering meals and overnight accommodations. Like the refuges scattered through the Alps, these are informal, lively establishments but on the spartan side, which is to say you can expect to be packed away for the night on a wooden platform in a tightly spaced dormitory - a little too cozy for us claustrophobics. One fellow sufferer, a Dutch backpacker, showed me his coping strategy: Bose headphones that numbed him through the night with musical meditations.

We carried a tent and used it five of our 10 nights out, our other accommodations ranging from a small hotel to a fancy parador. But when a storm threatens, as it did that first afternoon, a refuge - no matter how sardinelike - is a welcome sight. Given that we arrived at the facility in prime vacation season without reservations, we were lucky to get in for the night.

Thankfully, the storm turned out to be merely raindrops, and the next morning the sun was out in force as we headed up to our first pass, the Puerto de Chistau at 8,438 feet. As throughout the GR system, the GR 11 is blazed with red and white stripes painted on rocks and trees. Where there are no such surfaces - only loose dirt and stones, as on the approach to Chistau - there are cairns to show the way. We had serious trouble divining the trail at only one spot: a high pasture where a herd of summering cows had obliterated the waymarks.

Conquering Chistau boosted our confidence, which was promptly shaken by the descent. As with a number of passes, the terrain was rockier and steeper on the downside. But I don't want to overemphasize the physical difficulties. We spent much of the trip tramping contentedly along forested valley paths and shaded farm tracks. Cruising down the gently sloping pasture above the deep Ordesa Canyon in the soft, late afternoon sunlight was bliss itself. The next day, we would descend to the canyon floor and into the throng of tourists attracted by this spectacular chasm. But up here, on top of the canyon walls, it was just the two of us - and sheep, hundreds of them.

Our end-of-trip stats won't knock you over: In 10 days we covered 77 miles. But, as they say, who's counting? We had learned 19 years earlier about expectations and this time had none, at least not for distance. The only requirement was to end up somewhere with enough time to get back to Barcelona for our flight home. That turned out to be a resort complex five miles north of Panticosa, a mountain village with bus connections south to the major city of Huesca.

Rather than mileage, our main goal was internal: to find out if we had endured sufficiently to complete a Pyrenees trek, whatever the length. Simply put, could we do it? The answer, we concluded the final night at a celebratory dinner in our hotel above Panticosa, was a resounding yes. To experience the High Pyrenees and emerge exhausted but whole - that is the very definition of success.
Carolyn Randall is enthralled by words. She's been so as long as her 90-year-old memory can recall.

Decades before she'd create the Texas State Library's audiobook recording studio, a project that has helped thousands of blind and impaired people, Randall was a bookworm growing up in Champaign, Illinois. She read historical fiction and scripts by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

"I was a slow reader," said Randall, now a Houston resident. "I paid attention to each word."

She majored in speech at the University of Illinois, but she was unsure how she would apply her skills. She worked as a radio DJ for some time. The wife of an Army lieutenant, Randall and her husband, Howard, moved several times before settling in Houston in the 1950s.

Shortly after, Randall heard that the University of Houston needed help to record audiobooks. She began volunteering weekly.

In the late 1960s, Robert Levy founded what was then Taping for the Blind, a Houston audiobook and radio program now called Sight into Sound. The news made its way to Randall, who, upon hearing it, remembered an uncle who had once said he needed audiobooks while recovering from cataract surgery. She had an idea.

"I thought, 'I can do this in an even better way than at the University of Houston,'" Randall said. "That's how I really got started."

She stayed with the program for about 10 years before moving with Howard to Austin.

Living in the capitol meant an opportunity to volunteer at the state library. Randall couldn't pass it up. She began with small tasks, "filing whatever they needed," she said. But she quickly cultivated relationships. She also noticed there was no state-sponsored studio to record audiobooks. The library's Talking Book Program had for decades used an audiobooks archive provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. But no state resource existed for audiobooks and authors specific to Texas.

Randall lobbied for funding to outfit a room with recording booths. Volunteers were recruited, and the studio was born in 1978, with Randall as its director.

"We all knew long ago that Carolyn was a woman of words," said Barbara Hornbeck, a longtime friend. "She was just so interested in words and books and readings much more so than the regular person. That program was natural for her."

Almost 40 years later, more than 5,000 titles (books, magazines, etc.) have been recorded at the studio, which in total has a collection of more than 10,000 titles in multiple languages. The studio has about 100 volunteers, and it services roughly 18,000 blind and impaired people statewide. It also offers some books in braille.

It's a program that runs off little funding and is barely known to the public. But to those who have needed its service  the many whose physical abilities have failed them  it's changed everything. Inside the small operation that is the Talking Book Program, Randall is a legend.

"The most common thing we hear from our patrons is the phrase, 'lifeline,'" said S. Miles Lewis, a successor of Randall's studio. "This program provides materials that makes their lives so much better. If she hadn't founded it, I don't know who would've."

Randall left the program in the late 1990s. She and Howard moved back to the Houston area about six years ago.

Howard developed macular degeneration in his eyes, so he, too, began using the program Randall spent about 20 years refining. Howard died in 2012, and Randall has been living at the Parkway Place, a senior living residence in west Houston.

Words continue to captivate her days. Randall is the residence's librarian and leader of its book club.

There's irony in all she's accomplished. While she's aided many, she's most grateful about the help they've given her: The chance to keep words alive  even when barriers exist.

"The program," Randall said, "was one of the most rewarding things in my life."





Bookmark Gray Matters. It pays attention to each word.
If policymakers want to tackle the most common chronic condition among children, theyll have to tackle inequality first.

That's the takeaway from a pair of studies out of Rice University analyzing how neighborhood-level disadvantage affects asthma diagnosis in Houston.

"We know some of the physiological components of asthma," explained Justin Denney, co-author on both studies and director of the Urban Health Program, part of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. "But it's also complicated from a social [and] economic exposure to environment perspective. That adds this whole other layer of complexity."

Even as childhood asthma rates appear to be flat nationally  or maybe even declining  large disparities still exist. Nationally, 13 percent of black children have asthma compared to 7 percent of white children, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. People living in poverty also more likely to be diagnosed with asthma.

Similar disparities exist in the Houston area, according to the new studies, which were supported by Houston Endowment.

Researchers found, for example, that children in the Houston area with public insurance, often used as a proxy for low socioeconomic status, were 21 percent more likely to have asthma than children with private insurance. Meanwhile, 4 percent of white and Asian children here had asthma diagnoses, compared to 13 percent of black and 7 percent of Hispanic children.

"Houston is particularly interesting for our question because we're really interested in the racial disparities observed in asthma and bringing in the neighborhood environment," said Mackenzie Brewer, co-author on one of the new papers that examines asthma diagnoses.* "It's a pretty unique opportunity in Houston, just because of the diversity we have."

In one study co-authored by Brewer and five others, researchers looked at the zip codes of children diagnosed with asthma to determine whether neighborhood disadvantage  a combination of poverty, unemployment, the percentage of households receiving public assistance and the percentage of female-headed households with children  and the racial composition or relative segregation of a neighborhood, were tied to higher asthma rates. They also looked at neighborhood pollution, with two different measures of air quality.

They found children living in economically and socially disadvantaged neighborhoods tended to have higher asthma rates. However, researchers also suggested there were likely other factors at play as well that were not specifically captured in their measures but likely related to them: things like exposure to violence or crime, safety concerns and other health-damaging chronic sources of stress.

"Aspects of neighborhood environment certainly did matter," explained Brewer. "That said, the disparity was still very high  black children were still over twice as likely to receive a diagnosis than white children  after we [controlled for] those neighborhood factors."

In a separate study,** working with similar data, researchers went a step further, categorizing zip codes into three distinct neighborhoods types  advantaged, middle class and disadvantaged  using even more neighborhood-level data, including median income and the median age of houses. But the results here were similarly complicated. So while neighborhood differences mattered, they didn't explain as much as was expected, said Ashley Kranjac, co-author of that study.

Across the three neighborhood types, Kranjac and the other researchers found, that "African American children, compared to white children, experienced a higher probability of asthma diagnosis...but the more disadvantaged the neighborhood, the larger the difference."

But Kranjac said that trend may also be related to systemic disadvantage. Without more robust individual-level data from the hospital records, she said, individual inputs, like whether a house has central heating, how often a kid is able to leave his or her neighborhood for extracurricular activities and whether air quality at a child's school is better than at home, it's difficult to account for those potential disadvantages as well.

"While those racial disparities are still pretty stark," said Kranjac, "we do show that neighborhoods matter. We have to have continued and sustained efforts to understand how the neighborhoods kids are living in will affect their life outcomes."

Both studies point to the fact that "there are disparities because of the social economic inequalities in society," added Denney. "If we deal with educational disparities, if we deal with poverty, if we deal with those issues, we're actually dealing with health issues," he explained. "We think these underlying issues are fundamental drivers of the problem."

* "Does neighborhood social and environmental context impact race/ethnic disparities in childhood asthma?" Mackenzie Brewer, Rachel Tolbert Kimbro, Justin T. Denney, Kristin M. Osiecki, Brady Moffett, Keila Lopez.

** "Comprehensive Neighborhood Portraits and Child Asthma Disparities" Ashley W. Kranjac, Rachel T. Kimbro, Justin T. Denney, Kristin M. Osiecki, Brady S. Moffett, Keila N. Lopez.





Leah Binkovitz (@leahbink), formerly of the Houston Chronicle, is now a staff writer for Rice University's Kinder Institute. This story originally appeared on the Kinder Institute's blog, The Urban Edge.

Bookmark Gray Matters. It's complicated from a social and economic exposure-to-environment perspective.


This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Myron Whatley's cardiologist told him there was no other option: A year after a heart attack, Whatley needed to have a valve in his heart repaired, and that meant a cardiac surgeon would need to crack open his rib cage to operate. It would take up to two months to recover, the doctor said, and he'd probably need a strong narcotic to cope with the pain.

For days, the prognosis haunted Whatley, a 53-year-old manager at a Houston shipping company. He lay awake at night, dreading what awaited him.

Then, in late February, he met the surgeon he'd been referred to at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, and everything changed: "We're not going to do that," Dr. Joseph Lamelas told him.

Instead, Lamelas said he would cut only a 2-inch hole between two of Whatley's ribs. He'd use special tools to repair his leaking mitral valve and strengthen his heart. Then he'd stitch him up and send him on his way. Whatley would be on his feet in a day or two and back to work in two or three weeks, Lamelas said.

"I felt like a kid at Christmas," Whatley said hours after the meeting. "I've been worried to death about this surgery until today."

Lamelas, a pioneer of minimally invasive heart surgery, is new in Houston. So new, it seems, even some of the area's cardiologists aren't aware of what he can do.

***

Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle

The morning after meeting Lamelas, Whatley lay unconscious on a surgical table at St. Luke's.

"Let's get started," Lamelas said.

He made a small cut to the right side of Whatley's chest. "That's it," Lamelas said, as a resident physician peered over his shoulder. "The incision is about the length of your index finger, maybe a little shorter."

Lamelas came to Baylor College of Medicine in January, leaving behind his practice of more than 20 years in Miami, where he'd established himself as one of the busiest  if not the busiest  cardiac surgeons in the world. He was performing more than 700 operations a year, the vast majority of them through small incisions using surgical tools that he helped design.

"This is one I developed," Lamelas said, holding up a small metal device before placing it into the opening in Whatley's chest. He uses the "soft-tissue retractor" to pry open incisions, creating a circular opening to operate through.

"That's better than a sternotomy," Lamelas said, referring to the traditional open-chest approach. "Much better for the patient."

Research increasingly shows minimally invasive techniques result in shorter recovery times and fewer complications, but heart surgeons have been slow to adapt. In Houston, where Drs. Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley helped usher in the modern age of heart surgery 60 years ago, only a few cardiac surgeons routinely use minimally invasive techniques. The operations, although easier on patients, are often more challenging for surgeons.

Dr. Mahesh Ramchandani, a heart surgeon at Houston Methodist Hospital, has specialized in small-incision operations for the past several years. He said he welcomes Lamelas' arrival at a rival Texas Medical Center institution.

"The problem is cardiac surgery is so mired in tradition, it's difficult to move the needle," said Ramchandani, who next month is hosting an international seminar on the advantages of minimally invasive heart surgery. "Joe (Lamelas) is a friend, and Joe coming to Houston is a good thing. I think it's going to make other surgeons sit up and realize they'd better learn how to do this if we want to do the best for our patients."

Lamelas has completed more than 5,000 minimally invasive surgeries over the past 15 years, he said, pushing himself to take on ever more complex operations. He does minimally invasive valve replacements. Minimally invasive double-valve replacements. Minimally invasive triple-valve replacements. Minimally invasive bypass surgeries.

"Some of the operations he does  for example, replacing the aorta through those tiny incisions  I think you can probably count on one hand the number of surgeons in the world who can do that," said Dr. Todd Rosengart, chairman of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. "That's why we brought him here."

***

Lamelas was born in Cuba in 1960. Three years later, his family fled the communist regime, landing in South Florida aboard a Red Cross boat. They lived in poverty, sharing a home with two other families in exile. His baby brother slept in a dresser drawer; for Christmas gifts one year, his parents bought a single bag of tiny green soldiers and divided them up among the three children.

His father emphasized the importance of education, something he said no government could take away. Lamelas, determined to become a heart surgeon, went to medical school in the Dominican Republic because he couldn't afford to attend a U.S. program. He returned to Miami after his residency in Brooklyn and, over the next decade, established a thriving surgical practice.

He wasn't satisfied. Around 2004, Lamelas said it struck him that he needed to do something to differentiate himself. Something to help move the field forward.

Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle

"At the time, some cardiac surgeons were dabbling in minimally invasive approaches, but it was somewhat controversial because the results were not good," Lamelas said. "But I saw the potential."

He traveled the country to learn from surgeons who'd developed the first minimally invasive techniques and then worked to improve them. He began offering minimally invasive valve surgery to high-risk patients  those who were too frail for a traditional open-chest operation.

"I applied the technique to those patients and saw they were doing quite well," Lamelas said. "So I started offering it to lower-risk patients. Then I expanded it to double-valve operations. Then triple-valve. And it's just grown from there."

Soon surgeons from across the world were coming to Miami to learn from Lamelas, he said. About 700 of them have spent time observing in his operating room, he said, but because most only stay for a day or two, only a small number of surgeons have incorporated the techniques.

One of those who made a pilgrimage a decade ago to learn from him: Rosengart, who later became the head of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. He called Lamelas last year "on a lark," he said, and asked if he was interested in making a move.

"I sit in the seat that Dr. Michael DeBakey used to sit in, and I think about all the greats who have been here," Rosengart said. "Whenever we're hiring, we're looking for people to make sure we're continuing to move the field forward, and Dr. Lamelas very much fits the bill."

Lamelas was ready for a change. By going to work at a prestigious medical school, he said, he hopes to develop even better surgical techniques, test them in the lab at Texas Heart Institute and then pass them on to a new generation of surgeons studying at Baylor.

He brought part of his team from Miami with him: Marcos Garcia Salas is his lead surgical assistant, and his wife, Shay Lamelas, is a nurse practitioner in his office.

"We're going to turn Houston into a world center for minimally invasive cardiac surgery," Lamelas said.

***

An hour after making the small incision in Whatley's chest, Lamelas had cleared a path through the opening, giving him access to the patient's damaged mitral valve.

"Long DeBakey," Lamelas said, calling for a modified pair of forceps named for the famous Houston surgeon who developed them. Only, this pair is 12-inches long, giving Lamelas the reach needed to operate through the narrow opening.

"You can't do these operations with conventional instruments," Lamelas said, looking back at the surgical resident. "The longer tools require extra precision. If you have any little tremor in your hand, any little move that's not accurate, it's going to be translated disproportionately on the other end."

He was performing what became a signature operation in Miami: The Ring and Sling. After separating the ribs, he removes excess valve tissue and inserts a synthetic ring to support the repair, preventing blood from backflowing into the left atrium and lungs. Then he inserts a plastic tube that serves as a sling, strengthening the weakened left ventricle.

Whatley's case was more challenging than expected. Scar tissue from his heart attack was obstructing Lamelas' view of the valve.

"I don't have a great visual," he said. "But I've done this before."

Within a few hours, Lamelas was done. The medical team removed Whatley from the heart-lung machine, which had pumped oxygenated blood through his body while Lamelas operated, and nurses wheeled Whatley into the intensive care unit for recovery.

He wouldn't stay there long. Three days later, he was discharged from the hospital. He took a painkiller that day, he said, but realized later he didn't need it.

Three weeks later, Whatley is walking four miles a day and is preparing to go back to work. At a follow-up appointment with his cardiologist last week, he raved about Lamelas.

"I'm telling everyone about this one," Whatley said. "I felt like I hit the lottery by walking into that man's office."

___

Mike Hixenbaugh writes about health care and medicine for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send him tips at mike.hixenbaugh@chron.com.
Submitted

A Cleveland teen, missing since March 5, is being considered a runaway. Yamilex Alanis, 15, went missing from her home on the 9000 block of Faulkner Road in Montgomery County.

"She left behind a handwritten note that said she was leaving and going to Mexico with her boyfriend," said Lt. Scott Spencer with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
LIPSCOMB - "It's been a wild 2017," Willis Smith was telling me last Sunday as we waited for a cowboy church service to begin at the Wolf Creek Heritage Museum. Smith, county judge of Lipscomb County since 1987, had in mind, first, a Jan. 15 ice storm that left area farmers and ranchers without power for 12 days. That storm may have been costly and inconvenient to residents of one of the most sparsely settled regions of the state, but it was mere prelude to what happened a few days ago.

At least three wildfires fanned by 70 mph winds swept across nearly a million acres in six Panhandle counties and in nearby Oklahoma and Kansas. Six people, including four Texans, lost their lives. Ranchers have lost thousands of cattle, not to mention grass and forage for those that survived. People have lost their homes, their belongings, their family treasures, "all those things you've worked so hard for," cowboy preacher Frank Johnson reminded his impromptu congregation of about 40. (Johnson, a truck driver from Dekalb in northeast Texas, had arrived in Lipscomb a few days earlier with donated hay, fence posts and barbed wire.)

Tiny sprigs of green grass already are thrusting up through mile after mile of ugly gray ash blanketing the fields, pastures and rugged ravines, but the burned-out houses, downed fences and pastures bereft of cattle are mute evidence of the enormous task ahead. "It'll be a long time before we recover," Laurie Brown, longtime editor of the Canadian Record, told me.

More Information How to help For information about donations, go to www.facebook.com/canadiantx or call 806/323-6234. See More Collapse

As a newspaper guy, I was embarrassed to tell my old friend I had barely heard about the fire, the third-largest in Texas history, but she's used to fellow Texans ignoring her part of the state. Canadian, the Hemphill County seat, is in the far northeast corner of the Panhandle; Lipscomb County is the farthest east of the top tier of counties. The nearest town of any size is not Amarillo to the south, but Liberal, Kansas.

Smith said he got a call the other day from Gov. Greg Abbott offering the state's assistance, the first time he's heard from a Texas governor during his 30 years in office. Abbott declared a state of disaster in six counties, including Lipscomb.

'The perfect storm'

The fires started when power lines, perhaps weakened by the ice storm, brushed against each other, and sparks ignited the dry vegetation below. The Panhandle, like most of Texas, has had ample rain the past couple of seasons, so brush was thicker than usual. A dry winter, low humidity, high winds and unseasonably hot weather - 99 degrees last weekend - created what Smith described as "the perfect storm."

Small volunteer fire departments that usually come to the aid of each other were battling their own fires. Local firefighters worked 36 hours at a stretch, until the Texas A&M Fire Service sent in crews from around the state.

"We've been ranching since the turn of the last century, but we'd never lost cattle to fire," said Lance Bussard, 61. This time, more than 60 of his cattle were incinerated.

"Everything these days is just more extreme," he said.

Bussard's wife Tanja arrived in the Panhandle from the Black Forest region of Germany in 2003. She was photographing cowboys in the American West for her university dissertation. "I was just so impressed and touched by the people here," she said a few days ago. Plus, she met Lance, who guessed the blond young woman was an insurance agent when she walked through the doors of the Alamo Saloon, Lipscomb's one and only drinking establishment (now owned by the Bussards).

Tanja Bussard said that when she and her husband saw the billowing, black smoke some distance away, they thought they had time to herd their cattle to a bare spot of ground and drive to Canadian to pick up their son Ben, 7, who had gone home with friends after school.

"We never dreamed it was going to be that monstrous, that big, that fast," she said. It was mid-afternoon, and she was on foot herding cattle when embers began falling around her and a wave of heat nearly knocked her down. "You lose your orientation," she said. "You have seconds to think and then you panic. I just lay down, and then I saw two headlights coming toward me through the smoke. It was Lance."

Heavy losses

Jackie and Garlon Rogers were in Amarillo, where Garlon's 86-year-old brother Billy was scheduled for surgery the next day. When they got word that the fire, faster even than fleeing deer, had jumped the Canadian River and was threatening their place, they decided they had to drive back. They ended up losing acres of grass, miles of fencing (at probably $10,000 a mile to replace) and an old tractor that was Garlon's favorite. "I've had it since '84," he told me over dinner with Canadian friends last Sunday night. "I kept it up, in good shape. It meant a lot to me."

Garlon also lost his big brother while he and Jackie were home battling the fire. He died a day after surgery. "We partnered for about 40 years," Garlon said.

Jackie took me aside. "With all this going on, Garlon just hasn't had time to grieve," she said.

Everyone I talked to this week had a story to tell. Everyone I talked to wanted me to know they were fine, that they were well aware others were less fortunate.

They were thinking of a young couple who were overcome while rounding up cattle near the little town of McLean. Cody Crockett was 20, Sydney Wallace, 23. Their fresh faces still smile on Facebook. Their bodies and that of a friend, Sloan Everett, 35, were found close to one another.

They were thinking of 25-year-old Cade Koch, who worked at a lumberyard in Canadian and whose wife, Sierra, is expecting their first child. Rushing home to be with his desperately worried wife 25 miles away in Lipscomb, he drove his pickup around a highway barrier and was overwhelmed by the flames. "He was known for being shy and having a sweet spirit," his Canadian Record obituary read.

"People here are not used to asking for help, expecting help," Tanja Bussard said. "If something goes wrong, you fix it and go on."

Scorched livestock

These days, they're having to get used to it. Truckloads of donated hay, pallets of barbed wire and thousands of new T-posts are arriving from around the state, as well as financial contributions from around the nation. Ranchers from West Texas and beyond laid aside their own work and showed up to load cattle and truck them to pasture elsewhere. They loaded carcasses and hauled them off to the nearest packing plant. They doctored the survivors' burned hooves and ears, the scorched udders of heifers unable to feed newborn calves.

Maelie Womack, 12, drove up with her mother Chloe and two friends from Seminole, 300 miles southwest of Canadian, to help Steve and Linda Rader replace miles of fencing. (The Womacks and the Raders had never met.) After a day and a half of hard work, the visitors drove to Houston, where Maelie was showing her pig at the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo.

Don't be reluctant to accept the help of others, preacher Johnson urged his congregants last Sunday. "It's a blessing to the helper," he reminded them.

The preacher prayed for rain. Rain to wash away the ashes, to cover the scorched earth. He prayed for a bumper crop of grass, for mother cows to have calves. He prayed for the land to heal, for broken hearts to heal.

And the people said amen.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has told the University of Houston that he will not accept the $40,000 to speak at the campus's spring commencement, the university said Thursday.

His contract initially called for the university to pay $40,000 for the 25-minute address.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Freedom from Religion Foundation has filed a rare federal lawsuit against a sitting justice of the peace, claiming he is violating the First Amendment's separation of church and state by holding a prayer meeting before court each day.

The nonprofit foundation is joined in filing the suit by three people - a Christian lawyer, a lawyer who is not affiliated with a religion and an atheist who is not a lawyer but appeared before the judge  who say they felt pressured to participate in the morning prayer before Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack.

The suit says Mack locks the courtroom door for an invocation, monitors the body language of people who stay, and notices who leaves court before the prayer or knocks to re-enter after it. No other JPs hold prayer sessions or lock their courtrooms during business hours, according to the suit.

Mack's use of prayer meetings and the chaplains he invites to lead them were upheld in a challenge before the Texas Judicial Conduct Commission, which rarely sanctions a judge.

More for you AG opinion OKs courtroom prayer, chaplaincy program

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also issued an opinion upholding the prayers, and said this week that Mack is following legal precedent.

"Judge Mack is fully complying with the Constitution by adhering to the model for opening prayers the Supreme Court endorsed just a few years ago," Paxton said in a news release. "The Freedom from Religion Foundation's quest to expunge any vestige of religion from public life flies in the face of the Supreme Court's holdings."

The courtroom participants who sued in federal court offer a different take on the facts. They say the judge, in his official capacity, has given an "unambiguous impression" that he endorses "religion over non-religion and Christianity over all other faiths."

"Judge Mack hypocritically touts the idea of religious freedom while simultaneously impinging on the religious freedom of those in his courtroom," said Sam Grover, lead attorney for the plaintiffs at Freedom from Religion, a Wisconsin nonprofit founded in the 1970s that advocates for the separation of church and state.

The two lawyers and the county resident say they sued under pseudonyms to protect the outcomes of present and future cases before Mack, who majored in theology and has spoken publicly about including more religion in the public sector.

At a 2014, Faith & Freedom Prayer Breakfast, which doubled as a fundraising event, Mack was recorded on video pledging his commitment to impartiality but noting that "there is no reason as an elected official that I have to be ashamed to declare to this crowd and anybody listening that as the Justice of the Peace I will bring the Prince of Peace to work with me every day," according to the suit.

Mack, who presides over minor misdemeanor cases and civil disputes, declined to comment Wednesday, deferring to Hiram Sasser, an attorney with the First Liberty Institute, a Plano-based law firm that focuses on First Amendment and church-state issues, who represented him before the judicial commission.

Sasser said the concerns raised in the lawsuit have been addressed by Paxton's opinion and the state judicial commission conclusion.

"Those arguments have been made before," he said. "They've just sort of fallen on deaf ears."

Mack started the chaplaincy program in 2014 and has asked religious leaders of various faiths - Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Mormon and Church of Christian Science - to give the invocation. An atheist asked to participate but did not show up for training, according to a statement from the First Liberty Institute.

Since the hearing before the judicial commission, Mack has added a sign outside the courtroom to clarify that people who do not want to participate in the pledge of allegiance or the prayer do not have to leave the room, and that the justice now keeps his eyes closed and head down during the prayer, according to the statement.

The Supreme Court has addressed the question of prayers by government entities twice, upholding the prayer practices in both cases. The first involved a legislative body in Nebraska and the second a town council in Greece, New York.

Grover, who represents the Montgomery County plaintiffs, said he plans to argue in Houston that the 2014 Greece ruling does not apply to courtroom prayer.

"It's a different situation where people are compelled by law or practical means to come before a judge for official business," he said. " Our local plaintiffs have felt coercive pressure to participate in the prayers because it's a judge endorsing them."

Douglas Laycock, a professor of religious liberty at the University of Virginia's law school, who argued before the Supreme Court in the Greece case, said he thinks Mack's prayer meeting is unconstitutional, but added, "It's not a slam dunk."

The high court has found that government-sponsored prayers in school are unconstitutional, but they are acceptable as a prelude to open legislative sessions as a matter of tradition.

Paul Horwitz, a law professor at the University of Alabama School of Law who wrote, "The Agnostic Age: Law, Religion, and the Constitution," said the judge's conduct appears to violate the constitution.

"There is very little reason to think this practice, if it is accurately described by the plaintiffs, would be upheld by any federal court consistently following the law of the Establishment Clause," he said. "Even if the judge has the best of intentions, the courtroom is a far cry from the legislative chamber or council meeting room."

The Montgomery County litigants are seeking a straightforward remedy: they want a federal judge in Houston to eliminate the prayer before court.
After eight straight years of boom - adding more new residents than any county in the nation - Harris County in 2016 felt some of the oil bust's sting.

The county gained a total of about 56,600 people last year, a decline of 37 percent from the previous year, placing it behind Arizona's Maricopa County, which added nearly 81,400 new residents.

The decline was largely attributable to the fact that for the first time in years more people - about 16,000 - left Harris County than moved here from elsewhere in the country, according to Census data released Thursday.

Despite the losses, Harris County held on to its No. 2 position in the nation in overall growth thanks to the number of people moving here from abroad and the number of births.

The greater Houston region, which includes The Woodlands and Sugar Land, also saw the total number of new residents fall by about 21 percent to just over 125,000 in 2016, the lowest in at least the last four years.

The slowing growth after furious - and once seemingly endless - expansion is likely a reflection of the tumbling oil prices that caused losses of more than 81,000 oil and gas jobs in the metropolitan area over the past two years, according to U.S. Labor Department statistics released this month.

"I expected the numbers to come in a lot lower," said Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president of research for the Greater Houston Partnership, an economic development organization. "That we had any in-migration when the region was losing jobs is remarkable."

He said the surge in foreign residents could include Americans who were laid off from oil and gas companies with operations abroad or those who returned to the Houston head offices as corporations cut cost.

"But frankly, people are still coming here, and it makes no difference, they see it as a place of opportunity regardless of the oil and gas industry," Jankowski said. "After a while it starts to feed on itself.  the international community is so large here that it's going to continue to grow regardless of what's happening elsewhere in the economy."

Immigration benefits

State demographer Lloyd Potter said Houston's population growth is also powered by its high birth rates, especially among its young, rapidly expanding Hispanic population.

"The net out domestic migration was pretty substantial," Potter said. "That's kind of impressive, to still have the second-highest numeric growth. You would have expected it to slip a little more than that."

Stephen Klineberg, a Rice University sociology professor and founding director of its Kinder Institute for Urban Research, pointed to the fate of other cities that have seen similar dramatic job declines such as Detroit, where Wayne County last year lost about 7,700 residents, the most in the nation after Chicago's Cook County. Michigan's Republican governor, Rick Snyder, has in the past called for more visas for high-skilled immigrants for the Detroit area, citing the population losses and need for an economic jump-start.

"This is a powerful reminder of how much Houston benefits from immigration," Klineberg said.

Harris County saw a net growth of about 28,000 residents from abroad last year, and the Greater Houston metro region gained about 35,000, a 5 and 7 percent decline, respectively, from the previous year.

That growth helped offset a nearly 200 percent decline in the number of people moving here from elsewhere in the U.S.

In 2015, 17,000 people moved to Harris County from other parts of the country. But last year about 16,000 more people left the county than relocated here. In the greater Houston area, about 28,100 more people came here from elsewhere in the country last year than left.

"Domestic migration is still largely based on oil and gas," Klineberg said.

The slight decline in population growth, rather than an abysmal crash, signals that Houston has managed to diversify its economy more so than during previous oil busts, he said.

"Houston's not going to boom in the absence of oil and gas, but it's also not going to collapse," Klineberg said. "We're moving more into a steady state of equilibrium."

Harris County remained the country's third largest county, after Los Angeles and Cook counties, with 4.6 million people.

"No. 2 is not all that bad. Harris County is still having substantial growth and the state is still booming," said Steve Murdock, a former Census Bureau director who heads the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University. "I don't think this is any indication of a long-term pattern of decline for Houston. When gas and oil comes back, we will see that kind of development come back."

'A good lull'

Elsewhere in the state, Texas continued its trademark roar of growth. Fort Worth's Tarrant County, San Antonio's Bexar County, and Dallas County also made the top 10 counties boasting the largest numeric population gain last year.

Hays, Kendall and Comal counties in the Hill Country were among the 10 most rapidly growing areas in the nation by percentage growth. Among metro regions, Austin-Round Rock expanded the fastest in the state, growing by nearly 3 percent to more than 2 million residents last year.

Amy McGee, a Houston realtor who works with relocation agencies moving Exxon Mobil and other oil and gas companies, said the number of people moving here from elsewhere has slowed, but it's still steady.

"It's not like we're taking a hit, but it's not the raging market we have seen for the past two or three years," she said. "Now is the optimal time to buy.  It's a lull rather than a dip, but it's a good lull."

Jankowski, from the Greater Houston Partnership, said his organization forecasts about 29,700 jobs will be created this year, about half of the long-term average. He expects it to start picking up in 2018.

But he sees two bright takeaways. Even slight population growth can help boost the economy as more consumers buy products.

Also, he said, the slowdown, "does give you a chance to catch your breath, to absorb all this growth."
Houston ISD school board trustees voted 5-0 to allow embattled Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services Sowmya Kumar to resign Thursday following a Chronicle investigation that found she and her staff set an arbitrary cap on the number of students who could receive special education services in the district.

Kumar had been with the district since 2010. Four trustees  including Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Diana Davila, Manuel Rodriguez and Jolanda Jones - missed the vote. Trustees discussed the resignation in an executive session that was closed to the public and did not offer comments on Kumar before they voted to accept her departure.

Trustees and others have been calling for Kumar's removal since a Dec. 27 Chronicle story detailed how her department pressured schools to identify few students as having special needs and to provide few with services.

Denied: Read the series that casts light on how Texas treats its special education students

A presentation created by Kumar and her staff in January 2012 showed one of their goals was to keep the percentage of students with disabilities at 8 percent of the district's total enrollment, and special education enrollment in HISD eventually dipped to 7.4 percent, records show. About 13 percent of students nationally are identified as disabled and receive special education services.

After the Chronicle story was published, Kumar wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Education saying the district's special education work and goals were mischaracterized.

"When possible, we strive to avoid labeling children because research shows that the 'special education' designation can carry an unfair stigma in our society that can harm a child," Kumar wrote. "The decline in HISD's special education population resulted from an intentional decision to more thoughtfully address the needs of students who, in the past, would have been labeled under special education. In HISD, we believe that serving children should be our goal, not putting a label on them."

Kumar's 8 percent cap was lower than the 8.5 percent cap created and pushed by the Texas Education Agency more than a decade ago. The TEA's mark saw the share of students receiving special education services fall by 32 percent, though TEA officials denied they had kept disabled students out of special education and said their guideline calling for enrollments of 8.5 percent was not a cap or a target but an "indicator" of performance by school districts.

The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation of 12 districts' special education practices in February following the Chronicle's investigation, including in Houston ISD.

Earlier this month, Houston ISD trustees finalized a special committee to review the district's special education practices. Among their first tasks is to find an independent firm to audit the district's special education department, which has not been done since 2010. The committee is slated to present its findings and recommendations to the board either at the end of this year or early in 2018.

But some board members were more blunt in their criticisms of Kumar and her department.

In a series of December emails obtained by the Chronicle, Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones wrote to other Board of Education members and HISD senior staff officials: "I don't care to listen to (Kumar) any more. I've asked on multiple occasions for something to be done about her and her department and sent many parent complaints as well as been repeatedly informed of these things by staff."

She continued, "We wouldn't be at this point if we had done right by these children instead of dismissing her arrogant posturing and allowing her to continually perpetuate these practices."
The director of special education in Houston public schools resigned Thursday in the wake of reports that the district had systematically denied services to thousands of students with disabilities.

The Houston Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Assistant Superintendent Sowmya Kumar ahead of a private committee meeting on special education.

The district did not announce a replacement for Kumar, who had been with the district since 2010.

Several officials declined to comment on the resignation, but board member Diana Davila, who has an autistic nephew and a dyslexic nephew enrolled in HISD schools, said the district is ready to examine and change the ways it identifies and provides services to disabled students.

"I have mixed feelings. We know it's an issue, and we need to work to make sure all students get the services they need - regardless if they have teachers, district staff or trustees in their families," said Davila, who missed the vote because she arrived late. Fellow board members Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Manuel Rodriguez Jr. and Jolanda Jones also were absent.

Some parents and school officials had been calling for Kumar's removal since the Houston Chronicle reported in December that her department pressured schools to lower the percentage of students receiving special education services.

Embraced cap

The Chronicle investigation found that HISD slashed hundreds of positions from the special education department, dissuaded evaluators from diagnosing disabilities until second grade and created a list of "exclusionary factors" that disqualify students from getting services, among other tactics.

Records also showed that the largest school district in Texas enthusiastically embraced a controversial state policy that has effectively capped the percentage of students allowed to receive services at 8.5 percent, driving special ed enrollments down in the state to the lowest in America by far.

As a result, only 7.3 percent of HISD students now receive special education services - a lower rate than in any other of the 50 biggest American cities other than Dallas. The four lowest cities in the country are all in Texas - Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and Arlington. Cleveland ranks first in America, with 22.5 percent of students receiving special education services, followed by Milwaukee at 20.6 percent and Boston at 20 percent.

Federal law obligates public schools to provide special education services to all eligible children with disabilities. About 13 percent of students nationally receive services.

Kumar could not be reached for comment Thursday.

After the Chronicle story was published in December, she wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Education defending the district and saying that its special education work and goals had been mischaracterized.

"The decline in HISD's special education population resulted from an intentional decision to more thoughtfully address the needs of students who, in the past, would have been labeled under special education. In HISD, we believe that serving children should be our goal, not putting a label on them," Kumar wrote.

In an interview with the Chronicle in September, before a story that revealed the controversial state policy, Kumar defended the district's low special education rate by claiming that labeling students as "special education" is harmful because teachers have lower expectations for special education students.

"If the disability label was going to produce better results for kids, then we should have all kids line up. Unfortunately, that's not the case," Kumar said, noting that special ed students score worse on standardized tests than kids without disabilities. "Special education does not deliver better outcomes for kids."

Advocates angered

That statement did little to assuage critics. In fact, it angered several advocates, including Bob Sanborn, the president of prominent education advocacy group Children at Risk, who called for Kumar to be fired.

The statement and the revelations about special education in HISD also angered several school board members, according to emails newly obtained by the Chronicle.

"I am utterly disgusted in reading this article," Davila told the other school board members and HISD administrators the day after the story ran.

Skillern-Jones was even more blunt.

"I don't care to listen to (Kumar) any more," she wrote. "I've asked on multiple occasions for something to be done about her and her department and sent many parent complaints as well as been repeatedly informed of these things by staff."

She continued, "We wouldn't be at this point if we had done right by these children instead of dismissing her arrogant posturing and allowing her to continually perpetuate these practices."

Kumar had long been a well-respected member of the state's special education community. Before coming to HISD, she had worked for the Region 4 Education Service Center, which oversees schools in the Houston area. She told the Chronicle in the September interview that she had "worked closely" with state officials on special education policies, including the controversial benchmark.

'Hope to see real changes'

State officials have now vowed to eliminate the benchmark, and the U.S. Department of Education is investigating whether students were harmed. As part of the investigation, federal officials visited HISD earlier this month.

The news of Kumar's departure came the same day as HISD launched its own internal review in earnest with the first meeting of a special committee to review the district's special education operations. Among its first tasks is to find an independent firm to audit the district's special education department, which has not been done since 2010.

The committee is slated to present its findings and recommendations to the board either at the end of this year or early in 2018.

Davila said the committee will provide something that's been long-missing in HISD's discussions about special education - parent input.

Other board members promised a transparent and comprehensive review.

Trustee Anna Eastman, who refused to comment specifically on Kumar's resignation, said the board has told HISD administration that serving and identifying all eligible students for special education is one of their priorities.

"I hope to see real changes both in the classroom and with kids," Eastman said.

Brian M. Rosenthal contributed to this report.
A team of Houston-based scientists have sequenced the complete genome of the mosquito that carries the Zika virus using a new technique that significantly lessens the cost and the time it takes to solve genetic mysteries.

The team's research, published Thursday in the journal Science, demonstrates how they were able to stitch together thousands of DNA fragments from the Aedes aegypti mosquito using a technique known as 3D assembly.

With this method, scientists can assemble a complete genome sequence from scratch for about $10,000 in a matter of weeks.

To put that in context, it took the Human Genome Project about 10 years and $4 billion to sequence a genome from scratch, or de novo, as it's called.

"Sequencing a patient's genome from scratch using 3D assembly is so inexpensive that it's comparable in cost to an MRI," said Olga Dudchenko, a post-doctoral fellow who led the research at Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Genome Architecture. "Generating a de novo genome for a sick patient has become realistic."

The process could ultimately aid scientists trying to identify genetic mutations that might make a person more susceptible to cancer and other diseases.

To test the power of 3D assembly, the research team decided to tackle the genome of Aedes aegypti. For years, scientists had struggled to assemble it from thousands of DNA fragments.

The Houston team's efforts may yield new ways to combat Zika.

"We had been discussing these ideas for years - writing a chunk of code here, doing a proof-of-principle assembly there," said Erez Lieberman Aiden, director of Baylor's Center for Genome Architecture and one of the paper's authors. "So we had assembly data for Aedes aegypti just sitting on our computers. Suddenly, there's an outbreak of Zika virus, and the genomics community was galvanized to get going on Aedes. That was a turning point."

'Short reads' and costs

To understand the relative scale of the new 3D assembly method, you have to first understand how difficult it is to sequence a genome from scratch.

The human genome includes 6 billion chemical letters, called base-pairs, divided up among 23 pairs of chromosomes. Chromosomes can be hundreds of millions base-pairs long, which means determining the sequencing can be incredibly time-consuming and expensive.

In recent years, advances in technology have brought down the cost of DNA sequencing, but only when that work produces "short reads," usually a hundred base-pair-long snippets. The only way to use those short reads is to compare them to an existing reference genome, which requires assembling those super long chromosomes.

Because human genomes differ from one another, the use of a reference genome doesn't always tell a person's complete genetic picture.

"As physicians, we sometimes encounter patients who we know must carry some sort of genetic change, but we can't figure out what it is," said Dr. Aviva Presser Aiden, a scientist in the Pediatric Global Health Program at Texas Children's Hospital and a co-author of the new study. She is also married to the director. "We need technologies that can report a patient's entire genome. But we also can't afford to spend millions of dollars on every patient's genome."

How it works

The 3D assembly technique could change that.

Here's how it works.

A few years ago, Erez Aiden's team at Baylor figured out how the 6.5-foot-long genome folds to fit inside the nucleus of a cell, which is less than a thousandth of an inch wide.

By carefully tracing the genome as it folds, the team found it could stitch together hundreds of millions of short DNA reads into the sequences of entire chromosomes. Because this technique doesn't rely on more complex reference genomes, the cost is dramatically lowered.

The team, which also included researchers from Harvard University and the Broad Institute at MIT, also used 3D assembly to construct from scratch the genome of the Culex mosquito, which spreads the West Nile virus.

Having a better understanding of both mosquitos' genetic makeups should help scientists trying to find new ways to stop the spread of that disease, too.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

COLLEGE STATION - Robert McIntosh, the Texas A&M University student whose election as student body president was disqualified, is calling for an investigation into whether the balloting was stacked against him because he is a heterosexual, white, Christian man.

In a petition filed Thursday in Brazos County District Court, McIntosh is asking a judge to allow him to depose three people associated with the election to determine if he was disqualified by student election officials because certain individuals did not want him to win.

McIntosh won the February contest by 763 votes over his closest opponent, Bobby Brooks, an openly gay student, but was disqualified for failing to list glow sticks used in a campaign video as expenses. Brooks was subsequently declared the winner of the election.

McIntosh's case has drawn the ire of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, a former Texas governor and loyal former Aggie, who said earlier this week the process under which he was disqualified "made a mockery of due process and transparency" and suggested that the Student Government Association engineered Brooks' victory in the interests of diversity.

In the legal petition filed Thursday, attorney Gaines West said McIntosh was disqualified "ostensibly for minor alleged violations of the SGA's campaign finance by-laws," but that he now wants to discover the true reasons and "establish that those reasons are based on the fact that he is a heterosexual, white, Christian male."

McIntosh asked for depositions from two people who allegedly made statements to the effect that they did not want him to be student body president and a third individual who allegedly has firsthand knowledge of those statements, court papers show.

A Texas A&M spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Widely acclaimed

On the Aggie campus Thursday, debate about the election - which was stirred up anew after Perry weighed in with an article that appeared in the Houston Chronicle's op-ed pages - spread to social media, the campus' picturesque Academic Plaza, nearby bars and even to at least one classroom.

Brooks, a junior, will be the first openly gay student to serve as president in the university's history, and his election has been widely acclaimed as a positive development on the traditionally conservative campus.

Few students said they took seriously the former governor's allegations that the election was flawed. Several students acknowledged that the charges that disqualified McIntosh were trivial, but most students said they accepted Brooks as the election's winner.

Sophomore Bryce Florence on Thursday afternoon read a news article about the letter on his smartphone out loud to Christi Corkran, also a sophomore.

Sitting on a shady bench near a statue of former Texas Gov. Lawrence Sullivan Ross, they laughed when they read that McIntosh was disqualified over campaign glow sticks.

Still, Florence said, "It's extreme that Perry is chiming in."

Katlyn Riggins, a senior, and her friends huddled around a smartphone directed to Perry's opinion piece.

"Doesn't he have better things to focus on?" she said.

Perry's devotion to the university is common among former A&M students, said Victoria White, a junior. She said she thought Perry chimed into the debate because of his personal connection to the university, not for political reasons.

"Once you're an Aggie," she said, "a piece of your heart is always drawn to this place."

McIntosh's mother is Alison McIntosh, a prominent Republican donor, West said Thursday. West said Robert McIntosh and Perry do not know each other.

'Progressive efforts' made

Alex Mendoza, a senior, took issue with Perry's characterization that Brooks received special treatment because of his sexuality. Brooks' coming out took bravery, said Mendoza, who is from Houston.

"Bravo, dude," he said, sitting in a hammock.

Texas A&M has made "progressive efforts" for LGBT inclusion for years, including staffing an LGBT resource center, said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of D.C.-based advocacy group Campus Pride. Brooks' election "is a sign of the inclusion of the campus."

Still, he said, Perry's opinion article could have a negative impact on LGBT students who may still be uncomfortable with their sexuality.

"Any time there are prominent figures that say something disparaging, it does impact their ability to come out," Windmeyer said.

Brooks has declined to comment.
WASHINGTON - Seven years to the day after former President Barack Obama signed his landmark health care law, a fractious Republican-led House failed to coalesce around a long-promised repeal plan, forcing party leaders into an embarrassing postponement of a vote laden with symbolism.

The delay Thursday left Republican leaders scrambling to recover from the first significant legislative setback of President Donald Trump's 63-day-old administration. Trump had predicted a close vote right up until the moment Republican leaders conceded they had not been able to unify their divided 237-member conference.

"Everybody knows it's no good," Trump said of the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans derisively dubbed Obamacare. "It's only politics."

On Thursday night, Trump threatened to leave Obamacare in place and move on to other issues if Friday's vote fails.

The risky move, part gamble and part threat, was presented to GOP lawmakers behind closed doors.

In Trump's first major test of party unity, some 30 or more Republicans, including at least a half-dozen from Texas, threatened to balk at a House GOP repeal plan that hard-right conservatives said would not go far enough to dismantle Obama's signature 2010 law.

With the vote count in flux until the end, the final hours saw frenzied negotiations between Trump and a conservative bloc known as the Freedom Caucus. Simultaneously, the White House and House Republican leaders worked to allay the concerns of a more moderate faction called the Tuesday Group, whose members echoed the concerns of Democrats about weakening protections for the poor and elderly.

That gave the president and his allies in Congress little room for error.

"Both the Republican majority and the president just found out that health care really is difficult," said Houston Democrat Gene Green, who serves on one of the House committees that shaped the controversial GOP plan that appears to be a work in progress.

Even with House passage, which could come as early as Friday, ultimate success for the GOP's current Obamacare replacement plan remains far from certain.

Some analysts predicted the last-minute changes to mollify House conservatives could sink the bill in the Senate.

Democrats, who oppose the bill uniformly, predict that more than 20 million Americans who gained insurance under the ACA are at risk of falling off the rolls again, including nearly 2 million in Texas.

GOP does the math

For Republicans, the agonizing vote calculus got closer as talks reached a fevered pitch. With five vacant seats in the House, Republicans need 216 votes to pass the bill. Assuming every Democrat is voting "no," that means they can afford only 21 defections.

That has given enormous leverage to the roughly 30-member Freedom Caucus, well out of proportion to its size. For House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose name has become synonymous with the GOP bill, the endgame came down to a bet on whether some members of the group, despite their objections, would be reluctant to vote against a Republican president on his first major policy proposal.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, a Republican from western North Carolina, said that between 30 and 40 Republicans, including himself, remained "in the 'no' category" hours before Thursday's scheduled vote.

"We've not gotten enough of our members to get to 'yes' at this point, under what we're currently considering," he said. "However, I would say that progress is being made."

Among the most outspoken critics is Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Republican from Tyler who often was on television as the face of conservative frustration with the GOP repeal effort.

"I know what we promised, and I know that we have got to do better for the people in America that put their faith in us," he said Thursday on NBC 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth.

In a separate appearance on Fox, Gohmert said the GOP plan does not go far enough to eradicate coverage requirements under Obamacare that critics say have forced up premiums. "We made clear - we promised a repeal of Obamacare," he said. "What is on the table, what they are bringing up tomorrow does not do that."

Among a half-dozen Texas Republicans who counted themselves as undecided or had taken no public position included Houston Reps. Ted Poe and John Culberson.

Houston-area Reps. Michael McCaul, Pete Olson and Brian Babin also had indicated they were evaluating last-minute changes in the bill, many of them sweeteners intended to induce support from recalcitrant Republicans.

Rep. Randy Weber of Friendswood appeared to be leaning toward "no," tweeting Thursday the bill "needs more vetting."

One of the leading architects of the GOP replacement legislation was House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady of The Woodlands.

"We continue to make progress," he said Thursday. "We continue to work on the legislation. We're determined to get it right."

Brady described concerns by Freedom Caucus members related to "essential health benefits" prescribed in the legislation, which he referred to as "the last remaining issue."

The principal demand of members of the hard-right caucus, he said, relates to options given states for choosing which benefits are part of state-directed plans.

States come into play

But, amid discussions about striking Obamacare requirements for certain benefits - such as mental health coverage, drug addiction treatment and maternity care - moderate Republicans have moved away from the bill, compounding GOP leaders' challenge.

"My belief is, in the end, giving states that power to consider and approve plans with their designs will make health care plans more affordable for certain populations," Brady said.

An updated Congressional Budget Office analysis Thursday projected the revised GOP plan still would leave 24 million more people without insurance in a decade but lowered its estimate of deficit reduction to $150 billion over 10 years, down from a $337 billion reduction from the earlier version of the health care bill.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-San Antonio, a key Democratic strategist on health care, predicted the GOP struggles will continue.

"Some want Obamacare replaced with Nothingcare," he said. "Some prefer LittleCare and really don't care much about who loses health insurance. I think these factions will eventually reach agreement on hiking premiums for older Americans and taking away meaningful health insurance from even more families."

One major remaining problem for some conservatives is the GOP's plan to replace the ACA's "individual mandate" to buy insurance with a "continuous coverage" requirement, enforced by a 30 percent surcharge for people who go more than 63 days without insurance.

"Republicans promised to end the tyranny of the individual mandate, but instead House Speaker Paul Ryan has made it worse, by punishing those who lose their coverage because they lost their job or discontinued it because premiums got too high," said Rick Manning, president of Americans for Limited Government, one of several conservative groups that have been fighting the bill.
We supported the appointment of fellow Texan Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, anticipating that his international experience as head of ExxonMobil and reputation as a smart, competent manager could be a good fit for the administration of mercurial President Donald Trump.

Tillerson, who turned 65 Thursday, had no official political background, but if he could negotiate huge oil deals with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as he did, and rise to the top of the world's largest oil company, we assumed he had to be an astute political player, which would be helpful in the world of national and international politics.

It's early, of course, but thus far Tillerson has been less the confident, competent leader we expected and more of a stumblebum in his relations with the public, the press and foreign governments.

In contrast to his predecessor John Kerry, Tillerson has largely avoided unscripted events or fielding questions from the press or so far even taking the press corps with him on diplomatic trips, which has long been State Department policy.

On his recent trip to Japan, South Korea and China, perhaps taking a cue from his press-baiting boss, the only accompanying press was a reporter from a conservative-leaning website, to whom he gave his only interview so far.

When she asked why he didn't bring a full press contingent, Tillerson first explained it as an attempt to save money because he could use a smaller jet, apparently forgetting or perhaps not knowing that the press pays its own way when accompanying government officials.

Then he said he's been told its traditional for the Secretary of State to spend time with the press while flying, which he said was time he would rather be "working."

"I'm not a big media access person. I personally don't need it," he said, sounding more like an executive from traditionally tight-lipped ExxonMobil than a government official who reports to the American people.

There were other disconcerting things about Tillerson's Far East trip, ranging from his Trump-like hawkish threats toward North Korea to his oddball experience in South Korea of failing to dine with the country's acting president and foreign minister. They said he was too tired; he said he was not invited.

Then he went to Beijing and gave a public statement of U.S.-China friendship so warm it greatly pleased Chinese officials, but shook nearby U.S. allies who feared it might be viewed as tacit permission for Chinese expansionism in the region.

And now we learn that he intends to skip next month's NATO meeting to visit Russia - a move that sets off alarm bells not only in the U.S., where the FBI is investigating ties between the Kremlin and individuals in Trump's presidential campaign, but also internationally among NATO allies who view Tillerson's travel plans as a dangerous diplomatic slight.

Even if you've been head of a huge oil company, we suppose it takes a while to understand that as a member of the president's Cabinet, everything you do and say takes on much greater significance, especially when one of those things threatens the press' ability to perform its job of government watchdog.

Maybe the most disappointing thing our fellow Texan has done is join in Trump's campaign to favor right-wing media outlets while attempting to marginalize and demonize the mainstream media. Tillerson should be smart enough to know this is a favorite tactic of totalitarian governments and anti-democratic leaders and has no place in American politics.

It is too early to give up hope that Tillerson will yet emerge as a competent Secretary of State. History will judge him harshly if he doesn't quickly learn the ropes in this new, more complex realm.

We urge the secretary to reject Trump's ill-informed tactics and let the media freely and fairly do their job of informing the American people. By so doing, he can set an example for an administration that is showing troublesome and very dangerous anti-press tendencies.
Kids usually end up at school on Saturdays when they're in trouble, and U.S. Rep. John Culberson has found himself in a lick of trouble. Saturday at 3 p.m. the nine-term congressman is holding a town hall meeting at the Spring Branch Middle School auditorium. He has no reason to expect a friendly audience.

Here's our advice: Deal with it.

Last November, Culberson watched his comfortably gerrymandered constituency become one of those rare swing districts when voters cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Now once-placid Houstonians in his wealthy, westside district are starting to engage with politics. Protests and phone calls have become routine.

Democracy is messy. People want to be heard. Being yelled at by angry constituents is part of a politician's job. Culberson had no problem riding the tea party wave back in 2009, but now the political tide is flowing in the other direction.

Around 100 protesters showed up when Culberson hid behind the iron gate of Lakeside Country Club for a closed-door meeting with the Village Republican Women's group last month. Many of the protest signs simply called for an open-door town hall.

After much delay, the people are finally getting what they requested. Pent-up pressure of a frustrated constituency could make for an explosive meeting. The measure of skilled politicians isn't whether they can avoid this sort of conflict, but how well they defuse it.

Culberson's constituents have plenty to be angry about. All too often, the lifelong politician has dedicated his political efforts to out-of-district fights like immigration enforcement in California. Or he's meddled with local authorities on issues like Metro.

Primary voters might eat it up like candy, but the rest of Houston would rather see a congressman use his seniority to promote meat-and-potatoes issues. We're disappointed that Culberson is keeping his meeting limited to people who live in his district. The congressman hasn't hesitated to stick his nose into issues beyond his boundaries. He also sits on the House subcommittee in charge of NASA's funding - and plenty of Johnson Space Center employees don't live in Texas' 7th Congressional District. They deserve the ability to look Culberson in the eye and have their questions heard.

Culberson can expect his constituents to ask about healthcare and budget cuts, but here's a few Houston-wide questions that deserve answers:

NASA probably has no bigger fan than Culberson, and he's used his seniority to promote a mission to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons that the congressman believes could be harboring alien life. Once this life is discovered, according to Culberson's plan, support - and funding - for NASA will skyrocket.

But what happens if NASA's planned Europa mission does not discover alien life? What is the Plan B to ensure that Houston's Johnson Space Center receives the steady funding it needs?

According to Culberson's own telephone town hall survey, a plurality of voters say that boosting the economy is the most important issue. The Trump administration's plans for a border tax, promotion of coal at the expense of natural gas and attacks on free trade and immigration all undermine the Houston economy. What will he do to defend our city's economic engines?

"I don't want prayers, I want money!" was the takeaway quote from the town hall meeting that Culberson held after the April 2016 flood. So where's the flood money? What is Culberson doing to draw down federal dollars for Project Brays and other flood prevention initiatives? Will he fight to reinstate earmarks, which give Congress more control over funding?

Culberson was first elected to public office back in 1987, when he was little more than a law student. Over the decades, he's failed to become an influential fighter for conservative ideals, nor has he become an invaluable link between local needs and federal resources. Democrats have put a bullseye on Culberson, and if wants to survive then he needs to remind voters how, exactly, he's working for Houston in Washington.
UH trademark

Regarding "Branding feud" (Page A14, March 16), to be clear, the University of Houston has no intention of contesting any other university's or community college's current use of the word "Houston" in their names or challenging the Houston Astros over their usage, as the editorial wrongly implies.

UH's trademark application for "Houston" is an effort to prevent another user from making Houston their main name in university education services, which is precisely what happened when South Texas College of Law changed its name to Houston College of Law. Houston College of Law was using Houston as the main part without any distinctive features until we resolved our lawsuit against them and they changed it to South Texas College of Law Houston (STCLH).

Other institutions with "Houston" in their names have distinctive features that distinguish them from UH. We're fine with that and are reaching out to them.

Our trademark application is limited to university goods and services, narrowly drawn for university education, university sports, and university print materials. Your editorial asks, "Imagine if the University of Texas had been granted such broad ownership rights to the word 'Texas' for educational purposes." We don't have to imagine. UT has at least 10 such registrations.

UH is doing what needs to be done to protect our brand and only our brand.

Dona Cornell,general counsel,University of Houston
Rick Perry may need to adjust his prescription eyewear, because he can't seem to see the big picture. The former Texas governor managed to find time away from his new Cabinet post to fret about the outcome of a student election at our alma mater, Texas A&M University.

Perry, channeling his new boss, claims the results were rigged. Bobby Brooks, the first openly gay student body president in A&M history, didn't win the popular vote. His opponent, Robert McIntosh, was disqualified for expense account violations that Perry dismisses as inconsequential.

Perry criticizes A&M administrators for failing to intervene and for not informing the board of regents. As the guy who appointed those regents, Perry should understand the limits of their power. Student elections don't fall under the administration's purview. Perry may struggle with the concept of separation of powers because when he arrived at A&M in the late 1960s, the administration had recently fired the editor of the student newspaper, The Battalion, for failing to submit to censorship. (The Batt later became independent of university control.)

Perry claims McIntosh was treated unfairly, the result of student election officials who favored diversity over democracy. "Every Aggie ought to ask themselves: How would they act and feel if the victim was different. What if McIntosh had been a minority student?"

For so many years, of course, they were different. Minorities, homosexuals and women were long marginalized at A&M, a white-only, all-male school until 1963.

When Perry pranced the sidelines in overalls at Midnight Yell Practice, minority enrollment was miniscule, women were a novelty and gays kept quiet. None dared run for student body president.

Just four years after he graduated, A&M's Gay Student Services sued the university for free speech violations after being denied official recognition as a campus organization. A&M fought the case for six years, losing multiple times at the appeals level before the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear it.

During that time, the backlash was loud and severe. Students marched in protest. Former students and parents wrote letters to The Battalion decrying the end of the institution, the nation and all civilization. Those of us who supported GSS's right to exist were told we were going to hell, or worse, Austin.

In 1979, a female cadet - the Corps began accepting women in 1974 - sued the university for barring her from joining the Ross Volunteers, an elite unit that serves as the governor's color guard. A&M fought that case until 1985, when the state attorney general settled it over the objections of A&M's regents. The cadet graduated during the legal battle, and the university president refused to shake her hand at graduation. The settlement opened the Aggie Band and other men-only Corps units to women.

Back in the mid-'80s, I wrote a column in The Batt criticizing a Ku Klux Klan march in Houston. I received, among other hate mail, a seven-page missive from a fellow student who declared himself a "white patriot" and me a "race traitor."

I mention these things not to besmirch my school or to minimize the vast strides that A&M has made in the ensuing three decades. Quite the opposite. Today, for the second year in a row, a woman commands the Corps thanks to the battles fought in the '70s and '80s.

I have watched with pride as my school has supported diversity at both the administration and student level. Earlier this year, A&M set an example for universities nationwide in how to balance free speech when it permitted, despite widespread public outcry, a talk by hate monger and white supremacist Richard Spencer. While he supported Spencer's right to speak, A&M President Michael Young condemned his message, and the university sponsored an "Aggies United" event at the same time.

It's because of A&M's great strides forward that Perry's essay in this paper ("Did A&M favor diversity over right to due process?" Page A15, Thursday) strikes such a deaf tone. He weeps for the white male who he claims was slighted by a system that for 100 years kept the school the exclusive domain of white males.

A&M's love of its own traditions has long bound it to the past. Over the years, many have clung to those traditions to justify denying opportunities to women and minorities. Despite their efforts, A&M has changed. Just as it opened to women and minorities in the 1960s and Liberal Arts in the 1970s, the A&M of today strives to move beyond the baser aspects of its past.

I don't know if McIntosh's use of glow sticks in a campaign video violated student election rules, or if that was the reason he was disqualified, as Perry claims.

Perhaps the Student Government Administration and its Judicial Court erred. Perhaps they acted deliberately, as Perry insists, because their zeal for diversity tainted their interpretation of campaign finance rules.

Perry's defense of McIntosh, though, raises a far more interesting point. If he's right, then enough Aggies cared enough about diversity that they conspired to throw a student election. How far we have come.

If that happened, of course, it was a mistake. A wonderful, wonderful mistake.

Steffy, author and former Chronicle business columnist, is a 1986 A&M graduate and former student editor of The Battalion.
With our pension challenges, Houston has reached a fork in the road, and each day we delay in choosing direction costs us another $1 million.

One path allows us to solve our pension problems once and for all; the other path has us repeating the mistakes of the past. It's a choice between eliminating $8.1 billion in unfunded pension obligations and capping future costs or laying off hundreds of city employees and cutting services.

The choice is clear, and that is why we are moving forward to obtain legislative approval of the Houston Pension Solution - a plan that is fair, financially sound, budget-neutral and sustainable for the long term. On Monday, this plan won committee approval and was sent to the full Texas Senate for consideration. Next Monday, we go before the Texas House Pensions Committee, and I expect a similar outcome.

The progress we are seeing is historic. Never before have so many different entities been united in the direction forward. Since February of last year, the city has worked with all three employee pension groups to draft a plan that would be fair to our employees and financially sustainable for them and all Houstonians.

In October 2016, all employee pension groups signed off on an agreed set of terms that would reduce the unfunded liability by $2.5 billion through changes in future retirement benefits and cap the city's future financial exposure. The pension reforms were subject to all three employee groups providing to the city the necessary actuarial data needed to verify the costs - data only the employee groups possess and only they control.

The police and municipal pension systems have provided the data, and as a result, some changes had to be made to the agreed reforms to lower costs.

The firefighter pension board, despite repeated requests from the city since October and similar requests made by state Sen. Joan Huffman on Monday, has refused to make the information available.

In the absence of the data from the fire pension system, we had no choice but to move forward with our own projections about what it will cost to provide future benefits for fire retirees. We have taken a conservative approach with these projections because we have learned from past mistakes. For instance, in 2001, the city agreed to richer benefit plans for all three employee groups, which the city later learned were based on erroneous representations of the cost of these benefits.

To ensure we are using real numbers to analyze and reflect the true costs, I am, once again, asking the fire pension system to give us their information, like the police and municipal pensions have done. If this information shows we are reducing benefits more than is necessary, we can adjust the proposed benefits cuts. You have my commitment to not take more than what is needed to solve this issue.

For the 27 years I served in the Texas Legislature, I was a staunch supporter of our police, fire and municipal workers. I am still a strong supporter, but the status quo regarding our employee pensions is not sustainable. We must have a sustainable, affordable plan, and the only way to do that is to slow down the rate of growth in retiree benefits and for the city to pay the true costs after the reforms are enacted. Note that the proposed changes affect future benefits, not the benefits retirees are receiving today. The size of future checks may not grow as fast, but the amount of checks going out today will not go down. On that, you have my word.

If we don't make changes, you can add another $130 million to the anticipated budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live or what your annual income is; every one of us will be adversely affected by the decisions we will have to make to close that gap.

It is due to the decisions of the past that we find ourselves with $8.1 billion in unfunded pension debt today. We must not be in the same position another five, 10 or 15 years from now. We have a path forward that will prevent us from repeating the mistakes of the past. We have unity from diverse stakeholders. Now, we need approval from state lawmakers.

Turner is mayor of Houston.
Firefighters from the Houston Rural Fire Department responded late Wednesday afternoon to a fire that burned down a cattle barn on Highway Z at Simmons.

Five personnel and a pumper, tanker and brush truck went to the scene after the call came in at about 4:15 p.m.

The fire consumed the barn and damaged several pieces of equipment related to handling cattle.

The man who lives at the location told Houston Rural officials that he went to the barn to do some work and found it burning. He speculated that the blaze might have been due to a lightning strike during stormy weather the previous night.
A long-term burglary investigation by the Licking Police Department resulted in stolen items located and charges being sought against two suspects.

According to LPD Chief Scott Lindsey, a report was received last October of a burglary at a residence on Sackett Street. The investigation remained open.

Then in February, Licking police investigated a report of a burglary at an additional residence on Sackett Street and an officer located and recovered property stolen during an October burglary at a residence on Walker Street.

Lindsey said additional investigation led the officer to a pawn business in Houston, where it was discovered items from two burglaries had been pawned. Other items were located and recovered from a storage shed near Simmons.

Lindsey said a probable cause statements have been submitted to the Texas County prosecutor seeking charges against a 35-year-old Licking man of second-degree burglary, stealing over $750 and second-degree property damage, and against a 22-year-old woman of a stealing over $750.

I appreciate the dedicated work of the investigative officer in this case in pursuing leads and tracking down the stolen items in multiple locations, Lindsey said. I would encourage citizens to take steps to protect their property, and assist law enforcement in the event that they are ever victims of a crime. I recommend making a record of your personal property by writing down serial numbers, taking photographs and creating identifying marks.
Professional Monster Trucks and their drivers will put on a show for two consecutive nights this summer in Houston.

Houston Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Angie Miller-Quinlan announced Friday that a second night has been added to the Traxxas Monster Truck Destruction Tour appearance, and competition will take place Friday and Saturday, June 30 and July 1, in the arena at the chamber fairgrounds on North U.S. 63.

Miller-Quinlan said five trucks will compete during the event, and another will be on hand as a ride-along, allowing attendees to get in and ride for a fee. Trucks are expected to be parked at various Houston businesses on Friday prior to the event, allowing people to take photos with the drivers.

The shows start at 7:30 each night. Advance tickets will cost $20 or $10 for children ages 6 to 12 (kids under 5 get in free). They will go on sale April 17 and can be purchased at the chamber office (in the Visitors Center at U.S. 63 and Walnut Street), Romines Motor Co., Infinite Entertainment and Landmark Bank.

Tickets at the gate will cost an additional $2 apiece ($22 or $12). Shows each night will preceded by a pit pass party from 6 to 7 p.m. (separate tickets will be available for that).

The chambers annual fireworks show will follow Saturdays competition.

For more information, call the chamber at 417-967-2220. The Traxxas Monster Truck Destruction Tour can be found online and on Facebook.
John Merlin Sneed, 77, passed away Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at Texas County Memorial Hospital.

He was born Sept. 29, 1939, in Sikeston, son of Herman L. and Anna Bell Marchbanks Sneed. He and Margaret Mae Wolfe were married Sept. 21, 1974, in St. Louis.

He served in the Army from Aug. 31, 1950, to Aug. 14, 1962. He then served in the Army Reserves until Aug. 30, 1965.

He and his wife, Margaret, moved to Summersville after working and living in St. Louis for many years. He worked and retired as a janitor from Summersville Elementary School.

He attended Praise and Worship. He loved gospel music and attended the Brumley music show in Lebanon for many years.

He moved to St. James to be near his daughter, Vickie. After her death and with their declining health, they moved back to Summersville and later became residents at Mountain View Health Care.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Jack Sneed; and a daughter, Victoria Browne.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret Sneed of Mountain View Health Care; a daughter, Sonya McNeil; four grandsons; and many friends.

Graveside services with military honors were Saturday, March 25, in Antioch Cemetery with the Rev. Gary Steelman officiating. Services were under the direction of Bradford Funeral Home.

Online condolences maybe left at bradfordfuneralhome.net.
As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.

After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS!

OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK

The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.
About $660m-worth of Wage Credit Scheme (WCS) payouts will be released to some 85,000 employers by the end of March, according to the Ministry of Finance and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). About 70% of the funds will go to small- and medium-sized enterprises.



IRAS will send out letters by March 31 notifying employers of the amount they will receive. Payouts will be credited directly to their Giro bank account used for income tax and GST purposes, or issued as cheques to employers, the IRAS said.



Employers do not need to apply to receive the WCS payouts, the IRAS said last January.



The Government extended the initiative to 2017, with 20% co-funding of wage increases given to Singaporean employees. IRAS said the extension would give businesses more time to adjust to rising wages in the labour market.



Last year, over 95,000 employers in Singapore will receive about $1.9bn in payouts. It was higher back then, as the governments co-funding rate stood at 40%.



Employers may be eligible WCS if they have employees who:
I am so pleased that womens pay is going to be on the agenda, said Logie. Theres a real choice that all MPs will have to make about this bill: whether they want the gender pay imbalance to be a relic of the past, or for it continue to affect Kiwi women every single working day for decades to come.

In workplaces where the legislation would create privacy issues, Logie explained that the information would be given to an independent reviewer.

That independent reviewer would say, 'Actually, there is a problem here and it should be addressed' and [employees] can go and take that to the Employment Court, she explained.

The Human Rights Commission has already welcomed Logies bill as have representatives from some of New Zealands largest unions.

This bill would impose virtually no additional cost on employers, but will make it much easier for employees to raise a claim for equal pay if they believe theyre subject to discrimination, said PSA national secretary Erin Polaczuk.
Two homes were destroyed and another 25 buildings damaged after a Florida man illegally burned a pile of books on Wednesday.

Florida Fire Service Jacksonville tweeted that the fire began in Nassau County after a man burned a pile of paperbacks. It's illegal to burn household garbage in Florida.

Advertisement

Large fast moving wildfire off CR 119 in Nassau county 10 structures lost and 20 forestry bulldozers plowing firelines @FFS_Jaxpic.twitter.com/l0OunzDM0s  FL Forest Service (@FLForestService) March 22, 2017

Overnight, the wildfire grew to over 2.5 square-kilometres, forcing nearly 200 people to flee their homes. The fire was 65 per cent contained as of Thursday afternoon.

It was a fire that had a lot of fuel. The weather conditions were right for the kind of devastation that we are seeing," Billy Estep, director of emergency management in Nassau County, told The Florida Times-Union.

"We are standing in front of a destroyed double-wide mobile home that is somebodys very existence, everything to their lives," he said.

Advertisement

The shed ignited producing a concentrated heat source that damages the home #GarfirldRoadFirepic.twitter.com/MhoZmrb15O  FFS_Jacksonville (@FFS_Jax) March 23, 2017

A Florida Fire Services spokesperson told Reuters that the man accused of starting the fire was cited, but not charged with a crime. However, he will be liable for the cost of fighting the fire and the damage.

Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also on HuffPost
Anti-Islam protesters ripped a Qur'an and walked over its torn pages during an Ontario school board meeting Wednesday evening, as they demanded that Muslim students be banned from praying at school.

At the meeting  held by Peel District School Board in Mississauga, Ont.  a group of enraged parents pressed the board to end religious accommodation. They presented a petition signed by 600 people that wants to stop students from gathering at school for about 15 minutes each Friday for Jummah prayers.

Advertisement

The meeting derailed when the school board, which must provide accommodation under the Ontario Human Rights Code, said they would not address the issue at this meeting.

A spokesman from the school board, Brian Woodland, told The Globe and Mail about 80 people attended the meeting and shouted some "fairly horrific" Islamophobic comments.

I was actually deeply shaken by what I heard. Im not sure Ive ever in my life seen this level of hatred," he said.

Advertisement

In a Twitter video posted by a Vice News reporter Tamara Khandaker, protesters can be heard yelling across the room.

"Islam will kill you," a man shouts at one point.

This is honestly one of the ugliest things I've ever witnessed. pic.twitter.com/hyB8W4yXhQ  Tamara Khandaker (@anima_tk) March 23, 2017

Police eventually intervened, and the trustees proceeded with a closed-door meeting.

The Ontario government, which unanimously passed an anti-Islamophobia motion last month, spoke out against the hate speech Thursday.

"Ontario schools are places that must be beacons of equity and inclusivity. All students must feel that they belong in school and that they feel safe when they are there," Education Minister Mitzie Hunter said, according to CBC News.

Clearing misconceptions

The Peel District School Board issued a fact sheet just hours before Wednesday's meeting in an effort to clear misconceptions about the weekly Jummah prayers. It highlighted that accommodations  for all religions  have been made for decades without issue.

Advertisement

It also clarified that religious accommodation does not equal promotion of religion.

"The Supreme Court of Canada has said that a secular state respects and accommodates religious differences, instead of trying to extinguish them," the fact sheet read.

Jummah prayers are usually conducted during lunch hours and do not disrupt classes, or cost the school money, the release added.

CORRECTION - March 25, 2017: An earlier video featured in this article identified a woman as a protester without confirmation. The video has been edited to omit her image. We regret the error.

Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also on HuffPost
In Canada, for every estimated 100 incidents of sexual assault, only about six cases are reported to police. And even if survivors move forward with charges, there's never a guarantee the perpetrator will ultimately be convicted.

Those facts alone can force many women who have experienced assault to stay silent, but they're compounded by the potential judgement they may face from others, the self-blame and the replaying of the terrifying memories in their minds. So is it possible for victims to move forward from these incidents?

Advertisement

According to Toronto resident Ryley Murray, who will share her full story of sexual assault in the upcoming rap symphony "The Decision," there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.

"I came out the other end the most self-aware and empowered [I've ever felt], with the highest standards for the type of person I let into my life."

"When I was 17, I was raped by a former boyfriend," Murray tells The Huffington Post Canada. "At the time of the assault I was struggling with low self-esteem and this assault only made that worse. For years after, I gave away my power to men who were undeserving of me."

She also reveals that for years after the initial assault, she left her self-worth up to the men she was dating. She recognized this behaviour was doing more harm than good after ending an emotionally abusive relationship.

Advertisement

It was at that point Murray realized she had to look to herself, and not the approval of men, to fully heal.

"I went on what I call a 'relationship cleanse," the survivor shares. "I spent six months hibernating, simply getting to know the real me ... I came out the other end the most self-aware and empowered [I've ever felt], with the highest standards for the type of person I let into my life."

After her cleanse, the 32 year old says she manifested the perfect partner into her life, one she describes as a "feminist" and a true supporter. Her boyfriend also composed the script for "The Decision," which will explore the judge's ruling of the Jian Ghomeshi trial through music.

When Cola Bennett, 28, was first sexually assaulted, she was 14. And while her assault was ongoing, she tells HuffPost Canada it was her son's birth two years later, along with her faith, that kept her from drowning.

Advertisement

"[My son] saved my life," she confesses. "I was a single mother, struggling to raise a child with muscular dystrophy while completing a classical piano degree in university. I buried my feelings but after the last violation  I hit rock bottom.

"I sought help from a therapist to build my life back and as much as it helped I was still empty," she continues. "Poetry, music and Jesus became my outlets that gave me the hope to find my purpose."

Sadly, Bennett's son passed away in 2014, but despite her tragic loss, she refuses to lose the battle when it comes to finding inner peace.

"My quest for peace, change and forgiveness is constant," she shares. "'Cause the minute I give up  they win."

Advertisement

Former teacher Sara Davidson also shared her frightening account with HuffPost Canada, which happened during a home invasion, where she was gang raped by a group of men she didn't know.

"My days [following the incident] rattled between a grief so deep I was immobile, struggling to eat from the preventative HIV medication I had to take, to the sheer terror as I closed my eyes at night," she says. "Happy moments were followed by dark days of nausea, shame and flashbacks that would literally bring me to my knees."

The mother shares that while her journey to heal and find peace was not an easy road, completing her master's in psychotherapy and speaking to young girls and women who also survived sexual assault helped her along the way. Building a relationship with a romantic partner wasn't as easy as she would have liked, though eventually Davidson found her footing.

"Although I will never be the same, and my life is forever broken into two halves  pre and post assault  I can truly begin to live again."

But what truly lead this brave woman to peace was simply finding it in her heart to forgive.

"Because there could never be justice, I learned that forgiveness would indeed be the narrative to my healing," she declares. "Forgiving myself and the perpetrators would inevitably be my light. They could no longer occupy a place in my soul where anger, shame and rage once lived.

Advertisement

"I desperately needed to live freer and lighter, and through therapy, love, laughter and the birth of my son six years later, I finally forgave them, and most importantly, I forgave myself," she adds. "I learned to love the new me. Although I will never be the same, and my life is forever broken into two halves  pre and post assault  I can truly begin to live again."

Also on HuffPost
Child's rights activist Cindy Blackstock said it was a "sad day" after the Trudeau government announced $3.4 billion in funding for indigenous critical needs  none of which will be used to address the country's child welfare crisis.

The federal government tabled its second budget on Wednesday. The $3.4 billion in new money earmarked for indigenous communities will be rolled out through the next five years.

Advertisement

"Nothing in there despite three legal orders for the government of Canada to comply and make sure this generation of First Nations children isn't unnecessarily removed from their families because of Canada's inequitable funding," Blackstock, head of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, told CBC's Katie Simpson.

"That discrimination continues today."

Blackstock referred to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal's ruling last year finding the federal government racially discriminates against the country's indigenous children by providing "inequitable and insufficient" services.

The budget Finance Minister Bill Morneau introduced Wednesday made no mention of the First Nations child and family services program.

Advertisement

"Nothing in there... to make sure this generation of First Nations children isn't unnecessarily removed from their families because of Canada's inequitable funding."  Cindy Blackstock, indigenous children's advocate

While she supports budget allocations for housing, education and drinking water, Blackstock said "that might help some of those kids but not the kids in child welfare care and it won't stop the separation of those children from their families. That's going to continue to go on this country."

"Canada is saying it's above the law [and] it doesn't owe First Nations children equality in this country," she added. "I think it's a sad day for the nation."

A girl plays by herself on a dusty road in Ontario's Pikangikum First Nations. (Getty Images)

The issue came up during question period on Thursday when NDP Leader Tom Mulcair called out the budget's inclusion of a stock options tax break when they are "refusing to give $155 million to finally end discrimination against First Nations children."

Advertisement

"Why protect rich CEOs instead of protecting First Nations children?" he asked.

Morneau dodged the question by saying the budget will create "great long-term jobs in sectors where Canada can be globally competitive." He added the government will address issue problems facing the country's most vulnerable "as we can."

An Indigenous Affairs spokesperson told CBC News that child welfare wasn't included because last year's budget allotted $635 million to be rolled out over five years. However, the funding has been so slow the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal is holding hearings this week over the Trudeau government's non-compliance.

But even before the hearing started, The Globe and Mail reported the Department of Justice filed a motion claiming "the tribunal does not have the statutory authority to enforce its own orders" and that "they should generally operate under a presumption that their rulings will be executed with reasonable diligence or good faith."

Blackstock, who first filed the human rights complaint a decade ago, told APTN News she believes the government is only 30 per cent compliant and called on the Minister of Youth  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau  to step in.

"There certainly can't be a more important issue for [Prime Minister Trudeau] than to end racial discrimination of its own government towards kids."  Cindy Blackstock, indigenous children's advocate

"There certainly can't be a more important issue for the Minister of Youth than to end racial discrimination of its own government towards kids. He needs to take a leadership role in this and demand his government come into full compliance right now," she said."

Earlier this month, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Carolyn Bennett wrote a blog for HuffPost Canada acknowledging "too many indigenous children are taken into care, too many are harmed and too many have died." She said "the federal government needs to be accountable for the results."

She also argued "putting more money into the existing system simply isn't enough. The system is broken and needs to be overhauled."

A Globe and Mail investigation last spring found while while indigenous children under 14 represent seven per cent of all Canadian kids, they make up 48 per cent of foster children.

Rectifying the issue was one of the major calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Their 2012 report called on social workers to consider the impact of residential schools. It also asked the federal government for "adequate resources" to keep Aboriginal families together "where it is safe to do so, and to keep children in culturally appropriate environments, regardless of where they reside."

Advertisement

Also on HuffPost
Twitter showcases the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Internet. But the social media platform's latest hashtag is wonderfully positive, as it celebrates the beauty of women with thick thighs.

The hashtag #BigThighTwitter went viral Thursday night, when women flocked online to flaunt their glorious figures.

Advertisement

Y'all know I had to participate in #bigthightwitterpic.twitter.com/Sn0A3vcCwn  Big Papi Pudd (@inlovewithko) March 23, 2017

And other Twitter users outside the community sang their praises.

"#BigThighTwitter gets every piece of my love," Hot 97 radio host Ebro said.

#BigThighTwitter gets every piece of my love  OldMan Ebro (@oldmanebro) March 24, 2017

Advertisement

"#SlimGirlTwitter #BigThighTwitter WHATEVER YO BODY TYPE IS, JUST KNOW WE ALL OUT HERE POPPIN & CUTE!!!!" another user declared.

#SlimGirlTwitter#BigThighTwitter WHATEVER YO BODY TYPE IS, JUST KNOW WE ALL OUT HERE POPPIN & CUTE!!!! pic.twitter.com/YbUBGAWWTZ   (@arlettinfante) March 23, 2017

And these gorgeous women aren't the only ones who are celebrating their big thighs.

Late last year, curvy model Ashley Graham released her own Barbie with Mattel that had no thigh gap. She even asked Mattel to add cellulite to the doll but was told that putting bumps on the plastic would make it seem like a production mistake. (At least she tried!)

The body positive advocate was flooded with heartwarming comments from women and girls everywhere after the doll was released, thanking her for creating a toy that represents their figure.

"Theyre seeing somebody who appreciates the things about their own bodies that havent been celebrated, like cellulite and back fat," Graham told The Cut in November. "These women never had a curvy role model growing up who not only looked like them but was also outspoken about what they go through."

Advertisement

Representation for all body types is something that will always be in style.

Bravo!

Also on HuffPost
The federal Liberal government is not looking at instituting a basic income, and will focus instead on strengthening existing social programs, said Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

A basic income is not something were looking at, Morneau said during a digital town hall at The Huffington Post Canada on Friday.

Advertisement

We think that the current system of providing people with the support that they require  allows people to get more and more success. I think that that would be our goal and doing that, as I mentioned before, we are seeing a decline in unemployment, Morneau said in response to a question submitted by Patricia Schwartz of Manitouwadge, Ont.

We are looking at how we can encourage people to be engaged in the workforce.

The Liberals had made studying a basic income a part of their 2015 election platform. The partys grassroots voted to make studying the basic income an official part of party policy last year.

Advertisement

Since then, Ontarios provincial government has begun work on a basic income pilot project, and Prince Edward Islands legislature passed a motion asking the federal government to help coordinate a basic income project on the island.

In a wide-ranging, post-budget conversation driven by viewer-submitted questions, Morneau gave his government credit for Canadas impressive job growth in recent months, defended his decision to eliminate the public transit tax credit, and said the government has not yet analyzed the financial impact of legalizing marijuana.

Morneau took criticism this week for ending the public transit tax credit, while allowing many tax credits  including the stock option tax credit that disproportionately helps the wealthy  to remain in place.

The minister told HuffPost Canada that the public transit tax credit wasnt meeting its goals. He said the point of the credit was to increase public transit ridership, and second of all to make sure that we have a reduced environmental impact. Our analysis showed us that it actually wasn't meeting [either] of those two objectives.

Advertisement

Morneau argued the government will make a much larger impact by making a commitment to $20 billion in investment over a decade on public transit.

Stimulus is working, Morneau says

The finance minister took some credit for the recent strength in Canadas job market, strength he attributes to the Liberals middle-class tax cut and more generous child benefits.

A lot of what we've done has made a really important difference, he said, noting that Canadas addition of 250,000 jobs over the past seven months is the fastest pace in a decade.

Our unemployment rate has gone down. Since we came into office its gone from 7.1 per cent to 6.6 per cent.  You cut peoples taxes, especially middle class Canadians, theres more disposable money in the economy.

Advertisement

Morneau dismissed the notion, put forward by the Parliamentary Budget Officer and others, that the Liberals have been slow to get spending on infrastructure out the door. He said 1,300 projects worth $6 billion have been approved.

Its certainly true that you can do things right, or you can do them fast, Morneau said.

No analysis of legal marijuanas financial impact

Morneau said his department had not yet analyzed the financial impact of legalizing marijuana, a key policy platform of the federal Liberals.

We are not seeking the consideration of how we can change the cannabis market as a revenue tool, thats not our objective, Morneau said.

Protecting children and keeping the marijuana business out of the hands of organized crime are the governments top priorities on marijuana, the minister said.

One recent study estimated legal marijuana could add as much as $22 billion annually to Canadas economy, potentially bringing in hundreds of millions into government coffers.

Advertisement

Also on HuffPost
Cate Blanchett has been in the limelight long enough to know that Hollywood has an absurd obsession with beauty.

In a new interview with The Cut, the 47-year-old actress got real about the industrys pressure on women to look perfect.

Advertisement

Theres so much pressure on women to look a certain way, or be a certain thing, or to think that their outward appearance is the most important part of their personality or character, she said.

When I started working in the film industry, I was working with a lot of women. Some of the women were interested in the work and the characters. Some, more in how they look. I realized that I didnt want to be in the latter. I want to be interested in the job at hand. The obsession on ones looks can make you a bit crazy and I thought, I dont want to go crazy.

Cate Blanchett at the Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh Caricature Unveiling in New York City.

By ignoring Hollywoods obsession with youth and beauty, Blanchett was able to develop a refreshing outlook on appearances. The Carol star now accepts that beauty means embracing what youve got, flaws and all.

Advertisement

People talk about the idea of perfection, but I love that the Japanese idea about beauty involves flaws, she explained. It allows for a greater sense of peoples individuality. I always find people attractive when they are comfortable with their own skin and not trying to be someone else, but their best selves.

Blanchett also disagrees with the notion that people get less attractive as they age. Its about looking the best you can at whatever age, she said. My philosophy is to work with what you got. Its about feeling comfortable in your own skin... But that's just me.

The award-winning actress has always been vocal about aging in Hollywood. In 2014, she told Psychologies magazine that you have to work what your mama gave you.

You have to know how to evolve with age without trying to hang on to your younger image of yourself from the past, she said.

Clearly we all need to adopt Blanchett's positive outlook on beauty.

Also on HuffPost

Cate Blanchett's Red Carpet Style See Gallery
The father of a Quebec woman allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend has revealed more information about how she died.

Eric Boudreault told Radio-Canada that his daughter Daphne was accompanied by a female police officer and her stepmother Wednesday when she went to pick up her belongings from the apartment that she and her ex had shared in Mont-Saint-Hilaire.

Advertisement

Daphne went into the apartment first but was stabbed as soon as she entered, Eric told the broadcaster. The attack happened quickly, he said. The police officer had already subdued and handcuffed the attacker by the time his wife was in the apartment.

The 18-year-old died of stab wounds at the scene, according to provincial police. But officials have yet to verify her father's version of events.

Daphne's ex-boyfriend, Anthony Pratte-Lops, has been charged with first-degree murder in her death.

"For the past month, she's been trying to break up with him, but he had threatened to kill himself," Eric told CBC News.

Advertisement

Shanon Meilleur, who worked with the woman at a convenience store, told the Montreal Gazette he harassed Daphne on the phone at work and disclosed to other coworkers they physically fought.

She wasnt allowed to have friends, she said.

The couple had been together for two years, according to TVA Nouvelles, before Boudreault broke up with him.

Shanon Meilleur, mgr of dep where they all worked, on her last conversation with Daphne Huard-Boudreault. #CJADpic.twitter.com/oCto4FHsFR  Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) March 23, 2017

She spent Tuesday night at her fathers place instead of the apartment they shared, but when she went to her car to go to work on Wednesday, Pratte-Lops was inside.

They drove to the convenience store, where a scared Boudreault asked her co-workers to call 911. At least four cops arrived on the scene.

Advertisement

But they determined that Pratte-Lops wasnt a threat and called him a cab to go home, according to the Gazette.

She was curled up in a ball and bawling her eyes out, Meuilleur said of her coworker.

She said, Does he have to kill me before police do anything? She was in major distress.

Coworkers told TVA Nouvelles the police denied Boudreaults request to have a cop accompany her to the apartment, saying it would affect the mans reputation.

However, a police officer did follow her and arrived at the scene a few minutes after the attack, the broadcaster reported. They dont cite a source for this information.
The prime minister confirms theres a process "now properly underway" to address a comment a Liberal MP made to a Conservative colleague, likening her to a stripper.

Earlier this month, MP Dianne Watts' phone rang during a public safety committee meeting, setting off a "jaunty ringtone, reported the National Post.

Advertisement

The ringtone, which you can listen to here, prompted Saint-LeonardSaint-Michel MP Nicola Di Iorio to quip: Wheres your pole to slide down on?

When asked about the story in Boisbriand, Que., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeated his pledge to gender equality.

One of the things that we brought in a number of years ago around issues such as this, as a part of my commitment to gender equality, to a harassment-free workplace, is ... an actual process that will be there to deal with issues of this sort, he said.

Advertisement

Watts and Di Iorio were in a room with upwards of 25 people, including other MPs and their staff at the time. She told the National Post she was surprised to hear the comment and asked, I beg your pardon?

Di Iorio then repeated the comment, she told the newspaper. He later approached her and said that he guessed by her facial reaction that she didnt find his comment funny.

A spokesman for chief government whip Pablo Rodriguez told The Huffington Post Canada on Thursday appropriate action had been taken and that Di Iorio apologized.

Mr. Di Iorio offered an apology to Ms. Watts and explained no word that he himself uttered was intended to offend, he offered that apology again earlier this week, said Rodriguezs chief of staff Charles-Eric Lepine in an email.

Advertisement

All members agree that any form of inappropriate language or behaviour is unacceptable. Every Member of Parliament has the right to a safe and respectful working environment and we take this responsibility seriously.

Tory MP pretty frustrated

Watts Conservative colleague Candice Bergen told reporters in the House of Commons Friday she doesnt accept that Liberals have framed Di Iorios follow-up exchange to Watts as an apology.

I'm  I'm pretty frustrated that this Prime Minister and these Liberals, who tout themselves as feminists and  and protecting women, would go to that position of well, she's overreacted or, well, we said sorry, so what's the big deal, she said.

Bergen was then asked how she would interpret Di Iorio's original comment if it were said to her.

I think most everybody, unfortunately, would think of a stripper pole, she said.

Watts: Up to PM to address very inappropriate comment

In a statement Thursday, Watts confirmed the exchange and said there should be no place or time where such comments are acceptable.

Advertisement

She urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take action where appropriate.

A suggestive and very inappropriate comment directed at me was made by a Liberal MP during a Public Safety Committee meeting in March which left me, staff, and other Members of Parliament feeling very uncomfortable, Watts said.

Di Iorios office did not respond to a request for comment.

The public safety committee meeting was on March 8, which happened to coincide with International Womens Day. Prior to the meeting, Di Iorio shared statements on social media commemorating the day.

Lets continue to join forces to be leaders within our own spheres of influence by taking pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity for a more inclusive, gender equal world, read the statement posted to his Facebook page.

Today is International Women's Day. Join me in making a commitment to gender equality. #EqualityMatters#EgaliteCompte  Nicola di Iorio (@NDiIorioMP) March 8, 2017

The Liberal government has made a concerted policy effort to support gender equality following stories of female NDPs experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace in 2014.

Advertisement

There were no processes to handle allegations of sexual harassment between members of Parliament at the time.

Since then, the federal government drafted and enforced a Harassment Prevention Policy Program to deal with such situations.

Last December, House administration launched an online training session on harassment prevention for members and their employees.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Geoff Regan re-circulated an email encouraging members to participate in the training to ensure a healthy and harassment-free workplace.

With files from The Canadian Press

Also on HuffPost

Canada Budget 2017 Highlights See Gallery
Jay Z is finally returning to the studio  the movie studio, that is.

After signing a two-year production deal with The Weinstein Co. in September, Sean Jay Z Carter has been linked to a number of different TV and film projects, according to Variety. This week, it was revealed hell be helping create a six-part documentary series and feature film based on Trayvon Martin, the African-American teen who was unarmed and shot dead by a Hispanic man named George Zimmerman in 2012.

Martins story is widely acknowledged as the moment that marked the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement, bringing discussions concerning racism and the judicial system in the United States back to the forefront.

Advertisement

The miniseries and feature film will be based on two books, Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It by Lisa Bloom and Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Martins parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.

Jay Z and the heads of TWC, Harvey Weinstein and David Glasser, reportedly met with Martins parents over Oscar weekend, Variety reports. The meeting was to discuss details about the project and to ensure that Martins legacy would be properly honoured.

There is no information yet as to when the docu-series and feature film will be released.

Jay Zs decision to be involved in this project comes to no surprise. In February, the rapper and founder of Tidal streaming service released an EP titled 17 on the fifth anniversary of Trayvon Martins death. In addition, they also collaborated with Sankoya, Harry Belafontes social justice organization, to create a short film about a young prosperous teenager who gets fatally wounded, according to Newsweek.

Advertisement

On top of working on this new miniseries, Jay Z has been tied to numerous other projects, including Time: The Kalief Browder Story, Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? and an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Mirandas musical In The Heights, all of which list him as a producer.

The new Spike series Time: The Kalief Browder Story tells the story of Browder, a young teen from Brooklyn who was subjected to injustice by the judicial system. He was sentenced to three years at Rikers Island prison in New York City, on suspicion of robbery without a conviction. After he was released, he committed suicide two years later.

Jay Zs involvement with the project comes after reading about Browders story in the New Yorker and meeting him in prison. After their introduction, Jay Z reportedly felt an intimate connection with the teen with whom he says he could identify, having grown up in the same neighbourhood.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about his new deal with TWC in September, Jay Z talked about the opportunity to tell these types of narratives, saying, Im excited to tell stories from real-life prophets who, through their struggles, have changed the world for the better and others whose stories are filled with fantasy and delight.

Advertisement

Jay Zs resume just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Perhaps his music career can wait for now.

Also on HuffPost
Being a mom can be both wonderful and overwhelming  even when you're a princess.

On Thursday, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, opened up about her experience as a mother and the challenges and triumphs that come with having kids.

"It's right to talk about motherhood as a wonderful thing, but we also need to talk about its stresses and strains," she said at a maternal mental health event in London.

Advertisement

Watch the full speech below:

The 35-year-old mother of two reminded mums there is no rulebook for parenting and that "you just have to make it up and do the very best you can to care for your family," which can "lead to a lack of confidence and feelings of ignorance."

Middleton, who co-founded the Heads Together campaign for mental health awareness alongside her husband Prince William and brother-in-law Prince Harry, went on to share how motherhood can be an overwhelming experience filled with joy, exhaustion, love, and worry.

The Duke and Duchess were delighted to have the opportunity to introduce Prince George and Princess Charlotte to the people of Canada. It was wonderful for George and Charlotte to get to play with children from Canadian military families. Thank you to the Military Family Resource Centre and the team at Government House, Victoria. We hope everyone enjoys the photos! #RoyalVisitCanada A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Sep 29, 2016 at 11:59am PDT

Advertisement

"You go from thinking of yourself as primarily an individual, to suddenly being a mother, first and foremost," she said.

Middleton is one of many famous women to speak out about the struggles of motherhood. Most recently, model mom Chrissy Teigen told Glamour magazine about her postpartum depression diagnosis following the birth of daughter Luna.

"Most days were spent on the exact same spot on the couch and rarely would I muster up the energy to make it upstairs for bed. John would sleep on the couch with me, sometimes four nights in a row," Teigen said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 9 women who give birth per year will experience postpartum depression symptoms. Symptoms include: feeling sad or overwhelmed, irritable or restless, feelings of anxiety, anger or rage, and in some cases physical pain.

"It's OK not to find it easy," Middleton says of being a new mom. "Asking for help should not be seen as a sign of weakness."

Advertisement
Springs season of renewal is starting on a sour note for Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne with a new poll suggesting her job approval rating has sunk to just 12 per cent.

The Angus Reid Institute, which tests approval ratings of provincial leaders each quarter, released numbers Friday showing Wynne has dropped four percentage points since December.

Advertisement

Eighty-one per cent of those surveyed told the firm they disapprove of Wynnes performance.

The news comes on the same week former Ontario finance minister, Greg Sorbara, said it is time for Wynne to consider resigning so that Ontario Liberals will fare better in the 2018 election. Sorbara told TVOs Steve Paikin that there is a whole lot of people in the Ontario Liberal party who think that its all over.

In the poll release, the firm said Wynne is now on the slide towards single digit job approval.

Story continues after slideshow:

Canada's Least, Most Popular Premiers (March 2017) See Gallery

Advertisement

But Wynne is not the only premier to see her approval rating drop. In fact, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall  consistently the most popular premier  has dropped six percentage points since last quarter, while Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister dropped five.

Walls job approval rating of 52 per cent is the lowest in seven years of tracking by the Angus Reid Institute. Walls government released a budget this week that forecasts a $685 million deficit this year and raises the provincial sales tax to six per cent from five per cent.

Pallister, meanwhile, boasts an approval rating of 45 per cent despite two strange controversies. The premier recently apologized for saying that indigenous night hunting was sparking a race war and raised eyebrows with his plan to spend up to eight weeks a year in Costa Rica.

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark is down four percentage points from last quarter and sits at 31 per cent. Clark has faced questions about her B.C. Liberal Partys fundraising and apologized last month for accusing NDP rivals of hacking her partys website.

Angus Reid Institute also released numbers showing British Columbians, who will vote in a provincial election on May 9, are concerned about fundraising and campaign financing.

Advertisement

Its also bad news for a trio of East Coast Liberal premiers. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Balls rating remains the same at 20 per cent, while New Brunswicks Brian Gallant dropped two percentage points to sit at 27 per cent. Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil dipped four percentage points this quarter, for a rating of 27 per cent.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley sits at 31 per cent approval rating, virtually unchanged from December, while Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard is up five percentage points to sit at 35 per cent.

The firm does not test the approval rating of Prince Edward Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan because the sample size for the province is too small.

The online survey was conducted between March 6-13 among a representative, randomized sample of 5,404 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The firm says that, for comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Sephora is launching a wonderful initiative to help cancer patients adjust to their changing appearance.

Starting April 9, the brand will introduce Brave Beauty in the Face of Cancer  a free 90-minute beauty class for women and men with cancer. The hands-on workshop is aimed at teaching customers techniques and products that address the visible effects of cancer treatments, according to Sephoras website.

Advertisement

Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, can cause changes in skin complexion (either darker or paler), nail discolouration, and hair loss  not just on the head, but on the body, such as eyebrows and eyelashes. Thats why Sephoras class will include skincare, natural brow, and eye definition tips.

On top of that, the class is meant to empower customers affected by cancer. Looking and feeling your best helps you live more confidently, the site reads. For that reason, Sephora developed Classes for Confidence to help inspire fearlessness in those facing major life transitions. Its time to celebrate what fearless looks like  you.

In a short promo clip, a number of cancer patients reveal the positive impacts of the class. By having some confidence with things I can do with makeup, it'll help me get out and be with people I need to be with, a participant named Amy says.

Advertisement

Sephoras Director of Social Impact and Sustainability, Corrie Conrad, told Teen Vogue that the workshop also fosters a sense of community: These classes initiate powerful and positive connections for those dealing with cancer, away from the hospital environment.

During the classes, it's optional for Sephora employees who have experienced a cancer journey to wear a heart lapel pin in solidarity with customers, Glamour notes. This is meant to put clients at ease if they have any questions about their own beauty concerns surrounding cancer treatments.

When someones going through something like this where they lose a lot of self-esteem, putting on lipstick or learning these techniques can really bring out that inner beauty and that will shine through, a participant named Berry said.

Sephoras classes will be available at select stores across the U.S. in April.

Here's hoping these classes will come to Canada soon!

Also on HuffPost

Sephora Spring/Summer 2016 See Gallery
TORONTO  Canada's largest school board says it will stop booking trips to the United States indefinitely in light of the uncertainty surrounding restrictions at the border.

The Toronto District School Board, which serves about 245,000 public school students, says it made the "difficult decision'' because it believes students "should not be placed into these situations of potentially being turned away at the border.''

Advertisement

The board says that for now, it will move forward with the 24 U.S. trips that have already been approved, but says the entire group will turn back if any students with appropriate documentation are turned away.

It also says those trips will be cancelled and refunded if the U.S. enacts any rules that would bar certain students from crossing the border.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced new travel restrictions earlier this month that would affect who can enter the country, but those changes have been on hold as they face several court challenges.

Advertisement

The school board says it will continue to monitor the situation and may revisit its decision if it receives new information.

"It is my hope that our students, staff and parents will understand and support this difficult decision,'' John Malloy, the board's director of education, said in a statement.

"We feel it strikes a balance between our equity and inclusion commitments as a school board, while not cancelling already-approved trips for which a financial loss would be incurred.''

Similar debates have played out in a number of school districts across Canada following the first executive order issued by Trump that imposed travel restrictions to citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Advertisement

A Winnipeg junior high school cancelled a trip by its track team to Minnesota in January because it wasn't certain all students would be able to cross the border.

The Greater Essex County School Board in southwestern Ontario decided in February to cancel a handful of trips over concerns of safety and equity, while districts in southern Vancouver Island debated whether to ban all U.S. travel or handle each trip on a case-by-case basis.
Nearly 2,000 people have received live-saving care at the Gabiley Tuberculosis Hospital in Somaliland. (Photo: Brett Tarver)

"I was certain that I was going to die," said 25-year-old Ifrah in Somaliland, of her battle with tuberculosis.

Advertisement

It's not something we should be hearing in 2017. An illness old enough to have been known as 'consumption' or 'The White Plague' should have its place in medical history -- not claiming 1.8 million lives a year. But claiming lives it is, especially in the developing world.

The year's theme for World Tuberculosis Day is "leave no one behind." This holds special meaning for me. I've just returned from Somalia, the place with the highest incidence of TB in the world. Drought has brought the entire region to its knees, making families more vulnerable than ever to infectious illness.

At the Gabiley TB Hospital in Somaliland the fight against tuberculosis is raging every day. But thanks to a quality of care that's uncommon in this region -- one third of all TB patients globally miss out on effective care -- many people are recovering.

Getting the care

Ifrah got a second chance at life at the Gabiley hospital. The young woman had been so sick from tuberculosis, her weight had dropped to a dangerously low 88 lbs, a reading more common for a healthy, ten-year-old girl here in Canada.

Advertisement

"I was too weak to walk," said Ifrah. "I was even too weak to talk." Ifrah didn't understand that she'd contracted TB, but she and her family knew there was something terribly wrong. She wasn't getting better and she desperately needed help.

The pastoralist family managed to catch a ride on a truck from their rural home in search of medical assistance at the Gabiley Hospital. Ifrah was soon diagnosed with TB, and placed on course of chemotherapy to save her life.

World Vision TB Coordinator Dr. Mustafe Hassan has helped treat nearly 2,000 patients. (Photo: Brett Tarver)

The effect of drought

Dr. Mustafe Hassan, World Vision TB Coordinator at the hospital, has helped provide treatment to 2,000 tuberculosis patients with a high rate of success. But more and more new patients keep arriving. Many are weakened by malnutrition caused by drought in Somaliland, and are far more susceptible to disease.

Advertisement

Ifrah believes she got the illness from a cousin who visited, with TB-like symptoms. Bacteria can get released into the air when a person who is already infected coughs, sneezes, sings or talks. Stronger immune systems can sometimes fight the illness -- but not when resistance is low.

"Because of the drought we no longer eat meat or have milk to drink," Ifrah says. "We can only afford to eat dry rice and we have just two meals per day instead of three," she adds.

"This devastating drought is a significant factor in new TB cases like Ifrah's," says Dr. Hassan. Lack of rain, he explains, is destroying livelihoods of pastoralist families like Ifrah's. "Without water to drink, entire herds of animals are dying, putting an incredible strain on already meager resources."

Ready to run again

Thanks to quick and effective treatment, Ifrah has now almost completely recovered. Her tests are now negative for TB. Her energy has returned. Not only can Ifrah walk again, but she can run, she told me with a proud smile.

"I'm feeling really good now," she says. "I feel happy again, and I can't wait to go back home to my husband and my twin boys."

Advertisement

Ifrah is ready to run again, thanks to the Gabiley TB hospital in Somaliland. (Photo: Brett Tarver)

Ifrah will return to her family with a knowledge of TB that she can share with others. No one wishes for a life-and-death struggle. But Ifrah is now prepared to educate her community on how to identify the signs of tuberculosis, and prevent it from spreading.

Dire warnings

The Gabiley TB hospital has been highly successful in treating patients, and World Vision is proud to provide support. But patient numbers are soaring as the drought grinds on. The hospital has experienced a 50 per cent leap in new TB cases because of the drought, says Dr. Hassan.

(Photo: Steph Glinski)

Once infected, TB can be notoriously difficult to treat -- especially if people have fought the illness before. Many patients are now resistant to drugs typically used to tackle TB. The usual course of treatment is months-long, and interruptions can render medications useless in the future.

Advertisement

It's critically important that people's bodies remain strong against possible infections. But without nutritious food to eat, the health of families across the region continues to weaken, leaving it easier for TB to take hold.

"If the impact of the drought on the people is not addressed, the risk of disease will continue to escalate," says Dr. Hassan.

Help fight TB through nutrition

One of the best things you can do to reduce TB in Somaliland, is to help families stay healthy in the face of drought. More than six million people -- nearly 50 per cent of Somalia's population -- is need of immediate humanitarian assistance.

Seven-year-old Muha has come to the Gabiley TB Hospital for a screening, something many children do, as a precaution. (Photo: Steph Glinski.)

Advertisement

World Vision has supported the Gabiley TB Hospital since 2005. Now, a complex hunger crisis across East Africa means 22 million people are facing severe food shortages. There's much more we need to do.

You can help families across East Africa, by providing things like clean water, nutritious food, and basic medical care.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
The world looks at Canada as a culturally neutral country. But the so called "melting pot of the North" is really... just Toronto. Western Canada is nowhere near the pot.

As a native Torontonian, I moved to Edmonton about three years ago. Most of my friends left Ontario when Alberta's economy was strong and every year that went by they encouraged me to come for the endless opportunities. They warned me about the racism here, but I thought they were exaggerating. I thought that if Ontario welcomes diversity, Western Canada can't be that different.

When I landed at Edmonton International Airport, it felt like I moved to Texas. There were retail stores that sold cowboy hats, hunting gear and some white people looked at me as if I were a ghost. It was only the beginning of the culture shock.

Advertisement

It was my first week in the city, and a long list of job interviews was lined up. I went to a print shop to print a resume, and there were a lot of customers with only one cashier. My computer timed out, and I went to the front desk to add money on my card while other customers were waiting for assistance. As I waited, a white man smirked and asked me "What happened? Did you run out of money?" I was stunned and noticed an Asian man had an embarrassed look on his face as if he felt bad about what happened because of the stereotypical racist comment. I replied, "Don't you see me waiting to refill my card?" His face turned red, and he kept quiet.

One time, I was returning from Barbados to the Edmonton Airport, and a customs officer asked me the usual questions about my trip, but the last one was unnecessary. My passport is Canadian, and it states I was born in this country. She had the nerve to ask me with a menacing smirk on her face "Did you take a detour to Africa on your way back from Barbados?" I was HEATED! Please don't get me wrong; I love my African people, but it was obvious that she was exercising her authority to make a racist comment.

I am naturally a confident person, and a pep in my step is a part of my personality. There are times when I run errands in downtown Edmonton, and some white people will look at me like "Who does she think she is?" REALLY! Are all black people supposed to look down at their shoes and say "Yes Sir" like it is the 1920s?

Advertisement

I live in a predominantly white community. And despite living there for two years, there are still neighbours that look at me as if I am going to rob them. Like my very skin colour is a threat.

While I can share a novel of other stories, I'll leave you with this one. I left work one day and headed to the mall to pick up some thank you cards. I was wearing a fancy white blazer, black dress pants, and a feminine white blouse. I walked into a gift store, and when I tried to get the attention of a few of the sales reps, they ignored me. However, every white person that walked in was welcomed with a smile and "How can I help you today?" My first thought was they are older caucasian women, and maybe their minds are still trapped in the 1950s. I pretended like nothing happened and went home, called the store's corporate office and demanded to speak to the head executive that runs all the Edmonton retail stores.

He called me back, and I told him about my experience, reminding him that demographics show that the city is becoming more diverse. If his staff does not like black people, they need to get a non-customer facing job because the growing diversity is something that no one can stop. He was appalled, and the next time I walked into that same retail store, I was treated like a princess by the sales reps.

According to a recent Edmonton Sun article, "Twenty-five years from now, the face of Alberta will include many more immigrants, and almost all of them will be calling Edmonton and Calgary home according to long-term projections from Statistics Canada." Also, immigrants will make up 45 per cent of the Canadian population by 2036.

Advertisement

Many of you might be thinking I should move back to Ontario but here is why I won't. I was born and raised in this country. In addition to the reality of slavery and all the contributions my ancestors made to build this country from the ground up, I can live anywhere I please despite other people's ignorance.

What do you think about race relations out West? Do you think it is getting better or worse? Sound off in the comments.

Read more articles on ByBlacks.com.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
tjwvandongen via Getty Images Orca's traveling in Johnstone strait, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Long overdue, the federal Action Plan fails to outline actions that will ensure endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales are protected from major threats to their survival.

Killer whales are an indicator species, meaning that when we have a healthy population we likely have a healthy ocean. That's why the Southern Resident Killer Whales have been a big deal at Ecojustice for a long time. The story of these critically endangered whales that inhabit the increasingly busy Salish Sea reflects the story of the entire B.C. coast -- their survival and recovery is intimately tied to saving the region's rich marine biodiversity.

Advertisement

With a population that numbers only 78 whales, the Southern Resident Killer Whale is listed as an endangered species under our federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). For much of the year, these whales forage in the once salmon-rich waters of the Salish Sea. So crucial is the Salish Sea to their survival, it is designated and legally protected as the whales' "critical habitat."

Recovery strategy and draft action plans

The plan to save the Southern Residents depends largely on the long-awaited Action Plan for the species. An action plan is a tool under SARA, and part of a two-step recovery process for endangered species protected under the Act. The first step is to create a recovery strategy identifying major threats to the species and their critical habitat, and then implement that strategy through one or more action plans.

The Recovery Strategy for Resident Killer Whales, published in 2008 and amended in 2011, identified three key threats to both the whales and their critical habitat: (1) diminished prey availability; (2) marine pollution; and (3) physical and acoustic disturbance, largely from shipping. It also set March 2013 as the deadline for an action plan to implement the strategy.

Last week, a full four years after the deadline passed, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) posted the Action Plan for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales [Orcinus orca] in Canada to the SARA Registry -- and much hinges on the plan's contents. Pressures on the Southern Residents are mounting as diminished salmon returns combine with a potential dramatic increase in shipping through the Salish Sea -- including oil tankers from the Kinder Morgan pipeline project, which would increase ocean noise and the risk of oil spills.

Advertisement

Previous indications of how far the action plan would go to mitigate these multiple threats varied widely. The Minister of Transport recently suggested that future federal initiatives would "more than mitigate" the impacts of increased tanker traffic associated with the pipeline. By contrast, earlier draft action plans produced in in 2014 and 2016 were notably light on "action." (Last year, nearly 9,000 people sent letters demanding immediate action to address the threats to these endangered orcas.)

The final plan's shortcomings

The final Action Plan falls somewhere between these two extremes. Troublingly, it still favors research over action, and voluntary measures over regulation. The plan is an improvement over earlier drafts in that it clearly enables DFO to manage salmon fisheries to ensure adequate food supply in years with poor salmon numbers. But it falls short of actually requiring DFO to use this power. And sadly, there is no firm plan to regulate ocean noise in critical habitat -- despite clear evidence that up to 97 percent of whales' communication space is already taken up in high traffic periods. DFO and partner agencies such as Transport Canada will "investigate," but not require, new technology onboard ships to reduce noise from vessels.

Perhaps the biggest hole in the plan is that there is no requirement to reduce existing threats before considering any new development in the Salish Sea that would increase existing pressures on the whales. The plan only requires that DFO give advice about mitigating some impacts from proposed future activities. This is a problem because there are many major projects already planned that will increase the pressure on these whales significantly. For example, the National Energy Board found that the now approved Kinder Morgan pipeline will have significant adverse impacts on the Southern Residents. The Government's failure to ensure that these impacts are mitigated before approving this project is currently before the Court. Clearly, the new Action Plan does not do enough to resolve this problem.

Governments hate to bind themselves by taking firm positions, and it is always easier to sell voluntary measures than to set clear standards and enforce them. However, when the task is to save and recover an endangered species, strong regulatory action is sometimes the only option. Ecojustice will continue pushing to ensure the Action Plan results in strong and practical actions to save the Southern Residents.

Advertisement

This piece was written by Ecojustice lawyer Margot Venton. As Canada's largest national environmental law charity, Ecojustice is building the case for a better earth. Learn more at ecojustice.ca, or subscribe to receive updates from us via email.
American pop-rock band DNCE held its first concert in Seoul on Wednesday, a performance made special for both the group and its audience by serving as a homecoming of sorts for the group's Korean member, guitarist Lee Jin-joo. The only woman in the four-member band, Lee seemed immeasurably happy to be home and performing in what might be described as a glorious return.

Lee Jin-joo plays guitar during a concert by her band DNCE in Seoul on Wednesday. /Yonhap

"I went to the U.S. alone 10 years ago. I couldn't even speak English back then. Whenever I felt lonely and things were tough, I imagined a moment. And this is the moment," Lee told the audience of 2,000 that filled the concert hall. "There were many times when, feeling frustrated and helpless, I wanted to come home, but picturing myself on stage in Korea helped me to keep going," she said. Born in Incheon in 1987, Lee began teaching herself guitar at the age of 12 and went to the U.S. to further her musical education when she was 19.

DNCE

While studying at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, she got her first career break, joining a group of session musicians for Jordin Sparks, the winner of the sixth season of "American Idol." She later played for pop duo, the Jonas Brothers, which led to her joining DNCE when it was formed by Joe Jonas in 2015. The band's music, a blend of funk rock, disco and Eurodance, went down well with the Korean audience, and Lee was overjoyed to see them singing along throughout the show.
Instead of working hand in hand with other nations, Mr. Trump prefers to flex his muscles with a vastly expanded military budget. This egotistical policy is very short sighted. It is incapable of seeing further than the next quarter's financial report. To compound the problem, it is also a bad-neigbour policy which proclaims that "might is right."

Advertisement

The press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel demonstrates his lack of diplomacy with the leader of an allied country as well as his unwillingness to use a team-effort approach in international relations. With the American president's proclamation that he wants to abandon the cleanup of the Great Lakes, even Quebec's timid minister of the environment, Mr. Heurtel, dares express his concern. The forced renegotiation of NAFTA is also based on a protectionism worthy of the 1930s. And as for bad-neighbour policies, I haven't even mentioned the shameful wall with Mexico...

Cutting investments in research and development shows a singular lack of long-term vision for the future. Older people will remember that Canada's aviation industry lived through an analogous situation at the end of the 1950s. The new Conservative prime minister, Mr. John Diefenbaker, did not like certain managers in the aeronautical industry; he saw in them a nest of Liberal adversaries. Despite the fact that the prototypes of the new supersonic airplane, the Avro Arrow with its Iroquois engine, were technically decades in advance of their competitors, Mr. Diefenbaker ordered the destruction of all prototypes and even its plans. The 14,525 engineers, designers and technicians found themselves out of work. The USA attracted them and Canadian brains became the core of our neighbour's new NASA space program.

This Trump folly is like a bad flu - it will pass with time.

The CBC mini-series, Canada's Broken Dream, referred to a Canadian aeronautical legend. Despite the formal orders of prime minister Diefenbaker, one airplane would have escaped the blow torch. It left the runway and "disappeared!" And that same legend has it that the SR-71, the fabled Blackbird and the pride of American aviation for three decades, was in fact a slightly altered Avro Arrow... President Kennedy had an exciting project; to go to the moon. A newly formed NASA attracted the recently out of work Canadian engineers as well as German researchers such as Wernher von Braun. We should remember that the space research program also permitted the development and subsequent commercialization of numerous articles which are now part of our daily life, like Velcro and electronic calculators.

Advertisement

As an aeronautical leader during the cold war, Canada could have sold thousands of supersonic airplanes to its allies. Because of the Prime Minister's lack of vision and his partisan obstinacy, we lost a great business opportunity to say nothing of the fact that the RCAF had to make do with inferior airplanes built in other countries. It has taken years of hard work for the Canadian aeronautical industry to again become a world class aviation hub, thanks to a new vision.

Likewise, Mr. Trump and his climate negationists, stuck in their archaic thinking, are determined to protect the fossil fuel industries and the wealth of the one per cent, the super-rich individuals who Theodore Roosevelt called the "malefactors of great wealth." They confuse their personal interests for the next quarter with the long term interests of their country. A recent article suggests that, like Canada in the late '50s, the USA may lose trillions in lost business opportunities if it does not implement the Paris Accord.

One may deplore this policy of a neighbouring country, but there is not much we can do except make diplomatic overtures in an attempt to reduce the collateral damage that these noxious policies will have on us, like the pollution of the Great Lakes and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This Trump folly is like a bad flu -- it will pass with time. Already the immune system of the American democracy has begun to react in order to neutralize this nasty virus. In the meantime, let's try to focus on taking advantage of a business opportunity; we can attract out of work American researchers and get a jump start on green energies... and become an industry leader before the stricken American economy recovers from this series of bad decisions.
As I went through the details of the federal budget -- the second for this Liberal government -- and considered the new ideas and, too often, the limits placed on those ideas, one thought kept coming to mind.

The new federal budget is high on symbolism, and low on details and money.

Take the announcement of $7 billion for child care and 40,000 new child-care spaces over three years. An announcement like that sounds great, and certainly more affordable child-care spaces are needed.

Advertisement

Unifor has been calling for this sort of action for years now. Affordable child care would significantly help women and families to build better lives. We cannot have true equity until the barriers keeping women out of the workforce are taken down.

But for any of that money to flow and for any of those spaces to be created, the provinces and the territories need to sign on to the idea and work with Ottawa to come up with a plan. In the end, that means we have the symbolism of a new child-care strategy, but no actual plan and no money until the plan is in place. Working families are still left waiting.

Another example is the new $1.26 billion Strategic Innovations Fund, which wraps up several smaller funds, including the much-criticized Automotive Innovations Fund, into one and adds another $200 million over five years to the pot.

Again, that sounds good, but there are no details. And it is those details in fine print that matter.

Advertisement

A fund that is supposed to help spur new investments and create good jobs barely merits one page in a 277-page document. Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains will likely release details of the plan in the coming months, but I'd rather have seen them come out with the budget. Let's be clear: a budget is not just about numbers and dollars. It is the government's political document to outline and set priorities, but this one leaves many things too open for interpretation on an actual plan.

Certainly, there has already been a lot of discussion about how such a fund should operate. The auto industry, for instance, has consistently said that a simplified system of dealing with government --and grants, not loans -- are the way to go. The old Automotive Innovation Fund got both points wrong, and this new fund must not repeat that mistake.

When Bains went to Alliston last month to announce a new program with Honda, the federal government offered grants, not loans -- but with no commitment that any future federal money would be also grants. This week's budget was a lost opportunity to clear up that ambiguity.

The government is headed in the right direction, it just might take longer to get there.

Investment is needed to fuel our economy, but this budget appears to only offer sprinkles of cash. There is an added $200 million to manufacturing investment. This amount will be rolled out over five years, and that is just not a lot when it comes to the needs of the industry to both build and grow good-paying jobs. In our last round of talks with the Detroit Three automakers last fall, Unifor alone negotiated $1.6 billion in auto investments in Canada -- more than the entire Strategic Innovations Fund.

Advertisement

After the struggles Unifor has had defending the rights of taxi drivers and of the public to a safe and regulated cab industry, it was good to see the GST being applied to ride-sharing services. But there was no such measure for Airbnb, which is hurting the hospitality industry and disrupting communities. Another missed opportunity.

All that said, it is all too easy to criticize a budget. An important thing worth noting is the general direction the 2017 budget shows. The government is headed in the right direction, it just might take longer to get there. It is through our critical views and demand for more that we the people and voters of Canada can collectively hold the government to account and push for the needs of working people.

I have definitely certainly seen worse budgets. The budgets of the previous Harper governments were mean-spirited and consistently offered policies that hurt working families.

The first two budgets of the Liberal government, however, show a clear intention to help working Canadians, their families and their communities build stronger futures.

Advertisement

This federal government is definitely on a new path, and it is a critical path that incorporates and weaves in an important gender analysis to the budget and the budget process. The gender-based analysis of this year's budget is a first, and it is a welcomed beginning. Although it was tucked into the back of the document, I know this is a crucial step for what's to come. It contains a decent assessment of the impact of government policies on women and how they foster inequity, and even a few first steps on how to address them.

Evaluating numbers, investments and how those apply to women can help all of us better understand the inequality that exists and how the system of budgets can reduce that gap between women and men. This year's analysis was a first step. A somewhat tentative step, perhaps, but a good step.

There is no doubt that I would like to see the measures of this budget to come in faster, but I take some heart that the country is at least now moving after a decade of hurtful policies coming out of Ottawa.

And certainly this is a step in the right direction.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
One of the most annoying statements I read in connection with the recent arrests of the so-called Prince and Princess of Pot, Marc and Jodie Emery, was an allegation in the Toronto Star by Acting Inspector Steve Watts, of the Toronto Drug Squad, that the Cannabis Culture franchises must be getting their marijuana inventory from "illegitimate sources" -- "often tied to organized crime," the Star added -- due to the high volume of marijuana they sell.

He sent his Cannabis Culture magazine to every member of parliament for over 12 years.

He made no secret of his vision that one day, marijuana would be sold legally and openly in a free market by myriad competing sellers, large and small.

Advertisement

He was already positioning Cannabis Culture as a seller of consistently high-quality products with exceptional customer service. The notion of Marc skulking around with nefarious, violent criminals is completely inconsistent with all of his past conduct.

So I asked him where Cannabis Culture gets its inventory. It turns out that among the bewildering and ever-changing regulations governing pot these past two decades, there was one that granted permits (called Designated Person Production Licences) for people to grow medicinal marijuana for authorized, medically needy pot users.

Although these licences are no longer given out, existing licences were grandfathered by the Federal Court in 2014. Such licences often allow producers to grow surpluses well beyond the needs of their authorized users. That's where Cannabis Culture gets its inventory. Marc says he has known his suppliers for years and has personally inspected their growing premises.

Advertisement

While this sounds well "organized" to me, that's not what members of the public were supposed to envision when the Acting Inspector Watts and the Star smeared Marc with the "organized crime" slur.

No, there seems to be an effort underway to get Marc and Jodie into jail and out of the marketplace before legalization occurs. Opportunists have been swarming out of the woodwork, hoping to monopolize or at least cartelize Canada's marijuana industry and earn huge profits from Marc Emery's decades-long efforts to legalize the stuff.

Meanwhile, Marc -- who has already been arrested 30 times and spent five years in the U.S. prison system -- faces possible life imprisonment for his current charges, not to mention the possible forfeiture of all his assets. He may well be in jail, destitute, on the date when his "crimes" cease to be crimes.

What better way to get a highly effective competitor out of the marketplace?

The hypocrisy surrounding marijuana legalization sickens me. Legalization could actually be accomplished by a very short bill simply repealing about a dozen lines in the Controlled Drug and Substances Act.

Instead, a complex regulatory and tax environment is planned -- rewarding many "respectable" prominent citizens who have traded in their jobs in the prohibition-prosecution-enforcement industry for shiny new positions as purveyors of the product they formerly sent people to jail for.

Advertisement

Let's hope the jury recognizes the injustice of being asked to impose life imprisonment on a man whose only "crime" has been to openly do something the government has agreed should be legalized.

According to the Task Force on Cannabis Legislation, "A commitment was also made [by the Trudeau government] to punish more severely...those who sell [marijuana] outside of the new regulatory framework."

Marc sent me a list of 23 pillars of the community now chafing at the bit to provide recreational marijuana to the Canadian public. It includes numerous former politicians and civil servants, most of them Liberals, and even some cabinet ministers. It also includes three former high-ranking RCMP officers and three former municipal police chiefs or deputy chiefs. Google corroborated the information.

The Task Force on Cannabis Legalization issued its final report in November, 2016, repeatedly stressing the need to keep marijuana profits "out of the hands of organized crime."

There's irony in their complex proposed regulations: The more narrowly you restrict legal sales of marijuana, the more opportunities you leave open for "criminals" to pursue the market niches you've outlawed.

Advertisement

There's another irony too: one hallmark of organized crime is its use of physical force to deter competition. Compete with the Mafia and you'll end up with your kneecaps broken, or worse.

But that's no different in principle from the government's plan. Compete in a way they don't like and they'll deploy physical force to seize your person, put you in jail, and take your property. That threat of violence, used to proscribe the peaceful, voluntary exchange of goods between consenting adults, makes government itself a kingpin of organized crime.

Incidentally, I've known Marc personally for about 38 years. I don't share his taste for marijuana; in fact, I've never tried it in my life. And I don't intend to start using it even if the government ever gets around to legalizing it. But I have long admired Marc for his principles and his persistence.

This time around, the penalties he faces are so high that he will finally get the jury trial he has long desired. Let's hope the jury recognizes the injustice of being asked to impose life imprisonment on a man whose only "crime" has been to openly do something the government has agreed should be legalized.

Advertisement
The Trudeau government's second budget is more a cautionary one than one with the revolutionary zeal of the first. In a sense, it's looking at what the Donald Trump administration is doing in the U.S. and making wiggle room as the president has been proven to be unpredictable. The budget does show us that the military is not a priority, with no increases and deferred spending on purchasing for eight years.

From the time of Trudeau's father and former prime minister Pierre Trudeau to the times of Jean Chretien, the military has never been the priority of the Liberals.

The lack of spending left some soldiers to seek assistance from their local food bank or even take second jobs. The wages have increased but the mere fact that we will have to duct tape our way forward can be hard on the soldiers and sailors and aircrew of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Advertisement

General Hillier said in 2007, "Those actions, dollar deprived, have now led to some deep wounds in the department in the Canadian Forces over this past, what I would call, a decade of darkness."

The Canadian Forces are in combat in Iraq working with the Kurdistan forces for several years now. This mission, largely manned by the Special Forces, is taking a toll on the men and women of the two units involved.

JTF2 and Canadian Special Operations Regiment are highly skilled and fairly small in size. They are helped with regular force logistical units out of Kuwait and helicopters working out of Iribl.

Advertisement

Small numbers are located in some locations in Africa such as Congo and southern Sudan as well as working with our partners in Mali. In Europe we have the beginnings of what is being called a permanent base in Latvia and of course the training and advising teams in the Ukraine.

What Afghanistan has taught us more than anything is that we must be flexible and that good equipment can save lives.

The air force continues to protect North America and on various missions in Europe and Iraq. The navy, also with partners, is doing its work in the Indian Ocean, Pacific and the Atlantic, as well as the far North.

I mention these locations and tours because one can easily see that this many wide and varied missions take their turn on CAF members and their equipment. Canadian acquisition for the military has been hit and miss, and so we have world-leading equipment working side by side with 1950 helicopters or ambulances that top out at 80 km/h.

What Afghanistan has taught us more than anything is that we must be flexible and that good equipment can save lives.

Advertisement

Had I had to use an Iltis to travel around Kandahar, I would be dead at the suicide bombers' hands that was, in fact, stopped by our armored vehicle -- a newly purchased Mercedes G-Wagen.

The navy is in need of new supply ships as we currently have to beg and borrow off our allies for help during exercises and missions around the world. The air force is in a well-publicized rut with its need for new fighter jets. The CF35 is a highly technical aircraft that has blown its budgets and it still is not 100 per cent operational. As such, the Liberal government has decided to buy Super Hornet CF18, which are upgrades to our current CF18s from the 198s.

Search and rescue aircraft have long been needed, as the current Buffalo aircraft -- although solid -- is in some cases decades older than its crew.

The missions we find ourselves in require solid equipment and we also need more manpower as we move forward. The soldiers, sailors and aircrew want to do the missions they're given -- but if they don't have the "right stuff" then the mission may fail and people will die.

Advertisement

Soft power can work around the world but there are times when dealing with either Vladimir Putin or ISIS that a big stick is just as effective.

The Liberal government has stripped $8.4 billion out of the equipment purchased budget with a promise to reinstall it sometime in the 2030s.

This lack of foresight is telling, and shows that the current government is not understanding the immense value that Canada can bring to the table. We are requested from countries around the world due to our combat experience and highly skilled officers and soldiers, sailors and aircrew.

We can invest in our men and women and give them the tools to do the job.

During the 2015 election, Justin Trudeau pledged to not cut defence spending and to live up to the pledge made by the former government of reaching the NATO funding goal of two per cent of GDP.

Canada currently ranks last in that funding model at just .99 per cent of GDP being spent on defense.

Advertisement

Canada is ranked as one of the greatest countries -- happiest to live in, incredibly livability scales for its cities, a long life expectancy and so much more.

We can invest in our men and women and give them the tools to do the job. It's been proven over on mission after mission that Canadian Armed Forces can help countries, peoples and more but we must have the right stick.

The Canadian military has been subject to defence cuts since 2013, all while we are continued to ask to do more with less and less. Eventually it won't just be the equipment that breaks down but the soldiers themselves.

Paul Franklin

Mcpl (ret)

Amputee Coalition of Canada

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
It's the newest country in the world, but South Sudan also bears the title of being one of -- if not the -- worst places in the world to be a child. Three years of war have not only killed or maimed countless children, but have forced millions from their homes, disrupted their education, and starved them of badly needed food and basic health care.

Right now, there are 4.3 million children in urgent need of humanitarian assistance across South Sudan. Last month's formal declaration of famine only officialized a catastrophe that has been unfolding for months.

Advertisement

The numbers are staggering. The suffering is unparalleled.

When a colleague first shared his story about Helen and Emmanuel, a mother and baby he had met from South Sudan, I was filled with hope. The family had made the four-day trek from South Sudan to Uganda to seek safety in a refugee camp. But Emmanuel was growing frailer by the day. With little food in the camp, Helen decided to return to South Sudan, where she might at least have the support of her community.

On arrival, she found her village abandoned and her husband gone. Soon, Emmanuel fell unconscious. Helen borrowed money to urgently take him to Juba, where he was checked into a malnutrition treatment centre. It should have been a turning point.

Unfortunately, it was too late. We received an email updating us on the situation soon after: Emmanuel had passed away.

Not even one year old, Emmanuel's life was cut short because of a war he couldn't even understand.

Advertisement

The silver lining was that dedicated humanitarian workers were desperately trying to treat and track Emmanuel's progress, and updating those around the world who were rooting for him. He was suffering, but he wasn't forgotten about.

There are more than one million children across South Sudan who are estimated to be acutely malnourished, with more than 275,000 just like Emmanuel, severely malnourished and in need of immediate aid.

The numbers are staggering, but we can't afford to be paralyzed with inaction.

And it's not just a question of lack of food. It's a question of people being uprooted from their homes due to violence, and an economic crisis that has seen people lose their livelihoods and coping mechanisms stretched beyond the breaking point.

There needs to be a political solution to the conflict. Until then, there needs to be unimpeded access granted to all humanitarian organizations working to reach those hardest to reach. And there needs to be a boost in resources to meet the needs of the millions of children at risk, just like Emmanuel, before it's too late.

Yes, the numbers are staggering, but we can't afford to be paralyzed with inaction. The cost to children's lives is too high, and the threat to the future of the country and the region too great.

Advertisement

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
Living in poverty can feel like being invisible, or worse, they notice you and your shoes, your lack of cash flow, or car, or insurance, or leisure. That lack is the reason why I'm here. Believing in my bright future was the greatest resistance.

Poor was taking the bus with my Walkman on, listening to LL Cool J's I Need Love at five in the morning, to start my hustle at six. Being poor felt defined by my exposed, cold cement floors where my bed was, with no frame -- worrying about how the mould would affect my body.

Nobody saw me until I had a degree. Nobody gave a damn about me in foster care, or worse, they tried to save me -- to show me how horrible Indians were, and that I should assimilate into the culture of normalcy, the every day: the middle class default.

Advertisement

I remember so distinctly -- as a foster kid in a new home -- asking to see Maury Povich. They put it on, and observed the culture of lie detectors, chaos, dysfunction, and family scandal (what is most familiar to me), and my foster dad said, "No wonder they call these people animals."

After that I knew I was never going to identify with the default, and my place was with the "savages:" the people the majority could not understand. The people who were guileless, honest, and pulled no punches -- I decided to embrace my struggle as conditioning, and that I could take care of my family if I resisted the default, the subtle racism of liberal culture, and any institution that didn't regard me as individual and powerful.

I considered this era a Wu Tang era. Songs like Wu's Gravel Pit, Ghostface Killah's Cherchez LaGhost, or Wu's Can it be all so Simple, were what pushed me through. Not because I could identify, but because it was the only music that acknowledged the poor had feelings, and were intelligent enough to articulate them. Ghostface's All That I Got is You, was on heavy rotation at every rez party, on our stereos after school, and everywhere else.

Advertisement

"Daddy left me at the age of six," Ghostface said, and that's the age my father left us. When Mary J Blige came in with the bridge, I knew that I could overcome -- that having bugs in your house, invading your food before you could, dealing with struggle, it was not in vain and people could make it out.

People act like the poor aren't intelligent. Well, I say we are more intelligent than anyone in any position at any institution.

It was only a matter of time before I went back to school, graduated, got a book deal, an agent, and a fellowship (the first of its kind). People underestimated me, but, frankly, after I gained the time and money to write, everything else followed. That's what disparity is. It's oppressive, point blank, until you charge through it like a bull, and never stop for recognition.

People act like the poor aren't intelligent. Well, I say we are more intelligent than anyone in any position at any institution. When people debate identity, they don't ask the people who depend on their identities the most: poor people who have to identify themselves on forms every month. They're forced to acquiesce to whatever social services wants them to be to get the check, the bed, or the food they need. They understand identity in a way that academics do not. They understand the implication of a check box, and have the pride to resist, or do what they have to.

Do any of those academics quote people from their rez who deal with the struggle of identity every day? No. They don't. I don't have any issue with those academics, but I'm trying to make a point.

Advertisement

Poor people think abstractly about everything: we have to in order to cope with the absurdity of being a poor Indian. We have to fill forms out to receive canned food that is within arms reach. We give up personal information, and we give up our pride to stand in line on welfare Wednesday, or whatever day they get in line on your rez. We have to think about our place in the world in abstract terms, that we are bigger than our circumstance. We are people yet to be acknowledged. Our greatness, or talent, has yet to be witnessed. We need this rhetoric to push through the next day.

I had never been busier, philosophically, than when I had to contextualize why I was living on the rez, instead of just dying. It was an existential crisis that is never written about. You think the absurdity of life is written well in Camus' The Stranger, consider the First Nations.

I look at my success, and I know without the struggles of my life I would not be where I am, and inversely, those traumas of my past wake me up at night, and make the dark more menacing.

I'm dedicated to sharing the stories of the people who matter more than me: the people on the front lines, in social work, my spirit sister, Denise Baldwin, who has served communities for almost 20 years. A girl I partied with, giggled with, shared my poverty with. She's changing lives and I carry her story. There are more, many more: women living on the rez, unsure if the housing department is assessing their mold problem accordingly. My brothers, who deserve a living wage, but are constantly offered less than they're worth. These people matter as much as our ideas, our discourse, and, until we include them (beyond articles about poverty) in our discourse, we can't decolonize a thing.

Advertisement

It feels like a contrivance to even say this, but it must be said: who depends on identity the most? Who has to ascribe meaning to her actions more than anyone else? Who struggles most through our absurdity? From one "poor Indian" who made good to the rest, I know your work is more meaningful than mine. I know what you do in your community is more impactful than my pontification.

It's about time to say that change will come from those who need it the most. And while my statement is general, it's about as problematic as saying engineers will change the world. It's about time people changed their framework and paternalism concerning my people. One step at a time, we're coming.

Published previously at Indian Country Today.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
It's now more than a month since famine was declared in parts of South Sudan. For children in the world's youngest country, the worsening food crisis comes at a time when they already face countless challenges on a daily basis.

The scale of the crisis engulfing the country is staggering. More than four million children are in need of humanitarian assistance, with almost 1.9 million people displaced inside the country since fighting began in December 2013. More than 1.6 million people have fled to neighbouring countries in search of safety and UNICEF estimates that over one million children will be acutely malnourished in 2017.

Advertisement

The current deterioration in food security and nutrition is mostly due to the conflict and insecurity, the effects of the economic crisis and depleted stocks from the last harvest.

For the children and families in the affected areas, and indeed across the country, getting enough food is just one of the challenges they face each and every day. The conflict has forced hundreds of thousands of children from their homes, deprived them of education and basic health services and left them at risk of violence, recruitment and even death.

The ongoing conflict has caused repeated displacement of communities, leaving millions of people scattered across the country in far-flung locations that make it incredibly difficult to reach children with vital supplies and services like clean water, sanitation, food, medicine and education.

This means agencies like UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) must coordinate complex response missions to get basic supplies and services to families living in often very remote and hard-to-reach locations, but ongoing tensions and fighting means that just getting to many areas is incredibly challenging.

Advertisement

Some families, already struggling to find enough food to survive, are taking on the added responsibility of orphans who have lost their parents to the conflict.

Since the declaration of famine in Unity State on 20 February, however, the WFP and UNICEF have been able to complete eight Integrated Rapid Response Mechanism (IRRM) missions to Unity State, delivering lifesaving supplies and services to more than 170,000 people living there.

Hearing from UNICEF staff who are part of these missions, the sheer scale of the challenge that community's face becomes clear.

Dr. Panyuan Joseph Baluang, part of the UNICEF team who reached Aburoc, in Upper Nile State, described the situation they found there: "Most families are spending every hour of the day sat in the shade of the few trees. The children looked traumatized, and families have very little food for survival." Some families, already struggling to find enough food to survive, are taking on the added responsibility of orphans who have lost their parents to the conflict.

Even the basic supplies included in the emergency missions are vitally important to families with little or no other support. In Koch, one of the areas affected by famine, a Christopher Otti, a UNICEF worker explained that '"the majority of health and nutrition facilities have been destroyed, and supplies and equipment looted or ruined in the fighting." So far this year, joint UNICEF-WFP teams -- bringing assistance via plane and helicopter -- have now reached more than 450,000 people, including over 51,000 children under the age of five.

Advertisement

Using a combination of airdrops and airlifts, WFP delivers food assistance and nutrition supplements while UNICEF provides life-saving nutrition and basic health services, including immunizing children against polio and measles and giving out learning materials and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies. Both agencies provide nutrition screening and treatment, as well as information and messages on nutrition. Children who are separated from their families, or unaccompanied, are registered to begin the reunification process.

For many communities reached by the missions, it is the first aid they have received for months, or sometimes even years, and with many public services destroyed or cut off by the conflict, the missions can mean the difference between life and death.

Benjamin Lokoyo, a UNICEF education worker who was part of the IRRM mission to Leer, described the impact these missions have. "It gives the communities some glimpse of hope, WFP providing food and UNICEF was there to give vaccinations to children, to do nutrition screening and to help malnourished children."

As access improves UNICEF will continue to broaden its rapid response air missions to remote parts of the country, seeking to save the tens of thousands of child lives at risk, all the time stressing that leaders must find peace for the children of South Sudan.

Advertisement

Joe English is a Communications Specialist for UNICEF based in New York. He is currently in Juba, South Sudan.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
Some people wear tinfoil hats. Some see conspiracies everywhere. Some even look around at public meetings, and see spies where there are none.

B.C. NDP MLA David Eby, for instance, sees spies. B.C. Liberal spies, to be precise.

A little while ago, Eby -- who seems like a nice fellow, albeit a bit paranoid -- was at a meeting in Richmond, B.C. A few young folks had gathered to talk about housing, which is the subject matter of Eby's critic role in the B.C. legislature.

Advertisement

A B.C. Liberal caucus researcher was there, too. She wasn't trespassing or anything -- it was a public gathering in a public place, one that had been promoted on Facebook and whatnot. The researcher recorded some of the proceedings, as researchers -- and reporters, and NDP staffers everywhere -- are wont to do.

Eby, however, went completely bananas about it. Later on, Eby -- who (historians will note) is the guitarist for a band called World of Science, for which (the band says) he writes "sad bastard lyrics" -- spared no adjective to describe the wicked, immoral and frankly Satanic presence of the young B.C. Liberal person.

It was "appalling," he said. It was "reprehensible." It was "a violation of the privacy rights of youth." And so on and so on. World of Science's sad bastard lyricist probably would have called it a war crime if he could have gotten away with it.

Advertisement

Except, David, it isn't. It wasn't. Sending staffers to the other side's public events, in fact, has been going on since Jesus was a little feller, and you know it.

In every election campaign since time immemorial, in fact, political operatives have been quietly doing what that young B.C. Liberal researcher did. Intent on witnessing an opponent's misstep, they are ever more showing up to capture mistakes made when the mainstream news media aren't present. Like Shekar Ramanuja Sidarth did with the Republican golden boy, George Allen.

George Allen's sad tale goes back to 2006, when he was seeking re-election to the Senate as the Republican standard-bearer. Allen was widely seen as a future possible presidential candidate, and he assiduously sought the support of so-called cultural conservatives -- that is, those folks who want to preserve "one culture for one nation." They're not fussy about foreigners, particularly foreigners who don't look like them. Allen was their (white, Christian) man.

One young man who didn't look like Allen, but knew a great deal about him, was Shekar Ramanuja Sidarth. At the time, Sidarth -- who also answered to Sid -- was a straight-A senior at the University of Virginia and a Hindu. He was Virginia born and raised. Though he was studying engineering, politics was what interested him the most. He'd volunteered on a few Democratic campaigns, and by 2006 he was devoting himself to Democrat James Webb's Senate battle.

Advertisement

His role was to be what I call a "road warrior": following around Webb's opponent with a camcorder, basically. He'd capture misstatements or mistakes, and then relay them back to the central campaign in Arlington. This went on for a few weeks, and while Allen's people didn't particularly like Sidarth following them around -- like David Eby doesn't like to be followed around, apparently -- they didn't do anything to stop him, and mostly treated him courteously.

Until one Friday afternoon event in a park near the Kentucky border, that is. At that event, Allen did something he hadn't done before: he singled Sidarth out. He pointed at him. "This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca or whatever his name is, he's with my opponent," said Allen. "So welcome, let's give a welcome to macaca here! Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia!"

They're not only allowed to be there. They're helping democracy, too.

As with most such things in politics these days, the clip of Allen calling Sidarth a dark-skinned "monkey" eventually ended up on YouTube. Sidarth didn't upload it himself, but he wasn't upset about what would happen next. "This event," he said, "reflected on Allen's character."

It indisputably did, and it would also indisputably end Allen's political career. A Washington Post reporter wrote a short item about the "macaca" statement, and -- within hours -- the story went super-nova. Very soon, many other stories were written, alleging yet more bigoted statements or behaviour by Webb.

Advertisement

The conservative Great White Hope denied it all, of course, but he started to lose his double-digit lead in the polls and he never regained his footing. In November 2006, Allen lost to Webb by nearly 10,000 votes, his once-unstoppable multimillion-dollar campaign effectively felled by a quiet young man with a camcorder. Even in the old Confederate-era stronghold of Dickenson County, where Allen had made his racist remark. Even there.

Moral of the story, David Eby? Those quiet, polite young people showing up to public events and recording public statements by public figures? They're not only allowed to be there.

They're helping democracy, too. Ask Shekar Ramanuja Sidarth if you don't believe me.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
The five things you need to know on Friday, March 24

1) THE FALLEN

Its truly tragic that this morning the new Twitter hashtag #Westminster is a signifier not of politics but of terrorist murder. A fourth victim of the attack has been named by police: 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham in south London was among those mown down by the killers car. A pensioner who was just walking across a much-loved bridge in his own city. He joins US tourist Kurt Cochran, college worker Aysha Frade and PC Keith Palmer on the list of those murdered.

Advertisement

Yesterday, in her speech to Parliament, Theresa May signalled that she did not want Westminster to become synonymous with terror and wanted it to remain a symbol of democracy and freedom. It was a powerful address, pitch-perfect in tone and content. Her speechwriter Chris Wilkins, who has been at her side for years, helped craft the words, but what was most striking for me was how heartfelt and authentic the speech was. Short sentences, strong messages, both compassionate and steely, it sounded like the Prime Minister had found her voice in the darkest moment of her career.

Mays We are not afraid message reminded us of those who really were not afraid when the killer struck: the brave police and NHS staff who put their lives at risk to help others. The PM visited the hospitalised yesterday. Today, 18 people are still in five London hospitals, seven in a critical condition.

From James Cleverly fighting back tears for his friend, to Tobias Ellwood modestly standing by the bar of the House as his own bravery was praised, the Commons captured the mood. The SNPs Angus Robertson rightly revived the traditional title given to former members of the armed forces, calling Ellwood the honourable and gallant gentleman. And Labours Chris Bryant urged the House to look into honouring PC Palmer with a shield in the chamber, like those that commemorate MPs killed in war, or (like Ian Gow and Airey Neave) killed by terrorists. He was our shield, as Bryant put it. He was indeed.

This morning, the Metropolitan Police Federation justgiving page, set up to raise 250,000 for PC Palmers family, had raised a huge 422,000. And a Muslims United For London page raised 18,000 for all the victims.

Advertisement

My colleague Owen Bennett has produced a special edition of our CommonsPeople podcast, with interviews with MPs including Angela Rayner, Tim Farron and others. Even in the lockdown, there were moments of humour. Labour MPs claim the Tories devoured more than their fair share of sandwiches brought in during the five-hour event. Labours Mary Glindon reveals that Dennis Skinner sang anti-Tory songs to keep his side's spirits up in the Chamber. Listen to it HERE.

2) THE KILLER

Some front pages this morning prefer not to focus on the fallen, but on the murderer. The Times puts on its front page a photo of the moment he was shot by a ministerial bodyguard. Deciding to print that photo, which shows PC Palmer lying on the ground nearby, is certainly a controversial call. The Sun has exclusive video of the moment the PM was bundled into her Jaguar within minutes of the incident.

Police now say attacker Khalid Masood's birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao and not Adrian Elms as previously reported. Born in Kent, he appears to have converted to Islam some time after 2003. Some reports claim he was radicalised and then re-radicalised in prison. His age, 52, was older than most Islamist recruits, and detectives are still piecing together how he turned into a killer.

Questions about Commons security are naturally being raised. But one MP and former armed forces veteran told me that it was an insult to say security had been breached, when the concentric rings of protection had worked: Masood got barely 20 yards into Westminsters grounds before he was shot. Arming all police on the front gate is deemed difficult not just because of the fortress message it sends (our police often pose for photos with tourists outside the gates), but also because of the dangers to the public of using firearms in a public space. Westminster Tube has armed police at its entrance this morning, however.

The people of Birmingham are waking up to headlines in the Daily Mail such as So how DID Birmingham become the jihadi capital of Britain? UKIP are doubling down on the idea that even though Masood was British-born, this was all about immigration. Nigel Farage went on Fox News to say it showed by Trumps travel ban was right. Paul Nuttall said the cancer had to be cut out. Polish PM Beata Szydlo said it justified her refusal to take Syrian refugees. All of which made you realise just how stateswomanlike was Theresa Mays response yesterday.

Advertisement

3) BREXIT WARM-UP

Although New Palace Yard is still cordoned off, and the House was eerily lacking in school groups and visitors yesterday, things are returning to normal in coming days. And next week, usual business will be back in earnest when Article 50 is formally triggered and the two-year process of Brexit really starts.

Ahead of the EUs 60th birthday party tomorrow, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has been on the BBC saying he was not in a hostile mood about Brexit and would not try to punish the UK. Mind you, he told German paper Bild on Monday Britain's example will make everyone realise that it's not worth leaving.

The Sun reports that Liam Fox yesterday confirmed its story that he plans a Queens Speech bill to take back control of trade policy from Brussels, and transfer the power to collect tariffs back to Britain. Its all part of showing the PMs threat to walk away from talks without a new UK-EU trade deal is no bluff.

The Telegraphs Chris Hope reveals that Arron Banks and Camerons former policy guru Steve Hilton have held talks about getting independent candidates to stand against Remainer MPs, including Tories. They have identified 103 MPs we consider are not fit for purpose. Remainer-in-chief Michael Heseltine is no longer an MP but in an interview with The House magazine he defies Basil Fawlty and mentions the War: Germany lost the war. Weve just handed them the opportunity to win the peace. I find that quite unacceptable.

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch Andrew Neils monologue last night: You have the power to hurt us. Sometimes the hurt is more than we can bear. But you cannot defeat us"

Advertisement

4) EXODUS? MOVEMENT OF JEZ PEOPLE

One of the weirdest bits of fake news propagated on social media this week was that Jeremy Corbyns office is being forced to run with only half the staff that Ed Miliband had. General secretary Iain McNicol was failing to hand over cash generated by record membership numbers, a leftwing blog claimed, a claim repeated on Facebook feeds of many Corbyn supporters. But even pro-Jez NEC member Christine Shawcroft has now confirmed that the allegations are incorrect. In fact, the NEC heard this week that JC has 28 members of staff, with 4 vacancies. EdM had 25 at this stage of the Parliament.

HuffPost UK can reveal - read our story HERE - that three more members of staff from the leaders office are quitting. Nancy Platts, the trade union liaison manager, Matt Zarb-Cousin, media spokesperson, and Jayne Fisher, in charge of contacts with community and minority ethnic groups, are leaving. Though it got buried amid the Budget U-turn chaos, it also emerged that the leaders head of economic policy, Mike Hatchett, had resigned to join the Governments Brexit department.

In another shake-up, David Prescott has moved from the leaders office, amid claims that he had trouble finding Jeremys authentic voice when he helped with speechwriting. Seumas Milne and policy chief Andrew Fisher will take over speechwriting duties once more.

Allies of Corbyn insist that there is no exodus and that this is all natural churn in any organisation. They point to health-related reasons for Fisher and Zarb-Cousins departures, and defend office director Karie Murphy, saying she is a forceful character but a good manager. Murphys importance has certainly grown in recent months. And she was with the leader yesterday as he placed flowers on Westminster Bridge.

5) OH, DONALDCARE

Having years of promises to repeal and replace Obamas Affordable Care Act, Trump and the Republicans are finding just how difficult it is to do that. A series of votes is expected in Congress today, but amid splits about just what they want instead, the President warned his party that they would be stuck with Obamacare if they didnt back his new plan.

Advertisement

A group of Republicans wants to cut the ACAs Essential Health Benefits rule, which requires insurers to cover ten health services, including preventive care  like breast cancer screening  for women. Senator Pat Roberts has had to apologise after telling a female reporter: "I wouldn't want to lose my mammograms. But heres a telling picture of the all-male group of Republicans who want to slash womens healthcare.

Oh, and in case anyone forgot, Trumps links to Putin are very much a huge issue Stateside. So this is a timely reminder of the nature of life in Russia: Denis Voronenkov, ex-Duma member turned Putin critic who had move to Ukraine, ended an interview with the Washington Post on Tuesday night saying For our personal safety, we cant let them know where we are. Less than 72 hours later, he was dead, shot twice in the head in broad daylight outside his hotel in Kiev.

If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox.
Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle via Getty Images

Yesterday, London and the rest of the UK were reminded of the appalling consequences of radical violent ideologies. Five people died and at least 20 have been injured in the first terrorist attack on British soil since Jo Cox's murder last June.

Theresa May, a woman I agree with on few things, struck the perfect tone in her speech to the House of Commons on Thursday morning. The "million acts of normality" which occurred following the attack, are the way we defeat terrorism said the Prime Minister.

Advertisement

And she is right.

Though understandable it may be, the knee-jerk reaction to events like these - to tighten the perimeters of our society and to cast suspicion on fellow citizens is the wrong one. This 'war' with Islamism is not one that is primarily being fought with weaponry but with ideas.

They hate us because of who we are, what we are, and what we stand for. If we compromise on the pillars of liberty, democracy, equality and all the other virtues we cherish then we consent to lose unwittingly.

Despite deliberately false framing from right-wing activists like Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkins, Londoners and Britons stand together in unshakable defiance. There was no atmosphere of fear, no cowering and no surrender - only the poignancy of courage. A city and a nation that refused to let an attack on its identity and very being leave any lingering damage.

The inflammatory remarks from Katie Hopkins that the UK has 'never been more divided' are not only factually incorrect but self-defeating. Right-wing populists of her ilk profess until they are blue in the face that they are patriots, who are willing to fight tooth and nail to protect the country and its people, but they don't.

Advertisement

Demonising people based on religion and conflating diversity with terrorism is mad. Small 'c' conservatives always seem to miss the irony that turning in on our liberal values and systems is exactly what Isis want. Harking to right-wing nativist claptrap will do more to invigorate Isis' recruitment drive than sticking up for our plural society which they loathe.

They try desperately to scramble scraps of information together to form a simplistic world view that there is one group of bad guys with a one-size fits all ideology that is destroying our world. She bemoans the multiculturalism I've been blessed to know all my life in Leicester for the actions of one scumbag from Kent.

She claims these people have brought animosity with them from their native lands - but conveniently forgets that political conflict and political violence has always abounded this island.

She contends that London is at war with the rest of the country, that 52% of us are more patriotic than the rest, and that 9 Muslims who have carried out terror attacks in the UK in the last 10 years somehow represent 2.7 million other Muslims in this country.

However, somewhat conveniently, the White British men who have committed or planned to commit similar atrocities are not afforded the same blanket condemnation.

Advertisement

She believes we should "believe in Britain" as it was before, yet Britain faced more terror attacks in the twenty years preceding 1997 than the twenty years following it. Britain has faced worse in the IRA and the Blitz, and has done so without betraying itself in the process.

All people like Katie Hopkins do is stoke mistrust, suspicion and segregation, all the conditions needed for terrorist ideology to thrive.

I scrolled through poignant artwork, reassuring quotes and fake Tube signs on Thursday morning and felt proud of the country's response to yesterday's attempt at terror - and their refusal to abide it.

Meanwhile, in a plush Central London office, Katie Hopkins lied as she played divide and rule in a futile attempt to make her world view the dominant one. Of course, it seems quick, it seems easy and it may even seem sensible to tighten Britain's open nature for greater safety. But as history has often taught us - the simple answer is often the wrong one - to abandon our values in the wake of an attack against them, is to surrender.

If it wasn't painfully clear for all to see before, it should be now - Islamist terrorism in the West occurs with only one intention - to motivate Western societies to turn against regular moderate Muslims. If they succeed, their numbers will strengthen and they will become more powerful. Not only is attacking Muslims on the back of this atrocity the wrong thing to do, it is the stupid thing to do.

Advertisement


Genres : Drama

: Drama

Running Time : 101 min.

: 101 min.

Directed by : Hong Sang-soo

: Hong Sang-soo

Starring : Kim Min-hee, Jung Jae-young

Synopsis : After an affair with a married man, celebrated actress Young-hee decides to take some time out. She travels to the far-off, foreign city of Hamburg. In a conversation with a friend she asks herself if her lover will follow her and whether he misses her as much as she misses him.
Meet Amy: a Sussex law graduate, an activist, a tea drinker, a cat lover. Amy is also a survivor. When she was just a university student, Amy battled one of the most deadly diseases in the world: tuberculosis (TB).

After suffering through 12 months of horrible symptoms and relentless tests, Amy was diagnosed with pulmonary TB. Because Amy's diagnosis took so long, her TB was already at an advanced stage.

Despite intense treatments with side effects like searing joint pain and hair loss, Amy's disease continued to ravage her left lung, then the right. She ultimately had to have surgery to remove her entire left lung.

Advertisement

After the operation, Amy continued treatment and finally started putting on weight and getting better. But the nightmare didn't end when her treatment was finished. Two years after completing the last round of TB treatment, Amy was diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

Her doctors attributed it to the "severity and prolonged nature of the illness," but Amy has her own theory: she blamed herself for what happened. She even heard a doctor tell a whole hospital ward that it was her own fault for getting so sick.

But it's not Amy's fault. This highly infectious airborne disease can strike anytime, anywhere. It only takes a cough or a laugh to send TB into the air, and only a few microscopic TB bacteria to infect someone. This is particularly alarming in the UK, where the TB rate continues to be among the highest in Western Europe.

It's not Amy's fault that it's often hard to diagnose TB, and even people with access to the best care can face lag times between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis.

Advertisement

It's not her fault that TB is notoriously difficult to treat, and that even our best treatment options are long, debilitating and nearly toxic.

And it's certainly not Amy's fault that investment in TB research and development lags so far behind the urgent need for better treatments, innovative diagnostics and new vaccines.

The annual funding gap for TB research and development is about US$1.3 billion. And out of the limited funding that is available, only about 17% goes toward vaccine research and development, even though a new, effective TB vaccine is the only way to eliminate TB for good.

In fact, a vaccine that could prevent adolescents and adults (the primary transmitters of TB) from acquiring, developing or spreading the disease would be the single most cost-effective tool in mitigating this epidemic--and the ultimate game changer.
Tim E White via Getty Images

"Terrorists have a clear aim and that is to create discord, distrust and to create fear. The police stand with all communities in the UK and will take action against anyone who seeks to undermine society, especially where their crimes are motivated by hate"

These were the words of Mark Rowley, the national lead for Counter Terrorism Policing and the Acting Deputy Commissioner speaking at a press conference about eight hours after the tragic events that occurred in Westminster on Wednesday afternoon. Measured and calm, he went on to add:

Advertisement

"We must recognise now that our Muslim communities will feel anxious at this time given the past behaviour of the extreme right wing and we will continue to work with all community leaders in the coming days"

Listening to it live, I felt proud of the fact that Rowley seemed to 'get it': that not only will there be some who will go out of their way to convince us that millions of ordinary Britons who also happen to be Muslim should be held accountable for the actions of one extreme-minded idiot but so too will an equally idiotic handful of extreme-minded individuals, groups and organisations seek to exploit the hurt and pain of Wednesday for their own, ideological gain.

While Rowley was dignified and proportionate, his words sadly fell on the deaf ears of some.

Take for instance the vile opportunism shown by the former leader of the EDL, Tommy Robinson who arrived at the scene of the tragedy within hours to aggressively rant about Islamic extremism for any camera that would give him the time. For someone who claims to be a bastion of British values, he hid them well on Wednesday afternoon.

Around the same time, the former UKIP leader Nigel Farage was appearing on US television, twice arguing that the Westminster attack justified Donald Trump's 'Muslim ban'. To give Farage the benefit of the doubt, it wasn't known at the time that the perpetrator was British-born (even if it had, Farage's line of argument still wouldn't have made sense). While so, Farage and his ilk are not ones to let a relevant or pertinent fact get in the way of an opportunity to encourage hate. As the closely linked Leave.EU campaign tweeted:

Advertisement

"British-born means nothing if he lived in a segregated community and hated the British way of life...Not British at all"

And of course, the triptych would not be complete without the Daily Mail columnist Katie Hopkins sharing her timely insight. Again on US television, she said:

"We're a country that spends so much time tiptoeing around the cultures that refuse to join us and not enough time defending the culture they have chosen to join, but because I say those things I am widely hated for those views"

What is most irrational about this is that Hopkins seems to be decrying the hate directed at her while simultaneously promoting hate against others. Isn't that a tad hypocritical?

Nonetheless, Hopkins went on to add that in Britain:

"People are cowed, people are afraid and people are not united"

As Rowley put it, beware those who seek to "create discord, distrust and to create fear".

While Hopkins, Farage and Robinson are desperate for us not to be united, the reality is quite the opposite. All right-minded people are united in their condemnation for the hideous atrocities that took place on Wednesday afternoon. Similarly too, all right-minded people are united in stating that we won't allow extremists of any persuasion to destroy who we are and what we stand for.

Advertisement

All right-minded people also know that the overwhelming majority of British Muslims are as appalled by the actions of Khalid Masood as indeed most ordinary Brits find the views of Katie Hopkins toxic and distasteful. Don't let the incendiary rhetoric of the extremists in sheep's clothing fool you into thinking anything different;. Extremists of all persuasions want to divide us.
iStock

The inhumane actions on Wednesday 22nd March 2017 shook the entire nation, and the waves of this heartache could be felt worldwide. Terror has become weaponised by those who cannot accept our way of life and the collective goals that we all individually work towards.

I feel there is an important issue here that we all so often; and easily forget. British Muslims are a part of this British nation and community. Any pain or hurt inflicted on one member of society affects every one of us because we are all one. It is so important for our society and everyone in it to stand united and undivided against such blatant divisive tactics.

Advertisement

As a British Muslim woman I often fear that the backlash of such terrorist incidents will put me in a hugely vulnerable position, as a target for Islamophobic and racist attacks. I have been subject to many in the past, and it makes me feel very uncomfortable knowing that my choice of wearing the hijab makes me a very visible and obvious target. Of course those holding such ignorant views know nothing about my lifestyle and my beliefs. They don't know how hard I work day in and day out educating the future leaders of our society. They don't know how much of a hard-core feminist I am and how hard I fought to break all the cultural restraints that are often put on first generation ethnic minorities. They don't know about my obsession with cars and baking.

The bottom line is... they don't know me.

But in that instance where they decide to attack either verbally or physically they assume that they do know me. It is in that moment, however short it may be, that the terrorists win. They managed to infiltrate the mind and condition it to truly act upon this 'us versus them' paradigm.

It angers me so much when friends will ask me to take to Facebook or other social media platforms to 'condemn' terrorist attacks. Why? Why do I need to actively state that I condemn murder? Being Muslim is just one part of my identity; at the core of every individual is a heart that breathes just like every other human being on this planet. I condemn every act of violence on the basis of being a human being first and foremost. Just because I'm Muslim does not make me in any way responsible for barbarous attacks carried out in the name of my "religion". They've distorted my religion and fetishised it to fit their twisted agenda - that has nothing to do with me.

It is truly heart-warming to see that our society has been taking steps in the right direction as seen in various solidarity messages. Particularly, the hashtag trend #youaintMuslimbruv, because they cannot truly belong to any religion if they believe the killing of any individual can be justified in any possible way. Equally, the spirit of every Londoner stands tall and proud in that we are able to stay 'open for business'.

Advertisement

It is when we stop functioning through shutting down that we hand them a win.

It is when we allow them to create divisions in our harmonious and homogenous society that we hand them another win.

Above all, it is when we try and force those who belong with 'us' into the 'them' category, that the terrorists ultimately win.
Over the last year the issue of food waste has become more and more visible. Selfridges recently dedicated a season to chefs who highlight the culinary potential of food normally wasted. Skye Gyngell will open a pop up restaurant, called Table, at Somerset House (from 17-21 May) that will showcase a 'Scratch' menu designed to combat food waste. But it's not just about top notch chefs using their loaf more sustainably.

Food waste costs the average person in the UK 200 every year. We throw away a whopping 19% of food we buy, which adds up to 7 million tonnes per annum according to campaigners Love Food Hate Waste. Globally, one third of all food produced is wasted, 1.3 billion tonnes - that's enough to feed three billion people, say environmental organisation Feedback.

But don't get overwhelmed, aside from planning your food shopping better, there are some delicious ways to help tackle the issue that anyone can get involved in.

Advertisement

Get connected

Olio is a food sharing app that connects people in a local area to share and save food that would otherwise be thrown away. People snap any leftover food that needs to be used up and others can arrange a pick up.

Try Be connects cooks to people who want a home-cooked meal and allows people to bulk cook for others. It's perfect for when you're working late and don't want to panic-buy half a dozen ingredients you'll never eat or rely on a covered in plastic ready meal.

Too Good To Go is an app that connects restaurants who have meals that would otherwise be thrown away with hungry people, who can buy them for between 2 and 3.80. The service covers London, Manchester and North Yorkshire and as of November 2016 has saved over 10,000 meals from the bin. Meals are available to collect an hour before closing and come in a environmentally friendly sugarcane box.

The People's Fridge in Brixton is a free community space in Pop Brixton where people can leave edible food that's not needed for others to help themselves to.

Advertisement

Rethink what waste is

There are a number of artisan food producers that use food waste to create new yummy products.

Toast ale uses leftover bread in order to use less hops (read an interview with Toast here).

Rubies in the Rubble use rejected fruit and veg to make chutneys and ketchups and Spare Fruit make fruit crisps from produce that doesn't make the supermarket grade.

Oddbox is a fruit and vegetable box delivery scheme that takes veggies from farmers that fall below the cosmetic standard for supermarkets and sends wonky veg boxes to homes and offices.
Two weeks ago, Donald Trump announced plans to end the National Endowment for the Arts, the federal organisation which funds and supports the arts in the US.

The New York Times reported that this is the first time a President had called for ending the endowment.

In the UK, there is a similar situation - the UK government is closing down arts A Levels, such as the A Level in Creative Writing, and EBACC is decreasing the number of students studying the arts as creative subjects are not included - I recently attended a meeting at Parliament where the decline in the number of hours spent teaching arts subjects was discussed, with one secondary school teacher talking of how they met primary school students who had never studied art or drama at their primary school.

Advertisement

So why do politicians not always value the arts? - here are some ideas:

1)The arts explore and question the status quo - upon founding the National Endowment for the Arts, Lyndon Johnson said: "Art is a nation's most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish." However, to an insecure leader exploring and questioning that vision can seen as an unwanted challenge.

1)The arts offer new ideas - for example, Jane Alexander, former Director of the National Endowment for the Arts, said: "When we teach a child to sing or play the flute, we teach her how to listen. When we teach her to draw, we teach her to see. When we teach a child to dance, we teach him about his body and about space, and when he acts on stage, he learns about character and motivation. When we teach a child design, we reveal the geometry of the world. When we teach children about the folk and traditional arts and the great masterpieces of the world, we teach them to celebrate their roots and find their own place in history." However again this can be seen as contrary to accepting ideas/ the status quo.

2)The arts encourage the audience to reflect on what is going on and come to their own conclusions about whether things are right or wrong. For example, the painter Degas said, "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see".

What else is the value of the art?

2)The arts are about reflecting on what we are doing and why - and if art is about reflecting on who we were, who we are, and who we can be, surely anyone should be able to contribute to that discussion?

Advertisement

3)Art is about remembering who we have been in the past - and the mistakes we have made and triumphs we have achieved - to encourage us to avoid or embrace those mistakes and triumphs again. For example, one quote going around the US in terms of Trump's proposal to end the National Endowment for the Arts is Winston Churchill's advocation of the arts: "The arts are essential to any complete national life. The State owes it to itself to sustain and encourage them....Ill fares the race which fails to salute the arts with the reverence and delight which are their due."

4)The arts are about engaging an audience in a discussion with the work but also in a discussion with each other about what things are like - for example the conversations that take place on the way home from a theatre or the cinema or after a television show.

5)The arts are about trying to be better and create a better world - for example John F Kennedy said: "Aeschylus and Plato are remembered today long after the triumphs of Imperial Athens are gone. Dante outlived the ambitions of thirteenth century Florence. Goethe stands serenely above the politics of Germany, and I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over cities, we too will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit."

6)The arts are about sharing our own experiences. For example, the writer Maya Angelou said: " There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you."

At Central Saint Martins, on the MA Dramatic Writing I run, we are running a petition to save the A Level Creative Writing, one of the subjects hit by government policy - please sign before its too late: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/reinstate-the-creative-writing-a-level

Advertisement

For more information on the MA Dramatic Writing at Drama Centre London at Central Saint Martin's new campaign to increase access and diversity in the writing industry, including the petition, survey on the future of dramatic writing and new partnership with Oberon Books to provide access to leading industry writing training programmes' advice which has never been published before, please go to:https://oberonbooks.wordpress.com/2017/02/07/the-masters-at-work/

To sign the petition to save the A Level Creative Writing, please go to: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/reinstate-the-creative-writing-a-level
In line with attempting to go zero-waste since the beginning of February, I recently bought the rights to screen the environmental documentary Bag It. The message of Bag It is to reduce the amount of disposable plastics in our lives. Not only are they killing our wildlife and filling our oceans, but plastics are actually bad for us as well. Chemicals within the plastics are being found to affect our health, the health of our children and even the health of our unborn babies. Foods covered in plastics are absorbing these chemicals that are now seeping into our food chain. Nice.

Having watched the documentary I felt like I needed to do something - I couldn't just sit there and accept what was being fed to us. The younger generations have a right to know what the truth is and therefore the option to choose whether they want this plastic life or not. I wanted to spread the message - reduction is the key and it's easy to do with a bit of thought.

Therefore, buying the rights to Bag It, which was cheap and anyone can do it - was my first step. From there I dived right in and set up a screening for 60 people at our local Town Hall. The event itself went well with a full house and people seemed to be full of ideas afterwards - with a buzz of chatter about what they could do to cut down on plastics in both their lives and on a larger scale. There are going to be many more future screenings of Bag It as well as some dynamic plans to help make a difference - I am thinking about these now!

Advertisement

As for a more personal zero-waste project, I've been working on a sculpture that is entirely made up of my own non-recyclable plastics. My 'rubbish' sculpture will show us what an average life's worth of three months disposable plastics can really look like. I hope the outcome is something attractive and at least interesting, created from items saved from their destiny of the landfill. The sculpture is going to be shown at the Henley on Thames Arts Trail at the end of April.

Buying only second-hand clothes and toys these last few months has saved such an incredible amount of money that I am shocked and ashamed I didn't do this earlier. People have been incredibly supportive and have happily passed on their children's clothes and I have really enjoyed sourcing toys and other items we've needed from charity shops or eBay. Just this week I put out a request on FaceBook to borrow a dress for a wedding. I wasn't sure what response I would get, but lots of friends and acquaintances have been in touch offering dresses! I suddenly felt the warmth of a community around me and I realised that there was more to this than just the material level. One friend reminded me that she hadn't rummaged through her closet looking for a dress to lend to a friend since she was a teenager. It brought back good memories of simpler times when we relied on our friends for things.
The Tennessee Valley Authority has provided some of the country's cheapest utility rates to 7 million customers in the last eighty years. Thanks to President Roosevelt's New Deal Bill in 1933, TVA started, and remains, an economic driver for the seven states the public utility serves. People living in the SE still get cheaper power than most. But even with those cheap rates, some people must choose between staying warm or eating. That's where a rare energy organization for the southeast and Alabama, in particular, was born.

Nexus Energy Center is a non-profit organization, based in Huntsville, Alabama. The founder of Nexus Energy Center, Ruchi Singhal, knew in 2010 that President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the Stimulus Package, would generate huge possibilities as people sought federal money for energy efficiency installations for home and businesses. The small, non-profit helped over 1700 homeowners through their AlabamaWISE (Worthwhile Investments Save Energy) find the best deal and most energy efficient savings for homes and businesses in just four years. The investment from these homeowners totaled more than $8million, which is significant to Alabama and proof that it makes great economic sense to support energy efficiency.

Advertisement

author's own

Chad Wright, Program Manager and Ruchi Singhal, CEO/Founder at Nexus Energy Center

All good things must end. Federal stimulus money stopped, but today, this small four person organization is still running full steam, changing course, adopting innovation and making a difference in Alabama. With an additional focus on helping those that need the most assistance in our community, a new program was born, "The Comfort Project". Nexus Energy Center felt that all people regardless of income level deserve to be comfortable in their home PLUS have affordable utility bills.

Ms. Singhal's has a passion for saving energy."Nexus Energy Center provides a one on one approach how each client can save on utilities. Each home is unique in that no two are the same. Through our scientific approach to find how and where each home is faltering, we provide expert analysis for specific problems, best solutions, and their return on investment."

author's own

Chad Wright installing an efficient hot-water heater for Ms. Fletcher a Comfort Project recipient

While most of us live comfortably, there are elderly and under-served residents who must decide whether to keep their homes comfortable with heat or air, go to the doctor, buy medicines or even food. Working with other non-profit organizations, Nexus Energy Center is saving elderly residents at least 25% every month on their utility bills, sometimes as high as 40% in those cold winter months. Ms. Singhal adds, "The Comfort Project is free to clients through the generosity of grants, philanthropic and fundraising efforts. These residents are more comfortable, breathing better air inside their homes and having money that can now be used for other expenses. But, the best part is the people Nexus Energy Center have helped, are getting better health reports from their doctors, requiring fewer visits and less medicine. That makes us feel great we are making a huge impact on someone's grandparents in their golden years."

Advertisement

In 2017, Nexus Energy Center continues to provide the AlabamaWISE program with HVAC services, from small repair jobs to annual preventative maintenance contracts. Their educational Tiny Green Home will continue to be seen at community events, allowing thousands of people to see one of the most energy efficient homes in the United States, allowing you to see and feel how each upgrade could benefit your home.

author's own

The Nexus Energy Center bring their educational Tiny Green Home to a Senior citizen festival in Huntsville, AL.
As news of the terror which took place at Westminster Bridge broke out at the school gates on Wednesday, there were feelings of shock, horror, fear. It's so close to home.

'My husband crosses that bridge every day.'

'We were only there last week with a class of year 2 children.'

'I was there with my daughter a few days ago' (I really was).

There is a resounding relief that we weren't there.

But many people were.

Just as innocent people were there on 11th September 2001, thousands of them.

People were there on 7th July 2005, on their way to work in London.

People were there on 26th June 2015, relaxing on a beach in Tunisia.

People were there in Paris on November 13th 2015, at the Stade de France stadium, in bars and restaurants, watching a concert at the Bataclan.

People were there on 14th July 2016 in Nice, watching a fireworks display to celebrate Bastille Day.

And people were there, and continue to be there in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Every. Single. Day.

Sadly, this will go on, and it won't be the last time we say 'I was only there the other week...'

But those who have lost their lives don't have the fortune to be able to say that.

Families are now broken. Shattered into smithereens by unnecessary loss. Innocent lives taken. Others holding their breath waiting to hear if loved ones will pull through.

Advertisement

And tragically this is happening every day all over the world.

But London goes on. The world goes on, and horrifically this evil goes on. But it won't defeat.

For now we are not so happy in town, because shit really does happen. Such enormously awful shit that we can't really comprehend.

So, all we can do is spare our thoughts for those that have suffered.

Because they were there.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday condemned China for taking an overlord's attitude to neighboring nations.

He was speaking about the military threat from China at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

"In the South China Sea, we see China shredding trust as they adopt a tribute-nation kind of approach where all other nations have to pay tribute or acquiescence to the more powerful nation, the larger nation," he said.

He also accused China and Russia of "seeking veto power over the economic, diplomatic, and security decisions of nations on their periphery."

Turning to North Korea, he stressed the need to face up to reality. He said that the North has continued "reckless rhetoric and provocative actions" despite UN Security Council's sanctions.

"This situation calls for our department to maintain a safe and secure nuclear deterrent and a decisive conventional force that can also fight irregular enemies since our military must be able to counter all threats facing us," he said.
Man seriously injured Sunday in head-on crash with semi on U.S. 50
Lee Jung-mi, the former acting chief justice of the Constitutional Court who impressed many with her grace under pressure as the court ruled on Park Geun-hye's impeachment, will take up a chair at Korea University, her alma mater.

Lee will teach at the university's law school for a year from April 1, Korea University said on Thursday.

Lee became the youngest justice on the Constitutional Court in 2011. As presiding judge in late 2014, she passed a verdict ordering the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party, the first of its kind.

In the Park trial, she steered a steady course through vociferous protests outside the courtroom, death threats against her, and persistent attempts by Park's lawyers to derail the process.
Follow The Money: Solutions For Googles Issue With Defrauded Advertisers

After YouTube's debacle with their advertising partner's content appearing alongside hate videos, Google is looking for a way solving it's defrauded advertiser issue before more companies pull out, something which can likely be done tracing the money.

________________________

Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Tech Solutions

"Americans are freedom loving people, and nothing says freedom like getting away with it"

 Long, Long Time written by Guy Forsyth

Googles UK Policy Manager Theo Bertram advised in 2012Follow the Money to Fight Online Piracy. Googles copyright lawyer Katherine Oyama endorsed this approach on behalf of Google before the U.S. Congress in 2011 (We would publicly support legislation like what I described, the follow the money approach).

Several UK banks and other advertisers are now doing just that according to the London Times (Banks pull Google ads in row over hate videos):

Three of Britains biggest banks have pulled advertising from Google after their marketing appeared alongside extremist YouTube videos. HSBC, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland acted over fears that chunks of their advertising budgets have inadvertently ended up in the pockets of banned hate preachers and anti-semites. The lenders join a growing list of big advertisers who have withdrawn marketing from the search engine and its YouTube video platform. These include McDonalds, LOreal, Audi and the BBC.

How might these sites have gotten a share of revenue from ads served against their videos? Theres only one way I know of that could happen, and it starts with having a Google Adsense account approved by Google.

In order to get an approved Adsense account, the party must apply for it, give out their payment information (see Step 2 How Will I Be Paid) and Google approves the account for monetization purposes. The applicant gets paid because Google approved them for payment.

A YouTube channel partner gets paid for advertising on their YouTube videos through an existing Adsense account, so this is a second layer of approval to associate the YouTube partner channel with the YouTube partners Adsense account:

So if we follow the money as Google has suggested many, many times, it is clear that it is not possible to have a monetized YouTube channel without at least two layers of approval by Google. Google also knows who to pay, which bank account to pay, and presumably the taxpayer name and tax ID number for the account. And of course I would assume that Google would be sending an IRS Form 1099 to the channel partner or otherwise complying with taxing authorities.

Following the money in this case would be very simple, particularly if Google is cooperating.

The money isnt the only issue, however. YouTube partner accounts depicting Nazi symbolism transmitted in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or any other country with prohibitions on the dissemination of Nazi symbolism may present a different problem. Those accounts (and presumably Google itself) will be subject to the Strafgesetzbuch section 86a criminal law in Germany and analog criminal statutes in Austria and Switzerland which ban Nazi symbols like this:

And also like this:

In fact, if you do YouTube searches for bands on the ADLs Bigots Who Rock list, youll find other examples.

It is also worth noting that YouTube monetizes search (YouTube is the second largest search engine online) even if the videos themselves are not monetized, and that YouTube almost certainly keeps all the money such as the ad for Osmo that monetizes a search for extremist videos.

The problem that YouTube is experiencing now that has resulted in hundreds of major advertisers pulling out is not that different that the problems that Google had with music and movie piracy as described in the Megavideo indictment:

Google had given Megaupload (or an associate of Megaupload) an Adsense account Although it appears from the indictment that at least one Adsense account was terminated, Megaupload had been operating for a while before the account was terminated. It does not appear that Google notified advertisers, recovered improper payments to Megaupload or refunded even Googles own share of revenue to advertisers.

This is important to rememberfollowing the money inevitably leads back to Google itself for advertisers to demand at least the share of advertisers money that Google kept for its own account not to mention the sums paid to the YouTube or Adsense partner. In fact, theres an argument to be made that the YouTube or Adsense partner, however distasteful, may have done nothing wrong as between that partner and Google. It is Google that made the promise to the advertiser of where their ads would appear, not the channel partner.

The solution for this is probably best summarized by Professor Ben Edelmans bill of rights for advertisers. The solution is ultimately going to turn on both enforcement of Googles terms of use as well as its monetization policy. It should be obvious now that Googles current practices on YouTube simply will not washthe plan should be to stop the videos from being uploaded if they violate the terms of use, not relying on advertisers or the police to catch them after the fact.

This will take time to give effect of course. The good news is that Google has a host of forensic information that will be of good use to the police in some cases, but inevitably will make refunding advertising payments to Googles clients ever so much easier.

All they have to do is follow the money.

Share on:
Music Publishing Update 3.24.17: The Drake Effect

By now you've probably heardor at least heard aboutthe momentous latest release from hip-hop artist, Drake, More Life. Drake describes the work not as an album or mixtape, but "a body of work bridging the gap between major releases," a playlist of sorts.

The work features 22 tracks of varying genres, featuring many guest artists and some not featuring Drake at all. In this way he fills the role of artist and producer as well as curator.

Zach Fuller of Midia Research explored the possible reasoning behind Drake and his team's decision to release the project in this way. He references the "3-minute pop-song," which was created to fit the mold of emerging radio formats. Drake is making use of the emerging digital formats  streaming, and more specifically, playlistingto express his artistic vision as well as reach more listeners, creating a new musical product. He also mentions that we're currently in an "era of the always-on fan who can access an artist at any time" and a need to consistently provide content. Marketed under the "Drake" name, the project keeps him in the public consciousness, while also bringing attention to lesser known artists.

One of these artists is Australian neo-soul band, Hiatus Kaiyote, whose song "Building a Ladder," released in 2015 on their sophomore LP Choose Your Weapon, is sampled on More Life's opening track, "Free Smoke." Drake is reportedly a long-time fan of the group. Hiatus Kaiyote's Naomi "Nai Palm" Saalfield told Billboard, "The fact that somebody like Drake, as prestigious as an artist, experiencing so much of life, all the time, found sanctuary in [our song], there's beauty in that." In a video posted to Drake's Instagram account with the caption "December," he's seen singing along to "Building a Ladder." The video has gotten over 2 million views in just 3 days, with many commenters shouting out the song from where the sample originated.

Hiatus Kaiyote, as well as the other artists featured on More Life, will no doubt be seeing a surge in streams on their own music, but also reap the rewards.

Share on:
Officer Jim Rathbun, Chief Timothy Sorrell, and Officer Jason Costa were three of five from the department to participate Friday morning.

Lanesborough, Pittsfield Police Participate In 'High Five' Friday

LANESBOROUGH, Mass.  Happy High-Five Friday.

Police throughout Massachusetts on Friday stood outside of their local elementary schools waiting for children to arrive. Once the children piled off the bus, the officers were there greeting them with high-fives to start their day.

"It gives the community something. It lets them know we are interested in their kids and they can be comfortable with us," Chief Timothy Sorrell said, who was joined with four other officers are Lanesborough Elementary School on Friday morning.

"We try to be up here every morning when we can for the kids when they get off the school bus. It is just to let the kids know that the cops are real people and care about them."

Lanesborough Police officers said they try to go to the school in the morning anyway. But, Sorrell recently got an email from Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Frederickson asking other departments statewide to participate. Pittsfield Police got the same invitation and launched their own "High-Five Friday" program with officers at the elementary schools there.

The idea did face opposition in Northampton, where it began after a International Association of Chiefs of Police conference presented the idea. Police there had started the tradition of going to schools on Friday for high-fives but some parents objected to it. The objections were that some students could feel uncomfortable with the police presence.

Northampton Police decided in late February to cut the program.

"While we received a lot of support on social media, we also heard a few concerns about the program. Chief [Jody] Kasper was invited to attend a school committee meeting to explain the program and to field questions. During that meeting, a concern was raised that not all kids may feel comfortable with a police presence at the beginning of their school day. Others questioned the long-term impacts of the program and wondered if it was truly valuable. Shortly after the meeting, NPD was asked to pause the program, which we did," Northampton Police wrote in a Facebook post.

"Chief Kasper was then invited to attend a followup meeting with members of the public to discuss High Five Fridays. About 12-15 people attended the meeting. Concerns were shared that some kids might respond negatively to a group of uniformed officers at their school. People were specifically concerned about kids of color, undocumented children, or any children who may have had negative experiences with the police. After the meeting, Chief Kasper and Superintendent Provost spoke and decided to stop the High Five Friday, but they remain committed to exploring alternative programs."

Other departments, however, still see the benefit in the program, according to the letter sent out by Yarmouth Chief Frederickson,

"This is an outstanding opportunity to have positive engagement with the youth in our community. High Five Friday fits perfectly with recommendations by the 'President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing," Frederickson wrote.

The program, in Frederickson's eyes, builds trust, reduces fear of officers, creates a positive interaction with the children, fosters positive relationships, gains a greater sense of friendship between faculty, students and parents, and helps officers be viewed as guardians and a part of the community.

In Pittsfield, Police Chief Michael Wynn extended Frederickson's invitation locally.

"Recognizing that Pittsfield utilized a comprehensive and collaborative approach to public safety, Chief Michael Wynn extends an invitation to participate to agencies beyond the Pittsfield Police Department. The organizations have been invited include the Pittsfield Fire Department, Berkshire County Sheriff's Office, Massachusetts State Police, County Ambulance Services, Action Ambulance,the Berkshire County Chapter of the NAACP, ManUp, and St. Johns Lodge. Additionally, we have passed the invitation on to all of our other Berkshire County law enforcement partners," Pittsfield Police wrote in a Facebook post.

Lanesborough and Pittsfield were just two of numerous communities across the state to participate on Friday.
Hong Kong's leading English-language daily on Thursday slammed China's economic retaliation against Korea over the stationing of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery here.

The South China Morning Post headlined the article, "Why China stoking up anger over [Korea] missile system is doomed to fail."

The Chinese government "has allowed state-controlled media to stoke anger and resentment against [Korea] and stepped up scrutiny of Korean consumer products. This led to some Chinese consumers boycotting [Korean] products and businesses. Group tours to [Korea] have been called off and flights to its airports reduced," the daily wrote.

But it added that "despite these headline-grabbing moves, experts believe China's ability to punish [Korea] is limited."

This is because "less than five per cent of [Korea's] exports to China are consumer goods -- the easy target for Chinese boycotts," the daily pointed out. Most are raw materials and manufacturing parts and equipment that Chinese manufacturers need.

Prof. Richard Hu Weixing of the University of Hong Kong told the daily, "Beijing's economic pressure on [Korea] would have no impact" on the THAAD deployment. "Actually, they are going to speed up the deployment," he said.

The 114-year-old daily was sold to Jack Ma, the Alibaba tycoon who is close to the Chinese leadership, in 2015 and has been notably pro-Beijing for many years.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times that day also warned China's protests and the boycotts of Korean goods over the THAAD deployment "may backfire."


Five things to remember about the new downtown parking system:

1. Always enter your license plate number - even for the FREE first 30 minutes.

2. On-street parking is $1 per hour; lot parking is 50 cents per hour. There are also nearly 400 free parking spaces on the city's side streets.

3. You can pay by coin, credit card, or by downloading the Passport parking app.

4. You do not need to display the parking receipt on your dashboard.

5. Parking is FREE on evenings and weekends!
Flying Cloud Institute Welcomes New Board Member

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.  Flying Cloud Institute has announced that Mary Nash has joined the Board of Directors.



Nash currently runs NASH Insights in Lenox, Mass., working with organizations to assess their needs, conduct program evaluation, and obtain grant funding. She is the former executive director of the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board and the Boston Area Health Education Center.



Nash has shown her dedication to the students and educators of Berkshire County since she moved here in 1992 by working with the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Berkshire United Way, Hillcrest Educational Centers, and Berkshire Health Systems amongst several other organizations.



We are fortunate to have Marys energy and expertise on the board. She is a great person to work with and we all are grateful that she has joined the team," FCI Executive Director Maria Rundle said.




iciHaiti - DR : Haitian woman dies stabbed in Santiago





On Wednesday afternoon, a woman of Haitian nationality was found dead at her home in the Banegas community, municipality of Villa Gonzalez de Santiago.



The victim was identified as Altagracia Pierre (60), wearing neck injuries, caused by a white weapon. According to the first elements of the investigation the murderer would be a man of the same nationality, whose name has not been communicated.



The naked body of the victim was found by her husband, which suggests that she could have been sexually abused before being killed and robbed of her property. Indeed, Altagracia Pierre had to travel on Thursday in Haiti and had saved a sum of money for this trip, which could be the motive of the assassin.



IH/ iciHaiti


















The government and creditors have come up with an additional W5.8-trillion bailout package for ailing Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, which has posted four straight years of losses as it teeters on the brink of bankruptcy (US$1=W1,123).

The government and lenders have already injected W7 trillion into the shipbuilder since mid-2015, when it posted losses of W5 million.

State-run Korea Development Bank, which owns the controlling stake in Daewoo Shipbuilding, and lead creditor Export-Import Bank of Korea announced Thursday a W2.9-trillion debt-to-equity swap in conjunction with KDB and commercial banks. KDB and Export-Import Bank of Korea will also provide W2.9 trillion in fresh funding.

If creditors fail to agree on the debt-to-equity swap, the plan will be scrapped and Daewoo will be forced into a court-supervised debt rescheduling plan. That means the company will have to be sold off in pieces.


Prosecutors are preparing a report summarizing their interrogation of ex-president Park Geun-hye and with a view to indicting her.

According to prosecution sources, the prevailing sentiment is that Park must be charged since her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, as well as former presidential secretaries An Chong-bum and Jeong Ho-seong have all already been indicted on charges of conspiring with her.

Prosecutors are questioning other witnesses to build a rock-solid case. One source said, "We're closely examining the evidence that has been gathered so far."

Prosecutor-General Kim Soo-nam on Thursday declined to commit himself on whether he will seek an arrest warrant, which is typically only issued if a suspect is deemed a flight risk or likely to destroy evidence or interfere with witnesses.

"Whether or not to seek an arrest warrant will be decided solely based on law and principle," Kim told reporters.

There appears to be a general consensus among prosecutors that Park should be indicted before presidential candidates register for the upcoming campaign so the scandal does not blur the focus.
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

In a galaxy where people are sadly forced to call themselves names like Sheev Palpatine and (yes) URoRRuR'R'R, Han Solo seemed to have a pretty good deal.

You can't get much cooler than a consummate loner and rogue with a last name like Solo, which almost doesn't make it a surprise to learn that it wasn't his original birth name, as now revealed by Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Speaking at the University of Southern California, Iger briefly discussed the upcoming Han Solo prequel, which sees Hail, Caesar!'s Alden Ehrenreich step into the role, directed by 21 Jump Street's Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

Iger revealed that the film, "picks up with Han Solo when he was 18 years old and takes him through when he was 24. There are a few significant things that happen in Han Solos life, like acquiring a certain vehicle and meeting a certain Wookiee that will happen in this film. But you will also discover how he got his name."

We already know that Iger is, of course, referencing Solo's acquirement of the Millennium Falcon - winning it in a game of sabacc against Lando Calrissian, set to be played by Donald Glover - and that the film will also explain how he become such steadfast friends with Chewbacca.

[SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Show all 13 1 /13 [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film 'I rebel' Straight off the bat, that instantly infamous line from Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso - "This is a rebellion, isn't it? I rebel" - is missing from the final cut. Probably a good thing, considering nobody needs Jyn's entire character motivation spelled out in quite such obvious terms. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Moody Orson Krennic This brilliantly moody shot from the film's teaser never makes it into the final cut, but there's a good chance it was never intended to, having all the hallmarks of footage deliberately shot for the trailer. Walt Disney Studios [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Moody Jyn Erso The same goes for this look at Jyn Erso in her Imperial disguise, which definitely has the look of a promotional shot to it. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film 'What will you become?' The look at Jyn's Imperial outfit coincides with the final line of a cut monologue from Saw Gerrera: "What will you become?" The confusing part here is that Saw is seen with the close-cropped hair he sports only in the prologue scenes, when Jyn is only a child. When she visits him in Jedha, his hair is much fuller and he's sporting a beard. So, was this speech somehow originally delivered to Galen Erso in a cut prologue segment? In the context of Galen's work with the Empire and his later attempts to evade them, Saw's words would make a lot more sense. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film And Moody Darth Vader Potentially another promo shot, considering this was used as the very first reveal of Darth Vader in the trailers. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Krennic and Vader However, this shot also shows a cut scene between Krennic and Vader, in which the former talks about the "power we are dealing with here". [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film 'The captain says you are a friend. I will not kill you' K-2SO has many similar lines directed to Jyn throughout the film, but they're a lot less sinister than this one. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Captured rebel pilots This shot from Jedha is missing. It doesn't exactly add anything to the story, but it's an added touch of grit which sets the tone nicely in the trailers. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film 'Good.' 'Good.' A cut moment between Jyn and Cassian, though it's a little hard to tell where this comes from - there's no moment where Jyn sits as co-pilot on the U-wing, since it's usually K-2SO in the seat. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Jyn faces off against a TIE fighter What's interesting is that this shot of Jyn limping across the Scarif communications tower is, of course, in the final film. It's just that the TIE fighter is entirely absent. Was this a cut moment? Was Krennic piloting that thing? Or was it even just cut into the trailer to keep audiences off the scent? [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Krennic on the Scarif beaches And what about this great shot of Krennic marching amongst the dead? The set-up and lighting seem to imply he survives the initial battle without getting shot by Cassian, and is on the ground when the Death Star destroys Scarif - if that's indeed the source of the glow in the background. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Jyn and Cassian in the Scarif battle In fact, the trailer footage seems to hint at a drastically different ending, which may point to what exactly got changed during the re-shoots. We see multiple shots of Jyn and Cassian running along the Scarif beach with the Death Star plans. Considering the battle is still in full swing, it suggests the archives and the communications tower may have been separate locations in the original version. [SPOILERS] 13 scenes from Rogue One's trailers cut from the film Jyn, Cassian, and K-2SO running through Scarif base And here, again, we see Cassian, Jyn, and K-2SO running with the data plans through the Scarif base. That means the droid wasn't originally meant to die (or whatever happens to droids) defending the archive room.



What's new, however, is the idea that he was ever called anything other than Han Solo, and, knowing Lord and Miller's involvement is ultimately going to spin the film into something of a comedic jaunt, you can guarantee whatever his birth name was - it's something deeply embarrassing. Yes, more embarrassing than URoRRuR'R'R, even.

The Han Solo film is expected to land 25 May 2018.
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

After the pain and the heartache, Disney was faced with the reality of what is a very complicated situation.

Carrie Fisherr's death in late December of last year was a painful and unexpected shock for all, including those in the midst of producing the ongoing Star Wars franchise, with Fisher having already filmed her scenes as General Leia in this year's The Last Jedi, with Episode IX yet to launch into production.

Many fans became concerned that Disney would take a step similar to their recreation of Peter Cushing as General Tarkin in Rogue One, 22 years after his own death; yet, Disney has since assured fans that there are no plans to digitally recreate Fisher's performance as Leia for the future films.

Which begs the question as to how Disney are planning to tackle Fisher's passing in the movies - will Leia herself die? Or will she more discreetly back away from the action? It seems whatever the studio is planning, it won't take place at any point during The Last Jedi, which appears to be seeing release without any alteration to the storyline or Leia's scenes.

Speaking at the University of Southern California, Disney CEO Bob Iger assured that, "We had to deal with tragedy at the end of 2016. Carrie appears throughout VIII. We are not changing VIII to deal with her passing. Her performance remains as it is in VIII. In Rogue One, we had some digital characters. We are not doing that with Carrie."

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Show all 9 1 /9 Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher American actor and singer Debbie Reynolds smiles and holds her infant daughter, Carrie Fisher Getty Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher American actress Debbie Reynolds with her daughter Carrie Fisher Getty Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Actress Debbie Reynolds, poses with her children Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher Getty Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher arrive at the premiere of 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith' Getty Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Actress Carrie Fisher and her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds Getty Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Actress Debbie Reynolds accepts the Life Achievement Award from her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher onstage at the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Getty Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Actresses Carrie Fisher, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award recipient Debbie Reynolds, and Billie Lourd pose in the press room during the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California Getty Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher A candle is seen on the star for Debbie Reynolds on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California Getty Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher A view of a temporary star made by fans in tribute to actress Carrie Fisher on Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California Getty



Iger also took the opportunity to reveal a few details about the upcoming Han Solo prequel - including the revelation that's not his real name - and the potential long, prosperous future of the Star Wars franchise.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits UK cinemas 15 December.
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 }}

Greenland is a paradise. Its awe-inspiring natural beauty is coupled with a modest citizenry that has subsisted on fishing and farming for millennia. The country is the worlds largest island. Ten times larger than the UK, though largely covered in a vast ice sheet, it is home to just 56,000 humans.

But rapid change is afoot in Greenland, to both the environment and its inhabitants. Since the 1960s an anti-colonialist nationalist movement has seen the former Danish colony become recognised as an autonomous administrative division of Denmark.

Nonetheless, the ice-bound country remains economically reliant on the Danish state. With a small workforce and an economy that remains almost entirely dependent on fishing, the route to full independence has long been a hollow dream. Greenland also happens to be home to colossal reserves of rare minerals, and more people believe Greenlands route to full independence could lie in the extraction of huge quantities of uranium and rare earth metals. Mining companies from countries as distant as Australia and China are only too ready to help Greenland shake off its colonial past.

In 2007, the mining of ruby deposits began. The same year, Copenhagen-listed Nuna Minerals and gold-producing giant Rio Tinto formed an alliance in a move to exploit the countrys gold deposits. Plans are underway to create an open pit mine in Greenland which would be the fifth-largest uranium mine, and second-largest rare earth extraction operation in the world. The scheme has created deep divisions within the population.

Now, a film about the uncertain future local inhabitants face is the subject of a film by artists Lise Autogena and Joshua Portway. It is currently part of a compelling exhibition put on in Kings Cross in London by Arts Catalyst, an organisation that promotes work exploring the relationships between science, art and technology.

The film examines the impact of uranium mining on the local population. One resident claims that explorative mining in the 1980s resulted in his sheep's livers turning black. The nearer to the mine, the blacker the sheep's livers were. He says renewed mining activity in recent years has resulted in the return of the phenomenon. Another local resident, seen in the verdant hills and stream-laden valleys, tells the camera that previous mining turns the landscape grey.

People get ill. They get cancer, he adds.

One of the films creators, Lise Autogena, told The Independent that many people in the community feel forced to choose global capitalism over a traditional way of life.

She said the situation meant a deep-seated anger has been created in Greenland.

It is a country that has a terrible suicide rate.

Genocide heat map

The other half of the Arts Catalyst exhibition focuses on mining in West Papau, an area of Indonesia on the Melanesian section of the Pacific Ring, and it throws a spotlight on decades of violence and industrial-scale pollution.

A shocking genocide heat map shows a plan of the area, with military operations and the number of people killed by the Indonesian army between 1977-78 marked in increasing intensity around the Grasberg mine.

Nabil Ahmed's 'Genocide heat map' from his project Inter-Pacific Ring Tribunal, a three-year investigation into the West Papua/Indonesia conflict (Nabil Ahmed/Arts Catalyst)

The mine is the Earths largest gold, and third largest copper mine. One mile across at its surface, the mine produces 230,000 tonnes of waste deposits a day, which are of major environmental concern. It is operated by Freeport, a company alleged to financially support military repression in the region.

The artist, Nabil Ahmed, is part of the Inter-Pacific Ring Tribunal - a collective that has gathered evidence of environmental damage and human rights abuses. His work is a portrayal of the geographic extent of ecological plunder and human misery as demand for rare minerals persists.

This dynamic exhibition provides a fresh and raw examination the demands of capitalism continue to put our planet and our populations under.
Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate 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

Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Like Voldemort in the Harry Potter books, few dared mentioned his name, but Donald Trump cast a shadow over a United Nations meeting about global warming.

He Who Must Not Be Named  at least in some environmental circles, but otherwise known as the 45th President of the United States  has promised to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change and appointed a string of climate science deniers to key positions in his administration to the consternation of much of the rest of the world.

In fact, according to JK Rowling, author of the Potter books, Voldemort was "nowhere near as bad" as Mr Trump.

Speaking at the meeting in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined those avoiding saying the words Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported, but everyone knew who he was talking about.

Even if some national governments backtrack in commitments, the combined impacts of sub-national authorities, businesses and civil society will create an unstoppable momentum, he said.

The worlds biggest polluter, China, which according to Mr Trump invented climate change as a hoax to ruin the US economy, has somewhat belatedly realised the need to stop building coal-fired power stations and embraced renewable energy with remarkable enthusiasm.

The Chinese ambassador to the UN, Liu Jieyi, urged member states to live up to their international commitments.

All signatories should stick to it instead of walking away, Mr Liu told the meeting.

Recommended Donald Trump appears to lie about lying in Time interview

Regardless of the changes in the international landscape, China remains committed and will respond to climate change.

Again, like Mr Guterres, he carefully avoided naming Mr Trump.

Dozens of countries  from Germany to Bangladesh to South Korea  reiterated their support for the Paris Agreement, but no US representative was there to address the delegates, Bloomberg reported.

However those who accept the findings of climate scientists have been keen to stress that US cities and states are already taking steps to reduce the effects of global warming.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

And Jay Inslee, the Governor of Washington on the US West Coast, said the state would press ahead with cutting its carbon emissions, for example by shutting down coal-fired power plants  in contrast to Mr Trumps pledge to boost the coal industry.

Our progress in Washington State is not going be stopped by anyone at any time, Mr Inslee said.

You can count on the state of Washington to move forward.


Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate 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

Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Researchers studying the largest-ever mass extinction in Earths history claim to have found evidence that it was caused by runaway global warming  and that the apocalyptic events of 250 million years ago could happen again.

About 90 per cent of all the living things on the planet were wiped out in the Permian mass extinction  described in a 2005 book called When Life Nearly Died  for reasons that have been long debated by scientists.

Competing theories have been put forward, including meteor strikes, huge volcanic eruptions and climate change.

Now a team of researchers from Canada, Italy, Germany and the US say they have discovered what happened and that their findings have an important lesson for humanity in how we deal with current global warming.

According to a paper published in the journal Palaeoworld, volcanic eruptions pumped large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, causing average temperatures to rise by eight to 11C.

This melted vast amounts of methane that had been trapped in the permafrost and sea floor, causing temperatures to soar even further to levels lethal to most life on land and in the oceans.

Based on measurements of gases trapped in [the mineral] calcite, the release of methane  is deemed the ultimate source and cause for the dramatic life-changing global warming  observed at the end Permian.

Global warming triggered by the massive release of carbon dioxide may be catastrophic, but the release of methane from hydrate [its frozen state] may be apocalyptic.

The end Permian holds an important lesson for humanity regarding the issue it faces today with greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and climate change.

The paper said the average global temperature would have reached well above 29C. Todays average is about 15C.

The emission of carbon dioxide from volcanic deposits may have started the world onto the road of mass extinction, but it was the release of methane from shelf sediments and permafrost hydrates that was the ultimate cause for the catastrophic biotic event at the end Permian, the researchers added.

Professor Peter Wadhams, head of the Polar Ocean Physics Group at Cambridge University, suggested a major methane pulse was possible.

However he said this would be maybe not apocalyptic, but catastrophic.

If there were a large methane release, which is now possible because of the instability of the methane hydrates underneath the Arctic continental shelves, the off-shore waters, that could quite easily give rise to a very large pulse, Professor Wadhams said.

 Bill Nye to Bernie Sanders: The effects of Trump's climate change denial could be catastrophic

He was one of the authors of a paper in the journal Nature, which suggested it was possible for a truly vast amount of frozen methane to be released over just 10 years  a blink of an eye in geological terms.

We were concerned if there were a 50 gigatonne release, about eight per cent of the methane in the hydrates, that would give an immediate 0.6C of global warming, which is a very large pulse indeed, Professor Wadhams said.

That modern threat is very real and very serious and has been disregarded a lot by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change  I feel strongly about it.

However, Professor Wadhams criticised the title of the Palaeoworld paper, which was Methane hydrate: Killer cause of Earths greatest mass extinction.

Theres a serious tendency these days to offer a breathless overkill on the importance of a discovery. The title of the paper is over the top, he said.

Methane may or may not be the cause of the extinctions described. The evidence is equivocal. It doesnt justify all the razzamatazz.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

And Professor Tim Palmer, an Oxford University physicist who has worked on the IPCC reports, said it was unclear what future humanity was facing.

The relevance of such apocalyptic scenarios for the present climate-change debate depends on cloud feedbacks being significantly and substantially positive, he told The Independent.

Without them we will probably not warm enough for these releases of methane to occur  another reason to do our utmost to try to understand such cloud feedbacks.

In a recent talk at the Royal Society in London, Professor Palmer suggested lukewarmists, who downplay the dangers of climate change, and catastrophists, who do the opposite, were both making the same mistake.

The science, he said, suggested a range of possible outcomes from one to the other and it was unclear what would happen.

However, Professor Palmer said computer models which accurately simulated the Earths climate suggested it was more likely that humanity was on course for global warming at levels considered to produce particularly dangerous weather conditions.
Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate 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

Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

About half of commuters suffer delays to their journey once a month because of severe weather, according to a new poll commissioned as part of Earth Hour.

The WWF event takes place at 8.30pm on Saturday, when people and businesses are urged to switch off their lights as a symbolic gesture about the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by saving energy.

The environmental campaign group surveyed nearly 3,000 people to find out their attitudes to global warming, renewable forms of transport and the effect of bad weather on their commute.

They found that nearly 86.8 per cent of people cared about climate change  either a lot (43.8 per cent) or somewhat (43 per cent). Just 13.2 per cent said they dont really care.

While 51.9 per cent of respondents to the survey said climate change did not impact on their day-to-day life, they also reported that their journeys to work were regularly disrupted by bad weather.

More than 47 per cent told pollsters Opinion Matters that they were delayed at least one day a month on average.

About 13 per cent suffered delays on three to five days a month, which if extrapolated up to the total number of commuters would affect about 1.4 million people.

Climate change has already been linked with increased rainfall and flooding in the UK and is generally expected to see greater extremes of weather as the amount of energy in the atmosphere increases.

Gareth Redmond-King, WWFs head of energy and climate policy, said: People often think of climate change as melting ice caps and distant droughts  problems far away, with effects a long time into the future.

But in fact, its impacts are already happening much closer to home.

The poll also found significant public support for suggestions that the Government should invest in green transport technology (46.8 per cent), provide financial incentives for it (41 per cent), and making roads safer for cyclists (31.6 per cent).

Just 15.2 per cent thought these kinds of measures were not the responsibility of the Government.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

Asked if they would consider buying or hiring an electric car, 43.5 per cent said they were too expensive, 10.5 per cent said they were not powerful enough and 4.1 per cent said they were embarrassing to own.

However, 25.1 said they would consider buying one because they were cheaper to run and 14.3 per cent said they would so they could reduce their impact on the environment. Electric cars were already owned by 2.6 per cent of the surveys respondents.

Mr Redmond-King said: Transport is a big cause of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK; yet some of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel  public transport  are already suffering from the impacts of climate change.

It is a catch-22 as more extreme weather is putting transport infrastructure under ever-greater pressure and making train travel less reliable and less appealing, just when we need people to get out of their cars.

Its great that theres the appetite for reducing our environmental impact when we commute, but government and transport providers need to work together to build resilience to offer people better alternatives to the most polluting forms of travel.

WWF described Earth Hour as the worlds largest climate change demonstration.

 Bill Nye to Bernie Sanders: The effects of Trump's climate change denial could be catastrophic

In the UK last year, over six million people took part, nearly 200 landmarks, along with thousands of schools, businesses and organisations, it said.

Iconic landmarks including Big Ben and Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Blackpool Tower, The Kelpies, Caerphilly Castle and many more joined the global lights out.

Globally, from Samoa to Tahiti, a record 178 countries and territories took part in the worlds biggest Earth Hour yet.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, the worlds tallest building Burj Khalifa in Dubai, South Africas Table Mountain, The Acropolis in Athens, The Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Empire State Building and Times Square in New York City, and the Las Vegas Strip were just a few of the world-famous landmarks that joined in.
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 supersonic jet capable of flying passengers from London to New York in three hours and 15 minutes has moved a step closer to reality.

Boom Supersonic has raised $33m (26m) in Series A funding, enough to build and fly the prototype XB-1.

Nicknamed Baby Boom, the test model will be a third of the size of the jets it eventually plans to sell to airlines.

We have almost all the engineering completed, and the first wing components are showing up in the office this week, Boom CEO Blake Scholl told TechCrunch.

Were about to do structural tests, and then were probably about a year away from flight.

Boom Supersonic claims its final product will be the worlds fastest civil aircraft ever made, capable of hitting speeds of 1,451mph, making it 10 per cent faster than Concorde and over twice as fast as other airliners.

XB-1 will fly at around 60,000ft, and Boom Supersonic says it will cut the flight time for journeys between London and New York by more than half.

Unsurprisingly, however, tickets will be extremely expensive, at up to $2,500 one-way, in either direction.

The company has already announced a partnership with Virgin Galactic, and will reveal new customers later this year.

According to the Daily Mail, Boom could be ready to take on passengers as soon as the early 2020s.

Now we have all the pieces we need  technology, suppliers and capital  to go out and make some history and set some speed records, added Mr Scholl.
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Scientists are racing to develop the worlds first blood tests that can diagnose cancer  and prototype tests could be ready in a year, one researcher has claimed.

Jasmine Zhou and her team at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a computer program that uses genetic data to detect tumour DNA in blood samples and specify where in the body it is coming from.

The program, which the scientists have called CancerLocator, works by measuring the amount of tumour DNA circulating in the blood.

Once this DNA has been located, it can be compared to a database of genetic information from hundreds of people to identify where the tumour is located, said Professor Zhou.

I hope it [a diagnostic test] will be available within a year. It depends on training data, testing and machine learning, she told The Independent. With enlarged training and testing data we are confident to achieve much higher performance.

The new study, published in the journal Genome Biology, focussed on three cancer types  breast, liver and lung, and was able to detect early stage cancers in 80 per cent of cases.

Professor Zhou said the next step was to collect solid tissue samples to improve the accuracy of the blood tests, which could then be trialled in a clinical setting.

Lara Bennett, of Worldwide Cancer Research, said while blood testing methods were still being researched, she believed they will have an important part in the future of diagnosing cancer.

The fact its non-invasive is a huge thing, she said, adding that it could save lives if it succeeds in spotting cancers early. We are very excited by it, but it's not ready to go, due to limited blood samples, and they've only done it in three cancer types.

Irish teenager breaks European cancer treatment fundraising record

In the meantime, another Californian research team, led by Kun Zhang at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), is developing a similar blood test based on different technology that they also say could be ready in a couple of years.

Dr Zhang told The Independent he had filed patents related to their method in 2014 and hoped to complete the product development and clinical validation within the next two to three years.

He said his teams research did share similarities with Professor Zhous, but there were many technical differences on how each approach works and major medical challenges dont get solved by one team working alone.

Recommended Blood test predicts how likely you are to have a heart attack

The work by the UCLA group is a computer program, that reduced the error from roughly 60 per cent to 26.5 per cent. They demonstrated that on cancer data published previously by other groups.

In contrast, we developed a new theoretical framework, generated our own data from over 100 patients and healthy people, and our accuracy of locating cancer to an organ is around 90 per cent.

But Paul Pharoah, a professor of cancer epidemiology at the University of Cambridge, told The Independent while such blood tests showed enormous potential, he was doubtful they would be ready in such a short time frame.

If you were going to use this test as a screening test  ie to detect cancer in otherwise healthy people  it would need to be evaluated as a screening test. Any study of any screening modality takes years to do, he said.

For example, to show you could detect pancreatic cancer early, before symptoms develop, would take a trial of hundreds of thousands of people over years.

13 ways to help prevent cancer Show all 13 1 /13 13 ways to help prevent cancer 13 ways to help prevent cancer Stopping smoking. This notoriously difficult habit to break sees tar build-up in the lungs and DNA alteration and causes 15,558 cancer deaths a year 13 ways to help prevent cancer Avoiding the sun, and the melanoma that comes with overexposure to harmful UV rays, could help conscientious shade-lovers dodge being one of the 7,220 people who die from it 13 ways to help prevent cancer A diet that is low in red meat can help to prevent bowel cancer, according to the research - with 30 grams a day recommended for men, and 25 a day recommended for women 13 ways to help prevent cancer Foods high in fibre, meanwhile, can further make for healthier bowels. Processed foods in developed countries appear to be causing higher rates of colon cancer than diets in continents such as Africa, which have high bean and pulse intakes 13 ways to help prevent cancer Two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day were given as the magic number for good diet in the research. Overall, diet causes only slightly fewer cancer deaths than sun exposure in Australia, at 7,000 a year 13 ways to help prevent cancer Obesity and being overweight, linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, causes 3,917 deaths by cancer a year on its own Getty 13 ways to help prevent cancer Dying of a cancer caused by infection also comes in highly, linked to 3,421 cancer deaths a year. Infections such as human papilloma virus - which can cause cervical cancer in women - and hepatitis - can be prevented by vaccinations and having regular check-ups 13 ways to help prevent cancer Cutting back on drinks could reduce the risk of cancers caused by alcohol - such as liver cancer, bowel cancer, breast cancer and mouth cancer - that are leading to 3,208 deaths a year 2014 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Sitting around and not getting the heart pumping - less than one hour's exercise a day - is directly leading to about 1,800 people having lower immune functions and higher hormone levels, among other factors, that cause cancers 2011 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Hormone replacement therapy, which is used to relieve symptoms of the menopause in women, caused 539 deaths from (mainly breast) cancer in Australia last year. It did, however, prevent 52 cases of colorectal cancers 2003 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Insufficient breastfeeding, bizarrely, makes the top 10. Breastfeeding for 12 months could prevent 235 cancer cases a year, said the research AFP/Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Oral contraceptives, like the Pill, caused about 105 breast cancers and 52 cervical cancers - but it also prevented about 1,440 ovarian and uterine (womb) cases of cancer last year 2006 Getty Images 13 ways to help prevent cancer Taking aspirin also prevented 232 cases in the Queensland research of colorectal and oesophagal cancers - but as it can also cause strokes, is not yet recommended as a formal treatment against the risk of cancer

Professor Zhous team used their new computer program to study blood samples from 29 liver cancer patients, 12 lung cancer patients and five breast cancer patients.

She said she hopes to include a broader range of cancer types in the tests, but some were easier to detect in the blood than others due to their position in the circulatory system.

It's much easier to capture the tumour DNA for liver and lung cancer than for breast, because it's not as well circulated, said Professor Zhou.

For now, the work continues. Researchers at Swansea Medical School are also working on a blood test that can spot cancer before symptoms are noticeable.

And a team at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, said they have announced a major breakthrough to spot proteins in the blood that can signify the presence of cancer.
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

When Nancy Abu-Bonsrah discovered she had been accepted to train as a brain surgeon at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the fact she had made history took a while to sink in.

The 26-year-old from Ghana is the first black woman to join the neurosurgery program at the prestigious US college, where the medical discipline of neurological surgery was founded.

Its something I didnt really think about too much until I opened the envelope and was like, 'woah', she told The Independent. Then talking to other people in the department confirmed the suspicion.

Ms Abu-Bonsrah, who starts her training with four other residents in July, used department office records of past students to double-check, but her older brother had soon told friends and family the news.

He was so excited, happy and proud, she said. And when I came home that day and everything had sank in, I made a small Facebook post.

The post, with a picture of her acceptance note alongside one of her and her husband, has been liked more than a thousand times.

Ms Abu-Bonsrah said she had moved to the US from Ghana around 11 years ago and studied chemistry and biochemistry at Mount St Mary's University in Maryland.

She then went straight to Johns Hopkins University, also in Maryland, to study medicine.

Her interest in neurosurgery stems from a trip to Ghana she took in her winter break in her junior year of college, to shadow doctors and learn more about the countrys health system, because she hoped to return there to work one day.

It happened that the physician I shadowed there was a neurosurgeon. I was impressed by his skill, and I was also impressed by his boldness in general, she said.

Ususally when I think about brain surgery, I think the brain is sacred and you don't touch it or do anything to it, but to see them do these remarkable surgeries, and have good outcomes was something that impressed me.

She also noticed how overwhelmed the surgeons appeared to be, saying: There were countless patients that they had to see and there are so few of them.

I thought it would be nice to combine my interest in this field with an opportunity to provide service back to my country and other countries that don't have as much surgical infrastructure.

Harvey Cushing founded the speciality of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins in the early 20th century. Another famous historical brain scientist, Walter Dandy, also worked at the institution.

The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 10. Seoul The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 9. Berlin The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 8. Hong Kong The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 7. Montreal The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 6. Singapore The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 5. London The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 4. Sydney The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 3. Tokyo The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 2. Melbourne The 10 best cities to be a student in 2016 1. Paris

The college is consistently ranked in the top five medical universities in the world, alongside Harvard University and Oxford and Cambridge.

Before she begins her residency, Ms Abu-Bonsrah said she plans to relax, prepare for the course by reading, and travel to Ghana and to attend a conference in LA.

My family and my husband are all very grateful and thankful for this opportunity, she said. People see our and my story and see how far my family has come, and it gives them inspiration that it's possible for them as well.
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A doctor in the US state of Virginia claims to have found his own cure for sepsis.

Critical care specialist Paul Marik said the simple treatment, an injected infusion of vitamin C and steroids, has had a remarkable effect on patients with the potentially deadly condition.

Dr Marik told NPR he first tried the treatment as a last resort while working in the intensive care unit of a hospital in the East Coast city of Norfolk, inspired by the findings of a study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

We had this 48-year-old woman who previously had been reasonably healthy, who came in with rapid overwhelming sepsis, he told the national broadcaster.

Her kidneys weren't working. Her lungs weren't working. It was absolutely clear to me she was going to die. In a situation like this, you start thinking out of the box.

The next morning Dr Marik said he got the shock of my life when he came to work the next day expecting the patient to be dead. Within two days, he said she was fit to leave the ward.

Sepsis, a rare but serious medical complication that can lead to shock and multiple organ failure, is said to kill 44,000 people every year in Britain.

It can occur when the bodys response to an infection damages organs and tissues and is sometimes referred to as blood poisoning  but this is inaccurate as the condition can affect multiple organs or the entire body without infecting the blood.

Spotting sepsis

Dr Marik first tried the improvised treatment, a vitamin C injection mixed with a low dose of steroids and another vitamin, thiamine, in January 2016.

Since then, he has used it to treat 150 sepsis patients. Just one has died of the condition, claims Dr Marik, who has written up the results of the first 47 patients he treated in a new study published in the journal Chest.

Around a third of the 130,000 cases of sepsis in Britain each year are fatal.

But experts have warned that exciting results from small-scale, non-rigorous studies such as Dr Mariks often do not hold out in larger population groups.

Further testing is required before any conclusions are drawn about the efficacy of a new treatment, top sepsis researcher Craig Coopersmith told NPR.

"It's an unorthodox way of doing research," Ron Daniels, CEO of the UK Sepsis Trust, told The Independent.

"A clinician who is respected and well-known in the field has taken bits of small studies and pieced them together when faced with a patient. I understand why hes done that."

"But these are small numbers and we dont know if its the vitamin C or steroids," he said. "The results are almost too good to be true, and we need to do properly controlled trials."

Dr Daniels said if further research did show the treatment was effective, it could potentially "pave the way for future hospital therapies" because the ingredients were cheap and accessible, but emphasised the need for large-scale trials.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

Dr Marik, who undertook his research at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, said he decided to try the treatment after reading about a formal study into the use of vitamin C injections for sepsis at VCU in Richmond, the states capital.

The National Institutes of Health gave Berry Fowler and his VCU colleagues a grant of $3.2m (2.6m) to look into the potential of using vitamin C to treat sepsis.

Results are expected later this year.
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

In the 1990s, Sex and The City caused cultural shockwaves (or vibrations) by honestly depicting women masturbating and using sex toys. It was seen as a huge leap forward in breaking down taboos around self-love and female sexuality.

Fast-forward almost two decades, and trends forecaster JWT Intelligence named 2017 the year of vagina-nomics, as pelvic floor muscle exercises, vulvar skincare, and g-spot stimulators gain popularity. Thanks to the fourth wave of feminism, women are encouraged to talk about their vaginas and vulvas like never before, whether thats to do with periods, health, sex and masturbation or wellbeing, Lucie Greene, Worldwide Director of the Innovation Group, JWT, wrote in 2016.

Straight men, on the other hand, are made to feel ashamed about masturbation and using sex toys - at least according to writer Magnus Sullivan. Hes the author of Better Than the Hand: How Masturbation is the Key to Better Sex and Healthier Living. He also runs the mens sex toy website Manshop.com. To him, it is vital that both men and women give these gadgets a try, as he believes they help to build a persons understanding of their body and in turn helps them to a better lover.

To find out more, The Independent quizzed Sullivan on the politics of sex toys, gender, and what the future holds.

Sex toys designed by women - in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Sex toys designed by women - in pictures Sex toys designed by women - in pictures The Vesper designed by Ti Chang Sex toys designed by women - in pictures US sex toy designer Ti Chang Sex toys designed by women - in pictures The Vesper is produced in silver, rose gold and gold. Sex toys designed by women - in pictures The PopDildo which can be used for semination Sex toys designed by women - in pictures Sex toys designed by women - in pictures The Fin clitoral simulator designed by Alex Fine and Janet Lieberman Sex toys designed by women - in pictures Sex toys designed by women - in pictures

Hi Magnus, tell us a little about yourself

Im 49 and a fourth-generation San Franciscan native. I am a professional masturbatora career Ive chronicled in my recent book, Better Than the Hand: How Masturbation Is the Key to Better Sex and Healthier Living.

What do men need to know about trying out sex toys?

Sex toys are the best way to become a much better lover. With toys, you can learn how to explore your entire body with greater patience and skill, understanding how to prevent immediate escalation to penis-centric masturbation. This parlays really well into appreciating your partners body and learning how to both relax your lover while really turning her on.

Recommended The woman photographing strippers how they want to be seen

Sex toys help you break down cultural barriers in a safe, private setting and help us understand not only our bodies but our selves. Particularly for straight men, there are so many acts that compromise our concept of masculinity and what it means to be a man. These cultural walls corral not only our behaviour, but our psyches and our sense of self. We end up being who were told or expected to be instead of who we want to be, and this is the cause of deep insecurity and a lack of clear identity. More important, however, is that is cripples empathy; for experience is the best route to understanding and understanding is the source of empathy. I believe that a lack of empathy due to the increasingly narrow range of acceptable behavior for straight men is the source of a lot of violence in this world. It is so easy to demonise the other when you dont understand them and fear them.

Toys can also help men learn to delay orgasm, remain hard after orgasm, and have multiple orgasms. Once you get over this mental hump and you experience this, youre no longer worried about ejaculating too quickly, losing your erection or not getting an erection.

 This is what Melania has to say about her sex life with Trump

What will sex toys be like in the future?

Current trends are towards remote interactivity, like controlling a device via the internet or via bluetooth at close range, more realistic flesh-like textures, interactive and artificial intelligence elements including virtual reality and talking, quasi-interactive dolls and or robots. Womens toys are already so far ahead of men's toys that theres a bit of catching up to do.

For instance, while men seem to want more life-like interactivity from their sex toy - full size, robotic sex dolls - Ive never heard a woman say she wished her vibrator could talk to her.

What is your view of sex toys taking over from having sex with a real person?

This is already the case for some, Im sure, and it will likely increase as straight men struggle to integrate into a world where simply being straight and white doesnt automatically imbue you with power - despite present circumstances. We could see more of whats playing out in Italy and Japanan increasingly sexless societyor we could see the broader acceptance of toys, sexuality and the increased effectiveness in preventing and fighting STDs lead to another sexual awakening. Like everything else right now, things are at a tipping pointand Im doing my part to ensure that more people are having more sex with themselves and others.

Recommended The women behind coolest sex shop on the internet

Do you think men who are worried about trying anal or using sex toys are struggling with internalised homophobia and seeming 'gay?

Of course. This is a huge fear for many straight men. What would it mean to enjoy it? What would it mean to even explore it? What would I do if I did enjoy it? As the treatment of Donald Trump showed, it is more acceptable for straight men to sexually assault women than it is for them to explore all aspects of pleasure in a consensual way. The box of behaviour for straight men is frighteningly narrow, and this negatively affects not only men, but the people and the world around them.

You write that men feel shame when it comes to masturbating. Do you think it's useful to frame this argument in a way where women are regarded as 'liberated' and men as not, or is this issue more complex?

Like all behaviour, it gets increasingly complex as you get increasingly granular. Dissecting my personal relationship with masturbation and how family, culture, psychology and experience all collide to create my unique perspective and experience would be a daunting taskand equally daunting to do the same for you. But part of my puzzle is my role as a straight cis male living in America in 2017, and there is clearly a huge difference in the dialogue and culture around masturbation for men than there is for women. My main point is that the door for women is much wider and more inviting for women than it is for straight men. That doesnt mean all women walk through that door or that is easy for them to do it, but the entry is mapped, known, and people return from the other side to talk about it and share their experience.

Women have 50 years of impassioned critical thinking that support and contextualise this sexual pilgrimage in a positive way. While gay men have perhaps the most sophisticated and progressive dialogue around sexuality and identity, straight men have not embraced or benefited much from this progress. In general terms, masturbation has been successfully recast for women as part of an empowered life. This is not the case for straight men. In general, men are very ashamed of their habits, worried what others will think of them, worried that certain acts, if known, will have huge social consequences. In general, women own their bodies more than straight men own theirs. In general, women are much more comfortable owning toys, talking about them and incorporating masturbation as a healthy part of their lives. It is very ironic to say this when so much of our culture objectifies and stereotypes women, but in this area, straight men are in the dark ages and women have at least has their enlightenment.

Do you think that men and women are repressed in different ways? For example, it is regarded as normal for teenage boys to masturbate, whereas it is shameful for girls. Men also talk more openly about watching porn.

Again, I think were all repressed in different ways. But certainly straight men and women have very different experiences of sexuality in our culture. As I write in the book, I dont think most men have a clue how difficult it is for women to retain and develop a healthy sense of self in a world that tells them every day that theyre flawed. Everywhere women look and often in their day to day interactions, they are sexualised and trivialised in ways that men rarely experience, let alone understand.

Even now, we have rampant slut-shaming at best and rape and extreme violence at worst. Straight men cannot begin to understand what it is like to live in that world and retain a positive and healthy outlook towards oneself, sex, relationships and humanity. One of the great misconceptions, however, is that somehow male sexuality is accurately represented and male needs are adequately met in this world. Just because a version of male sexuality seems ever-present doesnt mean anyones needs are being met. So most straight men live in the sexual and emotional straight jacket that the media custom-fits for their particular insecurities around masculinity. Is it any wonder theres a problem?

Do you think the shame surrounding male masturbation comes down to the content of pornography, and a fear that women have that their partner will try to emulate sexually aggressive moves?

Although you might be right about some women fearing that aggressive porn will lead to unwanted aggressive sex, Ive never hear this from women. The issues that have been more relevant are tied to a sense of betrayal as desire is directed towards someone that is not them, that does not look like them, that does not do the things in bed that they do. It can also be tied to a sense that any redirection of desire compromises the fidelity of intimacy: and this is strongly tied our a culture of monogamy. Similarly, theres a sense that if you desire another, you must not really desire me. A surprising number of women I spoke to acknowledged that being desired is the primary erotic trigger for them. Like monogamy, this works only so long as youre the only object of desire. Finally, I think many women want to be involved and included. This, for many, is both the source and sign of intimacy, so when theyre excluded from such an intimate and important part of their partners life, it feels like a betrayal of intimacy.

What it the biggest misconception about male masturbation?

That masturbation is in any way a reflection of your overall identity. Weve got to de-couple pleasure from sexual identity. Were highly sexual animals. Were literally built for pleasure and we should enjoy it, shame free. Masturbation should be considered as an opportunity for creative sexual brainstorming and seen as a pathway for personal growth, health and sexual prowess rather than as a quick, reclusive act of quiet desperation.
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 }}

Deutsche Bank is in exclusive talks to move its UK headquarters to a building being constructed at 21 Moorfields in the City of London.

Germanys biggest bank is negotiating with Land Securities on a 25-year lease for the building, with staff due to start moving across in 2023, according to a memo sent to the lenders staff and seen by Bloomberg News.

The developer Friday confirmed that its in talks with Deutsche Bank over an advance rental that would require changes to the buildings design.

Corporate demand for office space in London has fallen in the wake of the Brexit vote, with BNP Paribas estimating that firms leased 19 per cent less space in central London in 2016 than a year earlier.

Deutsche Bank, which is in the process of overhauling its businesses, said this month that the next phase of its plan will cause additional job losses. In 2015, it predicted that 9,000 jobs would be eliminated through 2018.

The move underlines the banks commitment to the City of London and the importance it attaches to being an employer of choice in the capital, Garth Ritchie, Deutsche Banks UK chief executive officer, said in the memo.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

It will advance the banks strategic goals of increasing efficiency, reducing complexity and strengthening links between the business divisions and infrastructure functions.

Deutsche Banks move is subject to the lease being agreed to and the building gaining planning consent, according to the memo. Land Securities, which didnt comment on the other details of the talks, said negotiations will take several months and there is no guarantee they will lead to a transaction.

Bloomberg
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 }}

Credit Suisse increased its bonus pool by 6 per cent, defying a trend toward smaller payouts at many of its peers in an effort to prevent an exodus of talent from its investment banking and Asian operations.

The bank awarded 3.09 billion francs (2.5bn) in bonuses for 2016, according to its annual report published on Friday, even as charges tied to legal settlements pushed it to its second consecutive annual loss.

Credit Suisse restated its full-year earnings to reflect a charge of 272 million francs after reaching a settlement on toxic mortgage securities with the US National Credit Union Administration.

Credit Suisse is in the second year of a costly turnaround plan that has been hampered by market turmoil, surprise trading losses and legacy issues. The banks common equity Tier 1 capital ratio, a key measure of financial strength, fell to 11.5 per cent from 11.6 per cent as a result of the settlement announced Friday.

After tapping shareholders for 6 billion francs as the overhaul got under way in late 2015, the bank is now considering a share sale to raise more than 3 billion francs, people with knowledge of the matter have said.

The bank experienced key employee retention issues in the first quarter of last year after slashing compensation, it said in the report. The increase in the bonus pool for 2016 should ensure that employees who met their performance targets could be compensated in line with the market in order to retain key talent, particularly in divisions that do much investment banking.

Cultural Shift

Employees at other big European banks are looking at smaller pay checks this year. Hit by legal expenses, Deutsche Bank slashed its 2016 bonus pool by almost 80 per cent, a figure unmatched in its recent history. Swiss rival UBS handed out the smallest bonuses in four years after profit slumped.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Chief executive Tidjane Thiam was awarded 11.9 million francs for his first full year on the job, proportionately more than the 4.57 million francs he got for his first six months at Credit Suisse in 2015. He earned 8.2 million francs in cash and shares on top of his fixed-pay of 3.7 million francs.

The bank cited his progress in executing strategy, including success in cutting costs and building capital, and his efforts to drive a change in culture at the bank. Thiam waived part of his bonus for 2015, when the bank took a loss mainly due to restructuring charges.

He is earned less than his UBS counterpart, Sergio Ermotti, who received 13.7 million francs. UBS cut its bonus pool for 2016 by 17 per cent to 2.9 billion francs.
Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Forget everything you think you know about dinosaurs. Or almost.

The dinosaur family tree has been completely shaken up by a radical new computer programme. Scientists have turned our understanding of dinosaur evolution upside down and re-written the evolutionary history of dinosaurs.

Theropods like the T Rex have moved to a completely new branch of the family tree, for instance. And dinosaurs in general might have appeared much earlier  and more north  than was thought in the past.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

The proposed new family tree includes two reformulated categories, or clades, of dinosaurs to replace the existing two. The research also pushes dinosaur origins back to relatively soon after a mass extinction that rocked the Earth 252 million years ago.

The new family tree makes much more sense, according to Matt Baron, a paleontology doctoral student at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the study in Wednesdays journal Nature. The old one was designed more than a century ago and focused on hip shape.

Recommended Dinosaurs may have gone extinct because eggs took so long to hatch

If the authors are correct, this really turns our longstanding understanding of dinosaur evolution upside down! Kristi Curry Rogers, a paleontologist at Macalaster College in Minnesota said.

Dinosaurs are split into two groups. One group has bird-like hips and is called Ornithischia (or-ni-THISS-kee-a) and includes the stegosaurus, while the other group has reptile-like hips and is called Saurischia (saw-RIS'-kee-a). It includes the brontosaurus.

Theropods, which include the T Rex and the type of dinosaurs that later evolved into modern day birds, were considered an offshoot from the group that includes the brontosaurus. The new study moves them to the group that includes the stegosaurus, but on a different branch.

It means that animals that weve always thought were very closely related to each other might not be, said Rogers, who praised the study, adding that it prompts a whole bunch of new questions.

Baron and colleagues looked at 450 characteristics of 75 dinosaur species. They used computer simulations to try to group together those with similar characteristics, creating tens of thousands of potential dinosaur family trees. The proposed new family tree combines the 80 most likely scenarios, he said.

It may sound like an academic exercise, but its important to understand how big animals changed with time, Baron said, noting that the dinosaurs ruled Earth for more than 150 million years.

His research suggests that dinosaurs popped up 247 million years ago  10 million years earlier than the standard theory suggests  with a dinosaur from Tanzania in East Africa called Nyasasaurus, which was 6 to 10 feet tall and a plant-eater.

He also found a reptilian ancestor  not quite a dinosaur, but as close as you can get. And it was in Scotland. Previous theories pointed to dinosaurs first evolving outside of the Southern Hemisphere and many scientists said there wasnt enough evidence to support Barons northern concept.

The paper is already dividing dinosaur experts. Paul Sereno, professor of paleontology at the University of Chicago and National Geographic explorer-in-residence who has discovered several new species on different continents, called the basis of the Baron family tree weak and said the central question the paper leaves unanswered for me is: why?

Matthew Carrano, dinosaur curator at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, said its hard to side with any theory because early dinosaur fossil records are so incomplete.
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 father accused of murdering his one-year-old son and trying to kill his twin sister will go on trial in the Autumn.

Bidhya Sagar Das, 33, allegedly attacked the toddlers at a flat in Finsbury Park, north London, over the weekend.

The boy, Gabriel Bibekdas Sonu, died while the little girl is still fighting for her life in a critical condition in hospital.

Das has been charged with murder and attempted murder of his children.

He appeared before Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC at London's Old Bailey and spoke only to confirm his name with the help of a Bengali interpreter.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty 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

The judge set a plea hearing for June 8 before a provisional trial starting on September 11.

Das, who wore a dark sweatshirt, was remanded into custody.
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 Muslim woman who had her niqab ripped from her face, has urged a judge not to jail her attacker after finding out he had cancer.

Peter Scotter, 55, admitted to racially aggravated assault by beating and racially aggravated harassment.

He ripped her veil off with such force that he nearly threw her to the ground, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

But after learning he had cancer, his victim asked the judge not to send him to prison.

 Woman chases man down platform after 'racist' Tube attack

I did not realise that the man had cancer," she said, according to the Sunderland Echo. "I dont want him to go to prison and I would like the judge to bear that in mind when he does sentence him.

He did a bad thing in anger, I dont know why he chose to do what he did to me, it hurt and frightened me but I dont seek any kind of revenge for that.

I dont want him to suffer, I would like him to be free to live the rest of his life in peace and tolerance, not in anger and bitterness.

She added: Maybe everyone could stop the hatred and chill.

Scotter attacked the 39-year-old mother in Sunderland's Bridges shopping centre, shouting: "You are in our country now, you stupid f****** Muslim."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty 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

He was due to appear at the court for sentencing, but the trial has been adjourned until early May, to allow doctors to examine a cancerous tumour found under his tongue.

Despite her forgiving attitude, his victim said she no longer feels safe when she leaves the house and doesnt go out as much as she used to.

Additional reporting by PA
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Westminster terror attack has claimed its fourth victim, a 75-year-old man, police have said.

The man had been receiving hospital treatment after Khalid Masood ploughed through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and tried to storm Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

Detectives confirmed the death on Thursday night after the man's life support was stopped.

The Metropolitan Police said: "Next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained family liaison officers."

The attack, at about 2.40pm on Wednesday, injured some 40 people, some seriously, including police officers.

Earlier on Thursday the third victim was named as American Kurt Cochran.

Mr Cochran, 54, was visiting London with his wife Melissa to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

His wife was injured in the attack and she is in hospital with a broken leg, rib and a cut to the head.

A Facebook post by the couple's family described the loss of Mr Cochran as "heart wrenching".

Aysha Frade, who worked as a sixth form Spanish teacher at the nearby DLD College London, also died in the attack.

A British national, whose mother was Spanish and father was Cypriot, she lived in London with her two young daughters and her husband.

She was walking to meet her daughters from school when the attack happened.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

PC Keith Palmer, a Parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer, was fatally stabbed by Masood before the attacker was shot dead by armed police.

His family paid tribute to "a wonderful dad and husband" as the Metropolitan Police said it would not re-issue his shoulder number.

In a statement, PC Palmer's family said: "Keith will be remembered as a wonderful dad and husband. A loving son, brother and uncle. A long-time supporter of Charlton FC.

"Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed. We love him so much.

"His friends and family are shocked and devastated by his loss."
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 }}

A pair of British universities have cancelled talks by the co-author of UN report which concluded that Israel is an apartheid state, because of security concerns.

International law professor Richard Falk had been due to speak at Middlesex University London and the University of East London.

But Middlesex cancelled this week's event because of safety concerns while East London said procedures, including security paperwork, had not been adequately followed.

Professor Falk,a former United Nations (UN) special investigator on human rights in the Palestinian territories, is known to be critical of Israel and the US.

He recently co-authored a United Nations report which has found that Israel is guilty of imposing an apartheid regime on the Palestinian people.

Israel and its allies condemned the analysis which found that Palestinians are subjected to a strategic fragmentation that allows Israel to impose racial domination with different sets of laws for different peoples.

Professor Falk was faced with protests and disruptions during an event hosted by the London School of Economics (LSE) earlier this week, when antisemitic comments were reportedly made by members in the audience

Afterwards, the university's Israel Society said it was appalled by the treatment of Jewish students.

An LSE spokesman said it was investigating following complaints of antisemitic comments made during the talk.

They added: "As with all public events, LSE has taken steps to protect free speech within the law and foster an open dialogue. Regrettably, there were a number of disruptions during the event which were dealt with by the security personnel in attendance."

But it led to Professor Falk's speeches being cancelled at the other universities.

A University of East London spokesman said: We host many events on campus, with a wide range of speakers and strongly believe that universities should be a place of debate and free speech. We would consider welcoming Professor Falk to our campus on another occasion if the appropriate policies and procedures were followed.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty 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

In an interview with the Middle East Eye website, Mr Falk said: As far as I can tell, there is a growing kind of feeling that the educational establishment in Britain, specifically in England, has been kind of intimidated in dealing with those who are seen as critics of Israel.

He added the cancellations of the university events showed the intensification of a trend limiting academic freedom on university campuses and that by preventing students from being exposed to controversial issues, it would limit their training in becoming engaged citizens.

Writing in The Nation, Mr Falk defended the UN report as a basis for dialogue towards a peaceful political solution between Israel and Palestine.

"For government officials and others to dismiss our report as a biased polemic is irresponsible, with respect both to the authority of the UN and to international law. I mention this personal experience only to note that it falls into a longstanding pattern of rebuttal that prefers to smear rather than engage in reasoned debate about important issues of law and justice," he said.
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 }}

JK Rowling has denounced Katie Hopkins and Fox News after the former Apprentice contestant said Britons were cowed following the terrorist attack on Westminster.

After four people, including the assailant, were killed outside Parliament on Wednesday, Ms Hopkins told the US network Britain was tiptoeing around cultures that join us.

People are cowed by one particular religion, which is promoted by the Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, son of the bus driver, she said.

People are cowed, people are afraid, and people are not united, she continued. Great Britain is more disunited, it is absolutely divided, more than at any time in its past, and we are in fact a nation of ghettos.

I think liberals here actually think multiculturalism actually means we all die together, and thats not a view I support."

Taking to Twitter, the Harry Potter author compared Ms Hopkins comments to the defeatist attitude of a former US ambassadors view that Britain would lose the Second World War.

Sharing a letter sent to US President Franklin D Roosevelt from 1940, Ms Rowling wrote: As @FoxNews and @KTHopkins tell the world that terror is cowing London, I remember pro-appeasement US Ambassador, Joseph Kennedy."

The letter reads: "The night raids are continuing to do, I think, substantial damage, and the day raids of the last three days have dealt most serious blows to Bristol, Southampton, and Liverpool. Production is definitely falling, regardless of what reports you may be getting, and with transportation smashed up the way it is, the present production output will continue to fall.

Katie Hopkins gave an interview to Fox News in which she described Britain as 'divided' (PA)

"My own feeling is that [the British] are in a bad way. Bombers have got through in the daytime on the last three days, and on four occasions today substantial numbers of German planes have flown over London and have done some daylight bombing.

"I cannot impress upon you strongly enough my complete lack of confidence in the entire [British] conduct of this war. I was delighted to see that the President said he was not going to enter the war, because to enter this war, imagining for a minute that the English have anything to offer in the line of leadership or productive capacity in industry that could be of the slightest value to us, would be a complete misapprehension."
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 Westminster attacker was born on Christmas Day and converted to Islam after years of criminality.

The attack Khalid Masood carried out was the end point of his evolution to extremist from the boy born in Kent and named Adrian Russell Ajao.

He spent years moving round the country - and the prison system - with a host of different identities.

He was born to a single mother as Adrian Russell Ajao, but after a religious conversion years later, also called himself Khalid Choudry.

His criminal career dated back to 1983 and included convictions for assault, GBH and possession of an offensive weapon.

This led him to spend time behind bars at Lewes Prison in East Sussex, Wayland Prison in Norfolk and Ford open prison in West Sussex.

But he would later mask his life of crime with a CV which claimed he was an experienced English teacher who had worked across the world.

The document, seen by The Sun, lists Masood as a university-educated English teacher with experience working in places such as Saudi Arabia and Luton.

It is understood he never worked as a teacher in any of England's state schools.

When he died on the cobbles outside Parliament, he reportedly left behind three children and a wife.

The killer most recently appeared to be based in the West Midlands, but also spent time in London, Sussex and Luton.

After his armed onslaught on Wednesday, police searched a three-storey townhouse in the Winson Green area of Birmingham and neighbours said Masood lived there for around seven months until December last year.

Iwona Romek said she could not believe her eyes when she realised the man who had lived near her was the same person responsible for the attack.

She told the Press Association: Now I'm scared that someone like that was living close to me.

Ms Romek said she had seen him with a child aged between five and six and a partner, but that they had moved away around two to three months ago.

Armed police also raided a flat in another part of the city, storming the second-storey property in Hagley Road overnight.

Stunned residents described seeing more than a dozen black-clad officers equipped with machine guns smashing their way into the Birmingham flat, believed to be a rental, at about 11pm on Wednesday.

One resident said he recalled two men living there.

He heard one man in the flat speaking on the phone in what he described as an Arabic or Pakistani accent, saying he had heard it for the last two or three nights.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Masood is also thought to have lived in London, with a man of his name registered to an address in a terraced street in West Ham.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, told the Press Association: This guy is a local guy. I've been living in the area for 20 years.

I don't know him personally but I believe he belongs to a mosque on Leyton High Road.

Press Association
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 Governments former adviser on counter-terror laws has said traditional surveillance would most likely have been unable to stop the Westminster attack as security services face questions over Khalid Masood.

The Kent-born Muslim convert was investigated for violent extremism by MI5 and served prison sentences for assault and weapons possession but was not convicted of terrorism.

Critics have questioned how Masood could have slipped through the net, with suggestions of a wider extremist network arising with the arrest of at least 11 people on suspicion of terror offences in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Investigators have not said when Masood was investigated or what group he was thought to be linked to, although Isis claimed responsibility for Wednesdays attack.

 Westminster terror attacker named as Khalid Masood

Lord Carlile, who acted as the UKs independent reviewer of terrorism legislation for a decade, said MI5 and the other agencies have to make judgements based on evidence and information they have at the time.

My experience is that on the whole theyre extremely good at it, he told The Independent.

It would be extremely difficult to justify holding someone under surveillance if there was no valuable evidence against them.

Lord Carlile, who held his post between 2001 and 2011 and now sits as an independent peer in the House of Lords, said judgements also depend on available resources.

No doubt if MI5 had greater resources some people might be kept under surveillance for longer, he added.

From what Ive read, it seems pretty unlikely that it would have made any difference in this case.

Theresa May said Masood was not part of the current intelligence picture, describing him as a peripheral figure.

Khalid Masood (Metropolitan Police)

There was no prior intelligence of his intent, or of the plot, she added.

The Prime Ministers speech to the House of Commons highlighted one of the key risks posed by the shifting tactics of Isis and its supporters.

Recommended Why Isis claimed responsibility for the Westminster attack

After directly deploying militants from Syria to carry out the sophisticated bombing and shooting attacks seen in Paris and Brussels, international security crackdowns and the groups huge territorial losses has forced it to promote increasingly low-tech methods of attack.

Isis leaders have called on supporters no longer able to join their ranks in Syria and Iraq to wage jihad in their home countries in the West, by whatever means available.

Propaganda magazines issued in October and November contained lengthy articles on how to carry out knife and vehicle attacks, with detailed instructions on how to pick crowded and unguarded targets and optimise casualties.

While some previous terror plots have been thwarted after suspects were detected buying weapons or bomb-making materials, the use of everyday, legal items presents an increasing challenge for intelligence agencies.

Their reach was broadened by the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which includes measures forcing internet providers to make records of websites visited by customers available to a wide range of government and security departments, as well as forcing firms to access private phone communications.

The law was opposed by a 212,000-strong petition, with critics arguing the unprecedented levels of surveillance were disproportionate and an absolute disgrace to both privacy and freedom.

Lord Carlile said those opposing the IPA, including legal experts at the United Nations, offered no useful alternative to its provisions.

My view is that its good law, its proportionate and its subject to appropriate levels of scrutiny, he added, saying he would resist calls for change.

The barrister said legislative powers worked alongside other efforts to tackle extremism, including the removal of tens of thousands of radical internet websites.

I dont think one can fault the level of activity by the security services, and what we need to examine is whether they have enough resources to keep up the requisite level of activity, Lord Carlile said.

I would like us to have a more joined up approach to the issues that might affect whether such an attack occurs.

The new independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Max Hill QC, vowed that the Westminster attack will be subjected to full scrutiny and investigation by the police and intelligence services.

It seems highly likely that what happened provides an unwelcome reminder of the existence of the threat from terrorism which we all face, he said.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

The instant response by the police and emergency services has been exemplary, and has been followed by the thorough investigation which is now under way.

I have no doubt that we will reflect on the events for a long time to come.

Four people were killed in the atrocity, which saw Masood plough into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his car into railings surrounding the Houses of Parliament.

The 52-year-old, known before his conversion as Adrian Ajao or Elms, ran inside an entrance to the Commons and fatally stabbed a police officer, before being shot dead.

Scotland Yard's deputy commissioner, Mark Rowley, said investigators were focused on understanding his motivation, preparation and associates.

Our determination is to find out whether he acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if other have encouraged, supported or directed him, he added.

Saudi Arabia, where Masood worked as an English teacher for two periods in 2005-06 and 2008-09, said he had no criminal record in the country and did not appear on the security services' radar.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said it did not comment on intelligence matters.
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 London attacker used WhatsApp just two minutes before he ploughed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, it has emerged as police investigate a possible wider extremist network.

Khalid Masood was active on the encrypted messaging service at 2.37pm on Wednesday, although it remains unclear whether the 52-year-old was sending, receiving or simply viewing messages.

Investigators believe he was inspired by Islamist terrorism and Isis has claimed responsibility for the massacre that left four victims dead, although the extent of the groups involvement is not yet known.

Scotland Yard's acting deputy commissioner, Mark Rowley, said police were probing whether Masood acted completely alone after being inspired by terrorist propaganda or was encouraged, supported or directed by others.

 Westminster terror attacker named as Khalid Masood

Nikita Malik, a senior researcher at Quilliam, said WhatsApp and social media has been used for a variety of purposes by Isis-inspired terrorists.

In a lot of other incidents people have shared material, she told The Independent. It can act as a sort of a modern suicide note to explain their justification.

The perpetrators of several terror attacks in Europe in the past year have sent messages immediately before or during their murders.

Anis Amri, the Berlin attacker, sent a selfie and message saying he was ready to a contact, asking him to pray for him from the cab of the lorry he would use to massacre 12 people.

Months before, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had sat behind the wheel of his truck in Nice and texted a contact asking for more weapons minutes before speeding into crowds celebrating Bastille Day last July, killing 86 people.

Other Isis supporters have sent messages declaring allegiance to the terrorist group, even broadcasting them during an attack, while the Orlando gunman Omar Mateen texted his wife while carrying out the massacre.

Ms Malik said that attackers are frequently part of a wider extremist network incorporating family members and friends, and that true lone wolves are rare.

Anis Amri, the Berlin attacker, messaged a contact just before launching his attack (Facebook)

Radicalisation is very much a social phenomenon, she added, noting that the bulk of known British Isis fighters had travelled abroad in groups.

You also have what we call remote-controlled actors who will continue to receive instructions from someone based here or even in Syria or Iraq on what to do, but are not directly linked to the group.

Isis is not training them  theres not the investment, not a physical location like al-Qaeda or the Taliban might have.

Its a very easy way of carrying out attacks.

Isis hailed Masood as a soldier of the Islamic State in a propaganda statement released a day after he murdered four people and injured 50 more.

Brief remarks echoing those issued after previous attacks across Europe claimed the atrocity was carried out in response to calls to target citizens of coalition countries.

Experts said the claims lack of biographical information and specifics suggested Isis did not directly commission or facilitate the attack outside the Houses of Parliament.

But Jean-Marc Rickli, a research fellow at Kings College London and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, said the groups recruiters could have been in contact with Masood online.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

When Isis has not directly ordered an attack, it does some kind of vetting process and background check to see if the person has been in contact with Isis members in one way or another, he told The Independent.

Isis recruiters are known to target violent criminals and former gang members looking for redemption  and a licence to kill in the name of jihad.

More than half of known jihadis who have travelled from Europe to fight in Syria and Iraq have a criminal background, a trait shared with Masood.

The Kent-born Muslim convert was investigated for violent extremism by MI5 and served prison sentences for assault and weapons possession but was not convicted of terrorism.

Critics have questioned how Masood could have slipped through the net, with suggestions of a wider network arising with the arrest of at least 11 people on suspicion of terror offences in London, Birmingham and Manchester. Four remain in custody and one on bail.

Theresa May said Masood was not part of the current intelligence picture, describing him as a peripheral figure.

There was no prior intelligence of his intent, or of the plot, she added.

The Prime Ministers speech to the House of Commons highlighted one of the key risks posed by the shifting tactics of Isis and its supporters, who have been forced to use it to increasingly low-tech methods of attack amid security crackdowns and huge territorial losses in Syria and Iraq.

Masood, a father-of-three, worked as an English teacher in Saudi Arabia and recently lived in London, Birmingham and Luton.
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 Westminster attacker was born as Adrian Russell Ajao in Kent, police investigating the atrocity have said as confusion remains over Khalid Masoods numerous aliases.

Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner, Mark Rowley, identified the suspected Isis supporter only as Adrian Russell in a press conference but the Metropolitan Police later gave his surname as Ajao.

His birth name was originally reported as Adrian Elms, with his mother named as Janet Elms. The Daily Mail reported that she married a man named Phillip Ajao in West Sussex when Masood was a small child.

It remains unclear precisely when Masoods various surnames were changed and he also went under aliases including Khalid Choudry. The Home Office is understood to be investigating the issue.

Deputy Commissioner Rowley said officers were investigating whether Masood was radicalised by online jihadi propaganda or if he may have been directed by terrorists.

Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, his preparation and his associates, he added.

Our determination is to find out whether he acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if other have encouraged, supported or directed him.

Isis hailed Masood as a soldier of the Islamic State in a claim of responsibility issued the following day, although the extent of any involvement by the terrorist group remains unclear.

 Westminster terror attacker named as Khalid Masood

Analysts told The Independent the claims lack of biographical information and specifics suggested Isis did not directly commission or facilitate the attack outside the Houses of Parliament.

Isis has claimed responsibility for a series of potential lone wolf attacks as it seeks to distract attention from its huge territorial losses in Syria and Iraq.

Recommended Why Isis claimed responsibility for the Westminster attack

Jean-Marc Rickli, a research fellow at Kings College London and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, said the groups members could have been in contact with Masood online.

When Isis has not directly ordered an attack, it does some kind of vetting process and background check to see if the person has been in contact with Isis members in one way or another, he told The Independent.

The concept of lone wolf is difficult because in most cases there is contact with recruiters, or people involved in the organisations can be traced.

Pure lone wolf attacks are very rare, they are more the exception than the norm.

Renad Mansour, an academy fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, also said the idea of lone wolf attacks was problematic.

He said that while many assailants act on their own intuition and with no direction, they are frequently part of wider online or offline extremist networks incorporating family members or friends.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Isis is far from being a centralised organisation, Dr Mansour told The Independent. Sometimes you have people in these networks going to Syria and then coming back but its hard to draw a direct link.

Detectives are "looking at his history" amid reports Masood may have travelled overseas.

Two more significant arrests were made in the West Midlands and North West overnight, with nine people currently in custody in relation to the attack, with five searches ongoing and 16 completed.

One woman has been released on bail as detectives sift through 2,700 seized items and masses of computer data, as well as interviews with 3,500 witnesses and video footage taken by members of the public.

Deputy Commissioner Rowley said hundreds of officers were involved in the counter-terror probe codenamed Operation Pacific across the UK.

He appealed to the public for information on Masood, particularly from anyone who could provide information on his associates and recent travel.

There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but didnt feel comfortable, for whatever reason, passing that information to us, he added.

His attack left four victims dead and 50 others injured of 12 different nationalities, with 31 requiring hospital treatment.

Mark Rowley, Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, speaks to the media outside New Scotland Yard in London (PA wire) (PA)

Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley named a fourth victim who died on Thursday night as Leslie Rhodes, from Streatham in South London.

The 75-year-old was undergoing treatment in hospital before life support was turned off.

Mr Rhodes was the third victim to die from injuries sustained as Masood ploughed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing mother-of-two Aysha Frade and American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was in London with his wife to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Masood then ploughed the vehicle into a fence outside the Houses of Parliament before running to an entrance and fatally stabbing PC Keith Palmer, before he was shot dead.

Theresa May told MPs packed into the House of Commons that he had been the subject of a historical MI5 investigation over suspected violent extremism but was not charged with terror offences.

Masood had also been jailed repeatedly for violent crime dating back to the 1980s, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and assault.

A minutes silence was held for his victims as faith leaders, the Home Secretary and Mayor of London joined thousands of Londoners at a memorial held in Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening.

More candlelit vigils for the victims are scheduled on Friday in Birmingham, where Masood recently lived and hired the car used for the massacre, and London.
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 }}

Underwear featuring quotes from rape survivors has been hung by London students around their campus to demand more support for people who are sexually assaulted at university.

The Feminist Society at Roehampton University want a dedicated member of staff employed to tackle rape and harassment on campus and services that are already available to be better publicised.

Its head Zoe Cartlidge, told the Independent she organised the protest because she was assaulted early on in her first year and did not know where to turn.

Without support from a clearly identified, trained member of staff, the 21-year-old said she felt alone and was afraid she would not be believed if she told people she had been sexually assaulted by an older student who already had many friends on campus.

When she raised the incident in a FemSoc meeting more than two years later, she realised the extent of the problem and felt it was necessary to do something to highlight the issue.

A 2015 survey by The Telegraph found that nationwide one in three female students said they had been assaulted on campus.

The group decided to put underwear decorated with slogans around campus because they wanted to create "something lasting", Ms Cartlidge said.

Campaigners intend to hold a second lie in protest at their student union next week.

Ms Cartlidge said the response from other students to the initial action, which took place earlier this week, had been overwhelming and very positive.

Student Union President Jack De France said it was supportive of the campaign, but wanted to emphasise that staff were trained to deal with incidents of rape.

The Student Welfare Officers are fully trained and capable of providing wellbeing support to victims/survivors of sexual assault (and they do deal with such cases)," he wrote in post on the society's Facebook page.

"The Head of Wellbeing at the university's PhD is titled Investigating Post-Assault Services for Sexual Violence in England which informs national policy and current institutions on how to improve services, and she is trained in Sexual Assault and Violence Response/Advocacy (a three month training held by a Rape Crisis Centre)."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty 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

The University Registrar said: The Welfare team at the University of Roehampton is led by Dr Aleata Alstad-Calkins who has completed a PhD in post-assault care and has undertaken specialist training at a rape crisis centre. In addition, students also have access to four student welfare officers, who are trained to handle reports of sexual assault and offer support during police interviews; these welfare officers can provide assistance with post-assault services such as medical treatment and long-term therapy and provide ongoing support for the duration of the survivors studies. Our welfare officers are trained to provide professional and unbiased support. Free in-house counselling is offered on site.

The University takes a proactive role in protecting our students from experiencing sexual assault. Earlier this year, the University formed a sexual assault and harassment working group to improve awareness and prevention and the University has recently received 50,000 of funding from the HEFCE Catalyst Fund for a bid to set up support groups, develop consent workshops and train a bystander intervention team.

Ms Cartlidge responded to the statements on Facebook, saying she still did not think the university was doing enough.

"I want to highlight that although Dr Aleata Alstad-Calkins is very qualified for the job of dealing with sexual assault she is not named in any kind of sexual assault help page by the university or RSU and is mostly unknown by the student body. Nor is her job specifically to help students as she has many other responsibilities," she said.

"ALSO I am part of the 'task force/working group' mentioned by the university and I can tell you there has only been one meeting so far this year, of which no action seems to have been taken that I am aware of.

"I am not discrediting that the student welfare officers exist and can help, but they are not specific to these issues, and not advertised online to have specific training in these areas."

She told the Independent: Our campaign is about getting an unbiased and professionally trained member of staff to work on campus in a full time position that is specifically tackling issues of sexual assault, harassment and rape.

As well as having this person in place it is really important that its clear to students who it is, that its online, that around campus it is generally known that that is the person you go to if you are assaulted."

She added that although several of her friends have had similar experiences to her, she does not feel Roehampton is more dangerous than other universities.

"This is a universal problem," she said. "It is not limited to Roehampton, it is a UK-wide problem, a worldwide problem, and something that everyone should be thinking about.
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 }}

A man has described coming face to face with terrorist attacker Khalid Masood just hours ahead of his deadly attack in Westminster in which four people were killed.

Businessman Michael Petersen told reporters Masood had appeared smiling, polite, the night before the attack.

Mr Petersen was staying at a hotel in Brighton where Masood had also stayed the night before the attack, and he encountered the killer in reception.

I noticed a very polite demeanour from the killer, Mr Petersen told Sky News.

Theres nothing in his conduct that would make me have suspicious thoughts towards him.

Asked how the encounter with the terrorist has made him feel, Mr Petersen replied: I have been thinking about that since.

The shocking realisation that you can stand next to somebody that is totally, perfectly normal.

Articulate, polite, presentable  and the guy is on his way to commit mass murder.

That means it could potentially be anyone you're standing next to. That is quite a shocking realisation.

Masood also reportedly told staff at the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton that London wasnt like what it used to be.

A source told The Sun he chatted with staff at the hotel and told them he was off to London today.

Detectives traced him to the hotel thanks to a receipt left in the car he crashed into railings outside Parliament

Police have appealed to anyone who knew Masood to come forward with information.

He is believed to have operated under various aliases, and the Metropolitan Police have revealed he was born as Adrian Russell Ajao in Kent.

Masood killed three people with a hired car as he drove into pedestrians on Westminster bridge, before crashing the car and stabbing PC Keith Palmer outside Parliament.

Fifty people were injured in the attack and 31 required hospital treatment. Two people remain in a critical condition, one with life-threatening injuries.

Isis hailed Masood as a soldier of the Islamic State in a claim of responsibility issued the following day, although the extent of any involvement by the terrorist group remains unclear.

Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said officers were investigating whether Masood was radicalised by online jihadi propaganda or if he had been directed by the terrorist group.

Our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, his preparation and his associates, he added.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Our determination is to find out whether he acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him.
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 fifth person to die following Wednesday's terror attack in London has been named as Leslie Rhodes.

The 75-year-old, from Streatham, south London, had been receiving medical treatment at King's College Hospital but was taken off life support on Thursday night, police said.

Mr Rhodes was critically injured on Westminster Bridge when terrorist Khalid Masood, whose birth name was today revealed as Adrian Russell or Adrian Russell Ajao, plowed into a crowd of pedestrians in a rental car, and then stabbed a police officer to death at the Palace of Westminster.

In addition to pensioner Mr Rhodes and Police Constable Keith Palmer, the attacker killed 43-year-old teacher Aysha Frade, who was on her way to pick up her two small children from school, and Kurt Cochran, 54, an American tourist who was in London with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

Police said two other people were still in a hospital in a critical condition, and one had life threatening injuries.

Three women and five men were arrested in London and Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts following Wednesday's attack.

The so-called Islamic State group has said it was behind the attack.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Scotland Yard first announced Mr Rhodes death on Thursday evening, but did not initially name him. A spokesman said: Detectives investigating the terrorist attack in Westminster on Wednesday, 22 March can confirm that a 75-year-old man died tonight, Thursday, 23 March.

The man had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening.

Next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained family liaison officers.

Kurt Cochran

Kurt Cochran was visiting London with his wife Melissa (Facebook/Shantell Payne)

Mr Cochran was an engineer who also ran his own music studio in Utah. He was enjoying the final day of his visit to London.

His wife, Melissa, was also injured in the attack and remains in hospital with a broken leg, rib and a cut to the head.

A Facebook post by the Cochrans' family described the loss of the 54-year-old as heart wrenching.

It said: With a heavy heart I must pass the sad news of our beautiful brother, father, husband, son and friend Kurt Cochran, he could not overcome the injuries he received in the London terror attacks. This pain is so heart wrenching and raw it has rocked our family and all that knew him to its core.

We will miss Kurt beyond words. We love you Kurt. RIP. Melissa Payne Cochran is in the hospital with a broken leg, rib and a cut on her head but will recover from her injuries. Sending all the love to her for a quick recovery.

A statement from Ms Cochran's side of the family said: Our family is heartbroken to learn of the death of our brother and son-in-law, Kurt W. Cochran, who was a victim of Wednesdays terrorist attack in London.

Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our sister and daughter, Melissa.

They were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and were scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday.

Melissa also received serious injuries in the attack and is being cared for in the hospital.

US President Donald Trump tweeted condolences to Mr Cochran.

He said: A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends.

Mr Cochran was the third person who died in the attack to be named.

Aysha Frade

Aysha Frade was on her way to pick up her daughters from school when she was killed in the Westminster attack (Facebook)

Ms Frade, who worked as a sixth form Spanish teacher at the nearby DLD College London, also died in the attack.

A British national, whose mother was Spanish and father was Cypriot, she lived in London with her two young daughters and her husband.

She was walking to meet her daughters from school when the attack happened.

The schools head teacher Rachel Borland said Ms Frade was a highly regarded and loved teacher at the college. She will be missed by us all.

A former neighbour of Ms Frade, Patricia Scotland, who lives in the Ladbroke Grove area of London told the BBC Ms Frade had been a lovely mother, a lovely wife.

She was just a lovely person, with two lovely, lovely girls, she said. You couldn't ask for better neighbours.

PC Keith Palmer

PC Keith Palmer (Metropolitan Police)

PC Keith Palmer, 48, was stabbed by the attacker who was attempting to gain entry to the Palace of Westminster.

PC Palmer was on duty as an unarmed member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Squad at the Houses of Parliament.

He had been in the Metropolitan Police since 2001 and has a five-year-old daughter.

A statement from PC Palmers family said: Keith will be remembered as a wonderful dad and husband. A loving son, brother and uncle. A long-time supporter of Charlton FC

Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him.

He will be deeply missed. We love him so much.

His friends and family are shocked and devastated by his loss and ask that they are left to grieve alone in peace.

Conservative MP and former colleague James Cleverly described the police officer as a lovely man, a friend.

Im heartbroken, he said.

In a moving tribute to PC Palmer in the House of Commons, Mr Cleverly later described him as a strong, professional public servant, while Prime Minister Theresa May said he was every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten.
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 }}

An Army veteran who was one of the first to rush to the aide of murdered police officer Keith Palmer has told how his military training kicked in as he heard gunshots outside parliament.

"I recognised the sound," Captain Mike Crofts told The Independent. "I knew it was very close, and obviously I saw it was very close.

Initially we took cover, I remember thinking as it happened there was a very real risk that he might have a suicide vest.

Captain Crofts, who completed two tours in Afghanistan, then rushed to the injured officer's aid.

We tried to open his airway, I put him in the recovery position. I tried to do an assessment of the casualty - my experience in Afghanistan taught me it is really important to get timely information and get control of the situation and I realised I was the person there to have experience of that, he said.

I was very specific with the police that we needed air support straight away. Five to 10 minutes later the helicopter arrived - it felt like much longer. The team were continuing to administer CPR, they could not have tried more to save him.

Despite his best efforts, PC Palmer passed away from the wounds he sustained from Khalid Masood's knife attack. Masood, 52, also died after he was shot by police.

Captain Crofts said that his military training meant he has developed certain coping mechanisms. However, he said he was in shock after the traumatic experience.

Army veteran Captain Mike Crofts who served two terms in Afghanistan (Twitter)

It was shocking and tragic," he said. "No one wants to see that or witness that, its really just a deeply, deeply sad event for the families who have lost loved ones.

Having been in the army, Ive got a lot of military friends who understand what this is like, and I have also experienced this before, so I have certain coping mechanisms.

Captain Crofts now runs the 3 Pillars Project, a charity that works to engage young men in prisons through sport to give them more positive male role models.

His experiences in Afghanistan and his charity work have led him to believe a lot of the drivers for extremism and gang activity are the same, and he is calling for better support to be made available in the community to combat isolation and a lack of positive role models.

People will say there is a simple solution - security and police must do better - but it isn't about them. Its about our communities and our societies supporting each other, he said.

At least 50 people were injured in the attack and 31 needed hospital treatment. It is believed 29 people remain in hospital, five of whom are in a critical condition and two have life threatening injuries.
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 }}

In a less-than-slick escape from Parliament when her staff appeared rattled as a lone assailant rampaged just yards away, Prime Minister Theresa May dashed around a car park and looked lost as she searched for her ride before escaping.

In footage published by The Sun newspaper, the PM is seen walking towards her car with five members of her detail around her before picking up the pace and darting left and right in a moment of uncertainty.

Once at the silver Jaguar, May waits a few seconds for the door to be opened, although it is unclear if staff were still trying to unlock the vehicle. A man is seen running towards them a few seconds later holding a device in his hands.

The car pulls out of its parking spot, approaches a black Range Rover and moves backwards, nearly completing a three-point turn before a member of May's security team, his gun drawn, runs towards the vehicle, opens the door and the video ends.

MPs had gathered in Parliament for Prime Minster's Questions when shortly afterwards the attacker mowed down pedestrians on the bridge approaching the building before crashing his car and attacking a police officer, killing a total of four people.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Some commentators have questioned how the assailant, whose birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao, was able to get so close to parliament. The Sun newspaper cited sources saying only three unlocked doors separated Ajao from May.

Reuters
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 }}

A crowdfunding campaign started by a Muslim man who witnessed the Westminster attack has raised more than 17,000 in just a day for victims of the atrocity and their families.

The Muslims United for London page passed the 3,000 mark within an hour of going live and surpassed 10,000 over the next 15 hours as hundreds of people rushed to donate.

Muddassar Ahmed said he started the fund after witnessing the attack, having entered Portcullis House just 10 minutes before terror struck and being barricaded inside for four hours.

I was shocked to see the injuries and loss of life outside my window, he wrote.

I reflected on what it means to be a born-and-bred Londoner and found myself proud of how security and medical services responded, how ordinary passers-by offered first aid, and what our Parliament means to me, an institution that is the oldest of its kind in the world and how, regardless of our critiques of government policies or political parties, remains an institution that reflects how the will of the people can be expressed with civility and dignity.

He has now raised the funds target to 20,000 because of the unexpected high demand and heartwarming response.

 Candlelit vigil for Westminster attack victims held in Trafalgar Square

Donations continued to pour in on Friday morning after police announced a fourth victim of the attack had died.

A 75-year-old man suffered severe injuries and was receiving treatment in hospital before life support was withdrawn.

Recommended Why Isis claimed responsibility for the Westminster attack

He was the third victim to die from injuries sustained as Khalid Masood ploughed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing mother-of-two Aysha Frade and American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was in London with his wife to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Masood, a 52-year-old Muslim convert from Kent, then ploughed the vehicle into a fence outside the Houses of Parliament before running to an entrance and fatally stabbing PC Keith Palmer, before he was shot dead.

Isis hailed him as a soldier of the Islamic State in a claim of responsibility issued the following day, although the extent of any involvement by the terrorist group remains unclear.

Theresa May told MPs packed into the House of Commons that he had been the subject of a historical MI5 investigation over suspected violent extremism but was not charged with terror offences.

Born Adrian Elms and using a series of aliases through his life, Masood had been jailed repeatedly for violent crime dating back to the 1980s, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and assault.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

A minutes silence was held for his victims as faith leaders, the Home Secretary and Mayor of London joined thousands of Londoners at a memorial held in Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening.

Among the attendees was the head of the Muslim Council of Britain, Harun Khan, who condemned the cowardly and depraved terror attack.

There is no justification for this act whatsoever, he added.

The best response to this outrage is to make sure we come together in solidarity and not allow the terrorists to divide us.

Sadiq Khan urged Muslims to be vigilant against the dangers of Islamist ideology and hate preachers.

He urged people to ensure young people know true Islam from online propaganda to help them combat the risk of grooming and radicalistation.

Terrorists want to attack London is because they hate the fact that we dont just tolerate each other  whether youre a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, member of an organised faith or not, we respect, embrace and celebrate each other and thats going to carry on, Mr Khan said.

Police have arrested three women and five men on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts after raids in London and Birmingham, while a house in Camarthenshire was also searched
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 }}

A man who appeared to take selfies in front of the scene of the deadly Westminster attack has sparked outrage.

Three people were killed and dozens more injured in the terrorist rampage on Wednesday, when an attacker mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer to death outside the Houses of Parliament. The suspected terrorist, named by police as 52-year-old Khalid Masood, was shot dead at the scene.

Witnesses said the aftermath of the attack, which started at around 2.40 pm, looked like a Hollywood disaster movie. The emergency services said they reached the scene in six minutes and quickly cordoned off the area.

Social media users expressed anger at the image of the man wearing sunglasses posing in front of the emergency services near Parliament. Alongside a post of the photo, one Twitter user wrote: This photo is everything that's wrong with humanity.

Sara Dunn tweeted: Those who are actually taking selfies and photos of injured people should be found and prosecuted. It's absolutely disgusting.

Many were also critical of the decision by some Twitter users to post graphic images of the victims of the attack.

It emerged on Thursday that the terrorist who went on a killing spree was previously known to security security services and had been investigated by MI5 over violent extremism.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs that the British-born attacker was a "peripheral" figure who was "not part of the current intelligence picture".

It came as Isis claimed the perpetrator was one of its "soldiers", while police activity in connection with the investigation has been reported in a number of areas around the country.
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 last ever photo of the police officer who was killed in the Westminster terror attack appears to have been taken just 45 minutes before he died.

US tourist Staci Martin posed in the picture next to PC Keith Palmer in front of the Houses of Parliament shortly before he was stabbed to death by Khalid Masood.

He was one of four people killed after Masood ploughed a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before ramming the vehicle into the gates of Parliament.

After PC Palmer ran to the scene, he was fatally wounded before one of his colleagues shot Masood dead.

Its my first time in London and I saw his hat and Im like, I have to take a picture of him with his hat, Ms Martin told ABC News. I walked up to him and said do you mind if I take a picture? He said no problem, he was really nice.

Australian tourist Andrew Thorogood also shared a picture of his encounter with the officer.

Mr Thorogood described how Mr Palmer had been happy to pose for a photo with his family during their trip to London last October.

It sent a shiver down my spine when I realised Keith was the officer who was killed in the London terror attack which took place last [on Wednesday] night, he wrote on Facebook.

I spoke with Keith for quite a while and found him to be a genuinely nice bloke. He said he would love to visit Australia with his family one day. The girls suggested if he did make it to Australia, he should visit Alice Springs and we would show him how special a place it is.

Mr Palmers family paid tribute to a wonderful dad and husband as the Metropolitan Police said it would not reissue his shoulder number.

Describing him as a loving son, brother and uncle and a long-time supporter of Charlton FC, they said he was dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous.

They added that he was a friend to everyone who knew him.

He will be deeply missed, they said. We love him so much.

Members of the public have donated more than 100,000 after the Metropolitan Police Federation launched a memorial fund to pay tribute to its fallen colleague. It said he was simply doing his job when he was stabbed to death.

Recommended A strike at the heart of our democracy

PC Palmer, who was father to a five-year-old daughter, had joined the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command less than a year ago.

Scotland Yard said it would retire his shoulder identification number.

It tweeted: As a mark of respect Keiths shoulder number  4157U  will be retired and not reissued to any other officer.

House of Commons deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle said Westminster had lost one of our village policemen.

He said: Our thoughts go to his family and to the other victims of this hideous crime. And its that  people doing their duty to try to make the House of Commons safe, and he has lost his life serving us. That is a tragedy that should never have happened.
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 }}

For the first time in 350 years, a symbol of armed resistance to the Crown is to be put on public display in a government funded institution  though more in the cause of historical education than subversion.

The symbol  an ultra-rare 25 square foot Parliamentarian battle flag  will go on public display for the first time since the English Civil War, when the National Army Museum reopens next week after three years of refurbishment work.

Of the hundreds of civil war Parliamentarian flags that were made and carried on campaign, only around half a dozen have survived  mainly in private collections.

But the one going on permanent public display next week has a particularly remarkable history. For most of the past three and a half centuries, it has been kept safe and sound by the family of the man who originally formed and ran the Parliamentarian regiment the flag was used by.

Rebel flag  back after 350 years. This ultra-rare English Civil War battle standard, due to go on public display for the first time in three and a half centuries, was kept and preserved by 11 generations of the same English country family. It will be on permanent show at the National Army Museum in London as from this coming Thursday. (National Army Museum)

That man was a wealthy 17th century Derbyshire industrialist by the name of Sir John Gell. He was a politically complex figure who was initially a royalist (who enthusiastically helped Charles collect unpopular taxes)  but who (for mainly religious reasons) subsequently fought for Parliament against the King.

In a very real sense, Gell  and therefore the battle flag about to go on public display in the National Army Museum  represents the extraordinary complexity of Englands Civil War.

Gell helped the King to survive economically (and therefore aided him in ruling without Parliament) in the run-up to the war and was rewarded by Charles with a baronetcy (probably also intended as a bribe to keep him on side in the looming conflict). But then Gell switched sides, raised an infantry regiment (and a cavalry one) for Parliament and fought the Royalists in several battles.

But then Parliament failed to promote Presbyterianism and so in around 1648 Gell (a fervent Presbyterian) changed sides again, donated money to the King (and asked his forgiveness for having fought against him)  and was arrested by the Parliamentarian authorities and incarcerated for three years in the Tower of London. When the monarchy was restored in 1660, the new king, Charles II, pardoned Gell and gave him a position at court.

Keeping the flag flying: An engraving of Sir John Gell from the National Portrait Gallery's collection

Nevertheless, the complexity of the Civil War and its aftermath is further symbolized by Gell and his descendants determination not just to preserve the parliamentarian battle flag (now in the National Army Museum), but also a second battle flag (which appears to have been in the familys possession up till at least 1900), Sir Johns buff Parliamentarian colonels coat (now in the Royal Armouries in Leeds), his two pistols and sword (now in a private collection) and what appears to have been his pistol holsters and cavalry saddle. Its one of the largest series of civil war Parliamentarian military artefacts associated with a known Parliamentarian military commander and then kept safe by his family across the centuries.

New research demonstrates how the original collection appears to have been kept together as different branches of the Gell extended family inherited them over the years. Certainly from the mid-17th century to the mid-19th-century, the collection was kept in the Gell family ancestral home  16-18th century Hopton Hall near Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Then, in the mid-19th century, it seems to have been transferred to an early Georgian country mansion, Radbourne Hall in Derbyshire, and finally to early 19th century Newnham Hall near Daventry in Northamptonshire. In 1994, after the death of the last member of the family to own them, the collection was sold at auction with the battle flag being purchased by the National Army Museum. However, only now, following the refurbishment, has the museum had the space needed to put the flag on show.

The museum and the public owes the preservation of this extraordinarily rare and historically important object to the care taken by eleven generations of Sir John Gells family to preserve it.

But, its real importance lies in the degree to which it symbolises the complexity of civil conflict itself. For the politically fluid nature of the warfare and suffering England endured in the mid-17th century is still being visited upon other parts of the world to this very day. If nothing else, the flag, the passions and the political complexity it represented all those centuries ago in England might perhaps, in its own very small way, enable us to understand that the comparable complexities of the Syrian, Yemeni, South Sudanese and other current civil wars are not horrors that have only happened somewhere else in the world  but did indeed also happen here in our own green and pleasant land.

The flag forms part of the National Army Museums substantial collection of Civil War weapons, armour, clothing and documents.

Among the other Civil War treasures going on public display at the museum from next Thursday (30 March) are the cavalry armour and the military coat of one of Sir John Gells most senior officers, Major Thomas Sanders.

Other key Civil War items on display will include a parliamentarian sword (with an insulting image of Charles I on it), a state-of-the-art high-accuracy pistol (said to have belonged to Charles most senior general, his nephew, Prince Rupert) and an iron cannonball, retrieved by a local Northamptonshire farmer immediately after the Civil Wars most decisive battle, Naseby, and kept as an heirloom by his descendants until the mid-20th century.

The museum is also putting on display the original document, dated August, 1642, which, in a sense, officially started the Civil War. It was a warrant, issued by Charles I, authorising the raising of a royalist military force, an act which violated English law, as legislation passed the previous year had given Parliament, not the king, the exclusive right to raise troops.

The National Army Museum  located in Chelsea, London  has been closed for the past three years for a major refurbishment. With more space and totally redesigned galleries, the museum is putting 2500 17th to 20th century historic objects on display, a third of which have never been seen by the public before.
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 }}

Police have reportedly performed a controlled explosion near Westminster, less than a mile away from the scene of a terrorist attack which claimed the lives of four people.

The Metropolitan Police said officers found an unattended bag in Birdcage Walk, which runs between Westminster and Buckingham Palace.

It came less than two days after terrorist Khalid Masood killed four people by driving through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and trying to storm Parliament.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Police are dealing with a suspect package in the area of Birdcage Walk. Officers remain at the scene."

The spokesman did not confirm whether a controlled explosion had been carried out.

The Met said on Twitter: "Unattended bag found Birdcage Walk/Horseguards was not suspicious. All cordons put in for safety being lifted. Thanks for your patience."

The reported explosion came during a BBC News live broadcast. Senior producer Pia Talbot tweeted: "Police say they've just carried out a controlled explosion within earshot of our live spot."

Sky News reporter Laura Bundock tweeted there was a "very loud bang close to security cordon where suspicious package found".

Masood is thought to have regularly attended a mosque in Birmingham, although security sources refused to discuss details because, they said, it was part of ongoing investigations.

Scotland Yard said eight people  five men and three women  had been arrested in London and Birmingham and were being held on suspicion on preparing terrorist acts.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Detectives are continuing to search a number of addresses in relation to the attack, including three properties in Birmingham, one in east London, and one in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Isis claimed the attacker was a "soldier of the Islamic State" when it claimed responsibility for the attack.

However the group did not name him and did not provide any further details. The terrorist group regularly claims credit for atrocities and there is no evidence at present to verify the claim.
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 }}

Westminster attacker Khalid Masood spent his last night at a budget hotel in Brighton and told staff that London "wasn't like what it used to be", it has been claimed.

Before he ploughed a rented car through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and fatally stabbed a police officer outside Parliament, the terroristborn Adrian Elms, in Kentreportedly stayed over at the Preston Park Hotel in the East Sussex seaside town.

A source told The Sun he chatted with staff at the 59-per-night venue and told them he was "off to London today".

Detectives traced him to the hotel thanks to a receipt left in the car he crashed into railings outside Parliament, the paper reported. The Metropolitan Police declined to confirm whether its officers had visited the hotel.

The source said: "He said he lived above a guitar shop in Birmingham but hes not originally from the Midlands and had a London accent. But he said London wasnt like what it used to be. Police told us later it was definitely the Westminster attacker."

Masood's attack killed four people including PC Keith Palmer, whose family described him as "dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous".

An American, 54-year-old Kurt Cochran, was killed as he celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary with wife Melissa, who was injured.

Aysha Frade, who worked as a sixth form Spanish teacher at the nearby DLD College London, also died in the attack.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

A British national, whose mother was Spanish and father was Cypriot, she lived in London with her two young daughters and her husband.

She was walking to meet her daughters from school when the attack happened.

And on Thursday night detectives said a 75-year-old man had died in hospital, his life support having been withdrawn.
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 }}

A student injured in the Westminster terror attack was thrown over the bonnet of the killers car as the carnage began, his mother has said. Travis Frain, 19, was walking across Westminster Bridge with other youngsters when he was mown down by the car.

Seconds later, the politics student, who wants to become an MP, called his mother to say: Mum I'm safe... I know you will be worrying.

He suffered a fractured leg, fractured left arm, cuts to his thigh and two broken fingers and will be operated on later today at King's College Hospital, London. Mr Frain, a politics and history undergraduate had been with 12 other students from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, to watch Prime Ministers questions in Parliament.

His mother, Angela Frain, 46, from Darwen, Lancs, said: He loves politics, that is his ideal trip, going to Parliament. He was probably buzzing with excitement. I think he would love to be an MP.

She said they had a break for an hour so came out of Parliament. He just said that he came out, they were walking along the bridge, it literally happened that fast I don't think he knew what had happened. I think it hit him on his side and he went over the bonnet.

Mrs Frain, a teacher, said another group of students from the college where she works were also in London when she heard the news. She added: Then I thought, My son is in London. He was not picking up on his phone.

Then the police rang me. Just shock really, it was only within seconds I learned there was an incident in London and got this telephone call. Obviously I was relieved to speak to him. He just said, Mum I'm safe, I'm just letting you know, I know you will be worrying. I think I asked him a thousand questions all at once.

He's very mature and sensible, I'm sure he will take it all in his stride.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Mrs Frain is travelling to London to be with her son.

She added: He will be staying in hospital for a few days, he's going to have an operation tonight.

I think he was absolutely exhausted. He's up and down really, in the moment you just get on with it. The Metropolitan Police has been fantastic with him thankfully.

I have not given any thought to the attack as such. Travis is my number one priority. I'm just very thankful. We have been very lucky.

Three other students from the group were injured but have been released from hospital.

Among those injured was Owen Lambert, 18, from Morecambe, Lancs, who needed stitches to a head wound.
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 }}

A woman who plunged into the Thames during Wednesdays terror attack did not jump from Westminster Bridge to escape the attackers car, but was instead hurled into the water by the force of the vehicle, a senior diplomat has said.

Andreea Cristea, a 29-year-old Romanian architect, was spotted in the river soon after the attack. In the confusion that followed, there was speculation that Ms Cristea had leaped from the bridge to escape the violence.

But Romanian ambassador Dan Mihalache said Ms Cristea had been practically thrown into the river by the car.

He added that the 29-year-old had been on holiday in London with her boyfriend, Andrei Burnaz, to celebrate his birthday at the time. He said Mr Burnaz, an engineer, had planned to propose to her that same day.

CCTV footage of Andreea Cristea falling from the bridge has been widely circulated online (Andreea Cristea/Facebook)

On Friday afternoon, Ms Cristea had not regained consciousness, but was in a stable condition following an operation for a blood clot on her brain.

Mr Burnaz was treated in hospital for a fractured foot.

Dramatic CCTV footage of the architect falling from the bridge has been widely circulated online.

Mr Mihalache told the BBC: Its a miracle she survived. She was practically thrown into the Thames.

They were tourists, they had come to celebrate [a] birthday. He intended to ask her for marriage [sic] in the same day [as the attack], and this was unfortunately the destiny.

Soon after the attack was over, port officials said that they had pulled a woman from the water, injured but alive and that she was treated for serious injuries.

A female member of the public was pulled from the water near Westminster Bridge, alive, with serious injuries, a Port of London Authority spokesman told Reuters in the aftermath of the attack. Shes undergoing very urgent medical treatment now.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

The river was closed to all non-emergency traffic for much of the time after the attack.

A London bus driver who described the panic after the attack said that he was aware someone was in the water soon after a car was driven down Westminster Bridge. Once I got everyone off the bus I heard someone shouting that his wife had jumped into the river to avoid getting knocked over, Michael Adamou told The Independent.

Four people were killed, in addition to attacker Khalid Masood, and at least 50 people injured on Wednesday in the attack outside the Houses of Parliament.

Two people remain in hospital in a critical condition, while one person has life threatening injuries. Two police officers sustained serious injuries, Scotland Yard said.

Nine people remain in police custody in connection with the attack and one woman has been released on bail. Police said on Friday they had concluded 16 searches, and five searches were ongoing.
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 }}

Brexit is a failure and a tragedy, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said.

The EU's most senior civil servant promised that Brussels will approach the negotiation of Britain's withdrawal in a friendly and fair way, but warned that European institutions were not naive about the process.

He confirmed that the UK will be presented with a bill for leaving, but insisted that this did not represent a punishment, but merely the settling of commitments made by the UK.

He did not put a figure on the bill, which reports suggest could amount to as much as 60bn (52bn), to cover liabilities for projects which the UK previously agreed to help fund, as well as pensions for EU officials who served during the period of its membership.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Juncker said: It will be a bill reflecting former commitments by the British Government and by the British Parliament.

There will be no sanctions, no punishment, nothing of that kind.

Asked how he felt about Brexit, Mr Juncker said: It is a failure and a tragedy.

I will be sad, as I was sad when the vote in the referendum took place in Britain. For me, it is a tragedy.

I am anything but in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain. We will negotiate in a friendly way, a fair way, and we are not naive.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

Mr Juncker made clear he places high priority on protecting the status of the three million EU nationals resident in the UK and the one million Britons living on the continent.

I am strongly committed to preserving the rights of Europeans living in Britain and British people living on the European continent, he said.

This is not about bargaining, this is about respecting human dignity.

Press Association
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 }}

Germany will win the peace in Europe as a result of Brexit, with the UK's influence diminished, former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine said.

The Tory peer said it was quite unacceptable that Germany would be in a dominant position in Europe having lost the Second World War.

The Conservative grandee, who was sacked from a string of advisory roles within Government after rebelling over the Article 50 legislation in the Lords, insisted he would continue working to avert the disaster of Brexit.

In an interview with The House magazine, he said: We've now abandoned the opportunity to influence Europe, the council of ministers will meet and we won't be there.

Our ability to speak for the Commonwealth within Europe has come to an end. The Americans will shift their focus of interest to Germany.

And if I can put it to you, for someone like myself, it was in 1933, the year of my birth, that Hitler was democratically elected in Germany. He unleashed the most horrendous war. This country played a unique role in securing his defeat.

So Germany lost the war. We've just handed them the opportunity to win the peace. I find that quite unacceptable.

The pro-EU politician criticised Theresa May for delivering a speech backing the Remain campaign in the referendum but then adopting her Brexit means Brexit stance after entering Number 10.

Comparing Mrs May to former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Lord Heseltine said this lady was for turning.

I don't know how someone who made that speech can within a few weeks say 'Brexit is Brexit' and ask the nation to unite behind it.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

I remember, echoing down the corridors of history 'you turn if you want to; the lady is not for turning.' This lady was for turning.

The old saying is 'if the facts change, I change my mind', but they are not changing and I don't see the slightest chance of them changing.

Press Association
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 }}

Less than a year on from the most pyrotechnic of political fallings out, Boris Johnson and David Cameron dined together in Harlem, New York last night.

The two men were photographed leaving the Red Rooster restaurant on 125th Street, seconds from Bill Clintons Manhattan office (though the former President was in Northern Ireland at Martin McGuinnesss funeral).

Joanna Geary a Brit, who works for Twitter, saw the two men walking home and posted a picture on Twitter. She had passed a number of black SUVs waiting outside the Red Rooster. She told The Guardian: As I passed  I instantly recognised the famous mop of hair belonging to Boris Johnson. I said: hello Boris!.

She said she had not even noticed the former Prime Minister, until the Foreign Secretary said: well then, youll recognise my friend David, and pointed to Cameron.

Geary told the Guardian another diner in the restaurant told her: Everyone realised they were important, but had no idea who they were  They were just bopping along to the music like the rest of us.

The Foreign Secretary was in New York visiting the UN, where he chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council. But his meeting with David Cameron comes days after friend and ally George Osborne was appointed editor of the Evening Standard last week and accused of plotting to the Prime Minister. Last week Mr Cameron was also spotted having breakfast with Nick Clegg in London.

He was also caught on TV cameras in the wake of the furore over a rise in national insurance contributions in new Chancellor Philip Hammonds first budget, telling Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, Breaking a manifesto promise? Thats just stupidity.

These latest images will do nothing to dampen suggestions that Cameron and Osborne are up to something.
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 }}

Organisers are expecting tens of thousands of people to march through central London on Saturday to protest against Brexit.

Theresa May will be accused of dividing the country and pursuing an extreme version of Brexit by speakers at the March for Europe  which is seeking to emulate the scale of a similar demonstration held last summer just after the Brexit vote.

Protesters will assemble at 11am at Park Lane and march to Westminster for speeches  metres from the site of the car and knife attack that left five people dead on Wednesday.

Organisers are expecting to hold a minutes silence to remember the dead, following a row between affiliated campaign groups about whether the march should go ahead.

Speakers are expected to include former Labour spin-doctor Alastair Campbell, former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley, actor Sir Patrick Stewart, and lawyer Jolyon Maugham.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron is expected to say: We respectfully say that Parliament is not enacting the will of the people, it is interpreting the will of the people.

Urging activists to keep fighting, he will add: We can turn the tide of populism and we can change the direction of our nation  liberals and progressives can and will win again.

I am not prepared to accept that our country is inevitably to become meaner, smaller, poorer. If you believe in democracy then you accept defeat with good grace  and you keep on campaigning for a better Britain.

Labour MP David Lammy, who will also be speaking, is set to call on on opponents of Brexit to organise rather than mourn the triggering of Article 50.

As the wheels fall off during the next two years we have to make the argument loud and clear: this is not in the interests of our country, not in my name, he is expected to say.

The march is now confirmed to go ahead on Saturday after mixed messages were set out from the various campaign groups involved in it.

European Movement UK, by far the largest anti-Brexit campaign group behind the march, yesterday pulled its support, stating that police had told them the event would pose an enormous burden at a time when they need to concentrate on the investigation into the terrorist attack in Westminster.

Unite for Europe, a separate group which is organising the march, however said it was not true that the march had been cancelled. The march is on, they said in a message posted on Twitter.

Tottenham Labour MP David Lammy says he plans to attend (AFP/Getty)

After criticism on social media European Movement UK conducted a partial U-turn, telling supporters it had raised legitimate concerns yesterday about the advisability of holding the Unite for Europe March after Wednesday's terrorist attack, but we wish to confirm that the organisers have decided that the march should proceed.

Its statement continued: We encourage any member who participates in the march to join in homage to the dead and injured from the Westminster outrage  and recall that the EU is united in its commitment to stand against terrorism.

Unfounded conspiracy theories circulated among activists on social media suggesting that European Movements withdrawal was as a result of it being hacked. However, the group has confirmed it is no longer involved.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron is expected to be among speakers (Getty)

A third, smaller campaign group, Britain for Europe, also issued a statement flat-out denying that there were any divisions between any of the groups involved in organising and promoting the march.

Its simply not true that there are all these rival factions fighting each other, Tom Brufatto, chair of the third organisation said.

Were united in our determination to prevent Brexit, and convinced and confident that it can indeed be stopped.

A press release issued by Britain For Europe also criticised an earlier report by The Independent for referring to Unite for Europe as a campaign group because they said it would not exist permanently.

It exists to organise a one-off event  the march  and will not be an ongoing organisation, the campaign group stated.

The protest comes just days ahead of the triggering of Article 50, which Downing Street has said will take place on Wednesday this coming week. By invoking the treaty clause the Prime Minister will formally begin the two-year process of negotiating Britains exit from the EU.
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 }}

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has issued a call for greater tolerance and respect from Catholics towards Protestant communities, as part of a graveside eulogy for Martin McGuinness.

His plea came following a remarkable day of reconciliation in the Northern Irish peace process, as representatives of both Protestant and Catholic communities came out to mourn Mr McGuinness passing.

Mr Adams address followed an inter-faith funeral for former IRA commander Mr McGuinness. The funeral was a requiem mass led by a Catholic priest and presided over by the local bishop, while also featuring contributions from local Protestant leaders, including representatives of the Methodist and Presbyterian communities.

Recommended Opposition politicians among thousands at Martin McGuinness funeral

In another gesture of reconciliation, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Arlene Foster also attended the funeral, despite the IRAs attempts to murder her father, who was a police officer, during the Troubles conflict.

Following the funeral, Mr Adams addressed mourners in a graveside eulogy, as Mr McGuinness remains were laid to rest in his home city of Derry. Mr Adams said: Here at the graveside of this good man, let me appeal to our unionist neighbours.

Let us learn to like each other, to be friends, to celebrate and enjoy our differences and to do so on the basis of common sense, respect and tolerance for each other and everyone else as equals.

Let me appeal also to nationalists and republicans; do nothing to disrespect our unionist neighbours or anyone else.

Stand against bigotry. Stand against sectarianism. Respect our unionist neighbours. Reach out to them. Lead, as Martin led, by example.

The funeral procession leaves St Columba's Church Long Tower with the coffin after the funeral of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Derry, Northern Ireland (Getty Images)

In another surprising gesture, Mr Adams also expressed his gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II for her role in the Northern Irish peace process, an expected gesture from a former sworn enemy of the royal family.

Both Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness were prominent members of the Irish Republican movement in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Mr McGuinness has spoken openly of his involvement in the IRA, for whom he was a commander based in Derry.

During the peace process he renounced violence and encouraged fellow Republicans to embrace peaceful power-sharing.

 Martin McGuinness funeral: Bill Clinton pays tribute

After the Good Friday Agreement peace treaty was signed in 1998, he later served in the devolved Stormont both as education minister and subsequently Deputy First Minister after Sinn Fein became the largest Nationalist party.

Following his death, victims of IRA atrocities have been critical of attempts to praise his life, saying his past involvement in terrorism cannot be overlooked.

Mr Adams has strongly denied allegations he has ever been a member of the IRA. He was heavily involved in Sinn Fein negotiations during the peace process and has since retired from Northern Irish politics to be a representative in the Dail parliament in Dublin.

The pair were seen by many as the leaders of Irish republicanism over the last forty years and they formed a close relationship.
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 }}

MPs discussed only last month the flimsy crowd-control barriers that manage access to Parliaments New Palace Yard, into which Westminster attacker Khalid Masood broke in and killed a police officer.

In February, members of the House of Commons Administration Committee warned that the barriers could be easily breached and should be replaced.

It comes amid concern over the Palace of Westminsters security in the wake of Masoods rampage, which left four victims dead including PC Keith Palmer.

Recommended Security services face probe into how attacker slipped through the net

The yard underneath Big Ben is divided from the street by large wrought-iron gates which are often left open, with access controlled only by the low barriers.

MPs on the committee complained that as the barriers are manually operated by police, they put officers at risk and should be replaced with a stronger, remotely operated gate.

The Tory MP and committee chairman, Sir Paul Beresford, said: There were concerns about security issues in all sorts of ways. As far as Im concerned the present gates are flimsy and made of Meccano.

We wanted something that can be operated more easily by the police that will also stop pedestrians.

 Westminster terror attack claims fourth innocent victim

At present, two police officers have to open them out, they arent armed. Therefore they are at risk. You can just push past them.

Concerns have also been raised as to whether parliamentary security is adequately staffed, following a sizeable drop in the number of firearm-trained officers employed by the Metropolitan Police.

It was reported that the officer who shot Masood, ending his rampage, was actually Defence Secretary Michael Fallons personal bodyguard, who was only on the scene coincidentally  raising questions as to whether another armed guard would have been there if he were not.

Meanwhile, official Home Office figures show that the number of armed officers employed by the Met dropped by a quarter, from a high of 2,856 in 2010, to 2,139 last year.

 Westminster terror attacker named as Khalid Masood

Former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers suggested it was time for all police who patrol areas known to be of interest to terrorists to be armed.

Ms May said on Thursday that the level of security in Westminster had been enhanced significantly over her 20 years in Parliament, and that questions over whether individual officers should be routinely armed is an operational matter for the police.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow told MPs earlier this week: In due time, the Commission, which I chair, will consider, together with our Lords counterparts, what sort of review of lessons learned would be appropriate.
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 }}

A Conservative MP has said that getting Twitter was one of the worst things he has ever done.

Philip Davies, the MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, said in a debate in Parliament on Friday that he has about 16,000 followers on the service, all of whom hate me.

Mr Davies made the light-hearted admission in a parliamentary debate about who should be considered a journalist. He said he was not entirely convinced that any moron on Twitter should qualify as one under legislation.

Recommended Here are some of the bills Tory MP Philip Davies has filibustered

The MP has repeatedly made headlines for antagonising liberals, left-wingers, and feminists. Last year he attacked feminist zealots, got himself elected to Parliaments Women and Equalities Committee, and tried to derail a bill intending to protect women against domestic violence.

Im not entirely sure of the numbers of people who arent on Twitter or Facebook, theyre the sensible ones, it seems to me in the country, that arent on Twitter and Facebook, but I dont think there are that many, Mr Davies told MPs on Friday.

Im not on Facebook, but I am on Twitter. I probably regard it as one of the worst things I did in my life, going on Twitter, madam deputy speaker, I have about 16,000 followers all of whom hate me.

Its all very interesting what they have to say, Im sure, but it seems to me rather pointless, to be perfectly honest. They can hurl as much abuse as they like, its all very interesting, it doesnt bother me, but Im not entirely sure it gets us anywhere.

In the same speech Mr Davies revealed that he had always wanted to be a journalist himself and actually did the NCTJ course at Sheffield College to be a qualified journalist.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty 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

On Tuesday the deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle told the Home Affairs Select Committee that MPs were being asked to report all incidents of abuse on social media.

He said initial results of the survey of members showed that women and ethnic minority MPs were the worst targeted by such online abuse.
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 }}

Holyroods vote on a second independence referendum has been postponed until next week, after the debate on the matter was curtailed in the wake of Wednesdays terrorist attack at Westminster.

The Scottish parliament vote on whether to formally request a second referendum will now take place on Tuesday 28 March, the day before Theresa May intends to trigger Article 50 and begin the UKs exit from the European Union.

The Scottish Parliament had been close to the end of its debate on Wednesday afternoon, eventually suspending its sitting at around four o clock.

Recommended Defiant Londoners return to work after Westminster terror attack

On Thursday morning it was decided not to return to the debate.

If the SNP win the vote next Tuesday, as they are expected to do so, it will mean she is likely to receive a formal request to grant Scotland a second referendum on independence in the evening before she sends a letter to Brussels to notify the EU of the UKs intention to leave.

The Prime Minister is due to visit Scotland before triggering Article 50 , as part of a UK tour to the three devolved countries.

Moments after Holyrood was suspended on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said: "My thoughts, as I'm sure the thoughts of everybody in Scotland tonight, are with people caught up in this dreadful event.

"My condolences in particular go to those who've lost loved ones.

"My thoughts are with those who've sustained injuries and we all feel a sense of solidarity with the people of London tonight."
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 whistleblower has accused oil giant Shell of concealing data on the health effects of two major oil spills on communities in Nigeria.

In a letter seen by the Independent, Kay Holtzmann, a former employee at the company, said data gathered in the Bodo community which was devastated by two huge oil spills in 2008 and 2009, showed levels of pollution were astonishingly high.

He also accused the company of refusing to make the findings public.

Mr Holtzmann was the former director in charge of Shells project to clean up oil spills in the Bodo community, which is located in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.

His letter said the clean-up project carried out an analysis of the environment in the Bodo creeks in August 2015 against fierce opposition from Shell's subsidiary company in Nigeria known as Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).

The findings were allegedly so striking that Mr Holtzmann concluded the long term effects of peoples health are unpredictable and called for emergency health measures be put in place in the Bodo community.

He wrote: The results from the laboratory were astonishingly high, actually the soil in the mangroves is literally soaked with hydrocarbons. Whoever is walking in the creeks cannot avoid contact with toxic substances.

Although the locals are accustomed to their environment they are exposed to hazards and especially negative long term effects on their health are unpredictable."

The letter was addressed to the chairman of the Bodo Mediation Initiative, which is sponsored by the Dutch Government and is tasked to ensure the clean-up is done to international standards.

Copies were also sent to the executive director of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Eric Solheim, the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria and Shell.

Shell accepted liability for the 2008 and 2009 oil spills, which devastated the fishing community's environment and destroyed its livelihood.

In 2011, UNEP published a damning report anticipating it would take up to 30 years to clean the Niger Delta from oil spills, caused by theft and operational failures.

In 2015, the company agreed to pay 55m to the Bodo community for losses caused by the spills.

Mr Holtzmann called for immediate action to protect the health of the Bodo residents and urged for medical mass screening to take place warning against the risk for people exposed to toxic substances by bathing or drinking the polluted water.

Daniel Leader, partner at law firm Leigh Day who is representing the Bodo Community, told the Independent: The Bodo Community was subjected to two devastating oil spills due to faults on Shells pipelines in 2008. These spills led to the largest loss of mangrove habitat in the history of oil spills and ruined Bodos environment and way of life.

The community sits on the pollution site, when they open their front door its a sea of oil. From 2008 to 2017, there has been no clean-up, no health testing, no water supply testing, nothing.

"This letter shows that even those who were employed by Shell are deeply concerned by their behaviour and their lack of transparency. The data that has been uncovered is very serious and leads to real concerns about the potential impact of the health of the Bodo community.

The communities are fed-up, they have been waiting and waiting. Nigeria is not getting the attention it deserves from Shell. Shell must act now.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

In the letter, Mr Holtzmann writes that he asked SPDC to publish the groups findings, which he believes are in the public interest, but received a flat refusal from Shell.

He claims that Dr Philip Shekwolo, of SPDC, replied: I have made enquiries about your plan to make a publication on Bodo clean-up project, and I am told that you are not permitted to make any publication on Bodo creek clean-up project. The contract you had with Bodo mediation Committee did not permit you to make any publication.

Mr Holtzmann slammed Shells behaviour as irresponsible" and said the company has no right to conceal important data, however unpleasant.

Law firm Leigh Day said it wrote to Shell urging disclosure of the data and for the necessary health screening measures to be put in place without delay but it received no response.

A spokesman for SPDC said: "The remediation of the Bodo Creeks is managed by the Bodo Mediation Initiative (BMI) which includes representatives from the Bodo community, SPDC, Nigerian government, Dutch Embassy and other stakeholders.

The environmental assessment was conducted under the auspices of the BMI and accordingly, all questions relating to this work are best directed to the BMI. SPDC remains fully committed to ensuring clean-up takes place and will continue to work with the BMI to implement a remediation plan for Bodo area."

In a statement the Bodo Mediation Initiative said the data collected was "worrisome but not enormously surprising" and was described as "not different from existing observations from earlier reports", which therefore "did not warrant immediate emergency measures".

No-one could explain the decision to withhold the data from the public.

Chairman of the BMI Inemo Samiama said: "The environment is still polluted. Ultimately, if the clean-up is done, then they will no longer be fears about the impact on the health of these communities."
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 chairman of the House Intelligence Committee has apologised to his colleagues for briefing Donald Trump about potential surveillance without consulting them.

"It was a judgment call on my part," said Devin Nunes. "Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make wrong decision."

The senior Republican's decision to disclose the information before talking to committee members outraged Democrats and raised questions about the independence of the panel's investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election and possible contacts between the President's associates and the Kremlin.

 Devin Nunes: We picked up 'incidental' intelligence on Trump

Mr Nunes' claims were quickly embraced by the White House and Mr Trump said they "somewhat" validated his allegations that Barack Obama had ordered wiretaps on Trump Tower in the run up to the presidential election.

The President's surveillance claims have been dismissed by US security services and FBI director James Comey told the House Intelligence Committee he had "no evidence" to support the allegation earlier this week,

Mr Nunes' critics also questioned whether the California congressman was coordinating with the White House in order to give the President cover for the wiretap claims.

But the senator, who served on Mr Trump's transition team, ducked questions about whether he was parroting information given to him by the White House, saying only that he was "not going to ever reveal sources."

He maintained that the President's explosive wiretapping allegations against Mr Obama were false.

Democratic senator Jackie Speier said Mr Nunes had also apologised to Intelligence Committee members in their closed-door meeting earlier.

Prior to his apology, she had criticised him for failing to come to them with his revelations first.

Her colleague Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the committee, also called Mr Nunes actions a profound irregularity", while Elijah Cummings, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, suggested Mr Nunes had compromised the integrity of his committees investigation.

"What he did was basically to go to the president, who is being investigated by the FBI and others and by the intelligence committee, to give them information, Mr Cummings told CNN, adding: Basically what he has done is he has scuttled and put a cloud over his own investigation.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump has given a presidential permit to the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project  a major boost for Canada-based developer TransCanada.

Environmentalists have objected to the construction of the 875 mile line, which would carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day. It requires presidential approval because the project will cross the USs northern international border.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted that Mr Trump, who claims the pipeline will create many thousands of jobs, would discuss the pipeline later.

The State Department said it determined that building Keystone served the US national interest. Under the Obama administration, the same department reached the opposite conclusion.

It said it had considered foreign policy and energy security in making the determination.

The permit was signed by Tom Shannon, a career diplomat serving as undersecretary of state for political affairs. He did so, because Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recused himself due to his previous work running Exxon Mobil.

 Trump signs executive orders to push through Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines

In making his determination that issuance of this permit would serve the national interest, the under secretary considered a range of factors, including but not limited to foreign policy; energy security; environmental, cultural, and economic impacts; and compliance with applicable law and policy, the department said.

The announcement on Friday morning would appear to at least for now close the uncertainty that had hung over the project, which will carry oil sands petroleum from Alberta, Canada, to Nebraska, in the US.

From Nebraska, the oil will be sent by already existing lines to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project, Russ Girling, president of Keystones developer, Canada-based TransCanada Corp, said in a statement.

We greatly appreciate President Trumps administration for reviewing and approving this important initiative and we look forward to working with them as we continue to invest in and strengthen North Americas energy infrastructure.

Environmental groups also say the pipeline will encourage the use of carbon-heavy tar sands oil which contributes more to global warming than cleaner sources of energy.

Mr Obama reached the same conclusion in 2015 after a negative recommendation from then Secretary of State John Kerry.

The Associated Press said that in rejecting Keystone, the Obama administration argued it would undercut US efforts to secure a global climate change deal that was reached weeks later in Paris.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump found it difficult to concentrate during a visit from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe because he was "obsessed with the translators breasts", according to the editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair magazine.

Graydon Carter claimed a source told him the US President admitted he was preoccupied with the woman during Mr Abe's stay in Washington DC and visit to Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last month.

During the visit in February, it was reported Trump crafted his response to a North Korean ballistic missile test in the crowded dining room off the club. It was the test of President Trump's vow to get tough on isolated North Korea, which tested nuclear devices and ballistic missiles last year at an unprecedented rate.

The president told an acquaintance that he was obsessed with the translators breasts," Mr Carter wrote in his latest editor's letter for the magazine.

He added that Mr Trump had "expressed this in his own, fragrant fashion."

Read more

In an email to the New York Daily News, Mr Carter insisted that he had a credible source for his remarks, but declined to elaborate further.

Mr Carter has an ongoing feud with Mr Trump and has used all of his editors letters to attack the President since he was elected.

His headlines have included: Donald Trump: A Pillar of Ignorance and Certitude; Trump's White House: The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight; and the most recent one, containing the allegations about the translator is entitled: The Trump Presidency Is Already A Joke.

The US leader lashed out against the magazine in December after it published a review of his Trump Tower steakhouse which said it could be the worst restaurant in America.

Taking to Twitter within hours of its publication, he wrote: Has anyone looked at the really poor numbers of @VanityFair Magazine. Way down, big trouble, dead! Graydon Carter, no talent, will be out!

After his outburst, the magazine's subscriptions increased, according to circulation statistics.

Mimicking Mr Trump's style on the social media site, Vanity Fair tweeted: Vanity Fair: Way up, big success, alive! Subscribe today!

Mr Trump suffered a series of set backs in understanding Mr Abe during his visit.

At a joint news conference with his Japanese counterpart the US leader was caught not using his translation earpiece and was instead forced to smile, nod along, and take cues from members of the audience who could understand what Mr Abe was saying.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump's legislative agenda should face a total and complete shutdown in the wake of reports about possible collusion between his election campaign and Russia, a Democratic congressman has claimed.

Warning of a cloud of treason, Ted Lieu said: The bombshell revelation that US officials have information that suggests Trump associates may have colluded with the Russians means we must pause the entire Trump agenda.

He cited a report which claimed that several US officials believe the FBI has information about coordinated effort between members of Mr Trumps team and suspected Russian operatives to release hacked information that would be damaging to Hillary Clinton.

We may have an illegitimate President of the United States currently occupying the White House, Mr Lieu said in a statement.

Congress cannot continue regular order and must stop voting on any Trump-backed agenda item until the FBI completes its Trump-Russia collusion investigation.

Democratic congressman Ted Lieu has urged Congress to form its own independent commission into the allegations of collusion (Getty)

His comments came within days of FBI director James Comey's admission that the Bureau was looking into both Russias alleged interference with the 2016 election and also possible links between Moscow and members of Donald Trumps campaign team.

He said investigators had started looking into the Trump campaigns activities after his agents were able to piece together a credible allegation of wrongdoing or reasonable basis to believe an American may be acting as an agent of a foreign power.

Officials told CNN that the FBI is currently reviewing human intelligence, travel, business and phone records, as well as several accounts of in-person meetings but they cautioned that their findings have not been conclusive.

Mr Lieu has called on Congress to form an independent commission immediately and appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the collusion allegations with impartiality and independence.

He also urged Congress to pass a Resolution of Inquiry bill.

Authored by himself and Democratic congressman Hakeem Jeffries, it calls for Mr Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to publicly disclose any information that could connect the presidential campaign with the Russian effort to compromise (the USs) democracy.

 Devin Nunes: We picked up 'incidental' intelligence on Trump

At this point in our nations history, there is nothing more important than finding out whether or not high crimes were committed by associates of Donald Trump or possibly by Trump himself, Mr Lieu said.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer denied that any collusion took place, earlier this week.

Investigating it and having proof of it are two different things, he said in response to Mr Comeys announcement.
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 woman who voted for Donald Trump because of his immigration policies is now facing the prospect of having her husband deported to Mexico.

Helen Beristain said she cast her ballot for the president believing that only "killers" and cartel members would be deported.

"We dont want to have cartels here, you dont want to have drugs in your high schools, you dont want killers next to you, she told Indiana Public Media. You want to feel safe when you leave your house. I truly believe that. And, this is why I voted for Mr. Trump."

But her 43-year-old husband Roberto is now facing deportation after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials ruled he should be forcibly removed from the US.

Mr Beristain arrived in the US in 1998 and illegally stayed on, despite a deportation order handed down in 2000.

During a trip to Niagara Falls in 2000 with his wife, Helen, and stepson, Phil Kolliopoulos, Beristain was arrested when the family inadvertently took a wrong turn and arrived at the Canadian border, Mr Kolliopoulos wrote on a petition, calling for him to stay.

After hiring a lawyer and posting $1,500 (1,200) in bail, Mr Beristain was released on a voluntary self-deportation order, giving him 60 days to leave the country.

Fearing for his pregnant wife, he chose to stay, Mr Kolliopoulos said, adding that he went on to obtain a driver's licence, social security card, and work permit.

The couple went on to have three children, who he supported by running a steak restaurant near their home in Granger, Indiana.

Mr Beristain was also making a regular check-in visit with ICE officials, who had allowed him to stay, until they changed their minds last month and detained him.

His detention came amid a crackdown on illegal immigration ordered by President Donald Trump early in his tenure.

He promised to deport "probably two million, even three million" people within two years and during his campaign infamously said Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists and some, I assume, are good people".

Ms Beristain's wife Helen said Mr Trump "did say the good people would not be deported, the good people would be checked."

Mr Kolliopoulos described him as a "supportive and loving husband and father", and "very dedicated" to his restaurant which Mr Kolliopoulos said provided income to 20 families.

He added: "Roberto is the cook, buser, server, bartender and host, filling in wherever possible at his restaurant. He is hard-working, genuine and the most trustworthy person."

An ICE spokeswoman said: "Roberto Beristain-Cegueda remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Mexico. For operational security reasons, ICE does not release information regarding upcoming removals.

"On 6 February, ICE officers in Indianapolis, Indiana, arrested Roberto Beristain-Cegueda, a 43-year-old Mexican national, based on his final order of removal.

"On 5 October, 2000, a federal immigration judge granted him 'voluntary departure' for a period of 60 days. When he failed to depart the United States by that time as required, his voluntary departure order reverted to a final order of removal."

Ms Beristain has filed paperwork to establish a legal basis for her husband to remain in the US, according to the petition.

 Trump pretends to drive a truck as healthcare bill struggles to pass

Mr Beristain's is not the first case of its kind.

Last month a southern Illinois community that solidly backed Mr Trump in the election rallied behind a Mexican restaurant manager who did not have permission to live in the US, and had been detained by ICE.

Many in West Frankfort, population 8,000, did not know Juan Carlos Hernandez Pacheco was living there illegally until his arrest.

One said: "I think people need to do things the right way, follow the rules and obey the laws.

"But in the case of Carlos, I think he may have done more for the people here than this place has ever given him. I think it's absolutely terrible that he could be taken away."

Also in February, Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer lashed out at what he called Mr Trump's "mass deportation plan" and said it "must be stopped".

"We can all agree that violent criminals should be removed, but it is outrageous and unacceptable for ICE to target or arrest innocent immigrant families contributing to our nation and working to achieve the American Dream," he said.

In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Show all 32 1 /32 In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London An image of President Donald Trump is seen on a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A view of the skywriting word reading 'Trump' as thousands rally in support of equal rights in Sydney, New South Wales EPA In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome People shout and hold signs during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A protester holds a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille A placard ready 'Pussy grabs back' is attached to the handle bar of a bike during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A young Thai girl holds a "women's rights are human rights" sign at Roadhouse BBQ restaurant where many of the Bangkok Womens March participants gathered in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A Thai woman takes a photo of a "hate is not great" sign at the women's solidarity gathering in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok American expats and travellers gather with the international community in Bangkok at the Roadhouse BBQ restaurant to stand in solidarity in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protetesters gather outside The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Women's March at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Protestors hold placards reading 'My body my choice, my vote my voice' during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome A person holds a sign during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activist Sarah Annay Williamson holds a placard and shouts slogan during the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activists participate in the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A Women's March placards are rested on a bench outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A women carries her placard ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila Women protesters shout slogans while displaying placards during a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President Donald Trump, in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Protesters take part in the Melbourne rally to protest against the Trump Inauguration in Melbourne, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters take part in the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Womens march on Melbourne protestors marching during a rally where rights groups marched in solidarity with Americans to speak out against misogyny, bigotry and hatred Rex In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau, Macau. The Women's March originated in Washington DC but soon spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila A mother carries her son as they join a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States in suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney An infant is held up at a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman attends a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman expresses her Anti-Trump views in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydeney Protesters demonstrate against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia. The marches in Australia were organised to show solidarity with those marching on Washington DC and around the world in defense of women's rights and human rights Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters march from The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square towards Trafalgar Square during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters carrying banners take part in the Women's March on London, as they stand in Trafalgar Square, in central London Reuters

The President's executive order has met with resistance at state level. A number of cities have pledged to keep their "sanctuary" status, which means local agencies' ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities is deliberately limited.

Washington governor Jay Inslee issued his own order that banned government employees from helping detain illegal immigrants for breaking civil rules, and from collecting more information about people than is strictly necessary.
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 ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, claims its Republican chairman has cancelled an open hearing into Russia's involvement in the 2016 election.

Adam Schiff tweeted that Devin Nunes had "cancelled open Intelligence Committee hearing with Clapper, Brennan and Yates in attempt to choke off public info", referring to former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, Director of the CIA John Brennan, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, all former Obama administration officials.

In a separate development, Donald Trumps former campaign chair Paul Manafort has voluntarily agreed to be questioned by the committee regarding alleged ties to Moscow, according to Representative Nunes.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Mr Nunes said that Mr Manafort will be questioned by the committee but would not say whether the session would be open or closed.

Recommended Trump transition members potentially under surveillance says Nunes

We have to work [that] out with Mr Manaforts counsel, Mr Nunes said.

He also announced that FBI Director James Comey and the Director of the National Security Agency Michael Rogers are being recalled to testify before the commitee.

The first hearing took place on 20 March and contained explosive testimony from Mr Comey who said the Trump campaign team was under FBI investigation for ties to Russian officials.

Mr Comey also said the FBI had no evidence that Trump Tower was wiretapped by former President Obama or anyone else despite Mr Trumps accusations laid out in a series of tweets.

 FBI chief confirms Russia election interference probe

However Mr Nunes said on 22 March that in the course of reviewing intelligence documents he found that Mr Trump and his campaign team were subject to incidental intelligence collection, which alarmed him.

He came under fire for taking that revelation to Mr Trump before coming to the House Intelligence Committee.

Mr Nunes said Mr Comey and Mr Rogers were not being recalled due to the information he reportedly saw in the intelligence documents he reviewed earlier this week.

Im the only one who has seen the documents as far as I know, said Mr Nunes. He also said that he knew there was additional unmasking of names of people on the Trump campaign and transition teams prior to viewing the documents.

He reiterated that there is no evidence of wiretapping of Trump Tower and that the surveillance of the transition team was legal.

He did not explain though why he felt the need to brief Mr Trump before the intelligence committee if he felt the collection was legal.

It appears as if this was all legal from what i can tell, but until i get the documents i wont know for sure, Mr Nunes said.

Many names have been mentioned [in the documents]. Were not going to get into a neo-McCarthyism here, Mr Nunes said regarding bringing in additional people for questioning simply because their names were revealed in a press report.

However, he did not clarify whether the committee would call those unmasked in the intelligence documents in for closed session questioning.
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 }}

Former Vice President Joe Biden has said he is concerned about the close relationship between the Trump administration and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said he felt the whole notion that there's still this romance with Putin was worrisome, but declined to comment further on an FBI probe of possible links between Russia and Donald Trump associates.

The Democrat said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's decision to miss an upcoming meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Belgium in favour of a trip to Moscow, was also a cause for concern.

What in the hell are we doing? the Democrat asked.

Mr Trump's frequent Twitter comments are not helpful, he said, adding that the US leader needs to understand that the President's words matter a great deal and have global repercussions."

He said: I hope the president will realise the campaign has to end and he's got to start to govern, Mr Biden told reporters after a Democratic rally against the dismantling of Obamacare. The event was Mr Biden's first public appearance since leaving the White House."

Along with Barack Obama, Mr Biden said they had tried to give Mr Trump an opportunity to get his sea legs as president.

But he said it was "getting down to the wire for whether (Trump) is really going to take charge as president.

He added that he didn't know if Mr Trump's comments about foreign policy showed a lack of understanding of government and how international relations work or were a reflection of a policy prescription that's changing.

Either way, the American people should be "concerned", he said, adding that the United States as the most powerful, most respected nation in the world" was "sounding a very uncertain trumpet.

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

When the US projects uncertainty, a lot of stupid things can happen as a consequence, Mr Biden said.

On healthcare, Mr Biden said a Republican bill being considered in the House to overhaul Obama's Affordable Care Act was a huge transfer of money to the super-wealthy.

The biggest beneficiaries are millionaires who would admit, if asked, that they don't need the money, he said.

Ask them if it's fair. They'd say no, Mr Biden said.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A teenager who claimed she was dragged into woods by three black men in ski masks and raped has admitted the story was untrue, police say.

Breana Harmon Talbott created a media frenzy after walking into a church in just her shirt, bra and underwear, before describing a vicious sexual assault.

But police in Denison, a city in Texas, say the 18-year-old admitted it was all a lie during questioning and have since charged her.

The case quickly gathered regional attention due to the severity of the alleged crime and rumours quickly begin to spin out of control through social media, said Denison police chief Jay Burch.

[But] almost immediately, Ms Talbott's story and allegations began to unravel. Within only a day or two, detectives had doubts as to most of Ms Talbott's allegations.

Mr Burch said the allegations made many in the community fearful there were individuals abducting women and that the alleged hoax was offensive to the African-American community.

Ms Talbotts then-fiance Sam Hollingsworth reported her missing on 8 March before pastor Saul Marquez said she turned up at New Creation Church with scratches and cuts.

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 Hollingsworth told Fox 4 she claimed she had been raped amid an argument, when she arrived at the church, about the couple moving because he had joined the army.

I was hurt, he said.

[That] somebody that I actually trusted and was planning on spending the rest of my life with could do something like this to me.

Ms Talbott has been charged with filing a false report and police will reportedly seek costs incurred by the probe.
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 }}

Bernie Sanders has asked what the Russians have on" Donald Trump and asked why the US President has nothing but nice things to say about Vladimir Putin.

The former Democratic presidential nominee took to Twitter to question his leader's links with Moscow.

The US government alleged last summer that Russian intelligence had tried to interfere with the presidential election, in an apparent attempt to help Mr Trump.

This included hacking into the emails of senior members of Hillary Clintons team and the Democratic National Committee.

In late December, Mr Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats in punishment for the alleged interference. Vladimir Putin surprised many by deciding not to reciprocate.

Mr Trump has long rejected the claim that Russia had come to his assistance or the member of his campaign team colluded with the Kremlin. Moscow also denied the allegations.

Mr Sanders remains unconvinced.

How does it happen that we have a president who has nothing but nice things to say about Mr Putin? What do the Russians have on Mr Trump," he asked.

The Vermont Senator has previously called for a transparent investigation into former national security adviser, Michael Flynns contact with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has also come under scrutiny for failing to disclose his two meetings with Mr Kislyak.
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 }}

The US State Department says the Keystone XL pipeline will create 50 permanent jobs, despite Donald Trumps previous estimate of 28,000.

The US Presidents administration has approved the programme and subsequently ended nine years of debate over a project that has divided the climate change debate.

Confusion however has swirled around the exact number of jobs that will be created.

As Mr Trump signed the executive order, he boasted of 28,000, but the firm behind the operation has predicted 13,000 temporary construction jobs.

Recommended Secretary Tillerson recuses himself from Keystone Pipeline decisions

A State Department spokesman today told The Independent that the pipeline will support about 42,100 jobs and that 50 permanent jobs, as per TransCanada's bid for the permit, will be created to maintain it. Thirty five will be full-time and 15 temporary contractors.

The permit for the $8bn pipeline project by TransCanada was signed by State Department undersecretary Tom Shannon today.

A State Department spokesman said: "In making his determination that issuance of this permit would serve the national interest, the under secretary considered a range of factors, including but not limited to foreign policy; energy security; environmental, cultural, and economic impacts; and compliance with applicable law and policy."

Barack Obama vetoed the 1,700-mile pipeline permit in 2015, which will carry oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.

 Trump signs executive orders to push through Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines

Environmental groups say the pipeline will encourage the use of carbon-heavy tar sands oil which pump 17 per cent more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than standard crude oil extraction.

We cannot let the Trump administration undo the progress that people all over the country have made to ensure we avoid catastrophic climate change, Diana Best of Greenpeace said.

It will funnel roughly 800,000 barrels of oil per day which would equate to more than one-fifth of the oil Canada exports to the US.

Much of the steel that will be used to build the pipeline is being sourced from Canada and Mexico. Portions of Keystone have already been built but a State Department permit is needed to extend it over the US-Canada border.
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 }}

A picture of a White House meeting with lawmakers about a new healthcare bill affecting access to pregnancy and maternity care shows 25 men discussing the reforms  and not a single woman.

Even more men are partly visible in the peripheries of the image, which was shared on Twitter by Vice President Mike Pence.

Womens health charity Planned Parenthood pointed out this anomaly, writing on the social network: Heres the picture of the leaders negotiating away birth control, maternity care and abortion. Notice anything?

Donald Trump met the conservative Freedom Caucus, an all-male group of 30 Republican House representatives, to discuss an amendment to the bill designed to repeal Obamacare.

Appreciated joining [Donald Trump] for meeting with the Freedom Caucus again. This is it. #PassTheBill, wrote Mr Pence.

A vote on the bill was scheduled to take place yesterday, but has been delayed to today because critics from the left and right were reluctant to support it.

One of the key sticking points for conservatives is the requirement for health insurance companies to cover a list of 10 essential health benefits.

These include basic reproductive health care such as pregnancy, maternity and newborn care, as well as screening for diseases including breast and cervical cancer and services for mental health, drug abuse and chronic disease management.

Republicans say forcing insurers to provide this care limits freedom of choice and pushes up premium prices, but critics say it will make maternity care more expensive and less freely available.

This policy is going to murder poor women, wrote journalist Kelly Weill on Twitter, citing a detail of the amendment to the bill proposed by Republicans in an attempt to get conservative House members on board.

The amendment would allow states to take away insurance from new mothers who fail to find a job within two months of giving birth, restricting their access to check-ups, education programmes and screening for post-natal depression, reported Slate.

Recommended Trump tells Republicans vote for Obamacare repeal or lose their seats

Another photograph of the meeting tweeted by Mr Trumps special assistant Cliff Sims, showing a standing ovation when the President entered the room, 28 men were visible and one woman, Kellyanne Conway.

Fridays vote represents a gamble with monumental political stakes, as rebellions by conservatives and moderates, many of whom oppose the bill because public support for the Affordable Care Act, signed in 2010 by Mr Obama, is high in many states.

Its repeal, which is likely to leave more Americans uninsured, would also block for one year federal payments to Planned Parenthood.

The new bill also bars people from receiving tax credits to help pay premiums for plans that provide abortions.

In a debate earlier this month on the Obamacare replacement bill, a Republican House representative from Illinois said men should not have to pay for insurance for maternal care.

 Trump says 'Obamacare is dead' as he prepares to repeal and replace healthcare act

What about men having to purchase prenatal care? said John Shimkus, reported Penn Live. Is that not correct? And should they?

Democrat representative Mike Doyle replied: There is no such thing as a la carte insurance.

Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Show all 28 1 /28 Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Christian Adams for Daily Telegraph Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Martin Rowson for The Guardian Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Christian Adams for Daily Telegraph Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Morten Morland for The Times Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Bob Moran for Daily Telegraph Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Christian Adams for Daily Telegraph Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Morten Morland for The Times Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' KAL for The Economist Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Martin Rowson for The Guardian

Medical associations, consumer groups and hospitals are opposed to the new bill or voicing misgivings, and some Republican governors say the it cuts provisions for low-income citizens too deeply and would leave many uncovered.

Republicans can lose only 22 votes in the face of united Democratic opposition.

Representative Mark Meadows, head of the Freedom Caucus, said he remained a no but did not answer when asked whether the group still had enough votes to kill the legislation.

One member of that group, representative Paul Gosar, said: Everybody asked us to take a moment and reflect. Well, we'll reflect.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The top United Nations human rights body has agreed to send a fact-finding mission to investigate allegations of Burmese security forces killing, raping and torturing Rohingya Muslims.

In a move bound to put pressure on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyis government, the 47-member UN Human Rights Council approved a resolution, without holding a vote, to dispatch urgently the crew to the war-torn Asian country.

The motion, brought by the European Union and countries including the US, called for ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims.

A UN report issued last month, based on interviews with 220 Rohingya among 75,000 who have fled to Bangladesh since October, accused Burmas security forces of having committed mass killings and gang rapes in a campaign that very likely amounts to crimes again humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing.

A commission set up by Burmas government issued an interim report in January that said it had found no evidence of what some have labelled potential genocide, dismissing allegations of rape.

Last week, a commission chaired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, created at the behest of Ms Suu Kyi, presented interim recommendations to the government about long-term solutions to tensions between Rohingya and Rakhine Buddhists in Rakhine state. The recommendations included allowing journalists free access to the western part of the country.

Zaw Htay, a presidential spokesman, said Burma cannot accept the councils decision.

What the UN Human Rights Council did to us is totally not fair and not right under international practices, Mr Htay said, citing a domestic investigation. They should have waited and watched the correspondent countrys investigation, and the result coming out from that and only then offer possible criticism of its work, he added.

The army launched counterinsurgency operations in Rohingya areas in northern Rakhine in October after the killing of nine border guards. UN human rights investigators and independent rights organisations charge that soldiers and police killed and raped civilians and burned down more than 1,000 homes during the operations.

The HRC resolution says the councils president will appoint the independent, international fact-finding mission, which is to provide an oral update on its work in the councils autumn session followed by a written report a year from now. Some countries including China, India and Cuba dissociated themselves from the resolution, brought by Malta on behalf of the European Union.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) praised the UNs move.

This is crucial for ensuring that allegations of serious human rights abuses in Burma are thoroughly examined by experts, and to ensure that those responsible will ultimately be held accountable, said Geneva director John Fisher.

Burmas government should cooperate fully with the mission, including by providing unfettered access to all affected areas.

 Pope Francis defends right of Burma's Rohingya Muslims to 'live their faith'

HRW says approximately 120,000 Rohingya are displaced in Rakhine State as a result of violence in 2012.

About 100,000 of them are in closed camps near Sittwe, the state capital, where they are living in squalid conditions, many of them in rice fields prone to seasonal flooding.

The violations occurring in Rakhine State threaten to undo Burmas hard-won progress toward a more rights-respecting and democratic future, added Mr Fisher.

In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Show all 5 1 /5 In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims in Yangon In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Hard-line Buddhist monks lead a demonstration against Rohingya migrants who were resettled in Rakhine state after being found at sea while fleeing Burma following anti-Muslim violence EPA In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist monks demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims in Yangon In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Radical Buddhist nationalists protest the international pressure on Myanmar to accept the repatriation of persecuted Rohingya boat refugees

Burmas government should make full use of the Human Rights Council resolution to address the major human rights challenges ahead.

Burma ambassador U Htin Lynn said: Such kind of action is not acceptable to Myanmar [Burma] as it not in harmony with the situation on the ground and our national circumstances.

Let the Myanmar people choose the best and the most effective course of action to address the challenges in Myanmar.

The UN human rights offices special rapporteur for Burma, Yanghee Lee, had urged the council to go further than a fact-finding mission by authorising the creation of a full commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations. Her office has cited continued and escalating violence in parts of Burma. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Ms Lee said she had been told the situation is currently worse than at any point in the past few years.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
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 }}

Mass coral bleaching events are among the most conspicuous signs of the extent to which our oceans are warming.

The latest alarming evidence indicates that reefs themselves can heat up substantially more than the waters surrounding them, adding to the shock the coral experiences from considerable temperature changes.

It is this heat change that stresses the corals, causing bleaching that can kill living reefs.

A recent study, led by Thomas DeCarlo at the University of Western Australia, demonstrates that much of the worlds coral is more vulnerable than previously thought.

During June 2015, the South China Sea warmed up by 2C as is usual following an El Nino weather pattern.

The temporary rise in temperature was not expected to have a serious impact on coral.

However in some northerly parts of the sea, the temperature rises were steeper. At Dongesha Atoll, sea-surface temperatures rose as much as 6C above average, which killed 40 per cent of the coral.

According to researchers, the shallow water amplified the El Nino effect, while unusually weak winds meant heat was trapped in the area for an unusually long period.

Speaking to the New Scientist, Mr DeCarlo said: Ocean temperatures are already warming due to climate change.

But what weve shown is that on top of that, local weather anomalies or processes like reduced wind can drive reef temperatures even higher. That compounds the risk that corals are facing.

The evidence from the study adds greater weight to arguments that current targets for reducing damaging greenhouse gas emissions are not enough to prevent catastrophic loss of the worlds coral reefs.

Sea surface temperatures around the planet have risen by an average of 0.07C each decade over the last century.

Under the terms of the Paris climate change agreement, signature countries are obliged to work towards limiting global climate change to a rise of 2C, but this may not be enough to prevent catastrophic loss of coral.

In January Japans environment ministry reported that over 70 per cent of the countrys largest coral reef was dead after sea temperatures were between one and two degrees Celsius higher than normal.

In Australia, a heatwave which caused record-breaking temperatures and wildfires earlier this year has also meant no relief for the Great Barrier Reef, which was ravaged by heat-induced bleaching last year, killing swathes of the coral.

 Australia's Great Barrier Reef hit by mass coral bleaching

In February Dr Gareth Williams of Bangor University told The Independent that though the situation was terrifying immediate action could save coral reefs.

He said: The critical thing here is that we have to tackle global climate change. But what will save coral reefs is a planet-wide multi-government co-ordinated effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Theres huge danger in thinking we can climate-proof coral reefs. Thats a dangerous idea. We have to start tackling the root cause of this, and the root cause is global climate change.
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 }}

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has hit out at the European Union (EU) for hypocrisy and called the bloc sons of bitches after its lawmakers issued a resolution calling for restraint and a rethink in his bloody war on drugs.

Duterte castigated the EU for urging him to focus his campaign on drugs rehabilitation and stood by his security-centred approach to a crackdown that has left thousands of people dead since he took office nine months ago.

He turned angry during a speech to Chinese businessmen, where he praised China for its no-strings-attached loans and aid and said he did not need the EU, or idiotic rehabilitation programmes that failed to stop addicts committing robbery, rape and murder.

So we're getting a relief now from our hardships because a lot of (Chinese) money is coming in. The EU, they communicated to us, and they want a health-based solution for the drugs. These sons of bitches, he said.

The EU's rehabilitation approach, he said, entailed administering drugs like cocaine, marijuana and heroin.

They want us to build clinics, then instead of arresting, putting them in prisons, just like in other countries, you go there and if you want shabu, they will inject you and give you shabu and you go out, he said, referring to the methamphetamine used in the Philippines.

Our people will just go there and consume every chemical until kingdom come, until they are crazy... who will answer for these?

EU lawmakers last week condemned the many extrajudicial killings taking place in the Philippines and said the sources of illegal drugs should be targeted, not the consumer. Duterte's aides accused the EU of meddling.

It was not the first time Duterte has scolded the EU. In September he made a middle-finger gesture and made profane comments about the EU, then complained he had been insulted.

The EU is the biggest foreign investor in the Philippines and is its fourth-largest trading partner, offering Manila tariff perks under its Generalised Scheme of Preferences.

Duterte's signature war on drugs has alarmed the international community, with more than 2,500 killed in operations in which police said they fired in self defence.

Thousands of other mysterious killings of drug users have taken place, which human rights groups blame on police. The authorities reject that and attribute them to vigilantes, or drugs gangs covering their tracks.

The government rejects criticism it lacks commitment to rehabilitate drug users and says it is attracting financing and building treatment facilities, but had underestimated the scale of addiction.

The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Show all 9 1 /9 The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On killing drug addicts These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, dont go into that, even if youre a policeman, because I will really kill you. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Message to China I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a [Phillipino] flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, Kill me  AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Christmas message to law-breakers If you do not want to stop, and just continue committing crimes, then this would be your last Merry Christmas AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On sex life I was separated from my wife. Im not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On the drugs trade None of my children are into illegal drugs. But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, kill him'" AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting the Pope We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the pope. I wanted to call him: Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Joke about rape I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first AFP/Getty The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting Barack Obama "Mr Obama should be respectful and refrain from throwing questions at me about the killings, or son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum" REUTERS The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants "If I have to face them, you know I can eat humans. I will really open up your body. Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you. If you annoy me to the fullest... I will eat you alive. Raw" EPA

Duterte said the EU had no business complaining about bloodshed in the Philippines when millions of Europeans were killed last century during the two world wars.

It's easy to criticise, it's easy to point out mistakes. My God, you trace your history. You also washed your hands with blood. Why are you suggesting a stupid solution?

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 }}

Belgian prosecutors are investigating an attempt to mow down pedestrians in Antwerp as a failed terror attack.

The federal prosecutor's office in Brussels has charged the suspect with "attempted murder of a terrorist nature, attempted terror assault and battery and weapons legislation violations".

The arrested man, who remains in custody, has been named as Mohamed R, a 39-year-old Tunisian national who lived in France.

 The car that was stopped outside Antwerp before attempted attack

No one was injured in the incident at around 10.45am local time (9.45am GMT) on Thursday, a day after a suspected Isis supporter murdered four people in Westminster before being shot dead.

Belgium's federal public prosecutor's office said a France-registered car was driven "at a very high speed" in Antwerp's main shopping street of Meir.

Recommended Man tries to drive into crowds at shopping district in Belgium

"At several times, pedestrians were put at risk," a spokesperson said. "When soldiers attempted to intercept the vehicle, it fled."

The car was later found and its driver arrested, with knives, a shotgun and a cannister containing an undetermined substance in the boot.

Belgian media reported that police found the suspect asleep in his car after the chase and he was too intoxicated to be immediately interviewed.

Prosecutors noted that the attempted attack happened a day after the car ramming and stabbing in London.

Khalid Masood killed three people when he ploughed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on Wednesday.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

He then crashed the vehicle into gates next to the Houses of Parliament, launching himself into a nearby entrance and fatally stabbing a police officer before being shot dead.

Isis claimed responsibility for the attack, which followed detailed instructions released on the group's propaganda channels on how to carry out knife and vehicle attacks.

French President Francois Hollande compared the incidents in Antwerp and London, saying the man was trying to kill people or create a dramatic event in Belgium.

Authorities immediately raised security in the centre of Antwerp as Charles Michel, the Belgian Prime Minister, said authorities would remain extremely vigilant.

Our security services have done excellent work, he added.

The alleged attack came a day after the one year anniversary of Isis' attacks in Brussels, which were marked with nationwide remembrance services.

More than 30 people were killed in bombings at Brussels Airport and Molenbeek metro station, with Belgium in a state of high alert since the Paris attacks in November 2015.
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 }}

Austria has said it will double the amount of money paid to migrants who voluntarily return to their home countries as part of a plan to speed up the repatriation of 50,000 asylum seekers.

Interior minister Wolfgang Sobotka said migrants would be offered 1,000 or about 864, during a press conference in Vienna.

The scheme, which is reportedly run in collaboration with pro-refugee groups, is aimed at migrants who are unlikely to qualify for at least temporary residence by 2019.

Those eligible for the scheme include people whose refugee status was still unclear as of 15 March and who are from non-European countries, including sub-Saharan countries, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq and who can demonstrate financial need.

But the payment offer is only available to the first 1,000 people who register their interest.

"The advantage of voluntary returns is that they are less traumatic," Bernd Wachter of Caritas Austria, a Catholic Church's humanitarian organisation which works closely with refugees, told AFP.

"They allow you to better organise the reintegration in the country of origin," he said.

Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Show all 10 1 /10 Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Ernie Enkelaar Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Aziz Kawak Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Aziz Kawak Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Ernie Enkelaar Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Ernie Enkelaar Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Aziz Kawak Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees Syr: Utrecht's restaurant staffed by refugees

Austria, which has a population of 8.7 million people has received more than 130,000 asylum applications since 2015.

Officials said about 10,700 migrants left the country last year, including 5,800 by choice.

The Austrian Government has capped applications at 35,000 for 2017.
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 boat carrying refugees and migrants has reportedly sunk off Turkey's Aegean coast leaving at least 11 dead and a number of people missing.

Video footage on the DHA network shows half a dozen of the bodies after they had been recovered from the water and were laid out near ambulances.

DHA says the boat capsized near the resort town of Kusadasi and that seven people were rescued.

Recommended More than 240 refugees feared drowned in the Mediterranean

Turkish television channel NTV - who reported the number of dead of missing - said the refugees and migrants had been travelling in a rubber boat.

A deal between Turkey and the European Union on curbing illegal migration, struck a year ago, helped reduce the refugee and migrant influx to Europe via Greek islands to a trickle. But some are still trying to make the perilous voyage across the Aegean.

Just 3,629 refugees and migrants have crossed to Greece from Turkey so far this year, according to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, and about 60 arrive on Greek islands each day. At least 173,000 people, mostly Syrians, arrived in 2016.

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

Europe's deteriorating relations with Turkey could endanger the deal, under which Ankara helps control migration in return for the promise of accelerated EU membership talks and aid.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkey would review all political and administrative ties with the EU after an April referendum, including the migrant deal.

Mr Erdogan has been angered by Germany and the Netherlands cancelling planned rallies on their territory by Turkish officials seeking to drum up support for a yes vote in the referendum, which could lead to constitutional changes extending the powers of the presidency.
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 British man is among a group of volunteers arrested for giving food to refugees sleeping rough in Italy amid a crackdown on migrants attempting to cross the border with France.

He was detained alongside two French volunteers in Ventimiglia, which has been dubbed mini Calais because of the number of asylum seekers stranded there.

Gerard Bonnet, a fellow member of the Roya Citoyenne group, said their fingerprints and photographs were taken by police before being released.

 Italian police struggle to contain Ventimiglia migrants as French accused of foul play

We were about ten people but they took the two drivers of the vehicles which had the food and Simon, a Briton who had forgotten his passport, the 64-year-old told AFP.

They had been distributing 160 packages of food, supplies and clothing donated by supporters.

After almost two years of continued attempts to walk along roads and through mountainous tunnels into France, Italian police have deployed a heavy police presence in the area.

As part of efforts to prevent informal migrant settlements springing up near the border, the mayor of Ventimiglia, Enrico Ioculano, issued an order forbidding the distribution of food and drinks to refugees in 2015.

The offence is punishable by a fine of around 200 (170) and a three month prison sentence.

Thousands of those making the treacherous boat crossing over the Mediterranean Sea have journeyed to the area from southern Italy in efforts to reach France and other parts of Europe.

In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby being taken on to MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos all images by Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby among refugees on a boat carrying 185 people off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Migrants and refugees sleeping after being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos ship Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A crew from MSF's Bourbon Argos ship rescuing a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya, at sunrise Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A woman in a stretcher being lifted onto MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden

An increasing police presence has been met with protests by migrants and activists, with some devolving into violent clashes.

Local authorities have also been detaining and prosecuting people attempting to drive refugees from Italy into France on charges of aiding illegal immigration.

More migrants are expected to arrive in Ventimiglia as thousands of asylum seekers attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea in flimsy boats launched by smugglers in North Africa.

The vast majority are rescued and taken to Italy, where almost 21,000 asylum seekers have arrived so far this year, mostly from sub-Saharan African countries and Bangladesh.

A record number of migrants are dying attempting the treacherous crossing, with at least 240 feared dead in the latest disaster off Libya on Thursday and 11 more refugees drowning attempting to cross from Turkey to Greece on Friday.


For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The far-right French election candidate Marine Le Pen has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Russian media said Mr Putin told the Front National (FN) leader that the Kremlin has no intention of interfering with the election  which it has been accused of doing in the US last year.

Ms Le Pens plan to visit Moscow on Friday was widely reported, with meetings set up with members of Russias Duma, but there had been no word on whether the President would agree to meet her.

We attach a lot of importance to our relations with France, trying to maintain smooth relations with both the acting power and the opposition representatives, state-controlled Russian media reported Mr Putin as saying.

"We dont want to influence in any way the events going on [in France], but reserve our right to communicate with all representatives of the countrys political powers, as our partners do in Europe and in the US.

Opinion polls show Ms Le Pen, who has said she admires Mr Putin, getting through to the second, decisive round of Frances presidential election on 7 May but then losing to centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron.

Ms Le Pen backs the lifting of the European Unions economic sanctions imposed on Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict  a stance she reiterated on Friday.

Ms Le Pen has also repeatedly called for sanctions to be dropped, calling them completely stupid and the cause of major problems for the EU.

Ms Le Pen reportedly called for closer French-Russian ties at a meeting in Russias lower house of parliament earlier in the day, and labelled sanctions over Russias annexation of Crimea counterproductive.

I believe that barring parliamentarians from speaking to each other, working together is an infringement of democratic rights, Interfax reported her as saying to Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.

Speaking to reporters in a Moscow hotel after her meeting with Mr Putin, Ms Le Pen denied that she had discussed financial aid for her party, echoing an earlier denial from the Kremlin.

Ms Le Pens party took a 9m (7.8m) loan from a Moscow-based bank in 2014 and is actively seeking new sources of funding.

Ms Le Pen said her discussion with Mr Putin had focused on what she said were shared Russian and French interests in the fight against Islamist terrorism.

A new world has emerged in these past years. Its the world of Vladimir Putin, its the world of Donald Trump in the United States, its the world of Mr (Narendra) Modi in India, and I think that probably I am the one who shares with these great nations a vision of cooperation and not a vision of submission.

The meeting represented a coup for Ms Le Pen. She had travelled to New York earlier this year and was seen at Trump Tower, the New York home of President Donald Trump, but did not meet Mr Trump himself.

Her Kremlin audience is likely to go down well with her core supporters in France, many of whom admire the Russian leaders conservative stance on social and moral issues.

Recommended Le Pen backs Putin and denies invasion of Crimea

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ms Le Pen and Mr Trump are realists, if you want, or anti-globalists, and not representatives of fringe or populist views.

Ms Le Pen, along with independent centrist Mr Macron, are expected to lead in the first round of the French presidential elections on 23 April. A new poll found with just a month to go, 43 per cent of voters are hesitant about who to vote for, underlining the uncertainty surrounding the volatile election campaign.

Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande has hit back at accusations by former election front runner Francois Fillon that he was orchestrating a plot to scuttle his bid for power.

Mr Hollande, of the Socialist Party, accused conservative Fillon of desecrating the position to which he aspired.

Theres a degree of dignity and responsibility that has to be respected, Mr Hollande, the first leader in 60 years not to seek re-election, told franceinfo public radio. I believe Mr Fillon has overstepped the mark.

His comments followed a TV show in which Mr Fillon said he was a victim of a plot to spread damaging media leaks in which Mr Hollande was directly involved.

Mr Fillon, 63, a former Prime Minister, had looked sure of winning the presidency in the weeks after he won the candidate-selection contest of his The Republicans party last November.

But he has fallen to third place  meaning he faces first-round elimination  since media revelations in late January prompted magistrates to open an inquiry into allegations that he paid his wife and children hundreds of thousands of euros of public money for minimal work as parliamentary assistants. He also faces allegations failing to declare a loan from a billionaire and accepting two suits from a lawyer who has a reputation as an intermediary in affairs of state in France and former colonies in Africa. Mr Fillon denies all allegations against him.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the most popular Socialist government minister after close to 40 years in politics, offered another fillip to Mr Macron on Thursday when he said he would back him rather than the official Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon.
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 German coal mine will be converted into giant battery station to store enough renewable energy to power some 400,000 homes.

The Prosper-Haniel pit in the state of North Rhine Westphalia near the Dutch border, has produced the fossil fuel for almost half a century.

But now it will find a new purpose as a 200 megawatt pumped-storage hydroelectric reservoir.

Researchers from a number of German universities are working alongside private engineering companies and the government on the project.

Recommended Renewables make up nearly 90 per cent of new power capacity in EU

They believe the elevation provided by the pit will provide an opportunity for hydroelectric storage.

It is thought that water will be able flow downwards, powering turbines and generating electricity, with water pumped back up again during periods of low demand.

"In regions such as the Rhineland or the Ruhr area, the lack of relief in the landscape does not provide the necessary height differences [for hydroelectric power]," the project's website says.

Work will begin when the mine closes in 2018.

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

The project will mean the western city of Bottrop, where people have worked the 600 metre deep mine since 1974, will continue to contribute to playing a key role in providing the country with continuous energy, according to state governor Hannelore Kraft.

Along with other politicians, he is hoping the project will pave the way for similar facilities across the country, since Germany has doubled its commitment to clean energy and is in need of new sites to store excess power.

Around 26 kilometres of shafts in the complex have the potential to accommodate a million cubic metres of water, which will flow quickly through them.

If the project is a success, it is hoped the facility will help Germany reach its goal of 30 per cent of its energy coming from renewables by 2025.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A man has been acquitted of rape in an Italian court because the woman did not scream.

"There was no crying, no screaming," Judge Diamante Minucci told the victim, at the court in Turin, northern Italy. "You didn't push him away. We have to ask why?"

He then freed the 46-year-old alleged attacker.

The court heard that the woman had said "enough" to the man according to the Daily Mail. But the court ruled that this was "too weak a reaction" to prove that she did not consent to the advances of her former colleague, who was accused of raping her on a hosptial bed.

Lawyers representing the alleged victim insisted the woman's silence was because of the "painful situation" she was in and did not prove she consented to sex.

Italy's justice ministe, Andrea Orlando, has asked officials to look into the case, which concluded last month, according to Italian news agency, ANSA.

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

Centre-right Forza Italia opposition lawmaker Annagrazia Calabria decried the ruling.

She said: Certainly, you cannot punish the personal reaction of a woman terrified by what is happening to her.

The ruling has also sparked an outcry among women's groups.
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 }}

Polands Prime Minister has linked the Westminster attack to Europe's migration policy and claiming it was impossible not to connect the two issues.

I hear in Europe very often: 'Do not connect the migration policy with terrorism,' but it is impossible not to connect them, Beata Szydlo told the broadcaster TVN24.

It has since emerged that the attacker, Khalid Masood, was born in Kent as Adrian Russell Elms, before later changing his name.

Four people were killed and at least 50 people were injured when he ploughed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.

He then stabbed PC Keith Palmer to death outside the Houses of Parliament.

 Londoners attend vigil to pay respects to victims of Westminster terror attack

Ms Szydlo's comments came shortly after the EU's migration commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, on a visit to Warsaw, warned member states against failing to host refugees to help alleviate pressure on frontline states bearing the brunt of arrivals across the Mediterranean.

Poland's right-wing Eurosceptic government has refused to accept any of the 6,200 migrants allocated to it under the European Union's quota scheme that was designed to share the burden of taking in the large numbers of refugees who have come to Europe over the past two years.

The commissioner should concentrate on what to do to avoid such acts as yesterday in London," Ms Szydlo said, adding that her country would "not succumb to blackmail such as that expressed by the commissioner.

She said that two days after Mr Avramopoulos' visit "another terrorist attack in London occurs".

Ms Szydlo is one of a number of both British and European far right politicians to link the attack to migration policies.

French National Front leader Marine Le Pen told both BFM TV and RMC radio: "The problem we have nowadays is this form of low-cost terrorism".

She added "we must control our borders".

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage also argued that the London attacks proved Donald Trumps strict immigration and anti-Muslim policies were needed.

Surely this is the big takeout: when Donald Trump tries to makes America safer, when Donald Trump tries to make sure that these scenes weve had in Paris, Brussels and Berlin and now London arent repeated in America, we have people on Fifth Avenue and behind me in Westminster out on the streets protesting, he told US broadcaster, Fox News.

"It seems to me our political leaders really ought to start saying sorry."

He argued that politicians who encouraged open immigration were responsible for the attacks.

What these politicians have done for the last 15 years may well affect how we live in this country for the next 100 years, he said.

Reuters contributed to this report
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 European Union risks dying without a new vision, Pope Francis has warned.

The pontiff was speaking in Rome at an EU summit to highlight the 60th anniversary of the blocs foundation.

In an address to European leaders on Friday, the Pope said the EU faced a vacuum of values and was losing its sense of direction.

When a body loses its sense of direction and is no longer able to look ahead, it experiences a regression and, in the long run, risks dying, he said.

Prime ministers and presidents from 27 EU member states have descended on Italy to mark the 1957 founding Treaty of Rome, receiving a papal blessing on the eve of the anniversary.

Celebrations at the event have been muted by uneasiness in the Union due to prolonged economic crises, the unresolved migrant situation in many countries and Britains referendum vote to leave the bloc.

British Prime Minister Theresa May did not attend the meeting in the Vatican.

The Pope warned that the boom in anti-EU parties across Europe could herald a growing split between citizens and their representative institutions.

He also said greater international solidarity was the most effective antidote to modern forms of populism.

Mentioning the terror attack in London this week, Francis said leaders needed to work together to promote Europes patrimony of ideals and spiritual values with greater passion.

For it is the best antidote against the vacuum of values of our time, which provides a fertile terrain for every form of extremism, he said.

The pontiff also criticised leaders response to the refugee crisis.

He said: "It is not enough to handle the grave crisis of immigration of recent years as if it were a mere numerical or economic problem, or a question of security.

He spoke of a worrying lapse of memory from Europeans, despite mass migrations in the 20th centurys world wars being an integral part of the formation of the Union.

Thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to the streets of Rome on Saturday in at least six different rallies called by numerous groups across the political spectrum to protest against various aspects of EU rule.

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

Some 5,000 police have been called up to patrol the streets and the interior ministry has warned it will crack down swiftly on any violence.

Reuters contributed to this report
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 former Russian member of parliament who defected to Ukraine and began sharply criticising Russian President Vladimir Putin was gunned down in downtown Kiev in an apparent contract killing.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called the murder of Denis Voronenkov, a former member of Russia's Communist Party who fled to Kiev in October 2016, "an act of state terrorism by Russia".

A suspected assailant was arrested after Mr Voronenkov was shot twice in the head earlier this week, dying on the spot.

The suspect's identity or other details were not immediately made public. In Moscow, a Kremlin spokesman denied Russian involvement in the killing.

But Russia's critics were likely to draw parallels between the slaying and the deaths of other Putin foes. It also raises further alarm in Washington, DC, where Russia has come under scrutiny for allegedly trying to influence the presidential election to aid Donald Trump.

In an interview with The Washington Post - less than 72 hours before his death - Mr Voronenkov complained about anonymous threats against him and his wife, Maria Maksakova, a former member of the United Russia party founded by Mr Putin, with whom he fled to Kiev last year.

After receiving Ukrainian citizenship in December, he testified in the case against Viktor Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian leader who was toppled in 2014 revolution after dozens of protestors were killed in shooting in downtown Kiev.

Before fleeing Russia, Mr Voronenkov was the target of a fraud investigation. He was formally charged in February after a high-profile interview where he compared the patriotic fervour in Russia to Nazi Germany.

Mr Voronenkov said the charges against him over a corporate raiding case had been fabricated by his political enemies.

Shortly before his death, he called the Russian state under Mr Putin totalitarian, said he had always opposed Russia's annexation of Crimea despite having voted for it in 2014 in parliament.

He said he planned to live in Kiev for the foreseeable future, where he had friends in the pro-Western bureaucracy from his time in the Soviet army.

He could likely return to Russia only after Mr Putin's death, he said.

In the three years since Ukraine's revolution, Kiev has become something of a meeting point for Russian opponents of the Kremlin.

The city has taken on the role of a modern Casablanca just 500 miles southwest of Moscow, where members of Russia's liberal, leftist and nationalist opposition - as well as those seeking to escape a tightly controlled political landscape in Moscow - have congregated in relative safety.

Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Show all 14 1 /14 Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - NOVEMBER 23: A woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A woman walks past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A child walks past a graffiti depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a bar in the old town in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, May 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural People walk past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A man photographs a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A young woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the slogan "make everything great again," in reference to Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again," on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A morning commuter stops to look at a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Restaurant owner Dominykas Ceckauskas pose next to a mural on the wall of his establishment depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. / AFP / Petras Malukas (Photo credit should read PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP/Getty Images) Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A passerby photographs a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Getty

Mr Voronenkov's death, if tied to a Kremlin order, indicates that Kiev has become a more dangerous place for them.

Mr Voronenkov and his wife were concerned about their security, specifically citing their conflict with Russia. Speaking over black tea in the dim lobby bar of Kiev's Premier Palace Hotel, he said that fears of harassment forced him to keep secret the location of where they rented a house outside of Kiev with their children.

"For our personal safety, we can't let them know where we are," he said toward the end of the hour-long interview. "It's a totally amoral system and in its anger it may go to extreme measures. There's been a demonisation of us. It's hard to say what will happen.

The system has lost its mind, he added. They say we are traitors in Russia. And I say, 'Who did we betray?' I gave testimony against the citizen of another country who was president, who fled his country, created a bloodbath, betrayed his country.

As he left the interview, he added: It's hard to imagine we will be forgiven.

In the months before his death, there had been attempts to hack his Twitter account and his wife's email account. He had sought out security contractors to try to safeguard his devices and there were rumours he was under surveillance.

On Thursday, a gunman opened fire at Mr Voronenkov and his bodyguard outside of the hotel, where he was on his way to meet another former Russian member of parliament in exile, Ilya Ponomarev. Mr Voronenkov's bodyguard, who opened fire at the assailant, was injured.

Mr Voronenkov and Mr Maksakova's defection had aroused criticism both in Russia and among Ukrainian circles on the right, who questioned whether the former Russian parliament members were seeking to curry favour in their adopted home by suddenly and aggressively criticising Mr Putin after benefiting under his regime.
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 }}

At least one person has died and three more have been injured after an explosion in a suburb of the Egyptian capital of Cairo.

The incident in Maadi on Friday morning occurred about the same time deposed former President Hosni Mubarak left Maadi Military Hospital, where he had been detained, after six years behind bars.

Security services said that the cause of the blast was not immediately known. No claim of responsibility has been made.

Egypt five years after Mubarak

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the man who was killed was a building guard who found an unidentified metallic object, which exploded when he picked it up. He was killed in the blast, and his wife and two children injured by shrapnel.

The neighbourhood in which the incident occurred has been closed off to the public while security services sweep the area.

Egypts security forces are the frequent targets of Islamist groups around the country as well as Isis-affiliated militants in the Sinai, which have flourished in the chaos that has engulfed Egypt since the 2011 revolution.

From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? Show all 7 1 /7 From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? 628922.bin REUTERS From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? 628923.bin EPA From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? 628924.bin REUTERS From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? 628925.bin REUTERS From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? 628926.bin AP From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? 628927.bin AFP/ GETTY IMAGES From Mubarak to Marcos: Where are all the despots? 628928.bin AFP/ GETTY IMAGES

Mr Mubaraks 30-year-rule ended when he was overthrown in January 2011. He later became the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring protests that swept the Middle East.

The 88-year-old was cleared of the final murder charges against him earlier this month, after facing trial in a litany of cases ranging from corruption to the killing of protesters.

The former president is now at home in Heliopolis, his lawyer, Farid el Deeb, told 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 }}

US-backed Syrian fighters have reached a major dam held by the Isis group in the north of Syria, according to officials.

Cihan Sheikh Ehmed, spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said the fighting was continuing at the entrance of the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates river, adding that there are casualties among Isis fighters.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF fighters were moving slowly towards the dam because of mines and explosives planted by Isis.

The push comes three days after US aircraft ferried Syrian Kurdish fighters and allies behind Isis lines to spearhead a major ground assault on the Isis-held town of Tabqa, where the dam is located, west of Raqqa.

US-backed fighters are also pushing to capture a major village east of Raqqa, the de facto capital of Isis.

The Kurdish-led SDF has been on the offensive since November, aiming to surround the city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF fighters have been marching under air strikes and artillery cover from the US-led coalition, and are inside the village of Karama.

Mohammed Khedhr, of Sound and Picture Organisation, which documents Isis violations, confirmed that battles are taking place inside Karama, about 10 miles east of Raqqa.

Frances defence minister said the battle for Raqqa itself will start in the coming days.

Jean-Yves Le Drian said Raqqa is a major objective for the US-led coalition, adding: Today we can say that Raqqa is encircled and that the battle will begin in the coming days. It will be a very hard battle but it will be an essential battle.

Syrias UN ambassador said hundreds of US personnel are invading my country and insisted any effort to liberate the city should be done in coordination with the Damascus government.

Bashar Jaafari also insisted that American warplanes had bombed a school in the village of Mansoura, west of Raqqa, a day earlier and were responsible for the deaths of 237 civilians among 500 people fleeing the city.

The US has deployed more than 700 advisers, Marines and Rangers to Syria to support fighters battling Isis.

Mr Jaafari was speaking at the start of a new round of UN-mediated peace talks.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura hosted Mr Jaafari at UN offices in Geneva for the talks set to take place over at least several days around issues of governance, elections, a new constitution and the fight against terrorism.

AP
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Turkey will review its relationship with the European Union regardless of the outcome of an April referendum on constitutional reform, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

In an interview with CNN Turk broadcast on Thursday, Mr Erdogan said everything from A to Z would be up for renegotiation after the country wide vote on extending his executive powers on April 16.

He also said he would like to conduct face to face meetings with the new US administration in May, where talks will focus on Ankaras dislike of its Nato allys continued support for Kurdish militias in Syria it views as terrorists.

 Turkey's Erdogan steps up anti-Europe rhetoric

The assessment would include reevaluating the 2015 deal struck between the EU and Turkish government to return refugees who crossed the Mediterranean to Turkey, in exchange for three billion euros (2.6bn) in financial aid and promises to speed up Turkeys decades-long bid to join the economic bloc.

The numbers of those making the trip to Greece have decreased since the agreement went into place in March last year, but it has been heavily criticised by rights groups as trapping migrants in appalling conditions.

More than 5,000 minors are living in squalid camps where conditions are so bad some are being driven to self-harm and suicide, Save the Children has said.

Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either Show all 3 1 /3 Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either 169917998.jpg Getty Images Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either 169906502.jpg Getty Images Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either 169917619.jpg Getty Images

Mr Erdogans comments come in the wake of strained relations between Turkey and several EU member states including Germany and The Netherlands, both of which cancelled planned yes campaign rallies on their soil for dual nationals.

Both countries said the rallies were cancelled due to security concerns, but Mr Erdogan accused them of impeding free speech and using Nazi methods.

You get disturbed when we say it is fascism, it's Nazism, but what you are doing fits in that definition, he repeated on Thursday.

Under the proposed far-reaching changes to the executive branch of government that will be voted on next month, the power to appoint and dismiss government ministers would become the purview of the president rather than the prime minister.

The reform would also allow Mr Erdogan to once again rule the lead the ruling party while in office, and possibly stay in power for another 12 years.

Turkeys opposition parties protest that Mr Erdogan has already consolidated his control over all branches of government since his election in 2014.

 Erdogan accuses Merkel of Nazi practices: Any country that harms a Turk will "face the consequences"

There has been a particular crackdown on members of the political opposition, academics, journalists and rights activists since a failed military coup in July last year, after which the government declared a state of emergency.

Turkey has also been incensed by this weeks UK and US bans on electronic devices bigger than mobile phones on inbound flights and certain carriers from Muslim countries, including Turkey.

The president said he hoped the mistake would be corrected soon as it has damaged mutual confidence.
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 }}

Last year, Debbie Taylor went on holiday to Dubai. So far, so normal, except Taylor was travelling in a way that many women wouldnt. A mother of three, she was holidaying without her children.

I dont feel guilty when I go away without my kids, she told The Independent. Theyre well-adjusted children and they know that 99 per cent of the time theyre my priority.

In 2014, Kate Middleton was pilloried when she and William jetted off for a couples break in the Maldives, leaving the then seven-month-old Prince George at home with the nanny. But today, Taylor  a trainee teacher from Surrey  is amongst a growing number of mothers who travel without their kids.

I dont feel anyone has judged me, she says. Even if they did, I know my children are happy.

As well as her Dubai trip, Taylor has visited friends in other parts of the UK and even gone on weekends away with other local mums.

Motherhood is a full-time job where you never switch off, she says. Spending time by yourself is like the Holy Grail, even though we dont always like to admit it.

Copywriter Kay Thomas, who has a teenage son and twins, said shed go on more trips if childcare allowed it. It took me three days to arrange one night in Edinburgh, she says. Ive had one night by myself in 13 years.

Theyre not the only ones who think that travelling without the kids isnt a luxury but a necessity.

Why you should go

Far from it being selfish, its crucial for mums to take a break from their kids, according to psychotherapist Jennie Miller. And its as important for the children as for the parents themselves.

Parents can remember what its like for them to have time alone, she says. This gives children a model to learn from, and shows them that relationships are important. It can help the children have their own healthy relationships in the future.

Time off is even more important for single mums, Miller says. Single parents might have lower levels of self-care, and its important to think about the model youre setting for your children. Is being a parent flogging yourself to the ground?

Youll probably feel guilty at first, she says, but there are ways to counteract it. Send the kids on holiday to a friend or relatives, and keep regular contact  the aim isnt to cut yourself off entirely. And leave them a card when you go, explaining that youre looking forward to seeing them soon.

However the children react, dont cancel your trip, she says. Your children will be pulling at your heartstrings, but if you dont go, youre teaching them that they are in charge. The aftermath is that parental boundaries are broken and the child ends up feeling unsafe.

Much as you love your family, sometimes you need to get away, says Jennie Miller (Rex Features)

Where to go

Gaynor Pickard, who styles herself a travel fixer, arranging personalised trips for high-end clientele, says that for many of her wealthy customers, a trip away from the kids is seen as an essential part of motherhood.

Obviously they can afford it, where others cant, but for my clients, me time is always important  without it, they dont feel on tip-top form and neither does the family, she says. The family is really important to them, but they believe they need time for themselves, too.

Her clients arent just booking couples retreats; more and more women, she says, are choosing time off from their partners as well as their kids.

I always advise them to choose their hotel wisely, if they havent travelled alone before, she told The Independent. In a big hotel you can feel quite lonely, but stay in a smaller, more intimate property and youre more likely to chat to your neighbour on the sunlounger or to someone over dinner, whereas youd be more conspicuous at a big bar by yourself.

If moneys no object, Pickards top tip for a kid-free holiday is a week at Enchantment Resort in Arizonas Sedona. Theres a to-die-for spa, local and organic food, and you stay in casitas to cocoon yourself away from the outside world  its total immersion, she says. When I went, there were eagles soaring in the sky, and coyotes walking up the road as I was driving up. Its the perfect place to switch off.

If your wallet wont stretch to that, she suggests a 24-hour immersion in a shorthaul destination like Dubrovnik or Provence. Again, she says, pick your hotel wisely  spend a little more on a good, intimate experience and youll feel twice as rested at the end of it.

Even a spa day close to home will do the trick, says Pickard  but dont go for a well-known brand or large location. Look for an independent or small place, with quirky treatments, she says. Youll feel better for it.

It's important to take time for yourself, says Gaynor Pickard (Rex Features)

What to expect

Debbie Taylor has noticed the benefits of taking a break from the family. I think children learn not to take you for granted  they suddenly realise the little things you do for them, she says.

Mine also benefit from spending time alone with their dad  they get a different dynamic. And its really good for my husband. Usually Im in the leadership role when it comes to day-to-day decisions with kids.

As a mum, the area I tend to neglect most is myself and my girlfriends. Its easy to lose yourself a bit, she says. But I return [from my holidays] feeling a lot calmer, with more energy and tolerance. I feel I come back a better mum.
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 outpouring of solidarity and sympathy for Britain from Europe after the Westminster attacks has clearly touched Theresa May. The French President Francois Hollande was first on the phone to her and the Eiffel Tower lights were switched off as a symbol of France standing with Britain. A Spanish teacher was killed and three French students were injured. Not just Westminster but European values and European citizens were at the heart of the attack.

May has a chance to thank Europe and to say that the UK stands firm in the struggle against Islamist ideology, which has claimed victims in France, Belgium and Germany in the last year and now London. She could go to Rome where all of Europe is gathered for Saturdays 60th birthday of the Treaty of Rome.

Originally she said she would not turn up. Given the referendum vote and her so far uncompromising insistence on an amputational Brexit, this may seem a wise choice. But is it? The French say les absents ont toujours tort and Mays absence may indeed be wrong.

Whatever happens at the end of Article 50 negotiations and beyond, the fact is that the UK has been a signatory member of the European Treaties for far longer than the majority of all EU member states. To begin with, of course, Britain was absent. When invited to join the European Coal and Steel Community, Clement Attlee described it as an irresponsible body appointed by no one and accountable to no one. His Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, was more colourful in his rejection of European integration: Once we open that Pandoras Box all sorts of Trojan horses will jump out, he warned.

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

The planning meeting for the Treaty of Rome took place on Messina in 1956. Again the British prime minister was absent. Instead, a Board of Trade official was sent, who told the Europeans present at the creation of what is now the EU: Gentlemen, you are trying to negotiate something you will never be able to negotiate. But if negotiated, it will not be ratified. And if ratified it will not work. Thus spake Britannia.

Once Britain joined Europe in 1973 it had to wait for Margaret Thatcher to find a prime minister who energetically took part as an ever-present European player. To be sure, she waved her handbag and got her money back in Fontainebleau in 1984. Barely noticed at the time, however, was her agreement to a major increase in the European budget. In 1984, the UK paid 656m to Brussels. By 1990, this had risen to 2.54bn.

At Fontainebleau, Thatcher called for a European Common Foreign and Security Policy and the following year powered through the Single European Act abolishing national vetoes, thus becoming the midwife of the Single Market and its four freedoms. In consequence, 1,000 Japanese firms located in the UK and every foreign bank, finance house, investment fund or insurance firm opened up in London as Britain became the gateway to the worlds biggest market.

So Theresa May would be advised to attend Rome and remind her fellow European leaders of the great contribution Britain has made to Europe  and how, with good will and sensible compromises on all sides, this can be maintained even as the UK withdraws from formal Treaty membership. The joint struggle against terrorism and against menaces emanating from Russia will be there long after the Article 50 negotiations are over. A friendly word and a smile goes a long way, especially after the Dutch election and the likelihood of a Europhile President Macron in the Elysee.

There are plenty of low-cost flights to Rome as Easyjet and Ryanair only exist thanks to the EU. May can go there and be back in a few hours and begin the overdue process of winning friends and influencing European leaders before it is too late.

Denis MacShane is the former minister of Europe and author of Brexit: How Britain Will Leave Europe
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Iraqi forces are stalled and suffering heavy casualties in their assault on the last Isis fighters defending close-packed buildings in the Old City of Mosul. Civilian loss of life is very high as US aircraft, Iraqi helicopters and artillery, try to target Isis strongpoints in a small area in which at least 300,000 civilians are trapped and unable to reach safety.

Isis fighters shoot at government troops from houses and then escape quickly through holes they have ordered people to cut in the walls of their homes, leaving them to face retaliatory fire. In a single district of Mosul this week 237 civilians were killed by air strikes, including 120 of them in one house, according to a Kurdish news agency.

The last chapter of the siege of Mosul, which has now been going on for 155 days, is likely to be more bloody than anything seen before. It will certainly end with the capture of the city or what is left of it, raising the crucial question of how far its loss will be a death blow to Isis.

 Westminster attacks: Two more 'significant arrests' made

It was the unexpected seizure of Mosul by a few thousand Isis fighters in June 2014 after defeating an Iraqi government garrison 20 times as large, that turned the fundamentalist movement into an international force. At its peak, the self-declared Caliphate ruled an area in northern Iraq and eastern Syria as large as Great Britain.

Isis had always used terrorism directed against civilians as an integral part of its tactics to show strength, spread fear and dominate the news agenda. Its atrocities  scarcely noticed outside Iraq before the fall of Mosul  have always been primarily directed against Shia victims, blown apart as they shopped in markets or took part in pilgrimages. It was only after the intervention of foreign powers in 2014 and 2015 that Isis extended it terrorist campaign outside Iraq and Syria.

There is a thin but definite line connecting what happened in Mosul two and a half years ago and the impulse that led Khalid Masood to carry out his deadly rampage in Westminster this week. In Iraq and Syria, Isis knew that it had to slaughter thousands to spread terror, but in cities like London, Nice, Berlin, Paris and Brussels much smaller attacks would have similar impact. All that was needed was one or more fanatical individuals willing to get killed as a testimony to their faith.

It is this willingness to die for a grotesque belief which has enabled Isis and al-Qaeda to wield so much power from the Tigris to the Thames, well beyond what could be expected from relatively small organisations. In conventional warfare, suicide attacks have enabled them to fight armies equipped with aircraft, tanks and artillery. I cannot think of a single successful armed opposition offensive in Syria which was not led by suicide bombers, a military expert told me in Damascus last year. This article is being written in Irbil 50 miles east of Mosul where there were no less than 600 attacks by men driving vehicles packed with explosives in the first six weeks of the Iraqi government offensive that began on 17 October last year.

There is no doubt that the fall of Mosul will weaken Isis, but the extent and permanence of this weakness is uncertain. Isis portrayed its victories in 2014 as a sign of divine intervention on its behalf and used this as a powerful argument to win adherents. But this claim becomes counter-effective when victory on the battlefield is replaced by defeat. The Caliphate today, battered from a dozen directions, no longer looks anything like the Islamic utopia its founders were claiming to establish and was to serve as a model society for Muslims across the world.

The military defeat of Isis in Mosul, combined with the likely loss of its de facto Syrian capital at Raqqa later this year, means that the movement will no longer control a quasi-state more powerful than many members of the UN. At its peak, the Caliphate not only had strong armies but an effective state machine that levied taxes and controlled the lives of five or six million people. Through its propaganda, money and expertise, it could motivate and, to a degree, organise cells and individuals to carry out terrorist acts internationally. As its last urban centres fall and its territories fragment its ability to project its power is much reduced.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

But Isis is not going to go entirely out of business and one should not underestimate its capacity to survive. It did so before against the odds in Iraq after 2006, when the surge in US troop numbers and the defection of many Sunni Arab tribes, appeared to have all but eliminated it. At the end of the day it is a sect dependent on a core of true believers and not a regular army whose organisation, once disrupted, cannot be easily rebuilt.

Isis commanders are experienced soldiers who fought as guerrillas before 2014 and can do so again. Moreover, they must always have known that from a military point of view, Mosul was indefensible because of the massive firepower of the US-led air coalition supporting Iraqi ground forces. The same is true in Syria where Isis is fighting the Kurds, backed by the US, and the Syrian army, backed by Russia.

There are already signs that Isis commanders can see the writing on the wall and are moving fighters back into areas outside Mosul north and west of Baghdad where they will fight on. The same process is likely to happen in Syria where Isis is being battered by a myriad of enemies, who do not like each other much but will probably hang together until Isis is defeated.

The total elimination of Isis and al-Qaeda type movements in Iraq and Syria depends whether the wars that have torn apart these two countries are coming to an end. Isis and the al-Qaeda clones grew out of the chaos of war in both countries. They also relied on the toleration or covert support of Sunni states like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in their early growth period. Without such backing they will have difficulty in doing more than harrying Iraqi and Syrian government forces.

We are seeing the end of Isis in Iraq and Syria as a force powerful enough to threaten established governments in Baghdad and Damascus as it was capable of doing less than three years ago. It is still able to inspire individuals like Khalid Masood to make high-profile terrorist attacks which dominate the headlines for days on end, but they do not seem to have a cell structure in place in Europe to carry out more wide ranging attacks. A purpose of the attention-grabbing atrocities carried out by Isis supporters in capital cities is to give an exaggerated impression of the movements strength outside its core areas.

Isis is facing battlefield reverses in Iraq and Syria that will make it more and more difficult for it to inspire individuals abroad to kill and to die for its monstrous version of Islam. If peace now returns to the region then these defeats are likely to prove permanent.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The only predictable outcome of yesterday's terror atrocity in Westminster was the appearance of Nigel Farage on the US television networks, urging Americans to link the attack to failures in immigration controls.

In a vacuum of facts and intelligence, the former Ukip leader told Fox News that the events unfolding around Parliament should help remind Americans that lax immigration rules were an "open door inviting terrorism."

Farage was not alone in a cynical rush to judgment. Across the other side of the world, Australia's One Nation leader Pauline Hanson responded to the attack by asking Australians to use the hashtag #PrayForAMuslimBan.

Today we have been told that the attacker was British-born and already known to the security services.

The willingness of politicians to make political capital out of terror shows how entrenched the kneejerk debate on counterterrorism policy has become.

 Reaction from the scene for terrorist attack at Westminster

While Farage and Hanson were repeating their tired old lines about immigration, Islamic activists were putting the other side of the debate.

Cage, the human rights group which once infamously branded Jihadi John a "beautiful young man", released their own statement warning the government about the dangers of enacting "reactionary policies".

In the next few days politicians, advised by counterterrorism experts, will turn their attention to how to combat home-grown terrorists who answer the call to jihad by using their cars and kitchen knives to carry out atrocities.

There will be no doubt demands for more armed police officers, greater surveillance and powers to tap our phones and computers.

But the horror of yesterday's terror attack on Westminster exposed Londoners to what the citizens of Paris, Berlin and Nice already know: that in the current, febrile climate of violent Islamist terrorism there is no defence against those who are committed to killing.

Where once the Kalashnikov and the bomb were the terrorists weapons of choice, they have been ditched for the low-tech car and knife.

In 2015, well-armed terror cells closely controlled from inside Syria were able to bring carnage to the streets of Paris and Brussels in carefully planned attacks.

The hardline counterterrorism response across Europe was slow but effective, making it difficult for terror cells to organise themselves within the Muslim communities where they had sought shelter.

But this has isolated many young Muslims who have removed themselves from mainstream society so that they have become easy prey to online radicalisers.

 Woman fell into Thames after being hit by car, now in stable condition

Security services across Europe have discovered very quickly that there is little they can do to stop a lone wolf terrorist who keeps his deadly plans to himself. In Britain, we have already thwarted 13 terror plots since 2013.

All that MI5 and the police can say for sure is that there will be more attacks like that witnessed in Westminster yesterday.

So the choice is as stark as it is clear: we either accept this new nihilist reality or find radical ways to end the daily threat of terror.

Some have argued that we should permit young Muslims who wish to follow their dreams of jihad to leave Britain for Syria. During the Bosnian war in the early 1990s hundreds of British Muslims were allowed to join the ranks of the mujahideen without harassment from the security services. The vast majority fought and quietly returned to the UK where they peacefully carried on with their lives.

But the security services argue that the nature of the conflict in Syria and Iraq is markedly different because groups like Isis are targeting the West as part of their war. By allowing British Muslims to travel to Syria they fear they will acquire gun and bomb training and then return to Britain to carry out mass attacks, similar to those witnessed in Paris and Brussels.

This containment policy presents its own domestic security issue as hundreds of Muslims now find themselves trapped in the UK, frustrated that they can't travel to Islamist and rebel strongholds and perform what they regard as their religious duty.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Britain's zero-tolerance policy on Syria has filled our prisons with young jihadists already marginalised and isolated inside mainstream society. In jail, they associate with like-minded Muslims which only helps to radicalise them further.

When they leave prison, they often pose more of a risk to security than they did before they were arrested.

The resources of the security services are being stretched to the limit as they try to keep tabs on an estimated 3,000 extremists living in the UK.

Across Europe, governments are experimenting with more radical policies. France has discussed re-establishing a Devils Island for jihadis. Germany, which has been at the vanguard of enlightened approaches to the terror threat by opening its doors to refugees, has now brought in measures to deport German citizens suspected of terrorism to countries where their parents were born.

In Britain, we must be careful not to let one terror incident end centuries of hard-won universal rights.

@robertverkaik1
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

This can't be real. Those are the words I heard over and over as I and several MPs and staff looked out of the window at Portcullis House and saw a car slam into the railings. Someone mentioned Jo Cox. Someone else  a Muslim  muttered a prayer for safety.

In the last year Ive worked in Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia  but only in London have I felt sheer terror.

It was only later, hearing the words coming out of my mouth whilst being interviewed for the News at Ten, that I realised that Wednesday is a day that neither I nor my city will ever forget.

Im embarrassed to admit that my shock is turning into anger. Embarrassed because anger is the last thing we need  its anger, one mans anger, that has got us here in the first place.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Im angry at the perpetrator. Im angry at myself for being so helpless. And Im angry that all my fellow Muslims can do is condemn the attack. Isnt there more? And do I really need to remind my fellow Londoners, my fellow Brits, my fellow human beings, that the only jihad fought that day was by the ambulance crews? That the only martyrs are PC Keith Palmer and four pedestrians?

And most of all, Im angry that I dont know what we do next. A vigil? A hashtag? A meme? Ive started a campaign to raise money for the victims, Muslims United for London, joining forces with friends, and two British Muslim MPs, Naz Shah and Yasmin Qureshi. But what else?

Im a professional communicator, but Im lost for words. What was this? Simply calling it an attack seems too remote, too clinical. And what kind of attack? I dont want to give Isis credit, but we must face the fact that the attack was likely inspired by their ideology.

But what is Islamist about this? Islamism  political Islam  is usually about banning alcohol or imposing the hijab. Mowing down schoolchildren from Brittany and a mum on her way to pick up her kids isnt Islam or Islamism or any other ism. Its murder. Deranged, soulless murder.

The perpetrator, who I choose not to name, according to reports seems to have converted to Islam in prison, after a criminal career going back to the age of 18. His story is typical: a longstanding disregard for the rule of law and the rights of others being given a religious veneer after the fact. His violent nature was a pre-existing condition. This is the Islamisation of criminality. The absurd fact is, if Imams carried out CRB checks before accepting Muslim converts many terrorist attacks would be averted  we'd just call them murders instead, or maybe GBH attacks (for which the perpetrator had a prior conviction).

 Candlelit vigil for Westminster attack victims held in Trafalgar Square

Yet we cannot deny that soulless murder is being justified in the name of Islam. A lot has been said about the UKs Prevent strategy, especially amongst my Muslim friends. Many of them have joked about it being the Agitate strategy, perhaps oblivious to the fact that a quarter of Prevent reports relate not to Muslims, but to far-right groups. Prevent may mean you worry about your nephews tweets, but it may also stop him being stabbed in his mosque.

At least thats the idea. What we now know is that the current strategy hasnt prevented this. It has often cast the net of suspicion so wide that it alienates perfectly loyal Brits while letting real extremists slip through. But the attack outside Parliament shows that the need for a strategy to prevent Britons engaging in acts of mindless killing has never been greater.

Prevent is being reviewed and relaunched. The temptation to resist and reject, given past failures, is understandable  but it is not workable. We British Muslims need to be part of the new strategy.

Prevent 2.0 needs to be more ambitious, but also more nuanced than our previous attempts. And it must be more than a rebranding exercise. It must work in and with our communities to enable them to build resilience against those who would divide us.

The wall that Prevent has hit in the past requires both government and communities to make renewed efforts to speak to each other and create new ways to work together: because we all suffer when extremists strike.

To succeed, we will continue to need police and security services, but we will also need social workers  and psychiatrists. Because, as I was told at the UN last year, wars begin in the minds of men, and it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.

This can be real. It has already been real in Tel Aviv, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Nice and Dewsbury. It has been real in Baghdad, Istanbul, Dhaka, Tripoli, Tunis, Sanaa, Cairo, Beirut, and beyond. Now it is real in London.

Either we live together  or we die together. That is real.
Danielle McLaughlin was found dead in Canacona, a popular tourist area in the south of Goa (Family handout/PA)

The body of a woman who was raped and murdered at a tourist resort in India has been flown home to Ireland.

Danielle McLaughlin will undergo further post-mortem examination in Dublin after an autopsy in India showed she had suffered cerebral damage and constriction to the neck.

The 28-year-old, from Buncrana, Co Donegal, was found dead in a secluded spot in Canacona, a popular area for holidaymakers in Goa on the west coast, on Tuesday March 14.

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust organised the transfer.

A spokesman said: "She won't be in Buncrana until next week. She is going for another post-mortem."

Local media reported that the former Liverpool John Moores University student was discovered unclothed and had marks on her head and face.

Indian police said a farmer found Ms McLaughlin's body.

She had travelled to Goa with an Australian female friend and the pair were staying in a beach hut.

They had been celebrating Holi - a Hindu spring festival - in a nearby village.

She left the village late at night and her body was found the next day, police said.

Ms McLaughlin was the the eldest of five daughters.
Frances Fitzgerald has been urged to reveal when she was informed about a scandal involving thousands of wrongful road traffic convictions

Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald is coming under pressure over the latest Garda scandal involving almost 15,000 wrongful road traffic convictions.

Fianna Fail said Ms Fitzgerald needed to spell out exactly when she was informed about the litany of errors announced by the Garda.

Justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan called for an urgent statement.

He said: "She needs to explain what discussions she has had with the Garda commissioner on these matters, and she needs to spell out to the Irish people what exactly is her understanding of how these errors occurred and who is responsible.

"My party and I are concerned that the manner of yesterday's announcement and the lack of a coherent explanation from any quarter points to a lack of understanding of how serious this situation now is.

"We need to see the minister take the initiative and come forward immediately with her account of what has happened."

Following the review of breath-testing, the issuing of fines and summonses, the Garda said 14,700 drivers, mostly for not displaying tax and Insurance discs, have been taken to court without being given an opportunity to pay a penalty.

Those prosecutions are being appealed.

Ms Fitzgerald told RTE the scale of the latest garda scandal was "appalling and staggering".

Meanwhile, the Policing Authority has appointed an Assistant Commissioner of the Garda for the first time.

Detective chief superintendent Michael O'Sullivan's promotion is the first senior appointment by an independent civilian body.

Authority chair Josephine Feehily said: " The cultural significance of de-politicising senior Garda appointments and the organisational impact of candidates having to send a promotion application to the Authority rather than the Garda Commissioner or Garda HQ should not be underestimated."

Assistant Commissioner O'Sullivan has 36 years policing experience in Ireland and abroad with the European Union, the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

More recently, he held responsibility for state security.

Ms Fitzgerald said: "I have made it clear to the Commissioner that the practices that allowed this misreporting to happen within An Garda Siochana over many years need to be fully addressed and the new systems that she has put in place will need to be robust, tested and verified in the time ahead."
The message left by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Westminster terror attack (Irish government/PA)

Enda Kenny signing a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Westminster terror attack at the British Embassy in Dublin (Irish government/PA)

Enda Kenny has signed a book of condolence for the victims of Wednesday's Westminster terror attack.

The Taoiseach expressed sympathies for the families of those who lost loved ones.

He visited the British embassy in Dublin to write a personal message of support for British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Government following the tragic events in London.

Three people were killed when Khalid Masood's car on ploughed into them on Westminster Bridge.

Masood then stabbed police officer Keith Palmer near Parliament.

President Michael D Higgins is to write to the British Queen and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to express the sympathy "of the Irish people with the families of those who have lost their lives and to those who have been injured".
Workers at Bus Eireann are striking over a management decision to enforce radical cost-cutting to stop the business from going bust

Siptu trade union workers picket outside Bus Aras in Dublin on the first day of the Bus Eireann strike

Transport across the country has been thrown into chaos after an all-out strike at Bus Eireann spread to some rail services.

Workers at the company took to pickets over a management decision to enforce radical cost-cutting to stop the business from going bust.

But with some public transport depots shared between Bus Eireann and Irish Rail, the industrial action has also disrupted the railways.

"Iarnrod Eireann has advised customers that there will be significant disruption to Intercity rail services today ... arising from picketing associated with the Bus Eireann dispute. Iarnrod Eireann is not a party to this dispute," the company said.

The Dart, Dublin commuter trains, Belfast and Westport services were among those operating a full schedule.

Irish Rail urged commuters and other passengers to check online for updates.

The company said disruption was expected on the Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Sligo intercity routes.

The dispute centres on millions of losses run up at Bus Eireann in recent years, with management warning the company is at risk of going bust.

Unions involved in the action include the National Rail and Bus Union, Siptu, Unite and the Transport and Salaried Staff Association.

School b uses have not been hit.

Siptu's Willie Noone said the strike action had to be taken after management tried to enforce 30% pay cuts.

"Management wish to prepare the company for the future privatisation of public bus services by concentrating draconian cuts on ordinary workers," he said.

Transport Minister Shane Ross said he was deeply concerned about the impact on the public.

"It is now time for both sides to show this willingness can result in an acceptable and fair agreement that safeguards the company's future and all of those who rely upon it," he said.
Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher will leave his role this year, the bank has announced.

A precise date has not been given but the bank has begun looking for the 58-year-olds successor, it said it in a statement.

Mr Boucher has led the bank since 2009.

I have made this decision from the fortunate position of enjoying my job and being excited about the next stage in our groups development, including the transformational investment which is underway in our infrastructure to support our customers and the group, not just for tomorrow but for future generations. However, I will be 59 in August of this year and I feel it best for the group that someone else leads the groups next stage of development, Mr Boucher said.

This has influenced my decision to retire from the group at this time, and to focus on the other things which I might like to do with my life.

Mr Boucher will remain in the role until his successor is identified.
The offices of international finance companies are seen in the financial district of Canary Wharf in London. Dublin has been tipped as a potential contender to win investment displaced from London, as a result of the UKs decision to pull out of the European Union. Photo: REUTERS

Financial services companies looking to shift operations as a result of Brexit should expect "intrusive ongoing supervision" of their activities, regardless of their chosen location.

Dublin has been tipped as a potential contender to win investment displaced from London, as a result of the UK's decision to pull out of the European Union, as it vies with a number of other European capitals, including Paris.

Central Bank deputy governor Sharon Donnery told a gathering at London's Chatham House that Brexit will see some relocation of financial services companies to Ireland.

Regulation

But she warned that there needs to be a common approach across all European countries towards regulation, as capitals seek to carve up the Brexit spoils.

"What is important is that regardless of where an entity seeks to relocate, firms should expect a rigorous assessment of the applicable regulatory standards and intrusive ongoing supervision of their activities," Ms Donnery said.

"Regulatory authorities in the EU operate as part of the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS) and, as such, should apply European legislative requirements in a uniform manner."

Read more: Fast track 'back' to EU for banks leaving London after Brexit

Earlier this month, Ms Donnery's colleague at the Central Bank, director of insurance supervision Sylvia Cronin, said 30 insurance firms have either expressed interest in setting up here in recent months due to Brexit, or sought authorisation.

It came just a day after US insurer AIG announced it was setting up an operation in Luxembourg, in a blow to Dublin's post-Brexit ambitions.

The regulator here said five companies have sought authorisation as insurance or reinsurance undertakings since November, and another five have signalled a firm intention to do so.

A further 20 insurance entities have contacted the Central Bank to discuss authorisation.

Ms Donnery said yesterday that authorisation-related activity in Ireland has continued to increase including queries from banks, markets firms, queries regarding payments and electronic money, and insurance authorisations.

But she signalled few decisions to move have been made yet.

"To date, these have largely been exploratory. For example, in the case of Ireland, the semi-annual growth rate of the number of Irish resident investment funds since the UK referendum in June 2016 to December 2016 stood at 3.13pc," Ms Donnery said.

"This is close to the longer-term trend seen since December 2012.

"This may serve as evidence that, to date, there have not been significant location spill over effects.

"In the main, firms are waiting until Article 50 is triggered before taking concrete decisions on activity and location."

Ms Donnery told the gathering that although the short-term risks of Brexit were overestimated by some, it was important not to underestimate the risks over the medium and longer term.
The sit in by farmers at the Department of Agriculture office at Nenagh was called off late last night following the intervention of a senior officer of the Department who travelled to the North Tipperary capital to meet with the IFA members on the protest.

Tim Cullinane, Chairman, Tipperary North IFA, has confirmed to FarmIreland.ie that arrangements are now in place for a top level meeting next week on the issues of over diligent farm inspections, which they allege farmers in the area were being subjected to for a number of years past.

Our concerns are now going to be discussed at a high level to get fair play for the farmers in the area  and that meeting is to take place within a week  that is all that we were looking for  fair play for farmers  because what was going on was not acceptable and could not continue to be tolerated, he said.

The breakthrough came late on Thursday evening  as 10 farmers were preparing for a round the clock sit in at the offices  when a senior inspector from the Department of Agriculture travelled to Nenagh and had a 20 minute meeting with the protesting farmers during which they explained their concerns and were given assurance of a formal meeting within a week to discuss their grievances in depth with the objective of more clarity and fair play for all.

Tim Cullinane said that as IFA Chairman in the region he was not prepared to allow the regime to which some farmers were being subjected to, to continue.

I have heard of one case where an inspector arrived on a farm on the day of a funeral out of the house and insisted in going ahead with the inspection. That is unacceptable to me, he said.

Several requests had been made by IFA over recent months for a meeting with the senior inspector of the area to discuss the ongoing situation, but the association had met with a blunt refusal and we felt that we were left with no option other than the protest to bring the matter to a head, said Mr Cullinane today.

The North Tipperary IFA Chairman said that the treatment of Tipperary farmers on area aid inspections was not acceptable and can no longer be tolerated.

He said that out of 321 inspections carried out by the Nenagh office and penalties were applied in 53pc of the cases, amounting to total fines of 1.28m. The average penalty applied in the area was 1,300.

The national figure for inspections is that penalties have been applied in 39pc of inspections with the average penalty 750.

The Department of Agriculture had defended the action being taken and pointed out in a statement yesterday afternoon, that Irish farming receives over 1.4 billion per annum in direct payments; the majority of this is from the EU Budget and the department are obliged to supervise the operation of the scheme in this country.

"Payments under various Farm Schemes are subject to compliance by the beneficiaries with the relevant EU Regulations and the specific terms and conditions of the schemes, the statement said.

"In accordance with the requirements of EU Regulations, inspections are carried out at farm level by trained Department staff to ensure compliance by the beneficiaries and consistency in the outcome. Selection of farms for inspection can be random or risk based and many inspections are done by remote sensing (without the necessity of a visit).

"The Department strives to ensure that farm visits are kept to a minimum and, where possible, that a number of schemes are covered in one visit.

"Where non-compliances are determined, a penalty may apply to payments in respect of the non-compliance on a sliding scale; the level of penalties is on average each year, quite small. The level of penalty varies across each county depending on land type, intensity of farming, etc."

Farmers who are unhappy with penalties, they said, can has recourse to an internal Departmental review (by a different official) of the decision should he/she wish to challenge the outcome of an inspection, or can refer the matter to the Agricultural Appeals Office who will carry out an independent review of any decision.

They also can also refer the matter to the office of the Ombudsman should he/she wish to challenge the decision of the Agricultural Appeals Office.
A full environmental study on the impact of a 32km greenway along a sparsely populated busy tourist tourist in south Kerry is needed, because of the sensitive nature of the landscape and the scale of the project, the planning board has ruled.

The Glenbeigh to Renard South Kerry Greenway, to run along the west Kerry branch of the old Great Southern & Western railway line was announced by then Environment Minister Alan Kelly in 2014, shortly before the local elections of that year.

But it is meeting with resistance from a small number of farmers and landowners concerned about land severance and potential interference.

Because agreement with all 170 landowners could not be reached, (the council initially estimated the number of landowners at 120) Kerry County Council is acquiring the land by compulsory purchase and that process is also underway.

The council sought direction from An Bord Pleanala as to whether its proposal would have significant effects on the environment, which it believed likely.

The greenway route is partially, though not exclusively, along the line operating between 1895 and 1960 and the land has been incorporated into farms and backyards and in some cases built across.

Around 29pc of the 32km route will be off-line into 'greenfield' lands.

The proposal is to construct a macadam road up to 3.0m wide for cyclists and walkers, with fencing and with access for crossing tractors and maintenance vehicles.

Just a small section, around 1 km, will be shared with the N70.

The actual works will involving the use of spectacular iron bridges and protected via ducts over Kells and Dingle Bay as well as old tunnels.

Scrub clearance as well as repair to the Valencia River and Gleensk Viaducts is needed. A new steel bridge 15 m long will also have to be put in between the two tunnels at Drung Hill near the Mountain Stage approach.

The proposal is to construct a macadam road up to 3.0m wide for cyclists and walkers, with access for crossing tractors and maintenance vehicles.

Just a small section, around 1km, will be shared with the N70.

It runs through designations of natural heritage , special conservation and protection. The impact on human beings of the greenway will be beneficial but it will result in habitat loss especially where the railway has reverted to semi-natural vegetation. The tunnel work will impact on bats and the off-line work could well uncover archaeological finds, the planning inspector, Michael Dillon noted.

Impacts from this development are likely to be locally, and in certain instances, regionally significant. The area is not densely populated, but is heavily used by tourists, he noted.

The board has ruled in line with its inspector. It has done so also because of the ecological sensitivity of the receiving environment including the Killarney National Park, MacGillycuddy's Reeks, the Iveragh Peninsula and the special areas of protection conservation of, sea, river and harbour - of the Caragh river catchment SPA, Iveragh Peninsula SPA, and Valencia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC.

The board also took into account roads acts requirements. The order will oblige the roads authority to conduct the assessment as County Council is going though the roads rather than the planning acts for the development.

A spokesman for the council said this week that the direction is unlikely to further delay the now already much delayed greenway .

Some of the assessment work has already been carried out by the council in planning the route, the spokesman said. The CPO process will also have to be dealt with by An Bord Pleanala, and the two will work in tandem, he added.
Ireland is one of 13 applicants to the new Beijing-based international financial institution whose membership was approved yesterday. Photo: Reuters

Ireland's application for membership of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has been formally approved.

Ireland is one of 13 applicants to the new Beijing-based international financial institution whose membership was approved yesterday.

It is the first time the AIIB has welcomed new members since it inception, the multilateral financial institution said.

The approved applicants include eight non-Asian countries - Canada, Belgium, Ethiopia, Hungary, Ireland, Peru, Republic of Sudan and Venezuela - and five regional members, namely Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Armenia, Fiji and Timor Leste.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan said Ireland's application for AIIB membership is based on a desire to further strengthen the State's growing trade and economic links to Asia and China in particular.

"I am pleased that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Board of Governors approved Ireland's application for membership," he said.

"The AIIB will play an important role in fostering sustainable economic growth and prosperity in Asia and Ireland's proposed membership will further strengthen our relationship with this important region."

The US initially tried to dissuade allies from joining the Chinese-led initiative, amid concerns it would challenge the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, over which the US has influence. But as more countries signed up, the US changed its tune, with then Treasury Secretary Jack Lew saying as long as it complements existing institutions and adopts high governance standards, Washington would welcome it.

It has attracted many US allies including Britain, Germany, Australia and South Korea among the 57 founding members. Canada applied to join the AIIB last year. Ireland was not a founding member. Mr Noonan said Ireland will now proceed with the domestic legislative steps necessary to complete the membership process.

The AIIB was set up by China in 2014 to spur investment in Asia in transportation, energy, telecommunications and other infrastructure.

Ireland is already a member of the Asian Development Bank (ADP), having joined in 2006.

Jin Liqun, AIIB President, said the interest in joining AIIB affirms the rapid progress the bank has made to establish it as an international institution.

"I am very proud that AIIB now has members from almost every continent, and we anticipate further applications being considered by our Board of Governors later this year," he said.

The 13 members will officially join AIIB once they complete the required domestic processes and deposit the first instalment of capital with the bank.
Dromoland Castle has won a planning battle to install a new water supply as part of a 16m upgrade - despite opposition from neighbour Lord Inchiquin who claimed it would devalue his estate.

An Bord Pleanala has given the five-star hotel in Co Clare permission for the vital part of the redevelopment, in spite of the protest from Conor O'Brien, chief of the 75,000-strong O'Brien clan.

"We are delighted with the decision. It is a vital piece of the major refurbishment going on here right now," said Dromoland general manager Mark Nolan.

Mr Nolan said that there has never been such investment in five-star hotels in Ireland and added: "We believe the 16m is money well spent. The hotel property is being restored to its former glory with the help of a fabulous historical architect." Mr Nolan said the year ahead "looks very sold - it is very promising".

The Inchiquins sold on Dromoland Castle in 1962 and today live in Thomond House on adjoining lands.

In his appeal against the Clare County Council decision to grant planning for the water supply, Lord Inchiquin told An Bord Pleanala that his estate will be substantially devalued as a result of conditions imposed by the council connected to the planning permission.

Lord Inchiquin stated in his appeal that the conditions attached to the permission "would cause the sterilisation of my farmland".

He said that the plan would also "cause a total restriction on my farming practices such as the spreading of slurry and fertilisers and would prejudice and disrupt my entire farming enterprise and cause serious economic difficulty and would seriously affect the value of my agricultural lands and substantially devalue my entire estate".

The 18th Baron Inchiquin also argued in his appeal that "the storage tanks and facility pumping houses and treatment facility will impact adversely on my property and residence being adjacent and located near my residence".

Lord Inchiquin also told that the board that pumping houses and treatment facilities "will cause noise pollution and its location is entirely inconsistent with the integrity and aesthetics of Thomond House and also Dromoland Castle which is of national architectural and historical importance".

The Lord claimed: "Its proximity to my residence will adversely impact upon the integrity and value of my home and land."

It is not the first time that Lord Inchiquin has been in conflict with Dromoland Castle. In 2012, the High Court refused an application for Dromoland Castle to return to him 37 paintings valued at 1.4m.

The board inspector in the planning case said that based on the nature, scale and location of the proposed development to adjoining dwellings, he did not consider it would have any impact on residential amenity.

The board stated that it would not have a significant negative impact on the groundwater resources in the area.
Businessman Ray Coyle has resigned as chairman and director of the company behind Tayto, ending his 35-year relationship with the snack maker.

His departure comes following the complete takeover of the business by German food group Intersnack in 2015.

Mr Coyle has resigned as a director of both Tayto Crisps and its parent company, Largo Foods, which he founded in 1982.

Largo also produces the Hunky Dory and King crisp brands. It bought the Tayto brand in 2006 from C&C.

Mr Coyle sold an initial 15pc stake in Largo Foods to Intersnack in 2007 for 15m.

He later sold a further stake in the business to the German firm and in 2015 sold his final 25pc holding in Largo to Intersnack.

Mr Coyle had an option to buy back an 11pc stake in Largo in 2015, but did not exercise it.

When he sold his remaining stake, he agreed to remain as a director and chairman of the company until at least this year.

New company filings show that he resigned as a director at the end of December. Mr Coyle was uncontactable yesterday.

Intersnack owns a raft of other brands including Hula-Hoops, KP and Skips.

But Mr Coyle's other connections to Tayto continue.

Mr Coyle opened Tayto Park in 2010,putting millions of euro of his own money into the venture, which is situated beside the Tayto factory in Ashbourne, Co Meath.

The park has grown to become one of the country's biggest visitor attractions. It was ranked number six among paid attractions in 2015 by Failte Ireland, attracting 750,000 visitors that year.

It is home to Europe's largest wooden rollercoaster, the Cu Chulainn, which opened in 2015. This year, the park is opening a major water ride, dubbed the Viking Voyage. It will also include a Viking village.

Mr Coyle, who started his working life as a potato farmer, famously raffled off 280 acres of land in 1982 in order to pay back money owed to banks as his business struggled.

He has a number of other investments outside Tayto Park. He's an investor in Cork-based firm Everseen, whose technology helps to prevent fraud, theft and irregularities at the point of sale in stores.
Most of the branch closures are in country towns, but five are set to go in Dublin. Stock photo: PA

Rural areas are set to be the big losers after Ulster Bank confirmed it is closing branches.

The bank confirmed that it is shutting 22 branches and laying off 220 people.

Most of the branch closures are in country towns, but five are set to go in Dublin.

The Dublin closures include relatively well-off places such as Dalkey, Donnybrook, Rathmines and Sandyford. Four branches are going in towns in Cork.

To counteract the closing of one-fifth of its branch network, the bank says that it will add two new mobile banks to its network.

It is aiming to achieve reductions in staff numbers through voluntary redundancies, but this cannot be guaranteed, it is understood.

The bank employs 2,810 people in branches and other roles.

There will be 88 branches left after the closures, which will take place in June and September.

Defending closures and lay-offs, the bank said it was seeing an average of just 30 customers a day using the branches it is closing.

Some 62pc of its transactions were digital last year. This compares with 10pc in branches, Ulster Bank said.

News of the branch closures was first reported in the Irish Independent earlier this month.

Read more: Charlie Weston: This latest body blow will leave towns with little but tumbleweed

Ulster Bank chief executive Gerry Mallon said as well as doubling the number of mobile banks, the lender will introduce community bankers. These are officials who will help vulnerable customers to transact digitally.

The bank is also increasing its investment in its existing branches, he said.

Mr Mallon said closing a branch was a difficult decision which the bank did not take lightly.

"Our branch network remains an important part of how we serve our customers. However, the role of the branch continues to move towards advice and away from day-to-day transactions, with only 10pc of our customer interactions now happening in branch," he said.

The bank said it was consulting with the Financial Services Union (FSU) on the job losses.

The union expressed its opposition to closures and redundancies. "Ulster Bank in the Republic made a profit of 280m in 2016," senior industrial relations officer Gareth Murphy said.

Ulster Bank branches are closing in the following towns: Ardara, Co Donegal; Arva, Co Cavan; Ballincollig, Co Cork; Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo; Ballymote, Co Sligo; Blackpool, Co Cork; Briarhill, Co Galway; Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan; Carrigaline, Co Cork; Castletroy, Co Limerick; Cootehill, Co Cavan; Dalkey, Co Dublin; Donnybrook, Dublin; Dorset Street, Dublin; Edenderry, Co Offaly; Edgeworthstown, Co Longford; Fermoy, Co Cork; Newcastle, Co Galway; Newcastlewest, Co Limerick; Raphoe, Co Donegal; Rathmines, Dublin; and Sandyford, Dublin.
The Central Bank is prepared to review rules that restrict credit unions from helping to fund social housing. (Stock picture)

The Central Bank is prepared to review rules that restrict credit unions from helping to fund social housing.

But the regulator for the sector warned that many credit unions are falling below the regulatory standards required.

Register of credit unions at the Central Bank Anne Marie McKiernan was responding to fierce criticism of her office earlier in the week.

Credit union bodies expressed frustration over the failure by regulators and the Government to make changes to allow them to help fund social housing.

Ms McKiernan told the Oireachtas Finance Committee the Central Bank will engage with the sector about changing regulations that could allow for the funding of social housing.

But she said the onus was on the credit unions to ensure that they were investing the money of their members in a "prudent" way.

She said that credit union management had not presented the Central Bank with adequate proposals that met the regulatory compliance standards.

Ms McKiernan said the biggest challenge facing the sector is to figure out how to grow lending in a responsible manner.
NBRU General Secretary Dermot O'Leary at the Bus Eireann strike at Broadstone bus depot this morning. Pic:Mark Condren 24.3.2017

Irish Rail passengers have been warned of major disruption due to the Bus Eireann strike today but Dublin Bus avoided a similar contagion across services by pulling its fleet out of a shared depot.

Bus Eireann Drivers stopped working at midnight across the country and the disruption has now spread to the rail network due to picketing related to the dispute.

There will be no service on the following routes:

Limerick to Limerick Junction (including Limerick to Dublin direct services), Waterford to Limerick Junction, Limerick to Galway, Limerick to Ballybrophy via Nenagh.

Meanwhile the following routes will have limited services:

Dublin/Sligo: reduced timetable, with services operating between Dublin and Longford/Boyle only. Please note 17.15 and 18.05 Connolly to Longford commuter services will operate.

Dublin/Waterford: reduced timetable, with services operating between Dublin and Kilkenny only.

Dublin/Galway: reduced timetable will operate between Dublin and Galway.

Dublin/Rosslare: reduced timetable will operate between Dublin and Wexford/Rosslare Europort. Evening commuters should note the only service scheduled to operate at this time is 17.36hrs Connolly to Wexford.

Tralee to Mallow/Cork/Dublin: reduced timetable will operate

DART, Dublin and Cork Commuter, Westport and Belfast routes are currently operating as normal.

A number of trains have been cancelled this morning and passengers are advised to check in with Irish Rail for information on their route.

Fans travelling to the Republic of Ireland v Wales Clash in the Aviva will also be affected with the connecting train to Limerick not operating.

The Dublin/Cork, Dublin/Galway, Dublin/Sligo, Dublin/Waterford, Dublin/Rosslare, Dublin/Limerick Junction will run and the special trains, the 23.15train from Dublin Heuston to Cork and 23.25 train from Dublin Heuston to Galway will operate.

There will be a full DART and Commuter service operating, including extra services before and after match.

As per the normal match arrangements trains will not stop at Grand Canal Dock Station between 21.10 and 22.35.

Bus Eireann tickets are not valid on Iarnrod Eireann services during the dispute and commuters have been warned to expect a higher demand on services.

Expand Close Cancelled trains (Irish Rail website) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Cancelled trains (Irish Rail website)

Bus Eireann staff share six depots across the country with Irish Rail, while another is shared with Dublin Bus at Broadstone.

Meanwhile, Dublin Bus prevented a contagion by pulling its fleet out of the station last night and moving it to Harristown.

The site is split in two ordinarily, and there is a Phibsboro 1 and Phibsboro 2 depot, one Dublin Bus worker explained.

Bus Eireann operated from Phibsboro 2 as well as some of the Dublin Bus services, but management prevented a potential situation occurring by pulling Dublin Bus out of Phibsboro and moving the fleet to Harristown and the control centre to Phibsboro 1, both of which are outside the picket line, he added.

This morning there was no sign of animosity between the drivers of Dublin Bus and their Bus Eireann counterparts.

They have our full support but we in Dublin Bus are not in dispute so we are working as normal, the Dublin Bus worker explained.

But while contagion to Dublin Bus was prevented, the same could not be said for train services, with many routes affected around the country when train drivers refused to cross picket lines of Bus Eireann drivers in locations where they share facilities.

Train drivers in Cork will return to work at 11am and Cork/Heuston and Cork commuter services will resume.

Irish Rail is relaying live information to customers on their Twitter feed.

"We are running what we can run... in a number of locations there are pickets that our employees have decided not to pass," Irish Rail spokesman Barry Kenny told Morning Ireland.

"We had hoped to have a more extensive service today."

Staff who opt not to cross the picket line will not be paid he confirmed.

"Obviously if people don't work they don't get paid and people do understand that," he said.

Refunds will be provided to anyone who had pre-booked a ticket but there is no compensation for alternative arrangements made by customers.

The company will update customers later on scheduled additional services for the Republic of Ireland clash against Wales in the Aviva. The services cannot be guaranteed the company said.

There are no additional rail services to replace the missing bus services.

The company has noted that it is not party to the dispute.

Meanwhile, Dublin Bus services are operating as normal.

Speaking this morning to Newstalk Breakfast, Siptu organiser Willie Noone, said drivers were prepared to see the company collapse because they feel they have "nothing to lose".

"This is not like any other dispute that we have had in regards to pay or any other issues in recent years," he said.

"This is a fundamental issue about decent conditions in a workplace."

When asked to comment on the possibility that the industrial action would force the company to go under Mr Noone said:

"We have explained this to our membership that this is a concern that we have on their behalf and they have indicated to us that it's not really much of a choice, working for a company on rates of pay that they can't survive on.

"Do they continue to subsidize pubic transport on their backs or on their families' backs?

"Some of those people have clearly said to us that if it it means Bus Eireann has to go broke well so be it because they have nothing to lose at this stage," he added.

The all-out strike action will be in place indefinitely, with union sources saying that there is no indication of both sides going to the negotiation table any time soon.

Most bus services are at a standstill but some services, including school buses are operating. Unions have warned that school buses could also be drawn into the dispute "very quickly".

The GoBe.ie, Eurolines and cross-Border Translink operated services are still expected to run despite the striek action according to the company.

The Cork to Dublin GoBe services will not operate and the late-night specials from Cork and Galway to Dublin will run for Ireland fans travelling home from the game.

The dispute centres on cuts to pay and the threat of job losses.

Stephen Kent, Chief Commercial Officer at Bus Eireann, told RTE Morning Ireland that school bus services and and Euroline services and some Translink services are operating.

"I just want to sincerely apologise on behalf of the company to all of the customers who are discommoded by the action and the inconvenience caused to them today."

Mr Kent said the company faces a grave financial outlook.

"We are in a position where 40pc of our costs are made up by our payroll and eventually we had to look at our payroll and to address that and that is really the focus of the dispute."

He continued: "The board of management are looking at a situation that is actually deteriorating rather than improving."

He stopped short of saying he would call the examiner in.

"Our losses will amount to an additional 500,000 each day so that is an issue. The directors will have to take all the necessary action so they can look after the business and make sure it has a viable future."

A spokeswoman for Bus Eireann said the company's losses had already jumped by 41pc in January and February on the same period last year - and losses in 2016 were 9.4m.

Bus Eireann is expected to lose 500,000 on each day of the strike.

A multi vehicle crash on the N7 at the Rathcoole junction is also causing delays for drivers this morning.

In Cork emergency services are also on route to a car on fire on the M8 on the Dublin/Cork Road southbound at junction 14.
A stay has been put on his deportation, pending the outcome of High Court proceedings. Stock Image

A convicted Islamic terrorist who the Justice Minister is seeking to deport is due to be released from prison in Ireland today.

The man, who previously served time in France for plotting to commit terror offences across Europe, is set to be released having served a six-month term for possessing a false Belgian identity document while attempting to board a flight from Dublin to Athens.

But a stay has been put on his deportation, pending the outcome of High Court proceedings in which he is challenging an order expelling him from the country. Although the court has already rejected his appeal of the deportation order, it has yet to decide whether he should be given leave to bring the case to the Court of Appeal.

The 53-year-old's identity and his country of origin cannot be published for legal reasons.

In court earlier this week, Remy Farrell SC, counsel for Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, urged Mr Justice Richard Humphreys to give the decision as soon as possible.

He said there was some urgency due to the man's impending release from prison.

The judge said he would need time to consider arguments made in favour of an appeal by the man's counsel, Michael Lynn SC. A decision could be issued today, when the case is due before the court for mention.

Although a stay exists on his deportation, gardai are not precluded from arresting the man following his release from jail, if there are grounds for doing so.

In a ruling last week, the court detailed how the man was originally denied refugee status after arriving in Ireland in 1997.

But he secured asylum in 2000 after duping a refugee appeals tribunal about his background. His application was made under a false name and he falsely claimed his parents and brother were killed by extremists. He had in fact been convicted and sentenced to death in his home country for forming an armed terrorist group, murder, arson, theft and possession of "war weapons", but managed to skip the country.

After becoming a refugee in Ireland, he was given permission to travel abroad and in 2002 he was arrested in France.

He was subsequently convicted of membership of an organisation planning acts of terrorism in England, Ireland, Spain, Andorra and France.

The man was deported back to Ireland after being released from prison and had his refugee status rescinded. He has been fighting attempts to deport him back to his home country since 2012.

During hearings the court was told gardai believed the man's activities and associates were "of serious concern" and "contrary to the State's security".

Despite his convictions in his home country and France, the man has rejected claims he is involved in terrorism. He also fears he will come to harm if returned to his home country.

Worrying

The case has raised worrying questions about the asylum screening process in operation at the time of his acceptance as a refugee. It comes at a time when the Government is facing considerable pressure from the EU to improve information-sharing systems used to combat international terrorism and organised crime.

Formal infringement procedures were launched by the European Commission last September after Ireland failed to put in place systems for sharing DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data, which should have been in place by 2011. The Department of Justice has pledged to have the systems ready by the end of the year.
The High Court has refused to give a convicted Islamic terrorist leave to appeal against a judgment  a decision that has paved the way for his deportation.

Efforts by the man to secure leave to appeal first to the Court of the Appeal, and, when that failed, to the Supreme Court, were rejected today.

The man, described as a threat to national security, can now be deported to his home country.

He finished serving a six-month sentence today for possessing a false Belgian passport while attempting to board a flight from Dublin to Athens.

But gardai arrested him on foot of a deportation order immediately after he walked out of the prison and he was taken into custody.

It is thought his deportation is imminent.

The mans name and country of origin cannot be disclosed for legal reasons.

He has convictions for serious terror offences in his home country and France.

The man was given refugee status in Ireland after duping a tribunal about his background, but this was revoked after his activities became known to authorities.

Last week Mr Justice Richard Humphreys rejected a challenge by the man against a decision by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald to order his deportation.

His lawyers then applied for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

But today Mr Justice Humphreys refused to grant the application.

In a ruling he said no point of law of exceptional public interest arose and that it was not in the public interest for the man to be permitted to bring his case to the Court of Appeal.

The judge ordered that a stay on the mans deportation be discharged forthwith. He also said reporting restrictions on the mans country of origin would continue for at least two months after he is removed from the State.

Sinead McGrath BL, counsel for the Justice Minister, said her side had always been frank that they intended to proceed with deportation.

The mans barrister, David Leonard, made further arguments to the court, this time seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

He argued the man would be irrevocably prejudiced if he was deported to his home country and that a refugee appeals tribunal had found he would be at risk of torture.

But these arguments were rejected by Mr Justice Humphreys.

The judge said he was of the view there was an enormously strong argument for the deportation order being implemented.

He said the mans brother had been deported to their home country and had not come to any harm.

Mr Justice Humphreys said the mans credibility was minimal as he had lied to gain refugee status in Ireland, something which was later revoked.

He noted the man had attempted to flee the jurisdiction using a false passport last year.

The judge said the man had committed a fraud on the immigration system and had used his presence in Ireland to commit terrorism offences here and in other states.

In a separate ruling last week, Mr Justice Humphreys detailed how the man was originally denied refugee status after arriving in Ireland in 1997.

But he secured asylum in 2000 after duping a refugee appeals tribunal about his background.

His application was made under a false name and he falsely claimed his parents and brother were killed by extremists.

He had in fact been convicted and sentenced to death in his home country for forming an armed terrorist group, murder, arson, theft and possession of war weapons, but it appears he did not serve any of those sentences and managed to travel to Ireland.

After becoming a refugee in Ireland he was given permission to travel abroad and in 2002 he was arrested in France.

He was subsequently convicted of membership of an organisation planning acts of terrorism in England, Ireland, Spain, Andorra and France.

The man was deported back to Ireland after being released from prison and had his refugee status rescinded. He has been fighting attempts to deport him back to his home country since 2012.

During hearings the court was told gardai believed the mans activities and associates were of serious concern and contrary to the States security.

Despite his convictions in his home country and France, the man has rejected claims he is involved in terrorism. He also fears he will come to harm if returned to his home country.

The case has raised worrying questions about the asylum screening process in operation at the time of his acceptance as a refugee.

It comes at a time when the Government is facing considerable pressure from the EU to improve information sharing systems used to combat international terrorism and organised crime. Formal infringement procedures were launched by the European Commission last September after Ireland failed to put in place systems for sharing DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data, which should have been in place as far back as 2011.

The Department of Justice has pledged to have the systems ready by the end of the year.
In his home country he was sentenced to three life sentences and two death sentences in 1996 and 1997. (Stock photo)

The man facing deportation proceedings has a long list of terror-related offences to his name. He was accused of involvement in a terrorist Islamist organisation in his home country, and sentenced to three life sentences and two death sentences in 1996 and 1997.

Although death sentences were imposed, in practice they have not been enforced in the country for many years.

In 2001, after he had been granted refugee status in Ireland, he was arrested in Andorra for fraud offences. He was released on bail. It is unclear whether the bail was honoured. He was arrested in France in July 2002 by French intelligence services as he was planning to travel for the UK.

In 2005, he was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris for membership of a criminal organisation preparing acts of terrorism in England, Ireland, Spain, Andorra and France between 1997 and 2002.

He was also convicted of terrorism and fraudulent possession and use of false identity and occupation documents in Marseilles in 2001 and 2002, receiving stolen goods, and illegal entry or stay of a foreigner in France. The man was deported to Ireland in 2009.

He was arrested at Dublin Airport on October 16 last year attempting to board a Ryanair flight to Athens in possession of a false Belgian identity document and around 2,700 in cash.

He pleaded guilty to possession of the document and was sentenced to six months in prison.
A newspaper vendor, who has sold millions of papers over almost 40 years from a four-wheeled buggy, has been told to "push off " from his stand at the main entrance doors to a South Dublin shopping centre

Whether George Davis will continue spreading the news in Dun Laoghaire hangs on a courts attitude to evidence of a purported contract agreed by barristers John Peart, now a senior counsel, and Mary Finlay, now Appeal Court Judge Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan.

Judge Francis Comerford was told in the Circuit Civil Court that solicitors involved in a late 1970s bid to shift Davis from his Georges Street site had been struck out by the High Court on foot of the settlement.

Barrister Mark ORiordan, who appeared with Kenny Sullivan Solicitors for Davis, told the judge the written agreement could not be found and had not been made an order of court at the time. Mr Davis and a number of staff who worked the pitch, gave evidence to the court.

Expand Close John Breen and George Davis, pictured leaving the Four Court after a Circuit Civil Court action.Pic: Collins Courts / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp John Breen and George Davis, pictured leaving the Four Court after a Circuit Civil Court action.Pic: Collins Courts

John Peart SC said that when the shopping centre was being built in the 1970s a hoarding around the construction site contained an indentation from which Mr Davis, of Hadleigh, Ballybride Road, Rathmichael, Dublin, continued to sell his papers to passers-by.

He said the then Ms Finlay had drawn up an agreement which they both signed stating that Davis could sell his newspapers from the central entrance.

It clearly gave Mr Davis a right to sell his newspapers at the front entrance only of the shopping centre for his lifetime, Peart told Mr ORiordan. The case was over. We went into court and had it struck out.

Coltard, which acquired the centre in 1998 plans a 10million redevelopment of the centre involving the creation of two large anchor stores fronting on to Marine Road and onto Georges Street.

Raymond Delahunt, counsel for Coltard, told the court that at no time since 1998 had Mr Davis paid a rent to Coltard and his unauthorised use of the shopping centre entrance to sell papers had never been sanctioned by the company.

Mr Delahunt, who appeared with Baily Homan Smyth McVeigh Solicitors, said Mr Daviss use of the property was no more than a mere licence which was revocable at Coltards option.

In July 2013 the company received a complaint from a tenant concerning Daviss trolley-type structure and the fact that third parties, including cigarette smokers, regularly congregated at it causing obstruction of the entrance and fire exit.

Mr Delahunt said Coltard, considering the flammable nature of newspapers, had a genuine concern for the safety of its employees, customers and tenants. Davis had twice been asked and had refused to vacate the property. Coltard was seeking court orders directing him to move on.

In a defence and counterclaim Mr ORiordan alleged Mr Davis had sold newspapers at the entrance for more than 38 years and holds a lifelong irrevocable licence which he asked the court to affirm. Davis also seeks an injunction restraining Coltard from interfering with his news vending pitch.

Judge Comerford has reserved judgment.
A man who made menacing phone calls to a stranger, demanding money, has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Patrick Clarke (31) admitted to gardai that he made two calls to Paul Gilmartin but denied the charge of demanding money with menaces.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the two calls were made at a time when the victim was being subjected to a sustained level of threatening calls and messages demanding payment of 60,000.

He received one text message that read: "You've got to pay, I'll cut your balls off."

After a two-day trial, a jury convicted Clarke of making an unwarranted demand with menace on May 10, 2012, with a view to making a gain for himself or another. The jury also found Clarke, of Corduff Place, Blanchardstown, guilty by majority of the same offence on a date after May 10, 2012.

Judge Gerard Griffin jailed him for three-and-a-half years, suspending the final 18 months for two years on strict conditions.

Clarke was arrested after one of the calls was traced to an anonymous SIM card pack bought by him. He told gardai he was asked by a man he did not know to buy the card and that later the same day he was asked to call Mr Gilmartin's number.

The court heard the two men did not know each other. Clarke rang Mr Gilmartin and told him that "we know" where he lived, worked and what car he drove.

Clarke said he made a second call in the following days, telling the victim it was his "last chance" to pay up.

Mr Gilmartin testified that he had been subjected to sustained nuisance calls and texts for weeks before and after the calls from Clarke. There was evidence others were involved.

The calls from a blocked number began on May 8, with the caller demanding 60,000.
ROY WEBSTER has been found guilty of the brutal murder of mother-of-three Anne Shortall, who he battered to death with a hammer after she blackmailed him over a one night stand they had.

A jury today convicted Webster (40), who savagely beat Anne (47) about the head, wrapped her face up with duct tape and drove her to his home, where he hid her body in his workshop.

The married father-of-two killed her when she claimed he had made her pregnant and threatened to tell his wife unless he paid her for an abortion.

Webster, a cabinet maker, had denied the murder but admitted manslaughter. That plea was not accepted by the prosecution.

He is facing a sentence of life imprisonment after a jury of four women and seven men delivered its verdict at the Central Criminal Court.

He started straight ahead with an eyebrow raised and his mouth hung open as the verdict was delivered at the Central Criminal Court at 12.42pm today.

Expand Close Victim Anne Shortall was not pregnant at the time of her killing by Roy Webster in Wicklow / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Victim Anne Shortall was not pregnant at the time of her killing by Roy Webster in Wicklow

Glancing from left to right for a few moments without moving, he then shook his head slightly and bowed it.

Anne Shortalls children Emma, Alanna and David were in court, as was her husband Colin and other family members. A sigh of relief went up from the bench where they sat as the foreman of the jury replied yes to confirm the verdict on the issue paper that found Webster guilty of murder instead of manslaughter.

Some of Annes family wept and others held each others hands on hearing the verdict.

Websters wife Sinead and her parents were also present in court. Sinead Webster raised her head and closed her eyes while waiting for the verdict, then opened them and looked straight ahead, showing no emotion.

Webster, a married father-of-two killed Anne when she claimed he had made her pregnant and threatened to tell his wife unless he paid her for an abortion.

He had denied the murder but admitted manslaughter. That plea was not accepted by the prosecution.

Expand Close Victim Anne Shortall was not pregnant at the time of her killing by Roy Webster in Wicklow / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Victim Anne Shortall was not pregnant at the time of her killing by Roy Webster in Wicklow

Webster, who is already in custody having never applied for bail will be handed down the mandatory life sentence later this afternoon at a sentencing hearing.

Judge McCarthy thanked the jury and exempted them from further jury service from 10 years.

The verdict was unanimous despite the jury having been given an option of reaching a majority verdict less than 20 minutes earlier.

Three minutes after the verdict was delivered, the four women and seven men filed out.

Shaking his head again, Webster was led from the dock by a jailer, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and purple tie and carrying a red anorak on one arm.

Over the course of the eight-day trial, the court heard Webster, from Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow spent the weekend with his wife, four-year-old daughter and their six-week old son while Anne's body was hidden in the workshop in their shed.

Webster had met Anne Shortall (47) at the end of a work night out in Wicklow Town on December 20, 2014.

They got talking, kissed and he ended up going back to her apartment where they had sex.

He stayed until the following morning and got a taxi home to his then-pregnant wife and daughter and had no more contact with Anne at that stage.

The jury heard how Anne, a separated mother of three, was under growing financial pressure at the time of her encounter with Roy Webster.

Expand Close Roy Webster leaving court / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Roy Webster leaving court

In early 2015, her rent arrears reached 1,840, culminating in eviction proceedings, with a final notice served on March 11. She owed 2,222 in electricity bills.

Anne began trying to contact Webster in mid March through one of his cousins on Facebook - Steven Armstrong.

Meanwhile, she accidentally sent a message to a stranger, Stephen Armstrong: Tell your mate Roy that I need 5,000 for an abortion.

Her first direct contact with Roy Webster was when she called his landline at home at 3.26am on March 25. He happened to be up, feeding his newborn baby and she said "check your Facebook page."

By March 30, she was carrying out research online about how much it would cost an Irish woman to go to the UK for an abortion.

Anne later texted Webster: I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Im pregnant.

Anne was due out of her home by April 9. However, a day before she disappeared, with her eviction imminent, she texted the letting agent to say she had got the arrears and at least six months rent.

I aint going anywhere, she told the agent.

She told Webster she was looking for money for an abortion when they met outside her apartment at Craven Cottage, South Quay in Wicklow Town on the evening of April 2, the jury heard.

They arranged to meet again the following afternoon, Good Friday, April 3.

First, that morning, he had a job to finish on a kitchen but both he and the client had forgotten it was a bank holiday and she was not able to pay him.

Next, he had to pick up a childrens book he had ordered for his four-year-old daughter at Bridge Street Books in Wicklow Town - Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy.

Finally, he texted Anne: Meet at Leitrim?, she replied on way and they met outside the Leitrim Lounge pub.

He drove her in his work van to The Murrough, a coastal industrial area quiet enough that they could talk discreetly.

The pair were at cross purposes over the supposed pregnancy. She wanted money - STG6,500, and he wanted proof.

They argued and she got out of the van. He opened his door and followed her, he said, to calm her down. Anne threatened to blow the lid about their sexual encounter if he did not pay her.

Websters own account of what happened next, given to the gardai in interviews, was the only version of events available to the jury.

He opened the vans side door and grabbed the first thing that was to hand - a claw hammer.

He hit Anne in the middle of the forehead with it and she fell back into the van, he said. He claimed she told him she would ruin him and he hit her again and again in a frenzied attack.

He washed his hands with white spirits in the back of the van before driving on.

Webster stopped and tied Anne's wrists with silver duct tape and wrapped the same tape around her head, completely covering her face.

He would later tell gardai he bound her head to stop the bleeding and her hands in case she flailed about.

He drove Anne back to his bungalow, leaving her body in his van while he played with his children, watched TV and eventually fell asleep.

But within hours, Anne's disappearance was noticed and Webster was awoken around midnight by a phone call from Emma Shortall (22), who had found his number on her mothers phone, along with their last text exchange.

The phone had been left along with her mother's cigarettes, which was unusual.

Emma was worried and searching for her mother - Webster lied told her it was a wrong number and he did not know what she was talking about.

The next day, Saturday, April 4, he was contacted by Emmas younger sister Alanna (19) and lied again, telling her: all I know is she is going to meet a friend in London.

That day, the same day Anne was reported missing, Webster and his family went shopping for the baby in their car while her body remained in his van at the house.

Later, Webster moved her into the workshop, noticing how stiff the body had become.

Easter Sunday was a pyjama day for Webster, who watched movies at home with his children.

Despite acting as if nothing had happened, garda attention was turning to Webster and when questioned he told more lies.

By the evening of Monday, April 6 he had given two witness statements, admitting having had a sexual encounter with Anne. He said when she told him she was pregnant he said he would go halves with her if she could prove he was responsible and if not he was not coughing up.

He told gardai that after talking for a few minutes in his van on April 3, Anne got out and walked back toward Wicklow Town and that was the last he saw of her.

He surrendered his van and phone for tests but was still only "helping gardai with their enquiries."

The following day, April 7, Detective Sergeant Michael OBrien was at Websters home to discuss media coverage of the case.

As they sat around the kitchen table, Sinead Webster prompted her husband, with their baby boy in her arms: Have you anything to say that you are not saying... if you have something to say tell us now. Did you hurt her?

Webster hesitated, his head was down and he started to cry and said he did hurt her.

I hit her with a hammer", Webster told the gardai and his wife. He said she was in the workshop.

Sinead Webster dropped to her knees, her baby still in her arms, and gasped. A diabetic, she began to have a fit and injected insulin.

Following the dramatic confession, a statement was taken from Webster on the spot.

She put me under so much pressure, I hit her a couple of blows, a mistake that is after ruining so many lives, he said. I was trying to keep it together for everyone but she had me against the wall. Everything I had worked so hard for. She was just threatening and threatening. I grabbed the first thing I could and I hit her.

After showing gardai where he had hidden the body behind boards in his workshop, he was arrested and left his home for the last time.

He never applied for bail after he was charged and had been in custody throughout the subsequent investigation and trial.

In custody, Webster told gardai when he attacked Anne, it had been like he was looking down at someone else doing it, like it was an out of body experience.

He did not know why he brought the body home, and could only put it down to his natural instinct to come home.

It was like he had blanked what happened and fell back into his routine.

He insisted to gardai he never intended to kill Anne and acted in a mixture of fear and panic.

However, he also said: I hit her because she was threatening my family and my livelihood.

State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy found Anne had suffered nine blows and died of blunt force trauma to the head and obstruction of the airways.

The head injuries could have caused death on their own, she determined, but even if she had still been alive afterwards, Anne could not have survived the wrapping of her face with duct tape.

However, Prof Cassidy said death was probably fairly rapid and there were no clinical signs of asphyxia.

The post mortem examination, and previous medical visits while she was still alive showed Anne had not been pregnant and had known this.

When this was revealed to Webster in interview, his response was: I f***ing knew it.

People do behave strangely and unpredictably when they think their backs are to the wall, when they think there is no way out, defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC said in his closing speech.

It explains why Mr Webster acted in the way that he did, it explains why a good man did a bad thing.

He told the jury members they had to decide whether Webster deserved that epitaph of murderer as opposed to killer.

Today, the jury made that decision and convicted Roy Webster, not just as a killer but as a murderer.
Charity co-ordinator Maureen OHagan said she was attacked when she attempted to shoo the black cat out of her south Dublin home. Photo: Collins Courts

A woman who sued over an attack by her neighbours' cat has settled her High Court action for damages against them.

Charity co-ordinator Maureen O'Hagan said she was attacked when she attempted to shoo the black cat out of her south Dublin home.

Ms O'Hagan (59), of Moyallen, Elton Park, Sandycove, sued her next-door neighbours Marty and Diane Olson for negligence and breach of duty and nuisance in the control, care and supervision of their cat.

She claimed the cat had a mischievous and abnormal nature which she alleged the Olsons knew about.

The case, which was before the court for assessment of damages only, was settled following talks yesterday.

Her counsel, Noel MacMahon, told the court she suffered four nasty cuts to her hand after the cat grabbed it.

It was claimed the Olsons failed to control the cat adequately or at all and caused or permitted the cat to bite Ms O'Hagan.

It was claimed Ms O'Hagan had previously witnessed the cat acting aggressively on her property on a number of occasions.

There was also an alleged failure to have the cat properly trained or to keep it muzzled.

It was claimed Ms O'Hagan complains of residual pain, swelling and redness on her right hand. She also said she has been left with a scar.
Danielle McLaughlin was found dead in Canacona, a popular tourist area in the south of Goa (Family handout/PA)

The body of a woman who was raped and murdered at a tourist resort in India has been flown home to Ireland and will undergo a further post-mortem examination.

Danielle McLaughlin will undergo further post-mortem examination in Dublin after an autopsy in India showed she had suffered cerebral damage and constriction to the neck.

The 28-year-old, from Buncrana, Co Donegal, was found dead in a secluded spot in Canacona, a popular area for holidaymakers in Goa on the west coast, on Tuesday March 14.

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust organised the transfer.

A spokesman said: "She won't be in Buncrana until next week. She is going for another post-mortem."

Local media reported that the former Liverpool John Moores University student had marks on her head and face when she was discovered.

Indian police said a farmer found Ms McLaughlin's body.

She had travelled to Goa with an Australian female friend and the pair were staying in a beach hut.

They had been celebrating Holi - a Hindu spring festival - in a nearby village.

She left the village late at night and her body was found the next day, police said.

Ms McLaughlin was the the eldest of five daughters.
A review of security at Leinster House and Government Buildings should be carried out in the wake of the London terror attack, Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has said.

The minister said that "without a doubt" the security checks in place in Dublin were "much less than it would be in any other parliament I have ever visited".

"We have to be wise to the possibility that someone could carry out an act of violence and it might not necessarily be an armed terrorist, it could be anyone.

"There are hundreds of staff who work in the buildings, so I think any review of security taking into account what happened in Westminster would be very appropriate," Mr Varadkar said.

He was speaking after Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald confirmed a small number of people linked to terrorism are being monitored "very closely" in Ireland.

Concern

Ms Fitzgerald said there were individuals "whose activities are a cause for concern in terms of supporting terrorism".

While she said this country was not immune from the "inhumanity" witnessed in London this week, an attack here was "unlikely".

Read more: Ireland is not immune from terror attacks like London  Justice Minister

Ms Fitzgerald was briefed yesterday by the Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan on the potential threats to Ireland.

"The expert advice is that while an attack is possible here, it is unlikely.

"All possible steps are being taken by An Garda Siochana, supported by the Defence Forces where necessary, to deal with any threat to this country," she said afterwards.

An Garda Siochana is in contact with its UK counterparts, directly and through its liaison person there.

Ms Fitzgerald also spoke to the British Ambassador yesterday to express condolences on the attack.

"We feel, very keenly, that same sense of shock and horror that our colleagues and families and friends in Britain feel.

"Whatever the motivation, quite clearly there can never be any justification for this type of inhumanity."

Read more: Flanagan: 'Terror and violence will never triumph'

Ms Fitzgerald said the previously announced creation of a new armed response unit and recruitment of 800 gardai were part of the Garda response to the threat of terrorism.

Asked about security at Leinster House, she said: "Obviously we're all concerned to ensure all premises are secured as much as possible, including this one."
Defence Minister Paul Kehoe and Regional Economic Development Minister and local TD Michael Ring are debriefed from the bridge of the LE Samuel Beckett situated near Blacksod Bay in Co Mayo. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Navy divers will today for the first time be able to examine the wreckage of Rescue 116 in an attempt to locate three missing Irish Coast Guard members.

Senior investigators and rescue workers are confident that a significant operation will be put in place this morning on what is the 11th day of the large-scale search mission.

Weather conditions are also expected to be favourable over the weekend which will allow for further dives to take place.

Speaking at a press briefing at Blacksod lighthouse last night, Supt Tony Healy said that recordings of the wreckage, taken by an underwater robot, were also being analysed to determine if the three crewmen were on board.

"We had two clear goals today. One was in relation to the ROV descending at the bottom this morning to clear the site to enable the navy divers to do a dive.

"The second was to do more underwater searching with the ROV and we're in the process of analysing that data," Supt Healy said.

The senior garda stated that all objectives had been met as part of the search, which included detecting a signal from the aircraft's black box.

An underwater robot was deployed for a number of hours yesterday afternoon, where it carried out further examinations of the main section of the aircraft's wreckage.

The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), named the Holland 1, was deployed from the Granuaile and inspected the Rescue 116 remains some 40m under water and 60m south east of the Blackrock lighthouse.

This high-tech machine is equipped with high-definition cameras which transmit a live feed to the ROV operators aboard the Granuaile.

Investigators believe that the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter's tail section glanced off rocks on the west of the island, before crashing into the sea 12km off the Mayo coast.

Rescue workers have stated that the priority is the recovery of the three crew members - Capt Mark Duffy, winch operator Ciaran Smith and winch man Paul Ormsby.

The fourth crew member and pilot, Capt Dara Fitzpatrick, was recovered in a critical condition but later pronounced dead.

Once the missing men are accounted for, the operation will focus on collecting the helicopter's flight recorder, more commonly referred to as the black box.

The recovery of this device will assist investigators in establishing what led to the Rescue 116 helicopter colliding with the Blackrock island.

Defence Minister Paul Kehoe met with rescue and navy personnel aboard the LE Samuel Beckett, where he was briefed on the ongoing operation.

Mr Kehoe was joined by Regional Economic Development Minister and local TD Michael Ring, who also met with members of the local community.
The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

Family Liason Officer Garda Sinead Barrett bringing flowers to Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

Garda Supt. Tony Healy from Belmullet Garda Station speaking during a press briefing at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

Garda Supt. Tony Healy from Belmullet Garda Station, Jurgen Whyte from the Air Accident Investigations Unit (centre) and Micheal O'Toole who is On Scene Cordinator for the Irish Coast Guard speaking during a press briefing at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

An Irish Coast Guard Helicopter lands at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

A Doctor passes through a Garda checkpoint at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

Two Gardai look on from Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

Jurgen Whyte from the Air Accident Investigations Unit, Garda Supt. Tony Healy from Belmullet Garda Station and Micheal O'Toole who is On Scene Cordinator for the Irish Coast Guard arrive to speak at a press briefing at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

An Irish Coast Guard Helicopter lands at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

The Irish Coast Guard land at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

Calm seas as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

The Irish Coast Guard land at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

Investigators have confirmed that a crew member of the Rescue 116 helicopter has been located in the aircraft's wreckage but added that they can not confirm his identity this stage.

Senior Gardai and rescue workers added that the two other missing crew members had not yet been located.

The three men- Mark Duffy, Ciaran Smith snd Paul Ormsby- were on board the Irish Coast Guard helicopter when it collided with the Blackrock island on the early hours of March 14.

Speaking at a media briefing at Blacksod lighthouse at 11.30pm tonight, Garda Supt Tony Healy said: "I can confirm that we found the body of a crew member in the cockpit section of the aircraft on the seabed. Operations will continue over night.

Expand Close (From the top left, clockwise) Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy, winchman Ciaran Smith and winchman Paul Ormsby. Photo: Irish Coast Guard/PA Wire / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp (From the top left, clockwise) Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Captain Mark Duffy, winchman Ciaran Smith and winchman Paul Ormsby. Photo: Irish Coast Guard/PA Wire

"It is not possible to confirm the identity of the crew member at this point," Supt Healy said.

The senior officer also met with relatives of the three missing crew members this evening, and said that they were constantly being updated on any developments.

"It's obviously a very challenging time for the family and they're going through a difficult time and stressful situation waiting for the recovery of their loved ones. They are being fully updated by a garda family liaison officer,"Supt Healy said.

Efforts are currently focused on retrieving the crew member who has been located.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The Irish Coast Guard land at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 Calm seas as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 The Irish Coast Guard land at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 An Irish Coast Guard Helicopter lands at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 Jurgen Whyte from the Air Accident Investigations Unit, Garda Supt. Tony Healy from Belmullet Garda Station and Micheal O'Toole who is On Scene Cordinator for the Irish Coast Guard arrive to speak at a press briefing at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 Two Gardai look on from Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 A Doctor passes through a Garda checkpoint at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 An Irish Coast Guard Helicopter lands at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 Garda Supt. Tony Healy from Belmullet Garda Station, Jurgen Whyte from the Air Accident Investigations Unit (centre) and Micheal O'Toole who is On Scene Cordinator for the Irish Coast Guard speaking during a press briefing at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 Garda Supt. Tony Healy from Belmullet Garda Station speaking during a press briefing at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 Family Liason Officer Garda Sinead Barrett bringing flowers to Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 The search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017 / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Irish Coast Guard land at Blacksod Pier as the search continues for Rescue 116 along Blacksod coastline in Co Mayo. Pic Steve Humphreys 24th March 2017

The Granuaile will be stationed near the Blackrock island over night with cover being provided by the LE Samuel Beckett.

An Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) will also be on standby overnight.

Earlier, divers recovered the 'black box' recording device of the tragic helicopter.

Diving operations commenced off the Mayo coast in the search for three missing Irish Coast Guard members earlier today.

In a statement on Friday evening, the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) said the flight recorder will be taken under escort to Baldonnel Aerodrome where it will be onward transported to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) in the UK for download.

Chief inspector with the AAIU, Jurgen Whyte, told Independent.ie earlier that the "most important thing" was to find the 'black box'.

He confirmed shortly after 5pm this evening that the data recorded had in fact been found by divers.

"We're happy to announce the positive recovery of the data recorder at 16:30 today from the seabed just off Blackrock," Mr Whyte said.

"The recorder is now in the possession of one of my investigators, the investigator in charge Paul Farrell, and it's presently located on the Granuaile.

"During the night after some work we'll recover the recorder back to Dublin where it will be flown to the UK Air Accident Investigation branch where it will be further downloaded, hopefully successfully by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week."

Supt Tony Healy said that divers are continuing to operate near the Blackrock island and that further data will need to be analysed to determine if the three missing crew members are with or near the wreckage.

In a statement issued this evening, the AAIU wrote;

"The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) in consultation with An Garda Siochana, the Naval Service, the Coast Guard, the GSI, the Commissioner for Irish Lights (CIL) and the Marine Institute wish to advise that the flight recorder (black box) of R116 has been successfully recovered from the sea bed on the Eastern side of Black Rock, at a depth of approx. 40m.

"The flight recorder is now in the custody of the AAIU and will be taken under escort to Baldonnel Aerodrome where it will be onward transported to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) in the UK tomorrow, Saturday 25 March for download."

Operation

The Naval Service team were deployed shortly after 11.30am this morning from the Irish Light's vessel, the Granuaile.

An underwater robot had been used to carry out an examination of the wreckage of the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, located in depths of 40m close to the Blackrock island.

Senior investigators stated that they were hopeful of progress being made throughout the day but stressed that information from the divers will need to be assessed before they can establish if the three crew men are with the wreckage.

Speaking at a press briefing this morning, Supt Tony Healy said: "This morning conditions are ideal, diving operations have commenced and we're waiting for reports back from the divers as soon as they come back on the surface."

Read More

He added that there was no indication at this stage if the three missing crew members- Mark Duffy, Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby- are with the aircraft's wreckage.

Jurgen Whyte of the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) said that it had not yet been established what caused the Rescue 116 helicopter to collide with the Blackrock lighthouse located 12km off the Mayo coast.

"As we said all along the important thing is that we get access to the cockpit voice recorder and the flight recorder. The priority has always been to recover the victims and if the divers happen to come across the recorder they will take the recorder. Because if we see it, we must take it because we can't leave it behind," he said.

A family liaison officer has been briefing the family members of the missing crew men on any developments in the search operation and investigation.

The Naval Service dive team will operate in pairs and will be able to spend nine minutes at the seabed before returning to the surface.

Air, shore and surface searches are also being carried out, with over 200 personnel from various agencies involved in the large scale operation.
A group of Irish students are set to enter the history books as they make direct contact with astronauts in space via radio.

Students from Glanmire Community College and Tallaght Community school will communicate with the International Space Station while in orbit.

They will be the first ever Irish students to do so.

Italian astronaut Paulo Nespoli will speak to the students while he and his crew are travelling at 27,600 km/h directly over Tallaght Community School.

In order for this to happen, amateur radio equipment will be used and the schools will set up a temporary radio station which will allow them to speak directly with Nespoli.

Principal of Glanmire Community College Ronan McCarthy said both schools are extremely excited about the prospect.

"I speak on behalf of myself, Principal Teresa Hennessy of Tallaght Community School and all the students and staff at both schools when I say that our excitement levels have hit another stratosphere! We are extremely proud of the science programmes which our schools offer and are delighted that it has been recognised globally with this amazing opportunity.

"We are excited to further blast off into the sphere of science with a whole spectrum of exciting mini events and projects in preparation for actual space contact. This is an opportunity and experience which our students will never forget."

Due to the uncertain nature of life in outer space, an exact date for these two contacts cannot be given. However, the Cork and Dublin students will be notified and placed on standby and given details of the month of contact, which will be narrowed down to a week before an exact date and time is confirmed.
Aoife Harrington: My advice to everyone would be to please go for a smear test. Photo: Frank Dolan

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland with almost 11,000 diagnoses made a year. Prostate and breast cancer also affect high numbers of the population, with bowel and lung cancers making up the top five most common forms.

But while cervical cancer statistics are much lower at around 300 diagnoses a year, recent figures show that this year 90 women will die from the disease. That's almost two mothers, sisters, daughters or friends who will lose their lives every week as a result of cervical cancer.

In addition, according to the Irish Cancer Society (ICS), another 280 women will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer and a further 6,500 will need hospital treatment to remove precancerous growths in their cervix - all of these caused by the HPV virus.

"Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer," said Dr Robert O'Connor, head of research for ICS.

"The virus is passed through sexual activity and HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. Most people never know that they have been infected and may give HPV to a partner without knowing it.

"Most people with HPV never develop symptoms or health problems and most HPV infections (nine out of 10) go away by themselves within two years. But sometimes they persist and can cause cervical cancer and other diseases."

Read more: Daffodil Day: 'Pancreatic cancer crept up silently and swiftly and took my dad in two months'

Aoife Harrington, from Westport, Co Mayo, was diagnosed with cervical cancer aged just 24. With no discernible symptoms or concerns about cancer, she discovered she had the disease when she and some friends decided to get tested.

"It was a Thursday, June 19, 2014, when I was diagnosed with grade 3 squamous cell cervical cancer," she said. "I was living and working as a teacher in Abu Dhabi when some of my friends and I decided to go for a routine smear test. It was the first time I had ever had a smear test and to be honest I wasn't even sure what it entailed.

"I feel that this test definitely saved my life because without it I would never have known about my cancer. At the time, I didn't think that I had any major symptoms but had been getting quite tired and had some dizzy spells at work. I had also lost some weight - which other people noticed more than me."

Although far away from home, Ms Harrington, who will soon be a qualified primary school teacher in Ireland, was with a friend when she received the devastating news and, by sheer coincidence, her father was also in the country so was able to offer immediate support to his daughter.

"The appointment was on a weekend so I should have known that it wouldn't be good news," she said. "Luckily my friend Olive was with me as I don't remember much after being told the diagnosis, it's all a bit of a blur.

Expand Close Aoife Harrington was diagnosed with cervical cancer while living in Abu Dhabi Picture; Frank Dolan. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Aoife Harrington was diagnosed with cervical cancer while living in Abu Dhabi Picture; Frank Dolan.

"But thankfully my dad, who works abroad quite a lot, happened to be in Abu Dhabi airport on a stopover. My friends rang him straight away and he cancelled his flight to be with me.

"The next few days sped by. I had to leave my job as the only thing I could think about was getting home to my family. My GP (in Ireland) helped us get the wheels in motion and within two days of arriving home my road to recovery had begun."

The 27-year-old, who has been with her boyfriend Shane since long before her diagnosis, had further tests when she arrived back in Ireland and was then referred to St James's Hospital for surgery - an ovarian transposition, in order to move her ovaries away from the radiation treatment which would follow.

Read more: Daffodil Day: 'My advice to anyone having chemo would be to get rid of your hair before it falls out'

Four days later she was discharged and, due to her age, began fertility treatment at the HARI unit in the Rotunda Hospital.

"After the surgery, I had my eggs extracted and two weeks later started six weeks of external and internal radiotherapy and chemotherapy," she recalled. "A total whirlwind is the only way to describe everything.

"I was so blessed with all the doctors and nurses who were amazing. And my family were more supportive than I can explain. Now that it is all over, my advice to everyone would be to please go for a smear test - do not put it off because I am proof that it can save your life."

Dr O'Connor of the ICS said while symptoms may be difficult to spot in the early stages, there are ways to reduce the chances of developing cervical cancer.

"Not having regular smear tests can increase your risk of getting cervical cancer but this can be minimised by availing of the National Screening Service's CervicalCheck Screening Programme," he advised. "CervicalCheck provides free smear tests to women aged 25 to 60 which involve a simple procedure that only takes minutes and is the most effective way to detect changes in the cells of the cervix.

"The HPV vaccine is also offered free of charge to first-year secondary school girls in Ireland each year. It protects against the strains of human papilloma virus which cause 70pc of all cervical cancers. It eliminates the risk of contracting seven in 10 cervical cancer cases."

Today marks the Irish Cancer Society's 30th Daffodil Day. Thousands of volunteers all around the country will be selling daffodils. You can buy a daffodil or make a donation by visiting cancer.ie, calling CallSave on 1850 60 60 60 or texting 'Daff' to 50300 to donate 4.
A councillor in Cork has spoke out about his outrage over dog fouling and the lack of enforcement of litter fines.

Cllr Ken O'Flynn (FF) said people in his area are constantly being affected by the issue, particularly those in wheelchairs and zimmerframes.

"One constituent of mine, his son is in a wheelchair and he has to have his hands disinfected by a teacher every day in school. His wheelchair is constantly gathering dog poo due to people not bothering to clean up after themselves, it's disgraceful," he told Independent.ie.

Figures published recently revealed that Cork County Council spent 32,571 on a new dog fouling campaign in 2016.

The campaign focused on radio and cinema adverts and school art competitions.

However, Mr O'Flynn said that money would have been better spent on employing a new litter warden for the city as currently there is only one litter warden employed by the council.

Expand Close Poo in Cork city Credit: Cllr Ken O'Flynn / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Poo in Cork city Credit: Cllr Ken O'Flynn

Only one fine has been issued in seven years for the offence in the rebel county - a 150 fine on March 8, 2017.

In February, a woman, who asked not to be named, said she suffered bad bruising to her wrist after slipping on dog waste.

"I slipped on waste, badly injuring my wrist. The Blarney Street area was badly littered with dog waste that day, it was everywhere and unavoidable," she told Independent.ie.

"At the start of the following week I presented at Cork County Council and showed litter staff my bruised and swollen wrist and asked for Blarney Street to be cleaned."

She sent further correspondence to the Council - asking why they do not enforce more fines for the offence.

They responded: "The difficulty in issuing fines lies in the fact that the litter wardens must witness the offence or a member of the public must be willing to come forward as a witness and be willing to give evidence in court.

Expand Close Poo in Cork city Credit: Cllr Ken O'Flynn / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Poo in Cork city Credit: Cllr Ken O'Flynn

"Cork City Council takes the issue of dog fouling seriously and has established a sub committee of Council to address the issue."

Dog fouling is illegal under the Litter Pollution Act 1997.

Those who are caught receive an on the spot fine but as highlighted by the council, they must be caught in the act.

Cllr O'Flynn is calling for Ireland to introduce similar mechanisms to Malaga in Spain, where a DNA database is being implemented to help track down the pets responsible and fine their owners.

"At present, it is easier to win the lotto in Cork than get a fine for dog fouling," he said.

"It is very dangerous for children. It has serious implications when it comes to blindness. Something needs to be done soon."
Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

Shoppers were left starstruck after former US President Bill Clinton was spotted on Dawson Street in Dublin city centre on Friday afternoon.

Mr Clinton was followed by a number of fans as he browsed Irish craft and design products in the Kilkenny Shop.

The former president spent almost an hour in the store and filled his basket with a selection of jewellery, homeware and crafts, all produced in Ireland by Irish designers.

One of the managers at the store, Anastacia Dovdula, said his visit was a complete surprise.

Just passed Bill Clinton https://t.co/d0k2qbeC02  Meabh O'Leary (@MeabhOLeary) March 24, 2017

An absolute gentleman who had time for everyone today, and received a great reception. #BillClinton @kilkennydesign pic.twitter.com/W4fKZs7F4k  Caroline Hofman (@CearuilinH) March 24, 2017

"We didn't expect him to call in, it was a complete surprise," she told Independent.ie.

"He had an entourage with him. Everyone is still buzzing now.

"To be honest, I can't even think, I still think it's like a dream.

"The store was so busy. He came in at about twenty to one and he left again at twenty past one, so he was here nearly an hour.

Expand Close Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

"It was so exciting. He really pulled in the crowd.

"He was looking at everything in every department, but he seemed most interested in the products made in Ireland. It was a very strange day."

Expand Close Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Former US President Bill Clinton visiting the Kilkenny Design Shop today on Dublin's Nassau St (Photo: Doug O'Connor)

Anastacia said he picked up a selection Irish handmade gifts, and they presented him with a small gift for his grandchildren, Charlotte and Aidan Clinton Mezvinsky.

"He did buy a few things, all of the things were made in Ireland by Irish designers which is great because that's what we're all about. He bought some jewellery, some homeware and crafts.

"We gave him a little gift for his grandchildren, a little handmade toy. He was delighted," she added.

The former president was photographed as he chatted to crowds and posed for selfies outside the store.

He was accompanied by a number of security personnel as they guided him through the growing crowds.

He raised a bunch of daffodils being sold in aid of Irish Cancer Society's Daffodil Day as he walked towards his car.

The 70-year-old, who served two terms as US President, visited Ireland to attend the former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness' funeral in Derry yesterday.

He paid his respects for the 66-year-old terrorist-turned-politician and asked people to "finish building peace" in his 10-minute eulogy.

Following the funeral, Mr Clinton travelled to Dublin to dine with well-known businessman Denis O'Brien and hotelier John Fitzpatrick on Thursday.

The trio were pictured chatting to passers-by as they left Peploe's Wine Bistro on St Stephen's Green.
One of the key health service staff members involved in the decision to leave 'Grace' in a foster home despite allegations of abuse still works for Tusla.

HSE boss Tony O'Brien confirmed that the individual still works part-time for the Child and Family Agency, as he appeared at the Dail's Public Accounts Committee to correct evidence he gave last year.

It came after Mr O'Brien was last month accused of providing "misleading" information to the committee about the case.

A Commission of Investigation is to examine the treatment of the woman known as Grace, who was allowed to remain in the home in the south east for 13 years after allegations of sexual abuse were made against her foster father.

Mr O'Brien told the PAC in February 2016 that three individuals involved in a 1996 decision to leave Grace in the home "are no longer in the public service".

Yesterday he told the committee that he had said this because all three had retired from the HSE at that time and they were all in receipt of full pensions.

However, Mr O'Brien said that an examination he initiated after he was accused of misleading the committee has established that one of the individuals "provides some specialist clinical services to Tusla on a part-time contract basis". He said that in light of that information he was correcting the record.

"I wish to apologise to the committee for not being in a position to have had more complete information at the time in February 2016," he said.

In his statement Mr O'Brien stressed that he had given his 2016 evidence to the PAC "with the utmost of good faith".

He said he had been "somewhat restricted" in his evidence last year as two reports into the case - the Conal Devine and Resilience Ireland reports - had yet to be published and also due to the ongoing Garda investigation.

Read more: HSE apologises again over Grace foster case, but insists there is no evidence of a cover-up

Mr O'Brien said "there are other people who were involved in aspects of decisions around Grace both in 1996 and at other times who currently work in the HSE or Tusla and who may face disciplinary action now that both reports have been published."

Under questioning from Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane, Mr O'Brien denied that he has "actively misled" the committee.

"I've just corrected part of the record of that committee which means that the information I gave was not accurate. I do accept that," he said.
Arguably the most famous ship in modern Irish Naval Service history, the LE Aisling, was sold for 110,000 at auction to a Dutch ship broker.

LE Aisling was decommissioned from fleet service last year after steaming 600,000 nautical miles over a 36-year service career. The vessel was sold by public auction in Carrigaline, Co Cork.

Auctioneer Dominic Daly said LE Aisling represented a unique purchase despite the difficulties in the global shipping sector.

Netherlands ship broker Dick van der Kamp bought the ship with just the second bid at the auction.

The vessel sold for roughly one-third of the 320,000 the LE Emer made at public auction almost four years ago. LE Deirdre, which was auctioned off in 2001, made 240,000. Mr van der Kamp said the purchase was a gamble.

"The offshore ship market has collapsed over the past few years. That is why this ship made much less than the previous ship auctioned off," he said.

He said the ship will be towed to the Netherlands within a matter of weeks and his firm will then consider expressions of interest in it.

"Sometimes you buy ships and it is a bargain. But it is also a gamble," he said. Mr Daly admitted it was "a little disappointing" there were only two bids. "It is part of a class built in Cork. The first was LE Deirdre and she was sold off a number of years ago and converted into a private yacht," he said.
Arts Minister Heather Humphreys has backed the idea of allowing the television licence fee be attached to other utility bills. Stock Image

Arts Minister Heather Humphreys has backed the idea of allowing the television licence fee be attached to other utility bills "if it makes it easier for people to pay".

But the minister said there should be no increase to the current charge of 160 because of the high rate of non-payment.

Ms Humphreys said she supports initiatives aimed at increasing the collection rate, as this would "certainly make a considerable difference" to RTE's ability to provide public service broadcasting.

She said she was unaware of plans by Communications Minister Denis Naughten to outsource door-to-door inspections to a private company.

The Irish Independent revealed yesterday Mr Naughten is drawing up legislation to allow TV licence 'enforcers' be recruited in a bid to recoup the 40m in unpaid fees every year.

Read more: Revealed: TV licence fee 'enforcers' to collect unpaid 40m for RTE

RTE director general Dee Forbes cited the need to increase collection of the licence fee and cited the example of Italy where it has been attached to electricity bills.

Ms Forbes was speaking earlier this week as she outlined plans for a major restructuring which puts more than 200 jobs at the broadcaster in danger.

Last night, Ms Humphreys said: "There are ways of collecting money. There could be an attachment in some way if it makes it easier for people to pay on a weekly basis.

"Something like a television licence on a weekly basis is a very small sum of money."

Speaking at the launch of Cruinniu na Casca, a large-scale free public festival involving RTE and Creative Ireland on Easter Monday, the minister said she was satisfied that the broadcaster was "very committed" to coverage of the arts.

Ms Forbes cited RTE's coverage of the 1916 Centenary as one of the reasons for recording a heavy financial deficit last year.

But Ms Humphreys said her department has "a great working relationship" with RTE.

Labour senator Kevin Humphreys, who is based in the Dublin Bay South constituency where RTE is located, said the idea of raising the TV licence fee should come after an examination of salary levels.

"Approximately 2.6m is being spent on the top 10 earners and we must ask if that money could be better spent," he said.

Mr Humphreys also said locals are concerned about plans to sell off lands in Montrose.

"There is talk of building 500 housing units on the 8.5 acres that RTE is proposing to sell, but only 10pc would be social housing units.

"The State broadcaster certainly needs further investment but the city also needs housing units," he said.

"We need social and affordable housing units."

Local Green Party TD Eamon Ryan said the current TV licensing system "needs to change".
The Policing Authority has selected five garda chief superintendents to be promoted to the rank of assistant commissioner in the force.

But only one of the panel of five can be promoted at present because of an embargo imposed by the Department of Public Expenditure.

This is despite a series of vacancies existing at the top management ranks of the organisation.

Promotion has been sanctioned for the officer at the top of the list, Det Chief Supt Michael O'Sullivan.

His name was included on a list published last year by Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan but he failed to be promoted then because of the embargo.

The new assistant commissioner has 36 years policing experience in a range of operational roles here and overseas and has been recently in charge of the security and intelligence section at garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park.

Also on the panel are Dave Sheahan, who is currently in charge of the Limerick division, Pat Leahy, who has played a key part in the garda investigation into the Kinahan-Hutch feud, Barry O'Brien, commander in Dublin North division, and Orla McPartlin, who controls the Dublin South.

The Policing Authority said those four would be appointed "if and when" positions in the rank were to be filled.

However, it is understood that Chief Supt Pat Leahy, who is second on the list, will be promoted next month following the retirement of Assistant Commissioner Jack Nolan, who is in charge of policing in the Dublin region.

It is not clear when Public Expenditure will agree to further appointments.

Under an agreed employment control framework, only eight positions for assistant commissioner (AC) are allowed, with one of those vacant up to this week.

However, at one stage the force had eleven ACs and since then officers have had to take responsibility for more than one post with some doubling or trebling up.

The AC currently in charge of the controversy-hit traffic section is also responsible for the northern region including cross-Border duties, and executive support at Garda headquarters.

Since the selection process got under way for this promotion, the number of vacancies at the rank has increased.

One AC retired on age grounds last month and is now taking up a prestigious international role, based in Lisbon, while two others are due to leave for similar reasons next month and in June.

The limits agreed for the number of ACs were set in 2010 when it was intended that the force's strength would drop to 11,500.

But now the size of the force is being built up to 15,000.

Tanaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has agreed that the ceiling for staffing levels must be reviewed as numbers rise again.

A total of 31 chief superintendents applied to take part in the selection competition, which was the first to be held by the Policing Authority since it was given responsibility for senior promotions at the start of the year.

Authority chairwoman Josephine Feehily said the appointment marked a historic moment in the evolution of policing in Ireland and it was the first time that a senior ranking garda had been appointed by an independent body comprised of civilians.

"The cultural significance of de-politicising senior garda appointments and the organisational impact of candidates having to send a promotion application to the authority rather than the garda commissioner or garda HQ should not be underestimated", Ms Feehily said.

The 31 candidates, of which four were female, were whittled down to 18 initially and those selected then had to undergo two interviews and a presentation.

The Policing Authority said a selection competition to appoint chief superintendents began on March 9 and a further competition for superintendents would be held in the coming months.
Patients who are in a life-threatening emergency are being put at serious risk because of failures in how the Dublin ambulance service is run, a major watchdog report warns today.

The patients are in danger of having to wait longer than they should for a 999 ambulance to arrive in some critical situations because of the way the service is operated by the Dublin Fire Brigade, the report by Hiqa revealed.

A key problem is the ongoing lack of integration between the Dublin Fire Brigade service and the HSE-run National Ambulance Service despite improvements in co-operation in recent years.

Dublin Fire Brigade is run by Dublin City Council and the National Ambulance Service , which caters for the rest of the country, is part of the HSE.

The lack of proper integration between both means that if a patient with a potentially life threatening condition in Dublin dials 112/999 for an ambulance, current arrangements for call handling and dispatch can result in a delay in response.

This is due to the way calls are transferred from Dublin Fire Brigade to the National Ambulance Service.

A Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance may continue to be dispatched to the patient even though a nearer National Ambulance Service ambulance may have been available and better placed to respond.

The status quo puts patients at risk and cannot be allowed to continue, warned Sean Egan, Hiqas Acting Head of Healthcare Regulation.

It is, therefore, incumbent on those with overall governance responsibility for publicly-funded ambulance services in Ireland to ensure that there is a clear plan for the future of services in Dublin that is based on ensuring the safest and best possible service for patients.

The findings are released in a progress report following a 2014 of the service by Hiqa which highlighted the problems.

It found progress has been made in pre-hospital emergency care across the HSE-run service nationally.

It has moved to a single control centre over two sites and this has improved the service.

Furthermore, the National Ambulance Service now has a very clear understanding of what it needs to do to progress services and is better governed and supported by the HSE to progress this improvement

However, the National Ambulance Service still lacks necessary capacity and, despite increased recruitment it remains reliant on overtime to maintain services.

The most serious problems remain in the Dublin area. Hiqa said that in Dublin, it was clear that significant shortcomings remain that put patients at risk

While lines of communication, formal governance arrangements and working relationship at senior management level within the HSE and Dublin City Council were much improved, a detailed plan for the delivery of emergency ambulance services in the greater Dublin area still does not exist.

Firefighters who are members of Siptu last month voted for strike action over proposed reforms to the emergency medical service operated by the Dublin Fire Brigade.

Siptu said Dublin City Council planned to break up the Dublin Fire Brigade emergency medical service by outsourcing its ambulance call and dispatch function.

The action, which was also supported by IMPACT, was due to take place on March 18 and 27 but it was deferred following a commitment by Dublin City Council to enter into an independent process, chaired by the former Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission, Kieran Mulvey.

SIPTU said the management of Dublin City Council had also given an unequivocal commitment that this process will be the sole and singular forum for consideration of all of these issues.
Former US President Bill Clinton speaks during the funeral of Northern Ireland's former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at St Columba's Church Long Tower, Derry. Photo: GETTY

Somewhere along the way Martin McGuinness decided to give peace a chance, observed former US president Bill Clinton.

"He persevered and he prevailed. He risked the wrath of his comrades and the rejection of his adversaries," he said.

"He made honourable compromises and was strong enough to keep them and came to be trusted because his word was good."

He said Mr McGuinness knew that you could have an independent Ireland and still be inclusive.

Meanwhile, he said that America had prohibited the old law that the sins of the parent were passed down to the child. "Easy to say, hard to do," said Mr Clinton, adding: "He was trying to do it."

He said Mr McGuinness "never stopped being who he was. A good husband, a good father, a follower of the faith of his father and mother and a passionate believer in a free, secure, self-governing Ireland".

Mr Clinton told mourners: "If you want to continue his legacy, go and finish the work he has started."

Referring to Mr McGuinness's unlikely friendship with the late unionist leader, Rev Ian Paisley, Clinton quipped: "It was great he got a word in edgeways. I never could."

The former US president thanked Arlene Foster for attending the funeral, saying: "I know your life has been marked in painful ways by the Troubles."
Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald has revealed she is giving "serious consideration" to running for the Fine Gael leadership when Taoiseach Enda Kenny eventually steps down.

Ms Fitzgerald told the Planet Woman conference at the RDS that the leadership is "something I am considering" when asked by a member of the audience.

Ms Fitzgerald said that she felt gender diversity in leadership roles was important.

She stated that she was giving the leadership question "serious consideration", adding that she would "wait and see" how things unfold over the next number of weeks.

Ms Fitzgerald would be considered an outside candidate to become the first female Taoiseach should she decide to run.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney and Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar are the front-runners to replace Mr Kenny who has so far refused to provide a timeline on when he will step down from his post.

The Tanaiste also spoke of her joy at getting legislation through the Dail that criminalised paying for sex.

The minister said that there was now more money in the people trafficking industry worldwide than there are in the drugs trade.

She said she was compelled to take section to try and protect vulnerable women.

"I felt very strongly that we needed to do something. So we followed the Swedish model and made it an offence to pay for sexual services."

She also emphasised the important of gender diversity in politics.

"It isn't good enough for our society that you only have male voices," Ms Fitzgerald added.

She also expressed her regret about the amount of cynicism that surrounds politics.

Ms Fitzgerald was joined by some of Ireland's most innovative and powerful women at the RDS conference.

Pay Pal's vice president of Europe the Middle East and Africa, Louise Phelan, told of the mammoth journey which led up to her joining the company.

"I did 16 interviews to get the job at Pay Pal. So I changed that process as one of the first things I did when I got in there."

"I had been in an amazing company in GE. But I did need a change. I needed to get out of my comfort zone. Ten percent of what happens to me is what I learn. The rest is what I do about it,"Ms Phelan said.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm a bit of an imposter and that I'm going to get found out. But what you really learn from is failure and what you do about it is really what counts" Ms Phelan said.

She urged the audience to be real in the way they pursue their goals.

"Always remember where you came from," Ms Phelan added.

Communicorp chairperson Lucy Gaffney began by offering a prize of 10,000 worth of advertising on any of the company's radio stations.

Ms Gaffney said she had to drop out of college to be with her husband. She said she didn't want to go home having lost her first job at the age of 19.

"I didn't want to go home having failed. So that spurred me on," she said.

She said she left radio station 98fm having been passed over for promotion by owner Denis O' Brien. She noted that Mr O'Brien was the first client at her new firm.

However, she said she was relieved to return to work for the media tycoon.

"I have great respect for people who run their own business, but I found it too stressful," she said.

She said there had been no pivotal moment over the course of her career:

"Failure is not a bad thing. Success is not final and failure is not fatal. I have absolutely had people that have championed me. Denis O' Brien asked me to run a division of Digifone and I sat in front of him crying thinking I can't do it. So it helps when you have people around you that support you and believe in you."
Planes are hit by lightning more often than you think - but what actually happens when they are?

Its the moment youve never been waiting for.

You're tucked up under your airline blanket, nose in book, when, suddenly, a flash of bright light streaks through the aeroplane. You  well, the plane with you in it  has been struck by lightning. But do you need to panic, brace, or reach for a lifejacket?

An incident this week, in which a Virgin Atlantic plane was struck by lightning after taking off from Gatwick, would suggest not. Yes, the aircraft had to return to the airport for a safety check, after dumping fuel, but the aircraft landed normally.

So what actually happens when lightning hits an aeroplane, and why are they not seriously damaged?

Typically, a bolt will hit an extremity, such as a wing tip, or the nose, and the current will travel through the aeroplanes metal shell before leaving from another point  the tail, for example. And, according to Patrick Smith, pilot and author of Cockpit Confidential, a book on everything you need to know about air travel, planes are hit by lightning far more frequently than you might think.

An individual jet liner is struck about once every two years, on average, and aeroplanes are designed accordingly. Once in a while theres exterior damage  a superficial entry or exit wound  or minor injury to the planes electrical systems, but a strike typically leaves little or no evidence. You might not even notice it, he says.

Professor Mamu Haddad, professor and director at Cardiff University's Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, which works on understanding lightning strikes on aeroplane construction materials, explains further.

Modern aircraft, he says, are made from lightweight carbon composite covered with a thin layer of copper  Dreamliners and Boeing Airbus A350s have this construction  and act as very good Faraday Cages, meaning that the space inside the metal (ie where youre sitting)  is protected from electric currents.

Most important, he adds, is that the fuel tanks in the wings are not exposed to any lightning sparks  hence why the surrounding metal, structural joints, access doors, vents and fuel filler caps must be able to withstand any burning from a bolt of lightning, which can have temperatures of up to 30,000C.

Strikes are most likely to happen when a jet is passing through cumulonimbus (storm) clouds, between two and five kilometres (6,500-16,500 feet) from the ground. And, like Patrick Smith, Prof Haddad says that fliers need not be concerned.

Lightning can be up to 200,000 amps  at a low current people might hear noise, or see a flash of light through the window, but they wont feel anything," he said. "One effect on the aircraft body might be some local melting, where the lightning struck, but the aerospace industry is highly conservative, and testing so rigorous, that passengers arent at risk.

Rare though they may be, there have been a few fatal incidents involving lightning strikes, however. In January 2014, four charred bodies were reportedly pulled from plane wreckage in Indonesia after a light aircraft owned by Intan Angkasa Air was hit by lightning and crashed. Bambang Ervan, an Indonesian transport ministry spokesman, confirmed to an Australian news site that all four people on board the aircraft were killed instantly.

In 2010, two people were killed when a Boeing 737-700 from Bogota was struck by lightning and split into three pieces as it landed at San Andres island in the Caribbean. At the time, aeronautical specialists explained that the lightning alone was unlikely to be the cause of the accident, but combined with a sharp change in wind direction, or an air pocket linked to lightning when a plane is near the ground, it could cause a crash.

Expand Close A plane takes off from Nice airport southeastern France, as lightning strikes on June 05, 2011. Photo: VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A plane takes off from Nice airport southeastern France, as lightning strikes on June 05, 2011. Photo: VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Another serious case, resulting in 81 deaths, happened in 1963, when a lightning strike over Maryland caused a wing to explode on a Boeing 707 flown by Pan Am. The Federal Aviation Administration, the US equivalent of the Civil Aviation Authority, subsequently introduced changes to fuel tanks and discharge wicks aboard all aircraft.

But non-fatal incidents are far more common, thanks largely to modern safety measures. Famous cases include the flight taken by Francois Hollande, the French President, to crucial talks with Angela Merkel in Germany in 2012.

The presidential Falcon 7X was struck by lightning just four minutes into the flight; Mr Hollande eventually arrived in Berlin 90 minutes late, on a different plane.

Patrick Smith remembers having a close encounter with lighting when he was at the helm of a 37-seat aeroplane.

Lightning from a tiny embedded cumulonimbus cell got us on the nose," he says. What we felt and heard was little more than a dull flash and a thud. No warning lights flashed, no generators tripped off line. Our conversation went:

What was that?

I dont know.

Lightning?

Might have been.

Mechanics would later find a black smudge on the forward fuselage.

In other words, an incident is likely to be over in a flash, literally, leaving passengers on board to get back to that in-flight film. Its often those on the next flight who could be delayed, as the plane undergoes post-lightning safety checks.

Read more:

Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Actress Vanessa Kirby attends the Orange British Academy Film Awards 2012 at the Royal Opera House on February 12, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Vanessa Kirby attends the 2012 Olivier Awards at The Royal Opera House on April 15, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images)

Vanessa Kirby attends the private VIP view of Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2012 at Royal Academy of Arts on May 30, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images)

Vanessa Kirby arrives at The Moet British Independent Film Awards 2015 at Old Billingsgate Market on December 6, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for The Moet British Independent Film Awards)

Vanessa Kirby attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Actor Vanessa Kirby attends "Me Before You" World Premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 theater on May 23, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

British actress Vanessa Kirby poses as she arrives on the red carpet to attend the world premiere of the film 'The Crown', in central London, on November 1, 2016. / AFP / NIKLAS HALLE'N (Photo credit should read NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images)

Actress Vanessa Kirby is pictured arriving at the Jameson Empire Awards at Grosvenor House on March 24, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Jameson)

Vanessa Kirby attends the "About Time" world premiere at Somerset House on August 8, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)

Vanessa Kirby attends the "About Time" world premiere at Somerset House on August 8, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)

Vanessa Kirby attends the 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London Palladium on November 30, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

Actress Vanessa Kirby attends The Weinstein Company & Netflix's SAG 2017 After Party presented by Audi at Sunset Tower Hotel on January 29, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company/Netflix)

Meet the British actress who has reportedly stolen Tom Cruise's heart.

1. You might know her better as Princess Margaret

Expand Close Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret in The Crown / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret in The Crown

Before she was given the dubious title of the 'future-rumoured-Mrs-Tom-Cruise', Kirby was still riding high in Hollywood thanks to her breakout role in The Crown on Netflix. She depicted a cigarette smoking, affair having and party-loving princess with aplomb and gave the title crown-wearing Queen Elizabeth a run for her on money on being the most popular character from the biggest show the streaming service has ever made.

2. She grew up in Wimbledon

Expand Close Vanessa Kirby attends the 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London Palladium on November 30, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Vanessa Kirby attends the 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London Palladium on November 30, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

English rose Vanessa grew up in Wimbledon, London before attending the Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton and later studying English at Exeter University.

3. Creativity runs in her family

Expand Close Actress Vanessa Kirby attends the Orange British Academy Film Awards 2012 at the Royal Opera House on February 12, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Actress Vanessa Kirby attends the Orange British Academy Film Awards 2012 at the Royal Opera House on February 12, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

While her father is a well-respected prostate surgeon, her mother was one of the founders of Country Living and worked as a magazine editor for several years. Her sister Juliet also works in the industry as a theatrical agent, while her brother Joe is an assistant headteacher.

Video of the Day

4. She is no stranger to celebrity romances

Expand Close Douglas Booth and Vanessa Kirby pose at the Moet British Independent Film Awards 2015 / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Douglas Booth and Vanessa Kirby pose at the Moet British Independent Film Awards 2015

The actress previously dated actor Douglas Booth, whom she met on the set of BBC's Great Expectations, for more than a year in 2012.

5. She is a bonafide rising star

Expand Close Vanessa Kirby attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Vanessa Kirby attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Thanks to her role in The Crown, Vanessa has gone from supporting roles in rom-coms to Hollywood blockbusters. She is a critically acclaimed stage actress but is transitioning onto the big screen, most notably with her MI:6 role, which has already propelled her to tabloid superstardom.

"Hes blown her away with his endless charm and energy. He thinks shes perfect to be his next wife," a source told InTouch Weekly.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge speaks during the launch of maternal mental health films ahead of mother's day at Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on March 23, 2017 in London, England.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Trocadero, where they attended a "Les Voisins in Action" event highlighting the strong ties between the young people of France and the UK, during an official visit to Paris, France

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte leave from Victoria Harbour to board a sea-plane on the final day of their Royal Tour of Canada

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend a ceremony to mark their departure at Victoria Harbour seaplane terminal in Victoria during the Royal Tour of Canada.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Les Invalides where they met a number of victims and first responders from the Bataclan and Nice attacks and also heard more about the important historic and current role of the site, in particular its work supporting veterans and its rehabilitation programmes

Cambridge's Duke and duchess Prince William and Kate Middleton are seen ahead of the Six Nations tournament Rugby Union match between France and Wales at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, on March 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMONCHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attends the launch of maternal mental health films ahead of mother's day at Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on March 23, 2017 in London, England.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attends the launch of maternal mental health films ahead of mother's day at Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on March 23, 2017 in London, England.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attends a parent support group during the launch of maternal mental health films ahead of mother's day at Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on March 23, 2017 in London, England

The Duchess of Cambridge leaves after launching the maternal mental health films at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in London.

The Duchess of Cambridge leaves after launching the maternal mental health films at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in London.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge sits in on a meeting with a parent support group at the launch of maternal mental health films ahead of mother's day at Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on March 23, 2017 in London, England.

Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is pictured attending the launch of a series of films to raise awareness of maternal mental health challenges in London on March 23, 2017.

Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is pictured during a meeting with a parent support group while attending the launch of a series of films to raise awareness of maternal mental health challenges in London on March 23, 2017.

Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R), is pictured during a meeting with a parent support group while attending the launch of a series of films to raise awareness of maternal mental health challenges in London on March 23, 2017.

Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is pictured attending the launch of a series of films to raise awareness of maternal mental health challenges in London on March 23, 2017.

The Duchess of Cambridge leaves after launching the maternal mental health films at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in London.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attends a parent support group during the launch of maternal mental health films ahead of mother's day at Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on March 23, 2017 in London, England.

Kate Middleton has opened up about the "huge challenge" that comes with motherhood, whether you're in the public eye or not.

The Duchess of Cambridge, who has Prince George (3) and Princess Charlotte (22 months) with husband Prince William, gave a rare speech at an event focusing on mothers' mental health at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, where she spoke of the pressure to be the perfect parent.

While she is always seen but rarely heard, the 35-year-old royal is slowly carving out a niche for herself among mothers.

Kate, who has a full-time nanny for both of her children, in addition to having familial support - her parents Carole and Michael Middleton moved into her Norfolk home for several months after the birth of George and Charlotte - said parenting is difficult regardless of your resources.

Expand Close The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend a ceremony to mark their departure at Victoria Harbour seaplane terminal in Victoria during the Royal Tour of Canada. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend a ceremony to mark their departure at Victoria Harbour seaplane terminal in Victoria during the Royal Tour of Canada.

"Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge," she told a select crowd.

"Even for me, who has support at home that most mothers do not. Nothing can really prepare you for the sheer, overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother. Its full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry, all mixed together."

"There is no rule book, no right or wrong, you just have to make it up and do the very best you can to care for your family.

"For many mothers, myself included, this can at times lead to a lack of confidence and feelings of ignorance. Sadly, for some mothers, this experience can be made so much harder due to challenges with our very mental health."

Expand Close Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is pictured during a meeting with a parent support group while attending the launch of a series of films to raise awareness of maternal mental health challenges in London on March 23, 2017. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is pictured during a meeting with a parent support group while attending the launch of a series of films to raise awareness of maternal mental health challenges in London on March 23, 2017.

Her latest appearance is part of her charity Heads Together, which she set up with her husband and brother-in-law Prince Harry raising awareness on mental health initiatives around the UK.

"If any of us caught a fever during pregnancy, we would seek advice and support from a doctor. Getting help with our mental health is no different. Our children need us to look after ourselves and get the support we need," she added.

Video of the Day

Middleton is back to business at home after a three-day trip to Paris with her husband as part of Britain's post-Brexit charm offensive.
The fourth victim has been named.

A fuller picture is emerging on the Westminster attack, as more details were revealed overnight and this morning.

Here are the latest updates:

The fourth victim has been named.

The fourth member of the public killed in the attack was named as Leslie Rhodes. The 75-year-old from Streatham, south London, died after life support was withdrawn at Kings College Hospital on Thursday night.

The other victims have previously been named as Pc Keith Palmer, the police officer stabbed by the attacker, Aysha Frade and Kurt Cochran.

More details about the attacker emerged.

Scotland Yards top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley revealed that the killers birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao.

He appealed to the public for information about the killer, who was also known as Adrian Elms but was using the name Khalid Masood at the time of the attack.

Scotland Yard said Masood  who was shot dead by police  was born in Kent on Christmas Day in 1964.

He had a string of previous convictions, including assaults, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences, having once stabbed a man in the nose in the driveway of a nursing home in Eastbourne in 2003.

Hours before carrying out his atrocity, The Sun said he stayed in the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton, telling staff as he checked out that he was going to London.

He added: It isnt what it used to be.

More arrests have been made.

Two more significant arrests have been made in connection with the Westminster attack, police have said. The suspects were held overnight in the West Midlands and North West.

That makes nine people in total currently in custody  three women and five men were previously arrested, but one woman was released on police bail.

Searches at five addresses were ongoing and 16 have finished, with detectives seizing 2,700 items including massive amounts of computer data.

Victims of the attack are still in hospital.

Rowley said two people remain in hospital in a critical condition, one with life-threatening injuries.

Two police officers injured in the attack are also in hospital with significant injuries.
For the record: it very much does.

An insane conspiracy theory is sweeping the internet suggesting Australia does not actually exist.

The theory proposes Australia is a hoax that exists as a cover-up for one of the greatest mass murders in history, but before we elaborate any further, we suggest you take a deep breath.

Shelley Floryd

Australia is not real. Its a hoax, made for us to believe that Britain moved over their criminals to someplace. In reality, all these criminals were loaded off the ships into the waters, drowning

The theorist, Shelley Floryd, claimed Britain fabricated the fictional Australia to hide the fact it killed thousands of convicts, instead of shipping them over as is commonly believed.

She wrote: Australia does not exist. All things you call proof are actually well fabricated lies and documents made by the leading governments of the world.

And all those Australians youve met on a drunken night out? That year you spent travelling around the land of Down Under? Lies, Shelley said.

Theyre all actors and computer generated personas, part of the plot to trick the world. The plane pilots are all in on this, and have in all actuality only flown you to islands close nearby  or in some cases, parts of South America, where they have cleared space and hired actors to act out as real Australians.

Shelley, who lives in Stockholm, Sweden, urged people to open their eyes to the deception, and said: Australia is one of the biggest hoaxes ever created, and you have all been tricked.

Tell the truth. Stand up for what is right. Make sure to spread the world  Australia is not real.

Shelley shared her colourful hypothesis on Facebook and, needless to say, it has been met with some outrage  mainly from angry Aussies.

Before you completely lose faith in humanity, it appears Shelley was just pulling our leg

Shelley Floryd

Its time to end this now, aye. Yes, Im fully aware of the fact that Australia exists. Everything Ive said has been complete jokes, which you all kept adding fuel to and made it blow up. The long

She later wrote on Facebook: Its time to end this now, aye.

Yes, Im fully aware of the fact that Australia exists. Everything Ive said has been complete jokes, which you all kept adding fuel to and made it blow up.

In fact, she is set to spend three weeks in the country this summer. So thats that then.
A mother's wail for her missing child pierced the morning silence in the Korean port of Paengmok yesterday as the Sewol ferry was raised from its watery grave, three years after sinking with the loss of more than 300 lives.

Most of the 304 victims of the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16, 2014, were teenage school children from the Danwon High School in Ansan, near the capital, Seoul. Many died after being told to wait in their cabins instead of evacuating. Nine bodies were never found.

"I really miss you, my son. I hope he gets out of the freezing water and meets me here," the mother of Yang Seung-jin, a teacher, told the 'Korean Herald' as she wept on the island of Jindo, near where the ship went down.

Anxious families gathered on a boat to oversee the raising of the ship, while others watched from the top of a hill onshore.

The 145 metre-long ferry, trapped 40 metres under water for 1,073 days, began to break the surface seven hours after a Chinese consortium began to use two salvage barges to raise it in a $72m (66.7m) operation.

Some onlookers broke down as the corroded Sewol emerged. "I shouted when I saw the ferry revealed above the water, thinking that my child can finally return home," said Lee Keum-hee, the mother of missing student victim Cho Eun-hwa.

The ferry will be moved onto a semi-submersible ship and should arrive at the Mokpo Port in the south of the Korean peninsula in two weeks. Officials hope to find the reason why it sank and recover the bodies.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Peace talks come amid a recent escalation in fighting in Syria, notably in and around Damascus

US-backed Syrian fighters have reached a major dam held by the Islamic State group in the north of Syria, according to officials.

Cihan Sheikh Ehmed, spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the fighting was continuing at the entrance of the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates river, adding that there are casualties among IS fighters.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF fighters were moving slowly towards the dam because of mines and explosives planted by IS.

The push comes three days after US aircraft ferried Syrian Kurdish fighters and allies behind IS lines to spearhead a major ground assault on the IS-held town of Tabqa, where the dam is located, west of Raqqa.

US-backed fighters are also pushing to capture a major village east of Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS.

The Kurdish-led SDF has been on the offensive since November, aiming to surround the city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF fighters have been marching under air strikes and artillery cover from the US-led coalition, and are inside the village of Karama.

Mohammed Khedhr, of Sound and Picture Organisation, which documents IS violations, confirmed that battles are taking place inside Karama, about 10 miles east of Raqqa.

France's defence minister said the battle for Raqqa itself will start in the coming days.

Jean-Yves Le Drian said Raqqa is a "major objective" for the US-led coalition, adding: "Today we can say that Raqqa is encircled and that the battle will begin in the coming days. It will be a very hard battle but it will be an essential battle."

Syria's UN ambassador said hundreds of US personnel are "invading my country" and insisted any effort to liberate the city should be done in co-ordination with the Damascus government.

Bashar al-Ja'afari also insisted that "American warplanes" had bombed a school in the village of Mansourah, west of Raqqa, a day earlier and were responsible for the deaths of 237 civilians among 500 people fleeing the city.

The US has deployed more than 700 advisers, Marines and Rangers to Syria to support fighters battling IS.

Mr al-Ja'afari was s peaking at the start of a new round of UN-mediated peace talks.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura hosted Mr al-Ja'afari at UN offices in Geneva for the talks set to take place over at least several days around issues of governance, elections, a new constitution and the fight against terrorism.

AP
Hosni Mubarak waves to supporters from his room at the Maadi Military Hospital (AP)

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has returned home following his release from custody, security officials said, after legal proceedings that took years during which the country witnessed major upheaval.

An official said Mr Mubarak left the Armed Forces Hospital in Cairo's southern suburb of Maadi on Friday morning and went to his house in the upmarket district of Heliopolis under heavy security.

The 88-year-old was acquitted by the country's leading appeals court on March 2 of charges that he ordered the killing of protesters during the 2011 popular uprising that led to his removal.

Mr Mubarak's release marks a new chapter in the saga of a president whose people rose up against him, demanding the end of a 30-year rule hollowed out by corruption, economic inequities and reliance on feared security officials to keep its hold on power.

It also underscored how the aspirations of the Arab Spring movement that swept the region have bottomed out.

Six years on, the mass uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria have each failed in some way, leading to civil wars or failed states.

Mr Mubarak's lawyer, Farid el-Deeb, told the Egyptian daily Al-Masry al-Youm that the ailing former president returned home with his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, and the entire family, including Mr Mubarak's wife Suzanne, came together at his house to celebrate his return and have breakfast together.

He had served a three-year sentence for embezzling state funds while in detention in connection with the deaths of protesters.

A criminal court ruled in May 2015 to jail him for three years and fine him millions of Egyptian pounds following his conviction for embezzling funds earmarked for the maintenance and renovation of presidential palaces. The ruling was upheld by another court in January last year.

Prosecutors reopened another corruption case on Thursday, linked to allegations that Mr Mubarak received gifts from the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper worth 1 million US dollars (800,000), along with his family members. The case had been closed but the prosecutors appealed and the case restarted.

The order to release him was the latest in a series of court rulings in recent years in Egypt that acquitted more than 20 Mubarak-era cabinet ministers, police chiefs and aides charged with corruption or in connection with the killing of 900 protesters during the uprising.

Some of those acquitted have made a comeback in public life, while others partially paid back fortunes they illegally amassed.

Activists say Mr Mubarak's acquittal of killing protesters has confirmed long-held suspicions that his trial - and those of scores of police who faced the same charge - would never bring the justice they demanded.

It has also, according to activists and Egypt's beleaguered rights campaigners, confirmed widely held suspicions that their "revolution" - as the uprising against Mr Mubarak was dubbed - had effectively been reversed by the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a general-turned-politician, to restore the status quo in a country ruled undemocratically by men of military background for most of the past 60 years.

Powerful media figures loyal to Mr el-Sissi have relentlessly vilified the 2011 uprising as a conspiracy and demonised its leaders as foreign agents who pose a threat to the country's national security.

AP
Italian police patrol the Tiber River as they pass by Castel Sant'Angelo castle, in Rome ahead of a European Union summit commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Italian police patrol the Tiber River in Rome before a European Union summit commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome (AP)

European Union leaders have begun a weekend pilgrimage in Rome with the hope that a visit to the cradle of their project of unity can rekindle the vigour of youth.

Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the signature of their solemn bond in Rome, which started with six founding nations but steadily grew to 28.

But the biggest setback in the EU's history looms next week when Britain officially triggers negotiations to become the first nation to leave the bloc.

At the Sistine Chapel, EU leaders posed with Pope Francis in front of the Michelangelo fresco The Last Judgment, which depicts the end of the world.

Six decades ago, few would have imagined the end of the EU could even be discussed.

The mantra of the EU, ever closer union, pointed toward a seamless continent and an economic and political juggernaut.

Now others, beyond Britain with its divorce plans, are looking for more of a "living apart together" relationship.

The EU's Rome summit, while vowing unity, could instead be a watershed moment in moving away from it and toward a more practical road of partial alliances on certain issues.

"I'd rather have a two-speed Europe than a dead-end and no speed," Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of founding nation Luxembourg said in an interview with the Associated Press.

The highlight of Saturday's ceremonies will be the adoption of a Rome Declaration, a blueprint for the way ahead.

But at least two countries continued to have objections to what many would consider a harmless statement to rally all member states.

It is that concern about paralysis that pushed the EU to look for other options.

If Britain does not show up this weekend in Rome, leaders will be looking at France with concern.

With French President Francois Hollande leaving in May, there is the spectre of a possible election victory by Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate and another anti-EU populist.

Further down the road are the elections in Germany in September, where the far-right Alternative for Germany could become a factor.

Even in the heart of Italy the EU is no longer at peace. The 5-Star Movement founded by comic Beppe Grillo is riding highest in the polls and wants a referendum on whether to stay in the eurozone.

It has been highly critical of most things EU.

Laura Agea, a member of the European parliament, said that what the EU's founders set out to do with the 1957 treaty has been turned upside down.

"It's exactly the opposite. The drift under the eyes of bureaucrats and great financial powers has created a market anything but united," highlighting the north versus south divide created by the financial crisis, Agea said.

This weekend's largely symbolic events will not change that, said Luigi Di Maio of the 5-Star Movement, the vice president of Italy's Chamber of Deputies.

AP
An Irish solicitor has revealed he missed being on Westminster Bridge for the lone wolf terror attack by only a matter of seconds.

The decision by solicitor Michael T Kingston to go to the bathroom after a meeting in nearby government offices meant he wasn't on the bridge when the terrorist drove a rented Hyundai SUV randomly at pedestrians.

"It happened on the side that I would have been on had I not been delayed by two or three minutes at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) by deciding to go to the toilet," Mr Kingston said.

Mr Kingston also spoke to a woman about a faulty chair which delayed him further.

Read more: 'I missed it by 30 seconds' - Irish man walked into parliament moments ahead of attacker

This all meant that by the time he reached Westminster, he witnessed the immediate aftermath of the attack.

Expand Close London-based Irish solicitor Michael T Kingston / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp London-based Irish solicitor Michael T Kingston

Mr Kington, who is originally from Goleen in west Cork, is a London-based maritime solicitor. He also serves as a director of the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith.

"I was at a meeting in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in King Charles Street," he told RedFM.

"When I got down there [Westminster], all hell was breaking loose. There was a car mounted on the kerb on the far side and people were running from it.

"I stayed on the north side railing of the bridge and the next thing I heard were shots. I could see police scrambling. I realised at that point that it was a terrorist attack. I could see bodies on the ground and the police were shouting: 'He is down there.' I decided to take evasive action.

"I was standing there wondering in which direction I could go. There were no paramedics there at that point.

"There were just ordinary people trying to help - tending to people lying dying in the street."

Mr Kingston said that but for being delayed at the FCO building, he would have been in the direct path of the terrorist.

"I would have been on the bridge," he said.

"As I walked, I could see body after body - I didn't know if they had been shot by the terrorist.

"It was only later that I realised they had been mowed down."
Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster.

An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster.

An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster

An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster.

Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster.

Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster.

Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster.

Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster.

An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. A man with a knife has been seen within the confines of the Palace, eyewitnesses said: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

An injured man is assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London, Britain March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London, March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. Victoria Jones/PA Wire

PC Keith Palmer who was killed during the terrorist attack on the Houses of Parliament, London Credit: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

Armed police respond outside Parliament during the attack on Westminster in London, Britain March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Scenes following the London attack (main and insets right) and Keith Palmer (inset left)

Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London. Inset: Aysha Frade (43) died of her injuries

Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after a policeman was stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Kurt Cochran, Keith Palmer and Aysha Frade - The victims of the London terror attack

The Westminster terror attack has claimed its fourth innocent victim, as police confirmed that a 75-year-old man has died in hospital.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The man had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening.

"Next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained family liaison officers."

Earlier, the man police believe to be responsible for the terrorist attack in Westminster was formally identified as Khalid Masood (52) Scotland Yard said.

Scotland Yard said Masood had previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. He had not been convicted of any terrorism offences.

Earlier the Islamic State terror group claimed through its news agency that the Westminster attacker was a "soldier of the Islamic State".

Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after a policeman was stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament: Yui Mok/PA Wire Police close to the Palace of Westminster, London, after policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. Victoria Jones/PA Wire Police outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after a policeman was stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Arrests

Eight people, three women and five men, have been arrested in London and Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts by detectives investigating the Westminster attack, Scotland Yard said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has said "no police officers are under investigation" over the Westminster terror attack, but it is "currently investigating the circumstances".

Searches were carried out at three addresses in Birmingham and one each in east London, Brighton, south-east London and Carmarthenshire.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Westminster terror alert An Air Ambulance outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after sounds similar to gunfire have been heard close to the Palace of Westminster. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Westminster terror alert

A 39-year-old woman was arrested in east London while a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man were held at one address in Birmingham.

A 26-year-old woman and three men aged 28, 27 and 26 were arrested at another address in Birmingham.

They were all held overnight while a 58-year-old man was arrested on Thursday at a third address in Birmingham.

Investigators are working on the basis that the attacker acted alone.

Expand Close PC Keith Palmer who was killed during the terrorist attack on the Houses of Parliament, London Credit: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp PC Keith Palmer who was killed during the terrorist attack on the Houses of Parliament, London Credit: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

Car firm Enterprise confirmed the Hyundai used in the attack was one of its vehicles.

Islamic State claimed the killer was one of its "soldiers".

A review of security arrangements at Westminster was launched.

Victims

The victims admitted to hospital included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks, she said.

Video compartido en Twitter por el turista taiwanes Aaron Tsang mientras la gente huye pic.twitter.com/cmVrw8lC6c #londres  Telemadrid (@InformativosTM) March 22, 2017

UK Prime Minister Theresa May said the government was in close contact with counterparts in all the countries affected. Ms May visited victims in hospital this evening.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke to British Prime Minister Theresa May this evening following the horrific attack in London.

He offered the sympathy of the Irish Government to the British people and offered any assistance that may be required.

The Prime Minister confirmed that the injuries suffers by an Irish person were not life-threatening.

They also spoke about the ongoing negotiations in Stormont towards the reestablishment of power sharing in Northern Ireland.

The call lasted approximately ten minutes.

This afternoon the third victim of the Westminster terror attack was named as US tourist Kurt Cochran from Utah.

US president Donald Trump has hailed a tourist killed in the Westminster terror attack as a "great American".

Kurt Cochran from Utah was in London celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife Melissa Payne Cochran when the terrorist struck.

President Trump tweeted: "A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends."

Mr Cochran's wife was also injured in the attack. She sustained a broken leg and rib, but it is not believed to be critical.

Shantell Payne wrote on Facebook: "With a heavy heart I must pass the sad news of our beautiful brother, father, husband, son and friend Kurt Cochran."

She continued: "This pain is so heart wrenching and raw it has rocked our family and all that knew him to its core. We will miss Kurt beyond words. We love you Kurt. RIP. Melissa Payne Cochran is in the hospital with a broken leg, rib and a cut on her head but will recover from her injuries. Sending all the love to her for a quick recovery."

Expand Close Kurt Cochran (left) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Kurt Cochran (left)

Earlier it was revealed that Spanish teacher Aysha Frade (43) died of her injuries after a car ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, has confirmed that one Irish person was amongst those injured in yesterdays terrorist attack in London.

Minister Flanagan said that his Department has, through the Irish Embassy in London, offered and stands ready to provide consular assistance.

Independent.ie understands that the injuries sustained by the Irish person, believed to be a woman, are not considered to be life-threatening.

Four people were killed in the incident yesterday afternoon and in the region of 40 injured as an assailant drove a car on the footpath on Westminster Bridge, before crashing the car at the British parliament and getting out to stab a policeman to death before the attacker was shot.

The British Prime Minister also told MPs that murdered PC Keith Palmer was "every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten".

She added that the British Parliament was sending out the message following Wednesday's attack: "We will never waver in the face of terrorism."

Mrs May addressed MPs as they gathered at the usual time inside the Palace of Westminster, which a day before had come under attack from a knife-wielding terrorist.

An hour after MPs had stood for a minute's silence in honour of the innocent people killed in the attack, Mrs May delivered a statement with details of the atrocity.

Mrs May said the attacker had been identified as someone known by police and MI5, and the working assumption was that he was inspired by Islamist terrorism. The BBC is reporting that he was British-born.

"Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy, but today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: 'We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism'," Mrs May said.

"A terrorist came to the place where people of all nationalities and cultures gather to celebrate what it means to be free.

"And he took out his rage indiscriminately against innocent men, women and children.

"This was an attack on free people everywhere, and on behalf of the British people I would like to thank our friends and allies around the world who have made it clear that they stand with us at this time."

Westminster Bridge has reopened less than 24 hours after the attack.

Victims of the Westminster terror attack are being treated in hospitals across London.

King's College Hospital has confirmed its A&E department took in eight patients - six men and two women. Two of these patients are in a critical condition, while six are stable.

At St Thomas' Hospital, two patients - a man and a woman - remain in a stable condition.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust declared a major incident at St Mary's Hospital on Wednesday afternoon at 3.55pm. It has yet to release a statement on whether it is currently treating any victims.

The Royal London Hospital said it admitted one patient but a spokeswoman said no further detail could be given on whether that patient died, is being treated or has been discharged.

Earlier, A Spanish teacher on her way to pick up her children from school was named as the first civilian victim of the Westminster attack.

Aysha Frade (43) died of her injuries after a car ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.

Spanish media said Mrs Frade had two daughters aged eight and 11 and worked at the nearby DLD College London.

Mrs Frade, a British citizen, had familial links to the Spanish municipality of Betanzos, where relatives were notified of her death on Wednesday afternoon.

Mrs Frade worked in the administration team at DLD College London, just a few hundred metres from Westminster Bridge, principal Rachel Borland confirmed.

Ms Borland said: "We are all deeply shocked and saddened at the news that one of the victims yesterday was a member of our staff, Aysha Frade.

"All our thoughts and our deepest sympathies are with her family.

"We will be offering every support we can to them as they try to come to terms with their devastating loss.

"Aysha worked as a member of our administration team at the college.

"She was highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues.

"She will be deeply missed by all of us."

Mrs Frade was the second victim named following Wednesdays attack, where PC Palmer was stabbed to death outside the Houses of Parliament.

She and another member of the public, a man in his 50s, died of injuries sustained on Westminster Bridge as an attacker sped his car along the pavement.

Counter-terror detectives are continuing to search for clues about how the armed attacker brought death and destruction to the streets of London on Wednesday.

The number of people killed was revised down from five to four this morning.

Mark Rowley, Scotland Yard's top anti-terror officer said 29 people had been treated in hospital with seven people in a critical condition. Most of these were mown down on Westminster Bridge.

Officer Palmer, 48, a husband and father, whose bravery was hailed by colleagues, friends and the many British MPs whom he was charged with protecting.

His family described him as a "wonderful dad and husband, a loving son, brother and uncle", adding that he was "dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous".

Paying tribute to Mr Palmer, Mr Rowley said: "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift - and he had every right to expect that would happen."

Mr Rowley declined to name the attacker, but said police suspect he was "inspired by international terrorism" - and that they believed they knew who he was.

Seven people have been arrested in raids in London, Birmingham and elsewhere linked to the Westminster terror attack, Mr Rowley revealed, adding that six addresses were raided overnight.

At the scene of one of the police raids, a flat in Hagley Road, Birmingham, one witness told the Press Association: "The man from London lived here."

Read More

Witnesses described scenes of terror when gunfire rang out as the attacker approached a second officer within yards of the Houses of Parliament.

The suspected attacker was pictured being treated by paramedics on a stretcher, as two knives used in the assault lay on the ground nearby.

Paramedics fought to save his life and that of Mr Palmer on the floor of the cobbled courtyard in front of Parliament, with British Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood among those who rushed to help.

"Heartbroken" former colleague, Conservative MP James Cleverly, paid tribute to the "lovely man" he had known for a quarter of a century.

"I've known Keith for 25 years. We served together in the Royal Artillery before he became a copper. A lovely man, a friend. I'm heartbroken.

"My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Pc Keith Palmer. A brave man."

British MPs said that the terror attack could have been prevented if police on duty at a well-known security weak spot had simply kept it bolted.

The killer managed to get in through a vehicle gate in New Palace Yard  used by the Prime Minister and other members of the Government  because it was not locked.

Footage later emerged of the moment police opened fire after the attacker drove a grey Hyundai i40 across Westminster Bridge before crashing it into railings then running through the gates of the Palace of Westminster.

In other developments, another woman who apparently fell into the Thames was rescued and given urgent medical treatment on a nearby pier.

London Ambulance Service said paramedics had treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge. A party of French schoolchildren were among those targeted on the bridge, with three injured.

Mrs May, who was ushered away from Parliament after the attack, was chairing a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee.

The attack left a trail of destruction as paramedics tended to victims on the bridge and at the gate.

Witnesses said the attacker was shot by police as he approached a second officer clutching his knife during the incident at about 2.45pm.

Radoslaw Sikorski posted a video to Twitter purporting to show people lying injured in the road on Westminster Bridge.

Mr Sikorski, a senior fellow at Harvard Centre for European Studies, said he saw at least five people lying on the ground after being "mown down" by a car.

"I heard what I thought what I thought was just a collision and then I looked through the window of the taxi and someone down, obviously in great distress," he told the BBC.

"Then I saw a second person down, and I started filming, then I saw three more people down, one of them bleeding profusely."

That carnage was followed very shortly afterwards by a crash outside the House of Parliament, followed by a stabbing of a police officer and a number of shots being fired. A number of officers were injured in the struggle.

Eyewitness Rick Longley described the attack at Palace of Westminster.

"We were just walking up to the station and there was a loud bang and a guy, someone, crashed a car and took some pedestrians out.

"They were just laying there and then the whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben.

"A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman.

"I have never seen anything like that. I just can't believe what I just saw."

Another witness, from South Africa and living in Ireland, said she and two friends went towards the palace gates and saw a man lying on the floor inside.

She said: "I saw a body, they were working on the floor. They were just inside the gates.

"He had one gunshot wound to the right side of his chest. I don't know if he was dead or alive, but people were working on him.

"I saw that needed medical attention and I asked if I could help because I am a doctor, but they said they were fine.

"Then the police moved us back."

Department of Foreign Affairs - Ireland

President Michael D Higgins expressed the sympathy of the Irish people with the families of those who have lost their lives and to those who have been injured, resulting from the terrible attack in Westminster.

President Higgins will be writing formally to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to express the sympathy, condolences and solidarity of the Irish people with our neighbours at this difficult time.

The Irish embassy in London say they are monitoring the situation. Anyone with serious concerns for Irish people can contact +35314082527/+44 20 72352171.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

The Department of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that they were not aware of any Irish caught up in the attack.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said: I unreservedly condemn the attack outside the Houses of Parliament at Westminster today. I deplore the loss of life, and note that the casualties include a police officer killed in the line of duty. I wish to extend my condolences and on behalf of my Government, my support to the people of London and the UK. Terror and violence will never triumph over democracy.

The Irish Embassy and my Department have been active in London, and at this time we have no reason to believe that any Irish citizens have been affected or are persons over whom there are concerns.

Britain is on its second-highest level of "severe" meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

In May 2013, two British Islamists stabbed to death soldier Lee Rigby on a street in southeast London.

In July 2005, four British Islamists killed 52 commuters and themselves in suicide bombings on the British capital's transport system in what was London's worst peacetime attack.

More to follow
Police officers conduct a fingertip search at Carriage Gate near to the Houses of Parliament in London. Photo: PA

Khalid Masood was finally stopped when he was shot dead by a British Cabinet minister's bodyguard, raising fresh questions about the UK parliament's security arrangements.

The close protection officer - understood to be the bodyguard of Michael Fallon, the defence secretary - ran towards the knife-wielding attacker and shot him three times in the chest from short range.

Sources said that he was sitting in Mr Fallon's official car, which was parked near to where the attack took place, and was first to react when he saw Masood stab Pc Keith Palmer. Mr Fallon is thought to have been voting in the Commons chamber at the time.

A separate source said armed officers who were on duty at the Carriage Gates in New Palace Yard rushed towards the terrorist's car, which had crashed into railings around the corner after mowing down pedestrians.

According to the source, that meant the nearest armed officer to the terrorist at the time he burst into New Palace Yard was the protection officer.

The entrance has been described as a "well known weak spot" because the gates are usually unlocked and manned by two unarmed officers. Masood was able to force his way through Carriage Gates, together with people who were running away from him.

As MPs gathered in the Commons yesterday, warm tributes were paid to the policemen who keep MPs safe, and in particular Pc Palmer. The Speaker, John Bercow, signalled MPs' "profound appreciation" for the work of security personnel on Wednesday. A spokesman for Mr Fallon refused to discuss whether the protection officer was assigned to him. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Armed police secure the area across the road from the Palace of Westminster after Westminster bridge reopened (Image: Getty Images)

Emergency services bid to save the life of Khalid Masood after his murderous terror attack was ended by an armed policeman at the Palace of Westminster, London

President Michael D Higgins and French Ambassador to Ireland Jean Pierre Thebault who signed a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Westminster attacks in London on Wednesday. Pic:Mark Condren 24.3.2017

President Michael D Higgins and French Ambassador to Ireland Jean Pierre Thebault who signed a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Westminster attacks in London on Wednesday. Pic:Mark Condren 24.3.2017

President Michael D Higgins who signed a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Westminster attacks in London on Wednesday. Pic:Mark Condren 24.3.2017

Taoiseach Enda Kenny who signed a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Westminster attacks in London on Wednesday. Pic:Mark Condren 24.3.2017

President Michael D Higgins who signed a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Westminster attacks in London on Wednesday. Pic:Mark Condren 24.3.2017

Taoiseach Enda Kenny who signed a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Westminster attacks in London on Wednesday. Pic:Mark Condren 24.3.2017

President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny have signed a book of condolence at the British embassy in Dublin for the victims of this week's terror attack in London.

The President expressed his solidarity to the British ambassador, Dominick Chilcott, saying it is very important to see the atrocity as a criminal act.

Mr Higgins also said he would be writing to Queen Elizabeth II.

The British ambassador expressed his thanks to the Irish president for his attendance.

"We 're deeply honoured that the president has come here to express solidarity on behalf of the Irish people. I have to say since the news of the terrible incident first broke we have been inundated with people expressing support and sympathy.

"We are deeply grateful to the president for joining us in this formal way but as I say we are very well aware that the people of Ireland have joined with the people of the United Kingdom reflecting the very special and unique bond that exists between our two countries.

Police Officer PC Keith Palmer (48), retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes (75), mum Aysha Frade and US tourist Kurt Cochran (54) all lost their lives in the attack.

Earlier, two more "significant arrests" have been made in connection with the Westminster attack, police have said.

Scotland Yard's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley said the suspects were held overnight in the West Midlands and north west as he revealed that the killer's birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao.

Mr Rowley appealed to the public for information about the killer, who was also known as Adrian Elms but was using the name Khalid Masood at the time of the attack.

The officer also revealed that the fourth member of the public injured in the attack, who died in hospital last night, was 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham, south London.

Mr Rowley said two people remain in hospital in a critical condition, one with a life-threatening injuries. Two police officers injured in the attack are also in hospital with "significant injuries".

Mr Rowley said: "We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited.

"There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but did not feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing those concerns to us."

Additional reporting by Press Association
A forensics expert stands next to a car which had entered the main pedestrian shopping street in the city at high speed, in Antwerp, Belgium. Photo: REUTERS

A man drove a car at speed into a pedestrianised street in Antwerp yesterday, forcing people to jump out of its path, a day after an assailant rammed a vehicle into crowds in central London, police said.

The car sped away in the Belgian port leaving no one injured, but prosecutors said police later arrested a man suspected of being the driver, naming him as Mohamed R, a 39-year-old French national of North African origin.

Antwerp police found knives in the vehicle and a canister containing an unknown substance that bomb disposal officers were checking, Belgian federal prosecutors' office said in a statement.

The Belgian federal prosecutors did not give details of any motive but said they had been called in "based on all these elements and the events in London yesterday".

A French source later said that authorities there believed the suspect had not been trying to hit anyone, but was probably drunk and trying to escape a police check. The source described the suspect as a Tunisian national living in France, known to police for common law crimes.

The car entered Antwerp's busy De Meir shopping street at around 11am, said police.

Patrolling soldiers tried to stop it but it went through a red light and drove off, said a police spokesman.

The vehicle later came to a halt near Antwerp's waterfront.
Guenter Lubitz said he was speaking publicly for the first time to challenge claims by French and German authorities (AP)

The father of Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz has said his son loved life and was not suffering depression on the day his plane crashed in the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board.

Gunter Lubitz said he was speaking publicly for the first time to challenge claims by French and German authorities, who have concluded that his son crashed the Airbus A320 into a mountainside to kill himself.

"In the six years before the crash we knew our son as someone who loved life," Mr Lubitz told reporters in Berlin. "Our son wasn't depressed at the time of the crash."

Other families who lost loved ones in the crash on March 24 2015 have expressed anger at the news conference, on the second anniversary of the disaster.

German prosecutors dismissed the suggestion that their investigation of the crash - which focused on possible negligence by third parties - failed to examine all reasonable leads.

Dusseldorf prosecutor Christoph Kumpa said Andreas Lubitz had suffered depression during his pilot training, but there was no indication this had persisted beyond 2009.

"However, the investigation showed that from the period after the end of December 2014, symptoms were found that indicated that a new psychological illness had arisen at the time, which was diagnosed by specialist doctors in February and March 2015," Mr Kumpa said.

He said that while Lubitz was not diagnosed with depression, he had been suffering from "another psychological illness that is commonly also treated with anti-depressants". Evidence that the co-pilot was taking such medication was found after the crash, he said.

A review of Lubitz's computer showed he had also searched for information on the cockpit door in the week before the crash. Investigators concluded that the co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit before setting the plane to fly at the lowest possible altitude.

"In the view of Dusseldorf prosecutors there can be no reasonable doubt that the co-pilot intentionally and voluntarily caused the crash for suspected suicidal reasons," said Mr Kumpa.

An aviation expert commissioned by Gunter Lubitz told reporters that authorities had failed to pursue several other possibilities in their investigation, including technical errors and hazardous weather conditions.

The expert, Tim van Beveren, accused authorities of "poisoning" the investigation by concluding two days after the crash that Andreas Lubitz was responsible. He urged authorities to review the case again and give the co-pilot's family access to documents previously unavailable to them.

A spokesman for the German transport ministry said the government saw no reason to doubt the results of the investigation that had concluded Lubitz crashed the plane intentionally into a mountainside.

Gunter Lubitz insisted he had not chosen to hold the news conference on the anniversary of the crash "to hurt the other families", some of whom gathered near the site of the crash for a memorial ceremony on Friday.

"Like all other families we too are looking for truth," he said.

AP
Hundreds in Los Angeles protest at Donald Trump's plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (AP)

President Donald Trump addressing members of the media regarding the healthcare overhaul bill (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

A vote on US President Donald Trump's "Obamacare" repeal bill has been withdrawn at the last minute after it failed to gain enough support to pass in Congress.

The President and Republican leaders agreed to pull the vote on Friday after it became apparent it would not get enough votes.

The withdrawal is seen as a major defeat for Mr Trump. Replacing the health programme - set in place by former US president Barack Obama - was one of Mr Trump's election pledges

Mr Trump had demanded House Republicans vote on the legislation on Friday, threatening to leave "Obamacare" in place and move on to other issues if the vote failed. The bill was withdrawn minutes before the vote was due to take place.

The president's gamble failed. Instead, Mr Trump saw his ultimatum rejected by Republican lawmakers who made clear they answer to their own voters, not to the president.

Republicans have spent seven years campaigning against the former president's health care law, and cast dozens of votes to repeal it in full or in part.

But when they finally got the chance to pass a repeal bill that actually had a chance to get signed, they could not pull it off.

Mr Trump is certain to be weakened politically - with a big early congressional defeat adding to the continuing inquiries into his presidential campaign's Russia connections and his unfounded wiretapping allegations against Mr Obama.

The development came on the afternoon of a day when the bill, which had been delayed a day earlier, was supposed to come to a vote.

But instead of picking up support as Friday wore on, the bill went the other direction, with some key lawmakers coming out in opposition.

Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, chairman of a major committee, Appropriations, said the bill would raise costs unacceptably on his constituents.

Republican Barbara Comstock of Virginia, a key moderate Republican, and Republican David Joyce of Ohio also announced "no" votes.

The defections raised the possibility that the bill would fail. In the face of that evidence, and despite insistences from White House officials and House Speaker Paul Ryan that Friday was the day to vote, leadership pulled back from the brink.

The bill would have eliminated the Obama statute's unpopular fines on people who do not obtain coverage and would also have removed the often-generous subsidies for those who purchase insurance.

Republican tax credits would have been based on age, not income like Obama's, and the tax boosts Obama imposed on higher-earning people and health care companies would have been repealed.

The bill would have ended Obama's Medicaid expansion and trimmed future federal financing for the federal-state program, letting states impose work requirements on some of the 70 million beneficiaries.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said the Republican bill would have resulted in 24 million additional uninsured people in a decade and lead to higher out-of-pocket medical costs for many lower-income and people just shy of age 65 when they would become eligible for Medicare. The bill would have blocked federal payments for a year to Planned Parenthood.

Democrats were uniformly opposed. "This bill is pure greed, and real people will suffer and die from it," said Republican Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

Mr Trump said his healthcare reform fell short because it lacked support from Democrats.

Trump made his first comments about the failure of a signature legislative item on Friday in the Oval Office a short time after a House vote on the bill was withdrawn.

Mr Trump told reporters "we were very close" and tried to blame Democrats, through Republicans control both the House and the Senate.

He also predicted the Affordable Care Act would soon implode, forcing Democrats to join the Republicans at the negotiating table.
Kannur VC Dr Gopinath Ravindran was the last to respond to Raj Bhavan shortly before the 5pm deadline.
A girl reacts as a man hugs the body of her father who was killed by a mortar shell fired by Isil on civilians who were gathered to receive aid as they are evacuated from Al-Risala, near Mosul, Iraq. Photo: Getty Images

More than 200 civilians are reported to have been killed in a single US-led coalition raid on Mosul, as the United Nations warned yesterday the worst was yet to come for those still trapped in the Iraqi city.

Some 230 bodies of mostly women and children were pulled from three adjoining houses in the Jadida neighbourhood of west Mosul overnight Wednesday and into yesterday morning, according to witnesses.

Isil had taken over the buildings to use as sniper positions and had been holding civilians there which it had rounded up to use as human shields.

A Mosul resident who has been documenting life under Isil, and now the battle for the city, under the name MosulEye said one of the trapped residents called him yesterday pleading for help, saying they had been without food and water for four days.

We asked them to rescue the people, but received no response, said MosulEye, who passed the co-ordinates of the houses on to the Iraqi army.

He said Isil let off a car bomb in the area before the coalition airstrike hit.

This is what Isil wants, he said. They want the ISF (Iraqi special forces) and coalition to target civilians, this is why they are using them.

Centcom, US Central Command, said: We are aware of reports on airstrikes in Mosul resulting in civilian casualties. The coalition conducted several strikes near Mosul and we will provide this information to our civilian casualty team for further investigation.

Iraqi forces are pushing into the densely populated Old City in west Mosul, where 400,000 people are trapped in increasingly desperate conditions.

Military officials said Isil militants are deeply entrenched inside civilian homes, making it difficult for coalition forces to distinguish friend from foe.

Civilians are streaming out at an increasing rate, now averaging 8,000-12,000 a day, Bruno Geddo, UNHCR representative in Iraq, said.

The worst is yet to come, if I can put it this way. Because 400,000 people trapped in the Old City in that situation of panic and penury may inevitably lead to the cork popping somewhere, sometime, presenting us with a fresh outflow of large-scale proportions, Mr Geddo said.

The UN has warned that civilians are at risk whether they choose to flee the city or remain in their homes.

Those who choose to stay face extreme risks of being hit by mortar fire and airstrikes; while families who choose to leave are equally at risk of being injured or killed by car bombs and snipers.

The latest deadly raid sparks further concerns that the US militarys new rules of engagement may be causing an increase in civilian casualties.

The Trump administration has already sped up the process of approving airstrikes, but an official review could see the Pentagon approving attacks without presidential consent and the threshold of near certainty that there be no civilian deaths lowered.

Airwars, a UK-based organisation which monitors international strikes on Isil, suggested as many as 400 civilian deaths could be attributed to coalition raids in March alone. We are very concerned about the reports of Iraq government and coalition using heavy-handed tactics in west Mosul, said Chris Wood, director of Airwars. The US are not downplaying the number of casualties, but they dont have the monitoring on the ground to assess properly the presence of civilians and the number of casualties.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
3 Commando Brigade return to Helmand Province...Ministry of Defence handout photo of soldiers from 3 Troop, W Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines, conducting their first patrol from Sangin District , Afghanistan. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday October 9 2008. 3 Commando Brigade return to Helmand Province with its sights firmly set on making a difference to the people of Afghanistan by providing security, stability, and re-development to the province. Photo credit should read: Dave Husbands/PA Wire...A

The top US general in Europe warned yesterday that Russia may now be arming the Taliban, as the militant group seized the Afghan town where more than 100 British soldiers died trying to defend it.

The strategic district of Sangin in Helmand province was the deadliest battlefield for UK forces in Afghanistan and 104 British troops died in the effort to keep it out of the Taliban's hands.

But the town fell early yesterday morning as Taliban forces continued a years-long offensive to extend their reach in southern Afghanistan.

The Afghan government said it intended to mount a counter-attack to recapture the town but it was not clear if it had the forces to immediately take it back.

The setback came as the top US general in Europe warned that Russia may now be arming the militants. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, Nato's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, said Moscow appeared to be an increasingly influential player in Afghanistan.

"I've seen the influence of Russia of late - increased influence in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban," he told a Senate hearing in Washington.

Gen Scaparrotti's comments come after a senior Pakistani military source said that Russia could be tempted to stage a Syria-style intervention in Afghanistan if Taliban and Isil strength continues to grow.

Russia has denied supporting the Taliban, saying its contacts with the group are aimed at bringing it to the negotiating table.

The fall of Sangin is the latest sign of how Afghanistan's security forces have struggled to hold their own against the Taliban since the withdrawal of most Western forces in 2014.

Afghan troops have suffered massive casualties fighting against the Taliban and are dogged by equipment shortages and salaries that are sometimes not paid because of corruption.

An Afghan policeman reportedly killed nine of his comrades as they slept and then fled to join the Taliban early yesterday morning. The killings, which took place in the northern province of Kunduz, is part of a spike of "insider attacks" in which Afghan forces have turned their weapons on their own side.

Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, said he was not surprised to hear of Sangin's fall given the depleted state of the Afghan security forces. "The reality is that when we withdrew we left the Afghan security forces in a state where they were not able to do the job and defend the territory allegedly held by the Afghan government," he said.

"We and the Americans should have remained in Afghanistan in much greater numbers to see them through the very dangerous transition period for longer."

Col Kemp said that Sangin's fall might make some British veterans of Afghanistan question if their fight had been worth it but that the town itself was not particularly symbolic for UK forces.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
President Donald Trump's cornerstone campaign pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare was thrown into turmoil last night as Congress postponed a vote on the measure for at least a day.

Mr Trump and his Republican allies, led by House Speaker Paul Ryan, had hoped to pass the proposed American Health Care Act, known as "Trumpcare" yesterday. But they failed to achieve enough support from conservative rebels within their own party who said the reforms did not go far enough.

Although the stalled bill could still come to a vote in Congress in coming days, and perhaps as soon as today, it was a stinging setback and raised doubts about Republicans' ability to push through laws enacting Mr Trump's key campaign pledges.

The promise to repeal 'Obamacare' was key to Republicans keeping control of Congress, and to winning the White House, in November's election.

The bill was held up by members of the Freedom Caucus, a conservative group of Republican politicians. Congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, said there was "no deal" with the Republican leadership.

Mr Meadows said he personally was still a "No" vote and he had told Mr Trump personally. But he praised Mr Trump, saying: "The engagement of the president [on this] is unparalleled in the history of our country. The Freedom Caucus is committed to working with the president to get this done."

He said last night, the seventh anniversary of former president Barack Obama signing his Affordable Care Act into law, had been an "artificial deadline imposed on ourselves" .

An extra 20 million people gained health insurance under Obamacare. The Republican healthcare bill would halt Mr Obama's tax penalties against people who refuse to pay for insurance and cut government financial assistance for the poor, instead providing tax credits.

It keeps some parts of Obamacare, including forcing insurers to accept people with pre-existing conditions, but members of the Freedom Caucus, and many Americans who voted for Mr Trump, wanted wholesale repeal.

Mr Trump issued a rallying cry to his millions of followers on Twitter to phone the offices of their congressmen and demand they vote for the bill.

In a last-minute attempt to save his flagship healthcare reform Mr Obama said: "This fight was about more than healthcare, it was about the character of our country. This fight is still about all that today."

Meanwhile, Mr Trump said yesterday in an interview that he had been proved "right" about controversial claims that the Obama administration spied on him, and declined to apologise for saying Britain's GCHQ carried out the surveillance.

Mr Trump's declaration followed revelations from Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, that the names and communications of Mr Trump and his team appeared in intelligence reports as part of an "incidental collection".

The president told 'Time' magazine: "So, that means I'm right. Who knows what it is? You know why, because somebody says 'incidental'. [We] were under surveillance during the Obama administration, following November's election. Wow."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A vote on US President Donald Trump's "Obamacare" repeal bill has been withdrawn at the last minute after it failed to gain enough support to pass in Congress.

The President and Republican leaders agreed to pull the vote on Friday after it became apparent it would not get enough votes.

The withdrawal is seen as a major defeat for Mr Trump. Replacing the health programme - set in place by former US president Barack Obama - was one of Mr Trump's election pledges

Mr Trump had demanded House Republicans vote on the legislation on Friday, threatening to leave "Obamacare" in place and move on to other issues if the vote failed. The bill was withdrawn minutes before the vote was due to take place.

The president's gamble failed. Instead, Mr Trump saw his ultimatum rejected by Republican lawmakers who made clear they answer to their own voters, not to the president.

Republicans have spent seven years campaigning against the former president's health care law, and cast dozens of votes to repeal it in full or in part.

But when they finally got the chance to pass a repeal bill that actually had a chance to get signed, they could not pull it off.

Mr Trump is certain to be weakened politically - with a big early congressional defeat adding to the continuing inquiries into his presidential campaign's Russia connections and his unfounded wiretapping allegations against Mr Obama.

The development came on the afternoon of a day when the bill, which had been delayed a day earlier, was supposed to come to a vote.

But instead of picking up support as Friday wore on, the bill went the other direction, with some key lawmakers coming out in opposition.

Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, chairman of a major committee, Appropriations, said the bill would raise costs unacceptably on his constituents.

Republican Barbara Comstock of Virginia, a key moderate Republican, and Republican David Joyce of Ohio also announced "no" votes.

The defections raised the possibility that the bill would fail. In the face of that evidence, and despite insistences from White House officials and House Speaker Paul Ryan that Friday was the day to vote, leadership pulled back from the brink.

The bill would have eliminated the Obama statute's unpopular fines on people who do not obtain coverage and would also have removed the often-generous subsidies for those who purchase insurance.

Republican tax credits would have been based on age, not income like Obama's, and the tax boosts Obama imposed on higher-earning people and health care companies would have been repealed.

The bill would have ended Obama's Medicaid expansion and trimmed future federal financing for the federal-state program, letting states impose work requirements on some of the 70 million beneficiaries.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said the Republican bill would have resulted in 24 million additional uninsured people in a decade and lead to higher out-of-pocket medical costs for many lower-income and people just shy of age 65 when they would become eligible for Medicare. The bill would have blocked federal payments for a year to Planned Parenthood.

Democrats were uniformly opposed. "This bill is pure greed, and real people will suffer and die from it," said Republican Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.
Marine Le Pen arrives at the lower house of the Russian parliament in Moscow (AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a surprise meeting with France's far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, but dismissed suggestions that Moscow will influence the French election in her favour.

They met hours after a previously announced visit to the lower house of the Russian parliament.

In the meeting with members of the Duma, Ms Le Pen urged Russia and France to work together to save the world from globalism and Islamic fundamentalism.

Such positions put her in parallel with Kremlin stances and there has been wide speculation that Russia aims to influence the upcoming French election.

Mr Putin said: "We in no way want to influence events, but retain for ourselves the right to meet with all representatives of all political powers, just as our partners in Europe and the US do."

Ms Le Pen has made multiple trips to Russia and often met Russian legislators.

Moscow has courted far-right parties in Europe in an influence-building campaign amid friction between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine and the war in Syria.

France's two-round presidential election takes place on April 23 and May 7. Ms Le Pen is expected to be among the top two candidates on April 23 who will move on to a run-off on May 7.

AP

Over the years, Mr Putin has frequently met Francois Fillon, the centre-right Republican Party's presidential candidate who was prime minister in 2007-12.

An unconfirmed report this week said he was paid 50,000 euros (43,000) to arrange a meeting between Mr Putin and a Lebanese magnate. Mr Fillon has called the accusation a "shameful lie".

Mr Putin's meeting with Ms Le Pen came amid rising controversy over whether Russia tried to influence the US presidential election by hacking computer accounts of the Democratic National Committee, and over meetings between members of President Donald Trump's inner circle and the Russian ambassador.

AP
Veteran Tamil writer Ashokamitran has passed away at his residence in Chennai, due to age related ailments. He was 85 when he breathed his last.

Ashokamitran was born as Thiyagarajan in Secunderabad in the year 1931. In 1952 he moved to Chennai and worked as in the Personal Relations department in Gemini Studios run by the great yesteryear film producer S.S.Vasan for over a decade.

He has written eight novels, 20 novellas and more than 200 short stories. In 1995 he won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for the short story collection titled as 'Appavin Snegithar'. Over the years he has won many awards including the Tamil Nadu Government's Ilakkiya Chinthanai award, twice in 1977 and 1984.

His much admired novel '18 aavadhu Atchakkodu' has been translated into many Indian languages and English. His other prominent novels or novellas include 'Thanneer', 'Karaindha Nizhalgal', 'Ottran', 'Indru' and 'Manasarovar'.

Ashokamitran was a prolific writer in Tamil as well as English. He has written many short stories in English and also translated some important stories of his peer Tamil writers into English. He was also writing articles for many prominent English newspapers and journals.

Though Ashokamitran has not worked in any film his experiences of working in the Gemini Studios resulted in the widely admired novel 'Karaindha Nizhalgal' which sheds light on the living conditions of junior artists, production managers, drivers, assistant directors, production assistants and other less paying jobs in the glittering cinema industry.

Ashokamitran mostly wrote about the lives of urban middle class people and the struggles of a common man. Most of his stories were set in Chennai and Secunderabad. He wrote in a simple and easily understandable language and wit was the hallmark of his writings.

His novel Thanneer is presently being made as a feature film by director Vasanth who is one among the thousands of avid admirers of the departed writer.

Actor Kamal Haasan, writers Jeyamohan, S.Ramakrishnan and Charu Nivedita have expressed their profound admiration for Ashokamithran's writings on many occassions.

His death is indeed an irreparable loss for all the stakeholders of modern Tamil literature

Ashokamithran is survived by wife and three sons.
We had reported earlier that Superstar Rajinikanth will be presiding over a function conducted on behalf of Lyca Group to handover newly built houses for the Eelam Tamils affected by the Ethnic war in the Island nation. The event will be held on April 9 at Jaffna of Sri Lanka.ALSO READ: Superstar to participate in an event for Eelam Tamils

Now, Thol Thirumalavan the founder of the Viduthalai Siruthaigal Katchi a prominent party in Tamil Nadu politics has opposed the initiative and urged Rajinikanth to stay away from it.

In a Press statement Thirumavalavan has said that Subaskaran the Chairman of Lyca Group and also the producer of Superstar's upcoming mega budget sci-fi flick '2.0' is allegedly close to the erstwhile Sri Lankan President Mahinta Rajapakse who has been accused of severe human rights violations and war crimes against Tamil.

He has raised the doubt that such an event to hand over houses for the Tamil people will give a wrong projection to the world countries that rehabilitation for the Tamils displaced by the war is happening at a rapid speed in Sri Lanka. He further noted that such an initiative may be used as a worldwide promotion for their upcoming film '2.0' which according to him should not be allowed.

Siting these arguments, Thirumavalavan has urged Rajinikanth to boycott the event organised by Gnanam Foundation.
PDS board approves interim dividend of Rs2.50 per share PDS Limited has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company on Monday has approved an Interim Dividend of Rd2.50 per share. The Company adopted a dividend distribution policy... November 07, 2022 | 07-11-2022 3:10 pm

Rajesh Exports incorporates 100% subsidiary ACC Energy Storage; Stock climbs 2% Rajesh Exports Ltd. has announced that it is foraying into Advanced Technology Solutions with a focus on Energy Storage Solutions. REL has been selected by the Government Of India as one ... November 07, 2022 | 07-11-2022 2:42 pm

Markets under selling pressure with Nifty around 18,100-levels Domestic benchmark indices trading mixed after a gap-up opening on Monday. Both the Sensex and Nifty benchmarks are marginally lower in the afternoon market session. On the sectoral front... November 07, 2022 | 07-11-2022 2:00 pm

Rupee rises 23 paise to 82.12/ $ Early on Monday, the rupee strengthened versus the US dollar by 23 paise to 82.12 amid rising local stocks and falling oil prices. The native currency rose 23 paise from its previous close to t... November 07, 2022 | 07-11-2022 1:20 pm

Cineline India opens 5-Screen multiplex, MovieMAX in Mumbai; Stock jumps 3% Cineline India Limited stocks in the fast lane after announcement of opening of 5-Screen multiplex at Sarvodaya Mall Kalyan, Mumbai. In a regulatory filing, the company informed the ... November 07, 2022 | 07-11-2022 12:47 pm
Producers of a Gujarati film thought that Phillauri is based on the same story as their film Mangal Fera, and so they moved to the Bombay High Court to file a petition against makers of the Anushka Sharma-starrer to halt the release of the movie. It seems like they invited trouble for themselves because the Court fined them Rs. 5 lakh for wasting its time.

thereportertimes.com

The production house is called Gayatri Cine Production, which is represented by Gayatri and Dashrath Rathod who thought their movie titled Mangal Fera has the same story as Phillauri.

After they reached out to the Bombay High Court, not only the judge dismissed their case but also asked them to pay a fine worth Rs. 5 lakh for wasting the time of court, reveals a report on India Today.

ibnlive.in

Not only that, the petitioners had earlier tried to reach out to the makers of Phillauri and had sent them a legal notice. Thereafter, they were told that the movie is based on the concept of women getting married to a tree. Since they were not satisfied with that response, they tried to challenge the same in the court as a case of copyright infringement.

And now, they have decided to challenge the order of court, but isnt the movie releasing today?!
Amputees with prosthetic limbs may soon get a better sense of touch, temperature and texture, thanks to the energy-saving power of the sun, British researchers said on Thursday.

BCCL/representational image

Solar powered skin can soon replace current technology for prosthetics

While prosthetics are usually fully powered using batteries, a new prototype from University of Glasgow researchers opens up the possibility for solar-powered skin, which would include better sense capabilities than current technology.

Ravinder Dahiya, a research fellow at the university, said the technology involves installing a thin layer of pure carbon around a prosthetic arm, hand or leg.

Reuters

This allows light to pass through it and be easily used as solar energy, the researchers said. The sun can provide up to 15 times more energy than is usually needed to power a prosthetic limb, Mr. Dahiya told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. This extra and renewable energy can be used to power sensors that increase sense and feeling in a limb, so much so that the prosthetic can feel pressure, temperature and texture like natural skin.

BCCL/representational image

The technology could also increase the functionality of robots, allowing them to have a better understanding of what they touch.
Two astronauts take a walk today, along the outside of the International Space Station, in order to prepare the outpost for future hardware upgrades.

(L-R) Thomas Pesquet, Peggy Whitson and Shane Kimbrough - NASA

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Frances Thomas Pesquet are currently on a spacewalk expected to continue for a total of 6.5 hours, the first of three scheduled for the ISS crew over the next few weeks. You can watch the spacewalk live here, courtesy of NASA TV.

During the outing, Kimbrough and Pesquet have to prepare NASAs Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 (PMA-3) module so that an international docking adapter can be installed in the near future. The new docking adapter would let commercial spacecraft that fly missions to the ISS to be be able to link to the station, which can currently only be done from a single IDA port.

Going on a #spacewalk requires many weeks of planning on Earth, and many hours preparing the spacesuits and tools pic.twitter.com/iv30hKBdFL  Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) March 23, 2017

The Expedition 50 crew are expected to move the PMA-3 to the correct side of the ISS, and also lubricate parts of the stations robotic arm, among other repair inspections. This is to prepare for the docking adapters installation, which will arrive on the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship soon, NASA officials said.

The next spacewalk is scheduled for March 30, where NASAs Peggy Whitson will accompany Shane Kimbrough, with the final excursion on April 6 seeing Whitson and Pesquet leaving the airlock.
Around 40,000 doctors from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have joined the resident doctors in Maharashtra who are on a strike since Monday demanding better security at workplace.

PTI

Those joined the protest on Thursday include doctors from premier faculties like AIIMS, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital, apart from other Delhi government hospitals and medical institutions under the civic bodies.

Doctors, except those were assigned duty in emergency departments took mass leaves from work, in solidarity with the medical faculty in Maharashtra.

PTI

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court has ordered all striking doctors in government-run hospitals to return to work immediately.

The court also asked the government to ensure adequate security to doctors at hospitals.

AFP

It has also directed authorities to make provisions to permit only two relatives per patient inside the hospital and said the government should deploy the assured security personnel at various hospitals.

The doctors in Maharashtra have been boycotting work since Monday to protest the rise in violence against them by relatives of patients.

BCCL

Even as the doctors were on strike against the attacks, yet another similar incident was reported on Wednesday night.

A resident doctor in Mumbai's Sion Hospital was attacked by relatives of a patient when she tried to intervene in an altercation.

A FIR has been registered against three women in connection with the incident.
A retired army man who was out on an evening walk when he spotted a loaded Canon ball lying in a drain in South-east Delhi's Tughlaqabad.

"The shell could have been lying in the drain for a long time. Since he was an army man, he could identify the object as a cannon ball shell," said a senior police officer.

The bomb found near a Container Depot on Thursday evening weighed at least 60 kilogram.

The army veteran informed police after which the area was cordoned off and the shell was safely removed from there, said the officer.

Delhi: A cannonball shell spotted lying in a drain near Container Depot, Tughlakabad village; concerned agencies informed. pic.twitter.com/L9802xGjRj  ANI (@ANI_news) 23 March 2017

The National Security Guard (NSG) has been informed about the explosive.

Police said that it is unlikely that someone physically disposed of it there. "It is suspected that it was lying in the drain for a long time. Rust has accumulated on it," said the officer.

In January, a mortar shell was recovered from a park in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj area.
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), an umbrella organisation representing IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir has barred Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who assaulted an Air India staffer over an argument over seating from flying on any of the carriers.

BCCL/ Representative Image

While Air India, which is not a part of the body confirmed that it has blacklisted the MP who bragged about slapping the crew member 25 times, budget carrier IndiGo said they support any such move.

"We will support a no-fly list," IndiGo President and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh told PTI

This is the first time in India a passenger has been blacklisted by airlines for unruly behaviour.

Ravindra Gaikwad/ Facebook

"Airlines staffers - cutting across all carriers - are very upset with what Gaikwad did on an Air India plane. He may get violent again. We also fear that other passengers and/or airline/airport staff may return the favour to the MP. In the interest of safety, he may have to be barred from flying," said an airline official.

Meanwhile even after his party disowning him, the MP remains defiant and has refused to apologise for his actions.

He instead said the AI crew member should apologise to him.

#WATCH: Shiv Sena MP R.Gaikwad who assaulted AI Staff says, "won't apologise,not my mistake. Vo (victim) pehle maafi mange fir dekhenge." pic.twitter.com/T8IwCaNsmO  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

Gaikwad, the MP from Osmanabad had come under heavy criticism after he got into a scuffle with a 60-year-old Air India officer on the Delhi-Pune flight after he was not given a business class seat, despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

In a video emerged on Thursday, Gaikwad is seen hitting the official after the flight landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport.

WATCH: Unedited footage of Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad roughing up Air India staff (NOTE: STRONG LANGUAGE) pic.twitter.com/idFr8MpUTo  ANI (@ANI_news) March 23, 2017

Air India has lodged to FIRs against the Shiv Sena MP in connection with the incident.

In a Facebook post Air India Chairman Ashwani Lohani said the national carrier is taking the incident in all seriousness.

Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said "such regrettable incidents should never happen again".

Recd. report from @airindiain on the incident of unruly behaviour today morning. FIRs have been filed for assault and causing flight delay  Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017

Such regrettable incidents should never happen again. Let's all resolve to make them a thing of the past.  Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) March 23, 2017

Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she will look into the matter if anyone complaints, as it happened outside the Parliament.
Burglars broke into a jewellery store at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu and decamped with 60kg of gold jewellery worth crores of rupees on Thursday night.

Bccl/representational image

Preliminary investigations revealed that the burglars gained entry into the three-storey building from the terrace. Tirunelveli city police sources said the gang used a gas cutter to open the grille.

The theft took place while there were two security men on duty in front of the shop.

BCCL/representational image

Police sources said the Alagar Jewellers where the theft took place belonged to one Babu of Tuticorin. It has branches in Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts.

The incident came to light on Friday morning only when the employees opened the store. The police were alerted.

Reuters/representational image

The police were questioning several people including the employees of the jewellery store. They were checking the footages from CCTV cameras installed in the store to identify the burglars.
A 58-year-old office assistant (OA) at the Katpadi Block Development Office in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu allegedly committed suicide by hanging on the premises of the office on Friday.

toi

Mahalingam of Old Katpadi allegedly ended his life to help his son get a government job on the compassionate ground, police said. He took the extreme step a week before his retirement.

The Katpadi police recovered a suicide note from his shirt pocket. In the suicide note, Mahalingam had stated that he was in a state of depression.

He alleged that his colleagues were responsible for his death. Mahalingam stated that one of his colleagues had abused and humiliated him recently, police said quoting the suicide note.

A source in the police department stated that Mahalingam's service would end on March 31 and a retirement function had been organised. He was depressed as his son did not have a proper work.

bccl/representational image

"We suspect that he committed suicide to help his son get a government job on the compassionate ground," said a police officer privy to the investigation.

Superintendent of police P Pakalavan said it was a clear case of suicide. "We suspect that he took the extreme step due to personal issues," the SP said.

Mahalingam came to office around 9 am and asked the night watchman, Kaliyappan, to go for breakfast. When Kaliyappan returned to the office around 10.15am, he found the body of Mahalingam hanging from the branch of a tree on the premises of the office.

The police said Mahalingam had brought a rope to commit suicide.

In her complaint, his wife Amuthavalli stated that her husband was worried about their son's future. Her husband and son had not been in talking terms, she said.

The police shifted the body to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital for postmortem.

They registered a case and began inquiries with the colleagues and family members of the deceased.

Mahalingam is survived by his wife Amuthavalli, two daughters and a son.
Italys justice minister has is said to have asked officials to look into a case in which a court acquitted a man accused of rape because she didnt scream.

Reuters/representational image

Italian news agency ANSA said that minister Andrea Orlando has asked ministry inspectors to look into the case.

ANSA said a court in Turin had ruled last month that the womans saying Enough! to her colleague who allegedly raped her constituted too weak a reaction to prove that she was sexually attacked. The ruling specified she didnt scream or ask for help.

Reuters/representational image

Center-right Forza Italia opposition lawmaker Annagrazia Calabria decried the ruling, saying, Certainly, you cannot punish the personal reaction of a woman terrified by what is happening to her.

Reuters/representational image

The ruling has also triggered an outcry by womens groups.
By Paul Rogers

March 24, 2017 "

Information Clearing House

" - THIS weeks attack was the worst in London for 12 years and has caused shock and horror, especially for the way in which a vehicle was so easily and violently used to killed innocent pedestrians. We will know in the coming days the extent to which this was an individual attack or whether it involved others and, if the latter, why there was apparently no warning.

The immediate reaction is to think of the families and friends of the victims and that is right and proper, but in due course we have to look at why there is still this threat. Britain has now been involved in the war on terror for over 15 years, yet the sense of fear and concern over the risk of attacks is as high as it has even been. Why is this so?

One core issue makes for difficult reading and it concerns the disconnect in Britain between the terrible event this week and the continuing war in Iraq. It is a disconnect that was very visible when the Blair government denied any link between the 7/7 atrocities and the war in Iraq which was then at its height.

Now, nearly 12 years later, the war goes on with a similar linkage largely ignored. There is simply no appreciation that Britain is an integral part of a major air war that began over thirty months ago, in August 2014. It may take the form of a sustained air-assault using strike aircraft and armed drones rather than troops on the ground, but its intensity is simply unrecognised in most of the mainstream media.

People will naturally react with horror to the attack, asking  why us? Politicians and analysts will find it very difficult even to try and explain the connection between what is happening there and here.

The straightforward, yet uncomfortable answer, is that Britain is at war. It may be a war that gets little attention, there may be virtually no parliamentary debate on its conduct, but it is a war nonetheless. So what else should be expected other than it sometimes hits us at home?

There are several factors which underpin the situation.

The post-9/11 western-led conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya have left three countries as failed or failing states, killed several hundred thousand people and displaced millions. This causes persistent anger and bitterness right across the Middle East and beyond. While the Syrian civil war started as the repression of dissent by an insecure and harsh regime, it has evolved into a much more complex conflict which regional rulers and the wider international community have failed to address. This adds to the animosity.

The situation in Iraq is particularly grievous given that it was the United States and its coalition partners that started the conflict and also gave rise directly to the evolution of Islamic State (IS). Reliable estimates put the direct civilian death-toll there since 2003 at more than 169,000. After a relative decline over 2009-13, an upsurge in the past three years has seen another 53,000 lose their lives through violence.

And then there is the air war against IS. Since that started in 2014, the Pentagon calculates that over 30,000 targets have been attacked with more than 60,000 missiles and bombs, and 50,000 IS supporters have been killed. There is also abundant evidence from independent sources that western forces have, at the same time, directly killed many civilians, probably more than 3,000.

IS and other groups have no air-defence capabilities yet are determined to continue the war, seeing themselves as guardians of Islam under attack by the crusader forces of the west. At a time of retreat they will be even more determined than ever to take the war to the enemy, whether by the sustained encouragement and even facilitation of individual attacks such as Berlin, Istanbul, Nice and possibly now London, or more organised attacks such as in Paris and Brussels.

The aims of IS in doing this are three-fold:

* Retribution via straightforward paramilitary actions, responding especially to the current reversals in Iraq;

* Demonstrating to the wider world, especially across the Middle East, that they remain a force to be reckoned with;

* Inciting as much anti-Muslim bigotry and hatred as possible in the target countries.

How should we best respond to what has happened in London? Two issues are relevant.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

First, the aim of IS and others will be to incite hatred. Any tendency to encourage that is doing the work of IS. This can and should be said repeatedly. It is crucial at this time to work as hard as we can to hold communities together  hope not hate is the way forward and anything else does ISs work.

Second, the fact that Britain is still at war after 15 years surely means that some serious rethinking is required about foreign policy. In the immediate aftermath of the shock of what happened in London, that may be too much to ask, but in the coming months we really do have to do just that.
An Obama Plot to Sabotage Trump?

By Patrick Buchanan

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Devin Nunes just set the cat down among the pigeons.

Two days after FBI Director James Comey assured us there was no truth to President Trumps tweet about being wiretapped by Barack Obama, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Trump may have had more than just a small point.

The U.S. intelligence community, says Nunes, during surveillance of legitimate targets, picked up the names of Trump transition officials during surveillance of targets, "unmasked" their identity, and spread their names around, virtually assuring they would be leaked.

If true, this has the look and smell of a conspiracy to sabotage the Trump presidency, before it began.

Comey readily confirmed there was no evidence to back up the Trump tweet. But when it came to electronic surveillance of Trump and his campaign, Comey, somehow, could not comment on that.

Which raises the question: What is the real scandal here?

Is it that Russians hacked the DNC and John Podestas emails and handed them off to WikiLeaks? We have heard that since June.

Is it that Trump officials may have colluded with the Russians?

But former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and ex-CIA Director Mike Morrell have both said they saw no evidence of this.

This March, Sen. Chris Coons walked back his stunning declaration about transcripts showing a Russia-Trump collusion, confessing, "I have no hard evidence of collusion."

But if Clapper and Morrell saw no Russia-Trump collusion, what were they looking at during all those months to make them so conclude?

Was it "FBI transcripts," as Sen. Coons blurted out?

If so, who intercepted and transcribed the conversations? If it was intel agencies engaged in surveillance, who authorized that? How extensive was it? Against whom? Is it still going on?

And if today, after eight months, the intel agencies cannot tell us whether or not any member of the Trump team colluded with the Russians, what does that say of their competence?

The real scandal, which the media regard as a diversion from the primary target, Trump, is that a Deep State conspiracy to bring down his presidency seems to have been put in place by Obamaites, and perhaps approved by Obama himself.

Consider. On Jan. 12, David Ignatius of the Washington Post wrote,

"According to a senior U.S. government official, (Gen. Michael) Flynn phoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak several times on Dec. 29, the day the Obama administration announced the expulsion of 35 Russian officials  What did Flynn say?"

Now, on Dec. 29, Flynn, national security adviser-designate, was not only doing his job calling the ambassador, he was a private citizen.

Why was he unmasked by U.S. intelligence?

Who is this "senior official" who dropped the dime on him? Could this official have known how many times Flynn spoke to Kislyak, yet not known what was said on the calls?

That is hard to believe. This looks like a contract hit by an anti-Trump agent in the intel community, using Ignatius to do the wet work.

Flynn was taken down. Did Comey turn his FBI loose to ferret out the felon who had unmasked Flynn and done him in? If not, why not?

In todays Wall Street Journal, Dan Henninger points anew to a story in The New York Times of March 1 that began:

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

"In the Obama administrations last days, some White House officials scrambled to spread information about Russian efforts to undermine the presidential election  and about possible contacts between associates of President-elect Trump and Russians  across the government."

"This is what they did," wrote Henninger, quoting the Times:

"At intelligence agencies, there was a push to process as much raw intelligence as possible into analyses, and to keep the reports at a relatively low classification level to ensure as wide a readership as possible across the government  and, in some cases, among European allies."

For what benign purpose would U.S. intelligence agents spread secrets damaging to their own president  to foreign regimes? Is this not disloyalty? Is this not sedition?

On Jan. 12, writes Henninger, the Times "reported that Attorney General Loretta Lynch signed rules that let the National Security Agency disseminate raw signals intelligence information to 16 other intelligence agencies."

Astounding. The Obamaites seeded the U.S. and allied intel communities with IEDs to be detonated on Trumps arrival. This is the scandal, not Trump telling Vlad to go find Hillarys 30,000 missing emails.

We need to know who colluded with the Russians, if anyone did. But more critically, we need to unearth the deep state conspiracy to sabotage a presidency.

So far, the Russia-connection investigation has proven a dry hole. But an investigation into who in the FBI, CIA or NSA is unmasking U.S. citizens and criminally leaking information to a Trump-hating press to destroy a president they are sworn to serve could prove to be a gusher.

As for the reports of Lynch-White House involvement in this unfolding plot to damage and destroy Trump the real question is: What did Barack Obama know, and when did he know it?
Exposing Shabby Intelligence



Theres a long history of skepticism among ex-spooks.



By Philip Giraldi

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - There is a perception among some of the public and within the alternative media that Americas burgeoning national-security state is a monolith, a collective entity pursuing its own interests regardless of what is good for the country or its people. From both progressives and conservatives who mistrust the government, I often hear comments such as, Once in the CIA, always in the CIAas if onetime employment in the agency forms an unbreakable bond.

Those familiar with both the national-security community and the peace movement are aware that something like the reverse is true. Individuals who were attracted to careers in intelligence, law enforcement, or the military are often sticklers for doing what is right rather than what is expedient. That often puts them at odds with their political masters, leading sometimes to resignations and a resulting overrepresentation of former national-security professionals in the anti-war movement.

One manifestation of this is an organization of former national-security officers, including myself, called Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, or VIPS. VIPS was founded in 2003 out of revulsion on the part of many former officials over the shabby intelligence that was driving the decision to invade Iraq. The group includes officials from the whole alphabet soup of national securityCIA, NSA, FBI, FS (Foreign Service), and DOD. VIPSs emergence and its ongoing letters of protest on national-security policy reflect a reality going back to the early debates surrounding the U.S. governments stealthy escalation of the Vietnam War and its woeful handling of that conflict, ending in a humiliating defeat.

The lies that led to that Vietnam experience produced one of the first well-known rebels against intelligence corruption. Sam Adams, a CIA analyst who was assigned to the agencys Vietnam desk in 1965, observed that the strength estimates for the North Vietnamese Army and Vietcong guerrillas consistently underreported the true strength of the enemy. This led to a prolonged conflict with Army and White House officials, as well as with Adamss own bosses, all of whom promoted the false notion that the Vietnam challenge was a limited insurgency easily defeated, a fabrication intended to ensure U.S. popular support for the conflict.

Though Adams eventually was forced out of the agency, he continued to expose how intelligence had been hijacked to suit a political agenda. He served as a witness in the trial of Daniel Ellsberg, the man behind the Pentagon Papers revelations. He wrote about the Vietnam cover-up and spoke to the House Intelligence Committees Pike Commission, which credited his allegations.

Today there are many former national-security officials in the mold of Sam Adams. For many, the disillusionment with the corruption of intelligence and betrayal of national security began with Iraq. CIA officers in the clandestine service such as European Division chief Tyler Drumheller pushed hard against CIA Director George Tenet and the White House, insisting that field reporting demonstrated that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. Drumheller also dismissed Curveball, the German-Iraqi source of the false intelligence that Iraq was building mobile biological-weapons labs. The source, said Drumheller, was merely a guy trying to get his green card essentially, in Germany, and playing the system for what it was worth.

CIA analysts also sought to expose false claims that Iraqi intelligence officials had met with al-Qaeda. Senior State Department officials John Kiesling, John Brown, and Ann Wright resigned over the march to an avoidable war.

For others, increasing governmental attacks on the Constitution proved decisive. National Security Agency (NSA) officer Tom Drake went through channels after he learned the agency was illegally collecting information on U.S. citizens in violation of the Fourth Amendment. He was joined by former NSA officers William Binney, J. Kirk Wiebe, and Ed Loomis. Their efforts were rebuffed by the government. Despite whistleblower protections, Drake later was charged under the Espionage Act.

The large numbers of former foot soldiers in the national-security establishment who are now opposed to the warfare state should be an eye opener for many Americans, suggesting that there is no high confidence among many of those who are actually best positioned to know the truth regarding Washingtons perpetual warfare policies.

Which brings us back to VIPS and the dissident former national-security officers who have found a home there. One is Tom Drake, who was involved from the start, as was Ray McGovern, a former senior CIA analyst and presidential briefer. VIPS has produced 47 memos on national-security policy. Its first official action was a February 2003 memo to President George W. Bush condemning the United Nations speech by Secretary of State Colin Powell that established the pretext for invading Iraq. The memo said, you would be well served if you widened the discussion beyond  the circle of those advisers clearly bent on a war for which we see no compelling reason and from which we believe the unintended consequences are likely to be catastrophic.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

More recently, VIPS has raised serious questions about the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian hacking designed to destabilize American politics and, if possible, put Donald Trump in the presidency. The group called on President Obama to release solid evidence of this, even if it creates difficulty for ongoing intelligence operations. The former security officials suggested the evidence released by the government thus far does not pass the smell test, and they noted particularly the lack of any public evidence linking the Russians to WikiLeaks, which published the bulk of the information in question.

We urge you to authorize public release of any tangible evidence that takes us beyond the unsubstatianted, we-assess judgments by the intelligence agencies, said the VIPS statement, addressed to Obama. Otherwise, we  will be left with the corrosive suspicion that the intense campaign of accusations is part of a wider attempt to discredit the Russians and thoselike Mr. Trumpwho wish to deal constructively with them.

The VIPS statement didnt get much attention. Indeed, such warnings from former intelligence, security, law-enforcement, and military personnel are largely frozen out of the establishment media. When VIPS presents its annual Sam Adams award for integrity in intelligence, the recipients get more media attention in Europe than in the U.S. Rarely do the 50-plus associates of VIPS appear in the U.S. mainstream media, although they are frequently interviewed by the foreign press, particularly in Western Europe.

The government also does its best to repress any dissident opinion by requiring many former intelligence and law-enforcement personnel to have their writings reviewed by security officers prior to publication. The reviews can take months, make no effort to accommodate publishing deadlines, and often result in a heavily redacted text that is unreadable. The government sometimes strikes back in less subtle ways. Ray McGoverns 2006 return of his Intelligence Commendation Medal over reports of CIA torture led to a provision in the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2007 enabling Congress to strip retirees of their pensions.

Pushback from former national-security officials is a good thing for the country and the agencies once served by these dissidents. Just as the Founders envisioned a citizen army so the defense of the nation would be in the hands of the people, a national-security structure responsive to responsible dissent should be cherished. The Obama administration, to its discredit, routinely punished legitimate whistleblowers and covered up its misdeeds through invocation of the state-secrets privilege. We can hope that the new Trump administration will have the wisdom and confidence to call off the dogs.

Philip Giraldi, a former CIA officer, is executive director of the Council for the National Interest.
Moral Failure at the United Nations

By Lawrence Davidson

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - On 15 March 2017 the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) published a report on Israeli practices and policies toward the Palestinians. Using international law as its comparative criterion, the report came to a definitive conclusion that Israel is guilty of Apartheid practices . The term Apartheid was not used in the report merely in a pejorative way. It was used as a descriptor of fact based on the evidence and the accepted legal meaning of the term.

Such was the immediate uproar from the United States and Israel that U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a moment of moral failure, ordered the reports withdrawal. The head of ESCWA, the Jordanian diplomat Rima Khalaf, decided that she could not, in good conscience, do so and so tendered her resigation.

Reportage

The initial New York Times coverage of the incident paid little attention to the accuracy of the report, an approach which, if pursued, would have at least educated the Times readers as to the real conditions of Palestinians under Israeli domination. Instead it called the report, and those involved in producing it, into question. For instance, the NYT told us that the report provoked outrage from Israel and the United States. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, was quoted as declaring that, when someone issues a false and defamatory report in the name of the U.N. it is appropriate that the person resign. At no point in the NYT story was it noted that Ms Haleys charge that the report was false, was itself false. Other coverage by the NYT improved only slightly.

The NYT did pay attention to the fact that, among the authors of the report, was former U.N. human rights investigator Richard Falk . Falk served six years as U.N. Spacial Rapporteur for the Occupied Territories. According to the NYT, his presence had to gall[ed] many Israeli supporters who regard him as an anti-Semite. There is something troubling about a newspaper that claims to represent the epitome of professional journalism reporting such slurs without properly evaluating them. Richard Falk, who is Jewish, has an impeccable record of both academic achievement and public service. His reputation for honesty and dedication to the cause of human rights exemplifies the best practice of Jewish values. Thus, he has every right to say that I have been smeared in this effort to discredit the report  a study which tries its best to look at the evidence and analyze the applicable law in a professional manner.

Israels Behavior

An objective consideration of Israels behavior makes it hard to escape the brutal reality of its officially condoned practices.

On 17 March 2017, at the same time as the forced withdrawal of the ESCWA report, the U.S. State Department released a report on grave violations against Palestinian children living under Israeli military occupation. This was part of the departments annual country reports on human rights practices. Among the problems cited were Israels practice of unlawful detention, coerced confessions and excessive use of force, including torture and killings.

Usually these annual human rights reports are made public by the Secretary of State. This year Rex Tillerson, who presently holds the office, was nowhere in sight. And, of course, President Trump failed to issue any of his characteristic tweets in reference to the Israels barbaric behavior.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

Earlier, on 8 February 2017, it was reported that Israel has banned anesthesia gas from entering the Gaza Strip. There is a current backlog of some 200 patients in Gaza requiring surgical care, and some will die due to Israels ban.

A week later, on 14 February 2017, it was reported that Israeli officials were blackmailing Palestinian patients seeking permission to enter Israel for necessary medical treatment. A 17-year-old Gazan boy who suffered from congenital heart disease and needed a heart valve replacement was explicitly told that in order to [leave the Gaza Strip and] have his operation, he would have to cooperate with the security forces and spy for Israel. He refused and subsequently died. This is not a new or unusual tactic for the Israelis.

Blackmail All Around

The moral failure at the U.N., represented by the withdrawal of the ESCWA report, is the result of Secretary General Guterress decision to acquiesce in a denial of reality  the reality of Israels practice of Apartheid.

On the other hand, it probably also stems from Guterress acceptance of the reality of U.S. financial leverage along with the apparent threat to bankrupt the United Nations . This is, of course, a form of blackmail. Significantly, U.S. use of its financial clout at the U.N. mimics the same practice by the Zionist lobby in the halls of Congress.

Obviously the United Nations, to say nothing of U.S. politicians, needs alternate sources of income. My wife Janet once suggested that the UN be awarded the right to exploit and profit from all undersea resources. Not a bad idea. Likewise, U.S. politicians should agree to, or be forced to rely upon, government-based campaign funding rather than be pressed into putting themselves up for sale.

However, such changes do not appear imminent. As it stands now, reality in Palestine is what the Americans and Israelis say it is because politicians and international leaders literally cant afford to challenge their corrupted views .
Inventing Enemies

The motivation behind the attacks on Indian Americans is a combination of seeing South Asians as terrorists and Indians as usurpers of high-tech jobs.

By Vijay Prashad

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - On February 22, Adam Purinton of Olathe, Kansas, was at Austins Bar and Grill. He saw two men, both from India, and began to argue with them. Get out of my country, Purinton said to the two men, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, and Alok Madasani, 32, both tech workers at the multinational technology firm Garmin. Purinton began to yell racist slurs at the men, got out his gun and began to shoot. A bystander, Ian Grillot, rose from his hiding place to catch the gunman. He was then shot through his chest and hand. Kuchibhotla died, while Madasani survived his wounds. Grillot, one of whose vertebrae was fractured, also survived. I was just doing what anyone should have done for another human being, he said from his hospital bed.

A week later, on March 2, Harnish Patel, 43, a businessman, was shot dead just outside his house in the quiet town of Lancaster, South Carolina. Patel ran a Speed Marta convenience store that was popular in his areaand was known as a popular employer as well as a kind man. While the Federal Bureau of Investigation has decided to investigate the Kuchibhotla killing as a hate crime, Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile said: I dont have any reason to believe that this [the killing of Patel] was racially motivated.

The next day, on March 3, Deep Rai was working on his car in the driveway of his house in the East Hill neighbourhood of the Seattle suburb of Kent, Washington. A white man wearing a mask confronted Rai, a Sikh who wears a turban, and said: Go back to your own country. Then he shot Rai in the arm. Rai survived the attack. Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said that his department was taking the attack very seriously.

The theme of get out of my country or go back to your own country is central to these attacks. A new website by Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ) asks people to report hate crimes (standagainsthatred.org). The impetus for this website was the attacks on East Asian Americans as a consequence of Donald Trumps anti-China rhetoric, Karin Wang of AAAJ said. It is reminiscent of the 1980s when Japan was portrayed as the economic enemy, Karin Wang noted. Japan was seen at the time as a threat to the United States auto industry. Now China is depicted as a thief of U.S. jobs.

It is not the anti-China rhetoric that drives the attacks on Indian Americans. What motivates them is a combination of seeing Indians as terrorists and of seeing Indians as usurpers of high-tech jobs. Kuchibhotla, Patel and Rai are not the first to be assaulted in this way, nor will they be the last. After 9/11, many Sikhs were shot or beaten because the turban they wore was identified with the turban worn by Osama Bin Laden. In 2012, Wade Michael Page went into a gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and shot dead six people and wounded four others. He came to start a racial holy war.

The sewer of white supremacy that produced Page and Purinton does not distinguish between Iranians and Indians, Sikhs and Muslims. It reeks of resentment and hatred, bilious political anger of the most dangerous kind.

Who is a terrorist?

Purinton suggested that he had killed two Iranians or Middle Easterners. It is no point saying that Indian Americans are neither Iranians nor Middle Easterners. To Purinton, these men were Iranian. It is enough that he believed it. His gun was more important than their denials.

Hollywood has made it a habit to hire South Asians to play terrorists. The role Aasif Mandvi (born in Mumbai) played in The Siege (1998) defined the terrorist as South Asian looking. Last year, Riz Ahmed, the British-born child of Pakistani parents, wrote a powerful essay on his experience as an actor. Called Typecast as a Terrorist, the essay lays out Ahmeds struggle to find roles outside the stereotype and of his experiences at the U.S. immigration counter. As a minority, no sooner do you learn to polish and cherish one chip on your shoulder than its taken off you and swapped for another, wrote Ahmed. The jewellery of your struggles is forever on loan, like the Koh-i-Noor diamond in the crown jewels. You are intermittently handed a necklace of labels to hang around your neck, neither of your choosing nor making, both constricting and decorative.

The point is never whether one is or is not an Arab or a terrorist but that one resembles an Arab or a terrorist in the imagination of a racist. Stereotypes become reality; hatred short-circuits rationality. It is infantile to yell I am not an Arab or I am not a racist. People like Purinton and Page do not care about such denials. They see what they want to see. The litmus test for them is the brown skin. It glistens with the word terrorist.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

President Donald Trumps special adviser Steve Bannon has long disparaged South Asian high-tech workers such as Kuchibhotla and Madasani. In 2015, Bannon interviewed candidate Trump on the Breitbart News Daily radio show. Bannon suggested that there were far too many Asians in the high-tech industry in the U.S. and that perhaps there should be barriers placed on their entry. The H-1B visa, which allows high-tech workers to enter the U.S., is a particular grouse of Bannons. Trump expressed doubts about Bannons extreme views: We have to be careful of that, Steve, Trump said. You know, he continued, we have to keep our talented people in this country. Bannon would have none of it. When two-thirds or three-quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are from South Asia or from Asia, I think, he said, then hesitated. A country is more than an economy, Bannon said. Were a civic society.

By civic society, Bannon meant that the first priority of the U.S. should be to its own native citizens. In other words, white Americans need to be the first in the queue for the benefits of the country. In March 2016, Trump absorbed Bannons position. The H-1B programme, Trump said, is neither high-skilled nor immigration: these are temporary foreign workers, imported from abroad, for the explicit purpose of substituting for American workers at lower pay. I will end forever the use of the H-1B as a cheap labour programme and institute an absolute requirement to hire American workers first. When the term American workers is used, people like Purinton and Page hear white workers. It is what they signal when they yell: Go back to your country.

In another radio show, in April 2016, Bannon said that the migrants to the U.S. are not Jeffersonian democrats. These are not people with thousands of years of democracy in their DNA coming here, he said. The idea of democracy in the DNA could only imply that certain races have democracy under their skin and that Asians are not in that company.

An idiosyncratic group in Ohio, Save American Information Technology Jobs, hounds Indian Americans in public places to document their lives. The group produced a document on Indian guest workers in the Great Midwest, which shows Indians in parks and outside their homes. The author is flabbergasted by the increase in the number of Indians in the area. Displacement of Americans has occurred, notes the report, and Indians with various visa documents in hand have become part of the landscape. The report drips with resentment and anger. The hand that holds the iPhone camera to produce this report shares the same motivation of the men with the guns who shot the Indian Americans. Both hands are not far either from the opinions of Trumps adviser Bannon.

Kuchibhotlas wife, Sunayana Dumala, wrote a moving Facebook post on February 28. At the end of her note, she asked: the question that is in every immigrants mindDO WE BELONG HERE? Is this the same country we dreamed of and is it still secure to raise our families and children here? Sunayana Dumala does not answer her question. There is no answer from her.

Copyright  2017, Frontline.
Wall Street First

By Michael Hudson

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Nobody yet can tell whether Donald Trump is an agent of change with a specific policy in mind, or merely a catalyst heralding an as yet undetermined turning point. His first month in the White House saw him melting into the Republican melange of corporate lobbyists. Having promised to create jobs, his America First policy looks more like Wall Street First.

His cabinet of billionaires promoting corporate tax cuts, deregulation and dismantling Dodd-Frank bank reform repeats the Junk Economics promise that giving more tax breaks to the richest One Percent may lead them to use their windfall to invest in creating more jobs. What they usually do, of course, is simply buy more property and assets already in place.

One of the first reactions to Trumps election victory was for stocks of the most crooked financial institutions to soar, hoping for a deregulatory scythe taken to the public sector. Navient, the Department of Educations knee-breaker on student loan collections accused by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) of massive fraud and overcharging, rose from $13 to $18 after it seemed likely that the incoming Republicans would disable the CFPB and shine a green light for financial fraud.

Foreclosure king Stephen Mnuchin of IndyMac/OneWest (and formerly of Goldman Sachs for 17 years; later a George Soros partner) is now Treasury Secretary  and Trump pledged to abolish the CFPB, on the specious logic that letting fraudsters manage pension savings and other investments will give consumers and savers broader choice, e.g., for the financial equivalent of junk food.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos hopes to privatize public education into for-profit (and de-unionized) charter schools, breaking the teachers unions. This may position Trump to become the Transformational President that neoliberals have been waiting for.

But not the neocons. His election rhetoric promised to reverse traditional U.S. interventionist policy abroad. Making an anti-war left run around the Democrats, he promised to stop backing ISIS/Al Nusra (President Obamas moderate terrorists supplied with the arms and money that Hillary looted from Libya), and to reverse the Obama-Clinton administrations New Cold War with Russia. But the neocon coterie at the CIA and State Department are undercutting his proposed rapprochement with Russia by forcing out General Flynn for starters. It seems doubtful that Trump will clean them out.

Trump has called NATO obsolete, but insists that its members increase their spending to the stipulated 2% of GDP  producing a windfall worth tens of billions of dollars for U.S. arms exporters. That is to be the price Europe must pay if it wants to endorse Germanys and the Baltics confrontation with Russia.

Trump is sufficiently intuitive to proclaim the euro a disaster, and he recommends that Greece leave it. He supports the rising nationalist parties in Britain, France, Italy, Greece and the Netherlands, all of which urge withdrawal from the eurozone  and reconciliation with Russia instead of sanctions. In place of the ill-fated TPP and TTIP, Trump advocates country-by-country trade deals favoring the United States. Toward this end, his designated ambassador to the European Union, Ted Malloch, urges the EUs breakup. The EU is refusing to accept him as ambassador.

Will Trumps victory break up the Democratic Party?

At the time this volume is going to press, there is no way of knowing how successful these international reversals will be. What is clearer is Trumps political impact at home. His victory  or more accurately, Hillarys resounding loss and the way she lost  has encouraged enormous pressure for a realignment of both parties. Regardless of what President Trump may achieve vis-a-vis Europe, his actions as celebrity chaos agent may break up U.S. politics across the political spectrum.

The Democratic Party has lost its ability to pose as the party of labor and the middle class. Firmly controlled by Wall Street and California billionaires, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) strategy of identity politics encourages any identity except that of wage earners. The candidates backed by the Donor Class have been Blue Dogs who pledged to promote Wall Street alongside neocons urging a New Cold War with Russia.

They preferred to lose with Hillary than to win behind Bernie Sanders. So Trumps electoral victory is their legacy as well as Obamas. Instead of Trumps victory dispelling that strategy, the Democrats are doubling down. It is as if identity politics is all they have.

Trying to ride on Barack Obamas coattails didnt work. Promising hope and change, he won by posing as a transformational president, leading the Democrats to control of the White House, Senate and Congress in 2008. Swept into office by a national reaction against the George Bushs Iraq Oil War and the junk-mortgage crisis that left the economy debt-ridden, they had free rein to pass whatever new laws they chose  even a Public Option in health care if they had wanted, or make Wall Street banks absorb the losses from their bad and often fraudulent loans.

But it turned out that Obamas role was to prevent the changes that voters hoped to see, and indeed that the economy needed to recover: financial reform, debt writedowns to bring junk mortgages in line with fair market prices, and throwing crooked bankers in jail. Obama rescued the banks, not the economy, and turned over the Justice Department and regulatory agencies to his Wall Street campaign contributors. He did not even pull back from war in the Near East, but extended it to Libya and Syria, blundering into the Ukrainian coup as well.

Having dashed the hopes of his followers, Obama then praised his chosen successor

Hillary Clinton as his Third Term. Enjoying this kiss of death, Hillary promised to keep up Obamas policies.

The straw that pushed voters over the edge was when she asked voters, Arent you better off today than you were eight years ago? Who were they going to believe: their eyes, or Hillarys? National income statistics showed that only the top 5 percent of the population were better off. All the growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during Obamas tenure went to them  the Donor Class that had gained control of the Democratic Party leadership.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

Real incomes have fallen for the remaining 95 percent. Household budgets have been further eroded by soaring charges for health insurance. (The Democratic leadership in Congress fought tooth and nail to block Dennis Kucinich from introducing his Single Payer proposal.)

No wonder most of the geographic United States voted for change  except for where the top 5 percent is concentrated: in New York (Wall Street) and California (Silicon Valley and the military-industrial complex). Making fun of the Obama Administrations slogan of hope and change, Trump characterized Hillarys policy of continuing the economys shrinkage for the 95% as no hope and no change.

Identity Politics as anti-labor politics

A new term was introduced to the English language: Identity Politics. Its aim is for voters to think of themselves as separatist minorities  women, LGBTQ, Blacks and Hispanics. The Democrats thought they could beat Trump by organizing Women for Wall Street (and a New Cold War), LGBTQ for Wall Street (and a New Cold War), and Blacks and Hispanics for Wall Street (and a New Cold War). Each identity cohort was headed by a billionaire or hedge fund donor.

The identity that is conspicuously excluded is the working class. Identity politics strips away thinking of ones interest in terms of having to work for a living. It excludes voter protests against having their monthly paycheck stripped to pay more for health insurance, housing and mortgage charges or education, better working conditions or consumer protection  not to speak of protecting debtors.

Identity politics used to be about three major categories: workers and unionization, anti-war protests and civil rights marches against racist Jim Crow laws. These were the three objectives of the many nationwide demonstrations. That ended when these movements got co-opted into the Democratic Party. Their reappearance in Bernie Sanders campaign in fact threatens to tear the Democratic coalition apart. As soon as the primaries were over (duly stacked against Sanders), his followers were made to feel unwelcome. Hillary sought Republican support by denouncing Sanders as being as radical as Putins Republican leadership.

In contrast to Sanders attempt to convince diverse groups that they had a common denominator in needing jobs with decent pay  and, to achieve that, opposing Wall Streets replacing the government as central planner  the Democrats depict every identity constituency as being victimized by every other, setting themselves at each others heels. Clinton strategist John Podesta, for instance, encouraged Blacks to accuse Sanders supporters of distracting attention from racism. Pushing a common economic interest between whites, Blacks, Hispanics and LGBTQ always has been the neoliberals nightmare.

No wonder they tried so hard to stop Bernie Sanders, and are maneuvering to keep his supporters from gaining influence in their party.

When Trump was inaugurated on Friday, January 20, there was no pro-jobs or anti-war demonstration. That presumably would have attracted pro-Trump supporters in an ecumenical show of force. Instead, the Womens March on Saturday led even the pro-Democrat New York Times to write a front-page article reporting that white women were complaining that they did not feel welcome in the demonstration. The message to anti-war advocates, students and Bernie supporters was that their economic cause was a distraction.

The march was typically Democratic in that its ideology did not threaten the Donor Class. As Yves Smith wrote on Naked Capitalism:

the track record of non-issue-oriented marches, no matter how large scale, is poor, and the status of this march as officially sanctioned (blanket media coverage when other marches of hundreds of thousands of people have been minimized, police not tricked out in their usual riot gear) also indicates that the officialdom does not see it as a threat to the status quo. [1]

Hillarys loss was not blamed on her neoliberal support for TPP or her pro-war neocon stance, but on the revelations of the e-mails by her operative Podesta discussing his dirty tricks against Bernie Sanders (claimed to be given to Wikileaks by Russian hackers, not a domestic DNC leaker as Wikileaks claimed) and the FBI investigation of her e-mail abuses at the State Department. Backing her supporters attempt to brazen it out, the Democratic Party has doubled down on its identity politics, despite the fact that an estimated 52 percent of white women voted for Trump. After all, women do work for wages. And that also is what Blacks and Hispanics want  in addition to banking that serves their needs, not those of Wall Street, and health care that serves their needs, not those of the health-insurance and pharmaceuticals monopolies.

Bernie did not choose to run on a third-party ticket. Evidently he feared being accused of throwing the election to Trump. The question is now whether he can remake the Democratic Party as a democratic socialist party, or create a new party if the Donor Class retains its neoliberal control. It seems that he will not make a break until he concludes that a Socialist Party can leave the Democrats as far back in the dust as the Republicans left the Whigs after 1854. He may have underestimated his chance in 2016.

Trumps effect on U.S. political party realignment

During Trumps rise to the 2016 Republican nomination it seemed that he was more likely to break up the Republican Party. Its leading candidates and gurus warned that his populist victory in the primaries would tear the party apart. The polls in May and June showed him defeating Hillary Clinton easily (but losing to Bernie Sanders). But Republican leaders worried that he would not support what they believed in: namely, whatever corporate lobbyists put in their hands to enact and privatize.

The May/June polls showed Trump and Clinton were the countrys two most unpopular presidential candidates. But whereas the Democrats maneuvered Bernie out of the way, the Republican Clown Car was unable to do the same to Trump. In the end they chose to win behind him, expecting to control him. As for the DNC, its Wall Street donors preferred to lose with Hillary than to win with Bernie.

They wanted to keep control of their party and continue the bargain they had made with the Republicans: The latter would move further and further to the right, leaving room for Democratic neoliberals and neocons to follow them closely, yet still pose as the lesser evil. That centrism is the essence of the Clintons triangulation strategy. It actually has been going on for a half-century. As Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere quipped in the 1960s, when he was accused by the US of running a one-party state, The United States is also a one-party state but, with typical American extravagance, they have two of them. [2]

By 2017, voters had caught on to this two-step game. But Hillarys team paid pollsters over $1 billion to tell her (Mirror, mirror on the wall ) that she was the most popular of all. It was hubris to imagine that she could convince the 95 Percent of the people who were worse off under Obama to love her as much as her East-West Coast donors did. It was politically unrealistic  and a reflection of her cynicism  to imagine that raising enough money to buy television ads would convince working-class Republicans to vote for her, succumbing to a Stockholm Syndrome by thinking of themselves as part of the 5 Percent who had benefited from Obamas pro-Wall Street policies.

Hillarys election strategy was to make a right-wing run around Trump. While characterizing the working class as white racist deplorables, allegedly intolerant of LBGTQ or assertive women, she resurrected the ghost of Joe McCarthy and accused Trump of being Putins poodle for proposing peace with Russia. Among the most liberal Democrats, Paul Krugman still leads a biweekly charge at The New York Times that President Trump is following Moscows orders.

Saturday Night Live, Bill Maher and MSNBC produce weekly skits that Trump and General Flynn are Russian puppets. A large proportion of Democrats have bought into the fairy tale that Trump didnt really win the election, but that Russian hackers manipulated the voting machines. No wonder George Orwells 1984 soared to the top of Americas best-seller lists in February 2017 as Donald Trump was taking his oath of office.

This propaganda paid off on February 13, when neocon public relations succeeded in forcing the resignation of General Flynn, whom Trump had appointed to clean out the neocons at the NSA and CIA. His foreign policy initiative based on rapprochement with Russia to create a common front against ISIS/Al Nusra seems to be collapsing.

Tabula Rasa Celebrity Politics

U.S. presidential elections are no longer much about policy. Like Obama before him, Trump campaigned as a rasa tabla, a vehicle for everyone to project their hopes and fancies. What has all but disappeared is the past centurys idea of politics as a struggle between labor and capital, democracy vs. oligarchy.

Who would have expected even half a century ago that American politics would become so post-modern that the idea of class conflict has all but disappeared. Classical economic discourse has been drowned out by junk economics .

There is a covert economic program, to be sure, and it is bipartisan. It is to make elections about just which celebrities will introduce neoliberal economic policies with the most convincing patter talk. That is the essence of rasa tabla politics.

Can the Democrats lose again in 2020?

Trumps November victory showed that voters found him to be the Lesser Evil, but all that voters really could express was throw out the bums and get a new set of lobbyists for the FIRE sector and corporate monopolists. Both candidates represented Goldman Sachs and Wall Street. No wonder voter turnout has continued to plunge.

Although the Democrats Lesser Evil argument lost to the Republicans in 2016, the neoliberals in control of the DNC found the absence of a progressive economic program to less threatening to their interests than the critique of Wall Street and neocon interventionism coming from the Sanders camp. So the Democrat will continue to pose as the Lesser Evil party not really in terms of policy, but simply ad hominum. They will merely repeat Hillarys campaign stance: They are not Trump.

Their parades and street demonstrations since his inauguration have not come out for any economic policy.

On Friday, February 10, the partys Democratic Policy group held a retreat for its members in Baltimore. Third Way centrists (Republicans running as Democrats) dominated, with Hillary operatives in charge. The conclusion was that no party policy was needed at all.

President Trump is a better recruitment tool for us than a central campaign issue, said Washington Rep. Denny Heck, who is leading recruitment for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). [3]

But what does their party leadership have to offer women, Blacks and Hispanics in the way of employment, more affordable health care, housing or education and better pay? Where are the New Deal pro-labor, pro-regulatory roots of bygone days? The party leadership is unwilling to admit that Trumps message about protecting jobs and opposing the TPP played a role in his election. Hillary was suspected of supporting it as the gold standard of trade deals, and Obama had made the Trans-Pacific Partnership the centerpiece of his presidency  the free-trade TPP and TTIP that would have taken economic regulatory policy out of the hands of government and given it to corporations.

Instead of accepting even Sanders centrist-left stance, the Democrats strategy was to tar Trump as pro-Russian, insisting his aides had committed impeachable offenses, and mount one parade after another. Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio told reporters she was wary of focusing solely on an economic message aimed at voters whom Trump won over in 2016, because, in her view, Trump did not win on an economic message. What Donald Trump did was address them at a very different level  an emotional level, a racial level, a fear level, she said. If all we talk about is the economic message, were not going to win. [4]

This stance led Sanders supporters to walk out of a meeting organized by the centrist Third Way think tank on Wednesday, February 8.

By now this is an old story. Fifty years ago, socialists such as Michael Harrington asked why union members and progressives still imagined that they had to work through the Democratic Party. It has taken the rest of the country half a century to see that Democrats are not the party of the working class, unions, middle class, farmers or debtors. They are the party of Wall Street privatizers, bank deregulators, neocons and the military-industrial complex. Obama showed his hand  and that of his party  in his passionate attempt to ram through the corporatist TPP treaty that would have enabled corporations to sue governments for any costs imposed by public consumer protection, environmental protection or other protection of the population against financialized corporate monopolies.

Against this backdrop, Trumps promises and indeed his worldview seem quixotic. The picture of Americas future he has painted seems unattainable within the foreseeable future. It is too late to bring manufacturing back to the United States, because corporations already have shifted their supply nodes abroad, and too much U.S. infrastructure has been dismantled.

There cant be a high-speed railroad, because it would take more than four years to get the right-of-way and create a route without crossing gates or sharp curves. In any case, the role of railroads and other transportation has been to increase real estate prices along the routes. But in this case, real estate would be torn down  and having a high-speed rail does not increase land values.

The stock market has soared to new heights, anticipating lower taxes on corporate profits and a deregulation of consumer, labor and environmental protection. Trump may end up as Americas Boris Yeltsin, protecting U.S. oligarchs (not that Hillary would have been different, merely cloaked in a more colorful identity rainbow). The U.S. economy is in for Shock Therapy. Voters should look to Greece to get a taste of the future in this scenario.

Without a coherent response to neoliberalism, Trumps billionaire cabinet may do to the United States what neoliberals in the Clinton administration did to Russia after 1991: tear out all the checks and balances, and turn public wealth over to insiders and oligarchs. So Trumps best chance to be transformative is simply to be Americas Yeltsin for his partys oligarchic backers, putting the class war back in business.

What a truly transformative president would do/would have done

No administration can create a sound U.S. recovery without dealing with the problem that caused the 2008 crisis in the first place: over-indebtedness. The only one way to restore growth, raise living standards and make the economy competitive again is a debt writedown. But that is not yet on the political horizon. Obamas doublecross of his voters in 2009 prevented the needed policy from occurring. Having missed this chance in the last financial crisis, a progressive policy must await yet another crisis. But so far, no political party is preparing a program to juxtapose the Republican-Democratic austerity and scale-back of Social Security, Medicare and social spending programs.

Also no longer on the horizon is a more progressive income tax, or a public option for health care  or for banking, or consumer protection against financial fraud, or for a $15-an-hour minimum wage, or for a revived protection of labors right to unionize. Or environmental regulations.

It seems that only a new party can achieve these aims. At the time these essays are going to press, Sanders has committed himself to working within the Democratic Party. But that stance is based on his assumption that somehow he can recruit enough activists to take over the party from Its Donor Class.

I suspect he will fail. In any case, it is easier to begin afresh than to try to re-design a party (or any institution) dominated by resistance to change, and whose idea of economic growth is a pastiche of tax cuts and deregulation. Both U.S. parties are committed to this neoliberal program  and seek to blame foreign enemies for the fact that its effect is to continue squeezing living standards and bloating the financial sector.

If this slow but inexorable crash does lead to a political crisis, it looks like the Republicans may succeed in convening a new Constitutional Convention (many states already have approved this) to lock the United States into a corporatist neoliberal world. Its slogan will be that of Margaret Thatcher: TINA  There Is No Alternative.

And who is to disagree? As Trotsky said, fascism is the result of the failure of the left to provide an alternative.

Michael Hudson is President of The Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends (ISLET), a Wall Street Financial Analyst, Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and author of J is Junk Economics (2017), Killing the Host (2015), The Bubble and Beyond (2012), Super-Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire (1968 & 2003), Trade, Development and Foreign Debt (1992 & 2009) and of The Myth of Aid (1971), amongst many others.
The West is Becoming Irrelevant, The World is Laughing

By Andre Vltchek

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - I was recently told by an Asian friend of mine who is working in Paris: Lately I stopped following almost all that is happening politically in the United States, in the UK and even here in France. It all feels suddenly so irrelevant, a waste of time.

Statements like this would be unimaginable only one decade ago. In the past, what came from Washington and (to a smaller extent) from London was monitored with great attentiveness and fear, all over the world.

But all of a sudden, things have begun to change, rapidly. Despite the extremely violent nature of the Western-designed-and-manufactured global regime, which has been over-imposed on so many parts of the world for decades and centuries, increasing amounts of people in Asia, Latin America and Africa stopped worrying and went leisurely to the barricades, beginning to rebel against the perverseness of the world order.

Did it all really happen all of a sudden?

Or were there various catalysts at work, for already quite a substantial period of time?

It is a well-known fact that any deep-seated, chronic anxiety cannot disappear in just a short moment. People who are enslaved, humiliated, scared into obedience, people who are forced to feel uncertain and constantly frightened, cannot reverse their state of mind without some important external factor or set of factors.

It became obvious to me, as I have been working continuously on all continents and in almost all conflict zones of our Planet, that the renewed pride and courage which is now inspiring millions of oppressed human beings, actually came from the decisive and determined stand of just several brave and determined nations, big and small.

The myth about the omnipotence of the Empire has received a few significant blows.

The fable of invincibility has not completely disappeared yet, but at least it has got fractured and gravely injured.

The gate of the terrible prison began cracking. It has not collapsed, but the fractures were wide enough for at least some sunlight to enter the dark and dreadful cavities inhabited by billions of unfortunate and shattered beings.

Some victims stood up immediately; not many but at least some did. Others raised their heads in feeble hope, still lying down on the dirty ground, still chained, and still shaking. That weak light alone entering the dungeon was actually much brighter than what most people ever experienced in their entire life. It has been strong enough to provoke wonderful, brilliant sparks of hope.

*

Except for some temporary setbacks (like in Brazil and Argentina), the anti-imperialist coalition is now steadier than ever; it is determined and constantly expanding.

And it is clearly winning!

It is truly a rainbow coalition of countries, big and small, red and pink, even green.

The only unifying factor is the shared determination not to be controlled by Western imperialism and neo-colonialism.

For decades, Cuba stood against the Empire, even after the Soviet block was broken to bits, even when all mutual agreements ceased to be honored by the criminal Yeltsin administration.The Cuban people never surrendered. It is because most of them always believed, from the bottom of their hearts, in socialism and internationalism. And also because they have been convinced that the Western Empire is a morally corrupt and illegitimate entity and therefore has to be resisted.

A small and relatively poor country  Cuba  demonstrated to the entire world that while the Empire is mighty, sadistic and brutal, it is not omnipotent, and it is possible to defy it. There is no reason why one should not dare, orone should not dream about a much better world, why one shouldnt fight for true freedom, attempting to win.

Cuba inspired the world. Its daring Revolution took place just a few miles from the shores of the United States. Soon after, its teachers and doctors went to all parts of the earth, spreading optimism, solidarity and kindness. Its heroic revolutionaries went to fight against the most dreadful forms of colonialism, which were torturing people, is such places as Congo, Angola and Namibia.

After Obamas attempts to water down the determination of the Cuban citizens, many enemies began to predict, cynically:

Now Cuba will compromise and sell its Revolution.

It never did! I traveled to the Island last year, driving through the countryside, and speaking to people in Havana, Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba. Almost no one was ready to compromise. A greatly educated nation, Cuba saw through the Empires tricks and deceptions.

Now almost nobody speaks about the Cuban compromise, anymore, simply because there isnt any on the table.

China, one of the oldest and greatest civilizations on Earth, went through the terrible period of humiliation. Divided, occupied and plundered by the West, it has never forgotten nor forgiven.

Now the Chinese Communist state and its mixed economy are helping countries in virtually all parts of the world, from Oceania and Latin America, to the Middle East and especially Africa, to survive and to finally stand on their own feet. Despite all the vitriolic propaganda regurgitated by the West (those people in Europe or North America who know close to zero about Africa or China,habitually passing confident and highly cynical judgments about Chinas involvement in the poor world; judgments based exclusively on the lies and fabrications produced by the Western media), China has been gaining great respect and trust in virtually all corners of the globe.

The Chinese people and their government are now standing firmly against Western imperialism. They will not allow any recurrence of the disgraceful and dreary past.

The West is provoking this mighty and optimistic nation, pushing it into a terrible confrontation. China doesnt want any military conflict. It is the most peaceful, the most non-confrontational large nation on Earth. But it is becoming clear that if pushed against the wall, this time it will not compromise: it will fight.

In the last years I have spoken to many Chinese people, as I traveled to all corners of the country, and Im convinced that by now the nation is ready to meet strength with strength.

Such determination gives hope to many other countries on our Planet. The message is clear: the West cannot do whatever it wants, anymore. If it tries, it will be stopped. By reason or by force!

Russia is ready again, too. It is standing next to China, enormous and indignant.

Go to Novosibirsk or Tomsk, to Khabarovsk, Vladivostok or Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka. Talk to Russian people and you will soon understand: almost nobody there believes or respects the West, anymore. Throughout history, Russia was attacked and ransacked from the West. Millions, tens of millions of its people were murdered, literally exterminated. And now, the nation is facing what some consider to be yet another imminent attack.

Like the Chinese people, Russians are unwilling to compromise, anymore. The old Russian forecast is once again alive, that very one professed by Alexander Nevsky:

Go tell all in foreign lands that Russia lives! Those who come to us in peace will be welcome as a guest. But those who come to us sword in hand will die by the sword! On that Russia stands and forever will we stand!

In Russia, as in China, and as in so many other nations that were devastated by the Western plunderers, nothing is forgotten and no one is forgotten. It only appeared for a while that the memory had fainted. It never does. You cannot burn down an entire land, ruin the cities, burn the fields, and still pose as one with the moral mandate. Or as we say in Chile: Justice takes time, but it always comes!

And the world is watching. It is suddenly clearly registering this determined and brave, epic stand of morally strong nations. Many of those who are watching are deeply impressed with what they are seeing. Perhaps not in London or in Paris, but go and ask those in Johannesburg or Beirut, or even in Calcutta, Cairo or Buenos Aires. Perhaps you suspect what answers youd receive there!

Throughout modern history, not once has Iran invaded a foreign country. Yet its secular, progressive and democratic government (under the leadership of Mohammad Mosaddegh) was overthrown in 1953, in a CIA-backed coup. What followed was the monstrosity of the pro-Western Shah, and then a horrendous war, an invasion by Iraq, which was also fully backed by the West and which took hundreds of thousands of human lives. Since then, Iran has been suffering from targeted killings of its scientists (by the West and Israel), as well as terrorist attacks also backed from abroad.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

Instead of falling on its knees and begging for mercy, Iran defied the West. On several occasions and when provoked, it sent its battleships to the neutral waters near the US coast, and it pledged to defend its land, in case it was to be attacked.

Iran also showed great solidarity towards Latin America, working closely with virtually all of the revolutionary governments there. It stood firmly by Venezuela in a time of great crises, building social housing in Caracas and supporting the Process by all other means.

In Latin America, no one will ever forget how former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to Caracas to attend the funeral of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, his dear friend. During the memorial, the aged mother of Chavez suddenly approached Ahmadinejad, in tears. Breaking all religious protocol of a Shia country that he was representing, the Iranian President embraced her, and held her against his heart, until she calmed down.

This moment was expressing one simple and powerful reality: all of us, the internationalists and anti-imperialists, are fighting for the survival of humanity and this planet. There is more that unites us than what is tearing us apart. Once we win, and we will win, the world will be able to find a common language.The West wants to divide us, by spreading hostilities and distrust, all through false news and fabrications. But we understand its game. We will not break our ranks, anymore.

The West is clearly losing. It knows it. It is in panic.

Its nihilism, its propaganda and indoctrination tactics will soon be defeated.

I wrote a lot about the DPRK and how it joined the list of the most hated nations on Earth. It is a well known fact that North Korea was, for years and decades, much richer and more democratic than South Korea (ROK). But it embarked on one tremendous humanist project, and together with Cuba, the Soviet Union and to some extent China, it liberated almost the entire African continent, at great cost and sacrifice. And not only that: it sent its top educators and doctors to all corners of the most devastated continent on Earth. Its pilots also flew Egyptian MIGs against Israel, during the 1967 war. These facts have been silenced by Western propaganda, but they clearly explain why the DPRK has been ostracized, pushed to the corner, hit by senseless embargos, and forced to react the way it has been reacting for at least the last two decades.

North Korea has never surrendered either, and it never will.

Neither has Venezuela, for many years the great sentinel and engine of the Bolivarian Revolution, as well as of Latin Internationalism and solidarity. Surviving coups, embargos, plots and propaganda campaigns, surviving attacks, even terror, of the foreign-backed opposition, Venezuela has been injured but it is alive. Just a few days ago I spoke to an Italian Parliamentary delegation, consisting of the5-Star-Movement MPs, which recently returned from Caracas. Their conclusion was simple: The worst is over.

The world knows it! Venezuela, DPRK, Cuba  they never fell. No matter how many knives penetrated their bodies, despite so much pain caused by the sanctions, coup attempts and direct acts of terrorism administered by the West and its monstrous Empire.

It is becoming clear and obvious: the West is helpless against determination, true courage and patriotic love. It is powerless when confronted with humanist ideologies, and with true loyalty!

And the world keeps watching, drawing its conclusions.

I wrote about Syria, comparing Aleppo to the 20th Century Stalingrad. This is where racism, terrorism, and the lowest forms of Western imperialism (and shameful acts of the regional lackeys) were decisively stopped. The price was terrible, but the message to the world extremely clear: The people who love their country with their entire hearts can fight and win against all odds, especially if by their side stand truly great and reliable friends and comrades!

One day the world will thank the Syrian people, profusely and properly. One day, everything will be understood. One day, perhaps soon.

*

This is one of the greatest moments in human history, perhaps the greatest.

It has arrived without big salvos announcing monumental revolutions.

Everything is happening fast, in an organized and determined manner.

The greatest minds of Russia, China, Latin America and the rest of the world, are feverishly, day and night, trying to determine what really brought our world, our civilization, to this ludicrous downfall.

The simplified and stripped-down answer is this: Western imperialism (military, economic and intellectual/cultural), colonialism and neo-colonialism, as well as that dreadful by-product of all the above combined a set of unchecked and savage form of capitalism.

Simultaneously, new forms of government, of economy and social systems are being, once again, planned.

The military strategists of the countries that are refusing to kneel in front of the barbaric terror of the West, responsible for hundreds of millions of murders and billions of ruined lives, are planning how to defend their countries and the world.

Once again, the world is at work! It is building trenches, educating people, preparing them for the final showdown with the culture that has been tormenting our Planet for centuries.

It is the moment of great hope and renewed enthusiasm.

Of course, if seen from Western capitals, everything is bleak and depressing. There is no hope at all.

I agree fully: there is no hope for them.

The logic, the philosophy with which the Europeans and the North Americans have become accustomed to analyze the world, has arrived at a dead end.

Yes, it is the end of philosophy, or as they say, the end of history. I fully agree: it is the end of their philosophy and of their history.

Thats why, reading about their elections or statements produced by their politicians, is nothing less than a waste of time. The world realizes it, more and more.

Their new tricks are actually very old. Their entire system is outdated. It should have been retired at least one hundred years ago. It survived only because of its savagery and cruelty.It will go soon, anyway.

These days, encountering people inhabiting the West is like encountering those zombies who were living in Nazi Germany during WWII. After the war was over, they were street walking for years, at least many of them, repeating the same refrains: We didnt know! We never realized. The Nazi propaganda and the one, which has been used in the West and in the colonies (as Noam Chomsky and I defined in our book On Western Terrorism), are based on precisely the same roots, foundations and methods. Both are extremely effective, when it comes to the total brainwashing of the population.

To follow up the last chapter of the imperialist and turbo capitalist morass of the West is embarrassing and useless.

Both Europe and the United States are suffering from a series of devastating mental illnesses, as was defined by the great Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, right after WWII.

Getting too much involved in pathological behavior, constantly studying and analyzing it, could only break and deeply depress any healthy persons mind.

There is nothing more to understand. Hundreds of millions of victims in all parts of the world are speaking for themselves.

The only rational issue here is this: how to stop this horror, as soon as possible? How to allow humanity to return to its natural development and evolution patterns?

I dont believe in punishments and trials and other vehicles of intimidation and of spreading fear. I dont care whether the West will pay for all that it has done to the world. I only want it to be stopped, once and for all.

I work very hard for it to be stopped.

So are others.

And the world is watching, and all of a sudden enjoying what it sees.

Suddenly more and more people are daring to laugh at the global regime. Of course not in Paris, London or New York (here they are scared and obedient, even more than before). But outside, yes!

People on all continents want to see and hear about what others do, what we do, not what the Empire and its mental conditions are producing.

They are laughing and waiting impatiently for what a new day, a new year will bring. They are waiting for the true new beginning to arrive.
Rehabilitating George Bush and Tony Blair

By David Edwards

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - YOU have to marvel at the audacity of corporate journalists as they switch between damning official enemies to hell while finding it within their hearts to forgive members of the 1-per-cent club literally anything.

George W Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, bears responsibility for the destruction of an entire country, the killing of one million Iraqis, the wounding and displacement of countless millions more.

Before Dubya, there had never been a suicide bomb attack in Iraq  the car bombs, the mass executions, the disappearances, the endless tortures, the bombs in London and Madrid, the rise of Islamic State, all began with him.

About this war criminal, Britains leading left-liberal newspaper wrote last month: The Guardian view on George W Bush: a welcome return.

The fact that the paper was using Bush to attack the execrable Donald Trump did not justify the assertion, however tongue-in-cheek, that Bush can be seen now as a paragon of virtue. He sounds a lot better out of office than in it.

And so the 43rd US president should be applauded. The Guardian had not one word to say about his millions of victims.

The New Statesman commented: It sounds flippant to say that compared to Trump, Bush is starting to look good, and this sentiment has become a popular online joke within itself. Nonetheless, the claim is grounded in some reality.

In similar vein, the Guardian last month also gave space for hard-right, former Spectator editor Matthew dAncona to explain that Tony Blair is speaking out on Brexit because he profoundly believes in the power of human agency, which inspires a sense of responsibility.

The rehabilitation of Bush and Blair follows the deeper rehabilitation of the US brand under Barack Obama.

After the Iraq disaster  too drenched in blood and lies for even the propaganda system to deny  Obamas task was to reassert the myth of US benevolence. Corporate media adulation duly followed.

Two Guardian titles from 2016 give an idea: Listening to Obama makes me want to be American for a day.

And: Barack Obama: He has such power... yet such humility.

This moral whitewashing played a vital role in reassuring the public that, with Obama at the helm, the US was under new, compassionate management.

Presented as the pacifist president who refused to act on Syria, the truth of Obama was very different.

Arms sales analyst William Hartung commented: Many Americans would be surprised to learn that his administration has brokered more arms deals than any administration of the past 70 years, Republican or Democratic.

Having already destroyed Libya, known in Washington as Hillarys War, Obama generously spent $1 billion on Syria-related operations  about $1 of every $15 in the CIAs overall budget.

The US media watch website, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, supplied some detail: In addition to this, the Obama administration has engaged in crippling sanctions against the [Bashar] al-Assad government, provided air support for those looking to depose him, incidentally funnelled arms to Isis, and not incidentally aligned the CIA-backed Free Syrian Army with al-Qaida.

It ought to have been impossible for the same powers that lied their way to catastrophic regime change in Iraq to lie their way to catastrophic regime change in Libya, and to attempt the same yet again in Syria.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

Exactly the same strategies were employed: manufactured or hyped crisis and the manipulation of the United Nations in an effort to achieve the real goal  collapse of the enemy government at whatever human cost.

Obamas carefully protected image allowed propagandists to sell the Wests responsibility to protect  its not that the United States and Britain wanted anything from Libya or Syria; they just wanted to protect civilian life.

The affectation of compassionate concern is crucial to the war machine: we make mistakes but we care; we mean well and have to do something.

This is why members of the executive, 1-per-cent club are so readily forgiven  they have to be presented as fundamentally benign.

Unless of course they harm the wrong interests.

By tragicomic contrast, enemies of the 1 per cent can never be forgiven, even when there is precious little to forgive.

In the Guardian, Catherine Bennett responded to news that George Galloway is planning the first in a series of childrens books, Red Molucca the Good Pirate.

Dripping with vitriol, Bennett wondered which of his talents, along with the revelation of his goodness, the Saddam [Hussein] supporter would foreground in the opening adventure of his book: Will the focus be on Molucca the champion cat imitator, or Molucca the rascally rape apologist, or Molucca, loyal friend to silly Saddam and barmy Bashir?

Galloway has never waged war and has not destroyed millions of lives.

But like Julian Assange, Hugo Chavez, John Pilger, Noam Chomsky, Jeremy Corbyn and others, Galloway is loathed by a liberal press so receptive to the loveable, endearing sides of Bush the artist and Blair the principled defender of centrism.

In the Observer in 2002, columnist Nick Cohen poured scorn on Chomsky and Pilger for opposing the Iraq war, and then mocked the EU for refusing to back the Libya war.

Heroically undeterred, Cohen then penned an article titled: The West has a duty to intervene in Syria.

Not only is Cohen forgiven his role in facilitating these disasters, he is allowed space to damn Corbyn for excusing the imperialism of Vladimir Putins gangster state, the oppressors of women and murderers of gays in Iran, the IRA, and every variety of inquisitorial and homicidal Islamist movement.

Ultimately, the corporate media is so keen to excuse their political masters because the media is itself deeply complicit in the same atrocities.

In recklessly agitating for intensified war on Serbia, Andrew Marr wrote in the Observer in 1999: I want to put the Macbeth option: which is that were so steeped in blood we should go further.

If we really believe Milosevic is this bad, dangerous and destabilising figure we must ratchet this up much further. We should now be saying that we intend to put in ground troops.

As Harold Pinter said so well: Who is this we exactly that youre talking about? First of all: Who is the we?

Marr claimed Western nations had been feminised by the Cold War, with the war-hardened people of Serbia, far more callous, seemingly readier to die, and in fact like an alien race.

If this was awful, his comments on the main BBC evening news on April 9, 2003 were even worse.

As Baghdad fell to US tanks, Marr noted of Blair that tonight he stands as a larger man and a stronger prime minister as a result.

This open vindication of a war of aggression, the supreme war crime, was considered completely uncontroversial, and Marr has since, of course, established himself as a national treasure.

David Edwards is co-editor of Media Lens. For more on Media Lens visit medialens.org .
Russophobia

 Symptom of US Implosion

By Finian Cunningham

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - There was a time when Russophobia served as an effective form of population control  used by the American ruling class in particular to command the general US population into patriotic loyalty. Not any longer. Now, Russophobia is a sign of weakness, of desperate implosion among the US ruling class from their own rotten, internal decay.

This propaganda technique worked adequately well during the Cold War decades when the former Soviet Union could be easily demonized as godless communism and an evil empire. Such stereotypes, no matter how false, could be sustained largely because of the monopoly control of Western media by governments and official regulators.

The Soviet Union passed away more than a quarter of a century ago, but Russophobia among the US political class is more virulent than ever.

This week it was evident from Congressional hearings in Washington into alleged Russian interference in US politics that large sections of American government and establishment media are fixated by Russophobia and a belief that Russia is a malign foreign adversary.

However, the power of the Russophobia propaganda technique over the wider population seems to have greatly diminished from its Cold War heyday. This is partly due to more diverse global communications which challenge the previous Western monopoly for controlling narrative and perception. Contemporary Russophobia  demonizing Russian President Vladimir Putin or Russian military forces  does not have the same potency for scaring the Western public. Indeed, due to greater diversity in global news media sources, it is fair to say that official Western depictions of Russia as an enemy, for example allegedly about to invade Europe or allegedly interfering in electoral politics, are met with a healthy skepticism  if not ridicule by many Western citizens.

What is increasingly apparent here is a gaping chasm between the political class and the wider public on the matter of Russophobia. This is true for Western countries generally, but especially in the US. The political class  the lawmakers in Washington and the mainstream news media  are frenzied by claims that Russia interfered in the US presidential elections and that Russia has some kind of sinister leverage on the presidency of Donald Trump.

But this frenzy of Russophobia is not reflected among the wider public of ordinary American citizens. Rabid accusations that Russia hacked the computers of Trumps Democrat rival Hillary Clinton to spread damaging information about her; that this alleged sabotage of American democracy was an act of war; that President Trump is guilty of treason by colluding with a Russian influence campaign  all of these sensational claims seem to be only a preoccupation of the privileged political class. Most ordinary Americans, concerned about making a living in a crumbling society, either dont buy the claims or view them as idle chatter.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov this week dismissed the Congressional hearings into alleged Russian interference in US politics. He aptly said that US lawmakers and the corporate media have become entangled in their own fabrications. They are trying to find evidence for conclusions that they have already made, said Peskov.

Other suitable imagery is that the US political class are tilting at windmills, chasing their own tails, or running from their own shadows. There seems to be a collective delusional mindset.

Unable to accept the reality that the governing structure of the US has lost legitimacy in the eyes of the people, that the people rebelled by electing an outsider in the form of business mogul-turned-politician Donald Trump, that the collapse of American traditional politics is due to the atrophy of its bankrupt capitalist economy over several decades  the ruling class have fabricated their own excuse for demise by blaming it all on Russia.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

The American ruling class cannot accept, or come to terms, with the fact of systemic failure in their own political system. The election of Trump is a symptom of this failure and the widespread disillusionment among voters towards the two-party train wreck of Republicans and Democrats. That is why the specter of Russian interference in the US political system had to be conjured up, by necessity, as a way of explaining the abject failure and the ensuing popular revolt.

Russophobia was rehabilitated from the Cold War closet by the American political establishment to distract from the glaring internal collapse of American politics.

The corrosive, self-destruction seems to know no bounds. James Comey, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, told Congress this week that the White House is being probed for illicit contacts with Russia. This dramatic notice served by Comey was greeted with general approval by political opponents of the Trump administration, as well as by news media outlets.

The New York Times said the FBI was in effect holding a criminal investigation at the doorstep of the White House.

Other news outlets are openly airing discussions on the probability of President Trump being impeached from office.

The toxic political atmosphere of Russophobia in Washington is unprecedented. The Trump administration is being crippled at every turn from conducting normal political business under a toxic cloud of suspicion that it is guilty of treason from colluding with Russia.

President Trump has run afoul with Republicans in Congress over his planned healthcare reforms because many Republicans are taking issue instead over the vaunted Russian probe.

When Trumps Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was reported to be skipping a NATO summit next month but was planning to visit Moscow later in the same month, the itinerary was interpreted as a sign of untoward Russian influence.

What makes the spectacle of political infighting so unprecedented is that there is such little evidence to back up allegations of Trump-Russia collusion. It is preponderantly based on innuendo and anonymous leaks to the media, which are then recycled as evidence.

Devin Nunes, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said earlier this week that he has seen no actual evidence among classified documents indicating any collusion between the Trump campaign team and the Russian government.

Even former senior intelligence officials, James Clapper and Michael Morell who are no friends of Trump, have lately admitted in media interviews that there is no such evidence.

Yet, FBI chief James Comey told Congress that his agency was pursuing a potentially criminal investigation into the Trump administration, while at the same time not confirming or denying the existence of any evidence.

And, as already noted, this declaration of open-ended snooping by Comey on the White House was met with avid approval by political opponents of Trump, both on Capitol Hill and in the corporate media.

Lets just assume for a moment that the whole Trump-Russia collusion story is indeed fake. That it is groundless, a figment of imagination. There are solid reasons to believe that is the case. But lets just assume here that it is fake for the sake of argument.

That then means that the Washington seat of government and the US presidency are tearing themselves apart in a futile civil war.

The real war here is a power struggle within the US in the context of ruling parties no longer having legitimacy to govern.

This is an American implosion. An historic Made-in-America meltdown. And Russophobia is but a symptom of the internal decay at the heart of US politics.

Finian Cunningham, former editor and writer for major news media organizations. He has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages.
Surveillance State Goes After Trump





Democrats are so eager to take down President Trump that they are joining forces with the Surveillance State to trample the privacy rights of people close to Trump, ex-FBI agent Coleen Rowley tells Dennis J Bernstein.



By Dennis J Bernstein

March 24, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Since Donald Trumps election, former Special FBI Agent Coleen Rowley has been alarmed over how Democratic hawks, neocons and other associates in the deep state have obsessed over resurrecting the ghost of Joseph McCarthy and have built political support for a permanent war policy around hatred of Russia.

Rowley, whose 2002 memo to the FBI Director exposed some of the FBIs pre-9/11failures, compared the current anti-Russia hysteria to the

Red Scare fear of Communism famously associated with legendary FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover who collaborated with Sen. Joe McCarthys hunt for disloyal Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

In an interview, Rowley told me that while Trump was wrong about his claim that President Obama ordered a surveillance tapp of Trump Tower, the broader point may have been correct as explained by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-California, who described how U.S. intelligence apparently picked up conversations by Trump associates while monitoring other targets.

Dennis Bernstein: A former high-level FBI whistleblower says Trump is vindicated on his claims of being surveilled by the previous administration. Joining us to take a close look at whats been going on, whats been unfolding in Washington, D.C. is Coleen Rowley. Shes a former FBI special agent and division council. She wrote a May 2002 memo to the FBI director that exposed some of the FBIs pre-9/11 failures, major failures. She was Time magazines person of the year in 2002.  Help us explain what chairman Nunes reported in terms of the collecting process and Trumps innocence or guilt?

Coleen Rowley: I think the Chairman Nunes said [Wednesday] that Trump was monitored instead of wiretapped. And these are terms of art that for three weeks or so, no one has fully understood and so theres been all this confusion. Trump, himself, did not understand, and was clumsy in saying my campaign was wiretapped. Wiretapping itself is almost obsolete. It means tapping into a wire, thats the old way, when the way communications used to go over wires and now theyre digital and they Snowden, if you remember, all of the disclosures from Edward Snowden, and other NSA whistleblowers, theres something going on now called collect it all, massive surveillance. And that is done, there are some targets, but then lots and lots of Americans are incidentally monitored they arent monitored but their conversations, and their phone numbers that theyre dialing and their e-mails that theyre e-mailing are collected.

And, of course, when Trump was under investigation it would be natural that they would have some not his not necessarily him personally, but his campaign staff obviously, thats going to mean surveillance of those people.

DB: Now, monitoring, does that mean that Obama was in fact, surveilling? Is that a good word? Was Trump being surveilled? Were his claims essentially correct?

CR: I think Trump is vindicated, again he didnt understand the terms that he was using. And he did misuse the term, so when Comey said No that that tweet about being wiretapped, we have found no evidence of that. Comey was able to be honest because a wiretap has a specific meaning. But, you notice, in five hours Comey never said that theres been no surveillance of anyone connected to the Trump campaign. In fact, he implied the opposite. He implied that the Trump campaign, some persons, he didnt mention names, but some of them have been investigated since this summer.

And, so, obviously that does mean that, for starters, if you think remember all of the disclosures from Edward Snowden and the other NSA whistleblowers, they can access all of the communications that have already been collected. Thats for starters, so if you have somebody that you are now investigating, you can go back into these NSA databases and say pull up everything on so-and-so. And Ive just got to add one more thing, the NSA whistleblowers including Edward Snowden all warned for really now for two or three years, we have been warning the American public that this collect it all is really a recipe for, not only a lack of privacy, but even for hurting our own democracy.

If you go back to Frank Church, for instance, the reason the Church committee well it was because Frank Church, Senator Frank Church was, himself, under surveillance by the NSA. And we warned now for two or three years, that they tell the public Dont worry, you have nothing to hide. Why would you worry about any of these NSA theyre helping us catch terrorists. And you dont have anything to hide.

But, of course, the politicians in Washington are the ones that have things to hide. They could have conflicts of interests, theres all kinds of things going on, certainly just political opposition, partisanship. So this is always an ongoing game in Washington, to try to find out dirt about your opponent, etc. So, they are the ones, actually, who should have been more aware of how this could be used against themselves. And yet, they just disregarded these warnings and told the public Oh, dont worry you have nothing to hide.

DB: Weve got Donald Trump vindicated about, in essence, being monitored, surveilled. without his own knowledge although I would imagine he should have known, or assumed. But now that tells us that there has been a lot of information collected and we can now assume, I guess, that all the a lot of the communications from the Trump people, in Washington, also, at Trump Tower, so even though it wasnt wiretapped, it was monitored.

CR: It was collected. And, again, this isnt necessarily about Trump personally, just cause its not about Obama, personally ordering. What this is about is if there are even members of Trumps campaign staff, or even associates, that could even be a little bit distant from the actual campaign, but just associates. It may be that they were the actual targets. And, still, might be the targets. But, then incidentally Trump could have ended up being, himself, intercepted.

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

Im going to go back to Martin Luther King, Jr.. Martin Luther King, Jr., if you understand the microphones in his hotels. And he was the subject of Title 3 orders. This was all based on guilt by association. And I think it was simply a paragraph or two, there was very little probable cause. It was a paragraph or two alleging that an associate or a cousin of an associate was a communist. Thats what it amounted to. And thats how, then, J.Edgar Hoover was allowed to go and do all these things in hotel rooms. And, in the same era, the NSA was actually monitoring Senator Frank Church.

We think after all these years that weve grown up and weve understood the problems that occurred back then. And, obviously, history is totally repeating. It may well be theres a legitimate investigation of somebody in the periphery of the Trump campaign, a staffer or somebody connected, thats legitimate.

But when they have a collect it all motto which theyve had now since 9/11. Theyve turned on these monitoring things, Hayden and others turned them right on, illegally, I should say, for starters, illegally. And now they have all this database. And, so, theres only a couple of ways to try to protect privacy. And they are supposed to be on their honor to minimize Americans.

And you now see that this has completely failed in the case of Flynn and others, because, again, thats all they have is on their honor, they say they wont leak out identities of Americans if they are incidentally collected. And, now, that doesnt even apply. And, I would say that the people who have leaked are not  Ive said this many times now  are not what I would term a good whistleblower.

These are leakers who seem to be high level, as opposed to somebody like Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning, at a lower level, who is motivated for the public good. I think that the leaks that youve seen in the past couple of months, or three months, have actually come from high levels, top appointees, and political partisanship are the motivations. Theyre not saying this is for the public good. And, again, this is something we all warned about, the NSA and our veteran intelligence professionals for sanity probably have written half a dozen times, about these problems. And, now its just really all happened the way we predicted and warned about.

DB: Now, we have, sort of, a hundred, almost smoking guns. I want to ask you Coleen Rowley, as somebody who has been worked for the FBI, evaluated information, collected information, youre an attorney in this context. In terms of what we know. Do they got Donald Trump? Is he owned by the Russians? What have you been able to confirm?

CR: Well, I dont think there has and its not just myself, its really most of our veteran intelligence professionals, retired CIA, retired NSA, weve all been conferring for a while on this. And we have asked, we actually put out amemo asking for evidence. Because its just been assertions and innuendoes, and demonization

We see a lot of demonization of the Russian T.V. channel. But we have not seen any actual evidence of Russians and theres a lot of reasons to think that this would be illogical. Even if, and I would grant that Comey mentioned this in his testimony, that Putin and other top Russians hated Hillary Clinton. Well, even if you assume that, that they didnt like Hillary Clinton, as much as Donald Trump. They considered Donald Trump their lesser evil, or whatever. Even if you think that, why would they take the risk? Because, at the time Hillary Clinton surprised everyone by everyone thought she was going to win. So it would have been completely illogical for them to have done these things, to take that kind of a risk, when it was presumed that she was going to be the next president. Theres just so many things here that dont add up, and dont make sense.

And yet, and yet, because our mainstream media is owned by what?half a dozen big conglomerates, all connected to the military industrial complex, they continue with the scenario of that old movie the Russians are coming!the Russians are coming! And unfortunately the Democrat Party has become the war party, very clearly. Theyre the ones that dont see the dangers in ginning up this very dangerous narrative of going after Russia, as meddling, or whatever. And they should ask for, we all should ask for the full evidence of this. If this is case, then we deserve to know the truth about it. And, so far, we havent seen anything. Look at that report. Theres nothing in it.

DB: And, this is the same media who for the last ever since Trump claimed that he was wiretapped using the wrong terminology, these

journalists they couldnt stop saying if he did lie, this is a felony. He did lie. He did accuse the former president of the United States So, youre saying, based on your long experience and information this was just a confusion of a term of art, and the idea of the possibility of Trump Towers being under investigation, this was all incredibly not strange, not crazy, and totally normal in the context of an investigation.

CR: Yes, and I again, there could be grounds for legitimate investigation of the periphery of the Trump campaign, certain staffers. And you know what, corruption in Washington, D.C. is quite rampant. And I think many, many of the politicians if they actually put them under the microscope they could find just as you look at foreign leaders, Netanyahu was indicted for corruption, whatever. Its not uncommon to have conflicts of interests, and under the table deals. Thats very possible.

So, thats not what our news is saying. Our mainstream news is saying that, what you said at the beginning, the Russians own Trump, and basically that this has undermined our democracy and our electoral process. That part of it we have seen no evidence of. And, Trump is partially vindicated, because obviously whether he was personally targeted, his campaign at least seems to have been monitored, at least in part.

DB: Were you amazed that, for instance, the FBI director raised the issue of the Clinton investigation, but not the Trump investigation?

CR: Well, Ive been trying to figure that out. Because back, during  when he went public, he was put into the spot because Loretta Lynch should have been the one to be public on these things. But she was tainted because of having met with Bill Clinton on the tarmac. And so my explanation was that that Comey shouldered the burden from Loretta Lynch. He was doing her a favor in a way because he thought it would look like this is more independent and more professional coming from the FBI. Because at the time Loretta Lynch was under a cloud. And I think that is the explanation for why he was so public at the time.

And, of course, things have developed the summer, if any investigation started during the summer, again, it was not known. It was probably legitimate if they got some information in about some act of corruption, or whatever, it was certainly legitimate. But since this summer what has happened is this whole narrative has just gone on steroids, because of the leaks about the Russians, etc. And the fact that they put out this report, the FBI, the NSA, and the director of National Intelligence. And I think that thats the problem right now is the public just is so confused because there has been so much wrong information out there in the media. And no one knows what to believe.

Actually, to Comeys credit he did say this a couple of times that these media accounts are not accurate. And, I think that, again, we theres been a lot of sources anonymous sources which I do not think are whistleblowers. But these anonymous sources seem to have come from political operatives, and even higher level people. Im guessing some of this came from the Obama administration appointees, not Obama, of course, personally.

And, who knows if he knew anything about this, but some of those prior appointees, I think, when all is said and done will be seen as the ones, if they can ever uncover this. Its hard with anonymous sources. But I think they were probably the ones leading this. And maybe over time we can get back to some sanity here without so much of this planted information, and wrongful leaks. And I, again, Im all for whistle blowing. But, I dont agree with leaks like Scooter Libbys where they were actually using the media to plant false info.

Dennis J Bernstein is a host of Flashpoints on the Pacifica radio network and the author of Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden Classroom . You can access the audio archives at www.flashpoints.net .
The Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa ,has urged all Nigerian irregular migrants facing deportation in Germany and other countries to return home voluntarily.

Dabiri-Erewa gave the advice when she spoke with newsmen in Abuja on Friday. She said that the call became necessary because most Nigerian migrants in those countries trying to seek asylum might be denied and eventually deported.

Germany had in January said that there were more than 12,000 Nigerian asylum seekers in the country and they would be denied asylum status. The presidential aide said that most of the seekers were likely to be denied asylum status because Nigeria is not a war-torn country. Abike-Dabiri said that when such people were denied the asylum status, they would eventually become irregular migrants.

She said, however, that if they chose to come back voluntarily, they could get into the reintegrated programmes which the German government organised for such people. If they return voluntarily, they will be given some amount of money by Germany to start a new life with entrepreneurship training that will be provided.

But if they refused to come back voluntarily, they will be deported and there will not be anything for them and they may not have the chance of going back. That is why it is advisable for them to return voluntarily because they can always apply and go back to the place, she said.

Dabiri-Erewa said that for any Nigerians in Germany who would want to return home, the country would provide a better place for them that would help them live better lives. Germany has Ministry of Internal Affairs that has budget for returnees through which some services are provided for those categories of people, she said.

Germany had through its Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development inaugurated a scheme known as assisted-voluntary returnees of Nigerians irregular migrants in Germany. Through the scheme, Germany offers a humanitarian aid that makes it possible for asylum applicants to voluntarily return to their home country permanently.

Source: ( Info Afriq)
Another batch of Nigerians, numbering about 155 on Thursday arrived Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos from Libya after unsuccessful attempts to cross to Europe.

The returnees, who were largely in their 20s and 30s, were picked from different prisons and detention camps in the country.

According to the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), their release was negotiated by International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

On March 7, a total of 171 persons were deported from Libya; another 171 on February 21 deported, while 161 voluntarily returned with the assistance of IOM on February 14.

The return of the latest batch of Nigerians on Thursday was the fourth this year and ninth of such returns in the last 15 months in which a total of 1,521 persons have been repatriated.

Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Dr. Bandele Onimode, said among the returnees were three medical cases. One of the returnees had paralysis, the other with psychiatric case, while the last was a minor ailment.

All were being catered for by a team of IOM and doctors shortly after arrival.

Onimode said the returnees all voluntarily chose to return to Nigeria after they were rescued from harsh and inhuman conditions in Libya.

He added that it was NEMAs duty to receive them on behalf of the federal government, and connect the returnees with various state governments for proper integration.

The Public Information Officer of IOM, Julia Burpee, said theirs were cases of people stranded in Libya and unable to proceed as economic migrants to Europe, adding that about 7,000 Nigerians had been repatriated since 2001.

Source: Thisday
Biodun Olamide has been sentenced to death by hanging for armed robbery by an Abeokuta High Court today ( Friday)

The judge who presided over the case, Justice Olatokunbo Majekodumi, said the convict was found guilty of conspiracy and armed robbery.

She said, Having found that the accused person is guilty as charged on both counts, you shall be hung by the neck until you are dead.

The judge said that the offences committed contravened Section 6(b) and was punishable under Section1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provisions) Act, Cap Rll Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The judge in her ruling said that the convict committed the offences on February 12, 2013, at No 5 Oke-effon, Lafiaji Saaje area of Abeokuta.

She said that the convict and others at large conspired to rob the complainants in their house with a locally-made gun.

On Feb.12, 2013, at about 7:35 p.m., the accused and four others robbed Toyin Adeboyejo with a gun in her shop, went away with her phone and N2,000.

Immediately, in the same compound, another complainant, Ali Sodiq, was also robbed.

The mother was in her bedroom, when her daughter- in -law ran into the room alerting her that armed robbers were attacking the complainant outside.

The complainants mother ran outside, on getting there, the accused persons with his gangs pointed the gun at her.

The son led them inside, the accused locked the door, and robbed the complainants mother of her Nokia phone and also robbed the son of N4,200.

The complainant, Sodiq Ali, raised an alarm which attracted people in the neighbourhood.

Among the neighbours who came for their rescue was Mr Adesoga Adefowope, an officer with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), who joined in pursing the robbers.

The convict was caught while his accomplices escaped. He was searched, and a locally-made gun was found on him.

The NSCDC officer arrested him and took him to their office for investigation.

After all investigations, the case was transferred to the state police headquarters at Eleweran in Abeokuta, and that led to the prosecution of the convict ,she said in her judgment.

The convict, who had been standing trial since February 2013, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was arrested and charged for robbing Toyin Adeboyejo and Ali Sodiq of their phones and money at gun point.

Source: ( PM News )
A member of the 707 Special Forces Brigade in Makurdi, Benue State, has shot a secondary school pupil, identified as Ayew Atume.

According to eye witness reports, It was gathered that Atume, a resident of Jato Aka in the Kwande Local Government Area of the state,just got back from school and was having lunch in his parentscompound when the stray bullet hit him and he was reported to have died on the spot.

According to reports, it was gathered that some members of a vigilance group in the community had intercepted a car conveying some suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The security guards were said to have found arms in the vehicle, which made them to detain the occupants.

A resident, who did not give his name, said the herdsmen alerted soldiers in the Kashimbila area of the state, who raced to the scene and allegedly freed the men, shooting continuously. In the process, one of the bullets killed Atume.

The resident said, Youths keeping vigilance on the town acted on a tip-off and intercepted a vehicle conveying some suspected herdsmen who were in possession of arms. The suspects called soldiers in Kashimbila who then called their colleagues stationed in Jato Aka to rescue the men.

The soldiers arrived at the scene and whisked the car and the occupants to their base. The continued insistence of the youth for the vehicle to be handed over to the police angered the soldiers who started shooting indiscriminately into the air to frighten them.

Ayew (Atume) was killed by a stray bullet. The boy just returned from school and was taking his lunch in his parents compound near the scene of the incident when the bullet hit him. He died instantly.

Another resident said several other persons were injured in the commotion that followed the shootings as people scampered to safety.

The situation now is such that residents of the town are leaving, while commercial activities have been put to a halt.

The villagers are alleging conspiracy between the Fulani herdsmen and the soldiers to destroy the town. Many residents were injured on Tuesday by the soldiers bullets, including a community leader, he added.

However, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi, Maj. Olabisi Ayeni, debunked the claim that the pupil was killed by soldiers.

Ayeni, in a statement on Thursday, stated that the vigilantes had mounted an illegal roadblock in the community. He accused them of harassing motorists and other road users, adding that those rescued by soldiers were victims and not suspects.

Youths in the town mounted an illegal roadblock, especially along the road linking Jato Aka to Taraba State, arresting innocent road users coming into Benue State.

They detained some visitors, alleging they were Fulani herdsmen. Our soldiers got a distress call and moved there immediately. They were able to rescue seven people and they were moved to our base to ensure their safety.

At the time of the arrest, they were searched and their vehicles were also searched, but nothing incriminating was found. The police were immediately contacted for further investigation if actually they were coming in with arms.

While this was going on, the youth regrouped in their hundreds and surrounded the military base, demanding that the seven commuters be handed over to them.

On the refusal of our troops to hand them over, they became aggressive and started throwing stones into our base. They later started firing at the camp. They destroyed our operational vehicles.

They also killed a boy in the process. Furthermore, they attacked some traditional chiefs and the Sole Administrator of Kwande LGA who came to appeal to them.

Our troops rescued the chiefs, but one of them was injured. Therefore, the claim that our troops are protecting Fulani herdsmen is not true. The illegally arrested commuters by the youths are not Fulani people; they are innocent Nigerians going about their business peacefully.

The Nigerian Army has the constitutional responsibility to ensure the safety of all Nigerians. Inasmuch as we share the pains of those youths, we wont allow any Nigerian to be unjustly punished or allow their fundamental rights to be tampered with, the statement read in part.

The spokesperson warned youths against taking the law into their own hands, urging them to report any security breach to the army or the police.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Troops of 103 Battalion, 7 Division, Nigerian Army of Operation LAFIYA DOLE along with some Civilian JTF today, conducted clearance operation at Gombole, Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

During the operation, the troops neutralized a number of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the area. They also discovered and destroyed an Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) factory located at the village.

The team further recovered 3 motorcycles, 4 primed Suicide Vests and 4 stolen military desert camouflage. They rescued 4 females and 6 children from the terrorists.

Unfortunately, a soldier sustained injury and he was evacuated by Nigerian Air Force. The soldier is in stable condition.
President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that his administration recieved assistance from Britain to help fight Boko Haram in the country.

He said the assistance helped in no small measure to degrade the sects capacity to attack.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President said this in a condolence letter he wrote to the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on the Wednesdays terrorist attack in London.

Adesina quoted the President as thanking the British Government for the very effective materials and logistical support to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram.

He added, In spite of isolated attacks against soft targets, the British assistance helped in flushing Boko Haram out of their hide-out base and severely degraded their capacity to mount a serious attack on Nigerian assets.

On the terrorist attack in London, Buhari said the incident underscores the threat we all live under. Terrorism has no borders and no season.
Students who angrily took to the streets to protest a grievance have suffered a tragic loss in the process.

The police in Sierra Leones southern city of Bo on Thursday shot and killed a student during a protest over government failure to re-open the Njala University since November 2016.

According to Sierra Leone Telegraph, another female student sustained serious injuries during the protest and is now hospitalized in Bo.

Police did not confirm the reports, as the police Media Boss in Freetown, Gloria Edwards, could not comment on the issue.

I cannot comment now because I have not been updated on the issue, she said.

The Academic Staff Association at Njala University resumed a strike action in January for what they considered the administrations refusal to pay outstanding allowances, benefits to retirees and payment of benefits to families of deceased among a host of other issues.

The college has remained closed as a result of government inaction to solve the problem. Students, who have paid their fees and continue sitting at home for over three months, took to the streets to protest and urged the government to solve the issue.

They engaged in spontaneous protests from the countrys capital Freetown to Bo city, where one of them was shot dead.

Meanwhile, ten students representatives are currently in a meeting with the President Ernest Bai Koroma at State House to negotiate the way forward in solving the problem.
A secondary school pupil, identified as Ayew Atume has been killed by one of the bullets reportedly fired by soldiers attached to 707 Special Forces Brigade in Makurdi, Benue State, Punch Metro reports.

It was gathered that Atume, a resident of Jato Aka in the Kwande Local Government Area of the state, was having a lunch in his parentscompound after returning from school on Tuesday when the stray bullet hit him.

He reportedly died at the spot.

Punch Metro reports that some members of a vigilance group in the community had intercepted a car conveying some suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The security guards were said to have found arms in the vehicle, which made them to detain the occupants.

A resident, who did not give his name, said the herdsmen alerted soldiers in the Kashimbila area of the state, who raced to the scene and allegedly freed the men, shooting continuously. In the process, one of the bullets killed Atume.

The resident said, Youths keeping vigilance on the town acted on a tip-off and intercepted a vehicle conveying some suspected herdsmen who were in possession of arms. The suspects called soldiers in Kashimbila who then called their colleagues stationed in Jato Aka to rescue the men.

The soldiers arrived at the scene and whisked the car and the occupants to their base. The continued insistence of the youth for the vehicle to be handed over to the police angered the soldiers who started shooting indiscriminately into the air to frighten them.

Ayew (Atume) was killed by a stray bullet. The boy just returned from school and was taking his lunch in his parents compound near the scene of the incident when the bullet hit him. He died instantly.

Another resident said several other persons were injured in the commotion that followed the shootings as people scampered to safety.

The situation now is such that residents of the town are leaving, while commercial activities have been put to a halt.

The villagers are alleging conspiracy between the Fulani herdsmen and the soldiers to destroy the town. Many residents were injured on Tuesday by the soldiers bullets, including a community leader, he added.

However, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi, Maj. Olabisi Ayeni, debunked the claim that the pupil was killed by soldiers.

Ayeni, in a statement on Thursday, stated that the vigilantes had mounted an illegal roadblock in the community. He accused them of harassing motorists and other road users, adding that those rescued by soldiers were victims and not suspects.

Youths in the town mounted an illegal roadblock, especially along the road linking Jato Aka to Taraba State, arresting innocent road users coming into Benue State.

They detained some visitors, alleging they were Fulani herdsmen. Our soldiers got a distress call and moved there immediately. They were able to rescue seven people and they were moved to our base to ensure their safety.

At the time of the arrest, they were searched and their vehicles were also searched, but nothing incriminating was found. The police were immediately contacted for further investigation if actually they were coming in with arms.

While this was going on, the youth regrouped in their hundreds and surrounded the military base, demanding that the seven commuters be handed over to them.

On the refusal of our troops to hand them over, they became aggressive and started throwing stones into our base. They later started firing at the camp. They destroyed our operational vehicles.

They also killed a boy in the process. Furthermore, they attacked some traditional chiefs and the Sole Administrator of Kwande LGA who came to appeal to them.

Our troops rescued the chiefs, but one of them was injured. Therefore, the claim that our troops are protecting Fulani herdsmen is not true. The illegally arrested commuters by the youths are not Fulani people; they are innocent Nigerians going about their business peacefully.

The Nigerian Army has the constitutional responsibility to ensure the safety of all Nigerians. Inasmuch as we share the pains of those youths, we wont allow any Nigerian to be unjustly punished or allow their fundamental rights to be tampered with, the statement read in part.

The spokesperson warned youths against taking the law into their own hands, urging them to report any security breach to the army or the police.
Things are turning out badly for controversial journalist Kemi Olunloyo who is being held in prison for defamation.

Nigerian journalist and blogger, Kemi Olunloyo and a Port Harcourt-based publisher, Samuel Walson have been sent to prison after hearing on their bail application was stalled on Thursday.

It was gathered that the absence Magistrate Alatuwo Fubara of the Magistrates Court in Port Harcourt who was expected to preside over the matter, forced them to stay back in prison custody.

According to Punch, Olunloyo and Walson were arrested for purportedly publishing materials believed to have defamed a frontline cleric, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, of the Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt.

The magistrate was said to have been unable to come to the court due to ill health.

The duos lawyers and counsel for Salvation Ministries were present at court. Others at the court were journalists and bloggers, who came to cover the hearing and also show solidarity to their colleagues.

Olunloyo, who was arrested in Ibadan and Walson, apprehended in Port Harcourt, were remanded at the Port Harcourt Prison.
A Federal High Court Judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of a Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday withdrew from handling a suit challenging the removal of the Senator representing Akwa Ibom East Senatorial zone, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan over negative publications by an online news portal.

When the matter came up yesterday, the trial Judge, Justice Dimgba told parties that he was withdrawing from the matter based on the said publication, which he said disparaged his person and insinuating personal interest following the conduct of proceedings on the 8th of March, 2017.

Dimgba had last Wednesday threatened to withdraw from the matter following the negative publication, which counsel to Senator Akpan and those of INEC and Bassey Etim denied knowledge of.

I denied all insinuations of what transpired on March 8th, 2017, Justice Dimgba said and adjourned the matter till yesterday, March 24, 2017, but addede that, in the event of further resolution on the said publication, I may decide to disqualify myself from hearing of the suit and hand over the case file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment.

The Judge held that even though he acknowledged the apologies of counsel in the matter, he said it will be better for him to withdraw from the matter.

He said if he decides to take the motion and the objections and found them meritorious and strikes it out, the plaintiff will say he has succumbed to the blackmail of the defendants and if, on the other hand, he handled the matter and give judgment, one way or the other, the plaintiff will say that he has played in line with the plaintiff.

I think, the best thing to do, is to withdraw from this matter and return the case file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another Judge, he said.

Recalled that Senator Akpans election was nullified on the 27th of February 2017, and consequently sacked from the Senate by a Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was ordered to issue certificate of return to Bassey Etim as winner of the National Assembly election held in the state.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, Akpan approached the Federal High Court, Abuja with an ex parte application seeking interim preservatory orders against INEC, the Senate President, Clerk of the National Assembly and Clerk of the Senate, who are 1st to 4th defendants respectively in the suit.
In a judgment that lasted over four hours yesterday, a Lagos State High Court in Igbosere sentenced two men, Okwumo Nwabufo and Olisaeloka Ezike to death by hanging for the July 2012 killing of Cynthia Osokogwu in FESTAC Town area of Lagos.

Miss Osokogwu, aged 25 at the time, was the only daughter of a retired Major General in the Nigerian Army. She became the poster girl for the first social media casualty after she was raped and murdered by her Facebook friends at Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate in FESTAC Town.

The two convicts were in February 8, 2013 arraigned alongside Orji Osita and Ezike Nonso for the murder. They were arraigned on a six-count charge of conspiracy, murder, stealing, recklessness, negligence and possession of stolen goods.

Cynthia, whose body was found tied in both hands and legs in the hotel room, was a post-graduate student of Nasarawa State University. Earlier, the prosecutor led by the then Lagos State Attorney General, Ade Ipaye, called 10 witnesses, who testified against the convicts. The court, presided over by Justice Olabisi Akintade, sentenced the two accused as charged.

Before passing judgment, the judge asked the defendants if they had anything to say. The first and second defendants counsel, Victor Okpara and Emeka Eze made a plea of mercy.

Okpara said the first defendant was a first -time offender and had tremendous energy to do something worthwhile with his life. I urge this court to grant him a reformative sentence.

Reaching the judgment, she said: I pronounce the judgment of this court upon you, Okwumo Nwabufo and Olisaeloka Ezike. Both of you should be hanged by the neck till you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on your souls.

She, however, discharged and acquitted the two other accused persons, Orji Osita, a pharmacist said to have sold the drug the convicts used to subdue the deceased, and a brother to one of the convicts, Ezike Nonso, who was said to have received the stolen phones of the deceased.

Police detectives, led by the then Area Commander of FESTAC Town, Mr. Dan Okoro, had with the aid of technology, arrested the four suspects. Nwabufor, who the deceased had met through the BlackBerry Messenger service and Facebook, had organised Cynthias trip to Lagos.

For months, he and Cynthia had chatted through these social media platforms and soon she had also accepted his cousin, Olisaeloka, as a friend. Nwabufor had told Cynthia that he was a student at Lagos State University (LASU), and that he had connections that could help her with her fashion business. But she never knew that Nwabufor had been stalking her for months, patiently gaining her confidence through frequent chats and postings.

Nwabufor gave Cynthia an offer that she couldnt refuse: a flight ticket to Lagos and decent hotel accommodation, where he would bring his business associates to meet her. CCTVs installed at the hotel, where Cynthia was killed, assisted detectives in their investigations.

The detectives told newsmen that after spending the night with Cynthias body, the suspects left the hotel in the morning. Then, they placed a call to the hotel reception and told them to get the body of that bastard out of the room.

Meanwhile, Cynthias mother, Mrs. Joy Osokogu, had been making frantic efforts to reach her on phone for five days. The phone was switched off. On the seventh day, the suspects answered the phone and told her that Cynthia was sick. Soon, they were asking her to pay ransom.

Within three weeks, the police were able to arrest the suspects through cell phone records and CCTV footage of them leaving the hotel. The police arrested other men in connection with the crime, including the pharmacist who sold the Rohypnol to the killers without a prescription, their driver, and a man who assisted the murderers in selling what they stole from Cynthia.

After the arrest, several other women came forward to say how they survived when they also fell victims into the hands of these same criminals, who had robbed them after they were drugged and tied up.

The suspects were charged to court on November 5, 2012, exactly one month after Cynthia was buried. The murder trial began on February 8, 2013, with the state calling the hotels receptionist as the first witness.

The crime buster, Okoro, now a Deputy Commissioner of Police, got a national honour from then President Goodluck Jonathan for his accomplishments as a detective and his rejection of a N15 million bribe that was allegedly offered by one of the suspects.

Source: Guardian
Nigerian hip-hop artiste, Davido who was recently accused of being in a paternity mess is quite generous as he gifted one of the music acts on his record label with a Rolex on his birthday.

Mayorkun who signed on to Davidos record label, DMW after he resigned from his banking job adds a year today, March 24.

Davido shared a photo of the Rolex and wrote; Happy B DAY @iammayorkun .. welcome to rolly gang!!! Your not winning if your the only one in your team shinning 
American rapper, Future who has been waves on mainstream media and also making history with the first back-to-back #1 albums has been featured on the Billboard cover story.

In the feature, the Atlanta music star shares his journey from the Dungeon Family days to touring with Canadian rapper, Drake, selling out arenas across the US.

For all of his popularity, Future has yet to be nominated for a Grammy, something that Kanye West has mourned, but Future doesnt seem to mind.

When asked about that he said The Grammys, they get what they get  the shit that they dont, its the shit that they maybe dont want to understand, he says. Theyre not going to keep me from doing what Im supposed to do as an artist.

He also discussed his role as a father and says he enjoys being a provider for his five children.

Photo Credit: Prince Williams/WireImage
THE recent visit by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major-General Ebenezer Oyefolu to 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, Ogun State, revealed that some parcels of the land belonging to the Nigerian Army in the state might have been encroached on either by land grabbers or herdsmen.

Vanguard gathered that the 35 Artillery Alamala Barracks had a very large expanse of land running into 50 acres that stretched from some part in Lafenwa, Abeokuta and ended at Alamala village along Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government. It was further gathered that apart from the Army day secondary school and a cemetery in Lafenwa, some other parcels of the land from Lafenwa till Alamala village seem to have been taken over by land grabbers and others except the range and the barracks in Alamala.

Miffed by the development, the new Brigade Commander of the 35 Artillery Alamala Barracks, Brigadier General Basil Adonkie took the step to prevent further encroachment of the Nigerian Army land in the area. The Brigade Commander facilitated the commissioning of some projects, which include ; reactivated boreholes, micro booster station reticulated water point and another borehole at Vulcans House, Abeokuta.

He said that the authority of the Nigerian Army must be quickly exercised so as not to lose its lands to land speculators. Adonkie said the porosity had made the barracks prone to all manners of infiltrators that might want to take the advantage of the development to embarrass the Nigerian Army.

He stated this at the foundation laying of the perimeter fence phase I and commissioning of other projects embarked upon by the Brigade Commander of the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala Barracks, Brigadier General Bassey Adonkie. He said the erection of the new structure would give the barrack a facelift as well as preventing land invasion by land grabbers while calling on government to support the force in the provision of more modern infrastructure across military formations in the country.

According to him, the most worrisome situation was the porous nature of the barracks which makes the barracks prone to all manners of infiltrators and criminal elements who may want to take the advantage of the barracks porosity to embarrass the Nigerian Army in this axis. Consequently, the need to improve the physical security of the barracks has become a necessity, he said.

In his remarks, the General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Lagos, Major-General Ebenezer Oyefolu said the army authorities would encourage commanders to construct perimeter fence in barracks to ward off insecurity threats. According to the GOC, many army barracks in the country are not fenced thus making them susceptible to security breaches, including encroachment activities of herdsmen and land grabbers.

He noted that perimeter fencing would help address the problem of porous barracks and protect inhabitants as well as sensitive security equipment. Oyefolu explained that the upgrade of structures at various barracks nationwide was in line with the vision of the current Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, at ensuring adequate welfare of officers and men in the discharge of their duties.

He however, ordered that the security should be beefed up around the Barracks under his watch against herdsmen and others. The GOC who also ordered that all the Barracks should be fenced, explained that the erection of perimeter fence at the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala Barracks and others was to forestall the propensity of people encroaching the barracks.

He said, Barrack is a very important installation and you will agree with me that most of our barracks are not fenced. So, all commanders are encouraged to make efforts. When effort is made from Army headquarters there, commanders on ground are encouraged to ensure that they secure their barracks and the best way to secure the barrack is by fencing it, after which you ensure that other security measures are applied.

The GOC commended the Brigade Commander for mobilising resources towards securing the barrack, urging him to follow up with installation of Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) cameras. He later donated the sum of N500,000 to support the perimeter fence project and assured that the 81 Division will further assist in its completion as resources improve.

Sustained collaboration

In his remarks, the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun reaffirmed the commitment of the present administration towards ensuring sustained collaboration with the security agencies through the provision of equipment and enabling environment towards protecting lives and properties of the people in the State.

Governor Amosun, represented by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Hon Suraju Ishola Adekunbi applauded the security agencies in the State for their efforts at ensuring effective security networks, promising that the present administration would continue to put in place necessary plans and policies that would further help in beefing up the security of the State.

Amosun, assured that it will sustain its collaborative efforts with the security agencies through provision of equipment and enabling environment towards safeguarding lives and property in the State. He applauded the security agencies in the State for their efforts at ensuring effective security networks. The governor promised that his administration would continue to put in place necessary policies that would further strengthen security in the State.

Source: Vanguard
The Oodua Peoples Congress has issued the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force 48 hours ultimatum to arrest the Fulani/Hausa indigenes involved in the crisis in Ile-Ife, Osun State few days ago.

The OPC gave the warning in a statement by its founder, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, on Thursday.

DAILY POST recalls that bloody crisis erupted in the ancient town last week between Hausa settlers and Yoruba indigenes, leaving several persons dead and many injured.

Fasehun said the crisis erupted between the two ethnic groups and that everyone involved should be arrested and prosecuted.

The group said it was unfair that 20 Yoruba persons, including a monarch, were arrested and paraded by the police while not a single Hausa/Fulani belligerent was detained.

He said, We hereby call on the Federal Government to intervene within the next 48 hours to ensure that justice is institutionalised and no side is provoked to defend justice according to its whims and caprices. Various communities have Abraham as their father. A word is enough for the wise.

The police and the Federal Government appear determined to make scapegoats of Yoruba living in Ife over this crisis. It is unfortunate, strange and insensitive that two people are fighting and authorities are arresting only one party in this unfortunate mayhem.

We sympathise with all victims and casualties over this moment of madness that has eroded two centuries of harmonious cohabitation between the Hausa settlers and their Yoruba hosts. But we demand equal treatment of everyone involved on both sides of this crisis.

The group questioned the role of a former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso in the arrest of the 20 persons.

It said Kwankwaso stampeded Governor Rauf Argebesola of Osun State and the Commissioner of Police into the senseless arrests.

Kwankwansos post-violence role in Ife is akin to that played by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari who in October 2000 travelled to Ibadan to challenge the late governor Lam Adesina over the reprisal on Fulani herdsmen who had unleashed an orgy of raping and killings on Yoruba farming communities.

This kind of bias will only embolden belligerent Hausa-Fulani throughout Nigeria and give them pariah status amongst other nationalities, the OPC warned.

Where are those Hausa-Fulani who went on a killing spree in Southern Kaduna, Agatu and Chief Olu Falaes farm? Are they untouchable? The Federal Government and the police should stop behaving as if Nigeria is the Hausa-Fulanis conquered territory where they can kill and maim and rape at will, the OPC said.

Source: Dailypost
Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday condemned aviation operations at the Kaduna International Airport, thereby making a dramatic U-turn from their earlier position.

They said the airport fell short of the safety standards for both domestic and international flight operations.

The Kaduna airport is serving as a temporary alternative to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, whose runway is undergoing reconstruction.

The closure of the Abuja airport is into its third week and the repairs will last for another three weeks, according to the original work plan of the Federal Government.

The PUNCH recalls that four weeks ago, the same lawmakers had passed a resolution supporting the closure of the airport and giving the nod to the Kaduna airport to serve as an alternative.

But, on Thursday, after flying into Kaduna, the lawmakers changed their stance and began condemning the airport.

God forbid that an aircraft should drop from the skies due to our own errors. This is what we should not pray to happen. As we speak, we have aircraft flying in the air. It can happen to anybody. Safety standards are not being adhered to at the airport, the Chairman, House Committee on Loans, Aids and Debt Management, Mr. Adeyinka Ajayi, told his colleagues.

Ajayi had moved a motion on the need for the aviation authorities to review and ensure that the Kaduna International Airport complied with operational and safety requirements as promised prior to the closure of the Abuja airport.

He cited a personal experience of witnessing aviation fuel being discharged from haulage trucks into aircraft at the airport without purifying the fuel.

Ajayi also said ramp marking rules were abused at the airport as they were violated by unauthorised users, who go right through the ramp marks.

He added, Aircraft manoeuvring and parking space is inadequate to accommodate the high number of aircraft now operating in and out of the airport.

Further disturbed that some aviation fuel marketers have been allegedly transferring Jet A-1 from bulk road tankers directly into bowers right on the tarmac and discharging same into aircraft; this poses a lot of danger to passengers and aircraft safety.

The Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Relations, Ms. Nnenna Ukeje, stated that the lives of passengers and aircraft were exposed to danger at the Kaduna airport.

She noted that the space provided for passengers and parking for aircraft was inadequate and could easily lead to accidents.

Ukeje recalled how she spent close to two hours after landing at the airport, struggling to get her luggage and exit the environment.

The Kaduna airport experiment has obviously failed, she stated.

Another member, Mr. Hassan Saleh, told the House that he had been to the airport and that all he could see was total disappointment.

Saleh noted, It is a disaster waiting to happen. Security measures at that airport have collapsed. You could see that the security personnel are overwhelmed by the crowd.

They no longer conduct full security checks because of the huge crowd.

Both the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila; and the Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, stated that the state of affairs at the airport might have vindicated the decision of most foreign airlines not to use the Kaduna airport.

They argued that considering the fact that Nigerian routes were among the most lucrative in the world, it was instructive that the airlines would opt to lose money rather than fly into Kaduna.

Gbajabiamila said, If all the foreign airlines but one said they would not use Kaduna, was there something they knew that we did not know?

If the airlines have chosen to lose money than fly into Kaduna, then there is a problem that we should be concerned about.

On his part, Ogor urged the House to intervene urgently by calling on the aviation authorities to adhere to international best practices in the industry.

He stated, When I flew into Kaduna, what I saw there for me is a construction site. It is very dangerous for our safety. Why did we rush to go to Kaduna?

Nigerian routes are the most lucrative. For the foreign airlines to reject Kaduna means that we should do something.

However, some lawmakers, mainly from Kaduna State, opposed the motion on the ground that it was still part of the sentiments held against the airport.

A former House Deputy Whip, Mr. Mohammed Garba-Dhatti, claimed that operations at the airport had been smooth in the last three weeks.

There have been sentiments expressed against this airport right from the beginning. That is what is still happening. Which of the airlines has made complaints that it has any problems at the airport? Garba-Dhatti asked.

Another member from Kaduna, Mr. Simon Arabo, supported the position of Garba-Dhatti.

There has been no report of any accident in Kaduna. It is also very unfair for anyone to come here and describe the airport as a construction site, he said.

Source: Punch
The Katsina Emirate Council has suspended Bishir Bala Kofar-bai from his post of Magatakarda pending the determination of a criminal litigation against him.

Secretary of the council, Bello Ifo, in a statement on Thursday said that the suspension is with immediate effect.

Kofar-bai is standing trial for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl in Katsina two weeks ago.

The title holder was alleged to have raped the victim when she was sent to his house by her father, who was one of his servants.

The victim informed her parents who took her to the hospital for medical treatment.

The parents further reported the matter to police, which led to arrest and detention of the chief for investigation.

Source: Dailypost
The man suspected mastermind of the attack in Westminster, London has been named as Khalid Masood.

Metropolitan Police said Masood, who was shot dead by an officer, was not the subject of any current police investigations, but had a range of previous convictions for assaults.

The 52-year-old was born in Kent and was believed to have been living in the West Midlands, BBC reports.

Police said there had been no prior intelligence about Masoods intention to carry out an attack.

However, he was known to the police and his previous convictions included possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.

He had not been convicted of any terrorism offences.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State group has said it was behind the attack.

Others killed in Wednesdays attack were Keith Palmer, Aysha Frade and American Kurt Cochran.

Already, eight arrests have been made in London and Birmingham.

Source: Dailypost
Ogun State Police Command has arrested a middle-aged woman,identifed as Mrs BisolaOlukoya,for allegedly beating her 16-year-old son, Toheeb Olukoya, with a plank which lead to the death of her son.

The suspect lives at No. 40 Ifelodun Street, Onifade- Itele, in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the incident happened on Friday 17th of March 2017, in their Itele residence, when the suspect while beating the son used plank to hit him on the head, the boy fell down and gave up the ghost.

He said the suspect having realised what she has done hurriedly buried the deceased in connivance with her husband and ran away from the house.

Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said immediately the information got to the police, the Divisional Police Officer, Itele Division, Lukmon Adejumo, led the detectives to investigate the matter and the suspect was later traced and arrested at Iyana Ipaja in Lagos.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has commended the men of the Itele Division for arresting the suspect and ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.

He equally appealed to general public to always control their temperament especially when correcting their children/wards.
The National Broadcasting Commission wants to take the life out of Nigerias broadcast media. The NBC says its because broadcast stations owe it N5bn in licensing fees. All culprits would have their stations shut down by March 31, 2017. More than 54 broadcast licences have been revoked since 2015, and another 120 will follow shortly. The NBC plans to escalate this number as new applicants for broadcast licences replace indebted broadcasters. Note: The NBCs plan isnt to nurture upcoming applicants, but to close their shops. This has got me wondering if shutting down broadcast stations, adding to the unemployment problem, is the success story the NBC has for President Muhammadu Buhari who already has countless unresolved problems on his desk.

As the NBC Director-General, Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, explains, There are those who used political connections with the top-most political leadership in Nigeria in the past to get illegal and undue favours that ran contrary to the NBC Act and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Its a different period in our country. Nobody will go up to Aso Villa and get some black market deal anymore. Kawu has said more, but I take this bit because it raises issues. One, its heartwarming that the head of a Federal Government agency wants to correct the mistakes of the past. But this is a wrong item to take on. If an agency said it wanted to correct wrong placements in governments offices that were outcomes of favours gotten from the Presidency in the past, I would clap. But broadcasters seek favour in order to get licences, do business, grow the broadcast media, grow the private sector, and in the process create employment. This is different. By the way, how do we organise this sector such that one needs to seek favours in the Presidency before one gets a licence? It means the process itself is flawed; its been designed to put the sector on the leash (just as the oil industry has always been) so that what should be a professional and commercial decision has been handed over to politicians. This was the reason we started TV broadcasting earlier than South Africa but that country has overtaken us. The military contributed to it by making the broadcast media a government affair, and until we stop tying professional and commercial decisions to the aprons of political office holders, we havent started.

When Kawu was speaking this March, he made statements such as, they (broadcasters) have the temerity to tell us that He issued threats, even. Yes, broadcasters should take the NBC seriously, and pay up. But on that occasion, the NBC, for me, summed up the mentality of government regulators  us and them. Meanwhile, whatever government officials are doing on behalf of the government should be in the interest of Nigerians, not against them. Our agencies get serious when they want to take from Nigerians, but are not bothered when its time to give to Nigerians. Government agencies in the mobile telecoms sector defend businesses which they have regulatory powers over, while they watch as the same businesses cheat Nigerians. Heres a comparison. Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, visited South Africa the other day over xenophobic attacks in that country, and many Nigerians complained to the minister. One of them, a professional, said he was married to a South African lady and he had a house located in one of the high grade areas. But ruling party officials said because he was a Nigerian he shouldnt have the house when South Africans didnt have houses. I dont advocate such a move here, but I use the example to call attention to the deficit in how Nigerian public officials behave towards Nigerians that they should protect. Another example was how a court in South Africa ordered the government to cancel a contract for the disbursement of social welfare to citizens. Officials knew this would create more socio-economic problems for the government. Instead of rushing to close down the scheme, officials began to search for a way to continue with the scheme without breaking the law. This is the way government officials should think and act, rather than take measures that will worsen existing problems such as unemployment, especially now that the National Security Adviser reports recently that unemployment is the greatest threat to our national security.

When an entrepreneur embarks on the process of establishing outfits and thereby create jobs, I think the foremost task of every government agency along the way is to make this as easy for him as possible. This isnt happening. The NBC should be more interested in taking pride in the greater number of broadcast stations that take licences and actually broadcast, rather than in closing them down. Closing down potential job creation outlets shouldnt be the NBCs measurement of success. Revoking the licences of another 120 that have failed to start operation is potential jobs lost, a minus to the effort of the current administration to get Nigerians to work. This further raises the issue of how the government assesses the achievements of its agencies.

As for the unpaid licence fees, a soft landing is what the NBC should be thinking of not punishment for stations that currently struggle under difficult conditions. This point is important because a nation should jealously guide and encourage the growth of each sector of its economy. A wise nation should carefully nurture its various sectors, not kill them because of fees that it could even waive in order to encourage growth. A wrong approach by the government to the private sector ensures Nigerias aviation industry remains stunted. It has made local private sector participation in some aspects of the oil and gas industry to remain low. Its the reason our textile industry is dead. Government agencies should come strongly on measures that should assist our private sector to grow, not just on collection of revenue from businesses. The NBC should facilitate means of getting the broadcast industry to thrive. It should check the reasons licencees fail to operate, and make recommendations to government on how to assist them.

We know the private sector should be the mainstay of the economy. It should be the cash cow if not for the unhelpful free wealth from crude oil. Our broadcast industry is relatively weak. Yes, we have made progress, but compared to broadcasters outside our shores, were weak. By closing down more stations, the NBC will send this industry backward in many ways. As things stand, many Nigerians watch TV stations located outside this nation. The upper class pays scant attention to local stations. Even households with meager earnings strive to acquire and watch paid foreign TV. When the NBC closes stations, more of our people will turn to foreign outlets, making money for them through subscription. I expect NBC to strategise to give life to more local stations, achieve better contents, sensitise Nigerians to watch them, and report this to the President as its success story.

Or, would the NBC be happy to have foreigners come in to pay its huge licence fees, take over our airspace, and when they make money as foreign telecoms companies do, repatriate the same to their countries? Would the NBC prefer to show the President huge licence fees collected under such circumstances as a sign of its success? This is the same way our textile industry has been destroyed as the concerned regulatory agency watches the influx of cheap textile, meanwhile it displays the increased revenue it generates from this importation as the sign of its success. When government agencies take revenue targets met as success rather than ensure that our private sector is helped to grow, it makes one wonder what the overall vision of this nation is. Im of the view that when the private sector is helped to live, it can generate for the government several times what government agencies bring in as revenue. The NBC, by its threats, isnt going to contribute to Buharis plan to grow the private sector and create job opportunities for Nigerians. Therefore, the President should instruct it to suspend its plan while it engages broadcast stations in more negotiations to get them to pay their debts. Also, to any agency that takes closing down of businesses to be its success story, I urge the President to state it clearly that this is contrary to his expectations, that such an agency is escalating his problems, adding no value to his administration.

Source: Punch
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has revealed new tactics drug traffickers are now using to smuggle drugs into the country.

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, have arrested two suspects for drug trafficking, reports The Nation. The agency also uncovered new tricks by drug trafficking cartels to circumvent security checks at the nations airports.

A suspected drug trafficker, Roland Chukwudi Tochukwu, 37, who was apprehended for importing 2.045kg of heroin from Nairobi, Kenya, was found in possession of a fake travel ticket indicating that he was coming from China.

Another suspect, Maduka Nnemeka Peter, 39, was also caught attempting to export 1.555kg of cocaine to Dubai. Preliminary investigation by NDLEA revealed that Tochukwu deliberately replaced his ticket with a fake one showing that he was coming from China instead of Nairobi.

This was intended to place him on a low risk profile but his expectations were dashed as the heroin concealed inside his luggage was detected during screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, while explaining reasons for the falsification of the ticket, said drugs are more expensive in Asia.

The suspect wanted to distract the attention of officers by presenting himself as coming from China while he actually took off from Nairobi. This is because, it is economically unwise to bring narcotics from China where the price is far higher than here in Nigeria. Heroin weighing 2.045kg was found inside the luggage of Tochukwu while Maduka Nnemeka Peter also concealed 1.555kg of cocaine in his luggage on his way to Dubai on an Etihad flight, the commander stated.

Tochukwu, a trader in Onitsha and married with three children, said his friend introduced him into drug trafficking.

This was the plan of my friend who introduced me into drug trafficking. I sell clothes in Onitsha but my business is as good as dead due to the economic recession. My friend that I contacted for financial assistance requested that I bring a bag containing heroin from Nairobi. The fake ticket was the plan of my friend who assured me that I will never be caught, he stated.

Peter, an automobile parts dealer based in Aba with his wife and two children, said family problem pushed him into drug trafficking.

I lost goods worth N4 million few years ago and since then my life has been a shadow of itself. I smuggled the drug for the sum of N200, 000 to solve family problem, he stated.
Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has advised anyone hoping to be Governor of the State, not to contest against the incumbent Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, in the 2019 election.

Akiolu stated this on Thursday at the 21st convocation of Lagos State University (LASU).

He declared that Ambode and his deputy Oluranti Adebule, will govern Lagos for the next six years.

He warned that anyone who decided to campaign, would only be wasting money.

Few days ago, one of the aspirants greeted me. After greeting, he alleged that I halted his ambition. No one should come out in 2019 and declare his ambition, he said.

The only way to avoid not wasting their money is to support Ambode and his deputy to rule Lagos for the next six years. That was why about nine months to the 2015 governorship election, I said Ambode would be the next governor whether they vote or not.

But all of them doubted me. I often pray before and after leaving the bed. That is one of few things I learnt from the late father of Prof. Peter Oke-Bukola, who served as my cadet officer then. Even though he was much older than I am, he was very humble.

The prayer has helped me a lot. The state of Nigeria indicates the type of police it gets. As a police officer, I served for 32 years. That is why I can confidently say I never collected money from anyone before performing my duties as a law enforcement officer, he said.

Source: Dailypost
A woman identified as Taiwo Titilayo Momoh been rescued by the Lagos State Police Command , who attempted to jump into the Lagoon from Third Mainland Bridge on Friday.

This is coming few days after a medical doctor, Allwell Orji jumped into the Lagoon from Third Mainland Bridge. His remains were retrieved from the water on Wednesday.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni told newsmen at the Lagos Government Secretariat, Alausa, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Friday that Momoh was in a taxi heading towards Oworonshoki on Third Mainland Bridge when she told the taxi driver to stop on the bridge.

According to Owoseni, the woman was about to jump into the water when a police patrol team on a routine patrol on the Third Mainland Bridge sighted her and rushed to save her before she jumped into the Lagoon.

She attempted suicide by attempting to jump into the Lagoon around Oworonshoki inward Mainland on Third Mainland Bridge. Unfortunately for her, she was rescued. The woman was in a taxi and alighted on the bridge and wanted to commit suicide by jumping into the Lagoon.

The police patrol team sighted her and rushed to rescue her before she jumped into the Lagoon, he said.

The commissioner said from his interaction with the woman, she had depression as a result of unpaid loans, adding that she is still insisting that she wants to end her life.

Owoseni noted that committing suicide was an offence under the law but that the police would try to talk the woman out of committing suicide.

He said the woman would be taken through post-trauma programme to ensure that she had hope and not commit suicide, adding that the police would do a medical evaluation on her to ascertain her condition.

Owoseni lamented the rate at which people commit suicide in the country, describing it as worrisome, adding that the police had begun patrol of bridges across the state to forestall other cases of suicide.

He added that it was now an offence for individuals to walk on bridges in the state and that no vehicle would be allowed to stop on any bridge in the state henceforth in order to prevent suicide incidences.

Right now, the woman is still in trauma and she still insists that she wants to end her life, he said.

As the woman was being led from the RRS headquarters into a waiting police vehicle, she was confronted by several television cameras and still cameras and she reacted by saying that she was not a criminal and that her photograph should not be taken.

Source: ( PM News)
The House of Representatives yesterday alleged collapse of security that is likely to arise from inadequate ramp markings, poor fuelling and cattle intrusion into the Kaduna airport.

The allegation followed a motion by Adeyinka Ajayi, Osun Central Federal Constituency II (Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin), Osun State, which drew the lawmakers attention to safety concerns around aviation activities at the Kaduna International Airport.

He told the House that if not checked, along with the congestion of the airport by air travellers, the Federal Government might lose its International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) licence.

Ajayi said the ramp markings at the airport were inadequate, while the few available ones were being violated by unauthorised users who go right through the marks in violation of international accepted standards relating to airport safety regulations.

To this end, the House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, urged the Committee on Aviation to receive and review the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) audit report prepared by its Directorate of Aerodrome Standards to ascertain that industry acceptable standards of ramp safety are being complied with at the Kaduna International Airport and report back to the House within one week.



Meanwhile, the House Ad-hoc Committee on Review of Petroleum Products Pricing yesterday urged the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Comptroller-General of Immigration to immediately determine the whereabouts of one Mr. Andrew Alagu, Managing Director of HAR Petroleum Resources Ltd.

Alagu was declared wanted by the committee for alleged fraudulent sourcing and receipt of foreign exchange, amounting to $26 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with a view to importing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into the country under the DSDP programme of the Federal Government.

Chairman of the committee, Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe (PDP, Imo), made the declaration following denial by the company via a letter that it did not engage in product importation at any time and therefore could not have sourced for and accessed forex from the CBN.

The firms representative at the hearing, Jefferson Ogunma, told the committee that the company he was representing only handled logistical activities on behalf of Total Nigeria Plc.

In another development, the House yesterday stepped down a bill seeking to prohibit and punish sex offenders in educational institutions.

According to the Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, who expressed concern that the bill did not cover other sectors of the society, said it ought to accommodate other institutions such as the work places and religious settings.

The Speaker, therefore, agreed with the submissions and stepped down the bill pending consultations between both chambers of the National Assembly.

Source: Guardian
A Nigerian cleric is demanding for justice on behalf of his son who was allegedly murdered by security operatives while in custody.

A Nigerian pastor, Pastor Gabriel Atansuyi, has begged for justice after alleging that the Nigeria Police are trying to cover up the death of his gospel artist son, Ifedolapo.

According to Punch, Atansuyi had in a statement on March 8, 2017, accused the police of killing his son while in custody, and attempting to pass it off as suicide.

Narrating how his son was killed, Atansuyi a woman named Tessy had accused him [Ifedolapo] of selling her iPhone without her consent.

She reported the incident to her boyfriend, one Wale, who brought his boys to beat and torture him before he was handed over to Police officers at the Jankara Police Post, Oko Awo where he died.

In a post on his Facebook Page, the cleric said the Office of Public Defender has taken over the matter, adding that he was offered a car to agree that Ifedolapo committed suicide.

He wrote, On 9th March 2017 Thursday I was asked by my Human Rights activist that, we are at the point of negotiation, that do I want okada or car.

On Monday 13th March 2017, the I.P.O. asked me that what do I need after we had argued for almost 30 or 40 minutes trying to convince me that its not the Police that killed my son while the D.P.O Adeniji Adele Mr Ayodele was recording with his phone but yet I insisted that it was Police that killed my Son. But they insisted that I [should agree that it was not] the Police that killed my son, I kept shut.

Atansuyi said the police did not arrest or detain anyone involved in the circumstances that led to his sons death.

He said, I noticed their collaboration together against me because Police were involved. Assuming the Police were not involved in the matter, the perpetrators would have been detained.

I went with a lawyer on Monday 20th March 2017, then the story changed, they asked the others to go and asked only me to wait behind because their Oga wanted to see only me, but I had to leave quickly to avoid them, that they can do anything.

I went to the mortuary yesterday, Tuesday 21 March, 2017 by 5:00 pm to collect the death certificate so I could bury my son, I was there, they said the person in charge is not around that I should come tomorrow which is today Wednesday 22 March, 2017.

I got there in the morning, I was asked to produce my ID card, I quickly rushed down to a business centre to do the ID.

On getting there I went with a lawyer from O.P.D office Surulere, who requested the result of the autopsy but she was not given, and I was asked to get my International Passport or driving license or voters card or National ID card.

Then I asked is that all they needed, they said including original receipt of the body, I said I didnt have any receipt, they said it is with the Police, unless I go and get it from the Police officer, that they wont be able to give me the body of my son.

See Pastor Atansuyi Facebook recent post below:
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II on Wednesday commended the management of Med-view Airline for extending its domestic flight operations to Kano State.

Sanusi gave the commendation when he received the Managing Director of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, who visited him at his palace in Kano.

Bankole made the royal visit, shortly after the airlines inaugural flight from Lagos to Kano touched down at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport on Wednesday.

The Emir expressed happiness that Med-view had come to the city of Kano, known as the nations centre of commerce.

He was optimistic that the people of Kano would patronise the airlines services.

According to him, the coming of Med-view and other airlines is a welcome development as it will boost economic activities in the state.

Sanusi also advised the airline to deploy wider body aircraft for hajj operations in the state in order to attract more patronage.

As a sign of his confidence in its services, the Emir assured that he would travel to Lagos with the Airlines evening flight from Kano later in the day.

Speaking earlier, Bankole said he was at the palace to intimate the Emir about the airlines new scheduled domestic flight operations to Kano.

Bankole said the importance of Kano as a centre of commerce and religion, could not be ignored.

This, the managing director said informed the airlines decision to extend its operations to the ancient city in order to link it with Lagos and Kaduna route.

According to him, the airline will operate two daily flights to Kano on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as well as one flight on Sundays.

The morning flight leaves Lagos at 6.50 a.m, and arrives at 8.10 am while the return journey will be routed through Kaduna International Airport.

The afternoon flight at 12.30 p.m from Lagos will be routed via Kaduna to give passengers transiting Kano the opportunity to connect their flights to foreign destinations like Jeddah and Dubai, Bankole said.

Source: Vanguard
Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana has said the Senate can order for the arrest of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, if he fails to appear before it.

Falana said in a statement, that the ongoing investigation into the North East humanitarian contract by the Senate, has legal backing.

He also explained that it was different from that of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali.

The investigation being conducted by the Shehu Sani committee into the grass-cutting contract is backed by Section 88(2) of the constitution. So, the SGF is constitutionally required to appear and cooperate fully with the committee.

If he fails to appear, the committee is competent to order his arrest pursuant to Section 89 of the constitution. This case is materially distinguishable from that of the CGC of Customs, who was invited to justify a policy on import duty, Falana said.

The Shehu Sani-led Senate ad-hoc committee has postponed the second investigative hearing on the mounting humanitarian crisis in the North-East, which was earlier slated for Thursday.

According to the clerk to the ad-hoc committee, Lawal Bagaudu, who broke the news to the media in Abuja, the decision to postpone the hearing followed the refusal of Lawal and his company, Rholavision Ltd, to appear before the committee, citing legal reasons and bereavement.

Source: Dailypost
The Nigerian Police anti-bomb team, Marine Police and Anti-Terrorist personnel were earlier today, dispatched to the Consular General Office, Victoria Island, where a panic was reported over a strange bag.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni, on Thursday said there was no bomb planted at the American Embassy in Lagos.

Owoseni told newsmen that the bag kept in one of the vehicles at the Consular General Office, Victoria Island, only contained medical equipment.

We got a call at about 7.40 a.m this morning concerning the strange bag. I immediately dispatched the anti-bomb team, Marine Police and Anti-Terrorist personnel to the scene.

The anti-bomb team professionally removed the bag from the vehicle. After scanning the bag, they discovered that all items inside were medical tools.

We are, however, investigating the reason why the bag was left there and who is the owner. We dont want to leave anything to chance.

We want to also allay the fears of people in Lagos and the diplomatic communities that there is no cause for alarm. There is no bomb planted at the American Embassy in Lagos.

The police in Lagos assured foreigners and citizens of their safety. We are ever ready to live up to our constitutional responsibilities.

Since the bag was removed from the embassy, normal activities have resumed, Owoseni said.

The items in the bag displayed before newsmen by Owoseni, included bandages, scissors and plaster.

The content of the bag was taken to anti-bomb office for further investigation.
Three IDPs have been arrested by the men of the Nigeria Civil defense,Borno State for allegedly vandalized high tension copper cables.

According to the Commandant of the corps, Abdullahi Ibrahim, who stated this in an interview on Friday in Maiduguri, said the suspects, Bukar Bukar, Abdu Idi and Modu Mairanbe, were arrested in Kalari area of Konduga Local Government area in Borno.

Ibrahim said three suspects were arrested with about one pickup-load of high tension copper cable at Kalari along Konduga, near Aloe dam area,

The wires were facilities of Yola Electric Distribution Company (YEDC) that were brought down from high tension poles by windstorm.

The command got the information through our surveillance team monitoring facilities and other critical infrastructures in the area.

The commandant said, Bakar said it was the first time he was engaging in the act but Abdu had been doing it for a long time.

Source: ( PM News )
The Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo is now the Enyioha 1 of Abia State, an honor bestowed on him by traditional rulers of the state.

Osinbajo is currently in Abia State in his sustained effort to ensure peace in the restive Niger Delta region and other oil-producing states of the country.

Media aide to the vice president, Laolu Akande, said that Prof. Osinbajo is currently meeting with stakeholders on the communities.

Osinbajo travelled from Kaduna State where he met with Governor Nasir el-Rufai on Friday morning enroute Owerri, Imo State, before travelling to Abia

According to Akande, VP Osinbajo (is) now in Abia state continuing FGS interactive engagements with oil-producing communities. He went through Kaduna-Owerri to Abia VP (is) accompanied by three ministers: Trade and Industry, Niger Delta and Petroleum Resources (state). The entourage was reportedly received by the governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Source: ( Info Afriq )
A war of words ensued between the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, on Thursday, when both helmsmen accused each other of being culpable in the way they handled security in their respective states.

Specifically, Wike declared that Ortom was one of those who politicised insecurity in the country, which he said had degenerated to consume Benue State.

Wike maintained his call for the declaration of a state of emergency in Benue State, adding that Ortom had lost control and lacked the capacity to stand up for his people.

The governor made this remark on Thursday while addressing the members of the University of Port Harcourt Governing Council, who paid him a visit at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

Wike explained that Ortom was in the league of APC governors, who plotted a state of emergency against Rivers State when it (Rivers) had security challenges.

Benue governor has lost control. That is why there is an immediate need to declare a state of emergency for the restoration of security and protection of the people.

If you are from Benue State, I apologise. But when Rivers State had security challenges, Governor Ortom of Benue State was among the APC governors, who plotted the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

When the problem of insecurity started here in Rivers State, instead of joining hands to proffer solutions, they politicised it.

Unless all those at the forefront of the plot against the state repent, this insecurity will visit them one after the other, the governor said.

He added that as a result of the politicisation of security by APC governors, insecurity had been exported to several parts of the country.

Wike urged the universitys management to remain apolitical, adding that the strained relationship between the Rivers State Government and the institution was as a result of his advice that it (UNIPORT) should not be involved in electoral malpractice during the legislative rerun elections.

He, nevertheless, said that the state would continue to support the university through the execution of projects.

In his remark, the Chancellor of the university and Emir of Gwandu, General Muhammadu Bashar, urged the governor to remain committed to the service of Rivers State and Nigeria.

He pleaded with the governor to forgive the universitys management.

The Pro-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mvendaga Jibo, also appealed to Wike to continue to support the university materially.

Reacting to Wikes call for the declaration of a state of emergency in Benue, Ortom described the call as reckless and jaundiced, adding that his counterpart in Rivers needed medical attention.

Ortom spoke in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Terve Akase.

He said, Wike, who is expected to know the powers and limits of a state governor with regard to security matters, without any provocation whatsoever, attacked his counterpart, Governor Samuel Ortom, over his handling of the unfortunate security developments in Benue State.

Wikes jaundiced and reckless utterances demonstrate a gradual failure of his mental state as a result of probable demonic influence.

Source: Punch
The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, flagged off a Gene-Xpert Laboratory at the Kunchingoro Primary Healthcare Model Centre, Abuja on Friday to commemorate the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day.

Mr. Adewole said the Federal Ministry of Health took the strep in partnership with international donors as a way of achieving this years TB Day theme, tagged Accelerating TB case findings in Nigeria.

He said this administration through the Federal Ministry of Health and in collaboration with partners has taken some bold steps to control tuberculosis in Nigeria.

Some of these steps we embarked on is introducing the use of the Gene-Xpert MTB/RIF technology as the primary diagnostic tool for TB among all presumptive TB cases in the country including People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

This is expected to increase the number of TB cases notified in the country. We have scaled up the number of facilities providing GeneXpert services from seven health facilities in 2011 to 318 facilities in 2016; and efforts are still ongoing to scale up more facilities in 2017 to achieve the target of having one machine per LGA across the country, he added.

Nigeria has 774 local government areas.

John Osho, the Programme Manager, TB Global Fund project of the Association of Reproductive and Family Health, ARFH, said there is a need to do more in the search for unreported TB cases in Nigeria so as to prevent a possible spread.

Nigeria is currently ranked fourth in the world and first in Africa among countries with high prevalence of the killer disease.

Mr. Osho said the ARFH has been supporting the fight against TB through international donations from Global Fund.

Detection is very low, we had about 15 per cent. Out of the 36,000 PHCS in Nigeria we have DOT centres in 6,000 across the country. What we are currently doing is house to house campaign and screening of people for TB and we are currently working in 187 slums in Nigeria, he said.

The 2016 TB prevalence statistics from the World Health Organisation for Nigerian estimate 322 tuberculosis cases per 100,000 people and it is commonly found in slums, among refugees, prisoners, people with poor income among others.

The Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, said there is a need to bring TB screening and awareness to the grassroots to encourage and educate people on where to get tests done when they suspect the disease especially if the person has been coughing for more than two weeks.

We need to make people aware of test and treatment centre as treatment is free. Nigeria is one of the highest burdened countries. Currently Sokoto has the estimated highest prevalence cases in Nigeria with 127 TB cases per 100,000 in 2016.

Clement Adesigbin, a medical expert on TB at the National Tuberculosis Leprosy Centre Zaria, said there is a need to do more in searching out new TB cases in the country.

The mandate given to us as a centre is to search for new TB cases and we have been doing so but we cant say we have recorded much success because most of these cases are yet to be detected, he said.

He urged the government to get more involved in the awareness campaign on tuberculosis in order to be able to locate the missing cases in the country for treatment

Mr. Osho said TB treatment in Nigeria is free, so also is the test; but there is a need for more focus and funding of the killer disease

HIV and TB are conjoin twins with TB more deadly, but the awareness and funding of this epidemic is lower. The government should get more involved in the campaign against the disease especially in terms of screening as this will help curb the menace from spreading, he said.
This year's deadline for H-1B applications is fast approaching, and without action to fix this boondoggle that is being exploited by outsourcers, thousands more American jobs will be lost. However, the H-1B reform possibilities that a few short weeks ago shone brightly are now dimming as the Trump Administration backpedals from earlier bombast.

The H-1B program is neither high-skilled nor immigration: these are temporary foreign workers, imported from abroad, for the explicit purpose of substituting for American workers at lower pay, presidential candidate Donald Trump said in a statement last spring. I will end forever the H-1B as a cheap labor program, and institute an absolute requirement to hire American workers first for every visa and immigration program.

[ Also on InfoWorld: Surprise! Theres hope for meaningful H-1B reform. | Have a tech story to share? If we publish it, well send you a $50 American Express gift card  and keep you anonymous. Send it to offtherecord@infoworld.com. ]

But there has been no action and few words from President Trump on the issue of H-1B since taking office. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says only that the matter is being reviewed as part of a larger overhaul of immigration policies.

Meanwhile, Republican Hindu Coalition President Shalabh Kumarone of the top donors to Trumps presidential campaignis reassuring Indian businesses that the administration has no plans to come out with an executive order on H-1B visas. There will be a need of more H-1B visas. The number of people on H-1B from India is certainly going to increase, Kumar told reporters at a news conference in India.

Those reassurances were echoed yesterday by Indias External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who told Indian IT professionals they had no reason to worry about H-1B visa reform. Currently there are four bills in the U.S. Congress about curbs on H-1B visas. We are engaged [in a dialog] with the U.S. at a very high level regarding this... We are making all efforts [through diplomatic channels] to ensure these bills are not passed, Swaraj said.

Some in Congress, like Republican Senator Thom Tillis, espouse the need for more H-1B visa workers. We need [Indian] talent to come in and fill these [high-tech] jobs if we want to continue to be the leader in innovation and in research because there aren't enough American STEM workers to meet demand, Tillis said last week at an event organized by the U.S.-India Friendship Council and U.S.-India Business Council.

But many doubt the myth of a STEM worker shortage, and the idea that the H-1B program needs fixing has gained bipartisan support among others in Congress. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley took the president to task on Sunday. After a 60 Minutes report that focused on American workers whove had to train their H-1B-holding replacements before losing their jobs, Grassley tweeted: If u just saw CBS 60minutes abt ripoff H1B visa program is replacing AmWorkers u shld know my/Durbin bill will correct this injustice. Grassley continued: "@POTUS In other words I've been waiting for six yrs for a president interested in fixing H1B and that person has finally arrived/DRAIN SWAMP."

The bill he referenced is one Grassley co-sponsored with Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who over the years has repeatedly introduced legislation to fix the program. Durbin earlier this month sent a letter to President Trump:

I am disappointed that you have broken your campaign promise to take action on the first day of your Administration to reform foreign guest worker visas  especially the H-1B visa  to put American workers first. The American people deserve an explanation for your decision not to pursue H-1B reforms on your first day in office. Commentators have pointed out that companies you own have sought to import at least 1,000 foreign guest workers while turning away hundreds of qualified American workers. I note with concern that in recent weeks one of your largest campaign donors has promised that you will not crack down on H-1B abuses and instead will seek to increase the number of H-1B visas granted each year. If you do not take action in the next few weeks, outsourcers will secure the right to import tens of thousands of low-wage foreign guest workers to replace American workers. This is in addition to hundreds of thousands of H-1B workers who are already employed by outsourcing companies in the United States.

Time is running short. The first week in April, 85,000 more H-1B visas become available. Most will not go to American tech companies; Indian outsourcers got nearly 70 percent of H-1B visas issued in fiscal year 2015, according to data collected by Ron Hira, Howard University professor of public policy, using FOIA requests. Tata alone received 5,650 H-1Bs in 2014, while Amazonthe largest recipient among U.S. tech companiesgot 877.

The question now: Will the president fulfill his campaign promise? His first two months in office, Trump signed 38 executive orders. What are the odds hell pull out that pen again and protect American jobs from being outsourced to cheap foreign labor?
Security teams, network administrators, and operations teams have busy days ahead. Googles Chrome development team is fed up with Symantec as a certificate authority and has announced plans to no longer trust current Symantec certificates.

In the past 18 months, Google has tangled repeatedly with Symantec over the way it issues transport layer security (TLS) certificates, with Symantec promising to do better. The latest incidentan investigation into 127 mis-issued certificatesballooned into at least 30,000, issued over a period spanning several years, Ravi Sleevi, a software engineer on the Google Chrome team, wrote on the Blink online forum. As a result, the Chrome developers no longer have confidence in the certificate issuance policies and practices of Symantec over the past several years.

A lack of trust

Effective immediately, Chrome will stop recognizing Symantecs Extended Validation certificates. EV certificates are supposed to convey the highest assurance of a sites authenticity because the certificate holder had to undergo a stringent verification process in order to receive a certificate of that level. Since Google doesnt trust Symantecs procedures anymore, Chrome will recognize that the site has a certificate, but wont treat it as EV.

From the users standpoint, that means the name of the domain owner will not appear in green next to the padlock in the browser address bar. Google is effectively downgrading the higher-class certificates issued by Symantec, for a period of at least a year.

A spot check of three major banks showed they all use Symantec EV certificates. Once this change goes in effect, their names will no longer show up in the address bar. For financial institutions that rely on the address bar to show customers their transactions are safe, this change will force them to consider the validity of continuing to use Symantec certificates.

Going forward, Chrome will not accept any newly issued certificates from Symantec and its affiliates that have a validity period longer than nine months. Existing certificates will be fine for now, but Chrome wont load sites with year-long or multiyear certificates that are issued after this week by Symantec.

Gradual withdrawal

Google doesnt trust any of Symantecs certificates at this point, but it cant reject them all at once. Symantec and other brands it controls -- including GeoTrust, VeriSign, and Thawte -- account for more than 30 percent, by volume, of the valid certificates currently used on the internet. Firefox data cited by Sleevi shows Symantec-issued certificates are responsible for 42 percent of all certificate validations.

The SHA1-to-SHA2 migration was bad enough; imagine the potential mess if millions of Chrome users suddenly couldnt access a significant number of sites because Chrome was rejecting the sites certificates. Instead of demanding that all certificates be replaced by an arbitrary deadline, Google will gradually decrease the allowed maximum age of Symantec-issued certificates and tie that to the next few Chrome releases:

Chrome 59 (all channels, stable release expected June 6): Chrome will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no later than 33 months (1,023 days) after they were issued. Note that Chrome 59 entered canary phasethe staged rollout where small groups of users start receiving the updatesearlier this week.

(all channels, stable release expected June 6): Chrome will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no later than 33 months (1,023 days) after they were issued. Note that Chrome 59 entered canary phasethe staged rollout where small groups of users start receiving the updatesearlier this week. Chrome 60 (all channels, stable release expected August 1): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than 27 months (837 days) after they were issued.

(all channels, stable release expected August 1): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than 27 months (837 days) after they were issued. Chrome 61 (all channels, stable release expected September 12): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than 21 months (651 days) after they were issued.

(all channels, stable release expected September 12): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than 21 months (651 days) after they were issued. Chrome 62 (all channels, stable release expected October 24): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than 15 months (465 days) after they were issued.

(all channels, stable release expected October 24): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than 15 months (465 days) after they were issued. Chrome 63 (dev, beta channels only): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than nine months (279 days) after they were issued. Chrome 63 stable , which is expected December 12, will continue to trust Symantec-issued certificates with a validity period of 15 months (465 days).

(dev, beta channels only): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than nine months (279 days) after they were issued. , which is expected December 12, will continue to trust Symantec-issued certificates with a validity period of 15 months (465 days). Chrome 64 (all channels, no release date available yet): Will trust only Symantec-issued certificates that will expire no less than nine months (279 days) after they were issued.

This schedule gives developers and administrators about nine months to make the necessary adjustments, and they can either replace their existing certificates with a different CA or renew their certificates with Symantec for a shorter-than-nine-month validity period. For administrators already tasked with the challenge of staying on top of expiring certificates and renewing them on time, the fact that Symantec certificates will have to be renewed every nine months (or sooner) should make them reconsider the decision to stick with Symantec. Especially with Lets Encrypt and plenty of other options to pick from.

Google can make these rules, and the worlds largest banks, retailers, insurers, and cloud providers will likely replace any Symantec certificates they may have because Chrome has the biggest web browser market share right now.

Google is the 800-pound gorilla on this issue, said Kevin Bocek, vice president of security strategy and threat intelligence at Venafi, an enterprise certificate reputation provider.

Remediation is hard

The good thing about Google's timeline is that it gives administrators time to identify impacted certificates and make plans to replace them. Even so, replacing certificates and keys on a mass scale is time-consuming and arduous, as it's often a manual process. Andif history is any guideit hasnt always been very successful. The U.S. federal government gave itself a mandate to switch all federal websites to HTTPS, and did not meet the deadline. Organizations struggled to fully remediate Heartbleed. Enterprises find it hard to issue, replace, and recover from security incidents involving keys and certificates, Bocek said.

Googles decision highlights how critical it is for businesses to be able to replace machine identitieskeys and certificates used for SSL/TLS quickly, Bocek said. The largest global businesses with very sophisticated IT operations struggle to respond to an external event like this.

Carry a big stick

Googles Sleevi refers to the new rules as remedies, but lets call them what they really are: punishments. Google has warned Symantec repeatedly about its shoddy practices regarding certificates, and now is using its control over the most widely used web browser as a stick to show Symantec what happens when CAs dont follow the rules. Under Chromes Root Certificate Policy, root certificate authorities are expected to perform a number of critical functions, including properly ensuring that domain control validation is performed for server certificates, frequently auditing logs for evidence of unauthorized issuance, and protecting their infrastructure to minimize the possibility of fraudulent certificates being issued.

Symantec allowed at least four parties access to their infrastructure in a way to cause certificate issuance, did not sufficiently oversee these capabilities as required and expected, and when presented with evidence of these organizations failure to abide to the appropriate standard of care, failed to disclose such information in a timely manner or to identify the significance of the issues reported to them, Sleevi wrote.

Mis-issued certificates pose a critical threat to pretty much everyone on the internet because the certificate holders can impersonate legitimate sites and monitor communications sent to and from legitimate servers.

Symantec could have possibly salvaged the situation if not for the way the CA handled the investigation. Sleevi accused the CA of not proactively disclosing the issues after it discovered them, not providing timely updates, and not providing details necessary to assess the significance of the problem until they had been specifically questioned. The proposed fixes also weren't enough.

The proposed remediation steps offered by Symantec have involved relying on known-problematic information or using practices insufficient to provide the level of assurance required under the Baseline Requirements and expected by the Chrome Root CA Policy, Sleevi said.

Failure to learn

Symantec was already under extra scrutiny after it issued test certificates back in October 2015 for third-party domainsincluding Googlewithout first obtaining the permission of the domain holders. If someone had maliciously obtained those certificates, that person would have been able to impersonate Google and other affected sites and intercept traffic meant for those sites. Shortly after, Google insisted that Symantec publish all its certificates to its Certificate Transparency log to make it easier to audit what was being issued.

Symantec can regain its standing as a trusted CA if it can provide Google with assurances it has changed its policies. But the way the current timeline stands, penalties will not be lifted for at least a year.

Google has punished CAs for problematic certificates before, most recently with its decision to not trust WoSign and StartCom certificates. The situation with Symantec is different; it is just too big to failtoo many sites rely on Symantec and its affiliatesbut the repeated violations required some kind of a response. While the gradual mistrust may cause extra work for developers and administrators, who must now stay on top of multiple dates and schedules, it will minimize the risk of a widespread outage.

The internet relies on a fragile system of trust, and when CAs dont play by the rules, they undermine the whole ecosystem. Google is showing it isnt afraid to take dramatic steps to force CAs to comply with the rules. Other CAs will be smart to heed that lesson.
This illustration shows how gravitational waves can propel a black hole from the center of a galaxy. The scenario begins in the first panel with the merger of two galaxies, each with a central black hole. In the second panel, the two black holes in the newly merged galaxy settle into the center and begin whirling around each other. This energetic action produces gravitational waves. As the two hefty objects continue to radiate away gravitational energy, they move closer to each other over time, as seen in the third panel. If the black holes do not have the same mass and rotation rate, they emit gravitational waves more strongly in one direction, as shown by the bright area at upper left. The black holes finally merge in the fourth panel, forming one giant black hole. The energy emitted by the merger propels the black hole away from the center in the opposite direction of the strongest gravitational waves. Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)

Though there have been several other suspected, similarly booted black holes elsewhere, none has been confirmed so far. Astronomers think this object, detected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, is a very strong case. Weighing more than 1 billion suns, the rogue black hole is the most massive black hole ever detected to have been kicked out of its central home.

Researchers estimate that it took the equivalent energy of 100 million supernovas exploding simultaneously to jettison the black hole. The most plausible explanation for this propulsive energy is that the monster object was given a kick by gravitational waves unleashed by the merger of two hefty black holes at the center of the host galaxy.

First predicted by Albert Einstein, gravitational waves are ripples in space that are created when two massive objects collide. The ripples are similar to the concentric circles produced when a hefty rock is thrown into a pond. Last year, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) helped astronomers prove that gravitational waves exist by detecting them emanating from the union of two stellar-mass black holes, which are several times more massive than the sun.

Hubble's observations of the wayward black hole surprised the research team. When I first saw this, I thought we were seeing something very peculiar, said team leader Marco Chiaberge of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland.

When we combined observations from Hubble, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, it all pointed towards the same scenario. The amount of data we collected, from X-rays to ultraviolet to near-infrared light, is definitely larger than for any of the other candidate rogue black holes.

Chiaberge's paper will appear in the March 30 issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Hubble images taken in visible and near-infrared light provided the first clue that the galaxy was unusual. The images revealed a bright quasar, the energetic signature of a black hole, residing far from the galactic core. Black holes cannot be observed directly, but they are the energy source at the heart of quasars  intense, compact gushers of radiation that can outshine an entire galaxy. The quasar, named 3C 186, and its host galaxy reside 8 billion light-years away in a galaxy cluster. The team discovered the galaxy's peculiar features while conducting a Hubble survey of distant galaxies unleashing powerful blasts of radiation in the throes of galaxy mergers.

I was anticipating seeing a lot of merging galaxies, and I was expecting to see messy host galaxies around the quasars, but I wasn't really expecting to see a quasar that was clearly offset from the core of a regularly shaped galaxy, Chiaberge recalled. Black holes reside in the center of galaxies, so it's unusual to see a quasar not in the center.

The team calculated the black hole's distance from the core by comparing the distribution of starlight in the host galaxy with that of a normal elliptical galaxy from a computer model. The black hole had traveled more than 35,000 light-years from the center, which is more than the distance between the sun and the center of the Milky Way.

Based on spectroscopic observations taken by Hubble and the Sloan survey, the researchers estimated the black hole's mass and measured the speed of gas trapped near the behemoth object. Spectroscopy divides light into its component colors, which can be used to measure velocities in space. To our surprise, we discovered that the gas around the black hole was flying away from the galaxy's center at 4.7 million miles an hour, said team member Justin Ely of STScI. This measurement is also a gauge of the black hole's velocity, because the gas is gravitationally locked to the monster object.

The astronomers calculated that the black hole is moving so fast it would travel from Earth to the moon in three minutes. That's fast enough for the black hole to escape the galaxy in 20 million years and roam through the universe forever.

The Hubble image revealed an interesting clue that helped explain the black hole's wayward location. The host galaxy has faint arc-shaped features called tidal tails, produced by a gravitational tug between two colliding galaxies. This evidence suggests a possible union between the 3C 186 system and another galaxy, each with central, massive black holes that may have eventually merged.

Based on this visible evidence, along with theoretical work, the researchers developed a scenario to describe how the behemoth black hole could be expelled from its central home. According to their theory, two galaxies merge, and their black holes settle into the center of the newly formed elliptical galaxy. As the black holes whirl around each other, gravity waves are flung out like water from a lawn sprinkler. The hefty objects move closer to each other over time as they radiate away gravitational energy. If the two black holes do not have the same mass and rotation rate, they emit gravitational waves more strongly along one direction. When the two black holes collide, they stop producing gravitational waves. The newly merged black hole then recoils in the opposite direction of the strongest gravitational waves and shoots off like a rocket.

The researchers are lucky to have caught this unique event because not every black-hole merger produces imbalanced gravitational waves that propel a black hole in the opposite direction. This asymmetry depends on properties such as the mass and the relative orientation of the back holes' rotation axes before the merger, said team member Colin Norman of STScI and Johns Hopkins University. That's why these objects are so rare.

An alternative explanation for the offset quasar, although unlikely, proposes that the bright object does not reside within the galaxy. Instead, the quasar is located behind the galaxy, but the Hubble image gives the illusion that it is at the same distance as the galaxy. If this were the case, the researchers should have detected a galaxy in the background hosting the quasar.

If the researchers' interpretation is correct, the observations may provide strong evidence that supermassive black holes can actually merge. Astronomers have evidence of black-hole collisions for stellar-mass black holes, but the process regulating supermassive black holes is more complex and not completely understood.

The team hopes to use Hubble again, in combination with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and other facilities, to more accurately measure the speed of the black hole and its gas disk, which may yield more insight into the nature of this bizarre object.

###

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., in Washington, D.C.
Livestock Report Walsh Trading - 8 minutes ago Cattle rallies

Grain Spreads: WASDE Outlook Walsh Trading - 1 hour ago Minor Changes Predicted

Nat-Gas Prices Surge on Colder U.S. Forecasts Barchart - 1 hour ago Dec Nymex natural gas (NGZ22 ) on Monday closed up +0.544 (+8.50%). Dec nat-gas rallied sharply to a 1-1/2 month high on Monday on the outlook for colder U.S. temperatures to engulf the country, which... NGZ22 : 6.944s (+8.50%)

SPY ETF Selling The Rallies At The Blue Box Area Elliott Wave Forecast - 1 hour ago Hello fellow traders. Another trading setup we have had recently was selling the rallies in (SPY) ETF. In this technical blog were going to take a quick look at the Elliott Wave charts of SPY published... SPY : 379.95 (+0.96%)

Crude Oil Falls on Chinese Energy Demand Concerns Barchart - Mon Nov 7, 2:32PM CST Dec WTI crude oil (CLZ22 ) on Monday closed down by -0.82 (-0.89%), and Dec RBOB gasoline (RBZ22 ) closed down -8.17 (-2.99%). Crude oil and gasoline prices Monday gave up an early advance and posted... CLZ22 : 91.79s (-0.89%) RBZ22 : 2.6531s (-2.99%)

Market Outlook Ahead of U.S. Elections Blue Line Futures - Mon Nov 7, 2:04PM CST Our daily video . . .

Cocoa Prices Surge on Global Supply Concerns Barchart - Mon Nov 7, 1:50PM CST December ICE NY cocoa (CCZ22 ) on Monday closed up +72 (+2.96%), and December ICE London cocoa #7 (CAZ22 ) closed up +9 (+0.44%). Cocoa prices Monday extended their week-long rally, with NY cocoa posting... CCZ22 : 2,506s (+2.96%) CAH23 : 2,008s (+0.60%)
A U.K. parliamentary report warns that a E.U. council may blacklist low-tax jurisdictions and Britain may have no say in the matter.

Fund firms operating in U.K. crown dependencies will become ensnared in serious damage should the European Union decide to blacklist the territories after Brexit, according to a parliamentary report released Thursday.

There are thousands of jobs and billions of dollars at stake for financial firms caught up in the U.K.s divorce from Europe. Britains crown dependencies - Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man  could see the $500 billion of assets under management across the region shrink if theres a blacklisting by the E.U.s Economic and Financial Affairs Council, or Ecofin.

The House of Lords is warning in the report that the U.K.s departure from the E.U.  scheduled to begin on March 29  could leave its dependencies with no representation on the council deciding which jurisdictions do and do not comply with European tax rules. Ecofin could determine by the end of the year which countries to blacklist, and to which sanctions should apply.

Politically, it will be very difficult, Professor Alastair Sutton, a former European adviser to the U.K. crown dependencies who was cited in the parliamentary report, said in an interview. It is already difficult for the U.K. members of the European parliament.

Crown dependencies are neither part of the E.U. nor of the U.K., but the U.K. government has a constitutional responsibility to represent the interests of these jurisdictions during the Brexit negotiations. Sutton said the U.K. may not be consulted on certain things which are not ongoing business and deemed part of its E.U. negotiations, as soon as March 30.

The economies of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man will see serious damage if the E.U. blacklists the territories despite the fact that they have ticked all the boxes internationally, in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, for compliance with tax, anti-money laundering legislation and financial regulation, the parliamentary report said, citing Sutton. He suggested the blacklisting was part of the E.U.s drive to deal with what they call low, no or zero tax jurisdictions.

Financial services firms are major employers in the Channel Islands, which are situated between 10 miles and 30 miles off Frances Normandy coast and include Jersey and Guernsey. The firms represent more than a quarter of the islands workforce, or 19,000 jobs, according to the report.

Jersey Finance, a trade association representing fund firms such as BlackRock, Brevan Howard and Invesco International, offered some reassurance Thursday.

As we understand it, the U.K. will have a seat on Ecofin until they leave the E.U. in 2019," Geoff Cook, chief executive of Jersey Finance, said in a statement. The E.U. blacklisting process is still at an early stage.

He said the trade group is in active dialogue with its members and the government.

Fund firms Schroders, JP Morgan Asset Management, Barclays International and RBC Wealth Management all declined to comment. BlackRock and BNP Paribas did not respond to a request for comment.

In a media statement, Senator Ian Gorst, chief minister of Jersey said that the Lords report reinforces the importance of that dialogue and the impact it will have on the successful representation of Jerseys position in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations as well as important opportunities for future trading arrangements.

Sutton said that people often mistakenly think that all 28 E.U. members would need to agree on a blacklisting before it could take effect.

That is correct for new legislation like VAT or corporate tax but this is not legislation. This is an executive act by the E.U. and there is no fixed rule about voting on that, he explained.

According to Sutton, if at the end of 2017, 27 member states feel that the islands should be blacklisted, then that will happen. I do not think the U.K. will be able to stop it, he said. Much depends on how the Brexit negotiations will go.

An E.U. spokesman did not respond to a request for comment at the time of writing.
Venture capital fundraising in Asia is on track to make 2017 a landmark year, with the Chinese market benefiting in part from government support for start-up financing, according to financial data research firm Preqin.

About 200 funds are currently raising capital for opportunities in Asia, including the China State-Owned Venture Investment Fund, which has a target size of 200 billion yuan, or about $29 billion. If China succeeds, it will be home to the largest venture capital fund ever, Preqin said in a March 23 statement.

In particular, China has played a central role in the growth of the Asian market, and is now beginning to rival Silicon Valley as a hub of venture capital activity, Felice Egidio, Preqins head of venture capital products, said in the statement. The Chinese government has looked to encourage entrepreneurship by providing support and financing for start-ups alongside private firms, he said.

At the beginning of March, 183 Asia-focused funds were seeking to raise a combined $56 billion in capital, almost triple the $20 billion that 130 funds were targeting at the start of 2016, Preqin data show. The regions venture capital market is expanding as both domestic and international investors are looking for deals backing start-ups in Asia, according to Egidio.

Preqins Private Equity and Venture Capital Spotlight report this month examines first-time venture capital funds, which aim to raise $41 billion globally. The top four are focused on Asia and managed by Chinese firms. The Guangxi Beibu Gulf Industrial Investment Fund, the largest of the first-time funds, is targeting $3.2 billion to invest in environmental services and energy in China.

While venture capital interest in Asia is on the rise this year, North America remains the dominant market for investors targeting start-ups, largely due to the concentration of managers around Californias Silicon Valley. Sixty-two percent of the global capital raised in 2016 focused on North America, a percentage that has held steady since 2014, according to Preqin. That compares with a 24 percent share of the global market for Asia-focused venture capital.
This content is from: Video

The president will take a more aggressive stance with China and Russia if Republicans win the House or the Senate, according to BCA Researchs Matt Gertken.
While strides have been made in recent years, the insurance industry is still facing a pretty significant gender divide.Just 1% of insurance firms have a female CEO, and only 12% of women in the industry are in top management positions, according to a Credit Suisse report.Lloyds  on top of being one of the worlds foremost insurance brands  is helping to lead the way when it comes to diversity and inclusion, not least because its one of the rare firms with a female CEO at the helm.The companys work in the D&I space, which includes the global Dive-In festival, is driven by a commitment to diversity that trickles from the top-down, Enya He, regional director for south central U.S region at Lloyds, told Insurance Business.Today, what I see is so much more awareness of inclusion and diversity, she explained, pointing to the number of female executives in Beales team as a great example of gender diversity at the top.Lloyds has the strongest brand, without a doubt, the brand always matters, but its the people who make a difference, she said.He, who has a Bachelors, Masters and PHD in insurance, spent almost 10 years teaching insurance at college level before she went into the industry itself, and has seen a great deal of change in attitudes during that time.Among the younger generation, many more women are able to push forward in their careers and climb the ladder, He said.Groups such as the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), and the Womens Insurance Networking Group (WING)  both of which He is involved with  help increase awareness through events and are a platform to share skills and knowledge.Despite the number of initiatives within the industry, there is still a long way to go, He explained, which is evident from the poor representation of women in insurance c-suites.Overall we are in the minority. Were still a white, male-dominated environment. Thats just a fact, she said.So how can the industry and its key players keep the momentum going?For one, it has to come from the top. We are trying to do grassroots efforts such as WING but unless we have men in the room, listening to us, understanding each other, it wont happen, He said. We need their buy-in, we need their support.Employers also need to embrace the flexible working possibilities that technology has created, which can be particularly beneficial for those with families.The culture in some environments is still very face-time driven, He said, pointing to the fact that work can be done by laptops and cell-phones in todays world. Its not the same anymore, we can work anywhere in the world.
A Sydney-based industry veteran has been appointed to a global role by a major reinsurer.Mike Mitchell, head of property casualty facultative business in Asia Pacific at Swiss Re , will take on the new role as of head property and specialty reinsurance, effective July 01, 2017. He will succeed Edouard Schmid, who was appointed group chief underwriting officer.An associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, Mitchell has 30 years experience in the reinsurance sector. He joined the company in 1997, and has since then led client management and underwriting units in Swiss Re Asia, including in Melbourne, Sydney, and Singapore, as well as Swiss Res global P&C structured solutions team.Prior to joining Swiss Re, Mitchell worked at M&G Re in London and Singapore, specialising in property/casualty underwriting.Mitchell is a supporter of several industry bodies, regularly participates and speaks at reinsurance conferences, and is passionate about the topics of climate change and developing solutions to address the natural catastrophe protection gap.
Insurers, banks and other financial services companies have been predicted to downsize their London staff as they prepare for the UKs exit from the European Union. One major industry player, however, may not make such a move.Earlier this month, insurance giant AIG announced that it will locate a company in Luxembourg to keep its access to the European single market post-Brexit. From 2019, the insurer will keep its subsidiary in London to write UK business and have another in Luxembourg to write business for the EEA and Switzerland.AIG had said that the UK will remain a core market and will continue to support European operations. The company also revealed that its post-Brexit plan would not lead to job losses in the UK.We dont anticipate any redundancies in the UK or elsewhere as a result of this restructuring, Nicola Ratchford, AIG Europe head of communications, told Insurance Business.Ratchford previously told Bloomberg that AIG has a few employees already in Luxembourg. She said there might be leadership changes in Europe, but it is too soon to know how many will move, or to comment on real estate decisions.According to the news agency, AIG has over 2,000 employees based in London and has already been cutting staff there and in other cities as part of a separate cost-cutting drive unrelated to Brexit.AIGs proposed restructure in Europe is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019. By that time, the insurer will already have a replacement for Peter Hancock, who resigned earlier this month.Luxembourg, a founding member of the European Union, offers us a secure location in a stable economy with an experienced and well-respected regulator in continental Europe close to many of our major markets, said AIG chief executive Anthony Baldwin.This is a decisive move that ensures AIG is positioned for whatever form the UKs exit from the EU ultimately takes, he also said.
The future of warfare is hybrid  and the future is now, expert says
Austin-based Texas Mutual Insurance has bestowed a $100,000 grant on Texarkana College to establish a safety-training institute, the community college announced earlier this week.Texarkana will use the funds to help launch a training program to provide increased safety awareness and to reduce work-related accidents and injuries, the college said.The program aims to provide a wide range of possible courses relative to the workforce in Texarkana.We are grateful to receive this partnership with Texas Mutual, which will help us establish a program of great benefit to local employers and employees, said James Russel, Texarkana president.Safety training and education are important parts of the workplace, and we look forward to working with Texas Mutual, as we help create safer workplaces for area employees, he added.Texarkana is one of 10 community colleges in Texas that provides safety classes via funding from Texas Mutual.The insurance firm has awarded some $5.6 million in safety education grants since 1999, according to the college.Workplace safety education will always be a sound investment, and we are happy to partner with Texarkana College to make safety programs a priority, said Jeremy Hansen, Texas Mutuals manager of regional safety services.The courses available to area employees here in Texarkana, along with other safety institutes around the state, help workers be more prepared and successful on the job. These grants and other safety programs at Texas Mutual demonstrate our commitment to the prevention of workplace accidents and to overall workplace safety.
The family-owned company that until recently was headed by U.S. President Donald Trumps son-in-law hopes to turn an aging New York office tower into a signature development that could be worth up to $12 billion, a report said on Wednesday.

Chinese insurer Anbang Insurance Group is in advanced talks to provide as much as half of $2.5 billion in equity for the planned redevelopment of 666 Fifth Avenue, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The overall project for the flagship 39-story building, which is controlled by Kushner Cos, is valued at $7.5 billion. The company was run by Jared Kushner, who is married to Trumps daughter Ivanka. He sold his stake to a family trust in January.

Extensive talks are under way between Kushner Cos., its partners in the building, potential investors, lenders and tenants who would have to be paid to move for the project to go forward, the Journal said, citing people close to the deal.

Plans call for stripping the structure down to its steel columns and adding about 40 floors to the building, which was built in 1957. The project was designed by Zaha Hadid, a Pritzker Prize award winner for architecture, before she died last year.

Concerns about a conflict of interest given Jared Kushners role as an advisor to Trump could halt Anbang from taking part. Anbang last week said it was not investing in the project after Bloomberg News named the firm as a potential investor.

Kushner Cos believes it could gain the necessary equity from other investors if Anbang decides to exit the transaction, the Journal said. The project faces other hurdles.

The Kushners would have to buy out the buildings current tenants to allow for domolition to start and an existing $1.15 billion in debt would need to be refinanced.

Talks are under way with Vornado Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust that owns 49.5 percent of the buildings office space and much of the propertys retail space, to buy out its interests, the Journal said.

The need to sell the luxury condo units at near record prices and the overall financing for the project could raise the eyes of the U.S regulators, a banking source said.

(Reporting by Herbert Lash)
State officials are proposing revisions to Delawares insurance code to ensure that people struggling with opioid addiction get the treatment they need.

Attorney General Matt Denn on Wednesday also called for the creation of a new oversight committee to help identify and target medical providers who are overprescribing painkillers.

Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro and Public Health Director Dr. Rattay expressed their support for the legislation, as did parents who have lost children to drug overdoses.

One bill requires insurers to provide coverage for medically necessary inpatient treatment for substance abuse, without requiring prescreening, referrals or prior authorization.

Another would allow the attorney generals office to use consumer protection funds to provide legal assistance to people challenging claim denials.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Ironshore has expanded its mergers & acquisitions capabilities with a team of new hires in the Americas and broadened office presence to serve Canada and Latin America. In addition, to support heightened transaction volume throughout the Americas region, Ironshore increased business line capacity to US$150 million for mergers and acquisitions cover.

Ironshore has more than doubled its dedicated team of professionals within the mergers and acquisitions group in the Americas since the division was formed in mid-2016, said Rowan Bamford, global head, Mergers & Acquisitions and Tax Insurance.

We have significantly enhanced the Ironshore footprint in the region by appointing experienced specialists in Ironshore offices to meet client demand within the U.S., Canadian and Latin American markets, he added.

Five professionals have joined the Ironshore M&A group in New York:

David Kavanagh, ESQ,vice president & senior production specialist, previously an attorney with Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson LLP

Sean Harrigan, JD, vice president & senior production specialist, joining from Baker & Hostetler LLP

Alexander Pavlou, ESQ, production specialist

Dana Gambro, JD, production specialist

Christopher Bays, JD, production counsel.

In addition, Andrea Tsoulogiannis, assistant vice president & production specialist, joins the Toronto team, while Christina Merry del Val, specialty line manager, will be based in Ironshores Miami office, serving Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ironshore said it provides comprehensive, specialty M&A and tax cover for complex transactional risk throughout its global platform. Its M&A lines include representations and warranties, warranty & indemnity, as well as tax liability programs. Ironshores production specialists are located in New York, Miami, Toronto, London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore and Tokyo

Source: Ironshore

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions
One afternoon in mid-January, Prime Minister Theresa May walked into a meeting room in the Swiss resort of Davos to face Wall Streets most powerful bankers.

May had delivered her vision two days earlier for pulling Britain out of the European Unions single market. Now the Wall Street banks, fearing Britain was headed for trouble, wanted to hear more about her strategy.

At stake was Londons future as a global financial center. Among those present were Lloyd Blankfein, chief executive of Goldman Sachs, Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, and James Gorman, chief executive of Morgan Stanley.

Blankfein, a former gold trader raised in the Bronx who worked his way up to lead one of the worlds most powerful investment banks, was the most direct during the talks, according to two bankers and a government official with knowledge of the meeting.

Lloyd asked where does the financial services industry stand in her list of priorities, according to one senior banking executive briefed on the discussion by his boss. We contribute a double-digit percentage to Britains GDP. Were the biggest taxpayer in the country.

May gave a reply about the importance of financial services but declined to answer the question directly, the sources said. Some of the bankers left questioning her commitment.

May and the banks declined to comment on the meeting.

Over the past two decades, Goldman, like many of the other 250 foreign-owned banks in Britain, has consolidated its European operations in London to take advantage of the EUs $16.5 trillion-a-year single market.

They are set to lose this wide-open access to a market of 500 million people after May signaled her main priority is to restrict immigration, which can only be achieved by leaving the trading bloc.

Senior bankers expected special treatment from the government after Britain voted to leave the EU. They expected ministers to champion their cause, above other industries, to retain unrestricted access to the single market for financial services. It isnt working out that way. A series of other meetings between bankers and government ministers have also ended badly, Reuters has learned.

Bankers say Mays ministers dont understand the industry and what is at stake, and dont want to hear negative news about Brexit. We have entered a period of severe danger, said a Wall Street executive who runs the European operations of a global investment bank. Parts of the government are being way too complacent.

Mays office, in a statement responding to the findings of this article, said the government didnt recognize this version of events. The government is engaging intensively with the financial services industry, the statement said.

Politicians say the bankers are exaggerating the threat. Some rebalancing of the economy away from financial services  which accounts for about 12 percent of Britains economic output  will be good in the long run, they say.

It is all just lobbying. They make a brouhaha, said Peter Lilley, a pro-Brexit Conservative politician and former financier, who sits on the parliamentary committee examining Britains exit from the EU. They always massively exaggerate.

The rift is in marked contrast to whats happening in the United States. There the populist backlash that made Donald Trump president has brought at least four former Goldman Sachs executives into senior positions in the new administration. But in Britain, the nationalist drive that produced Brexit delivered a prime minister determined not to be in thrall to bankers.

The result is that banks are preparing to move large numbers of staff from London, and Germany and France are trying to lure jobs to their financial capitals.

Some bankers believe the big winner from Brexit will be New York because some business currently carried out in London would naturally revert to U.S. headquarters.

HSBC, UBS and Morgan Stanley have decided to move about 1,000 staff each from London in the next two years, according to sources familiar with their plans. This week Goldman Sachs said it would begin moving hundreds of people out of London as part of contingency plans for Britain leaving the EU.

Not Crying Wolf

Since Prime Minister Margaret Thatchers Big Bang financial deregulation triggered a massive expansion of the industry 31 years ago, bankers have relied on being a powerhouse of Britains economy to find a receptive ear in government.

But in the aftermath of the vote to leave the EU, the sector is grappling with a new reality. Last years vote triggered a change in leadership and tone at the heart of Britains government. May pledged an industrial revival and to build an economy that works for everyone, not just the elite.

Reuters spoke to more than 40 senior bankers from big British and international banks, politicians, government officials and lobbyists to piece together how the relationship between these pillars of Britains establishment became strained.

Those people say there are conflicting opinions about what the long-term results of Brexit will be for the worlds fifth largest economy and whether finance should remain the biggest driver of its wealth.

The government is making two calculations, these people say. The first is that bank executives are bluffing over moving jobs. The second: The EU is so dependent on London to service its debt that EU negotiators will give UK financial services a special deal to continue to operate unrestricted across the single market. EU officials counter that finance is mobile and business will move to other locations.

Britains finance industry contributed a record 71.4 billion pounds ($88.7 billion) in corporate and employee taxes to the government last year, according to the City of London Corporation. That is an amount equal to Britains annual spending on primary education, the police, and the army. Put another way, finance contributes almost as much in tax as all taxpayers in Scotland and Wales combined.

Nevertheless, Mays ministers began telling bankers in the autumn they would not get any special treatment in the Brexit negotiations.

The second most powerful executive at one of Britains biggest banks said he and his colleagues felt wrong-footed. The executive said that he no longer receives phone calls from British cabinet ministers or invitations to Downing Street receptions as he did under previous governments.

With May there is almost no interest or affection. She is keeping us at arms length, the executive said. I will probably never meet May.

Brexit minister David Davis, who will decide the industry priorities in the upcoming Brexit talks, rammed home the message that the governments relationship with the financial sector was changing in his first few meetings with bankers.

Davis, a Eurosceptic from a working class background, bristles at being told what to do by bankers, according to colleagues and people who interact with him. Davis declined to comment.

In an early phone conversation, he told one executive that the finance industry had damaged its relationship with the government by saying the economy would suffer from reduced immigration. The EU vote had delivered a clear message that immigration must be curbed, he said.

Davis publicly attacked banks in October in parliament. He accused them of an extraordinary outpouring almost of grief, a blame Brexit festival, and of lying that they were going to fire staff because of Brexit. Daviss aides also warned executives they need to be more positive about the opportunities of Brexit if the government is going to listen to them, two banking sources said.

Bank executives complain they feel they cant speak freely. Everyone is worried about stoking up the Brexiteers, fueling the flames, said the chairman of one of Britains biggest insurance companies.

A government official said the bankers portrayal of the relationship doesnt accurately reflect the character of the meetings or the tone of the Davis teams engagement with financial services firms. The official declined to go into specifics.

The appointment of Simon Kirby as minister responsible for financial services further raised concerns among some bankers. They doubted that Kirby, who founded a radio station and a chain of nightclubs before going into politics, was suitable to be the main government liaison to the industry, these bankers said.

In November, many of the most senior executives and chairmen of Britains finance companies met him for the first time. Kirby failed to answer basic questions about the governments policy towards financial services, according to people who attended.

It was almost like he didnt know what a bank is or what it does, said one of the people present.

Kirby declined to comment.

A few weeks ago Kirby was quietly removed from his Brexit role. He will continue to work in the finance ministry, with responsibility for areas including regulation. The Treasury said it wanted a new minister to focus on assessing Brexits impact on financial services.

Masters of the Universe

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative lawmaker and financier, says the government is relaxed about bankers threats because the vote was a rejection of an economic system that benefited the banks.

Its condescension from the clever people, the masters of the universe, he said. They dont like the fact that theyve been overruled by the people who voted for Brexit.

He said banks historically dont follow through on their threats.

At the turn of the century, some financial sector executives warned the failure to join the euro would lead to a withering in Londons role as a hub for business. And after the 2007-09 financial crisis many banks also threatened to move operations overseas. On both occasions, Britains finance sector expanded.

Shanker Singham, a trade expert who has held meetings with the Brexit department, told Reuters the government has also been frustrated with the banks because they exaggerated how much they depended on EU passporting, a set of regulatory agreements that allowed them to sell services across Europe.

Yet earlier this year, the industry quietly ditched its insistence on passporting. Instead, it made a plea for time to adapt to a post-Brexit world after the two-year divorce talks end in March 2019 and proposed an alternative idea, known as enhanced equivalence.

This would give firms from a non-EU country access to the bloc if their home rules are similar.

If you ask your chief trade negotiator, May in this case, to ask for something you cant live without, and it turns out you can live without it, thats very bad negotiating tactics, Singham said.

Anthony Browne, chief executive of the British Bankers Association, dismissed accusations the sector, which largely wanted to stay in the EU, was being alarmist. He reminds people of the ending of a well-known parable.

Crying wolf? When people say that I say, how does the story end? At some point, the wolf does eat the boy, he said.

No Divine Right

A decade ago, things were far simpler. Bankers were courted by both main political parties who wanted to spend the tax revenues generated by the sector.

One government official working under Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2007 remembers the banks were invited into Downing Street every six months to be asked what the government could do to make their lives easier.

Then came the financial crisis. As in the United States, many Britons began to accuse the financial services sector of benefiting more from the nation than it contributes.

A minister in the government of former prime minister David Cameron said that the cozy relationship between financial services and British governments appears to be temporarily over under May.

There has been a bit of a revolution, an end to the old world order, he said.

Junior finance minister Lucy Neville-Rolfe has sought to calm tensions, telling Reuters that banks will be one of the priorities in the EU divorce talks.

People rightly speak up and express their concerns, and the banks have always been quite fast to do that, she said. But I think we have a very strong relationship. They know that we are huge supporters.

But the banks in Britain are planning for the worst. They are working on contingencies to move staff and business lines from London, assuming the negotiations with the EU end without an adequate trade deal that will give them full access to the single market.

A potential problem for Britain is that after Thatchers deregulation, many financial companies were bought up by U.S. or European rivals. These firms lack national loyalty to Britain. Neil Dwane, a global strategist at Allianz Global Investors, said most of the big decision makers in London, outside of insurance, are American or Swiss.

So what concerns me is who is going to fight thinking as a Brit for London rather than thinking it is easier to take it to New York or easier to go back to Zurich, he said.

The risk for London is a gradual leaching away of business and a withering of Londons role as Europes financial capital and the influence it brings.

London doesnt have a divine right to continue being a world leading financial center, said Mark Boleat, chair of policy at the City of London Corp. We shouldnt be complacent about it. It all depends on whether we maintain the right environment.

(Additional reporting by William James, Elizabeth Piper, Carolyn Cohn and Simon Jessop; edited by Janet McBride and Richard Woods)

Related:

Topics USA Legislation Profit Loss Europe London
Oswald Companies, based in Cleveland, Ohio, has appointed Suzanne Sandusky as global casualty practice leader for property/casualty. Sandusky will lead the independent insurance brokerage firms national and international casualty strategy.

Sandusky has 25 years of experience in designing unique casualty programs for large global clients.

She was most recently the regional vice president for Travelers national accounts, where she held responsibilities in business development, underwriting and delivery of services to larger organizations mainly sourced in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Kentucky.

Prior to joining Travelers, she served as a broker for Marsh & McLennan Companies in Pittsburgh.

Source: Oswald Companies

Topics Leadership Casualty
Producers Ag Insurance Group Inc. (ProAg), a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies, has agreed to acquire crop managing general agent, West Des Moines, Iowa-based International Ag Insurance Solutions LLC (International Ag).

The transaction, which is subject to a number of closing conditions including final approvals by certain International Ag members and regulatory authorities, is expected to close by April 3, 2017.

International Ag manages multi-peril crop, crop hail and named peril crop insurance. In 2016, the company managed gross premiums of $67.4 million, as reported by National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS).

ProAg is headquartered in Amarillo, Texas, with seven offices spread across the United States. ProAg employs approximately 400 people supporting crop insurance operations in 41 states.

Headquartered in Houston, Tokio Marine HCC is a specialty insurance group with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland.

Source: Producers Ag Insurance Group Inc.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Texas Agribusiness Iowa
Republicans in the Iowa House passed a bill to overhaul how workers in the state are compensated for on-the-job injuries, though they backed off some key proposals amid internal concern over the extent of the changes.

The GOP-majority chamber voted 55-38 for the bill, which would revamp standards for hurt workers, including reductions to shoulder injury benefits and decreased coverage for injuries tied to a pre-existing condition. The Republican-led Senate will now consider the legislation.

The bill is the culmination of days of private meetings between Republicans, who appeared stuck on final details of the proposal. Democrats have argued the measure benefits corporations while penalizing injured workers.

Republicans said the legislation will rebalance a system that is overly litigated while addressing rising premiums for some business sectors.

Iowa employers want their people to come to work and go home as they came, said GOP Rep. Gary Carlson on the House floor. Many of those great employers also want to see the changes in this legislation.

But some initial provisions  a plan that changed the definition of a workplace injury and a measure to end permanent total disability benefits at age 67  were ultimately scrapped from the bill.

Carlson said the revisions came after public hearings and concerns within the party about unanticipated consequences that could have penalized older workers.

Despite tweaks, Democrats remained unimpressed. Rep. Mary Wolfe of Clinton pointed to the various Republican changes as an indication the bill wasnt well-thought-out.

It is not a product of a responsible, informed review of our current system, she said.

Data from the National Council on Compensation Insurance, a nonpartisan group that analyzes and sets workers compensation rates in several states, indicates the overall system is fair for employers. NCCI said overall premium costs for Iowa businesses decreased in 2017 by an average of 4.7 percent. Those rates have slightly fluctuated in previous years, but when analyzing premiums, loss ratios and lost-time claims, NCCI said most companies benefit in Iowa.

But that number is the average for all Iowa industries, and some sectors could have seen increases. Republican Rep. Gary Worthan of Storm Lake said his local trucking company is one such business.

Iowa manufacturers, trucking companies, are at a disadvantage to our neighbors, he said. Were putting Iowa businesses at a disadvantage every day. This legislation is long past due.

Rep. Marti Anderson, a Des Moines Democrat, said the restrictions to injury coverage will only deter workers from Iowa.

The businesses pushing this bill stand to gain substantially from the passing of his bill, she said. Their gain will be directly off the back of the folks doing the work.

There were 713 workers compensation case decisions in all of 2016, according to the Iowa Workforce Development. Meatpacking business Tyson Foods accounted for 5.6 percent of those decisions, and agricultural machinery manufacturer John Deere accounted for 2.8 percent. Both companies are registered in favor of the bill.

The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency found that many insured and self-insured employers would benefit from decreased worker compensation payments if the legislation is enacted.

Another GOP amendment created a vocational rehabilitation program through the IWD for some workers with shoulder injuries. The employer would pay up to $15,000 toward a retraining program for qualified workers.

This program can give them a new career path, Carlson said. The goal is for those people who need that training the most to be able to resume their careers productively.

Democrats criticized Republicans for introducing a new program through an amendment, saying they did not have time to analyze the fiscal impact.

If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the governor, changes to the workers compensation law would go into effect July 1.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Workers' Compensation Iowa Politics
Norman-Spencer Agency Inc., based in Dayton, Ohio, has launched a new Nonprofit Division. This division offers three unique insurance programs  food distribution and thrift stores, foundations and grant making, and housing and shelters.

Honoring its commitment to communities and caring, Norman-Spencer will donate 50 percent of its divisional profits from these programs to deserving nonprofit organizations through its nonprofit foundation, NS Cares.

Norman-Spencer and our employees care about the communities where our customers live and work, Norman-Spencer President Brian Norman said in the agencys announcement. Working so closely with NS Cares and the nonprofits that NS Cares supports, it was an easy decision to have 50 percent of divisional profits donated to the organizations that make a difference.

NS Cares was established in 2015 to provide opportunities for Norman-Spencer employees to live a culture of caring by helping others through volunteering, donating and fundraising. The experience Norman-Spencer employees have with NS Cares has provided them with a detailed understanding of the coverages nonprofits need.

Coverage lines being provided by the Nonprofit Division are property, inland marine, crime, auto, cyber, directors and officers liability, equipment breakdown and data compromise, accident and health, and umbrella up to $15 million. Enhancements include separate general liability limits, professional liability limits of $1MM/$3MM, unlimited defense limits, social service broadening endorsements, and abuse or molestation.

The Nonprofit Division programs are available nationwide and are on admitted paper.

Source: Norman-Spencer Agency Inc.

Topics Ohio
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has settled a $3 billion negligence lawsuit over the October 2011 collapse of MF Global Holdings Ltd, the futures and commodities brokerage once run by former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine.

Terms were not disclosed, but the malpractice case was settled to the mutual satisfaction of the parties, representatives for PwC and MF Globals bankruptcy administrator said in separate statements on Thursday.

The accord ends the last major piece of litigation that the administrator, hedge fund founder Nader Tavakoli, has been pursuing on behalf of MF Global creditors.

It also ends a trial that began on March 7 in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where several witnesses including Corzine had already testified.

PwC has denied wrongdoing. It blamed Corzines business strategy and the markets reaction to it for MF Globals demise.

In April 2015, PwC reached a separate $65 million settlement with MF Global investors, but denied wrongdoing there too.

Lawyers for both sides on Thursday declined to comment or were not immediately available for comment.

MF Global filed for Chapter 11 protection on Oct. 31, 2011 as news about Corzines $6.3 billion wager on European sovereign debt, a surprise tax writedown, and credit rating downgrades fueled worries about its survival.

Investors became upset when MF Global moved the European debt onto its balance sheet on Oct. 25, 2011, after previously discussing it more generally in regulatory filings.

The administrator faulted PwC over the accounting for repurchase-to-maturity transactions through which Corzine bet on the European debt, and for changing its advice on deferred tax assets, causing the writedown.

Corzine, also a former New Jersey senator and Goldman Sachs co-chairman, testified that he had trusted PwC because of its strong reputation. He also called the European debt a low-risk investment that ultimately paid in full.

In January, Corzine agreed to pay $5 million and accept a lifetime U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ban to settle claims by that agency.

Corzine, 70, now runs an office focused on charitable giving and his familys investments, and has taught at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Marguerita Choy)

Topics Europe
The U.S. Senate (50-48) joined the House (231-191) in passing a resolution blocking a federal workplace injury and accident reporting rule put in place by the Obama Administration last December.

The Department of Labor rule issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) extended the period of time from six months to five years that employers could face fines for not keeping records on workplace incidents.

Employers have for years been required to maintain records on workplace injuries and illnesses for a five-year span. OSHA uses the information to help it gauge health and safety conditions at worksites.

Republican opponents of the Obama reporting rule said it violated a six month statute of limitations in the law regarding record keeping violations. For its part, OSHA said the rule reflected its actual longstanding position that employers have an ongoing obligation to keep records.

Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee, sponsored the resolution to nullify what he called an unlawful power grab by OSHA.

According to Byrne, employers should only be cited for violations of this record keeping law within a six month window. The Obama Administrations rule, known as the Volks rule, meant OSHA could penalize an employer for a violation anytime during the five years.

In 2012, the D.C. Circuit in AKM LLC v. Secretary of Labor (Volks) rejected OSHAs position on the continuing nature of its prior record keeping regulations. OSHA revised the rule before its final issuance last December, maintaining that the final rule added no new compliance obligations and did not require employers to make records of any injuries or illnesses for which records were not already required.

Byrne and his Republican colleagues maintained the rule was an attempt to rewrite the law and that it imposed a burden on employers that would do little to improve workplace safety.

I applaud the Senate for their swift passage of my bill to stop this unlawful power grab. We should be focused on proactive policies that help improve workplace safety instead of punitive rules that do nothing to make American workers safer, Byrne said in a statement.

The White House has indicated President Donald Trump will sign the measure.

Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress may pass a resolution of disapproval to prevent a federal agency from implementing a rule. Byrnes resolution (H. J. Res 83) blocks OSHAs Volks rule from taking effect and prevents future administrations from promulgating a similar rule.

Topics Workers' Compensation Commercial Lines Business Insurance
The Trump administration doubled down on its demand that House Republican leaders hold a vote Friday on their embattled healthcare bill without any changes and with lingering uncertainty about whether they have enough support to pass the measure.

After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan! President Donald Trump tweeted Friday morning.

Referring to the conservative House group that has several members holding out on the plan, Trump added, The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan! Planned Parenthood, which offers reproductive health services such as birth control and abortions at U.S. clinics, has long been a Republican target for defunding.

If the high-stakes gamble works and the House manages to pass the Obamacare replacement bill, it will be an important win for Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan who have formed an uneasy alliance to repeal former President Barack Obamas signature health-care law.

If the measure is blocked, it will be an embarrassing setback that casts doubt on Trump and Ryans ability to deliver on their ambitious agenda, including taxes and infrastructure, both of which are being closely watched by Wall Street.

He wants to do this and he wants to do it now, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said of Trump on ABC Friday morning. He also wants to move on to things like tax reform, infrastructure, restructuring the government, putting people back to work. Hes not willing to wait the several months an ordinary president would.

Mulvaney said the White House was still unsure whether it had enough votes to pass.

The Trump administration made a last-minute deal with House conservatives to change the bill  by removing Obamacares requirements that certain essential benefits be covered by insurance  in an effort to win over holdouts, who had forced GOP leaders to delay a vote originally scheduled for Thursday.

Then Trump aides, including senior strategist Steve Bannon, went to Capitol Hill to deliver a message in person to House leaders and the Republican caucus that the president has run out of patience: Trump wanted a vote Friday, win or lose, even if that means leaving Obamacare in place.

Nothings going to change at this point with this piece of legislation, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price told MSNBC Friday morning.

No More Negotiations

We have to have a vote tomorrow. He expects it to pass, Representative Chris Collins of New York said Thursday, speaking about Trump. We are done negotiating, there are no more negotiations.

If it loses, we just move on to tax reform, added Collins, a Trump ally.

Conservatives, including Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, emerged from the meeting saying they were still leaning against the bill but evaluating the final package.

Meadows said late Thursday Im a no for now, but said members had been given a binary choice and that he would talk with other members before making a final decision.

GOP leaders didnt agree to a core demand of the Freedom Caucus to eliminate other insurance regulations, according to a senior Republican aide.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who opposes the bill, said Republican leaders are taking a risky bet.

If they bring this to the floor and it doesnt get to 216 quickly, the momentum could go in the other direction and they could come way short, he said. Because you dont want to be the person who fell on your sword and voted yes for a piece of legislation that never passes.

Leaning the Other Way

Other House conservatives said they were getting the sense that enough of their colleagues would end up backing it.

Im still a no, but it looks like its leaning the other way, Freedom Caucus member Ted Yoho of Florida said. Representative Mark Sanford of South Carolina agreed, saying he was picking up that the sentiment of most of the conference was now to pass the bill.

Freedom Caucus member Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee held out hope that there was still room for compromise. Weve been told that this is it, this is the deal, but weve been told that three or four times since last week, he said.

Moderates Unnerved

The bill has struggled to win over far-right members who have demanded a more complete repeal of Obamacare, but its also unnerved moderates concerned about projections that millions of Americans will lose coverage. A number of moderates came out against the bill this week, giving Republican leaders little room to negotiate changes.

Ryan put a brave face on the upcoming test of whether he and Trump can deliver the votes.

For seven-and-a-half years, we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it is collapsing and hurting families, he said Thursday. Tomorrow we will see that.

The GOP bill, H.R. 1628, would reverse massive gains in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, which brought the uninsured rate to a record low. The proposal would pull hundreds of billions of dollars out of the health system by winding down Obamacares expansion of Medicaid and limiting its subsidies, threatening revenues for hospitals, doctors and insurance companies.

Some Changes

Meadows and other conservative Freedom Caucus members demanded a provision in the bill  agreed to by Trump and GOP leaders  that would scrap the essential benefits portion of the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurers to cover 10 categories of services, for the individual market. Those services include hospitalization, ambulance services, maternitycare, pediatric services, mental health and substance abuse treatment, prescription drugs, rehabilitative care and laboratory services.

Other new provisions described by lawmakers Thursday night include a $15 billion boost to a new state flexibility fund and six more years of a 0.9 percent Medicare tax on high earners.

That last bit is needed to pay for what is expected to be a surge of people buying lower-cost insurance products, triggering tax credits that run from $2,000 to $4,000 per person for eligible people.

If the bill makes it to the Senate, it is expected to undergo significant changes there as well, including boosts to tax credits for people ages 50 to 64 who are hit with massive premium spikes under the bill.

Outdated CBO Score

The last-minute changes mean that Republicans will be voting on the measure without a final estimate from the Congressional Budget Office about how many millions of Americans will lose coverage or how much the measure will cost.

In another development that could unease conservatives, the CBO issued a new estimate Thursday to account for changes made to the bill earlier in the week. The nonpartisan agency cut its estimate of how much the bill would shrink the federal budget deficit, saying the updated measure would reduce the deficit by $150 billion over the next decade, $186 billion less than the initial forecast of $337 billion.

Representative Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said he fears that even if the Freedom Caucus succeeds at getting its wish and delivers the votes for the bill to pass to the House, the provisions they demand wont pass muster under Senate rules.

It seems that they want more inclusion on the essential benefits and some of those things that the speaker and others believe will violate Senate rules, Cramer said. And for some, I think theyre spoiling for a fight. They want to challenge the Senate.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Legislation Politics
The Texas Senate on March 22 preliminarily approved a bill prohibiting coverage of abortion by some health insurance plans in Texas  despite similar efforts stalling previously.

The 19-10 vote leaves Sen. Larry Taylors bill a final, largely ceremonial vote away from heading to the House.

It bars health insurance plans offered through the Obama administrations health care law from covering the cost of abortions unless policyholders purchase supplemental coverage.

Texas never established health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, but state policies are offered via federal exchanges.

Twenty-five states already restrict abortion coverage in plans purchased through Affordable Care Act exchanges.

Taylor, a Friendswood Republican, says Texas is behind other conservative locales on the issue  though a bill doing the same thing stalled in the GOP-controlled Legislature last session.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Texas Politics
A Tennessee committee has voted down a bill to protect drivers from lawsuits if they hit protesters who are blocking traffic.

On Wednesday, the House Civil Justice Subcommittee voted against the legislation by Republican Rep. Matthew Hill of Jonesborough.

The bill would grant immunity from civil liability to drivers who are exercising due care and accidentally injure a protester who is blocking traffic.

Rep. G.A. Hardaway, a Memphis Democrat, said the bill would be constitutionally suspect and embolden people to think they can hit protesters. He read tweets about President Donald Trumps visit to Nashville last week, including one that incorrectly says its legal to run over protesters because of the bill.

Hill said he doesnt endorse those comments, and his bill doesnt intend to sanction driving into protesters.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Personal Auto Tennessee
A small, all-natural dairy isnt being deceptive when it calls its skim milk skim milk, a federal appeals court has ruled  a victory for a Florida creamery that fought the states demand to label the product imitation because vitamins arent added to it.

The ruling overturns a decision last March when a federal judge sided with the Florida Department of Agriculture, which said the Ocheesee Creamery couldnt label its skim milk skim milk because the state defines the product as skim milk with Vitamin A added. The state instead said that if the creamery wanted to sell the product, it should label it as imitation skim milk.

That didnt sit well with a dairy whose whole philosophy is not to add ingredients to natural products. So instead of complying, the creamery has dumped thousands of gallons of skim milk down the drain rather than label it as an imitation milk product.

The State was unable to show that forbidding the Creamery from using the term `skim milk was reasonable, the three-judge, Jacksonville-based panel wrote in its ruling.

The court said the state disregarded far less restrictive and more precise ways of labeling the product, for example, allowing skim milk to be called what it is and merely requiring a disclosure that it lacks vitamin A.

The Institute for Justice is representing Ocheesee Creamery owner Mary Lou Wesselhoeft in the lawsuit against the state.

All Mary Lou wants to do is sell skim milk that contains literally one ingredient  pasteurized skim milk  and label it as pasteurized skim milk, Institute for Justice lawyer Justin Pearson said in a press release.

The creamery, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of the state capital, has offered to put on its label that it doesnt add vitamins to the product, but the state hasnt accepted the compromise. It was selling between 100 and 300 gallons (380 to 1,140 liters) of skim milk a week for $5 a gallon before the dispute. The product made up about 25 percent of its profits.

The dictionary definition of skim milk is simply milk with the cream removed. But the Department of Agriculture says under state and federal law, skim milk cant be sold as skim milk unless vitamins in the milk fat are replaced so it has the same nutritional value as whole milk.

The department didnt immediately return phone calls and an email seeking comment.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida Legislation Agribusiness Oklahoma
If we survive the next five to 10 years and improve the way we do things, we can be well-positioned into the future.

James Keating, founder, chairman and CEO of The Keating Group, offered those positive words amid the din of voices calling attention to the dangers of disruption in the insurance industry.

Keating spoke to a crowd of insurance professionals on Thursday at the Western Insurance Agents Association (WIAA) state of the industry conference in Irvine, Calif. Other featured speakers at the conference included George Muller, deputy commissioner of enforcement for the California Department of Insurance; Beth Ossino, claims manager for Golden Bear Insurance Co.; Joel Laucher, chief deputy at the CDI, and John Finston, CDIs general counsel.

Keating was one of a handful of speakers who focused on technology and industry disruption.

The Keating Group is a holding company for Keating Cos., tKg Wholesale Brokerage, tKg Online, WholeSource and Keating Capital.

The forty-something executive has gone a long way in a short time building out these firms, as evidenced by the story of his firms growth he told at the conference. In 2004 he drove from Phoenix, Ariz. to Boston, Mass. to make a start in the insurance business armed only with his knowledge and a $75,000 bank account.

By the end of that year he was in four markets, had 516 submissions and $3.8 million in written premium.

I remember telling my grandma, If I could just get to $10 million in premium, Id be happy,' Keating said.

As of 2016, the firm was in 172 markets, had 45,000 submissions and $181 million in written premium. He estimates the firms market value is between $45 and $55 million.

He juxtaposed that value with the value that the independent agency holds for the business world and society in general.

The independent agency, in my opinion, is one of the most valuable parts of the American economy, he said.

However, independent agencies must embrace technology to compete with large concerns and disruptors, he said.

One way he suggested they can compete with large companies and well-funded startups coming into the industry is to invest heavily in technology.

Between 2004 and 2009 his firm grew by $8.7 million, and then between 2010 and 2016 it grew by $52.7 million, according to Keating. He measured the proportion of that growth by a ratio of his spend on technology in those same periods. Keatings IT investment from 2004 to 2009 was $1.4 million. Starting in 2010 up to last year that investment rose to $6.1 million.

Youve got to invest in technology, he said.

Richard Kerr, chairman and CEO of Dallas, Texas-based electronic insurance exchange MarketScout Corp., hammered a common thread throughout the speaker presentations: Insuretech.

Like Keating, Kerr encouraged agency owners and managers in the audience to take note of the growth of insuretech and to look for ways to adapt to a changing industry by setting themselves up to deliver specific services at an expert level. You are safe if you are a specialist, Kerr said. If youre doing a very generic, mainstream business, you need to be worried.

In his examples he referred to disruptors like Zenefits, Lemonade and Attune. The latter is a technology-enabled platform targeted at the small to medium commercial insurance market that was created in partnership by Hamilton Insurance Group, American International Group Inc. and affiliates of Two Sigma Investments LP.

Operators like these are all using big data to increasingly move toward selling insurance online to small businesses, he said.

A company like Attune, Kerr said, only needs two things from a small business to offer it insurance: its name and its address.

Because every other dataset they need is out there, he said.

Michael Jans, founder and CEO of Agency Revolution, produced a dizzying array of statistics to drive home his point about the need for agencies to be on board with investing in better technology.

81 percent of consumers research online before shopping

65 percent of consumers read between four and 52 online reviews

98 percent of people check email at least once a day

39 percent of people check their email 10 times or more a day

87 percent of people say they check their email between midnight and 5 a.m. at least once a week

The average person touches, taps or swipes their smartphones roughly 2,617 times in a day

In our business, if we want to reach people and touch people, we have to be where they are, Jans said.

Other figures in his online-focused talk included tidbits like: mobile web searches surpassed desktop searches more than two years ago; people spend an average of 87 hours per month browsing on their smartphones; and 44 percent of people in a recent poll said they have had zero interactions with their insurance agent in the last 18 months.

Meanwhile insuretech startups are finding more ways to reach consumers and make it more convenient for them to buy insurance online, according to Jans, who said hes seen an increase in venture capital, conferences and media focused on insuretech.

Jans did some research to see how many insuretech-themed conferences are planned for the near future. I counted 20, he said. Its an industry and its right next to us and it will disrupt us.

Flinstsones

Insuretech and the insurance industry can best be thought of like the Jetsons and the Flintstones, according to Bill Hartnett, founder and president of Hartnett Advisors, a firm that offers strategic advice on technology usage.

The (insurance) business model goes back to Lloyds, which is just over 300 years old, he said. It really hasnt changed materially since then.

Hartnett not surprisingly cautioned those listening to embrace technology and use it to their advantage, including considering tapping into big data.

All the data up through history, well double that this year, he said.

Hartnett tackled an array of related topics in his talk, from autonomous vehicles to the Internet of Things to cognitive computing. All of which are going to change the way insurance is sold, he said.

The factory of the future is going to be a man and a dog, he said. It will be the mans job to feed the dog, and it will be the dogs job to make sure the man doesnt touch anything.

Related:

Topics Agencies InsurTech Tech Market
California is not just fighting nature as it attempts to repair the nations tallest dam, badly damaged last month by surging storm waters. Its also racing the clock.

Safety experts say there is no time for delay in a state plan to restore the 770-foot Oroville Dam, and they warn California would face a very significant risk if a damaged spillway is not in working order by fall, the start of the next rainy season.

A Nov. 1 target to fix the spillway presents a very demanding schedule, as everyone recognizes, said a report prepared by an independent team of consultants and submitted to federal officials last week. A copy of the report was obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

The report sketches a challenging array of problems at the Northern California dam, where last month authorities ordered the evacuation of 188,000 people after surging releases of water tore away big chunks of the main spillway and then the dams second, emergency spillway. At the time, officials feared rapid deterioration of the emergency spillway could send a 30-foot wall of water from the lake behind the dam through surrounding towns.

Water was even seeping from seemingly undamaged stretches of the main spillway, the five-member team found. Only 12 inches thick, the concrete spillway is heavily patched, at some places by clay stuffed into holes below the concrete.

This calls into question whether the portions of the slab that appear undamaged by the failure should be replaced, the consultants said, raising the prospect of a much bigger long-term repair job.

Repair contracts will have to be awarded by June.

A very significant risk would be incurred if the Gated Spillway is not operational by November 1, the report said.

The report does not specify what that means.

However, officials with the state Department of Water Resources, which operates the dam, fear a huge rupture that opened in the main spillway could expand to cripple the flood gates that send out controlled releases of water and keep water from spilling over uncontrollably.

In a statement, spokeswoman Maggie Macias said the agencys objective was to have a fully functional spillway before the start of the next storm season.

Well be working round-the-clock through spring, summer and fall to make that happen, she said.

The independent consultants were selected by the state at the request of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Experts on the panel either declined comment Wednesday or could not immediately be reached.

The experts called it absolutely critical that the dams state operators not use the faulty emergency spillway again.

The state should start work now redesigning a new emergency spillway for the 50-year-old dam, the consultants said.

The experts inspected the main spillway before delivering the recommendations to the state.

Fully repairing the spillway will likely take two years, the consultants said. California still has at least a month left in the current, unusually wet rainy season. A record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada will send more runoff into Lake Oroville as weather warms.

State water officials plan to use the damaged main spillway sparingly to control the runoff, releasing water down it to try to ensure it doesnt spill out over the non-functional emergency spillway again.

Also Wednesday, the state Legislative Analysts Office warned that tens of billions of dollars are needed for repairs and updates for aging dams, levees, wetlands and other projects in Californias flood-management system.

Authorities have not provided a current estimate for the cost of repairs needed on the Oroville dam spillways.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California
Two men have filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America and its local branch for $7 million each, claiming they were sexually abused by a former scout leader in Milwaukie in the 1970s.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported the lawsuit accusing the Scouts and its local branch, Cascade Pacific Council, of negligence, fraud, sexual battery of a child and intentional infliction of emotional distress was filed Wednesday.

The lawsuit says Robert Charles Philpott was enabled to groom and abuse the former scouts and troop mates, now in their 50s, when Philpott was a troop leader between at least 1970 and 1972.

Philpott was convicted of sexual abuse in Clackamas County in 1996 for abusing a 14-year-old boy.

The Boy Scouts of America did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Oregon
Higher taxes in India may kill the cryptocurrency trade in the country, according to Binances CEO, while the UK government faces calls from BT to extend its 130% super-deduction.
Un ottobre da sogno per Antonio Conte: lex ct della Nazionale italiana, attualmente alla guida del Chelsea, nelle ultime quattro gare di Premier League ha collezionato solo successi, conditi da 11 reti segnate e addirittura nessuna incassata. Numeri da record che non sono certo passati inosservati alla Federazione inglese, la quale ha conferito al tecnico leccese lambito premio di Manager del mese.

Unavventura oltremanica iniziata in sordina, quella di Conte, pur a fronte di tre vittorie nelle prime tre gare di campionato. A far vacillare, anche se solo per un momento, le certezze del patron del club londinese, Roman Abramovich, i risultati conseguiti tra la 4a e la 6a giornata, coincisi con un pareggio sul campo dello Swansea City e, soprattutto, con le due pesanti sconfitte subite dal Liverpool, sul terreno casalingo di Stamford Bridge, e dallArsenal. In particolare, la debacle interna coi Reds, aveva irritato non poco il numero uno russo, poiche occorsa proprio nel giorno della sua 250esima partita da presidente della societa.

Come detto, solo un momento. Dopo lincontro dellEmirates, il tecnico salentino cambia modulo, adottando un piu equilibrato 3-4-3 e inserendo elementi di corsa come lo spagnolo Pedro. Una svolta totale perche, di li in poi, il Chelsea inanellera solo e soltanto vittorie: 2 gol allHull City e al Southampton in trasferta, 3 ai campioni dInghilterra del Leicester e 4 allo United in casa, con un meraviglioso numero zero nella casella delle reti subite. Un fantastico poker, ottenuto tra l1 e il 29 ottobre. Un cambio di marcia sbalorditivo, confermato dal 5 a 0 rifilato ai toffees dellEverton nel primo match di novembre, e una scalata che, man mano, ha portato i blues al secondo posto in classifica, a soli 2 punti dal Liverpool capolista.

E allora, non poteva mancare il riconoscimento di migliore allenatore del mese, ottenuto surclassando tecnici del calibro di Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) e Mark Hughes (Southampton). Tanta, ovviamente, la soddisfazione: E un grande onore e voglio condividerlo con i giocatori e con la societa  ha dichiarato Conte sul sito ufficiale della Premier League -. E la prima volta che lavoro in un altro Paese, con una cultura diversa, e portare la propria filosofia non e facile, ma ora sono contento di questa scelta.

A completare la festa, la premiazione del fantasista belga, Eden Hazard, come miglior giocatore di ottobre. Due risultati importanti per il club, ottimo incentivo per la rincorsa al trono dei campioni, occupato dal Leicester di Ranieri. Il prossimo appuntamento per l11 di Conte sara al Riverside Stadium, tana del Middlesborough neopromosso. Il tempo di festeggiare e gia finito.
What Is the Keystone XL Pipeline?

The Keystone XL pipeline was to transport oil from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in the United States. The final phase of the Keystone XL pipeline was to be developed by TC Energy (formerly TransCanada Corporation), which has constructed several other pipelines between Canada and the United States since 2010.

In March 2019, then-President Donald Trump granted a Presidential permit allowing construction of the oil pipeline that was to run through the international border of the United States and Canada. However, on Jan. 20, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order revoking the permit of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Key Takeaways The Keystone Pipeline was proposed by TC Energy (formerly TransCanadian Corp.) in 2005 to transport new finds of hard-to-extract heavy oil from oil sands in Canada to U.S. refiners.

The pipeline system is 2,687 miles (4,324 km) long.

Keystone has been controversial for many years due to concerns about its local and global environmental impacts.

On Jan. 20, 2021, President Joe Biden rescinded the construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Understanding the Keystone XL Pipeline

The Keystone Pipeline was proposed by TransCanada Corp. on Feb. 9, 2005, in a press release, which said, "TransCanada is in the business of connecting energy supplies to markets and we view this opportunity as another way of providing a valuable service to our customers. Converting one of our natural gas pipeline assets for oil transportation is an innovative, cost-competitive way to meet the need for pipeline expansions to accommodate anticipated growth in Canadian crude oil production during the next decade."

The first phase of the pipeline goes from Hardisty, Alberta, to the junction at Steele City, Nebraska, and on to the Wood River Refinery in Roxana, Illinois, and the Patoka Oil Terminal Hub north of Patoka, Illinois. Section two runs from Steele City, Nebraska, south through Kansas to the oil hub and tank farm in Cushing, Oklahoma, then further south to Nederland, Texas, to serve refineries in the Port Arthur, Texas, area. The third phase is the Houston Lateral pipeline, which will transport crude oil from the pipeline in Liberty County, Texas, to refineries and terminals in the Houston area.

In Nov. 2015, President Barack Obama announced his administration would not grant permits for the construction of this pipeline in order to further their commitment to fighting climate change. In his first week at the Oval Office, President Trump signed an executive order clearing the way for the pipeline project. The Republican party had believed that the construction of the pipeline will create more jobs and provide a boost to the economy. On Jan. 20, 2021, President Joe Biden rescinded the construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. TC Energy said it was stopping construction earlier the same day.

How the Keystone Pipeline Works

The Keystone system transports diluted bitumen and synthetic crude oil from Alberta through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma to refineries located in Texas, Illinois, and Oklahoma. Canada has large reserves of oil locked in oil sands. This oil is considered heavy oil, which requires a different refining process from other types of oil. The production of heavy oil releases particulate matter, such as soot, as well as chemicals such as sulfides, hydrogen cyanide, and sulfur. The finished Keystone XL pipeline is estimated to be able to carry over 800,000 barrels of oil a day.

The Keystone pipeline has been criticized by environmental groups, politicians, and residents of states through which the pipeline passes. These groups have raised concerns about the proposed route's proximity to the Sandhill region of Nebraska and the Ogallala aquifer, the latter of which provides a significant portion of the water used to water crops in the United States.  The bitumen carried by the pipeline to the United States will likely result in higher greenhouse gas emissions.

For example, the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) has filed lawsuits in 2017, 2019, and in July of 2020 to stop the construction of the pipeline. According to the NRDC, tar sands oil is much thicker and more corrosive than typical crude oil and is more prone to leaks and spills through the pipeline. The group stated that the most recent spill in Oct. 2019 resulted in 378,000 gallons of oil spilling in North Dakota.

Proponents of the pipeline say that it will increase the supply of oil to the United States and that oil coming from a friendly neighboring country increases security.
During Sheree Whitfield's upcoming housewarming party later on this season of, we find out that Kim Zolciak-Biermann is going to make her triumphant, in which Cynthia Bailey says that thestar will make an interesting impression after she gets into it with Kenya Moore."[Kim] made quite a comeback," Cynthia said with a laugh during an interview with. "She was pretty peaceful when she left. She was definitely pretty fired up at Sheree's housewarming."Here's what we can expect to transpire between Kenya and Kim, courtesy of the below preview clip of the rest of this season of RHOA:Kenya: "Your husband doesn't have a job right now, so worry about that."Kim: "Bitch, you wanna be me. You wanna have a baby, you can't. You wanna have a man, you don't."Kenya: "I know I'm not a duck like your lips."Cynthia said that whole exchange caught her off guard. "I was surprised to see [Kim], and I was definitely surprised that her and Kenya were going at it. I really had no idea that her and Kim and Kenya had a beef or an issue. I didn't even know that Kim and Kenya even knew each other that well, to be honest," Cynthia teased. "Apparently Kenya and Kim have a lot to say about each other. I'm staying as far away from that one as possible."Source/Photo Credit: Bravo
Looks like Ann Kaplan Mulholland won't be the only one to reunite with a long-lost family member since joining. Gregoriane Minot, also known as Grego on the Slice reality show took to Instagram to announce that she was heading to Thailand to reunite with her birth mother this week.The Thailand born beauty, who was adopted when she was baby by a French-Canadian family took to Instagram to share the exciting news with her fans. "This Friday, I will be travelling to Thailand with Pierre, our children and my adoptive parents in order to meet, for the first time, the woman who gave birth to me, put me up for adoption and insisted on having foreigners adopt me so I could have a better life."She continued: "When I see her, I will tell her that my quest to find her was motivated by my need to finally be able to thank her for the sacrifice she made which I consider to be a pure act of love and for the life and opportunities I have now."She added: "I will also share with her that growing up, I always knew she was by my side when I looked up to the skies and counted my lucky stars. The journey I'm about to embark on in a few days will forever change me. I do not have any expectations...I am only filled with peace, love and gratitude. "We are so happy for Grego, wishing her and her family safe travels and a beautiful reunion.Photo Credit: Slice
By David Raleigh

There were no trains or Bus Eireann buses operating out of Limerick, causing chaos for commuters.

Around 70 bus and rail workers, fighting proposed pay cuts, picketed outside the bus and rail depot at Colbert Station.

One of the bus workers standing on the picket line was Pat Hanrahan, a driver of 35 years with CIE/Bus Eireann.

"When the gardai went on strike for a few hours (the government) gave them a big pile of money, but they are kicking us ordinary bus workers in the teeth on the ground," Mr Hanrahan said.

"They are treating us like dirt, so we will not put up and tolerate this."

"We will fight to the end and we will stay out here for as long as it takes to protect what we have got."

The picket line will remain at Colbert Station until 7pm, and resuming again at 4.30am tomorrow.

Tony O'Brien, NBRU national executive member, said this evening: "We're very appreciative of the train drivers for not crossing the picket line in Limerick. There is a huge resilience and determination by the bus workforce to see out this strike."

"We have no problem meeting the company half way over new work practices they might want to bring in but we will continue this action to protect workers core wage payments."

The scene outside Limerick Bus Station with rail and bus workers on the picket #buseireann pic.twitter.com/lkVDqfM1vo  Brian O'Connell (@oconnellbrian) March 24, 2017

A family of three from Illinois, Chicago, who were on the first leg of a dream trip to Ireland, found themselves stranded at Colbert Station, where they had planned to get on a train to Cork before kissing the Blarney Stone.

Retired Chicago firefighter, Glen Bush explained how he and his wife Amy and daughter Kaitlyn, had earlier landed off a plane at Shannon Airport at 6am, before travelling by taxi to Limerick only to find the Cork train empty and sitting on the platform at Colbert Station.

"We've been planning this trip for 10 years. This is our first (family) vacation after my retirement," chuckled Mr Bush, still managing to see the funny side.

"I checked to make sure, because strikes do happen, but everything was good to go when we left yesterday in Chicago...and by the time we landed in Shannon, suddenly the buses are on strike, and the trains (too) in solidarity."

"We had a reservation on a noon train to get us to Cork, and then from Cork (get another train) again to Dublin tomorrow," Mr Bush, (aged 47), added.

Clare journalist Brian O'Connell, who had been reporting from the picketline at Colbert Station for the Sean O'Rourke RTE radio programme, stepped in, offering the American family a lift to the Rebel County.

Met the McPhail family from Chicago in Limerick - just landed and no way to Cork. They're in luck I'm headed there! pic.twitter.com/8jz9NOEhgS  Brian O'Connell (@oconnellbrian) March 24, 2017

"Then we catch a plane to Scotland and hopefully there'll be no strikes there," Mr Bush said.

His wife added: "I just don't know how we are going to get around. We're in Ireland for three days and then we are gonna be going to Scotland."

Dermot Healy, local NBRU spokesman said Irish Rail workers "refused" to cross the Limerick picket line in solidarity with bus workers.

"I don't know how that's going to continue on into the day," he said.

"The anger amongst the workers here is absolutely palpable. It's absolutely disgraceful, in this day and age, that we should be forced down this particular route; given pay increases awarded recently to TDs and Ministers...and here we are on the picket line fighting pay cuts," Mr Healy said.

He accused Bus Eireann management of proposing to "dive into wage packets of ordinary workers".

"We're absolutely determined that we're not going to allow that to happen," he added.

Tom Keane and his late father Gerry - who worked on the buses in Limerick for 40 years - have given 70 years service to CIE and then Bus Eireann.

He said: "We've given everything to this company. I've never ever, as long as I've been here, seen morale as low."

"I've never seen my colleagues so angry. Like everybody else during the recession, we took the (financial) pain; we didn't get a wage increase in eight years. Now that we have come through that (management) want to slash our wages even more to keep the company open."

Mr Keane added: "I'm hurt. We feel we have to make a stand for our rights."

Pat Hanrahan summed up the mood of workers: "Disgusted and sad."

"I started working here with CIE prior to the break up of the company in 1987. I came in as a young lad, I've been a driver, a conductor, I did years in tours, so I'm very sad and very hurt and angry at the way we are being treated after all these years."

"About three years ago the company requested the staff take a pay cut which lasted for 18 months, so we took a pay cut in or premium payments; our overtime; our Sunday duties; to save the company to stave off a debt they were in - We did that because of our goodness, and now they are coming back and trying to slash everything we ever had."

Mr Hanrahan added: "My message to the management is to start treating workers with a bit of dignity and respect."

"They are trying to bring us to the bottom of the barrel in terms of our conditions, but we are not going to stand for that. We are going to fight to the bitter end, and if it means (standing) out on this road for another three months we will certainly stay out, because we are better than that."

"I'm angry; we have all given our lives to this job, driving buses and looking after disabled people and people on medical cards and people on social welfare; driving them and getting to know them and this is the way we are treated."
Defiance and quiet dignity were shown at a vigil to the victims of the Westminster attack, hours before police said a 75-year-old man had died from injuries sustained in Wednesday's outrage.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The man had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening."

The elderly man's death took the number of innocent victims of the attack to four.

Forty other people were injured in the atrocity, with 29 treated in hospital, and six remained in a critical condition.

Multi-faith leaders, residents, tourists, police and politicians gathered at the candlelit vigil in London's Trafalgar Square on Thursday, which was led by Mayor Sadiq Khan.

He told the packed square: "Those evil and twisted individuals who tried to destroy our shared way of life will never succeed and we condemn them.

"The victims were people who came from all corners of our world. This is a time to express our gratitude to the heroism of our police officers and emergency services, who ran towards danger to help, and at the same time they encouraged others to run for safety.

"London is a great city, full of amazing people from all backgrounds. When Londoners face adversity we always pull together."

Home Secretary Amber Rudd paid tribute to police officer Keith Palmer, stabbed to death by the Westminster attacker, saying: "He was courageous, he was brave, and he was doing his duty.

"And he was not alone in doing that. I know that all officers of the Met are like that and in my experience, so are all policemen.

"I want us to say thank you to them all for the great sacrifice and risks they take to keep us safe."

Candles were lit and a minute's silence was observed for the innocent victims who died in the attack.

The injured included three police officers, 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks, and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

Acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner Craig Mackey started off the solemn proceedings.

Before news of the latest death broke, he spoke of the three innocent people who were killed during the "truly terrible" incident, that many more were gravely injured and that "all of us have been deeply affected by what has happened".

He said: "This cannot be undone, much as we would wish it. However we do get to choose our reaction and gathering here tonight shows exactly how we must move forward. We must stand together.

"People have tried to tear this city apart with acts of terror many times before. They have never succeeded and they never will."

Detectives investigating the attack are treating Mr Mackey as a significant witness as he was at the scene.

Earlier each of the three speakers, along with Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley and Metropolitan Police Commander Mak Chishty, Britain's highest-ranking police chief of Pakistani heritage and Muslim faith, had met around 20 faith leaders to discuss ways to combat the fear and distrust that terrorism spreads.

After the vigil, Dr Omer El Hamdoon, deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "This is an important message that Londoners need to display which is that terrorism will not divide us and it is not going to stop us and scare us."
Update 9.30pm: A 75-year-old man who was injured in the Westminster terror attack has died in hospital, Scotland Yard said.

This brings the death toll of the Westminster attack to five.

Detectives investigating the terrorist attack in #Westminster can confirm that a 75yo man died tonight after his life support was withdrawn.  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 23, 2017

Update 8.50pm: The Taoiseach has offered his condolences to Prime Minister May this evening.

The two shared a ten minute phone-call this evening - during which Enda Kenny offered any assistance that maybe required as the UK comes to terms with the tragedy.

Update: Britain's Foreign Secretary has led a minute's silence for London's Westminster victims, at the opening of a UN Security Council meeting in New York.

Earlier: UK police and intelligence agencies mounted a massive investigation to piece together the movements of Khalid Masood in the lead-up to the attack.

Searches were carried out at three addresses in Birmingham and one each in east London, Brighton, south east London and Carmarthenshire A 39-year-old woman was arrested in east London while a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man were held at one address in Birmingham A 26-year-old woman and three men aged 28, 27 and 26 were arrested at another address in Birmingham They were all held overnight while a 58-year-old man was arrested this morning at a third address in Birmingham Investigators are working on the basis that the attacker acted alone Car firm Enterprise confirmed the Hyundai used in the attack was one of its vehicles Islamic State claimed the killer was one of its "soldiers" A review of security arrangements at Westminster was launched

The Prime Minister addressed MPs as they gathered at the usual time inside the Palace of Westminster.

In a defiant message to a packed House of Commons, Mrs May said: "We will never waver in the face of terrorism."

Paying tribute to Pc Keith Palmer, who died after being stabbed, she said: "He was every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten."

The officer's family described him as "brave and courageous", saying his friends and relatives are "shocked and devastated".

The identities of the terrorist's victims on Westminster Bridge have emerged, one a US tourist from Utah celebrating his wedding anniversary, the other a "highly regarded and loved" member of college staff.

Kurt Cochran and his wife, Melissa, on the last day of a trip celebrating their 25th anniversary, were visiting her parents, who are serving as Mormon missionaries in London. Mrs Cochran was badly injured.

Aysha Frade, who worked in administration at independent sixth-form school DLD College London, in Westminster, is understood to have been 43 and married with two daughters.

Meanwhile, Islamic State made its first public pronouncement since the atrocity, claiming in a statement: "The attacker yesterday in front of the British Parliament in London was a soldier of the Islamic State executing the operation in response to calls to target citizens of coalition nations."

Commentators pointed out the terror group has a record of opportunistically claiming attacks and said it was significant the statement did not appear to claim it had directed the strike.

A minute's silence was held nationwide at 9.33am, including in the Palace of Westminster and at New Scotland Yard, to commemorate the three innocent people who were killed.

Forty other people were injured in the attack, with 29 treated in hospital, where seven remained in a critical condition on Thursday.

Five people remained in a critical condition on Thursday evening, two with life-threatening injuries.

The casualties included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, two Greeks, and one each from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

Three police officers were also hurt, two of them seriously.

There was a visible police presence at an address in the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.

A police van was parked outside a building bearing a plaque that read: "During the 2012 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games this building formed part of the Athlete's Village and was home to competitors, coaches and officials from: Benin, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Mali, Sudan."

Plain clothes officers were also seen entering and leaving a block called Lucia Heights.
Officials in Italy have been asked to look into a case in which a court acquitted a man of raping a woman because she did not scream.

The Italian news agency ANSA said Thursday that justice minister Andrea Orlando has asked ministry inspectors to begin looking into the case.
Update 9am: Two more "significant arrests" have been made in connection with the Westminster attack, police have said.

Scotland Yard's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley said the suspects were held overnight in the West Midlands and North West as he revealed that the killer's birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao.

Mr Rowley appealed to the public for information about the killer, who was also known as Adrian Elms but was using the name Khalid Masood at the time of the attack.

The officer also revealed that the fourth member of the public injured in the attack, who died in hospital on Thursday night, was 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham, south London.

Mr Rowley said two people remain in hospital in a critical condition, one with life-threatening injuries. Two police officers hurt in the attack are also in hospital with "significant injuries".

Mr Rowley said: "We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited.

"There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but did not feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing those concerns to us."

Update 7.50am: Detectives are exploring the past of the middle-aged murderer of many aliases who wrought carnage on Westminster, as arrests connected to the outrage were made across the country.

Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old with a string of convictions stretching back decades, was unmasked by police as the home-grown terrorist responsible for Wednesday's attack.

Eight people remain in custody after properties across the UK were raided, while a picture emerged of the lone-wolf killer's nomadic lifestyle.

He was born in Kent on Christmas day with the birth name Adrian Russell Ajao, before later converting to Islam, according to reports.

Further details emerged about his violent history, which included an episode when he stabbed a man in the nose in the driveway of a nursing home in Eastbourne in 2003.

Earlier: Detectives are exploring the past of the middle-aged murderer of many aliases who wrought carnage on Westminster, as arrests connected to the outrage were made across the UK.

Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old with a string of convictions stretching back decades, was unmasked by police as the home-grown terrorist responsible for Wednesday's attack.

Eight people remain in custody after properties across the UK were raided, while a picture built up of the lone-wolf killer's apparently nomadic lifestyle.

The death toll from his assault on the capital rose again on Thursday when a 75-year-old man became the fourth innocent victim to die.

The man, who has not been named, had his life support withdrawn at King's College Hospital.

Five people remain in a critical condition after Masood ploughed a car down Westminster Bridge and stormed the Parliamentary estate armed with two blades, fatally knifing Pc Keith Palmer.

The nation's mourning will continue into Friday as candlelit vigils for the victims are scheduled in Birmingham and London.

Scotland Yard said Masood - who was shot dead by police - was born in Kent on Christmas Day in 1964.

Police said they did not believe Masood was his birth name but refused to comment on reports he was born Adrian Russell Ajao.

A spokesman said he was known by a number of different names and research into them was continuing.

After leaving Kent, it is thought he most recently spent time in the West Midlands, with a witness to an armed raid on a flat in Edgbaston saying: "The man from London lived here."

On the eve of his attack, The Sun said Masood spent the night at the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton.

Hotel staff told the Press Association: "We have been instructed not to talk."

According to reports, Masood had also spent periods living in London, Sussex and Luton.

Scotland Yard said he was not the subject of any current investigations before the massacre and there was "no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack".

But he was known to police and MI5 and had convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

His victims on Westminster Bridge included a US tourist from Utah who was celebrating his wedding anniversary and a "highly regarded and loved" member of college staff.

Kurt Cochran and his wife Melissa, on the last day of a trip celebrating their 25th anniversary, were visiting her parents, who are serving as Mormon missionaries in London.

Mrs Cochran was badly injured.

Aysha Frade, who worked in administration at independent sixth-form school DLD College London, in Westminster, is understood to have been 43 and married with two daughters.

Up to 40 other people were injured in the attack, with casualties including Britons, French children, Romanians, South Koreans, Greeks, and people from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and the United States.

Three police officers were also hurt, two of them seriously.

Police arrested three women and five men on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts after raids in London and Birmingham.

A house in Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales, was also searched, Dyfed-Powys Police said.

A minute's silence was held nationwide on Thursday and crowds later gathered in Trafalgar Square for a candlelit vigil.

Theresa May said Masood was investigated some years ago in relation to concerns about violent extremism but was a "peripheral figure".

Home Secretary Amber Rudd defended the security and intelligence agencies, saying: "The fact that he was known to them doesn't mean that somebody has 24-hour cover."

She disclosed Masood had spent time in jail, but said it was not for terrorist-related offences.

As police and intelligence agencies mounted a massive investigation to piece together the killer's movements in the lead-up to the attack:
The Irish Offshore Operators Association has said a review would be timely by the end of this year or in the first half of next year.

This would depend on oil price movement, results of drilling activity in Irish waters and any tax movements made in the UK.

Three years ago the Government changed its terms, by upping the top rate of tax on profits made from any oil find from 40% to 55% and introducing a 5% royalty revenue payable to the State for each year of a producing fields lifespan.

Previously the association has called for a lowering of corporate tax levels for exploration firms operating here and the exclusion of smaller field operators from the 5% royalty revenue element of the terms.

This week, Brent crude dropped below $50 for the first time this year and association chief Pat Shannon said the longer prices stay between $50 and $55 a barrel a review of the fiscal terms is warranted. He said an eye must be kept on any tax regime changes in the UK.

However, Mr Shannon welcomed yesterdays results of Britains latest licensing round, which saw 25 oil and gas exploration licences in previously untapped waters awarded to 17 companies.

It comes ahead of another licensing round for mature areas of the North Sea, which is still estimated to have billions of barrels of oil left for extraction worth around 200bn (232bn) to the UK exchequer.

However, drilling activity in the North Sea has been at a record low for two years due to high costs and the fall in oil prices, which forced companies to focus on producing assets. This year, the UKs oil lobby group expects 16 exploration wells to be drilled, a slight uptick from 14 last year.

Analysts at global energy research group Wood Mackenzie expect exploration costs to fall another 10% this year because of oversupply in equipment, which could help make exploration work more economic.

Mr Shannon said more activity in UK waters should complement activity here and be viewed as a vote of confidence in the neighbouring Irish offshore arena. However, he said the Irish government cannot afford to let too much distance materialise between fiscal incentives being offered by both countries.

Last summer, a PwC survey found that 70% of offshore explorers with Irish assets wanted a review of the governments fiscal terms in order to reflect the lower oil price environment.
The appeals board has given the luxury hotel planning permission for a new water supply in spite of opposition to the plan from neighbour and chief of the OBrien clan, Lord Inchiquin aka Conor OBrien.

Yesterday, Mark Nolan, general manager at Dromoland, welcomed the decision. We are delighted with the decision. It is a vital piece of the major refurbishment going on here right now, he said.
The strike is expected to create chaos across the country with workers, students and patients disrupted as all services including Expressway, regional services, and city services such as those in Cork and Limerick grind to a halt.

The Friday strike will especially impact on pensioners who usually would pick up payments today as well as third-level students who travel home for the weekend.

However, unions have said the action will continue indefinitely. There are now concerns the strike could spread to Dublin Bus and Irish Rail as workers refuse to cross picket lines.

While school buses will run today, Siptus Willie Noone said this could change if the dispute is not solved. He said emotions are high with colleagues in other CIE companies and while Dublin Bus and Irish Rail workers have not been asked to go out they may do so in solidarity.

Businesses are set to be massively impacted with office workers left without transport; retailers also expect a drop in trade today and for as long as the strike continues.

Irish Rural Link said the short notice of the strike would particularly hit people living in remote areas who have no other method of transport to access health services or to travel to work, college and shops.

The rolling strike, which began at midnight, was announced after the representatives of the five Bus Eireann unions met yesterday to discuss the announcement by the company of a significant number of cost-cutting measures without union agreement.

The 46 measures outlined in a letter to staff include reductions in take-home pay, changes to conditions and the axing of some bus routes.
Alison Devine downed a bottle of wine and then several small bottles of gin before getting on board an Aer Lingus flight from Glasgow to Carrickfinn Airport.

However, the 41-year-old mother-of-two had to be restrained by cabin crew when she became violent on the flight.

She attacked an air hostess and had to be restrained by another passenger before the plane landed.

Ms Devine was arrested on landing and appeared at a sitting of Letterkenny District Court yesterday on two charges.

Garda Eamon McGinley told Judge Paul Kelly that he arrested Ms Devine under the State Airport Shannon Group Act of 2014 for both a charge of being drunk and also assaulting air hostess Haley Walsh.

When the charge of assault was put to Ms Devine at Letterkenny Garda Station, she replied: She didnt like me from the start, she was obnoxious.

Garda McGinley told the court that the air hostess had suffered bruising and was quite traumatised when Ms Devine grabbed her by the wrists.

He stressed Ms Devine was not served alcohol on the Aer Lingus flight and how the plane would not have been able to land in Donegal but for the intervention of another passenger in helping to restrain the accused woman.

Solicitor Patsy Gallagher told the court that his client, of 279 Main Street, Bogside, Lanarkshire, Scotland, was pleading guilty to both charges.

Judge Paul Kelly said he was agreeing to bail in the case on the understanding that Ms Devine attend the rehab centre for which she had come to Ireland.
Michael Kingston, a native of Goleen in West Cork and now an international maritime lawyer based in London, recalled the events of Wednesday as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, confirmed that an Irish person was injured in the attack, after British Prime Minister Theresa May had earlier told the Commons that an Irish national, understood to be a woman, was among those hurt.

Tanaiste, Frances Fitzgerald, later said that the injuries suffered by the Irish person are not life threatening, although the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Irish Embassy in Lonon, the London Metropolitan Police and the UK Foreign Office all said they will not be releasing any further details.

Michael Kingston was in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on nearby King Charles Street for a meeting and was delayed by a toilet break and a discussion with someone about a faulty chair when he witnessed Wednesday afternoons carnage.

Yesterday he said that while he was walking towards Westminster Bridge he had been thinking about the crew of Rescue 116, piloted by Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, as he was preparing a speech to be delivered on Thursday at a conference on safety at sea and wanted to dedicate it to the missing Coast Guard members.

Reflecting on the incident and comparing it with the tragic deaths of the helicopter crew off the Co Mayo coast last week, he said: I thinking about them as I was approaching those lights. You have those who save life and give their lives up, and those who mow people down and take life.

Mr Kingston, who has lived in London since graduating from UCD in 1997, said Irelands representative to the Bonn Agreement - an international effort to limit sea pollution - is the Irish Coastguard and dedicated his talk to the memory of Captain Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy, Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby.

Afterwards, he recalled how on Wednesday he had been delayed following his FCO meeting in part because he was discussing his talk scheduled for Thursday.

I witnessed utter tragedy and I would like to just say: Do not leave to tomorrow what you can do today. 

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Kingston, whose father, Tim, died in the Whiddy Island disaster, spoke of a chaotic silence around Westminster in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

It was quite clear something majorly serious was happening, he said. Policemen were shouting hes gone in there. I understood at that moment it was an attack, probably a terrorist attack.

He said he saw bodies strewn around and as he crossed the bridge he ushered those coming towards him to go back as there had been an attack.

Mr Kingston has already spoken to British police and said he knows this country inside out and that such an attack seemed inevitable. He said security services have done incredible work in preventing other attacks and added that Ireland is not shielded from the prospect of similar incidents taking place.

This could happen in Ireland and we need to be very clear about that, he said.

Patrick Culhane, originally from Mungret in Limerick and currently studying at the University of Sheffield, was among those caught up in the Houses of Parliament lockdown. The student visiting party remained in Portcullis House for almost six hours, with Patrick, 25, saying he could see people fleeing the incident and describing the mood as surreal and confusing.
His co-accused, who faces different charges, also signed a guilty plea.

The two were remanded in custody by Judge Olann Kelleher at Cork District Court to the sessions of Cork Circuit Criminal Court commencing on May 8.

Cian Walsh, of 17 Mercier Park, Turners Cross, Cork, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm at St Josephs Cemetery, Tory Top Rd, Cork, on September 25, and threatening to kill a woman at Noonans Rd, Cork, on the same date.

Stephen Coveney, aged 25, of 17 Ascension Heights, Churchfield, Cork, pleaded to endangerment where it was alleged his driving caused a risk of death or serious injury to patrons attending a hurling match. Coveney pleaded guilty to two charges of endangerment, two of dangerous driving and there is one each for driving with no licence or insurance.

The first endangerment charge involved the defendant driving a Mitsubishi Lancer at Boreenmanna Rd, Cork: the charge states that Coveney intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct by driving at Sgt Noel Madden, then reversing into a Garda car driven by Sgt David Callaghan.

It is alleged the defendants vehicle then hit a parked Toyota which hit a Volkswagen with people sitting in it. It is alleged the car driven by the accused tried to mount a path where people were walking into Pairc Ui Rinn for a hurling semi-final before stopping after hitting a pole, creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm.

He pleaded guilty to another endangerment charge related to the junction of Connolly Rd and Pearse Rd by allegedly driving at 110km/h; two for dangerous driving at Well Rd and Tory Top Rd; and counts related to licence and insurance.
Ger OCallaghan made the commitment at the HSE regional health forum in Cork after a number of councillors raised the issue. Charging cancer patients to park while undergoing treatment was of particular concern.

However, not all hospitals adopt the same approach. In South Tipperary General, where income from parking charges was 386,370 in 2016, free car-parking is provided for cancer patients.
HSE director general Tony O Brien confirmed the situation yesterday during a meeting in which he contradicted previous evidence last year and said he was "irate" over being kept in the dark about the new information until this Wednesday.

Speaking during a three-hour Dail public accounts committee meeting to clarify incorrect information given to the cross-party group last year, caused by the findings of the long-delayed Conal Devine and Resilience Ireland reports published earlier this month, Mr O Brien said that he had previously inadvertently outlined a false version of events.

He said that while he told the PAC in February 2016 that none of the people who agreed to leave Grace at the home despite a decision to remove her in 1996 are still working in the public service, this is not true.

In a letter to the PAC which was published before the meeting yesterday, Mr O Brien said that although the individuals have retired from the HSE and are receiving full pensions, a fresh examination by the HSE has found that one given the pseudonym H3 in the Conal Devine report retired in 2012 but is still working part-time for another public service.

Under questioning from Labour's Alan Kelly, Sinn Fein's David Cullinane and the Social Democrats Catherine Murphy, he said this person is working part-time for Tusla - a situation he was only informed of on Wednesday.

"If you'd have been sitting in the same room as me yesterday [Wednesday] when I was told, you'd have seen I was doing a fairly good impression of what the media says about you... Irate," he told Labour's Alan Kelly, before later adding that the incident "makes you question the other information, lets be honest about it".

Facing further questioning from unaligned Independent TD Catherine Connolly, Mr O Brien also admitted that a second person given the pseudonym H6 in the Conal Devine report is also "currently employed in Tusla".

However, while the Irish Examiner understands this individual is working at a high-level management position, Mr O Brien declined to comment any further.

Meanwhile, Mr O Brien has also insisted it is wrong to say there was any deliberate delay in publishing the only recently released 2012 Conal Devine report.

Questioned on the issue by Fine Gael TD Josepha Madigan, the HSE director general said it was "a coincidence" that a formal HSE garda request to publish the report and the related Resilience Ireland file was not until March 6, 2015 - 24 hours after a whistle-blower made a protected disclosure to the PAC.

Mr O Brien suggested the close connection between the dates was because "there are only so many days in the year", and insisted the HSE was only told about the protected disclosure four days later.

However, while citing internal HSE conversations with its solicitors in the days before the date, he admitted that the HSE did not seek permission to publish until March 6, 2015, and had only been in contact with the garda until that point - confirming a recent RTE Radio This Week report on the case.

Mr O Brien was also asked a number of times by Mr Kelly and other PAC members why HSE social care director Pat Healy, who was previously a senior figure in the south east, did not attend yesterday's meeting.

However, despite concern over the non-appearance, the HSE director general said it was because Mr Healy had only been informally asked to attend with 15 hours' notice and was not formally included in the initial meeting request earlier this month.

The Grace case is now the subject of a State commission of investigation, which is due to report back on cover-up, political interference and other serious concerns within the next 12 months.
At the end of this month, European Union leaders (except for British prime minister Theresa May) will gather in Italy to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Anniversary celebrations are always a good excuse for self-congratulation, and the rhetoric filling the air in the run-up to the Rome summit suggests that this one will be no different.

But EU leaders should also be using the anniversary as an opportunity to reflect deeply on the project they are celebrating.

The EU is at a crossroads. Brexit has already demolished one of the European projects founding assumptions: that, however slowly, integration would always move forward. Now, rising nationalist populism is threatening to unravel six decades of progress.

A celebration of European unity may be the ideal moment to confront the difficult truth of disunity, and chart a way forward. But the honesty, self-awareness, and clear vision needed to use the Rome summit in this way does not come naturally to EU leaders, who excel far more at lofty rhetoric than pragmatic solutions.

To be sure, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has taken a stab at fostering such a solution. The commissions recent white paper on the future of Europe sets out five possible paths forward for Europe, from narrowing the EUs focus to the single market to deepening and broadening integration. It also includes the seemingly inescapable proposal of building a multi-speed Europe.

The paper lays out a 10-month timeline for debate and reflection, to culminate at Decembers European Council meeting, where Europes leaders would decide which direction to take. The new approach would be rolled out ahead of the 2019 European elections. It all seems very tidy.

European member states have already begun engaging Junckers framework. At a meeting at Versailles, the EUs four largest economies  Germany, France, Italy, and Spain  endorsed a multi-speed approach that would establish them as a unified core.

The Visegrad Group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) has pushed back against that idea, fearing that they would be left behind. The Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) also have misgivings about such an arrangement, which would exclude them from some decision-making  and leave Germany as the core groups only creditor country.

So the debate about Europes future is a vibrant one, just as Juncker had hoped. But it misses the point, simultaneously going too far and not far enough, for a simple reason: it is not based on frank and comprehensive self-examination. Rather than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, the EU needs to address why the ship is sinking.

But, beyond noting the gap between public expectations and the EUs capacity (and authority) to act, the commissions white paper includes almost no introspection. Vital questions  about the commissions performance, the structure of the College of Commissioners, and, most important, the balance among the EU institutions  are papered over or ignored.

One absolutely fundamental question that the white paper fails to consider is how authority should be distributed within the EU. Here, the EU does not have five options, but two: transnational or intergovernmental. The approach it chooses will shape the unions structure and the scope of its activities.

The choice will require EU leaders first to assess, with honesty and even bravery, where the EU is right now. They must be willing to call a spade a spade  or, in this case, to call the EU an intergovernmental organisation in transnational clothing.

Only after they recognise that this is a dysfunctional structure, because it allows both the EU institutions and member states to skirt responsibility by constantly pointing fingers at one another  can they pursue the needed rebalancing.

True transnationalism offers a higher ceiling for cooperation, but it is also riskier. If Europe chooses this approach, it cannot rely on half-measures.

It must take real steps to align authority and accountability at the EU level, empowering the European Parliament and delivering political legitimacy, as well as more responsibility, to the commission. Virtually nobody is betting on this way forward.

As for the intergovernmental approach, it should be clear by now that this choice essentially means a German-led union, at least for the foreseeable future. That is not much different from the current situation, in which any important decision must have Germanys blessing. And, in todays increasingly contentious world, it might not be a bad way forward.

This is particularly true if  and it is an if  Angela Merkel manages to survive as German Chancellor past September. Merkel has, after all, managed to consolidate her own unique leadership style that, though recalcitrant at times, may work for a Europe under pressure from all sides.

It is not what the EUs founders envisioned, but it is workable, as long as Europeans acknowledge that this is the approach they are taking, and set the floor for cooperation reasonably high.

Whatever way Europe goes, the first step is to determine which route it will take. Simply put, Europe must decide whether to collaborate or cooperate. This is what should be on the table.

In March 1957, Konrad Adenauer called Rome the perfect backdrop for laying the foundation for the common future of Europe.

In March 2017, it could reprise that role. The EU may not have many more opportunities to reflect on its present and clarify its future. It should not let this one slip away.
Just how many times does it really take for the truth to be told? I ask because yesterday the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) took evidence from Tony OBrien, director general of the HSE, in regard to the ongoing saga of the Grace foster abuse scandal.

HSE boss @dghealthservice Tony O'Brien apologises for misleading the PAC in February 2016 over Grace case #iestaff @Ocionnaith

"Extraordinary series of mistakes, a monumental cock-up" is how @dghealthservice Tony O'Brien describes botched apology to Grace #iestaff  Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) March 23, 2017

This scandal revolves around the referring of 47 intellectually disabled children and young adults to a foster home between the late 1980s and 2013. Several of those who stayed at the home allegedly suffered savage sexual abuse and neglect at the hands of the foster family.

Despite concerns about abuse being raised as far back as 1993, one woman identified as Grace was allowed remain in the home on a full-time basis until 2009.

Mr OBrien was back in before the committee in order to correct the record over evidence given by him to the PAC and public statements which since have turned out not to be true.

But his appearance was, in truth, the third time he has been forced to correct the record to the PAC.

In February 2016, on foot of reports in the Irish Examiner about a botched apology to Grace and her carers, the HSE went on the attack.

It issued a detailed rebuttal of our story which had said the apology to Grace had not been delivered in person as claimed. The HSE insisted the apology had been delivered.

They passed on the details of that rebuttal to the PAC, only to row back significantly on that days later.

At that meeting, PAC members were told that, actually, the apology had not been given and that some error had taken place.

Concerns were also raised at that meeting by PAC members such as John Deasy and John McGuinnness about whether people involved in the failure to protect Grace were still in public service.

Mr OBrien referred to the specific decision made in 1996 to leave her in the foster home, despite serious concerns. He said this decision was made by a three-person panel, adding that those three people are no longer in the public service to be clear about that.

However, since the publication of two internal HSE reports (the 2012 Conal Devine report and the 2015 Resilience Ireland report) into the Grace foster abuse scandal, Mr OBriens claims have been called into question.

It has been confirmed that as many as 11 people involved are still working either in Tusla or in the HSE.

At the PAC two weeks ago, Mr OBrien was accused of misleading the committee.

Asked by chairman Sean Fleming to respond, Mr OBrien sought time but promised to do so in writing and reappear before committee members.

Then, earlier this week, Mr OBrien sought to clarify his remarks about the three-person panel which failed Grace in 1996 in writing to Mr Fleming.

He said the three people he referred to were actually part of a five-person panel.

But these three had an important dual role in that they participated in the decision to leave Grace in the home.

They also had a duty to carry out eight actions in order to make the environment safe for Grace.

He insisted that all three of these people were retired from public service and in receipt of full HSE pensions.

He never clarified what happened to the others, so we can only assume that they are some of the 11 people known to still be in the public service.

In his letter, Mr OBrien laid the blame for failing Grace on these three retired people.

He said key actions to protect Grace never took place and she remained in the home, exposed to abuse, until 2009.

These key actions were not followed up by some of the three individuals who were tasked with making Graces environment safe, Mr OBrien wrote in his letter dated March 16.

But that is not all.

Yesterday, Mr OBrien had to send another letter of clarification to the PAC.

It turns out that one of the senior official directly involved in Graces case continues to work in the public service.

Mr OBrien conceded the situation in a letter that contradicted his previous evidence and two other attempts to clarify the issue to the cross-party group.

He admitted this situation is also not entirely accurate and that a person directly involved in the 1996 decision to leave Grace at the home continues to work in the public service.

I have now established that H3 [a title given to the person] provides some specialist clinical services to Tusla on a part-time contract basis, he wrote.

This information came to my attention today by way of the examination process I initiated. This examination was not straightforward as H3 possess a number of payroll numbers, both pay and pension, across two organisations. In light of information that I now have, I wish to correct the record of my information to the committee on February 2, 2016.

So we now at least one person who Mr OBrien said failed Grace is still working in Tusla, the Child Protection Agency. And there is the other 11 who were also involved in her care who remain at their posts.

No sanction, no penalty, and in receipt of a full pension from his organisation.

Thats accountability Irish style.
Friday, March 24th, 2017 (9:27 am) - Score 786

Ofcom has published a Draft Code of Practice to support the Governments proposed reforms to the Electronic Communications Code (ECC), which aim to make it easier and cheaper for network operators to roll-out new broadband and telecoms infrastructure (masts, cables etc.) on public and private land.

At present when a fixed line broadband or mobile operator wants to deploy a new network, particularly into rural areas, then this can often be hampered by an inability to reach a viable wayleave agreement for access to the land. Private landowners in particularly are usually opposed to anything that would result in them having less control over their land or reduced income from the rental paid by telecoms operators for allowing such access.

However deploying into rural areas with sparse communities is already very expensive and operators may struggle to develop a viable model. The Government are currently trying to encourage the spread of faster broadband and better mobile connectivity to rural areas, which means that they also have to make it easier and cheaper for infrastructure builders to construct new wireless masts, cable ducts and street cabinets etc.

In order to do that the Government must first reform the old Electronic Communications Code (ECC), which among other things governs the relationship between network operators and landowners. This is a process that started last spring (here) as part of the new 2017 Digital Economy Bill and in relation to that Ofcom has now published their first ECC Draft Code of Practice.

The purpose of this proposed Code of Practice is to set out expectations for the conduct of parties to agreements made under the New Code. It does not represent a guide to the New Code nor does it replace the provisions of the New Code. The code is also non-binding, in the sense that there is no statutory obligation on operators or landowners to comply with its provisions.

However Ofcom warns that it does expect the code to be followed and they note that future court cases may also take account of compliance with relevant codes of practice when assessing conduct in awarding costs. Otherwise the regulator, which has attempted to act as a neutral facilitator between the various land owners and network operators, intends to consult on the new code until 2nd June 2017.

Earlier this year the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents private land owners from across England and Wales, claimed that they would be willing to bend their opposition to some aspects of the new ECC but only if the Government proves its commitment to improving rural broadband connectivity (here).
Friday, March 24th, 2017 (7:47 am) - Score 2,490

Expect price rises. The UK telecoms regulator has today unveiled its chosen proposal for a new Automatic Compensation System, which will require fixed line phone and broadband ISPs to give either a cash payment or bill credit to consumers when they suffer a total loss of service.

At present providers are not required to compensate consumers for service faults, although some will occasionally credit a small amount for such problems and others may only pay out following a long complaint. Meanwhile those taking a proper (more expensive) business service are usually covered via a Service Level Agreement (SLA), which often includes a compensation clause.

The Government and Ofcom now believe that all consumers should benefit from an automatic right to compensation, which is an idea that was first tabled earlier this year as part of Ofcoms Strategic Review and has since been implemented into the Governments new Digital Economy Bill 2016-17. Ofcom believes this system will offer incentives for providers to improve service quality.

Lindsey Fussell, Ofcoms Consumer Group Director, said: When a customers landline or broadband goes wrong, that is frustrating enough without having to fight tooth and nail to get fair compensation from the provider. So were proposing new rules to force providers to pay money back to customers automatically, whenever repairs or installations dont happen on time, or when people wait in for an engineer who doesnt turn up. This would mean customers are properly compensated, while providers will want to work harder to improve their service.

Under the new system Ofcom proposes that customers, specifically residential consumers and around a third of small and medium sized enterprises (businesses) who buy domestic fixed line broadband services, would be entitled to automatic compensation, without having to go through a potentially lengthy and difficult claims process.

Ofcom says that its system would only be applied to faults that lend themselves to being objectively defined and measured and which have not been caused by consumers themselves (e.g. you wouldnt be compensated if you damage your home wiring or arent at home when the engineer arrives), which is easier to say than deliver.

Additionally the regulator states that SMEs who buy business products should be provided with greater clarity on the quality of service they are entitled to under their contracts and whether they can claim compensation when problems occur. This proposal reflects that SMEs can negotiate bespoke terms and there are already standard business contracts currently on offer that provide compensation for a number of different issues (Service Level Agreements), which are not available for residential consumers.

Situations Allowable for Compensation  The Customers landline or broadband is not fixed quickly enough after it has stopped working; or

 The new landline or broadband service is not up and running on the day promised; or

 An engineer doesnt arrive for an appointment as scheduled.

The compensation payments would be set by Ofcom and designed to reflect the degree of harm suffered by consumers, although we suspect that some ISPs might spit their teeth out at the thought of having to pay 10 for each day (after the first two days) that the service is not repaired. Quite a lot of money, considering how much people pay for broadband and phone services on a monthly basis.

On the other hand most major outages tend to be resolved within two full working days and this should make the change easier for ISPs to handle. Ofcom will also be pushing Openreach to meet even tougher service performance and quality standards in the future, which may further reduce the number of incidents that might attract compensation.

Just to put this in some perspective. Ofcom estimates that there are 5.7 million cases of consumers experiencing a loss of their landline or broadband service every year and engineers also failed to turn up for around 250,000 appointments. Similarly around 1 in 8 landline and broadband installations were delayed (12%), affecting more than 1.3 million people.

In other words, the regulator states that its plan would mean up to 2.6 million additional customers could receive up to 185m in new compensation payments each year. However ISPs have recently expressed deep reservations about the idea of such a system (here), not least because it will add an extra cost and that could push up the prices we all pay. On top of that a lot of service faults arent necessarily caused by your provider, but identifying who is responsible can sometimes present a difficult challenge

For example, its not the providers fault if your broadband fails due to a problem in your third-party router / bad setup, but end-users often wont recognise that the fault is with them and sometimes even Openreach can have trouble identifying faults in their own network.

Even ISPs that support the measure, such as Zen Internet (here), suggest that some external network issues like street cabinet vandalism or flooding are clearly beyond our control (i.e. Openreachs responsibility), although the impact upon the end user would still be a loss of service and is thus likely to attract compensation.

The Responsibility of Openreach and Wholesale Suppliers

On the above point many ISPs that depend upon a core wholesale supplier (e.g. Openreach) have warned that it might not be fair if ISPs are forced to shoulder the entire financial burden, especially for faults caused by their supplier. But others would say that this is a contractual matter between the ISP and its suppliers to resolve (easy to say, difficult to fix).

Ofcoms view on this is that in principle the party responsible for the quality of service problem should bear the cost of retail level compensation. We expect that any changes to Openreachs SLAs or SLGs necessary to achieve this should be the subject of industry negotiations, facilitated by the OTA2, in line with current practice. Ofcom added that it would only step in if the industry was unable to reach agreement on these points, although their provisional policy position is that in principle a wholesaler  in this case, Openreach  should meet the cost of retail level compensation in circumstances where it is at fault.

However there is uncertainty around the impact of major network outages (MBORC), such as those caused by storms or flooding over a wide area. The regulator states that we do not have a view on whether the cost of force majeure-type events should be borne by the wholesale provider or retailers, especially as the issue may be no more under the wholesale network providers control than the retail providers. Our provisional view is that the aggregate cost to industry of providing automatic compensation for service problems caused by force majeure-type events is not disproportionate.

Otherwise the regulator has proposed an implementation period of 12 months between the date of their final statement and the introduction of automatic compensation. This will give ISPs and wholesale suppliers time for a six month OTA2-led industry negotiation process and a four month dispute resolution process, should both of these prove necessary.

Other Bits

Meanwhile the new system will not apply to Mobile Network Operators (MNO). Ofcom found that connectivity issues with mobile operators were naturally very complex to assess (coverage is tricky, especially indoors) and that only less than 1% of people were likely to lose their service for more than 24 hours. On top of that mobile operators were also found to give better compensation than fixed line providers.

Apparently BT, Sky Broadband and Virgin Media had also jointly proposed their own voluntary approach to automatic compensation for service failures, although Ofcom rejected it. At this stage, we do not think that the industry proposal sufficiently meets our concerns when quality of service falls short, said the regulator.

Ofcom will now consult with the industry until 5th June 2017 and they hope to publish a final statement by the end of 2017.

Automatic Compensation Consultation

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/../automatic-compensation

UPDATE 2:33pm

The UK Internet Service Providers Association has given their reaction.
Steven Bay, a former defense contractor, knows a thing or two about insider threats. For a brief period, he was the boss of Edward Snowden, the famous leaker who stole sensitive files from the U.S. National Security Agency.

Recalling the day he learned Snowden had been behind the NSA leaks back in June 2013, Bay said he received texts about the breaking news while in a leadership meeting at a church. The first text said "Sorry man, looks like your worst nightmare came true."

Bay was crushed: "I went out into an empty room of the church and I just melted down crying."

"Every negative thought you can have, I had," he said. "I thought I was going to get fired. I thought I was going to go to jail. Im going to lose my family undercover CIA agents are going to get whacked."

Fortunately, Bay -- who was Snowden's manager at the time of the NSA hack -- wasnt jailed. But the whole incident did teach him the dangers about insider data theft, and that all companies must take it seriously.

"When we look at Snowden, its a very divisive issue," he said. "But there are also a lot of lessons we can learn here."

Bay spoke Tuesday at the TechIgnite event, hosted by the IEEE Computer Society, where he explained tips that companies can use to guard against insider threats. He previously worked at the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, which does work for the NSA. In February 2013, Bay interviewed Snowden for a job at the firm.

Snowden has said to the press that he actually sought employment at Booz Allen to gain access to NSAs surveillance program data.

Bay calls Snowden a "malicious insider" who should be jailed. But stopping someone like him can be tricky.

In an interview, Bay said Snowden didnt exhibit any blatant red flags that exposed his intentions in the two months he was employed at Booz Allen as an intelligence analyst. But he did show a couple "yellow flags" that in retrospect hinted something was off.

Michael Kan Former defense contractor Steven Bay speaks at TechIgnite on March 21, 2017.

For instance, Snowden had early on asked for access to NSAs classified PRISM surveillance program. Two weeks later, he asked for it again, explaining that the data would help him in his NSA-related work. After he got access to the information, he ended up leaking it to the press.

Snowden also claimed he had epilepsy and had to take a leave of absence from Booz Allen because of it. Normally, employees will file short-term disability with human resources so they can still receive their wages, Bay said. But Snowden didnt care to.

"Wanting leave without pay, instead of short-term disability, was weird," he said. However, none of these actions were unreasonable either.

"I had no reason not to trust him," said Bay, who recalls being blown away by Snowdens technical knowledge when he interviewed him for the job at Booz Allen.

Thats why its important for any organization to have protective measures in place when insiders do strike, he said.

Snowden ended up successfully stealing a massive number of files about NSA programs. But better technological controls, like system alerts that detect when sensitive data is being moved, could have been used to stop that, Bay said.

"Perhaps an alert for when a thumb drive gets plugged in," he added. "Alerting when a thumb drive gets turned on."

Or, in a low-tech solution, USB drive ports from the most sensitive computing systems should be removed.

Companies can consider data loss prevention services, which specialize in the monitoring and the protection of sensitive files, Bay said. But another way to guard against insider threats is properly segregating who has access to what.

For example, staffers who leave a company should have their computer access immediately terminated. In addition, a companys accounting department shouldnt have access to the R&D teams research, and vice-versa.

"Unless your insider has the keys to the kingdom, they can do damage, but theyll be limited to whatever they have access to," he said.

Following the NSA leaks, Bay was pulled off from his NSA-related work at Booz Allen Hamilton, and he left the firm last year. He now works as an independent cybersecurity consultant, after serving as a CISO at a medical devices maker.

Looking back at his time at Booz Allen, Bay joked in his talk at TechIgnite: "I dont know why I was the one guy out of billions of people who got stuck being Snowdens boss. But I was."

He added that insider hackers like Snowden are rare, so its important for companies to focus on more common cybersecurity threats too, like those that come from phishing emails, he said.

But that doesnt mean companies should ignore the insider risk either.

"These malicious insiders, in my mind, they can do more damage than any other threat you have out there," he said.
Keynote speaker Douglas Laney, vice president and distinguished analyst of Gartner will deliver the keynote address, Infonomics: Monetizing, Managing and Measuring Information as an Asset.

On Thursday, April 20, the Indiana University Northwest School of Business and Economics and the Indiana University Northwest Business Advisory Board will welcome Douglas Laney as the speaker for the 2017 Business Speakers Series Luncheon at Avalon Manor, 3550 East U.S. Route 30 in Merrillville.

Doors open at 11 a.m. and lunch is served promptly at 11:30 a.m.

Keynote speaker Douglas Laney, vice president and distinguished analyst of Gartner, will deliver the keynote address, Infonomics: Monetizing, Managing and Measuring Information as an Asset.

Laney is a pioneer in the field of data warehousing, who originated the field of infonomics  short for information economics. An experienced IT industry thought leader, he has led analytics and information-management-related projects on five continents and in most industries, as well as business analytics consulting and marketing practice for several software companies. In addition, he launched Meta Groups Enterprise Analytics Strategies research and advisory service, and established and co-led the Deloitte Analytics Institute.

At Gartner, he covers data strategy, infonomics, information innovation, big data and analytics use cases, data monetization, open and syndicated data, and the roles/organizational structure for data management and analytics teams. He also is a frequent guest-lecturer at leading business schools on information asset management and valuation.

The annual event serves as a fundraiser to benefit the School of Business and Economics, accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB).

Individual tickets and sponsorship packages with table purchase opportunities are available. To learn more and register, visit www.iun.edu/business-speaker-series/ or contact Jeanie at jematuck@iun.edu. Unfortunately, walk-ins cannot be accommodated.
Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 82F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tomorrow

Mostly sunny skies. High 79F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.
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.
THE Isle of Wight Festival Dragon Boat Race roars back into town next month in aid of Stand Up to Cancer.

The annual event sees Isle of Wight and national organisations  and the odd celebrity - go head to head on the River Medina.





Dragon boat racers have previously included Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch, Caroline Corr and Nicholas Pinnock





This year's racing will take place on Thursday, April 27 and Caroline Giddings, Isle of Wight Festival commercial director, said: "Were delighted to host the third annual Dragon Boat Race in partnership with Stand Up to Cancer. Last years race raised an incredible 64,000! The Dragon Boat Race is the perfect way mark the countdown to the festival."





Graham White, director of Stand Up To Cancer, said: "Were really excited for the return of the Dragon Boat Race. Last years race was so much fun and the final fundraising total was just phenomenal. Weve made amazing progress against cancer in the past few decades but one in two of us in the UK will develop cancer at some point in our lives so we absolutely cant afford to stand still. This year we hope to raise even more money to fund Stand Up To Cancers work to bring kinder and better treatments to patients faster so that we can save more lives, more quickly."


The proliferation of online shopping sites has enabled people to shop comfortably in their own homes. However, the popularity of e-commerce sites also signaled the death of brick-and-mortar stores, and now, its likely that two of the most popular retailers in America may be shuttering their doors permanently.

It was reported that Sears and Kmart may be closing their stores for good. Sears has been a fixture of American culture as it has been around for more than a century, while Kmart has been around since 1899.

According to the New York Times, the corporate owner of Sears and Kmart, Sears Holding Corporation, said that there is substantial doubt that it could continue operating in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Our historical operating results indicate substantial doubt exists related to the companys ability to continue as a going concern, it said in the filing.

Although the owner cited efforts to cut costs, sell a property, and acquire new funding sources, the corporation still reported a $2.2 billion loss last year. Sears Holding Corporation is said to be using money from its investments and financing activities to fund operations at Sears and Kmart.

According to the report, both stores have suffered because they were in older shopping malls and neighborhoods. Moreover, people have been flocking to rivals Walmart and Target due to their deep discounts and more attractive aesthetics. Online shopping with giant e-commerce site Amazon has also affected Sears and Kmarts sales.

With fewer people going to the mall and more online competition, it has been confirmed that more brick-and-mortar stores, apart from Sears and Kmart, will be closing down in the next few months.

USA Today reports that J.C. Penney will be closing down 138 stores this year. The stores will begin liquidation sales next month and will close in June. Electronics and appliance retailer HHGregg, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, will be closing 88 stores. Macys will be closing 68 stores, while RadioShack will be closing 187 stores.

The most store closings will be done by Payless, as the discount chain footwear be shutting the doors of as many as 500 stores, as previously reported by Jobs & Hire.
Email

Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday.
Republicans and Democrats in Congress should fix the Affordable Care Act rather than repealing and replacing it with a proposal that many Congressional members and Americans oppose, former U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., said Thursday in a forum at Wake Forest University.

If the opponents want to repeal the whole thing, then thats a non-starter for us and for the American people based on their reactions to it, Edwards said of the Republican-proposed American Health Care Act. Republicans and Democrats know about the problems in the Affordable Care Act and can fix them together, she said.

Edwards, a native of Yanceyville and a 1980 Wake Forest graduate, became in 2008 the first black woman to represent Maryland in the U.S. Congress.She spoke with WFU President Nathan Hatch on Thursday during The Leadership Project, a program designed to showcase inspiring stories from leaders who represent a variety of professional paths.

I dont envy my colleagues, Edwards said. My former colleagues have big decisions ahead of them. People feel really strongly about some of things that might be taken away from them.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan has proposed to repeal and replace the ACA, also known as a Obamacare, in the U.S. House, with the American Health Care Act, also known as Ryancare or Trumpcare.

Ryan postponed a scheduled vote on the legislation Thursday as GOP leaders and President Donald Trump tried to persuade reluctant conservatives and some moderates to vote for the bill.

Members are being asked to stay the weekend (in Washington), Edwards told about 150 people who attended the forum. A lot of arms are going to be twisted. We know that some Republicans are not going along with some campaign pledge of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.

During her conversation with Hatch, Edwards talked about her career before entering Congress but focused on her tenure as a member of the U.S. House.

Edwards, 58, defeated U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn, D-Md., in the 2008 Democratic primary. Wynn then resigned, and Edwards won a special election in June 2008 to fill the remainder of Wynns term.

Edwards was re-elected in 2010, 2012 and 2014. In 2016, Edwards ran against U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., for Marylands U.S. Senate seat, which was vacated by U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who retired. Hollen defeated Edwards in a bitter primary.

You were very brave to do that, Hatch said.

Edwards didnt run for re-election to her House seat, and she left Congress when her term expired in January.

Before her career as an elected official, Edwards graduated from Wake Forest with bachelors degrees in English and Spanish. She worked as an administrator in the United Nations Development Program from 1980 to 1982.

Edwards then worked as a writer and later as systems engineer with the Lockheed Corp. at the Goddard Space Flight Center with the Spacelab program for four years.

Edwards later earned a law degree at the University of New Hampshire School of Law.

She also served as the executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence and The Arca Foundation, which was founded by Nancy Susan Reynolds, a daughter of the founder of the R.J. Richards Tobacco Co.

During the national debate about Obamacare in 2009 and 2010, Edwards attended several town-hall meetings in her district as a congressional member, where she faced critics of the legislation.

Edwards, who voted for the health care law, said she loved those public forums because Americans and congressional members must face tough policy decisions after election campaigns.

I like that conflict, Edwards told the audience. It enables us to thrash through complicated issues.

James Perry, the president of the Winston-Salem Urban League, who attended the forum, said that Edwards remarks focused on the prospect that millions of people could lose their health care coverage.

Perry said he would like to have heard Edwards predict whether Congress would pass Ryans proposal.

It makes me wish that she was still in Congress, Perry said of Edwards.
WASHINGTON  The most noteworthy thing to emerge from Judge Neil Gorsuchs testimony Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee wasnt his judicial philosophy (conservative), his credentials (considerable) nor even the likelihood of confirmation (virtually certain). What stood out was his aw-shucks, good-golly manner: Gorsuch played a folksy sycophant straight out of the 1950s.

No fewer than eight times, he punctuated his testimony with Leave It to Beaver, Eddie Haskell exclamations of goodness  goodness, no! oh, my goodness!  and, though only 49 years old, spoke in archaic phrases: since I was a tot, a fair and square deal, doesnt give a whit.

Gorsuch made groan-inducing attempts at humor (they havent yet replaced judges with algorithms, though I think eBays trying) and proffered self-deprecating demurrals: I dont want to waste your time. ... I cant claim Im perfect, but I try awful hard. ... I wouldnt count myself an expert.

Despite old memos showing him to be intensely involved in Republican politics and conservative policy, he said the closest he got to policy was when I served on my kids school board.

Its a good bet that Gorsuch, once he has charmed the grown-ups and secured confirmation, will, like Haskell, reveal himself to be a rascal and cause all manner of mischief on the court with abortion and gun rights, money in politics and presidential power.

But now Gorsuch is pouring on the flattery. When Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) had an aide named Eric bring Gorsuch a copy of a document, the nominee acted as if the senator had offered to throw him a confirmation party: Thatd be great. Thank you. Thatd be wonderful. Im happy to. Thank you. Thank you, Eric.

When Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) questioned him, Gorsuch remarked that the senator would be a formidable companion in the courtroom.

Leahy noted that Feinstein told him not to let Gorsuchs flattery go to your head, Pat.

Oh, he should! Gorsuch insisted.

And when Leahy asked Gorsuch to trust me on a historical point, Gorsuch gushed: I trust you, entirely.

There seems to be little doubt that Gorsuch will be confirmed. Republicans may have stolen the seat, but thats done now; the donnybrook comes if Trump gets to replace a liberal justice. A measure of the acceptance: empty seats in the audience during Gorsuchs testimony Tuesday.

The most Democrats can hope for from Gorsuch is that hell stand up to Trump when he exceeds his constitutional powers. Gorsuch, naturally, said all the right things Tuesday.

He assured Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) that Trump would have legal trouble if he were to attempt to ban Muslims from the military or reinstate waterboarding.

So, Graham said, in case President Trump is watching, which he may very well be. ... If you start waterboarding people, you may get impeached. Is that a fair summary?

Gorsuch said the impeachment power belongs to this body, but added: No man is above the law.

Was he sincere about that? Hard to say.

Was he sincere in saying that he was a lowly speechwriter or scribe and not the brains behind a controversial memo he authored?

Was he sincere when he said we were all surprised to find his name on Trumps shortlist?

His exaggerated eagerness, his hearty guffaws at the senators jokes and his constant solicitude (Im happy to answer another question, entirely up to you) suggest that maybe  just maybe  he was saying what needed to be said.

People ordinarily dont talk like this: I have a loving wife, a beautiful home and children, a great job with wonderful colleagues. Im a happy person.

Or like this: I put my ego aside when I put on that robe, and I open my mind and I open my heart and I listen.

His was excruciatingly folksy, talking with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) about his daughters riding sheep (mutton busting) at the rodeo. Being called a young Perry Mason years ago was a career highlight, he said. And he recalled a recent visit to the Lincoln Memorial, which he boasted was made of marble from his home state. He quoted from one of its inscriptions, government of the people, by the people, for the people, which he said was from Lincolns second inaugural address.

One of the Democratic senators informed him that this was actually from the Gettysburg Address.

Gorsuch put his head in his hands. Gosh, he said.
WASHINGTON  The House Intelligence Committee hearing on Monday marked the end of the opening installment of The President, the must-watch reality/horror show that has transfixed the nation and the world. Now the plotline gets more serious, perhaps darker, with some new characters likely to emerge in key national-security roles.

President Trump should be less of a stage hog going forward, and his Twitter storms less intense. Hes often described as a narcissist, but hes not suicidal. He knows he has been rebuffed in a public hearing that he cant ridicule as fake news. With his approval rating below 40 percent, he needs to broaden his base. Trump wants to disrupt, but he also wants to succeed.

Trump and the nation would be well served if his two leading Cabinet secretaries, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, played more prominent roles. Trump needs the solid outriggers that Mattis and Tillerson can provide. This presidency is wounded at a time of potentially serious crises.

Mattis and Tillerson are stabilizers. They have both led big organizations under pressure, and they know what command is. Both have been moving cautiously in the early weeks, feeling their way and mostly keeping their mouths shut in public. They dont like talking to the press, but in that theyre hardly alone among former chief executives and military leaders.

Mattis and Tillerson arent communicating much with the public, but theyre talking to Trump and to each other, while they figure out the strategic positions this administration will take on key issues. The two Cabinet secretaries try to have breakfast once a week, talk frequently by phone, and hash out common positions before each big meeting in the Situation Room.

These two know how to say no to Trump. Mattis famously did so on torture, and Tillerson did the same rebutting a presidential musing about abolishing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Mattis and Tillerson have three paramount tasks  matters of war and peace where their advice will be crucial for a beleaguered president with big ideas but limited experience.

The first test is eradicating the Islamic State. Trump claimed during the campaign he had a secret strategy, but in office he has sensibly expanded the approach recommended by Gen. Joseph Votel, the Centcom commander, which focuses on capturing Raqqa, the ISIS capital in Syria. Centcom favors using a militia known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is multiethnic but led by Syrian Kurds from a group known as the YPG.

U.S. commanders rightly argue that while the Kurdish warriors are anathema to Turkey, theyre the only hope for quickly seizing Raqqa. Turkeys claims about an alternative Sunni militia known as the First Corps arent credible. Raqqa is an urgent priority: Terrorists there are hatching plots targeting Europe and the U.S.

The message to Turkey should be blunt: Let the U.S. work with the Kurds to clear Raqqa now (and get them out afterward), or Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime will seize the initiative.

A second crisis is building in North Korea. Here, Mattis and Tillerson have combined in warning Pyongyang that strategic patience is over; the U.S. will not permit the erratic regime of Kim Jong Un to develop a nuclear strike capability targeting the U.S. The key to avoiding war is to bolster allies, in Japan and South Korea, and to enlist Chinas cooperation.

Tillerson was in Beijing last weekend for talks with President Xi Jinping about joint action. I wish Tillerson had taken reporters with him, but it was the right destination and message.

Trumps third challenge, perhaps the trickiest, is to repair the dangerously strained relationship with Russia. Thats complicated by President Vladimir Putins reckless covert action against the U.S. presidential election last year, and by Trumps courtship of Putin and his oligarchs, which was foolish, at best.

The FBIs counterintelligence investigation must run its course. Until its completed there will be a big gray cloud over the administration, as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said Monday. But this doesnt mean that diplomatic dialogue with Moscow and, where possible, cooperation, should cease. After all, detente and nuclear-arms control began in the dark days of the Cold War.

Tillerson, who knows Putin from his Exxon Mobil days, is planning to visit Russia in April. Tillerson should attend the NATO summit, too, countering reports he might skip it. But hes the right messenger to Moscow.

As Mattis and Tillerson work on these complex problems, they need to communicate their strategy to America and the world. America is facing big questions, and the answers cant be conveyed in 140-character tweets.
The IRS acted in an arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable manner when it applied a discounted-cash-flow method to a cost-sharing arrangement that Amazon.com made with its Luxembourg subsidiary, the Tax Court held on Thursday (Amazon.com, Inc., 148 T.C. No. 8 (2017)). The case involved over $234 million in assessed tax deficiencies for 2005 and 2006.

The court agreed with Amazon that its method for determining the requisite buy-in payment was the best method to use and that its cost-allocation method generally provides a reasonable basis for allocating certain costs. The court also found the IRS abused its discretion in allocating certain costs.

The case stemmed from a cost-sharing arrangement (CSA) that Amazon.com Inc. entered into with its Luxembourg subsidiary, Amazon Europe Holding Technologies SCS, in 2005. The CSA was intended to qualify as a qualified cost sharing arrangement under Regs. Sec. 1.482-7(a)(1). Under the CSA, Amazon granted the Luxembourg subsidiary the right to use certain preexisting intangible assets in Europe, including the software and other technology required to operate Amazons European website business, various trademarks, and customer lists. Under this arrangement, the subsidiary was required to make an upfront buy-in payment of $254.5 million to compensate Amazon for the value of the intangible assets that were to be transferred to the subsidiary and annual cost-sharing payments to compensate Amazon for ongoing intangible development costs (IDCs), to the extent those IDCs benefited the subsidiary.

Amazon used a multistep allocation system to allocate costs from its various cost centers to IDCs. While generally accepting Amazons allocation method, the IRS determined that 100% of the costs captured in one cost center (Technology and Content) should be allocated to IDCs. Amazon argued that the IRSs allocation of 100% of the Technology and Content costs to IDCs is inconsistent with the regulations.

The IRS also determined that the buy-in payment had not been negotiated at arms length. It applied a discounted-cash-flow (DCF) method to the expected cash flows from the European business to determine that the buy-in payments should have been $3.6 billion (the IRS later reduced this to $3.468 billion). Amazon argued that the DCF method used by the IRS is substantially similar to one rejected by the Tax Court in Veritas Software Corp., 133 T.C. 297 (2009). The DCF method, Amazon argued, inflated the buy-in payment by improperly including in it the value of subsequently developed intangible property, in contravention of Regs. Sec. 1.482-7(g)(2). Amazon argued that the comparable-uncontrolled-transaction (CUT) method is the best method to calculate the requisite buy-in payment.

The Tax Court agreed with Amazon on almost all points.

On the question of the proper amount of the buy-in payment, the court held that the IRSs determination was arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable. It held that Amazons use of the CUT methodwith some adjustmentswas the best method to determine the amount of the buy-in payment.

The court also held that the IRS abused its discretion in determining that 100% of the Technology and Content costs should be allocated to IDCs, and further held that Amazons method for allocating costs was reasonable.

Alistair Nevius (Alistair.Nevius@aicpa-cima.com) is the JofAs editor-in-chief, tax.
JURIST Guest Columnist Fahira Brodlija, an LLM student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, discusses the recent ICJ response to Bosnia and Herzegovinas request for a revised judgment from its 2007 lawsuit against Serbia regarding the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in its case The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague rejected a revision request of the judgment based on Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H)s lawsuit against Serbia concerning the questionable legitimacy of the legal representation from Sarajevo. Namely, Sakib Softic has submitted the request for the revision of claims to the ICJ on February 23, 2017 (three days before the established deadline) without the previous approval by the President Mladen Ivanic of B&H. Thereupon, the ICJ has requested clarifications on Softics legitimacy as well as individual statements of all three members of the B&H Presidency concerning the revision of the judgment.

The ICJ concluded that the request was not submitted based on the appropriate approval by the competent government body and that it could not proceed based on such a request about the application for the revision of the judgment from February 26, 2007 in the case of the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (B&H v. Serbia). The court was in the position to decide on such a revision in a case involving genocide for the first time, but ruled on procedural grounds without addressing the merits.

As a reminder, the initial case was decided by the ICJ a decade ago. Namely, on February 26th 2007, the ICJ rendered a judgment in re Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro , deciding on the claim of Serbias violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide [PDF]. After 14 years of procedure, the ICJ found that the government authorities of Serbia did not (in official capacity) perform activities which constitute genocide in B&H. Therefore, the Court found that as per international law, Serbia was neither liable for genocide in Srebrenica in July of 1995, nor did it act in conspiracy with the intention of committing genocide.

The ICJ did determine Serbias violations of the Convention on Genocide in its failure to fulfill its international obligation to prevent genocide, therefore this judgment referred to the failure to perform a duty which was undertaken by signing the aforementioned Convention. According to international law, Serbia was under strict obligation to perform actions and measures in order to prevent genocide, and it could not derogate from this obligation.

The request for revision itself caused a strong reaction from the officials of the government of Republika Srpska (RS), most notably Serbian President Milorad Dodik, who emphasized that the attempt to reopen this case is proof that B&H is not moving towards a better future, but continues to look back to the past. Dragan Covic, the Croatian member of the B&H Presidency who notified the ICJ on the lack of authorization to Softic for filing the request in question, shared this view, and announced a stronger cooperation between his party and RS to prevent such unilateral decisions by parties from Sarajevo.

Bosniak member of the B&H presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, stated that the decision of the ICJ is politically motivated and that the court did not actually examine the merits of the request or Softics authorization. He characterized this development as another blow to the dignity of the Bosniacs who continue to be victimized through the denial of the genocide committed by Serbia under the Milosevic regime. He also noted that he had expected more support from Mr. Covic in the pursuit of justice related to the numerous war crimes which took place during the 1992-1995 war.

The deadline for the revision of the judgment has officially expired on February 26, 2017, but the effects this attempt will certainly continue to shape the daily socio-political events in B&H, especially raising national tensions which are certainly going to rise after such an overt unilateral decision. In the wake of these developments, the Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic is visiting Sarajevo on March 16, 2017. This visit should provide more clarity as to the position of the two countries and the future steps towards overcoming the current difficulties. Bakir Izetbegovic has emphasized that he does not associate the Vucic government with Milosevic and that Vucic is always welcome in Sarajevo.

The matter took another bizarre turn when it was established that Mr. Sakib Softic was notified by the ICJ in May of 2015, stating that he lacks the proper authorization and legitimacy to act as a legal representative of the Government of B&H before that court. This finding has created political and social outrage motivated by the fact that along with the failure to follow the proper procedure for the request to the ICJ during the 10 years from the initial lawsuit, the person chosen to ultimately submit the request knowingly act outside of his capacity in the process. Many questions are raised on the Bosniak side regarding possible explanations for this development, the main one being whether this was another blatant example of political incompetence and negligence, or if this was a planned activity supported by the Serbian side to undermine and prevent the attempts to reach justice regarding the war crimes B&H. The pressure on Mr. Softic is mounting as the President of Republika Srpska Dodik has urged the Republics prosecutors office to file a suit against him for false representation.

The author of the revision request, former-US Ambassador for Matters of Genocide, David Scheffer, expressed great disappointment in the fact that the court rejected the revision request due to technicalities. Mr. Scheffer emphasized that unlike other state to state litigation such as oil and gas concessions or border disputes, matters of genocide should not be allowed to fall easily on procedural grounds. He also encouraged appeals and challenges to this rejection, as he firmly believes that B&H has enough evidence to substantiate its genocide claims against Serbia.

It remains to be seen how this complicated scenario unveils both on the day to day political stage, as well as in the context of the new partnerships being built with long term perspectives. There is no doubt that this attempt of accessing justice for the crimes committed over two decades ago has allowed some of the old sentiments and tensions to resurface, thus demonstrating that no matter how long such tension remains dormant, it can re-emerge at any moment in full-force with all the detrimental effects it carries.

Fahira Brodlija is a current LLM student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and graduated from the Sarajevo Faculty of Law in June 2016. Her main fields of interest are international arbitration and commercial law which she developed through the International Vis Moot competition in Vienna where she was involved both as a participant and coach. She is also involved in the NGO sector as a member of the Association Arbitri.

Suggested citation: Fahira Brodlija, ICJ Regjects Bosnia & Herzegovinas Request for Revision of its 2007 Judgment, JURIST  Student Commentary, March 24, 2017, http://jurist.org/dateline/2017/03/.php.
[JURIST] The US Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) [official website] on Thursday released a report [text, PDF] finding that a significant portion of federal law enforcement resources were directed to immigration-related offenses. The analysis showed that half of all federal arrests in 2014 [summary, PDF] were related to immigration, with 61 percent of them occurring in five districts along US-Mexico border. BJS also found that 17 percent of offenders released in 2012 went back to federal prison within three years, that federal arrests were down 12 percent in 2014, and that only 3 percent of defendants received a bench or jury trial that year.

Immigration has been a particular focus of US President Donald Trump [official website], culminating in lawsuits challenging [JURIST report] his controversial executive orders affecting migrants. In January, seven days after his inauguration, Trump issued an immigration-related executive order [text], which limited migration from seven Muslim-majority countries, among other changes. A lower court order blocking enforcement of that order was upheld [JURIST report] in February by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals [official website]. An amended executive order [text], issued in early March, was also blocked by district courts in Hawaii and Maryland [JURIST report]. Additional challenges to the revised policy are pending, including one brought by Washington and joined [JURIST report] by California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Oregon. These policies have been criticized as part of a larger overhaul of the countrys approach to immigration undertaken by the new administration, largely departing [JURIST op-ed] from the policies of other post-WWII presidents.
A New York judge on Wednesday ordered ExxonMobil [corporate website] to cooperate with a New York investigation into whether the company misled others about the effects of climate change. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman [official profile] had issued previous subpoenas to both ExxonMobil and their outside auditing servicers, and a New York state court in October 2016 ordered [text, PDF] compliance. However, Schneiderman submitted a letter [text, PDF] to the court earlier this month stating that ExxonMobil has failed to comply in good faith, and asserting that ExxonMobil has continuously delayed and obstructed the production of documents from its top executives and board members. The letter came after Schneidermans office learned of an e-mail account under the name Wayne Tracker, utilized by Rex Tillerson [official profile], current US Secretary of State [official website] and former ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO. ExxonMobil issued a letter in response [text, PDF] calling Schneidermans arguments speculative and inaccurate. Justice Barry Ostragers [official profile] order on Wednesday called for ExxonMobil to turn over [Reuters report] all management committee documents by March 31, as well as instructing ExxonMobil to work with Schneidermans office to recover lost emails from the Wayne Tracker email account. Ostrager also called for sworn affidavits [BI report] by April 10 from ExxonMobil management regarding their efforts and compliance with the order and subpoena.

In January the Suffolk Superior Court in Massachusetts ordered ExxonMobil to turn over 40 years worth of documents on climate change [JURIST report]. Climate change and its connection to fossil fuel companies have been prevalent in legal news in recent months. In December Murray Energy Corporation [official website], the largest privately owned coal company in the US, filed [JURIST report] a lawsuit in an attempt to block new regulations promulgated by the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement [official website]. The same month former President Barack Obama announced [JURIST report] a ban on offshore drilling in almost 120 million acres of federally owned Arctic and Atlantic waters. A judge for the US District Court for the District of Oregon ruled [JURIST report] in November that a lawsuit against the US federal government over failure to limit the emission of greenhouse gasses could proceed.
[JURIST] Former vice president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, was sentenced [decision, PDF] on Wednesday by the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] to an additional year in prison and fined approximately $325,000 for interfering with his own trial in March of 2016. In 2016 Bemba was charged [decision, PDF] with bribing witnesses and falsifying evidence after the court discovered Bemba conducted a bribery scheme from his prison cell. Four members of his legal team [ICC materials], Aime Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidele Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido, were also sentenced on Wednesday for aiding Bemba in influencing witnesses [ICC backgrounder].

The Bemba case [JURIST news archive] has been on-going before the ICC since 2008. During the second Congo civil war [BBC profile], Bembas troops committed rapes, murders and pillaged in 2002 and 2003, and in March 2016 the ICC unanimously found [JURIST report] that Bemba was guilty of two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes. In November 2013, the four members of Bembas legal team were arrested on charges of falsifying evidence [JURIST report] in connection with the trial. In October 2014, ICC Trial Chamber III delayed [JURIST report] the closing statements in the Bemba case so that it could hear additional witness testimony after the defense requested to testify about alleged collusion between prosecution witnesses.
Germany Justice Minister Heiko Maas [official profile] announced Wednesday that the countrys cabinet has approved a measure to pardon and provide compensation to approximately 50,000 men convicted under a Nazi-era law against homosexuality. The law, paragraph 175[text] of Germanys criminal code, was put in place in 1871, broadened under the Nazi regime, and was used to convict men as recently as 1967. Living men wrongfully convicted are expected to receive [DW report] 3,000 for each conviction and 1,500 for each year in jail as compensation. The bill must still be approved by parliament before it is enacted.

The movement for LGBTQ rights is pressuring legislators globally. In February the Washington Supreme Court ruled against [JURIST report] a florist who refused to sell flowers to a same-sex couple, thus upholding the States anti-discrimination laws. The following week the Arkansas Supreme Court struck down [JURIST report] Fayetteville citys ordinance extending nondiscrimination laws to include gender identity and sexual orientation. On Monday Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin signed a bill [JURIST report] to protect students freedom of religious expression, which could also be used to exclude LGBTQ students religious student organization.
[JURIST] The Senate Judiciary Committee [official website] on Thursday held a new round of hearings on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch [Politico profile] to the Supreme Court. Thursdays hearings involved testimony from 28 outside witnesses [Committee agenda]. This list included retired judges from the US Courts of Appeal, law professors at top universities, leaders of advocacy groups and several of his former law clerks. These witnesses testified both for and against Gorsuch. Also on Thursday, three leading Democrats  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Bob Casey and Sen. Bernie Sanders [Twitter posts]  announced that they will be voting against Gorsuchs nomination.

The Senate Judiciary Committee began hearings [JURIST report] on Monday for nominee Gorsuch. Each of the 20 senators on the committee, as well as Gorsuch himself, began the hearing by providing opening statements. Hearings continued [JURIST report] on Tuesday, where Gorsuch faced numerous questions and concerns by Democrats on issues of abortion, gun control and campaign spending. Gorsuch refused to answer many of these questions stating that his personal views were irrelevant and that he would keep an open mind and rule fairly based upon the facts and law of each case. Gorsuch pledged to keep an open mind and offered that he has offered no promises on how Id rule in any case to anyone, and I dont think its appropriate for a judge to do so. Gorsuch concluded [JURIST report] his testimony on Wednesday. President Donald Trump nominated Gorsuch [JURIST report] in January to fill the seat vacated by Justice Antonin Scalias passing. The seat remained open following the expiration [JURIST report] of then-President Barack Obamas nomination of Judge Merrick Garland [JURIST news archive]. In February, JURIST Contributing Editor William G. Ross [profile] argued that Gorsuch deserved full and fair consideration [JURIST op-ed] despite concerns over the manner in which Garlands nomination proceeded in the Senate.
Kentuckys HB 2 [text, PDF], which requires doctors to perform an ultrasound before an abortion, faced its first legal challenge [text, PDF] in federal court Thursday. HB 2 requires doctors to perform an ultrasound and show their patients pictures, explaining the images in detail. The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website], argue that it is unconstitutional pursuant to 42 USC  1983 [text, PDF]. The ACLU argues that forcing women to sit through this process violates their rights. It is also argued that it is violating the doctors rights, under the First Amendment [resources], by requiring them to deliver a government mandated ideological message. The US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky [official website] began to hear oral arguments earlier in the morning.

The topic of abortion has become more common in the national dialogue in recent times, with many states starting to introduce legislation targeting abortion. Oklahoma approved a bill on Wednesday that would prohibit abortions [JURIST report] because of genetic abnormalities. On Tuesday the Texas Senate approved two anti-abortion bills [JURIST report]. Last month the Florida Supreme Court blocked a bill [JURIST report] that imposed a mandatory waiting period before an abortion.
[JURIST] The North Carolina legislature [official website] on Thursday overrode [vote count] Governor Roy Coopers [official website] veto [text, PDF] of a bill that makes state judicial elections partisan. House Bill 100 (HB100) [text, PDF; materials] will make all judicial elections partisan beginning in 2018, marking a return to partisan judicial elections unseen in North Carolina for nearly 20 years. Party primaries will now elect judicial nominees, and their party designations will appear next to the candidates names on the ballot. Many see this veto override as an effort by the Republican legislature to further restrict the power of the newly-elected Democrat governor to shape state policy. The North Carolina House overrode the veto on Wednesday in a 74-44 vote [vote count], and the Senate overrode the veto in a 32-15 vote, both nearly exclusively along party lines.

Struggles between the North Carolina Republican legislature and Democrat Governor Roy Cooper have been ongoing. In December, North Carolinas then-governor Republican Patrick McCrory signed [JURIST report] into law Senate Bill 4 [text, PDF], which restricts the powers of the incoming governor Cooper, who was also the states Attorney General until he was elected. The legislature also passed House Bill 17 [text], signed into law by McCrory also in December, which further restricted the then-incoming governors powers. Specifically, Senate Bill 4 eliminates the governors control over the State Board of Elections by reducing the number of members from the governors party on the board from three out of a total of five to two out of a total of four. Senate Bill 4 also requires the party affiliations of appellate judicial candidates to be printed on ballots and further increases the power of North Carolinas appellate courts. House Bill 17 requires Coopers cabinet secretaries to be confirmed by the Senate, reduces the number of administrative positions in the executive branch, strips the governor of his powers to appoint trustees at the University of North Carolina and some of his powers to oversee schools in the state. McRory lost to Cooper in the November elections but refused to concede victory [NPR report] until a recount proved that he lost by more than 10,000 votes.
A group of a dozen US Senators introduced the Countering Irans Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 [text, PDF] Thursday to expand sanctions on Iran for ballistic missile development, support for terrorism, transfers of conventional weapons, and human rights violations. The bill was announced [JURIST report] last month and is being sponsored by seven Democrats and seven Republicans, including Bob Corker [official website], and former Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz [official websites]. The bills crucial provisions authorize the president to impose various sanctions on any person that is determined to have:

engaged in any activity that has materially contributed, or poses a risk of materially contributing, to the activities of the Government of Iran with respect to its ballistic missile program, or any other program in Iran for developing, deploying, or maintaining systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, including any efforts to manufacture, acquire, possess, develop, transport, transfer, or use such capabilities 

The bill also authorizes sanctions on anyone who has knowingly provided, or attempted to provide, financial, material, technological, or other support for, or goods or services in support of a person referred to above. The sanctions include, among other things, blocking of the persons property that comes within the possession of any person or institution on US soil, and exclusion from the US. Supporters hailed the bill [press release] as demonstrating the strong bipartisan support in Congress for a comprehensive approach to holding Iran accountable by targeting all aspects of the regimes destabilizing actions. Senator Tom Cotton [official website] added: The president has said hes putting Iran on notice, and passing this bill would be an unmistakable sign of resolve, said Cotton. Senator Bob Menendez [official website], however, reaffirmed US commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) [text, PDF] stating that this bill will not impede that commitment.

The situation surrounding Irans development and testing of nuclear technology has been a matter of national concern and has elicited multiple sanctions over the years. A bill renewing US sanctions against Iran for another 10 years became law [JURIST report] last December. In response to renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accused the US of breaching the nuclear agreement and has ordered the head of Irans Atomic Energy Organisation to plan the development of nuclear-powered ships. The US House had approved the extension of sanctions [JURIST report] last November. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [official website] reported as recently as last September that Iran had successfully maintained a stockpile of heavy water below the threshold. In July 2015 the US entered into the JCPOA nuclear agreement with Iran where the county agreed not to create a nuclear bomb in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The agreement was reached [JURIST report] after 20 months of negotiations. Iran has repeatedly claimed [JURIST report] that it has a right to nuclear technology and that its aims are peaceful.
The Taiwanese Constitutional Court [official website, in Chinese] on Thursday heard argument [press release, in Chinese] in a case seeking recognition of marriage equality. The suit had been filed [Taipei Times report] more than two years ago by gay rights activist Chi Chia-wei and requests for clarification on the state of the law had also been filed by the Taipei government. The challenge hinges on Article 972 [Taiwan Sentinel report] of the Taiwanese Civil Code, which states that, [a]n agreement to marry shall be made by the male and the female parties in their own concord. Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san [official profile] urged the court to uphold the constitutionality of the article, while Chi Chia-wei argued for it to be overturned. A decision is expected to be handed down by April 5.

The subject of marriage equality has been controversial in Taiwan, and across the world, for decades and has recently been the subject of both legislative and litigation. Last December, a legislative committee in the Taiwan Parliament approved a bill that would amend the Taiwan Civil Code to allow same-sex marriage [JURIST report]. The Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee approved a change in the Code from male and female parties in to two parties, which would allow homosexual couples to be legally wed. In November, the Parliament began work on three distinct bills [JURIST report] in support of same-sex marriage. President Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan, took office in May, and has expressed a desire to allow same-sex marriage. In September tens of thousands of people marched [JURIST report] in Mexico in protest of same-sex marriage, a controversial topic in the country further exacerbated by a proposal from embattled President Enrique Pena Nieto to recognize same-sex marriage. Earlier that month, the Aruban legislature voted [JURIST report] to give official recognition to same-sex couples, giving them the right to register their unions and receive the benefits granted to other married people.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein [official website] issued a statement [text] Friday calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Yemen war and continued international support in ending the conflict.

Zeid said over 13,000 civilians have been killed or wounded in the last two years, and that 21 Million Yemenis, which is more than 80% of the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance. Zeid notes that more than 105 civilians were killed in the last month alone, and urged parties to the conflict to work towards peace:

The violent deaths of refugees fleeing yet another war, of fishermen, of families in marketplaces  this is what the conflict in Yemen looks like two years after it beganutterly terrible, with little apparent regard for civilian lives and infrastructure  Two years of wanton violence and bloodshed, thousands of deaths and millions of people desperate for their basic rights to food, water, health and security  enough is enough. I urge all parties to the conflict, and those with influence, to work urgently towards a full ceasefire to bring this disastrous conflict to an end, and to facilitate rather than block the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The rapidly deteriorating state of human rights in Yemen has sparked significant international concern. Last month, Human Rights Watch called on the United States [JURIST report] to investigate the January 2017 US raid on Al-Qaeda that resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people. US special forces conducted an intelligence-gathering raid on the small Yemen town of al-Ghyeel on January 29, 2017. In October, UN expert on freedom of religion or belief condemned [JURIST report] Yemen for the nations arbitrary arrest and detention of people belonging to the Bahai religious community. In September, international human rights groups issued a joint letter [JURIST report] to the permanent representatives of member and observer states of the UN Human Rights Council urging them to support the High Commissioners call for an international, independent investigation into civilian deaths and injuries in Yemen. In August the UN High Commissioner for human rights called on the global community [JURIST report] to establish an independent international body for conducting comprehensive investigations of human rights violations in Yemen.
The US Senate [official website] voted 50-48 [vote record] Thursday to repeal [text, PDF; S.J.Res. 34] current privacy rules for Internet service providers (ISPs). In a vote meant to further deregulation goals, the Senate passed a resolution to undo privacy rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) [official website] during the Obama administration. The privacy rules, which had yet to go into effect, would require [NPR report] ISPs to inform consumers what information is being collected and how that information is being used or shared. Proponents for the repeal have argued that the rule would put ISPs at a disadvantage against other data-collecting companies like Google or Facebook, which are under the authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [official website]. The FTCs privacy guidelines are viewed as less stringent and rely on investigation and enforcement rather than pre-emptive regulation. Those against the resolution state that removal of the internet privacy rules would prevent consumers from controlling how their most sensitive information is used. The resolution will next go before the House before ultimately being presented to the president.

Governments around the world have re-examined their data privacy laws in the wake of a myriad of data leaks, including the Edward Snowden [JURIST backgrounder] leaks. National governments around the world have attempted [JURIST op-ed] to gain control over data transferred within their borders. On Tuesday the US House approved [JURIST report] a measure that would updat US privacy laws in regards to e-mails and cloud storage. In October 2015 the European Court of Justice ruled [JURIST report] that EU user data transferred to the US was not sufficiently protected. In June 2015 a court in The Hague struck down [JURIST report] a Dutch law that allowed the government to retain telephone and Internet data of Dutch citizens for up to 12 months in an effort to combat terrorism and organized crime.
The now-suspended police chief in the district of Yongsan has been booked for an investigation, along with the head of the Yongsan Ward office and two others, on charges of profess...
NEWSLETTER

Sign up

Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive.

Just Style Daily Update

The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday.

Just Style Weekly Update

A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday.

Just Style Magazine

The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter.
LITCHFIELD  Two Litchfield third-graders were selected to exhibit their art at the State Capitol this month.

According to a Litchfield Public Schools news release, Gracie Reitz, daughter of Lindsay and Kenneth Reitz, and Topanga Boyles, daughter of Amber Betke and Ross Boyles, have their art on display for youth art month this March. They created self-portraits with watercolor and colored pencils.

A ceremony to honor the girls and other winners is March 25. Nebraska Art Educator of the Year Jody Boyer will be speaking with them to encourage and congratulate them on their artwork and success.
88 Years Ago  1929

John Pesek of Ravenna, for many years one of the leading wrestlers in the country, has signed a contract for a tour of Australia, meeting the best of the Australian grapplers.

On March 15, the new school building in Loomis was dedicated. The building is 56 feet by 85 feet in size, of fireproof construction and is modern in every respect.

The park commission was authorized to make an expenditure of $600 for two bandstands, one in the First Ward park, another in the old water works park, referred to as Second Ward park.

63 Years Ago  1954

In Room 106 at Emerson School, the fifth-graders turned newspapermen for a day. In connection with their study of communication, they produced a newspaper of school news for the fourth, fifth and sixth grades.

Officers of the Kearney Youth Center received a new jukebox for use at the center. The gift was made possible by the Music Operators Association of Nebraska.

American Legion and Auxiliary Sunset Post 250 of Oconto celebrated the 35th birthday of the legion.

38 Years Ago  1979

Kearney State College was awarded a National Science Foundation Grant for 28 high school students to participate in a study of grassland ecology this summer. The students will travel to various sites to collect and analyze samples and receive on-the-spot training.

Nine pieces of stained glass were placed in the front window of St. James Square. The design will be illuminated at night.

The Youth Development Center has a special year in 1979. The institution for juvenile delinquents is observing its 100th year of service to the state. The Nebraska Legislature established the center under the name State Reform School in 1879 and funded $10,000 for its operation.

Compiled from Hub files by News Clerk Tammy Eaton
It occurred to me earlier this week as I walked around northwest Kearneys Fountain Hills Park that my house a block to the west was under construction 25 years ago. It and my familys farmhouse south of Wilcox have been the two true homes in my life.

Other dwellings  college dorms, apartments early in my newspaper career, the Wilcox house my parents built when my twin sister Lisa and I went to college  were simply temporary refuges from long school and work days.

I bought a new mobile home in 1983, lived in it for three years in York and another 5 years in Kearney, but I never considered it a home forever more.

I cant imagine what its like for millions of people in the world who have lost their homes to natural and man-made disasters. Nebraskans dont worry about being war refugees or terrorism victims, but we know that tornadoes and wildfires can make us homeless in an instant.

TIME magazine recently reported on home extremes in back-to-back issues.

First was the story of a Syrian family stranded in Greece after European countries closed their borders to refugees. A year later, a phone call finally came with instructions to take a chartered bus to Athens to learn where they would relocate.

Rather than lose the opportunity, they checked their 4-month daughter out of a hospital  she was being treated for bronchitis  boarded the bus, and hoped they would go to a country where the wifes music teacher background and English skills might help them assimilate.

Their new home is Estonia. They hadnt heard of the Baltic nation, but learned from a refugee network that the language is difficult to learn, and there are many cultural rules, but few Muslims and no mosques. There is no appeal process.

We have to be grateful to the country that is taking us, that its welcoming refugees and giving them a house and many other things that we need and lost back in our country, the wife said, adding that if there is no mosque, they can always pray at home.

The next TIME issue described President Trumps opulent private club in Palm Beach, Fla., Mar-a-Lago, where he spends many weekends. The photos show a place where Id be afraid to breathe or turn around for fear of a you break it, you pay for it rule.

Its common for presidents to have weekend-vacation homes on ranches, at beaches or in other places they called home before moving into the White House. Some enjoyed the Camp David presidential retreat in the Maryland woods.

Trump favors Trump Tower in New York City and Mar-a-Lago. The ethical difference is his retreats also are his businesses.

The TIME story says Mar-a-Largo has a $200,000 initiation fee  it doubled after the November election  annual dues of $14,000, and a minimum food and beverage fee. Trump reported earning nearly $30 million from it in 2015.

Such fancy places dont sound like home to most Americans, but its the only lifestyle Trump has known. Hes not a ranch or Camp David kind of guy.

The two stories reflect our worlds growing gap between haves and have-nots.

People can spend their money any way they want, but it bothers me to see spending way beyond whats reasonable for a very comfy home and lifestyle. That way beyond money could help so many people who have been left behind, often through no fault of their own, to the point of having no place to call home.

Lori Potter is a Hub staff writer.
When I became a nurse more than 50 years ago, Medicare had just been enacted. It was necessary because retired elders were either unable to afford or to obtain health insurance. Medicare was good for everybody. It provided health care for all elders, took people with higher health care needs out of the private insurance pool and provided reimbursement to providers of care who had previously swallowed those costs.

In addition, administrative costs were 30 percent lower than private insurance.

Elderly people were not the only ones for whom finding affordable health care was a problem. Young people just getting started, people with pre-existing conditions, people with low incomes and people who didnt have access to employer-provided insurance also struggled.

It was not until 2010, when the Affordable Care Act was passed, that these problems were addressed.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, people with low incomes received larger tax credits, insurance companies were required to cover people with pre-existing conditions, young people could stay on their parents insurance until age 26 and important preventive services and medications became available to women and older adults.

The House of Representatives American Health Care Act would be an enormous leap backward from the progress weve made in helping Americans get the care they need.

The bill would take financial assistance away from those who need the most help to afford coverage. This would send many of our most vulnerable Nebraskans back to the days when common health challenges could become a financial disaster for their family.

Last week, the Congressional Budget Office estimated 14 million would lose insurance the first year of implementation and 24 million Americans would lose insurance by 2026 under this plan.

The House bill could result in many Nebraskans seeing large jumps in out-of-pocket costs. And the proposal has no answer for hard-working, low-income Nebraskans who still cant afford insurance because our state foolishly has not expanded Medicaid, instead sending millions of Nebraskas federal tax dollars to other states.

As reported in the Omaha World-Herald on March 16, those most in danger are Nebraskans who arent yet 65, the age at which they qualify for Medicare, but dont have employer-sponsored insurance.

This is an age when one needs prescription medicines and/or hospital stays for treatment of chronic illness and aging joints. The bill would provide them with less financial help, driving up out-of-pocket costs and potentially forcing some to either forgo insurance or use up their life savings in the event of an emergency.

Barbara Braden is a dean emerita of Creighton Universitys Graduate School and University College. Her op-ed appeared originally in the Omaha World-Herald.
TransCanada's Keystone pipeline facilities are seen in Hardisty, Alta., on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Since TransCanada Corp. first proposed the 1,897-kilometre Keystone XL pipeline, the project has been studied, stalled, slammed and hyped, all amid political pressure from interests on all sides of the debate. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
A murder trial has heard that a widowed pensioner was subjected to head injuries and strangled before a fire was started in her Kilkenny home 30 years ago.



State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court yesterday (Friday) in the cold-case trial of a 53-year-old man accused of her murder. John Joseph Malone is charged with murdering 69-year-old Ann Nancy Smyth on 11th September 1987 at her home on Wolfe Tone Street in Kilkenny City.



Mr Malone of Newpark in Kilkenny City has pleaded not guilty.

Professor Cassidy testified that she had received the report, notes and photographs from Mrs Smyths post-mortem exam, which had been carried out by her predecessor. She had also been told that Mrs Smyth had been heard shouting hours before her body had been found.



She said that Professor (John) Harbison found burns to the left side of her body and scorching of her head. He also found a bruise above her left eyebrow, a graze outside it and hemorrhages around the white of the eye. He observed an intermittent horizontal pressure mark on the back of her neck and pinpoint hemorrhages below that mark. Thats very often seen where theres been a lack of oxygen before death, explained Prof Cassidy. Prof Harbison had also seen bruising and swelling above and behind the ear and bleeding under the scalp beneath that bruising.



He noted internal bleeding around the windpipe and thyroid gland, at the base of the tongue and around the hyoid bone. There were several injuries to the Adams apple and thyroid cartilage, which was fractured in a number of places. The jury heard that there were no traces of any soot or smoke in the pharynx, trachea or lungs. Prof Cassidy said this was of significance in this instance, where the body had been removed from a house fire with burn marks. There was no evidence to suggest she had inhaled any of the smoke, no blackening of the tongue, throat or anywhere, she said.



Under the microscope, Prof Harbison had confirmed fresh bleeding into the tissues, consistent with recent trauma. He also examined burnt skin. He was looking to see if there was a burn while she was alive, a vital reaction, explained Prof Cassidy. There was no vital reaction. She said his conclusion was that Mrs Smyth had been subjected to head injuries and strangled manually before the fire started. He gave the cause of death as asphyxia due to manual strangulation.

Prof Cassidy said she also examined the photographs taken at the autopsy herself. She said these showed the extensive burns to her left side, from her arm down to her ankle.



She observed the fresh bruising on the front of her neck and the linear graze across the back of her neck. There was also bruising of her scalp and grazing to the back of her head.



She said the photographs supported the conclusion that death was due to compression of the neck. She said the bruising to the neck raised a possibility of either manual or ligature strangulation.



She said the line of grazing on the back of the neck would be seen when something long and narrow had been placed against it.



However, there was no ligature mark around the front of the neck, she explained. She said the strangulation could also be caused by an arm lock or a hand being put against the neck. There was sufficient force to fracture the thyroid cartilage and for long enough to cause the petechial hemorrhages, she said.



The bruising to the scalp is consistent with punches or the head being struck against a hard surface, she continued. The trauma to the mouth could have been as a result of a blow or a hand being held against the mouth. She said the burns were peri or postmortem.



She was already dead when the fire started, she explained, giving her cause of death as asphyxia due to neck compression.



The court also heard from a number of first responders to the scene in 1987.



Ciaran Cormican was the Assistant Chief Fire Officer with Kilkenny Fire Brigade at the time. He recalled that the fire, which had been extinguished when he arrived, had been in a sofa. I took a few pictures with a polaroid camera, he testified. I have been unable to find them. He told the defence that he went out the rear window of the room where the fire had been to view the rear. He recalled seeing a basic wooden ladder against the back wall of the premises. It is certainly not a fire brigade ladder, he agreed, looking at scene photographs taken at the time.



Patrick Starr was one of the first Gardai to the scene.



He also looked around the back of the house, as well as in through the windows. Once the smoke had cleared he could see a couch smoldering and a dead dog on the floor. I decided something wasnt right, he explained. There was something suspicious about it and I decided to preserve the scene. He agreed with the defence that, when he got the call to the scene, he had been writing a report on an aggravated burglary that had occurred earlier in the night.



He was asked about the incident reported on Dean Kavanagh Place, but said he didnt recall anything about it now.

He was asked for the definition of an aggravated burglary. He explained that it was a break-in to a private residence, where somebody was inside, and would include violence or a person being put in fear.



Colman Cody SC asked if he would be able to find his notes from then, but he said notebooks would be held for only 10 or 12 years.



The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of five women and seven men.
A murder trial has heard that a widowed pensioner was subjected to head injuries and strangled manually before a fire was started in her Kilkenny home 30 years ago.

State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court this (Friday) morning in the cold-case trial of a 53-year-old man accused of her murder.

John Joseph Malone is charged with murdering 69-year-old Ann Nancy Smyth on 11th September 1987 at her home on Wolfe Tone Street in Kilkenny City.

Mr Malone of Newpark in Kilkenny City has pleaded not guilty.

Professor Cassidy testified that she had received the report, notes and photographs from Mrs Smyths post-mortem exam, which had been carried out by her predecessor. She had also been told that Mrs Smyth had been heard shouting hours before her body had been found.

She said that Professor (John) Harbison found burns to the left side of her body and scorching of her head. He also found a bruise above her left eyebrow, a graze outside it and hemorrhages around the white of the eye.

He observed an intermittent horizontal pressure mark on the back of her neck and pinpoint hemorrhages below that mark.

Thats very often seen where theres been a lack of oxygen before death, explained Prof Cassidy.

Prof Harbison had also seen bruising and swelling above and behind the ear and bleeding under the scalp beneath that bruising.

He noted internal bleeding around the windpipe and thyroid gland, at the base of the tongue and around the hyoid bone.

There were several injuries to the Adams apple and thyroid cartilage, which was fractured in a number of places.

The jury heard that there were no traces of any soot or smoke in the pharynx, trachea or lungs. Prof Cassidy said this was of significance in this instance, where the body had been removed from a house fire with burn marks.

There was no evidence to suggest she had inhaled any of the smoke, no blackening of the tongue, throat or anywhere, she said.

Under the microscope, Prof Harbison had confirmed fresh bleeding into the tissues, consistent with recent trauma. He also examined burnt skin.

He was looking to see if there was a burn while she was alive, a vital reaction, explained Prof Cassidy. There was no vital reaction.

She said his conclusion was that Mrs Smyth had been subjected to head injuries and strangled manually before the fire started. He gave the cause of death as asphyxia due to manual strangulation.

Prof Cassidy said she also examined the photographs taken at the autopsy herself. She said these showed the extensive burns to her left side, from her arm down to her ankle.

She observed the fresh bruising on the front of her neck and the linear graze across the back of her neck. There was also bruising of her scalp and grazing to the back of her head

She said the photographs supported the conclusion that death was due to compression of the neck. She said the bruising to the neck raised a possibility of either manual or ligature strangulation.

She said the line of grazing on the back of the neck would be seen when something long and narrow had been placed against it.

However, there was no ligature mark around the front of the neck, she explained.

She said the strangulation could also be caused by an arm lock or a hand being put against the neck.

There was sufficient force to fracture the thyroid cartilage and for long enough to cause the petechial hemorrhages, she said.

The bruising to the scalp is consistent with punches or the head being struck against a hard surface, she continued. The trauma to the mouth could have been as a result of a blow or a hand being held against the mouth.

She said the burns were peri or postmortem.

She was already dead when the fire started, she explained, giving her cause of death as asphyxia due to neck compression

The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of five women and seven men.
Editors note: The following is a bonus edition of Kiplinger Alerts, bringing you the latest developments from Washington on congressional Republicans health care reform bill. Kiplinger editors are reporting live from Capitol Hill on House GOP leaders efforts to secure enough support to pass the measure, and their ultimate decision to cancel a planned Friday afternoon vote.

SEE ALSO:

For more valuable insights like this, sign up for Kiplinger Alerts  free 30-day trial! (opens in new tab)

p>

Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up

The odds of repealing and replacing Obamacare look even worse after House Republicans couldn't unite around replacement legislation and the bill had to be pulled before today's vote.

The failure represents a major setback for President Trump and for House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

It also suggests Republicans in Congress are more concerned about facing unhappy voters next year than they are an angry president of their own party.

It isn't clear when or if the Republican majority will revisit health care legislation or whether they'll move on to tax reform or other major parts of Trump's first-year agenda.

The Kiplinger Letter forecast from earlier this month remains unchanged: Don't be surprised if his top three priorities for 2017  ditching Obamacare, passing comprehensive tax reform and putting in place a $1-trillion infrastructure bill  get pushed back until 2018, maybe longer.

On health care, it wasn't for lack of trying. The White House and the GOP leadership lobbied aggressively in the lead-up to the vote, hoping to persuade the House Freedom Caucus, an influential group of conservative Republicans, to support the American Health Care Act. In the end, the arm-twisting efforts fell short.

"Here's the problem: We're having a hard time making the transition from being an opposition party to being truly in the majority in Washington, D.C.," said Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.). "It used to be an opposition party. There's a comfort in being against everything."

The failure underscores the biggest obstacle to any GOP health care reform effort: The party is simply too divided to pass legislation that pleases all its members. After this week, it's unclear if conservatives will settle for anything less than a full repeal of Obamacare. Moreover, any changes made to placate the conservatives will further alienate moderate Republicans and vice versa.

The problem is even worse in the Senate. Many GOP lawmakers hail from states that benefited from Obamacare's expanded coverage. They fear voters will rebel if they pass a bill that could result in 24 million people losing their health insurance over the next decade, as the Congressional Budget Office estimated. Moderate senators, including Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), also object to any efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, one of the few moves House Republicans have to attract more conservative votes.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) refused to point fingers, saying the members must do some serious soul searching regarding the direction the House Republican Conference wants to take. "I'm always the optimist. I have high regard for President Trump and the opportunity he has for disrupting Washington. Maybe this will be a learning moment where we can evolve."

We probably haven't heard the last on this issue, despite President Trump's pledge to move on if Congress failed to pass the AHCA. Almost every big-ticket item on the GOP's legislative agenda, including tax reform and infrastructure, depends on the budgetary savings that would result from repealing Obamacare. In short, if Republicans can't do health care, it will be hard for them to do much of anything.

"Ultimately, this all kind of comes down to a choice," Ryan said. "Are all of us willing to give a little to get something done? Are we willing to say 'yes' to the good, to the very good, even if it's not the perfect? If we're willing to do that, we still have such an incredible opportunity in front of us."

But they have a very short window of opportunity to accomplish these things before facing the voters in 2018. Midterm elections are almost always hard on the party in power, but Republicans up for re-election next year may also have to distance themselves from an unpopular president and from health care, an issue that seems to burn whichever party touches it.

SEE ALSO:

For more valuable insights like this, sign up for Kiplinger Alerts  free 30-day trial! (opens in new tab)

p>

The Democrats discovered this when they tackled health care reform under President Clinton and President Obama. Now, it's the Republicans' turn.

Sean Lengell contributed to this report.
Youre tired of going it alone. Who do you call? Since 2008, when nearly every investment category suffered declines, people have been clamoring for good advice. Some seek just a little guidance, while others want to leave virtually all of the decision-making to a professional. But with so many money managers offering their servicesfrom banks to brokers to online sitespicking the right one is harder than ever. How do you find an adviser whos right for you and your family?

Well tell you how. Whether you want a one-time checkup on your financial life or an ongoing relationship with a money manager, well lay out the many types of companies you can go to and tell you what kinds of services you can expect, how much you can expect to pay in fees, and the minimum amount youll need to bring to the table. (You might be surprised to learn that some firms will let you through the door with a pittance.) Then well tell you how to drill down within the firms to find a good adviser and what questions to ask when you interview a prospective money manager. We list the kinds of investment managers in order of the minimum amount of money they require, starting with those that demand the least.

Online Outfits

The Web is exploding with sites that offer a variety of services, from tips on stock trades to full-service guidance from a financial planner.

Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up

See Our Slide Show: 10 Best Online Brokers

Some Web sites, such as Covestor (opens in new tab), TD Ameritrades thinkorswim (opens in new tab) and Ditto Trade (opens in new tab), allow you to follow or mimic the moves of a manager or a top trader. Other firms, such as Jemstep (opens in new tab) and FutureAdvisor (opens in new tab), offer recommendations on mutual funds and exchange-traded funds based on your personal circumstances. You plug in data from your brokerage and 401(k) accounts, for example, and the Web services review your account holdings, flagging funds that have high expense ratios or that have lagged the broad market over time.

Some online outfits, including Betterment (opens in new tab), Hedgeable (opens in new tab) and Wealthfront (opens in new tab), will manage your money for less than 1% a year. Betterment creates portfolios that contain only ETFs. Plug in your goals (say, I need $2 million in 20 years, and I have $200,000 now) and answer a few risk-tolerance-related questions, and Betterment sets your allocations to get you to your goal. Once a portfolio is established, Betterment periodically rebalances it to keep the allocations in line with the desired percentages. You can start with $100 and pay 0.35% a year (as long as you invest $100 a month); invest $100,000 and youll pay 0.15% annually.

Some sites, including LearnVest (opens in new tab) and NestWise, link you to a fee-only planner who comes up with a comprehensive financial and investment plan. LearnVests services cost $399 to start and $19 a month; NestWise charges $250 upfront and about $48 a month thereafter. At LearnVest, a budget-starter program costs $89 to begin and then $19 a month. The service allows you to connect to a planner, who will help you organize your finances and start an investing program.

Financial Planners

Planners do far more than manage your investments. Theyll give you advice on saving for retirement and for your kids college education. They can do estate planning and point you toward accountants who will prepare your taxes. They can discuss the wisdom of trading up to a bigger, more expensive house.

See Our Slide Show: 8 Financial Pros You Need on Your Side

In Monterey, Cal., fee-only planner Gifford Lehman and his three associates at Integris Wealth Management manage $165 million for 75 clients. He doesnt require an asset minimum to become a client, but his fee structure works best for investors with at least $1 million. He charges between 0.5% and 1% of assets annually, depending on account size. (That fee is on top of any underlying fees for the investments he chooses.) In addition to the usual investing advice, Lehman offers estate and tax planning.

Just because a firm is big doesnt mean it requires a big minimum. Edelman Financial Services, based in Fairfax, Va., has more than 17,000 clients, $8.5 billion in assets under management and offices in 14 states. Some planners at Edelman will accept accounts of as little as $75,000, but the fees will be 2% of assets per year, compared with 0.75% annually for an account of $1 million to $3 million. Other big firms offer advice in small increments: Garrett Planning Network, a nationwide group of independent planners, can put you in touch with one of its more than 300 fee-only advisers, who charge hourly rates of $150 to $240 and can help on an as-needed or ongoing basis. Their target audience is beginners, middle-income earners and do-it-yourselfers. It typically takes eight to 12 hours to devise a comprehensive financial and investment plan.

Then there are brokers-turned-planners. Take John Burke: For 22 years, he was an adviser at big brokerage firmsMerrill Lynch and Morgan Stanleyplying their recommended funds and stocks. Now, hes a financial planner and has his own firm, Burke Financial Strategies, in Iselin, N.J. Instead of making money on commissions, as he once did, he earns a fee based on the assets he manages. And his clients get more than just investment advicethey get comprehensive financial planning, too. The firm is tied to the Raymond James brokerage, but Burke says he doesnt earn commissions on products he sells. His fee is 1% of assets under management annually. He works with clients who have more than $1 million, but two associates in his officeone is a certified financial planner and the other is a certified public accountanttake on clients with $200,000 to $1 million in assets. If you exclude people with less than $1 million, you exclude most of America, says Burke.

[page break]

Discount Brokers

Many discount brokerage firms offer tiers of advisory servicesand each level typically has its own minimum. But the fees are generally 1% or less per year, depending on the amount of assets you have with the firm. To give you an idea of the array, well go through the levels offered at Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard. At Fidelity, if you have $50,000, you can invest in model portfolios at annual fees of 0.25% to 1.7% of assets. But if you want someone to actively manage money for you, youll need a minimum of $200,000 in assets (or $50,000 in a retirement account), and youll pay between 0.55% and 1.5% annually, depending on how much money is in your account.

At Schwab, you have to decide how customized you want to getand how much of the work youre willing to do. On the low-minimum end, $25,000 gets you a professionally managed portfolio of funds or ETFs. Youll pay 0.2% to 0.9% of assets annually, depending on how much money you have, plus the fees of the underlying funds. On the high end: $500,000 gets you into the firms Private Client program (in which a broker creates a plan and makes recommendations and you carry them out) or the Advisor Network program (you get assigned one member of a prescreened group of independent advisers, with average experience of 20 years).

Vanguard, of course, is known mainly as a purveyor of low-fee mutual funds and ETFs, but it does offer brokerage services as a convenience to its clients. The fund sponsor and brokerage combination also offers a full range of financial advice. It takes $500,000 in assets to become a client of Vanguard Asset Management Services (the figure can include 401(k) money you have with Vanguard in an employer-sponsored retirement plan). Being a VAMS client means that you will have an ongoing relationship with a dedicated team of two salaried Vanguard employeesa financial planner and his or her associate. Theyll manage your investment portfolio, allocating your money to a mix of Vanguard mutual funds and ETFs, and help you with other aspects of your financial life, including dealing with such issues as when to take Social Security or how much long-term-care insurance you need to buy. Annual fees range from 0.2% to 0.7% of assets.

Full-Service Brokers

If you have $10,000, you can open an account at, say, Morgan Stanley, a prototypical full-service brokerage. Youll work with a broker, who, for a fee of up to 2% of assets annually, will provide guidance on mutual fund investments. But to get more-comprehensive advice at Morgan Stanleyfrom an adviser who offers a range of services, from investing guidance to retirement and estate planning to banking servicesyou need at least $100,000. Fees are negotiable and may include commissions on investments, asset-based advisory charges or both. At Merrill Lynch, youd need at least $250,000 to access that level of service.

But there is no minimum at Edward Jones, says Danae Domian, an adviser with the St. Louisbased firm, which has 10,000 offices in the U.S.many of them one-broker shops in small communities. Charges depend on the type of investment products you buy and can include ongoing asset-based fees to manage the portfolio, as well as transaction costs or annual expenses of mutual funds. For that, clients will get advice that spans 90% of their financial needs, says Domian, including paying for a childs education, preparing for retirement, generating income in retirement and estate planning.

As is the norm with brokers, the financial advisers at Edward Jones are held to the suitability standard, which means they must recommend investments that are suitable for their clients. By contrast, most fee-only financial planners have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients. That requires that they act in their clients best interest at all times.

Banks and Trust Companies

Technically speaking, a trust company is not a bank. A trust company is authorized to engage in trust powersthat is, you give assets to a legal entity (the trust) and permit a third party (the trust company) to hold and manage the assets on behalf of a beneficiary (you). But some trust companies, including Chicago-based Northern Trust, are also banks and offer full banking services, too. And some large banks, such as BNY Mellon and J.P. Morgan Private Bank, offer investment advice, financial planning and trust services. So does Vanguard, the mutual fund company.

Because the big banks and trust companies cater to wealthy individuals, we lumped them together. The minimum for full-service financial planning and investment advice is high: Its $2 million at BNY Mellon and Northern Trust, for example. Wells Fargo asks for $5 million. But Vanguards minimum for trust services is just $500,000.Big bucks can buy you lots of services. At Northern Trust, in exchange for annual management fees of 0.20% to 0.85% (depending on the amount of assets you have with the firm and the kind of trust accounts you set up), plus costs attached to investment products, the firm will act as your fiduciary steward for every aspect of your financial life, making sure that your best interests are always the top priority. Whether its your investments, your banking needs, natural gas reserves under a plot of land you own in Nebraska, the yacht you want to buy, or the art collection you plan to auction off at Christies, the firm has your back. Some additional fees may apply for specific services, of course. Being rich, apparently, can cost a fortune.




A rising number of Chinese are looking overseas to realize their dream of having a second child. Shan Juan reports.

Since China implemented the universal second-child policy at the beginning of last year, more than half of the 90 million newly eligible couples include women age 35 or older, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Geng Linlin, deputy director of the clinical center at the commission's scientific research institute, said many of these women are past prime fertility so they find it difficult to have a second baby.

Fertility declines as women age, according to Geng, who added that nearly 90 percent of women age 45 and older are unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term. Moreover, women age 35 and older stand a greater risk of miscarriage.

Other factors, such as environmental pollution, the widespread use of chemicals and exposure to electromagnetic radiation, can also affect people's ability to reproduce.

The World Health Organization estimates that 15 to 20 percent of the global population is infertile, which translates to about 15 million couples in China.

"Declining human fertility has become a social problem," said Wang Lina, a veteran fertility specialist at the Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing.

She pointed to altruistic surrogacywhere the surrogate mother receives no financial rewardas a new option, particularly for women who are unable to become pregnant because of physical limitations but still long to have a second child.

At present, the only regulation governing surrogacy was issued by the commission, the nation's top health authority, in 2001. It prohibits medical facilities and professionals from performing any form of surrogacy.

Since then, the government has repeatedly launched raids on underground clinics across the country, but the "womb business" has never ceased completely.

However, largely as a result of the government ban, a rising number of well-to-do Chinese have begun to seek surrogacy services in countries where the procedure is legal and is performed under the correct conditions.


Annuities have a reputation for being complex products, and dealing with IRA required minimum distributions isnt always a walk in the park, either. Mix the two together, and that can result in a concoction of confusion. Heres what you need to know if you hold an annuity in your traditional IRA.

Required minimum distributions from an IRA must be taken annually starting the year you reach age 70. Typically, you figure your RMD by dividing the IRA balance as of December 31 of the previous year by a factor based on your age (see IRS Publication 590-B (opens in new tab)).

But if your IRA holds an annuity, you may or may not have to include its value when figuring your RMD. The kind of annuity you hold matters. Annuities come in many flavors, but generally there are three types: immediate, longevity and deferred variable annuities.

Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up

The first two types have a relatively easy relationship with RMDs. An immediate annuity results in an instant stream of payments, usually paid out over the buyers life expectancy. A lifetime stream of payments essentially covers the RMD for the portion of the IRA money invested in it. That sufficiently duplicates the RMD distribution, says Mark Luscombe, principal analyst in the tax and accounting business of Wolters Kluwer, in Riverwoods, Ill.

Say you have $300,000 in an IRA and use $100,000 to buy an immediate annuity. The $100,000 is turned into a stream of payments and is excluded from the RMD calculation. You still would have to figure the RMD for the remaining $200,000. But what if the annuity payments are more than the required distribution on the value of the annuity using the IRS method? Sorry, but any excess cant count as part of the RMD on the nonannuity part of your IRA.

Longevity annuities are bought with a chunk of money now for payouts starting years later, typically at age 85. Qualified longevity annuity contracts, or QLACs, can be bought with IRA money (up to 25% of retirement account assets or $125,000, whichever is less). Money tied up in an IRA QLAC is ignored when figuring the IRAs RMD. Your RMD is based on any non-annuity holdings.

Owning a deferred variable annuity in an IRA is where RMDs get tricky. How you figure the annuitys value into the RMD depends on whether or not it has been annuitizedthat is, turned into a stream of payments, usually over the owners life expectancy. The rules change when you annuitize a contract, says Ken Nuss, chief executive officer of AnnuityAdvantage (opens in new tab).

If the variable annuity is simply an asset in your IRA, then its value must be included along with nonannuity holdings when figuring the RMD. Even if you are withdrawing some cash from the annuity, its value on the previous December 31 counts for RMD purposes, says Bob Gavlak, a certified financial planner at Strategic Wealth Partners (opens in new tab), in Columbus, Ohio.

Your insurer may provide an RMD estimate based on the annuitys value, but keep in mind that it will only cover the annuity, says Joe Heider, founder of Cirrus Wealth Management (opens in new tab), in Cleveland. The RMD for any nonannuity IRA holdings must be calculated, too. You can take the total RMD from nonannuity holdings.

When the Rules Twist

But the rules change once the variable annuity is annuitized, because the stream of payments will cover the RMD for the IRA value represented by the annuity. Most [VAs] are RMD friendly, says Gavlak. You are satisfying the RMD with those payments. You still have an RMD for the nonannuity holdings.

If you annuitize the contract after you are subject to RMDs, take particular care with calculating the RMD for the first year of payouts, says Nuss. Your RMD in that first year is based on your prior year account balance, but Nuss says youll need to make sure that the total payments you receive during the first year of the annuitized contract are equal to or greater than the calculated RMD. If they are less, he says, you would need to make up the shortfall from nonannuity holdings in your IRA. In subsequent years, the money thats tied up in the annuitized contract would be excluded from the IRAs RMD calculation.
SHANGHAI, March 24 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Finance auctioned 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) of three-month bills in the interbank market on Friday at an average yield of 2.8718 percent, traders said. The auction yield for the three-month bills came in above the previous benchmark secondary market yield of 2.8592 percent for three-month government bills . For stories on Chinese debt issues, click on . ($1 = 6.8924 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
Two 17-year-old boys were arrested in Bend, Oregon, for selling fake gold bars to customers on Craigslist, according to police.

The teen boys bought knockoffs of Perth Mint and Royal Canadian Mint gold bars online and then re-sold them as real ones.

The pair managed to earn a total of $50,000 in eight months.

The juveniles were sophisticated and used multiple ways to conceal their identity and scheme, local media quoted Bend police Lt. Clint Burleigh as saying.

The two are being charged with aggravated theft by deception and conspiracy, and felony computer crime, police stated. And only one of the suspects is being charged with money laundering.

Authorities said they were able to identify only four victims so far and asked others who bought Royal Canadian Mint or Perth Mint gold bars online from an unknown person in Oregon between last July and March 21 to contact Bend police at 541-693-6911.

Officers also issued a warning, cautioning citizens to only buy precious metals and gems from reputable dealers in the area.
SAO PAULO, March 24 (Reuters) - The Mexican peso firmed on Friday to its strongest in four months ahead of a key vote on the U.S. healthcare overhaul plan seen as a test of President Donald Trump's self-described skills as a negotiator.

The peso strengthened 0.5 percent, touching levels last seen before Trump was elected in November. Other Latin American currencies also edged up in thin trading volumes.

Bets that Trump's campaign pledges to cut taxes could raise economic growth in the world's No. 1 economy had lifted appetite for emerging market assets earlier this year.

But the rally fizzled on Wednesday after his healthcare bill stalled in Congress, raising doubts about the president's ability to work with Congress.

Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index seesawed, with shares of power utility Cia Energetica de Minas Gerais SA extending gains for a second day. Still, concerns that the Brazilian government could face difficulties in gathering lawmaker support for a planned revamp of the country's pension system kept a lid on demand for assets.

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1640 GMT: Stock indexes daily % YTD %

change change

Latest MSCI Emerging Markets 970.71 0.29 12.25 MSCI LatAm 2620.40 1.12 10.72

Brazil Bovespa 63850.65 0.5 6.02

Mexico IPC 49007.52 0.68 7.37

Chile IPSA 4755.85 0.6 14.56

Chile IGPA 23820.72 0.62 14.89

Argentina MerVal 19705.10 0.19 16.48

Colombia IGBC 10069.79 -0.26 -0.58

Venezuela IBC 37707.84 0.61 18.93

Currencies daily % YTD %

change change

Latest Brazil real 3.1168 0.63 4.25

Mexico peso 18.8500 0.47 10.05

Chile peso 660.2 0.42 1.59

Colombia peso 2897.64 0.56 3.58 Peru sol 3.243 0.03 5.27

Argentina peso (interbank) 15.5950 0.16 1.80 Argentina peso (parallel) 16.04 0.25 4.86 (Reporting by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
By Oleg Vukmanovic

MILAN, March 24 (Reuters) - Asian spot LNG prices fell this week on poor demand from major gas-consuming regions despite a slew of new purchase tenders.

The May spot LNG contract fell by $0.25 cents to $5.40 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), with new production coming on stream in Australia and the United States.

Analysts and traders mainly blamed low demand for driving prices lower. In the Middle East, Abu Dhabi was staying on the sidelines of the market and new solar power capacity in Dubai was eroding gas demand there.

In Asia, imports by India, Argentina and China has lagged 2016 levels and South Korea needs less gas because of its new coal power plants.

"Supply continues to push on the upside of expectations," said one analyst, citing a third LNG production train due to start this week at Australia's Gorgon project, new U.S. output and Algeria's plans to lift exports in this year.

On the tender supply side, Angola, Russia's Sakhalin II and some Australian producers were offering volumes. Australia's AP LNG project offered three cargoes spaced out over several months but had only sold one while holding back the rest because of low prices, two traders said.

Cargoes loading from the North West Shelf project in Australia were halted due to poor weather. On the demand side, Mexico's CFE purchased two April cargoes from Cheniere Energy in a tender, one trader said, adding the price was slightly below $5 per mmBtu, probably because Cheniere was supplying test cargoes from its latest production line.

The U.S. Federal Regulatory Commission granted Cheniere's application to start long-term production at its new line, known as Train 3. But the train, which was already producing LNG, unexpectedly shut on Wednesday. The May gas contract at the UK hub is currently trading at $4.87 per mmBtu. Traders said they did not believe the CFE purchase had dipped below that level.

Kuwait Petroleum Corp is seeking a May cargo, India's GSPC a late April or early May cargo and Gail India a first-half April cargo. Jordan closed a tender for a May cargo. These buyers and India's Petronet closed or awarded their tenders this week.

Fresh demand was expected to emerge from Argentina where state-run Enarsa was readying to launch a tender by the end of the month, likely seeking between 10-20 cargoes for delivery in August and the months after, two trade sources said.

India's Torrent Power has given notice to potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) suppliers it wants to buy nine cargoes for delivery in 2018, according to a document posted on its website. (Additional reporting by Mark Tay in Singapore; Editing by Edmund Blair)
Klondex Mines Ltd. (TSX: KDX; NYSE MKT: KLDX) reversed to a fourth-quarter profit as the company sold a quarterly record 47,745 gold-equivalent ounces for revenue of $56.1 million, a quarterly high. Net income was listed by Klondex at $2.2 million, or 2 cents per share, compared to a loss of $1.7 million, or a penny, in the same period a year ago. The average quarterly selling prices of gold and silver ounce were $1,175 and $16.73 an ounce, respectively. Paul Huet, president and chief executive officer, says the company achieved production and cost guidance for 2016. Looking ahead, our near-term strategy is focused on organic growth. We expect to produce between 210,000 and 225,000 gold-equivalent ounces in 2017, an increase of approximately 36% from the prior year, he says.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Sandstorm Acquires 22 Royalties In First Quarter

Streaming and royalty company Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE MKT: SAND, TSX: SSL) says it acquired 22 net-smelter-return royalties during the first quarter for $1.9 million. The assets include royalties on development-stage, advanced exploration-stage and exploration-stage projects located in Canada, Mexico and Peru. "The collection of royalties that we have acquired so far in 2017 have added exploration potential in stable jurisdictions, increasing the optionality in our portfolio, which is now up to 155 streams and royalties," said Nolan Watson, president and chief executive officer. We have over $30 million in cash and $110 million available on our revolving line of credit, and we are working diligently to continue deploying our capital into accretive acquisitions that will add value to shareholders."

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Primero Receives Extension to Revolving Credit Facility

Primero Mining Corp. (TSX: P; NYSE: PPP) says an agreement has been struck with lenders for an extension of its $75 million revolving credit facility. Instead of maturing in May, the RCF will be extended by six months to November, providing the company with greater flexibility to replace the RCF with a longer-dated term loan, Primero says. The RCF currently has $50 million drawn and $25 million available.
(Kitco News) - Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd. (JSE: HAR; NYSE: HMY) reported Friday that a wildcat strike at its Kusasalethu mine west of Johannesburg has come to an end after just one day.

The announcement followed talks between senior management of Harmony and the leadership of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union.

I am pleased that the matter has been resolved and that operations at Kusasalethu will return to normality, said Peter Steenkamp, chief executive officer of Harmony. Today the parties demonstrated that they are willing and able to put their differences aside in the best interests of our employees and their families.

According to news reports, the strike on Thursday was in response to disciplinary measures against some 40 employees after an illegal sit-in back in January. Kusasalethu produced a little more than 124,000 ounces of gold for the financial year 2016.
WINDHOEK, March 24 (Reuters) - Capricorn Investment Group Limited said on Friday that Namibia's largest institutional investor had bought a 25 percent stake in the financial services firm for about N$2 billion Namibian dollars ($160 million) and also lent it money.

The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), with assets valued at about $7.77 billion, increased its stake in Capricorn to 26 percent, making it the second largest shareholder in the financial services firm.

Capricorn operates as an investment holding company with interests in banking, insurance and asset management in Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.

Bank Windhoek, Capricorn's flagship brand, is the largest locally owned bank and the second largest lender in Namibia.

Capricorn's majority shareholder, Capricorn Investment Holdings' (CIH) stake fell to 40.5 percent following the transaction following the transaction.

CIH and Capricorn Group chairman, Koos Brandt, said the GIPF had also offered a long-term debt of N$1.3 billion to the group as part of the transaction and said the fund would help reduce the group's capital and liquidity risk. ($1 = 12.4870 Namibian dollars)

(Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa; Editing by James Macharia)
A girl looks at a book at the National Book Expo held in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, in July. [Photo by Mei Jia/China Daily]

Langfang in North China's Hebei province, which is near Beijing and Tianjin, is set to host the 27th National Book Expo this summer.

The exhibition, which was first held in 1980, is one of the oldest book events of its kind in the country. In recent years, the expo has grown, and now features talks by writers, reading promotion activities as well as showcasing regional culture.

For years, the event was mostly hosted by provincial capitals around the country. The successful expo held in Baotou in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in July "inspired us to look for smaller cities", says Yan Xiaohong, vice-minister of Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

Langfang, with a population of 4.6 million, is the first city in Hebei to be honored for promoting reading, with a lot of book events held in the past three years, drawing around 150,000 people.

Publishing is an important industry in Hebei, with the majority of its cultural businesses comprising media, publishing, printing and binding.

Now, many of the former small-scale printing and binding businesses have moved into integrated industry parks, and are working on green printing, digital printing and even 3-D printing.

Zhang Gujiang, vice-governor of the province, who is also on the expo's organizing committee, says as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration plan and the 2022 Winter Olympics bring new opportunities to Hebei, the province is making efforts to further develop its economy.

"We value culture and plan to offer better public cultural services. We have 48,000 rural libraries in the province," says Zhang.

The expo will be held at the Langfang International Convention and Exhibition Center from May 31 to June 3.

The organizers of the expo, which will cover an area of 50,000 square meters, expect 2,500 exhibitors to bring in 100,000 titles to the show. They also expect to stage 1,000 events at the expo.

Li Xiaoming, head of the provincial Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, says that besides the expo's signature events, such as the Red Sofa Meetings, Ten Iconic Reading Figures, the Langfang show will also feature a special exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the Xinhua Bookstore brand.

Among the other attractions, writers born in Hebei, like Tie Ning, will meet the readers during the expo, while a book caravan has started its tour from Shijiazhuang city and will arrive in Langfang in late May, says Li.

Besides Langfang, Tangshan city will host a related exhibition at its Southlake Convention and Exhibition Center, where the 2016 Tangshan International Horticultural Exposition was held in October.

The Tangshan section will feature children's books and intangible cultural heritage, with free entry to the venue of the horticultural expo.

As for other related events, the former revolutionary base of Xibaipo and the Baiyangdian guerilla base, two popular tourist destinations in Hebei known for their "red tourism", will host exhibitions featuring books on the Party history and revolutionary literature.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 39F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 39F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.
Index of contentedness shows a nation's GDP often has little to do with its sense of well-being

Every day seems to be International Day of Something or Other. March 20, for example, was the fifth annual United Nations International Day of Happiness. The following day it was UN World Poetry Day, but that's another story.

Few of us would argue against the importance of happiness, or indeed poetry. The challenge comes in trying to quantify such intangibles, particularly on a global scale.

It was the tiny Asian state of Bhutan that first introduced an index of Gross National Happiness to supplement Gross National Product, on the basis that a country should be judged on the well-being of its citizens and not just its economic output.

The idea caught on and in 2012 independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network produced the first World Happiness Report under UN auspices. The latest edition came out recently to coincide with International Day of Happiness.

Now, we all know that money can't buy us happiness. But, as the latest survey of 155 countries confirms, it helps. As in previous years, the top 10 on the survey's SWB - Subjective Well-Being - index was dominated by prosperous Scandinavian countries, with Norway topping the rankings this time.

It will also come as no surprise that states afflicted by poverty or war such as Syria, Burundi and the Central African Republic, figured at the bottom of the happiness scale.

But proof that national wealth does not guarantee national happiness is shown in the survey's figures from the United States.

Although per capita US incomes have risen threefold since 1960, the measure of happiness has not. In recent years, though the US economy has grown, happiness is now actually falling, putting the country in 14th place on the international scale.

"The predominant political discourse in the United States is aimed at raising economic growth, with the goal of restoring the American Dream and the happiness that is supposed to accompany it," according to the report.

"But the data show conclusively that this is the wrong approach. The United States can and should raise happiness by addressing America's multifaceted social crisis - rising inequality, corruption, isolation and distrust - rather than focusing exclusively, or even mainly, on economic growth."

The report bases its global findings on interviews with thousands of people in each country surveyed. Income is only one measure of well-being, along with healthy life expectancy, access to social support, the freedom to make life choices, generosity, and levels of government and business corruption.

The situation in China, almost exactly halfway on the index in 79th place, is unique and merits a separate section in this year's findings. The good news is that a sense of well-being among Chinese is on the rise after a rapid fall in the decade and a half to 2005.

The report noted that, while GDP in China has increased more than fivefold over a quarter century, subjective well-being over the same period fell for 15 years before starting to recover.

"Current levels are still, on average, less than a quarter of a century ago," it noted.

Describing China's unprecedented economic advance, the report noted that by 2012 virtually every urban household had a color TV, air conditioner, washing machine and refrigerator. Almost nine in 10 Chinese had a personal computer and one in five had a car.

However, rapid change brought not just prosperity but also anxiety about such issues as access to jobs. That explained the marked decline in China's subjective well-being score from 1990 to about 2005, the report said.

However, on a positive note, job prospects and social safety nets played key roles not only in explaining the post-1990 happiness deficit but also the subsequent recovery.

The data found that government action to curb unemployment and restore the safety net, the two preeminent measures of China's sense of well-being, had prompted a turnaround in the happiness index.

The report said there could hardly be a better example than China for showing the futility of comparing well-being with GDP.

"If the objective of policy is to improve people's well-being, then SWB is a more meaningful measure than GDP, as China's experience attests," it concluded.

The writer is a senior media consultant for China Daily UK. Contact him on editor@mail.chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily European Weekly 03/24/2017 page10)
Student days in the Emerald Isle cast a spell over Chinese author and poet

"Empty streets flip into a fun fair. A quiet city erupts into a boisterous jamboree. And everything is green."

So recalls Bao Huiyi of March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - a magical day in Ireland.

Bao is the author of The Annals of the Emerald Isle, a collection of essays written during her stay in Ireland, when she was studying Old and Middle English at University College Dublin from 2011 to 2015.

An Irish city erupts into a boisterous jamboree as people celebrate St. Patrick's Day on the streets. Photos Provided to China Daily

"I went to the parade every year and missed it only once, because you seldom see so many people in Ireland at other times," Bao says.

At first, she went to the event seeking novelty - everyone was dressed in green, wearing green hats and green makeup.

After all, when else could a Chinese student see such a scene but on St. Patrick's Day? And where else but Dublin?

Bao tried to learn more about the tradition.

"I used it as an opportunity to understand Irish society," she says.

Besides describing Irish culture in her book, such as the origin of St. Patrick's Day, Bao also pens her observations on the country and its people.

For example, she describes the Irish as "lukewarm" - "they react slowly and are usually at ease".

During her first autumn in Dublin, a rainstorm swept away an old bridge, which resulted in traffic jams and packed buses every day. She asked an elderly woman when the bridge would be fixed.

"They haven't started yet," the woman answered. "The news said three weeks, but in reality, I think at least a couple of months."

In another chapter, she takes readers to the primitive landscapes of the island - to explore glacial lakes and visit a lighthouse on a rocky shore.

And she familiarizes Chinese readers with the treasures of Irish literature.

Sinead Mac Aodha, executive director of Literature Ireland, praises Bao's work for opening the door of Irish literature to Chinese readers.

Bao, who was born in Shanghai, studied English literature at Fudan University for her bachelor's and master's degrees from 2003 to 2010.

It was the poems of William Yeats, the plays of Oscar Wilde and the novels of James Joyce that drew her to Ireland.

"I was translating Heaney and Yeats before I came to Ireland," Bao told The Irish Times in 2016.

"There is something about Ireland that was always very attractive to me. I think of Ireland as a lighthouse on the edge of Europe in the medieval period. So I always pictured it as a very quiet place where I could live like a hermit and study."

Bao says that she was the only Chinese face in her department at University College Dublin in the past decades.

"But it's the best thing that ever happened to me. Otherwise, there would not be such a book. Being alone helps writing."

Bao has also translated more than a dozen books, many by Irish writers, including acclaimed Irish poet Harry Clifton and novelist Colum McCann.

The Irish experience has also influenced Bao's literary creations.

As a poet, Bao is inspired by Ireland. She published a poetry anthology I Sit on the Edge of the Volcano in 2016.

Bao always remembers that Lu Gusun, the late English literature professor and renowned lexicographer at Fudan University, once encouraged her to study Old English when she was working on her master's degree in Shanghai.

He said, "After she finishes her study and comes back, I, a 75-year-old man, would like to be her student!" Lu writes in the preface of the book.

After graduating from University College Dublin with a doctorate, Bao returned to teach at Fudan. And in September, Bao will start an introductory course on Old and Middle English literature. Unfortunately, Lu died in July.

"But I am happy to see that there are many Chinese interested in Ireland," says Bao, who still receives many letters about The Annals of the Emerald Isle, which was published in 2015.

"Some of my students are already planning to study in Ireland," she says.

xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 03/24/2017 page21)
Taiwan-based smartphone company HTC Corp announced that it will sell its land and plant in Shanghai for 630 million yuan ($91 million; 84 million euros; 73 million), in a strategic move to fund expansion of its fledgling virtual reality business.

The 114,831-square-meter smartphone factory will be sold to Shanghai Xingbao Information Technology Co - with the net gain of the disposal estimated at about 147.76 million yuan, HTC said.

The decision was made this month by the company's board, with the aim of restructuring its operations and assets.

A visitor tries a pair of HTC Vive virtual reality goggles at the 2016 Computex computer exhibition in Taiwan. Provided to China Daily

The move was part of an asset rationalization program to improve operational efficiency. HTC added that there were no implications for its business or staff levels, and its production capacity would remain as planned.

After the sale of the Shanghai factory, HTC's smartphone production will rely mainly on its Taoyuan factories in Taiwan. The net gain is expected to be invested in its VR unit, HTC Vive.

Zhao Ziming, an analyst at Beijing-based consultancy Analysys, says the move showed HTC's resolve to gear up its expansion in the emerging VR business, in order to gain a leading position in the market.

"In recent years its smartphone business has declined rapidly, especially in the Chinese mainland market," Zhao says. "After selling the Shanghai facility, the company will be able to use more resources to develop the VR business."

Zhao says the sale would likely impact HTC's smartphone business and there could be changes to staff deployment.

HTC used to own several factories across the Chinese mainland and in Taiwan to produce its own brand of smartphones.

The Shanghai plant, which stands out as one of the key manufacturing facilities, was reportedly able to produce up to 2 million smartphones per month.

But analysts said that the current demand for HTC smartphones does not appear to support that level of installed capacity, and it was proving hard for the Taiwan phone-maker win back its past glory in the global smartphone sector.

HTC reported in January that its annual revenue declined by more than a third in 2016. Last year the company earned NT$78.16 billion ($2.55 billion), a fall of 35.77 percent, on revenue of NT$121.68 billion.

Zhao says the move also showed that HTC was pinning its hopes on its VR brand, HTC Vive.

"In recent years, HTC's priorities have transferred from the smartphone to the VR business," Zhao says.

Ma Si contributed to this story.

ouyangsijia@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 03/24/2017 page29)
New book argues that complacency underlies US economic, social problems

Tyler Cowen's latest book has struck a nerve in the United States. He sees a failure of spirit underlying the many worrying trends his country has seen over the last 40 years - the lack of wage growth, declining life expectancy in some groups, increased inequality, growing monopolization of the economy, increasing racial and income segregation in schools and housing.

Fewer Americans now become richer than their parents. They move between cities much less often and start many fewer businesses. As the last election demonstrated, many Americans seldom meet, much less understand, fellow citizens with different backgrounds or worldviews.

Cowen, a frequent visitor to China, is a well-known free-market-oriented professor of economics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. His book - The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream - has provoked widespread discussion and has been reviewed and analyzed in all the leading newspapers and policy journals.

Economist Tyler Cowen believes China has a culture of ambition and dynamism and a pace of change that harkens back to a much earlier America. Provided to China Daily

In an interview, Cowen explained that he defines complacency as "not feeling a sense of urgency about the problems of your society or your nation. This manifests itself in seeking more safety and security and moving away from dynamism."

In contrast to his worries about the US, he writes: "Even with its recent economic troubles, China has a culture of ambition and dynamism and a pace of change that harkens back to a much earlier America. China, even though in the midst of some rather serious economic troubles, makes today's America seem staid and static. For all its flaws, China is a country where every time you return, you find a different and mostly better version of what you had left the time before."

Asked why he believes that China is dynamic compared with developed countries and almost all developing countries, he says:

"There are plenty of practical reasons. Standing above all is that the Chinese people have an idea that they can believe in, that China should be great again. They believe this deeply, and, actually, in a fairly unified way, though they may disagree on how to get there. I think this is a strong feature of China. They have a sense of the continuity of their past and want to recapture this leading role.

"A lot of the more practical factors are able to operate because, at this intellectual and ideological level, people believe in something very dynamic. Make China great again, so to speak."

But, dynamism and striving can be hard. Life in the United States might be too easy and too oriented toward safety rather than effort or adventure. He says: "If you are an American and you just don't want to work that hard, and have a lower-middle-class existence, your life is pretty good, provided you don't abuse opioids or do something stupid. It's harder to do that in China and many other places."

His description of Americans as complacent and settled may shock many. After all, didn't the US create the internet and other technological marvels? Don't its tech companies dominate world markets?

Cowen says that the US, of course, has some incredible companies that employ the world's smartest workers. But Silicon Valley is not representative of the country.

US business has also become less competitive inside the country. Cowen says: "Startups as a percentage of overall business have declined gradually in each decade since the 1980s. In general, there are higher levels of monopoly and concentration in the US economy. Chain stores are much more important. The companies we have last longer and it is harder to start new companies. It is harder to turn new companies into successes.

"People see highly visible companies like Facebook or Uber and think there is lots of competition, but the economy as a whole is a different story."

In recent decades, China has seen more competition and lots of new business starts. Cowen says that the growth of nationwide companies has squeezed out the old provincial or regional monopolies.

Real wage growth in China has averaged more than 10 percent per year, while US wages have been basically flat for 40 years. Cowen says that US wealth is going to monopolists and other "rent-seekers" - people who take advantage of their special positions.

One symptom of US complacency is the inability to build great public works anymore. For example, the Washington metro system in 2000 started seriously planning an additional line intended to reach Dulles International Airport. So far, less than 50 kilometers have been built, not yet reaching the airport. Meanwhile, the Beijing subway system has added 17 lines and more than 500 km of track.

"There are more veto points in the US system," Cowen says. "There is less agreement on who should pay for things.

"Keep in mind that most of the subway lines in Washington are actually getting worse. It's not that we built the new line and maintained the rest. Overall, it is much worse. There is a lack of a sense of urgency. On any given day, you don't feel you need to fix it now, so it never gets done."

He says that his experience at George Mason University leads him to believe that much of China's dynamism comes from the opportunities it offers to non-elite young people.

"It is striking to me how many of the good Chinese students in the US come from rural areas and do not have very wealthy parents. They are not typically from the poorest families, but they are not just from the elite families in Shanghai.

"Part of it is the exam system. I think that for all the talk of corruption, China is fairly meritocratic in the sense that a smart person from a middle-class or poor family really can rise a great deal."

Looking around the world, Cowen sees few dynamic countries.

He believes Japan paved the way in complacency. There is even a special word in Japanese - otaku - for the numerous young men who have withdrawn from society, not even pursuing sex or marriage. They have a pretty comfortable life, but one without ambition.

"India is a more complex story, but certainly worth a look," he says. "The story for China is true throughout most of the country, but for India you have to tell a more diverse, heterogeneous story. It would not be as simple as the China story."

Cowen also sees promise in Nigeria and Ethiopia: "I wouldn't say they have passed the success threshold yet, but they are future candidates.

"Nigeria impressed me with its human capital, dynamism and ambition, even though the country is currently in recession. And, like the overseas Chinese, Nigerians have done quite well abroad.

"Ethiopia's recorded rates of economic growth were the highest in the world from 2014 to 2017 and have been high for a decade."

Despite its current dynamism, China should be wary of factors that could lead to complacency the way it has in other countries. There may be an inherent cycle that moves all societies toward stagnation.

An aging society will naturally become more complacent, but he believes there is currently so much dynamism in China that it has some time to deal with that.

More generally, he says, barriers will accumulate in any system. "Privilege will dig in. Elite schools will become more of a transmission belt of privilege. The US is much further down this path, but China will develop its own version."

China cannot be complacent about its current dynamism.

davidblair@chinadaily.com.cn

Bio

Tyler Cowen

Born: January 21, 1962

Education: Ph.D. in Economics, Harvard University, 1987

Career Highlights:

Professor of Economics, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

Director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Co-creator of Marginal Revolution University

Blogger at www.marginalrevolution.com

Columnist for Bloomberg

Author of many books, including Average is Over, The Great Stagnation, Discover Your Inner Economist, and An Economist Gets Lunch

Book: The core plays of Shakespeare

Film: High Noon

Music: The Beatles and Beethoven

Food: Chengdu and Yunnan cuisine

Hobby: Travel, with most recent trip to Northern Ireland. Planning a big summer trip to China, starting in Dalian.

(China Daily European Weekly 03/24/2017 page32)
Korea Forest Service (KFS) Deputy Minister Kim Yong-ha, left, inspects the agency's pest control operations at a field test lab in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Spring is around the corner, and the KFS is preparing to combat plant-borne diseases. / Courtesy of Korea Forest Service
Agriculture Minister Kim Jae-soo Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin

By Lee Hyo-sik

The agriculture ministry is facing growing criticism for stopping E-mart and other private firms charging more for their goods in the name of stabilizing consumer prices.

Critics say the ministry should not tell firms what to do, stressing that supply and demand in a free market should determine the value of goods and services.

On Friday, E-mart, headed by Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin, decided to lower chicken prices by 15 percent - a day after it hiked by the same percentage - at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the company said.

BBQ Genesis was forced to retract its decision last week to increase fried chicken prices by 10 percent. Korea's largest fried chicken franchise did so after the agriculture ministry, headed by Kim Jae-soo, threatened to ask the National Tax Service and the Fair Trade Commission to investigate the company if it went ahead with the plan.

On Thursday, the country's largest discount store chain, which runs 147 outlets nationwide, began charging shoppers 15 percent more for chicken. But on Friday, e-mart had to bring the price back down after an agriculture ministry official asked the retailer to do so.

"On Thursday, we hiked chicken prices for the first time in 40 days because of rising costs," an e-mart spokesman said. "But we received a phone call from the agriculture ministry telling us it is not a good time to do so as the recent rotten poultry scandal in Brazil has put upward pressure on prices. After holding a series of meetings, we decided to accept the ministry's request."

According to the spokesman, the ministry expressed concerns that when E-mart increases prices, other retailers will follow, which will then encourage fried chicken franchises and other restaurants to charge consumers more.

"As a market leader, we decided to refrain from raising chicken prices for now," he said. "We hope this will prompt more consumers to come to our stores and buy more."

The agriculture ministry confirmed that it had asked E-mart not to increase chicken prices.

"Given what's been happening in the market, such as the avian influenza outbreak and the distribution of rotten Brazilian poultry, we asked E-mart to refrain from raising the prices," a ministry spokesman said. "It was just simply a request for cooperation."

However, critics cried foul over the ministry's moves, saying it should not meddle in the market without legitimate cause.

"It is unfortunate that the government has been sending wrong signals to market players that authorities will interfere in the market anytime they would like to," an analyst at one of Korea's major business associations, who declined to be named, said.

"I can see why the government wants to keep stable the prices of chicken and other fresh goods frequently purchased by consumers," the analyst said. "But the thing is the value of goods and services should be set by supply and demand. Government intervention distorts the market, which is bad for both producers and consumers."

Consumers will decide whether to pay more for chicken, he said, adding that what the government should do is to maintain market order and make rules fair for everyone.

"It should let the invisible hand of the market control everything else. Bureaucrats must stop pressing businesses not to increase prices," the analyst said.
Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) Chairman Huh Chang-soo, second from right, bows his head in apology with FKI executives before a press conference at FKI headquarters on Yeouido, Friday. The scandal-hit chaebol lobby group said it will downsize its organization and cut its budget by 40 percent. / Courtesy of FKI



By Lee Hyo-sik

The scandal-ridden Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) has decided to downsize its organization and cut its budget by 40 percent as it struggles to survive the biggest crisis in its 55-year history.

The chaebol lobby group also decided to change its Korean name but continue to use its English name. It said keeping its current English name is essential for maintaining its international business network.

On Friday, FKI Chairman Huh Chang-soo, who is also chairman of GS Group, unveiled a set of measures to overhaul the scandal-hit business group that has been facing calls for dismantlement, following its involvement with Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of former President Park Geun-hye.

The FKI pressed 19 business groups to donate 77.4 billion won to the Mir Foundation and the K-Sports Foundation, which were established and controlled by Choi.

"We are deeply sorry for disappointing the public," Huh told reporters at FKI headquarters on Yeouido, Friday. "The FKI will fulfill its founding purposes and be reborn as a sound, hardworking business association. FKI and its members will make every effort to regain public trust."

Under three principles - rooting out of collusive links between politicians and businesses, enhancing transparency and strengthening its role as a think tank - the chaebol lobby said it has worked hard in recent months to draw up measures to revamp its organization.

First, it decided to change its Korean name to show its resolve that it would focus on representing the interests of its member firms, not their leaders.

"We will also abolish the gathering of heads of large conglomerates, which used to act as an FKI decision-making body. But from now on, our board of directors will make every decision concerning its management and operations," Huh said.

The lobby group has decided to reduce its size and budget by 40 percent as Samsung, Hyundai Motor and other large conglomerates have abandoned their FKI memberships. Korea's top four business groups previously accounted for nearly 70 percent of its 40 billion won annual membership fees.

It also plans to strengthen the role of the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) to turn it into the nation's most prestigious think tank.

In order to cut collusive ties between politicians and business leaders, the FKI will scrap a division that has been supervising its dealings with other entities. It also decided to publish its activities and financial standing online twice a year to bolster managerial transparency.
DSME rescue plan gets backlash from institutional investors





By Yoon Ja-young



The labor union of the troubled Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) said it is willing to share the burden including accepting pay cuts. As institutional investors, including the National Pension Service which holds much of its corporate bonds, are pessimistic about the government's bailout plan, the shipbuilder faces a bumpy road ahead.



"Management recently informed us of a 10 percent pay cut, and we do acknowledge there are reasons for such a demand by the government and creditors," the labor union said in a statement, Friday.



"We want to make it clear that the labor union is willing to talk with management to come up with a wise solution," it said, proposing a discussion by a four-party council comprising the labor union and management as well as the government and creditors.



The statement follows the government's bailout plan for the shipbuilder, which will inject an extra 2.9 trillion won ($2.6 billion).



As a prerequisite for the help, the government and the creditors including the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) had demanded DSME workers take on a larger share of the burden. It includes cutting 25 percent of its personnel costs as well as slashing its workforce by 1,000 jobs. The management also had suggested workers return 10 percent of their salaries while meeting with the labor union Wednesday. Executives of DSME have already been returning between 20 and 30 percent of their salaries to the company since September2015, while office workers have been taking unpaid vacations in turn.



Meanwhile, the institutional investors which hold DSME's corporate bonds are negative about the government plan. The National Pension, Korea Post and Teachers' Pension hold 48.9 percent of DSME's 1.35 trillion won corporate bonds.



For the government's bailout plan to be executed, the institutional investors should swap 50 percent of the debt for equity, and extend the maturity of the rest by three years. Without their consent, it wouldn't be able to inject 2.9 trillion won fresh cash to the shipyard.



However, the institutional investors point out that the government is only demanding that they share the burden, ignoring the fact that they invested in the corporate bonds due to book cooking by DSME. The institutional investors may raise a lawsuit arguing that their investment was due to a fraudulent financial statement.



The National Pension Service has already raised a 48.9 billion won lawsuit against DSME and its accounting firm Deloitte Anjin, saying their accounting fraud led to massive losses from investments in DSME shares. In an interview with local media, the National Pension Service's chief fund manager said it may take into account raising a lawsuit for damages from corporate bond investments as well.



The National Pension Service voted for a merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries back in 2015, but it is facing criticism that it succumbed to political pressure and incurred loss for subscribers who piled up money in the fund for their retirement.



While proposing four-party discussions to share the burden, the labor union also stressed that it will have no alternative if creditors forcibly execute their plans without consent of the workers.



"We know there is criticism over continuously pouring in taxpayers' money in DSME and we see that the criticism is reasonable. However, a considerable number of workers already left the company and those who remain have already seen wage and welfare deteriorate," it added.




By Yun Suh-young





Cover of the book "Sundaesilrok"

Many people enjoy sundae, a Korean food consisting of intestines stuffed with various ingredients, but only a few know the history of this popular Korean food.

Yook Kyung-hee, CEO of Heestory Food and owner of Sundaesilrok, a sundae restaurant in Seoul, does, and she traveled miles (literally) to track down the best sundae in Korea. She didn't stop there. Following her local journey, she turned her eyes outward to travel thousands of miles around the world to find the most representative sundae of each nation. Her discoveries were recorded in a book called "Sundaesilrok" or "Sundae Annals" which was published last month.

"Sundaesilrok" is like a tribute to all the dishes like sundae in the world. It begins with the history of sundae in the first chapter. She explores how the word "sundae" came to be and where it could have possibly originated from. She searches historical documents, journals and books and runs down various assumptions.

According to her comprehensive studies, she writes that the earliest form of "sundae" dates back to B.C. 5000-3000 in Mesopotamia where it is presumed to have spread to Greece and crossed over to Europe through the island of Sicily in Italy.

The origin of sundae in Asia is presumed to date to around B.C. 2000 when China started trading with the Middle East. Mesopotamia's cultural influence on China is presumed to have brought in a form of sundae to China which then probably influenced Korea.

The earliest account of sundae in Korea is recorded to have been around A.D. 1670 which is the earliest that could be found among written records. "Gaesundae" or sundae made with dog's intestines was recorded to have been consumed at that time during the mid-Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) according to a book called "Gyogonsieuibang."

In the late 1600s, there are records of sundae made with cow's intestines, and records of sundae made with sheep's intestines are found in the late Joseon period. In the 1830s, people consumed sundae of pig's intestines and the late 1800s introduced "doyaji sundae" which is the closest form of modern day sundae, in a book called "Sieuijeonseo."

Yook's restaurant serves sundae that is modeled after doyaji sundae. Hence comes the birth of "white sundae" which is sundae made without clotted blood of pigs or cows in it. After her research, Yook realizes she doesn't have to include "clotted blood" in the sundae as had been normally done, which led her to develop her own kind.

Her journey to discover the variety of dishes related to sundae began seven years ago and her travels amounted to six and a half trips around the world.

"I researched over 40,000 pages from various publications and met over 1,000 people during my 260,000-kilometer journey. In my book, I recorded all the different sundae that I've discovered worldwide and studied," she said in a book publishing event earlier this month.

In the second chapter, Yook explores a variety of Korean sundae and in the third, a variety of sundae around the world. She traveled to Spain, France, England, Italy, Czech Republic, Mongolia, Vietnam and Thailand and recorded details about the intestine delicacies she discovered there.

"Sundae is humanity's soul food," she writes in her book. "The history of sundae began as humans began eating meat and the culture will continue onwards. Because I was recording that culture, I titled this book Sundaesilrok, which means the Sundae Annals."

Yook says as fermented "jang" (paste) provides a better taste, she hopes her book is as fermented and delicious as she hopes it to be.
By Yi Whan-woo

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul is keeping mum over conservative protesters waving American flags at their rallies in support of the ousted President Park Geun-hye.

It has not even asked organizers of the rallies to stop using the flags, according to embassy officials, Friday.

An embassy official said the embassy has not had a "particular view" over the flags appearing at protests before and after Park was removed from office.

"As far as I understand, the embassy also does not have any plans to comment on this issue in the future," the official said.

But some Koreans do not understand why the embassy is taking no action against the protesters abusing the U.S. flags. This could give the impression it is supporting their rallies.

The protesters, many of them in their 60s or older, have brought out the U.S. flags along with South Korean flags at their rallies in what are seen as efforts to underscore their patriotism.

Several protesters have claimed Park's removal may lead to a change of government falling into the hands of North Korea-sympathizing liberals and that the security alliance between South Korea and the U.S. will be at risk.
Korean presidency is hardest job on planet'



By Kim Jae-kyoung





William Brown

A former U.S. government official warned that any decision by South Korea to yield to China's trade curbs may jeopardize the Seoul-Washington alliance.

"Wrong decisions -- anything seen as aid or compromise with the North Korean state -- or bending to Chinese economic blackmail, could have disastrous consequences for our long-lived alliance and friendly relations," Georgetown University School of Foreign Service professor William Brown told The Korea Times.

The warning came amid a deepening dispute between Seoul and Beijing as China is taking retaliatory measures against South Korea through a boycott of Korean products and pressuring tourism agencies not to book tours to Korea over the deployment of the U.S. advanced missile defense system.

Brown, who previously worked for the CIA, the Commerce Department and the National Intelligence Council, said that two countries could become detached if a new president were to draw the wrong lessons from Trump's victory last year.

Korea's new leader will be elected in a snap election on May 9.

He believes any wrong decision could make Trump take drastic action because Trump is under growing pressure from Americans who feel increasingly frustrated over military spending overseas.

"Washington think tanks and American _ and many Korean _ academics and pundits badly misread the degree to which Americans are growing weary of the costly military forces we have overseas leading to unsustainable federal fiscal and foreign trade deficits," he said.

"They want a smaller, less costly and less taxing government. Trump wants a bigger military but he said he expects our allies, pointedly including Korea, to work harder to defend themselves. Some Americans incorrectly see Korea's economic success as subtracting from the U.S. economy."

The Washington-based Korea expert stressed it is important to understand that the Trump administration's "America first" policy and Korean success are not at odds with each other.

"We are not rivals or even competitors," he said. "Hopefully the new Korean leader and Trump can get together early on and iron out a new strategic plan for our relationship that will drive us to long-term economic stability and growth and success in dealing with North Korea."

Against this backdrop, Brown advised Korea to build a stronger alliance with the U.S.

"The new leader should draw strength by moving closer to Washington, one that does not have conflicting interests in the region, while maintaining friendly independence from China and Japan and improving preemptive defenses against North Korea," he said.

Brown, a research fellow at the Korea Economic Research Institute, said Korea needs a strong leader but maybe not one with too much charisma, which might lead to trouble with the likes of Putin, Xi, Abe and even Trump.

"The person needs to be intelligent, and willing to quickly learn from the rough neighborhood of Northeast Asia," he said.

Citing lingering geopolitical risks, powerful neighbors and vociferous Korean people, he described Korea's president as the toughest job in the world.

"All the Korean presidents in modern history ran into great political difficulties making me think the Korean presidency is the hardest job on the planet," he said.

"Having to wrestle every day with North Korea, powerful neighbors such as China, Russia and Japan, the U.S., and Korea's own raucous citizenry, should be enough to drive anyone crazy."

Brown, who served as a senior research fellow at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul in the 1980s, called Korea a "proverbial shrimp" compared to China, Russia and Japan.

"Lacking peers in their day-to-day relationships, Korea's leaders often have a hard time knowing when to be tough and when to compromise," he said.
From left, Singapore Ambassador to Korea Wei Kiat Yip, CICI President Choi Jung-wha, Y Group Principal Architect Yang Jin-seok, Thai Ambassador to Korea Sarun Charoensuwan, HSBC Korea CEO Martin Tricaud and his wife Isabelle Tricaud and Lee Byeong-eon, executive of general business at Hankook Ilbo, pose during the Korea CQ Forum at the residence of the Thai Ambassador in Seoul, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Kim Jae-heun



By Kim Jae-heun

Architect Yang Jin-seok is perhaps one of the busiest master builders in Korea. He has designed 800 buildings and pieces of furniture over the last 20 years.

Yang's recognizable products include Yongpyeong Resort the Forest Residence, Cloudhills and JS Corporation's headquarters.

During the Corea Quotient (CQ) Forum, organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) on Wednesday, Yang shared his philosophy behind his buildings and how he distinguished himself among many other architects.

"I began my career as architect when I was 13 years old," Yang said at the CQ Forum held at the residence of Thai Ambassador Sarun Charoensuwan in Itaewon, Seoul. "I dreamed of becoming a musician but my father pushed me to grow up as an architect. So I played music while designing architecture.

"In my music, there is an architect. It's very much similar to how I work when I write songs and make buildings. They both have developments and messages in the products," Yang said.

The architect's breakthrough work in Yongpyeong best reflects his philosophy. That's one of the venues for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics next year.

Former chairman of Ssangyong Group Kim Seok-hoon requested Yang design the resort village. Yang was inspired by the surrounding nature of the site and hanok, the traditional Korean house.

"When I first when to Yongpyeong, the tall straight trees, sunshine and shadows came into my sight. I designed the houses according to the impression I received from the light and nature combined as if I was writing a song," Yang said.

"The pattern on the building wall took its design from the bark of a tree and the slanted, uneven roof is from the original construction of hanok. The overall resort buildings look small from the outside but are spacious inside, surround by nature in the mountains," Yang said.

Yang's other masterpiece, JS Corporation's headquarters, has an open space in the middle from level's three to six.

It meant a lot of wasted space but Yang pushed the design to make people communicate between different departments. He also used the left side of the building to make a terrace where female employees can talk to their children comfortably while working.

"JS Corporation is a fashion house. They need a lot of communication as designers," Yang said. "I convinced the chairman that the increase in communication will lead to an increase in company profits. Also, people can walk upstairs through the open middle hall, which can save electricity by not taking an elevator."
By Kim Bo-eun





Hwang Eun-mee

Hwang Eun-mee, president of the Career Consultant Forum (CCF), 62, began her career at the Bank of America's Seoul branch in 1977, where she worked for 18 years as a secretary as well as in HR and marketing.

Based on her work experience in HR, Hwang founded EM Consulting in 1995, which provided personnel recommendations to global firms.

This was when she realized the need for career development services.

"On the sidelines of work, I was assisting college students in getting jobs, but later found students who graduated from renowned schools and entered conglomerates were quitting their jobs," she said.

"This was because they didn't know about their aptitude and only focused on landing a job at a good company _ students need to learn about themselves and plan out their careers."

Recalling her experience as an intern at IBM during her college years, Hwang in 2000 started helping youths acquire global internships.

In 2009, Hwang founded CCF, a non-profit corporation that provides career consulting to teenagers, university students, office workers and retirees. It also trains consultants and develops and runs career programs for various institutions.

As a career consulting expert, Hwang highlighted the changes in the job market with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution.

"The conventional definition of success here is earning a degree from a prestigious university, joining a renowned company, going high up the corporate ladder and making lots of money," she said.

"However, now, people need to focus on developing their own competitiveness, as they will live working not for a company, but assume tasks on a project-by-project basis."

Hwang added learning about one's aptitude and planning ahead for one's career is a life-long process which should start at childhood. University years are crucial, she added.

"Career development centers at universities are still focused on students getting employed _ universities need to put career planning as a requisite in students' freshman year," she said.

Hwang also said learning and developing one's skills will need to become a life-long process.

"People need to know about these changes in order to adjust and prepare themselves accordingly and what we are doing is trying to raise awareness," she said.

Hwang keeps up with the latest developments in the field by taking part in global conferences.

Hwang is also an active member of Business and Professional Women Korea (BPW), which she joined in 1993 and served as president of from 2009 to 2011.

Her efforts have been recognized _ Hwang received the Yu Gwansun Award, presented to women who have contributed to the nation's development, in honor of the late patriotic martyr.

"It was a tough journey, but looking back I feel a sense of pride," Hwang said.
An official at the Asia Peace & History Education Network speaks during a press conference denouncing the Japanese government's approval of high school history books which claim territorial rights to Dokdo, in Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap



By Kim Bo-eun



The Ministry of Education on Friday unveiled a comprehensive plan on school education on Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, following Japan's persistent claim to the territory.

The Japanese government on the same day approved privately published high school history textbooks, which downplay Japan's past of imperialism and mark Dokdo as "Japan's inherent territory," claiming "Korea's illegal occupation" of the islets.

"We express deep disappointment and regret _ the education ministry strongly denounces Japan's move and demands its withdrawal," ministry spokesperson Ju Myung-hyun said in a briefing following the news from Japan. "Justifying erroneous views of history and infringing on another nation's territorial sovereignty through education plants seeds of conflict in future generations, and hinders the peace and prosperity of Northeast Asia."

Japan's approval of the textbooks has increased the number of books claiming territorial rights to Dokdo to 46 out of a total of 59 books, from 37 out of 60 in 2012.

Under the ministry's plan, schools will continue to designate a week in April to teach intensively about Dokdo in both regular and extracurricular classes. Students will also engage in various activities such as visiting the Dodkdo Exhibition Hall, writing essays, making videos and taking part in campaigns.

The Northeast Asian History Foundation and regional educational offices will assist schools.

The ministry has already distributed 1.75 million textbooks specializing in Dokdo to schools in March. The book contains Dokdo's history and the efforts Korea has made to protect the territory.

In addition, the ministry, with regional education offices, will for the first time create and distribute teaching materials on Dokdo to teachers by August.

For the public, there will also be Dokdo exhibitions at KTX stations _ two are planned to be held at Yongsan and Dongdaegu stations in April. The ministry will also boost efforts in distributing Dokdo pamphlets and online videos.

Moreover, the ministry will select 25 Dokdo research groups comprised of teachers and provide funding for them as well as opportunities to visit the islets.

The ministry will continue to host a nationwide contest for middle and high school students, where they take tests on the history, geography and international law on Dokdo.

The ministry plans on creating two more Dokdo exhibition halls this year, in addition to nine which have been established nationwide.



Civic groups denounced Japan's move.

The Asia Peace & History Education Network hosted a press conference, the same day, calling for the Japanese government to stop approving the textbooks claiming rights to Dokdo.
Tue., Nov. 8, 6-7 p.m.

None

Lectures & Meetings

We spend a lot of our time at work, so shouldnt our work be something that we enjoy and value? Kevin Martlage from Nextier Advisors will help patrons take stock of their current career status, discuss ways to help think about career goals, and show how to use a career discovery action plan to help reach those goals. Will be streamed live at the Chatham Area Public Library at 600 E. Spruce St. in Chatham. 217-483-2713
By Jun Ji-hye

The military plans to build three lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery-powered submarines by 2027, according to Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) officials Friday.

Samsung SDI will make the batteries. Hanwha Techwin will develop a system for integrating them into the submarines that Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering will manufacture.

It is part of a long-term project to replace aging submarines. The Navy will have nine 3,000-ton submarines equipped with domestic technologies in a decade if the project is completed as planned, according to DAPA.

The military also plans to build three lead-acid battery-powered submarines between 2020 and 2024. Li-ion batteries last twice as long as lead-acid ones, according to Samsung SDI. The key is to develop advanced Li-ion batteries that can supply power to submarines consistently.

These batteries are now used for electric cars and many electronic gadgets, including laptop computers and smartphones.

The DAPA officials said Germany, France and Japan are also working hard to equip their submarines with Li-ion batteries.

"If the development of the Li-ion batteries for the subs succeeds, the subs' underwater navigation ability will be considerably enhanced," the DAPA said. This will strengthen the Navy's capacity against growing threats from North Korea, it said.






/ Joint press corps

/ Yonhap



The government said Friday it is making all out effort to successfully raise the Sewol ferry on the last day of favorable weather conditions, as the salvage team removes a ramp that has held up progress.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said that as of 6:45 a.m., the joint team of the government and a Shanghai salvage firm, cut off all four hinges of the left rear ramp that has been hanging down under water and hindering the recovery operation.

Two salvage barges on Thursday raised the 145-meter-long, 6,825-ton ship that had been lying about 40 meters under water, some three years after it capsized off the southwest coast of the peninsula near the island of Jindo, while en route to the resort island of Jeju on April 16, 2014.

Its sinking, the worst maritime disaster in the country's history, left 304 people dead, with nine of them still missing.

[Sewol tragedy] Nine people still unaccounted for Heartbreaking stories of victims, missing passengers Sewol raised as Park Geun-hye sinks After the team removes the ramp, the final leg of the salvaging process should gain speed, which involves loading the ship onto a semisubmersible vessel and transporting it to a nearby port in Mokpo. This process needs to be completed by midnight when the neap tide is expected to end. The next neap is not until April 5.



/ Yonhap / Korea Times photo by Park Gyung-woo / Yonhap

The government said it has so far hoisted the upper part of the hull some 12 meters above sea level, with one more meter to go as they need to raise it 13 meters for a safe loading onto the semisubmersible ship.



Efforts to lift the Sewol started early Wednesday following several hours of careful examination of the weather conditions because the sea must be fairly calm.



It will take about eight days to lift the ship and move it to port, and then take an additional four days to move it onto a dry dock, the ministry said. (Yonhap)





/ Yonhap
By Park Si-soo



An obstetrician at Seoul National University Hospital mistakenly amputated an infant's finger during a C-section operation, the hospital said Friday.

The doctor immediately had the little finger of the left hand reconnected after the accident on Feb. 8 and the baby, whose identity remains unknown, is recovering well, according to the hospital. The obstetrician admitted the mistake and the hospital is in talks with the baby's parents about compensation.

"We admit to the mistake," a hospital official said. "We are doing everything we can to ensure the baby's full recovery."
By Kim Se-jeong



Candles are expected to fill the streets of downtown Seoul again Saturday, resuming the weekend protests that helped remove former President Park Geun-hye from office.



However, the organizer said the rally will be a one-off event to call for an investigation into the cause of the Sewol ferry disaster which killed more than 300 people. The ferry was lifted from the seafloor on Thursday 1,073 days after sinking.



The organizers originally planned a protest for the evening on April 15, the eve of the third anniversary of the country's worst maritime disaster.



The candlelit rally organizers have long invited the Sewol survivors and bereaved families to their weekly events which lasted 20 weeks. When the Constitutional Court announced it would uphold Park's impeachment on March 10, the family members were also in front of the court with cheering crowds.



The organizer said one of the family members of the nine missing passengers will be on stage Saturday to address the participants and garner support to pressure the government to start the investigation.



The protesters are also expected to pressure prosecutors to arrest Park, who was questioned on Tuesday. On Friday, the prosecution said they were still considering whether to file an arrest warrant for Park. She is accused of colluding with her confidant, Choi Soon-sil, to extort money from big businesses as well as sharing state secrets with Choi. Park reportedly denied all allegations against her.



The protesters will start marching in downtown Seoul through Myeong-dong to the prime minister's residence in Samcheong-dong, but will pass the Constitutional Court and Cheong Wa Dae.



Meanwhile, Park Geun-hye supporters will gather outside Deoksu Palace for a rally to show their solidarity for Park.



They've been claiming the prosecution and the Constitutional Court's moves to remove her was an act of treason. Their recent rally outside the Constitutional Court on March 10 turned violent, with three supporters dying. Police forces are expected there to prevent possible clashes between the two parties.








By Kim Se-jeong



The falling number of Chinese tourists is pushing the Seoul Metropolitan Government to alter its tourism policy strategies to draw convention guests.



This week, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), a U.S.-based nonprofit known, had its annual Asia-Pacific conference in Seoul, achieving part of the city's mission.



The city won the bid to host the event last year, but the conference came as the MICE industry draws more attention than ever  MICE stands for meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions.



During the three-day event, the city mobilized its resources to welcome 150 conference guests. They city took them on a tour of Seoul, sponsored sideline events and offered logistic support.



It is unusual for the city government to sponsor a conference, but the city said it had reasons.



The ASAE's membership includes small and large associations across the U.S. and Asia. Mostly nonprofits, ASAE members gather once a year to network and learn about "planning meetings, finances, government relations, communications, membership marketing and others."



Many conference attendees are in a leadership position and the city government wanted to reach out to them.



According to ASAE President and CEO John Graham, Seoul has great qualities as a conference host.



"Seoul is a good host," he said. "It has a welcoming environment and amenities. In Seoul, it is easy to get to and from the airport."



Graham said the core goal of his organization is to help people "manage associations correctly" and put an emphasis on face-to-face interactions.



Amid the Chinese government's opposition to last year's plan to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in Korea, Chinese tourists, who accounted for almost a half of visitors to the capital, are getting fewer.



To attract other visitors, the city pledged to spend 10 billion won earlier this month to support the convention and hospitality industries. The COEX is a flagship convention center in the city. Goyang and Songdo also have facilities for large-scale conferences.








Democratic Party of Korea Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae and the party's floor leader Rep. Woo Sang-ho attend the party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly, Friday. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

Leading presidential contender Moon Jae-in will revive a special investigative body that examined the Sewol ferry disaster to check remaining suspicions if elected in May, he said Friday.

During a visit to Jeonju Thursday, Moon said, "The next government will set up a new special investigative commission on the Sewol ferry disaster right away when its term begins."

He said the commission will be tasked with "revealing every single truth" about the country's worst maritime disaster. He said the outgoing conservative government was not cooperative with the previous special investigative commission, which ran from January 2015 to last September.

"Many people question what caused the salvage of the sunken ferry to begin so late and why it only began now," Moon said. "The new committee will uncover the cause of the delayed salvage operation and what obstructed the previous commission in carrying out its mission."

He also promised to go after those responsible for the disaster.

"The new commission will contribute to clearing up deeply rooted corruption and malpractices concerning public safety and making the Republic of Korea safe," Moon said.












Defendant in bribery trial is top contender of ex-ruling party



By Choi Ha-young





Hong Joon-pyo Yoo Seong-min

Conservative presidential contenders are struggling to woo voters as liberal contenders largely dominate the race to Cheong Wa Dae.

Their campaigns have drawn much less public attention. The strongest contender of the league at the moment is South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Hong Joon-pyo, whose approval ratings are hovering around 10 percent in opinion polls.

Hong, a member of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP), declared his bid immediately after an appeals court overturned his bribery conviction. His sharp tongue toward liberal contenders fascinated some conservative voters, but he has yet to do more than that.

While the Supreme Court is reviewing his bribery case, the outspoken governor is concentrating on a smear campaign against leading liberal contender Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Hong has repeatedly raised bribery allegations against Moon and his late friend, former President Roh Moo-hyun, without presenting any evidence.

If Hong is found guilty at the highest court, he may have to go to jail, instead of running for the presidency.

The future is uncertain for another prominent conservative contender, Rep. Yoo Seong-min from the Bareun Party, which was set up by former ruling party lawmakers who played a crucial role in ousting Park Geun-hye.

Yoo once said conservative voters would shift attention to him if the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment, but it has turned out to be "wishful thinking."

Yoo's approval rating is only 1 percent, according to a Gallup Korea poll released Friday.

The poll suggests Park's influence over conservative voters is still strong even after she was removed from power.












By Choi Ha-young





Moon Jae-in

Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) declared his bid for the presidency in a recorded video posted on major social media platforms, Friday.

Under the slogan of "Citizens and Moon Running Together," the campaign team posted three video clips, titled "Altogether," "Moon Jae-in" and "Overseas Residents" on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at 10 a.m.

"I'm determined to change politics based on wishes from all people that the nation should be different from the past," he said. "Korea must be a fair country where common sense prevails. Its society must be one where justice is seen, heard and felt."

Except the first two sentences read by Moon, various people from 26 locations  cities across Korea, Florida, Seattle, Spain, Mexico, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, China and United Kingdom  read a supportive statement. Around 5,000 citizens participated in this project, according to Moon's camp.

People from all walks of life  from a foreign worker and a career woman with a baby to a disabled person and a man who has family in North Korea  delivered their wishes for the next administration.













They expressed hopes that Moon will win the May 9 presidential election and rebuild the nation. The poll will be held earlier than originally scheduled following the Constitutional Court's ruling to remove the scandal-hit President Park Geun-hye.



For the 2012 U.S. presidential election, Barack Obama produced a video clip featuring citizens' diverse voices, as did Hillary Clinton last year. Typically, presidential candidates here have chosen a specific site to show off their unique backgrounds.

This time, South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung also from the DPK chose a small theater in a campus town, while the entrepreneur-turned politician Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party revealed his bid at a startup co-working place where Jeremy Rifkin has lectured. Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung of the DPK announced his bid at a factory where he worked as a child.

In 2012, Moon did it in front of Seodaemun Prison in Seoul, where he was imprisoned for his role in the pro-democracy movement at 22, emphasizing his identity to represent liberals.

The leading candidate is expected to win the DPK primary that kicks off on Monday in the southern city of Gwangju. According to a Realmeter survey issued Friday, Moon cemented his firm lead with 36.2 percent, followed by Gov. An with 18.4 percent.

In the Jeolla region, Moon also extended his lead with 33 percent, even if it decreased by 14 percent compared to 47 percent in a week ago. This week he was embroiled in a scandal that he received a presidential citation from ex-President Chun Doo-hwan, who directed a massacre of Gwangju civilians in 1980.

To court voters on the liberals' home turf, Moon vowed to abolish discrimination against those who are from the province and increase investments in less-developed area. "I came to Gwangju, with desperation," he said at the press conference in the city, Monday.

In 2012, 92 percent of them voted for Moon but they threw their support behind the People's Party in the general election last April, citing the DPK's "indifference" to the province.
By Kim Se-jeong



Prosecutors were barred from searching Cheong Wa Dae, Friday. But they did manage to get some files handed over to them for their investigation into a former senior presidential aide's role in the influence-peddling scandal that ousted President Park Geun-hye.



According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, a team of prosecutors arrived at the presidential compound at 4:40 p.m. with the intention to search the compound.



"But our entrance was denied," the prosecution said. "Instead, we requested documents and Cheong Wa Dae complied with us."



In rejecting the team's entrance for the third time, presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk reaffirmed Cheong Wa Dae's stance that no searches are allowed because of security reasons.



"The team of prosecutors is at Yeonpoong Gate for a search, but Cheong Wa Dae's stance has not changed," Jung said. Prosecutors previously attempted to enter the compound in November and an independent National Assembly counsel team was turned away in February.



The former presidential aide, Woo Byung-woo, faces allegations he knowingly let Choi Soon-sil, a confidant of the former president, meddle in state affairs. Two former presidential secretaries  Jeong Ho-seong and An Chong-bum  are now key suspects, and Woo's responsibilities included keeping them in check.



Also, he allegedly abused his power to protect Cheong Wa Dae and himself and obstructed the investigation of the April 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. Woo denied all allegations against him including that he had known Choi for long.



The special counsel Park Young-soo wanted to arrest Woo, but the court rejected the arrest warrant due to lack of evidence after the investigators failed to search Cheong Wa Dae in February.



Many view Woo's previous job as a prosecutor and community connections make it difficult for prosecutors to proceed with investigating and arresting him. But the prosecution denies that.



The search attempt on Cheong Wa Dae came three days after prosecutors questioned former President Park.



Cheong Wa Dae's objection is likely to renew a debate on criminal law. Currently, when it comes to public objects containing secrets related to the place where they belong, prosecutors must get consent from the civil servants to seize them. The same rule applies to objects located in sensitive military sites.




By Sah Dong-seok

Despite China's fierce opposition and economic retaliation, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery is likely to be operational before the May 9 presidential election. The brouhaha over the deployment of the U.S. anti-missile system has shown what ''two-faced China'' is like _ being docile to America offering the controversial missile shield while being utterly ruthless to South Korea facing the North's mounting missile and nuclear threats.

Fearing that THAAD could erode its nuclear deterrent and spy on its military activities, China appears to be relying heavily on presidential front-runner Moon Jae-in. China expects Moon, a former student activist and ex-chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), to pull the missile defense battery out of South Korea in consultation with the United States, if elected.

But it remains to be seen whether China's expectations will be realized.

True, Moon, the liberal presidential hopeful, has been leading all opinion polls. Many political watchers see his election as a fait accompli. Given that the nation's conservative bloc almost crumbled in the run-up to the removal of Park Geun-hye from presidential office, this prospect is persuasive.

Ominously enough for Moon, however, his approval ratings have been at a standstill even after Park's impeachment. At a time when more than 80 percent of the people want a change of government, arguing that Moon, with support of only 30 to 35 percent at present, will be unbeatable seems far-fetched.

In fact, it is no secret that there are a considerable number of people here who say absolutely no to him being the next president. And the primary reason is anxiety about his views on diplomacy and national security, as has been displayed through his ambiguous position concerning THAAD.

It's true that the disgraced former president did a flip-flop irrationally over the missile defense issue. Her administration made a decision hastily, although North Korea's threats didn't heighten conspicuously.

Moon's opponents have accused him of consistently opposing Seoul's hosting of the U.S. missile shield. More recently, he reiterated that the THAAD deployment must be halted and handed over to the next administration. Moon says he would be able to resolve the THAAD conflict by talking with the U.S. and China after being sworn in as president.

Moon describes his position as ''strategic ambiguity,'' but pundits say he has never altered his opposing stance. He is said to be just not articulating his thinking, conscious of conservative voters ahead of the presidential election.

His liberal views on other security issues also cause conservatives to reject him, although Moon's aides say that is unfair, claiming that his real intentions have often been distorted or inflated.

For example, Moon, a key aide to the late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, said he would reopen the joint industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong. He was battered for being pro-North Korea and naive amid criticism that his remarks go against the strengthening international sanctions against the isolated regime in Pyongyang.

Moon's aides explain that he just raised the need to begin talks with the North early in consideration of international circumstances, saying he didn't intend to reopen the factory zone upon being elected. A retired soldier of the Special Warfare Command, Moon says he has always been victimized by the conservatives' red-baiting ploy.

But people's uneasy feeling about Moon is not without reason. He is surrounded by a number of liberal hawks who argue single-handedly that the new administration should follow the ''Sunshine Policy'' of engaging North Korea like previous liberal governments despite the drastic changes in our security environment. Given Koreans' sensitivity to security issues, his poor handling of the THAAD deployment might derail his presidential dream.

Also, could Moon overturn the THAAD decision even after being elected?

More than half of Koreans support the introduction of the anti-missile system particularly because of a lack of feasible means to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. So any hasty decision to upend THAAD from his initial years in office might prompt a strong backlash from the middle-of-the roaders as well as from conservatives.

In a sense, security is more powerful in inciting the public than corruption or abuse of power _ all the more so considering that many Koreans still vividly remember the scourge of the 1950-53 Korean War. Who knows if Seoul's downtown streets might be filled with candlelit protesters, demanding Moon's impeachment this time?

What unnerves conservative voters most is whether the alliance with Washington, Seoul's cornerstone of security and foreign policy, would run smoothly if Moon, who has anti-American sentiments like the late President Roh, must deal with Donald Trump, the conservative and wayward U.S. president. What would Trump's reactions be if a liberal Korean president proposes a meeting to discuss the withdrawal of THAAD? One cannot but recall the time when Korean-American relations were in their worst state amid fierce clashes in the Roh Moo-hyun administration between his lieutenants who strongly called for an independent foreign policy and orthodox diplomats who prioritized the Seoul-Washington alliance.
By Frank Ching





In October 1939, when World War II was just beginning, Winston Churchill, in a radio broadcast, described Russia as "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Today, the same can be said of North Korea, which continues to defy the world with its nuclear and missile programs, despite biting United Nations sanctions.



Churchill went on to say, "perhaps there is a key  that key is Russian national interest."



The same applies today to North Korea. From its leaders' standpoint, the nation's very survival is at stake. They can do without food, but they cannot do without nuclear weapons.



That is why, despite sanctions, North Korea has made impressive progress on its program to develop nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them to their targets.



Earlier this month, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles, three of which landed in Japanese territorial waters. This set alarm bells ringing. Last week, Japan for the first time conducted evacuation drills to prepare for a North Korea attack.



American bases in Japan are natural targets. So alarmed is the US that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week traveled to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing for talks on North Korea, warning of an "imminent threat."



While in Japan, Tillerson disparaged policies of the last two decades as a "failed approach" and signaled a tougher US stance, saying that "all options are on the table," including a preemptive strike, all the time saying that North Koreans have nothing to fear from the US.



As for talks with North Korea, Tillerson said in South Korea that negotiations "can only be achieved by denuclearization, giving up their weapons of mass destruction. Only then will we be prepared to engage them in talks."



Previous negotiations had seen North Korea commit itself to denuclearization, only to violate its commitments. That is why, it seems, Tillerson considers negotiations to be part of the "failed approach."



Even before arriving in China, Tillerson said that Beijing's proposal for North Korea to freeze its nuclear and missile programs in return for a halt to US-South Korean military exercises was unacceptable because it would leave the North with "significant capabilities" that could threaten the region and US forces.



At a joint press conference in Beijing after talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Tillerson refrained from publicly calling on China to tighten sanctions but said that both countries had a "certain sense of urgency" and would work together "to bring North Korea to a different place where we are hopeful we can then begin a dialogue."



Self-interest may also spur China to greater efforts. It fears that Japan and South Korea will develop nuclear weapons if North Korea continues its programs.



Foreign Minister Wang, however, said all parties were obliged "to implement the sanctions and restart the talks at the same time," chastising the US for refusing to resume negotiations with North Korea.



While these are early days in the Trump administration's review of North Korea policy, time doesn't favor the US. North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, said in a New Year's Day address that his country was close to testing an intercontinental ballistic missile, which would bring the US within range.



The US should realize that what is driving the North Korean nuclear effort is precisely fear of a military attack. Threatening such an attack is unlikely to cause Pyongyang to abandon its efforts but rather have the opposite effect.



Instead, what is needed is for the US to persuade North Korea that its existence is not threatened and thus there is no need to develop nuclear weapons. To deliver this message, negotiations are needed. Saying that negotiations won't start until North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons program is to put the cart before the horse.



Convincing Pyongyang will be difficult. After all, in 2003, the then Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, gave up his nuclear program. But, some years later when the Arab Spring broke out, the US and its European allies deposed him and he was executed by Libyan rebels.



North Korea's leaders have taken this lesson to heart. It won't be easy to convince them that they can safely give up their nuclear weapons.



A freeze, as proposed by China, may be the best available solution. But even to get the North Koreans to agree to that, the US will have to convince them through negotiations.



As Churchill told the White House in 1954, "To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war."





Frank Ching is a Hong Kong-based free lance journalist. Contact Frank.ching@gmail.com.
By Eugene Lee





The current state of relations between South Korea and North Korea can be described as "mini-Cold War." The stalemate has pushed the North Korean regime to an extreme and even more belligerent behavior than just a few years ago. For the Pyongyang regime, it has become a practice to shoot off various ballistic missiles while enraging its neighboring states and the U.S. On the March 6th Pyongyang has fired 4 ballistic missiles that landed in Japanese waters. As a response to that threat South Korea continues its push for the deployment of THAAD. It all happens in spite of the economic backlash against South Korean companies by the Chinese government, which feels that the missile system once installed in South Korea will undermine its own security. In China's argument, the THAAD is a system with capabilities that do not just counter against the threat of North Korea's missiles, but extends its functional reach to monitor and even strike deep into China's territory.

South Korea is trying to overcome its economic woes since last economic crisis of 2008. Any news against South Korea's businesses brings old fears of stagnation and instability, which in Seoul's perception are closely tied to its survival. The South Korean conglomerate Lotte is one of the businesses that has been hit the most, since the plan for THAAD deployment involved a land property of the business. Having sold the plot to the South Korean government, Lotte has made itself a primary target for China's attacks. The persecution has become so bad that the likelihood for Lottes complete withdrawal from China's market is not one of strategic possibilities anymore. Along with Lotte, South Korean travel agencies and cosmetics companies have also felt the Beijing unnerving economic push to dissuade Seoul from the THAAD deployment.

For China, it has been a normal practice to leverage its security interests via economic sanctions. It has done so with its other neighbors in very recent past. Mongolia, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, some Central Asian states have all one way or the other learned it hard way what it means to have negative relationships with China. An extreme act by Pyongyang triggers a vicious cycle of responses by states in the region that are, in fact, worsen the regional relations to worth. And that what no state really wishes for in the face of current feeble economic situation.

What seemingly is lacking a communication between the states in the region. No one is capable of breaking a vicious circle and delivering a message of a good will. We need active diplomacy put in place.

The suggestion is to get out of the mold of rigid framework set by the military stance. We need to look out of the region, find a middle ground and engage North Korea, we urgently need a mediator. As I have already written earlier, a Central Asian state of Kazakhstan could be a candidate well-suited for the task. Its diplomatic posture as a peacemaker along with its non-permanent membership in UN Security Council puts it in a very good position to mediate. Kazakhstan has already proven its goodwill and capacity to put all his abilities into practice. For example, on February 18th Kazakhstan pulled off something that recently been unimaginable. It completed the second round of negotiations between the government forces, Syrian armed opposition, Russia and Turkey in its capital of Astana. Kazakhstan has opened the path to peace by facilitating conditions where the parties have managed to negotiate the supervisory mechanism for the truce.

It would be credulous to think that North Korea will immediately come and start talking. As it was in the case in Syria, the pressure has been put on the sides to come and sit down at the table, the same logic applies here. I would argue that current actions by China and the United States may prepare North Korea to engage. There are certain rules in diplomacy and one of them tells to give a "window" for an opponent to maneuver. A negotiating table in Kazakhstan could be that window.

The South Korean government must start in organizing and orchestrating the diplomatic act, and not just simply rely on other state's calls for peace and proclamations that the only solution for the crisis is diplomacy. As it is in the Syrian case the solution won't come easy. There certainly will be lags and setbacks. But, be it the Six-Party Talks, bilateral talks or any new format of negotiations, we desperately need to find that starting point, we need a host and a place for meetings. Kazakhstan has been able to do exactly just that. It has become a motivator that led Syrian government, opposition, Russia, and Turkey to come to the negotiation table. The other benefit of it is an improvement in relations between the sides. Russia and Turkey, countries on the brink of major regional confrontation just few months ago, now reporting their relations are turning to "normal".

From day to day the situation on the Korean Peninsula is getting worse. We get more new intelligence coming and hypothetical projections about number of warheads and new delivery capabilities put on the table. The discourse has changed from words of disapproval to an outright threat of military resolution. The fear is that with such saber-rattling we may hit a tipping point of no return, when only a major military confrontation will be an exit strategy for all. It will be a big mistake. And we must not allow that to happen.

Eugene Lee is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Governance in Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea. Write to mreulee@gmail.com.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced earlier this week that it has established a secretariat for population policy improvement. The secretariat consists of government officials and experts from relevant fields.



Unlike Japan, Korea does not yet have a ministry devoted to population issues. Though belated, the ministry's establishment of the secretariat will hopefully fill the absence of a policy control tower on the looming demographic crisis.



Korea needs to take note of the progress Japan has made with its population policies. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe created a cabinet minister post to take charge of policies to boost the birthrate and support families with children. Thanks to such efforts, Japan's birthrate rose to its highest in 21 years last year, with 1.46 children per woman.



The secretariat's job is all the more important, considering the falling birthrate and aging population that will ultimately dent the country's growth potential.



This week, many were shocked to learn that our birthrate is even lower than that of North Korea. In the CIA's "World Fact Book," South Korea ranked 220th out of 224 countries by birthrate with 1.25 child per woman, while North Korea ranked 125th with a birthrate of 1.91. Only four countries _ Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and Singapore _ placed lower than Korea. Due to the falling birthrate, Statistics Korea projected that the nation's population will start to decline in 2032.



Korea is aging swiftly amid no signs that the country's birthrate will increase anytime soon. More people are putting off marriage and many young couples are giving up on having babies due to the economic burden.



The government has spent more than 80 trillion won since 2006 to boost the birthrate, but this has not encouraged women to have babies because of the harsh realities working mothers face at home and at work.



The secretariat should come up with tailor-made policies to encourage women to have babies and to support working mothers. For this, the secretariat should collect opinions from moms so that the policies will reflect their needs. This is the first step toward turning around the population descent.




Current format hampers useful candidate discussions



TV debates among presidential hopefuls are in full swing with the May 9 presidential election only weeks away.



Because the election date was set only after Park Geun-hye's impeachment, voters have little time to get to know the candidates and where they stand on major issues. This is why the TV debates are particularly important in this election. But the current format of debates, centering mostly on scripted questions and answers, does little to expand the voters' knowledge of the candidates' platforms.



The debates so far highlight the need to overhaul the format to better serve the purpose of informing voters.



The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) held its seventh debate Friday with frontrunner Moon Jae-in, South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung, Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung and Goyang Mayor Choi Sung. But the debate did not appeal to voters, as seen by the poor viewer ratings. The DPK's sixth debate on March 22, aired on MBC, only garnered a 1.8 percent viewer rating. The other parties also failed to gain public attention with their monotonous debates. Compared with the heated debates of the U.S. candidates in the primary race last year, the Korean parties' debates lack spontaneity, excitement and in-depth explanations on policies.



For a more useful debate, a new format should reflect three major changes. First, there should be a limit to the number of topics in one debate. In other words, a debate should cover only one or two big themes, in addition to several relevant subtopics. For example, a debate devoted to the Fourth Industrial Revolution will inevitably lead to discussions on subtopics like education reform. Korea is facing grave challenges in multiple areas, such as diplomacy, inter-Korean affairs, national security, the economy and population issues. Such complicated themes cannot be properly discussed in a single debate. If a debate is focused on one specific theme, then candidates will have enough time to present their views and platforms at length.



Second, there should be more discussion among the candidates as well as one-on-one debates. DPK debates spend more than 20 minutes on scripted questions and answers. Even the Seongnam mayor posted on social media that he felt like he was taking part in a "school play" and reading out "model answers," criticizing the current debate format. The mayor said this style of debate led to the election of someone like former President Park, describing her as someone who can only read messages prepared by her aides. As he pointed out, the current format revolves too much around cursory answers and leaves little time for active discussion and rebuttals among the candidates. Having more discussion will make it easier for voters to compare the candidates' intelligence and competence. Also, a panel of experts in a wide range of areas should be invited to ask spontaneous questions.



Third, some time should be set aside for introducing the personal stories of the candidates and their families and what inspired them to get into politics. During the Republican primary debates, for example, candidates talked about how they met their spouses. This added an interesting variety to an otherwise intense policy battle. Aside from hearing about their leadership capacity and policy platforms, voters also want to know what kind of person their future president is.








Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh-hyun, left, opens a shareholders' meeting at the company's office in Seoul, Friday. The tech giant said it will not be easy to restructure it into a holding company at this time. / Yonhap





By Lee Min-hyung

It will take Samsung Electronics more time to convert to a holding company, the company said Friday, calling the move "tough" due to possible risks.

The Seoul-based handset giant said at a shareholders' meeting that its plan to finalize the transition by May has potential problems in areas such as taxation.

"Negative effects exist in our plan to become a holding company, so it looks tough for us to push ahead with it at the moment," Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun told investors. Kwon, also serving as chairman of the board of directors, did not elaborate.

"The business restructuring is a very critical decision-making process both for Samsung and its shareholders," he said. Kwon said the company is still reviewing legal steps in detail and pledged to tell shareholders the results soon.

The company made the plan public in late November as part of its updated shareholder return policy. Samsung believes the transition to a holding firm will help it win more investor confidence, as it is expected to improve the transparency of the firm's present ownership structure.

But the plan faces a major obstacle with Samsung Group's heir apparent Lee Jae-yong behind bars since mid-February for the firm's alleged part in the nation's worst political scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye and her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil.

Lee is suspected of committing multiple offenses  including bribery and embezzlement  as the firm had allegedly offered 40 billion won ($35.6 million) to the Mir and K-Sports foundations controlled by Choi in exchange for special favors. Amid the snowballing political scandal, Park was ousted from the presidency earlier this month.

At the shareholders' meeting, the company said it would finish establishing what it calls the "governance committee" by the end of next month as part of efforts to improve its management structure.

"The committee will consist of all non-executive directors," Kwon said.

"We have so far tried to employ foreign external directors having experience as global company chiefs." But internal and external uncertainty has put a brake on the plan to some extent, he added.

"We will, however, continue to look for qualified directors," Kwon said.

However, the ongoing leadership vacuum and the delayed corporate restructuring will have limited impact on the firm's profitability, according to experts.

"The firm's new shareholder policies  including quarterly dividends and its buyback plan  are expected to raise the firm's valuation," Kim Dong-won, a KB Securities analyst, said.

The delayed transition plan also will not have a massive influence on the firm's stock value, as the company's business outlook is upbeat because of the continuing boom in the semiconductor industry and high expectations for its coming flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone, according to the analyst.
Here's the Latest on the upcoming health care vote in the House (all times local):

3:35 p.m.

House Republican leaders have postponed a vote on their health care bill in a setback for President Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan.

Prospects for the Republicans' showcase health care bill had looked grimmer by the minute Thursday despite Trump's personal lobbying of conservatives. That still left the legislation short of the votes needed for passage.

A senior Republican official said the vote would be delayed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss internal discussions.

House Republicans plan to meet behind closed doors Thursday night to consider their next steps.

Republicans were intent on voting to dismantle Obamacare on Thursday, the seventh anniversary of former President Barack Obama signing the bill into law.

___

3:10 p.m.

Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas is apologizing for his comment about the possibility the GOP health care bill would ease federal requirements on coverage of basic services like mammograms.

In an interview with a reporter for Talking Points Memo on Thursday, Roberts was asked about potential changes in the health care bill. He said: "I wouldn't want to lose my mammograms."

He later tweeted an apology: "I deeply regret my comments on a very important topic. Mammograms are essential to women's health & I never intended to indicate otherwise."

___

2:06 p.m.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer says President Donald Trump's meeting with the House Freedom Caucus was a "positive step" toward achieving the GOP's goal of driving down costs and increasing access to health care.

Freedom caucus members told reporters on Capitol Hill that there was "no deal" following the meeting.

Spicer says the president will meet later Thursday with members of the Tuesday Group, a group of moderate Republican House members. He says the White House still expects the bill to be voted on later Thursday.

Spicer says Trump was on the phone last night well into the 11 o'clock hour with members of Congress.

He says the president "is looking forward to seeing Republicans fulfill the pledge" they made to repeal the Obamacare law.

___

1:35 p.m.

The chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus says there's "no deal" on the GOP health care legislation after a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump.

The assertion from Congressman Mark Meadows of North Carolina throws plans for a vote on the bill later Thursday into doubt.

Two dozen or so Freedom Caucus members have opposed the legislation pushed by GOP leaders, saying it doesn't go far enough to repeal "Obamacare."

But the group had been negotiating directly with the White House in hopes of reaching agreement to eliminate additional requirements on insurers.

Without a deal with the Freedom Caucus, and with moderate-leaning members defecting, it seems unlikely GOP leaders will have the votes they need to go forward with a vote later Thursday as they had planned.

___

10:06 a.m.

Former President Barack Obama is celebrating the seventh anniversary of his landmark health care law, saying in a statement on Thursday that "America is stronger because of the Affordable Care Act."

Obama does not directly address GOP efforts to repeal his law, which are coming to a head Thursday as House leaders push toward a vote on their repeal legislation. Republicans remain short of votes.

The former president does say that if Republicans are serious about lowering costs and expanding coverage, and are prepared to work with Democrats, "That's something we all should welcome."

But, Obama says, "we should start from the baseline that any changes will make our health care system better, not worse for hardworking Americans."

He notes 20 million Americans gained coverage under his law.

___

9:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump is urging people to call their lawmakers to express support for the Republican legislation to repeal and replace "Obamacare."

Trump posted a video on Twitter Thursday asking people to get behind the plan. He says that people were "given many lies" about the Affordable Care Act.

Trump added that the legislation was "terrific" and "you're going to be very, very happy."

The GOP legislation was on the brink hours before Republican leaders planned to put it on the House floor for a showdown vote. Trump was spending the final hours trying to close the deal with conservatives who have opposed the plan.

___

9:00 a.m.

The GOP's long-promised legislation to repeal and replace "Obamacare" stands on the brink, just hours before Republican leaders planned to put it on the House floor for a showdown vote.

The stakes are high, and Republicans are staring at the possibility of a failure that would throw prospects for their other legislative goals into uncertainty. Speaking to members of the conservative Freedom Caucus mid-day Thursday, Trump is pitching concessions to representatives who want to limit the requirement for health plans to include benefits including substance abuse and maternity care. But those changes appear to be scaring off at least some moderate Republicans.

In a count by The Associated Press, at least 26 Republicans say they opposed the bill, enough to narrowly defeat the measure.

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Historic ties of north Meck span throughout region Though the north Mecklenburg area didnt see significant population growth until a few decades ago, its rich history dates back to the Revolutionary War. That was the basis of...

An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE  Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at...
This article appears in the March 24, 2017 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

KRAFFT EHRICKE

The Moral Imperative of

Space Exploration

by Marsha Freeman

[Print version of this article]

By expanding through the Universe, man fulfills his destiny as an element of life, endowed with the power of reason and the wisdom of the moral law within himself. Krafft Ehricke

Krafft Ehricke was one of the most remarkable men of the Twentieth Century, whose work, more than 30 years after his death, embodies the moral imperative and provides the guideposts along the pathway to the future. Although his contributions to space exploration spanned the entire range of scientific and engineering concepts, from the utilization of Earth orbit, to the industrial development of the Moon, and exploration throughout the Universemost of which, decades later, still remain to be realizedwhat distinguished him from other talented and creative visionaries was his uncompromising and passionate commitment to the future of mankind.

To Krafft Ehricke, space exploration was not simply an end in itselfno matter how important that practical end may bebut embodied the rekindling of the noblest qualities of humanity. The incorporation of man into the Universe would be a concrete expression of his creative potential, and that of the Universe, itself. In his view, the mastery of the universe would require that mankind recapture the morality as well as the creative qualities that were under threat, and almost entirely destroyed, by the anti-human, anti-growth, and anti-science Malthusian disease of the 1960s. He was able to see that the logical consequence of this self-destructive pathway could be the very end of civilization. This gave great passion and urgency to his lifes work, dedicated to make available to mankind the alternative extraterrestrial imperative, to realize the great potential that lies within civilization, and just beyond the Earth. But in order to accomplish this evolution of man, mankind would have to marshal not only his science and technology, but the moral law within himself.

One may wonder why Krafft Ehrickes name is not a household word in the history of spaceflight, like that of Wernher von Braun, who, in fact, lauded Krafft Ehrickes contributions to his own work. The reason is that Krafft Ehricke never bowed to popular opinion. He never changed or toned down his thinking in order to become acceptable to the ideological mores of the time. While his universal principles were recognized and greatly admired by his peers, with the zero growth cultural paradigm shift of the late 1960s, they had become unpopular.

View full size

IAF

We came into contact with Krafft Ehricke after he had read the April 1981 issue of Fusion magazine, with a cover story on using fusion propulsion for colonizing space. He wrote a letter to the editor, stating that he had also developed concepts for using fusion energy in space. The editor invited him to contribute to the publication, which he happily did. Krafft Ehrickes concepts for the advanced fusion propulsion that could take man beyond the Moon, followed upon his development, in the 1960s, of the worlds first energetic liquid hydrogen upper stage, which earned him the moniker, father of the Centaur rocket. The Centaur opened up the entire Solar system for exploration by the robotic representations of mans intelligence.

While an Associate Editor of Fusion, I met Krafft Ehricke in October 1981 at his home in La Jolla, California. He showed me a file of letters from publishers, rejecting his manuscript for a 1971 book, titled, The Extraterrestrial Imperative. The publishers objected that the book was too optimistic, and promoted technologies such as nuclear energy, which were unpopular. The book has never been published.

When the Fusion Energy Foundation and the Schiller Institute were organizing a Krafft Ehricke Memorial Conference in 1985, following his death in December the previous year, a German-born scientist at NASA who was asked to participate, declined, saying that Krafft Ehricke stubbornly would not change or adapt his ideas to make them more acceptable. This is the societal sickness that Krafft Ehricke passionately fought against his entire life.

To Krafft Ehricke, there was no compromise with principles or the sanctity of the human mind, which was a central characteristic of his philosophical outlook. When discussing how he mentally survived Nazi rule in Germany, in an interview, excerpted in a 1960 book by space historian Shirley Thomas, Men of Space, Krafft Ehricke said he

always had the tendency to reserve ardent judgment on important things. I would go along only so far, then I just wouldnt be told. No matter what it was, what the field, I wanted to think it out for myself. This was instinctive at first; later I was consciously afraid to surrender my capability of judgement. With the change in government, the advent of Hitler in 1933, this trait protected methough it also got me into great difficulty . . . it helped me very greatly in holding a line of thought in the Nazi era. . . . I like to paraphrase the saying My home is my castle. To me, my mind is my castle. A part of it no one may enter. . . . I must have this ultimate, internal refuge, in which I am completely myself; only then am I really an individual.

Today, due to the demoralization in much of the U.S. space community, despite stunning advancements, such as long-term living and working in space, exploring every major body in the Solar system, and increasingly uncovering the secrets of the universe, scientists have, in many cases, accepted limits on their vision for the future. Krafft Ehricke insisted that there are no limits on man, except those that he imposes on himself.

The Power of Reason

Krafft Ehricke never doubted that man would develop the technologies that would take him into space. But in 1957, even before the opening of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik, he crafted what he considered to be most crucialthe philosophical worldview that should guide whatever progression of technologies would be developed to explore space. His three laws of astronautics were included in an article under a title curious for the usual writings about space policy: The Anthropology of Astronautics (see page 3, this issue).

Krafft Ehrickes 1957 Three Fundamental Laws of Astronautics state:

Nobody and nothing under the natural laws of this universe impose any limitations on man except man himself. Not only the Earth, but the entire Solar system, and as much of the universe as he can reach under the laws of nature, are mans rightful field of activity. By expanding through the Universe, man fulfills his destiny as an element of life, endowed with the power of reason and the wisdom of the moral law within himself.

The ultimate anthropological meaning of space flight, Krafft Ehricke says in the article, will be mankinds ability to live elsewhere.

In 1970, when the zero growth counterculture was becoming hegemonic and Krafft Ehricke was preparing the manuscript for his book, The Extraterrestrial Imperative, he created a chart to make explicit why development, representing a Renaissance view of man, was imperative. The graphic depicting Growth Versus No Growth, makes starkly clear what the consequence of a philosophy of limits would be. While the choice of growth leads to an educated population, international cooperation, and advances in technology and science, the No Growth pathway leads to regional chauvinism, geopolitics, mass starvation, epidemics, and war. Look around the world before you, and you see the consequences of the No Growth path that Krafft Ehricke warned, more than 40 years ago, would result from a bestial view of mankind.

View full size

EAP

The depth of Krafft Ehrickes understanding that it was not technology, per se, that would enable man to create new civilizations beyond Earth, but a revolution in cultural, moral, and political valuesthose embodied in the European Renaissance, the German Classics, and the United States Constitutionfound a coherence with those of the Schiller Institute, which was founded by Helga Zepp-LaRouche in 1984. Moreover, the Institute, and other organizations founded by Lyndon and Helga LaRouche, were engaged in a parallel fight to create a cultural and political paradigm shift, back to the Renaissance ideals that had created the New World.

The Institute was founded to promote a return to classical culture, scientific advance, and economic development, as the alternative to the destructive economic, geopolitical, and counterculture policies that were destroying the Western Alliance, and the future of mankind. Krafft Ehricke joined the Advisory Board of the Schiller Institute.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche described this coherence of ideas: Like herself, she said, Krafft Ehricke

was also convinced . . . that only through space travel, only when man lifts his eyes from the Earth, looks into the stars and actually thinks what his role can be, can we achieve what Schiller called the dignity of man. And only if we start to think about space, and the colonization of space, will the Age of Reason that the great humanists of European civilization were thinking of accomplishing, be possible. That was the belief of Schiller, that was the belief of Krafft Ehricke. The fact that man is capable of reason, even under the most horrible condition of crisis, is our most fundamental belief.

In November 1984, the Schiller Institute held its third international conference. Unable to attend due to illness, Krafft Ehricke sent the following message to the meeting, locating his prescription for the future of mankind in space, within the long sweep of history that should inform mankinds future path:

Greetings to the Friedrich Schiller Institute, to its Chairman, Helga Zepp-LaRouche; to its goal of a strong, revived American alliance with Europe, and to the defeat of the neo-Malthusian Green parties menacing Western Europe. I have been from the Moon to light years out and never found a limit to growth. . . . Growth is the increase in knowledge, in wisdom, in the capacity for growing in new ways. Crises must be solved by leaping over the apparent limits to growth. . . . At the present point in history, our highly technological civilization faces another crisis of energy, materials, production space, and means of material processing. But mans capacity for reason allows him to establish a third earth in the extraterrestrial environment based on a more concentrated form of energynuclear fission and fusion. . . . If four or five or six billion people will fall back on a lifestyle of a very embryonic mankind, it will destroy mankind by billions, and it will devastate the biosphere. Civilization is the ascendancy beyond brutality, beyond the recognition of plurality, the recognition that there are various ways to live and in which to explore nature. . . . Medieval European Civilization, frozen in the narrowness of its small, rigidly controlled communities and tightly bound to all-powerful religious dogmas, was in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries dangerously close to becoming another static civilization, like those of ancient China, Japan, India, or the Incas on this continent. The sudden recognition that here there was the wide and beautiful Earth waiting to be taken by man, overwhelmed and emboldened the great thinkers of that time. . . . This was the crowning achievement of the Renaissance. Now we begin to realize that the Solar system, and probably even parts of this Galaxy, can be ours. The consequences, for all phases of human existence, of the practical application of the second law of astronautics, during the coming centuries, almost defy our imagination, just as the world of today would be almost inconceivable to the Renaissance pioneers. We today are merely the shipbuilders for the men and women who will enter a new era of discoveries and lay the foundations for those who will come after them, those who will develop planetary technologies and create cosmic civilizations.

Krafft Ehrickes assertion that civilization is the ascendancy beyond brutality, was under existential threat, no different than that under fascism in the 1930s. On Nov. 28, 1981 Krafft Ehricke gave a presentation in New York City, having just returned from a speaking tour in Europe with Helga Zepp-LaRouche.

EIRNS

Riding in the car from the airport in New York to Manhattan, Krafft Ehricke was clearly shaken by his encounter with violent anti-nuclear Green mobs at speaking venues in Germany. He opened his presentation on the extraterrestrial imperative, stating: It is a little bit disconcerting that the same shock troop kind of tactics stand at the end of ones life as I have seen as a young man in Berlin in [19]29, 30, 31. He continued, The youth of West Germany and other nations have unfortunately been greatly misled . . . today, if a person even talks about space flight or nuclear energy, then the ecopaths, the cultural pessimists, and associated professional chaoticists literally characterize this to be an outright provocation that they will do their utmost to prevent. The police had to be called to prevent violence when students at a university venue tried to bar the speakers entry.

The Greens have no positive proposals, Krafft Ehricke said. But assume that it is true, that there are limits to growth, and the technological clock had to be turned back to more primitive times, in order to save the planet. What are the consequences? To what agony do we condemn a majority of mankind? What is our moral imperative? To Krafft Ehricke, the answers to these questions were not academic, but would test the moral law within mankind.

EIRNS/Stuart Lewis

Lets for the sake of argument assume that their view [of limits to growth] is correct. Are we thus to suffer indefinitely, because relief-providing technology could be misused? In 1979, of all things, in the Year of the Child of the United Nations, there were 12 million children who did not reach their first birthday. Thats 50 percent more than all battle deaths in World War I, in four years. And that is an outrage to a species that calls itself civilized. This is to say nothing of the suffering of those children before they died, to say nothing of the suffering of the mothers who bore those children, just to see them die and not be able to feed themto hear them cry day and night. This is unbelievable agony.

But there is an alternative; that of the open world, where science and technology create the growth that allows mankind to leave the Earth entirely, and create new worlds, where he is not limited to one, original home planet. This can only come about, he insisted, if the moral law within him is the driving force of the future.

Earlier that year, in a letter to the new Fortieth President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, on March 3, 1981, Krafft Ehricke described dramatically the moral crisis faced by mankind. While he naturally outlined his concepts for the steps the President should take in space exploration, he located them not in an academic or even scientific argument, but minced no words in placing them in the context of what gave them great urgency.

Space, he said, will not turn this planet into a paradise, but will help to combat a much more important problemto prevent it from becoming a hell. . . . Indeed, Earth becomes an evermore unpleasant space ship at an increasing rate for an increasing part of its population. Rising poverty, wrong economic and social agendas, wrong energy policies . . . and spreading political intolerance causing immeasurable suffering to millions of refugees in Africa and Southeast Asia, as well as Central Americathese inhuman realities are with us, not because of what technology and industry do, but because of what they are prevented from doing.

Referencing his extraterrestrial imperative, Krafft Ehricke outlines for the new President the manned missions, lunar development, space applications, and series of robotic Solar system missions that should be the center of his space policy.

He concludes on this philosophical note:

The history of flight is a history of overcoming limits to growth through human courage and engineering creativity, through [a] thirst for freedom and a commitment to infinity. It has led us into the extraterrestrium with countless challenges to our courage, resolve and creativityforward-oriented, solution-oriented and, finally, free from the recriminations of past history, if we can humanly rise to this challenge.

Living in the Future

Six weeks before his death, and while gravely ill, Krafft Ehricke traveled from his home in California to Washington, D.C., and delivered the keynote address at the Lunar Bases and Space Technology of the 21st Century conference, held October 29-31, 1984, sponsored by NASA and hosted by the National Academy of Sciences. The organizers of the conferencelunar scientists from NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houstonhad recently become familiar with Krafft Ehrickes work through a series of articles he had written for Fusion magazine, which I had given them at an earlier lunar conference in Houston. Wendell Mendell, the moderator of the Washington conference, had never met Krafft Ehricke before this event, but easily recognized the unique quality of the speaker.

Mendell, in introducing the keynote, said there were a number of colleagues and friends who had asked to make preliminary remarks. One was Fred Durant III, a man with a stunning career himself, as a World War II Navy flight instructor, president of the American Rocket Society, president of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and top official at the National Air & Space Museum, from 1964 to 1980. He died one year ago, at the age of 98. Fred Durant met Krafft Ehricke in the early 1950s, and related how, in 1952, he presented a paper for Krafft at the third IAF Congress.

After reviewing some of what Krafft Ehricke had accomplished, he observed:

But Krafft is not happy unless he is writing of what can be done, and what our progeny, what our grandchildren may see. I will say that it is a lonely world where Krafft lives part of the time, because it is the future. . . .

View full size

21st Century Science & Technology

Krafft Ehricke began to live in the future in a movie theater at the age of 12, after watching The Woman in the Moon. His mentor, Hermann Oberth, had been the technical adviser for the film, and had created a model Moon rocket that was put on display.

In 1934, when he was 17 years old, Krafft Ehricke wrote a manuscript that included several short stories, titled, Thoughts of Space and Man. The first piece describes how every 50 (!) years, scientists from around the world and every scientific discipline would meet to discuss the current breakthroughs in science.

Looking about six decades into the future, as a young man, Krafft Ehricke wrote a short story, simply titled, To My Loving Mother with Thanks. According to his family, Krafft Ehrickes mother moved heaven and earth to feed his dreams, as a youth, finding scientific books from around the world that he could start with, and then advance with his own knowledge.

But beside learning from his own, independent study, Krafft Ehricke also had to cope with school. His family relates that as a youth, he was having problems with math. His teachers were frustrated, so his mother got him one tutor after another. Finally, one of the tutors told her there was nothing wrong with his ability to understand the math, but that he was so far advanced, they could not follow his work, nor understand it. But in one case, that particular tutor kept working with him because he was interested in the mathematics he was doing, and he was learning from his student.

The short story dedicated to his mother recounts the expedition of one Captain Knuth Ehrich, who, in 1991, began a manned voyage to Venus. The trip was made possible through the new Ehrich atomic ion rocket. The expedition would look for new settlement areas for mankind, and conduct scientific research. The captain had a crew of 30, representing the various fields of the natural sciences, and proceeded by way of the Moon. The commissioning body for the expedition was the International Governance Conference in New York, with the participation of 48 nations.

In 1948, one year after arriving in the United States, Krafft Ehricke wrote (in English), Expedition Ares: A Saga from the Dawn of Interplanetary Travel. Set more than 400 years in the future, the story looks back at the history of space exploration and at Expedition Ares, a manned mission to Mars in the year 2000. At the turn into the Twenty-first Century, Krafft Ehricke writes, circling Earth in small scout rockets, scientists and engineers, dreamers and adventurers, found themselves on the brink of vast emptiness beyond which new worlds lured and stimulated their desire to remove the barriers erected between man and star. The first attempt to realize these dreams is known in history as Expedition Ares. Later missions, in his story, would take crewed ships to every planet in the Solar system.

The vehicles, and propulsion system, the necessary in-space maintenance and repair of the ship, the dangers through the Asteroid Belt and encounter with a previously unknown asteroid, are told in great detail. Many of the challenges, and failures, faced on these missions would happen in real life, throughout what would later become the first 60 years of the Space Age.

But exploring and utilizing near-Earth space, industrializing the Moon, and exploring our neighboring planets was not a limit for Krafft Ehricke. His vision of moving off the Earth started with a space station, but not what we have come to know through the International Space Station. Krafft Ehrickes station would be an orbiting city, with thousands of inhabitto ants. In addition to living quarters and all necessary complements for crew, it would include facilities such as an orbital hospital for those who would benefit from microgravity for treatment and recuperation, facilities for tourists, a university, farms, and recreation. Krafft Ehricke called this city in orbit, Astropolis, an urban facility, to be the first step in extraterrestrialization.

His lunar industrialization program, expanded over the 1970s, became an elegantly detailed engineering blueprint, motivated by his concept of the Extraterrestrial Imperative, as his proposed follow-on to the Apollo missions. A five-stage program culminates in the completion of his city on the Moon, Selenopolis; not a base, not a habitat, but a city with thousands of citizens, who create a new civilization, economically, politically and sociologically independent from the Earth.

A new branch of psychology, exopsychology, and of sociology, exosociology, will evolve, he wrote, as the transition beyond Earth is very profound.

With that existing infrastructure, with the resources from the Moon, such as helium-3 for fusion power plants, mankind would be ready to move civilization out into deep space.

The penultimate freedom for mankind would be to create a new Earth. Not only cities on the existing planets in our Solar system, but autonomous cities in space, with propulsion systems that would take this new Earth into deep space. These androcells would not return to Earth, but as self-sufficient societies, would be free to travel the Solar system. Krafft Ehricke referred to androcells as man-made planetellas, which are mobile, and seek other resources, beyond the Earth-Moon system. Finally, man would have cut the umbilical cord to Earth.

The civilization of these roaming, self-sufficient worlds, he explained, is truly three-dimensional. . . . [They] can circle our Sun in independent orbits. It is a politically independent city-state, trading with the Earth, Moon, orbiting manufacturing facilities, and other places, forming new cultural cells of a mankind whose choice of living in space has increased tremendously, thereby adding to the plurality of human civilization.

Krafft Ehricke could imagine future pioneers off to explore and develop the entire Solar system, much the way explorers during the first Age of Exploration created a new civilization in the New World.

He also outlined, in an interview in 1970, his view that by going into space, man had created a three-dimensional civilization, but that adding time into the concept made it four dimensional. Interstellar flight, he proposes, particularly to stellar migration and interstellar or galactic nomadism, are the theater of action on which civilization will grow into four-dimensional (space-time) proportions, he explained. While this may seem fantastic, he assures us that, Travel beyond our Solar system, to distant stars, sounds as unreal today as a manned landing on the Moon must have seemed just a generation or two ago.

The Moon

Krafft Ehricke was well known for saying:

Some people used to say, If God had wanted man to fly, he would have given him wings. Now we can say, If God had wanted man to become a spacefaring species, he would have given man a Moon.

For Krafft Ehricke, the first step in the true extraterrestrialization of space would be the industrial development of the Moon.

At the time of his death, Krafft Ehricke had completed a book, the culmination of more than a decade of intensive research, titled, The Seventh Continent: The Industrialization and Settlement of the Moon, which has yet to be published.

He described the Moon as the prime model of developing a new world at the outset of androspheric expansion, for several reasons. The Moon is our partner in this double-planet system only 2.5 to 3 flight-days away, less time than it takes an oil tanker to get from the Persian Gulf to New England. The Moon is a potential source of raw materials and a suitable place for materials processing and for establishing the first extraterrestrial biosphere. Its surface area almost equals the area of the Americas, which lends it enough gravity for human comfort and plant growth. The Moon, he also said, will offer us a new world of great beauty.

Selenians can trek through the lunar world into the mountains, to the picturesque coastlines of the mare, the wilderness ranges at the poles. . . . When the Sun sets, Earth stands out as a crescent in the sky of the Moons near side. The slowly waxing mother planet bathes the moonscape in mild light of rising intensity.

The Selenians live truly on the shores of the interplanetary ocean. They will travel with ease between the one-sixth g surface gravity [of the Moon], and the weightlessness of their circumlunar outposts, and later between their world and those of Mars, asteroids, and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. The Selenians indeed live in a cosmically Open World.

By the middle of the next century, he said, I see a polyglobal three-dimensional civilization. In retrospect, its foundations were laid in the twilight of the past millennium, by those who understood the magnificent call of the extraterrestrial imperative. . . . But there were those among them who did not have the capacity for understanding that their world reaches to the stars; and so they rooted and burrowed into the ground. They regressed, whining and shouting slogans. Fearful to grow, they atrophied to barren stumps on a clump of earth and became still births of the biosphere. . . . In a miserable world of stagnation, poverty, and backwardness, they may indeed manage to trigger the ultimate catastrophe of releasing nuclear energy in an entropic holocaust.

But this was not preordained. Instead, the new humanity, Homo sapiens extraterrestris . . . will set sail on a new course into the Open World of limitless growthnegentropically, and steady as you go!

As his family will attest, Krafft Ehricke applied great intensity and concentration to his work. He was driven by a passion to enable the real potential for creative discovery, to apply science and technology to end the degradation of a great portion of the worlds people, and to demonstrate that our most noble aspirations would be fulfilled by the civilizations we would create off the Earth.

First published in the German-language magazine FUSION, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2016.
PRESS RELEASE

Deaths of Despair: Working-Class White Americans Dying in Middle Age at Faster Rates than Minority Groups!

March 23, 2017 (EIRNS)In 2015, Princeton Professors Anne Case and Angus Deaton documented a shocking rise in the number of white, non-Hispanic Americans dying in middle age.

On March 17, 2017 the two professors released the results of their followup study on the causes of the rise in death rates in this cohort. The new study shows that the the death rates of working class white Americans with a high school education or less, which were about 30% lower than the mortality rate of blacks in 1999, grew to be 30% higher than black mortality by 2015. This increase occurred across the U.S.demographic spectrum, among men and women alike, the Washington Post reports today.

Professors Case and Deaton point to despair as the cause, and argue that "education level" is a significant counter to despair, with college-educated people reporting better health and contentment than those with only some college, while those with some college, are doing much better than those with no college.

The Post reports that in a teleconference call with reporters this week, Prof. Case said the new research found a "sea of despair" across America, of which one striking feature was the rise in physical pain. The pattern does not follow short-term economic cycles, but reflects a long-term disintegration of job prospects.

"You used to be able to get a really good job with a high school diploma. A job with on-the-job training; a job with benefits. You could expect to move up."

The U.S. obesity epidemic may be another sign of stress and physical pain: "People may want to soothe the beast. They may do that with alcohol;, they may do that with drugs; they may do that with food," Case stated.

Professor Deaton said that the act of suicide could be triggered not by a single event, but by a cumulative series of disappointments:

"Your family life has fallen apart; you dont know your kids any more; all the things you expected when you started out your life just havent happened at all."

UCLA Economics Prof. Adriana Lleras-Muney said that less-educated white Americans tend to be strikingly pessimistic when asked about their prospects:

"Its just a background of continuous decline. Youre worse off than your parents. Whereas for Hispanics, or immigrants like myself, or blacks, yes, circumstances are bad, but theyve been getting better."

Death rates for non-Hispanic middle-aged white men with a high school degree or less, increased by 130% from 1998 to 2015; yet for those with a four-year college degree by only 44%. For women with a high school degree or less, the death rate increased by 381 percent; for women with four years of college or more, the death rate increased by 70 percent. Case and Deaton suggest that white men today are about twice as likely as they were in 1999 to die from one of the "diseases of despair" as they were in 1999, while women are about four times as likely.

In 2000, the epicenter of the death increase was the Southwest. By the mid-2000s, it has spread to Appalahia, Florida and the West Coast, and today, it is country-wide.

The U.S. is far ahead of other rich countries, with "deaths of despair" (by drugs, alcohol, or suicide) over 80 per 100,000, twice as high as second-highest Sweden, in those aged 50-54, with such deaths rising at a similar rate for both American men and women.
PRESS RELEASE

Yemen: 17 Million People Threatened with Starvation by Saudi War

March 23, 2017 (EIRNS)U.N. aid agencies are warning that Yemen is "at the point of no return" as some 17 million people (out of a total population of 28 million) are facing severe food shortages. A total of 6.8 million people are deemed to be in a state of emergency one step from famine on the five-point integrated food security phase classification (IPC), the standard international measurewith a further 10.2 million in crisis, reports the Guardian. Taiz and Hodeidah governorates, home to almost 25% of Yemens population and the scene of intense conflict since the outbreak of civil war in 2015, are at particularly heightened risk of famine. "We keep on talking about a country thats on the brink of famine, but for me these numbers highlight that were at the point of no return," said Mark Kaye, Save the Childrens Yemen spokesperson.

"If things are not done now we are going to be looking back on this and millions of children will have starved to death, and well all have been aware of this for some time."

According to the Guardian, the Saudi excuse for not opening the ports, particularly the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, where 80 percent of Yemens food imports entered the country prior to the war, is to keep Iranian arms out. "They are using the port as a military base to import guns, and rockets," one Saudi source said, though no evidence of this has been presented. In any case, the complaint about Iranian arms becomes an excuse to allow millions of Yemenis to starve to death, deaths that could otherwise easily be prevented.

A U.S. News/Al-Monitor article from two years ago, when the Saudis began their aggression with Obamas support, shows that the same legislators who are now leading the chorus of fake-news attacks against the President, were then in the lead for this genocidal war. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) issued a joint statement which said,

"Saudi Arabia and our Arab partners deserve our support as they seek to restore order in Yemen, which has collapsed into civil war.... We understand why our Saudi and other Arab partners felt compelled to take action. The prospect of radical groups like Al-Qaeda, as well as Iranian-backed militants, finding safe haven on the border of Saudi Arabia was more than our Arab partners could withstand."

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said the Obama Administration had "made the right decision" in supporting the Saudi war.
UPDATE: House Speaker Paul D. Ryan has pulled the GOPs Obamacare repeal bill, canceling a vote that had been scheduled for Friday afternoon. The move appears to signal that the repeal effort is dead, at least for the near future.

We were perhaps a bit too negative when we observed after the election that Republicans could vandalize the Affordable Care Act, even if they couldnt fully repeal it. True vandalism, after all, doesnt help anybody. The Republican healthcare bill due to be voted on Friday, by contrast, does have its winners: the wealthy, who will be in line for a tax break worth $346 billion over 10 years.

The losers? Everyone else. Thats because the measure, as currently written, is almost certain to destroy the individual health insurance market and Medicaid. Nor will other health insurance markets be immune from damage, although the scale of the wreckage is harder to gauge. Suffice to say that many of the ACAs consumer protection guarantees, which would be eviscerated by the House GOPs so-called American Health Care Act, also apply to employer insurance. Losing them could be costly.

Advertisement

Early in the day, whether the bill will pass the House appeared up in the air. Its prospects were even more uncertain in the Senate. But a House vote scheduled for about 3:45 p.m., Eastern time, instead got canceled. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) didnt have the votes. The request to postpone came from President Trump, who the day before had demanded a vote regardless of the outcome.

Insurers are likely to walk. All of them. The individual market in 2018 will be a ghost town.  Nicholas Bagley, University of Michigan

Lets take a look at what was at stake as the GOP embraced a scorched-earth insistence on mindlessly hurtling toward ACA repeal.

First and foremost, the measure eliminates the ACAs requirement that insurers cover 10 essential health benefits. As we reported this week, gutting those EHBs will allow insurers to offer insurance plans with lower premiums, but that wont be worth the money. Under the ACA, all health plans must cover hospitalization, prescription drugs, mental health and substance addiction treatment and outpatient treatment, among other things. (More on that below.)

The House measure punts the definition of required benefits to the states. The consequences of this change would be to create up to 50 separate standards for what gets defined as health insurance, with a resulting race to the bottom. Insurers will be happiest in states with the most indulgent rules, and wariest of those that still require reasonable benefits  consumers in those states might find premiums rising sharply.

But the hastily drafted language in the bill is a confusing mess, reports Nicholas Bagley of the University of Michigan. Worse, because it becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2018, it leaves very little time for insurers to adjust their rates and offerings for the new regime. Bagley says this portends wholesale abandonment of the individual market by insurance companies, at least temporarily. Insurers are likely to walk, he writes. All of them. The individual market in 2018 will be a ghost town.

The House bill threatens to vaporize protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions, the consumer provision perhaps most valued by the public and most consistently promised by even the most ardent critics of the ACA. The elimination of EHB requirements would allow insurers to exclude these consumers without explicitly saying so.

Weve warned of the danger to anyone who has even a minor medical procedure, much less a chronic condition, in his or her past. Under the latest revisions to the AHCA, crafted to bring hard-core conservatives on board, protection against losing or being denied insurance because of ones medical history is gone.

The original draft of the GOP bill went partially down this road by removing the requirement that health plans carry a minimum actuarial value  the percentage of medical costs covered  of 60%. Thats for bronze-level plans. Benchmark silver plans, on which the ACAs premium subsidies are based, must offer 70%, at least. By eliminating EHBs, the latest draft travels all the way down the highway.

The conservative fans of eliminating EHBs argue that this will lead to lower premiums. That may be true, in a way. But the impact of the change will fall very unevenly, and will produce crummier insurance coverage for almost everyone. Among the big losers will be women and growing families, largely because pregnancy and maternity coverage is likely to become a dim memory. As we pointed out, prior to the ACA, only 18 states required maternity coverage for any plans, and only 11 required it for all plans.

Conservatives and Republicans have displayed their insensitivity to this problem in many ways, though perhaps none as cavalierly as Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who replied sarcastically to a reporters question Thursday about whether he supported gutting the EHBs by saying, I wouldnt want to lose my mammograms. Perhaps aware that his remark could go down as the most stupid and heartless statement in the history of the healthcare debate, he quickly apologized.

I asked Sen. Roberts if he supports scrapping Essential Health Benefits. "I wouldn't want to lose my mammograms," he snarked. #AHCA  Alice Miranda Ollstein (@AliceOllstein) March 23, 2017

But Roberts still showed rank ignorance about what the EHBs include and why theyre needed. Before the ACA, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 62% of enrollees in the individual market did not have coverage for maternity services, 34% did not have coverage for substance abuse, 18% did not have coverage for mental health services, and 9% did not have coverage for prescription drugs.

David Anderson of Duke University, an expert in insurance plan design, explains how insurers would use their newfound freedom to exclude potentially costly customers:

The first stream of product design will be aimed to cover very little, he writes. They will be very narrow networks with no major academic medical centers involved; their benefits will be designed to drive away sick people with chronic conditions. For instance, asthma inhalers or insulin or Epi-Pens might not be covered. Hep[ititis]-C drugs would not be covered. Maternity care would not be covered except after a $15,000 stand-alone deductible. They will use donut benefit designed principles where the first couple of PCP visits are no cost sharing but everything else comes with $300 co-pays and $20,000 deductibles. Utilization is designed to be very low and the population that will choose these policies will have to be very healthy.

What if youre not healthy? The other path of coverage is a full service insurance for the sick. It is a privatized and non-inclusive high cost risk pool. It will offer a network with top tier hospitals, it will cover chemotherapy. It will cover the cost of chronic disease management . It will be massively out of reach for most people with chronic conditions as the subsidies will be grossly inadequate and the cost of care for some conditions are more than half the median income of an American family.

The damage that could be done by the original GOP bill has been well documented. It strips $880 billion from Medicaid over 10 years. By imposing much higher costs on states, this provision would all but guarantee lower services for the neediest American families. The latest version of the bill hastens the end of the ACAs Mediaid expansion.

The bill encourages health insurance companies to pay their top executives more, by allowing more of their compensation to be deducted from their companies taxes  placing a higher burden on all other taxpayers. In all, as the Congressional Budget Office stated in its analysis of the original bill, it would cost 24 million Americans their health insurance; the newest version, according to the CBO, does the same, albeit at higher cost.

As their Congress members cast their votes Friday, every American should be asking: Why would they contemplate this?

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.

ALSO

Another article asks us to feel sorry for a couple earning $500,000 a year

The Republican plan to gut essential health benefits is truly disastrous for all Americans

Customers still seem wary of doing business with Wells Fargo  with good reason

UPDATES:

12:50 p.m.: This article was updated with the cancellation of Fridays vote on the repeal bill.

This article was originally published at 8:10 a.m.
Just over a year ago, Southern Californias refinery industry was riding high. With a last-minute blitz in December 2015, the refineries had torpedoed a tough anti-pollution plan that had been painstakingly developed by regional environmental officials over the previous 37 months. The industry plan that was approved instead continued a cap-and-trade program that the refineries had successfully gamed for years, saving themselves as much as $1 billion in anti-pollution equipment they otherwise would have had to install.

But today, the consequences of their arrogance are plain for all to see. The cap-and-trade program will be shut down. Its to be replaced by a command-and-control program that could require the installation of clean-air technology on a specific schedule for every facility. The refineries, which account for 59% of non-vehicular pollution emissions, are likely to be the first to come under the gun.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) board, which had treated the industry with indulgence in the past, has been remade with a much more industry-skeptical balance.

Advertisement

At a policy level, says Evan Gillespie of the Sierra Club, this will result in the refineries finally installing lifesaving pollution controls. Politically, the oil industrys overreach created a backlash over its watering down of a critical rule.

From RECLAIM, we learned a lot about how not to run a cap-and-trade program.   Evan Gillespie, Sierra Club

The industry is facing the fallout from a strategy that blew up in its face. In an op-ed earlier this month in the Sacramento-based journal Capitol Weekly, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, head of the Western States Petroleum Assn., pleaded for market-based solutions that have proven to both preserve economic growth while cleaning the air. (WSPA is the lobbying arm for California refineries.)

Yet it was exactly such a market-based program that WSPA unwittingly placed beneath the guillotine.

That program, RECLAIM, for Regional Clean Air Incentive Market, was created by the AQMD in 1993 as Californias first cap-and-trade system. Rather than directly ordering every pollution-emitter to install specific clean-air technology, RECLAIM established a market in pollution credits. A power plant, cement plant or refinery could buy time by purchasing credits allowing them to exceed their permitted emissions from facilities that were beating their clean-air goals.

RECLAIM wasnt supposed to give polluters a break on meeting clean-air standards, just more flexibility. But it didnt work. By 2011, Southern California refineries had installed only four of the 51 catalytic reduction units needed to remove sufficient nitrogen oxides from emissions to meet clean-air goals. The reduction of those polluting gases came virtually to a halt in the refinery sector after 2002.

Pollution credits had become so plentiful and cheap in the RECLAIM market that refineries simply bought the credits instead of the equipment. The glut of credits came because the AQMDs overall emission limits had been too liberal, and because the AQMD allowed credits assigned to shut-down factories to remain in the market.

In December 2015, the AQMD staff proposed a plan to rectify the glut. Its plan was to shave the total credits in the market by 14 tons of nitrogen oxides per day through 2022 while retiring all credits that had been held by shut-down emitters, especially cement plants. The goal was to force up the price of credits so theyd become more expensive than installing clean-air equipment.

But WSPA struck back, hard. In a proposal made public the very morning of the AQMD vote, it proposed a shave of only 12 tons, back-loaded so that the most stringent reductions wouldnt have to be made until after 2020. The board fell into line, and also accepted a WSPA proposal to refer the elimination of credits from closed facilities to a working group, which meant putting it off indefinitely.

The boards capitulation drew near-universal condemnation from clean-air regulators and environmental experts. The California Air Resources Board warned the AQMD that it would reject its plan, because it was so weak it would violate federal law  at a time when the South Coast needs every ton of achievable reductions to attain healthy air.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency followed up last March by also rejecting the plan. The EPA gave the AQMD until Nov. 16 this year to revise its clean-air plan or face legal sanctions under the Clean Air Act. And the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council, along with two other environmental groups, sued to force the board to reverse its December 2015 vote.

Most importantly, WSPAs successful intervention to save its members money underscored the flaws in RECLAIM. Their greediness made it easier to show that the program was not working, says Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, a Democrat who in January replaced termed-out county Supervisor Mike Antonovich, a Republican, on the AQMD board.

AQMD staff officials say RECLAIM was showing its shortcomings even before the December 2015 vote. As early as 2014, we were saying that a market cap-and-trade program would have to converge with command-and-control, says Philip Fine, the AQMDs deputy executive officer. In an analysis prepared for the boards March 3 meeting, the staff acknowledged that many of the programs original advantages appear to be diminishing and advocated its orderly sunset.

Looking forward, Fine says, it was going to be harder to make it work.

At its March 3 meeting, the board voted 7-6 to sunset the RECLAIM program and replace it with a command-and-control system.

How anti-pollution policy will progress from here  with a board much less sympathetic to the industry  is a bit uncertain. The district staff on Friday held its first working group meeting to unravel the program. Fine cautions that the process could take at least two years, although a transition to a command-and-control system for some industries could be imposed even before its shut down.

The programs critics say its in the regions interest to move promptly so long-delayed equipment finally can get installed. I hope theyll move expeditiously, Kuehl says, because leaving a useless program in place doesnt help anyone.

WSPA seems to be fighting a lost cause. In an email, Reheis-Boyd told me that RECLAIM has been highly effective since its inception in 1994, achieving approximately 70% reduction in emissions. Thats true but hardly the whole story, since thats not enough to meet clean-air standards; its like saying that your ball club scored 12 runs so it must have won  except that the opposing team scored 15.

She says WSPA intends to be collaborative in analyzing all of the potential environmental impacts, the economic costs, as well as a variety of legal factors, as the AQMD moves forward. But in her Capitol Weekly article she called command and control a heavy-handed  approach and disparaged the AQMD board for moving hastily to discard a successful program.

The refineries cant be counted out yet as political actors who could exert pressure for delays. They have tremendous power, observes AQMD board member Judith Mitchell, a Rolling Hills Estates councilwoman who introduced the resolution to sunset RECLAIM.

Environmentalists, however, say theyre confident that a command-and-control system will work much better to achieve clean-air goals than the old. We dont think were going to be stiffed, says David Pettit, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Councils Southern California Air Program.

Another issue is what RECLAIMs failure says about cap-and-trade programs generally. Thats important because Californias statewide cap-and-trade program, which covers the entire economy including vehicular fuels, remains an international model even as it faces legal and political challenges.

RECLAIM doesnt undermine the argument for cap and trade, says the Sierra Clubs Gillespie. Quite the contrary: From RECLAIM, he says, we learned a lot about how not to run a cap-and-trade program.

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.
Southern California is now ground zero for President Trumps proposed border wall.

Select companies from around the nation, and some international firms, bidding to build the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border will be required to construct prototypes in San Diego, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.

The federal government isnt saying exactly where bidders will display their designs, but a spokesman said San Diego was picked in part because of existing border work at Tijuana.

Advertisement

Wall prototypes presented and constructed in San Diego must be 30 feet long. Bidders will also be required to demonstrate the quality of their construction to government analysts.

The bidding instructions said up to 20 companies will be invited to build prototypes in San Diego. Winning firms must have a design that is 30 feet tall, cant be climbed and is constructed to prevent digging below the wall for at least 6 feet. The side facing the U.S. should be aesthetically pleasing in color, the instructions said.

As of midday Thursday, more than 20 Los Angeles County companies (out of more than 700 worldwide) had signed up as interested parties in the bid process, a precursor to putting in a proposal.

At least one San Diego company, R.E. Staite Engineering, thinks it might have a leg up because the prototypes will be built in that city.

For us, thats called home-court advantage, said Ralph Hicks, the companys vice president of governmental affairs, citing the difficulty other firms may have bringing materials across the country.

R.E. Staite has worked on major projects in the past, including cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the foundation for the San Diego Convention Center.

Although he would not divulge details of its design, Hicks said his firm was very enthusiastic about its proposal. Were not trying to meet the criteria, he said. Were trying to exceed it in every category.

Some companies that signed up as interested parties had different motivations. Studio Pali Fekete Architects in Culver City, which signed up last week, intended to submit a proposal to build a bridge instead of a barrier before deciding the paperwork wasnt worth it.

We were going to turn the wall on its side, if you will, said Zoltan Pali, principal of the firm.

Leigh Jerrard, owner of ecological plumbing company Greywater Corps Inc. in Los Angeles, also indicated interest  but not in working on the project. A licensed contractor and architect, Jerrard said he signed up as an interested vendor to understand what the government was planning to do with the wall.

I have no interest in designing or building anything that will further Trumps agenda, he said.

Work on the border wall could be split among multiple companies, and contracts could be extremely lucrative for firms that get a piece of the pie. Republicans in Congress have suggested the wall could cost $12 billion to $15 billion. An analysis published by MIT Technology Review said it could cost as much as $38 billion.

The U.S. budget Trump proposed last week  which would slash a multitude of other government programs  includes a request for $2.6 billion to build the border wall. That cash would be on top of an additional $1.5 billion the White House wants from Congress this year, bringing Trumps total funding request to $4.1 billion for the wall so far.

Trump pledged during his campaign that Mexico would pay for construction of the wall, but his budget proposal did not include a way for that to happen.

The U.S.-Mexico border is about 2,000 miles long, about one-third of which is fenced. Its unclear whether the wall would be built along stretches that already have fencing.

Companies have until Wednesday to turn in their bids.

Terrence Payne, chief executive of TMM Enterprises Group Inc., said many of the large contractors his firm supplies anticipate working on the border wall. The Los Angeles-based TMM has just three employees and has a supply division that sells tools and materials such as steel and electrical cables. He said he wants to find out more about how small and minority-owned businesses fit into the wall project.

I understand that project is extremely polarizing, he said. Some projects you dont like, but you have to do your job and sell the product. In the world of supply, you follow the large projects.

The project is indeed polarizing. Two San Francisco supervisors introduced legislation this week that would bar the city from contracting with companies that bid on the wall, regardless of whether they actually win, said the San Francisco Chronicle. And members of the California Assembly have introduced a bill that would require the states pension funds to divest from any company involved in building the wall.

James Fletcher, owner of James Fletcher Construction in Chula Vista, said last week that he was still trying to figure out exactly what the federal government wants.

A concrete wall wouldnt make much sense, he said: What with footings, steel reinforcement bars and other expenses, some portions of a 30-foot-tall concrete structure could cost up to $20 million a mile.

There are other things being built that are more cost-effective and just as good, he said, reasoning that a steel wall would make the most sense.

Fletchers company, which has registered as an interested vendor, has roughly a dozen employees but can increase to up to 40 if needed. It recently did concrete work and grade beams for a project at Naval Air Station North Island.

Mike Mclaughlin, owner of Greenfield Fence in Oceanside with 150 employees, said a lot of the hoopla over the wall is unwarranted because of so much recent construction at the border.

This is nothing new, he said. They have been building this wall for close to 15 years.

One of the most enthusiastic bidders is Rod Hadrian, owner of Tridipanel in Carlsbad. His company uses several layers of wire mesh welded together and attached to polystyrene foam, a type of plastic, which is then covered in cement.

Its lightweight, durable and strong as hell, Hadrian said. Its what they need.

Click here for a Spanish version of this story

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com

Times staff writers Samantha Masunaga and Brian Bennett contributed to this report.
More than a third of U.S. jobs could be at high risk of automation by the early 2030s, a percentage thats greater than in Britain, Germany and Japan, according to a report released Friday.

The analysis, by accounting and consulting firm PwC, emphasized that its estimates are based on the anticipated capabilities of robotics and artificial intelligence, and that the pace and direction of technological progress are uncertain.

It said that in the U.S., 38% of jobs could be at risk of automation, compared with 30% in Britain, 35% in Germany and 21% in Japan.

Advertisement

The main reason is not that the U.S. has more jobs in sectors that are universally ripe for automation, the report says; rather, its that more U.S. jobs in certain sectors are potentially vulnerable than, say, British jobs in the same sectors.

For example, the report says the financial and insurance sector has much higher possibility of automation in the U.S. than in Britain. Thats because, it says, American finance workers are less educated than British ones.

While London finance employees work in international markets, their U.S. counterparts focus more on the domestic retail market, and workers do not need to have the same educational levels, the report said. Jobs that require less education are at higher potential risk of automation, according to the report.

Other industries that could be at high risk include hospitality and food service and transportation and storage.

Analysts have said truck driving probably will be the first form of driving in the U.S. to be fully automated, as long-range big rigs travel primarily on highways  the easiest roads to navigate without human intervention.

But robots wont necessarily replace so many human workers. The report highlights several economic, legal and regulatory hurdles that could prevent automation, even in jobs where it would be technologically feasible.

For one, the cost of robots  including maintenance and repairs  could still be too expensive compared with human workers. And in the case of self-driving vehicles, questions remain about who is liable in an accident.

In other words, moving robots outside of a controlled environment is still a big step, said John Hawksworth, chief economist at PwC in Britain.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that he wasnt worried about artificial intelligence taking over American jobs.

I think were so far away from that that its not even on my radar screen, he told Axios Media. I think its 50 or 100 more years.

Mnuchin also said automation would enable human workers to do more productive jobs at higher wages. Its taken jobs that are low-paying, he said. We need to make sure we are investing in education and training for the American worker.

Automation could end up creating some jobs, the PwC report said. Greater robotic productivity could boost the incomes of those behind the new technology, which Hawksworth said could flow into the larger economy.

Sectors that are harder to automate, such as healthcare, could also see a rise in jobs, he said.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga

Click here for a Spanish version of this story

ALSO

Despite fears, Mexicos manufacturing boom is lifting U.S. workers

Robots could replace 1.7 million American truckers in the next decade

Wages rise on California farms. Americans still dont want the job
Its the most cunning robocall scam Ive encountered  and the fact that Ive fallen for it more than once tells you how successful it can be.

The phone rings. You pick it up and say hello. Theres a brief silence and then a womans voice says, Oh, hi there! She offers an embarrassed laugh. Im sorry, I was having a little trouble with my headset!

Ive gotten this call a number of times in recent weeks, at home and at work, and each time Ive been suckered by the lifelike opening to stay on the line longer than I normally would for a robocall or a telemarketing pitch. Its only when I realize Ive heard the exact same thing before that I realize Im hearing a recording.

Advertisement

This is a new and highly sophisticated racket known as the can you hear me scam, which involves tricking people into saying yes and using that affirmation to sign people up for stuff they didnt order.

Its also an indication of what can be expected in the future from scammers and telemarketers as automated conversational agents, or chatbots, play an increasingly large role in interacting with humans.

Ive spoken with a number of experts in the field, and they all say natural-speech technology is advancing so quickly that it may be only a few years until we wont be able to tell if were speaking with a machine.

On every front in development of conversational agents, theres a huge emphasis on making them more sociable, said Marilyn Walker, a professor of computer science at UC Santa Cruz with decades of experience in natural language processing.

This stuff is all coming together now in a way thats getting very close to artificial intelligence, she said.

The can you hear me scam doesnt seem to be using that level of technical achievement, but it displays a sneaky savviness about how to manipulate people.

Dan Weld, a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington, said the techniques employed in the calls demonstrate careful human engineering with an understanding of the human dynamics of conversations and what will sound natural.

In other words, you wont know its a robocall until its too late.

As the scam plays out, the recorded voice will raise the possibility of a vacation or cruise package, or maybe a product warranty. Shell ask if you could answer a few questions. Or shell make it sound like her headset is still giving her trouble and say, Can you hear me?

Dont say yes.

Police departments nationwide have warned recently that offering an affirmative response can be edited to make it seem youve given permission for a purchase or some other transaction. There havent been many reports of losses, but a Washington State man reportedly got bilked for about $100.

A recorded yes could also could be used to deny refunds to any consumer who complains.

If someone calls and asks, Can you hear me?, do not answer yes, advised the Better Business Bureau. Just hang up. Scammers change their tactics as the public catches on, so be alert for other questions designed to solicit a simple yes answer.

Walker, the UC Santa Cruz computer wiz, has been teaching computers how to speak since the 1980s, when she worked as a researcher for the Natural Language Project at Hewlett Packard Laboratories in Palo Alto. Shes also done stints at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories in Cambridge, Mass., and AT&T Labs in New Jersey.

Talking machines have been epitomized for years by the automated switchboards that drive most consumers crazy. But Walker said were seeing the next iteration of speech technology in the likes of Apples Siri and Amazons Alexa  devices that can respond to users requests and, to a limited extent, give the impression of conversation.

The next step, she said, will be computers that respond to voice commands to perform multiple tasks across multiple websites or platforms. For example, booking airline seats, a hotel and a rental car without a human having to look at a screen or touch a keyboard.

The vision right now for conversational agents is moving seamlessly among various tasks, Walker said.

She acknowledged that as the technology improves and becomes more commonplace, it almost certainly will be embraced by telemarketers and scammers to try to dupe people into thinking theyre speaking with a real person, thus making a questionable sales pitch all the more believable.

Thats clearly not out of the realm of possibility, Walker said.

She said machines become more human-sounding the more they can be taught to pepper conversations with the occasional um or uh-huh, or to laugh at the right moment. Theyll soon convey what sounds like emotion and will adjust their vocal pitch to match the context of the discussion.

These things are all being pursued, Walker said.

Shes leading a team of grad students thats competing for the first Alexa Prize, an award offered by Amazon for the university that can come up with a socialbot capable of genuine chitchat.

Each of 12 sponsored teams has received $100,000 from Amazon to fund their work. The team with the best-performing bot will win $500,000. An extra $1 million will go to the teams school if its socialbot converses coherently and engagingly with humans on popular topics and news events for 20 minutes.

Obviously, any technical advances will be considered for future versions of Alexa.

I asked Art Pettigrue, an Amazon spokesman, if the ultimate goal of the contest is to produce a machine capable of speaking like HAL 9000 in 2001, albeit without the homicidal tendencies.

He declined to go that far. But Pettigrue said that were really at a tipping point for so many elements of the technology.

Were in a golden age of machine learning and AI, he said. Were still a long way from being able to do things the way humans do things, but were solving unbelievably complex problems every day.

Think the can you hear me scam sounds devious? Just you wait.

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.

Click here for a Spanish version of this story

MORE BY DAVID LAZARUS

Bitter pill to swallow: Less FDA oversight of supplements seems likely

Pension advance company is unmasked  and its no friend of California consumers

Your long, long odds of winning the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes
When the Palm Springs Art Museum was arranging Women of Abstract Expressionism, all the typical special exhibition concerns arose: How to tell the story of 12 largely unrecognized female artists? How best to configure and install the works? Myriad logistical issues came with the shipping of 50 major paintings from lenders around the U.S.

But one question didnt keep the museums director of exhibitions and collections management, Alicia Thomas, up at night: How to insure the pieces against theft or damage?

The exhibition, organized by the Denver Art Museum and opened in Palm Springs last month, features major works by the likes of Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell and Lee Krasner. But the typically exorbitant cost of insurance was offset by the little-known Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Program administered by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Advertisement

The U.S. indemnity program is vital to the museum community, Thomas said. It enables us to mount exhibitions that we might not otherwise be able to afford.

Congress created the Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Program in 1975 to offset the cost of insuring objects that U.S. institutions borrowed from international lenders for exhibitions. In 2007, partly due to the rising cost of commercial fine arts insurance, Congress expanded the program to include exhibitions with loans from American lenders as well. The cost of insuring artworks against risks such as damage or theft is one of the most significant in a museums exhibition budget. Without the indemnity program many museums around the country would not present special exhibitions at all.

The program doesnt outright pay for institutions insurance premiums. It offers indemnity certificates that are promises to pay for approved claims in the case of damage, theft and other risks. With that peace of mind, institutions may choose not to purchase commercial insurance -- which is where their savings comes from.

To date about 250 to 300 arts institutions have received this indemnity support, the NEA estimated. That has resulted in more than 1,400 U.S. exhibitions. American museums have saved an estimated $450 million in insurance premiums through the program, which is considered low risk and low cost because museums generally take such good care of borrowed artworks. In 42 years, the program has paid out only two indemnity claims, costing the federal government a total of $4,700.

If the Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Program were eliminated along with the NEA, as proposed by the Trump administration in its 2018 budget blueprint, large and small museums nationwide would see a ripple effect, said Alison Wade, chief administrator of the Assn. of Art Museum Directors.

Some exhibitions would have to be cut back in scale, whether by traveling to fewer venues or including fewer objects; in some cases, exhibitions would not go forward at all, Wade said. The program has run smoothly and incurred very minimal costs to the federal government. This program enables major exhibitions to be presented to audiences around the country, with all of their attendant educational and economic benefits.

The Palm Springs Art Museum, Thomas said, would never have been able to present its late 2013 survey Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years, 1953-1966, co-organized with San Franciscos de Young Museum, without the indemnity program. The exhibition included more than 110 objects from 60 lenders; the total value of the show exceeded $200 million, Thomas says, so shipping and insurance were expensive.

The insurance component of your exhibition budget, if its a large multi-lender show, is arguably the second highest figure in your budget behind shipping, Thomas said. For the Diebenkorn show, the values were so high we needed the assistance of the U.S. government to cover the objects in order to borrow the pieces, insure them for their values, and tour them.

The indemnity program also was vital for Women of Abstract Expressionism because its an expensive show to mount. These pieces come from all over the United States  25 lenders, she said.

The Denver Art Museum, which applied for indemnity on behalf of itself, the Palm Springs museum and the Mint Museum in North Carolina, would not comment on the total value of the show or the amount it saved in insurance premiums, but it did say the savings were significant. Arts institutions are not eligible to apply for domestic indemnity unless the total value of the exhibition exceeds $75 million.

The Hammer Museum received indemnity for its exhibition Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art received it for The Inner Eye: Vision and Transcendence in African Arts.

The potential loss of the indemnity program is on the minds of many Los Angeles museum leaders, said Broad museum Director Joanne Heyler. The issue is of deep concern, she said, even though the Broad is relatively new and hasnt yet used the program.

Its not a very smart use of public resources to cancel something at almost no cost, federally, that provides museums with hundreds of millions of dollars of relief in terms of their insurance bills, Heyler said. Its something that any museum, no matter how well funded, has to look at.

Without the program, Thomas said, the Palm Springs Art Museum would have to ratchet down its programming ambitions, significantly increase fundraising efforts and work harder to secure grants.

The museums executive director, Elizabeth Armstrong, said that until the Women of Abstract Expressionism exhibition and its accompanying publication, much of these womens outstanding paintings were not well known to the general public and, in many cases, to art historians and museum curators.

Without the indemnity program, the museum might never have had the chance to shed light on these overlooked female artists. If the program were to vanish, Thomas added, it would just be very sad for the museum world.

L.A. Without the NEA is a daily series looking at a different community group, how its NEA funds were spent, what artistic or public good did or didnt result and what the cultural landscape would look like if that program were to disappear. Look for more installments to follow at latimes.com/LAwithouttheNEA.

deborah.vankin@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin

ALSO

L.A. Without the NEA: Lula Washingtons aim is to lift up lives through dance

L.A. Without the NEA: Theatre of Hearts

How would the death of the NEA affect your community?
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust announced a new executive team with interim director Beth Kean promoted to executive director, and board member Paul Nussbaum bumped up to board president and CEO. Both are descendants of Holocaust survivors.

Nussbaum says the teams first order of business will be to launch a strategic planning process to give the museum, which is at Pan Pacific Park in the Fairfax District, a broader national and international profile.

We have to create a strategic plan that involves a national agenda and international joint ventures and partnerships, Nussbaum says. Our plan cant just be about Los Angeles.

Advertisement

Nussbaum adds that the museums mission  which includes educating the public about the history of the Holocaust through exhibitions and extensive public programming  has become more relevant than ever in the current political climate. Since the beginning of the year, incidents of anti-Semitism have been reported throughout the country, with dozens of Jewish community centers enduring bomb threats and vandals attacking Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis and Philadelphia.

What we do, its about promoting empathy and fighting intolerance, he says. Its needed now more than ever.

Nussbaum, a banking executive, has been a member of the board since the fall of 2015. In the past, he has served in various leadership roles for other nonprofit organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Orange County, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the Museum of Tolerance.

Kean, whose background is also in finance, served as board treasurer for LAMOTH, as the museum is known, for a decade before taking on the role of interim executive director last fall.

The museum was founded in 1961 by a group of Holocaust survivors who pooled the objects they had  photographs, concentration camp uniforms and other objects  to memorialize their experiences during World War II.

LAMOTH already works with the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and is currently in talks with Memorial de la Shoah, the French Holocaust remembrance museum, to collaborate on exhibition programming. Nussbaum hopes to develop other ventures as well that will expand the museums reach.

Its a mission he takes to heart.

I am the son of two stateless, penniless refugees, he explains. I have lived the American dream. My sons have lived the American dream. I benefited from the acceptance and tolerance of the American melting pot. I want others to benefit from it, too.

Sign up for our weekly Essential Arts & Culture newsletter 

carolina.miranda@latimes.com

@cmonstah
As German bombers savagely attacked Warsaw in late September 1939, a surreal scene began unfolding in the streets. The citys renowned zoo was hit hard, and panicked animals were racing through the citys Old Town. Many were shot, but the slaughter had just begun.

When a Nazi entourage visited the zoo on New Years Eve, SS members killed other animals for sheer sport. As she watched in horror, Antonina Zabinski, who ran the zoo with her husband, asked herself: How many humans will die like this in the coming months?

Adolf Hitler would go on to exterminate more than 380,000 Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. But the Zabinskis didnt stand by and watch. As told in Diane Ackermans award-winning 2007 book The Zookeepers Wife, and now in a Focus Features movie starring Jessica Chastain, Antonina and her husband, Jan, fought back.

Advertisement

He joined the resistance. She ran a covert operation in which Jews were smuggled out of the ghetto and into the zoo, hidden in cages, tunnels and her home, and then transported to safety.

 Jessica Chastain and Daniel Bruhl star in The Zookeepers Wife.

We need to be more vigilant than ever about whats going on around us, and how its growing. Otherwise, history can repeat itself.  Diane Ackerman

Ackerman has explored human behavior and the natural world in books like A Natural History of the Senses, and The Zookeepers Wife continues that inquiry in its portrait of Antonina, who had a sixth sense enabling her to calm and console animals, including homo sapiens.

How did you discover this story?

I came to it through animals. I learned that there were unusual species of small horses living in a forest in Poland and I wanted to write about them. I got in touch with the park service there, but I didnt speak Polish, so I asked a neighbor in Warsaw to help me. She said, incidentally, that one of her uncles had worked in the Zabinskis zoo, and he told me that the zookeepers wife had published a diary. When I read it, I began to see the extraordinary sensibility Antonina had about animals, and how many she had adopted. But as it turned out, she was also rescuing people and saving lives.

Do you think theres a relevance, an echo to this story in our world today?

I think the book and the film as well really resonate with whats happening now. We see white supremacy suddenly being legitimized, as it was before. We see anti-Semitism on the rise. Theres terrible prejudice against refugees and immigrants. An entire religion has been singled out. And the story in the book reminds us of what can happen. This is not a new phenomenon. Its happened before, and it started small. We need to be more vigilant than ever about whats going on around us, and how its growing. Otherwise, history can repeat itself.

I keep wondering, under those conditions, would I have been that brave?  Diane Ackerman

The story offers a more complex definition of heroism than we normally see. Antoninas husband fits the classic definition, as a resistance fighter. But shes different.

Yes, and thats one of the reasons I wrote this book. So often we equate heroism with violence, usually with males  with martyrdom and cruelty. But there are many forms of heroism, and we are not an inherently evil species. If we were, we would not exist. We would not have evolved to where we are now, because we would have wiped each other out long ago.

In the movies, heroism often means people killing other people. But Antonina didnt kill anyone. She was in desperate danger, risking the life of her young son and husband every day. But it was to help people survive, and not just bodily. She wanted them to survive emotionally, with their dignity intact. She performed radical acts of compassion. She made sure they could come out of hiding at night, after the German soldiers left the zoo. She snuck them into the house, they had dinner together, there were piano concerts. She was as much a social worker among them as a rescuer, and Im convinced that kind of heroism takes place every day on our war-torn planet. We just dont hear about it. We dont celebrate it.

If you could go back in time and ask Antonina one question, what would it be?

Well, Id want to know how she lived in a house with so many animals, and kept it clean! But seriously, Id ask her how she reached deep inside of herself to do what she did, to hide and smuggle Jews out of the ghetto. The penalty for that was death, for her and her family. And I keep wondering, under those conditions, would I have been that brave? I dont know.

I want us to cherish our links to other animals, and to the great kindness thats within us.  Diane Ackerman

The book focuses in great detail on Antoninas relationship with animals and how well she understood them. She treated them with dignity and respect.

Thats the key to who she was. For the longest time, weve insisted that were separate from nature, that were humans. But now we know, more than ever, that we are nature. We are intimately connected to every inch of nature. We are the dominant force for change in the world, and if we disrupt nature like the Nazis did  trying to wipe out entire cultures  well destroy ourselves in the process.

Your book and the movie tell a shattering story. What should people take away from The Zookeepers Wife?

I want us to cherish our links to other animals, and to the great kindness thats within us. I also want us to remember always that our animal nature is capable of horrific evil. We most definitely need to be our brothers and sisters keepers. And if we want to protect this planet, that includes other animals as well. Im hopeful for the future, because so many people are becoming more active by the day.

josh.getlin@latimes.com
Say hello to Calvin. Or maybe not.

Calvin is the resident alien on space station Plymouth Rock and really, he would as soon suck the life out of you as look at you.

Calvin comes from Mars, if you must know, but in truth his talents for havoc and devastation were wasted on the cold, dead Red Planet he called home.

Calvin is the center of interest in the science fiction thriller Life, the creature the poster refers to when it insists We Were Better Off Alone, a sentiment no one seeing this outer space exercise will argue with.

Advertisement

As directed by Daniel Espinosa and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds, Life is efficiently constructed to unsettle audiences. It demonstrates both the pleasures and the limitations of doing a skillful job with familiar genre material.

On the positive side, Swedish director Espinosa is something of a genre specialist with a real sense of how stories should unfold on screen. His thriller Snabba Cash (Easy Money) was the No. 1 film in Sweden the year it came out. He followed it up with the effective Safe House starring Denzel Washington and Reynolds.

And the script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the duo behind Deadpool, has more going for it than a taste of the pairs celebrated glib banter. A genuine effort has been made to add a human dimension to the six members of the Plymouth Rocks crew (the dialogue references Goodnight Moon as well as Re-Animator), to create convincing individuals rather than space opera constructs.

Not surprisingly, having capable actors helps this endeavor. Gyllenhaal, especially good as space station veteran David Jordan, has a gift for bringing conviction to everything he does.

Reynolds, his hair grayed around the temples, is also strong as spacewalking expert Rory Adams, and Ferguson, who was memorable in the last Mission: Impossible, is his equal as Miranda North, on loan from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure that nothing threatening to Earth happens onboard.

As if.

The difficulty with all this is that the scripts core idea of a malignant presence on the loose in a spaceship is inevitably heavily influenced by 1979s Dan OBannon/Ridley Scott Alien, which means that the plot ends up more standard than inventive. Life has its share of twists and scary moments, but most of them can be seen coming.

Still, it is undeniably satisfying to be in the hands of a persuasive director who, along with editors Frances Parker and Mary Jo Markey, knows how to slowly ratchet up the tension to a properly unnerving level.

Perhaps surprisingly, Life is especially adept in its opening sequences, when we meet not only Jordan, Adams and North but their crewmates on this mission to search for life forms on Mars.

All well-acted, this trio includes investigating scientist Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare), flight engineer Sho Murakami (Hiroyuki Sanada) and the capable Russian commander Ekaterina Golovkina (Olga Dihovichanaya).

 Its Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds in the Super Bowl trailer for the sci-fi thriller Life

The space station they all inhabit has been beautifully created by production designer Nigel Phelps and supervising art director Marc Homes, and scenes of the crew gliding through it a la Gravity are photographed with elan by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Seamus McGarvey.

Its a wonderful setting for a meal weve tasted before:

After samples from Mars are brought onboard via an unmanned capsule that actually visited the planet, everyone is in an upbeat, even jaunty mood, saying things like, I have a good feeling about this that tempt fate in a major way.

The crew is even more excited when a single living microscopic cell is discovered in the samples. But when they toast the first incontrovertible proof of life beyond Earth they dont realize they are celebrating their own potential demise.

When this new life, named Calvin by school kids back on Earth, starts to grow at an unnerving rate, everyone onboard should be alarmed. But Life is one of those films where no one on screen has seen the same movies as those of us in the audience.

Once Calvin matures into a grotesque, octopus-like creature whose malevolent intentions are unmistakable, Life becomes the inevitable cat and mouse game between the thing and all-too-human individuals prone to altruistic moves that leave them vulnerable.

An ad for space travel this is definitely not.

-----------

Life

MPAA rating: R, for language throughout, some sci-fi violence and terror.

Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Playing: In general release.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

kenneth.turan@latimes.com

@KennethTuran
Movie recommendations from critics Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and other reviewers.

After the Storm A sublimely simple family drama from the Japanese writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda, a filmmaker assured enough to hide his mastery in plain sight. Nothing is overemphasized, and nothing escapes his attention. (Justin Chang) NR.

The Founder Michael Keaton gives a performance of ratty, reptilian brilliance as Ray Kroc, the American salesman who turned a California burger stand into the global fast-food behemoth that is McDonalds, in John Lee Hancocks shrewd and satisfyingly fat-free biopic. (Justin Chang) PG-13.

Advertisement

Frantz Beautifully shot in black-and-white with the occasional warm burst of color, French writer-director Francois Ozons intricately layered post-World War I drama puts a feminist spin on Ernst Lubitschs 1932 anti-war film, Broken Lullaby. (Justin Chang) PG-13.

I Am Not Your Negro As directed by the gifted Raoul Peck, this documentary on James Baldwin uses the entire spectrum of movie effects, not only spoken language but also sound, music, editing and all manner of visuals, to create a cinematic essay that is powerful and painfully relevant. (Kenneth Turan) NR.

La La Land Starring a well-paired Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, writer-director Damien Chazelles tuneful tribute to classic movie musicals is often stronger in concept than execution, but its lovely and transporting all the same. (Justin Chang) PG-13.

Personal Shopper Kristen Stewart gives her most accomplished screen performance to date in Olivier Assayas shivery paranormal thriller  a haunted-house movie, a murder mystery and, in many ways, Assayas most surprising film yet about the anxieties of modern life. (Justin Chang) R.

Raw A grossout that goes down like a delicacy, Julia Ducournaus exquisitely grisly writing-directing debut finds a ripe pubescent metaphor in the tale of a French teenager who develops an unexpected taste for human flesh. (Justin Chang) R.

The Womens Balcony An Israeli box-office hit about a Jerusalem clash of religious cultures, this is an unapologetically warm-hearted comedic drama, a fine example of commercial filmmaking grounded in a persuasive knowledge of human behavior. (Kenneth Turan) NR.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

Movie Trailers

calendar@latimes.com
Whats in season: Stroll among the stalls of your local farmers market right now, and youll probably catch the sweet fragrance of strawberries before you see them  something youre not likely to do at the supermarket. Sample the berries, and youll find theres no comparison; the delicate market berries are bursting with flavor, sweet and floral. Varieties such as super-sweet Gaviota and the more complex Seascape, along with newer varieties, including Viva Patricia and Albion, are beginning to show up during a season that typically spans the spring months. The quality of this fragile fruit can vary from week to week, so check with the farmers to see what they recommend at the moment.

Pie, salads and more: Some of our favorite strawberry recipes >>

What to cook: Score a pack  or splurge on a box  of ripe berries, and they might not make the trip home. Strawberries at their peak are probably best eaten out of hand. Or get creative, tossing them with salads or mounding them into a freshly baked pie shell. If youve never roasted them, toss the berries with a little oil and spread them on a baking sheet before placing in a hot oven for a few minutes to soften. The heat will deepen their flavor and enhance their sweet notes, and they make a perfect dessert simply spooned over ice cream or topped with chantilly cream.

Advertisement

Whats on the horizon: Fava beans are showing up, along with a variety of new potatoes. We also spotted mounds of Persian and Japanese cucumber at a couple stands.

ALSO:

Get outdoors: Easy weeknight grilling recipes

Culinary SOS: Recipes from your favorite restaurants

Browse our Recipe Database for thousands of our best recipes

noelle.carter@latimes.com

@noellecarter
Pescado zarandeado is one of the wonders of the seafood world, a broad, thin fish sliced neatly in half on the vertical axis, roasted slowly over a smoky fire and served on a platter the size of a skimboard  half an acre of smoking, char-edged flesh.

The fish, usually a Pacific robalo, or snook, is dabbed with some mixture of citrus, spices and mayonnaise before it hits the fire, although it is usually all but greaseless when it hits the table. You tear off pieces and wrap them in fresh tortillas with a strand or two of well-caramelized onion. You drink a michelada or two. Your afternoon stretches ahead.

The cult of pescado zarandeado in Los Angeles is generally associated with Sergio Penuelas, a Sinaloa-born cook who has mastered the art of slow-grilling snook. If you follow the confluence of food and social media, Penuelas may have been bubbling through your feeds for more than a decade by now. Some of my friends call him the Snook Whisperer.

Advertisement

He first popped up in a Chowhound post in 2008, where the blogger Bill Esparza raved about the Sinaloa/Nayarit-style fish and shrimp dishes that Penuelas made at the first Mariscos Chente in Inglewood, just east of LAX, and then the crowd followed him to a new Mariscos Chente on Centinela Avenue. (The chef took the occasional day off, Chowhounders warned. Wheres Sergio? became a catchphrase on the site.)

Then Penuelas moved to Connie Cossios ConiSeafood in Inglewood (a regular on The Times 101 Best Restaurants list), where he stayed for a couple of years before moving to Cheko El Rey del Sarandeado in Long Beach. Esparza popped up in Los Angeles magazine saying that it didnt really matter where Penuelas was; that the master chef had been Vicente Chente Cossio at the original Mariscos Chente all along. By then, Penuelas had already left Cheko (run by another Cossio relative) to return to the Mariscos Chente on Centinela.

Snook chef Sergio Penuelas at Mariscos Chente restaurant in Los Angeles. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times / Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

At the moment I write this Penuelas is still there, although you never know. The art of making pescado zarandeado, trapping it in a wire cage and flipping it over the fire, is an exacting one. It makes demands. It is apparently as difficult to cook as it is to catch, and it is known as one of the most challenging of gamefish, adept at severing even stout fishing lines with its razor-sharp gill plates. We are fortunate to have the Snook Whisperer in our midst.

But ConiSeafood has always been great. Ive never quite known whether Penuelas or Connie Cossio was in the kitchen on the evenings I happened to show up. And Ive just had a spectacular ceviche at the original Mariscos Chente in Inglewood. And I realized that I really had no idea where the recipes really originated  that dishes like camarones a la cucaracha, shrimp fried until they were as crunchy and brown as insects, camarones a la diabla, shrimp in a spicy sauce, and aguachile, raw shrimp marinated with hot green chile, were squarely from Vicente Cossios birthplace of Nayarit, while the camarones a la Culichi, shrimp in a cheesy chile sauce, and perhaps the pescado zarandeado may have been from Sinaloa.

I felt a sudden need to visit all of the Cossio/Penuelas-related restaurants to discover whether Penuelas actual presence was demanded or whether his influence was enough, whether he was the Snook Whisperer or merely the Johnny Appleseed of Snook  and also whether the restaurants, whose shrimp-intensive menus are nearly interchangeable, can be thought of as more or less a chain. There are worse ways to spend a week.

The restaurants, all four of them, had splendid aguachile, big, head-on shrimp arranged like an Esther Williams troupe inside a ring of sliced cucumbers and onions, sharp and tangy and very hot. Were the shrimp at Inglewoods Mariscos Chente perhaps both firmer and creamier, and the ones at ConiSeafood more elegantly presented? Perhaps. I liked the creamy chile-cheese sauce on the camarones a la Culichi at Cheko better than I did the slightly grainier versions at the other restaurants, although the shrimp at ConiSeafood and the Inglewood Chente were slightly more plump and crisp. Chicharron de pescado, fried chunks of marinated fish, were irresistibly crisp-edged at the Centinela Chente and pleasingly chewy and oversalted at the Inglewood Chente. The composed ceviches of clams, abalone and crab at ConiSeafood were delicious and elegant, as were the crunchy, terrific tacos stuffed with smoked marlin and cheese. (The marlin was a bit mealier at the Centinela Chente.) I liked them all.

But we are here for the snook, brought up from Mexicos Pacific coast.

You will dig around the frame for bits of sweet flesh, prying hidden slivers from beneath membranes, working a spoon into the head for the cheeks and scraping along the spine. You will probably try a bite of the blackened skin and discover that it is not quite as edible as you would prefer. You will develop a preference for onions dosed with more or less Maggi seasoning  it can be overpowering  and wish that the tortillas were perhaps more plentiful. You may develop a liking for Modelo Especial, a beer that tastes best very, very cold.

I am prepared to tell you that the snook at Cheko was excellent, crisp-edged and full-flavored if a little dry, the one at the Centinela Chente restaurant was perhaps better but a bit chewy, and that the juicy snook at ConiSeafood is best of all.

The Inglewood Chente no longer sells snook. You will have to console yourself with extra shrimp.

It may be worth mentioning here that while the snook that thrives among the Florida mangroves is a protected species, the almost identical snook found along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Peru is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a species of least concern. So eat away.

::

Cheko El Rey del Sarandeado, 343 E. Market St., Long Beach, (562) 422-4888. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wed.-Mon. Credit cards accepted. Beer and wine. Street parking

Mariscos Chente, 10020 S. Inglewood Ave., Inglewood, (310) 672-0226. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wed.-Sun. Credit cards accepted. No alcohol. Lot parking.

Mariscos Chente, 4532 S. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, (310) 390-9241. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon., Wed. and Thurs.; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Cash only. Beer and wine. Street parking.

ConiSeafood, 3544 W. Imperial Highway, Inglewood, (310) 672-2339. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Credit cards accepted. Beer and wine. Limited lot parking.

MORE FROM JONATHAN GOLD

At Manuela in DTLA, Jonathan Gold enjoys a Redneck platter surrounded by fine art

Jonathan Gold finds a spot that takes regional Mexican cooking on an adventure

At Kismet, your culinary destiny may come in the form of rabbit kebabs

jonathan.gold@latimes.com

@thejgold
As someone who had the privilege of seeing Chuck Berry perform many times over the decades, I amend the traditional rest in peace sentiments to rock in peace!

Jerry Rubin

Santa Monica

::

Brilliant commentary on Berry. Listening to Brown Eyed Handsome Man when I was in high school, I realized that he must have been referring to an African American, but with my blue eyes and white skin, I embraced the deeper meaning, which to me was the acknowledgment of achievement, talent, self-confidence of someone young, like me. Those attributes transcended race and color, etc., as does all great poetry.

Me, personally, Ill never forget the night I sat next to Chuck at a Dennys counter in Dallas in 1967, and he shared his French fries with me. That night, to a goggle-eyed white fan, he was kind, talkative and gracious; he even gave me the Chuck Berry eye-roll. And indeed, his handshake was like putting your hand in a large, soft glove.

Advertisement

Thanks again for the great coverage of a wonderful poet and Oh My God! guitarist.

Hal Trussell

Los Angeles

::

Im from Wentzville, Mo., and a big Berry fan. I saw him many, many times in his own Duck Room at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. He was a big reason I went into music, and your appreciation hit the right spot at the right time.

Steve Fite

Los Angeles

::

As cool as Berrys songs are, musically, they are quite simple, blues-based tunes, especially Johnny B. Goode, which is all of three chords.

Larry Muradian

Altadena

::

I really enjoyed reading your articles about Berry. They were very well written, just like the songs you mentioned and quoted. Truly nice work.

Dan McMahon

Palmdale

A separatist? Not this Scot

Mark Sweds review [Wildness, With a Sense of Poetry, March 20] of the L.A. Philharmonics performance of James MacMillans piano concerto calls the composer an avid Scottish separatist and attributes to him a passion for Scottish nationalism.

MacMillan is proud of being Scottish and is deeply attached to his country, but he is firmly opposed to all separatist impulses. During the run-up to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, he repeatedly expressed his angry opposition to the idea in speeches and newspaper articles.

Alan Tomlinson

Santa Monica

Talkin bout this generation

I had to chortle while perusing Indie Rockers Defy Aging [March 15]. Keith Richards has guitar picks older than both Britt Daniel and James Mercer (45 and 46, respectively). Bob Dylans harmonicas predate these two. Paul McCartney probably has Beatles boots gathering dust in his closet that last saw the light of day long before these two were born. Did anyone see Old Chella? Now, thats some aging rockers.

John R. Grush

Mission Viejo

A question of national values

Regarding: The Trump Budget: A Harsh Note [March 17]. There is something wrong with a nation that values bullets above education, health, science, the arts and information.

Michael Solomon

Canoga Park

Love her work, but that term ...

I was thrilled to read Pam Grier Just Wanted to Get in on the Action [March 19]. I was introduced to Grier in Jackie Brown. What the article does not do is mention her steady, smart and humorous performance in The L Word. She played the older, straight sister to the main character. From B movies to a Showtime series, her career has been a joy to follow.

Nora A. OConnor

Redondo Beach

::

The word blaxploitation should not be used to describe movies made during this era. These were the first movies showing black heroes and black characters on the big screen. The word demeans the making of films that appealed to black people and that brought me to view them on the big screen.

Should Adam Sandler pictures be referred to as whitexplotation movies

Van McClellan

Laguna Hills

Column kudos; as to the wall ...

I get that the proposed wall for the U.S.-Mexican border is an antiquated way of keeping out undesirables [Basking in Trump Walls Shadow, March 19]. We should work with our neighbors to the south (not just Mexico) to fix problems (gangs, drug lords) that cause people to leave in search of better opportunities.

But I think if we are going to build the wall, and we apparently are, we should embrace the opportunity to do it right the first time instead of spending billions more to fix poor construction.

So I support quality architectural firms engaging in the process. And they should not have to waste time justifying themselves.

Mark J. Grgurich

Roseville, Calif.

::

A unique aspect of architecture within the arts is that with few exceptions, a work is achieved using other peoples money. In our capitalist society, this means that architectural clients are usually wealthy individuals or institutions and that architects tend to skew toward those who furnish them with commissions.

Its a mercenary arrangement worthy of exposure, as architecture critic Christopher Hawthornes column does quite well in saying. However, it is not the only mercenary arrangement that plagues architecture; another is its coverage by the media. Architectural criticism is usually concerned with aesthetics, and because of this, such coverage assumes an element of fashion, where novelty is promoted at the expense of other concerns.

Architectural criticism requires a deeper consideration of what architecture really means in our sustainable world. Ideally, such coverage will consider how a project reveals many of the forces at work in society: aesthetic, economic, social and ethical. Hawthornes weekly columns are an encouraging development and a welcome departure from the previous traditional architectural reviews.

Ed Salisbury

Santa Monica

Begging to differ with film critic

Regarding The Settlers: Religion, Politics Blur Lines [March 17]: Times critic Kenneth Turan defines The Settlers as 500,000 Israelis living in 200-plus settlements in the West Bank whose presence is either the biggest obstacle to peace or the first step toward the  arrival of the messiah. That may be what the film contends, but Turan presents it as incontestable truth. As a left-of-center Israeli, I can tell you that the vast majority of Israelis on both sides of the political divide believe it is false.

Ephraim Landau

Pardes Hanna, Israel

In future, spoiler alerts, please!

Justin Changs film reviews are consistently insightful, but hes got a bad habit of oversharing plot material and even the end points of story and character arcs. On a single day recently  to avoid perpetuating his spoilers, Im not providing the date or the movie titles  he concluded two reviews by describing the final image and the final shot along with their meanings. Filmmakers work hard to create suspense for moviegoers, who want to be surprised. Critics need to protect that storytelling magic, not dispel it.

John Wilson

West Hollywood

calendar.letters@latimes.com
With just 48 hours to conceptualize, shoot and edit a short film, Nancy Paton found herself stuck.

Hours into filming, London rain made it impossible to shoot a terrace scene without soaking the camera. Then the camera rig shed planned to shoot the entire film on stopped working. With the clock ticking down, the director  who was 6 months pregnant at the time  had to improvise.

We had lots of things go wrong, she recalled. Its problem solving at its highest level. You constantly have to go, Do we have the time, can we fix it? If you cant, move on, next thing. And you kind of have to make that decision at that moment.

Advertisement

She decided to cut out some scenes requiring the rig but luckily it started working again two hours later. You just have to go with it, she said.

The resulting seven-minute short, Choke, which chronicles a man in the last stages of prostate cancer who seeks spiritual release through a dominatrix, was nominated in seven categories at the 48Film Project, an international online short film festival. It took home awards for best short, best director and best cinematography.

I was excited to win best director during womens month. For them to honor a woman as a director was amazing.  Nancy Paton

I was excited to win best director during womens month, she said, referring to Marchs designation as International Womens Month. For them to honor a woman as a director was amazing.

Rain and rigs havent been the only impediment in the 33-year-old directors film career. After making her first short film on the environment at 11 years old, Paton has worked in different roles both in film and off. She moved to Saudi Arabia from London four years ago with her husband and two kids.

As a woman living in Saudi Arabia, where there are no public movie theaters and men and women are not allowed to mix freely, Paton found making a film challenging. But for the Australia-born, Britain-bred director, who lectures about digital photography, screenwriting and storyboarding at Raffles Design Institute in Riyadh, its enough to just inspire a new generation of women to pursue film.

Maybe if I were in London my career would be moving faster because Id be able to work in my field, she mused. But Im lecturing girls and Im teaching girls things, which is fascinating. Ive written two films while Ive been there based around Saudi Arabia and the women there that Ive met, and I wouldnt have done that if I lived in England.

One of those films, Postpartum  which she wrote, produced and directed  was filmed in Saudi Arabia at her home and featured an all-female cast, in part because men and women are not allowed to mix on set. Inspired by her own anxiety over developing postpartum depression while pregnant with her first son, the film features 24 women ranging in age from 20 to 70 with no prior film experience and won her the award for best director at the Melbourne Indie Film Festival.

It would be great to start promoting women into filmmaking, she said of her impetus behind the all-female cast. To find women there who might want to do this as a career in the future and to help mentor them.

As the only blond girl with blue eyes at her multicultural Australian school growing up, Paton sees diversity and inclusivity not just as buzzwords but as themes to strive toward in her work on film and in the classroom.

I really love stories about things that people bring to situations from different worlds, she said. People who are made to communicate and made to find a commonality.

Art is meant to be a representation of our world. I think we as entertainers need to put more emphasis on that. We need to show the balance: Half the world is female and half male. It needs to be that in our films. It needs to be that in our theater shows. Thats one thing I really focus on in my work.

sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com

follow me on twitter @sonaiyak

ALSO:

Jordan Peele on how Get Out defied the odds to become a full-blown cultural phenomenon

Critics Choice Ben Wheatley: Confusion and Carnage investigates a directors dark gifts

Hulus Harlots challenges the typical TV depiction of prostitutes as nameless sidekicks or props
Actor Harrison Ford was concerned about turbulence from a nearby airliner when he narrowly missed a passenger jet preparing for takeoff and landed on a taxiway last month at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, according to air traffic control recordings released Friday.

Im the schmuck who landed on the taxiway, Ford told the tower shortly after touching down in his single-engine Aviat Husky on Feb. 13. I was distracted by the airliner which was in movement when I turned to the runway and also the wake turbulence from the landing Airbus.

Air traffic control had cleared Ford to land on Runway 20L, but he came in on Taxiway C after flying low over an American Airlines Boeing 737 that was holding short of the runway and minutes from taking off. Taxiway C runs parallel to the runway.

Advertisement

Federal Aviation Administration officials say that landing on a taxiway, instead of a runway, is a violation of FAA regulations and can subject a pilot to disciplinary action.

The agency, which is investigating the incident, released the audio recordings of Fords air traffic control communications in response to nine Freedom of Information Act requests from news media.

According to the recordings, air traffic control cautioned Ford during his approach to maintain his separation from an incoming Airbus jetliner because of possible wake turbulence. Such turbulence is especially hazardous in the area behind an airplane during takeoffs and landings.

Ford acknowledged the presence of the Airbus.

As he landed, the Husky flew low over American Airlines Flight 1459 with more than 100 people aboard. The airliner was awaiting instructions to take off.

Was that airliner meant to be underneath me? Ford asked the tower.

The air traffic controller answered that the Boeing 737 was holding short of the runway and advised Ford that he landed on Taxiway Charlie.

I landed on Taxiway Charlie? Ford responded.

When instructed to continue on the taxiway and hold short of Taxiway H, Ford told the controller, Oohhh. I landed on Taxiway Charlie. I understand now. Sorry for that.

After Ford landed, Edward Patton, the captain of the American Airlines jet, contacted air traffic control by telephone and discussed the incident with Irene Willard, the tower manager.

Patton mentioned that the tail of his aircraft is 42 feet high. You get an idea how close we were, he said.

Willard told him there was less than 100 feet of separation between the airplanes. It was not a good position for him (Ford) to be in, she said.

After he arrived, air traffic control instructed Ford to call the tower because of a possible pilot deviation.

Ford later called the tower and spoke to an air traffic control staff member, explaining why he had become distracted.

The staff member then asked Ford for his contact information and pilots license number so he could forward them to the FAAs flight safety office for possible investigation.

I understand, Ford answered. I totally understand.

Ford, 74, who is famous for his roles in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, could face disciplinary action from the FAA. The possible penalties include reprimands, retraining or the suspension or loss of his pilots license.

Aviation safety experts have said that mistakenly landing on a taxiway is almost unheard of, and that there was no excuse for what could have turned into a disaster at John Wayne Airport.

dan.weikel@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @LADeadline16

ALSO

Harrison Ford involved in close call at John Wayne Airport; FAA investigating

Opinion: Dont be too hard on Harrison Ford for landing his plane on a taxiway

Carrie Fisher insists: I never said Harrison Ford was bad in bed

UPDATES:

7:30 p.m.: This article was updated to clarify Fords comments to air traffic controllers.

2 p.m.: This article was updated with information about pilot discipline.

This story was originally published at 12:30 p.m.
The Los Angeles City Council will consider a proposal Friday to demolish Parker Center and build a $480-million office tower for city employees  a plan opposed by preservationists fighting to save the former police building.

The boxy Parker Center on Los Angeles Street served for more than five decades as the headquarters of the Los Angeles Police Department and regularly appeared in the television series Dragnet. It closed in January 2013.

The building was designed by Welton Becket, the prolific architect behind the Capitol Records building, the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, the Cinerama Dome and the jet-age Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport.

Advertisement

Los Angeles city engineers contend that the mid-century building, which now sits empty, is seismically unsafe.

Amid calls to keep the structure, city engineers say it will cost at least $107 million more to preserve Parker Center and build an office tower next to it compared with knocking it down and erecting a new tower on the site.

The Los Angeles Conservancy disputes the citys analysis and accuses officials of using inaccurate estimates to justify Parker Centers demolition  something the city denies.

The battle over the building, which was named for former Police Chief William Parker, comes as city leaders push for a dramatic remake of the Civic Center, roughly 10 square blocks of government buildings surrounded by Little Tokyo, the Historic Core and Chinatown.

The old police headquarters, officials argue, stands in the way of encouraging residential and commercial growth in the staid Civic Center.

Municipal officials want restaurants and residences to create a more lively neighborhood, said Rick Coca, spokesman for City Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents downtown.

We have a Civic Center area that is not working for the city, not working for the residents and the stakeholders of Los Angeles.  Rick Coca, aide to Councilman Jose Huizar

We have a Civic Center area that is not working for the city, not working for the residents and the stakeholders of downtown Los Angeles, Coca said. You have to have long-term goals.

The development would follow construction of a new federal courthouse, the creation of Grand Park and renovation of the County Hall of Justice.

The 27-story office tower would house restaurants and commercial space on the bottom floors, though it would be used primarily by several city departments, including the Department of Public Works.

Coca said the city is now leasing several office properties across downtown, and the new tower would consolidate municipal workers.

He defended the citys cost analysis, which found that preserving the main Parker Center building and constructing a tower with above-ground parking would cost $590 million.

By contrast, demolishing Parker Center and building a tower with underground parking would cost $483 million.

The analysis was done by Cumming, a global construction management company with a Los Angeles office.

Coca pointed to the millions of dollars needed to rehab Boyle Heights City Hall, which was damaged in the 2008 Chino Hills earthquake. The $590 million needed to seismically upgrade Parker Center and build the tower is on the low end of projections, he said.

Seeking to preserve Parker Center, the conservancy engaged a seismic engineer and did its own analysis.

That study found it would be cheaper to preserve the former police building, said Adrian Scott Fine, the conservancys director of advocacy. He estimates that it would cost $485 million to save Parker Center and build a new tower.

The group estimates it would cost $512 million to raze the structure and replace it with a new building.

Fine pointed to the recent makeovers of theaters and other buildings along Broadway as examples of successful restorations.

We dont believe that their number is anywhere near being accurate, Fine said of the Cumming study. We believe its a lot cheaper and cost-effective for the building to be reused.

Costs aside, Little Tokyo residents and several City Council members support tearing down Parker Center.

Stores and businesses in Little Tokyo were razed to build the police headquarters more than six decades ago and people who live there want a do over, said Rey Salinas, project manager of the Little Tokyo Service Center.

The council last month rejected a plan to include Parker Center in L.A.s list of historically significant buildings, with some council members pointing to Parkers complicated legacy.

The chief, who headed the LAPD from 1950 to 1966, is blamed for widening tensions between police and minority communities.

The proposal to build a $480-million office tower comes as the city faces a $224-million deficit next fiscal year.

Councilman Paul Krekorian, who chairs the citys Budget and Finance Committee, said he backs the plan to demolish Parker Center because of the cost of maintaining the empty building. After Fridays vote, he said the city will conduct a financial analysis of the tower.

dakota.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: @dakotacdsmith

ALSO

Big new convention center hotel proposed for downtown L.A.

Art and About: where to view new public art in Los Angeles

Every day is bring your dog to work day at more and more L.A. offices
Over the objections of preservationists, the Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to demolish the LAPDs Parker Center and replace the former police headquarters with a $483-million office tower for city employees.

The council voted 12 to 0 to raze the 1955 building designed by architect Welton Becket  a structure that critics called an unremarkable piece of architecture and a symbol of the Los Angeles Police Departments racist past.

The Los Angeles Conservancy opposed the vote, contending that Parker Center is a significant building and that the citys police history shouldnt be wiped away.

Advertisement

The preservation group also accused the city of using inaccurate cost estimates to justify knocking down Parker Center, which the city denied.

The plan to demolish the building and erect a 27-story office tower comes as local leaders seek to remake the downtown Civic Center, a 10-square-block area of government buildings bordered by Chinatown, Little Tokyo and the Historic Core.

Council members also voted Friday to pass the Civic Center Master Plan to encourage the development of stores and restaurants in the neighborhood.

Our current civic center is outdated and poorly designed, said Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents the downtown area. It doesnt meet our current needs to house our city personnel.

A city-commissioned analysis estimates the new tower will cost $483 million, while preserving Parker Center and erecting a new tower will cost $590 million.

The conservancys study states that preservation would cost at least $100 million less than the citys estimate.

Several Little Tokyo community leaders supported the plan to tear down Parker Center, which sits on a block that once housed Little Tokyo businesses.

The city razed hotels, a barbershop and stores in the 1940s and 1950s to make way for the police headquarters, said Kristen Fukushima, managing director of the Little Tokyo Community Council. Today, Parker Center stands as a wall to Little Tokyo, she said.

Fukushima praised the office tower site plan, which uses plazas to connect Little Tokyo with the Civic Center.

The L.A. of today is not the L.A. of the 40s or 50s, she said.

dakota.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: @dakotacdsmith
A San Francisco man was arrested on suspicion of threatening to shoot a woman wearing a hijab because she is Muslim, police said Thursday.

Joshua Ruano, 27, is being held on suspicion of making a criminal threat with a hate-crime enhancement, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

The woman and her toddler son were playing in a park just after 7 p.m. March 17 near the Mission District when Ruano approached her, police said in a written statement.

Advertisement

He allegedly made anti-Muslim comments and threatened to shoot her, according to the Police Department.

The victim and her son fled the area to get away from the suspect, police said.

Police were notified about the threat and searched the area. They found Ruano several blocks away from the park. He was arrested and booked into the San Francisco County Jail.

Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area, said hate crimes targeting Muslims and those who are mistaken for Muslim are on the rise.

This incident in San Francisco reminds all of us of the critical work to be done in our own communities to prevent hate crimes and protect each other, she said. We applaud this woman who was targeted while with her child for bravely coming forward and hope it will encourage others to also seek help.

According to U.S. Department of Justice hate-crime statistics, reports of anti-Muslim crimes have increased 9.5 percentage points from 2010 to 2015.

Of the 1,354 religious hate crimes reported to the FBI in 2015  the most recent year of reporting available  just over 22% targeted Muslims. The majority of religiously motivated hate crimes that year, or just over 51%, were described as being anti-Semitic.

In North Carolina this week, a Muslim mother in a hijab said a man pointed a long gun at her as she breast-fed her baby in her car at a shopping center, the Charlotte Observer reported.

CAIR has asked police to investigate that case as a possible hate crime.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

ALSO

Man dies in crash on 101 Freeway in Newbury Park

2 killed, 1 wounded in shooting near South L.A. liquor store

Posters to go up at UC San Diego targeting Janet Napolitano and sanctuary campuses
An armed man who barricaded himself inside a strangers house in Winnetka escaped a SWAT team after an hours-long standoff that ended Friday morning, authorities said.

Police were involved in a standoff that began late Thursday outside a house near Leadwell Street and Oso Avenue that lasted roughly seven hours, said Officer Norma Eisenman, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman. When police entered the home early Friday, the man was gone; police think he escaped out the back door, Eisenman said.

About 10:45 p.m. Thursday, officers with the LAPDs Metropolitan Division were flagged down by a homeless person in the area who said he was assaulted by another man, Eisenman said. The homeless man appeared to know his attacker because he gave a name to officers, she said.

Advertisement

The homeless man indicated where his attacker might have gone. Officers found the man and identified themselves, Eisenman said. The man then pointed a laser-equipped handgun at officers and ran, she said.

The man, whose name has not been released, kicked down the door of a nearby house and ran inside, Eisenman said. A woman ran out of the home. She was uninjured and told police she thought the man was still inside, authorities said.

A SWAT team set up a perimeter in the neighborhood for hours, believing the man was barricaded inside. Police fired rounds of tear gas into the home, trying to get the man to come out, LAPD Capt. Paul Vernon said on Twitter.

Around 6 a.m. Friday, police entered the home and conducted an extensive search of the property, Eisenman said. The man was not found.

It was unclear when he left the house, authorities said.

LAPD Officer Richard Jimenez told reporters at the scene Friday morning that the suspect is a convicted felon and that police think squatters had been staying in the two-story house in which he barricaded himself.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

UPDATES:

7:35 a.m. This article was updated with new information from LAPD Officer Richard Jimenez.

This article was originally published at 7:15 a.m.
Chet Cunningham didnt believe in writers block.

The San Diego authors catalog of 450 published books  Westerns, thrillers, military history, medical guides  included one that he wrote in less than a week because a publishing house was desperate to fill an unexpected hole in its production schedule.

Thats what I do, Cunningham once told the San Diego Union-Tribune. I write books.

Cunningham, who died March 14 at 88 of complications from a fall, also nurtured other writers. He founded the nonprofit San Diego Book Awards in 1994 as a way to honor local writers, both published and unpublished. In the organizations lean years, he would seek donations from people in the literary community, telling them that an anonymous donor had offered to match their gifts.

Advertisement

He was the anonymous donor.

Chets legacy to beginning writers lives on in our hearts, and he will not soon be forgotten, said Toni Noel, an author who served with Cunningham on the board of the book awards.

Born Dec. 9, 1928, in Nebraska, he grew up in Lake Forest, Ore., where he attended Pacific University and earned a bachelors degree in journalism. Drafted into the Army, he was a mortar gunner in a heavy weapons company in Korea.

Home from the war, he got a masters degree in journalism at Columbia University in New York, worked for small newspapers in Michigan and Oregon and then came to San Diego in 1960 and worked at Convair on various audio-visual projects, including a training film for fighter pilots.

When he lost his job in a round of cutbacks, he turned to writing full time. To pay the bills, he churned out magazine articles, many of them about cars and trucking, but he had his heart set on becoming a novelist.

In a methodical approach that would set the stage for his prolific career, he studied the book market, learned that Westerns were the lowest-paying and figured hed have less competition there. He bought a couple dozen used paperbacks, jotted interesting facts onto index cards  the price of gold in 1837, for example  and created his own research library.

His first book, Bushwhackers of the Circle K, came out in 1968. Despite a less-than-enthusiastic note from the publisher  While this is not the best Western weve ever seen, weve decided to publish it  Cunningham was on his way. The floodgate opened, book after book after book, an average of one every month in his prime.

I fell asleep to the sound of his manual typewriter for years and years, said his daughter, Christine Ashworth. She grew up to be a writer, too, of romance novels.

Cunningham didnt have the time or inclination to rank his own books. His favorite was usually the one he had just finished. But some were more personal than others. Hell Wouldnt Stop, his 2002 oral history of the World War II Battle of Wake Island, was a nod to his brother, who was on Wake when the Japanese invaded just hours after bombing Pearl Harbor.

He credited his output to his daily deadline training as a journalist and to a work ethic that usually had him in his home office for 10 hours a day. Writers block? I dont believe it exists, he wrote on his website.

Ever heard of a carpenter not going to work because he has carpenters block? If a writer cant write, its because he doesnt really want to, he isnt ready to get it on paper or hes just plain lazy.

Cunningham was preceded in death by his wife, Rose Marie, and a son, Scott Cunningham, who wrote New Age books. Survivors include a son, Greg Cunningham; a daughter, Christine Ashworth; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Wilkens writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The head of the House Intelligence Committee partially backed away from his dramatic claim that officials in President Trumps transition team had been subjects of surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies, with an aide saying that Chairman Devin Nunes did not know for sure.

On Wednesday, Nunes (R-Tulare) said that names of transition team members had come up in conversations that were referred to in U.S. intelligence documents summarizing surveillance. But until Nunes sees the actual documents, he does not know whether any of the transition officials were actually part of the surveilled conversations or were just talked about by others, spokesman Jack Langer said Thursday.

Hell have to get all the documents he requested from the [intelligence community] about this before he knows for sure, Langer said.

Advertisement

The partial walkback of Nunes claim came as lawmakers stepped up calls for an independent investigation of possible links between Donald Trumps campaign and Russia. Nunes decision to brief Trump about the surveillance claims before sharing them with other members of his committee put the House investigation under a cloud, say Democrats and some Republicans.

Nunes apologized to members of the committee at a closed-door meeting Thursday for having described the documents to Trump before sharing them with the panel. Democrats said, however, that he had not yet shown them any of the new evidence.

In a statement to reporters Wednesday and later at the White House, Nunes said he had learned of dozens of classified reports that recounted communications between members of Trumps transition team  and possibly the then-president-elect himself  and individuals who were legally targeted for government eavesdropping for counterintelligence.

He said the reports were widely shared within the U.S. government and that the identities of at least some Trump associates had been included in the reports, despite rules requiring that the names of Americans picked up by communications intercepts be kept confidential in most cases.

Numerous transition officials could have communicated with foreign ambassadors or others in the United States who were under court-authorized surveillance for counterintelligence purposes. If so, they could have inadvertently, but legally, been monitored by U.S. intelligence.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, White House aide Stephen Miller, Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Trumps three eldest children all played formal roles in Trumps transition, along with many other Trump associates and former government officials. Nunes himself was a member of the transition executive committee.

Its also possible that Trump transition officials were mentioned in U.S. intelligence reports even if no phone conversations, email or other communications involving those officials were intercepted by U.S. intelligence.

Foreign officials under surveillance might have mentioned the names of Trump aides or claimed to have had conversations with them. A claim of that sort might have been considered important enough to be included in an intelligence report, a former intelligence official said.

Senior intelligence officials can decide to include names or other identifying information of Americans in classified foreign intelligence reports if they believe that doing so is important for understanding the intelligence, or if it shows clear evidence of a potential crime.

This process, known as unmasking, could have happened with the Trump transition team. Its unclear whether any names of Trump transition officials were unmasked in the documents Nunes referred to, or whether their identities were masked yet obvious from how they were described.

Critics said Nunes actions had called into question his ability to run a fair, thorough investigation.

The top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam B. Schiff, (D-Burbank), called for the Justice Department to appoint an independent prosecutor for the case.

Sen. John McCain, (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said a special House-Senate panel should be appointed to conduct its own inquiry.

Its a bizarre situation, McCain, a frequent Trump critic, said of Nunes actions.

I think that this back-and-forth and what the American people have found so far is that no longer does Congress have the credibility to handle this alone, the senator said in an interview with MSNBC.

Any such move faces strong opposition, however. Republican leaders in the House and Senate have given no indication that they would back the creation of a special House-Senate panel, like the joint body that was created to investigate the Iran-Contra affair during the Reagan administration.

Nor has there been any indication that the Justice Department is considering appointing a special counsel to oversee the Trump investigation.

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions recused himself from any decision about the inquiry after disclosures that he had multiple conversations with the Russian ambassador last year while he was still a senator. As a result, a decision about a special counsel would be up to the deputy attorney general. Trumps nominee for that post, career prosecutor Rod Rosenstein, is awaiting Senate confirmation.

But Nunes decision to bypass his own committee and publicly reveal evidence that may be relevant to the investigation has roiled the House panel.

Its no way to run an investigation, Schiff said in an interview. You dont go to someone who is associated with people that are under investigation with evidence and withhold it from the investigatory body.

Trump told reporters that he felt somewhat vindicated by Nunes disclosures. They came only a week after the president promised revelations to back up his accusation that President Obama had ordered him to be wiretapped during the campaign, which would be illegal.

Nunes said, however, that no such wiretapping ever took place. The surveillance he referred to, he said, came after the election, was conducted legally and was not targeted at Trump or his associates.

Nunes disclosures came a day after FBI Director James B. Comey testified that the agency had opened a investigation into possible Trump campaign links with Russia.

Schiff said in the interview that links between Trump associates and Russia uncovered by the FBI went beyond circumstantial evidence.

I cant get into specifics. What I can say is that I think the FBI investigation is more than justified, Schiff said.

Its not the evidence that you would present at trial, to a trial jury, to prove [guilt] beyond a reasonable doubt, he added. But its the kind of evidence you would put forward when youre beginning an investigation.

I think it certainly demands a thorough and objective investigation.'

Despite being dismayed by Nunes actions, Democrats on the committee were not threatening to pull out of the committees investigation, Schiff said.

People recognize that if the Democrats are not investigating this, then really no one is, he said. So were determined to plow on.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT

ALSO

Trump team was swept up in surveillance, House leader says as inquiry into Russian meddling takes dramatic turn

Trumps awkward alliance with Ryan faces biggest test. Will healthcare vote push them apart?

With his governing legacy on the line, Gov. Jerry Brown dives in to Washingtons healthcare debate
Unlike federal judges before him, a judge in Virginia on Friday ruled in favor of President Trumps revised travel ban in a case brought by Muslims who said the presidents executive order illegally discriminated against their religion by restricting travel from six majority-Muslim countries.

U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga of the Eastern District Court of Virginia in Alexandria wrote that the plaintiffs, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and other Muslim community leaders from across the country, probably would not prevail in their suit.

Trenga said the travel ban likely falls within the bounds of Trumps authority as president, and he rejected a request to halt the order.

Advertisement

Trengas ruling doesnt have an immediate effect on the ban, which was put on hold by federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland last week. But it gives ammunition to government lawyers arguing for the ban across several U.S. courts where cases against it are pending.

The Hawaii and Maryland rulings agreed with arguments that the travel ban violated the Constitution by discriminating against Muslims. The judges cited statements by Trump and his campaign associates about restricting Muslim travel to the U.S. as evidence of their intent to single out followers of Islam.

Trengas opinion gave less weight to Trumps statements. It more strictly looked at how the travel ban is worded in light of presidential power over immigration and national security.

The judge highlighted the changes made to narrow the scope of the travel ban after an initial version of the order was struck down by federal courts in January and February. Changes in the new version included omitting Iraq from the list of countries whose travelers would be blocked and removing preferential treatment of refugees who were religious minorities.

The Department of Justice, which is defending the Trump administration in court, hailed Trengas move.

The Department of Justice is pleased with the ruling, department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement. As the Court correctly explains, the presidents executive order falls well within his authority to safeguard the nations security.

The original travel ban, signed Jan. 27, was halted by federal district courts and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The new ban, signed March 6 and scheduled to go into effect March 16, was modified in an attempt to pass court muster.

The Maryland ruling stopped the revised executive orders 90-day ban on travel into the U.S. by citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The Hawaii ruling went a step further by also blocking a 120-day pause on refugee resettlement from any country. It also blocked the governments attempt to cap refugee resettlement and the compiling of a series of government studies and reports on how refugees and foreign visitors to the U.S. are vetted.

Those rulings, as well as the one Friday in Virginia, are not final but temporary decisions on the travel ban as the cases over its constitutionality proceed.

The Department of Justice has appealed the Maryland decision to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals but has not appealed in the Hawaii case.

Trump has said he wants to take arguments over the travel ban to the Supreme Court.

jaweed.kaleem@latimes.com

Jaweed Kaleem is The Times national race and justice correspondent. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

ALSO

A sea of despair: White Americans without college degrees are dying younger

No conflict in Trump hotel lease with government, federal agency says

What we learned about Neil Gorsuch during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing
Authorities say they've charged a Florida man recorded on video sitting in the street eating pancakes.

A Lakeland police news release says Kiaron Thomas was charged Thursday with placing an obstruction in the roadway and disrupting the free flow of traffic. He was not arrested but issued an April 25 court date.

Police first received a call Tuesday morning about a man sitting in the crosswalk of a busy intersection.

The caller said the man had a small TV tray in front of him and was eating what appeared to be pancakes. Officers responded, but the man had already left.

A video of the incident was later posted on Facebook and shared in a message to police.

On Thursday, officers determined that Thomas lived about 100 yards south of the intersection where the incident took place.

Several people connected the video to Thomas, who police say admitted pulling the prank.

ALSO

A sea of despair: White Americans without college degrees are dying younger

No conflict in Trump hotel lease with government, federal agency says

What we learned about Neil Gorsuch during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing
The director of Arkansas corrections department appeared at a Little Rock Rotary Club meeting Tuesday with an unusual appeal. The state needs volunteers  as many as 48 by mid-April  and the qualifications are simple. You seem to be a group that does not have felony backgrounds and are over 21, the director, Wendy Kelley, told the lunch gathering. So if youre interested in serving in that area, in this serious role, just call my office. And what exactly would the Rotarians be volunteering for? To watch the state put eight men to death over 10 days in April.

No state has executed so many people in such a short time since the U.S. Supreme Court revived the death penalty in 1976. Arkansas is one of several states that requires citizen witnesses for each execution  in Arkansas case a minimum of six people who dont know the victim or the condemned inmate (nothing precludes a witness from sitting through more than one).

But Arkansas assembly-line pace of executions has corrections officials scrambling, and thus Kelleys trip to the Rotary Club (the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported that none of the club members took up Kelleys call).

Advertisement

As absurd as that scenario is  Hey! Who here wants to watch someone be put to death? Huh? You with me?  Arkansas is in this rush because its supply of midazolam, the first of three drugs in its execution protocol, reaches its use by date on April 30. And with drugmakers refusing to sell to executioners, its unclear whether Arkansas can replenish its supply. So the state is in a macabre race to see which expires first: The eight condemned men or a drug it wants to use to kill them. Heaven forbid that Arkansas and other states just abandon the barbaric practice of capital punishment, as almost every country around the world has done.

Kelly should at least be honest about what the witnesses may see. Midazolam is supposed to render the inmate insensate before a second drug paralyzes the person and a third stops the heart. But midazolam  medically approved to sedate patients before an operation, not to render them so unconscious they cant feel  has been involved in several botched executions. Most recently, Ronald Bert Smith Jr. appeared to be struggling for breath and heaved and coughed and clenched his left fist for 13 minutes after the midazolam was administered Dec. 8 in Alabamas execution chamber. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor recently wrote that prisoners executed with the drug are suffering horrifying deaths beneath a medically sterile aura of peace  and that lethal injections may turn out to be our most cruel experiment yet in finding a humane method of execution.

So step right up, people of Arkansas, and save your seats. Times running out.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
Can this investigation be saved? Thats a fair question to be asked about the House Intelligence Committees probe of foreign meddling in last years election after an extraordinary violation of protocol by its chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare).

Nunes went public Wednesday with sensational assertions that U.S. surveillance operations aimed at foreign targets had collected communications involving several members of President-elect Trumps transition team, and that some of the U.S. citizens were identified or unmasked despite a requirement that their names be suppressed. He also claimed that details about transition team members with little apparent foreign intelligence value were widely disseminated in intelligence community reporting, presumably to various agencies.

Nunes preemptive disclosure (and his interpretation of the information) surprised and angered Democrats on his committee; he reportedly has apologized for not informing them beforehand. Some experts are also questioning whether Nunes himself improperly discussed classified matters in public.

Advertisement

That Americans  including members of the Trump transition  might be incidentally recorded as the result of lawful surveillance of foreign officials and diplomats wouldnt mean that any law was violated. It would be troubling only if their identities werent minimized as required by law before the information was shared among intelligence agencies. But by publicizing this information on his own  and going to the White House to brief President Trump about it  Nunes brought his credibility as an impartial investigator into question. He also assisted, even if unintentionally, in Trumps efforts to downplay questions about what the president has dismissed as the ruse of possible undue Russian influence on him or his associates.

Sure enough, Trump, who famously (and recklessly) accused former President Obama of ordering the wiretapping of Trump Tower during the election, said he felt somewhat vindicated by Nunes revelations  even though FBI Director James Comey and Nunes himself have debunked that assertion.

This wasnt the first time that Nunes has come to Trumps assistance. At an Intelligence Committee hearing Monday at which Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers testified about Russian involvement in last years presidential campaign, Nunes and other Republicans focused on leaks of classified information. Trump tweeted that same day: The real story that Congress, the FBI and all others should be looking into is the leaking of Classified information. Must find leaker now!

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, complained that Nunes decision to share information with the White House before he provided it to the committee was a profound irregularity. He warned that Nunes cannot conduct a credible investigation this way.

Hes right: Nunes shouldnt be briefing the president whose election campaign his committee is expected to scrutinize. Unless the chairman can reassure the public and his colleagues, including the panels Democrats, that his freelancing days are over, the public may look elsewhere  the Senate Intelligence Committee or a proposed 9/11-style independent commission  for a trustworthy account.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
It is a shocking episode from World War II that the U.S. government refuses to take responsibility for. But this week, Art Shibayama finally got to make his case for a just ending to the tragedy that haunts him more than seven decades later.

Shibayama was 13 when he was wrenched from his home in Lima, Peru, placed on a U.S. troop ship with his family and shipped to a prison camp in Texas where he spent more than two years under armed guard.

After hearing his story this week, the members of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights offered their personal apologies and a promise to seek the entire truth about the covert U.S. program, which I described in a Los Angeles Times op-ed Monday. More than 2,200 Japanese Latin Americans, including the Shibayamas, were shipped to the United States to trade for U.S. civilians imprisoned by the Japanese.

Advertisement

You were brought here from my country, Commission President Francisco Jose Eguiguren Praeli, a former Peruvian Justice minister, told the 86-year-old retired gas station owner from San Jose. I had nothing to do with this, but I would like to express my apologies.

Shibayama, who appeared with his daughter, Bekki, told the commission he had sought their help so this kind of thing wouldnt happen again. Afterward, he said it felt good to have the commissions support, describing it as the best chance weve had so far.

The United States refused to participate in the commissions hearings in Washington, drawing criticism from a commission member and the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU called the unprecedented no-show a worrying sign that the Trump administration not only was launching an assault on human rights at home but also was weakening the post-war international institutions set up to hold abusive governments accountable.

The Roosevelt administration orchestrated the World War II program as a way to secure Americas southern border. But none of the Japanese Latin Americans who lost their homes and businesses were convicted of espionage. And thousands of innocent Germans and Italians also were caught in the U.S. security net.

Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay described the U.S. actions  which included taking away the Shibayamas citizenship papers and passports before admitting them to the U.S. as illegal aliens  as a clear, fraudulent act.

Shibayamas grandparents were among more than 800 Japanese Latin Americans traded for American civilians. A lawyer helped his family stay in the United States, and he finally got U.S. citizenship in 1970.

Shibayama, who served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and two brothers filed a petition with the commission in 2003 after they were repeatedly rejected from various U.S. courts. They are seeking reparations and a formal apology from the United States, the removal of the words illegal alien from their files and an assurance that this wartime tragedy will be included in American history books.

The commission, an arm of the Organization of American States, cannot penalize its members but issues findings, acts as a mediator and refers cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Evelyn Iritani, a former Los Angeles Times reporter, is writing a book on the U.S.-Japan hostage exchanges in World War II.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
Winning is everything, Donald Trump often said as he campaigned for president. Nothing is presidential except victory.

This week, Trump suffered a major defeat when he couldnt force a House vote for the healthcare bill he endorsed. But Trump being Trump, he said it wasnt really a defeat; it was a success in disguise.

Heres the good news, he told the Washington Post. Healthcare is now totally the property of the Democrats. Ive been saying for years that the best thing is to let Obamacare explode and then go make a deal.

Advertisement

Thats not how the presidency is supposed to work, of course. Voters arent likely to blame Democrats for the fact that Republicans couldnt get their act together. Nor should they. Besides, only a month ago, Trump renewed his pledge to replace Obamacare immediately  with something great. His failure isnt just a broken promise; it means hes abandoning, at least temporarily, one of his partys central goals.

The way Trumps effort failed raises a larger question with consequences for the rest of his agenda: Does the president understand his own job description?

The way Trumps effort failed raises a larger question with consequences for the rest of his agenda: Does the president understand his own job description? Although hes gloried in the showy, imperial parts of the presidency  speaking at rallies, signing executive orders  a big part of any presidents job consists of steering his agenda through Congress. And many of Trumps priorities, including tax reform, will require legislation. That means persuading members of Congress to vote yes, a task that should be easier when the presidents party controls both houses.

But on his first time out, it didnt work. The great marketer wasnt very persuasive  even among his putative allies.

What went wrong?

First, Trump never bothered to learn the details of the bill he was trying to sell. Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated, he declared last month.

Second, Trump signaled repeatedly that that his heart wasnt in the effort  that hed be just as happy, maybe happier, if the bill didnt pass. His aides insisted that it not be called Trumpcare; they preferred Ryancare, implicitly assigning blame to the Speaker of the House. What congressman would be eager to vote for a flawed bill if the president wasnt fully committed?

Third, Trump never sold the bill to the public. His spokesman claimed last week that he left everything on the field, but that didnt include something as simple as giving a speech to the nation. Polls showed the bill winning the support of as few as 17% of voters, another reason for members of Congress to flee.

Fourth, he couldnt strong-arm wavering lawmakers.

Trumps main argument was that anyone who voted against the bill would suffer when they ran for reelection. But the members of Congress, most of whom have run more times than the president, didnt believe him.

One reason is that the lawmakers most opposed to the bill, the far-right Freedom Caucus, dont need Trump to raise money for their campaigns. Powerful conservative organizations, including the constellation of groups around Charles and David Koch, promised millions of dollars to underwrite them if they voted no.

Meanwhile, moderate Republicans from the northeast deserted the president for a simpler reason: they fear their voters more than they fear him. Trump isnt very popular right now, especially in the New York and California districts many of those moderates are clinging to.

Power is cumulative; it rests on what the late presidential scholar Richard E. Neustadt called reputation.

The greatest danger to a presidents influence, he wrote, is whether other politicians expect him to succeed or fail. If his failures seem to form a pattern, the consequence is bound to be a loss of faith in his effectiveness next time.

Thats why Trump has even more on the line in his next battle, over tax reform  an issue, hell find, thats every bit as complicated as healthcare.

Im going to make a wild guess here and bet that Trump never read Neustadts Presidential Power. Aides have said that hes not much of a reader. He is, however, listed as the author of 18 books, and he may find some useful lessons in those works. In The Art of the Deal, for example, he weighs the pros and cons of punishing his enemies.

When people treat me badly  my general attitude, all my life, has been to fight back very hard. The risk is youll make a bad situation worse.

Or he could simply ask for a briefing on how his predecessors have coped with setbacks.

Both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton had rough first years. Both had a hard time persuading their own party to enact their agendas, including healthcare bills. Both saw their standing sag in the polls.

But their presidencies had different outcomes. Carter never quite mastered the art of congressional persuasion; his tenure ended after a single term. Clinton did better, with bipartisan deal-making (on welfare reform) and brinkmanship (on the budget).

Trump hasnt tried either of those techniques yet. Is he willing to learn from his mistakes?

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus

MORE FROM OPINION

Trump discovers that legislating is complicated as the GOP healthcare bill goes down in flames

Keystone Pipeline and other Trump energy policies could help swamp Mar-a-Lago

Its not Neil Gorsuchs fault, but we cant support his ascension to a stolen Supreme Court seat
One particularly strange feature of middle-class family life is the way we train our children to sleep. Go to your room, we tell even very young children, and stay there all night. We have invented elaborate techniques to support this supposedly essential aspect of child development, implementing them at great emotional cost to all parties involved. For the parents: agonizing decisions about when and whether to comfort a crying child, bleary-eyed squabbles about which parent takes a turn in the middle of the night. For the kids: fear of being alone in the dark, and resentment of the adults who, in the words of historian Peter Stearns, hovered about urging sleep when none was wanted. The resulting frustration seems to have reached a boiling point, as evidenced by the best-selling mock-bedtime book, Go the F to Sleep.

Why do we do it?

For all the tenacity with which we cling to the ideal of solitary childhood sleep, its a historical anomaly. This system of sleeping  adults in one room, each child walled off in another  was common practice exactly nowhere before the late 19th century, when it took hold in Europe and North America. Even in wealthy families that could afford to spread out, children generally slept in the same room with nurses or siblings. Indeed, solitary childhood sleep seems cruel in those parts of the world where co-sleeping is still practiced, including developed countries such as Japan.

But as industrial wealth spread through the Western economies, so did a sense that individual privacy  felt most intently at night  was a hallmark of civilization. Great pains were taken to relieve nighttime overcrowding and provide more privacy in factory boardinghouses, which were thought to breed disease and immorality through the proximity of sleeping bodies. In an 1842 report, the pioneering English health reformer Edwin Chadwick wrote that, in such facilities two or three families would sleep together, workers coughing and snoring together in rooms without windows or chimneys, the whole atmosphere pervaded by filth, fetid air and vice. In response to these conditions, in 1851, Parliament passed a Common Lodging Houses Act specifying, among other health measures, the need for basic privacy.

Advertisement

Spreading out requires large homes that are expensive to build, to heat and to power with electricity. Our sleep ... has a large carbon footprint.

Ensuring privacy at night was not just a health concern; it was also a matter of defining proper whiteness or Europeanness. While reformers endorsed solitary sleep as healthful and moral, they noted that savages slept collectively  and this practice was somehow to blame for underdevelopment of the non-Western world.

According to the physician William Whitty Hall, author of a popular 19th century sleep hygiene book, individuals in co-sleeping societies were like wolves, hogs and vermin who huddle together, whereas in the civilized West, each child, as it grows up, has a separate apartment. Where social sleeping persisted among white people, it was usually associated with poverty and considered a social ill  as in Jacob Riiss 1890 How the Other Half Lives. One hundred and fifty tenement dwellers, he observed with horror, slept on filthy floors in two buildings, and tramps dozed off in the doorways.

This new insistence on individual sleeping was reinforced in psychology and pediatrics through the 20th century. In 1928, the behavioral psychologist John Watson argued that children should occupy their own rooms as early as possible for fear that too much coddling would stunt a childs development. Sigmund Freuds Oedipal complex  with its nightmarish vision of children permanently scarred by witnessing parental sex  gave impetus to the idea that nighttime proximity was harmful. The most famous pediatrician of the mid-20th century, Benjamin Spock, offered a melange of Freudian ideas and behavioral training, warning that the young child may be upset by the parents intercourse, which he misunderstands and which frightens him. To prevent this traumatic outcome, Spock recommended trapping the child in the crib with an adapted badminton net.

The best-known method for separating children from parents involves training rather than webbing. Bedtime means separation, wrote Dr. Richard Ferber in 1985, because learning to sleep apart from parents allows the child to see himself as an independent individual. Ferber later backed off the claim that solitary sleep was universally preferable to co-sleeping and acknowledged that co-sleeping predominated as our species evolved. He instead counseled parents to choose whichever system best suits you. But he loaded the dice, reminding readers that co-sleeping societies tend to remain socially and economically most primitive  perhaps unintentionally echoing old associations of collective sleeping with supposedly inferior cultures.

There are, of course, good reasons for children to have their own bedrooms. Its more practical for adults to pursue nighttime leisure in an area where children arent sleeping; its easier to set everyone on a proper schedule for work and school when they can all retire to different spaces at different times; and parental intimacy may increase without little ones around. Doctors advise parents not to share soft mattresses with infants  in case they roll over and suffocate the child  especially if the adults have been drinking before bed.

Tell us: Whats the sleeping arrangement in your house? 

I should also admit that I raised my kids to sleep alone. At the time, there seemed to be no reasonable alternative. But in fact there are economic, environmental and emotional benefits of sleeping together. Spreading out requires large homes that are expensive to build, to heat and to power with electricity. Our sleep, in other words, has a large carbon footprint. Far from being a backward practice, co-sleeping, or at least sleeping in close proximity, may be a more enlightened, sustainable use of space and natural resources.

The most obvious benefit might be knocking down the figurative walls that separate us. By the time we get the kids to stay in their rooms, they never want to let us back in, and get out of my room! replaces go the f to sleep! as the American goodnight.

By contrast, as anthropologists Carol Worthman and Ryan Brown have argued, family structures in co-sleeping societies tend to be closer-knit, with less intergenerational conflict. Increased spousal tension is another likely byproduct of solitary sleep: How can kids brought up to think of the bedroom as a private fortress be expected, when they grow up, to tolerate someone else snoring, rolling over, playing with a phone, or taking a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night? Its no surprise that more and more home buyers are requesting separate master bedrooms, which in turn will require suburbanites to give their McMansions another shot of steroids.

If we raised our children to share space with each other and their parents at night, they might grow up to fight a bit less, share a bit more, and care for others as much as they care for themselves.

Benjamin Reiss is a professor of English at Emory University. He is the author most recently of Wild Nights: How Taming Sleep Created Our Restless World.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook.

ALSO

Do men really talk too much?

Just like her mother, Chelsea Clinton never gets a break

Remember when you couldnt get insurance with a preexisting condition? Those days are probably coming back
How do you tell a plausible charge from a fevered fantasy? As allegations drip, drip about President Trumps purported ties with Russia, most news consumers will want to keep an open mind about potential wrongdoing. But they wont want to get lost in some eternal connect-the-dots game that never forms a coherent and believable picture. Theres a difference between thinking that Moscow may have hacked the Democratic National Committee and thinking that Moscow actually hacked the election, between thinking the president may have Russian conflicts of interest and thinking hes a Russian puppet, between the corruptions and deceptions that pop up in politics and the supervillain schemes that pop up in pulp fiction.

There are some obvious ways to keep your head at such moments, like not rushing to embrace every apparent break in the story. (Many heavily hyped Russia scoops have fizzled.) But there are some broader guidelines to keep in mind too. Here are three rules of thumb to help you distinguish the credible from the kooky:

Dont mistake a noodle for a tentacle. In conspiracy movies, covert politics is an octopus: Theres a big head at the center manipulating everything with its tentacles. In real life, its more like a bowl of spaghetti  a tangled mess of connections without a center.

Advertisement

I stole that pasta metaphor from Robert Anton Wilson, a novelist who alternated between espousing and satirizing conspiracy theories. Like spaghetti, he wrote, conspiracies contain endless entanglements and overlaps; but to mistake the spaghetti for a coherent and intelligent organism is like mistaking the debris and flotsam on the beach for the outline of an invading army. Its relatively easy to find connections, harder to determine whether theyre innocent or shady, harder still to figure out if they add up to a larger master plot.

Whatever the truth may be, Putin is not a grand puppet master.

It is not innately suspicious for someone to meet with a Russian diplomat, to do business with a Russian enterprise, or even to talk with a Russian spy in the course of that business. (There are a lot of spies in Russia.) It is certainly conceivable that such encounters might be part of a sinister story, but you need a lot more than that to prove it.

Dont mistake a meatball for a head. In the middle of all those connections, youll sometimes see a lump that looks like it might actually be in charge. On closer examination, you find its just another ingredient in a sprawling dish. So it is with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Its clear that the Russians wanted to influence the American election last year, though its not obvious if they actually thought they could help Trump win, if they figured Hillary Clinton was going to win and wanted to undermine her in advance, or if they just wanted to spread doubt about the American electoral process.

But whatever the truth may be, Putin is not a grand puppet master. He was one of several forces spreading oppo over the course of a campaign. Its hard to think of a recent presidential election where various groups didnt publicize embarrassing information.

The Kremlin also has a history of spreading disinformation, and this may have happened in the campaign as well. But if so, the Russians were just one of many forces spouting lies.

So when someone like the New York Times columnist Paul Krugman declares that Putin installed Donald Trump as president, hes moving out of the realm of plausible plots and into the world of fantasy. Similarly, Clintons warning that Trump could be Putins puppet leaped from an imaginable idea, that Putin wanted to help her rival, to the much more dubious notion that Putin thought he could control the impulsive Trump. (Trump barely seems capable of controlling himself.)

Trump and Putins interests are aligned in some ways but hardly all. The puppet narrative requires you to ignore incompatible information  like, say, United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haleys attacks on Moscows policies toward Ukraine.

Dont mistake your menu for your meal. Its not just evidence thats driving the belief in a Trump-Putin plot. A lot of people really, really want such stories to be true. If youre one of them, you probably belong to at least one of two groups: people who strongly dislike Trump, and Russia hawks. Conversely, if there comes a point where the evidence of collusion is overwhelming but youre still strenuously denying it, then youre probably a Trump supporter and/or a Russia dove.

(Full disclosure: Im not a Trump supporter and Im not a Russia hawk either. That may help me see this from more than one side, or maybe it just makes me muddled.)

Whatever our views, we often read the news with an agenda. In itself, thats fine. We just shouldnt let that agenda get in the way of our perceptions. Our personal menus dont always match the news were served.

Jesse Walker, books editor at Reason magazine, is the author of The United States of Paranoia, a history of American conspiracy theories.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

MORE FROM OPINION

Nunes freelancing threatens an investigation into Russian meddling

Arkansas is turning its death penalty into an assembly line

His familys internment earned apologies from a human rights commission. Will the U.S. government respond?
To the editor: In 1971, my 2-year-old son and I moved to Los Angeles from Boston. As we descended into LAX, the clouds were dirty, an ominous shade of brown. I wondered why the San Fernando Valley was called a valley; there was no sign of mountains when I drove to work through the canyons to Van Nuys. (Will Trump erect a roadblock to Southern Californias decades-long fight against smog?, March 17)

For the next few years we were both plagued with coughs, bronchitis and allergy symptoms that were undoubtedly connected to the smog over L.A.

California has done a good job of cleaning up the air. When working in downtown L.A. in the 1990s and later, I was surprised to see the mountains more frequently as the years went by.

Advertisement

Going back to the days of smog alerts will surely result in more sick children and adults. Lessening restrictions on tailpipe emissions and vehicle mileage will only result in more profits for the elite and more illness for the rest of us.

Susan Barrett, Los Alamitos

..

To the editor: The left is off its rocker. The hysteria over the Trump administrations decision to put the brakes on a radical call for increased mileage standards has polluted the brain functions of the environmentalists.

But maybe I missed something. Is Trump advocating reducing the allowable emissions and going back to the 1970s? No. So this hyperbolic nonsense and the picture you published from 1973 are irrelevant.

This is just another example of the fake news from the left, where the liberal media and environmentalists imply results that are just not going to happen. This action by Trump regarding the drive to unreachable mileage levels is logical, but the reaction by the left is hysterical.

Joseph Schillmoeller, Gardena

..

To the editor: I hope the automakers dont jump to any misguided conclusions on what consumers will expect from them. Just because the current president might sign off on less-stringent clean air regulations doesnt mean most consumers will change their behavior when they buy a car.

I remember the smog in L.A. in the 1960s and 70s, and I dont think anyone wants to relive those times. Incredible progress has been made in the styling and fuel efficiency of cars over the years.

We need to continue our consumer vigilance in spite of the Trump administrations shortsightedness.

Margaret McVey Thomas, Pasadena

..

To the editor: Your contrasting photos from Los Angeles smoggy past and the present-day view of the citys sparkling skyline, as well as the presidents support for coal mining, has me wondering if Trump meant to say, Make America gray again.

Carlos Mestas, Simi Valley

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: The anti-development Measure S has been resoundingly defeated. The remaining question is how Los Angeles can best develop itself not just for the wealthy. (Its time for a new conversation about L.A.s future, editorial, March 20)

As we expand transit and plan for a more walkable, bikeable city, we must ensure these public investments dont gentrify neighborhoods and push out long-time residents. L.A. continues to lead the nation in housing unaffordability and homelessness.

It is not enough to say lets build a denser, more sustainable city; affordable housing for the lowest income earners who depend on transit the most and anti-displacement policies must be at the center of these plans. Investments must lead to high-road employment of local residents. We must consistently evaluate development plans to ensure they stabilize struggling communities.

Advertisement

These are hardly new conversation topics, but the influence of developers and others who benefit the most from the status quo has stymied past efforts to move forward solutions to what is a full-blown housing crisis. Hopefully now, we will see a renewed citywide commitment to equitable community development and renter protections.

Laura Raymond, Los Angeles

The writer is campaign director at the Alliance for Community Transit Los Angeles.

..

To the editor: It is true that downtown L.A. is now home to thousands more people who are living in fairly new, high-end apartments and condos. But no matter how nice the new dwellings are, the sidewalks there still smell of human waste.

When I walk downtown on Saturday mornings, I see the diversity that represents the new normal. There are joggers and dog walkers who live nearby, workers heading to their jobs and, yes, mentally ill homeless people wandering about. No matter how many luxury high-rises are built, the sidewalks will still stink and conflicts will erupt  unless plans are implemented to address the number of mentally ill homeless people living on the street.

I regularly observe threatening and often loud behavior by some of these people. If this problem remains, downtowns new residents living in those condos and apartments will depart for neighborhoods where the sidewalks do not smell of human waste.

Julie Lie, Long Beach

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
TV ads target lawmakers on the fence over Gov. Jerry Browns plan to raise gas taxes to repair roads By Patrick McGreevy Gov. Jerry Brown talks to Steve Glazer in 2011, when Glazer was still an advisor to the governor and before he was elected to the Senate. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) With supporters of a road repair bill still counting votes, a coalition of business and labor leaders on Friday began running television and radio ads that target eight legislators who have not yet committed to vote for the measure. The Fix Our Roads Coalition is spending $1 million on a statewide, week-long ad blitz that urges legislators to vote next week for Senate Bill 1. The bill would raise gas taxes and vehicle fees to generate $52 billion the first 10 years to repair crumbling roads, highways and bridges, and expand mass transit. We are closer than ever to finally passing a transportation funding package to fix our long-neglected and crumbling roads, said Michael Quigley, executive director of the California Alliance for Jobs, which is co-funding the commercials. These new ads are part of an all-out grassroots, earned media, advertising and social media campaign to support passage of this bill by next week. In addition to ads that call on legislators to support the bill, eight advertisements call on legislators by name to support the plan. Those targeted include Sens. Steve Glazer (D-Concord) and Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), and moderate Democratic Assembly members Adam Gray of Merced, Rudy Salas of Bakersfield, Sabrina Cervantes of Corona, Sharon Quirk-Silva of Buena Park and Al Muratsuchi of Torrance, as well as Republican Catharine Baker of San Ramon. The bill needs a two-thirds vote in both houses, which would require all of the Democrats to support the measure. Cannella and Baker are being wooed by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders to step in if one of the Democrats gets cold feet. Representatives of Cannella and Glazer said earlier this week that they were still weighing the issue. Brown and legislative leaders have called for the Legislature to act by Thursday, after which time the lawmakers head out on spring break. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Former Assembly Speaker John A. Perezs views on the L.A. congressional race he dropped out of By Christine Mai-Duc (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Before he suddenly dropped out of the running citing health reasons, former Assembly Speaker John A. Perez was widely considered the favorite to replace Xavier Becerra in the 34th Congressional District. With Perez out, the race is wide open and isnt likely to be decided Tuesday, when 24 candidates compete in the primary. Instead, the top two vote-getters regardless of party are expected to advance to a June 6 election. (If any one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote Tuesday, its all over). Perez offered his thoughts on the race in an interview published Friday by Politico. Some of his major points: Perez said he thinks state Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez is significantly ahead of the pack and will make the runoff.

A cluster of candidates, including Alejandra Campoverdi, Wendy Carrillo, Arturo Carmona, Maria Cabildo and Robert Lee Ahn, are in a close enough race that any one of them could advance.

If Carrillo were to move forward, Perez says, the narrative in the runoff would be about which candidate is more progressive and whos an insider versus an outsider.

Perez says if he were the front runner, Campoverdi is the one Id be most concerned about running against due to her connections in Washington and her national profile, which could create a new level of viability. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

To fight against human trafficking, this state senator wants to train motel employees to spot signs of abuse By Jazmine Ulloa Former Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) State Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) wants to increase services for human trafficking survivors and make it easier in court to put away their abusers. Flanked by prosecutors and hotel industry officials at a news conference Friday in San Diego, the former Assembly speaker announced new housing and mental health assistance for victims and introduced legislation that would require hotels and motels to train their employees to spot signs of human trafficking. Another of her proposals would expand the character evidence that prosecutors can bring forth at trial against defendants charged with selling victims for sex or labor. The bills are meant to attack a multibillion-dollar trade that has a wide sweep in California, home to three cities on the FBIs list of 13 top human trafficking destinations: San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles. National human trafficking hotline calls across California generated 1,323 cases in 2016  nearly twice as many as any other state. Atkins is among lawmakers pushing the issue at the Capitol, where legislation has focused on targeting traffickers, protecting victims and addressing what advocates say is a law enforcement culture in which child survivors sometimes are treated like criminals. But funding for victims services and programs has been an obstacle. A bill by Atkins to develop pilot projects in three counties to address the commercial sexual exploitation of youth sailed through the Legislature without opposition last year only to be vetoed by the governor. Her second bill for a statewide task force died in the Senate appropriations committee. Atkins latest proposal to provide training for motel employees follows a similar bill by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). It failed in the last legislative session amid opposition over costs to businesses. That hasnt stopped Atkins from trying again. Hotels are ground zero for sex trafficking in this state, she said in a statement. Sex traffickers are exploiting some of the most vulnerable people in our society, including children. These victims are often hiding in plain sight, and traffickers take advantage of the fact that many hotel employees dont recognize the signs. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

State Controller Betty Yee says Californias tax collection agency has been mismanaged and needs a complete overhaul By Patrick McGreevy Citing a review that found widespread mismanagement at the state Board of Equalization, State Controller Betty T. Yee on Friday called for stripping the panel of responsibilities for tax administration and audit and compliance functions so it can focus on handling taxpayer appeals. Yees proposal came in response to an evaluation by the state Department of Finance that found board officials were improperly redirecting resources and employees to pet projects in their districts. In order to rebuild taxpayer trust, meaningful reform is essential, said Yee, who serves as an ex-officio member of the board. I urge the Legislature and the governor to strip the board members of all statutory functions and permanently move these duties and assigned staff to a separate new department under the governor. The Department of Finance review found the board had difficulty providing complete and accurate documentation in response to inquiries, and various levels of management were not aware of and could not speak to certain actions, including the informal establishment of a call center, creating an unofficial office location and inconsistent use of community liaisons. The evaluation said personnel records showed workers assigned to administrative jobs that they were not doing, having been transferred to help board members in their districts. Even though each elected board member has a $1.5-million budget to cover office costs, some members borrowed workers from the head office, taking them from jobs that involved bringing in tax money and having them instead reach out to board members constituents, the review found. The redirection of workers violated state budget rules. In addition, the reviewers said the board provided 11 different versions of its proposed sales and use tax allocation adjustment and the Department of Finance found errors and omissions throughout. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Sen. Kamala Harris has opened a gubernatorial fundraising account  but she has no plans to run for governor, aide says By Seema Mehta (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) Sen. Kamala Harris opened a campaign fundraising account to run for governor in 2026, but that does not mean Californias newest U.S. senator has any plans to seek the office. Harris plans to use the account to store the $1 million in leftover funds from her successful 2014 reelection campaign for attorney general, said Sean Clegg, Harris political spokesman. Harris left her post as state attorney general mid-term when she was elected in November to the Senate seat opening created by the retirement of Barbara Boxer. She faced a March 31 deadline to shutter the attorney general account, and under election law cannot mingle money raised for state campaigns with funds raised to run for federal office. Its purely political bookkeeping, Clegg said. The 2026 date could raise eyebrows because after the 2018 gubernatorial election, that will likely be the next time the governors office is open because its occupant is termed out. But Clegg said Harris did not open an account for a lower office like lieutenant governor  as politicians in similar situations typically do  because, he said, we werent interested in being cute about it. So we designated the only potential future office one could conceivably contemplate, although were not contemplating it, he said. Were focused on the job were doing. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

This California lawmaker wants to crack down on toys and electronics that pick up conversations and personal information By Jazmine Ulloa State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), left (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press ) A California state senator wants to prevent companies from selling products that can listen in on conversations and collect personal information from unknowing consumers. Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) has filed legislation that would require manufacturers to equip their Internet-connected devices, including toys, clocks, kitchenware and electronics, with certain security and privacy features. Dubbed the Teddy Bear and Toaster Act, Senate Bill 327 takes aim at the so-called Internet of Things, the inter-networking of everyday devices that some tech and privacy experts say amounts to a growing industry with little oversight. The more we know and the more we learn about the Internet connection of all sorts of devices, many are realizing that we dont know the extent to which these devices are invading our lives, Jackson said. Under her proposal, companies would have to design their products so that they alert consumers  through visual, auditory or other cues  when they are gathering data. They would have to obtain user consent when they intend to transfer the information. And they would have to disclose at point of sale whether the devices are capable of sweeping up sensitive data, so that customers can take that into account while shopping. Most states, including California, have privacy breach laws to protect personal information. The proposal, which would extend those provisions to consumer devices, could be the first of its kind nationwide. But it is expected to garner wide opposition from retailers and manufacturers. A My Friend Cayla doll (AFP/Getty Images) Still, supporters point to growing privacy concerns. Some toys, like the My Friend Cayla doll banned in Germany, prompt children to give personal information, such as their parents names and their addresses, and their manufacturers reserve the right to target young buyers in direct marketing campaigns. Other smart devices lack the most basic security features that make them vulnerable to a hack or coordinated cyberattack. In a statement, James P. Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Kids Action, which is sponsoring the bill, said such toys and electronics can put consumers at risk. These products get rushed out to the market without the privacy issues being addressed in advance, and then consumers end up paying the price, he said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

President Jerry Brown? Dont rule it out, governor quips By Patrick McGreevy Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislative leaders appealed Thursday for support for a proposed gas tax and vehicle fee increase to fix the states roads and bridges. (Patrick McGreevy / Los Angeles Times) In arguing for approval of a new transportation package on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown appeared to enjoy himself in refusing to shoot down a supporters suggestion that he run for president  even as he noted his 79th birthday is next week. Standing next to other elected officials and construction workers at the rally in in Concord, Brown argued that gas tax and vehicle fee increases are needed to address a backlog of much-needed repairs to Californias crumbling system of roads, highways and bridges. Im telling you the truth because why would I lie to you? Brown said. I dont think Im running for office. All Ive got left is lieutenant governor, treasurer and controller. Or president, someone in the crowd shouted. Brown responded that he would be 82 when the next presidential election comes around. But you know, dont rule it out, he quipped, drawing laughter and applause. Lest the comment turn into a national story, an aide later clarified the governors intentions: He was joking. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Gov. Jerry Brown is making appeals to legislators for votes on his new transportation plan  one district at a time By Patrick McGreevy Gov. Jerry Brown stumps for the new transportation funding plan on Thursday in the Bay Area city of Concord. (Patrick McGreevy / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on Thursday took their campaign for higher transportation taxes and fees to the Bay Area district of state Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Concord), one of the holdouts in the state Senate who has not yet committed to vote for the package. Surrounded by dozens of construction workers, Brown warned that if the transportation bill unveiled on Wednesday isnt approved this year, it may not happen in the foreseeable future. There is nothing more fundamental in the business of government than making sure the roads and bridges dont fall apart, and they are falling apart, Brown said. Glazer recently withheld his vote from a bill proposing a similar plan for repairing state bridges, roads and highways, and on Wednesday, a spokesman said he had still not committed to any plan but wanted to review the detailed proposal before taking a position. Construction workers at the rally held signs that pictured crumbling roads and said, Senator Glazer Fix This Now. Vote for SB 1. Brown said Glazer, his former senior advisor, does not disagree with the intent of the bill. He loves this plan, but he has another idea on his mind and he wants to marry the two and see if he can get some outcomes that I dont want to get into at this particular place, Brown told reporters. Sen. Jim Beall, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said Glazer wants the transportation funding bill to include a clause barring employees of Bay Area Rapid Transit from going on strike. Beall said that is a labor-relations issue that cannot be included in the bill raising taxes. You cant do that, Beall said. A spokesman for Glazer said the senator is still undecided on the bill. The senator is continuing to have conversations with the principals, said Steve Harmon, a spokesman for Glazer. He declined to comment on Bealls statement. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said there may be similar rallies in Los Angeles and Riverside in the coming days. Two other Democrats who have not yet committed to the plan are Riverside Sen. Richard Roth and Woodland Hills Sen. Henry Stern. Brown acknowledged that there is work to do to secure the two-thirds vote needed in both houses of the Legislature to raise the base excise tax on gasoline by 12 cents per gallon, to a total of 30 cents per gallon, and to create a new annual vehicle fee that would average $51 based on the value of the car or truck. Rendon said approval of the transportation bill would cost the average California motorist an extra $10 per month, which he said is a deal compared to the current cost of $720 in annual vehicle repair costs required because of running over potholes and other rough road conditions. Hoping to force a Senate vote on the package early next week, Brown was accompanied to the Concord news conference by Rendon and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). They urged lawmakers to support the bill, which would generate $5.2 billion annually for the first 10 years for road and bridge repairs, mass transit improvements and other projects to reduce congestion. Glazer, known as a maverick in the Legislature, was Browns campaign manager during the 2010 gubernatorial election and remained a senior advisor to the governor before running for the state Senate in a special election in 2015. ---- 1:23 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from a representative for state Sen. Steve Glazer. This article was originally published at 12:42 p.m. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Who will be Californias next governor? New poll shows Newsom leads with 1 in 3 voters undecided By Seema Mehta (Nick Ut / Associated Press) In the race to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown, the largest number of voters in a new statewide poll does not favor a candidate in the race. About 1 in 3 voters said they were undecided, according to the survey by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. Among candidates who have entered the race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom holds a strong lead with 28% of the vote, followed by Republican businessman John Cox with 18%, according to the poll, which was released Wednesday. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa clocks in at 11%, state Treasurer John Chiang at 8% and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin at 3%. Because the race is far away and public campaigning has not yet started in earnest, the poll could primarily be an indicator of name recognition. The field of candidates is also likely to grow. Newsom has several natural advantages: He was the first person to enter the race in 2015 and has a large fundraising edge. He has perhaps been the candidate most in the spotlight among the Democrats running, notably for his support of the marijuana legalization measure on the November ballot. Cox may have benefited from being the lone Republican in that version of the poll. Pollsters conducted a second version of the poll with five additional potential candidates, none of whom have announced a run for governor in 2018  San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon and former state Controller Steve Westly. Newsom still led the pack to come in at 24%. The two Republicans, Faulconer and Cox, tied at 11% each. Faulconer has said he does not plan to run for governor. Garcetti, Villaraigosa, Chiang, Steyer, De Leon, Westly and Eastin all placed in the single digits. Steyer and Westly have the personal wealth to self-fund a campaign, giving them time to decide whether to enter the race. Westly unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2006, losing in the Democratic primary to state Treasurer Phil Angelides. In the 2018 contest, the two candidates who receive the most votes in the June primary will move onto the November general election. The poll of 1,000 registered voters in California was conducted online in English and Spanish between March 13 and 20, and has a margin of error in either direction of 3.6%. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California legislators team up to expand John Muir National Historic Site By Sarah D. Wire Californias senators and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) filed legislation Thursday to add 44 acres to the John Muir National Historic Site. The John Muir Heritage Land Trust has offered to donate the additional land to the National Park Service, which operates the site, and the bill would authorize the agency to accept the parcel. The time John Muir spent with his daughters at their scenic home and its neighboring property played a major role in launching the national parks movement. Expanding the existing park to preserve more of this history and beauty is a fitting tribute to Muirs legacy of protecting land for all to enjoy, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement. Located about 30 miles east of San Francisco, the John Muir National Historic Site consists of Muirs Alhambra Valley home and 325 acres outside of Martinez. DeSaulnier said in a statement that expanding the property is a fitting celebration of his legacy, and will offer nature-goers greater access to enjoy the beauty of the East Bay. DeSaulnier sponsored the same bill last year, which passed the House unanimously but was not considered by the Senate. Feinstein and former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) carried the Senate version, which died after a committee hearing. Such bills often take a few attempts to pass, even without major opposition. Muirs writings helped inspire the creation of the National Park Service, starting with his lobbying of Congress to protect the Yosemite Valley from dams. He also was a founding member of the Sierra Club. Californians owe him a debt of gratitude, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said in a statement. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Californias attorney general could investigate local police shootings under new legislation By Liam Dillon Attorney John Burris, center, comforts Robert and Deborah Mann, family members of Joseph Mann, who was killed by Sacramento Police in July, after a news conference on Oct. 3, 2016. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP) Californias attorney general could investigate local police shootings under a new bill authored by a Sacramento lawmaker. Democratic Assemblyman Kevin McCartys Assembly Bill 284 would allow local police departments or district attorneys to ask Atty. Gen. Xavier Becceras office to independently investigate police shootings of civilians. The legislation was prompted by high-profile police killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Eric Garner in New York City and last summers police shooting of Joseph Mann, a mentally ill homeless man, in Sacramento, according to McCartys office. In all three cases, local prosecutors declined to charge the officers. There is a growing skepticism and a perceived conflict of interest, of the current process of local district attorneys investigating local police, said a fact sheet on the bill provided by McCartys office. Given that they work so closely, it is a valid question of whether this is the most transparent process for the public. There is a growing appetite, both at the national and local level, to create a better and more transparent system for [police shootings] that is fair to police, families, and the community in order to restore public trust. McCartys bill would make state investigations voluntary in these cases and would be implemented only if lawmakers also give Becceras office money to pay for the effort. In 2015, McCarty tried to pass legislation that would have made state investigations of local police shootings mandatory, but that bill failed to make it out of legislative committees. This year, lawmakers have generally scaled back prior efforts to change the states rules governing police discipline and transparency. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Former offenders will help award millions in Proposition 47 grants to rehabilitate inmates By Jazmine Ulloa We have listened to law enforcement talk about how horrible Prop. 47 is, said Vonya Quarles, an advocate for the formerly incarcerated. Now we have a chance to help the people who are hurting. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)) California officials will begin the process this spring of awarding $103 million in grants to programs for inmates centered on rehabilitation, substance abuse and reentry into society. The efforts will be funded with dollars saved from prison spending under Proposition 47, the sweeping 2014 ballot measure that downgraded six drug and theft crimes to misdemeanors and allowed defendants to renegotiate their punishments. For the large coalition of criminal justice advocates that poured millions into getting the proposition passed and that has closely tracked its implementation, this is a long-awaited step. Other states have passed similar laws, but California is the only state to invest those savings into services meant to help people stay out of prison. On the executive committee helping award the grants are formerly incarcerated people who know the system from the inside. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

What would single-payer healthcare look like in California? Lawmakers release new details By Melanie Mason Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A proposal in California for a single-payer healthcare system would dramatically expand the state governments presence in medical care and slash the role of insurance companies. New amendments released Thursday fill in some key details on the universal healthcare measure proposed by state Sens. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), although the biggest political question  how it would be paid for  remains unanswered. Under the proposal, which was announced in February, the state would cover all medical expenses for every resident regardless of their income or immigration status, including inpatient, outpatient, emergency services, dental, vision, mental health and nursing home care. Insurers would be prohibited from offering benefits that cover the same services as the state. The program would eliminate co-pays and deductibles, and patients would not need to get referrals to see eligible providers. The system would be administered by an unpaid nine-person board appointed by the governor and the Legislature. A universal healthcare system run by the government has long been a dream of liberals, with many rallying behind insurgent Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders proposal for Medicare for all in the 2016 race. After a GOP effort to replace Obamacare stalled last week, Sanders said he intends to introduce a nationwide single-payer bill in the U.S. Senate. Proponents in California, who are no longer playing defense to preserve the Affordable Care Act, also touted a broader healthcare plan. With Republicans failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Californians really get what is at stake with their healthcare, Lara said in a statement. We have the chance to make universal healthcare a reality now. Its time to talk about how we get to healthcare for all that covers more and costs less. The cost  sure to be the biggest hurdle for the measure  so far remains unknown. The authors say they intend to pay for the program through broad-based revenue, but details of a funding proposal have not been hashed out. Gov. Jerry Brown sounded wary of a sprawling single-payer plan while speaking to reporters last week on his trip to Washington D.C. Where do you get the extra money? This is the whole question, Brown said. The bill is sponsored by the California Nurses Assn., which already has been rallying its members in support of the bill, SB 562. There has been a seismic shift in our political system through grassroots activism; we have an inspired, motivated base that will make its voice heard, RoseAnn DeMoro, the labor groups president, said in a statement. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California backs San Francisco court challenge of Trump administration threat to withhold funds from sanctuary cities By Patrick McGreevy Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said Wednesday he has filed an amicus brief supporting San Franciscos court challenge to President Trumps order targeting so-called sanctuary cities and counties that refuse to enforce federal immigration laws. The move marks a half-dozen times the state has filed briefs supporting legal challenges to various Trump orders. Last week, Becerra filed papers supporting a lawsuit by Santa Clara County. That case and San Franciscos challenge the legality of the Trump administrations threats to withhold federal funds from states and local jurisdictions that the administration deems to be sanctuary jurisdictions. Becerras brief cites Californias interest in protecting state laws and policies that ensure public safety and protect the constitutional rights of its residents. Threatening to take away resources from sheriffs and police officers in order to promote misguided views on federal immigration policy is reckless and puts public safety at risk, Becerra said in a statement. It is the right and responsibility of California and each state under the Constitution to determine how it will provide for the safety and general welfare of its residents and to safeguard their constitutional rights. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti asks the federal government to define a sanctuary city By Sarah D. Wire View Instagram post Amid a new call from the Trump administration to cut off federal funds to so-called sanctuary cities, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck had a question for the head of Homeland Security on Wednesday: What exactly is a sanctuary city? Garcetti and Beck joined a bipartisan handful of mayors and law enforcement leaders from across the country in Washington to air their concerns about President Trumps recent executive orders on immigration to Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly. Los Angeles is among the jurisdictions  often called sanctuary cities  that dont assist with federal immigration enforcement. State and local leaders in California have said they will continue to protect people in the country illegally despite the Trump administrations threats. After the closed-door meeting, mayors and police chiefs said their main request for Kelly was for a firm definition of what the federal government considers a sanctuary city. We think that as long as were complying with federal law then we shouldnt be labeled with whatever label intimates that were not, Beck said. Were looking for clarification; we are looking to be involved in the conversation so that decisions arent made that affect us without our input. Homeland Security spokesman Dave Lapan said the department is working on a definition but does not have a timeline for when it would be finalized. Although there is no legal definition of the term, the administration has seemed to define sanctuary jurisdictions as ones that dont comply when Immigration and Customs Enforcement asks them to detain prisoners after they have served their sentences so they can be picked up for deportation. Multiple federal courts have said the detainer orders differ from an official warrant and are not legal justification for holding someone who has served his or her sentence or is no longer under arrest. Los Angeles is one of several cities in California that does not hold people for immigration officials without a warrant, and Garcetti said that is going to continue. We see it as abiding by the Constitution, because there is case law that says we cant hold people for longer than permitted, Garcetti said after the meeting. Lapan said the Department of Homeland Security is working on ways to address concerns about the legality of holding someone for immigration officials, as well as the concerns of mayors of cities that have laws instructing law enforcement officers not to comply with immigration officials. Part of having this discussion is to find out, How can we get around this? Lapan said. If we are dealing with a criminal alien, somebody who is both in the country unlawfully and has committed crimes, the best place for us to take them into custody is in a jail or prison. Thats the safest for everyone, both our officers and the communities. Garcetti also disputes the administrations assertion that it can withhold federal funds from cities that dont comply with ICE orders. Garcetti pointed to a 2012 Supreme Court decision that said the government couldnt withhold Medicaid funds if states chose not to expand access to the program under the Affordable Care Act. I think we all feel on very strong constitutional and legal footing that it was decided in the Obama administration you cant put a legal gun to the head, a financial gun to the head of jurisdictions, whether its states or localities, and take their money if you dont agree with what they are doing in a different area, he said. Garcetti invited Kelly to visit Los Angeles. We need to make sure that we also are showing the perspectives of everyday people in cities like Los Angeles, he said. Garcetti also attended California congressional Democrats weekly lunch and met privately with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) before appearing on an immigration panel hosted by House Democrats. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Anti-discrimination measure or blow to religious freedom? California bill sparks debate on employer codes of conduct By Melanie Mason Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A measure that would bar employers from firing workers for having an abortion or giving birth to a child out of wedlock is getting pushback from religious groups who say such a bill would prevent them from requiring employees to act in accordance with their faith. Under the bill by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), employers would not be able to discipline or fire workers for any reproductive health decision, such as pregnancy, in-vitro fertilization or abortion. What this bill does is make sure that people can make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and for their families without the fear that theyll risk their livelihoods in doing so, Rebecca Griffin of NARAL Pro-Choice California, a sponsor of the measure, said at a Wednesday afternoon hearing at the Capitol. A teacher at a Christian college in San Diego was fired in 2012 for becoming pregnant while unmarried. The school said her pregnancy violated its employee code of conduct, which prohibited premarital sex. In 2015, San Francisco Archibishop Salvatore Cordileone sparked a backlash when he proposed a new morality clause in the faculty handbook and contract for local Catholic schools that opposed same-sex marriage and certain reproductive medical procedures. With employees being fired for code of conduct violations in other states, proponents said California should set an example for the country, Right now, while were facing a federal government that is attacking reproductive freedom at every turn and condoning the type of discrimination that this bill prohibits, we feel like this is the time for California to take a stand for our values and make sure that our workers have the best protections possible, Griffin said. But the proposal faces opposition from religious groups, who argue such codes of conduct are integral to the relationship with their workers. The bill would specifically deny religious employers our 1st Amendment protections to infuse our codes of conduct with the tenets of our faith, said Sandra Palacios of the California Catholic Conference. The reaction from religious groups was not uniformly negative. The Rev. Rick Schlosser, executive director of the California Council of Churches, which represents mainline Protestant and Orthodox denominations, pointed to the diverse positions on reproductive issues among his groups members to explain his support for the bill. Any legislation that limits peoples ability to make their own moral decisions is harmful to religious freedom, said Schlosser. But other religious groups said the measure threatened to undermine the very purpose of requiring their employees to abide by a code of conduct. An organization specifically chartered to support or oppose a specific set of beliefs or actions cannot fulfill its mission without requiring adherence to a code of conduct, wrote Jonathan Keller, president of the conservative California Family Council, in an opposition letter. Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) asked why such codes of conduct should govern a personal decision an employee makes out of the workplace. Our community covenant does say that our employees are required to uphold our biblical values, and that certainly is a round-the-clock priority for us, responded Phillip Escamilla, the public policy chair of William Jessup University, a Sacramento-area evangelical Christian college Gonzalez Fletcher, herself a practicing Catholic, said she was not trying to unfairly target religious institutions. But, she said, she was trying to combat an inherent sexism that comes with enforcing such codes of conduct. A female employees reproductive decisions  such as entering an abortion clinic or being pregnant out of wedlock  can be seen by her employer, Gonzalez Fletcher said. A males decisions to whether or not theyre going to abide by a conduct never rise to that level, she said. So that inherent difference in how women and men are treated with these types of decisions just show how little privacy women are able to maintain. The bill, AB 569, cleared the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, its first legislative threshold, on a 4-2 vote. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Gov. Jerry Brown, legislative leaders propose raising $5.2 billion annually to repair Californias roads and bridges By Patrick McGreevy (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Acknowledging that the states transportation system has been neglected, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on Wednesday announced a proposal to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees to generate more than $5 billion annually for repairing Californias crumbling system of streets, highways and bridges, as well as to increase mass transit. It remains uncertain whether Brown will be able to muster the two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature needed to approve the new revenue sources, which include a 12-cent-per-gallon increase in the existing 18-cent base excise tax on gasoline. The package also includes a new, annual vehicle fee that would average about $48 based on the value of the car. The package was announced at a news conference on the Capitol steps attended by Brown, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). California has not approved an increase in the base excise tax on gas for 23 years, according to Brian Kelly, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency. As a result, the state faces a $130-billion backlog of repairs to state highways and bridges and local streets. There is sizable money here to make things better, Kelly said. People are going to get improved neighborhood streets. They are going to get improved highways and bridges, more faith that they are traveling on safe structures. And we are going to invest to improve the congestion into our trade corridors and congestion on their commute. Assembly and Senate Republicans released a joint statement opposing the plan. Californians already pay some of the highest gas taxes in the nation, the statement said. The transportation proposal announced by the Capitol Democrats is a costly and burdensome plan that forces ordinary Californians to bail out Sacramento for years of neglecting our roads. Brown has set a deadline of April 6, the day before the Legislature leaves on its spring break, to have the new package voted on by lawmakers. Because Republicans have generally opposed the tax increases, the package may need the vote of every Democrat to get the two-thirds majority for passage. Three Democratic senators had been holding off their support before the new plan was released. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Election officials say mistake on Korean language ballots substantially smaller than previously thought By Christine Mai-Duc (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County election officials say a mistake made on Korean-language sample ballots in the upcoming 34th Congressional District race likely affected fewer than 780 voters. The error, which listed the races 23 candidates in the wrong order on some Korean-language sample ballots, was discovered last week after Korean American voters pointed out their mail-in ballot materials looked different than English-language sample ballots sent to the same home or apartment building. Initially, election officials said they didnt know how widespread the problem was. As a precaution, they sent bilingual notices and corrected sample ballots to all 8,251 voters in the district who received Korean-language sample ballots. None of the sample ballots enclosed with actual mail-in ballots were affected, officials say. In a letter to election officials and L.A. County supervisors Tuesday, the Korean American Coalition called it a violation of federally protected voting rights. The letter asked officials to host a 24-hour hotline for Korean-speaking voters until election day, provide more information on the scope of the error and extend the mail-in voting deadline for those who had received the misprinted ballots. In a response sent Wednesday morning, County Registrar Dean Logan said the error was limited to a small number of sample ballots in a single print run of 777 sample ballots. Based on the agencys review, Logan wrote, it appears that substantially fewer than the 777 voters were affected. The registrars office says it is extending the hours of operation for its voter hotline and staffing it with Korean-speaking operators. Voters concerned that they may have been affected can call 1-800-815-2666 and select option 3 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this weekend. Voters will also see additional signage at polls addressing the issue and Korean-speaking poll workers will be instructed to remind voters to check their ballots. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Talks at Capitol focus on boosting California transportation funding by some $5.2 billion annually By Patrick McGreevy On Highway 1 in Big Sur, the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge has buckled, cutting off a community of hundreds from schools and isolating renowned businesses from customer traffic. (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times) With a deadline looming, Gov. Jerry Brown is winding up negotiations with legislators in hopes of reaching an agreement on a plan that would provide at least $5.2 billion annually for a transportation backlog that includes repairing Californias aging and crumbling system of streets, highways and bridges, officials said Tuesday. Those close to the talks said an agreement on the package could be announced as early as Wednesday afternoon. The question remains whether Brown and leaders can muster the two-thirds vote needed to approve a phased-in gas tax increase of up to 12 cents by the April 6 deadline set by the governor. Key senators remained uncommitted to any plan as of Tuesday. And a new voter-approved rule requires a bill to be in print for 72 hours before it can be passed. The bill needs approval in both houses. Assembly Democrats were briefed on the evolving plan behind closed doors on Tuesday and some officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, said talks are progressing on a plan that would provide the bulk of money to a fix-it first program of road repairs divided evenly between state projects and those of cities and counties. Money would also be dedicated to mass transit, bicycle, pedestrian and trucking routs for ports. The proposal also would include reforms proposed by lawmakers, including Republicans, that would hold officials accountable for proper use of the money, including a requirement for regular audits, creation of an inspector general position and a ballot measure requiring new money to be spent on transportation projects. Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) authored a bill that would put a measure on the ballot, saying Tuesday such guarantees are required given the urgency of the deferred maintenance backlog, and the additional burden we are asking Californias taxpayers to carry. John Myers contributed to this report. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Advertisement

Watch: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director attends community meeting in Sacramento Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Gov. Jerry Brown calls for countermovement against Trumps colossal mistake on climate change By Evan Halper California Gov. Jerry Brown warned that President Trump has just made a colossal mistake in gutting the federal governments effort to combat climate change, which will ignite a response Trump is unprepared to handle. It defies science itself, Brown said in a call to The Times shortly after Trump signed an executive order that aims to bring an abrupt halt to the United States leadership on global warming. Erasing climate change may take place in Donald Trumps mind, but nowhere else. Yes, there is going to be a countermovement, Brown vowed, predicting Trumps actions will mobilize environmentalists in a way President Obama never could. I have met with many heads of state, ambassadors. This is a growing movement. President Trumps outrageous move will galvanize the contrary force. Things have been a bit tepid [in climate activism]. But this conflict, this sharpening of the contradiction, will energize those who believe climate change is an existential threat. Brown and other big-state governors and mayors are moving swiftly to fill the global leadership vacuum Trump created with Tuesdays directive, which stops short of officially pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord of 2015. I see Washington declining in influence, but the momentum being maintained by California and other states aligned with China and those who are willing to do something, said Brown, who will be traveling to China soon for meetings on climate. There is a growing activism on the part of millions of people who will not stand by and let Donald Trump effectively tear up the Paris agreement and destroy Americas climate leadership and jeopardize the health and well-being of so many people. In the face of Trumps retreat on climate change, Brown said California will step up its own efforts to push others toward clean energy. We are not fully meeting the challenge of climate change yet, he said. We are doubling down on our commitment. We are reaching out to other states in America and throughout the world and other countries.  We have plenty of fuel to build this movement. This is real, Brown said of the threat created by climate change. The nations of the world have recognized it in Paris.  I will continue doing my best to work with and rouse the world community, whatever the politicians in Washington do or dont do. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California and its allies hint at new legal battles over Clean Power Plan By Chris Megerian California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) President Trumps effort to roll back the Clean Power Plan could quickly run into legal challenges from California and its allies across the country. State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and his counterparts from states including New York, Massachusetts and Oregon said they wont hesitate to protect those we serve  including by aggressively opposing [Trumps actions] in court. The joint statement was also issued by Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and other cities. Californias stance isnt surprising because the state joined Obama administration efforts to defend the Clean Power Plan in 2015. Further legal action could underscore the determination of local and state governments to push forward with fighting climate change even as Trump withdraws federal regulations. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Meeting climate change goals will require billions for transportation and housing improvements, reports say By Liam Dillon A major push to get Californians out of their cars and onto their feet, bikes and public transit is essential if the state wants to meet its aggressive goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, according to new reports from the state and UC Berkeley researchers. Californians will have to drive an average of 1.6 miles less a day  and regional government agencies believe it will cost billions of dollars to make the mass transit and housing improvements needed for that to happen. UC Berkeley researchers argue in a new study that a boom in dense housing across the state will bring major greenhouse gas reductions and economic growth. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California expects to be unscathed as Trump targets Clean Power Plan By Chris Megerian A solar farm in Kern County (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Although Californias leaders may protest President Trumps announcement Tuesday that hes scrapping the Clean Power Plan, his decision is expected to have little effect on a state already marching toward renewable energy. In fact, greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in the Golden State are already below what the federal government would have required by 2030, and theyre expected to drop even further. Rollback of the Clean Power Plan is pretty much irrelevant to California, said Frank Wolak, a Stanford University economist who has advised state leaders on climate regulations. The federal rules, enacted by former President Obama as part of his campaign against climate change, were intended to push states away from coal and toward cleaner energy sources. But that was already underway in California. Los Angeles, one of the last places in the state to rely on coal, was already planning to stop importing electricity from out-of-state coal plants by 2025. In addition, state law requires California to generate half of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030, and state Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) has suggested pushing even further. When it comes to fighting pollution and climate change, there are some areas where California relies on the federal government. For example, they share authority on regulating vehicle emissions, and Trumps preparation to roll back federal rules has caused alarm here. However, theres less of a concern when it comes to generating electricity. Trumps moves have caused some anxiety among California companies that are developing clean energy technologies and looking for new markets to sell them. Bob Keefe, executive director of Environmental Entrepreneurs, said the Clean Power Plan would have been a huge economic catalyst. President Trump is basically telling Californias more than 40,000 clean-energy businesses and the 500,000 workers they employ that they dont matter to him, he said. Rail cars filled with coal in Wyoming (Ryan Dorgan / Associated Press) Its an open question how Trump could affect various efforts for California to integrate its electricity grid with neighboring states, an idea that has failed to gain traction so far. Advocates of the concept say regional cooperation could expand the market for renewable energy, but the lack of federal pressure to cut emissions could dampen enthusiasm in places such as Utah and Wyoming, which rely on coal. They dont have the Clean Power Plan bearing down on them, said Don Furman, who directs the Fix the Grid campaign thats seeking closer relationships among West Coast states. Ralph Cavanagh, an attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said he doesnt expect changes to the Clean Power Plan to harm efforts to create a regional electricity grid, because of the falling cost of renewable energy. The rationale is stronger today than it was yesterday, he said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California GOP lawmakers introduce bills to boost healthcare and jobs for veterans By Liam Dillon Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) speaks at a press conference introducing a package of bills aimed at helping California veterans. (Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Times) Republican state lawmakers unveiled a package of six bills Tuesday aimed at improving job training and healthcare services for California veterans. Our veterans have served this country bravely and it is only right for us to recognize their contribution and see that when they do come home they receive the care and assistance they deserve, said state Sen. Janet Nguyen of Garden Grove, who authored three of the measures. The six bills are: Senate Bill 410 from Nguyen and Assembly Bill 353 from Assemblyman Randy Voepel of Santee, which would expand hiring preferences. for veterans.

SB 409 from Nguyen and SB 485 from state Sen. Jim Nielsen of Gerber, which would increase mental health services and oversight at state veterans homes.

SB 411 from Nguyen, which would pay some military reservists $100 a month once they turn 50 if theyve served for 10 years or more.

SB 197 from Sen. Pat Bates of Laguna Niguel, which would waive state and local sales taxes for nonprofits that donate facilities to the U.S. Department of Defense  a measure aimed at helping construction of a mental health care facility at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

These Los Angeles girls went to Capitol Hill to ask the Senate to fight new immigration enforcement efforts By Sarah D. Wire Fatima, left, and Yuleni Avelica, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) during a news conference on Capitol Hill. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images) Fatima Avelica, 13, was training for the Los Angeles Marathon with her father before he was arrested by immigration agents last month after dropping Fatimas sister off at her Lincoln Heights school. Fatima had to pause repeatedly, pressing her fingers to her eyes, as she told the story to reporters at a news conference in the Capitol on Tuesday. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) handed handkerchiefs to Fatima and her sister Yuleni Avelica, 12. The girls had medals from completing the marathon dangling around their necks. Democratic senators held the news conference to urge their Senate colleagues to reject President Trumps request for $3 billion to hire thousands of new immigration agents, expand detention facilities and build a wall among the southern border as part of his pledge to deport millions of people in the country illegally. The White House has characterized the moves as necessary for public safety. Californias Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris said Trumps immigration enforcement orders are too broad, sweeping up nonviolent offenders or people accused of the civil offense of being in the country illegally. She called the executive orders, which vastly broadened who can be targeted for deportation and leaves a lot of discretion to local immigration officials misguided and misinformed. Its irresponsible to paint a whole population of people as racists and murderers and bad hombres, she said, referencing one of Trumps own lines about immigrants. Its actually ignorant and we cant afford to run our country that way. The girls father, Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez, a Mexican citizen, has lived in the U.S. for 25 years. ICE officials cited two misdemeanor convictions as the reason for his arrest. His four daughters were all born in the U.S. Fatima said the family is waiting for word every day on whether he will be deported. Fatima said she now wants to become an immigration lawyer. Its like a new marathon for me, and I know I can finish it, Fatima said, tears welling up again. But, I need my coach there. I need my dad. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Gov. Jerry Brown, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blast President Trump on climate change By Chris Megerian California Gov. Jerry Brown (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown joined with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday to criticize President Trumps pending announcement to roll back climate regulations and insist that their states will push forward anyway. Dismantling the Clean Power Plan and other critical climate programs is profoundly misguided and shockingly ignores basic science, they said in a joint statement. With this move, the Administration will endanger public health, our environment and our economic prosperity. Brown and Cuomo represent the two largest states with the most ambitious goals for fighting global warming, and theyve already set equivalent targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Theyre also pushing to generate half of all their electricity from renewable sources by 2030. With or without Washington, we will work with our partners throughout the world to aggressively fight climate change and protect our future, Brown and Cuomo said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

To stem rising prices, a California lawmaker is taking on how hospital chains craft their contracts By Melanie Mason Amid concern that sprawling hospital chains are leading to higher prices, a California state senator is trying to clamp down on how hospital networks craft their contracts to win market dominance. Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) is offering a measure that would prohibit hospitals from certain contracting practices he sees as anti-competitive, such as requiring health plans to contract with all affiliates of the hospital or mandating that health plans agree to binding arbitration for antitrust claims. Weve lost a level of transparency thats affected affordability and access and fairness, Monning said in an interview. Multi-hospital chains are becoming prominent throughout the country, with proponents saying such mergers make care more efficient and better coordinated. But a recent USC study found that while hospital prices in California have grown overall, the costs are higher in the states largest chains. Once you control a market, you can artificially increase costs, said Monning, adding those higher prices can spill over to neighboring hospitals, too. Competitors think if they can charge this much for a hip replacement, were going to as well, Monning said. Another study by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute found premiums in Northern California were 30% higher than those in Southern California, in part because of the dominance of a few healthcare systems in the north. Micah Weinberg, the institutes president, said hospital consolidation was a logical issue to look at, particularly because healthcare coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act is now under less threat from Congress following the failure of the House Republicans replacement bill. We have to double down on the real work, which is getting people access to quality healthcare and affordable costs, said Weinberg. One of the biggest barriers to that is the lack of competition among healthcare providers. Weinberg said much of the question is a matter of federal antitrust enforcement. Its really difficult to do things at the state level that are effective here, he said. Still, consolidation has increasingly come under scrutiny in California. The state attorney generals office under Kamala Harris, now serving as U.S. senator, investigated consolidation of hospital and physician groups, and the effect on consumer prices. Last year, the healthcare trust for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, sued Sutter Health, alleging antitrust violations. The Pacific Business Group on Health, an organization that represents major companies such as Wells Fargo and Chevron, also raised alarms on Sutters requirement that firms use arbitration to resolve disputes--or face higher rates for Sutters healthcare services. The business group is a supporter of Monnings bill, as well as the California Labor Federation. The California Hospital Assn. has not taken a position on the bill. ------------ FOR THE RECORD March 29, 2017, 1:52 p.m.: A previous version of this article reported that the Pacific Group on Health sued Sutter Health. The United Food and Commercial Workers healthcare trust filed the suit. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Los Angeles assemblyman returns to work in Sacramento after more than two-week absence By Melanie Mason Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) After more than two weeks away from the state Capitol, Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) was back at work Monday, with his staff blaming the absence on unspecified medical reasons. Im not going to comment on what the illness was, said his chief of staff, Darryl Lucien, who added that the legislator was feeling better Monday. Ridley-Thomas, 29, was not available for an interview to discuss his absence. He originally went on leave March 7. At the time, he did not specify an illness and so Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendons office considered him to be on personal leave. Under legislative rules, those absences did not allow him to receive per diem payments  a subsidy intended to offset the costs of traveling and living in Sacramento. On March 21, he informed Rendons office that he was on medical leave, thus becoming eligible for the $183 per diem. Lucien said the original personal leave request was an error and that all of Ridley-Thomas time away from work was for health reasons. Its medical leave, Lucien said. He has a doctors note that was submitted, excusing him for the time he was out. Ridley-Thomas was not entirely absent from legislative work during that time. While on leave, he yanked one high-profile piece of legislation  a measure that would exempt tampons and other feminine hygiene products from sales tax  from a hearing in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation committee, which he chairs. The bills author, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), said she spoke directly to Ridley-Thomas about a request to amend her bill days before that committee hearing. Lucien said Ridley-Thomas was working on a very limited basis, fielding calls from members to the extent he was able to speak with them. A fellow Democrat, Assemblyman Bill Quirk of Hayward, stepped in to chair the Revenue and Taxation panel during a March 13 hearing. A subsequent hearing on March 20 was canceled. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Adam Schiff calls on Devin Nunes to remove himself from Russia investigation By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) on Monday urged fellow Californian Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) to remove himself from their investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Before late last week, Schiff had gone out of his way not to be critical of Nunes throughout the fledgling investigation. They have held the top positions on the House Intelligence Committee for two years, and have served in Congress together for more than a decade. This is not a recommendation I make lightly, as the Chairman and I have worked together well for several years; and I take this step with the knowledge of the solemn responsibility we have on the Intelligence Committee to provide oversight on all intelligence matters, not just to conduct the investigation, Schiff said in a statement. After much consideration I believe Chairman should recuse himself from involvement in investigation/oversight of Trump campaign & transition pic.twitter.com/jpfA1x80Si  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 27, 2017 Nunes last week surprised many when he told reporters that conversations between Trump and his transition team may have been accidentally picked up during legal intelligence gathering. Nunes briefed the media and President Trump before informing his committee. A spokesman for Nunes, who was a member of Trumps transition team, said Monday he obtained the information from a source on White House grounds, which raised even more questions. Nearly a week after Nunes announcement, committee members still havent seen the evidence, Schiff said. There was no legitimate justification for bringing that information to the White House instead of the committee. That it was also obtained at the White House makes this departure all the more concerning, Schiff said. Nunes spokesman would not comment on calls for the chairman to recuse himself. House Democrats have called for an entirely independent investigation, but short of that were coalescing around the call for Nunes to step aside. Among others, Schiffs Intelligence Committee colleagues Reps. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) and Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) have also called for Nunes to step aside from the investigation. The House and Senate intelligence committees are both investigating allegations that Russia tried to interfere with the presidential election and what, if anything, the Trump campaign knew about it. So far, too many people in the White House and administration, and now the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, have betrayed their duty to conduct an independent, bipartisan inquiry into the Trump teams ties with Russia, Swalwell said in a statement. Chairman Nunes should no longer be anywhere near this investigation, let alone leading it. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said in a statement that Nunes had tarnished the chairmanship. She also said it was long overdue for House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to ask him to recuse himself from the investigation. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Blasting federal action on immigration, Californias chief justice warns the rule of law is under threat By Patrick McGreevy California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye warned Monday that the rule of law in state is under threat. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye did not mention President Trump by name in her annual State of the Judiciary speech Monday, but she blasted federal actions on immigration and warned that the rule of law in the state is under threat. In addressing the Legislature, she also called on members to end years of underfunding of the state court system. The chief justice said the rule of law has failed repeatedly in the state, including when her husbands parents were among 120,000 Japanese Americans put in internment camps during World War II. Simply put, the rule of law means that we as a people are governed by laws and rules, not by a monarch, she said. People take the rule of law for granted until it is under threat, she added. I submit to you today that the rule of law is being challenged, she said. We are living in a time of civil rights unrest, eroding trust in our institutions, economic anxiety and unprecedented polarization. Cantil-Sakauye cited a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center that California was home to 79 ethnic hate groups  more than any other state. Our values and our rules and laws are being called into question, and all three branches of government and the free press are in the crosshairs, she said. Without naming Trump, the chief justice criticized recent federal enforcement of immigration laws in which agents have gone into courthouses to take immigrants into custody. She said it was concern over the rule of law that caused her to write to the U.S. attorney general and the Homeland Security secretary recently, asking them to refrain from conducting immigration raids at or near courthouses. When we hear of immigration arrests and the fear of immigration arrests in our state courthouses, I am concerned that that kind of information trickles down into the community, the schools, the churches. The families and people will no longer come to court to protect themselves or cooperate or bear witness, she said. I am afraid that will be the end of justice and communities will be less safe and victimization will continue. The chief justice also repeated her concerns about the lack of sufficient funding for the judiciary even as legislators are adding laws by the thousands. Since 2011 when I became chief justice, 6,408 bills have become law in California, while the judicial branch budget has been shrinking, Cantil-Sakauye said. I have said before that we are on the wrong side of justice when it comes to funding our courts. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Its not just Berniecrats: Korean voters could also swing L.A.'s congressional race in a big way By Christine Mai-Duc Robert Lee Ahn, center, is the only Korean American candidate running in a field dominated by Latinos in the 34th Congressional District race. (Christine Mai-Duc / Los Angeles Times) The crowded race to replace Xavier Becerra in the 34th Congressional District, which includes most of Los Angeles Koreatown, appears to be bringing Korean American voters out in large numbers. Thats in part because in a field dominated by Latinos, Robert Lee Ahn has a shot at becoming the only Korean American in Congress and the first Korean American Democrat to be elected to the body. Ahn, a businessman and former L.A. city planning commissioner, has raised a formidable amount of money in a short period of time, much of it from donors in the Korean American community. His campaign spent weeks helping register voters at Koreatown malls and restaurants, and says they registered more than 600 new voters so far. Part of our campaign is to build awareness and get the community more civically engaged, Ahn said on a recent Friday morning as his campaign embarked on a 34-hour voter registration drive outside the BCD Tofu House restaurant. As a Korean American, obviously thats a natural base of mine. Inside, Ahn shook hands with supporters and navigated the lunchtime rush to ask for voters support table side. Some of it may be paying off. More than a quarter of the 10,841 mail-in ballots turned in for the race so far were cast by Korean American voters, according to an analysis of surnames, birthplace and translated ballot materials by Political Data. Koreans make up just 6% of registered voters in the district. Nearly half of Korean American voters who have already cast a ballot in the race did not vote in the March 7 city elections. Ahn, who has said hell bring a business sensibility and common sense to the office, says he has been running a campaign that reaches out to all kinds of voters. But the fact that there hasnt been a Korean American in Congress for more than 20 years means his candidacy has gotten plenty of attention from the Korean American press. I think people recognize the importance and historic nature of this election, Ahn said. I think theres a hunger for a voice ... and theres a palpable frustration of not being heard, not being properly represented, and I think thats what were seeing in the early returns. But the result of those early votes so far is unclear, particularly after elections officials disclosed that a number of Korean-language sample ballots had been misprinted with the candidates listed in the wrong order. Those who used the faulty sample ballots to cast their vote could have inadvertently voted for a candidate they didnt intend to support, and officials still dont know how widespread the problem is. Ahn isnt the only Korean American candidate to energize the community in recent years. David Ryu, the first Korean American elected to the L.A. City Council, rode to victory in 2015 with the help of a wave of support from Koreatown leaders. I believe a political awakening is occurring in the Korean American community all over the nation, but especially here in L.A., said Joon Bang, executive director of the Korean American Coalition. Our community is evolving and its beginning with understanding the power of their vote. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Nothing short of blackmail: California Senate leader denounces plan to cut funding from sanctuary cities By Jazmine Ulloa California Senate Leader Kevin de Leon. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Senate leader Kevin de Leon on Monday called U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions move to cut federal funding from so-called sanctuary cities nothing short of blackmail. In a statement, De Leon (D-Los Angeles) said Sessions and the Trump administration stuck to alternative facts when describing immigrants and sanctuary counties and cities, where local policies limit the cooperation of law enforcement agencies with federal authorities on immigration laws. Instead of making us safer, the Trump administration is spreading fear and promoting race-based scapegoating, he said. Their gun-to-the-head method to force resistant cities and counties to participate in Trumps inhumane and counterproductive mass-deportation is unconstitutional and will fail. De Leon was responding to an earlier announcement made by Sessions at a White House press briefing. Sessions urged all states and local jurisdictions to comply with federal immigration laws and said it would be a condition for receiving federal grants. Jeff Sessions: "countless Americans would be alive today. And countless loved ones would not be grieving" if sanctuary cities were ended. pic.twitter.com/sEgH3bvPwi  BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) March 27, 2017 State leaders are still calculating the fiscal impact of the move in California, where the Senate leader has filed a bill that would prevent state and local law enforcement agencies from using resources to enforce federal immigration laws. Data shows sanctuary counties have lower crime rates than comparable nonsanctuary counties #SB54 https://t.co/rKZDsB8x8E  Kevin de Len (@kdeleon) March 27, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

California National Guard official tells legislators forced bonus repayments will be resolved by mid-summer By Melanie Mason A top official for the California National Guard told state legislators Monday that he hopes lingering issues from the soldiers being forced to repay enlistment bonuses will be resolved by mid-summer. A Times investigation last year found that the Pentagon demanded thousands of soldiers repay enlistment bonuses up to a decade after going to war in Iraq or Afghanistan. The claw-back came after audits revealed vast overpayments of bonuses, due in part to mismanagement and pressure to hit enlistment targets. The Times story prompted outcry that soldiers, who were not at fault for accepting the bonuses, were now facing financial hardship. Matthew Beevers, the deputy adjutant for the California National Guard, told a joint hearing of the Senate and Assembly Veterans Affairs committees that just over 1,000 soldiers currently hold debt due to the bonus recoupment. Soldiers who are affected by the repayment demand must go through a federal waiver adjudication process, which Beevers described as unnecessarily long, complex and resource-intensive. He said the state-run Soldier Incentives Assistance Center was working with those who need to navigate the complex process to get those debts waived. "[If] you got a bonus and you completed your obligation and for some reason, you werent entitled to it, weve done everything we can do ensure that those soldiers get to keep those bonuses and we continue to do that today, Beevers said. Beevers said the state is trying to locate all soldiers who may be carrying debts due to the enlistment bonus. For those who complete the federal adjudication process, around 50% get their debts waived, he said. At the end of the day, there might be 600 or so soldiers out of 16,000 who might have to pay money, which is a very very small number, he said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Former California legislator Henry Perea will lobby for the oil industry in Sacramento By Chris Megerian (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times) As lawmakers debate the future of Californias climate policies, the oil industry is boosting its lobbying firepower with a former Democratic assemblyman from Fresno who has bedeviled environmentalists in the past. Henry Perea resigned his Assembly seat to work for a pharmaceutical group. Now hes jumping to the Western States Petroleum Assn. as a senior vice president, a role hes scheduled to start on May 1. Henry brings us unique expertise, said a statement from Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the associations president. He understands our state, our industry and how smart public policy can ensure Californias continued leadership in environmental protections while maintaining a diverse, vibrant economy. While serving in the Assembly, Perea led the so-called moderate caucus of business-friendly Democrats. He played a key role in stalling 2015 legislation that would have created tough new targets for reducing oil consumption. Environmentalists have made progress since then, successfully pushing through legislation to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Now these issues are being debated again as lawmakers consider whether to extend the states cap-and-trade program, which is intended to provide a financial incentive to reduce emissions. The oil industry supports extending the program, but its working to ensure favorable terms and to loosen the states other regulatory plans. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Democrats out with ads targeting Rep. Mimi Walters for supporting GOP healthcare bill By Sarah D. Wire Republicans didnt vote on their plan to replace the Affordable Care Act on Friday, but Democrats already have ads out criticizing vulnerable GOP House members like Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine for backing the bill. The Internet ads, paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, will target 14 Republicans who voted for the bill in the House Budget, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce committees. The ads will run for at least a week on social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram. Walters knowingly voted for a bill to raise premiums and deductibles, slap an age tax on older folks, and rip insurance away from 24 million hardworking Americans. Its critical that voters in Californias 45th District know where Walters stood on this harmful legislation, DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan said in a statement. Walters, who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, was one of the earliest supporters of the bill among the California Republican delegation. Rep. Walters is committed to improving and expanding healthcare choices, lowering costs and protecting taxpayers. Her votes in the House reflect those principles and she will not be deterred by campaign ads created in Washington, D.C., by Nancy Pelosis political committees, said her campaign consultant, Dave Gilliard. The DCCC has already announced plans to target Republican representatives of the seven California congressional districts that backed Hillary Clinton for president. Clinton won Walters Orange County district by 5 percentage points. Walters was elected for a second term with 58.6% of the vote. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Gov. Jerry Brown says California wont be running to the courthouse every day to fight President Trump By John Myers With many of his fellow Democrats demanding multiple challenges to President Trumps proposals, Gov. Jerry Brown said this week he will continue to support a more measured approach. Were going to fight very hard. But were not going to bring stupid lawsuits or be running to the courthouse every day, Brown said during an appearance Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. Were going to be careful. Well be strategic. The governors interview, taped on Thursday in Washington, came at the end of a four-day visit where he sought common ground on issues ranging from transportation to disaster relief. Brown also took aim in a visit to Capitol Hill at the now-failed Republican healthcare proposal. In the interview, Brown acknowledged that he is seeking a different path forward than Californias legislative leaders and other Democrats who are aggressively pushing back on a variety of Trump proposals. Well, if everythings a lawsuit, yeah, were in trouble here. I do curb the exuberance on either side, he said. People like to escalate. Republicans do that, and Democrats also do that. So Im there somewhat as the senior statesman now, and Im going to keep everything on an even keel. The governor used the national television interview to repeat recent suggestions that California has a number of projects that are ready to go should Trump make good on his promises to fund a major infrastructure effort. But Brown staunchly defended Californias acceptance of immigrants, including those who are in the U.S. illegally. He argued that immigration has been a major boon to the states economy and invoked the teachings of Christianity to criticize Trump and his fellow Republicans. Trumps supposed to be Mr. Religious Fellow, and I thought weve got to treat the least of these as we would treat the Lord, said Brown, who trained to become a Jesuit priest in his youth. So I hope he would reconnect with some of these conservative evangelicals, and theyll tell him that these are human beings, theyre children of God. They should be treated that way. The programs host, Chuck Todd, asked Brown whether he could offer national leadership for Democrats in the Trump era. The governor, who ran unsuccessfully for president three times, said he was willing to speak out in any way he could be helpful. Following last weeks historic defeat of a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, Brown also offered Trump advice on how to help the economically struggling states whose voters put him in the White House. Its going to take some income support from the federal government, the governor said. Its going to take healthcare. Its going to take the kind of programs that the Republican Party traditionally doesnt like. So heres the dilemma. Yes, Obama was not able to help those people in the way they felt they had a right to. But Mr. Trump, now the burden is on you. And you better figure it out, or youre not going to be there again. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Small donations play big role in the 34th Congressional District By Christine Mai-Duc Congressional candidate Kenneth Mejia raised 90% of his money from small donors in the most recent campaign finance filing. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) More than 17% of individual contributions to all candidates in the 34th Congressional District came in small donations of less than $200, according to the latest campaign finance reports. The reports, which cover fundraising and spending between Jan. 1 and March 15, show that more than $250,000 of the $1.4 million raised by the candidates in the race came from un-itemized small donors, or those who gave less than $200 and are not named in campaign finance reports. Three candidates who raised a significant chunk of money from small donations were Arturo Carmona, Wendy Carrillo and Kenneth Mejia, all of whom are vying for votes from supporters of former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has preached the need to rid politics of special interest money. Many of the candidates have sent email pitches to supporters asking for donations of $10, $20 or $27, the amount made famous by Sanders, who often cited the number as the average donation given to his presidential campaign. Carmona, a former Sanders campaign advisor, raised the most in small donations, with $57,125, or 52% of his total. Small donors gave Carrillo $25,948, about 32% of her fundraising total and Mejia, an accountant and Green Party candidate, received nearly 90% of his total funds, or $31,957, in amounts of $200 or less. Federal law does not require candidates to itemize, or report the names of, donors who give below that amount. Alejandra Campoverdi raised $44,210 from small donors, who made up 28% of her haul, while Raymond Meza raised 48%, or $14,764 of his money from small-dollar contributions. UPDATE: 7:45 p.m. This post was updated to clarify that the numbers reported are based on un-itemized donations of $200 or less to candidates. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Robert Lee Ahn raised the most money by far in latest campaign finance reports for L.A.'s congressional race By Christine Mai-Duc Robert Lee Ahn, left, and Vanessa Aramayo, second from left, join the other candidates for the 34th Congressional District. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles TImes) Congressional candidate Robert Lee Ahn far outstripped some of the top fundraisers in the 34th Congressional District, taking a surprise lead in campaign finance reports filed Thursday. The reports cover fundraising and spending between Jan. 1 and March 15 and will be the last numbers well have before the April 4 primary election, in which 24 candidates are running. Ahn, a former L.A. city planning commissioner, raised a whopping $338,702 in contributions and loaned himself an additional $295,000, bringing his total to more than $630,000 raised since January. Ahn, an attorney and the only Korean American candidate in the race for a district that includes Koreatown, got more than $100,000 in contributions from donors with Korean surnames. The closest behind Ahn was Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, who raised $244,766 over the same period, the majority of it from political action committees, including many donations from fellow legislators in Sacramento. Sara Hernandez, a former teacher and L.A. City Hall aide, was close behind Gomez with $224,783 raised. Alejandra Campoverdi, a former White House staffer and former Los Angeles Times employee, raised $156,432. Ahn has also spent the most money so far this year, at $352,538, and has $271,271 in the bank, more than any other candidate. Gomez ended the period with $274,830 cash on hand, while Hernandez and Campoverdi have $149,990 and $122,961 left to spend, respectively. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Dispute in California Senate leads to ethics complaint against leader Kevin de Leon By Patrick McGreevy Then-state Sen. Isadore Hall III, left, talks with Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon in Sacramento last year. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Republican state Sen. Andy Vidak on Friday filed an ethics complaint asking for an investigation into whether Democratic Senate leader Kevin de Leon engaged in an improper cover-up of threats allegedly made by former state Sen. Isadore Hall III against a group of farmers. Anthony Reyes, a spokesman for De Leon, defended the decision not to investigate allegations against Hall. With due respect, the state Senate doesnt waste taxpayer resources investigating dubious hearsay accounts of private conversations held in hotel lobbies  and thats what Senator De Leon clearly and politely communicated to Senator Vidak, Reyes said. Any suggestion otherwise is patently ridiculous. Hall, a Democrat from Compton, was appointed in January to the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board by Gov. Jerry Brown. The appointment was opposed by farm industry groups, including the Western Growers Assn., which complained he received contributions from the United Farm Workers for his unsuccessful campaign for Congress last year. Vidak said that he had heard from multiple people that on Feb. 28, the evening before Halls confirmation hearing in the Rules Committee, Hall allegedly made threats in an obscenity-laced tirade in the lobby of the Sacramento Hyatt Hotel that he would get the farmers opposing his appointment, the senator wrote in a letter to the Senate Legislative Ethics Committee. The board is a quasi-judicial agency that rules on disputes between farm worker organizations and growers. The alleged threats were made to four farmers who are members of the California Fresh Fruit Assn., Vidak said. Vidak said he had formally asked De Leon, as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, to have the panel investigate the allegations and report the findings to the Senate. On Thursday, Vidak said, De Leon allegedly informed him that there would be no investigation. Senator De Leon told me yesterday that he and the leadership of the CFFA have worked things out so Hall wont be investigated,'" Vidak said in a statement Friday. Is this really how the Senate handles reports of threats and intimidation by someone pending a Senate confirmation vote? The association called the allegation that it worked out an agreement with De Leon baseless and false. The group said in a statement that Vidak did not talk to its members before he filed the complaint. If he did, he wouldve learned there is no agreement and that CFFA remains opposed to the confirmation of Senator Hall, the group said. Hall declined to comment on Vidaks complaint, said J. Antonio Barbosa, the boards executive secretary, responding on his behalf. Further, his testimony at his Senate Rules Committee confirmation hearing makes clear that he will be fair and impartial, make sound decisions, and speak to growers and farmworkers, Barbosa said. Reyes disputed Vidaks allegations. Chasing goofy conspiracy theories might fly on President Trumps Twitter feed, but it has no place in the California Legislature, Reyes said. In his letter to the ethics panel, Vidak says his complaint is that the Senates confirmation process of gubernatorial appointees may have been compromised in this situation. He asked for an investigation into whether credible information about potential criminal activity by an unconfirmed gubernatorial appointee has been intentionally ignored/withheld, and whether a member of the Senate Rules Committee is making arrangements with representatives of private organizations to bury investigations of gubernatorial appointees. Updated at 4:40 p.m. to include a comment from the California Fresh Fruit Assn. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

L.A.'s GOP congressman: It is hard to find a consensus on something that impacts more than 1/6th of our economy By Sarah D. Wire A handful of California Republicans had declined to take a position on the House GOPs healthcare bill, and now they wont have to. Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), the only Republican who represents L.A. County, said he was conflicted up until the vote on the bill was canceled Friday afternoon. In the past two weeks my colleagues worked to build a consensus on how best to repair our flawed healthcare system and build a patient-centered system that works for the American people, Knight said in a statement after the vote. We learned that it is hard to find a consensus on something that impacts more than 1/6th of our economy and the lives of almost every American. Saying they didnt have enough votes to pass it, House Republican leaders canceled a vote on their healthcare bill minutes before vulnerable Republican members like Knight would have had to vote on the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Knights district is among seven Republican districts being targeted by Democrats in 2018, and several of the members who represent those districts never took a stance on the bill, saying they were worried about the effects on their districts and were still hearing from constituents. Experts estimated millions of Californians would have lost insurance under the bill. Just two of the targeted members, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) and Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine), said they would vote for the bill. Walters had no comment after the bill was pulled, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee came out swinging, with committee spokesperson Evan Lukaske saying, Walters now owns this until election day. Other targeted members seemed to brush off President Trumps plan to let Obamacare go its way for a little while. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), who didnt take a stance on the bill, said afterward Congress needs to keep working on healthcare. Congress must come together to enact legislation to stabilize our healthcare market, reduce federal spending, and ensure we are able to maintain access to healthcare for Americas most vulnerable populations. Any potential solution must be thoughtfully considered, he said in a statement. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) flirted with voting against the bill, saying he was not yet prepared to support it, but never committed either way. The [GOP bill] was an imperfect approach and I believe that we can do better, he said in a statement. We will go back to the drawing board and get this right for each and every American concerned with high costs in their healthcare and ever-dwindling choices and access to care. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Despite threat of legal battle with Trump, California stays the course on vehicle emission rules By Chris Megerian Electric cars charge at a San Diego utility. (Rob Nikolewski / San Diego Union-Tribune) California will keep pushing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, state regulators decided Friday, even though President Trump is preparing to roll back rules in Washington. The restrictions represent a key part of Californias battle against climate change, and theyre intended to force automakers to build cleaner cars and sell more electric vehicles. Environmentalists cheered Fridays decision from the Air Resources Board. Were very disappointed by what were seeing at the federal level, so today feels warm and welcoming, said the Sierra Clubs Kathryn Phillips. California has the unique ability to set tougher standards than the federal government, but Fridays decision could put the state on a collision course with Trump. Under the presidents direction, federal officials are examining whether to loosen vehicle rules that were finalized in the waning days of the Obama administration. The California Air Resources Board meeting in Riverside this week. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) At risk is the existence of a national standard on vehicle emissions, something the auto industry has prioritized to reduce the complexity of its manufacturing operations. We should all be getting back to work on this, said John Bozzella, who advocates for international car companies as head of the Assn. of Global Automakers. Mary Nichols, chair of the Air Resources Board, questioned the industrys commitment to higher standards given their request for Trump to review the rules. What were you thinking when you threw yourself upon the mercy of the Trump administration? she said. A dozen other states have adopted Californias standards as their own, and environmentalists hope Fridays decision will foster a broader market for electric cars. This agency has seen federal administrations come
Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees act out a peculiar Washington ritual in which inquisitive senators gather before TV cameras to hear an aspiring justice politely refuse to answer their questions on all the pressing legal issues of the day.

To no ones surprise, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, President Trumps nominee, portrayed himself as an earnest, idealistic jurist who did not want to tip his hand by voicing his views. Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. followed the same script on their way to confirmation, as does virtually every nominee.

But three days of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee revealed some of Gorsuchs thinking and gave hints as to what kind of justice he could be.

Advertisement

Gorsuch, 49, appears to be a strict textualist who believes in following the exact words of a law, even if doing so leads to a seemingly unfair or undesired result.

But he may not be as much of a true originalist as the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who advocated following the meaning of the Constitution as it was understood at the time it was written.

When pressed on originalism during his hearing, Gorsuch said constitutional promises like equal protection of the laws should be read broadly according to the actual wording, and in light of the courts precedents, not in line with the views of 1868, when the 14th Amendment was adopted.

No one is looking to return us to the horse-and-buggy days, he told Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) when she asked whether he agreed with Scalia that the 19th century amendment should not be used to create anti-discrimination protections for women or gays and lesbians today.

[I]t matters not a whit that some of the drafters of the 14th Amendment were racists, because they were, he said. Or [that they were] sexists, because they were. The law they drafted promises equal protection of the laws to all persons. Thats what they wrote.

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals judge from Denver said he would use the Constitutions enduring principles and apply them to current realities, not to drag us back to a past but to move forward together as judges applying the law neutrally.

It was a somewhat different tone for Gorsuch. In a speech last year honoring Scalia, Gorsuch said judges should be focusing backward to apply the law as it was understood  at the time of the events in question.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked the nominee to explain his looking backward comment because it had been cited by his critics. Is this approach not hostile to social progress? he asked.

Backward does not mean backwards, senator, he replied.

Gorsuchs comments during the hearings sounded similar to what liberal judges and law professors often espouse. They say phrases like equal protection and liberty are broad promises that should be interpreted in light of todays views and the courts precedents.

Democratic lawmakers did not appear satisfied by Gorsuchs performance.

On Thursday, as the committee heard from outside witnesses, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Democrats would seek to filibuster his nomination. Under the current filibuster rule, it would take 60 votes to end the debate over his nomination, and there are only 52 Republicans in the Senate.

It is not clear whether all Democrats will join Schumer. So far none have announced plans to vote for Gorsuch. But even if Democrats filibuster, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could change the rules and allow for Gorsuch to be approved by a simple majority of 51 votes.

So one way or another, most predict Gorsuch will be confirmed, despite Democrats best efforts to draw out his conservative views.

No one is looking to return us to the horse-and-buggy days.  Judge Neil M. Gorsuch

During testimony on Tuesday and Wednesday, Gorsuchs insistence on strictly following the words of the law led to sharp exchanges with several Democrats. They pounced on the case of the so-called frozen truck driver, which they said suggested Gorsuch had a cold heart. Gorsuch insisted it showed he would follow the law as Congress has written it, rather than rule based on his personal view of what was fair or just.

It began when Alphonse Maddin was driving a commercial truck on a January night in 2009 and the brakes on the trailer froze. He reported the problem to TransAm Trucking, his employer, and waited hours in the sub-zero cold for a repair truck. He grew numb from the cold, began slurring his speech and decided to unhitch his trailer and drive to a service station.

Maddin was later fired for abandoning his trailer and ignoring a supervisors instructions to stay put. He sued under a federal law that protects whistle-blowers from being fired for refusing to operate an unsafe vehicle. An administrative law judge ruled he was entitled to back pay, and the 10th Circuit upheld the decision last year in a 2-1 vote.

Gorsuch dissented. It might be fair to ask whether TransAms decision was a wise or kind one, he wrote. But the trucker in this case wasnt fired for refusing to operate his vehicle. He was fired for driving away in the truck, he said.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) called his view absurd, but Gorsuch stood his ground.

In another case, Gorsuch expressed support for a Colorado man appealing his five-year sentence for violating a law that made it a crime to knowingly be a felon in possession of a gun. The defendant, Miguel Games-Perez, argued the law should not apply to him because, although he knew he was in possession of a weapon, he did not know he was a felon. The sentencing judge at his earlier robbery trial had told him his crime was not a felony.

Prosecutors dismissed his claim as a technicality and insisted they only had to prove that he knowingly carried a gun, not that he knew he was a felon.

The 10th Circuit ultimately rejected his appeal based on prevailing precedents. But Gorsuch wrote a concurring opinion that illustrated his strict adherence to the words of the law.

So the statute there says and, simplifying, that its a crime to knowingly be a felon in possession of a gun, Gorsuch told senators. How does the word knowingly leap over the world felon and only touch down at the word in possession. It defied a bit of grammatical gravity, the defendant argued. And, as a matter of plain meaning, I had to agree with him.

Trumps victory assures a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. 

That approach reflects a shift in legal thinking that Scalia had led. During the 1970s, the justices regularly decided cases by applying the intent and purpose of a law passed by Congress. When Scalia arrived in 1986, he insisted on looking closely at the text of the law, not its overall purpose.

These days, most of the justices stick closely to the text, and Gorsuch should find himself in familiar company on that front.

As it usually does, the Roe vs. Wade ruling that legalized abortion played an out-sized role in the confirmation hearing, but mostly in a discussion of when to overturn precedents.

Gorsuch steadfastly refused to reveal how he might rule on the issue. But in discussing his approach to precedents, he set a fairly high bar for himself in describing the conditions he would consider before overturning any Supreme Court ruling.

Precedent is like our shared family history of judges, he said. It deserves our respect.

Among other things, he said he would consider the age of the ruling, to what degree the country had come to rely on it, whether it had been reaffirmed over the years and whether its legal foundation remained solid or had become an island.

On most of those counts, the 1973 Roe decision would fare well.

His comments seemed aimed to assure Democrats he had no intention to flatly overrule the right to abortion, even though Trump promised to appoint only pro-life judges. When questioned closely, however, Gorsuch refused to endorse or accept the right to privacy that was the basis of the abortion ruling.

For the 4th time, the Electoral College picks the loser of the popular vote. 

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) pressed the point near the end of the third day of hearings. He asked whether Gorsuch agreed with the high courts 1965 decision in Griswold vs. Connecticut, which struck down a states ban on contraceptives because it violated the right to privacy of married couples.

It is more than 50 years old, Gorsuch replied, insisting it would be wrong to say more about the reasoning behind the decision.

A few minutes later, Gorsuch lauded the high courts 1967 decision in Loving vs. Virginia, which struck down bans on interracial marriages in Southern states. He said it was a great moment in the courts history because it upheld the promise of the equal protection of the laws in the 14th Amendment.

But Blumenthal said he was troubled by Gorsuchs refusal to comment on the right to privacy, noting that Chief Justice Roberts and other Republican nominees had testified they accepted the right to privacy as a settled principle.

Taken together, Gorsuchs comments suggest he might join with the courts conservative justices in voting to limit the right to abortion but stop short of reversing it.

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage

ALSO:

Supreme Court grants emergency order to block transgender male student in Virginia from using boys restroom

Can Trump put another Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court?
House GOP leaders postponed a much-anticipated vote Thursday on legislation to overhaul the Affordable Care Act amid a Republican revolt that raised doubts about the fate of the measure as well as President Trumps self-proclaimed negotiating skills.

After initially vowing to continue talks through the night, a frustrated White House told a group of GOP lawmakers meeting in the Capitol basement Thursday evening that negotiations were done and a vote would take place Friday.

If the bill is defeated, Trump threatened to simply leave the current healthcare law in place and move on to other issues, according to a message delivered by the presidents budget chief, Mick Mulvaney, according to Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.).

Advertisement

The message is tomorrow its up, its down  we expect it to be up  but its done tomorrow, Mulvaney said Thursday night.

It remained unclear whether Trumps extraordinary ultimatum was real or a pressure tactic designed to bring unruly Republicans in line.

Despite personal appeals from the president and a flurry of last-minute negotiations with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), wary GOP lawmakers remained unconvinced, leaving leaders shy of the votes needed to advance the legislation.

Conservatives argued the bill did not go far enough in dismantling the healthcare law known as Obamacare and were pushing to remove a key provision of the current law that requires health plans to cover a basic set of benefits.

Centrist Republicans, including many from districts that Trump lost in the November election, were worried about projections that 24 million more people would be without health coverage under the GOP bill.

The problem we have right now is nobody likes this bill, said Rep. Raul R. Labrador (R-Idaho), a leading conservative. The majority of Americans dont like this bill, and the majority of Republicans in our districts dont like this bill. Lets make it a bill we can all be proud of.

Options for generating more support appeared limited because making concessions to one faction risked losing support from the other. Efforts were complicated by resistance in the Senate, where Republicans have largely panned the House package as unacceptable.

For lawmakers, the delay meant more time to be hammered by advocacy groups from all sides. Leading patient advocates, physician groups and hospitals have bombarded them with dire warnings about the erosion in coverage. Business groups have lined up on both sides of the bill; conservative organizations backed by the Koch brothers, which oppose the bill as too weak, pledged political ad campaigns to encourage votes against the measure.

The decision to cancel the vote leaves in limbo Trumps bid to quickly scrap his predecessors signature healthcare law and deliver on his partys long-running campaign promise. The Thursday vote had been purposefully scheduled for the laws seven-year anniversary.

At the White House, Trump  whose popularity is sagging amid an FBI investigation into possible collusion between Russia and his presidential campaign  had hoped that a decisive victory in the effort to repeal Obamacare would provide political momentum to propel other ambitious efforts, such as overhauling the nations tax code, pursuing new trade deals and dramatically scaling back federal spending in many areas.

The president made a hard sell in recent days, warning Republicans they risked losing their congressional majority in the next election if they failed to support the bill.

But Trumps struggle to deliver, which seemed complicated at times by his lack of understanding of the complexities of the healthcare legislation, threatened to tarnish his image as a deal-maker.

Rookies error, Donald Trump, said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who ushered passage of the Affordable Care Act under President Obama. She mocked Trump for scheduling a vote before the votes were lined up.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus  which had been somewhat overshadowed by Trumps rise in recent months  led the opposition, reestablishing itself as one of the partys most formidable power centers.

Backed by GOP Senate allies, including Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky, the caucus at times bypassed Ryan and negotiated directly with the White House.

Trump voters would be among the biggest losers in Republicans Obamacare replacement plan 

The vote delay raised familiar questions about who is in control of the Republican Party and dealt an embarrassing setback to Ryan. Facing solid opposition from Democrats, the speaker must rely on the GOP majority for passage and can lose no more than about 21 Republicans. Defections at one point this week spilled beyond 30.

Republican leaders worked late into the night to cut a deal with the caucus. Conservatives wanted a full repeal of the Affordable Care Acts mandates, including 10 essential health benefits, such as maternity coverage, that insurers are required to provide.

While the White House appeared willing to compromise, the caucus splintered Thursday, and Trump was unable to close the deal with them.

Some members of the group complained the compromise did not go far enough to meet their concerns. They havent met us at all, said Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.).

Others wanted to simply start the legislative process over. Theres a split, acknowledged Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), who is among the few from the group backing the new bill.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the House Freedom Caucus chairman, was hopeful a deal would be reached. No deal yet, but negotiations havent stopped. Rep. Meadows remains hopeful and will continue working, his spokesman said on Twitter.

One amendment expected to be offered Friday in an effort to appeal to conservatives would abandon essential benefits mandated in Obamacare for insurance policies.

But in a twist sure to anger many Republicans, the amendment will also keep Obamacares 0.9% tax on high-income earners for six more years to generate an additional $15 billion for a state flexibility fund for patients.

In a bid to get votes, House Republicans prepare changes to their bill rolling back Obamacare 

It was unclear Thursday night whether Trumps ultimatum would work. Some critics reiterated their opposition after his announcement. But supporters predicted the presidents pressure would bring passage.

At the basement meeting Thursday evening, a few GOP lawmakers became emotional at the prospect of finally repealing a law theyd targeted for years.

Moderate Republicans, meanwhile, continued to track the changes, worried that the bill might be dragged too far to the right. A new analysis released Thursday from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office showed changes so far would still leave 24 million more Americans without insurance, but would only reduce the deficit by half as much as initially proposed.

The House reform bill would roll back more than $1 trillion in federal aid, including nearly $900 billion in funding for Medicaid health insurance programs for the poor.

Lets do this right, said Rep. Daniel Donovan (R-N.Y.), who opposed it. I represent 740,000 people who are going to be harmed more than they will be helped by the current proposal.

Times staff writer Brian Bennett contributed to this report.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

@LisaMascaro

noam.levey@latimes.com

@NoamLevey

ALSO

Paul Ryans make-or-break moment on Obamacare will test his power, legacy and relationship with Trump

Obamacare repeal threatens health programs just as theyre starting to work

Heres why the GOP is struggling to come up with a new healthcare plan: That wasnt the goal

More coverage of Congress

More coverage of politics and the White House

UPDATES:

7:30 p.m.: This story was updated with additional details from Thursday nights meeting of Republicans in the Capitol basement.

5:30 p.m.: This story was updated after Trumps ultimatum.

This story was originally published at 4:50 p.m.
Blame for the failure of the Republican healthcare bill will fall on multiple parties, including House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who helped craft it, and the conservative and more moderate GOP factions that warred over its details and cost Republicans the unity they needed.

But the political impact will inevitably fall hardest on President Trump, who presented himself in the presidential campaign as a man singularly positioned to serve as the ultimate deal maker in Washington.

During the campaign, Trump mocked traditional politicians as negligent negotiators not up to the task of forging agreements for the benefit of Americans, whether in the area of trade or healthcare policy.

Advertisement

As Fridays swiftly moving developments made clear, however, it was his administration that was not up to the requirements of pushing through difficult legislation. The White House proved unable either to craft a policy balance that could please enough Republicans or to come up with a compelling argument to persuade Americans to pressure members of Congress.

To have the opportunity to do it, and not get it across the finish line  I dont think it can be viewed in any way other than a big defeat, said Lanhee J. Chen, a Republican policy specialist and veteran of past presidential campaigns.

Trump, in brief remarks after Ryan (R-Wis.) pulled the bill from consideration, did not take responsibility for its demise. He blamed Democrats for failing to vote for the measure but also suggested he would work with them for a bipartisan and truly great healthcare bill in the future.

Trump also indicated he was relegating healthcare to a lower position on his agenda and putting a priority on tax reform, which he has suggested in recent days has long been his favorite topic.

But any important legislation the president hopes to push could now be in danger from some of the same factors that doomed the healthcare measure.

For one, Trump has been reluctant to get into the policy weeds in a way that allows him to barter with lawmakers; in the weeks leading up to Friday, he stuck in public to generalized campaign-style descriptions of the plan.

Even when analysts suggested that its costs would fall most harshly on some of his own voters  older, poorer Americans  he did not counter with any specific argument, other than the insistence that those voters should trust him.

The ideological divisions that marked the healthcare debate are likely to resurface during discussions of tax policy and the budget.

The tax fight is expected to feature wrestling between traditional Republicans seeking tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, and more populist members who want to give greater help to the middle-class voters who contributed to Trumps victory.

On the budget, Republicans are likely to be split between competing desires to cut the deficit and expand defense spending.

Trumps stance in those fights is up in the air. Even more than most politicians, he has been reluctant to ask voters to accept trade-offs, putting him in a weak position for crafting legislative compromises.

He is hurt further by entering these legislative fights from a vulnerable position; he is operating far below ground when it comes to voter support.

A Quinnipiac University poll published this week said that 56% of voters disapproved of how Trump was handling his job; only 37% supported him. Other polls have shown similar numbers.

Worse for the president, some of the voter groups that have most strongly backed him have begun pulling away, the poll indicated.

Two weeks ago, a Quinnipiac poll showed that male voters backed Trump by 4 points; in the latest poll, they disapproved by 9 points. His support among Republicans has fallen from 91%  a typical rating for a president from his own party  to 81%. Among whites, narrow support has given way to a 6-point deficit, the poll found.

Among the group that arguably secured the presidency for Trump  white voters without college degrees  only 50% approved of his tenure, compared with to 43% who disapproved, a stark difference from their enthusiastic approval of him earlier.

Weve been polling for 24 years and have never seen anything like this, said Timothy Malloy, the assistant director of the poll. Far and away, the worst numbers ever seen in a president.

Malloy said the findings indicated that Trump had been damaged by his contention that President Obama wiretapped him in Trump Tower  a view to which Trump has stuck despite assertions by FBI Director James B. Comey and others that no such activity took place.

Trump likely did not help himself by backing a healthcare plan that was less popular than he is. The poll found that only 17% of Americans supported the measure; more than 2 in 5 voters said they were strongly against it.

Notably, Republicans were unenthusiastic about the proposal, while Democrats were energetically against it.

Theres fear in those numbers, said Malloy, referring to findings that a majority of Americans were afraid the plan would diminish insurance coverage.

A big loss, even an early loss, does not necessarily presage a failed presidency. As Chen noted, Trump has nearly four years to go before his next election.

People in politics have very short memories. I dont think it sets the course for the rest of his presidency in any way, said Chen. So far, he added, Trump has accomplished a lot of good combined with unforced errors.

But learning from the healthcare disaster will require not only a change of strategy, but an awareness of shortcomings for a president who, for all his attraction to disruption, has been stubbornly set in his ways.

The responses of the two Republican leaders on Friday was as instructive as it was opposing.

Speaker Ryan spoke of the difficulty of passing big things and took his own share of blame: Weve got to do better, and we will, he said.

Trump, however, indicated with some relish that he was looking forward to watching Obamacare explode  seeming unconcerned about the human impact.

They own it, he said of Democrats.

He praised his fellow Republicans. But in his one comment that indicated the loss might serve as a learning experience, he included the suggestion of payback against those in his party who had dared to vote against his wishes.

We all learned a lot, he said. We learned a lot about loyalty.

For more on politics 

cathleen.decker@latimes.com | Twitter: @cathleendecker

ALSO

Editorial: Trump discovers that legislating is complicated

Trump blames the Democrats and says he learned a lot about loyalty

Michael Hiltzik: The Obamacare repeal appears dead, for now. But lets remember what they wanted to do

Updates on California politics

Live coverage of the Trump transition
President Trump reignited a bruising battle over the nations energy future that environmentalists had hoped was behind them when he announced Friday that his administration has issued a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

But, although Trump portrayed the pipeline as a done deal now, its future remains uncertain. It faces difficult economic issues as well as a newly revived protest movement dedicated to stopping it.

The project, which would ship more than 800,000 barrels of oil daily from Canadas tar sands to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, was rejected by the Obama administration last year after a decade of protest by climate activists, land owners and Native Americans. The rejection came just before President Obama signed an international agreement on global warming in Paris.

Advertisement

The new administration reversed that decision Friday, as Trump moved to fulfill his vow to undo the previous administrations work on climate change and aggressively promote oil development.

It is going to be an incredible pipeline, Trump said, to be built with the greatest technology known to man or women.

At the White House session where he announced the decision, the president credited himself with reviving a project that developer TransCanada Corp.s immense lobbying team had been unable to move forward over a period of years.

I hope you didnt pay your consultants anything, Trump told TransCanada Chief Executive Russell Girling. In fact, I hope you get back the hundreds of millions that you paid them because they didnt do a damn thing except get you a no vote.

Yet, the project still has a long way to go. Keystone was conceived at a time of significantly higher oil prices. Its developers had not envisioned prices would drop and remain so low, for so long.

Extracting oil from the tar sands is expensive, and it remains to be seen if the project will ultimately cost out. There are also significant remaining legal hurdles for TransCanada to overcome.

Already, the White House has retreated from a demand that the builders of the pipeline use American steel  a provision that Trump announced with considerable fanfare. That requirement would have raised the cost of the project substantially.

Instead, about half the steel for the pipeline would be imported, much of it from India and some from a Canadian company owned by a wealthy Russian. White House officials said they exempted the project from Trumps buy-American order because it was already underway at the time the order was signed.

Trump appeared surprised to learn Friday that TransCanda still has work to do before it can proceed.

The bottom line: Keystone, they are finished, he said. They are going to start construction when?

Girling explained that the company has yet to secure the necessary permits in Nebraska, a process that involves multiple stakeholders and will take months.

Nebraska? Trump said. Ill call Nebraska. They have a great governor.

That call may not do much for the pipeline. The decision in Nebraska rests in the hands of an independent commission, with members elected by voters. It will soon be taking testimony from dozens of stakeholders determined to stop construction.

We will never allow an inch of this foreign steel pipeline that can pollute our water and take away our property rights and has threatened treaty rights of tribes here, said Jane Kleeb, president of the Bold Alliance, an advocacy group started in Nebraska to oppose the project.

Her group is among many that have mobilized to fight. They are organizing street protests, planning for encampments along the pipeline route and drafting briefs for what they say will be a deluge of legal action.

The State Department was formally responsible for the permit TransCanada was given to construct a line that crosses the U.S. border. The department concluded that building Keystone is in the national interest, reversing the view of the Obama administration.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp., had recused himself from the decision-making process. The permit was signed by Tom Shannon, a career diplomat serving as undersecretary of state for political affairs.

Environmental groups say the approval, like other ambitious executive actions made by the Trump administration early in its tenure, such as the ban on travel to U.S. from several predominantly Muslim nations, is legally vulnerable. The executive order to revive Keystone, which Trump issued in January, gave State Department staff only 60 days to re-review TransCanadas application, and no public comment was taken.

The department did not update the environmental impact study for the pipeline, a process that could have taken years. It instead relied on an assessment completed in 2014.

The State Department violated key environmental review laws in its haste, said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club.

The pipeline has long been a potent symbol in the fight between green energy advocates and big oil companies, even though its significance to the nations fuel supply and efforts to cut emissions is much smaller than activists on either side have claimed. The pipeline became a line in the sand for an environmental movement demanding that public officials stop backing big, invasive infrastructure projects that feed the worlds oil habit. Those projects undermine the push for more green energy, environmental activists say.

The organizers of that protest movement warned Friday that Trump has just re-energized it.

Americans have finally figured out, despite all the advertising and all the political boosting, what a scam this thing is, said Bill McKibben, founder of the advocacy group 350.org. This fight will be very real and very intense.

But it is a fight Trump embraces, and one that could fortify his popularity with his base of supporters in the industrial Midwest. Trump alluded to the politics of Keystone on Friday.

Other people were not going to be signing this bill, that I can tell you, he said to Girling. If it ever did get done, it would be years. So we put a lot of people to work, a lot of great workers to work. And they very much appreciated it. And they appreciated it at the polls.

evan.halper@latimes.com

Follow me: @evanhalper

ALSO

California isnt giving up on fighting pollution, even with Trump in office

What we learned about Neil Gorsuch during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing

House Intelligence chair partially backs off claim about surveillance of Trump transition team
When Monday morning brings an announcement from the FBI that your presidential campaign is under investigation for possibly cooperating with a hostile foreign power  and things go downhill from there  you know youve had an epically bad week.

That was President Trumps experience over the past seven days. How will he respond?

Trump is hardly the only president who has ever suffered a truly bad patch. Some have learned from their errors, changed course and gone from defeat to victories. Well now see if Trump is capable of following that pattern.

Good afternoon, Im David Lauter, Washington bureau chief. Welcome to the Friday edition of our Essential Politics newsletter, in which we look at the events of the week in Washington and elsewhere in national politics and highlight some particularly insightful stories.

Advertisement

REPEAL AND REPLACE WHOM?

The failure to pass a healthcare bill has done damage to Trumps agenda, which is hard to overstate. Much of Trumps image is built around the idea that hes a master negotiator, able to forge complex deals.

Even as Trumps popularity has been dropping, polls have, until now, shown that Americans were more likely to believe he can work with Congress to achieve results than they were to rate him highly on other aspects of presidential leadership.

Democrats are counting on Trumps unpopularity to help them capture control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections, Mark Barabak reported. (Democratic strategists believe they have a better shot at the House than the Senate because very few Republican-held Senate seats are at stake in 2018.)

The Republican decision to pull their health bill from the House floor rather than have it formally defeated wont be decisive in a midterm election 20 months from now. But failure to fulfill a major campaign promise does demoralize a partys supporters, and to the extent that lasts, it will hurt.

Moreover, losses leave a bitter aftertaste for those who participate in them. Already, the battle over repealing the Affordable Care Act has tested the bond between Trump and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.)  a shotgun marriage that may have been seriously damaged, Mike Memoli and Noah Bierman reported.

Some of Trumps advisors seem eager to blame Ryan for the stumble. Congressional aides, in turn, have pointed fingers at the White House, saying Trumps lack of understanding of policy complicated the negotiations over the bill.

During the campaign, Trump responded to setbacks by firing top aides and bringing in new ones. He could repeat that pattern now, at the risk of further debilitating an administration already riven by competing factions.

He could also lash out at members of Congress who defied him  a step that would run the risk of alienating votes he will need in the future.

Trump repeatedly has said he is eager to move on to tax reform. But the failure to pass a healthcare bill will complicate that effort. In part thats because Ryan and his allies were hoping to use the Medicaid cuts in the healthcare bill to, in effect, offset the cost to the Treasury of reducing taxes.

More importantly, tax reform divides Republicans much the way healthcare does. The precise fault lines differ, but the general problem of members who are unwilling to compromise their ideological purity for the sake of getting legislation passed will continue to plague the White House.

Trumps inability to unite the GOP on repealing Obamacare  an issue that Republicans have run on for seven years  doesnt bode well for an effort to rewrite the tax code.

What was expected to be the final round of healthcare negotiations began in earnest on Monday, when House leaders unveiled a series of amendments designed to make the bill more attractive to conservatives. But, as Noam Levey and Lisa Mascaro reported, all week long, their efforts to attract votes on the right cost them votes from the partys more centrist members.

Thursday night, Trump threatened that he would leave Obamacare in place if the bill failed to pass the House. That promise, too, may now come back to haunt him.

Trump has said in the past that if he just left Obamacare alone, the law would collapse, and Democrats would take the blame for it. Many Republicans believe the first part of that statement, few are willing to bet on the second part.

To avoid the political damage that would result from millions of Americans losing their health coverage, Trump will now probably be stuck in the ironic position of having to keep Obamacare afloat despite his repeated predictions that the law was doomed.

In truth, the laws state is not as parlous as Trump has said. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said earlier this month that the laws marketplaces were basically stable. And even as Republicans drive to repeal the law, some cities around the country have been using it to transform how they deliver healthcare to their poorest residents. Levey took a look at one of the most advanced programs, in Denver.

FBI CALLING

Trumps bad week began, of course, with dramatic testimony before the House Intelligence Committee by FBI Director James Comey, who publicly confirmed that his agents were investigating the possibility that some people in Trumps campaign had coordinated with Russian efforts to shape the 2016 election.

As yet, no one has offered any public evidence of coordination. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the Intelligence panels ranking Democrat, who has emerged as his partys point person on the issue, has said the evidence he has seen is the sort that a prosecutor would use to start an investigation, not finish one.

Its not the evidence that you would present at trial, to a trial jury, to prove [guilt] beyond a reasonable doubt, he told David Cloud and David Willman. But its the kind of evidence you would put forward when youre beginning an investigation.

Politically, of course, even that much is damaging to the administration.

Schiff and the intelligence committees chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) managed to keep Mondays hearing from running into partisan shoals. But, perhaps not surprisingly, given the stakes, the spirit of at least partial bipartisanship did not last long.

On Wednesday, Nunes announced that he had been informed that several officials from Trumps transition team, and perhaps the president, himself, had been mentioned in intelligence reports based on foreign intelligence surveillance. As Cloud, Memoli and Brian Bennett reported, Nunes said the surveillance was legal, but troubling.

He hinted that the evidence might suggest that Trump or his associates had been targeted for surveillance.

On Thursday, Nunes partially backed away from that claim. His spokesman said the chairman could not be sure if any of the Trump aides had actually been overheard by U.S. surveillance or if their names had simply been mentioned by others whose calls were being legally monitored. He also apologized to his committee colleagues for having briefed Trump on his findings before he told them.

After Nunes first announced his findings, Trump said he felt partially vindicated for his claim that Obama had wiretapped him at Trump Tower before the election. Nunes had specifically said that did not happen.

The surveillance he suspected was not based on wiretaps, was legal, happened after the election and wasnt at Trump Tower.

Trumps allegation against Obama, launched in a series of tweets, grew out of conspiracy theories and rumors on right-wing media, Mark Barabak and Michael Finnegan reported.

Here are some of the many unanswered questions that the allegations raise.

SUPREME CONFIDENCE FOR COURT NOMINEE

Not all the news for Trump has been grim. Neil Gorsuch, his nominee for the Supreme Court, opened his confirmation hearings on Monday with a confident tone, David Savage reported. By the time the hearings ended on Thursday, little had happened to change that.

Gorsuch did suffer one setback, Savage reported. While his hearing was going on, the high court unanimously rejected the legal standard he had adopted in an important ruling on schooling for disabled children.

And Democrats made clear that Republicans will have to overcome a filibuster to approve his confirmation. That will probably mean changing the Senates rules to eliminate filibusters on Supreme Court nominations and allow justices to be confirmed by majority vote, a step that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky seems prepared to take.

Gorsuch proved adept at not answering questions on his views  much to the frustration of Democratic senators. But the hearings did shed some light on where he stands, as Savage reported.

TRAVEL BAN TO REMAIN ON HOLD

Back in January, the administration said that national security depended on its ban on travel to the U.S. from seven mostly Muslim countries going into effect immediately. Nearly two months later, with the list now pared to six countries, the ban remains blocked by a series of court orders.

And it will remain on hold for at least a couple more weeks, a federal appeals court said on Thursday. The administration has asked the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va., to overturn the order of a federal district judge in Maryland who blocked the revised version of the ban from going into effect. The appeals court said it would consider the governments motion to lift that order, but gave the two sides until April 5 to file briefs.

ALL THE PRESIDENTS TWEETS

Twitter has long been Trumps favored means of pushing his message. Were compiling all of Trumps tweets. Its a great resource. Take a look.

SOMEONE ELSE HAD A WORSE WEEK

The House Ethics Committee revealed on Thursday that the Justice Department has a criminal investigation underway against Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine). Hes accused of having misused tens of thousands of dollars of campaign contributions for personal expenses, Sarah Wire and Morgan Cook reported.

LOGISTICS

That wraps up this week. My colleague Sarah Wire will be back Monday with the weekday edition of Essential Politics. Until then, keep track of all the developments in national politics and the Trump administration with our Essential Washington blog, at our Politics page and on Twitter @latimespolitics.

Send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

If you like this newsletter, tell your friends to sign up.

David.lauter@latimes.com

@davidlauter
Adam Schiff views documents White House says back Trump surveillance claim By Michael A. Memoli (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) traveled to the White House Friday to view documents President Trump has said partially vindicate his claim that his predecessor ordered surveillance of him during the campaign. In a statement, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said he was told they were precisely the same materials viewed previously by the committees chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), which Schiff said should now be shared with the full panel membership. Nothing I could see today warranted a departure from the normal review procedures, Schiff said, adding that he could not discuss the contents of the documents, which remain classified. Nunes was shown the documents last week by White House officials surreptitiously, then announced to reporters the next day that he needed urgently to go to the White House to brief Trump about them. Schiff, in his statement, said that the White House has yet to explain why senior White House staff apparently shared these materials with but one member of either [Intelligence] committee, only for their contents to be briefed back to the White House. Schiff also had a brief but cordial meeting with Trump during his time at the White House, a spokesman said. White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters earlier Friday that other Democrats have been invited to the White House to view the materials, which he said would shed light on their investigation. Both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are conducting separate reviews of Russian interference into the 2016 election; Trump has asked each panel to also probe his own claim that his predecessor engaged in wire tapping of his phones at Trump Tower during the campaign, an assertion that has been denied by Nunes as well as the heads of the FBI and intelligence agencies. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Mnuchin regrets plugging The Lego Batman Movie, pledges to exercise greater caution in the future By Jim Puzzanghera Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday told a top government ethics official he should not have publicly plugged The Lego Batman Movie  a film in which he has a financial stake  and promised to exercise greater caution in the future. I take very seriously my ethical responsibilities as a presidential appointee and the head of the Department of the Treasury, Mnuchin wrote to Walter Shaub, director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. On Monday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked Shaub to determine whether Mnuchin had committed an ethics violation last week when he discussed the movie during an event hosted by the Axios news website that aired on C-SPAN2. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Rep. Adam Schiff says its too early to consider an immunity deal for Michael Flynn By Associated Press The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says its too early to consider an immunity deal for President Trumps former national security advisor. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) says that Michael Flynn even discussing possible immunity in exchange for protection from prosecution is a grave and momentous step because of the seniority of his former position. Schiff says the House Intelligence Committee is interested in hearing Flynns story, but there would have to be coordination with the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Justice Department on the terms. The House and Senate intelligence committees and the FBI are investigating Russias meddling in the 2016 election. The investigation includes scrutiny of Flynns ties with Russia. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump administration admonishes California chief justice over claim that agents are stalking immigrants By Del Quentin Wilber U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) The Trump administration on Friday fired back at Californias top judge, disputing her characterization this month that federal immigration agents were stalking courthouses to make arrests. In a letter to Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, leaders of Trumps Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security objected to her description of federal agents conduct. As the chief judicial officer of the state of California, your characterization of federal law enforcement is particularly troubling, wrote Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, objecting to Cantil-Sakauyes use of the word stalking. They said agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were using courthouses to arrest immigrants in the U.S. illegally, in part, because California and some of its local jurisdictions prohibit their officials from cooperating with federal agencies in detaining such immigrants under most conditions. Sessions and Kelly told Californias top judge that she should consider taking her concerns to Gov. Jerry Brown and the cities and counties that limit local law enforcements involvement with immigration agents. Cantil-Sakauye, a former prosecutor who rose through the judicial ranks as an appointee of Republican governors, said through a spokesman that she appreciated the Trump administrations admission that they are in state courthouses making federal arrests. Making arrests at courthouses, in my view, undermines public safety because victims and witnesses will fear coming to courthouses to help enforce the law, she said Friday. She expressed disappointment that courthouses, given local and state public safety concerns, were not listed as sensitive areas offlimits to agents. Federal policy lists schools, churches and hospitals as sensitive areas. The letter from the Justice Department officials defended the arrests of immigrants at courthouses. By apprehending suspects after they have passed through security screening at courthouses, federal agents are less likely to encounter anyone who is armed, the letter said. The arrest of individuals by ICE officers and agents is predicated on investigation and targeting of specific persons who have been identified by ICE and other law enforcement agencies as subject to arrest, they wrote. Cantil-Sakauye had asked the Trump administration on March 16 to stop immigration agents from seeking immigrants at the states courthouses. Courthouses should not be used as bait in the necessary enforcement of our countrys immigration laws, she wrote in a letter to Sessions and Kelly. Her letter did not say which courthouses had been the location of such stalking, but judges and lawyers in Southern California have complained of seeing immigration agents posted near courts. She said she feared the practice would erode public trust in the state courts. Sessions and Kelly urged Cantil-Sakauye to speak to Brown and other officials who have enacted policies that occasionally necessitate ICE officers and agents to make arrests at courthouses and other public places. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Back in the spotlight, Hillary Clinton takes aim at Trumps budget By Evan Halper Hillary Clinton stepped back into the spotlight this week after laying relatively low since the election, and she had some advice for President Trump: Tear up the White House budget plan. Clinton was at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security to bestow an award named in her honor to Colombian leaders who helped bring an end to war in that country and elevate the role of women in the peace process. She spoke of the progress the world has made in advancing womens rights since she spoke forcefully on the issue two decades ago when the U.N. gathered world leaders to address it in Beijing. But she warned that progress is threatened by Trump. We are seeing signals of a shift that should alarm us all, Clinton said. This administrations proposed cuts to international health, development and diplomacy would be a blow to women and children and a grave mistake for our country. Clinton then raised the letter signed by 120 former generals and admirals beseeching the Trump administration not to make the cuts. These distinguished men and women who have served in uniform recognize that turning our back on diplomacy wont make our country safer. It will undermine our security and our standing in the world. A lot has changed since Clinton was on the campaign trail, but some things about her style on the stump havent. She pulled out a favorite line from last year as she began to talk about a study that backed up her point about the damage Trumps budget plan could do. Here I go again, Clinton said to whooping and cheering from an audience of mostly female students, talking about research evidence and facts. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Seeking a way forward, Trump increasingly finds himself at odds with his own party By Michael A. Memoli (Evan Vucci / Associated Press ) President Trump won his office in spite of the best efforts of some in his party. Now, the tenuous nature of the bonds between Trump and the GOP are increasingly on public display as the president openly feuds with conservatives and White House officials debate whether to reach out to Democrats in order to restart his domestic agenda. The latest and strongest evidence came Thursday as Trump escalated his political battle against the members of the House Freedom Caucus, the conservative lawmakers who helped block the healthcare bill he backed. Early in the morning, he said on Twitter that the caucus would hurt the entire Republican agenda if they dont get on the team. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018! he added. It was an extraordinary message, suggesting that Trump might try to back challengers in primaries against lawmakers of his own party  something few presidents have tried, none with much success. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Tillerson tells NATO allies to pay more, do more to fight terrorism By Catherine Stupp Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday promised NATO allies that the United States will stand by their side but also expected them to spend more on defense and do more to fight terrorism. Tillerson participated in a day of discussions with foreign ministers from the 27 other NATO member nations, his first with the full roster of allies, who were sent scrambling last week to accommodate the top U.S. diplomat after he said he could not attend the meeting originally planned for early April. The United States is committed to ensuring NATO has the capabilities to support our collective defense. We understand that a threat against one of us is a threat against all of us, Tillerson said. But, he added, as President Trump has made clear, it is no longer sustainable for the U.S. to maintain a disproportionate share of NATOs defense expenditures. The United States is amping up pressure on NATO members to increase their defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product, in line with a 2014 agreement among the alliances 28 member countries to meet the target by 2024. Only five NATO countries meet the 2% threshold. The U.S. spends 3.61% of its GDP on defense, more than any other member of the alliance. Tillerson said that if countries have not met the 2% spending goal by the end of the year, they should at least have a concrete plan that clearly articulates how, with annual milestone progress commitments, the pledge will be fulfilled. Pressure to meet that strict deadline is likely to upset some allies. German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel told reporters before Fridays meeting that he thinks it would be completely unrealistic for Germany to bring its military defense spending up to 2% of GDP. I dont know any politician in Germany who thinks that this would be reachable or desirable, Gabriel said. Germany is increasing its military spending this year to $39 billion, or 1.2% of its GDP. Gabriel rejected the Trump administrations focus on military expenditures, arguing that humanitarian aid and Germanys spending to take in refugees should be considered part of the defense budget. Tillerson also called on allies to take a greater role in the fight against terrorism. NATO can and should do more, he said. Fighting terrorism is the top national security priority for the United States, as it should be for all of us. Tillersons earlier announcement that he would skip the meeting struck a nerve among the alliance members, coming at a sensitive time when tensions between the Trump administration and NATO allies have soared. The schedule change caused an awkward protocol shuffle, with a handful of foreign ministers unable to make it to Brussels. What was supposed to be a two-day meeting was compressed into half of a day. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tried to cast optimism on the last-minute schedule change, calling it a sign of the strong transatlantic unity and flexibility of our alliance that we were able to find a date. The foreign ministers meeting is crucial because it lays the groundwork for a NATO summit with heads of state in May, which will be President Trumps first overseas trip since taking office. Tillersons day of talks at NATO headquarters in Brussels follows visits from Defense Secretary James Mattis and Vice President Mike Pence, who attempted to dispel fears that the Trump administration will seek to loosen ties with the alliance. Trump called NATO obsolete in an interview published days before his inauguration. He later insisted, during German Chancellor Angela Merkels visit to the White House earlier this month, that the U.S. will maintain its strong commitment to the alliance. Tillerson arrived in Brussels on Friday morning after meeting Thursday in Ankara, Turkey, with that countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to discuss terrorism and Syria, though the leaders failed to reach an agreement on how to combat Islamic State. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump weighs in on Michael Flynns request for immunity President Trumps former national security advisor, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, is seeking immunity from prosecution in return for testifying to the House and Senate intelligence committees, a congressional aide said. The development was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Gen. Flynn certainly had a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit, his lawyer, Robert Kelner, said in a statement. No reasonable person, who has the benefit of advice from counsel, would submit to questioning in such a highly politicized, witch-hunt environment without assurances from unfair prosecution. On Friday morning, Trump tweeted his support for Flynns request. Flynn was ousted as Trumps national security advisor last month after news reports disclosed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about phone conversations with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to the U.S. The calls were picked up by U.S. surveillance targeting the Russian envoy, and a description of the contents was leaked to the Washington Post after the Justice Department warned the White House that Flynn could be subject to blackmail. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Former national security advisor Michael Flynn seeks immunity By David S. Cloud President Trumps former national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, has been seeking immunity from prosecution in return for testifying to the House and Senate intelligence committees, a congressional official confirmed Thursday. The negotiations were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. In a statement, Flynns lawyer, Robert Kelner, said Gen. Flynn certainly had a story to tell and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit. No reasonable person, who has the benefit of advice from counsel, would submit to questioning in such a highly politicized, witch-hunt environment without assurances from unfair prosecution. Trump fired Flynn three weeks into the new administration after news reports disclosed that he had lied to White House colleagues, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to the U.S. In December, Flynn had telephone conversations with Kislyak in which he discussed sanctions that the Obama administration had recently imposed on Russia to punish Moscow for its interference in the 2016 presidential election. Flynn denied to Pence and other officials that he had discussed the sanctions with Kislyak. So far, the committees, which are investigating Russian interference and whether anyone close to Trump colluded with Moscow, have not taken Flynn up on his offer, the Journal reported. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump administration appeals Hawaii judges order against travel ban By Jaweed Kaleem The Department of Justice has appealed a Hawaii court order that brought President Trumps travel ban to a national halt. The government has argued that the president was well within his authority to restrict travel from six Muslim-majority countries and put a pause on refugee resettlement. The appeal Thursday to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals came a day after U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu refused to dismiss his temporary block of the travel ban that he issued on March 15. With the appeal, the government is now fighting to reinstate the travel ban in two appeals courts on opposite ends of the country. That increases the likelihood that one of the cases will make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice appealed a Maryland district judges order against the travel ban to the U.S. 4th District Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. Both rulings in Hawaii and Maryland said Trumps executive order discriminated against Muslims. Watson and U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland cited Trumps campaign promises to suspend Muslim travel to the U.S. as proof of his orders anti-Muslim bias. The Hawaii ruling is broader than the Maryland one. It blocks a 90-day pause on travel to the U.S. from nationals of six majority-Muslim countries and a 120-day moratorium on new refugee resettlement. The Maryland ruling only halted the ban on travel into the U.S. by citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The 9th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over nine Western states, is the same court where a panel of three judges denied a government request last month to reverse ruling against the first travel ban by a federal judge in Washington state. Trump, in turn, lambasted the bad court and signed a new executive order on travel on March 6 that was modified in an attempt to survive court challenges. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Senate heads for nuclear option if Democrats filibuster Gorsuch nomination By Lisa Mascaro One of the Senates most serious jobs  confirming the presidents choice for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court  has devolved into a game of political chicken. Senators are heading toward an institution-defining showdown next week as Democrats promise to try to block President Trumps nominee, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, with a filibuster, a rarely seen maneuver for high court appointments. Republicans are threatening to respond by changing long-standing Senate rules to circumvent the 60 votes that would be needed to overcome a filibuster. Instead they would allow confirmation with a simple majority. The outcome has the potential to not only shape the future of the Supreme Court  which has been without a full bench since the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia last year  it also could crush one final vestige of bipartisanship in the Senate, altering the upper chamber for years to come. The battle over the Supreme Court seat was always expected to be a partisan affair in todays heated political climate. But the polemics intensified after the Republican majority denied President Obamas nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, a confirmation hearing ahead of last years presidential election. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Scalias seat has been vacant longer than any Supreme Court justices in nearly 50 years By Colleen Shalby (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Its been more than 400 days since Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalias death left his seat vacant. With Republicans having blocked a vote on then-President Obamas nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, and with Senate Democrats now making plans to filibuster President Trumps nominee, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, it could take even longer to replace Scalia. Its not unheard of for a justices seat to remain empty for a considerable amount of time. Pew Research Center did the math and found that the longest gap was 841 days, in the mid-1840s, from the time of Henry Baldwins death to his replacement Robert Griers confirmation. But the last time in recent history that a vacancys duration in this range occurred was after Abe Fortas resigned in 1969. It took 391 days to fill that seat, an interval that ended in 1970 when Harry Blackmun  the justice who authored the courts landmark opinion in Roe vs. Wade  was confirmed. Blackmun was President Nixons third pick to fill that seat. The second-longest vacancy in recent years occurred in 1988. It took 237 days to fill Lewis Powells seat after he retired, with Anthony Kennedy succeeding him. Its been 58 days and counting since Trump nominated Gorsuch. Heres how his waiting time from nomination to confirmation stacks up against the current justices: Elena Kagan: 87 days

Sonia Sotomayor: 66 days

Samuel A. Alito Jr.: 82 days

John G. Roberts Jr.: 23 days

Stephen G. Breyer: 73 days

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 50 days

Clarence Thomas: 99 days

Anthony M. Kennedy: 65 days If Gorsuch is confirmed soon, he wont start considering cases until the courts new term in October.

And if hes not confirmed? Trump would nominate another successor to Scalia  theres no limit on how many times he can do that. Until Scalias seat is filled, lower courts decisions serve as tie-breakers. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Sens. Manchin and Heitkamp become first Democrats to announce support for Gorsuch By David Savage Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota became the first Democrats to say they will vote for Judge Neil Gorsuch and not support the effort to filibuster his confirmation to the Supreme Court. Their announcements came as no surprise. Both are centrists who have to run for reelection next year in states that voted overwhelmingly for Trump. After considering his record, watching his testimony in front of the Judiciary Committee and meeting with him twice, I will vote to confirm him to be the ninth justice on the Supreme Court, Manchin said. I have found him to be an honest and thoughtful man.... I have not found any reasons why this jurist should not be a Supreme Court justice. Heitkamp said she was impressed with Gorsuchs record as a judge. This vote does not diminish how disturbed I am by what the Republicans did to Judge [Merrick] Garland, referring to the GOP-led Senates refusal last year to consider President Obamas choice to fill the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia. But I was taught that two wrongs dont make a right, she said. The Republican majority in the Senate needs six more Democrats to join with them if they hope to stop the expected filibuster of President Trumps Supreme Court nominee. It takes 60 votes to end the debate under the Senates current rules. But the 52 Republicans may vote to simply eliminate this requirement if the Democrats stand firm against Gorsuch. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to approve Gorsuch on a party line vote and send the nomination to the Senate floor. A final vote is expected April 7. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House invites lawmakers to see intelligence material after New York Times report By Noah Bierman The White House has invited House and Senate intelligence committee chairs to review documents that it says were recently discovered by national security staff that could help determine whether information gathered about American citizens was mishandled. White House spokesman Sean Spicer would not say whether these are the same documents that Rep. Devin Nunes, the Tulare Republican who chairs the House intelligence committee, said he reviewed last week. Nunes has refused to identify his sources. Some saw his disclosure as an attempt to give credence to President Trumps widely refuted claim that President Obama had ordered wiretaps on his phone during the campaign. Nunes said the material he reviewed suggested that intelligence agencies had incidentally collected information about Trump or his associates. He has declined to be more specific or share the information with the committee. But the New York Times reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that two White House officials helped Nunes get access to the documents. And now the same information may be provided to other members of the Intelligence committee. In a letter to the bipartisan group of intelligence leaders sent Thursday, White House Counsel Donald McGhan said administration lawyers would supervise the review given the sensitivity of the documents to protect the extremely sensitive intelligence sources and methods. The letter calls on the committee to investigate the possibility that classified information was inappropriately gathered and handled and whether civil liberties of American citizens were violated. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters that he welcomed the chance to review the materials, though he said he would be obligated to share them with the rest of his committee. More troubling to Schiff, he said, was the cloak and dagger stuff and circuitous route that the White House national security staff appears to have used to disseminate the materials in that secret meeting with Nunes. Schiff said White House staff may have been trying to launder information through the committee, rather than simply providing it directly to the president. If that was designed to hide the origin of the materials, that raises profound questions about just what the White House is doing, Schiff said. We need to get to the bottom of whether this was some sort of stratagem by the White House. In a letter to McGhan, Schiff said answering the White Houses questions would require asking intelligence agencies how the information in the documents was gathered. I hope you will confirm to the committee whether these materials are the same as those first shared with Nunes, Schiff wrote. 2:11: This story was updated with staff reporting Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trumps team: A network of ties to Russia By Angelica Quintero The FBI is investigating possible coordination between people associated with the Trump campaign and Russian authorities during the 2016 election. The U.S. intelligence community has said it is confident that the Russian government directed hacking operations and intended to interfere with the U.S. election process. Take a look at how some high-profile people have been drawn into the investigation. See the graphic  Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Former RNC official is first to depart senior West Wing staff By Michael A. Memoli A former top Republican National Committee official and ally of White House chief of staff Reince Priebus will depart her West Wing post in the first significant shake-up of President Trumps senior staff. Politico first reported that Katie Walsh, the deputy White House chief of staff, will leave to take on an advisory position with political groups that were formed to support the presidents agenda from the outside. Walsh had served as chief of staff at the RNC when Priebus was party chair. At the White House, she served in a similar capacity under Priebus, tasked with overseeing the senior staff and the scheduling operation. Though White House officials denied the move was a signal of disharmony within the senior ranks, her departure spoke to issues dogging the new administration  a top-heavy operation in the West Wing and also the inability of the president to sustain the kind of grassroots support for his agenda that proved key to his electoral win. It was abundantly clear we didnt have air cover when it came to the calls coming into lawmakers, and nobody can fix this problem like Katie Walsh, Priebus told reporters later, according to Time. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Putin: Read my lips, there was no Russian meddling in U.S. vote By Ann M. Simmons Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto during the International Arctic Forum in Arkhangelsk, Russia, on Thursday. (Sergei Karpukhim / AFP/Getty Images) Calling the accusations lies, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday denied that Moscow meddled in last years U.S. elections. Read my lips, no, Putin said during a panel moderated by CNBC, according to a report on the news agencys website. All those things are fictional, illusory and provocations, lies, the Russian president said. All these are used for domestic American political agendas. The anti-Russian card is played by different political forces inside the United States to trade on that and consolidate their positions inside. Putins comments came as the Senate Intelligence Committee was set to begin a hearing entitled Disinformation: A Primer in Russian Active Measures and Influence Campaigns, which will focus on understanding the method of Russias active disinformation campaign and assess the extent of Moscows interference. FBI Director James Comey confirmed earlier this month that his agency was investigating Russias intrusion into the 2016 poll and whether there was any collusion between Moscow and President Trumps campaign. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump levels extraordinary threat against GOP conservatives; Ryan says he understands presidents frustration By Noah Bierman House Speaker Paul D. Ryan commiserated with President Trump Thursday after the president launched a Twitter assault on the group of rebellious Republicans known as the Freedom Caucus. I understand the frustration, I share the frustration, Ryan told reporters Thursday, when asked to respond to Trumps threat to campaign against fellow Republicans. Freedom Caucus members, who back limited government and have defined themselves in opposition to the Washington establishment, have been a major headache for GOP leaders. Ever since the Republicans took control of the House in 2010, conservative refusal to back key bills to fund government agencies has forced GOP leaders to negotiate with Democrats for the votes they need. Freedom Caucus members helped lead the charge against former Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). The caucus was blamed by many Republicans last week for torpedoing the leaderships plan, backed by Trump, to make significant changes to Obamacare. Still, Trumps threat to fight them in the 2018 elections was an extraordinary step. Trump had previously made electoral threats against wayward members of his party, but Thursdays tweet was especially direct, threatening to treat them the same way as Democrats. The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2017 Freedom Caucus members have begun pushing back aggressively. A spokeswoman for the group argued on Twitter that Trump did not have his facts right and that Republican moderates were equally responsible for sinking the healthcare bill. View Twitter post Finding Trump supporters to challenge Republicans in a primary would be hard and could further thrust the GOP into civil war. Trump, despite low poll numbers nationally, remains popular in core Republican districts. Many members of Congress, however, ran ahead of him in their districts in the last election. The president has also suggested he might be open to cutting deals with Democrats, something the White House has discussed but not followed through on. That would also be difficult, given the rancor on the left. Ryan said Thursday that the best path is for Republicans to come together on healthcare and other issues About 90% of our conference is for this bill to repeal and replace Obamcare, and about 10% are not. And thats not enough to pass a bill, he said. What I am encouraging our members to do is to keep talking with each other until we can get the consensus to pass this bill. But its very understandable that the president is frustrated that we havent gotten to where we need to go, because this is something that we all said we would do. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Pence casts tie-breaking vote to advance bill that would let states withhold federal funds from Planned Parenthood By Lisa Mascaro Republicans needed Vice President Mike Pence to cast a tie-breaking vote Thursday in the Senate to advance legislation that rolls back rules preventing states from withholding certain federal funds to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. With opposition from two Republican women, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Republicans did not have enough votes with their slim 52-seat majority to advance the bill. Pence, a longtime opponent of abortion, arrived to cast the vote breaking the 50-50 tie  and will be expected to do so later Thursday on final passage. We just saw a historic moment, said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) It is a sad day for the United States Senate. The measure rolls back a regulation finalized at the end of President Obamas administration that explicitly prevented states from denying federal Title X family planning funds to clinics, like Planned Parenthood, that also provide abortion services. Under longstanding practice, no federal funds can be used for abortions, but federal family planning money can flow to the clinics to provide other healthcare services. Some Republican-led state governments had been moving in recent years to choke off Title X funds from any clinics that offered abortion service. The Obama rule sought to prohibit such practices. The bill Thursday, sponsored by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), has already cleared the House. It is part of a series of bills being passed by Congress under the so-called Congressional Review Act, which allows federal regulations put in place during the final days of the previous administration to be undone by simple majority passage. Passage by the Senate later Thursday would send it to the White House for President Trumps signature. Busy day in D.C., but always happy to make time to meet visitors touring the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/4q6JG8wP0E  Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) March 30, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Senate committee narrowly approves Acostas nomination to be Labor secretary By Jim Puzzanghera (Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP) A Senate committee on Thursday narrowly approved R. Alexander Acosta to be Labor secretary, moving to fill one of President Trumps few remaining vacant Cabinet posts. The nomination of Acosta, a law school dean and former Justice Department official, was approved by a 12-11 vote by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. All of the panels Republicans supported the nomination; all of the Democrats were opposed. If confirmed in a full Senate vote, which is expected soon, Acosta will be the only Latino in Trumps Cabinet. A date for the final vote hasnt been set. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Follow the money and the trail of dead Russians, expert urges senators By Del Quentin Wilber (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Thursday into Russian efforts to influence the November elections has been a long history lesson, tracing Moscows decades-long efforts to use misinformation to undermine democracies. But Clinton Watts, of the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University, provided a roadmap to better understanding the Kremlins efforts. He urged senators and the U.S. government to follow the money to figure out how misinformation websites and social media outlets are being funded. While the Russians conducted their hacking in the Internets shadows, their efforts to influence the election was hardly a secret, he said. You can hack stuff and be covert, but you cant influence and be covert, he said. You have to ultimately show your hand. And thats why we have been able to discover it online. The second way to trace Russian influence was more ominous: Follow the trail of dead Russians, he said. There have been more dead Russians in the past three months that are tied to this investigation, he added. They are dropping dead, even in Western countries. Watts didnt finish the thought but was likely referring to a spate of deaths of high-profile Russians, some of which appeared to be assassinations although others appear to have been from natural causes. With the daytime execution of a Russian politician in Ukraine last week, at least eight Russian politicians, activists, ambassadors and a former intelligence official have died since the U.S. election. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Russia has stepped up efforts to influence elections, experts tell Senate panel By David S. Cloud (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) Moscow has stepped up its interference in U.S. and European elections, using social media, hacking and other tools to undermine public confidence and to raise doubts about the U.S as an ally, Russia experts told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday. The committee was taking testimony from experts in Russian propaganda and intelligence operations as part of its investigation into Moscows meddling in the 2016 election. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the panel, emphasized that in addition to examining the broad topic of Russian efforts to influence the election, the panel also must seek to answer whether President Trumps campaign had contact with Russian officials last year, noting the the FBI has opened its own probe. I will not prejudge the outcome of our investigation. We are seeking to determine if there is an actual fire, but there is clearly a lot of smoke, Warner said. Dr. Eugene Rumer, Director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the panel that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably viewed Moscows meddling in the U.S. election as an unqualified success. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Tillerson meets Turkish officials to seek support for battle against Islamic State in Syria By Umar Farooq Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday met for more than two hours with Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as they hoped to shore up troubled relations between their nations. Making his first trip to Turkey, Tillerson became the highest-ranking Trump administration official to hold a face-to-face session with Erdogan, an increasingly authoritarian leader who is also a NATO member and key ally in the fight against Islamic State in Syria. The meeting went longer than planned. Turkey and the United States disagree sharply on how to combat Islamic State: Washington supports Kurdish militias that Erdogan regards as an arm of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey and the U.S. consider a terrorist organization. Trying to fight against Daesh through terrorist organizations such as ... extensions of the PKK, would be like shooting yourself in the foot, Erdogans senior advisor, Ibrahim Kalin, said ahead of Thursdays meeting. Daesh is a pejorative Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Hawaii judge extends national halt on Trumps travel ban By Jaweed Kaleem Donald Trump in San Diego in May. (John Gastaldo / San Diego Union-Tribune)) The Hawaii federal judge who brought President Trumps revised travel ban to a national halt this month extended his order blocking the bans enforcement. The move Wednesday sets the stage for the Justice Department to appeal to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the ruling. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watsons original order halting the travel ban was issued March 15, a day before the ban was to go into effect, in the form of a temporary restraining order. At a hearing in Honolulu on Wednesday, federal lawyers asked Watson to either dismiss that order or narrow the restrictions to apply to fewer parts of the travel ban. Instead, Watson said he would turn the order into a preliminary injunction, which has the effect of extending his order blocking the travel ban for a longer period. Watson said he would keep intact the restrictions on the travel ban -- a block of its 90-day moratorium on travel to the U.S. from nationals of six majority-Muslim countries and its 120-day pause on new refugee resettlement. If the Justice Department appeals the case, it will be heard in the same court that upheld a national halt to Trumps first travel ban last month after a Seattle federal judge ruled against it. The administration has already appealed to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals a Maryland judges more limited March 16 ruling that stopped enforcement of the travel orders country-specific ban. Both the Hawaii and Maryland judges found Trumps executive order to discriminate against Muslims. They used the presidents campaign statements promising to suspend Muslim travel to the U.S. as evidence of the orders anti-Muslim bias. Government lawyers have argued that the president is not singling out Muslims but instead acting within his power to restrict immigration and safeguard national security while better vetting procedures are developed to prevent potential terrorists from entering the U.S. Trump has said hell take the case over the travel ban to the U.S. Supreme Court. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Ivanka Trump gets formal White House role, with ethics obligations but no pay By Michael A. Memoli (Brendan Smialowski / AFP-Getty Images) Ivanka Trump is taking on a more formal White House role  with a title but not a paycheck  a move intended to quell ethics concerns raised about her status in her fathers administration. In a statement, the White House noted that the presidents elder daughter already had an unprecedented role in the administration different from that of previous presidential children. She now will take the title of special advisor to the president, and therefore assume the same responsibility to abide by ethics standards that other federal employees have, the statement said. The decision demonstrates the administrations commitment to ethics, transparency and compliance, the administration said. Although Ivanka Trump already had a West Wing office  as does her husband, senior advisor Jared Kushner  she now will have increased opportunities to lead initiatives driving real policy benefits for the American public that would not have been available to her previously, a White House spokesman said. The announcement came on a day when President Trump sought to promote his administrations commitment to empowering women. He delivered remarks at an East Room event that included other top women in his Cabinet, including U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Small Business Administration head Linda McMahon. Ivanka Trump held a roundtable with female business owners earlier, Press Secretary Sean Spicer said. Earlier Wednesday, leading Senate Democrats sent a letter to the Office of Government Ethics raising concerns about the increasing, albeit unspecified position Ivanka Trump had held and the potential conflicts of interest that her government position might trigger with her personal businesses, including a retail clothing brand. The letter from Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) asked the agency whether Trump would be required to divest herself of personal assets or if she could be required to recuse herself from certain functions. Trumps new position was first reported by the New York Times. In a statement to the paper, Trump said she was acting in response to ethics concerns, but noted she already had been voluntarily complying with all ethics rules. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Russia inquiry one of the biggest congressional probes in decade, senators say By David Lauter Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, and Mark Warner (D-Va.). (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) The Senate Intelligence Committees probe into Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election will be one of the biggest investigations in years and has already involved an unprecedented level of cooperation between Congress and U.S. spy agencies, the panels chairman said Wednesday. At a Capitol Hill news conference, the committee chairman, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, and its ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, emphasized the bipartisan nature of the panels efforts, drawing a determined, though unstated, contrast with the partisan dysfunction of a parallel investigation in the House. The committee will go wherever the intelligence leads us, Burr said. And he pointedly refused to endorse White House statements that investigators inevitably will find that there was no collusion between President Trumps campaign and the Russians. It would be crazy to try to draw any conclusions at this point, Burr said. We know that our challenge is to answer that question to the American people, Burr said, referring to the issue of Trumps involvement. Warner said he had confidence in Richard Burr to run a fair investigation and produce a bipartisan conclusion. Warner said Americans should not lose sight of what the investigation is about: An outside foreign adversary effectively tried to hijack the election and favor one candidate over the other. They didnt do it because it was in the best interest of the American people, he said. "[Russian President] Vladimir Putins goal is a weaker United States. The Russian action should be a concern of all Americans regardless of party affiliation, he added. The committee staff already has reviewed thousands of pages of intelligence documents and has begun scheduling interviews with a list of 20 preliminary witnesses, who will be questioned in private before the panel holds public hearings, Burr said. He strongly implied that one of the potential witnesses is retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who was fired from his post as national security advisor to Trump after the disclosure that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and others about his contacts with Russias ambassador to the U.S. You would think less of us if the committee had not talked with Flynn, Burr told reporters. The witnesses, including Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and advisor, will be questioned when the committee is ready, he said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Justice Department watchdog finds DEA cash seizure program may pose risk to civil liberties By Del Quentin Wilber A Ukiah, Calif., police officer works with a dog to search for drugs or cash in a motorists car on May 14, 2014. (Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Times) The way the Drug Enforcement Administration seizes cash and other assets may pose a risk to civil liberties, the Justice Departments internal watchdog reported Wednesday. The Justice Departments inspector general also determined that the agency does not measure or track how its asset seizure activities advance criminal investigations. Over the last decade, more than $28 billion has been seized through the departments asset forfeiture program. The effort and others in states have generated intense controversy in recent years, with critics contending that many seizures are unfair because some who lose their assets are never charged with crimes. Law enforcement officials, however, say that seizing property and cash is a key tool in disrupting criminal organizations and compensating the victims of crimes. Former Atty. Gen. Eric Holder in 2015 limited how state and local authorities can obtain seized funds by working with federal agents. In its report released Wednesday, the inspector general examined 100 cases in which the DEA seized cash. Eighty-five of the cases involved interdiction at transportation hubs, such as airports or parcel centers. Nearly 80 of those seizures resulted from the direct observation of agents or local police. The inspector general and the Justice Department have raised concerns in the past about such stops and searches, in part, due to the potential for racial profiling. Of the 100 cases, the DEA could verify that only 44 advanced ongoing investigations, led to a new investigation, or resulted in an arrest or prosecution, the inspector general found. When seizure and administrative forfeitures do not ultimately advance an investigation or prosecution, law enforcement creates the appearance, and risks the reality, that it is more interested in seizing and forfeiting cash than advancing an investigation or prosecution, the report said. The inspector general also found that the Justice Department does not provide enough training or require state and local officers working on federal task forces to be trained on asset forfeiture policies. The Justice Department responded in a letter to the inspector general that its analysis was flawed and its sample significantly underreported the amount of seized funds that are ultimately returned. In a statement, Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said, Asset forfeiture is a powerful and effective law enforcement tool, allowing the department to compensate victims, deprive criminals of the proceeds of their crimes, remove the tools of crime from criminal organizations, and deter crime. The department believes that the ongoing public debate about asset forfeiture is healthy, she added, but as outlined in our formal response, we strongly disagree with large swaths of this report and its flawed methodology that failed to address the essential role asset forfeiture plays combating some of the most sophisticated criminal actors and organizations, including terrorist financiers, cyber criminals, fraudsters, human traffickers, and drug cartels. 9:23 a.m.: This story was updated with Justice Department comment. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Hoax. Con job. Chinese plot. Trump tweets have bashed climate science for years By Michael Finnegan President Trump signs an executive order Tuesday to rescind Obama administration policies on climate change. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) As President Trump moved to halt federal efforts against global warming on Tuesday, he avoided an important phrase: climate change. It was the same story during his campaign for president; Trump rarely mentioned it. When he pledged in May to withdraw the United States from the Paris treaty, a pact among nearly every nation on Earth to reduce the carbon emissions that cause global warming, it was one of the few occasions when Trump broached the topic. Trumps muted approach made political sense. To reject science is to risk alienating millions of moderate voters who support action to stop global warming. But before Trump started running for president, he often bluntly attacked climate science. Some highlights from his Twitter feed: Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Supreme Court rules in favor of merchants who want to advertise credit card fees By David Savage Supreme Court rules on swipe fees (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)) Merchants may soon have the right to tell customers that they will pay a surcharge if they use a credit card rather than pay with cash. The Supreme Court cast doubt Wednesday on laws in California, New York, Florida and seven other states that make it illegal for sellers to impose a surcharge on credit card sales. In a 8-0 decision, the justices said these laws regulate speech and may be challenged as violations of the 1st Amendment. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said these laws do not prevent merchants from offering a discount for those who pay cash. Rather, they simply forbid disclosing that a posted price includes a surcharge of 2% to 3% for using a credit or debit card. Merchants want to pass the fees along only to their customers who choose to use credit cards, he said. They also want to make clear that they are not the bad guys -- that the credit card companies, not the merchants, are responsible for the higher prices. But the ruling Wednesday was only a partial victory for the five New York businesses, including a hair salon and an ice cream parlor in Brooklyn, that sued to challenge the ban on advertising or disclosing surcharges for using credit cards. The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York had upheld the law on the grounds it was a price regulation, not a speech restriction. Roberts and the high court disagreed. What the law does is regulate how sellers may communicate their prices, he said. A merchant who wants to charge $10 for cash and $10.30 for credit may not convey that price any way he pleases. He is not free to say '$10, with a 3% credit card surcharge. But the justices did not strike down the state laws, instead sending the case back to the New York court to decide whether this speech regulation could be justified. Sometimes, laws are used to regulate the words of commercial transactions to prevent buyers from being fooled or confused. Until recently, the major credit card companies had imposed contract restrictions that prevented merchants from disclosing surcharges. But those provisions have challenged and knocked down. That in turn led to new legal challenges against the state laws which forbid sellers from disclosing these surcharges. The case decided Wednesday was Expressions Hair Design vs. Schneiderman. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trumps poll numbers are low. But the people who put him in office say its not time to judge him  yet By Noah Bierman Its been five months since the euphoria of a Donald Trump rally at the local arena brought optimism to this former Democratic stronghold. The snow from a long winter has begun melting into the rocky soil, and the digital sign in a torn-up parking lot blinks hopefully: Warm days are coming. President Trump has yet to deliver jobs or the repeal of Obamacare. But here, in an area crucial to his unexpected election victory, many residents are more frustrated with what they see as obstruction and a rush to judgment than they are with Trump. Give him six months to prove himself, said an information technology supervisor. Give him a year, said a service manager. Give him four years, said a retired print shop owner. Give the man a chance, said Crystal Matthews, a 59-year-old hospital employee. Theyre just going to fight him tooth and nail, the whole way. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

To fight womans defamation claim, Trump cites the Bill Clinton-Paula Jones case  which the president lost By David Savage President Trump is citing Bill Clintons famous sexual harassment battle in his effort to block a California womans lawsuit claiming Trump lied about groping her in the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2007. Problem is, Clinton lost that bid for legal immunity when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 1997 that the chief executive is not shielded from responding to a civil suit regarding his private behavior. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

House sends Trump bill to kill landmark broadband privacy regulations By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sponsored the repeal bill. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) The House voted Tuesday to kill landmark privacy restrictions for Internet service providers and sent the bill to the White House, which indicated President Trump would sign it and invalidate the rules before they go into effect. The measure, approved largely along party lines, repeals tough new Federal Communications Commission regulations that would require broadband companies to get explicit customer permission before using or sharing most of their personal information. The data include health information, website browsing history, app usage and the geographic information from mobile devices. The rules also tighten data security requirements. Republicans, along with AT&T Inc., Charter Communications Inc., Comcast Corp. and other providers of high-speed Internet service, strongly opposed the rules. They argued that the restrictions are tougher than those for websites and social networks that also collect and use the highly valuable consumer data, which companies use to target advertising. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

U.S. commander says theres a fair chance that coalition airstrike is responsible for civilian casualties in Mosul By W.J. Hennigan Rescuers are still recovering bodies from a suspected U.S. airstrike in the Iraqi city of Mosul. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) The top U.S. general commanding the fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria said that the U.S.-led coalition was probably responsible for a blast that killed more than 200 people. If we did it, and I would say theres at least a fair chance that we did, it was an unintentional accident of war and we will transparently report it to you, Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend told reporters Tuesday via teleconference from Baghdad. He made the comments in response to witness reports that an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition leveled a large apartment block and killed scores of civilians, including women and children, in west Mosuls Jadidah neighborhood on March 17. My initial assessment is that we probably had a role in these casualties, Townsend said. But investigators are still trying to determine whether other factors -- possibly including repeated airstrikes in the neighborhood or an explosive device accidentally or deliberately planted near the building -- could have led to its collapse. The fact that the whole building collapsed contradicts our involvement, Townsend said. The munition that we used should not have collapsed an entire building. So thats one of those things were trying to figure out in the investigative process. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Gov. Jerry Brown calls Trump energy plan a colossal mistake that will galvanize climate change activists By Evan Halper Gov. Jerry Brown. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press) California Gov. Jerry Brown warned that President Trump has just made a colossal mistake in gutting the federal governments effort to combat climate change, which will ignite a response Trump is unprepared to handle. It defies science itself, Brown said in a call to The Times shortly after Trump signed an executive order that aims to bring an abrupt halt to the United States leadership on global warming. Erasing climate change may take place in Donald Trumps mind, but nowhere else. Yes, there is going to be a counter-movement, Brown vowed, predicting Trumps actions will mobilize environmentalists in a way President Obama never could. I have met with many heads of state, ambassadors. This is a growing movement. President Trumps outrageous move will galvanize the contrary force. Things have been a bit tepid [in climate activism]. But this conflict, this sharpening of the contradiction, will energize those who believe climate change is an existential threat. Brown and other big-state governors and mayors are moving swiftly to fill the global leadership vacuum Trump created with Tuesdays directive, which stops short of officially pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord of 2015. I see Washington declining in influence, but the momentum being maintained by California and other states aligned with China and those who are willing to do something, said Brown, who will be traveling to China soon for meetings on climate. There is a growing activism on the part of millions of people who will not stand by and let Donald Trump effectively tear up the Paris agreement and destroy Americas climate leadership and jeopardize the health and well being of so many people. In the face of Trumps retreat on climate, Brown said California will step up its own efforts to push others toward clean energy. We are not fully meeting the challenge of climate change yet, he said. We are doubling down on our commitment. We are reaching out to other states in America and throughout the world and other countries . We have plenty of fuel to build this movement. This is real, Brown said of the threat created by climate change. The nations of the world have recognized it in Paris  I will continue doing my best to work with and rouse the world community, whatever the politicians in Washington do or dont do. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump orders government to dismantle Obamas climate change policies By Evan Halper  President Trump ordered an abrupt halt to Americas crusade against climate change. (March 29, 2017) (Sign up for our free video newsletter here http://bit.ly/2n6VKPR) President Trump on Tuesday ordered the federal government to retreat from the battle against climate change launched by President Obama, issuing a directive aimed at dismantling the core policies that have made the U.S. a global leader in curbing emissions. The plan unveiled by Trump reflects an about-face for the U.S. on energy, and it puts into jeopardy the nations ability to meet the obligations it agreed to under the global warming pact signed in Paris with 194 other nations. It would shelve the landmark Clean Power Plan that mandates electricity companies reduce their emissions. It seeks to dislodge consideration of climate throughout the federal government, where it has been a factor in every relevant decision in recent years. My administration is putting an end to the war on coal, Trump said. I am taking historic steps to lift the restrictions on American energy to reverse government intrusions and to cancel job killing regulations. Under the order, the government will abandon the social cost of carbon that regulators had painstakingly calculated and begun factoring into their decision on permit applications and rulemaking. Restrictions on methane releases at oil and gas drilling facilities would be eased. Agencies will also stop contemplating climate impacts as they launch into new projects, and restrictions on coal leasing and fracking on federal lands will be lifted. The directive, for which progressive states and environmentalists have been preparing for months, is certain to set off years of litigation and conflicts between Washington and state capitols. Some of the most far-reaching policies Trump is seeking to bring to a halt cannot be canceled unilaterally and require lengthy administrative proceedings. But others he can end with the stroke of his pen. Smoke rises from the Colstrip Steam Electric Station, a coal-burning power plant in Colstrip, Mont., on July 1, 2103. (Matt Brown / Associated Press) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

A trade war is brewing inside the White House between rival camps By Don Lee Soon after President Trump took office, an executive order was quietly drafted to suspend talks with China on an obscure but potentially far-reaching treaty about bilateral investment. After eight years and two dozen rounds of negotiations, the treaty terms were almost in final form. Pulling out after so much time and effort would send a clear message that the Trump administration meant to take a new and tougher approach to China. But the executive order never even got to the presidents desk. It was quietly shelved, according to sources inside and outside the White House, at the behest of former Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohn, now Trumps top economic advisor. Killing the order was a small victory for a White House faction that supports free trade and the global economy. But it was only an opening skirmish in what promises to be a long and bitter struggle over trade policy that so far is being waged behind the scenes in the Trump administration. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Supreme Court reverses death sentence for Texas inmate who could not tell time or name the days of the week By David Savage The Supreme Court set aside a death sentence on Tuesday for a Texas inmate who as a 13-year-old could not tell time or name the days of the week, concluding he should not be executed in light of his mental disability. In a 5-3 decision, the justices reversed the Texas state appeals court that had restored a death sentence given to Bobby James Moore, a 57-year old prisoner who shot and killed a store clerk in a botched robbery in 1980. At issue was whether Moore had a mental disability that would make his execution cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th Amendment. The justices banned states from executing prisoners with a mental disability, but they left states some flexibility to set the standards. But three years ago, the justices faulted Florida authorities for relying almost entirely on I.Q. scores. In the Texas case decided Tuesday, the justices said state judges had ignored ample evidence that Moore had severe mental disability as a child. That evidence was not overcome by the fact that he had adapted well in prison, they said. At 13, Moore lacked the basic understanding of the days of the week, the months of the year and the seasons; he could scarcely tell time or comprehend the standards of measure, said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. After failing every subject in the ninth grade, Moore dropped out of high school. Cast out of his home, he survived on the streets, eating from trash cans, even after two bouts of food poisoning. After fatally shooting the clerk in the 1980 robbery, he was sentenced to death. The Texas courts reexamined his sentence after the high court abolished capital punishment in 2002 for defendants with a mental disability. A state judge listened to experts and set aside Moores death sentence, But the states criminal appeals court disagreed. Its judges said Moore had demonstrated adaptive strength by living on the streets and carrying out a robbery, and therefore did not qualify as having a severe mental impairment. Ginsburg said the state judges had relied on an outdated understanding of mental disability, and her opinion in Moore vs. Texas said the state court must reconsidere its decision. Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan agreed. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. dissented. While he agreed the states authorities may have used outdated standards, Moore had I.Q. scores ranging from 69 to 79 that show he did not have the significantly sub-average intellectual functioning that would exempt him from the death penalty. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito agreed. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

The Freedom Caucus roars back to relevance to challenge Trumps agenda and strategy By Lisa Mascaro When House Speaker Paul D. Ryan pulled the plug on the GOPs Obamacare overhaul, lawmakers spilled out of the Capitol basement, angry, frustrated and stunned. But Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), leader of the conservative and rebellious House Freedom Caucus that led the fight against the bill, was uncharacteristically quiet, downplaying his political victory and mulling over the next move. After coming together to battle President Obama and becoming a driving force in the Republican Party, this 30-member-plus bloc of deficit hawks and right-flank conservatives had appeared for a while to be pushed aside by the movement that swept President Trump into office. But after helping defeat the GOP healthcare overhaul, the Freedom Caucus has roared back to relevance as a political power in the Trump era. It has reasserted itself as not just a renegade assemblage of mostly back-bench lawmakers, but as a core block of votes that Trump will need to push past the healthcare debacle to tax reform, budget battles and other issues. These guys saved the Republicans, said Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, a group that organized a North Carolina rally on Monday in honor of Meadows. As beaten and battered as they are, weve got a group thats willing to take the hard decisions. If youre going to drain the swamp, these are the guys who are going to do it. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House stopped Yates testimony about Russian meddling in presidential election, lawyer says By Associated Press A lawyer for former Deputy Atty. Gen. Sally Yates said in letters last week that the Trump administration had moved to squelch her testimony in a hearing about Russian meddling in the presidential election. In the letters, attorney David ONeil said he understood the Justice Department was invoking further constraints on testimony she could provide at a House Intelligence Committee hearing that had been scheduled for Tuesday. He said the departments position was that all actions she took as deputy attorney general were client confidences that could not be disclosed without written approval. The Washington Post first reported the letters. A person familiar with the situation confirmed them as authentic to the Associated Press. The White House called the Post story entirely false. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and part of Trumps transition team, last week announced that the committee was canceling the planned public hearing with Yates and two former Obama administration intelligence officials  the former director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and former CIA Director John Brennan. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Did Mnuchin cross an ethical line in plugging The Lego Batman Movie? A senator wants to know By Jim Puzzanghera (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) A Democratic senator wants to know if Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin committed an ethics violation when he publicly plugged The Lego Batman Movie, a film in which he has a financial stake. A former Hollywood financier, Mnuchin was asked at the end of a question-and-answer session on Friday hosted by the Axios news website to name a movie people should see. Well, Im not allowed to promote anything that Im involved in. So I just want to have the legal disclosure, youve asked me the question and I am not promoting any product, Mnuchin said at the event, which aired on C-SPAN2. But you should send all your kids to Lego Batman,  he said. The crowd laughed. But Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, wasnt amused. Hes asking the U.S. Office of Government Ethics to look into the comments. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Venezuela hits back in showdown with OAS, U.S. over democracy By Tracy Wilkinson The Venezuelan foreign minister had harsh words Monday for the regional organization that is considering sanctioning her country for its failure to hold democratic elections. Delcy Rodriguez, the foreign minister, accused the Organization of American States of wanting not to punish Venezuela but to destroy it. Rodriguez appeared at an OAS panel convened in Washington. D.C., after the United States and 13 other of the hemispheres nations united to demand the leftist Venezuelan government free political prisoners and set a date for long-overdue elections. Failure to do so, the 14 countries warned, could trigger a decision to suspend Venezuela from the 69-year-old regional body. OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro, a former Uruguayan foreign minister, has been especially critical of Venezuelas embattled government. He noted that President Nicolas Maduro canceled both a referendum that could have recalled his government and later regional elections, after the opposition made huge gains in parliamentary voting in 2015. In addition, thousands of people have been arrested for their political beliefs, Almagro said, including opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who has been in jail for three years. But Rodriguez, in a speech to the OAS panel, said Venezuelas revolution continues strong. She accused Almagro of being a stooge of the U.S. government, a lying mercenary who is a traitor to everything a Latin American diplomat should represent. He lacks independence when he voluntarily bows to the wishes of the most powerful nation of this organization -- and becomes its spokesman, Rodriguez said. Although the OAS has often been accused of pro-Washington tendencies, 13 nations in addition to the United States have joined to condemn Venezuela, a significant shift in Latin America away from populist regimes. Other leftist-ruled countries, like Bolivia, have said they will support Venezuela. Rodriguez said the accusations against her government were unilateral, unjustified and biased. She called on the OAS to suspend discussion of Venezuela, but another session was scheduled to proceed on Tuesday -- the same day Maduros Socialist Party is planning big anti-imperialism marches at home. All of the countries most critical of Venezuela, including the United States, say suspension of the oil-rich, Caribbean country from the OAS should be a measure of last resort. Despite its oil wealth, Venezuela is in the throes of an economic and humanitarian disaster, with severe shortages of food and medicine and skyrocketing inflation and homicide rates. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions criticizes sanctuary cities but offers no new policies By Michael A. Memoli  Decrying the safety risk posed when cities dont cooperate with federal immigration authorities, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions repeated previous statements that the Trump administration would seek to deny so-called sanctuary cities some federal grant fun Decrying the safety risk posed when cities dont cooperate with federal immigration authorities, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions repeated previous statements that the Trump administration would seek to deny so-called sanctuary cities some federal grant funds, but offered no new policies. Despite his high-profile appearance at the White House briefing room, Sessions merely reiterated Obama administration policy related to immigration. Justice Department officials said any new measures would be weeks or months in the future. The Obama administration issued instructions last July that required any cities applying for Justice Department grant programs be in compliance with federal law requiring cooperation between local, state and federal agencies with requests from the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Sessions noted that any jurisdiction applying for grants from his department would have to certify that compliance. The Justice Department already has been requiring that, which indicates that police and sheriff departments which currently have Justice Department grants already have been asserting that they are meeting the requirements of federal law. Although many cities have policies that they, or critics, characterize using the label sanctuary, those policies do not necessarily mean they are violating the law. Sessions did say that the Justice Department could in the future institute additional requirements, but announced none. Fundamentally, we intend to use all the lawful authority we have to make sure that our state and local officials, who are so important to law enforcement, are in sync with the federal government, he said. He did offer a warning to jurisdictions considering adopting sanctuary status. The California legislature is considering a proposal to institute the designation statewide; Sessions, though, singled out Maryland for a similar proposal. That would be such a mistake, Sessions said, while noting Marylands Republican governor opposes the change proposed by the heavily-Democratic legislature. Sessions cited a high-profile case in San Francisco where a 32-year-old woman was killed by man who had been previously deported multiple times despite a request by immigration authorities to continue his detention to illustrate the administrations case against such policies. Countless Americans would be alive today and countless loved ones would not be grieving today if these policies of sanctuary cities were ended, Sessions claimed. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Devin Nunes plot thickens, as his spokesman concedes he met source for surveillance claim at White House By David S. Cloud The day before the House Intelligence Committee chairman revealed that conversations by Trump transition officials may have been inadvertently picked up by U.S. surveillance, he met with the source of the information at the White House, his spokesman said Monday Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), went to the White House because there was a facility there for reviewing classified information, said Jack Langer, a spokesman for Nunes, who has refused to divulge the identity of his source. Chairman Nunes met with his source at the White House grounds in order to have proximity to a secure location where he could view the information provided by the source, Langer said. The latest news added another twist to a bizarre series of events last week: On Monday, FBI Director James Comey testified before Nunes committee that his investigators were looking at possible coordination during the presidential campaign between Russian officials and people close to Preisdent Trump. Tuesday night, Nunes went to the White House where someone showed him documents related to U.S. intelligence surveillance, according to his statement. On Wednesday, Nunes announced to reporters that he had seen evidence indicating that people close to Trump had been subjects of surveillance during the transition. He then went to the White House, saying that he needed to brief Trump about the revelations. On Thursday, Nunes apologized to committee members for not having shown the evidence to them before briefing the president. Later that day, his spokesman conceded that Nunes did not know for sure that any Trump aides had actually been subject to surveillance, just that their names had appeared in intelligence reports, which could have resulted from other people talking about them. That sequence of events could buttress Democrats claims that the episode last week was a White House ploy to shift attention away from the FBI investigation. Democrats already have been saying Nunes should be disqualified from heading an inquiry into whether Trumps aides had improper contacts with Russia. Nunes statement left several questions unanswered. One is why he would have had to go to the White House unless his source worked there, because members of Congress have access to a secure facility at the U.S. Capitol. Asked to explain Nunes actions, Langer said in an email, The information comprised executive branch documents that have not been provided to Congress. Because of classification rules, the source could not simply put the documents in a backpack and walk them over to the House Intelligence Committee space.  He added: The White House grounds was the best location to safeguard the proper chain of custody and classification of these documents, so the Chairman could view them in a legal way. Last week, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had dismissed speculation that the White House had supplied Nunes with the information, saying that the suggestion did not pass the smell test. He added, however, that he did not for sure what Nunes had told Trump or where his information came from. After Nunes apologized to members of his committee Thursday and promised to thoroughly investigate the surveillance, several lawmakers said Nunes had promised to provide them the surveillance information he had received. That has not occurred yet. In his first statement last week, Nunes said he was concerned that some Trump transition officials identities might have been improperly revealed in intelligence reports, despite rules requiring them to be kept confidential in most cases. The Chairman is extremely concerned by the possible improper unmasking of names of U.S. citizens, and he began looking into this issue even before President Trump tweeted his assertion that Trump Tower had been wiretapped, Langer said. Whether any officials names actually were unmasked is unclear. The ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) has questioned Nunes assertions about improper unmasking. But Schiff noted that he has not seen the documents Nunes claims to have seen. Schiff had no comment on the news that Nunes had seen the documents at the White House. UPDATES 10:20 a.m.: This article was updated with staff reporting. This article was originally published as an Associated Press report at 9:06 a.m. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Venezuela in showdown with OAS, U.S. over political prisoners By Tracy Wilkinson The besieged leftist government of Venezuela is under mounting pressure after the United States and 13 of the hemispheres other leading nations demanded the release of political prisoners and other pro-democracy concessions. The Organization of American States, the regions main collective body, has threatened to suspend Venezuela because of what it called the autocratic repression imposed by President Nicolas Maduro. Maduros foreign minister, Delcy Rodriguez, will appear Monday before an OAS panel in Washington to plead her governments case. This comes after members of the Venezuelan delegation stormed out of OAS meetings last week, according to diplomats. OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro, in a report on Venezuela, noted that Maduro canceled both a referendum that could have recalled his government and later regional elections, after the opposition made huge gains in parliamentary voting in 2015. A Maduro-controlled Supreme Court then stripped the parliament of much of its power. In addition, thousands of people have been arrested for their political beliefs, Almagro said, including opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who has been in jail for three years. The OAS is demanding Venezuela hold elections or risk suspension from the group, a drastic measure. The last time a country was suspended was when the military and right-wing politicians staged a coup against the elected president in Honduras in 2009. Under OAS regulations, a country can be suspended when the democratic order is altered. Venezuela is in the throes of a devastating economic and humanitarian crisis. The oil-rich country has among the highest homicide and inflation rates in the world and suffers from severe shortages of food and medicine. The Maduro government angrily condemned the OAS actions as imperialist interference and vowed to resist. Adan Chavez, brother of the late Hugo Chavez, the socialist strongman who set Venezuela on its revolutionary path, claimed the OAS was plotting a coup against Maduro. Maduro views much of his opposition as right-wing oligarchs who have long repressed the poor. Although the OAS has often been accused of pro-Washington tendencies, it is significant that 13 nations in addition to the United States are united in condemning Venezuela. This marks a shift away from populist regimes in much of Latin America. The Trump administration, which has shown little interest in Latin America beyond Mexico, did issue instructions to diplomats to find ways through the OAS to put pressure on Venezuela, according to people familiar with the matter. Those instructions came despite parallel administration plans to slash funds to the OAS and other multilateral institutions like the United Nations. Trump recently spoke by telephone to the presidents of Chile and Brazil and in both cases discussed Venezuela, the White House said. And he met at the White House with Lilian Tintori, the wife of Lopez, the jailed opposition leader, as she lobbied for her husbands freedom. The Treasury Department earlier this year slapped sanctions on Venezuelas vice president, Tareck El Aissami, alleging he was a major drug trafficker, charges he denied. Were not pushing for Venezuelas expulsion from the OAS at this time, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said late last week. However, we do think the OAS is the appropriate venue to deal with the ongoing situation in Venezuela, he said. Elections are essential to securing accountability, and the Venezuelan people deserve a voice in creating solutions to the myriad economic, political, and social and humanitarian challenges that they face. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump takes to Twitter to blame GOP hard-liners over healthcare failure By Laura King (Mandel Ngan / AFP-Getty Images) President Trump on Sunday blamed fellow Republicans and two influential conservative advocacy groups for last weeks failure of the GOP healthcare plan. The president had said on Friday that it was the fault of Democrats that House Speaker Paul D. Ryan pulled the measure from consideration rather than putting it forth for a floor showdown that the GOP leadership would have lost. In a Sunday morning tweet, the president appeared to shift culpability to the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative group of GOP lawmakers who were key to depriving Trump and his camp of the votes needed for passage. Democrats are smiling over the bills failure, Trump declared on Twitter. The Freedom Caucus, he said, had saved President Obamas Affordable Care Act with the help of Heritage Action and the Club for Growth, two organizations that had opposed the GOP measure. The chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), declined to engage in any sparring with the White House, instead predicting that a Trump-led Republican effort to overhaul Obamas signature healthcare legislation eventually would move ahead. At the end of the day, the most valuable player will be President Trump, he said on ABCs This Week. Meadows also insisted there had been no conversation about any attempt to force out Ryan, who is being blamed for failing to marshal sufficient support for the measure he had spearheaded. Trump so far has refrained from public criticism of the speaker, but  again on Twitter  he specifically urged followers to watch a Fox News segment on Saturday night, featuring commentator Jeanine Pirro excoriating Ryan and calling for him to be ousted. That gave rise to speculation that Trump would seek to force the speaker to take the fall for the debacle. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

After the GOP healthcare bill fizzles, Trump blames the Democrats and says he learned a lot about loyalty By Brian Bennett  President Trump addresses the cancellation of a vote Friday on the GOPs plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. After failing to land a deal on the healthcare bill, President Trump on Friday blamed Democrats, even though the GOP controls Congress and the White House, and made few overtures across the aisle when pushing the bill. When you get no votes from the other side -- meaning Democrats -- it is really a difficult situation, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office after a revolt by Republican lawmakers forced House leaders to stop a vote in their bid to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. Trump insisted that the current healthcare law, commonly known as Obamacare, will collapse under its own weight, and then Democrats will want to make a deal with the White House. I truly believe the Democrats will come to us, Trump said. In the meantime, Trump is moving his attention to pushing through a tax reform bill, he said. We will probably be going really hard for the big tax cuts and tax reform -- thats next, he said. Trump, who has spent decades negotiating real estate deals and seeing many of them fall through, seemed sanguine discussing the effort he put into getting a healthcare reform bill passed. This was an interesting period of time, Trump said. We learned a lot about loyalty and we learned a lot about the vote-getting process. Trump stopped short of blaming House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and avoided singling out the group of conservative Republican lawmakers, who dug in their heels in opposition. Lawmakers in the House Freedom Caucus that largely stood against the bill are very good people and friends of mind, he said. I was disappointed because we could have had it, he said. Im a little surprised, he said. When asked by a reporter if he would reach out now to Democrats for ideas on how to get a deal, Trump said, No, I think we need to let Obamacare go its way for a little while. Then well see how things go. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Tillerson will meet with NATO counterparts, after all By Tracy Wilkinson Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with NATO allies next week in Brussels, a move that could quell controversy over his earlier decision to skip a long-planned summit of the transatlantic alliance. The State Department said Friday that Tillerson added a stop at NATO headquarters in Brussels to a previously scheduled trip to the Turkish capital of Ankara. Tillerson will be in Ankara on Thursday to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other senior Turkish officials to discuss the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and to reaffirm Turkeys important role in ensuring regional stability, the State Department said. The next day, he will go to NATO, the State Department said. NATO officials were attempting to put together a session with the other 27 allied nations. Earlier this week, news that Tillerson would miss the NATO ministerial meeting set for April 5-6, roiled the alliance. Administration officials said Tillerson would have to be in Washington to attend President Trumps first face-to-face meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 6-7. At the same time, Tillersons aides announced he would be traveling to Moscow the following week. Criticism was swift from European allies but also from several former American diplomats and key U.S. lawmakers, who said the decision raised questions about the Trump administrations commitment to NATO. During his campaign, Trump called the alliance obsolete, although more recently he has voiced support for it while also demanding members spend more money on defense. In response, Tillersons aides said they were exchanging possible alternative dates with NATO to attempt to arrange a meeting in which all parties could participate. It was not yet clear if next Fridays meeting will take the place of the April 5-6 session, which as of late Friday remained on NATOs formal calendar. Diplomats considered the ministerial meeting as especially important because it will lay the groundwork for a May 25 NATO summit of heads of state and government, which Trump has said he will attend. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Charter promises Trump something new ($25-billion investment) and something old (20,000 jobs) By Jim Puzzanghera Charter Communications Chief Executive Thomas Rutledge. (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) The chief executive of Charter Communications committed in a meeting with President Trump on Friday to invest $25 billion on broadband infrastructure while joining a trend of business leaders touting previously announced job creation at the White House. In the case of Charter  Southern Californias dominant cable-TV and Internet service provider  Chief Executive Thomas Rutledge said he expected to hire 20,000 new U.S. employees over the next four years. Charter had made the hiring promise in 2015 when it was purchasing Time Warner Cable. The new development was the time period in which it will occur. Nevertheless, Trump indicated the job creation was triggered by his election. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Threats made against Hawaii judge who ruled against travel ban By Jaweed Kaleem (George Lee / The Star-Advertiser via AP) The Hawaii federal judge who brought President Trumps revised travel ban to a national halt last week has become the target of threats. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson has received the threats since his March 15 ruling, according to FBI spokeswoman Michele Ernst. Ernst said the FBI is ready to assist but declined to provide more information. The U.S. Marshals Service also said it would not give details. The U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for the protection of federal judicial officials, including judges and prosecutors, and we take that responsibility very seriously, the agency said in a statement. While we do not discuss our specific security measures, we continuously review the security measures in place for all federal judges and take appropriate steps to provide additional protection when it is warranted. Watson, a judge in the U.S. District Court of Hawaii in Honolulu, issued a scathing 43-page opinion against the travel ban the day before it was to go into effect. He wrote that, despite the bans stated secular purpose, Trumps own words marked the executive order as a fulfillment of the presidents campaign promise to temporarily bar Muslims from coming to the U.S. The illogic of the governments contention is palpable, Watson said. In response, Trump said Watsons ruling was terrible and makes us look weak. Trump has vowed to take the travel ban case to the U.S. Supreme Court. An appeal of a separate Maryland federal judges ruling against the travel ban is currently pending in the U.S. 4th District Court of Appeals. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

House GOP gives up on healthcare bill as Trump suffers first legislative defeat By Lisa Mascaro Unable to muster enough support from his own party, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan again postponed a vote Friday on the GOPs plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. The move came at the request of President Trump, who just Thursday night issued an ultimatum that lawmakers should hold the vote regardless of the outcome. It was the second time House GOP leaders had to delay a final reckon
Robert Zeb Ziemer, founder of Goat Hill Tavern, a downtown Costa Mesa institution renowned for its record-setting selection of draft beers, died Friday.

The Eastside Costa Mesa resident died of complications related to cancer. He was 84.

Ziemer and the Goat, as his bar is affectionately called, have had a storied but occasionally uneasy relationship with the city.

The storied came after the popular establishment went from pouring standard domestics such as Budweiser and Coors to serving harder-to-find varieties from craft breweries and got the Guinness world record for largest selection of draft beers, a title it held for several years. It now boasts 141 taps.

Ziemers pioneering move was brilliant, said Costa Mesa Councilman Gary Monahan, a former Goat Hill manager.

He was the first one to do it, Monahan said. It turned the Goat Hill from a neighborhood bar into a phenomenon.

In the early 1990s, however, the City Council moved to revoke Ziemers permit, contending the bar was getting too rowdy. The case eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ziemer won.

The City Council had the wrong idea, and we had to correct them, Ziemer told the Daily Pilot in 2013.

Ziemer, a self-made man, was never one to give up, said Charles Nicholson, one of his adopted sons who now helps run the business.

He wouldnt back down, Nicholson said. He did things on principle.

Ziemers tenacious spirit was exemplified in 2011, when an expensive Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit  which was eventually dropped  partially spurred the closure of The Helm, a bar adjacent to Goat Hill that became The Boulevard. Ziemer owned the property.

All I know is that Im [not] going to have some bum come along every day and sue me for something I didnt do  so Im fighting back, Ziemer told the Pilot in 2011.

Nicholson said his father was very generous in the community, though often in a quiet way.

He had the biggest heart, Nicholson said.

Ziemer was born in 1932 in Pendleton, Ore., and raised in Mankato, Minn. He served in the Navy during the Korean War.

Ziemer founded Goat Hills predecessor, Zebs World Famous Boathouse, in 1968 in Santa Ana. But, like what would later happen in Costa Mesa, his business eventually was challenged by city authorities who wanted to shut it down.

So in 1984, Ziemer uprooted the bar and transplanted it to neighboring Costa Mesa. The new name, Goat Hill, was taken from an early moniker for Costa Mesa because of its scrappy agricultural roots.

Aside from running his business, Ziemer enjoyed collecting classic cars and playing shuffleboard.

Ziemer is survived by Nicholson, adopted son Kevin Sand, brother Karl Ziemer, sister-in-law Jill and one grandchild. He never married.

Ziemers family said his funeral service will be private, but a public celebration of life is being planned at Goat Hill. Details have not been finalized.
Corona del Mar High School students this week celebrated another batch of student-made mini-documentaries about local veterans.

The program matches students with servicemen and servicewomen who tell their stories for the 10- to 15-minute films. Participants fought in World War II, Iraq, Afghanistan and many of the conflicts in between.

Denise Weiland, the projects coordinator, assigned a veteran to a group of sophomores, each tasked with creating an on-camera interview.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

At the culmination of the project, students invited the veterans to a luncheon Thursday at CdM and gave them DVDs of the final products. This year, 96 films were made.

The Living History Program project began in 1999 with five World War II veterans from the Freedom Committee of Orange County. They were invited to speak on a CdM-hosted panel and now the short film project is embedded in the history curriculum.

Chris Merkle participated for the third time. The Marine Corps veteran described the project as positive for both veterans and students.

Its not just a date in a book, its about sharing the human story, said Merkle, who served in the Gulf War in 1991 and volunteered as a infantry platoon sergeant from 2003-10 in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pearl Harbor survivor John Hughes, 98, smiles as Corona del Mar High School sophomore Amanda Milliken, right, introduces him during a Living History luncheon Thursday at the school. Hughes, a retired Marine major, was a bomber pilot during World War II. (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot)

Merkle, who is studying clinical psychology at Azusa Pacific University in hopes of one day helping others, called the experience therapeutic.

Not many in my cohort are at the stage where theyre ready to talk about what they saw and went though, Merkle said, but its a really moving experience to sit there with kids and see them get excited.

Student Simone Oberreiter, 15, said he found interviewing Merkle insightful, saying it was cool to hear every detail.

World War II veteran Dick OBrien, 93, seated second from right, sits with fellow vets after a Living History luncheon at Corona del Mar High School on Thursday. (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot)

Christopher Cruttenden, 15, said he enjoyed interviewing Dick OBrien in the WWII veterans Seal Beach home.

Originally from South Dakota, OBrien, now 92, was drafted into the Army at 18 and fought in France and Germany.

OBrien, a longtime project participant, said its an enriching experience for students to hear from a generation of veterans who may not be around much longer.

During the two-hour interview in OBriens home, he shared photographs and let Christopher try on his uniform.

To do a project on a hero who fought for our country and freedom, it doesnt get much better than that, Christopher said. Its way better than having to write an essay.

The Freedom Committee meets at 11:30 a.m. the second Wednesday of every month at at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa.

For information, visit: fc-oc.org.

priscella.vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @VegaPriscella
The California Supreme Courts March 2 decision regarding public record requests was a game-changer for the media and residents requesting documents from cities and other public agencies.

Moving forward, text and emails regarding official business sent by public employees and officials  even on their personal devices or accounts  will now be a matter of public record.

As a columnist, I frequently ask for documents when researching a story.

On occasions, what Ive received seemed incomplete, causing me to ask if there might be more information found in private email correspondence.

Over my 10 years as a journalist, it wasnt uncommon to see some councilmembers list their personal email addresses on city websites.

Newport and Costa Mesa make available official email addresses and contact numbers, but in the past, these cities havent always required councilmembers to use them and havent had official policies regarding their use.

With the Supreme Court ruling, cities must get up to speed.

The court said that communications sent on personal cell phones and computers must be disclosed to the public, if they relate in some substantive way to the conduct of the publics business, the Times reported.

Newport City Manager Dave Kiff says since the 2016 election, however, the city attorney has asked that every City Council member use their official city email address when communicating city business.

But without an official policy they cant force compliance.

Both Newport and Costa Mesa officials tell me theyve been closely following the court case.

Looking at both cities websites this week, there are official email addresses listed for all councilmembers.

But the fact remains theres no real way to stop people from communicating via personal email, even though its been suggested that they shouldnt. Technology has moved faster than city policies.

Costa Mesa City Manager Tom Hatch says currently there are no rules on the books regarding this, but his city will look into updating policies following the court decision.

But what about other public agencies, such as the OC Fair Board?

My husband, Stan Tkaczyk, sits on that board.

Currently, members dont have official email addresses.

In light of the court ruling, CEO Kathy Kramer tells me she is working with the state and legal advisors to address the issue, which will be discussed at the April board meeting.

How big a deal is this whole public-document request issue?

Huge.

Requests for documents are steadily rising. Costa Mesa has a full-time staffer on the task. So far this year, theyve had 198 requests compared with 136 this time last year.

In 2016, Mesa had 783 document requests.

Whats all this costing taxpayers?

Costa Mesa Public Information Officer Tony Dodero tells me the city doesnt officially track the hours spent on the task, but the amount of staff time devoted to hunting down these requests is clearly a significant use of city resources and a cost to taxpayers.

Newport Beach, on the other hand, has a handle on what requests are costing them.

Jennifer Nelson, Newports assistant city clerk, says her office tries to keep track of every document request, but its virtually impossible, since not all requests come through the City Clerks office.

That being said, she estimates staffers spend an average of an hour on each request. Based on the volume the past few months, Nelson estimates city staffers have put in 170 hours, at a cost of about $4,500 per month, or $54,000 annually, filling document requests.

That doesnt include the cost of materials, as some requests are hundreds of pages, though whenever possible they deliver documents electronically.

On top of costs here as well is the Orange County Fair Board, which began detailed tracking in June. .

The board makes public at each meeting what the organization spends on these requests monthly in an effort to bring more transparency to the agency, says Kramer, who gives the reports.

Kramer says her organization has hired one full- and one part-time employee just to take care of public record requests.

Since June, the requests cost the fairgrounds more than $23,000  an amount calculated on hourly employee pay. (The figures doesnt include benefits or legal costs). -

Talking to both cities and the fair management, requests for documents can range from just a few pages, to hundreds even thousands.

And oddly enough some requesting documents never even show up to pick them up.

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com.
As the Glendale Unified School District attempts to reverse its deficit spending, district officials are looking to tighten their belts by cutting down on meal and snack spending.

Earlier this school year, Cheryl Plotkin, Glendale Unifieds interim chief business and financial officer, drafted a list containing more than 20 ways the district could trim spending or boost revenue before officials adopt the 2017-18 budget in June.

A recent report projects the district could face a $10.8-million general fund deficit in the next fiscal year.

One proposal from Plotkin is to reduce spending on catering for community events by 20% to save $20,000 annually.

Join the conversation on Facebook 

Public events impacted by the cuts could include meetings of the facilities oversight committee or the Local Control and Accountability Plan Committee, in which parents, residents and educators offer input about how Glendale school officials should prioritize goals.

When it came to spending on meals and snacks in 2015 and 2016, Glendale Unified tended to patronize locally owned businesses.

For community and employee gatherings, the district spent more at Portos Bakery & Cafe than any restaurant in Glendale.

Last year, Glendale Unified spent about $21,500 at Portos, according to the districts purchase order reports. In 2015, the district spent even more  about $26,000.

The family-owned Cuban cafe opened its doors on Brand Boulevard in 1982, after relocating from Los Angeles. It is widely celebrated for its flaky cheese rolls and meaty fried mashed potato balls, among other treats.

Portos is located just half a mile away from the districts headquarters, where school officials, who oversee the education of 26,000 students, often provide food for staff as well as parents.

GUSD provides food during lengthy meetings, including parent and community meetings, staff meetings and board meetings, at times when it is conducive to meeting objectives and time of day to include meals or snacks, said Glendale Unified Supt. Winfred Roberson Jr.

The districts nutrition services department provides meals prepared in-house as well as food purchased from local eateries.

Portos Bakery is a common choice, as they offer low-cost [ a la carte] breakfast items and sandwiches that are popular with staff and parents, Roberson said.

From 2015 to present, Glendale Unified has been helmed by one former full-time superintendent, three interim superintendents, and now Roberson since last April.

Despite frequent leadership changes, Glendale Unified has remained a consistent customer of Portos.

We can make miracles for whatever budgets people have.  Betty Porto

Portos co-owner Betty Porto said it was not always officials at district headquarters who placed the orders. Nor was it Glendale teachers, who often live in other cities, or principals, who were often hired by Glendale Unified from other school districts.

Its a relationship that started with the parents reaching out, because theyre my customers  they live in the area, Porto said.

Parents of elementary school students would often order baked goods for special PTA events, such as celebrating students improved reading skills.

My connection has always been the parents, Porto said.

Through word of mouth, school officials caught on to the bakerys incredible quality, she said, leading the bakery to provide food for events such as teacher meetings.

It took longer  up until three or four years ago  to convince Glendale Unified that Portos had more to offer than pastries and cakes, she said.

Mara Serrano fries potato balls at Portos in Glendale. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

For many, many years, the people in the district, they didnt know that we did sandwiches. It took me a long time  years and years  of us telling them, Were not just cakes and pastries. We can do sandwiches and salads.

The bakery also complies with the one condition that Glendale school officials relay when they call.

Theyre very tight on their budget, Porto said. They always say, We have little, little money. I always say, Tell me what you have [money wise], and well make it work.

Elsewhere in Glendale, the district spent about $14,600 at Marios Italian Deli & Market in 2015 and about $3,500 in 2016.

Glendale Unified also spent about $3,600 at Panera Bread in 2015 and $2,700 last year.

At Franks Famous Kitchen and Bakery, the district spent about $500 in 2015 and $1,600 last year.

For Porto, her bakerys relationship with local schools is a mutually beneficial one.

When parents or students in Glendale or even other school districts call, looking for a discount, shell negotiate one.

By midday Monday, Porto said she had received six requests from local schools, colleges or universities to provide discounted items that students could turn around and sell to raise money.

Its a great thing when schools in your community work together, with you, she said. We can make miracles for whatever budgets people have.

kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
Virgin Voyages on Wednesday took the first steps in making good on Richard Bransons promise in 2015 to create a cruise line like no other.

In Genoa, Italy, the first piece of steel was cut at Fincantieri Ship Yard for the first of three midsize cruise ships that will bear the Virgin logo. Folks could tune in to the splashy celebration on a Facebook live feed.

Advertisement

On the same day, Alaska Airlines announced plans to absorb another Branson-created entity, the popular Virgin America airline, by 2019. Though Virgin and Alaska are operated as separate airlines right now, the plan is to combine them and drop the Virgin name. More on that later.

Virgin Voyages provided few details about the intrepid, romantic and irresistible vision for the cruise line, as Chief Executive Tom McAlpin, a former Disney Cruise Line executive, said at the event. No ship name was announced either.

The ship is set to make its debut in 2020. It will hold more than 2,700 passengers and sail on Caribbean itineraries, a company statement said.

The creative team of 10 companies set to craft the look and feel of the ship were introduced Wednesday too. It includes Big Apple-based Roman and Williams, which worked on Ace Hotels in New York and New Orleans; and London-based Pearson Lloyd, which designs everything from airplane interiors to workplaces.

OK, back to the vanishing Virgin America. The U.S. airline that started operations in the San Francisco area a decade ago has been popular with travelers for its quirky on-board extras and cool vibe.

Alaska completed a $2.6-billion purchase of the airline in December and plans to retire the Virgin name. But could the airline name live on anyway?

Alaska Airlines has been paying a licensing fee to Bransons Virgin Group for the name Virgin America, L.A. Times staff writer Hugo Martin reported Wednesday.

Branson told reporters last year that he might consider relaunching Virgin America if Alaska Airlines decides to retire the brand.

ALSO

6 things you need to know about the new electronics carry-on ban

Chef who made Julia Child cry headlines Santa Barbara food and wine event honoring her

I was terrified: What happened to one traveler who lost his passport in transit and how he got himself out of trouble

The August eclipse is the most spectacular thing youll ever see, especially in Missouri

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
In a race against time to prevent four famines in Africa and western Asia, the U.N. and its humanitarian agencies need to raise $5.6 billion, fast.

The United Nations had raised just $90 million  2 cents for every dollar it needs to provide food for those most in need  by the end of February, the latest available figures show.

The bulk of the money  $4.4 billion  is needed within the next week to help fight the crisis, David Orr, World Food Program spokesman, said Thursday at a Johannesburg news conference.

Advertisement

All four hardest hit countries, South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen, are affected by war, making it difficult for humanitarians to deliver aid to starving people.

In South Sudan and northeastern Nigeria, fighting has forced people to flee their homes, prevented farmers from planting and harvesting and cut trade routes, Somalia has been hit by severe drought, and Yemen has seen widespread destruction coupled with restrictions on imports of food and fuel.

The World Food Program, the food assistance branch of the U.N., alone needs $1.2 billion, including $472 million for Yemen, $286 million for Somalia, $232 million for northeast Nigeria and $231 million for South Sudan.

In the next two months, when the rainy season begins in South Sudan, the dirt roads are expected to turn to a quagmire, making it impossible for aid trucks to pass and leaving 60% of the country inaccessible.

A child sleeps on a mat at a camp for those who were previously displaced by fighting, in Gumbo, South Sudan. (Matthieu Alexandre / Associated Press) (Matthieu Alexandre / AP)

Last month, the U.N. declared a famine in two counties in Unity State, South Sudan, affecting 100,000 people, areas hit hard for the past three years by successive hunger emergencies because of fighting and attacks. An additional 1 million people in South Sudan are facing a severe hunger emergency and the threat of famine.

Famines are also looming in Somalia, northeastern Nigeria and Yemen, with a total of 20 million people in dire need of food and medical assistance.

Drought has already uprooted 250,000 people in Somalia, according to Susannah Price, of the UNICEF office in Somalia. Many are abandoning rural villages where crops and animals have died, walking to major towns hoping to get access to food aid.

Experts are predicting that rains due in Somalia in coming months will be inadequate. The drought, the worst in decades, comes with warnings the El Nino phenomenon that triggered it could be repeated this year, with meteorological experts predicting at least a 55% likelihood of a rare event  back-to-back El Nino weather patterns.

If that happens, the result for countries in southern and eastern Africa could be devastating, with countries like Somalia already weathering successive years of drought, crop failure and livestock deaths.

The severity of this drought is extreme, said Challis McDonough, WFP spokeswoman in Nairobi, referring to Somalia. If the rains fail in coming months, it will be the worst drought in 60 to 70 years. If those rains fail, as they are predicting, that is where were looking at the situation deteriorating, so we might move into famine.

In this case we are talking about some of the poorest communities on the planet, who are also affected by conflict and insecurity. The global crises are just so enormous, with these four crises and Syria and Iraq that its stretched the humanitarian community, she said, referring the conflicts in Syria and Iraq that have seen millions flee their homes.

Price said even rains in Somalia will not solve the crisis.

There are already too many people on the move. The animals are dying, she said. The animals used to produce the milk. Now theyre giving [children] black tea.

The children are getting sick, she said. As water sources dry up, people go to unsafe water sources. That results in acute watery diarrhea or cholera. Both are life-threatening diseases.

A barron wheat field in Maiduguri, Nigeria. (DEJI YAKE / EPA) (DEJI YAKE / EPA)

In South Sudan, myriad militias and government soldiers unleash attacks on civilian villages, killing men and raping women. People have fled into the bush, making it difficult for humanitarian agencies to provide help. At times, humanitarian compounds, where aid agencies store food, have been looted by militias.

Theres a lot of guns and a lot of armed people and a lot of issues between communities, McDonough said. If theres active fighting, we cant go in helicopters and start throwing food out. Its crucial that we are not drawing (people) out of the bush to give them food only to have them attacked for that food.

Getting safe humanitarian access requires complicated negotiations with men from multiple armed groups, from commander level to community level, she said.

We have got staff working around the clock on these issues. Its not getting any easier, McDonough said.

Earlier this month, South Sudans government, the second most corrupt on Earth, according to Transparency International, drew criticism when it announced it planned to charge foreign aid workers a $10,000 work permit fee, up from $100.

In South Sudan, corruption isnt an anomaly within the system; it is the system itself, the very purpose of the state, according to a report the Enough Project human rights group released Tuesday. The report blamed greed, corruption and poor governance by the countrys leaders for the famine.

War tactics include village burning, sexual slavery, burning of food stocks, denial of aid access, mass rape, forced conscription of children, and killing of civilians. Mass atrocities become routinized, the report said. In South Sudan today, war crimes pay. There is no accountability for the atrocities and looting of state resources, or for the famine that has resulted.

McDonough said with multiple emergencies unrolling in Africa and elsewhere, hungry families in countries such as Kenya and Uganda, those facing dire food shortages  but not famine  have to survive on half the normal WFP emergency ration.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT
Seven months after an insurgent attack shattered their oasis in one of the worlds most turbulent capitals, students are expected to return to classes Tuesday at a more heavily secured American University of Afghanistan.

The main campus and a second compound have been fortified with concrete T-walls for blast protection and bulletproof gates, and buildings that were attacked last summer have been outfitted with steel doors, along with fresh desks, white boards and carpets.



For the record: An earlier version of this article said the main campus of American University of Afghanistan would reopen in summer. It is scheduled to reopen this month. Classes at a smaller university compound are expected to start Tuesday, not Saturday. Also, both the main campus and the smaller compound have been fortified against attack, but only the main campus has had steel doors installed.

Perhaps the biggest change is that private security guards, which were banned in Afghanistan in 2010 to curb the misuse of weapons, will patrol the campus in western Kabul under a special arrangement with the government.

Advertisement

The measures are meant to protect what had been seen as one of Afghanistans safest enclaves  an American-style, coeducational private university with more than 1,700 students.

We are committed to the Afghan people and we are dedicated to providing quality education to our students, said Zubaida Akbar, the universitys communications director. Thats why we are coming back and we are coming back stronger.

Last August, while classes were in session one evening, a suicide bomber and two gunmen stormed the U.S.-funded university and killed 13 people  seven students, a lecturer, two security guards and three members of the Afghan security forces. The university was closed immediately.

No group claimed responsibility, but the universitys acting president, David Sedney, and others, blamed Taliban militants.

The university, established a decade ago with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, which also financed many of the recent security improvements, has stood as one of the more benign symbols of American involvement in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led military invasion.

Cleaning staff at the American University of Afghanistan take a break in a classroom of a building that came under attack on Aug. 25, 2016. (Sultan Faizy / For The Times) (Sultan Faizy / For The Times)

More than 90% of students receive some form of financial aid and 40% have full scholarships.

As security conditions worsened in recent years following the withdrawal of most American and international troops in 2014, the university became a bigger target. Two weeks before the August attack, two staff members  an American and an Australian  were kidnapped from their car, and their whereabouts are still not publicly known.

Roya Mahtabi, a psychologist who has been meeting with students and staff members over the past two months, said some have acknowledged emotional scars left by the attack. Some staff members say they find themselves avoiding certain buildings or pathways as they ready for the resumption of classes, she said.

Among the most traumatized were janitorial staff members, many of whom were not on campus during the attack but were called to the scene the next day to clean up the bloodied site, Mahtabi said.

In the months since the attack, administrators have tried to keep students engaged in learning. They launched an online semester in which more than half the students participated, and solicited feedback on a new university logo. The debate team traveled to India for a tournament in October. Law students placed second among 17 universities at a moot court competition last month in Kuwait.

Farahnaz Roman, a law student and moot court team member, said she was gratified to continue her education while classes were suspended.

I wanted to show that the incident doesnt affect our program and our plans, she said.

The 22-year-old Roman, who lived as a refugee in Pakistan as a teenager, said her heart sank when she received an email shortly after the attack saying the school would be closed until further notice.

It was a shock to me and my friends, because we had no idea what would happen to us, Roman said. Im in my last semester and others are in the middle of their studies.

Students emailed and called teachers and administrators constantly, waiting for classes to resume. Some students withdrew but the vast majority plan to return for a full, 16-week semester, Akbar said.

Following the attack, some former staff members said they had expressed concerns about lax security, including a lack of concrete walls around the campus like those ringing most high-profile buildings in Kabul. Along with the new walls, administrators said the universitys security personnel will work more closely with Afghan and international government agencies to share information about possible threats.

In 2010, then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai banned private security firms, establishing a security unit under the interior ministry to guard paying companies and institutions. That unit, the Afghan Public Protection Force, had members guarding the campus at the time of the attack.

Karzais successor, President Ashraf Ghani, has issued a waiver allowing the university to hire a private security force, Sedney said.

Law student Ahmad Karimi, 25, said he expects trauma suffered by students to be temporary.

Terrorists can strike anywhere, anytime, even the most secure places, he said. So if death is in our fate, there is no way to escape. So it is better not to think about it.

Special correspondent Faizy reported from Kabul and Times staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia

ALSO

A brazen political killing shakes Myanmar, already teetering on the path to democracy

Pakistan holds its first census in 19 years, but not everyone is ready to be counted

Heres one country where hard-liners might not be poised for election success: Iran
Canadas largest school system will no longer plan trips to the U.S. over fears students will be unfairly stopped at the border because of their heritage or country of birth.

We dont want to put our students in a position where they are traveling to the U.S. with their friends and classmates and then be denied entry to the U.S. for no legitimate reason, Ryan Bird, spokesman for the Toronto District School Board, said Friday. Equity, inclusiveness, fairness are key principles for us as a school board.

Although judges have temporarily blocked President Trumps revised travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries, Bird said the board did not want to take the chance of it being put back into effect considering the months it takes to plan a school trip abroad.

Advertisement

The board said it will allow 25 trips involving 900 students to proceed as planned. However, Bird said if one student or staff member is denied entrance into the U.S. for no legitimate reason, then everyone on the trip will return to Toronto and the other planned trips will be canceled.

The Toronto district school board oversees 584 schools attended by 246,000 students. Bird said hundreds, and potentially thousands, of those students are from the six-Muslim majority countries listed on the ban  Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. About 23% of students in the district were born outside of Canada.

A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection stressed that there are no new travel restrictions that would impede school excursions from Canada.

As far as like a student coming across the border and a bus making a field trip, nothing is different than what it was for a field trip last year... so I dont know what the concerns would be about this year, said Dave Long, a CBP public affairs officer for Buffalo, N.Y., the busiest land entry point on the Canadian border and the one that Toronto buses would normally go through.

Long said schools normally contact border officials before a trip and provide a list of students, so that any problems, such as with documentation, can be sorted out before they get to the border. Long said he had not heard of the Toronto school boards decision before being contacted by the Los Angeles Times.

Out of the 1.2 million people coming into the U.S. daily, about 300 to 600 people are denied entry.

For Canadians, the amount of people turned back in the first quarter of 2017 was less than the first quarter of the last three years. In January and February 2016, about 3,500 Canadians were found inadmissible versus about 2,600 in the first two months of this year, according to the CBP.

In January, the Canadian government said U.S. officials gave assurances that Canadian citizens, including those with dual citizenship, would not be affected by the restrictions.

However, there have been cases of Muslim Canadians saying they were not allowed into the U.S. despite having Canadian passports.

This month, a Muslim Canadian woman says she filed a complaint with the U.S. after she was denied entry in February. She said she was stopped for four hours at the Quebec-Vermont border and asked questions about her mosque and opinions of President Trump.

You turn on the television and you see stories about people being stopped at the border for no apparent reason, said Bird, the Toronto school board spokesperson.

He said the school board, which organizes dozens of trips to the U.S. each year, had been closely looking at Trumps executive order since it was announced.

Other Canadian school boards have also canceled U.S. trips over similar fears. The Greater Essex County District School Board, south of Toronto, canceled all trips to the U.S., which were scheduled for February, over concerns of equity, officials said.

Last week, the Girl Guides of Canada announced it would not plan future trips to the U.S. so that no girl is left behind.

Jovanovski is a special correspondent.

ALSO

Trumps travel ban could remain blocked for weeks

Passengers react to ban on carry-on electronics on flights from the Middle East

Federal judge in Hawaii blocks new travel ban nationwide; Trump vows to pursue his case all the way

UPDATES:

3:15 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with additional details and quotes from Dave Long of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

This article was originally published at 6:50 a.m.
A Spanish aid organization said Friday that it feared hundreds of migrants may have died off Libyas coast, while Turkish media reported that 11 migrants died and four more were missing after a boat sank in the Aegean.

Video on the DHA outlet in Turkey showed half a dozen covered bodies that were laid out near ambulances on Friday. The migrants boat capsized near the Turkish resort town of Kusadasi and seven people were rescued, DHA reported.

Concerns about the migrants near Libya rose after five bodies were found near two capsized boats while the search for a third vessel reported missing has so far proved futile.

Advertisement

Proactiva Open Arms spokeswoman Laura Lanuza said its vessel was heading north to the Italian port of Catania to hand over the bodies of the five young men found Thursday.

She said that other nongovernmental organizations are continuing the search for possible victims off Libyas coast.

The United Nations refugee agency said it was deeply alarmed by the reports. Both it and Proactiva said they feared the death toll may be much higher as migrant dinghies are normally crammed with around 120 people each.

The agency cited sources from nongovernmental organizations as saying the five floating corpses of young men had been recovered about 14 miles off the Libyan coast near two empty and partially submerged rubber dinghies.

Lanuza said the boats were found Thursday morning, north of the Libyan town of Sabratha. The five men of African origin were estimated to be between 16 and 25 years old and appeared to have drowned, she said.

The Red Crescent in Libya, and the Libyan coast guard, said Friday that they had no reports about dead migrants or capsized boats in the 12 miles of Libyan territorial waters.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said the latest incidents come after an intense week of arrivals through the Central Mediterranean route with almost 6,000 migrants and refugees rescued in just five days this week.

It said so far this year some 21,903 people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

The agency said that since the beginning of 2017, and excluding the latest incidents, around 590 people have died or have gone missing in crossings.

Last year was the deadliest ever recorded with 5,096 migrants perishing or going missing, according to the UNHCR.

ALSO

Another Mexican journalist has been killed  the third one this month

He has a job: diving for dead bodies. But his family still lives in poverty

With 20 million people facing starvation, Trumps foreign aid cuts strike fear
U Ko Ni had just stepped off a plane and was standing curbside at the airport in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar. The tall, gray-haired lawyer cradled his 3-year-old grandson while passengers around him spoke on their phones or climbed into taxis.

No one seemed to notice as a man in shorts and sandals sidled up behind Ko Ni, drew a 9-millimeter pistol inches from his head and pulled the trigger.

The fatal shooting not only silenced one of Myanmars most prominent legal experts, it exposed the dangers lurking below the surface of this former military dictatorships fitful transition to democracy.

Advertisement

In the old Myanmar  previously known as Burma and ruled by a junta for a half-century  political activists routinely disappeared into prisons or died in murky circumstances. Then in 2010, the military began ceding authority to civilians.

Pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyis party won a parliamentary majority in 2015 elections, and last October the Obama administration lifted economic sanctions, formalizing Myanmars reentry into the global community.

But the military establishment still wields immense clout in this Southeast Asian nation of 53 million, authority enshrined in the constitution it passed in 2008 shortly before initiating reforms.

Ko Ni had spent the last several years drafting a new constitution that would have unwound many of the armys powers, and his killing in January has shaken civil society leaders who see it as a warning to reformers.

Those who did this did not tolerate progress, said Myo Win, a Muslim activist who heads the Smile Education and Development Foundation, a nonprofit group in Yangon. Of course, the rest of us are worried.

Authorities say the assassination was a plot by three former military officers who hired an ex-convict to carry it out. The gunman and two other suspects have been arrested while the third, a retired army lieutenant colonel, remains at large.

Ko Ni, shown in 2013, was a prominent advocate for Muslim rights and for reforming Myanmars constitution. (Hong Sar / AFP/ Getty Images) (Hong Sar / AFP/ Getty Images)

Ko Nis grandson survived the shooting, but the gunman also killed a taxi driver who pursued him.

The home affairs minister, Lt. Gen. Kyaw Swe, said the suspects were motivated by extreme patriotism and angered by posts Ko Ni had written on social media. He did not specify the writings. But few figures represented a greater challenge to Myanmars establishment than the 63-year-old Ko Ni.

Besides advising Suu Kyis National League of Democracy party and defending the rights of his fellow Muslims in a Buddhist-dominated country, he was, behind the scenes, pushing a bold gambit to abolish the army-written constitution.

The document gives the army control of the entire civil service, and Ko Ni had told friends that as long as that provision remained in place, the military is basically still running the country, said Bertil Lintner, an author and commentator who has worked on Myanmar since the 1980s.

The army effectively holds veto power over any constitutional changes because a three-quarters majority in parliament is required to pass amendments, and one-quarter of seats are reserved for the military. Ko Ni thought he had found an opening: Scrap the constitution with a simply majority vote in parliament.

There is nothing in the 2008 constitution that says it cant be abolished with a single vote, said Lintner, a longtime friend. He was a constitutional expert, and very good at finding loopholes.

He had already devised the strategy that allowed Suu Kyi  the countrys most popular political figure  to lead the government after the 2015 elections. Sidestepping a constitutional provision that barred her from becoming president because her late husband had foreign citizenship, Ko Nis solution was to create the powerful post of state counselor, which sits above the president.

But Suu Kyi thought Ko Nis plan to do away with the constitution was too provocative, Lintner said. Although party officials said they remained committed to constitutional reform, many experts believe Ko Ni was uniquely qualified to lead the effort.

With the loss of its chief technician and advocate, the constitutional reform process will almost certainly be stalled, said Richard Weir, a fellow with the Asia division of Human Rights Watch.

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at a memorial ceremony in February for Ko Ni, a prominent legal advisor to her government, and taxi driver Ne Win. (Thein Zaw / Associated Press) (Thein Zaw / Associated Press)

Ko Ni often discussed his ideas in public forums and with journalists, including foreign reporters with whom he spoke in English. Last September, he confided in activist Myo Win that he felt threatened.

Someone close to the military came and told him that he was their second-biggest enemy after Shwe Mann, Myo Win said, referring to the former head of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party who was ousted in 2015 for pushing constitutional reforms.

The following month, when Ko Ni spoke at a conference in the northeast city of Lashio, the audience of 200 or so attendees was joined by about 10 plainclothes officers from military intelligence.

They always knew where he was, Myo Win said.

But Ko Ni kept his fears from his family. His son Thant Zin Oo, a 29-year-old software engineer in Singapore, noticed the abuses hurled at him on social media sites but thought they were harmless.

He did not mention anything that could cause us any concern, although there was online harassment constantly, his son said.

Some of the vitriol he faced derived from Ko Nis faith. Muslims, who account for fewer than 5% of Myanmars population, have often been targeted by a surging Buddhist nationalism  particularly in western Rakhine state, where members of the Rohingya ethnic group are denied citizenship and have been systematically persecuted.

Ko Ni was not Rohingya but spoke out about the injustices faced by the group. He also criticized his own party for failing to field any Muslim candidates in the 2015 elections, an apparent effort to placate Buddhist extremists.

I can think of many Muslim lawyers in Myanmar who very deliberately keep a much lower profile, said Melissa Crouch, a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales law school in Sydney, Australia, and an expert on Myanmars constitution. He stood out.

Mya Aye, a Muslim activist, said the climate for dissidents in Myanmar is getting worse. (Shashank Bengali / Los Angeles Times) (Shashank Bengali / Los Angeles Times)

But over the last year, Crouch said, Ko Ni had come to believe that space for free speech was narrowing. Last November, when she invited him to speak in Yangon on a panel about constitutional issues  the type of event he usually welcomed  he refused.

In Myanmar there are invisible lines and you never quite know when youre going to step on them, Crouch said. And now that message has been very clearly understood.

The day he was killed, he was returning from Indonesia, where he had traveled as part of a government delegation to share experiences of political reconciliation. Mya Aye, a Muslim activist who was part of the delegation, said Ko Ni had openly discussed the need for political reforms.

Both men had been targets of extremists before. In 2014, the National League of Democracy party had to cancel a public event after Buddhist monks protested the inclusion of the two men because they were Muslim.

Its never been safe for political activists in Myanmar, Mya Aye said, and now it is getting worse.

Suu Kyis government has offered a mixed response to the assassination. The morning after his death, which made headlines worldwide, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper ran the story on its inside pages. Suu Kyi waited one month before making a public statement, calling Ko Nis death a deep loss but stopping short of a full-throated appeal for justice.

Allies said she has been careful to avoid antagonizing military generals to maintain a working relationship  and because she might fear for her own safety.

It seems she cant do much, Mya Aye said. She might be thinking that to be vocal would cause unnecessary problems. But she needs to speak out for justice.

Whether a plot to kill Ko Ni reached higher into the military establishment may never be known. Activists have already criticized the conduct of the investigation.

The police and army, which are running the probe together, waited three weeks to hold their first news conference. The home minister, Kyaw Swe, also raised eyebrows when he suggested without elaborating that Ko Nis community  a veiled reference to Muslims  might have killed him.

Ko Nis relatives say they wont judge the investigation until it is over. Asked whether those responsible for his fathers killing would see justice, Thant Zin Oo said, We have hope.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia

ALSO

Their university was hit by a devastating terror attack. Now these Afghan students are returning to school

Taiwan demonstrates a newfound love of dogs with a law to stop killing them

Tillerson wraps up Asia trip on hopeful note, but uncertainties over North Korea remain
He is an aluminum tycoon, one of Russias wealthiest businessmen, and is tight with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska finds himself at the center of a heated American political scandal.

Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported that Paul Manafort, President Trumps former campaign manager, had secretly worked for Deripaska a decade ago to advance Putins interests.

Manafort has denied that any business he did with Deripaska was related to helping the Russian government. And a representative for Deripaska told Russias Kommersant newspaper that while Manafort did provide consultancy services on investments, that work was part of contracts that only involved Oleg Deripaskas business interests. And those contracts are currently a subject of litigation, the representative said.

Advertisement

But just who is Oleg Deripaska?

His rise came with the fall of the Soviet Union

Deripaska was born on Jan. 2, 1968, in the city of Dzerzhinsk, about 250 miles east of Moscow.

According to Reuters, he graduated from the School of Physics at Moscow State University in 1993 and three years later graduated from Moscows School of Economics at Plekhanov Academy of Economics. After graduating he founded a small metals trading operation and established a foothold within the domestic metals industry, the news agency said.

The Financial Times reported that by the mid-1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Deripaska had acquired a stake in a smelting factory and by the end of that decade he had managed to secure a strong foothold in the Russian aluminum industry.

The making of a billionaire

In 2008, Forbes magazine listed Deripaska as the ninth-richest man in the world, worth about $28 billion. He almost went bankrupt during the global financial crisis, but managed to bounce back due to shrewd restructuring of his debts, and according to some reports, a helping hand from Kremlin.

He reputedly had ties to organized criminal groups  a charge Deripaska has denied  and to Boris Berezovsky, a Russian tycoon who is widely believed to have been instrumental in installing Vladimir Putin as prime minister and later president, according to Russian media reports.

Paul Manafort, President Trumps former campaign manager, had secretly worked for Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska to advance Russian interests, according to an Associated Press report. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) (Matt Rourke / Associated Press)

In 2016, Forbes ranked Deripaska as Russias 41st wealthiest man. He owns Basic Element, Russias most diversified industrial group, and today his net worth is $5.1 billion, according to financial magazine.

Deripaska owns stakes in UC Rusal, a leading aluminum producer; EuroSibEnergo, one of the largest hydroelectric power producers in the world; GAZ Group, a leading automotive company; Ingosstrakh, an insurance company, and AgroHolding Kuban, [a] large agricultural company in Russia, Forbes reported. In addition, he has an investment in the joint venture that operates airports in the South of Russia, including Sochi Airport, the magazine said.

He moves in powerful circles

The 49-year-old Deripaska, a father of two children, is described as being tall and well-built with closely cropped brown hair. He is married to the daughter of an advisor to former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

As a result, he became part of the Family, an informal group of tycoons and government officials with links to the now-deceased president, whose administration that stretched from 1991 to 1999 was marred by widespread corruption.

The Family lost power after Putin became president in 2000, and Deripaska had to fall in line with the Kremlins new master.

Ties to Putin

During the late 2000s when the global financial crisis almost made Deripaska bankrupt, Kremlin friends helped bail him out, according to a 2011 profile of the magnate in Canadas Globe and Mail.

In this 2014 photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Russian metals magnate Oleg Deripaska while visiting the RusVinyl plant in Kstovo, in Russias Nizhny Novgorod region. (Mikhail Klimentyev / Associated Press) (Mikhail Klimentyev / Associated Press)

The newspaper reported that in 2009, Putin compared oligarchs such as Deripaska to cockroaches and forced Mr. Deripaska to sign a document safeguarding the future of a local factory. The two men appeared to fall out, but the tension between them has since eased, according to several media reports.

The Associated Press report said U.S. diplomatic cables from 2006 described Deripaska as among the two to three oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis and a more-or-less permanent fixture on Putins trips abroad.

In the late 1990s, the U.S. State Department refused to allow Deripaska to visit the United States, because of his alleged ties to organized crime, according to several U.S. media reports. Deripaskas ties to Putin were so close that Russias foreign minister asked U.S. secretaries of state for more than a decade, including as recently as last year, to help Deripaska secure a visa to enter the United States, the Washington Post reported.

The Manafort connection

According to the AP report, Manafort proposed in a confidential strategy plan as early as June 2005 that he would influence politics, business dealings and news coverage inside the United States, Europe and the former Soviet republics to benefit the Putin government.

Manafort pitched the plans to Deripaska and eventually signed a $10-million annual contract beginning in 2006, the news agency reported.

According to CNN, Manafort acknowledged working for Deripaska but dismissed claims that his work involved representing Russian political interests.

The Trump administration has denied knowing about Manaforts work for Deripaska. And in recent days, officials appeared to distance themselves from Manafort, with White House press secretary Sean Spicer downplaying the former advisors influence in Trumps presidential campaign.

A philanthropist who supports education

The 2011 Globe and Mail profile described Deripaski as a shy and not conspicuously flashy man who considered himself a patriot. At the time, he owned a chalet outside Moscow, with its own small ski hill, a 239-foot, six-deck yacht, called the Queen K, and properties in Tokyo, London, Montenegro, among other cities, according to the newspapers report at that time.

The newspaper reported that Deripaska was not even eager to publicize his numerous charities, which over the decade of 2000-09 contributed some $250 million largely to education projects.

Deripaskas website says he has donated the equivalent of about $185 million to charity and social projects.

Motivated and active people change the world, create something to be proud of for generations and are changing our world and our lives for the better, Deripaska writes on his website. How do we achieve these goals? To my mind, primarily through the support of educational and research projects, the development of culture, preservation of traditions and the improvement of the social environment in the regions.

Special correspondent Mansur Mirovalev in Moscow contributed to this report.

ann.simmons@latimes.com

For more on global development news, see our Global Development Watch page, and follow me @AMSimmons1 on Twitter

ALSO

Russia, the Supreme Court and the travel ban: Notable storylines from Trumps week

Claims of inadvertent U.S. surveillance on Trump transition team raise questions

Ukraine president suggests a Kremlin-orchestrated attack after former Russian lawmaker is shot dead in Kiev
Mexican journalist Miroslava Breach spent her final days documenting murders.

She reported on the six people killed in a single night in her home state of Chihuahua, and on the assassination of a well-known environment activist there. She wrote about the discovery of clandestine graves, about several police officers killed in an ambush, and about the bodies of three brothers that turned up, headless, in a rural mountain town.

On Thursday, Breach became a victim of the growing violence in Mexico that she chronicled so thoroughly. The 54-year-old mother of three was killed as she left her home in the capital city of Chihuahua  the third journalist slain in Mexico this month.

Advertisement

Breach was shot several times as she pulled her car out of her garage in the early morning, according to authorities. One of her children who was with her at the time was unhurt. Breach was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A sign left at the crime scene said tattletale, according to La Jornada, the large national newspaper where Breach worked as a correspondent for 15 years. She also worked for several local newspapers and was reportedly starting her own news organization.

Authorities have not arrested any suspects in the case but said Thursday that Breach was likely killed because of her journalism, which cast a critical light not only on Mexicos criminal groups but also the failings of its government.

Miroslava denounced organized crime and also acts of corruption in the state Chihuahua, and that work is now our main line of investigation, said Chihuahuas governor, Javier Corral, who first met Breach in the 1990s.

In a televised news conference, he called her courageous, praised her acute criticism of society and the political class, and said the state would honor her with three days of mourning.

On Thursday local journalists protested at Chihuahuas state congress, raising homemade signs that said: Enough already. According to local media reports, the microphone inside the chamber where the lawmakers meet was turned over to journalists, who demanded lawmakers do more to protect them.

According to a report released last year by the International Federation of Journalists, Mexico is the third deadliest country for journalists in the world, with 120 murders in the last 25 years. Only Iraq and the Philippines saw more journalists killed during that time.

In Mexico, this month has been particularly deadly.

On March 19, columnist Ricardo Monlui was shot twice as he left a restaurant with his wife and son in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz. And on March 2, Cecilio Pineda Birto, a freelancer and the founder of La Voz de Tierra Caliente, was shot and killed at a car wash in Guerrero state.

Their deaths are a part an alarming rise in homicides across Mexico. There were 4,254 murder victims in Mexico in the first two months of this year, including 327 deaths in Chihuahua, more than at the beginning of any year since the government began releasing murder statistics.

More than a decade after Mexico launched a crusade against drug cartels  sending soldiers into local communities to battle gangs  a drug war still rages, and the murder rate is once again rising rapidly.

In a statement about Breachs killing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said, This wave of violence threatens citizens right to access vital information, and harms Mexicos democracy by limiting public debate.

The U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Roberta Jacobson, also expressed her condolences, via Twitter.

May this and other crimes against journalists not remain in impunity to the detriment of freedom of the press, she said.

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Twitter: @katelinthicum

Cecilia Sanchez in the Times Mexico City bureau contributed to this report.

ALSO

He defended the sacred lands of Mexicos Tarahumara people. Then a gunman cut him down

London assailant had been investigated for terrorism; Utah man among victims

A mother who dug in a Mexican mass grave to find the disappeared finally learns her sons fate
Munatha Jasim watched Iraqi civil defense workers in red suits scurry among the ruins of her neighbors homes Friday, extracting the dead and zipping them into blue body bags.

The massive explosion that tore through Baghdad Street last week killed nine of Jasims relatives, including son Firas, 7, and daughter Taiba, 4. We recovered half his body, she said of the 7-year-old. The rest is still there.

The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is investigating whether it was responsible for an airstrike in the west Mosul neighborhood of Aghawat Jadidah March 17 that local civil defense officials said killed at least 200. It would be the highest civilian death toll from an airstrike since the battle against the militant group Islamic State began more than two years ago and among the deadliest incidents in modern warfare.

Advertisement

The coalition has opened a formal civilian casualty credibility assessment on this allegation, and we are currently analyzing conflicting allegations and all possible strikes in that area, said U.S. Army Col. Joe Scrocca, a Baghdad-based spokesman for the coalition, who added that coalition forces routinely strike Islamic State targets in that area.

Scrocca said the investigation is looking at multiple allegations placing a strike in the area sometime between March 17 and 23. The Pentagon previously announced four strikes near Mosul March 17 that destroyed 25 fighting positions, 56 vehicles plus a suicide car.

 U.S. officials, who werent authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation, said initial indications are that a truck loaded with fuel or explosives may have been inadvertently hit, causing a massive explosion that killed over 200 peop

We will continue to assess the allegations and determine what if any role a coalition strike may have had in that area, Scrocca said.

Nearly 50 bodies could be seen Friday in the area of the alleged airstrike, where relatives helped recover remains.

One man approached a bag that contained the body of a pregnant woman, touched it, talked to it, then began to cry and wail. Civil defense workers had to lead him away.

In a nearby garage where bodies were being stored, another man who lost 32 relatives tried to identify them based on what had been recovered: some government identification cards, a brown wallet and a black purse. But he started to sob, and had to step outside, sit on the curb and hang his head.

Jasim walked down a dirt street that reeked of death. Bodies were still pinned under houses; blackened hands and a pair of feet in yellow high-top sneakers protruded from one place in the rubble. Finally, she stopped and pointed to the ruins of her home. She said a militant sniper had set up across the street from her house before the attack.

Just because one Islamic State [fighter] was on our house, the aircraft bombed us, she said tearfully.

Residents who witnessed the explosion said it came after militants forced them into their homes.

Scrocca said Islamic States use of civilians as human shields has been a challenge for coalition forces in Mosul.

U.S. officials, who werent authorized to speak publicly on the ongoing investigation, said initial indications are that a truck carrying fuel or explosives may have been inadvertently hit, causing a massive explosion.

The incident is the latest of several fatal attacks in which dozens of civilians are alleged to have been killed at the hands of U.S. forces.

On Wednesday, humanitarian groups said at least 30 civilians were killed when an airstrike hit a school in Syria, south of Raqqah. Less than a week earlier, the U.S. was accused of bombing a mosque in Aleppo province, killing more than 40.

The two incidents are being investigated by the Pentagon.

Despite the mounting allegations, the U.S. is quick to say that no military in history has taken such pains to avoid civilian casualties, and that nearly every bomb dropped is guided by satellite or laser.

Our goal has always been for zero civilian casualties, but the coalition will not abandon our commitment to our partners because of ISISs brutal tactics terrorizing civilians, using human shields, and fighting from protected sites such as schools, hospitals and religious sites, Scrocca said in a statement, using an acronym for Islamic State.

As the battle has moved into a city of narrow pathways and clusters of shops, homes and Muslim shrines, the U.S. military has launched an unprecedented number of airstrikes to help Iraqi forces advance. U.S. pilots describe dozens of strike aircraft circling high above west Mosul, waiting their turn to drop a bomb.

The U.S.-led coalition has unleashed more than 500 aerial bombs, artillery and mortar shells, ground-launched rockets and drone-launched missiles this week, which follows 880 the week prior. More than 18,400 munitions have rained down on Mosul since the offensive began on Oct. 17, according to the Pentagon.

Delivering those strikes without laying waste to the ancient city and the civilians who live there has proven difficult as the militants mix among communities.

The military is investigating more than a dozen reports of civilian casualties in Mosul alone.

Civilian deaths have long poisoned Iraqis relationship with the United States. To mitigate against the deaths, U.S. military officers and air controllers embed with Iraqi forces to direct airstrikes against Islamic State positions and advise Iraqi ground commanders on how best to advance on the battlefield.

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, the top Air Force commander in the Middle East, said in February that U.S. advisors had been granted greater authority and, rather than going through headquarters, now can speak directly to pilots so that strikes can be launched quickly.

The U.S. military employs a lengthy set of precautions, including written rules of engagement and multiple levels of approval before bombs can be dropped or missiles launched. Still, the nature of the war in a dense, heavily populated environment guarantees more accidental deaths, especially when people make split-second life-or-death decisions.

This month, The Pentagon substantiated nine of 19 alleged instances of airstrikes with civilian casualties from January, resulting in two injuries and 21 deaths.

The Pentagon has acknowledged 220 civilian deaths from coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria since the U.S. campaign against Islamic State began in 2014.

Airwars, a London-based nonprofit that monitors civilian deaths from coalition air raids, put the casualty figures much higher, at about 2,700 civilians killed in airstrikes in both countries during that time.

Chris Woods, director of Airwars, said his analysts were overwhelmed with the spate of recent allegations.

Reported civilian deaths from coalition strikes have been rising for some months, but where were at now  with more than 1,000 claimed fatalities so far this month  is unprecedented, he said. I dont think any of us at Airwars expected to see allegations against the Coalition running so high  even with the predicted high risk to civilians during the Mosul assault.

The Iraqi government was also looking into the alleged airstrike last week, said Brig. Gen. Tahsin Ibrahim, spokesman for the ministry of defense.

If we hit civilians there is a big investigation, and if the investigation finds sufficient evidence, the case may be referred to a military court, he said.

Civil defense workers and witnesses at the scene of the alleged airstrike late Friday said it came in response to militants who had fired on aircraft in the area. Some said they saw only a few militants, others said they saw 10.

Iraqi Civil Defense Lt. Col. Taha Ali said the airstrikes came after militants began shooting at aircraft with heavy rockets.

Thats why the aircraft fired, he said, adding that he didnt think Iraqi or coalition forces were to blame. Its Islamic States fault because they were shooting. If you shoot, theyll shoot back  the army is just doing their job.

Several witnesses described being forced into their homes before the airstrike by militants who burned their cars, parked a truck packed with explosives next to a house and perched on a roof, firing weapons.

Daesh was not letting us go out, said Ihab Adnan, 35, a laborer, using a common term for Islamic State as he picked his way through the remains of his uncles house next door.

Adnan pointed to a photo in the ruins of his 13-year-old cousin, Ali Ramadan, whose body was now zipped in a body bag.

He said a series of airstrikes began at just after 5 p.m., and everything was exploding.

He could hear his relatives screaming next door. Adnan was screaming, too. He emerged to discover several families had been buried in their collapsed houses: 18 in his uncles house, 72 in a nearby home, 130 in another. He could hear some of the injured crying.

We were running and taking people out of the ruins, Adnan said.

Officials at an Iraqi military clinic nearby said they treated more than 20 survivors.

Truck driver Rayid Najim Abdullah said he felt an airstrike hit his home and then ignite a truck packed with explosives parked nearby.

The house just fell on us, said Abdullah, 48.

His wife and three children, ages 12, 10 and 5, were all hospitalized Friday. Abdullah also had a cut on his nose, and looked bereft.

I lost my car and everything, he said, gesturing at the remains of his street.

Majid Taib Najim, 47, was sheltering inside his house with 40 relatives when he saw aircraft bomb the area, striking his house and the truck. He said they were lucky to escape unharmed.

All the people that died here is because of a mistake by the aircraft, Najim said.

Suha Khalid Gharab, 60, lost 20 relatives in the explosion, including a 1-year-old.

Its a crime, killing civilian people, she said as she sat inside her damaged house Friday, surrounded by neighbors.

Some called for families to be compensated by the government, so they can rebuild. Others wanted assurances that civilians would be better protected by Iraqi and coalition forces in the future.

This is how theyre liberating the area? asked Ahmed Abd, 43, a laborer.

Iraqi civil defense teams first reached the area Thursday, extracting 40 bodies. They made slow progress Friday extracting 42 more bodies buried in several feet of rubble, at times relying on a jackhammer, whirring blade and a bulldozer to clear mounds of debris from a collapsed house where 130 are believed to have been buried.

Saleh Jamal, a longtime civil defense worker, surveyed the scene from a garage full of body bags nearby and said it was the worst he has seen in 30 years outside of Baghdad, comparing it to the deadly bombing of the capitals Karada district last year that killed about 300 people.

Yesterday we brought up 10 small children, he said, shaking his head.

Turkya Azudin sat in an empty room above the garage, watching the teams at work below and counting relatives she had lost: 18.

Neighbor Marwan Saleh, 50, sat next to her, awaiting word on the bodies of his daughter, son-in-law and 2-month-old grandson.

Theyre still in there, he said, gesturing to the collapsed house and vowing to keep vigil until I recognize them.

Saleh said he hopes Iraqi forces learn from the deaths on Baghdad Street.

Its too much, all these airstrikes on this one area. Why? he said. Liberate another way, not this way.

Times staff writer Hennessy-Fiske reported from Mosul and Hennigan from Washington, D.C. Times photojournalist Marcus Yam contributed.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

Twitter: @mollyhf

william.hennigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @wjhenn

ALSO

U.S. aid group provides medical help to Iraqis near front lines in Mosul

PHOTOS: Deadly airstrike in Mosul kills scores of civilians

East Mosul may be free from Islamic State control, but its far from secure

UPDATES:

3 p.m.: This story was updated throughout with additional details from the scene of the explosions.

This story was originally published at 11 a.m.
South Korea's sunken Seoul ferry emerged from the waters on March 23, Thursday. There is nearly three years after it went down with the loss of more than 300 lives and dealt a crushing blow to now-ousted President Park Geun Hye.

According to The Telegraph, the Seoul ferry was structurally unsounded, overloaded and unsound too fast on a turn. The vessel was capsized and sank during a routine voyage off the southwest coast on April 16, 2014.

As a result of this incident, 304 schoolchildren was dead and it is thought that nine bodies are still unaccounted for may be trapped inside the sunken ship. This incident has raised the Seoul intact has been a key demand of the families of the victims.

ALJAZEERA has reported that most of the 304 victims of the Seoul ferry incident on 2014 were teenage school children from the Danwon High School in Ansan, near Seoul. Many perished after being told to wait in the cabin instead of evacuating. Still, nine bodies were never found.

The mother of Yang Seung, a teacher said," I really miss my son. I hope he gets out of the freezing water and meets me here". She wept on the island of Jindo, near where the ship went down. The anxious families gathered on a boat to oversee the raising of the ship, while others watched from the top of a hill onshore.

The local news report stated that the 145 meter-long Seoul ferry, was trapped in a 40m underwater for 1073 days, have begun to break the surface at about 4 am. The Chinese consortium began to use two salvage barges to raise it in $72 million operations.

However, after the incident, Captain Lee Jun Seok was sentenced to life in prison for "murder through wilful negligence". Beside this, 14 others crew members were given terms ranging from two to 12 years.


Mar 24, 2017, 5:28pm ET

Chevy Volt heads to China as the Buick Velite

The first glimpse of the production car suggests GM has kept brand-specific modifications to a minimum.

General Motors has provided the first glimpse of the Buick Velite, a Chevrolet Volt-based hybrid that will be exclusive to China.

The company brought a wild Velite concept to the Guangzhou auto show in November, suggesting engineers might have been working on a unique vehicle built upon the Volt's chassis.

The latest photo, however, appears to indicate that GM has simply placed a Buick badge on the Volt, though the lower bumper appears to have a bit more painted surface to distinguish it from the Chevy. It is unclear if the front end will feature a higher level of customization.

The Velite's drivetrain appears to match the Volt, pairing a 1.5-liter engine and an electric motor. Its range spec is a bit higher, likely due to the more generous China test cycle, with an estimated 62 miles running on battery power alone.

A simple rebadge might not come as much of a surprise, as Buick continues to have a particularly strong brand presence among Chinese buyers. In 2016, Buick accounted for nearly 1.2 million sales in the country while Chevy rose to just 525,000 units.
Mar 24, 2017, 9:49am ET

Despite Trump White House, cleaner cars are coming

The drumbeat for cleaner cars is only getting stronger.

Last week President Donald Trump announced that his administration would extend the review period for the EPA's 2022-2025 fuel economy guidelines by about a year, causing concern over a backslide in vehicle emissions. However, some industry analysts believe cleaner tailpipes are all but inevitable, despite Trump's ruling.

Industry experts concede the Trump administration will likely delay the adoption of more stringent tailpipe regulations, but a total rollback is seen as doubtful. "I don't think we're going to see a rollback, Kristin Dziczek, director of the Center for Automotive Research's labor and industry group, told Reuters. "At most, I think we may see a slowing of the timetable.

Although the Trump administration might soften emission rules in the U.S., more stringent requirements are being put into place in Europe and China, so further development will be need regardless. And if the U.S. remains a step or two behind those global standards, automakers could choose to invest their money elsewhere.

It also remains to be seen how much weight EPA requirements actually carry. The rapid development of green technology could ultimately render EPA requirements a moot point. Moreover, buyers have come to expect better fuel economy from newer vehicles (even with low gas prices), so consumer sentiment might have a greater sway over automakers.

Fuel economy standards that cover 2022-2025 are expected to be completed by April 2018.
A Lehigh County investigative grand jury's investigation into the 2013 killing of an Allentown teenager led to charges Friday against two men, the county district attorney's office said.

Charles L. Bryant, 16, of the 300 block of North 14th Street, was shot in the body late in the night of Aug. 5, 2013, in the 900 block of Oak Street iand died early the next morning.

Tyrieff Hart, 23, and Joshua Livingston, 24, who are both in jail, were charged Friday with homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide and two gun counts, the district attorney's office said.

Hart also faces two counts of attempted homicide, while Livingston faces one count of that charge, according to authorities.

The pair used a handgun to shoot and kill Bryant and fired at another person who was nearby, prosecutors said. They were to be arraigned later Friday.

The grand jury, overseen by Assistant District Attorney Bethany S. Zampogna, heard testimony from witnesses and was shown exhibits, the news release said. The presentment was approved by county Judge Maria Dantos.

The grand jury's presentment was sealed, so more details weren't immediately available about what allegedly tied the two men to the killing.

Hart is awaiting trial on November 2016 drug and firearms charges. He was held in that case in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Livingston is serving a two- to five-year sentence after pleading guilty in June 2014 to charges of firearms not to be carried without a license and possession of a firearm when prohibited. That case stemmed from an incident in January 2014, according to court records.

District Attorney Jim Martin praised Allentown police Detective Raymond Ferraro and district attorney's Homicide Task Force Detective Richard Heffelfinger for their investigation into the killing. Martin also thanked those who served on the investigating grand jury.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
After making it through some bad weather earlier this year, workers are putting the finishing touches on the new home for the Bethlehem Police Department's Mounted Unit.

The barn and grazing land off Langhorne Avenue have been years in the making, and the police department's four horses -- Grey, Asa, George and Pharaoh -- are set to move in in May.

When the unit was relaunched in 2009, the horses lived at Burnside Plantation. Officials said the historic barn couldn't provide the climate-controlled space needed for the team and its supplies, and the search for a new home began.

"The biggest concerns were the safety, security and the well-being of the horses," said Tom Tenges, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Bethlehem Mounted Police's board of directors.

What made the search more difficult was finding enough open space close to the city's downtown -- so that the horses would have enough land to graze and run, but were close enough to be deployed when needed.

The two-year search included plans to build a stable on Bethlehem's favorite sledding hill, but that was abandoned amid public outcry.

Then, "the Diocese came to our rescue," Tenges said.

The Diocese of Allentown owns land near Holy Saviour Cemetery on Linden Street, and part of it is leased to a farmer for crops. The diocese carved out a 10-acre spot for the Mounted Unit, and the Friends signed a lease for the spot.

The resolution couldn't have come at a better time. Since last summer's groundbreaking, the conditions at Burnside became too dangerous, and last fall the horses were moved to Bay Ridge Stables outside Northampton while waiting for the barn to be completed.

An upgrade in accommodations

Ground was officially broken last July, but construction didn't start until Jan. 9. The Friends of the Bethlehem Police Mounted Unit has been updating construction on its Facebook page.

On a recent tour, the crew from B&D Builders were installing tongue-and-groove paneling on the first floor.

The new barn has seven stalls -- four for Bethlehem's horses and three for guest horses -- as well as an isolation stall for when the horses are ill or injured.

There's plenty of storage space for gear and hay, office space for the officers on the second floor, and bathrooms for the officers and the horses. That includes an indoor washing stall with hot water -- something Burnside did not have, Tenges said.

Thinking ahead, the nonprofit group also roughed in plumbing to add a separate bathroom for when a female officer joins the unit.

The barn, tucked into a quiet residential neighborhood, is minutes away from Bethlehem's downtown, and Tenges said the officers can even ride from the barn to the business district.

Rain earlier in the year posed the most problems for the project, particularly when the foundation work started, according to Tenges. The roof was already on when the area had two snowstorms.

The wood front doors were installed last week, as well as the building's crowning glory -- a cupola with a copper horse weather vane.

"It's just stunning," Tenges said. The group had reluctantly crossed off the cupola when reviewing costs for the project, but a board member ponied up for it.

Placed just in time before the snow storm tonight! The functional cupola on the barn was donated by an anonymous Friends of the Bethlehem Mounted Police Board member! Not only does it look amazing, but it helps improve air circulation in the building. Posted by Bethlehem Mounted Police on Monday, March 13, 2017

Safety and security

Security was also a concern, and surveillance cameras at the site are connected to the police department's system and can also be accessed by the officers' cellphones.

"There's constant monitoring," Tenges said, adding that neighbors have promised to keep an eye on things, too.

Tenges was named president of the Friends six years ago, and has served the maximum of two, three-year terms. A new president will come on board later this year, but Tenges' tenure ends as the barn is completed.

Standing in the dry-walled second floor, looking out over what will be fenced-in grazing land, Tenges was ecstatic about the unit's future home.

"I'm just so happy for the guys. They're going to get the home they deserve, and Bethlehem benefits from this, too," he said.

The project was built without taxpayer money, and the nonprofit is still fundraising for the $500,000 capital campaign. They're just under $450,000 now, but "we still got a ways to go," Tenges said.

The nonprofit plans to start a "Name a Post" fundraiser, where for $25 a donor gets a plaque on one of the hundreds of posts to fence-in the grazing fields. That work won't start until the ground warms up a bit.

Tenges said plans for the barn include demonstrations for school kids, as well as teaming up with the Bethlehem parks department for programs in the summer.

The horses are slated to move in in early May. A special ribbon-cutting for donors is planned for later in May, and then an open house fair with food, rides and demonstrations for the public is planned for later in the summer.

"Everybody will be welcome," Tenges said.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Lower Saucon Township police are looking for the driver of a Honda Odyssey that struck a pedestrian Thursday morning and kept going.

The accident occurred at 8:50 a.m. at Countryside Lane and Easton Road. The pedestrian, identified by police as township resident Tim Walters, suffered minor injuries, police said.

Walters was knocked to the ground after being struck on the left arm by the vehicle's passenger-side mirror, authorities said.

The Honda sped off on Easton Road, toward Hellertown. The driver was described as a white male in his mid-40s and wearing sunglasses.

Police said the light gray Honda was a newer model with a Pennsylvania license plate. Its registration is unknown.

Police said Walters was standing outside his vehicle at the intersection and the Honda had passed another vehicle on Countryside Lane. Walters told police he realized the approaching vehicle wasn't going to stop and wasn't able to get completely out of the way before he was hit.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lower Saucon police at 610-317-6110 and reference incident No. 20170323M89

00.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Vamsimadhav C. Korrapati

Vamsimadhav C. Korrapati leaves the Northampton County Courthouse on Nov. 23, 2016, with defense attorney Brian McMonagle.

A doctor charged with molesting two children has backed out of a plea deal and will head to trial.

Vamsimadhav C. Korrapati has maintained his innocence ever since he was charged with molesting the two children.

He entered a no-contest plea to two counts of reckless endangerment in November, which means he admitted the government had enough evidence to prove he endangered the children but he didn't admit to any wrongdoing.

But on Friday he withdrew that plea.

"His decision, I will tell this court, came after months of counseling on my part," said his attorney, Brian McMonagle.

Korrapati, 42, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, is charged with molesting a boy and a girl between 2008 and 2014. The boy was 11 and the girl was 7 at the start of the abuse.

His medical license is suspended and he faces deportation to India, Assistant District Attorney Anthony Casola previously said.

Korrapati completed his internal medicine residency at St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill and also worked at Easton Hospital.

He's charged with two counts each of corruption of minors, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment.

The trial is scheduled for October.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Nadir Naim Chandler, the former Bethlehem man who is charged in the Oct. 29 Forks Township Verizon store theft, gave up his right to challenge extradition in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and is expected to soon return to the Lehigh Valley, authorities said.

Nadir Chandler, 25, of Bethlehem, is charged with theft in the Oct. 29, 2016, robbery of a cellphone store in Forks Township, authorities say. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

"He is still here in our jail and will remain here until Pennsylvania comes to pick him up," Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Angela Mattozzi said in an email.

Chandler, 25, formerly of the 1200 block of Livingston Street, was arrested in Georgia after Forks police charged him March 16 with theft and receiving stolen property. He had been released Feb. 24 from jail there after serving a short time-served sentence on unrelated crimes.

Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Patricia Mulqueen confirmed the extradition waiver but said she didn't have details on when he would return to face the charges.

Chandler will be the fifth person jailed in the Lehigh Valley on charges related to an ongoing investigation into robberies at five cellphone stores, the killing of the clerk from the Forks store and the abduction of that business' manager. Authorities have said the crimes, which happened in six municipalities and two states, are connected.

No one is charged in three of the robberies, the killing or abduction.

Mulqueen said the multijurisdictional task force she heads and which was formed to solve the crimes continues to meet, but she would not say if there are additional suspects or more charges forthcoming.

The court paperwork that likely lays out at least parts of the case remains sealed by a Northampton County judge, she said.

Forks police Chief Greg Dorney on Friday initially said he wasn't aware Chandler didn't challenge extradition, but later added that it appeared county detectives will arrange the suspect's return next week.

While Chandler would have the right to an attorney and have to be told of his right to remain silent, it's likely the investigation would benefit from him being in Northampton County Prison rather than Gwinnett County Detention Center. If nothing else, he would by nearby if police wanted to question him.

In her email, Mattozzi also explained why Chandler only served 60 days or so when he pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving stolen weapons and a third count of possession a firearm as a felon.

"Sentences vary depending on the defendant and evidence," Mattozzi said. "In this particular situation, various things determined his sentence including that the defendant agreed as part of his plea to testify truthfully against Norman Watson and Derrick White. Norman Watson's warrants have been dismissed but Derrick White's case has been indicted and he has been charged with multiple felonies."

Chandler was a back-seat passenger in a car with the other two that was stopped Dec. 7 for a traffic violation in Georgia, near where Chandler was living in Lawrenceville, authorities said in court paperwork. Under the rear seats of the Mercedes, police found two stolen handguns, court papers say.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Move over Providence-Warwick in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The Lehigh Valley has worked its way into the top five Northeast markets for economic development, according to the 2016 ranking by the industry publication Site Selection magazine.

The region's 26 economic development projects last year pushed it from No. 6 on the list to No. 5, supplanting Providence-Warwick, which had 21 projects.

Local business leaders celebrated the upgraded ranking Thursday during the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.'s 22nd annual meeting, held in the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks on South Side Bethlehem.

"We come in right behind metropolitan areas that dwarf us in size," said Don Cunningham, LVEDC president and CEO.

No. 1 on the list is New York-Newark-Jersey City, second is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, third is Pittsburgh and fourth is Boston-Cambridge-Newton. Providence-Warwick is now sixth, where the Lehigh Valley Metropolitan Statistical Area in Pennsylvania and New Jersey was ranked in 2015.

"We actually had many more projects, but they weren't large enough to qualify for the Site Selection list," Cunningham told about 300 people gathered for Thursday's meeting.

The LVEDC is a public-private partnership for promoting investment in the region. The biggest contribution in its $2.7 million budget is the $155,000 combined from Lehigh and Northampton counties, primarily through a tax on hotel stays, said Michael J. Gigler, an executive with Wells Fargo.

The Lehigh Valley's growth is garnering international notice, Cunningham said. He was just in Toronto two weeks prior talking to industrial and commercial brokers about how the region landed the FedEx Ground processing facility under construction for a summer 2018 opening on former Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority land in Allen Township. Last week it was Tucson to address a group of national real estate consultants, he said.

"We are one of the smallest markets at the table," Cunningham said. "Most of the others there are large markets, which is what we need to view as our competition. The Lehigh Valley punches well above its weight class. Our competition is larger than us and, frankly, spends more money than us."

The LVEDC's members invested a record $625,000 in the agency last year, at a time when Pennsylvania has "dramatically" cut its spending on economic development, marketing and recruiting, said outgoing LVEDC Board of Directors Chairman Steve Kalamar.

All told, the LVEDC says it has tracked 31 business attraction and expansion projects either announced, under construction or completed in the Lehigh Valley in 2016, creating 4,829 jobs and retaining 1,859 existing jobs. Additionally the group helped link businesses to $240 million in financing in 2016, supporting more than a dozen projects that created 1,461 jobs. Among those projects are:

Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America consolidating its regional headquarters in Hanover Township, Northampton County, retaining 1,600 jobs.

Amazon.com doubling its space in the region to more than 2 million square feet, adding 700 jobs.

Norac, a French bakery products company, establishing its first United States manufacturing facility, in Forks Township, creating 62 jobs.

Mack Trucks investing $70 million in its Lower Macungie Township plant, including a 75,000-square-foot expansion.

Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping service, establishing its first Northeast distribution center, in Lower Nazareth Township, creating 500 jobs.

Tyber Medical, a manufacturer of orthopedic and spinal implants, relocating its corporate headquarters from New Jersey to the Lehigh Valley.

Michelman Steel Enterprises, a steel fabricator, expanding and renovating its Allentown facility.

The region's gross-domestic production in 2016 reached $37 billion, the highest in history and larger than 97 countries and the State of Vermont, the LVEDC says. Manufacturing is the region's top economic sector, making up $5.6 billion -- or 15 percent -- of Lehigh Valley GDP.

The gains follow now-bygone dark times, including the bankruptcy and shuttering of the Bethlehem Steel Corp., whose blast furnaces blazed in Thursday's March sunlight outside the windows of the ArtsQuest Center as the LVEDC members celebrated. Mack Truck had left for South Carolina before marking its return to the Lehigh Valley, where all its trucks for North American distribution and export are built. The changes led to the creation of LVEDC in March 1995, as a bid to market Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and Northampton and Lehigh counties as a single entity: the Lehigh Valley.

"It's an entity you won't find on a map," Cunningham said, "but a regional identity that would create a new brand to market the amazing assets of this Valley."

Thursday's meeting also offered a chance to welcome new LVEDC board Chairwoman Jane Long, who is chairwoman of the corporate, business and banking group at the law firm Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba.

Looking ahead, Long cast as the four target markets for the Lehigh Valley high-performance manufacturing, high-value business services, life science research and manufacturing and food and beverage processing.

The LVEDC also welcomed new board members Kassie Hilgert, who is president and CEO of ArtsQuest; Silvia Hoffman, president at MKSD Architects; Eric Luftig, a vice president at Victaulic; and Stu Shaw, vice president and chief actuary at Guardian Life Insurance.

In addition to Long, the group's new officers are Vice Chairman Dan McCarthy, from the Lehigh Valley Partnership; Secretary Ed Dougherty, from Lehigh Valley Health Network; and Treasurer Patricia Johnson, from Lehigh University.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Palmer Township man was ordered Thursday to pay back $1.4 million and spend three years in federal prison for defrauding a potato chip manufacturer, according to a federal prosecutor.

Jonathan Haas submitted bogus invoices and purchase orders to potato chip manufacturers Utz Quality Foods. An executive at Utz, Kevin Myers, would approve the orders and Haas would kick back a portion of his ill-gotten gains to Myers.

Haas pleaded guilty to wire fraud. His Upper Nazareth Township-based company, Haas Packaging and Design, supplied the packaging and shelves to Utz.

The sentence and restitution amount were confirmed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Daniel, one of the prosecutors assigned to the case. It was also confirmed by defense attorney Stan Margle.

Haas was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Yvette Kane to pay back $925,146 to Utz and $500,000 to its insurance carrier.

"The money stolen . . . could have been put towards hiring new workers, capital improvements or expanding our business," said the company president in a sentencing memorandum.

The memorandum filed by defense attorney Robert Sletvold said Haas was lured into participating in the scheme by Myers because he hoped placating Myers would lead to legitimate business opportunities with Utz.

He feared if he didn't keep up with the scam, Myers would make sure Haas' company was dropped as a supplier and Utz provided half of his company's business, according to the memo.

Haas' company is now bankrupt. He's always been the sole provider for his four children and his wife, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, the memo says.

Myers, formerly of Abbottstown, Pa., was previously sentenced to four years and three months for his part in the scam, which lasted from January 2010 until August 2014.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
An inmate of Portlaoise Prison, who has been described over the years as Irelands most dangerous prisoner, has been given an extra six-month sentence for assaulting four prison guards.

I really wonder is prison the best place for him, would the Central Mental Hospital not be a more suitable place for him? asked Judge Catherine Staines, sentencing Leon Wright, originally from Dublin but now with an address at Portlaoise Prison.

The courtroom had to be cleared yesterday (Thursday, March 23) before Wright was brought in, accompanied by five Control and Restraint officers armed with shields and batons.

Inspector Maria Conway gave evidence that on February 11 last year, the governor of the prison and an ACO visited the accused, accompanied by a five-man Control and Restraint team.

The accused became aggressive and shouted abuse at the governor, and when the governor turned around Wright attempted to headbutt him. The Control and Restraint team stepped in and the accused assaulted three of them, and also assaulted the ACO.

Wright had 106 previous convictions, and is currently serving an eight-year sentence for two counts of assault causing harm. He has numerous convictions for various assaults.

Defence, Ms Josephine Fitzpatrick said the accused reacted on the day when restrained.

He began criminality at the age of 14 when he stole a phone, and was living on the streets making a living from crime.

At the age of 17, he received a lengthy sentence for hijacking cars.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that he had been diagnosed with psychosis and was under constant review by the psychiatric services.

After reading victim impact statements on the assaulted prison officers, Judge Catherine Staines noted that they had suffered general muscle injuries. There was fear experienced by their partners and spouses that the men are constantly at risk of assault.

This is desperately, desperately sad for the accused, and very frightening for the prison officers, said Judge Staines.

She said it was difficult for the court to deal with the matter, and expressed her hope that the accused would get proper treatment.

In sentencing, the judge said there had to be some form of deterrent to this kind of behaviour, otherwise prison would not be workable.

Judge Staines imposed a six-month sentence, consecutive to the sentence the accused is already serving. Recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal.

Judge Staines also said she assumed the prison officers would receive compensation from the State for their injuries.
Nearly 93% of people polled by the Leinster Express do not agree with a doubling of the TV licence fee.

RTEs new Director General said she thinks the TV licence fee could double which would make it 320 annually.

Dee Forbes made the comments speaking to Sean O'Rourke on his programme on RTE Radio One this morning. She claimed the current charge is incredible value for money."

"The licence fee is 40c a day. I think it's incredible value for money...quite honestly I think it should be double that," she said.

But the vast majority of people disagree. More than 800 people voted in an online Leinster Express and 93% were against a doubling of the charge.

She pointed to places like Scandinavia where she says their licence fee is double the Irish charge, explaining that "you see what you're getting for that, quite honestly the content is singing."

"What I'm saying to you is the more money we have to play with content the more we can do."

She was speaking with Sean O'Rourke primarily in relation to RTE's restructuring plan, announced today, that would see the State broadcaster cut 200 jobs and sell nearly nine acres of land at their Dublin 4 base for a guide price of 75 million under Projedt Montrose

Ms Forbes claimed after the Sean O'Rourke show that she did not believe the charge should be doubled in full.
Angry business owners across the county have hit out at massive rate hikes, which could put struggling Kildare enterprises out of business.

A Naas business woman was shocked when she received a 100% rise.

Sharon OLeary from Amazon Beauty Clinic said: I was talking to another business owner in the town and she burst into tears when I mentioned the rates. She runs the business on her own and has no fall back.

When she has to close up, what is she going to do? Go on the dole? We are all struggling. Its terrible.

Other business owners said the rates letter was very confusing, leading many people to miscalculate the rates.

However, Sharon said she had checked with the council and hers were determined correctly.

The Valuation Office said, up to now, in other counties, 60% of revaluations have led to decreases and 40% in increases in the rates being demanded from business owners.

Another Kildare business woman, who did not want to be named, said her rates had increased by 70% from 847 to 1,411.

It makes no sense. Its absolutely ridiculous. I cant go and charge my customers an extra 70%. Its 50 a month. If you go into Dunnes Stores tonight, you wont be asked for an extra 70% for a loaf of bread, she said.

Its based on the size of your premises and rents in the area. I get nothing for it. I have my own four parking spaces, I dont even use on street parking, and I even get charged for that, she said.

On March 10, Proposed Valuation Certificates were issued to 4,800 rate payers in Kildare.

Dep Fiona OLoughlin said: A lot of people have informed me that their rates have gone up, some by 100%. Some businesses in Newbridge have been charged almost double and wouldnt be able to pay. This is going to put some people out of business, she said.

She said there wasnt a rural/urban divide, as businesses in Castledermot and Rathangan also experienced hikes. She did stress the rates had dropped for some people.

The Deputy also pointed out other considerations such as footfall should be taken into consideration.

Kildare County Council held a two-day information clinic at Aras Chill Dara last Monday and Tuesday.

Rate payers have until April 18 to make a written representation to the Valuation Office. The final determination will be issued in September and the rates will kick in next January.

Olivier Florian, of Naas Holistic Centre, one of the visitors to the clinic last Monday, told the Leader they had two properties, but had received a proposed valuation for just one of them.

I welcome the effort, he said of the Valuation Office, adding that most Irish authorities were prepared to talk to you, unlike those in his native France. He said the proposed valuation would mean a 1% increase for his business.

Commercial rates earned approximately 58 million for Kildare County Council this year, with 41% paying less than 2,000.

Mr Florian said there was confusion, as many people thought the valuation of the property, or Net Annual Value was the rates bill. The bill is roughly a quarter of that.

The Valuation Office said that up to now, in other counties, 60% of revaluations have led to decreases and 40% in increases.

John OSullivan, Commissioner of Valuation, told the Leader the percentage increase varied for other counties, but was mainly between 0% and 10%. He said experience showed that 20-30% of payers will make representations. A final appeal is also possible.

One man, from west Kildare, who did not want to be named, estimated the proposal would add 700 to his commercial rates bill. Commercial rates comprise two main elements  the valuation determined by the State Valuation Office, and the annual rate on valuation (ARV), which councillors agreed.

ALSO IN NEWS: Kildare TD to hold two public meetings on business rate hikes
A 22-year-old Clane resident has been fined 400 for causing criminal damage by graffiti in Sallins.

The man, Anthony Ennis of 8 The Drive, Collegewood Park, Clane, has also paid back Irish Rail just over 2,000 in damages after he put graffiti on its property on September 15, 2015

At Naas District Court on March 23, Mr Ennis was also fined 1,000 for selling and supplying drugs.

The Court was told that he had sprayed graffiti at Sallins Rail station and on the same day, had painted the letters POR on a bridge restoration sign at Kerdiffstown, Sallins.

On January 11 2016, Gardai searched his house in Clane and found a quantity of cocaine, valued at 175; 135 worth of cannabis, as well as 1,015 in cash, and spray paint.

Judge Desmond Zaidan was told that 2,107 had been paid to Irish Rail to pay for the damage.

The question was raised as to what POR stood for.

Tim Kennelly, solicitor, representing Mr Ennis, said that his client wrote those particular letters because he was good at them as an artist.

Mr Kennelly said that a Probation Services report on Mr Ennis was quite positive.

Mr Kennelly said that Mr Ennis had just got a job in the construction of marquees.

He had no previous convictions.
A 19 year-old Kildare student is taking on a four day charity business challenge to trade an orange for the highest value goods she can.

Its just one day in, and Niamh ODonnell from Athgarvan has already swapped her orange for a teddy, two designer handbags, a real snake skin belt, a GHD from Neeba Hair Salon, a Harry Potter book, make up and some vouchers.

The deadline is Monday (March 27) at 5pm and all the items will be auctioned in aid of the Irish Guide Dog Association. Its such a good charity and I really want the title, but it all for such a good cause, said the former Newbridge College student.

The 19 year-old is one of 30 DCU students chosen to participate in the universitys Best Salesperson competition sponsored by the Jameson International Graduate Programme.

Currently studying International Business and French student, Niamh is no stranger to success.

I've had an entrepreneurial flair from a young age, single handily setting up my own company at the age of 16 called Pink & Smokey which went on to win the 'Best Social Media Award' at the All Ireland Student Enterprise Awards in Croke Park and first place at the All Ireland Griffith College Enterprise Awards, she said.

From the age of five, she showed a talent for making deals.

I loved drawing and I used to draw pictures and go around my estate trying to sell them to my neighbours. They would give me a euro for my paintings. Ive always had a flair for business, she laughed.

The daughter of Muriel and Paul ODonnell, Niamh attended primary school in Athgarvan before going on to Newbridge College.

My product was my own-set of makeup brushes with my own branding made from high quality materials that rivaled big brands like MAC, she said.

Due to her success, she featured on television on Morning Edition, Nationwide, had radio interviews with KFM and RTE as well as appearing in numerous newspapers and magazines. Her products were sold in ten salons across Ireland and her online market even stretched as far as Tunisia.

Due to her college committments, Niamh has put her business on hold, but plans to return at some stage.

Recently I've been chosen to compete in a competition in DCU to find DCU's Best Salesperson. This is a competition based off the guy who traded his way up from a paper clip to a house, she explained.

Each contestant has been handed an orange and has to trade up to the most valuable item they can get their hands on. At the end all contestants items will be auctioned off for the Irish Guide Dogs Association and the individual with the most valuable item will win ,1000 and be crowned DCU's Best Salesperson.

Niamh said she would love to talk business with anyone who wants to get involved in the challenge.

I'd love to have the opportunity to come on air and trade with any business, or create a bit of buzz/publicity about the competition, she added.

She can be contacted at 087 6615795, by emailing niamh.odonnell29@mail.dcu.ie or tweeting @niamhalious
Ronald (Ronnie) Breen - Moyglare Road, Maynooth/Tallaght

Breen, Ronald (Ronnie), Moyglare Rd., Maynooth and late of Tallaght, Dublin, March 22, following an accident, deeply regretted by his loving partner Noreen, sons Mark, Killian and soon to be born baby, parents Ronald and Linda, sister Janice, grandmother Elizabeth, parents-in-law Andy and Ann, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives and friends.

Elizabeth Ging - Broomfield, Moone

Peacefully at Naas General Hospital following a short illness. Deeply regretted by her nephews, nieces, in-laws, grandnieces and nephews, great-grandnieces and nephews and friends. Reposing at her residence, Broomfield Moone, from 7pm this evening. Prayers tomorrow, Friday 24, at 8pm. Removal at 10.30am Saturday morning to arrive at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Moone for Requiem Mass at 11.00am. Burial afterwards in adjoining cemetery.

William (Billy) Kenny - Parsonstown, Carbury

Peacefully surrounded by his loving family in the care of Naas Hospital. Deeply regretted by his loving wife Rosemary, family Gillian her partner Michael, Aisling her husband Damian, Liam his wife Celine, Pauric his partner Ashleigh, and Emma, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and a large circle of friends. Reposing at his Home from 7pm this Thursday evening with Rosary on Thursday and Friday evening at 9pm. Removal on Saturday at 1.30pm arriving Holy Trinity Church Derrinturn for 2pm Funeral Mass followed by burial in adjoining Cemetery. Family Flowers Only Please - Donations, if desired, to Friends of Naas Hospital. House Private Saturday Morning Please.

Marie Wickham - Celbridge/Crumlin

Wickham, Marie (Celbridge and late of Crumlin) - March 22, (peacefully) at St James's Hospital, after a long illness, beloved daughter of Martin and Chrissie, loving mother of David and Sean, loving grandmother of Zooey and wife of the late Pierre; sadly missed by her loving parents, sons. granddaughter, brothers Martin, Gary and Brian, sister Caroline, nephews, nieces, Sean's partner Ciara, extended family and friends. Reposing at the Brian McElroy Funeral Home, Crumlin Village, on Friday from 3.30pm. Funeral on Monday, after 11.30am Mass in St. Agnes's Church, Crumlin Village, to Mount Jerome Crematorium. Family flowers only please. Donations in lieu to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and St. Vincent de Paul.

For more recent deaths in Kildare, click here.
Tim Farron has shown British politics the meaning of political leadership. On Brexit, his fight for the public to be allowed a further say and against ultra-Brexit that no-one voted for has been bold. In contrast, the leader of the supposed official opposition has dithered. The unelected Prime Minister pursues a course she herself described as a catastrophe.

Too much of our future is falling under the Brexit axe, which people were reassured by the Leave campaign would not happen.

So, straight after business in the conference hall was concluded on Saturday, Tim Farron was able to join a large group of EU campaigners in the party for this photograph, taken by the skilled hands of Jonathan Wallace:

We are proud to be British and European and proud to fly both flags. To my mind, both the Union Flag (or Union Jack if you prefer  there are a lot of views about what the proper name is) and the European flag today represent freedom, justice, the rule of law and peace between nations.

If you are interested in doing more to campaign on European issues you may like to join LDEG, the Liberal Democrat European Group.

* Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup.
When Farron announced that we were pushing for another referendum on Europe, I agreed with those who accused the Lib Dems of ignoring democracy because we didnt like the result. While I still sympathise with these criticisms, I have eventually come around to the partys position. Or at least  I think that there is a strong principled case for it (I still have some practical questions).

This case is based on accountability. Election results are not the be all and end all of democracy, they are part of a wider process. In a General Election, this process involves political parties making their case to the British people, and the public choosing which party they like best. Crucially, the people then judge how well that party has followed through with their promises, and hold them to account at the next election (as we know only too well in the Lib Dems).

Of course, I understand that you cant have referendums every five years, but there still has to be some mechanism of accountability to make a vote democratically viable. Otherwise, campaigners can just say whatever they think will get people to vote for them, whether its achievable or not. The alleged 350 million for the NHS was the most infamous case of this, but Leave campaigners also hedged their bets wildly on the single market  much more significantly in my view. The Remain camp lied too (Osborne said that he would introduce an emergency budget after Brexit, Cameron said that he would stay on as Prime Minister) but as we lost anyway, these lies arent as pressing from a democratic perspective, as we know they didnt change the result.

The bottom line is that democracy without accountability is not real democracy. Brexiteers like Gove, Johnson and Farage were not in power during the referendum campaign, and did not expect to be in power on the 24th of June regardless of the result. So they were able to say whatever they thought would win votes for Brexit, without worrying about the follow through. Maybe these lies and hedged bets tipped the referendum result  maybe they didnt. The only way to establish this is to have another referendum, once we know what kind of Brexit we are going to get. If the Remainers won that referendum, that wouldnt be an establishment stitch-up subverting the will of the people. It would be an indication that the form of Brexit which weve ended up with isnt what people wanted. Its called accountability  and its completely legitimate.

As I said, I remain unsure about the practicalities of this. Would there be enough time for another referendum? Would the public buy into it? Would the EU give us a terrible deal to encourage us to vote it down? But, in principle, I have come around to the argument that a referendum on the terms of Brexit would not be a subversion of democracy.

I happen to think that the Brexiteers would win again  but perhaps recent political events have turned me into a pessimist.

* Ben is a Councillor in Sutton, and the Vice Chair of the Environment & Transport Committee at Sutton Council. He has been a member of the party since the 2015 election, and used to work for the Sutton Liberal Democrats as a volunteer organiser. Ben now works for a charity promoting the greater use of Restorative Justice in the criminal justice system.
The EU is worried about losing their American nuclear umbrella.

The UK is worried about losing their European market and their seat at the European top table.

Britain has nuclear weapons. The EU has markets. Is there a fit?

If so, the result could be a tectonic strategic shift with far-reaching political repercussions.

My sources say there is enough of a fit for Prime Minister Theresa May to be thinking of offering to extend the British deterrent to EU countries in return for Brexit concessions. This is most likely to be in cooperation with the French.

The reaction of the strategic eggheads ranges from not incredible to logical, to totally unrealistic and then utterly crass with a lot of no comments thrown in for good measure.

No comment was what the British Ministry of Defence said. No reply was all I could elicit from The Foreign Office and Downing Street. But The Department for Exiting the European Union, was more forthcoming. It referred me to Mrs Mays 18 January Brexit strategy speech in which she said:

The third reason I believe we can come to the right agreement is that cooperation between Britain and the EU is needed not just when it comes to trade but when it comes to our security too. Britain and France are Europes only two nuclear powers. We are the only two European countries with permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Britains armed forces are a crucial part of Europes collective defence. After Brexit, Britain wants to be a good friend and neighbour in every way, and that includes defending the safety and security of all of our citizens.

A quick phone round the embassies and European ministries of foreign affairs elicited more no comments, until I came to the Poles where a spokesperson said: Yes thats right. The verbal reaction was quickly followed by an email with the more diplomatic no comment line.

Dr Ian Lesser, Vice President at the German Marshall Fund, said it is not incredible that Britain is considering using its nuclear deterrent as part of the Brexit negotiations. He added: But it would certainly be controversial.

Dr Lesser thought it was more likely that what would emerge would be an Anglo-Franco-German relationship which would tie the EU more closely to NATO in such a way that Britain still had a seat at the top table in Europe.

The possibility of Britain extending its deterrent is made credible by President Trumps comments about America First, Nato obsolence, reluctance to defend cash-strapped NATO members and even cutting defence costs by providing nuclear weapons technology to allies.

The onset of Trump-style American isolationism has prompted talks about greater European defence cooperation, includingat the suggestion of the Polish president a German-funded European nuclear deterrent. This was firmly and immediately rejected by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Strategists in Europe and America have historically opposed the dominance of a single European country. Germany is currently the number one political and economic power, but it lacks the military capability to project its influence.

One of the roles of the American nuclear umbrella has been to protect Europe while at the same time allowing the ultimate deterrence to be controlled from outside Europe, thus preventing the emergence of the one overbearing European state.

A perpetual fear of Europeans during and after the Cold War has been that America would decouple itself from Europe by withdrawing or weakening its nuclear umbrella. This would leave the EU vulnerable to nuclear blackmail from Moscow.

The UK outside of the EU would also be politically removed and there would be a continuing link with the US as the Trident missiles used to deliver British warheads are American-made. Any deal would require American approval.

An Anglo-French nuclear deterrent would be only 515 nuclear warheads. The US has 6,970. But Britain and France currently look a lot more reliable.

This article is also published on Look Ahead Tv

* Tom Arms is foreign editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and the author of The Encyclopedia of the Cold War and the recently published America Made in Britain that has sold out in the US after six weeks but is still available in the UK.
So, what was the most enduring memory of the York Liberal Democrat Spring Conference? Tim Farron taking on the Tories in a rousing final speech, or Nick Clegg in blistering form on Brexit? The feisty debate on faith schools, or the brief flirtation with unilateral nuclear disarmament, cunningly timed to coincide with Englands Grand Slam decider?

Or was it York itself, magnificent in the spring sunshine, giving us the perfect backdrop to the #libdemfightback?

Well, for me, the abiding memory is being a part of a vast hopeful army of conference newbies, who, like me, had chosen to get up off the canvas of 2016s despair and do something- anything- to stop the world lurching into hate-filled extremism.

You cant bottle essence of York spring 2017. But if you could, you might be intoxicated by the scent of a new libdemmery. One that had a heady dose of optimism, energy and hopefulness. But also a hint of something bloody, a visceral sense of patriotism that Tim Farron captured by announcing I want my country back.

It isnt very Liberal Democrat to beat your chest and go on about being proud of your identity, is it?

And to be fair to Tim, any beating of chests was metaphorical rather than literal.

But there was a sense of a shifting of the plates. Of corners being turned. And of normal, sensible, not very politically ambitious people suddenly catching fire in the common effort to do something to save their country.

And it was beautiful to be a part of- like a Springsteen gig when everybody stops being a proper grown-up and melts into the euphoric aspiration of Born to Run.

Well, OK, it was a bit like that.

But the Boss is 75 a ticket, and first timers at conference certainly pay a lot less to get their kicks.

And there are probably less subcultures in Springsteen-land than at a LibDem conference, where the first-timer is enticed by the rival stalls of the Green LibDems, Friends of Syria, Friends of Palestine, Christians, Secular-Humanists, and, most bizarrely, leather handbag salesmen. I felt sorry for these guys, who could have turned their leather making skills to great profit if only theyd thought of ventilated footwear. So close, and yet so far

Which might be the partys fate once again in the first-past-the-post system. But well see, well dream, and well hope a lot more folks will join us.

Whod have thought it would be radical to be sensible? Tim asked, using a nice line that crystallised the moment British politics finds itself in in this week of Article 50, Momentum vs Labour and the unlikely alliance of John Major and Tony Blair.

A lot will depend on how many decide to defend that sensible, free and open Britain that felt alive and strong this past weekend. Because, as ever, activists are not enough.

Its the hearts and minds of voters, and non-voters, that will decide whether Britain survives as a decent, liberal nation. If it is to survive at all.

* Lee Howgate is a Lib Dem activist who lives in South Devon. He is a senior leader at a large comprehensive school in Cornwall, and formerly worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with experience in Russia and the EU. You can follow him on tumblr where he posts as leetheliberal
Congratulations to Peter Pilkington, elected to West Somerset District Council with an amazing gain from the Conservatives last night. In a ward that we didnt stand in last time.

Dunster & Timberscombe (West Somerset) result:

LDEM: 49.7% (+49.7)

CON: 32.9% (-26.7)

GRN: 10.9% (-29.6)

LAB: 6.6% (+6.6)  Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 23, 2017

There was another good increase in vote share from a standing start in Herefordshire:

Leominster South (Herefordshire) result:

GRN: 40.8% (+10.1)

IOC: 18.3% (+18.3)

CON: 17.8% (-8.7)

IND: 14.9% (+14.9)

LDEM: 8.2% (+8.2)  Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 23, 2017

Another by-election in Blackburn will have to be re-run following the disqualification of the Labour candidate.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
9 Things You Should Know About Cardiac Arrest

Brush up on your knowledge of cardiac arrest and you may be able to help save someones life.
TEARS of searing loss and heartbroken grief were shed in the Newcastle West courthouse this Tuesday when coroner John McNamara returned seven verdicts of death by suicide after hearing evidence in seven separate inquests.

The deaths involved six men and one woman from across Co Limerick, all of whom died by suicide within the last 12 months. Five died by hanging, and two by shotgun.

The men ranged in age from early 20s to early 80s and included the father of a new-born baby, while the woman was a young mother of four.

I appreciate it is very difficult to be here here today, to be going through the circumstances of the death of a loved one, Mr McNamara said as he opened the proceedings.

In the still, emotionally charged courtroom, he gently pointed that a coroners court was not adversarial in the same way a regular court was, even though the hearings were being heard in a courtroom setting.

And he invited the families of the deceased to ask any questions they wished during each hearing.

In each case, too, he warned relatives that hearing the medical evidence could be difficult and if they wanted to, they could leave for that section.

But nobody did. Weeping and grieving, they clung on to the end, hoping for closure, knowing that the real pain was only beginning.

When the verdict came, even though it was expected, it brought a heart-stopping starkness, although Mr McNamara sought to cushion it as much as could be allowed in law. .

There is a presumption in law against arriving at a suicide verdict, he explained softly.

All evidence had to be looked at, before such a verdict could be returned.

Only in one case was evidence given that the person involved was not in good form. This involved a non-national who told his employer he had problems at home in his home country a few days before he was due to return. But sadly, he never made it. In another inquest, a dad died before his new-born baby could be christened.

Former TD Dan Neville, who is President of the Irish Suicidology Association, urged the families affected by these and other suicides to seek help.

We know that bereavement through suicide is very difficult, he said. The emotions people go through are quite different to other deaths. It is important that people are aware of this and aware of the counselling that is available.

Crucially, he added, they should avail of it because it will help.

Majella Cosgrove, whose son Derek entered the Shannon last December, has yet to go through the ordeal of an inquest but is, she says, preparing for it, and preparing to ask questions.

And she believes that, as a society, we need to ask more questions.

If anything, the figures are understated, Ms Cosgrove said.

Why are we not out marching on the streets? Why are we not confronting this?

Despite knowing about the facts of suicide, she added: I am still shocked. But I am more shocked that society is not dealing with this.

We are all left with guilt. And the guilt eats us up, Ms Cosgrove said. That is what happens. We take that on. I think it is misplaced at times. We need to be more honest about what is happening.

If you are affected by this article please contact Aware (1800 80 48 48), the Samaritans (116 123) or Pieta House (1800 247 247) or log onto yourmentalhealth.ie.
A HIGHLY respected County Limerick family have had their identity stolen by Russian hackers.

Anthony Cross, Ballyneety, used his initials and his sons, Michael and Seamus, to register a company called Sam Cross Farming Limited in 2000.

The scam artists used that name to create a professionally designed website purporting to sell plant and farm machinery called Sam Cross Farming Limited. They expertly photoshopped the Sam Cross logo and contact details on to trucks and buildings stolen from the website of Farol Transport, a machinery dealership in the UK.

The fake website, which was still live this Wednesday afternoon, reads: Please let our experienced sales and parts staff help you with your needs. We have gained an enviable reputation for providing reliable and quality products throughout the world and pride ourselves on supplying a prompt, reliable and helpful service at all times. We are confident that the quality of our equipment and standard of service is second to none.

The fraud was laid bare when a woman from Lithuania phoned Liveline to claim that the dealership had defrauded her out of 19,000.

Giedre said she and her husband were looking to buy a tractor. They searched the internet and found a company called Sam Cross Farming Limited, based in Limerick, that was selling tractors for a good price.

We got in contact with the company and they called us on several occasions before sending a formal invoice for a tractor worth 19,000, she told Joe Duffy.

The dealership allegedly instructed Giedre and her husband to send the money, which the couple had borrowed, to an account in TSB, Old Bawn, Tallaght, Dublin 24. However, she they had no further contact from the company after they sent the money. Giedre said her bank in Lithuania has been on to TSB telling it to hold the money, but she is not hopeful of ever seeing it again.

The first Anthony Cross knew of any of this was a couple of weeks ago when he started getting phone calls from individuals interested in buying tractors from Sam Cross.

I said we have no tractors for sale, that we are not in that scene at all. I think we got one or two more calls after that. I thought it was all very strange. Then I got a call from the company in England [Farol Transport] asking were we selling machinery? I said no and it was then he informed me that it was on a website, said Mr Cross.

He said it is amazing how the hackers can take their name and make the whole thing up.

The even have a Limerick phone number. Its not a nice thing to happen and to the poor lady who was caught for 19,000, said Mr Cross.

The person who contacted Mr Cross from Farol Transport in England told him they were going contacting the authorities.

They informed me they were going to look into it with the police over there and try to get it taken down. It is still up there so hopefully the police can get the website taken down, said Mr Cross.

Guy Champion, of Farol Transport. also rang Liveline. He said that the Sam Cross Farming website is being hosted in Russia and that he rang them up a few times to tell them they are frauds.

Mr Champion told Joe Duffy that the Sam Cross logo had been photoshopped very effectively onto images of buildings and machinery from Farol Transports website.

An email from this reporters personal email address to the contact email address on the website sam.cross.farming@gmail

.com went unanswered. And the phone number listed  061 748547  rang out.
A LIMERICK man has admitted damaging CCTV cameras near his home in St Marys Park by attempting to set them on fire.

Dean Morgan, aged 25, who has an address at Oliver Plunkett Street, St Marys Park has pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage relating to an incident which happened during the early hours of September 3, last.

Having accepted jurisdiction of the case, Judge Marian OLeary was told the defendant was highly intoxicated when he committed the offences at around 2am.

Outlining the facts, Sergeant John Moloney, prosecuting, said Mr Morgan moved materials being used by workmen in the area to the base of the camera poles before setting them alight.

The material used, he said, included items such as traffic cones. They were no reports of any injuries as a result of the fires.

The CCTV cameras are the property of Limerick City and County Council and the total cost of the damage was around 500.

The defendant, the court heard, was identified from CCTV footage and that he made admissions when subsequently questioned by gardai.

Solicitor John Herbert said his client, who is apologetic, is willing to pay compensation to the local authority and he asked that he be given time to do so

Judge O'Leary noted this she remanded Mr Morgan on continuing bail until July 19 next
We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.
The house of forgotten art For over 30 years, a regular Gurugram home has housed a priceless, yet little-known collection of tribal and folk Indian art. Now its keepers are looking for a permanent space /how-to-lounge/art-culture/the-house-of-forgotten-art-111646890968534.html 111646890968534 story

Baij Nath Aryan wants to be immortal. He shakes back his wispy, flyaway white curls as he leans forward to declare this, hugging a particularly expressive brass mukhalinga (a sheath for Shiva lingas, usually engraved with the Hindu gods facial features). I want to be immortal so that I can see this sort of beauty around me every day," he says. He sets the antique back down between roughly 100 other such pieces that his late father, artist and sculptor K.C. Aryan collected from the north Karnataka region.

This collection of mukhalingas, some of them dating back to the 18th century, takes up a portion of one floor in the Aryan home in Gurugram, near Delhi, that BNas he is better knownshares with his sister Subhashini. The zero-security, two-storeyed house has more than 33,000 other artefacts: textiles and Tantric art hung on the walls, sculptures, terracotta figurines, wooden statuettes and toys stored in scores of glass-paned Godrej bureaux or lining the staircases. Some of them go back as far as 2 BC.

The sexagenarian siblings are the sole custodians of this enormous collection, which their father began putting together in the 1950s. A recognized mid-century painter who won an award from the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1964, KCas he was better knownabandoned his art practice to buy and collect folk and tribal artefacts to encourage and preserve these traditions. He wanted to showcase the fact that undivided Punjab, where he grew up, had more to culture than agriculture," says BN, of his fathers initial motivation.

Their living room lined with artefacts

By 1984, when KC moved to Gurugram and set up the Museum of Folk and Tribal Art (also sometimes referred to as the Museum of Folk, Tribal, and Neglected Art) at his own residence, the initial focus had broadened to encompass indigenous art from across the country. Gurugram then was far removed from the concrete jungle it is today but, as you push open the iron gate to the 500 sq. yard property, you could be forgiven for thinking you have stepped back in time. Past the somewhat unkempt front yard, a 20th century wooden marriage post from Bastar stands at the main door to the house, which can only be visited by prior appointment. Step in, and there are a handful of Himachali votive panels depicting the goddess Durga on the walls, besides variously shaped metal horns used at large gatherings such as the Kullu Dussehra festival. Hanuman masks of all sizes from across South Asia are mounted on the wall facing the front door, three long strides away.

A brown wooden door, engraved with folk motifs and designed by KC in collaboration with a Rajasthani artist, leads to the next room. BN immediately points to a crude sculpture. Its very difficult to understand the beauty and significance of this piece, but this is one of the most important pieces in our collection. A simple 19th century Himachali temple door guardian, barring evil spirits with a stick," he says, pausing to draw a sharp breath before adding: This is the height of folk art. It is not taught in academic colleges or institutions, and if it is (taught) now, well." He dismisses the thought.

Folk art is unique in its primitiveness, its simplicity, and its naivety, made by the deft hands of common, everyday people. It is something that comes from beyond just imagination, you see," he says, pointing to two wooden panels, both approximately 12x8 inches, one featuring a devotee paying obeisance with folded hands and the other, a devotee with a drummer. More such panels, slightly larger in size, all from the first quarter of the 20th century, crowd a corner. Made with close to minimal depth perception, these panels from Kinnaur depict scenes from everyday life: people sitting in a balcony, women tending cows. Just so spontaneous, without any formal training. No conventionalism here," BN says.

KC also noticed the gradual disappearance of many everyday objects he had played with as a child in Amritsar, in undivided Punjab, and later had around him as a young man when he set up his first studio in Lahore in the early 1940s. From rattles and whistles to cymbals and tops, he determined them to be design inheritances from the Indus Valley civilization and made a special trip to Lahore to retrieve some specimens, says BN. The collection takes pride of place in the room where we are now.

This was Faiz Ahmed Faizs favourite section," says BN, recalling the great Pakistani poets visit to their previous home in Delhis Greater Kailash in the late 1970s. Faiz and KC were friends and contemporaries, born just eight years apart. He was very appreciative of my fathers effort to preserve these objects from their childhood."

Figurines dating back to 2 BC.

In a house overrun by rare and precious objects, one section is closed off by a faded cotton curtain. A pressure-cooker whistle interrupts the faint strains of classical instrumental music and, a little later, Subhashini pushes aside the curtain to shuffle in. An art historian retired from Delhi University and co-writer of her fathers scholarly books and articles, besides many of the museums own publications, she is also the author of the mammoth Unknown Masterpieces Of Indian Folk And Tribal Art, available at the National Museum in Delhi, among other places. Small and frail, her eyes behind the chunky glasses speak louder than her voice.

When he set up this place, my father was greatly inspired by the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum," Subhashini says. The museum in Pune was set up by a collector, Dinkar Kelkar, in memory of his young son Raja. A tribute to everyday life in India, it showcases writing tools, musical instruments and paintings from the region dating back to the 17th century, and has artefacts from the Peshwa dynasty. In 1975, Kelkar handed over the collection to the Maharashtra governments department of archaeology.

However, no one has taken such interest (in KCs collection)," Subhashini says. Even Delhi-based gallerists like Sunaina Anand, founder-director of Art Alive, which has hosted several exhibitions on folk and tribal art over the years, have not heard of the museum. This is the first Im hearing of it, quite honestly," she says.

A brass Hanuman face.

And yet, there seems to be no end to the wonders tucked away in this unpretentious house. BNs own room displays art objects close to his heart: two of his fathers works (one, a historical painting, and the other a small, futuristic work made of steel mesh). A mid-19th century bird lamp from Bali hangs there as well. The adjacent bathroom, unused, is stacked with dusty old research material and catalogues. Just underneath one of the K.C. Aryan works is a cream reed mat. Thats where I sleep," BN says.

Statuettes and panels line the staircase leading up to the second-storey room with the mukhalingas, accessible through a door painted by a Kangra folk artist. Some of the mukhalingas are unpolished. A brass Bhairava form is especially resplendent, while another, more rustic-looking Shiva looks a little dull. Next time you come, the boy who helps me will have cleaned this one too," BN says. The siblings, who have no families of their own, used to clean, dust and polish the artefacts themselves. Age, though, is taking a toll on their dedication.

A view of BNs room and the mat on which he sleeps.

Art (of any kind) is usually very fragile. Its quite a responsibility to maintain it," notes Smriti Rajgarhia-Bhatt, a curator at the Swaraj Art Archive in Noida, adjacent to Delhi. Set up in 2013, the archive aims to look after and display a vast personal collection of Kalighat paintings, Bengal school art and British Indian prints belonging to the family of art collector Vijay Agarwal. Not everybody is able to provide environmentally controlled space, which is important for art to be well-maintained," she adds.

Rajgarhia-Bhatt, who acknowledges K.C. Aryan as one of the forgotten masters of Indian art", too had no idea of his extensive collection.

BN has multiple other commitments. He consults for other collectors and museums and travels to deliver lectures both in India and abroad: It ensures an income for the siblings; through their working lives, most of their money went towards the upkeep of their collection.

A shelf filled with metal mukhalingas.

KC died in 2002. Last year, the Kerala government expressed interest in hosting his collection in a new tribal heritage museum that is to come up in Wayanad. But the Aryans would prefer a permanent, dedicated space for their heritage in a more cosmopolitan location. Till that happens, they are in talks with some museums in Delhi for thematic exhibits of select works.

To have art dilapidate and die is to let context and repositories of history die," says Rajgarhia-Bhatt. One has the responsibility to preserve, conserve, and ensure the availability of art to the people, to let them know what was made as a response to various stages of history." In adding the phrase neglected art" to the name of his museum, this is essentially what K.C. Aryan seems to have set out to do. It remains to be seen which of his collections suitors takes up his cause.
Teesta Setalvad stays the course to fight the good fight Teesta Setalvad has published her memoir on a career dedicated to defending human rights. Here, she stresses on the need for restorative, not retributive, justice /news/talking-point/teesta-setalvad-stays-the-course-to-fight-the-good-fight-111646890748835.html 111646890748835 story

Civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad has written a memoir, Foot Soldier Of The Constitution. This is not how she describes herself; this is how Fali Nariman, one of Indias seniormost lawyers, sees her. Narimans compliment not only recognizes Setalvads own tireless campaigning to defend human rights, it is also a respectful nod to her familyher great-grandfather Chimanlal Setalvad was one of three Indians on the nine-member Hunter Commission that investigated the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. Chimanlal Setalvad asked pointed questions that made General Dyer, who ordered the firing on a peaceful gathering at the Jallianwala Bagh, squirm. Her grandfather, Motilal Setalvad, was independent Indias first attorney general. Her father Atul Setalvad distinguished himself as a leading advocate in the Bombay high court, arguing cases that expanded civil liberties. The burden of history on Teesta Setalvads shoulders is rather heavy.

And she has fought for accountability for the violence in Gujarat in 2002 with the steadfast, stubborn dedication thats common to many human rights defenders. I have known Setalvad for almost four decades, since we were students in Mumbaishe studied at Elphinstone College when I was at the Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics in the early 1980s; she was a reporter at The Daily and Business India when I was at India Today. In her memoir, she outlines the path her life has taken, the hurdles she has encountered, and the optimism that underlines her work. Edited excerpts from an interview:

Do you think there are sufficient safeguards for fundamental rights in the Constitution?

Yes, but they need to be deepened. For instance, the justiciability of fundamental rights has remained restricted to state violations. Large-scale violations by non-state actors remain more difficult to litigate. As also the directive principles, which have thereafter needed special legislation, like for instance the Right to Information Act, the right to food Act, and the right to education Act. The 2013 law enacted to protect the lands of small farmers, landholders and tribals (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act) has also made another set of rights justiciable but this Central law has been vicariously undermined by four state governments: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.

Are the reasonable restrictions in the Constitution on freedom of expression indeed reasonable?

This issue has to be revisited taking into consideration not just what, if at all, such restrictions should be, but the fact that India has seen the spawning, with impunity, of speech that incites violence against sections of Indians. This is done by politicians, elected representatives, who are all violating their oath of office to the Indian Constitution.

Foot Soldier Of The ConstitutionA Memoir: By Teesta Setalvad, LeftWord Books, 222 pages, Rs295.

What structural changes are needed so that massacres such as those we saw post-Godhra in 2002, and of Sikhs in 1984, dont recur?

With this tu tu mein mein" (squabbling) level of discourse, which the Indian media does little to deepen, little time and attention is paid to best practices or best standards for our criminal justice system: The fact that we need time-bound trials (in India, an average criminal trial takes 15-20 years for completion); independent standards of investigation and prosecution (prosecutors should be good lawyers paid decent salaries and appointed by the judiciary, not the executive); and witness protection. Courts need to not just limit adjournments but ensure high standards within trial procedures so that witness survivorsoften from marginalized backgroundscan depose with dignity and without fear or favour.

You have been scrutinized, criticized, investigated. Yet you persist. What drives you?

The belief and conviction that not only have I/we done no wrong but what we have done, achieved and continue to do is something that needs doing. It is a measure of hope and faith in the system that we do not give up. All manner of vicious and cheap pressures have been used to coerce us into stopping. We have men in power with small hearts and petty minds whose abiding motto is vengeance and vendetta. It is important that we calmly stay the course and fight the good fight.

You see the following solutions to the present situation of slow justice and lack of accountability: mass reparations, affirmative action for social justice, non-discrimination, and ending the divisive policy of hate. You also speak of the need for reconciliation. Do you think reconciliation is possible without justice?

I believe it is important for the survivor who has been a victim of mindless, senseless violence to get justice; in the sense, for the perpetrator to be punished. I also believe that this desire for justice stems from a deep-seated need for the victim/survivor to be reassured by usstate and societythat what she/he has gone through will not be repeated with anyone again. Through our battle for justice we negotiated the punishments and on principle we did not ask for death penalty. This was grounded in the belief that a society, to be stable and move forward after upheavals caused by bitter hate-driven mass crimes, must be founded on notions of restorative justice, not retributory blood and gore. Please remember that this is not an abstract idea. In Gujarat after 27 February 2002, threat and intimidation were unleashed, mobs were allowed free will on streets, with impunity. The language was one of false revenge and vendetta. And it is this that needs to be exorcised from the public domain and discourse, not valorized, as it is being now.

Yes, eventually reconciliation is also needed between the families and the wider community of the perpetrators, and the survivors too. We saw a glimpse of this on 28 July 2016 in Naroda, when a group of Dalits took out a silent procession speaking of brotherhood and sisterhood between both Dalits and Muslims. When I spoke to my sister survivors of the Naroda Patiya massacre (in which 97 Muslims were killed by a mob on 28 February 2002), they had tears and said they felt as if a silent apology was being tendered (there had been widespread reports of Dalit involvement in the attacks on the minorities in the cities of Gujarat in 2002). But please remember, for such reconciliation to be real, the political dispensation must need shed its commitment to intimidation, vengeance and vendetta.

Salil Tripathi writes the column Here, There, Everywhere for Mint.
Falguni Nayar: The beauty entrepreneur The banker-turned-businesswoman and Nykaa CEO on nail enamels, taking risks, and how she built a Rs280 crore cosmetics and wellness company /fashion/beauty/falguni-nayar-the-beauty-entrepreneur-111646891003810.html 111646891003810 story

When Falguni Nayar walks into a brightly lit Nykaa store in Mumbais Infiniti Mall, where Im waiting to interview her, I scan her face quickly for make-up. After all, thats why we are meetingto talk beauty. Clearly, I am less subtle than I think. I love make-up but I dont have time to put it on any more!" she laughs loudly. The 54-year-old founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nykaa, a Rs280 crore cosmetics and wellness retailer, is simply wearing a nude lipstick and kajal.

Founded in April 2012, Nykaa started as a multi-brand online beauty retailer but has since extended its presence through a mobile app and brick-and-mortar stores. Think of it as Indias Sephora (the French multi-brand cosmetics retailer). At present, Nykaa has four stores, one each in Delhi and Bengaluru and two in Mumbai. To go pan-India, it plans to open one store every month from next year.

Nykaa is a young company but Nayar herself has been a force in the Indian business world for more than two decades. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, she spent the bulk of her careerover 18 yearsat Kotak Mahindra Capital Co. When she left in 2012, she was the managing director and head of its institutional equities business. But, Nayar says, I have always been an entrepreneur first."

Nayar was born and raised in Mumbai, where her father ran a small bearings company, assisted by her mother. The household chatter revolved around investments, the stock market and trade. Plus, Im Gujarati," she deadpans. Entrepreneurship is in

her blood.

Straight out of business school, Nayar started her career as a management consultant. Her husband Sanjay Nayar, whom she met at business school, took a job in finance. He is now the CEO of global investment firm KKR India. Nayar says taking the professional route was easier since it allowed both of them to have transferable jobs.

But the entrepreneurial bug kept gnawing at her.

A few years ago, when her children (twins Anchit and Adwaita) left to study in US colleges, Nayar found herself with time on her hands. Once I turned 50, I thought I would become complacent," she said. It was very hard to quit the job at Kotak, where everything was going right", but with the self-imposed deadline of 50 looming, Nayar did just that.

Later, as we settle down for coffee at a Starbucks outlet, Nayardressed in a grey sari with gold accents (saris are a weakness) and delicate diamond earrings (another weakness)relaxes into a corner couch and I start getting a sense of what drives her. Im an adventurer," she says. I was never a good swimmer but I would always be the first to jump in. The thought, what if I break a leg?, doesnt occur to me."

So when all the naysayers (and there were plenty) said India wasnt ready for an e-tailer selling, of all things, beauty products, Nayar chose not to see the risks. Instinctively, she knew what women wanted. And she knew the number of Indians shopping online was about to explode.

Nayars pet indulgence is camping. Camping, not glamping. And theres nowhere she would rather pitch a tent and roll out a sleeping bag than in the bugyals of the Himalayas. These are grazing meadows covered by sheets of snow in winter, and full of wild flowers in spring. Its so beautiful, Nayar says,that if you visit the Himalayas even once, you will spend your life wanting to go back just like she does.- Falguni Nayar

According to management consultancy Technopak, though e-tailing currently accounts for only 1.5% of the overall retail market in India, it is growing at breakneck speed and will make up over 5% of Indian retail by 2021.

Full marks to her for getting the retail story of India right," says Ankur Bisen, senior vice-president, retail, consumer products and e-tailing division of Technopak. The principles of retail are simple, he says: Curate your products and know your products. And Nykaa appears to have done both really well.

Nykaa sells more than 35,000 products from 650 brands, both international and Indian, luxury and mass, and is constantly adding new labels to its stock. Last year, it brought global premium brand Estee Lauder on board, making MAC cosmetics available online in India for the first time. It took a call on the personal care category and went deep into it. It didnt get distracted. Thats how a retailer succeeds," says Bisen.

Two years ago, Nayar introduced her own brandand it has gone on to become a best-seller.

The companys revenue has grown 350% in the last two years. In 2016, it raised a total of Rs104 crore from investors and the company hopes to break even by the end of this summer. An initial public offering is planned for 2020.

According to the company, it receives 15,000 orders a day, mostly from consumers between the ages of 22 and 35, who have disposable income and an interest in good grooming. Another attraction is the contentonline make-up tutorials and product reviews are a great draw. But lets face it, the main reason for shopping at Nykaa is accessibility.

There was a time when women would come down to Delhi from Punjab just for a beauty shopping trip. Or they would ask a cousin to bring back a particular lipstick from a trip abroad. Now they can just order it online," says Vasudha Rai, a former beauty director at Harpers Bazaar, now a blogger at Vbeauty.co and columnist with The Hindu.

For those who know her, Nayar is a role model. For those who dont, hers is an inspiring story. Shes a woman with a formidable career path and a closely knit, supportive family. It leads me to the inevitable question: Does she believe in the philosophy that a woman must lean in" to be successful?

Yes," she replies. I dont think there is any glass ceiling. Women need to commit," says Nayar.

Aware of the push and pull of family life many working women face, she

says theres no race. If you need to

take a few years off, you can come back. But when you come back, you need to be committed because you reap what you sow."

Her daughter Adwaita, 26, recalls the early years of elementary school and says it wasnt always easy to have a working mum. I missed her! I would call her non-stop and disturb her in meetings," she says.

As Adwaita grew older, she understood the choices her mother had made. Today shes my most important source of inspiration. She never really dwelt on whether one part of her life was being underserved and in the end it definitely all balanced out," she says. Adwaita, who helped her mother launch Nykaa, is going to resume work there after she graduates from Harvard Business School this summer.

Enough" and done" arent words in Nayars business vocabulary, says Pratima Bhatia, a brand consultant who has worked with Nykaa, adding, She never stops, even when she has exceeded expectations." Once Nykaa had established itself as a multi-brand beauty retailer, Nayar decided to tweak the business model by introducing her own brand, Nykaa, in 2015. First up was a line of nail enamels. The range has since expanded to include kajals, lipsticks, body mists and lotions, among other items.

It was a response to gaps in the market," she explains. The beauty salon she frequented did not stock the popular OPI nail-polish range she liked. They would have four colours of one brand, some from another. The whole experience was terrible," she says. Research showed that part of the problem was with Indian import regulations, which made registering new colours a lengthy and tedious process. Nayar realized a domestic manufacturer didnt need to go through that process, so if she made nail enamels, she could get them to the market quickly.

The strategy worked. Nykaas own nail colours sell 8-10 times more than the next best-selling nail brand on its website. According to Rai, its because of a combination of good rates and cool colours".

As we stand in front of a kaleidoscopic display of 120 nail colours at a Nykaa store, Im drawn to a neon-green one. Its called Key-Lime Slush. A coral-colour one is named Cherry Pop. I ask Nayar if she chooses the names. Yes, she says, its fun.

She shows me the top-selling nail enamel. Its a charcoal-grey one called Squid Ink Mousse, which retails for Rs199.

And no, she doesnt have Squid Ink Mousse at home. She prefers floral shades.

All of a sudden, Nayar pauses. Shes found a bottle of ink-blue nail varnish. The Nykaa branding in black is indistinguishable against the dark background. I can see it bothers her. She immediately asks a sales associate to notify someone in her office to fix it. Retail is all about the detail," she says, and when you are Nayar, every detail is a big deal.

Before we part, I ask her one last question: Why did she name the company Nykaa? Because nayika means you are the actress of your life," she says, smiling. I have no doubt Nayar is relishing her current role.
Lounge Loves: Fall-Winter 2017 collection by pero Aneeth Arora's show mixed multicultural tribal influences to create cheeky high street fashion /relationships/it-s-complicated/lounge-loves-fall-winter-2017-collection-by-pro-111646890593162.html 111646890593162 story

To reach the flower markets off Kunming city in China, tourists can transfer to bus No.12 from Juhua village. Like blazing bright lights, the orange-rust-yellow-pink-peach-red-white-burgundy flowers from Kunming bloom forever in your memory. Big embroidered flowers adorn the indigo dresses of women in Llachon, a pretty village" about 750km from Puno in Peru. The pom-poms on the slouchy hat of a Llachon male are a delicious orange, like the colour of the Hunan chilli pickle of China, like the tangerine ribbons in the elaborate hairdos of women painted by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, like the orange-red wool your neighbours aunt in Kullu uses to knit her thick woolly socks. The colour of a magical spell could be neon green-blue and the texture of a Peruvian garment has the warmth of a slow fire and the feel of a grandmas shawl.

A look from the pero Autumn/Winter 2017 collection

Aneeth Aroras Autumn/Winter 2017 collection for her label pero simulates a series of such disconnected connects. Visual and textural renditions of fruits, flowers, fabrics, textiles, threads, beads, laces, pom-poms, borders and patches from Peru, Mexico, China, Latin America and Himachal Pradesh lit a neon bonfire when Arora showed as part of the Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) in Delhi last week. Mounted at the Odisha Courtyard in the neglected National Crafts Museum in the Capital, this was the" show, as many said, of the AIFW.

It is the pero tribe", says Arora of her visually layered assimilation. Artistes from the Dinero Ash D Club band raised a pulsating crescendo as models representing global colour diversity walked with a spring in their step and razzmatazz in their clothes. The canvas of the pero collection was woven indigo fabricinspired from the indigo traditionally used in costumes from Yunan, Kullu, Guatemala and Guangzhou. Indigo coats with floral inner linings, soft jackets with embroidered collars and sexy cropped pants, frilly tops, Chanderi maxi dresses that kissed the ankle with petite floral prints or wispy white ones that swirled around the knees, tunics with beaded edges, shirts with hand-embroidered details. Like the collection, the garments were imaginatively layered to create a versatile wardrobe complemented by dreadlocks, tassels, blue velvet boots and short, sheer stockings with floral patterns. Street fashion blurred into high street and the pero high street widened the highway the brand has taken in Indian fashion.

Another look from the pero Autumn/Winter 2017 collection.

The show was a visual expression of the ideas that struck Arora as she travelledsometimes just through costume books, memoirs and travel sites, at other times in person. Though the floral and colour trajectories were inspired by the indigenous people of different cultures, every elementneon pom-poms, embroideries, or textileswas made in India, says Arora of the collection that took a year to produce. The designer currently sells from 250-300 destinations in 30-odd countries. Her annual turnover has increased by 200-250% in the last two years.

After the show, a senior designer said she wanted every single garment, while another, Aroras peer, said she now understood why a designer must work on multiple elements to make a collection noticeable. Not all the observations were one-dimensional though. Someone in the audience voiced her discomfort with designers appropriating tribal symbolism for fashion". Another designer said that while the National Crafts Museum had long deserved a show of this calibre, he wished Arora hadnt mixed her fabulous creations with Bollywood-y glamour.

Aroras scrapbook

While the immediate thoughts of some among the large and discerning audience flew to English designer Stella McCartney closing her recent show in Paris with models dancing and singing on the ramp in an ode to George Michael, for Arora, the dancing her models displayed signified happiness, not a McCartney me-too.

All my shows have expressed a happy vibe, and I have had dancing on my ramp before," she told me.

If happiness was an intended takeaway, I found it in the styling of the garments, their intricacy, the insouciance of the velvet boots. Something somewhere reminded me of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates Of The Caribbean. It led me to wonder about the look of a modern gypsy. How must an artist dress the contemporary wanderer?

Hand-embroidery being done at Aroras Delhi workshop.

But I was most struck by a scrapbook she created to narrate her collection. It records all her ideasscribbles, notes, stamps, rail and bus tickets, reminders to herself, fabric swatches, photographs of minority tribes, sketches of pickle jars, tiny hearts, a dried leaf, an artistic recreation of festival lanterns, and how she tried paint blobs to create a shade card. The journal is for me like a piece of couture, a garment of thoughts. At the National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad), where I studied, we were taught to record everything we saw and observed. This journal is my storytelling device," says Arora.

Till such time that Aroras work is recorded in the fabric and fable of Indian fashions travel journal, I would hold on to her storyteller scrapbook.
Kathmandu Triennale: New kid on the art block The festival's first edition seeks to integrate Nepal into the art ecosystem in South Asia /how-to-lounge/art-culture/kathmandu-triennale-new-kid-on-the-art-block-111646883717245.html 111646883717245 story

Over a fortnight starting 24 March, the inaugural edition of the Kathmandu Triennale hopes to transform the Nepalese capital into a studio for 70 artists from 25 countries. Responding to the theme of My City, My Studio/My City, My Life", these artists are engaging with notions of the cityas an archive, an urban hub, a social organization and a living organism. In some cases, the city itself is an artist, engaging in a dialogue with other artists," says Philippe Van Cauteren, artistic director, SMAK (Museum for Contemporary Art, Ghent, Belgium), over the phone. Curated by Cauteren, the triennale, organized by the Siddhartha Arts Foundation (SAF) and SMAK, with venue support from the Saraf Foundation, seeks to integrate Nepal into the dynamic art ecosystem of South Asia. The nature of Kathmandu is very different from Kochi or Dhaka. It would make for a wonderful addition to the contemporary art space," says Cauteren.

Efforts in this direction have been made since 2009, when Sangeeta Thapa, co-founder and director of SAF, started the Kathmandu International Art Festival. We did a second edition in 2012, but couldnt organize it in 2015 because of the earthquake," says Thapa. Artists who took part in the festivals said the scale was similar to a biennale or a triennale. Riyas Komu (director of programmes of the Kochi biennale) and Philippe advised that it was time to refine our commitment to the arts, and thats how the idea of the Kathmandu Triennale came about."

Participating artist Kiran Maharjan.

Instead of going the regular route of identifying artists, selecting their artworks and shipping them to Nepala cost-heavy proposition and a non-engaging one for the artistthe team decided to invite artists to create works on site. Artists such as Alice Fox, Ang Tshering Sherpa, Bhuwan Thapa, Francis Alys, Shilpa Gupta, Mithu Sen, Mahbubur Rahman and Lida Abdul are showcasing their work at either of four main venues: the Patan Museum, Siddhartha Arts Gallery, Taragaon Museum and Nepal Art Council.

The Taragaon Museum is one of the first modernist, contemporary art spaces in Nepal. Designed by Austrian architect Carl Pruscha, the building was initially meant as a hostel for foreigners. It was opened up as a museum in 2014. Namita Saraf, founder-director of the Taragaon Museum, has been observing how artists have used the facade and other aspects of the building in their work. An artist is creating chalk drawings on the facade. Mithu Sen is also creating an on-site work in our museum," she says.

Participating artist Bhuwan Thapa.

Saraf is also enthusiastic about a soundwork that can be experienced at Basantapur and Nanglo. Curated by Gaynor OFlynn, it brings the viewer into the performance arena. If you say your name, its vibrations are converted into circles of light, which are then projected into a physical space.

Other works dwell on the artists personal histories and their intimate engagement with the city. For instance, Sheelasha Rajbhandari is recording stories of her grandmother," says Cauteren.

In addition to the exhibition, the triennale features five collateral events, one of them being the research curatorial project Built Unbuilt". A lot of Nepali workers go to Qatar in search of work. Many of them die there (due to bad working conditions). Nearly six coffins arrive every day, carrying the remains of the workers and their aspirations. The project focuses on that," says Thapa.

Lost Memory by Ronny Delrue.

Another project to watch out for is by Karachi-based illustrator and graphic designer Sana Nasir. A Night Walk In Patan, an audiovisual installation, revolves around the experience of losing a sense of identity through the act of walking in the dark.

The triennale also seeks to provide a platform to upcoming artists from Nepal. Seventeen of them have been commissioned to create artworks," says Cauteren. We want the Kathmandu Triennale to be a tribute to the city, the artist, the risk that an artist takes in creating something. During my discussions with Nepali artists, I urged them to be courageous, to represent what it means to be an artist in the complex world that we are living in today."

The Kathmandu Triennale is being held across four venues till 9 April. For details, visit Kt.artmandu.org.
How comfortable are you in your female skin? Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on how to raise your child to be a feminist /news/talking-point/how-comfortable-are-you-in-your-female-skin-111646890648905.html 111646890648905 story

In a TEDxEuston talk, We Should All Be Feminists", in 2013, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie spoke of preparing for a university lecture, thinking more deeply about what she would wear rather than what she would say. She chose that day to downplay her feminity, in a bid not to appear frivolous by wearing a manly, ugly suit".

This reminds one of another lecture, Women In Power", delivered at the London Review Of Books Winter Lectures at the British Museum on 3 March, when the English scholar Mary Beard had this to say about the regulation trouser-suit worn by many Western female political leaders, from Angela Merkel to Hillary Clinton: We have no template for what a powerful woman looks like, except that she looks rather like a man."

Adichie went on to recount how, after the publication of her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, about a man who habitually beat his wife, a Nigerian man came up to her and advised her against being a feminist, since everyone knew feminists were unhappy women who hadnt been able to find themselves husbands. So I chose to be a happy feminist," she said. And she spoke of how human beings had evolved but their ideas of gender roles had not.

Dear Ijeawele, Or A Feminist Manifesto In Fifteen Suggestions: By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Fourth Estate, 66 pages, Rs250.

In a new book, Dear Ijeawele, Or A Feminist Manifesto In Fifteen Suggestionsthis is a version of a letter she had written to a friend two years ago on how to raise her child to be a feministAdichie addresses this very idea: re-engineering the way men and women think about each other. Adichie starts with a single premisewhat she calls one of her two Feminist Toolsthat everyone should believe in: I matter. I matter equally."

Adichie has 15 suggestions, all driven by her belief that it is morally urgent to have honest conversations about raising children differently, about trying to create a fairer world for women and men". Adichies suggestions are not entirely original or unusual, given that this is an urgent conversation that has been taking place for many decades now, with change itself slow to come. And yet, this is the very reason why this slim pocketbook becomes a reminder of how difficult this process is, how deeply entrenched our ideas of gender roles and behaviours are, and why manifestos such as this bear repeating, and reading.

Guilt, shame, fear, submissionthese are all such a large part of our conditioning as women. Adichie addresses gender-defined roles in the domestic sphere, and the gratitude and awe expressed towards men who do their share of domestic work or care-giving. Of how, from their toys to the clothes they wear, children are taught to behave like" a boy or a girl. She asks that marriage not be treated as a matter of aspiration or achievement for womenshe points out how the initial descriptor on even Hillary Clintons Twitter account when she joined the US presidential race was wife". She emphasizes that a girls appearance should never be linked with morality, she should not be taught to associate her sexuality with shame or her gender as justification for social norms that undermine her. And she, most of all, warns against Feminism Lite", the idea of conditional female equality", where a womans well-being is related to male benevolencea hollow, appeasing, bankrupt idea". Adichie illustrates her point by quoting a British newspapers description of Prime Minister Theresa Mays husband: Philip May is known in politics as a man who has taken a back seat and allowed (italics mine) his wife, Theresa, to shine."

Adichies book reminds one of the difficulties, despite being a feminist, of unlearning what we have internalized from our childhood of gender roles. This is a manifesto of awareness on not just how to raise your child, boy or girl, but on how to live your own life.
Raag returns to India More than 40 years after its launch, Ahmedabad designer Asha Sarabhai's textile label is available to Indian buyers /news/talking-point/raag-returns-to-india-111646891185971.html 111646891185971 story

Contemporary can be a fluid word in fashion, signifying current and topical whenever you invoke it, though every age has its own definition of the term. Ahmedabad-based textile designer Asha Sarabhais label Raag holds up contemporary" as well today as it did when it was first launched in 1975. In 1984, minimalist Japanese designer Issey Miyake sensed the contemporary" pulse in Sarabhais creations and invited the designer, who is now in her late 60s, to launch her own label under the Miyake Design Studio (MDS) in Tokyo. At MDS, Sarabhais clothes nested under the label Asha, which means hope" in Hindi as well as Japanese, while Raag made its way to select stores in European countriestoday, her designs retail solely under the label Raag.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Sarabhais designssimply constructed handloom chogas, bundis and angarkhaswere featured in Indian textile exhibitions in Japan and in museums in Europe, including the Victoria & Albert museum in London in 1993. They were described as contemporary, drawing from traditional influences and techniques of Indias past". The UKs Independent newspaper called her work minimal" and described her customers as stylish and cerebral".

And when you look up Beejstore.com, the Web store launched in December that brings Raag to Indian customers for the first time, the definition of contemporary needs no retouching. Raag sold through Beej (which means seed) is managed by Ajay Mayor, Sarabhais 30-year-old nephew. It stocks womenswearjackets, bundis, skirts, tops, coats, pantsmade from handloom fabrics using techniques that ensure longevity. All the garments are made at the fair-trade practising Raag studio in Ahmedabad, while Beej is being nurtured as an umbrella brand for Raag and other brands that sync with the ethos of Raag".

Mayor tells us why Raag, despite being a brand from the past, is relevant to younger customers. Edited excerpts from an interview:

Raag never sold in India even in the mid 1970s. Why?

The initial attempt had been to try and make Raag available in India. Unfortunately, at that moment, there was insufficient interest in the sort of resolutions of the limited scope of fashion that Raag was involved in. Todays context is a very different one.

What prompted the decision to bring back Raag ?

There was always a desire to bring Raag to India. Logistically, and from an organizational standpoint, things somehow fell into place to enable us to do so now.

The Asha Sarabhai name connects instantly with Indias handloom narrative for consumers of another generation. How do you plan to position Raag for younger customers?

Raag was started with the intent to fashion clothing and textiles with care and attention to qualitative resolutions of design and detail; to make things that would last and give pleasure over the years. These principles form the bedrock for everything that we aim to do and are as relevant now as they were when Raag began.

Beej has been an opportunity to make available seedling collections based on, drawing inspiration from, and improvising on Raags distinctive and innovative repertoire and adaptations of forms, techniques, fabrics and other tactile" resolutions over the years to the making of clothes. Without overworking the musical metaphor, Raag has tried to work in concert with Indias long history as a textile treasure house and attempted to continue and add to that in contemporary contexts.

Is Asha Sarabhai still involved with Raag on a day-to-day basis?

She is not hands on any more. But all our designs are built from the archives she has created over the years. She still directs the brand, meets the team and brings in most of the creative ideas.

There is a surge of contemporary ready-to-wear from woven fabrics in Indian retail. How do you plan to make Raag distinctive?

Our emphasis, quite simply, is to offer a quiet alternative that might resonate with those who appreciate the quality and ethos that it embodies. In the long run, we believe that it is only through the wearing of the clothes that the distinctive details and qualities that have gone into their making can be appreciated.

Will your collections conform to traditional fashion cycles?

Our collections do not conform to the traditional fashion seasonal cycles and instead revolve around a theme. Exploring a different theme for each collection has been an intellectually and creatively stimulating experience. Our first collection takes inspiration from the Russian artist Kazimir Malevich to reinterpret Raag classics. Each collection, while rooted in our values, sensibilities and design language, will hopefully seem fresh and vital.

What is the nature of Beejs engagement with the people who work for the brand?

We are adamant about making all our products entirely in-house. We source our fabrics from weavers across India. Once we have the fabrics, all the production processes, from dyeing to hand finishing, are done in their entirety by our employees. It enables us to guarantee fair wages and a healthy work environment in which our workers are treated with dignity and respect. Having direct control over all production processes also enables us to maintain high quality standards.
Pallavi Jaikishan: Flowers, chiffons and wispy whites Designer Pallavi Jaikishan on shaping the style sensibilities of Bollywood's leading ladies in the 1970s /news/talking-point/pallavi-jaikishan-flowers-chiffons-and-wispy-whites-111646891107926.html 111646891107926 story

It has been 45 years since Pallavi Jaikishan launched her eponymous label from her lifestyle store Paraphernalia in south Mumbai. Now 72, and just as happy to spend long hours at her Parel workshop, the doyenne celebrated her labels big milestone with a showing of her new collection on the seaside lawns of Taj Lands End in Mumbai last week.

But Jaikishan reveals that her career in fashion could have started even earlier. Married to music director Jaikishan of the Shankar-Jaikishan duo, she became familiar with the world of Hindi cinema since directors, lyricists, producers and actors would often drop by to meet her husband. Ismail (Merchant) used to compliment me on my style of dressing. They were working on Bombay Talkie at the time and he asked me to style the movie for him. I was really excited but my husband didnt want me to work and I had to respect his wishes," she says.

Her inherent taste was channelled into her own outfits. I hired two ladies to work with me at home to make my clothes while I would design the embroidery. I had a very unique way of dressinga European sensibilityand this way I could control what I wanted," she says.

Jaikishan started work as a designer soon after her husbands death in 1971. Her vintage romantic style, saris in wispy fabrics and lehngas with delicate floral embroidery, made her the go-to designer for Mumbai socialites and brides. Her beadwork became so popular that by the late 1970s, Jaikishan was exporting to upscale American stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor and Bergdorf Goodman.

As we sit in the sea-facing drawing room of her apartment on Marine Drive to discuss her personal style evolution, her reputation as a warm hostess is on full display; the centre table is laden with little sandwiches, samosas, khandvi and chocolate cake. Dressed in a relaxed floral tunic, she speaks about her obsession with clothes, and how star-wives and Bollywoods leading ladies wanted to dress like her. Edited excerpts:

When was your earliest exposure to fashion and design?

It was while I was still in school. At the time there were no stores where you could go to buy an outfit, no ready-made clothes were available either. We had to go to tailors and flip through dog-eared catalogues to choose the styles we wanted. And whoever had the best catalogue was a hit tailor at the time. But even then I would make my own dresses, and my friends loved what I wore and would ask me to go along with them for shopping. My grandparents used to spin Khadi themselves. As kids we were taught how to work the charkha and make yarn. My grandmother would knit crochet and make beaded bags, and we all had to learn how to stitch. My mother was very creative too and liked wearing nice clothes.

A dupatta from one of her first collections.

How would you describe your style of dressing?

I got married at the age of 19 and my husband had a busy social life. I would accompany him to filmi parties but my style was different from other women. I used to wear mostly saris and churidar kurtas. In the day I would wear my embroidered organdie saris, white and freshly starched, to pick up the kids from school or when I was entertaining at home. In the evenings, I would wear chiffons and cottons in pink, white or pale grey. Others would often wear heavy saris in turquoise, shocking pink, etc., but I loved soft pastel colours. I would get a lot of compliments from all the wives and leading ladies, who would then ask me to take them out shopping.

A pair of emerald and diamond earrings that is her favourite.

Are you an accessories person?

I like to have good bags and shoes. I prefer to wear closed shoes and at that time people used to notice that I would wear court shoes with my saris while others would wear heeled sandals. Unlike women in the film industry, I had a very minimal way of dressing. I used to just wear one pair of chandelier earrings with a diamond bangle while everyone else was wearing heavy matching sets. I had a favourite silver kandora (waist belt) that I used to wear before my marriage and my husband loved that. Later, without my knowledge, he had it made in gold for me for the princely sum of Rs3,800.

I remember at one time there was control on gold by the government, to curb black money. I had a collection of gold guineas, which I used to buy whenever my husband gave me money, and was wondering what to do. So he called a jeweller home and told him to take a long chain and attach the guineas to it to turn them into a big necklace. And I used to wear that necklace with my saris along with a matching baajubandh (armband).

Bags she has bought from vintage markets across Europe.

What was your fashion influence then, and now?

I have inherently had a sophisticated and subdued aesthetic. We didnt have easy access to magazines at that time but whenever I could, I would lay my hands on international fashion magazines or catalogues from American stores like Saks and Sears. Even though we had the means, we didnt travel abroad much because my husband had a fear of flying. So I would go to chor bazaar and find old borders and knick-knacks for inspiration. Now I travel all over the world for inspiration and my favourite haunts are antique markets and fairs in Europe. My style is vintage European, I dont use too much zardozi and thats why even till today the clothes that I design dont weigh you down.
The cheese revolution One of the world's oldest dairy traditions is cultivating a brand new culture. Meet the men and women behind India's quiet cheese revolution /news/talking-point/the-cheese-revolution-111646890703713.html 111646890703713 story

In 2014, newspapers reported that archaeologists working on a site in the Taklamakan desert in north-western China had discovered mummies from the Bronze Age, dating back to 1615 BC. This wasnt particularly remarkable, except that these mummies had clumps of cheese around their necks and chests. They seemed to have been buried with a bit of food to see them through to the afterlife. And so, the worlds oldest preserved cheese had been found.

Chances are, as you were reading that story, the word cheese" would have brought to mind a slab of Amul processed cheese. You werent thinking of a whey-soaked ball of mozzarella, wobbly in your palms, or a disc of baked Brie, its buttery gold heart begging to be scooped with a cracker.

Over the last few years, though, a curious series of circumstances has conspired to replace the processed cheeses at the top of our minds, and in speciality stores and restaurants across urban India, with hand-crafted Cheddars, mozzarellas, Gruyeres, Bries and fetas, all made locally. Cheesemakers have enthusiastically embraced Make in India.

Last year was Anno Uno for cheese in Indialocal cheesemakers came to public notice as we discovered cheeses that had been living in the shadow of paneer. The spread was everywherein newspapers, magazines, listicles online, long-form musings, interviews with chefs. Cheese found itself lumped with food fadscupcakes, frozen yogurt, cronuts, nut butters, molecular Indian gastronomy, artisanal coffee, craft beer, sourdough bread. Some of these had their 15 seconds of fame; some lingered.

So is artisanal cheese a food fad? Physicist-turned-cheesemaker Aditya Raghavan rolls his eyes. Dairy is so important to India; we have all been consuming it from such a young age. This is not a big leap. Bread, cheese and coffee are more fundamental than, say, cupcakes. It wont just disappear." Raghavan should know. The 36-year-old has spent the last three years chasing cheese across the country, helping artisanal cheesemakers set up factories, overseeing and fixing production lines, troubleshooting, cheesemaking, learning and documenting obscure dairy practices and, essentially, being the consultant the fledgling Indian cheese scene didnt know it needed.

India is the worlds largest producer of milk. According to the Economic Survey 2015-16, the country produced 146 million tonnes of milk thats 18.5% of the worlds total output. A September USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report expects milk production to increase to 160 million tonnes. We churn it into butter, culture it into yogurt, slowly caramelize it to make khoya. Cheese thoughcultured, rennet coagulatedseemed to have largely escaped our purview.

Mukund Naidu with his collection of cheese. Photo: Hemant Mishra/Mint

This puzzled cheese expert Will Studdyou know him as the man behind the show Cheese Slices on TLC or from his battle with the Australian government to import raw-milk cheeses into the country. The question that fascinated me was, why does this country have only one cheese? I know there are a few others, but essentially one cheesepaneer."

One factor, Studd says, is the religious connotation of using animal rennetthe enzyme that separates milk into curds and whey, the first step in cheesemakingwhich comes from the stomach of two-week-old calves. To extract the rennet, the calf has to be killed. That alone doesnt explain the lack of cheese varieties in the country, however. India was one of the first countries to develop a culture of preserving butter, maybe 2,000-3,000 years before Europe, in a very sophisticated way, but didnt develop cheese." The answer is practicality: Indias tropical climate doesnt allow for bacterial preservation. The reality of ghee is it doesnt matter if its hot or cold, it keeps. And it fulfils its purpose for cooking."

Amul was the first company to make an attempt at an Indian processed cheese in the early 1960s. Protracted and arduous pioneering research went into the formula for making a standardized Indian variety of Cheddar cheese, once again belying expert opinion, which stated that it could not be made from buffalo milk," Ruth Heredia writes in The Amul India Story (1997). Easier, said some experts, to get shoe polish from it, and, indeed, the earliest experimental samples did taste a bit like wax polish."

Amuls cheeseeasy to melt and storewould go on to flood the market. Today, the processed cheese market is dominated by brands like Amul, Britannia, Gowardhan and Mother Dairy, which make variations of processed Cheddar, hard mozzarella pizza cheese" and cream cheese, but smaller players like Exito Gourmet (Impero) and Dairy Craft have waded into the market, too, with fresh mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone, scamorza and Cheddar.

Yet, cheese still only accounts for a fraction of dairy product sales. In 2014, retail sales of packaged dairy products in India were estimated at $10.2 billion (about Rs66,700 crore now) by market research firm Euromonitorcheese accounted for about $244 million of this.

Rise of the local fromagere

The early 1990s saw the rise of a few local cheesemakers. Film-maker Mansoor Khan, director of two blockbusters, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, moved to Coonoor in 2003, where he has been making Gouda, Colby, Gruyere, halloumi and more on his farm Acres Wild. In Pune, ABC Farms, established by Rohinton Aga, Adi Bathena and Eruch Chinoy (hence the name ABC) and now run by Sohrab Chinoy, has been producing versions of Gorgonzola, Cheddar and mozzarella for over 30 years. ABC Farms owner claims they sell 10 tonnes of cheese a month, or about 300kg a day on average, to Vivanta By TajPresident in Mumbai, Marriott Suites in Pune, and Sun N Sand hotels in Mumbai and Pune. Acres Wild produces 8-10kg a day and only sells at two stores in Coonoor.

Then there is Caroselle Dairy Products Pvt. Ltd Kodaikanal. Bengaluru-based Mukund Naidu quit engineering studies in 1991, moving to a farm in the Tamil Nadu hill town. In those days, we were out in the boondocks, about 17km from town in a hilly area. Access to transport was minimal and we found it difficult to ship fresh milk to town every day, so we decided to make some cheese." Naidu and New Zealander David Hogg set up the cheese unit and are suppliers of European-style artisanal cheese to a number of restaurants in the south. I was one of the first people to make pasta filata mozzarella in India, way back in 1994," says Naidu. This soft Italian mozzarella, made by stretching hot cheese curds, is not the same as the industrial version that is made hard enough to grate over pizzas and pastas. I showed it to chefs back then who had no idea what to do with this ball, how to apply it to their dishes," laughs Naidu.

All that changed with the Internet. Cheesemaking is now just a click away and a search for a mozzarella recipe on YouTube throws up no less than 300,000 results. You could be making cheese in less than an hour. Its how Mumbai-based Prateeksh Mehra learnt to make his versions of Brie and Camembert.

Mehra, a commercial food photographer, caught the brewing bug in 2014, when the craft beer craze in the country was cresting. I used to play around with cheese and beer pairings when it struck me that the process of making beer was very similar to that of making cheese."

Much in the way he learnt his brewingonlinehe began to teach himself about cheeses. Soft cheeses in particular caught his fancy, partly because he didnt have a lot of patience, he says. Hard cheeses, like Cheddar, need at least six months to reach maturity, and thats a long time to wait to see if it has comes out right. If not, its six months of work gone to waste."

He roped in his brother and began making a Brie-style cheese, something no cheesemaker was doing in India then, and which would take just over three-six weeks to mature. They surprised themselves with the resulta soft rind Brie with a profound buttery note, without the faint ammoniac tang of French Brie de Meaux. They marketed it at the BBC Good Food Show in Mumbai in 2014, found a few interested chefs, and it took off. Today they sell in units of 150g for Rs300 each under The Spotted Cow Fromagerie brand. The brothers make almost 250kg of cheese a month in the basement of their home in suburban Mumbai, supplying to chains such as Indigo Delicatessen and Salt Water Cafe in their city, and Toast & Tonic in Bengaluru.

Travel is the other factor thats influencing both the consumption and production of cheese. Well-travelled customers are now demanding the same quality of cheese they eat on their trips abroad. Cheesemakers are applying the knowledge gathered abroad to meet this demand.

Mansi Jasani, who was pursuing a masters in food studies at New York University, signed up for a three-day cheese boot camp at Murrays Cheese, New Yorks best-known artisanal cheese retailer. I learnt about different styles of cheese, milk chemistry, cheese chemistry, how its made, terroir... basically everything related to cheese. After those three days, people around me were done, they were cheesed out. I, on the other hand, was like, where can I eat more?" She quit studies to focus on cheese and landed a three-month internship at Murrays, where she was put to work in the cheese caves. My daily chores were cleaning, vacuum packing, unwrapping cheeses, sorting them, turning the harder cheesesand on my birthday, they let me have the cheese trier (an instrument that lets you take a sliver of cheese out to test its ageing without cutting out a slice) to try any four cheeses in the caves. It was the best day of my life." That was also when she realized that though she enjoyed cheesemakingshe currently sells chevre, or goat cheese, from her home in Mumbaiwhat she wanted to be was a cheesemonger, to curate, collect and sell cheeses made by local cheesemakers and help develop a cheese culture. In 2014, she founded The Cheese Collective, which curates cheeses from across the country and supplies it to parties, corporate events and restaurants. Now, she is in the process of setting up her own cheese cave and factory in Lonavala, near Mumbai.

Calcutta Calabrese from Toast &Tonic, Bengaluru. Photo: Hemant Mishra/Mint

Grating issues

Challenges have remained pretty much the same since the early days of Indian cheesemaking. Cold-chain logistics remain the weakest link in the supply chain. Cold-truck breakdowns, unreliable shipping and a total lack of knowledge at food stores has hobbled the reach of these cheeses. Stephen Kairanna, who owns the Nadur Goat Farm, about 25km from Udipi, and who, with his wife Priya, began selling goats milk feta in 2016, found that the cheese leaving his factory was not the one reaching customers. I put my cheeses in a reputable chain of high-end food stores and found that they werent even refrigerating it. As a result, customers would eat cheese thats gone off and imagine thats what it really tastes like. They would obviously never buy it again." Last year, he began shipping it directly to interested customers and restaurants, so he could control the quality.

Lack of customer knowledge is still a major hurdle in retailing local cheeses. I have got a lot of strange questions from people over the years," says Jasani. One of the more popular ones is, Is there egg in this cheese?"

Arbitrary government regulations have actually helped local cheesemakers though. In 2011, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) decreed that animal-rennet cheeses could not be importedthis accounts for the majority of cheese produced in Europe. We have a bunch of issues importing cheese with certain ingredients into India. Its not country specific, but there are certain parameters and guidelines defined by the FSSAI regarding the source of rennet used in making cheese, ingredients used, and various other factors, due to which restrictions come in play," says Swasti Aggarwal, food strategist at the Foodhall chain of stores that stocks both Indian and imported cheeses.

FSSAI regulations also decree that milk and milk products imported into the country must be heat-processed to kill bacteria, which automatically disqualifies raw milk cheeses. Once that happened, it eliminated about 80% of the worlds repertoire of good quality cheeses, because its just not made that way; it changes the nature of the product," says chef Manu Chandra, the man behind the Monkey Bar gastropubs and Bengalurus Toast & Tonic. So what were inundated with is a lot of supermarket style, highly processed variants of famous cheese. Instead of a beautiful French Brie, you will get a Danish pasteurized pack that, like a McDonald burger, you could leave out for three years and nothing would happen to it."

Local cheesemakers were happy to step in to fill this void, and restaurateurs were happier paying a premium for local cheese made right than using lower-quality imported cheese.

And yet, while were all celebrating the rise of the small great Indian cheese industry, Raghavan sounds a note of caution. Im not convinced I want to be a cheesemaker in India; I have travelled all over Europe and eaten and made cheese there and I dont think its possible to make that quality of cheese here."

Its not just the quality of milk, or the terroir, he says. They (Europeans) have a tradition of dealing in raw milk. In India, everything we do with dairy is boiled." This culture of boiled milk hasnt made Indians vigilant about raw milk and inculcating it in the farmers who supply the milk is difficult. Who am I to go tell a farmer, Do it like this, your parents were wrong?"

The other factor is the use of vegetarian rennet. Vegetarian rennet is made in a laboratory and you train bacteria to produce chymosin, the active enzyme, and the way it deals with the proteins in milk lends it some bitterness and when you make enough cheese or taste enough cheese, you can feel it. Anything you do to fix that changes the cheese."

He also doesnt see small farmers and dairy owners being able to sustain themselves on cheese alone. The working model is to have a hybrid dairy, one that makes yogurt and supplies milk, alongside the cheese. We have a long way to go, Raghavan says, before we can even think of competing with international cheeses.

Over the last two years, however, there has been a steady push by restaurateurs towards local produce and greater respect for home-grown ingredients. Trends like foraging and slow food have found enthusiastic proponents here. So while restaurateurs are happy sourcing from Indian cheesemakers, theyre also looking to revive lesser-known Indian cheeses.

Chandra, for instance, shaves smoked Bandel, an intensely salty, crumbly cheese that he sources from Kolkata, over sourdough toasts. Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, at his Armenian restaurant Lavaash By Saby in Delhi, serves a cheese platter composed entirely of indigenous cheesessalted and smoked Bandel and a sharp Kalimpong. At Bombay Canteen in Mumbai, Thomas Zacharias serves topli-nu-paneer, a Parsi cheese with a wobble like the lightest panna cotta. And at Mumbais Masque, a farm-to-fork restaurant that leans heavily on foraging, chef Prateek Sadhu is bringing back kalari, a pasta filata" cheese from Jammu, not unlike mozzarella, that he grew up on. Well-known chefs abroad have been vital in driving food trends, so the great push for local cheese could possibly come from our own well-known, home-grown chefs.

In the meantime, though, we can revel in our local cheeses and hope that in a few decades, we will have a lovely Indian cheese of our own to be buried with and bamboozle scientists with in the future. Somebody please remember to pack the crackers.

***

Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint

Going local

The Spotted Cow Fromagerie, Mumbai

Prateeksh and Agnay Mehra produce Bombrie, Camembay and Rombay, versions of French and Italian bloomy rind cheeses like Brie, Camembert and robiola. These are available on Thespottedcow.in and also retail at Foodhall Mumbai.

Himalayan Cheese, Srinagar

Dutchman Chris Zandee works with local Gujjar and Bakarwal pastoralists to make Gouda, Cheddar and the local kalari and build a sustainable, community-based business in Kashmir. Order these on Himalayancheese.com or from Foodhall stores.

La Ferme Cheese, Puducherry

Originally started to supply handmade, artisanal cheeses to the residents of Auroville, La Fermes products today are available in speciality shops all over the country. These all-natural cheeses are made from milk supplied by local farms and include styles of Cheddar, Parmesan, feta, Gruyere and a pungent auroblochon. Buy them on Auroville.com.

Vallombrosa Cheese, Bengaluru

Authentic buffalo mozzarella, bocconcini and burrata are turned out daily by the monks of the Vallombrosa Benedictine order on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Set up by Father K.L. Michael in 2004 to take advantage of Indias buffalo milk productionthe largest in the worldand to sustain the monastery, these are now available at some of the countrys finest restaurants, and retail stores in Bengaluru. For more details, visit Vallombrosacheese.com.

Flanders Dairy Products, Delhi

Sunil Bhu brought a little slice of Belgium to Bijwasan, on the outskirts of Delhi, when he set up Flanders Dairy in 1991. They now produce flavoured Gouda, goats cheese, mozzarella, mascarpone, ricotta, scamorza and kwark that retails from their own cheese store, The Cheese Ball, on Lodhi Road. For more details, visit Flanders-dairy.com.

***

Mansi Jasani at her home with her favourite cheeses and dips. Photo: Aniruddha Chowdhury/Mint

Desi cheese

Get to know a few local varieties across the country

Chhena

Bengal owes the Portuguese a great food debt. When they first made landfall on the east coast of India and discovered they couldnt get their beloved cottage cheese here, they set about making it by acid-curdling milk and treating the curds to form three different kinds of cheese. Chhena, that ubiquitous base of Bengali sweets, is made by splitting milkjust like paneerthen kneading the curds until it becomes soft and pliable, to be shaped into rasgullas and sandesh.

Cheese platter from Lavaash By Saby. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint

Bandel

Also, in the east, the chhena is pressed to form circular discs, then salted and dried to form its savoury cousin Bandel, a milky, chewy cheese. This is also smoked for a deeper, stronger-flavoured Bandel.

Chhurpi

A cheese thats travelled across the Himalayas, chhurpi is made from yak milk, specifically yak buttermilk. Much like ricotta, the buttermilk is boiled until the milk solids separate from the whey, before its drained to make soft chhurpi. To preserve it though, its drained further, then pressed under weights till it forms a hard, chewy mass.

Courtesy: Himalayan Cheese

Kalari

Native to Udhampur in Jammu, kalari or maish krej is a soured milk cheese that uses a hot pan to stretch the curds and shape it into chapati-like discs. These are then sun-dried, so its hard on the outside, but still moist inside.

Kalimpong

A hard, crumbly, mild-flavoured cheese that shares similarities with Gouda, Kalimpong was made by a priest in Sikkim. Its sold locally in Sikkim, though if you are lucky, you may land a bit of the 10kg made by four families in Kalimpong and retailed every day in Kolkata.
New ways of seeing Across the world, museums, libraries and galleries are embracing cutting-edge technology to lend stunning new digital avatars to their holdings. But what does that do to the art and rare book objects? /news/talking-point/new-ways-of-seeing-111646891199447.html 111646891199447 story

A few engineers from the Google Cultural Institutes laboratoryThe Labin Paris had rigged up a robot inside the citys Palais Garnier. The Palais is perhaps the most historic opera house in the world. Opened to the public in 1875, its the setting for Gaston Lerouxs The Phantom Of The Opera. It is a building that stuns on the inside and out. And not always for the right reasons. Some see it as a high point in the architecture of the Second Empire, the regime of Napoleon III. Others, like Le Corbusier, saw in it a symbol of tasteless excess.

The engineers from Google were there to photograph the most recent addition to the Palais Garniers encrustations of art. In 1960, the artist Marc Chagall had been asked to paint a new ceiling for the opera houseit was unveiled four years later. Chagalls ceiling, a depiction of works by 14 major composers of opera, was captured with a high-resolution camera attached to a Google robot. Thus suspended 18m over the ground, the robot began to sweep over the 220 sq. m of the painting.

Later, the engineers invited Chagalls son, David McNeil, to visit The Lab in Paris and view the painting in high resolution on The Labs video wall. In a 2015 article, The Sydney Morning Heralds Nick Miller described what happened when Laurent Gaveau, The Labs director, showed McNeil the scans.

...he was zooming in and panning around something most people only ever see from afar, if at all.

And then, Oh, thats me, he said. The artist had included, in a little corner of the painting, a portrait of Chagall, his wife and his son. He never knew he was there," Gaveau said. He was very moved."

Today, Chagalls ceiling, and thousands of other artworks, can all be seen in ultra high-resolution on the Google Cultural Institutes voluminous online portal in unprecedented detail. Consider the ceiling of St Pauls Cathedral in London. With just a few clicks, you can zoom into the cathedral ceiling until you can distinguish each individual tessera that makes up the mosaics.

The folio from a Rasamanjari series at the Met. Photo: Courtesy The Met

Across the world, museums, galleries and libraries are embracing cutting-edge technologies to capture their collections in sophisticated, interactive, high-resolution formats. And in many cases, these digital images are being shared freely with the connected world.

Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York announced that it was releasing around 375,000 images of its public domain works into the Creative Commons, thus allowing anybody to download and remix these works as much as they like. While not the first museum to do thisthe Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, for instance, has had works in the Creative Commons since 2013the Mets online release is the largest so far.

In London, the British Library has digitized hundreds of thousands of images of manuscripts, books, maps and recordings of music and video.

In India, too, museums have started to not only collaborate with enterprises like Google, but also work with local experts on digitization projects. In January 2016, the Union government announced that after digitizing just under 16,000 objects in 2D, the National Museum in Delhi was now embarking on a 3D pilot project. Policy initiatives have also been announced to extend digitization projects to many of the countrys other major museums.

Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced that it was releasing around 375,000 images of its public domain works into the Creative Commons-

But what is the point of it all? Is this just a matter of scanning and putting art on the Web? Or is there more to this contagious global obsession with digitizing arts and heritage? To understand this better,we need to look at another institution that treats rare books and manuscripts not just as texts but, increasingly, as works of art.

Tom Derrick, a digital curator with the British Library in London who is currently working on a project titled Two Centuries Of Indian Print", recently spoke to me about the project and about what he termed the digital humanities".

The British Library has perhaps the largest collection of early printed books in South Asian languages anywhere in the world. And many of these are quite possibly the only copies of these publications left anywhere in the world.

The incentive to scan them into digital files, then, is quite obvious. Not only does it give these rare book objects an unlimited second life, it also makes it easier for researchers all over the world to access them remotely.

Derricks Two Centuries" projectwhich involves digitizing 4,000 early printed books in Bengali, amounting to around 800,000 pagesis a pilot project that also seeks to figure out ways of using various technologies to make these books more useful to researchers, especially in digital humanities".

But what exactly is digital humanities?

The field, explains Derrick, exists at the intersection of computer science, arts and humanities research, and involves applying computational tools such as Big Data Analytics to tease out new insight from large quantities of digitized documents. Use these techniques well, Derrick says, and studies that would have taken several years can be done in just minutes.

Derrick gives the example of researcher Katrina Navickas, who studies the history of the Chartist movement of 19th century Britain. The Chartists, campaigning for universal adult male suffrage, were widely believed to have focused their campaign in Londons poorer working communities. Navickas used digitized versions of 19th century newspapers and a combination of various techniqueslarge-scale text mining, optical character recognition (OCR), natural language processing (NLP), Python programming and geo-codingto extract information from thousands of notices on Chartist meetings. When these results were plotted on a map, the distribution was surprising. The Chartists, in fact, had held meetings in rich and poor areas all over London. This called for a dramatic reassessment of Chartist appeal across London society.

If all this makes it sound like the digital humanities are a walk in the park, with a laptop tucked under the arm, then think again. With the Two Centuries" project, for example, one major challenge is developing high-quality optical character recognition software that can read Bengali. The British Library is currently working closely with a number of Indian institutions, including the School of Cultural Texts and Records of Jadavpur University and the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Bengaluru, on this.

Derrick hopes that over time, projects such as Two Centuries" will create tools and techniques for researchers to work on the wide variety of collections available in the British Library and elsewhere in numerous South Asian languages. The project is expected to be completed by 2018. But Derrick already has a couple of Bengali texts he is particularly fond of. The first is Byanjan Ratnakar, an 1865 cookbook prepared for the maharaja of Burdwan. It is adapted from the Persian book written by the chief cook of emperor Shahjahan." With its recipes for breads, desserts and biryani, says Derrick, he was immediately drawn to it. The second book, from 1854, is Directions For A Railway Traveller.

A page from Directions for a Railway Traveller;

What does digitization mean for art itself? There is little doubt that projects such as the Google Cultural Institute, unveiled in 2011, have democratized art and culture. Yet it also raises questions about the cultural value not just of what we consume but of how we consume it. Museums themselves, it must be kept in mind, were built as cultural compromises. Places where people could see projects in a state of displacement from their natural habitat, if you will. In one sense, digitization isolates these objects even further. It strips them of a sense of context, scale, shape, size, even atmosphere.

Isnt peering at the Mona Lisa over the heads of tourists and their iPads a crucial element in understanding what the Mona Lisa is in the 21st century?

Even here, however, digitization may be providing some solutions. Google, the brand that has become ubiquitous in the world of digitization, now allows consumers to enjoy many of these sights and sounds in virtual reality via headsets that you can order online and assemble at home. The effect ranges from the unsettling to the immersive. And is, in almost every way, an improvement on seeing flat images on a computer screen. The Palace of Versailles is a particularly enjoyable example of this. Look around carefully inside the Hall of Mirrors, however, and you may just be able to spot someone standing in front of a tall contraption in one of the mirrors. That is one of the devices that Google uses to capture environments on to the virtual reality platform.

In a few years from now, art lovers will live in a world which offers a new way of seeing art and culture. They will be able to see every hair on Davids head and every petal on a Van Gogh sunflower. And with one click of a button they will be able to create their own VR museums full ofwhatever they want. Only paintings of sunflowers? Only sculptures of chickens? Only covers of Bengali books?

It will all be possible. It will be unusual. And it will forever change what art and culture mean.
Ritesh Batra: Looking for greatness in ordinary lives Ritesh Batra on 'The Sense Of An Ending', effective adaptations, and directing on three continents /news/talking-point/ritesh-batra-looking-for-greatness-in-ordinary-lives-111646891023230.html 111646891023230 story

Earlier this year, the American film trade journal Variety picked Ritesh Batra, 37, as one of its 10 directors to watch". The inclusion is understandable. After the resounding global success of The Lunchbox (2013), Batra scored two prestigious international projects. With the British production The Sense Of An Ending, an adaptation of the Julian Barnes novel, starring Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling and Emily Mortimer, and the Netflix original Our Souls At Night, with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, Batra has now worked on three continents.

Batra, who is from Mumbai, was on a fleeting visit to the city to promote The Sense Of An Ending (releasing on 7 April) before returning to New York, where hes completing post-production on Our Souls At Night. Edited excerpts from an interview:

How did you go about adapting a complex book like The Sense Of An Ending?

I was already familiar with the book. When I read the script, I was impressed with some of the great inventions (screenwriter) Nick (Payne) had already done. Movies have to be told through relationships, and I could see that here was someone who gets that.

The book is told in the first person, with the central character talking to the reader. Thats the device of the book; the reader is in the shoes of the narrator. Julian is such a master of plot and the characters in the book are great. Thats what I loved about the scriptthe character study.

Movies and books have to be cousins and making embellishments is part of the process of making a true adaptation. Its a journey of moving away from the book but somehow staying close enough to it.

What attracted you to this project?

I was very struck by the ordinariness of these characters and how extraordinary their lives actually are. They are not even aware of it till a certain point in the story. I loved the book because it was the coming-of-age story of an older person, but its themes of loneliness and regret spoke to me as a younger person. What really attracted me was that within every ordinary life there is the stuff of great literature.

Ritesh Batra on the sets of The Sense Of An Ending with Jim Broadbent.

Do you visualize an entire film at the shooting stage or do you leave room to re-imagine it at the editing table?

You make a lot of decisions on set, but you want to leave variance because you make many decisions on the edit. At the end of the day, movies are crafted on the editing table. A large part of The Sense Of An Ending is told in flashback, but you dont want the present-day scenes to feel like they are just there to launch into the flashback; you want the whole history of their relationship to be in those scenes. An actor always has to make that choiceon how much information to leave in and how much to take out.

Having made films in India, the UK and US, what are some of the differences youve noticed in the film-making cultures?

Working on The Lunchbox was not a conventional Indian film experience. We shot in 30 days, mostly on location, and money and services were gathered from all over the world. So I dont know how a movie is shot in Mumbai. I was very picky with my crew and I would work with each of them again. One thing I was always prepared for was to rewrite a scene if permission fell through. In the UK too, you need to have a good measure of flexibility.

I made The Lunchbox on a budget of $1.5 million (around Rs9.8 crore ). The Sense Of An Ending had a budget of about $5-6 million. In America, we had a crew of 300-400 people on Our Souls At Night. What impressed me most about working in America was the well-oiled machinery. I could focus on the intimate things and work closely with the actors while the production chugged along. In their own way, each of those 300 people is serving the shot, from being a driver or being on the production design team or costumes, hair and make-up. There is a skill set in America where the (production) machinery is managed in a very effective way. The level of technical skill is equal in all three countries, but the level of planning and precision you see on American productions is something else.

International producers seem to be seeking out the next Lunchbox since your film released.

I think Irrfan (Khan) said it best: A movie is not a box that travels around the world collecting donations. Movies are personal. The Lunchbox was very personal to me. Its about the people in my life, or things I have been through. In a way, there is something of me in all those three characters.

I was shooting with Redford and Fonda in a small town in Colorado with a population of about 4,000. People over there had seen The Lunchbox. Movies can really travel these days. Its been a real gift for me, but for The Lunchbox to be a benchmark for other people is not really right, because it was a very personal film. Other film-makers should make something personal to them, and producers should give them creative help or money.
Hidden gems at Habitat World cinema returns to Delhi. Our guide to the deep cuts in the Habitat International Film Festival line-up /news/talking-point/hidden-gems-at-habitat-111646891168042.html 111646891168042 story

Ever since Osians Cinefan moved from Delhi in 2012, the Capital hasnt had an international film festival to rival the ones in Goa, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, Kochi and Chennai. Cinephiles in the Capital get their world cinema fix in dribs and drabs, through screenings at the India Habitat Centre, the India International Centre, and the French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Iranian cultural houses.

Thankfully, things are set to improve. The Habitat International Film Festival (Hiff) is screening more than 40 titles from 30 countries, over 10 days till 2 April. These include festival favourites from the past couple of years: Asghar Farhadis Oscar-winning The Salesman, Hirokazu Koreedas After The Storm, Cesar Acevedos Land And Shade, Babak Anvaris Under The Shadow, Thomas Vinterbergs The Commune, Claude Barras My Life As A Zucchini and Sebastian Schippers Victoria.

Many of these titles will be familiar to those whove attended recent international festivals in other Indian cities. Nevertheless, for an inaugural edition, Hiff has a strong, eclectic line-up. Apart from the obvious festival circuit heavyweights, here are a few films that may not be on your radar:

The Similars

Isaac Ezbans The Similars, set in 1968, unfolds on a rainy night at a desolate bus station in Mexico, where a group of strangers begin to experience increasingly bizarre symptoms. This is a retro-styled, knowingly campy film which pays tribute to classics like Eyes Without A Face and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, and particularly to the seminal TV series The Twilight Zone. As is often the case with the genre, horror is used to suggest a larger societal malaise, alluded to here in radio news bulletins.

Poet On A Business Trip

In 2002, director Ju Anqi travelled with the poet Shu to Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur region. There, Shuostensibly on a business trip"was filmed as he interacted with locals, hitched rides, visited prostitutes and composed poems. Ju and Shu then fell out, and it was only in 2013 that Ju, a Beijing-based independent director, could begin editing again. This grimy, elliptical documentary, released in 2015, is a rare look at life in barren Xinjiang prior to the racial unrest in the region and the subsequent crackdown by the government towards the end of the last decade.

A still from Embrace Of The Serpent.

Embrace Of The Serpent

Embrace Of The Serpent begs to be seen on the big screen. Shot in black and white, this film by Colombian director Ciro Guerra tells the story of two journeys the shaman and tribesman Karamakate makes along the Amazon. The first is in 1909, with a German ethnographer; the second, in 1940, is with an American botanist. Guerra based his film on the writings of two real-life explorers, and creates a fictional quest for a sacred plant called the yakruna. With its echoes of Werner Herzog, Tabu and Apocalypse Now, this is a heady, hallucinatory film.

Armi Alive!

Jorn Donner is a Finnish director, critic, writer, politician, and the producer of Ingmar Bergmans late masterpiece, Fanny And Alexander. He was also on the board of the Finnish fashion company Marimekko, which allowed him to observe over time its founder, the charismatic, complex Armi Ratia. In 2015, he directed Armi Alive!, a film about Ratia, her idiosyncrasies, and her vision in shaping Marimekko into a global success. This is no straightforward biopicDonner structures it as a play within a film, and, fittingly, offers up some truly delicious production and costume design.

Train To Busan

Not an obscure film by any means, but Delhi audiences might be the first in India to see Train To Busan as it was intended: on the big screen, in Korean (a dubbed version was released in theatres last year). This lean, unrelenting 2016 zombie action film by Yeon Sang-ho showed yet again that nobody does unadulterated genre cinema like the Koreans.

Click here for the screening schedule.
Before King Tut, Hatshepsut or Ramesses I  in fact, before there were any pharaohs at all  someone pecked an image of a hunter and a dancer wearing an ostrich mask into a rock on a hill along the Nile River.

The image, discovered recently by archaeologists, provides a tantalizing glimpse of Egypt's Neolithic period, or Stone Age. It likely dates back to the latter half of the fourth millennium B.C., said Ludwig Morenz, an Egyptologist at the University of Bonn in Germany. The depiction of a masked dancer in this era is particularly fascinating, Morenz told Live Science.

"[In] ancient Egyptian culture, we know many, many masks, but they are basically all masks for the dead," Morenz said. "And here we have a mask culture which predates pharaonic culture." [In Photos: Spider Rock Art Discovered in Egypt]

An ancient necropolis

The ancient find sits on Qubbet el-Hawa, the Hill of the Wind, near Aswan. In the pharaonic era, this was near the southern border of Egypt, and it was the site of a necropolis for the nobles of the ancient city of Elephantine, which was on the island of Elephantine in the Nile.

The necropolis was used from about 2200 B.C. onward, Morenz said, and it likely had nothing to do with the Neolithic use of the site; rather, this stretch of the Nile likely appealed to both Stone Age and later people because it is a relatively shallow stretch of rapids, called a cataract, with an island and easy pullouts for boaters.

"What I think is quite likely is that these rock images were placed on ancient pathways which have nothing to do with the later pharaonic necropolis, but where there was communicative access for whatever reason," Morenz said.

Long history

The images are barely visible in the rock today, but their discovery required no excavation  or, in Morenz's words, it was still "archaeology for lazy people." The team discovered the carved rock simply by surveying the landscape around the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis.

The carving shows a hunter with a bow next to an ostrich. By the ostrich is a person wearing an ostrich mask. This person might have been a shaman, and the mask might have had ritual purposes, Morenz said. Archaeologists aren't yet sure what the belief system behind these rituals might have been, but there are examples of other Near East Neolithic cultures that used masked dancers, he said.

A drawing showing the Neolithic rock carving from Qubbet el-Hawa in greater clarity. Mask use was previously unknown from this era of pre-dynastic ancient Egypt. (Image credit:  David Sabel)

"Similarity does not necessarily mean there was a direct contact, and it does not even necessarily mean that there was an influence," Morenz said. "Sometimes things may be similar due to similar conditions."

However, there may well have been contact between the Neolithic people of Egypt and their neighbors in the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia, Anatolia and Elam, where other examples of ancient masks have been found, Morenz said.

Whatever their purpose, masks for the living dropped out of tradition by the time the pharaohs united Egypt around 3100 B.C. For now, Morenz said, the carving opens up new questions into this mysterious era of Egyptian history while also lengthening the history of Qubbet el-Hawa.

"This archaeological area is about a millennium older than we knew before," Morenz said.

This finding was recently honored as one of the current most important discoveries in Egyptology by Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany.

Original article on Live Science.
The Whanganui River in New Zealand is now a legal person and can sue over issues like pollution.

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

In the space of a week, the world has gained three notable new legal persons: the Whanganui River in New Zealand, and the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers in India.

In New Zealand, the government passed legislation that recognised the Whanganui River catchment as a legal person. This significant legal reform emerged from the longstanding Treaty of Waitangi negotiations and is a way of formally acknowledging the special relationship local Maori have with the river.

In India, the Uttarakhand high court ruled that the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers have the same legal rights as a person, in response to the urgent need to reduce pollution in two rivers considered sacred in the Hindu religion.

What are legal rights for nature?

Legal rights are not the same as human rights, and so a "legal person" does not necessarily have to be a human being. Take corporations, for example, which are also treated in law as "legal persons", as a way to endow companies with particular legal rights, and to treat the company as legally distinct from its managers and shareholders.

Giving nature legal rights means the law can see "nature" as a legal person, thus creating rights that can then be enforced. Legal rights focus on the idea of legal standing (often described as the ability to sue and be sued), which enables "nature" to go to court to protect its rights. Legal personhood also includes the right to enter and enforce contracts, and the ability to hold property.

There is still a big question about whether these types of legal rights are relevant or appropriate for nature at all. But what is clear from the experience of applying this concept to other non-human entities is that these legal rights don't mean much if they can't be enforced.

Enforcing nature's legal rights

What does it take to enforce the legal personhood of a river or other natural entity? First, there needs to be a person appointed to act on its behalf.

Second, for a right to be enforceable, both the "guardians" and users of the resource must recognise their joint rights, duties, and responsibilities. To possess a right implies that someone else has a commensurate duty to observe this right.

Third, if a case requires adjudication by the courts, then it takes time, money, and expertise to run a successful legal case. Enforcing legal rights for nature therefore requires not only legal standing, but also adequate funding and access to legal expertise.

And finally, any actor seeking to enforce these rights will need some form of legislative independence from state and national governments, as well as sufficient real-world power to take action, particularly if such action is politically controversial.

Both New Zealand and India face considerable challenges in ensuring that the new legal rights granted to the rivers are successfully enforced. At present, New Zealand seems significantly better prepared than India to meet these challenges.

In New Zealand, the new system for managing the river will slot into existing systems of government, whereas India will need to set up completely new organisations in a matter of weeks.

Granting legal rights to New Zealand's Whanganui River catchment (Te Awa Tupua) has taken eight years of careful negotiation. The new legislation, introduced at the national level, transfers ownership of the riverbed from the Crown to Te Awa Tupua, and assigns a guardian the responsibility of representing Te Awa Tupua's interests.

The guardian will consist of two people: one appointed by the Whanganui Iwi (local Maori people), and the other by the New Zealand government. Substantial funds have been set aside to maintain the health of the Whanganui River, and to establish the legal framework that will be administered by the guardian, with support from independent advisory groups.

In contrast, almost overnight, the High Court in India has ruled that the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers will be treated as minors under the law, and will be represented by three people  the director general of Namami Gange project, the Uttarakhand chief secretary, and the advocate general  who will act as guardians for the river. The court has requested that within eight weeks, new boards should be established to oversee the cleaning and maintenance of the rivers. Few further details of the proposed institutional framework are available.

Big questions remain

In both cases, there are still big questions about the roles and responsibilities of the rivers' guardians.

How will they decide which rights to enforce, and when? Who can hold them to account for those decisions and who has oversight? Even in the case of the Whanganui River, there remain biting questions about water rights and enforcement. For instance, despite (or perhaps because of) longstanding concerns about levels of water extraction by the Tongariro Power Scheme, the legislation specifically avoids creating or transferring proprietary interests in water.

Ultimately, both of these examples show that conferring legal rights to nature is just the beginning of a longer legal process, rather than the end. Although legal rights can be created overnight, it takes time and money to set up the legal and organisational frameworks that will ensure these rights are worth more than the paper they're printed on.

Erin O'Donnell, Senior Fellow, Centre for Resources, Energy and Environment Law, University of Melbourne and Julia Talbot-Jones, PhD candidate, Environmental/Institutional Economics, Australian National University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
A yellow-green frog with eye-catching stripes that was discovered recently in Ecuador's cloud forests has now been deemed a new species of rain frog, according to a new study.

Across the U.S. and Canada, there are about 110 described frog species. By comparison, Ecuador  which is about the size of Colorado  is home to 570 frog species, and counting, according to the researchers. The latest species discovery in Ecuador came from an expedition that focused on studying a similar, threatened frog called the ornate rain frog (Pristimantis ornatissimus).

Scientists previously thought the ornate rain frog population was a single species. [Cute and Colorful Frog Images]

"[We] were characterizing the genetic differences among populations of the ornate rainfrog, which was thought to be a single species of frog until we uncovered one population that was strikingly different from all others and turned out to be a distinct species," co-author Chris Funk, a biologist at Colorado State University, said in a statement.

The new rain frog species, named the Ecuadorian rain frog (Pristimantis ecuadorensis), is already considered "endangered" based on guidelines from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. An "endangered" classification means the recently discovered rain frog is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The researchers said the frog is at risk due to habitat loss within its already-small range.

Small ranges are common in Ecuador, the researchers said, because the country has a large diversity of habitats and climates defined by the Andes mountain range. The new rain frog species, which was determined via DNA sequencing, makes its home in the Las Pampas region of the western Ecuadorian Andes, the scientists said in the study.

"We know that there's lots of undescribed biodiversity in Ecuador, so you could think this discovery is not a big deal," said study lead author Juan Guayasamin, a professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito. "But this species, first of all, is spectacular-looking; secondly, it's restricted to a very small area, which once again emphasizes range-restricted, highly threatened biodiversity in the tropics. And lastly, its name  the Ecuadorean rain frog  will hopefully draw local and international attention to the endangered species and ecosystems of Ecuador."

The researchers chose the rain frog's name specifically to honor the country's beauty, culture and diversity, they said.

The new species is described in a paper published online March 22 in the journal PLOS ONE.

Original article on Live Science.
Human cannibals likely took a big bite out of their fellow humans about 10,000 years ago, according to a study that examined prehistoric bones with scratch and bite marks on them.

The bones, discovered in the Santa Maria Caves (Coves de Santa Maria) in Alicante, Spain, may be the first instance of cannibalism in the western European Mediterranean region dating to the Mesolithic period, the researchers said. (The Mesolithic period last from about 10,200 to 8,000 years ago on the Iberian Peninsula. "Mesolithic" means middle stone, and it's between the Paleolithic, or old stone, and Neolithic, or new stone, periods.)

The human bones were an accidental find, said study lead researcher Juan Morales-Perez, a researcher in the Department of Prehistory, Archeology and Ancient History at the University of Valencia in Spain. [8 Grisly Archaeological Discoveries]

"I was studying the remains of Mesolithic animals from the Santa Maria site, and suddenly I identified a human distal humerus  an elbow  and it was full of cuts," Morales-Perez wrote in an email to Live Science.

He quickly told his thesis director, "Emili, we have a man here!" before searching for more bones, Morales-Perez said. In the end, they discovered 30 bones belonging to three individuals: a robust adult, a gracile adult and an infant. However, the infant had only one complete bone (a shoulder blade, or scapula) that did not show signs of cannibalism, the researchers said.

The different bones that the researchers studied, including a skull fragment with stone marks (a), a humerus bone with a stone cut mark (b), and a burned fragment of a femur (c). (Image credit: Juan V. Morales-Perez)

The bones date to between 10,200 and 9,000 years ago, Morales-Perez said. The last of the hunter-gatherer communities lived during this time, and evidence suggests that their culture was more organized and complex than it was during the Paleolithic period.

"A good example [of this complexity] is the appearance of the first cemeteries," Morales-Perez said. "There are also these strange examples of cannibalism."

For instance, there's evidence of human cannibalism in northwestern Europe that dates to the Mesolithic, he said. But the practice goes way back: there's even evidence of Neanderthal cannibalism in Belgium and Spain from more than 40,000 years ago, when they went extinct, Live Science previously reported.

Tooth marks

Morales-Perez and his colleagues wanted to be certain that the bones showed evidence of human cannibalism, not just signs that a carnivore had been gnawing on human bones.

"Distinguishing bite marks made by different carnivores and omnivores  including humans  is a complicated task," the researchers wrote in the study. "However, when the marks result from human biting and gnawing, the intensity of the bite is normally lower and there are no scratches or pit marks, while bones affected by carnivores present clear, intensive tooth marks."

To be sure, the researchers compared the bite marks in the prehistoric bones to human bite marks on modern-day rabbit bones, and found that the marks were similar in shape. Moreover, they found human bones within human coprolites (mummified human poop) within the cave, the researchers said.

Eight of the bones, including a skull fragment, had stone-made cut and scrape marks. These marks were likely made to cut through ligaments and deflesh the muscles from the bones, according to the scientists. What's more, 19 of the bones had burn marks on them that were likely made after the meat was removed but before they were broken, the researchers said.

The cave, as seen by the ravine below. (Image credit: Juan V. Morales-Perez)

However, it's unclear if this cannibalism was performed because of hunger or rather some kind of ritual. For instance, these marks could have resulted from violence, war, funeral rituals or supernatural beliefs, the researchers said.

"It was a fantastic find, and very curious," Morales-Perez said.

The study was published in the March issue of the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology.

Original article on Live Science.
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station use the Suns reflection point to reveal features of the Amazon River in a photo captured on August 19, 2014.

The Amazon River has been around three times longer than scientists had suspected, according to a new estimate that pegs the age of the meandering lifeline at around 9 million years.

The second-longest river, after the Nile, the Amazon supplies one-fifth of the freshwater that enters the global oceans. The emergence of the Amazon River was a "defining moment" in the past geography of South America, "forming both a bridge and a divider for biota in the Amazon landscape," according to a statement about the study from the University of Amsterdam.

As such, understanding its origins will give scientists more information about a consequential body of water, they said. [The World's 10 Longest Rivers]

However, the river's beginning is difficult to date due to an incomplete geologic record, and a difficult-to-access marine record  where ancient sediments from the river were deposited into the ocean. As such, estimates of the river's age have ranged from as young as 2.6 million years, to as old as 11 million years.

In the new study, scientists analyzed sediment from a borehole more than 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) below sea level, where the Amazon River drains into the ocean offshore of Brazil. In their analysis, the researchers found there was a distinct change in the sediment and residual plant matter during the late Miocene (9.4 million to 9 million years ago). These changes indicated that before 9.4 million years ago, the source of that material came from a river in the tropical lowlands; after that time, the riverine source was in the Andes mountain range  therefore, the onset of the Amazon River cutting across the continent.

"We were able to narrow down the age of onset of the Amazon River because we sampled the transition interval in a classical section of the Amazon submarine fan, where the sediments transported by this river are deposited and as a result accurately record its evolutionary history," senior author Farid Chemale, a professor of geosciences and geology at the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Sao Leopoldo, said in a statement. "We applied high-resolution analytical techniques not previously performed in the region."

Beyond dating the river, the researchers also determined changes in the plant life in the basin, which is the area over which the river water reaches, over time. In particular, the sediment analysis showed how the ecosystem responded to global cooling during the Plio-Pleistocene (5 million years ago to 12,000 years ago). According to the researchers, the cooling climate led to the growth of grasses in the region.

"Our new data confirm an old age for the Amazon River and also point at an expansion of grasslands during the Pleistocene that was not known before," said lead author Carina Hoorn, a biodiversity and ecosystem researcher at the University of Amsterdam.

The research is detailed in a study published online March 20 in the journal Global and Planetary Change.

Original article on Live Science.
The first of two storms moved into the Bay Area on Friday, bringing showers and high winds, but the second storm right behind it was fizzling like a wet firecracker fuse, meteorologists said.

A low-pressure system moving south from the Gulf of Alaska rolled into the North Bay early Friday before moving into the rest of the Bay Area by the morning commute, said Steve Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

After an afternoon sprinkle Friday, meteorologists said Saturday would be largely dry and Sunday would be only damp, not drenching, as previously thought.

Most of the rain has already come and gone, said meteorological maven Jan Null, a professional weather watcher based in Saratoga.

At 29.96 inches of seasonal rainfall as of Friday afternoon, San Francisco was only droplets away from the 30-inch mark. If that is reached this weekend, it would be the earliest that benchmark has been cracked since 2005-06.

Friday night rainfall will be nothing dramatic, Null said, and the weak system on Sunday should bring anywhere from 0.1 inches to 0.25 inches of rain.

The storm dropped 0.57 inches in San Francisco, 1.3 inches in Santa Rosa and 0.11 inches in San Jose and 0.34 inches in Saratoga, Null said.

The current system was much milder than previous storms this winter that caused flooding, triggered landslides and toppled hundreds of trees throughout the Bay Area.

Showers started about 4 a.m. and were accompanied by gusts of up to 45 mph. A wind advisory was in effect for San Francisco and the greater Bay Area until 7 p.m. Friday, Benjamin said.

Temperatures are expected to remain mild with highs in the low 60s throughout the weekend.

Saturday should bring a mostly sunny respite with a high of 62 degrees before the second, weaker storm moves in around midday Sunday.

The second system, which meandered to Northern California from that weather nursery known as the Gulf of Alaska, should bring a drizzling rain that is expected to drop less than half an inch throughout much of the Bay Area before dissipating early Monday morning, Anderson said.

Rain isnt expected to arrive on Sunday until around 7 p.m. and lingering showers should add to the stress of the morning commute Monday. Once the system clears out, the rest of next week is expected to be dry, Benjamin said.

Chances are low that well see anything that strong anytime soon, if at all, Anderson said, referring to the blustery winter storms that set rainfall records in several Northern California locales.

In the Sierra, a spring storm was on its way just in time for weekend skiers headed to the slopes.

Up to 18 inches of snow above 4,500 feet is expected to fall in western Plumas and Lassen counties. The snow was already blanketing the area by 8 a.m. Friday and is expected to continue into Saturday morning, said Chris Johnston, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno.

For the northern Sierra Nevada, up to 14 inches of snow is forecast at the 6,500-foot elevation with up to four inches down at the 5,000-foot elevation and close to 18 inches of snow could fall at the highest elevations, Johnston said.

In South Lake Tahoe, Truckee and Incline Village, nearly 18 inches of snow will drop above 7,000 feet and six inches of snow is expected in the lower elevations, Johnston added.

A winter storm advisory was in effect for the eastern and western Sierra Nevada area until 5 a.m. Saturday and hazardous conditions for drivers are a concern, Johnston said, adding that drivers should be prepared to use chains.

This is like a very normal spring storm. Nothing of epic proportions like we were seeing in January, Johnston said.

Sarah Ravani and Steve Rubenstein are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, srubenstein@sfchronicle. com Twitter: @SarRavani, @SteveRubeSF
Yellow Dog Productions

The owner of a local staffing firm pleaded guilty this week to charges that he failed to pay more than $18 million in employment taxes and used the money for ranch payments and personal travel.

Richard Floyd Tatum Jr., 57, owned Associated Marine & Industrial Staffing, an industrial staffing company that supplied temporary workers to clients in Texas and other states. About 1,000 employees worked for the company, including workers assigned to client companies.
Former Drug Enforcement Administration agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena, who were instrumental in bringing down Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, spoke Wednesday night before a packed house at Laredo Community College.

Murphy and Pena shared their experience to a crowd of over 700 people of how they, along with the Colombian National Police, participated in the manhunt. But before they were at the center of a high-profile investigation into the Medellin Cartel, Pena began his career in law enforcement with the Webb County Sheriffs Office.

This has been great, Pena said. When I heard it was Laredo Community College, I was very excited. Of course we said yes. I used to work here at the junior college with the sheriffs office. Ive been seeing old friends so its been great for me. Im having fun and this is the best one were going to do.

RELATED: Laredo woman in critical condition after 18-wheeler collides with SUV

Originally from Hebbronville, Pena and Murphy, from West Virginia, would later become partners in the investigation that led to the dismantling of the Medellin Cartel. Since then, they have remained friends and travel around the world giving speeches. Their story has been widely depicted in movies and shows. Most recently, the popular Netflix show Narcos depicts their experience. Murphy said the show is one-third truth, one-third loosely based on truth and one-third Hollywood.

Nobodys more surprised than Javier and I are about the popularity of this, Murphy said. Because this is something that happened 20 to 25 years ago and honestly we didnt think anybody would ever be interested.

Murphy said the pair turned down a couple of producers before Netflix came along. They were hesitant to turn the downfall of Escobar into a television show because they feared he would be glorified.

RELATED: Laredo man shot twice, but refuses to help police

The last thing we want is for anybody to glorify this mass murderer, Murphy said. Hes the worlds first narco terrorist. He was the worlds most wanted criminal and Eric Newman (the producer) said, thats the last thing Ill ever do is glorify him and hes lived up to his word.

With a $300,000 bounty placed on each of their heads, Murphy attributed three factors to their safety: the grace of God, their law enforcement experience and the Colombian National Police going out of their way to protect them.

The pair have traveled back to Colombia to assist with the locations and technical aspects in the filming for Narcos.

Colombia is a beautiful country, Pena said. Its changed. Its changed for the best, so we encourage people to go back.
This week's episode of "New York Now," the award-winning co-production of WMHT and the Times Union, delves into this week's arraignments of Sen. Robert Ortt and former-Sen. George Maziarz; Gov. Andrew Cuomo's response to the Collins-Faso amendment on medicaid funding; and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's trip to Albany to push for millionaires' tax and mansion tax.

In an interview, University at Albany Interim President Jim Stellar discusses Cuomo's free tuition proposal and the school's new college of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Albany

The state's highest court rejected an appeal by Washington County prosecutors Thursday to restore a triple homicide conviction overturned when a lower court ruled the defendant's statement implicating himself in the killings was inadmissible.

As a result of the Court of Appeals decision, when Matthew Slocum is retried the jury won't hear his statement to investigators about the 2011 slayings when he told them, "I just shotgunned my mother, dude."

Slocum, now 29, made the statement when he was interviewed in New Hampshire where he had been arrested. Slocum, formerly of White Creek, had fled to New Hampshire with his girlfriend, Loretta Colegrove, after a grisly scene unfolded at the home of his mother and stepfather.

Slocum was convicted by a jury after two hours of deliberation in 2012 for killing his mother, Lisa Coon Harrington, 44; her husband, Dan Harrington, 41; and Harrington's son, Joshua O'Brien, 24, inside the home at 118 Turnpike Road in White Creek on July 13, 2011, and then setting the house on fire. Slocum was sentenced to 88 years to life in prison for three counts of second-degree murder, arson, weapon possession, tampering with evidence and petit larceny. He had a prior criminal record and had gone to prison for a previous grand larceny conviction in Washington County.

The 2012 conviction was tossed by the Appellate Division in 2015 when it ruled that Slocum had legal counsel and should not have been interrogated in New Hampshire. Washington County Public Defender Michael Mercure had told police not to question Slocum.

The Court of Appeals heard legal arguments in February by Mercure and Special District Attorney Jason Weinstein about Slocum's clarity in asking for an attorney and Mercure's pre-existing status in representing Slocum.

"The Appellate Division concluded that defendant unequivocally invoked his right to counsel and his statements should have been suppressed. Whether a request for counsel is unequivical presents a mixed question of law and fact," the court said in its memorandum.

Mercure and Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan did not respond Thursday to requests for comment.

Slocum was returned to the Washington County Jail from state prison when the mid-level appeals court overturned his 2012 triple homicide convictions. His case will go back to Washington County Court for retrial.
Albany

Senate and Assembly lawmakers in their budget resolutions have come out against a proposal to add a Medicare surcharge for so-called high income public sector retirees, similar to what the federal government imposes.

A group representing retired workers is calling the resolutions a win. The idea has come up before but has never made it into final budget talks.

Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal, retirees with incomes of $85,000 or more would have to pay between $12 and $69 per month for Medicare when they reach age 65.

The state currently pays Medicare premiums for state workers regardless of their income.

By contrast, most Medicare recipients pay $134 per month for the federal health insurance coverage.

There is, however, a surcharge that can bring the cost up to $428 for those with incomes above $214,000 per year.

"We commend the Senate and Assembly for rejecting these ill-conceived proposals," said Jack McPadden, president of the Retired Public Employees Association.

Lawmakers also oppose a differential in which those who retire with less than 30 years of service would pay a relatively higher cost for health care coverage, as opposed to the current arrangement in which full health care benefits are earned after 10 years.

That differential would be based on one's length of service and could be on a sliding scale.

State workers who leave after 10 years pay 16 percent of their health care premiums in retirement (more for family coverage). Cuomo, as in past years, wants those with 30 years to pay 16 percent and those with less time in the system to pay a higher percentage. Additionally, lawmakers have rebuffed a proposal to "freeze'' Medicare reimbursements to retired state employees at the 2016 levels. Medicare's monthly premium went up in 2017. The freeze, if enacted, would start with a charge as low as $5 per month. But it would increase over time as Medicare rates went up.

Taxpayer-funded Medicare reimbursements are given to state employees who use the NYSHIP health insurance program. It started more than a decade ago when coverage for retirees aged 65 and up shifted from NYSHIP to Medicare.

The thinking was that using the federal Medicare system, rather than state insurance, would save money, so the state agreed to pay the premiums.

On a side note, the proposals would also apply to lawmakers because they are in the state public sector pension system.
Laredo police said a woman was negligent when she allegedly caused second-degree burns on her 1-year-old son with a hair straightener.

On Thursday, Daisy Mata, 20, was served with a warrant charging her with to injury to child by criminal negligence and abandoning, endangering a child by criminal negligence.
Magnolia High School senior Todd Wellmann was put on a horse before he could walk. The 18-year-old Conroe native was raised in an agricultural-based family; it's in his blood.

"It's been in my family so long and it means so much to me," Wellmann said. "It has been providing income for my family since Grandpa was a kid. He depended on it to make ends meet."

His grandfather's background was passed on to Wellmann's father, Charles Wellmann, who teaches agriculture at Magnolia High School. Todd's mother Sharon is a horse trainer at the family farm, Wellmann Farms. These family influences, paired with his older brother Cody's participation in livestock shows when Wellmann was younger, led the teen to where he is now.

Wellmann started showing lambs and goats when he was 6 years old, but quickly discovered he needed to show a different animal because goats "always hated [him]."

He knew he wanted to work with a bigger animal, and since he had watched his brother working with bovines, Todd tried it. Years later, Todd has submitted heifers in many local and state livestock shows and has scored well in many.

"They're kind of like people, they have their own personalities," he said of heifers. "One's really sassy, some are puppy-dog gentle and will lay their heads down on you."

Most recently, Wellmann worked with a 13-month-old heifer named Shania. With this salt-and-black coat heifer, Todd accomplished his biggest win yet: Champion American Registered Breeds Heifer at The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo a couple weeks ago.

At the show, Wellmann and Shania made it through different stages - class, age group and breed - and the duo came out on top. With the champion title, Wellmann received a monetary prize (which is put aside for college), round-trip plane tickets, a trophy and a belt buckle to add to his collection.

Expanding across the Wellmann house is a plethora of gold and silver belt buckles that he, his brother and his parents won throughout the years. On his own, Todd has over 100 buckles - many of which are in the attic due to lack of available space.

As an award-winning show heifer, Shania lives the high-life. She regularly gets her coat conditioned and washed, then relaxes in the Wellmann family barn under fans to keep her cool.

"Our hopes are to get daughters out of her," he said. "She's the sassy one if she doesn't get her way. If she gets pissed off at you, she'll shake her head and pull on the halter."

Within the next week, Shania will move into the Montgomery County Fairgrounds for the livestock show at the Montgomery County Fair. Wellmann said he hopes she'll do as well at the local fair as she did at the Houston show. But even when Wellmann is not actively showing livestock, he doesn't take a break.

On an average day, Wellmann wakes up before the sun (roughly 4:30 a.m.) to wrangle the farm's show heifers, wash them, bring them into the barn, comb and feed them. Then he feeds the larger cows and their calfs and tends to the horses. All this happens before Wellmann leaves for school at 6 a.m. - and there's no waking up late on the Wellmann Farm.

"If you wake up late, the animals will be standing at the gate waiting for you to feed them," said Todd, chuckling.

At Magnolia High School, he's the president of Future Farmers of America and attends his father's agriculture class. When Wellmann's not in school or taking care of livestock, he attends a Bible study group at Christ Community Church in Magnolia or works on team roping at a friend's house.

After he graduates in May, Wellmann plans to attend Blinn College in Brenham for his basics, before heading to Texas A&M to study animal science. He hopes to one day become a nutritionist for cattle and horse feed.

For those looking to get involved with livestock shows, Wellmann advises others to "stick with it."

"Research what you want to do and find something that you enjoy, because once you get started, it's kind of hard to stop," he said. "It becomes a way of life. It's like potato chips, once you start, you can't stop."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A worker in a Spring day care has been arrested after he allegedly grabbed a 4-year-old girl by the arm and slammed her to the ground, causing her to bleed.

Investigators with the Montgomery County Constable Pct. 3 office said the child is expected to recover but may have long-term dental problems as a result of the injury.

Gregory Diglin, a worker at Children's Lighthouse of Spring - Harmony, is accused of assaulting the girl on March 22, the constable's office said in a release.

DAY CARE VIOLATIONS: Houston-area kids left unattended, unsafe conditions

Investigators said a video shows Diglin grabbing the girl and slamming her to the ground, striking her face on the floor. The video shows the girl screaming in pain, then shows Diglin "taking the girl to the other side of the room in an attempt to clean up her blood."

The constable's office was alerted to the incident by the girl's parents. Diglin is charged with injury to a child, a third-degree felony, and is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

The day care is located at 2885 Waterbend Cove in Spring. Anyone with information on other possible victims should call 281-364-4211.

Children's Lighthouse of Spring - Harmony violations

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has listed the following violations at this address on the child care licensing website:

Dec. 15, 2016 - Inspector did not observe documentation of abuse and neglect training in 1 out of 4 personnel records evaluated.

Sept. 8, 2016 - A situation that placed a child at risk was not reported to Child Care Licensing within the required 48 hours.

April 13, 2016 - A caregiver was supervising 6 infants, more than the 4-infant limit, due to a staff shortage.

Oct. 22, 2015 - A child was left unsupervised on the playground for 1 to 3 minutes.

Sept. 22, 2015 - According to interviews with parents and staff, a caregiver in the 12-18 month room was not using good judgment (no other details provided).

June 30, 2015 - Inspector did not observe the specific points of information required by the Minimum Standards for Responding to and Preventing Child Abuse documented in the center's operational policies.
While the trial for two members of Montgomery County Commissioners Court and a local political consultant is scheduled to begin Monday, it will start with arguments on the whether the Texas Open Meetings Act is constitutional.

The decision of visiting 221st state District Court Judge Randy Clapp following those arguments will determine whether the process to try County Judge Craig Doyal, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley and consultant Marc Davenport for allegedly conspiring to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act regarding the November 2015 road bond referendum will move forward. Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark also was charged with conspiring to circumvent the act; but on March 13, he was granted a pretrial diversion in exchange for his testifying for the prosecution.

In a last-minute twist, Houston attorney Rusty Hardin filed a 20-page motion March 20 claiming the criminal conspiracy provisions of the act are "constitutionally overbroad," "vague and confusing" and violate free speech.

Attorneys Steve Jackson, who represents Davenport, and Doug Atkinson, who is representing Riley, filed motions to join Hardin's motion on the constitutionality.

"The judge would like to have further evidence about the constitutionality components and position before he makes a ruling," said Houston attorney Chris Downey, who was appointed by former 9th state District Court Judge Kelly Case as a special prosecutor in September 2015. "All the parties think it is important and aired out fully and that the proper record be built so the arguments downstream are complete and accurate."

Attorney E. Tay Bond, who is representing Clark, did not file a motion to join Hardin's motion.

"Mr. Clark's agreement that I have negotiated as far as his requirements have already begun," Bond said. "If the statute is declared unconstitutional by the trial judge, the benefit would still inure Mr. Clark."

A Montgomery County grand jury issued the indictments in June 2016 after a six-month investigation into communications in August 2015 that led to commissioners approving the placement of a $280 million road bond on the November 2015 ballot.

Emails obtained by The Courier through an Aug. 24 Freedom of Information Act request to the County Attorney's Office revealed a string of emails between Texas Patriots PAC treasurer Bill O'Sullivan and Davenport with certain county commissioners and the county judge being kept apprised of ongoing negotiations to place the November 2015 road bond referendum on the ballot.

Hardin and Atkinson could not be reached before press time.

Questioning the Act

According to Hardin's motion, the act "is so broad and vague that it sweeps up vast amounts of perfectly appropriate, indeed essential, political speech within is ambit. Where a stiletto is needed, a blunderbuss is used."

"It is essential that public officials have sufficient avenues to become and stay well-informed, both about their fellow officials' concerns and certainly about the public's concerns," Hardin stated. "Criminalizing such innocuous, fact-finding discussion and inquiries would only lead to a 'know nothing' government run by those who know the least about each other and public affairs.

"This law discourages not only discussion between public officials, but between public officials and members of the public because that citizen might then talk individually to a quorum of the council."

Jackson echoed Hardin.

"We all believe the statute is overbroad and unconstitutional," he said. "We think the Legislature needs to draft this statute where people understand what you can and can't do. When you don't understand a statute, there is no way to know if you are violating."

However, last June, just days after being indicted, Doyal, who has been in politics for 30 years, stated during a press conference that he clearly knows TOMA.

"I understand the Open Meetings law," Doyal stated at the Conroe law office of John Choate Jr., who previously represented Doyal in the case. "I did not violate the Open Meeting laws nor did I conspire to violate the Open Meeting laws."

Jackson also spoke during that press conference and stated Davenport also knew and understood the Open Meetings law.

"Marc Davenport has been a political consultant in Harris County and Montgomery County for over 20 years," Jackson said during the June 28, 2016, press conference. "He understands, just like Judge Doyal and the other individuals, the Open Meetings Act and how not to violate this."

Fifth Circuit ruling

According to Downey, Doyal, Clark, Riley and Davenport all were indicted under Section 551.143 Conspiracy to Circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act. According to that section, "a member or group of members of a governmental body commits an offense if the member or group of members knowingly conspires to circumvent this chapter by meeting in numbers less than a quorum for the purpose of secret deliberations in violation" of the act.

Downey said he is confident in the outcome of the hearings and a ruling that the act is constitutional.

"I'm comfortable with the constitutionality of this statute, but I do recognize the defenses' desire to air out their differences of opinion," he said.

Downey noted the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals affirmed in September 2012 a decision by a district court judge that "TOMA is content-neutral and is not unconstitutionally overbroad or vague."

In his motion, Hardin called the circuit court's decision "dubious" when in 2014 the Supreme Court struck down the law because it was not "narrowly tailored" and "restricted more speech than was necessary."

9th Court of Appeals

Jackson said the 9th Court of Appeals in Beaumont denied Davenport's writ of mandamus, which asked the high court for a reversal of Clapp's order denying the case against Davenport be dismissed due to jurisdiction.

Potential consequences

If convicted of the Class B misdemeanor, the crime is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500, confinement in the county jail for one month up to six months; or both.

However, according to Chapter 87 of the Local Government Code, the elected officials also could be forced to vacate their positions.

In Section 87.031, "The conviction of a county officer by a petit jury for any felony or for a misdemeanor involving official misconduct operates as an immediate removal from office by the officer. The court rendering judgment in such a case shall include an order removing the officer in the judgment."

The code also states that if there is an appeal, the appeal supersedes the order of removal unless the court renders that renders the judgement finds that it is in the public interest to suspend the officer pending the appeal.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A 15-year-old girl who authorities say was kidnapped by her teacher in Tennessee may have been spotted on the Texas coast, Corpus Christi police said this week.

Elizabeth Thomas was last seen March 13 and Tennessee authorities believe she was taken by Tad Cummins, 50, her former teacher. Cummins was terminated from Thomas' school earlier this year for allegedly making inappropriate contact with the 15-year-old, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.

Corpus Christi police received a tip Thursday that a vehicle matching the description of Cummins' vehicle, a silver Nissan Rogue, was seen in the 4500 block of U.S. Highway 181.

READ ALSO: Texas parents face felony charges after allegedly abandoning baby in parking lot.

"It is believed that Elizabeth is in imminent danger," officials said. "(Cummins) is believed to be armed with two handguns and should be considered dangerous."

Before disappearing with Thomas, Cummins was spotted buying dark hair dye and searching "teen marriage" online. Authorities don't believe the hair dye is connected to the kidnapping.

The TBI also said that Cummins checked online to see which parts of his vehicle could be tracked by law enforcement.

RELATED: Records: 63 S.A.-area teachers lost license from TEA probes of improper student relationships

Cummins was added to the state's Most Wanted list for aggravated kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor.

Since the pair's disappearance, the TBI says they have received more than 650 leads.

"The lack of confirmed sightings, however, continues to lead TBI to believe Cummins could have Thomas hidden from view of the general public or far way from Tennessee," authorities said.

Cummins is driving a silver Nissan Rogue with a Tennessee license plate reading 976-ZPT, authorities said. Those with information can contact TBI by calling 1-800-TBI-FIND.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
Two people were arrested the morning of Jan. 7, 2013 as scores of protesters against the Keystone XL pipeline occupied the lobby of a Houston office for TransCanada, owner of the controversial pipeline, a spokesman for the protesters said.
It was the first day of first grade when Jack Trawick met Virginia Hallum in Brownwood. He went home from school that day and told his parents, Im going to marry that girl.

The two became good friends, regularly spending time with a group of other schoolmates, before they began dating years later.

One day, he leaned over and kissed her. What took you so long? she asked.

They would later marry and settle in San Antonio, where he played a key role in one of the citys milestones, HemisFair 68.

More Information Jack D. Trawick Born: Dec. 17, 1932, Brownwood Died: March 9, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Wife Virginia, parents Evans and Josephine, brother Joe. Survived by: Son David and wife Jill, daughter Adele and husband David, son Roy and wife Natalie, and nine grandchildren. Service: 3 p.m. today at Coker United Methodist Church, 231 E. North Loop Road. See More Collapse

Trawick died March 9. He was 84.

He came from a family of blue-collar workers who struggled through the Great Depression and didnt get to college. Early on, Trawick decided he wanted to go to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In 1955, Trawick graduated from West Point and became an Airborne Ranger in the Armys 3rd Armored Division, finishing first in his class. That same year, he married Hallum.

Son David Trawick said going to West Point was one of his fathers proudest achievements. The endurance and the perseverance that he learned there is part of what helped him with the things he experienced late in life, he said.

After leaving the military, Trawick completed graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin and at Carnegie Mellon University.

My single earliest memory was when we lived in Austin, David Trawick said. He was working on his first masters degree.  He pushed away from the table to help me make paper airplanes.

He was a hard worker, a hard charger, but there was never a question that he loved us.

Jack and Virginia Trawick moved to San Antonio in 1964 when he landed a job at Frank Draught Consulting Engineers. In 1968, he was comptroller and director of operations for HemisFair, which brought national and international recognition to the city.

Later, he was executive vice president and then president of Strafco, a major auto parts distributor.

Trawick was a devout Methodist who volunteered as an usher every Sunday.

On the outside, he could appear tough as nails, his son said. But on the inside, he was a softie. That showed in everything he did.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton
When Hawaii and Maryland federal judges last week blocked President Donald Trumps second attempt at a travel ban affecting many visitors from Middle East nations, the president called it an act of unprecedented judicial overreach.

It wasnt. In fact, the Hawaii decision was based partly on a Texas judges ruling just two years ago. And it was a ruling that Trump  if he was aware of it  would have celebrated.

The earlier ruling was issued by Brownsville Federal Judge Andrew Hanen. It dealt with, of all things, a presidents power when it comes to immigration.

Barack Obama had issued a presidential order allowing a three-year reprieve and work permits for more than 4 million undocumented parents of U.S. citizens if they had committed no crimes. It was, in effect, an extension of his earlier order that granted protected status to Dreamers, undocumented young people who had been brought to the United States at an early age by their parents.

Republicans were angered by the order, and Texas joined 25 other states in suing to block it. The coalition didnt file the suit in Brownsville by accident. Hanen is a conservative judge who was appointed by President George W. Bush.

Hanen had described illegal immigration as a biblical flood that endangers America and an open invitation to the most dangerous criminals in society.

Not quite Trumpian rhetoric, but on the spectrum.

Hanens ruling served as precedent for U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii and U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland in two ways.

The first had to do with whether Hawaii had standing to sue. The legal concept is that one cannot file a lawsuit unless one can show that he or she has been harmed. Lawyers for Hawaii mentioned, among other things, that the ban would hurt their tourism industry. Conservative critics scoffed at that as thin gruel in the face of the threat of terrorism.

But in the Texas case, Hanen ruled that the state had standing because it would incur expenses by having to issue drivers licenses to the new  at least temporarily  legal residents. That seemed like thin gruel to liberal critics at the time.

An even more controversial issue, at least in legal circles, is the use by the Hawaii and Maryland federal judges of public statements by Trump and others in deciding whether the purpose of the travel decree was to discriminate against Muslims. That would be unconstitutional.

During his campaign, Trump famously issued a news release calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what is going on. He repeated the notion numerous times on the campaign trail. His first travel ban was struck down partly because it included a reference to exceptions for religious minorities from the designated Muslim countries.

Conservative legal experts argue that judges should base their decisions solely on the text of the law. But others argue that when the motives of the law are questionable, statements by those who make the law are fair game. Both Hawaiis Judge Watson and Marylands Judge Chuang took the latter approach.

Once again, these judges were provided a precedent by Texan Judge Hanen. In that case, Justice Department lawyers argued that Obamas directive was merely offering guidance while allowing for case-by-case exceptions to immigration enforcement personnel. The actual words of the order repeated this several times. But the judge cited a statement by Obama at a town hall sponsored by Spanish-Language network Telemundo.

There are going to be some jurisdictions, and there may be individual ICE officials or Border Patrol who arent paying attention to our new directives, Obama said. But theyre going to be answerable to the head of the Department of Homeland Security, because hes been very clear about what our priorities should be.

So there you have it. It may or may not be right for judges to look to political rhetoric when ruling on laws, but the precedent is clear: The practice has been used to outrage both sides of the immigration debate.

This column first appeared as the Last Word on KLRNs Texas Week with Rick Casey. The program appears Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
1 Refugee crisis: A Spanish aid organization said Friday it feared hundreds of refugees may have died off Libyas coast, while Turkish media reported that 11 died after a boat sank in the Aegean Sea. A boat capsized near the Turkish resort town of Kusadasi, and nine people were rescued, the Turkish Coast Guard Command said. Two people, believed to be smugglers, were detained. Concerns about the refugees near Libya rose after Spains Proactiva Open Arms group found five bodies near two capsized boats Thursday. Proactiva said the boats were found north of the Libyan town of Sabratha.

2 Syria fighting: U.S.-backed Syrian fighters reached a major dam held by the Islamic State group in northern Syria on Friday. The push toward the Tishrin Dam came three days after U.S. aircraft ferried Syrian Kurdish fighters and allies to spearhead a major ground assault on Tabqa, where the dam is located. Tabqa is west of the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State group. Syrias U.N. ambassador, Bashar al-Jaafari, said the hundreds of American personnel are invading my country, insisting that any effort to liberate Raqqa should be done in coordination with the Damascus government.
Check out our latest E-Edition

Accessible anytime and anywhere on your desktop, tablet and smart phone devices. The Lodi News e-Edition is enhanced with the latest digital tools, including RSS feeds, social networking and much more.

Check out our latest E-edition!
Doing a physical handstand is hard. You have to have great discipline and even greater shoulder strength to be able to pull it off.

So no, says Neil Delamere of his Handstand tour. He will not be doing a physical handstand on stage as part of his upcoming gig in the Longford Arms Hotel.

I called it Handstand because usually you have to name the show long before you actually do it, Neil told the Leader last week.

You name it a year before it happens and then it goes in all the brochures and stuff. So I said Id name it Handstand and that Id do a physical handstand, but then I realised how hard it actually is to do a handstand. So now its just a metaphorical handstand.

Neil Delamere has played many gigs in Longford, but never the Longford Arms, so hes looking forward to seeing what that will be like: Im told itll be good craic, he said.

Though I hear my face is absolutely plastered all over Longford so Id like to apologise to the people who have to see that when theyre driving in their cars.

Its a small price to pay to alert people to the upcoming gig - especially since this show is just one of 50 or 60 dates on the Handstand tour.

I try to tour every county or close to every county. We have 30 or 40 dates done at this stage, he said.

The Offaly native has never missed an opportunity to mention his home town of Edenderry in his shows, and regularly visits his family back home. But the star comedian also has roots in Longford.

My granny is from Ballymahon, so Im actually related to the Cooneys in Cooneys Hotel. My dad and I were thinking of doing a tour of the homestead one of the days.

Ill have to do the Tommy Tiernan thing and do a world tour of Longford and hit all the hot spots, he joked.

But all roads - and all conversation threads - ultimately lead back to Offaly for Delamere as he quickly links his love of Longford to his even greater love for Offaly.

There are two reasons I like Longford. One is because I have roots there, and the other reason is that the last manager of the Offaly team to win the All-Ireland was from Longford, he said.

All family roots aside, Delameres show in Longford promises to be as hilarious as any of its predecessors.

Audiences can expect the usual banter and quick-witted, well-observed comedy at Handstand as they have come to expect from Delamere over the years.

The show will feature a lot of stuff similar to other shows. So Ill be messing with the audience and then Ill probably talk about Donald Trump and Brexit and also about the time my voice was used in an adult film, he said, though he chose not to go into too much detail on that last bit, to spare the readers of this family newspaper, as he called it.

With stellar reviews and a number of platinum-selling DVDs under his belt, Neil has turned his attention to comedy documentaries, writing and presenting IFTA and Celtic Media Award-winning TV programmes on the Vikings and St Patrick.

His four-part series on heroes from Irelands past, Holding Out for a Hero, was recently broadcast as part of RTE2s autumn schedule.

Never one to sit around, Neil is also back in the hot seat with the perennially popular BBC panel show, The Blame Game, which is returning to the small screen soon for its 11th season, and has already had over 11,000 applications for tickets - there are only 300 seats in the audience, he says.

With all of that happening in his life, its only natural to wonder how he keeps the inspiration for his comedy flowing.

Where I get my inspiration from depends on the situation. So for the show I do up in the north (Blame Game), you immerse yourself in newspapers and television and keep a close eye on the big news stories around the world, he said.

But when youre on tour, it has to be something that will last a little bit longer than that. So I talk about my own life, my parents, my school, my job. So you can tour that for some length of time.

And the inspiration for his jokes can hit him at any time, so he has to have a good process to keep track of his thoughts.

Sometimes, if Im out walking, I might think of something and Ill put it into the notes in my phone. It used to be an actual notebook, but now I have a phone full of notes.

And sometimes, Ill put in some inspiration at night and then go to sleep and when I wake up and read it, I wont understand what I was talking about probably because I made the note at about 4 oclock in the morning.

Of course, as a performer, Neil has had his difficult, embarrassing and downright disastrous moments too, with a particular heckling incident at a 2am show in Edinburgh standing out in his mind.

There have been loads of bad incidents, particularly in the early days, when I didnt have much experience. But there have also been good shows and platinum DVDs and stuff too, so Im still mentally OK, dont worry, he assured the Longford Leader.

And hes still working in comedy, despite it all, so we believe him.

Neil Delamere will take his Handstand tour to the Longford Arms Hotel on Friday March 31 next. Tickets are available at the hotel reception (cash only) and www.ticketstop.ie.

Tickets are priced at 25 or 26.30 if booked online. Doors open at 7.30pm and the show starts at 8.15pm.

WIN: Tickets to Neil Delamere in the Longford Arms

The Longford Leader has three pairs of tickets to give away for the March 31 show. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets, simply answer the following question: Is Neil Delamere originally from Offaly?.

Answers should be sent in to The Longford Leader, Leader House, Dublin Road Longford, with your name and contact details and winners will be notified.
New childcare regulations are likely to result in a reduction of childcare places, training places and employment opportunities, according to Longford Womens Link (LWL) CEO and Longford County Childcare Committee Chair, Louise Lovett.

The Childcare Regulations 2016 stipulate that practitioners without a full QQI Level 5 Award will no longer be included in the Adult:Child ratios.

This will have a significant impact on the Childcare Community Employment (CE) activation programme, which is overseen by the Department of Social Protection and, in Co Longford, sponsored by LWL.

Up to now, unqualified or partially-qualified CE Childcare participants could be counted as adults for the purpose of ratio compliance, Louise explained.

This is no longer the case. Therefore the only options are to hire additional staff or reduce childcare places. There is no additional funding to hire additional staff.

At an average salary of 23,000 the additional cost to 11 creches this September will be 150,000 and 300,000 the following year, increasing year on year unless there is real investment made, Louise added.

Without this investment many of those services participating in LWLs scheme have indicated that they will have no option but to reduce capacity.

The participants who are already long-term unemployed/disadvantaged and who have just commenced or are midway through their training will not be in a position to continue, so where do they go? Back on the live register? At what cost?

In addition to the impact on creches, there will be a significant and disproportionate impact on women, according to Louise, given that of the 1,874 people participating in the childcare programme nationally just under 93% (1,736) are women.

Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran and Deputy Robert Troy have been advocating on this issue with Minister Katherine Zappone, while Minister Leo Varadakar visited LWL in late 2016 to discuss the situation.

Unfortunately, says Louise, there has been no progress so far, despite LWL putting forward a number of potential solutions to reduce the impact of the new regulations.

Minister Zappone recently announced an additional allocation of one million euro to provide additional support to creches  this amounts to just 2,000 per creche.

Are the relevant departments and agencies really going to wait until services start reducing capacity or closing completely before there is real, meaningful engagement?

We have already had one local closure in a very disadvantaged area and the main barrier to reopening it is an unwillingness to provide a sustainable funding model, which will take account of the complex issues involved in providing a service in such a disadvantaged area.

We need a coordinated, cohesive campaign to get the urgency of the crisis facing the sector taken on board, she concluded.
Coram Man Wanted by Authorities After Discharging Firearm During Dispute with Housemate

Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 24 2017

No injuries reported during incident; Jeffrey Plummer, 61, currently at large, wanted for Reckless Endangerment

SCPD are seeking the publics help to locate Jeffrey Plummer, 61, wanted in connection with a reckless endangerment incident that occurred in Coram.

Coram, NY - March 24, 2017 - Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are seeking the publics help to locate a man wanted in connection with a reckless endangerment incident that occurred in Coram earlier this week.

Jeffrey Plummer fired a minimum of three shots during a dispute with another man at a multi-family home on March 21 at approximately 8:50 a.m. The man, 53, who lives at the home, was not injured.

Plummer, 61, who also lives at the home, has two outstanding bench warrants for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th Degree and New York State Vehicle and Traffic law violations.
Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 24 2017

Christopher Elgut, 29, inappropriately touched a child at the Huntington Library on January 3, 2016.

Christopher Elgut, 29, pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching an 8-year-old girl at the Huntington Library.

Southampton, NY - March 24, 2017 - A Huntington man who inappropriately touched an 8-year-old girl at the Huntington Library pleaded guilty today during pretrial hearings in criminal court in Riverhead , Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

On January 3, 2016 Christopher Elgut, 29, approached the child as she stood behind her mother at a library counter, moving the victim behind book carts where he inappropriately touched her.

Elgut fled the building and was arrested approximately 20 minutes later by Second Precinct Patrol officers. Police also charged the defendant with a violation after finding a bag of marijuana in his pants pocket.

During hearings before State Supreme Court Justice Mark Cohen this afternoon, Elgut pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor sex abuse charges, one count of endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Justice Cohen set April 24 as Elguts sentencing date and conditionally promised the defendant a sentence of three years imprisonment and three years post release supervision. The defendant will also have to register as a sex offender.
Local News, Health & Wellness, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 24 2017

Lavine: Im calling on Ed Mangano to take the steps necessary for Nassau County to prepare for the eventuality that many of our friends and neighbors will lose life saving health coverage."

Nassau County, NY - March 24, 2017 - Today, Democratic Candidate for Today, Democratic Candidate for Nassau County Executive Chuck Lavine called on County Executive Ed Mangano to order an assessment of the human effect of the Republican health care plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act in Nassau County.

Chuck said, Im calling on Ed Mangano to take the steps necessary for Nassau County to prepare for the eventuality that many of our friends and neighbors will lose life saving health coverage. That includes people like Gerry, who works hard to make ends meet and holds two part-time jobs to provide for himself and his aging mother. Gerry works nights and weekends. And if Gerry gets sick, the only obstacle standing between him and financial ruin is the affordable insurance coverage that he will lose under the cruel Republican plan. I disagree with County Executive Ed Mangano's dismissal of this as a political issue. Its personal. Just ask people like Gerry. He deserves better, and Nassau County deserves better.

As the Republican plan is being debated in the U.S. House, Chuck highlighted that one million New Yorkers stand to lose coverage under their plan and costs will go up, especially for seniors. Chuck spoke at the home of Gerry Laytin in New Hyde Park . Gerry is 62 years old and cares for his 94 year old mother. Gerry works part time in retail sales, and teaches evening classes at Hofstra University.

Addressing the upcoming vote on the Republican health care plan, Gerry said, The Republican health care plan would have significant negative consequences for me and my family. To President Donald Trump and County Executive Ed Mangano: if you truly care about people then show it in your actions and not just your words. Do something that would help people instead of ramming through a flawed plan that would strip out essential care. Thats not serving the people.
Lifestyle / Gastronomy

Uniting the world with food  the culinary event is back to celebrate its 21st year bringing with it the United Nations Gastronomic Assembly to our shores

Mar 24, 2017 | By Teri Chong

If theres one thing Singapore loves the mostits food. What better place to host an international gourmet summit than in a city bursting with flavours? The World Gourmet Summit (WGS) returns for its 21st year, right here in sunny Singapore from march 20 to April 16. Launched in 1997, this years theme is the United Nations Gastronomic Assembly, a congregation of esteemed chefs from over 16 countries along with a line-up of fascinating epicurean experiences. Feast your eyes on an array of master classes; events and gourmet affairs taking place this World Gourmet Summit.

The event sees a party of chefs, all of which are some of the worlds best and most revered. Chef Jarno Eggen and dessert connoisseur Kiriko Nakamura are just two of the many renowned culinary geniuses coming down for the event. Other than an abundance of famed chefs, here are a few signature events we think will satisfy your epicurean appetite.

1. Chope Ur Next Gourmet AttractionsUNGA

Lauded as the go-to event of this years festival, the United Nations Gastronomic Assembly presents a full spread of tantalising cuisines from all over the world. Just like its namesake, the event will see ambassadors from different embassies come together but not to debate. Rather, they will fill their stomachs with a luxurious spread of gourmet food. Food really does  in this case  make the world go round.

2. Four Hands Epicurean Delights

If one chef can cook up storm then two will bring you earth-shaking delicacies. Winner of San Pellegrinos Young Chef 2016 Mitch Lienhard joins forces with one of the Worlds greatest chefs Ryan Cliff to bring to the table an exquisite one-night-only dinner. The show commences on April 2, and is one you definitely do not want to miss.

3. Sunday Brunch

What better way to soak in the festivities by indulging in a lazy Sunday Brunch? Partners of WSG 2017 will helm the kitchen for the brunch party, taking in the rich heritage of Tamarind Hill and translating it into decadent brunch bites. Lay back and enjoy a decadent brunch menu before continuing on your foodie quest.

4. Lush Dinners

Of course, theres also a whole shopping list of dinners to choose from. Whether its the Canadian themed culinary creations by Quentin Glabus (March 28) or a unique modern Hungarian concept by Biro Lajos (April 5), we have no doubt youll find something that tantalises your taste buds.

On top of these bustling events, the most anticipated is the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence 2017. The award is currently into its final phase of voting and the results will be revealed on 27 March 2017. The award is regarded as one of the most respected accolades in the Asian region. Awards include Lifetime Achievement and Hospitality stars to recognise the consistent efforts of those in the food and beverage industries.

With this years Awards of Excellence, we hope to spur on the industry talents to continue striving and achieving greater heights in the areas of culinary and service. We also hope to garner more recognition of Singapores culinary scene on the global front, said Mr Peter Knipp, CEO of PKH Pte Ltd, which manages and curates the Awards of Excellence and the World Gourmet Summit.

For top-notch wines and an unforgettable gastro-experience, do visit the World Gourmet Summit 2017 held from March 20 to April 16.
"Happiness is a state of mind, a choice, a way of living; it is not something to be achieved, it is something to be experienced." Steve Maraboli

For those of you ravaged by the stress and strain of the modern world, here is a tiding that can fetch you the happiness that has eluded you thus far. Europe is THE destination for those seeking happiness, as European nations take the top six ranks in terms of happiness.

The Report And Criteria

The findings are based on a publication called the "World Happiness Report" by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The report for 2017 was published on March 20  World Happiness Day.

The criteria used to rank the countries, include GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, trust and dystopia.

The Leaders: Europe Heavy

Norway took the top slot in 2017, with a happiness score of 7.537, an improvement from the fourth position it bagged in 2016. According to the report, Norway managed to take the top spot despite the oil-dependent economy hit by lower crude oil prices, as it insulated itself from the boom and bust cycle.

To do this successfully requires high levels of mutual trust, shared purpose, generosity and good governance, all factors that help to keep Norway and other top countries where they are in the happiness rankings, the report added.

Denmark was unseated from the pole position and it currently occupies the second spot. Iceland, Switzerland, Finland and Netherlands occupy the third, fourth, fifth and sixth positions, respectively.

The report noted that the averages of the top four countries are so close that small changes can reorder the rankings.

Our North American neighbor Canada, Antipodean nations Australia and New Zealand and Sweden completes that list of the top 10 nations.

U.S. Drops A Place

The U.S. is the fourteenth country in the list, with a happiness score of 6.993, down from the thirteenth position it occupied in 2016, with a score of 7.104. In the chapter titled "Restoring American Happiness," the report noted that America's crisis is a social crisis and not an economic crisis, as it ranks high up on GDP per capita, but scores low in terms of social support, personal freedom and generosity. Additionally, the perceived level of corruption in government and businesses is high.

Story continues

The report outlines a few steps that can help the United States return to a blissful state of happiness:

Campaign finance reform.

Evolve a set of policies aiming to reduce income and wealth inequality.

Improve social relations between native-born and immigration population.

Acknowledge and move past the fear created by 9/11 and its memory.

Improve educational quality, access and attainment.

It looks like the United States has a tall order before it, if it has to break into the top ten, especially amid the developments surrounding the political transition.

Is President Donald Trump listening?

Laggards

Any discussion on an issue would be incomplete if we do not look at the darker side of it. Central African Republic has the dubious distinction of being the saddest place in the world, as it took the last position (155th). Happiness also seems to elude Rwanda, Syria, Tanzania and Burundi, which took 151st, 152nd, 153rd and 154th place, respectively.

Among developing nations, China, despite having a Communist regime at the helm, took the 83rd spot. India was at 118th position.

Economic dominance of a nation alone cannot ensure happiness for its citizens, as is evident by the findings of the report. A nation has to focus on social aspects too, if it has to provide a truly happy milieu.

Related Links:

What's A Constitutional Crisis, And Are We Headed For One Over Trump's Travel Ban?

Social Security Benefits Will Get Larger In 2017

See more from Benzinga

 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Amazon GLobal Retail Revenue

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "E-Commerce Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.

Amazon has reportedly agreed to purchase Souq.com, a Dubai-based e-commerce company, according to Reuters.

Although the acquisition price has not been confirmed, TechCrunch reports that Amazon will pay $650 million for Souq, which was previously valued at $1 billion after raising $275 million in funding last February. Amazon was in talks to acquire Souq last December, but a deal never closed.

Extending its reach in overseas markets has been a focus of the e-commerce giant for several years now. While Amazon hasnt been successful as an e-commerce business in China, it's been developing a logistics business in the country. In fact, it recently expanded its freight-forwarding and logistics services to include air cargo services in addition to sea shipping  a move that could help it attract more merchants to its marketplace in China. Amazon also debuted its Prime subscription service in Mexico, aiming to grab market share by extending its efficient shipping and video streaming services in the country. Moreover, the e-commerce giant pledged to invest $5 billion in its Indian operations over the next few years.

This acquisition marks a departure from Amazons typical strategy to grow organically in a new market, but could allow for the e-commerce giant to rapidly expand in the Middle East. Souq is currently the market leader in the region, and receives more than 45 million site visits per month. As a result, Amazon wouldn't have to build a network of merchants and buyers, and it would gain brand recognition from Souq's popularity. Amazon would also be able to forgo the regulatory approvals needed to operate in the countries Souq sells in  United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait  facilitating cross-border sales.

The regions e-commerce market is in infancy stages, but Amazon could face considerable competition from soon-to-launch Noon.com. Noon is backed by retail tycoon Mohamed Alabbar, and plans to launch with 20 million products. In China, Amazon struggled to gain market share from a well-established Alibaba, so it's likely looking to get a head start on Noon through the Souq acquisition.

Story continues

To receive stories like this one directly to your inbox every morning, sign up for the E-Commerce Briefing newsletter. Click here to learn more about how you can gain risk-free access today.





More From Business Insider


OTTAWA, ON--(Marketwired - March 23, 2017) - Energy and Mines is delighted to announce the launch of the Energy and Mines Australia Summit to take place June 29-30 at the Pan Pacific, Perth. The Summit will provide a timely platform for mining leaders to meet with international renewables and finance experts to explore solutions for affordable and reliable power solutions for mines.

Driven by high power costs, grid reliability concerns and carbon reduction targets, Australia's mining industry is now actively exploring renewable energy options. New and operating remote mines are assessing the cost savings and carbon reduction benefits renewables offer when integrated with diesel and gas-powered generators. While grid-tied sites are reviewing behind-the-meter renewables options to counteract rising electricity costs and grid instability challenges.

The Summit will feature local and international case studies from mining operators that have integrated renewable energy and storage solutions to drive down energy prices, ensure power reliability, and reduce carbon exposure. SunSHIFT is the In Association sponsor for the Summit which offers a complete picture of current opportunities and challenges in integrating alternative energy options for remote, fringe-of-grid, and grid-connected mines. ""We look forward to providing the mining community with an update around our modular, recoverable solar assets, designed specifically to provide mines with affordable, reliable and flexible power," commented Will Rayward-Smith, General Manager, SunSHIFT.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has assisted with putting together the Summit and ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht will provide a keynote presentation on June 29th. ARENA has been integral to the success of innovative renewable energy projects for Australian mines including Sandfire's Solar-Storage Hybrid for the DeGrussa MIne and Rio Tinto's Weipa Solar Plant. "ARENA believes in the power of shared knowledge and is seeking to drive the transition to renewable energy for off-grid industries. We have released data and insights from a number of supported projects that show how renewables can benefit mining companies," Mr Frischknecht said.

In addition to SunSHIFT, ABB is a Lead Sponsor of this high-caliber Summit and Advisian, GHD, Hatch and VSUN Energy are also sponsors. "We are delighted with the response we have had thus far from miners and renewables experts interested in participating in our Australia Summit which marks our 10th event on renewables for mines in key mining centers," commented Adrienne Baker, Director, Energy and MInes. "Energy is top strategic concern for the mining sector in Australia and we are beginning to see more and more innovative, groundbreaking projects for mines that demonstrate the commercial viability and performance of alternative power."

Registration is now open. For more information, visit www.australia.energyandmines.com for more details and contact Adrienne Baker at adrienne.baker@energyandmines.com or +1 613 680 2482

About Energy and Mines:

Energy and Mines is the leading global information and event media provider for energy management and operations of the mining sector. Through its global Summit series (Canada, South Africa, Chile, UK, Australia) web portal and newsletter, Energy and Mines brings together the mining and renewable energy sectors to drive solutions for affordable, reliable and sustainable power for mines. www.energyandmines.com
Five years have passed since the heroic struggle of the students during the maple spring. This magnificent movement shook the Canadian province of Quebec to the core and ended with the defeat of the Liberal Party and the cancelling of the tuition increase. However, five years later, austerity continues at a steady pace and the Liberals seem to be comfortably seated in power. The fifth anniversary of the maple spring is an occasion for us to revisit those historic events and to highlight the lessons of this fantastic movement.

2012, a turning point

The youth have always been a barometer of the state of any given society. In most most mass movements the youth are the first to move, igniting the spark of a revolutionary upsurge. In 2012, the students erupting onto the scene of history was the symptom of the crisis developing in Quebec for many years. The repeated attacks of the Jean Charest Liberals provoked the reply of Quebecois youth, who answered loudly enough is enough!

One of the lessons from 2012 is that of leadership. The activists leading the ASSE gave a bold and fearless direction and defiantly threw down the gauntlet in a direct challenge to not just the government, but the entire capitalist class. In 2011, in a speech used to mobilize students for the strike, the now famous Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois finished the speech by stating:

Never forget that the people who want to increase tuition fees, the people who want to cut public services, the people who want to privatize health-care, the people who want to weaken  in other words abolish - environmental regulations, the people who despise women's rights, indigenous rights and the rights of all minorities, the people who have worked tirelessly over decades to prevent workers from forming unions, all these people are the same. These people are few in number. These people control everything. They always want to control more. These people have common interests. These people have a common political project. There was a time, in Quebec, in Canada, not so long ago, that a minority like this, that controls the political and economic institutions of a country, that shares common interests, not so long ago we would call this a class. We need to stop being afraid of words. We must call these people by their name. These people are the ruling class. These people are the bourgeoisie. The struggle against the tuition increase, the struggle of those who are indignant all over the world must be called by its name. It is a class struggle. This is a struggle of the minority that owns everything against the majority that obviously owns nothing and vice versa. A gluttonous and vulgar minority. A minority that views life as a business opportunity, a tree as a natural resource and a child as a future employee ...When we are in the streets fighting against the tuition increase, it is also this that we are fighting against."

In August 2011 in their publication Ultimatum, in an editorial titled We are at an end written by Nadeau-Dubois, it made an appeal which amounted to a call for revolution. In a section of the article titled we are not alone it stated: All over the world, in Spain, in Italy, in Greece, in Portugal, in Great Britain, in Syria, in Egypt or Tunisia, the people are revolting to claim what is theirs....After the Arab spring, will we witness a Quebecois spring? It then went on to state The response from ASSE is categorical : we must. This semester will begin with a massive mobilization on all campuses in Quebec. More and more we hear, in the corridors of colleges and universities, a whisper, like a rumor, three letters, always the same three: GGI. This rumor, since last spring has become more and more insistent. GGI : Unlimited General Strike... Given the magnitude of this challenge, no hesitation can be permitted. We need to mobilize ourselves right now, in great number and with great determination. It is up to us.

Given the firm and uncompromising leadership, the response from the student population was overwhelming. By March, 75% of all post secondary institutions were shut down by the strike and on March 22nd, over 200,000 people flooded the streets of Montreal. The confidence and elan was palpable.

In the weeks and months following the beginning of the strike, the government dug their heels in and refused to back down. The government demonized the CLASSE (The enlarged strike committee of ASSE) and insisted that they would not negotiate with them. This was incredibly insulting to students on strike of which a majority were represented by this coalition.

The media, owned and controlled by the capitalists, played their nasty game of ignoring the movement when they could and portrayed the students as entitled, violent and enemies of the workers. At this point the government had already started imposing injunctions against the picket lines and were making mass arrests of hundreds of students. The SPVM (Montreal police) as well as the SQ (Provincial police) became particularly hated due to their brutal tactics. One student (Francis Grenier) even lost his eye in early March due to the police firing a flash grenade in his face. This hypocritical demand that the student leaders must denounce the violence of a few student protesters when the police had been unleashing a systematic and violent crackdown on the right to protest, created a rage among not only the student population but also the working class.

What was the 2012 Student Strike?

Students in Quebec have a long tradition of militant strikes going all the way back to the 1960s. This is the main reason why post secondary education in the province is by far one of the cheapest in the country. In previous movements, the government was quicker to back down faced with such general outrage and such numbers on strike and on the streets. As recent as 2005, a student strike that lasted just 6-weeks forced the Liberal government to back off on their attempts to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars worth of bursaries.

But the strike in 2012 was unlike previous student strikes. Occurring just 4 years after the economic crisis of 2008, this strike was occurring in a new epoch of capitalist crisis and austerity. The economy of the province as well as the province's financial situation were in a sorry state. The capitalist class in Quebec and their lackey politicians sought to offload the cost of this crisis onto the backs workers and youth. There was a dire need, a constant pressure coming from the bourgeoisie to send a clear message to workers and youth in the province that resistance to their agenda would not be tolerated.

The bourgeoisie in Quebec, in 2012, knew very well what was at stake. The Montreal Gazette explained that Any social peace [the government] would buy from the students would not be permanent, because every other interest group opposed to future austerity measures would see that not only the present government but the society it represents can be intimidated. Clearly there was a fear that the students would set an example for the broader working class. This was a justified fear and the Liberal government acted accordingly to attempt to crush the movement. This fundamentally changed the struggle from a simple student strike to a movement that questioned who ruled society.

The youth and the workers

In this context, students needed to spread the struggle to the wider working class in order to achieve victory. Students, in spite of all of their enthusiasm and their impressive ability to mobilize, are far from possessing the same economic leverage as the workers. A student strike, in spite of its importance, can not shut down production in the decisive sectors of the economy. It is the workers who have this power. It is therefore not surprising that the Liberals made no real concessions to the students during the 2012 crisis, despite the unprecedented scope of the movement. As long as the workers were not brought into the movement, the government would not bend, which is all the more true during a period in which the capitalist system is in a deep crisis, where the bosses are determined to pass the bill onto the workers and youth in the form of austerity measures.

Faced with this situation, the ASSE leadership, to their credit made an appeal for students to go further than the unlimited general (student) strike, and made an appeal for a Greve sociale - that is a general strike of the whole society. They correctly said that this government only listens to the language of money and therefore they would need to occupy and disrupt the economy. However, there was no collective organized expression given to this movement and there was no clear idea about how this would be done. Many times this manifested itself in isolated actions of students blocking or occupying public buildings, with little or no connection or communication with the workers who worked there. This played into the narrative coming from Jean Charest that the students were enemies of the workers.

Despite the fact that the polls showed that there was massive support for the students among the general population and there was a clear desire among students to bring the workers into the struggle, this never occurred in an organized fashion. What was needed was not just statements about the need for a general strike but for this to be organized on the ground. The leaders of the main trade unions had made it clear that they did not want a general strike so a grassroots movement of the members in favor of a 24-hour general strike needed to be organized to bring the pressure to bear. In order to do this, students needed to reach out to and engage in a dialogue with the workers. At every school, student-worker solidarity committees should have been struck with the task of identifying all of the major workplaces in the area that they could visit. These committees could mobilize the local student population to go to these work places and ask for some time to put their case to the workers. They could have explained the broader situation that a defeat for the students at the end of the day is a defeat for the workers and that after the government had finished with them, it would be coming down hard on them. Sympathetic workers' unions, sympathetic shop stewards could have been contacted and involved in the discussions. Unfortunately this did not happen, the workers were not brought into the movement and the deadlock continued.

The masses hold their leaders to account

In May, as the movement dragged on, the representatives from the traditionally conciliatory, FEUQ and FECQ stated that they would be prepared to negotiate with the government without the representatives from the CLASSE being involved. In order to be involved in the negotiations, the CLASSE denounced the violence of the demonstrators and the government was forced to include them in the negotiations. The FEUQ and the FECQ representatives quickly demonstrated that they were prepared to accept a sellout deal. Representing the core of striking students and mandated to accept absolutely no concessions, the CLASSE representatives were brought under immense pressure from all major institutions in society. The government brought in the leaders from the major workers' unions to try to convince the CLASSE negotiators to be 'reasonable' and 'do a service for the good of Quebec'. The result of this blitz of negotiations on May 4-5th was a complete sellout deal being agreed upon by the government and the student leaders. The representatives of the students touted it as a partial victory but this was quickly rebuked by Liberal ministers who insisted that the plan to raise tuition was still going ahead as planned. Even worse is the fact that the proposed entente would implicate the student leaders in a government committee to oversee cost cutting at universities. This committee would be dominated by elements from the state and big business and would simply use the authority of the student leaders to sell austerity to the rank-and-file.

To the dismay of the elites and the student and workers leaders alike, students gathered in general assemblies at campuses all over the province rejected this rotten deal. By Wednesday, May 9th, 14 colleges had rejected the deal and only 2 had voted to accept it. Votes at the universities similarly delivered a crushing rejection of this deal. This led to another breakdown in negotiations. In response to this, the education minister Line Beauchamp was forced to resign. The movement had its first concrete victory!

The whip of the counter revolution

By May, a questioning mood had developed among the student population. What are we going to do? We can't simply strike forever! What is going to happen? The Charest Liberals, having failed to kill the movement through subterfuge, lies and smears decided to try to crush the movement and put an end to this once and for all. On May 18th, the Liberal party, with support from the right-wing CAQ party passed Bill 78  a brutal anti-democratic law seeking to curtail the right to protest in the province, levying heavy fines against individuals and unions if they continued to block the access to the schools with picket lines.

This led to the amusing situation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pilla warning of a worrying trend of governments violating fundamental human rights like the right to protest in places like Syria, Mali, Nepal, Mexico, Russia, North Korea, Zimbabwe, South Sudan and... Quebec! She stated that "In the context of student protests, I am disappointed by the new legislation passed in Quebec that restricts their rights to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly."

Marx famously said once that, revolution advances under the whip of the counter-revolution. The Liberals, angry and arrogant, had completely miscalculated with this law and it ended up producing the exact opposite result than they desired. The anger and rage spread throughout Quebecois society like wildfire. On May 21st, the CLASSE held a press conference and announced that they considered the law to be unjust and that they would not be respecting it. They started a website where anyone could upload a picture of themselves holding a sign that said  I defy law 78 . This website exploded with thousands and thousands of people from all over the province uploading their photos in defiance of the law.

Up until this moment, the trade union leaders had been playing a dastardly role. While from time to time they denounced the government, they also continued to appeal to the CLASSE leaders to be reasonable and to accept a compromise. They refused categorically the idea of organizing a solidarity strike of the workers and generally tried to hold back their members so that the situation did not get out of control. The imposition of law 78 changed all of this. The pressure from the rank and file members of the unions became too much and the unions were forced to mobilize their members for a big demonstration on the 22nd of May. The result was incredible. The imposition of law 78 had given new life to the movement and started to spread the movement to the working class. Over 400,000 people demonstrated that day. The police could do absolutely nothing when faced with the unstoppable power of the masses. The masses were feeling their own power in the biggest demonstration and show of civil disobedience in the history of the province or even the country.

On top of this, the night of May 24th, with no official leadership, dozens of demonstrations spontaneously erupted in different neighborhoods in Montreal in defiance of the anti-demonstration law. Around 8pm, no matter which neighborhood you were in, you would start to hear the clinking of pots and pans, a tradition which has its roots in protests against the despotic premier of Quebec, Maurice Duplessis during the Great Darkness in the 1940s and 1950s. Hundreds of working class people would flood the streets banging pots and pans spontaneously. These casseroles continued for weeks and made law 78 inapplicable in practice.

This also posed a fantastic opportunity to spread the struggle to the working class. The casseroles were largely comprised of working class people, upset at their children being arrested and defiant in the face of a government that had become more and more authoritarian. One of the most notable things about this period is the near complete absence of leadership. The leaders of the CLASSE, who had heroically called on the masses to rise against the government and the capitalist class as a part of an international wave, clearly did not have a plan of action once the masses heeded the call. The government refused to back down and the student leaders made continued calls to continue the struggle. They officially stood for a social strike and called for it repeatedly but did very little to concretely help the rank and file workers overcome the conservative nature of the trade union bureaucracy. The situation could not have been riper for the students to go to the workers, engage in a dialogue with them and forge links of solidarity with them and put forward the case for a united general strike against the government. Quebec youth lacked not the enthusiasm or determination but the necessary leadership.

Even though the spring semester have been suspended until August, the movement continued throughout June andu July with almost daily demonstrations, during the day, at night and in almost every neighborhood of Montreal. The repression and political profiling unleashed by the state reached epic proportions. Between February and September 2012, over 3,500 people were arrested and the Montreal police force spent over $7.3 million just on paying overtime during the spring of 2012. Student caught wearing a red square were regularly stopped, harassed or arrested by police, even when they were not in a demonstration.

The Fall Elections

As the fall semester approached, the Charest government once again changed their tactics in an attempt to put an end to the movement. On August 1st, Lieutenant Governor Pierre Duchesne dissolved the national assembly at the request of premier Jean Charest and called an election for September 4th. Charest framed the election as a choice between order and stability or lawlessness and violence of the streets - an obvious reference to the protests that had been rocking the province. He said that We have heard from those who have been hitting away at pots and pans. Now, is a time for the silent majority to speak.

As soon as Charest called the election, the question of what to do became the key question in the student movement. The FEUQ/FECQ had the position that the students should end the strike and vote for anyone but the Liberals. This essentially amounted to a vote for the Parti Quebecois, which had been wearing red squares, banging pots and pans and hypocritically pandering to the movement. They even had FECQ leader, Leo Bureau-Blouin as a candidate in the riding of Laval-des-Rapides. The anarchists argued to boycott the election and continue the strike. People like Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois wanted to support Quebec Solidaire but lost out to the anarchists. Unfortunately, the CLASSE adopted the abstract position of elections are not a solution. Of course, it is true in an abstract sense that under capitalism, elections do not fundamentally change the system. However, we need to be able to exploit all opportunities to hand defeats to the capitalists and increase the confidence and fighting capacity of the masses.

This is why the Marxists argued that we shouldnt draw a false dichotomy of strike or election but to continue the strike and use it as a mobilizing tool during the election to not only hand a defeat to the Liberals but to all of the capitalist parties that had been pushing for the tuition increase, including the PQ. This meant getting active in and supporting Quebec solidaire, the self described party of the streets and the ballot box and the only significant party that supports free education.

Unfortunately, due to the boycott tactic, the election played a significant role in spreading confusion and demobilizing the movement. The student population did not follow the position of the CLASSE, which had tremendous authority in the population at the time, but instead saw the election as an opportunity to overthrow Charest. By the end of August, only a few thousand students at UQAM and UdeM were still on strike. Was it inevitable for the strike to lose momentum during the election? We dont believe so. We actually entirely agree with Jean Charest that this essentially was an election about who ruled Quebec. The fact of the matter is that everyone knew that a victory for the Liberals and Charest would be seen as a huge rebuke to the students and everyone who had been protesting. In the same logic, a victory, or a significant increase in support for Quebec solidaire would have sent exactly the opposite message.

In reality, the position that the CLASSE took managed to open up the field for the moderate FEUQ/FECQ leaders, Martine Desjardins and Leo Bureau-Blouin to play a role. Instead of explaining how students could use the election to continue the strike and hand a defeat to Charest at the ballot box, they allowed the Parti Quebecois and their supporters, which had largely been sidelined by the movement, to put forward the argument that if we wanted to defeat Charest, we had to end the strike and vote for the Parti Quebecois.

Charest Defeated!

The result of the election was a massive rejection of Jean Charest and the Liberal party. The Liberals lost the election and Charest lost his seat. He was forced to resign in embarrassment after 28 years of political life. The Liberals saw their share of the vote drop to its lowest level in 40 years. Interestingly enough, the vote share of the PQ also dropped a couple percentage points and they were only able to form an extremely weak minority government. This was in spite of the fact that voter turnout was up from 57% to 75%. In order to even manage this paltry victory, the PQ had to bend significantly left, opportunistically pandering to the student movement, pledging to cancel the tuition increase, law 78 and a few other unpopular measures pursued by the Liberals.

However, this victory didn't last very long. Within a few months after abolishing the tuition increase, the PQ went ahead with a new tuition increase under the guise of indexation. The PQ, after having opportunistically supporting the student movement was now at the helm and began championing austerity.

After 18 months of another austerity government, the PQ was relegated to the status of official opposition and the Liberal Party was returned to power, with a comfortable majority in the National Assembly. Since being elected three years ago, the PLQ, without attacking the students as they did in 2012, has been carrying out the worst austerity government in the history of Quebec.

For many people, it seems as though the movement has gone back to square one. Some would ask All of this just to put the Liberals in power 2 years later? Was the struggle of 2012 made in vain?

Prepare for future struggles!

An article recently publishing in the daily paper Metro posed a question about the heritage of 2012: Who, in Quebec, is still inspired by the movement? Lets face it  very few people. Its as if the events of the spring of 2012 drained all of the energies that could be devoted to protest.

Explaining that no major demonstrations took place in response to the austerity measures of Pauline Marois, the article states that the Couillard Liberals were able to cut massively everywhere in almost complete apathy. And he concludes that, Quebec is not overflowing with young progressives with sincere and selfless ideas.

The truth is that the masses can not be in a constant state of intense struggle. The class struggle contains ups and downs. It is normal that after 8 months of struggle, students did not initiate a new movement at the drop of a hat. The article is also mistaken when it states that the austerity measures have been accepted in almost complete apathy. Was the author even in Quebec between 2014 and 2016? During this period, public sector workers in particular mobilized in a struggle that was unprecedented in the last 40 years.

Unfortunately, this movement was sold-out by the trade union leaders who accepted a deal that was far below the demands of the workers while deliberately putting the breaks on the movement at every step. Unionized workers were demanding wage increases of 13.5% over three years but the union leaders accepted just 5.25% over five years! The workers, without an alternative, agreed to back this agreement with some unions trying to keep fighting in spite of the capitulation, but to no avail. Therefore it was not the almost complete apathy of the masses that caused the defeat of the movement against austerity but above all the conciliatory leadership of the movement.

Finally, the cynical conclusion of the article contains a superficial and erroneous assessment of the process developing within the youth. On the surface it may seem like the youth are apathetic but this is only because the radicalization has not found a way to express itself politically yet. Quebecois youth and workers are not immune to the process of increasing radicalization seen all over the world. Quebec, like other countries, is full of young people who sincerely wish to fight against austerity and even against capitalism, they just lack the political vehicle to do this. The workers and youth in Quebec have a rich history of struggle. As the crisis of capitalism continues, sooner or later, the class struggle will come thundering back.

But what does the experience of 2012 tell us? The leaders of the CLASSE were heads and shoulders above most of the leaders of movements we have seen as of late. Especially in the early days of the movement, they correctly raised the sights of the movement and inspired the masses. But for all of their heroism, at the end of the day, and in the heat of the struggle, they proved lacking in many regards. Not lacking in desire, passion or enthusiasm, but lacking in the correct ideas, methods and tactics.

As active participants in the movement of 2012, we have always believed that Marxism is that body of ideas that students and workers need to be able to lead struggles like this to decisive victory. Therefore we believe that it is of prime importance to build the Marxist tendency in Quebec that can assist workers, youth and all layers of the oppressed in adopting the best ideas that will help them to fight back and win. On this 5th year anniversary of the first big demonstration of this historic struggle, we believe that the current task for all student and worker militants must be to learn the lessons from 2012 in order to make sure that we do not make the same errors again, and build a revolutionary organization that can play a decisive role in the struggles to come.
By Brad Brooks and Stephen Eisenhammer

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A police inquiry into corruption and unsanitary conditions in Brazil's powerful meatpacking industry contains more than 8,000 pages of evidence suggesting systematic fraud, not just isolated abuses, said three sources with direct knowledge of the probe.

The evidence, they said, will contradict assertions by the government and meat companies that police raids last week on meatpackers accused of bribery to conceal health violations had unfairly tarnished the entire industry.

Brazil's meat sector, facing suspensions from over a dozen of the more than 150 countries to which it sells, is scrambling to preserve business that fuelled $14 billion in exports in 2016.

So far, police have made public only a small percentage of the alleged abuses by meatpackers, the sources said, from small firms supplying the domestic market to major exporters who rank among the world's largest food companies.

Most of the suspected crimes, they added, remain under judicial seal.

"The investigation does focus on endemic corruption," one source with direct knowledge of the inquiry told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The person is not allowed to discuss the investigation publicly.

None of the three sources would name companies or individuals implicated by the evidence.

Brazil's federal police declined to comment.

An Agriculture Ministry spokeswoman said the ministry would work with police and deal with further details as they emerge.

Since the scandal emerged one week ago, meatpackers and government officials have sought a balance between condemning any wrongdoing and asserting that Brazil boasts the highest sanitation standards of any meat industry worldwide.

The two-year investigation, known as "Operation Weak Flesh," has already lodged accusations against more than 100 people, mostly health inspectors, for taking bribes, allowing the sale of rancid products, falsifying export documents, or failing to inspect meatpackers at all.

Story continues

Prosecutors have yet to present charges.

Still, governments from China, Hong Kong, the European Union and other major buyers in recent days announced at least partial bans on Brazilian meat imports.

BRF (BRFS3.SA), the world's largest exporter of poultry, and JBS (JBSS3.SA), the world's biggest meatpacking company, are among dozens of firms targeted by police, court documents show.

Both companies deny wrongdoing.

Some politicians and government officials, including Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi, accuse investigators of seeking the spotlight and sensationalising the probe.

The criticism prompted the head of the federal police in Brasilia to issue a joint statement with the Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday, saying incidents uncovered by police "do not represent a widespread malfunction of the Brazilian system."

The sources said that police agreed to issue it to relieve political pressure and continue their investigation in a calmer environment. The police did not respond to a request for comment about the statement.

(Reporting by Brad Brooks and Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Paulo Prada and Frances Kerry)
SAO PAULO, March 24 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government has not discussed reinstating a financial transaction tax known as CPMF, Planning Minister Dyogo Oliveira said on Friday, as it seeks additional sources of revenue to meet this year's fiscal target.

Speaking to journalists in Sao Paulo, Oliveira said the government is making all possible efforts to avoid raising taxes. He added that a wide investigation into alleged bribery of food inspectors by meatpackers will "clearly" impact the economy but declined to provide any estimates.

(Reporting by Thais Freitas; Writing by Bruno Federowski)
BRASILIA, March 24 (Reuters) - Brazil's planned auction of the rights to expand and operate the North-South railway between Tocantins and Sao Paulo states has drawn the interest of major operators from countries including Russia, China and Spain, a government official said on Friday.

Adalberto Santos Vasconcelos, the special secretary running President Michel Temer's infrastructure investment program, told Reuters in an interview that interest was strong in the auction, which is scheduled for the second half of this year.

He also said the government may grant the winner of a concession for the Ferrograo railway project in northern Brazil exclusive rights to operate along those rails to compensate for roughly 12 billion reais ($4 billion) in needed investments.

The upcoming rail auctions are part of the government's efforts to raise 45 billion reais in private investment for infrastructure projects to boost a recovery from Brazil's worst recession in over a century.

($1 = 3.11 reais) (Reporting by Leonardo Goy; Writing by Brad Haynes; Editing by Chris Reese)
Registration is now open for Montana State Universitys Peaks and Potentials program, a week-long enrichment camp for high-potential students entering grades 5-7 in the fall, offered June 18-23 on the MSU campus in Bozeman.

Peaks and Potentials is designed to offer students the opportunity to explore special topics of interest and work with experts in various subject areas.

Sessions for this summers camp include a variety of topics in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. There will also be topics in the arts and humanities, including creative writing, law, film making, paper making and more.

Full Story: http://www.montana.edu/news/16797/msu-peaks-and-potentials-youth-camp-open-for-registration
Imaginary arguments, he says, allow you to sharpen your thinking against people smarter than you.

The venture capitalist explores how to shape an innovative mindset.

by Ian Chipman

Full Story: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/marc-andreessen-take-ego-out-ideas
State budget season shifts from the proposal stage to legislative approval. Over the coming months, the Digest will cover funding of relevant programs. Our first look includes $2.5 million in Wyoming for the Economically Needed Diversification Options for Wyoming (ENDOW) program and $4.6 million in South Dakota for the Office of Research Commerce.

Full Story: http://ssti.org/blog/wy-sd-budgets-fund-innovation-initiatives?utm_source=SSTI+Weekly+Digest&utm_campaign=8010df38cc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ecf5992d4c-8010df38cc-212414005
The amount of sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic is at a record low and climate change is partly to blame, scientists announced Wednesday.

Overall, the combined Arctic and Antarctic sea ice numbers are at their lowest point since satellites began to continuously measure sea ice in 1979.

Arctic sea ice reached a record wintertime low for the third straight year, while sea ice around Antarctica shrank to its lowest summertime area on record. Scientists blame the decline in ice on a combination of natural, random weather and man-made global warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas.

Doyle Rice , USA TODAY

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/03/23/artic-antarctic-sea-ice-shrinks-record-low/99530332/
On this weeks Energy Gang podcast, we look at the accelerating pace of coal closures around the U.S. and the worldand the plan to help communities that rely on coal.

by Stephen Lacey

Full Story: https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/coal-is-losing?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=GTMDaily
Les membres du gouvernement ont pris note que divers protocoles seront signes pour le secteur des PME, des activites qui seront organisees dans le cadre de lInternational Day of Cooperatives celebre le 2 juillet 2022, de la participation des villages de Bel Ombre, Grand Baie et Trou dEau Douce a la deuxieme edition du United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Best Tourism Villages Initiative entre autres.

1. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of:

(a) a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of the Republic of India on cooperation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises;

(b) a Memorandum of Understanding between SME Mauritius Ltd and the National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Republic of India on cooperation in the field of micro, small and medium enterprises;

(c) a Memorandum of Understanding between SME Mauritius Ltd and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India on cooperation in the field of technical assistance in fostering entrepreneurship among SMEs as well as transfer of technology; and

(d) a Memorandum of Understanding between SME Mauritius Ltd and the Central Footwear Training Institute of India on cooperation in the field of training, technology transfer and promotion of products and services offered by SMEs.

2. Cabinet has taken note of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the State Trading Corporation and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) for the procurement of rice, wheat, edible oil and other agricultural commodities. NAFED is an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in India, and has the mandate to procure, supply and export various agricultural commodities from India.

3. Cabinet has taken note of the activities being organised by the Cooperatives Division of the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives to mark the International Day of Cooperatives, to be celebrated on 02 July 2022. The theme chosen for this year by the United Nations and the International Cooperative Alliance is: Cooperatives Build a Better World. The following activities would, inter alia, be organised:

(a) a wreath laying ceremony on 30 June 2022 at Les Jardins de la Compagnie, Port Louis together with the Mauritius Cooperative Alliance Ltd;

(b) a Gathering of Cooperators at the National Co-operative College, Bois Marchand on 02 July 2022;

(c) a training session on 30 June and 01 July 2022 on the preparation of selected Rodriguan dishes to be provided by six women cooperators from Rodrigues at the National Cooperative College;

(d) holding of a Cooperative market fair at Quatre Bornes on 04 July 2022; and

(e) radio talks on the cooperative movement in Mauritius and Rodrigues.

4. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius nominating the villages of Bel Ombre, Grand Baie and Trou dEau Douce to participate in the second edition of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Best Tourism Villages Initiative. The overarching objective of the Initiative is to make tourism a positive force for transformation, rural development and community wellbeing, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The selected villages under the Best Tourism Villages Initiative could benefit from one of the following:

(a) the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO recognition, which represents an outstanding example of a rural tourism destination with recognised cultural and natural assets, which preserves and promotes rural and community-based values, products and lifestyle and has a clear commitment to innovation and sustainability; or

(b) the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Upgrade Programme, whereby selected villages would receive support from UNWTO and its Partners in improving elements of the areas identified as gaps in the evaluation process.

Last year, Le Morne and Old Grand Port villages were awarded the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO recognition.

5. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the 22nd African Senior Athletics Championships held in Mauritius at the Cote dOr National Sports Complex from 08 to 12 June 2022. A total of 785 athletes and officials from 47 countries participated in the Championships.

6. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the world. Some 546.7 million cases have been reported globally, of which 522.3 million persons have been successfully treated.

With regard to Mauritius, as at 22 June 2022, there were 268 active cases of COVID-19, out of which 17 were admitted at the New ENT Hospital. Over the period 16 to 22 June 2022, one death was attributed to COVID-19.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

0 shares Share

Tweet

LinkedIn

Articles similaires
Le ministre du Developpement Industriel a pris la parole lors de lAssemblee Generale Annuelle de la Mauritius Chamber and Commerce and Industry qui a eu lieu le pendant l matinee du 31 mars 2022.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

0 shares Share

Tweet

LinkedIn

Articles similaires
By Liz Hampton

HOUSTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Commodities trader Trammo Inc is continuing to shed its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) assets, putting its Newington, New Hampshire, propane terminal on the block and selling a Tampa, Florida, facility, the company told Reuters on Friday.

The shakeup comes as the large energy and fertilizer trader is winding down its LPG trading desk following steep losses last year, sources familiar with the matter have said.

The New-York based firm in November said it would seek to maximize the value of its waterborne propane terminals across the United States, including the Tampa propane terminal and the one in Newington.

In February, it sold the Tampa facility to Plains LPG Services, a unit of Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline LP, for an undisclosed amount.

The trader has retained investment bank Houlihan Lokey Inc to explore alternatives for the New Hampshire terminal that include a sale or continued ownership, said William Markstein, Trammo's senior vice president - corporate, deputy general counsel.

The bank is currently marketing the facility through a formal sale process, Markstein said in an email.

Sea-3, a division of Trammo, operated the Tampa terminal and currently operates the New Hampshire facility.

The company has also experienced key personnel changes in the last year, which may have altered its strategic direction.

Brent Hart recently became chief executive officer of the company, not long after the death of founder and Chairman Emeritus Ronald Stanton in September.

Trammo's Newington terminal is positioned to receive propane from the liquids-rich Marcellus and Utica shale regions, but an expansion project at the facility has been criticized by some local residents who are concerned about rail shipments to the terminal.

The expansion, which would allow for additional rail cars shipments and more storage, was approved in 2015.

(Editing by Gary McWilliams and Matthew Lewis)
* Credit Suisse CEO Thiam received 11.9 mln Sfr for 2016

* Overall bonus pool up 6 pct to 3.09 bln Sfr

* FY net loss now 2.7 bln Sfr after new RMBS settlement

* Bank says preparations continuing for Swiss unit IPO (Adds comments from rating agency, detail)

By Joshua Franklin

ZURICH, March 24 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse Chief Executive Tidjane Thiam's pay for his first full year in the job swelled to 11.9 million Swiss francs ($12 million), while bonuses rose 6 percent despite back-to-back annual losses at Switzerland's second-biggest bank.

Executive pay is a hot-button issue in Switzerland, with voters backing a "fat cat" referendum in 2013 giving shareholders a binding vote on pay.

Thiam's pay packet followed a near-3 billion franc loss at Credit Suisse in 2016 amid a major restructuring and penalties for the sale of toxic mortgage debt in the run-up to the financial crisis.

"Overall, the board considered Mr Thiam's strong leadership, consistent execution of the group's communicated strategy, effective delivery of cost efficiencies, principled and ethical conduct, and his role in driving the group towards a stronger capital position in determining that Mr Thiam had met his performance targets set for the year," the bank said in its annual report on Friday.

Thiam, a former Ivorian government minister who is reshaping the bank by boosting wealth management and scaling back investment banking, earned 4.57 million francs in 2015 after joining Credit Suisse from British insurer Prudential at mid-year. He had requested a 40 percent bonus cut that year.

Chairman Urs Rohner's compensation rose to 3.98 million francs in 2016 from 3.2 million. The bank's bonus pool increased to 3.09 billion francs.

Rival UBS paid Chief Executive Sergio Ermotti 13.7 million francs last year and cut its bonus pool by 17 percent to 2.9 billion francs. Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan took home 3.8 million euros ($4.1 million) last year.

CAPITAL QUESTIONS

Credit Suisse upped its net loss for 2016 to 2.71 billion francs from 2.44 billion after agreeing in principle to settle a residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) case with the National Credit Union Administration Board in the United States.

Story continues

This cut the bank's common equity tier 1 ratio, a closely watched measure of balance sheet strength, to 11.5 percent from 11.6 percent, heightening its need to raise capital.

Credit Suisse's current plan is to raise up to 4 billion francs via an initial public offering (IPO) of a minority stake in its Swiss banking division.

However, it is also considering a quick-fire share sale at group level and its board of directors is set to decide in April how to proceed, Reuters has reported.

A speedy share sale via a so-called accelerated bookbuilding (ABB) could be a simpler solution, according to Bernd Ackermann, who covers Credit Suisse for S&P Global Ratings.

"In terms of the money it can raise, it is neutral to our ratings if it's through the IPO or an accelerated bookbuilding," Ackermann told Reuters on Thursday.

"But it could be better not to have the more complicated, fragmented structure you'd get through the IPO."

One hurdle to clear for an ABB is the amount of new stock shareholders authorise the bank to issue. In its invitation to next month's annual meeting, it proposed increasing its authorised capital only for its scrip dividend.

($1 = 0.9956 Swiss francs)

($1 = 0.9263 euros) (Editing by Mark Potter)
FILE PHOTO - The headquarters of Germany's Deutsche Bank are seen early evening in Frankfurt, Germany January 31, 2017. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo

By Anjuli Davies

LONDON (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) has chosen a new office for its London headquarters, signalling a vote of confidence in Britain's capital despite the country's decision to leave the European Union.

The German lender has entered into exclusive negotiations with developer Land Securities (LAND.L) over a 25-year lease on a new building to be constructed at 21 Moorfields in the City of London, according to a memo sent to staff on Thursday and seen by Reuters.

"The move underlines the bank's commitment to the City of London and the importance it attaches to being an employer of choice in the capital," the memo, sent by Garth Ritchie, Deutsche Bank's UK chief executive and head of its corporate and investment bank, said.

Deutsche Bank, which employs around 7,000 people in London, is due to begin transferring staff to the new building, which will house its corporate and investment bank, in the second half of 2023.

"The site will provide a long-term, sustainable location for the Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB) and infrastructure colleagues who need to be situated alongside CIB. Locating these staff in one building will increase productivity and strengthen controls and communication between functions," the memo said.

As Britain prepares to trigger Article 50 on March 29 and begin divorce talks with the EU, some financial firms have stepped up contingency plans on how to deal with any disruption that might ensue.

This week Goldman Sachs (GS.N) said it would begin moving hundreds of people out of London as part of contingency planning to retain access to the single market even before Britain officially leaves the bloc.

Deutsche Bank, which employs around 9,000 people in Britain, currently has 15 buildings scattered across London, including its current CIB HQ at Winchester House in the City of London financial district.

In June 2015, the bank said it would move about 4,000 back office workers from five buildings in the City to one in Canary Wharf in the east of the capital, where much of Britain's financial sector is now based.

Story continues

In March, Deutsche Bank also started relocating employees from its asset management and wealth management divisions into a new building in Victoria, South-West London called the Zig Zag building.

Deutsche Bank on Sunday announced details of its latest bid for cash, as it turned for the fourth time to investors, many of whom have privately expressed exasperation with its strategic shifts and heavy losses in recent years.

(Reporting By Anjuli Davies; Editing by Victoria Bryan)
Zdenek P. Bazant, McCormick Institute Professor and Walter P. Murphy Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, has been elected as a foreign member of the renowned Academy of Athens, Greeces national academy.

The Academy of Athens comprises 200 leading scholars from Greece and around the world within three research sections devoted to the sciences, fine arts, and ethical and political sciences. Bazant joins the Academy of Athens as one of just six foreign members within its Section of Sciences.

A pioneer in the field of solid mechanics, inelastic behavior, and quasibrittle structural failure, Bazants research has focused on the mechanics of materials as it relates to structures and structural safety. His studies on the mechanics of fracture, damage and creep, structural stability, finite strain, and failure probability have led to the development of computational models used to assess the safety of quasibrittle structures such as bridges, dams, buildings, aircraft, cars, ships, and nuclear containments.

Bazants election to the Academy of Athens is the latest honor in his storied career. His other honors include memberships in the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Academia Europaea, and the Austrian, Czech, Italian, and Spanish national academies. In 2015, the American Society of Civil Engineers established the Zdenek P. Bazant Medal for Failure and Damage Prevention. Last year, he received the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class, from Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

Inspired by Platos Academy in Ancient Greece, the Academy of Athens was founded in 1926 and is Greeces most prestigious research body. It seeks to promote the sciences, humanities, and fine arts through scientific research projects and collaborations with international partner organizations.
The worlds biggest tech companies have some pretty poor digital rights grades, according to a new study.

A new report scoring tech companiess support for digital rights comes to some surprising conclusions. It ranks Google (GOOG, GOOGL) above Apple (AAPL), puts AT&T (T) atop telecommunications firms and even says some modestly nice things about firms in China and Russia.

But before you rush to the comments to denounce the 2017 Ranking Digital Rights Corporate Accountability Index, realize this report grades transparency, not just conduct  and that its not too complimentary about the effort any of the 22 firms surveyed put into defending your freedom of speech and privacy.

We have two companies that got a D and everybody else got an F, said Ranking Digital Rights director Rebecca MacKinnon at a Thursday-morning event in Washington introducing the Washington-based non-profits report.

Microsoft, Google and everybody else

Those two corporations are Google and Microsoft (MSFT), which earned passing averages  65 and 62 out of 100, respectively  across the reports three categories: governance, freedom of expression and privacy.

The first judges a companys institutional commitment to protecting human rights, as seen in things like having senior-level oversight, assessing the risks to them posed by products and providing customers with responsive complaint mechanisms.

The second rates such free-speech defenses as clear terms of service, a documented process for dealing with requests to remove customers content, transparency about content removal and policies that dont require you to use your real name.

The third covers customers control of their data, transparency about both corporate usage of that data and outside demands for it, responses to security vulnerabilities and data breaches and encryption of your data to protect it from snooping.

Both Google and Microsoft ingest massive amounts of customer information, but both also document what they collect, how they use it, under what conditions a government can get it and how often that happens.

Story continues

After those two, Yahoo (YHOO), Yahoo Finances parent company, and Facebook (FB) earned scores of 58 and 53, respectively. Everybody else fell below 50. AT&T and Twitter (TWTR) each got a 48, while Apple got a score of 35. Samsung earned a dismal 26.

Opacity will hold a company back

Apple, a company that takes great pride in comparing its treatment of its customers data with Googles, did badly because of one word: opacity.

Ranking Digital Rights (funded by the MacArthur, Ford, Open Society and Mozilla foundations, plus the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor) criticized Apples failure to document its policies about freedom of expression. When you look at the companys often-inscrutable control of the iOS App Store and its history of rejecting apps because of their content, thats a fair critique.

As MacKinnon observed Thursday, Theres no transparency about how it polices its App Store.

The report also found fault with the Cupertino, Calif.-based companys lack of disclosure about its data-usage and security policies and procedures  even while noting the consensus in the technical community that its products are among the most secure on the market.

Added MacKinnon, Its not clear why they dont disclose more.

Samsung got punished for being even less open about its policies, including a failure to post a transparency report, which serves as a regular account of government demands for user data that has become common at most large U.S. tech firms.

USA! USA!

The most striking part of this report may be how badly tech and telecom companies outside of the U.S. performed.

The Korean mobile-internet firm Kakao earned a 50 for its clear data-use policies, the British telecom firm Vodafone got a 48 largely on the strength of its governance scoreand nobody else did better than 33.

That includes such European firms as Frances Orange (32) and Spains Telefonica (33) that operate under much stricter privacy laws than their U.S. counterparts. Once again, a lack of transparency held them back.

Even if theyre complying with European data protection regulations, theyre not telling their users very much, MacKinnon said.

The report covers internet companies operating in China (Baidu and Tencent, 13 and 22) and Russia (Yandex and Mail.ru, 28 and 22), but the worst scores fell to two state-owned telecom firms in the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates Etisalat, got an 8 and Qatars Ooredoo notched a 5 for disclosing next to nothing about their policies protecting customers rights.

Now what?

Will this report get those laggards to do better? Maybe not. But theres room to hope that non-cellar-dwelling companies will strive to do better.

In response to our evaluation in 2015 several companies improved their transparency reporting, MacKinnon wrote in an e-mail. She added that while no companies in 2015s survey disclosed data about content removed on terms-of-service grounds, three now do.

Based on conversations with companies we have reason to believe that our ranking was among several prompts for them to do this, she said. And at Thursdays event, she noted that Twitters latest transparency report now features information about TOS removals.

This kind of public shaming and scolding may not be much, but given the Trump administrations campaign to curb government regulations, it may also be all we have in the United States.

More from Rob:

Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro.
Engineers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have developed an innovative way of using the sun to power a "synthetic skin" used on prosthetic limbs.



In a news release on Wednesday, the university said that the research could help to produce advanced prosthetic limbs "capable of returning the sense of touch to amputees."



The team at Glasgow had previously developed an "electronic skin" made from graphene to cover prosthetic hands, the university added. They had now developed a method which uses graphene's physical properties to harness the sun's energy and power the skin.

The university described graphene as a highly flexible form of graphite that is only a single atom thick but stronger than steel. In addition, it is both transparent and electrically conductive.



This "optical transparency" makes it capable of gathering energy from the sun in order to produce power.



Ravinder Dahiya, together with colleagues from his Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies group, had now added power generating photovoltaic cells to their electronic skin. Photovoltaic cells directly convert the light of the sun into electricity.



"Human skin is an incredibly complex system capable of detecting pressure, temperature and texture through an array of neural sensors which carry signals from the skin to the brain," Dahiya, from the university's School of Engineering, said.

"My colleagues and I have already made significant steps in creating prosthetic prototypes which integrate synthetic skin and are capable of making very sensitive pressure measurements," Dahiya added.



"Those measurements mean the prosthetic hand is capable of performing challenging tasks like properly gripping soft materials, which other prosthetics can struggle with."

Glasgow said that the new skin needs only 20 nanowatts of power per square centimeter, an amount "easily met even by the poorest-quality photovoltaic cells currently available on the market."

"The other next step for us is to further develop the power-generation technology which underpins this research and use it to power the motors which drive the prosthetic hand itself," Dahiya said. "This could allow the creation of an entirely energy-autonomous prosthetic limb."



The team's paper was published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.





More From CNBC


By Luciana Lopez (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will announce the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline at the White House on Friday, alongside the chief executive officer of builder TransCanada Corp, according to a senior administration official. The pipeline linking Canadian oil sands to U.S. refiners had been blocked by former President Barack Obama, who said the pipeline would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for U.S. motorists and would contribute emissions linked to global warming. Trump signed an executive order to advance the project soon after taking office in January, saying it would create thousands of jobs. The administration official said that among those scheduled to be at the White House for the 10:15 a.m. EDT announcement are TransCanada Chief Executive Russell Girling and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Unions. Expedited approval of projects is part of Trump's approach for a 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure package he promised on the campaign trail. The White House is looking for ways to speed up approvals and permits for infrastructure projects, which can sometimes take years to go through the maze of regulatory requirements. "It does fit into the overall strategy the president has for infrastructure," the official said. The multibillion-dollar Keystone pipeline would bring more than 800,000 barrels per day of heavy crude from Canada's oil sands in Alberta into Nebraska, linking to an existing pipeline network feeding U.S. refineries and ports along the Gulf of Mexico. Approvals are still needed from state regulators, and the pipeline could face legal challenges. Conservatives have said they support quick approval. Nick Loris, an energy and environment researcher at the Heritage Foundation, said on Thursday that approval would "re-establish some certainty and sanity to a permitting process that was hijacked by political pandering." Environmental groups that have opposed the pipeline have said they will continue the fight with petitions, political pressure and mass protests. (Reporting by Luciana Lopez in New York; Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney)
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 23, 2017

AT&T and Verizon, two of the largest companies spending advertising dollars on Google, have decided to pull advertisements from running on YouTube and the Google Display Network. AT&T said Wednesday that it would pull all ads, with the exception of paid search, until Google could ensure that their ads will not serve next to extremist content again.

The exodus stems from the controversy over YouTube serving extremist content next to brand content and not giving companies enough controls to stop the action.

Eric Schmidt, executive chairman at Alphabet, Google's parent company, briefly responded to the issue on Fox Business Network with Maria Bartiromo.



Schmidt initially did not directly address the issues of AT&T and Verizon pulling their advertisements based on YouTube serving extremist content next to their brand content -- but he did admit that YouTube's growth has made monitoring advertisements and the content in which it serves up against a major responsibility and a challenge to manage.

advertisement advertisement

When Bartiromo asked "how do you control extremism on YouTube," Schmidt attributed the issues to a "ranking problem." He said social media sites think in terms of links, rather than rankings -- meaning ranking in terms of the order in which the content is served on a page in the site.

While YouTube has been called one of the world's biggest search engines, similar to google.com, it still does not operate quite the same way in terms of returning and serving content.

Schmidt said YouTube's technology can see when disturbing content gets posted and the algorithms can shut it down or rather "de-rank it" -- a process that takes more time.

Although the company is very good at detecting the most and least relevant content, Schmidt said, it should be possible for computers to detect malicious, misleading and incorrect information that cannot be seen. "We're not arguing for censorship," he said. "We're arguing to just take it off the page. Put it somewhere else. Make it harder to find."

Companies in the United Kingdom and the United States began pulling their advertisements from Google after an investigation by The Times of London discovered that brand ads were serving up next to extremist content.
by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, March 23, 2017

Ad groups and Internet service providers are celebrating today's Senate vote to scrap broadband privacy rules that could restrict carriers' ability to engage in online behavioral advertising.



This is an important victory for all who benefit from the data-driven marketing economy, including tens of thousands of businesses and nonprofit organizations and hundreds of millions of consumers," Data & Marketing Association Senior Vice President Emmett O'Keefe said today in a statement.

The 21st Century Privacy Coalition -- headed by former Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz and former Republican congresswoman Mary Bono from California, and funded by cable and telecom companies -- also praised the Senate vote. "Consumers and innovation will benefit from the Administration having the opportunity to hit the reset button and develop a comprehensive approach to consumer online privacy," Bono stated.

advertisement advertisement

The sweeping rules, passed by the Federal Communications Commission last October, require broadband carriers to obtain consumers' opt-in consent before drawing on their Web-browsing data or app usage history for ad targeting.

The Senate voted 50-48 to issue a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act -- a 1996 measure that allows federal lawmakers to repeal recent agency decisions. The House could vote on a similar measure next week. If President Donald Trump signs the measure, the FCC won't be able to pass broadband privacy rules in the future.

Broadband carriers and the ad industry argue that the opt-in consent requirement isn't fair to carriers, given that many other companies -- including search engines, social networking services and ad networks -- draw on a good deal of Web-browsing data on an opt-out basis.

But consumer advocates say broadband carriers aren't comparable to search engines, ad networks or other online companies. One reason is that broadband carriers can glean detailed knowledge about subscribers' online activity by examining all unencrypted traffic that passes through their networks; another is that consumers often don't have many options about which carrier to use for broadband access.

The Federal Trade Commission -- which lacks jurisdiction over broadband providers and other common carriers -- broadly recommends that Web companies allow people to opt out of the collection and sharing of non-sensitive data. The FTC also suggests that companies should obtain opt-in consent before sharing a narrow category of "sensitive" data -- including health information and precise location data.

Privacy advocates widely condemned this afternoon's Senate vote. "The information ISPs have about their customers includes web browsing and video viewing habits, religious information, sexual preferences, health conditions, and location," Center for Democracy & Technology policy analyst Natasha Duarte stated. "These are some of the most intimate details about people's lives, and customers should have control over how companies can use and share this information."

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is urging people to express opposition to the measure by calling their House representatives, says ISPs "shouldnt be able to profit off of the information about what you search for, read about, purchase, and more without your consent."

"Americans lost a crucial right today as the GOP-controlled Senate voted to overturn the only federal protection that could have protected their privacy online," Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy said in an email.

Earlier this year, a group of broadband carriers promised the FCC that they would follow the privacy standards set out by the FTC. The carriers said they will allow subscribers to opt out of the use of "non-sensitive" Web-surfing data for ad targeting purposes, and obtain people's opt-in consent before drawing on a limited category of "sensitive" data, including precise geolocation information, financial account numbers and some types of health data.

Whether the ISPs intend to keep that promise if the rules are repealed by Congress remains unknown.
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, March 24, 2017

More evidence is emerging that details how Russian intelligence uses fake news to shape public opinion and influence the outcomes of elections in other countries.

In the latest revelation, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, a Russian dossier intercepted by Bulgarias intelligence service outlines how pro-Russian politicians there should employ fake news and other types of deception, such as distorted polls, to secure victory.



The 30-page dossier was drawn up by a Russian think tank with close connections to the Kremlin. It was delivered by a former Russian spy to strategists working for Bulgarias Socialist Party in the lead-up to the Bulgarian presidential election in November 2016.

The fall saw an explosion of fake Bulgarian-language news stories on the Internet, jumping from 50 per day in the summer to 400 per day in late October, amplified across social media by hundreds of apparently fake accounts. Many contained small variations on the same name.

The pro-Russian Socialist candidate, Ruman Radev, won handily with 59.4% of the vote, beating establishment candidate Tsetska Tsacheva with just 36.2%. He appears to be leading in a new round of parliamentary elections.

Foreign experts fear that Radev will try to restrict NATO activity in the Black Sea area  out of deference to Russia. In addition, he has expressed opposition to the European Unions sanctions against Russia, stemming from the continuing conflict in Ukraine.

Bulgaria also controls the land link from Turkey to Europe, giving it an important strategic role.

This is just the latest example of fake news, at least some of it linked to Russian intelligence, apparently influencing the outcome of elections both in the U.S. and Europe.

In the Czech Republic, officials have accused Russia of backing dozens of Czech-language Web sites publishing fake news and conspiracy theories, playing on fears of refugees and immigrants and specially targeting the U.S., NATO, EU, and Germany.

As in Bulgaria, fake news also plays on feelings of economic insecurity, anger at official corruption, and cultural resentment toward outsiders.

The WSJ quoted former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who also served as Secretary General of NATO, warning: It is Russias aim to undermine the political cohesion in Western institutions. We havent yet fully grasped the consequences.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, March 24, 2017

In a bid to address the short supply of digital talent in its home market of Japan, Dentsu has created a training and development company called Dentsu Techno Camp. The new unit is a joint venture with Evolable Asia Co. and is being set up in Vietnam with a planned start date of April 1.

With sharply increasing demands for digital services from clients, Dentsu said in a statement that there are concerns over the dwindling number of programmers, system engineers and other developers in the Japan market, which continues to experience a declining birthrate and aging population, making retention of human resources an issue.

For years, Japan has been plagued with a shortage of employees to fill the workforce needs of many industries, including marketing and advertising. That has put pressure on companies and on existing personnel to work sometimes excessive overtime hours, in some cases so extreme that the amount of overtime work has been cited as at least partly the cause of some suicides in the country.

advertisement advertisement

Dentsu itself has been embroiled in a so-called death by overwork scandal over the past year that culminated in late 2016 with the resignation of the firms president and CEO Tadashi Ishii. He was replaced by Toshihiro Yamamoto in January.

Dentsu has also been engulfed in a separate scandal involving its digital practice in Japan that involved over-billing of numerous clients and related transaction processing errors which the firm has taken steps to address.

Evolable Asia has an existing IT offshore development service business in Vietnam with plans for further expansion. That led to talks with Dentsu and the decision to partner in the new joint venture.

Dentsu said that the Techno Camp venture would focus on Web site, system, and smartphone app development, design, coding, and verification, among other digital skills and solutions.
by Larissa Faw , March 24, 2017





Trinchero Family Estates and its agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP) are expanding the Tres Agaves Tequila ad campaign that differentiates the tequila brand by focusing on its distinctive birthplace  Tequila, Mexico.

The new elements of the campaign build on the Tequila made in Tequila initiative we launched late in 2016 to bring to life the world of Tres Agaves through the people in the town of Tequila, says Jay Turner, marketing director, spirits, Trinchero Family Estates.

Characters in the campaign, including Carlos the Volcano Climber and Jorge the Jimador, among others, now have their own Facebook pages and interact with fans as Facebook Messenger chat bots. Consumers reach these characters via calling cards being offered via Tres Agaves vendors and through the Tres Agaves digital channels.

advertisement advertisement

A voicemail and text messages from the three characters will direct fans to the Facebook Messenger experience, where consumers can enter to win a trip to the Tequila Valley.

The campaign is also launching a series of digital films that show scenes of "everyday life" in the valley featured as channels on Tres TV, a section on the Tres Agaves site. These ads feature original characters who live in the Tequila Valley. The agency discovered the individuals through an open casting call in the location and developed story lines around them to give the town a personality all its own.

There are also several short films that delve further into the tequila making process and community.

The original campaign launched last November 2016.
by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, March 24, 2017



Subway is set to release a TV spot and social efforts announcing Daniel Suarez as the new driver for the NASCAR car that Subway sponsors.

Subway is the primary paint sponsor for Joe Gibbs Racings Number 19 car in four races during the season. Suarez is replacing Carl Edwards, the driver Subway helped sponsor for eight seasons, until his retirement at the end of last season.

The 30-second ad (below), from agency MMB, has Suarez, the first Mexican national to race at NASCARs highest level, talking about coming to America for the opportunity to strive to be the best.

Suarez represents the "search for better" that is one of Subways brand promises, says the QSR.

The ad will debut on March 26 during NASCARs AutoClub 400 race in Fontana, Calif. and continue to air throughout the NASCAR season.

In addition, a Spanish-language version of the ad will air on Spanish-language television networks.

The ad will also be featured on Subways social media channels.
by Larissa Faw , March 24, 2017

22squared's Tampa office has launched a student advertising competition where five teams have 48 hours to create an advertising campaign focused on raising awareness for a local non-profit, Eckerd Kids.

The event, called Mobilize 2017, kicked off today and ends Sunday.

This year the agency received more than 110 applicants (for 25 spots), hailing from USF, FSU, Ringling, SCAD, UGA, UNC Chapel Hill and University of Alabama.

One winning team will see its creative concept run as an advertising campaign, while other teams will receive a variety of prizes, with the grand prize valued at over $2,500.

"The specific prizes are surprises," says 22squareds Shane Needham, VP, Director of Production.

This is the fourth year for the Mobilize initiative in Tampa. Last year, the effort benefitted The Spring of Tampa Bay, with a comprehensive advertising campaign, entitled #PeaceInPurple, which was a social awareness activation asking people to wear purple lipstick in support of domestic violence survivors. The cosmetics brand, Mary Kay, donated 450 tubes of purple lipstick to The Spring that was given to guests at its annual luncheon.

advertisement advertisement

22squared corals a bunch of sponsors to help pull off the event. This years sponsors include Hulu; Spotify; Pandora; RadiumOne; Clear Channel Outdoor; Yahoo; iHeart Media; Yume, Varick Media Management; Cut & Run; ASD; Master Maintenance; Rudre Properties; Elite Group, Carrabba's; Moxie's; Moe's; Little Greek; Pita Pit; Bruegger's Bagels and Jersey Mike's.
Two thirds of the mutations that cause cancer may be due to random, unpredictable DNA copying mistakes, according to scientists from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, MD. These errors are reported to occur regardless of lifestyle and environmental factors. Share on Pinterest Most mutations that cause cancer result from random DNA copying errors that occur when cells divide. It is not entirely understood why some people develop cancer while others do not. There are lifestyle and environmental risk factors that make a person more likely to develop cancer, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity, and exposure to harmful chemicals. While these risk factors can be avoided to lower the risk of cancer, the majority of cancer cases occur in people with no known risk factors and no family history of the disease. For people that try to actively decrease their chances of disease by living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding known risk factors and yet still develop cancer, they may question what they are doing wrong. Bert Vogelstein, co-director of the Ludwig Center at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center says: Its not your fault. Nothing you did or didnt do was responsible for your illness. Even with the best health intentions, cancer may still develop due to mistakes that crop up when cells divide to form new cells.

Early detection strategies may tackle cancers caused by copying errors The team at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center conducted a study to find out what fraction of mutations in cancer DNA copying errors are responsible for. Their findings were published in the journal Science. It is well-known that we must avoid environmental factors such as smoking to decrease our risk of getting cancer. But it is not as well-known that each time a normal cell divides and copies its DNA to produce two new cells, it makes multiple mistakes, says Cristian Tomasetti, Ph.D., assistant professor of biostatistics at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These copying mistakes are a potent source of cancer mutations that historically have been scientifically undervalued, and this new work provides the first estimate of the fraction of mutations caused by these mistakes, he adds. We need to continue to encourage people to avoid environmental agents and lifestyles that increase their risk of developing cancer mutations, says Vogelstein. However, many people will still develop cancers due to these random DNA copying errors, and better methods to detect all cancers earlier, while they are still curable, are urgently needed. Tomasetti and Vogelsteins research agrees with previous studies that show that around 40 percent of cancers could be prevented by avoiding unhealthy lifestyles and environments. The researchers say that while efforts to reduce environmental risk factors will have a significant impact on cancer incidence, the new research highlights that there is little attention given to early cancer detection strategies that would tackle the considerable number of cancers that are caused by DNA copying errors. These cancers will occur no matter how perfect the environment, explains Vogelstein.

Mutations in cancer due to DNA copying mistakes investigated Mutations that are behind abnormal cell growth in 32 types of cancer were observed. According to the researchers, it typically takes two or more critical gene mutations to cause cancer. These mutations can be due to inherited genes, the environment, or random DNA copying errors. The team developed a new mathematical model using DNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and epidemiologic data from the Cancer Research UK database to find out what fraction of cancer mutations are due to DNA copying mistakes. Using the mathematical model, Tomasetti and Vogelstein could add together the critical mutations in each of the 32 cancer types and determine what percentage of mutations were due to DNA copying errors, the environment, and hereditary factors. For example, for pancreatic cancer, when the critical mutations were added together, 77 percent were a result of random DNA copying errors, 18 percent were due to environmental factors, and 5 percent down to heredity. In cancers of the bone, brain, and prostate, more than 95 percent of mutations were the result of random DNA copying mistakes. In contrast, lung cancer painted a different picture: 65 percent of mutations were a result of environmental factors, predominantly smoking. The other 35 percent of mutations were attributed to copying errors. It is not thought that inherited factors have a part in the development of lung cancers. Overall, the team estimated that across the 32 types of cancer, 66 percent of cancer mutations are due to random DNA copying mistakes, 29 percent result from lifestyle and environmental factors, and the remaining 5 percent are down to hereditary factors.
Rex Tillerson

Exxon Mobil lost up to a year's worth of emails sent by former CEO and current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson under the pseudonym "Wayne Tracker," court documents show.

Exxon is under investigation by New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman for allegedly misleading shareholders and investors about risk-management issues related to climate change.

Tillerson used the Wayne Tracker alias to communicate with Exxon officials about "risk-management issues related to climate change." Tillerson  whose middle name is Wayne  allegedly used the alias for a period of seven years, between 2008 and 2015, according to Schneiderman's office.

Attorneys for Exxon wrote a letter to the court on Tuesday  highlighted by Buzzfeed's Mike Hayes  describing how the emails were lost. Assistant State Attorney General John Oleske called the letter a "bombshell," in a court hearing on Wednesday, alleging that Exxon failed to comply with the original subpoena in 2016.

The letter describes how Tillerson's "Wayne Tracker" emails were exempted from a "file sweep" that protects personal emails on Exxon's server from automatic deletion. The emails, ranging from September 5, 2014 to September 16, 2015, were classified by Exxon's system as non-personal, and were wiped.

A secondary search, with broader terms, turned up some of the missing "Wayne Tracker" emails, though none from September 5, 2014 to November 28, 2014.

"Tillerson was the only custodian who used a secondary account, and ExxonMobil is aware of no email account, other than the Wayne Tracker account, for which this issue has arisen," the letter reads.

Darren Woods, Chairman & CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation attends a news conference at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

In the Wednesday court hearing, Exxon was ordered by Justice Barry Ostrager to produce all relevant management documents by March 31.

Story continues

Exxon was further ordered by the court to produce sworn affidavits by April 10 regarding everything the company's lawyers have done to produce the management documents, as well as all the information they know about what was lost. They must also swear that they have produced everything owed to the attorney general's office under the original subpoena.

"16 months after our initial subpoena, Exxon was ordered by the court to finally produce all documents from its management committee, and to provide clear answers to the AGs office about any documents  including those from alias accounts  that were lost,"Amy Spitalnick, the press secretary for the New York attorney general, told Business Insider.

Exxon was ordered to meet with the attorney general's office to figure out what can be done to recover the lost emails.

Exxon was not immediately available for comment.

NOW WATCH: Obama's White House photographer has been trolling Trump on Instagram





More From Business Insider


People with diabetes have a significantly higher risk for heart attack. Now, new research suggests that diabetes damages the small blood vessels around the heart, and this might explain the link to heart attack. In a study reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the researchers also propose a solution may lie in gene therapy. Share on Pinterest The researchers suggest that the high blood sugar that occurs in untreated diabetes damages the small blood vessels of the heart and this explains the link between diabetes and higher risk of heart attack. Diabetes is a chronic disease that arises either because the body does not produce enough insulin (typical of type 1 diabetes) or because it cannot effectively use the insulin it produces (typical of type 2 diabetes). Around 90 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. Insulin is a hormone that helps keep blood sugar (glucose) under control. Uncontrolled diabetes results in high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, which, over time, damages many parts of the body, including nerves and blood vessels. The number of people with diabetes worldwide was estimated to be 422 million in 2014, up from 108 million in 1980. The disease is a major cause of blindness, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation In the United States, there are now more than 29 million people with diabetes, up from 26 million in 2010. Another 86 million people have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet in the range for type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes affects small cardiac blood vessels Fast facts about diabetes The global prevalence of diabetes among adults rose from 4.7 percent in 1980 to 8.5 percent in 2014.

Once a disease seen only in adults, the number of children with type 2 diabetes is increasing.

The total medical costs and lost productivity and wages associated with diabetes in the U.S. came to $245 billion in 2012. Learn more about diabetes The new study  led by researchers at Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany  investigates the effect of diabetes on the small blood vessels, or capillaries, that surround the heart. Damage to these can affect the whole of the heart muscle. The hearts network of veins and arteries and small offshoots into capillaries can be compared to a road traffic network. If one small minor road is blocked, it has little effect on the whole network. However, if more and more small side roads come to a halt, the traffic on the main roads and highways becomes denser and denser, and eventually the whole system seizes up and a heart attack ensues. The researchers suggest their findings show how diabetes can have this effect. They compared samples of heart tissue taken from patients with and without diabetes who underwent heart transplants. The samples from patients with diabetes showed that their hearts had significantly fewer small blood vessels around them. After running tests in the laboratory, the team also found high levels of blood sugar are linked to loss of pericytes  a type of cell that forms a protective layer around small blood vessels. The team believes this layer stabilizes the blood vessel and causes the blood vessels to break up when damaged.
A new study sheds light on why people who attend spiritual retreats report greater psychological well-being, after finding that such retreats may increase levels of feel-good hormones in the brain.

Share on Pinterest New research offers insight into how spiritual retreats affect the brain.

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, found that individuals who attended a spiritual retreat for 7 days experienced changes in the dopamine and serotonin systems of the brain, which boosts the availability of these neurotransmitters.

Dopamine helps to regulate movement and emotional responses, while serotonin helps to control emotion and mood.

Co-author Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of research in the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University, and colleagues say their study provides insight into the emotional impact of spiritual practices.

Since serotonin and dopamine are part of the reward and emotional systems of the brain, it helps us understand why these practices result in powerful, positive emotional experiences, says Dr. Newberg.

Spiritual retreats can be defined as a place for people of varying spiritual beliefs to engage in practices aimed at reinforcing their faith and improving their health and well-being.

According to the researchers, an increasing number of people are visiting such retreats, and studies have shown that these individuals often report a reduction in anxiety, stress, and other psychological benefits.

However, note Dr. Newberg and colleagues, no studies have explored the neurophysiological effects of these retreat programs. The team set out to address this gap in research.
New antibiotics are becoming available for the first time but without accurate diagnostics, clear treatment guidelines, and improved control efforts, their effectiveness could be rapidly lost

The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) threatens to derail decades of progress in controlling the disease, according to a new report in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

Although a small number of repurposed and new drugs have recently become available to treat drug-resistant TB (including bedaquiline, delamanid, and linezolid), the authors warn that without accurate diagnostic tests to deliver individually targeted treatments, clear prescription guidelines on appropriate use and improved control efforts to prevent transmission, optimal dosing and administration, and well-functioning health care systems, the effectiveness of the drugs could be rapidly lost.

TB kills more people each year than any other infectious disease, including HIV/AIDS. In 2015, TB was estimated to have killed 1.8 million people. Six countries account for 60% of the total number of cases of TB worldwide - India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa1.

Approximately 1 in 5 cases of TB are now resistant to at least one major anti-TB drug and approximately 5% of all cases of TB are classed as MDR (resistant to two essential first-line TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin) or XDR (also resistant to fluoroquinolones and second-line injectable drugs). Globally in 2015, there were an estimated 480000 cases of MDR-TB, with approximately half of these cases being in India, China, and Russia. But, migration and travel mean that highly drug-resistant TB strains have emerged in almost every part of the world.

MDR and XDR-TB are associated with high mortality, are a threat to health-care workers, prohibitively expensive to treat, and are therefore a serious public health problem. The mortality rate is extremely high at around 40% for patients with MDR-TB, and 60% for patients with XDR-TB. Of the US$6.3 billion available in 2014 to respond to the global TB epidemic, about a third ($1.8 billion) was for MDR-TB (despite drug resistant TB forming only 5% of the total caseload).

TB is caused by a bacterial species called Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is treated with a combination of antibiotics. The treatment of TB was revolutionised in the 1950s with the introduction of three antibiotics: streptomycin, isoniazid, and para-aminosalicylic acid. The extensive overuse and abuse of antibiotics worldwide has led to a rise in bacteria that are drug resistant. Drug-resistant genetic mutations in the bacteria can occur as a result of inadequate treatment or can be passed on from one bacteria to another. Bacteria can acquire multiple drug resistance traits over time, making them resistant to several different types of antibiotics.

Until recently, it was thought that drug-resistant strains of TB were less transmissible, and that MDR- and XDR-TB was mainly acquired by individuals as a result of poor compliance to treatment. However, recent molecular and epidemiological studies, outlined in the Commission, have challenged this belief. In most regions of the world, drug-resistant TB is now predominantly caused by transmission, with an estimated 95.9% of new cases infected with MDR-TB strains due to the drug resistant bacteria spreading from one person to the next.

"Resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs is a global problem that threatens to derail efforts to eradicate the disease. Even when the drugs work, TB is difficult to cure and requires months of treatment with a cocktail of drugs. When resistance occurs the treatment can take years and the drugs used have unpleasant and sometimes serious side effects. Cure rates for drug resistant TB are poor and people can remain infectious and at risk of spreading the disease. Improved diagnostic tests are on the horizon, but we need huge efforts to increase their accuracy, use them for active case finding in the community, and eventually make them available in low income countries so as to inform treatment decisions and preserve the efficacy of any new antibiotic drugs for TB," says lead author of the Commission Professor Keertan Dheda, University of Cape Town.2

The Commission sets out key priority actions for the next two, five and ten years for the research and policy communities, and outlines key treatment recommendations and procedures for doctors treating patients with MDR- or XDR-TB.

The report is being launched at a conference at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, co-funded by the South African Medical Research Council and the South African Thoracic Society3.

Dr Zarir Udwadia, co-author of the Commission from Hinduja Hospital & Research Center, Mumbai, India says: "TB exists on an epic scale in India, and cases of multidrug resistant TB are an increasing concern. Access to drugs to treat TB, including drug resistant TB is a major concern. Despite some small scale programmes for compassionate use of new life-saving drugs such as bedaquiline and delamanid, there is no widespread access in India meaning these drugs remain unavailable to patients who need them most. Many patients at risk of transmission, or who need palliative care, live in the community because hospitals are full. In addition to new drugs, we need to ensure that patients with incurable disease are treated with dignity and afforded the care they need."2

Writing in a linked Comment, Dr David W Dowdy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, concludes: "Ultimately, Dheda and colleagues are describing an epidemic that is at a crossroads. Every year, strains of drug-resistant tuberculosis will emerge that are more transmissible, more difficult to treat, and more widespread in the community. Yet we also have more tools at our disposal than ever before. And unlike for most other drug-resistant pathogens, we have evidence that, with a comprehensive response, drug-resistant tuberculosis epidemics can be rapidly reversed. Over the next decade, it is quite possible that we will see a drug-resistant tuberculosis epidemic of unprecedented global scale. But it is also possible that the next decade could witness an unprecedented reversal of the global drug-resistant tuberculosis burden. The difference between these two outcomes lies less with the pathogen and more with us as a global tuberculosis control community and whether we have the political will to prioritise a specific response to the disease. Drug-resistant tuberculosis is not standing still; neither can we."
Published in Nature Communications by University of Sydney scholars, the findings suggest medications that boost the effect of natural brain opioids might be a better way to reduce anxiety than 'receptor-binding' opioid drugs like morphine, which have major side effects.

Fear and anxiety help defend us against harm, and are largely controlled via neural circuits of interconnected nerve cells and synaptic activity in the brain's amygdala that allow neurons to pass electrical or chemical signals to each other.

Specialised neural circuits control these emotions, but disturbances in the circuits can cause prolonged and disabling emotional responses that are out of proportion to threatening events.

These disturbances are thought to underlie many anxiety disorders such as phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, which affect up to a million Australians each year.

Anxiety disorders affect 14 per cent of Australians but are poorly managed by commonly prescribed medications such as benzodiazepines and 5HT-reuptake inhibitors.

"These drugs weren't developed to treat anxiety but they're widely used because of chance findings suggesting their clinical usefulness," says the University of Sydney's Associate Professor Elena Bagley, who led the research.

"Many experts agree that better anxiety treatments will come when science uncovers how the neural circuits and endogenous or naturally occurring opioids regulate fear and anxiety.

"The precise action of these natural opioids in the brain is poorly understood, but better insights are critical because these opiods control how we acquire and store fear memories and regulate our emotional responses once a threat has passed."

Experiments in mice have shown that 'deleting' the natural opioid enkephalin, which is heavily expressed in the brain's amygdala, increases their fear, anxiety and aggressiveness. By contrast, increasing enkephalin or reducing its breakdown reduces these behaviours.

While this effect of enkephalin suggests that it is anxiety-inhibiting, when it binds to different receptors in the amygdala, it exerts opposing effects, depending on which one it binds to.

For example, when it binds to the mu-opioid receptor, enkephalin promotes anxiety, but when it binds to the delta-opioid receptor, it inhibits it.

"Given this complexity, understanding the cellular actions of natural opioids at these two receptors is critical if we hope to use opioid-related medications for emotional issues," says Dr Bagley.

"Our findings show that opioids produced and released by our own brain cells strongly regulate these critical neural circuits that are important for fear responses.

"We also show that we could boost the actions of these endogenous opioids using a novel pharmacological approach."
New University of Liverpool research reveals that the immune response of farmed chickens does not develop fast enough to fight off Campylobacter during their short lifespan. The findings have important implications in the challenge towards developing a poultry vaccine for the bug, which is the UK's leading cause of food poisoning.

As both a public health and animal welfare issue, finding a way to control Campylobacter infection is a priority for the poultry industry. There are currently no commercial vaccines and their development is hampered by poor understanding of the immunobiology of the infection.

In the first study of functional immunity to Campylobacter jejuni in the chicken, researchers have shown that antibody production plays a role, albeit limited, in the clearance of intestinal infection. However, it fails to clear the bacterium within the lifetime of a commercial broiler chicken, which is typically around six weeks of age.

Professor Paul Wigley, from the University's Institute of Infection and Global Health, said: "Our findings suggest that any Campylobacter vaccine relying solely on an antibody response is unlikely to be effective in broiler chickens."

Researchers carried out the study by chemically inhibiting the production of antibody-producing white blood cells (B lymphocytes) in broiler chicks, before introducing C.jejuni infection at the age of three weeks and then monitoring bacteria levels in the gut for the next nine weeks. They found that an antibody-associated drop in bacteria levels only became apparent after seven weeks and suggest that the adaptive immune response in the gut only begins to mature at six weeks of age.

Professor Wigley added: "It's likely to be very challenging to produce a protective immune response in broiler chickens before slaughter age, which is around six weeks of age."

"Vaccines that focus on a cell-mediated immune response, or alternatively some way of speeding up the production of antibodies in broiler chickens, may offer more promising routes to controlling Campylobacter, and ultimately reducing the amount of contaminated chicken in our supermarkets."

Approximately four in five cases of Campylobacter infection in the UK result from contaminated poultry - either through consumption of undercooked meat or through cross contamination in the kitchen. While good hygiene and thorough cooking can effectively prevent infection, there are still more than 280,000 cases in the UK and the cost to the economy is estimated at up to 900 million each year.

The work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the paper 'B lymphocytes play a limited role in clearance of Campylobacter jejuni from the chicken intestinal tract' is published in Scientific Reports.


Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.
Books are treasure. Were no strangers to that. But, clearly some of us these people took the saying a little too literally. But, you cant really blame them because these books are a part of world legacythey have shaped knowledge for generations that have come and gone and, in some cases, have changed the way the world would read a book.

Here are the worlds most expensive books and they might surprise you!

1. The Bay Psalm Book

 Telegraph UK

One of the first editions of a version of the Book of Psalms, translated and produced by the Congregationalist Puritans, emigrants of the Massachusetts Bay area, the book was sold at a Sothebys auction last year, in New York, for a whopping $14,165,000. It was printed in 1640 and is one of the 11 surviving copies in the world.

2. The Birds Of America

 Sotheby's

Authored by John James Audubon, this is a first edition copy of a collection of drawings by Audubon who used wire to prop birds up in their natural habitats and draw them in their original life sizes. The drawings had to be accommodated within the double-elephant folio sized pages of the book. Auctioned in 2010, at Sothebys London, as part of the sale of Magnificent Books, Manuscripts and Drawings from the Collection of Frederick, Second Lord Hesketh, the book sold for 7,321,250.

3. The Gutenberg Bible

 AFP

One of the first books to ever have been printed by Johann Gutenberg in 1455, Mainz, the Gutenberg Bible was the onset of printing presses in the world. It changed the way books were perceived in the world. Only 48 copies of the book survive today, out of which, only 31 of them are in perfect condition. A single page of the book values around 50,000, and the entire book is worth around tens of millions of pounds!

4. Comedies, Histories And Tragedies

 AFP

The plays, also collectively known as The First Folio, is a collection of William Shakespeares earliest works. It was printed as early as 1623 but was published seven years after the bards death. The collection has also stood the test of time in classic literature, being one of the most sought after and widely acclaimed literary works by the celebrated Shakespeare. In 2001, it was set at a record-breaking price of $6 million and, as of today, it is said to be worth 4-5million.

5. Don Quixote

 Hulton Archive

One of the most widely acclaimed pieces of classical English literature, Don Quixote, authored by Miguel de Cervantes, has been adapted countless number of times, across different generations. It was originally published in 1605 and is a satire on the tumultuous romances of the period it was written in. One of the earliest concepts on chivalry and romances to ever have been penned, it became a legend in its own right and the key characters, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were immortalized through time. The last complete copy of the book was auctioned back in 1989 at a price of $1.5million.

6. Geographia Cosmographia

 Sotheby's

The Greek writer and renowned Mathematician who inspired Ptolemys theorem, Claudius Ptolemeaus, wrote Geographia Cosmographia, also better known as The Geographywhich served as the foundation for cartography, maps and atlases the world over. While Ptolemy was faulted for the errors in measurements of the maps and locations, his works were the basis of proving that the Earth was indeed spherical and became the guiding principle for future cartographers to provide accurate measurements of the atlases of the world. A copy of this particular version, the Bologna edition sold for over 2million in 2006.

7. The Canterbury Tales

 Huntington Library

The first edition of the work, published sometime in the 15th century, sold at an auction, back in 1998, for 4.6million. The book, authored by Geoffrey Chaucerthe man considered to be the Father of English Literatureis one of the most sought after classical works in the world. The Canterbury Tales has become a must-have collectibles item on every literary connoisseurs bucket list and a must read for every literature student in the world. Only a dozen copies of the 1477 editions survive today, all of which were printed by William Caxton. The value of the books is about seven times as much as it was back in 1998.

8. The Tales Of Beedle The Bard

 Stephen Kelly

This comes as a welcome surprise to all Harry Potter-slash-JK Rowling fans across the world. The unique version of The Tales of Beedle The Bard, by JK Rowling, is bound in brown leather and embellished with moonstones and silver, and has been illustrated by the author, herself. There are only seven such copies around the worldone of which was auctioned off to an Amazon retailer for 1.95million. The remaining six copies have been presented to members closely associated with the Harry Potter franchise, one of which, were guessing is the author, obviously.

9. The Codex Leicester

 EPA

A collection of scientific writings by the legendary celebrated artist, Leonardo Da Vinci, it is said to be one of the artists most famous of all his 30 scientific works. It was originally named after Thomas Coke, later named Earl of Leicester, who had bought the codex in 1719. In 1994, Bill Gates bought the complete works for over $30 million.

10. The Stonyhurst Gospel

 British Library

This 7th century pocket gospel book is also known as the St Cuthbert Gospel, or the St Cuthbert Gospel of St John. The book was sold nine months after the British Library, in 2011, had launched a fundraiser where they set the sale price for the book at 9 million.
A 450-year-old monk and a modern Japanese newscaster will be in London for the next few months talking about what its like to be human but the catch is that both of them are robots and also part of the biggest humanoid exhibit to be ever assembled and presented.

The Science Museum in London opened a new exhibit, Robots, last month and it will remain open until September 3rd. The exhibit has a wide range of robots, from ancient automatons from 1560, to robots made in the 1920s, to straight up creepy humanoid babies.

The exhibit will focus mainly on the history of automation and robots, and robots signify something essential about humanity. This exhibit also shows that robots have existed for at least 500 years, even though the term robot came into existence in 1920.

Built around 1560, the friar robot still moves and prays through a clockwork mechanism, even though its origins still remain unknown. It is also a clear indication of ancient automatons that were used to illustrate religious scenes and according to Ben Russell, the shows curator; these types of automations were quite common in the 16th century.

 London Science Museum

Another robot being featured is the Kodomoriod (derived from the Japanese word kodomo, or child, and android), which is also very uncanny due to its lifelike features and human expressions.

 London Science Museum

Another interesting feature is Inkha, the robot receptionist that greeted visitors at the Kings College in London, which is best known for its personality.

 London Science Museum

Russell also says that its not just human bodies that people want to imitate in robots, but the human mind. Similarly, the exhibit showcases the robots that highlight what it means to be human in some way or another, in aspects like appearance to the movements and their personality. People, were heading into the future at warp speed and we dont know exactly how everything will turn out but we sure as hell are excited!
The number of pictures, videos and marketing content that has been leaked for the Galaxy S8 is staggering and the latest one gives away one of its salient features. It was feared that the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S8 would be featured at the back of the phone right next to the camera. Evan Blass tweeted a picture of the flagship phone that is all set to be unveiled on March 29th.

 Twitter

The picture reveals that the fingerprint sensor is indeed next to the camera and will also be offered in three colours. The Galaxy S8 will be offered in black sky, arctic silver and orchid grey.

...and finally: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus (left to right) in Black Sky, Orchid Grey, and Arctic Silver (top to bottom). pic.twitter.com/pIUJskyFbK  Evan Blass (@evleaks) March 21, 2017

The fact that the fingerprint sensor is right next to the camera, it is fair to assume that a fair amount of people will be smudging the camera lens. The Galaxy S8 is expected to go on sale worldwide sometime in the latter half April and it will be unveiled on March 29th, 2017. This will be also the first smartphone by Samsung, which will feature the all-new Bixby smart assistant. You can also expect the Galaxy S8 to have a spectacular Super AMOLED screen and a curved design.
WARSAW, March 24 (Reuters) - Poland's central bank said on Friday that foreign-currency loans remain the biggest risk for Polish banks.

On Friday, the Financial Stability Committee, which includes representatives of the central bank, finance ministry, bank guarantee fund, and regulator KNF, discussed the situation in the sector.

"Currency loans portfolio was recognized as the biggest threat to the financial sector's stability," the statement reads.

More than half a million Poles took out foreign-currency mortgages several years ago to benefit from low rates in Switzerland, but repayment of installment became more expensive as the Swiss franc almost doubled in its value against the Polish currency.

(Reporting by Marcin Goclowski, editing by Larry King)
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will carry out a visit to Nicosia, where, on 25 March, he will represent the Greek government at the parade marking the anniversary of the Revolution of 1821.



On Monday, 27 March, Mr. Kotzias will be received by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and meet with Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, the President of the Cypriot House of Representatives, Demetris Syllouris, and the heads of the Cypriot political parties.



On Tuesday, 28 March, at the invitation of Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus, Mr. Kotzias will deliver a speech at an event being organized by the Makarios III Foundation, at the Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus, to mark the anniversaries of 25 March 1821 and 1 April 1955.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, the refugee crisis hit Greece particularly hard. What do you expect from Europe?

N. KOTZIAS: That at long last we will discuss the causes of the refugee flows, and not just the consequences. The causes are the wars in Iraq, Syria, Libya and other countries. As an old Leftist, I find it hard to understand why there isn't an anti-war movement in Europe, as there was during the Vietnam war.

JOURNALIST: What do you expect specifically in terms of support for your country?

N. KOTZIAS: The Europeans have already done a lot. But we urgently need more support from the countries of the EU in dealing with the refugee crisis. Most European countries take very few refugees from us, and the support provided for processing the applications for asylum is only a fraction of what they promised. Greece showed great humanitarianism in receiving the refugees. But a new wave of refugees this summer would put us under great pressure. Greece has reached the outer limits of its capabilities.

JOURNALIST: Does Greece feel that it has been left to its fate?

N. KOTZIAS: One of the EU's biggest problems is that it has no crisis management strategy. There are countries that are trying and showing solidarity, like Germany. And there are countries pursuing a Europe a la carte, and they only want to reap the advantages. But the joint decisions have to be implemented jointly. Otherwise, Europe cannot function.

JOURNALIST: The EU Home Affairs Commissioner, Mr. Avramopoulos, is considering the possibility of suing the objectors at the EU Court.

N. KOTZIAS: We should show that the European model is better than the policy on refugees in America or in Asia. Have we done that? No. And why not? Because we didn't think of the long-term problems. This is a major European weakness.

JOURNALIST: Do you believe that, by September of this year, 160,000 refugees will have been relocated to all the countries of the EU?

N. KOTZIAS: I am optimistic by nature. But that is a very optimistic scenario.

JOURNALIST: Now the EU wants to send refugees who initially reached your country back to Greece from other member states. Is this feasible?

N. KOTZIAS: I don't think Greece has the capability or the economic resources to receive refugees sent back from the northern countries of the EU. There are some EU countries that believe they can use southern Italy and Greece as closed boxes in which they can store the refugees. But that is not European thinking.

JOURNALIST: You are personally involved in the negotiations on the Cyprus issue. The talks are stagnant again. Where does the problem lie?

N. KOTZIAS: The main problem, naturally, is the occupation of the northern portion of Cyprus by the Turkish army. Ankara violated the London and Zurich Agreements, which provide for the guarantor powers' -- Greece, Great Britain and Turkey -- having to agree on joint actions following joint talks. Turkey acted unilaterally and occupied the northern portion of the island. And naturally it didn't stay for just a few days -- 43 years have gone by since then.

JOURNALIST: What do you expect from Turkey?

N. KOTZIAS: Turkey has to understand that Cyprus is not a state that is just now being created, as was the case then, in the years 1959-1960. Cyprus is a member of the United Nations and the European Union. No third state can have the right to intervene there. Turkey has to respect international law and withdraw its troops. The resolution of the Cyprus problem lies in ensuring the greatest possible security and the rights of the three small minorities and the Turkish Cypriot community, but also in giving the Greek Cypriot community the greatest possible security and rights. Security for the Greek Cypriots means the withdrawal of the Turkish army and the end of any form of guarantor rights, which allow Turkey to intervene in Cyprus. The Turkish army must leave. The system of guarantor powers must be eliminated. We want a federal system that will create equal rights.

JOURNALIST: Turkey doesn't want to withdraw its forces completely. What might be a compromise solution?

N. KOTZIAS: The 33,600 Turkish soldiers currently stationed in the northern portion of Cyprus cannot possible withdraw immediately -- all of them in one day. This could happen gradually. A model for this could be the withdrawal of the Soviet army from East Germany, which took a total of four years.

JOURNALIST: Is that realistic?

N. KOTZIAS: We will have to look at that. I can imagine Ankara demanding, in the end, that a special unit of Turkish soldiers remain. But that can't happen, naturally. For the Cyprus problem to be resolved, there has to be a sunset clause, which will stipulate that, within a reasonable amount of time, on a specific day, the last Turkish soldier will have to have left the northern portion of the island.

JOURNALIST: What is Turkish President Erdogan's role in the negotiations?

N. KOTZIAS: His role is very important.

JOURNALIST: This might be a problem, particularly given that Erdogan is under pressure from the Turkish nationalists, whose support he definitely needs for the constitutional reform.

N. KOTZIAS: President Erdogan is a great statesman. I want to underscore this expressly. He has contributed substantially to shaping Turkey and he took the Turkish economy upward. Unfortunately, he is not behaving that way right now.

JOURNALIST: But, unfortunately, that is only one side of the coin.

N. KOTZIAS: I hope that the standards of conduct that exist following the July coup attempt will change after the referendum on the constitutional reform, in mid-April. From the outset, we clearly condemned the coup attempt. But we also said that what is important for us is the defence of democratic values, and not the interests of individual persons.
Google Engineer Behshad Behzadi

LONDON  Google is experimenting with the use of its voice-controlled Assistant as a way to control every device a user owns.

In an interview with Business Insider at Advertising Week Europe, Behshad Behzadi, an engineer working on conversational search at Google, described how Assistant could perform actions on a device other than the one where it's activated.

"We're working on all different types of outputs," Behzadi said. "Quick voice output is really the best thing for many use cases, but we understand that in some use cases a screen is necessary."

"Now that screen you can think of it whether it's a small screen, medium screen, or a larger screen. For example, Google Home is well connected to the Chromecast. For many things you want to cast it on your TV."

Behzadi said he was working on identifying the use cases for how such an ecosystem of devices would work.

"But then you have to ask yourself if I want a timer, do I want it on a bigger screen? Perhaps not," he said. "We're still in the early stages and we're experimenting with all those possible outputs."

At CES in January 2017, Google announced it was bringing its Assistant to Android TV, but can only be activated through the TV, not from another device.

In February 2017 Amazon launched a version of its TV streaming gadget, Fire TV stick, which had Alexa built in. And in November 2016 the Seattle based company was rumored to be developing a version of its Alexa speaker with a screen.

Behzadi said it wouldn't be necessary for Google Home because users can get on-screen responses through a variety of Google devices, but didn't rule out the possibility.

Long term, he doesn't believe voice will replace smartphones: "We're seeing more and more scenarios where the non-screen experience is suitable but both screen and non-screen will continue to be significant for a long time."

NOW WATCH: Hackers and governments can see you through your phones camera  heres how to protect yourself





More From Business Insider


By Renee Maltezou

ATHENS, March 24 (Reuters) - Greece will support a declaration marking the European Union's 60th birthday but needs the bloc's backing against International Monetary Fund demands on labour reforms, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said ahead of a Summit in Rome on Friday.

In a letter addressed to EU Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, Tsipras called for a clear statement on whether the declaration would apply to Greece, as talks over a key bailout review hit a snag again.

"We intend to support the Rome Declaration, a document which moves in a positive direction," Tsipras said.

"Nevertheless, in order to be able to celebrate these achievements, it has to be made clear, on an official level, whether they apply also to Greece. Whether, in other words, the European acquis is valid for all member states without exception, or for all except Greece."

Earlier this week, Greece threatened not to sign the Rome declaration, demanding a clearer commitment protecting workers' rights - an issue on which it is at odds with its international lenders who demand more reforms in return for new loans.

The disagreements among Athens, the EU and the IMF - which has yet to decide whether it will participate in the country's current bailout - have delayed a crucial bailout review.

As leaders prepared for the summit, Greek ministers were negotiating with lenders' representatives in Brussels pension cuts and labour reforms, including freeing up mass layoffs and on collective bargaining. The latest round of talks ended inconclusively late on Thursday, according to Greek officials.

Athens agreed last month to adopt more measures to help convince the IMF to participate in its third, 86-billion euro bailout, as demanded by EU countries including Germany, which faces a national election later this year.

Greece has cut pensions 12 times since it signed up to its first bailout in 2010. It has also reduced wages and implemented labour reforms to make its market more flexible and competitive.

Story continues

Tsipras' leftist-led government came to power in 2015 promising to end austerity but signed up to a new bailout to keep the country in the eurozone. It was later re-elected on a mandate to protect workers' and pensioners' rights, but opinion polls show its popularity ratings sagging.

Tsipras said Greece had met its bailout terms on fiscal adjustment and implemented labour reforms, which were not in line with EU best practices.

"I ask for your support in order to protect, together, the right of Greece to return to the standards of the European social model," he said.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Michael Perry)
* Euro zone sees primary surplus between 2-3 pct last year

* Greece estimates it at 3.5 pct, higher than 0.5 pct target

* Better estimates could facilitate bailout talks (adds quotes, background)

By Matthias Sobolewski and Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Euro zone lenders estimate Greece had a primary surplus between 2 and 3 percent of its gross domestic product last year, much higher than the target set under its bailout programme and more than previously forecast, an EU official told Reuters on Friday.

Better-than-expected figures could smooth bailout talks, which have stalled for months over fiscal targets and the pension and labour market reforms required by creditors in exchange for the disbursement of loans to pay debt due in July.

Under Greece's 86 billion euro ($92.9 billion) bailout programme, the third since 2010, Athens was supposed to reach a primary surplus - the budget balance before debt-servicing costs - of 0.5 percent of GDP last year.

The EU official said the Greek authorities estimate now that last year's primary surplus will be "around 3.5 percent of GDP", although the final figures will be known only in April. This would be already in line with Greece's target for 2018, when the programme ends.

"The Commission and the institutions are still assessing the data and have so far given a more cautious estimate of between 2 percent and 3 percent of GDP," the official said, noting this would still be "a massive overachievement".

In its last economic forecasts released in February, the European Commission had estimated a primary surplus for 2016 of 2 percent.

The size of the primary surplus is a source of contention between euro zone governments and the International Monetary Fund, which believes the surplus in 2016 was only 0.9 percent.

The EU executive, which together with the European Central Bank and the European Stability Mechanism represents euro zone lenders in Greek bailout talks, has also already said it saw Greece reaching its fiscal targets this year and in 2018, which are set respectively at 1.8 percent and 3.5 percent of GDP.

Story continues

IMF QUESTION

The IMF, which Germany wants to participate to the bailout programme to guarantee more discipline, has much lower projections. In February it estimated Greece to reach a primary surplus of 1 percent this year and 1.5 percent in 2018.

"The reason for the discrepancy with EU estimates relates to the use of overly conservative assumptions by the Fund on both the revenue and the expenditure side," the EU official said, noting that the Fund has been also "very slow" in updating its projections after actual data are released.

The IMF's less optimistic view leads it to believe Greece needs new debt relief measures to have a sustainable economy in coming years. The fund's participation to the bailout programme is linked to a deal on debt relief granted by lenders or on new austerity measures imposed on Greece.

Greece has said it will support a declaration marking the EU's 60th birthday but needs the bloc's backing against IMF demands on labour reforms..

The EU official also said the proceeds from Greek privatisations, including the port of Thessaloniki and Athens international airport, were expected to reach 2.4 billion euros this year and 1.9 billion euros in 2018. The Greek government had expected revenues of 2.7 billion euros this year.

Pension reforms already enacted by the Greek government are also expected to generate savings of 1.5 percent of GDP by 2018 and 2.5 percent of GDP by 2025, the official said.

The official was also supportive of Greek banks' plans to reduce their bad loans by 40 billion euros by the of 2019. This would bring down the ratio of so-called non-performing loans to overall loans to 34 percent from more than 47 percent last year. ($1 = 0.9263 euros) (Editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Alison Williams)
BAD AXE  Some agriculturally zoned areas of Huron County near villages will be targeted for industrial growth in the future.

The Huron County Planning Commission analyzed a draft of the Huron County Master Plans future land use map Wednesday night, which will also address solar development.

Alan Bean of Spicer Group provided a draft of the entire county, as well as maps that were zoomed in to each of four quadrants.

This is the opportunity to show what varies in your zoning, Bean said.

He said the purpose was not rezoning  just showing a future vision.

The maps included the following zoning categories: agricultural, business, industrial, residential, state/federal land, wind energy overlay, airport and commercial/industrial land use. The maps also showed the ITC Thumb Loop, ITC substations, hospitals, nursing homes and existing water lines.

Expansion of industry

On the future land use map, property in Sebewaing Township just north of the village of Sebewaing to the Fairhaven Township line is shown as potentially industrial, rather than agricultural. Businesses will also be allowed to develop south of the village.

Bean also saw notable growth patterns around Ubly in Bingham Township.

The industrial area north of town where Gemini Group has expanded will potentially increase, with the area northeast of the village designated for industrial use.

Slightly south of Ubly, the new map shows land available for business growth.

From the village limits of Kinde to a couple miles south will be marked for business and light industrial growth.

Areas to the south and west of Pigeon were also targeted for future growth.

No additional growth areas were added near Owendale, as officials said there are numerous empty commercial buildings within the village.

State land was shown by green areas on the map. Commissioner Jeffery Krohn suggested that the five county parks be distinguished from other state property, since tourism in those areas allows growth.

Solar development

Solar development will be addressed in the future land use map, and officials discussed how to best do it.

Although officials would like to see marginal land used for solar development, developers are targeting prime farmland in Huron County.

Officials said Cypress Creek Renewables of Arizona seems most interested in farmland along the ITC Thumb Loop that is enrolled in the state farmland preservation program, Public Act 116 (PA 116).

Solar development, however, is not compatible with PA 116, and land would have to be pulled from the program and rezoned.

Soil type and farmland productivity may be a factor in where solar development is allowed.

Jeff Smith, county building and zoning director, suggested using a special use permit for solar development that addresses the following criteria:

 Is it low-production land?

 Is it economically feasible?

 Is it enrolled in PA 116?

If the county uses special use permits, Smith said, its not necessary to change the land zoning classification.

Cypress Creek Renewables is offering farmers $800 an acre to develop solar on large tracts of land. That is more than they can make farming.

Smith will work with Bean to determine suitable solar development.
SAGINAW  A history professor at Saginaw Valley State University is looking to speak with locals who were stationed in Germany during the Cold War-era.

John Baesler was a boy in Bensheim, West Germany in the 1980s when his family  watching a crime drama on television  heard a knock at the front door one evening. On the other side were two members of his family he met for the first time that night: His father's niece and her daughter, who had arrived there after a daring escape from then-Communist-occupied East Germany.

"That was an amazing experience," said Baesler, now an associate professor of history at Saginaw Valley State University. "They had escaped through Hungary and showed up at our door."

Not long after that, the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and the Cold War's grip slipped loose. The two German nations reconciled. Families reunited without fear. The anxiety of those divided days went the way of history.

It's that distancing history that Baesler chases today. With the help of his students, he is leading a research effort aimed at capturing the experience of living in West Germany during a Cold War that spanned four decades, including the 28-year existence of the Berlin Wall. For now, the project involves interviewing United States military veterans stationed near communities such as his hometown in Bensheim, just south of Frankfurt with a population of 40,000, although he may expand the work's scope depending on his findings.

"I want to answer the question, 'How did that everyday interaction with each other influence Germans and Americans, and how did that influence the Americans when they came back to America?'"

"There was an everyday diplomacy between Germans citizens and American soldiers," he added. "Especially in small German cities, that represented a major change in daily life."

Baesler was witness to much of that cultural interplay. He remembers the weddings between American soldiers and German daughters. He listened to the U.S. Armed Forces' radio stations. He saw their military vehicles traveling the streets. He enjoyed their food.

"Once a year, the Americans in our town had an open-door event, where they invited us in," Baesler said. "They played really good music, and I remember eating marshmallows for the first time there. Germans didn't have marshmallows."

More than 20 million U.S. military veterans have served inside Germany's borders. A U.S. military presence remains there today, albeit at a much smaller scale than before the wall was leveled in 1989.

Baesler hopes to interview at least 25 U.S. veterans before beginning to write a scholarly paper and, eventually, a book about his findings. He also aims to create an oral history repository that the campus can store in its library archives for future academic use.

Already, Baesler and his students have heard stories from 14 veterans  recording their accounts on video, audio and paper  and he continues to search for more witnesses of that history.

"There are so many stories to tell, and I'm interested to hear them," he said. "This is a labor of love for me."

Veterans once stationed in Germany who are interested in contributing to the oral history project can reach Baesler at 989-964-4381 or jbaesler@svsu.edu.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
Devin Nunes

A former top lawyer for the CIA, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Defense expressed shock in an interview with Business Insider that the House Intelligence Committee chair, Devin Nunes, went to the White House to share information with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, even as Nunes' panel had been looking into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Robert Deitz, who held those posts in the administrations of President Bill Clinton and of President George W. Bush, said Nunes' Wednesday trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was "unbelievable."

"What the hell is Nunes doing at the White House?" Deitz, who is now a professor at George Mason University, said. "The idea that a person working in a committee that down the road at least is supposed to be looking into Russian influence in US elections ... would go racing to the White House  and to do what? Get his tummy rubbed? I just find unbelievable."

"Moreover, he could well be disclosing information that is of course highly classified," he continued. "Of course, not that Mr. Trump doesn't have the proper classifications  by definition he does  but, you just don't pass that information on willy-nilly. So I don't get that scene at all."

Nunes, a California Republican, caused a stir Wednesday when he told a press gathering that the intelligence community had "incidentally collected" information on the Trump transition team during the transition period. He went on to say the collection occurred on "numerous occasions" and was not related to the FBI's investigation into Russian meddling in last year's presidential election.

"Details about US persons associated with the incoming administration, details with little or no apparent foreign intelligence value, were widely disseminated in intelligence community reporting," Nunes said, adding that the information he spoke of was collected legally, in his view, under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Story continues

The Trump administration was not aware of what he was describing to the press at that point, so he then went to the White House immediately following the press briefing to discuss his findings, a situation that many observers found odd.

A member of Trump's transition team, Nunes finds himself leading the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russia's effort to manipulate the 2016 US presidential election. It was during a hearing Monday in front of Nunes' committee that FBI Director James Comey confirmed that the bureau had been investigating potential ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government since late July. Comey also said the FBI and the Department of Justice could provide no evidence to back up Trump's explosive Twitter claim that President Barack Obama wiretapped him, an item that Nunes insisted Wednesday his new revelations did not prove.

trump frown

Following his meeting at the White House, Nunes told the press he found nothing wrong with briefing the president on information that could be related to an ongoing investigation into members of his administration and campaign team.

"Because what I saw had nothing to do with Russia and the Russian investigation," Nunes said. "It has everything to do with possible surveillance activities, and the president needs to know these intelligence reports are out there, and I have a duty to tell him that."

Nunes hadn't shared the information he was discussing publicly and with the White House with his fellow intelligence committee members. The ranking Democrat on the committee, Adam Schiff, blasted him in a press conference early Wednesday evening, saying Nunes' moves compromised the independence of the investigation the committee was attempting to conduct.

Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat on the committee, told CNN on Thursday that Nunes apologized at their Thursday meeting.

Speaking with reporters Thursday, Nunes said it was a "judgment call" to deliver the information to the president. He later said he would not do things differently if he had a second chance.

"There was a lot going on yesterday," he said. "It was a judgment call on my part. Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you make the wrong decision, but youve got to stick by the decisions you make."

Late Thursday, in a reversal, a spokesman for Nunes told ABC News that the congressman did not know "for sure" whether Trump or members of the transition team were caught up in the communications he cited Wednesday.

Deitz told Business Insider that he didn't think the episode would lead to something such as Nunes having his intelligence clearances revoked. But, as Deitz put it, intelligence officials may be "less than wholly forthcoming about information" they share.

"Once Mr. Nunes does something like this, people in the intel community might be reluctant to, for example, share the true crown jewels," he said.

Vindication?

Following his meeting with Nunes, Trump told reporters he felt "somewhat" vindicated by Nunes' revelations, as the president has spent the better part of March defending his earlier claim that Trump Tower was wiretapped by Obama. He's backed away from the claim slightly, saying he meant wiretapping to mean more broad surveillance, but he has not distanced himself from the original claim, which was rebuked by many across the political spectrum.

Deitz said the revelation was "far from a vindication."

"In some ways it's almost the reverse," he said. "That is, if, and let's assume for a moment that someone getting [intelligence] collection from overseas [and] is getting a Trump person on the other line. It can be totally innocent. On the other hand, it could completely validate the notion that Trump people are talking to Russians."

"So I don't get the partial vindication argument at all," he said. "To me, it raises more questions than it resolves."

He added that "nobody" had claimed that members of Trump's circle hadn't been captured on such surveillance before, naming Michael Flynn, the ousted national security adviser, specifically.

"And so why it's somehow 'good news' for Mr. Trump that some of his people have been captured in collection," he said. "I don't see how that is ever good news."

NOW WATCH: A hacker explains why Trump using his old Android phone for Twitter could be a huge security threat





More From Business Insider


Federal hiring officials are working to clarify whether a military spouse hiring preference change included in a 2016 law is retroactive, a question that could change eligibility for thousands of potential applicants.

The hiring measure, known as PPP-S, allows military spouse dependents to receive preference when applying for a Defense Department federal job after a permanent change-of-station move.

In the past, the preference rule was capped at two years after the date on which the military member's orders to the new location were processed. However, a measure included in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act removed the cap, instead leaving no timeline for the one-time use of the preference.

But the law does not state whether the change is retroactive to any time before the bill was signed in December. That has opened the rule to inconsistent interpretation by hiring managers.

For example, at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, a military spouse reported being permitted to reapply for the preference early this year after her two years expired. But at Fort Rucker in Alabama, an Army spouse, who asked not to be named, was told that the change is not retroactive because the law does not explicitly state that it should be.

"Your PPP eligibility expired in August 2016," she was told in an email from the base's civilian personnel advisory center (CPAC). "There is no provision in the current NDAA to allow for post-dating your eligibility. PPP eligibility from December 23, 2016, will have no two-year expiration date for an excepted appointment."

Allowing the rule to be retroactive would open use of the preference to every military spouse who has moved but not yet used the preference to gain employment through the Pentagon.

Pentagon officials said a clarification on whether the measure is retroactive is in the works with the White House Office of Management and Budget, which sets federal hiring policy. Until then, the Defense Department and individual hiring authorities are giving guidance based on their individual readings of the rule, officials said.

"DoD components/HR servicing activities are providing information based on the plain reading of the new statutory provision," Johnny Michael, a DoD spokesman, said in a statement. "Specifically, that there is no provision in the new statutory authority that provides for retroactive application for purposes of determining eligibility."

The Army spouse said she believes the Fort Rucker decision not to make the rule retroactive is out of fear of a groundswell of applicants.

"What are they afraid of? Are they afraid by not putting the 'December 23rd' limitation, their offices will be inundated from military spouse applications?" she said. "So that would mean more work for CPAC."

By not using the rule retroactively, said Brooke Goldberg, director of military family policy at the Military Officers Association of America, hiring managers are missing the point of the change.

"Clearly, lawmakers felt that the two-year time limit was a barrier to spouses coming employed," she said. "What harm is applying it retroactively going to cause? ... By making it retroactive, we are not promising a job to everyone who becomes eligible. Applying it retroactively meets the original intent of the legislation."

A federal hiring freeze, which also affects most Defense Department hiring and anyone attempting to use the PPP-S preference, is expected to lift in late April.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.
The head of U.S. Africa Command said Friday that the White House is considering his request for more "flexibility" on the rules of engagement to attack Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, but "we are not going to turn Somalia into a free-fire zone."

Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser confirmed that a small contingent of U.S. troops is still in Libya to call in airstrikes, adding that a Russian ground presence in North Africa is contributing to instability and political turmoil.

At a Pentagon news conference, Waldhauser said he is seeking "a little bit more flexibility" to "allow us to process targets in a more rapid fashion" by giving combatant commanders the authority to order strikes by drones and manned aircraft rather than going to the top of the chain of command.

He said the White House is considering but has not yet approved the request for more relaxed rules of engagement against the al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabaab group, which has been trying to bring down the new government of Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, a dual Somali and U.S. citizen who holds a masters degree in political science from the University of Buffalo.

Waldhauser said he had "no problem" with the rules of engagement under the Obama administration but felt the time has come to "power-down the decision making" to meet the Al- Shabaab threat.

He stressed that the increased flexibility on calling airstrikes would not lessen the commitment of U.S. forces to avoid civilian casualties. The order to strike will not be given unless "we know exactly who we are attacking on the ground," Waldhauser said.

Al-Shabaab was blamed for a suicide bombing that blew a hole in a jetliner last year, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. Officials have cited the incident in recent days as an example of a laptop-borne bomb after the U.S. barred computers and tablets from the cabins of some incoming flights from overseas. The bomber was the only person killed in the explosion on the jetliner.

Waldhauser confirmed the U.S. has a small troop presence in Libya -- a carryover from the U.S. Special Forces that assisted in airstrikes in support of the Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli in the retaking of the port of Sirte from fighters who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Waldhauser said the strength and influence of ISIS have greatly diminished since the massive airstrikes in Libya in January by B-2 Spirit stealth bombers flying from the U.S. He estimated that the ISIS fighters now number between 100 and 200.

Waldhauser also said he is concerned by the growing Russian influence in northern Africa. He would not confirm that Russia had set up a base in western Egypt to influence events in Libya but said "there are Russians on the ground in the area."

"They are on the ground, they are trying to influence the action," Waldhauser said. "We watch what they do with great concern."

Moscow recently hosted GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and former Gen. Khalifa Haftar, a U.S. citizen and leader of a faction opposed to Sarraj.

"Those two individuals are going to have to get together and come to some kind of accommodation" to end Libya's civil war, Waldhauser said.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Positioning yourself strategically online is critical for today's job seeker. We know that more than 90 percent of recruiters and hiring managers are using social media and online platforms to search for, and evaluate, job candidates. To be missing online could beg the question, "Why isn't he/she online? Do they have something to hide?" Like social media profiles, blogs are gaining popularity with job seekers for their simplicity of use, ability to share thought-provoking content, and ease of sharing with online networks.

What is a Blog?

A blog is an online is a discussion or informational website published on the web. Blogs can be published on any topic from parenting, to project management, to military transition, to politics, and everything in between. Blogs are typically written in a conversational and approachable style, encouraging the reader to connect personally to the writer's beliefs, opinions, and advice. Anyone, anywhere can set up and run a blog. Getting people to read it and interact with the content is typically more challenging than getting a blog set up and posting content.

3 Reasons to Start a Blog

Job seekers are advised to start and run a blog if they are clear on the reasons for the blog. Maintaining and promoting a blog takes time, effort and passion, and for someone focused on securing work, this can feel like an unproductive distraction if not tied to specific goals.

Consider a blog if:

You have a unique perspective on a cause, issue, industry, or type of work. Has your military training given you the ability to lend unique insight into issues, trends, or jobs that civilians might not have? This can make your blog (and you!) compelling to hiring managers seeking a fresh and unique perspective for their company.

Has your military training given you the ability to lend unique insight into issues, trends, or jobs that civilians might not have? This can make your blog (and you!) compelling to hiring managers seeking a fresh and unique perspective for their company. It will help your positioning as an SME. Beyond your opinion or perspective, do you have unique expertise in an area others would find interesting? If your goal is to build your positioning as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), a blog can showcase your thinking, methodology, experience and skills to audiences including hiring managers looking for more than just what's listed on your resume.

Beyond your opinion or perspective, do you have unique expertise in an area others would find interesting? If your goal is to build your positioning as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), a blog can showcase your thinking, methodology, experience and skills to audiences including hiring managers looking for more than just what's listed on your resume. You want to showcase your personal brand. Are you seeking to build positioning as someone passionate about mentoring others? A blog focused on your skills, mentoring history, and results can be powerful self-marketing. Or, maybe your goal is to position yourself as a leader in a competitive and technical industry. A blog highlighting your leadership skills, technical experience and views would add context to hiring managers considering you.

How to start a blog

Step 1: As mentioned above, setting up a blog is relatively easy. To get started, I advise you create a strategy for the blog. Be clear about your:

Goals (do you want to promote yourself, make money, get attention for a cause?)



Topic (are you knowledgeable and credible enough to speak on the topic?)



Audience (who will you be writing for?)

Step 2: Then, pick and secure a domain name (the URL and name of your blog) and hosting platform (i.e. BlueHost.com or GoDaddy.com). You'll next choose a platform on which to post content, create a theme, import and post images, etc. Wordpress is a popular and easy-to-use platform for many bloggers.

Step 3: Next, decide on, and commit to, a schedule of posting content (once a day, week or month?). Over time, your readers will expect to see your posts on this scheduled consistency, so be sure you can commit the time and effort.

Step 4: Begin writing! Stay focused on your goals and share content that is tailored to the needs of your audience. Speak to what your readers need to know, feel, and do with your information.

Step 5: Promote the blog online and in person. Refer to it, link to blog posts, and share the content in your emails, on your resume, and in conversation with others. Later, you might consider more intensive promotion strategies, including list buying, but for now tell your friends, contacts, and potential employers about the blog and all new posts.

Step 6: Measure results against your goals. Track views, shares, likes, and comments on your blog and various posts to gauge the interest and impact to your audience.

A blog is a powerful way to share more about your values, interests, and expertise. Keeping your goals, personal brand, and strategy in mind always, over time your blog will build a relationship with your readers, creating followership and credibility with your target employer.
Message of Pakistan Day is unity: Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri

Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, President of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, has said that the political message of March 23, 1940 is for the nation to get united. He said that when the people of the sub-continent got together under the leadership of the Quaid-e-Azam, Pakistan came into being. He said that the whole nation needs to get united again to get rid of corruption-ridden system. He said that the PAT workers rendered sacrifices in man and material to achieve the objectives outlined in the Lahore resolution.

Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri expressed these views while talking to a PAT delegation of Lahore that called on him under the leadership of Hafiz Ghulam Farid. He said that the leadership that made Pakistan was known and respected for honesty, hard work, and commitment with the people. He said that that leadership did not have any properties in London, America, Islamabad and Karachi. He said that the founding fathers of Pakistan are alive in the heart of the people because of excellence of their character.

Dr Hussain said that todays leadership does not answer questions asked about the sources of wealth. It has no qualm of conscience while telling a lie at the floor of Parliament and prefers personal interest over the national one. He said that such a dishonest leadership is weakening the Quaids Pakistan. He said that it is essential to get rid of obsolete, corrupt and irrelevant leadership to benefit from amazing energy of youth and reconstruction of Pakistan.

The MQI President said that word Pakistan was not part of the document approved at the Minar-e-Pakistan, adding that it was Begum Muhammad Ali Johar who named the document as resolution for the first time. He said that women and youth played a leading role in the struggle for new homeland and added that both of these segments are not as active now as they were back then due to corruption-ridden system. He said that 60% youth are unemployed despite having academic degrees and women are subjected to exploitation and biases. He said that the Quaid had given the sole message to the people that they should organize themselves for their rights.
Pakistan Day celebrated across the world under MQI

Special Pakistan Day celebrations were held in over 90 countries. National flag was raised and special Dua for peace, stability and progress of the country was made in these ceremonies. One of the biggest such programmes was held in Norway which was attended by a large number of people of expatriate community.

Sharing details of the celebrations, MQI leader GM Malik said that the purpose of organizing these events was to revive the memory of our founding fathers who struggled hard to bring Pakistan into being. He said that ceremonies held in London, Manchester and Glasgow condemned the terror attack in Westminster area in the strongest possible words. The participants described terrorism as global problem and urged the need for a joint action to uproot it.

Peace curriculum designed and authored by Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri was discussed in ceremonies held in France, Norway, Denmark and Holland. In addition to expatriate community, the locals also appreciated the initiative and described it as a great service of humanity.

GM Malik said that March 23 fosters unity among nation and promotes independence of thinking. He said that expatriate Pakistani community solid plan of action to end terrorism so that stains of terrorism and extremism that are heaped on Islam and Pakistan may be removed.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Neighbors of the Packard Square development were happy to hear progress is being made, but say they are frustrated with the process that led to the project on Ann Arbor's south side.

About 60 people attended a community meeting Wednesday, March 22 at Cobblestone Farm to hear an update from McKinley Inc., the Ann Arbor-based company that has been the court-ordered receiver of Packard Square since Nov. 1.

McKinley representatives have received $19.5 million in funds to complete the project, which they expect to finish by the end of 2017 or the first part of 2018.

Chris Allen, assistant vice president and director of special projects at McKinley, showed pictures of the progress his team is making at Packard Square during the meeting. The retaining wall is in the process of being complete, while other aspects are finished.

"I'm happy we're able to open the street back up and reopen the sidewalk," Allen said about a recent sanitary sewer project on Esch Avenue.

Plans for the former Georgetown Mall site, about two miles from downtown Ann Arbor, include 249 apartments and roughly 24,000 square feet of retail space in one mixed-use building, with an underground parking garage.

The underground parking garage at the front of the complex is complete, despite extensive damage to the plumbing system underneath the 56,000-square-foot dirt floor Allen attributed to vendors driving on it.

"Now there's a place for vendors to store stuff," Allen said. "There was not any structural damage as a result of that water."

Previous structure instability, something Allen referred to at the last community meeting in December, was suspected, but monitoring has revealed it to be natural movements, according to the McKinley representatives.

"Our engineers are very confident the movement we see is safe," Allen said. "All the test reports came back and say the site is safe, and secure and ready."

Court proceedings are slowing the project down, with McKinley waiting for court approval of a 90-day work budget and schedule to tackle more of the interior of the building, like electrical and plumbing work.

The project has not gone through foreclosure, said Matt Mason, senior vice president in commercial real estate at McKinley, meaning McKinley still needs court approval and there is still a chance the original developer can take back control of Packard Square.

"There is a possibility they could redeem it and get it back at some point," Mason said. "There has been no judgment of foreclosure."

McKinley must stick with the original construction plan, he added, and communicate updates to not only the lender but to Judge Archie Brown, who ordered the company to take receivership of Packard Square.

There are a few scenarios of what happens to Packard Square in the future: it could go into foreclosure and be sold to the highest bidder, which could mean the lender would try to take back the property. It would also allow the developer, Harbor Georgetown LLC, managed by Craig Schubiner, a six month redemption period to buy it back and attempt to finish the development.

When questioned if McKinley would have any interest in purchasing the property, Mason said no and prompted queries of whether the company thinks the project can be successful.

He explained McKinley's role as a court-appointed receiver is to maximize the value of the property, which would go against the company's own goal of reducing costs while buying properties.

Some residents asked if there are any lease agreements remaining on the 50 apartments at Packard Square, or if any businesses have indicated interest in the retail spaces. That is not McKinley's focus right now, Mason answered.

"That being said, if anyone has ideas, we're all ears," Mason said, drawing a laugh from the crowd.

He did comment there have been discussions with grocery stores on the retail space, and at least a handful of the apartment agreements are still standing.

Eric Lipson served on the Planning Commission from 2004 to 2007, and said the kind of zoning applied to the property cannot be repeated in Ann Arbor. He expressed his gratitude for McKinley's willingness to step up and complete the project, which he called "the Gulag across the street."

"Thank you for creating something that was a nightmare into something salvageable," Lipson said.

One resident commented the Packard Square development has left a bad taste in her mouth and those of her neighbors, and reminded the council representatives in the crowd to let the development be a lesson to "not let this happen again."

At least four City Council representatives attended the meeting: Zachary Ackerman and Julie Grand of Ward 3, and Jack Eaton and Graydon Krahpol of Ward 4. Eaton responded to concerns of how the project continued even after the developer faced continual delays in funding and construction.

"We can't stop this project but we also can't stop looking forward," Eaton said.

Packard Square is part of a "difference in vision for our town," he said, and a reminder of the importance of zoning and the master plan and resident feedback.

"We have to appreciate McKinley, and the better job we are getting," Eaton said.

Timeline of Packard Square

2011: Schubiner, as manager of Harbor Georgetown, submitted the initial site plan application for Packard Square in January 2011, according to city records. The application fee was $28,886.

A housing information request included in the application indicates there were 230 housing units planned for the development, ranging in price from $780 to $1,300 per month.

Staff with the Planning and Development Services department looked at the site plan and approved it, along with variances. The property is zoned C1B, for business services, which is detailed in the planning report.

"The proposed project promotes elements of sustainable land use practices, such as creating new housing units along a major transportation corridor, providing a mixture of land uses that encourage pedestrian access, remediating soil contamination, and using land and infrastructure efficiently," the report said.

City Council approved the site plan May 2, in a resolution that said "The development would not cause a public or private nuisance and would not have a detrimental effect on the public health, safety and welfare."

In September, the developer applied for an administrative amendment to address the need for additional structural columns that would ultimately reduce the number of parking spots.

2013: The administrative amendment is approved in January, and city staff notes in a letter the amendment would extend beyond approval of the site plan by two years.

In May, the amendment related to the Brownfield plan for Packard Square is submitted and then approved by City Council a month later.

The blighted and vacant Georgetown Mall located on the site is demolished in the fall to clear way for Packard Square.

2014: California-based Canyon Capital Realty Advisors makes the initial funding of a $53 million loan for Packard Square. Construction begins later that year on the development.

2015: In December, Schubiner tells The Ann Arbor News the project would be ready for occupation in late summer 2016.

2016: The developer submits a second administrative amendment to address elevation and grading issues along with parking spaces.

After the general contractor overseeing work on Packard Square is fired, the lenders ask an Ann Arbor judge to place the project into court-ordered receivership.

McKinley takes over as receiver of the project Nov. 1, and begins the work of winterizing the property and evaluating the work yet to be complete.

In December, McKinley holds its first community meeting to update residents on the status of Packard Square.
Bradley S. Pines | Mlive.com

BY AMY SHERMAN | asherma2@mlive.com

Who knew that we had so many fantastic sub spots? We were surprised to get over 140 nominations right off the bat for our search for Michigan's Best sub sandwich.

Nominations have come in from all over Michigan, from the top of the UP to the bottom corners of the state. We are impressed with the variety of places that offer subs, from pizzerias, to traditional sub shops, to gas stations and liquor stores.

We are still accepting nominations until Monday March 27 at noon. Then, we'll put our nominees into regional polls, and then it is your turn to vote for your favorite places across the state. Due to spring break, you'll have a bit longer this time to cast your vote. Polls will close on April 7, and then our Michigan's Best team of John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman will hit the road and start tasting.

What are we looking for in the very best sub? Incredible, fresh bread, with a bit of chew to and lofty heft, sturdy enough to hold up to a fantastic, homemade dressing. High quality meats and cheeses are paramount, and veggies should be crisp and fresh. Together, the ingredients should become so much more together, married in hoagie form.

Don't see your favorite sub represented in this list? Let us know by commenting on the story, or email either John or Amy with you suggestion.

John Gonzalez

Amy Sherman

Don't Edit

Available at the Chatter box cafe (They deliver too!) WTH... Stacked with ham, turkey, roast beef, swiss & cheddar... Posted by Davison Farmers Market on Thursday, December 10, 2015

Chatterbox Cafe

in the Davison Farmers Market

8110 E Court St

Davison, MI 48423

(810) 412-5883

CJ's Company Store

6177 Chicago Rd

Warren, MI 48092

(586) 825-0067

Sylvia's Super Sub Shop

4531 Allen Rd

Allen Park, MI 48101

(313) 381-4930

Anita's Riverfront Grille

341 S Water St

Marine City, MI 48039

(810) 765-7177

Mister Spots

808 S State St

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

(734) 747-7768

Erbelli's Gourmet Pizza

6214 Stadium Dr

Kalamazoo, MI 49009

(269) 375-0408

Don't Edit

Hoffman's Deco Deli and Cafe

503 Garland St

Flint, MI 48503

(810) 238-0074

Flo's Pizzeria

4494 Plainfield Ave NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49525

(616) 361-7771

Two Beards Deli

38 Commerce Ave SW

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

(616) 719-3802

Subs-N-More

45 E 8th St

Holland, MI 49423

Superior Pizza and Subs

9449 W 6 Mile Rd

Brimley, MI 49715

(906) 248-7827

Downtown Sandwich and Ice Cream Shoppe

100 10th Ave

Menominee, MI 49858

(906) 864-2376

Jo'Angela's Pizza and Deli Company

3329 Auburn Rd

Auburn Hills, MI 48326

(248) 852-9400

Julian Brothers

518 S Rochester Rd

Clawson, MI 48017

(248) 588-0280

Don't Edit

Fenton Deli

15258 Silver Pkwy

Fenton, MI 48430

(810) 433-0712

Terry's Sub Shop

21660 15 Mile Rd

Clinton Township, MI 48035-2800

(586) 791-4100

Izzy's Hoagie Shop

1924 W Stadium Blvd

Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4504

(734) 994-1235

Maestros Pizza

6070 S 12th St.

Kalamazoo, MI 49009

(269) 372-2222

Yoder's Country Market

375 Eleanor Drive

Centreville, MI 49032

(269) 467-4856

Marino's Pizza and More

1980 W Parnall Rd

Jackson, MI 49201-8612

(517) 787-5770

Coast to Coast Deli

1114 S Winter St Ste D3

Adrian, MI 49221

(517) 264-2123

Pat and Gary's Party Store

3758 S Straits Hwy

Indian River, MI 49749

(231) 238-6776

East Shore Market

276 S Benzie Blvd

Beulah, MI 49617

(231) 882-4323

Andy's Party Store

205 W Garfield Ave

Charlevoix, MI 49720

600 S Mission St

Mt Pleasant, MI 48858

Don't Edit

Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack

971 Washington Ave

Muskegon, MI 49441

(231) 760-4382

River City Pizza

381 Adams St

Newaygo, MI 49337

(231) 652-5500

Sam and Ruby's The Corner Deli

100 N Main St

Vassar, MI 48768

(989) 882-9014

Bone Ends Food Truck

(231) 740-7218

typically in Twin Lake, but mobile

Peppies Pizza and Sub Shop

22 S 3rd Ave

Fruitport, MI 49415

(231) 865-6776

Mr. M's Pizza and Grinders

101 W Knight St

Eaton Rapids, MI 48827

(517) 663-4346

The Red Tomato

139 Bristie St

Portland, MI 48875

(517) 647-4139

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Top Shelf Pizza and Pub

2155 E Apple Ave

Muskegon, MI 49442

(231) 773-4444

Wally's Sub Sandwiches

6477 Stadium Dr

Kalamazoo, MI 49009

(269) 375-0994

Gabriel's Cheese Steak Hoagies

2585 E Michigan Ave

Ypsilanti, MI 48198

(734) 483-5846

Maize and Blue Deli

1329 S University Ave

(734)-996-0009

106 E Liberty St

(734)-436-8537

Don't Edit

Spucky's Subs and Coneys

5605 State St

Saginaw, MI 48603

(989) 790-0160

Macon Grocery

8160 Clinton-Macon Rd

Clinton, MI 49236

(517) 423-7275

Peepo's Subs and Shawarma

10890 Beech Daly Rd

Taylor, MI 48180

(313) 299-9992

Maria's Italian Bakery

41706 West 10 Mile Road

Novi, MI 48375

Phone: (248) 348-0545

Ricky's Sub Shop

6460 Greenfield Rd

Dearborn, MI 48126-2061

(313) 582-9410

Don't Edit

 NOT YOUR ORDINARY FAST FOOD  Our sandwiches, wraps and pizzas are all made fresh to order. Our sandwiches are served on freshly baked bread and are sure to satisfy your tastebuds. Posted by Victor & Merek's Deli-Pizzeria-Bakery on Saturday, November 19, 2016

Victor and Merek's Deli

12190 Market Place Dr

Birch Run, MI 48415

(989) 624-3354

Paula's Market

0-14345 Ironwood Drive (Remembrance Road Turns Into Ironwood Dr in Ottawa County)

Marne, MI 49534

(616) 677-2600

Riccardo's Pizza and Grinders

4025 17 Mile Rd NE

Cedar Springs, MI 49319

(616) 696-3278

Back Alley Pizza

22 Main St

Douglas, MI 49406-5200

(269) 857-7277

D&M Subs

1606 Ludington St

Escanaba, MI 49829

906-789-0016 & 428-2233

Don't Edit

Intermission Deli

2128 Bay St

Saginaw, MI 48602

(989) 790-6777

Lake Superior Pizza and Sub Company

1109 Lincoln Ave

Marquette, MI 49855

(906) 226-2323

Carmelo's Italian Pizza

3555 68th St SE

Caledonia, MI 49316

(616) 554-9173

Fresh Coast Kitchen

1633 28th St Suite L

Wyoming, MI 49519

(616) 608-5121

New Leaf Deli

1111 Washington Ave. Suite F

Holland, MI 49423

(616) 226-4060

Don't Edit

Folgarelli's Market and Wine Shop

424 W Front St

Traverse City, MI 49684

(231) 941-7651

Vitale's Pizza of Rockford

42 E Bridge St

Rockford, MI 49341

(616) 866-4467

Villa Pizza #1

2844 Division Ave S

Grand Rapids, MI 49548-1153

(616) 243-5160

Stefano's Pizza

165 W. Superior

Wayland, MI 49438

(269) 397-1717

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

The car show is until 7 tonight from Cass Street to Pine Street! Posted by Pizza Plus of Cadillac on Sunday, June 9, 2013

Pizza Plus

302 N Mitchell St

Cadillac, MI 49601

(231) 775-7727

Eastern Deli

2011 Eastern Ave SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49507

(616) 452-0617

Russo's Pizzeria

616.534.7877 Grand Rapids

269.793.8722 Hopkins

616.896.4900 Burnips

Don't Edit

Big Al's Pizza and Subs

221 E Parkdale Ave

Manistee, MI 49660-1129

(231) 723-6239

Northville Pizza Cutter

340 N Center St

Northville, MI 48167

(248) 348-3333

Embers Deli

3598 W Maple Rd

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

Tony Ba'Lony's

13976 Merriman Rd

Livonia, MI 48154

Steiny's Pizza and Subs

3497 68th St SE

Caledonia, MI 49316

(616) 698-9900

Don't Edit

Lewiston Lodge

1525 Fleming Rd

Lewiston, MI 49756

(989) 786-5261

Loaf & a Pound

34815 Ford Rd

Westland, MI 48185

(734) 728-5623

Scott's Subs and Pizza

321 W Adams St

Iron River, MI 49935

(906) 265-5050

DiPiazza's Pizzeria

1358 Leonard St NW

Grand Rapids, MI 49504

(616) 459-2754

Don't Edit

The Wanigan Eatery and Deli

1905 S Wenona St

Bay City, MI 48706

(989) 892-8303

Lawrence's Westside Deli

204 N Cedar St

Mason, MI 48854

(517) 676-9191

Pizza and Sub Shop

733 W Summit Ave

Norton Shores, MI 49441

Greek Tony's Pizza and Subs

4543 Grand Haven Rd

Norton Shores, MI 49441

(231) 798-4444

Biercamp Market

222 W. Ludington Avenue

Ludington, MI 49431

(231) 843-6328

Rinaldi Pizza and Sub

14675 16th Ave

Marne MI, 49435

4333 E Apple Ave

Muskegon, MI 49442

(231) 457-4467

Don't Edit

A Pizza Yen

1807 Vanderbilt Ave

Portage, MI 49024

(269) 327-4449

Roma's Family Restaurant

1209 Broadway St

Bay City, MI 48708

(989) 892-2233

Fieldstone Market and Deli

7270 North Long Lake Road

Traverse City, MI 49684

231-922-7712

McGregor's Country Store

3980 Henderson Lake Rd

Prescott, MI 48756-9369

(989) 873-3863

Cavoni's Pizza and Grinders

256 W Carleton Rd

Hillsdale, MI 49242

(517) 437-9585

Fink's Butcher Shop and Deli

402 E Highway St

Vicksburg, MI 49097

(269) 649-4117

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

The Hoagie Man Deli

103 Sand Creek Hwy

Adrian, MI 49221

(517) 263-2401

Mike's General Store

22979 M-78

Battle Creek, MI 49017

(269) 964-6332

Mike's Deli Chelsea

114 W Middle St

Chelsea, MI 48118

(734) 475-5980

Sottini's Sub Shop

205 S 4th Ave

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

(734) 769-7827

Pizza Bob's

814 S State St

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

(734) 665-4517

Don't Edit

We are honored to have been nominated in Jackson Magazine, The "Best of Jackson" for best steak hoagie. Please vote for... Posted by Southside Super Deli on Saturday, October 18, 2014

South Side Super Deli

2000 Brooklyn Rd

Jackson, MI 49203

(517) 787-3531

Bommarito Italian Bakery

21830 Greater Mack Ave

St. Clair Shores, MI 48080

(586) 772-6731

Vinnie's Italian Subs

42030 Michigan Ave

Canton, MI 48188

(734) 710-9950

V Gonella's Original Deli

22069 Outer Dr

Dearborn, MI 48124-3931

(313) 563-8500

Captain Nemo's

144 3rd St

Belleville, MI 48111-2604

(734) 697-2900

Boardwalk Subs

4154 Lake Michigan Dr NW

Grand Rapids, MI 49534-4527

(616) 453-7275

Don't Edit

Ollie's Pizza and Grinders

230 E Main St

Manchester, MI 48158

(734) 428-6543

Togo's-Marquette's Original Submarine Sandwich Shop

2 locations: 1000 N 3rd St Marquette MI 49855 & Intersection of US 2 & M-28

Marquette, MI 49855

(906) 226-6535

Val's Pizza

620 S Washington St

Owosso, MI 48867

(989) 729-8257

Mama Mia's Pizzeria

218 W Savidge St

Spring Lake, MI 49456

(616) 842-0541

Fralia's

422 Hancock St

Saginaw, MI 48602

(989) 799-0111

Don't Edit

What's your favorite menu item at BC Subs?! If you've never been, you need to check out this bad boy....the #20 AKA "the everything" Posted by BC Subs on Wednesday, October 5, 2016

BC Subs

638 Capital Ave SW

Battle Creek, MI 49015

(269) 962-0364

Helman's Meat Market

221 E. Superior St.

Alma, MI 48801

2501 N Wilson Rd

Mears, MI 49436

(231) 873-4909

Hillsdale Filling Station

88 McCollum St

Hillsdale, MI 49242

(517) 439-1952

Geno's Golden Pizza & Pub

113 N Riverview Dr

Parchment, MI 49004

35197 Dodge Park Rd

Sterling Heights, MI 48312-3922

(586) 979-0828

The Cordial Shoppe

9045 Telegraph Rd

Taylor, MI 48180

(313) 291-1561

Buck's Restaurant

218 S Main St

Ishpeming, MI 49849

(906) 485-4534

Don't Edit

Gary Z's Sub Shop

254 E Front St

Buchanan, MI 49107

96 Monroe Center St NW

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

(616) 451-9504

West Pier Drive-In

849 W Pier Dr

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783-1519

(906) 632-0444

Mario's Pizza and Subs

935 Robbins Rd

Grand Haven, MI 49417-2645

(616) 846-6970

Cardinal Deli

6985 Bay Rd

Saginaw, MI 48604

(989) 249-8005

Hab's Good Eats N Treats

2445 Lakeshore Dr

Muskegon, MI 49441

(231) 755-7777

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Ernie's Market

8500 Capital St

Oak Park, MI 48237

(248) 541-9703

Pekadill's

503 S Mears Ave

Whitehall, MI 49461

(231) 894-9551

Martin's Corner Store

8990 E Monroe Rd

Wheeler, MI 48662-9748

(989) 842-3040

Uccello's Ristorante

2630 East Beltline SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49546

(616) 954-2002

Cantoro's Italian Market

15550 N Haggerty Rd

Plymouth, MI 48170

Don't Edit

La Penguina Deli

4838 Greenfield Rd

Dearborn, MI 48126

(313) 945-6633

Kazoopy's Pizza and Grinders

8441 W Main St

Kalamazoo, MI 49009

(269) 375-0120

Calabrese's Pizzeria

4668 Dixie Hwy

Waterford, MI 48329

(248) 673-6266

Alcamo's Market

4423 Schaefer Rd

Dearborn, MI 48126

(313) 584-3010

Vitale's on Leonard

834 Leonard St NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

(616) 458-8368

The Ambassador

126 Shelden Ave

Houghton, MI 49931

(906) 482-5054

Don't Edit

Stack's Liquor and Deli

45455 Ecorse Rd

Belleville, MI 48111-1109

(734) 697-1823

Chadd's Bistro

1838 E Auburn Rd

Rochester Hills, MI 48307

(248) 293-0665

Franco's Italian Pizzeria

8016 S Westnedge Ave

Portage, MI 49002

(269) 327-3467

Angelo's Italian Eatery

5401 Portage Rd Ste 4

Kalamazoo, MI 49002

The Glenn Store

1402 Blue Star Hwy

Glenn, MI 49416

(269) 227-3233

Hometown Pizza

193 S Main St

Brooklyn, MI 49230

(517) 592-3266

Handmade Sandwiches

78 Hillsdale St

Hillsdale, MI 49242

(517) 437-4263

Shorty's Kibby Cobb Deli

2628 Kibby Rd

Jackson, MI 49203

(517) 768-1888

Teddy Spaghetti's

3032 Heights Ravenna Rd

Muskegon, MI 49444

(231) 777-8337

Harding's Market, Plainwell

211 E Bannister St

Plainwell, MI 49080

(269) 685-8536

Don't Edit

Celebrate the first day of Spring with a tasty, fresh baked Grinder! MONDAY SPECIAL: Free Fountain Pop & Chips with the purchase of any 8" Italian Grinder at regular price. Posted by Mancino's Pizza & Grinders of Traverse City on Monday, March 20, 2017

MICHIGAN OWNED CHAINS THAT WERE NOMINATED

Mancino's Pizza and Grinders

Jersey Giant

B.C. Pizza

The Original Big John

Cottage Inn

Buscemi's

Tubby's

Bread Basket Deli

Green Lantern Pizzeria

Don't Edit

Milt Klingesmith | MLive

More Michigan's Best

Check out Michigan's Best sub nominations.

Our pick for Michigan's Best new brewery.

Detroit's Best burger can be found at these great places.

Don't Edit
Run, Rock, Roll mile raises money for adaptive playground equipment

Students from Gretchen's House Child Care Center participate in the Run, Rock and Roll event, which will raise money for adaptive playground equipment for High Point School, on Monday, November 21, 2016 in Ann Arbor. Katy Kildee | MLive.com

ANN ARBOR, MI - Public schools could lose funding for special education services under plans to replace the Affordable Care Act, Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Jeanice Swift said.

Swift called attention to the issue at a board of education meeting on Wednesday, March 22, a day before the U.S. House of Representatives was set to vote on the proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act known as ObamaCare. The vote was delayed until Friday.

"Children will lose from a reduction of Medicaid dollars. And any reduction in these dollars will impact the most vulnerable of our children in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, across the state of Michigan and around the country," Swift said.

She cited an article on how children benefit from Medicaid-funded services at schools published in January by the AASA, School Superintendents Association, a national advocacy group representing the interests of public education.

The School Superintendents Association says the American Health Care Act's proposal to cap Medicaid spending and distribute the funds through block grants would have a negative effect on students and schools.

Schools rely on Medicaid funds to be reimbursed for medically necessary services provided to special education students while they're at school.

"If a per-capita cap or block grant were to be enacted, school districts would stand to lose much of their funding for Medicaid," states the association's article. "A block grant means that districts may no longer receive a dedicated source of funding based on the services they are reimbursed for providing to students. Instead, schools would be forced to compete with hospitals, doctors, urgent-care clinics and other health-care centers to ensure continued reimbursement. Furthermore, there is no guarantee a state may choose to allow school districts could continue to receive reimbursement for IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) or EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment) services, so they could lose their entire allocation."

Ann Arbor Public Schools seeks Medicaid reimbursement primarily for speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychological services, Swift said. She estimated AAPS receives hundreds of thousands of dollars in Medicaid reimbursement for services each year.

"We all know that often for very young students, the provision of medically necessary services can make a lifetime of difference for a child," she said. "The hope with many of these services is that the child's issue would be remediated, and they would be sent on to middle school or to high school either with a dramatically improved approach or perhaps even having those speech needs resolved, and other needs as well."

Schools are required by federal law to provide special education services to students as needed, so a reduction in funding doesn't mean schools can reduce the services they offer. Instead, money would have to come from the district's general fund to make up the difference, Swift said.

"I want folks to understand, it's not just that children would be at risk of losing the service. It's that our overall budget would be devastated by this change," she said. "The reduction or the removal of Medicaid dollars from school budgets will exacerbate an encroachment on precious general fund dollars."

In addition to the changes in Medicaid spending, Swift also voiced her concerns about President Donald J. Trump's proposal to cut 14 percent of funding for the federal Department of Education while creating a $250 million school voucher program and providing a $168 million increase in funding for charter schools.

"All of these will occur on the backs of our children in public schools," Swift said. "And just a reminder that 90 percent of our children in the United States are in our public schools."

Ypsilanti Community Schools is relying on Medicaid reimbursement money to avoid deficit spending for the 2016-17 school year. Medicaid reimbursement also was a factor in Lincoln Consolidated Schools moving out of an overall deficit going into the 2016-17 school year.
ANN ARBOR, MI - The Michigan Wolverines took on the Oregon Ducks at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on Thursday, March 23.

The Ducks beat the Wolverines 69-68 in a tough battle to advance to the Elite Eight on Saturday, March 25.

Local bars were packed with enthusiastic fans showing their support for the Wolverines as they narrowly lost in the Sweet 16 game.
Railroad_032317_RJS_01.jpg

In the future, commuters from Whitmore Lake and beyond who work in Ann Arbor could hop off commuter trains along the tracks here just north of Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor, but it will require cooperation from existing freight operations that own and use the line.

(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)

ANN ARBOR, MI - Whether there will be a future commuter rail service to downtown Ann Arbor from points north is partly up to the railroad.

Most of the existing freight tracks that would be used for the proposed line between Howell and Ann Arbor -- or possibly just from Whitmore Lake to Ann Arbor -- are owned by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

But from Barton Drive, along the Plymouth Road corridor in Ann Arbor, into downtown, the tracks are privately owned by Kansas-based Watco Railroad Company Holdings Inc., which bought the Ann Arbor Railroad in 2013.

There's a commuter rail stop proposed for the Barton/Plymouth area, but to have trains continue to downtown Ann Arbor requires Watco's cooperation.

The plan is to have rail commuters hop on and off trains at a platform along the tracks between Liberty and Washington streets, behind the Blind Pig.

Neal Billetdeaux, a consultant with SmithGroupJJR, has been working on the north-south commuter rail feasibility study with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. He said there have been talks with Watco about the line, which actually continues south of Ann Arbor all the way to Toledo, Ohio.

"Watco at this point is not interested in selling and MDOT at this point is not interested in purchasing that corridor," Billetdeaux said.

But, he said, Watco is open to allowing commuter trains on the freight line from Barton Drive over the Huron River and into downtown.

It would require making some changes to existing freight operations, and Billetdeaux said there's a plan for that.

Right now the Great Lakes Central Railroad brings freight cars down from points north to the Osmer siding, which is by Pontiac Trail.

"Ann Arbor Railroad goes up to the Osmer siding, picks up those cars, and takes them down," Billetdeaux said. "In talking to Ann Arbor Railroad and Watco, they were not interested in operating freight service with commuter rail, and so what we've done is shifted that Osmer siding down to Ellsworth Road.

"So now Great Lakes Central will come down to Ellsworth with the cars, Ann Arbor Railroad will go get them at Ellsworth, and now there's no intermingling with Ann Arbor Railroad and commuter rail, and they were open to that. Nothing has been finalized, but they were open to that approach."

Billetdeaux said Great Lakes Central isn't as hesitant as Watco about commuter trains and freight trains operating on the same corridor.

He said there are no final agreements that Watco will stop operating freight north of Ellsworth, but that's been the discussion.

"Keep in mind that Watco would benefit to some degree," said Bob Moore, chief engineer with Quandel Consultants, another consultant on the project.

"They would shed themselves of the maintenance costs of maintaining an expensive segment of track -- all the grade crossings and that bridge across the Huron River."

The governmental entities funding the commuter rail service would be putting many millions of dollars into upgrading the tracks and crossings, making all the necessary improvements to accommodate commuter trains, which would go up to 60 mph from points north to Barton and then up to 30 mph through Ann Arbor to downtown. The improvements to the tracks would benefit Watco, Billetdeaux said, noting there most likely would be some use payments as well.

A spokesperson for Watco wasn't immediately able to comment.

The AAATA's project team studying the feasibility of the commuter rail service released new information this week showing funding assumptions for the proposed service, which would require $122.3 million in capital expenses and $13.2 in annual operating expenses for the full service from Howell to Ann Arbor, or about half those amounts for service from Whitmore Lake to Ann Arbor.

It's assumed 75 percent of the funding for capital startup costs would come from state and federal sources, with a 25 percent local match.

In addition to state and federal funding, it could require a local property tax ranging anywhere from 0.34 mills to 0.84 mills depending on what level of service is chosen and which local jurisdictions pay.

It could take years to get to the point of funding the service and no information has been released about when a tax proposal could go before voters.

The recent study concluded north-south commuter rail is feasible, and the next consideration is the governance structure. The leading option appears to be the creation of a new transit authority and seeking federal funding under the Federal Transit Administration's "Small Starts" program, which is a sister program to the FTA's "New Starts" program that is under attack right now.

President Donald Trump's proposed federal budget limits FTA funding under the New Starts program to projects with existing grant agreements.

"Future investments in new transit projects would be funded by the localities that use and benefit from these localized projects," Trump's plan states.

The New Starts program funds project costing more than $300 million, while Small Starts funds smaller projects such as what's proposed here.

Billetdeaux said it's his understanding that both New Starts and Small Starts would be eliminated under Trump's plan.

It's still uncertain how things might play out in Congress and how federal budget changes might impact potential funding for the project.

"You know, this process is not going to happen next year," Billetdeaux said. "It is going to happen several years out, and there could be a new administration by the time this really gets legs underneath it and things could change."

Billetdeaux said a summary feasibility report will be submitted in April with findings and recommendations for next steps.

"There needs to be some sort of multi-jurisdictional group to advance this to the next steps for grant funding," he said.

The steering committee for the project has included representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, FTA, Livingston County, Washtenaw County, Howell, Brighton, Howell Township, Genoa Township, Hamburg Township, Northfield Township, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, University of Michigan, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Washtenaw Area Transportation Study, MDOT and AAATA.

Billetdeaux said he thinks there's good support for the project, but it varies among those represented on the steering committee.

"In general, Livingston County has been very cautious. I'm not sure how they would sell this to their board of commissioners," he said.

"Although, Howell has been very supportive of it, and Genoa and Hamburg Township have been very supportive."

If there isn't support for a service all the way from Howell to Ann Arbor, an alternative option is a shorter service from Whitmore Lake to Ann Arbor.

The shorter service from Whitmore Lake into Ann Arbor, at about half the cost, still maintains about 90 percent of the initial ridership, the thinking being that people from beyond just Whitmore Lake would be willing to drive to a park-and-ride lot next to the tracks off U.S. 23 at 8 Mile and hop on a commuter train to get to Ann Arbor, avoiding rush-hour congestion on the highway.

Billetdeaux said the Whitmore Lake commuter rail station would be next to the existing tracks on 8 Mile just west of U.S. 23, with a parking lot for about 250 cars on a vacant site east of the tracks on the south side of the road. He said it's a big chunk of land where an old factory was torn down.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Witnesses provided details about the shooting death of Zach Currie at a preliminary hearing in Ann Arbor's 15th District Court Friday, March 24, but the motive remains a mystery.

Marcus Palmer, 23, was bound over to circuit court for trial on an open murder charge after testimony from Currie's girlfriend, a Michigan State Police trooper and a friend who said Palmer confessed to the killing.

"I asked him if he did it and he laughed," Steven Hurd said. "He said he blew him (away), that he fell in a ditch, and that he was twitching."

Currie was found fatally shot in front of his girlfriend's house in the 5400 block of Willis Road in Augusta Township the morning of July 24, 2016.

Hurd testified that during one of their discussions, Palmer wanted Hurd to get in touch with someone named Jorge.

"To tell him that he took care of some business for him," Hurd said. "I guess Jorge had a problem with (Currie)."

Who Jorge is and why he may have wanted Currie dead was not addressed during the hearing. Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Jeff Frasier said he could not comment on the motive when asked following the hearing.

Kalynne LeClair provided details leading up to the shooting. She'd been dating Currie for about a month and testified Currie came over around 1 a.m.

"He had a Remy Martin bottle," she said. "We were drinking it. We smoked a blunt. We were just hanging out."

Just before he left around 2:30 a.m., LeClair said Currie and Palmer talked via Snapchat's video telephone feature. LeClair said she'd never met Palmer before, but that she now recognizes his face and voice from the video call.

Currie left when the person who was supposed to be picking him up texted Currie that he had arrived, LeClair said. LeClair's testimony never definitively identified Palmer as the person picking Currie up.

"As soon as I got into my room, I heard the gunshots," she said, adding there were three of them.

LeClair did not go outside to check, though she said she called Currie at least 20 times, but he never answered.

Palmer's Detroit-based attorney, Harry Boffman, asked LeClair why she didn't go out to check on Currie after hearing the gunshots. LeClair said it wasn't uncommon for Currie to fire his own gun when he left her house at night.

Trooper Patrick Gallagher was one of the first officers on the scene around 8 a.m. the next morning.

Gallagher said Currie's body was visible about 10-15 feet from the road.

"He had a white T-shirt on," Gallagher said. "It was bloody."

Police found two 9-millimeter shell casings at the scene, the trooper testified.



Currie had two cellphones and a bottle of Remy Martin on him when he was found, Gallagher said.

Judge Karen Valvo, of the 15th District Court, bound Palmer over to circuit court on one count of open murder and one count of felony firearm.

A pretrial hearing was set for April 27 at the Washtenaw County Trial Court.

Palmer remains at the Washtenaw County Jail with no bond.

Boffman told the judge that jail officials are refusing to let Palmer get a haircut or shave. Judge Valvo issued an order to the jail to let Palmer get a haircut or shave at Boffman's request.
London police have released the name of the man who killed three people and injured 40 before he was shot to death in a suspected lone wolf terror attack on the Houses of Parliament.



One of those killed was an American who was visiting with his wife on their 25th wedding anniversary.

Khalid Masood, 52, was born in Kent in 1964 and was believed to have most recently lived in the Midlands, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement Thursday.

While Masood was not the subject of a current investigation and there was no sign that he was about to mount an attack, he was known to police, the statement said. Masood had a range of previous convictions to his name including assault and possession of offensive weapons.

Police said his first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.



Earlier, British police had searched six addresses and made eight arrests in raids as part of an investigation into the Wednesday's attack , which left four people.

Masood plowed his car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge and then fatally stabbed a police officer before being shot to death. Police had said five died but they revised it to four overnight.



Late Thursday, police said a 75-year-old man injured in the attack died after his life support was withdrawn.

In a statement to the House of Commons earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Theresa May gave details of the casualties' nationalities on top of the 12 injured Britons: One American, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian and two Greeks.

An official from the Mormon church in Utah identified the slain American as Kurt W. Cochran, who was on a wedding anniversary trip to London with his wife, Melissa. She was seriously wounded, The Associated Press reported.

Story continues

Later Thursday the Islamic State group said through its Aamaq News Agency that the attacker was a soldier of the Islamic State who "carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of the coalition" of countries fighting IS in Syria and Iraq.

Speaking Thursday morning, U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said that Parliament is currently reviewing its already stringent security measures.



Wednesday's attack unfolded around 2:40 p.m. local time when Masood drove a gray Hyundai SUV along a sidewalk on Westminster Bridge, before running to Parliament. There he was confronted by police, including unarmed PC Keith Palmer, who later died from stab wounds.



Tobias Ellwood, a member of Parliament who was at the scene at the time, was praised for his efforts to provide mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Palmer.



The attack is the worst London has seen since July 7, 2005, when the capital was hit by a series of suicide bomb attacks on public transport during rush hour.



The city has been on "severe" alert since 2014, which indicates that an attack is "highly likely," in response to conflicts in Iraq and Syria. This was an increase from a previous level of "substantial," which implies a strong possibility of an attack.



Wednesday marked the first anniversary of suicide attacks in Brussels. Memorial services were held around the country to remember the 32 people killed and 320 injured by those attacks.



Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.

Correction: This story was revised to correct the spelling of Mormon.





More From CNBC


In His New Book, Wewege Looks at the Future of Traditional Retail Banking and Discusses Whether it will be One of Revolution or Evolution

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2017 / Luigi Wewege, CEO of Vivier & Co, a boutique financial services firm based in Auckland, New Zealand, is pleased to announce the release of The Digital Banking Revolution book. In his new book, Wewege discusses his belief that emergent FinTech companies have rapidly transformed the traditional retail banking industry through disruptive innovation.

To learn more about Vivier & Co, and how the company is planning for continued transformation of banking by FinTech companies, as well as to read more about the financial services they offer, please visit their website: www.vivier.finance.

Wewege notes in his recently published book, that mobile banking, check imaging, and smartwatches are just a few of the latest financial service innovations that assist people with a variety of ways in which to spend, transfer, and manage their money nowadays.

"Advancements in technology have contributed to a completely new way in which consumers can conduct their financial affairs online, threatening the status quo of traditional retail banks, and redefining a banking model which has been in place for generations," Luigi said, adding that if people want to receive updates about the latest in banking and finance news they should follow Vivier's LinkedIn company page.

FinTechs have rapidly emerged as the new low-cost competitors to established international retail banks, which will ultimately force them to swiftly increase their pace of digital adoption. If banks implement these changes they may have a chance at staying relevant within the industry, and stopping mass client attrition to these agile financial startups.

"It's been predicted that there will be more financial service innovations developed over the next five years by FinTech players than in the last twenty years combined," Wewege said.

Story continues

He continues to explain that the underlying reason for this continued innovation push by FinTechs, is due to them desperately trying to win the hearts and minds of bank customers, and convince them to switch to their product and service offerings. However, as for how much further current technologies can be advanced is not known precisely, and is currently the subject of much debate.

This means that for FinTech companies to continue their rapid growth, it will ultimately come down to the reliability of the technology being developed at present.

"This will either directly affect the performance of FinTechs positively or negatively, and will be a major determining factor on their long-term viability in a highly competitive industry," Wewege said.

As traditional retail banks come to terms with the vital importance of digitizing their services quickly, they will likely find that when migrating to this digital world it could prove rather difficult for them.

"This being primarily due to most of them having decades-old back office legacy technology systems, and if these banks want to still be a relevant player today and beyond in the financial industry, they will need to ensure that they equip themselves with a completely new set of innovative digital solutions," Luigi said.

He then clarifies this further by saying, that once this has been accomplished, banks shouldn't stop but continue a program of adapting to the digital era by nurturing their customer experience. Banks will be able to achieve this through constantly observing market demands for convenient, simple-to-use, easy-to-understand banking products and financial services that will integrate seamlessly into their customers' lives.

Despite the varied amount of challenges that retail banks now face, they do still however possess an inherent competitive advantage over financial technology companies. This derives from banks' larger customer bases, which provide them with vast amounts of customer and transaction data. Additionally, they have built-up valuable know-how in the areas of payments, security, compliance, and financing over several decades.

"These competencies are exceptionally difficult to replicate by any startup financial firm, and what will invariably happen is that they will be confined to acting as financial intermediaries, whilst banks will continue to have the experience and know-how for transactions carried out between their customers and merchants," Wewege said, adding that transactional data should be considered one of the greatest assets of retail banks today.

The information obtained by retail banks will allow them to better understand their customers, he said, and consequently enable them to better provide their customers with value-added services, as well as the ability to offer certain financial services in a variety of new and innovative ways.

"Traditional retail banks worldwide will now need to leverage opportunities enabled by digital technologies, which will be critical to their future chances of success," Luigi said, adding that most retail banks have been taken completely by surprise with the rapid emergence of financial technology companies, and that they now need to go on the offensive by developing innovative financial technologies of their own to disrupt the industry.

"This will ensure that retail banks are back at the forefront of providing people with new financial service solutions, and thus help them regain market share which they have been steadily losing ground to FinTechs throughout this entire digital era."

About Luigi Wewege:

Luigi is the Chief Executive Officer of Vivier & Co a boutique financial services firm offering private digital banking solutions to clients worldwide. Outside of Vivier he serves as the Non-executive Chairman of Nikau Global an international trade development company, as a Partner/Director of Palmetto Global Ventures a bespoke financial management consultancy based in South Carolina, and is an invited member of Massachusetts non-profit The YEC. Luigi is also the author of the book: The Digital Banking Revolution which is available in audio, kindle and paperback formats through all major online bookstores in over fifty countries. For more information, please visit his personal website: www.luigiwewege.com.

About Vivier & Co:

Vivier is a boutique financial services firm incorporate in New Zealand in 2001, and offers a complete financial package which includes: current accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, an online platform, and international money transfers. Vivier also offers escrow accounts which assist companies to facilitate international trade and mitigate their risk on critical transactions. For more information, please visit the company's website: https://vivierco.com.

Media contact:

Brandon Hopkins, Owner of California, USA based AfterHim Media LLC.

Email: brandon@diamondlinks.net

SOURCE: Vivier & Co
DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2017) - Masergy today announced that TMC has named its Global Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) as a 2016 Cloud Computing Excellence Award winner. Masergy's UCaaS offering was selected for its extensible, highly scalable IP communications infrastructure, redundant carrier-grade platform for voice, video and mobility communications as well as providing comprehensive 24/7 client support that has achieved a record 70.3 Net Promoter Score (NPS).

The Cloud Computing Excellence Award, presented by Cloud Computing magazine, recognizes companies that have most effectively leveraged cloud computing in their efforts to bring new, differentiated offerings to market. Judges -- once again -- selected Masergy's UCaaS as the winner, this year noting their advanced unified communication features, built-in automatic failover and disaster recovery to increase reliability.

In addition, Masergy underscored the real-world value of their UCaaS features by spotlighting the Canyon School District in Sandy, Utah. Serving approximately 33,000 students in 29 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 4 special programs, the school district has dramatically lowered operational costs and simplified phone administration procedures -- all while embracing modern collaboration tools vis-a-vis award-winning, UCaaS services.

"Recognizing leaders in the advancement of cloud computing, TMC is proud to announce Global UCaaS as a recipient of the sixth Annual Cloud Computing Excellence Award," said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. "Masergy is being honored for their achievement in bringing innovation and excellence to the market, while leveraging the latest technology trends."

Masergy's global carrier-grade UCaaS platform is integrated with the company's managed global network. This provides enterprises with a total business communications solution. Additional features include:

Hosted VoIP -- Business grade, feature rich, HD voice, cloud-based applications.

Unified Messaging -- One inbox for voicemail/email/fax, voicemail transcription.

Chat -- IM integration with office telephones.

Presence -- Real-time status of team members for immediate access, minimized communications delays, and enhanced productivity.

Video Calling -- Video calls with exceptional clarity and reliability.

Audio/Video Conferencing -- Conference Bridge for pre-scheduled and ad hoc conferencing.

Mobility -- Seamless, consistent communication across all devices regardless of location.

Contact Center -- Distributed contact center with real-time, web-based queue management.

Story continues

"Rigid PBX-type phone systems will never be able to offer the features and conveniences that cloud-based communications bring to the market," said Dean Manzoori, Vice President of UCaaS Product Management at Masergy. "We are proud that our UCaaS solutions are having such a notable impact for customers including the Canyon School District and we're honored that TMC continues to view Masergy as offering excellence in cloud communications."

About Masergy

Masergy owns and operates the largest independent Software Defined Platform in the world, delivering hybrid networking, managed security and cloud communication solutions to global enterprises. Our patented technology, customizable solutions and unmatched customer experience are why a growing number of leading organizations rely on Masergy to deliver performance beyond expectations. Learn more about Masergy and follow us on our blog Transforming Enterprise IT, Twitter @Masergy, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3122385


(Adds Venezuela response, former ambassador comment, paragraphs 10-11, 23)

By Frank Jack Daniel and Matt Spetalnick

MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - A group of 14 nations urged Venezuela on Thursday to hold elections and release "political prisoners," in a joint statement that kept open the option of seeking to suspend the South American country from the Organization of American States.

The statement, which Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said was aimed at encouraging Venezuela to "re-establish democracy," called for dialogue and negotiation to resolve a crisis in the oil-exporting country, which is suffering severe food and fuel shortages.

Suspending Venezuela from the OAS was a last resort, the nations said, and something that should be avoided unless other diplomatic efforts have been exhausted.

"We reiterate that inclusive and effective dialogue is the right path to achieve lasting solutions to the challenges faced by the Venezuelan people," the statement said.

Venezuela has jailed around 100 government opponents it accuses of inciting violence and planning the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro. Opposition activists and human rights groups say they are prisoners of conscience.

In October, Venezuela's election board suspended the opposition drive for a recall referendum against Maduro despite the country's crushing economic crisis, the government's unpopularity and public opinion in favor of a plebiscite.

Venezuela has also delayed until 2017 elections due in December for state governorships.

The declaration by the 14 nations called for the separation of powers, the rule of law and the establishment of an electoral calendar for postponed elections.

The group that signed the declaration, which includes regional powerhouses the United States, Mexico, Canada and Brazil, also called on Venezuela to recognize the legitimacy of the country's national assembly, which has been defanged by Maduro's government since the opposition won a majority in 2015.

Story continues

Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's foreign minister, called Videgaray "servile" and a "traitor" for siding with Washington in a new push to isolate her country, which has been at loggerheads with the United States since the left-wing government of the late President Hugo Chavez.

"Foreign Minister @LVidegaray attacks Venezuela to please his imperial owners," Rodriguez said on Twitter. "He is building walls with Latin America instead of defending the sovereign rights and interests of its people."

VIOLATING RULES

The pressure by countries, including several former Venezuelan allies who have elected right-of-center governments in recent years, follows a call by the head of the OAS to expel Venezuela if it does not hold general elections quickly, a move that would require the support of two-thirds of the Washington-based body's 34 General Assembly members.

Luis Almagro, secretary general of the OAS and a former foreign minister of Uruguay, calls Maduro's government a dictatorship. He said earlier this month that, if Venezuela did not comply quickly, it should be suspended for violating rules that require members to adhere to democratic norms.

In the past the OAS suspended Cuba and Honduras for breaking with democracy but was criticized for not taking such action against right-wing dictatorships during the Cold War.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States was concerned by the state of democracy in Venezuela.

"We urge the Venezuelan government to comply with the constitution ... and hold elections as soon as possible," Toner told a briefing for reporters.

"We're not pushing for Venezuela's expulsion from the OAS at this time. We do think that the OAS is the appropriate venue to deal with the situation in Venezuela," he said.

However, a senior White House official said suspension from the regional body remained an option. Although numbers supporting Thursday's declaration fell well short of the requirement to take strong action through the OAS, the official said the statement was a significant first step.

"If Venezuela continues down the path that it's on, the notion that it's going to belong to an organization committed to democratic principles doesn't make much sense," the official told Reuters, adding that the United Sates could also consider sanctions. "There are going to be ramifications," the official said.

Mexico's decision to openly take a stance on the situation in Venezuela is a shift from a usual preference by Latin America's second-largest economy not to interfere in other countries' affairs.

"We should not continue to be indifferent, we cannot continue to be indifferent," Videgaray said earlier on Thursday, emphasizing that Mexico would respect Venezuela's sovereignty and act according to international law and in agreement with the countries of the Americas.

Mexico's change in tack may reflect an effort to have constructive relations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly antagonized Mexico.

"It reinforces what has been a general comment throughout these past weeks and months about how important Mexico is to the United States, not only bilaterally but as a regional player," said Andres Rozental, former deputy foreign minister for Mexico.

(Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Lesley Wroughton in Washington, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Daniela Desantis in Asuncion and Girish Gupta and Diego Ore in Caracas; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler)
Nucor Corporation NUE has announced plans to upgrade a rolling mill at Nucor Steel Marion, Inc. by investing $85 million. Notably, Nucor Steel Marion, located in Marion, OH is the state's largest producer of rebar and signpost. The mill is capable of producing more than 400,000 tons annually.



With the upgrade, Nucor Steel Marion will be able to maintain a cost competitive position by reducing operating costs. This would enable it to serve the customers better. Further, it will enhance Nucor Steel Marions ability to produce the most efficient and highest-quality recycled steel available in the market. Also, the modernization will create a substantial number of jobs at the mill.



Nucor has underperformed the Zacks categorized Steel-Producers industry over the past three months. While the company's shares rose 1%, the industry witnessed a gain of 5.2% over the same time frame.





Nucor remains committed to expand its production capabilities and grow its business through strategic acquisitions. Notably, the acquisition of Gallatin Steel has strengthened the companys foothold in the Midwest market and has provided ample opportunities to boost shareholder value. The buyout of Joy Global's steel plate mill will also enable Nucor to capture a growing share of higher value-added plate products.



Moreover, the buyout of Chicago-based Independence Tube Corporation has allowed Nucor to offer a broader selection of products to its fabricator and service center customers and reinforced the company's foothold in key non-residential construction end-use market.



Nucor, earlier this year, also closed its purchase of steel electrical conduit maker, Republic Conduit, from Luxembourg-based Tenaris S.A. for $335 million. The acquisition makes Nucor the market leader in steel conduits. Moreover, the company acquired Southland Tube for $130 million in Jan 2017. The buyout strengthens Nucors foothold in the hollow structural section (HSS) steel tubing market.



Demand in the automotive market also remains healthy and is expected to improve, in turn, providing more strength to the companys top line. Nucor remains focused on achieving greater penetration of this major market. Nucor has entered into a joint venture with JFE Steel Corporation of Japan to build and operate a plant in Mexico that will supply sheet steel to the countrys growing automotive market.



However, the company is exposed to certain macroeconomic difficulties including continued weakness in the steel industry and persistent risk of cheaper imports.

Story continues

Nucor Corporation Price and Consensus

Nucor Corporation Price and Consensus | Nucor Corporation Quote

Nucor currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Stocks to consider



Better-ranked companies in the steel space include POSCO PKX, Ternium S.A. TX and United States Steel Corporation X, all sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



POSCO has an expected long-term growth of 5%.



Ternium has an expected long-term growth of 18.4%.



U.S. Steel has an expected long-term growth of 8%.



More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!



It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



POSCO (PKX): Free Stock Analysis Report



United States Steel Corporation (X): Free Stock Analysis Report



Nucor Corporation (NUE): Free Stock Analysis Report



Ternium S.A. (TX): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
A logo is pictured at Google's European Engineering Center in Zurich April16, 2015. The European Union accused Google Inc on Wednesday of cheating competitors by distorting Internet search results in favour of its Google Shopping service and also launched an antitrust probe into its Android mobile operating system. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann - RTR4XK1M

In keeping with the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of a New India, Google India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) announced a set of initiatives aimed at empowering citizens and creating abundant opportunities for all.

Some key areas outlined as part of this initiative include enabling a safe and secure digital payments experience, imparting digital skills for artisans and Android skills training for students and developers. The announcements were made at an event in New Delhi by Aruna Sundarajan, MEITY Secretary, and Rajan Anandan, VP SouthEast Asia and India, Google.

Speaking at the event, Aruna Sundarajan, Secretary, MEITY said The Ministry of Electronics and IT intends to give impetus to the Honble Prime Ministers recent call for a 'New India'. Collaboration with Google will be hugely beneficial in harnessing the capabilities of technology for the India growth story.

Making the announcements, Rajan Anandan, VP, SouthEast Asia and India, Google said We are delighted to support Honourable PM Modis vision of creating a New india where technology unleashes a wave of new opportunities. We are committed to and look forward to working with MEITY across these broad range of initiatives and help every Indian to leverage the power of the Internet.

Digital Payments

As India moves to a less cash society through the adoption of digital payments, Google India and MEITY will support the launch of a Digital Payments Security Alliance in collaboration with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI). The Alliance will bring together several stakeholders from the ecosystem including Banks, Fintech Companies and Government. The Alliance will enable key initiatives to make security a foundation for Indias twin-pronged Digital and Financial Inclusion Programs. A campaign to create community awareness on safe and secure practices, as users adopt digital/mobile payments, capacity building through appropriate Train the Trainer Programs for CSCs, Financial Inclusion Agencies, will be some of the key priorities.

Digital Unlocked for Artisans

Handicrafts industry with over 7 million artisans provides the second largest source of employment in India, after agriculture. Further, it has a huge impact on export and foreign exchange earnings for the country. Google India which had announced Digital Unlocked, a program to impart training to SMBs earlier this year will extend this training in partnership with MEITY to over 100,000 artisans per year across India. The aim is to enable them to tap into newer markets through improved visibility and discoverability of their products through the internet.

The training will be delivered by National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT). Google India will equip the National Institute trainers with training modules and content. And they will, in turn, do the outreach by leveraging the 10,000 NIELIT centres across the country. Additionally, Google India will also provide mobile training labs to reach artisan clusters across India.

Skills development

The majority of Indias Internet user base today access the Internet from their mobile phones and almost all the future Internet users in India and many of the worlds emerging countries will be mobile only. There is a huge opportunity for India to become a global leader in mobile app development. Towards this, Google had announced the launch of its Android Skilling program with an aim of training two million developers in India. This included developing a specially-designed instructor-led training program course curriculum.

Google will extend this course curriculum to the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) who will in turn train over 100K developers and students through its network of centres.

Other initiatives that Google India and MEITY will undertake in India include: proliferating the Indic web; enhancing governments online presence especially on mobile platforms to enable citizen engagement and training and capacity building programs on digital tools.

Google India with its mission of Internet for every Indian has been very focussed on solving for the next billion users whore not online. Bringing fast, high quality Internet access; building products that perform even when there is low connectivity; make the web more accessible and useful for Indic language speakers; increasing internet usage amongst women in rural India and skills development for developers and SMBs are some of its key initiatives.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

HDFC, the country's biggest private mortgage player, will raise Rs 3,300 crore by issuing the largest masala bonds in the country.

"Under the USD 750 million MTN programme, the Corporation earlier on Friday launched an issue of Rs 2,000 crore ($306 million) plus a greenshoe option ($198 million or Rs 1300 crore)," HDFC said in a statement.

Masala bonds or rupee-denominated bonds are those wherein an Indian company raises money from overseas investors in Indian rupees.

HDFC said it has received an "overwhelming response from 29 investors across Asia and Europe. The aggregate demand for the transaction was 2.16 times at Rs 4,315 crore ($657 million)."

The Rs 3,000-crore issue of unsecured rupee-denominated bonds bears a fixed semi-annual coupon of 7.35 percent per annum (better price than the previous 7.87 percent) and has a tenure of three years and one month maturing on April 30, 2020.

"The bonds are unrated and will be listed on the London Stock Exchange. This issue is the largest issuance of masala bonds out of India, it said.

The Reserve Bank of India had granted HDFC permission to raise Rs 3000 crore in December after it exhausted its limit of Rs 5000 crore.

Last July, HDFC became the first corporate to issue masala bonds in order to raise Rs 3,000 crore at a coupon rate of 7.87 percent.
Marquee Private Equity firm KKR plans to exit from its investments in Dalmia Bharat in the month of April, reports CNBC-TV18s Nisha Poddar quoting sources with direct knowledge.

KKR is already well known for making hefty returns on most of its investments at the time of exits. Its exit from Dalmia Bharat is also likely to fetch good returns for the company.

Source says the lock-in period for KKR will end and so in the month of April, it would sell its 8.44 percent stake for around Rs 1,500 crore (as per current market price)

However, the dynamics of how it should be priced and the kind of appetite in the market and what price will be deliberated upon will be decided by the bankers who are going to be appointed by KKR to execute the transaction.

Sources say, the sale of shares are expected to happen via block trades on exchanges and some investors have already been reached out for this.

In 2010, KKR had first invested Rs 500 crore in Dalmia Bharats subsidiary. Later in 2016, they converted its holding to parent company Dalmia Bharat and were issued 8.5 percent stake at a price of around Rs 825 per share. In turn KKR also got Rs 600 crore from Dalmia Bharat for its stake in the subsidiary.

Now for the Rs 825 per share investment, KKR is likely to get Rs 1900 per share. So, prima facie it looks like KKR has made around 50 percent profit on this investment.

Meanwhile, since the sale will happen through block deals it is likely that institutional investors would buy it.
The Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (Fada) has filed a petition with the Supreme Court against the ban on selling Bharat Stage (BS) III, which will come into force from April 1, says a Livemint report.

The dealers association said the ban will impact about 20,000 dealers financially and employment-wise and 9,00,000 vehicles.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday banned the sale and registration of BS-III vehicles from April 1.

After March 31, India plans to switch to BS IV fuel across the country. The shift to BS IV ensures that auto industry will move to BS VI by 2020. Concerns over alarming rise in pollution level had prompted the transport ministry to announce shift to BS IV last year.

The SC had, on Monday, asked Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) to submit details of unsold BS III vehicles manufactured after December 2015.

While the automobile companies are on-board with the switch, they are opposing ban on BS III vehicles as many finished products are with dealers.

According to a Business Standard report, the government ruling speaks of a ban on manufacturing of BS III vehicles, not their sale and registration.

The Environment Pollution Control Authority has been in talks with automobile dealers since October for BS II inventories.

Dealers tend to keep stock of vehicles with them and sell them when the demand for them rises. There is substantial stock of unsold BS III vehicles, including some of such stock received in recent times, said John K Paul, President of Fada told Mint.

For smaller dealers, the ban will not only impact finances, but also employment, he said.

However, industry sources say that old vehicles could be sold post the deadline with heavy discounts, but that too will take some time.
mark Meadows

Despite an ultimatum from President Donald Trump, conservative members of the House of Representatives have continued their attacks on the GOP leadership's healthcare bill on the day of a pass-or-fail vote.

Some members of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative representatives, have said the American Health Care Act does not go far enough in repealing Obamacare, the law known formally as the Affordable Care Act, and have expressed their intention to vote against the bill.

"No, I'm not ready to surrender on an issue as important as Obamacare," Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama said in an interview with CNBC on Friday. "I am going to vote against it because it is one of the worst bills I have seen in my 30 years as a county commissioner, legislator, district attorney, and now congressman. It's very, very bad in a variety of ways."

Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told House Republicans in a meeting late Thursday to pass the AHCA, saying Trump would move on and leave Obamacare in place if it did not pass.

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Freedom Caucus member who has described himself as a "hell no" on the AHCA, said Trump's ultimatum undermined the US's system of government.

"If Exec branch tells Legislative branch 'when 2 vote' 'how 2 vote' & 'what it will b allowed 2 work on if vote fails,' is that a republic?" Massie tweeted Friday.

Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who has been vocal about his distaste for the bill, calling it "Obamacare 2.0," also used Twitter to attack GOP leadership for editing the bill and leaving some members in the dark about the changes.

Amash was one of four Republican representatives who voted against a measure that will allow the final version of the AHCA to be released and voted on in the same day.

"We must have the opportunity to read and understand the final bill before we vote," Amash tweeted. "It's irresponsible to do otherwise."

Story continues

Some conservatives in the Freedom Caucus, however, have softened their stances.

Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee had been leaning toward voting "no" on the bill but shifted to undecided, calling the vote "a really tough choice." Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina also moderated his tone Thursday night, telling Politico he was undecided.

But a good portion of the roughly 35-member Freedom Caucus still appears to be against the AHCA and plans to vote against the bill.

Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, told reporters on Thursday that it had "not gotten enough of our members to get to yes at this point" to pass the AHCA.

After meeting with the group on Wednesday and Thursday, the president lambasted the group on Twitter on Friday morning for its stance against the bill.

A Republican source close to the discussion told Business Insider that a final vote on the bill would most likely take place Friday after 4 p.m.

NOW WATCH: The Trump family's lavish lifestyle is costing taxpayers a fortune





More From Business Insider


The Finance Minister yesterday at IBLA Awards promised a major policy decision to push for the quick settlement of the non-performing assets (NPA) at banks in a 'couple of days'.

Rajneesh Kumar, MD, State Bank of India said that no resolution can happen without the support of the Reserve Bank of India and the government. Also whatever the decision, there needs to be a proper regulatory mechanism to speed it up, said Kumar in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

Santosh Singh, Haitong Securities said policy framework around this issue has been formed many times, now what is needed is quick action plan.

For many years the discussions on solving the non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loan issues have taken place and at the end of the day, there is just one more scheme of debt restructuring but that is not really solving the problem, there needs to be a concrete action plan and that too soon, said Singh.

The rally in banks can sustain only if some action plan is laid out for solving NPA issue, said Singh.

Related stories

Also Munish Dayal of Baring Private Equity Partners said the guesstimate of stressed asset book is anywhere between 10 and 15 percent.

He further told CNBC-TV18 that whenever you look at resolution of bad loans or stressed assets, there is a question of notional cut, haircut etc, and you get into pricing of assets and the losses to be taken.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Anuj: You would have heard the FM talk about various options. What are your first comments because today we have seen a big rally in banking stocks?

Kumar: Bad assets resolution is required, nobody can deny that and if the resolution is to happen then governments support and intervention is also a given and a reality. Without government support, Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) support, the resolution is very difficult to arrive at.

So I think if the government is considering these steps and thinking is going on, it is a very welcome step and hopefully we will see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Sonia: What do you think those steps could be because we have heard this before as well? Arvind Panagariya spoke about the public auction of stressed assets, the RBI deputy governor, SS Mundra has also spoken about how mechanisms like Joint Lenders' Forum (JLF) needs to be strengthened further. According to you what are the top two or three things that could be done?

Kumar: One is the consensus between the bankers at the board level. When the JLF happens, there has to be an adequate representation at the senior most level who can get the proposals approved from their board and consensus among the bankers is a must. So that consensus it is very hard to arrive at in the JLF mechanism. So if there is a regulatory mechanism, where the decision-making in JLF can be ensured so that will definitely be a welcome step.

Other than that, yes, there are many mechanisms, Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A) is there, strategic debt restructuring (SDR) is there, insolvency and bankruptcy is there but ultimately if there is a deleveraging required, it would mean some haircut.

How much each bank can take and what is their capability and how the support from the various quarters will be coming in, that is something which is a subject matter of deliberation and this is where policy interventions are required.

Anuj: All these are available right now also but we have not seen much headway and as FM also pointed out, it is 35-40 large accounts, which are problem point, so when can we see a move in this direction because there are options available right now as well but the fact is that this problem has remained a chronic problem now for many quarters?

Kumar: That is what I am saying that if there has to be a haircut and the sustainable debt is 40-50-60 percent, one is if the macroeconomic environment improves. The overall valuations should go up but even after that if the debt is not sustainable then how to support debt write-downs or write-offs which may be converted into cumulative preference shares or optional convertibles or equity.

So there are various options available but as soon as you do that, there is net present value (NPV) loss, there is a huge provisioning requirement - the financial position of most of the public sector banks is known to everyone. Supporting those kinds of haircut financially, I think that is the crux.

Sonia: The fact of the matter is many of these mechanisms that have been put into place have not yielded too much results, whether it is the JLF, SDR in fact the lack of progress on SDR is something that has been well documented. According to you what needs to be done now?

Singh: Whatever mechanism we are talking about, in my opinion, they are more of entries or accounting entries nothing more than that because what you are doing is a restructuring or just changing what the loan tenure or you are trying to put in something there but what you need is a resolution of that asset either it is a bad debt or it is not a bad debt.

Once you know, it is a bad debt, you write it off and move ahead. If it is not a bad debt, what needs to be done and what you need is action rather than changing it from one account to another account. In my opinion, it does not change anything for the sector.

So clearly, what is needed is action and for that, the problem is that the public sector undertaking (PSU) banks are not well capitalised to take that action. Secondly, you need a lot of will power to take those actions as such. If there is huge write-off then there will be question marks about why those write-offs are there. So clearly, what you need are actions because policy framework has been formed for many times.

Anuj: In that case, we have seen some of these moves in the past as well, do you think this one is also that  a move that would flatter to deceive unless we hear something concrete, unless we hear something within next few days because otherwise this would again be the case where we have heard this in the past, the stocks rally and then nothing happens?

Singh: I totally agree with you. We have been hearing it for many years and the outcome has been that you come out with one more scheme where the debt can be restructured. So what you need is that some sort of action plan and resolution and then only the rally can sustain.
Hospira, a Pfizer company, has received 11 observations from the US drug regulator for its unit at Visakhapatnam, sources have told CNBC-TV18.

An inspection by the US Food and Drug Administration took place at the sterile injectables manufacturing unit between March 9 and 17.

An initial audit had taken place in 2015, during which 14 observations had been found. The latest list includes three repeat observations.

The repeat observations are related to air supply, air sampling and the root cause for microbial contamination.

Last year, Hospira had to halt production at its Chennai plant in connection with quality control.

The development could possible Pfizer's stock in the US.
To make India a global manufacturing destination, 'Make in India' has been one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's major agenda. From relaxing foreign direct investment (FDI) norms to rolling out a simplified tax regime, the government has done a lot to lure high-profile foreign companies to set up shop in the country.

Some global players like Apple are in advanced talks with the government to start a manufacturing unit in India but despite much effort the government has not been able to convince electric car-maker Tesla to start a factory in India.

Owned by innovator and serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, Tesla has not given in to India's offer of land near a major port to facilitate exports, and such other incentives, reports the Mint.

The Narendra Modi government has been trying to woo Tesla to make India a manufacturing hub for exports to south and south-east Asian countries.

Tesla's decision to stay away from manufacturing in India, for now, is not surprising: Experts say this is not the opportune time for Musk to enter the Indian market.

Abdul Majeed, partner and national auto practice leader, PwC told Mint that just establishing a plant for exports does not make sense as there needs to be a large domestic market as well.

From a business standpoint, it makes sense for Tesla to address the product challenges, build up market share in the US and Europe. India is still some time away, he said.

But the decision would serve as a dampener for the government, whose efforts to attract marquee manufacturers into the country would have got a boost had Tesla taken up the offer.

The government has been on its toes to curb the rising levels of air pollution and has implemented strict rules for diesel-powered vehicles in the National Capital region. It has also trimmed the BS-VI (Bharat Stage VI) compliance deadline by two years.

Making adoption of electric vehicles more mainstream is also one the government's endeavours. It has set an ambitious target of shifting both personal and commercial vehicles on Indian roads to run on electricity by 2030.

Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had paid a visit to Tesla in 2016 and proposed a joint venture between the car-maker and Indian automobile companies to manufacture pollution-free vehicles.

Gadkari said the government has tried its best and has even offered land at ports to bring Tesla on-board but is yet to get any indication from the company.



@goel_ishan Hoping for summer this year

 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2017

In a tweet last month Elon Musk had said the company is likely to introduce its products in India sometime in the summer of 2017.
Reliance Infocomm has come up with another enticing offer to woo customers who might be a tad skeptical about paying up for the Jio Prime Membership following its commercial launch starting April.

Jio has offered a cashback of Rs 50 on applying for a Prime membership paid for via its Jio Money wallet. Another Rs 50 cashback can be availed on a recharge of Rs 303 right after opting for the membership. The cashback offer does not apply to payments made through other wallets like Paytm or MobiKwik.

The discount voucher can be redeemed only on the Jio Plan recharge for the value of Rs 303 or more using JioMoney between March 25 and June 30.

A cashback of Rs 100 would mean the Prime membership worth Rs 99 comes practically free. However, the cashback will be in the form of vouchers in the Jio Money app.

Announced in February, the Reliance Jio Prime membership was aimed at extending the benefits offered under its Happy New Year plan, albeit with varied monthly data tariffs applicable.

By enrolling for Prime membership, open until March 31, and recharging Rs 303 per month, users get 30 GB data or 1 GB per day, along with access to a bouquet of other media services. Customers can also avail other regular postpaid and prepaid tariff plans.

A recent Bank of America Merrill Lynch Survey suggests nearly 82 percent of Reliance Jio users are willing to continue with its services even after the free offers end.

Freebies offered by Jio caused a pandemonium of sorts in the Indian telecom market. A loss for Idea Cellular in the quarter gone by pushed the company into announcing a merger with Vodafone.

Major incumbent Bharti Airtel has also gone fervently scouting for opportunities to expand its foothold in the 4G space. The company Thursday announced acquisition of 4G business of Tikona Digital Networks, barely a month after a similar deal with Telenor.
The UK has conveyed to India that its request for extradition of industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, has been certified by the secretary of state.

"The UK Home department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for extradition of Mallya has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of warrant," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.

The development is a step forward towards securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore.

Baglay also noted that a formal extradition request in respect of Mallya as per Extradition Treaty between India and the UK was handed over to the British High Commission here through a note verbale on February 8.

While handing over the request, India had asserted that it has a "legitimate" case against Mallya and maintained that if an extradition request is honoured, it would show British "sensitivity towards our concerns".

Earlier in January this year, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was today barred from flying by four private Indian carriers after his brazen assault on an Air India officer.

The Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as its members, has taken a "strong view of the incident and accordingly taken a decision to bar Gaikwad from flying", an FIA source said.

The FIA will not allow the Sena MP to fly on its member carriers, the source said.

It is likely to come out with a detailed statement on the issue soon.

Meanwhile, Budget carrier IndiGo today said it will support any move which bars unruly passengers from flying, a day after Air India said it was mulling preparing a no-fly list for such people.

"We will support a no-fly list," IndiGo President and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh told PTI.

Yesterday Gaikwad had repeatedly hit a 60-year-old Air India officer with sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, while the Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from him. PTI IAS KIS RT .
Arunabh Kumar: YouTube content channel The Viral Fever (TVF) was in the news in 2017, not for its videos. Founder Arunabh Kumar was accused of sexual harassment and had to resign as CEO of the company. (Image: Twitter)

TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar has been asked to record his statement within this week after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment. The issue came into focus when a blog post on medium.com by a blogger called Indian Fowler accused Arunabh of workplace harassment while she was working in TVF.

Kumar who, in a statement, had stated he was open for any investigation on the matter, has been asked to record his statement within six days at the MIDC Police Station in Andheri. This is after a third party complaint was filed by lawyer Rizwan Siddique on March 16.

So far none of the women have filed any compliant. Most have anonymously posted on social media about Kumars behavior. The cops have been trying to get in touch with these women, five of whom are anonymous, to come out and file a proper complaint. No action can be taken unless a complainant comes forward and registers an FIR, said senior PI Shailesh Pasalwar of MIDC police station to Mumbai Mirror.

Meanwhile TVF team has set up an internal inquiry to deal with the complaints. In their official statement, TVF said, We are committed to getting to the bottom of these allegations. Many of you have asked so we would like to confirm that yes, we have an ICC Committee set up in each location.

Amid all the allegations that have surfaced against Kumar, many had accused TVF of not having a proper HR that could look into cases such as these.
A safe and effective drug to reverse ageing and treat cancer may be available in just three years, thanks to scientists who have identified a critical step in how cells repair damaged DNA.

Experiments in mice suggest a treatment is possible for DNA damage from ageing and radiation, researchers from University of New South Wales in Australia said.

The drug is so promising it has attracted the attention of NASA, which believes the treatment can help its Mars mission, they said.

While our cells have an innate capability to repair DNA damage - which happens every time we go out into the Sun, for example - their ability to do this declines as we age.

Scientists identified that the metabolite NAD+, which is naturally present in every cell of our body, has a key role as a regulator in protein-to-protein interactions that control DNA repair.

Treating mice with a NAD+ precursor, or "booster," called NMN improved their cells' ability to repair DNA damage caused by radiation exposure or old age.

"The cells of the old mice were indistinguishable from the young mice, after just one week of treatment," said Professor David Sinclair of UNSW School of Medical Sciences.

Human trials of NMN therapy will begin within six months, researchers said.

"This is the closest we are to a safe and effective anti-ageing drug that is perhaps only three to five years away from being on the market if the trials go well," said Sinclair.

The work has excited NASA, which is considering the challenge of keeping its astronauts healthy during a four-year mission to Mars, researchers said.

Even on short missions, astronauts experience accelerated ageing from cosmic radiation, suffering from muscle weakness, memory loss and other symptoms when they return.

On a trip to Mars, the situation would be far worse: five percent of the astronauts' cells would die and their chances of cancer would approach 100 percent.

Sinclair and his UNSW colleague Lindsay Wu were winners in NASA's iTech competition in December last year.

"We came in with a solution for a biological problem and it won the competition out of 300 entries," Wu said.

In theory, the same treatment could mitigate any effects of DNA damage for frequent flyers. The other group that could benefit from this work is survivors of childhood cancers, researchers said.

Wu said 96 percent of childhood cancer survivors suffer a chronic illness by age 45, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cancers unrelated to the original cancer.

"All of this adds up to the fact they have accelerated ageing, which is devastating. It would be great to do something about that, and we believe we can with this molecule," he said.

The study was published in the journal Science.
For Indian students, United States and United Kingdom are no longer the most popular destinations for education, with consultants now seeing an increase in applications to other countries such as Canada, Australia, France and Germany.

There was a time when a student wanting to study abroad only looked at the US and UK, given their popularity and the Ivy League schools in these countries. Now, however, the British and American governments have tightened their visa rules and restricted employment after completing education, nudging students to look elsewhere.

Naveen Chopra, Chairman of overseas education consultant The Chopras, said there is a clear rise in the student traffic to Australia, Canada, France, Netherlands, New Zealand and Ireland.

Students are applying to multiple destinations rather than only one major hub like the United States," said Chopra. "UK is still popular among the richer classes since they may not have any agenda of studying and staying there after their education.

While the number of Indians studying in the US is still rising, firms say that students are getting increasingly worried about visa curbs as the Donald Trump regime moves towards implementing protectionist policies.

According to an Open Doors report, 165,918 students from India were studying in the United States during 2015-16 - up 24.9 percent from the previous academic year. India is the second leading country of origin for students coming to the United States, comprising 15.9 percent of the all foreign students in the country.

The majority of Indian students in the US study at the graduate level. In 2015-16, the breakdown was: 11.6 percent undergraduate; 61.4 percent graduate students; 1.5 percent other and 25.5 percent Optional Practical Training.

In 2016, Indian students in US colleges and universities contributed USD 5.01 billion to the US economy, according to data from the US Department of Commerce.

Rohan Ganeriwala, Co-founder of Collegify, a consulting firm for overseas education, said that students are keeping their options open for undergraduate studies.

While it is still early, if the situation in the US get tightened, they will choose other countries," Ganeriwala said. "The student application to countries like Australia, Canada, France and Germany applications has increased. Their main concern is whether they will get to work in that country after their degree is completed.

Ganeriwala said that the UK has already kept a cap on the number of visas for international students as well, which has led to a decline in the number of Indian students opting for Britain.

Also, in several European countries in France, Italy and Germany where English is not the local language, there was also a fear among Indian students that they need to know the language to be able to complete their course.

However, Ganeriwala added that now this misconception is being reduced since students have understood that the courses are taught in English.
Only half of about Rs 15,000 crore bad loans on sale is likely to find success as a pricing mismatch between bankers and asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) continues to hinder the process.

Even as the March 2017 deadline for cleaning up their balance sheets nears, bankers have their task cut out.

Bankers seem to have woken up and now we are getting many requests. About Rs 10,000-12,000 crore worth of assets would have been put up on sale in this quarter and only half of them may get concluded, said the CEO of a top ARC.

Scrambling for time and recovery of the mounting bad loans, a recovery head of a top public sector bank said, There would be asset sale of about Rs 15,000 crore for the entire sector. But we are still negotiating and trying to meet on an agreed level. We are under pressure to get the recovery process through by the year end. We are trying our best. Echoing the ARC's views,, the lender also maintained that only 40-50 percent of assets put on the block will find buyers.

Among some banks, Punjab National Bank had plans to put up Rs 1,800 crore worth of assets on sale, while UCO Bank Chief had said the bank would sell assets worth Rs 3,000 crore.

The guidelines released on September 1 last year push banks to make more NPA (non-performing asset) sales in return for cash rather than security receipts (SRs) to make sure that stressed asset sales by banks are actually true sale of assets.

SRs are issued by ARCs to banks pending recovery from an account. Banks can encash them only after the loan concerned has been recovered by the ARC.

E-auction portals are also jumping in to help banks list their properties and find potential investors. While AuctionTiger, NPAsource, Bank e-Auctions are the leading players, Foreclosure and Entrust are among the new entrants.

Devendra Jain, Founder, NPAsource, said, We are seeing an increase in the number of auctions but havent been able to find buyers for the properties even after discounting the prices. There is hardly a success of 5-7 percent in industrial properties while for residential properties, the success rate has been a little higher at 50 percent. These are properties below Rs 1 crore.

With about Rs 3,000 crore worth of properties on auction, NPAsource has seen a sale of about Rs 300-400 crore. So, the success rate is barely at 10-15 percent, the market is not very good, Jain added.

Since August 2014, banks have to ensure that at least 15 percent of the NPA sales are in cash. However, banks did not have to provide for the loans sold in exchange of SRs. This will now change from April 1 likely forcing them to push more sales in exchange for cash.

The bad loans or NPAs in the banking industry as on December stand at about Rs 7 lakh crore.

In the second half of 2015, the then Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan initiated the Asset Quality Review (AQR) of banks and then set a deadline of March 2017 for banks to clean up their books. However, most experts see this to be some quarters away.

Bankers are unwilling to take a haircut to sell bad loans; they are not even getting buyers; projects are still stuck and the economy seems to be struggling especially after demonetisation, how can we see a resolution? said an executive with a company consulting banks on resolution of assets.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards, said, The problem of big NPAs (non-performing assets) is confined to at best 50 companies and therefore those 40-50 accounts need to be resolved. Now, in way of that resolution, several issues come up: You have to find a buyer, strategic partner to find a solution. And if people are slow at doing so, thinking that the system is somewhat hopeless, the system will have to bring in some other instruments.

NPAs have reached 9.3 percent of the total loans extended by the entire (public and private) banking system taking the absolute bad loans worth nearly Rs 7 lakh crore, while NPAs of public sector banks were 11 percent of the total loans accounting for over 80 percent of bad loans.

Since the AQR, possibly up to a sixth of public sector banks gross advances are stressed (non-performing, restructured or written-off), and a significant majority of these are in fact NPAs. For banks in the worst shape, the share of assets under stress has approached or exceeded 20 percent. This estimate of stressed assets has doubled from 2013 in terms of what had been recognised by banks, as per RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya.
Moneycontrol Research

The Rs 7-lakh crore non-performing asset (NPA) problem has been the fly in the otherwise smooth ointment that is the Modi governments economy scorecard. In its Financial Stability Report, the RBI has named stressed assets (12.3 percent of advances) as the prime reason why banks are risk-averse and credit-shy. In this context, Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys comment of "a radical overhaul in NPA resolution" assumes importance. As one would expect, markets have given his views a cautious welcome, sending the Bank Nifty up 1 percent.

As per RBIs Financial Stability Report, 22.3 percent of the credit given to the industry is either classified as NPA (non-performing assets) or restructured (industry accounts for 40 percent of total bank credit). The sector that tops the non-performing asset list are metals, construction, textiles, mining, infrastructure (including power) and engineering. In the first nine months of the current fiscal, a majority of NPAs were from these sectors.

Source: RBI

Before speculating on the modus operandi of a possible resolution, it is important to understand the evolution of the problem. Contrary to popular perception that NPAs have been created only by wilful defaulters, the problem had its origin from multiple sources, hence a one-size-fits-all solution might not be appropriate.

The genesis of the great NPA saga may be traced back to the "commodity super cycle" that resulted in false hopes of a never-ending surge in commodity prices, and a generous funding of capacities. The other fancied sector, infrastructure, witnessed issues with project completion on account of unavailability of resources, improper offtake (no power purchase agreement) and inability of promoters to bring in the requisite equity. For completed infrastructure projects, overall lacklustre demand posed challenges for servicing debt. The construction sector faced issues of bloated receivables and finally unviable business models and unscrupulous promoters also played their part.

Given the genesis of the crisis, the focus is likely to be on the large accounts first. According to RBI, the asset quality of large borrowers deteriorated significantly. The share of special mention accounts (SMA)-2 increased across bank groups.

Source: RBI

While the exact nature of the resolution is still unclear, it has to be a marked departure from the existing mechanisms such as corporate debt restructuring (CDR), strategic debt restructuring (SDR) and scheme for sustainable structuring of stressed assets (S4A), which are all focused on protecting bank books from stress. The pace of resolution so far has been tardy as bankers have failed to work together, there have been disagreements on the haircut (the difference between the book value and selling price of the asset) and finally public sector bankers are wary of being questioned by Vigilance agencies over any decision they take.

A few weeks ago, the RBI Deputy Governor suggested creation of special structures like a private asset management company, which will handle the creation, selection and implementation of a feasible resolution plan for quick turnaround of stressed assets and the involvement of two credit rating agencies which will rate the company.

In case of companies which are far gone and are in need of a more long-term solution, the suggested mechanism was to create a national asset management company with a minority government stake, which would raise debt and manage the asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) and private equity firms that would actually turn around the underlying company.

However, the key question that remains unanswered is when the bad assets are housed under an ARC or a Bad Bank, the transfer price of the asset becomes critical. If the transfer happens at closer to the book value, the banks are spared of significant provisioning but it is not economically viable for the buyer. If the bank transfers with a deep haircut, then incremental provisioning requirement makes the proposition self-defeating. Government has so far been wary of pumping money into beleaguered PSBs (public sector banks) lest it is accused of wasting precious taxpayers money in bailing out unscrupulous promoters.

One option could be to raise long-term sovereign backed bonds by the Bad Bank or similar entity, and PSBs being issued bonds in lieu of the loans transferred thereby protecting their capital adequacy.

The other solution, which is rumoured to be doing the rounds, is to make large public sector units buy some of the assets wherever synergistic benefits are visible (like NTPC buying some power projects). However, for any such transaction to fructify, the correct pricing of the asset is important. The ability of banks to provide for the haircut also needs to be resolved.

While markets may have to wait in the coming week to get a clarity on the exact mechanism, PSBs and a few private banks that are reeling under asset quality problems can party, hoping that a resolution is near.

Source: Ambit
A Bitcoin (virtual currency) paper wallet with QR codes and a coin are seen in an illustration picture shot May 27, 2015. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Illustration/File Photo - RTX2H641

BJP MP Kirit Somaiya hit out at the increasing use of bitcoin in India, raising the issue in the Parliament, terming the digital currency as "hypothetical" and a "pyramid ponzi scheme".

"The use of bitcoin, a hypothetical currency, is increasing at a rapid speed in India as well as in the world. Experts have expressed concern that bitcoin is a pyramid ponzi type scheme," he said.

He urged regulators RBI and SEBI, besides the Finance Ministry, to look into its regulation and take steps to "save people from another big ponzi fraud".

Somaiya's concern over the digital currency is not surprising: the stellar rise of bitcoin as an instrument of speculation or investment, if not a currency, has given rise to plenty of hype, and even confusion, surrounding it.

Over the last one year, bitcoin price has rallied 214 percent to all-time highs of USD 1,300.

So while the currency itself does not offer any promises of return on investment, except for capital appreciation, the lack of regulation around it has given rise to a host of multi-level marketing (MLM) companies who are looking to cash in on the increasing popularity, and mystery, over the novel financial instrument.

"The problem lies with MLM companies who have picked on its popularity and used it to sell unsustainable financial schemes to people," Vishal Gupta, CEO and founder of Searchtrade, told Moneycontrol.

What is a ponzi scheme?

"A Ponzi scheme is an investment scam that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors," alerting investors about the risks involved with virtual currencies the US SEC had said.

"Such schemes have been going on for years. The most prominent one is the Saradha scam, that happened in West Bengal and there have been several other scams on a weekly or monthly basis, you'll see people doing these scams with traditional money," says Jaideep Reddy, Technology Lawyer at legal and tax consulting firm Nishith Desai.

"While there may be a few bitcoin schemes that may resemble a ponzi scheme it is not something unique to bitcoin and can happen with traditional money as well," he added.

What is bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the world's first digital, decentralized currency and payment network. Unlike fiat currencies, it is not regulated by any central bank and works on a peer-to-peer basis. That means that users can transact directly without an intermediary like a bank, a credit card company or a clearing house.

It is an open source software which means that no person, company or country owns this network just like no one owns the Internet.

Reddy says that bitcoin itself does not fit the legal definition of a fraudulent scheme. "There are several legitimate uses of bitcoin and the underlying technology which powers it --blockchain."

"The technology itself is considered to be robust and it's only the particular implementation of the technology that can be considered fraudulent in certain cases," he added.

Earlier this year the Reserve Bank of Indias research arm, IDRBT released a report which said that the time is ripe for blockchain technology adoption in India and it has tested the technology for core banking processes in the country and was also keen on the idea of a digital rupee. (Read more)

Speaking to Moneycontrol, Gupta said that in order to counter dubious schemes purportedly built around bitcoin, bitcoin-based startups and exchanges have launched Digital Asset and Blockchain Foundation of India (DABFI) to self regulate the virtual currency industry and spread awareness about bitcoin and other blockchain based digital assets.

He further said that there are no promises made on returns over bitcoin exchanges who are part of DABFI and one can only buy and sell bitcoins at their own discretion.

On the scrutiny faced by bitcoin, Gupta said that some ponzi schemes which got popular in cities like Delhi were able to dupe many people.

Bitcoin represents the characteristics of both a currency and a commodity and is yet to be defined as one of them by the Indian regulatory authorities.

If bitcoin is declared as currency, it will come under the purview of RBI and if it is declared as a commodity it will be under the ministry of finance, in both the instances there will be more clarity on how it should be taxed and regulated, Gupta said.
By CNBCTV18.COM

That should help support oil prices, after the recent 10 percent plunge since investors began to doubt the deal earlier this month. The international benchmark Brent crude temporarily fell below the psychological $50 level this week.

When they meet in Kuwait Sunday, a handful of OPEC and other oil producers are expected to put a happy face on their production agreement, and they should point to the potential for extending the deal in May.

That should help support oil prices, after the recent 10 percent plunge since investors began to doubt the deal earlier this month. The international benchmark Brent crude temporarily fell below the psychological $50 level this week.

Representatives of the five monitoring countries this weekend are expected to review where producers stand on compliance with the six-month agreement to remove 1.8 million barrels a day from the market. As president of OPEC, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih is expected to attend, along with representatives from the five members of the monitoring committee  Kuwait, Algeria, Venezuela, and non-OPEC nations Russia and Oman.

"Without the production cut agreement, I think you could basically target the low-to-mid $30s. I'm of the mind they extend it," said Gene Marcial, manager market research at Tradition Energy. "The Saudis need the revenues from higher oil prices. They know that prices at $30 to $35 is trouble for them."

The December deal between the cartel and major producers, like Russia, helped stabilize prices in the $50s for weeks. As the agreement took hold in early January, Brent traded to a high of just over $58 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate crude was at about $55 per barrel. Confidence in the agreement drove a throng of buyers into the market, resulting in a record amount of investors in U.S. crude futures betting oil prices would go higher.

But by early March, U.S. producers, lured by steadier prices, continued to increase their own production, bringing it within a half million barrels a day of its previous high. That glut weighed on sentiment, and doubts about the producer agreement arose when the Saudi energy minister reiterated that the kingdom would not shoulder the brunt of the cuts if other producers did not meet their commitments. Al-Falih's remarks were made at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, and at the same meeting, Iraq's oil minister revealed that his country was moving toward 5 million barrels of production by mid-year, representing an increase.

Despite the fact, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the other producers made an effort to show a unified front at the CERAWeek meeting, oil continued to weaken.

"The Saudis certainly sent a very strong message that they were not going to do this alone, and they were not going to be the swing producer and make room for other exporters. It was kind of a reiteration of what has been the Saudi position. They'll play a stabilizing role but they'll not play a swing-producing role," said Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit, sponsor of the CERAWeek conference earlier this month.

As for this weekend's meeting, "I expect them to come out with a reaffirmation and point to the high degree of compliance," Yergin said.

Analysts say in OPEC's favor is the fact that the compliance by OPEC members and others now appears to be much better than expected. The cartel is not exhibiting some of the blatant overproduction of the past.

"In sharp contrast to previous agreements, the degree of compliance now is very high, and that may not be so well recognized in the market. It was obviously what drove up the price" earlier in the year, said Yergin. "The shift in sentiment was quite stark, and it was to do with confidence, not the agreement, and the focus on inventories. It was also due to the new bullishness in U.S. shale."

Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC, agreed that compliance appears to be strong, after concerns about countries like Iraq, and even Russia not being fully engaged yet. According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia intends to keep supply in line with its quota at about 10 million barrels a day, regardless of what happens with production.

"It's not like there are egregious cheaters in the first place," said Croft. "The breakdown of who is doing what is a bit fuzzy, but some are doing more. Some are doing less." She said if there was a spoiler in the group, it could end up being Iraq.

"I think Iraq will be a subject of discussions, and whether there's any flexibility for Iraq. Can you really hold them to 210,000 barrels (cut)?" Croft said. But she expects at the end of the day, the compliance monitoring group will be supportive of the deal and there will be an extension at OPEC's May meeting. Kuwait has already indicated it wants an extension.

"We went from having these very heated debates over whether OPEC would cheat and could they hold it together, to: 'Look what OPEC's done so far. It looks pretty good,'" she said.

Croft said she thinks a global supply rebalancing is underway, despite the fact that U.S. inventories have continued to rise. U.S. oil supplies rose to a record 533.1 million barrels last week last week, as a jump in imports from the Middle East helped boost inventories. The U.S. produced 9.1 million barrels a day.

"Everyone is focused on the U.S.  If you look outside the U.S., you look at places like Japan. We're seeing the rebalancing. The U.S. is going to be the last," she said.

Croft said she thinks leaders of producing nations will be motivated to agree to an extension of the production cuts because of their own domestic concerns. "Do they really want to flirt with the $30s? Is that something that's going to enhance their ability to lead in one of these petrostates?"

She expects OPEC General Secretary Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo to stress the harmony and cooperation among producers, after this weekend's meeting. "Barkindo is clearly aware of where the market is right now, and any appearances of cracks that appear in OPEC will have an effect on sentiment. He's very aware of that. I think he's going to want to generate the most positive headlines coming out of that meeting," she said.

Some analysts are lowering price expectations due to high supplies. JPMorgan Thursday reduced its price forecast for the second half, taking its 2017 target to $55.75 per barrel for Brent from an earlier forecast of $58.75. It lowered Brent for 2018 to $55.60 per barrel, from $60 per barrel.

Yergin said the drop in oil prices could influence oil producers. "This is certainly going to lead to second thoughts about drilling programs for the second half of the year," he said.
Is the government planning to open a window to make contributions to Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) voluntary for establishments which come under the ambit of the EPF and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952?

A move by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to include an agenda item in its forthcoming Central Board of Trustees (CBT) meeting to make PF contributions voluntary for garment and made-up manufacturers has raised doubts on the governments long-term intent on provident fund.

Central trade unions allege that the move to make PF contributions voluntary for a segment of industry could signal a long-term plan to alter the very purpose for which the EPF and Miscellaneous Provisions Act (EPF Act) was enacted.

This is part of a systematic effort by the government to dismantle the social security scheme. There is no logic in making PF voluntary. However little a worker's contribution is towards PF, it goes on to create a corpus for old age. Unless it is mandatory, there is hardly any chance of contributions from the employee," AK Padmanabhan, President, Center for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and a member of CBT told Moneycontrol.

At present, all establishments that have 20 employees or more come under the ambit of the EPF Act and have to mandatorily deduct 12 percent from an employees' salary and match it with a similar contribution from the employer as provident fund contribution.

DL Sachdeva, General Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said that the trade unions would oppose the move. "We will strongly oppose the move to make PF contribution voluntary for the garments and made-up industries. Once we give in, more sectors may be given a similar treatment, thereby dismantling the very edifice of the EPF structure," Sachdeva said.

The government had in December 2016 got the approval of Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make employees contribution to EPF optional for employees earning less than Rs 15,000 per month. However, the employer would still be required to contribute their 12 percent share of the employee's earning.

Sachdeva said that move would require an amendment to the EPF Act. "As of now it is a move cleared by the Cabinet. It cannot be implemented unless the Act is amended. If the Act is amended it will throw open the floodgates for more sectors to be included. Also, employers may later say that their contribution should be made voluntary. This would be disastrous for the social security structure," Sachdeva said.
Indian online retailer Snapdeal is seeking investment to shore up its finances after unsuccessful talks with Chinese funds and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd as it battles to remain competitive, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Faced with the prospect of falling cash reserves and little interest from existing investors such as Japan's Softbank and U.S. hedge funds, Snapdeal is now increasingly being seen as an acquisition target, they said.ossible

"Snapdeal has been desperately looking to raise money in China for the last few months," said a source with direct knowledge of Snapdeal's plans.

"It had multiple rounds of talks with some Chinese funds and was also hoping to get some fresh money from Alibaba. But those talks were not going anywhere and Alibaba made it clear to them they would not write a new cheque for them given the dim outlook for making money anytime soon."

Both Alibaba, which already has a small stake in Snapdeal, and Softbank declined to comment.

Its unsuccessful negotiations in China and sliding valuations may force loss-making Snapdeal to consider an outright sale, sources said.

Founded in 2010, Snapdeal was valued at $6.5 billion after a fund-raising last year. But valuations of Indian e-commerce firms are believed to have softened since then.

"The industry is up for consolidation and Snapdeal maybe the first one to witness it," said another source who is aware of the discussions.

"Till what time will Snapdeal continue to survive from savings? ... Snapdeal is not pushing for any consolidation but it's for the investors to take that call. They have an independent way of looking at this."

Bruised by intensifying competition with bigger rivals Flipkart and Amazon, Snapdeal laid off 600 employees and its founders are foregoing salaries as it cuts costs to try to turn a profit.

Snapdeal, however, stressed that it has no intention of selling the company.

A Snapdeal executive said the board about two weeks ago had approved a plan to turn profitable and identified a "small gap in funding." Any fundraising would be intended to strengthen its finances ahead of a planned listing, which sources say the company was trying to achieve within two years.

A Snapdeal spokeswoman said the company's efforts were "focused on driving profitability," and that it was "well capitalised."

ALIBABA ISSUE

One of the sources who spoke to Reuters said Alibaba was already in early talks with Softbank, the biggest shareholder in Snapdeal, but was only interested in increasing its investment as long as management control goes to Paytm.

Alibaba is the biggest shareholder in Paytm's parent One97. It picked up a 36.31 percent stake in Paytm's e-commerce unit for $177 million earlier this year.

"Alibaba is very keen to invest more in Snapdeal as an entity if the management control goes to Paytm. The proposal has the backing of Softbank as well, which is also looking to consolidate its investments in one or two large e-commerce companies," the first person said.

A deal with Alibaba would make Snapdeal more competitive at a time when India's top e-commerce company Flipkart is seeking to raise up to $1 billion and as Amazon last year pledged to invest more than $5 billion.

Thanks to rapid uptake of wireless high-speed internet, India's burgeoning middle class is increasingly shopping online, but steep competition among e-tailers has lead to losses across the sector.

Snapdeal has been seen as particularly vulnerable to increasing competition. The company reported a loss of 29.6 billion rupees in the financial year to March 31, 2016, according to regulatory filings.
The logo of India's largest online marketplace Flipkart is seen on a building in Bengaluru, India, April 22, 2015. After losing top engineering talent for years to America's tech heartland of Silicon Valley, India is luring them back as an e-commerce boom sparks a thriving start-up culture, unprecedented pay, and perks including free healthcare for in-laws. Picture taken April 22, 2015. To match INDIA-ECOMMERCE/WORKERS. REUTERS/Abhishek N. Chinnappa - RTX1BBUK

Tiger Global, e-commerce company Flipkart's largest investor, will not participate in the current round of funding, which will see participation from new investors such as Microsoft, Tencent and eBay.

Flipkart is expected to close the USD 1 billion funding round within a month and will hit the market to raise another billion after that, sources close to the developments told Moneycontrol.

Industry analysts feel that a few early investors are likely to get an exit in this round and Tiger Globals control over Flipkart may reduce.

According to a report in Bloomberg, Flipkarts valuation has been brought down from USD 15.5 billion in 2015 to USD 10 billion in the current round.

The funding is crucial for the firm given that it is facing increasing competition from Amazon.

Flipkart is also reportedly in talks to acquire rival Snapdeal, paving the way for consolidation in the capital-guzzling e-commerce industry.

The fund raising is expected to give a big boost to the struggling e-commerce and startup ecosystem in India and encourage other big private equity firms to loosen their purse strings.

Over the past year, Flipkart has been struggling with markdowns by investors and increased competition.

The most recent markdown was from a mutual fund managed by Morgan Stanley.

Flipkart last raised USD 700 million in 2015 in a round led by Tiger Glboal, which saw participation from other existing investors as well.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Moneycontrol Research

With global market signals confusing and Indian markets perched at slightly uncomfortable highs, investors are seeking the safe haven of quality. With markets at 21.1X expected FY17 earnings, does the combination of quality and value exist?

In trying to answer this question, our research picked up five companies  Apollo Tyres, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Larsen & Toubro Infotech, MRF and Petronet LNG. What do they have in common? To put it simply, all five companies are large cap (market capitalisation in excess of Rs 10,000 crore), have superior fundamentals (return ratios  return on equity and return on capital employed --consistently above 15 percent for the past 3 years) and are quoted at valuations that are significantly cheaper than the market. While cyclical companies do tend to get discounted multiples, some of their unique moats beckon attention.

Tyre companies have been hit badly in recent times. While demonetisation hit their toplines, the steady increase in natural rubber prices hit margins as companies had to absorb cost in an environment of lacklustre demand. While the March quarter result will continue to exhibit the pain, we expect some moderation in the rubber price rise and expect companies to pass on a part of the input cost pressure once demand normalises. The weakness in financial results in the coming quarter might provide opportunities to build positions in fundamentally strong companies.

MRF has dominant presence in all segments (passenger and commercial vehicle tyre) as well as leadership position in the replacement market and commands a premium in all categories. Improved demand from rural areas, the revival of the mining sector and greater demand for farm tyres augurs well for the industry. While input price pressure (nearly 55 percent of sales) might impact near-term earnings, we do not expect runaway price rise in crude that impacts the nearly 30 percent of inputs that are derived from crude.

Apollo Tyres has not only gained leadership in the domestic auto tyre market but also created a global footprint through operations in South Africa and Europe. The company remains well placed to benefit from recovery in passenger & commercial vehicle demand. The industry is also hopeful of a favourable ruling on anti-dumping duties on imported Chinese truck radial tyres in the coming 1-2 months, and the recent US ruling not to impose anti-dumping duty on Chinese tyres will divert some tyres to the US market thereby benefiting Indian tyre manufacturers like Apollo.

The return on equity of an oil marketing company like BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd) has shown steady improvement driven by improving operational efficiencies, product pricing freedom and no subsidy burden. Stock prices have rallied primarily due to consistent earnings upgrades rather than multiple upgrades. We believe, over time, a company like BPCL may see multiple re-rating as consumption-linked retail plays. The marketing business earnings should lend comfort to investors on the back of auto fuel deregulation, continued lack of intervention from the government, robust fuel consumption trends in India, and recent moves by the government on raising prices of even hitherto politically sensitive fuels such as kerosene and LPG.

Gas acceptance is rising amongst industries as well as the end-consumer. A regulatory push will also increase the use of gas as a clean energy fuel. We see Petronet LNG as one of the top beneficiaries of these trends. While domestic gas production will continue to be muted, LNG demand will rise in FY18 led by higher offtake from industrial consumers (steel, refining, petrochemical), CGDs (city gas distribution) and power. A growing regulatory push favouring a shift to gas as well as improved competitiveness of gas over diesel/petrol will continue to boost volume.

The inexpensive valuation of L&T Infotech (the sixth largest IT Company in India) partially addresses the US protectionism related near-term concern. The company has an impressive new management team that can mine a high-quality client base and solid execution in traditional services and strong account management. The company boasts of a strong client base and works with 51 Fortune 500 clients. L&T Infotech has a solid presence in verticals of banking, insurance and manufacturing and is building automation and digital capabilities as future growth drivers.

Investors should keep any eye on these companies and use the ensuing volatility to own these high quality businesses. In the coming days, we will show case companies from the mid and small cap space that offer twin qualities of sound financials and reasonable valuation.
In a bid to increase its 4G coverage across India, Bharti Airtel acquired Tikona Digital's 4G airwaves for Rs 1,600 crore to take on Reliance Jio Infocomm as well as the Vodafone-Idea Cellular.

With the entry of Reliance Jio, the telecom industry has seen some consolidation, which would surely benefit the consumers but will it benefit the companies is the big question.

Telecom analyst Naveen Kulkarni of PhillipCapital said Bharti already has lot of business efficiencies, and have created spectrum capacity, so it remains a straight forward player compared to Idea Cellular. Moreover, acquiring Tikonas spectrum assets is a good strategy and value accretive for Bharti, he added.

Once the Idea-Vodafone merger goes through no doubt it will be a larger player but it also depends on how the synergies are harnessed and the timeline by when they will be realised.

All the consolidations and acquisitions happening in the industry show that we are moving towards a clear 3-4 player market - Bharti, Voda-Idea and Reliance Jio etc.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Yes Bank

JPMorgan is overweight on the stock with a target price of Rs 1,500. The research firm is positive on the stock and said it was one of its top picks. The banks qualified institutional placement (QIP) worth USD 650 million was a positive trigger for the stock. Furthermore, it feels that the issue will remove a overhang from the stock and improve its balance sheet.

Vedanta

Deutsche Bank has reiterated its buy call on the stock with a target price of Rs 356. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Thursday approved the merger of Cairn and Vedanta. Based on that, the analyst firm highlighted that only a nod from the petroleum ministry was pending. The research firm expects the merger completion in by the first quarter of FY18. It also sees a potential to re-rate the stock and it could provide further upside.

Sun TV

Citi has retained a buy call with a target of Rs 850. It believes that the valuation discount to Zee has narrowed over the past year. Moreover, Tamil dominance will aid growth to the firm, it said.

Tata Motors

Credit Suisse has maintained an outperform rating with an unchanged target of Rs 630. However, it is sanguine on volumes and margin of JLR. It sees platform consolidation to help offset rise in incentives. The research firm sees product excitement in passenger vehicles, but it remains muted in commercial vehicles.

Bharti Airtel

Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Thursday said it will acquire 4G business of Tikona Networks, including broadband spectrum and 350 sites across 5 circles, for about Rs 1,600 crore. Morgan Stanley pegs the acquisition to be in line with its expectations. It believes the buyout poses an upside to the capital expenditure.

Power Sector

JPMorgan has picked Power Grid as its top bet in the power sector based on high earnings visibility. This is followed by NTPC, which will see a steep uptick in project commissioning in 2017. It recommends avoiding Adani Power and downgraded Tata Power to neutral from overweight.

Infrastructure sector

Jefferies believes completion of NHAI (projects) in the nine months in FY17 has grown at an impressive 25 percent year on year. It expects FY17 highway completion to be the best ever. The research firm highlighted that six out of eight EPC players reported 15-50 percent YoY topline growth in Q3 and said that it preferred companies with robust execution capability over order book.
Representative Image

Achiievers Equities' commodity report on Gold

Gold trading range for the day is 28635-29031.

Gold dropped amid a firmer dollar as markets waited to see if U.S. President Donald Trump will face hurdles on his economic agenda.

Feds Kaplan said that the U.S. central bank should be moving "deliberately but patiently" to remove monetary policy accommodation.

U.S. home resales fell more than expected in February amid a persistent shortage of houses on the market that is pushing up prices and sidelining prospective buyers.

SELL GOLD APR 2017 @ 28800 SL 29050 TGT 28650-28480.MCX.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Read More
In an interview to CNBC-TV18 SP Tulsian of sptulsian.com tells you why he is positive on large PSU banks like SBI, Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank , as well as private banks ICICI Bank and Axis Bank.

From the midcap space, he suggests looking at CG Power and Jayant Agro.

Below is the transcript of SP Tulsian's interview to Anuj Singhal and Reema Tendulkar on CNBC-TV18.

Anuj: First on this PSU bank rally. How much more because we have seen in the past that when these stocks enter momentum phase, it can last for a couple of days and of course, most of these stocks on price-to-book value can be extremely cheap. Do you get a sense that stocks like Canara Bank, Union Bank can move on from here?

A: This time it is not looking for a couple of days kind of stocks because you have to corroborate the rally with the statement of Finance Minister which was given yesterday evening where he has categorically said that the rules for the stressed loans will be out soon. In fact, when Shereen asked him, he said in a couple of hours, then he said that may be wait. So, that is likely to be seen very soon, number one.

Number two, his second remark was that the major problem of non-performing assets (NPA) is revolving around 30, 40 or 50 accounts. So, even if the government is able to take a call on maybe 15, 20 or 25 accounts which is most likely, that is likely to happen, number two.

Number three, if you take the situation, whatever information which we have been gathering, government is very insistent on first handling the sector that is the steel sector. If you take two companies Essar Steel and Bhushan Steel, both have an exposure of Rs 45,000 crore that is on account of stressed loan, Rs 45,000 crore plus. If I add the working capital then probably it will be Rs 50,000 crore plus for both.

So, definitely government will be looking now in view of the revival, this is just an example I am giving you, I am not giving you any kind of recommendation that if you just see the two accounts in respect to one sector, two accounts, you can tackle the NPA of about Rs 1 lakh crore and you have the prospective buyer standing to acquire this.

Obviously the haircut will be there, the banks will have to take a haircut of anywhere between 30 percent and 60 percent. It all depends, needs to see the regulations coming in or the rules to be made by the banks coming in in that sector. So, apart from that, you have about Rs 50,000-75,000 crore having exposure to other steel makers also like Monnet Ispat or there are many other electro steel steels.

So, I think that this time, government is very serious. The aspirations or maybe the acquisition intention or the acquisition appetite is seen in few of the stocks, few of the sectors. So, this time, government will definitely be taking the concrete steps. The only problem is that because of IDBI, United Breweries Group matter where this ex-CMD was imprisoned, there was some kind of reluctancy on part of the banks to take any kind of action in respect to the loan settlement.

But once the rules are out and all the people are working on this job, I am quite hopeful. And in that scenario, definitely, all the PSU banks because if you see this large exposure there have always been consortium of about 15-18 banks or maybe 12-18 banks and majority of them have been in the public sector maybe some private sector banks like Axis Bank and ICICI Bank will also stand to gain.

So, I am keeping a positive stance that yes, maybe all PSU banks and more specially the larger ones which in fact, I have said earlier in the last week also that maybe the larger ones like SBI, Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank because rest all are comes in the mid-sized banks.

So I am keeping a positive stance on this large-sized PSU Bank, plus the private sector banks like ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, they should also look to gain from this expeditious recovery or maybe the settlement of the stressed loan which government has now taken up very seriously.

Anuj: Any midcap idea that you are working with right now for our viewers that you can tell them anything that may have corrected or that looks good even at current price?

A: One stock comes to my mind that has not corrected. In fact, it has risen maybe by about 8-10 percent in this last 3-4 days. One is CG Power and the business to business (B2B) automation deal, the company has already informed to the exchanges that the deal has been sealed and signed on March 6. And now, it is from the informed sources, it has been gathered that the consideration of about Rs 850 crore will be received in this next or in this financial year onward before March 31.

Thought the stock has risen, in fact, we have been giving continuously a buy call for the last couple of months in anticipation of this news flow. But if that amount comes in, the stock can still go up maybe by about 6-8 percent in this financial year, that means in the next one week because financial year is expiring on Friday. So, one needs to keep an eye on that.

Second is on Jayant Agro. Renewed buying has come in that stock because of the hopes of the bumper Q4 numbers to be seen from the company. The Company in fact has already shown more than 100 percent growth in nine months of FY17 and every quarter, Q1, Q21, Q3 has been continuously showing an improvement. But Q4 is seen to be the best amongst all these three quarterly numbers which the company has already posted with outlook positive continuously remaining for FY18 or so. So, these are the two midcap ideas which comes to our minds as of now.

Reema: Yes BankYes Bank has moved up after the big rally that it had put in yesterday. So now firmly above that Rs 1,500 mark and it has held that level through the trading session. What would you recommend on Yes Bank today?

A: This QIP, since it is over now maybe some kind of profit will be seen in the stock. Probably, maybe till expiry because of the technical reasons and all that, the stock may hold on, but I will not be surprised to see the stock again correcting back to a level of Rs 1,450. I am not seeing much weakness into the stock because some kind of market making has also seen having taken place in the stock ahead of the QIP issue. So, maybe till Thursday-Friday you may see the momentum or the positive bias remain continuing but again in the first week of April, I will not be surprised to see the share correcting. But I am not keeping much upside potential seen the stock from now, from the near-term point of view.
you are here:
With J Jayalalitha passing away last year, the fate of Tamil Nadu as well as the party she headed now is in a shambles. AIADMK is split down the middle with rival factions of the party, each headed by an Amma loyalist, staked claim to the chief ministership with only But with the Supreme Court decision to put VK Sasikala or Chinnamma behind bars in disproportionate assets case, the field is now open to a bitter public fight.

All roads lead to the Radhakrishnan Nagar bypolls in Tamil Nadu. The by polls may remind us of the old saying: in a fight between two, the third one takes it all. As the leaves of AIADMK wither, the rising sun may shine bright and sunny.

As Sasikala and O Panneerselvam parted ways, it reminds us of another fallout in the party which happened 30 years ago. After the death of MG Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, his wife claimed the chief ministerial post but MGRs associate and also co-star Jayalalithaa came to play a greater role in the party.

In all this chaos DMK rose to power and M Karunanidhi returned to the post of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the third time in 1989.

As history repeats itself, DMK may get lucky again this time with the two Amma loyalists at loggerheads with each other. On March 23, the news of the split in AIADMK became official and both parties have made their choices for their partys symbol and also the candidate they will field for the RK Nagar bypolls.

Are DMKs chances of winning high?

DMK is leaving no stone unturned to cash in on this opportunity. The party is looking for a grand alliance and the partys working president has reached out to Peoples Welfare Front (PWF) to bring on board the party and its constituents including VCK, CPI and CPM.

The healthy relationship between Stalin and Thol Thirumavalavan of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will also benefit the party in the by-polls.

DMKs efforts may be one of the factors for the party to turn out victorious but the other key factor is the tussle between OPS and the surrogate sister of Amma.

It will be a tough battle field for the voters whose loyalties are now divided. Hence, the vote share may tilt towards DMK.

AIADMK Factions

It is a fight between Hat and electric pole. These are the two symbols of the two factions of AIADMK. Both Sasikala and OPS were in a battle to take the symbol of two leaves for their parties. However, the Election Commission (EC) froze the symbol of the parent party and directed the two parties to come up with new symbols.

OPS' choice of an electric pole with two forked arms bears resemblance to Ammas party symbol.

Importance of RK Nagar bypolls

The home ground of Jayalalithaa, RK Nagar, was left vacant after her demise on December 5 2016. To give the constituency a leader, it is going for polls on April 12. Stakes are high for political parties as RK Nagar will be a major contributor in setting the political tone in Tamil Nadu after the results are out on April 15. OPS joined hands with a few veterans of the party and waged a war against the now CM of the state, who is Chinnamma's pick for the corner room.

However, the fight has only just begun. With bypolls around the corner in Chennai, it will be interesting to see whether AIADMK manages to keep its flock together and come up trumps or whether DMK wangles a victory.

Candidates in the Race

AIADMK (Amma)

When Supreme Court sent Sasikala behind bars for four years in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case, TTV Dinakaran became the obvious choice as partys Deputy General Secretary and also the face for the bypolls. Under a new name, AIADMK (AMMA), the Sasikala headlined party is still in power, but for how long?

AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma)

O Panneerselvam's online campaign - www.change.org -- was instrumental in sending Sasikala to prison. Now remaned AIADM K (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma), Panneerselvam's party will hope to win this bypolls.

MGR Amma Deepa Peravai

Sasikalas elevation has bothered many, not least Jaya's niece who is pitted against her nephew TTV Dinakaran.

BJP

After a stellar win in four states out of five in the assembly elections, BJP is fielding a candidate at RK Nagar.

DMDK

The Vijayakanth-led party, which has fielded a candidate at the constituency, is also looking to get mileage out of this mess.
After university degrees, I-T returns and PAN card, the government will soon make Aadhaar mandatory for getting a telecom connection. The Department of Telecom (DoT) has sent a notice to all telecom operators that all mobile phone subscribers  prepaid and postpaid  will have to be verified using e-KYC.

The telecom department has directed mobile service providers to finish the e-KYC re-verification of existing subscribers by February 6, 2018.

Here is the copy of DoT notification.

The notice came after the Supreme Court said that all phone numbers in India need to have verified users.

In February, DoT met with UIDAI, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Prime Ministers Office to discuss way forward for the implementation.

Read more: In future, only Aadhaar may be required for identification: FM

The telecom operators will have to re-verify its existing users through Aadhaar. According to the DoT note, telecom operators will have to intimate customers through advertisements and SMSes.

The government is working to make Aadhaar as the single verification process for services. However, the Supreme Court had said that it can be made mandatory for some services, if not all.

On Tuesday, the Finance Ministry had made Aadhaar mandatory for filing Income Tax returns. The Aadhaar will also have to be linked to permanent account number (PAN). If citizens fail to do so, their PAN could be cancelled.
The US drug regulator is set to begin an inspection of Dr. Reddy's Srikakulam unit in Andhra Pradesh on March 27, sources have told CNBC-TV18.

The plant is very critical in terms of supplying active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

In November 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Dr Reddy's for alleged violations in manufacturing standards at its active pharmaceutical ingredient plants at Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh and Miryalaguda in Telangana, and an oncology formulations facility in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

The three facilities contribute about 10-12 percent of company sales.

Dr. Reddys said it collectively spent about $35-40 million on remediation work that includes legal and professional charges.

The drugmaker was in focus earlier this week after it received repeat observations from the US Food and Drug Administration on its Duvvada oncology formulation facility in Visakhapatnam.

Watch video for more...
LIMA, March 24 (Reuters) - Peru's central bank slashed its forecast for economic growth this year to 3.5 percent from 4.3 percent in its previous estimate in December, and said in a quarterly report on Friday that it expects the government to post a bigger fiscal deficit.

The central bank said it expects the fiscal deficit to widen to 2.8 percent this year from 2.6 percent in 2016, though the government has set a 2.5 percent target for 2017.

(Reporting By Ursula Scollo, Writing By Mitra Taj; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Ex-choir director in Bucks County pleads no contest to molesting two students, secretly filming another
Airmen spice things up during competition

Col. Thomas Kunkel, right, 23d Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jarrod Sebastian, left, 23d Wing command chief, pose with the winners of the first Iron Chef Competition, Senior Airman Shakilah Bates, 23d Force Support Squadron food service specialist, and 1st Lt. James Ogilvie, 23d FSS Sustainment Services flight commander, whos meal included a Surfs up, burger consisting of pineapple, barbeque sauce and a blend of spices, March 23, 2017, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Four teams were given an hour to prepare their meals for the judges. The 23d Force Support Squadron plans to hold at least one Iron Chef Competition per year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Snider)
March 24, 2017

Open Thread 2017-12

News & views ...

Posted by b on March 24, 2017 at 17:21 UTC | Permalink

Comments

next page 
NEBO  After tentatively wrapping up burnout operations Thursday, crews on the White Creek Fire at Shortoff Mountain were back at it again Friday.

The continued work was part of a nearly-1,200-acre growth to 5,538 acres from Thursday to Friday. However, the fire now is 90 percent contained, representing a 10 percent increase in the span of a day.

Lisa Jennings, a public information officer with the United States Forest Service, said that after crews had believed there to be no further need for burnouts Thursday, a troublesome area on the west side of the mountain was spotted that led to some more operations on the fire Friday.

We werent anticipating needing burnouts (Friday), but when the operations folks went out and surveyed the fire area, they found an area of the fire that was threatening an uphill run within containment lines, Jennings said. So, were using some backfiring to reduce intensity so that theres not as much damage to the forest in that spot. They (were) doing some burnout operations (Friday).

Weather may again be a helpful tool for crews monitoring the fire this weekend, said Jennings. Fire personnel expect more rain to come in this weekend and with the progress made in containment, that precipitation could essentially wrap up the fire, she said.

Were looking at a good (rainy weather) system coming in Sunday, Jennings said. Going up to that, (Saturday) its not supposed to be extraordinarily windy. In Linville Gorge, you always get some wind. Were still feeling good about (our containment), so hopefully we get those rains Sunday and that really puts this fire to bed.

The blaze was reported at 4 p.m. March 16 and is burning near Wolf Pit Road at the south end of Linville Gorge on the Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest. Officials have determined a lightning strike in the area of March 1 likely was the ignition source for the wildfire. The fire measured 1,365 acres Monday, 1,750 acres Tuesday, 2,750 acres Wednesday and 4,355 acres Thursday.

More than 150 personnel members between the USFS, the North Carolina Forest Service, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Burke County Emergency Management, McDowell County Emergency Management, North Carolina Emergency Management and local departments are on the scene of the fire, according to the USFS.

Jennings said the amount of people on the fire will continue to decrease after the transition from a Type III management team back to a Type IV team on Saturday morning. She said that will allow resources to be redirected to other major fires in the south. One thing that hasnt changed is the need to keep folks out of certain areas around the fire, however, she said.

One of the big messages wed like to push is letting folks know that we still have that large closure area, Jennings said. With the weekend and beautiful weather, folks are wanting to get out. We want to make sure people are paying attention to that closure.

We do have quite a bit of law enforcement out there. So, there will be folks patrolling the area throughout the weekend. Its for public safety. We want to make sure folks arent in a dangerous spot.

All USFS lands east of State Road 1238 (Old N.C. Highway 105/Kistler Memorial Highway), south of Conley Cove Trail (Trail No. 229), south of Table Rock Picnic Area, west of Back Irish Creek Forest Service Road No. 118 (Blue Gravel Road) and Roses Creek Forest Service Road No. 99 and north of NC Highway 126 are closed due to the fire.

Shortoff Trail (Trail No. 235), Rock Jock Trail (Trail No. 247), Pinch-In Trail (Trail No. 228), Linville Gorge Trail (Trail No. 231) south of Conley Cove Trail (Trail No. 229), Mountains to Sea Trail (Trail No. 440) from State Road 1238 at Pinnacles to the Table Rock Picnic Area and any social trails existing within the closure area are off-limits as well. Closure areas are subject to change with changing fire conditions.

Justin Epley can be reached at jepley@morganton.com or 828-432-8943.
March 24 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- Theranos Inc plans to give additional shares to investors who pledge not to sue the battered blood-testing company or Elizabeth Holmes, its founder and chief executive, people familiar with the matter said. http://on.wsj.com/2n0lOMh

- WikiLeaks released new documents it says describe hacking tools used by the Central Intelligence Agency over the past decade to infect Apple Inc devices. http://on.wsj.com/2n05dZ7

- Businesses, particularly those in the tech sector, are watching closely a case to be argued in the Supreme Court next week challenging a system that has led to a concentration of patent cases in plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions such as eastern Texas. http://on.wsj.com/2n0oYPY

- Google's commitment to better police the millions of websites and videos across its advertising networks is complicated by the very scale and diversity that has made the network so attractive to marketers. http://on.wsj.com/2n03xyI

- Amazon.com Inc prevailed over the Internal Revenue Service in a more than $1.5 billion dispute over the online retailer's transactions with a Luxembourg subsidiary. http://on.wsj.com/2n05lb3

- Walt Disney Co said Robert Iger has extended his contract for a third time and will stay on at least one additional year as chairman and CEO, giving the world's largest media company another year to find a new chief executive. http://on.wsj.com/2n04neK

- The U.S. ban on many carry-on electronics aboard Middle East flights is another powerful headwind for the once-highflying club of Persian Gulf airlines  a group that relies more than many on the laptop-toting business traveler. http://on.wsj.com/2my5qXb

- Videogame chain GameStop Corp, hit hard by a shift to digital downloads, plans to close at least 150 stores this year and expand non-gaming businesses. http://on.wsj.com/2my1INe

- Tronc Inc agreed to buy all the stock held by one of its largest outside shareholders at a substantial premium amid an increasingly bruising public fight between its two biggest investors. http://on.wsj.com/2my17vb (Compiled by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru)
2016 Cash and Distressed Sales Totals Hit Nine-Year Lows

The share of homes sold for cash fell to the lowest level in nearly a decade in full-year 2016. CoreLogic said that 32.1 percent of all home sales in the 12-month period ending in December closed without benefit of a mortgage. This was a decrease of 2.2 percentage points from the 2015 share. The previous low point for such sales was in 2007 when cash sales accounted for a 27 percent of sales.

CoreLogic also noted that distressed home sales, a total of both short sales and sales of lender-owned real estate (REO) accounted for 8.9 percent of all sales for the year, also the lowest share since 2007.

For the month of December, the all-cash share of sales was 33.1 percent, down 1.3 percent from that month in 2015. Cash sales peaked in January 2011 when they accounted for 46.6 percent of the national sales total. In pre-crisis days CoreLogic says cash sales averaged about 25 percent. If the decline in cash transactions continues at the current rate the 25 percent level should be achieved by mid-2019.

Figure 1 shows the national historical trend in the cash sales share by sale type. REO properties continue to have a large percentage of cash purchases, 61.1 percent, and short sales are second at 34.2 percent. Approximately a third of existing homes are bought for cash and 16.7 percent of newly constructed homes.

While the percentage of REO sales within the all-cash category remained high, REO transactions accounted for only 5.8 percent of December sales, and short sales for 2 percent, thus neither has a large impact on the cash sale numbers. The combined REO and short sales share was the lowest for distressed properties since October 2007 when the total was 6 percent.

At its peak in January 2009, distressed sales totaled 32.4 percent of all sales with REO sales representing 27.9 percent of that share. The pre-crisis share of distressed sales was traditionally about 2 percent. If the current year-over-year decrease in the distressed sales share continues, it will reach that "normal" 2-percent mark by mid-2018.

All but nine states recorded lower distressed sales shares in December 2016 compared with a year earlier. Maryland had the largest share of distressed sales of any state at 17.9 percent followed by Connecticut (17.6 percent), Michigan (15.8 percent), New Jersey (15.5 percent) and Illinois (13.6 percent). Only North Dakota, Utah and the District of Columbia have declined to within one percentage point of their pre-crisis distressed sales levels.

Cash sales were at their highest in with a 47.9 percent share. It was followed by New Jersey (47.6 percent), Alabama (46.1 percent), Michigan (44.3 percent) and Florida (42.1 percent).
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Loop 250 overpass project at Fairgrounds Road is about a week away from going out to bid, but a small problem was revealed at Mondays Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization policy board meeting.

The letting process cant begin until the Federal Highway Administration gives the final green light. The agency found a problem with MPO paperwork the Texas Department of Transportation submitted -- namely, a single missing letter.

While its clear that the paperwork indicates the overpass is a construction project, the lack of letter code C (for construction dollars)  that needs to be there alongside letter code E (for engineering dollars)  could stall the letting process until fall, said Gary Law, TxDOT Odessa District engineer.

We got word from the FHWA that the document that TxDOT exchanges for federal approval wont be approved until this is amended, he said. Best case, we can find a process where this can be administratively resolved. Worst case is we have to go through the TIP amendment process. Best case, well report to you next month that everything is good in Austin. Worst case, well let it this fall instead of in May.

District Engineer John Speed added: I think, in this particular case, we have a pretty strong argument for a typo and they can fix it. But theres a possibility that we cant.

If the issue cant be resolved administratively, the policy board will have to vote on an amendment to the Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, document, and the paperwork will have to be resubmitted. MPO Executive Director Cameron Walker said a public review period wont be necessary because one was held last June.

Walker told the Reporter-Telegram on Tuesday that he wasnt sure how or when the clerical error happened. It could have happened anywhere.

He said the MPO learned about the problem Monday morning through an email. FHWA sent the note to TxDOT on March 15, but given that it was during spring break, several key TxDOT Odessa District employees were on vacation.

When first hearing of the issue during the meeting, policy board member and Midland City Councilman John B. Love III laughed and said, God, I love government, and added later, This is why people get ticked off at government.

Like Trevor on Facebook and follow him on Twitter at @HowdyHawes.
One of the assignments for the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organizations Technical Advisory Committee at its March 10 meeting was to recommend a revised transportation corridor map. On Monday, the MPO policy board received a draft copy.

The map includes the addition of major existing roadways  such as state highways 158, 191 and 349  but there are several ideas for transportation corridors that will interest Midlanders and Odessans alike.

One such proposed priority is the creation of a complete southern portion to Loop 250. While not thoroughly identified on the map, its route would start at South County Road 1130 and Interstate 20 at the Loop 250 terminus in the east, then curl westward just north of Farm-to-Market Road 1213 and bend in the west to meet the western loop terminus.

Also in Midland County, Fairgrounds Road is proposed to extend north of Loop 250 into Martin County to meet with a proposed lengthening of Craddick Highway, which would terminate at CR 1150.

More for you Missing letter could delay Fairgrounds overpass project

The TAC proposed extending CR 60 east of FM 1788 all the way to Loop 338 in Odessa. Other ideas for Ector County are to lengthen Faudree Road northward until it meets SH 158 and extending Yukon Road west of Loop 338 to SH 302. A possible corridor from Yukon Road to FM 1788 was also identified.

MPO Executive Director Cameron Walker told the Reporter-Telegram the map is only a draft but that it could play a role in upcoming months as the federally mandated transportation planning organization reprioritizes its priorities list.

At Mondays meeting, Texas Department of Transportation District Engineer and policy board member John Speed suggested stripping the word priority from the language and instead breaking down the corridors into three distinct categories so as to eliminate any sense of rank among the ideas and already-established projects.

Midland County Commissioner Robin Donnelly, the policy board vice chairman, openly favored Speeds idea, as did other board members.

Also at Mondays meeting, the MPO board approved the use of $35,734.09 for use under the special studies category in the MPO budget. The funds will be used to pay the MPOs portion of a regional transit study that will analyze connecting transit to areas outside the metropolitan boundary area so that residents in surrounding counties can have easier access to Midland and Odessa.

Midland-Odessa Urban Transit District General Manager Robert Stephens, member of the policy board, said many people who use services available in Midland-Odessa  particularly medical services  dont have adequate means to get to the cities.

The MPO, along with the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission and TxDOT, will look at how to connect existing transit options with the EZ-Rider bus system in Midland-Odessa.

Save the date: The next policy board meeting is April 17 at the MPO office, 9601 Wright Drive.






Havas Buys Shopper Behaviour Specialist BD Australia

Ad group Havas has acquired shopper behavioural marketing specialist BD Australia for an undisclosed sum.



Surrey Hills, NSW-based BD (Behavioural Dynamics) uses analytics to study consumer and shopper behaviour, and help brands and retailers generate product ideas, understand and sell more to their customers. Its team includes people from technology, content, design, data, social, retail, shopper and PR backgrounds.



Led by MD Simon Porter (pictured) and Executive Creative Director Tom Hoskins, BD Australia has previously worked with Havas to help win a number of creative accounts. Commenting on the deal, Havas said the acquisition will bolster its offering to clients, through a combination of data, economics and creative.



Havas' executive management team Anthony Gregorio, James Wright and Mike Wilson said in a statement: 'Bringing BD Australia on board provides us with another fantastic asset in the Havas Village. We can now tap directly into their shopper data set and smartly apply those insights to our campaigns. Simon and the team are intelligent, strategic and nimble, always working at speed to find great solutions for their clients'.



Web sites: www.havas.com and www.thisisbd.com.au .




Tales Of Two-Time Olympia Champ, Franco Columbu

Written by Peter McGough

31 January 2018

The Franco Files

Tales of Two-Time Olympia Champ, Franco Columbu

Of all the 13 Mr. Olympias one who seems to not get as much attention as his other 12 peers is two-time (1976, 1981) champ Franco Columbu. Now 75 he is still seen regularly at bodybuilding events with his long time cohort Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he sort of plays Robin to the Austrians Batman.

Born in Sardinia, Italy, on August 7, 1941, he started out as a boxer, then powerlifter and finally became a bodybuilder when he and Arnold first met in Munich  where they had both relocated to  in 1965. They hit it off immediately due to their drive and passion for gym work and also for their propensity to enjoy themselves along the way. They both eventually moved to California (Arnold in 1968, Franco a year later) and became leading members of that 70s Golden Era. Here are a few tales of Franco, double Mr. Olympia and all round funster

A SMALL FIB

When Joe Weider enabled Arnold to move to California in 1968, the future Mr. Olympia missed the camaraderie of his Munich based training partner. Thus he lobbied Joe to move Franco to California. The fast talking Arnold gave Joe the impression that the 55 Franco was of similar size to his 62 240 pound self. He told the Master Blaster, Franco can deadlift 700 pounds, hes a magnificent specimen. He pushes me so hard he makes me better. Having Franco in the gym with me will make me a better bodybuilder.

Joe acquiesced and Franco arrived stateside. After anticipating an Arnold clone, when Joe first saw Franco he is reputed to have said, What happened, he got caught in the rain?

GETTING A RISE OUT OF JOE

In their early Californian days Arnold and Franco shared an apartment. Joe gave them a payment every month, but it was not enough to live on so they started their own bricklaying business to supplement their income. Here Franco as he tells the story of how he and Arnold conspired to try and get Joe to increase their payment.

When I came to California we were getting some money from Joe. I said to Arnold, Look, we go shopping on Friday and by Tuesday the food is gone. Maybe we should get together with Joe and ask for a raise. Arnold said, Good idea! But first to impress Joe you have to deadlift 700 pounds. I said, I just killed myself training to win the (1970) Mr. Universe. Joe came down to Venice Beach and I deadlifted 700 pounds for two reps, but Joe walked away like he was pissed off.

We all went back to our apartment and I started to cook steaks and pour the wine, and I said to Arnold, Ask him for the raise now. Arnold says, No, give him more wine give him more wine. Finally Arnold figured Joe was sufficiently lubricated and he started his pitch to ask for a rise. But Joe could read what he was up to before Arnold got to the point and he snapped, Cmon Franco is a lazy bastard he should have lifted 800 pounds and forget about doing all this monkey business. We eventually got a little raise -- about 1%.

THE PECKING ORDER

Mike Katz, he of the enormous chest development, was also a member of that Golden Era and Arnold and Franco were of the opinion that he exaggerated the contours of his pecs by constantly walking around with them flexed. One day they hatched a plan to nail whether Mike was indeed over amplifying his pec size.

They invited him for lunch at their apartment and drank two glasses of wine which Franco recalls, That was plenty to wipe Mike out, so we suggested we all have an afternoon nap but Mike said, No lets go to the beach.

But Arnold and Franco insisted, telling Mike, that after drinking the wine in order to make the muscles grow we have got to lie down for an hour and sleep. So, Mike lay down on the couch and Franco and Arnold disappeared into their bedrooms. Once convinced that Mike was asleep the duo snuck into the lounge. Mike was sleeping soundly laying on his side and as he inhaled and exhaled his chest was as enormous as the waking version, which they has both suspected was a bit of a scam.

Arnold exclaimed, Look he has that big chest naturally  theres no way he could fake it when hes asleep. And look his head is hanging off to the side, he cant get it on the pillow because his shoulders are so big.

Arnold and Franco started laughing, which woke Mike up and prompted him to ask, What are you guys staring at me for?

Franco replied, Its true! You do have a big chest!

A bemused Mike said, Well, yeah?

CANT TOP THIS

In a1995 interview I asked Franco to reflect on his two Olympia wins. Here is how he responded.

In 1975 I lost the Olympia to Arnold but it was very close it could have gone either way. After the contest Arnold told me, This is my last Olympia  everybody is improving so much. So for 1976 I trained my butt off because to win you have to show improvement from the previous year, standing still wont get you the crown. I made substantial improvements and won that years Olympia. That remains my most memorable bodybuilding moment. The feeling of being announced Mr. Olympia was incredible. So incredible that at the moment of victory I jumped about three feet in the air. Then I had to take a big deep breath to think about what I had done. What I had done was get to the top, top, top, top!



DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE ON THE MD FORUM

READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS IN THE MCGOUGH REPORT

FOLLOW MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT ON:

FACEBOOK: MuscularDevelopment Magazine



TWITTER: @MuscularDevelop



INSTAGRAM: @MuscularDevelopment



YOUTUBE: http://bit.ly/2fvHgnZ


PORTLAND, OR and LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2017) - Puppet, the standard for automating the delivery and operation of the software that powers everything around us, has been awarded the Best DevOps Tool for Open Source at the 2017 DevOps Excellence Awards that took place on Wednesday March 22, 2017 in London.

The 2017 DevOps Awards -- held annually -- is judged by the editors of UK publication, Computing, alongside industry experts and recognises outstanding and innovative solutions, people and services. The Best DevOps Tool for Open Source validates Puppet's hard work and innovation in this space and affirms its commitment to the Open Source community.

Held at the London Marriott Hotel in Mayfair, the awards celebrate the DevOps industry's finest products, people and companies. Puppet was recognized for its innovation in designing a tool to tackle DevOps specifically for the Open Source community, a tool that is helping organizations to automate processes -- saving time, money and accelerating performance.

Marianne Calder, VP of EMEA at Puppet, said, "We are honored to be recognized in the DevOps and Open Source space. The Open Source community is one we are grateful to be part of and we will continue to strive towards creating and developing new innovations for the better. At Puppet we believe in hard work and that is key to our success at these awards. We look forward to delivering real benefits as we build a stronger foothold in the U.K.".

Additional resources

Learn more about Puppet

Subscribe to the Puppet blog

Follow Puppet on Twitter @puppetlabs

Try Puppet Enterprise for free

About Puppet

Puppet is driving the movement to a world of unconstrained software change. Its revolutionary platform is the industry standard for automating the delivery and operation of the software that powers everything around us. More than 35,000 companies -- including more than 75 percent of the Fortune 100 -- use Puppet's open source and commercial solutions to adopt DevOps practices, achieve situational awareness and drive software change with confidence. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Puppet is a privately held company with more than 500 employees around the world. Learn more at puppet.com.
Musician Aaron Carter's twin sister, Angel Carter ConradShe has broken her silence about the death of her brother, with whom she had a turbulent relationship in the last years of his life. The former child singer was found dead at his home
By Polina Nikolskaya and Christian Lowe MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin granted an audience to French far-right party leader Marine Le Pen in the Kremlin on Friday, bestowing a level of international recognition that has so far eluded her in the countdown to France's presidential election. Opinion polls show Le Pen, who has said she admires Putin, getting through to the second, decisive round of France's presidential election on May 7 but then losing to centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron. Le Pen backs the lifting of the European Union's economic sanctions imposed on Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict - a stance she reiterated on Friday. "We attach great importance to our relations with France, but at the same time we try to maintain equal relations both with the current authorities and with representatives of the opposition," Putin told Le Pen at their meeting. "We do not want to influence events in any way, but we reserve the right to talk to representatives of all the country's political forces, just as our partners in Europe and the United States do." Putin added that Le Pen represented a range of political forces that was gaining momentum. The meeting with Putin represented a coup for Le Pen. She had travelled to New York earlier this year and was seen at Trump Tower, the New York home of U.S. President Donald Trump, but did not meet Trump himself. Her Kremlin audience is likely to go down well with her core supporters in France, many of whom admire the Russian leader's conservative stance on social and moral issues. Back home in France, the meeting was the top item on the website of French conservative daily Le Figaro. Another French newspaper, Le Monde, said Putin had "anointed" Le Pen. However, some French voters may be put off by Le Pen's association with a leader widely seen in the West as autocratic. In an interview published this week in French daily Liberation, her opponent, Macron, said Le Pen had a "toxic" fascination with Russia. "We must certainly talk with Russia to ensure stability in the Middle East. But let's not forget who they are, what they do, and the nature of their regime," Macron said. "FAKE NEWS" Friday's meeting showed that the Kremlin is not shying away from actions that could influence foreign elections, even after the storm over U.S. intelligence agencies' allegations that Russia tried to interfere in the U.S. presidential election to help Donald Trump win the White House. Russia has denied trying to influence the U.S. vote, and has also dismissed allegations that Kremlin-funded media outlets are spreading "fake news" in an attempt to interfere in the French presidential race. Putin would benefit from getting the sanctions lifted, especially as he is expected to seek a fourth term in office next year. They are curbing Russia's recovery from an economic slowdown caused by low oil prices. Speaking to reporters in a Moscow hotel after her meeting with Putin, Le Pen denied that she had discussed financial aid for her party, echoing an earlier denial from the Kremlin. Le Pen's party took a 9-million-euro loan from a Moscow-based bank in 2014 and is actively seeking new sources of funding. Le Pen said her discussion with Putin had focussed on what she said were shared Russian and French interests in the fight against Islamist terrorism. "A new world has emerged in these past years. It's the world of Vladimir Putin, it's the world of Donald Trump in the United States, it's the world of Mr (Narendra) Modi in India, and I think that probably I am the one who shares with these great nations a vision of cooperation and not a vision of submission." She said if elected, one of her first steps would be to think about lifting sanctions, provided Moscow lifted its own restrictions on imports of some European food. The Putin-Le Pen meeting was not disclosed to reporters until after it had happened. The declared reason for Le Pen coming to Moscow was for talks with Russian members of parliament. When she left the Russian parliament building unexpectedly, a Russian official told reporters she had gone to visit an exhibition of French Gothic art at the Kremlin. Soon after, Russian state television showed her sitting down Putin. "We felt they understood each other, they were on the same wave length," Ludovic de Danne, a Le Pen aide who took part in the meeting, told Reuters. He said Putin had wished her good luck in the election. (Reporting by Polina Nikolskaya, Denis Pinchuk, Christian Lowe and Katya Golubkova in Moscow and Ingrid Melander in Paris; Writing by Andrew Osborn/Christian Lowe; Editing by Gareth Jones and Toby Chopra)
We are collating signatures to petition ...
Raytheon Company RTN recently won a contract from the U.S. Army to provide support services for the AN/TPN-31 Air Traffic Navigation, Integration and Coordination system (ATNAVICS) and AN/FPN-67 Fixed Base Precision Approach Radar (FBPAR).



Details of the Contract



The contract is valued at $31.4 million. It was awarded by the Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.



Work is scheduled to be completed by Mar 31, 2020 and will be carried out in Marlborough, MA. The contract will use fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Army) funds.



A Brief Note on ATNAVICS and FBPAR



ATNAVICS is a wholly self-contained system, incorporated on two High Mobility, Multi-purpose, Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), which provides quick response air traffic control services at Army airfields and tactical landing sites. The system includes a S-band air surveillance radar, L-band secondary surveillance radar/identification friend or foe, an X-band precision approach radar, and Raytheon's AutoTrac air traffic management system. Additionally, it provides full supervision to 25 nautical miles and precision approach coverage to 10 nautical miles in all weather conditions.



The AN/FPN-67 FBPAR provides U.S. Army air traffic controllers with a verified, cost-effective tool that offers precise and reliable information regarding aircraft position to assist in landing operations in adverse weather and low visibility conditions. It is like the ATNAVICS precision approach radar and is expected to be set up in permanent locations at Army airfields. While, the AN/TPN-31 is a tactical system, the AN/FPN-67 is a fixed-base system.



About Raytheon



Raytheon is one of the best-positioned large-cap defense players due to its non-platform-centric focus. It is a technology leader focusing on defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. The company has been heavily investing in technological upgrades. It aims to provide the best-in-class security solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense.



The company enjoys steady flow of contracts from the Pentagon. In February, Raytheon secured a foreign military sales (FMS) contract worth $1.07 billion from the U.S. Air Force. Under the terms of the deal, the company will provide an early warning radar system to the Qatar government, which will be incorporated into the nations integrated air and missile defense enterprise. (Read more: Raytheon Wins FMS Deal for Supply of Radar Systems to Qatar)



In the same month, Raytheon won a foreign military sales (FMS) contract from the U.S. Army to provide engineering services for the PATRIOT weapon systems program. The contract was valued at $202.2 million.



Price Movement



Raytheons stock has gained about 24.6% in the last twelve months, outperforming the Zacks categorized Aerospace-Defense Equipment industrys gain of 18%. This could be because Raytheon is one of the best-positioned large-cap defense players due to its non-platform-centric focus. Rising demand from the Gulf countries and the Asia Pacific, and growth in FMS contracts added to the positives. The company also poses strong competition to its peers, including Ducommun Incorporated DCO, Curtiss-Wright Corporation CW and Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. AJRD.

Story continues





Zacks Rank



Raytheon currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!



It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market.



Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging

phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW): Free Stock Analysis Report



Ducommun Incorporated (DCO): Free Stock Analysis Report



Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (AJRD): Free Stock Analysis Report



Raytheon Company (RTN): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Communication can be a tricky business, whether its your profession or youre just exchanging words and ideas with your fellow humans. A true story about science fiction that was accidentally reported as fact a century ago is proof positive.

A little glitch and a lot of imagination misled science writers for decades. The error may still be fuelling peoples fascination with the planet Mars today, posits Walt Hickey in FiveThirtyEight.

It all started with a simple mistranslation. In 1877, the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli claimed to have seen channels running along the surface of the planet Mars. In Italian, he wrote about these canalia word mistranslated in English publications as canals.

Schiaparelli later said the channels were an illusion, that he saw incorrectly. But before that happened, the canals became a realityof sorts.

Lowell's canal maps in NYT (NYT free PDF archives).

Lowells canal maps in the New York Times. (NYT free PDF archives)

In 1894, Percival Lowell, a wealthy Bostonian heard about Schiaparellis alleged canals and became inspired. He built the Lowell Observatory, an observatory in Arizona (that still exists today) and used it to look at Mars. He, too, saw the canalsand began developing a theory of life on Mars. The canals, he said, were actual irrigation systems built by Martians. In 1895, Lowell wrote about it for The Atlantic Monthly.

Lowell opining on Martian life (NYT free PDF archive).

Lowell opining on Martian life in The Atlantic Monthly.

Science editors and writers were into it. Lowells speculations grew to be accepted as scientific observations. Indeed, even The Gray Lady went head over heels for Martian fan fiction, Hickey writes of the New York Times.

For example, in a 1906 story, Lilian Whiting declared with certainty that there is life on the planet Mars, basing her story on Lowells findings. Her story began:

The legions of canals on Mars, forming a colossal and a wisely planned system designed to irrigate the cases of the vast deserts which make up the surface of this planet, are an unanswerable argument for the existence of conscious intelligent life.

Story continues

Whiting writing in The New York Times (NYT free PDF archive).

Whiting writing in the New York Times. (NYT free PDF archive)

And she was not alone in relying on this source. Lowell was also behind a 1911 story by Mary Proctor published in the Times.

Proctor reported that based on drawings and sightings Lowell claimed to have made from an observatory in Arizona, Martians completed two new massive canals in two years. Vast engineering works accomplished in an incredibly short time by our planetary neighborsWonders of the September Sky, Proctor wrote.

Lowell's Martian canal map (NYT free PDF archive).

One of Lowells Martian canal maps. (NYT free PDF archive)

Others continued to cover the canals-on-Mars theory as established science. For example, James Young covered Mars in 1911 for the New York Times and discussed a French engineers suggestion to build a similar network of canals in the Sahara Desert, and try cross-canal and cross-cultural communication with Martians.

Excerpt from Young's article (NYT free PDF archive).

Excerpt from Youngs 1911 article. (NYT free PDF archive)

The French engineers idea was cute, if premature. First, the Martian canals werent real. Second, its not clear we were ready to communicate with Martians if they existed and we could signal to them. Its not clear were ready now; as current concerns over fake political news make abundantly evident, human communication has hardly been perfected. And the smallest errors can have the strangest consequences. Thats a risk we may not want to take too eagerly when it comes to extraterrestrial communications in code.

When Lowell died in 1916, his theories had their critics. But his supposed Martian proof-of-lifeby then totalling some 550 canalswas considered sufficiently legitimate to merit uncritical coverage in his New York Times obituary.

Lowell's NYT obituary (NYT free PDF archive).

Lowells New York Times obituary. (NYT free PDF archive)

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

More stories from Quartz:
New Melones Reservoir Is Much Higher In 2017 View Photos

Sacramento, CA  Over the past four years, farmers in the Central Valley have received only a small fraction of their requested supply due to the drought.

Only 20% of the water requested via the Central Valley Project by agricultural contractors was made available in 2013, no allocations in 2014 or 2015, and 5% in 2016.

A letter was sent this week to President Donald Trumps new Department of the Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, asking for agricultural contractors to receive 100% of requested water this year. It was signed by nine Republicans, including Mother Lode Senator Tom Berryhill and Assemblyman Frank Bigelow. The letter was also signed by two Central Valley Assembly Democrats, Adam Gray and Joaquin Arambula.

The letter states, In addition to the negative impact on farmers and farm workers, the withholding of water has also caused hardship for families throughout the region, contributing to the regions higher unemployment and poverty rates. Hundreds of thousands of acres have been fallowed which has reduced productions at food processing facilities, decreased business for transportation companies and resulted in an overall downturn in direct and indirect businesses that supply or serve the agricultural industry.

The letter cites that the March 1st northern Sierra Nevada snowpack reading was 159% of the average for the date. You can read the full letter by clicking here.

The Central Valley Project is under the Supervision of the US Bureau of Reclamation. It allows for water stored in Californias reservoirs to be transported for irrigation and other purposes in the Central Valley.
GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here.
Richard Branson says we must beat ISIS, welcome refugees to defeat terrorism following London attack

Governments need to defeat extremist group ISIS and welcome refugees fleeing war zones in order to beat terrorism, Virgin owner Richard Branson told CNBC on Thursday.



The billionaire's comments come after an attack in London in which a man drove a car into people over Westminster Bridge near the Houses of Parliament before stabbing and killing a police officer with a knife. The attacker was shot dead by police. Four people, including the attacker, died as a result.

London's police force said that the attack appears to be "inspired by international terrorism", but officials have not confirmed if this is linked to Islamic extremist group ISIS, which controls some territories in Iraq and Syria.

Still, Branson said that defeating the group was key to ending international terrorism.

"One has to be realistic and I think the important thing that we've got to do is to beat ISIS, make sure they don't control any territory in the world and I think that's the most important thing we can do," Branson told CNBC in a TV interview.

"Then we've got to start winning over the minds and souls of people around the world."

The entrepreneur also urged governments to be more open to accepting refugees from war-torn countries, something that has proved controversial in Europe and the U.S.

"By being much more open and by treating people with decency, people from all walks of life, looking after people having to flee countries, that's the kind of example I think Britain should give and other countries should give and that I suspect is the best security weapon that we can put out," Branson said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that the country would "increase our pressure on ISIS and al Qaeda" as well as setting up "interim zones of stability" to help refugees returning home. Tillerson did not give further details.

The U.S. has also been tightening up security at home. Earlier this week, the government introduced rules banning passengers from carrying large electronics devices in their hand luggage if they are traveling to America from 10 airports. The airports are in Muslim-majority countries including Cairo International Airport in Egypt and Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey.

Story continues

Branson said that airlines must obey the rules, though he questioned the rationale behind the U.S. move.

"Airlines just have to do what they are told and we just have to hope that people who make up these rules have good reasons to do so because the rules that were laid down by the American government on a number of airlines yesterday were slightly strange in that they only affected foreign airlines they didn't affect American airlines  I just wondered whether there might be more to it than met the eye," Branson told CNBC.





More From CNBC


One day after the latest lone-wolf terror attack in London, FBI Director James Comey talked terrorism Thursday and what the U.S. is doing to prevent it.

Comey spoke at University of Texas at Austin

Comey: FBI currently investigating about 1,000 terrorism cases

Did not discuss Russian hacking or election tampering

"Worrying about where is the person who may be bent on the next San Bernadino, the next Orlando attack. Will anybody close to them tell us what they see so that we can get on it?" asked Comey.



Comey told his listeners at the University of Texas at Austin that currently the FBI is investigating about 1,000 terrorism cases in the U.S., where it's difficult to distinguish who is capable of carrying out terroristic threats.



"Where is somebody on the spectrum between consuming the poison and acting on the poison? And what makes this so hard for us is how do we see them and how do we assess them in a good way," he said.



The nation's seventh FBI director did not talk about the agency's investigation into Russia's hacking and election tampering, but he did touch on the clashing intersection of public safety and privacy.



He says even the technology of a cell phone can slow down an investigation.



"2,800 devices were presented to the FBI examiners by our agents or state and local partners with court orders to open them. 43 percent of them we could not open with any technique, including classified techniques," said Comey.



However, Comey says it's not up to the FBI to choose where the laws on privacy start and end.



"The American people should decide how they live and so my mission is to make sure people understand the work of the FBI in counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, all our criminal work is being significantly affected by this," he said.


In a huge setback for the White House and House Republicans, a vote on the repeal and replacement of Obamacare has been canceled.

GOP leaders abruptly pulled the health care bill off the House floor Friday afternoon.

After days of negotiations, Republicans couldn't get the votes needed to pass the bill.

President Donald Trump calls himself a great negotiator, but he's now facing the reality of Congress.

"With no Democratic support, we couldn't quite get there," he said. "We were a small number of votes short in terms of getting our bill passed."

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

House Speaker Paul Ryan admitted failure, calling it a disappointing day for the Republican Party.

"We came really close today, but we came up short," he said. "I spoke to the president just a little while ago, and I told him that the best thing, I think, to do is to pull this bill. He agreed with that decision."

Ryan didn't point any fingers, though.

"I don't want to cast blame," he said. "There is a block of no votes that we have (and) that is why this didn't pass. They were a sufficient number of votes that prevented it from passing, and they didn't change their votes."

The House Freedom Caucus, the most conservative faction of the Republican Party, was unwilling to compromise even after concessions were made.

The Freedom Caucus felt the bill didn't get rid of enough Obamacare regulations. Now, the White House predicts a grim future for the Affordable Care Act.

"Again, I think what would happen  Obamacare will explode," Trump said. "It's going to have a very bad year."

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

The Democrats called it an exciting day and unleashed against the bill.

"Trumpcare, I mean, steals from Medicare," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who as speaker herself helped Obama pass the Affordable Care Act in the first place. "So, let me say ... higher premiums, less coverage, essential benefits gutted, age tax, veterans' tax, steals from Medicare. All of this to give a tax break to the richest people in America. It's in their DNA  they can't help themselves."

The bill that never made it to the floor included doing away with essential health benefits like maternity care, prescription drugs and mental health services.

Trump initially gave Congressional Republicans an ultimatum on Thursday, but it didn't work.

Losing one vote after another on Friday, the fate of the bill was sealed.

Republicans had never built a constituency for the legislation, and in the end the nearly uniform opposition from hospitals, doctors, nurses, the AARP, consumer groups and others weighed heavily with many members. On the other side, conservative groups including the Koch outfit argued the legislation did not go far enough in uprooting Obamacare.

Ryan made his announcement to lawmakers at a very brief meeting, where he was greeted by a standing ovation in recognition of the support he still enjoys from many lawmakers.

When the gathering broke up, Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee that helped write the bill, told reporters: "We gave it our best shot. That's it. It's done. D-O-N-E done. This bill is dead."

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
In support of the Plainview Police Departments community outreach efforts, Covenant Health Plainview donated several bicycles for the upcoming Cops and Kids event slated for April 8. The hospital bikes will be just a portion of the bikes and prizes that will be given out at the event. The third annual Cops and Kids event starts at noon Saturday, April 8, at Kidsville Park. The event is free for all and features games, food and fun with our local law enforcement. Representing Covenant Health Plainview is Chief Financial Officer Cassie Mogg, while on the right event organizer and Plainview police officer Julio De La Garza pops a quick wheelie.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

STAMFORD  Charter Communications CEO Tom Rutledge announced Friday during a meeting with President Donald Trump that the cable company would invest $25 billion in broadband infrastructure and technology and hire 20,000 workers in the next four years  but company executives had already said last year they planned to expand their workforce.

Trump described Charters moves as part of a series of announcements by a number of American companies  including Carrier, Ford and others  to make billions of dollars in investments and hire thousands of U.S. workers following his election last November. He cited Charters opening of a bilingual call center, with about 600 employees, in McAllen, Texas, and the companys plan to stop using overseas call centers as examples of the trend.

They created a culture of customer service and excellence, Trump said during the meeting with Rutledge and other officials, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in the Oval Office. Most importantly, they brought back many jobs that had been shipped overseas, something that is happening far too often. But were changing that.

Charter executives reported similar plans last year, around the time they completed an approximately $65 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. The mergers made Charter the countrys second-largest cable provider.

In a conference call last August, Rutledge said the company planned to hire another 20,000 employees in the next few years. On the same call, he mentioned the company was opening the McAllen center and planned to staff about 600 people there.

With a more local workforce, well perform higher-quality transactions with customers, which we expect will improve customer satisfaction, reduce transactions and costs ... thereby growing our customer base and cash flow efficiently, Rutledge said during the August call.

A Charter official told Hearst Connecticut Media Friday that the $25 billion investment and the firm commitment to hiring the 20,000 workers within four years constituted new developments.

Charter executives cited their confidence in the deregulatory policies of Trumps administration and the Federal Communications Commission. They said the new initiatives also represent their companys commitment to investing in American infrastructure and creating good-paying jobs in the U.S.

Charter has been in-sourcing jobs for the last five years, and, as a result of that, our companies perform tremendously, Rutledge said in the Oval Office meeting. Using high-skilled, high-quality workers actually saves money. It saves money  as you (Trump) know as a builder  if you do the job right the first time.

Since its acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House, Charter has produced strong results. Its 2016 fourth-quarter revenues totaled about $10.3 billion, compared with about $2.5 billion during the same period a year earlier.

As the head of the expanded Charter, Rutledge saw his compensation leap to about $99 million in 2016, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. He made about $16 million in 2015.

But less than a year after the mega-deal, reports have swirled in recent months about the possibility of Verizon buying Charter. Such a move could boost Verizons lackluster growth and provide a boon to Charter shareholders, but the two companies have not publicly announced any agreement.

Trump has not publicly commented on that potential Charter-Verizon union, but reports in recent months have suggested that he opposes a prospective merger between AT&T and Time Warner because he apparently thinks it would concentrate too much power in the media sector.

Charter shares closed Friday at about $325, an approximately 0.5 percent increase from their closing price Thursday.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

(Bloomberg) -- House GOP leaders arent confident they have enough votes to pass their embattled health-care bill, according to a senior congressional aide, and are already considering what to do if the measure is blocked before a do-or-die vote hours away.

House Speaker Paul Ryan went to the White House Friday to brief President Donald Trump ahead of the vote. Vice President Mike Pence canceled a trip to Arkansas to be in Washington for the vote, a White House official said.

The Trump administration is doubling down on its demand that House Republican leaders hold a vote Friday on their embattled health-care bill without any changes. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the vote will proceed as scheduled Friday afternoon.

Its not a question of negotiating any more, its understanding the greater good, Spicer said at a news conference. This is it. The president, he added, has made it clear this is our moment.

But an influential GOP member said hes not sure they have the votes.

"Im not sure weve landed it," Mark Walker of North Carolina, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee of House members, said Friday morning. "Im hopeful that we can get there today but at this point I dont know how many were short."

Stocks retreated in afternoon trading, adding to the worst weekly slide since the election, while Treasuries rose as prospects for the Republican health-care bill worsened. The S&P 500 Index fell to session lows, and bank shares headed for the worst week in 14 months as investors speculated the GOP infighting could delay efforts to implement pro-growth policies and financial revisions.

Tensions among House Republicans were high, said Chris Collins of New York, the first House member to endorse Trump last year.

"Theres some divisiveness within our conference now thats not healthy," Collins said. "Ive never seen this before. People are just refusing to talk to each other. Theyre storming past each other. This is not good."

Currently Unacceptable

House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey announced his opposition to the measure, writing on Facebook that the bill was "currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs and barriers to care" on his constituents.

If the high-stakes gamble works and the House manages to pass the Obamacare replacement bill, it will be an important win for Trump and Ryan who have formed an uneasy alliance to repeal former President Barack Obamas signature health-care law.

If the measure is blocked, it will be an embarrassing setback that casts doubt on Trump and Ryans ability to deliver on their ambitious agenda, including taxes and infrastructure, both of which are being closely watched by Wall Street.

After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan! Trump tweeted Friday morning.

Referring to the conservative House group that has several members holding out on the plan, Trump added, The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan! Planned Parenthood, which offers reproductive health services such as birth control and abortions at U.S. clinics, has long been a Republican target for defunding.

He wants to do this and he wants to do it now, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said of Trump on ABC Friday morning. He also wants to move on to things like tax reform, infrastructure, restructuring the government, putting people back to work. Hes not willing to wait the several months an ordinary president would.

Mulvaney said the White House was still unsure whether it had enough votes to pass.

The Trump administration made a last-minute deal with House conservatives to change the bill -- by removing Obamacares requirements that certain essential benefits be covered by insurance -- in an effort to win over holdouts, who had forced GOP leaders to delay a vote originally scheduled for Thursday.

Then Trump aides, including senior strategist Steve Bannon, went to Capitol Hill to deliver a message in person to House leaders and the Republican caucus that the president has run out of patience: Trump wanted a vote Friday, win or lose, even if that means leaving Obamacare in place.

No More Negotiations

We have to have a vote tomorrow. He expects it to pass, Collins said Thursday, speaking about Trump. We are done negotiating, there are no more negotiations.

If it loses, we just move on to tax reform, added Collins, a Trump ally.

Conservatives, including Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, emerged from the meeting saying they were still leaning against the bill but evaluating the final package.

Meadows said late Thursday Im a no for now, but said members had been given a binary choice and that he would talk with other members before making a final decision.

GOP leaders didnt agree to a core demand of the Freedom Caucus to eliminate other insurance regulations, according to a senior Republican aide.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who opposes the bill, said Republican leaders are taking a risky bet.

If they bring this to the floor and it doesnt get to 216 quickly, the momentum could go in the other direction and they could come way short, he said. Because you dont want to be the person who fell on your sword and voted yes for a piece of legislation that never passes.

Leaning the Other Way

Other House conservatives said they were getting the sense that enough of their colleagues would end up backing it.

"Im still a no, but it looks like its leaning the other way," Freedom Caucus member Ted Yoho of Florida said. Representative Mark Sanford of South Carolina agreed, saying he was picking up that the sentiment of most of the conference was now to pass the bill.

The bill has struggled to win over far-right members who have demanded a more complete repeal of Obamacare, but its also unnerved moderates concerned about projections that millions of Americans will lose coverage. A number of moderates came out against the bill this week, giving Republican leaders little room to negotiate changes.

Ryan put a brave face on the upcoming test of whether he and Trump can deliver the votes.

For seven-and-a-half years, we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it is collapsing and hurting families, he said Thursday. Tomorrow we will see that.

The GOP bill, H.R. 1628, would reverse massive gains in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, which brought the uninsured rate to a record low. The proposal would pull hundreds of billions of dollars out of the health system by winding down Obamacares expansion of Medicaid and limiting its subsidies, threatening revenues for hospitals, doctors and insurance companies.

Some Changes

Meadows and other conservative Freedom Caucus members demanded a provision in the bill -- agreed to by Trump and GOP leaders -- that would scrap the essential benefits portion of the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurers to cover 10 categories of services, for the individual market. Those services include hospitalization, ambulance services, maternity

care, pediatric services, mental health and substance abuse treatment, prescription drugs, rehabilitative care and laboratory services.

Other new provisions described by lawmakers Thursday night include a $15 billion boost to a new state flexibility fund and six more years of a 0.9 percent Medicare tax on high earners.

That last bit is needed to pay for what is expected to be a surge of people buying lower-cost insurance products, triggering tax credits that run from $2,000 to $4,000 per person for eligible people.

If the bill makes it to the Senate, it is expected to undergo significant changes there as well, including boosts to tax credits for people ages 50 to 64 who are hit with massive premium spikes under the bill.

Outdated CBO Score

The last-minute changes mean that Republicans will be voting on the measure without a final estimate from the Congressional Budget Office about how many millions of Americans will lose coverage or how much the measure will cost.

In another development that could unease conservatives, the CBO issued a new estimate Thursday to account for changes made to the bill earlier in the week. The nonpartisan agency cut its estimate of how much the bill would shrink the federal budget deficit, saying the updated measure would reduce the deficit by $150 billion over the next decade, $186 billion less than the initial forecast of $337 billion.

(Updates with markets in seventh paragraph.)

--With assistance from Arit John Terrence Dopp Steven T. Dennis Jennifer Epstein and Jennifer Jacobs

To contact the reporters on this story: Billy House in Washington at bhouse5@bloomberg.net, Sahil Kapur in Washington at skapur39@bloomberg.net, Anna Edgerton in Washington at aedgerton@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kevin Whitelaw at kwhitelaw@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asseo

2017 Bloomberg L.P.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

POTEET  A controversial frac sand mine is coming to Atascosa County whether residents like it or not, but theyve promised to continue fighting the project, slated for an area where historians still hunt for remnants of the bloodiest battle in Texas history.

Neighbors to the planned mine had asked for  but did not receive  a public hearing on the project before the state agency that oversees environmental permits approved the plans March 1. But they did get to meet with company executives to ask questions about the site at a meeting Thursday night that drew more than 200 from the community.

Pennsylvania-based Preferred Sands plans a mine and plant that could process 300-400 tons of sand per hour through a Texas company it set up in the fall, Sand Mining of Texas LLC. It owns or controls about 2,500 acres mostly in Atascosa County, but also stretching into southern Bexar County. A mixture of sand, chemicals and water is used in oil fracking to blast open crevices in rock to extract hard-to-get oil.

The mine has drawn fierce opposition from the community, which organized a protest group, called Not Just Dust  Bruce Road. A sign posed on the outside of the VFW Post where the meeting was held asked, What the frack? Others posted in the ground or held by residents read Protect Our Air, Protect Our Water and Stop Dangerous Traffic.

Elected officials and residents sent more than 200 letters to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the states environmental agency, in protest or to ask for a hearing about the proposed mine.

The agency, though, does not have to hold public hearings for such facilities.

The mine falls under the states permit-by-rule process, a speedier application for facilities that produce a trivial amount of air emissions. Under its application, the mine said it would emit as much as 26 tons per year of particulate matter, 54.6 tons of nitrogen oxides and 30.5 tons of carbon monoxide from its plant. The plant would have to emit significantly more to trigger a lengthy permit process that would include public hearings.

Residents expressed as much frustration with the state agency and the permitting process as they did with the mine itself.

Where is TCEQ? asked Janet Bartek. Why arent they protecting us?

A creek that runs through the sand mines property also comes through Barteks land, and shes concerned about storm runoff during floods. Bartek doesnt want her dozen grandchildren playing near the creek any more. Shes also frustrated with local and state elected officials who have told residents there isnt much that can be done to stop something like a sand mine from moving into a rural area.

People are saying we dont have any laws, Bartek said. Make some laws. Were not getting support anywhere.

T.J. Doyle of Preferred Sands said he realizes the sand mine will have an impact on the community.

We hope its more positive than negative, Doyle told the crowd.

He asked for feedback and concerns. Doyle said construction plans for the facility are on hold while it considers whether it can mitigate some of the impact on residents  perhaps moving its plant, now sited directly across from homes, to another location, but the company couldnt make any promises, he said. Moving the plant would take it off of property that cant be mined and place it on property that could otherwise be mined, Doyle said.

The mine will also build roads on its property so that it can move trucks on and off site without traveling down gravel roads or passing as many houses as it originally planned. Its working with Atascosa County and the Texas Department of Transportation to pay for roadwork, including improvements to the intersection of Old Pleasanton Road and U.S. 281, where it would be difficult to safely cross large numbers of trucks.

The local VFW that hosted the community meeting was a packed. The format, though, didnt suit everyone who attended. The company brought several executives and contractors, everyone from geologists to engineers, stationing them at tables around the room with large displays. There was a brief presentation at the start from both the community opposition group and the company, and a chance to visit face-to-face with various executives and representatives, but Doyle said he did not want to do a Q&A.

Why are they trying to get out of answering the questions? one man called out.

Another left the meeting before it even started, angry that the company wouldnt speak to the entire room.

Good luck, he told other residents as he walked outside the VFW. Im wasting my time.

Doyle said they wanted to avoid a traditional public meeting format where they would be speaking from the front of the room. It creates an us verses them preachy scenario, he said.

Neighbors said they have a range of worries, from their likely soon-to-be diminished property values to the noise and dust from 24-hour truck traffic. People tap the Queens City or Carrizo-Wilcox aquifers here, some with water wells as shallow as 60 feet.

Obviously this is not what we would have chosen to have in our backyards, but its here, said Jessica Hardy.

Hardy last week visited one of Preferred Sands other mines in Wisconsin. That site, though, was set into a hilly area and blocked by pine trees  neighbors didnt have a direct view of the mining operations as they would in Atascosa County.

It was pretty devastating to see how big everything was, Hardy said. We pulled over on the side of the road after we left. We just needed a minute.

Theres also the 200-year-old mystery of the Battle of Medina.

Archival records indicate that about 1,300 rebel bodies from the Battle of Medina litter the countryside, although no one has proved the precise location of the fight. On Aug. 18, 1813, 1,400 Tejanos, Anglos and American Indians with the Republican Army of the North, defending the first republic of Texas, were crushed by more than 1,800 Spanish Royal Army forces. About 1,300 rebels died in battle or were executed. Only 55 Spanish troops were killed.

The Spanish forces included a young lieutenant, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who would become the Mexican president best known in Texas history for ordering a predawn assault on the Alamo on March 6, 1836.

A historical marker at Bruce Road and Old Applewhite Road, about 20 miles south of downtown San Antonio, commemorates the battle. Its across from the proposed mine.

Doyle said the company did an archaeological study that didnt turn up any artifacts.

Preferred Sands also has mines in Nebraska, Arizona and Wisconsin. The company has said that it would follow the guidelines and regulations of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. Its Arizona mine is on Navajo Nation land, and it is well versed in what to do when artifacts are discovered, company officials said.

The frac sand mine would be just north of the Eagle Ford Shale, a 400-mile-long field producing around 1 million barrels of oil per day. Frac sand is more commonly mined in Brady, in the states geographic center, though most of the frac sand used in Texas wells comes by train from farther flung locations such as Minnesota or Wisconsin.

In the past decade, a boom in shale drilling has set off a boom in sand, too.

jhiller@express-news.net
Police in Fairfield were investigating a shooting Friday afternoon that left a man dead in a car at an intersection in the Solano County city, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 1:43 p.m. near the intersection of Great Jones and Illinois streets, eight blocks north of Highway 12, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
"Perfect" conditions may have helped a group of fishermen in East Texas catch a gargantuan gar last weekend, and video of the monster fish looks larger than life.

The 9th Annual Toledo Bend Classic was hosted last Saturday and Sunday at the Toledo Bend Reservoir, which borders Texas and Louisiana, and is where team Gar Commanders brought in the 7-foot-11-inch, 258-pound alligator gar.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Show More Show Less 3 of 3





MILFORD - Elizabeth Miller has been named the next president and head of Lauralton Hall, the college-prep, all girls school in Milford. Miller succeeds Antoinette Iadarola, who will retire at the end of the academic year in June.

Miller recently returned to the United States after working for a year in Dubai opening a new school, the GEMS Nations Academy. Prior to that, she served as Head of School at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School, an independent, Catholic preK-12 school in St. Louis, with an all-girls upper school.
On this date in ...

1917: Albany Judge John J. Brady set a bail of $10,000 for Angelo Latassa, who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Frank Fragola, the Watervliet barrel victim. Combined with a bail total of $7,500 set the day before on third-degree arson, Latassa's bail totaled $17,500.

1967: The Senate approved a proposal to require nearly three million New York motorists to carry more automobile insurance at a cost increase in yearly premiums ranging from $2.82 to $7.20. Drivers would be required to have a minimum coverage of $10,000 for a single injury or death, $20,000 for multiple injuries or deaths and $5,000 for property damage. The bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Bernard Gordon of Peekskill, chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, was approved 49-5.

1992: The purchase of the James River Corp.'s South Glens Falls mill registered as the largest real estate transaction of the year so far. Encore Paper Co. Inc. of South Glens Falls bought the 128-year-old mill on River Street for an estimated $20 million. The mill employed 335 people and produced a full line of 100-percent recycled commercial towel and tissue products under the Encore name.

See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/
Rensselaer given boil-water advisory

RENSSELAER  A 12-inch city water pipe burst Thursday, cutting service to part of the city.

City highway crews were repairing the break at South and Aiken streets.

There is no water service from Second Avenue south to the Port of Rensselaer and west from the Hudson River to the East Greenbush town line.

Water restrictions and a boil-water advisory are in effect for the area from I-90 south into the Port of Rensselaer until further notice.

 Kenneth C. Crowe II

Crime victims vigil scheduled April 2

MALTA  The Saratoga County District Attorney's office will present a candlelight vigil for crime victims at 2 p.m. April 2 at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 2776 Route 9, Malta.

The vigil will mark the annual National Crime Victims' Right Week. The observation is meant to bring together communities throughout the country to promote victims' rights and honor crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.

The program will include remarks from local, county and state professionals who work with victims and a mother whose child died in a car crash.

There will be music and a presentation of a public service award.

More information is available from County District Attorney Karen Heggen's office at 885-2263.

 Wendy Liberatore

How police handle requests outlined

SARATOGA SPRINGS  While illegal immigration enforcement is not a priority for city police, Commissioner of Public Safety Chris Mathiesen released a statement on Tuesday night describing how the force will deal with requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Several points were made:

The police will not require or encourage officers to investigate immigration status of victims and witnesses;

Reporting a crime does not lead to an immigration inquiry and or deportation;

Immigration violations are the responsibility of federal agencies;

However, if federal law enforcement agencies request assistance from the police, the police will provide it;

Police will share information, traffic control and peacekeeping efforts with federal law enforcement as needed;

Criminal offenders in the custody of police who have been verified to have a valid warrant from any federal agency, including ICE, will be detained by city police;

Police will not detain any individual solely on a civil violation of federal immigration law;

Police will not detain any individual simply for the purpose of notifying federal authorities or to check immigration status.

"It is important to emphasize again that immigration violations are not a priority for the Saratoga Springs Police Department," Mathiesen said. "We are committed to equal enforcement of the law and equal service to the public. We serve the entire community and recognize the dignity of all persons, regardless of their immigration status."

 Wendy Liberatore

State canals open for season May 19

The state Canal Corp. says the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca canals will open at 10 a.m. May 19 for the 2017 navigation season.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the start of the construction of the Erie Canal in Rome in central New York.

Work began on the 363-mile long waterway on July 4, 1817. The canal was officially opened in Buffalo on Oct. 26, 1825 by Gov. DeWitt Clinton.

State officials say to commemorate the bicentennial there will be no tolls or fees for recreational use of the canal system this year.

 Associated Press
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Scores of low- and middle-income families in Greater Danbury have been able to get low-interest loans to repair leaky roofs, fix broken heating systems or other make home improvements, thanks to federal Community Development Block Grants

But town officials are worried about losing the grants, because President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the $3 billion program in his budget for the coming fiscal year.

Eliminating something like this is cruel, said First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker of Bethel, which has used the grants to help dozens of families, some living without heat or water, to stay in their homes.

Bethel also received $800,000 in block grants in July 2015 to renovate Reynolds Ridge, the affordable housing complex for low- and middle-income elderly and disabled residents. Work is underway to install new windows and doors in the 80 units and bring two units into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The town plans to apply for a second grant to continue renovations for new walkways, ADA-compliant ramps and internal upgrades at Reynolds Ridge, but none of these improvements would be possible if the program is cut.

Im horrified that the administration in Washington would actually dig this deep into programs that benefit so many people, Knickerbocker said. There's just no reason for this.

Block grants also helped 11 families in Brookfield fix their homes in 2013. The town will apply for another $400,000 next month, but Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn said he is concerned the funding wont be available.

Were making a significant difference in these people's lives, he said. I mean, would you want to live in a house where water is pouring in the roof?

Lisa Low, head of afirm that oversees the application and administration of the grants for several area towns, said the end of block grants would be devastating.

That would be a hardship to the communities that have been able to use the assistance of this grant to assist the vulnerable residents in making needed health and safety improvements to their homes, she said.

Connecticut receives about $12 million a year through the Community Development Block Grant Small Cities program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Dan Arsenault, spokesperson for the state Department of Housing, said the program has had bipartisan support in Congress for decades, and has been highly effective.

Weve been able to help Connecticut residents maintain decent, sanitary affordable housing, which in and of itself, is a great result, he said in an email. When people have an affordable place to live, all levels of government are saving money.

CDBG is a highly effective program, Arsenault continued. While its alarming to learn that its on the chopping block, we will continue to work with our congressional delegation to advocate against this cut.

Low said she thinks Congress will defend the program, but she cannot be sure.

It's acknowledged as a very important resource across the nation, she said. I don't think it would strengthen the nation to take this away.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BRIDGEPORT  Two candidates vying for one of the toughest jobs in the state put their Southern charm on display Thursday, telling a packed audience they would do their best for some 21,199 city school children as the districts next schools superintendent.

Aresta Johnson, who has held the job for the past three months in an interim capacity, said in some respects she feels she has already won.

I stand on the shoulders of giants like Geraldine Johnson, she said, evoking the memory of the districts first African American female schools superintendent who served from 1976 to 1981. The school in which she spoke was named after Johnson.

Katrise Perera, who flew in Thursday afternoon from Houston, Texas and grabbed an Uber ride to the forum, said she wasnt there for a job.

I want to serve a community, she said, frequently walking up and down the rows in the audience.

The two-hour session, one for each candidate, was moderated by Michael Rush of Ray and Associates, the firm hired by the board to find candidates. Most board members were at the forum along with teachers, parents, administrators and members of the community.

During opening remarks, Perera told of her upbringing in Louisiana by her Creole grandmother. Johnson, who most know as someone who grew up in Waterbury, said she actually was born in North Carolina, across the street from her great grandparents farm. Her mom relocated to Waterbury when she was in kindergarten.

Perera is a former schools superintendent for Isle of Wight County Schools in Smithfield, Va., and was named the 2015 Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of School Superintendents. Johnson started in the district as a science coordinator in 2005, went on become principal of Central Magnet, then Central High School before leaving the district during Paul Vallas tenure. She was hired back in 2014 and put in charge of the citys high schools and adult education program.

Board Chairman Joe Larcheveque intends for the board to hold an executive session on Monday before its 6 p.m. business meeting at the Aquaculture School to see if there is a consensus. If a decision is reached, the vote would be taken Monday.

The Bridgeport job comes with a $260,000 salary but a lot of headaches. The district is plagued with fiscal challenges and board dysfunction. State efforts to intervene was fought off in the courts. The district has not had a schools chief designated as permanent since 2011.

Those issues were broached during questions and answers with the two finalists.

Asked how she would bring harmony to a board so broken meetings werent held for most of last fall, Perera suggested meetings be videotaped. They already are.

Johnson pointed out that since she took over, the board has resumed regular meetings.

Maybe there will be some stormy days ahead but without struggle there is no progress, Johnson said, paraphrasing the 19th Century African American icon Frederick Douglas.

Both candidates said their power to bring more funding to the district can only go so far.

I will work on it but cant solve it by myself, Perera said. Without looking at the budget she said she could guarantee finding up 5 percent that could be diverted to instruction.

Johnson said her weekly routine of late has been to make trips up to Hartford to make sure lawmakers know the long list of services, including nurses and guidance counselors, that will be lost if the district doesnt get more funding.

On student achievement, both candidates said the key is to start early, to make sure schools give students a reason to want to come to school, and to pare down initiatives to one or two that really work.

On staying power, Perera was pointedly asked how the district can be assured she will stick around when the going gets tough.

She has her name in other searches and after becoming a finalist Perera withdrew from contention because, she said, she became unnerved by threatening tweets she received from someone in Bridgeport. She changed her mind and was let back in the race.

My skin is tough, she told the crowd. You cant turnaround schools and be popular.

Her aim, she added, is to make this superintendency her last.

Gets tough? This job (already is) tough, Johnson responded when she was asked the same question.

The crowd, many dressed in red as Johnson was, laughed. Some were Johnsons sorority sisters from Delta Sigma Theta who traveled to the forum to lend their support.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; Twitter/lclambeck
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Click through to the slideshow above to learn more about Dairy Queen, home of the Blizzard...

If you ask many Texans where Dairy Queen is based, they will likely proudly proclaim that the chain is headquartered right here in the Lone Star State.

But Dairy Queen is actually headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

We'll let you pick your jaws up off the floor.

BEAVER NUGGETS PLEASE: 25 amazing things you probably didn't know about Buc-ee's

The chain has done such a good job becoming a part of the Texas experience that it's easy to forget the company was founded in Joliet, Illinois in 1940.

You cant drive any long distance in the state of Texas without passing a Dairy Queen location. In some small towns the DQ is the epicenter of activity, ice cream and chicken strip baskets. Its where local teens first earn a dollar and where you can always get a Blizzard served upside down.

At some locations you can even get your Blizzard free if the server forgets to serve it to you upside down. It depends on the independent franchise owner.

DELI DAYS: Learn all about the humble beginnings of Texas' own Jason's Deli

Every DQ location is franchisee-owned and operated except for two of them, according to the company's director of communications Dean Peters. The company has two corporate-operated locations in Minneapolis.

When it comes to the popularity of DQ in Texas, Peters doesnt really have an explanation. Texas boasts some 593 locations, the most across the United States.

The Texas trailblazing spirit increased the brand's visibility in the market but it wasn't easy.

Doris Richeson has been a multi-unit Texas Dairy Queen owner/operator since 1969. She serves on the nine-member board of directors for Texas Dairy Queen Operators. She became the first female Dairy Queen franchisee in the early 70s.

She attributes Texas' Dairy Queen growth to the work of the early franchisees who fought to add Texas-centric items to the menu to site beside the sweet stuff.

Unlike non-Texas Dairy Queen restaurants, the Texas stores sell more food than treat desserts, a continuing mix through the years, Richeson says. Her company owns 10 percent of Texas locations.

PROM DATE: Teen's epic Chick-fil-A promposal is a dream come true

Operators tried and tested the food menu items we sell today, and more. Just about any item we offered our customers on the menu was well received, she says. Of course some things fell away from the menu. Not everything worked.

According to Richeson, International Dairy Queen sold its Texas territorial franchise rights around 1947, to Rolly Klose of San Antonio. Ambitious entrepreneurs soon began trying their hand at slinging soft serve and burgers.

Klose owned those rights until 1980 when Texas Dairy Queen was re-purchased by International Dairy Queen.

The board soon realized that Texas' menus were very different and much more food-dominant than those outside the state, Richeson says. In quite-contentious meetings in 1980 and early 1981, Texas negotiated with IDQ, acquiring its own food specification and marketing rights.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON  President Trump delivered an ultimatum to divided House Republicans late Thursday, telling party leaders to force their members to vote on legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on Friday.

If it fails, Trump said, he will move on, leaving the Affordable Care Act in place.

We have to have a vote tomorrow, said Rep. Chris Collins of New York, emerging from an evening GOP huddle in the Capitol after an extraordinary day of turmoil that left Republicans well short of their planned replacement for the current health care law. The New York Republican said a handful of changes in the bill have been made to placate various party factions, and negotiations are now at an end.

Its up or down, Collins said. Trump expects it to pass. Hes moving on if it doesnt ... and Obamacare stays, he said.

Trumps move was an astonishing use of power wielded at precisely the moment he appeared weakest. Amid a day of turmoil and frenzied meetings at the White House and the Capitol, the legislation, called the American Health Care Act, was on the brink of collapse. Republicans were dozens of votes short, having timed the repeal for the seventh anniversary of the day the Affordable Care Act became law.

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin had postponed the vote and called a recess, his GOP factions hopelessly divided over their fundamental approach to health care.

More for you GOP health care bill would send Californias costs skyrocketing

Trumps risky move sets up a dramatic showdown on the House floor Friday. The president and GOP leaders are gambling that they can force their members to vote for a bill that many House Republicans dislike and is opposed by powerful outside conservative political groups.

These include Heritage Action, the Club for Growth and donor groups funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, who promised money to any Republican running in 2018 who votes against the health care bill.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, informed Democrats that they should plan to stay for an indeterminate time Friday, signaling that GOP leaders might need most of the day to corral holdouts.

Republicans have no consensus on what should replace a health care law they have denounced for the past seven years. Ryan crafted a bill designed to bridge the yawning gulf between GOP moderates who support the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and conservatives who argue that the repeal leaves the laws fundamental architecture largely in place. As a result, almost no one likes it.

Conservatives oppose the benefit guarantees, arguing that they drive up premiums. The replacement bills provision to exchange current subsidies for skimpier tax credits to help people buy insurance merely creates a new entitlement program, they say.

During meetings Thursday, Trump told Republicans that the current law will self-destruct if they do nothing, Collins said.

Weve been in the opposition for eight years, Collins said. Its time to come together. This is our moment.

He said Trumps ultimatum was delivered later in the day by Office of Management and Budget chief Mick Mulvaney, even as top Trump adviser Steve Bannon and chief of staff Reince Preibus huddled with Ryan in his office hammering out the final changes.

These include an amendment to placate conservatives that would strip 10 essential health benefits under the current law that were kept in the GOP bill. These require insurers to cover maternity care, hospitalization, emergency room services, pediatric care, prescription drugs and addiction treatment, along with other services. Conservatives argue that these requirements drive up premiums.

In a nod to moderates, the final bill would preserve for now a 0.9 percent Medicare tax on high earners.

Whether the changes succeed in winning passage remains to be seen. A new Quinnipiac poll shows 56 percent of voters polled oppose the GOP bill, with just 17 percent in favor and 26 percent undecided. Support among Republicans is weak, with 41 percent in support and 24 percent opposed. Among independents, 58 percent are opposed and only 14 percent approve.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the San Francisco Democrat who was instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act, said early in the day, as the legislation appeared to be collapsing, that Trump had committed a rookies error by pushing the bill to a vote too soon.

You don't find a day and say were going to pass a bill, Pelosi said. You build your consensus in your caucus, and when you're ready, you set the date to bring it to the floor.

Pelosi called the GOP bill a monstrosity, and said if Republicans approve it, that vote is going to be tattooed to their heads. No Democrats in the House or Senate support the legislation.

Even at their darkest moments, however, several Republicans expressed confidence in House passage. Alabama Rep. Bradley Byrne, describing himself as a mainstream Republican, said his fellow face two choices: Vote with Donald Trump to repeal and replace Obamacare or vote with Nancy Pelosi to keep Obamacare.

That was the argument GOP leaders including Vice President Mike Pence used when the bill was initially unveiled, but it has not worked yet. Byrne argued for action, warning that every moment of delay means the chances it passes goes down.

Trump has thrown his full weight into passage of the bill, wooing members at White House bowling parties, hinting at political retribution for holdouts, and putting his self-proclaimed gift as a deal-closer on the line.

Ryan equally staked his reputation as an energetic young leader and policy expert on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, while McCarthy, his top lieutenant, set about selling the legislation to members and the public.

But Ryans haste appeared to have backfired, as he rammed the legislation through two committees without the benefit of an analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the agency of Congress that estimates the effect of major legislation on the public, the budget and the economy.

When the CBO report finally came out, it dealt a gut punch to the legislation: 24 million people would lose health coverage. In addition, more than $800 billion would be drained from Medicaid, the health care program for the poor that has been expanded to include millions of low-income workers, largely to fund a $600 billion tax cut for high earners and corporations. Meanwhile, premiums would soar in the first two years before stabilizing. On the other hand, the CBO said the legislation would reduce the deficit over 10 years by $337 billion.

A new CBO analysis based on previous alterations to the bill, but not including Thursdays, found that the changes failed to expand coverage and slashed the deficit reduction in half, to $150 billion over a decade.

Oakland Democrat Barbara Lee said Thursday she sympathized with poor rural Trump voters whom analyses widely show would be hurt most by the repeal bill.

Those constituents are devastated by the GOP legislation, Lee said. Trump threw them under the bus, she said. My heart goes out to them.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
Ratchet up the volume for the message delivered to Texas legislators by the One Voice for Texas Public Education Coalition.

The group gained strength this month with the March 9 joining by the Cy-Fair Independent School District and the March 21 resolution adopted by the Spring Independent School District.

Coalition goals include reforming state funding for public education and the state A-F accountability system, freezing unfunded mandates and opposing state-funded vouchers for private schools.

"We'd like to get as many school districts to be part of the coalition as we can get," said Kristin Tassin, Fort Bend ISD school board president who helped form the coalition.

"Our goal is not just urban/suburban but rural as well. Legislators have told us the there tends to be a split between urban and more rural districts."

Tassin figures that the coalition is doing pretty good with 15 districts so far representing approximately 400,000 students. She notes that joining the coalition may come before the Houston Independent School District board of trustees soon, too.

Spring ISD trustees unanimously adopted the resolution of "Acknowledgement Supporting the One Voice for Texas Public Ed Coalition" at their March 21 meeting, said Karen Garrison, the district's communications director. Trustee Donald Davis presented the recommendation to the board for its consent agenda, which typically means no discussion at the meeting. Garrison said she wasn't aware of any comments from citizens regarding the resolution.

As to what's next for Spring after trustees adopted the resolution, Garrison said, "Spring ISD would continue to base its decisions on what is best for students."

In Cy-Fair ISD, school board president Darcy Mingoia said, "We chose to participate rather than adopt a resolution because typically we do not adopt resolutions to join advocacy groups (i.e. the fast growth coalition) and although we value greatly participating in the coalition we prefer to use our own CFISD Legislative Priorities when meeting with our local elected officials."

Cy-Fair ISD trustees discussed the One Voice coalition at their March 6 committee of the whole meeting and again more briefly at their March 9 meeting, where they voted unanimously to participate.

"There was general agreement that a unified voice on key public education issues is important for our area students," said Mingoia.

"All of the boards participating support the main three tenets of One Voice: one, an updated and adequately funded formula-based school finance system; two, uniform standards and requirements for all state funded school; and three, a meaningful accountability and assessment system."

The board adopted its legislative goals in November after a presentation by the Community Leadership Council which researched and reviewed educational legislative issues relative to the district.

Mingoia identified those priorities as including: "One, reforming school finance in a simple and equitable manner; two, eliminating unnecessary assessments and simplifying our accountability system to reflect student accomplishments; three, uniform standards and requirements for all schools receiving state funding; and four, maintain current reporting requirements including all schools receiving state funding.

"As you can see, our adopted priorities align well with One Voice although there are slight differences," added Mingoia.

Cy-Fair ISD trustee Don Ryan said, "This doesn't minimize what the CLC is doing at all. As a district we need to do everything possible to let our representatives know what we need. This is just another tool in a tool kit that will allow us to do that. I think we should go forward and participate in this with other districts. We to want to keep screaming from mountaintops what our needs are."

The support raises hopes for Tassin, a three-year trustee, who has represented Fort Bend ISD not only during this session of the Legislature but its last as well.

Any time she's been in a legislator's office and brought up the One Voice coalition, she said she's been very well received.

"They (legislators) are very encouraging for all of us to come together," Tassin said. "One legislator was so excited, he called a district that was visiting the Capitol that day and asked if they considered joining the coalition. Some legislators are helping us recruit school districts from their districts - particularly on the House side.

"They need us to speak loudly about these issues in support of the work they're doing."

Tassin is organizing and coordinating another rally-type event in Austin for coalition members to meet with legislators - not just from local legislative districts - but all legislators. A rally was organized in late February.

"Once we're over the half million student point, we'll draft a letter and send it to all legislators," said Tassin, "and let them know the coalition is growing and these are the issues we think most important this session."

While the 140-day session of the 85th Texas Legislature doesn't end until May 29, Tassin briefly reviews what's been happening.

The A-F accountability system opposed by school districts is under review by the Texas House but not the Texas Senate, she said. While the coalition is asking for reform of the accountability system, it looks possible right now that implementation may be delayed to 2019. When the 84th Legislature adopted the bill the rating system was to become effective in August 2018.

"Anytime a legislator asks me if Fort Bend ISD needs more money, I say 'No, we need less unfunded mandates and regulations,' " said Tassin, adding that putting a freeze on passing unfunded mandates affecting school districts would be a tremendous gain in terms of money available for education.

"One of the biggest problems we face at the local district level is the amount of regulation. We have to hire people to deal with regulation compliance. That was approach we took last session and it's becoming more and more alarming and more and more burdensome."

On March 30, the Texas Senate did pass Senate Bill 3 to establish an education savings account program and a tax credit scholarship and educational expense assistance program, which led Tassin to criticize District 17 state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, whose district includes Fort Bend ISD.

"I'm very disappointed that the bill passed," said Tassin on Friday. "I'm more disappointed that our senator was the swing vote to bring the bill to a vote."

Huffman voted to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 3, known as the school voucher bill, for its third reading and final passage in a 19-12 vote. Huffman did vote against the bill, which passed 18-13.

Tassin said Huffman's no vote on the bill didn't matter because the Senate had the votes to pass it. Tassin visited Austin Wednesday and said she talked to Huffman, whom she said knew the bill was not good for the school district. "She still voted for it to proceed." Tassin said planned to meet with Huffman again Friday.

Dan Huberty, chairman of the Public Education Committee in the House, has said that state representatives will not hear the voucher bill in this session. "Representatives in the House are listening and hopefully will do what the coalition is asking for. I feel like lot of work we've done early on helped us to get point to where we are," said Tassin. "I hope the House stands firm."

Tassin also expressed concern about Senate Bill 2 which would limit how much local taxing entities could raise taxes without voter approval.

She said that the bill would put a cap on local cities' tax rates and they're not the ones driving up the property taxes. The schools are, she said, blaming the state's failure to address state funding of education. "The cap will not help anyone."

As to school finance reform, Tassin said the House is working on it, but the Senate is not. "We're still working on senators to freeze unfunded mandates and even take up some reform efforts the House is taking up," she said.
The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

Unabridged Violation

Game wardens in Limestone and Freestone counties filed cases on multiple individuals for fishing from a bridge in clear violation of signs indicating the act was illegal. They were using a cast net to catch crappie, an illegal means and method for taking game fish in Texas. The netters were also in possession of undersized crappie and had no fishing licenses. In addition to citations, the individuals were educated on species identification and the definition of fishing.

One Too Many Trips to the Well

A Montgomery County game warden apprehended an individual trespassing on a deer lease, but the subject wasn't there to poach, at least not wildlife. Seems he trespassed with the intent to illegally dump a boat. The subject was arrested for criminal trespassing and for driving with an invalid license. After booking the subject into jail, the warden drove to the address on the subject's vehicle registration and found three deer feeders in the backyard that matched the description of ones reported stolen from the deer lease several weeks earlier. After receiving consent to search the residence from the subject's mother, the warden discovered two stolen game cameras and a stolen ATV, both of which were also recovered. Additional criminal charges pending.

Can't Outrun the Law

A Grimes County game warden found himself in a rundown after responding to a crash site on Highway 6 where a driver fled the scene on foot to a nearby ranch. The suspect was discovered hiding behind a barn and following a short foot pursuit, the warden, along with Grimes County sheriff's deputies, made an arrest. Driver impairment is believed to be the cause of the accident. Charges are pending.

Stopping a Dump Truck

Live Oak County game wardens completed a two month investigation stemming from complaints by concerned hunters about the illegal dumping of deer and hog carcasses off a bridge near their hunting lease. The wardens set up remote surveillance on the site by mounting a game camera on a nearby tree, but several weeks passed with no activity. In early January when the wardens checked the bridge they observed two recently harvested white-tailed doe carcasses, one recently harvested hog carcass, a bucket full of guts, and several feed bags that had been dumped. Upon checking the camera, the time stamp indicated that the dumper had been there just a few hours before the wardens arrived. The images clearly showed the individual stopping on the bridge and exiting his truck. His truck bed was full of feed bags and deer/hog carcasses. As the vehicle left the bridge, the last game camera photo showed an empty truck bed. The wardens collected evidence and noticed that each doe carcass had one small caliber entry wound in the head they believed to be from .22 caliber bullets. Based on the images captured, wardens were able to locate a residential address for the vehicle and interviewed the individual at his residence where it was determined that he had dumped deer/hog carcasses at the same place for over 15 years. When asked who shot the deer that were dumped, he informed the wardens that it was his son and nephew. His nephew, who lived out of state and did not have a valid non-resident hunting license, had harvested a 6 point buck. Inspection of the father and son's hunting license indicated only one buck tag missing. In total, two bucks and two doe were harvested by the son. The father admitted that he allowed his son to shoot the does in the head with a .22 caliber rifle and that they rarely tag deer. A total of 11 cases were filed along with civil restitution.

Caught in a Cast Net

Game wardens have been actively pursuing cast net violations at the Lake Somerville spillway. An OGT (Operation Game Thief) hotline tip lead local wardens to catch several groups of violators over the first few days of March. The violators were intentionally cast netting and possessing game fish. Numerous cases have been filed.

Next Time Buy a Hunting License

Game wardens routinely check tags and other documentation at local deer processors and taxidermists in their district. Toward the end of the deer season, Willacy County wardens discovered nine white-tailed bucks and one white-tailed doe harvested by two different hunters who failed to purchase Texas hunting licenses. Contact was made with the local landowners and the two hunters. Several white-tailed deer were seized and multiple citations issued. Cases and restitution totaling over $10,000 are pending.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Police are asking the public to help find a missing teenager.

Shelby Rodriguez, 17, was last seen on March 19 at her home in Sugar Land. She is believed to be somewhere in the Houston area, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Officials said the teenager may be in need to medical attention.

She is about 5-feet-2 and weighs 125 pounds. She has pierced ears and wears glasses.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Fort Bend County Sheriff's deputies at 281-341-4665 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
The first sighting of sugarcane aphids in sorghum was confirmed March 21 in Hidalgo County. The colonies found were small and the field had not reached an economic population, but farmers in the region are encouraged to start scouting all sorghum.

A Section 18 has been granted for the use of Transform in Texas. While other regions are only starting the pre-plant process, NSP encourages farmers to educate themselves on pre-plant considerations, which includes finding a tolerant hybrid.
State courts must be willing to go beyond the U.S. Supreme Court in protecting individual rights, California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu said Thursday.

A state court can provide protection for basic liberties that otherwise would go unprotected in that state, Liu, an appointee of Gov. Jerry Brown, said in remarks prepared for a speech at New York University in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice William Brennan.

State courts have the prerogative and duty to interpret their state constitutions independently, Liu said. He added that there was no reason for a state court, in interpreting rights under its own constitution, to give a presumption of correctness to the U.S. Supreme Courts view of similar provisions in the U.S. Constitution.

Civil rights advocates are looking to courts in California and other states to rely on their own laws as counterweights to anticipated rollbacks from the nations high court on issues such as abortion and gay and minority rights. The court would regain its conservative majority with the confirmation of President Trumps nominee, Neil Gorsuch, and could make further inroads if more vacancies arise for Trump to fill.

While state court rulings can sometimes lead to a checkerboard pattern in which rights are recognized in some parts of the nation and not in others, Liu said they can also induce the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the issue.

He noted that the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 1961 decision barring evidence produced by illegal police searches, cited a series of similar rulings by state courts, particularly a 1955 ruling by the California Supreme Court. The high court also cited rulings from California and other states in its 1986 decision banning racial discrimination in jury selection, Liu said.

Massachusetts high court became the first in the nation to declare a right to same-sex marriage, in 2003, followed by the California Supreme Court five years later. The U.S. Supreme Court reached the same conclusion in 2015.

There are many other examples, and not all of them are liberal in their results, Liu said. After the Supreme Court upheld broad government powers to condemn private property by eminent domain in 2005, he said, courts in several states interpreted their constitutions to give more rights to property owners.

Liu acknowledged that rulings of courts in states such as California, unlike their federal counterparts, can be overturned by the voters.

But while Supreme Court justices and other federal judges are appointed for life, Liu said, some studies have found that state courts protect individual rights as well as federal courts, and sometimes better.

Despite Founding Father Alexander Hamiltons forecast that federal judges status would protect them from the encroachments and oppressions of legislative bodies, Liu said, the modern Supreme Court has not generally strayed far from public opinion.

Hamilton may have been a constitutional rock star, Liu said, but he wasnt a political scientist.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
By Jeff Mason and Ethan Lou WASHINGTON/CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration approved TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, cheering the oil industry and angering environmentalists even as further hurdles for the controversial project loom. The approval reverses a decision by former President Barack Obama to reject the project, but the company still needs to win financing, acquire local permits, and fend off likely legal challenges for the pipeline to be built. "TransCanada will finally be allowed to complete this long-overdue project with efficiency and with speed," Trump said in the Oval Office before turning to ask TransCanada Chief Executive Officer Russell Girling when construction would start. "We've got some work to do in Nebraska to get our permits there," Girling replied. "Nebraska?" Trump said. "I'll call Nebraska." Trump announced the presidential permit for Keystone XL at the White House with Girling and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Unions, standing nearby. He said the project would lower consumer fuel prices, create jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The pipeline linking Canadian oil sands to U.S. refiners had been blocked by Obama, who said it would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for U.S. motorists and would contribute to emissions linked to global warming. Trump, however, campaigned on a promise to approve it, and he signed an executive order soon after taking office in January to advance the project. TransCanada's U.S.-listed shares dipped 5 cents to close at $46.21 on Friday. JOBS Trump has claimed the project would create 28,000 jobs in the United States. But a 2014 State Department study predicted just 3,900 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs. The president said he would get in touch with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts later in the day. TransCanada applied to the Nebraska Public Service Commission in February for approval of the pipeline's route through the state. The company said it expects that process to conclude this year. Ricketts said in a statement posted on Twitter that the project would help his state. "I have full confidence that the Public Service Commission will conduct a thorough and fair review of the application," he said. The White House has said the pipeline is exempt from a Trump executive order requiring new pipelines to be made from U.S. steel, because much of the pipe for the project has already been built and stockpiled. "As we move forward, we'll continue to look to buy the rest of the materials we need from ... American manufacturers. We'll put American workers to work," Girling told reporters. Environmental groups vowed to fight it. Greenpeace said it would pressure banks to withhold financing for the multibillion-dollar project, and others said they would fight the pipeline in court. "We'll use every tool in the kit," said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Since Obama had nixed the pipeline based on an environmental assessment commissioned by the State Department in early 2014, opponents will likely argue in court that Trump cannot reverse the decision without conducting a new assessment. CHALLENGES Fred Jauss, partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and a former attorney with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said local permitting would also be a challenge. "The Presidential Permit is only one part of a web of federal, state, and local permits that must be obtained prior to starting construction," he said. "Other federal agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, state regulatory commissions, and even local planning boards may have requirements that need to be fulfilled by Keystone prior to construction." "In addition, TransCanada may still need to reach deals with hundreds of potentially affected landowners on the pipelines route. There is a lot of work ahead for TransCanada. The Keystone XL pipeline would bring more than 800,000 barrels per day of heavy crude from Canada's oil sands in Alberta into Nebraska, linking to an existing pipeline network feeding U.S. refineries and ports along the Gulf of Mexico. The project could be a boon for Canada, which has struggled to bring its vast oil reserves to market. "Our government has always been supportive of the Keystone XL pipeline and we are pleased with the U.S. decision," said a spokesman for Canada's minister of natural resources. "The importance of a common, continental energy market cannot be overstated." The president of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, said the approval was "welcome news" and would bolster U.S. energy security. Expedited approval of projects is part of Trump's approach to a 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure package he promised on the campaign trail. The White House is looking for ways to speed up approvals and permits for other infrastructure projects, which can sometimes take years to go through a regulatory maze. TransCanada tried for more than five years to build the 1,179-mile (1,897-km) pipeline, until Obama rejected it in 2015. The company resubmitted its application for the project in January, after Trump signed the executive order smoothing its path. (Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington, Luciana Lopez in New York, Ahmed Farhatha in Bengaluru, and Denny Thomas in Toronto; Writing by Richard Valdmanis and Jeff Mason; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Matthew Lewis)
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Laredo is one of few cities hosting a Rally at the Border this Saturday, a national movement meant to show lawmakers the unity that exists between the U.S. and Mexico.

Peaceful protests in Laredo, Del Rio and San Diego, California will take place near the border from 3 to 6 p.m. Laredos rally will be at San Agustin Plaza.

Summer Wilson, a volunteer based in Austin, organized the event with the help of the Sisters of Mercy. Set to speak are Mayor Pete Saenz, Nuevo Laredo Mayor Enrique Rivas and Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.

I encourage Laredoans to come by and join this movement, to say no to a physical wall, Saenz said. All we have is our voice.

And beyond standing up against President Trumps proposed wall, Saenz said this will be a rally for comprehensive immigration reform.

A lot of people seem to be unfairly treated or stigmatized. I think for everyones sake we need to bring them out of the shadows, he said.

At San Agustin Plaza there will be tables set up with volunteers ready to provide information and legal assistance to those who may need it, Wilson said.

But the rally is also meant to be a happy event for the community to gather around.

We want to celebrate the culture of Laredo and the relationship between the two cities to say, this is how it really is, Wilson said.

When she first heard about the rally taking place in San Diego, Wilson said she reached out to help there. But once she began organizing, she saw there was a need for such a rally in Texas too. She chose to host it near the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo border because of the close relationship between the sister cities.

She had visited Laredo a few times and traveled through often when she was growing up and going to Mexico with her family.

You dont always hear good things about border communities, Wilson said. The families, friends culture and respect between the two cities is something that people need to hear more about.

Also set to speak at the event are representatives from LULAC and Native American leaders. Musician Patricia Vonne is also set to perform, according to Wilson.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
To the Editor:

Thanks for Chris Marquettes typically well-written article (March 6, 2017) on the tempest raging in Westport as a result of the essay contest on white privilege. It is upsetting to see the intemperate protests by correspondents on both sides of the aisle. They are choosing to take on Westport for a host of issues that are misguided.

They picked on the wrong town, and I have a unique perspective to tell you why.

Westport is very largely white. Its residents are, largely, fortunate economically. But Westport is nearly unique among American affluent suburbs in the way it treats its least secure citizens and neighbors.

Since 1984, my organization, Homes with Hope has run a homeless shelter for single men in the heart of our downtown. Every night of the year since 1984, local volunteers have provided a warm cooked meal to the residents and other needy neighbors who show up for dinner at 5 pm. Our shelter for families opened in 1992, a shelter for single women opened in 1993, and we started providing apartment units for chronically homeless individuals with a host of mental health issues in 1998. We recently merged with Westports Project Return, an eight-bedroom house that has provided nurturing care for young women since 1985.

In total, we house nearly 115 individuals in beds every night, each of them cared for by a case worker who provides the structure to help them avoid, or overcome, homelessness. Thirty percent of our residents are black.

Homelessness is generally confronted in big city shelters which cannot afford to care for the large numbers of locals and dispossessed suburbanites who have nowhere else to turn. So which town does not contribute to the crisis of surrounding big cities? Westport.

More than 600 Westport households provide over 65 percent of our total annual budget, and many more volunteer in our 11 locations around town. Unlike the NIMBY concerns that so often greet this social justice work in nearly every other town in America, a large percentage of our citizens work with our homeless population, support them and welcome them to the towns facilities. If this is white privilege, more towns need to adopt it, to foster it and help to solve the countrys economic problems.

Rather than being vilified, suburban Westport should be copied. Westport has the answers to solving the countrys homelessness problems. Why is no other affluent suburb asking the questions?

Jeff Wieser

President & CEO

Homes with Hope, Inc.

State needs to straighten out racial imbalance regulations

To the Editor:

1. First of all, how are you and your family holding up? You are clearly under enormous pressure from all sides. And while being the director of the FBI is among the toughest jobs on the planet, the past year looks to have been extraordinarily difficult. We appreciate your service and wish you well.

2. We believe you are trying mightily to do your job diligently and impartially. Many Americans were confused by your decision to harshly criticize Hillary Clinton while declining to recommend she be prosecuted. Is that because, at the time, she seemed likely to be elected president and you felt it was important to be candid with the public and put it all out there  twice?

3. Now it appears you may be leading an investigation surrounding a sitting president, with the gravest consequences for our nation. Is that why you have been unable to speak publicly now and answer questions  even from members of Congress?

4. If a president, vice president, and members of the Cabinet are found to have committed treason, are there constitutional remedies?

5. Can you believe this?

Allan Hoving
By Jeff Mason and Ethan Lou WASHINGTON/CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration approved TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, cheering the oil industry and angering environmentalists even as further hurdles for the controversial project loom. The approval reverses a decision by former President Barack Obama to reject the project, but the company still needs to win financing, acquire local permits, and fend off likely legal challenges for the pipeline to be built. "TransCanada will finally be allowed to complete this long-overdue project with efficiency and with speed," Trump said in the Oval Office before turning to ask TransCanada Chief Executive Officer Russell Girling when construction would start. "We've got some work to do in Nebraska to get our permits there," Girling replied. "Nebraska?" Trump said. "I'll call Nebraska." Trump announced the presidential permit for Keystone XL at the White House with Girling and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Unions, standing nearby. He said the project would lower consumer fuel prices, create jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The pipeline linking Canadian oil sands to U.S. refiners had been blocked by Obama, who said it would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for U.S. motorists and would contribute to emissions linked to global warming. Trump, however, campaigned on a promise to approve it, and he signed an executive order soon after taking office in January to advance the project. TransCanada's U.S.-listed shares dipped 5 cents to close at $46.21 on Friday. JOBS Trump has claimed the project would create 28,000 jobs in the United States. But a 2014 State Department study predicted just 3,900 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs. The president said he would get in touch with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts later in the day. TransCanada applied to the Nebraska Public Service Commission in February for approval of the pipeline's route through the state. The company said it expects that process to conclude this year. Ricketts said in a statement posted on Twitter that the project would help his state. "I have full confidence that the Public Service Commission will conduct a thorough and fair review of the application," he said. The White House has said the pipeline is exempt from a Trump executive order requiring new pipelines to be made from U.S. steel, because much of the pipe for the project has already been built and stockpiled. "As we move forward, we'll continue to look to buy the rest of the materials we need from ... American manufacturers. We'll put American workers to work," Girling told reporters. Environmental groups vowed to fight it. Greenpeace said it would pressure banks to withhold financing for the multibillion-dollar project, and others said they would fight the pipeline in court. "We'll use every tool in the kit," said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council. Since Obama had nixed the pipeline based on an environmental assessment commissioned by the State Department in early 2014, opponents will likely argue in court that Trump cannot reverse the decision without conducting a new assessment. CHALLENGES Fred Jauss, partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and a former attorney with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said local permitting would also be a challenge. "The Presidential Permit is only one part of a web of federal, state, and local permits that must be obtained prior to starting construction," he said. "Other federal agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, state regulatory commissions, and even local planning boards may have requirements that need to be fulfilled by Keystone prior to construction." "In addition, TransCanada may still need to reach deals with hundreds of potentially affected landowners on the pipelines route. There is a lot of work ahead for TransCanada. The Keystone XL pipeline would bring more than 800,000 barrels per day of heavy crude from Canada's oil sands in Alberta into Nebraska, linking to an existing pipeline network feeding U.S. refineries and ports along the Gulf of Mexico. The project could be a boon for Canada, which has struggled to bring its vast oil reserves to market. "Our government has always been supportive of the Keystone XL pipeline and we are pleased with the U.S. decision," said a spokesman for Canada's minister of natural resources. "The importance of a common, continental energy market cannot be overstated." The president of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, said the approval was "welcome news" and would bolster U.S. energy security. Expedited approval of projects is part of Trump's approach to a 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure package he promised on the campaign trail. The White House is looking for ways to speed up approvals and permits for other infrastructure projects, which can sometimes take years to go through a regulatory maze. TransCanada tried for more than five years to build the 1,179-mile (1,897-km) pipeline, until Obama rejected it in 2015. The company resubmitted its application for the project in January, after Trump signed the executive order smoothing its path. (Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington, Luciana Lopez in New York, Ahmed Farhatha in Bengaluru, and Denny Thomas in Toronto; Writing by Richard Valdmanis and Jeff Mason; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Matthew Lewis)
Three men were arrested on kidnapping charges in a recent enforcement action in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, authorities said over the weekend.

Combined efforts by federal and state authorities also led to the rescue a 26-year-old man who was held against his will, Tamaulipas officials said.
The fate of the American Health Care Act in the House of Representatives remained unresolved on Friday morning, and it was becoming increasingly apparent that President Trump and his administration are preparing two different kinds of responses, depending on the final result. One will involve Trump taking credit for dramatically closing the deal with House conservatives. The alternative will find House Speaker Paul Ryan under the wheels of the metaphorical bus.

On Thursday, Trump, the self-proclaimed master negotiator, sent his budget director to Capitol Hill to announce that the president was finished negotiating with members of the House Freedom Caucus, the bills primary opponents within the GOP, and demanded a vote. If the bill doesnt pass, he informed them, the president would move on to other priorities and leave them to explain to their constituents that they had failed to follow through on their promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Related: In Trumps New Health Care Reality Show, He Doesnt Control the Final Episode

Some in the White House, late Thursday and even early Friday, were still professing optimism that enough Republicans would eventually rally to the president to pass the bill over united Democratic opposition. If that happens, its plain that Trump and his surrogates will claim it as proof that his supposed prowess at negotiating in the private sector has carried over into the public sector. Indeed, even the bills chief opponent, Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Mark Meadows, has praised Trump for going to great lengths to engage lawmakers on the details of the bill.

But privately and in anonymous comments to the press, the administration is plainly also preparing a strategy to deflect blame if the bill fails. And Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who has been pushing AHCA in the House, is their primary target.

In a brief press appearance this morning, Trump was noncommittal about the bills chances, saying Well see, when asked if he thought it would pass, and saying that he didnt believe the AHCA had been brought to the floor too soon. Asked if he thought Ryan should resign if the legislation fails, he said no.

Story continues

However, at almost the same time, anonymous White House officials were telling reporters that if the bill goes down to defeat, the fault would be Ryans. One told CNN that the battle over the bill was not Ryans finest hour.

Related: Trump and GOP Flailing as Obamacare Repeal Stumbles

Late Thursday, The New York Times published a piece citing four White House sources who claim that Trump now blames Ryan for convincing him to support the plan to take on Obamacare as the the Houses first order of business in the new presidents term. He supposedly now wishes that he had focused his initial efforts instead on tax reform or creating a plan for new infrastructure spending.

On Friday morning, New York Magazine published a story claiming that Trumps chief strategist, Steve Bannon, dislikes the bill Ryan brought to the floor, complaining that it was written by the insurance industry and that it fails to undo enough of the regulations surrounding the provision of health insurance.

Bannons former website, Breitbart News, which is seen as extremely friendly to Trump and is widely read by the far right, seized on the comments with a headline trumpeting Bannon Pans Ryan Bill.

In truth, the effort to lay the blame for the bill on Ryan has been going on since before Trump delivered his Thursday ultimatum. Last week Chris Ruddy, the publisher of Newsmax and a close friend of Trump, blasted the bill in interviews and articles for more than a week.

Related: Costs, Coverage of Latest Health Bill Revision a Mystery as Vote Looms

I think Paul Ryan did a major disservice to President Trump, I think the president was extremely courageous in taking on health care and trusted others to come through with a program he could sign off on, he told Bloomberg last week. The President had confidence Paul Ryan would come up with a good plan and to me, it is disappointing.

To longtime observers of Washington, the rush by the White House to set the stage for a Blame Ryan campaign seemed oddly counterproductive with the fate of the bill still in doubt.

Maybe they're trying to pressure @SpeakerRyan & House to deliver, tweeted David Axelrod, former senior adviser to President Obama, but these precriminations from WH seem ill-timed.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- President Donald Trump may have approved a federal permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, but the fight is far from over in Nebraska, the one state in its path that has yet to approve the project.

The pipeline's fate once again rests with the Nebraska Public Service Commission, an independently elected group of four Republicans and one Democrat. Organized opposition in Nebraska has hindered pipeline developer TransCanada, but leading opponents acknowledge they'll face more of an uphill struggle this time.

Some key things to know about the situation:

WHY NEBRASKA?

Opponents in Nebraska mobilized amid concerns about the Sandhills, an ecologically fragile region of grass-covered sand dunes, and the Ogallala Aquifer, a massive groundwater supply that underlies nearly the entire state. The project's tangled history includes lawsuits, dozens of state and federal hearings, and threats of protests in Nebraska that could resemble the Dakota Access Pipeline showdown in North Dakota.

Nebraska activists say the pipeline could leak and pollute their water supply, and argue that construction would disrupt the state's natural habitat. Company officials have said the project will be among the safest in the nation and point to an existing Keystone pipeline that already runs through eastern Nebraska.

Although TransCanada has secured agreements with roughly 90 percent of the Nebraska landowners along the route, those who oppose it say the Canadian company shouldn't be allowed to use eminent domain to gain access to their property.

The $8 billion pipeline would move oil from Alberta, Canada, across Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines that feed Texas Gulf Coast refineries. South Dakota regulators have approved the project but opponents are asking a judge to reverse the decision.

TransCanada CEO Russ Girling said the company will consult with stakeholders in Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota as Nebraska works its way through the decision process.

Story continues

___

NEBRASKA'S REVIEW OF THE PROPOSAL

The Nebraska Public Service Commission is expected to review the proposal in a process that takes an average of seven months, although commissioners can postpone a decision for up to a year. If the commission approves the route, TransCanada could then initiate legal proceedings to gain access to the land owned by holdout property owners.

Although the commission is partisan, Nebraska's constitution requires members to serve in a role akin to judges, and they don't take public positions on specific projects before a case is heard. Commissioners must determine whether a project serves the public interest.

Even so, activists will try to pressure members into rejecting the pipeline. Pipeline fighters are considering a campaign challenge against one commission member who represents a left-leaning district, said Jane Kleeb, executive director of the Bold Alliance, a group that opposes the Keystone XL.

___

A STATE DIVIDED

Despite loud opposition in Nebraska, most of the state's top elected officials support the pipeline. Earlier this month, 33 of the Legislature's 49 members  almost all Republicans  signed a letter endorsing the project. Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts said the Keystone XL will generate an estimated $11.8 million in property tax revenue in one year for the counties the pipeline would traverse.

"The presidential permit for the Keystone XL is a welcome step forward to securing improved energy infrastructure in Nebraska and nationally, while also creating jobs and ensuring our energy independence," Ricketts said in a statement Friday.

Ricketts said he's confident the Public Service Commission "will conduct a thorough and fair review" of TransCanada's application.

Nebraska Democrats are less enthusiastic. Some support the project for the union jobs it will provide, but many have voiced concerns about its environmental impact.

___

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The main opposition coalition includes landowners, environmental advocates and Native Americans who see the pipeline as harmful to their homeland. Opponents say they plan to focus first on the Nebraska Public Service Commission, but may resort to protests if necessary.

"Someone needs to stand up for Mother Earth, and the tribes will do that if no one else will," said Frank LaMere, a longtime activist and member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. "I think we have many allies, Native and non-Native, who will come together for this struggle."

Larry Wright, the chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, said opponents may draw from experiences protesting at North Dakota's Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

"We'll continue to stand together ... and show the country why this is bad, particularly for us here in Nebraska," he said.
(Updates with background, context, comments.)

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - Iran would face tighter U.S. sanctions over its ballistic missile launches and other non-nuclear activities under a bill introduced on Thursday by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators including senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The bill, which has 14 Democratic and Republican sponsors, would set mandatory sanctions for anyone involved with Iran's ballistic missile program and those who trade with them.

It also would apply sanctions to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and put into law sanctions imposed via presidential executive order on individuals currently sanctioned due to what the bill's sponsors describe as Iranian support for terrorism.

The bill would also require the president to block the property of any person or entity involved in specific activities that violate the U.N. arms embargo on Iran.

Iran has suggested about past proposed sanctions bills that they would violate the international nuclear agreement reached during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, a co-author of the measure, told Reuters the new bill had been written not to interfere with that accord.

"We assiduously worked to make sure that no provisions actually affect the agreement as it is," he said in an interview.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by James Dalgleish)
COLLEGE STATION  Robert McIntosh, the Texas A&M University student who received the most votes in the recent election for president of the student body, but who was then disqualified, has retained prominent College Station attorney Gaines West to represent him.

Meanwhile, on the campus Thursday, debate about the election, which was stirred up after U.S. Energy Secretary and former Aggie Rick Perry weighed in the day before, spread to social media and even to at least one classroom.

Junior Bobby Brooks will be the first openly gay student to serve as president in the university's history, but his victory came only after a student who earned hundreds more votes was disqualified by a student judicial body.

THE INCIDENT: Rick Perry calls election of Texas A&M's first gay SGA president "stolen"

In a Houston Chronicle editorial published Wednesday, Perry criticized Brooks' election as fraudulent  and possibly engineered to promote a more progressive image of the traditionally conservative university.

"It is difficult to escape the perception that this quest for 'diversity' is the real reason the election outcome was overturned," he wrote. Perry graduated from A&M in 1972.

Texas A&M denied that charge Wednesday, and political scientists called Perry's decision to weigh in surprising.

THE RACE: Openly gay junior to be Texas A&M student body president

Freshman Jose Lara said students were talking about the letter before his kinesiology class. Their professor joined in the debate at the beginning of class Thursday morning.

Perry's editorial brought confusion around the election into campus conversation, Lara said. "We want a clear answer about what's going on."

English Ph.D. student Nichole Hagstrom-Schmidt said Perry's letter "made diversity a scapegoat" unnecessarily. She and her friends have been surprised that Perry, far removed from A&M, thought it necessary to comment.

THE OP-ED: Perry: Did A&M shun due process in the name of 'diversity'? (HoustonChronicle.com)

Perry's editorial said the election process "made a mockery of due process and transparency."

McIntosh was disqualified by student election officials for not providing receipts for glow sticks used in his campaign.

McIntosh's mother is a prominent Republican donor, according to Empower Texans, a conservative political organization.

AGGIE EDUCATION: The traditions, secrets and myths of Texas A&M University

"What if Mr. Brooks had been the candidate disqualified?" Perry wrote. "Would the administration and the student body have allowed the first gay student body president to be voided for using charity glow sticks?"

Brooks declined comment on Wednesday. Neither candidate could be reached immediately Thursday morning.
A notorious fungus that's killing bats by the millions is now in Texas, a state with the nation's largest diversity of bats and, in a cave outside San Antonio, one of the world's largest colonies of a single species.

The latest discovery of the aptly named Pseudogymnoascus destructans, announced Thursday by state and federal wildlife officials, brings the number of states where the fungus is present to 33 and casts serious doubt on efforts to contain it. The fungus leads to a disease called white-nose syndrome. Since first being detected near Albany, N.Y., about a decade ago, it also has been found in six Canadian provinces.

White-nose syndrome has killed at least 6 million bats in North America, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It attacks them as they hibernate in caves and abandoned mines during winter, creeping across their bodies and causing skin lesions that lead to death. In a pattern that eventually could play out in Texas, the disease emerges two to three years after the first small amounts of fungus are detected.

"This is devastating news for Texas, and a serious blow for our western bat species," said Mike Daulton, executive director of Bat Conservation International, a Texas nonprofit working with the state.

RELATED: A&M: Bats make sound to find their way but don't 'talk over' each other

The fungus was found in six counties from samples collected by biologists. Some samples were taken from cave myotis bats, which often share caves with the most popular bat in Texas, the Mexican free-tailed species. The latter famously roosts under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin and in a huge colony in the Bracken Cave near San Antonio.

Mexican free-tailed bats don't hibernate for long periods and probably won't be harmed by the disease, which takes months to devour skin and wings. But they fly over long ranges and have the potential to carry the fungus as far south as Honduras. Cave myotis bats are found as far as Arizona.

"One of the big concerns we have is if it gets into Mex free-tailed populations, it can become a vector for spreading the disease through a large region," said Jonah Evans, a mammalogist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "Now that we're seeing it in western species like the cave myotis . . . there is more potential that it will spread in the West."

The bat-killing fungus has inched toward Texas for months. It was previously found in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. But it has reached as far as Washington, probably carried by a human who visited Europe, where a similar type of fungus is present but does not cause the mortality witnessed in the United States.

The lower death toll abroad is because the fungus has been present in Europe, Russia and China for a much longer time, allowing bats there to adapt, said Jeremy Coleman, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service's white-nose response.

In the United States, white-nose syndrome affects different species in different ways, killing about 100 percent of little brown bats in some areas but killing larger bats in much smaller proportions.

Still, the disease's western spread is a major concern because officials aren't certain which species can survive. Bats' value to U.S. farmers has been estimated at $3 billion annually. Without them, insects would be free to ravage crops and trees.

RELATED: Doctors tie Zika to heart problems in some adults

Bats eat insects by the metric ton each night, with a pregnant female capable of devouring nearly a hundred moths and other pests. In a single summer, a colony of 150 little brown bats can eat enough adult cucumber beetles to prevent the laying of eggs that result in 33 million rootworm larvae, according to a study cited by Bat Conservation International.

The fungus' leap to Washington state from Oklahoma, the farthest the fungus had traveled West as of last year, baffled those who study it. "Every single avenue we look at seems far-fetched," Greg Falxa, a wildlife biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said at the time.

"Who knows how it got here? Everything is speculation right now. We're starting surveillance in that area."

Some scientists thought the fungus could still be contained, but Katie Gillies, director of the Imperiled Species Program at Bat Conservation International, was not one of them. "We've got 15 western species that have the potential to be infected," she said last year. "Containment is not going to be possible."
A San Antonio man faces up to life in prison after jurors found him guilty of murder Thursday for shooting a man six times on a Southwest Side street.

It took the jury 30 minutes to convict Rosalio Anthony Barraza, who was 18 when he killed Isaac Arocha, 25, on July 20, 2013.

Witnesses, including some of the defendant's own family members, testified that both men were drinking and began arguing at a party at a home in the 3300 block of Weir Avenue. Barraza went outside and invited Arocha to follow, then shot him six times as he walked toward Barraza.

Barraza was a fugitive for three years until his arrest and extradition from Mexicos state of Nuevo Leon in 2016.

Defense attorney Pat Montgomery said in a closing statement that Barraza fired in self-defense, fearful of a man who was telling him to do it, do it, do it and who had three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

If someone is larger than you, comes running at you, how long do you have to wait to pull the trigger? he asked.

Prosecutor Matthew Ludowig told the jury that a reasonable person acting in self-defense, would have called 911 and told them they had shot someone.

Barraza, now 21, could face up to life in prison. His sentencing was set for May 2 by Visiting Judge Raymond Angelini.

ezavala@express-news.net

Twitter: @elizabeth2863
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Editor's Note: This story was originally published in 2017.

In the late '90s San Antonians were shocked to learn one of the most infamous kidnapping and murder cases in U.S. history happened right in their backyard.

The Alamo City set the scene for the final days of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the nationally-known atheist whose lawsuit led to prayer being banned in public schools in 1963.

Now, in a film set to premiere Friday, Netflix is taking on O'Hair's story, more than 50 years after a historic ruling was handed down from the Supreme Court, which made her the "most hated woman in America."

REVIEW: San Antonio-set Madalyn Murray O'Hair movie is humorous, horrifying

Years after the lawsuit, O'Hair moved from the Northeast to Austin, Texas, founding the American Atheist Center where she waged "often profane warfare" against religion.

On Aug. 27, 1995, O'Hair's life took a fateful turn.

Three atheists disappear in Texas

That day, O'Hair, her son, Jon Murray, and her granddaughter, Robin Murray O'Hair, were kidnapped by three men and taken to San Antonio. The disappearance, though sudden, was not initially viewed as strange by those close to the family.

A note was left at the American Atheist Center office, presumed to be from Murray, and friends and family assumed the group left to enjoy retirement overseas. There were other theories at the time as well, but Austin police, and atheist center officials, treated the situation as if the O'Hairs left on their own.

Murray kept contact with employees in Austin using a cell phone for three weeks after his abduction, and no red flags were raised.

The captors took the O'Hair family to the Warren Inn on the Northwest side of San Antonio, where the group lived for a month in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom rental. While in captivity, the O'Hairs played card games, Monopoly and had philosophical discussions. Murray and a captor would leave to pick up Mexican food at La Fonda, often staying for beers or margaritas.

In September 1995, Murray had $600,000 wired to the U.S. from New Zealand, which was then used to buy gold coins. On Sept. 29, Murray picked up $500,000 worth of coins from a small jeweler on Fredericksburg Road. He never returned to get the remaining $100,000.

That same day, the O'Hairs were moved to a La Quinta Inn on Culebra Road and Loop 410. In the hotel room, the captors strangled each family member.

After they were killed, the bodies were rolled up in a bedspread and the captors swept the hotel room, finding notes Madalyn had hidden for someone to find, and the bodies were stuffed into a van and taken to Austin.

In Austin, a captor later told the FBI, they chopped up the bodies and loaded the pieces into three 55-gallon metal drums, then drove the haul to Camp Wood in Real County, Northwest of San Antonio, where they were buried.

Before disposing of the bodies, two of the captors turned on the other. They shot him then dismembered him, cutting of his hands and head and burying the severed parts with the other victims.

The headless, handless body was disposed of along the Trinity River in Dallas days later.

In the year following the disappearance and killings, authorities, and the public, did not suspect foul play in the O'Hair case. But that all began to change, albeit slowly, with a story in the Express-News.

Unraveling the mystery

In August 1996, John MacCormack, a reporter for the San Antonio Express-News, was tasked with writing an anniversary piece for the newspaper. He interviewed people at the atheist center, checked clips and re-checked details.

His initial story uncovered little that wasn't already known at the time, as he later put it: "they disappeared, no one knew anything, there was a quirky transaction involving a car shortly before they disappeared."

Three months later, MacCormack got some friendly advice about tax documents that led to several pieces of key information and would give the odd tale new life.

MacCormack checked the tax forms for the America Atheist Center and discovered the transfer of $600,000 in American Atheist Center funds from New Zealand in September 1995, a transaction linked to Murray, which then led MacCormack and an investigator to track down Murrays cell phone records.

Those records, which showed who Murray called and when, was the next piece of the mystery, and led MacCormack and his investigative partner to find where that money was used: At the small jeweler on Fredericksburg.

For the next several years, MacCormack continued to work with a private investigator to uncover more about the case.

From missing persons, to murder

Then, in June 1998, MacCormack got a call from a tipster who said it was a kidnapping, and that he had a name. The man said the O'Hairs were held at gunpoint and taken to San Antonio by David Waters, or Walters. He couldn't remember.

With a little investigating, MacCormack found the connection between Madalyn OHair and a David Waters, a former employee of the American Atheist Center who was convicted of stealing $53,000 from the organization in 1993.

The tipster said he was a friend/relative of a person concerned with the welfare of a man named Danny Fry, who Waters, or Walters, had convinced to come from Florida to help in the kidnapping. Fry, the tipster said, was missing.

In August 1998 MacCormack brought Frys involvement into the public eye, establishing the connection that Fry disappeared the same time as the OHairs and they both knew David Waters.

As MacCormack would later say: We wrote the story about Danny Fry, when we were really writing the story about David Waters.

Waters, who had spoken with MacCormack, maintained his innocence.

A few months later, on Oct. 2, 1998, MacCormack came across a wire story marking the three-year anniversary of when a headless, handless corpse was found near a river in Dallas.

With a hunch and a little help from the Dallas sheriffs office and the Fry family, MacCormack confirmed that the corpse was Danny Fry.

When that information was published, Waters was again part of the story, telling the Express-News he was "in no way connected with their (the OHairs) disappearance, demise, relocation to a sunny clime or anything else that has to do with them. The last time I saw them was about a year before they decided to make this little move."

After that, it was like rolling down a hill, MacCormack said.

Arrests and bodies

At that point, in 1999, the FBI entered the picture, arresting Waters and another man, Gary Karr, in connection to the case. The FBIs investigation would reveal the rest of the puzzle, including a deep-seeded hatred Waters had for Madalyn OHair.

According to an FBI affidavit, at one time Waters told his girlfriend he envisioned cutting off each of her toes, one by one.

Waters would eventually lead authorities to the exact spot he and Karr buried the O'Hairs' remains, and Fry's head and hands. Waters would be sentenced to 20 years in prison and died in 2003 from lung cancer.

Now, 22 years later, the Madalyn O'Hair story will be portrayed in the Netflix film, "The Most Hated Woman in America," which chronicles the famous atheists rise to fame and subsequent strange demise. The Netflix film is available to stream March 24.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A San Antonio homeowner said he's having a hard time sleeping in his own home after a burglar broke in Wednesday while he and his wife were away.

"Every little noise I hear now, or every car that goes by too slow, I think, 'What if?'" said the 33-year-old homeowner and computer system administrator who requested to remain anonymous.

RELATED: Police say alleged serial public masturbator was seen at S.A.-area H-E-B, other shopping centers

The home in the 1800 block of West Kings Highway was broken into around 12:15 p.m. while the homeowner and his wife were away at work.

The suspect, who was caught on a security camera system, broke in through the front door, setting off an alarm.

"If that alarm didn't go off, he could've had his way with anything," the homeowner says.

Still, the burglar was able to evaluate the home's belongings quickly and get away with a laptop.

RELATED: 70-year-old Converse man accused of sexually assaulting 5-year-old relative

The homeowner said the laptop cost about $1,200. The suspect appears to have used it the same day of the burglary, as the homeowner was notified that someone had signed into his Google account.

Fortunately, the homeowner was able to unsync all of his accounts from that computer before the suspect was able to steal it.

Police told the homeowner they're looking into the burglary, but he said he's posting the images of the suspect on social media in the hopes that someone recognizes him.

RELATED: C. Texas sheriff: Suspect impersonating officer has pulled over multiple vehicles in past week

Though the incident has shaken him up, the homeowner said he's thankful nothing worse happened.

According to records from the San Antonio Police Department, there were 1,277 burglaries in January, which was the highest number of burglaries in a single month since January 2014.

There were a total of 12,235 burglaries committed in 2016, which is slightly higher than the total number from 2015, 11,632, but still lower than than all years dating back to at least 2011.

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran would face tighter U.S. sanctions over ballistic missile launches and other non-nuclear activities under a bill announced on Thursday by a bipartisan group of senators, echoing a harder line on Tehran espoused by Republican President Donald Trump. The bill has seven Republican and seven Democratic sponsors, and aides said it has a good chance of eventually becoming law. It would set mandatory sanctions for anyone involved with Iran's ballistic missile programme. And it would apply sanctions to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), putting into law sanctions imposed via executive order on individuals tied to what the bill's sponsors describe as Iranian support for terrorism. The IRGC, an elite military body, is powerful in Iranian politics and the economy. The legislation would also require the U.S. president to block the property of any person or entity involved in specific activities that violate the U.N. arms embargo on Iran. Iran has suggested about past proposed sanctions bills that they would violate the international nuclear agreement reached during the administration of former President Barack Obama. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, a co-author of the measure, told Reuters the new bill had been written not to interfere with that accord. "We assiduously worked to make sure that no provisions actually affect the agreement as it is," he said in an interview. Aides said the bill is expected to pass the Senate because of the breadth of its support. Its lead sponsors include Republican Senator Bob Corker, the foreign relations committee chairman, and Ben Cardin, the panel's ranking Democrat. TRUMP WANTS HARD LINE ON IRAN While the legislation would be expected to have strong Republican support, it would also need Democrats' backing to advance in the Senate. To become law, the measure would also have to get through the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump. Trump has made clear he wants to take a tough stance against Iran. A spokeswoman for Corker said he had been consulting with the Trump administration. In February, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and entities in Iran, which it said were just "initial steps" in its effort to counteract what it sees as provocations. Tehran has angered Washington by supporting Yemen's rebel Houthi movement, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country's six-year-long civil war. It has also conducted repeated tests of ballistic missile technology in violation of a U.N. resolution. Menendez said the bill was intended to take a "regional" strategy because of the breadth of Iran's activities. "It calls for a regional strategy because Iran is obviously involved in the region in various ways, whether it be in Yemen or Syria and beyond," he told Reuters. The bill was announced just before Sunday's start of the annual conference in Washington of the influential pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and James Dalgleish)
It was the first day of first grade when Jack Trawick met Virginia Hallum in Brownwood. He went home from school that day and told his parents, Im going to marry that girl.

The two became good friends, regularly spending time with a group of other schoolmates, before they began dating years later.

One day, he leaned over and kissed her. What took you so long? she asked.

They would later marry and settle in San Antonio, where he played a key role in one of the citys milestones, HemisFair 68.

Trawick died March 9. He was 84.

He came from a family of blue-collar workers who struggled through the Great Depression and didnt get to college. Early on, Trawick decided he wanted to go to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In 1955, Trawick graduated from West Point and became an Airborne Ranger in the Armys 3rd Armored Division, finishing first in his class. That same year, he married Hallum.

Son David Trawick said going to West Point was one of his fathers proudest achievements. The endurance and the perseverance that he learned there is part of what helped him with the things he experienced late in life, he said.

After leaving the military, Trawick completed graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin and at Carnegie Mellon University.

More Information Jack D. Trawick Born: Dec. 17, 1932, Brownwood Died: March 9, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Wife Virginia, parents Evans and Josephine, brother Joe. Survived by: Son David and wife Jill, daughter Adele and husband David, son Roy and wife Natalie, and nine grandchildren. Service: 3 p.m. today at Coker United Methodist Church, 231 E. North Loop Road. See More Collapse

My single earliest memory was when we lived in Austin, David Trawick said. He was working on his first masters degree.  He pushed away from the table to help me make paper airplanes.

He was a hard worker, a hard charger, but there was never a question that he loved us.

Jack and Virginia Trawick moved to San Antonio in 1964 when he landed a job at Frank Draught Consulting Engineers. In 1968, he was comptroller and director of operations for HemisFair, which brought national and international recognition to the city.

Later, he was executive vice president and then president of Strafco, a major auto parts distributor.

Trawick was a devout Methodist who volunteered as an usher every Sunday.

On the outside, he could appear tough as nails, his son said. But on the inside, he was a softie. That showed in everything he did.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton
I noticed that the Connecticut Post of Thursday, March 23, had either some missing or misplaced items. The leading story in the world, the Islamic terrorist attack which resulted in four deaths, including a policeman and an American tourist, as well as catastrophic injuries to others, was reported on page B-7.

One of the leading national stories, the alleged rape of a high school freshman girl in Rockville, Md. by two illegal immigrants, one 18 and the other 17 and in a freshman class?  was nowhere to be found.

Rockville was currently debating whether to declare itself a sanctuary city. Both young men were picked up in Texas by I.C.E. some months ago for criminal violations, were not deported, and somehow ended up in Maryland.

On the daily surveillance news front, what should have been the lead story about the illegal  a felony  release of identities of Trump officials throughout the intelligence communities (I guess the President wasnt all that wrong after all) and then leaked to the media via legal surveillance was buried on page B-7 under the terrorist story.

The Post somehow saw fit to make the front page headline about a job that a former Trump campaign manager, who left eight months before the election, had back in 2006, as if the President was somehow part of that.

Really? Good grief!

Neil Kavey

Fairfield
What do you do if you are 25 years old, the $100,000-a-year job in the Eagle Ford Shale you landed out of high school just went bust, and the only employment you can get is as a school custodian earning $16 an hour?

Living on one-third of what you once made is bad enough for a single person, but it is much more complicated if you have a wife and three kids younger than 5 to consider.

It does not help if you have $483,500 in personal debt that includes a five-bedroom house now valued at less than the mortgage, an $8,500 wedding ring and balances on multiple credit cards.

That was the scenario hundreds of area high school students had to grapple with. They had to find financial solutions to get this family out of its financial straits as part of the ninth annual Jr. Duel in Ol San Antonio. The competition, sponsored by the San Antonio CPA Society, allows students to showcase their financial knowledge and awareness.

More than 200 teens participated in the competition this year. The six finalists presented their analyses and recommendations for the theoretical family before a panel of judges this month.

The solutions offered by the winning team from Brandeis High School in the Northside Independent School District included the couple selling 1 of the 2 acres on which their home was built; the stay-at-home mom going back to work; recruiting grandparents to baby-sit to cut child care costs; buying life insurance; and saving for college.

The impressive problem-solving strategies the teens used were developed through financial literacy training classes that some high schools offer.

The competition is unique to San Antonio. It was started by the San Antonio CPA Society as part of its efforts to provide high school students with the tools and skills to make informed decisions about their finances as they enter adulthood.

For the past nine years, the group has recruited teachers in local school districts to teach a course using the Federal Reserves personal finance curriculum, Building Wealth, with assistance from local finance professionals who go into the classroom to share their expertise.

The biggest obstacle to expanding the program has been the lack of flexibility in the curriculum to allow for the course, said Kent Copeland, a San Antonio CPA who helped establish the Jr. Duel competition. He would like to see more schools take advantage of the program and is actively recruiting financial experts to visit with students in their classrooms.

Money is a tool. It is not good or bad. Everyone has to make decision around it, he said. In America we have choices, no matter your economic level.

The classes give students information they might need when they head off to college or out into the workforce about Social Security, retirement and insurance benefits. They bring attention to everyday money situations.

One of the biggest surprises for high school students is how much things cost. The cost of a car and associated expenses such as gas, maintenance and insurance are always an eye-opener, he said. Cost of groceries is always underestimated; most high school students think they can live on $75 to $100 in food a month.

Terri McDaniel, who teaches the financial awareness curriculum to freshmen and sophomore students in the gifted and talented program at Brandeis, said students were appalled that the family in the competition scenario had allowed itself to get in such a financial bind.

Students who have participated in the classes learn to think about money and ways to use it, she said. They learn to distinguish between needs and wants.

It also provides them with a dose of reality and makes them realize that bottles of shampoo bottles and boxes of cereal dont just magically appear, McDaniel said. They also learn about saving and how the money for that $1 drink purchased on the way to school each day could add up quickly in a savings account.

These are priceless lessons all high school students could benefit from before graduation.

gpadilla@express-news.net
Re: Bathroom bill is en route to Senate OK today, front page, March 15:

I cant believe the Texas Senate will probably pass this bill. This is the ultimate winner in fixing something thats not broken.

Consider this scenario: A transgender girl is attending a high school and is included in all the activities for girls, including using the girls restroom. Most of the students dont know about the girl, and if they do, they dont care.

If the bill passes, it will drastically interrupt the educational process. All students would have to make adjustments. The transgender girl might drop out of school or take more serious actions.

All organizations, regarding this matter, have various situations, and I think they can be handled better on a local level.

John T. Elliot

Sports isnt morality

Re: Bears hope deep run can help schools image, Sports, Sunday:

Its fine to aspire to a winning reputation in sports. Its admirable to aspire to an excellent moral reputation. In the case of a Christian university such as Baylor, aspiring to the highest level of moral behavior is essential.

To suggest that winning games is going to repair a reputation damaged by sexual assault is ignorant at best, and at worst disingenuous.

Glory B. Marshall

Residency cheaters

Re: Lie will bring consequences for candidate, Brian Chasnoff, March 18:

I am in full agreement with Mr. Chasnoff for stating that lies will bring consequences for Lynlie Wallace in Council District 9 when she actually lives in Austin.

Lets not forget the same is true for Manny Pelaez. He resides in District 9 and is running in District 8. He moved in with his parents in January, which does not cut it, with requirements of residency being a minimum of six months.

I, for one, will not be voting for someone who is already known to be a cheater.

Ellen Pfeiffer
When Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up to conduct a raid at a business or farm, employers are permitted to let them in. Assemblyman David Chiu wants that to change.

The San Francisco Democrat is to announce a bill Friday that requires employers to ensure ICE agents have judicial warrants before granting them entry and to notify the state labor commissioner of the raid. It also would prevent employers from sharing the Social Security numbers of their workers with ICE agents without a subpoena.

If employers fail to do this  either willfully or unknowingly  the Labor Commissioner could fine them between $10,000 and $25,000.

What we dont want to do is have employers throwing their doors open to allow ICE agents to arrest anyone in their midst without any evidence of wrongdoing, Chiu said. We also need to ensure there is an appropriate level of deterrent for unscrupulous employers who would otherwise be violating workers rights.

Business groups already are expressing concerns that the bill would place an unfair obligation on employers to make sure federal immigration authorities are following the law.

Monica Guizar, a Los Angeles attorney who practices immigration and employment law and advised Chiu on the bill, said it was crafted in response to workplace raids that took place under the George W. Bush administration.

During those raids, ICE officials often were granted entry to workplaces even though they lacked the appropriate warrant, Guizar said. Sometimes, she said, they had a warrant to pick up a specific individual  but would end up detaining and questioning hundreds of workers.

We are legislating essentially what the employers obligations are at the workplace with respect to the employee, Guizar said.

David Huerta, president of SEIU United Service Workers West, said historically most employers did not ask ICE agents for a warrant before letting them in. The bill, he said, aims to provide an extra level of security for undocumented workers.

Its not a fix-all legislation, but it gets us into a frame of making sure we are advocating for the most vulnerable against us, he said.

But Tom Scott, state executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business, said most business owners wouldnt even know to ask for a warrant if ICE agents showed up.

Its completely intimidating, he said.

Scott said the bill puts employers in an awkward position of trying to comply with state law while also letting ICE agents do their job.

Would this bill make the small business owner the chief enforcement officer of making sure ICE agents have warrants? ... Is it putting the small business owner in the position of obstructing justice? Scott asked. There are just a lot of questions.

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen
Two local developers are piecing together properties outside the main gate to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston for a potential mixed-use development, five years after they failed to persuade local officials to build a childrens hospital there.

Michael Westheimer, who is known for fixing up houses on the East Side, and Larry Baumgardner of the Dominion Advisory Group commercial real estate firm have bought 10.1 acres of land over the last five years along Walters Street between Interstate 35 and the military base, property records show. They still need to purchase another 2.7 acres on the site of the tentative development in the historic neighborhood of Government Hill.

They expect to draw up plans soon for a mixed-use project with apartments, townhomes and up to 60,000 square feet of office space, Westheimer said. Then they will market the property to potential joint venture partners or possibly build it themselves, he said. They have yet to raise any financing.

Westheimer said he expects the projects residential portion to be popular among military officers from Fort Sam Houston and that the office space will appeal to defense contractors. The site benefits from being a mile and a half east of the Pearl and highly visible from I-35, he said.

Its strategically placed there, Westheimer said. It sits at the center of a lot of really interesting infrastructure.

The developers have been tearing down vacant homes to pursue their goal of getting a portion of the site development-ready in the next six months, he said. They plan to start construction of a first phase while they finish purchasing the properties.

Government Hill is rundown in some areas but has a strengthening housing market thanks to its historic homes and its proximity to the Pearl and downtown. Its western border runs along Broadway, where developers have built numerous midrise apartment complexes. The stretch of Grayson Street running through the neighborhood has become a foodie destination, home to restaurants such as Grayze and Shuck Shack.

Westheimer owns 7 acres at the site through Walters Street Real Partners LLC, a company that is co-owned by personal injury lawyer Mikal Watts of Watts Guerra LLP, according to corporate filings and the Bexar Appraisal District. Baumgardner owns 3.1 acres through a partnership, Dominion Holdings.

Westheimer and Baumgardner have tried twice to develop the site with medical facilities. Five years ago, they failed to get local to build a childrens hospital there. A later effort to get the University of the Incarnate Word to put a medical school on the site also fell through.

rwebner@express-news.net
By Geert De Clercq and Karolin Schaps

PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - French utility EDF's oversight of Areva, which will supply Britain's new Hinkley Point nuclear reactors, was brought into question in an internal document by Britain's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

Following the discovery of manufacturing irregularities and the falsification of documents at Areva's Creusot Forge foundry last year, French nuclear regulator ASN and several other international regulators inspected the site in early December.

In an ONR report about the visit dated Dec. 16, disclosed under a Freedom of Information request and seen by Reuters, the ONR said the nuclear safety culture at Creusot Forge fell short of expectations and warned about the implications for EDF's Hinkley Point project, in southwest Britain.

"ONR should consider the adequacy of EDF's ... oversight and assurance arrangements for Areva as a key supplier to Hinkley Point, given the performance shortfalls at Creusot Forge and the associated risks to (nuclear) components manufacture," the regulator said.

The ONR on Friday confirmed the release of the document and said it had since decided to implement a series of additional inspections of EDF and its supply chain to ensure all components are manufactured to the required standard.

An ONR spokeswoman said the regulator will also carry out a regulatory review before the end of the year to assess progress of EDF's oversight of the quality of its supply chain.

A spokesman for EDF Energy in Britain said, "Steel forgings for Hinkley Point C will be manufactured to the most stringent nuclear standards which are reviewed and assessed by the independent UK regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

"EDF Energy also has its own inspection and quality assurance programme to provide the required confidence that the components manufactured by Areva for Hinkley Point C meet those exacting standards," the spokesman said.

The ONR report said after an inspection in late 2016, an international team from France, Canada, the United States, China, Finland and Britain had concluded that the nuclear safety culture at Areva's Creusot Forge foundry fell short of what regulators expect from a major supplier of nuclear equipment.

Story continues

It added that improvement measures deployed to date had yet to be effective and said despite the prohibition of the use of correction fluid on documents at the foundry, the inspectors found evidence of its continued use.

"It is extraordinary that after all the reports about falsifications, staff at Le Creusot were still using Tipp-Ex," said University College London professor Paul Dorfman, who obtained the ONR report under a Freedom of Information request.

Following the discovery of irregularities at Creusot Forge last year, two EDF nuclear reactors have been halted for months, utilities worldwide have launched reviews of Areva-made parts and the Paris prosecutor in December opened an investigation into the suspected falsification of documents.

French regulator ASN, in a letter to Areva in late January, asked the firm detailed questions about how it planned to address the safety issue. Areva must answer that letter by the end of this month.

The ONR report said inspectors had found there was a lack of understanding of the nature and causes of the recent quality failings on the part of workers and their supervisors.

It also noted Creusot Forge had not determined why internal inspections and audits carried out in past decades had not found and addressed the falsification activities.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq in Paris and Karolin Schaps in London; Writing by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and David Evans)
* UN rights office to collect evidence with view to prosecution

* North Korea "totally rejects" resolution it says driven by U.S.

* Activists welcome move as bringing justice "one step closer" (Tweaks 2nd para, adds 4th para with U.S. sanctions; names China speaker last paras)

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, March 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations' top human rights body agreed on Friday to widen its investigation into widespread violations in North Korea with a view to documenting alleged crimes against humanity for future prosecution.

North Korea said it "categorically and totally" rejected the resolution adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council. The text was "a product of the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) from A to Z," its envoy said after boycotting the debate.

The 47-member state forum adopted a resolution, brought by Japan and the European Union and backed by the United States, on the final day of its four-week session without a vote. It called for North Korea to cooperate and allow access for U.N. investigators, which the reclusive state has never done.

International pressure is building on the country ruled by Kim Jong Un over its nuclear tests - Fox news reported on Thursday North Korea was in the final stages of launching another one, possibly within days.

The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on foreign companies or individuals for violating export controls on North Korea, as well as Iran and Syria, the State Department said on Friday.

The U.N. human rights office in Seoul would be strengthened for two years with international criminal justice experts to establish a central repository for testimony and evidence "with a view to developing possible strategies to be used in any future accountability process".

The Seoul office's current six-strong staff record testimony from interviews with dozens of North Korean defectors each week, a U.N. official told Reuters.

"This not only brings North Koreans one step closer to justice for human rights crimes they have suffered, but should also make North Korean government officials think twice before inflicting more abuse," John Fisher from Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

Story continues

A U.N. commission of inquiry, in a landmark 2014 report based on interviews and hearings with defectors, catalogued massive violations - including large prison camps, starvation and executions - that it said should be brought to the International Criminal Court.

"The 'resolution' is nothing more than a document for interference in internal affairs of sovereign states and represents the culmination of politicisation, selectivity and double standards of human rights," Mun Jong Chol, a counsellor at North Korea's mission to the U.N. in Geneva, told reporters.

It was a fraudulent document full of "lies, fabrications and plots", Mun said.

China said it "dissociated" itself from the council's decision and called for dialogue.

The situation on the divided Korean peninsula is "complex and sensitive" and all sides should avoid provocation that might lead to an escalation, Chinese diplomat Jiang Yingfeng said.

The world should "focus on the bigger picture," he added.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Ralph Boulton and Andrew Heavens)
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She now spends most of her time in Asia and is currently researching a book about textile artisans. She also writes regularly about legal, political economy, and regulatory topics for various consulting clients and publications, as well as scribbles occasional travel pieces for The National.

A new ban on carrying laptops and other common electronic devices in hand luggage on direct flights from Middle Eastern airports to the US or the UK comes into effect tomorrow, following surprise announcements earlier this week.

The US on Tuesday announced the ban on carrying anything larger than a smartphone including cameras, laptops, tablets, and other communication devices on nonstop flights from ten middle eastern airports Cairo (Egypt); Amman (Jordan); Kuwait City (Kuwait); Casablanca (Morocco); Doha (Qatar); Riyadh and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Istanbul (Turkey); and Abu Dhabi and Dubai (the United Arab Emirates).

Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways are the airlines most affected by the US ban, which also applies to EgyptAir, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Turkish Airlines. No US airlines will be hurt, as none fly direct routes from any of the named ten airports to the US.

The UK followed on the same day with a similar but not identical ban, on [p]hones, laptops and tablets larger than 16.0cm x 9.3cm x 1.5cm in the cabin. The UK ban targets six countries, four of which are also on the US list Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey as well as Lebanon and Tunisia. Fourteen domestic and foreign airlines are affected by the UK ban, including British Airways, but not the biggest three Gulf-based carriers (Etihad Airways, Emirates, and Qatar Airways).

Security Experts Scratch Their Heads

This latest example of Airport Security Theater has left security experts scratching their heads.

Why ban these devices in hand luggage, but allow them to be carried in the hold? This seems to this non-expert to be particularly ridiculous. Ive seen various torturous explanations, concerning the relative proximity of hand compared to checked baggage to vulnerable areas of the aircraft. Ive found none convincing.

Moreover, wont forcing checking of more items create other possible dangers and uncertainties? Many of these devices contain lithium batteries. Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Pack Safe regulation requires:

Spare (uninstalled) lithium ion and lithium metal batteries must be carried in carry-on baggage only. When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, all spare lithium batteries must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin. The battery terminals must be protected from short circuit. This covers spare lithium metal and spare rechargeable lithium ion batteries for personal electronics such as cameras, cell phones, laptop computers, tablets, watches, calculators, etc. This also includes external battery chargers (portable rechargers) containing a lithium ion battery. For lithium batteries that are installed in a device (laptop, cell phone, camera, etc.), see the entry for portable electronic devices, containing batteries in this chart.

Its not clear what ones supposed to do with those lithium batteries included in those portable electronic devices ones now required to check, as the link noted above is at the time of posting broken. Are these allowed in checked baggage, or not? And if not, can anyone tell me how to remove the battery from my MacBook?

Why ban these devices in hand luggage on flights from the designated airports (in the case of the US ban) or countries (in the case of the UK ban), and allow them in hand luggage that originates elsewhere? If these devices do indeed pose a major threat, wont those who seek to exploit a security loophole and sabotage an aircraft just shift their plans and board flights for which no restrictions apply?

In passing, Ill mention briefly another point no doubt a feature, not a bug: requiring passengers to check in their laptops would now allow for their examination by other parties including the security services. But does anyone actually think that anyone plotting to commit a terrorist act or indeed any other serious crime would be stupid enough to surrender a device and allow for this possibility?

Disguised Protectionism?

I could continue on in a similar vein, but will stop here. So, since the security rationales for the ban seem rather tenuous at best, what gives? Moon of Alabama was one of the first to highlight the obvious protectionist implications of the ban in this post, Airlines Want Protectionism  U.S. Bans Laptops, Tablets On Competitions Flights, suggesting that it was put in place at the behest of US airlines. (quoting an earlier post):

The big three U.S. airlines maintain that Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways  airlines backed by governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates  are unfairly subsidized and that their expansion into the U.S. market represents unfair competition that should be blocked by regulators. The Gulf carriers have received over $50 billion in documented subsidies from their government owners since 2004, the chief executives of the big three wrote in a recent letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Mr. Secretary, the letter continues, we are confident that the Trump Administration shares our view on the importance of enforcing our Open Skies agreements, ensuring that U.S. airlines have a fair and equal opportunity to compete in the international market, and protecting American jobs. The U.S. move is certainly not about security. What now hinders anyone to fly from Dubai to Paris and on to New York with a laptop and tablet in her carry on luggage? Why would that be more secure than a direct flight with Emirates Airline? No. This is all about unwanted competition and an effort of the highly subsidized U.S. airlines to sell higher priced tickets with less service.

This point is so obvious, that even The Washington Post picked up on it, in Trump wont allow you to use iPads or laptops on certain airlines. Heres why.:

It may not be about security. Three of the airlines that have been targeted for these measures  Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways  have long been accused by their U.S. competitors of receiving massive effective subsidies from their governments. These airlines have been quietly worried for months that President Trump was going to retaliate. This may be the retaliation. These three airlines, as well as the other airlines targeted in the order, are likely to lose a major amount of business from their most lucrative customers  people who travel in business class and first class. Business travelers are disproportionately likely to want to work on the plane  the reason they are prepared to pay business-class or first-class fares is because it allows them to work in comfort. These travelers are unlikely to appreciate having to do all their work on smartphones, or not being able to work at all. The likely result is that many of them will stop flying on Gulf airlines, and start traveling on U.S. airlines instead.

The problem with this argument is that its not only the US that has imposed the ban, but the UK as well. And the UKs ban includes not just foreign but also domestic carriers, including British Airways. It would be a particularly misguided form of protectionism that would pull in the flagship national carrier.

Safeguarding Checked Baggage: Hahaha

I point out that these bans were imposed apparently without prior consultation with the airlines involved, leaving them scrambling to adjust. Needless to say, neither the US nor UK mandated any accompanying effort from airlines or affected airports to safeguard checked-in baggage from theft or other damage. Currently, airlines prominent warn passengers not to check valuable, fragile, or other essential items in the hold, and the amounts they pay in compensation in the event of mishap are laughable. Standard travel insurance exempts valuables placed checked baggage for loss, theft or damage, according to this Daily Telegraph piece, Laptop ban means your gadgets are uninsured and could be confiscated.

Which leads me to an issue thats long bothered me. When I travel internationally, I carry my laptop (a MacBook with a 15-inch screen), a Nikon camera (with two lenses), and a much loved, beautifully-designed, 25-year old pair of Zeiss 7x 42 binoculars for birdwatching. Add noise-cancelling headphones, a light shawl to insulate me from a too-cold cabin, an eyeshade, a book (or two), and whatever medicines I might need (usually none), and Im often way over the maximum carry-on weight for international flights. Not surprisingly, since I fly coach, I often get flagged at check-in, and end up having to show the agent the contents of my hand baggage. I then ask politely, ever so politely what, exactly, does the agent suggest I should check through? Nearly all of the time, I get waved through save for one unfortunate incident in the UK was it Heathrow or Gatwick? where I was forced to wear my camera and binoculars, dangling from straps around my neck, before the agent would give me my boarding pass. (As soon as I had cleared security and reached the gate, I put the items back into my carry-on bag.)

I would gladly check through at least some of these items, if airlines could ensure they wouldnt either be pilfered or smashed in transit, or lost completely. Now I understand that aircraft baggage handling is a legacy system and cant be changed without incurring significant costs and imposing considerable hassle. But in the days where I imagine most of the backstage of airports is under CCTV surveillance is it too much to expect that one would be able to check a bag through to a destination and have all the items therein arrive intact? (Perhaps this ban will force a long overdue upgrade of checked baggage handling systems? Just kidding.)

Airline Response: Jokes and Japes

Some affected airlines have quickly responded with some plans to allow passengers to use laptops and other on long-haul flights on the portions that fly into the affected airports. In Laptop ban: How airlines will soften the impact, The Australian reports:

But airlines are already introducing measures that will soften the impact of the ban and make it more possible for passengers to access their files and work productively on the way to the US and UK. Overnight Emirates announced that passengers travelling to the US via Dubai can use their laptops and tablet devices on the first part of their journeys, and also during transit in Dubai. They will then need to declare and hand over their laptops, tablets, and other banned electronic devices to security staff at the gate just before boarding their US-bound flight, the airline told The Australian.

Other airlines have responded with attempted humor, as the Los Angeles Times reports in, In an ad featuring Jennifer Aniston, Emirates Airlines asks: Who needs tablets and laptops anyway? Royal Jordanian instead opted for ads on social media listing 12 things to do on a 12-hr flight with no laptop or tablet, including, Say hello to the person next to you, Meditate, Spend an hour deciding what to watch, and Appreciate the miracle of flight, as Scroll India notes in US electronics ban: Emirates plans laptop service, Royal Jordanian encourages fliers to read book.

For the record: I didnt find these suggestions very funny either.

Impact on US Tourism? Not Funny Either

Tourism in the United States is already slumping due to concerns over the Trump administration, as the Los Angeles Times has reported in The Trump slump? Tourists say theyre scared to visit the United States. Although no one really knows for sure how the latest ban will hit tourism and business travel, they surely cannot help.

The bans are certainly of major concern to Asian travellers especially those with few options for travelling by air to the US without passing through Gulf airports. Travellers from Kolkata, for example, to cities either on the east coast or in the mid-west of the United States, will be badly hit with 90% of them currently travelling through Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai. So far, Indian press coverage suggests that travellers are prepared to cope although I should note, the US protectionism rationale has been given prominent play.

Yet patience for US policy peculiarities may erode, if, for example, they find their electronic devices confiscated, as The Times of India reported in Airlines get busy on gadget dikta. Currently, a passenger boarding a flight from an Indian city to an affected airport would be allowed to board with a banned item in hand baggage, since the ban applies only to direct flights to the US. But the passenger would not be allowed to take the item as hand baggage on the onward connecting flight. What happens next? If there is enough time, the passenger will be asked to submit the bag as check-in baggage and in case there is no such time or option, the items will be confiscated, according to an airline official.

This issue is just another one that might exacerbate concerns and confusion about just how welcoming the US is to visitors (issues I touched on in this earlier post).
Parrots flying high on drugs are annoying farmers by plundering poppy fields to feed their opium addiction Daily Mirror. I know, I know its the Mirror. But who could resist this headline? Or the subhead: Drug-addled birds sit perched in wait before swooping down behind workers backs for a nibble before retreating to high branches  where some then fall to their death passed out.

The Frequent Fliers Who Bombarded Match.com WSJ. Oops.

The Revolution Will Not Be Curated The Baffler

Is punk dead? Johnny Rotten admits he will sorely miss the Queen when she dies Daily Telegraph

Snooki inspires legislation to limit state university speaker fees NY Post. Moi: Speaking as a born and bred Jersey girl, I applaud the state legislatures action. Nice to see the state of my birth lead the way in something other than corruption or toxic waste. And about time $32K to hear Snooki speak at the Rutgers commencement? Are the administrators nuts? And the proposed $10k cap is too high. Why should any speaker receive more than expenses and a modest honorarium, e.g., $1K which incidentally, anyone with any class would immediately donate back to the university.

Martin McGuinness dies: The super terrorist who became a super-statesman like so many others The Independent. From earlier in the week, but spare a moment for Robert Fisk.

Class Warfare

Group that found VW cheating says costs of fuel efficiency have been overstated Ars Technica

Does It Matter Who Pulls the Trigger in the Drone Wars? American Conservative. Dont miss this.

The Man Who Would Beat Bibi Politico

New Cold War

Why would Democrats ever let Neil Gorsuch be confirmed? Vox

TV stations breast implant expose: When lower regulations meet high-caliber reporting Columbia Journalism Review

MF Global administrator settles $3bn PwC lawsuit FT

Health Care

Brexit

India

Why coca leaf, not coffee, may always be Colombias favourite cash crop The Conversation

California Earthquakes: San Andreas Fault Could Cause Coast To Instantly Sink Below Sea Level International Business Times

Imperial Collapse Watch

China?

Syraqistan

Trump Transition

Big Brother IS Watching You Watch

Antidote du jour:



See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She now spends most of her time in Asia and is currently researching a book about textile artisans. She also writes regularly about legal, political economy, and regulatory topics for various consulting clients and publications, as well as scribbles occasional travel pieces for The National.

Despite all the media sound and fury lamenting the chaos engulfing the new administration, one area in which Trump certainly delivers when he has the authority: making good on his campaign promises.

Today, as expected, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas A. Shannon issued a presidential permit authorizing TransCanada to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities at the U.S.-Canadian border in Phillips County, Montana for the importation of crude oil:

In making his determination that issuance of this permit would serve the national interest, the Under Secretary considered a range of factors, including but not limited to foreign policy; energy security; environmental, cultural, and economic impacts; and compliance with applicable law and policy.

The project is more popularly known as the Keystone XL pipeline and would transport about 800,000 barrels of heavy crude per day from oil sands located in the Canadian province of Alberta to Nebraska, before linking to a pipeline system that leads into an existing network of refineries and export terminals along the Gulf of Mexico.

Trump announced the permit at a White House event attended by TransCanadas CEO, Russell Girling; Sean McGarvey, the president of North Americas Building Trades Unions; various cabinet members; and other administration officials.

Route of Pipeline

Reversal of 2015 Decision

Todays decision to approve the pipeline reverses a 2015 decision to scupper the project. That earlier decision was made over concerns that to do otherwise would undercut the apparent US leadership role in efforts to fight climate change, as reported in 2015 by The New York Times in Citing Climate Change, Obama Rejects Construction of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline:

America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change, Mr. Obama said in remarks from the White House. And, frankly, approving this project would have undercut that global leadership.

Despite those ostensible concerns, the previous administration allowed major expansion of US fossil fuel production via fracking (and withheld a key report on environmental consequences until well into lame-duck status, as I described in this December 2016 post, EPA Concludes: Fracking Harms Drinking Water).

The Trump administration, however, has abandoned even the pretense of concern over climate change.

Hurdles Ahead

Environmentalists have vowed to fight the project, with Greenpeace saying it would pressure banks to deny financing, according to a Reuters report, Trump greenlights Keystone XL pipeline, but other obstacles loom.

Inevitable lawsuits also lie ahead. Per Reuters:

Since Obama had nixed the pipeline based on an environmental assessment commissioned by the State Department in early 2014, opponents will likely argue in court that Trump cant reverse the decision without conducting a new assessment. Fred Jauss, partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and a former attorney with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said local permitting would also be a challenge. The Presidential Permit is only one part of a web of federal, state, and local permits that must be obtained prior to starting construction, he said. Other federal agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, state regulatory commissions, and even local planning boards may have requirements that need to be fulfilled by Keystone prior to construction. In addition, TransCanada may still need to reach deals with hundreds of potentially affected landowners on the pipelines route. There is a lot of work ahead for TransCanada.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission has yet to approve pipeline construction and has promised a final decision by September 14, while Montana and South Dakota have already approved the pipeline, according to the Financial Times, in a piece headlined Trump approves Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Opposition from Native American groups is also expected. These groups succeeded in temporarily halting the Dakota Access pipeline via an effective protest strategy although Trump has reversed that apparent victory. It is not clear how effective future protests would be faced with an administration that does not have to worry about alienating its base if it takes vigorous efforts to allow construction to proceed.

Creating US Jobs and Stimulating US Steel Production?

McGarveys presence at the signing ceremony evidences union support for the project but the number of jobs the project might produce in the United States looks unlikely to reach the 28,000 claimed by Trump, as reported by Reuters. A 2014 State Department study instead predicted Keystone XL would create a mere 3,900 construction jobs (with an even more paltry 35 permanent jobs).

Although in January Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines that use materials and equipment produced in the United States meaning steel the White House has subsequently conceded that Keystone XL is exempt from that pledge, which would only apply to new pipelines or those being repaired, as the the Wall Street Journal reported in Keystone Pipeline Wont Have to Use U.S. Steel Despite Trump Pledge. The Financial Times further reports that most of the necessary pipe was purchased years ago. The Arkansas operations of Indias Welspun would supply about half the necessary total pipeand this figure includes an already-constructed US section while the remainder would come from Canada, Italy and India.

Oil Price Wildcard?

One possible wild card is if weak oil prices cause TransCanada to reconsider the Keystone XL project. But at this point, as The New York Times reports in U.S., in Reversal, Issues Permit for Keystone Oil Pipeline, that looks unlikely:

In addition, interest among many oil companies in the oil sands is waning amid sluggish oil prices. Extraction from the oil sands, situated in the sub-Arctic boreal forest, is expensive. Statoil and Total, two European energy giants, have abandoned their production projects. In recent weeks, Royal Dutch Shell agreed to sell most of its oil sands assets for $8.5 billion. And Exxon Mobil wrote down 3.5 billion barrels of reserves, conceding the oil sands were not economically attractive enough to develop for the next few years at least. Nevertheless, Canadian production continues to grow as projects that were conceived when prices were higher begin to operate. And the Keystone effort is central to the future of TransCanada, the pipeline builder and a major force in the Canadian oil patch.

Bottom Line

Although the Keystone XL project us still far from completion, todays announcement allows the project to proceed, and to fulfill yet another Trump campaign pledge.
Jerri-Lynn here: Lack of access to clean drinking water is a national disgrace not confined to the unfortunate residents of Flint, Michigan alone. Trumps proposed 31% cut to the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) budget will only hamper efforts to correct this problem which predates his administration.

This Real News Network interview with Erik D. Olson, director of The Health Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), discusses the current state of water safety in the United States. Hes the co-author of a 2016 report that found that 18 million people in the U.S. are currently served by water systems with lead violations.

Please note that this is a rush transcript.

SHARMINI PERIES: Its The Real News Network. Im Sharmini Peries, coming to you from Baltimore.

When we think of access to fresh, clean drinking water, we still think least about poor countries and their struggle with access to clean water supplies as millions around the world are gripped by drought and floods. At the same time, here in the U.S., access to clean water is also becoming a more significant concern. With President Donald Trumps plans to cut the EPA by 31% will the EPA be able to keep drinking water safe across the U.S.? Will there be more lead contamination as there was in Flint, Michigans drinking water last year?

According to our next guest, Flint is not alone. A report he co-authored with, Whats In Your Water: Flint and Beyond, found that 18 million people in the U.S. were served by water systems with lead violations. To discuss the current state of water safety in the United States we are being joined by Erik D. Olson. Hes the director of The Health Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council in NRDC. Erik, good to have you with us.

ERIK D. OLSON: Thank you. Its great to be with you.

SHARMINI PERIES: Erik, first I understand before the Flint crisis, Flint didnt actually show up as having any violations in terms of lead levels by EPA databases. What does this tell us about the monitoring of water across the U.S.?

ERIK D. OLSON: Well, thats right. I mean, a lot of people are absolutely flabbergasted to hear that Flint did not even show up as having any violations in the national database, even though thousands of other systems have had violations. So what this tells us is that there are a lot of lead problems, and frankly other contamination problems all over the country that arent being picked up by our monitoring system, and thats something to really worry about.

SHARMINI PERIES: Give us a scope of the problem in terms of lead in Americas drinking water.

ERIK D. OLSON: Well, as you mentioned at the top, we found that about 18 million people in the U.S. are served by water systems that violated EPAs lead rule. And some of those violations were things like they didnt test the water to make sure that it had acceptable levels of lead or they didnt treat the water, and some of them were fundamental problems, where they had excessive lead, they hadnt taken action like adding the chemicals that will reduce the lead levels, very much like what happened in Flint. And we actually found that, believe or not, there are about 4 million households  4 million people, actually  that were served by systems that knew that they had too much lead in their water and very often little or nothing was being done about it.

SHARMINI PERIES: And the damage that can be caused by drinking water, especially for children, is quite grave.

ERIK D. OLSON: Thats right. Unfortunately, lead is a toxin that especially hurts kids. It interferes with how your brain develops, especially as a young child it can actually cause miscarriages in pregnant women, and unfortunately, some of the effects on cognition, on the way that children think, can be long-lasting and, in fact, probably are irreversible, so too much lead in your water, or, frankly, too much lead from any source is a real danger and can cause all sorts of problems throughout a childs life as they get older.

SHARMINI PERIES: Right. And I was actually on a school tour for our four-year-old twins yesterday here in Baltimore, Maryland, and I noticed that over the drinking water foundations there was a big X on it, and there was a note saying Do Not Drink. Is this the kind of future we are going to see and does that mean theres something contaminated in the school?

ERIK D. OLSON: Yes. This is a widespread problem. A lot of schools have older equipment. Some of them have lead pipes in the school or feeding into the school from the water main  theyre called lead service lines. And some of them have fixtures and fittings and drinking fountains that may have lead in them. So one of the fundamental things that we need to do is really invest in our water infrastructure and that means the pipes underground, and, honestly, that means a lot of schools and daycare centers need to check on whether theyve got lead in their water thats coming out of their drinking fountains, and make sure kids are protected and remove those from service, and obviously replace them with something thats not going to make their kids get too much lead in the water.

SHARMINI PERIES: Right. And how much of the problem is pipes and retrofitting involved and how much of the problem in the U.S. is really contaminated water sources?

ERIK D. OLSON: Well, for lead, the vast majority of the lead that ends up in peoples tap water comes from pipes and from fixtures. We know about 22 million people get their water from what basically is a lead straw. Its a pipe that goes from the water main to the persons house, and thats called a lead service line, and we really need to pull those out of the ground. Theyre doing that in some cities, in Lansing, Michigan, in Madison, Wisconsin, a few other cities have made that commitment. Were trying to get that to happen at Flint, and we would like to see much more broadly nationally a plan to pull out all those lead pipes across the country. Thats going to cost money, but we need to invest in it.

SHARMINI PERIES: Right. Now, with President Trumps proposed budget cuts, 31% for the EPA, could we expect to see more crises like the one in Flint, Michigan?

ERIK D. OLSON: Unfortunately, I think thats a very real threat. If you actually imagine that you cut 31% of the EPAs budget and fire 3,200 people, which is what theyre proposing, of the EPA staff, its going to be very difficult or impossible for the EPA to be tracking down violations of the lead standards and many other requirements, of health protection requirements, or basic environmental laws. So were extremely concerned that a huge cut in the EPAs enforcement budget, a huge cut in the EPAs drinking water program, really could have long term, serious adverse effects on public health and on our environment.

SHARMINI PERIES: And, Erik, finally, what are the hot spots youve found, as far as lead poisoning, in the water across the U.S.?

ERIK D. OLSON: Well, theres another location thats very similar to Flints unfortunately. Its called East Chicago. Its right across the border from Chicago. Its in Indiana. And the EPA found they have a systemic problem with lead contamination in their drinking water. We about a week or two ago petitioned the EPA to take an emergency action to clean up the drinking water in East Chicago, Indiana. Havent heard back from them yet, and were very worried that a lot of other communities like this, that may have problems, are not going to be addressed at all if we chop the EPAs budget to the point that theyre a skeleton crew and cant do their job.

SHARMINI PERIES: Right. All right. Ive been speaking with Erik D. Olson. Hes the Director of Health Programs at the Natural Resource Defense Council. Eriks got a report out on lead poisoning in our water systems. Erik, I thank you so much for joining us, and I urge everybody to go and read this report and be more conscious of whats happening to your water supply. I thank you, Erik.

ERIK D. OLSON: Thank you, and I would urge your watchers to check nrdc.org and you can find that report right there.

SHARMINI PERIES: All right. Thank you. And thank you for joining us here on The Real News Network.
'It wasn't meant to be': Chandler Smith comes up short in third Chandler Smith talks about what more was needed tonight and what could've been done differently as he puts a cap on the season.
Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including favourite documentary series and films Free Solo, The Rescue, Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth and The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
A Tipperary man is looking forward to getting married next year after he was given a new lease of life in a kidney swap operation which followed 12 years of gruelling dialysis treatment.

Thirty eight year old John Paul Jones from Nenagh and his determined aunt, Tina Fletcher from Roscrea, were involved in a paired exchange kidney transplant operation in Coventry in the UK which took place on September 30, 2016.

Several members of John Pauls family had put themselves forward for assessment at Beaumont Hospital to be living donors but they were deemed incompatible.

Undeterred John Pauls aunt, Tina Fletcher, a mother of two from Roscrea, decided on the suggestion of medics at Beaumont Hospital, to enter a paired exchange programme in the UK.

Paired exchange essentially provides for a pair, which includes an incompatible willing donor and a patient in need of a kidney transplant, whom they have an emotional attachment with (such a spouse, friend or relative), to be assessed for suitability to swap kidneys with two strangers who are also in the programme. The programme runs over four cycles in the year.

It was third time lucky for John Paul and Tina when the third cycle last September resulted in a successful paired exchange between them and two strangers, who they were told were from Manchester. Their hopes had been dampened after being called for the first and second cycle but the paired exchange kidney transplant operations could not proceed.

When John Paul was 16 years old a virus was detected which attacked his kidneys. He led a typically young life up until he turned 20 when his kidneys failed and he quickly progressed to dialysis treatment.

Fortunately he had to undergo three times weekly hospital dialysis for just 7 months until a suitable deceased donor kidney transplant came along in June 2000. He is quick to express his gratitude to his deceased donor as he was given 4 years away from dialysis treatment until, once again, his kidney function failed but this time his wait for a transplant was to be much longer - almost twelve and a half years  until his loving aunt stepped in and donated one of her kidneys to a stranger so that he could secure a compatible kidney donor transplant.

John Paul Jones can now look forward to a brighter future and after proposing to Teresa, his teacher girlfriend, in December, they are now making plans for their wedding in June 2018.

John Keoghs Story

Another Tipperary man enjoyed 24 years of improved quality of life thanks to an organ donor

Freelance journalist John Keogh, From Thurles has been undergoing dialysis treatment since November 2015. He is grateful for the quality of life he previously enjoyed for 24 years thanks to a deceased donor kidney transplant before his kidney function failed.

John now travels to Limerick General Hospital for haemodialysis treatment which he undergoes three times a week for four hours at a time. Initially he found it difficult to adjust but now its just part of his routine and for much of the time it works well for him but he feels a transplant would make a drastic improvement to how he feels, it would allow him more freedom away from the routine of dialysis and he could travel more.

Married to Tracy, he lived in the USA for 5 years where his step daughter lives. He was disappointed not to get medical approval to allow him to travel to the US last year for her wedding.

Organ Donor Awareness Week runs from April 1 to 8. To request an organ donor card click here
Clonmel Toastmasters Club has achieved the first President's Distinguished Award in Ireland and the UK from Toastmasters International for 2017.

Clonmel is now recognised as one of the most successful Toastmasters Clubs, says club president Michael Maunsell.

The Presidents Distinguished Award is presented in recognition of the number of communication and leadership education awards achieved by members, and the overall growth of the club.

Clonmel Toastmasters have outperformed every other Toastmasters Club in Ireland and the UK to achieve this.

The club ended last year on a high when Michael Maunsell reached the final of the Ireland-UK International Speech contest, while Irene Gerety received her Distinguished Toastmasters Award from Toastmasters International in California. These were huge achievements for the club.

The award also means the club is attracting new members, as more people understand that its not just about speech contests, there are real benefits to be gained from membership.

The communication education programmes help people in all aspects of their lives by being better communicators, for example, in interview skills, giving presentations at work, in sales and negotiating situations or just giving people confidence to speak up in any situation.

"It is really about developing the confidence to communicate effectively and good leadership skills", said Michael Maunsell.

There was a packed house for the club Speech and Evaluation contests on 9th March. The speeches were of the highest standard and the judges had a difficult time selecting a winner in each contest.

The winner in the Speech Contest was Peter Butler. Michael Maunsell was second and third place went to James OBrien.

The Speech Evaluation contest was won by Isweri Pillay. Noreen Connolly was second and Anna Marie ODwyer came third.

Peter and Isweri will represent Clonmel Toastmasters in the Area final, against other club winners, on Thursday March 30th in Waterford.

The Clonmel club's next meeting is on this Thursday 23rd March at 8pm in Raheen House Hotel.

Anyone interested is welcome to come along to the meetings.

The website is www.clonmeltoastmaster.com, find the club on Facebook or phone 087-9812459.
Deputy Seamus Healy has called for full support for Bus Eireann workers.

He said: "The race to the bottom on wages and conditions including a 30% pay cut must be stopped. All workers are in danger if this attack by government and bosses succeeds."

Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Healy said "The attack on Bus Eireann workers is a deliberate and vicious assault, not only on their pay but also on their conditions. It is an attack on all workers, whether they be in the public or the private sector, and it is the thin end of the wedge for privatisation. The company must and will be defeated and strike action, including a sympathetic strike, is the right and only response to this vicious attack on workers by the company."

Deputy Healy also calls for a big turnout at the Save Our Bus Service Meeting at the Nano Nagle Centre, Carrick on Suir on Wednesday next, March 29, at 8pm.

The Clonmel-Dublin and Carrick on Suir-Dublin Bus Services have now been abolished by management and we must ensure that these services are reinstated immediately, he says.

More strike news

Bus strike hits Tipperary train services
Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller on Wednesday (22 March) outlined how NATO has continuously adapted to deal with changing security environments. Ms. Gottemoeller was speaking at the NATO Transformation Seminar in Budapest, an event that brings together key figures from across the Alliance to discuss the strategic challenges that NATO will face in the near to long term.

The Deputy Secretary General shared a platform with Mr. Istvan Simicsko, Hungarian Minister of Defence and General Denis Mercier, NATOs Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation. I am confident that this years seminar will inform NATOs policies today, help us to creatively shape tomorrow and keep our edge for many years to come, Ms Gottemoeller said opening the event. NATO has been so successful for almost 70 years because we have continuously adapted and today as we face the biggest challenges in a generation, we must continue to drive that adaptation for generations to come, she added.

In her speech the Deputy Secretary General highlighted key examples of NATO adaptation, such as the Alliances partnership programme which now has a network of forty one partner countries around the world. The Deputy Secretary General praised NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT), which organised the event. She remarked how ACT, which has its headquarters in Virginia, was a vivid symbol of NATOs enduring transatlantic bond. Later on Wednesday, the Deputy Secretary General delivered a speech at the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade entitled Adapting to a More Dangerous World, setting out how NATO is enhancing its collective defence and projecting greater stability to the South and East.
(Natural News) Jessica Winfield, a transgender formerly named Martin Ponting, is a convicted rapist who for years has been held at Whitemoor prison in Cambridgeshire. Recently, Winfield was transferred to HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, which happens to be a womens prison. Put in simpler terms, the staff at Whitemoor prison moved Winfield to a facility not based on his biological sex, but rather based on the gender he felt he was on the inside.

A decade ago, when Winfield was a male transsexual, the convicted rapist wrote an article in prisoners newspaper Inside Time in which he complained about being bullied and given a hard time because of my sexuality, possibly through lack of understanding and empathy. One of the women who had been a victim of Ponting called the fact that the prison allowed him to change genders diabolical. She told the newspaper, There are not enough words to describe him and the evil he has done.

This move does far more harm than good. The female prisoners will now be forced to share a facility with someone who is biologically a male, which may make some feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or both. Furthermore, Ponting himself is put in danger because many of the female prisoners may not take too kindly to being forced to live with a transgender, and may respond with anger and violence.

It is time that we as a society ask ourselves how far we are going to let this go. The past five years alone have taken us further and further down the slippery slope, with things that werent acceptable in the past now becoming norms of society. We were told first that America wasnt diverse enough, and that we had to learn how to be more accepting of people who were different. But even after gay marriage was officially legalized in all fifty states in 2015, we were told that we still werent making enough progress and that there was still a lot of work to be done.

Of course, most recently the focus has been on transgenders. Americans are being encouraged to use gender-neutral pronouns and schools have been instructed to allow students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice. The question now is, what will the next battle be? Will the next national debate be over the legality of polygamy? Or perhaps pedophilia?

At some point, this social engineering has to come to an end. If we continue down this path of immorality, and if we keep making decisions based solely on preventing people from feeling left out or offended, then the foundation of our society will begin to crumble. Sadly, by that point, it will be too late.

Sources

Express.co.uk

CNN.com
(Natural News) It appears that the pharmaceutical industry is trying to cram as many vaccines as humanly possible into one syringe and advertise these combination vaccines as safe and effective. In reality, however, a growing number of medical professionals are concerned that administering too many vaccinations to an infant at one time increases their chance of suffering an adverse reaction.

(Article by Christina England from healthimpactnews.com )

This is especially the case for combination vaccinations, and it appears that the fears of medical professionals are justified, because, over the years, history has painted a very disturbing picture.

History Proves that Combination Vaccines are Unsafe

In October 2000, the 6-in-1 vaccination Hexavac was first licensed for use in Europe. The vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur was formulated as a combination vaccination that combined the diphtheria vaccine, tetanus vaccine, acellular pertussis vaccine, recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen vaccine, inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine and Haemophilus influenza vaccine in one syringe.

Just five years later, however, the vaccination was withdrawn from use by the European Medicines Agency for commercial reasons. However, Dr. Klaus Hartmann believes that the vaccine was withdrawn for very different reasons. In a 2015 documentary, titled We Dont Vaccinate  Myth and Reality of the Vaccination Campaigns, he explained his reasons why.

To pay for a link to the full movie click here. Watch in HD/1080p.

Order DVD:

USA  GB  http://www.informedparent.co.uk/shop/we-dont-vaccinate-film-documentary

Dr. Hartmann worked for the licensing authority at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute and was in charge of vaccine safety. He was not opposed to vaccination; however, he was concerned about the aluminum adjuvants contained in vaccines and was especially concerned about the 6-in-1 vaccination Hexavac because he had noticed a massive increase in the number of children suffering adverse reactions. He stated that:

Here we had another problem with Hexavac. A pathologist had autopsied a child who had died two days previously, after getting the Hexavac vaccine. He found that the child had a massively swollen brain, something that he had never come across before in his career as a pathologist. Several other cases were mentioned; it was not just this one child.

This observation had raised Dr. Hartmanns concerns, because, at the time, the vaccine had been licensed as safe in Europe. He explained that experts had discussed the vaccine in depth during meetings and they had decided that it was not wise to connect the vaccine to the deaths of these babies because politically, it was not considered, a smart thing to do, to damage the publics trust in vaccinations.

Consequently, Dr. Hartmann resigned from his post, and a year later, the Focus magazine stated that the mortality rate among the vaccinated babies in the first 48 hours after a vaccination with Hexavac was 2.5 times higher than the average mortality in this age group.

A year later, Hexavac was taken off the market and disappeared forever. Within a few months, a study titled the Token study was published, which, according to Austrian investigative journalist Bert Ehgartner, was a scandal and in a class all of its own. He explained that:

Naturally people became very disquieted simply because the probability of death following a vaccination had been shown to triple, so there they sat in conference rooms, asking themselves how they could handle the situation. Fortunately, they had good advisors because these idiots at the Robert Koch Institute had their study financed completely by the vaccine manufacturers, which is why when all this happened they had to immediately notify their sponsors industry, for the more they wanted to have experts available for dealing with the public relations aspect of the vaccinations, they of course are employed by the vaccine manufacturers themselves.

He continued:

The publication of the study results was delayed for two years, as the pharma industry had to hold numerous meetings and lectures to address the issue. Finally, they announced that everything was OK, that absolutely nothing unethical had happened, they simply reshuffled data and redefined parameters, they simply used statistics to make the link between the vaccinations and the casualties disappear.

Confirming the information that had been relayed by Dr. Hartmann, Rolf Kron, M.D., explained that the more comprehensive English version of the Token study mentioned that hundreds of deaths had occurred after the vaccination. He stated that:

When looking through the data bank of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, you will find very few deaths and suspected cases, listed. At the same time constant mention of the fact that it is still unclear whether these cases are really vaccine related. If now for example, there is no increase in the number of deaths between the fourth and the seventh day after vaccination, then only this is mentioned in the medical papers. When however, we take a look at the days before and after this period to find out what the mortality rate is, we suddenly see an enormous increase. In the shorter German version, it is only stated that the vaccines are safe and that multiple vaccines pose no significant risk of an increase in the infant mortality rate.

For more information on this vaccine, read: European Medicines Agency  Hexavac, and European Medicines Agency  Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use European Public Assessment Report (EPAR)

Another Lethal 6-in-1 Vaccine is Unleashed

In 2011, news leaked about another dangerous 6-in-1 vaccination, which had also been licensed as safe and effective.

Reports revealed that a confidential GlaxoSmithKline document had been leaked to the press, which exposed the fact that within a two-year period, a total of 36 infants had died after they had received the 6-in-1 vaccination, Infanrix Hexa.

According to the Initiative Citoyenne website, a 1,271-page document had revealed that GlaxoSmithKline had received a total of 1,742 reports of adverse reactions between October 23, 2009, and October 22, 2011, including 503 serious adverse reactions and 36 deaths. Initiative Citoyenne stated:

Its not that 14 deaths were recorded by GSK between October 2009 and end in October 2011 as we had originally calculated but 36 (14 from 2010 to 2011 and 22 from 2009 to 2010). In addition to these 36 deaths at least 37 other deaths (sudden death mainly), bringing the total to at least 73 deaths since the launch of the vaccine in 2000, and again, this concerns only the death by sudden death, no further recovery of under-reporting.

Using the figure of 36 deaths over a two-year period, the figures averaged 1.5 deaths per month, which I am sure most will agree is extremely high. It should also be noted that only 1 to 10% of adverse reactions to vaccines are actually reported. Therefore, in reality, the problem could potentially be far more serious and the actual number of fatalities could have been much higher.

The Deadly Chemical Cocktail

The charts revealed that many of the infants who had passed away had died within the first few days of receiving the vaccine. A total of three infants were reported to have died within hours of receiving the vaccine.

This was hardly surprising, given the vaccinations ingredients, which were listed on the GSK Infanrix Hexa product information leaflet.

Sadly, it is not only the 6-in-1 vaccinations that are believed to be killing our children, because according to reports, multiple deaths are also occurring after the 5-in-1 vaccinations.

Reports from India

Towards the end of 2016, a flood of reports from India revealed that 237 children had died after being vaccinated with pentavalent (5-in-1) vaccinations.

In November 2016, the website SundayGuardianLive published an article titled 237 deaths by pentavalent vaccine and still counting. The author, pediatrician Jacob Puliyel, revealed that after submitting a Freedom of Information report, they were shocked to learn that:

Under Right to Information we know that up to August 2016 there have been 237 deaths reported to the government here within 72 hours of vaccination with pentavalent. We examined deaths in states which were giving DPT and pentavalent vaccine concurrently.

As expected, the true figures were never revealed to the public and any link to the vaccination went from being probable to unlikely extremely quickly. He wrote:

There were three deaths following the use of pentavalent vaccine in Sri Lanka. The Government of Sri Lanka suspended the use of the vaccine. WHO experts investigated the deaths. They found there was a clear temporal association of the deaths to the vaccine (WHO terminology, meaning the deaths followed soon after vaccination) and there was no alternate explanation for the deaths. According to the standard protocol in investigation of vaccine deaths these deaths would have to be declared as probably caused by Pentavalent vaccine. The experts balked at the prospect of giving such a report. No country would use this vaccine after that. Instead they wrote in their report that they were deleting probable and possible from the standard classification. The report maintained that although it was probably related to the vaccine, they were reporting it as unlikely to be related to vaccination. The full report was not published online, only the conclusion was made public.

Read more at: healthimpactnews.com
(Natural News) A new study by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, has examined the impact of toxic emissions from the 2.6 million vehicles produced by Volkswagen in Germany. Scientists looked at the risk of premature death directly linked to the pollutants released into the air by these vehicles. They found that over 11 million of Volkswagens cars worldwide are in violation of pollution safety standards, and that in Europe alone, the additional pollutants will be responsible for 1,200 people dying a decade sooner than they should have. These deaths will mainly be caused by respiratory illnesses.

The study concluded that about 500 of the premature deaths will take place in Germany itself, but that the population density in Europe means that around 60 percent of the deaths will take place in other European countries. The pollution impact was only studied for VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat vehicles actually purchased in Germany, which of course means that the problem could be far worse if all vehicles purchased in Europe were included in the assessment.

Science Daily explains that several different pollutants in vehicle emissions can have a negative impact on human health and on the environment, including hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The MIT study, however, focused on another damaging pollutant: nitrogen oxides or nitric oxides (NOx). NOx is generated when nitrogen in the air reacts with oxygen under high pressure and at high temperature  vehicle engines provide the perfect environment for this to take place. NOx is a precursor to both smog and acid rain, and is extremely reactive.

Since NOx inhalation destroys the bodys resistance to respiratory infection, prolonged exposure can result in trouble breathing, reduced lung function, ongoing headaches, eye irritations and a loss of appetite, among other problems. As illustrated by the study, these emissions can even result in premature death, and this is true of about 23,500 people annually in the U.K. alone. The researchers found that getting all the affected vehicles off the road would save the European community upwards of 4.1 billion euros in healthcare costs.

The fact that this study only looked at vehicles produced by Volkswagen and only in Germany, is a cause for immediate concern, as it seems obvious that if all vehicle manufacturers were looked at globally, the scale of the problem would likely be staggering.

There are several suggestions about how we can individually reduce our vehicle emissions to try to improve the situation. One simple and sensible suggestion is to shut your vehicles engine off when youre waiting in traffic. Another good idea is to try to use your air conditioner less when traveling, as this also slightly lowers vehicle emissions. Remote workers who manage their workload from home are also able to drastically reduce the time they spend traveling to and from work, thereby reducing their contribution to the problem. (RELATED: If you are concerned about other threats to the environment, be sure to visit Environ.news.)

While the damage caused by vehicle emissions is likely to be an ongoing problem  at least for the foreseeable future  one way to dramatically improve the quality of the air your family breathes is to install a high-quality air purification system like the Dreval D-850 seven-stage system in your home. It eliminates 99.97 percent of all particles in the air, even those as small as 0.01 micron. With a system like this, pollutants, harmful gases, damaging chemicals like ammonia and benzene, allergens like dust mites, mold spores and pollen, and causes of disease like bacteria, germs and viruses, can all be safely eliminated from your home.

Sources for this article include:

ScienceDaily.com

DailyMail.co.uk
Although ytterbium was named by the Swiss chemist Jean de Marignac in 1878, his 'element' was subsequently split into two in 1905: ytterbium and lutetium. The atomic weight of the 'new' ytterbium was later published in 1907  so when was ytterbium actually discovered? The story begins on 13 June 1726, more than 150 years before it first received its name. On that date an agreement was signed allowing the Dutch tin-glazed imitation of porcelain (faience) to be produced in Sweden, which led to German alchemist, Johann Wolff, establishing a 'porcelain' factory in Rorstrand Castle in Stockholm. In the late 1700s, the factory began producing flintware (an improved product invented by Josiah Wedgwood), leading to a need for feldspar. Rorstrand purchased a quartz and feldspar mine located 20 km away in Ytterby, a village probably named for its location on the seaward (den yttre) side of Resaro, a small island in Stockholm's archipelago.

In 1788, Reinhold Geijer: chemist, mineralogist and then owner of Rorstrand porcelain factory published a letter1 describing a black non-magnetic mineral with a specific gravity of 4.223, which had been found in the Ytterby mine by an amateur geologist, Carl Axel Arrhenius. Arrhenius had also sent a sample of this mineral to Johan Gadolin, professor at Abo Akademi in Finland. Gadolin performed a series of experiments on this mineral and found that it contained 31 parts silica, 19 parts alumina (in reality beryllia), 12 parts iron oxide and 38 parts of an unknown earth (or oxide, in modern terms)2.

Ytterby mine minerals. Bottom-left: rare earth containing black biotite veins in quartz. Bottom-right, 20 cm orange feldspar crystal. Photographs courtesy of Emma Sofia Karlsson. In 1797, Anders Gustaf Ekeberg, a chemist from Uppsala, re-analysed a purer sample and showed that Gadolin had overestimated the silica and alumina content and underestimated the proportion of new earth, of which he found 47.5 parts  he also noted its disgusting taste3! He proposed the name yttersten (ytter-rock) for the mineral, and the Swedish and Latin names ytterjord (ytter-earth) and yttria for the new earth. Yttersten, or gadolinite, is now known to have the general formula FeBe 2 Y 2 Si 2 O 10 , though the 'Y' would prove to be quite complex.

In the decades that followed it became clear that yttria was much more than an oxide of yttrium. In 1843 it was found to contain oxides of erbium and terbium too. Then, in 1878, Marignac isolated ytterbia from yttria4, which he claimed to be the oxide of a new trivalent element, ytterbium, with an atomic weight of 172 g mol1. However, in Austria in 1899, Franz Exner and Eduard Haschek presented spectroscopic evidence suggesting that ytterbium was not one substance. Six years later, also in Austria, Carl Auer von Welsbach used fractional crystallization to split Marignac's ytterbium into two elements, which he distinguished on the basis of emission spectra and called aldebaranium and cassiopeium. He published5 atomic weights of 172.90 and 174.23 g mol1 for these elements in December 1907.

Forty-four days before Welsbach published his finding, Georges Urbain announced6 to the Paris Academy that he had separated ytterbium into two elements, which he called neo-ytterbium, and lutecium  after Lutetia, the Latin name for Paris  with atomic weights of approximately 170 and 174 g mol1, respectively. Urbain claimed that Welsbach had no more than rediscovered these elements, referring to Welsbach's 1905 discovery as non-quantitative and lacking proof. In 1909, the International Committee on Atomic Weights  which included Urbain  favoured Urbain's nomenclature, listing7 neo-ytterbium and lutetium with atomic weights of 172 and 174 g mol1, respectively. The neo-ytterbium name was short-lived, however, and Marignac's original 'ytterbium' was soon reinstated. Considering that Welsbach had earlier turned one element discovery into two (neodymium and praesodymium) by renaming the major component of didymium 'neodymium', it must have been frustrating for Urbain that he was prevented from doing the same.
A fortunate pastor unearthed one of the largest uncut diamonds found in Sierra Leone.

Pastor Emmanuel Momoh, an independent miner, found the 706-carat alluvial diamond in a mining sector at eastern Kono. According to Forbes, the giant diamond is the second largest ever discovered in Sierra Leone.

The largest diamond (968.9 carats) in the area was found in 1972 and sold for $2.5 million. Meanwhile, it could rank between 10th and 15th largest diamond ever recorded.

Being an independent miner (artisanal miner, as they are sometimes called), such discovery is rare. Given that these kinds of miner only uses their bare hands and basic tools when digging for stones.

Read Also: Extremely Rare Violet Diamond Unearthed; Could Sell for $4 Million and Above

This 706-carat diamond discovered by a pastor in Sierra Leone is one of the largest gem finds ever made worldwide https://t.co/lVPXv1ebdG pic.twitter.com/Xino8HHK6Q  Al Jazeera News (@AJENews) March 16, 2017

Despite the rarity, Momoh surrendered the diamond to President Ernest Bai Koroma, Associated Press reported. Momoh told the news agency that he gave it as a form of appreciation for all the development projects being implemented by the government in their area.

"I believe the government can do more, especially at a time when the country is undergoing some economic challenges," he said.

IFL Science noted that Sierra Leone is infamous for being one of the seven African countries whose "blood" diamonds prompted a decade-long civil war.

Blood diamonds are diamonds used by rebels to fund wars against the governments. Reports from Reuters said Koroma thanked Momoh for not smuggling the precious diamond out of Sierra Leone.

"He [Koroma] underscored the importance of selling such a diamond here as it will clearly give the owners what is due them and benefit the country as a whole," the statement said.

The 706-carat diamond, which is yet to be valued, will be sold to the highest bidder, and the money will reportedly be used to fund more government projects. It is likely to be sold outside the country because in 2003, the United Nations lifted their ban on the region's diamond exports.

Read Also: Rare Ice that Sparkles Like Diamonds Found in Japan
By Stephen Eisenhammer

CURITIBA, Brazil, March 24 (Reuters) - When government health inspector Daniel Gouveia Teixeira confronted a Brazilian processed meat plant with what he says was evidence of excess use of marrow, bone and other slaughterhouse by-products in food for human consumption, he was suddenly removed as the plant's inspector.

The incident, nearly three years ago at the Peccin Agro Industrial Ltda plant in Brazil's rural Parana state, led Teixeira to tell police he suspected he was being undermined by corrupt superiors. It also prompted friends to start calling him "crazy" for taking on one of the country's most powerful industries.

"Being honest and doing my job makes me crazy?" he asked in an interview this week. "That's crazy!"

Teixeira, 39, is the agriculture ministry whistleblower credited by Brazil's Federal Police with triggering an investigation into alleged bribes paid by meat companies to government food-sanitation inspectors in the world's top exporter of beef and poultry.

Police say in court documents the bribes were paid to cover up serious health violations by some companies in the meat industry, including the sale of rotten and salmonella-contaminated products. Their probe, dubbed "Operation Weak Flesh," has caused some of Brazil's biggest export markets to ban its meats.

Police have accused more than 100 people, mostly inspectors, of taking bribes for allowing the sale of rancid products, falsifying export documents or failing to inspect meatpacking plants at all.

Prosecutors have yet to present charges and the police allegations have not been proven.

BRF SA and JBS, two of the world's biggest food companies, are among dozens of firms targeted in the investigation. Both have denied any wrongdoing.

The anticorruption probe has led to the arrests of 33 sanitation officials and industry employees so far, with federal agents finding violations in at least 21 meatpacking plants across the country.

Industry officials in the sector, which generates over $130 billion annually, have sought to portray the meatpacking arrests as isolated incidents.

Story continues

Luciano Inacio da Silva, an auditor at the Agriculture Ministry who reviews internal procedures, said the ministry was still investigating Teixeira's allegations but had not yet come to any conclusions. He cited a lack of resources as a reason for the ministry's investigation to lag behind that of the police.

Teixeira worked as an inspector for five years in the state of Santa Catarina before moving to Parana in 2012. He said he repeatedly cited plants run by various companies in Parana, which is at the epicenter of the police investigation, but was routinely reassigned to other plants by his boss, Maria do Rocio Nascimento, each time he did.

Nascimento was arrested by police on March 17 on suspicion of taking bribes from meatpacking companies to move inspectors away from certain plants, according to court documents. Her lawyer, who has not commented publicly, could not be reached for comment.

In early 2014, Teixeira began inspecting the processed meat plant operated by Peccin Agro. After a month of biweekly visits, he said he noticed that one of the production lines was always down.

"People were just standing around," he said, adding that he suspected they were just waiting for him to leave to restart the line.

OVER THE LIMIT

Teixeira then asked the company for documents outlining the raw materials it bought and used for sausage and other processed meat products.

He concluded the documents showed the plant was using an excess of MSM or "mechanically separated meat."

MSM is a paste of marrow, bone, skin, nerves, blood vessels and other scraps. Its use for human consumption is limited, due to concerns over the intake of certain components. In Brazil, a government document posted online states that MSM cannot exceed 60 percent of the content in hams and sausages.

"They were using more than 85 percent MSM," Teixeira said.

Authorities have not confirmed the amount of MSM used by Peccin and Reuters was unable to verify Teixeira's allegation independently.

In September 2014, on the same day he confronted the company about his findings, investigators said owner Idair Peccin called Gil Bueno de Magalhaes, the agriculture ministry superintendent in Parana. Magalhaes, who like other such supervisors is a political appointee, removed Teixeira as Peccin's inspector.

Magalhaes and Peccin, who have been in custody since their arrests on March 17, could not be reached for comment. Their lawyers have not made any public comments and also could not be reached for comment.

A receptionist at Peccin headquarters, which also houses the plant, said no company officials were available to discuss the matter. The plant was shut last week.

In a statement posted on the website for one of its brands, Italli Alimentos, Peccin said the accusations against it were false.

Feeling that his work was being undermined by superiors, Teixeira said he went to the federal police shortly after his removal from the plant.

In November 2014, two months after his Peccin discovery, Teixeira said he was removed from inspecting meatpacking plants altogether by his boss Nascimento. He was assigned instead to his current post -- inspecting veterinary medicines.

(Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer; Additional reporting by Thais Skodowski in Curitiba; Editing by Paulo Prada and Tom Brown)
Lawmakers in Illinois are proposing to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. This is courtesy of a few bills that were introduced this March, which may make it legal for adults 21 years old and above to buy, posses and grow marijuana on a limited level.

If the bills are passed, Illinois would be the first Midwestern state to allow the general public to purchase marijuana, Marijuana Policy Project reports.

According to Chicago Tribune, the bills cover various aspects of cultivating marijuana. The bills will allow Illinois to license and regulate people and businesses involved in the industry. They will also push for safety regulations such as testing and labeling requirements.

For instance, the measure will allow residents to possess up to 28 grams of marijuana and grow five plants. Marijuana will also be taxed at a rate of $50 per ounce (wholesale), exclusive of the standard 6.25 percent sales tax of Illinois.

The law would also allow medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana for a year before newly licensed businesses can fully enter the marijuana market.

"If we bring this out in the open, we can generate revenue legally rather than for the black market," Sen. Heather Steans told Chicago Tribune.

Rep. Kelly Cassidy said that removing the criminal element of marijuana and regulating the product will result to safer communities.

The Marijuana Police Project estimates that Illinois may be able to generate $350 million to $700 million in revenue per year.

Illinois currently has a program that allows the sale of marijuana to patients that have cancer or AIDS. However, only 17,000 patients have been able to purchase medical marijuana, as there have to be broad qualifying conditions to be allowed for purchase.
A British teenager has emailed scientists at NASA to tell them that their data is faulty.

According to International Business Times, Miles Soloman, who is studying physics, chemistry and advanced math at Tapton Secondary School in Sheffied, is taking part in a project run by the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS).

The project give the students a chance to work on real data collected by the International Space Station (ISS) as it orbits the Earth.

As the 17-year-old schoolboy was looking at the data taken in space from December 2015 to June 2016, he noticed that the radiation sensors on the ISS were recording false data.

Miles's teacher and head of physics, James O'Neill, told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, "We were all discussing the data but he just suddenly perked up in one of the sessions and went 'why does it say there's -1 energy here?'"

Miles said there is no such thing as negative energy. While NASA said they appreciate that Miles tagged them, the issue was already known even before Miles brought it up.

Atlas Obsucra reported that negative energy may occur, but it is rare and therefore, is only expected to occur once in a six-month period. However, Miles have found negative energy recorded multiple times.

"They thought they had corrected for this. The problem is that some of the algorithms which converted the raw data were slightly off, and therefore when they did the conversion, they wound up with a negative number," physicist Lawrence Pinsky from the University of Houston, who is involved with the project said, as quoted by Science Alert.

Prof. Larry Pinksy, from the University of Houston, told Radio 4 that the recent incident shows the importance of the IRIS projects, and believes that the students will find more interesting things.

Meanwhile, NASA even invited Solomon to further look on the anomaly. He hopes that his discovery will inspire the students to become next generation scientists.
Scientists in Juelich, Germany switched on the world's largest artificial sun, called Synlight, in hopes of using it to develop climate-friendly fuels.

According to a report from Phys Org, the Synlight system that consists of 149 spotlights all together resembling a gigantic honeycomb. The lights, which are xenon short-arc lamps that's usually found in cinemas, simulate natural sunlight during a season that doesn't get much at all.

The scientists from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) plan to train all of the lights on a 20 x 20 centimeter spot to generate 10,000 times of solar radiation that natural sunlight would typically shine on a similarly sized area. Such power could reach up to 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,432 degrees Fahrenheit).

"If you went in the room when it was switched on, you'd burn directly," DLR Institute for Solar Research director Bernhard Hoffschmidt told The Guardian.

Read Also: Success! Dutch Solar Bike Path 'SolaRoad' to Expand Operations Until 2018

These conditions is important in testing new ways of making hydrogen. Hydrogen fuel, often dubbed the "fuel of the future," is important because it doesn't produce carbon dioxide and doesn't contribute to global warming.

The obstacle to making hydrogen the primary fuel on Earth is its scarcity in the planet. It could be produced by splitting water using electricity, but researchers, such as the ones in DLR, are seeking a way to skip the need for electricity by using power from sunlight instead -- thus, Synlight was born.

"We'd need billions of tonnes of hydrogen if we wanted to drive aeroplanes and cars on CO2-free fuel," Hoffschmidt explained. "Climate change is speeding up so we need to speed up innovation."

The Synlight experiment is still very expensive and energy-consuming, costing 3.5 million euros and needing as much electricity in four hours as a four-person household takes up in a year. Eventually, the scientists want to be able to use actual sunlight instead of artificial light like the Synlight.

Read Also: Scientists Create Graphene Panels That Generate Energy From Rainfall
If you're going to get a prosthetic, you might as well make sure it's a step up. A team of researchers from the University of Glasgow developed what's being called as "electronic skin" for prosthetic hands that turned out to be even more sensitive than real human skin.

According to a report from BBC News, the newly designed synthetic skin was made using new super-material graphene, which is known as the world's strongest material despite being one million thinner than paper. While a previous version required a battery to function, the scientists were able to put integrated photo-voltaic cells in the skin.

"The real challenge was 'how can we put skin on top of photo-voltaic and yet allow light to pass through the skin?'" Dr. Ravinder Dahiya of the University of Glasgow School of Engineering told BBC News. "That's what we have done."

Read Also: Scientists Successfully Cultivated Beating Human Heart Cells from Spinach Leaves

Being some of the thinnest objects on Earth, graphene's optimal transparency lets 98 percent of light hitting its surface to pass through it so power could be generated from sunlight.

Also, a special feature of this new electronic skin is its ultra-sensitivity. The team designed it this way so prosthetics could have a better sense of touch, temperature and texture.

"When the skin is placed on a prosthetic hand and the amputee then touches an object they are able to feel the contact pressure as well as temperature," Dahiya said.

This technology is not just a great step in the advancement of ultra-light energy-efficient sensitive skin for prosthetics, but also for robotics. Dahiya explained that it could improve future robots by improving their functionality and giving them a better understanding of the objects - and people - that they touch and interact with.

The group's research paper was published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Read Also:
Why the Senate Would Be an Even Higher Hurdle for the GOP Health Plan

President Trump is facing a do-or-die vote in the House Friday afternoon in an improbable bid to win passage of a Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in the face of strong resistance from the conservative Freedom Caucus and more moderate Republicans.

Yet, even if Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) were to pull out a victory with the American Health Care Act, the controversial measure brimming with last-minute side deals to sweeten the pot would face an even tougher challenge in the Senate.

Related: Trump Prepares His Plan B If Health Care Reform Fails

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has promised swift action on the plan if it reaches the upper chamber. McConnell is eager to resolve the health care battle as soon as possible to make way for the debate and vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch before a spring recess. But as many as a dozen or more Republican senators  both hard-edged conservatives and moderates  have either come out against the House GOP plan or are leaning heavily against it.

The Republicans currently hold a narrow 52 to 48 seat majority in the Senate, with the Democrats united in opposition to the plan. That means that McConnell can afford to lose no more than two Republican senators and still pass the bill, assuming that Vice President Mike Pence, the presiding officer, casts the tie-breaking vote to approve the plan. By contrast, House Republicans could afford to suffer 22 defections and still prevail in the floor vote.

The ever-evolving House GOP plan would repeal most of the Obamacare mandates, taxes and subsidies and replace them with a new approach, including a system of refundable tax credits tied to beneficiaries age. The plan would also freeze and roll back expanded Medicaid coverage for the poor under the Affordable Care Act and would overhaul how states funnel Medicaid funding to the states.

In an effort to gain additional support from conservatives, House leaders have proposed a number of late-inning amendments, including a work requirement for able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid and a measure repealing Obamacares requirement that insurers cover 10 essential medical services.

Story continues

Related: In Trumps New Health Care Reality Show, He Doesnt Control the Final Episode

But the plan has come under withering fire in the Senate from all sides.

Staunch conservatives -- including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah and Tom Cotton of Arkansas -- dont think the plan goes far enough in rapidly repealing Obamacare mandates and taxes. Paul has dismissed it as Obamacare Lite.

Meanwhile, moderates -- including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rob Portman of Ohio -- worry that the bill will ultimately strip tens of millions of Americans of their health insurance under Obamacare and expanded Medicaid and that premiums will end up being much higher than the House Republicans promised.

This is not a bill I could support in its current form, Collins told the Portland Press Herald this week. It really misses the mark.

The latest analysis of the plan by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office warns that as many as 24 million Americans would be without health care coverage by 2026 if the repeal and replacement plan became law. The analysis released on Thursday also reaffirms an earlier finding that premiums on average would be 15 percent to 20 percent higher in 2018 and 2019 under the plan, before beginning to drop.

However, the report provides an incomplete picture because the CBO didnt have time to include a number of last-minute deals struck by Trump and Ryan to try to win passage in the House, including some that might further reduce the number of Americans with coverage down the road or add to the overall cost of the program.

Related: Trump and GOP Flailing as Obamacare Repeal Stumbles

According to Politico, senior Senate Republicans are dubious that the House GOP plan could survive a test in the Senate  both because of the strong opposition within the party and parliamentary landmines that could blow up in the Republicans face during the floor debate.

Republican senators have largely watched from afar as House Republicans engaged in internecine warfare over the health care replacement plan, while more quietly debating an issue with profound political implications heading into the 2018 mid-term elections.

Senators from both sides of the aisle have complained that Ryan and Trump have been hasty in pushing for swift passage of a bill, with little understanding about the long-term effects it might have on the health care system. Its more important to finally get health-care reform right than to get it fast, Cotton has said repeatedly.

Related: Costs, Coverage of Latest Health Bill Revision a Mystery as Vote Looms

Unlike in the House, where the leadership can pretty much dictate the rules to be followed in debating legislation, the Senate is encumbered by scores of long-standing rules that can ensnare controversial legislation and open the flood gates to challenges.

Republican leaders chose a fiscal 2017 budget resolution as the principal vehicle for passing legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare because it would enable them to invoke special reconciliation provisions in the Senate to circumvent a Democratic filibuster and pass the legislation with a simple majority. Without reconciliation, Republican leaders would have to amass a 60-vote super majority to pass the major legislation  an impossible task with the Democrats united against it.

The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 permits the use of reconciliation for budgetary and fiscal measures that impact the size of the deficit or surplus, as in the case of major tax bills or long-term budget agreements. However, the so-called Byrd Rule, authored by the late West Virginia Democratic senator Robert Byrd, allows senators to object to elements of the legislation that either significantly increase the deficit over a ten-year period or are extraneous matters.

Those extraneous matters can include such things as measures that do not result in a change in spending or revenues that only incidentally impact outlays and revenues or that are deemed outside the jurisdiction of the budget committees. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other Democrats have vowed to invoke the Byrd Rule to challenge some of the last-minute add-ons to the House bill that were aimed at placating conservatives.

A likely prime target for the Democrats would be the amendment negotiated by President Trump that would end the insurance mandates in the Affordable Care Act that require that requires health care plans sold to individuals cover 10 essential services, including maternity care, mental health and addiction treatment, prescription drugs and preventative care.

Other likely targets for challenge include a proposed ban on federal funding for Planned Parenthood and a work requirement for many able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid coverage for the poor. If the Senate parliamentarian rules in the favor of the Democrats on any of these challenges, the Republicans would have to muster at least 60 votes to override the ruling  an impossible feat given the stark partisan divide in the chamber.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
California Firefighters saved a pup from a fire after the dog was pulled from the flames not breathing and without a pulse.

A fire broke out Tuesday on the 1800 block of 7th Street in Santa Monica, California, where the dog's owner, 35-year-old Crystal Lamirande, told the firefighters her dog was trapped inside.

Firefighter Andrew Klein sprang into action, getting on all fours to search the apartment for Nalu, a 10-year-old Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu, as another firefighter sprayed water to keep the flames at bay. Klein found the unconscious dog a few feet from the fire in a bedroom.

"He was totally lifeless," Klein said. "I picked him up and ran out of the apartment because time is key, especially with a small dog ... Failure was not an option."

As Lamirande knelt nearby crying, firefighters performed CPR on Nalu and worked on the pup for 20 minutes with a pet oxygen mask until the animal came back to life.

Nalu was taken to an animal hospital for further care.

Lamirande, a radiology nurse, said she couldn't believe how much time the firefighters took to save her dog, who she describes as family.

"His eyes were glazed over and he was not breathing and I assumed he was dead," she said. "The firefighter said 'I'm a positive person. Let's just get him back.'"

Lamirande said Nalu spent the next 24 hours recovering in an oxygen chamber and was almost back to his normal self again Thursday.

"He's been coughing but right now he's fine and he's so happy and smiling," she said.

Klein, a self-described dog lover with two four-legged friends at home, said he felt proud of the outcome.

"He was essentially dead, so to see him kissing people and walking around wagging his tail was definitely a good feeling," he said. "He's very happy, and we're very happy, too."
Bay Area Congressman Eric Swalwell is making the case that President Donald Trump's personal and financial ties to Russia are dangerous to American democracy.

Swalwell, a Democrat from Dublin, has added a new special section to his official congressional website titled "Protecting Democracy."

A banner on the website reads "Connecting the Trump-Russia Dots." It features photos of Russian President Vladimir Putin with key administration officials like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who resigned last month after 24 days in office.

www.swalwell.house.gov

"Its a living website that grows every day. I wanted my constituents to understand in an unclassified way what's behind the administration's personal, political and financial ties with Russia and whether those ties converged with Russias election tampering," Swalwell said. "We laid it out to show that Russia is not our friend. Theyre using and exploiting those ties."

Rep. Eric Swalwell's website

The site features links to dozens of news articles, media investigations and reports, including one from Amnesty International about Russian military activity in Syria that targets civilians.

"Russia: Not Our Friend" it reads, before spelling out why Swalwell introduced a bill that would set up an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate ties between the Trump administration and Russia.

Swalwell is a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which is investigating Russia's alleged election meddling.

He used that position to make his case at the Capitol on March 20 by grilling FBI Director James Comey. Comey was tight-lipped but

Swalwell, ranking member of the CIA Subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also is calling for an independent, bipartisan commission to probe the extent and nature of ties between the Trump administration and Russi

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized an operation to try to hurt Hillary Clinton's campaign and sway the 2016 election in Trump's favor.

Swalwell has taken to the airways recently, appearing on Tucker Carlson's show and "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News, as well as making the rounds on cable news channels CNN and MSNBC.

He jokes that he does TV appearances "so my conservative parents can see me on TV, but added that its important for Democrats to 'debunk myths' and make their case against Trump on conservative media outlets.

"Were not helpless here. We can have better security, protect our data. We dont want to be in this mess again. We want to move on and be a democracy that everyone can look up to," he said.

Swalwell is also engaging with national political personalities on Twitter. He tangled with Trump policy adviser Roger Stone.

https://twitter.com/RogerJStoneJr/status/843717029731426305

Hiding? I'll be on Capitol Hill tomorrow for a #RussianHacking hearing. Why don't you show up & explain why you helped Russia? See ya there? https://t.co/OvlOVMnquG  Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) March 20, 2017

UC Berkeley professor of political science Jack Citrin said Swalwell's questioning at Monday's hearing was the "hallmark of his career."

"He was professional, policy-oriented, not identifying himself as a super-progressive," Citrin said. "Being on that committee gives him the visibility and prominence to benefit his career."

Swalwell's 15th district in the East Bay suburbs and the Tri-Valley area is solidly Democratic but not as liberal as neighboring Oakland, Berkeley or San Francisco, a fact that Swalwell is conscious of, Citrin said.

"He's an up-and-comer in Democratic Party and probably the kind of Democrat who can go far in the national world, rather than the uniquely California political world," he added.
The family of a woman who died after drinking a toxic tea in San Francisco's Chinatown has filed a lawsuit against the herbal store who sold it.

In addition, the family is calling for more regulations in the industry.

Yu-Ping Xie, a 56-year-old San Francisco resident, died Saturday at a hospital where she had been since February after drinking the tea. Her devastated family want answers about where the ingredients came from and how they were prepared.

"She is a healthy lady and it was a horrible way for her to pass," said Jin Deng, Xie's son.

Deng said after drinking the tea, his mother became sick, had an abnormal heart rhythm, failing organs and needed intensive hospital care.

"The doctor basically told us there is nothing else they can do," Deng said. "We chose to let her go comfortably."

The tea leaves bought at Sun Wing Wo Trading Company, at 1105 Grant Avenue, contained the plant-based toxin Aconite, a lethal poison, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said.

A woman at Sun Wing Wo Trading Company declined to speak to NBC Bay Area on Thursday and held up a "NO COMMENT NO PICTURE NO INTERVIEW" sign.

Products consumed by Xie and another patient who recovered have been removed from the store.

The health department is cooperating with an investigation and trying to track down the source.

From the San Francisco Health Department:

People who have purchased and consumed the tea, and experienced no symptoms, are safe, but should not consume any more of it. If you consume the tea and experience symptoms, call 911 or go immediately to the nearest hospital.

Symptoms usually begin within a few minutes or up to a couple hours and can depend on the amount ingested. They can include:

Sensory abnormalities:

-- Numbness or tingling of the face, mouth or limbs

-- Weakness in the limbs

-- Paralysis

Cardiovascular abnormalities:

-- Dangerously low blood pressure

-- Palpitations

-- Chest pain

-- Slow or fast heart beat

-- Irregular heartbeats that can lead to sudden death

Gastrointestinal abnormalities

-- Nausea, vomiting

-- Abdominal pain

-- Diarrhea

There is no antidote for Aconite poisoning. Aconite is commonly called monkshood, helmet flower, wolfsbane, chuanwu, caowu, and fuzi and is used in Asian herbal medicine to treat pains, bruises and other conditions. Raw Aconite roots, leaves and flowers are generally toxic but are used only after adequate processing.

San Franciscans with questions can contact California Poison Control 1-800-222-1222 or www.calpoison.org.

Bay City News and Associated Press contributed to this report.
A group of art advocates on Thursday shone a bright light on President Donald Trump's plans to cut funding to art programs.

As part of "The Art He Fears" protest, they projected unflattering images of Trump onto the San Francisco Federal Building in SoMa.

"Art endangers fascist leaders, activist Alan Marling said in a statement. It can express ideas that oppose the governments narrative. In times when authority tries to deny all opposing views as fake news, art can fight propaganda with truth."

Activists Project Anti-Trump Images on SF Federal Building

Artist Karen Fiorito provided one of the images that was projected last night. The picture of Trump, amid swastikas and mushroom clouds, made headlines last week after it appeared on a Phoenix billboard.

Trump's proposed budget calls for deep cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and public broadcasting, including NPR.

The White House, which plans to bolster defense spending, says the cuts will save more than a billion dollars.
What to Know Thousands attended a wake for slain EMT Yadira Arroyo at Joseph A. Lucchese Funeral Home Thursday afternoon in the Bronx

A funeral service for the mother of five will be held Sunday at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church in University Heights

Yadira Arroyo was killed in the Bronx last Thursday after she was run over by the ambulance she and her partner were riding in

Thousands of family, friends and colleagues of slain FDNY emergency medical technician Yadira Arroyo packed into a funeral home in the Bronx to say their final goodbyes.

The two-day wake for the 44-year-old mother of five began Thursday and will continue Friday at the Joseph A. Lucchese Funeral Home in the Van Nest neighborhood. Viewing times will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Hundreds of FDNY officials in white caps and matching gloves stood in front of the funeral home on Morris Park Avenue, quietly milling around as they waited to enter. A sea of navy blue stretched along Hunt Avenue as company members patiently waited to pay respect to their fallen comrade.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. expressed his condolences to Arroyo's family and mentioned the outpouring of supportive calls and messages from hundreds throughout the borough to her family, who live in the Bronx.

"This is really a show of support for someone who was truly a hero," he said. "It is tragic, it's hurtful, it is painful, but her life and legacy will continue to be celebrated through her sons."

EMS Bronx Division Commander Alvin Suriel said, "Everybody has seen the video, she fought. Because somebody is taking your ambulance, what are they going to do with the ambulance? Are they going to commit the next terrorist attack? Are they going to run over 10 people on the block?"

"She certainly lived as a hero, and died as a hero for the city," said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

FDNY paramedic Alex Tull, who worked with Arroyo, says his colleagues are still in shock as they mourn for the sister they lost. "Yadi," as she was affectionately called, was like a mother to their station, always making sure everyone was fed before their shifts and treating her patients like family, he said.

"That was Yadi. She was just -- the light. She always made me smile," Tull said. "At Station 26, we're really gonna miss her, but we're getting though it by remembering the good times and sticking by each other."

Several other colleagues echoed Tull's sentiments as they recalled the 14-year veteran's outgoing nature and ability to put whomever she came into contact with at ease.

David Cadogan, who worked with Arroyo for 14 years of his 17-year career, described Station 26 as a family, one where she was the matriarch. He called her "one of the most confident, well-respected and caring individuals" he's ever worked with.

"In this field, your name is your reputation. As you can see, her name, her reputation is impeccable," Cadogan said. "I miss her. That's one of the dynamics of this station that makes this so hard for us -- we're literally a family."

Arroyo's funeral will be held at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church in University Heights at 11 a.m. Saturday. She will be buried at St. Raymond's Cemetery following the procession.

Hundreds of people lit candles at a vigil for Arroyo Sunday night at the scene where her life was taken. Family and friends shared stories about the selfless, hard-working mom.

The man accused of killing her, Jose Gonzalez, is behind bars. His attorney says he's severely mentally ill.

In a show of force, mourning members of the FDNY packed the Bronx Criminal Courthouse Wednesday for Gonzalez's hearing, which he skipped.

The EMT was killed last Thursday after she and her partner tried to stop the 25-year-old from hijacking the ambulance they were riding in. Police say Gonzalez put the ambulance in reverse, ran over Arroyo, then went forward, dragging her into an intersection.

Gonzalez has 31 prior arrests and four prior misdemeanors on his record, authorities say. He faces murder, manslaughter and robbery charges.
Russia may be influencing and supplying the Taliban in Afghanistan, the top U.S. general in Europe told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, NBC News reported.

Russia has largely been absent in Afghanistan since the Soviet Union's disastrous war there in the 1980s, but its role seems to be growing today, said Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, who also serves as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, according to Reuters.

"I've seen the influence of Russia of late  increased influence in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban," Scaparrotti said.

His testimony comes in the wake of the Taliban's reported capture of the hotly contested town of Sangin in Afghanistan on Thursday.
Separate pieces of legislation aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana use in Illinois were submitted to the state general assembly Wednesday.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, filed an amendment to House Bill 2353 that would make it legal for person older than 21 to buy and consume cannabis, which, under the legislation, would be regulated and taxed like alcohol, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

The amendment was submitted in the interest of allowing law enforcement to focus on violent and property crimes, generating revenue for education and other public purposes, and individual freedom.

In the other chamber, state Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, submitted a bill to legalize possession of up to 28 grams of marijuana.

In a regulated system, the money would go into the cash registers of licensed, taxpaying businesses, Steans wrote on her website. It would generate hundreds of millions of dollars per year in new revenue for our state. Prohibition is a financial hole in the ground, and we should stop throwing taxpayer dollars into it.

Asked if Gov. Bruce Rauner would consider signing either piece of legislation, spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the two bills were under review.

It was not clear Wednesday night when either piece of legislation would be put to a vote.

In 2016, Rauner signed a bill into law that decriminalized possession of up to 10 ounces of marijuana.

Both Steans and Cassidy have previously sponsored legislation to relax marijuana laws in Illinois.

Cassidy was the chief sponsor of a 2015 house bill that would have made possession of up to 15 grams of pot  about half an ounce  a ticketable offense. Steans sponsored the Senate version.

After months of negotiation, that bill passed the General Assembly. But Rauner issued an amendatory veto, saying possession of more than 10 grams should remain a criminal act. Legislators eventually agreed to the compromise, writing the 10-gram threshold into the bill Rauner signed in 2016.
Democratic write-in candidate Emilio Vazquez pulled off a surprise victory in a North Philadelphia special election to replace disgraced state Rep. Leslie Acosta, who gave up her seat following a corruption conviction.

His victory was announced Friday morning after the city Election Board hand tallied all 2,483 write-in votes.

Vazquez became an improbable winner in a race that saw the Democrat originally slated for the ballot knocked off following a residency challenge.

That left only Republican candidate Lucinda Little on the ballot for a district -- the 197th -- that is 85 percent Democrat and 5 percent Republican. Little received only 198 votes on Tuesday.

The write-in votes were tallied in about three hours by election workers for the Philadelphia City Commissioners.

Vazquez received 1,964 votes, followed by Cheri Honkola, who received 280 votes, Deputy Commissioner Tim Dowling said.

Another 120 or so votes were "scattered" among other people, Dowling said.

All of the ballots cast will be preserved for any potential legal challenges, which candidates Little and Honkola have voiced as a possibility.

Leaders of the Pennsylvania Republican Party even gathered to call into question the results. A day after the special election, a group of Republicans called for the state attorney general to investigate what they alleged were violations of the election code and irregularities during the voting.

Meanwhile, Latino leaders in the community expressed their own concern for a process that led to a special election without a Democrat on the ballot.

It just continues to substantiate why voters in that district have earned the right to be cynical. The 197th has made national news as a symbol of the Democratic partys weakness," Israel Colon, former director of the citys multicultural office during Mayor Michael Nutters tenure, told NBC10 this week. "What is happening in this sector of the Latino community is nothing more than a microcosm of an antiquated Democratic party in our city that has lost its way -- only concerned with preserving its power and its own existence.

Editor's note: Earlier version of this story reported Emilio Vazquez's name as Vasquez.
A Hawaii lawmaker who says she was pressured to give up her leadership post at the statehouse after criticizing President Donald Trump resigned Wednesday from the Republican Party.

Rep. Beth Fukumoto said members of the GOP refused to oppose racism and sexism including a suggestion by Trump to create a Muslim registry during his campaign.

"As a Japanese-American whose grandparents had to destroy all of their Japanese artifacts and items and bury them in the backyard to avoid getting taken and interned, how could I not have said anything?" Fukumoto asked. "And how could my party have not said anything?"

Fukumoto was voted out of her post as House Minority Leader in February after calling Trump a bully in a speech at the Women's March in Honolulu, saying many of his remarks were racist and sexist and had no place in the Republican Party.

Since then, she sought feedback from her constituents about leaving the GOP and said three-quarters of the more than 470 letters she received supported the move.

Hawaii Republican Party Chairman Fritz Rohlfing said Fukumoto should have resigned her seat and allowed the party to nominate a Republican to take her place, calling the state GOP "thriving and inclusive."

"I am extremely proud of how our Party welcomes and fosters voices from every background," Rohlfing said.

With Fukumoto's departure, Hawaii has just five Republican state representatives and no Republican state senators.

Fukumoto said she agrees with many Democratic positions on affordable housing and equitable taxes, and hopes to join that party.

Hawaii Democratic Party leader Tim Vandeveer said Democrats will give Fukumoto a fair shake, but some members are concerned about her past voting record on civil rights and women's issues.

"Changing political parties is not like changing jackets, just because the weather's better on our side of the street," Vandeveer said.

Fukumoto voted against same-sex marriage when it came before the Legislature in 2013. She said Wednesday she voted that way to represent the majority of her constituents, but if she was voting on her own, she would have voted yes.

On reproductive rights, Fukumoto said she does not believe in abortion in all three trimesters but does not want to rescind individuals' rights once they have been granted.

"We have choice laws in Hawaii and I'm not looking to repeal those laws," she said.

Members of the Democratic Party on Oahu will ultimately decide whether to accept Fukumoto, but the process could take months, Vandeveer said.

Fukumoto said she's received letters of encouragement from Democrats and Republicans in nearly every state.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz welcomed her to the party in a tweet, saying he's proud of her courage.

Republican state Rep. Cynthia Thielen, a Fukumoto ally who voted against removing her from leadership, said, "the tiny party's brand is further weakened and its relevance to the wider, diverse constituency looks bleak."
By Elzio Barreto

HONG KONG, March 24 (Reuters) - The messy battle to control China's largest producer of industrial gases has turned into a serendipitous victory for minority investors that could encourage more shareholder activism in Asia.

Though far less common than in the United States, open campaigns seeking better returns or a change in business strategy have risen sharply in Asia, with the number of targeted companies rising to 77 in 2016 from 55 the previous year, according to data from research firm Activist Insight.

That is still well short of the 456 cases in the United States, underscoring the room for further growth as investors feel more emboldened and markets in the region expand.

The decision by Yingde Gases Group's shareholders earlier in March to oust five directors ended a four-month battle for control of the $1.6 billion company's board in a clash over how to improve its finances and business. It is expected to speed up a strategic review that could include an outright sale of the company.

The increase in public activist campaigns also highlights how investors including Elliott Management Corp, BlackRock Inc and Hong Kong-based hedge fund Oasis Management are becoming more public as they try to rally other minority shareholders to boost returns from laggard stocks.

"This case with Yingde had the potential of disenfranchising shareholders, but people went and they voted. It only happened because the insiders split and that gave a real voice to minority shareholders here," said Seth Fischer, chief investment officer at Oasis, which holds a 4.5 percent stake in Yingde. "It was a bit of an accidental win."

As Yingde co-founders Sun Zhongguo and Trevor Strutt, who prevailed in the vote, battled with Zhao Xiangti, another co-founder and major shareholder, the company received takeover approaches from asset manager StellarS Capital (Hong Kong) Ltd and U.S. industrial gas maker Air Products and Chemicals Inc worth $1.1 billion and as much as $1.5 billion in cash, respectively. If successful, the Air Products purchase would be the biggest takeover by a U.S. company in China.

Story continues

The takeover battle took another twist when Hong Kong-based private equity firm PAG agreed to buy the combined 42.1 percent stakes of Zhao, Sun and Strutt for $616 million. The offer's only condition was that PAG and parties acting in concert with the fund hold more than 50 percent of Yingde.

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), which advises pension plans and mutual funds, had called in the beginning of March for a fully independent board, as that would give "the most objective assessment of any offers to acquire" Yingde. The call for more independence was also voiced by Oasis.

Speaking to Reuters last week, Strutt and Sun said they believed Zhao had destroyed value for shareholders and were now focusing on trying to secure a higher bid for the company. They said they were also trying to bring in another board member with expertise in the gas sector to help the process go smoothly.

While one UK fund manager described the Yingde case as a "somewhat unique situation, rather than the dawn of a brave new world of activism in Hong Kong," since it depended on a split among the top shareholders, there is nevertheless at least a noticeable whiff of change.

In a region with many family-owned businesses and listed companies with few people holding the vast majority of shares, investors are increasingly asking boards to act in the interest of all shareholders, not just majority owners.

In a rare public campaign last year, ultimately unsuccessful, BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, called on the board of Hong Kong-listed G-Resources Group Ltd to "honour its obligations to all shareholders".

While the number of companies targeted by activist investors was unchanged at 14 in 2016 from 2015 in Hong Kong, it rose to 15 from nine in Japan and to 11 from eight in China, while also rising in South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, according to Activist Insight.

Asia has seen vast improvement in corporate governance over the past two years as regulators and securities exchanges tighten rules to boost company performance, raise investor confidence and guard their reputations.

Markets including Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand have been getting tough on rogue firms and introduced stewardship codes to encourage engagement between companies and investors.

Hong Kong and Singapore, two of the region's largest financial centres, have tightened listing and takeover requirements, and stepped up enforcement after instances of erratic price movements sparked fear of manipulation.

(Additional reporting by Michelle Price in Hong Kong and Anshuman Daga in Singapore; Editing by Will Waterman)
A group of educators in Connecticut says the state is lowering the bar to meet the demand for new teachers.

Friday, the Connecticut chapter of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education met at the state capitol in Hartford to voice their concern for higher standards in K-12 teacher education preparation.

Theres a clear need to continue to raise the quality of the teachers were preparing, said AACTE President and the Dean of Education of Central Connecticut State University, Michael Alfano.

Members of the group say the state is trying to fill a teacher shortage with graduates of fast-track teaching programs.

Theres a temptation I think to address long-term problems with short-term solutions, said Fairfield University Dean of Education, Bob Hannafin.

Mary Nelson left her corporate job to become a teacher. As a traditional education student, she had to complete two years of clinical experience before she was even allowed to student-teach. She believes more of her colleagues are opting for alternative programs, like Teach for America, instead.

Particularly in high needs areas, urban schools, a desire for fast-tracking teachers, Nelson said. These candidates have a few months over the summer, and then theyre thrown into the classroom and as a result they dont last in our school systems. Theres extremely high turnover.

Its the students who suffer the most from these fast-track programs said Alfano.

The greatest impact is the quality of the teachers preparation on student learning, he explained.

The AACTE represents all of the Connecticut colleges and universities with an education department. This is the first year the group has met at the state capitol. The group says its not asking for any specific legislation, but rather collaboration with state lawmakers.

We have a lot to share, and we really want to be at the table as opposed to being legislated at, Alfano pointed out.

Teach for America sent a statement to NBC Connecticut that reads in part: "TFA believes there are multiple pathways to the classroom that result in high quality educators. Research has shown that our teachers are having a positive impact..."

The AACTE says they recognize the need that fast-track programs fill and say theres a place for them, too. However, as the main stakeholders, preparing 90% of Connecticuts teachers, they say their experience suggests standards need to be set for teacher preparation before they're allowed to be at the head of the classroom.
Hartford Public schools held the first of several public forums Thursday night on ensuring student safety.

After a state report found the district failed to adequately respond to child abuse and neglect allegations for nearly a decade, Hartford Public Schools partnered with the Connecticut Child Advocate and Hartford Parent University to reassure parents that positive change is on the way.

We did something that was not OK in terms of our failures our systemic failures and we have to fix it, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres- Rodriguez said.

On Thursday, Torres-Rodriguez laid out the districts new action plan, which was designed with the help of the OCA.

We recommended a comprehensive corrective action plan to the district that they would do not just internally but with outside expertise and with outside monitoring, Connecticut Child Advocate Sarah Eagan said. I am really happy to say committed to all of that.

According to Torres-Rodriguez, the district is establishing processes and protocols and is committed to holding those at fault accountable.

Sapphire Snider, the parent of a first grader at Milner School, said it is about time.

From now on we know things are going to be handled appropriately, Snider said.

Public forums where parents can ask questions about the new action plan are scheduled for the following:
The state Department of Consumer Protection is warning residents about what they are calling a work from home "scam" that promises $1,000 per week for stuffing envelopes at home. They said residents who have paid for the instructions never receive jobs, leads on jobs or payment.

Officials from the department said they received nearly 60 complaints in the early 2000s about work-from-home offers originating from a New Britain post office box.

This time around, the offer uses the same post office box and asks residents to pay $32 through the mail in exchange for information about how to make up to $1,000 per week stuffing envelopes at home.

[[00417038413,C]]

The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters spoke with the man behind the mailer and he said he's been in business for two decades.

"I have an attorney who knows about my business," he said.

State officials have received some complaints in the past year about.

They said consumers reply to the ad and send money, then receive a handbook with details about how to stuff envelopes at home and advertise their own mail services.

Consumers also receive a flier that asks for more money in exchange for information about how to make money as a HUD tracer, but state officials warn that HUD tracers provide a service that a homeowner can do on their own without paying anyone.

The prospective workers who send in the cash, dont receive job offers, job leads or any money, according to state officials and they are warning anyone who might apply that job seekers should never pay to apply for a job.

Job seekers have a lot of work to do. Editing resumes, preparing application materials and practicing for interviews takes a lot of time, and that time is valuable, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris said in a statement. The last thing hard-working job seekers need is to fall victim to a scam when they may already be working on a tight budget.

When looking for a job, or extra work from home, consumers should consider the following guidelines:

Never pay money to apply for a job or for additional information regarding a job offer. Companies and individuals who need employees want to talk to you. They wont charge you to provide information.

Dont offer your credit card or bank information, especially over the phone. Sometimes, companies will conduct background checks after or during the interview process, but they should never ask for your financial information. If someone acquires your bank or credit card information, they can use it to take your money.

Be wary of ads for previously undisclosed federal jobs. Information regarding government jobs is free, and you should neither pay nor offer your personal information in exchange for a job posting.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Working from home often requires a serious amount of time and effort to be successful. Dont fall for work from home offers that promise a lot of money upfront.

Consumers who wish to file a complaint may email DCP at dcp.frauds@ct.gov.
A 32-year-old Bridgeport man has been charged in a bank robbery in Milford on March 23.

Police said Robert Doyle, 32, of Bridgeport, robbed the Webster Bank on 314 Merwin Avenue at 3:15 p.m. on March 23.

He handed over a note and indicated that he had a bomb. After he was given money, he left in a waiting older model green or gray pickup driven by another person, Milford Police said.

Police said Doyle was staying in a hotel in Stratford and he barricaded himself in a room with an accomplice who tried fleeing by jumping from a second-floor. Police apprehended the alleged accomplice and talked Doyle out of the hotel room and apprehended him, police said.

Doyle was charged with second-degree robbery and third-degree larceny.
President Donald Trump is taking credit for persuading TransCanada Corp. to withdraw a hefty lawsuit against the U.S. government over the previous administration's rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. But the Canadian company says its bid for compensation for the stalled project is merely suspended, as it has been for weeks.

Trump's account, to Republican donors Tuesday night, was one of several from the president claiming achievements that have yet to happen. A look at a few:

Trump's claims

The president said he talked Tuesday morning with his chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, and asked him about the TransCanada dispute. "He said, sir, they dropped the suit," Trump said. "Good."

The president said he had told Cohn earlier to convey a threat to TransCanada: "I'm approving the pipeline and they are suing us for $14 billion and I've already approved it, right? ... Go back to them and tell them if they don't drop the suit immediately, we are going to terminate the deal. You know, being president gives you great power, right?"

The facts

TransCanada's bid for compensation, filed to a panel that arbitrates disputes under the North American Free Trade Agreement, is still on the books. "The NAFTA challenge remains suspended," TransCanada spokesman Terry Cunha told AP in Toronto on Wednesday. The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, which is handling the matter, lists the case as having been suspended in late February. TransCanada launched the challenge last year after the Obama administration turned against the project on environmental grounds.

The arbitration action was suspended after Trump took steps to revive the project and signaled it would probably get quick approval. A separate TransCanada lawsuit in a federal court also was suspended until the fate of the pipeline was determined.

The NAFTA challenge could be terminated or amended any day  the suspension will expire Monday. But Trump got ahead of developments in claiming he made the dispute go away. He also got ahead of himself in saying "I've already approved it." He hasn't, but may soon.

Trump's claims

"The border is in the best shape it's been in in decades. Down 61 percent since the inauguration."

The facts

The government hasn't put out any numbers supporting Trump's repeated contention that illegal crossings at the Mexico border are down 61 percent since Jan. 20.

Available information shows a 44 percent decrease in arrests from January to February. Officials take fewer arrests to mean fewer attempts to cross illegally. Month-to-month variations are not unusual. The number of arrests at the border generally increases during warmer spring and summer months.

As for the border being in the "best shape" in decades, that's generally been true since before Trump won the election. The number of arrests at the border has hovered around 40-year lows for several years. With just a single month's worth of arrest data, it's too soon to know what the long-term trend is and whether Trump's hard-line rhetoric on illegal immigration is dissuading foreigners from trying. Trump hasn't expanded the ranks of the Border Patrol or any other immigration or border-security agency. His orders haven't yet changed the way the Border Patrol operates, and so far there is no evidence that more people are being deported.

Trump's claims

"You know, our Navy is at World War I levels. Can you believe that? World War I levels."

The facts

Actually, the Navy is much smaller than it was at the end of World War 1  774 fighting ships in 1918, 274 this year. That's largely because the nature of warfare has changed. The age of massive sea battles has passed and air power has risen exponentially. The fleet shrank precipitously in the years after World War I  only 139 ships in 1930  before surging to 6,768 in 1945 at the end of World War II.

The fleet may grow more than planned if Trump's military expansion is approved by Congress but nothing comparable to the world wars is envisioned.

Trump's claims

"To save taxpayer dollars I've already begun negotiating better contracts for the federal government, saving over $700 million on just one set of airplanes."

The facts

For the umpteenth time, Trump takes credit for cost-savings that began before his presidency on an F-35 fighter jet contract. Pentagon officials took steps before the election to reduce costs on the Lockheed contract and announced savings Dec. 19, a month before he took office.
A longtime immigration agent from Murrieta was arrested on federal charges of helping a foreign national enter the United States without proper authorization, prosecutors announced in Los Angeles.

Felix Cisneros, 42, a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, was arrested Wednesday pursuant to a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court. He appeared Thursday afternoon for an initial federal court appearance but was not asked to enter a plea. A magistrate judge said Cisneros could soon be released from custody on a $300,000 bond.

Cisneros waived a preliminary hearing, and his arraignment was set for April 27. Cisneros, a 10-year veteran of ICE who most recently was assigned to the HSI Inland Empire office, is charged with aiding and assisting an inadmissible alien to enter the United States, a felony offense that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.

According to a court affidavit, Cisneros acted at the behest of a local organized crime figure to allow an inadmissible Mexican national to enter the United States. The Mexican national -- a legal permanent resident, who, as a result of felony convictions, was barred from re-entering the United States -- was employed by the organized crime figure to negotiate with a Mexican company.

The complaint alleges that the organized crime figure asked Cisneros in 2013 to help the Mexican national return to the United States after a trip to Mexico. Cisneros allegedly helped the foreign national regain a passport that had been seized several months earlier and helped facilitate his re-entry into the United States at Los Angeles International Airport. Cisneros convinced officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to return the man's passport and re-admit him to the United States "likely through deception," according to the affidavit.
A man from Utah on vacation to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary was among those killed in Wednesday's terrorist attack outside of U.K.'s Parliament in London, the victim's family said in a statement.

Kurt W. Cochran was killed by the attacker, 52-year-old Khalid Masood, who killed one other person with his car on Westminster Bridge and then stabbed a police officer to death outside of Parliament Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. Cochran's wife was injured in the attack.

"Our family is heartbroken to learn of the death of our son-in-law, Kurt W. Cochran, who was a victim of Wednesday's terrorist attack in London," the statement said. "Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our daughter and sister, Melissa."

They were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and were scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday.

Jared Polis no quiere divisiones en Colorado bajo su mandato de gobierno. Polis es el primer gobernador abiertamente homosexual del pais.

President Donald Trump offered his condolences in a tweet Thursday, writing: "A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends."

A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2017

The news of Cochran's death was first reported by KSL TV, an NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In addition to the dead, at least 30 people from 12 countries were injured. Prime Minister Theresa May said that, of those who required hospital treatment, 12 were British, three were French, two were Romanian, four were South Korean, two were Greek, and one each were from Germany, Poland, Ireland, China and Italy. The U.S. State Department said it had reports of two U.S. citizens injured. Portuguese officials also said one person from Portugal was injured.

Police earlier said that seven people were in critical condition.
Miami-Dade Police made a major bust at a jewelry store in Southwest Miami-Dade. Detectives said two people were arrested for selling counterfeit items at The Lord of the Rings Jewelry.

Co-owners Tania Varona and Jimmy Hernandez were charged in the case. Police said they seized over $31 million in counterfeit items.

[[416994433, C]]

In an exclusive interview, Hernandez, who is out on bond, told NBC 6 in Spanish that they run a legitimate business. He said they have nothing to hide.

Investigators accuse the duo of selling thousands of fake name brand merchandise such as Cartier, Chanel, Tory Burch and Rolex. But, Hernandez told NBC 6 that they don't sell name brands items, only items that are inspired by name brands.

Miami-Dade Police displayed the items seized at a press conference Friday morning.

"We went to this business and as soon as you walk in you can replicas of several name brands," said Detective Michael Hufnagel.

One of the items seized was counterfeit Chanel jewelry that had the Chanel logo on them.

"Inspired is something that is not a direct copy. Not only are thes a direct copy but they are also a word marked," said Det. Hufnagel.
Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran has called on the governor to suspend a prosecutor for pledging to not seek the death penalty in any case while she is in office.

Corcoran said Thursday that Orlando State Attorney Aramis Ayala was "violating the constitution" because she is not even considering the death penalty. Capital punishment is authorized under the Florida Constitution. Corcoran added that if Florida lawmakers had the power to impeach Ayala, they would already be doing so.

Gov. Rick Scott removed Ayala from a high-profile police murder case last week after she announced her decision against the death penalty. Ayala argues Scott has overstepped his bounds and filed a motion in response, asking a judge to let her present her argument in court.
A South Florida woman visiting London took a photo with a British police officer less than an hour before he was killed in the Westminster Bridge attack.

Staci Martin from Palm Beach County said she was walking pass the Parliament when she saw the officer. She took a photo with the officer because of his hat.

"I asked him if he would be willing to take a picture and he said yes. He was very much a gentleman and polite," Martin said in a phone call with NBC 6.

Sadly, less than an hour later, Constable Keith Palmer was fatally stabbed in the attack. The 48-year-old left behind a wife and children.

"We walked away from him, crossed the street, went to the next block and had fish and chips, and came out and that's when we noticed that, you know, all hell had broken loose," said Martin.

Martin is now working to get the picture to the officers family.

"If that was me, I would certainly want every piece of any remnant that I could get my hands on," she said.
FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
What to Know Cops say Tommy Alvarado-Ventura attacked three people, including a child, over the course of a brutal five-hour crime spree

He first allegedly sexually assaulted his girlfriend's daughter at their home, then went out and attacked a woman in a bar parking lot

When he came back to the house, cops say his girlfriend confronted him about the attack on her child and he stabbed her, too

A 31-year-old man who had previously been deported four times faces a litany of charges for a series of alleged crimes on Long Island, including a sex attack on a 2-year-old child and brutal stabbings of two women, officials say.

At a news briefing Thursday, Acting Nassau County Police Department Commissioner Thomas Krumpter described Tommy Alvarado-Ventura's alleged five-hour spree as "probably the most heinous criminal act I've ever seen" in 28 years on the job.



"It really is nauseating," Krumpter said.



Police say the violence began late Tuesday at the Hempstead, New York, home Alvarado-Ventura shares with his girlfriend, her 2-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, and another tenant who was watching the children while their mother was at work.

Around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday he left the house and, according to police, the 2-year-old girl was heard crying at about the same time. Police say Alvarado-Ventura allegedly sexually assaulted the girl.

Alvarado-Ventura went to a nearby bar and got into a fight with a 24-year-old woman over a marijuana purchase, police say. When the woman left the bar, he allegedly confronted her in the parking lot, started punching and kicking her, and then stabbed her multiple times. The victim was stabbed in the back, thighs and mouth and sustained a collapsed lung in the attack. She was last listed at a hospital in serious condition, authorities said.

By the time police arrived at the bar scene, Alvarado-Ventura had gone back to the home. When his girlfriend returned from work some time between 3:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m., she saw her daughter had "severe injuries" allegedly inflicted by Alvarado-Ventura and confronted him, police say.

The argument escalated and Alvarado-Ventura allegedly punched his girlfriend, then took out a knife and stabbed her repeatedly. The wounded mother managed to grab her children and escape to another area of the apartment where the babysitter lives. They called police who arrived to find Alvarado-Ventura sleeping.

The girlfriend and her 2-year-old daughter were taken to a hospital. Prosecutors said the toddler, who had been beaten in addition to sexually attacked, had to undergo surgery for her injuries. The mother was being treated for her stab wounds and injuries suffered in a severe beating.

Alvarado-Ventura was arrested on charges of predatory child sexual assault, attempted murder, assault and other crimes. He pleaded not guilty after a court appearance Thursday and was remanded. His court-appointed lawyer declined comment.



Prosecutors asked for three orders of protection for the victims. It wasn't clear if he knew the woman he allegedly attacked at the bar. It also wasn't known how long he had been with his girlfriend or lived with her or her children, but police said he is not the biological father. The 4-year-old child wasn't hurt.

Alvarado-Ventura, an admitted member of the notoriously violent El Salvadorian gang MS-13, according to police, was first deported back to El Salvadore in September 2006 and most recently in December 2011. Police did not provide information on the reasons for the four deportations, but said at least one was related to prior criminal convictions, which include assault, DWI, drug possession, disorderly conduct and false impersonation.

Alvarado-Ventura's family didn't comment in court Thursday. But emotions ran high, and one person fainted, collapsing on the floor.
What to Know Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho were born attached at the lower back; they also shared a branch of one artery

More than 50 medical professionals were involved in the effort to separate them successfully

The babies were released from Maria Fareri Children's Hospital about two months after the procedure

Two formerly conjoined baby girls who bravely endured a grueling 21-hour separation procedure at a Westchester County hospital earlier this year have made the next milestone in their recovery.



Twin 1-year-old girls Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho were being released from Maria Fareri Children's Hospital Friday, just more than two months after doctors separated the duo who had been born attached at the lower back.

The girls also shared gastrointestinal connections and a branch of one artery.

But through a rare and complex surgery, the first of its kind ever performed at the Valhalla hospital, the baby girls were successfully separated Jan. 17-18. The hospital said the process involved more than 50 medical professionals, and many of them were expected to be on hand Friday to wish the girls well.

Samir Pandya, one of the pediatric surgeons leading the medical team, said after the procedure that the surgery was full of challenges, but the girls would have chances at better lives because of it.

Ballenie and Bellanie are as strong as they are beautiful and this dynamic duo is doing very well after a very long and complex surgery," Pandya said in January.

The twin babies were born in Moca, Dominican Republic, in February 2016.

A family friend referred parents Laurilin Celadilla Marte and Marino Abel Camacho to the specialists at Maria Fareri Childrens Hospital after they were born and within a year the surgery was complete, the hospital said.
A man posing as a customer who had an item on hold at a Queens jewelry store last week stole gold bracelets from a display case when nobody was looking, according to the NYPD.

Police said on March 17, a man told an employee at Golden City Jewelers in Jamaica that he had an item on layaway.

When the employee went to the back of the store to get the customers information about his purchase, the suspect leaned over the counter and grabbed six gold bracelets that were in a display case, the NYPD said.

The 20-something-year-old suspect then left the store.

Surveillance photo police released Thursday night shows the suspect carrying a backpack.
If you're trying to get from New York to New Jersey tonight, or vice versa, you may have an hours-long (or very expensive) trip ahead of you.

A minor Amtrak derailment left New York Penn Station temporarily out of service for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak customers. Here's a guide for your best options to get across the river.

MASS TRANSIT ALTERNATIVES





NJ Transit said a majority of trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines were operating as scheduled Friday evening, except for several trains traveling into Penn Station.

NJT expects to operate on a regular weekend schedule Saturday, but Northeast Corridor trains that operate between Rahway and Penn Station New York may be cancelled on Saturday.

Midtown Direct trains will run in and out of Hoboken only, and NJT warned service at Hoboken would be affected by the extra trains, particularly service toward Summit.

PATH service is running normally between Manhattan and locations in New Jersey. NJ Transit said cross-honoring was in effect at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and 33rd Street.

NJ Transit buses and private bus carriers are also cross-honoring.

Hoboken services were impacted and some Summit-bound trains were impacted, NJT said.

Amtrak said its Northeast Regional trains would run as planned via Newark into New York. According to Amtrak's website, tickets on Northeast Regional trains were still available as of Friday afternoon, at prices starting at $40 for the 20-minute ride.

Amtrak said Keystone Service would end and originate in Newark where passengers could transfer to Northeast Regional trains into New York. PATH would also honor Keystone Service ticketed passengers in and out of New York.

The Empire Service would terminate and originate in Yonkers. A Metro North shuttle train would transport passengers to and from Grand Central Terminal.

If you can find your way across the river, Northeast Corridor, New Jersey Coast Line and Raritan Valley Line will operate to and from Newark and Secaucus.

The MTA said four of the nine Penn Station tracks used by the LIRR for the evening rush hour were not available, reducing its service by almost 50 percent during Friday's evening peak. Expect delays and cancellations.

The LIRR was providing normal peak service from Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and Hunterspoint Avenue.

An Amtrak train bound for Washington, D.C., had a minor derailment as it was leaving New Yorks Penn Station at the height of Fridays morning rush, bumping an NJ Transit train and shattering windows but causing no serious injuries, authorities said.

WATERWAYS



NY Waterway said its ferries would accept NJ Transit tickets on all routes for the day.

ROADS



Expect delays at the Hudson River crossings Friday night. As of midday Friday crossing times were normal, according to 511NJ, though delays were mounting at the Holland Tunnel.

Uber's app indicated increased demand, and therefore higher fares, for trips from midtown Manhattan to commuter suburbs in New Jersey. (One trip, from Rockefeller Plaza to Maplewood some 22 miles west, was quoted by the app at $132.) The company did not respond to requests for comment on its surge or discount plans for Friday evening.

A New Jersey Transit train entering New York Penn Station and an Amtrak train leaving Penn Station apparently sideswiped each other Friday morning.
Democrats took to Twitter on Friday to mock the failure of the GOP's health care bill, usings GIFs of sinking ships and exploding buildings to mark the failure of the American Health Care Act, the Republican health care plan.

Tim Ryan, a Democratic representative from Ohio, tweeted a GIF of what appears to be the Titanic breaking in two. He added no commentary.

The House Democrats were more explicit, tweeting a GIF of an empty multi-story building collapsing, with the text: "The House Republican #TrumpCare health bill."

Other Democrats were more serious even as they celebrated the failure of what Republicans hoped would be President Trump's first legislative victory. Instead the Republicans' substitute for the much maligned Obamacare was pulled from consideration by Speaker Paul Ryan with Trump's agreement after it was clear that Republicans did not have the votes to pass it.

Trump, who earlier had been insisting on a vote, told the Washington Post's Robert Costa that he did not blame Ryan for the bill's defeat. Trump insisted that Democrats were to blame, according to The New York Times.

Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, tweeted "Art of the Squeal" in reply, playing off of Trump's book, "Art of the Deal."

Art of the Squeal: I blame Democrats for a bill Republicans couldn't pass. I blame Obama. I blame Australian Prime Minister & Meryl Streep.. pic.twitter.com/hhQj7vkZX7  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 24, 2017

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania asked House Republicans to end their "obsession with repeal, & work in a bipartisan way to keep what's working and fix what isn't?"

.@realDonaldTrump, @SpeakerRyan: we're not tired of winning yet. Ready when you are to talk real solutions to fix ACA for American people. pic.twitter.com/GSaXnYg498  Sean Patrick Maloney (@RepSeanMaloney) March 24, 2017

New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney taunted Trump and Ryan in his tweet, telling them, "We're not tired of winning yet. Ready when you are to talk real solutions to fix ACA for American people."

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called the defeat of the "disastrous Trump-Ryan health care bill" a major victory for working families and everyone who stood in opposition.

Finally the spokesman for former President Barack Obama, Kevin Lewis, tweeted out a 2010 photograph of Obama in a fighting stance on the day that the Affordable Care Act passed Congress.

The link to the Instagram account of Obama's former photographer, Pete Souza, was titled, "The Obama White House."
COLLECTIVE MADNESS



Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
There was a very special delivery in the cold parking lot of a Delaware County YMCA Thursday morning.

Dana and Tim Lu were on the way to the hospital to deliver baby number three when Dana realized the baby had other plans.

Dana told NBC10 she said to her husband: "Forget it, call 911, she's coming now."

So, Tim called 911 and drove into the parking lot of the Haverford YMCA, then followed instructions from the operator to help bring the couple's newborn into the world.

There was a little "more participation than I would have thought," Tim laughed, describing delivering his daughter, Marielle, in the back seat of the car.

"Once I realized that there was nothing else I could do but have her in the car, I was like 'OK this is what we're gonna do,'" Dana said. She said the birth was fast and little Marielle cried and the couple knew she was OK.

When police arrived, the baby's umbilical cord was still attached, and Dana was already comforting the newborn and keeping her warm.

Four officers and two ambulances made for quite a scene in the YMCA parking lot, so news of the special delivery spread quickly on social media.

Baby Marielle and her mom were doing well at Bryn Mawr hospital and getting ready for the impatient newborn to meet her two older siblings.
A state lawmaker from Bucks County introduced legislation Wednesday that would strengthen Pennsylvania's oversight of prescriptions for the powerful narcotic Suboxone.

The drug, also known as Buprenorphine, is often used by people recovering from addiction to opioids like heroin and Oxycontin.

State Rep. Geno DiGirolamo, a Republican from Bensalem, said earlier this March that federal oversight exists for the drug, but state regulation is lacking.

"Buprenorphine/Suboxone has become a drug that is abused, misused and is now out of control here in Pennsylvania," DiGirolamo wrote in a letter to other lawmakers March 9. "We must work to control diversion of Buprenorphine/Suboxone and assure that it is utilized only in conjunction with drug and alcohol addiction treatment licensed by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs."

The district DiGirolamo represents is at the crossroads of some of the nation's largest drug trafficking routes, according to local and federal law enforcement. Bensalem, in particular, has been a popular meeting place for traffickers who serve dealers in Philadelphia and New York City, officials say.

To pay for Pennsylvania oversight and regulation of the narcotic, DiGirolamo's legislation calls for an annual $10,000 fee for prescribers who receive licenses. The bill also requires establishment of penalties for failure to adhere to the new licensing.

Across Pennsylvania, opioid addiction is ravaging big cities like Philadelphia as well as suburban towns and rural areas. Gov. Tom Wolf has declared the rising number of overdose deaths across the state as an epidemic.

NBC10 helped raise awareness of the opioid crisis with its Emmy-winning special, "Generation Addicted," in March 2016. Online coverage accompanying the television special shows the wide range of people affected.
A family that has owned the Village of Reduction in Pennsylvania for nearly 70 years has decided to divest itself of the 75-acre property. The $1.5 million asking price includes farmland, 19 single-family homes and a 1914 one-room schoolhouse.

The village was once home to about 400 employees of the American Reduction Company. The company operated a plant that processed tons of garbage a day from Pittsburgh, before the city opened its own facility in 1936. Newspaper headlines at the time proclaimed it "The Town That Garbage Built,"

Current owner David Stawovy's father bought the property in 1948 for $10,000.

His father and grandfather operated a dairy farm on an adjacent plot of land, Stawovy told the Tribune Review. When his father expressed interest in buying one of the American Reduction homes, a company official asked him "Why don't you just buy them all?"

Stawovy said his children aren't interested in the property and his family can't afford to maintain it.

"I've done it all my life," he told the newspaper. "I've got to be the mayor, the fire marshal and the dog catcher."

About 60 people still live in the village, and most say they prefer to stay put.

Andrew Knopsnider has lived in the village for over two years in his cottage overlooking the Youghiogheny River.

"I'd like to stay," Knopsnider said. "It's nice and quiet and peaceful."

Real estate agent Deborah Dattalo said it's one of the more unusual listings she's handled.

"Everybody I talk to says, 'Oh, my gosh. What a great property,' " she said. "I think it's going to take the right buyer with the right vision for what can be done with it."
The remains of two vaquitas, a critically endangered species of porpoise, were found in the waters off the coast of California in the span of one month. A conservation group calls the discovery alarming.

The vaquita porpoise is on the verge of extinction, with only 30 left in the world, conservation group Sea Shepard says.

"It is devastating," said OonaLayolle, captain of Sea Shepard. "It's been like three years we are now patrolling the north of the Gulf of California and this is really what we don't want to see. It's just so sad."

Loyolle, who has been heading the organization for four years now, said they work in collaboration with the Mexican government to battle illegal fishing and poaching in the oceans.

According to Sea Shepard, a pre-born vaquita was found floating in the Gulf of California, just south of San Felipe on March 12.

Just a week later, the carcass of a female adult vaquita was found in the waters off Baja California.

Having a preborn death is devastating," Loyelle said.

Loyolle said the vaquitas are getting trapped by illegal fishing nets placed on the sea bed to catch the totoaba bass.

The fish are popular for their swim bladders which are smuggled into China and sold on the black market. Often, they are used for medicinal purposes, bringing in $20,000 per kilo, Loyolle said.

She added that fisherman catch the totoaba, take the swim bladders and then throw the fish back into the sea.

Sea Shepard crews found 17 floating dead totoabas without swim bladders recently.

On March 14, they found 66 dead totoabas. Loyolle said the numbers tell an alarming story--that the market for swim bladders is getting bigger which could impact the vaquita population as well.

She said their organization is doing what it can to help the rare mammal.

When we started this campaign, we wanted to do anything that was possible to save the Vaquita," she said. "But what were doing there is also saving so many other species because those nets are catching a lot of different marine creatures, like sharks [and] whales. So cleaning the bottom of the sea from all those illegal nets is really important.

[NATL-LA]Meet the Vaquita, the Endangered Sea Mammal With 30 Members Left

California Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, has introduced a bill to help save the vaquitas. The bill would make it illegal to possess or sell fish products caught in the northern Gulf of California with a gillnet.
Black members of Congress are calling for the Justice Department to help police investigate a large number of missing children in Washington, D.C.

The District of Columbia logged 501 cases of missing juveniles, many of them black or Latino, in the first three months of this year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department, the city's police force. Twenty-two remained open as of March 22, police said.

The letter, dated Tuesday and obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, was sent by Congressional Black Caucus chairman Cedric Richmond, D-La., and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the District in Congress. They called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey to "devote the resources necessary to determine whether these developments are an anomaly or whether they are indicative of an underlying trend that must be addressed."

An email sent to the Justice Department seeking comment was not immediately answered Thursday. Richmond said he hopes to meet with Sessions and bring up the issue. No meeting is currently scheduled. But President Donald Trump assured caucus members on Wednesday that he would make his Cabinet secretaries available to them.

D.C. police officials said there has been no increase in the numbers of missing persons in their jurisdiction. "We've just been posting them on social media more often," said Metropolitan Police spokeswoman Rachel Reid.

According to local police data, the number of missing child cases in the District dropped from 2,433 in 2015 to 2,242 in 2016. The highest total recently, 2,610, was back in 2001.

But the increased social media attention has caused concern in the U.S. capital area, which has long had a large minority population and is currently about 48 percent black. Hundreds of people packed a town-hall style meeting at a neighborhood school on Wednesday to express concern about the missing children cases.

"Ten children of color went missing in our nation's capital in a period of two weeks and at first garnered very little media attention. That's deeply disturbing," Richmond's letter said.

Derrica Wilson, co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, said that despite the assurances from police, it was alarming for so many children to go missing around the same time. On Tuesday night, she noted, her group had four reports of missing children and only one had been found.

"We can't focus on the numbers. If we have one missing child, that's one too many," Wilson said.

Wilson said she is concerned about whether human trafficking is a factor, citing the case of 8-year-old Relisha Rudd, who has been missing since she vanished from a city homeless shelter in 2014. A janitor who worked at the shelter was found dead of apparent suicide during the search for the girl.

"They prey on the homeless, they prey on low income children, they prey on the runaways, they prey online," Wilson said.

Information from the National Crime Information Center showed there were 170,899 missing black children under 18 in the United States, more than any other category except for the white/Hispanic combined number of 264,443. Both numbers increased from the year before, which saw 169,655 missing black children and 262,177 missing white/Hispanic children.

"Whether these recent disappearances are an anomaly or signals of underlying trends, it is essential that the Department of Justice and the FBI use all of the tools at their disposal to help local officials investigate these events, and return these children to their parents as soon as possible," Richmond said.
Two children died and their mother is seriously hurt after the father of the family opened fire Thursday night in Charles County, Maryland, police say.

Laila Goodwin, 4, died in her home on Westdale Court in Waldorf, the Charles County Sheriff's Office said. Her older sister, Lashelle Goodwin, 17, was found with multiple gunshot wounds and later died. The children's mother has serious injuries after she also was shot multiple times.

According to the initial investigation, the children's father, Carlton Goodwin, 37, shot his wife and daughters one by one and then shot and killed himself.

TELEMUNDO PR

Neighbors were horrified to learn the girls had died.

"The little girl, she's a cutie. Just a cute little girl. Very playful," neighbor Latonya Williams said.

Lashelle Goodwin was an honor student at Thomas Stone High School, where she was a junior. Friend and classmate Brittany Brooks said she was thinking of the victim's mother.

"I just pray that she gets through this," she said.

Officers were called to the Goodwin family's townhouse near Crain Highway about 8:10 p.m. for a report of multiple shots fired.

When they arrived, they found the mother of the family outside with multiple gunshot wounds.

A teenage neighbor said she saw the woman outside.

"I saw a lady on the ground, blood all over her," she said.

Police received information that the 36-year-old woman's husband was inside with their two daughters, police said.

A father in Waldorf, Maryland, killed his 4-year-old and 17-year-old daughters Thursday night and shot and wounded his wife, police say. News4's Justin Finch reports.

Officers entered the home and found Carlton Goodwin dead with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

They then found the 4-year-old girl dead in an upstairs bedroom.

Her older sister was found with multiple gunshot wounds in an upstairs bathroom. She was flown to a hospital, where she died.

A young girl was found killed and two others found with gunshot wounds in Waldorf, Maryland, police say. A man found dead at the scene is believed to be the gunman. News4s Shomari Stone reports.

The murder-suicide is under investigation. The suspected gunman had no criminal record or history of domestic violence that the sheriff's office could find, police spokeswoman Diane Richardson said. He used a registered semi-automatic handgun.

Police are searching for information on Carlton Goodwin.

"We have reached out to extended family members, and we hope that as the investigation moves forward we'll be able to at least find out what may have prompted him to do something so horrific," Richardson said.

At Thomas Stone High, administrators tried to help Lashelle Goodwin's classmates cope with the loss, vice principal Shanif Pearl said. On Friday, counselors followed the teen's class schedule and spoke with students in every classroom about their memories of her.

"She had dreams of being a graphic designer," Pearl said.
A police officer in Prince George's County, Maryland, drove drunk and crashed his patrol car early Thursday, his own police department said.

Sources tell News4 the officer disappeared for more than a half-hour after the crash and then returned.

Police Officer 1st Class Christopher Brown was charged with multiple counts of driving under the influence and speeding, the Prince George's County Police Department announced Thursday afternoon. News4 was first to report the news, on Twitter.

Police say Brown crashed near the Capitol Beltway and Pennsylvania Avenue about 2:30 a.m. Thursday. He clipped the back of a tractor-trailer, lost control of his cruiser and hit a guardrail, police said. He was off-duty at the time of the crash.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was not hurt.

District Heights police were first on the scene. They saw the police cruiser, which had damage to the front end, but the officer was gone.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation told News4 someone picked up Brown after the crash. He was gone for 34 minutes and then returned, sources said.

Brown returned a short time later. Officers suspected he was under the influence of alcohol and arrested him.

No information was available immediately on who picked up the officer.

Brown, who joined the police department in 2009, previously crashed his police cruiser while under the influence in 2012, police said. He was arrested after that crash and pleaded guilty to those charges.

He was allowed to keep his job because that crime was a misdemeanor and Brown followed all the terms of his sentence, a police department representative said.

Police Chief Hank Stawinski said he was disturbed by what happened.

I find the circumstances surrounding this incident gravely troubling, and I apologize to the community for the appearance of impropriety," he said in a statement.

The police chief promised transparency.

"Know that, as always, when I have the facts, I will take appropriate action to remedy this, and I will make the facts known to the public, Stawinski said in a statement.
Despite a degenerative disease that makes going to school a life-threatening situation, a three-year-old Maryland boy attends classes every day thanks to technology allowing him to connect with his classmates, make friends and even join them for lunch.

Max Lasko and his mother operate a Beam telepresence robot from home, several miles from school.

When Max first started, every time Max would beam in on the robot, they would be really excited and yell, It's the robot! It's the robot! teacher Allyson Levine said. But after about a week or two, it became, Max is here.

Max was born with spinal muscular atrophy, which makes it difficult for him to move, breathe and eat. He cant be in a classroom for fear of catching a cold or flu, which could be life-threatening for him.

We felt that it was really important -- since Max's cognition is fully intact, his social intelligence is fully intact -- we wanted him to be able to interact with his peers but we wanted to do so safely, said his mother, Kristen Lasko.

Max's mother is a teacher, and his father, Jonathan Lasko, is a computer scientist. They applied for and won a grant to cover the costs of the robot, and they asked the Bender Jewish Community Center in Rockville to accept Max into class.

What our role is is just to be accepting of everyone, said Ora Cohen Rosenfeld, head of the Bender JCC Early Childhood Center. And I think this is teaching our children to see Max as a child just as they are with the same needs. Hes different and yet he's very much the same.

Max is on a ventilator, and his mother puts "angel arms" on him so he can move his hands and participate in activities like coloring for a friends birthday picture book.

Max vocalizes but lacks strength for articulation. His mother understands everything he says.

Asked what he wants to be when he grows up, Max surprised his mother when he replied he wants to be a teacher like she is.

A teacher? his mother reacted. You want to be a teacher? I didnt know that. Wow.

Im glad he has these teachers as role models, Jonathan Lasko said. He's looking ahead and imagining himself in the role of teacher, and just like any of us, he's not going to let his different abilities get in the way of doing what he is passionate about.
One of two students accused of raping a 14-year-old girl at Rockville High School came to the United States illegally in 2016, immigration officials say.

Nearly a week ago, 18-year-old Henry Sanchez and 17-year-old Jose Montano were charged with first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual offense.

Sanchez, who is from Guatemala, came to the U.S. illegally in August and was encountered by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Texas, federal immigration officials said. He was eventually released to live with his father.

"ICE examined the situation and decided to release him on his own recognizance and arranged for him to be flown to BWI at the expense of his father, where he was greeted by his father and where he's been living in Mintgomery County ever since," Sanchez' attorney, Andrew Jezic, told News4.

Jezic said Sanchez is not guilty.

"Nothing in the statement of charges mentions any kind of bruising or scratches or evidence of a fight," Jezic said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials wouldn't comment on Montano, who is a minor but is charged criminally as an adult.

Federal law requires public schools to admit students even if they are in the country illegally.

The rape case has received national attention and has pushed Rockville High School into the ongoing immigration debate.

Protesters on both sides of the debate converged on a nearby elementary school Thursday during a visit by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

The Montgomery County school system has been besieged by hundreds of racist and xenophobic calls. In response, schools beefed up police presence in an attempt to reassure the anxious community.

"Now we're starting to receive calls that are threatening, saying they're going to shoot up the illegals in our school," said Derek Turner, a school system spokesman. He noted that the calls marked "a whole new level of vitriol that we haven't seen before."

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is demanding answers about why Sanchez-Milian was allowed to stay in the United States.

According to a letter written by Sen. Ron Johnson, the chairman of the committee, President of the National Border Patrol Council Brandon Judd testified that "if border patrol had properly done its job, neither Sanchez-Milian or Montano would have been present in the country to commit this heinous act."

"As a mother of two daughters and grandmother of four young girls, my heart aches for the young woman and her family at the center of these terrible circumstances,'' DeVos said in a statement before her visit to the elementary school. "We all have a common responsibility to ensure every student has access to a safe and nurturing learning environment.''

DeVos was there with Gov. Larry Hogan for National Reading Month.

"We can't condone any kind of hate speech like that and it's terrible and it's not something that should be allowed to go on," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said.
The U.S. government investigation of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, crossed the Atlantic earlier this year to the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, once known as a haven for money laundering by Russian billionaires.

Treasury agents in recent months obtained information connected to Manafort's transactions from Cypriot authorities, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. The request was part of a federal anti-corruption probe into Manafort's work in Eastern Europe. The Cyprus attorney general, one of the country's top law enforcement officers, was also aware of the American request.

Manafort was Trump's unpaid campaign chairman from March until August last year, during the critical run-up to the Republican National Convention. He's been a leading focus of the U.S. investigation into whether Trump associates coordinated with Moscow to meddle in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Manafort, in a statement to the AP Thursday when asked about the Cyprus transactions, characterized them as a normal practice. "Like many companies doing business internationally, my company was paid via wire transfer, typically using clients' preferred financial institutions and instructions," he said.

Federal prosecutors became interested in Manafort's activities years ago as part of a broad investigation to recover stolen Ukrainian assets after the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych there in early 2014. No U.S. criminal charges have been filed in the case.

It was not immediately clear what time period of Manafort's transactions was covered under the request from the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Manafort was known to route financial transactions through Cyprus, according to records of international wire transfers obtained by the AP and public court documents filed in a 2014 legal dispute in the Cayman Islands with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska.

As part of their investigation, U.S. officials were expected to look into millions of dollars' worth of wire transfers to Manafort. In one case, the AP found that a Manafort-linked company received a $1 million payment in October 2009 from a mysterious firm through the Bank of Cyprus. The $1 million left the account the same day  split in two, roughly $500,000 disbursements to accounts with no obvious owner.

There is nothing inherently illicit about using multiple companies as Manafort was doing. But it was unclear why he would have been involved with companies in Cyprus, known for its history of money laundering before joining the European Union, with unclear sources of the money flowing in to them and with such secrecy surrounding the firms' connections to him.

With Cyprus' entry into the European Union in 2004, the island was forced to put in place a host of stringent anti-money laundering regulations to avoid running afoul with the bloc's own rules and incurring the wrath of other EU members. Cypriot banks, sticking to EU rules, took on heightened importance when Cyprus started using the Euro currency in 2008.

But the island's allure as a friendly EU member brought a steady stream of Russian cash to fill Cypriot bank coffers, and rumors began to swirl again that it was fast becoming a major cash laundromat for Russian oligarchs, a charge that Cypriot authorities strenuously deny.

A Treasury Department spokesman, Stephen Hudak, declined to answer the AP's questions about Manafort's records, citing a policy never to confirm or deny an investigation's existence.

Cypriot officials said further information would have to come to the agency through a formal request to the Cypriot Ministry of Justice and Public Order under a mutual legal assistance treaty. No request has been made, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

This week, the AP revealed Manafort's secret work for a Russian billionaire to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin a decade ago. Manafort did not dispute working for Oleg Deripaska but said he had represented him only in personal and business matters. He called the focus on him a "smear campaign," and said he was ready to defend his work if investigators wish to learn more about it.

The White House said Trump had not been aware of Manafort's work on behalf of Deripaska, a close Putin ally with whom Manafort, who is 67, eventually signed a $10 million annual contract beginning in 2006. "The president was not aware of Paul's clients from the last decade," said spokesman Sean Spicer. "What else don't we know? I mean, where he went to school, what grades he got, who he played with in the sandbox?"

Spicer declined to comment Thursday on the information about the offshore financial transactions. On the topic of Manafort in general, he reiterated to reporters at the day's press briefing: "You pull out a gentleman who was employed by someone for five months and talk about a client that he had 10 years ago."

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, was established in 1990 and became a Treasury Department bureau soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. It is part of an international network of so-called financial intelligence units that share information with each other in money laundering and terrorism financing investigations.
Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush, who is mourning the loss of his wife after she passed away last week, was going to fly to Washington, D.C. for the vote on the new GOP health care plan, but has changed his travel plans amid news the vote has been postponed.

The visitation and funeral services for Rush's late wife Carolyn are scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday.

At noon Thursday, Rush told NBC 5 he was on his way to Washington, saying he felt his vote was needed.

If [Carolyn] were here today, in this time, she would tell me to go to Washington," Rush said in the exclusive interview.

The congressman was booked on a 3 p.m. flight to D.C. but he later canceled those plans.

Rush said he spoke to Democratic leadership who could not guarantee the health care vote would take place before 6 a.m. Friday. Soon after, sources told NBC News the House of Representatives postponed the vote after more conservative members of the party refused to pledge for the measure.

Rush had planned to return to Chicago early Friday morning because weve got family who are arriving [Thursday] to mourn her passing. Tomorrow the official services start.

He noted his wife, who had been critically ill for six months, had good health care."

"Every American deserves the health care that my wife had, Rush said.

Rush said the reason he was willing to leave his family to go to Washington was I have to do my part to resist the evil, wicked president.

The bill could still come to a vote in coming days.
A lack of women in a photo of negotiations over the Republicans' health care bill that was tweeted out by the vice president is drawing criticism from Democrats and other critics concerned over the bill's repercussions for women's health.

The photo shows Vice President Mike Pence at the center of a conference table during negotiations with the House Freedom Caucus. About two dozen men can be seen in the photo and not a single woman.

Washington U.S. Sen. Patty Murray drew attention to the absence of women in the room by retweeting the photo and sarcastically adding, "A rare look inside the GOP's women's health caucus."

A repeal of a maternity care requirement is among the concessions the Freedom Caucus is demanding in exchange for support of the bill.

There were more sources of outrage for supporters of government funding for women's health care on Thursday.

A Republican senator had to apologize for a comment about the possibility the bill would ease federal requirements on coverage of basic services like mammograms.

"I wouldn't want to lose my mammograms," said Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas when asked about the bill's potential changes in an interview with a reporter for Talking Points Memo.

He later tweeted an apology: "I deeply regret my comments on a very important topic. Mammograms are essential to women's health & I never intended to indicate otherwise."

The comment had drawn flak on social media, as did another on women's health issues by White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

Asked about the issue, he said, "I think if you're an older man, you probably won't need maternity coverage."

There were 10.5 million children born in the U.S. with fathers between 40 and 44 years old between the years 2006 and 2010, according a National Health Statistics report.

President Donald Trump had his youngest child at the age of 59.
Police in Cranston, Rhode Island, say a 66-year-old pedestrian was critically injured when he was hit by a car.

Police Chief Col. Michael Winquist says the man had attempted to cross the street near an intersection around 8:10 p.m. Wednesday when he was struck.

He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with injuries considered life-threatening.

The driver remained at the scene of the accident. She wasn't hurt. Police say no charges will be brought against her.

The crash remains under investigation.
Amazon is giving a look inside its new facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, the latest in a series of projects in the state.

Amazon has recently established other services in the state, including a "Prime Now" service that provides one-to-two-hour delivery for select items in Boston.

Amazon also opened Amazon Books in Legacy Place in Dedham in February. The store has thousands of titles, according to spokesperson Deborah Bass.

The Fall River warehouse spans 1 million square feet and employs more than 1,000 people, according to The Boston Globe.
Wheelchair-accessible vans owned by Road to Responsibility in Marshfield, Massachusetts, are a total loss after being engulfed in flames.

The vans were used to provide services for people with disabilities.

"Our vehicles are really passports for those individuals," said Chris White, the CEO of Road to Responsibility.

All that's left of the vehicles are burned frames after a fiery scene unfolded around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Surveillance video shows three vans parked side by side. In the video, you can see the headlights of the van parked on the right flickering.

Moments later, it catches fire and spreads to the van in the middle.

"There were two handicapped vans fully engulfed," said Sergeant Liam Rooney with Marshfield Police. "Usually, it's one vehicle, not two."

Police said the investigation is ongoing and that the incident could be intentional or accidental. They're in the process of collecting more video and conducting interviews with former and current staff of Road to Responsibility.

White said he believes someone tried stealing one of the vans.

"This was really a despicable act," he said. "You've directly harmed individuals with disabilities."

The vans are fully equipped to transport individuals who are in wheelchairs. Nearly 1,000 people in more than 100 communities rely on them.

"To get them to their lives, their jobs, to their friends to their social connections that they have in the community," said White.

The work this non-profit does in the community isn't without notice.

"I feel very badly for Road to Responsibility, or whoever uses those vans, because I know that that organization does a lot of great work," said Ed Barrett of Marshfield.

Now the organization is working to replace the vans, totaled at nearly $100,000.

"To have this happen is tragic," said White.

A donation page has been created. Click here for more information.
A Massachusetts man was arrested by police in New Hampshire after he allegedly raped a juvenile he met in an online chat group.

Matthew Adey, 47, of Malden, was charged with three counts of felonious sexual assault - statutory rape after he was arrested by Massachusetts state and Plymouth police on Monday and then taken into custody by Londonderry police on Thursday.

Detectives say their investigation started March 6 when they received a report on a potential sexual assault concerning a juvenile male victim.

Adey initially met his alleged victim in an online chat group, and then met him at his Londonderry home, where the assault happened, investigators said.

He was arraigned Friday morning in Derry District Court, where he was ordered to be held on $25,000 cash bail.

His next court date is April 4. It's not clear whether he has an attorney.
Police are searching for a suspect after a man was stabbed to death in Lynn, Massachusetts, Thursday evening.

The attack happened on Chase Street around midnight.

Police say the man was stabbed once in the neck. He made his way down the road and around the corner to Baker and Franklin Streets where he waved down a taxi.

We spoke to a dispatcher at that taxi company, who says the driver stayed with the man until police arrived. But it was too late, as the 22-year-old man was pronounced dead at Salem Hospital.

Police said that no arrests have been made at this point.

The investigation is ongoing.


South Norfolk mother's plea for refugee aid South Norfolk mother's plea for refugee aid

When Wymondham mother-of-two, Alison Marlow, saw the graphic news reels of Middle Eastern refugees living in sub-zero temperatures, her heart burned with compassion  especially for the barely-clad children and helpless babies. Sandie Shirley reports.
I started my career as an analyst in 2001, and one of the first reports I wrote was on the topic of unified communications, or UC as its more commonly called today. The concept is pretty simple: Workers use lots of communications tools, so why not bring them together into a single, easy-to-use tool? Makes sense, doesnt it?

However, a funny thing has happened over the past 15 years. In an effort to give workers more functionality, many specialty UC vendors popped up. I understand the term specialty UC is somewhat of an oxymoron, but this is the state of the industry because we now have UC vendors for video, web conferencing, chat, audio conferencing, VoIP, document sharing, file storage and the list goes on.

The majority of these tools provide other capabilities, so they can, in fact, be thought of as unified but most workers need to use a large number of UC tools to collaborate effectively.

My research shows that the average number of UC applications used on a per-worker basis is somewhere between five and seven, although Ive seen other studies that have this number slightly higher or lower. In practicality, the real number itself doesnt matter as much as recognizing the problem. Workers are actually becoming less productive because they spend too much time managing communication tools.

RingCentral announces RingCentral Office

This week, slightly ahead of the Enterprise Connect show, RingCentral announced the next generation of its flagship product, RingCentral Office. The company calls this collaborative communications to differentiate it from the multitude of UC vendors that exist today.

RingCentral The new RingCentral Office

RingCentral was the first UCaaS (unified communication as a service) provider to jump into the Workstream Communication and Collaboration (WCC) market when it acquired Glip, and its now putting that asset to good use. To date, RingCentral has been selling Glip as part of Office, but it runs as a separate application.

This new version has a completely revamped user interface that is built on the Glip experience with tight integration between WCC and UC. RingCentral customers now have a single, unified application that can be used for team messaging, audio, video, fax, SMS, collaboration and conferencing on a desktop, tablet or mobile phone.

RingCentral has also expanded its open platform to include team messaging APIs, chatbots and AI support so developers can embed messaging and other features directly into business applications and workflows. As part of the launch, RingCentral offers more than 40 out-of-the-box integrations with business applications such as Salesforce, Zoho, Marketo, ServiceNow, Confluence and Cloze.

Ring Central will make the latest release of Office available next month in limited release.

RingCentral expands into 13 European countries

This week, RingCentral also announced it was expanding into 13 European countries. RingCentral is currently available in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. with support for users in 30 other countries. And now it can offer localized services in the following 13 countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. The UCaaS market has seen most of its growth in the U.S., but European businesses are more interested in buying communications from the cloud now, so RingCentrals expansion should hit the market at the right time.

One last new feature from the company is a set of analytic tools for IT and contract center administrators. The dashboard shows things such as quality scores across the different parts of infrastructure and endpoints, making problem solving much faster. What RingCentral offers now is more reporting than actual analytics, but the company does have plans to expand into that area.

Customer demand for UCaaS services has been high, so all of the cloud communication providers have enjoyed a rising tide. Now that the market is maturing, simply riding the wave wont be good enough, and the industry is starting to see each of the UCaaS vendors develop new services to differentiate itself from its peers. RingCentrals new Office should be a catalyst for continued growth, as customers can consolidate down the number of UC tools they use, making it easier and faster to collaborate.
Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses or information following an incident of grievous bodily harm in Newbury last Thursday afternoon, March 16.

At around 2.45pm, a man in his forties was in Bartholomew Street when he was approached by a group of unknown males.

One of the males then punched him in the face, causing him to sustain a suspected broken jaw which required hospital treatment.

There is currently no description of the offender, other than him being male.

Investigating officer, Sgt Robert Carberry from Newbury Police Station, said: The victim of this assault is now having to receive specialist treatment on his jaw, due to the injuries sustained.

"This incident took place in broad daylight within the town centre, and we are urging anyone who witnessed it to please come forward.

"If anyone has any information that could assist with the investigation, please call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101, quoting incident number 43170078205."

Alternatively, information can be given to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
Details of road works in West Berkshire over the coming weeks

Planned road closures and roadworks across the district in the coming weeks.

Byway BUCK/11/1 and BUCK/11/2 in Bucklebury are both currently closed to all users while assessments and repairs are carried out to the surface.

Byway BUCK/99/2 and BUCK/99/1 which intersect this closure will remain open.

The closure will remain in place for at least 21 days.

Northbrook Street, Bridge Street, Bartholomew Street and Market Place will all be closed between 7am and 6pm on Sunday (March 26th) for the Newbury Artisan Market.

The market will also take place and involve the same road closures on the following dates this year: Sunday, April 30; Sunday, May 21; Sunday, June 25; and Sunday, July 30.

Newbury's Market Place will be closed from 1pm until approximately 10pm next Friday (March 31) as it will be hosting an outdoor theatre event.

The event, which is performed by Acrojou and organised by the Corn Exchange, will see Market Place, Wharf Street, Mansion House Street, Northbrook Stree (south of West Street) and Bartholomew Street (north of Market Street) affected by the closures.

Traffic will be diverted via London Road to Robin Hood Roundabout, A339 and Bear Lane.

Mariners Lane, Bradfield will be closed from the junction with Bishops Road to the junction with South End Road from April 3-5.

This closure is to enable the installation of sewer pipes. A diversion is in place via Bishops Road, Cock Lane and South End Road.

Craven Road, Inkpen will be closed from 10.30am until 2.30pm next Thursday (March 30), between Weavers Lane and Inglewood Road.

The closure is to enable urgent works to relocate an electricity pole and a diversion will be in place via Inglewood Road, Kintbury and Weavers Lane.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Apollo Tyres is in the process of developing new tyres for defence services. These tyres will be jointly developed by the Department of Defence and the company. The trial supply has already started and regular supply will start n ext year, a top official of the company said.

Apollo Tyres has been supplying bias tyres to the defence services from a long time now. Currently, we are in the process of developing new tyres for them, which will be produced at our Chennai (Oragadam) facility going forward, said Satish Sharma, president, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Apollo Tyres.

Currently, tyres for the defence services are imported at exorbitant rates. As much as 60 per cent of the requirement is met by imports. The tyres required by the forces are unique in size and the volumes are low.

Now, the defense services will procure tyres from the domestic market to reduce dependency on imports. The producers are being selected through an open tender. Most of the domestic manufacturers are supplying to the defence department based on the tender.

The all-radial Chennai facility of Apollo Tyres currently has a capacity of 16,000 passenger car tyres and 6,000 truck-bus radials per day. The company is already in the process of doubling the truck-bus radial capacity of this unit to 12,000 tyres per day with an investment of Rs 2,700 crore.

Leading automotive manufacturers Ford and Volkswagen have rated our Chennai plant highly (with Ford Q1 and Volkswagen A+).

The superior ratings for Apollo Tyres Chennai manufacturing unit mean that we can supply tyres to any of their plants globally from here.

In addition to these automobile manufacturers, the Chennai unit also supplies to leading automobile companies in India such as Daimler, Toyota, Hyundai, General Motors, Skoda, Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki, added Satish Sharma.

Apollo Tyres Chennai facility is the companys latest greenfield facility. In addition to catering to the domestic demand, the company is also exporting tyres from the plant to Europe, Asean region and the Middle East. This facility also produces winter tyres for the European market.

KOCHI: Apollo Tyres is in the process of developing new tyres for defence services. These tyres will be jointly developed by the Department of Defence and the company. The trial supply has already started and regular supply will start n ext year, a top official of the company said. Apollo Tyres has been supplying bias tyres to the defence services from a long time now. Currently, we are in the process of developing new tyres for them, which will be produced at our Chennai (Oragadam) facility going forward, said Satish Sharma, president, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Apollo Tyres. Currently, tyres for the defence services are imported at exorbitant rates. As much as 60 per cent of the requirement is met by imports. The tyres required by the forces are unique in size and the volumes are low. Now, the defense services will procure tyres from the domestic market to reduce dependency on imports. The producers are being selected through an open tender. Most of the domestic manufacturers are supplying to the defence department based on the tender. The all-radial Chennai facility of Apollo Tyres currently has a capacity of 16,000 passenger car tyres and 6,000 truck-bus radials per day. The company is already in the process of doubling the truck-bus radial capacity of this unit to 12,000 tyres per day with an investment of Rs 2,700 crore. Leading automotive manufacturers Ford and Volkswagen have rated our Chennai plant highly (with Ford Q1 and Volkswagen A+). The superior ratings for Apollo Tyres Chennai manufacturing unit mean that we can supply tyres to any of their plants globally from here. In addition to these automobile manufacturers, the Chennai unit also supplies to leading automobile companies in India such as Daimler, Toyota, Hyundai, General Motors, Skoda, Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki, added Satish Sharma. Apollo Tyres Chennai facility is the companys latest greenfield facility. In addition to catering to the domestic demand, the company is also exporting tyres from the plant to Europe, Asean region and the Middle East. This facility also produces winter tyres for the European market.
By Reuters

PARIS: The European Investment Bank has asked French investigators to find out whether 800 million euros ($863 million) of EU-backed loans to Renault could have been used to develop test-cheating diesel engines, according to documents seen by Reuters.

The European Union lending arm wrote to judges leading a fraud investigation into preliminary findings that Renault diesel engines - like Volkswagen's - had been configured to manipulate nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions tests.

Renault, which has consistently denied breaking any laws or emissions rules, had no immediate comment on Friday. The Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank (EIB) and Paris prosecutor's office did not respond to requests for comment.

Since 2009, the EIB has granted more than 8 billion euros in preferential loans to back development of vehicles with lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by carmakers including VW, exposed in 2015 for using software "defeat devices" to dupe U.S. regulatory tests.

Technologies funded by the EIB have included diesel engines, because they emit less CO2 than gasoline equivalents. More recently, however, diesels have been shown to produce many times the legal limit of toxic NOx in real driving.

"The EIB has granted Renault several loans to finance projects including research and development to reduce vehicle CO2 emissions (amounting to more than 800 million euros)," the bank's chief fraud investigator told the French judges.

The Jan. 30 letter also proposes a follow-up meeting "in order to establish whether our financing is implicated in your investigations and to offer you all possible assistance."

It adds: "The EIB enforces a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud and corruption and strives to ensure that no illegal activity tarnishes its business."

MARKET FALLOUT

Renault shares fell 7.8 percent in three days to end last week at 78.65 euros after excerpts of a November report by France's DGCCRF consumer fraud watchdog appeared in newspapers, wiping 2 billion euros off the company's value. The stock has since recovered some ground to 80.37 euros, as of 1210 GMT.

Based on the agency's findings, prosecutors opened an investigation in January into fraud allegations against Renault and its Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn. If found guilty, the group could be fined up to 10 percent of annual revenue, or 3.58 billion euros.

The DGCCRF report, also seen by Reuters, cites engine software parameters from Renault's own technical documentation that partially or entirely deactivate anti-pollution functions such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and "lean NOx traps" (LNT) outside predictable regulatory test conditions.

"The use of software in the (engine) calculator to limit the effectiveness of anti-pollution devices mainly or exclusively to vehicle approval tests is a strategy that Renault has implemented," the DGCCRF concluded.

Renault has argued in press briefings that the limits on emissions control were necessary to protect its engines while maintaining driving performance and fuel efficiency, and therefore allowed under current EU rules.

The carmaker has nonetheless recalled almost 11,500 cars to tweak engine calibrations and reduce NOx emissions - a handful of the 900,000 sold in France with the controversial software.

Changes will include extending the narrow range of air intake temperatures within which the EGR is programmed to work. In France's climate, the calibration renders the anti-pollution device virtually useless for seven months of the year, Renault itself concedes in company documents also seen by Reuters.

The EIB, the world's biggest multilateral lender with almost 80 billion euros granted each year, has faced scrutiny over its funding to carmakers in light of the "dieselgate" scandal and subsequent investigations in France and other countries.

VW, which has set aside 22.6 billion euros to cover its U.S. criminal settlement and other costs, was awarded 400 million euros by the bank in 2009 to develop "green technologies".

The German carmaker's use of EIB funds has been "very thoroughly" investigated, bank President Werner Hoyer was quoted as saying at a January news conference. "We have not found any indication that our loans might have been used for fraudulent purposes."

PARIS: The European Investment Bank has asked French investigators to find out whether 800 million euros ($863 million) of EU-backed loans to Renault could have been used to develop test-cheating diesel engines, according to documents seen by Reuters. The European Union lending arm wrote to judges leading a fraud investigation into preliminary findings that Renault diesel engines - like Volkswagen's - had been configured to manipulate nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions tests. Renault, which has consistently denied breaking any laws or emissions rules, had no immediate comment on Friday. The Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank (EIB) and Paris prosecutor's office did not respond to requests for comment. Since 2009, the EIB has granted more than 8 billion euros in preferential loans to back development of vehicles with lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by carmakers including VW, exposed in 2015 for using software "defeat devices" to dupe U.S. regulatory tests. Technologies funded by the EIB have included diesel engines, because they emit less CO2 than gasoline equivalents. More recently, however, diesels have been shown to produce many times the legal limit of toxic NOx in real driving. "The EIB has granted Renault several loans to finance projects including research and development to reduce vehicle CO2 emissions (amounting to more than 800 million euros)," the bank's chief fraud investigator told the French judges. The Jan. 30 letter also proposes a follow-up meeting "in order to establish whether our financing is implicated in your investigations and to offer you all possible assistance." It adds: "The EIB enforces a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud and corruption and strives to ensure that no illegal activity tarnishes its business." MARKET FALLOUT Renault shares fell 7.8 percent in three days to end last week at 78.65 euros after excerpts of a November report by France's DGCCRF consumer fraud watchdog appeared in newspapers, wiping 2 billion euros off the company's value. The stock has since recovered some ground to 80.37 euros, as of 1210 GMT. Based on the agency's findings, prosecutors opened an investigation in January into fraud allegations against Renault and its Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn. If found guilty, the group could be fined up to 10 percent of annual revenue, or 3.58 billion euros. The DGCCRF report, also seen by Reuters, cites engine software parameters from Renault's own technical documentation that partially or entirely deactivate anti-pollution functions such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and "lean NOx traps" (LNT) outside predictable regulatory test conditions. "The use of software in the (engine) calculator to limit the effectiveness of anti-pollution devices mainly or exclusively to vehicle approval tests is a strategy that Renault has implemented," the DGCCRF concluded. Renault has argued in press briefings that the limits on emissions control were necessary to protect its engines while maintaining driving performance and fuel efficiency, and therefore allowed under current EU rules. The carmaker has nonetheless recalled almost 11,500 cars to tweak engine calibrations and reduce NOx emissions - a handful of the 900,000 sold in France with the controversial software. Changes will include extending the narrow range of air intake temperatures within which the EGR is programmed to work. In France's climate, the calibration renders the anti-pollution device virtually useless for seven months of the year, Renault itself concedes in company documents also seen by Reuters. The EIB, the world's biggest multilateral lender with almost 80 billion euros granted each year, has faced scrutiny over its funding to carmakers in light of the "dieselgate" scandal and subsequent investigations in France and other countries. VW, which has set aside 22.6 billion euros to cover its U.S. criminal settlement and other costs, was awarded 400 million euros by the bank in 2009 to develop "green technologies". The German carmaker's use of EIB funds has been "very thoroughly" investigated, bank President Werner Hoyer was quoted as saying at a January news conference. "We have not found any indication that our loans might have been used for fraudulent purposes."
SEOUL: The world's biggest smartphone maker Samsung, assailed by a shambolic recall and embroiled in South Korea's wide-ranging corruption scandal, on Friday backed away from a planned corporate restructuring.

Following the embarrassing recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and under pressure from activist shareholders to improve corporate governance, Samsung Electronics said last year that it was considering splitting the company in two.

Its vice-chairman Lee Jae-Yong, the heir to the parent Samsung group, has since been arrested and indicted for bribery, along with four other senior executives, in connection with the graft scandal that saw ex-president Park Geun-Hye impeached.

But at the Samsung Electronics annual general meeting in Seoul, board chairman Kwon Oh-Hyun said the firm had reviewed legal and tax issues around proposed division into a holding company and an operating unit, and identified "some negative effects".

He did not elaborate, but told shareholders: "At this moment, it seems difficult to carry it out."

A promised new governance committee, made up of independent outside directors, will still be set up by the end of April, he said.

But Samsung Electronics had so far been unable to recruit "foreign directors who have experience as chief executive officers of global companies" to join it, he said "due to uncertainties in the internal and external environment surrounding the company".

Samsung Electronics is the group's flagship subsidiary, and its share price has hit record highs this year on expectations of higher profits.

Indicted vice-chairman Lee has effectively been at the helm of the Samsung group since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014.

The corruption scandal centres on the former president's secret confidante Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her ties with the head of state to force local firms to "donate" nearly $70 million to non-profit foundations, which Choi allegedly used for personal gain.

Samsung, South Korea's largest business group with revenues equivalent to about a fifth of the country's GDP, was the single biggest donor to the foundations.

It is also accused of separately giving millions of euros to Choi to bankroll her daughter's equestrian training in Germany.

In total it handed over nearly $40 million.

One of the favours Lee allegedly sought from Park was state approval for a controversial merger of two Samsung units in 2015, seen as a key step to ensure a smooth transfer of power to him.

The deal was opposed by many shareholders who said it had wilfully undervalued one of the two firms. But it eventually went through after the national pension fund -- a major Samsung shareholder -- approved it.

Samsung has insisted that the payments were charitable contributions it was obliged to make under pressure from officials, and not bribes.

But Kwon apologised at the meeting, saying: "We're sorry that we have created a stir in society."

The firm would review all its charitable donations, it said.

"We've come to realise that our donations could be used for other purposes than we had intended."

SEOUL: The world's biggest smartphone maker Samsung, assailed by a shambolic recall and embroiled in South Korea's wide-ranging corruption scandal, on Friday backed away from a planned corporate restructuring. Following the embarrassing recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and under pressure from activist shareholders to improve corporate governance, Samsung Electronics said last year that it was considering splitting the company in two. Its vice-chairman Lee Jae-Yong, the heir to the parent Samsung group, has since been arrested and indicted for bribery, along with four other senior executives, in connection with the graft scandal that saw ex-president Park Geun-Hye impeached. But at the Samsung Electronics annual general meeting in Seoul, board chairman Kwon Oh-Hyun said the firm had reviewed legal and tax issues around proposed division into a holding company and an operating unit, and identified "some negative effects". He did not elaborate, but told shareholders: "At this moment, it seems difficult to carry it out." A promised new governance committee, made up of independent outside directors, will still be set up by the end of April, he said. But Samsung Electronics had so far been unable to recruit "foreign directors who have experience as chief executive officers of global companies" to join it, he said "due to uncertainties in the internal and external environment surrounding the company". Samsung Electronics is the group's flagship subsidiary, and its share price has hit record highs this year on expectations of higher profits. Indicted vice-chairman Lee has effectively been at the helm of the Samsung group since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014. The corruption scandal centres on the former president's secret confidante Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her ties with the head of state to force local firms to "donate" nearly $70 million to non-profit foundations, which Choi allegedly used for personal gain. Samsung, South Korea's largest business group with revenues equivalent to about a fifth of the country's GDP, was the single biggest donor to the foundations. It is also accused of separately giving millions of euros to Choi to bankroll her daughter's equestrian training in Germany. In total it handed over nearly $40 million. One of the favours Lee allegedly sought from Park was state approval for a controversial merger of two Samsung units in 2015, seen as a key step to ensure a smooth transfer of power to him. The deal was opposed by many shareholders who said it had wilfully undervalued one of the two firms. But it eventually went through after the national pension fund -- a major Samsung shareholder -- approved it. Samsung has insisted that the payments were charitable contributions it was obliged to make under pressure from officials, and not bribes. But Kwon apologised at the meeting, saying: "We're sorry that we have created a stir in society." The firm would review all its charitable donations, it said. "We've come to realise that our donations could be used for other purposes than we had intended."
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd. was slapped with a record fine and barred from trading in equity derivatives on the futures and options (F&O) market for one year by market regulator Sebi for fraudulent and manipulative trades.

The result of an investigation into trades made in Reliance Petroleum Ltd stock in 2007, the fine imposed (Rs 447.27 crore plus 12 per cent interest per annum calculated from November 29, 2007) is likely to be the largest in Sebis history  approaching a total of as much as Rs 1,300 crore and a minimum of Rs 947 crore.

The ban on trading has also been extended to twelve other entities involved in the fraudulent trades as agents of RIL. According to Sebi, RIL had sold a 4.1 per cent stake in RPL in 2007 ahead of a planned amalgamation. However, the shares had been sold first in the futures market and later in the spot market, to prevent a slump in RPL share prices.

RIL has been found guilty of using agents to book positions in the futures market ahead of the sale in the spot market, to make unlawful gains to the tune of Rs 513 crore.

According to the order, the fine and ban has been imposed taking into account both the magnitude of the fraud across markets and the quantum of unlawful gains made by Reliance Industries. These gains could not have been made but for the fraudulent and manipulative strategy/pattern adopted by them, it stated. A company spokesperson said they would contest the ruling at the Tribunal.

MUMBAI: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd. was slapped with a record fine and barred from trading in equity derivatives on the futures and options (F&O) market for one year by market regulator Sebi for fraudulent and manipulative trades. The result of an investigation into trades made in Reliance Petroleum Ltd stock in 2007, the fine imposed (Rs 447.27 crore plus 12 per cent interest per annum calculated from November 29, 2007) is likely to be the largest in Sebis history  approaching a total of as much as Rs 1,300 crore and a minimum of Rs 947 crore. The ban on trading has also been extended to twelve other entities involved in the fraudulent trades as agents of RIL. According to Sebi, RIL had sold a 4.1 per cent stake in RPL in 2007 ahead of a planned amalgamation. However, the shares had been sold first in the futures market and later in the spot market, to prevent a slump in RPL share prices. RIL has been found guilty of using agents to book positions in the futures market ahead of the sale in the spot market, to make unlawful gains to the tune of Rs 513 crore. According to the order, the fine and ban has been imposed taking into account both the magnitude of the fraud across markets and the quantum of unlawful gains made by Reliance Industries. These gains could not have been made but for the fraudulent and manipulative strategy/pattern adopted by them, it stated. A company spokesperson said they would contest the ruling at the Tribunal.
BENGALURU: A 22-year-old engineering student was stabbed to death by his inebriated hostel mate over a petty issue on Thursday night when the latter refused to shut the door to the common toilet.

The deceased Rohith (22), was an engineering student at East West College and the accused, Ravish (21), is a final year student of BA at Government First Grade College, Vijayanagar.

The incident occurred at Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Hostel in BEL First Stage. According to police, the incident took place at around 11 pm when Rohith was inside his room and Ravish, who had consumed alcohol entered and went to the toilet. When he came out, Rohith asked him to flush and shut the door as the foul smell disturbed the other students.

When Ravish refused, a fight broke out between the duo. In a fit of rage, Ravish allegedly stabbed Rohith, and another student, Amaresh, who came to rescue Rohith sustained minor injuries.



Hostel mates who saw Rohith lying in a pool of blood rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The body has been sent to Victoria hospital for post mortem. Byadarahalli police have arrested Ravish and investigations are underway.

BENGALURU: A 22-year-old engineering student was stabbed to death by his inebriated hostel mate over a petty issue on Thursday night when the latter refused to shut the door to the common toilet. The deceased Rohith (22), was an engineering student at East West College and the accused, Ravish (21), is a final year student of BA at Government First Grade College, Vijayanagar. The incident occurred at Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Hostel in BEL First Stage. According to police, the incident took place at around 11 pm when Rohith was inside his room and Ravish, who had consumed alcohol entered and went to the toilet. When he came out, Rohith asked him to flush and shut the door as the foul smell disturbed the other students. When Ravish refused, a fight broke out between the duo. In a fit of rage, Ravish allegedly stabbed Rohith, and another student, Amaresh, who came to rescue Rohith sustained minor injuries. Hostel mates who saw Rohith lying in a pool of blood rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The body has been sent to Victoria hospital for post mortem. Byadarahalli police have arrested Ravish and investigations are underway.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: The detention of two entrepreneurs in Patna for over six hours by police for asking questions to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a public programme has sparked protests from various quarters, leading to the suspension of two policemen on Friday.



Finding that detaining the two entrepreneurs at a police station for a background check was wholly unnecessary and we have placed under suspension sub-inspector Dilip Chauhan and constable Shambhu Sharan Paswan, posted at Gandhi Maidan police station, said Patna SSP Manu Maharaj on Friday. He also said that showcause notices were issued to DSP (town) Kailash Prasad and Gandhi Maidan SHO Priyaranjan Kumar.



The two entrepreneurs  Nemi Kumar of Madhubani and Suresh Kumar Sharma of Begusarai  were picked up by police from an entrepreneurship summit attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the chief guest in Patna on Tuesday. Nemi Kumar, who had submitted four start-up ideas to the State government, asked a question to the CM about the absence of transparency in selecting ideas. Sharma raised the issue of harassment he had faced by bank officials for a loan taken to manufacture machines to make flattened and puffed rice.



While the CM, though slightly annoyed about being asked questions by delegates during his speech, said he wanted to meet the two men after concluding his address. Kumar also had a brief chat with the two entrepreneurs, but soon after he left the venue, policemen picked up the duo. They were taken to Gandhi Maidan police station, where they were detained and questioned from 2 PM to 8 PM.



Allegations by the two entrepreneurs that they were not allowed to eat, drink or even to go to the toilet during those six hours had sparked backlash across Bihar. Policemen also called up their families to ask about possible criminal backgrounds.



It is highly unacceptable in a democracy that people are being locked up for raising legitimate questions at a public programme It should be probed if the two entrepreneurs were detained at the behest of the chief minister. If not, then the police official who ordered it must be suspended immediately, said senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.



Industry bodies also expressed deep resentment about the detention of the two. Such an incident at a time when the chief minister is encouraging the youth to take up entrepreneurship is very disturbing. Police must not pick up and question people for raising their issues, said Satyajit Kumar, chairman of the Bihar unit of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.



PATNA: The detention of two entrepreneurs in Patna for over six hours by police for asking questions to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a public programme has sparked protests from various quarters, leading to the suspension of two policemen on Friday. Finding that detaining the two entrepreneurs at a police station for a background check was wholly unnecessary and we have placed under suspension sub-inspector Dilip Chauhan and constable Shambhu Sharan Paswan, posted at Gandhi Maidan police station, said Patna SSP Manu Maharaj on Friday. He also said that showcause notices were issued to DSP (town) Kailash Prasad and Gandhi Maidan SHO Priyaranjan Kumar. The two entrepreneurs  Nemi Kumar of Madhubani and Suresh Kumar Sharma of Begusarai  were picked up by police from an entrepreneurship summit attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the chief guest in Patna on Tuesday. Nemi Kumar, who had submitted four start-up ideas to the State government, asked a question to the CM about the absence of transparency in selecting ideas. Sharma raised the issue of harassment he had faced by bank officials for a loan taken to manufacture machines to make flattened and puffed rice. While the CM, though slightly annoyed about being asked questions by delegates during his speech, said he wanted to meet the two men after concluding his address. Kumar also had a brief chat with the two entrepreneurs, but soon after he left the venue, policemen picked up the duo. They were taken to Gandhi Maidan police station, where they were detained and questioned from 2 PM to 8 PM. Allegations by the two entrepreneurs that they were not allowed to eat, drink or even to go to the toilet during those six hours had sparked backlash across Bihar. Policemen also called up their families to ask about possible criminal backgrounds. It is highly unacceptable in a democracy that people are being locked up for raising legitimate questions at a public programme It should be probed if the two entrepreneurs were detained at the behest of the chief minister. If not, then the police official who ordered it must be suspended immediately, said senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. Industry bodies also expressed deep resentment about the detention of the two. Such an incident at a time when the chief minister is encouraging the youth to take up entrepreneurship is very disturbing. Police must not pick up and question people for raising their issues, said Satyajit Kumar, chairman of the Bihar unit of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: Agitating resident doctors from government hospitals of Maharashtra may return to work on Saturday morning, as the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) dissociated from them after receiving flak from both, the High Court and the State government.

In an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court, MARD made it clear that the organisation is dissociating from the agitating doctors and wont have any objection if action is taken against the agitating doctors.

The organisation also assured the court that the agitating doctors would return to work by 8 amon Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warned the striking doctors of legal action if they dont resume duty. Making a statement in the Legislative Assembly, Fadnavis said, Enough is enough. If people continue to suffer government will not sit quietly. We cannot leave the patients to die. Im making a final attempt to break the deadlock on Friday by meeting the doctors' representatives. If no solution is found and doctors dont resume work, they should be prepared to face legal action.

Terming the attitude of doctors as insensitive, Fadnavis said he failed to understand the attitude of leaving patients to die.

What is the difference between anti-social elements who beat up doctors and the doctors themselves who take oath to treat ill people and then let them suffer. I am surprised at the adamant stand of the doctors despite assuring that the government fully supports their demand, he said, adding that the doctors have disregarded the directives of the High Court.

Fadnavis said, among the demands accepted was security audit of hospitals and access control to OPD, casualty and other wards. The demand for armed security guards has also been accepted. He also said that the government has promised free legal and medical aid to doctors if attacked and they will be treated as government servants.

The High Court also lashed out at MARD for not complying with their order of calling off the strike and warned the agitating doctors and said that punitive action could be taken against them by the government and Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) if they dont return to work by Saturday.

Advocate General Rohit Deo said doctors, at a meeting with the Chief Minister on Thursday, gave an assurance that they would join duty but they didnt. The resident doctors had not gone on strike at the Dhule Hospital, where a doctor was beaten up.

Counsel for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation told the court that in four days there were 53 deaths in the KEM hospital, 48 in the Sion hospital and 34 in the Nair Hospital. Extra police and CRPF personnel were deployed at hospitals.

The court said, We tried to help them but they dont want our help, and then asked the MARD to file an affidavit.

Around 4,000 members of MARD were on mass casual leave since Monday in all public hospitals in the State. In addition to that, around 40,000 members of the Indian Medical Association working in private hospitals or as general practitioners joined the protest on Wednesday evening. Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and other places too went on token strikes to express solidarity. However, after the Court strictures today IMA withdrew their support to the resident doctors agitation.

The MARD, on Thursday had assured the government and the court that the agitation would be called off. They also released a letter to that effect late in the night. However, the junior doctors did not resume their work on Friday.

Meanwhile, since Wednesday, hospital administrations has served show cause or suspension orders to more than 2,000 resident doctors.

MUMBAI: Agitating resident doctors from government hospitals of Maharashtra may return to work on Saturday morning, as the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) dissociated from them after receiving flak from both, the High Court and the State government. In an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court, MARD made it clear that the organisation is dissociating from the agitating doctors and wont have any objection if action is taken against the agitating doctors. The organisation also assured the court that the agitating doctors would return to work by 8 amon Saturday. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warned the striking doctors of legal action if they dont resume duty. Making a statement in the Legislative Assembly, Fadnavis said, Enough is enough. If people continue to suffer government will not sit quietly. We cannot leave the patients to die. Im making a final attempt to break the deadlock on Friday by meeting the doctors' representatives. If no solution is found and doctors dont resume work, they should be prepared to face legal action. Terming the attitude of doctors as insensitive, Fadnavis said he failed to understand the attitude of leaving patients to die. What is the difference between anti-social elements who beat up doctors and the doctors themselves who take oath to treat ill people and then let them suffer. I am surprised at the adamant stand of the doctors despite assuring that the government fully supports their demand, he said, adding that the doctors have disregarded the directives of the High Court. Fadnavis said, among the demands accepted was security audit of hospitals and access control to OPD, casualty and other wards. The demand for armed security guards has also been accepted. He also said that the government has promised free legal and medical aid to doctors if attacked and they will be treated as government servants. The High Court also lashed out at MARD for not complying with their order of calling off the strike and warned the agitating doctors and said that punitive action could be taken against them by the government and Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) if they dont return to work by Saturday. Advocate General Rohit Deo said doctors, at a meeting with the Chief Minister on Thursday, gave an assurance that they would join duty but they didnt. The resident doctors had not gone on strike at the Dhule Hospital, where a doctor was beaten up. Counsel for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation told the court that in four days there were 53 deaths in the KEM hospital, 48 in the Sion hospital and 34 in the Nair Hospital. Extra police and CRPF personnel were deployed at hospitals. The court said, We tried to help them but they dont want our help, and then asked the MARD to file an affidavit. Around 4,000 members of MARD were on mass casual leave since Monday in all public hospitals in the State. In addition to that, around 40,000 members of the Indian Medical Association working in private hospitals or as general practitioners joined the protest on Wednesday evening. Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and other places too went on token strikes to express solidarity. However, after the Court strictures today IMA withdrew their support to the resident doctors agitation. The MARD, on Thursday had assured the government and the court that the agitation would be called off. They also released a letter to that effect late in the night. However, the junior doctors did not resume their work on Friday. Meanwhile, since Wednesday, hospital administrations has served show cause or suspension orders to more than 2,000 resident doctors.
By IANS

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on Friday banned Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying on Air India and four private airlines for assaulting an Air India employee.

"Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this MP from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," the group's Associate Director Ujjwal Dey said in a statement.

"We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," the statement added.

Besides Air India, the other airlines which won't allow Gaikwad to fly are IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air.

The FIA demanded "strict action" against the MP.

"We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living," Dey said.

Air India also cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket to Pune.

The decision was taken a day after Gaikwad thrashed an Air India employee repeatedly with his slipper after he was forced to travel in economy class from Pune to Delhi despite holding a business class ticket.

Video footage of the incident also showed the MP from Osmananabad in Maharashtra trying to push down the employee, R. Sukumar, from the plane despite pleading from other airline officials to behave.

A common practice among international and some private Indian airlines, this is the first time the Indian national carrier has blacklisted a rowdy passenger.

On Thursday, Air India said it was examining the possibility of creating a 'no fly' list of unruly passengers on the lines of other airlines.

The airline also lodged FIRs against Gaikwad - for assaulting a shift manager and delaying a scheduled flight to Goa.

Sukumar, the employee who was attacked, said he first requested the MP to deboard in English but was told to speak in Hindi.

When he began to speak in Hindi, Gaikwad flared up and hit him.

All through Thursday and Friday, the Shiv Sena leader refused to apologize, saying the airline staff was rude. He said he had the backing of party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

"I will not apologize. Why should I? It's not my mistake. They should apologize first, then (we) will see."

Asked how he would go back to Pune on Friday when a case had been registered against him, the MP said he didn't care.

"What is the nature of the case? I will go. My lawyer, my party and Uddhav Thackeray Saheb will see to the matter."

On his part, Gaikwad has shot off complaints to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding an inquiry into the incident.

Thackeray has reportedly sought an explanation from Gaikwad for his behaviour.

The FIA also proposed the "no fly list" to include "all unruly passengers" keeping in mind the safety and security of "our colleagues and other customers".

"Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the government and security agencies to enforce such a 'no fly' list," Dey said.

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on Friday banned Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying on Air India and four private airlines for assaulting an Air India employee. "Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this MP from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," the group's Associate Director Ujjwal Dey said in a statement. "We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety," the statement added. Besides Air India, the other airlines which won't allow Gaikwad to fly are IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air. The FIA demanded "strict action" against the MP. "We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living," Dey said. Air India also cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket to Pune. The decision was taken a day after Gaikwad thrashed an Air India employee repeatedly with his slipper after he was forced to travel in economy class from Pune to Delhi despite holding a business class ticket. Video footage of the incident also showed the MP from Osmananabad in Maharashtra trying to push down the employee, R. Sukumar, from the plane despite pleading from other airline officials to behave. A common practice among international and some private Indian airlines, this is the first time the Indian national carrier has blacklisted a rowdy passenger. On Thursday, Air India said it was examining the possibility of creating a 'no fly' list of unruly passengers on the lines of other airlines. The airline also lodged FIRs against Gaikwad - for assaulting a shift manager and delaying a scheduled flight to Goa. Sukumar, the employee who was attacked, said he first requested the MP to deboard in English but was told to speak in Hindi. When he began to speak in Hindi, Gaikwad flared up and hit him. All through Thursday and Friday, the Shiv Sena leader refused to apologize, saying the airline staff was rude. He said he had the backing of party chief Uddhav Thackeray. "I will not apologize. Why should I? It's not my mistake. They should apologize first, then (we) will see." Asked how he would go back to Pune on Friday when a case had been registered against him, the MP said he didn't care. "What is the nature of the case? I will go. My lawyer, my party and Uddhav Thackeray Saheb will see to the matter." On his part, Gaikwad has shot off complaints to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding an inquiry into the incident. Thackeray has reportedly sought an explanation from Gaikwad for his behaviour. The FIA also proposed the "no fly list" to include "all unruly passengers" keeping in mind the safety and security of "our colleagues and other customers". "Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the government and security agencies to enforce such a 'no fly' list," Dey said.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday informed that extradition of absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya has been stratified by Secretary of State of the U.K. Government and soon a warrant would be released against him.

Somewhere in the month in the month of February, the home office of the U.K. Government conveyed that India's request for extradition of Mallya has been stratified by Secretary of State and sent to Westminster Magistrate court for a district judge consider issue of releasing of warrant, MEA official spokesperson Gopal Bagley told the media here.

Earlier in March, the Supreme Court fast-tracked the proceedings against Mallya and reserved its order on contempt proceedings against him for allegedly diverting $40 million to his children's accounts in foreign banks in violation of court orders.

A bench of Justices A.K. Goel and U.U. Lalit reserved its order on whether or not Mallya was guilty of contempt and what action should be taken to bring back the money.

The court concluded the proceedings after a three-and-a-half-hour hearing during which the Centre contended that Mallya was mocking the Indian system after fleeing the country. It said the government was holding talks with U.K. authorities to get him deported.

The apex court had started proceedings against Mallya a year ago and had issued notice to him on March 8, 2016 on a plea by a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) for recovery of about Rs. 9,000 crore which the businessman and his companies owed to them.

The liquor baron, however, fled the country days before the apex court took up the case against him.

Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi urged the court to direct Mallya to bring back the $40 million which he had received from Diageo. He told the bench that Mallya had breached court orders and his refusal to bring back the money had aggravated the breach and he should be directed to appear personally before the court.

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday informed that extradition of absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya has been stratified by Secretary of State of the U.K. Government and soon a warrant would be released against him. Somewhere in the month in the month of February, the home office of the U.K. Government conveyed that India's request for extradition of Mallya has been stratified by Secretary of State and sent to Westminster Magistrate court for a district judge consider issue of releasing of warrant, MEA official spokesperson Gopal Bagley told the media here. Earlier in March, the Supreme Court fast-tracked the proceedings against Mallya and reserved its order on contempt proceedings against him for allegedly diverting $40 million to his children's accounts in foreign banks in violation of court orders. A bench of Justices A.K. Goel and U.U. Lalit reserved its order on whether or not Mallya was guilty of contempt and what action should be taken to bring back the money. The court concluded the proceedings after a three-and-a-half-hour hearing during which the Centre contended that Mallya was mocking the Indian system after fleeing the country. It said the government was holding talks with U.K. authorities to get him deported. The apex court had started proceedings against Mallya a year ago and had issued notice to him on March 8, 2016 on a plea by a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) for recovery of about Rs. 9,000 crore which the businessman and his companies owed to them. The liquor baron, however, fled the country days before the apex court took up the case against him. Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi urged the court to direct Mallya to bring back the $40 million which he had received from Diageo. He told the bench that Mallya had breached court orders and his refusal to bring back the money had aggravated the breach and he should be directed to appear personally before the court.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The clampdown on slaughter houses in Uttar Pradesh has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and unease among the people engaged in the industry, so much so that they are contemplating shifting base to other states. During the last two months, meat exporters, who cater to over 50 nations, have suffered losses to the tune of `4,000 crore due to cancellation of export consignment orders.

Though so far the State government has issued orders only to put a leash on cow smuggling and closure of illegal slaughter houses operating for years right under the nose of authorities, panic and confusion are seeping into the sector.

UP is not only the largest producer of meat in the world, but also contributes over 60 per cent to Indias share in global production.

The BJP, which has assumed power in UP with a huge mandate, is keen on delivering the promise of putting a leash on illegal slaughter houses along with mechanised abattoirs, promised in its election manifesto. However, the meat producer community feels harassed at the hands of the authorities.

Lamenting over the ongoing situation in the State, a senior office bearer of Mumbai-based All India Meat & Live Exporters Association (AIMLEA), an umbrella body of registered meat exporters, said a productive animal is never slaughtered at legal and mechanised abattoirs. Only unproductive buffalos are slaughtered and it has been a legal practice for more than 40 years.

According to data available with AIMLEA, the crackdown will impact a workforce of over five lakh engaged in the industry directly or indirectly. Opposing the practice of cow slaughter, the AIMLEA office bearer said anyone who indulges in such a practice should be hanged, but what was going on in UP seemed to be a witch hunt.

While the AIMLEA office bearers are trying to meet the CM for the last three days to put forth their case, they are yet to get a hearing.

Meanwhile, the Opposition on Thursday raised the issue of the ongoing action against illegal abattoirs and anti-Romeo squads in Uttar Pradesh and claimed that a particular caste and a community were being targeted by the government. Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh said the government would look into any specific instance if its brought forward.

LUCKNOW: The clampdown on slaughter houses in Uttar Pradesh has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and unease among the people engaged in the industry, so much so that they are contemplating shifting base to other states. During the last two months, meat exporters, who cater to over 50 nations, have suffered losses to the tune of `4,000 crore due to cancellation of export consignment orders. Though so far the State government has issued orders only to put a leash on cow smuggling and closure of illegal slaughter houses operating for years right under the nose of authorities, panic and confusion are seeping into the sector. UP is not only the largest producer of meat in the world, but also contributes over 60 per cent to Indias share in global production. The BJP, which has assumed power in UP with a huge mandate, is keen on delivering the promise of putting a leash on illegal slaughter houses along with mechanised abattoirs, promised in its election manifesto. However, the meat producer community feels harassed at the hands of the authorities. Lamenting over the ongoing situation in the State, a senior office bearer of Mumbai-based All India Meat & Live Exporters Association (AIMLEA), an umbrella body of registered meat exporters, said a productive animal is never slaughtered at legal and mechanised abattoirs. Only unproductive buffalos are slaughtered and it has been a legal practice for more than 40 years. According to data available with AIMLEA, the crackdown will impact a workforce of over five lakh engaged in the industry directly or indirectly. Opposing the practice of cow slaughter, the AIMLEA office bearer said anyone who indulges in such a practice should be hanged, but what was going on in UP seemed to be a witch hunt. While the AIMLEA office bearers are trying to meet the CM for the last three days to put forth their case, they are yet to get a hearing. Meanwhile, the Opposition on Thursday raised the issue of the ongoing action against illegal abattoirs and anti-Romeo squads in Uttar Pradesh and claimed that a particular caste and a community were being targeted by the government. Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh said the government would look into any specific instance if its brought forward.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Even while pushing for the fast track mode of military acquisitions, Army chief General Bipin Rawat has said the armed forces, in the present complex environment, should be well prepared for conventional warfare along the countrys borders. After last Septembers surgical strikes, the Ministry of Defence has put several defence acquisitions on the fast track mode.

At an event in the national capital, the Army chief maintained that in the present environment, technology is imbibed by the armed forces in a manner that will rapidly keep pace with the changing systems before they become obsolete.

But for that to happen it is important that we are able to identify the correct type of technology and equipment that is to be inducted into the armed forces, he stated.

Gen. Rawat further emphasised that the Army has to keep pace with the digitised world and ensure that most of its systems are digitised as early as possible.

At the same time, it is important to remember that war will be fought on the border and therefore the technology to be incorporated into the Armys communication system has to be ruggedised and light-weight.

Rawat, while avoiding naming any immediate enemy of the nation, said India will continue to face conventional or non-traditional forms of warfare and the armed forces will have to be ready to deal with any such challenge.

He also said that communication technology for the armed forces must be simple, light-weight and easy to maintain as they will be required for wars on the borders, adding that technology must work in extreme weather conditions.

Referring to social media, the Army chief said adversaries appeared to be taking advantage of it. He also talked about the need for having proper encryption mechanism, both for voice and data, in the communication network for armed forces.

NEW DELHI: Even while pushing for the fast track mode of military acquisitions, Army chief General Bipin Rawat has said the armed forces, in the present complex environment, should be well prepared for conventional warfare along the countrys borders. After last Septembers surgical strikes, the Ministry of Defence has put several defence acquisitions on the fast track mode. At an event in the national capital, the Army chief maintained that in the present environment, technology is imbibed by the armed forces in a manner that will rapidly keep pace with the changing systems before they become obsolete. But for that to happen it is important that we are able to identify the correct type of technology and equipment that is to be inducted into the armed forces, he stated. Gen. Rawat further emphasised that the Army has to keep pace with the digitised world and ensure that most of its systems are digitised as early as possible. At the same time, it is important to remember that war will be fought on the border and therefore the technology to be incorporated into the Armys communication system has to be ruggedised and light-weight. Rawat, while avoiding naming any immediate enemy of the nation, said India will continue to face conventional or non-traditional forms of warfare and the armed forces will have to be ready to deal with any such challenge. He also said that communication technology for the armed forces must be simple, light-weight and easy to maintain as they will be required for wars on the borders, adding that technology must work in extreme weather conditions. Referring to social media, the Army chief said adversaries appeared to be taking advantage of it. He also talked about the need for having proper encryption mechanism, both for voice and data, in the communication network for armed forces.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Aparna Yadav, younger daughter-in-law of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, and her husband Prateek Yadav visited newly-anointed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Friday.

Following the half-hour private meeting, the couple left without talking to the media. However, party officials later insisted that it was just a courtesy call.

But given the brutal drubbing of the Samajwadi Party at the hands of the BJP in the recently-concluded Assembly polls, the meeting has sparked intense speculation among political circles here. Given the

vicious feud between Mulayam and his son Akhilesh just before the elections, and the finger-pointing after the rout, the murmurs of a possible political realignment are bound to arise.

Aparna Yadav, Mulayams Chhoti Bahu, had contested the Assembly election from Lucknow Cantonment, but lost her seat to ex-UPCC chief and BJP candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi by over 30,000 votes.

In the run up to the UP polls, when the family feud and war for the party symbol was at its peak, Aparna was seen positioned obliquely against Akhilesh as a parallel force. Many in the family and the party were propping her up as an equal and opposite power centre to blunt Akhilesh.

However, after Akhilesh clearly established his leadership and won the party symbol, his father Mulayam and uncle Shivpal Yadav had no option but to fall in line. Shivpal was sacked by Akhilesh from the post of SP State chief, though he was later given a ticket to contest from Jaswantnagar.

Aparnas BJP love is not new. She has publicly praised Prime Minister Modi, and even clicked and shared a selfie with him. She is also close to the Gorakhnath Math, where Yogi Adityanath is mahant or

chief priest. When the Bade Maharaj Mahant Avaidyanath passed away in 2014, Aparna was the only representative from the ruling Samajwadi Partys first family to visit the math and pay tribute. Her husband Prateek, 28, is Mulayams younger son from his second wife. He is a real estate businessman and a fitness enthusiast who owns a high-end gym in the State capital, and insists that he is apolitical.



LUCKNOW: Aparna Yadav, younger daughter-in-law of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, and her husband Prateek Yadav visited newly-anointed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Friday. Following the half-hour private meeting, the couple left without talking to the media. However, party officials later insisted that it was just a courtesy call. But given the brutal drubbing of the Samajwadi Party at the hands of the BJP in the recently-concluded Assembly polls, the meeting has sparked intense speculation among political circles here. Given the vicious feud between Mulayam and his son Akhilesh just before the elections, and the finger-pointing after the rout, the murmurs of a possible political realignment are bound to arise. Aparna Yadav, Mulayams Chhoti Bahu, had contested the Assembly election from Lucknow Cantonment, but lost her seat to ex-UPCC chief and BJP candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi by over 30,000 votes. In the run up to the UP polls, when the family feud and war for the party symbol was at its peak, Aparna was seen positioned obliquely against Akhilesh as a parallel force. Many in the family and the party were propping her up as an equal and opposite power centre to blunt Akhilesh. However, after Akhilesh clearly established his leadership and won the party symbol, his father Mulayam and uncle Shivpal Yadav had no option but to fall in line. Shivpal was sacked by Akhilesh from the post of SP State chief, though he was later given a ticket to contest from Jaswantnagar. Aparnas BJP love is not new. She has publicly praised Prime Minister Modi, and even clicked and shared a selfie with him. She is also close to the Gorakhnath Math, where Yogi Adityanath is mahant or chief priest. When the Bade Maharaj Mahant Avaidyanath passed away in 2014, Aparna was the only representative from the ruling Samajwadi Partys first family to visit the math and pay tribute. Her husband Prateek, 28, is Mulayams younger son from his second wife. He is a real estate businessman and a fitness enthusiast who owns a high-end gym in the State capital, and insists that he is apolitical.
The Maoist ambush of a Central Reserve Police Force patrol at Sukma in Chhattisgarh on March 11 has once again exposed the gross ineptitude of Indias much touted anti-Naxal operations. Twelve hapless CRPF personnel were killed and two critically wounded. Ten rifles and two radio sets were looted from the ambushed party. The attack is a grim reminder of the Dantewada massacre of April 2010 when 76 CRPF personnel were killed by the Maoists. In June 2010, the Naxals slaughtered 26 CRPF men in Bastar. Before that, 55 policemen were killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh in March 2007.

It has been a long saga of precious lives sacrificed by the callous government. The policy and methodology to counter the Naxal threat have long been subjects of intense debate. The CRPF is currently countering the Naxals. It is a federal law enforcement agency and a police force. It has been organised, equipped, structured and trained to supplement the efforts of state police in the maintenance of law and order. Presently, a crisis of identity is overwhelming the CRPF. It calls itself a paramilitary police forcea force is either a paramilitary force or a police force. The term paramilitary police force is self-contradictory, dichotomist in substance, paradoxical in nature and ambivalent in identity.

As a result, the CRPF has got trapped in the self-created delusion about its capabilities. Facing bullets fired by highly motivated Naxals requires totally different capabilities compared to those required to face stones thrown by hired hooligans in Kashmir. It is a misplaced expectation that the CRPF can perform like a paramilitary force with short orientation training at counter-insurgency schools. A police force can never become a paramilitary force, fallacious pretentiousness notwithstanding. The creation of 10 special counter-Naxal CoBRA teams has been of little help as the bulk of CRPF personnel are inadequately trained and poorly equipped. Worse, the organisation suffers from sub-standard leadership. No middle or senior ranking officer has ever participates in anti-Naxal operations. Junior leaders and men are made to fend for themselves. The Armys reluctance to get embroiled is understandable. It is already over-committed in Kashmir and the Northeast.

Further involvement will degrade its war potential. The only viable option available is to raise a specialised paramilitary force to suppress internal uprisings. The proposed Internal Security Force (ISF) should function under the Home Ministry. The raising of ISF cannot be termed as a wasteful duplication of existing forces. The ISF would be a genuine paramilitary force, the first of its kind in the country. Moreover, once the ISF is well established, it can relieve the CRPF of counter-insurgency operations, and the CRPFs strength can be correspondingly reduced in a calibrated mannerby reducing intake and not retrenchment. ISF units should be organised on the lines of infantry battalions and provided necessary specialised equipment (including airborne force-multipliers). To start with, the ISF should consist of six battalions, grouped under two sector headquarters. The organisation structure should be modular and platoon-centric.

The entire manpower should consist only of ex-servicemen to ensure the ISF develops a military- like ethos without any dilution. Willing medically-fit personnel, after the completion of their tenure of duty with the Army, should be inducted in analogous posts in the ISF with full protection of pay. Similarly, retiring Short Service Commission (SSC) officers should be offered absorption into the ISF. To start with, senior ranks could be manned by Army officers on permanent secondment. Once the initial inductees rise in ranks, they should man the entire organisation. The suggested proposal cannot be faulted on any legitimate grounds. It is an extremely viable scheme that harnesses the expertise and experience of ex-servicemen. It will also result in substantial financial savings to the government. Around 40,000 young, welltrained and physically fit soldiers are released from the defence forces every year. The ISF will get trained manpower with rich experience in anti-terror and counterinsurgency duties.

The induction of fully trained soldiers would obviate the need for additional training facilities. The Army personnel are highly disciplined and are trained to use minimum force and act in good faith. Incidentally, the CRPF is already taking ex-servicemen on contract for a period of 5 years (extendable to 7 years). The ex-servicemens pension bill will get significantly reduced as pension will be due to the retiring servicemen only after 30-33 years of service as against 17 years of service at present. Additionally, the ISF would save on recruitment and training costs of personnel. Presently, insecurity about future prospects deters youth from applying for the SSC. The lateral shift to the ISF will provide a highly attractive avenue. It would also help keep the age profile of the defence forces young. During times of war, ISF units could be put under Army formations to control internal situation and secure lines of communications.

Thus, Indias war ef fort would ge t augmented. A word of caution would be in order. The fundamental strength of the ISF would lie in its army-like character and it should not be diluted by parking favourite police officers in higher positions. The ISF should not go the National Security Guard way, where the real punch is provided by the military component, but ironically, the director general is a police officer. It is time India stops using hapless CRPF forces to battle Naxals. It is a grave and criminal dereliction of the states responsibility towards CRPF personnel and their families.

MAJ. GEN. Mrinal Suman

A decorated veteran and expert in defence procurement procedures

Email: mrinalsuman@gmail.com

The Maoist ambush of a Central Reserve Police Force patrol at Sukma in Chhattisgarh on March 11 has once again exposed the gross ineptitude of Indias much touted anti-Naxal operations. Twelve hapless CRPF personnel were killed and two critically wounded. Ten rifles and two radio sets were looted from the ambushed party. The attack is a grim reminder of the Dantewada massacre of April 2010 when 76 CRPF personnel were killed by the Maoists. In June 2010, the Naxals slaughtered 26 CRPF men in Bastar. Before that, 55 policemen were killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh in March 2007. It has been a long saga of precious lives sacrificed by the callous government. The policy and methodology to counter the Naxal threat have long been subjects of intense debate. The CRPF is currently countering the Naxals. It is a federal law enforcement agency and a police force. It has been organised, equipped, structured and trained to supplement the efforts of state police in the maintenance of law and order. Presently, a crisis of identity is overwhelming the CRPF. It calls itself a paramilitary police forcea force is either a paramilitary force or a police force. The term paramilitary police force is self-contradictory, dichotomist in substance, paradoxical in nature and ambivalent in identity. As a result, the CRPF has got trapped in the self-created delusion about its capabilities. Facing bullets fired by highly motivated Naxals requires totally different capabilities compared to those required to face stones thrown by hired hooligans in Kashmir. It is a misplaced expectation that the CRPF can perform like a paramilitary force with short orientation training at counter-insurgency schools. A police force can never become a paramilitary force, fallacious pretentiousness notwithstanding. The creation of 10 special counter-Naxal CoBRA teams has been of little help as the bulk of CRPF personnel are inadequately trained and poorly equipped. Worse, the organisation suffers from sub-standard leadership. No middle or senior ranking officer has ever participates in anti-Naxal operations. Junior leaders and men are made to fend for themselves. The Armys reluctance to get embroiled is understandable. It is already over-committed in Kashmir and the Northeast. Further involvement will degrade its war potential. The only viable option available is to raise a specialised paramilitary force to suppress internal uprisings. The proposed Internal Security Force (ISF) should function under the Home Ministry. The raising of ISF cannot be termed as a wasteful duplication of existing forces. The ISF would be a genuine paramilitary force, the first of its kind in the country. Moreover, once the ISF is well established, it can relieve the CRPF of counter-insurgency operations, and the CRPFs strength can be correspondingly reduced in a calibrated mannerby reducing intake and not retrenchment. ISF units should be organised on the lines of infantry battalions and provided necessary specialised equipment (including airborne force-multipliers). To start with, the ISF should consist of six battalions, grouped under two sector headquarters. The organisation structure should be modular and platoon-centric. The entire manpower should consist only of ex-servicemen to ensure the ISF develops a military- like ethos without any dilution. Willing medically-fit personnel, after the completion of their tenure of duty with the Army, should be inducted in analogous posts in the ISF with full protection of pay. Similarly, retiring Short Service Commission (SSC) officers should be offered absorption into the ISF. To start with, senior ranks could be manned by Army officers on permanent secondment. Once the initial inductees rise in ranks, they should man the entire organisation. The suggested proposal cannot be faulted on any legitimate grounds. It is an extremely viable scheme that harnesses the expertise and experience of ex-servicemen. It will also result in substantial financial savings to the government. Around 40,000 young, welltrained and physically fit soldiers are released from the defence forces every year. The ISF will get trained manpower with rich experience in anti-terror and counterinsurgency duties. The induction of fully trained soldiers would obviate the need for additional training facilities. The Army personnel are highly disciplined and are trained to use minimum force and act in good faith. Incidentally, the CRPF is already taking ex-servicemen on contract for a period of 5 years (extendable to 7 years). The ex-servicemens pension bill will get significantly reduced as pension will be due to the retiring servicemen only after 30-33 years of service as against 17 years of service at present. Additionally, the ISF would save on recruitment and training costs of personnel. Presently, insecurity about future prospects deters youth from applying for the SSC. The lateral shift to the ISF will provide a highly attractive avenue. It would also help keep the age profile of the defence forces young. During times of war, ISF units could be put under Army formations to control internal situation and secure lines of communications. Thus, Indias war ef fort would ge t augmented. A word of caution would be in order. The fundamental strength of the ISF would lie in its army-like character and it should not be diluted by parking favourite police officers in higher positions. The ISF should not go the National Security Guard way, where the real punch is provided by the military component, but ironically, the director general is a police officer. It is time India stops using hapless CRPF forces to battle Naxals. It is a grave and criminal dereliction of the states responsibility towards CRPF personnel and their families. MAJ. GEN. Mrinal Suman A decorated veteran and expert in defence procurement procedures Email: mrinalsuman@gmail.com
In a significant development, India will be among the seven nations taking part in Blue Flag, a two week biennial drill organised by the Israeli Air Force near Tel Aviv later this year. The exercise is aimed at honing planning, targeting, and coordinated command and control skills needed for operating in high-threat theaters. Apart from nearly 100 aircraft and several hundred pilots and support staff from the US, Greece, Poland, France, Germany, Italy and India, military observers from 40 other nations are also expected to attend.

This would mark the first time India will take part in a multinational military drill in Israel, and the announcement comes ahead of a proposed visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May or June, which would make him the first Indian PM to do so. Israel made considerable investments in Gujarat when Modi was the chief minister, and he believes it can play a major role in his Make in India initiative. The BJP too has been vocal in its admiration for Israels nationalistic position.

Israel is one of Indias largest defence suppliers, selling high-end missile systems as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, small arms, and sensors used along the LoC with Pakistan. Earlier, while New Delhi and Tel Aviv did indulge in a lot of military trade and transfers, the relationship was kept low-key owing to fear of offending the Gulf nations, which supply most of Indias fuel needs and where thousands of Indians work. But after the BJP came to power in 2014, there has been a flurry of bilateral visits.

President Pranab Mukherjee became the first Indian head of state to land in Israel in October 2015. This led to a reciprocal visit by Israel President Reuven Rivlin in November last year. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon was in India in February 2015. Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Israel in November 2015; External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj went there in January 2016. So far, India has managed a fine diplomatic balancing act between the Jewish and Arab states. But the clear tilt is starting to show.

In a significant development, India will be among the seven nations taking part in Blue Flag, a two week biennial drill organised by the Israeli Air Force near Tel Aviv later this year. The exercise is aimed at honing planning, targeting, and coordinated command and control skills needed for operating in high-threat theaters. Apart from nearly 100 aircraft and several hundred pilots and support staff from the US, Greece, Poland, France, Germany, Italy and India, military observers from 40 other nations are also expected to attend. This would mark the first time India will take part in a multinational military drill in Israel, and the announcement comes ahead of a proposed visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May or June, which would make him the first Indian PM to do so. Israel made considerable investments in Gujarat when Modi was the chief minister, and he believes it can play a major role in his Make in India initiative. The BJP too has been vocal in its admiration for Israels nationalistic position. Israel is one of Indias largest defence suppliers, selling high-end missile systems as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, small arms, and sensors used along the LoC with Pakistan. Earlier, while New Delhi and Tel Aviv did indulge in a lot of military trade and transfers, the relationship was kept low-key owing to fear of offending the Gulf nations, which supply most of Indias fuel needs and where thousands of Indians work. But after the BJP came to power in 2014, there has been a flurry of bilateral visits. President Pranab Mukherjee became the first Indian head of state to land in Israel in October 2015. This led to a reciprocal visit by Israel President Reuven Rivlin in November last year. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon was in India in February 2015. Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Israel in November 2015; External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj went there in January 2016. So far, India has managed a fine diplomatic balancing act between the Jewish and Arab states. But the clear tilt is starting to show.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If popular sentiment was a parameter in deciding the quantum of punishment, they would not have come out of the prison. Ever. But the Kerala Governments list for special remission, submitted to Governor P Sathasivam, contained 11 convicts in the T P Chandrasekharan murder case and controversial businessman Mohammed Nisham.

The names came up through a Right to Information (RTI) reply given by the Prisons Department, caused major embarrassment to the state government. The RTI reply said the list was forwarded to the government for special remission on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Keralas formation (Nov 1, 2016). But the Governor had sent back the list seeking more clarification.

Notorious 11

TP murder case convicts: M C Anoop (1st accused), Manoj Kumar aka Kirmani Manoj (2nd accused), N K Sunil Kumar aka Kodi Suni (3rd accused), T K Rajeesh (4th accused), K K Mohammed Shafi (5th accused), Annan Shijith (6th accused), K Shinoj (7th accused), K C Ramachandran (8th accused), CPM Kunnummakkara local committee member Manojan aka Trouser Manojan (11th accused), former CPM branch secretary, Kadanganpoyil, P K Kunhanandan (13th accused) and CPM Panur area committee member P V Rafeeque (18th accused).

 Mohammed Nisham

The beedi tycoon is serving life term for killing the security guard of his apartment, Chandrabose.

 Manichan

The key accused in the Kalluvathukkal hooch tragedy

 Sherin

She is convicted in the murder case of her father-in-law

The list

The government prepared the final remission list of 1,850 from 2,262 names prepared by a five-member committee chaired by DGP (Prisons). But the Governor had sent back the list seeking more clarification.

The government plan was to grant one-year remission to those undergoing

life term, five months to those serving five to 10 years, four months to those having two to five years term, three months for jail period of one to two years, two months for six months to one year term and a month for those serving three to six months in jail.

Amid the raging controversy over the LDF Governments move to grant remission to the convicts serving time in some of the most sensational cases, the CPM state leadership has flatly denied the charges.Besides, it passed the buck to the rival UDF camp, saying the list had been drawn up by the previous Congress-led Government.

Whether its about the accused in the T P Chandrasekharan murder case or Mohammed Nisam, the accused in the Chandrabose case, they are eligible for remission as per the law. This has been the practice for long. Moreover, it was recommended by the erstwhile UDF Government. The LDF Government had no role in it, said a senior leader after the CPM state secretariat meet.

Interestingly,the CPM brass,while seeking to bail out the LDF Government,insisted the convicts were only being allowed a legitimate concession eligible to them under the law. Contrary to whats being alleged, its not about releasing them from the prison,they said.If the convicts had to be released from the prison,special permission from the Governor was indeed needed. Moreover,none of the lifers would be set free, it was said.

Flak against govt

The CPM state secretariat reportedly saw criticism of the government for failing to take its achievements to the people. It witnessed calls for measures to further improve the goverments image.

Even as some of the secretariat members said the repeated controversies would dent the governments image, they drew attention to certain lapses in the functioning of the LDF dispensation.

Kodiyeris clean chit

CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the list of convicts was prepared by the erstwhile UDF Government. Its only about granting them remission as per the law. None of them would be released from prison, based on the list, the CPM state chief said, adding, he was yet to go through it.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If popular sentiment was a parameter in deciding the quantum of punishment, they would not have come out of the prison. Ever. But the Kerala Governments list for special remission, submitted to Governor P Sathasivam, contained 11 convicts in the T P Chandrasekharan murder case and controversial businessman Mohammed Nisham. The names came up through a Right to Information (RTI) reply given by the Prisons Department, caused major embarrassment to the state government. The RTI reply said the list was forwarded to the government for special remission on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Keralas formation (Nov 1, 2016). But the Governor had sent back the list seeking more clarification. Notorious 11 TP murder case convicts: M C Anoop (1st accused), Manoj Kumar aka Kirmani Manoj (2nd accused), N K Sunil Kumar aka Kodi Suni (3rd accused), T K Rajeesh (4th accused), K K Mohammed Shafi (5th accused), Annan Shijith (6th accused), K Shinoj (7th accused), K C Ramachandran (8th accused), CPM Kunnummakkara local committee member Manojan aka Trouser Manojan (11th accused), former CPM branch secretary, Kadanganpoyil, P K Kunhanandan (13th accused) and CPM Panur area committee member P V Rafeeque (18th accused).  Mohammed Nisham The beedi tycoon is serving life term for killing the security guard of his apartment, Chandrabose.  Manichan The key accused in the Kalluvathukkal hooch tragedy  Sherin She is convicted in the murder case of her father-in-law The list The government prepared the final remission list of 1,850 from 2,262 names prepared by a five-member committee chaired by DGP (Prisons). But the Governor had sent back the list seeking more clarification. The government plan was to grant one-year remission to those undergoing life term, five months to those serving five to 10 years, four months to those having two to five years term, three months for jail period of one to two years, two months for six months to one year term and a month for those serving three to six months in jail. Amid the raging controversy over the LDF Governments move to grant remission to the convicts serving time in some of the most sensational cases, the CPM state leadership has flatly denied the charges.Besides, it passed the buck to the rival UDF camp, saying the list had been drawn up by the previous Congress-led Government. Whether its about the accused in the T P Chandrasekharan murder case or Mohammed Nisam, the accused in the Chandrabose case, they are eligible for remission as per the law. This has been the practice for long. Moreover, it was recommended by the erstwhile UDF Government. The LDF Government had no role in it, said a senior leader after the CPM state secretariat meet. Interestingly,the CPM brass,while seeking to bail out the LDF Government,insisted the convicts were only being allowed a legitimate concession eligible to them under the law. Contrary to whats being alleged, its not about releasing them from the prison,they said.If the convicts had to be released from the prison,special permission from the Governor was indeed needed. Moreover,none of the lifers would be set free, it was said. Flak against govt The CPM state secretariat reportedly saw criticism of the government for failing to take its achievements to the people. It witnessed calls for measures to further improve the goverments image. Even as some of the secretariat members said the repeated controversies would dent the governments image, they drew attention to certain lapses in the functioning of the LDF dispensation. Kodiyeris clean chit CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the list of convicts was prepared by the erstwhile UDF Government. Its only about granting them remission as per the law. None of them would be released from prison, based on the list, the CPM state chief said, adding, he was yet to go through it.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Chief Minsiter Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday wrote another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inform him that another 16 Tamil Nadu fish ermen had been nabbed by the Lankan Navy in two incidents on March 22. Along with them, two fishing boats were also seized.



With this, the number of fishermen in Lankan custody has risen to 26 and the number of boats to 131. The 16 fishermen were from Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram districts.

Seeking the PMs immediate intervention, the Chief Minister, in his letter, said the repeated incidents of arrest and the seizing of boats for years had been frustrating Tamil Nadu fishermen.



Deprived of their primary means of livelihood, many families are driven to desperation and despondency. Hence I urge you again to take up this issue with the Lankan authorities at the highest level and ensure the immediate release of the fishermen, their boats and their fishing gear, he had written.

The issue figured in the State Assembly, where Minister for Finance and Fisheries D Jayakumar said that pressure was being mounted on the Centre to get Tamil fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan prisons released.



Explaining the measures initiated in this regard, he said that recently he met the Minister for External Affairs to prevail upon her to take immediate action to get the fishermen and their boats released from Sri Lanka. The minister said that `5 lakh would be paid for repair of each boat.



It may be recalled that 16 Rameswaram and Nagapattinam fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for poaching near Talaimannar and Neduntheevu on Wednesday.

Sources said that more than a 1,000 boats left Rameswaram Island and Nagapattinam for fishing on Wednesday evening.



When eight fishermen in a boat from Rameswaram were near Talaimannar waters, the Sri Lankan navy arrested the fishermen and seized their boat. Another group of eight fishermen from Nagapattinam were fishing near Neduntheevu when officers from the Sri Lankan Navy arrested them and seized their boat.

CHENNAI: The Chief Minsiter Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday wrote another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inform him that another 16 Tamil Nadu fish ermen had been nabbed by the Lankan Navy in two incidents on March 22. Along with them, two fishing boats were also seized. With this, the number of fishermen in Lankan custody has risen to 26 and the number of boats to 131. The 16 fishermen were from Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram districts. Seeking the PMs immediate intervention, the Chief Minister, in his letter, said the repeated incidents of arrest and the seizing of boats for years had been frustrating Tamil Nadu fishermen. Deprived of their primary means of livelihood, many families are driven to desperation and despondency. Hence I urge you again to take up this issue with the Lankan authorities at the highest level and ensure the immediate release of the fishermen, their boats and their fishing gear, he had written. The issue figured in the State Assembly, where Minister for Finance and Fisheries D Jayakumar said that pressure was being mounted on the Centre to get Tamil fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan prisons released. Explaining the measures initiated in this regard, he said that recently he met the Minister for External Affairs to prevail upon her to take immediate action to get the fishermen and their boats released from Sri Lanka. The minister said that `5 lakh would be paid for repair of each boat. It may be recalled that 16 Rameswaram and Nagapattinam fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for poaching near Talaimannar and Neduntheevu on Wednesday. Sources said that more than a 1,000 boats left Rameswaram Island and Nagapattinam for fishing on Wednesday evening. When eight fishermen in a boat from Rameswaram were near Talaimannar waters, the Sri Lankan navy arrested the fishermen and seized their boat. Another group of eight fishermen from Nagapattinam were fishing near Neduntheevu when officers from the Sri Lankan Navy arrested them and seized their boat.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Demand of CBI inquiry into Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaas death was again raised by an AIADMK member on Friday in Lok Sabha. PR Sundaram, who has shifted to the rebel group headed by former CM O Panneerselvam, said that Centre must order a CBI probe as state government probe would not be able to reveal the truth.

The member said that if Tamil Nadu government orders a probe, hidden things will not come out. So we are demanding a CBI probe, he added. Demand of enquiry into death of Jayalalithaa has been raised on earlier occasions also in the Parliament. In January, the Supreme Court had dismissed petitions filed by expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa and a youth organisation seeking CBI probe into Jayalalithaa's death.

Another AIADMK member P Venugopal of the AIADMK raised the issue of Tamils in Sri Lanka. He said, India need not treat Sri Lanka as a friendly country. He also slammed the government on maintaining a studied silence over the UNHRC resolution on giving two more years to Sri Lanka to submit report on the killing of Tamils in the island nation. There should be an international probe into atrocities on Tamils in Sri Lanka. We must ensure justice to Tamil people in that country, he said.

BJD member Bhartruhari Mahtab asked what steps have been taken for the welfare of Tamil population in Sri Lanka after the visit of Swaraj there last year as the issue was taken up by her with Sri Lankan leadership.

Ananth Kumar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister responded saying the matter is with the UNHRC and he will bring the concerns of the Members to the notice of Sushma Swaraj.

Venugopal also raised the issue of killing of an Indian fisherman earlier this month, with Kumar saying the matter was of paramount importance for India.

NEW DELHI: Demand of CBI inquiry into Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaas death was again raised by an AIADMK member on Friday in Lok Sabha. PR Sundaram, who has shifted to the rebel group headed by former CM O Panneerselvam, said that Centre must order a CBI probe as state government probe would not be able to reveal the truth. The member said that if Tamil Nadu government orders a probe, hidden things will not come out. So we are demanding a CBI probe, he added. Demand of enquiry into death of Jayalalithaa has been raised on earlier occasions also in the Parliament. In January, the Supreme Court had dismissed petitions filed by expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa and a youth organisation seeking CBI probe into Jayalalithaa's death. Another AIADMK member P Venugopal of the AIADMK raised the issue of Tamils in Sri Lanka. He said, India need not treat Sri Lanka as a friendly country. He also slammed the government on maintaining a studied silence over the UNHRC resolution on giving two more years to Sri Lanka to submit report on the killing of Tamils in the island nation. There should be an international probe into atrocities on Tamils in Sri Lanka. We must ensure justice to Tamil people in that country, he said. BJD member Bhartruhari Mahtab asked what steps have been taken for the welfare of Tamil population in Sri Lanka after the visit of Swaraj there last year as the issue was taken up by her with Sri Lankan leadership. Ananth Kumar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister responded saying the matter is with the UNHRC and he will bring the concerns of the Members to the notice of Sushma Swaraj. Venugopal also raised the issue of killing of an Indian fisherman earlier this month, with Kumar saying the matter was of paramount importance for India.
By PTI

CHENNAI: Superstar Rajinikanth's visit to Sri Lanka next month to inaugurate a housing scheme has met with opposition from pro-Tamil outfits here, who cautioned him from getting "involved" in the emotive ethnic issue.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) urged the top actor not go ahead with his two-day visit starting April 9 during which he is slated to hand over 150 houses to displaced Tamils.

VCK founder Thol.Thirumavalavan alleged that efforts were on to "involve" the 'Enthiran' star in the ethnic issue in the lsland nation.

"There are efforts to involve him in the ethnic issue. Superstar (Rajinikanth) should not get involved in this matter and I say this as a friend," the pro-Tamil leader told a Tamil TV channel.

The mega star is scheduled to hand over the homes built by Lyca Group's Gnanam Foundation for displaced Tamils in northern Jaffna.

The actor is currently shooting for ace director Shankar's "2.0", a sequel to the duo's earlier hit "Enthiran," starring Rajinikanth and produced by Lyca Productions.

Incidentally, Lyca Productions had in 2014 faced opposition in Tamil Nadu when various pro-Tamil parties and organisations including VCK and TVK had opposed its producing of the movie 'Kaththi' (Knife), starring popular star Vijay.

They had alleged that the proprietor of Lyca Productions, Allirajah Subaskaran, had close business ties with then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, often criticised in Tamil Nadu for the death of civilian Tamils during the final assault on rebel LTTE in 2009.

Lyca Productions had then refuted the allegations.

Thirumavalvan said he had no problem with the commercial motive of Rajinikanth's visit to Sri Lanka but said he felt there could be a "political motive" behind it.

"So he should be careful about this and it would be good if he could avoid visiting Sri Lanka," he said.

TVK founder and former MLA T Velmurugan said the actor should not "fall prey" to the efforts to paint a rosy picture of Sinhala-Tamil relations in the island nation.

"At a time when Tamils are seeking justice for the ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, Rajinikanth's visit does not augur well. This is an attempt by Sri Lankan government through Lyca to create an image that Sinhalas and Tamils are living unitedly," he told PTI.

Velmurugan, who had spearheaded the protest against Lyca Productions in 2014, said Rajinikanth "has great respect and following among Sri Lankan Tamils" and therefore he should not commit himself to the programme.

He questioned whether there were no actors in Sri Lanka who could be used for this purpose.

"There is a big political conspiracy behind this and Rajinikanth should not fall prey to this," he said.

Gnanam Foundation has constructed homes for the relocation of displaced Sri Lankan Tamils affected by the civil war as part of the 'Lyca Housing Scheme' in Chinna Thampan and Puliyankulam regions in Vavuniya district in Jaffna.

Lyca Productions' Creative Head Raju Mahalingam in a statement yesterday said when they approached Rajinikanth to "grace the event as the chief guest, he readily agreed to be part of the function."



CHENNAI: Superstar Rajinikanth's visit to Sri Lanka next month to inaugurate a housing scheme has met with opposition from pro-Tamil outfits here, who cautioned him from getting "involved" in the emotive ethnic issue. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) urged the top actor not go ahead with his two-day visit starting April 9 during which he is slated to hand over 150 houses to displaced Tamils. VCK founder Thol.Thirumavalavan alleged that efforts were on to "involve" the 'Enthiran' star in the ethnic issue in the lsland nation. "There are efforts to involve him in the ethnic issue. Superstar (Rajinikanth) should not get involved in this matter and I say this as a friend," the pro-Tamil leader told a Tamil TV channel. The mega star is scheduled to hand over the homes built by Lyca Group's Gnanam Foundation for displaced Tamils in northern Jaffna. The actor is currently shooting for ace director Shankar's "2.0", a sequel to the duo's earlier hit "Enthiran," starring Rajinikanth and produced by Lyca Productions. Incidentally, Lyca Productions had in 2014 faced opposition in Tamil Nadu when various pro-Tamil parties and organisations including VCK and TVK had opposed its producing of the movie 'Kaththi' (Knife), starring popular star Vijay. They had alleged that the proprietor of Lyca Productions, Allirajah Subaskaran, had close business ties with then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, often criticised in Tamil Nadu for the death of civilian Tamils during the final assault on rebel LTTE in 2009. Lyca Productions had then refuted the allegations. Thirumavalvan said he had no problem with the commercial motive of Rajinikanth's visit to Sri Lanka but said he felt there could be a "political motive" behind it. "So he should be careful about this and it would be good if he could avoid visiting Sri Lanka," he said. TVK founder and former MLA T Velmurugan said the actor should not "fall prey" to the efforts to paint a rosy picture of Sinhala-Tamil relations in the island nation. "At a time when Tamils are seeking justice for the ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, Rajinikanth's visit does not augur well. This is an attempt by Sri Lankan government through Lyca to create an image that Sinhalas and Tamils are living unitedly," he told PTI. Velmurugan, who had spearheaded the protest against Lyca Productions in 2014, said Rajinikanth "has great respect and following among Sri Lankan Tamils" and therefore he should not commit himself to the programme. He questioned whether there were no actors in Sri Lanka who could be used for this purpose. "There is a big political conspiracy behind this and Rajinikanth should not fall prey to this," he said. Gnanam Foundation has constructed homes for the relocation of displaced Sri Lankan Tamils affected by the civil war as part of the 'Lyca Housing Scheme' in Chinna Thampan and Puliyankulam regions in Vavuniya district in Jaffna. Lyca Productions' Creative Head Raju Mahalingam in a statement yesterday said when they approached Rajinikanth to "grace the event as the chief guest, he readily agreed to be part of the function."
By Express News Service

ONGOLE: In yet another suspected hate crime, a 38-year-old techie from Andhra Pradesh, and her seven-year-old son were found with their throats slit in their home in Burlington, in the State of New Jersey in USA. However, US police are investigating possibilities of a hate crime and took the woman's husband, who is also a software engineer, into custody for interrogation.

Narra Sasikala (38) of Vijayawada wed Narra Hanumantha Rao from Thimmarajupalem in parchur mandal of Prakasam district more than 11 years ago and had been residing in America since then. The couple were working for CTS (Cognizant) and had a son, Anish Sai.

On Friday morning, Hanumantha Rao phoned his parents who live in Thimmarajupalem at around 6 am and informed them that Saisikala and Anish were found in a pool of blood with their throats slit when he returned from office on Thursday evening (US Standard Time). He immediately called the police.

"Immediately thereafter, the local police seized his phone and took him to the police station for questioning. We are trying to contact relatives and friends to ensure that our son does not face any trouble and the bodies of our daughter-in-law and grandson are sent back to India at the earliest," Hanumantha Rao's father Subba Rao told The New Indian Express.

Subba Rao further stated that his daughter-in-law took permission from the CTS authorities to work from home. Minutes after the news, Hanumantha Raos family tried to contact the officials at the Indian Embassy in the US with the help of Telugu associations. They also approached Parchur MLA E Sambasiva Rao who assured to take up the issue with higher authorities.

Sources said that the police have yet to confirm whether the killings were a repercussion of hate crimes in America.

ONGOLE: In yet another suspected hate crime, a 38-year-old techie from Andhra Pradesh, and her seven-year-old son were found with their throats slit in their home in Burlington, in the State of New Jersey in USA. However, US police are investigating possibilities of a hate crime and took the woman's husband, who is also a software engineer, into custody for interrogation. Narra Sasikala (38) of Vijayawada wed Narra Hanumantha Rao from Thimmarajupalem in parchur mandal of Prakasam district more than 11 years ago and had been residing in America since then. The couple were working for CTS (Cognizant) and had a son, Anish Sai. On Friday morning, Hanumantha Rao phoned his parents who live in Thimmarajupalem at around 6 am and informed them that Saisikala and Anish were found in a pool of blood with their throats slit when he returned from office on Thursday evening (US Standard Time). He immediately called the police. "Immediately thereafter, the local police seized his phone and took him to the police station for questioning. We are trying to contact relatives and friends to ensure that our son does not face any trouble and the bodies of our daughter-in-law and grandson are sent back to India at the earliest," Hanumantha Rao's father Subba Rao told The New Indian Express. Subba Rao further stated that his daughter-in-law took permission from the CTS authorities to work from home. Minutes after the news, Hanumantha Raos family tried to contact the officials at the Indian Embassy in the US with the help of Telugu associations. They also approached Parchur MLA E Sambasiva Rao who assured to take up the issue with higher authorities. Sources said that the police have yet to confirm whether the killings were a repercussion of hate crimes in America.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: The top US Senate Democrat on Thursday pledged a fierce partisan battle over Donald Trump's nominee to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, saying he was unconvinced the judge would be an "independent check" on the president.

The Republican-controlled upper chamber of Congress is scheduled to vote in early April on the nomination of judge Neil Gorsuch -- who emerged from his fourth and last day of confirmation hearings in the Senate on Thursday having successfully deflected Democratic attempts to draw blood.

Nevertheless, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats will use a filibuster -- a parliamentary stalling procedure -- to prevent Republicans from bringing Gorsuch's nomination to a final vote.

"After careful deliberation, I have concluded that I cannot support judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court," he said on the Senate floor.

"My vote will be no, and I urge my colleagues to do the same."

- Unscathed by hearings -

The Republicans need 60 votes to end debate on the Gorsuch nomination in the 100-seat Senate before a final vote on his nomination.

Since Republicans have 52 seats, Gorsuch will need the support of at least eight Democrats.

His conservative backers have spent millions on campaigns to exert pressure on 10 Democratic senators facing re-election next year in states Trump won in the presidential election last November.

A backer of the death penalty along with other issues broadly popular among conservatives, the 49-year-old Gorsuch has been praised by supporters as an independent mind with an unquestioned regard for the letter of the law.

Universally acclaimed for his high credentials, he emerged from 20 hours of questioning largely unscathed by remaining silent or evasive about his personal convictions and avoiding politically fraught issues by invoking justices' need to remain independent.

Still, Schumer said Gorsuch "was unable to sufficiently convince me that he'd be an independent check" on Trump.

The judge is "not a neutral legal mind but someone with a deep-seated conservative ideology," he said.

If Gorsuch is confirmed, he would tip the US high court's balance toward conservatives, at a time when progressives are anxious over hot-button issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and the right to bear arms.

With Supreme Court justices serving lifetime appointments, Gorsuch could potentially sit on the court for three decades or even longer.

- Furious Democrats -

Some Republicans in the Senate have threatened to employ a so-called "nuclear option" of changing the Senate's rules to lower the threshold for approving Supreme Court nominees to a simple majority.

Trump has urged the Republicans to resort to that strategy if necessary.

But the delicate issue opens the future possibility that Democrats in control of the Senate at some point would also be able to confirm a Supreme Court nominee with a simple majority vote.

Democrats are still furious with Senate Republicans' refusal last year to even grant a meeting -- much less hearings or a vote -- to Merrick Garland, then-president Barack Obama's nominee to fill the seat, left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016.

The White House complained about Schumer's comment on Gorsuch.

"We find Senator Schumer's announcement truly disappointing because it breaks with the tradition of how the Senate has handled Supreme Court confirmation votes in modern times and represents the type of partisanship that Americans have grown tired of," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said.

WASHINGTON: The top US Senate Democrat on Thursday pledged a fierce partisan battle over Donald Trump's nominee to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, saying he was unconvinced the judge would be an "independent check" on the president. The Republican-controlled upper chamber of Congress is scheduled to vote in early April on the nomination of judge Neil Gorsuch -- who emerged from his fourth and last day of confirmation hearings in the Senate on Thursday having successfully deflected Democratic attempts to draw blood. Nevertheless, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats will use a filibuster -- a parliamentary stalling procedure -- to prevent Republicans from bringing Gorsuch's nomination to a final vote. "After careful deliberation, I have concluded that I cannot support judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court," he said on the Senate floor. "My vote will be no, and I urge my colleagues to do the same." - Unscathed by hearings - The Republicans need 60 votes to end debate on the Gorsuch nomination in the 100-seat Senate before a final vote on his nomination. Since Republicans have 52 seats, Gorsuch will need the support of at least eight Democrats. His conservative backers have spent millions on campaigns to exert pressure on 10 Democratic senators facing re-election next year in states Trump won in the presidential election last November. A backer of the death penalty along with other issues broadly popular among conservatives, the 49-year-old Gorsuch has been praised by supporters as an independent mind with an unquestioned regard for the letter of the law. Universally acclaimed for his high credentials, he emerged from 20 hours of questioning largely unscathed by remaining silent or evasive about his personal convictions and avoiding politically fraught issues by invoking justices' need to remain independent. Still, Schumer said Gorsuch "was unable to sufficiently convince me that he'd be an independent check" on Trump. The judge is "not a neutral legal mind but someone with a deep-seated conservative ideology," he said. If Gorsuch is confirmed, he would tip the US high court's balance toward conservatives, at a time when progressives are anxious over hot-button issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and the right to bear arms. With Supreme Court justices serving lifetime appointments, Gorsuch could potentially sit on the court for three decades or even longer. - Furious Democrats - Some Republicans in the Senate have threatened to employ a so-called "nuclear option" of changing the Senate's rules to lower the threshold for approving Supreme Court nominees to a simple majority. Trump has urged the Republicans to resort to that strategy if necessary. But the delicate issue opens the future possibility that Democrats in control of the Senate at some point would also be able to confirm a Supreme Court nominee with a simple majority vote. Democrats are still furious with Senate Republicans' refusal last year to even grant a meeting -- much less hearings or a vote -- to Merrick Garland, then-president Barack Obama's nominee to fill the seat, left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016. The White House complained about Schumer's comment on Gorsuch. "We find Senator Schumer's announcement truly disappointing because it breaks with the tradition of how the Senate has handled Supreme Court confirmation votes in modern times and represents the type of partisanship that Americans have grown tired of," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said.
By AFP

BERLIN: Two years to the day after the deadly Germanwings crash in the French Alps, the father of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz spoke out publicly Friday to dispute that his son deliberately downed the plane.

Both the message and the timing of the first public appearance by a member of Lubitz's close family since the 2015 disaster that claimed 150 lives were criticised by victims' families, who held their own sombre events to mark the tragedy.

German prosecutors in January closed their investigation after concluding that Lubitz, 27, was suicidal and bore sole responsibility for the catastrophe, following similar conclusions from a French probe.

The co-pilot's father, 63-year-old Guenter Lubitz, called a press conference in Berlin to challenge those findings alongside a journalist he hired, Tim van Beveren, whom he called "an internationally recognised aerospace expert".

Lubitz senior argued that the image of the suicidal loner or cold-blooded killer did not correspond with the son he knew, and called for a new investigation into the cause of the crash.

"We have to live with the fact that we not only lost our son, but also that it was concluded two days after the fact that he was a depressed mass murderer," Lubitz, who bears a striking physical resemblance to his son, told the packed hotel conference room.

"I would like to stress that we experienced our son in the six years before the crash as someone who said yes to life. Our son was not depressed at the time of the crash."

Mourners in the western German town of Haltern am See, which lost 16 students and two teachers who were returning from an exchange programme in Spain, expressed outrage as the school held a commemorative ceremony.

Its principal, Ulrich Wessel, told DPA news agency the press conference had been a "provocation" and "an affront to the parents" of the dead schoolchildren and said Lubitz senior appeared to have "lost touch with reality".

- 'My grief is different' -

Lubitz, wearing a black suit and a black necktie, defended his decision to speak out on the anniversary, saying it had ensured that his viewpoint would be heard.

"Just like all the other families, we are looking for the truth," he said, but added that his suffering was unique because of his son's role in the disaster.

"I say this with great caution because it can easily be misunderstood: my grief is different. It is special."

Van Beveren accused investigators, in particular Marseille public prosecutor Brice Robin, of zeroing in on Lubitz from the start of the probe.

"Everyone heard that and wrote it -- and everyone believed it," he said. "We all have theories but theories are not proof."

Prosecutor Christoph Kumpa, whose office led the German investigation, had earlier dismissed the accusations.

"There are no indications of a cause of the crash that is not linked to deliberate -- presumably suicidal -- behaviour," he told DPA news agency.

- Disbelief -

Lubitz's parents had already angered the families last year when they placed a heartfelt newspaper advert in their son's memory to mark the first anniversary of the crash.

Entitled simply "Andreas" and featuring a smiling photograph of the co-pilot, the brief text ended with a message to their son in bold letters: "We miss you very much but you are and will remain in our hearts".

They spoke of a year "filled with horror and fear" but did not explicitly mention the 149 other people killed in the crash.

Meanwhile, the victims' families devoted the second anniversary to remembering their loved ones.

Around 500 people gathered in the French Alpine town of Digne-les-Bains near the crash site for an ecumenical church service as a light rain fell. At the moment of the crash, 10:41 am, they observed a minute of silence.

Here too, mourners expressed disbelief at Lubitz's new allegations.

"It is a provocation. There are incontestable facts -- you have the black boxes," the mayor of neighbouring town Prads, Bernard Bertolini, told AFP.

"This so-called investigation two years after the crash, to the day, is pretty rich."

BERLIN: Two years to the day after the deadly Germanwings crash in the French Alps, the father of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz spoke out publicly Friday to dispute that his son deliberately downed the plane. Both the message and the timing of the first public appearance by a member of Lubitz's close family since the 2015 disaster that claimed 150 lives were criticised by victims' families, who held their own sombre events to mark the tragedy. German prosecutors in January closed their investigation after concluding that Lubitz, 27, was suicidal and bore sole responsibility for the catastrophe, following similar conclusions from a French probe. The co-pilot's father, 63-year-old Guenter Lubitz, called a press conference in Berlin to challenge those findings alongside a journalist he hired, Tim van Beveren, whom he called "an internationally recognised aerospace expert". Lubitz senior argued that the image of the suicidal loner or cold-blooded killer did not correspond with the son he knew, and called for a new investigation into the cause of the crash. "We have to live with the fact that we not only lost our son, but also that it was concluded two days after the fact that he was a depressed mass murderer," Lubitz, who bears a striking physical resemblance to his son, told the packed hotel conference room. "I would like to stress that we experienced our son in the six years before the crash as someone who said yes to life. Our son was not depressed at the time of the crash." Mourners in the western German town of Haltern am See, which lost 16 students and two teachers who were returning from an exchange programme in Spain, expressed outrage as the school held a commemorative ceremony. Its principal, Ulrich Wessel, told DPA news agency the press conference had been a "provocation" and "an affront to the parents" of the dead schoolchildren and said Lubitz senior appeared to have "lost touch with reality". - 'My grief is different' - Lubitz, wearing a black suit and a black necktie, defended his decision to speak out on the anniversary, saying it had ensured that his viewpoint would be heard. "Just like all the other families, we are looking for the truth," he said, but added that his suffering was unique because of his son's role in the disaster. "I say this with great caution because it can easily be misunderstood: my grief is different. It is special." Van Beveren accused investigators, in particular Marseille public prosecutor Brice Robin, of zeroing in on Lubitz from the start of the probe. "Everyone heard that and wrote it -- and everyone believed it," he said. "We all have theories but theories are not proof." Prosecutor Christoph Kumpa, whose office led the German investigation, had earlier dismissed the accusations. "There are no indications of a cause of the crash that is not linked to deliberate -- presumably suicidal -- behaviour," he told DPA news agency. - Disbelief - Lubitz's parents had already angered the families last year when they placed a heartfelt newspaper advert in their son's memory to mark the first anniversary of the crash. Entitled simply "Andreas" and featuring a smiling photograph of the co-pilot, the brief text ended with a message to their son in bold letters: "We miss you very much but you are and will remain in our hearts". They spoke of a year "filled with horror and fear" but did not explicitly mention the 149 other people killed in the crash. Meanwhile, the victims' families devoted the second anniversary to remembering their loved ones. Around 500 people gathered in the French Alpine town of Digne-les-Bains near the crash site for an ecumenical church service as a light rain fell. At the moment of the crash, 10:41 am, they observed a minute of silence. Here too, mourners expressed disbelief at Lubitz's new allegations. "It is a provocation. There are incontestable facts -- you have the black boxes," the mayor of neighbouring town Prads, Bernard Bertolini, told AFP. "This so-called investigation two years after the crash, to the day, is pretty rich."
By AFP

MOSCOW: French far-right leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen called for a rapprochement with Russia in the fight against terrorism during a meeting with Russian lawmakers in Moscow on Friday.

"I am in favour of developing relations with Russia in the context of the long history that links our two countries," Le Pen said at the start of her meeting with Russia's parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.

"I've pleaded at every level for cooperation between our countries in the fight against terrorism," she said, invoking Russia's role in Syria, where it has supported the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and France's role fighting Islamic extremists in Africa's Sahel region.

Le Pen did not have any planned meetings with Kremlin representatives or government officials during her Moscow visit.

The far-right leader has visited Moscow on several occasions, enjoying positive Russian state media coverage.

She is among the European politicians who have called for closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and approved of Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

In 2014, the Front National received a nine-million-euro ($9.7 million) loan from a Russian commercial bank that later collapsed.

The party on Friday dismissed the possibility of seeking further funding from a Russian bank.

Moscow has been accused of seeking to promote anti-EU candidates, including populists, in European elections.

Last year, the Kremlin welcomed both the outcome of Britain's referendum on Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as US president.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said Le Pen was not a "populist" but a "realist or anti-globalist" figure.

MOSCOW: French far-right leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen called for a rapprochement with Russia in the fight against terrorism during a meeting with Russian lawmakers in Moscow on Friday. "I am in favour of developing relations with Russia in the context of the long history that links our two countries," Le Pen said at the start of her meeting with Russia's parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. "I've pleaded at every level for cooperation between our countries in the fight against terrorism," she said, invoking Russia's role in Syria, where it has supported the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and France's role fighting Islamic extremists in Africa's Sahel region. Le Pen did not have any planned meetings with Kremlin representatives or government officials during her Moscow visit. The far-right leader has visited Moscow on several occasions, enjoying positive Russian state media coverage. She is among the European politicians who have called for closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and approved of Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. In 2014, the Front National received a nine-million-euro ($9.7 million) loan from a Russian commercial bank that later collapsed. The party on Friday dismissed the possibility of seeking further funding from a Russian bank. Moscow has been accused of seeking to promote anti-EU candidates, including populists, in European elections. Last year, the Kremlin welcomed both the outcome of Britain's referendum on Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as US president. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said Le Pen was not a "populist" but a "realist or anti-globalist" figure.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump got into a parked truck, honked, and pretended to drive in a gesture to welcome the trucking industry representatives in the White House.

Yesterday afternoon, in the presence of a media persons, Trump came from his residence and walked towards two large trucks parked in front of the White House. While one was emblazoned with a US flag, the other was with a photograph of a trucker, a boy and the words: "It takes 7 million people to move America like my dad."

As Trump shook hands with CEOs of trump companies and drivers, he could be overheard congratulating the drivers on their safety record: "Accident free," he said a few times. He later joked with the drivers as he turned to the CEOs, "Who makes more, them or you?" Trump then hopped up into one of the trucks. He hit the horn a couple of times, closed the driver side door and waved to the press from the window.

After handshakes, the President walked toward the West Wing, but the social media, in particular tweet was abuzz with pictures of Trump on the big truck. Later, Trump was joined by a group of CEOs and drivers in the Cabinet Room of the White House. He was joined by Indian-American Seema Verma, Administrator of a key health care agency who is playing an important role in the presidents healthcare reforms. Trump joked a couple of times that he couldn't spend too much time with the truckers because of the vote. "I'm not going to make it too long, because I have to get votes," he said. "I don't want to spend too much time with you. I'm going to lose by one vote and then I'm going to blame the truckers," he said.

When a CEO from Flint, introduced himself, Trump chimed in: "We just gave a check for a hundred million dollars to Flint. Think of that whole, horrible deal. That's great political leadership. What a disaster. In order to save a fee, they went to bad water and spent a fortune on pipes and infrastructure. Anyway, we're helping out Flint."

In his brief remarks, Trump praised the truckers. "No one knows America like truckers know America. You see it every day. You see every hill, and you see every valley and you see every pothole in our roads that have to be rebuilt," he said.

"Through day and night in all kinds of weather, truckers course the arteries of our nation's highways. You carry anything and everything -- the food that stocks our shelves, the fuel that runs our cars and the steel that builds our cities," he added. "You think I wrote that?" Trump said to laughter. "I want to save that paragraph. But America depends on you. And you work very hard for America," Trump said.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump got into a parked truck, honked, and pretended to drive in a gesture to welcome the trucking industry representatives in the White House. Yesterday afternoon, in the presence of a media persons, Trump came from his residence and walked towards two large trucks parked in front of the White House. While one was emblazoned with a US flag, the other was with a photograph of a trucker, a boy and the words: "It takes 7 million people to move America like my dad." As Trump shook hands with CEOs of trump companies and drivers, he could be overheard congratulating the drivers on their safety record: "Accident free," he said a few times. He later joked with the drivers as he turned to the CEOs, "Who makes more, them or you?" Trump then hopped up into one of the trucks. He hit the horn a couple of times, closed the driver side door and waved to the press from the window. After handshakes, the President walked toward the West Wing, but the social media, in particular tweet was abuzz with pictures of Trump on the big truck. Later, Trump was joined by a group of CEOs and drivers in the Cabinet Room of the White House. He was joined by Indian-American Seema Verma, Administrator of a key health care agency who is playing an important role in the presidents healthcare reforms. Trump joked a couple of times that he couldn't spend too much time with the truckers because of the vote. "I'm not going to make it too long, because I have to get votes," he said. "I don't want to spend too much time with you. I'm going to lose by one vote and then I'm going to blame the truckers," he said. When a CEO from Flint, introduced himself, Trump chimed in: "We just gave a check for a hundred million dollars to Flint. Think of that whole, horrible deal. That's great political leadership. What a disaster. In order to save a fee, they went to bad water and spent a fortune on pipes and infrastructure. Anyway, we're helping out Flint." In his brief remarks, Trump praised the truckers. "No one knows America like truckers know America. You see it every day. You see every hill, and you see every valley and you see every pothole in our roads that have to be rebuilt," he said. "Through day and night in all kinds of weather, truckers course the arteries of our nation's highways. You carry anything and everything -- the food that stocks our shelves, the fuel that runs our cars and the steel that builds our cities," he added. "You think I wrote that?" Trump said to laughter. "I want to save that paragraph. But America depends on you. And you work very hard for America," Trump said.
By PTI

DHAKA: Explosions and gunshots rocked a city in northeastern Bangladesh today after police laid siege to a five-storey building where suspected militants belonging to an Islamist group behind the country's worst terror attack were holed up.

A team of counter-terror officials from the capital Dhaka surrounded the building in Sylhet at 3 am. "Sounds of intermittent explosions and gunshots rocked the area since morning as militants preferred not to give up," a journalist told PTI. "We have come to know that female militants are also there," Sylhet's police commissioner Golam Kibria said, adding that preparedness was underway to launch a full scale raid to "neutralise" the extremists.

Officials said 12 families were staying in the building. "We are proceeding with utmost caution so that the innocent residents are not hurt," a police officer told reporters.

Police said militants are believed to be the operatives of neo-Jamaatun Mujahideen Bangladesh (neo-JMB). The neo-JMB, said to be inclined to the Islamic State, was behind the July 1 terror attack on a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people, including 17 foreigners, were killed.

The police headquarters recently circulated a list of nearly 5,000 suspected militants to district police chiefs as part of a nationwide antimilitancy drive. Bangladesh witnessed a spate of attacks on secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities since 2013. The country launched a massive crackdown on militants specially after the Dhaka cafe attack.

DHAKA: Explosions and gunshots rocked a city in northeastern Bangladesh today after police laid siege to a five-storey building where suspected militants belonging to an Islamist group behind the country's worst terror attack were holed up. A team of counter-terror officials from the capital Dhaka surrounded the building in Sylhet at 3 am. "Sounds of intermittent explosions and gunshots rocked the area since morning as militants preferred not to give up," a journalist told PTI. "We have come to know that female militants are also there," Sylhet's police commissioner Golam Kibria said, adding that preparedness was underway to launch a full scale raid to "neutralise" the extremists. Officials said 12 families were staying in the building. "We are proceeding with utmost caution so that the innocent residents are not hurt," a police officer told reporters. Police said militants are believed to be the operatives of neo-Jamaatun Mujahideen Bangladesh (neo-JMB). The neo-JMB, said to be inclined to the Islamic State, was behind the July 1 terror attack on a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people, including 17 foreigners, were killed. The police headquarters recently circulated a list of nearly 5,000 suspected militants to district police chiefs as part of a nationwide antimilitancy drive. Bangladesh witnessed a spate of attacks on secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities since 2013. The country launched a massive crackdown on militants specially after the Dhaka cafe attack.
MOSCOW: Six Russian troops died in the early hours of Friday when a group of insurgents attacked their base in Chechnya, with six rebels killed in the resulting shootout, the National Guard said.

Russia's National Guard, established last year, is a new branch of internal troops aimed at defending borders and countering extremism.

It is subordinate directly to President Vladimir Putin and has bases in the country's volatile North Caucasus regions including Chechnya.

In a statement, the National Guard said the rebels tried to storm their base in heavy fog at around 2:30 am local time (Thursday 2330 GMT) but were spotted by a group of soldiers who opened fire.

"Six of the attackers were destroyed," the statement said. "During the armed combat, six military were killed and there are wounded."

None of the insurgents managed to enter the base, the National Guard said.

Counter-terrorism troops, investigators and explosives experts from the security forces are at the scene, it said.

Chechnya was the scene of two separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s, but the region has been largely pacified under the iron-fisted rule of strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

Two National Guard soldiers were killed in a Chechen village in January during a joint operation with police and special forces in which four suspected militants were also killed.

The Russian North Caucasus is one of the major sources of foreign jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq.

In January Kadyrov said his forces had detained more than 50 insurgents linked to the Islamic State jihadist group in a security operation.

MOSCOW: Six Russian troops died in the early hours of Friday when a group of insurgents attacked their base in Chechnya, with six rebels killed in the resulting shootout, the National Guard said. Russia's National Guard, established last year, is a new branch of internal troops aimed at defending borders and countering extremism. It is subordinate directly to President Vladimir Putin and has bases in the country's volatile North Caucasus regions including Chechnya. In a statement, the National Guard said the rebels tried to storm their base in heavy fog at around 2:30 am local time (Thursday 2330 GMT) but were spotted by a group of soldiers who opened fire. "Six of the attackers were destroyed," the statement said. "During the armed combat, six military were killed and there are wounded." None of the insurgents managed to enter the base, the National Guard said. Counter-terrorism troops, investigators and explosives experts from the security forces are at the scene, it said. Chechnya was the scene of two separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s, but the region has been largely pacified under the iron-fisted rule of strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Two National Guard soldiers were killed in a Chechen village in January during a joint operation with police and special forces in which four suspected militants were also killed. The Russian North Caucasus is one of the major sources of foreign jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq. In January Kadyrov said his forces had detained more than 50 insurgents linked to the Islamic State jihadist group in a security operation.
By Associated Press

SYDNEY: A Sydney teenager pleaded guilty on Friday to plotting a terrorist attack on an Australian Veteran's Day ceremony last year.

The then 16-year-old was arrested and charged with one count of planning a terrorist attack on April 24, one day before hundreds of thousands of Australians gathered at ceremonies across the country to mark ANZAC Day. The annual holiday commemorates the April 25, 1915 Gallipoli landings in Turkey  the first major military action fought by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I.

The youth, who cannot be identified because of his age, pleaded guilty in Parramatta Children's Court in western Sydney to planning a terrorist act by trying to source a gun or a bomb-making manual. He will remain in custody until the case returns to court on April 21. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison.

Police also said they thwarted a planned attack on an ANZAC Day ceremony in 2015. Police in Melbourne arrested five teenagers on suspicion of plotting an Islamic State group-inspired attack intended to coincide with the city's ANZAC service.

SYDNEY: A Sydney teenager pleaded guilty on Friday to plotting a terrorist attack on an Australian Veteran's Day ceremony last year. The then 16-year-old was arrested and charged with one count of planning a terrorist attack on April 24, one day before hundreds of thousands of Australians gathered at ceremonies across the country to mark ANZAC Day. The annual holiday commemorates the April 25, 1915 Gallipoli landings in Turkey  the first major military action fought by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I. The youth, who cannot be identified because of his age, pleaded guilty in Parramatta Children's Court in western Sydney to planning a terrorist act by trying to source a gun or a bomb-making manual. He will remain in custody until the case returns to court on April 21. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison. Police also said they thwarted a planned attack on an ANZAC Day ceremony in 2015. Police in Melbourne arrested five teenagers on suspicion of plotting an Islamic State group-inspired attack intended to coincide with the city's ANZAC service.
By AFP

GENEVA: Syrian rebel group Faylaq al-Rahman is in the thick of a new offensive in Damascus but is also participating in peace talks with the government in Geneva this week.

The group's spokesman Wael Alwan says there is no contradiction in its stand.

"The two complement each other," says Alwan, who is also a spokesman for the opposition at the UN-brokered talks.

"The aim is to get rid of the totalitarian regime, either by making it fall politically through a transitional arrangement backed by the international community or through resistance on the ground to the end."

The head of Faylaq al-Rahman's political bureau, Mutassem al-Shumeir, is a member of the opposition delegation in Geneva.

Back home in the Syrian capital, the Islamist group's fighters have joined an offensive in eastern Damascus along with the Tahrir al-Sham alliance which is dominated by Fateh al-Sham Front -- known as Al-Nusra Front before it renounced its ties to Al-Qaeda.

Formed in early 2013, Faylaq al-Rahman is itself the result of an alliance between several factions.

Its main presence is in the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital, a rebel stronghold, but it also has hundreds of fighters in the eastern Qalamun mountains towards the Lebanese border.

And it is influential in the Jobar region of Damascus, from which the Damascus assault was launched last Sunday, sparking the heaviest clashes in the capital in two years.

The group is led by dissident army captain Abdel Nasser al-Shumeir and has an estimated 9,000 fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Qatar and Turkey figure among its foreign backers.

According to Alwan, Faylaq al-Rahman is "far from the ideologies of certain groups considered as extremist".

"Our revolutionaries act on the basis of the principles of the revolution and the struggle against the regime," he told AFP.

Alwan said preparations for the Damascus offensive started three months ago but the assault was only launched in response to regime attacks on Eastern Ghouta and rebel districts of the capital, ahead of the Geneva talks.

While the regime has denounced the Damascus attacks as a bid to sabotage the peace talks, Alwan said it was "legitimate defence" in the face of government efforts to force the opposition into submission through sieges and air strikes.

Faylaq al-Rahman was one of the factions which signed a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that came into effect on December 30 but has been repeatedly violated.

GENEVA: Syrian rebel group Faylaq al-Rahman is in the thick of a new offensive in Damascus but is also participating in peace talks with the government in Geneva this week. The group's spokesman Wael Alwan says there is no contradiction in its stand. "The two complement each other," says Alwan, who is also a spokesman for the opposition at the UN-brokered talks. "The aim is to get rid of the totalitarian regime, either by making it fall politically through a transitional arrangement backed by the international community or through resistance on the ground to the end." The head of Faylaq al-Rahman's political bureau, Mutassem al-Shumeir, is a member of the opposition delegation in Geneva. Back home in the Syrian capital, the Islamist group's fighters have joined an offensive in eastern Damascus along with the Tahrir al-Sham alliance which is dominated by Fateh al-Sham Front -- known as Al-Nusra Front before it renounced its ties to Al-Qaeda. Formed in early 2013, Faylaq al-Rahman is itself the result of an alliance between several factions. Its main presence is in the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital, a rebel stronghold, but it also has hundreds of fighters in the eastern Qalamun mountains towards the Lebanese border. And it is influential in the Jobar region of Damascus, from which the Damascus assault was launched last Sunday, sparking the heaviest clashes in the capital in two years. The group is led by dissident army captain Abdel Nasser al-Shumeir and has an estimated 9,000 fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Qatar and Turkey figure among its foreign backers. According to Alwan, Faylaq al-Rahman is "far from the ideologies of certain groups considered as extremist". "Our revolutionaries act on the basis of the principles of the revolution and the struggle against the regime," he told AFP. Alwan said preparations for the Damascus offensive started three months ago but the assault was only launched in response to regime attacks on Eastern Ghouta and rebel districts of the capital, ahead of the Geneva talks. While the regime has denounced the Damascus attacks as a bid to sabotage the peace talks, Alwan said it was "legitimate defence" in the face of government efforts to force the opposition into submission through sieges and air strikes. Faylaq al-Rahman was one of the factions which signed a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that came into effect on December 30 but has been repeatedly violated.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: The White House signaled that US lawmakers will go ahead with a showdown vote Friday on the Republican plan to replace Obamacare, despite signs the bill may not have the votes to pass.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, the chief champion in Congress of the plan known as the American Health Care Act, personally briefed President Donald Trump on the status of the embattled legislation, amid reports he let Trump know they were short of the support needed.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer declined to confirm the reports, and said the vote in the House of Representatives was still set for 3:30 pm (1930 GMT).

"The president understands this is it," Spicer told reporters.

"At this point it's not a question of negotiating anymore. It's understanding the greater good that is at hand."

Trump is putting his reputation as a dealmaker on the line with the high-risk vote, with Republican rebels threatening to torpedo their own party's health care reform.

He heaped pressure on die-hard conservatives with the White House framing the effort as a do-or-die chance to dismantle Barack Obama's signature heath care law.

Passage would hand Trump a monumental victory after a bruising battle with recalcitrant Republicans, mainly conservatives who say the new plan is too similar to Obamacare and would cost the government too much.

Defeat could send the seven-year Republican effort to pull Obama's Affordable Care Act out by its roots and replace it with something better careening into a tailspin.

It would deal a major setback to the president, who campaigned relentlessly on a pledge to "repeal and replace" Obamacare.

"After seven horrible years of Obamacare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!" Trump tweeted in an 11th-hour message to Republicans in Congress.

US media estimated that the number of Republicans likely to vote against that measure would number in the high twenties or low thirties -- well above the maximum 21 defections that Republican leadership can spare if all Democrats vote as expected against the measure.

"We'll continue to work with the speaker and the leadership there to see where the votes are," Spicer insisted.

Spicer, pressed on why Trump might demand a floor vote if the support for his plan was not clearly there, refused to discuss legislative strategy.

But he said the president and aides "have left everything on the field" in their effort to win enough support.

Trump's effort took a further blow Friday when the powerful head of the House Appropriations Committee, Rodney Frelinghuysen, came out against the bill, a shock because key committee chairs are traditionally seen as loyal to leadership.

"Unfortunately, the legislation before the House today is currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey," Frelinghuysen said in a statement.

Ryan, the reform's chief champion in the House, had planned a Thursday vote but in a stunning development was forced to pull the bill off the floor when it became clear it lacked sufficient backing.

But Trump issued an ultimatum to his party: Vote Friday, and if it fails, Obamacare -- which he and Republicans have blasted as disastrous -- will remain in force and he will move on to other items on his policy agenda.

Hardened positions

The House Freedom Caucus -- some 30 lawmakers who are heirs-apparent to the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement -- have spearheaded opposition to a bill they dub "Obamacare Lite," complaining it will only reduce, not eliminate, health coverage subsidies by replacing them with refundable tax credits.

Conservatives, eager to rein in rising premiums, want to repeal "essential health benefits" that all insurance policies must pay for under Obamacare -- including maternity care and emergency room visits.

Republican leaders conceded to that demand and repealed those benefit requirements. But for some, the changes only hardened their position against the legislation.

"Changes made to bill last night strengthen my no vote," House Republican Frank LoBiondo said in a statement.

As debate began Friday, Democrats seized their chance to loudly rail against the bill.

House Democrat Robin Kelly warned that Republican lawmakers will "own its aftermath," as she cited a recent congressional analysis that projected 24 million more Americans will be left without health insurance over the next decade if the plan becomes law.

Even if the bill squeaks by in the House, it faces an equally tough road in the US Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 52-48 majority.

Some Republican senators have urged their House colleagues to scrap the health plan and start again.

WASHINGTON: The White House signaled that US lawmakers will go ahead with a showdown vote Friday on the Republican plan to replace Obamacare, despite signs the bill may not have the votes to pass. House Speaker Paul Ryan, the chief champion in Congress of the plan known as the American Health Care Act, personally briefed President Donald Trump on the status of the embattled legislation, amid reports he let Trump know they were short of the support needed. White House spokesman Sean Spicer declined to confirm the reports, and said the vote in the House of Representatives was still set for 3:30 pm (1930 GMT). "The president understands this is it," Spicer told reporters. "At this point it's not a question of negotiating anymore. It's understanding the greater good that is at hand." Trump is putting his reputation as a dealmaker on the line with the high-risk vote, with Republican rebels threatening to torpedo their own party's health care reform. He heaped pressure on die-hard conservatives with the White House framing the effort as a do-or-die chance to dismantle Barack Obama's signature heath care law. Passage would hand Trump a monumental victory after a bruising battle with recalcitrant Republicans, mainly conservatives who say the new plan is too similar to Obamacare and would cost the government too much. Defeat could send the seven-year Republican effort to pull Obama's Affordable Care Act out by its roots and replace it with something better careening into a tailspin. It would deal a major setback to the president, who campaigned relentlessly on a pledge to "repeal and replace" Obamacare. "After seven horrible years of Obamacare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!" Trump tweeted in an 11th-hour message to Republicans in Congress. US media estimated that the number of Republicans likely to vote against that measure would number in the high twenties or low thirties -- well above the maximum 21 defections that Republican leadership can spare if all Democrats vote as expected against the measure. "We'll continue to work with the speaker and the leadership there to see where the votes are," Spicer insisted. Spicer, pressed on why Trump might demand a floor vote if the support for his plan was not clearly there, refused to discuss legislative strategy. But he said the president and aides "have left everything on the field" in their effort to win enough support. Trump's effort took a further blow Friday when the powerful head of the House Appropriations Committee, Rodney Frelinghuysen, came out against the bill, a shock because key committee chairs are traditionally seen as loyal to leadership. "Unfortunately, the legislation before the House today is currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey," Frelinghuysen said in a statement. Ryan, the reform's chief champion in the House, had planned a Thursday vote but in a stunning development was forced to pull the bill off the floor when it became clear it lacked sufficient backing. But Trump issued an ultimatum to his party: Vote Friday, and if it fails, Obamacare -- which he and Republicans have blasted as disastrous -- will remain in force and he will move on to other items on his policy agenda. Hardened positions The House Freedom Caucus -- some 30 lawmakers who are heirs-apparent to the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement -- have spearheaded opposition to a bill they dub "Obamacare Lite," complaining it will only reduce, not eliminate, health coverage subsidies by replacing them with refundable tax credits. Conservatives, eager to rein in rising premiums, want to repeal "essential health benefits" that all insurance policies must pay for under Obamacare -- including maternity care and emergency room visits. Republican leaders conceded to that demand and repealed those benefit requirements. But for some, the changes only hardened their position against the legislation. "Changes made to bill last night strengthen my no vote," House Republican Frank LoBiondo said in a statement. As debate began Friday, Democrats seized their chance to loudly rail against the bill. House Democrat Robin Kelly warned that Republican lawmakers will "own its aftermath," as she cited a recent congressional analysis that projected 24 million more Americans will be left without health insurance over the next decade if the plan becomes law. Even if the bill squeaks by in the House, it faces an equally tough road in the US Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 52-48 majority. Some Republican senators have urged their House colleagues to scrap the health plan and start again.
By AFP

ANKARA: Turkish Airlines said on Friday passengers can use their laptops until they board in a bid to make them "more comfortable" after US and Britain introduced bans on large electronic devices in the cabin of flights from certain countries' airports.

"Laptops, tablets and other electronic devices may be used until the boarding gate where they will be handed over" to the airline's staff, Turkish Airlines said in a statement.

Washington issued a ban on electronic devices larger than mobile phones on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in seven Middle Eastern countries and Turkey, only allowing them to be in hold luggage.

Britain followed with a similar ban from five countries from the Middle East and northern Africa as well as Turkey.

Turkish Airlines said the devices given would then be tagged at the gate for "safe and secure transportation", placed in a special area in the cargo hold of the aircraft and returned to their owners upon arrival at the destination.

The aim was to make sure passengers were "more comfortable" as the bans were implemented, the Turkish flagship carrier added.

The airline said passengers would still be able to use the internet on board with their mobile phones.

Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said Ankara had taken the issue to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) where it would make the necessary arguments against the ban, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Washington and London to withdraw the bans on Turkey "as soon as possible" on Thursday in a televised interview.

The US ban affects around 50 flights per day from nine airlines: Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudia, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

The British ban affects 14 airlines: British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air and Saudia.

Turkish Airlines is the country's largest exporter by foreign sales volume, whose profits have already been hit by a series of terror attacks last year.

ANKARA: Turkish Airlines said on Friday passengers can use their laptops until they board in a bid to make them "more comfortable" after US and Britain introduced bans on large electronic devices in the cabin of flights from certain countries' airports. "Laptops, tablets and other electronic devices may be used until the boarding gate where they will be handed over" to the airline's staff, Turkish Airlines said in a statement. Washington issued a ban on electronic devices larger than mobile phones on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in seven Middle Eastern countries and Turkey, only allowing them to be in hold luggage. Britain followed with a similar ban from five countries from the Middle East and northern Africa as well as Turkey. Turkish Airlines said the devices given would then be tagged at the gate for "safe and secure transportation", placed in a special area in the cargo hold of the aircraft and returned to their owners upon arrival at the destination. The aim was to make sure passengers were "more comfortable" as the bans were implemented, the Turkish flagship carrier added. The airline said passengers would still be able to use the internet on board with their mobile phones. Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said Ankara had taken the issue to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) where it would make the necessary arguments against the ban, state-run news agency Anadolu reported. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Washington and London to withdraw the bans on Turkey "as soon as possible" on Thursday in a televised interview. The US ban affects around 50 flights per day from nine airlines: Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudia, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways. The British ban affects 14 airlines: British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air and Saudia. Turkish Airlines is the country's largest exporter by foreign sales volume, whose profits have already been hit by a series of terror attacks last year.
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: The United States and a group of 13 nations across the Americas on Thursday called on Venezuela's government to hold elections and immediately free political prisoners, setting up a potential diplomatic showdown with President Nicolas Maduro's socialist administration.

The statement comes as the head of the Organization of American States is pushing to expel Maduro's government from the Washington-based group for breaking the country's democratic order.

The 14 nations, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, said they see expulsion as a last resort and instead urged dialogue to resolve Venezuela's entrenched economic and political problems.

The U.S. State Department called for Venezuela to hold elections "as soon as possible."

Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. is not pushing for Venezuela's expulsion from the OAS, but "calls for the immediate release of political prisoners in Venezuela," including Leopoldo Lopez.

"President Maduro should permit the democratically elected national assembly to perform its constitutional functions and should hold elections as soon as possible," Toner said.

Earlier this month, the head of the OAS said he wanted regional governments to suspend Venezuela from the group unless general elections are held soon.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro made the request in a 75-page report on Venezuela's political crisis, in which he accused Maduro's government of systematically violating human rights and standards of democracy enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to which Venezuela is a signatory.

Maduro's government disavowed a landslide loss to the opposition in legislative elections in 2015, and then suspended a recall campaign seeking to force him from office before the 2018 election.

Maduro has long accused Almagro of doing the bidding of the U.S. government. At the time, Venezuela's foreign ministry said the OAS leader was overstepping his authority in an effort to pave the way for an "international intervention" in Venezuela.

On Thursday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said on her Twitter account that Toner's comments "reveal who is pushing the interventionist agenda against Venezuela in the OAS."

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray said his country and a group of other nations in the region would propose a plan shortly "to constructively help, in the spirit of respect for the sovereignty and the people of Venezuela, to reach a solution and restore first, a dialogue and second, full democracy in the sister nation of Venezuela."

Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, said Thursday's declaration "is a clear measure of both the political shift in South America toward more conservative governments and the rapidly deteriorating situation in Venezuela. In the face of such a severe humanitarian crisis it became more and more difficult for many governments to remain silent."

"It is doubtful the government will respond positively, and when that happens it is not clear what the next step will be," he said.

WASHINGTON: The United States and a group of 13 nations across the Americas on Thursday called on Venezuela's government to hold elections and immediately free political prisoners, setting up a potential diplomatic showdown with President Nicolas Maduro's socialist administration. The statement comes as the head of the Organization of American States is pushing to expel Maduro's government from the Washington-based group for breaking the country's democratic order. The 14 nations, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, said they see expulsion as a last resort and instead urged dialogue to resolve Venezuela's entrenched economic and political problems. The U.S. State Department called for Venezuela to hold elections "as soon as possible." Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. is not pushing for Venezuela's expulsion from the OAS, but "calls for the immediate release of political prisoners in Venezuela," including Leopoldo Lopez. "President Maduro should permit the democratically elected national assembly to perform its constitutional functions and should hold elections as soon as possible," Toner said. Earlier this month, the head of the OAS said he wanted regional governments to suspend Venezuela from the group unless general elections are held soon. OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro made the request in a 75-page report on Venezuela's political crisis, in which he accused Maduro's government of systematically violating human rights and standards of democracy enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to which Venezuela is a signatory. Maduro's government disavowed a landslide loss to the opposition in legislative elections in 2015, and then suspended a recall campaign seeking to force him from office before the 2018 election. Maduro has long accused Almagro of doing the bidding of the U.S. government. At the time, Venezuela's foreign ministry said the OAS leader was overstepping his authority in an effort to pave the way for an "international intervention" in Venezuela. On Thursday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said on her Twitter account that Toner's comments "reveal who is pushing the interventionist agenda against Venezuela in the OAS." Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray said his country and a group of other nations in the region would propose a plan shortly "to constructively help, in the spirit of respect for the sovereignty and the people of Venezuela, to reach a solution and restore first, a dialogue and second, full democracy in the sister nation of Venezuela." Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, said Thursday's declaration "is a clear measure of both the political shift in South America toward more conservative governments and the rapidly deteriorating situation in Venezuela. In the face of such a severe humanitarian crisis it became more and more difficult for many governments to remain silent." "It is doubtful the government will respond positively, and when that happens it is not clear what the next step will be," he said.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's proposed gutting of the State Department budget and other "soft power" agencies could hamper long-term security goals and make the military's job tougher, US generals are warning.

Trump wants to slash federal spending across an array of agencies and foreign aid programs, and eliminate other organizations to pay for a boost in Pentagon spending, including by lopping 28 percent from State Department coffers.

Under his proposals, defense spending would increase by nearly 10 percent to $639 billion, more than the next seven nations combined.

But top generals are telling lawmakers this military-centric approach doesn't fully address the plethora of global security challenges.

General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander and the head of the US military's European Command, on Thursday warned against the proposed cuts.

"It would make the job more difficult," Scaparrotti told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"I rely heavily on our relationships with the other agencies in my government."

US efforts to counter transnational extremism in Europe are being led primarily by State and Treasury Department personnel, he added.

His remarks came a day after General Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said America must leverage all of its capabilities, "diplomatically, economically and militarily" in the fight against the Islamic State group.

"We're involved in a war of ideas and undermining the credibility of the narrative and the threat is going to be critical to our success," Dunford said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said he does not oppose the deep cuts to his department and will "willingly" accept Trump's challenge to tighten the budget.

- 'Buy more ammunition' -

Diplomats and some former defense officials have already warned that less spending on areas like democracy promotion and humanitarian aid will spell more trouble, and military spending, down the road.

Earlier this month, General Thomas Waldhauser, head of US Africa Command, told lawmakers that demographics and economics are a main factor driving people to sign up with jihadist groups.

"We've got to find a way to get at education, health care, hopelessness, livelihood and the like in order to give those individuals a future," Waldhauser told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"We could knock off all the (IS) and Boko Haram this afternoon. But by the end (of the) week... those ranks would be filled. We know... that the reason (some of them) joined was they needed a job, they needed a livelihood."

Speaking at the same hearing, General Joseph Votel, who heads US Central Command, stressed that a solely military response is not sufficient at solving conflicts.

"Ultimately, we want to increasingly involve other elements of the US government and the international community, recognizing that it is only through a combination of capabilities that we will achieve and sustain our strongest deterrence posture," he said.

More than 120 retired generals and admirals recently signed a letter warning "that many of the crises our nation faces do not have military solutions alone."

Trump's defense secretary, retired general Jim Mattis, has not weighed in on the debate on the budget, which is sure to undergo significant changes before it passes.

But in 2013, while still in uniform, Mattis had a stark warning for Congress.

"If you don't fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition," he said.

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's proposed gutting of the State Department budget and other "soft power" agencies could hamper long-term security goals and make the military's job tougher, US generals are warning. Trump wants to slash federal spending across an array of agencies and foreign aid programs, and eliminate other organizations to pay for a boost in Pentagon spending, including by lopping 28 percent from State Department coffers. Under his proposals, defense spending would increase by nearly 10 percent to $639 billion, more than the next seven nations combined. But top generals are telling lawmakers this military-centric approach doesn't fully address the plethora of global security challenges. General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander and the head of the US military's European Command, on Thursday warned against the proposed cuts. "It would make the job more difficult," Scaparrotti told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I rely heavily on our relationships with the other agencies in my government." US efforts to counter transnational extremism in Europe are being led primarily by State and Treasury Department personnel, he added. His remarks came a day after General Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said America must leverage all of its capabilities, "diplomatically, economically and militarily" in the fight against the Islamic State group. "We're involved in a war of ideas and undermining the credibility of the narrative and the threat is going to be critical to our success," Dunford said. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said he does not oppose the deep cuts to his department and will "willingly" accept Trump's challenge to tighten the budget. - 'Buy more ammunition' - Diplomats and some former defense officials have already warned that less spending on areas like democracy promotion and humanitarian aid will spell more trouble, and military spending, down the road. Earlier this month, General Thomas Waldhauser, head of US Africa Command, told lawmakers that demographics and economics are a main factor driving people to sign up with jihadist groups. "We've got to find a way to get at education, health care, hopelessness, livelihood and the like in order to give those individuals a future," Waldhauser told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We could knock off all the (IS) and Boko Haram this afternoon. But by the end (of the) week... those ranks would be filled. We know... that the reason (some of them) joined was they needed a job, they needed a livelihood." Speaking at the same hearing, General Joseph Votel, who heads US Central Command, stressed that a solely military response is not sufficient at solving conflicts. "Ultimately, we want to increasingly involve other elements of the US government and the international community, recognizing that it is only through a combination of capabilities that we will achieve and sustain our strongest deterrence posture," he said. More than 120 retired generals and admirals recently signed a letter warning "that many of the crises our nation faces do not have military solutions alone." Trump's defense secretary, retired general Jim Mattis, has not weighed in on the debate on the budget, which is sure to undergo significant changes before it passes. But in 2013, while still in uniform, Mattis had a stark warning for Congress. "If you don't fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition," he said.
By AFP

BRASILIA: Worldwide markets have been slamming their doors on Brazilian meat since revelations that rotten produce was being sold with faked certificates, but the agriculture minister told AFP on Thursday "the worst of the process is over."

Just under a week since police announced they'd discovered meatpacking companies bribing corrupt inspectors to certify tainted meat, Brazil's huge meat industry is reeling as China and other big clients suspend or impose extra checks on imports.

Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi insisted that the problem is isolated and that Brazilian products represent no danger. But the economic damage to Latin America's biggest country could be dire: $1.5 billion in sales are at risk, Maggi estimated.

However, officials are pushing back hard, with President Michel Temer due to call his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday to try and get the import ban lifted.

"I think the worst of the process is over," Maggi said.

"All countries are showing goodwill. They understand that with the procedures we have set up over the years, as well as the fact that importers themselves also make checks, they can be sure that our products are good."

- 5,000 containers -

He said Brazil's challenge is to persuade markets that while "some public servants were corrupt, we've never had, not for a moment, accusations that our products are not good quality, especially those for export."

"We need to separate these two things," he said.

With China and Hong Kong banning beef and chicken and the European Union banning only products from the 21 meatpacking plants under investigation it remains unclear what will happen to meat already being shipped.

Maggi said earlier that 5,000 containers are on ships, but that most of the meat products are not under suspicion. He told AFP that only one of the plants being investigated had been exporting.

"We have already asked for the return of all the containers that were in transit. There is no risk that a country could receive products sent recently from these 21 plants," he said.

Like other officials, Maggi showed his frustration at the police.

Temer's government is already in a tussle with prosecutors investigating high level corruption and embezzlement from state oil company Petrobras, and the meat scandal has further strained tempers.

Maggi questioned why the police hadn't said anything before, given the probe announced last week had been running for two years.

"This is one of the mistakes of the operation," he said. "The Federal Police made a mistake when it came to communicating. They exaggerated in some places, feeding the public's imagination."

BRASILIA: Worldwide markets have been slamming their doors on Brazilian meat since revelations that rotten produce was being sold with faked certificates, but the agriculture minister told AFP on Thursday "the worst of the process is over." Just under a week since police announced they'd discovered meatpacking companies bribing corrupt inspectors to certify tainted meat, Brazil's huge meat industry is reeling as China and other big clients suspend or impose extra checks on imports. Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi insisted that the problem is isolated and that Brazilian products represent no danger. But the economic damage to Latin America's biggest country could be dire: $1.5 billion in sales are at risk, Maggi estimated. However, officials are pushing back hard, with President Michel Temer due to call his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday to try and get the import ban lifted. "I think the worst of the process is over," Maggi said. "All countries are showing goodwill. They understand that with the procedures we have set up over the years, as well as the fact that importers themselves also make checks, they can be sure that our products are good." - 5,000 containers - He said Brazil's challenge is to persuade markets that while "some public servants were corrupt, we've never had, not for a moment, accusations that our products are not good quality, especially those for export." "We need to separate these two things," he said. With China and Hong Kong banning beef and chicken and the European Union banning only products from the 21 meatpacking plants under investigation it remains unclear what will happen to meat already being shipped. Maggi said earlier that 5,000 containers are on ships, but that most of the meat products are not under suspicion. He told AFP that only one of the plants being investigated had been exporting. "We have already asked for the return of all the containers that were in transit. There is no risk that a country could receive products sent recently from these 21 plants," he said. Like other officials, Maggi showed his frustration at the police. Temer's government is already in a tussle with prosecutors investigating high level corruption and embezzlement from state oil company Petrobras, and the meat scandal has further strained tempers. Maggi questioned why the police hadn't said anything before, given the probe announced last week had been running for two years. "This is one of the mistakes of the operation," he said. "The Federal Police made a mistake when it came to communicating. They exaggerated in some places, feeding the public's imagination."
Sorry, that page not found!



Please visit our Home Page for latest updates
S.M. Krishna joined BJP for his 'personal greed': Congress

New Delhi , March, 22 : The Congress on Wednesday lashed out at the party's veteran leader S.M. Krishna after he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that the grand-old party respected him but the former changed his allegiance for 'personal greed'.





(Posted on 22 March 2017, 1667860546 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/karnataka-news.php  (Posted on 22 March 2017, 1667860546 173O212O198O32)

"From the past few years he (Krishna) was away from the party. The party gave him everything and we gave him lots of respect, and in spite of that if somebody changes his party for his personal greed then who can stop them," Congress leader P.L. Punia told ANI.Further tearing into the former Congress stalwart, Punia said that the development describes what kind of a person Krishna is and highlights his mentality.Earlier today, Krishna joined the BJP and stated that he would like to rededicate himself to the cause of the nation under the saffron party's banner."I am deeply humbled that I am joining a political set-up which has given a great glory to the country and I would like to rededicate myself to the cause of the nation under the banner of the Bharatiya Janata Party," Krishna told the media here.Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah while welcoming Krishna in the party said that his contribution is appreciable and that the former Congress stalwart is a great asset of the nation."On behalf of BJP I welcome him. His contribution will make our position strong in Karnataka," he said.Krishna had put off his plan last week after the death of his sister.Though he had reached New Delhi to hold consultations with Shah and to join the party, he had to rush back to Bengaluru after hearing the news of her death.84-year-old Krishna had announced his resignation from the Congress on January 29, saying the party was in a "state of confusion" on whether it needed mass leaders or not.Krishna, who was the chief minister Karnataka from 1999 to 2004, had returned to state politics after stepping down as then External Affairs Minister in 2012.A trusted aide of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, Krishna is credited with setting up Bengaluru as the nation's IT hub. Later, he returned to Karnataka, hoping to play a role in state politics.He has also served as the Governor of Maharashtra.
Ashok Chavan on 19 MLAs suspended

New Delhi , Mar 23 : Expressing grave concern over the suspension of 19 MLAs till December 31 in connection with the uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly on March 18 during the budget announcement, former chief minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday said the BJP-led government must have resolve the issue instead of taking such an extreme step.





(Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860548 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/maharashtra-news.php  (Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860548 173O212O198O32)

Chavan said the Maharashtra Government has forbidden the elected representatives of the people from entering the house."The NCP and the Congress has been raising their voices in support of the farmers. Our demand is that the loan taken by the suffering farmers in the state of Maharashtra should be written off. But the government has taken an extreme step by suspending all MLAs, who raised this issue," said Chavan."This issue should be resolved. When such incidents take place, it is the duty of the Chief Minister and the Speaker to call on the MLAs and resolve the issue but instead they have been trying to crush the voice of the people," he added.As many as 19 MLAs were suspended by Speaker Haribhau Bagade till December 31 in connection with the uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly on March 18 during the budget announcement.Expressing disappointment over the announcement made by Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar in the state budget for 2017-18, the opposition MLAs burnt copies of the same outside the assembly on March 18.Despite demands from the Shiv Sena and other opposition parties, Mungantiwar did not make any announcement on the loan waiver for farmers.The government, however, allocated Rs. 8, 233 crore for various irrigation projects for the farmers."Maharashtra's growth rate for 2016-17 was 9.4 percent and we aim to take this at least in double digit in the coming year (2017-18). For farmers, Rs. 8,233 crores has been allocated for water resources and Rs. 2,812 crore has been allocated for Prime Minister's irrigation scheme proposed for year 2017-18," Mungantiwar said while reading out the budget.
Square Yards launches international property portal for cross border real estate investments

New Delhi , Mar 23 : Real estate startup Square Yards on Thursday announced the launch of an International property portal (global.squareyards.com) for enabling global cross border real estate investments.





(Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860548 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/real-estate-news.php  (Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860548 173O212O198O32)

This is notably the first and only portal by any Indian tech startup focusing exclusively on global real estate.Square Yards is already the largest player by revenues (annual revenue run rate in excess of USD 25M) in the Indian real estate and has a virtual monopoly in some of the key NRI diaspora markets. It is now replicating its Indian success in international markets by acquiring multi country real estate licenses and entering into collaborative arrangements with leading International developers for exclusive cross-border marketing and selling rights."International real estate is one of the fastest growing and most profitable segment of our business. We want to invest more into it and are currently building our local agent network in each of the countries. We would gradually expand to 25+ International markets and our ambition is to get to an undisputed number 1 position for off-plan properties sold anywhere in the world," said founder and CEO at Square Yards, Tanuj Shori.The new international portal currently features a host of exclusively sourced off-plan properties from seven countries namely UAE, USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Hong-Kong. Along with rich information about International projects, the portal also offers deep insights into top real estate investment destinations in the world through its proprietary Investment ScoresTM calculation methodology.The tool rates top international cities on a combination of 21 different parameters such as rental yields, capital appreciation, price, availability, transaction costs, taxes and macroeconomic factors. The investment score, driven by powerful analytics and meticulously designed algorithms, gives a fair judgment of the inherent attractiveness associated with a particular market.Square Yards has been on international expansion spree for past few years with a prolific presence in 10 countries. The company recently announced two consecutive rounds of fund raising.In January it raised USD 10 million multiple investors and in November USD 12 million equity funding from the private equity arm of Anil Ambani led Reliance Group.
Rival 'Amma' teams to clash with 'Hat and 'Electric Pole' symbols for Jayalalithaa seat

Chennai, Mar 23 : The 'Hat' and the 'Electricity Pole' are gearing for what could be a close contest for Tamil Nadu's RK Nagar Assembly constituency, which goes for the bypoll on April 12, 2017.





(Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860550 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/tamil-nadu-news.php  (Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860550 173O212O198O32)

The seat fell vacant with the death of J Jayalalithaa, the states chief minister and the leader of the AIADMK party.With rival factions of AIADMK wanting to use the party name and the two leaves symbol, the Election Commission froze the name and the symbol and asked the rival groups to get new names and symbols for approval for the April 12 bypoll, media reported.The Election Commission, on Thursday, approved the name AIADMK Amma and theHat symbol for the Sasikala camp while it approved the name AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma and the Electric Pole symbol for the Panneerselvan camp.On Thursday, the last date for filing nominations, the Sasikala camp submitted the nominations with Sasikalas nephew TTV Dinakaran as the party candidate, media reports said.Sasikala had named nephew Dinakaran as the deputy general secretary of the party when she was sent to jail in a disproportionate assets case.Announcing the founding of MGR Amma Deepa Peravai on February 24, Jayalalithaas niece Deepa Jayakumar had said she will contest from R K Nagar Assembly constituency, according to media reports.The Panneerselvam camp had announced that veteran leader E. Madhusudhanan will be its candidate.The DMK has announced N Maruthuganesh as its candidate for the April 12 bypoll, according to media reports.Gangai Amaran, a well-known music composer, who joined the BJP in 2014, will be the BJP candidate in RK Nagar bypoll, media reports said.Meanwhile, Tamil superstar, tweeted on Thursday, My support is for no one in the coming elections.
Nokia announces completion of first pre-standard 600MHz LTE call

New Delhi , Mar 23 : Nokia on Thursday announced the completion of the first pre-standard testing of 600MHz on commercially-available hardware, creating a test bed for terminal ecosystem development and availability.





(Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860552 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860552 173O212O198O32)

The global leader in innovation and technology said that the low-band 600MHz spectrum is ideal for covering wide areas and providing bandwidth in hard-to-reach places.The company believes that winning bidders of the 600MHz auction will utilize this spectrum to extend LTE footprints, augment capacity and improve data speeds.However, it is working on pre-standard products and solutions within its 4.5G Pro and 4.9G portfolio to better serve those customers who want to deploy radio electronics in 2017.The early launch of services in this band is expected to first come to rural areas due to the large cell size enabled by the low band. In addition, 600MHz could be used to enhance consumer experience in metropolitan areas by increasing capacity and improving indoor coverage.Nokia implemented the 600MHz solution on its commercial LTE eNodeB, demonstrating:-A complete end-to-end LTE call using a test device-20MHz frequency block on the 600MHz band-Maximum throughput of 387Mbps-4 way uplink receive diversity-4X4 MIMO technology-256 QAM"We've been anticipating the end of the 600MHz auction, and we haven't waited. Nokia has been doing the necessary development, testing and software creation over the last several quarters," said head of North America for Nokia, Ricky Corker."We are ready to work from day one with those customers who want to bring 600MHz to market," added Corker.
Four pregnant women carried on a stretcher in Karnataka hospital

Hubli (Karnataka) , Mar. 23 : As many as four pregnant women were carried on a single stretcher in a state government hospital in Karnataka's Hubli district on Thursday.





(Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860553 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/karnataka-news.php  (Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860553 173O212O198O32)

One of the visitors to the hospital shot the video of these women being shifted from the wards.When questioned to speak on the incident, Superintendent Dr Shivappa Anur Shetty said, "There's no shortage of stretchers, it's only the inability of hospital staff to manage them accordingly.""We are aware of all this. The staff is actually doing this to save time. About 30 to 35 pregnant women get admitted into the hospital on a daily basis and shifting each one of them individually on a wheelchair is time consuming. We will ensure that this doesn't repeat," said Shetty.
Assam: Brahmaputra Board to implement Rs 207 crore projects for Majuli

Guwahati, Mar 23 : The Brahmaputra Board of Assam will implement projects worth Rs 207 crore for protection of Majuli from recurrent flood and erosion.





(Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860553 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860553 173O212O198O32)

Brahmaputra Board Chairman Sanjay Kundu informed it to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during a discussion held at Assam Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday.Taking a strong view of the performance of the Board, the Assam CM stated that due to absence of Board officials in the field, anti-erosion and flood protection works carried out in Majuli were severely affected.Further adding that unless a permanent office of the Board is set up in Majuli, a sense of alienation would always be there in the minds of the people.Sonowal asked the Board to set up a permanent complex which will house an office, a godown and a guest house so that officials could stay in Majuli and execute their work.The Assam CM also requested the Chairman of the Board to employ local youth in the complex after empowering them with necessary skills.Sonowal further telephonically directed the deputy commissioner, Majuli to allot 10 bigha land for setting up the complex.Stating that any work implemented for anti-erosion and flood management will be successful only if the same is backed by proper survey, Sonowal directed the Brahmaputra Board officials to carry out an aerial survey for making a correct assessment of Majuli on April 9.He also informed that the state Water Resources Department and officials of all concerned departments will accompany the Board officials in the survey.Stating that lack of quality construction house and quality contractors adversely impact the implementation of construction projects in Assam, Sonowal advised the Board to engage only top class construction houses and contractors who have the capacity to carry out world class construction work.Referring to the bleak past record of the Board, the Chief Minister said people of Assam and particularly those from Majuli are very dissatisfied with the functioning of the Brahmaputra Board.He further urged the Board to ensure quality in their works to dispel its negative image from the minds of the people.It is to be mentioned that the Board has been working to protect the island since 2004 from flood and erosion.The island has been witnessing large scale erosion and floods since 1950, when an earthquake, measuring 8.6 on the Richter scale, changed the course of the Brahmaputra.The board had been assigned with the task of working out projects to protect the island, keeping in view the magnitude of the destruction by the river.TS Mehra, Commissioner, Brahmaputra Barak, Ajay Kumar Gupta, Senior Joint Commissioner and Chief Engineer, Brahmaputra Board were also present in the discussion.(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Setback for Mamata: Over 400 TMC members in Tripura join BJP

Guwahati, Mar 23 : After Manipur, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee faced another setback with over 400 party members including former chairman of the TMC Tripura unit joining Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday.





(Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860554 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 23 March 2017, 1667860554 173O212O198O32)

The TMC members including 16 of the total 65 state committee members and former chairman of TMC Tripura unit Ratan Chakraborty have joined the saffron party in Agartala.During a meeting held in the capital city of the north eastern Indian state, the TMC members joined BJP in presence of Union minister of state for Railways Rajen Gohain, BJPs Tripura unit president Biplab Deb.Rajen Gohain and Biplab Deb jointly handed over the saffron party flag to Ratan Chakraborty.After joining the saffron party, Chakraborty said told media that, BJP is only political party in the country which interested for development in the north eastern region.I am confident that BJP will form the next government in Tripura in 2018. Only BJP would be able to free Tripura from the clutches from CPI (M), Chakraborty said.He further said that, he had joined the saffron party unconditionally.On the other hand, Rajen Gohain said that, his party will form the next government in Tripura and the ruling party CPI (M) would be washed away in the next assembly poll.Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has faced setback in Manipur after its lone legislator had joined BJP and help to form the first BJP government in the state.(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Shiv Sena MP admits hitting AI staffer with slipper

Mumbai, Mar 23 : A lawmaker from Maharashtra, on Thursday, allegedly hit a staff of the national carrier Air India with his slipper, according to media reports.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860555 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860555 173O212O198O32)

The first time Shiv Sena MP from Osmanabad, Ravindra Gaikwad, reportedly got into a scuffle with the AI staffer over allocation of seats.In a televised interview on NDTV, the lawmaker admitted to hitting the AI staffer 25 times with his slipper, saying he was not ready to accept the abuses of the staffer.He even went on to say (in Hindi), Why should I take abuse? I am not from BJP.He said if required, he will take up the matter with the Aviation minister and the Lok Sabha speaker.Air India has constituted a team to look into the incident, media reports said.
Goa Tourism Development Corporation, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India host Honda NAVi Goa Hunt 2017

Panjim, Mar 23 : Goa Tourism Development Corporation in association with Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. announced the first edition of Honda NAVi Goa Hunt 2017.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860555 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860555 173O212O198O32)

Honda NAVi Goa Hunt is a fun and adventure activity aimed at exploring the unexplored side of Goa on youths most loved and favorite Honda NAVi. With its unique design and vibrant color options, NAVi promises a FUNtastsic experience for the customers.The Honda NAVi Goa Hunt is a 2 day activity to be flagged off on Mar 23 by the Hon. Minister for Tourism, Govt. of Goa, Manohar Azgaonkar.The objective of this activity is to explore Goa having fun riding the Honda NAVi and reaching the final destination after surprise tasks at each location. The event will conclude with an award ceremony by felicitating its winners on Mar 24.
Emirates announces A380 service to the French Riviera, adds Monaco transfers by helicopter

Kolkata, Mar 23 : Emirates on Thursday announced the launch of a daily A380 service to Nice, gateway to the French Riviera and Provence.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860557 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/travel-india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860557 173O212O198O32)

The daily A380 service will start on 1st July 2017, just in time for the beginning of the summer holiday season.After Paris, Nice becomes Emirates second destination in France to welcome the iconic double decker, further stimulating demand for travel to the region.Nice is currently served with a daily flight operated by a Boeing 777-300ER. The deployment of an A380 represents a capacity increase of 44% on the route.With 3633 weekly seats in each direction, Emirates will offer more seats to the Middle East and beyond than any other international airline, highlighting Nices importance as part of the airlines global network.Enabling an increase in passenger numbers will also result in additional tourism revenues for Nice and the wider region, which in turn will mean boosting the local economy and job creation.Emirates started flying to Nice on 15th July 1994, almost 23 years ago. Since then, almost two million passengers have travelled with us on the route, with over 200,000 last year alone. Were excited to see the city join the other 46 destinations Emirates currently serves with the A380 and look forward to being the first airline to fly this iconic aircraft to Nice, commented Thierry Antinori, Emirates Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.We expect the A380 service to further grow the number of leisure and business travellers that visit the south of France throughout the year, added Antinori.As of 1st July, EK77 will be operated by an A380, leaving Dubai at 0845hrs and arriving in Nice at 1340hrs, while EK78 will depart Nice at 1540hrs and arrive in Dubai at 0010hrs the next day (local times). Passengers travelling to or from the following cities will enjoy optimal A380 to A380 connections in Dubai: Aukland, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, and more.I am thrilled to welcome the A380, a prestigious and iconic aircraft. Nice will be the only city in France, other than Paris, to boast a scheduled A380 service. The team at Nice Cote dAzur Airport worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth arrival, from runway optimisation to boarding bridge modernisation. Emirates decision to upgrade its daily service to Nice confirms the appeal of our region, important enough to sustain a year-round long-haul flight, commented Dominique Thillaud, President, Cote DAzur Airports.Emirates is also working with Monacair to offer helicopter transfers between Nice Airport and Monaco, including a limousine service from Monacos heliport to their final destination.The service will be complimentary to First Class passengers, 79 per passenger for Business Class and 109 per passenger for Economy Class.
PM Modi, Amit Shah direct MPs from UP not to create pressure on govt officials

New Delhi, Mar 23 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah directed all BJP MPs from the state of Uttar Pradesh not to create pressure on government officials in a meeting on Thursday, media reports said.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860557 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860557 173O212O198O32)

Let the officers work. If someone is doing any wrong, the state government will look into it, Modi and Shah asked their MPs during the meeting.They asked the MPs from UP not to unnecessarily create pressures on them and transfer them.Both the top leaders of BJP spoke in favour of good governance that the party is eyeing to create in UP.According to media reports, PM Modi reinstated the anti-corruption drive and said that no party worker should indulge themselves into corruption.
Faced with 'clear science, real threats' countries must remain committed to Paris climate deal - UN

New York, Mar 24 : Climate change is an unprecedented and growing threat to peace, prosperity and development and addressing it presents an economic opportunity for Governments and business, senior United Nations officials said on Thursday.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860558 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860558 173O212O198O32)

We are dealing with scientific facts, not politics. And the facts are clear. Climate change is a direct threat in itself, and a multiplier of many other threats, UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres told a General Assembly High-Level action event aimed at invigorating political momentum on climate change, highlighting its deep links to the UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.Guterres said his messages to the meeting are simple.First, climate change is an unprecedented and growing threat to peace and prosperity and the same in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Second, addressing climate change is a massive opportunity that we cannot afford to miss, he said.The Paris Agreement on climate change adopted in December 2015 is unique in its universality, with every single government having signed it. The pact entered force in less than a year. To date more than 130 Parties have ratified it, and the numbers are growing monthly.The countries that supported the Paris Agreement are the same that adopted the 2030 Agenda they comprise all UN Member States.The reason for this consensus is clear: all nations recognize that implementing the 2030 Agenda goes hand-in-glove with limiting global temperature rise and increasing climate resilience.Guterres said that last year was once again the hottest on record. Sea ice is at a historic low and sea levels at a historic high. These trends are indisputable, he stressed, explaining that consequences of climate change include food insecurity, water scarcity, poverty and displacement.Tackling climate change is a tremendous opportunity for Governments and business as there is no trade-off between a healthy environment and a healthy economy.We can have both. Green business is good business, he said.Climate action is a necessity and can advance the attainment of sustainable development goals.How we go about it can be the subject of scientific and political debate. But there is no question that we must act, urgently and decisively, now, Guterres said. And it remains the only viable way to safeguard peace, prosperity and a sustainable future.Also addressing the event, were Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly, and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.Still possible to bend curve on climate change trajectoriesThomson said that he had recently met with Petteri Taalas, the Secretary-General of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), who confirmed that the world is currently on track towards a 3 to 4C increase in global temperatures.I have always understood [] that once we reach the 3C - 4C range, humanitys survival on this planet will be put in jeopardy, he said.Cyclone Winston and Cyclone Pam which devastated Fiji and Vanuatu in recent years were among the strongest tropical cyclones to ever make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Fiji, an island nation from which Thomson hails, has already begun relocating low-lying villages to higher ground, away from the encroaching shoreline and the rising threat of storm surges.While the prognosis is dire, the scientific community assures us it is possible to bend the curve on current trajectories, if we work together to curb the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions, Thomson said, reiterating his call for all parties to the Paris Agreement to ratify it without delay and for those that have already done so to deliver on their commitments.Transformation opens door to sustainable futureEchoing Thomsons statement, Espinosa said that it is a necessity to bend the emissions curve, build societies resilient to climate impacts and reduce risk by limiting warming to safe levels.And the policies that accomplish these goals must be developed with a focus on the sustained wellbeing of people, sound stewardship of the planet and responsible economic growth, she said, noting that such a transformation opens the door to a future where growing human needs are reconciled against the need for a stable climate and healthy ecosystems.This challenge is immense. Inaction or insufficient action will destabilize the natural systems that underpin all social and economic development, she said, urging concerted effort to overcome this challenge.We have truly entered the era of implementation. It is up to us, collectively as one community of nations, to accelerate action that builds a better future for all, she saidPhoto: IFAD/David RoseSource: www.justearthnews.com
Somalia: A moment of hope amid tragedy, says UN envoy

New York, Mar 24 : Noting that Somalia faces a number of daunting difficulties after decades of conflict, a senior United Nations official on Thursday highlighted that there is also a new momentum in the country for fresh political engagement amongst its people with the recent electoral process.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860559 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860559 173O212O198O32)

The new Government and Parliament now have an opportunity to use the goodwill to reboot efforts to build a functional and inclusive Federal State, Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia and the head of the UN Mission in the country (UNSOM), told the UN Security Council.The results of the electoral process, accepted as legitimate by all stakeholders, as well as a smooth and peaceful transfer of power, also made efforts to respond to the ongoing drought and the looming spectre of famine much easier, he noted.Somalis, including politicians, business people, civil society and members of the diaspora, are taking responsibility for [the] response, distinguishing Somalia from other countries facing humanitarian catastrophe, added Keating.In his briefing, the UN official pointed out that eliminating the scourge of terrorism in the country remained another pressing issue and said that a multi-pronged approach, embedded in a political strategy, was needed to degrade and dismantle the Al-Shabaab militant group.He also noted that building a trusted security apparatus that are acceptable to all Somalis is essential and added that doing so also offered a major opportunity to build and consolidate the Federal State.[This] needs to be approached as such, not just as a military undertaking, he noted.He also spoke about the need to advance the constitutional process and to strengthen conflict resolution efforts through the inclusion of all sections of society, including women, youth, minorities and business, in the peaceful resolution of conflicts.Work was also need to improve the human rights situation in the country, said Keating.I am particularly concerned about attacks on journalists and the increase in sexual violence against internally-displaced women and members of minority clans, he said, underlining the need to strengthen the human rights protection capacity in the country as well as fully implementing the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy.Concluding his briefing, Keating urged the 15-member Security Council to continue to support the Somalias new leadership, new President, and new Prime Minister, to address the challenges the country is confronting.Security Council extends UNSOM mandate until mid-June 2017Also on Thursday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution in which it extended the UNSOMs mandate until 16 June 2017.Also the resolution, the Security Council said that that it looked forward to the report of the review of the UN presence in Somalia which had earlier been deferred until the conclusion of the electoral process.UN Photo/Tobin JonesSource: www.justearthnews.com
Iraq a country of hope amid debris of war, says UNICEF chief wrapping up visit

New York, Mar 24 : Children have the power to bring Iraq out of conflicts and into a peaceful future, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860559 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/middle-east-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860559 173O212O198O32)

Anthony Lake wrapped up his visit to the crisis-torn Middle Eastern country on Wednesday. Upon finishing his visit, Lake said: I leave Iraq at a time when the country is facing significant challenges and opportunities. Yet everywhere I visited East Mosul, Baghdad, Fallujah, Erbil children and their families told me of their dreams and their determination to make them real.Some 1.4 million children have been displaced by the violence in Iraq and 200,000 children remain trapped in Mosul where heavy fighting between Government forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh), persists.UNICEF is working hard to provide children and families affected by the crisis in Mosul with lifesaving supplies of water, access to sanitation facilities, psychosocial support and the opportunity to get back to learning as soon as possible, stated Lake.The UNICEF chief visited schools in Fallujah that had reopened amid the debris of war and met with students who said they had dreams of being engineers and doctors.We are working with the Government of Iraq to provide all children in Iraq, with the resources they need to reach those dreams whether that means new classrooms, notebooks or accelerated learning programmes, he said.Because it is these students who, if they have the skills in their heads and healing in their hearts, will move the country from the conflicts of the past towards a peaceful future, he emphasized.Photo: UNICEF/AnmarSource: www.justearthnews.com
'We can no longer turn our backs' on communities affected by migration crisis in Libya - UN agency chief

New York, Mar 24 : The top United Nations migration official is visiting Tripoli to discuss the complex migration and displacement situation with hopes of shoring up technical support to foster a stable environment.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860560 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860560 173O212O198O32)

Libya, once a booming economy which many hopeful migrants viewed as a prized destination, is on Thursday a country beset by a grave security situation, a collapsing economy and virtually no service provision which is worsening an increasingly complex migration situation, said William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in a press statement.The statement emphasized that fostering a stable environment to bring about a much-needed holistic approach to migration governance is now a priority.There are different migratory flows moving through and towards Libya, driven by underdevelopment, State fragility, marginalization and security threats in West Africa, East Africa and the Middle East. These are compounded by political insecurity and conflict, which further exacerbate existing vulnerabilities of the affected communities, including Libyans themselves, according to IOM.Swing will meet with the Interior Minister of the Government of National Accord, Alaref Al Khoja and the Chairman of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord, Fayes Al Sarraj to discuss how IOM can strengthen its technical support to these communities within Libya.As humanitarians, we can no longer turn our back on the communities affected by the current migration crisis in Libya, Ambassador Swing underscored. This is why IOM is enhancing its support to the most vulnerable people in the country be they migrants or Libyans, he added.There are an estimated 303,608 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Libya, according to IOMs Displacement Tracking Matrix. A majority have been displaced from areas in the north-east and north-west of the country, particularly in Sirte and some parts of Benghazi.Displaced Libyans are suffering from a lack of access to essential services, including medical assistance and economy opportunities. IOM works with local government and communities to promote stability and development for IDPs, migrants and local host communities in Libya. It is also helping to establish a better system of managing the migration situation on the ground.Swing will also meet with migrants at Triq Al Sekka detention centre, where he will speak to Ahmed Issa, Head of the Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration, about how IOM can offer continued support, such as through direct assistance, infrastructure development and voluntary humanitarian return.Due to the situation, many migrants are turning to IOM for help getting home. Since 2011, IOM has helped 13,691 migrants get home to safety. Just this week, the UN agency assisted 160 stranded migrants return from Tripoli to Cote dIvoire.IOM stresses that increased support to voluntary humanitarian returns is essential to improving migration management and a long-term commitment to forging links between effective reintegration schemes, stability and local development potential in communities of return.The UN migration agency is launching an Action Plan for Libya to work with the authorities to address the many challenges faced by migrants, IDPs, returnees and the affected Libyan population. The two key objectives of the approach are to urgently provide humanitarian assistance and protection to affected populations in Libya and contribute to stability, build capacities and resilience of Libyan authorities, as well as the affected populations themselves.Photo: IOM/Leonard DoyleSource: www.justearthnews.com
Research shows link between temperature rise and human influence, says head of UN climate panel

New York, Mar 24 : Speaking on Thursday at a United Nations forum to invigorate political momentum on climate change, the head of a major UN panel on climate change underlined that human influence on the climate system cannot be disputed.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860561 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860561 173O212O198O32)

[Research has] demonstrated the link between cumulative past, present and future carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and a given temperature rise, Hoesung Lee, the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), stressed in his keynote address at the UN General Assembly High-Level action event on Thursday.Bigger emissions now mean higher temperature in the future, he added.In his address, Lee drew examples from the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) issued by the IPCC in 2014 and said that since then, warming has continued and global mean temperature rise has reached more than one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels in 2015 and 2016.Such observed warming led at the centre of the climate model projections assessed in the Report, he explained.Underscoring that climate change threatened development, impacted economic growth, made poverty eradication efforts all the more difficult and severely underlined food security, Lee said that rising temperatures also had a very detrimental impact on the environment.Oceans are continuing to warm, acidify and lose oxygen, he said, Warm water coral reefs are already under pressure and 90 per cent would suffer significant risk from global warming of 1.5 degree Celsius.Touching upon the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), which will be completed with a synthesis report in 2022, said Lee that it will be ready in good time for the first global stocktaking under the Paris Agreement on climate change the following year.He also said that scientific research has illustrated that efforts to address climate change and pursuit of sustainable development can support each other, he cited the following example: If food waste was a country, it would be the worlds third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases [therefore] reducing food waste globally can help fight poverty and hunger while stabilizing the climate.He also said that in its subsequent reports, the IPCC seeks to improve its scientific understanding of the economics of addressing climate change, such as of the benefits on health from clean air or the impact on energy security, balance of payments and jobs from energy efficiency.In his remarks he further mentioned that researchers are on working on new methods to better observe and understand the climate, these will be crucial to help improve weather forecasts and climate projections.This science underpins the IPCCs policy-relevant assessments and is essential for sustainable development planning, he noted, calling for continued support the vital research.Concluding his address, Lee highlighted that the expression business as usual is often seen for not taking action on climate.Business will be very far from usual in a world of no mitigation, which could see temperatures rise by an average 40 or more over the century, he said stressing that economic development cannot be pursued by relying on high-carbon technology.Actions to limit climate change have a positive impact on the domestic economy and help improve human well-being, and adaptation reduces vulnerability, supporting inclusive and equitable development.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an international body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.Photo: UNICEF/Vlad SokhinSource: www.justearthnews.com
International, independent probe of alleged violations in Yemen needed - UN deputy rights chief

New York, Mar 24 : Describing the situation in Yemen as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises - 'and one that is entirely man-made' - the United Nations human rights deputy chief on Thursday urged the national commission of inquiry to fulfill its mandate of investigating all alleged violations of international and Yemeni laws.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860561 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860561 173O212O198O32)

We encourage the Yemeni National Commission to make progress on all aspects of its mandate to investigate all allegations of violations of international law and Yemeni law, including those that go beyond the extent of the Commissions cooperation with OHCHR [the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights], UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kate Gilmore told a UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva yesterday.She said that OHCHR has re-established its engagement with the National Commission on a programme of joint activities and a list of thematic priorities. The first of these activities took place from 21 to 23 February, in Doha, Qatar, which was a capacity-building workshop on international humanitarian law, investigative methodologies and lessons learnt from UN commissions of inquiry.The de facto authorities in the capital, Sanaa, have officially communicated their intention not to extend cooperation to the National Commission or to any OHCHR team tasked with implementing the Human Rights Council resolution.In response, OHCHR has urged the authorities to reconsider that decision and called on all parties to follow through on their commitment to cooperate with the National Commission and OHCHR.She said that calls for an international and independent commission of investigation have been dismissed by some as potentially undermining the National Commission.However, there are no persuasive reasons to believe that an international and independent investigation could not operate alongside a national commission of inquiry as the existence of one does not exclude the other, she explained.The National Commissions first publications failed to comply with internationally recognized standards of methodology and impartiality, she pointed out.Still, Gilmore argued that the violations allegedly committed in the ongoing conflict are of such gravity that impunity simply cannot be accepted. In the absence of credible mechanisms for national remedy, international and independent alternatives are essential.The High Commissioner has no choice but to reiterate his call for an international and independent commission of inquiry into all allegations of violations of human rights and humanitarian law, regardless of the alleged perpetrators, she said.Such an approach would also support the efforts of the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy on Yemen to reach a negotiated and durable settlement of the conflict, she added.Photo: WFP/Ammar BamatrafSource: www.justearthnews.com
Sushma Swaraj lauds Indian Embassy in Serbia for swift action

New Delhi, Mar 24 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has lauded the Indian Embassy in Serbia over its work ethic.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860562 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860562 173O212O198O32)

The minister tweeted her appreciation following the embassys competence in solving a case.After a Twitter user, Rajeev Sharma, alerted both the embassy and Swaraj of his brothers abduction in Serbia, the minister took it up and later said that the entire saga was scripted by the abductee.@IndiaInSerbiamybroVinay kidnap in Serbia.kidnaper ask money 5000 euro unless we kill him.This matter alsotweetSushma Sawraj frgn minister, (sic) Rajeevs tweet read.In reply to his tweet, Swaraj said, Rajiv - I have all the facts before me. Your brother was not abducted. /1 @rajivsharma103 @IndiaInSerbia.He stage managed his own abduction and the video is fake. /2 @rajivsharma103 @IndiaInSerbia, a second tweet added.However, @Indiainserbia intervened and your brother has been released by Serbian Police. He is returning on 25 March. /3 @rajivsharma103, she said.I appreciate @IndiaInSerbia for the prompt response. /4, Swarajs tweet further read.Following the exchange, the user, visibly happy with the result, replied with, Today I believe in humanity is alive Great country my India JAI HIND I am proud to be I am Indian... Thanks INDIAN EMBASSY for this efforts. (sic)
Audit is knowledge-based activity: President Mukherjee

New Delhi , Mar.23 : President Pranab Mukherjee has asserted that audit being knowledge based activity, such interactions, sharing of knowledge, experiences, and best practices would be mutually beneficial to all members of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs).





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860563 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860563 173O212O198O32)

"It is praiseworthy that the delegates are engaging in fruitful deliberations on two very relevant contemporary themes, chosen for this Conference i.e. leveraging technology and environment audit," President Mukherjee said while addressing the Commonwealth Auditors General Conference at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.He expressed happiness that the multilateral forum of Auditors General of Commonwealth countries have met in India this year to discuss contemporary issues of relevance to the members of SAI."SAIs have an important role to play in ensuring that the nations meet their commitments on environment treaties and leverage technology to provide high quality services to the citizens. Technology has enabled faster communication, easy access to knowledge and information and facilitated efficient delivery of public services to citizens," President Mukherjee added.He further said that technology and environment have become key drivers for formulating strategies to address a host of issues.
Trump administration to approve Keystone XL pipeline

Washington D.C. [U.S.], Mar. 23 : The U.S. State Department is set to approve the Keystone XL pipeline by Monday, reversing the Obama administration's decision to block the controversial oil pipeline.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860563 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860563 173O212O198O32)

Tom Shannon, the State Department's undersecretary for political affairs, will sign TransCanada's permit, making good on one of U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign promises.It will greenlight the Canadian company to complete construction on the pipeline that will funnel crude oil from Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast, the senior US official said, the CNN reported.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, recused himself from the case earlier this month.Trump earlier in January signed an executive order to advance the pipeline's approval.The approval follows years of intense debate over the pipeline amid hefty opposition from environmental groups, who argued that the pipeline supports the extraction of crude oil from oil sands, which pumps about 17 percent more greenhouse gases than standard crude oil extraction.
Adityanath directs Chief Secy to provide basic facilities to farmers

Lucknow , Mar.24 : Sticking to the BJP's electoral promise, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed Chief Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar to provide basic facilities including drinking water and shelter to the farmers of the state.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860567 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860567 173O212O198O32)

"Yogi Adityanath has directed his Chief Secretary to provide proper drinking water, sanitation, shelter to the farmers, who travel to the city for business purpose," Uttar Pradesh Minister Srikant Sharma told ANI.He added that the Chief Minister has assured that farmers would not face any kind of inconvenience and all their products would be purchased by outlets of the state.
Sonia Gandhi returns from abroad after check- up

New Delhi, Mar 24 : : president Sonia Gandhi, who was in abroad for a health check-up since early March, returned to India on Friday, reports said.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860568 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860568 173O212O198O32)

Sonia was escorted by her son Rahul.The Congress did not officially say where Sonia went for her check up, but The Times of India reported that she was in the US.The ailing Congress chief didnt campaign in the February-March Assembly elections in five states.
Innocent won't be harassed by anti-Romeo squads: Dy CM Maurya

New Delhi , Mar. 24 : Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Friday said that innocent people would not be harassed by the anti-Romeo squads but made it clear that eve teasing would not be tolerated.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860568 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860568 173O212O198O32)

His reaction came after the opposition sought central intervention into what they alleged "violation of the Constitution" in Uttar Pradesh by allowing "anti-Romeo" squads to "ridicule democracy and the freedom of youngsters" ."They (opposition) have no valid reasons to oppose the BJP. So, they have raised this controversy. No innocent would be harassed but eve teasing won't be tolerated," Maurya told ANI."No illegal activities will run in Uttar Pradesh from now on," he added.Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh came out in defence for the Uttar Pradesh Government while rejecting allegations that certain communities were facing discrimination in the state.Singh said the BJP government does not discriminate on the basis of caste, creed or religion, adding it follows the principle of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas".Congress MP Ranjeeta Ranjan while raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha yesterday said that youth in Uttar Pradesh are being harassed and humiliated by the arbitrary actions of the anti-Romeo squads constituted by the new government in the state."The youth are being harassed and humiliated by the anti-Romeo squads. There is a particular caste, which is being targeted by the state government. A particular community is also being targeted by the UP government," Ranjan said.She was later supported by the other Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha.Anti-Romeo squads, a poll promise of the BJP, started on a wrong note on Wednesday when visuals on TV suggested harassment and humiliation of young couples and men even in groups.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath then directed that the couples should not be targeted.
Ahead of elections, Modi holds breakfast meeting with BJP MPs from Gujarat

New Delhi, Mar 24 : : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Gujarat parliamentarians over tea to discuss the upcoming elections in his home state.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860569 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/gujarat-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860569 173O212O198O32)

The MPs met the PM at his official residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. BJP president Amit Shah was also present in the meeting.The MPs were asked to visit their parliamentary constituencies and take stock of development programmes.Modi reportedly asked the MPs to focus on their job.PM Modi and Amit Shah are seeking to maintain the winning run in Gujarat, their home turf.
Will make Goa beggar-free state: Manohar Parrikar

New Delhi , Mar 24 : Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday emphasized on making Goa the first ever beggar-free state.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860570 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860570 173O212O198O32)

Parrikar in his budget speech in the Goa Assembly said that for a state with a high per capita income, it is certain to see a rapid increase in the number of beggars.Laying the state's importance as one of the most favoured tourist destinations, Parrikar also announced the allotment of Rs. 150 crore for improving public transport.He said the Dabolim Airport will be upgraded on a time to time basis even after the Greenfield Mopa International Airport is completed.For the development of the infra sector, he allocated Rs. 500 crore for Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. in addition to four railway over-bridges, which will be built with financial support from the Rail Ministry.He also proposed to restrict Goa State Infrastructure development corporation to niche projects along with allocation of Rs. 550 crore to make Panaji a smart city.
U.S.: Indian origin mother-son found murdered in New Jersey home

New Delhi , Mar. 24 : Two Indian nationals, a mother and her six-year-old son, from Andhra Pradesh were found dead in their New Jersey home on Thursday





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860571 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/us-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860571 173O212O198O32)

According to sources, when Narra Hanumanth Rao reached home after work on Thursday, he found his wife Shashikala and son Aneesh murdered in their apartment.Rao works in CTS and has been living in New Jersey for nine years. An investigation is underway.The incident comes when there has been a recent surge of hate crimes against Indians in the U.S.Earlier this month, a Sikh man was shot and wounded in Washington State by an attacker who approached him in his driveway and told him to leave the country.
Director, FSB, Russia, calls on Union Home Minister

New Delhi, Mar 24 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh received the 9-Member Russian delegation led by the Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov here today.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860574 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860574 173O212O198O32)

Rajnath Singh informed the visiting delegation that India and Russia are all weather friends and enjoy family like relations.He said that our bilateral relations had withstood all trying times in the midst of changing nature of international and political relations.Rajnath Singh said that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, have been meeting on different occasions to share and strengthen the bilateral cooperation at the highest level.He also mentioned that the Russian President is loved and respected by all Indians.During the course of Delegation level meeting lasting for about 45 minutes, the Home Minister highlighted the sponsoring of terrorism by our neighbouring country, which is a threat not only to India and international community but to the humanity as a whole.Singh reiterated that India has a policy of zero tolerance for terrorism.Rajnath Singh also mentioned that Inter-Agency cooperation between the two countries should cover bilateral, regional and international issues.He further emphasised that bilateral cooperation should include the areas of military and technical cooperation, energy sector, economic security and disaster management, and urged that the strategic cooperation between the two countries needs to be strengthened further.He also mentioned that during the ensuing visit of Indian Delegation to Russia, he would make it a point to visit facilities such as the EMERCOM headquarters to explore areas of technical cooperation between the two countries.The two sides also acknowledged that there may be some unfriendly forces or unfriendly actors who may be trying to create hindrances in the bilateral relationship but such adverse campaigns are incapable of affecting the deep understanding bolstered by regular dialogues and mutual cooperation.The Russian delegation extended an invitation to the Union Home Minister to participate in the XVI International meeting of the Heads of Special Services, Security Agencies and Law Enforcement Organisations in Russia later this year, which the Home Minister accepted.The Russian delegation included the representatives from FSBs Departments of Constitution Protection and Counter Terrorism, Intelligence Analysis and International Liaison and Scientific Technical.
PM Modi congratulates sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik for Guinness records

New Delhi , Mar.24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Odisha-born world renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik for registering his name in the Guinness Book of Records by creating world's tallest sandcastle on Puri sea beach on February 10.





(Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860575 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 24 March 2017, 1667860575 173O212O198O32)

Prime Minister Modi praised Pattnaik in New Delhi where the latter presented a photograph of the 14.84 metres (48 ft. 8 inches) tall sandcastle."It's such a proud privilege to meet and present my @GWR of world tallest sand castle to Hon @pmoindia @narendramodi Sir today," Pattnaik tweeted.The Prime Minister's Office also took to Twitter and said, "Internationally renowned sand artist, @sudarsansand met the Prime Minister."Worth mentioning, Sudarsan and his 45 students had taken nine days to carve the sandcastle.By creating this, Pattnaik had broken the previous world record of tallest sandcastle, which was 13.97 m (45 ft 10.25 in) tall created by Ted Siebert (USA) in Virginia Key Beach, Miami, Florida, USA, on 27 October, 2015.
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.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
A first-of-its-kind mouse model could lead to an understanding of how cerebral malaria infection leads to the development of epilepsy in children, and to the prevention of seizures. The model -- a way for researchers to simulate the effects of malaria in children by using mice -- was developed in a collaboration between researchers at Penn State's colleges of medicine, engineering, science and agriculture.

Cerebral malaria is prevalent in children under 5 in developing countries with high malaria incidence. This form of malaria has a high mortality rate and also leads to epilepsy in survivors, with the rate of epilepsy in countries with malaria infections being up to six times higher than those in industrialized countries. There are no treatments during the infection that have been shown to reduce the development of epilepsy and it is not yet understood how malaria leads to epilepsy.

"I work in Africa and people tell me about the shockingly high incidence of epilepsy in children and adults," said lead investigator Steven Schiff, professor of neurosurgery, Brush Chair Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering and director of the Penn State Center for Neural Engineering.

Children with cerebral malaria often enter a coma and die from complications, and up to 17 percent of survivors develop epilepsy. As Schiff looked into how to approach the problem, he realized that not much science is available on post-malaria epilepsy, one of the leading causes of epilepsy on the planet.

"A group of us at Penn State decided to put together our expertise and develop an animal model to test what would be the best therapies for children, so they don't get epilepsy after malaria," he said.

To effectively study post-malarial epilepsy, the animal model must be as close to the human version of the disease as possible. The model must contract malaria, be cured and then have the potential to develop epilepsy in the same way that a child does. To mirror the natural environment, the model needs to be generalizable to a variety of situations and not be restricted to a particular type of parasite or infected host.

Having a model will allow researchers to perform pre-clinical testing to design therapies to prevent epilepsy if given during treatment of malaria infection. The model can also be used to study how malaria and similar infectious diseases cause epilepsy -- a mystery at present.

The researchers developed four different variations, giving scientists a suite of tools to study malaria. They reported their results in Scientific Reports.

"It's a suite of models, not just one strain of malaria," Schiff said. "This helps protect against a model having a version of the disease that is irrelevant to humans. It's our best shot at developing treatments because there are four different parasite-mouse models to use."

Neuroscience eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

The model can also be used to study sudden unexplained death from epilepsy (SUDEP). In certain cases, epileptic seizures can lead to a person not breathing and their heart stopping. Until now, researchers did not have a way to study SUDEP. The model they developed also shows instances of SUDEP, giving scientists an important tool to learn what causes the sudden death. By understanding how epilepsy causes SUDEP, researchers can better develop preventative treatments.

This research was a collaboration between Penn State colleges and departments, bringing together experts in malaria and infectious disease, neurosciences, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, experimental physics, biology, public health sciences and more. The first author on the paper, Paddy Ssentongo, is an African physician with deep knowledge of the complexities of malaria in Africa. The College of Engineering faculty helped develop the technologies needed to conduct the research. Schiff said that the research could not have happened without the team effort.

"This was indeed a collaborative project between requiring a range of very different and critical expertise -- from the identification of a critical clinical and human high-impact health problem, to the biology and physiology of malaria parasites, to experimental and instrumentation design," said Bruce Gluckman, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics and biomedical engineering. "Equally important was the extensive effort -- the long hours -- put in by the assembled team to pursue this project to its end."

Research that crosses the borders of engineering, biology and medicine is often complex and complicated.

"This research is a testament to the interdisciplinary collaboration that flourishes at the Penn State Center for Neural Engineering, the Penn State Neuroscience Institute and Penn State University," said Robert Harbaugh, director of Penn State Neuroscience Institute and chair, Department of Neurosurgery.

Judith Todd, chair, engineering science and mechanics said, "Led by Dr. Steven Schiff, Penn State's Center for Neural Engineering is truly a model for interdisciplinary collaboration. The common goals of identifying the mechanisms and prevention of post-malarial epilepsy and SUDEP have unified faculty, physicians and students from the engineering sciences, medicine, biomedical engineering, the sciences, and public health, with our global colleagues in Uganda, to achieve results far beyond those of any one group alone. Inspired by a vision of preventing post-malarial epilepsy in millions of sufferers per year, Dr. Schiff is showing how breakthrough research is found when multiple disciplines intersect."
A consortium of 50 psychologists and psychiatrists from around the world has outlined a new diagnostic model for mental illness, in what researchers hope will be a paradigm shift in how these illnesses are classified and diagnosed.

Lee Anna Clark, William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Professor and Chair of Psychology, and David Watson, Andrew J. McKenna Family Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, who both are members of the consortium, say that the current model of diagnosis and classification  the DSM-5  is fundamentally flawed.

"The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)  which is overseen and published by the American Psychiatric Association  currently is the dominant diagnostic model in North America; it also is highly influential around the world," Watson said. Although he and Clark were involved in the revisions for the DSM's fifth edition, he said, "Quite frankly, we were not satisfied with the revisions that were made. We felt that DSM-5 was far too conservative and failed to recognize and incorporate important scientific evidence regarding the nature of psychopathology."

The model the consortium proposes, called the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP), addresses these concerns, which are shared by many psychologists and psychiatrists.

The HiTOP model differs from the DSM in two fundamental ways, Watson said. First, although the DSM's categorical nature means that a specific diagnosis is given only if someone meets a specific number of criteria, the HiTOP model allows for not only a diagnosis but also an assessment of its severity.

"If you meet the DSM's diagnostic criteria for major depression, you are diagnosed as being depressed. If you do not meet these criteria, however, then you simply are classified as not depressed," Watson said. "In contrast, HiTOP conceives of psychopathology as being continuous, that is, dimensional in nature."

The advantages of such classification include more personalized and specific treatment, as well as allowing researchers and clinicians to recognize and acknowledge the existence of significant problems that don't currently meet full DSM diagnostic thresholds.

A second major advantage of the HiTOP model is its use of empirical evidence to classify disorders, a change from the DSM's tendency to group disorders based partly on clinical assumptions about which disorders seem to go together. "For example, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and specific phobia all are classified as 'anxiety disorders' in the DSM because they all involve symptoms related to fear and anxiety," Watson said. "In contrast, most people who are diagnosed with general anxiety disorder also meet the criteria for major depression. Consequently, in HiTOP, generalized anxiety disorder is classified as being more similar to major depression than to specific phobia.

"One major advantage of this approach is that it helps to clarify underlying causes and mechanisms. For instance, many of the same vulnerabilities and risk factors have been linked to both major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. So, this model will help us identify the underlying causes of problems more quickly."

Lesser known conditions, such as sleep and bipolar disorders, still need to be classified within the HiTOP model. "Certain aspects of the system are ready to be developed into clinical applications," said Clark, who is a member of a workgroup within the consortium that developed HiTOP exploring its clinical use. "With sufficient background knowledge, it can be used clinically immediately, but it's clear from our discussions that it will take some time to develop HiTOP to the point that it can be widely used clinically  that is, by clinicians in the community who do not have a research background."

Clark and Watson played a significant role in developing this model. Researchers used several large epidemiological surveys in the United States, Australia, the Netherlands and other countries to gather data about how the most common forms of psychopathology  such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and personality disorder  are related.
BD Showcases Solutions and Technologies to Improve Patient Safety Across the Continuum of Care at #EAHP2017

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medication technology company, announced today the availability of its new IV Medication Safety Solution, designed to help to measurably prevent IV medication administration errors. This announcement was made at the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) congress, being held in Cannes, France March 22-24.

IV medication errors are a serious health care issue. They can occur at any stage of the medication delivery process, from prescription to administration and those occurring at the administration stage are the hardest to intercept. Their impact depends on the route of administration, type of drug and patient characteristics. In particular, intravenous (IV) infusions are identified as frequent contributors to medication errors and patient injuries that result from them. Clinical burden associated with infusion administration errors is suggesting potentially serious consequences for the patient in up to 29 percent of all observed infusions.

BD provides advanced IV medication safety solutions, through helping to standardise drug library protocols with the Alaris Editor, to protect the patient with Alaris Plus Pumps with Guardrails Safety Software, and to evaluate IV medication errors and clinical practice using the Alaris CQI Reporter software and clinical services.

To take a step further in patient safety, BD today is launching the Alaris Communication Engine Platform, an enterprise IT software platform providing automated centralised management of all connected infusion devices. This system enables remote networked updates to the hospital drug library without interrupting the patients infusions, collecting rich and actionable continuous quality improvement (CQI) data and centralising infusion pump device management.

The Alaris Communication Engine Platform is a key accelerator to BDs IV Medication Safety Solution, demonstrating proven results helping to improve medication errors reduction and cost associated to such errors while providing continuous quality improvement.

As we continue to provide innovative thinking to address the unmet needs in the area of medication management, BD recognises the growing contributions of connectivity, said Fernand Goldblat, vice president and general manager of Medication Management Solutions Infusion business for BD Europe. With our IV Medication Safety Solution, BD can assist in creating a safer medication management process for patients while decreasing costs related to preventable adverse events. This addition to our leading Alaris technologies portfolio exemplifies our commitment to transform infusion solutions by making them simpler, seamless and connected.

This latest development, enhances BDs End-to-End IV Safety capabilities within the Medication Management Solutions portfolio, comprised by the following elements:

Medication Management Innovation: Through this unique one partner approach, BD is the only company that can offer health systems a holistic approach to manage medications throughout admissions, preparation and dispensing. This approach has the power to simplify and streamline medication management processes across the continuum of care. This further advanced for example, by Rowa Dose which allows Hospitals to receive individualised medications barcoded pouches both for acute and/or long term patients.

Medication Availability: BD technologies help ensure that the right medication is available when and where needed to improve outcomes and cost-efficiency across the continuum of care. By enabling enterprise-wide medication management and analytics for all medications, BD solutions can improve and automate medication orders and delivery, including IVs and controlled substances.

End-to-End IV Safety: BD offers clinically proven solutions to help minimise drug management risks while remaining continuously focused on improving and enhancing safety throughout medication management process: from initial compounding to administration at patients bedside, including todays IV Medication Safety Solution announcement.

Where to find BD at EAHP

To learn more about BDs IV Medication Safety Solution and Medication Management solutions portfolio, including Rowa Dose, visit BD booth #81 and participate in our satellite symposium:

Shifting the Paradigm: Improving Safety From Pharmacy To Every Point Of Care Symposium March 23, 15:00  16:30 Esterel Room

Learn the importance of decreasing preventable errors throughout different stages of the medication management workflow, optimizing efficiency and reducing risk of exposure to hazardous drugs during preparation.
Today is World TB Day. Although there is much to celebrate, with 49 million lives being saved through the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) between 2000 and 2015, the rise in TB-causing bacteria that are resistant to key treatments now threatens to derail decades of progress in controlling TB.

AFB stain showing Micro bacterium tuberculosis (TB).

TB characteristically affects the lung causing persistent coughing and breathing difficulties. It is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is easily transmitted from person to person through the air. TB kills more people each year than any other infectious disease; it was responsible for the deaths of around 1.8 million people in 2015. The majority of cases occur in Asia, which had 61% of the new TB cases reported in 2015. High levels of worldwide travel, however, make this a global threat.

The disease is curable and preventable. Indeed, improved diagnosis and treatment of TB has reduced its incidence by an average of 1.5% per year since 2000. It was hoped that the disease could be eradicated by 2030, but a report published today in Lancet Respiratory Medicine warns that efforts could be severely hindered by the rise in multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB bacteria.

Resistance to at least one major anti-TB drug is now found in one in five TB cases, and resistance to two or more essential first-line TB drugs occurs in one in every twenty cases. It was estimated that in 2015, 480,000 TB cases were multidrug-resistant. Mortality rates are high with drug-resistant TB (4060%) and health workers caring for infected patients are themselves at risk. Resistant TB also represents a huge financial burden. In 2014, a third of the budget allocated to fighting the global TB epidemic was used in the treatment of drug resistant TB (despite these cases representing only 5% of the total caseload).

New antibiotics that are effective against TB resistant to standard therapies have been developed. It is important that these treatments are used carefully and effectively to avoid TB bacteria acquiring resistance to these too.

Lead author of the report, Professor Keertan Dheda of the University of Cape Town explained Resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs is a global problem that threatens to derail efforts to eradicate the disease. Even when the drugs work, TB is difficult to cure and requires months of treatment with a cocktail of drugs. When resistance occurs, the treatment can take years and the drugs used have unpleasant and sometimes serious side effects".

The urgent priority is to ensure rapid and accurate diagnosis of TB and adherence to clear treatment guidelines. Once this is achieved, the risk of drug resistance developing is reduced and the effectiveness of new treatments will be maintained. This is essential for the success of global efforts to control TB.

Sources

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine Commission. The epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, diagnosis, and management of multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, and incurable tuberculosis. Lancet Respir Med 2017. Epub ahead of print 24 March 2017. Available at http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(17)30079-6/fulltext?elsca1=tlpr
A new analysis reveals a relatively high rate of colon cancer screening among US patients on dialysis, even though they rarely stand to benefit from such screening. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

Because of the high rates of death among patients receiving dialysis, routine colon cancer screening with colonoscopy does not improve survival for most patients who are not candidates for a kidney transplant. Therefore, as a partner of the American Board of Internal Medicine's Choosing Wisely campaign, the American Society of Nephrology recommends against colon cancer screening among patients receiving maintenance dialysis with limited life expectancy and without signs or symptoms.

A team led by Kirsten Johansen, MD and Christopher Carlos, MD (University of California, San Francisco) looked to see how many US dialysis patients aged 50 years were being screened and whether testing was appropriately targeted toward healthier patients on dialysis.

The investigators evaluated 469,574 Medicare beneficiaries receiving dialysis between 2007 and 2012 and ranked them according to their expected survival. Over a median follow-up of 1.5 years, 11.6% of patients received a colon cancer screening. The healthiest quarter of patients were 1.53-times more likely to be screened than the sickest quarter of patients, and those most likely to receive a kidney transplant were 1.68-times more likely to be screened than those least likely to receive a kidney transplant.

Although screening was performed more often among healthier patients, the overall screening rate was fairly high, at a rate of 27.9 colonoscopies per 1000 person-years. This rate is over 8-times higher than the rate of 3.4 per 1000 person-years found among Medicare beneficiaries not on dialysis with similarly limited life expectancies.

"While our findings suggest that the patients with the longest life expectancy and greatest chances of receiving a kidney transplant are the most likely to be screened, there remains a substantial amount of over-screening overall among patients on dialysis," said Dr. Johansen. "Physicians should carefully evaluate patients' prognoses and consider the likelihood that they will truly benefit before ordering screening tests," added Dr. Carlos.

The findings may serve as a starting point for future studies that assess the impact of the Choosing Wisely campaign, which seeks to reduce waste in the healthcare system.
In many neurodegenerative conditions  Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and peripheral neuropathy among them  an early defect is the loss of axons, the wiring of the nervous system. When axons are lost, nerve cells can't communicate as they should, and nervous system function is impaired. In peripheral neuropathy in particular, and perhaps other diseases, sick axons trigger a self-destruct program.

In new research, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have implicated a specific molecule in the self-destruction of axons. Understanding just how that damage occurs may help researchers find a way to halt it.

The study is published March 22 in the journal Neuron.

"Axons break down in a lot of neurodegenerative diseases," said senior author Jeffrey D. Milbrandt, MD, PhD, the James S. McDonnell Professor and head of the Department of Genetics. "Despite the fact these diseases have different causes, they are all likely rooted in the same pathway that triggers axon degeneration. If we could find a way to block the pathway, it could be beneficial for many different kinds of patients."

Since the molecular pathway that leads to loss of axons appears to do more harm than good, it's not clear what role this self-destruct mechanism plays in normal life. But scientists suspect that if the pathway that destroys axons could be paused or halted, it would slow or prevent the gradual loss of nervous system function and the debilitating symptoms that result. One such condition, peripheral neuropathy, affects about 20 million people in the United States. It often develops following chemotherapy or from nerve damage associated with diabetes, and can cause persistent pain, burning, stinging, itching, numbness and muscle weakness.

"Peripheral neuropathy is by far the most common neurodegenerative disease," said co-author Aaron DiAntonio, MD, PhD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Developmental Biology. "Patients don't die from it, but it has a huge impact on quality of life."

In previous studies, Stefanie Geisler, MD, an assistant professor of neurology, working with DiAntonio and Milbrandt, showed that blocking this axon self-destruction pathway prevented the development of peripheral neuropathy in mice treated with the chemotherapy agent vincristine. The hope is that if methods are developed to block this pathway in people, then it might be possible to slow or prevent the development of neuropathy in patients.

Toward that end, the Milbrandt and DiAntonio labs showed that a molecule called SARM1 is a central player in the self-destruct pathway of axons. In healthy neurons, SARM1 is present but inactive. For reasons that are unclear, injury or disease activate SARM1, which sets off a series of events that drains a key cellular fuel  called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)  and leads to destruction of the axon. Though the researchers previously had shown SARM1 was required for this chain of events to play out, the details of the process were unknown.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

SARM1 and similar molecules  those containing what are called TIR domains  most often are studied in the context of immunity, where these domains serve as scaffolds. Essentially, TIR domains provide a haven for the assembly of molecules or proteins to perform their work.

The researchers had assumed that SARM1 acted as a scaffold to provide support for the work of destroying axons, beginning with the rapid loss of cellular fuel that occurs minutes after SARM1 becomes active. The scientists set about searching for the demolition crew  the active molecule or molecules that use the SARM1 scaffold to carry out the demolition. The study's first author, Kow A. Essuman, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Fellow and an MD/PhD student in Milbrandt's lab, performed a litany of cellular and biochemical experiments searching for the demolition crew and came up empty.

"We performed multiple experiments but could not identify molecules that are traditionally known to consume NAD," Essuman said.

But as a last resort, the investigators tested SARM1 itself. To their great surprise, they found it was doing more than simply providing a passive platform. Specifically, the researchers showed SARM1's TIR domain acts as an enzyme, a molecule that carries out biochemical reactions, in this case destroying axons by first burning all their NAD cellular fuel.

"There are more than 1,000 papers describing the function of proteins containing TIR domains," DiAntonio said. "No one had ever shown that this type of molecule could be an enzyme. So we went into our experiments assuming SARM1 was only a scaffold and that there must be some other enzyme responsible for demolition of the axon. We essentially searched for a demolition crew, only to discover that the scaffold itself is destroying the structure. It's the last thing you would expect."

The findings suggest molecules similar to SARM1  those with TIR domains and known to serve as scaffolds in the immune system  may prove to have additional functions that go beyond their structural roles. The research also invites a search for drugs that block the SARM1 enzyme from triggering axonal destruction.
DNA repair is essential for cell vitality, cell survival and cancer prevention, yet cells' ability to patch up damaged DNA declines with age for reasons not fully understood.

Now, research led by scientists at Harvard Medical School reveals a critical step in a molecular chain of events that allows cells to mend their broken DNA.

The findings, published March 24 in Science, offer a critical insight into how and why the body's ability to fix DNA dwindles over time and point to a previously unknown role for the signaling molecule NAD as a key regulator of protein-to-protein interactions in DNA repair. NAD, identified a century ago, is already known for its role as a controller of cell-damaging oxidation.

Additionally, experiments conducted in mice show that treatment with the NAD precursor NMN mitigates age-related DNA damage and wards off DNA damage from radiation exposure.

The scientists caution that the effects of many therapeutic substances are often profoundly different in mice and humans owing to critical differences in biology. However, if affirmed in further animal studies and in humans, the findings can help pave the way to therapies that prevent DNA damage associated with aging and with cancer treatments that involve radiation exposure and some types of chemotherapy, which along with killing tumors can cause considerable DNA damage in healthy cells. Human trials with NMN are expected to begin within six months, the researchers said.

"Our results unveil a key mechanism in cellular degeneration and aging but beyond that they point to a therapeutic avenue to halt and reverse age-related and radiation-induced DNA damage," said senior author David Sinclair, professor in the Department of Genetics at HMS and professor at the University of New South Wales School of Medicine in Sydney, Australia.

A previous study led by Sinclair showed that NMN reversed muscle aging in mice.

A plot with many characters

The investigators started by looking at a cast of proteins and molecules suspected to play a part in the cellular aging process. Some of them were well-known characters, others more enigmatic figures.

The researchers already knew that NAD, which declines steadily with age, boosts the activity of the SIRT1 protein, which delays aging and extends life in yeast, flies and mice. Both SIRT1 and PARP1, a protein known to control DNA repair, consume NAD in their work.

Another protein DBC1, one of the most abundant proteins in humans and found across life forms from bacteria to plants and animals, was a far murkier presence. Because DBC1 was previously shown to inhibit vitality-boosting SIRT1, the researchers suspected DBC1 may also somehow interact with PARP1, given the similar roles PARP1 and SIRT1 play.

"We thought if there is a connection between SIRT1 and DBC1, on one hand, and between SIRT1 and PARP1 on the other, then maybe PARP1 and DBC1 were also engaged in some sort of intracellular game," said Jun Li, first author on the study and a research fellow in the Department of Genetics at HMS.

They were.

To get a better sense of the chemical relationship among the three proteins, the scientists measured the molecular markers of protein-to-protein interaction inside human kidney cells. DBC1 and PARP1 bound powerfully to each other. However, when NAD levels increased, that bond was disrupted. The more NAD present inside cells, the fewer molecular bonds PARP1 and DBC1 could form. When researchers inhibited NAD, the number of PARP1-DBC1 bonds went up. In other words, when NAD is plentiful, it prevents DBC1 from binding to PARP1 and meddling with its ability to mend damaged DNA.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

What this suggests, the researchers said, is that as NAD declines with age, fewer and fewer NAD molecules are around to stop the harmful interaction between DBC1 and PARP1. The result: DNA breaks go unrepaired and, as these breaks accumulate over time, precipitate cell damage, cell mutations, cell death and loss of organ function.

Averting mischief

Next, to understand how exactly NAD prevents DBC1 from binding to PARP1, the team homed in on a region of DBC1 known as NHD, a pocket-like structure found in some 80,000 proteins across life forms and species whose function has eluded scientists. The team's experiments showed that NHD is an NAD binding site and that in DBC1, NAD blocks this specific region to prevent DBC1 from locking in with PARP1 and interfering with DNA repair.

And, Sinclair added, since NHD is so common across species, the finding suggests that by binding to it, NAD may play a similar role averting harmful protein interactions across many species to control DNA repair and other cell survival processes.

To determine how the proteins interacted beyond the lab dish and in living organisms, the researchers treated young and old mice with the NAD precursor NMN, which makes up half of an NAD molecule. NAD is too large to cross the cell membrane, but NMN can easily slip across it. Once inside the cell, NMN binds to another NMN molecule to form NAD.

As expected, old mice had lower levels of NAD in their livers, lower levels of PARP1 and a greater number of PARP1 with DBC1 stuck to their backs.

However, after receiving NMN with their drinking water for a week, old mice showed marked differences both in NAD levels and PARP1 activity. NAD levels in the livers of old mice shot up to levels similar to those seen in younger mice. The cells of mice treated with NMN also showed increased PARP1 activity and fewer PARP1 and DBC1 molecules binding together. The animals also showed a decline in molecular markers that signal DNA damage.

In a final step, scientists exposed mice to DNA-damaging radiation. Cells of animals pre-treated with NMN showed lower levels of DNA damage. Such mice also didn't exhibit the typical radiation-induced aberrations in blood counts, such as altered white cell counts and changes in lymphocyte and hemoglobin levels. The protective effect was seen even in mice treated with NMN after radiation exposure.

Taken together, the results shed light on the mechanism behind cellular demise induced by DNA damage. They also suggest that restoring NAD levels by NMN treatment should be explored further as a possible therapy to avert the unwanted side effects of environmental radiation, as well as radiation exposure from cancer treatments.

In December 2016, a collaborative project between the Sinclair Lab and Liberty Biosecurity became a national winner in NASA's iTech competition for their concept of using NAD-boosting molecules as a potential treatment in cosmic radiation exposure during space missions.
Researchers studying chronic inflammation that can lead to the development of lung diseases such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and cancer, are focusing on the role cytokines play in regulating the behavior of fibroblast cells and the extracellular matrix. The most recent evidence on cytokine regulation of inflammatory disease in the lung is presented in a comprehensive review article published in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR) from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the JICR website until April 13, 2017.

In the article entitled "Innate Immune Cytokines, Fibroblast Phenotypes, and Regulation of Extracellular Matrix in Lung," Carl Richards, PhD, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, examines the scientific evidence suggesting that cytokines stimulated by the innate immune system can directly control fibroblast behavior. Fibroblasts are major contributors to extracellular remodeling and regulate the accumulation of inflammatory cells, which can lead to chronic inflammation and ultimately to organ dysfunction. Dr. Richards discusses the potential of metabolic changes, age, and epigenetic mechanisms to affect the activity of fibroblasts and immune system cell populations through impact on cytokine-mediated signaling pathways.

"Dr. Richards has made major contributions to our understanding of cytokine mediated effects on inflammatory disorders mediated through interactions between the immune system and resident fibroblasts," says Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research Co-Editor-in-Chief Thomas Hamilton, Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH. "This review provides a highly relevant discussion of these issues and is particularly timely as our ability to use this knowledge is enabling new therapeutic strategies to treat inflammation-related chronic disease."
Fisher BioServices CryoHubSM to co-locate with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult manufacturing centre for seamless supply chain management and to accelerate cell and gene therapy production

To help address the challenges surrounding supply chain management for cell and gene therapy around the globe, Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, today announced a collaboration with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) to provide developers with both the manufacturing capability and distribution, logistics, and storage capacity needed to create a seamless supply chain to accelerate cell and gene therapy development and commercialsation.

As part of the collaboration, Fisher BioServices will expand its CryoHub solution by co-locating it with Catapults new large-scale cell and gene therapy manufacturing centre based in Stevenage UK, due for completion in summer 2017. Combining the two offers centralised manufacturing, storage, distribution and logisitics, resulting in a seamless supply chain.

The UK is becoming a cluster for cell and gene therapy commercialisation and the CGT Catapult is at the forefront of this evolution, said David Meadows, vice president and general manager, Fisher BioServices. The co-location of our CryoHub with the CGT Catapult will support collaborators within the manufacturing centre and the broader UK community. Combined with our existing capabilities in Asia and the US, it enables us to more easily support our customers global trials as they develop and commercialise their therapies.

The CryoHub is a complete cryogenic storage, distribution and logistics solution consisting of configurable, modular components. Each module can be outfitted to meet the specific needs of a clinical trial, regardless of volume or geographic location. The CryoHub solution can accommodate early phase trials where only a few shipments are received, stored, and eventually distributed, as well as large-scale operations where many shipments are received and processed daily. This flexibility, combined with the close proximity to the CGT Catapults manufacturing centre, enables advanced therapy developers to conduct clinical trials across multiple geographies and provide patients around the world with access to life changing therapies.

"The UK has a thriving life sciences sector. Government has made a commitment to advanced therapies through the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, and the highly anticipated manufacturing centre opening later this year. When I visited Thermo Fisher Scientific in San Diego, I experienced firsthand the global impact of the company on life sciences enterprise. This new investment in a CryoHub will be a strong complement to the role of the CGT Catapult, enhancing the attraction for UK and international companies to develop, manufacture, and export their cell and gene therapy products from the UK. - Greg Hands MP, Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

Delivering successful industry-led trials in this innovative area of research is dependent on creating a robust and reliable supply chain of their most vital ingredients, the cells themselves, said Keith Thompson, chief executive officer of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult. This collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific is supporting our goal to build a world-class cell and gene therapy manufacturing cluster in the UK that will underpin clinical studies and ultimately early commercial supply. It reflects our mission to build the UKs position as a world leader in the development and commercialisation of cell and gene therapies, and creating a centre which transforms frontier-pushing science into medicines for patients.
New York: India is home to world's fourth highest number of billionaires with Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani leading the club of more than 100 super rich Indians, according to a new list released by Forbes magazine.



The Forbes list of the 'World's Billionaires' 2017 consists of 2,043 of the richest people in the world who have a combined net worth of USD 7.67 trillion, a record 18-per cent increase over the past year.



The list has been topped by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for the fourth year in a row. He has been the richest person in the world for 18 out of the past 23 years.



Gates has a fortune of USD 86 billion, up from USD 75 billion last year, followed by Berkshire Hathaway chief Warren Buffet with a new worth of USD 75.6 billion.



Amazon's Jeff Bezos added USD 27.6 billion to his fortune; now worth USD 72.8 billion, moving into the top three in the world for the first time, up from number five a year ago.



US President Donald Trump is ranked 544th on the list with his net worth of USD 3.5 billion.



India is home to 101 billionaires, the first time it has has more than 100 super rich individuals.



The US continues to have more billionaires than any other nation, with a record 565, up from 540 a year ago. China is catching up with 319, Germany has the third most with 114 and India has the fourth highest number of billionaires.



There are nearly 20 people of Indian-origin who have made fortunes in various nations across the world, led by UK-based Hinduja brothers ranked 64th with USD 15.4 billion net worth, Indian-born tycoon Pallonji Mistry, who controls the 152-year-old Mumbai-headquartered engineering giant Shapoorji Pallonji Group at the 77th spot with USD 14.3 billion net worth and petrochemicals major Indorama co-founder Sri Prakash Lohia at the 288th spot with USD 5.4 billion net worth.



Mistry's younger son Cyrus is embroiled in a legal battle with the Tata Group after he was suddenly ousted as chairman of Tata Sons, a position he had held since 2012.



Ambani, 59, leads the pack of Indian billionaires, coming in at the 33rd position with a net worth of USD 23.2 billion.



Forbes said the "oil and gas tycoon" sparked a price war in India's hyper-competitive telecom market with the launch of 4G phone service Jio last September. His younger brother Anil is ranked 745th with a net worth of USD 2.7 billion.



The younger Ambani sibling "orchestrated the merger of his Reliance Communication's telecom business with that of rival Aircel, controlled by Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan. The combine, which awaits regulatory approvals, will be the country's fourth-largest mobile phone operator," Forbes said.

Next on the list of Indian billionaires is ArcelorMittal



chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal on the 56th spot with a net worth of USD 16.4 billion.



Forbes said the Indian steel baron regains his status as the world's second richest Indian on an uptick in steel prices and demand. "The world's biggest steelmaker also got a reprieve from import tariffs on steel imposed by the US and Europe and a one-time USD 832 million saving from a new labour contract signed last year with its US workers," it added.



The list includes only four women billionaires from India, led by Savitri Jindal and her family at the 303rd position with a net worth of USD 5.2 billion. "After declining last year, the fortune of steel and power clan, whose matriarch Savitri Jindal chairs the OP Jindal Group, rose as steel prices recovered," Forbes said.



Smita Crishna-Godrej from the Godrej clan is ranked 814th followed by Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (973) and Leena Tewari (1030), chair of USV India which specialises in diabetic and cardiovascular drugs.



Also making the list is Wipro chairman Azim Premji (72), Adani group founder Gautam Adani (250), Bajaj Group chair Rahul Bajaj (544), investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala (939), Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy (1161), chairman emeritus of Dabur Vivek Chand Burman (1290), Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani (1290), Wockhardt chair Habil Khorakiwala (1567), Mahindra group chief Anand Mahindra (1567), property tycoons Niranjan and Surendra Hiranandani (tied at 1678) and Yes Bank head Rana Kapoor (1795).



Founder of mobile wallet Paytm Vijay Shekhar Sharma is ranked 1567 with his net worth of USD 1.3 billion. Forbes said Paytm was "one of the biggest beneficiaries of the government's decision to demonetise 86 per cent of India's rupees and move to a cashless economy", notching up 200 million registered users and five million transactions daily.



Making his debut on the list at 814th spot is Acharya Balkrishna, friend of yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who holds 97 per cent stake in the fast-growing consumer goods firm Patanjali Ayurveda. His net worth is USD 2.5 billion.



Forbes said Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg moved up to number five for the first time, after his fortune rose USD 11.4 billion in 12 months.



Meanwhile Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, once the world's richest man, fell to number six, the first time he's been out of the top five in a dozen years. There were 195 newcomers.



China had the most new ten-figure fortunes with 76. The US was second with 25. The list has 56 billionaires under age 40, down from 66 last year, after some aged out and others dropped below the USD 1-billion mark.



Seventy-eight people fell off the list, including 33 from China, 7 Americans and 9 who are still super wealthy but share their wealth among extended family members and therefore are not eligible for these ranks.
Paris A carry-on ban by Washington and London for laptops on flights from some airports will hit the profits of affected airlines, especially the lucrative business class segments of Gulf carriers, analysts said on Friday.



Washington decided to ban electronic devices bigger than mobile phones on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in seven Middle Eastern countries and Turkey. Britain followed with a similar ban from five countries from the Middle East, northern Africa and Turkey.



"It's unusual to a have a security measure that is geographically selective," said Bertrand Mouly-Aigrot, an associate at Archery Strategy Consulting, which specialises in the security and transportation sectors.



"One of the probable knock-on effects is that certain travellers will turn to other companies" for their trips to the United States but "if the threat is there, it could be shifted to connecting flights," he told AFP.



In addition to the risk of losing passengers and suffering a nosedive in client satisfaction, the impacted airlines will also have to bear the costs of checking in and screening more luggage, said experts.



Banning laptops and other electronic devices in cabins should in theory reduce the risk of their being used to hide a bomb, as scanners for checked luggage are usually more sophisticated.



The US ban affects around 50 flights per day from nine airlines: Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudia, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.



The British ban affects 14 airlines: British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air and Saudia.



Flights to the United States from Gulf countries carry many business people who often travel with just carry-ons, and use their time onboard to get work done.



And "filling business class is what makes long-haul flights profitable," said Mouly-Aigrot.



The additional time spent waiting to receive checked baggage upon arrival and the frustration of not being able to get work done during the flight in a Wi-Fi enabled cabin risks angering airlines' most valued customers.



"Flying with a laptop onboard is considered the norm today. There is a risk of a considerable loss of passengers," said Didier Brechemier, a transport expert at the Roland-Berger consultancy.



Ben Vogel at IHS Jane's Airport Review said that airlines would also likely face increased claims for laptops and other electronic devices getting damaged in checked luggage, while the extra time passengers need to pass in enhanced security means they have less time to spend shopping in airports.


Thiruvananthapuram: In an unusual occurrence in Kerala, a 12-year-old boy has become the father of a baby, after getting into a relationship with his 17-year-old cousin.



Initially, the potency of the boy was questioned owing to his age, but the DNA report and the potency test showed that the boy was indeed the father.



According to the Child Welfare Committee, the incident came to light about four months ago when the girl delivered a baby. The hospital informed the CWC which then informed the police.



According to Police, the boy and the girl were cousins living in the same house, after the girl and her mother were abandoned by her father.



Primarily, a case was registered against the boy. Later, when the boy complained, a case was registered against the girl, too. The family told the police that they were unaware of the pregnancy till the girl was taken to the hospital.



The girl had complained of stomach pain and she was taken to the hospital, where they realised she was pregnant.



The newborn baby and the girl are living with her mother in a house next to the house of the boy. The Child Welfare committee is counselling the girl and the boy.



Dr P K Jabbar, head of the department of endocrinology, Trivandrum medical college said that medically speaking it is possible to father a child at that age. "The age when children mature is between 12 and 14 years. In this childs case, it may have been a little earlier. It can be a case of precocious puberty," the doctor said.
After being barred by airlines, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who assaulted Air India staff member on Friday took a train to Mumbai.

Gaikwad reportedly boarded the August Kranti Rajdhani Express for Mumbai from Delhis Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. The Sena leader didnt disclose his full name to hide his identity while booking the ticket.

However, a defiant Gaikwad said that he will come back to Delhi on Wednesday to appear before the Parliamentary committee.

As it happened.

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday said that "suo moto action" cannot be taken against Shiv Sena member Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an airline staffer, but stressed that "no MP is allowed to misbehave with anyone".



"No one is allowed to misbehave with anyone, even if he is an MP, a common man or any official. As a mother, I teach children not to misbehave with people," Mahajan said.



Asked if any suo moto action will be taken against Gaikwad and whether any complaint was received against him, Mahajan said, "Can't take suo moto action as the incident took place outside Parliament."



"I did not see any complaint in the case till now. Let me see and study it first, then I can say anything over it," she added.



Gaikwad has admitted to assaulting an Air India staffer "25 times" with his slippers on Thursday.



The Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad from Maharashtra was on Thursday booked in two cases for assaulting the Air India shift manager and delaying a scheduled flight to Goa.



The "unruly" MP's grouse stemmed from the fact that he had to travel economy class on a Pune-New Delhi flight AI-852 though he held an open business class ticket. The aircraft, it was reported, did not have a business class.



He later refused to disembark from the flight at New Delhi airport for an hour, hurled abuses, indulged in violent and unruly behaviour and even tried to physically fling out the staffer from the aircraft.
New Delhi: Competition Commission on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 591 crore on state-owned Coal India for having discriminatory conditions in fuel supply pacts.



Apart from directing the company to "cease and desist" from anti-competitive practices, the watchdog has ordered modification in the agreements.



In a 56-page order, the watchdog has found the company violating competition norms by "imposing unfair/ discriminatory conditions in the matter of supply of non-coking coal to power producers".



Further, Competition Commission of India (CCI) said that Coal India did not "evolve/ draft/ finalise the terms and conditions of FSAs through a mutual bilateral process and the same were imposed upon the buyers through a unilateral conduct".



The penalty amount of Rs 591.01 crore translates to one per cent of Coal India's average turnover for the three-year period from 2009-10 to 2011-12.



This is the second order by CCI on the complaints after its first ruling, passed in December 2013, was set aside by the Competition Appellate Tribunal (Compat).



Setting aside the first order, where CCI had imposed a penalty of Rs 1,773 crore on Coal India, the tribunal also asked the regulator to take a fresh look at the allegations. After having a fresh look, CCI has imposed a reduced penalty of Rs 591 crore on the coal behemoth.



The complaints were filed against Coal India and its three subsidiaries -- Mahanadi Coalfields, South Eastern Coalfields and Western Coalfields. They were filed by Maharashtra State Power Generation Company and Gujarat State Electricity Corporation.



In today's order, the regulator has asked Coal India to modify the Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) and also ensure that uniformity between old and new power producers as well as between private and PSU power producers.



Even though Coal India enjoys operational freedom on commercial matters, CCI said its conduct is constrained by directions received from various stakeholders including Coal and Power Ministries.



"... all of whom exert influence and are involved in making decisions that impact various aspects of Coal India Ltd's business," the order said.



The regulator also noted that the company decides on pricing of coal keeping in mind the larger public interest and its social obligations.



Notwithstanding the overarching policy and regulatory environment within which Coal India has to operate, it has sufficient flexibility and functional independence in carrying out its commercial and contractual affairs, the order noted.



Coal India has also been directed to incorporate suitable modifications in the fuel supply agreements to provide for a fair and equitable sampling and testing procedure.



"Keeping in mind the continuous steps taken by Coal India Ltd in resolving issues with stakeholders, the CCI has drastically reduced the penalty amount to Rs 591.01 crore as opposed to a previous amount of Rs 1,773 crore," Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co (SAM & Co) said in a statement.



SAM & Co, which acted as the legal advisor to Coal India, said this is for the first time that the CCI has reduced penalty in a case of remand.
New Delhi: At the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), they are going cutting-edge to validate a mythical bridge whose claim dates back to several millennia.



Indias apex historical body will now employ underwater archaeology to affirm if the Ram Setu, also known as the Adams Bridge, was artificially built or formed naturally.



The Indian epic of Ramayana describes the Adams bridge  often linked to the chain of limestone shoals at the Palk Straits linking the Tamil Nadu coast to Sri Lanka  as an artificial bridge created to facilitate Lord Rams journey to Lanka to rescue Sita.



Professor Y Sudershan Rao, Chairperson of ICHR, told News18 that there are clear indications on the west coast that suggests submersion of coastal area where civilization was flourishing.



We have sufficient literary evidence that ancient Dwaraka was swept away by sea tide, he said, referring to Lord Krishnas capital, believed to be submerged on the Gujarat coast.



Similarly, we have indications in our earliest epic that a Setu was built by Sri Ram, he said, adding, much discussion is going on this subject but no effort has been made by any agency- private or public- to explore our coast".



ICHR will start this archaeological journey with a 14-day training-cum-course workshop on Under-water Archaeology in May. It will later undertake the pilot project on a coastal site at an opportune time.



The Setu called Adam's Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals found between Pamban Island or the Rameswaram Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, and Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.



Many organisations have challenged geological theories on the formation of Ram Setu. While scientists say it is a naturally formed chain of lime shoals, there are those who believe that it was built by Lord Rama's 'Vanar Sena' (army of apes) and hence cannot be touched.



So ICHR would like to address this vital issue relating to our ancient past which may help us to judge the historicity and chronology of our great civilizations as reflected in our epics and other literature, Dr Rao said.



He pointed out that the under-water archaeology is an emerging specialty in archaeological science and in India it is still in a budding stage.



ICHR plans to provide theoretical and practical training to select young archaeologists and inspire them to take up explorative initiatives along our coast obtaining necessary clearances from all the concerned, he said.



The project will be headed by former Archeological Survey of India (ASI) director Alok Tripathi for underwater exploration and is being commissioned under the marine technology training programme of ICHR dealing with under-water archeology.



Controversies around Ram Setu



 The Sethusamudram project that intends to dredge up the shallow sea in Palk Straits so as to enhance a shipping route along the Indian peninsula had run into trouble with Hindutva organisations protesting. They claimed the dredging would destroy the remnants of Ram Setu.

 The Government of India, in an affidavit in the Supreme Court, said that there is no historical proof of the bridge.

 In 2007, a publication of the National Remote Sensing Agency said that the structure "may be man-made". Archaeological Survey of India found no evidence for it being human-made.

 In a 2008 court case, a spokesman for the government stated "So where is the Setu? We are not destroying any bridge. There is no bridge. It was not a man-made structure. It may be a superman-made structure, but the same superman had destroyed it. That is why for centuries nobody mentioned anything about it. It has become an object of worship only recently.


New Delhi: India on Friday reacted sharply to The New York Times' editorial criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's choice of Adityanath Yogi as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and said the paper's wisdom to write such a piece was "questionable".



"All editorials or opinions are subjective. This case is particularly so. The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises, at home or abroad, is questionable," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay.



The NYT in the highly critical editorial, titled 'Modi's Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists', said since he was elected in 2014, Modi has played a "cagey game, appeasing his party's hard-line Hindu base while promoting secular goals of development and economic growth".



The move by Prime Minister Modi's party to name "firebrand Hindu cleric" Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh's chief minister is a "shocking rebuke" to religious minorities, the editorial said.
The centres grand plans for a new tuberculosis strategy are far from concrete it seems. At the World Tuberculosis Day event flush with dignitaries, Friday evening in New Delhi, the health minister CK Mishra called the much awaited new National Strategy for the Elimination of TB 2017-2025 good but ambitious and called for a plan B to be able to reach out to as many people as possible.



His words of caution, the only such spoken during the evening when even the WHO representative to India Dr. Hank Bekedem congratulated the centre on its achievements and promised support for future plans, were discordant with those of the health minister JP Nadda, who said the government was being optimistic and aggressive. Nadda did give some concession to the secretary, saying that having a plan B was stood idea.



While the draft national strategy is still being worked on -- Nadda said that the plan will be worked out in a month -- it reconfirms the government's commitment to eliminating TB by 2025, five years ahead of the 2030 global target set by the WHO. First declared by finance minister Arun Jaitley during the union budget, the target has continued to wise eyebrows in the medical community given Indias massive TB burden.



The draft also asks for four times more money, Rs 16,649 crores to implement the plan. To News18, Mishra said that money for the plan would come from the National Health Mission, calling the latter a flexipool. How much that will eventually be,remains to be seen.

More than the draft, Mishra exhorted all stakeholders to think differently as to how to combat TB, as old strategies would no longer work.



Mishra's point becomes all the more pertinent, as India doesn't have the logistics to achieve such an ambitious target. The World Health Organisation revealed in its Global Tuberculosis Report, released in October 2016, that India has underestimated its TB cases by nearly 7 lakh.



The WHOs global TB elimination target is 2050. To begin with, the UN body is working to reduce TB mortality by 90 per cent by 2030. Elimination means India aims to bring down the mortality rate to 10 per lakh of population by 2025, from the current rate of 217, in nine years.



This when the country's flagship TB control initiative, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, or RNTCP, is plagued with systemic flaws, which are being redressed at a glacial pace, if at all.



Worryingly, India has the most cases of drug-resistant TB in the world after China, with the latest available data, for 2013, putting the number at around 248,000. The treatment of drug-resistant TB alone takes close to 40% of the annual budget for the RNTCP.



Proof that the TB control programme is floundering are three children from Faridabad, Haryanas industrial hub bordering Delhi, who have had to return to the District Civil Hospital having contracted multi-drug resistant TB despite completing the mandated treatment regimen for simple TB. Their doctor, Raman Kakar, told News18 that they would have been cured had the central government updated its guidelines for TB treatment  to daily medication rather than three times a week  years ago instead of in January this year .



If that wasn't apathetic enough on the government's part, it for too long ignored calls from TB patients and social activists to make the patented miracle drugs Bedaquiline and Delamanid more accessible, preferably under the RNTCP. Both these drugs have proved effective against drug-resistant TB, which requires a minimum nine months of treatment that can extend up to two years, and have been recommended by the WHO.



India, however, has barely enough Bedaquiline to treat 300 patients. That cache, too, was donated by the USAID because the drug maker, Jannsen, the pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson, has patented it and enjoys monopoly over pricing and distribution. Similarly, in the case of Delamanid, Otsuka continues to restrict access to it despite having patented the drug over eight years ago.



It was left to the courts to push Indias fight against its second most lethal infectious disease on to, what doctors and activists hope, is the right track. On 20 January, the Delhi High Court ordered the government to allow an 18-year-old girl from Patna, with extreme drug resistant TB and no time to waste, to take Bedaquiline treatment in Mumbai.



The court, thus, potentially struck down the rule restricting the drug to patients from the same city as the treatment centre. As per the RNTCP regulations, Bedaquiline is provided at only six of its centres  two in Delhiand one each in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Guwahati. Only now is government talking of scaling up access to bedaquline.



On 23 January, the Supreme Court, ruling on a petition filed by Dr Kakar in September 2016, directed the government to change the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course, or DOTS, from thrice a week medication, as started in 1997, to daily dosage.



The court rulings shone a harsh spotlight on the TB control programme's rigidity, shoddy data gathering, and sluggishness in adapting international standards, and underlined the urgent need to reform it.



Indias TB programme urgently needs to move ahead. However, the the draft strategy, at the moment, seems more grandstanding than actual forward momentum.



Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Secretary, Department of Health, and a scientist known for her work on TB, says the government has finally prioritised the control of this deadly disease. For a start, India admitted to the WHO last year that it had made a mistake in estimating TB cases at 22 lakh instead of 29 lakh, and revised up the number of TB deaths from 220,000 in 2014 to 480,000 in 2015.



India needs a truly universal regimen, Dr Swaminathan points out, one that builds a thorough drug sensitivity profile of the population. It is achievable, of course, but what has tripped up India so far are funding and bureaucratic delays. Were grossly underfunded, Dr Swaminathan complains. The five year strategic plan asked for Rs 10,000 crore, of which we got only Rs 2,500 crore. We need Rs 2500 crore annually for TB but we get Rs 700 crore.



Not to mention, senior officials who have attended several health ministry meetings on TB, revealed that India didnt shift to daily dosage under the DOTS programme, despite the 2010 WHO guidelines and a 2012 meeting of technical experts, because one joint secretary held the matter up for years, citing either the lack of qualified Indian drug manufacturers or procurement issues. The ministry only moved when Dr Kakar got the court to intervene.



Soon after joining the DOTS programme at Faridabads civil hospital, Dr Kakar noticed that something was wrong. Previously, as a private doctor, when he prescribed daily dosages to TB patients for the six-eight month duration, they would be completely cured unless, of course, they had defaulted on the regimen. At the civil hospital, however, the patients kept reappearing. After speaking to his coworkers in the DOTS unit, all of whom were unhappy with the state of affairs, he decided to track all patients under DOTS programme in Faridabad.Unless you are part of the programme, you cannot access data. Its locked up in government safes, he says.



He got access, and for six years, he pored over handwritten register after another, tracking 36,000 patients through Unique Identification Numbers. What did he find? That 12.7 per cent of them came back despite completing the medicine course. Those who relapsed often developed drug resistant TB, which is much harder to cure.



Dr Kakar lays out the math: A new patient from, say, Nepal, who has daily DOTS, receives 450 mg of rifampicin and 1,500 mg of pyrazinamide every day, while an Indian patient gets the same only thrice a week; both get it for six to eight months. We have a truncated treatment regimen. It ruins the best chance the patients have of being completely cured the first time itself.



In court, during the early hearings, Dr Kakar says, the government tried to save face. It claimed to have already planned a daily regimen, starting with five states in the first phase and expanding to the rest of the country by June 2018.



According to Dr Kakar, the pressures to meet targets and please superiors have compromised Indias TB related data. DOTS unit supervisors are contract employees, with a target of 85 per cent cure rate, he says. From experience, Dr Kakar believes that a significant number of quarterly reports from Indias 3,000 DOTS centres are fudged to show the targets have been met. A report with a smaller cure rate is sent back with harsh words that the supervisor isnt doing their job well, Dr says, by way of an explanation. The reports from the centres are sent to the state TB officer, then the central health ministry and, finally, they end up in the WHOs global TB report.



Dr Kakar lays the blame at the WHO's door at well. They have 87 consultants in India. How did they not know Indias figures were wrong before last years Global Report? he asks. In fact, how could WHO have recommended the thrice weekly regimen in 1997 at all?



Now, though, the good doctor can take heart from that some things seem to be rolling.

In nine months, the government is bound to introduce the daily DOTS programme, which will administer the same combination of medicines, namely Ethambutol Isoniazid Rifampicin Pyrazinamide. And in the wake of the high court ruling and criticism from health researchers and activists of the rigidity of the domicile rule, the Bedaquiline regimen will be expanded to 70 centres by end 2017 from six now.



As the government expands its Bedaquiline programme, it's being pressed by patients and public health activists  a group of activists sent the latest petition on 27 January  to bring in Delamanid as well under the RNTCP. Otsuka has not provided the medicine for compassionate use in India yet.



Then, there is the TB Consortium led by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Dr Swaminathan, who is also director general of the ICMR, says the consortium brings together government bodies, educational institutes, international agencies, private practitioners and pharma companies to fight TB in mission mode. It will replace the current BCG vaccine, which cannot be used for immuno-compromised patients.



Although drones carrying diagnostic kits to and from remote places  as demonstrated by scientists working in Mozambique at a press conference called by the consortium  are unlikely to be part of the TB fighting arsenal in India, advanced diagnostic technology could hit the market within a year. More important, Dr Swaminathan says, Indias version of the GeneXpert TB test is set to replace the microscopy sputum test, which is known to yield false results.



On another front, BRICS, a grouping of emerging economies of which India is a member, has signed a declaration to coordinate on TB control. But health ministry officials point out that rolling out such multilateral arrangements and sorting out their funding takes years. So, for now, the only hope is for India to ramp up research, particularly in the field of treating drug resistance, and strengthen the implementation of TB programmes through the consortium. That would, of course, require a funding push from Jaitley's government. Is it up to the task?


CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Sena MP bullying AI staff; Gaikwad is seen shoving and abusing staff as they try to convince him to get off the plane. pic.twitter.com/fNYPxx3jFW  News18 (@CNNnews18) March 24, 2017

It wasn't just a slap with a sandal as Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad bragged, but apparently a full-fledged assault on the Air India staffer on Flight AI 852.An 80-second video of the incident which has emerged on social media shows Gaikwad assaulting Air India staffer Shivkumar even as crew members are heard pleading with him to stop."Let it be, there are already many cases against me," he snaps back when a stewardess warns him that he would end up being charged with murder as the assault would kill the 60-year old staffer.The first part of the video purportedly shows him trying to push the AI staffer down from the plane which was parked on tarmac even as a voice is heard screaming, " No, no sir. don't do that sir, don't do that."After he was restrained a stewardess tries to appeal to his better sense: "You are our representative, sir, you have worked hard to reach this place. We have elected you. Why are you doing like this." Gaikwad obviously was in no mood to calm down.The victim Sukumar has accused the MP of assaulting him and breaking his glasses and an FIR has been filed in the case. The MP himself has publicly bragged about hitting him with a sandal.This is not the first time the Sena MP from Osmanabad had been accused of getting on the wrong side of law. My Neta, the portal which provides criminal and financial background information on candidates, lists nearly a dozen charges, from culpable homicide to rioting to criminal intimidation that have been filed against him.While the Shiv Sena has distanced itself from the act and ruling ally BJP has condemned it, Opposition leaders have demanded that he should be removed from Parliament."Parliament should raise the issue. Beating up a person does not fall under parliamentary privileges," said Congress leader Manish Tewari.
New Delhi: As the medical services in Maharashtra continues to be paralyzed for the fifth consecutive day with junior doctors on strike, News18 breaks down the issue for you to figure out if a possible stalemate could be achieved.



Why are the junior doctors in Maharashtra on a strike?



Around 4000 protesting doctors from the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) are asking the state government to ramp up the security to shelter them against the rising violence against them by relatives of the patients, provide safeguard against attacks in government hospitals and enforce stricter implementation of the Doctors protection Act. Around 40,000 doctors from the private sector have also joined the strike with the resident doctors. It has impacted medical services in about 40 hospitals across the city. The entire issue has its genesis in the kind of attacks doctors had to face at the hands of the disgruntled relatives of patients. Even as the strike goes on, a lady doctor in a hospital in Sion was attacked on Thursday whereas a doctor in Dhule government hospital was attacked by relatives of a patient and blinded in one eye.



Even the Indian Medical Association has extended support to the strike as attacks on doctors have often resulted in serious injuries. Doctors have said, that in last year alone there have been over 50 cases of attacks on doctors with the government doing nothing.



What is the governments response to the strike?



On March 22, 2017, Maharashtra Education Minister Girish Mahajan in a salvo against the strike declared that if the doctors didnt get back to work by 8 pm on that day, then six months salary of the doctors will deducted by the State. He also said that the government will provide 1,100 guards within a month for their safety. Not only this even a show cause notice has been issued by civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to around 1200 protesting doctors with an ultimatum that they may be debarred if they do not return work as early as possible. Even the Dean of Government of Medical College in Nagpur in a bid to deter the strike, has suspended over 300 of its resident doctors as the strike continued.



The day when the strike began (March 20), Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar stated that BMC along with the Director General of Police would provide 400 armed police personnel to civic hospitals from Saturday which will be increased to 700 by April 1. BMC has also accepted the demands of allowing two relatives per patient in the hospital and were soon installing alarm system in hospital to alert security guards.



What is the Bombay High Courts stand in this issue?



Describing the strike as public anarchy, the Bombay HC on Tuesday came down heavily on the protesting resident doctors at the government-run-hospitals across Maharashtra. The court noted that it was taking a toll on the health of the patients. The court was hearing a PIL filed by activist Afak Mandaviya who was seeking action against the doctors on strike. A division bench of Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice GS Kulkarni observed that the behavior of the doctors was shameful. It is shame on the profession if doctors go on strike like factory men; then they are unfit to be doctors," the bench remarked. The court also expressed surprise that how junior resident doctors were the one who were feeling unsafe whereas the senior ones did not have any threat. The court is going to hear the plea of the doctors today and is expected to take a call.



How did the doctors respond to the court and the government?



The protesting doctors continued to defy the court rap and around 3000 resident doctors continued their mass casual leave. It was also reported that the resident doctors had even defied the governments directive to resume duty and said that the government can deduct even 12 months salary but safety has to be provided to the ones protesting.



How has the strike impacted the medical services in the state?



The state is facing an emergency health crisis scenario. The state government has informed the Bombay HC that medical services in Maharashtra were paralyzed because 60 percent of the resident doctors across the state went on strike.



Most of the patients who cannot afford expensive private hospitals are lining up government hospitals across the state waiting to be treated. Many of the patients are suffering from life threatening diseases and with only senior doctors available, there is a severe crunch of immediate treatment.



The most affected units in the state have been the emergency health services, including taking care of accident patients, surgeries and providing post-operative care to those admitted in various hospitals and OPDs.



Is the strike spreading to other states?



Resident doctors from around 40 government hospitals, including Ram Manohar Lohia, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital did not attend work in support for the MARD. Even doctors at AIIMS extended support by wearing helmets at work. On Friday Delhi will witness strike of doctors even from Private hospitals. Sir Ganga Ram hospital on Thursday said, that extending support to the protesting doctors in Maharashtra, their OPD services will not be available on Friday.



Apart from Delhi, even junior doctors from the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, extended support to their colleagues in Maharashtra by wearing helmets in the hospital.
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was on Friday barred from flying by Air India and four private Indian carriers after his brazen assault on an Air India officer.Federation of Indian Airlines has issued a statement saying that Air India and the member airlines of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) that includes IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air, condemn the assault on an Air India staff member by a passenger who happens to be a Member of Parliament on March 23, 2017."Air India and FIA members have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," and FIA release said.The airlines also demanded strict action be taken against the Member of Parliament by law enforcement agencies."We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law-abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living. In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers, we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers. Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the Government and security agencies to enforce such a "no fly" list," the release further said.Also Read: Can't Take Suo moto action against MP for assault, says Speaker Sumitra Mahajan Air India staffer Sukumar, who was assaulted by Shiv Sena MP said that he was abused profusely by the MP."The crew members tried to stop him but he hit me with the slipper and also pushed me," said Sukumar, the victim.Sukumar maintained that he is not scared or worried at all."They are public servants...they need to behave in a decent manner," he added.Gaikwad who is unrepentant about the incident had earlier told reporters in Delhi that he has a ticket on a flight to Pune this evening and that nobody can stop him from flying.Air India has also said it is mulling a no-fly list to stop people with such track record from travelling on the national carrier.Budget carrier IndiGo today said it will support any move which bars unruly passengers from flying. "We will support a no-fly list," IndiGo President and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh told PTI.Gaikwad assaulted a 60-year-old Air India officer after he was unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.An 80-second video of the incident which has emerged on social media shows Gaikwad assaulting Air India staffer Shivkumar even as crew members are heard pleading with him to stop."Let it be, there are already many cases against me," he snaps back when a stewardess warns him that he would end up being charged with murder as the assault would kill the 60-year old staffer.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday told the police not to harass couples in public places if they are meeting by mutual consent, following complaints against the newly formed anti-Romeo squads.The direction not to harass couples came when reports of UP Police harassing boys and girls in the name of curbing eve teasing and harassment started coming up.In its election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh, the BJP promised to create Anti-Romeo Dals (or squads) near colleges to "ensure the safety of college-going girls" and "check eve-teasing".Immediately after Yogi Adityanath took oath as UP CM, he ordered police to form anti-Romeo Squads to curb harassment of girls outside schools and colleges.An anti-Romeo squad consists of two policemen -- usually, a man and a woman.These squads have been formed first in the 11 districts that fall under Lucknow zone.The other guidelines issued to senior state officials include installation of biometric system for attendence and CCTV cameras in government offices.The CM in a series of directive has also asked officials to ensure presence of doctors at government hospital.Yogi Adityanath also asked police officials to take strict action against criminals, land mafia without any discrimination.In other fresh directives from CM office, the police officials have been asked to ensure proper facilities for complainants at police stations.
Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth is involved in a fresh controversy with fringe Tamil groups in the state opposing his proposed visit to Sri Lanka for a charity event.



Reports said Rajini is set to visit the island country on April 9 to open a Rs 22 crore housing project by the charitable organisation Gnanam Foundation in the northern areas hit by the 26-year-old civil war which ended 2009.



The Lankan army was accused of unleashing atrocities on Tamil civilians in the final stages of the civil war and it is now the subject of an international probe.



Gnanam Foundation was started by Lyca Productions which is also bankrolling Rajinikanths upcoming film 2.0 which is scheduled for a Diwali release.



Tamil groups, mostly fringe ones, are against Rajini accepting the hospitality of the Lankan government. Tamil people from Sri Lanka asked me to convey this message to Rajini because they dont like his visit at this juncture.



The governments of India and Sri Lanka want to create the impression that they are doing something for the welfare of the Tamils. There is a political motive behind inviting Rajinikanth, said Thol Thirumalavan, founder of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.



Thirumalavan also said most of the filmstars, including Rajinikanth, have never spoken out against the attacks on Indian Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. It is clear that Rajini is not ready to comment on fishermens issues. He is only concentrating on his business and films .



In March, an Indian fisherman was shot dead allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy. The government of Tamil Nadu has also raised the issue of eight Indian fishermen being arrested by the Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in their territory.


A still from Baahubali featuring Sathyaraj

Its just less less than a month left for the release of SS Rajamoulis magnum opus Baahubali: The Conlcusion and the nation is literally counting days to 28th April. But fans in Karnataka have to deal with a different issue prior to the films release. A pro-Kannada group has approached Karnataka Film Chamber Of Commerce President SA Ra Govindu to stop the release of Baahubali 2 in Karnataka. The reason for the ban? Actor Sathyaraj who plays Kattappa in the film had reportedly made anti-Karnataka remarks in the past.The actor had spoken in favour of Tamil Nadu during the Cauvery water dispute between the two states. The comment was actually made a few years ago, even before the release of Baahubali: The Beginning. But the group has raised the issue now and demanding a ban on the release of the film.Earlier reports said the group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike had stopped the screening of the films trailer at a theater in Bellary in Karnataka. There has been no official word from the makers on the matter yet,SS Rajamoulis Baahubali: The Conclusion is one of the most anticipated films of the year. A second part of the immensely successful Baahubali: The Beginning, the film will answer the all important question- Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali? The film has Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty playing prominent roles.
Jaipur: Rajasthan BJP state president Ashok Parnami on Friday denied reports of a possible change in Rajasthan BJP's leadership after partys thumping win in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.



No change in the leadership is on the cards in Rajasthan. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will continue to be the chief minister and serve her entire five-year-term, Parnami said.



Rubbishing rumours that Raje might be replaced by BJPs UP in-charge Om Prakash Mathur, the party president called rumours "baseless media speculation" at the BJP headquarters in Jaipur.



This came on a day when BJP Uttar Pradesh in-charge Om Prakash Mathur received a heros welcome at various places on National Highway No 8 as he drove from Delhi to his home in Jaipur.



Hundreds of party workers gathered at several points on the highway from Shajahanpur on the Haryana-Rajasthan border to his house in Jaipur, with garlands and sweets, raising slogans, and hailing Mathur vying to outdo each other in a show of strength.



Meanwhile, Mathur maintained that he sees himself only as a party worker and will continue to work like one for the party. I only see myself as a party worker and I will continue to do the task that is assigned to me in that capacity, Mathur said.



Right after the BJP's unprecedented win in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, a virtual poster war ensued, with separate congratulatory posters being put up by supporters of both OM Mathur and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.





The posters depicted Mathur and Raje with PM Narendra Modi leading to speculations of a possible change of guard in the state.
Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in its election manifesto had promised 12 percent reservation to Muslims. The Chief Minister had also assured that the bill will be tabled this budget session.

The Congress also staged walk out in the Assembly. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy said, "Telangana Chief Minister is trying to fool Muslims by making false promises."

: It was a stormy day in Telangana Assembly as BJP MLAs staged protests against TRS government's proposed 12 percent Muslim reservation bill.The Speaker suspended five BJP MLAs for two days after they disrupted the ongoing budget session.The state BJP also held "Chalo Assembly" protest, accusing Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao of playing 'communal' card to divide society in name of religion. Many BJP leaders and workers were among those detained by the police.Speaking to CNN-News18, Telangana state BJP President K Laxman said, "TRS government is trying to overcome from its failures by bringing in 12 percent communal reservation. Instead of focusing on good governance, welfare and development of poor, KCR is resorting to petty politics. BJP has clear policy not to allow reservation in the name of religion anywhere in country."The 12 percent reservations to Muslims in the state will increase the quota to over 50 percent and the state government will have to send it to central government for constitutional amendment for its implementation.BJP Spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao, said, "Proposed 12 percent Muslim Reservation Bill is illegal and unconstitutional. In a bid to garner Muslim votes, KCR is making empty promises. KCR should learn and must know how BJP got votes in UP without petty religious appeasement."The government, however, has argued that reservation is based on social and economic backwardness, and not on religion. Recently, K Chandrashekar Rao allocated Rs 1200 crore for Minority Welfare Department to ensure better education, employment, etc for Muslims in the state.
New Delhi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the religious arm of the Sangh parivar, believes that Babri Masjid was a monument 'of slavery' and 'getting rid' of it was a 'legitimate act' which has historical precedents from around the world.



"In an independent country getting rid of monuments of slavery has been a legitimate act but it is only in India Hindus are forced to tolerate desecration of their holy sites, said the working President (External) of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Ashok Chowgule.



Legitimising the Babri mosque demolition, Chowgule drew parallels of Babri Masjid, which was brought down by Hindu Kar sevaks on December 6, 1992, with the demolition of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Russia and the Government-General Building in Seoul, South Korea.



Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was demolished by the Polish authorities in 1924-26 because this Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Saxon Square, Warsaw, Poland, was part of the Russian Empire which was defeated after First World War.



The Polish people, who had by then gained independence from Russian empire by then, held the view that the building was erected to hurt Polish national feelings and negative connotations of being associated with Russian imperial policy.



The Cathedral shared the fate of many Orthodox churches demolished after Poland regained its independence.



Similarly, the Government-General Buildings demolition began on South Korea's Liberation Day (Gwangbokjeol), August 15, 1995, in Seoul, with the removal of the dome and by the late 1996, it was gone.



Referring to these structures, Chowgule said that the structures were meant not just for the ostensible purpose that the design provides. It is also an ocular indication that the people are slaves to a regime that has conquered them.



In most cases, the structures were built after demolishing a structure that the people held in awe and respect. The greater the significance of this aspect, the greater the impact on the conquered people when the structures are destroyed. And such acts of vandalism is deliberate, added the VHP leader.



Chowgule further added, If the dialogue has to be renewed, as per the suggestion of the Chief Justice of India, we need to understand that it has to go forward from the area that is already covered. This includes the most recent court mandated archaeological investigation, after the findings of the Ground Penetration Radar Survey. The issue will receive full closure when there is justice done to the Hindus.



Indian historian Harbans Mukhia said, States and rulers throughout history around the world have demolished buildings of various types including places of worship. Several of them destroyed places of worship of their co-religionists. That includes Hindus and Muslims. Shall we be taking revenge on all of these quite apart from the fact that the existence of a Ram temple under Babri Masjid is still under dispute in the Supreme Court.




Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the name, which translates to "Welcome each other with love", reflected the company's commitment to succeeding in the country."There's a whole new generation of Chinese travellers who want to see the world in a different way," Chesky said at a launch event in Shanghai."We hope that Aibiying... strikes a chord with them," he said, according to a company statement.The statement did not provide figures on the increased investment. The company recently ended a successful $1 billion fundraising drive.Airbnb currently has 60 employees in China and wants a total of 180 by the end of the year, a spokesperson said.There have been 5.3 million guest check-ins by Chinese travellers at Airbnb listings around the world, and outbound travel from China grew by 142 percent in 2016 alone, the company said.Domestically, Airbnb will aim to grow from its approximately 80,000 existing listings in China, where the website became available at the end of 2014.Airbnb competes in the world's second-largest economy with domestic home rental websites Tujia.com and Xiaozhu.com.Airbnb is not the first US-based technology firm to make a big push into the Chinese market but not all have found success.US car-hailing giant Uber agreed last August to tie up with China's Didi Chuxing, ending a ferocious battle between the two for market share.The agreement left Didi Chuxing with unquestioned control of the ride-sharing sector.Founded in 2008, Airbnb has become a popular alternative to hotels worldwide, allowing homeowners to rent out their properties by marketing them online for a fee.
Bangladesh has signed an agreement with India to formally join New Delhi's 'South Asia Satellite' initiative, through which the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch a communication satellite for serving the South Asia region.



The agreement was inked by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood and Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday, bdnews24 reported.



The High Commission said Bangladesh has now formally agreed to join the South Asia Satellite', an initiative of the Indian government.



India, through ISRO, will launch a 2 ton class communication satellite with 12 Ku band transponders (36 Mhz each) using ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk-II) for serving the South Asia region.



The applications proposed under the satellite system include tele-education, tele-medicine and inter-government networks, emergency communication for disaster situations, television broadcast and DTH television services.



There is a potential for each participating country to use a dedicated transponder with capacity of 36 to 54 Mhz for its own internal use. Each country would be responsible for content generation and its use, the High Commission said in a statement.



All South Asian countries, except Pakistan, will be part of this unique project binding the region in "a cooperative and collaborative endeavor for the benefit of the people of the participating countries".



Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier announced the launching of the satellite during the 2014 SAARC Summit in Kathmandu as a "gift to India's neighbours".



"This satellite is a reflection of India's commitment to the development of the South Asian region and an expression to share its expertise and technology for the benefit of the region," the High Commission said.



The inking of the agreement comes ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India next month.
Washington: Donald Trump warned Republicans that he is done negotiating and wants a vote Friday on replacing Obamacare, warning that if the effort fails, his predecessor's health care reforms will stand, lawmakers in an emergency meeting said.



In a high-stakes closed-door huddle with Republican lawmakers late on Thursday, White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney essentially issued an ultimatum from Trump after House Republican leaders postponed the vote amid the realization it would not pass without key changes.



"The president has said he wants a vote tomorrow, up or down," House Republican Chris Collins told reporters, paraphrasing Mulvaney's remarks.



"If it doesn't pass, we're moving beyond health care," he added by paraphrase, in a threat to lawmakers in Trump's own Republican Party.



"We would be moving on to other parts of his agenda."



The idea that Trump -- who campaigned relentlessly last year on a pledge to bury Barack Obama's signature legislative accomplishment -- would wash his hands of the fight and let Obamacare stand is a startling departure from the party playbook.



Defeat would mark a stunning political setback for Trump, who prides himself on his dealmaking skills.



Mulvaney's blunt take-it-or-leave-it approach could be part of Trump's hardball strategy to get Republican rebels to fall in line.



House Speaker Paul Ryan, a champion of the legislation dubbed the American Health Care Act, put on a brave face despite the bill's hanging by a thread.



"We have been promising the American people we will repeal and replace this broken law because it's collapsing and failing families, and tomorrow we're proceeding," he told reporters after the conference meeting.



The president and his lieutenants had repeatedly voiced optimism about the bill's prospects, saying they had made progress convincing doubters to join his camp in dismantling the Affordable Care Act.



But the votes for Trump's plan weren't there.



"I am still a no at this time. I am desperately trying to get to yes," said Mark Meadows, chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have demanded changes to the plan before giving their blessing.



Although Meadows sought to portray optimism about the process, he revealed the width of the gap between Trump and the plan's opponents.



"At this point, we are trying to get another 30 to 40 votes that are currently in the 'no' category to 'yes,'" Meadows said after meeting with his caucus.



That did not happen, and Ryan pulled the bill off the floor.



Midnight oil



With White House negotiations unable to provide the necessary breakthrough, a nighttime debate between party factions is likely to be intense as they seek an elusive compromise.



"The caucus is going to get together and talk," Meadows said, adding that his Freedom Caucus would meet with members of the more moderate Tuesday Group to discuss ways forward.



Republicans have spent years railing against the Affordable Care Act, branding it a result of a Democratic push for socialized medicine.



With Democrats opposed to Trump's plan and his own party's right flank in revolt over legislation they say does not go far enough, the White House and Republican leaders looked to make the bill palatable to enough conservatives without angering moderates.



Confidence by the White House appeared to highlight the disconnect between Trump's team and rank-and-file conservatives.



Asked Thursday whether House Speaker Paul Ryan might delay the vote, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said: "nothing leads me to believe that that's the case."



The vote was postponed a few hours later.



Many conservatives say their party's plan is still too costly for the government.



They have said they want to repeal "essential health benefits" that all insurance policies must pay for under Obamacare -- including maternity care, emergency room visits and preventive care such as screenings and vaccines -- arguing they have driven up costs.



Republican leaders conceded to that demand, Collins said. An amendment to the bill will be introduced that repeals those benefit requirements.



Limiting defections



The House Freedom Caucus, some 30 lawmakers who are heirs-apparent to the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement, have dubbed the new bill "Obamacare Lite," saying it will only reduce, not eliminate, health coverage subsidies by replacing them with refundable tax credits.



At the other end of the spectrum, some Republican moderates are worried their constituents would no longer be able to afford health insurance under the new plan.



A nonpartisan congressional budget estimate says it would force 14 million Americans to lose their coverage from next year.



An update of that estimate on Thursday, taking recent tinkering with the bill into account, said the plan would cost more money than the previous version.



The Democratic minority is prepared to vote against the bill as a bloc, so Republican leaders need to limit defections to fewer than 22 of their party's 237 representatives among the House's 430 current members.



Trump himself weighed in on Twitter during the Republican meeting, calling Obamacare "disastrous" and warning that costs will only rise and options shrink.



"We must #RepealANDReplace. #PassTheBill," he added
Lahore: JuD acting chief Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki on Thursday said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif celebrated Hindu festival 'Holi' to please the Indian government.



"The prime minister and other ruling elite celebrated Holi festival to please the Indian government. The rulers must realise that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations. Their culture and civilisation are different. They cannot live together," Makki, who is the brother-in-law of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, said this at a conference in Lahore.



Makki said the rulers are weakening Pakistan's ideology for extending hand of friendship with India.



"We will defend Pakistan's ideology and will make nation strong to fight the enemy," Maki said.



Sharif participated in a function in Karachi to celebrate the Holi festival with the Hindu community.



In his message to minorities, Sharif warned against the forced conversion and destruction of worship places of other religions, describing them as "crime in Islam".



Earlier, cleric Allama Ashraf Jalali, secretary general of Sunni Ittehad Council, said that the Prime Minister had not only blasphemed against Islam but also demeaned the "ideological foundations" of Pakistan by participating the function.



Issuing a fatwa against Sharif the cleric demanded "an open apology from the premier for violation of his oath."
Washington The United States and group of 13 nations across the Americas have called on Venezuela's government to hold elections and immediately free political prisoners, setting up a potential diplomatic showdown with President Nicolas Maduro's socialist administration.



The statement comes as the head of the Organization of American States is pushing to expel Maduro's government from the Washington-based group for breaking the country's democratic order.



The 14 nations, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, said they see expulsion as a last resort and instead urged dialogue to resolve Venezuela's entrenched economic and political problems.



The US State Department on Thursday called for Venezuela to hold elections "as soon as possible." Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. is not pushing for Venezuela's expulsion from the OAS, but "calls for the immediate release of political prisoners in Venezuela," including Leopoldo Lopez.



"President Maduro should permit the democratically elected national assembly to perform its constitutional functions and should hold elections as soon as possible," Toner said. Last week, the head of the OAS said he wanted regional governments to suspend Venezuela from the group unless general elections are held soon.



OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro made the request in A75-page report on Venezuela's political crisis, in which he accused Maduro's government of systematically violating human rights and standards of democracy enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to which Venezuela is a signatory.



Maduro's government disavowed a landslide loss to the opposition in legislative elections in 2015, and then suspended a recall campaign seeking to force him from office before the 2018 election. Maduro has long accused Almagro of doing the bidding of the US government. At the time, Venezuela's foreign ministry said the OAS leader was overstepping his authority in an effort to pave the way for an "international intervention" in Venezuela.



On Thursday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez rejected Toner's comments, saying on her Twitter account that they "reveal who is pushing the interventionist agenda against Venezuela in the OAS."



Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray said his country and a group of other nations in the region would propose a plan shortly "to constructively help, in the spirit of respect for the sovereignty and the people of Venezuela, to reach a solution and restore first, a dialogue and second, full democracy in the sister nation of Venezuela."
The company behind a failed business deal in Appomattox used a North Carolina consultant that lacked the necessary state business certificate and real estate license, according to state officials.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership notified a judge it wants to add these points and others to a lawsuit pending against Lindenburg Industry, a Chinese company that accepted a $1.4 million grant to open a manufacturing plant in Appomattox, and site consultant Development Advisors of Charlotte.

The changes, if allowed, would accuse Lindenburg of breach of contract for defaulting on a pledge to build catalytic converters east of Lynchburg. In addition, the state would change its legal strategy against the consultant, according to a filing in Appomattox County Circuit Court.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced the project in November 2014, but Lindenburg a year later still had not equipped a former furniture factory it purchased in Appomattox or hired any of 349 promised employees. The slow-moving project collapsed as the partnership recalled the grant and Development Advisors foreclosed on the project site for non-payment of consulting fees, which generated a $1 million purse.

Appomattox Town Council OKs developer's plan for former Thomasville plant APPOMATTOX  Appomattox Town Council took a key step toward the revival of the former Thomas

The partnership laid claim to the foreclosure proceeds in a lawsuit filed in February 2016. Development Advisors has demanded the claim be dismissed as invalid, asserting its right to the foreclosure money. Lindenburg has not participated in the suit, except to say it did not disagree with a decision by Judge Donald Blessing to freeze the funds until the dispute is settled.

At a hearing scheduled for March 31, the partnership wants the go-ahead to revise its case. It offers several ways it could recoup its money. A $1.4 million judgment against Lindenburg is one. But the suit also seeks the roughly $850,000 in foreclosure proceeds that remain after the court approved payment of taxes, foreclosure-related expenses and a waterline repair handled by the town of Appomattox at the former Thomasville furniture plant.

Partnership officials have employed a succession of lawyers, first a large Richmond law firm and then Lindenburgs former lawyer, whom it hired in early December. Blessing denied permission for that arrangement in late January, citing conflict of interest rules that govern Virginia attorneys. The partnerships third lawyer is its current counsel, Edgar Dawson.

He attacked Development Advisors in recently filed court papers as having lacked a state certificate to transact business when it represented Lindenburg in incentive negotiations with the state.

In addition, Dawson wrote, Development Advisors lacked a Virginia real estate agent or broker license when it handled Lindenburgs real estate purchase in Appomattox. Dawson added that Development Advisors consulting contract signed with Lindenburgs parent company, Catalon Chemical, contained commission language that conflicted with state law.

Development Advisors previously received $620,000 from Lindenburg for its work on the failed project. Given the circumstances, it would be unjust enrichment for the company to now collect the remaining foreclosure money, the partnership argued.
Revisit the founding of the JSA and foreshadow its future in The New Golden Age #1 preview

And see what lies ahead in the future of the DC Universe
TT/Venezuela gas deal Charles accuses govt of lethargy

This in the context of the acute shortage of natural gas which is impacting not only Governments revenues but also the efficient operations of our downstream energy industries at Point Lisas and our ability to be a reliable source of LNG. The impact of this is being seen in the recent closures of energy plants, which have resulted in job losses. Charles said more focus should be placed on producing gas from Loran/Manatee than the Dragon field which is located entirely within Venezuela territory and which so leaves TT more vulnerable and as price-takers.

We are more vulnerable on the Dragon field arrangements because all the gas belongs to Venezuela and we will be price takers in that arrangement.

He bemoaned that to date the terms and conditions of the deal between our Government, Shell and NGC on the Dragon field have not been revealed.

He cited newspaper reports showing the Venezuelans very anxious to finalise the operating agreement to bring gas from Loran/ Manatee, but that the delay was allegedly by the TT Government, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Charles said only after TT and Venezuela sign an Operating Agreement for Loran/Manatee will Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and PDVSA have 90 days to present their development plan to extract 10 tcf of gas in the utilisation field, of which TT is guaranteed at least 2.7 tcf. He accused the foreign ministry of being clueless and non-proactive.

Charles said the ministry has given no details on the nine TT nationals held in Turkey, its reaction to negative travel advisories on TT, and how TT is complying with United Nations (UN) anti-terrorism resolutions.

All we are aware of is the hiring of a Washington based lobbyist with known links to the Democratic party, supposedly to advance our interests in the United States (US) with a Republican President, a Republican Congress and a Republican controlled Senate.
Tom Brady Just Became

First NFL Player to Do This
California firefighters who spent 20 minutes performing mouth-to-snout resuscitation on a dog they rescued from a burning apartment are being hailed as heroes. The dog's owner, Crystal Lamirande, had just returned to her Santa Monica apartment Tuesday when a neighbor yelled there was a fire, the AP reports. Lamirande says she frantically tried to save her dog, a 10-year-old bichon frise/Shih Tzu named Nalu, but the smoke was too thick.

Moments later as firefighters arrived, she told them about Nalu. They quickly got the fire under control and pulled the lifeless dog from a bedroom. Firefighter Andrew Klein spent 20 minutes bringing the dog back to life with CPR and a pet oxygen mask as her tearful owner watched. Lamirande says the pooch spent the next 24 hours in an oxygen chamber and is doing well. (This Canadian cop plunged into a freezing lake to save a dog.)
In November, a woman out hiking in the Philadelphia area saw a pit bull's head sticking out of a garbage bag. The SPCA named the emaciated animal Cranberry, nursed her back to health, and eventually adopted her out to a home where she is now living "a happy life," the agency says. Now, four months later, an 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia police department has been arrested and charged with dumping the dog. Officers were able to match the sheet the dog was wrapped in with another sheet, and Michael Long's arrest followed. In addition to multiple animal cruelty and related charges, the 33-year-old has also been suspended from the force for 30 days with intent to dismiss, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. (Read more animal cruelty stories.)
There's been lots in the news about Russia lately, and a high-ranking US Army general just added to the mixthis time regarding the country's involvement with the Taliban. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the supreme allied commander of Europe for NATO, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday that he's noticed an uptick in Russian influence on the insurgent group in Afghanistan, and he raised the possibility that Moscow is giving the group supplies, reports Reuters. Russia and the Taliban deflected any insinuation that their relationship has ventured into equipment provisions, with Taliban officials telling Reuters that Russia has offered only "moral and political support." As for Russia's take on a possible supply chain: "Absolutely false," a Russian Foreign Ministry rep told RIA Novosti, via the Tasnim Iranian news agency.

As Stars and Stripes notes, Russia has tried to evade full-on criticism for its Taliban rapport by claiming the militants are going after ISIS, not Afghani forces. However, Army Gen. John Nicholson, in charge of US forces in Afghanistan, has said he rejects the "public legitimacy" that Russia tries to impart on the Taliban. NBC News reports that Scaparrotti's theory comes just hours after reports that the Taliban had taken hold Thursday of the district center of the "hotly contested town" of Sangin, although that hasn't been confirmed. Scaparrotti didn't offer any elaboration on what provisions he thinks may have been offered by the Russians, or when this supposed handover may have taken place. (Read more Russia stories.)
There will be no new trips to the Washington Monument for students within Canada's largest school system. The Toronto District School Board, which includes 245,000 students in 584 schools, will no longer green-light trips south of the border, citing uncertainty over border restrictions. "We strongly believe that our students should not be placed into these situations of potentially being turned away at the border" in light of President Trump's proposed travel restrictions, TDSB Director of Education John Malloy says, per the Toronto Star. Some 25 trips involving 900 students already scheduled for the spring will go on as planned to prevent financial loss, but the board says all students will turn back if any one student is refused entry into the US.

Should Trump's executive order banning travelers from six countries "be fully implemented, resulting in any of our students being excluded from trips across the US border," those trips will be cancelled outright, Malloy says, per CTV News. "It's not about politics, it's about our principles as a school board to be inclusive and equitable," adds a TDSB rep. The Greater Essex County School Board in southwestern Ontario cited similar reasons when banning trips to the US for the month of February. Torontos Ryerson University has halted trips until further notice, as have the Girl Guides of Canada, the Canadian version of the Girl Scouts, per CNN. Other school boards say they could follow in the TDSB's footsteps "if travel advisories change." (Read more Canada stories.)
If only the teenagers missing in Washington, DC, were wearing Super Bowl jerseys, they might be found as quickly as Tom Brady's lucky shirt, says comedian DL Hughley in a tweet, per News One. He's one of several on social media drawing attention to DC cases of missing juveniles, many of whom are black or Latino. NBC Washington reports more than a dozen teens, aged 14 to 18, went missing in 2017 and remain missing as of Thursday, while the AP puts the number at 22 as of Wednesday. Metropolitan Police say 501 missing child cases logged in DC so far this year are in line with previous years' figures (2,242 in 2016 and 2,433 in 2015) but are appearing on social media more often. Black members of Congress, however, are demanding action.

"Ten children of color went missing in our nation's capital in a period of two weeks and at first garnered very little media attention. That's deeply disturbing," reads a letter signed this week by Congressional Black Caucus chairman Cedric Richmond and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. It calls upon the Justice Department and FBI to investigate and "return these children to their parents as soon as possible." At a meeting at a neighborhood school on Wednesday, the co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation suggested human traffickers could be preying on low income teens and runaways. However, a police rep tells Fox 5 there's no evidence of that. "A large number of our missing teens voluntarily leave home" and are found shortly after, she says. (Read more missing person stories.)
In the aftermath of World War II, a young John F. Kennedy toured Hitler's mountaintop retreat and recorded his thoughts about the German dictator. "Within a few years Hitler will emerge from the hatred that surrounds him now as one of the most significant figures who ever lived," the 28-year-old Kennedy wrote in a diary in 1945, per Time. Hitler, he added, "had in him the stuff of which legends are made." The words should not be viewed as praise, say those who are auctioning the diary next month. "Theres no glorification," says Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of Boston's RR Auction. Kennedy was a historian, he says, and his assessment is in the context of Hitler's place in history. He kept the diary after his military service ended, as he was touring Europe as a journalist, notes the BBC. It's believed to be the only diary he ever kept.

Kennedy eventually gave the 61-page diary, about 12 pages of which are handwritten, to its current owner, Deirdre Henderson, a onetime research assistant for Kennedy. As CBS News notes, she previously published it in book form. While the information isn't new, the original document is expected to fetch $200,000 when it goes up for sale on April 26. Other highlights, per the AP:

Hitler's death: "There is no complete evidence, however, that the body that was found was Hitler's body," he wrote. "The Russians doubt that he is dead."

"There is no complete evidence, however, that the body that was found was Hitler's body," he wrote. "The Russians doubt that he is dead." The UN: "In practice, I doubt that it will prove effective in the sense of its elaborate mechanics being frequently employed or vitally decisive in deterring war or peace."

"In practice, I doubt that it will prove effective in the sense of its elaborate mechanics being frequently employed or vitally decisive in deterring war or peace." USSR: "Yet, if we pull out (of Germany), we may leave a political vacuum that the Russians will be only too glad to fill."

(Read more John F. Kennedy stories.)
Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is back at home, free following his release from custody after six years of legal proceedings, reports the AP. Mubarak left the Armed Forces hospital in Cairo's southern suburb of Maadi Friday morning and went to his house in the upscale district of Heliopolis under heavy security measures, says an Egyptian official.

The 88-year-old Mubarak was acquitted by the country's top appeals court on March 2 of charges that he ordered the killing of protesters during the 2011 popular uprising that led to his ouster. During those 18 days of unrest at the start of the Arab Spring movement, an estimated 800 protesters were killed in clashes with security forces, reports the BBC. (Read more Hosni Mubarak stories.)
The Keystone XL pipeline is officially a go, at least as far as the feds are concerned. Two years after then-President Obama used his veto power to block construction of the TransCanada conduit, the AP reports that a State Department permit was issued Friday to begin construction into the US. The decision, which TransCanada is hailing as a "significant milestone," came after the department analyzed a variety of factors, including costs and how the pipeline would affect the environment. The State Department was in charge of OK'ing the $8 billion project because the 1,700-mile-long pipeline stretched from one country to the next, though the AP notes an "unusual twist": State Department employee Tom Shannon signed the presidential permit; Rex Tillerson had recused himself from dealing with the pipeline due to his Exxon Mobil ties.

TransCanada first applied for a permit in 2008, but the project has dragged for nearly a decade due to pushback from environmental groups and Native American tribes who say the pipeline would plow through sacred lands and endanger water supplies. Supporters, however, say construction would create thousands of jobs: TransCanada says as many as 13,000, the State Department a bit less, and President Trump as many as 28,000, in what the Washington Post calls "an inflated estimate." Reuters notes Monday was the end of the 60-day deadline on Trump's executive order to get this pipeline going. TransCanada still needs to get Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska to sign off on the project, which Politico notes could take months more for Nebraska alone. Forbes offers the ins and outs of the pipeline for those who've lost track of where things currently stand. (Read more TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline stories.)
German prosecutors concluded co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was suicidal when he locked the captain out of the cockpit and flew a Germanwings plane into the French Alps in 2015, killing all 150 people on board. But on the second anniversary of the crash, Lubitz's father is floating a new theory. At a press conference Friday, Guenter Lubitz said his son had suffered from depression in 2009 but "loved life" at the time of the crash and "had no reason to plan and carry out a suicide," per the BBC. To the dismay of victims' families, Lubitz, 63, instead argued his 27-year-old son was incapacitated by a carbon monoxide leak in the cockpit of the plane while the captain was locked out.

Prosecutors agree Andreas Lubitz hadn't been recently diagnosed with depression, but they say he suffered from a "psychological illness" months before the crash and was likely taking anti-depressants, per the AP. That's not enough to convince journalist Tim van Beveren, who spoke at the press conference alongside the elder Lubitz. He accused prosecutors of "poisoning" the investigation from the beginning by failing to pursue other possible leads into the cause of the crash. He also questioned the plane's airworthiness certificate, reports Deutsche Welle. A lawyer representing victims' families says they were left "shocked" and "literally speechless" by Friday's "irresponsible" display, per Euronews. (Read more Germanwings crash stories.)
Rachel Dolezal might have been born a white woman in Montana, but she calls herself "unapologetically black." Now jobless and selling paintings to get by, the former head of the Spokane, Wash., chapter of the NAACPwho has legally changed her name to Nkechi Amare Diallo, meaning "gift from the gods"tells the AP she's written a memoir so people can "know the whole truth of my life story." Some standout quotes from In Full Color from the AP and the New York Post:



On drawing self-portraits as a child: "I usually picked a brown crayon rather than a peach one  I felt black and saw myself as black."

"I usually picked a brown crayon rather than a peach one  I felt black and saw myself as black." On her version of childhood fun: "[I would] make thin, soupy mud, which I would then rub on my hands, arms, feet, and legs  I would pretend to be a dark-skinned princess in the Sahara Desert."

"[I would] make thin, soupy mud, which I would then rub on my hands, arms, feet, and legs  I would pretend to be a dark-skinned princess in the Sahara Desert." On meeting her adopted black siblings at age 10: "For the first time in my life, I felt like I was truly part of a family."

On relating to slaves: "I knew what it was like to be a child and have to work as hard as an adult, and how it felt to be used and abused  I also understood the pain that comes from being treated like less than a full human being  and the fortitude required to fight this sort of injustice."

"I knew what it was like to be a child and have to work as hard as an adult, and how it felt to be used and abused  I also understood the pain that comes from being treated like less than a full human being  and the fortitude required to fight this sort of injustice." On opting to identify as black: "Just as a transgender person might be born male but identify as female, I wasn't pretending to be something I wasnt but expressing something I already was."

"Just as a transgender person might be born male but identify as female, I wasn't pretending to be something I wasnt but expressing something I already was." On embracing her new identity: "I was a Black-Is-Beautiful, Black liberation movement, full conscious, woke soul sista."

"I was a Black-Is-Beautiful, Black liberation movement, full conscious, woke soul sista." On being outed as white by her parents: She says she contemplated suicide and "might have actually done it" if not for her son.

She says she contemplated suicide and "might have actually done it" if not for her son. On her view of blackness: "Blackness is more than a set of racialized physical features. It involves acknowledging our common human ancestry with roots in Africa."

(Read more Rachel Dolezal stories.)
A science phenom known for impressing President Obama with his marshmallow air cannon at the 2012 White House Science Fair faces crushing debt after being diagnosed with a mental illness. Joey Hudy, now 20, is undergoing treatment for schizophrenia at a live-in facility in Tennessee that costs his family $25,000 per month, says AZCentral. According to Hudys mother, Julie, their insurance will not pay for the in-center assistance because they believe he can be treated at home. "Its not that we dont want him home, she asserts. I want that more than anything, but its not the right place for him unless we hired a psychologist to come live at our house."

Hudy began showing symptoms of his illness while working at an electronics manufacturing company in China. Experiencing paranoia and psychosis, Fox 10 reports he believed that he was being bugged by the Chinese government. After undergoing a mental episode, his parents brought him home earlier this year. After his White House moment shot him to fame, Hudy became Intels youngest intern at 16 and a staple and speaker at technology events. "He kind of became the poster boy for young makers and kids making," says Maker Faire cofounder Sherry Huss. This community has begun rallying around its young star after Hudys family set up a GoFundMe page to help offset his healthcare costs. At the time of this writing, it had raised more than $36,000. (Read more Barack Obama stories.)
The two young siblings who Catholics believe saw a vision of the Madonna six times in the Portuguese village of Fatima in 1917 will be made saints, the Vatican said Thursday, per Reuters. Francisco and Jacinta Marto, along with their cousin Lucia Dos Santos, said they received three messages or "secrets" from Mary: the first was a vision of hell and the second was interpreted to be a prediction of World War II and the rise of communism in Russia; the third was not revealed until 2000 by the Vatican, which says it predicted the 1981 assassination attempt of Pope John Paul. Also in 2000, Pope John Paul beatified the Marto siblings, one of the final steps required before sainthood. The siblings died several years after receiving the visions.

Pope Francis on Thursday officially recognized a miracle attributed to the siblings, the last requirement that needed to be fulfilled before they could become saints, the New York Times reports; that same day, he signed the canonization decree, per the AP. While no date has officially been set for the canonization ceremony, one theory is that it will be held in May when the pope visits the Fatima shrine, exactly 100 years from the day the first vision occurred. A shrine official says the miracle involves a Brazilian child cured of a disease. There is also a push for Lucia Dos Santos, who became a nun and lived to age 97, to be beatified. Also Thursday, Pope Francis said he would canonize three Mexican adolescents killed for their faith in the 1500s. (Read more Catholic Church stories.)
A Maryland high school has been thrust into the national immigration debate after a 14-year-old student said she was raped in a bathroom there by two classmates, including one who authorities said came to the US illegally. The latest flashpoint in the immigration debate started out as a sexual assault case, the AP reports. Last Friday, 18-year-old Henry Sanchez-Milian and 17-year-old Jose Montano were charged with first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual offense. Police say the girl was walking in a Rockville High School hallway when one of them asked her to have sex; she refused. Montano forced her into a boy's bathroom stall and they raped her, police say. Sanchez-Milian, from Guatemala, came to the US illegally in August and dealt with a Border Patrol agent in Texas, federal immigration officials say. He was released to live with his father.

Federal law requires public schools to admit students even if they're in the country illegally. Protesters on both sides converged on a nearby elementary school Thursday. The White House also weighed in, saying the president has made a crackdown on illegal immigration a priority "because of tragedies like this." The school system in Montgomery County, considered politically progressive, has been besieged by hundreds of racist and xenophobic calls, with a school rep noting "a whole new level of vitriol." In response, schools have beefed up police presence. One Takoma Park woman said she came to stand up for immigrants at a time when the Trump administration is cracking down on them. "They cannot stand up for themselves," she said. (Read more illegal immigration stories.)
Rick Perry, new US energy secretary, is "deeply concerned" about something. But don't worry, it's not America's aging nuclear stockpile but the results of a student election in Texas. CNN reports that after the winner of Texas A&M's election for student body president was accused of voter intimidation and disqualified for not disclosing campaign expenses, runner-up Bobby Brooks became the college's first openly gay student body president. That led Perry to pen an 851-word opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle in which he accused the administration of Texas A&M, his alma mater, of making a "mockery of due process" and stealing the election in a misbegotten "quest for 'diversity.'"

Perry says the disqualification of original winner Robert McIntoshthe son of a major Texas Republican fundraiser who campaigned for President Trumpdidn't "fit the crime" and wouldn't have happened if McIntosh weren't straight and white. While others criticized a federal official for publicly addressing a student election, Texas A&M settled for "respectfully" disagreeing with its former student. It points out the decision to disqualify McIntosh and make Brooks president was made entirely by students in the form of the all-student election commission and judicial court, the Washington Post reports. Furthermore, Brooks' sexuality wasn't part of his campaign. (Read more Rick Perry stories.)
Lois O'Brien tells the Guardian she and husband Charles have had "sort of an Indiana Jones life." But instead of ancient artifacts, the O'Briens spent 60 years collecting insects across 70 countries and seven continents. Those bugsapproximately 1.25 million of themnow fill more than 1,200 glass drawers in the O'Briens' home, the Arizona Republic reports. But not for long. Charles and Lois are donating their collectionvalued at $10 millionto Arizona State University. The O'Briens' bugs represent one of the largest private collections in the world and will more than double ASU's collection. ASU says Charles and Lois are "two of the world's foremost entomologists," and the dean of the Division of Natural Sciences calls the donation a "transformative gift."

The collection, which includes more than 1 million types of weevil, will help ASU fill in the weevil family tree. One ASU entomologist says the O'Briens' collection contains maybe 1,000 insects that are "new to science." Lois, 89, and Charles, 83, met at the University of Arizona in the 1950s when he was an entomology teaching assistant and she was a student. "We were brought together by insects," Charles tells the Guardian. Lois says their shared passion helped keep them together, and they've had a "great life." "We've traveled and experienced all kinds of exciting things," she tells the Republic. (Read more bugs stories.)
A northern Wisconsin man struggling with debt allegedly killed his wife's divorce lawyer during a shooting spree that left three other people dead, including a police detective. Court records show 45-year-old Nengmy Vang initiated divorce proceedings in 2015 against his wife, Naly Vang. The couple was scheduled for a final pre-trial conference next month. Naly Vang wasn't hurt in the shooting, and it's unclear whether the two even encountered each other during the rampage. The records show she lives at the family's home in Weston while Vang resides in the apartment where police eventually captured him. The Wausau Daily Herald reported Nengmy Vang was allowed to take four guns with him when he moved out of the family residence. The records also show Nengmy has a long history of financial problems.

Investigators have said the shootings followed a domestic dispute between the couple, but they've released no details about what may have happened between them. Nengmy Vang went to a Rothschild bank around midday on Wednesday, where he allegedly shot and killed workers Dianne Look and Karen Barclay. He then traveled to nearby Schofield and killed 43-year-old attorney Sarah Quirt Sann at her office. Sann represented Naly Vang in the divorce case, the AP reports. He then fled to his apartment in Weston and barricaded himself inside. As police were setting up a perimeter around the apartment he shot and killed Jason Weiland, a 40-year-old Everest Metro Police Department detective, according to authorities. Police eventually shot and wounded Vang and took him into custody. Investigators have not said why he opened fire at the bank. (Read more shooting stories.)
A face of a man dead 700 years ago has been reconstructed. The reconstruction is part of the research to gain more insights about the lives of the anonymous poor.

According to a report, Context 958 is the face of Cambridge man found in a graveyard. This graveyard is under the Old Divinity School of St. John's College. It is indicated that the cemetery has been attached to a hospital for the poor and infirm residents. This has been from the years between 1200 and 1500. This has been one of the largest medieval hospital cemeteries in Britain.

The facial reconstruction has been done in order to study more on the lives of the anonymous poor that had been buried in this area. It will help scientists learn more about how they lived before and what they were before they died.

The reconstruction of the face is also the same method used in order to help police in identifying people that already have decomposed bodies. This can help in solving any case even in forensics. In the meantime, scientists pulled out a skull from a 700 years old Cambridge man found in the graveyard.

It is indicated that Context 958 had lived up until 40 years old and may have been an inmate at the Hospital of St. John. The lives of the poor that mostly ended in the charitable institution had not been properly studied before. Previous reports were all about the rich and that meant there was less knowledge about the poor people then. This new study by using face reconstruction will help scientists determine what these poor people were like in those years.

Meanwhile, Context 958 was found faced down when the graveyard was excavated. The face reconstruction technology that has been used on the skeleton can revive what the man looked like when he was still alive.
A recent study brings good news for older mothers as it found that the kids of mothers advanced in age are psycho-socially more independent, well-adjusted and well-behaved. The report also points out the complexities of late pregnancy, but the results clearly showed the difference in behavioral skills of the kids especially in their younger ages.

The study was conducted by a group of experts from Aarhus University, Denmark as they monitored the data of 4,741 mothers, and their children were assessed at their 7, 11, and 15 ages. It brought a number of surprising facts. It showed that the older mothers scolded their children less and they had considerably fewer behavioral issues. The advantages associated with the older mothers are extended to their children during the school age and decline before attaining 15 years. The result also showed that the average pregnancy age of the women are steadily going up and currently it stands at 30.9 years.

The average age reveals that many children are born when their mother was about 30 years old. Also, the number of women getting pregnant after 40 has been quadrupled since 1985. The researchers suggested that the behavioral maturity of the late children could be due to their mothers' stable relationships, better education level, and increased access to resources. The study also showed that older women worry less during the pregnancy period and are more happy and positive in becoming parents. Also, they keep a positive attitude towards their children.

While considering the age factor, the researchers indicated that a number of reasons making women have children late in their 30s or 40s. It includes people live longer, women started pursuing their educational requirements and career goals, and contraception methods have improved. However, the older mothers exhibit greater physical complications during pregnancy than younger women. It includes a number of risks like miscarriage, children with deformities, and premature birth.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.
Mumbai :

Commerce and Industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said Amercian phone-maker Apples demand for tax incentives to set up a manufacturing unit in the country will have be looked at after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is rolled out.

GST will be coming soon. So, tax-related incentives demanded by Apple will have to be looked from a different angle, Sitharaman said on the sidelines of Chemexcil function in Mumbai.

The government has not accepted most of the demands of the iPhone maker, she added.

Apple plans to set up a manufacturing unit in Bengaluru this year, where it will assemble its products, probably only iPhone 6 and 6s models, according to reports in a section of the media.

Also read | Govt keen to roll out GST on July 1: FM Arun Jaitley

The American tech giant has sought various concessions on taxation and import of components for setting up the unit. The Cupertino-based technology giant currently manufactures in China and Brazil.

Apart from tax sops, Apple also wants relaxation in the mandated 30 per cent local sourcing of components. Earlier reports had said the company would be importing all its components on the grounds that it is bringing in cutting-edge technology to the country.

Apple also wants to open a fully-owned retail outlets in the country.

In January, Apple had indicated to the government that it was ready with a blueprint to begin manufacturing iPhones, but wants fiscal concessions, including Customs duty waiver on imported components.
New Delhi:

Lexus from Toyota the Japanese auto major, entered India on Thursday with the launch of three models priced up to Rs. 1.09 crore (ex-showroom).

Lexus introduced the RX Hybrid model priced at Rs 1.07crore, RX F Sport hybrid at Rs 1.09 crore and ES 300h hybrid sedan priced at Rs 55.27 lakh (all prices ex-showroom).

The company also unveiled its top-end SUV LX450d, but didn't announce price, along with the fifth generation LexusLS which would be available for sales from next year.

Lexus is entering the Indian market with an aim to tap the growing number of luxury customers, specially those Toyota customers who are looking to upgrade.

ALSO READ | Toyota announces USD 293 million investment in England assembly plant despite Brexit

"Toyota manufactures Camry hybrid already in India and many of the customers are looking to upgrade. Therefore, it is the right time for Lexus to enter the Indian market so that our customers don't go to other brands," Lexus InternationalPresident Yoshihiro Sawa told PTI here.

"The Indian luxury customers are growing and it's part of our future strategy to tap them," he added.

The company will start retailing the products from four dealerships -- Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bengaluru -- to start up in the country.

Additionally it will also establish service centres atChandigarh, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.

Lexus India Senior Vice President Akitoshi Takemura said they will have to first see the response in the country before taking a call on having local manufacturing in India.

"There is scope for local manufacturing, we support PrimeMinister's 'Make in India' initiative but for the time being we are just starting operations. We will have to see how the market functions. If volume consolidates and reach a critical level then we may think of local manufacturing," Takemurasaid.

At present the models would be imported from Japan, he added. When asked about competition in the luxury segment with established brands like Audi and Mercedes already present for more than a decade, Takemura said they would first like to establish in the country and would not go for big numbers.

"Our pricing position is higher than JLR or German brands.We haven't set a sales target as such and would like to createLexus brand in the country," he said.

ALSO READ | Know all about Toyota's new-look dual tone Etios Liva with cutting edge safety features

When asked about synergy with Toyota brand, he said that some of the existing dealers would also be able to provide servicing facilities to the Lexus customers as they are already experienced on providing service to Toyota Camry hybrid customers.

Bullish on the Indian market, Takemura said, "High net worth individuals are growing in India, getting more affluent and they are spending on luxury items." Besides, Lexus would like to provide the solution of eco-friendly mobility in luxury segment, he said.
New Delhi:

Income Tax department unearthed undisclosed income of Rs 45,622 crore at various searches on nearly 2,534 groups of persons in the last three financial years

"During the last three financial years (2013-14, 2014-15and 2015-16) and the current financial year (up to January2017), the I-T department conducted searches on about 2,534groups of persons, which led to admission of undisclosed income of about Rs 45,622 crore apart from seizure of undisclosed asset (cash, jewellery etc) worth about Rs 3,625crore," Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Gangwar further said, "Besides levy of taxes on the total income of those persons whose assessments were completed during the last three years and current financial year (up toto January 2017), the ITD filed prosecution complaints in2,432 cases."

ALSO READ | IT Dept attaches benami property; Delhi Min Satyender Jain denies involvement



He added: "During the same period, 4,264 compounding applications were also received from persons who had committed offences under the Act."



Of the cases disposed of by criminal courts during the period, the minister said, "116 persons were convicted of offences committed under the Act."



In 3,218 cases, offences were compounded by the competentI-T authorities. According to the minister, as part of enforcement measures and based on credible evidence of tax evasion and other serious violations of provisions, the income tax department (ITD) conducts searches in cases of various persons, including companies and individuals.

Elaborating, he noted that based on material recovered during searches, investigation is conducted by investigating officers and findings of such investigations are shared with the assessing officers concerned.

ALSO READ | IT Dept claims Operation Clean Money a massive success, over 5.27 lakh taxpayers submit response



Such assessing officers initiate and complete assessment proceedings as per the provision of the Act with a view to assessing the income and taking other actions such as raising of tax demand, levy of applicable penalties, recovery of such demands and filing of prosecution complaints.
New Delhi:

The buzz about the Kapil Sharma show just do not seem to end. According to the latest reports, Raju Srivastava has been called up as a replacement in the show, after the incident where Kapil Sharma allegedly assaulted Sunil Grover during a flight due to which the actor has quit the show including Ali Asgar and Chandan Prabhakar. Though Raju has now claimed that he will not "replace" anybody.



When asked about it Raju told NDTV, I too have read reports saying I have replaced Sunil in the show or that I have joined the show. When I went for the shoot on Tuesday, I had no idea about Sunil and Kapils fight. I have been a part of this show earlier. I havent officially been offered to join the show so far but a lot of people on the set told me that I should be a part of it. Kapil also called me and praised me. I want to make it clear that I am not replacing anyone. Its possible that Sunil and I could feature together on the show.

Also Read : Kapil Sharma row: Six controversies surrounding the comedian



Raju while shooting for an episode for the popular comedy show also revealed that none of the regular cast members apart from Kiku Sharda, were present at the recording. "Kiku Sharda was the only member from the original team who shot for Tuesday's episode. Sunil Grover, Ali Asgar, Chandan Prabhakar and Sugandha Mishra weren't there," he said.



Kapil and Sunil, reportedly, had a fight as they were flying back with their team to Mumbai from Australia, after a show. The former got drunk, abused Sunil and assaulted him. Kapil took to Twitter to apologise which apparently created a lot of buzz about the existence of the 'Mashoor Gulati', popular character played by Sunil Grover in the show.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Kapil Sharma's recent tiff with co-star Sunil Grover has once again brought the renowned comedian in the limelight. It has been reported that Sharma allegedly assaulted Sunil Grover aka Dr Mashoor Gulati during a flight, which has sparked a fresh controversy for Kapil.

The comedian-turned-actor is facing severe backlash for his unruly behavior and is being highly criticized for his arrogant behavior. Though, he is trying to pacify the matter, however, looks like this controversy will take a while to end.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time that Kapil has landed himself in such a trouble. In fact, he has been the controversy's favorite child for quite some time now.

From targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his contentious fall out with Colors, here are seven incidents when Kapil Sharma sparked a controversy:

1. Kapil Sharma vs Chandan Prabhakar

Sunil Grover isn't the only one who got on Kapil Sharma's radar. Earlier, Sharma had reportedly misbehaved with his another co-star Chandan Prabhakar. According to the media reports, Kapil had targeted Chandan by saying he is a part of Sharma's show only because of their friendship. To this Chandan retaliated saying, even if Kapil Sharma is a celeb, he can't talk to him like this. It is also reported that later Kapil abused Chandan on their way back on the same flight and the duo did not perform together in their next show in Melbourne.

Also Read: Did Kapil Sharma throw his shoe at Sunil Grover publicly?

2. Tweets to PM Modi and issue with BMC

Kapil Sharma created a sensation when he took to twitter and asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi where his "Achche Din" were. In a series of tweets, Kapil said, "Yeh hain aapke achhe din ? and I am paying a15 cr income tax from last 5 year n still i have to pay a5 lakh bribe to BMC office for making my office. Kapil alleged that BMC officials demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from him to build an office. Later BMC said that Kapil had violated rules by getting some illegal construction work done.

3. Tax evasion case

In 2013, Kapil Sharma had to face some troubles with the Income Tax department who booked the comedian for evading the service tax. According to a news report, an I-T official said that Kapil had registered with service tax department but didnt pay the tax amounting to Rs 65 lakh.

Also Read: Comedy's Jai and Viru inseparable? What happened between Kapil Sharma and Sunil Grover in last 5 days

4. Alleged misbehavior with female stars

It was reported that Kapil Sharma was accused of misbehaving with his female co-stars during a Marathi film's function. He allegedly behaved inappropriately with Tanishaa Mukherjee, Monali Thakur, and other female stars.

Later Kapil had refused to comment on the incident, however, he later tweeted saying, I fall, I rise, I make mistakes, I live, I learn, Ive been hurt but I am alive. I am human, I am not perfect but I am thankful :) (sic).



5. Relationship with Sunil Grover

Apart from the recent spat with Sunil Grover, Kapil has had a bitter course of a relationship with his 'The Kapil Sharma Show' co-star. It all began when Sunil Grover decided to part ways with Kapil when he decided to leave Kapil's previous show "Comedy Nights With Kapil" After which Sunil launched his own show, but unfortunately it flopped at he made a comeback to Kapil's team.Although there have been rumors that all is not well between the two stars.

One recent case is of Sunil Grover's latest film "Coffee with D". According to sources, Kapil denied promoting Sunil's film on the show. Now their's another news doing the rounds that Sunil will no longer continue doing Kapil Sharma's show and will soon exit.



6. Fallout with Colors TV channel

Kapil rose to fame with his show "Comedy Nights With Kapil" on Colors TV where he used to call celebrities to promote their films. The show proved out to be chartbuster but things started to get bitter between show's host Kapil and Colors CEO Raj Nayak.

According to the sources, Kapil was unhappy over channel giving more emphasis to Krushna Abhisheks show "Comedy Nights Bachao". After Kapil Sharma left the channel, Colors tried to run the show with Krushna, but the attempt failed miserably.
New Delhi:

Air India has cancelled Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad's return ticket to Pune for today (Friday), according to the airline sources.



In another development, Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad from flying on all their flights with immediate effect. They have issued a joint statement on this decision.



On Thursday, Gaikwad had repeatedly hit a 60-year-old Air India officer with sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.



The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, while the Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from him.

Read | Govt, Air India consider to put check mechanism for unruly passengers



Later, the MP had said he won't apologise for assaulting the Air India duty manager asking 'what was there to repent.'



Gaikwad has also written a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister alleging the Air India employee misbehaved with him, and complained of 'poor service' by the airline service.



After Air India's decision, other airlines like IndiGo, GoAir, SpiceJet and Jet Airways also have banned MP Ravindra Gaikwad.



The Federation of Indian Airlines, which has Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir as its members, has taken a "strong view of the incident and accordingly taken a decision to bar Gaikwad from flying", an FIA source said.



The FIA will not allow the Sena MP to fly on its member carriers, the source said.



Earlier, Budget carrier IndiGo had said it will support any move which bars unruly passengers from flying, a day after Air India said it was mulling preparing a no-fly list for such people.



"We will support a no-fly list," IndiGo President and Whole Time Director Aditya Ghosh said.

Read | Who is Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who punched 60-yr-old Air India Duty Manager

Statement by Air India and the Federation of Indian Airlines

Air India and the member airlines of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) that includes IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air, condemn the assault on an Air India staff member by a passenger who happens to be a Member of Parliament on March 23, 2017. The airlines demand that strict action be taken against the Member of Parliament by law enforcement agencies. We believe that an assault on any one of our employees is an assault on all of us and on ordinary law-abiding citizens of our country who work hard to earn a living.



Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect. We believe that exemplary action should be taken in such incidents to protect employee morale and public safety.



In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers. Such customers are not welcome on our carriers and we seek the support of the Government and security agencies to enforce such a "no fly" list.



Ujjwal Dey

Associate Director

Federation of Indian Airlines

Read | Shiv Sena-AI incident: Sir please it will be a murder case, pleads AI staffer; I have many cases against me, replies MP

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Bengaluru:

Defying Supreme Courts directive, the Karnataka government on Friday clearly refused to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, saying there was no question of it as the state is itself facing shortage of drinking water.

There is no water for drinking purposes. If we had water we could have released. We have 3-4 tmc ft shortage to provide drinking water to Bengaluru, Mysuru and surrounding villages. Therefore, there is no question of releasing water, Water Resources Minister M B Patil said.

He was replying to a question on whether the state will release water to Tamil Nadu in the backdrop of the apex court directive.



Patil said the Karnataka government had also mentioned this before the apex court and that the states legal team was working on the matter.



There will not be any meeting (with the legal team) per se as of now, he said.

ALSO READ | SC constitutes fresh bench of judges to hear an age-old dispute of sharing Cauvery water



A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra had on March 21 said all interim orders of releasing 2000 cusecs of Cauvery water by Karnataka will continue to be in force till further orders.

ALSO READ | AIADMK alleges Centre of politicising the Cauvery water row



The Supreme Court had also said it will commence, on July 11, the final hearing of the appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal on sharing of water for 15 consecutive workings days.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
PTI:

The government has started taking measures to keep a close eye via an institutional mechanism to check undesirable flight behaviour. On the other hand, Air India is considering to prepare a no-fly list for unruly passengers.

This follows an incident at the IGI airport here in which a Shiv Sena MP allegedly assaulted a 60-year-old airline staffer. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said such regrettable incidents should never happen again.

We are also working on creating institutional mechanisms to check undesirable flight behaviour or unruly passengers, Raju said in a series of tweets. Following the incident, the national carrier is also looking to have a no-fly list.

Air India is examining creation of no-fly list of unruly passengers on the lines of other carriers, a senior airline official said. Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was flying on an Air India flight from Pune to Delhi, hit the airlines duty manager Sukumar with his slipper several times when the latter urged him to deplane after the lawmaker refused to do so once the plane landed at the Delhi airport.

The MP turned violent, broke the duty managers spectacles, tore his shirt and hit him with slippers several times, an airline source said.

The Shiv Sena MP, carrying a business class ticket, insisted on taking the airlines early morning flight AI-852 from Pune to Delhi, which is an all-economy class.

This led to an argument with the airline employees in Pune and an assault on the manager by the MP when the aircraft landed in Delhi. In recent times, there have been reported incidents of unruly behaviour by the fliers onboard various airlines.

Last month, AirAsia India filed a police complaint in Bengaluru against two drunk fliers for creating nuisance onboard one of its flights. In January, IndiGo was forced to tie down a passenger to his seat for being violent onboard one of its flights from Dubai to New Delhi.

According to the officials, between July 2016 and February 2017, 53 incidents of unruly behaviour by passengers have been reported by domestic airlines. Global aviation body International Air Transport Association (IATA) had earlier said unruly passengers are one of the top three safety issues that concern cabin crew.

Also Read | Who is Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who punched 60-yr-old Air India Duty Manager

In 2015, there were 10,854 reported cases of unruly behaviour by passengers across airlines worldwide, which translate into one incident for every 1,205 flights, according to IATA.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay on Friday reacted strongly against The New York Times news piece which criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modis selection of Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Gopal Baglay said that the papers wisdom to write such an editorial was questionable.

All editorials or opinions are subjective. This case is particularly so. The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises, at home or abroad, is questionable, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay.

The NYT in the highly critical editorial, titled Modis Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists, said since he was elected in 2014, Modi has played a cagey game, appeasing his partys hard-line Hindu base while promoting secular goals of development and economic growth.

Also read: Shirish Kunder booked for 'objectionable' tweets against UP CM Yogi Adityanath

The move by Prime Minister Modis party to name firebrand Hindu cleric Adityanath as Uttar Pradeshs Chief Minister is a shocking rebuke to religious minorities, the editorial said.

Also read: Anti-Romeo squads: Don't criticise UP govt from day one, says guv Ram Naik

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

The resident doctors of Maharashtra continued their protest on sixth day despite assurance from the state government over the deployment of guards in all state-run hospitals and medical colleges. The striking doctors will meet the chief minister Devendra Fadanavis.

The Bombay high court had also asked the doctors to resume their work immediately. A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G S Kulkarni gave the directive while hearing a petition filed by activist Afak Mandaviya seeking action against the protesting doctors.

The HC had also directed the government and management of various hospitals not to take any punitive action against the resident doctors who were served notice for not resuming their duties.

Nearly 4,000 resident doctors have been striking since Monday, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on doctors by patients' relatives at government hospitals across the state. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured the attacked doctor would get medical aide borne by the state government.

Doctors attacked on duty will be given medical aid borne by govt.: Fadnavis



Read @ANI_news storyhttps://t.co/j0EvYZTHKs pic.twitter.com/rX043Cukb0  ANI Digital (@ani_digital) March 23, 2017

The protests have been hampering the services of Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) in various hospitals. Medical services at government-run hospitals in Delhi were severely hit as over 20,000 doctors proceeded on mass casual leave in solidarity with their counterparts in Maharashtra who are protesting assaults on colleagues by kin of patients.

Resident doctors from around 40 government hospitals, including RML, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital stayed away from work, while those at AIIMS had continued with their protest against assaults on doctors by wearing helmets at work for the second day.

Also Read: Bombay HC calls resident doctors conduct 'shameful', asks them to resign if they don't want to work

A similar incident also took place in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh where the patient's relatives alleged of medical negligence. They thrashed the doctor.

#CCTV footage: Doctor thrashed by relatives of a deceased patient in Bulandshahr(UP). Relatives alleged medical negligence (23.3.17) pic.twitter.com/nYbC8o22FU  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 24, 2017

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Gujarat parliamentarians over tea discussion at his official residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. BJP president Amit Shah was also present in the meeting.

The MPs were asked to visit their parliamentary constituencies and take stock of developmental programmes in their respective areas.

According to sources, Modi asked the MPs to focus on their job and to organise special programmes on Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14).

The Rajasthan MPs were also present in the meeting.

PM Modi met BJP MPs at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi; BJP President Amit Shah was also present. pic.twitter.com/UBe6DNcjsF  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

A couple of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had instructed BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh to refrain from seeking favours from Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi in transfers and postings of officials, saying his administration should be allowed to focus solely on delivering good governance.

Meeting the MPs over breakfast, Modi thanked them for working hard in ensuring BJP's resounding victory in the UP assembly polls and asked them to work with party MLAs as a team to transform the state.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Chennai :

Superstar Rajinikanths reported visit to Sri Lanka to launch a housing scheme is facing opposition from a group in Chennai.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan on Friday urged Rajinikanth to drop his Sri Lanka visit to participate in an event organized by Lyca Groups Gnanam Foundation.

Lyca has produced Rajinikanths upcoming movie 2.0.

The actor was supposed to attend a two-day-long event in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to present 150 homes to displaced Tamils on April 9 and 10, according to a statement by Raju Mahalingam, Creative Head of Lyca Productions.

Also read: Farmers submit memorandum to CJI seeking relief for drought-hit Tamil Nadu

I have no personal agenda against Rajinikanth. We are good friends. But, I strongly oppose his decision to visit Sri Lanka and participate in an event organized by Lyca, which has business ties with the Sri Lankan government, Thirumavalavan claimed.

Artists should only entertain people. We, on behalf of our party Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi request Rajnikanth not to earn Tamil peoples hatred by participating in this event.

Also read | AIADMK row: Both Sasikala and OPS factions express shock over EC decision, vow to get 'two leaves' symbol back

Thirumavalavan said he has also sought an appointment to meet Rajinikanth to discuss the matter.

I have sought an appointment to meet Rajinikanth in person... I will hand over a memorandum and request him to drop his visit, he said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

On a day domestic airlines decided to unitedly "ban" Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying on their aircraft for assaulting an Air India officer, the government said there was no law under which such proscription can be made.



Minister of state for law, PP Chaudhary told a private television news channel that if a person commits a crime he can be punished but he cannot be prevented from flying.



"There is no such law that restricts a person from flying. If somebody has committed a crime, then you can punish him. But refusing a ticket is no punishment when there is no such law. And, to my knowledge, there is no such law," Chaudhary said.

Read | Shiv Sena MP hits Air India staffer with slippers: Party seeks explanation, FIR filed; airline mulls no-fly list

Earlier in the day, minister of state for civil aviation, Jayant Sinha reportedly said the legality of the ban needed to be examined.



However, airlines defended the move, saying imposing a a ban on a person from flying is very much within their jurisdiction. Sources in Air India cited Chapter IV of Carriage by Air Act, 1972, which confers on the airlines the right to refuse a ticket to any person. Sources also cited Rule 22 and 23 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, to justify the ban on Gaekwad.



Meanwhile, the MP from Maharashtra's Osmanabad, continued to brazen it out and remained unapologetic about his conduct. Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against him on the basis of the complaint lodged by Air India for repeatedly hitting with sandals 62-year-old duty manager R Sukumar on a Pune-Delhi flight after it landed in Delhi on Thursday over not being able to fly business class despite having boarded an all-economy flight.



Later in the day, Gaikwad boarded a Mumbai-bound Agust Kranti Express train. During the journey, the lawmaker refused to talk to reporters on the matter. He, however, said that party president Uddhav Thackeray or senior leader Anil Desai will speak on it.

#WATCH: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad refrains from commenting further on Air India row,says Uddhav Thackeray or Anil Desai will speak on it pic.twitter.com/wfNaOtoae9  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017





Sena defends Gaikwad



The Shiv Sena, however, defended the mercurial leader. Party leader Sanjay Raut said that anybody can lose temper if someone has done anything wrong with him.



Sharp criticism of Gaikwad continued to pour in from leaders across the political spectrum who termed his behaviour as "condemnable" and demanded strict action against him.



Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the incident was in "bad taste" and it cannot be justified in any way. "This is in bad taste. If an elected representative behaves like this, it is a setback to the trust of people. Action is being taken as per law. This incident cannot be justified in any way," Naqvi said.



Congress leader Manish Tewari said that Lok Sabha should use it's plenipotentiary powers and expel the MP from house as it had done for cash for questions scam as soon as possible.



Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge termed the incident as "condemnable" and said MPs from any party, be it the Shiv Sena, BJP or the Congress should not behave in such a manner.



"He is stating that he himself has beaten (the staff). This type of behavior is condemnable. The civil aviation minister has condemned this act. "People should also not create a controversy to bring down the status and reputation of an institution. MPs should behave carefully and politely and the same time other staff should also behave courteously," he said.



NCP leader and former civil aviation minister Praful Patel said the MP should be barred from flying in any airline and that the Ethics Committee of the Parliament should take action against him. "The question is first what happened, then he is not repenting. He does not want to accept that he has done something wrong. He should not be allowed to fly by any airline, why only Air India. Even the police action should be very strict as there is a lot of evidence.

(With inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Mumbai:

Shiv Sena workers burnt an effigy on Friday of the Air India staffer, who was assaulted by the party MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Thursday. Osmanabad district and tehsil unit functionaries of the party gathered at Babasaheb Ambedkar statue at Tuljapur and burnt the effigy, district vice-president of Sena, Kamlakar Chavan told PTI.



"We burnt the effigy of the AI purser to support our MP who is our source of inspiration. We are proud of what he did as he was responding to the insult heaped by the airline on him," Chavan said.



Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde said party president Uddhav Thackeray will take a decision on the Gaikwad issue.



"I feel it is not alright for people's representatives to turn violent," the minister said. Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from Gaikwad who hit an Air India staffer at IGI airport in Delhi with a slipper, and remained defiant over the incident.

Read | Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad may leave for Maharashtra by train after Air India, other airlines shut doors



"The party has sought an explanation from Gaikwad over the incident. The Sena does not condone violence of any kind," Harshal Pradhan, media adviser to Sena president said.



Speaking to reporters outside the Maharashtra legislative assembly in Mumbai, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik too said the party does not endorse the act. He was however of the view that airline companies and railways should respect people's representatives.

Read | Shiv Sena MP hits Air India staffer with slippers: Party seeks explanation, FIR filed; airline mulls no-fly list

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The incident of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad beating an Air India staffer has shocked the nation. Even as the unapologetic MP has admitted to hitting the 60-year-old duty manager Sukumar 25 times with his slippers, what actually transpired in the flight remained mystery. Until a video came out.



A mobile video recorded during the scuffle has been issued by a news agency. Even though, video cannot be shared here due to the obscene language content, here are the excerpts from the discussion that transpired between MP Gaikwad and an Air India, trying to pacify the Shiv Sena leader.



AI staffer: Sir, please it will be a murder case



MP Gaikwad: Let it be, I have many cases against me



AI staffer: No Sir, you have reached this stage with a lot of effort. You are our representative. You are our democratic leader. We have elected you.



AI staffer: Please don't do anything silly for stupid man (AI staff). He is crazy.



MP Gaikwad: But why did he come inside.



AI staffer: Yes you can tell him to get out. He will not come out, he was not talking in the proper way.



ALSO READ | Who is Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who punched 60-yr-old Air India Duty Manager



Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Thursday assaulted an elderly Air India officer with his slippers in a brazen burst of fury over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.



Ravindra Gaikwad slapped and, by his own claim, hit 60-year-old duty manager Sukumar 25 times with his slippers when the official went to persuade him to disembark after he refused to alight, holding up the aircraft for over 40 minutes.



The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, known for his strong-arm tactics, while Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from him. While one FIR relates to assault, the other is for holding up the aircraft.



According to the airline, Gaikwad was booked on an open ticket in business class with Air India which allows a passenger to take a flight on any date.



But Gaikwad insisted on taking the 7:35 AM AI 852 this morning from Pune to Delhi.



When the aircraft landed in Delhi, he refused to disembark despite attempts at persuading him to do so. Sukumar also tried to pacify the MP, who vociferously complained about the morning flight to Delhi from Pune not having business class.



ALSO READ | 'I hit him 25 times with my sandals, says Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad after assaulting Air India manager



Ravindra Gaikwad unapologetic:



The MP, who was unapologetic about his actions, even boasting about it on national TV, claimed it was the officers threat to complain about it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that made him lose his cool.



I first asked him to lower his voice as his blood pressure would shoot up. He then said he would complain to Modi. Then I slapped him. I hit him 25 times with my sandal.



I am Shiv Sena MP, not of BJP, to tolerate abuses, he said.



Gaikwad, bragging about the incident, said, I was about to throw him off the plane.



He boastfully claimed he held up the plane for full one hour and did not allow the maintenance staff to clean the aircraft.



When asked whether he had any regret for his actions and if he would apologise, a defiant Gaikwad, who was once in news for having shoved down the throat an allegedly stale chapati to a fasting Muslim caterer while complaining about the quality of food served at the Maharashtra Sadan here, remained defiant.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who is in the eye of the storm after he assaulted an Air India official in New Delhi, left for Maharashtra by train after the state carrier Air India, along with four private airlines banned the MP from Osmanabad (Maharashtra) from flying on their aircraft.

The Air India even cancelled his return ticket to Pune from the Capital.

Sources said that Gaikwad boarded a Mumbai-bound Agust Kranti Express train after the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) barred him from flying on Friday with immediate effect.

The MP had return ticket for 4.15pm on Friday was cancelled by Air India on Friday. He then booked an IndiGo flight through an agent which was also cancelled by the private career.

The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP who mercilessly thrashed the Air India staff over a trivial issue, while his party has sought an explanation from him.

On Friday, Gaikwad filed two FIRs against Air India and its employee Sukumar. The Delhi Police too lodged a case against the leader and transferred the case to the crime branch for further investigation.

However, the Parliamentarian refused to apologise for the incident. Gaikwad also wrote a letter to the civil aviation minister accusing the Air India employee of unruly behaviour, and complained of 'poor service' by the airline.

Meanwhile, security has been stepped up at the Delhi airport to prevent an altercation in case the MP arrived to catch a flight home.

Sena defends Gaikwad

The Shiv Sena, however, defended the mercurial leader. Party leader Sanjay Raut said that anybody can lose temper if someone has done anything wrong with him.

Sharp criticism of Gaikwad continued to pour in from leaders across the political spectrum who termed his behaviour as "condemnable" and demanded strict action against him.

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the incident was in "bad taste" and it cannot be justified in any way. "This is in bad taste. If an elected representative behaves like this, it is a setback to the trust of people. Action is being taken as per law. This incident cannot be justified in any way," Naqvi said.

Video | Shiv Sena-AI incident: Sir please it will be a murder case, pleads AI staffer; I have many cases against me, replies MP

Congress leader Manish Tewari said that Lok Sabha should use it's plenipotentiary powers and expel the MP from house as it had done for cash for questions scam as soon as possible.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge termed the incident as "condemnable" and said MPs from any party, be it the Shiv Sena, BJP or the Congress should not behave in such a manner.

"He is stating that he himself has beaten (the staff). This type of behavior is condemnable. The civil aviation minister has condemned this act. "People should also not create a controversy to bring down the status and reputation of an institution. MPs should behave carefully and politely and the same time other staff should also behave courteously," he said.

NCP leader and former civil aviation minister Praful Patel said the MP should be barred from flying in any airline and that the Ethics Committee of the Parliament should take action against him. "The question is first what happened, then he is not repenting. He does not want to accept that he has done something wrong. He should not be allowed to fly by any airline, why only Air India. Even the police action should be very strict as there is a lot of evidence.

(With inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Supreme Court will hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to EVMs tampering on Friday.

The PIL was filed by advocate ML Sharma who stated in his plea that there are shortcomings in the EVMs and it is not possible to conduct a fair election.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar had posted for hearing on Friday the PIL which has sought a direction to the Election Commission and the Centre for probe into the allegations of EVM tampering and its possibility.

The plea had sought examination of the "quality, software/ malware and hacking effect in the EVMs from a reliable electronic lab/scientist and software expert and to file their report before this court for further action/prosecution".

In his PIL, advocate M L Sharma also sought a direction to the Centre for registering an FIR to investigate the alleged tempering of EVMs "for vested interest by the political party and to file their report before the apex court".

The petitioner referred to allegations of EVM tampering in the recent assembly elections in five states and Maharashtra civic polls.

Also Read: AAP urges EC to use ballot papers instead of EVMs in Gujarat assembly polls

The PIL claimed that it was admitted by the poll panel itself that EVMs are tamper proof only until their technical, mechanical and software details remain a secret.

"These details can be detected via reverse engineering by any expert. Wireless device/software can be prepared via reverse engineering, and with their help voting records can be changed in any location and at any time," the plea claimed. (With PTI Inputs)

Also Read | Video | Mayawati challenges BJP to hold polls using ballot papers in Uttar Pradesh

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Twitter is buzzing with news alerts from India and rest of the world. Here are the latest updates from the micro-blogging site in one scroll:

#11:11 PM

All Agency Banks and select offices of RBI to remain open on all days from March 25, 2017 to April 1, 2017- ANIA

#10:57 PM

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad refrains from commenting further on Air India row,says Uddhav Thackeray or Anil Desai will speak on it- ANIA

#WATCH: Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad refrains from commenting further on Air India row,says Uddhav Thackeray or Anil Desai will speak on it pic.twitter.com/wfNaOtoae9 a ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

#10:29 PM

Students in Jhajjar appearing for Haryana 10th board exams helped by friends who passed on chits through windows for cheating- ANIA

#WATCH: Students in Jhajjar appearing for Haryana 10th board exams helped by friends who passed on chits through windows for cheating pic.twitter.com/lOVeqF2p2K a ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

#9:58 PM

Case has been registered against Congress leader Hanumantha Rao in Hyderabad's Saifabad police Station, under sections 353, 294-B & 504 IPC. - ANI

#9:34 PM

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who assaulted Air India staff member takes a train to Mumbai, after being barred by airlines - ANI

#9:23 PM

Sebi imposes 1-yr ban on Reliance Industries, 12 others in equity derivatives trading- PTIA

#9:15 PM

Coast Guard seize one Pakistan boat, apprehend 9 fishermen from Indian waters in Kutch district of Gujarat - ANI

#9:07 PM

Firing was carried out in the Arabian Sea successfully on March 22nd, against a live low flying high speed target. - ANI



#9:04 PM

Indian Navy successfully conducts maiden trial firing of newly installed Surface-toAir missile system from aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya - ANI



#8:58 PM

Shilpa Shinde files FIR in Waliv against Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai's producer Sanjay Kohli, accusing him of sexual harassment- ANIA

#8:44 PM

Suicide attack on a police check post at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport intersection in Dhaka, attacker killed: Bangladesh Media- ANIA

#8:35 PM

Republicans push health care bill past initial House hurdle, moving Trump, GOP leaders toward uncertain showdown vote. -APA

#8:31 PM

FIR registered in Hazratganj against filmmaker and Farah Khan's husband Shirish Kunder for his tweet against UP CM Yogi Adityanath- ANIA

#8:10 PM

Islamic State group claims Chechnya attack: SITE- AFPA

#7:56 PM

Keystone XL: Trump hails 'great day' for jobs, energy security- AFPA

#7:49 PM

Swiss open probe into spying on Turks in Switzerland: prosecutors- AFPA

#7:42 PM

Italan capital in security lockdown as 27 heads of state or government descend to celebrate the EU's 60th birthday - AFPA

#7:35 PM

Case registered under IPC 308 & 355 and transferred to Delhi Police crime branch for thorough probe: Dependra Pathak, Spokesperson,DP- ANIA

#7:19 PM

Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer officially included in Indian team for Dharamsala Test - ANIA

#7:05 PM

Delhi Police registers FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on a complaint by Air India and its staff member- ANIA

#6:56 PM

If someone has committed a crime, he can be punished but denying a ticket is seriously wrong: PP Chaudhary on Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad- ANIA

#6:45 PM

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad submits complaint against Air India before Delhi Police, further alleges that he was pushed and yelled on- ANIA

#6:33 PM

ED issues show cause notices to M/s. Knight Riders Sports Pvt. Ltd,Gauri Khan, SRK & Juhi Chawla under Rule 4(1) of Foreign Exchange Mgmt- ANIA

#6:30 PM

Ousted Egypt president Hosni Mubarak freed from detention - AFPA

#6:08 PM

11 dead after migrant boat sinks off Turkey coast: report- AFPA

#6:06 PM

Enforcement Directorate attaches assets worth Rs 29.45 Lakhs under PMLA of Many Mantra Marketing, Jaipur, running a Ponzi Scheme in Odisha- ANIA

#6:04 PM

Rajasthan High Court bans fmr Alwar MP Bhanwar Jitendra Singh & Ex Jaipur MP Mahesh Joshi staying in any govt accommodation or guest houses- ANIA

#6:02 PM

Lok Sabha adjourned till 11 AM on Monday, 27th March -ANIA

#6:00 PM

West Bengal: BSF apprehends a person with 6.300 Kgs silver in the area of Bajithpur border outpost- ANIA

#5:45 PM

Fire that broke out at Andheri West's Ambewadi Building now doused, no casualties - ANI

#5:34 PM

CCI directs Coal India to ensure uniformity between private and public power producers in fuel supply pacts. - PTI

#5:31 PM

Enforcement Directorate attaches assets worth Rs 35.55 Crore under PMLA of RMP Infotech, Chennai running a Ponzi Scheme. - ANI

#5:31 PM

Competition Commission slaps Rs 591 crore penalty on Coal India for unfair conditions in #fuelsupply agreements. - PTI



#5:22 PM

First time ever Indian Navy and DRDO developed Naval Weapon System- light weight torpedo, has been exported to Myanmar. - aNI

#5:13 PM

6 BSF personnel injured during field firing at Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. All evacuated to medical facility, condition stated to be stable- ANIA

#5:09 PM

Kremlin says Putin meeting Le Pen and 'opposition' is 'normal practice'

#5:08 PM

TransCanada has presidential permit to build Keystone XL pipeline: US State Dept- AFPA

#4:56 PM

Dharmendra Pradhan launches MOPNG e-Seva,integrated social media platform for grievance redressal on Petroleum & Natural Gas related issues- ANIA

#4:49 PM

Indian Medical Association, which was supporting Maharashtra resident #doctors, calls off stir. - ANI



#4:47 PM

Antwerp driver charged with attempted 'terrorist' murder: Belgium prosecutors- AFPA

#4:44 PM

ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar to remain in post following board resolution- ANIA

#4:40 PM

Tamil Nadu:Noted Tamil Movie Director Bharathi Raja met TTV Dinakaran, AIADMK Deputy General Secretary in Chennai- ANIA

#4:38 PM

Russian President Putin meets France's Le Pen in Moscow: agencies- AFPA

#4:30 PM

Indian Medical Association has called off strike after HC orders, it was supporting resident doctors of Mumbai on strike- ANIA

#4:27 PM

Aam Aadmi Sena protesting with Rose and Chappals in front of Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad. pic.twitter.com/oxKKcQORcc a ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

#4:19 PM

No plans to introduce 5,000 and 10,000 rupee notes: Govt- PTIA

#4:09 PM

Russia's central bank cuts key rate to 9.75% from 10% - AFP

#4:07 PM

Mumbai: Fire at Ambewadi Building, Jeevan Nagar, Andheri West. 4 fire engines and 3 water tankers rushed to the spot.- ANIA

#4:06 PM

Hong Kong recalls suspect Brazilian meat- AFP

#4:05 PM

Pak has to walk away from terror, terrorism emanating from Pak and affecting not merely India but other beighbours,remains core concern: MEA- ANIA

#4:01 PM

Sensex rises by 89.24 points to end at 29,421.40 pts; Nifty gains 21.70 pts to settle at 9,108 pts- PTIA

#3:59 PM

ICC says Congolese warlord liable for $1 million in reparations- AFPA

#3:55 PM

Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Afghanistan meets External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi- ANIA

#3:49 PM

Tomorrow's test match would be conducted in Dharamsala between India and Australia as per the schedule, the Supreme Court says- ANIA

#3:42 PM

BCCI matter: SC directs BCCI to honour the terms and conditions so that there won't be any impediment in the tomorrow's Ind-Aus test- ANIA

#3:38 PM

Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) file affidavit in Bombay High Court, disassociating itself from doctors on strike- ANIA

#3:34 PM

IndiGo cancels Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad's ticket for Delhi-Pune flight which he had booked for today- ANIA

#3:27 PM

In 3 BMC Hospitals of Mumbai, total 135 patients have died due to non availability of emergency services _ANI

#3:20 PM

Ousted Egypt president Mubarak freed from detention: lawyer -AFP

#02:40 PM

Adding Urdu in NEET matter: SC asks Centre to provide affidavit copy to petitioner & fixed matter for further hearing on March 31 _ANI



#02:31 PM

PM of Sweden Stefan LAfven called PM Modi to felicitate on election results & invited him to undertake an official visit to Sweden

#02:20 PM

USA: Indian man found wife & son dead at their home in New Jersey. The family belongs to Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam District -ANI

#02:09 PM

HSBC to boost China staff by up to 1,000 employees in 2017 -ANI



#02:05 PM

CBDT forms committee to identify IRS officers of Income Tax dept who are on unauthorised leave & initiate strict disciplinary action them -ANI



#01:59 PM

Bombay HC warned MARD that if they do not file affidavit by 3 pm, HC will initiate contempt proceedings against MARD President & Secretary -ANI



#01:55 PM

Bombay HC reprimands MARD (Maharashtra Assoc. of Resident Doctors') & doctors for not complying with HC orders & resuming duties -ANI



#01:50 PM

London counter-terror chief says two more 'significant' arrests made in regard to terror attack in London, reports -ANI



#01:45 PM

Their cries aren't being heard, here to support so that concerned ministries take notice: Prakash Raj on joining TN farmers' protest Delhi -ANI

#01:37 PM

No difference between those who kill patients and those who kill doctors: Maha CM Fadnavis _ANI

#01:33 PM

Tampering of EVMs plea: Supreme Court has issued a notice to Election Commission

#01:30 PM

Delhi: Actors Prakash Raj & Vishal join the farmers from Tamil Nadu, protesting at Jantar Mantar for drought relief fund

#01:25 PM

They are public servants, elected by public they need to behave in a decent manner: Sukumar, AI staff assaulted by Shiv Sena MP R.Gaikwad

#01:18 PM

Himachal Pradesh: Australian cricket team met The Dalai Lama in Dharamsala

#01:09 PM

AirIndia cancels Shiv Sena MP #RavindraGaikwad's return ticket to Pune for today: airline sources -PTI



#01:03 PM

Air India&FIA member airlines have decided to ban this MP(R Gaikwad) from flying on all our flights with immediate effect:Joint Statement -ANI

#12:52 PM

UP CM Yogi Adityanath visited the 2008 gangrape and acid attack victim in Lucknow's KGMU Hospital -ANI

#12:40 PM

Supreme Court asks Centre to deposit more than 190 files in connection with 1984 anti-Sikh riots case -ANI

#12:30 PM

Virat Kohli skipped batting in the nets today ahead of fourth test against Australia in Dharamsala

#12:16 PM

Virat Kohli may miss 4th Test against Australia if not fully fit



#12:15 PM

Supreme Court directs Uttar Pradesh and Haryana government to provide full protection to the witnesses in Asaram case -ANI

#12:09 PM

Delhi: Group of farmers from Tamil Nadu continue to protest at Jantar Mantar demanding drought relief fund -ANI



#12:07 PM

Getting violent is not good, will see who initiated the fight: Eknath Shinde,Maharashtra Minister on Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad -ANI

#12:05 PM

London attacker Khalid Masood was a criminal with militant links - Reuters

#12:00 PM

PM Modi hands over 'chaadar' to be offered at Dargah Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Ajmer Sharif to Union Ministers MA Naqvi & Jitendra Singh -ANI

#11:54 AM

London ISIS attack: Vigil held at Trafalgar square, solemn crowd remembers victims -Reuters

#11:50 AM

I'll only play if I'm 100% fit: Virat Kohli ahead of 4th test against Australia -ANI



#11:41 AM

Junior Doctors in Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) wear helmets to express solidarity with protesting doctors of Maharashtra _ANI



#11:38 AM

Shiv Sena is a frustrated party, they can't vent their anger on Modi ji or Fadnavis ji so they target common people: Nitesh Rane,Congress _ANI

#11:35 AM

Have not banned MP. We do not have powers to ban anyone.In any case, Air India is not part of FIA: FIA Director Ujjwal Dey- ANI

#11:32 AM

Jiah Khan suicide case: Hearing on framing of charges against Sooraj Pancholi adjourned till 20th April in Mumbai court -ANI



#11:30 AM

We are discussing and asking operators also about banning the Shiv Sena MP: Federation of Indian Airlines -ANI



#11:20 AM

Lowest bidders threaten Nepal's quake-hit heritage sites -AFP



#11:10 AM

Incident happened outside Parliament, so will ascertain details & act on any complaint: LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Shiv Sena MP R.Gaikwad _ANI

#11:00 AM

Sonia Gandhi & Rahul Gandhi have returned to India



#10:48 AM

Lifetime ban on convicted candidates from contesting elections: SC asks Union of India to reply in 7 days&fixed matter for hearing on Apr 18 -ANI

#10: 45 AM

I will not apologize, why should I? First ask him(victim) to apologize then we will see: Ravindra Gaikwad,Shiv Sena MP -ANI

#10:40 AM

CCTV footage: Doctor thrashed by relatives of a deceased patient in Bulandshahr(UP). Relatives alleged medical negligence

#CCTV footage: Doctor thrashed by relatives of a deceased patient in Bulandshahr(UP). Relatives alleged medical negligence (23.3.17) pic.twitter.com/nYbC8o22FU a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 24, 2017

#10:20 AMA

PM Modi's meeting with Gujrat MP's at his residence ended.

#10:20 AM

Uber reviews India leasing scheme as #driver incomes drop: sources -Reuters

#10:00 AM

UP: Stones pelted at state minister Mukut Bihari Verma's car in Bahraich.Minister was not in the car during the time of incidentA -ANI

#9:45 AMA

Avanish Awasthi ahead in race of becoming UP CM Adityanath's chief secretary



#9:30 AM

BJP high command starts taking feedback of Rajasthan govt's,A General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh on state visit.

#9:25 AM

Matter not in Speaker's domain as incident happened outside Parliament. Police to inform speaker on action taken:Sources on Shiv Sena MP -ANI



#9:20 AM

Lucknow: Aparna Yadav and Prateek Yadav arrive at VVIP Guest House to meet CM Yogi Adityanath _ANI



#9:15 AM

UP: Acid thrown on a girl in Mathura's Bhadar village, she has been admitted to hospital. Case registered against three people -ANI



#9:00 AM

PM Modi is doing 'Chai pe Charcha' with Gujarat MPs at his residance 7 Lok Kalyan Marg

#8:40 AM

British Parliament attacker identified as 52-year-old Khalid Masood.

#08:30 AM

Chhattisgarh: Fire has been raging on in a South Eastern #coal field Ltd mine in Koriya for more than a month. Coal worth crores destroyed.A

#08:00 AM

UP CM Yogi Adityanath to chair a meeting of cabinet minister at 12 PM Today.

#12:00 AM



DRI Intercepted a passenger at RGI Airport, Hyderabad with 1 Kg gold. In another case, AIU seized 3 Kg gold jewellery at Goa Airport.A

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

The United Kingdom government has conveyed to India that its request for extradition of absconding industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, has been certified by the secretary of state.

On Friday, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, The UK Home department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for the extradition of Mallya has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster Magistrates Court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of a warrant,

The development is a step forward towards securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore.

Also read: Magisterial court issues non-bailable warrant, extradition order against Vijay Mallya

Baglay also noted that a formal extradition request in respect of Mallya as per Extradition Treaty between India and the UK was handed over to the British High Commission here through a note verbale on February 8.

While handing over the request, India had asserted that it has a legitimate case against Mallya and maintained that if an extradition request is honoured, it would show British sensitivity towards our concerns.

Also read: Rs 8,040 crore given as loan to Vijay Mallya by UPA: Modi Govt

Earlier in January this year, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The world watched when Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO launched record number of 104 satellites using single rocket last month. And now, the space agency is preparing to add another feather in its cap by launching two GSLVs this year.

P Kunhikrishnan, director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR, Sriharikota), the work is in progress on ISROs first developmental flight of GSLV MKIII that will carry a playload of about 3.2 tonne.

"Sriharikota is getting geared up in the next two months, wherein we are going to have two launches. One is GSLV F09, which is GSLV MKII version carrying nine satellites, including multi band communication and observation satellite GSAT-9, Kunhikrishnan said. He was speaking at an event in Chennai on Thursday.

We are also working on the first developmental flight of GSLV MKIII that will carry about 3.2 tonne payload," he added.

Till date, Sriharikota centre has acquired a particular level of status in Indian space arena by witnessing successful launches of 180 foreign satellites, Kunhikrishnan said.

ALSO READ | After record satellite launch, ISRO eyes to develop Indias own space station

The Sriharikota centre has launched 60 major missions so far that included a variety of spacecraft, launch vehicles as well as Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Recalling ISROs record-breaking mission:

In a proud moment for the country, ISRO on February 15 successfully launched a record number of 104 satellites under a single mission from the spaceport in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

With the launch of over 100 satellites, India has now broken the record of Russia, which previously accomplished the feat of launching record number of satellites at 37, followed by the US space agency NASA, which has launched 29.

Also Read: Demotion to 'dwarf planet': Scientists launches campaign to broaden astronomical classifications

This is the highest number of satellites ever launched in single mission. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37 left Earth sharp at 9:28 am from the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

The rocket first injected Cartosat-2 series satellite into orbit and then placed 103 nano satellites in a gap of about 30 minutes. The 103 nano satellites included 96 from the US.

In the complex mission, the PSLV-C37 placed the 714 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite into the orbit and then ISROs nano satellites INS-1A and INS-1B were injected in an 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).

The launch of other 101 nano satellites belonging to foreign nations then took place.



Previous record holders:

ISRO had launched record 20 satellites under single mission in 2016. Russia previously held a record of launching highest number of satellites at 37, followed by the US space agency NASA, which has launched 29. And now India is on to as it has broken all such records by launching 104 satellites at a go.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet South Asian satellite project will be launched in March this year. The South Asian satellite will be a part of GSAT-9, which will be launched in March this year.

The communication satellite was scheduled to be launched in December 2016, but was slightly delayed as some other satellites are to be launched before that.

Sources said talks with Afghanistan to have the country on-board for the project is in its final stages.

Envisaged as a gift to its neighbours, the project, earlier known as SAARC satellite, faced stiff resistance from Pakistan. The neighbouring country wanted it to be launched under the aegis of the South Asian regional forum. It later backed out of the project.

Apart from India, the satellite will benefit Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

In yet another shocking incident involving Indians in America, a software engineer found his wife and son dead in their home in New Jersey.



Victims were N Sasikala (40) and her son Anish Sai belonged to Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam District. According to their family back in India, Sasikalas husband N Hanumantha Rao found the bodies when he returned home from work on Thursday evening.



Y Sambasiva Rao, a member of Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly from Prakasam district, spoke to representatives of Telugu Association of North America (TANA) over phone about the incident, an agency report said.

Read | Gabbard asks US justice dept to probe hate crimes against Indian-Americans



He said the mother and her son were strangulated to death.



Hanumantha Rao and Sasikala both were software professionals. Sasikala used to work from home. The couple had been living in the US for nine years.



This is the latest in a series of incidents involving Indian techies.



Telanganas aeronautical engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed when Adam W Purinton, who earlier served in the US Navy, shot him in Olathe, Kansas, on February 23.



Vamshi Reddy Mamidala, also from Telangana, was shot dead in Milpitas, California, on February 10 in a garage in his apartment building.

Read | Hate crimes in US: Indian community members hold rally in front of White House

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Washington :

India and the US have agreed to chalk out a joint strategy as partners to combat the full spectrum of terror threats as the National Security Advisors of the two countries met in Washington, a top White House official said on Friday.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met his American counterpart Lt Gen H R McMaster on Thursday.

They discussed a range of issues to identify opportunities to set a course for India and the US, Michel Anton, Spokesman of the National Security Council, White House told.

Also read: China not to militarise dispute islands in South China Sea, claims Chinese Premier Li

They committed to work together as partners to combat the full spectrum of terrorist threats, affirming that both great democracies stand together in the fight against terrorism, Anton said.

McMaster noted that President Trump looks forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi in the United States later this year, Anton said.

Doval is also expected to meet US Defence secretary James Mattis on Friday.

Also read: Andhra techie's 40-yr-old wife and son found dead in their New Jersey home in US

Last year, the US declared India a major defence partner.

The US and India last year also signed a bilateral Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) that will give the militaries of the two countries access to each others facilities for supplies and repairs.

LEMOA is said to be one of the four foundational agreements that the US enters into with its defence partners.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Amman:

While Middle Eastern airlines grapple with carry-on bans for laptops on flights to the US and Britain, Jordan Airline is encouraging it's passengers to talk to each other.

Royal Jordanian, one of the airlines affected by new restrictions on electronic devices bigger than mobile phones on direct flights to the US and UK, has released a tongue-in-cheek list of in-flight alternatives to staring at a screen.

"Read a book. Say hello to the person next to you.Meditate," are among the 12 light hearted suggestions posted on its Facebook page this week.

The post, which has received close to 10,000 likes, also advises customers to "enjoy the miracle of flight" and "analyse the meaning of life".

The US ban will affect around 50 flights per day from nine airlines, and the British ban will hit 14 carriers.

Royal Jordanian, which operates direct flights to London,New York, Detroit and Chicago, followed up its popular post with another alternative in-flight activity: "Or do what we Jordanians do best... stare at each other!"

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

A suicide attacker on Friday blew himself up at a police check post near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport intersection in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is second incident of this kind in last one week. No casualties have been reported so far in the incident.

A man set off a bomb in front of a police checkpoint and killed himself, police official Ruhul Amin said. The attacker was not identified by the police so far.

The suicide attack on Friday was witnessed after a similar incident which happened about a week ago. In that attack, a suicide bomber blew himself at a security forces base near the international airport in Dhaka.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
London:

The UK Police have named the man who launched an attack on the Parliament. The attacker has been identified as 52-year-old former convict Adrian Russell Ajao who acquired the name Khalid Masood after converting to Islam.



Scotland Yard acting deputy commissioner and counter-terrorism chief Mark Rowley revealed on Friday that the "fast-paced" counter-terrorism operation to establish Masood's "motivation, preparation and his associates" has been titled 'Operation Classific'.

"The Counter Terrorism Command investigation - Operation Classific - continues, involving hundreds of officers from across the counter terrorism network. We named the dead terrorist as Khalid Masood, We stated he had a number of aliases, we now know his birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao," he said.

Read | UK Parliament terror attack: Death toll rises to 5

In his appeal to the public, he added: "We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well; understands who his associates were; and can provide with information about places he has recently visited.

"There might well be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but weren't sure or didn't feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing information to us. The appeal came as a picture emerges of an English schoolboy, born to a white mother and black father, with a history of violent knife crime," he said.

In July 2000, he slashed a man across the face after an argument that the court at the time was told "racial overtones".

Hove Crown Court also heard during the trial that the attack had left Masood and his young family "ostracised" in the village of Northiam in Sussex, south-east England.

Judge Charles Kemp had sentenced him to a total of two years in prison. Some reports suggest that it is likely he was radicalised during his spell in jail.

Read | London terror attack was inspired by Islamist terrorism and known to British security services: Theresa May

The night before Masood went on to ram his hired car at high speed into the side of the House of Commons railings before stabbing to death a police officer guarding the Parliament gates, he stayed at the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton.

"He was a friendly, normal guest. It has been very stressful to see what happened," said the owner of the hotel. Masood was born on Christmas Day in 1964 in Kent, south-east England, and was brought up by a single mother in the seaside town of Rye, East Sussex, before a religious conversion in later years.

After Masood was shot dead during the attack, Islamic State (ISIS) hailed him as one of its "soldiers" but the exact nature of his ISIS connection remains unclear.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
London:

The death toll in UK Parliament terror attack has risen to five as Scotland Yard confirmed that a fourth victim has died of injuries in a hospital.

A spokesperson for King's College Hospital in south London confirmed that the 75-year-old man had been treated there prior to his death. A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: "Detectives investigating the terrorist attack in Westminster on Wednesday, March 22 can confirm that the man died on Thursday, March 23.

"The man had been receiving medical treatment in hospital following the attack and life support was withdrawn this evening. Next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained family liaison officers," the spokesperson said.

The man has not yet been named. Two people - American Kurt Cochran and Spaniard AyshaFrade - were also killed and about 40 others were injured when the 52-year-old attacker, identified as Khalid Masood, mowed down pedestrians on a bridge and stabbed to death a police officer outside parliament complex in the heart of Westminster before being shot dead by Scotland Yard.

Masood, who was born in Kent and had previously been convicted of violent offences, had been known to MI5 but was considered to be a peripheral figure. He was known by a number of aliases and had been living in the West Midlands recently.

Prime Minister Theresa May had said the attacker wasBritish born and he was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism few years ago.

Also Read: UK Parliament attack; British MP tries to save stabbed police officer

The ISIS on its propaganda news agency 'Amaq' had claimed responsibility, saying a "Soldier of the Caliphate" carried out the attack on the British Parliament.

"The operation was carried out in response to calls to target coalition countries," it said in a statement. Eight people have been arrested during raids acrossLondon and Birmingham following the attack on the Palace of Westminster in London, which houses Britain's Parliament and the iconic Big Ben.

In a message to the police, British Queen Elizabeth IIsaid, "My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by the awful violence." Among 40 injured, 29 were admitted to hospital including12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, fourSouth Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Inventor of the AK-47 rifle unveils 20-ton drone tank that can be remotely piloted

Russian fire arms giant Kalashnikov Concern has recently confirmed that it was developing a new type of unmanned combat ground vehicle (UCGV). According to the company, its proposed UCGV will weigh as much as 20 tons and will feature both a machine gun and a number of laser-guided anti-tank missiles. Kalashnikov Concern CEO Alexei Krivoruchko first confirmed this during an interview with the Russian media outlet Tass.

The company is yet to release details of the vehicle prototype. The new unmanned combat vehicle will weigh three times as much as its predecessor, the seven-ton BAS-01G Soratnik tank, or about as massive as a U.S. Army M1126 Stryker ICV.

The company was named after Mikhail Kalashnikov, a World War II veteran who invented the AK-47 assault rifle. It was believed Kalashnikov Concern has manufactured some 100 million AK-74 assault rifles worldwide. The company is a joint public-private entity, with state-controlled Rostec owning a majority of the stakes.

New Mega-tanks predecessor is no slouch

Kalashkov Concerns latest project was a super-sized version of its predecessor BAS-01G Soratnik. The vehicle was first introduced at Russias Army 2016 Expo in September. BAS-01G Soratnik, which loosely translates to comrades-in-arms, is the companys first unmanned combat ground vehicle and weighs as much as seven tons. The tank was designed to carry both a machine gun and guided missiles. According to the company, BAS-01G Soratnik can travel at top speeds of 25 miles per hour.

The unmanned combat vehicle can be remotely operated by machines within six miles. The tank may also function on its own, given varying degrees of autonomy. BAS-01G Soratnik was fitted with a 7.62 mm Kalashnikov PKTM machine gun, which can be upgraded to a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. The tank was also fitted with grenade launchers and as many as eight Kornet guided missiles with a range of three miles.

The tank can be deployed as a bastion, and may operate autonomously on standby mode for 10 days straight. BAS-01G Soratnik was also unveiled at the IDEX-2017 arms fair in the UAE in February.

The tank was designed and developed to meet the Russian Ministry of Defenses need for unmanned vehicles that may aid the military during combat.

More unmanned combat vehicles underway

Estonian defense solutions provider Milrem has successfully tested its first modular unmanned combat vehicle named THeMIS ADDER in November last year. The tanks prototype was unveiled at the Singapore Airshow 2016.

The tank features a base kerb weight of 850 kg, and may carry as much as 750 kg of payload. The tank was fitted with a range of fire power including anti-tank missiles, machine guns and a remote control weapon station. THeMIS ADDERs central weapon station was also capable of accommodating various compatible weapons such as 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, 12.7 mm machine gun, 40 mm automatic grenade launcher and CIS 50MG machine gun.

The tank was also fitted with an on-board video tracking system that enables engagement of both moving and stationary targets. The ADDER also features a laser rangefinder, an optional 40 mm air-bursting munition system and day and night imaging cameras.

The tests were intended to test the stability of our platform and see how the remote weapon station and vehicle communicate and work with each other. To our satisfaction everything worked perfectly, said Milrem CEO Kuldar Vaarsi.

Estonians have proved many times before that we can successfully be on the forefront of innovation and the Milrem unmanned ground vehicle is a great example of that innovation when it comes to new technologies in the military field. THeMIS ADDER has great potential to put Estonia on the map of countries that provide new technologies and solutions to the modern battlefield, said Lieutenant General Riho Terras, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces.

Sources:

DailyMail.co.uk

Engadget.com

PopularMechanics.com

Guns.com

Businesswire.com

Army-Technology.com

Submit a correction >>
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Health agencies throughout the world are baffled at the resilience of the anti-vaccine movement, but it looks like Australian lawmakers have had enough.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbul is pushing for a nationwide "no jab, no play" policy that would ban non-vaccinated children from care centers, according to the BBC.

"This is not a theoretical exercise - this is life and death," Turnbull told multiple reporters. "If a parent says, 'I'm not going to vaccinate my child,' they are not simply putting their child at risk, they are putting everybody else's children at risk too."

HEALTH CARE: Bernie Sanders lashed out at a drug company over potentially profiting from Zika

Health organizations argue that vaccinating as many people as possible is vital for "herd immunity," or the idea that entire communities are at risk from disease if small sectors of the population refuse to get vaccinated.

Depending on how contagious a disease is, if too many people don't get vaccines, the pathogen can push past it's "critical-mass threshold," which PBS defines as "the minimum percentage of immune individuals a community needs to prevent an outbreak."

For highly contagious diseases like Measles, between 83 and 94 percent of the community must be vaccinated in order to stop an outbreak.

Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon told Fairfax Media, "If you, as a parent, expect the community to support you by either welfare payments or access to care, then you need to do your bit to contribute to that community by protecting other children."

BE PREPARED: This year's flu shot works less than half the time. Doctors say you should still get one

Click through above to see which Texas school districts have the most amount of non-vaccinated children.
State Sen. Michael McLachlan has co-sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 11, a disgraceful attempt to put the General Assembly on record as an opponent of democracy in action and to ensure that Connecticut will continue to be ignored by presidential candidates in future elections.

I encourage everyone to read the actual language of S.J. Res. 11  it can be found here: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2017/TOB

/s/2017SJ-00011-R01-SB.htm

Congress has failed to eliminate the Electoral College despite the fact that Americans have consistently favored a popular vote system over the Electoral College for the half century that Gallup has been polling them on this point.

When Congress fails to implement the will of the citizens, its job is left to the voters to accomplish through other means, including actions at the state level. That is why in recent years several different plans for changing the manner in which electoral votes are awarded have been put forward.

One of them is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which sidesteps the practical difficulty of eliminating the Electoral College by constitutional amendment. Instead, it invokes powers that states already possess over how their electoral votes are awarded to ensure that a majority of electoral votes nationwide go to the candidate who wins the national popular vote.

Members of Congress often behave not as representatives of a constituency, but as representatives of a party. They do not always have the best interests of the public at heart, instead sometimes choosing to retain deeply undemocratic procedures for partisan reasons.

Why is the Compact, or something like it, needed? Because both of the two major parties are guilty of having turned the Electoral College into a mockery of what it was intended to be. Both parties are happy to cling to the system because they know that while it sometimes works against them, it also sometimes works in their favor. But most Americans just want everyones vote to count equally when they vote for president and vice president, the only two officeholders elected by the entire nation.

It is precisely actions like the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, taken by citizens who want their votes to count and are disgusted with the machinations of partisan legislators, that Sen. McLachlans resolution seeks to subvert.

McLachlans resolution employs the sort of language that has become popular when trying to paint anachronism as patriotic. It invokes the wisdom of the founding fathers to suggest that somehow what every Connecticut voter knows to be true isnt really true: that as long as Connecticut is not a swing state, the Electoral College system as currently practiced guarantees we will be shortchanged.

Given current demographics, 38 states can expect to be ignored (http://www.nationalpopularvote.

com/written-explanation ) by presidential candidates  and it should be no surprise that Connecticut is among them. Whatever your political persuasion, its hard to mount an argument against a proposal (the Compact) that would force presidential candidates to campaign meaningfully here. Senator McLachlans opposition to the Compact, as expressed in his sponsorship of S.J. Res. 11, tells me that he feels its just fine for Connecticut voters to be taken for granted by both major parties.

McLachlans resolution is even more hypocritical in light of the fact that todays Electoral College does not function in any way, shape or form as the founders intended. Far from being composed of wise and temperate individuals tasked with deliberative duties and capable of rising above a heated mob mentality that the founders feared, it has devolved into a display of mindless party loyalty, due in large part to the fact that the privilege of elector status is granted as a plum reward for party loyalty and precisely because most of the persons so honored will not display independent thought.

Note how the language of S.J. Res. 11 repeatedly reinforces the primacy of electors , not voters. And then this phrase: the current Electoral College system best preserves our two-party system. Could the actual intent of the resolution be stated any more plainly? In other words, Fie on you, voters!  its partisan wrangling for power that matters.

If you are tired of knowing that the current Electoral College system is disadvantageous to Connecticut, you should write to Sen. McLachlan asking why he wants to see that situation continue; you should oppose any consideration of S.J. Res. 11 by the General Assembly; and when Senator McLachlan comes up for re-election in 2018 you should ask yourself why he thinks Connecticut voters dont deserve the same influence in presidential elections that voters in some other states enjoy.

Amy Ziffer is a resident of Sherman.
Lets be clear about this: A toll is a tax, plain and simple.

Connecticut took another step down that road last Friday when the Transportation Committee voted to approve establishing electronic tolls on the states highways and slapping another tax on already beleaguered residents.

This group of House and Senate members acknowledged as much by offering to lower the 25-cent gasoline tax by half a penny for each of five years. That is not much relief. For a 12-gallon fill-up, the break would amount to 6 cents. That would hardly offset a toll bill to drivers, not even for one trip.

Reinstituting tolls has been bandied about in Hartford for many years. But the issue has taken on urgency as the state faces a chasm of a budget deficit while looking for ways to finance the governors 30-year, $100 billion plan to fix and improve the states inadequate infrastructure. A panel appointed by the governor last year recommended tolls as a potential source of revenue.

Since 1985 Connecticut has been toll-free. The move was in response to a fiery accident on Jan. 19, 1983 at the Stratford toll booth plaza that killed seven people.

Todays technology removes the safety concern as overhead cameras replace the need for booths. Delays vanish as vehicles do not even need to slow down.

Although the technology makes tolls safer and less cumbersome, it does not make tolls right. Sure, tolls would throw new coins into the pot from out-of-state drivers, but would amount to a tax on state residents.

If an argument is to be made for tolls, it is that nearby states  New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, to name a few  have tolls. So why should Connecticut give trucks and other traffic a free ride? Thats a persuasive argument, but not enough.

Towns along the states borders would be disproportionately affected. A valid concern is for increased traffic in neighborhoods as drivers get off the highway to avoid tolls. Residents who cross the state line for work or other purposes would pay much more than someone living in the interior of the state.

The chair of the Transportation Committee, state Rep. Antonio Guerrera of the interior Rocky Hill, a long time proponent of tolls, said the tolls would be scattered around the state and residents would get discounts. That remains to be seen, if this tax bill moves forward.

It passed the committee in a close party-line vote and now goes to the full House of Representatives. This year, it is not at a dead end.

At least  and this is important  the committee also approved a bill for a so-called lockbox for the Special Transportation Fund so money going into the fund could be used for no other purpose. That is how it should be with the gasoline tax, but just about every year some gets siphoned off to balance the state budget. We absolutely cannot have any new revenue-generating measures without a constitutional assurance that the money would go only for that purpose.

Even so, tolls are not the answer.
Plattsmouth is one step closer to having a 28.5-acre riverfront recreational vehicle campground with its city planners recommending city council pass a proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance and rezoning for the area.

City planners met March 16 to discuss aspects of the proposed development. Planners attending the meeting are Jeff Kindig, Robert Rice, DeWayne Prince and Richard McKinley.

Following their discussion, planners unanimously agreed to recommend to the council an amendment to the zoning ordinance allowing the creation of a recreational vehicle campground as a commercial use type conditionally permitted within a general commercial district and establish recommendations applicable to it. They also approved changing the zoning from residential planned unit development (PUD) overlay. The recommendation is to rezone it to general commercial with a PUD.

The zoning change is being recommended with the intent of creating a commercial recreational vehicle campground, said Plattsmouth City Administrator Erv Portis. They also recommended amending our zoning ordinance to allow for a commercial recreational vehicle campground in a general commercial zoned area with specific site regulations. We want something not so dense. We dont want people packed in like sardines.

If all goes as planned, Roger Schmidt and Mark Morehead will be the developers of the commercial campground and marina recreational area. It will include 86 lots for leasing and 65 lots for purchase for a total of 151 lots. The total investment is estimated at $2.6 million.

The developers will run water, sewer and electricity to those 65 lots and sell them, Portis said. The city isnt going to develop and operate this. It was always our intent to get this in private hands so the developers could make money, pay taxes and bring new people to Plattsmouth."

During the meeting, Planning Commission member, DeWayne Prince, questioned whether the city should require a special use permit to go with the owner or the land.

Portis said the permit needs to stay with the land. Legally, it has to. We will have up to 66 owners of the land, he said.

In a letter to the city council sent March 13, Nebraska Game and Parks Deputy Director Timothy McCoy also shared a concern about the impact it would have on people hunting in Schilling Wildlife Management Area (WMA). According to State Statute 37-523, it is unlawful to hunt with a shotgun within a 100-yard radius of an occupied dwelling, McCoy writes. The commission would request that placement of the lots and/or campers and recreational vehicles be a minimum of 100 yards from the WMA boundary so as to not prevent hunters from utilizing this portion of the WMA.

McCoy noted, however, that Nebraska Game and Parks Commission appreciates the citys efforts to revitalize the marina area.

Planners urged Game and Parks to erect appropriate signage warning people not to hunt in the 100-yard-plus area of the development as opposed to changing the scope of the development.

At its April 3 meeting, city council will vote on whether or not to approve the planning commissions recommendations on the development.

Plattsmouth purchased the property for $1.5 million in 2014. The purchase ensured any claims the former owners, Castaway Pointe LLC, filed against the city in 2010 regarding the property would be dismissed. Before the purchase, there was $4.5 million in liens on the property.
NEW CANAAN  The 19-room colonial house at 54 Welles Lane was an award-winner a decade ago shortly after Cunningham & Co. constructed it. And to think, it hasnt even realized its full potential yet. Image what awards it might receive today were it eligible for consideration.

Back in 2007 the house received the Home Building Industry Award, or HOBI, for Best Custom Home construction in the 11,000- to 12,000-square-foot category. There are about 12,000 square feet on main levels. When construction was completed in 2006, the basement was unfinished. Since then the current owners have done all the preparation work, including the wiring and framing, to finish the basement, which would give the house another 3,000-plus square feet of living space.

They have mapped out and identified each of the rooms, which only need drywall to separate them. When completed this lower level would have a wine cellar and tasting room, home theater, exercise room, large play or billiard room with a stone fireplace and a sauna. There is an identified elevator shaft, meaning this large space could converted into an in-law or handicapped-accessible apartment with access to the three other living levels. The apartment would have a separate entrance.

There are six en suite bedrooms in all but the house has a seventh bedroom approved by the building department as part of the basement plan when it is finished. There are 10-foot ceilings on the first level, nine-foot on the second and third floors and 13 feet in the basement which, when finished, would have at least a nine-foot ceiling.

If that is the level of attention given to unfinished space imagine what the elegant main level has by way of detail including the beautiful moldings and millwork; and it starts right at the front facade and entrance. The gray clapboard house, which is set on 2.15 acres near the end of a cul-de-sac, has black shutters and white trim including dentil molding along the eaves, millwork columns flush with the house framing the entrance, a false balcony with milled balusters, dog house dormers with rounded roofs, and an eyebrow window with fanlight panes.

The paneled front door, flanked by decorative leaded sidelights, opens into the dramatic two-story foyer where there is a wrap-around staircase with decorative skirt board, wainscoting on the lower walls and marble and Brazilian cherry wood flooring, which is found throughout the house. The chandelier is equipped with a mechanized system that lowers it for dusting and changing light bulbs. Arched entryways topped with keystones lead from the foyer into the formal living and dining rooms. The living room has a large marble fireplace with an ornate mantel and the dining room has a white onyx fireplace, wainscoting on the lower walls, and ornate crown molding.

More Information ABOUT THIS HOUSE STYLE: Colonial ADDRESS: 54 Welles Lane PRICE: $4,645,000 ROOMS: 19 FEATURES: 2.15-acre level property, partially fenced, Gunite heated in-ground swimming pool, waterfall, spa, full outdoor kitchen, automatic generator, Thermopane windows, wet bar, reverse osmosis water systems, front and rear staircases, seven fireplaces, lawn sprinkler, porch, balcony, proximity to downtown New Canaan and the Metro North train station, deer fencing, landscape lighting, attached heated three-car garage with large climate-controlled closet, eight-zoned HVAC system, 600 amp electrical service, house-wide intercom system, Leaf Guard gutters, semi-circular driveway, full unfinished walk-out basement, well water, six bedrooms (all en suite), six full and two half baths SCHOOLS: West Elementary, Saxe Middle, New Canaan High School ASSESSMENT: $3,503,850 MILL RATE: 16.312 mills TAXES: $57,148 See More Collapse

The formality of the public rooms and the casualness of the family rooms are delineated even by the fireplace surrounds. There are seven fireplaces  five wood-burning, two gas. In public rooms they comprise marble or onyx while the fireplaces in family rooms are surrounded with ceramic tile.

Just outside the custom mahogany library in the center gallery is a wet bar. The gallery has a barrel ceiling and cove lighting. The library features paneled walls, an intricate coffered ceiling, and a door to a covered porch. The butlers pantry between the dining room and chefs kitchen has granite counters, a sink and beverage refrigerator.

In the kitchen the features include a large two-tiered center island with a breakfast bar for six, granite counters, Wolf six-burner range and griddle, two Sub-Zero refrigerators, two dishwashers, a warming drawer and Dacor built-in cappuccino machine. Open to the kitchen is the eat-in area, a sitting room with a fireplace and the family room, which also has a fireplace  this one with an Azul Aran granite surround imported from Italy.

Off the kitchen is a mudroom and a place the family calls homework central. Its an office with several built-in desks that could be converted into a solarium because of the amount of natural light it gets. It has a door to a balcony.

Outside, the Gunite heated in-ground swimming pool is immediately surrounded by limestone because it stays cooler than bluestone in hot weather months.

On the second floor, French doors open into the master suite, which has its own private wing. It has a sitting room with a fireplace and built-in bookshelves, the bedroom with French doors to a private wood deck, two walk-in closets and dressing rooms, and the master bath with three-zoned radiant heated floor, and separate vanities topped with marble. The laundry room has two washers, two dryers, a drying cabinet and two utility sinks. There are four more bedrooms on this level and another on the finished third floor, which also has a playroom and full bath - perfect for au pair suite.

There will be an open house on Sunday, March 26, 1-3 p.m.

For more information or to make an appointment to see the house, contact Christine Saxe or Jennifer Crowley of Christine Saxe + Associates at William Raveis Real Estate, Saxe at 203-273-1548 or christine.saxe@raveis.com; Crowley at 917-607-2998 or jennifer.crowley@raveis.com.
LONGUEUIL, QC, March 24, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX: INE) ( Innergex  or the  Corporation ) will release its First Quarter 2017 financial results on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, and will hold a conference call to discuss the results on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at 10 AM (EDT). The speakers will be Mr. Michel Letellier, President and Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Jean Perron, Chief Financial Officer.

To participate in the conference:

Date and time: Wednesday, May 10, 2017

10 AM EDT Phone numbers: 1 888 231-8191

or 647 427-7450

A replay of the conference call will be available on Innergex's website at innergex.com.

Innergex will hold its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 4 PM (EDT).

To participate in the meeting:

Date and time: Tuesday, May 9, 2017

4 PM EDT Location: Club St-James

1145, Union Avenue

Montreal QC H3B 3C2

About Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.

Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX: INE) is a leading Canadian independent renewable power producer. Active since 1990, the Corporation develops, owns and operates run-of-river hydroelectric facilities, wind farms and solar photovoltaic farms and carries out its operations in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, Canada, in France and in Idaho, USA. Its portfolio of assets currently consists of: (i) interests in 47 operating facilities with an aggregate net installed capacity of 939 MW (gross 1,576 MW), including 29 hydroelectric facilities, 17 wind farms and one solar farm; (ii) interests in two projects under construction with an aggregate net installed capacity of 71 MW (gross 107 MW), for which power purchase agreements have been secured; and (iii) prospective projects with an aggregate net capacity totalling 3,560 MW (gross 3,940 MW). Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. is rated BBB- by S&P.

The Corporation's strategy for building shareholder value is to develop or acquire high-quality facilities that generate sustainable cash flows and provide an attractive risk-adjusted return on invested capital and to distribute a stable dividend.

SOURCE Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.

For further information: Karine Vachon, Director - Communications, 450 928-2550, ext. 1222, [email protected], innergex.com

Related Links

www.innergex.com


BURLINGTON, ON, March 24, 2017 /CNW/ - Budget 2017 is the next step in the Government's long-term plan to create jobs and strengthen the middle class. Canada is home to a well-educated and highly skilled workforce, but as the demands of the workplace change, so too must the education and skills that workers bring to their jobs. The changes in the economyboth here at home and around the worldpresent incredible opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it.





With its strong focus on innovation, skills, partnerships and fairness, Budget 2017 takes the next steps in securing a more prosperous future for all Canadians.





Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development addressed the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce to highlight Budget 2017, the Government's ambitious agenda to support middle class Canadians at every stage of their lives, transform our neighbourhoods and communities, and give every Canadian a real and fair chance at success.





Minister Duclos spoke about how Budget 2017 will:

Equip Canada's workers with the skills and tools they need to succeed in a changing economy. Budget 2017 places Canada's skilled, talented and creative people at the heart of a more innovative economy. It makes smart investments to help adult workers retrain or upgrade their skills to adapt to changes in the new economy, and to help young people get the skills and work experience they need to start their careers.

workers with the skills and tools they need to succeed in a changing economy. Budget 2017 places skilled, talented and creative people at the heart of a more innovative economy. It makes smart investments to help adult workers retrain or upgrade their skills to adapt to changes in the new economy, and to help young people get the skills and work experience they need to start their careers. Position Canada at the leading edge of a changing economy, by helping to ensure that Canadians are able to access the jobs of the future. Budget 2017 helps connect companies on a global scale, takes an innovative and collaborative approach to solving modern challenges and helps businesses get what they need to grow.

at the leading edge of a changing economy, by helping to ensure that Canadians are able to access the jobs of the future. Budget 2017 helps connect companies on a global scale, takes an innovative and collaborative approach to solving modern challenges and helps businesses get what they need to grow. Keep Canada on the path to building a fairer, more inclusive country that reflects the priorities of Canadians. The Government understands that change must result in the kind of growth that benefits all Canadians, at every stage of their livesyoung Canadians, newcomers to Canada , working Canadians, seniors, Veterans and Indigenous people. The Government also takes an important step towards gender equality, with Canada's first ever Gender Statement, which will serve as a basis for ongoing, open and transparent discussions about the role gender plays in policy development.

on the path to building a fairer, more inclusive country that reflects the priorities of Canadians. The Government understands that change must result in the kind of growth that benefits all Canadians, at every stage of their livesyoung Canadians, newcomers to , working Canadians, seniors, Veterans and Indigenous people. The Government also takes an important step towards gender equality, with first ever Gender Statement, which will serve as a basis for ongoing, open and transparent discussions about the role gender plays in policy development. Advance Canada's efforts to build a clean growth economy, by investing in green infrastructure that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, delivers clean air and safe drinking water and promotes renewable power. Budget 2017 also takes important steps to support the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

efforts to build a clean growth economy, by investing in green infrastructure that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, delivers clean air and safe drinking water and promotes renewable power. Budget 2017 also takes important steps to support the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through investments in infrastructure and First Nations and Inuit health, actions to strengthen Indigenous communities, funding to support education and training, and measures to promote language and culture revitalization.

Make the tax system fairer for the middle class. Budget 2017 will close tax loopholes, crack down on tax evasion, improve existing tax measures for individuals and families, and eliminate measures that are inefficient or no longer effective. Through Budget 2017, the Government will also be taking steps toward eliminating tax measures that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

Build stronger communities by improving access to early learning, child care and affordable housing. Budget 2017 takes concrete action to improve the quality of life of all Canadians, with more cultural and recreational centres, as well as safe and accessible public spaces.

By taking action todayinvesting in the things that Canadians need to succeed now and well into the futureBudget 2017 will help deliver a growing economy that works for every Canadian.

Quote

"Budget 2017 continues our plan to strengthen the middle classthe heart of Canada's economy. It makes smart and responsible investments that will provide Canadians with good, well-paying jobs and opportunities in the new, innovative economy."

 The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development



Related Products

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For further information: Media may contact: Annie Donolo, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Finance, [email protected], 613-769-7187; Media RelationsDepartment of Finance Canada, [email protected], 613-369-4000; General Enquiries: Phone: 613-369-3710, Facsimile: 613-369-4065, TTY: 613-369-3230, E-mail: [email protected]
WINNIPEG, March 24, 2017 /CNW/ - Budget 2017 is the next step in the Government's long-term plan to create jobs and strengthen the middle class. It places Canada's skilled, talented and creative people at the heart of a more innovative economy. As the demands of the workplace change, so too must the education and skills that workers bring to their jobs. The changes in the economyboth here at home and around the worldpresent incredible opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it.



With its strong focus on innovation, skills, partnerships and fairness, Budget 2017 takes the next steps in securing a more prosperous future for all Canadians. It helps hard-working, talented and creative people develop the skills they need to drive our most successful industries and high-growth companies forward.



Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour was in Winnipeg to address the local business community (Economic Development Winnipeg) to highlight Budget 2017, the Government's ambitious agenda to support middle class Canadians at every stage of their lives, transform our neighbourhoods and communities, and give every Canadian a real and fair chance at success.



Minister Hajdu spoke about how Budget 2017 will:

Equip Canada's workers with the skills and tools they need to succeed in a changing economy. It makes smart investments to help adult workers retrain or upgrade their skills to adapt to changes in the new economy, and to help young people get the skills and work experience they need to start their careers.

workers with the skills and tools they need to succeed in a changing economy. It makes smart investments to help adult workers retrain or upgrade their skills to adapt to changes in the new economy, and to help young people get the skills and work experience they need to start their careers. Position Canada at the leading edge of a changing economy, by helping to ensure that Canadians are able to access the jobs of the future. Budget 2017 helps connect companies on a global scale, takes an innovative and collaborative approach to solving modern challenges and helps businesses get what they need to grow.

at the leading edge of a changing economy, by helping to ensure that Canadians are able to access the jobs of the future. Budget 2017 helps connect companies on a global scale, takes an innovative and collaborative approach to solving modern challenges and helps businesses get what they need to grow. Keep Canada on the path to building a fairer, more inclusive country that reflects the priorities of Canadians. The Government understands that change must result in the kind of growth that benefits all Canadians, at every stage of their livesyoung Canadians, newcomers to Canada , working Canadians, seniors, Veterans and Indigenous people. The Government also takes an important step towards gender equality, with Canada's first ever Gender Statement, which will serve as a basis for ongoing, open and transparent discussions about the role gender plays in policy development.

on the path to building a fairer, more inclusive country that reflects the priorities of Canadians. The Government understands that change must result in the kind of growth that benefits all Canadians, at every stage of their livesyoung Canadians, newcomers to , working Canadians, seniors, Veterans and Indigenous people. The Government also takes an important step towards gender equality, with first ever Gender Statement, which will serve as a basis for ongoing, open and transparent discussions about the role gender plays in policy development. Advance Canada's efforts to build a clean growth economy, by investing in green infrastructure that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, delivers clean air and safe drinking water and promotes renewable power. Budget 2017 also takes important steps to support the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

efforts to build a clean growth economy, by investing in green infrastructure that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, delivers clean air and safe drinking water and promotes renewable power. Budget 2017 also takes important steps to support the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through investments in infrastructure and First Nations and Inuit health, actions to strengthen Indigenous communities, funding to support education and training, and measures to promote language and culture revitalization.

Make the tax system fairer for the middle class. Budget 2017 will close tax loopholes, crack down on tax evasion, improve existing tax measures for individuals and families, and eliminate measures that are inefficient or no longer effective. Through Budget 2017, the Government will also be taking steps toward eliminating tax measures that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

Build stronger communities by improving access to early learning, child care and affordable housing. Budget 2017 takes concrete action to improve the quality of life of all Canadians, with more cultural and recreational centres, as well as safe and accessible public spaces.

By taking action todayinvesting in the things that Canadians need to succeed now and well into the futureBudget 2017 will help deliver a growing economy that works for every Canadian.

Quote

"Budget 2017 continues our plan to strengthen the middle classthe heart of Canada's economy. It makes smart and responsible investments that will provide Canadians with good, well-paying jobs and opportunities in the new, innovative economy."

 The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

Related Products

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For further information: Media may contact: Annie Donolo, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Finance, [email protected], 613-769-7187; Media Relations, Department of Finance Canada, [email protected], 613-369-4000; Matt Pascuzzo, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, [email protected], 613-291-5561; General Enquiries, Phone: 613-369-3710, Facsimile: 613-369-4065, TTY: 613-369-3230, E-mail: [email protected]
MONTREAL, March 23, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Aero Montreal, Quebec's aerospace cluster, welcomes a series of measures presented in the budget tabled yesterday by federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau. The federal government's commitment to support innovation and create super clusters will benefit Quebec's entire aerospace supply chain and foster its dynamism and contributions to the country's economy.

Super clusters - Growth engine

"The government's announcement to support a small number of innovation super clusters led by companies is good news for SMEs in Quebec's aerospace industry," says Mrs. Suzanne M. Benoit, President of Aero Montreal. "This measure is in line with the orientations of Aero Montreal. Our industry is directly contributing to enhancing Canada's global competitiveness through its highly innovative companies. In 2016, more than 70% of Canadian aerospace R&D took place in the Montreal area."

The federal government's recognition of the importance of super clusters is crucial to the development of our industry. By underscoring these superclusters' contributions to job creation and the dynamism of the economy, and by focusing on highly innovative industries such as advanced manufacturing, digital technologies and transport, among others, the government gives us cause for optimism about the support it will provide to our industry.

Innovation and digitalization - Top priorities

The key themes of innovation, the digital shift and skills development, highlighted in the 2017 budget, are at the heart of the challenges faced by our companies every day, especially our SMEs. "We are very pleased to see how closely this budget reflects the concerns of our companies," says Mrs. Benoit, noting that the development of skills related to Industry 4.0 will support SMEs in their transition to the factory of the future.

In this regard, various programs have been brought together in a new strategic innovation fund. This measure will simplify access to various programs for our aerospace SMEs. We also welcome the creation of a new agency that will support the acquisition and measurement of skills in Canada. The availability of skilled talent is a central concern for our industry and represents an asset that enables us to stand out from the global competition.

Supply Chain - Key to development

The 2017 budget also allows us to reaffirm the importance of a flagship Aero Montreal program designed to increase the competitiveness of our suppliers and support our SMEs in their digital shift: the MACH FAB 4.0 Initiative. "This program, supported by the Government of Quebec, is fundamental to Aero Montreal's raison d'etre because it helps strengthen our supply chain on a regional and global scale. The 2017 federal budget also highlights the government's commitment to SMEs and the importance it attaches to their development," says Mrs. Benoit.

Clean technologies - The challenge of tomorrow

Finally, it should be noted that the 2017 budget provides some $200 million worth of support for clean technologies. This is a challenge that our cluster companies are taking on by participating in the SA2GE greener aircraft mobilization project. This sector generates growth all over the world and enables our SMEs to ensure their presence on the international stage in terms of the development of new, more environmentally respectful aircraft.

About Aero Montreal

Created in 2006, Aero Montreal is a strategic think tank that groups all major decision makers in Quebec's aerospace sector, including companies, educational and research institutions, as well as associations and unions. Aero Montreal's mission is to engage Quebec's aerospace cluster with a view to increasing its growth and expansion on the global scene. Its vision is to become a benchmark in global aerospace. To this end, it champions the following values: excellence, engagement, collaboration, versatility and innovation.

www.aeromontreal.ca

SOURCE Aero Montreal

For further information: Gwenael Brise, Manager, Communications and Media Relations, Aero Montreal, Office: 514 987-9395, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.aeromontreal.ca/


Achieves Life-to-Date Cumulative Revenue of $5 Billion

GILBERT, Ariz., March 24, 2017 /CNW/ -- Isagenix, a global health and wellness products and solutions company, celebrated a significant milestone Thursday, March 23. The date marked 15 years that Isagenix has been helping thousands transform their lives across the world. Today, Isagenix is the largest company headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona, with nearly $1 billion in annual sales and a life-to-date cumulative revenue of $5 billion as of March 23. The company currently operates in 12 countries and will soon launch operations in Europe with the opening of the U.K. market in April.

"Isagenix is not only our business; it is our family," said Kathy Coover, Isagenix owner and executive vice president. "Our customers mean so much to us, and our employees, associates, and vendors work together across the world to make this amazing company succeed. We have come a long way, and we are so grateful for everyone who has been a part of our growth in the past 15 years."

Jim Coover, Isagenix owner and CEO, also commented, "Isagenix is proud to be headquartered in the Town of Gilbert and the State of Arizona. We appreciate the support we have received from this outstanding community, and we look forward to many more years with our Arizona family."

In honor of its crystal anniversary, Isagenix offices celebrated across the globe. Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels and Gilbert Chamber of Commerce CEO Kathy Tilque helped Isagenix kick off the celebration, joining the company's owners and employees at their world headquarters to proclaim March 23 as Isagenix Day in Gilbert, Arizona.

During the presentation, notable facts about the company were highlighted:

Isagenix is the largest company (by revenue) headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona .

. The company achieved a life-to-date cumulative revenue of $5 billion in March 2017 .

in . The company's world headquarters are located in a 150,000-square-foot building in Gilbert, Arizona , and were the first corporate tenant of the new Rivulon development.

, and were the first corporate tenant of the new Rivulon development. Isagenix is impacting the Arizona economy by more than $800 million dollars per year by providing jobs and utilizing Arizona manufacturers and suppliers.

economy by more than per year by providing jobs and utilizing manufacturers and suppliers. The company employs more than 650 employees in Gilbert, Arizona , and more than 1,000 employees worldwide.

, and more than 1,000 employees worldwide. The company's Australia / New Zealand office has been open for 10 years this month and is among the largest direct selling businesses in the Australia / New Zealand market.

/ office has been open for 10 years this month and is among the largest direct selling businesses in the / market. Isagenix has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the Fastest-Growing Companies in America for 10 consecutive years, more recently as one of the Valley's Healthiest Employers, and in Direct Selling News as one of the industry's Best Places to Work.

Isagenix demonstrates its commitment to its employees and their families through its innovative employee wellness program and corporate sustainability initiatives.

Since 2012, the company with the support of its Customers, has raised more than $5.6 million for Make-A-Wish in 11 countries, which is enough to help the organization grant more than 633 wishes.

To learn more about Isagenix, visit our website at Isagenix.com, subscribe to our blog at IsaFYI.com, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Isagenix, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @Isagenix.

About Isagenix International

Established in 2002, Isagenix provides systems for weight loss, energy, performance, healthy aging, and wealth creation. With more than 550,000 Customers worldwide and more than 100 life-changing products, packs, and systems globally, the company is committed to producing Solutions to Transform Lives. In 2016, Isagenix reached nearly $1 billion in global sales through an independent network of associates in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Colombia, and Indonesia. Isagenix is a privately owned company with headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona. For more information, visit Isagenix.com.

SOURCE Isagenix International

For further information: Megan Dean, Sr. Manager Public Relations, [email protected], Direct: 480.927.3162, Cell: 480.220.6752, http://www.Isagenix.com

Related Links

http://www.Isagenix.com


A First State Bank & Trust Company employee promotion was approved by the First State Bank and Trust Co. Board of Directors. Renee Schneringer was named chief financial officer.

Schneringer joined First State Bank & Trust Co. in 2012 in the role of risk manager. Since that time, her responsibilities have grown to include preparation and management of the banks financial reports and position. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing the financial operations and activities of the bank and its holding company.

Schneringer has 20 years of banking and finance experience. She is a Certified Public Accountant and an Accredited ACH Professional. She worked for Farmers State Bank in Dodge for 11 years prior to joining the bank. Schneringer has a Bachelors of Business Administration from Texas Christian University and is a graduate of the Nebraska Bankers Association Leadership Program and the Graduate School of Banking in Boulder, Colo.

Schneringer has served on the Nebraska Bankers Association Education Advisory Committee and is a board member and treasurer for the First Lutheran Church Preschool. Schneringer and her husband, Mitch, are members of First Lutheran Church and have three children.
VANCOUVER, March 24, 2017 /CNW/ - Rockwell Diamonds Inc. ("Rockwell" or the "Company") (TSX:RDI; JSE:RDI) announces that a judge in Kimberley South Africa issued an interim liquidation order against three subsidiaries of the Company yesterday. The interim orders, which have to be confirmed in a final hearing, include Rockwell Resources RSA (Pty) Ltd (Rockwell RSA), HC van Wyk Diamonds Ltd (HC van Wyk) and Saxendrift Mine (Pty) Ltd (Saxendrift). The effect is that an interim liquidator will be appointed, which will take control of the three companies, and will operate them in the best interest of creditors until the final hearing, currently scheduled for June 22, 2017. The Company has the option to bring that final hearing date significantly forward on an urgent basis. The order does not affect Rockwell Diamonds Inc., the parent entity.

The interim decision stems from an action by C-Rock Mining (Pty) Ltd (C-Rock) which launched a liquidation application against Rockwell Resources RSA (Pty) Ltd (Rockwell RSA), HC van Wyk Diamonds Ltd (HC van Wyk) and Saxendrift Mine (Pty) Ltd (Saxendrift). In support of this application, C-Rock relied on an alleged Service Level Agreement, a Contract Mining Agreement which was found by forensic investigation to have been awarded to C-Rock under highly irregular circumstances, and for an alleged undertaking that Rockwell will reimburse them for certain tax penalties and accrued interest on such penalties, an alleged undertaking that Rockwell will pay certain debts of Saxendrift, and the construction cost of the wet plant at Wouterspan as well as a large number of disputed invoices stemming from alleged informal agreements with certain former Company management.

The liquidation application was enrolled on the opposed motion roll in the Kimberley High Court for 23 March 2017. C-Rock also supplemented its application with a further affidavit on March 1, 2017. This second affidavit alleged that Rockwell RSA, Saxendrift and HC van Wyk admitted to commercial insolvency and preferred some creditors over others. The supplementary affidavit stems from Rockwell's recent press releases and listed company filings which disclosed, amongst other things the litigation with C-Rock and progress made with the Company's Strategic Repositioning Plan.

Rockwell RSA, Saxendrift and HC van Wyk filed their very substantial answering affidavits on March 20, 2017 and applied for condonation for the late filing thereof, as a procedural matter. The additional time primarily resulted from the need to conclude the intensive forensic investigation. In these filings, Rockwell RSA, HC van Wyk and Saxendrift dispute the very existence, as well as quantum, of the C-Rock claims. Rockwell retained the services of Gobodo Forensic and Investigative Auditors to investigate certain specific dealings between C-Rock and Rockwell RSA, Saxendrift and HC van Wyk. This forensic investigation spanned over a period of three months and included the auditing of thousands of invoices, e-mails and other forms of communication and general company records, and three formal forensic reports comprising over a thousand pages with all schedules and supporting evidence were filed on March 20, 2017.

By way of summary, the answering affidavits of Rockwell RSA, Saxendrift and HC van Wyk provide detailed rebuttal and evidence to support the following:

Accounts claimed by C-Rock under the alleged Service Level Agreement are not due at all. The alleged Service Level Agreement, intended to spuriously add 10% to all C-Rock invoices, was falsified, signed on behalf of the Company by an unauthorized senior individual and backdated more than a year. Such individual was terminated for other reasons in July 2016 , but never advised that he had signed it. C-Rock claimed for back amounts only in August 2016 when this former employee started working with them. At the time of signing such disputed agreement in late 2015, such employee made an undisclosed R600,000 investment in C-Rock Mining while still an employee of Rockwell which was only uncovered by forensic audit.

, but never advised that he had signed it. C-Rock claimed for back amounts only in when this former employee started working with them. At the time of signing such disputed agreement in late 2015, such employee made an undisclosed R600,000 investment in C-Rock Mining while still an employee of Rockwell which was only uncovered by forensic audit. This high level Rockwell employee that signed the alleged Service Level Agreement also verbally undertook to repay certain tax penalties of C-Rock Mining. This employee knowingly entered into this verbal agreement without any authority and hid its existence for more than a year, as shown in a forensic report.

C-Rock claimed for full payment of construction of the wet plant at Wouterspan. The construction contract calls for payment only upon final acceptance after plant completion and commissioning. The wet plant had not been completed, thus the mechanism to trigger payment for the plant has not been reached. In addition, the Company has spent several millions completing it in the last four months to mitigate C-Rock abandoning the project in October 2016 . Moreover, the value of the wet plant has been significantly overstated in the C-Rock claims, as determined by an independent accredited estimator in a 258-page report also filed on March 20, 2017 .

. Moreover, the value of the wet plant has been significantly overstated in the C-Rock claims, as determined by an independent accredited estimator in a 258-page report also filed on . C-Rock claimed certain full month mining invoices for very limited mining activity in September and October 2016 (3,000 and 12,000 cubic metres respectively). The Company has determined that the Contract Mining Agreement is void ab initio after it was discovered by forensic auditors that several gross irregularities took place during the adjudication and award process, which appears to amount to bid rigging, all as formally documented in a forensic report filed on March 20, 2017 . These irregularities were committed, in email trails, by the same Rockwell employee who also had an undisclosed financial and commercial interest in C-Rock Mining at the time, after having invested in C-Rock in October 2015 while still an employee of the Company. Formal complaints have been laid with his professional bodies and a fraud complaint has been laid against him with South African Police Service.

(3,000 and 12,000 cubic metres respectively). The Company has determined that the Contract Mining Agreement is void after it was discovered by forensic auditors that several gross irregularities took place during the adjudication and award process, which appears to amount to bid rigging, all as formally documented in a forensic report filed on . These irregularities were committed, in email trails, by the same Rockwell employee who also had an undisclosed financial and commercial interest in C-Rock Mining at the time, after having invested in C-Rock in while still an employee of the Company. Formal complaints have been laid with his professional bodies and a fraud complaint has been laid against him with South African Police Service. Rockwell RSA, Saxendrift and HC van Wyk have substantial claims against C-Rock Mining for damages due to contract performance defaults and damages to equipment in November 2016 , as documented in independent engineering reports filed on March 20, 2017 . The quantum of these claims, if accepted would extinguish any and all claims that C-Rock Mining can reasonably have against the companies, which leads the Company to believe that they have no standing to bring any liquidation claim.

, as documented in independent engineering reports filed on . The quantum of these claims, if accepted would extinguish any and all claims that C-Rock Mining can reasonably have against the companies, which leads the Company to believe that they have no standing to bring any liquidation claim. Placing any company into liquidation would likely cause the mining rights held by any of the companies to lapse causing material destruction of value and loss of employment.

Moreover, 96% of creditors by value opposed C-Rock's application, whose opposition was filed as supporting evidence in the affidavits on March 20, 2017 . The Company has arranged for $8M in new financing, completed the wet plant, sold redundant assets, and transferred liabilities with respect to those assets resulting in an aggregate improvement in financial position of ZAR300M (CAD $30M ). The Company filed pro-forma financial statements, prepared by its auditors, to show the impact on the solvency of the three companies of these transactions, on March 20, 2017 .

Notwithstanding this substantial rebuttal evidence, in a hearing on 23 March 2017, Judge Williams declined to entertain the application for condonation by Rockwell RSA, HC van Wyk and Saxendrift, but instead granted an order for provisional liquidation of Rockwell RSA, HC van Wyk and Saxendrift. Such order was based only on the allegations made by C-Rock in their founding affidavits. The judge did not entertain nor hear any affidavits or evidence provided by the Company showing serious disputes of fact. As the judge did not hear the affidavits filed on March 20, 2017, she did not hear the evidence of further significant investment in the three companies, the forensic reports nor the extent of the creditors' support. Judge Williams did not however grant a final liquidation order but rather decided that the matter of condonation and liquidation will be dealt with on the current return date of June 22, 2017. Counsel for C-Rock Mining already indicated that he will not be opposing the condonation application, meaning that the matter will be heard on the full merits of the case.

The order granted by Judge Williams is only a provisional order and although this is not unusual, it is quite unusual that it would be issued without considering the opposing papers, specifically when it contains forensic evidence of highly irregular and collusive activity. The Company believes that the subsidiary companies do not in the slightest comply to criteria required for liquidation, and the Company has been advised that its bank and most of the creditors will oppose the application at final hearing.

As in the spoliation case with C-Rock Mining, last November 2016, which the Company initially lost and and then won on final hearing, Rockwell RSA, Saxendrift and HC van Wyk are convinced about the merits of their case, and the damages suffered by them, and will oppose this provisional order vigorously. The Company believes that C-Rock Mining clearly chose the liquidation process to expedite spurious disputes.

Rockwell has made significant commercial progress over the last 4 months, and is now less than 3 weeks away from completion of the Wouterspan plant. It will be ramping up production of the mine to full level during the month of April, thus completing the turnaround plan announced in November 2016.

In the light of the above, the Board of Rockwell are considering all legal and practical avenues to protect the business, its employees and its important counterparties such as creditors and suppliers, since the commissioning of the Wouterspan plant is about to go into full production and the fruits of months of hard work will be delivered over the next quarter.

About Rockwell Diamonds:

Rockwell is engaged in the business of operating and developing alluvial diamond deposits. The Company also evaluates consolidation opportunities that have the potential to expand its mineral resources and production profile and provide accretive value to the Company.

Rockwell is known for producing large, high quality gemstones comprising a major portion of its diamond recoveries. This is enhanced through a beneficiation joint venture that enables Rockwell to participate in the profits on the sale of the polished and certain re-traded diamonds, which are not beneficiated.

Rockwell has set a strategic goal to become a mid-tier diamond production company. In pursuit of this goal the Company has embarked on a strategy to grow its Middle Orange River ("MOR") operational base and minimise production and recovery volatility by setting a medium term target to process 500,000m3 of gravels per month from its MOR operations.

Rockwell's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the JSE Limited under the symbol "RDI".

No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release.

Forward Looking Statements

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include uncertainties and costs related to the transaction and the ability of each party to satisfy the conditions precedent in a timely manner or at all, exploration and development activities, such as those related to determining whether mineral resources exist on a property; uncertainties related to expected production rates, timing of production and cash and total costs of production and milling; uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary licenses, permits, electricity, surface rights and title for development projects; operating and technical difficulties in connection with mining development activities; uncertainties related to the accuracy of our mineral resource estimates and our estimates of future production and future cash and total costs of production and diminishing quantities or grades of mineral resources; uncertainties related to unexpected judicial or regulatory procedures or changes in, and the effects of, the laws, regulations and government policies affecting our mining operations; changes in general economic conditions, the financial markets and the demand and market price for mineral commodities such as diesel fuel, steel, concrete, electricity, and other forms of energy, mining equipment, and fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly with respect to the value of the US dollar, Canadian dollar and South African Rand; changes in accounting policies and methods that we use to report our financial condition, including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates; environmental issues and liabilities associated with mining and processing; geopolitical uncertainty and political and economic instability in countries in which we operate; and labour strikes, work stoppages, or other interruptions to, or difficulties in, the employment of labour in markets in which we operate our mines, or environmental hazards, industrial accidents or other events or occurrences, including third party interference that interrupt operation of our mines or development projects.

For further information on Rockwell, Investors should review Rockwell's home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE Rockwell Diamonds Inc.

For further information: For further information on Rockwell and its operations in South Africa, please contact Tjaart Willemse, Chief Executive Officer, +27 (0)83 407 1063; David Tosi, PSG Capital - JSE Sponsor, +27 (0)21 887 9602

Related Links

www.rockwelldiamonds.com


Marilyn A. Boesche, 81, of Holiday Island, Ark., left this world to be with her God in heaven on March 22, 2017.

She was born on Sept. 5, 1935, to C. Harold and Ethel (Lenenga) Johnson in Muskegon, Mich. She attended Muskegon High School and graduated from Beloit Memorial High School, Beloit, Wis. She later attended Kansas City University.

On Feb. 2, 1957, she married John C. Boesche in Kansas City.

She was a Girl Scouts of America and Cub Scouts leader and was active in her church as a womens leader. She is a member of P.E.O. Sisterhood, Chapters GH Fremont, CS Lincoln, and A Eureka Springs, Ark. She was chairman of Nebraska Womens Fellowship Group for 10 years.

Her work life included First National Bank, Fremont, as assistant cashier and Valley National Bank, Tulsa, Okla., as operations officer and marketing officer. She also helped at The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs in her retirement.

She was an active member of First United Methodist Church, Eureka Springs, loved sailing and being on the water and spending time among her many family and friends.

Marilyn is survived by her husband, John; three children, (Brian Boesche, Lincoln, Tim Boesche, Fort Worth, Texas, and Beth Crutcher, Houston); sister, Jan Carrothers (Holiday Island, Ark.); brother, Cregg Johnson (Sarasota, Fla.); six grandchildren, two stepgrandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church in Eureka Springs or PEO Sisterhood and entrusted to the White Funeral Home, P.O. Box 890 Cassville, MO 65625.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 27, at First United Methodist Church in Eureka Springs with the Rev. Blake Lasater officiating.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville, Mo.




A video footage has surfaced on YouTube about how founder and General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nation, SCOAN, Prophet T.B. Joshua, claimed he predicted the terror attack that took place near the United Kingdom Parliament Building at Westminster, London.Prophet Jushua reportedly gave a televised prophetic message at the SCOAN, regarding an attack on Sunday, June 19, 2016, and tasked members of the congregation to pray for the nation, the United Kingdom.He said,  Pray for the United Kingdom. I am seeing a strange thing happening to an innocent person. It is not yet over.They should pray and secure their lawmakers and their institutions.DAILYPOST recall that terror returned to the streets of London on Wednesday, March 22, as the UK parliament was attacked , leaving no fewer than five dead and about 40 injured.However, this is not the first time T.B Joshua would claim he prophesied about a terror attack.Emmanuel TV also released a video where the Prophet claimed he prophesied the terror attack that took place in the southern French city of Nice.See video below
The International Organisation for Migration on Thursday facilitated the evacuation of 155 Nigerians stranded in Libya.

The International Organisation for Migration on Thursday facilitated the evacuation of 155 Nigerians stranded in Libya.The returnees arrived in a chartered Novelle Air flight at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos at around 6:15 and said they were excited to be home.There were also three medical cases among the returnees who were treated by IOM doctors and Port Health officials.The National Emergency Management Agency, Deputy Director in charge of Search and Rescue, Dr. Bandele Onimode, who received the returnees on behalf of NEMA, disclosed that 654 Nigerians had been assisted back home this year while 867 were repatriated in 2016.He said the agency was in touch with state governments of the returnees to assist in their rehabilitation process.A spokesperson for IOM Nigeria, Julia Burpee, who came in from the organisations head office in Maiduguri, with some officials of the United Nations Organisation, said more than 7,000 Nigerians had been supported since 2002.She said IOM would continue to work with its partners in Nigeria to assist stranded Nigerians all over the world.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, on Thursday, said that 80 unemployed youths were benefiting from Federal Governments...

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, on Thursday, said that 80 unemployed youths were benefiting from Federal Governments Graduate and Youth Empowerment Scheme on irrigation farming.Adamu, who spoke at the official inauguration of the scheme in Illah, Delta, said that the programme was part of efforts to revitalise the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) to boost the nations agricultural production.He said that the revitalisation of the RBDAs was targeted at creating job opportunities via irrigation farming and aquaculture, while boosting Nigerias efforts to attain food security.He said that the scheme was an offshoot of an agreement signed between the Federal Government and Songhai Integrated Farms Ltd. in Benin Republic.The minister recalled that the agreement stressed the need to reposition and strengthen the RBDAs to become major economic nerve-centres of the country.This is in line with the economic diversification policy and the change agenda of the present administration.The main objective of this scheme is massive job creation for young graduates, with all-year-round agricultural production and other value chain activities, he said.Adamu assured Nigerians that the scheme was laudable as it supported the vision and objectives of President Muhammadu Buharis plans for food security and youth empowerment.He urged the beneficiaries and all stakeholders to provide maximum support for the scheme through their active participation in its operations and maintenance.He added that the scheme was a tool for reducing poverty and youth restiveness in the country.Mr Saliu Ahmed, Managing Director, Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (RBDA), called on the Federal Government to expand the irrigation facilities in the authoritys catchment area.He said that the RBDA had undertaken irrigation projects in Ewulu and Illah in Delta; Ukhun, Illushi-Ega-Oria in Edo; Owena Multipurpose Dam; Erusu Dam and Iju-Ita-Ogbolu in Ondo State.Ahmed said that the Illah/Ebu irrigation project was one of the priority projects of the river basin authority.He said that the project had a capacity of developing over 3,000 hectares of irrigable land, adding that 550 hectares had so far been developed for the cultivation of rice, water melon and cucumber.Ahmed said it was the desire of the RBDA to increase the participants of the scheme to 1,000, calling for more support from the Federal Government.We need the government support to enable us to rehabilitate our broken-down tractors and acquire new ones, while procuring equipment such as rice harvesters and planters.We also desire to prepare farmlands to accommodate more prospective farmers, he said.Ahmed called on the host communities to take ownership of the project and assist in effective management of all the facilities.News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that similar projects had been inaugurated in Kogi, Ogun, Zamfara, Kano, Cross River, IMO and Nasarawa States.
The management of Arik Airline says it has resolved the lingering impasse with labour unions in a meeting mediated by the Nigerian Civil A...

The management of Arik Airline says it has resolved the lingering impasse with labour unions in a meeting mediated by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.According to a statement issued on Friday by the Media Consultant to the airline, Mr Simon Tumba, the NCAA brokered the peace meeting held Thursday evening.Tumba listed unions at the meeting to include the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers.The offices of the troubled airline were on Thursday picketed by the three aviation unions.According to Tumba, the airline has resumed normal operations with effect from Friday morning on all routes.He quoted Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, the Chief Executive Officer of the airline, as saying: the management apologise to its customers for the disruption of services on Thursday following the picketing of its operations by the unions.He added;We reassure our customers of timely departure, great travel experience and look forward to welcoming them on board our flights.Meanwhile, Tumba said the airline had reactivated its online platform for customers to book and pay online through all its network.He explained that the airlines on-time departure performance had improved by over 80 percent in the last three weeks.
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed gratitude to the British Government for its support in the fight against Boko Haram...

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed gratitude to the British Government for its support in the fight against Boko Haram militants.A statement by Presidential Spokesman Femi Adesina said Buhari thanked the UK government "for the very effective materials and logistical support to Nigeria" in the fight against Boko Haram.Buhari said in spite of "isolated attacks against soft targets," the British assistance helped in flushing "Boko Haram out of their hide-out base and severely degraded their capacity to mount a serious attack on Nigerian assets."President Buhari's appreciation was contained in a formal letter he wrote to the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on behalf of the people of Nigeria, the statement said.Buhari wrote the letter to express his "heartfelt condolences to the injured and families of the dead" in Wednesday's terrorist attack in London.He said the horrid incident "underscores the threat we all live under," adding that, "terrorism has no borders and no season."Attached Files:
Egypts former President Hosni Mubarak returned home, Friday, a freeman following his release from custody.

Egypts former President Hosni Mubarak returned home, Friday, a freeman following his release from custody.Mubarak who had been in detention since his ouster in 2011 was slammed with corruption and murder charges.He left the Armed Forces hospital in Cairos southern suburb of Maadi earlier in the morning. From there, he went to his house in the upscale district of Heliopolis under heavy security measures.Mubaraks lawyer, Farid el-Deeb, told the Egyptian daily Al-Masry al-Youm that the ailing former president returned home with his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, and that the entire family, including Mubaraks wife Suzanne came together at his house to celebrate his return and have breakfast together.The 88-year-old Mubarak was acquitted by Egypts top appeals court on March 2 of charges that he ordered the killing of protesters during the 2011 popular uprising that led to his ouster.At that point, he had already served a three-year sentence for embezzling state funds while in detention in connection with the case on the deaths of protesters. A criminal court had ruled in May 2015 to jail Mubarak for three years and fine him millions of Egyptian pounds following his conviction for embezzling funds earmarked for the maintenance and renovation of presidential palaces. The ruling was upheld by another court in January 2016.Prosecutors, however, reopened another corruption case on Thursday, linked to allegations that Mubarak received gifts from the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper worth $1 million, along with his family members. The case was closed before the prosecutors appealed and the case restarted.The order to release Mubarak was the latest in a series of court rulings in recent years in Egypt that acquitted some two dozen, Mubarak-era cabinet ministers, top police officers and aides charged with graft or in connection with the killing of some 900 protesters during the uprising.Some of those acquitted have made a comeback in public life, while others partially paid back fortunes they illegally amassed and subsequently faced trial since his ouster in 2011 after legal proceedings that took years since his 2011 ouster  years during which the country witnessed major upheavals and rights activists saw their hopes scuttled that the autocrat would face justice for the deaths of hundreds who defied his rule.Activists are of the view that Mubaraks acquittal of killing protesters confirms long-held suspicions that his trial  and that of scores of policemen who faced trial on the same charge  would never bring the justice they demanded.It has also, according to activists and Egypts beleaguered rights campaigners, confirmed widely-held suspicions that their revolution  as the uprising against Mubarak was dubbed  had effectively been reversed by the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a general-turned-politician, in order to restore the status quo in a country ruled undemocratically by men of military background for most of the past 60-plus years.Powerful media figures loyal to el-Sissi have relentlessly vilified the 2011 uprising as a conspiracy and demonized its icons as foreign agents who pose a threat to the countrys national security. The fallen protesters, contend some of them, were shot by members of the now-banned Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood.The attacks began soon after el-Sissi, as army chief, led the 2013 ouster of the Brotherhoods Mohammed Morsi, after Mubarak Egypts first freely elected leader whose one-year in office proved divisive.Mubaraks sons were also convicted and sentenced to three years in prison in the same embezzlement case. They still face charges in an insider trading case, but both are free and have recently made a series of intensely publicized appearances greeted enthusiastically by hardcore supporters of their father
Malam Bello Umar, a resident of Gidan Haki in Sokoto North Local Government of Sokoto State, has asked his divorce-seeking wife to pay...

Malam Bello Umar, a resident of Gidan Haki in Sokoto North Local Government of Sokoto State, has asked his divorce-seeking wife to pay N3 million for her freedom. His wife, Aishatu Shehu, had sued Umar at the City Lower Sharia Court, Sokoto, praying for a divorce.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Aishatu, who spoke through her lawyer, Mr Abubakar Sani, told the court that her husband has no respect for her parents and other relatives.She said there was no peace as husband and wife for five years.I am ready to pay N150, 000 to Umar in order to divorce me, or the court should order the valuation of the exact amount to be given, she said.Umar, throughs counsel, Mr Ibrahim Nataala, told the court that Aishatu must pay N3 million due to the present economic recession in the country.If she failed to pay the money, the court should allow the couple to settle with their relations on how best to settle the matter.The presiding Justice Faruk Ibrahim adjourned the case till March 27, for continuation of hearing. (NAN)
A Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, on Thursday sentenced Okwumo Nwabuzor and his nephew, Olisaeloka Ezike, to death by hanging for kill...

A Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, on Thursday sentenced Okwumo Nwabuzor and his nephew, Olisaeloka Ezike, to death by hanging for killing a postgraduate student, Cynthia Osokogu whom they lured from Nasarawa to Lagos before strangling her in an hotel in Festac Town in 2012.While delivering the judgement in the case that lasted four yours, the visibly angry judge, Olabisi Akinlade, said the accused deserved the sentence as they were not remorseful of their action, and were my telling the court lies after offering confessional statements to the police.Justice is not only for the victim but for the society at large, she said. The law says anyone found guilty of committing murder shall be sentenced to death. This court is not in a position to change the provision of the law.The judge also found the duo guilty on three other counts and sentenced them to a total of 20 years imprisonment each.They were sentenced to 14 years in jail for conspiracy to commit murder, three years for conspiracy to commit felony by stealing, and three years for stealing a Blackberry phone.Ms. Osokogu, 25, was lured to Lagos by Mr. Nwanbufor, 37, whom she met on Facebook. The court saud Mr. Nwanbufor drugged and murdered her in Cosmilla Hotel, Lakeview Estate, Festac Town with the assistance of his nephew, Mr. Ezike, 27.Two others, Orji Osita, a pharmacist who sold Ropynol, the drug used on the deceased, and Ezike Nonso, the brother of the second defendant, were charged with reckless and negligent act, and with possession of stolen property.The judge acquitted and discharged Messrs. Osita and Nonso.While delivering the judgement, Mrs. Akinlade said she relied on the evidence and testimonies provided by the prosecution.She said having carefully analysed the evidence and testimonies before the court, the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Messrs. Nwabufor and Ezike murdered Ms. Osokogu.The evidence of the prosecution remained uncontroverted and relies mainly on the testimonies of witnesses and evidence, she said.She recounted in graphic details how the deceased was lured by the convicts who promised to help her buy goods at cheap prices in Lagos.After she arrived Lagos, she was lodged in the hotel where she was drugged, chained and her gagged with a sellotape. Her hands were also tied behind her back with the sellotape.Following the testimony of the pathologist who conducted an autopsy on Ms. Osokogu, the court ruled that she died of asphyxiation caused by the blocking of her airways with cloth materials held in place by sellotape.Though the convicts pleaded not guilty and tried to withdraw the confessional statement they made to the police, claiming they were made under duress, the court admitted the statements they were corroborated by the testimonies of the witnesses and the evidence provided by the police.The judge said the fact that the police produced a video footage of the convicts making the confessional statement also helped in countering the claim by the convicts that they made the statement under duress.The court was satisfied that the confessional statements were not given under duress and admitted them in evidence. A confession is sufficient to gain conviction, she said.The confessional statement of the accused is consistent with the state of the body and consistent to the medical evidence. I shall act on it accordingly, she said.The judge specifically thanked the Area E police division in Festac Town, and particularly Joseph Edo, a police inspector who apprehended the accused, for a thorough investigation.The judge also dismissed the claim by Mr. Nwabufor that Ms. Osokogu was his fiancee and was going to introduce him to her father, saying that under cross-examination he could not tell the deceaseds birthday, the name of her mother, a home town or in fact anything about her.It is very clear that the first defendant is untruthful and deceived the court, she said.In sentencing both men to death by hanging, the judge said it was no longer relevant to know who, between the two, actually killed Ms. Osokogu.The second defendant acted in consent with the first defendant and will bear the consequences of their action irrespective of whoever committed the offence.The accused persons displayed no emotion after the sentence was read.They hid their faces from journalists who were trying to photograph them, and were quickly led away from the court room into the waiting Black Maria outside the court premises.
The leadership crisis rocking the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be coming to an end as the two factions loyal to t...

The leadership crisis rocking the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be coming to an end as the two factions loyal to the National Chairman, Senator All Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee have agreed to a ceasefire pack.This development was achieved Thursday following a meeting of the groups with Bayelsa State Governor and the Chairman of the party reconciliation committee Hon. Seriake Dickson in Abuja. While Sheriff, the National Chairman of the party, was represented at the meeting by Ahmed Gulak, Bernard Mikko and Cairo Ojougboh, Makarfi, the Chairman of PDP National Caretaker Committee, was represented by Prince Dayo Adeyeye and Rt. Hon Dave Iorhemba.The communique signed by their representatives at the end of the meeting that lasted for about two hours, the warring factions said that all actors of the party should desist from making derogatory, inflammatory and divisive statements against party officials, stakeholders and members. That the party should not dissipate her energy amongst itself but to focus on how to unite and be a formidable opposition capable of taking over power from the failed APC led government.That all key actors in the on-going peace process should henceforth desist from making public press statements attacking each other and statements insinuating negative acts capable of dragging the party to the mud. In the meeting chaired by Dickson, both factions agreed that all key actors in the PDP have agreed to work together with National Reconciliation Committee led by Governor Seriake Dickson to engender peace and genuine reconciliation.The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Walid Jubril has warned that selfish ambition is destroying the party. Senator Jubril, stated this while receiving the report of the reconciliation committee, led by the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson in his Asokoro home in Abuja. However Dickson had earlier cautioned the two factions, led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, to drop their ego and ambition for the unity of the party. Much earlier Thursday, both factions of PDP led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, agreed to a cessation of inflammatory statements.The agreement was reached under the supervision of the partys reconciliation committee led by the Bayelsa State governor, Hon Seriake Dickson in Abuja. According to Senator Walid, he warned that Selfish or personal ambition should never try to destroy this party. He further dismissed plans to form a new party adding Any attempt by any member to leave PDP for an unborn party is not a good decision. You cannot build a solid house and abandon it mid way. We must never behave as never do well.We must resolve our compromises. We need two strong parties, PDP and other one. He noted that while judiciary is doing its best to resolve the problem legally, the political solution is also welcome. He stated that BOT will meet with other organs of the party, So that we can call our convention before or latest by June. I want to assure our members that Peace will return to PDP and all our differences will be resolved.Governor Dickson while presenting the report said We will also be failing to point out that whether we succeed or how soon we succeed will be based on the collaboration of all of us. Let us leave all personal grievances and ambitions behind. This party is not about Makarfi and Sheriff alone.Let us all unite, leave egos and ambition. He maintained that Sheriff has written an undertaken to allow the convention committee free hand to operate and for party officers holding officer should resign ahead of the convention.
Many companies awarded contracts by the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) cannot be located, a senator alleged yesterday.

Many companies awarded contracts by the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) cannot be located, a senator alleged yesterday.Senator Shehu Sani, Chairman, Senate adhoc committee on mounting humanitarian crisis in the North East, told reporters in Abuja that over 20 companies were involved in the phony contracts.Of the about N1.3 billion jobs awarded, the most controversial is the N220 million contract for the removal of wild grass and provision of 115 hectares of simplified irrigation in Yobe State, awarded to Rholavision Engineering Limited. The firm is linked to Lawal.The Kaduna Central lawmaker, who described the development as strange, said that the inability of his committee to trace the addresses of the firms reinforced its desire to interact with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawal, who headed PINE.Sani said: Meanwhile, you should understand that we are not investigating the SGF alone. We are investigating contracts that were awarded under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) and over 20 companies were involved.But something very strange is the fact that some of these companies in these contracts we couldnt actually trace their addresses.We went there but we couldnt find them. So the option before us is that it is easier for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for us to find some of these names here.He added: One of the persons we invited happens to be the SGF and his invitation followed the events that came after the interim report was tendered before the Senate and that was in his own claim that he was not given a fair hearing.He sent a second letter asking for another opportunity to appear before us and he sent a letter to the committee through the leadership of the Senate and that letter overrides any other rumours you may have heard before.Like all other persons, I read it on the pages of the newspapers that he went to court but we have never been served any letter on any legal action as far as we are concerned .Before then, we also received a letter from the MD of Rolavision who said he was bereaved but the official letter is the one we received from the SGF, which he signed himself and he graciously told us that he needs a new date, based on the fact that the date that was set for today was not convenient for him. So that was the reason I tendered the letter in plenary.We need to be meticulous because reputations and lives of people are concerned and it is on that background that on the final phase of the report, we have to do a thorough job.We have our papers on the ground and we are set to invite all those persons. It was supposed to be today but, of course, it couldnt happen. We assure the members of the public through the media that we are going to announce the next date for the public hearing.But we are assuring Nigerians that we will discuss with the Senate to give us a convenient date that he is going to come because he is the head of this PINE and the companies that are associated with these contracts are known.But we said we appreciate his humility due to the fact that what was stated on the pages of the newspapers was not correct.In this time when there is a frosty relationship between the parliament and appointees of this government, I believe that this is a new phase  signing the letter himself, sending it to us, requesting for a new date. I think he has been humble and we are going to consider his request.Well, the most important thing is that we have received the letter before the hearing and he has apologised to others for the inconveniences caused, but the issue is that we cant afford to talk to others without him here because it would amount to simply coming out with a second report for which we will be accused of not giving some people a fair hearing.The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, said the insinuation of friction between the Executive and the Legislature was false.Enang told reporters that the Executive had great respect for the institution of the Senate.He said: Let me state that the executive has great respect for the institution of the Senate and the distinguished senators themselves and that is why the SGF personally wrote and signed the letter requesting for a rescheduling of the meeting and not saying he would not come.He is requesting for a rescheduling and the letter has been delivered and presented before the committee.Once again, I say that we have great respect for the institution of the Senate, the National Assembly and indeed the legislature.I am sure you havent had any heat about the 2017 budget because the executive and the legislature are working together.I just want to say that what is happening is that the political space is active, not that it is tense.It is active and showing that the legislature is concentrating on its work. The executive is being put under pressure in respect of what it should do and this is what is expected of the legislature under a democracy.So, Nigerians should accept that there is nothing abnormal in this situation. It has been hotter than this at other times, but we are doing everything to make sure that the temperature doesnt get higher than this.
The Presidency has warned Nigerians to stop the persistent attack on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

The Presidency has warned Nigerians to stop the persistent attack on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.Issuing the warning, the Personal Assistant to the President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie noted that those who were uncomfortable with Buharis anti-corruption fight were behind the unwarranted attacks against Buhari and his appointees.Onochie, in a statement on her Facebook page stressed that despite the unwarranted attack, Buhari had the political will to tackle corruption that created insecurity and economic recession in the country.Berating the Nigerian senate for subjecting Buharis appointees to ridicule, Onochie maintained that the war against Buhari was bound to fail.The statement titled These Attacks On the President Must Stop reads, At the risk of Sounding like a broken record, I will continue to insist that there are people who are uncomfortable with a President Buhari-led Presidency in our nation.This is because he has shown that he has the political will to tackle, especially, the corruption that created insecurity and economic recession in our nation.Their tactics include, hurling mud at those he appointed to be part of his team. From the Vice President to the SGF, from the Minister of Finance to the A Chairman of EFCC, CG Customs to COAS. Those they cannot label Corrupt, they label inefficient, immature and arrogant.But are they acting in the overall interest of Nigerians? The facts point to a No.Its a war against President Muhammadu Buhari and the war he is ably leading Nigerians to wage against Corruption. Where there are no issues, they manufacture one.DID THE SENATE SUMMON THE SGF?My answer would be, No! They invited him to an Open Hearing. It was the same invitation extended to members of the public. ONCE MORE?The first was a request for documents which were sent to them. This one is an invitation to a Public hearing. No mention was made in the letter, the reason why the SGF was invited to this hearing.Unless I do not understand English language, when you are invited to a Public hearing, its similar to being invited to a wedding or a Chieftaincy ceremony. You have a choice to attend, send a representative or not attend at all.If it was a SUMMON, it will say so, somewhere in the body of the letter. The content of the letter would be specifically tailored to ORDER or COMPEL the addressee to attend. He will be told what he was expected to do at the hearing.What I see in this letter is like inviting one to a hearing as an observer OR A VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTOR. This is what happens when you want to be the lawmaker and the law enforcer. They have stepped beyond themselves and they are struggling to wipe the mud they have on their faces.This is nothing but harassment and its great news the issue is now before a court of competent jurisdiction. And I hope Engr. Babachir Lawal is suing for serious damages and compensation too.The Senate is now falling into the habit of calling on the President to sack those he chose to work with him.The latest is Col. Hameed Ali, CG Custom. The President can sack anyone but it has to be his decision based on credible evidence of wrong-doing. He shouldnt be hounded with Sack this, sack that because they want to give the impression that all the Presidents men are corrupt.This war against the Presidents war on corruption is bound to fail. Its a war Nigerians elected President Muhammadu Buhari to wage and the wars insecticides only kill insects! And there are a lot of insects in Nigeria, including the Senate.Theres no hiding place for those with a history of corruption or those who have criminality in their DNA. The war on corruption will continue to be waged for as long as some people continue to make corruption an enterprise.
The family of late Dr. Orji Allwell, who jumped into the Lagoon on Sunday from the Third Mainland Bridge, has lampooned journalists for th...

The family of late Dr. Orji Allwell, who jumped into the Lagoon on Sunday from the Third Mainland Bridge, has lampooned journalists for the manner the media gave undue publicity to his death.Orjis elder brother, who was away, reportedly returned to the family house in Lagos visibly angry following the recovery of Allwells remains from the Lagoon on Wednesday, rushed into the apartment and marched everybody out of the residence including journalists, and thereafter shut the gates with keys to prevent people from gaining access.He openly expressed his displeasure at journalists for the way the media carried their tragic story, stressing that the death of their brother was a complex one.Orjis brother said: We dont want to see any journalist. We are mourning our brother; we need privacy to sort out something. We didnt invite journalists.This was confirmed by an emergency response team member, who craved to be quoted under anonymity.He told journalists following up on the late doctors story: The last time I called the family, one of them rained abuses on me until I informed him that I was not a journalist but an emergency officer.Another source said that Orjis relatives were angry that what was seen as the most tragic incident in the family was blown out of proportion and celebrated by the media.
The Nigerian army on Friday said it had rescued four women and six children that were held captive by Boko Haram insurgents.

The Nigerian army on Friday said it had rescued four women and six children that were held captive by Boko Haram insurgents.Sani Usman, director, army public relations, in a statement said a Boko Haram improvised explosive devices (IED) factory was destroyed at Gombole village in Konduga local government area of Borno.He said troops of the 103 battalion of operation Lafiya Dole discovered the factory during a clearance operation in the village.Usman said the troops also recovered four suicide vests, four stolen military desert camouflage and three motorcycles from them.He said the troops neutralised a number of the insurgents during the operation, while others fled.Unfortunately, a soldier sustained injury and he was evacuated by the Nigerian Air Force. The soldier is in stable condition, the army spokesman said.Troops have been conducting clearance and mop operations in areas the insurgents are suspected to have hidden after they were dislodged from their last stronghold in the Sambisa forest in December.
We had a democracy with arms; that is the worst kind of hypocrisy, Libyan activist Zahra Langhi told The Stream on Al Jazeera this week.

We had a democracy with arms; that is the worst kind of hypocrisy, Libyan activist Zahra Langhi told The Stream on Al Jazeera this week.Women were at the forefront of the Day of Rage movement that lead to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafis removal from power in 2011. Langhi was one of their leaders, helping to organise protests.As a new government began to form, Langhi co-founded the Libyan Womens Platform for Peace and began lobbying for a more gender-inclusive electoral law. The end result? Women won 17% of the seats in congress in the first election in 52 years.But they soon discovered that exclusion was the least of their problems. There was also systematic violence against women. We had congressmen who were either affiliated with militias or who were themselves militias We started seeing that congresswomen were threatened and bullied physically and verbally by other representatives, she told The Stream. This negatively impacted on the involvement of women in later governments and at voter turnouts.In the six years since Gaddafis removal, eight prime ministers have come and gone while armed factions battle for power. The root cause its the unchecked militarization, its the flow of arms, its the arms anarchy, she said. The need to demilitarize, demobilize, and to have a rehab programme for those who are traumatized by war has not been addressed by the UN-led peace process.She criticized the international communitys initial roadmap, saying the democratic toolkit focuses on rushing to elections and having a multi-party system when you dont have real constituencies or comprehension of the idea of political parties and programmes. She added that even the international pressure to have a free press and to draft a constitution actually caused a further divisiveness and polarization in society.She said the approach so far had fluctuated between looking for military resolutions or political compromises. Weve been appeasing warlords, Langhi told The Stream ahead of her appearance on the show. Its only created a weak centralised government that is not addressing any other issues.Nobody attacked the issue in Libya from a holistic approach, she expanded during this weeks show. By that I mean, addressing the humanitarian crisis in Libya, addressing the human rights violations, addressing the lack of justice in Libya, the lack of a rule of law in Libya.She called for a politics of inclusion. We need to have a fair representation in terms of gender, a fair representation in terms of generation, a fair representation in terms of culture, a fair representation in terms of all Libyans of diaspora and inside of Libya, a fair representation as well of urban and rural areas of the capital and more disenfranchised regions and cities. I cannot only focus on womens empowerment; I need to address the other issues as well.While she said the right of movement, civil society activists and ordinary citizens were all under attack in Libya, she added that it was important to talk about the external as well as the internal factors driving the instability in Libya. There is proxy war at the moment in Libya, she said. We need to end the unilateral interference in Libya Libya is not a piece of cake.Speaking about the imminent Human Rights Council resolution on Libya, she said, Its about time we had either a commission of enquiry or a panel of experts that monitors the situation and ends impunity in all of Libya.She also addressed the pending appointment of a new special envoy for UNSMIL: Its disappointing that weve never seen the appointment of a female special envoy, someone who knows the region, who has a different kind of approach to peacebuilding We need to lobby the secretary general to make the process of the appointment of special envoys a process that is transparent  and not only influenced by the super powers Women and the local communities should have a say. And our say is that the special envoys so far have failed miserably in Libya.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson has commended Nigeria for the effective strategies adopted to combat the destructive activities...

The U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson has commended Nigeria for the effective strategies adopted to combat the destructive activities of the Boko Haram terrorists, urging other countries of the world to learn the strategy deployed by Nigeria if the global terrorist group, ISIS must be defeated.Tillerson gave the commendation at the meeting of the Global Coalition Working to Defeat ISIS.The meeting was attended by Ministers of Foreign Affairs and senior leaders of the 68 countries of the global coalition working to defeat ISIS, in Washington, D.C.Tillerson described the coalition of the Multi-National Joint Task Force against Boko Haram as a success story that the Global Coalition Working to Defeat ISIS must build on.Our information sharing as a coalition has prevented a number of attacks, and this must expand and accelerate regardless of departmental or international rivalries.One example of this is West African nations who have put aside national differences to combat Boko Haram.Let us build on this good example, the secretary of state said. Tillerson commended Nigeria and the other neighbouring countries for putting aside their differences and uniting against Boko Haram.We need greater intelligence and information sharing within our own domestic intelligence agencies and among our nations.We know military strength will stop ISIS on a battlefield, but it is the combined strength of our coalition that will be the final blow to ISIS, he said.He said ISIS was connected across every continent, adding we must work to break every link in its chain. Our information sharing as a coalition has prevented a number of attacks, and this must expand and accelerate regardless of departmental or international rivalries.We also must look this enemys ideology in the eyes for what it is: a warped interpretation of Islam that threatens all of our people. According to him, many come from middle class or even upper class backgrounds, drawn to a radical and false utopian vision that purports to be based upon the Quran.Muslim partners and leaders of their faith must combat this perverse ideological message. And we are grateful that so many have and are ready to take up this responsibility. But let me be clear: we must fight ISIS online as aggressively as we would on the ground.ISIS presents an ongoing challenge to our collective security, but as we have seen, it is not more powerful than we are when we stand together, he said.Nigerias Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, emphasised the role of the coalition to defeat terrorists, drawing from the Boko Haram experience.The multinational joint task force is a good example of how a coalition can help tackle terrorism and extremism  in our case, the terrorist group Boko Haram, Olonisakin said. Nigerias defence chief said ISIS, just like Boko Haram, is a threat to collective global security and challenged the international community to act decisively to defeat the terrorist organizations.In the words of Secretary of State Tillerson, ISIS presents a great threat to our collective security. So we must act now.We must act collectively. We must act decisively to destroy ISIS and other terrorist organizations, he said.Among those who attended the meeting were the Charge daffaires of the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, Amb. Hakeem Balogun and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
UPDATE: Mom, 6-year-old son found stabbed to death

MAPLE SHADE -- Authorities are investigating two deaths at an apartment complex in Maple Shade, according to 6abc.com.

Two people were found unresponsive inside a unit at Fox Meadow Apartments around 9 p.m. Thursday, the television station reported.

The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office declined to provide additional information, though there was a heavy police presence there late Thursday.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
If you call 911 in Newark after having a car accident, you might be on your own.

Officers won't come to the scene of accidents without injuries.

Bamboozled learned of this policy after Barry David of Jersey City got into an accident at the intersection of Bloomfield and Highland Avenues last year.

No one was injured, but there was damage to his car.

The other driver didn't have a license, registration or insurance card, so David called police.

He said dispatch promised an officer would arrive soon.

Twenty minutes passed with no officers, so he called again. This time he was told someone was on the way.

While Barry waited, he asked the driver for her information again. Instead, she called the owner of the car.

The owner arrived and presented his documentation, but nothing for the driver, David said.

His next call to 911 -- with information that the driver didn't have any paperwork -- brought a surprise.

"I was told by the dispatcher that Newark police are not required to report to... car accidents (without injuries) and for both parties to walk in the reports," David said.

That sounded wrong to David, but it was indeed correct.

The police department policy came in the form of a memo from former police director Samuel DeMaio in 2010.

The 2010 memo that instructed police not to go to minor accidents.

"Effective immediately, radio cars shall not be dispatched to motor vehicle accidents involving no injury and minor damage," the memo said. "It shall be the call takers [CQ] responsibility to determine if there are injuries involved, if vehicles are drivable, and the extent of the damage to the vehicles."

The memo also said dispatchers should tell drivers that officers won't be dispatched, and that they should exchange information and follow up with their insurance companies or visit a precinct to file a report.

We asked current police director Anthony Ambrose about the policy, and he said it would be reviewed to see if it should stand.

"I am leaning on the customer side. I believe in customer service, but you have to realize in 2010 we had a 30 percent reduction, so I have almost 400 fewer officers, so that's probably why [the policy was instituted]," Ambrose said at the time. "I'm looking at it and giving it hard consideration to possibly restore it."

He said the decision should be made in about six weeks, which would have been late January.

When we called to check in late January, no decision had been made and we were asked to call again at the end of February.

We did, and we were told they needed more time.

By mid-March, though, there was still no decision.

"Director Ambrose is planning to address the policy you inquired about," a public information officer said in an email. "However, we do not have a timeline for the policy change as other priorities are being addressed."

Indeed, we're sure the Newark PD has bigger fish to fry, but it seems this issue is a relatively simple one.

Either there are enough officers to respond to accidents, or there aren't.

This practice isn't uncommon with larger departments, our reporting found, but it's still a big deal for drivers. There could be consequences when trying to get an insurance company to pay on a claim -- something David is still fighting about with the car owner's insurance company.

Barry David stands with his car, showing the damage from his accident in Newark.

The other large town police departments we spoke to said it's not uncommon for police not to respond if the damage is less than $500.

The problem here is that it's tough for a driver to determine the value of the damage at an accident scene. Even a small dent can cause a large body shop bill.

State law says drivers involved in an accident with damage of more than $500 must report the incident to the local police and complete a report within 10 days. (See N.J.S.A 39:4-130.)

We took the issue to Steve Carrellas, head of the New Jersey chapter of the National Motorists Association.



Carrellas said state law requires a motorist to notify police and file an accident report if injuries are involved or if damage exceeds $500. The law doesn't require police to respond, but if they do arrive at the scene to investigate, they must produce an accident report.



We imagine all those man hours are a big reason why Newark and other large municipalities don't require officers to report to all accident scenes.



"The real need for sending police to the scene is for the protection of motorists who are otherwise preoccupied with the aftermath of the accident and are less likely to be aware of their surroundings," Carrellas said.

In this case, police would have come in handy to enforce the law related to the required documentation because one of the drivers couldn't produce a license, registration or insurance card.

And having an officer on the scene also might have helped David in his fight against the insurance company, which isn't over yet.

David says he's frustrated that Newark hasn't made a decision on this policy, and he's still pursuing a lawsuit against the insurance company and others related the accident. We'll let you know what happens.



Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.
UPDATE: Officials said the babies died from natural causes.

LINDENWOLD -- A day after a mother called 911 because her infant twins were not breathing, the investigation into what caused their deaths is still ongoing.

One cause of death that authorities apparently did not suspect is carbon monoxide poisoning.

Lindenwold Fire Chief Michael Nolan said that his department would definitely have been asked to respond with meters to read the levels if there was even a chance of carbon monoxide poisoning. They were not, he confirmed.

In fact, he said, fire department staff were on their way to The Pines apartment complex in response to the 911 call for a medical emergency shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday. But after police arrived on scene, they told the fire department to cancel their response.

The 7-month-old girls were pronounced dead at 8:30 a.m., according to the Camden County prosecutor's office.

The office has not said whether investigators suspect foul play or natural causes are to blame in the deaths.

Camden County woman calls 911, hysterical, saying her infant daughters were not breathing; later pronounced dead. https://t.co/eQD95vecXH pic.twitter.com/IwnOXL1Ieh  Matt O'Donnell (@matt_odonnell) March 23, 2017

Alexandra McVeigh, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, said that the test results are still pending from the medical examiner's autopsies and so an official cause of death is not yet being released.

"We're still waiting on the results," she said Thursday afternoon. She said she could not say how long that may take.

Their mother, who has been identified by 6abc as Alexandria Garnett, called 911 sobbing that her twins were turning purple and not breathing.

Kimberlee Moran, director of forensics and associate teaching professor at the University of Rutgers-Camden, said that skin that appears purple or blueish is a sign of any kind of oxygen deprivation in the blood.

In contrast, if a person dies from carbon monoxide poisoning, their lips tend to become a bright, cherry red, Moran said.

"The fact that there's a blue color and not a cherry red probably means it wasn't carbon monoxide," she said.

Police and staff from the prosecutor's office investigated at Garnett's apartment for part of the morning Wednesday, as news of the deaths spread around the complex on Bilper Avenue.

Alice Shields, who lived a few doors down from Garnett, said she had seen the family a few days before and they all seemed well. She said Garnett also had a young son.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
BRIDGETON -- The Cedarville man accused of stabbing his estranged wife to death in front of their son was indicted Wednesday for her murder, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office.

The Cumberland County grand jury indicted 32-year-old Jeremiah Monell on charges of murder, weapons offenses and contempt. He remains in Cumberland County Jail.

Tara O'Shea-Watson, 35, was killed on Dec. 18 in her Commercial Township home.

The two were married, but estranged, and had two children together. O'Shea-Watson had a restraining order filed against Monell in May 2016 and he was indicted in August for a domestic violence charge, although it was dismissed by O'Shea-Watson a month before her death.

According to O'Shea-Watson's friends, Monell was abusive to her and she was planning on fleeing to Tennessee with her two children to escape her estranged husband.

O'Shea-Watson was stabbed multiple times in her Raymond Drive home in the Laurel Lake section of Commercial Township. Police quickly identified Monell as a suspect and launched a manhunt for him. He was arrested two weeks later after he was found camping out in an Atlantic County woods.

Monell was last in Cumberland County Courthouse on March 2 for a pre-indictment conference, where he turned down an offer to plea guilty to murder, where he would serve at least 30 years in prison.

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- At least one firefighter was injured battling a large fire in Newark overnight into Friday morning, according to a report.

NBCNewYork.com said one firefighter was hurt, though News 12 New Jersey put the number of injuries at four.

Three families -- eight people in all -- were displaced following the overnight fire on the 800 block of Summer Avenue near the corner of Verona Avenue in the city's North Ward.

Multiple businesses on the first floor and apartments above were destroyed in the fire, which broke out at 11 p.m. Thursday, NBCNewYork.com said. The businesses include a grocery store and several restaurants.

Firefighters contained the fire by 5 a.m. and were packing up their gear at 6:30 a.m.

The cause of the fire hasn't been determined, CBS-2 said. CBS said three people were hurt, including one firefighter.

Officials didn't immediately respond to a request from NJ Advance Media for additional information.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
parkga0916barcol Sapone(2).JPG

The owner of J&L Parking lot on McWhorter Street in Newark is trying to convince the city's zoning board that it should be allowed to operate.

(Patti Sapone)

The J&L Parking lot issue in Newark keeps dragging on when it shouldn't.

Last week there should have been some resolution from the zoning board of adjustment on whether or not owners of the surface parking lot at 28 McWhorter St. would be given permission to continue operating.

About 20 members of PLANewark, a community group of residents, architects and planners, showed up to oppose the lot that should not be in business.

Lisa Scorsolini, an attorney with New Jersey Appleseed, a nonprofit legal advocacy center, was prepared to argue on the group's behalf. Earlier in the day, she submitted a legal brief to the zoning board, confident the board would rule in PLANewark's favor at the meeting.

That's about as far as it got.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

The attorney for McWhorter LLC, which is owned by Jose Lopez Jr., was granted a postponement.

Jennifer Carrillo-Perez, the attorney, said new circumstances had surfaced and more time was needed to prepare. She said the parking lot, located behind Penn Station in the Ironbound, is part of the city's Mulberry Commons redevelopment project.

The project, under developed by Edison Properties, of which Lopez is partner, calls for a 22-acre public park with retail space and a pedestrian bridge to connect the Ironbound to downtown Newark.

The parking lot is two blocks from Penn Station, but Baye Adofo-Wilson, the city's director of housing and community development, said the parking lot it is not part of the Mulberry Common's project.

Carrillo-Perez, the attorney for McWhorter LLC, has not responded to numerous phone calls to explain how the parking lot is connected to the project.

But Scorsolini, residents, and Renee Steinhagen, the executive director of the legal advocacy center, have a pretty good idea about what's going on.

"They are trying to bide time,'' said Steinhagen, an attorney for PLANewark and executive director of NJ Appleseed. "It just makes no sense.''

She speculated that McWhorter LLC introduced the Mulberry Commons project into the case as a new tactic because it could not convince the zoning board to approve its application for the current parking lot.

Adofo-Wilson said McWhorter LLC has a constitutional right to file a new application with the zoning board for a parking lot, but Scorsolini and Steinhagen have good reason to disagree.

Last August, the state Appellate Division sided with the residents against McWhorter LLC. In its decision the three-member panel said McWhorter LLC failed to prove that the parking lot would benefit the community, that it would not adversely impact the neighborhood, or that it would go against the city's master plan. Surface parking lots are not compatible with the city's master plan, which calls for underground parking and a mix of commercial and residential developments.

The three-member panel also said that the zoning board should not have approved a variance in 2012 to allow the parking lot to operate. Attorney's for Lopez sought to appeal the decision, but the Supreme Court denied the request in December.

All of this means is that the parking lot should not be in business, but the city has not yet shut it down, despite a request from Steinhagen.

"If J&L wishes to continue the parking lot operation, they must convince the board that their proposed changes are sufficient to be a new application,'' Adofo-Wilson said. "If they fail in that regard, the decision of the Appellate Division can be enforced by the city.''

Steinhagen and Scorsolini said the city doesn't have to wait for the zoning board to enforce its laws and that McWhorter LLC should not have been permitted to come before the board with a request to operate as a parking lot.

"You don't get a second bite at the apple,'' Scorsolini said. "The law says you can't submit a second application for the same property by the same owner for the same project.''

It's already a parking lot and there wasn't anything in last week's application to suggest that the use of the land as a parking lot would be different.

McWhorter LLC proposed cosmetic changes, such as enhanced lighting, additional trees, a few more parking spaces. None of it changes the lot's use.

MORE CARTER: From Brazil to Newark with love

However, Lopez, has said the goal is to develop the property and that the lot is not intended to be permanent.

Unfortunately, residents remain frustrated. They've been fighting this for five years.

Lenny Thomas said surface parking lots detract from the neighborhood, because motorists who use them during the day leave for the evening, without bringing their business into the Ironbound.

"They (McWhorter LLC) said it helps the neighborhood, but nobody comes into the neighborhood,'' Thomas said "They don't give anything to the neighborhood.''

Zemin Zhang, another resident, said the city's zoning has not changed to allow for McWhorter LLC's latest claim that the lot is somehow part of the Mulberry Common project

"We can't take their plan seriously,'' he said.

The zoning board will hold another hearing on the parking lot controversy on May 11. Time to finally settle this one.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or http://connect.nj.com/user/bcarter/posts.html or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL
NEWARK -- When Suzanne Slinin left The Mall at Short Hills in her mother's Range Rover on Dec. 12, 2013, she had no idea she was being followed, Slinin told an Essex County jury Thursday.

But prosecutors say Slinin was the first person Basim Henry and Hanif Thompson targeted three days before they and two other men were involved in Dustin Friedland's killing during the theft of the Range Rover he was driving at the upscale mall in Millburn.

Henry, 36, of South Orange, is on trial before Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin on charges of murder, felony murder, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons offenses in the Dec. 15, 2013 death of Friedland, 30, of Hoboken.

Friedland's widow, Jamie Schare Friedland, testified last week that the couple had just returned to their vehicle -- a Range Rover owned by Dustin's father -- when he was confronted by two men and fatally shot during the ensuing struggle in the mall's parking structure.

Henry, who was arrested in Easton, Pa. less than a week after the killing, was later indicted along with Hanif Thompson, Karif Ford and Kevin Roberts.

While Slinin ultimately made it safely to a friend's apartment in Fort Lee that night, she was able to clearly identify her own vehicle being followed through the mall's parking lots by a green GMC Suburban -- identified as Henry's -- in a video played for her Thursday by Assistant Prosecutor Brian Matthews.

In a taped interview with investigators played for the jury Wednesday, Henry largely admitted his role in the carjacking conspiracy, but denied having stalked any other specific vehicles in the days prior to the carjacking.

Slinin's testimony, coupled with the surveillance camera footage from the mall's parking lot, was introduced after Ravin instructed the jury the evidence was to be used only to establish Henry's motive and prior planning to steal a Range Rover.

"You may not use this evidence to decide Mr. Henry has a tendency to commit crimes, or is a bad person," he said.

FBI Special Agent John Hauger testified that both Henry and Thompson's cellphones connected to cell towers in Bergen County that night, near where a Turnpike Authority manager previously said both the Range Rover and the Suburban were recorded leaving the toll road at exit 18.

"When a phone is on, it constantly scans its environment looking for the strongest, clearest signal," Hauger said, explaining that signal will typically come from the closest cell tower.

A similar analysis showed both Thompson and Ford's cellphones, he said, were active near the Short Hills mall in a 30-minute window around the time Dustin Friedland was shot.

Both the prosecution and the defense rested Thursday afternoon, with Henry electing not to testify in his own defense.

With the jury removed from the courtroom, Henry told Ravin he had come to the decision after speaking with his attorney, Michael Rubas, who explained that he was concerned Henry's testimony could have a negative impact on any future appeals.

Rubas has moved to dismiss weapons charges in the case, but whether or not oral arguments would be heard Friday on the motion was not immediately clear, as he told Ravin he still needed to review previous court decisions relevant to his motion.

Jury charging and closing arguments are expected to be heard Tuesday.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
Weather Alert

...DENSE FOG ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST MONDAY... * WHAT...Dense fog will reduce visibility to 1 mile or less. * WHERE...Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, Mississippi Sound and Lake Borgne. * WHEN...From 11 PM this evening to 9 AM CST Monday. * IMPACTS...Low visibility will make navigation difficult. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must navigate, proceed with caution. Use proper fog signals. Make sure all running lights are on. Remember to use your radar and compass. &&

...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST MONDAY... * WHAT...Visibility one quarter to one half mile in dense fog. * WHERE...Portions of southeast Louisiana. * WHEN...From 11 PM this evening to 9 AM CST Monday. * IMPACTS...Hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you. &&
Al Ramos is the team lead registered nurse at CHI Mercy Hospital for medical, surgical and pediatrics. Hes worked at Mercy for more than 11 years.

He used a Mercy Heritage Scholarship Award to attend the 2016 Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses conference. He made a poster board that was displayed and presented to the hospital and floor.

Ramos said he got into nursing and health care because he wanted a job that involved helping others.

The most rewarding thing about working in healthcare is being a part of a persons life, helping them get through difficult times, he said. The best part about working at Mercy is my fellow coworkers. My coworkers are full of life, have endless knowledge, compassionate and fun to be around.

I do what I do because my parents instilled wonderful values in me. My parents are hardworking, persevered through it all, are always willing to help others and have strong faith. I want to be a reflection of my parents, Ramos said.

Originally from Honolulu, he attended Creighton University where he met his wife, whom he married in 2007. The couple lives in Nebraska and has an 8-year-old daughter and a grumpy old dog.

And I love food, he said.
The Iowa West Foundation has paused the majority of its $9 million commitment to the renovation of West Broadway in the wake of a change to the renovations master plan.

The foundations Board of Directors voted to continue to fund the first phase of the five-phase West Broadway project but said it couldnt reach a decision on funding the remaining phases. The board has asked the Council Bluffs City Council to work with Iowa West on the next step in the process and did not rule out revisiting the matter.

At its March 13 meeting, the council voted 3-2 to approve an amendment to the West Broadway master plan that would remove all medians from the project.

Council members Al Ringgenberg, Roger Sandau and Melissa Head voted in favor of the amendment, while Nate Watson and Sharon White were opposed.

The Iowa West board made its decision regarding beautification funding at a meeting on Tuesday and informed the city in a letter.

The board unanimously approved continued funding of phase one, which was not materially changed by the amendment. But the board said it was unable at the present time to reach a decision on whether to make a funding commitment on phases two through five.

Over the next five years, each phase is slated to begin in the spring by April 1 and finish by Nov. 1, with the roads reopening fully during the winter. Work on phase one has already started.

The amount committed to the first phase is about $1.1 million, according to Iowa West. So that leaves about $7.9 million in funding in limbo.

Ive been concerned thatd be the case, Mayor Matt Walsh said of the Iowa West boards decision. They were about a 25 percent partner on a $36 million project. The letter they gave the city clearly specified that if the master plan was approved theyd be in and, if it changed, theyd reconsider.

When you are a partner in a project, you assume youre going to be a part of the decision-making process, he said.

I guess the council members that decided to bring up the master plan and change the master plan didnt bother to talk to them, Walsh said.

In its letter, the board said the beautification of West Broadway is vital to the future of the City of Council Bluffs. The body noted that the amended plans for the remaining phases of the West Broadway project do not match the conditions stipulated when the council approved the master plan at its Oct. 10, 2016, meeting.

We are committed to the $9 million grant based upon the original design. We will continue to honor that commitment, the board said in the letter.

One of the council members opposed to the medians is hopeful the funding will be restored.

I hope Iowa West will fund the entire project, Sandau said, and trust the elected officials that the citizens put in place to make decisions like this.

Sandau said he made contact with Iowa West before the median amendment, and he was told the board would revisit the commitment if the amendment passed. He said the plan is changed only slightly by the removal of medians and would be a continuance of phase one.

I dont understand what the uncertainty is, he said. I would hope Iowa West ... maybe theyll talk about it and they will decide to fund the whole thing.

Sandau said he hopes to avoid regrets for the project.

I would hate to say 20 years from now, I really wish we wouldve made West Broadway as beautiful as we could and we didnt. I truly believe the community as a whole is 100 percent behind the beautification of West Broadway and moving forward with the project.

The board noted the master plan was the product of a yearlong planning process that involved extensive study and the input of professional engineers and architects. After feedback from business owners and residents, the amount of median coverage in the plan was scaled back from around 80 percent to 20 percent.

The council approved the master plan in October, with Sandau casting the only no vote. Iowa West said it approved its contribution based on the plan approved in October. The board said the council made a one-sided, material change to the scope of the project with the passing of the amendment.

We believed we had an agreement between partners on the scope of this project. If the city is allowed to make material and substantial changes to the West Broadway beautification project unilaterally and mid-way through the project, that creates a situation where the foundation has funded the project without knowing the ultimate outcome of the project, the board said in the letter.

You would never allow us to do that, and you can certainly understand that we cant go forward on that basis, Iowa Wests board observed.

Watson, who voted to keep the medians last week, said hed like to see the council restore the original compromise agreed upon in the fall of 2016, which resulted in the plan with a limited amount of medians.

It is a fair deal. Id hate to see the west end get shorted again, he said. We need to return to the compromise that we agreed to last October.

Both Sandau and Jeff Ballenger  a local business owner who was a vocal opponent of the medians  shared a similar sentiment that the board had acted unilaterally in withholding the funds.

Id encourage them to fund the project less the cost of the medians. The commitment would be less, maybe those dollars could be used elsewhere, said Ballenger, who owns the Gorilla Wash car wash chain. Whats the alternative? The alternative is to not fund it. Im not sure what they accomplish. Because five medians werent in it, theyre not going to fund the rest?

Ringgenberg said he was concerned about the language of the letter, noting the boards issue with the council deciding on the median amendment without Iowa West input.

Im a little concerned by the wording of the letter, where they suggest they have ultimate veto power over all decisions on the corridor project, he said. They said that we had no right to act unilaterally; I have an issue with that.

Ballenger lauded Iowa West for its contributions in the community over its existence. He noted the public outcry against the medians helped lead to the amendment.

The City Councils job is to represent the people, thats what theyre elected to do. Thats not the job of Iowa West. Their job is to distribute money to projects they deem worthy, he said. The community spoke loud and clear on the medians, and the council responded. It sounds like because the board or (Iowa West President and CEO) Pete (Tulipana) doesnt like that decision, they are going to withhold the funds. I dont see the logic in that.

John Nelson, chairman of the SilverStone Group and a proponent of the compromise plan agreed to in October, said, I dont blame Iowa West for what theyve done.

When you have a legal agreement between two parties, you need to have a discussion, you cant unilaterally change the agreement, he said. I would hope there can be a resolution to this for the sake of the town. I have no idea whether thats possible.

In the letter, the board said, ... we stand ready, willing and able to fund the streetscape beautification for West Broadway. Based upon this letter, we would like the City Council to respond to Pete Tulipana on how you wish to proceed.

Iowa West spokeswoman Nicole Lindquist said the foundation wouldnt comment beyond what the letter says. Rick Crowl, president of the Iowa West board, declined to comment when reached.

On Thursday, Walsh said he had not spoken with Tulipana about the issue yet.

My game plan is this was an issue pushed by three council members. I did my job lining up the financing originally. I think its up to these three council members, Walsh said referring to Sandau, Ringgenberg and Head. Im not going to play the role of intermediary. Im stepping out and will see what well do.

White, the other median proponent, acknowledged the possible fallout of the median decision.

I knew this was a potential consequence of the vote the council made, White said. Im appreciative that theyre willing to continue on with the funding of segment one. Im hopeful this can be resolved before the start of segment two.

Asking about the path forward, White said, I think itll be up to the council members that wanted to see a change to reach out according to the letter.

Without the money, Walsh lamented West Broadway would look the same as it is today, other than a new sewer system in there.

Head said shes hopeful the council will be able to meet with Iowa West. She said she expected the issue to be discussed at the council meeting on Monday, as the body decides what to do next.

Head floated the idea of a public meeting between the council and Iowa West representatives that would allow the council to explain why it made the changes to the plan.

Hopefully, after that, theyll still be willing to move forward with the project, she said.
A local bar owner once featured on Bar Rescue and later convicted of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse disputed in court Thursday the amount of restitution he owed his victim.

Matthew Overmyer, 35, co-owner of the O Face Bar in Council Bluffs, sat in court clad in a yellow jumpsuit and handcuffs. Overmyer pleaded guilty in October and was sentenced to 90 days in the Pottawattamie County Jail which began Jan. 16.

Overmyers attorney, Michael Hooper, said his client was disputing the $9,640 his victim had claimed in restitution from him.

The woman said $9,000 of the money was estimated loss of wages after she quit her job at the O Face Bar after Overmyer sexually assaulted her on Feb. 2, 2016.

The remaining restitution was from her clothes which she claimed were never returned to her after she left them at Overmyers apartment  where she had been living at the time  plus clothing that was collected as evidence after the assault.

Hooper said the amount of damages held insufficient proof without any form of tax documents since the woman had been paid by the bar through cash, which she stated in her testimony.

I believe (the damages) are excessive, Hooper said.

Fourth District of Iowa Judge Greg Steensland called the restitution amount speculative.

However, I do find that she was out of work, Steensland said. And the amount for her clothing is probably low.

Steensland, who calculated how much wages the victim may have lost while being unemployed, ordered the restitution Overmyer must pay to be lowered to $4,640.

Overmyers bar was twice featured on Spike TVs Bar Rescue. The exposure caused the Council Bluffs City Council to deny Overmyers bar its liquor license, a decision that was overturned on appeal to the state.

He will serve two years of probation following his sentence and will undergo a sex offender treatment program. A no-contact order with the victim has been issued for five years. Overmyer also will have to register as a sex offender.
The annual Iowa Special Olympics Polar Plunge at Lake Manawa near the Council Bluffs Country Club is set to begin at noon Saturday.

Council Bluffs Police Sgt. Ron Albers, who is on the committee to organize the event, said the weather this year isnt very polar-like  technically, its already spring  but should be fun.

No ice on the water, so weve got that going for us, he said.

Those interested in registering can do so at Barleys, 114 W Broadway from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. Same day registrations can be done at Barleys from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.

You can also register online at firstgiving.com/soiowa/council-bluffs-polar-plunge-2017.

Registration costs $75. For each $75 raised, a name from your group will be entered into a raffle for the door prize drawing.

Costumes are encouraged, but fun is required. Prizes will be given based on best costume (individual and team), top individual fundraiser, top online fundraiser and top chicken fundraiser (one who doesnt plunge).

 Reporter Mike Bell can be reached at (712) 325-5764 or by email at mbell@nonpareilonline.com.
Since their emergence in Afghanistan nearly a quarter-century ago, the Afghan people and the world at large have been perplexed by how to respond to the ragtag Taliban militia determined to rule the country as a hard-line Islamist regime.

The Taliban failed to moderate or normalize into a postwar legitimate Afghan government. Their relations with transnational militant networks such as Al-Qaeda, Pakistans numerous jihadist organizations, and Central Asian militants resulted in their regime being toppled by a U.S.-led military intervention after Al-Qaeda orchestrated the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington from its Afghanistan safe haven.

The demise of their regime in late 2001, however, didnt end the Taliban movement. They soon re-emerged as an insurgency that sustained military operations by NATO troops for more than a decade.

Today, the Taliban control large swathes of the Afghan countryside, which they mostly overran after the departure of most NATO troops in late 2014. The insurgents, however, have failed to overrun major population centers and are nowhere close to toppling Afghanistans national unity government as long as Kabul receives substantial international aid and support.

The battlefield stalemate extends into the political sphere. Nearly a decade of diplomatic efforts to end the Afghan war through a negotiated solution between the Afghan government and the Taliban has yielded little. The two sides have only met once in direct talks.

The Afghan peace process is clouded by mutual suspicion, domestic political intrigue, efforts by warring parties to gain decisive battlefield advantage, and the not-so-covert efforts by Afghanistans neighbors to prevent a peaceful resolution.

U.S. President Donald Trumps new administration is already grappling with one of the key questions his three predecessors have faced: What to do with the Afghan Taliban? His generals have already called for more U.S. boots on the ground in Afghanistan.

To discuss this question, RFE/RL Media Relations Manager and Gandhara Podcast host Muhammad Tahir turned to Bill Roggio and Eric Jones in Washington. Roggio is managing editor of the Long War Journal website while Eric Jones runs the Foreign Intrigue website.

Hekmatullah Azamy, a researcher at the Kabul-based Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies, shared insights about the Taliban perspective on war and peace in Afghanistan. Contributing from Prague, I argued that strengthening the Afghan state, regional cooperation, and reconciliation among all Afghans will provide the right solution for ending the Taliban insurgency.

Listen to or download the Gandhara Podcast:

The views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.
Girls get look at some non-traditional careers

Anna Bernston, an eighth-grader at Hershey Public Schools, has felt neck pain recently. After viewing her nervous system scan on a laptop screen, staff from Perry Family Chiropractic could tell.

Bernston attended the Expanding Your Horizons conference at North Platte Community College on Thursday. More than 300 middle-school girls from 16 schools heard from more than 20 presenters in fields related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Each presenter was a woman, said Bridget Lange, a test center coordinator at the colleges career services and a coordinator for the event.

Although the event is hosted nationwide, NPCC is the only Nebraska college to host it, Lange said.

Lange said that STEM fields are typically male-dominant. However, women in STEM fields find they enjoy them as much as men do, she said.

In the 20-plus years that NPCC has hosted the event, Lange has seen more girls and women enter STEM areas of study at the college.

In addition to scanning girls spines, presenters from Perry Family Chiropractic explained their field to the girls and a little about the spine itself. The lower back and neck work together, presenters said. If the top of someones spine isnt working right, the bottom likely isnt either.

In other classrooms across the NPCC South Campus, girls learned about being firefighters, 911 dispatchers, veterinarians, dental hygienists and assistants, engineers and meteorologists and about working with robotics.

I think its actually really fun, said Micalah Shirley, an eighth-grader at Gothenburg Public Schools. She attended the animal science seminar in the morning and was headed to a demonstration hosted by the Edgerton Explorit Center of Aurora as she spoke.

For Shirley, Langes speculations may come true. Someday, she wants to be a veterinarian.
Geekologie has shut down.

Thank you to everybody.

Now go be happy.
NEW YORK  A number of retailers, particularly clothing stores, are shuttering locations as shoppers move online and find fashion inspiration from social media. Some analysts believe the trend will only accelerate later this year.

While U.S. clothing sales increased 3 percent overall to $218.7 billion last year, department stores and national mall-based chains saw a drop of 4 percent, says market research firm NPD Group Inc. Discounters enjoyed a 1 percent increase, and off-price stores like T.J. Maxx and Ross saw sales rise 5 percent.

Even so, retail space rose to 7.76 billion square feet in 2016 in 54 U.S. metropolitan areas  about six times per capita that of countries like Britain, the International Council of Shopping Centers said. Richard Hayne, CEO of Urban Outfitters, likens the retail industry to a housing bubble. And it looks like it's starting to burst, at least for some types of retailers.

In Northwest Indiana and nearby Illinois, the list of stores closing since the holidays has grown and grown, and they are not exclusively clothing stores. The Gordmans in Valparaiso and Schererville along with Family Christian stores in Hobart, South Holland and Matteson are the most recent victims, with owners of both announcing in mid-March they plan to liquidate all locations.

Other retail chains that have closed or plan to to close all or some of their stores in the Region include MC Sports, The Limited, Wet Seal, Kmart, Sears Appliance and Hardware, Carson's Clearance Center and Gander Mountain.

Here is a quick look at some of the national brands that are closing stores or disappearing:

J.C. Penney

Headquarters: Plano, Texas.

The company plans to close 138 stores, with liquidation sales there starting next month. Most of the stores will be shut by mid-June, the company said. The closings will leave J.C. Penney with a total of about 900 stores

The Limited

Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio

The mall-based chain closed all 250 stores early this year. It had operated nearly 400 stores at the end of 2000.

Macy's

Headquarters: New York and Cincinnati, Ohio

The nation's largest department store chain is closing 68 locations this year as part of the 100 announced last year. Macy's brand still has more than 700 stores.

Sears Holding Corp.

Headquarters: Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

The venerable department store chain has said that after years of losing money, there's "substantial doubt" it will be able to keep its doors open. But it also insisted that its actions to turn around its business should help reduce that risk. It plans to close 108 more Kmarts and 42 more Sears locations, and has pledged more store pruning. As of late January it had 1,400 stores.

Wet Seal Inc.

Headquarters: Foothill Ranch, California

The teen retailer closed its remaining 171 locations early this year.

Abercombie & Fitch

Headquarters: New Albany, New York

The teen clothing chain is closing 60 stores this year, leaving it with a little over 800 stores. That's down from 1,000 in January 2014.

American Apparel

Headquarters: Los Angeles, California

American Apparel, which sought bankruptcy protection for the second time in just over a year in November 2016, shuttered its remaining 100-plus locations earlier this year.

Bebe Stores Inc.

Headquarters: Brisbane, California

Bebe Stores Inc., a women's fashion chain, says it's exploring strategic alternatives for the company and is working with a real estate adviser. Bebe currently operates 137 stores in the U.S. and offers Bebe-branded products in others.

BCBG

Headquarters: New York

The fashion brand known for its party dresses has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization. It had previously said it was closing 120 of its own stores, which number more than 500 worldwide.
CROWN POINT  An attorney for James Hill said Friday the Indiana Court of Appeals will take up Hill's motion to dismiss charges in the 1980 murder of Hammond police officer Lawrence J. Pucalik.

Hill, 54, of Gary, was charged Sept. 1 in Lake Criminal Court with murder, murder while committing robbery and attempted robbery on allegations he shot Pucalik on Nov. 14, 1980 at what was then the Holiday Inn-Southeast, 3830 179th St., in Hammond, according to a probable cause affidavit.

A clerk at the hotel, now dead, told police in 1980 that two men entered the building about 3 a.m. armed with handguns and demanded she fill a blue denim bag with money from the cash register, the affidavit states.

Pucalik, who worked at the hotel as a security guard, exited from a back office during the robbery and was fatally shot by one of the robbers, who then fled the scene in a blue sedan, according to the affidavit.

Prosecutors had previously charged Hill and two co-defendants in the officer's killing in June 2012, but charges were dismissed against Hill before the case went to trial.

Defense attorney Scott King said Friday the state did not have any new evidence that linked Hill to the crime, so he filed a motion to dismiss Dec. 2 that alleged the state violated James' right to a speedy trial.

King said two of Hill's alibi witnesses  his uncle and grandmother  died since the first case was dismissed, and therefore could no longer testify on his client's behalf.

Judge Salvador Vasquez heard arguments on the motion Jan. 13 and ruled in favor of the state. King appealed the decision to the Indiana Court of Appeals, which agreed Friday to hear the matter, according to King.

King said the criminal case would be on hold until the appellate court makes a decision, which will take at least six months.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter could not be reached for comment.
CALUMET CITY  A woman found with burns on her body Wednesday in Calumet City has yet to be identified, according to the Lake County coroner's office.

The woman, identified only as Jane Doe in a coroner's news release Thursday, was pronounced dead at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday at Franciscan Health in Hammond.

The woman's body was found in the 1400 block of Forest Avenue in Calumet city near the Illinois-Indiana state line, according to the news release.

The woman sustained burns to her body, according to the coroner's office. The manner of death is pending.

The coroner's office listed the Hammond Police Department as assisting, but a police spokesman said that was an error and Hammond police are not involved in the death investigation.*

* Editor's note: This story has been updated from a previous version.
GARY  A Gary man faces charges of reckless homicide and criminal recklessness in the Tuesday shooting death of his cousin, an 18-year-old from Indianapolis.

Damon G. Hill, 21, and his cousin, Corey Brazelton, of Indianapolis, were dancing in the living room when the gun Hill was holding in the air went off, shooting Brazelton in the chest once, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Lake County court.

Court records show Hill initially told police Brazelton was shot outside in a drive-by shooting. He also allegedly told family members to stick to the same story. Initial reports from police said Brazelton was shot about 7:30 p.m. in front of a home in the 2500 block of Tyler Street.

Hill broke down into tears once admitting to police he shot his cousin by accident while in the living room of the home.

Hill initially lied about the weapon, according to police, saying he dropped it and that someone else must have picked it up. Hill then told police he couldn't recall if he took the gun to a car outside the house. The gun has not been recovered, court records show.

Gary police responded to the home, where a woman told police her son, Brazelton's cousin, had taken him to a local hospital, according to police. Brazelton was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m. at Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus, according to the Lake County coroner's office.
LAPORTE  A LaPorte County man was seriously injured Friday morning after he allegedly led police on a high-speed chase and crashed his car.

Blake Konkey-McCarthy, 22, was airlifted to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, according to a press release from Capt. Mike Kellems.

The incident began just after 1 a.m. when LaPorte County Sheriff's Deputy officer Josh Smith spotted a car traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on U.S. 421 near Interstate 94. Smith followed the car westbound on County Road 400 North and clocked a speed of about 90 mph.

Smith attempted to stop the car, in which Konkey-McCarthy was later identified as the driver, as he allegedly increased his speed to in excess of 113 mph and disregarded a stop sign.

Smith lost sight of the car at County Road 200 South and County Line Road.

At about 1:15 a.m. deputies were notified of the car parked at the end of the driveway in the 10000 west block of County Road 200 South.

An Indiana State Trooper radioed he had spotted the car and engaged in pursuit, however lost sight of the vehicle.

As the area was being checked, wreckage was found near County Road 50 North and County Line Road. The car, an orange Nissan 350 Z, was completely destroyed and the driver was not located. Porter County Sheriff's Police K9 Officer Doug Shafer and his partner Fury tracked Konkey-McCarthy to a wooded area about 50 yards southwest of the crash scene.

A blood test taken at the hospital indicated a blood alcohol content of 0.08, the legal limit. Smith is filing a variety of criminal charges including two counts of operating while intoxicated, resisting law enforcement, reckless driving and driving while suspended.
INDIANAPOLIS  A Valparaiso man will manage the money of the Indiana Republican Party as it seeks in 2018 to win a U.S. Senate seat and keep its hold on the Statehouse.

Former Porter County GOP Chairman Chuck Williams this week was elected treasurer at the state party's reorganization meeting under new Indiana Republican Chairman Kyle Hupfer.

Hupfer said Williams will be a key member of a state party team that represents a new generation of Republican leadership for Indiana.

The real estate developer succeeds former state Rep. Dan Dumezich, R-Schererville, in the GOP treasurer post.
OGDEN DUNES  An Ogden Dunes woman, missing since Monday, has been located.

In a written statement, Ogden Dunes Town Marshall James Reeder said Hattie Jackson, 67, has been located and the investigation has ended.

"A ODPD Detective has met with Ms. Jackson and she has asked that we share no other information. ODPD thanks all of the agencies, civilians and the media who have assisted us this week in locating Ms. Jackson," said Reeder.

Jackson was reported missing by her son Monday evening. Video showed she had boarded a South Shore train at the Portage/Ogden Dunes station and arrived at Millenium station in Chicago Monday afternoon.
VALPARAISO  Roundabouts are supposed to slow traffic and reduce accidents, but some people dont like these circular interchanges.

Residents and business owners spoke against a proposed Porter County roundabout at a public hearing Thursday at Boone Grove High School sponsored by the Indiana Department of Transportation.

I dont like roundabouts. I have to find a different route, said Angela Moench, an area resident for 31 years. They create a lot of confusion.

The state is proposing a roundabout to replace the five-way intersection on Ind. 2 at County Roads 100 South and 300 West. Rickie Clark, public involvement director for INDOT, explained the roundabout is the preferred means to enhance safety at that intersection.

The current intersection, Clark said, has created an interesting challenge. In addition to speeding vehicles, he explained, the heavily traveled Ind. 2 is aligned on a significant skew. Also, the existing intersection lies atop a vertical curve along Ind. 2, impeding driver sight distance.

During public comments, Robert Rapley accused the state of doing nothing to reduce traffic problems there. As did others, Rapley recommended installing traffic lights rather than a roundabout.

I hope we can come to better terms on this issue, concluded Rapley, who lives at the intersection.

Donald Bretthorst, owner of D&G Heavy Haul, said roundabouts are not conducive to traffic flow. Bretthorst, who owns 12.5 acres in the area of the intersection, estimated it takes drivers 15 to 20 minutes to navigate a large rig through a roundabout.

The state is accepting public input on the $1.5 million project through April 10, after which INDOT will review comments throughout the spring. If the project is approved, real estate acquisition would happen this summer, with construction to begin in 2018.

Among the presenters at the public session was Christopher Waidner, vice president of transportation for Mishawaka-based Troyer Group, the design firm on the project. The idea of the roundabout, Waidner said, is to reduce traffic speed as much as possible.

The proposed roundabout would include curbs to constrain cars, Waidner said, but the circular interchange would be able to handle semis, school buses and farm vehicles, he added. With lighting, the aim is to direct drivers attention to the left, Waidner said.

Clark considered 24 accidents, none fatal, at the intersection during 2010 to 2012 a significant number, but resident and retired state trooper David Miller disagreed. Miller foresees drivers approaching the roundabout too fast, adding more traffic will come if a proposed 450-home subdivision is developed in the rural area.
VALPARAISO  Chief Petty Officer Arturo Revelo knows first hand the thrill of getting goody-filled care packages from back home while deployed abroad.

Revelo, who heads the Valparaiso-based Navy Recruiting District, Chicago, served in Iraq in 2007 and remembers distinctly the joy of receiving a care package while far from home.

"It means a lot because you feel isolated. It really does mean a lot for the community to show support for us," Revelo said.

Revelo, joined by about 25 U.S. Navy recruits, had the opportunity on Thursday to return that favor by filling and preparing for mailing 50 care packages that will be sent to U.S. Marines serving in Kuwait and other countries.

"The local recruiters try to embrace the community and this is the way we embrace the community," Revelo said of the assistance by him and fellow recruiters.

The filling of the care packages took place at the American Legion, Valparaiso Post 94 with the majority of the items and postage paid for by members there or through such public activities as weekly bingo, Sharon Wyatt said.

Wyatt, American Legion Auxiliary president, said this is the first year the legion has initiated a program called March Into Spring.

"We only began planning about three weeks ago. We kind of went crazy with it," Wyatt said, adding she got the idea from Maryann Maki, an auxiliary member, who approached legion members for assistance with postage to ship out care packages she was sending.

Maki, a Realtor with Century 21 Affiliated, said her company began sending care packages to deployed military a year ago. This year Century 21 Affiliated, which has several offices in the Midwest and Florida, will be sending 125 care packages.

"On Monday, all the boxes will be shipped out and all will hopefully arrive by Easter or right around Easter," Maki said.

Items in the care packages include toiletries, candy, gum, crackers, lip balm, peanuts and videos. Personal messages from the recruits and American Legion members were also enclosed in the care packages.

Navy Master at Arms 1 James Johnson, who wrote a message on a note tucked inside the care packages, said he remembers receiving a similar box while serving in the Middle East in 2014. His favorite items to receive included beef jerky and sunflower seeds.

"It's an extra boost to get things especially something you haven't had for awhile," Johnson said.
VALPARAISO  The doctor who led the team that brought a West African toddler to the U.S. for a successful, but complicated surgery that removed an extra spine and set of legs jutting from her neck is from Valparaiso.

Dr. John Ruge said his childhood and education in Valparaiso gave him a solid foundation for his career.

"I still have lifelong friends who live in Valpo. I just emailed one yesterday," said Dr. Ruge, whose mother, Ingrid Anderson, still lives in Valparaiso. "My teachers and Valpo were very influential on me."

A team of five doctors conducted the surgery on 10-month-old Dominique from the Ivory Coast in West Africa on March 8 at Advocate Childrens Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois where Ruge practices.

Dominique was born with a parasitic twin attached to her that was not fully developed and Ruge, a pediatric and adult neurosurgeon, was the lead on the case.

The Class of 1975 Valparaiso High School graduate said he brought the child to the United States for the surgery. He also organized the team of doctors, planned the operation and executed it.

Ruge was one of the two doctors who disconnected the nerves from an additional pelvis on Dominiques neck that belonged to her parasitic twin.

Such complicated surgeries come after a life of study and execution of challenging procedures, and Ruge said growing up in Valparaiso gave him the groundwork to realize his talents.

He singled out his high school biology teacher, Wes Maiers, and his time as a swimmer on the swim team as helping to shape his interests and talents.

"They really prepared me for college, and Mr. Maiers sparked my interest in biology and science. Valparaiso gave me a good foundation," he said.

That foundation led to a successful six-hour operation that gave Dominique the opportunity to live life as a normal child and adult, rather than paralyzed.

"She would have been a quadriplegic because the additional legs and pelvis were putting pressure on her spine," Ruge said.

He said the infant came to his attention through his involvement with Childrens Medical Missions West, a nonprofit in Ohio. Ruge asked Advocate Childrens Hospital to help the infant, and they supported the mission.

"Her prognosis is excellent. She is already thriving now that her spinal column is not encumbered. She is anticipated to return to Africa the second week of April, and were making sure she is set up to be treated like any normal child," he said.
The Indiana Legislature is on the cusp of ensuring more stability for some of our state's most vulnerable residents.

Now the Indiana Senate must fulfill what the House initiated by approving a budget that includes funds for boosting the pay of front-line workers who sustain the severely disabled.

It's an often thankless job that can take a sizable physical and emotional toll.

They're known as direct support professionals (DSPs), and they provide close, personal care for Hoosiers whose disabilities require intensive care.

Many of them work for Region nonprofits, including Tradewinds and Opportunity Enterprises, providing care and relying on state Medicaid reimbursement for funding.

Statewide, DSPs' wages are just slightly above the federal poverty level for a family of three and are 33 percent of the Indiana median income, according to Opportunity Enterprises.

This means high turnover in a position that begs for stability for the well being of the clients they serve.

The Indiana House wisely passed a budget that includes enough funding for DSPs to each receive about $1,700 more in income.

This represents a 5 percent increase in the pay rates for DSPs, Merrillville-based Tradewinds CEO Jon Gold said.

"I don't think I could do their jobs," Gold said of the DSPs. "They work with clients who, in some cases, have very difficult physical, behavioral and emotional needs. Some clearly need constant supervision, and it gets very physical and emotional at times."

Tradewinds already took its own steps to help boost the pay of its DSPs, recently approving an 18 percent raise over two or three years without state reimbursement.

But the need for a livable wage throughout the state remains.

Now the Senate must act to ensure that the final budget approved at the end of the 2017 legislative session includes these important funds.

It's part of a $10 million investment that ultimately will leverage $20 million in federal matching funds.

We all have a social duty to help those profoundly unable to help themselves.

This budget provision is but a small step in that greater direction.
Nurse lauded as heroine by patient

Sandy Ring, an imaging department nurse at Franciscan Health Crown Point, was lauded for her potentially life-saving efforts. She observed a suspicious-sounding cough when a DeMotte man reported for a CT scan. A subsequent lung scan revealed a pulmonary embolism. A short time later, the patient went to the emergency department and also received treatment from the cardiovascular unit staff. He was released two days later.

The patient sent a letter of gratitude to hospital administrators that Anderson read at the meeting. It was also discovered that I had a blood clot in my leg as well, he wrote, adding: One wonders what would have happened if Sandy did not scan my lungs. She just may have saved my life. Ring, who has been with the hospital since 1998, was awarded a restaurant gift card and received an ovation from hospital management.

Writing workshop to benefit meditation group

From 1 to 3:30 p.m. March 31, Superhero Training & Supply Inc., an an educational nonprofit dedicated to providing students and adults with tools to combat stress and anxiety through yoga, mindfulness and meditation, will sponsor a commercial magazine and publication writing workshop at CHESS Art Gallery, 6725 Kennedy Ave. in Hammond. The workshop will be hosted by Purdue University Northwest's English department and led by professional writer Lorie West.

West was most recently an associate editor at Trusted Media Brands Inc., formerly known as The Reader's Digest Association. There, she worked on staff of enthusiast magazines Birds & Blooms, Country Woman, Farm & Ranch Living and Country, while also making contributions to Reminisce and Taste of Home magazines, book projects and special interest publications.

The cost of the workshop is $20, and is limited to 20 participants who are at least 18 years old. To register, email trainer@superherotrainingandsupply.org to reserve your space. Payment by cash or VISA will be accepted at the door. Proceeds will benefit Superhero Training & Supply Inc.

St. Catherine provides free mammograms

The Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust has awarded a one year, $20,000 grant to St. Catherine Hospital for a breast cancer screening and awareness program called Pink Passion.

This is the second year the hospital has received a $20,000 grant for the mammogram screening program, and the fourth consecutive time St. Catherine Hospital has been awarded funding from the trust.

The funds are raised through the Indiana Department of Motor Vehicle sale of a Breast Cancer Awareness license plate. For each $40 plate sold, a direct tax-deductible donation of $25 is made to the trust for annual, competitively awarded grants.

For more information, call 219-392-7346 or visit comhs.org/services/womens-care.

Get an HIV test, get a gift card

The Aliveness Project NWI is sponsoring a Women and Girls HIV/Aids Awareness Day event from noon to 2 p.m. March 31 at Community Healthnet, 1021 W. Fifth Ave. in Gary in the second floor conference room.

People who get a free, confidential HIV test on site will receive a gift card. The results will be known the same day.

NWI knits over 1,000 baby hats

Each year approximately 40,000 babies are born in the United States with a congenital heart defect. Thousands of them will not reach their first birthday and thousands more die before they reach adulthood. There is reason for hope through continued research and awareness.

The tiniest patients at hospitals in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties received hand-made red hats during the month of February as part of the American Heart Associations Little Hats, Big Hearts campaign. With the support of local sponsor, Bosak Auto Group, the American Heart Association collected more than 1,000 hats and distributed 100 hats to each participating hospital in Northwest Indiana.

Last month, a little volunteer with a big heart helped distribute the hats to the hospitals. Quinn Hansen, 16 months old, of Portage, was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at birth. Accompanied by her mother, Karli Hansen, and grandmother, Mary Ann Hansen, she visited the new moms and babies in hospitals throughout the region.

Red hats for the 2018 campaign will be accepted at all Bosak Auto Group locations for the remainder of 2017. Hats can be both newborn and preemie sizes made of yarn that is red; cotton or acrylic; medium to heavy weight; and machine washable and dryable. To learn more about the program, call 219-765-0127 or visit heart.org/LittleHatsBigHearts.

School raises money for cancer

Lake Central High School Dean of Students Erin Novak knows firsthand that the power of positive thinking can make a big difference on a cancer journey. Co-workers at the school have rallied to donate $2,594 generated from their T-shirt fundraiser to the Cancer Resource Centre in Munster.

I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in December 2015 at the age of 36 and have since undergone surgery and reconstruction, Novak said. Another co-worker, who is the same age as I am, was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in August of 2016. On the day my co-worker had her surgery, I asked staff at Lake Central High School to wear pink to show support. Many suggested that we should have our own staff breast cancer awareness shirt. So, I designed the 'Believe' shirts. The front of the shirt reads, Believe, We Are LC. The back of the shirt reads, I Believe That We Will Win, a cheer our students chant at sporting events. We sold 260 shirts to co-workers.

The Cancer Resource Centre is located at 926 Ridge Road in Munster. For more information on the mind-body-spirit programs and a complete listing of upcoming classes and events, visit cancerresourcecentre.com or call 219-836-3349.

Autism service provider honored

The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence has awarded Life Strategies LLC of Crown Point and Chesterton with an Award of Distinction, recognizing the organization as a top behavioral service provider in the country. The award celebrates exceptional special needs providers that excel in the areas of clinical quality, staff satisfaction and qualifications, and consumer satisfaction. These areas are measured via a wide-ranging audit, including interviews with agency clinical leadership, a detailed staff qualification review, an anonymous staff satisfaction survey, and an anonymous consumer satisfaction survey.

BHCOE recognizes top-performing behavioral health providers. Acting as a third-party, the organization systematically measures and reports on existing quality criteria in the behavior analysis community using standardized methods and practices, and awards only those service agencies that meet elite standards.
The man killed Monday in what police say was a hate crime grew up in Jamaica, Queens and lived quietly in Midtown, where he enjoyed collecting the autographs of celebrities. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.

Timothy Caughman enjoyed snapping photos with celebrities. And like many, he posted them on social media.

On his Twitter homepage, he proudly poses with Beyonce. In his Tweets, Caughman often gave a friendly shout-out to actor Shari Headley. She tells NY1 she's heartbroken by his murder..

"I don't know what to say. It took me the entire day to get it together because I do have to work, but I was crying. You can hear my voice, it is a little bit hoarse," Headley said. "I was crying because I just don't get it., I just don't get it."

Caughman, 66, was stabbed Monday, allegedly by a white supremacist from Baltimore. Prosecutors say the suspect wanted to kill black men in New York for the exposure, and happened upon Caughman.

Caughman lived alone for years in a single room occupancy residence on West 36th Street, but he made his mark in his own way.

Headley says she met Caughman in 1991 when she was a member of the cast of the soap opera "All My Children," and he asked for her autograph

"He has only been a nice guy to me. Spread love and been very supportive," Headley said.

Caughman maintained an active and lively presence on Twitter.

He described himself in his profile as a "can and bottle recycler, autograph collector in New York City," adding, "I would love to visit California." He added that he was "good businessman." His handle was @timrock715.

He went to book-signings, and often waited outside Broadway theaters for celebrities, posing with the likes of Susan Lucci, Wyclef Jean and gymnast Gabby Douglas.

Caughman's death, at the hands of an alleged racist, has gained attention across the U.S.

Headley says she is outraged by the racist violence that still happens in America. "Even though it is through social media and meeting him as a fan, it still hits home. It is somebody that you know or know of," she said.

Caughman also appeared to be intrigued by politics.

In a series of Twitter posts, he shared photos of a trip to Washington, D.C. which included a visit to the U.S.Supreme Court, where he waited on line hoping to attend a court session..

In another post, he posed with Archie Spigner, who served for nearly 30 years on the City Council representing Queens, where Caughman once lived.

And last Election Day, Caughman tweeted, "Standing on line waiting to vote, I love America."

At the end of 2012, he posted a Time magazine cover of then-President Barack Obama, writing, "Mr. President you have done a good job ok let's go and do a better job, Guns, Jobs, and good will on earth."

Good will.. that was not present for Timothy Caughman on Monday night.


JERUSALEM - Police in Israel have arrested a man they believe threatened to bomb Jewish centers in the U.S. and around the world.

It's not clear if he targeted any sites in New York.

A Jewish community center on Staten Island was evacuated last month over a bomb threat.



The 19-year-old suspect, whose name has not been released, is Jewish and has dual American-Israeli citizenship.

They say he used hacking technology to hide his location while making the threats.

The suspect appeared in court Thursday, but covered his face as he walked past reporters.

Investigators say he was also responsible for a bomb scare at JFK Airport more than two years ago.

The Anti-Defamation League says there have been dozens of threats against Jewish centers and schools in recent weeks.
In his first public comments about a public records battle with NY1 since a judge ruled against City Hall, the mayor embraced the same line of defense he used when he was under investigation: lawyers gave him the OK. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has long relied on the advice of key outside advisers, people who did not join his administration. But they were treated, in some cases, like de-facto city officials. In fact, the mayor says his lawyers assured him that his emails with those advisers would be kept from the public.

"A senior adviser who, on the advice of the mayor's office counsel, understood, as did a handful of other advisers, these are people I have worked with a long time, that they could provide direct advice to me on a range of issues and that would be treated in a certain manner in terms of confidentiality," de Blasio said.

 READ THE FULL DECISION IN PDF FORM

More than two years ago, NY1 filed a public records request to see the emails the mayor exchanged with one of those advisers, Jonathan Rosen, who runs the powerful PR firm BerlinRosen. Many of the firm's clients do business with the city, including real estate developers, labor unions and nonprofit groups. But despite those conflicts, Rosen was involved in high-level policy discussions at City Hall.

When City Hall refused to turn over all the emails the mayor exchanged with Rosen, NY1 and the New York Post sued and won. But the mayor has hardly conceded.

"I think there's a human reality here," de Blasio said. "There's people you want to seek advice from that are your friends, your personal advisers. Everyone has those people in their life. And there still is a place in this world for a confidential conversation so that people can speak freely and think openly about issues."

There's no doubt public officials like the mayor have a right to talk to friends and advisers for help. But that's different than what happened here, when advisors who did not actually work inside city hall assumed outsized roles in the mayor's administration.
The Alabama Legislature is on a break until April 4, and Lee County representatives are using the time to hear from voters.

Rep. Chris Blackshear, Rep. Joe Lovvorn and Rep. Isaac Whorton joined a panel with Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, Smiths Station Mayor F. L. Bubba Copeland, Lee County Commissioner Gary Long and Lee County Circuit Clerk Mary Roberson for a town hall at the Smiths Station Government Center on Thursday night.

I tell people when we leave events like this we may not agree on everything, but I promise you, you're going to know the truth, Blackshear said. You're going to know where I stand, but you're going to know the facts as well too.

Blackshear, who represents District 80, which is made up of portions of Lee and Russell County, said there are three big issues people are asking him about: the impeachment of Gov. Robert Bentley, prison reform and the budget.

Whorton was one of the 23 members who signed the articles of impeachment last year which began the House Judiciary Committees investigation.

What those articles were designed to do was to kickstart the investigation to determine  I want to be very clear on this  to determine whether or not any laws had been broken, Whorton said.

Whorton said the House will vote on the impeachment issue before the end of the session.

Its a really uncertain issue, he said. I know a lot of our constituents have asked the question, 'What are you guys doing?' We are investigating actively in the House.

Blackshear said its an issue to take seriously.

There has never been a governor in the state of Alabama impeached, Blackshear said. It's a big deal. ...This is something that ends up in history books.

Lee County Roads

A member of the audience asked if theres been any legislation on a proposed gas tax.

Blackshear and Whorton said they werent aware if the 3-cent gas tax proposal from the Association of County Commissions of Alabama had any sponsors in the Legislature.

We definitely do need to improve our roads throughout the state, Blackshear said. Let's keep in mind we still owe over a $1 billion from ATRIP and grant projects that went out just a couple of years ago.

Long said the number one call he gets from county residents is about the condition of the roads, adding the proposal wouldnt increase the debt since it pays for itself through a temporary gas tax.

This is extremely important for me because its the roads that we drive on and they're not getting better, Long said. They're getting worse. The problem for us is that 15 years ago the price of asphalt was half of what it is now.

Blackshear said he isn't against the proposal, but the state needs to find a sustainable solution.

The financial situation Alabama is facing can be tough for conservatives like him, Blackshear said.

We're to the point where we want the gold standard of everything, he said. We deserve the gold standard of everything. We really do. But when it really comes down to it, you'll find that more and more people that want that gold standard, but they want it at the bronze price.
Moments after Speaker Paul Ryan announced to the media that no vote on the healthcare bill would happen Friday, Rep. Mike Rogers issued a statement blaming far right-wing factions for the bills failure.

Rogers, who represents Lee County and East Alabama in Congress, said he continues to support the American Health Care Act.

Americans are sick and tired of the dysfunction in Washington when far right-wing factions put their narrow interests above the will of the people that elected them, Rogers said in the release.

Ryan said pulling the bill from a floor vote was a setback, no two ways about it.

He added lawmakers must be "willing to give a little to get something done."

Rogers said he applauded Ryan for his leadership on the bill.

President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the defeat of the bill.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said her party was willing to take the credit.

Quite frankly I thought they might have accomplished something in the first few months, Pelosi said. They have absolutely no record of accomplishment."

In his press release, Rogers said the choice was clear on the vote.

This vote was very simple to understand  Obamacare does not work, and it will never get better, Rogers said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As Southwest Airlines dropped flights at John Wayne Airport, it picked up two permanent spots at nearby Long Beach Airport.

The gates became available when American Airlines decided to decrease its presence at the airport.

Southwest will get announce its routes in April and get the slots Aug. 1.

In February, American Airlines told the airport it would reduce its service by two slots. The slots were offered to Southwest because it is a new carrier, the airport said in a press release. It debuted at the airport last year.

Delta Air Lines and Jet Blue Airways also expressed interest.

Nine commercial slots opened at the Long Beach Airport in December 2015 after studies showed the airport could add the flights without violating Long Beachs noise ordinances.

Of the nine new slots, Southwest was offered four, JetBlue was offered three and Delta two.

Southwest added four daily flights to Oakland in last June.

Southwest lost nearly 1 million seats at John Wayne Airport this year. In the past, unused capacity from other carriers was claimed by Southwest. Other carriers, including Delta, United and Alaska, requested additional capacity for 2017, leaving fewer supplemental seats for Southwest.

The airlines eliminated flights to Mexico City, Austin, Kansas City, Portland, St. Louis and Seattle and will end flights to Puerto Vallarta on April 25.

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
Theatre Out, a Santa Ana storefront theater that for the past 12 years has staged plays that represent and reflect the gay and lesbian community, will shut its doors when its 100th and final production closes on Saturday, April 1.

The company was founded in 2006 by Joey Baital, David C. Carnevale and Jack Millis (who left in 2011) with the stated mission to bring the lives and stories of the LGBT community to Orange County theater in a way that celebrates our cultural identity and allows others to become allies and friends.

In an interview with the Register, Carnavale emphasized that he and Baital are not tired of doing theater  were just tired and in need of a break after producing 100 shows over a 12-year period.

Over its history, the company has held to that mission and also became known for producing critically acclaimed theater at affordable ticket prices, Its 100-show roster has included classics (The Glass Menagerie, Suddenly Last Summer), modern masterpieces (Angels In America, Torch Song Trilogy), musicals (The Wild Party, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), new interpretations of plays like Sweeney Todd and Cabaret, and new works like Small Domestic Acts, Strange Bedfellows and The Medea Project.

Baital and Carnevale say that the county, the state, the country and even the world took notice of their shows, with reviews and articles about Theatre Out in the Orange County Register, OC Weekly, The Blade, Broadway World, Playbill, the New York Times and in publications from as far away as South Africa.

Its first production, the West Coast premiere of Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Musical, was staged at Hunger Artists Theatre Company in Fullerton. Theatre Out then produced 12 more shows  all in Fullerton, at Hunger Artists, Stages and Maverick theaters  from 2006-09.

When Rude Guerrilla Theatre Company vacated the Empire Theatre in downtown Santa Anas Artists Village district in 2009, Theatre Out took over the lease, putting up 58 productions through early 2013.

The company then contracted to move into a new space, built especially for it at 402 W. 4th Street, just blocks from the Empire. It reopened there in October 2013 and produced 29 more shows, many of which are considered among the troupes best work.

Baital and Carnevale say the only period of rest that theyve had between shows was the eight months that elapsed in 2013 while they were waiting for the 4th Street space to be ready to occupy.

Baital said he and Carnevale didnt take a longer break during that time because we became comfortable in the new space quickly. The positive surge of energy jump-started us, and it didnt take long for the acting community to see how serious we took theater.

A Facebook statement, also sent out by email, said Baital and Carnevale had planned an exciting 12th season, but, ultimately, we have realized that the best thing for the theater, and for us, is for us to take a hiatus to rejuvenate and rekindle our creative spark.

After our hiatus, we will be looking at the possibility of site-specific productions and perhaps going back to our roots as an at-large company. But we are not making plans just yet. This has been a truly difficult month for us as we came to this decision  but, ultimately, we come back to how awesome the past 12 years have been.

The duo cite a handful of those actors who wound up becoming integral to the companys success and smooth operation  notably, Lori Kelley, Darius Rose, Paul Anderson, Tito Ortiz, Andrea Dennison-Laufer, Jeffrey Fargo, Ben Green and Andrew Villarreal.

Of the companys total of 100 productions, the staging of Hedwig is viewed as a milestone: It was TOs first show in its new home at the Empire Theatre, and, Carnevale said, it gave us a chance to redefine that space, which had been associated with Rude Guerrilla for so long while announcing that TO had come into its own.

The catwalks he and Baital built for that show and the forging of what they call a concert setting created a singular production Baital calls a turning point  one that rang loud and clear within the theater community and also the community at large.

Carnevale sees three more Theatre Out shows as worthy of note: its recent (early 2016) Sweeney Todd, a 2014 production of The Drowsy Chaperone and a 2014 staging of Craig Lucas The Dying Gaul.

Like Carnevale, Baital ranks Drowsy Chaperone as a notable show  first off, because of the fun environment he created for it and because the whole thing was just so crazy and fun. Both agree that the high level of skepticism that Drowsy  the belief that the show was impossible to stage in such a small, intimate space  made the accomplishment that much more satisfying.

Also noteworthy on Baitals list are The History of Gay Theater in Something More than 60 Minutes and the late-night shows he and Carnevale produced that came on the heels of various Hunger Artists shows  the latter due to the unusual M.O. of trying to produce everything out of a borrowed RV that served as the dressing room, makeup area and green room. Each night the vehicle was backed up to the corrugated metal back door of Hunger Artists industrial park space.

Baital views his and Carnevales opening of their own space in fall 2013 as a key achievement.

We had been a company for a few years, we were ready to have our own space, and once we opened it, we got into a comfortable and productive rhythm, he said.

Carnevale said he and Baital brought with them a laundry list of things we didnt like about working with other theater companies that translated into specific ways of creating and staging new productions. They duo say theyve always held their casts to rigorous standards but have expected more of themselves than of anyone around them.

As producers, Baital and Carnevale have carved out specific functions for themselves: Baital says that Carnevale studies and lives with a script for a long time, all the while envisioning how it will work within the physical space; Baital then takes it upon himself to translate Carnevales ideas and concepts into physical reality. These roles, they say, are complementary, two necessary and vital halves of a producing whole.

Carnevale and Baital also say theyve lived by a hands-on credo of No one cares about a show as much as we do. That mantra has turned both partners into virtual experts in all areas of production and stagecraft and made for countless hours sweating over and getting every last detail as correct as possible while still keeping a pragmatic approach.

It has also triggered more than their share of worry and stress  but despite that fact, Carnevale and Baital emphasize that the results have more than justified every bit of labor and enduring the kind of problems that frequently plague most small theater companies.

The hiatus, Baital stresses, is temporary  long enough for us to recharge our creative batteries as well as the duos stamina. He said once that occurs, theyll be back for more of the same type of work for which Theatre Out has come to be known.

Contact the writer: emarchesewriter@gmail.com
FRIDAY, MARCH 24

Finding Neverland: Based on the Academy Award-winning film of the same name, Finding Neverland comes to Segerstrom Center for the Arts with a story about playwright J.M. Barrie and his relationship with the family that inspired Peter Pan. As Barrie spends time with the Jack, George, Michael and Peter, he conjures up the magical world of Neverland. Various times through April 2. $29-$125. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 714-556-2787 or scfta.org

Follies: The Cypress College Theater Arts Department presents Follies by Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman as part of the schools campus-wide 50th anniversary celebration. The story takes place in the 1971 Weismann Theater in New York City on the eve of the theaters demolition. A cast of showgirls are invited back for a reunion where they perform old song and dance routines. 8 tonight and Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday through April 2. $14.99-$19.99. 9200 Valley View Street, Cypress. 714-484-7200 or cypresscollegetheateranddance.com

Beethovens 3rd Piano Concerto: Pianist Zhang Zuo will make her Pacific Symphony debut with a performance of Beethovens Piano Concerto No. 3. Nicknamed Zee Zee, Zuo will also perform Huang Ruos Folk Songs for Orchestra and Elgars Enigma Variations. 8 tonight through Saturday at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. $25-$195. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 714-755-5799 or pacificsymphony.org

Aquarium of the Pacifics Latin-themed night: The aquarium will remain open late so visitors can dance under the stars at the Noche de Estrellas event featuring live bands, DJs, underwater dive shows, scavenger hunts, Mexican cuisine and more. 6:30-10:30 tonight. $14.95; kids under 3, free. 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach. 562-590-3100 or aquariumofpacific.org

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

Don Quixote: Orange Countys resident ballet company Festival Ballet Theatre will perform with international ballet stars in Don Quixote. The leading roles will be performed by American Ballet Theatre dancers Hee Seo and Marcelo Gomes as they tell the story of an eccentric wandering knight in search of his ideal woman. 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. $42-$55. 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. 714-962-5440 or festivalballet.org

SUNDAY, MARCH 26

Frida Kahlo lecture: The Bowers Museum presents this illustrated lecture featuring more than 300 slides of Kahlos paintings and documentary photographs, as well as rare film footage. The talk will be presented by specialist in Mexican Art and Culture Gregorio Luke. 1:30-3:30 p.m. Adults, $15; students/seniors, $12. 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana. 714-567-3600 or bowers.org

Silent Slapstick: See silent film comedians Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and other famous clowns on the big screen while renowned pianist Ben Model plays improvised scores live. Model has spent the last 20 years playing for silent films at the Museum of Modern Art and Lincoln Center in Manhattan. 1 and 3:30 p.m. at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. $12. 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. 562-944-9801 or lamiradatheatre.com

TUESDAY, MARCH 28

Composer-Conductor Rob Kapilow and the CSUN Jazz Band: Kapilow will explore the music of Duke Ellington with the California University Northridge Band directed by Matt Harris. This presentation is part lecture, part demonstration and part Q &A session. 7:30 p.m. at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. $55. 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. 562-467-8818 or cerritoscenter.com

Emerson String Quartet: Hear the first West Coast performance of British composer Mark-Anthony Turnages Shroud played by the Emerson String Quartet. Formed in 1976 and based in New York City, the quartet has more than 30 acclaimed recordings, 9 Grammy Awards and more. The evening includes Ravels String Quartet in F Major and Tchaikovskys Quartet No. 3 in E-flat minor, Op. 30. 8 p.m. at the Samueli Theatre. $29-$89. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 714-556-2787 or scfta.org

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

Neil Gaiman: Award-winning author Neil Gaiman is known for his best-selling novels, films and comics. His popular Sandman series are comic books created for DC in 1988 about the lord of the realm of dreams and other characters like Death, Destiny and Desire. His latest work is a book of Norse Mythology. Gaiman will share stories and answer questions when he appears at Segerstrom Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. $49-$69. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 714-556-2787 or scfta.org
If you head over to Commons Twitter page, the first thing you see is a banner image promoting his latest film, John Wick: Chapter 2. In the movie, Common plays a rival assassin of Wicks, sharing plenty of screen time as the two do battle and trade cold, menacing glares.

The Chicago rapper has found tremendous success in Hollywood, even seeing his two passions collide with prestigious results, when he walked away from 2015 award season with both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his musical contribution to the film Selma, which he also acted in. His persona has become so multifaceted that a chance to get back to his roots, as witnessed at the House of Blues in Anaheim on Thursday night, reminded fans of just how long of journey Common has been on.

Over the course of 90 minutes and 22 songs, the multiple Grammy winner offered a retrospective that would take the audience to the multitudes of successes from the MCs 25-year career. The ostensible reason for the performance was supporting his eleventh career album, Novembers Black America Again, but that served as more of a footnote for the evening, with only a few of the new records tracks appearing in the setlist. They were, however, given some of the biggest spotlights of the nights, allowing the new cuts to stand proud with his classic material.

Early in the set, the new releases title track was prefaced with Common reciting a list of recent fallen black Americans, naming the likes of Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice. The song hits on a number of the struggles facing African-Americans, including the police killings of black citizens, the Flint water crisis, wage disparity, and the prison system, giving the evening a political foothold early on. It wouldnt become a major theme for the performance, but when Common frequently raised his clenched fist above his head, it served as a callback to this moment, a sign of solidarity for a community with more than lighthearted concerts on their mind.

For another new song, Red Wine, Common showed off a more sensual side by inviting a young woman on stage. A table and chairs were brought in, with Common serving her wine and sitting with her as the song began. Afterward, he moved her chair to the front of the stage and made her the subject of a freestyle, incorporating her name (Jasmine), her home city of Lakewood, Disney, and the venue all into the rhymes, with the audience erupting at each landed reference. The segment closed with Common serenading her with the 2002 track Come Close, with the woman beaming on stage as he bid her farewell.

But for the most part, Common was happy giving samplings from throughout his career. He was sure to shout out Mos Def and Talib Kweli when performing the 1998 Blackstar track Respiration that he featured on. For Resurrection, he asked the audience to go back with him to 1995 when he was just a burgeoning MC beginning to get noticed in Chi-town. A more recent song, 2014s Rewind That, earned some heartfelt reflections about two legendary producers that Common was fortunate enough to befriend, No I.D. and the late J Dilla. And on main set closer, Commons best known song The Light, the rapper let the night ascend into a cathartic dance party and singalong.

By the time Common reached his three-song encore, the performance leaned more heavily on his six-piece band, with the MC basking in being on stage, letting the show wind down rather than end abruptly. It felt almost like a curtain call, a deserved honor for a career that Commons performance underscored.
Activists agitating for California to separate from the United States better start considering the border wall theyll need to build if successful  to keep their residents in.

An analysis of Census Bureau data by the Sacramento Bee shows that between 2005 and 2015 800,000 working-class Californians on net left for other states. Twenty percent of this net working-class outflow  156,000  went to one state in particular: Texas. Meanwhile, new data from the Census Bureau show that six of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the United States are in Texas or Utah; none are in California.

Whats driving this exodus? For decades California has championed policies that supposedly make it a working-class Mecca. For instance, its forthcoming $15 minimum wage  or $30,000 a year full-time  will put even starting employees roughly at the U.S. median personal income level. Texas, on the other hand, does not have the supposedly helpful social programs of California, and its minimum wage is less than half Californias coming standard.

And yet employees are happily leaving for Texas  not to mention Utah and Nevada  because theyd rather have the economic opportunity and affordable cost of living they cant find in California. The reality is that Californias dramatic minimum wage increase to $15 as well as other workplace regulations are forcing some small businesses and their employees to states like Texas. In these states, their business model is encouraged and their employment is welcomed.

For example, Competitive Edge, a communications firm in San Diego, moved its entire call center operations consisting of 75 jobs to El Paso Texas last year as a result of Californias minimum wage costs. My employees who will move over there will get a 50 percent pay raise in a sense, because cost of living is lower there, said Chief Executive John Nienstedt.

California Composites, an aerospace manufacturer, originally located Santa Fe Springs, moved to Fort Worth last year, taking 45 jobs with it, partially because of the $15 minimum wage. This is the last thing I want to do, but I dont see that I have a choice, said President Fred Donnelly. If I were to stay, it would probably make me a nonprofit within a couple years or so. The move will allow the company to hire an additional 30-35 employees. Donnelly says that many of his suppliers are considering a similar move.

Also last year, the iconic California company Jamba Juice announced that it would move its headquarters from Emeryville to Frisco, Texas, cutting 120 jobs in the process. CEO David Pace chalked the move up to looking for a place that had competitive operating costs and an attractive cost of living, among other factors.

Numerous other California businesses have left the state or are looking to leave the state for other areas of the country with reasonable regulatory environments. (See specific stories at Facesof15.com.)

The low-margin businesses in California that cant leave the state have faced their own problem. For instance, the Bay Area has seen numerous business closures, with 64 restaurants closing this winter alone. Many cited the minimum wage-induced labor costs as a contributing factor. Hannah Hoffman made the decision to close all of Doughnut Dollys locations in the Bay Area after taking a hard look at the finances and choosing to cut her losses rather than continue them. I took out loans, I put in every penny of my savings, I cut costs wherever I could, and it just didnt work. It got worse, Hoffman said. She cited the price of labor as part of the reason for the closure.

Perhaps California activists should spend less time plotting to leave the country and more time trying to encourage their working-class population to stay.

Michael Saltsman is research director at the Employment Policies Institute, which receives support from businesses, foundations and individuals.
Within hours of the murder of Whittier police officer Keith Lane Boyer in February, the tragedy of his death was swiftly diverted toward the political agenda of a few law enforcement officials and politicians.

Enough is enough, declared Whittier Police Chief Jeff Piper during a news conference. Youre passing these propositions, youre creating these laws that [are] raising crime. Its not good for our communities and its not good for our officers. What you have today is an example of that. Echoing these sentiments were Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell and state Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Temecula, with the latter asserting the shooting appears to be another example of the danger created by the passage of misleading propositions and bad legislation that have allowed dangerous criminals back onto the streets of California.

Hearing this, one would be tempted to believe that criminal justice reforms had something to do with Boyers death. Career criminal Michael Mejia, charged with killing Boyer, was last released from state prison in April 2016, after serving two years for vehicle theft. The timing of his release had nothing to do with criminal justice reforms, including Assembly Bill 109, contrary to early statements made by Sheriffs Department officials.

Also known as realignment, AB109, which was passed by the Legislature in 2011 after the United States Supreme Court ordered California to reduce its prison population, has been the primary target following Boyers death. The laws chief feature was making counties responsible for those convicted of non-violent, non-serious and non-sexual offenses.

Despite the assertions of McDonnell, Piper and Stone, theres no evidence, beyond highly publicized outliers, that AB109 has made Californians less safe overall, particularly with respect to violent crimes. Research by University of California, Irvine professors Charis Kubrin and Carroll Seron and the Public Policy Institute of California has found relatively little impact on crime.

But that hasnt stopped opponents from claiming otherwise. In 2012, following AB109s passage, Republican lawmakers like Jim Nielsen made a point of declaring the law responsible for crime increases that year. But then something curious happened: crime fell in 2013 and 2014 to all-time lows. While opponents of AB109 had nothing of significance to say of these decreases  they certainly didnt declare AB109 responsible for that  in 2014, voters approved Proposition 47, which provided a new source of unproductive rhetoric.

Prop. 47 reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor a handful of petty theft and drug offenses. Before this, low-level offenders would spend years on end in state prisons for very minor crimes, contributing to the overcrowding which in turn made AB109 necessary. Somehow, McDonnell and Stone thought to specifically mention Prop. 47 following the death of Boyer, despite Prop. 47 clearly having nothing to do with it.

But some have sought to blame Prop. 47 for crime increases seen since its passage. To that point, crime did go up statewide in 2015, but preliminary data from 2016 provides a less clear picture, with major cities like Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco seeing decreases in crime while others, like Los Angeles, experiencing increases. Recent research by Californians for Safety and Justice suggests localities that have made smart investments in diversion programs, re-entry and treatment have had better outcomes than those that havent.

As tragic as Boyers death is, the state cannot afford knee-jerk policymaking.

California continues to overspend on incarceration  it now costs $71,000 per inmate, per year, up 45 percent since 2011, thanks in part to large raises doled out to the prison guards union last year  while investments in rehabilitation and crime prevention continue to lag. Scapegoating criminal justice reforms for every terrible incident that occurs might make for a powerful talking point, but all it does is mislead the public and undermine important conversations to be had about what works and what doesnt.

Sal Rodriguez is a staff columnist. He may be reached at: salrodriguez@scng.com.
If you explore San Clementes many dining options over the next 12 months and step into any of 11 select watering holes, you may develop quite a taste for San Clementes official drink.

That would be Cottons Blossom, a gin-based creation dreamed up by Elena Noel, bartender at H.H. Cottons American Bar & Grill at 201 Avenida Del Mar.

Her drink was declared the winner of the San Clemente Chamber of Commerces 13th annual San Clemente Mixology Contest on Thursday, March 23, at Pierside Kitchen and Bar.

Eleven local establishments entered the contest. By custom, every participating business agrees to serve the official San Clemente drink during the drinks one-year reign.

H.H. Cottons is a 1-year-old San Clemente business, and bartender Noel won best drink on her first try.

Asked what inspired it, she paused, grinned and said, A couple of years ago I was working at a different bar and they made me work on Mothers Day, and I have two kids. So I decided to make this drink to get me through that shift!

Cottons Blossom was chosen by a five-member judging panel headed by San Clemente Mayor Kathy Ward. But the Chamber of Commerce also let ticket-buying attendees sample each drink and take their own vote. They selected Ye Scallywag, a drink created by Stefanina Stephens of Big Helyns South Side Saloon, as Peoples Choice winner.

Ye Scallywag, its creator said, is a mix of liquors including Malibu, Peach Schnapps, apple pucker, Southern Comfort, a float of Whalers, some pineapple juice, passion fruit juice and a bit of whipped cream with a cherry on top.

I just wanted to make something that was kind of like a Pirate Punch that was good for everybody to drink, Stephens said.

If you want to try Ye Scallywag, visit Big Helyns at 3317 S. El Camino Real.

To try Cottons Blossom, you can find the original at H.H. Cottons or can ask for it at Big Helyns or at Pierside Kitchen & Bar, Red Fox Lounge, Beachfire Bar & Grill, The Shwack Cantina, Cafe Mimosa, Oles Tavern, Taka-O Japanese Restaurant, Inka Mamas Peruvian Cuisine or Antoines Cafe.

The judges presented the award for team spirit to Big Helyns and a best-presentation award to Oles Tavern.

Asked how the judges could do anything after carefully evaluating 11 concoctions of varying alcoholic potency, judge Jessica Sweredoski from the Downtown Business Association said the key is to taste everything in moderation, and cleanse your palate with a little bit of water in between your drinks. You dont down the whole thing  thats the key.

But what if theres one that you really, really like? Then youve got to kind of drink the whole thing, she said.

And if you like them all? Then make sure you get an Uber when you go home!

Contact the writer: fswegles@scng.com or 949-492-5127
A year ago, the University of California Board of Regents announced it was adopting a new retirement arrangement for the systems employees, which included a shift away from a defined benefit pension to a 401(k)-style option. Under this option, employers match a set level of the employees contribution, and employees can often set aside even more of their paycheck to save (tax-deferred) for their retirement. In this years contract negotiations between the states universities and their unionized employees, the retirement savings plan is among the most contentious issues. However, I would urge employees to consider the risks and benefits of both retirement plan options.

Last spring, UC President Janet Napolitano requested what was termed a capped version of the existing pension and more aligned with the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2012. The UC system has explained that the new plan would affect only those employees hired after June 30, 2016 and even these employees will be able to choose between the traditional pension and the 401(k)-style plan.

But Teamsters Local 2010, which represents nearly 14,000 workers at all 10 UC campuses, five medical centers and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, says the workers have already made their choice clear: They want the defined benefit pension plan. It is the only option, they argue, that provides lifetime income. The union argues the change will cost UC an additional $500 million in the first 15 years. The union also claims the benefits of the change will mostly accrue to well-paid UC executives and senior management. Lower-paid workers, meanwhile, will end up with few additional benefits but a lot more risk when it comes to a financially secure retirement.

The fight over retirement plans is part of a broader concern about wages. An Economic Policy Institute study found more than 92 percent are not paid enough to afford the basic needs and as far back as seven years ago, the Teamsters said wages had declined by 24 percent over the last 20 years.

Putting aside these very real concerns about current wages, it is important to sort some of the facts about retirement savings options and the impact on both the UC system and its workers. The fact is employees may be better off with 401(k) and 403(b) defined contribution plans. The reason is that these plans put employees in charge of determining how much to save for retirement, and how those funds should be invested. Plus, they have the benefit of employer matching funds and tax sheltered growth.

In other words, employees are getting free money from these contributions and can manage these funds depending on their retirement needs.

To be sure, traditional pensions are appealing because they offer the promise of lifetime income. But there is also a risk of the defined benefit plans operated by public employers, the main one being that public employers rarely set enough money aside to pay for these benefits. We have seen public employee pensions fall short in cities and states across the country for years. In 2015, Detroit implemented pay cuts for retirees  money those public employees were counting on in their retirement  because the system was just too expensive. Employees in defined benefit retirement plans have good reason to worry if the money will be there when they really need it.

The answer to the public employment pension crisis is for employees to save their own money, accept the employer contribution, and manage how that money is invested. The 401(k) and 403(b) plans help employees to do just that, with the investments growing in a tax-deferred account.

At a time when people are living longer than ever, traditional pensions have become less common and less reliable. This is a serious problem and requires a thoughtful response from all stakeholders. Many higher education institutions offer 403(b) plans with annuities that can provide a lifetime, and in some instances fixed, income guaranty. The idea of not outliving your savings and having monthly income for life is certainly appealing and may represent a model for other employers going forward. For now, we must accept certain realities.

Generous public employee pensions, no matter how well-deserved, cannot be sustained. For UC employees, the only safe alternative to the promise of a pension is a retirement savings plans like the 401(k) plan under consideration by the University of California. In fact, employees should convince employers to offer such an option more often rather them opposing them.

Anthony T. Caso is clinical professor of law and director of the Claremont Institutes Constitutional Jurisprudence Clinic at the Chapman University Fowler School of Law.
WASHINGTON In a humiliating failure, President Donald Trump and GOP leaders yanked their bill to repeal Obamacare off the House floor Friday when it became clear it would fail badly  after seven years of nonstop railing against the health care law.

Democrats said Americans can breathe a sigh of relief. Trump said Obamas law was imploding and soon will explode.

Thwarted by two factions of fellow Republicans, from the center and far right, House Speaker Paul Ryan said President Barack Obamas health care law, the GOPs No. 1 target in the new Trump administration, will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

It was a stunning defeat for the new president after he had demanded House Republicans delay no longer and vote on the legislation Friday, pass or fail.

His gamble failed. Instead Trump, who campaigned as a master deal-maker and claimed that he alone could fix the nations health care system, saw his ultimatum rejected by Republican lawmakers who made clear they answer to their own voters, not to the president.

He had never said repeal and replace it in 64 days, a dejected but still combative Trump said at the White House, though he had repeatedly shouted during the presidential campaign that it was going down immediately.

The bill was withdrawn just minutes before the House vote was to occur, and lawmaker said there were no plans to revisit the issue. Republicans will try to move ahead on other agenda items, including overhauling the tax code, though the failure on the health bill can only make whatever comes next immeasurably harder.

Trump pinned the blame on Democrats.

With no Democrat support we couldnt quite get there, he told reporters in the Oval Office. We learned about loyalty, we learned a lot about the vote-getting process.

The Obama law was approved in 2010 with no Republican votes.

Despite reports of backbiting from administration officials toward Ryan, Trump said: I like Speaker Ryan.  I think Paul really worked hard.

For his part, Ryan told reporters: We came really close today but we came up short.  This is a disappointing day for us. He said the president has really been fantastic.

But when asked how Republicans could face voters after their failure to make good on years of promises, Ryan quietly said: Its a really good question. I wish I had a better answer for you.

Last fall, Republicans used the issue to gain and keep control of the White House, Senate and House. During the previous years, they had cast dozens of votes to repeal Obamas law in full or in part, but when they finally got the chance to pass a repeal version that actually had a chance to become law, they couldnt deliver.

Democrats could hardly contain their satisfaction.

Today is a great day for our country, what happened on the floor is a victory for the American people, said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who as speaker herself helped Obama pass the Affordable Care Act in the first place. Lets just for a moment breathe a sigh of relief for the American people.

The outcome leaves both Ryan and Trump weakened politically.

For the president, this piles a big early congressional defeat onto the continuing inquiries into his presidential campaigns Russia connections and his unfounded wiretapping allegations against Obama.

Ryan was not able to corral the House Freedom Caucus, the restive band of conservatives that ousted the previous speaker. Those Republicans wanted the bill to go much further, while some GOP moderates felt it went too far.

Instead of picking up support as Friday wore on, the bill went the other direction, with several key lawmakers coming out in opposition. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, chairman of a major committee, Appropriations, said the bill would raise costs unacceptably on his constituents.

The defections raised the possibility that the bill would not only lose on the floor, but lose big.

The GOP bill would have eliminated the Obama statutes unpopular fines on people who do not obtain coverage and would also have removed the often-generous subsidies for those who purchase insurance.

Republican tax credits would have been based on age, not income like Obamas, and the tax boosts Obama imposed on higher-earning people and health care companies would have been repealed. The bill would have ended Obamas Medicaid expansion and trimmed future federal financing for the federal-state program, letting states impose work requirements on some of the 70 million beneficiaries.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the Republican bill would have resulted in 24 million additional uninsured people in a decade and lead to higher out-of-pocket medical costs for many lower-income and people just shy of age 65 when they would become eligible for Medicare. The bill would have blocked federal payments for a year to Planned Parenthood.

Republicans had never built a constituency for the legislation, and in the end the nearly uniform opposition from hospitals, doctors, nurses, the AARP, consumer groups and others weighed heavily with many members. On the other side, conservative groups including the Koch outfit argued the legislation did not go far enough in uprooting Obamacare.

Ryan made his announcement to lawmakers at a very brief meeting, where he was greeted by a standing ovation in recognition of the support he still enjoys from many lawmakers.

When the gathering broke up, Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee that helped write the bill, told reporters: We gave it our best shot. Thats it. Its done. D-O-N-E done. This bill is dead.

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick, Richard Lardner, Stephen Ohlemacher, Vivian Salama, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Ken Thomas contributed to this report.
Judge Neil Gorsuch can relax. After 20-odd hours of Senate questioning this week, the Supreme Court nominee has completed his testimony. The committee held a final session Thursday featuring expert panelists discussing the judge. But his job is done.

So what have we learned?

Hes probably going to be confirmed.

Maybe hell clear the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster, attracting sufficient support from Democrats  particularly those from states that President Donald Trump won. Or maybe skeptics will hold the line and force Republicans to change long-standing Senate rules to elevate Gorsuch on a simple majority vote.

But this much is clear: Nothing thats happened this week has made much of a difference. Three days of hearings marked by attacks and deflections have left the Senate Judiciary Committee more or less where it started. If the Republicans goal was to persuade Democrats of a moral imperative to join them in support, they fell short. (In some cases, the nominees sparring with Democrats may have pushed some further away.)

And if Democrats harbored any hope of raising doubts about Gorsuch among Republicans, they came nowhere close.

The hearing was not top billing.

Empty seats. Distracted senators. Non-sequitur questions about fly-fishing and duck-size horses.

Despite the stakes inherent in any Supreme Court confirmation hearing, the Gorsuch proceedings often felt like an afterthought. Part of the burden falls on Democrats, who have failed to draw much blood in their questioning or generate meaningful momentum for opposition outside the hearing room, at least so far.

But lawmakers have also been subject to forces outside their control. Finding oxygen in Trumps Washington can be nearly impossible  amid the Russia inquiries, the health care push, the daily administration squabbling  an exercise in political mutton busting of sorts, to name the sheep-riding activity described in great detail by Gorsuch.

This week, Democrats got thrown.

He was eager to declare his independence. Generally.

In finely calibrated testimony, Gorsuch declared that he would go where the law took him, even if that required a ruling against Trump, who nominated him. He made emphatic but vague statements  No man is above the law, he repeatedly said, for instance  but avoided saying anything more specific.

Gorsuch also gently rebuked Trump, again in general terms, for his criticism of judges who had ruled against him. He said all criticism of the honesty and integrity of federal judges, by anyone, was disheartening and demoralizing. Did that include Trump? Anyone is anyone, Gorsuch said.

Republicans do not feel sorry for Democrats (or Merrick Garland).

Remember Merrick B. Garland? Democrats wanted to make sure of it.

They began the hearing Monday with a series of blistering speeches centered on him  and how, they suggested, this hearing should have been his, but for Republicans refusal last year to consider an Obama administration nominee during a presidential campaign.

Gorsuch praised his colleague, at the senators urging, but declined to weigh in on the partisan fight. By Wednesday afternoon, Garlands shadow had largely faded from the hearing.

And Republicans expressed no regrets, with some claiming hypocrisy on the Democratic side.

On Kagan and on Sotomayor, Republicans respected the presidents authority to appoint a Supreme Court justice, and Republicans did the right thing by moving forward and allowing the confirmation, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said, omitting Garlands example. So, I think that we have a moral high ground here that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle should take note of.

Democrats think they found one (small) opening. Well see.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in a case on students with disabilities that rejected the approach Gorsuch had pursued in another case.

Democrats framed it differently: President Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, was unanimously rebuked today by the Supreme Court, declared Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader.

But the relationship between the two cases was indirect, and under short-notice questioning at his hearing, Gorsuch argued that he had merely been following precedent.

Democrats could return to the issue before votes by the committee and the full Senate, but absent another twist, it seems unlikely to knock the nomination off course.

He wouldnt say much about executive authority in national security.

Gorsuch sidestepped questions about his views on national security and presidential power.

Pressed about his participation, as a Bush-era Justice Department official, in internal executive branch discussions related to torture and warrantless surveillance, he emphasized that he had been a lawyer serving a client, not a policymaker.

Asked whether presidents may bypass statutes in national-security matters, Gorsuch said that presidents make all sorts of arguments about inherent authority  they do  and that is why we have courts, to decide.

He also refused to commit to recusing himself from Supreme Court cases involving the interests of Colorado billionaire Philip F. Anschutz, his former client who pushed the Bush White House to appoint him to the appeals court.

In the past, Gorsuch has sought to recuse himself from participating in such cases, but he refused to pledge to continue that practice at the Supreme Court level, saying only that he would study the law, the facts and the practices of other justices.
The organizers of the Make America Great Again march and rally, Saturday, at Bolsa Chica State Beach are crossing their fingers and hoping for a peaceful event.

The march  in support of the president, military, first responders and certain causes  is being billed as a kid-friendly family-oriented event. But it takes place in climate where stark divisions in the public have led to a number of high-profile confrontations when supporters and detractors of the president collide.

March organizer Jennifer Sterling said she expects at least 3,000 participants many of whom, she says, will be women, children and elderly. I really hope these people are safe, she said

The event that coincides with a nationwide effort the same day in more than 30 states and Washington, D.C. Although the title of the march carries President Donald Trumps campaign slogan, Sterling said it was more about patriotism and appreciation for those who serve.

Organizers plan to rally near Warner Avenue and PCH, then walk along a roughly two-mile stretch of the bike path.

Organizers of a counter rally said they plan to create a human wall to prevent that.

We arent going to start fights, but we are going to try to stop them from completing their march, said Byron Lopez, a counter rally organizer who expects 100 to 200 supporters from an array of groups.

The march was moved to the state beach from its original planned location near the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, after officials there announced the closure of the fair property during the weekend of the event.

About 11 months ago, a Trump campaign rally at the Pacific Amphitheatre turned violent when supporters and protesters clashed. Seventeen people were arrested after demonstrators blocked traffic and damaged several police vehicles.

State Parks Capt. Kevin Pearsall said the Make America Great Again group has a permit for the walk. When the move was announced he said he thought the contained area of the beach would help provide safety and security.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy said public safety would be the responsibility of State Parks. We are making a few plans, just in case theres a spill-over effect, he said.

Lopez said if there are any violent clashes his group would try to de-escalate the conflict.

Were not looking to start anything, he said.

Asked about the reason for the counter rally, Lopez said, Because this is where the conservative revolution came from. With the rise of Trump has come the rise of hyper-nationalism and we arent just going to let that happen.

Not all Trump opponents believe meeting and confronting marchers is a good idea.

I think at this point it would be counter-productive, said Marshall Blesofsky of the Long Beach Area Peace Network. Were mainly focused on going to the polls and removing the Trump majority from congress.

Sterling said her group would do all it could to avoid conflict and only wanted to wave flags, sing patriotic songs, have barbecues and show support for first responders, service men and women and veterans.

Im not into provoking anything, she said. Im not a protester. Im a mom. This whole thing was organized by moms.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7964; gmellen@scng.com
Santa Ana police officer Brandon Sontag, one of the officers at the center of the controversial raid on Sky High Holistic, a marijuana dispensary operating without a city permit, has been reinstated by a judge.

Sontag and several other officers were caught by a hidden security camera dismantling surveillance equipment, playing darts, making derogatory remarks about an amputee and stealing cookies and other snacks from the dispensary. Sontag had charges of petty theft and vandalism filed against him by the Orange County District Attorneys Office in March of last year.

But, as the Register noted, on March 7, a superior court judge granted a temporary restraining order forcing the city to reinstate [Sontag]  as well as to pay back his lost wages and benefits.

That has some on the Santa Ana City Council crying foul and looking for a way to prevent another such embarrassment.

Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez proposed looking into the creation of a police review board, but that isnt sitting well with all of the council members.

Those dissenting voices, Juan Villegas, Jose Solorio and Mayor Miguel Pulido, also happen to have been backed heavily by the police union that has been critical of the firing of three officers for their conduct during the raid. Villegas says the board members need expertise.

How do you qualify someone to do something like that? Villegas asked of establishing a review board. Do they know case law? Do they know policy? Do they have law enforcement experience?

But if law enforcement expertise was required for the personnel board to make its decision to reinstate Sontag, whose charges of vandalism and petty theft carry a maximum penalty of 18 months in jail and a $2,000 fine, then maybe some other voices are precisely what is needed to review police incidents.

We worry that these review boards are often paper tigers, but Sontag and his compatriots, Nicole Lynn Quijas and Jorge Arroyo, who face charges of petty theft, are accused of breaking the law in a profession tasked with upholding it. Reinstating them is a disservice to the public and to other officers who do their job within the lines of the law. Change is needed.
From a list of 66 nominees, the following 10 students have been named finalists for the 2017 Artist of the Year in instrumental music. The students were chosen by a panel of teachers from based on applications, performance videos and artistic resumes.

Included are links to their work, the styles of music they sing and quotes about how they relate to their craft.

Instrumental musicians include those who perform in classical groups (orchestras, concert bands and chamber groups), marching bands, jazz ensembles and contemporary groups (pop, rock, folk, etc.).

The final round of adjudication will take place over the next few weeks, during which the students will be interviewed by a panel of distinguished artistic professionals and faculty members from Southern California universities as well as a few representative high school teachers. Interviews will include a live presentation by the students followed by a question-and answer-session. One student from each of the seven disciplines  theater, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, film, 2D visual art and 3D visual art  will then be named a 2017 Artist of the Year.

The Artists of the Year will be announced Thursday, April 20, with full profiles appearing Sunday, April 23, in The Orange County Register.

Noah Bailyn, senior, Orange County School of the Arts

contrabass, piano

I started playing the piano at the age of 4, but, after seeing a concert by the San Diego Symphony when I was 5, I fell in love with the contrabass when I listened to its deep tones and marveled at its size. On the drive home, I asked my parents if I could start learning to play it. They shrugged it off and offhandedly told me to wait until I was 6 to ask. Lo and behold, on my sixth birthday, I asked again if I could start playing the bass. Surprised that I had remembered their promise and impressed by my devotion to learning the instrument, they obliged, and I have been playing the contrabass and loving it ever since.

Aileen Chung, senior, Crean Lutheran High School

violin

As a student of the Colburn Music Academy, a pre-college music school, I have the opportunity to participate in a community outreach program. With this program, I am able to show students how classical music can affect their world view. From teaching the basics of a quarter note, an eighth note, drawing bow on the string, students have expressed amazement at every point taught, because it is something they never experienced before. Ashley is a community outreach student of mine. Her eyes lit up the first time the bow touched upon the G string. Whenever I demonstrate for her, she shows excitement and is eager to learn more. I realized that impacting people with my music is my passion.

Elaine Huang, senior, Arnold O. Beckman High School

piano, violin

The struggles my family encountered during my childhood allowed me to recognize and meet the needs of other families with mental diseases. Through these experiences, I realized that my passions lay in outreach with music and health care. In college, I plan to pursue a double major in piano and in biology  two professions that will undoubtedly allow me to continue to help and teach others. Having been involved with music therapy, Im extremely interested in that field, which balances my two interests in medicine and music. While I am not naive enough to believe that all diseases will be cured (with music), I find nothing more rewarding than the gratification of patients as they enjoy the sweet sounds of music.

Mary La Blanc, junior, Orange County School of the Arts

percussion, drum kit

I believe that versatility is critical for a musician to reach success, especially as a percussionist and drummer. Therefore, I hope to continue playing both orchestral percussion and contemporary music, either winning auditions for symphonies and/or working freelance for various ensembles and musicians. I also believe that training young and upcoming musicians is very important for the future of music, so I would like to teach percussion in my future to keep orchestral percussion alive and to continually raise the bar for the standards of excellence.

Tracy Lang, senior, Irvine High School

cello

I believe that as a musician, it is my social responsibility to connect with the audience. Even if I am able to reach only one person, I find it worthwhile because for a moment, I am able to create intimacy and build a relationship. Perhaps one of the greatest modern obstacles is being able to understand and respect those with different values and backgrounds. It is with my continued musical performances, full of spirit and gravitas, that I hope to foster this human connection. I hope that as people understand each other through music, that they also grow to care more for each other.

Emma Lee, senior, Crean Lutheran High School

cello, piano

A perfect musical career for myself would include a seat in a major orchestra, a chamber group family, recording for movie soundtracks, teaching in a music conservatory and many solo performance opportunities. I would also like to emulate Pacific Symphonys Maestro Carl St.Clairs passion for exposing the community to classical music through a fusion of modern interpretations and collaborations with artists around the world.

Valerie Narumi, senior, Valencia High School

piano, harp

Since I first began to read music, I have been fascinated to hear how a piece begins, but more intriguing, how a piece concludes. Similar to reading a novel or watching a movie at the theater, I can be held captive for hours while I sight-read new music, playing note by note at the piano to see how a musical plot unfolds and resolves.

Jennifer Park, senior, Arnold O. Beckman High School

violin

Looking ahead, I want to keep volunteering by playing music for people for healing. I have found that people really enjoy listening to good music and it helps them to feel calmer and more at peace. I want to also keep playing in an orchestra when I am in college.

Brianna Satow, senior, Orange County School of the Arts

piano

Studying the history of music and analyzing the influences on music as well as what other subjects music is influencing is so fascinating to me. Generally, I would like to change peoples perspectives on music. I want to show the music that they wouldnt normally listen to or have a chance to listen to. Specifically, through writing informative reviews, I want to impact those who have a love of music though have not had the chance to be exposed to the wonders of music that is slightly out of their comfort zone.

Hanae Yoshida, senior, Northwood High School

tenor trombone, piano

Being a part of the musical world has truly influenced my outlooks in viewing my life. Through studying music, I also get to study a mixture of all subjects at once, including humanities, mathematics, science and history. Music has made me genuinely curious to know more about the world around me. It has also increased the amount of hobbies I have just by being involved in the arts.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2258 or varsityarts@ocregister.com
Shame on OCC

Re: OCC honors anti-Trump instructor, but she passes [News, March 23]: How appalling is it that Orange Coast College would give an honor to college instructor Olga Perez Stable Cox who slandered the president and the U.S. election process. She bullied students in her classes and made some of them fearful. We have so many problems with bullying in our schools  kids against kids  and now OCC gives a commendation to an adult, a professor, who bullies. Shame on you, OCC. Something is terribly wrong with this picture. If this is the future of our education system, then God help us.

 Linda Majer, Garden Grove

Bring Prager

Kudos to Olga Perez Stable Cox for her altruistic act. That said, I hereby challenge Doug Bennett, OCCs executive director of college advancement, to show some chutzpah by inviting a noted conservative speaker to commencement. Someone like Dennis Prager, who believes in clarity over agreement, would be a perfect fit.

 Bob Torres, Orange

Teach, dont preach

It is a teachers job to lecture, not preach. We take certain courses in college because we have to; we go to church because we want to. When a teacher preaches his or her opinion to a captive audience, when education is limited to the view being presented, then it becomes indoctrination. Would this praise still be offered if the instructor made similar comments about Clinton or Obama? Let us all be brave enough as teachers to invite political discussion and debate which in turn challenge young minds to search for their own truths. Reward that in our colleges.

 Debb Clay, Huntington Beach

Stop terrorism

Re: Attack strikes at heart of London [News, March 23]: There was a terrorist attack in London. What was the response? Politicians saying how terrible it is and other platitudes. We get beefed up security for the lawmakers that allowed the jihadists into the country. But the citizens, those who are being attacked, are going to be left to fend for themselves. President Trump will once again be attacked for wanting to make America safe and sanctuary cities will continue to defy the laws, and protect illegal immigrants until such time as we have a mass murder instead of the deaths and rapes of individuals.

 Barry Levy, Hawthorne
SANTA ANA  Police say they have arrested a Riverside man Thursday in connection with the Feb. 8 slaying of Joseph Frank Garcia, 23, of Orange behind a closed grocery store.

Detectives from the Santa Ana Police Department, working with officers from the Riverside Police Department, arrested Joshua Encinas, 23, without incident at his home in the 3000 block of Molly Street as they executed a search warrant, Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. It was not known whether a weapon was recovered.

Garcia and Encinas are both tied to Orange County street gangs, but the investigation into a motive is ongoing, he said.

Garcia was found lying face-down in an alley behind a shuttered Food 4 Less around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 8. Hed been shot multiple times in the upper torso.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Encinas was booked on suspicion of murder. Jail records show he was being held at the Orange County Mens Central Jail in Santa Ana. Neither bond nor an arraignment date was listed as of 10 a.m. on Friday.

Anyone with information about this incident can call Santa Ana police at 714-245-8390. Anonymous tips can also be passed along to the Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802, jsudock@scng.com or via Twitter @jsudock
Californians approve of Gov. Jerry Brown and the state Legislature while overwhelmingly disapproving of President Donald Trump and Congress, according to the latest survey from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Unfortunately, PPICs regional breakdown lumps together Orange and San Diego counties, so we dont get a clear view of what folks think in our county. As Ill get into momentarily, the two counties are politically distinct from one another.

Brown got the highest approval ratings of the politicians, 58 percent from all adults polled. Respondents own representatives in the state Legislature rated 53 percent, the state Legislature overall got 51 percent and respondents congressional representatives scored 51 percent.

The Republican Congress overall came in at a dismal 36 percent and Trump got the thumbs up from just 31 percent  considerably lower than Gallups poll showing Trump at 42 percent nationwide. The most recent numbers of this famously Democratic state show voter registration at 45 percent Democrat and 26 percent Republican.

Fifty-five percent of PPIC respondents said the state is going in the right direction. The same portion think local and state taxes are fair, while 42 percent said they werent fair.

The combined tally of Orange and San Diego counties was nearly identical to the statewide numbers. But Republicans have a 4-percentage point edge in Orange County while Democrats have a 6-point advantage in San Diego County. That 10-point partisan difference between the two mean that Orange County is probably less approving of Brown and more approving of Trump than the statewide or regional numbers indicate.

On the other hand, Orange County is following San Diegos lead of turning from red to blue. At the outset of 2000, San Diego Republicans had a 6-point advantage in voter registration and were surpassed by Democrats in late 2008. In 2000, Orange County Republicans had a 17-point advantage and its been shrinking steadily since.

Dunns firing

The stars have not aligned lately for former state Sen. Joe Dunn.

In his bid to replace outgoing Rep. Loretta Sanchez last year, the Santa Ana Democrat came in fourth in the primary. Many had expected Dunn to advance to the general election and face Lou Correa, the eventual winner in the contest.

Hanging over Dunns head at the time was his 2014 firing from the post of executive director of the State Bar of California. While campaigning, he was in the process of trying to prove he was wrongly terminated in retaliation for blowing the whistle on fellow bar officials for alleged improprieties.

On Monday, March 20, arbitrator Edward Infante dismissed the last of Dunns claims.

A report commissioned by the state bar while Dunn was still in the post said his firing would be justified because he misled board members about travel expenses, pending legislation and the state Supreme Courts view of a planned move of the state bar from San Francisco to Sacramento.

Infante found that Dunn failed to keep the board fully informed on matters of significance and because of that, breached his contract and was subject to termination without severance. Dunn had been seeking more than $4 million in severance and wrongful termination compensation.

Dunn was executive director of the bar from 2010 to 2014.

GOP awards

While Laguna Niguels Pat Bates was selected as state Senate Republican leader earlier this month, Assemblyman Bill Brough got top honors at the county GOPs inaugural Republican Elected Officials Awards Reception held Thursday at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach.

The Dana Point resident was named the countys Legislator of the Year not only for his Sacramento work on the Assembly Republican leadership team, but also his help establishing the county GOPs San Juan Capistrano headquarters.

That HQ became a key hub for the defeat of Measure M, a proposed $889 million Capistrano Unified bond that raised conservative hackles in large measure because it would have increased property taxes. The GOP center was also used for help Rep. Darrell Issas successful but surprisingly close reelection bid.

Also honored were county Auditor-Controller Eric Woolery, Westminster Councilman Tyler Diep, state Board of Equalization Chairwoman Diane Harkey, Capistrano Unified Trustee Jim Reardon, and East Orange County Water District Board Member Doug Davert.

Contact the writer: mwisckol@scng.com
KABUL, Afghanistan  The Taliban captured a key district center in Afghanistans southern Helmand province on Thursday while in the countrys north, an officer turned his rifle on sleeping colleagues, killing nine policemen, officials said.

The fall of Sangin district, once considered the deadliest battlefield for British and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, comes amid the insurgents year-long push to expand their footprint in the Taliban heartland of Helmand.

The British who took over southern Helmand in 2006 were headquartered at Camp Sebastian, which at its peak was the center for 137 bases in Helmand. Most of Britains more than 400 military deaths occurred in Helmand province  in Sangin alone, Britain lost 104 soldiers.

Since the withdrawal of foreign NATO combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014, and with only a smaller, U.S.-led advise and training mission left behind, Sangin has been seen as a major tests of whether Afghan security forces can hold off advancing Taliban fighters.

The districts police chief, Mohammad Rasoul, said the Taliban overran Sangin center early on Thursday morning.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, also issued a statement claiming the Taliban capture of Sangin.

Speaking to The Associated Press over the phone from several kilometers (miles) away from the district center, Rasoul said the district headquarters had been poorly protected and that at the time of the Taliban siege, only eight policemen and 30 Afghan soldiers were on duty.

Afghan security forces were now amassing nearby for a full-scale counter-attack in a bid to retake Sangin, Rasoul added, though he did not say when the assault would occur and how many forces would be involved.

We are preparing our reinforcements to recapture the district, Rasoul said.

It wasnt immediately clear whether the Afghan military would seek the help of international coalition forces in the area.

NATO spokesman William Salvin said in a statement that Afghan troops remained in Sangin district but had relocated several kilometers (miles) outside the district center. He said the relocation was necessitated because of the extensive damage to the district center by the Taliban.

In Kabul, a lawmaker from Sangin, Mohammad Hashim Alokzai, urged the military to move quickly to retake the district, saying its fall could have devastating consequences for Helmand, where the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah has in the past months also come under constant and heavy attack by the Taliban.

The seizure of Sangin is a major tactical triumph for the Taliban, Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the U.S.-based Wilson Center, said Thursday. The insurgent group has taken over a major urban space in one of its major stronghold provinces, amplifying the major threat that the group poses to Afghanistan nearly 16 years after it was removed from power.

Sangin is also one of the biggest opium markets in Afghanistan, which saw over 4,800 metric tons produced countrywide in 2016  more than all other opium-producing countries combined, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes. Efforts at poppy eradication in Afghanistan have been severely restricted because of the insecurity in the southern and eastern regions of the country, where the bulk of the crop is grown.

Opium, which is used to make heroin, is a major source of income for the insurgents and the Taliban levy taxes on opium that moves through its territory.

Its hard to overestimate the significance of Helmand  its strategically located near Pakistan, its a bastion of the opium trade, said Kugelman. Perhaps the biggest reason why the British focused so much on Sangin is that they had invested so much over the years in trying to stabilize the place  and had suffered many combat deaths in the process.

In northern Kunduz province, police spokesman Mafuz Akbari said the insider attack on Thursday that claimed the lives on nine policemen took place at a security post and that the assailant escaped under the cover of darkness.

Afghanistan has seen a spike in so-called insider attacks. In such incidents, attackers who turn their rifles and kill colleagues usually end up stealing their weapons and fleeing the scene to join insurgents.

Akbari said the assailant had gone over to the Taliban. He also claimed that the attacker and the Taliban gathered the bodies of the dead policemen and set them on fire.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahed claimed responsibility for the attack, but denied that a policeman had been involved or that the Taliban had burned the bodies of the policemen.

The conflicting accounts could not be immediately reconciled. The region is remote and not accessible to reporters.

Afghan forces have come under intensified pressure by insurgents in both Helmand and Kunduz.
Detroit has RoboCop. Philadelphia has Rocky. According to two men at the latest San Clemente Council meeting, the city needs Paul Walker.

A 12-foot-tall statue of the late actor at least.

The speakers, identifying themselves at the March 21 council meeting as freelance journalists Chad Kroeger and Bodhi Johnson, said America needs a unifying figure we can all turn to. A statue of Paul Walker, best known for the Fast and the Furious movie series, could provide that, they said.

Check out the video:

Kroeger said that even though Walker may be gone  killed in a crash in 2013 at age 40  his legacy lives on. Kroeger even had a sculptor in mind to do the statue.

The new Fast & Furious is fast approaching, he told the City Council. It comes out next month. So we dont have much time. So Im just going to ask you guys straight up, how can we get started? When can we break ground?

Its not going to happen, San Clemente City Council members said to the two men.

Council members said sorry, dude, but there wasnt enough of a tie to San Clemente than Walkers cousin attending San Clemente High.

Im a big fan of Paul Walker, dont get me wrong, Councilman Tim Brown said. But, no. Sorry, bro.

Contact the writer: fswegles@scng.com or 949-492-5127
The parents of a man shot and killed last year by an Orange County sheriffs deputy outside a Yorba Linda motel have filed a lawsuit against the county claiming the deputy didnt have cause to fire his gun at their son and offering a wildly different account of events than told by law enforcement.

The Orange County District Attorneys Offices investigation into the shooting last year found the deputy justified in the Feb. 16, 2016 killing of 39-year-old Brandon Lee Witt. The D.A.s report described a chaotic scene in which the deputy, fearing Witt was reaching for a weapon, fired his gun while hanging partially in and partially out of Witts vehicle as it lurched forward, dragging the deputy along with it.

But the complaint from Gary Witt and Kathy Craig, filed last week, claims that Witt never tried to harm the responding deputies, did nothing that would justify being shot and was the victim of a deputy using excessive force.

The D.A.s report describes the incident in detail based on statements from two deputies involved, an interview with an eyewitness, a dashboard camera, a police audio recording and other sources.

According to that report, the deputy who shot Witt arrived shortly before 1 p.m. to the parking lot outside the Extended Stay America motel in response to a call of a suspicious vehicle and found Witt sitting in a car. When the deputy asked Witt to turn off his vehicle, Witt reached for a metal file-like device and explained he didnt have a key for the car, causing the deputy to suspect it was stolen.

The deputy said Witt disobeyed numerous orders to keep his hands in plain sight and instead often reached under the seat and around the car, leading the deputy to believe Witt was scouring for a weapon. After the deputy drew his gun, Witt put his hands near the driver side mirror, where the deputy grabbed Witts wrists to prevent him from further reaching around the car, according to the report.

Instead, Witt pulled the deputy partway inside the vehicle, shifted the car into reverse, and then, when a second deputy pulled his vehicle behind Witts, shifted back into drive, accelerated and used his free arm to continue rummaging around the interior, the report stated. Thats when the deputy drew his weapon again and fired, hitting Witt in the chest, sending his vehicle crashing into a nearby drainage ditch, according to the report.

Witts failure to comply with (the deputys) multiple commands escalated the incident and created the justifiable fear, the D.A.s report stated.

The entire encounter occurred in less than nine minutes. Witt was later found to be under the influence of amphetamines. The report did not state whether Witts car was stolen.

Yet the lawsuit from Witts parents alleges no such altercation took place. According to the complaint, Witt was unarmed, lawfully sitting inside his vehicle when the deputy discharged his firearm at Witt. It also alleges that both deputies on the scene pulled Witt from the car after the shooting and punched and kicked him. The complaint offers no explanation of why the deputy would shoot or beat Witt.

(The deputies) use of force, including deadly force, was excessive and unreasonable under the circumstances, especially since Witt was unarmed, he never attempted to strike anyone with the car he was driving, and he never caused serious bodily injury to anyone at the time of the shooting, Witts attorney wrote in the lawsuit.

The D.A.s report says that Witt had previously been arrested for burglary, fraud, domestic battery and drug possession, among other crimes.

A sheriffs department spokesman declined comment, citing the ongoing litigation.

Witts attorney didnt immediately return calls for comment.

Contact the writer: jgraham@scng.com or 714-796-7960
For the last 8 year, about 200 residents of Strunino, a small town in Russias Vladimir Oblast region have not had to worry about buying bread, thanks to the generosity of a local grocery store owner who has been giving it away for free.

Mamoud Shavershyan came to Russia, from Armenia, 25 years ago. He worked as an engineer, before setting up his own business, a small grocery store no different than other such stores in Strunino. But everything changed one day, 8 years ago when, sitting behind the counter, Mamoud saw an old lady counting dozens of coins to pay for a couple of loaves of bread. He found it humiliating for the pensioner and ended up giving her the bread for free. That day, he made the decision to print coupons that pensioners in Strunino could exchange for white or black bread at his store. To make sure that people knew about his offer he advertised it a local paper.

But that was only the beginning. Soon, Mamoud extended his generous offer to people with disabilities, large families with low income, and the generally poor. News spread like wildfire, and soon poor people from neighboring villages started coming by his shop to receive coupons. Today, the Eric grocery store in Strunino gives away around 2,000 loaves of white bread and 1,000 loaves of black bread, every month. They also regularly donate gingerbread to local kindergartens, and to coupon holders during holidays. And for their kindness, Mamoud and his family are rewarded with insults, racial slurs and accusations of theft

Photo: 365info.kz

You would think that for their kindness, the Shavershyans would be showered with gratitude and praise, but this isnt your average feel-good story. In reality, the very people who benefit from their generous offer often insult them and accuse them of stealing that which Putin and the local authorities so generously offer them for free. You see, Mamoud never made a point of telling people that he was the one bearing the costs of the free bread out of his own pockets, and people assumed that he was just passing along the free food offered by the government, while keeping some of it for himself.

Who gives us this free bread? Putin, who else! a stern man holding a paper coupon told Kommersant.ru. The President gave clear orders that the poor people of Russia be assisted, and so they are. But these crafty merchants keep some of it for themselves. They came to Russia in large numbers and feed at our expense. He was saying this while receiving his free bread in Mamouds store. And sadly, most people share his views.

God forbid that Eric grocery store run out of free bread for the day, or that the bread truck break down and fail to make its daily delivery. Mamoud, his wife Rosa and his daughters are held personally responsible and receive verbal abuse and threats from the people they are trying to help. They use racial slurs, threaten to report them to the local authorities, and even throw their coupons in the Shavershyans faces. Last month, an angry old woman threatened to break the store windows with her crutch, because there was no more free bread left.

Rosa Shavershyan says that only around 10% of coupon beneficiaries ever express their gratitude, while the rest act like they are entitled to the free bread. At one point, exasperated with the attitude of the poor people her husband was trying to help, she told him Mamoud, why are you wasting your money and your nerves, when you receive only cursing in exchange for this bread? But then, one day, she saw an old man come into the sore to pick up free bread and attempt to kiss her husbands hand. Mamoud pulled his hand out and told the man Father, what are you doing! The gesture impressed her so much that she told her husband Mamoud, please, for my sake, if you can, printer another 50 monthly coupons for these people.

Mamoud Shavershyan says that hes not interested in gratitude. Only God can appreciate kindness, not people, he told Kommersant. He often tells his wife and two daughters, girls, no one has ever helped this people, so they dont believe in kindness, they are just angry.

Some say that Mamouds philanthropic work is a way to honor his grandfather, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, mean-spirited people claim that its his way of atoning for some mysterious evil deeds, but the kindhearted Armenian says that he just wants those less fortunate than him to have a decent life.

Local authorities dont even know about my initiative, Mamoud says. They have never acknowledged my work, never offered thanks, but I didnt do it for that. I just want the people around me to have an untroubled life.

I guess its true what they say, no good deed ever goes unpunished
Agricultural News

Oklahoma Agriculture Secretary Jim Reese Visits with Victims of Recent Wildfires in Beaver County

As the Beaver County Fire Relief Information meeting wrapped up this afternoon, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays reached out to Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese, who attended the meeting along with approximately 150 farmers and ranchers affected by the recent Northwest Oklahoma wildfires, there to learn about the available assistance programs available through the Farm Service Agency and other organizations. You can listen to Hays and Reese discuss today's meeting with fire victims in Beaver County, by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of this story.





Reese offered his observations on the scene, saying that every day gets a little better for the victims.





"I think the first day was just total devastation," he empathized. "You think there is no recovery; you're totally blindsided by the size of the job in front of you."





However, he continued that as assistance of all kinds, through programs, hay drives and just genuine support, the attitudes seem to lift some.





"They're past the ugly part; they're spirits are getting better," he added. "People get just a little bit more optimistic every day."





If you, or someone you know, has been affected by these fires, Reese encourages you to complete an application through the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, which is helping to coordinate efforts to distribute assistance as soon as possible. To fill out your application in order to be accounted for, visit the OCA website, here.





























Click below to listen to Hays and Sec. Reese discuss today's meeting with Beaver County fire victims

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI

Top Agricultural News
One of the former candidates for Omaha Public Schools superintendent cited the "overall dysfunctionality" of the search process as part of his decision to withdraw from consideration.

Khalid Mumin, the superintendent of Reading School District in Pennsylvania, sent an email to Reading district staff members Saturday evening explaining his decision.

"The uncertainty, that's what it was," Mumin later said to the Reading Eagle. "Here in Reading, there's no uncertainty. We work together. It's not an atmosphere of aggression or political grandstanding, and that's important to me."

In his email, Mumin said he didn't believe OPS leaders "have the best interest of kids in their actions."

Mumin and Paul Gausman, the superintendent of Sioux City Community Schools in Iowa, issued a joint statement Saturday night announcing their decisions to withdraw from consideration.

It is evident that neither of us have engendered ... support with the Omaha Public Schools Board of Education, Gausman and Mumin wrote.

As experienced educators, we understand the need for a supportive relationship between any board and its chief executive, as that team must work together to move a district forward; students, staff, parents, and the greater community deserve no less, they wrote.

A third finalist, Jane Stavem, the associate superintendent for instruction at Lincoln Public Schools, dropped out earlier this month, saying the job wasnt a good fit.

In the wake of the withdrawals, parents, teachers and community members turned out en masse Monday night for the OPS board's meeting. And they gave board members and earful.

We shouldnt be here discussing any of this because you guys couldnt come to a decision, community member and former OPS parent Kay Wainwright said. I am upset with you, I came out to tell you I am upset with you, and if you all got replaced this year, I would be happy.

Board members shared their own anger and frustration about the outcome of the search.

Im ashamed right now, I really am, board member Yolanda Williams said.

The failed search has made OPS the laughingstock of the education community, she said.

What's next? The search likely will have to be rebooted and an interim superintendent hired.

The school board could call a special meeting next week to talk through its options. The boards accountability subcommittee, which has been involved heavily in the superintendent search, met Tuesday night behind closed doors to discuss how the board will proceed.

*****

More coverage
LINCOLN  Not only did President Donald Trump grant a permit to build the controversial Keystone XL pipeline Friday, he offered to help speed construction with a well-connected phone call to Nebraska.

As the president announced the permit during an Oval Office briefing with reporters, he turned to TransCanada CEO Russ Girling and asked when work will begin on the $8 billion project. Girling said the company needs to first get routing approval in Nebraska.

Im sure Nebraska will be good, Trump replied. Pete is a great governor, hes done a fantastic job. Ill call him today.

Gov. Pete Ricketts on Saturday called action granting a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline a great, positive step forward.

He added: Obviously we have a process to work through here in the state with the Public Service Commission. Im confident theyll go through their process and make their determination with regard to this being (in the) public interest.

The company needs approval from Nebraska before work on the final section of pipeline  through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska  can begin.

We didnt connect up yesterday, Ricketts said, referring to the comment made by President Donald Trump Friday when he announced the signing.

* * *

Video: "We've got some work to do in Nebraska," TransCanada CEO says

* * *

Meanwhile, the organizer of a landowner campaign that helped defeat Keystone XL two years ago predicted Friday that possible lawsuits stemming from the PSCs decision would delay construction for many additional months.

I dont anticipate any soil being turned during the next two years, said Jane Kleeb of Hastings, director of Bold Alliance. On the national front, environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and National Resources Defense Council predicted they will succeed in their legal efforts to block the project.

When does construction start? The answer to that is never, said Bill McKibben of 350.org, an organization that works to reverse carbon pollution.

Trump has given TransCanada Corp. the cross-border construction permit it fought to obtain under President Barack Obama. The then-president denied the application two years ago, saying approval of the carbon-heavy project would have undermined Americas leadership on the fight against greenhouse gas pollution.

In granting the permit, Trump touted the construction jobs that will be created to build the pipeline, which he also said will help reduce Americas reliance on oil imports from the Middle East.

Its going to be an incredible pipeline, greatest technology known to man or woman, Trump said. And frankly, were very proud of it.

The 36-inch underground pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of heavy crude oil daily from the tar sands region of Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The southern leg of the project is complete. The roughly 1,200-mile section that Trump approved Friday would pass through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

The company has reached easement agreements with most of the private landowners along the 275-mile planned route in Nebraska, but nearly 90 property owners have refused to sign. In an attempt to use eminent domain to obtain easement rights from the holdouts, the company filed applications last month that seek approval from the PSC.

More than 130 citizens and several environmental and labor groups have filed paperwork with the PSC to formally intervene for and against the proposed route. The list includes 92 landowners represented by Omaha attorney Dave Domina, three labor unions and two American Indian tribes.

Art Tanderup, whose farm near Neligh is on the proposed route, said he and his family are geared up to fight the project again. He said he believes the PSC process is designed to provide a serious review of the pipeline route, including its proximity to porous sandy soils and high water tables in his region of the state.

We hope we can show that its an imminent threat to the aquifer, the land and the people who live here, he said.

TransCanada officials have expressed confidence that they will meet the PSCs standards. But Ken Winston, a lawyer for Bold Alliance, said hes skeptical that the company can show how a foreign-owned pipeline that neither delivers oil to the state nor ships a Nebraska commodity to another market will fit the definition of public interest.

Larry Wright Jr., chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, said the company has not consulted with the tribe about whether the pipeline route disturbs any cultural or burial sites. It does cross a historic route known as the Ponca Trail of Tears.

Other opponents of the project pointed to sluggish global oil prices and the high cost of mining and processing the thick, sandy crude as reasons why major petroleum developers have abandoned projects in Canada. They also said one of their strategies to fight the pipeline will be to pressure the banks that lend money to TransCanada.

The U.S. State Department determined that building the pipeline serves U.S. national interests. That conclusion followed a review of environmental, economic and diplomatic factors, the department said.

The State Department reached the opposite conclusion two years ago.

The presidential permit was signed by Tom Shannon, a career diplomat serving in a senior State Department role, rather than by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The former CEO of oil company Exxon Mobil recused himself after protests from environmental groups that said it would be a conflict of interest for Tillerson to decide the pipelines fate.

Oil industry advocates say the pipeline will improve U.S. energy security and create jobs, although how many is widely disputed. Calgary-based TransCanada has promised as many as 13,000 construction jobs  6,500 a year over two years  but the State Department previously estimated a far smaller number.

The pipelines opponents contend the jobs will be minimal and short-lived, and say the pipeline wont help the United States with energy needs because the oil is destined for export.

In Nebraska, the governor said hes confident the PSC will conduct a thorough and fair review of the pipeline application.

The presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline is a welcome step forward to securing improved energy infrastructure in Nebraska and nationally while also creating jobs and ensuring our energy independence, Ricketts said in a statement.

He also said the pipeline will generate nearly $12 million in property tax revenue in a dozen counties during its first year of operation. Those payments, however, would decline in subsequent years as the value of the pipe depreciates.

Republican lawmakers representing Nebraska and western Iowa on Capitol Hill all have supported advancing the pipeline, pointing to job creation and energy independence.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., said Friday that TransCanada has gone through an appropriately difficult process that moved them to improve their construction materials and shift their route through Nebraska.

After that was done, all through the good efforts of many Nebraskans who were rightfully concerned about the environmental impacts, I think thats reason enough to move forward, Fortenberry said.

Don Bacon, R-Neb., said pipelines are the safest way to transport the oil.

Theres a lot of environmental protection standards that have been built in, Bacon said.

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska issued statements in support of the presidents announcement.

A Trump presidential directive also required new or expanded pipelines to be built with American steel to the maximum extent possible. TransCanada has said Keystone wont be built with U.S. steel. The company already has acquired the steel, much of it from Canada and Mexico, and the White House has acknowledged its too difficult to impose conditions on a pipeline already under construction.

TransCanada first applied for a permit in 2008. Years of politicking, legal wrangling and disputes over the pipelines route preceded Obamas decision to nix the project.

The company also announced Friday it would drop its $15 billion claim against the United States over an alleged violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The claim was filed after the Obama administration denied the companys permit application.

World-Herald staff writer Joseph Morton contributed to his report, which also contains material from the Associated Press.
The House Intelligence Committee hearing on Monday marked the end of the opening installment of The President, the must-watch reality/horror show that has transfixed the nation and the world. Now the plotline gets more serious, perhaps darker, with some new characters likely to emerge in key national-security roles.

President Donald Trump should be less of a stage hog going forward, and his Twitter storms less intense. Hes often described as a narcissist, but hes not suicidal. He knows he has been rebuffed in a public hearing that he cant ridicule as fake news.

With his approval rating below 40 percent, he needs to broaden his base. Trump wants to disrupt, but he also wants to succeed.

Trump and the nation would be well served if his two leading Cabinet members, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, played more prominent roles. Trump needs the solid outriggers that Mattis and Tillerson can provide. This presidency is wounded at a time of potentially serious crises.

Mattis and Tillerson are stabilizers. They have both led big organizations under pressure, and they know what command is. Both have been moving cautiously in the early weeks, feeling their way and mostly keeping their mouths shut in public.

They dont like talking to the press, but in that theyre hardly alone among former chief executives and military leaders.

Mattis and Tillerson arent communicating much with the public, but theyre talking to Trump and to each other while they figure out the strategic positions this administration will take on key issues. The two Cabinet secretaries try to have breakfast once a week, talk frequently by phone and hash out common positions before each big meeting in the Situation Room.

These two know how to say no to Trump. Mattis famously did so on torture, and Tillerson did the same in rebutting a presidential musing about abolishing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Mattis and Tillerson have three paramount tasks  matters of war and peace where their advice will be crucial for a beleaguered president with big ideas but limited experience.

The first test is eradicating the Islamic State. Trump claimed during the campaign he had a secret strategy, but in office he has sensibly expanded the approach recommended by Gen. Joseph Votel, the U.S. Central Command commander, which focuses on capturing Raqqa, the Islamic State capital in Syria.

Centcom favors using a militia known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is multiethnic but led by Syrian Kurds from a group known as the YPG.

U.S. commanders rightly argue that while the Kurdish warriors are anathema to Turkey, theyre the only hope for quickly seizing Raqqa. Turkeys claims about an alternative Sunni militia known as the First Corps arent credible.

Raqqa is an urgent priority: Terrorists there are hatching plots targeting Europe and the U.S.

The message to Turkey should be blunt: Let the U.S. work with the Kurds to clear Raqqa now (and get them out afterward), or Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime will seize the initiative.

A second crisis is building with North Korea. Here, Mattis and Tillerson have combined in warning Pyongyang that strategic patience is over; the U.S. will not permit the erratic regime of Kim Jong Un to develop a nuclear strike capability targeting the U.S.

The key to avoiding war is to bolster allies, in Japan and South Korea, and to enlist Chinas cooperation.

Tillerson was in Beijing last weekend for talks with President Xi Jinping about joint action. I wish Tillerson had taken reporters with him, but it was the right destination and message.

Trumps third challenge, perhaps the trickiest, is to repair the dangerously strained relationship with Russia. Thats complicated by President Vladimir Putins reckless covert action against the U.S. presidential election last year and by Trumps courtship of Putin and his oligarchs, which was foolish, at best.

The FBIs counterintelligence investigation must run its course. Until its completed there will be a big gray cloud over the administration, as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said Monday.

But this doesnt mean that diplomatic dialogue with Moscow and, where possible, cooperation, should cease. After all, detente and nuclear-arms control began in the dark days of the Cold War.

Tillerson, who knows Putin from his Exxon Mobil days, is planning to visit Russia in April. Tillerson should attend the NATO summit, too, countering reports he might skip it. But hes the right messenger to Moscow.

As Mattis and Tillerson work on these complex problems, they need to communicate their strategy to America and the world. America is facing big questions, and the answers cant be conveyed in 140-character tweets.
2 arrested shortly after Yogi Adityanath's meet with gangrape survivor

India

oi-Anusha

The Uttar Pradesh police arrested two men for forcing acid down a 35-year-old gangrape survivor's throat. The arrest comes within hours of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath meeting her on Friday. The woman who was assaulted for the second time with acid is a gangrape survivor whose case was about to go to trial.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had visited the survivor who was in a critical state at Lucknow's King George Medical College. Apart from announcing compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the survivor, he had ordered the police to make arrests in the case at the earliest. Within hours of his order, the Uttar Pradesh police managed to arrest the two suspects.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, March 24, 2017, 18:42 [IST]
After Air India, Indigo cancels Ravindra Gaikwad's ticket

India

oi-Anusha

Yet another airline, Indigo, cancelled the ticket issues to Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad. The move comes hours after Air India cancelled the MP's ticket from Delhi to Pune. The Shiv Sena MP who assaulted a crew member of Air India on Thursday tried to fly with a private airline after Air India cancelled his ticket. Indigo airlines, rallying for Air India and its crew has also cancelled his ticket for the day.

[AI, 4 other airlines bar Shiv Sena's Ravindra Gaikwad from flying]

The defiant MP had claimed that he would fly back to Pune after an association of airlines decided not to allow the MP to board any flights. Air India has sought an apology from the neta who refused the same.

[With 8 criminal cases, Ravindra Gaikwad is not new to controversy]

Apart from Air India and Indigo, Spicejet, Jet airways, Go air, Vistara have decided to not allow the MP to board any flights. The association has also demanded that the government come up with a 'no fly' list and include the MP's name on it.

[Watch: How Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted AI staffer]

Meanwhile, Gaikwad has remained defiant and has dared the airlines to stop him. The Shiv Sena MP insisted that he had a ticket and could not be stopped by anyone.

OneIndia News
Chennai and around to receive light to moderate rainfall on Monday

After Viraat, navys spy plane Albatross set to fly into sunset

India

oi-Shubir

By Shubir Rishi

The Tu-142M maritime snooping aircraft, better known as 'Albatross' for its massive wing-span, which on several occasions picked up Chinese and Pakistani submarines operating close to Indian waters will be decommissioned later this month.

Set to be replaced by the American-origin P-8I anti-submarine warfare aircraft, the Russian origin Tupolev142M has done 28,000 hours of accident-free flying with the INAS 312 Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron of the Eastern Naval Command based at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu. The squadron is also inducting the Boeing P-8I and two of these have also been received.

India inked a deal worth US $2.1 billion January 1, 2009 for a total of eight aircraft, and the first aircraft arrived in India on May 15, 2013.

The aircraft were upgraded in the last decade in Russia to plug the gaps till the time the American aircraft arrived in India and joined the operational service, navy officials said.

Inducted in 1988 The aircraft will now be retired at the naval air station INS Rajali in Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu at a ceremony on March 29," ET quoted an unnamed officer as saying.

The aircraft were inducted in 1988 after the navy especially created the INS Rajali naval air base with a 4-km airstrip for it. All images courtesy: SpokespersonNavy/Twitter Only three remain The fuel-guzzling Tupolev142M's were the primary genuine long-range maritime reconnaissance of the Indian Navy. The TU-142MKE has a speed of around 850 kmph, and a battle range of 6,500-km. Only three of the eight Taganrog-built Tu-142MEs, which were introduced in 1988, remain operational, according to flightglobal. These are operated by the service's 312 Sqn from INS Rajali, Arakkonam. The replacement arrives The first squadron of Boeing P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft was dedicated to the nation on November 14, 2015. Armed with the mighty Harpoon anti-ship missile, the Boeing P-8I Squadron (INAS 312A) will boost Navy's activities such as anti-surface warfare, long-range antii-submarine warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance and littoral missions. Image: The Boeing P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft. Flexibility to undertake extensive surveillance "The aircraft will provide the Indian Navy the necessary reach and flexibility to undertake extensive surveillance as also to respond swiftly and effectively to contingencies in our areas of interest," says a navy spokesperson. Operational milestones During its short phase of trials and testing with the Indian Navy, the P-8I aircraft achieved many operational milestones including in the search effort for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370, the first successful firing of air launched Harpoon Block-II missile in the world, torpedo firing and active participation in major naval exercises.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, March 24, 2017, 14:32 [IST]
AI, 4 other airlines bar Shiv Sena's Ravindra Gaikwad from flying

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Ravindra Gaikwad who assaulted an Air India official has been barred from flying by the Federation of Indian Airlines. The decision was taken in the wake of an outrage followed by complaints after the MP confessed on camera that he had hit an airline official with his sandal 25 times.

[Rowdy Gaikwad: Hitting a 60 year old is not machoism]

As a result of this order, Gaikwad would be barred from flying on an Air India Flight unless he goes in appeal or a court decides otherwise. Another option before him would be to tender an unconditional apology. Whether or not to accept the apology would be the discretion of the federation.

[Watch: How Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted AI staffer]

Gaikwad was upset that he was not given a business class seat on the airline. He argued with the staff a 60-year-old man and later assaulted him. Not enough, he appeared on television and bragged about it.

Meanwhile, Gaikwad continued to remain unapologetic. He said that he was not ready to apologise. "Let the victim apologise first, and after that, let us see," he told media persons when asked whether he was sorry about the incident.

OneIndia News
Amit Shah to attend Gujarat assembly session on 30 March

India

pti-PTI

Gandhinagar, Mar 23: BJP chief Amit Shah will attend the ongoing budget session of the Gujarat Assembly on March 30, a day before the session draws to a close, the state unit of the party said.

Shah is the MLA from Naranpura seat of Ahmedabad. "As Shah is coming to his home state for the first time after the election results of five states, including Uttar Pradesh, he will be accorded a grand welcome by party workers and leaders on his arrival here on March 29," state BJP chief Jitubhai Vaghani said.

On March 30, Shah will take part in the ongoing budget session of the assembly, he said in a statement. Shah is expected to stay in Gandhinagar for around three days and hold meetings with key party leaders, Vaghani added.

PTI
Kejriwal likely to take oath as Delhi CM for third time on Feb 16 at Ramlila Maidan

Amit Shah to address mega convention in Delhi tomorrow

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 24: The Delhi BJP is banking on its mega convention of booth-level workers, to be addressed by Amit Shah on Saturday , to reinvigorate the party's ranks ahead of the municipal polls in the national capital.

The party's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari on Friday said BJP president Amit Shah's "interactive session", in presence of a number of Union ministers, will enthuse the workers, around 65,000 of whom are expected to attend Saturday's convention.

Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Sitharaman and Sanjeev Balyan are likely to address the gathering at Ramlila Maidan, which will begin at 10 AM. "Booth-level workers are at the very core of the BJP's electoral success and its connect with the masses across the states. Five in-charges from each booth will be present at the convention," Tiwari said.

The BJP has dubbed the group of five booth in-charges as 'Panch Parmeshwar', saying these "workers will work like 'panchs' towards getting administrative justice for people".

[Also read: Inside Modi's breakfast meet: "Na apna, na paraya, kanoon ka raaj chalega"]

The convention was to be held on March 19 but had to be postponed as in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adithyanath-led BJP government was sworn in on that day. Meanwhile, Tiwari took a veiled jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying "a few people have only misused the historic ground (Ramlila Maidan) in the past".

The swearing-in ceremony of the Kejriwal government was held at the ground in central Delhi in 2015 after the AAP stormed to power with 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. The polls to the three civic bodies of the national capital will be held on April 23. BJP has been at the helm of the corporations since 2007.

PTI
Jaitley statue at Kotla: Angry Bedi asks DDCA to remove his name from stands, quits membership

Reforms in India being done by conviction, not compulsion: PM Narendra Modi

BJP leaders pay tribute to former minister Arun Jaitley on his third death anniversary

Arun Jaitley hands over three DRDO indigenous systems to Navy

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, March 24: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday handed over to the Navy three systems indigenously developed by the DRDO, including a sonar that is likely to be fitted on the Arihant class submarines.

The AUSHUS-II submarine sonar, developed by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, is primarily designed to be used in Sindhughosh class submarines, and may also be fitted on the Arihant class indigenous nuclear submarines.

The other two systems handed over in the presence of Navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba, include a directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array, and inertial navigation system for ship applications.

The Minister also released two other products developed by the DRDO - an IP-based secure phone, which has an indigenous encryption algorithm to provide secrecy to voice and data, to facilitate communication of strategic and tactical plans of the armed forces; and 'Gallium Nitride Technology' that will help in the development of next generation radars, seekers and communication systems, for application in Light Combat Aircraft.

Speaking on the occasion, Jaitley said the DRDO is becoming an important instrument for self-reliance of the nation.

"Great societies and nations are made through people working on important tasks in anonymity, like the DRDO scientists who were honoured today (Friday)," he said.

He also gave away the annual DRDO awards on the occasion.

State-of-the-art submarine sonar suite, USHUS-II, is a highly evolved compendium of multiple sensors. The constituent sonars in the suite include passive sonar, active sonar, intercept sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar and underwater telephony.

The directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array is an electro-mechanical system that supports the transducer array of hull-mounted ship sonar systems and rotates it at a controlled speed for in-situ acoustic calibration at harbour and sea.

The inertial navigation system, based on indigenous ring laser gyroscopes, provides vital information on the ship's position coordinates and heading for steering it to its destination accurately. It features high-speed processor, multi-constellation sat nav receiver, ship specific interfaces and innovative algorithms.

IANS
12-year-old Indian in Guinness World Record for identifying most aeroplane tails in UAE

Watch: Four Indian women racially abused in Texas in most horrific manner

Coast Guard seize Pakistani fishing boat off Gujarat

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, March 24: The Indian Coast Guard on Friday seized a Pakistani fishing boat with nine crew members in its territorial waters off the Gujarat coast, officials said.

Coast Guard officials said the boat, operating within Indian waters close to Jakhau port in north Gujarat, will be escorted to a Indian port and the fishermen will be interrogated by security and intelligence agencies.

"A Pakistani boat with nine crew members, which had entered the Indian waters, was seized by a Coast Guard vessel off Jakhau coast of Kutch district today," the Coast Guard officials said.

"The boat and and the Pakistani crew members have been brought to Jakhau port and the crew members are being interrogated by the security agencies," they added.

Last month, the BSF had apprehended four abandoned Pakistani fishing boats near Sir Creek in Kutch district on the Indo-Pak border during an extensive search operation in that area.

IANS
Air India writes to Delhi police asks 'why no action taken against Gaikwad?'

No fly-list rules in effect from today: Your guide to passenger ban on airlines

Ravindra Gaikwad welcomes no-fly list', says staff's behaviour should also be considered

Cong, BJP leaders united in condemning Shiv Sena MP for assaulting AI staffer

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Leaders across parties were united in condemning Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who thrashed an Air India staff member with his footwear on Thursday.

While Gaikwad's action has drawn flak from all quarters, the Shiv Sena is yet to take action against him. Although Sena condemned the violence in general terms, it has not so far issued a specific statement on this issue. Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande merely said that there should be a probe into the entire incident.

The BJP, which is in alliance with the Sena both in Maharashtra and the Centre, dubbed the incident as 'highly condemnable' and called for a strict action against Gaikwad.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told ANI that such a behaviour was not expected from a member of Parliament.

BJP leader Zafar Islam said that the Shiv Sena chief should take cognisance of the issue and take 'exemplary action'.

The Congress has hit out at Gaikwad for his brazenness as the latter boasted about his actions on media channels.

Congress leader P L Punia told ANI that lawmakers do not have the right to take law into their own hands.

[Rowdy Gaikwad: Hitting a 60 year old is not machoism]

According to reports, Air India has registered two FIRs against Gaikwad over the incident.

Gaikwad, on his part, has shot out a letter to Civil Aviation Minsiter Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan explaining the problems faced on the Air India flight.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, March 24, 2017, 10:03 [IST]
CPI-M dubs SC direction on Babri Masjid matter as 'superfluous and unwise'

India

ians-IANS English

By Ians English

New Delhi, March 24: Chief Justice JS Khehar's suggestion that all parties in the Ayodhya dispute should settle the matter through talks 'is superfluous and unwise', the CPI-M said on Friday.

The Supreme Court was to hear the appeals against the Allahabad High Court ruling on the Ayodhya matter.

"Instead of doing so, the Chief Justice has asked the parties to go for an out of court settlement," the Communist Party of India-Marxist said in a statement.

"There is a long history of negotiations and talks in the matter. All these have proved infructuous. The situation changed after the demolition of the Babri Masjid and there was no scope for further talks as one side had unilaterally taken steps to demolish the mosque," it added.

"For the higher judiciary to now suggest talks is to ignore how the law was broken and the Constitution trampled upon. It is also objectionable that the Chief Justice has asked Subramaniam Swamy to consult the concerned parties whether they can hold talks," the CPI-M said.

The statement said that Swamy is not a petitioner in the case.

"Further, he has been a known advocate for removing the mosque and building a temple at the spot," it said.

"The judicial process is concerned with who has the title to the land where the Babri Masjid stood. The Supreme Court must adjudicate on this matter before it and discharge its judicial responsibility," it added.

IANS
FIR registered against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, March 24: Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on a complaint by Air India and its staff member. He had on camera confessed that he had hit airline official with his sandal 25 times.

Air India had registered two FIRs against Gaikwad over the incident. Gaikwad had shot out a letter to Civil Aviation Minsiter Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan explaining the problems faced on the Air India flight.

Case registered under IPC 308 & 355 and transferred to Delhi Police crime branch for thorough probe: Dependra Pathak, Spokesperson,DP pic.twitter.com/lUc4aQeCEi  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

Aam aadmi ho ya mantri ho kisi ka bhi gussa phut sakta hai agar uske saath galat hua hai: Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena on Ravindra Gaikwad pic.twitter.com/VDgnq27UVQ  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

Galti hui hai, haat utha hai, uske liye kaun zimedaar hai woh dekhenge. FIR kiya hai na? Hum dekhlenge aur kis par FIR honi chahiye: S Raut pic.twitter.com/2dbVT6dax0  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

He has already been barred from flying by the Federation of Indian Airlines. Gaikwad had hit the airline staff as he was upset with not being given a business class seat on the airline.

After being denied flight ticket he travelled by train to reach Mumbai. He refrained from commenting further on Air India row, and said that Uddhav Thackeray or Anil Desai will speak on it.

OneIndia News
Future wars will be complex, Indian Army needs modernisation says Gen Rawat

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat listed out several needs to make the Indian Army stronger. General Rawat said that there is a need to fast-track procurement of defence systems to enhance India's military capability as the army needed to remain prepared for warfare along the borders.

"Technology tends to become obsolete soon. Hence whatever is inducted must be done through fast-track procedures," he said while addressing a conference on military communication in New Delhi.

"The future wars are going to be complex," the chief explained. "There is a need to modernise communication systems used by the armed forces. The furture wars would not only be complex, but the nature of warfare is also rapidly changing," he said.

He explained that India will continue to face sub-conventional and non-traditional forms of war. "However, our armed forces must also be ready for the conventional warfare too," he explained. The army must keep pace with the digitised world and also ensure that most of the systems must be digitised early. The communication technology for the armed forces must be simple, light weight and easy to maintain," he said.

"There is a need for having a proper encryption mechanism, both for voice and data, for communication network for the armed forces. The Army Design Bureau has been created to establish an interface between the army and the industry," he added.

On the recent social media posts by some jawans, General Rawat said that the adversaries appeared to be taking advantage of it.

OneIndia News
Bharat Jodo Yatra will proceed to Srinagar, come what may, says Rahul Gandhi as march enters Maharashtra

Gandhi enjoys no popularity: A message from BJPs Rahul to Congress Rahul

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, March 24: It's not just the Congress; the Bharatiya Janata Party also has a Rahul in the party. In fact, BJP leader Rahul Sinha has a word of advice for his namesake in the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, who is currently lying low after losing the assembly elections in four states recently.

Sinha suggested the Congress VP that elections can't be won with the help of 'stunt politics'. "Gandhi should be given time to learn politics," Sinha said, while adding that Gandhi is not political material and he has no popularity in the country.

"Gandhi enjoys no popularity in the entire country. Some of his flatterers in the Congress party want to bring Rahul Gandhi to the fore, but he is not a political material. What (former Congress leader) SM Krishna said is right. The BJP will see a stronghold in the upcoming Karnataka Elections with Krishna joining the party," Sinha told ANI.

After winning elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand with a massive mandate and successfully forming governments in Manipur and Goa, the BJP is eyeing to win Karnataka assembly polls scheduled in 2018.

Krishna recently joined the BJP. Political pundits say that the veteran Congress leader and former chief minister of Karnataka joining the BJP is a big loss for the Congress.

OneIndia News
KARTET Result 2022: Answer Key to be out by this week

GVK sells 33 per cent stake in Bangalore airport to Fairfax

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

Bengaluru, March 24: Infrastructure major GVK Ltd on Friday announced selling 33 per cent of its 43 per cent equity stake in the Bangalore International Airport Ltd to Canadian investment firm Fairfax for Rs 2,202 crore ($336 million).

"As our focus is on deleveraging the balance sheet, proceeds from this sale shall be used to reduce our debt obligations to lenders," said GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd in a statement here.

BIAL, which operates the Kempe Gowda international airport at Devanahalli, 40km from here, is a public-private consortium, in which the Union and Karnataka Governments hold 13 per cent equity stake each.

Post-divestment, Bangalore Airport & Infrastructure Developers Ltd of GVK will hold 10 per cent, while Siemens Project Ventures GmbH of Germany 26 per cent and Fairfax 38 per cent, including 5 per cent of Flughafen Zurich AG of Switzerland it acquired for $49 million (Rs.320 crore) year ago.

Fairfax's Mauritius-based subsidiary Fairfax India Holdings Corporation is the largest investor in the consortium, post-disinvestment by GVK's arm.

The state-run Airport Authority of India represents the central government and the Karnataka State Industrial Investment Development Corporation the state government.

G.V.K. Reddy will continue as Co-Chairman of the consortium and his son G.V. Sanjya Reddy will lead the management team as the Managing Director of BIAL despite diluting their holding to 10 per cent.

"We look forward to partnering with Fairfax and working with all stakeholders in developing the airport through its next stage of expansion," said GVK Reddy in the statement.

Fairfax financial holdings group is headed by Canadian investor Prem Watsa.

"We continue to remain bullish as a pioneer and long-term investor in airport assets in the country. Having qualified as the highest bidder for the Navi Mumbai airport recently, we shall continue to build iconic assets for the country," added Sanjay Reddy in the statement.

As the first PPP greenfield project, BIAL operates the country's third business airport under a 30+30 year concession agreement, with a capacity to handle about 20 million passengers per annum from one terminal.

As a leading commercial aviation operator, the GVK group also operates the Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport in Mumbai.

IANS
Married woman asked to do household work for family not cruelty, says HC

IMA calls-off doctors' strike

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The Indian Medical Association on Friday called off the doctors' strike, which was held in in protest against the attack on their doctors by patients' relatives.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors earlier on Friday disassociated itself with the strike of resident doctors and filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court allowing the action to be taken against agitating doctors.

The HC had warned the striking doctors of punitive action if they do not return to work by Saturday.

The high court had on Friday lashed out at MARD for not complying with their order of calling off the strike. The resident doctors in the state are striking for the last five days in protest against the attack on their colleagues.

The high court on Thursday ordered the Maharashtra government to provide security to the resident doctors following which MARD urged all resident doctors to call off their mass CL agitation immediately.

Despite this, the junior doctors have not resumed their work on Friday, which prompted the court to resort to stringent measures.

The high court has directed MARD to file an affidavit by 3 pm on Friday stating that Maharashtra government can take action against the doctors on strike.

If MARD fails to do so then the HC can initiate contempt proceedings against MARD president and secretary, said reports.

According to reports, there have been at least five attacks on resident doctors in the last one week by the disgruntled relatives of the patients.

[HC orders doctors to call off strike, directs govt to provide security]

The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the management of government hospitals to take disciplinary action against the striking doctors.

OneIndia News
Inside Modi's breakfast meet: "Na apna, na paraya, kanoon ka raaj chalega"

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Over pooris and pakoras, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah issued several guidelines to the party's MPs. The breakfast meeting chaired by Modi issued several guidelines to the MPs that included not asking newly-elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath for any favours.

Shah, in his address was blunt. Shah said, "Na apna, na paraya. Kanoon ka raaj chalega," (The rule of law will prevail, don't think of who voted for you and who did not)

The MPs were told that Yogi must be given his space to work. Suggestions are fine, but do not ask for favours, Shah said at the meet. "He must be allowed to implement the pro-development schemes. Do not flood him with transfer requests," Shah advised the MPs.

The meeting was attended by all the 71 BJP members of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh. The message from Modi was clear and that the party must always be in election mode. "Gear up for the 2019 polls," Modi told the MPs. He also sought suggestions for pro-poor policies. "Get to work, as there is no time to relax," was Modi final message at the breakfast meeting.

OneIndia News
Karnataka ministers' absence irk BJP MLAs

India

pti-PTI

Bengaluru, March 24: Opposition parties in Karnataka assembly on Friday attacked the government over 'empty' Treasury benches and sought summoning of a Minister who they said was busy campaigning for the April 9 assembly by-elections.

As the House met for the day, BJP members pointed to the 'empty' treasury benches and raised the issue of Ministers being absent and demanded that the Speaker read out the list of Ministers who were to be present.

Expressing his displeasure, Speaker K B Koliwad read out the list of Ministers who were to be present during the Question House and for other business.

Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar (BJP) said the government was not interested in running the House. The issue came up again during the question hour when BJP MLA C T Ravi refused to accept an answer to his question from Law Minister T B Jayachandra, who was representing Public Works Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa.

Ravi said he would accept answer only from the Minister concerned and demanded his presence. Jayachandra said the Minister had taken the Chair's permission, following which BJP members sought to know the reason cited by Mahadevappa for his absence. Koliwad said the Miniter in his letter had cited a visit to Mysuru for an emergency work.

Rejecting the reason, BJP members said he was campaigning for Congress candidates in Gundlupet and Nanjangud by-polls.

The Minister's primary responsibility was to the Assembly and not party work related by-polls, they said. He has not been attending the House from the beginning of the session and can been seen on TV campaigning for Congress candidates every day, they said.

"Summon the Minister to the House...if our statements about Minister campaigning for by-polls is not true, search for him, inform the police department," Ravi said.

Shettar expressed his anguish by questioning whether the government was "dead or alive." The Speaker then said he will ask the Minister to be present in the House on Monday and Tuesday.

JD(S) member YSV Datta said "lets not make a mockery of the Question Hour and the House. If Ministers are not present, lets not have the Question Hour, let them finish their by-election and come."

PTI
Law Commission recommends changes to IPC to curb hate speech

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, March 24: The Law Commission has proposed amendments to the Indian Penal Code to curb hate speech, an official statement said on Friday.

In its report titled 'Hate Speech' submitted to the Law and Justice Ministry on Thursday, the Commission has said that "several factors need to be considered before restricting a speech, like, the context of the speech, the status of the victim, the status of the maker of the speech and the potential of the speech to create discriminatory and disruptive circumstances".

"After a thorough examination of the issue and an analysis of the international legal framework, the Commission has proposed amendments to the Indian Penal Code by insertion of new sections after section 153B and 505A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860," said the Ministry statement.

The law panel further proposed that apart from this sanctioning such expression, other strategies might also be employed to encourage harmony among different groups of society like sensitising and educating the public on responsible exercise of speech.

The Supreme Court had asked the Law Commission to examine if it "deems proper to define hate speech and make recommendations to the Parliament to strengthen the Election Commission to curb the menace of hate speeches irrespective of, whenever made" in the Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan versus Union of India case.

"It is necessary that forms of expression that have the potential of inciting hatred and violence are regulated," the Commission observed, adding that the European Court of Human Rights has stressed the need to exercise free speech in a responsible manner, especially in an increasingly multicultural and plural world.

IANS
Pastor Vijay Masih arrested in UP for illegally converting Hindus to Christianity

UP ATS picks up two more accused in Al-Qaeda radicalisation case

Man on a mission: CM Yogi's whirlwind visits

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Yogi Adityanath has been visiting government institutions almost on a daily basis after assuming the post of Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

After visiting state government offices on Tuesday, Adityanath sought a ban on selling and consumption of gutka, pan, pan masala and plastic bags in offices and buildings to ensure they are clean.

On Thursday, he visited Hazratganj police station in Lucknow and interacted with the officials.

Wherever he went, his emphasis was on cleanliness. Reports say that he was particularly keen to know about the processes being followed so as to ensure that public does not face inconvenience.

On Friday, visited a 35-year-old gang rape survivor at the King George's Medical University Trauma centre.

Adityanath pays a surprise visit to Hazratganj police station in Lucknow During his visit, he interacted with the officers and took stock of the work practices at a police station. Adityanath interacting with police officials He spent several minutes interacting with officials and seemed keen to know about the work at police station. (pic courtesy- PTI) Adityanath at Hazratganj police station During his visit tosecretariat annexe, Adityanath said that he would brook no delay in the clearance of files. The newly elected chief minister told officials that he would personally monitor the movement of files directly. (Pic courtesy - PTI) Secretariat Annnexe being cleaned following Yogi's order Secretariat Annnexe, housing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's office being cleaned in Lucknow on Monday morning, a day after the CM inspected it and gave directions in this regard. (Pic courtesy - PTI) Yogi visits acid attack victim at King George's Medical University Adityanath visited a 35 year old gang rape survivor who is in a critical state. Two men had grabbed her and poured acid down her throat on a train to Lucknow on Thursday evening. Ironically this is the second attack on the woman whose case was about to go to trial. He ordered the police to arrest the attackers immediately. Yogi also questioned a senior officer on how such an attack could take place. (Pic - Screengrab)

OneIndia News
\"We have made this Gujarat\": PM Modi's new election slogan

PM Modi to unveil logo, theme and website of Indias G20 Presidency on Nov 8

Modi talks to May, condoles London terror attack deaths

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, March 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called up his British counterpart Theresa May to convey India's support in wake of the London terror attack.

"PM called UK PM H.E. Theresa_may to express India's solidarity and conveyed deepest condolences for victims of the terror attack in London," the Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet.

On Wednesday, an attacker in a vehicle mowed down a number of pedestrians on the iconic Westminster Bridge in London, killing three people, and later knifed to death a policeman on the grounds of the Houses of Parliament before he was shot dead.

IANS
NIA unlikely to challenge Aseemanand's bail in Mecca Masjid case

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The National Investigation Agency is unlikely to challenge the bail granted to Swami Aseemanand in the Mecca Masjid blast case. Aseemanand was on Thursday granted bail by a court in Hyderabad.

The NIA says that it is now waiting for the order copy. "We will examine it before taking a final call," said an officer. However, it is unlikely that the order will be challenged as the judgment appears to be in Aseemanand's favour.

The court had relied on the bail orders granted by a court in Panchakula in connection with the Samjautha express case. Recently Aseemanand was dissolved of all charges in the Ajmer blasts case.

The NIA has not challenged his bail granted in the Samjautha case. In fact, there were questions raised over this decision by the NIA. Parliament was informed that after detailed examination, it was decided that there was no merit in challenging the bail granted to Aseemanand.

OneIndia News
Sacred water and soil from the Sangam to reach Ayodhya today ahead of Aug 5 Bhumi Pujan

No Babri Masjid anywhere in India, says VHP

India

oi-Vikas SV

By Vikas

With the Supreme Court suggesting that the Ram Janmabhoomi be settled amicably through out of court negotiations, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has said that they would not let Babur's mosque to be constructed anywhere in the country.

The TOI quoted Bajrang Dal's UP state convenor Balraj Dungar as saying that Babur looted India and carried out religious conversions, so there cannot be a Mosque in his name.

He said that Bajrang Dal, which is a youth wing of VHP, is not against Muslims, adding that they can construct a mosque anywhere 'outside the 84-kosi parikrama of Ayodhya'.

VHP state media spokesperson Sheelendra Chauhan said that SC's suggestion of out of court settlement of the issue was fine but other parties will not agree. Even Chauhan remained adamant about not allowing a Mosque to be constructed within '84-kosi parikrama of Ayodhya'.

He said that there is now a 'Hindu government' at the Centre and called for a bill to be passed in Parliament to pave way for Ram temple.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that fresh attempts for an out of court settlement of the Ram Janm Bhoomi issue should be made. The SC said that both parties part of the dispute must make fresh attempts for a negotiated settlement.

The bench headed by the Chief Justice J S Khehar said that these are sensitive matters.

"It is best that such matters are negotiated," the court held.

[Timeline of Babri Masjid-Ram temple dispute]

During the hearing, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy said that several attempts were made to settle the matter through negotiations, but have failed. The court said that the parties must sit together and settle the matter.

"We can also find a principle negotiator for the same," the court held.

OneIndia News
UK PM Liz Truss resigns after 45 days in office, successor to be elected next week

Iraq gets a new government after a year of deadlock

Modi sends chaadar to Ajmer Dargah

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 24: A chaadar (shawl) will be offered at the famous Ajmer Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who on Friday hailed the Sufi saint as a 'symbol of great spiritual traditions of India'.

Modi handed over the chaadar to Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh in the national capital for offering it at the shrine during the 'Urs' (festival) which starts on March 30.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister conveyed greetings and best wishes to Khwaja Chishti's followers across the world.

In his message, Modi said "Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is a symbol of the great spiritual traditions of India", according to a PMO statement.

"Gharib Nawaz's service of humanity would remain an inspiration for future generations," he added.

Khwaja Chishti, a great 6th century sufi saint, is also known as 'Gharib Nawaz' (patron of the poor). The Prime Minister offered his best wishes for the successful conduct of the 'Urs'.

PTI
Romeos or eve-teasers? 'Juliets' are definitely unhappy over 'moral policing' in UP

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Lucknow, March 24: As anti-Romeo squads guard public spaces to protect girls/women across Uttar Pradesh, residents of the country's most populous state have a problem with the name 'Romeo' attached with the entire women-friendly drive.

A report in NDTV cited that many in Uttar Pradesh are confused as why the administration is calling the group 'anti-Romeo squad'. "Romeo, the immortal Shakespearean character, was a lover. Romeo, the character, is not an eve-teaser or rowdy. "Why are they calling the squad anti-Romeo?" questioned a college-going girl.

In their election manifesto, the Bharatiya Janata Party promised to create anti-Romeo squads across Uttar Pradesh to provide safety measures to 'harassed' women. During the previous Samajwadi Party regime, several cases of rapes were reported in the state.

After the BJP won the elections, and Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister of the state, anti-Romeo squads swung into action in various cities such as Meerut and Lucknow. The special squad is a part of the Uttar Pradesh police force.

Within a few days of the formation of these squads, many have expressed their apprehensions about the way these groups are working. A college student speaking to CNN-News18 said that there was nothing wrong for a boy to talk to a girl. "We go to colleges, we meet friends and we have several friends who are boys. These squads are also questioning and warning boys who are simply talking to girls. Even after repeated clarification from girls about these boys being their friends, these squads have publicly warned and humiliated them," she said.

Her friend said, "We can't live under so much restrictions where young people are punished for just talking to each other." Many feel that the squad members are acting like 'moral police', who stand outside girls' colleges, and have questioned even fathers and brothers of many girls for talking to them.

However, the Uttar Pradesh Police has assured that the anti-Romeo squad is not a vigilante group, but is there to protect women/girls. Even the new chief minister has asked the police to take action against vigilantes who are trying to intimidate boys and girls in the name of anti-Romeo squads.

OneIndia News
Rowdy Gaikwad: Hitting a 60 year old is not machoism

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

It was rowdyism at its best. Brazen, brash and no fear of the law as he was a lawmaker himself. This Shiv Sena Member of Parliament, Ravindra Gaikwad was upset that he was not able to fly business class on an Air India flight to Delhi. When the 60-year-old duty manager told him to disembark for creating a scene, Gaikwad as per his own confession hit him 25 times with a sandal.

Meanwhile, in a joint statement issued by Air India and the member airlines of the Federation of Indian Airlines that includes IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Go Air, have decided to ban Gaikwad from flying on all the flights with immediate effect.

[VIP highhandedness: Shiv Sena MP assaults Air India staff]

One would have expected an apology from Gaikwad for assaulting a senior citizen. Instead, he bragged on national television about his machoism. He went a step ahead and said that the duty manager threatened to complain to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I am a Shiv Sena MP, not from the BJP to tolerate his abuses," Gaikwad said. He ranted on that he had held up the plane for an hour and did not allow the staff to clean the aircraft.

Gaikwad's rowdy ways are nothing new. He had once shoved a stale chapati down a fasting Muslim caterer while complaining about the food served at the Maharashtra Sadan.

While there is so much video evidence to show what Gaikwad actually did, the Shiv Sena is still seeking other versions. A meek statement from the Sena was issued in which it was said that the party does not condone violence of any kind. Will the Sena act? It is doubtful considering that it did not after the incident at the Maharashtra Sadan.

OneIndia News
RSS worker Rudresh murder: Why HC struck down the NIA probe

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Karnataka high court on Monday set aside a decision to hand over the probe into Rashtriya swayamsevak Sangh worker Rudresh's death to the National Investigation Agency. In a 55-page order, Justice Micheal D' Cunnha observed that handing over the probe to the NIA by the Centre is not an unbridled power conferred on the Central government.

The order came after the accused in the case, a Popular Front of India leader, Asif Sharrif had alleged that the NIA probe was ordered without following the procedure due to political pressure.

The NIA argued that the case was taken over after the Bengaluru police commissioner had written a letter stating that the murder was a scheduled offence. The court, however, said that the Centre can exercise its Suo Motu power only when it is of the opinion that a scheduled offence has been committed.

The order asking the NIA to take smacks of arbitrariness and is issued in utter disregard of the requirements of law. "The Centre has not applied its mind to the facts of the case," the court observed.

Rudresh, an RSS worker, was murdered last year in Bengaluru in broad daylight. It was found that the motive was political. The investigators had submitted that the accused persons had links with the Indian Mujahideen.

OneIndia News
CJI U U Lalits last day in Supreme Court to be live-streamed

A sense of satisfaction, my journey ends here says outgoing CJI U U Lalit

Big shoes to fill after CJI Lalit; hope to continue his good work: Justice Chandrachud

SC asks Centre to deposit 190 files related to 1984 anti-Sikh riots

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Union government to deposit over 190 files in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, said reports.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which flared up after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, left around 3,000 people dead.

Many of the Congress leaders, including Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and HKL Bhagat, are accused of instigating the riots as a retaliation to Indira's assassination.

The Special Investigating Team, which is re-investigating 58 cases related to riots, had earlier this month questioned Kumar in connection with the murder of a father- son duo in West Delhi.

Kumar has reportedly been questioned four times since last year for the anti-Sikh riots cases.

On the other hand, Tytler has been given a clean chit by the CBI thrice in the 1984 riots case but the court has ordered the top investigative agency to further investigate the matter.

According to reports, a Delhi court is set to hear arguments on CBI's plea seeking lie detection test on Tytler on March 30.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, March 24, 2017, 13:36 [IST]
Sonia, Rahul return to India from US

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi have returned to India from the United States, said reports. Both returned to the national capital on Thursday evening.

Sonia Gandhi had gone to the US on March 8 for medical treatment where Rahul later joined her.

Sonia had not even campaigned for UP elections due to ill-health and had left for treatment because of which she had to give counting day on March 11 a miss.

Rahul, however, stayed back for the counting day and left to accompany her after Captain Amarinder Singh's swearing-in as the Punjab chief minister.

Congress' performance in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand was dismal but emerged as the largest party in Goa, Manipur and Punjab. However, they were able to form the government only in Punjab, whereas BJP allied with other parties and formed governments in Manipur and Goa.

OneIndia News
If only Julius Caesar had listened to the soothsayer who, in plain Latin, warned him, Beware of the Ides of March. Instead, the powerful, arrogant Roman tweeted, er, complained, He is a Dreamer, let us leave him.

And leave he did  forever  on the Ides of March, March 15, 44 B.C.

Someone should have given American farmers, ranchers, and rural residents a similar warning earlier this month when House Republicans and the White House said they had an Obamacare repeal-and-replace plan.

When the plan was unveiled, though, its author, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, dodged brickbats from fellow Republicans, derision from Democrats and, on March 13, a loud Yikes! from much of the country when a Congressional Budget Office review showed that 24 million Americans would lose their health care coverage under it.

Its even worse for old aggies, reports the Boston Globe, because a disproportionate number of those 24 million are older and rural  exactly the people whose votes helped catapult Donald Trump into the White House.

Ryan, however, scoffed at the CBO numbers and went into full-wonk mode to defend the pure magic of his plan. The marketplace, he promised, would jump in with new, competitively priced insurance policies to cover the dropped millions.

To many Republicans, the Ryan plan isnt so much about repealing and replacing Obamacare; its more about cutting unnecessary government spending. The Speakers plan does that in spades: it cuts nearly $1 trillion from government sponsored health care costs in the coming decade.

The majority of that savings, however, is not flowing back to you or me. Indeed, $594 billion goes for new tax cuts, the largest of which, $145 billion, will go to the wealthiest 0.1 percent of Americans who earn $250,000 or more per year.

At the rural level, an Obamacare repeal will be measured more by life and death than dollars and cents, say two university researchers writing for the Scholars Strategy Network.

In fact, explains the University of Californias Claire Snell-Rood and Cathleen E. Willging of the Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest, Because healthcare facilities and workforces are often at the heart of local rural economies, repeal could set off economic death spirals. If Obamacares mandate for people to buy insurance is eliminated along with subsidies that make plans affordable, insurance premiums will soar and coverage will shrink, leading insurance companies to abandon many rural counties altogether.

And, they add, In practice, Obamacare repeal at the federal level will simply shift massive extra costs to state and local governments and to local care facilities, especially in rural areas.

Its a cost few state and local governments can bear, and its one element of RyanCare that no one ever mentions: eliminating health insurance coverage to 24 million Americans does not mean these people wont need medical care. They will, of course; so who pays for it?

You and me  just as we did before Obamacare.

It wont be cheap. In 2015, Florida estimated that its insured citizens paid an additional $2,000 per hospital stay, or $1.4 billion in total, to cover the cost of health care for the states uninsured.

Nationwide, the Kaiser Family Foundation pegged that same cost in 2013 at $85 billion. It would be nearer to $100 billion in 2018, or almost equal to any government savings under RyanCare.

Thats exactly why, as President Donald Trump remarked recently, health care reform is so complicated. Barack Obama learned that lesson in 2010. Still, the goal now is the same as then: provide the best health care with the most choice to the largest number of Americans at the fairest price.

Throwing 24 million Americans under the bus neither meets that need nor delivers on Donald Trumps campaign promise of insurance for everybody. By that standard alone, RyanCare already is a loser no matter its fate in Congress.

And you dont need a soothsayer to tell you that.
Three Africans held for supplying drugs in Delhi

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 23: Three African nationals have been arrested for allegedly supplying drugs in Delhi and NCR and 95 gram cocaine was seized from their possession, police said.

Accused Chukwnemika, Chinenye and Luke, were arrested by a team of Crime Branch from Sector-2 of Dwarka in south west Delhi. Fine quality cocaine weighing 95 gms was recovered from their possession, said Praveer Ranjan, Joint Commissioner (Crime Branch) of Police.

The accused were arrested from near a traffic signal in Sector 2 of Dwarka on March 12 after a specific input. A case under appropriate law was registered. The accused were found without valid visa and passport, he said. Accused Chukwnemika during interrogation revealed that he came to India in 2013 on medical ground and when his visa got expired he did not return back and kept changing his address.

An year ago, he came into contact with a Nigerian Alex who allegedly lured him into drug trafficking. The other two accused were his friend, said the officer. Luke came to India in 2011 on medical ground but stayed back even after his visa expired and lived in Chatarpur.

While Chinenye came to India in 2012 on tourist visa and did not go back since then. Earlier he stayed in Tamil Nadu but two year ago he shifted to Chhatarpur, the officer said. Both Chukwnemika and Luke are Nigerians while Chinenye belonged to Republic of Sierra Leone, he added.

PTI
Now, IT dept going into 'new areas' to check tax evasion

Two Indians found dead in New Jersey, murder suspected

India

oi-Anusha

Two NRIs, including a 7-year-old boy were found dead at their residence in New Jersey on Thursday evening. The deceased identified as 40-year-old Sasikala and her son 7-year-old Anish Sai were found dead by Sasikala's husband when he returned home.

The family hails from Thimmarajupalem in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh and had moved to the United states. Narra Hanumanth Rao found his wife and child dead when he returned from work. Local police suspect it to be a case of murder and are on the lookout for unidentified assailants.

MLA Samabasiva Rao is said to be in touch with Telugu Association of North America

members to gather more information about the incident. The MLA claimed that initial information revealed that the mother-son duo was strangulated to death. The family of the deceased woman suspected that their son-in-law's affair had a role to play in Sasikala's murder.

Indian origin mother-son found murdered in New Jersey home: Family of the deceased persons in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada mourn the loss pic.twitter.com/pQ1KKiWgkh  ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017

Rao and Sasikala were both software professionals and Sasikala worked from home. The couple had been living in the United States for the last nine years.

Earlier this year, Telangana's aeronautical engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when Adam W Purinton, who earlier served in the US navy, shot him in Olathe, Kansas, on February 23. Vamshi Reddy Mamidala, also from Telangana, was shot dead in Milpitas, California, on February 10 in a garage in his apartment building.

OneIndia News(With Agencies inputs)
Watch: How Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted AI staffer

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, March 24: A video footage of the attack on a 60-year-old Air India staffer by Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Ravindra Gaikwad has emerged. You can watch the video below:

WATCH: Unedited footage of Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad roughing up Air India staff (NOTE: STRONG LANGUAGE) pic.twitter.com/idFr8MpUTo  ANI (@ANI_news) March 23, 2017

WATCH: Unedited footage of Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad roughing up Air India staff (NOTE: STRONG LANGUAGE) pic.twitter.com/idFr8MpUTo  ANI (@ANI_news) March 23, 2017

The entire incident reported on Thursday has shocked the nation. The episode of assault on a public official on duty revealed how a few of our 'VIPs' misbehave, hurt and humiliate common citizens.

On Thursday, an unapologetic Gaikwad boasted in front of camera how he beat an elderly AI staffer 25 times with his slippers for not assigning him a seat in the business class in one of the flights run by the public carrier.

[Rowdy Gaikwad: Hitting a 60 year old is not machoism]

In the 83-second video clip, we can see fleeting images of the assault on a duty manager inside the aircraft. In the footage, an AI stewardess was also seen requesting Gaikwad not to misbehave as he was a "role model" and a "democratic leader".

"Aap fenk denge toh murder case ho jayega na, sir (If you throw him down, it will be a murder case, sir)," said the stewardess. In response, the MP said, "Hone do na, bahut cases hai hamare upar (Let it happen, there are many cases against me." "You are our representative, you are our democratic leader, we have elected you," the stewardess added.

Gaikwad,57, is a Lok Sabha member from the Osmanabad constituency in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, and no stranger to controversies. He was in the eye of a row in 2014 for allegedly trying to force-feed a Muslim caterer during the fasting month of Ramzan over the quality of chapatis served at the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi.

He has various criminal charges against him which include voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servants from duty, criminal intimidation and rioting among others. He was twice elected to the Maharashtra Assembly before going to the Lok Sabha in 2014.

OneIndia News
Yogi in action: Calls on two-time rape victim, orders strict action

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Yogi Adityanath was back in action and this time he visited a 35-year-old gangrape survivor who is in a critical state. Two men had grabbed her and poured acid down her throat on a train to Lucknow on Thursday evening. Ironically, this is the second attack on the woman whose case was about to go to trial.

[Making Adityanath CM, a step towards Hindu Rashtra: CPI-M]

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the woman in Lucknow's KGMC hospital, and announced compensation of Rs 1 lakh. He ordered the police to arrest the attackers immediately. Yogi also questioned a senior officer on how such an attack could take place.

The woman is a victim of rape twice. In 2008, the woman was gang-raped in Raebareli and acid was thrown on her. Three persons were arrested. Over the years the family alleged that several persons threatened them often to withdraw the case.

OneIndia News
Canadian envoy says 'support India's sovereignty after earlier 'welcome all' remark on Khalistan

Canada passes bill to combat Islamophobia

International

pti-PTI

Ottawa, Mar 24: Lawmakers in Canada's House of Commons, with strong encouragement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government, passed a motion paving the way for future measures to combat Islamophobia.

The motion, which passed easily on Thursday, asks the government to 'recognise the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear' and 'condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination'. In the wake of the January attack on a Quebec mosque that left six Muslim men dead, Trudeau's government has come under pressure to denounce all forms of religious discrimination.

In recent months, several mosques and synagogues have been vandalised in towns across Canada.

Nearly all of the deputies from Trudeau's Liberal party and the leftist New Democratic Party approved the measure, which is non-binding, while Conservative Party lawmakers voted against it. It tasks a parliamentary committee to launch a study on how the government could address the issue, with recommendations due in mid-November.

The study should look at how to 'develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia', the motion says.

The measure was put forth by Iqra Khalid, a deputy from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, a city of 700,000 people with a major concentration of immigrants.

The motion has divided public opinion: a poll from the Angus Reid Institute published on Thursday showed that 42 per cent of respondents would have voted against the measure and just 29 per cent would have approved it. Other respondents did not give an opinion.

PTI
32,000 girls converted to Islam and sold as ISIS slaves: This is The Kerala Story

IS put out horrific infographic depicting London attack

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

London, March 24: The Islamic State has put out a gory infographic depicting the London attack. The pro-Islamic State Yaqeen Media Foundation published an infographic promoting the attack outside the British Parliament in London reported SITE Intel group.

The graphic shows a trail of blood along River Thames where the attack took place.

The London attacker Khalid Madood who killed four and injured over 40 persons on Wednesday outside the UK Parliamentappeared to have derived the style of attack from the Islamic State. The attack was in many ways similar to the ones that took place in Nice and Berlin.

The attacker plowed his car through a crowd of people on a bridge over the River Thames before getting out and stabbing a police officer. In both the Nice and Berlin attacks, the terrorist had used a vehicle to kill people.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, March 24, 2017, 20:30 [IST]
In UP 166 criminals killed in encounters in past five years: Yogi

This Diwali, UP CM Yogi asks govt employees to celebrate festival with needy, deprived families

Modernisation of police force helped in controlling crime in UP: CM Yogi

Yogi govt orders demotion of DySP to inspector for taking bribes in rape case

New York Times says Adityanath as CM is shocking

International

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New York, March 24: The decision to pick Hindutva leader Adityanath Yogi as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh shows the BJP thinks "nothing stands in the way of transforming a secular republic into a Hindu state", the New York Times said on Friday.

In a hard-hitting editorial, the daily said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had played a cagey game since taking power in 2014, appeasing his party's hard-line Hindu base while promoting secular goals of economic growth.

"Despite worrying signs that he was willing to humour Hindu extremists, Modi refrained from overtly approving violence against the nation's Muslim minority," the editorial said.

But Modi, it said, finally revealed his hand.

"Emboldened by a landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh, his party named a firebrand Hindu cleric, Adityanath, as the state's leader.

"The move is a shocking rebuke to religious minorities, and a sign that cold political calculations ahead of national elections in 2019 have led Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party to believe that nothing stands in the way of realizing its long-held dream of transforming a secular republic into a Hindu state."

The Times said Adityanath had made a political career of demonizing Muslims, he had defended a Hindu mob that murdered a Muslim man in 2015 on suspicion that his family was eating beef, and had said Muslims who balked at performing a yoga salutation to the sun should "drown themselves in the sea".

The daily said Uttar Pradesh, home to more than 200 million people, badly needed development, "not ideological showmanship".

"The state has the highest infant mortality rate in the country. Nearly half of its children are stunted. Educational outcomes are dismal. Youth unemployment is high."

While Adityanath has made the right notes, the daily said his appointment showed that Modi sees no contradiction between economic development and a muscular Hindu nationalism that feeds on stoking anti-Muslim passions.

"Modi's economic policies have delivered growth, but not jobs. India needs to generate a million new jobs every month to meet employment demand.

"Should Adityanath fail to deliver, there is every fear that he - and Modi's party - will resort to deadly Muslim-baiting to stay in power, turning Modi's dreamland into a nightmare for India's minorities, and threatening the progress that Modi has promised to all of its citizens."

IANS
Pakistan the happiest country: Here is Abdul Basit's explanation

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

For Abdul Basit, the Pakistan high commissioner, his country is the happiest in the region. During an event to mark Pakistan Day, Basit quoted a recent report on Happiness Day which places Pakistan ahead of India and China in terms of happiest countries in the world. India ranked 122 in that list.

"We may not be the richest, but we are the happiest people in the region," Basit said while quoting the report. The Delhi event, which was also attended by members of the Hurriyat Conference, Basit said that he wished all other people of the region prosperity and happiness.

In the report that was released on World Happiness Day, India ranked 122 in the list of happiest countries. It ranked behind Pakistan and Nepal in the global report that was released on Monday. In the World Happiness Report 2017, Pakistan ranked at 80 while Nepal stood at 99. Afghanistan stood at 141, Bhutan, 97, Bangladesh, 110 and Sri Lanka at 120.

Norway stood at the top slot, followed by Denmark and Iceland. The United States of America did not figure in the top ten list. The United States of America stood at 14 in the list of happiest countries.

The report stated that money is not the only criteria for happiness. Among the wealthier countries the differences in happiness levels had a lot to do with 'differences in mental health, physical health and personal relationships: the biggest single source of misery is mental illness', the report stated.

OneIndia News
United Kingdom certifies India's request to extradite Vijay Mallya

International

oi-Anusha

The external affairs minister on Friday claimed that the United Kingdom government has certified India's request to extradite liquor baron Vijay Mallya. The request, according to the UK home office, has been sent to Westminster magistrate for consideration.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said that the same was conveyed in February. "In February, the United Kingdom government's home office conveyed that India's request for Mallya's extradition has been stratified by the secretary of state," he said.

The request now lies with Westminster magistrate's court that will consider the issue of release of the warrant. The move comes as a major push for India's request to extradite the wilful defaulter. Mallya had recently cried foul over being victimised by the media and the Narendra Modi government alike.

The Indian government submitted an extradition request for 'absconding Vijay Mallya' to the UK in February, a year after he left the country without facing trial after being accused in cases of loan default and financial irregularities. A formal request to deport him from the UK was made in 2016 after Mallya's passport was revoked in April last year. The foreign and commonwealth office of the UK, however, had conveyed that under the 1971 Immigration Act, the UK did not require an individual to hold a valid passport to remain on their land.

OneIndia News
CRESCO | Sometimes the best thing produced by a farm isnt the crop, but the children. Such is the case with the northeast Iowa farm where Norman Borlaug grew up.

Even in in later years, Norm would talk about his boyhood farm, says Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize. He would talk about the Turkey River, and the hard work that taught him those life lessons.

Borlaug, who lived from 1914 to 2009, eventually became famous as a crop researcher who was the face of the green revolution and helped devise high-yielding crops to feed a hungry world.

His research in Mexico and India led to the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize. In the late 1980s, he founded the World Food Prize, which is now based in Des Moines. Along the way, he was credited with feeding as many as a billion people.

But it all started on this little farm 14 miles south of Cresco, in rural Howard County.

It was a wet farm, says Tom Spindler, a retired school teacher who helps operate the historic farm for the Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation in Cresco.

The land in this part of northeast Iowa is level. A wetland stops just feet away from the big white barn that has the Borlaug named emblazoned across the end. Its easy to picture Borlaugs father scratching his head as he tries to figure out how to get his crops planted in the wet fields.

The neighborhood here was very much a Norwegian one when Norman Borlaug was born more than 100 years ago.

He was born in a small house which is part of the historic farm today. Eventually it became crowded with Borlaug and his two sisters, his parents and grandparents. He lived down the road with an aunt and uncle for a time.

His parents eventually bought a home from Sears, which was common in that time. The farmer would buy a kit, in this case for under $1,000, it would be shipped by train and erected by the family or other local workers.

The Borlaugs moved into their new home in October of 1922, when Norm was 8 years old.

He remembered the first day of living in the new home, Spindler says. He talked about remembering the smell of fresh pine and paint and of the family being back together again.

A few years later, when Borlaug finished eighth grade in the little country school that has since been moved to the farm location, his teacher urged his parents to send him on to high school. That teacher, a cousin, convinced the parents. He went on to earn a degree from the University of Minnesota and later earned advanced degrees and did research around the world.

Today the World Food Prize that Borlaug started goes annually to someone who has helped advance the cause of feeding the world, either through science or policy. Its annual meeting in Des Moines brings together dignitaries from around the globe.

In Cresco, officials have been working in recent years to restore the old buildings here and to make sure they are used to educate the public and to encourage young students. The foundation brings grade school students to the farm twice a year and would like to establish a larger educational program.

The farm, which is presently a little more than 100 acres, is partially in the Conservation Reserve Program. But the vision is for test plots and demonstrations.

And Quinn says visiting the Borlaug farm always brings things into perspective.

Its sort of like ground zero, he says. This is where it all started. This is where his odyssey began.
COVID-19 responsible for pregnancy-related deaths in the US

On Imran Khans assassination bid, US says no place for violence

US not to attend Afghan peace conference in Russia

International

pti-PTI

Washington, Mar 24: A State Department official has said that the United States will not attend a multinational peace conference on Afghanistan next month in Russia.

The reason could be because the US wasn't consulted before receiving the invitation and does not know Russia's objectives for the gathering.

The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.

The official said on Thursday that Washington wants to work with Moscow on regional efforts to end the 16-year war and that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would bring up the matter when he visits Russia in April.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India and several Central Asian nations are among the invitees to the Moscow conference. Afghan and US officials say the Taliban aren't invited. The state department hasn't publicly announced its position on the planned conference.

PTI
What we know about Khalid Masood, the London attacker

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Khalid Masood has been identified as the man who carried out the London terror attack on Wednesday. Born in Kent in December 1964, he appears to be a new entrant into the world of terror since there was no intelligence on him. However, his crime files indicate that he had been charged for assault and possession of weapons.

Masood, according to investigations, had hired the car that he used to ram into people. An hour after hiring the car, he called the company and said that he no longer needed it. Immediately after that, he rammed into people on the Westminster Bridge.

Masood's first conviction was at 19, for criminal damage. He was also convicted in 2003 for possessing a knife. He has been described as a violent character, but there have been no traces of his extremist leanings.

[ISIS operates as a bunch of lone wolves]

Going by the investigations it appears that Masood launched a lone-wolf strike. The Islamic State was quick to claim the attack and described Masood as their soldier. The style of the London attack was similar to the ones at Berlin and Nice which were also claimed by the IS. The London police have not yet said that the attack was an IS propagated one.

British Prime Minister Theresa May described the killer as a peripheral figure. "The case is historic and he was not part of the intelligence picture," she said. "There was no prior intelligence of his intent," she told the MPs in Parliament.

OneIndia News
 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd.

All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
DES MOINES  Days after Gov. Terry Branstad warned that Democratic prying into state child welfare services could negatively impact a criminal prosecution, a House Republican announced the Government Oversight Committee will launch its own investigation.

Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, chairman of the Government Oversight Committee, said he doesnt want to interfere with the Polk County Attorneys Office prosecution in the case of Natalie Finn, a 16-year-old West Des Moines girl who died from emaciation last October because of the denial of critical care.

But Kaufmann said told the committee he is exploring the possibility of bringing in the Department of Human Services to have them walk committee members through the process of how reports for child placement, follow-up, child abuse, or neglect are handled. The committee wants to understand how this process works so that we can look at ways to prevent another tragic situation like the Natalie Finn case.

We are not interested in politicizing this tragic situation or jeopardizing an ongoing criminal investigation, Kaufmann continued.

DHS spokeswoman Amy McCoy said the department welcomes a discussion with the House panel about the authority the Legislature provides DHS to investigate allegations, about how our policies and procedures are established, as well as discussing our efforts toward continuous quality improvement,

Branstad is not happy with the Democrats on the Senate Government Oversight Committee having informal hearings to look into the states child welfare system. So far, DHS officials have declined to appear to answer questions, they said.

However, as long as they dont jeopardize the prosecution in the Finn case, Branstad also would support an effort by legislators to learn more information about the overall adoption, child welfare and foster care systems as DHS, his spokesman Ben Hammes said.

Kaufmann will invite the Senate Government Oversight Committee, chaired by Sen. Michael Breitbach, R-Strawberry Point, to join the investigation.

Breitbach wasnt sure if senators will work with the House panel and was hesitant about how deep they could delve into child-welfare issues at this time.

Its a very delicate situation right now. There is a legal case going on, and the last thing I want to do is interfere with that proceeding and murder trial, Breitbach said.

He and Kaufmann agree on that. The investigation should be thoughtful and prudent without politicizing the Finn case or being conducted with a gotcha attitude.

Breitbach seemed to see a more limited scope of investigation than Kaufmann.

I believe that the DHS has reviewed all of their staffing options over the past years, and I think they feel comfortable with where theyre at and the training that theyre doing, but otherwise I just cant go further, Breitbach said.

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, agreed that lawmakers role is not the criminal investigation, but to look at the system to see if it meets Iowans needs. House Republicans, she said, are very interested in knowing whether the state has an adequate system that serves the needs of Iowa children.

Our job is the function of state government, House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, said. While he wants to see the criminal case proceed, we also want to look at state government and the overall process that DHS or others have to try to prevent that in the future.

House Government Oversight Committee member Rep. Vicki Lensing, D-Iowa City, suggested inviting law enforcement to explain its role in child welfare cases in order to understand whether there are gaps in the law.
We don't know why, how or to what extent school officials may have "dropped the ball," because they aren't publicly acknowledging the existence of a ball.

Parents of two Washington Junior High School seventh graders are furious. They say both 12-year-olds were assaulted at the Rock Island school  one of them sexually  by the same 13-year-old classmate. The attacks were bad enough, they said, but the missteps by the Washington principal, dean and a Rock Island police detective added insult to injury.

In keeping with the Quad-City Times' policy that minor victims of assault are not identified, we also are keeping private the names of their parents.

Parents and a grandparent of one of the girls supplied a timeline of events, beginning the morning of Feb. 9, a Thursday.

One of the girls was in class around 11 a.m. when a boy tried to trip her. He then punched her in the chest so hard that blood vessels were broken and her chest showed swelling five hours later, her mom said. The girl was knocked to the floor, and she was assisted to the nurse's office.

The dean and liaison officer were notified, and the girl later was sent back to class.

At the end of the school day, the girl's mother was notified. She said she was assured the officer would file a police report on Monday and the boy was suspended the next day, Friday.

When the next day came and the boy was still at school, the victim called her mom, wanting to go home. School officials told the girl's mother they left a voicemail with the boy's parents, telling them he was suspended, but they evidently didn't get the message, the girl's mom said.

The following Tuesday, Feb. 14, the same boy was in class with the second 12-year-old. She told her parents the boy crawled under a table and repeatedly grabbed her in the crotch. She tried to kick him away. He grabbed her legs and continued groping her, ultimately getting up and grabbing her breasts.

The next day at lunch, the girl went to Principal Kristin Allen and told her what happened, family members said.

Several hours later, during her last class of the day, the girl again was assaulted by the same boy. This time, he repeatedly snapped her in the face with his gym shirt. When she cried out in pain, because she was hit in the eye, he made fun of her. The teacher evidently saw nothing.

The next day, Thursday, Feb. 16, the girl texted her mother to say she didn't want to go to her 8th-period class, because the boy was there. Her parents dropped what they were doing and headed for the school. A full day had passed since their daughter told the principal she had been sexually assaulted, and her parents had not been notified. They learned of it through a text message from their daughter.

The next morning, Principal Allen called the second girl's mom to say the boy had been expelled, according to the parents.

Meanwhile, the first victim's mother was looking for that police report she was promised. But nothing had been filed. So, she filed her own, and a detective was sent to her house.

By now, trust had become an issue. The girl's mother said she recorded the conversation with the detective and was particularly troubled by one thing he said: "This is the kind of screwy stuff boys do when they like girls. Right?

"So I want to make sure that's not the case here."

The remark still bothers the girl's mom. Having seen the pictures of her daughter's bruises, it should have been clear what occurred was not "screwy stuff." The girl was punched so hard in the chest, it knocked her to the ground.

Besides, "Why would you set up a girl to think a boy beating on you means he likes you?" the mom asked.

In an email to Rock Island's deputy police chief, Jason Foy, I asked about the detective's visit.

Me: "A 13-year-old boy was accused of punching a 12-year-old girl in the chest so hard, the blow left bruising and broken blood vessels. In a recording of an interview with Det. (Sean) Roman, the detective remarks to the minor victim, 'This is what boys do when they like girls.' Is this an appropriate response/stance for an investigating police officer to make to a minor victim of assault?"

Foy: "Our expectations are that our employees act with professionalism, however, not knowing the full context of this conversation, I am unable to comment."

When the girl's mother supplied me with her audio recording, I forwarded it to Foy.

He replied, "... after reviewing the audio recording that the QC Times provided, it is our position that the detectives interview was not inappropriate or unprofessional."

Foy also offered up a reminder that "... the Juvenile Court Act limits our ability to comment fully on this matter."

He also said it never was up to anyone at the school, including the liaison officer, to file a report.

"Parents have to file a report with the police if they want to press charges against another student," he said in an email. "If there is an extreme emergency or violent situation where there is cause for arrest, then the building will ultimately call 911."

Somewhere, communication broke down.

I also reached out to Rock Island-Milan School District spokesperson Holly Sparkman, who supplied an immediate response. She said she would seek out the proper people, but she also issued a warning that every journalist already knows: "We can't discuss specific outcomes or details of incidents but can hopefully offer some information or clarity about how the district handles very sensitive situations."

She then said no one from the school would be giving any interviews.

I replied that I understood and appreciated the privacy issues surrounding minors, but I would like to ask some questions involving school policy and whether policies were followed. For instance: When a student has been the victim of a physical and/or sexual attack, what is the district's policy on notifying parents?

"... if a student has been a victim of an attack/assault at school and the staff are aware of it immediately, parents are promptly notified," Sparkman replied. "Our staff address it immediately. ... both sets of parents are notified (victim and offender)."

Me: "A follow-up question: What is the district's definition of 'promptly notified?' When a student has been sexually assaulted and notifies the principal, at what point would the district expect parents to be notified? Immediately? An hour later? A half day? The next day? Two days later?

Sparkman: "Yes, immediately."

So, according to the parents, at least one school policy was violated.

The parents in these cases said they were told police could not pursue action against the boy involved, because his parents moved him to a school in Chicago after he was expelled. However, the deputy chief categorized the case to me as "an active juvenile investigation."

The mother of the second girl summarized the situation this way: "The most shocking thing to us is our daughter went to the principal, and she was told, 'I'll take care of it.' But nothing happened. She was in class with the boy who sexually assaulted her that very afternoon.

"They also told the other girl's family that it would be 'taken care of,' but the boy was in school the next day, and he was there to assault our daughter the next week. Then, they would have let that go, too, if we hadn't pushed it. Were they waiting until the kid raped a girl?

"Would they notify the parents then?"

Added the second girl's dad, "They kept saying, 'We dropped the ball. We're sorry. We screwed up.' But they haven't said how they plan to fix their policy. What they really need to do is just follow the policies they already have."

I pressed the district spokeswoman on the matter, specifically pointing out that both girls' parents say officials repeatedly apologized for "dropping the ball."

"I think there are a few key things you need to know before you write this story, and I just need to find a way to make that clear without violating any privacy," Sparkman wrote.

I looked forward to the clarification. Instead, this came: "The only thing we can say is that the account of events you gave me ... is inconsistent with anything that occurred at Washington. And that is what I have been told."

And Sparkman sent another statement Thursday: "Ultimately, we want you to know that we took these incidents very seriously and held many conversations/meetings with students and their families, and worked on support steps with all students involved."

That's a lot of action to be taking over something that didn't occur.
CBS 2 New York 17 May 2020

More states are opening up parts of their economies this weekend as the White House continues to set goals for a possible vaccine;..
MASON CITY | Stebens Childrens Theatre is returning to West Africa for its traveling school show.

Last years offering, Why Mosquitoes Buzz, was a West African folk tale adapted for stage by Jeremy Kisling.

On Saturday, the theater will introduce its audience to Anansi the Spider, also by Kisling of Lexington Childrens Theatre in Kentucky.

After the public performance at 7 p.m. March 25, the show will be available to tour to area schools.

Anansi is one of the most important characters of West African folklore.

Hes in the midst of all these tales, representative of storytellers said Tom Ballmer, executive director of Stebens Childrens Theatre. In our tale, our storyteller  hes a trickster hero.

Ballmer called Anansi the precursor of trickster Brer Rabbit, a well-known character from the Uncle Remus tales of the southern United States.

All cultures have a hero, according to Ballmer, a small character who outwits adversaries.

In this show, Anansis adversary is really himself, said Austin Bailey, who plays Edwardo.

Our story is all about the spider wooing the beautiful Aso, daughter of Nyame, the sky god, Ballmer said.

Nyame sets three goals for Anansi before hell allow the spider to marry his daughter, and the daughter sets another goal.

Lydia Ouverson plays Anansi.

Its so physical. I think I really underestimated the physical exertion in doing the show, Ouverson said.

Unlike Mosquitoes, each actor plays just one character, but those characters are challenging.

I have to be a man, a spider and also have to be cute, Ouverson said.

Micah Emmons plays Nyame.

Hes got two voices, Ballmer said, one as the sky god, and another when hes talking to his daughter.

I like how different every single character is, said Hannah Harting, who plays Lelia.

The crocodile is clumsy, the eagle is afraid of heights, the firefly is afraid of the dark.

Since most of the actors have previously done an African show, they're looking for ways to make it different.

One difference audiences will see is in the costumes, which are not traditional, according to Catherine Gobeli, who plays Aso.

Our costumes are so modern, Harting said, most notably the multi-colored leggings.

Ballmer said they're looking forward to taking the show to schools around North Iowa.

"Theres a lot of audience participation," said Natania Emmons, who plays Chloe. "The kids come up..."

"We make them into little characters of their own," added Gobeli.

While this play is "very much kid-oriented, a lot of elements make it enjoyable for anyone to watch," Ouverson said. The morals and side jokes give it the "potential to be enjoyed by just about anybody."
CBS 2 New York 24 Aug 2021

Police have released new video of a man they say is responsible for a stray bullet shooting outside Penn Station.
The lawsuit brought by the attorney general in Washington, D.C., claimed that the Trump hotel accepted excessive payments from the..

Upworthy 03 May 2022
Rumble 01 Aug 2022

Former XL Pipeline worker tells of how DHLS and CIA threatened to "open up on them" if they did not abandon the..
News about Japan today tends to focus on the countrys long economic stagnation and population decline, but in the 1980s it looked like the worlds next superpower. Harvard social scientist Ezra Vogel had just published the bestselling warning Japan as Number One. Postwar reconstruction had turned into rapid growth, then into a kind of financial gigantism. International consumers drove Japanese cars and filled their homes with Japanese electronics. Japanese conglomerates went on a worldwide spending binge, snapping up other countries real estate, their manufacturers, and even their movie studios. Camera-wielding Japanese tourists replaced the ugly American as the boorish wealthy tourist of stereotype.

What went on back in Tokyo as the rest of the developed world looked on in amazement (and a kind of horror)? Outside of Japans infamously rigorous work culture  itself part of the reason for all the growth  its boom and consequently enormous asset bubble gave rise to new lifestyles and cultures, and the soundtrack of the party was city pop. Mixing English lyrics in with Japanese, drawing influences from Western disco, funk, and R&B, and using the latest sonic technologies mastered nowhere more than in Japan itself, this new, slickly produced subgenre offered a cosmopolitanism, according to Mori-ra at Electronic Beats, that appealed to those who benefited from the so-called post-war economic miracle.' While outside Japan city pop might be viewed as general 1980s Japanese music, now that Japanese music has become trendy, city pop has begun to be uncovered and even reissued.

Whats more, city pop has become a subculture again in our internet era, and a global one at that. Its current enthusiasts, many of them not Japanese or in any case born too late to benefit from the boom, create and share their own city pop mixes, carefully curating the tracks (sometimes even supplying visuals gathered from sources like the Japanese animation of the era, often with a Blade Runner aesthetic) to perfectly evoke the high life in 1980s Tokyo as they imagine it. (Friends who actually lived in Japan then describe it as an environment of unalloyed new-money obnoxiousness, but city pop, like all pop, sells fantasy, not reality.) You get a taste of that high life by sampling the many city pop mixes freely available on the internet. At the top of this post youll find the one posted to Youtube by a user called Van Paugam, whose channel also features a 24-hour city pop radio stream (complete with nighttime Tokyo driving footage).

Below that, we have a 45-minute Mixtape from Japan whose creator goes by Starfunkel. It features not just city pop tracks but, for transitional material, vintage recordings and movie clips to do with the Land of the Rising Sun. (Keep your ears open for the voice of Bill Murray.) Then, the vinyl-only mix by Immanuel in Amsterdam simply titled  Ongaku #1  Japanese for music  places city pop in a context with other Japanese grooves of the era. Youll find much more curated city pop on Soundcloud, from the ever-growing High School Mellow series to Brazilian funk musician Ed Mottas 70s-oriented mix to Mori-Ras own maximally mellow Japanese Breeze collection. Get too deep, though, and youll end up like me, making trips to Japan to go city pop-shopping and even (slowly) reading Japanese books on the subject. The bubble may have long since burst, but the beat goes on.

Related Content:

Japanese Priest Tries to Revive Buddhism by Bringing Techno Music into the Temple: Attend a Psychedelic 23-Minute Service

Blade Runner Spoofed in Three Japanese Commercials (and Generally Loved in Japan)

A Wealth of Free Documentaries on All Things Japanese: From Bento Boxes to Tea Gardens, Ramen & Bullet Trains

Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities and culture. Hes at work on a book about Los Angeles, A Los Angeles Primer, the video series The City in Cinema, the crowdfunded journalism project Where Is the City of the Future?, and the Los Angeles Review of Books Korea Blog. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall or on Facebook.
Financial Services Firm Selects On Q Communications for Cloud Services

http://www.onq.com.au

www.onq.com.au

BRISBANE, Australia - March 24, 2017 - An ASX listed financial services firm has selected On Q Communications to provide managed services on its Cloud Services Platform. As part of the three-year agreement, On Q will deliver Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions in Brisbane and Sydney.The cloud computing solution will provide the company, a leading provider of financial services in Australia, with access to On Q's fully managed cloud solution. The Private Cloud interconnects into an existing Private IP (MPLS) Network, ensuring thar data doesn't traverse the internet, and provides guaranteed quality of service to the customer. The solution leverages On Q's existing Cloud Services Platform and telecommunications network, providing the customer with a high performance, fully redundant, infrastructure level service.Financial services firms are increasingly migrating to cloud-based, highly managed services, allowing them to focus on core business. In the financial services sector, data sovereignty is particularly important. With overseas based cloud providers, data may be subject to release under foreign laws, even when data is physically stored in Australia. The On Q Cloud Services Platform is 100% Australian based, and is not subject to foreign provisions including the Patriot Act, allowing the company to guarantee data sovereignty."The requirements of our financial services customers are some of the most stringent in the country. We deliver on those requirements in a secure, cost-effect manner," said Mark Frost, Managing Director of On Q. "Our ability to deliver our secure Cloud Platform onshore, with our own infrastructure is also a competitive advantage."Over the past year, On Q has undertaken significant expansion of its Cloud Services Platform. Additionally, On Q delivers a range of cloud connectivity, including Metro-Ethernet and fibre optic services.For more information, please visitOn Q Communications is a telecommunications carrier, data centre operator, and provider of cloud computing solutions. On Q provide a range of services to governments, small business, enterprise and service provider markets. With infrastructure across metropolitan and regional Australia in addition to Asia Pacific, they are capable of delivering services almost anywhere.Public RelationsOn Q Communications Pty LtdSuite 4, Level 4276 Edward StreetBrisbane QLD 40001300 651 641
global cancer immunotherapy market is Expected to Witness a Spike in the Demand for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cancer-immunotherapy-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=4312

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The global cancer immunotherapy market is expected to experience a very high rate of growth over the coming years, owing to the increase in the number of patients suffering from various types of cancer. In terms of the treatment options for cancer, cancer immunotherapy is expected to make serious headway due to its proven greater efficiency over conventional treatment methods. The market is also expected to show a high growth rate over the coming years due to a highly promising treatments pipeline.However, the global cancer immunotherapy market is expected to be hindered by factors such as the high level of attrition within the development cycles of its several product types, and the overall lack of awareness of immunotherapy as a better option to conventional treatment in multiple regions of the world.Browse Market Research Report @In 2015, the global cancer immunotherapy market was valued at US$37.50 bn. With its revenue expected to progress at a very strong CAGR of 14.6% within a forecast period from 2016 to 2024, the global cancer immunotherapy market is expected to reach US$124.88 bn by the end of 2024.Monoclonal Antibodies Continue Being Top Cancer ImmunotherapyIn terms of types of therapies, the global cancer immunotherapy market can be segmented into cancer vaccines, immune system modulators, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies have so far been the leading choice of treatment methods for a large portion of the global healthcare industry, giving it a high lead over other segments. This therapy type has been more affordable than the other types, allowing it to gain greater popularity. However, the global cancer immunotherapy market is expected to witness a spike in the demand for immune checkpoint inhibitors due to their greater percentages of success rates and higher overall efficiency.In terms of area of therapy, the global cancer immunotherapy market can be segmented into blood cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and other minor areas. Of these, breast cancer has been the leading area of immunotherapy. Lung cancer is also showing a very high increase in rate of demand owing to the growing population of smokers and the higher overall air pollution in urban areas.Fill the Form for an Exclusive Sample of this Report @Developed Economies Show Higher Development Rates in Cancer ImmunotherapyFrom a geographical perspective, the global cancer immunotherapy market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world. The markets past has more or less been written within the developed economies of the world. North America and Europe have been base for several of the top level research and development efforts in the global cancer immunotherapy market so far. Both regions have also shown a great deal of demand for cancer immunotherapy owing to a more aware population and a better overall healthcare outreach.At the same time, the growing rate of awareness in other parts of the world  especially in Asia Pacific  is expected to guide the global cancer immunotherapy market in the coming years. Asia Pacific especially shows a very highly favorable rate of growth in cancer immunotherapy adoption due to an increasing density in urban populations, growing awareness rates of common cancer types such as prostate and breast cancers, and the booming industry of medical tourism.The leading players that have so far been in operation within the global cancer immunotherapy market include Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Amgen, Inc., AstraZeneca Plc., Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline Plc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Merck & Co., Inc., Janssen Biotech, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Novartis AG, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
2017-2022 Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1115868-2017-2022-chemical-industry-vacuum-pump-report-on-global-and-united

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1115868-2017-2022-chemical-industry-vacuum-pump-report-on-global-and-united

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1115868

https://www.linkedin.com/company/wise-guy-research-consultants-pvt-ltd-?trk=biz-companies-cym

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEGrh5nnB7C6Vg4CgpuzBPw

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/

Vacuum PumpCovered in this Report:This report studies the Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump market status and outlook of global and United States, from angles of players, regions, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in global and United States market, and splits the Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump. United States plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2022, with a CAGR of XX.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The major players in global and United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump market, including Edwards, Pfeiffer Vacuum, Alstom Power Systems, Bergeron Pump, BGS GENERAL SRL, Flowserve SIHI Pumps, GEA Wiegand, Rheinhte Pumpen GmbH, VACUUBRAND GMBH, Zibo Vacuum Equipment Plant, PPI PUMPS, VUOTOTECNICA, Gardner Denver Thomas, Charles Austen Pumps Ltd / Blue Diamond Pumps Inc, COVAL products.The On the basis of product, the Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump market is primarily split intoLiquid RingRotary Vane VacuumRotary Piston VacuumDry Vacuum PumpsOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report coversPetrochemicalsPharmaceuticalsSpecialty&Fine ChemicalsOthersTo get complete copy of report visit @Key Points in Table Of Content2017-2022 Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications1 Methodology and Data Source1.1 Methodology/Research Approach1.1.1 Research Programs/Design1.1.2 Market Size Estimation1.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation1.2 Data Source2.1.1 Secondary Sources2.1.2 Primary Sources1.3 Disclaimer2 Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Market Overview2.1 Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Product Overview2.2 Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Market Segment by Type2.2.1 Liquid Ring2.2.2 Rotary Vane Vacuum2.2.3 Rotary Piston Vacuum2.2.4 Dry Vacuum Pumps2.3 Global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Product Segment by Type2.3.1 Global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Sales (K Units) and Growth (%) by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.3.2 Global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.3 Global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.4 Global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)2.4 United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Product Segment by Type2.4.1 United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Sales (K Units) and Growth by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.4.2 United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)2.4.3 United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)2.4.4 United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)3 Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Application/End Users3.1 Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Segment by Application/End Users3.1.1 Petrochemicals3.1.2 Pharmaceuticals3.1.3 Specialty&Fine Chemicals3.1.4 Others3.2 Global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Product Segment by Application3.2.1 Global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Sales (K Units) and CGAR (%) by Applications (2012, 2016 and 2022)3.2.2 Global Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Applications (2012-2017)3.3 United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Product Segment by Application3.3.1 United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Sales (K Units) and CGAR (%) by Applications (2012, 2016 and 2022)3.3.2 United States Chemical Industry Vacuum Pump Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Applications (2012-2017) ...... Continued...To Purchase Report visit @Contact Us:Norah TrentPartner Relations & Marketing ManagerSales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Follow on LinkedIn:Subscribe Our YouTube Channel @Click Here For More DetailsABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Electromagnetic NDT Market size and Key Trends in terms of volume and value 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1415

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1415

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Nondestructive testing (NDT) is the process of inspecting materials, components and assemblies in order to find discontinuities or differences in their characteristics without damaging the particular system. NDT testing through electric currents or magnetic fields or both to observe the electromagnetic response is termed as Electromagnetic NDT. The basic principle of working for Electromagnetic NDT is induction of an electric current or magnetic field into a conductive part, after which the response of the material with respect to the induced current is evaluated. These techniques are widely used to detect and measure faults, thickness, electrical conductivity, bond or weld integrity and also to perceive the presence of rebar or metals.Stringent government regulations regarding safety and environmental issues are currently driving the market for Electromagnetic NDT. Increasing demand for NDT from the verticals such as industrial, oil & gas, automotive and aerospace, mainly for investigating the integrity of equipment and assets, are further strengthening the market growth. However, factors such as high cost of equipment and technical anomalies are holding back the market growth.Request Report Sample@Market Overview:NDT differs from the other destructive testing techniques. It is used on most of the materials, components and assemblies which are used during operations, as against destructive testing, which has its application limited to few systems. Destructive tests are generally utilized for examining the physical characteristics of materials such as ductility, tensile strength, yield, impact resistance, fracture toughness and fatigue strength. On the other hand, NDT are used for discontinuities and differences in material properties, which cannot be effectively traced using destructive testing.Market Dynamics:Improved sensitivity to small cracks, efficient detection of surface and near surface defects, requirement of minimum part preparation are few of the significant factors driving the growth of Electromagnetic NDT market. Additionally, Electromagnetic NDT enables inspection of complex shapes and sizes of conductive materials, further propelling the adoption of these techniques in the various industry verticals.However, the Electromagnetic NDT market growth is restrained by the high cost of equipment (which are used at several stages of testing) and lack of skilled technicians. Additionally, technical limitations encountered during Electromagnetic NDT have compelled the industry to look out for the alternatives, in turn restraining the market growth. Some of these limitations include accurate inspection of conductive materials only, significant interference of surface finish, limited depth of penetration, and mandatory requirement of roughness reference standards for setup.Growing demand of ensuring product reliability, maintain a uniform quality level and lower production costs, during manufacturing and fabrication stages, across various industries is expected to drive the growth of the Electromagnetic NDT market during the forecast period. Additionally, technological advances in the field of electromagnetism and related NDT techniques have increased its deployment in in complex industry operations. For instance, Electromagnetic NDT are being readily used in the inspection of reactor vessels of nuclear power plants, which earlier utilized ultrasonic techniques.Market Segmentation:Electromagnetic NDT market is mainly classified on the basis of type and geography.On the basis of type, Electromagnetic NDT is segmented as:Eddy Current TestingAlternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM)Remote Field Testing (RFT)Others (Barkhausen Noise Analysis (BNA) method, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI))Among these techniques, eddy-current testing is the most commonly used and is employed for near-surface cracks and corrosion detection, in metallic objects such as tubes and aircraft fuselage.Request For TOC@On the basis of geographies, global market of Electromagnetic NDT is segmented as:North AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific Excluding JapanJapanMiddle East & AfricaKey Market Players:Key players in the industry include General Electric, Olympus Corporation, NDT Technologies, Institut Dr. Foerster GmbH & Co. KG, Zetec Inc., Magnetic Analysis Corporation and Eddyfi.ABOUT US :Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.compress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Low Temperature Heat Pumps Market 2017- Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Guangzhou Sprsun and Samsung

Low Temperature Heat Pumps

https://goo.gl/1HAF51

http://www.qyresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-low-temperature-heat-pumps-market-2017-industry.html

This report studies sales (consumption) of Low Temperature Heat Pumps in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, covering1. Mitsubishi Electric2. Daikin3. Guangzhou Sprsun4. Samsung5. Fujitsu-General6. Mahle Group7. InnasolThe market research report by QY Research provides detailed study on the overall Low Temperature Heat Pumps market size, its financial positions, its unique selling points, key products, and key developments. This research report has segmented the Low Temperature Heat Pumps market based on the segments covering all the domains in terms of type, country, region, forecasting revenues, and market share, along with analysis of latest trends in every sub-segment.Click Here to Request Sample Report @The qualitative segmentation of Low Temperature Heat Pumps market covered in the report gives in-depth information of the overall market. Furthermore, the market size, share, forecast trends, analysis, sales, supply, production, demand, major manufacturers, end-users, and many other vital factors are comprised in the Market Research Low Temperature Heat Pumps report by QY Research. By these comprehensive data, it is simple to take and make precise and accurate decisions taking into consideration the present market situation and the forecasts of the global market, which in turn may result into profitable step for our clients.A competitive landscape that identifies the major competitors of the global market and their market share are further highlighted in the research report. A deliberate profiling of major competitors of the Low Temperature Heat Pumps market as well as a inclusive analysis of their current developments, core competencies, and investments in each segment are also elaborated in the research report.Browse Full Report @The overall information of the Low Temperature Heat Pumps market provided in the report helps our client to make precise and accurate decisions in order to gain maximum profit in this cutthroat competition in the global market. The report comprises various elements such as table, figure, charts, TOCs, chapters, and so on so as to provide a crystal clear data to the client giving a brief of the market and its trends. Thus, the report provides in-depth information of the Low Temperature Heat Pumps market in terms of revenue, value, volume, region, and many more.About Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651
Global Superalloy Market- ATI , Haynes , Eramet Group , Carpenter , Aperam

Global Superalloy Market

http://bit.ly/2n0n7ea

http://bit.ly/2mycd3b

https://market.biz/

http://emarketresearch.us/

The Report titled Global Superalloy Market gives important perceptions into global Superalloy industry along with new flanged industry details, chapter wise analysis of each section and looming Superalloy industry trends, which will guide the readers to target Superalloy market product Specifications, clients driving the long-term Superalloy market revenue with profitability and currently dominating players in Superalloy.2017-2022 Report Keynotes of the Superalloy Market:The report covers projection as well as evaluation for the Superalloy market on a global as well as regional level. The study offers Superalloy historic information of 2016 in addition to a forecast from 2017 to 2022 based upon both quantity (Million Units) as well as revenue (USD Million). The research study includes chauffeurs and restraints for the Superalloy market along with the influence they carry the demand over the projection period. Additionally, the record includes the research of opportunities offered in the Superalloy market on a global level. This report basically covers Superalloy market in North America, Superalloy market in Europe, Superalloy market in Middle East and Africa, Superalloy Market in Latin America and Asia Pacific. This report segregates the Superalloy market based on Type, Competitive Players, Regions and Application.In order to provide the individuals of this report a thorough view on the Superalloy market, we have consisted of a thoroughly affordable scenario and Superalloy type profile of key suppliers. To recognize the competitive landscape in the Superalloy industry, an evaluation of Porters five forces version for the Superalloy market has actually also been included. The study inclusive a market attractiveness analysis, in which type segments are benchmarked based on their Superalloy market size, growth rate as well as the general attractiveness of Superalloy. Additionally, the study covers product portfolio of different companies along with patent analysis (2012-2017) bifurcated right into patent trend, patent share by firm and also patent evaluation according to region.Do Inquiry Before Purchasing Report Here:Dominant Superalloy Market players: Competitive Insights Precision Castparts Corporation ATI Haynes Carpenter Aperam Eramet Group AMG Hitachi Metals CMK Group VDM Doncasters Alcoa VSMPO-AVISMAGlobal Superalloy Market: Application Outlook Aerospace IGT(Electricity) IGT(Mechanical) Industrial Automotive Oil&Gas OthersGlobal Superalloy Market: Type Outlook Cast superalloy Wrought superalloy Powder superalloyGlobal Superalloy Market: Regional Outlook Europe Superalloy Market(Germany, France, Italy, Russia and UK) North America Superalloy Market (Canada, USA and Mexico) Latin America Superalloy Market (Middle and Africa). Superalloy Market in Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Asia-Pacific Superalloy Market (South-east Asia, China, India, Korea and Japan).Global Superalloy market report also includes Superalloy Market Business Overview. It also includes Superalloy Market by Applications and Type, Superalloy Revenue, Sales and Price and Superalloy Business Share. This report of Superalloy Market research also consists Global Superalloy Market Competition, by Superalloy market revenue of regions, sales and by Superalloy industry Competitive Players like.(2012-2017)Buy Entire Superalloy Report Here (To Get Instant Access):Report on (2017-2022 Superalloy Market Report) mainly covers 13 sections acutely display the global Superalloy market:Section 1 to describe Superalloy Introduction, product scope, Superalloy market overview, market opportunities, market driving force, market risk;Section 2 includes global Superalloy market forecast, by regions, type and application, Superalloy with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Section 3 to show the global Superalloy market by regions, with sales, market revenue and share of Superalloy, for each region, from 2011 to 2016;Section 4 displays the competitive situation of Superalloy among the top competitive players, with sales, revenue, and market share in Superalloy Market in 2015 and 2016;Section 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 analyzes the key regions, with revenue, sales, and market share of Superalloy market by key countries in these regions;Section 10 and 11 shows the worldwide Superalloy market by type and application, with sales channel, Superalloy market share and growth rate by type, Superalloy industry application, from 2011 to 2016;Section 12 to analyze the top competitive players of global Superalloy, with revenue, Superalloy industry sales, and price of Superalloy, in 2015 and 2016;Section 13, 14 and 15 describes Superalloy distributors, dealers, Superalloy traders, sales channel, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office No. 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog:
CLEAR LAKE | A Clear Lake woman found dead in her car last week died of natural causes, police say.

Janet Dorenkamp, 62, was found deceased in her Toyota Rav 4 Saturday morning in the 200 block of Seventh Avenue North.

She had last been seen Monday morning driving off from her home on Clear Lake's South Shore.

Officials said there was no signs of foul play.

Clear Lake Police Chief Pete Roth said the medical examiner will not have additional information, including the cause and manner of Dorenkamp's death, until labratory testing is conducted.

It can take several weeks or longer for the tests to be completed and the results returned.

 Molly Montag
Spouted Pouches Market - Global Industry Trends and Forecast Analysis For 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14114

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/spouted-pouches-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Packaging plays a vital role in product differentiation. Interactive packaging helps companies to stay ahead of their peers. As a result, packaging companies are coming up with many new innovative products in the market. Spout pouches is one such attractive packaging which is in high demand. Spout pouches provides flexible packaging options for the liquid products and is suited best for logistics purpose. Spouted pouches comes in different sizes. All the products are fixed with nozzles. The nozzles are kept in such a way that it creates 90 degree angle of the pouch or in the center of the pouch. Expected increase in demand for beverages among developing economies is expected to boost overall sales of spouted pouches worldwide. Spouted matches market will is expected to expand at a moderate pace between 2016 and 2026.Get PDF Brochure For More Technical Insights:Global Spouted Pouches Market Dynamics:Global spouted pouches market is expected to be primarily driven by increasing consumer preference towards beverages. Increasing out of pocket expenditure and increasing consumer spending on food coupled with growing organized retail market is expected to boost overall sales of spouted pouches. Nowadays, spouted pouches is also gaining traction in baby foods market. Increasing environmental awareness has further added to growth in sales of spouted pouches market owing to its reusable property. Besides this increasing the growth of pharmaceutical sector and energy drinks can impact the growth of spouted pouches market positively. Spouted pouches is comparatively cheaper when compared to glasses. As a result, many end-users are inclined towards the product. The design of the spouted pouches is such that it can be used for branding their products. It does not take more spaces on a store shelf compare to the plastic and bottle glasses. Though the market is expected to gain healthy growth over the forecast period, availability of alternative products could pose a major challenge for overall demand for spouted pouches.Global Spouted Pouches Market Segmentation:The global spouted pouches market is segmented on the basis of type of application such as pharmaceutical products, alcoholic beverages, energy drink, lubricating oil, fruit juice, liquid soap. On the basis of size, spouted pouches such as segmented into 100 ml, 200 ml, 350 ml, 500 ml, 750 ml and 1 litter. On the basis of layer, the global spout pouches market can be segmented into two, three and four layer laminates. The global spouted market also can be segmented on the basis of colors of the spouted pouches such as red, green, blue, black, gold, silver etc. On the basis of components, the spouted pouches market can be segmented into straw, cap, film.Obtain Report Details @Global Spouted pouches Market: Regional Outlook:Geographically, the global spouted pouches industry can be divided by major regions which include North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Asia pacific is the most lucrative market over the forecast period for the spouted pouches market for the increasing growth of food & pharmaceutical packaging. Asia Pacific is expected to be primarily driven by China and India where per capita spending has increased manifold over the last five years. Furthermore, the region has witnessed substantial increase in food retail market. Furthermore, ASEAN is expected to contribute a major share to overall demand for spouted pouches in Asia Pacific. Free trade agreement in ASEAN countries could help companies to capitalize on the market. North America and Europe are relatively mature market. However, companies are emphasizing on product innovation and distribution channel to strengthen their market presence in the region. Latin America and MEA are expected to grow at relatively slower pace.Global Spouted Pouches Market Players:The major players identified across the value chain of global spouted pouches market include Tyler, Glenroy Inc, Steripack, AMPAC, Foster packaging, HPM global Inc, Impak corporation, Purity flexpack limited, Swiss pack, WJ packaging solutions etc. In pursuit of growth, spouted pouches manufacturers are likely to invest more in the near future, particularly in the areas of product innovation, mergers and acquisitions and distribution channel.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Thermal Release Tapes Market - Industry Analysis, Growth, Size, Manufacturers, and Forecast to 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14138

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/thermal-release-tapes-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Thermal Release Tapes Market: IntroductionThermal release tape is the adhesive tape functional at room temperature and can be peeled off just by heating. Among many adhesive tapes utilized in industrial tapes market, thermal release tape holds an important area in the manufacturing processes of electronics components especially in the engineering of semiconductors. Thermal release tapes like most adhesive tapes adhere at any room temperature and gets quickly released by the application of heat. The primary characteristic of tape removal without damage present in the thermal release tapes makes it an attractive commodity for the electronics and semiconductor propelling the demand of thermal release tapes in the next few years.For more information on this report, fill the form @Thermal Release Tapes: Market DynamicsThe electronics industry has witnessed two-fold growth in the last decade and is estimated to gain substantial growth in the upcoming period. This is attributed to the growing usage of semiconductors in the electronics equipment sector. The advent of semiconductors aided in cost effective and efficient manufacturing processes, to meet the rising demand for electronics products. This, in turn, is anticipated to be the major driving factor for the growth of thermal release tapes market. Mounting competition in other industries like construction, automotive, electrical and aviation have compelled the market players to lower their production run time and effective utilization of resources. Such trends and tripping points, in turn, have expanded the scope of the thermal release tape, driving the demand throughout the forecast period. Moreover, factors such as digitalization, urbanization, increasing consumer spending power along with exponential growth for electronics goods is expected to stimulate the demand for the thermal release tape market worldwide.Hugh economic shifts and momentous changes in the global consumption pattern is driving demand for the smart products like electronic compliances at competitive prices. So, in turn, thermal release tapes manufacturers are compelled to lower the margins to sustain which is expected to augment the growth of the thermal release tape market during the forecast period. However, low penetration of electronic appliances in regions like Africa and Latin America and capital intensive nature of semiconductor manufacturing technology is anticipated to limit the growth of thermal release tape in emerging markets. However, the government initiatives, as well as growing investment activities in emerging markets for the electronics and semiconductor industries in the Middle East and ASEAN region, are anticipated to create new avenues of opportunities for the growth of thermal release tapes market.Obtain Report Details @Thermal Release Tapes: Market SegmentationThe global thermal release tapes market is segmented on the basis product type, application, substrate material and end-use.Based on the product type the global thermal release tapes market is segmented into:Single coated adhesive tapeDual coated adhesive tapeBased on the application, the global thermal release tapes is segmented into:Roll typeLabeler typeSheet typeBased on the substrate material type the global thermal release tapes market is segmented into:PETPolypropylenePVCOthersBased on the end-use, the global thermal release tapes is segmented into:Semiconductor manufacturing sectorElectronic goods manufacturing sectorOther industrial goods manufacturing sectorThermal Release Tapes Market: Regional OutlookIn terms of geography, the global thermal release tape market has been divided into five key regions including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the thermal release tape market throughout the forecast period and is projected to witness robust growth. This is primarily attributed to the increased demand for electronic appliances from China and India. China is estimated to have over 70% of total semiconductor foundry in the world making it one of the major markets for the thermal release tapes manufacturers. Moreover, India is expected to be the next destination for semiconductor foundries as the government is focusing on enhancing electronics and manufacturing capabilities in the country. Mature markets like North America and Europe are expected to witness sluggish growth. Furthermore, BREXIT is anticipated to affect the overall European thermal release tape market. However, with future investments in the manufacturing sector, North America is expected to gain momentum in the later phase of the forecast period. The demand for thermal release tape in the Middle East and Africa is projected to remain slothful throughout the forecast period. Nevertheless, the presence of GCC and Nigeria is anticipated to fuel the demand for electronic and other industrial appliances, which in turn is expected to boost the thermal release tapes market.Thermal Release Tapes Market: Key playersSome of the key players in the global thermal release tape market are ABBA Applied Technology Corporation, Nitto Denko Corporation, Semiconductor Equipment Corp., Chip Hua Equipment & Tools Pte Ltd., 3M, Dongguan Haixiang Adhesive Products Co., Ltd., Shanghai Huishi Package Material Co., Ltd., Huizhou King Bali Technology Co., Ltd. and Taixing Chuanda Plastic Co., Ltd.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Cosmetic Industry Market 2017- Loreal, Pantene, Nivea, Lancome, Avon, Dove and Olay

Cosmetic Industry

https://goo.gl/D6kXnU

http://www.qyresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-cosmetic-industry-market-2017-industry-trends-sales.html

This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering Loreal Pantene Nivea Lancome Avon Dove Olay Estee Lauder Head&Shoulder Christian Dior Chanel AveenoThe market research report by QY Research provides detailed study on the overall Cosmetic Industry market size, its financial positions, its unique selling points, key products, and key developments. This research report has segmented the Cosmetic Industry market based on the segments covering all the domains in terms of type, country, region, forecasting revenues, and market share, along with analysis of latest trends in every sub-segment.Click Here to Request Sample Report @The qualitative segmentation of Cosmetic Industry market covered in the report gives in-depth information of the overall market. Furthermore, the market size, share, forecast trends, analysis, sales, supply, production, demand, major manufacturers, end-users, and many other vital factors are comprised in the Market Research Cosmetic Industry report by QY Research. By these comprehensive data, it is simple to take and make precise and accurate decisions taking into consideration the present market situation and the forecasts of the global market, which in turn may result into profitable step for our clients.A competitive landscape that identifies the major competitors of the global market and their market share are further highlighted in the research report. A deliberate profiling of major competitors of the Cosmetic Industry market as well as a inclusive analysis of their current developments, core competencies, and investments in each segment are also elaborated in the research report.Browse Full Report @The overall information of the Cosmetic Industry market provided in the report helps our client to make precise and accurate decisions in order to gain maximum profit in this cutthroat competition in the global market. The report comprises various elements such as table, figure, charts, TOCs, chapters, and so on so as to provide a crystal clear data to the client giving a brief of the market and its trends. Thus, the report provides in-depth information of the Cosmetic Industry market in terms of revenue, value, volume, region, and many more.About Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651
Global Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software Market 2016-2020 - Features Key Companies ( Autodesk, AVEVA, Bentley Systems, Hexagon, NEMETSCHEK, Trimble )

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=877695

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=877695

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Albany, NY, March 24, 2017: Factors, such as government mandates and support to use BIM solutions in construction projects, are driving the growth of the global BIM market. Governments in countries such as the US, the UK, and Singapore are promoting the use of BIM in construction as it helps to minimize errors and time taken for the execution of the construction projects. BIM software enables the creation of a vector-based representation of building plans in 3D formats for construction projects of buildings, railways, and roads among others. BIM not only presents a digital representation of physical characteristics but also captures the necessary data during the construction phase.The global BIM software market to grow at a CAGR of 17.04% during the period 2016-2020. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global BIM software market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of BIM software worldwide.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEAGet a Sample Research PDF with TOC:Technavio's report, Global BIM Software Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- Autodesk- AVEVA- Bentley Systems- Hexagon- NEMETSCHEK- TrimbleOther prominent vendors- 4M- CYPE Ingenieros- Dassault Systmes- Newforma- HSS Group- Pinnacle Infotech- Viewpoint SystemsMarket driver- Growing government initiatives to support BIM adoption- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Rise in use of open-source software- For a full, detailed list, view our reportEnquiry at:Key questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Global Light Weight Coated Paper Market 2017 - Nippon Paper, Catalyst Paper, Stora Enso, Verso Corporation, Evergreen Packaging, Burgo Group

http://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/31125/request-sample

https://goo.gl/3l55rY

www.fiormarkets.com

www.9dimenreports.com

Global Light Weight Coated Paper Market 2017, presents a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Light Weight Coated Paper market globally, providing basic overview of Light Weight Coated Paper market including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure, Light Weight Coated Paper Market report provides development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. Light Weight Coated Paper market size, share and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.The report Global Light Weight Coated Paper Industry 2017 is a professional, in-depth study that includes insights extracted from complex information, which clients can use for their business advantage. A large volume of precise, reliable market data has been distilled into clear and actionable insight for clients so that they can formulate their plans or make crucial business decisions with precision.The report begins with an overview of the Light Weight Coated Paper market and defines the trends that have shaped the global Light Weight Coated Paper market. The key market drivers, restraints, and opportunities that will shape the dynamics of the Light Weight Coated Paper market have been presented in the report. A detailed analysis of the key challenges the players in the market face has been also covered in the report. Key inputs from leading industry experts mentioned in the report address how these challenges can be turned into opportunities.Download Free Sample Report @A detailed segmentation analysis of the Light Weight Coated Paper market is available in the report. The key segments in the Light Weight Coated Paper industry along with their sub-segments have been covered in the report. The performance analysis of these segments and sub-segments has been included in the report along with detailed evaluation of the trends that will influence the growth prospects of these segments. Moreover, niche segments that demonstrate good growth potential and thus opportunities for new entrants and established companies in the market have been covered.Market forecasts and estimates for each key segment and its sub-segments are available in the report. All estimates and forecasts in the Light Weight Coated Paper market study have been verified by the exhaustive primary research with the KIPs (key industry participants), which include the markets leading participants, key consumers and clients, and client distributors and vendors. A detailed company-wise analysis of the leading market players has also been covered in the Light Weight Coated Paper market report.Access Full Report @Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, downstream client survey, marketing channels, industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes Light Weight Coated Paper new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, investment return analysis, and development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global Light Weight Coated Paper industry. Here, we express our thanks for the support and assistance from Light Weight Coated Paper industry chain related technical experts and marketing engineers during Research Teams survey and interviews.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Fior Markets provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
APAC Heart Health Functional Foods Market to Reach US$ 655.7 Mn by 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ap-1895

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-ap-1895

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the Asia Pacific heart health functional food market in its upcoming outlook titled, Heart Health Functional Food Market: Asia Pacific Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026. In terms of value, the Asia Pacific (APAC) heart health functional food market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period due to various factors, of which FMI offers vital insights.On the basis of type, the market is segmented into dairy products, breakfast cereals, edible oils, nutritional bars, and others (eggs and wine). Growth of the market is driven by growing preferences for heart health drink mixes in the dairy products segment as well as natural ingredient-based specific functional foods. On the basis of distribution channels, the market is segmented into hypermarkets, supermarkets, departmental stores, and grocer/retailers.Consumers are preferring heart and other health condition-specific functional food supplements due to various health issues associated with chronic conditions. This is fuelling demand for functional health foods to manage chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, diabetes, obesity etc. Changing lifestyle, unhealthy food habits, and consumers opting for prevention rather than cure of diseases is driving demand for heart health functional foods. In countries such as China, an increasing aging population concentrating on heath and preferring heart health functional foods is increasing the spending of consumers on heart health functional foods. Furthermore, increasing governmental regulations and recommendations and innovations in heart health functional food products are driving market growth.Request For Report Sample:High profitability margins, ease of resource availability, rising economic opportunity in developing nations and developed distribution channels, both online as well as offline, are factors encouraging new players to venture in the APAC heart health functional food market. Established players in the APAC heart health functional food market are expanding production facilities and are focusing on product innovations, which is creating robust competition in the market in the region.This report discusses trends driving growth of each segment and offers analysis and insights into the potential of the heart health functional food market in specific countries including Japan, China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Markets in Japan, China, and India are expected to record high growth rates in terms of value between 2016 and 2026. Among all the countries in APAC, Japan is estimated to account for a comparatively higher value share in 2016. The market in Japan is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period and is expected to account for 29.2% revenue share by 2026. China is another major market for heart health functional foods. Various government bodies across the region are devising and implementing new norms regarding consumption of heart health products, especially omega 3 fortified food, and this is expected to drive market growth in China and Japan. In India, increasing prevalence of chronic and cardiovascular diseases is a major driver of growth of the heart health functional food market in the country, and the market is expected to account for 17.7% market share in terms of value by 2026. Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia are other countries in APAC where the market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period.Send An Enquiry:This report covers detailed profiles of key players Asia Pacific heart health functional food market, which includes key strategies, key developments, and product offerings. Leading companies profiled in this report are Marico Ltd., Kellogg Company, Raisio plc, Nestle S.A., Kalbe Farma Tbk, Associated British Foods, Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd., Bagrrys India Ltd., PepsiCo, Inc. and ConAgra Foods, Inc.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
FMCG Labels Market : Production, Sales, Supply, Demand, Analysis & Forecast to 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11771

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/fmcg-labels-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

FMCG Labels Market: IntroductionLabelling is an indispensable part of marketing, which impulse and highly influence consumer buying behavior. In each product category under FMCG market, brand owners are looking for new approaches to develop labels in order to face competitive market. Labelling is used to differentiate or giving distinct looks from the other products available in the market. FMCG labels can be made in different design as per the specific demand of the customers. It includes self-adhesive labels, barcode, tag, sticker and others, available in different shape, size and colors. However government organizations across the world has established packaging labels guidelines for particular products and packaging type and it is required to meet those requirements.Get PDF Brochure For More Technical Insights:Increasing demand for grocery, personal care products and food and beverage is expected to drive consumption of FMCG products. In five years, FMCG market has become highly consolidated, majorly influenced by local players and retailers. In such competitive environment, brand owners are more inclined towards having private labels so that to stand against competitor. Private labels are gaining trust among end-use consumers, and expected to be potential substitute for FMCG labels.FMCG Labels Market: Market DynamicsThe FMCG labels market is highly influenced by the performances of manufacturers who sells their products under FMCG domain. Following a recovery of the world economic turndown in 2010, the retail market of fast moving consumer goods has witness significant growth owing increasing per capita income across each geographies. Government regulations over packaging has forced manufactured to provide quality packaging and ensuring clean and persistence labels which represent all required contents of product and packaging materials. Owing to the demand and supply gap of FMCG products, the retailers has adopted a business strategy of expansion and number of retail store has increased significantly over the last five years. Market penetration of multinational companies like Walmart in emerging economies such as China and India is expected to drive the FMCG labels market in high potential market. Increasing disposable income and rapidly expanding retail sector are two key drivers to drive the global FMCG labels market. However private labels is a potential treat for FMCG labels and it is expected to restrain the growth of FMCG labels market. Additionally, the sustainability of FMCG labels market is highly dependent on innovation and product development.Browse Market Research Report @FMCG Labels Market: Market SegmentationOn basis of label types, global FMCG labels market can be segmented as follow as;Gummed LabelsSelf-Adhesive Roll LabelsPlain LabelsSecurity LabelsBarcode LabelsAdhesive Printable LabelsIdentification LabelsOthersOn basis of packaging material, global FMCG labels market can be segmented as follow as;GlassPlasticWoodPaperOtherOn basis of shape of labels, global FMCG labels market can be segmented as follow as;2D Labels3D LabelsOn basis of color of labels, global FMCG labels market can be segmented as follow as;WhitePinkFluorescentOrangeOthersOn basis of geographies, global FMCG labels can be segmented as follow as;North AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific Excluding JapanJapanMiddle East and AfricaFMCG Labels Market: Regional OutlookGrowing demand for sustainable packaging and health conscious consumers is expected to augment the growth of FMCG labels market across the world. North America and Europe are expected to be most competitive market, owing to increasing industry preference for private labelling in these geographies. Owing to expansion of retail sectors and marketing strategies adopted by key players, Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as most attractive segment over the forecast period. This can offers an opportunity to multinational companies to penetrate in to high potential market of China and India. China is the largest market in Asia-Pacific followed by India in 2020, and is expected to grow rapidly in the near future. This is primarily because of growing industries such as food and beverages and pharmaceuticals which are highly rely on concise packaging labels.FMCG Labels Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global FMCG labels market are as follow as;The 3M CompanyHenkel AG & CompanyAvery Dennison CorporationDow Corning CorporationSika AGWacker Chemie AGDM Card Japan Co., Ltd.Lewis Label ProductsAbout TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Asia Pacific Upstream Oil & Gas Services Market to Reach a US$ 52.6 Bn by 2016

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ap-2047

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-ap-2047

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights delivers key insights on the APAC upstream oil and gas services market in a new publication titled Upstream Oil and Gas Services Market: Asia Pacific Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2021. The APAC upstream oil and gas services market is estimated to be valued at US$ 52.6 Bn by 2016 end, and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.0% over the forecast period (2016-2021).Upstream oil and gas services are the services provided for exploration and production of oil and gas on offshore and onshore fields in order to increase production efficiency and production lifespans of projects. Upstream process involves various stages such as the search for underwater and underground oil and gas fields, drilling of wells and subsequently operating them. Upstream services segment comprises services involved in upstream process such as maintenance and operation for drilling equipment, sampling of fluids and decommissioning involved in various stages within upstream processes.Due to a high urbanisation rate and rapid industrialisation coupled with a growing population and increasing ownership of automobiles, there is a huge demand for crude oil and hydrocarbons in the APAC region. In addition, recovery in crude oil prices is highly anticipated and the market growth is expected to return to pre-2014 levels in the coming years.In order to meet the Increasing demand for energy and petrochemicals in Asia Pacific, it has become evident to increase productivity from mature and new oil and gas reserves. Exploration of unconventional oil and gas resources is increasing and deep-water exploration activities is also gaining traction. Various small scale and large scale technological advancements, for increasing productivity and decreasing overall production cost, are playing a crucial role and the market growth for upstream oil & gas services in Asia Pacific is expected to pace up over the coming years.Request For Report Sample:However, volatility in oil and gas prices, environmental and technological concerns related to exploration and production activities in harsh, remote and hostile locations, accompanied by operational challenges in deep and ultra-deep waters, are expected to remain key challenges in the regional upstream oil and gas services market growth through 2021.Segmentation highlightsOn the basis of service type, the market is segmented into inspection, repair & maintenance, sampling, decommissioning, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) drills support, subsea umbilical, risers, and flowlines (SURF) support, well stimulation, well logging, Seismic and geophysical services, and others.Surf support, ROV drill support, and seismic & geographical services segments are estimated to account for more than one-fourth share in the China upstream oil & gas services market by 2016 endSurf support, well stimulation, and well logging segments are estimated to represent more than half of the shares in the total incremental opportunity created in the India upstream oil & gas services market between 2016 and 2021Regional market projectionsOn the basis of region, APAC upstream oil and gas services market is segmented into eight key countries, namely, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam. China upstream oil & gas services market is anticipated to exhibit relatively higher growth rate over the forecast period. Anticipated economic recovery in the country is expected to increase demand for crude oil, which in turn, is expected to drive the market for upstream oil & gas services in the country. Market in other countries is also expected to experience a V-shape recovery, however, at a moderate CAGR over the forecast period.Send An Enquiry:Vendor insightsSome of the key players reported in this study of APAC upstream oil and gas services market include Schlumberger Limited, Halliburton, Baker Hughes Incorporated, Petrofac Limited, Weatherford, TECHNIP, China Oilfield Services Limited, Transocean Ltd., Flour Corporation, and Saipem S.p.A. Key market players are focusing on research and development for sampling techniques. They are also making investments in product innovation for remotely operating vehicles drill support services in order to provide oil & gas customers with light, medium and heavy ROVs that can be used for deeper exploration & drilling services.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Surface Preparation Market 2016 Historical Market, Growth, Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022

Surface Preparation

https://goo.gl/xLNNK9

https://goo.gl/vQ5ZKW

Market Research Store published report on Global Surface Preparation Market Research Report is a deep market research report in this market.This report focused on global and regional market, major manufacturers, as well as the segment market details on different classifications and applications.First, this report analyzed the basic scope of this industry like definition, specification, classification, application, industry policy and news.Browse Full Report:Second, the analysis on industry chain is provided including the up and down stream industry also with the major market players. And the analysis on manufacturing including process, cost structure and major plants distribution is conducted.Then the global and regional market is analyzed.this report analyzed major market data like capacity, production, capacity utilization rate, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, supply, import, export, consumption, market share, growth rate and etc. For regional market, this report analyzed major regions like Europe, North America, South America, Asia (Excluding China), China and ROW.Global Surface Preparation Market Segment By Key Players/Manufacturers,BW ManufacturingNational Flooring EquipmentThe Preparation GroupHTCBlastracHusqvarnaSubstrate TechnologyConcrete Polishing SolutionsEDCOScanmaskinSMITH ManufacturingRequest Sample Surface Preparation Report:Report on (Surface Preparation Market Report) mainly covers 15 Topics acutely display the global Surface Preparation market.Topic 1, this report analyzed the basic scope of this industry like definition, specification, classification, application, industry policy and news;Topic 2, the analysis on industry chain is provided including the up and down stream industry also with the major market players. And the analysis on manufacturing including process, cost structure and major plants distribution is conducted;Topic 3, 4 global and regional market is analyzed. In these chapters, this report analyzed major market data like capacity, production, capacity utilization rate, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, supply, import, export, consumption, market share, growth rate and etc. For regional market, this report analyzed major regions like Europe, North America, South America, Asia (Excluding China), China and ROW. These analysis are conducted;Topic 5, 6 and 7, the performance of major manufacturers are analyzed and then in Chapter 6 and 7 the analysis on major classification and application.Topic 8, Then the marketing channel analysis is provided including the major distributorsTopic 9 and 10, this report analyzed the market forecast from 2017 to 2022 for global and regional market in Chapter 9 and the new project investment feasibility analysis;Topic 11, At last, this report provided the conclusions of this researchThis report is a valuable source of guidance for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers, investors and individuals who have interest in this market.About Market Research Store:Market Research Store is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. Market Research Store is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United States
North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market Key Trends & Industry Forecast 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/north-america-veterinary-radiography-systems-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=17630

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/

North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: OverviewVisualization of the internal parts of the body using X-ray techniques is known as radiography. Radiography is a technique for recording and generating an X-ray pattern to provide image after exposure of radiation. There are two major type of radiography systems, direct X-ray and Analog X-ray. Digital X-ray systems use digital radiography technology that captures the image directly into the flat panel detector without the use of cassette. Analog X-ray systems include devices that use film or CR cassette based technology for medical imaging. It is the oldest technology in the veterinary radiography system market which has been replaced by digital X-ray. This report analyzes the current and future prospects of the veterinary radiography system market based on type of product, technology, application, end user and geography.Obtain Report Details @North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: Research MethodologiesThe research is a combination of primary and secondary research, conducted for understanding and arriving at trends, used to forecast the expected revenue of the major radiography techniques in the near future. Primary research formed the bulk of our research efforts with information collected from in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry experts and opinion leaders. Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, investor presentations, analyst presentation and various international and national databases. The report provides estimated market size in terms of US$ Mn for each Product type, application, end user and geography for the period 2014 to 2024, considering the macro and micro environmental factors. The revenue generated from each product was calculated by considering number of products used in the procedures and their market demand as per their use, number of product launched, average cost of products of each sub segment, trends in industry, end user trend and adoption rate across all the geographies. The revenue generated for applications was calculated on the basis of prevalence of diseases in animals.North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: ScopeThe market report comprises an elaborated executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the market with respect to market segments based on type of product, application, end user and geography. The market overview section of the report analyzes market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influence the veterinary radiography system market in the current and future scenario. The report also provides value chain analysis of the market that describes the sequence of activities involved from manufacturing to their final reach to the end users.North America Veterinary Radiography Systems Market: Competitive LandscapeMarket share analysis among the market players is analyzed to signify percentage share of the major players operating in the market. All these factors will help the market players to decide about the business strategies and plans to strengthen their positions in the global market. Based on geography, the market has been analyzed for countries of North America, U.S. and Canada.The report also profiles the major players in the market and provides various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. Major companies profiled in the veterinary radiography system market report areSound-Eklin- VCA Company, Idexx Laboratories, Canon, Inc., Fuji Medical Systems, Carestream Health, Cuattro Veterinary, iM3/Durr Medical, Sedecal, and Vetel Diagnostics and some other players who are involved in the veterinary radiography system market.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
MASON CITY | State officials are investigating the death of a Cerro Gordo County Jail inmate who died early Thursday.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says the man was found unresponsive in a detox cell about 4:25 a.m.

Jail staff performed life-saving measures and Mason City firefighters took the man to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, where he was pronounced dead, according to a DCI statement.

The agency did not release the inmate's name, age or city of residence.

An autopsy has been scheduled at the State Medical Examiner's Office in Ankeny.

Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Kevin Pals said he could not comment on the case, because it was being handled by the DCI.

The sheriff's office requested the death be investigated by the state agency, which routinely looks into in-custody deaths at jails across the state.

The DCI also investigated the deaths of two men who died in separate incidents at the Cerro Gordo County Jail a little more than a year ago.

Dacota Witham, 28, of Mason City, was found dead in his cell from a heart condition on Dec. 1, 2015.

A month later, Edward Hochstatter, 54, of Bloomington, Minnesota, was found unresponsive in a dorm with other inmates.

He later died at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa.

County death records listed Hochstatter's death on Jan. 2, 2016, as probable alcohol withdrawal.

The DCI investigation found no signs of foul play in Witham's or Hochstatter's deaths.
Storage Area Network (SAN) Market Revenues Expected to Reach US$ 22 Billion by 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-802

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-802

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Regional competition to heat up the global storage area network market in the next 10 yearsThe worldwide boom in IT has redefined many industries and built the base of many budding economies spread across the globe. IT based technologies such as SAN (storage area network) have immensely helped small and medium scale entrepreneurs. The inbuilt capabilities such as shared storage, centralised control and flexibility to share capacity between multiple hosts is creating a broader market acceptance of the product within the small and medium scale business entities present in the global market. The surged spending on ICT is probably going to buckle up the global storage area network market. An influx of funds has been injected into the ICT sector, mushrooming in some of the developing economies of the world such as Asia, MEA and Latin America. This factor is expected to play the role of a catalyst in the hike of the global storage area network market revenues.Revenue growth of the global storage area network market is predicted to soar in the APEJ region. APEJ is estimated to register a robust Y-O-Y growth and expand at a CAGR of 4.8%. The major booming economies of the APEJ region such as India and China are fuelling the growth of the APEJ SAN market. India is expected to climb the ladder of growth and record a CAGR of 5.3% within the period of forecast. But the dragon economy of China is expected to dominate the market scene till the end of 2026. The APEJ region is an emerging contender in the global SAN market, backed by extensive investments done by public cloud service providers in order to improve their network infrastructure.Request For Sample@North America will continue to maintain its lead within the period of assessmentThe North America SAN market, which was valued close to US$ 5 Bn in 2015 will continue its growth lap till the end of 2026. North America will account for more than 30% revenue share of the global storage area network market. As the region is populated with cloud service providers and several big companies that provide seamless data services, the market for storage area networks is massively increasing in this part of the globe. One of the major economies of this region  the U.S  is anticipated to play a significant role in the development of this regional market.Market anatomy: Storage Area Network market (North America)The key players of the global storage area network market such as CISCO extracted a lions share of revenue from the markets fragmented across the North America region. The North America region contributed more than 60% of their revenue in 2015. NetApp, Inc. another major shareholder in the global storage area network market fished out more than 50% of the revenue share from the North America market in 2015. The unparalleled importance of the North America region in the global market arena of storage area networks is soaring and as predicted North America will continue to rule the global storage area network market till the end of the forecast period. The hardware segment of the North America SAN market is expected to dominate the market till the end of 2026. At the same time the software segment is assessed to be the most attractive segment in terms of revenue within the North America region and it is predicted to record a CAGR of 4.0% by the end of the foreseen period. The conventional SAN segment will showcase better output in the North America region, but in terms of revenue the virtual SAN segment will attract more attention. The FibreChannel technology segment is likely to rule the North America SAN market along with the BFSI end user segment. In terms of revenue, the large enterprises and IT and telecommunication segments are expected to remain the most attractive within the period of forecast.Send An Enquiry@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Automotive Foams Market Regulations and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1753

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1753

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Automotive foams are generally polymer foams and are made up of gas and solid phase mixed together to form a foam which is achieved by combining the two phases too briskly for the system to respond in a smooth fashion. The resulting foam is incorporated with either air bubbles or air tunnels also known as either closed cell structure or open cell structure. Open cell foams are usually flexible, while closed cell foams are generally rigid. The gas involved in the manufacturing of automotive foam can either be chemical or physical and is termed as a blowing agent. Physical blowing agents are those gases which are not involved in direct chemical reaction in the foaming process and thus are inert in nature whereas chemical blowing agents are those gases that take part in the chemical reaction and thus decompose to release chemicals in the foaming process. Polymer foams can be produced through various methods including extrusion, slab-stock by pouring and different types of molding. There are various types of polymer foams including polyurethane, biodegradable foams, starch foams among others. Polymer foams find their applications in various sectors including automotive, packaging, building & construction, furniture & bedding among others. Major methods of manufacturing automotive foams are molding and slabstock.Global Automotive Foams Market: SegmentationThe global automotive foams market can be segmented on the basis of types, application and end-use industry. On the basis of type, the global automotive foams market can be segmented into polyurethane, starch foams, biodegradable foams and others. On the basis of application, the global automotive foams market can be segmented on the basis of instrument panels, seating, door panels, headliners, water shields, gaskets, seals, Noise-Vibration and Harshness (NVH) solutions and others. On the basis of end-use industry, the global automotive foams market can be segmented into passenger cars, light commercial vehicles (LCV), and heavy commercial vehicles (HCV).Request For Report Sample@Global Automotive Foams Market: DynamicsVarious properties of automotive/ polymer foams including low density, weight reduction characteristics and cost effectiveness are some of the main reasons driving the global automotive foams market. Moreover, automotive foams are optimal insulators with low heat transfer properties, which is a key factor fuelling the demand for automotive foams over other alternatives thus in turn driving the overall global automotive foams market. Flexibility and softness of automotive foams also provide extra comfort to the passengers which is a major factor pumping the growth of the global automotive foams market. Furthermore, growing consumer preference for polymer foams in vehicles and increasing manufacturers inclination towards automotive foam products in commercial vehicle applications is a major factor driving the demand for automotive foams thus fuelling the overall global automotive foams market.The major challenges involved in the global automotive foams market include waste disposal, flammability, recyclability and others. Moreover, adverse effects of blowing agents on the environment is another major challenge hampering the growth of the global automotive foams market. Stringent government regulations on the adverse effects of chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFCs) involved in the manufacture of polymer foams is another key factor restraining the growth of the global automotive foams market.Global Automotive Foams Market: Region-wise OutlookConsidering regions, North America in the global automotive foams market is anticipated to dominate the other regions throughout the forecast period followed by Western Europe. Moreover, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. The global automotive foams market is divided into seven key regions including North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East & Africa and Japan.Request For TOC@Global Automotive Foams Market: Key PlayersThe key players involved in the manufacture of automotive foams include Woodbridge Foam Corporation, Bridgestone Corporation, Johnson Controls, The Dow Chemical Company, BASF Chemical Company, Lear Corporation, Vitafoams, Saint-Gobain, Armacell, Recticel among others.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global High-purity Vanadium Pentoxide Market, Share, Trends and Analysis, Growth and Forecast 2017 - 2022

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/18075

http://marketsizeforecasters.com/

High-purity Vanadium Pentoxide Market report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for High-purity Vanadium Pentoxide from 2011-2017, and provides extensive market forecasts (2017-2022) by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Induction Stove market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Induction Stove, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants.Vanadium Pentoxide is the inorganic compound with the formula V2O5. It is a brown/yellow solid, although when freshly precipitated from aqueous solution, its color is deep orange. Because of its high oxidation state, it is both an amphoteric oxide and an oxidizing agent. From the industrial perspective, it is the most important compound of vanadium, being principal precursor to alloys of vanadium and is a widely used industrial catalyst.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the High-purity Vanadium Pentoxide in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Global High-purity Vanadium Pentoxide Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversEVRAZVanadiumCorpHBIS GroupIronstone ResourcesSuzhou Donghua FanguiGfEHunan HanruiLiaoyang HengyeHuifeng EnergyRequest a sample copy of Global High-purity Vanadium Pentoxide Market Research Report @Global High-purity Vanadium Pentoxide Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (USA, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Global High-purity Vanadium Pentoxide Market Segment by Type, coversPurityMarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter
Digital Glass Military Aircraft Cockpit Systems Market Trends and Segments 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1787

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1787

www.futuremarketinsights.com

A digital glass cockpit, also known as electronic flight information systems (EFIS) and cockpit display system (CDS), is an aircraft cockpit that consist digital flight instrument displays, generally large LCD screens, instead of conventional analog dials and gauges. A digital glass cockpit simplifies aircraft operations and navigation by enabling the usage of several displays driven by flight management systems, that can be adjusted (multi-function display) to display flight information as needed.Advanced digital glass cockpit systems utilize LCD screens to display crucial flight information. Digital glass cockpit displays systems are based around primary flight displays (PFDs), engine indications and crew alerting system (EICAS) and multifunction displays (MFDs). This enables the replacement of mechanical flight instrument gauges with graphical representations of information from onboard and external sensors and navigation systems.The digital glass cockpits are being increasingly adopted by military and defense along with airline companies, as they eliminate the need for a flight engineer, in turn reducing costs. In recent past, this digital glass cockpit has become widely available in small aircrafts too.Request For Report Sample@Market Overview:Digital glass cockpit systems, which were prevalent in the civil aviation sector, are being increasingly adopted among military aircraft operators, in order to add capabilities to their fleets. Along with facilitating reduction in information management workload for pilots coordinating large networks of sensors and platforms, digital glass cockpits offer advantages such as weight and power savings, enabling easier interaction with air traffic control, and enable faster training for new pilots.Market Dynamics:The cockpits of both fixed and rotary-wing military aircraft are going digital. These glass cockpits facilitate the pilot's tasks throughout the flight, especially under difficult conditions, by improving access to vital information. The global market of digital glass military aircraft cockpit systems is mainly driven by the advantages offered by these systems over traditional cockpit systems. These advantages include the enhanced accuracy and precision of automation systems, and more ergonomic display of the data. These glass cockpits also comprise feedback loops and self-checking capabilities to alert the pilot about threats before they become emergencies. Additionally, these advanced system offers checklist of issues, the pilot can utilize to troubleshoot a problem and correct it immediately.However, as the aircraft operations become increasingly dependent on digital glass cockpit systems, flight crews must be trained to deal with possible failures. In recent years, several incidents involving glass-cockpit blackout have occurred. Therefore, proper training is considered as one of the key components for reducing miss happenings of aircrafts equipped with digital glass cockpit systems.To counter these blackouts, aircrafts with digital glass cockpit systems are provided with backup analogue displays for key flight instruments including airspeed indicator and altimeter.Market Segmentation:Global digital glass military aircraft cockpit systems market is mainly classified on the basis of system, end use sector and geographies.On the basis of system, global digital glass military aircraft cockpit systems market is segmented into Multi-function flight display systems, Primary flight display systems and EICAS (Engine-indicating and crew-alerting system).On the basis of end use sector, global digital glass military aircraft cockpit systems market is segmented as general aviation, commercial aviation and the defense & aerospace.On the basis of geographies, global market of BTS is segmented into 7 key regions:North AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeAsia Pacific Excluding JapanJapanMiddle East & AfricaPresently, North America is holds the majority share in the digital glass cockpit systems market. However, the region is expected to lose its share to Asia Pacific region during the forecast period, mainly due to falling defense expenditure in North America. In the APAC region, India, China and Japan are expected to lead the growth in the forecast period.Request For TOC@Key Market PlayersThe major players active in the Global digital glass cockpit systems market include Honeywell Aerospace, GE Aviation, Garmin Ltd., Avidyne Corporation, MGL Avionics, Lockheed Martin, Elbit Systems Ltd., Esterline Technologies Corporation, Airbus Group SE and Rockwell Collins, Inc.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Emerging Trends of National Newspapers in the UK with a Forecast during 2017-2021

market research hub

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1012254

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/national-newspapers-uk-february-2017-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-research-hub

https://www.facebook.com/MarketResearchHub/

https://twitter.com/MktResearchHub

Albany, New York, March 24, 2017: A national newspaper is a serial publication containing news covering current affairs as well as other informative articles linked to politics, sports, arts, etc. With the rise of online news portal and web-based newspapers, some publishers find their print-based models increasingly unsustainable. The latest research report titled National Newspapers - UK - February 2017 has been added to the vast online repository of Market Research Hub. This report analyzing the trends in the entire UK newspaper circulation for a forecast period of 2017-2022 involving in-depth study and insight supported by a wide range of data. At the same time, basic and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the industry.Request Free Sample Report@It also includes a detailed description of regional markets, major trends, growth drivers as well as hindrances faced by the major industry players in the market.Firstly, the report begins with a basic overview of the national newspaper in U.K., which includes an introduction, executive summary, issues and insights along with other basic facts and implications.The report reveals that, print circulation saw a decline while online information technology growth continues; it has also threatened advertising revenue of print-based models. Also, a national newspaper typically earns 70 to 80 percent of its revenue from advertising and the remaining from sales and subscriptions.The report further states that all major printed newspapers also have online version distributed over the Internet, which is regulated by the Press Complaints Commission in the UK. Growth drivers of the industry are growth in mobile device ownership, the rise in cover prices and events like Brexit vote have boosted print circulation.Secondly, the report also profiles some of the major players operating in the market such as: The Times The Mail Online The Independent The Telegraph The Mail The Guardian The FTAmong these, the Mail Online is most popular national newspaper website and the Independent is the first national newspaper to focus solely on the online domain; however, the BBC dominates the online news. Other factors including production, production value, capacity, cost, profit/loss, supply/demand, and market share are precisely analyzed in the report. Brand research and analysis is also carried out including a brand map, key brand metrics, brand attitudes and brand personality.Browse Full Report with TOC@In the end, the report discusses national newspaper behavior, attitudes towards online national newspapers, data sources, abbreviations and supporting information. Overall, the report provides a detailed insight of national newspapers in the UK covering all important parameters and research findings.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of Market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Follow Us on:LinkedIn:Facebook:Twitter:
Good Growth Opportunities in Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market Till 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1799

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1799

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Sodium chloride, commonly known as salt, occurs in the form of cubic crystals and is used in large quantities across various industrial applications. Most of the sodium chloride globally produced is used in chemical industry, manufacturing and for other industrial applications such as eliminating ice and snow from roads, water softening, stabilizing soils, etc. Only a small fraction of it goes for food industry, which is omitted from the scope of this report. Significant demand for industrial sodium chloride comes from chlor-alkali industry for its consumption as a primary feedstock in these industries. The earliest technique used for the production of sodium chloride was the evaporation of seawater by sun-heat, which is majorly suited for hot and dry regions near salty lakes or the ocean. Sea water is considered as an unlimited source for sodium chloride production, but the differentiation in favorable soil and weather conditions affects its commercial production along the coastline. With a large presence of regional as well as global players, industrial sodium chloride market is estimated to be highly competitive and fragmented.Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market DynamicsIncreasing demand for chlor-alkali, e.g. consumption of chlorine in ethylene dichloride production, etc., is one of the leading factors driving growth of industrial sodium chloride market globally. Low-cost and simplicity of the solar evaporation production process is also one of the major factors affecting growth of this market from the supply side.Request For Report Sample@The annual demand for industrial sodium chloride is also impacted by business cycles of its end-use industries as well as climatic conditions. For its bulk use in chemical processing industry, sodium chloride production, in many instances, is vertically integrated with other downstream production such as in case of chlor-alkali industry. Since, sodium chloride is easily available in most regions of the world, large distance trade is expected to be very unlikely due to its lower costs.Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market SegmentationGlobal industrial sodium chloride market can be segmented on the basis of end-use and production source. On the basis of end-use, global industrial sodium chloride market is segmented into the oil field, pharmaceutical, water treatment, textile, chemical processing, de-icing, agriculture and other industrial. On the basis of production source, global industrial sodium chloride market is segmented into seawater, rock mines and brine solution.Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market: Regional OutlookOn a regional basis, global industrial sodium chloride market is segmented into seven key regions, namely, North America, Latin America, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Japan. APEJ, followed by North America, is expected to be the largest market for industrial sodium chloride. Chemical processing industry is expected to hold disproportionately large shares in the APEJ industrial sodium chloride market. APEJ is also expected to be the fastest growing region in the global industrial sodium chloride market due to high demand growth for chemical processing industry. Significant demand in North America is expected to come from its application as a deicing agent, which highly depends upon the climatic conditions of the region.Request For TOC@Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market: Key playersSome of the major players involved in the production of industrial sodium chloride include China National Salt Industry Corporation (CNSIC), Cargill, Incorporated, The Dow Chemical Company, K+S AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, ICL Fertilizers, The Henrique Lage Salineira do Nordeste, Dominion Salt, Tata Chemicals Ltd., Maldon Crystal Salt Co., Akzo Nobel N.V. and others.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Shipping Containers Market is Expected to Register Value of US$ 11.47 Billion by 2021

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6748

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/shipping-containers-market/toc

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/shipping-containers-market.asp

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/6748

According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research, titled Global Market Study on Shipping Containers: Asia Pacific to Witness Highest Growth by 2021 , the global market for shipping containers is estimated to reach value of US$ 8.29 Bn by 2015 end, and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2015 to 2021, to reach a market value of US$ 11.47 Bn by 2021.A sample of this report is available upon request @Shipping containers also referred to as freight containers or cargo containers, are rectangular steel containers used for intermodal transportation of goods across the globe. The use of shipping containers for transportation of goods has emerged as an effective alternative to conventional methods involving loading of cargo directly onto ships. As such, adoption of shipping containers for intermodal transportation of goods and perishables has resulted in improved efficiency and greater ease in handling cargo.Growth of seaborne trade is expected to emerge as a major factor driving the growth of the global shipping containers market during the forecast period. Besides, growing containerization, i.e. adoption of containers for transportation as against traditional methods of loading goods directly onto ships, is another factor expected to fuel the growth of the global shipping containers market during the forecast period. Moreover, the decline in global oil prices is resulting in cost savings, which shipping companies can invest in the purchase of shipping containers. Also, variation in prices of steel in turn is affecting the average selling price of these containers. However, slower economic growth in countries such as China and certain European countries is likely to impede the growth of the global shipping containers market during the forecast period. Revenue from the global shipping containers market is expected to increase from US$ 8.29 Bn in 2015 to US$ 11.47 Bn by 2021, expanding at a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period.In terms of market value, Europe is expected to dominate the global shipping containers market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to be the second largest market for shipping containers and account for a revenue share of around 35% of the estimated global shipping containers market value for 2015. It is slated to expand at a CAGR of around 5.4% between 2015 and 2021.Request to view Table of content @On the basis of product types, the dry containers segment is slated to dominate the global shipping containers market throughout the forecast period. However, due to increasing adoption of reefer containers for transportation of perishables, this segment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in terms of product type in the global shipping containers market during the forecast period. In terms of market value, the reefer containers segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.3% between 2015 and 2021.Browse the full Shipping Containers Market; Reefers Segment to Exhibit Firm Growth: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2015 - 2021 report atChina International Marine Containers Co., Ltd. (CIMC), Singamas Container Holdings Ltd., and CXIC Group Containers Company Limited are leading players in the global shipping containers market. Other players include Maersk Container Industry AS and Dong Fang International Container (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Barite Market Industry Analysis Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

MRRSE

http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2438

http://www.mrrse.com/checkdiscount/2438

http://www.mrrse.com/barite-marke

https://plus.google.com/u/0/109558601025749677847/posts

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrrse

https://twitter.com/MRRSEmrrse

Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) announces the addition of a new report titled Barite Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024. Barite, also known as baryte, is a milky white crystalline mineral mostly composed of barium sulfate. It has one of the highest specific gravities among all weighting agents.Request For Sample Report@Global Barite Market: OverviewBarite is widely used as a weighting agent, filler agent, and extenders. It is employed in oil & gas industry, rubber industry, plastics industry, etc. It is also used in pharmaceutical applications such as production of barium meals for body tissue radiography. Barite is processed in various grades based upon specific gravity, with each grade used for various purposes.The report estimates and forecasts the barite market on the global, regional, and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the product segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints for the barite market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market.Global Barite Market: Scope of the StudyThe report analyzes opportunities in the barite market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitute analysis of barite and global average price trend analysis.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the barite market. It comprises qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and countries have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for barite between 2016 and 2024.Ask For Discount@Global Barite Market: SegmentationsThe study provides comprehensive view of the barite market by dividing it into grade, application and geography. The barite market has been segmented by grade into Up to Sp. Gr. 3.9, Sp. Gr. 4.0, Sp. Gr. 4.1, Sp. Gr. 4.2, and Sp. Gr. 4.3 and above. Based on application the market is segmented as Drilling Mud, Pharmaceuticals, Rubber & Plastics, and Others (Paints & coatings, Paper & Pulp, etc.).The segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for barite in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Key countries such as the U.S., France, Germany, Norway, the U.K., China, India, ASEAN, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil have been included in the study. Market segmentation includes demand for individual grade and application in all the regions and countries.Global Barite Market: Competitive AnalysisThe report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Major players profiled in the report include Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Limited, Halliburton Company, Excalibar Minerals LLC, P & S Barite Mining Co. Ltd., CIMBAR Performance Minerals, and Anglo Pacific Minerals. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).Browse Full Report With TOC@Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.In-depth interviews and discussions with wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comGoogle+:Linked in:Twitter:
Intravascular Ultrasound Systems Market 2016-2026 Shares, Trend and Growth Report

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1858

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1858

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Intravascular Ultrasound Systems (IVUS) is an imaging method with which we can visualize a coronary artery from the inside out. Intravascular Ultrasound Systems are usually designed in such a way that the individual can have a complete view of the coronary artery blockade using a catheter which is attached to an ultrasound probe at one end and the other end is attached to a computerized ultrasound equipment.The inside out view helps to find out the sent sizing, fixation, and in confirmation that the stent implanted are appropriately placed with full expansion of the stent, which fits tightly round around vessel wall. By this the cardiologist sense that the information acquired by the IVUS medium can a make a huge different in knowing how well the patients are treated and can obtain accuracy about the stent placement with reduced complications.Now a days the IVUS diagnostic procedure is majorly used in coronary interventions where it determines and provides the qualitative information about the composition of the plaques and its echogenicity strategies. IVUS demonstrates the consistency of the plaque (soft, fibrous, calcific or mixed) and its differentiation from thrombus.Request For Report Sample@IVUS instrumentation overview:The Intravascular Ultrasound is designed with two major components i.e.Catheter with a miniaturized transducer at its tipConsole containing the electronics necessary to reconstruct the imageThe imagining is captured by the frequency of the ultrasound which varies type of vessels which is to be scanned.Often used frequency is 20 MHzVascular imagining for a medium sized vessel is 12.5 - 50 MHzVascular imagining for a large vessel such a aorta is 12.5 - 20 MHzSmaller vessels require high frequency of probes within a range of 30-40 MHzTwo types of catheter systems are, one with an end-hole which are delivered over the guide wire, and those which do not have an end-hole and are introduced directly through the sheath.The transducer design have been approached into two basic ways, i.e.Phased-arrayMechanical typeIn the phased-array systems, there are multiple transducer elements (32-64) which are in arranged in an array are activated sequentially to generate the image.Mechanical probes rotates an electric transducer at 1800 rpm, which has the capacity to produce 30 images per second.Intravascular Ultrasound Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsThere is drastic Increase in the number percutaneous coronary interventions and number of stent procedures. Major Lot of population now a days prefer less invasive procedures, the technological advancements in image guided therapeutic treatment and growing incidence of cardiovascular disease led to the increase in the intravascular ultrasound systems market.The drawback for the IVUS is the high cost, lack of uniform reimbursement and threat from optical coherence tomography.Intravascular Ultrasound Systems Market: SegmentationThe global market for intravascular ultrasound systems are broadly classified on the basis of product type, applications and end user.Based on product type, the intravascular ultrasound systems market has been segmented as follows:IVUS consolesIntegrated ConsolesCart version ConsolesIVUS cathetersMechanical/Rotatory CathetersStatic Electric/ Phased Array CathetersAccessoriesPullback devicesGuide wiresIntroducer SheathsBased on application type, the intravascular ultrasound systems market has been segmented as follows:IVUS coronary diagnostic marketIVUS coronary intervention marketIVUS coronary research marketIVUS non-coronary /peripheral applications marketBased on end user, theintravascular ultrasound systems market has been segmented as follows:HospitalsCancer InstituteIntravascular Ultrasound Systems Market: OverviewThe global Intravascular Ultrasound Systems market is expected to expand at healthy CAGR owing to increasing adoption of the products across the world. Among end users, hospital end user segment is expected to account for maximum share due to requirement of advanced healthcare infrastructure and low cost.Request For TOC@Intravascular Ultrasound Systems: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, the global intravenous ultrasound systems market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Among all the regions, North America will continue to lead the global market for intravenous ultrasound systems due to high purchasing power. Asia- Pacific is expected to account for second largest share in global market primarily due to increasing number of cardiac surgeries. Regional overview can be a directly proportional to the population.Intravascular Ultrasound Systems: Key PlayersKey players operating in the global intravenous ultrasound systems market are Volcano Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, Terumo Corporation, Infra ReDx Inc, Philips Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, Silicon Valley Medical Instruments Inc, and Avinger Inc.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Vegetable Glycerin Market Poised for Steady Growth in the Future

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2433

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2433

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Vegetable glycerin is natural product extracted from vegetable oil by heating oil at a very high temperature under water pressure. It is produced from palm oil, soy, coconut/ palm oil and others. In terms of taste and color, vegetable glycerin is odorless, colorless and has a sweet flavor. Primary demand for vegetable glycerin is in food and beverage, personal care products and medicines. In food and beverage industry, vegetable glycerin is used as a sugar substitute or sweetener and in personal care and cosmetic products, it is often used in skin care products to make skin moist and healthy. North America and Western Europe are expected to gain largest market share in terms of value and volume during the forecast period.Global Vegetable Glycerin Market: Market DriversSome of the key drivers which are influencing the demand for vegetable glycerin are from the food and beverage manufacturers as it helps to thicken and control the moisture level in food. The majority demand for vegetable glycerin is from processed food manufacturers in which it is added as a humectant and used for preservative purpose. It is also gaining its demand from dairy and confectionery manufacturers where it is primarily used as sweetener. Demand for vegetable glycerin in personal care manufacturers and pharmaceutical industry is also increasing as it often used in moisturizing skin care products. In the global market, demand for vegetable glycerin is also driving due to increasing number of health conscious consumers as in compare to sugar, vegetable glycerin is less sweetens than sugar. Moreover, it is also preferred by consumers seeking for food and beverages with the lower amount of carbohydrates.Request Report Sample@Global Vegetable Glycerin Market: Market segmentationVegetable glycerin market is segmented on the basis of by source, by grades and by application. Market segment as by source includes palm oil, soy, coconut/palm oil and others (grape seed). Vegetable glycerin market is segmented on the basis of grades such as food grade, pharm grade and industrial grade. Vegetable glycerin market segmentation on the basis of application, it includes food and beverages, personal care and cosmetics and medicines. On analyzing the demand for vegetable glycerin in the global level market, it assesses that majority of its application is from food and beverage industry followed by personal care and cosmetic products. Recently the demand for vegetable glycerin is increased in food industry as it is used as a thickener, wetting agent and as a sweetener. It is mostly used as a food additive in food industry such as in confectionery products, dairy products, prepared and processed food products and many other food products. On the other side, its demand is also expected to increase in personal care and cosmetic industry as it used as a humectant in skin care products, body lotions, shampoos, soaps etc. In pharmaceutical, vegetable glycerin is used as an ingredient in medicines and ointments.Global Vegetable Glycerin Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of regional segment, vegetable glycerin market is segmented in seven regions including North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan and the Middle East & Africa. On analyzing the market share on graph, it is expected that North America and Western Europe accounts to majority of share in terms of value in global vegetable glycerin market. Furthermore, increasing demand for confectionery, dairy and processed food products and personal care and cosmetic products among the urban population in developing regions shows that Asia-Pacific is expected to be one of the attractive market in near future.Request For TOC@Global Vegetable Glycerin Market: Key playersSome of the key players operating in global vegetable glycerin market are Procter & Gamble, NOW Foods, VVF L.L.C., Cargill, Incorporated, Dutch Glycerin Refinery (DGR), The Dow Chemical Company, Parchem fine & specialty chemicals , Avril Group, Essential Depot, Inc. among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
MASON CITY | Two Mason City men caught after a police search through Georgia Hanford Park and the surrounding neighborhood on Thursday face burglary charges.

Police say John Adams, 46, and Dylan Mennenga, 21, ran from a burglary scene on the 0 block of 25th Street Southeast.

Authorities were called there at 12:48 p.m.

Adams was captured in Georgia Hanford Park, a 59-acre park south of 22nd Street Southeast, and Mennenga was found about a half-mile away near South Carolina Terrace and 19th Street Southeast, according to a police statement.

They were arrested about 1:30 p.m.

Adams was charged with felony first-degree burglary.

Mennenga was charged with felony second degree burglary and possession of a controlled substance  third of subsequent offense.

The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office and the Mason City Recreation Department assisted police with the search.
Centre And Drag Link Market Shares, Strategies and Forecast Worldwide, 2016 to 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1862

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1862

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Center link is used for transmission of motion from inner tie rods to pitman arm on both sides of a vehicle as compared to center link, which connects to an idler arm. While driving, center link allows the driver to turn front wheels in desired direction. Center and drag link assemblies offer smooth functioning of the vehicle and result in less vibrates and wobbles, thus easy to drive. Center and drag link assemblies are essential components of steering wheel, which is intended to maintain front wheel and front axle lineup. Center and drag link manufacturers are keen on developing products, which overcome challenges such as extreme temperatures, uneven terrain, bad ground conditions, safety and reliability. With increasing end user inclination towards better and efficient vehicle components, the vehicle component manufacturers need to design products meeting aforementioned challenges especially for commercial vehicle vehiclesCentre and Drag Link Market Segmentation:Center and drag link market is segmented on the basis of Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), ball size range, end use industry and product type. Based on the type of GVW applications, the market is segmented into less than 8,000 lb. GVW, between 8,000-15,000 lb. GVW, and more than 15,000 GVW. On the basis of ball size type, the segmentation includes 1 to 1.5 inch, 1.5 to 1.75 inch and 1.75 to 2.75 inch. Center and Drag link assemblies are used across various end use industries including agriculture, forestry, off-road vehicles, mining, and military. The segmentation is also done by the product type, which majorly includes light-duty vehicle, medium-duty vehicle and heavy-duty vehicle. Geographically, the center and drag link market is segmented into seven regions namely North America, Western Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. Also, Asian countries offer low-cost labour, the developed products are less expensive as compared to those manufactured in developed regions of the world.Request For Report Sample@Centre and Drag Link Market Dynamics:Technological advancements in automotive industry is one of prominent factors driving the demand for development of more durable and strong products such as center and drag links. Moreover, due to fragmented nature of market, number of players in the center and drag link market has increased in recent years. This has further led to improved product development at affordable prices, which is fuelling the market growth. In addition, growing automotive industry particularly across countries such as India and China is further expected to increase demand for steering wheel components such as center and drag link among the end-users. Manufacturers of steering wheel system are focused on extensive research and development (R&D) in order to achieve a defined top-line growth. Apart from R&D gaining significant share in the aftermarket is a concern for manufacturers in North America. Thus, improvement in stock keeping units (SKUs) with an aim to increase coverage of products for different vehicle models might offer surge in unit shipment sales and result in competitive pricing. Furthermore, this is predicted to lead towards enhanced product availability at affordable prices for end users particularly in North America and increase in market share of respective companies. However, large number of suppliers does lead to increased product availability, which results in low quality and less efficiency and thus, hampering the market growth of high-end center and drag link assemblies.Request For TOC@Centre and Drag Link Market Key players:Some of the players in the centre and Drag link market include Federal-Mogul Corporation, KOREA Central CO., LTD., Rane (Madras) Ltd., Powers & Sons, LLC, ZF TRW and Moser Engineering among others. Original steering parts manufacturers across the globe are focused on developing quality products in compliance with reliability and durability. This has thus, led to slow replacement rates, which is indirectly leading towards market demand for center and drag link shipments in the aftermarket.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Glass Chopsticks Rest Market Report 2017 Presents An All-Inclusive Study, Opportunities, Key Players - Kosta Boda, Bormioli Rocco, Duralex, Libbey, Corning

http://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/32777/request-sample

https://goo.gl/R10T29

www.fiormarkets.com

www.9dimenreports.com

Global Glass Chopsticks Rest Market 2017, presents a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Glass Chopsticks Rest market globally, providing basic overview of Glass Chopsticks Rest market including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure, Glass Chopsticks Rest Market report provides development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. Glass Chopsticks Rest market size, share and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies. The Current global Glass Chopsticks Rest Analysis and opportunities are also taken into consideration in Glass Chopsticks Rest industry study. Glass Chopsticks Rest market report provides the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.Download Sample Report @The Glass Chopsticks Rest market research report distils the most essential aspects of the market and presents them in the form of a comprehensive and cohesive document. The findings of this report have been obtained via a balanced mix of both primary and secondary research. Interviews of C-level executives in the Glass Chopsticks Rest market form a chunk of the qualitative analysis contained in this report.To begin with, the report defines the Glass Chopsticks Rest market and segments it based on the most important dynamics, such as applications, geographical/regional markets, and competitive scenario. Macroeconomic and microeconomic factors environments that currently prevail and also those that are projected to emerge are covered in this report.With a view to deepen the scope of the analysis, the report also tracks milestone developments and regulations that have shaped the Glass Chopsticks Rest market thus far. To help readers effectively plan their future strategies, the report provides a set of expert recommendations. The analysts working on the report have successfully identified expected policy changes, industry news and developments, and trends and opportunities  this information can be harnessed by companies to strengthen their market presence.Other important aspects that have been meticulously studied in the Glass Chopsticks Rest market report are: Demand and supply dynamics, import and export scenario, industry processes and cost structures, and major R&D initiatives.Access Full Report With TOC @Based on all of this information, the report provides recommendations and strategies to the following market participants: New players, investors, marketing departments, regulatory authorities and suppliers/manufacturers. The Glass Chopsticks Rest market research study has been composed using key inputs from industry experts. Furthermore, the extensive primary and secondary research data with which the report has been composed helps deliver the key statistical forecasts, in terms of both revenue and volume. In addition to this, the trends and revenue analysis of the global Glass Chopsticks Rest market has been mentioned in this report. This will give a clear perspective to the readers how the Glass Chopsticks Rest market will fare worldwide.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Fior Markets provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Global Chestnut Market  Share, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017-2025

http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-chestnut-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-chestnut-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

https://www.slideshare.net/IndexBox_Marketing/world-chestnut-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020

www.indexbox.co.uk

IndexBox has just published a new report "World: Chestnut - Market Report. Analysis And Forecast To 2025" (This report provides an in-depth analysis of the global chestnut market. Within it, you will find the latest data on market trends and opportunities by country, consumption and production, food balance and price developments, as well as global trade (imports and exports). The forecast reveals market prospects to 2025.Countries coverage: WorldwideProduct coverage:ChestnutData coverage: Chestnut market size and value; Per Capita consumption; Forecast of the market dynamics in the medium term; Global chestnut production, split by region and country; Global chestnut trade (exports and imports); Producer, export and import prices for chestnut; Chestnut market trends, drivers and restraints; Key market players and their profiles.Reasons to buy this report: Take advantage of the latest data; Find deeper insights into current market developments; Discover vital success factors affecting the market.TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION1.1 REPORT DESCRIPTION1.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1 KEY FINDINGS2.2 MARKET TRENDS3. MARKET OVERVIEW3.1 MARKET VOLUME AND VALUE3.2 CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY3.3 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES BY COUNTRY3.4 MARKET FORECAST TO 20254. PRODUCTION4.1 PRODUCTION, HARVESTED AREA AND YIELD IN 2007-20154.2 PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY4.3 HARVESTED AREA AND YIELD BY COUNTRY5. IMPORTS5.1 IMPORTS IN 2007-20155.2 IMPORTS BY COUNTRY5.3 IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY6. EXPORTS6.1 EXPORTS IN 2007-20156.2 EXPORTS BY COUNTRY6.3 EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY7. PRICES AND PRICE DEVELOPMENT7.1 PRODUCER PRICES7.2 PRODUCER PRICES INDEX8. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERSDownload a free sample of the report now!You can also find a template on SlideShareIndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world. We conduct market research and publish reports.You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.We collect this data from hundreds of highly reliable sources, verify it and carry out market analysis, uncovering new business opportunities and empowering you with actionable insights.The structure of our reports is intuitive and clear. We do our best to allow you to make strategic decisions and take immediate action. If you want to go further and be a step ahead of the market, just tell us your goals and we will tailor a report to your needs.Company Name: IndexBoxContact Person: Kirill BezverhiEmail: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.ukPhone: +44 20 3239 3063Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QWWebsite:
Remote Electrocardiogram Monitoring Market Intelligence Report Offers Growth Prospects

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2476

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2476

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Telemedicine is using Information Technology and telecommunications to provide medical assistance from a distance. It became especially widespread in the 20th century due to advances in both these fields. It helps to eliminate distance barriers and provide medical aid to distant & far-flung rural areas that would be inaccessible otherwise. The stress of a modern-day fast-paced lifestyle has led to many cases of hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks and various other diseases. That is why the remote electrocardiogram monitoring market has become increasingly important. As per data from the American Health Association (AHA), arrhythmia affects more than 4 million people and causes nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. alone. ECG instruments are the best way to detect & measure arrhythmia. Remote electrocardiogram devices are becoming commonplace for monitoring a patients heart condition. Recently, they have been applied for various heart diseases since the quality & transmission through telecommunications has improved substantially. There are three main components of a remote electrocardiogram monitoring machine  the patient, the doctor, and the remote server.Request Report Sample@Remote Electrocardiogram Monitoring Market DriversOne of the key drivers of the remote electrocardiogram monitoring market is the ageing population in western countries. People there have a strong sense of individuality & prefer living independently in their own homes. Remote electrocardiogram monitoring devices could help doctors provide them prompt medical attention. It saves the doctors time along with the need for patients to take a medical appointment unless their condition is very serious. It is also much more cost-effective than hiring a nurse to visit the individual from time to time. A second factor responsible for growth is improving Internet connectivity in rural areas. Telecommunication technology has progressed by leaps and bounds in the last 30 years and it is now quite easy for a doctor to provide medical aid to patients living in remote villages, which might be both underpenetrated & unserved. A remote electrocardiogram could be used to monitor patients with pacemakers there & the central control unit is able to correctly diagnose an arrhythmia. Electronic stethoscopes can also be used as recording devices, which can be vital in the area of telecardiology. There have been many successful cases of this worldwide already. These are the main drivers of the remote electrocardiogram monitoring market.Remote Electrocardiogram Monitoring Market RestraintsThere are several challenges present in the remote electrocardiogram monitoring market with a major one being unreliable connectivity. We have all faced the problem of a slow Internet connection, no cell phone network, too much line disturbance or rolling blackouts at some point in time. This can pose a serious problem to medical practitioners when they are checking their patients. Losing connectivity midway would cause great inconvenience to both parties. A second issue could be resistance to change. People might either be unaware of such medical aid or be hesitant to go in for it in the first place. There could also be resistance from hospital staff because they may not be trained to use it. The IT department of any organisation is frequently overloaded and even they might stall the adoption of this equipment since it will be added responsibility which they may be unable or unwilling to shoulder. There could also a question of who will provide the funding, especially in developing nations where government reimbursement is hard to come by.Remote Electrocardiogram Monitoring Market Key RegionsNorth America is the largest remote electrocardiogram monitoring market & is expected to remain so in the near future. This is due to a high prevalence of arrhythmia, hypertension and diabetes there along with awareness of these ailments & enhanced medical care. The geriatric populations of Europe, China, Japan and Korea will also ensure a steady demand for the remote electrocardiogram monitoring market there.Request For TOC@Remote Electrocardiogram Monitoring Market Key Market PlayersSome companies in the remote electrocardiogram monitoring market are Huntleigh Diagnostics, Intelesens, iRhythm Technologies, GE Healthcare, MD Biomedical, Kalamed, Labtech, and Life Watch & Jiangsu Konsung Medical Equipment.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Advanced Infusion Systems Market, 2016-2026 by Segmentation Based on Product, Application and Region

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2026

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Infusion systems are medical instruments and associated disposables, used to deliver fluids or drugs in solution to patients circulatory system in a controlled, precise and automated manner. There are different routes to introduce a drug into the patients system, of which, highly used mode is through intravenous, although subcutaneous, arterial and epidural infusion are preferred as per the requirement. They are simple devices and gravity controllers that employ a clamping action to vary the flow of liquid under the force of gravity. This instrument was extensively used for medication purpose but, due to association of high mortality rates with it, advanced infusion systems were developed. Facilities like easy start up, visual monitoring, mobility of system, balanced and continues infusion of multiple medications at the same time, patient safety are a few factors which are boosting the growth of the potential market of advanced infusion systems over conventional ones.Advanced Infusion Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsOverall increase in global population suffering from chronic disease, cancer, diabetes is the major factor that drives the market growth of global infusion systems market. Enormously developed technology in infusion system which eliminates user-related risks, higher bioavailability, safety, therapeutic effectiveness, increase in health care spending are also some other factors that drive the growth of the market. To operate these automated infusion systems, a highly trained intelligent system is required. If this system is not trained properly, it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality rate which can restrain the growth of this market.Request For Report Sample@Advanced Infusion Systems Market: SegmentationThe global advanced infusion systemmarketis classified on the basis of product type, application type, end user and geography.Based on product type, the global advanced infusion systemMarketis segmented into the following:Elastomeric infusion systemVolumetric infusion system- Large volume and Small volume pumpPatient Controlled Analgesia pumpDisposable infusion systemSyringe infusion systemAmbulatory infusion systemImplantable infusion systemBased on application type, global advanced infusion systemMarketis segmented into the following:ChemotherapyDiabetesPain managementAsthmaClinical nutritionBased on end user, the global advanced infusion system market is segmented into the following:HospitalsAmbulatory Surgical CentersDiagnostic centersBedsideAdvanced Infusion Systems Market: OverviewOver the last few decades volumetric and syringe pumps, the clinical and surgical industry, infusion systems, have been widely used for intravenous therapy (IV). Industry experts estimated that 80% of the hospitalized patients receive intravenous (IV) therapy. This demand is expected to increase in the coming years. Growing incidence of chronic lifestyle disorders like cancer, diabetes and increased rate of aging population are the major factors that are expected to rise the demand for infusion pump market in forecast period. Increasing malnutrition in developing countries is expected to increase the demand for infusion pumps for critical nutrition. Hospitals are the largest end-users of infusion systems and account for over half of the market share.Advanced Infusion Systems Market: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the advanced infusion system market is segmented into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan and Middle East and Africa. North Americaholds the largest market share globally. The advanced infusion system market in Asia-Pacific and Latin America is expected to grow relatively fast in coming years. Factors expected to drive this growth are increase in population and increase in incidences of cancer, diabetes and asthma.Request For TOC@Advanced Infusion Systems Market: Key PlayersHospira, Inc., is a leading provider of infusion technologies globally. The key players in this markets are AngioDynamics, Inc., Animas Corporation, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Terumo Corporation and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Infusion systems by Hospira, Inc. have operations in over 60 key markets across Europe, Asia and The Americas. Q Core Medical is a medical device company focused on the infusion pump market, which is expected to hold a large market share in the upcoming period.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Market Forecast Report on Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2477

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2477

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Robotics is a science branch that includes electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. It is concerned with the design, manufacturing, operation and use of the robots, along with the computer systems required to control them and process information. This technology is slowly but surely moving from fiction to fact thanks to current research in the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market. We will eventually reach a point when medical robots will be able to think, act independently or even take critical decisions without any assistance from doctors or medical professionals. Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery first came onto the scene in the first decade of the 21st century. These robots have already proved their mettle in assisting surgeons who perform hysterectomies or prostate cancer. Constant design improvements mean that the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market will become increasingly vital in the days to come.Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market DriversA preference for minimally invasive procedures is anticipated to drive the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market. Robots provide improved visualisation, greater dexterity and high precision & accuracy. Minimally invasive surgeries are very popular with surgeons, patients and also their insurance companies since incisions made are smaller, infection risk is less, hospital stays are much shorter and convalescence is greatly reduced. However, human limitations like hand-eye coordination and limited dexterity stifle treatments. The desire to overcome the challenges of current laparoscopic technologies and improve the scope of minimally invasive surgeries will benefit the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market. An ageing and growing population will boost the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market and growing acceptance of telesurgery is also going to help Robotics. A surgery can take several hours and be physically exhausting for surgeons and they could even experience hand tremors as a result. A surgical robot would be able to operate on several patients without any drop in precision or efficiency which would help medical professionals to serve a larger number of people in the long run.Request Report Sample@Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market RestraintsCost is a very critical challenge in the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market. A top of the line robotics-assisted surgery system can easily cost somewhere in the region of Euro 1.5 million. The initial investment itself can make it difficult for underfunded medical institutions in developing countries to adopt it. That is also not the only expense incurred as thousands more need to be spent on medicines required to complete the surgery. Hence, there is ongoing research to make the medical assistant robots of the future not only smart but affordable too. The second constraint in the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market is the lack of funding. In spite of dramatic innovations by scientists in robotics technology, investors are somewhat hesitant to invest in the industry until they are assured of a ready market for the devices. However, both patients & medical healthcare organisations are showing an increased readiness to pay for Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery equipment which will boost investor confidence and subsequently drive down development cost. The third restraint of the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market is human resistance to change. Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery is still a relatively new concept which has had almost no long-term follow-up studies. These systems also have very large footprints and massive robotic arms. It might be difficult for medical organisations to accommodate them when they are already space constrained, to begin with.Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market Key RegionsThe largest Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery markets are North America, the European Union, Asia Pacific and then the rest of the world. China, Japan and South Korea are expected to lead the world in future growth rate. This is on account of their rapidly ageing population, strong government focus on both healthcare and manufacturing expertise, and providing training to their surgeons to adopt and perform Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery. Companies would be well advised to cater to the specific needs of the Asian Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market for their long term benefit.Request For TOC@Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery Market Key Market PlayersSome of the companies operating in the Robotics-Assisted Telesurgery market are Intuitive Surgical, Hansen Medical, Stryker Corp, IRobot Corporation and MAZOR Robotics.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Lab Automation Market Segments, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast By End-use Industry 2015-2025

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-394

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-394

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Laboratory automation system comprises of automated lab instruments, devices and software algorithms which provides benefits such as increased productivity, reduced cycle time, improved workflow coverage and enhanced data quality. Laboratory automation is known as the use of technology to rationalize or substitute manual handling of equipment and processes. The manual laboratory procedures process fewer samples at a slower rate. The laboratory automation and robotic products are provided in customized form and according to the requirement of specific laboratories or researcher. According to some industry experts the two aspectspreferred by customers are higher throughput to screen more samples/plates or want to automate the high precision part of their manual work.Therefore, lab automation becomes essential in laboratories for handling high volumes of sample at pretty faster rate. This system offers streamlined solution to lab procedures such as centrifugation, decapping, aliquoting, sorting, recapping, etc.The applications market for lab automation is segmented into  pharmaceutical, clinical diagnostics, biotechnology, food and agriculture, contract research organizations and academia. Forensic, food and agriculture, genomics and proteomics are the application areas which promise to fuel the growth of this market in the future and thereby broadening the market. A particular trend observed in this market is growing influence of automation is expanding from genomics to proteomics because proteomics market requires to increase throughput, create new solutions to improve reproducibility and boost sensitivity for the purification and separation.Request For Sample@The global market is poised to grow further owing to drivers such as shortage of skilled lab personnel in developed countries, cost effectiveness than manual lab procedures, government and corporate funding in biotech research, increasingly stringent control on research activities by regulatory bodies such as USFDA in healthcare. The major advantages of laboratory automation and the growing emergence of robotics have helped associated scientists and technicians to achieve complex processes in comparatively less time and in low operation cost. Some of the industry experts also emphasize on low error rates especially in a scientific paper or drug development process where precision is important factor.Global lab automation market is segmented on the basis of equipment/software as automated liquid handling, microplate readers, robotics, automated storage and retrieval system, software and laboratory information system and others. Based on the type of automation, the market is segmented in two segments as - modular automation and total lab automation. Total lab automation provides automation from beginning to the end of the laboratory process, while the modular automation approach provides task specific automation.North America was the largest market leading in spite of stringent USFDA regulations and pre-marketing approvals. North American and Europe market leads the global lab automation market because of increasing adoption of lab automation systems by research labs, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, clinical diagnostics, clinical research institutes, and contract research organizations.Lab automation is a leading laboratory solution in markets such as USA, Canada, Europe and Japan.Asia - Pacific and Latin American countries represent emerging markets, due to a rise in research outsourcing by leading pharmaceutical companies, growing industry demand for accreditation and standardization and rise in biotechnology sector investment.Request For TOC@Some of the key players in the lab automation market are Abbott Diagnostics, Biotek Instruments Inc., Agilent Technologies, Perkinelmer Inc., Roche Holding AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Siemens Healthcare, Beckman Coulter Inc., Hamilton Robotics, Labware Inc. and TECAN.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
CNG and LPG Vehicles Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2015-2025

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-511

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-511

www.futuremarketinsights.com

The increasing environmental concerns and escalating prices for gasoline and diesel have upturned the economies (especially the developing ones) attention towards alternative fuel such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and global CNG and LPG vehicles market. The Dual Fuel options offered by these substitute fuel vehicles have convinced the consumers as noble substitutes when compared to the traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles.The major governmental mandates such as Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), California Air Resources Board Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, and Federal Emissions Standards are turning the automotive industry towards more and more technological advancements so as to attain fuel economy and reduce emissions which are directly increasing the demand for CNG and LPG vehicles, thereby raising the global CNG and LPG vehicles market. The global CNG and LPG vehicles market is yet in its developing stage which requires a conjoint efforts of the government, people, and the manufacturers (OEMs).CNG and LPG Vehicle Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe increasing importance of clean economy and balance of the ecosystem is accompanied by governmental protocols, and is driving the global CNG and LPG vehicles market. Along with the environmental concerns, the cost saving factor (comparative to the petrol and Diesel) will also subsidize to the global CNG and LPG vehicle market.Request For Sample@Despite of being the most striking subject matter of the economy in recent times there is a lack of awareness about the benefits of LPG/CNG amongst the people that is preventing the global CNG and LPG vehicles market from growing. Some of the other growth restraining factors of the global CNG and LPG vehicles market can be deficiency in the service stations of CNG and LPG, poor networks of CNG and LPG Stations, and increasing awareness of upcoming LNG vehicles.The global CNG and LPG vehicle market is also is challenged due to its higher cost of initial equipment installation.CNG and LPG Vehicles Market: SegmentationBy product/fuel type, the global market for CNG and LPG vehicles is segmented as CNG and LPG.On the basis of applications the global CNG and LPG vehicles market is segmented as Passenger Car Vehicles and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV).CNG and LPG Vehicles Market: Region-wise OutlookThe CNG and LPG Vehicles market is expected to register a favourable growth for the forecast period, 2015?2025. The Asia-Pacific is projected to endure its control on the global CNG and LPG vehicles market followed by Europe and North America. The developing regions such as India and China are projected to be potentially growing in global CNG and LPG vehicles market with reference to the increasing demand for commercial vehicles and passenger cars accompanied by the escalating gasoline prices and price conscious consumers. South Korea being the developed nation in automotives market will also show a remarkable growth into the global CNG and LPG vehicles market.Request For TOC@European market is undergoing some stringent norms by the European Union (EU) that is accelerating the demand for CNG vehicles. Not only CNG vehicles but also LPG will be at a competitive advantage situation in response to the European incentives for the oil companies.CNG and LPG Vehicles Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market participants in global CNG and LPG vehicles market are Ford, Fiat Group, General Motors Group, Volkswagen, Renault, Hyundai, Suzuki, and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Europe Outlook for Neurological Disorder Drugs Market By Key Trends and Analysis 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/europe-neurological-disorder-drugs-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=17567

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/

Europe Neurological Disorder Drugs Market: OverviewThis report on the neurological disorder drugs market studies the current as well as future prospects of the market in Europe. Health concern related to life threatening diseases are the major concerns in the developed and developing countries of Europe.This research report provides a detailed analysis of the neurological disorder drugs market and helps understand the various driving factors for the growth of the market. The market overview section analyzes market dynamics and trends such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of the market. Market dynamics factors such as market attractiveness analysis have also been explained in order to deliver a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario of the Europe neurological disorder drugs market.Obtain Report Details @Europe Neurological Disorder Drugs Market: SegmentationThe neurological disorder drugs market has been segmented by disorder, by drug class, by distribution channel and by countries. The disorder segment has been sub-segmented into Epilepsy, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebrovascular disease and others. The drug class has been segmented into Anticholinergic, Antiepileptic, Antipsychotic, Analgesics, Hypnotic & Sedative, Antihypertensive, Anticoagulants and others. The distribution channel segment has been sub-segments into retail pharmacy, hospital pharmacy and eCommerce.Europe Neurological Disorder Drugs Market: ScopeThe executive summary provides detailed insights about the report and the market in general. This elaborate executive summary provides a glimpse into the present scenario of the Europe neurological disorder drugs market, which includes a market snapshot that provides overall information of various segments and sub-segments. The executive summary also provides overall information and data analysis of the Europe neurological disorder drugs market with respect to market segments based on disorder, drug class, distribution channel as well as geographic regions.The market for neurological disorder drugs has been extensively analyzed based on their usefulness, effectiveness, sales revenue and geographic presence. The market size and forecast in terms of US$ Mn for each disorder, drug class, distribution channel as well as geographic regions has been provided for the period from 2016 to 2024. This report on the neurological disorder drugs market also provides the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for each market segment for the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year.Europe Neurological Disorder Drugs Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the neurological disorder drugs market has been segmented into 10 major regions: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, U.K., Russia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Poland and Rest of Europe. The market size and forecast for each of these regions have been provided for the period from 2016 to 2024, along with CAGR (%) for the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. The research study also incorporates the competitive scenario in these regions.Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:A list of recommendations has been provided for new entrants as well as existing players to help establish a strong presence in the market and increase market share. The report also profiles major players in the neurological disorder drugs market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, product portfolio and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Merck & Co., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Bayer AG, Astra Zeneca, F-Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Novartis AG, and GlaxoSmithKline plc.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Nano-enabled Packaging Market Will Grow at 12.7% CAGR by 2020 : PMR

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/nano-enabled-packaging-market/toc

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/2809

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/2809

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Nano-Enabled Packaging For Food and Beverages: Intelligent Packaging to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global nano enabled packaging market for food and beverages industry was worth USD 6.5 billion in 2013 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.7% during 2014 to 2020, to reach an estimated value of USD 15.0 billion in 2020.The global progress in technologies is making lives simpler and safer. Nanotechnology is one such field which is dynamically progressing and is contributing to the development of several industries, including food and beverages packaging. Nano-enabled packaging gives longer shelf life to food and beverages as compared to traditional plastic packaging. Food and beverages packaging is done through two different technologies under nano-enabled packaging-active and intelligent packaging. Active packaging has a comparativelylarger market than intelligent packaging.Intelligent packaging is growing at a faster rate as compared to the active packaging. Customers prefer traceable food and beverages packaging, since it offers information such as expiry date and best use period, present state of the consumables. The radio frequency identification (RFID) tags keep customers informed about the state of the food within the packaging. Intelligent packaging is mostly used for fruits and vegetables, meat products, and beverages. Stricter regulations associated with active packaging have been stimulating the use of intelligent packaging in Europe and North America.Intelligent packaging in the U.S. is growing mainly due to the increasing demand for fresh fruits and vegetables. Americans are shifting their breakfast preference from junk foods to fresh alternatives. The U.S. is one of the largest producers and exporters of cherries globally. With the ease in trade regulations, fruit exports of the U.S. have increased. In September 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that after ten years of negotiations, U.S. cherries can be exported to Western Australia, one of the most important markets for cherries. The increasing demand for intelligent packaging in international trade (especially in fruits) is laying out opportunities for this technology in food packaging.The Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) proposed by FDA in 2011 is another growth indicator for intelligent packaging wherein the fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, are required to be scientifically grown, harvested, packaged, and stored. The farm products that come in the acts domain are lettuce, spinach, cantaloupe, tomatoes, sprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers, cabbage, citrus produce, strawberries, and walnuts.Nano-enabled packaging finds its application in several industries, including bakery, meat, beverages, fruit and vegetables, prepared foods, and others. The increasing demand for meat products, beverages, vegetables, and prepared foods is expected to drive their respective nano-enabled packaging markets, while the market share of bakery products is expected to decline on account of the rapid growth of other application segments.Request to view table of content @Nanotechnology is at a nascent stage and, therefore, usage of nano-enabled packaging is low in the food and beverages industry. Limited numbers of buyers have more leverage to negotiate with nanotechnology companies. On the other hand, there is a plethora of companies providing nano-enabled packaging solutions to the food and beverages industry.A sample of this report is available upon request @Nano-enabled packaging market for food and beverage is very competitive with a large number of players offering an array of patented products. The major players in this industry include Amcor Limited, Bemis Company, Inc., Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, L.L.C., Klockner Pentaplast, Sealed Air, and Tetra Pak International S.A.Buy Now: You can now buy a single user license of the report @The final report customized as per your specific requirement will be sent to your e-mail id within 7-20 days, depending on the scope of the report.For more information, please e-mail us at sales@persistencemarketresearch.comAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
DES MOINES  A payment dispute involving one of Iowa's largest hospital networks could severely limit local options for low-income and disabled North Iowans who receive services from a public health care program.

AmeriHealth Caritas is attempting to renegotiate its Medicaid contract with Mercy Health Network, which includes 13 facilities and about 200 clinics across Iowa.

AmeriHealth Caritas sent a letter to its clients warning if the company is unable to negotiate a new contract with Mercy Health Network by July 1, the Mercy Health Network system would no longer be included in AmeriHealth Caritas provider network, according to media reports.

The dispute does not immediately affect any Iowans who receive Medicaid services, as members are still able to see their providers while the negotiations continue.

Locally, Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa owns or is affiliated with 43 clinics in the area, according to its website, which includes 34 family medicine and nine specialty clinics in Algona, Britt, Clear Lake, Forest City, Garner, Kanawha, Northwood, Osage, Rockford, Sheffield and St. Ansgar.

Floyd County Medical Center and its family health clinic in Charles City operate independently of Mercy, contracting with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. They are listed among the AmeriHealth Caritas providers for 2016.

AmeriHealth Caritas is one of the three companies being paid by the state to administer Iowas $5 billion Medicaid program. The company says it must renegotiate its rates to create a more sustainable Medicaid program.

The companies have reported operating losses since taking over the Medicaid program in April 2016. AmeriHealth Caritas reported the most anticipated losses at more than $200 million.

In order to change its current rates and establish a sustainable Medicaid program, we issued a termination notice to Mercy Health Network, AmeriHealth Caritas spokesman Joshua Brett said in an email. "AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa is taking this action now so that there is no impact on our members, as they can continue to see their providers while we work to agree on new contract terms."

Brett did not respond to a question about how many AmeriHealth Caritas members receive Medicaid services at Mercy Health Network facilities. Nearly 213,000 Iowans are enrolled in a Medicaid plan through AmeriHealth Caritas, but not all would necessarily receive services at Mercy Health Network facilities.

The Mercy Health Network, which also has contracts with the two other Medicaid management companies that operate in Iowa, includes 13 facilities and more than 2,000 physicians and advanced practice providers in Iowa, according to the company.

AmeriHealth Caritas and Mercy Health Network negotiated a three-year contract less than a year ago, according to Janell Pittman, vice president of marketing and communications for Mercy Health Network.

Pittman said that contract helped AmeriHealth Caritas to enroll its 213,000 members, who on the company's website say include those receiving services from Medicaid, the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan and the Health and Well Kids in Iowa (hawk-i) programs.

Now just a few months after getting this accomplished, they are requesting reduced payment levels. This will significantly disrupt the lives of thousands of Iowans who have counted on this commitment from AmeriHealth Caritas, Pittman said in an email. (Mercy Health Network) has performed and continues to perform our duties under the contract. (Mercy) was and is very willing to continue at the payment levels agreed to. (Mercy) is disappointed that AmeriHealth Caritas has chosen to terminate the contract so quickly.

Both said they continue to negotiate in hopes of finding a resolution.

Because of our commitment to our patients we will be working very hard to come to mutually acceptable terms with AmeriHealth Caritas with the hope that participants will continue to receive affordable care from (Mercys) award-winning providers in metro and rural communities across the state, Pittman said.

If an agreement is not reached and those AmeriHealth Caritas members no longer are able to use Mercy Health Network to receive Medicaid services, that would be a crippling blow, said Don Dew, executive director of Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland. The nonprofit center works with individuals with disabilities.

It still is an if, but if that would happen, that would be so damaging to so many people because Mercy and all of its affiliates are so widespread throughout not only our area but throughout the state, Dew said. And so many people on Medicaid rely on going to Mercy and have services with Mercy.

The head of Opportunity Village said the organization is concerned about the impact for people with disabilities in North Iowa and throughout state.

"Like Mercy, Opportunity Village was also notified of AmeriHealth's request to re-negotiate a contract before the term of our contract was up," CEO Jeff Nichols said via email. "If negotiations between Mercy and AmeriHealth are unsuccessful, many people we serve would be forced to switch to Amerigroup as their managed care company, as currently Amerigroup is the only other managed care company that has a contract with Mercy North Iowa.

"The really unfortunate part is that people who need personal care and healthcare the most are the ones that will ultimately be impacted," Nichols said.

The Iowa Department of Human Services is monitoring the situation. Department spokeswoman Amy McCoy said it is not uncommon for insurance plans to renegotiate rates with providers on an annual basis.

The MCOs may have negotiated rates above the fee-for-service equivalent as they built their networks, and now  a year into managed care  may wish to renegotiate those rates under their contracts with providers, McCoy said in an email. The health plans must, at a minimum, offer providers the rate floor that is a fee-for-service equivalent, and maintain adequate network access. Iowa Medicaid is monitoring this process.

Some members potentially affected by the dispute may be eligible to switch their health plans, McCoy said.

If someone covered by AmeriHealth Caritas wanted to receive care at a Mercy clinic in North Iowa, McCoy said via email Friday they might be required to pay a co-pay if an agreement is not worked out, but "it is against regulations to require Medicaid members to pay up front or balance the bill."

"Providers must accept the Medicaid payment as payment in full, unless the member has another health insurance policy that will cover some of the charge," she said.

Dew said he worries some members, if affected, may not have sufficient time to react and adjust to any changes in their coverage.

You cant really even imagine how many people who would have consequences that are even, I always hate to say that theyre life-threatening, but they can be, Dew said. When something like that happens, they find out, and all of a sudden, they dont have that type of coverage.
Organ Transplantation Market: Industry Analysis, Growth, Trend, Demand and Global Forecast by 2027

Organ Transplantation Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/915

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/organ-transplantation-market

Market Scenario:Organ transplantation is an effective treatment for end-stage organ failure and is extensively practiced around the world. The access of patients to organ transplantation, however, changes as per their national situations, and is partly dictated by the expense of human services, the level of specialized capacity, above all, the accessibility of organs.The lack of organs is virtually a universal problem. In a few nations, the improvement of a deceased donation program system is hampered by socio cultural, legitimate and different variables. Even in developed nations, where rates of deceased organ donations have a tendency to be higher than in other developing countries, organs from this source fail to meet the increasing demand.According to National Kidney Foundation there are over 121,678 people waiting for organ transplant out of which 100,791 await kidney transplant in US. The level of global demand for organ transplant will play a major role in the growth of the organ transplant market and will help the market grow at a tremendous rate.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Organ Transplantation Market: Terumo (US) Transonic (US) TransMedic (US) Waters Medical systems (US) Preservation Solutions, Inc. (US) OrganOX (UK) BioMed (US) Transplant Biomedical (UK)Segments:Global Organ transplantation Market has been segmented on the basis of types which include kidney, liver, heart, lungs and others. On the basis of products which consists of instruments and software. On the basis of commercialized products Zenapax, Prograf, Cellcept, Myfortic, Neoral. On the basis of end users hospitals, transplant centers and research laboratories.Study Objectives of Organ Transplantation Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Organ Transplantation Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Global Organ Transplantation Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by product, by care, by feature, by end user and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Organ Transplantation Market.Browse Full Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Admissions Open for the PGDM program at SRMS IBS, Lucknow

http://www.srms.ac.in/ibs/pgdm-admission-form/

Shri Ram Murti Smarak (SRMS) International Business School (IBS), Lucknow is currently accepting applications for its full-time, 2-year Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM).SRMS IBS offers its AICTE approved PGDM with specialisations offered in Banking, Marketing, Finance, International Business, Human Resource Management & Information TechnologyThe B-school is part of the renowned SRMS Trust, which has continuously worked towards providing value-based education to its students across Medical, Engineering, and Management studies since 1990.Besides the PGDM, students also receive 11 industry certifications upon completion of the degree, which puts them at a distinct advantage compared to other PGDM passouts in the recruitment process. Generous scholarships are also available to eligible, meritorious students.Key RecruitersSRMS IBS has a strong track record of 100% placements. The pool of 100+ recruiters include some of the best known MNC and Indian corporate names, including: Amazon, JK Tyre, FedEx, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, BNY Mellon, Yes Bank, Pepsico, EY, Accenture, Capgemini, Airtel, Berger Paints, Bosch, Siemens, Coca Cola, Havells, ICICI Prudential, Marico, Morphy Richards, Panasonic, Reliance, Schneider, Colgate Palmolive, and Vodafone.Key Placement Stats- 100+ companies participated in the placement process.- Average CTC  4.25 lacs p.a.- Highest CTC  7 lacs p.a.- Minimum CTC  4 lacs p.a.The current PGDM batch (Class of 2015-17) is progressing towards yet another excellent placements year.Application ProcessEligibility:A Bachelors degree or 10+2+3 degree in any branch of study or equivalent with minimum 50% marks in aggregate.Valid score in CAT / CMAT / MAT / XAT / ATMA / GMAT / SNAP.Candidates appearing for the final examination for the Bachelors degree (or equivalent examination) can be considered for provisional admissions, subject to successful evidence of passing their graduation by August 31stof the academic session.To start your application process, please visit:Admission Helpline:Contact: +91-7895985000, +91-9458704140Mail us at: admission@ibs.srms.ac.inNews-pr.in is a self-made ocean of current news, press release and updates coming from varied nooks and corners of the global society. With the sheer assistance of numerous news suppliers, we serve our readers with hottest news and happenings.C 21 A Anand Vihar, Uttam NagarNew Delhi, Delhi, India 110059
United States Compounding Pharmacy Market Report 2016

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=870189&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/united-states-compounding-pharmacy-market-report-2016.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Compounding Pharmacy" to its huge collection of research reports.The research report on the Compounding Pharmacy market offers an accurate investigation of the market with an approach that brings out a critical analysis of single key elements impacting it. The research report offers a descriptive analysis of the Compounding Pharmacy market, including the use of tables and figures that can supplement the statements with figures and facts. The report cannot be completed without the use of definitions, classifications, and descriptions of key character traits as displayed by the several segments and sub-segments of the Compounding Pharmacy market. As such, the introduction to the market includes these details, therefore helping the reports users to observe certain trends and better understand the different end-users as well as competitors of the Compounding Pharmacy market, along with the applications of its products and/or services.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @The research report has used secondary as well as primary research methodologies to dissect the dynamics that affect the Compounding Pharmacy market. Furthermore, the report has made use of a SWOT analysis which helps in determining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the Compounding Pharmacy market, along with the Porters Five Forces analysis. This allows the details in the report to be fair and valuable during the evaluation of all elements and segments of the Compounding Pharmacy market. The Porters Five Forces analysis provides an accurate assessment of the threat that new entrants can display, along with the threat of substitute products or services, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, and the overall competitive intensity.The report explores the progress of the Compounding Pharmacy market in all its regional segments. This region-by-region analysis will aid the readers in knowing specific elements in the market, such as the diverse regional policies and socio-economic dynamics that affect the Compounding Pharmacy market.Table of ContentsUnited States Compounding Pharmacy Market Report 20161 Compounding Pharmacy Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Compounding Pharmacy1.2 Classification of Compounding Pharmacy1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.2.3 Type III1.3 Application of Compounding Pharmacy1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 31.4 United States Market Size Sales (Value) and Revenue (Volume) of Compounding Pharmacy (2011-2021)1.4.1 United States Compounding Pharmacy Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 United States Compounding Pharmacy Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @2 United States Compounding Pharmacy Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Compounding Pharmacy Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Compounding Pharmacy Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Compounding Pharmacy Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Compounding Pharmacy Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Compounding Pharmacy Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Compounding Pharmacy Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 United States Compounding Pharmacy Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)3.1 United States Compounding Pharmacy Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)3.2 United States Compounding Pharmacy Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)3.3 United States Compounding Pharmacy Price by Type (2011-2016)3.4 United States Compounding Pharmacy Sales Growth Rate by Type (2011-2016)4 United States Compounding Pharmacy Sales (Volume) by Application (2011-2016)4.1 United States Compounding Pharmacy Sales and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)4.2 United States Compounding Pharmacy Sales Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)4.3 Market Drivers and OpportunitiesAbout UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Aluminum Tripolyphosphate Market 2017 Global Industry Growth with CAGR at 2022 and Forecast Research Report

Aluminum Tripolyphosphate

http://bit.ly/2nunHUs

http://bit.ly/2obAOHo

The latest report Aluminum Tripolyphosphate Market by QY Research added to it's database and brings to light the comprehensive study and factual information of global market. The report also provides the global market segmentation based on applications, end-users, technology, and geography. The Aluminum Tripolyphosphate research report offers a comprehensive assessment of the Aluminum Tripolyphosphate market and consists of historical data, scope, significant approaches and statistical data of the global market. Besides these, it also includes anticipated facts that are assessed with the aid of an appropriate set of postulations and techniques.Request for FREE SAMPLE Report @The Aluminum Tripolyphosphate report covers the precisely studied and evaluated data of the global market players and their scope in the market using a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such as investment return analysies, SWOT analysis and feasibility studyare used to analyze the key global market playersgrowth in the Aluminum Tripolyphosphate industry.SummaryNotes:Sales, means the sales volume of Aluminum TripolyphosphateRevenue, means the sales value of Aluminum TripolyphosphateThis report studies sales (consumption) of Aluminum Tripolyphosphate in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringBasfDowMitsui ChemicalsLG ChemicalDuPontLanxessBrowse Complete report With TOC available @Moreover, the report assessed key market features, including price, revenue, capacity utilization rate, growth rate, capacity, production, gross, supply, consumption, cost, market share, demand, import, gross margin, export, and much moreMRS Research Group is the worlds giant collection of the Market research Reports. Where we specialized in global publisher, tailor made reports and specialists consulting. Global Publisher provides in-depth analysis of global and Chinese market. Tailor-made reports represent methodologies deliverable to proper insight of the client. While, expertise research specialist helps to provide strategic solution in specialists consulting. It consists of head such as, latest report, category, niche market and news.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Dental Software Management Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=870377&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/united-states-eu-japan-china-india-and-southeast-asia-dental-software-management-market-size-status-and-forecast-2021.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Dental Software Management" to its huge collection of research reports.The Dental Software Management, is being discussed in this report, from the point of view of all its current trends and factors of influence. It is necessary to comprehend this data to generate a highly sound solution for your business strategies. These trends are based on the movements within the markets socioeconomic, geographical, economic, political, consumer, and cultural aspects. The report gauges their overall effect for a client or consumer and enlists the various preferences that will have a major say in what the shape of this market is likely to be in the years to come.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @The report  similar to all reports that are added to this repository  is a holistic snapshot of the Dental Software Management and descriptive view market. It elaborates on the dynamics of the market, and extrapolates the statistics relevant to the scope of growth in its key segments and regions, as well as other parameters that have been so far effective during its expansion in terms of value addition and calculation of size. This study is therefore a quantitative and qualitative one, focused on providing a clear vision of all conceivable situations in the Dental Software Management for the given forecast period.The Dental Software Management is also presented in such a way as to create a 360 degree perspective of the competitive landscape that currently exists, and is likely to exist within the given forecast period. It presents a comparative analysis of the leaders as well as the regions they operate in, thereby giving readers a better awareness of the segments where they can appoint their existing resources and judge the priority of a particular region or segment to shuttle their standing upwards in the overall market.Table of ContentsUnited States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Dental Software Management Market Size, Status and Forecast 20211 Industry Overview of Dental Software Management1.1 Dental Software Management Market Overview1.1.1 Dental Software Management Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Dental Software Management Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Dental Software Management Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 32 Global Dental Software Management Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Dental Software Management Market Size (Value) by Players (2015-2016)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Carestream Dental3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Elite Computer Italia3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Maxident3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 XLDent3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 ADSTRA3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Dentech3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.6.5 Recent DevelopmentsFill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @3.7 Software of Excellence3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Dentasoft3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 ABEL Dental Software3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 AudaxCeph3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Dental Software Management Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 Birlamedisoft3.12 CT Imaging3.13 Delcam Plc3.14 IMAGELEVEL3.15 ImageWorks3.16 LED Dental3.17 MacPractice3.18 Nexus AG3.19 Solidscape3.20 Suzy Systems3.21 VISIODENT SA4 Global Dental Software Management Market Size by Application (2011-2016)4.1 Global Dental Software Management Market Size by Application (2011-2016)4.2 Potential Application of Dental Software Management in Future4.3 Top Consumer/End Users of Dental Software ManagementAbout UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Flight Propulsion Systems Market 2017 : Applications & Industry chain overview

Flight Propulsion Systems

http://bit.ly/2nKr2iT

http://www.bigmarketresearch.com/global-flight-propulsion-systems-research-report-2017-market

http://bit.ly/2ndClNU

http://www.bigmarketresearch.com

Bigmarketresearch added Latest Research Report titled Global Flight Propulsion Systems Market Research Report 2017 to its Large Report database.In this report, the global Flight Propulsion Systems market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Request sample report @Global Flight Propulsion Systems market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingFinancial HighlightsGeneral Electric Co.United Technologies CorporationRolls-Royce Holdings PLC.CorporationGKN Aerospace3W International GmbHOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoAir Breathing EnginesNon-Air Breathing EnginesElectric Propulsion EnginesLay eyes on complete report @On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Flight Propulsion Systems for each application, includingAircraftSpacecraftMissilesUnmanned Aerial VehiclesFundamentals of Table of Content :7 Global Flight Propulsion Systems Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Financial Highlights7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Flight Propulsion Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.3 Financial Highlights Flight Propulsion Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 General Electric Co.7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Flight Propulsion Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.3 General Electric Co. Flight Propulsion Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 United Technologies Corporation7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Flight Propulsion Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.3 United Technologies Corporation Flight Propulsion Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC.7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Flight Propulsion Systems Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.3 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC. Flight Propulsion Systems Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business OverviewAsk for discount @About Company :Big Market Research uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us :5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect :+ 1-503-894-6022Toll Free : + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1037544&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-chronic-kidney-disease-drugs-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs" to its huge collection of research reports.The Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs is the target of analysis presented in this research report which is a highly descriptive and insightful publication. It chalks out a detailed, all-inclusive, and logical perspective of the market, casing all crucial categories and their pieces, along with the aspects that have so far shown the potential of having a deep influence on the market over the coming years. The report is therefore a 360-degree representation of the analysis of the current state of market.The market has been quarried to its microscopic nuances, where rudimentary data and key, industry-specific classifications of the market and its elements that are being defined in the overview. The report then moves ahead into a 360 degree analysis of the Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs, while sticking to phrases of the market, such as specific definitions, applications, industry chain structures, government policies, and recent developments.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @The large volumes of data presented in this report, on the Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs, have been garnered with the aid of different research methodologies, both primary and secondary. This data is further concentrated by means of standard analytical processes based on industry practices, and therefore only the significant sections of information are provided to the readers of this report.The governing and competitive landscape of the Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs are studied in this research report. The different stages and their details, such as rules, protocols, procedures, and strategies are also included in addition to an analysis of their effect on the overall growth rate of the market. The report also contains a comprehensive analysis of the business profiles of the most influential vendors in the Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs.Table of ContentsGlobal Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs1.1 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Overview1.1.1 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market by Type1.3.1 ACE Inhibitors1.3.2 Calcium Channel Blockers1.3.3 Beta Blockers1.3.4 Others1.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Hospitals1.4.2 Specialty Clinics2 Global Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 AbbVie3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 GlaxoSmithKline3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Sanofi3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Pfizer3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 AstraZeneca3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Amgen3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent DevelopmentsFill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @4 Global Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs5 United States Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)6 EU Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Chronic Kidney Disease Drugs Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia SaaS-based IT Security Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=809612&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/united-states-eu-japan-china-india-and-southeast-asia-saas-based-it-security-market-size-status-and-forecast-2021.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

http://bit.ly/2c0W5l2

This report studies the global SaaS-based IT Security market, analyzes and researches the SaaS-based IT Security development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeCiscoIBMIntel Security (McAfee)SymantecAlert LogicBarracuda NetworksCA TechnologiesCipherCloudCloudPassageCredant TechnologiesCYRENForcepointFortinetLogRhythmPanda SecurityPhantom TechnologiesProofpointRadwareSafeNetSecureAuthSophosSymplifiedTrend MicroTrustwaveWatchGuard TechnologiesZscalerEnter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, SaaS-based IT Security can be split intoEmail gateway servicesIdentity and access management servicesCloud encryption servicesWeb gateway servicesSIEM servicesMarket segment by Application, SaaS-based IT Security can be split intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Table of ContentsUnited States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia SaaS-based IT Security Market Size, Status and Forecast 20211 Industry Overview of SaaS-based IT Security1.1 SaaS-based IT Security Market Overview1.1.1 SaaS-based IT Security Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global SaaS-based IT Security Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 SaaS-based IT Security Market by Type1.3.1 Email gateway services1.3.2 Identity and access management services1.3.3 Cloud encryption services1.3.4 Web gateway services1.3.5 SIEM services1.4 SaaS-based IT Security Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Application 11.4.2 Application 21.4.3 Application 32 Global SaaS-based IT Security Competition Analysis by Players2.1 SaaS-based IT Security Market Size (Value) by Players (2015-2016)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Cisco3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 SaaS-based IT Security Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 IBM3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 SaaS-based IT Security Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Intel Security (McAfee)3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 SaaS-based IT Security Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Symantec3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 SaaS-based IT Security Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Alert Logic3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 SaaS-based IT Security Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Barracuda Networks3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 SaaS-based IT Security Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.6.5 Recent DevelopmentsQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.QYResearchReportsContact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comFollow us on Linkedin @
Global Potting Soil Market 2016 Industry Trend and Forecast 2021 - MRH

Market Research HUB

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=789808

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-potting-soil-market-2016-industry-trend-and-forecast-2021-report.html

http://www.marketresearchhub.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-research-hub

https://www.facebook.com/MarketResearchHub/

https://twitter.com/MktResearchHub

Market Research hubs announced The Global Potting Soil Market 2016 Industry Trend and Forecast 2021 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the potting soil industry.Request Free Sample Report@Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The potting soil market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (North America, Europe, China and Asia), and other regions can be added.Major Key Players are analyzed in the Potting Soil Market Report such as: Compo Sun Gro Scotts Miracle-Gro Klasmann-Deilmann Florentaise ASB Greenworld FoxFarm Lambert Matecsa Kft Espoma Hangzhou Jinhai Michigan PeatThen, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product introduction, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Potting Soil industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.Browse Full Report with TOC@In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of Market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Follow Us on:LinkedIn:Facebook:Twitter:
Global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers Consumption 2016 Market Research Report

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=536631&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-3-axis-vertical-machining-centers-consumption-2016-market-research-report.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/press-releases.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

Global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers Industry 2016 Market Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Technology, Applications, Growth, Market Status, Demands, Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2016-2020.This research report is a highly descriptive analysis of the global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers market. It provides a detailed overview of the various applications and end users of the market and how the demand and supply charts are anticipated to look in the forthcoming years. It takes into account the current and historic data pertaining to the market and with the help of market experts, estimates future trends. These predictions can allow the readers to gain a coherent perspective of the global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers market and all its dynamics.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report presents an in-depth analysis of the industry chain structure of the global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers market. It includes the details and statistics regarding production along with industry policies that affect them, the efficiency of utilization of available resources, the currently available production capacities, and the degree at which they are utilized. This is followed by information regarding the import and export cycles within the market. The cost analysis of the global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers market forms an important part of the report. It serves as a reliable tool for both existing and new players to maximize their profit.The report also includes market analysis tools and Porters five force analysis, which are pivotal in understanding the competitive landscape of the global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers market. It profiles the prominent players in the market along with their latest developments, business strategies, revenue generation, and contact information. It performs the SWOT analysis that reveals the potential growth trajectory of each key player in the market. For a lucid analysis, the report has segmented the global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers market on the basis of several parameters including application and geography. Each segment is meticulously studied in terms of both revenue and volume.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.1 Definition and Specifications of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.1.1 Definition of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.1.2 Specifications of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.2 Classification of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.3 Applications of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.4 Industry Chain Structure of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.5.1 Industry Overview of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers1.7 Industry News Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers2.4 Other Costs Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers3 3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales and Sale Price Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers3.1 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers 2011-20163.2 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Regions 2011-20163.3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Types 2011-20163.4 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Applications 2011-20163.5 Global Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Companies 2011-20163.6 Global Sale Price of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Regions 2011-20163.7 Global Sale Price of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Types 2011-20163.8 Global Sale Price of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Applications 2011-20163.9 Global Sale Price of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Companies 2011-20168 Major Manufacturers Analysis of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers8.1 Toyoda Machine Works8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.3 Sales Volume, Sales Revenue, Sale Price and Gross Margin8.1.4 Contact Information8.2 Bjm Dubus Machines8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.3 Sales Volume, Sales Revenue, Sale Price and Gross Margin8.2.4 Contact Information8.3 MECAL8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.3 Sales Volume, Sales Revenue, Sale Price and Gross Margin8.3.4 Contact Information8.4 STAMA8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.3 Sales Volume, Sales Revenue, Sale Price and Gross Margin8.4.4 Contact Information8.5 Altech Machinery8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.3 Sales Volume, Sales Revenue, Sale Price and Gross Margin8.5.4 Contact Information8.6 Emmegi Group8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.3 Sales Volume, Sales Revenue, Sale Price and Gross Margin8.6.4 Contact InformationList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of 3-axis Vertical Machining CentersTable Product Specifications of 3-axis Vertical Machining CentersTable Classification of 3-axis Vertical Machining CentersFigure Global Market Size (Volume) Share of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Types in 2015Figure Global Market Size (Value) Share of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Types in 2015Table Applications of 3-axis Vertical Machining CentersFigure Global Market Size (Volume) Share of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Applications in 2015Figure Global Market Size (Value) Share of 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers by Applications in 2015Figure Industry Chain Structure of 3-axis Vertical Machining CentersTable Global 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers Major CompaniesTable Global Major Regions 3-axis Vertical Machining Centers Development StatusTable Industry Policy of 3-axis Vertical Machining CentersTable Industry News List of 3-axis Vertical Machining CentersTable Raw Material Suppliers and Price AnalysisFor Latest QYResearchreports Press Release Visit @About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
CHARLES CITY | Edna McCoy, 103, of Charles City, died Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at Floyd County Medical Center in Charles City.

A funeral Mass will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 27, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Charles City with the Rev. Gary Mayer celebrating the Mass.

Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Charles City.

Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 26, at Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City with a Rosary beginning at 3 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the funeral Mass on Monday at the church.

Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City is in charge of local arrangements.
Global Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=738965&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-central-nervous-system-cns-biomarker-industry-2016-market-research-report.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

The Global Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.1 Definition and Specifications of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.1.1 Definition of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.1.2 Specifications of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.2 Classification of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.3 Applications of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.5.1 Industry Overview of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker1.7 Industry News Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker Major Manufacturers in 20154 Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Regions, Types and Manufacturers4.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Regions 2011-20164.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker 2011-20164.3 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Types 2011-20164.4 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Manufacturers 2011-20165 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Regions, Types and Manufacturers5.1 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Regions 2011-20165.2 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Types 2011-20165.3 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Manufacturers 2011-2016List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Central Nervous System (CNS) BiomarkerTable Product Specifications of Central Nervous System (CNS) BiomarkerTable Classification of Central Nervous System (CNS) BiomarkerFigure Global Production Market Share of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Types in 2015Table Applications of Central Nervous System (CNS) BiomarkerFigure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarker by Applications in 2015Figure Industry Chain Structure of Central Nervous System (CNS) BiomarkerQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.QYResearchReportsContact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Flexible Printed Circuit Board Market Industry Prediction 2025

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/flexible-printed-circuit-board-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=21704

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Global Flexible Printed Circuit Board Market: SnapshotThe emergence of Internet of Thing (IoT) across the world has had a substantial influence on a variety of products and markets, of which the global flexible printed circuit board market is a prominent one. With the increasing penetration of smartphones, tablets, and laptops, the demand for flexible printed circuit boards has increased significantly, leading to a remarkable rise in the markets valuation. Apart from this, the soaring demand for consumer electronics and rising uptake of these boards in automotive applications are also boosting this market considerably. However, the market may face challenges from the dynamic nature of the semiconductors and electronics industry over the forthcoming years.The worldwide market for flexible printed circuit boards stood at US$13.51 bn in 2016. Rising at An impressive CAGR of 11.0% between 2017 and 2025, the market is likely to offer an opportunity worth US$33.39 bn by the end of 2025.Browse The Report :Demand for Multi-layer Flex Circuits to Remain StrongBased on the product type, the global market for flexible printed circuit boards has predominantly been categorized into single-sided flex circuits, double-sided flex circuits, multi-layer flex circuits, and rigid flex circuits. Apart from these, sculpted flex circuits, single layered flexible circuits, and double access flexible circuits are also prominent types of flexible printed circuit boards available in this market. In terms of revenue, the multi-layer flex circuits segment led the market in 2016 and is expected to maintain its dominance over the next few years.The rigid flex circuits segment, on the other hand, is expected to offer most promising growth opportunities to market players in the years to come, thanks to the rising demand for portable electronic devices in various economies, such as China, India, Japan, the U.K., the U.S., Germany, and Singapore.Asia Pacific to Maintain Lead in Global Flexible Printed Circuit Boards MarketThe Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, and Europe have been considered as the key regional markets for flexible printed circuit boards across the world. Asia Pacific led the global market with a share of 56% in 2016 and is likely to retain its position over the next few years. The increasing penetration of smart devices, swift development of industrial infrastructure that supports integration of process automation, rising adoption of sensors in automobiles, and escalating investments in communication technologies are driving the growth of the Asia Pacific market for flexible printed circuit boards. In addition to this, the rise in large scale investments in flexible printed circuit board manufacturing technology - Asia Pacific is a massive hub for semiconductor manufacturers - is anticipated to boost this regional market in the near future.Make an Enquiry@North America, which was the second leading market for flexible printed circuit board in 2016, across the world, is also projected to witness significant growth in its market share over the forthcoming years, thanks to the rising demand for consumer electronics, smart automotive applications, state-of-art healthcare devices, and process automation systems in the power, and the oil and gas sectors are expected to propel the North America flexible printed circuit board market in the years to come.NOK Corp., Nitto Denko Corp., NewFlex Technology Co. Ltd., Interflex Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Multi-Fineline Electronix Inc., Fujikura Ltd., Flexcom Inc., Daeduck GDS, and Career Technology (Mfg.) Co. Ltd. are some of the key participants operating in the global market for flexible printed circuit boards.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Market Research Report 2017

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=948379&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-vessels-for-off-shore-wind-power-market-research-report-2017.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/press-releases.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Industry 2017 Market Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Technology, Applications, Growth, Market Status, Demands, Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2017-2020.A new research report on the global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power market offers a 360-degree overview of it. The report discusses the market in significant details and elucidates all aspects of the global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power market likely to impact its growth trajectory in the upcoming years. Major market stimulants and deterrents have also been examined in great detail, with quantitative and qualitative description of their expected impact on the market in the forecast period. This would enable big and small players operating in the market to understand the dynamics and maneuver their moves accordingly.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The different segments of the global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power market have been carefully discussed at length. The product segments, application segments, and end user segments have been detailed in the report, leveraging historical and current figures. The report gauges the growth figures for each of the segments to understand the global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power markets growth prospects. This helps to offer a granular overview of the Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power market and areas in which it stands to gain and lose.This report studies Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringA2SEAMPI-OffshoreSeajacksFred. Olsen WindcarrierGeoseaVan OordJack-Up BargeSEAFOXSwire Blue OceanGaoh OffshoreThe reports primary objective is to help the players operating in the global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power market to gain an insight into the current market dynamics, including opportunities and threats so as to be able to strategize sagaciously. To do, it implements market-leading analytical tools to gauge the current competitive landscape.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Market Research Report 20171 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power1.2 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power by Type in 20151.2.2 Type I1.2.3 Type II1.3 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Segment by Application1.3.1 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Application 11.3.3 Application 21.3.4 Application 31.4 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power (2012-2022)2 Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2017)2.2 Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2017)2.3 Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2017)2.4 Manufacturers Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion7 Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 A2SEA7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.1.2 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Product Type, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 A2SEA Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 MPI-Offshore7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.2.2 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Product Type, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 MPI-Offshore Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Seajacks7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.3.2 Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Product Type, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Seajacks Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business OverviewFigure Picture of Vessels for Off-Shore Wind PowerFigure Global Production Market Share of Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power by Type in 2015Figure Product Picture of Type ITable Major Manufacturers of Type IFigure Product Picture of Type IITable Major Manufacturers of Type IITable Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Consumption Market Share by Application in 2015Figure Application 1 ExamplesFigure Application 2 ExamplesFigure North America Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Revenue (Million UDS) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Table Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Capacity of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2017)Table Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Capacity Market Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2017)Figure Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Capacity of Key Manufacturers in 2015Figure Global Vessels for Off-Shore Wind Power Capacity of Key Manufacturers in 2017For Latest QYResearchreports Press Release Visit @About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Accumulator Market

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/10984

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/10984

The demand for improved production efficiencies, product orientation and minimal product damage of the packaged products has initiated a high demand of the accumulators in the packaging industry. Accumulator equipment is necessary to ensure that no line stoppages in the production operations occurs. In case of product line blockage occurs, accumulators provide temporary storage for the entire batch of products. Thus synchronizing different manufacturing operations and increasing efficiency, by facilitating a continuous flow of products from machine to machine. Nowadays, accumulators are being designed in a way such that they can be easily integrated into any existing packaging and production set-up and also handle various sized products. Different models of accumulators are designed to work with different package capacity. Owing to rapid changes in product design and increasing demand for variable capacity accumulators in the food & beverage, personal goods, and cosmetic industry is expected to contribute to an extensive growth in the market.Request to view Table of Content @Accumulator Market: Market DynamicsThe increase in the demand for custom designed accumulators for various packages contribute hugely to the market growth of accumulators globally. Automated packaging systems demand advanced technologies for their production processes. Owing to rapid changes in product design and increasing demand for variable capacity accumulators in the food & beverage, personal goods, and cosmetic industry is expected to contribute to an extensive growth in the accumulator market.The revenue contribution from food & beverage and cosmetic products is significant to global accumulator market. This trends is expected to continue over the forecast period owing to the thriving growth of the food and beverage industry. Likewise, modest demand of accumulators for the manufacture of industrial goods and pharmaceuticals, is expected to boost the sales of accumulators. However, the presence of integrated manufacturing machine incorporating multiple packaging functions and capital intensive nature of equipment is expect to restrict the accumulator marketAccumulator Market: Market SegmentationThe accumulators market can be segmented on the basis of type and application. The accumulators are available in five forms. Vertical, Horizontal, Serpentine, Bi-flow and Rotary. Based on the application the accumulators market can be segmented into food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, health care and personal care products, industrial goods and other consumer products.Accumulator Market: Regional OutlookThe accumulators market can be segmented on the basis of regions. North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ (Asia Pacific excluding Japan), Japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA). Asia Pacific revenue contribution to the global accumulator market is expected be the maximum owing to the thriving consumer goods and food and beverage industries in major markets such as India and China. Followed by Asia Pacific, Europe and North America are anticipated to have moderate growth in the accumulators market owing to modest growth in the packaging and other industries. Latin America and Middle East and Africa are expected to create significant opportunities for accumulator manufactures as a result of the proliferating demand from food and beverage industry from the regions.Accumulator Market: Market PlayersThe accumulators market is highly fragmented. However the market has the presence of regional players too. The significant players identified in accumulators market are TetraPak, Nercon, Packaging Dynamics Ltd., Reelex, Del Packaging Ltd., Brenton, Hartness among many others.Buy Now: You can now buy a single user license of the report at. The final report customized as per your specific requirement will be sent to your e-mail id within 7-20 days, depending on the scope of the report.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types, technology and applications.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:-Market Segments-Market Dynamics-Market Size-Supply & Demand-Current Trends/Issues/Challenges-Competition & Companies involved-Technology-Value ChainRegional analysis includes-North America (U.S., Canada)-Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)-Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)-Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)-Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)-Japan-Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.For more information, please e-mail us at: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Patisserie Packaging Market - Analysis, Segments, Growth and Value Chain 2016-2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14996

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/patisserie-packaging-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Patisserie products are popular among all age groups and the sales are independent of occasions or seasons. Packaging plays an important role in patisserie products in increasing shelf life, marketing, prevention from mechanical damage, displaying food safety related warnings and nutrition value. Packaging vendors who provide innovative and creative packaging solutions are preferred by patisserie dealers, as it helps to strengthen sales by enhancing product visibility. Apart from protecting and containing the items, the packaging must be irresistible enough to appeal to a buyer and ultimately lead to a sale. Packaging supplies come in more sizes, shapes, textures, materials and printing options than ever before, hence containers that achieve a quality or feature that is extremely impressive can set any product apart from its competitors.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Sale of patisserie is most commonly noted at retail outlets. In order to create a longer shelf-life, retailers have demanded the packaging manufacturers to improve the process of wrapping up such food items.Sales of patisserie have increased as urbanization has led the population to opt for food that is readily available. Increase in cases of stomach disorders are responsible for the dynamics of the global patisserie packaging market to go through unfavorable reforms. The key challenge restraining the fluent production of packaging products is the varying pack-sizes. Consumers prefer reusable plastic pouches as the ideal packaging product, which is in turn hampering the sales of traditional packaging products and declining the demand. The uneven culinary habits of the target population is also accounted as a major factor impeding the growth of the global patisserie market.Based on type of material, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented as follows:PlasticPaper and cardboard boxesCorrugated boxesFlexible packagingOthersObtain Report Details @Small plastic patisserie packs, plastic cupcake boxes and plastic cake containers are widely used as they protect the contents from damage and leaking. Paper and cardboard boxes are used by the manufacturers in order to differentiate the product as well as to provide mechanical strength. Taken as a whole, corrugated boxes are considered to be an eco-friendly and sustainable form of packaging compared with other forms of packaging, including plastics. Huge investments are made to develop innovative solutions in corrugated box packaging. Overall, packaging manufacturers are expected to come up with resistant quality packaging materials in the coming years keeping prime focus on environmental protection and sustainability.Based on type of product, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented as follows:CakesCream bunsGateauxPastriesBased on geography, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Overall, Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. In countries like China, India and Japan, growth comes from an increase in the demand for poly bags. North America is expected to substantially contribute towards market growth on the grounds of rising demand for digitally-printed packages which creates a hyper-personal buying experience. Significant growth in bakery and confectionary in China will have a positive impact on the patisserie packaging market. Furthermore, growing demand for packaged foods and consumer goods is expected to increase the growth. Europe is further anticipated to boost the market growth over the upcoming years with regards to the rising demand for home delivery of patisserie products. Increase in sedentary lifestyle and eating habits in Latin America and MEA are expected to propel patisserie packaging market demand in the region.Some of the top players operating in the patisserie packaging market are Papiers Paviot, Amcor Limited, LINPAC Senior Holdings Limited, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., Coyne & Blanchard, Inc., Mahalaxmi Flexible Packaging, Berry Plastics Corporation, Sealed Air, WestRock Company, AR Packaging Group AB and others.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Bio-Alcohol Market is Expected to Reach USD 110 Billion by 2022

Bio-Alcohol Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/963

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/bio-alcohol-market

Market Highlights:Bio-alcohol is manufactured from feedstock such as biomass including organic waste. It is organic chemical with essential properties through fermentation of cellulose or sugar. With technological advancement in bio-based chemicals, cellulosic biomass has increased their usage in industries which is also expected to support the demand of bio-alcohol market. Bio- alcohol market is growing owing to rise in need of conventional fuels in transportation and power generation industries which is due to scarcity of non-renewable resources. The pressure on automobile and power generation companies to reduce carbon foot print and greenhouse effect is driving the focus on bio-alcohols as alternative to gasoline.Bio-Alcohols has various advantages like ecofriendly, easily producible, renewable etc. which makes it viable to use in various industries across the globe. According to types, bio-alcohol is segmented into bioethanol, bio methanol, biobutanol, and BDO. Out of all, Bio-ethanol is leading segment. Ethanol gases is less atmospheric reactive and reduced oxidized formulation. These leads to extensive use of bio-ethanol in automobile industry. It also offers high octane fuel alternative for gasoline which is also used in another industry like power generation. Rising need of fossil fuels over conventional fuels are creating steady growth demands of bio-alcohols across the globe.Request a Sample Copy @According to application, transportation is leading segment in bio-alcohol market. Rapid industrialization in developed countries are boosting the need of power generation with less consumption of fuels. Bio-alcohol are ecofriendly in nature and has found tremendous application in transportation, infrastructure and construction industry. Moreover, increasing carbon emission with increasing greenhouse effect is trending the focus on bio-alcohols in automobile and transportation industry. Reducing the global dependence on non-renewable resources and increase use of bio-based chemicals is driving the bio-alcohol market over the forecasted period.Segmentation:The global bio-alcohol market is majorly segmented on the basis of types and application. Based on type of bio-alcohol the market is segmented into bioethanol, bio-methanol, biobutanol and BDO. Based on application of bio-alcohol the market is segmented into infrastructure, transportation, medical, power generation, others.Competitive Analysis:BASF SE, Fulcrum Bioenergy Inc, Cool Planet Energy Solutions, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Harvest Power, Inc. has dominated the global Bio-Alcohol market share in 2016.Fluctuating prices of crude oil and rising energy prices have challenged many manufacturers to tackle with suitable cost-pricing policies. Low purchasing cost of ethanol and inadequate supply is constraint to achieve blending targets for many players. The key players are expected to exert pressure on exports especially in middle east countries to increase the supply of bio-based chemicals.Global Bio-alcohol Market Players:To sustain in competitive market, the major players are looking out for opportunity in using bio-based products and are entering into agreements, expansions and other development activities. The major key players of this market are: BASF SE, Fulcrum Bioenergy Inc, Cool Planet Energy Solutions, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Harvest Power, Inc., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Myriant Corporation, Mascoma LLC, Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC, Red Rock BioFuels LLC and others.Regional Analysis:Europe and North America dominate the market segment. Germany and U.S being largest producer of automobile industry is shifting its focus to bio-alcohol owing to severe government regulations in developing bio-based chemicals and reduce greenhouse effect.U.S is also largest consumer and producer of bio-alcohols. U.S government is also taking beneficial initiatives for shifting the industries demand for bio-alcohols or bio-based chemicals over non-renewable resources such as loan guarantees to those manufacturers which are using high performance bio-based chemicals. Developing countries like china, India and Japan are steadily growing owing to lenient regulations of government. Existing manufacturers are shifting to eco-friendly products like bio-alcohol. Many countries are growing infrastructure facility over the use of bio-based chemicals to run their daily activities.Browse Full Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
The Lipetsk regional business conference "Small business-2017. New horizons"

The head of the Lipetsk region

The representative of the JSC Management company "Investment Projects Fund" attended the Lipetsk regional business conference "Small business-2017. New horizons". During the business conference which took place in the regional administration, the head of the Lipetsk region Oleg Korolev discussed the further prospects of development of business with its participants. Among the main  development of the cooperative movement, increase in availability of credit resources, strengthening of measures of support in a number of the directions.Oleg Korolev thanked representatives of business community for good work for the benefit of the region and country in the last two decades:"Together with you we have done a lot of things during these years. Industrial output has grown in the Lipetsk region by 2,2 times. On production volume in the processing sector per capita the Lipetsk region takes the second place in Russia and one of the first places in Europe. We have constructed 108 large and average plants and complexes. Only for the last 12 years  56. The outputs in agriculture increased by 3,65 times over these years and today agriculture of the Lipetsk region is one of the best not only in Russia, but also in Europe".The head of the region noted progress in the industry, construction. Rates of development of the region in the main macroeconomic indicators - above average Russian. The considerable role in it was played also by the enterprise community. The head of executive power of the the region emphasized that we support by such work a course of the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.JSC Management Company "Investment Projects Fund" acts as the strategic tool for increasing of enterprise and investment activity in the Lipetsk region. Among our main goals are creation of new approach to development of territories and as a result improvement of investment climate of our region.We invite projects initiators and investors from all Russian regions and from abroad to mutually beneficial cooperation.JSC Managing company Investment Projects FundPhone: +7 (4742) 39-32-43E-mail: invest-lip@mail.ruAddress: 2 Slavyanova Street, Room 2, LipetskPresscontact: AnastasiaPhone: +7 980 262 32 46
Medical Manifolds Market : Emergence Of Advanced Technologies And Global Industry Analysis 2024!!

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-manifolds-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19223

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Manifolds are pipeline systems with several openings. Manifolds are specially fabricated structures wherein two or more cylinders are connected to a single pipeline to increase the availability of gas at the source. Medical manifolds offer the function of reducing the pressure from cylinders with high pressure to the required pressure, which is feasible to use in the hospital pipeline. In hospitals, medical gases are largely used to provide long-term support to patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Medical air is used in hospitals in large quantities and hence, it is feasible to produce it on site, rather than storing it in gas cylinders. Medical gas supply in a hospital needs to fulfill the stringent requirements of the installation standards and safety of all patients in the hospital. The need for medical manifolds primarily arises from strict rules and requirements for the medical gas supply systems. For instance, in July 2012, the U.S. Congress passed a bill putting into effect the Food & Drug Safety & Innovation Act. This act provides selected gases as approved medications for common medical gas mixtures; provides manufacturers with the protection of their intellectual property rights for new products; and establishes a certification process for medical gas production. These factors serve as a driver for the market.Obtain Report Details @Increasing awareness regarding the medical gas safety amongst manufacturers and consumers is a major factor that drives the global medical manifolds market. Growth of the health care infrastructure has led to rise in the number of hospitals, which acts as a driver for the global medical manifolds market. In addition, the establishment of industry-friendly associations such as Medical Gas Association (MGA), Compressed Gas Association (CGA), and Gases & Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) is fueling the market. Constant efforts made by the members of CGA and GAWDA have rendered the actualization of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. These associations help in chalking out strategies that would ultimately help the market thrive and flourish. Therefore, establishment of such associations acts as a driver for the market.The global medical manifolds market has been segmented by product type and geography. In terms of product, the medical manifolds market has been categorized into simplex manifold systems, cradle pack manifolds, dual manifold systems, semi-automatic manifold systems, automatic manifold systems, digital automatic manifold systems, and others.Based on the region, the global fermented ingredients market has been segmented into: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounts for a significant share of the global market for medical manifolds, owing to presence of industry-friendly organizations such as CGA and GAWDA. These associations consist of industry experts working in reputed organizations. The members of these associations work continuously to make value additions to the market by understanding the market trends and implementing the policies that eventually work out in favour of the market. Europe is considered to be the second largest market for medical manifolds, due to enhanced health care processes and growing health concerns in the region. Moreover, rising geriatric population with the need for hospitalization augments the market in the region. Major factors that would drive the market in Asia Pacific include rapid development of health care infrastructure and presence of large population in the region. High prevalence of pulmonary diseases and emergency medical conditions provides countries such as India and China with multiple untapped opportunities. Latin American countries such as Mexico and Brazil are expected to have considerable growth potential for the medical manifolds market due to evolving health care infrastructure, and increasing medical expenditure.Fill The Form To Gain Deeper Insights On This Market @Major players operating in the global market for medical manifolds include Praxair, Inc., BeaconMedaes LLC, Merit Medical Systems, Inc., Smiths Group plc, Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Pattons Medical, Genstar Technologies, and Gascon Systems Pty Ltd.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Veterinary Therapeutics Market Will Expand At A Healthy CAGR Of 6.7% Over The Period Between 2016 And 2024 Is Expected To Rise To US$50.2 bn By 2024

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=842319

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=842319

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Veterinary Therapeutics Market (Product Type - Drugs (Anti-invectives, Anti-inflammatory, Parasiticides), Vaccines (Inactivated Vaccines, Live Attenuated Vaccines, Recombinant Vaccines), Medicated Feed Additives (Amino Acids, Antibiotics); Animal Type - Companion Animals, Livestock Animals; Route of Administration - Oral, Parenteral, Topical; Distribution Channel - Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Clinics, Pharmacies & Drug Stores) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Fo" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global veterinary therapeutics market analyzes the current and future prospects of the market. The report comprises an elaborate executive summary, including a market snapshot that provides overall information of various segments and sub-segments.The research is a combination of primary and secondary research. Primary research formed the bulk of our research efforts along with information collected from telephonic interviews and interactions via e-mails. Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, stock analysis presentations, and various international and national databases. The report provides market size in terms of US$ Mn for each segment for the period from 2014 to 2024, considering the macro and micro environmental factors. Growth rates for each segment within the global veterinary therapeutics market have been determined after a thorough analysis of past trends, demographics, future trends, technological developments, and regulatory requirements.A detailed qualitative analysis of factors responsible for driving and restraining market growth and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also includes market attractiveness analysis that provides a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global veterinary therapeutics market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Market revenue in terms of US$ Mn for the period between 2014 and 2024 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2016 to 2024 are provided for all the segments, considering 2015 as the base year. Market size estimations involved in-depth study of services and product features of different types of services. Additionally, market related factors such as increasing preference for technologically advanced services, product innovation, and growing number of acute and chronic animal and zoonotic diseases in various geographies and historical year-on-year growth have been taken into consideration while estimating the market size.Based on product type, the global veterinary therapeutics market has been segmented into drugs (anti-infectives, anti-inflammatory, parasiticides, and others), vaccines (inactivated vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, recombinant vaccines, and others), and feed additives (amino acids, antibiotics, and others). The market has been further studied from the point of view of major animal types. Based on animal type, the market has been categorized into companion animals and livestock animals. On the basis of route of administration, the market has been segmented into oral, parenteral, and topical. Based on distribution channel, the market has been segmented into veterinary hospitals, veterinary clinics, pharmacies & drug stores, and others.Geographically, the global veterinary therapeutics market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In addition, the regions have been further segmented by major countries from each region. These include the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico. The report also profiles major players in the veterinary therapeutics market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, SWOT analysis, key business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments. Key companies profiled in the report include Bayer Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., Ceva Sante Animale, Dechra Animal Health, Elanco Animal Health, Merck Animal Health, Merial Animal Health, Vetoquinol S.A., Virbac S.A., and Zoetis, Inc.The global veterinary therapeutics market has been segmented as follows:Global Veterinary Therapeutics Market, by Product Type- Drugs- Anti-infectives- Anti-inflammatory- Parasiticides- Others- Vaccines- Inactivated Vaccines- Live Attenuated Vaccines- Recombinant Vaccines- Others- Medicated Feed Additives- Amino Acids- Antibiotics- OthersGlobal Veterinary Therapeutics Market, by Animal Type- Companion Animals- Livestock AnimalsGlobal Veterinary Therapeutics Market, by Route of Administration- Oral- Parenteral- TopicalGlobal Veterinary Therapeutics Market, by Distribution Channel- Veterinary Hospitals- Veterinary Clinics- Pharmacies & Drug Stores- OthersGlobal Veterinary Therapeutics Market, by Geography- North America- U.S.- Canada- Europe- U.K.- Germany- France- Italy- Spain- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- China- Japan- India- Australia- New Zealand- Rest of Asia Pacific- Latin America- Brazil- Mexico- Rest of Latin America- Middle East & Africa- South Africa- Saudi Arabia- UAE- Rest of Middle East & AfricaMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Solvent-Based Inks Market Is Projected To Be Worth US$7.92 Bn By 2024, Rising At A CAGR Of 4.4% Is Expected To Reach 1,759.5 Kilo Tons By 2024

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=842315

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=842315

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Solvent-based Inks Market (Printing Type - Lithographic, Gravure, Flexographic, Screen-printing, Letterpress, Digital; Product Type - Vinyl Inks, Vinyl-Acrylic Inks, Epoxy Inks, Polyurethanic Inks, Cellulose Inks; Application - Packaging, Books & Catalogue, Advertising, Tags & Labels, Office Stationery, Magazines, Newspaper) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, And Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.This research study analyzes the market for solvent-based inks in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) and volume (kilo tons). The solvent-based inks market has been segmented on the basis of product, printing type, end use applications, and geography. The report features a detailed regional segmentation with market growth forecasts for the 2016?2024 period. For the research, 2015 has been considered as the base year and 2016 the estimated year, while all forecasts have been given for the period from 2016 to 2024. Market data for all the segments has been provided at the regional and country-specific levels from 2016 to 2024. The report provides a broad competitive analysis of companies engaged in the development of solvent-based inks technologies for the solvent-based inks business. The report also includes key market dynamics such as the drivers, restraints, and opportunities affecting the global solvent-based inks market. These market dynamics are analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report with the help of supporting graphs and tables. The report also provides a comprehensive analysis of the market with the help of the Porters Five Forces Analysis model, which helps in understanding the five major forces that affect the structure and profitability of the global solvent-based inks market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, and the degree of competition.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The high-level analysis in the report provides detailed insights into the solvent-based inks business globally. There are currently several drivers for the market. The most prominent drivers include rapid growth in the packaging industry along with growth in the digital printing industry. Market attractiveness analysis was carried out for the solvent-based inks market on the basis of product type, printing type, application, region, and country. Market attractiveness was estimated on the basis of common parameters that directly impact the market.On the basis of printing type, the market has been segmented into lithographic, gravure, flexographic, screen-printing, letterpress, and digital. On the basis of product type, the market has been segmented into vinyl inks, vinyl-acrylic inks, epoxy inks, polyurethanic inks, and cellulose inks. By application, the solvent-based inks market has been segmented by various end-use applications, including packaging, advertising, tags & labels, books & catalog, office stationery, magazines, newspaper, and other applications.In terms of geography, the market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. China is expected to remain the dominant market for solvent-based inks, with demand reaching 275.7 kilo tons by 2024. A zero tax agreement between ASEAN and China has created a stable position for ASEAN, which is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.2% between 2016 and 2024.India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Favorable government regulations and emergence of medium and small enterprises in India have contributed significantly to the solvent-based inks market.Key players in the solvent-based inks market are Tokyo Printing Ink Mfg. Co. Ltd., Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals Mfg. Co., Ltd., Sun Chemical Corporation, Flint Group, Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., Lawter Inc. , Yansefu Inks and Coatings Pvt. Ltd., Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, Sakata INX Corporation, Huber Group, Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co. KG, ALTANA AG, Wikoff Color Corporation, SICPA Holding SA, Fujifilm Sericol India Private Limited, Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son and T&K Toka Co., Ltd. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial details, business strategies, and recent developments.Solvent-based Inks Market: By Printing Type- Lithographic- Gravure- Flexographic- Screen-printing- Letterpress- DigitalSolvent-based Inks Market: By Product Type- Vinyl Inks- Vinyl-Acrylic Inks- Epoxy Inks- Polyurethanic Inks- Cellulose InksSolvent-based Inks Market: By Application- Packaging- Books & Catalogue- Advertising- Tags & Labels- Office Stationery- Magazines- Newspaper- OthersSolvent-based Inks Market: By Region- North America- The U.S.- Canada- Europe- The U.K.- France- Germany- Spain- Italy- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- China- Japan- India- ASEAN- Rest of Asia Pacific- Middle East & Africa- GCC- Egypt- South Africa- Rest of Middle East and Africa- Latin America- Brazil- Mexico- Rest of Latin AmericaMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
OSAGE | While the city of Osage has given the OK to proceed with construction of a cell tower, it is still up to U.S. Cellular to finish the project.

Osage Mayor Steve Cooper during a council meeting earlier this month informed members of information he had received from the company.

The SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office) would approve a stealth tower that looks like a flag pole with a gold ball on top, Cooper said. The VFW in Clear Lake has a similar cell tower design resembling a flagpole.

Construction of the tower stalled when members of the local historical preservation group protested its placement at the corner of Seventh and State streets, near Osages historic downtown, leaving downtown U.S. Cellular customers with poor reception.

The city has already issued all permits needed for the build, with construction of the new tower being the final step, Cooper said.

U.S. Cellular is unable to build a cell tower anywhere in Iowa without the State Historical Preservation Offices approval. However, in this case, the State Historical Preservation Office had left the decision in the hands of the local association.

While the local preservation group had voted against the tower, Cooper said the group had not yet provided minutes from their meeting as to the nature of their discussions regarding the tower.

The historical preservation committee was initially an association, commissioned by the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors, but during the process of building the courthouse, which included disputes between group members and the supervisors, the supervisors dissolved the group.

The group then filed with the Secretary of State to be an historic entity, but they are not affiliated with any local governmental agency.

Their protests regarding the tower included aesthetics, how it would not blend into a historic district and bird droppings due to birds roosting on towers.

The design of the stealth tower, which would resemble a flagpole, would make the bird concern a non-issue.
Latin America Pharmaceutical Products And CMO Market Is Projected To Be Worth US$286.2 bn By The End Of The Forecast Period 2016 - 2024, Registering A Strong CAGR Of 9.3%

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=842300

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=842300

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Pharmaceutical Products and CMO Market: (Product Type - API and Ingredients, Finished Dosage Form, and Pharmaceutical Packaging) - LATAM Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the pharmaceutical products and CMO market analyzes the current and future market scenario in Latin America. Most pharmaceutical companies are gradually outsourcing manufacturing activities to contract manufacturers in order to achieve efficiencies in cost, quality, capacity, and time to market or to obtain specific expertise in particular business category, which is not available in-house. Moreover, increasing cost pressures, cost benefits, and inclination of pharmaceutical companies to focus on core competencies such as R&D and marketing has created a need for pharmaceutical contract manufacturing outsourcing.The Latin America pharmaceutical products and CMO market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes a market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the market with respect to the segments based on product type and countries. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints of the market and opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. In addition, the section comprises Porters Five Forces Analysis for the CMO market in order to understand the competitive landscape in the market. This section of the report also provides market attractiveness analysis by country, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the pharmaceutical products and CMO market in Latin America.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Based on product type, the market has been segmented into API and ingredients, finished dosage form (FDF), and pharmaceutical packaging. The market segments have been extensively analyzed based on available approved drugs, prevalence of the diseases, available patent of drugs, regulatory access, and geographical coverage in LATAM. The market size and forecast for each of these segments have been provided for the period from 2014 to 2024, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year.Geographically, the pharmaceutical products and CMO market in Latin America has been categorized into five major countries: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, and Rest of Latin America. The market size and forecast for each of these countries have been provided for the period from 2014 to 2024, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. The research study also covers the competitive scenario in these regions.The report also profiles major players in the pharmaceutical and CMO market in the region based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Bayer AG, Novartis AG, Merck & Co., Inc., GSK plc, F. Hofmann La Roche, BASF SE, Boehringer Ingelheim Group, Pisa Farmaceutica, Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and Inc., Landsteiner Scientific.The pharmaceutical products and CMO Market in Latin America has been segmented as given below:LATAM Pharmaceutical Products and CMO Market, by Product Type- API and Ingredients- Finished Dosage Form (FDF)- Pharmaceutical PackagingLATAM Pharmaceutical Products and CMO Market, by Country- Brazil- API and Ingredients- Finished Dosage Form (FDF)- Pharmaceutical Packaging- Mexico- API and Ingredients- Finished Dosage Form (FDF)- Pharmaceutical Packaging- Venezuela- API and Ingredients- Finished Dosage Form (FDF)- Pharmaceutical Packaging- Argentina- API and Ingredients- Finished Dosage Form (FDF)- Pharmaceutical Packaging- Rest of Latin America- API and Ingredients- Finished Dosage Form (FDF)- Pharmaceutical PackagingMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes (LED) Sales Market Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2017

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=978774

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=978774

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes (LED) Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies sales (consumption) of High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes (LED) in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringEpistar CorpCree, Inc.Philips LumiledsMoritex CorporationSamsung Electronics Co LtdSeoul semiconductorOsram Opto SemiconductorAmerican Bright Optoelectronics CorpsNichia CorporationToyoda GoseiEaton CorporationEverlight Electronics Co., Ltd.Intematix CorporationGE Lighting SolutionsLG Innotek Co LtdBroadcom Ltd.Kingbright Electronic Co, LtdInternational Light TechnologiesTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes (LED) in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanKoreaTaiwanSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoType IType IISplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes (LED) in each application, can be divided intoAutomotive ApplicationGeneral LightingBacklightingMobileSignals & SignageOthersMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market Global Research Study 2017 Splits Into Key Regions, Production, Consumption, Revenue

http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/240266

http://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/2017-market-research-report-on-global-fuses-and-circuit-breakers-industry

http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/240266

In our aim to provide our erudite clients with the best research material with absolute in-depth information of the market, our new report on Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market is confident in meeting their needs and expectations. The 2017 market research report on Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market is an in-depth study and analysis of the market by our industry experts with unparalleled domain knowledge. The report will shed light on many critical points and trends of the industry which are useful for our esteemed clients. The report covers a vast expanse of information including an overview, comprehensive analysis, definitions and classifications, applications, and expert opinions, among others. With the extent of information filled in the report, the presentation and style of the Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market report is a noteworthy.Request a sample of this report @The Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Industry report provides key information about the industry, including invaluable facts and figures, expert opinions, and the latest developments across the globe. Not only does the report cover a holistic view of the industry from a global standpoint, but it also covers individual regions and their development. The Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Industry market report showcases the latest trends in the global and regional markets on all critical parameters which include technology, supplies, capacity, production, profit, price, and competition. The key players covered in the report provide a detailed analysis of the competition and their developments in the Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Industry. Accurate forecasts and expert opinion from credible sources, and the recent R&D development in the industry is also a mainstay of the Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market report.The report also focuses on the significance of industry chain analysis and all variables, both upstream and downstream. These include equipment and raw materials, client surveys, marketing channels, and industry trends and proposals. Other significant information covering consumption, key regions and distributors, and raw material suppliers are also a covered in this report.Browse the complete report @Finally, the Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market report ends with a detailed SWOT analysis of the market, investment feasibility and returns, and development trends and forecasts. As with every report on Orbis Research, the Fuses and Circuit Breakers Industry is the holy grail of information which serious knowledge seekers can benefit from.If you have any enquiry before buying a copy of this report @Major Points from Table of Content:Chapter One: Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market OverviewChapter Two: Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter Three: Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)Chapter Four: Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)Chapter Five: Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter Six: Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter Seven: Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Manufacturers Profiles/AnalysisChapter Eight: Fuses and Circuit Breakers Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter Nine: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter Ten: Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter Eleven: Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter Twelve: Global Fuses and Circuit Breakers Market Forecast (2017-2022)Chapter Thirteen: Research Findings and ConclusionChapter Fourteen: AppendixList of Figure:Figure Picture of Electric ToothbrushFigure Global Production Market Share of Electric Toothbrush by Type in 2015Figure Product Picture of RechargeablesTable Major Manufacturers of RechargeablesFigure Product Picture of BatteryTable Major Manufacturers of BatteryTable Electric Toothbrush Consumption Market Share by Application in 2015Figure Adults ExamplesFigure Children ExamplesFigure North America Electric Toothbrush Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Electric Toothbrush Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Electric Toothbrush Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Electric Toothbrush Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Electric Toothbrush Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Electric Toothbrush Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Electric Toothbrush Revenue (Million UDS) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Table Global Electric Toothbrush Production of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Table Global Electric Toothbrush Production Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Figure 2015 Electric Toothbrush Production Share by ManufacturersFigure 2016 Electric Toothbrush Production Share by ManufacturersTable Global Electric Toothbrush Revenue (Million USD) by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Continued..About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Us:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Email at: sales@orbisresearch.com
Global Hot Runner Market 2017 - EWIKON, CACO PACIFIC Corporation, Fast Heat,HASCO Hasenclever GmbH ,INglass

Hot Runner Market

https://goo.gl/BdRMbx

https://goo.gl/r54moJ

http://www.bigmarketresearch.com/global-hot-runner-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2021-market

http://www.bigmarketresearch.com

The report Global Hot Runner Market provides an in-depth analysis of the global Hot Runner market, along with a study of top Hot Runner receiving and contributing countries. The report also includes detailed description of regional markets. The major trends, growth drivers as well as issues being faced by the industry are being presented in this report. The industry comprises few large players such as YUDO, Milacron, Barnes Group, Husky, INCOE, Seiki Corporation, Gunther, EWIKON, CACO PACIFIC Corporation, Fast Heat,HASCO Hasenclever GmbH ,INglass ,FISA ,Hotsys ,Mold Hotrunner Solutions Inc., MOZOI, JINGKONG Mechanical and Electric, Suzhou HTS Moulding, ANNTONG. All these companies have been profiled in the present report highlighting their key financials and business strategies for growth.Do Enquiry For Sample Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Hot Runner in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers YUDO Milacron Barnes Group Husky INCOE Seiki Corporation Gunther EWIKON CACO PACIFIC Corporation Fast Heat HASCO Hasenclever GmbH INglass FISA Hotsys Mold Hotrunner Solutions Inc. KLN ANOLE MOULD-TIP MOZOI JINGKONG Mechanical and Electric Suzhou HTS Moulding ANNTONGDo Enquiry Before Purchasing Report @Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) Latin America, Middle and AfricaMarket Segment by Type, covers Valve Gate Hot Runner Open Gate Hot RunnerMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into Automotive Industry Electronic Industry Medical Industry Packaging Industry OtherThere are 13 Chapters to deeply display the global Hot Runner market.Chapter 1, to describe Hot Runner Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Hot Runner, with sales, revenue, and price of Hot Runner, in 2015 and 2016;Browse Complete Report With ToC @Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2015 and 2016;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Hot Runner, for each region, from 2011 to 2016;Chapter 5, 6, 7 and 8, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 9 and 10, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2011 to 2016;Chapter 11, Hot Runner market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2016 to 2021;Chapter 12 and 13, to describe Hot Runner sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, appendix and data source.About US:Big Market Research uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact US:Dhananjay Potle5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect :+ 1-503-894-6022Toll Free : + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Market Professional Survey Report 2017

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=914200&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-respiratory-monitoring-devices-market-professional-survey-report-2017.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

This report studies Respiratory Monitoring Devices in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2011 to 2015, and forecast to 2021.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringCareFusion CorporationCOSMEDGE HealthcareMasimo CorporationMedtronic plcMGC Diagnostics Corporationndd Medical Technologies, Inc.Nihon Kohden CorporationPhilips HealthcareSmiths MedicalTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @By types, the market can be split intoType IType IIType IIIBy Application, the market can be split intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaBrowse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Respiratory Monitoring Devices Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Respiratory Monitoring Devices1.1 Definition and Specifications of Respiratory Monitoring Devices1.1.1 Definition of Respiratory Monitoring Devices1.1.2 Specifications of Respiratory Monitoring Devices1.2 Classification of Respiratory Monitoring Devices1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.2.3 Type III1.3 Applications of Respiratory Monitoring Devices1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Respiratory Monitoring Devices2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Respiratory Monitoring Devices2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Respiratory Monitoring Devices2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Respiratory Monitoring Devices3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Respiratory Monitoring Devices3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Major Manufacturers in 20154 Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Overall Market Overview4.1 2011-2016 Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2011-2016 Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2015 Respiratory Monitoring Devices Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2011-2016 Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2015 Respiratory Monitoring Devices Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2011-2016 Global Respiratory Monitoring Devices Sales Price4.4.2 2015 Respiratory Monitoring Devices Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Respiratory Monitoring Devices Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Respiratory Monitoring Devices Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Respiratory Monitoring Devices Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2011-2016 Respiratory Monitoring Devices Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2011-2016 Respiratory Monitoring Devices Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2015 Respiratory Monitoring Devices Market Share AnalysisQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.QYResearchReportsContact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Fracking Fluid and Chemicals Market to Soar at 9.9% CAGR to 2021: Growth Factors & Trends

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/18143

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/enquire-for-discount/18143

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-fracking-fluid-and-chemicals-market

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/north-america-calcium-silicate-boards-market

http://marketsizeforecasters.com/

Market Size Forecasters delivers significant information and realistic data of the Global Fracking Fluid and Chemicals Market. The report presents a deep study of the market growth factors and drivers. In-depth research of the Global Fracking Fluid and Chemicals Market limitations and the opportunities enable the user to make the future projection.Fracking fluids are a complex mixture of chemicals, water, and sand. The composition of fracking fluids is unique to each company; they alter the composition of fracking fluids depending on the presence of groundwater or surface water. The selection of the fracking fluid mix is also dependent on the region and guidelines mandated by local and state governments.The Report analysts forecast the global fracking fluid and chemicals market to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global fracking fluid and chemicals market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of fracking fluid and chemicals.Request a sample copy of Global Fracking Fluid and Chemicals Market Research Report @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEAthe report, Global Fracking Fluid and Chemicals Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors Ashland Baker Hughes Halliburton Schlumberger Weatherford InternationalOther prominent vendors AkzoNobel Albemarle BASF SE Calfrac Well Services Chevron Phillips Chemical Clariant FTS International The Dow Chemical CompanyMarket driver Increased use of unconventional sources For a full, detailed list, view our reportThe listed pricing for this Global Fracking Fluid and Chemicals Market report starts at $ 3500. Request Discount for Global Fracking Fluid and Chemicals Market Research Report @Market challenge Water acquisition and contamination For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Backward integration of fracking companies For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Browse full table of contents and data tables For Global Fracking Fluid and Chemicals Market Report @Related Reports: -North America Calcium Silicate Boards Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022alcium silicate boards as a new green building material, in addition to a conventional functions like gypsum board, also has excellent advantages of fire performance, moisture resistance, and long service life. Calcium silicate boards are widely used in commercial, industrial and residential construction of the suspended ceiling and partition wall, home decoration, furniture liners, billboards lining, the ship's compartment plate, warehouse boards, and other indoor engineering siding.MarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:
Laser Capture Microdissection Market 2016 - 2024; Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/laser-capture-microdissection-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=7682

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Laser Capture Microdissection Market: OverviewLaser capture microdissection (LCM) technology is a contamination free procedure for obtaining subpopulations of tissue cells under direct microscopic visualization. Furthermore, laser-capture microdissection technology isolates specific cells by dissecting unwanted cells. Laser capture microdissection technology harvests the cells of interest directly to give pure enriched cells. This technology helps in preserving the genuine morphology of the dissected cell or tissue sample. The laser capture microdissection technology by type can be segmented into software, instruments, consumables, and services. Furthermore, the market for laser capture microdissection by system can be segmented into infrared LCM, ultraviolet LCM and Immunofluorescence LCM. In addition, by end users the laser capture microdissection market can be segmented into biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and government research institutes among others. Moreover, by application the market can be segmented into research and development and diagnostics among others.The laser capture microdissection market by geography has been segmented into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and Rest of the World (RoW).Obtain Report Details:Laser Capture Microdissection Market: Trends and OpportunitiesIncreasing expenditure on healthcare along with technological advancement in the field of healthcare is one of the major driving factors for the laser capture microdissection market. Furthermore, increasing information regarding the technical advantages obtained from laser-capture microdissection techniques is fueling the market at the global level. In addition, growing funding and expenditure on research and development activities of companies involved in this market is stimulating the growth of this market. High maintenance and manufacturing cost of accessories and equipment along with lack of expertise professionals in this field is some of the restraining factors which may hinder the growth of this market.Research and development and diagnostics among others are major application areas of laser-capture microdissection technology. Furthermore, government research institutes and hospitals are major end users of this technology. Moreover, ultraviolet LCM and infrared LCM are leading the market globally. Increasing preference of laser-capture microdissection technology in forensic science and molecular biology under the research and development application segment is one of the major driving factors for the market.Laser Capture Microdissection Market: Geographical and Competitive DynamicsFill the form for an exclusive sample of this report:With the increasing technological advancement and growing application of laser-capture microdissection (LCM) technology in pharmaceuticals, hospitals and research and development institutes are fueling the market globally. North America dominated the market for laser-capture microdissection in 2014 and is expected to maintain its position over the forecast period 2015 to 2023. U.S. is the major market across North America. Moreover, with the increasing expenditure on research and development activities of companies dealing in this market along with increasing awareness regarding the technological advancement is driving the market for laser-capture microdissection across Asia Pacific. China, Japan, India, contributes in the positive growth of this market across Asia Pacific. Growing application areas of this technology in the fields such as forensic science, diagnostics and molecular biology are having a positive impact on the growing market for laser-capture microdissection in Rest of the World (RoW).Some of the key players operating in the laser capture microdissection market are Carl Zeiss AG (Germany), Molecular Machines & Industries (Germany), Ocimum Biosolutions LLC (U.S.), DeNova Sciences Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), Indivumed GmbH (Germany), AvanSci Bio, L.L.C. (U.S.), Theranostics Health, Inc.(U.S.) and 3DHISTECH Ltd. (Hungary) among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Major Opportunities for the Global Beer Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/beer-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=530

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The rise in luxurious living, increase in disposable income, and growing awareness about significantly less harmful effects due to reduced percentage of alcohol are some of the factors that are driving the global market for beer, finds a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The report, titled Global Beer Market - Industry Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecasts 20162024, is a comprehensive study of the market and is meant to aid existing and new players to gain ground over their competitors. The report analyzes all the factors that are primed to influence the global market for beer and projects a healthy CAGR during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.Obtain Report Details @According to the TMR report, the market is witnessing a shift from high calorie to a low calorie beer as the consumers are getting health conscious. Also, the continuous popularity of craft brew is paving way for a new generation of producers. Due to the growing demand for beer in past decade, several manufacturers are now focusing on enhancing their manufacturing process in order to meet the demand. This increase in beer production is expected to lead to widespread distribution channels, which as a result will escalate sales during the forecast period. Moreover, factors such as changing lifestyle among the urban population in emerging economies and the social recognition of beer as a casual drink are further propelling the demand. An increased percentage of the consumers are now health-conscious and hence prefer beer over other alcoholic drinks.Conversely, the report also analyzes some of the factors that are expected to hinder the growth of the global beer market, such as social and demographic norms, high taxes in various regions, strict government regulations, climate changes, and the emergence of inexpensive substitutes are also expected to negatively impact the growth of the global beer market. The report suggests innovative beer brews and smart marketing as the solution to overcome these restraints.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @The report categorizes the global beer market on the basis of type and geography. By type, the market can be segmented into light beers, malt liquors, imported beers, premium beers, super-premium beers, popular beers, non-alcoholic beers, and ice beers. Geographically, the report studies the regional beer markets of North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. North America currently serves the widest regional market for beer, while Europe holds second position. However, Asia Pacific is vast population of drivers is projected for the strongest growth rate. Figurative values of each of these segments have been included in the report, along with expected valuation by the end of the forecast period.Some of the most prominent companies in the global beer market are Anheuser-Busch InBev Sapporo Breweries, Carlsberg Breweries A/S, Asia Pacific Breweries, Asahi Breweries, Grupo Modelo, Molson Coors Brewing Company, Heineken N.V., Tsingtao Breweries, Kirin Brewery, and Yanjing Brewery. The report presents the financial status and strategic developments of these companies.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Key Drivers for Organic Pet Food Market to Ensure Healthy Growth

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/organic-pet-food-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21662

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Organic pet food is a natural food for pet which has to meet the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations described for organic label. Organic pet food has health benefits on animals such as reduction in skin allergies and aliments, fewer digestive disorders, better overall health, quality life etc. Changing family structures and lifestyles lead to smaller pets, are factors fueling the growth of ownership of pets globally, thus, market demand for organic pet food is rising globally. Increasing consumer awareness about animal health and pet humanization is resulting in growing market demand for organic pet foods. Organic pet food market is segmented on the basis of type of animals and distribution channels. Organic pet food available for dog, cat, birds, ducks etc. is different as it contains different quantities of ingredients as required by specific animal. Online retailers are offering organic pet food products available due to increasing demand globally.Browse Market Research Report @Market Segmentation: Organic Pet FoodThe organic pet food market is segmented on the basis of animal type as dog, cat, duck, bird and other animal pet foods. As a result of increasing trend of nuclear families and increasing demand for small pets is growing organic pet food global market. As a result of increasing trend of nuclear families and increasing demand for small pets are factors fueling growth of the global market for organic pet foods global market. There is a broad global trend towards small pets, not only cats and small dogs, but also small mammals in some markets. Thus, cat and dog organic pet foods market segments are expected to grow rapidly over the forecast period.The organic pet foods market is further segmented on the basis of distribution channel as supermarket/ hypermarket, retail stores, online stores, specialized pet shops etc. As a result of increasing trend of pet humanization is a factor fueling demand for organic pet foods in supermarket/ hypermarket. To cater to increasing demand for organic pet foods retail shops and online stores are also gaining interest and driving the market for organic pet foods. Specialized pet shops are gaining popularity and preference by high profile consumers due to availability of various branded, natural organic pet foods products and varieties for all pet animals.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @Global Organic Pet Food Market: Regional OutlookDepending on geographic regions global organic pet food market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific. North America have maximum share in organic pet food in global market followed by Europe due to increasing trend of pet ownership globally. North America is the largest market for Organic pet foods and grabs higher market share in global market. Increasing trend of ownership of pet in Europe is growing demand for Organic pet foods. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at highest CAGR over the forecast period. Organic pet foods market is gaining interest in global market due to its health benefits associated in animals.Global Organic Pet Food Market: Drivers and TrendsOrganic pet food demand is increasing due to changing life style in different countries. Perception of consumers towards health of pet is increasing, resulting in growing demand for organic pet food market. Increasing trend of nuclear family is one of the factor responsible for growth of organic pet food market. Increasing awareness of pet health is one of the key driver for rise in market for organic pet food. Adoption of pet is increasing globally in turn increasing demand for organic pet food. Advertisements and pet health awareness drives are increasing and endorsements done by celebrities is driving the global organic pet food market.Changing consumers perception towards health of pet is resulting in growing demand for organic and natural pet foods market. Increasing trend of nuclear family is one of the factor responsible for growth of pet foods market in turn organic pet food. Increasing awareness of pet health is one of the key driver for rise in market demand for organic pet foods. Adoption and humanization of pet is increasing globally in turn increasing demand for organic pet foods. Advertisements and pet health awareness drives are increasing and endorsements done by celebrities is another factor fueling the growth of global organic pet foods market. Increasing disposable income and changing consumer life style are other factors driving demand and growth of the global organic pet food market.Global Organic Pet Food Market: RestrainsOrganic pet food has restraints such as supply issue, high prices, organic regulations etc. Suppliers in this market are not yet established which makes it difficult in supplying the organic products. Organic products have higher prices due to high quality ingredients used in preparation of organic pet foods. Organic regulations are very complicated which makes it difficult for manufacturers to get the natural label claim for their products. All these factors affects penetration of organic pet food market in mass outlets.Global Organic Pet Food: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified across the value chain of the global organic pet food market include KLN Family Brands, Halo Purely for Pets, Newman's Own, PetGuard, Natures Variety, Party Animal Inc., Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd., Solid Gold Pet, LLC, Mars, Incorporated, Grandma Lucys LLC, Merrick Pet Care etc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Market Forecast to 2022

https://www.scalarmarketresearch.com/request-sample.php?id=269

https://www.scalarmarketresearch.com/market-reports/next-generation-sequencing-ngs-market

The objective of this report is to describe the market trends and revenue forecasts for the next-generation sequencing (NGS) market for the next five years. The report focuses on defining and describing the key influencing factors for the growth of the market. It also offers an in-depth analysis of the market size (revenue), market share, major market segments, different geographic regions, key market players, and premium industry trends.The report tracks the major market events including product launches, technological developments, mergers & acquisitions, and the innovative business strategies opted by key market players. Along with strategically analyzing the key micro markets, the report also focuses on industry-specific drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges in the next-generation sequencing (NGS) market. The scope of this report covers the next-generation sequencing (NGS) market by its major segments, which include the products & services, technologies, end-users, and the major geographic regions.Download Free Sample:KEY PREMIUM INDUSTRY INSIGHTSRapid increase in the healthcare spending is improving access to the quality healthcare and new diagnostic technologies. This is one of the major driving factors for the global next-generation sequencing (NGS) market.Rising incidences of the diseases like cancer and applications of the next-generation sequencing technologies as companion diagnostics for cancer treatment and management are also expected to drive this market during the forecast period.Rapidly aging population which is more susceptible to chronic diseases is also attributed to the rising demand for the NGS market in the next few years.However, the high cost of procedures and reimbursement issues are likely to restrain the growth of this market.Browse Full Report:KEY MARKET PLAYERSKey players in the next-generation sequencing (NGS) market include:1. Agilent Technologies, Inc.2. Beijing Genomics Institute3. Eurofins Scientific4. Gatc Biotech AG5. Illumina, Inc.6. Macrogen, Inc.7. Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Ltd.8. Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.9. Perkinelmer, Inc.10. Qiagen N.V.11. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.ABOUT US:Scalar Market Research Inc. aspires to assist organizations from around the world to achieve their business goal with premium market research reports and consulting services. Our real-time industry tracking with the help of advanced analytics offers a crystal clear view of all the activities in niche markets. Our team, with thorough global understanding, works relentlessly to gather the necessary market insights, including customer analysis, competitions and global forecast.CONTACT:Moses Nakka8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave.,Suite 1300Chicago, IL 60631Tel.: +1-800-213-5170 (U.S./Canada Toll-free)Email: sales@scalarmarketresearch.com
Airport Solar Power Market to Hit 6.46% to 2021: Growth Analysis, Company Profiles & Trends

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/18169

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/enquire-for-discount/18169

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-airport-solar-power-market

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-and-chinese-air-fryer-industry-2017-market

http://marketsizeforecasters.com/

Market Research Report on Global Airport Solar Power Market is a professional and in-depth research report. The Report include basic information like definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain overview, industry policies and plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures and so on. The Report Spread Across 70 Pages with Tables and Figures in It.The Report Announces the Publication of its Research Report  Global Airport Solar Power Market 2017-2021Often, air transport is associated with high-energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gasses from aircraft. Nevertheless, airports also contribute to a significant amount of carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, airports have sought alternate means such as adoption of renewable energy technologies to reduce the emission levels. The most commonly used renewable energy is solar power as other sources like wind require the construction of windmills, which is expensive and dangerous for flights during landing and take-offs.The Report analysts forecast the global airport solar power market to grow at a CAGR of 6.46% during the period 2017-2021.Request a sample copy of Global Airport Solar Power Market Research Report @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global airport solar power market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report calculates taking into account only the energy derived out of sun's radiation and on the basis of two criteria  revenue and volume of photovoltaic (PV) systems.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEAThe Research report, Global Airport Solar Power Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Request Discount for Global Airport Solar Power Market Research Report @Key vendors Ameresco Robert Bosch Canadian Solar Gaia Solar Solar Energy Corporation of India SunEdisonOther prominent vendors EMMVEE Solar Systems Indo Solar Solar Frontier TECO Energy Vikram SolarMarket driver Availability of large areas of unused land within airports. For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge Glares from PV systems. For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Achieving appropriate ratio of voltage and energy gap. For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the Global Airport Solar Power Market Size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key Global Airport Solar Power Market trends? What is driving this Global Airport Solar Power market? What are the challenges to Global Airport Solar Power market growth? Who are the key vendors in this Global Airport Solar Power market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Browse full table of contents and data tables for Global Airport Solar Power Market Report @Related Reports: -Global and Chinese Air Fryer Industry, 2017 Market Research ReportThe 'Global and Chinese Air Fryer Industry, 2012-2022 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Air Fryer industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Air Fryer manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology.MarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter
Gluten Free Malt Extracts Market Sees a Steady Growth Ahead

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/gluten-free-malt-extracts-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21623

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Gluten free malt extracts are extracted from grains which do not contain gluten. Few of these grains are millet, buckwheat, rice, sorghum etc. Gluten free malt extracts also enhance flavor in gluten free malt products. Manufacturers can use the term gluten free only if they comply with the gluten free rule of FDA. They can label their products as gluten free when the product contains gluten less than 20 ppm i.e. 20 parts per million. A common occurring protein in most of the grains like barley, oats, rye is gluten. The increase in the number of digestive disorders and autoimmune disorders like Celiac disease, gluten insensitivity created the need for gluten free products. Gluten free malt extracts are prepared by using amylase enzymes which help in the conversion of starch into sugar, which is further fermented by brewing of the yeast.Browse Market Research Report @Gluten Free Malt Extract: Market DynamicsThe products with gluten free malt extracts are consumed in order to reduce the risk of Celiac disease. There is increase in the number of Celiac disease patients around the globe especially in US. Many people in the developed countries have started brewing malt at home in order to ensure that the malt is actually gluten free. The reason behind this is intolerance to gluten intake. People are either themselves suffering from Celiac disease or their dear ones are suffering which compels them to brew at home. This in future can jeopardize the business of companies brewing for commercial purposes. Malt is one of the major ingredients for preparation of beer. The yearly consumption of beers in USA is in gallons. The use of gluten free malt extract for the preparation of beer is a prerequisite for health of the people who consume beer frequently.Some companies develop their own gluten free malt extract and use it for the preparation of its final product. Maintaining quality standards from the point of growing or sourcing raw materials till the time of production and sale of final product is one of their marketing strategy. There are also supermarkets in cosmopolitan cities such as Tokyo which keep a wide range of gluten free products only in one super market.For more information on this report, fill the form @Gluten Free Malt Extracts: Market SegmentationOn the basis of application:FoodsBeverageNutraceuticalsCosmeticGluten free malt extracts are used in the production of bakery and confectionary items. Hamburger buns, pizza crust, tortillas, white bread, sandwich bread, bread concentrates etc. can be prepared from gluten free malt extracts. Ready to eat and instant oats, soups, pizza wraps, pocket sandwiches can also be prepared using gluten free malt extracts. It can also help in producing baking flour and multi-purpose flour. It is also used as an ingredient in pastries, cupcakes, pan cakes, cheese cakes, muffins, cookies etc. Vinegar is also made from gluten free malt extracts. Gluten free malt extracts are used in the brewing of beer and other alcoholic beverages. They are also used in preparing tea and coffee powder. Syrups used to in breweries are also made from gluten free malt extracts. Port, spirits, sherry, wine, cider, sodas, cordials, flavored water and fruit juices are other beverages prepared from gluten free malt extracts as a major ingredient. Gluten free malt extracts are used for preparing protein powders and energy drinks. Some cosmetics are also prepared from gluten free malt extracts. Cosmetics which contain gluten can cause dermatitis herpetiformis in humans.On the basis of physical state:PowderLiquidOn the basis of grain:MilletBuckwheatRiceSorghumCornGluten Free Malt Extracts: Regional OverviewThe demand for gluten free products is significant in North America as compared to the demand of gluten free products in APAC countries. Around 1 % of the population of USA is suffering from Celiac disease and the number is expected to rise only in the coming years instead of increasing. Different countries have different criteria of labelling a product as gluten free. In some European countries products less than 100ppm are labelled as gluten free whereas in North America it should be less than 20ppm. This difference in labeling is an obstacle in foreign trade i.e. import and export of gluten free malt products from one country to another.Gluten Free Malt Extracts Market Players are as follows EDME Limited Company, Senson, Briess Malt & Ingredients, General Mills, Colorado Malting Company, Canyon Bakehouse.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Study: Proton Therapy Market Research In Russia & Forecast, Reimbursement Policy, Patients Treated At Proton Therapy Centers

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1037724

The untapped market of proton therapy in Russia would be more than US$ 3 Billion during forecast period. IBA, the worlds leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, has started installation of the Cyclone 230 in 2016 for a new proton therapy center. The acceptance of the first treatment room is planned for the end of 2017. The proton therapy center in Dimitrovgrad will be IBAs first in the Russian Federation and is expected to treat up to 1,200 patients per year according to IBA.Proton Therapy Market in Russia & Forecast, Reimbursement Policy, Patients Treated at Proton Therapy Centers provides a detailed assessment of the Proton Therapy Market in Russia. In this report we have studied the market in two parts a) Actual Market and b) Untapped Market. The report also talks about list of all operational and future Proton Therapy centers; Economics of proton therapy including reimbursement policies.Download Sample Copy Of This Report:a) Actual Market is the current market which is already presentb) Untapped Market is the market which can be achieved; but it has yet not been achieved due to demand and supply gap. At present only a few proton therapy centers are available that can treat a limited number of patients each year.?Key Questions Answered in the Report?What is the Proton Therapy Market in Russia & its growth potential in Future?What is the Untapped Proton Therapy Market in Russia and its Future?How many Proton Therapy Facilities are operating in Russia?How many Proton Therapy Facilities are in construction and planning phase?What is the number of people being treated in these Proton Therapy Centers yearly?Is Proton Therapy Treatment being covered in the Reimbursement policy of Russia?What are the sales of Proton Therapy Companies Globally (IBA, Varian, Elekta)?Key Companies CoveredIBA (Overview, Sales Analysis)Varian Medical Systems (Overview, Sales Analysis)Elekta (Overview, Sales Analysis)MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Explore the Annual Growth of Global Potato Chips Market 2017 on the basis of its Industry Consumption, Demands, Sales, Trends, High Production - Calbee Foods, Tyrrell's Potato Crisps, Great Lakes Potato Chips, Burtschips

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=934645&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

http://marketresearchreportswarehouse.blogspot.in/

This report studies sales (consumption) of Potato Chips in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringCalbee FoodsPepsiCoHerrIntersnack GroupSnyders-LanceUTZ Quality FoodsBurtschipsGolden Flake Snack FoodsGreat Lakes Potato ChipsKettle Foods, KoikeyaLorenz Bahlsen Snack WorldNotions GroupOld Dutch FoodsPopchipsProper CrispsShearers SnacksTyrrell's Potato CrispsWise FoodsMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Potato Chips in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoCannedBaggedSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Potato Chips in each application, can be divided intoSupermarket/HypermarketConvenience StoreIndependent RetailerTo Get Free Sample Copy of this Report Visit @QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog :
Global Viral Vector Development Service Market

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14413

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14413

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

Viral Vectors are the tool which is commonly used to deliver genetic material into desired cells in both in-vivo and in-vitro conditions. These viral vectors are mainly of four types namely retroviruses, lentiviruses, adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses. These viruses are largely being used in gene therapy, which is a technique that corrects defective genes responsible for the development of the certain genetic disease. The gene therapy for such disease involves a process of gene transfer to the desired cell with the help of viral vector. Currently, gene therapy has emerged as the potential treatment options for genetic and non-curable disease such as cancer and some viral infections. In gene therapy, patients samples are extracted, transduced and modified with viral vectors and re-implanted in patients for the therapeutic applications.Owing to the immense potential of gene therapy, the use of viral vectors has increased significantly over the years. In order to fulfill the current need of viral vectors, the manufacturing of such vectors has increased in recent years. There are two approached for the manufacturing of viral vectors i.e. scale-out of adherent-cell systems based on 2D planar technologies and scale-up of 3D suspension cell cultures in stirred-tank bioreactors. The viral vector development process involves generation of cell lines and cell transfection with plasmids to produce viral vectors. These viral vectors are then transduce with patients T cells and then re-introduce in the patients body. The manufacturing process of viral vectors involves three or more manufacturers for the development of cell lines, plasmids, lentiviral vector, and cell manipulations.Global viral vector development service market is segmented on the basis of vector type, application, manufacturing approached and end-userWith the evolution of gene therapy, new vectors and its application are expected to be explored and new agents to be discovered in coming years. Moreover, the involvement of new advanced technologies such as MP-Seq would emerge as boosted for the development of viral vectors. There are some factors that impede the market such as the stringent government regulations leading to the delayed approval of products. The manufacturing of viral vectors needs to follow some regulatory requirements such as critical raw material control. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the Japanese Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) have set few regulatory guidelines for the development if viral vectors. Similarly, the testing for the raw materials such as cell lines, plasmids, process intermediates, and other drug substances must be performed to good laboratory practice (GLP).By region, viral vector development service market is segmented into five regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the global viral vector development service market owing to the advanced healthcare infrastructure, high investment on research and development and early adoption of advanced therapies and solutions for critical diseases.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @Few of the player in the viral vector development service market are FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Sanofi, Spark Therapeutics, uniQure, MassBiologics, FinVector, Brammer Bio, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and Cobra Biologic among others.Request to View Tables of Content @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated re-search, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Con-sumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs en-gagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Insulin Pump Market Research Report 2017 Primary Industry Applications in Hospitals, Clinics, Pharmaceutical Segments - Apex Medical, Twobiens, Debiotech

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=935553&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com

http://marketresearchreportswarehouse.blogspot.in/

This report studies sales (consumption) of Insulin Pump in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringMedtronicInsulet CorporationRocheAnimas corporationSOOIL DevelopmentTandem Diabetes CareDebiotechAsante SolutionsShinmyung MediyesTwobiensTop CorporationNew GenixPhrayApex MedicalForniaMicroPortMedNovoValeritasMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Insulin Pump in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoClosed-LoopOpen-LoopSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Insulin Pump in each application, can be divided intoHospitalsIndividualsTo Get Free Sample Copy of this Report Visit @Table of ContentsGlobal Insulin Pump Sales Market Report 20171 Insulin Pump Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Insulin Pump1.2 Classification of Insulin Pump1.2.1 Closed-Loop1.2.2 Open-Loop1.3 Application of Insulin Pump1.3.1 Hospitals1.3.2 Individuals1.4 Insulin Pump Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Insulin Pump (2011-2021)1.5.1 Global Insulin Pump Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.5.2 Global Insulin Pump Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)QYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog :
At A CAGR Of 54.93% IoT Security Global Industry Will Grow Steadily Over The Period 2014-2019

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=278090

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=278090

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global IoT Security Market 2015-2019" to its huge collection of research reports.IoT involve the communication of multiple devices within a network, which enables data transmission between smart devices such as thermostats and sensors that are further connected to mobile devices. In IoT, embedded software, hardware devices, communication services, and IT services are interconnected, which helps in remote monitoring and managing of numerous interconnected devices efficiently. IoT plays a major role in smart homes, smart shopping, smart transportation, and smart healthcare.With an increase in the number of 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, threat to data has increased. Increase in sophisticated and complex threats and hacking activities are expected to affect IoT security. IoT security solutions comprise hardware, software products, and managed security services that are used to monitor, detect, and prevent unauthorized access, misuse, or malfunction, or to disable/destroy a computer network. This provides end-users with a secure platform that will help them perform critical tasks.Technavio's analysts forecast the global IoT security market to grow at a CAGR of 54.93% over the period 2014-2019.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global IoT security market for the period 2015-2019. To calculate the market size, the revenue generated from the sales of IoT security software solutions used for network security and management is considered.The report does not include individual device security revenue for market estimation.The global IoT security market is segmented on the basis of the following:- Geography: Americas, EMEA, and APAC- End-user: utilities, automotive, healthcare, and othersTechnavio's report, Global IoT Security Market 2015-2019, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the Americas, APAC, and EMEA; it also covers the market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key regions- Americas- APAC- EMEAKey vendors- Cisco Systems- Infineon Technologies- Intel- Siemens- WurldtechOther prominent vendors- Alcatel-Lucent- Axeda Machine Cloud- Broadcom- Checkpoint Technologies- Digi International- Ericsson- Eurotech- Fortinet- Gemalto- IBM- ILS Technology- Kore Wireless- NetComm Wireless- Numerex- Palo Alto Networks- Rockwell automation- Secure Crossing- Sierra Wireless- Sophos- Systech Solutions- Tofino- Ventus WirelessMarket driver- Need for regulatory compliances- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- High implementation costs- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend- Emergence of smart cities- For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2019 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Infectious Immunology Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2016

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=807256

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=807256

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Infectious Immunology Industry 2016, Trends and Forecast Report" to its huge collection of research reports.2016 Global Infectious Immunology Report is a professional and in-depth research report on the world's major regional market conditions of the Infectious Immunology industry, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia) and the main countries (United States, Germany, Japan and China).The report firstly introduced the Infectious Immunology basics: definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain overview; industry policies and plans; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis,investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The report includes six parts, dealing with: 1.) basic information; 2.) the Asia Infectious Immunology industry; 3.) the North American Infectious Immunology industry; 4.) the European Infectious Immunology industry; 5.) market entry and investment feasibility; and 6.) the report conclusion.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsPart I Infectious Immunology Industry OverviewChapter One Infectious Immunology Industry Overview1.1 Infectious Immunology Definition1.2 Infectious Immunology Classification Analysis1.2.1 Infectious Immunology Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Infectious Immunology Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Infectious Immunology Application Analysis1.3.1 Infectious Immunology Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Infectious Immunology Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Infectious Immunology Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Infectious Immunology Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Infectious Immunology Product History Development Overview1.5.2 Infectious Immunology Product Market Development Overview1.6 Infectious Immunology Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Infectious Immunology Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Infectious Immunology Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Infectious Immunology Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Infectious Immunology Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Infectious Immunology Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Infectious Immunology Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend AnalysisPart II Asia Infectious Immunology Industry (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)Chapter Three Asia Infectious Immunology Market Analysis3.1 Asia Infectious Immunology Product Development History3.2 Asia Infectious Immunology Process Development History3.3 Asia Infectious Immunology Industry Policy and Plan Analysis3.4 Asia Infectious Immunology Competitive Landscape Analysis3.5 Asia Infectious Immunology Market Development TrendChapter Four 2011-2016 Asia Infectious Immunology Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and Forecast4.1 2011-2016 Infectious Immunology Capacity Production Overview4.2 2011-2016 Infectious Immunology Production Market Share Analysis4.3 2011-2016 Infectious Immunology Demand Overview4.4 2011-2016 Infectious Immunology Supply Demand and Shortage4.5 2011-2016 Infectious Immunology Import Export Consumption4.6 2011-2016 Infectious Immunology Cost Price Production Value Gross MarginChapter Five Asia Infectious Immunology Key Manufacturers Analysis5.1 Company A5.1.1 Company Profile5.1.2 Product Picture and Specification5.1.3 Product Application Analysis5.1.4 Capacity Production Price Cost Production Value5.1.5 Contact Information5.2 Company B5.2.1 Company Profile5.2.2 Product Picture and Specification5.2.3 Product Application Analysis5.2.4 Capacity Production Price Cost Production Value5.2.5 Contact Information5.3 Company C5.3.1 Company Profile5.3.2 Product Picture and Specification5.3.3 Product Application Analysis5.3.4 Capacity Production Price Cost Production Value5.3.5 Contact Information5.4 Company D5.4.1 Company Profile5.4.2 Product Picture and Specification5.4.3 Product Application Analysis5.4.4 Capacity Production Price Cost Production Value5.4.5 Contact Information......Chapter Six Asia Infectious Immunology Industry Development Trend6.1 2016-2020 Infectious Immunology Capacity Production Overview6.2 2016-2020 Infectious Immunology Production Market Share Analysis6.3 2016-2020 Infectious Immunology Demand Overview6.4 2016-2020 Infectious Immunology Supply Demand and Shortage6.5 2016-2020 Infectious Immunology Import Export Consumption6.6 2016-2020 Infectious Immunology Cost Price Production Value Gross MarginMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Smart Inhalers Market Boosted due to the High Prevalence of Respiratory Diseases and High Patient Adherence Observed

Smart Inhalers Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2117

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/smart-inhalers-market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/articles/copd-inhalers-market

Smart Inhalers Market is growing rapidly post 2016 with the CAGR of 42.8% as the market is boosted due to the high prevalence of respiratory diseases and high patient adherence observed because of the use of smart inhaler technology.The global market for smart inhalers is growing rapidly and expected to reach USD 1.63 Billion by the end of 2022.Market HighlightsThe global Smart Inhalers Market has been evaluated as rapidly growing market and expected that the market will reach high growth figures. Smart inhaler technology is quickly becoming one of the most valuable areas of pharmaceutical engagement in digital health. There has been rise in number of companies that are adopting this digital technology and opting to use it to enhance the management of lung disorders such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), as well as improve the efficacy of the prescribed medications. Wide variety of benefits ranging from improving medication adherence to reducing hospital admissions, which makes smart inhalers the next big thing of respiratory care segment. Over the past 50 years, inhaler devices have revolutionized the respiratory care by delivering the medicines directly into the lungs and avoiding the adverse effects caused by the other modes of medication. However, there has been a point of concern for the doctors whether the patients are taking the medications correctly or not. Because, even if you have the most potent drug in the inhaler; if the patient does not take the medication correctly and on time, you will not see the desired effect of the drug.Smart Inhalers are the digitally operated inhalers which are equipped with the sensors that detect the time of the dose taken by the patient and helps in monitoring the proper use of the inhaler drug. These smart inhalers are connected to various digital platforms which can help in scheduling the medication, setting reminders, tracking the use of medication among others. Smart inhalers have proven extremely beneficial in case of the children having respiratory disorders such as Asthma and COPD. In the trials conducted by Adherium, one of the leading smart inhaler sensor manufacturing company; the smart inhaler sensor was shown to improve adherence by up to 59% in adults and 180% in children with asthma. Currently, the smart inhalers are being developed for the asthma and COPD, but the technology can be used in the treatment of other disorders such as bronchitis and cystic fibrosis in the near future.Request a Sample Report @Market Players: Adherium AstraZeneca Cohero Health GlaxoSmithKline Gecko Health Innovations Inc. Inspiro Medical Propeller HealthRegional Analysis:Depending on geographic region, smart inhalers market is segmented into four key regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World. Globally, North America is the largest market for smart inhalers. The North America market for smart inhalers is expected to grow at a CAGR 38.6% during the forecasted period. Europe is the second-largest market for smart inhalers which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 47.14%. Asia pacific region is expected to be fastest growing region in Smart Inhalers market.Browse Report @Segmentation:Smart Inhalers market has been segmented on the basis of type which comprises dry powder inhaler, and metered dose inhaler. On the basis of application, market is segmented into Asthma, COPD, and others. On the basis of end user, market is segmented into hospitals & clinics, respiratory care center, and others.Intended Audience: Smart Inhalers service providers Smart Inhalers equipment manufacturers and suppliers Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government and Independent Regulatory Authorities Market Research and Consulting Service Providers Academic Institutes and UniversitiesRelated ReportPulmonary Rehab Centers Introduction will be an Edge for Pharmaceutical Companies established in COPD MarketNorth America is recorded to be the largest and one of the rapidly growing markets due to increasing COPD cases. According to COPD foundation, there were around 30 million COPD people alone in America in 2015. The United States is one of the countries with highest number of COPD cases amongst other countries in North American region.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Industry 4.0 Market Applications, Growth, Trends, Business Strategy, Competitor Analysis and Forecast 2022

Industry 4.0 Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2375

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/industry-4-0-market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/automotive-sensors-market-959

In this rapidly changing environment, companies are expanding their scale of operations by increasing investments industrial internet of things (IIoT), high spending, growing economies of countries, and high investment in R&D segment. In Industry 4.0 market innovation is a key driver. Internet of things (IoT) is considered as a major component with respect to Industry 4.0 therefore industries adopting Internet of Things has increased the demand for Industry 4.0. The study reveals that evolution of cloud computing technologies, technological advancements are the factors driving Industry 4.0 market. The study indicates that data security issues are greatly increased by integrating new systems and more access to those systems. This factor is restraining the growth of Industry 4.0 Market. Apart from it a high degree of reliability and stability are required but it is difficult to achieve it, which results as challenge for Industry 4.0 market.Industry 4.0 introduced a new concept called smart factory, in which cyber-physical systems monitor the physical processes of the factory and make decentralized decisions. Therefore the companies adopting smart factory would dominate the Industry 4.0 market by the forecast period. The early adopters of Industry 4.0 will have this advantage. By the recent news companies like Siemens and General Electric Company are already rushing to solidify themselves as platform providers and are fully embraced to approach towards Industry 4.0.Market Players Bosch Rexroth AG (Germany) Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH (Germany) SAS (U.S.) Siemens AG (Germany) Wittenstein AG (Germany) General Electric Company (U.S.) Daimler AG (Germany) Klockner & Co. SE (Germany) TRUMPF GmbH (Germany) Festo AG & Co. KG (Germany) Wittenstein AG (Germany)Request a Sample Report @Industry 4.0 Market SegmentationThe Industry 4.0 Market has been segmented on the basis of technology, application and end user. Considering the end-user segments it has been observed that Industrial manufacturing sector, electronics sector and construction sector would dominate the Industry 4.0 market by the forecast period. The electronics sector has witnessed high investments. The main focus of this investment projected on digital technologies like sensors or connectivity devices, as well as on software and applications like manufacturing execution systems (MES). In the application segment Industrial Automation is growing on a larger scale compare to smart factory and industrial IoT.Market Research Analysis:Market Research Future Analysis shows that the need for high quality and short delivery time at a competitive price, need for flexible and optimized production processes, shortened product life cycles and Increasing demand for service and others are driving the Industry 4.0 market.Browse Report @Regional analysis for Industry 4.0 market is studied in different geographic regions as Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world. The study reveals that North America and Europe region would evolve as a leader in Industry 4.0 market. The study indicates large investments by countries towards digitization and innovation, would be responsible for the rapid growth in Industry 4.0 market by the forecast period. Countries like Japan, Germany and China are showing significant progress in Industry 4.0 market.Intended Audience: Process Automation and Instrumentation Manufacturers Industrial Robot Manufacturers Semiconductor product designers and fabricators Automation product manufacturers Technology investors Hardware & software manufacturers MES (Manufacturing Execution System) MOM (Manufacturing Operations Management) System Integrators Government Organizations Research/Consultancy firmsRelated ReportThe market for global automotive sensors is projected to grow at a CAGR of about 8-9% during the forecast periodAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
USA - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband And Digital Media - Statistics And Analyses

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1037726

USAs mobile operators fast-tracking 5G developmentsThe US has one of the largest telecoms markets, which has given it a unique character based only regional licensing. Growth in the mobile subscriber base remains strong despite penetration levels of above 120%. Declining revenue from voice services is compensated for by high growth in mobile data use, itself supported by upgraded networks supporting LTE-based services. Smartphone penetration is also high, which also encourages mobile data use among subscribers. A number of operators, led by AT&T, have partnered with vendors to trial 5G technologies and services. AT&T aimed to develop commercial 5G services by late 2018, which would make it one of the firs carriers globally to do so. In addition, operators are working on the potential of NB-IoT, LTE-U and LTE-A technologies, in some respects as a precursor to 5G.A major development in early 2017 was the complex reserve auction for spectrum in the 600MHz band, which raised more than $19 billion. Although network operators must wait for spectrum allocations to be concluded, the additional 70MHz made available will go far to supporting mobile broadband in rural areas, and improving network capacity.Download Sample Copy Of This Report:Given the size of the US market, and the growing demand for data on both fixed and mobile networks, there is continuous pressure for operators to invest in fibre networks, and to push connectivity closer to consumers. In recent years the US has seen increased activity from regional players as well as the major telcos and cablecos. Much of this activity was stimulated by Google Fiber following its investments in a number of markets. Although Google Fiber began scaling back its efforts in late 2016, the companys legacy has been profound. It encouraged the major providers to reduce pricing for their similar offers, stimulated interest among municipal leaders, and highlighted the fact that haphazard and potentially duplicated fibre deployments are no effective substitute for municipally-led wholesale fibre infrastructure accessable to any provider.AT&T and Verizon have shifted their investment efforts from a hybrid fibre-copper architecture to pure fibre. AT&T expected to provide a 1Gb/s FttP service to 12.5 million premises by 2019, with a view to upgrading to XG(S)-PON within a few years. For its part, Verizon had a patchy experience with its FttN rollouts and so has chosen to switch deployment to FttP. At the same time a growing number of cablecos have launched DOCSIS3.1 services, able to provide data at 1Gb/s and above. Future HFC technologies promise considerably faster speeds in the years ahead.This report provides analyses as well as key statistics and forecasts on the US mobile market, including CTIA data for 2015, telcos financial and operating data to Q4 2016 and recent market releases from the regulator. It also provides an assessment of telcos strategies, regulatory policies, and developments in the deployment of emerging technologies. The report also reviews the cable, DSL, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and fibre broadband markets, providing analyses on regulatory measures and an assessment of the major fibre deployments in progress.To order report Call Toll Free: 866-997-4948 or send an email on sales@marketresearchreports.bizKey developments:AT&T expecting to provide 5G services by late 2018;FCC authorises the use of LTE-U devices in the under-utilised 5GHz band;AT&T planning national LTE-M services by mid-2017;FCC considers both low-end and high-end spectrum bands for possible 5G use;FCC concludes 600MHz spectrum auction;Comcast expands DOCSIS3.1 markets;Altice Group acquires Suddenlink Communications and Cablevision, rebrands as Altice USA;New York state proposal for $1 billion investment in broadband infrastructure, using state and private funds;Altice USA to deliver a 10Gb/s service across its footprint by 2022;Google Fiber puts on breaks;Report update includes company financial and operating data to Q4 2016, recent market developments.Companies mentioned in this report:AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Corporation, T-Mobile US, TracFone, MetroPCS Communications, Leap Wireless, Frontline, Alltel, US Cellular, Clearwire, Google, CenturyLink, Qwest, Frontier Communications, Windstream, Fairpoint, Cincinnati Bell, Comcast, HughesNet, ViaSatMarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Vietnam - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband And Digital Media - Statistics And Analyses

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1037728

Mobile Broadband Driving Vietnams Internet GrowthAfter peaking in 2009 Vietnams fixed line market in Vietnam has seen a significant decline. Market penetration has fallen from 20.1% in 2009 to 10.5% in 2012 and 5.7% in 2016.In the meantime, having come late to the internet, Vietnam is finally embracing the higher access speeds offered by the various broadband platforms. Although there has been a surge in subscriber numbers, fixed broadband remains a relatively small but expanding market segment. Most significantly, the arrival of mobile broadband has seen widespread access to faster internet speeds.Vietnams mobile market has grown strongly over the last decade, evidence that the competition model the government has put in place, although with some limitations, has been working. At the same time, demand for new mobile services appeared to have dropped and growth had generally slowed. There has been a gradual shift to value added services, with the arrival of 3G and 3G+ and ahead of the launch of 4G.The highly competitive nature of Vietnams mobile segment is due in no small part to it being opened up to new players, importantly including some with no involvement of the state-owned VNPT. As with most other Asian mobile markets, growth in Vietnam was boosted by the early introduction of prepaid mobile services and prepaid remains a vital component of the business today.Download Sample Copy OF This Report:Viettel is the largest mobile operator in Vietnam with over 40% market share, followed by MobiFone VTNL-Vinaphone and Vietnamobile. The Vietnamese mobile market has shown moderate growth over the past few years, increasing from mobile penetration of 135% in 2013 to 147% in 2016. However over the past two years the market has reached a saturation point, as mobile growth slow significantly. Further slow growth is expected to continue over the next five years to 2021. By that time penetration is expected to reach over 150%.The initial roll-out of fixed broadband services win Vietnam as followed by a strong surge in growth; however, broadband remained a small but expanding market segment. It needed a stronger market focus by the providers; this seemed to have finally happened with the arrival of mobile broadband. As with other developing markets in Asia, there has been major shift in Vietnams broadband market with the widespread adoption of mobile broadband, with lower tariffs, ready availability and the convenience of mobility being the big attractions. Mobile broadband has been growing strongly in Vietnam over the past five years. Penetration has increased from 14% in 2011 to 31% in 2014 and 43% in 2016. Further strong growth is predicted over the next five years to 2021.The fixed broadband subscriber market in Vietnam has been growing moderately over the past few years from a relatively small base. Penetration has increased from 6% in 2013 to 8% in 2015 and 9% in 2016. Fixed broadband penetration is predicted to grow moderately over the next five years, reaching between 14% and 17% by 2021.Incumbent operator VNPT has been leading Vietnams charge into the broadband market. It has doing this largely as part of its Next Generation Network (NGN) development.To order report Call Toll Free: 866-997-4948 or send an email on sales@marketresearchreports.bizIn the meantime, the digital economy in Vietnam has been flourishing, although its reach may not be as great as government policy would wish. The government has been the driving force behind the countrys move into the age of the digital economy. It has been constantly emphasising the need to use e-commerce to improve the countrys economic competitiveness. The government has also been particularly active in the development of cyber laws, no doubt because of its deeply ingrained political culture of central control. On another related front, Vietnam is moving quickly towards the digitalisation of TV broadcasting. A strategy plan for conversion to digital TV should see the countrys television stations broadcasting completely digital by 2020.Key developments:Vietnams broadband market is growing strongly, on the back of the mobile broadband sector;fibre-based broadband subscribers continue to grow strongly.The MIC has set 2017 as the target date for introducing Mobile Number Portability (MNP).Viettel Telecom announced plans to launch its 4G LTE network.Vietnamobile, announced plans to expand the coverage of its 3G network nationwide.after a long period of low fixed broadband penetration, the market has started to grow strongly;most significantly, fibre-based broadband (FttH) subscribers have been growing rapidly;DSL technology continues to support the majority of fixed broadband services;the MIC issued a set of digital TV standards ahead of the planned digitalisation.Companies mentioned in this report:VNPT; Vinaphone; Mobifone; Viettel; S-Fone; Viettel; VietnamobileMarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Automotive Steering System Market is expected to grow with the CAGR of about 6% from 2016 to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1814

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/automotive-steering-systems-market

Market HighlightsSteering is the connection point between car and driver. It plays a key role in the vehicles personality and performance. Increasing demand for driving comfort & fuel efficient vehicle from the consumers are the primary driving factors of the Automotive steering system market. In addition, factors such as increasing vehicle production globally are also the driving factor for the Automotive steering system market. However high cost of system, restraint the automotive steering system market and is expected to register a significant growth of 6% in the next six years.Request a Sample Report @Key Players Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan) TRW Automotive Holdings (U.S.) Sona Koyo Steering System Ltd. (India) JTEKT Corporation (Japan) Robert Bosch Automotive Steering Gmbh (Germany) Nexteer Automotive (U.S.) China Automotive System Inc. (China) Thyssenkrupp Presta AG Aktiengesellschaft (U.S.).Scope of the reportThis study provides an overview of the Automotive Steering Systems Market industry, tracking market segments across the categorized five geographic regions. The report provides a six-year forecast for the market size in terms of value for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. The scope of the study segments the Automotive steering system market based on Vehicle Type, Steering System, Components, & End market.Table of Content1. Report Prologue2. Introduction3. Research Methodology4. Market Dynamics4.1. Drivers & Opportunities4.2. Challenges & Restraints5. Automotive Steering System Market, By Vehicle Type5.1. Introduction5.2. Commercial Vehicle5.3. Passenger Vehicle6. Automotive Steering System Market, By Steering System6.1. Introduction6.2. Manual6.3. Electrically Powered6.4. Electro-Hydraulic Powered6.5. Hydraulic Powered7. Automotive Steering System Market, By Components7.1. Introduction7.2. Hydraulic Pump7.3. Steering Sensor & Column7.4. Electric Motor8. Automotive Steering System Market, By End Market8.1. Introduction8.2. Oem8.3. Aftermarket9. Automotive Steering System Market, By Region10. Company LandscapeContinued.Browse full ASS Market @List of TablesTable 1 Global Automotive Steering System Market SnapshotTable 2 Drivers for the MarketTable 3 Restraints for the MarketTable 4 Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Vehicle Type, 2016-2022 (Usd Million)Table 5 Commercial Vehicles: Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Region,Table 6 Passenger Vehicles: Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Region, 2022Table 7 Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Steering System, 2022 (Usd Million)Table 8 Manual: Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Region, 2022 (Usd Million)Continued.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 40 market data tables and figures spread in 100 pages of the report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Automotive steering system Market Information- Global Forecast to 2022"List of FigureFigure 1 Research MethodologyFigure 2 Impact Analysis: Drivers and RestraintsFigure 3 Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Vehicle Type, 2022 (Usd Million)Figure 4 Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Steering System, 2016-2022 (Usd Million)Figure 5 Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Components, 2022 (Usd Million)Figure 6 Automotive Steering Systems Market, By End Market, 2016-2022 (Usd Million)Figure 7 Automotive Steering Systems Market, By Region, 2016-2022 (Usd Million)Continued.Regional AnalysisEuropean region hold the largest market share in Automotive Steering Systems market, due to the rising production of technologically advanced vehicle. This region will witness slow growth in the forecast period. Asia-Pacific region will show the fastest growth in forecast period because increasing automotive manufacturing activities and increasing eco-friendly initiatives in this region will increase the Automotive steering system market.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment Market to Grow at 5.59% CAGR to 2021: Analysis of Key Players, Trends, Drivers, & Challenges

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/18129

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/enquire-for-discount/18129

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-factor-viii-deficiency-treatment-market

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/2017-2022-germany-human-micobiome-market

http://marketsizeforecasters.com/

2017 Global Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment Market Status, 2011-2022 Market Historical and Forecasts, Professional Market Research Report a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment market.The Report analysts forecast the global Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment market to grow at a CAGR of 5.59% during the period 2017-2021.Factor VIII is an essential blood-clotting protein, which is also known as an antihemophilic factor. In individuals, factor VIII is encoded by F8 gene. Defects in F8 gene lead to hemophilia A, a recessive X-linked coagulation disorder. Factor VIII is generated in liver sinusoidal cells and endothelial cells outside the liver across the body. This protein mixes in the bloodstream in an inactive form, and binds to another molecule called von Willebrand factor, until a damage to blood vessels occur. In response to injury, coagulation factor VIII gets activated and separates from von Willebrand factor.Request a sample copy of Global Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment Market Research Report @The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global factor VIII market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the global demand for factor VIII.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEAGlobal Factor VIII Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Other prominent vendors :Alnylam PharmaceuticalsAmarna TherapeuticsAsklepios BioPharmaceuticalBiogen IdecBioMarin PharmaceuticalCatalyst BiosciencesThe listed pricing for this Global Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment Market report starts at $ 3500. Request Discount for Global Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment Market Research Report @Table of Contents in Global Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment Market Research Report:PART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportMarket overviewTop-vendor offeringsPART 03: Market research methodologyResearch methodologyEconomic indicatorsPART 04: IntroductionKey market highlightsHighlightsPART 05: Deficiency overviewPART 06: Pipeline analysisPART 07: Market landscapeBrowse full table of contents and data tables For Global Factor VIII Deficiency Treatment Market Report @Related Reports: -2017-2022 Germany Human Micobiome Market Report (Status and Outlook)The Human Micobiome market size will be XX million (USD) in 2022 in Germany, from the XX million (USD) in 2016, with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) XX% from 2016 to 2022.MarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter
Shavers Market: Shipment Volume to Reach 7.90 billion Units by 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/shavers-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21698

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

According to the research report, the global shavers market offered an opportunity worth US$46.38 bn in 2015. Estimated to rise at a CAGR 4.80% during the period from 2016 to 2024, the market will reach US$70.24 bn by the end of the forecast period. In terms of volume, the market is anticipated to touch 7.90 billion units mark over the same period of time. The demand for non-electric shavers is higher than their electric counterparts. Researchers expect this scenario to remain same throughout the period of the forecast, thanks to the user-friendly features of non-electric shavers and no requirement of electricity or battery for their operations.Obtain Report Details atEurope to Maintain Supremacy in Global Shavers MarketIn this research report, a geographical analysis of the global market for shavers has also been provided to the readers. As per the study, the worldwide shavers market is spread across North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific. In 2015, Europe acquired the dominant position in this market with a share of nearly 43%. The regional market is anticipated to retain its position throughout the period of forecast on the grounds of the economic recovery in Europe, owing to which, consumers are again getting the confidence to uptake system razors and electric shavers.Asia Pacific and Latin America are also expected to witness a healthy progress in their market sizes, thanks to the increasing trend of urbanization and the rise in the purchasing power of consumers, notes the research study.Make an Enquiry @Growing Interest of Consumers in Self Grooming to Fuel Demand for ShaversThe increasing aesthetic consciousness and the growing interest in personal grooming among people across the world are having the most prominent influence on the uptake of shavers for the removal of facial and body hairs, says an analyst of TMR. The global market for shavers is also gaining significant impetus due to the rising awareness among consumers regarding personal hygiene and cleanliness.While the female population base in developed countries has emerged as a prominent consumer base of shavers, reflecting greatly on the markets growth; their counterparts in the emerging economies are still showing less interest in personal grooming, which may hamper the progress of this market over the forecast period. Along with this, the dearth of knowledge regarding personal hygiene among them may also hamper the market to some extent in the long run.Over the forthcoming years, the rise in disposable income of consumers, which is likely to increase their purchasing power, will have a positive impact on the market for shavers across the world. The escalating investments from leading players to increase the research activities, in a bid to invent state-of-art products, is also projected to propel this market remarkably in the near future, states the research report.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Rapidly Growing: Amplifier and Comparator Market worth t a CAGR of 2.99% by 2021

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/18158

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/enquire-for-discount/18158

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-amplifier-and-comparator-market

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-and-chinese-audio-amplifiers-industry-2017-market

http://marketsizeforecasters.com/

Amplifiers increase the current, voltage, or power of a signal. These electronic devices are mostly used in wireless communications and broadcasting. They are also present in audio equipment. Amplifiers are categorized into weak-signal amplifiers and power amplifiers. A comparator circuit compares two voltages or currents and gives a digital signal output to indicate which voltage or current is larger. Comparators are often used to check whether an input has reached a predetermined value.analysts forecast the global amplifier and comparator market to grow at a CAGR of 2.99% during the period 2017-2021.Request a sample copy of Amplifier and Comparator Market Research Report @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global amplifier and comparator market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the use of amplifiers and comparators across different sectors in the market.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEAGlobal Amplifier And Comparator Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.The listed pricing for this Amplifier and Comparator Market report starts at $ 3500. Request Discount for Amplifier and Comparator Industry Research Report @Key vendors Analog Devices Broadcom Linear Technology Maxim Integrated Texas InstrumentsOther prominent vendors Intersil MediaTek Microchip Atmel Microsemi NXP Semiconductors ON Semiconductor Qorvo Skyworks Solutions STMicroelectronicsMarket driver Rise in the number of applications of amplifiers and comparators. For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge Cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry. For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Rising technological convergence. For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be What are the key market trends What is driving this market What are the challenges to market growth Who are the key vendors in this market space What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendorsBrowse full table of contents and data tables For Amplifier and Comparator Market Research Report @Related Reports: -Global and Chinese Audio Amplifiers Industry, 2017 Market Research ReportThe 'Global and Chinese Audio Amplifiers Industry, 2012-2022 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Audio Amplifiers industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Audio Amplifiers manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.MarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter
Strategies Major Players are Adopting in Carotenoids Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/carotenoids-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1090

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Global Carotenoids Market: OverviewThe global market for carotenoids is likely to witness lucrative growth opportunities, thanks to the growing scope of carotenoids in the medical and healthcare industry, on account of its recently discovered health benefits. Its efficiency in preventing prostate cancer and curing various age-related macular degeneration diseases is anticipated to reflect positively on the growth of this market over the next few years.Obtain Report Details @Currently, the rising preference of consumers for natural and organic products and the increasing commercial scope of carotenoids in animal feeds and supplements are acting as the key growth driver of this market. The antioxidative feature of carotenoids makes it more viable medically and is influencing its demand in the healthcare industry substantially. However, the limited number of carotenoids in the market and the lack of research and development in emerging economies may hamper the markets growth to some extent in the near future.The main objective of this market report is to offer a clear picture and a deep insight into the worldwide market for carotenoids, examining its historical performance and present status. The prominent trends, growth drivers, obstructions, challenges, opportunities, and future potential of this market have also been analyzed thoroughly in this research study.For more information on this report, fill the form @Global Carotenoids Market: Trends and OpportunitiesBeta-carotene, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, and annatto are the main carotenoids commercially available across the world. Among these, the demand for beta-carotene is greater as is closely followed by astaxanthin. With the considerable increase in the number of algae-derived and synthetic beta-carotenes, the competition in this market has intensified and consequently, has led to a reduction in beta-carotene prices.Food, animal feed, cosmetics, supplements, and pharmaceuticals have emerged as the key application areas for carotenoids, globally. Thanks to the high nutritive value of carotenoid and the pigmentation present in it that raises the palatability of the feed and enhance the appearance of fish, meat, and meat products, its usage in animal feed is likely to increase substantially in the near future.Global Carotenoids Market: Geographical AnalysisAmong all the regional markets for carotenoids, Europe has a strong presence due to the growing demand for animal feed and health supplements. A robust cosmetics industry, supported by the presence of the leading cosmetic producers, such as Unilever, L'Oreal, Henkel, and Beiersdorf, is expected to impact the growth of Europe market for carotenoids positively in the near future.On the other hand, Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness lucrative growth opportunities in the near future on account of the increasing utilization of these additives in animal feed and food supplement. The technological advancements, economic rise, industrial growth, and low production costs in several countries, such as Japan, China, and India are also projected to stimulate the Asia Pacific market for carotenoids in the years to come.Companies Mentioned in the Research ReportWith the presence of a large number of players, the global market for carotenoids is demonstrating a highly fragmented and a competitive landscape. BASF SE, Lycored, Royal DSM N.V., Naturex SA, Chr. Hansen A/S, Divis Laboratories, FMC Corp., DSM Nutritional Products, Cyanotech Corp., Brenntag, Kemin Industries Inc., ExcelVite SDN. BHD., D.D. Williamson & Co. Inc., Allied Biotech Corp., and Dohler Group, are the leading vendors of carotenoids across the world.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cocoa Market Spicing Up due to Changing Lifestyles and Increasing Demand

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cocoa-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1390

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The trend of premium and indulgent desserts is creating new avenues for players in the global market for cocoa, finds a study by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The report, titled Cocoa Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20132019, observes that consumers of cocoa are choosing healthier snacks over confectionaries, which in turn is prompting market players to come up with innovative products and gain a stronger position in the market.Obtain Report Details @This TMR report is aimed at providing a cutting edge to existing and new players in the global cocoa market by offering an in-depth analysis of all the factors that are expected to influence the market in the near future. The report projects a healthy CAGR for the global cocoa market during the forecast period of 2013 to 2019.Cocoa is a fatty bean of theobroma cacao, which is dried and processed to extract the powder, cocoa butter, cocoa liqueur, cocoa oil, and other solids. The high flavonoid concentration in cocoa makes it highly usable for various purposes. The report observes that although cocoa has been used since centuries, innovative products have resulted in the expansion of the market in recent times.The global market for cocoa is traditionally driven by the expanding demand for chocolate and chocolate coatings across diverse populations. However, the report finds that products such as milk chocolate, drinking chocolate, and dark chocolate are gaining popularity among consumers. The widespread use of cocoa is expected to function as a growth inducer in the market. Conversely, escalating health concerns regarding the high sugar-content in cocoa products is expected to negatively impact the global market during the forecast period.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @The report finds that the use of certification schemes for sustainability in the cocoa industry is inspiring confidence among the consumers. As a result, several manufacturers are investing in sustainable production methods.The report observes that Asia Pacific is emerging as the most prominent market for cocoa due to the increasing popularity of chocolate products and a vast population. North America forms the second most significant market for cocoa. Although Western Europe is expected to showcase weak progress in the coming years, it is likely to sustain the demand. Dominican Republic, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, and Cameroon are some of the prominent cocoa producing countries.Latest business plans adopted by key players, their product offerings, and market positioning have been identified in this TMR research report. Some of the leading names highlighted in the global cocoa market report are Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, Kraft Foods Inc., Wilbur Chocolate Company Inc., Belcolade NV, Guan Chong Cocoa Manufacturer Sdn. Bhd., Ferrero S.P.A., Organic Commodity Products Inc., Petra Foods Limited, Dutch Cocoa B.V., Blommer Chocolate Company, Archer Daniels Midland Company, and Delfi Cocoa.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Precision Medicine Market to Approach US$ 172.95 Billion by the end of 2024

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12646

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/precision-medicine-market/toc

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/12646

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

The latest report published by Persistence Market Research titled Global Market Study on Precision Medicine: Drug Discovery Technology Segment Estimated to Witness 0.1% Decline in Market Share Between 2016 and 2024". projects some of the crucial aspects of the global precision medicine market after an in-depth research. The report assures that the market will grow manifold and it will register a 14.7% CAGR between 2016 and 2024.Global Precision Medicine Market: The PropellersThe global expansion of the medicine industry will expand the canvas of the global precision market. Larger investments, better infrastructure, simplified approval process of drugs along with companion diagnostics will impact the structure of the entire climate of the global precision medicine market. The affordable DNA profiling, the bloating cancer population of the globe will create a favorable condition of growth for the global precision medicine market. The proper storage of genome data plays a crucial part in this segment. The emergence of data backed medicare will also drive the global precision market ahead.But the market is combating acute data storage and data privacy issues and it also lacks in systematic approach towards funding and soaring prices of personalized drugs is also creating a blockade in the expansion of the global precision medicine market.Global Precision Medicine Market: Market AutopsyThe global precision medicine market is bifurcated into multiple parent segments which are further sub-categorized. The primary division of the market is an assimilation of three, region, technology and application. The major technologies which will define the market character in the forthcoming years are bioinformatics, next-gen sequencing and drug discovery technology. The applications segment will showcase fruitful results and oncology will act as the showstopper. The market prediction shows that this segment will bloom and will touch an approximate value of US$ 69 Bn by the end of the assessment period. The approximate registered CAGR of this segment within the assessed period will be above 13.5%. The global population is struggling with some of the acute diseases such as arthritis. A large slice of the aged population is an easy prey of this crippling ailment. The immunology segment will reap maximum benefits from the population affected by arthritis. The immunology segment will gain revenue from the market and the market worth will cross US$ 34 Mn by the end of 2024.To View TOC of this Report is Available Upon Request @Global Precision Medicine Market: Regional ScrutinyThe regional market arena has penetrated through different key regions of the globe. The global precision medicine market has extended its boundaries in the last few years. The product has a massive global presence and it is expanding steadily. Apart from North America, Europe, MEA, Latin America and Asia Pacific regions are other major pockets which are expected to show fruitful outcome in the forthcoming years. The global precision medicine market is expected to perform well in the North American region and it will occupy more than 35% of the market share within the period of prediction. The global precision market in North America will flourish and will probably touch the approximate market value of more than US$ 60 Mn by 2024 end. With a stupendous performance the US and Canada will conquer a lion share of the global precision medicine market of this region predicts the report. The Europe is a consistent market and will crawl up the revenue chart within the forecast period. The global precision market in Europe will ride an estimated CAGR of more than 13% to sew up an average worth of more than US$ 40 Mn by the end of 2024. In Europe the markets spread across Germany and France will shape the destiny of this market. Apart from this the countries such as Spain, UK and Italy will also follow the leading pack during the period of assessment. The APAC region is the rising star of the global precision medicine market. The region will project a CAGR of more than 14% during the period of projection. The market will witness a staggering hike and will touch approximately US$ 35 Mn by the end of 2024. In the APAC region Japan will spearhead the market, China and India will lock horns to accumulate maximum market share during the projected period. The region of Latin America will score considerable revenue during this period. MEA will be a sulking market as less of research activities will dampen the spirit of the precision medicine market.Request to View Tables of Content @The market is evolving fast with the better and bigger market tie-ups. The bonhomie between IT and healthcare is also expediting the market and providing a bigger playground to the stakeholders. Novartis AG, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Eli Lilly And Company, AstraZeneca are contributing massively in the overall development of the global precision medicine market.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated re-search, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Con-sumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs en-gagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Tattoo Needles Market 2017 : Hydra Tattoo Needles, Stigma-Rotary Tattoo Needles & Kwadron Tattoo Needles

Tattoo Needles

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-tattoo-needles-market-research-report-2017-116576

https://goo.gl/Y392jS

Global Tattoo Needles market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingPrecision Tattoo NeedlesKwadron Tattoo NeedlesCheyenne Tattoo NeedlesStigma-Rotary Tattoo NeedlesEnvy Tattoo NeedlesHydra Tattoo NeedlesThe Market Research Store report offers majority of the latest and newest industry data that covers the overall market situation along with future prospects for Tattoo Needles market around the globe. The research study includes significant data and also forecasts of the global market which makes the research report a helpful resource for marketing people, analysts, industry executives, consultants, sales and product managers, and other people who are in need of major industry data in a ready-to-access format along with clear presentation of graphs and tables.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The report comprises the current size of the Tattoo Needles market. It also provides with different types of product segments of the global market. Furthermore, the Tattoo Needles market research report gives an in-depth information about the overall market and various product segments and their growth trends. The future market forecasts about the global Tattoo Needles market are also covered in the research report. In addition, the overall market potential is further described in the report along with different countries around the globe.The latest and the newest trends of the Tattoo Needles industry are also included in this report. Moreover, overall global market size, the market size by product segment, growth rates of the global market along with and different product segments of the market, and various product segments with their value and volumes evaluation are also included in the research report.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The Market Research Store report offers the global market potential rates of the Tattoo Needles market along with various product segments. The research report provides an overview of the current market situation, historic development, and future outlook of the Tattoo Needles market. It also tracks the industry developments trends and identifies the global market opportunities. The report helps to plan and develop precise marketing, market expansion, market-entry, and other business strategies through identifying the major market prospects and opportunities.The data in the report is clearly presented which can be easily integrated into presentations and internal reports.About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
It's been four years since Rapid City was notified that the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center was riddled with Americans with Disabilities Act violations and more than six years since then-Mayor Sam Kooiker formed a Brainstorming Committee to examine Barnett Arena, which was built in 1977.

A Civic Center Futures Committee was formed in November 2012, three months after the city was informed that a Department of Justice inspection revealed the ADA violations that the city said would cost an estimated $73 million to address and five months after plans were announced to spend $125 to $150 million to expand and improve the facility.

The primary pitch was that a more modern and larger Barnett Arena would attract top-notch bands and performers who would attract concert-goers from neighboring states who would stay at our hotels and eat and drink at our bars and restaurants.

"I would like to go after Lady Gaga. I would like to go after U2. I would like to go after that level of act," Brian Maliske, the civic center general manager said in July 2012. "They will not come into a 9,400-seat arena. ... The reality of it is pure economics."

At that time, the city was proposing an arena that could seat from 15,000 to 18,000 people and two elevated parking garages. The project's price tag would grow to $180 million by the time the City Council voted 9-0 in 2014 to dedicate Vision Funds for the next 30 years to pay off the bonds to finance the project  for a total expenditure of $420 million, the most expensive project in the city's history.

The council's action was referred to a public vote and overwhelmingly rejected in 2015. Kooiker would lose his bid for re-election a few months later to Steve Allender, who would form a 17-member advisory committee to re-examine the ADA issues at the civic center. Allender then formed a task force in December 2015 to look more specifically at Barnett Arena.

Recently, the mayor dismissed the task force but no findings were released to the public, which raised questions from Civic Center Board member Donna Winkler, who said no plan has been articulated even though the deadline for addressing the ADA issues is fast approaching.

"I think that we're definitely at a point where we need the city to step up and at last give us an idea of what the intention is going to be with Barnett Arena," she said at a recent meeting. "We don't have a plan. We don't have any idea."

On the other hand, the current executive director of the civic center, Craig Baltzer, expressed a vision that has a familiar ring to it.

"Do we spend a lot of money on fixing ADA and life safety but do nothing about the building in order to do the traveling shows," he said. "Or do we spend more money and build or renovate building, expand the floor, expand the seating ... and start attracting bigger shows and really make it work for the next 40 or 50 years."

In other words, it seems the city has adopted the same position that served as the foundation for the proposal voters rejected in January 2015.

The city, however, says the process is far from over. In April, Mayor Allender plans to make public presentations that look at the pros and cons of two options for the Barnett Arena. After that, he plans to conduct a poll where city residents can weigh in. According to Baltzer, the only ADA issues that now exist at the civic center are in the Barnett Arena.

The city now has invested around six years and thousands of dollars on determining the best course of action for the Barnett Arena and judging by Baltzer's statement it still favors the big-band theory.

But the city also is giving residents a chance to weigh in before the City Council debates the future of the Barnett Arena. We urge everyone to pay close attention to the mayor's presentations and participate in the poll.

The Barnett Arena is clearly an important part of the community and a vital source of revenue and economic activity. It requires our full attention until the matter is resolved.

This editorial appeared in the March 12 edition of the Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal, another Lee Enterprises publication.
Microbiology Testing Market to Grow at 5.69% CAGR to 2021: Analysis of Key Players, Trends, Drivers, & Challenges

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/18175

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/enquire-for-discount/18175

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-microbiology-testing-market

https://marketsizeforecasters.com/global-saponin-market

http://marketsizeforecasters.com/

Market Research Report on Global Microbiology Testing Market is a professional and in-depth research report. The Report include basic information like definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain overview, industry policies and plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures and so on. The Report Spread Across 70 Pages with Tables and Figures in It.The Report Announces the Publication of its Research Report  Global Microbiology Testing Market 2017-2021Microbiological tests are conducted to study the various types of microbes such as bacterial, yeast, fungi, and viruses and their effects on an individual. Microbial testing products provide a wide array of experimental approaches for the diagnosis of infections. Microbiological testing helps detect the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and their metabolites in individuals. Microbiology testing products have a wide range of applications in healthcare and manufacturing industries. For instance, microbiology tests are helpful in the detection of various microbes in samples for the diagnosis of syphilis, tuberculosis, HIV, Ebola virus, and other infectious diseases.The Report analysts forecast the global microbiology testing market to grow at a CAGR of 5.69% during the period 2017-2021.Request a sample copy of Global Microbiology Testing Market Research Report @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global Microbiology Testing market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEAThe Research report, Global Microbiology Testing Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Request Discount for Global Microbiology Testing Market Research Report @Global Microbiology Testing Market Key vendors Becton Dickinson and Company bioMrieux Bio-Rad Laboratories Danaher Thermo Fisher ScientificGlobal Microbiology Testing Market Other prominent vendors - Menarini Diagnostics, Abaxis, Abbott Diagnostics, Alcon Laboratories, Alere, Avioq, Biomerica, Cavidi, Cepheid, Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Clarity Diagnostics, Coris BioConcept, DiagCor, Diamedix, DiaSorin, Eiken Chemical, EMD Millipore, Enzo Biochem, Epitope Diagnostics, Fujirebio Diagnostics, Gold Standard Diagnostics, GrifolsMarket driver Growing awareness about preventive medicine. For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge Intense competition among vendors. For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Growing demand for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the Global Microbiology Testing Market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key Global Microbiology Testing Market trends? What is driving this Global Microbiology Testing Market? What are the challenges to Global Microbiology Testing Market growth? Who are the key vendors in this Global Microbiology Testing Market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Browse full table of contents and data tables for Global Microbiology Testing Market Report @Related Reports: -Global Saponin Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022Saponins are a class of chemical compounds found in particular abundance in various plant species. More specifically, they are amphipathic glycosides grouped phenomenologically by the soap-like foaming they produce when shaken in aqueous solutions, and structurally by having one or more hydrophilic glycoside moieties combined with a lipophilic triterpene derivativeMarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter
Photovoltaic Materials Market Estimated to Reach USD 25 Billion by 2022, Driven by Wise Industry Applications

Photovoltaic Materials Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2357

Market HighlightsPhotovoltaic is a technology to convert sunlight into electricity. The term photo means light and voltaic means energy. Photovoltaic is also known as solar cells. The most used cell type today are silicone PV as they are low in cost. The PV cell produces upto 2 watts of power. To increase the power output many PV cells are connected together to form moduels which are future arranged into larger unit called arrays these will future be used in various end-use industries such as utility, commercial and residential.Segment Analysis:PV materials are segmented on basis of type: crystalline materials, thin film, and others. Crystalline materials are future segmented into single crystal silicone, polycrystalline silicon and Gallium Arsenide (GaAs). Single crystal silicone are the most common in PV industry. Polycrystalline silicon material is much stronger and can be cut into one-third the thickness of single-crystal material. It also has slightly lower wafer cost and less strict growth requirements. The market of polycrystalline silicon is growing at faster rate has it is highly utilized in commercial sector. Gallium Arsenide is one the highest used in utility segment i.e, in space and military sector as it has strong resistance radiations and high cells efficiency are required in this sector. However, the drawback of GaAs is that is high in cost of single GaAs. Thin Film, a thin semi-conductor layer of Pv materials is deposited on low cost supporting layer such as glass, metal and plastic folic. Thinner layers of material gives significant cost saving. Also, the deposition techniques in which PV materials are sprayed directly onto glass or metal substrate are cheaper owing to this the manufacturing process is faster, using up less energy and mass production is made easier than the ingot-growth approach of crystalline silicon. The market of Thin Film is expected to touch down in billions in the year 2022.Request a Sample Report @Key Players:The major key players of this market are: DuPont, 1366 Technologies, Bandgap Engineering, Sinovia Technologies, SolarBuyer, Polyrise, Natcore, Targray, Ferrotec, Applied Materials, Cencorp and others.Segmentation:The Global Photovoltaic Material Market is majorly segmented on the basis of type and application. Based on type of photovoltaic material the market is segmented into crystalline materials, Thin Film, and others and on basis of application photovoltaic material the market is segmented into utility, commercial and residential.Regional Analysis:The Asia-Pacific photovoltaic material market is expected to grow due to growing application industry. China consumes largest market share in global photovoltaic material market. The report estimates the size of the photovoltaic material market, both in terms of volume and value. Other regions like India, Indonesia and Brazil are expected to drive the demand owing to lenient regulations by government in setting up industries and producing large amounts of products to meet growing population demand.North America is expected to grow at faster pace, the U.s and Canada are anticipated to have a largest share due to industrial development and government regulations. In Europe, UK and Germany are key contributiors for this region, photovoltaic material market size is growing due to government policies and increase in use of renewable sources. High electricity price and government subsidies over solar energy is likely to positively drive the market in Middle East and Africa region.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Explosion-Proof Lamps Market 2017 Focuses on Top Manufactureres Larson Electronics, Phoenix Lighting, Eaton, GE

Explosion-Proof Lamps Market

http://bit.ly/2mY9qM5

http://bit.ly/2mXYcaj

The MRS Research Group Global Explosion-Proof Lamps Market 2017-2022 report by QY Research offers a comprehensive assessment of the Explosion-Proof Lamps market and consists of historical data, scope, significant approaches, and statistical data of the global market. Besides these, it also includes anticipated facts that are assessed with the aid of an appropriate set of postulations and techniques. The MRS Research Group report by QY Research brings to light the comprehensive study and factual information of Explosion-Proof Lamps market. The report also provides the global market segmentation based on applications, end-users, technology, and geography.Check Free Sample Research Report @This report studies sales (consumption) of Explosion-Proof Lamps in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringLarson ElectronicsPhoenix LightingEatonGEThe impact of the economic condition prevailing in Globe is assessed in the context of the Explosion-Proof Lamps in Global 2017-2022 Industry. The report ends with definitive and authoritative conclusions about the Explosion-Proof Lamps in Global 2017-2022 Industry.The report provide Vendors, Traders and distributors analysis with contact details. For material and equipment suppliers also, contact details are given. New investment feasibility Studied and Industry growth is included in the report.Global Explosion-Proof Lamps Market 2016 Research Report Provides :A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketEmerging niche segments and regional marketsImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelMarket shares and strategies of key playersHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsSend us Enquiry Before Purchasing Research Report @MRS Research Group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
Foam Trays Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Analysis For 2021

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=6601

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/global-foam-trays-market.html

Foam trays made from a vast variety of polymers are used across pharmaceuticals, food, and a number of industrial applications. For the food industry, especially, the inexpensive, highly versatile, and easily disposed foam trays have become indispensable. The market has witnessed significant growth in the past few years, however in the near future, the scenario is expected to significantly change.Awareness regarding the harmful impact of the non-biodegradable varieties of foam trays on the environment is rising at a promising rate and the consumer has started demanding biodegradable products. The focus on the increased production and usage of a variety of bio-degradable products has started gaining strength in response to this trend. The next few years will witness a stark rise in the overall usage of a variety of sustainable substitutes such as paperboard, molded pulp, bagasse based containers, corn plastic containers, and compostable paper containers across a number of application areas.For More Information about Research Report, Download PDF Brochure@Transparency Market Research states that the global foam tray market will expand at a CAGR of 3.2% over the period between 2009 and 2021, and rise to a valuation of US$3.0 bn by 2021 in terms of revenue. In terms of volume, the market is expected to expand at a 4.4% CAGR over the said period and rise to 52,876.9 mn units by 2021.Polystyrene Foam Trays to Remain Most Preferred Product VarietyOf the key product varieties available in the global foam tray market in terms of raw material used, foam trays made from polystyrene are presently the leading contributor to the overall revenues of the global market. The segment is also the leading segment in terms of volume-wise consumption of foam trays globally. In 2014, 2,7301.3 mn units of polystyrene-based foam trays were sold globally. Revenue-wise, the segment had a valuation of US$1,589.4 mn in the same year. Features such as high level of versatility, good thermal resistance, and excellent insulation of polystyrene foam trays are expected to keep their demand high in the global market. As a result, the segment is expected to value over US$1,933.2 mn by 2021 in terms of revenues.Food Industry to Remain Largest Consumer of Foam TraysInexpensive, highly flexible, and also sometimes reusable trays made of polymer foams are used mostly for packaging and serving in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food, and several industrial applications. Of these, the food industry is the most prominent consumer of a variety of foam trays, accounting for over 2/3rd of the total production of the global market in present times. Factors such as busy lifestyles and rising affordability of outside food are leading to a vast surge in quick service restaurants and the practice of parceling and delivering food, especially in emerging economies such as India, China, and Indonesia.This factor, along with the increased use of foam trays for packaging fruits, vegetables, and other food products, has led to the vast rise in consumption of foam trays in the food industry in the past few years. Over the forecasting horizon as well, the food industry will be the most prominent consumer of foam trays and retain its position as the largest contributor to the global markets overall revenues.Flourishing Food Industry in Asia Pacific to Fuel DemandNorth America is presently the leading regional market for foam trays in terms of both revenue and volume. The prominent position of the regional market is attributed to the rising demand for larger case-ready, high priced, and recyclable varieties of foam trays in the region. The increase in prices of foam trays is also adding to the revenue prospects of the North America foam tray market. However, bans on non-biodegradable foam tray varieties in the region will dent the growth prospects of the market significantly in the next few years. Asia Pacific, on the other hand, will emerge as the most promising regional market. The flourishing food industry in the region and rising consumption of packaged and outside food will aid the increased demand for foam trays in the region.Browse Full Report@Some of the key vendors in the global foam tray market are Pactiv LLC, Genpak LLC, Dart Container Corporation, D&W Fine Pack LLC, and Sirap Packaging.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact Us:-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Global Kraft Paper Market 2017 Focuses on Top Manufactureres KapStone, WestRock, Mondi Group, French Paper Company, Georgia-Pacific Packaging

Kraft Paper Market

http://bit.ly/2ocEeJM

http://bit.ly/2ocUQkJ

The MRS Research Group Global Kraft Paper Market 2017-2022 report by QY Research offers a comprehensive assessment of the Kraft Paper market and consists of historical data, scope, significant approaches, and statistical data of the global market. Besides these, it also includes anticipated facts that are assessed with the aid of an appropriate set of postulations and techniques. The MRS Research Group report by QY Research brings to light the comprehensive study and factual information of Kraft Paper market. The report also provides the global market segmentation based on applications, end-users, technology, and geography.This report studies sales (consumption) of Kraft Paper in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringKapStoneWestRockMondi GroupFrench Paper CompanyGeorgia-Pacific PackagingCheck Free Sample Research Report @The impact of the economic condition prevailing in Globe is assessed in the context of the Kraft Paper in Global 2017-2022 Industry. The report ends with definitive and authoritative conclusions about the Kraft Paper in Global 2017-2022 Industry.The report provide Vendors, Traders and distributors analysis with contact details. For material and equipment suppliers also, contact details are given. New investment feasibility Studied and Industry growth is included in the report.Global Kraft Paper Market 2016 Research Report Provides :A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketEmerging niche segments and regional marketsImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelMarket shares and strategies of key playersHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsSend us Enquiry Before Purchasing Research Report @MRS Research Group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
Automotive Natural Gas Vehicle Market to Increase at Steady Growth Rate by 2016-2024

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/automotive-natural-gas-vehicle-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/automotive-natural-gas-vehicle-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-natural-gas-vehicle-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/1100

http://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Zion Market Research, the market research group announced the analysis report titled "Automotive Natural Gas Vehicle Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024"Global Automotive Natural Gas Vehicle Market: OverviewAn alternative fuel vehicle that utilizes liquefied natural gas or natural gas as a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels is known as a natural gas vehicle. Vehicles powered by propane possess fundamentally different composition and are different from natural gas vehicles. As crude oil reserves are rapidly depleting, many developing nations extensively depend on foreign countries for oil export. Owing to this, governments are focusing on controlling their export spending, which results in high demand for abundantly and inexpensively available natural gas. Natural gas is considered environment-friendly and leads to the economic growth of the country.Request Free Sample Report @Global Automotive Natural Gas Vehicle Market: Growth FactorsVarious initiatives are taken by the governments to encourage the use of natural gas; this is anticipated to contribute to the global automotive natural gas vehicle market growth in the near future. In addition, companies are highly investing in the renewable sources such as natural gas as the cleaner alternative for fuel, which has created ample opportunities for the global market. Vehicle owners are focusing on the acceptance of the environment-friendly and cleaner source of fuel at low cost leading to the enormous increase in the demand for automotive natural gas vehicle globally. Natural gas also offers various advantages whereas liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas are produced from it providing many environmental benefits to consumers. This is expected to fuel the global market growth in future.Global Automotive Natural Gas Vehicle Market: SegmentationThe global automotive natural gas vehicle market is categorized based on vehicle type as commercial and passenger. On the basis of fuel type, the global market is classified as liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas. Furthermore, the automotive natural gas vehicle market is segregated based on geography as Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East & Africa.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Automotive Natural Gas Vehicle Market: Regional AnalysisAsia Pacific is the dominating region for automotive natural gas vehicle market as it accounted for the largest market share. Latin America comes second in the global ranking, as almost all vehicles in this region have bio-fuel engines that allow vehicles to run on either gasoline or CNG. Use of natural gas vehicles provides fuel efficiency and significant savings over the life of the vehicle boosting the global market growth in North America. The automotive natural gas vehicle is costly due to the cost of installation high-pressure insulated fuel tank, which facilitates fuel extraction from CNG or LPG. The emission from of the automotive natural gas vehicle is comparatively lower than diesel and gasoline counterparts. This will help in reduction of dangerous pollutants such as nitrogen gas, non-methane organic gas, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide and result in rising demand for automotive natural gas vehicle in the Middle East and Africa.Global Automotive Natural Gas Vehicle Market: Competitive PlayersMajor players in the global automotive natural gas vehicle market are Volkswagen AG, Isuzu Motors Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corporation Ltd., Caterpillar Inc., and Honda Motor Company Ltd. Other players include AB Volvo, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Renault SA.Browse detail report @Global Automotive Natural Gas Vehicle Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.Ask for a customized report @About Us:Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact Us:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:
Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market estimated high sales by 2016-2024

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/commercial-vehicle-telematics-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/commercial-vehicle-telematics-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/commercial-vehicle-telematics-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/1117

http://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Zion Market Research, the market research group announced the analysis report titled "Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024"Global Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market: OverviewCommercial vehicle telematics market is exploring globally owing to services such as tracking and fleet management. Telematics systems provide fleet management solutions that will assist the organization to minimize the number of empty runs and successively it reduces fuel expenses. Fleet operators are using fleet management services in order to reduce which in turn minimizes overall vehicle downtime. Next-generation telematics protocol (NGTP) offers some advantages such as support for legacy systems, reduced barriers to collaborate and implement, enhanced value proposition of different players, and promotion and adoption of new technologies. This system will offer service providers robust, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and scalable telematics solutions.Request Free Sample Report @Global Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market: Growth FactorsEscalating demand for monitoring and vehicle tracking systems in the logistics sector is expected to drive the global commercial vehicle telematics market growth in future. Increasing adoption of the NGTP globally will foster the global market growth in the coming years. Increase in fuel prices and developing mobile connectivity across the automotive sector is the key factor responsible for the growth of the market. Telematics acts as a cornerstone for the efficient performance of the fleet management systems and logistic systems. High demand for connected vehicles is anticipated to strengthen the global commercial vehicle telematics market growth. Growing demand for refrigerated vehicles is anticipated to the consolidation of the cold chain logistics sector, which may further fuel the global commercial vehicle telematics market growth in future.Global Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market: SegmentationThe global commercial vehicle telematics market is classified based on fitment type as aftermarket and original equipment manufacturers. Of these, aftermarket fitment segment is the leading in the global market due to considerable growth in the unorganized logistics sector. It is constantly in demand for fleet management solutions; this is anticipated to boost the global commercial vehicle telematics market growth and it is expected to continue its dominance in the near future. The global market is further fragmented on the basis of applications as retail, courier, tourism, cold chain, and pharma. Of these, cold chain contributed for the largest market share in the telematics technology. It majorly attributed to increased use of telematics in order to monitor the temperature of frozen items. Original equipment manufacturers are a second largest market and it may grab largest market chunk owing to rising partnerships among automobile manufacturers and telematics service providers.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market: Regional AnalysisThe global commercial vehicle telematics market is classified based on geography as Latin America, North America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Europe. North America holds the largest market share due to advancement in the technology. Europe is considered a mature market and but is somewhat on a lower side.Global Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market: Competitive PlayersLeading key vendors in the global commercial vehicle telematics market are Ashok Leyland., Arya Omnitalk, Tata Motors, Trimble Navigation, and CMC. Other players influencing the global market are eLogistics, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Dhanus Technologies.Browse detail report @Global Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.Ask for a customized report @About Us:Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact Us:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Photovoltaic Cells Market 2017 Focuses on Top Manufactureres First Solar, Hanergy Holding, MiaSole, Trony Solar, NexPower Technology, AVANCIS, Astronergy

Photovoltaic Cells Market

http://bit.ly/2nLiNmv

http://bit.ly/2ne7WyN

The MRS Research Group Global Photovoltaic Cells Market 2017-2022 report by QY Research offers a comprehensive assessment of the Photovoltaic Cells market and consists of historical data, scope, significant approaches, and statistical data of the global market. Besides these, it also includes anticipated facts that are assessed with the aid of an appropriate set of postulations and techniques. The MRS Research Group report by QY Research brings to light the comprehensive study and factual information of Photovoltaic Cells market. The report also provides the global market segmentation based on applications, end-users, technology, and geography.Check Free Sample Research Report @This report studies sales (consumption) of Photovoltaic Cells in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringFirst SolarHanergy HoldingMiaSoleTrony SolarNexPower TechnologyAVANCISAstronergyThe impact of the economic condition prevailing in Globe is assessed in the context of the Photovoltaic Cells in Global 2017-2022 Industry. The report ends with definitive and authoritative conclusions about the Photovoltaic Cells in Global 2017-2022 Industry.The report provide Vendors, Traders and distributors analysis with contact details. For material and equipment suppliers also, contact details are given. New investment feasibility Studied and Industry growth is included in the report.Send us Enquiry Before Purchasing Research Report @MRS Research Group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
New Trends of Automotive Interior Components/Accessories Market with Global Industry Analysis by 2016  2024

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/automotive-interiorcomponents-accessories-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/automotive-interiorcomponents-accessories-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-interiorcomponents-accessories-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/1151

http://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Zion Market Research, the market research group announced the analysis report titled "Automotive Interior Components/Accessories Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024"Global Automotive Interior Components/Accessories Market: OverviewAutomotive interior components/accessories are supplementary devices in the automobiles for purposes such as safety, appeal, convenience, and others. These interior accessories in the vehicle are referred to the seats, dashboards, cockpit, and door panels. Automotive interiors are increasingly gaining popularity, as the population is highly preferred visual appearance, which influences the sale of the passenger cars. The buyer also gives more importance to the safety of life while choosing such cars. Cars with extraordinary interiors and quality come under the category of expensive premium and luxury cars.Request Free Sample Report @Global Automotive Interior Components/Accessories Market: Growth FactorsWorld population is moving towards to cleaner and greener technologies hence many companies are focusing towards high fuel efficient and low-emission systems this is anticipated to drive the global automotive interior components/accessories market growth. Additionally, with the advent of lightweight material, they are majorly used in manufacturing vehicle interiors; it provides high-rigidity for structural carriers and reduces vehicle weight coupled with enhancing fuel-efficiency this may boost the global market growth in future. Conversely, a restriction set by the government on materials used in the manufacturing of vehicle interior and its disposal is the major challenge before the global automotive interior components/accessories market.Global Automotive Interior Components/Accessories Market: SegmentationThe global automotive interior components/accessories market is divided based on the component as interior lighting, door panel, cockpit module, infotainment system, headliner, and seat. On the basis of type, the global market is categorized as a heavy commercial vehicle, passenger car and light commercial vehicle. Of these, passenger car segment is the dominating segment across the world and holds the largest share in automotive interior components/accessories market.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Automotive Interior Components/Accessories Market: Regional AnalysisGeographically, the global automotive interior components/accessories market is segregated as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is the leading region in the global market as automotive industries are growing in this region. Increasing geriatric population hence demand more safe and comfortable passengers in North America is escalating; this may foster the global market is the coming years. Europe is another region is growing at a faster rate due to the presence of a major player in this region. However, increasing demand for better performance coupled with the safety of the passengers is expected to drive the global market in Europe. Moreover, Asia Pacific grabs the largest market share in the global automotive interior components/accessories market as one-third of the world population residing in China and India; this is anticipated to witness growth in future. In addition, developing the economy and increasing disposable incomes also boost the global market. Increasing government support and expansion of the market for attractive automotive interiors is projected to propel the global market growth.Global Automotive Interior Components/Accessories Market: Competitive PlayersMajor players available in the global automotive interior components/accessories market are Faurecia, Visteon, Johnson Controls, and Continental AG.Browse detail report @Global Automotive Interior Components/Accessories Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.Ask for a customized report @About Us:Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact Us:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:
United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Commercial Printing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021

Market Research Reports

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=809793&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/united-states-eu-japan-china-india-and-southeast-asia-commercial-printing-market-size-status-and-forecast-2021.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/category/ict-market-reports-96.htm

Qyresearchreports include new market research report "United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Commercial Printing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.The Commercial Printing is the target of analysis presented in this research report which is a highly descriptive and insightful publication. It chalks out a detailed, all-inclusive, and logical perspective of the market, casing all crucial categories and their pieces, along with the aspects that have so far shown the potential of having a deep influence on the market over the coming years. The report is therefore a 360-degree representation of the analysis of the current state of market.The market has been quarried to its microscopic nuances, where rudimentary data and key, industry-specific classifications of the market and its elements that are being defined in the overview. The report then moves ahead into a 360 degree analysis of the Commercial Printing, while sticking to phrases of the market, such as specific definitions, applications, industry chain structures, government policies, and recent developments.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The large volumes of data presented in this report, on the Commercial Printing, have been garnered with the aid of different research methodologies, both primary and secondary. This data is further concentrated by means of standard analytical processes based on industry practices, and therefore only the significant sections of information are provided to the readers of this report.The governing and competitive landscape of the Commercial Printing are studied in this research report. The different stages and their details, such as rules, protocols, procedures, and strategies are also included in addition to an analysis of their effect on the overall growth rate of the market. The report also contains a comprehensive analysis of the business profiles of the most influential vendors in the Commercial Printing.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Commercial Printing1.1 Commercial Printing Market Overview1.1.1 Commercial Printing Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Commercial Printing Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Commercial Printing Market by Type1.3.1 Binding1.3.2 Composition1.3.3 Layout1.3.4 Graphic design1.4 Commercial Printing Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Books Newspapers1.4.2 Advertising1.4.3 Internal company documents1.4.4 Other2 Global Commercial Printing Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Commercial Printing Market Size (Value) by Players (2015-2016)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Dai Nippon Printing Co.3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Commercial Printing Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Quebecor Inc.3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Commercial Printing Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Commercial Printing Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Toppan Printing Co. Ltd.3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Commercial Printing Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.4.5 Recent Developments12 Commercial Printing Market Dynamics12.1 Commercial Printing Market Opportunities12.2 Commercial Printing Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Commercial Printing Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Commercial Printing Market Driving Force12.4.1 Growing Demand from Emerging Markets12.4.2 Potential Application13 Market Effect Factors Analysis13.1 Technology Progress/Risk13.1.1 Substitutes13.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry13.2 Consumer Needs Trend/Customer Preference13.3 External Environmental Change13.3.1 Economic Fluctuations13.3.2 Other Risk FactorsList of Tables and FiguresFigure Commercial Printing Product ScopeFigure Global Commercial Printing Market Size (2011-2016)Table Global Commercial Printing Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Global Commercial Printing Market Share by Regions in 2015Figure United States Commercial Printing Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure EU Commercial Printing Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Japan Commercial Printing Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure China Commercial Printing Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure India Commercial Printing Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Southeast Asia Commercial Printing Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Global Commercial Printing Market Share by Type in 2015Figure Binding Market Size (Value) and Growth Rate (2011-2016)Figure Composition Market Size (Value) and Growth Rate (2011-2016)Figure Layout Market Size (Value) and Growth Rate (2011-2016)Figure Graphic design Market Size (Value) and Growth Rate (2011-2016)Read More @QYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Smoke Evacuation System Market: New Launches and Product Innovation in Portable Evacuation Systems are Expected to Drive the Market Growth

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/smoke-evacuation-system-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18068

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Since the past decade, a large number of surgical procedures are moving out of the traditional ways, and they are replaced by minimally invasive techniques which is driving the market of smoke evacuation system globally. Use of electrocautery and electrosurgery devices is unavoidable in minimally invasive surgery which produces surgical smoke. Researchers have found more than 80 organic compounds in surgical smoke such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide that can cause upper respiratory infection, nausea, and other short-term symptoms.Smoke evacuation system has been developed to overcome this problem. The system is intended to remove smoke, aerosol, and noxious odors produced during electrosurgical procedure. Smoke evacuation systems are high-flow vacuum sources used to capture, at the surgical site, the smoke aerosols and gases generated during the use of lasers and electrosurgical units.Obtain Report Details @There are a number of factors that affect the growth of the smoke evacuation system market. Some of the key factors include growth in demand for minimally invasive surgical procedures; development and advancement of energy based electrocautery and ultrasonic devices; and rise in global geriatric population. Other key growth drivers include technological advancements in smoke evacuation system, increase in the number of cosmetic procedures, and high or sudden rise in the number of surgeries related to elderly population.The market is further witnessing restraints, or challenges in its path such as development of other non-invasive surgery technologies, alongside stiff competition among existing smoke evacuation system manufacturers. Moreover, product recalls and government regulations for reduction of overall health care cost are restraining the growth of this market.The global smoke evacuation system market is segmented on the basis of product, application, modality, end-user, and region. Based on product, the smoke evacuation system market is categorized into smoke evacuation filters, pencils & wands, smoke evacuation fusion products, and accessories. The smoke evacuation filters segment is further divided into ULPA filters, HEPA filters, charcoal filters, in-line filters, and pre-filters. The ULPA filters sub-segment is expected to hold a significantly large share of the smoke evacuation filters segment.A significant share of this segment is attributed to technological advancement and extraordinary evacuation capacity as compared to other filters. The smoke evacuation accessories segment comprises adapters, reducers, sensors, and smoke evacuation tubing. Among the accessories, the smoke evacuation tubing sub-segment is expected to account for a significant share in the near future. Rise in number of surgeries performed and recent product launches in this sub-segment is contributing to the large share in this market.On the basis of application, the smoke evacuation system market is divided into electrosurgical devices, electrocautery units, radiofrequency units, ultrasonic devices, laser units, and others. The electrocautery devices segment is anticipated to hold a significant share of the market during the forecast period. Increase in demand for minimally invasive surgeries and rise in geriatric population are expected to fuel the demand for the electrocautery devices segment during the forecast period.Based on modality, smoke evacuation systems are available in portable evacuation systems and centralized evacuation systems. High cost associated with maintenance of centralized evacuation systems and less efficiency as compared to portable evacuation systems are estimated to hamper the growth of the centralized evacuation systems segment. New launches and product innovation in portable evacuation systems are further expected to drive the growth of the market of this segment.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @On the basis of end-user, the smoke evacuation system market is segmented into hospitals, specialized clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers. The hospitals segment accounted for a major share of the market in 2015 due to increasing demand for electrosurgical devices from corporate hospitals. Globalization of health care and pharmaceutical standards is likely to support the growth of better hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers in developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America. This in turn is expected to propel the growth of the smoke evacuation system market in these regions.Geographically, the global smoke evacuation system market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the global smoke evacuation system market during the forecast period. Large geriatric and obese population facing cardiac and orthopedic problems and rise in incidences of cancer are anticipated to drive the market in this region. Asia Pacific has a high growth rate and is expected to offer growth opportunities in this market. Improved health care infrastructure and rise in health care spending by government are estimated to increase adoption of smoke evacuation system in this region.Key players operating in this market include Bovie Medical Corporation, Medtronic, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Boston Scientific Corporation, Olympus, Johnson & Johnson, Symmetry Surgical Inc., ConMed Corporation, KLS Martin, and Bowa-electronic GmbH & Co. KG.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Baby Car Seats Market Research Report 2016

Market Research Reports

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=907923&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-baby-car-seats-market-research-report-2016.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/category/machines-market-reports-120.htm

Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Baby Car Seats Market Research Report 2016" to its huge collection of research reports.The research report on the Baby Car Seats market includes an evaluation of all critical aspects underlying it. The report is intended to be a guidance document for readers, so they may learn of the markets key trends and dynamics, current as well as future ones. This report was compiled with the intention of aiding the readers to make well-informed business and strategic decisions for their benefit, while moving towards a prosperous tomorrow. The reports overview of the Baby Car Seats market includes brief descriptions, definitions, classifications, and terms that are used in the report henceforth. This lets the users gain a better understanding of the data provided in the report.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report classifies the Baby Car Seats market on the basis of multiple relevant categories, including a complete regional assessment. The segmentations let users completely acknowledge and understand the magnitude of each of the markets drivers, restraints, threats, and opportunities. It also analyzes the Baby Car Seats market on a macroscopic level to help analyze the various sources influences in each region, thereby revealing the diverse nature of the market.The research report also incorporates a chapter-wise study specifically dissects the competitive landscape of the Baby Car Seats market. This chapter examines the scenario of the Baby Car Seats market in terms of political influence and thus assesses the various effects of the regulatory pressure exerted by the government. It also profiles some of the key companies in the Baby Car Seats market and also shares details of their financial statuses, progress in research and development efforts, mergers and acquisitions and their strategic importance, and outlook of the Baby Car Seats market in terms of investments for the coming years.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Baby Car Seats Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Baby Car Seats1.2 Baby Car Seats Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Baby Car Seats by Type in 20151.2.2 Forward-facing Car Seat1.2.3 Booster Seat1.2.4 Rear-facing Car Seat1.3 Baby Car Seats Segment by Application1.3.1 Baby Car Seats Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 0-2 Years1.3.3 2-4 Years1.3.4 >4 Years1.4 Baby Car Seats Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Baby Car Seats (2011-2021)2 Global Baby Car Seats Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Baby Car Seats Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Baby Car Seats Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Baby Car Seats Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Baby Car Seats Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Baby Car Seats Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Baby Car Seats Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Baby Car Seats Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)3.1 Global Baby Car Seats Production by Region (2011-2016)3.2 Global Baby Car Seats Production Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.3 Global Baby Car Seats Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.4 Global Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.5 North America Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.6 Europe Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.7 China Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.8 Japan Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.9 Southeast Asia Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.10 India Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)4 Global Baby Car Seats Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global Baby Car Seats Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)4.2 North America Baby Car Seats Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.3 Europe Baby Car Seats Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.4 China Baby Car Seats Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.5 Japan Baby Car Seats Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.6 Southeast Asia Baby Car Seats Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.7 India Baby Car Seats Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)5 Global Baby Car Seats Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Baby Car Seats Production and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.2 Global Baby Car Seats Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.3 Global Baby Car Seats Price by Type (2011-2016)5.4 Global Baby Car Seats Production Growth by Type (2011-2016)6 Global Baby Car Seats Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Baby Car Seats Consumption and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)6.2 Global Baby Car Seats Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Baby Car SeatsFigure Global Production Market Share of Baby Car Seats by Type in 2015Figure Product Picture of Forward-facing Car SeatTable Major Manufacturers of Forward-facing Car SeatFigure Product Picture of Booster SeatTable Major Manufacturers of Booster SeatFigure Product Picture of Rear-facing Car SeatTable Major Manufacturers of Rear-facing Car SeatTable Baby Car Seats Consumption Market Share by Application in 2015Figure 0-2 Years ExamplesFigure 2-4 Years ExamplesFigure >4 Years ExamplesFigure North America Baby Car Seats Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Figure Europe Baby Car Seats Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Figure China Baby Car Seats Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Read More @QYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021

Market Research Reports

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=559776&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-paper-and-paperboard-container-and-packaging-industry-2016-market-research-report.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/press-releases.htm

Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021 to its huge collection of research reports.The market intelligence publication delves into the condition of the global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market. An in-depth examination of the existing market state, past progress, and forthcoming prospects of the global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market has been presented in the research report. The research publication also reports the chief strategies, key market shares, and product portfolio of the principal participants in work in the global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report provides an intrusive insight into the global market for Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging based on principal parameters such as technology, end user, products, applications, and geographical segments. The assessed volume and revenue progress of the global market for Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging over the coming years has also been stated in the market intellect publication. The study furthermore deals with the key geographical subdivisions of the global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market and provides details about their previous and existing shares. The trends leading in the global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market have also been emphasized in the research report. The market study further provides an estimate of the aspects that are expected to influence the development of the market in an adverse or constructive manner. The global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market has been methodically inspected with regards to the equivalent market segments and estimation period. Each year within the distinct timeline has been briefly measured in terms of the value of the produce in the regional as well as global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market.To give a clear idea of the global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging market, the vendor landscape has been extensively gauged and also put into understanding along with the value chain analysis. Evidence on the ongoing and to be introduced research and development activities and funds raised for innovation purpose has also been delivered in the research report.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.1 Definition and Specifications of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.1.1 Definition of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.1.2 Specifications of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.2 Classification of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.3 Applications of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.5.1 Industry Overview of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging8.1 INDEVCO8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.1.4 Contact Information8.2 Georgia Pacific8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.2.4 Contact Information8.3 International Paper8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.3.4 Contact InformationList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Paper and Paperboard Container and PackagingTable Product Specifications of Paper and Paperboard Container and PackagingTable Classification of Paper and Paperboard Container and PackagingFigure Global Production Market Share of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging by Types in 2015Table Applications of Paper and Paperboard Container and PackagingFigure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging by Applications in 2015Figure Industry Chain Structure of Paper and Paperboard Container and PackagingTable Global Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging Major ManufacturersTable Global Major Regions Paper and Paperboard Container and Packaging Development StatusFor Latest QYResearchreports Press Release Visit @QYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Key Players in the Free Space Optics Market in Global Industry : Analysis, Size, Share, Growth 2017-2024

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=869129

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=869129

ALBANY, NY, March 24, 2017 : A surge in demand for high bandwidth and increasing application of free space optical technology in military environments is strongly driving the growth of the free space optics market. Bandwidth usage is experiencing unprecedented growth and the demand for bandwidth is not likely to slow down in the coming years. Free space optical communication is a viable solution for various military applications and the most promising military environments where FSO technology can be used include military bases, in between bases where bases are co-located within 2-4 km of one another, ship to shore communications, and ship to ship communications. In addition to these factors, the incorporation of free space optics in 3G and 4G networks is triggering the market growth. Furthermore, quicker time to market and reduced costs associated with free space optics technology is boosting the market growth. The conjoint effect of all these drivers is thus set to bolster the growth of the global free space optics market during the forecast period.Advancements in free space optics technology and healthy economic growth of emerging economies are offering potential growth opportunities to the free space optics market. Advancements in free space optics technology have led to growth in requirement of free space optical communication in several applications including telecommunications, military and defense.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Key players in the fiber space optics market are coming up with rapid technological advancements to mitigate the effect of atmospheric attenuation on the FSO signals and this is expected to offer potential growth opportunities to the growth of the global free space optics market. Further, an unexpected exponential growth of the telecommunications industry and tremendous increase in the online time used up by existing customers is witnessed in the developing regions of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. This is persistently fuelling the demand for bandwidth and consequently offering lucrative opportunities for the growth of the FSO market.The competitive profiling of the major companies in the global free space optics market across five broad geographic regions has been included in the study. The competitive landscape is inclusive of the recent developments of the leading players in the field of free space optics and the various business strategies adopted by these companies. In the report, market attractive analysis of the chief application of free space optics has been provided in order to offer an insight into the global free space optics market. An extensive analysis of market dynamics which includes the drivers, restraints and opportunities of the global market is included under the scope of the study. Hence, the global free space optics market report offers an inclusive study of the market along with providing the forecast of the market for the period from 2016 to 2024.Some of the major players in the market are: Trimble Hungary Ltd. (Hungary), Mostcom Ltd. (Russia), AOptix Technologies Inc. (U.S.), Optelix (South Africa), LightPointe Communications, Inc. (U.S.), IBSENtelecom Ltd. (Norway), Harris Corporation (U.S.), Anova Technologies (U.S.), fSONA Networks Corp. (Canada) and Wireless Excellence Limited (U.K.) among others.The global free space optics market has been segmented into:Free Space Optics Market, by ComponentsTransmittersReceiversModulatorsDemodulatorsEncoders & DecodersOthersFree Space Optics Market, by ApplicationStorage Area NetworkData TransmissionDefenseSecurityAirborne ApplicationsHealthcareDisaster RecoverLast Mile AccessOthersMake an Enquiry of this report @Free Space Optics Market, by Geography: The market is broadly segmented on the basis of geography into:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle east and AfricaLatin AmericaResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMoz90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States
United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021

Market Research Reports

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=883339&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/united-states-eu-japan-china-india-and-southeast-asia-same-day-delivery-market-size-status-and-forecast-2021.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/press-releases.htm

Qyresearchreports include new market research report United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021 to its huge collection of research reports.This research report is a highly descriptive analysis of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery market. It provides a detailed overview of the various applications and end users of the market and how the demand and supply charts are anticipated to look in the forthcoming years. It takes into account the current and historic data pertaining to the market and with the help of market experts, estimates future trends. These predictions can allow the readers to gain a coherent perspective of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery market and all its dynamics.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report presents an in-depth analysis of the industry chain structure of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery market. It includes the details and statistics regarding production along with industry policies that affect them, the efficiency of utilization of available resources, the currently available production capacities, and the degree at which they are utilized. This is followed by information regarding the import and export cycles within the market. The cost analysis of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery market forms an important part of the report. It serves as a reliable tool for both existing and new players to maximize their profit.The report also includes market analysis tools and Porters five force analysis, which are pivotal in understanding the competitive landscape of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery market. It profiles the prominent players in the market along with their latest developments, business strategies, revenue generation, and contact information. It performs the SWOT analysis that reveals the potential growth trajectory of each key player in the market. For a lucid analysis, the report has segmented the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery market on the basis of several parameters including application and geography. Each segment is meticulously studied in terms of both revenue and volume.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Same-day Delivery1.1 Same-day Delivery Market Overview1.1.1 Same-day Delivery Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Same-day Delivery Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia2 Global Same-day Delivery Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Same-day Delivery Market Size (Value) by Players (2015-2016)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 A-1 Express3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Same-day Delivery Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 DHL3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Same-day Delivery Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 FedEx3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Same-day Delivery Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent DevelopmentsList of Tables and FiguresFigure Same-day Delivery Product ScopeFigure Global Same-day Delivery Market Size (2011-2016)Table Global Same-day Delivery Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Global Same-day Delivery Market Share by Regions in 2015Figure United States Same-day Delivery Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure EU Same-day Delivery Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Japan Same-day Delivery Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure China Same-day Delivery Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure India Same-day Delivery Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Southeast Asia Same-day Delivery Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)For Latest QYResearchreports Press Release Visit @QYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Worldwide Technology of Processed Meat Market in GCC Industry 2017-2024

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=869128

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=869128

ALBANY, NY, March 24, 2017 : The research report on the GCC processed meat market offers detailed analysis of the processed meat products market in Qatar and rest of GCC and helps to understand the driving forces behind the popularity of this market. Under the scope of the report, detailed analysis of major segments and sub-segments of processed meat market for the Qatar and rest of GCC are provided for the historical years (2010-2014) and the next eight years (2016-2024). Moreover, the report includes in-depth analysis of the drivers, restraints, market trends, and future outlook of the industry. The strategies for stakeholders to succeed in the business have been comprehensively assessed in the report. It also provides an understanding of volume (million kg) and value (USD million) of processed meat consumption across GCC. The study highlights the current and future market trends, historical market (2010 to 2015), and provides forecast from 2016 to 2024.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @In terms of meat type, poultry accounts for the largest market share across GCC. Frozen processed meat, especially poultry led in terms of growth in 2015 and is expected to maintain its leading position over the forecast period. In general, poultry consumption in Saudi Arabia is on the rise. Burgers, franks, nuggets, salami, and hot dogs are favorite lunch items amongst the growing young population. They are conveniently stored and easily prepared when needed. Thus, the market of processed meat is expected to grow over the forecast period.In terms of product type, frozen processed meat type occupied the largest market share in the overall GCC processed meat market both in terms of revenue and volume in 2015. Processed meat sales are expected to be driven by frozen variants across all the countries in GCC. Chilled processed meat, on the other hand, does not enjoy the same variety, and these products also have a shorter life. For the processed meat market, the target segment is mainly foreign workers, who want to add some protein to their meals without spending too much money and time. Frozen processed meat product such as hot dogs, salami based packaged food products are very much popular among the younger generation across GCC. Another factor which is helping the processed meat market to grow in GCC countries mainly in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE is the busy life style of people over the years.By country, the market has been segmented into Qatar and rest of GCC. This report helps distributors, suppliers and manufacturers to formulate strategies based on understanding of the trends in this market. Among the overall meat type segment, poultry is analyzed to be the most attractive segment for the processed meat market due to increasing health awareness among consumers in Qatar. Across the GCC, consumers are shifting from the consumption of red meat to poultry, as cholesterol content of red meat is high as compared to poultry. Growing popularity of processed meat based food products among the younger generation, and rising demand for organic food products, among others, are the major factors driving the processed meat market across GCC.Make an Enquiry of this report @The leading brands which have the maximum market share in processed meat market across GCC include National Food Co. (Americana Meat), Al Islami Foods, Sunbulah Group, BRF S.A., Tyson Foods, Cargill Inc., Gulf Food Industries and Almunajem among others.ResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMoz90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Analyzers Market: Technological Upgrades Leading to the Development of Automated ESR Analyzers would Contribute to the Growth of the Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/erythrocyte-sedimentation-rate-analyzers-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18632

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) can be defined as the rate at which red blood cells or erythrocytes sediment in a period of one hour. ESR is usually measured in millimeter per hour (mm/hr) and a value above 100 mm/hr indicates a disease condition, such as a disease that causes inflammation, active infection, cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, blood disease, diabetes, and collagen vascular disease. However, ESR is a non-specific test for inflammation and is used in conjunction with other tests such as C-reactive protein.Normal ESR result does not rule out the possibility of inflammation. Similarly, an elevated ESR without any symptoms of the disease does not aid in making any medical decision. ESR analyzers are devices employed to measure the sedimentation rate of erythrocytes for an accurate reading. Automated ESR analyzers need to comply with the 2011-published Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines for measuring ESR. The analyzer works on the basic principle of Westergrens method followed to determine ESR.Browse Market Research Report @The ESR analyzers market can be segmented based on modality, end-user, and region. In terms of modality, the market can be segmented into automatic analyzers, semi-automatic analyzers, and manual analyzers. Based on end-user, the ESR analyzers market can be segmented into hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, and academic institutions. In terms of region, the ESR analyzers market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.ESR is one of the basic hematology tests performed to identify various disease conditions, which would contribute to the growth of the ESR analyzers market. Technological upgrades leading to the development of automated ESR analyzers from manual ESR analyzers would also contribute to the growth of the market. In addition, the increasing number of infections leading to various health hazards would contribute to the rising number of ESR tests, which in turn would drive the ESR analyzers market in the near future.However, the non-specificity of the tests and the necessity for other tests to be performed to confirm the diseased condition could have a negative impact on the ESR analyzers market, as demand for specific tests increases. Furthermore, false negative results of ESR due to the effect of drugs such as oral contraceptives, dextran, methyldopa, penicillamine procainamide, theophylline, vitamin A, aspirin, cortisone, and quinine also make ESR less desirable, thereby impacting the growth of the ESR analyzers market.For more information on this report, fill the form @Automatic analyzers are expected to dominate the ESR analyzers market during the forecast period, owing to their abilities to enhance the workflow and turnaround time. Diagnostic laboratories and hospitals are expected to be the leading segments of the ESR analyzers market. Geographically, North America is expected to be the major market for ESR analyzers. Growth of the market in the region can be attributed to the well-developed health care infrastructure in the region.Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period, owing to increasing infections, evolution of new diseases, and poor sanitation conditions which lead to increased infections among the population. In addition, government focus on enhancing the health care infrastructure and providing better health care facilities to the population contribute to the growth of the ESR analyzers market in Asia Pacific.Leading players in the ESR analyzers market include Sysmex, R&R Mechatronics International B.V., TRANSASIA Bio Medicals Ltd., Diesse Diagnostica Senese Spa, Vital Diagnostics, Caretium Medical Instruments Co, Limited, Grifols, S.A., Beckman Coulter, Inc., ALCOR Scientific, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Perlong Medical, BPC Biosed Srl, and SFRI.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Overall Information And Data Analysis Of Poultry Pharmaceuticals Global Market (Product Type - Drugs, Vaccines, Feed Additive, Medication; Animal Type - Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Goose): 2017 - 2024

Market Research Report

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=852903

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=852903

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

ResearchMoz presents this most up-to-date research on "Overall Information And Data Analysis Of Poultry Pharmaceuticals Global Market (Product Type - Drugs, Vaccines, Feed Additive, Medication; Animal Type - Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Goose): 2017 - 2024".This report on the poultry pharmaceuticals market studies the current as well as future prospects of the market globally. The stakeholders of this report include companies and intermediaries engaged in the manufacture, commercialization, providing services of poultry pharmaceuticals such as drugs, vaccines, and feed additive medication, as well as new entrants planning to enter this market. This report comprises an elaborate executive summary along with a market snapshot providing overall information of various segments and sub-segments considered in the scope of the study. This section also provides the overall information and data analysis of the global poultry pharmaceuticals market with respect to the leading market segments based on major pharmaceutical products, animal types, and geographies.The poultry pharmaceuticals market has been studied based on major product segments and their regional as well as national markets. Based on product type, the global market has been categorized into three major segments: drugs, vaccines, and feed additive medication. Based on animal type, the global market has been categorized into five major segments: chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and others (emus, etc.). The market for these segments has been extensively analyzed based on their utility, sales, and geographic presence. Market revenue in terms of US$ Mn for the period from 2014 to 2024 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2016 to 2024 are provided for all segments, considering 2015 as the base year.The market overview section of the report explores the market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities that currently have a strong impact on the poultry pharmaceuticals market and could influence the market in the near future. Market attractiveness analysis has been provided in the market overview section in order to explain the intensity of competition in the market across different geographies. The competitive scenario among different market players is evaluated through market share analysis in the competitive landscape section of the report. All these factors would help market players to take strategic decisions in order to strengthen their positions and expand their shares in the global market.Make an Enquiry of this report @Geographically, the poultry pharmaceuticals market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Each regional market for poultry pharmaceuticals has been further categorized into major national markets such as the U.S, Canada, Germany, the U.K., India, China, and Brazil. Market revenue in terms of US$ Mn for the period from 2014 to 2024 along with CAGR % from 2016 to 2024 are provided for all the regions and nations considering 2015 as the base year.The report also profiles key players operating in the poultry pharmaceuticals market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Bayer AG, Bimeda, Ceva Sante Animale, Elanco Animal Health (Eli Lilly and Company), Merck Animal Health, Merial Animal Health (Sanofi), Virbac, and Zoetis, Inc.The global poultry pharmaceuticals market has been segmented as given below:Global Poultry Pharmaceuticals Market, by Product TypeDrugsVETRIMOXINOther Drug ProductsVaccinesINNOVAXNOBILISPoulvacOther Vaccine ProductsFeed Additive MedicationVIGOSINEAmnovitOther Feed Additive MedicationGlobal Poultry Pharmaceuticals Market, by Animal TypeChickenTurkeyDuckGooseOthersGlobal Poultry Pharmaceuticals Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.GermanyTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Detailed Examination Of Bladder Cancer- Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast - 2023

Market Research Report

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=774521

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=774521

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Detailed Examination Of Bladder Cancer- Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast - 2023" to its huge collection of research reports.DelveInsights Bladder cancer - Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast-2023 Reports provides an overview of the disease and global market trends of the Indication for the seven major markets ie: United States, EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) and Japan. The Report covers the therapeutics market revenue; average cost of therapy, treatment practice and Bladder cancer forecasted market share for ten years to 2023 segmented by seven major markets. In addition, the report also includes global forecast of epidemiology of Bladder cancer till 2023.Key Coverage and BenefitsThe report will help in developing business strategies by understanding the trends shaping and driving the global Bladder cancer market.Identifying patient populations in the global Bladder cancermarket to improve product design, pricing, and launch plans.Organize sales and marketing efforts by identifying the best opportunities for Bladder cancer therapeutics in each of the markets covered.To understand the future market competition in the global Bladder cancer therapeutics market and Insightful review of the key market drivers and barriers.ScopeReport covers the disease overview including etiology, path physiology, symptoms, diagnosis, disease management, and current treatment options.Marketed information including available prescription drugs, its patent and exclusivity details followed by drug sales till 2018.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The Report also covers the detailed global historical and forecasted epidemiological data covering United States, EU5, Japan and rest of the word from 2013-2023.It also provides Bladder cancer for United States, EU5 and Japan from 2013 and forecasted Market to 2023.Table of ContentsBladder cancer overviewPathophysiologySymptoms of diseaseEtiology of diseaseDiagnosis of diseaseTreatment of diseaseOverview of Marketed drugsDrug DescriptionMechanism of ActionPharmacokinetics PropertiesMarketed DetailsPatent InformationPatent Exclusivity Expiry Assessment United States (US)Patents DetailsHistorical and Forecasted sales of marketed molecules in the Global Bladder cancer MarketGlobal Epidemiology of Bladder cancer Forecasted to 2023Global Market (2013-2015)Global Forecasted Market (2016-2023)Global Market by GeographyMarket of US (2013-2015)Forecasted Market of US (2016-2023)Market of EuropeMarket of Germany (2013-2015)Forecasted Market of Germany (2016-2023)Market of United Kingdom (2013-2015)Forecasted Market of United Kingdom (2016-2023)Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Microarray Market: Emergence of Advanced Technologies and Global Industry Analysis 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/microarray-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19043

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Microarray is an advanced molecular biology technique used to spot expressions of many genes at the same time. Gene expression is a crucial part of normal gene functioning and plays significant role in understanding normal growth and development of life. Any abnormalities in gene functioning can lead to critical disease. Research involving the study of many genes by traditional method is next to impossible. Microarrays serve the purpose. Thousands of genes can be arrayed at one time and analyzed accurately. It is fast, accurate, cost effective and easy to do assay design.Obtain Report Details @Microarray can be used for many micro molecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and also for enzymes, carbohydrates, and tissues. It can be used for gene expression profiling, molecular interactions, biomarker profiling, enzyme activity, pathway identification, and mutations. Microarray is not limited to basic research, but has expanded to clinical research and diagnosis.Based on type, microarrays can be segmented into DNA microarrays, protein microarrays, and antibody microarrays. DNA microarrays can be used for single nucleotide polymorphism-based diagnostics, forensic detection, gene expression profiling, etc. Large number of applications of DNA microarrays makes it a major segment of the microarray market. Protein microarrays are used in biomarker screening, enzyme substrate profiling, small molecule profiling, protein-protein interaction, etc. Antibody microarrays find applications in immunology in antibody specificity profiling, electronic immunoassays, etc.In terms of application, microarrays can be segmented into gene expression profiling tool, comparative genomics tool, disease diagnosis, drug discovery, and toxicological research involving the uncharacterized microbial populations exposed to toxins and pollutants. With the help of microarrays some of the uncharacterized microbes can be identified and their original gene pattern and functionality can be studied. Microarray technology has provided a new insight into the evolutionary studies, as many arrays can be studied parallel that are specific for particular species.Microarrays can be used in comparative genomics and pathway probing. Microarrays provide information, though not complete but useful, about the gene or group of genes that can be studied further, illuminating the biological pathways. Microarray has helped in better understanding of some diseases, their pathogenesis, and genetics. Scientists are able to differentiate cancer on the basis of organs harboring tumor, leading to a better understanding of gene pattern in the tumor cells. Microarray has also benefitted therapeutics development.Better understanding of any drug addiction followed by better treatment in any patient is an example of it. In diagnosis of diseases, particularly at the time of outbreaks, where a quick and accurate diagnosis is required, microarray has gained recognition in identifying the causative agent or the pathogen and the specific strain or antigen (serotype).Based on product type and analysis, the microarray market can be segmented into consumables and instruments. Large number of applications of microarray has led to high demand for consumables such as reagents, primers, buffers, DNA chips, and reagent kits.Microarray has widespread applications in genomics as well as proteomics. The progressively evolving information and software technology and emerging bioinformatics are some of the factors driving the microarray market, making it economical, unfailing, and durable. The development of biological products such as vaccines and therapeutic proteins involving microarray technologies could lead to promising results. However government protocols have mentioned that minor changes in the biological process may lead to distinguished end product, there is an urgent need of extensive testing and authentication. And these factors may hamper the market.For more information on this report, fill the form @In terms of region, the microarray market can be segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America was the largest market for microarrays. Advanced technology, high quality result oriented research, public awareness about personal health, and government initiatives are the factors contributing to the growth of the microarray market in North America. Europe was the second largest market for microarrays, followed by Asia Pacific. Increasing awareness among the people about genetic diseases, education, government initiatives, and modern technology in diagnosis and treatment of diseases are propelling the microarray market in Asia Pacific.Key players in the microarray market are Agilent Technologies, Illumina, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific and Merck. Other companies include Applied Microarrays, BioGenex, Perkin Elmer, QIAGEN, and Phalanx Biotech.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
1. Report of the Board of Directors on the annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2016





2. Report of the statutory auditor on the annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2016





3. Communication of the consolidated annual accounts of the UCB Group relating to the financial year ended 31 December 2016





4. Approval of the annual accounts of UCB SA/NV for the financial year ended 31 December 2016 and appropriation of the results



Proposed resolution :

The General Meeting approves the annual accounts of UCB SA/NV for the financial year ended 31 December 2016 and the appropriation of the results reflected therein, including the approval of a gross dividend of EUR 1.15 per share(*).



(*) The UCB shares held by UCB SA/NV (own shares) are not entitled to a dividend. Therefore, the aggregate amount to be distributed to the shareholders may fluctuate depending on the number of UCB shares held by UCB SA/NV (own shares) on the dividend approval date.





5. Approval of the remuneration report for the financial year ended 31 December 2016



The Belgian Companies Code requires the General Meeting to approve the remuneration report each year by separate vote. This report describes, amongst other, the remuneration policy for members of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee and provides information on their remuneration.



Proposed resolution :

The General Meeting approves the remuneration report for the financial year ended 31 December 2016.





6. Discharge in favour of the directors



Pursuant to the Belgian Companies Code, the General Meeting must, after approval of the annual accounts, vote on the discharge of liability of the directors.



Proposed resolution :

The General Meeting grants discharge to the directors for the performance of their duties during the financial year ended 31 December 2016.





7. Discharge in favour of the statutory auditor



Pursuant to the Belgian Companies Code, the General Meeting must, after approval of the annual accounts, vote on the discharge of liability of the statutory auditor.



Proposed resolution :

The General Meeting grants discharge to the statutory auditor for the performance of his duties during the financial year ended 31 December 2016.





8. Directors - appointments - renewal of mandates



The mandate of Mr. Albrecht De Graeve will expire at this General Meeting. Mr. Gerhard Mayr, Chairman of the Board, will reach the age limit by this General Meeting and, as a consequence, his mandate will end with effect on 27 April 2017. Mrs. Harriet Edelman, of which mandate was renewed in 2016, has decided, for personal reasons, to resign from her mandate as independent director with effect as at this General Meeting.

Upon recommendation of the Governance, Nomination and Compensation Committee ("GNCC"), the Board of Directors proposes: (i) the appointment of Mrs. Viviane Monges as independent director for a mandate of 4 years; (ii) the renewal of the mandate of Mr. Albrecht De Graeve as independent director for a new term of 4 years; and (iii) the appointment of Mr. Roch Doliveux as director for a mandate of 4 years.

Mrs. Viviane Monges and Mr. Albrecht De Graeve meet the independence criteria stipulated by article 526ter of the Belgian Companies Code, the Board and the Corporate Governance Code.

The curriculum vitae and, where applicable, other information on the proposed new Board members are available on the internet site of UCB http://www.ucb.com/investors/Our-shareholders.

Subject to the above mentioned appointments and renewal by the General Meeting, the Board will continue to be composed of a majority of independent directors.

By decision of the Board taking effect immediately after this General Meeting and upon recommendation of the GNCC, Mrs. Evelyn du Monceau will replace Mr. Gerhard Mayr as Chair of the Board and Mr. Pierre Gurdjian, independent director, will become Vice-Chair of the Board. Mrs. Kay Davies, independent director, will replace Mrs. Harriet Edelman as member of the GNCC. The composition of the other Board Committees (Audit Committee and Scientific Committee) will not change.



Proposed resolutions :



8.1. A) The General Meeting appoints Mrs. Viviane Monges(*) as director for a term of four years until the close of the annual General Meeting of 2021.



B) The General Meeting acknowledges that, from the information made available to the Company, Mrs. Viviane Monges qualifies as an independent director according to the independence criteria provided for by article 526ter of the Belgian Companies Code and the applicable corporate governance rules and appoints her as independent director.





8.2. A) The General Meeting renews the appointment of Mr. Albrecht De Graeve(**) as director for a term of four years until the close of the annual General Meeting of 2021.



B) The General Meeting acknowledges that, from the information made available to the Company, Mr. Albrecht De Graeve qualifies as an independent director according to the independence criteria provided for by article 526ter of the Belgian Companies Code and the applicable corporate governance rules and appoints him as independent director.





8.3. The General Meeting appoints Mr. Roch Doliveux(*) as director for a term of four years until the close of the annual General Meeting of 2021.





(*) Curriculum vitae and details are available at http://www.ucb.com/investors/Our-shareholders

(**) Curriculum vitae and details are available at http://www.ucb.com/investors/UCB-Governance

SPECIAL PART





9. Long Term Incentive Plans



9.1 Program of free allocation of shares



This approval requested from the General Meeting is not required by law but is sought in order to ensure transparency and in accordance with the Belgian Code of Corporate Governance 2009.



Proposed resolution :



The General Meeting approves the decision of the Board of Directors to allocate an estimated number of 1 054 000 free shares:



of which an estimated number of 891 000 shares to eligible employees, namely to about

1 650 individuals (excluding new hires and promoted employees up to and including 1 April 2017), according to the applicable allocation criteria. These free shares will only vest if and when the eligible employees are still employed within the UCB Group three years after the grant of awards;

of which an estimated number of 163 000 shares to Upper Management employees under the Performance Share Plan, namely to about 52 individuals, according to the applicable allocation criteria. These free shares will be delivered after a three year vesting period and the number of shares actually allocated will vary from 0% to 150% of the number of shares initially granted depending on the level of achievement of the performance conditions set by the Board of UCB SA/NV at the moment of grant. These estimated figures do not take into account employees hired or promoted to eligible levels between 1 January 2017 and 1 April 2017.



9.2 US Employee Stock Purchase Plan - Renewal



End of 2007, UCB introduced an Employee Stock Purchase Plan in the US, the UCB S.A. U.S. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"). According to this Plan, eligible employees are able to buy UCB shares with a discount of 15%. In order for this Plan to qualify as an "employee stock purchase plan" within the meaning of Section 423 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, a number of conditions need to be fulfilled. Amongst those conditions, the General Meeting of UCB SA/NV needs to approve the Plan, the maximum aggregate number of shares that may be allocated under the Plan, and the designation of participating entities whose employees may be offered the right to purchase shares under the Plan. The General Meeting of 2008 approved the Plan with a term of 10 years, which ends on 14 September 2017, and agreed to reserve a maximum aggregate number of 500 000 shares for sale under the Plan. The General Meeting of 2013 increased the maximum aggregate number of shares reserved for sale under the Plan from 500 000 to 1 000 000.



In accordance with US regulations, the General Meeting now needs to renew its approval of this Plan for another term of 10 years. Therefore, it is now proposed that the General Meeting approves the updated Plan rules renamed the UCB SA North America Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the extension of the term of the Plan for another 10 years, a maximum aggregate number of shares reserved for sale under the Plan of 1 500 000, and the designation of the participating entities whose employees may be offered the right to purchase shares under the Plan.



Proposed resolution :



The General Meeting approves: (i) the updated rules of the UCB SA North America Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended from time to time (the "Plan"), (ii) that the term of the Plan is extended for another 10 years, (iii) that the maximum aggregated number of ordinary shares of UCB SA/NV that may be purchased pursuant to the Plan shall not exceed 1 500 000 shares, and (iv) that the companies whose employees will be offered to benefit from the Plan shall be the subsidiaries of UCB SA/NV that are incorporated or formed under the laws of a state of the United States or Canada, as determined in the Plan rules.




Fibre Optic Cable Market Global Professional Survey and In-depth Analysis Research Report Forecast to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1072

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/fibre-optic-cable-market

Objective of Fibre Optic Cable Market Study: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Fibre Optic Cable market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Fibre Optical Cable Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by component, by applications and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the marke To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Fibre Optic Cable market.Request a Sample Report @Market Synopsis of Fibre Optic Cable Market:Market ScenarioThe major growth driver of Fibre Optic Cable Market includes rising demand for higher bandwidth fabric-based broadband services, growing investment in telecommunications and information technology sectors, growing advancement of Fibre optic technology, and growing adoption of 3G and 4G technology among others.Hence the market for Fibre Optic Cable is expected to grow at XX% CAGR (2016-2027).However, weak signal strength of Fibre cables is one of the major factors which are hindering the growth of Fibre Optic Cable Market.SegmentsGlobal Fibre Optic Cable Market can be segmented as follows:Segmentation by Type: Single mode and multi-mode among others.Segmentation by Components: Connectors, amplifiers, couplers, transmitter and receivers among others.Segmentation by Application: Telecommunication, oil & gas, aerospace & defence, and data network, utilities among others.[Note: only qualitative information has been provided under the component segment]Regional Analysis of Fibre Optic Cable Market:Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market in the Global Fibre Optic Cable market share of XX% due to improving connectivity and rise in demand for 3G/4G services in the region, and therefore accounting for $XX million and is expected to grow over $XX billion by 2027. Fibre Optic Cable Market in North-America market is expected to grow at CAGR of XX% from $ XX million in 2016 to $XX million by 2027. The Europe market for Fibre Optic Cable Market is expected to grow at XX% CAGR (2016-2027).Access Report Details @Key PlayersSome of the major players in Global Fibre Optic Cable Market include Alcatel-Lucent SA (France), Amphenol Corporation (U.S.), Avago Technologies (U.S.), Ciena corporation (U.S.), Corning optical communications (U.S.), Diamond SA (Switzerland), EMCORE corporation (U.S.), Sterlite Technologies Limited (India), Fujikura Limited (Japan), and Prysmian Spa (Italy)among others.Industry News: Amphenol Corporation has announced in July 2016 about its new expansion in Chicago. It has recently opened another group named Amphenol EEC. This new organization will manufacture connectors and cable assemblies. This also offers CNC machining, tool making, powder coating and overmold process among others. Avago technologies has announced in March 2016 about its new expansion named Fibre channel host bus adapters which is been developed to address the demand for enterprise data storage systems.The report for Fibre Optic Cable market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.comAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Cognitive Computing Technology Market Segmentation, Parameters and Prospects 2017 to 2022 Market Research Report

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1533

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cognitive-computing-technology-market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/1533

Market Segmentation:For the purpose of this study, MRFR has segmented the Cognitive Computing market on the basis of Technology, Domains and Users; Segmentation by Technology; Machine Learning, NLP (Natural Language Processing) among others. Segmentation by Domain; SMEs and Large Business Units. Segmentation by End Users; Healthcare, BFSI, IT & Telecommunication, Manufacturing, Defense, Retail among others.Market Highlights:Cognitive Computing is a modern technology, which simulates the process of human thoughts into computerized model. This technology is capable of self-learning which uses the gestures, patterns recognition, data mining and NLP (Natural Language Processing) to act like a human brain. Industries are using Cognitive Computing technology with big data analytics to get the better and accurate output.Request a Sample Report @Key playersThe key players in the market of Cognitive Computing technology are; IBM (U.S.) Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (U.S.) Microsoft (U.S.) Oracle Corporation (U.S.) SAP SE (Germany) SAS Institute Inc. (U.S.) Numenta (U.S.) Enterra Solutions LLC (U.S.) PTC (U.S.) Palantir (U.S.)Target Audience Games Manufacturers Distribution Centers Software Developers Manufacturing Companies Healthcare Service providersIndustry News In September 2016, IBM announced the partnership with MIT for the development of cognitive computing. In May 2015, PTC announced the acquisition of Cold Light a leader in the big data analytics and big data learning.Browse Report Details @Study Objective of Cognitive Computing Technology Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Cognitive Computing Technology Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Cognitive Computing Technology market based on various factors- value chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by technology, by domain, by end users and sub-segments To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Cognitive Computing Technology MarketRequest Table of Contents for this Report @Regional AnalysisNorth America is dominating the market of Cognitive Computing technology market with the market share of increasing volume of unstructured data and technology advancement are few factors which is driving the market. Heavy investment in R&D sector from the major players in this region is also helping the market to grow. North America Cognitive Computing technology market has been valued at US millions in the year 2015 which is expected to reach US millions by the end of forecasted period. Europe holds of Cognitive Computing technology market with market share. Asia-Pacific has rich presence of manufacturing industry where Cognitive Computing technologies are being deployed. Increase cloud services are one of key factor which is supporting the market in this region. This market has been valued at US millions in the year 2015 which is growing with the CAGR and expected to grow at US millions by end of forecasted period.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Fingerprint Sensors Industry Supply Chain Relationship, Development Trends, Key Companies Profile and Forecast to 2021

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1046

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/fingerprint-sensors-market

Global Fingerprint Sensors Market, by Component (Hardware, Sensor (Ultrasound, Optical, Thermal, Solid-state), Software), by Application (Defense, Government, Military, Commercial, Banking, Mobile security) - Forecast 2027Objective of Fingerprint Sensors Market Study: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Fingerprint Sensors market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Fingerprint Sensors Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by components, by applications and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Fingerprint Sensors market.Market Synopsis of Fingerprint Sensors Market:Request a Sample ReportMarket ScenarioThe major growth driver of Fingerprint Sensors Market includes growing demand for security checks in organizations, growing importance of physical access control solution, and growing market of smartphones and tablets among others.Hence the market for Fingerprint Sensors is expected to grow at XX% CAGR (2016-2027).However, lack of technical awareness and technology restrictions are some of the major factors which are hindering the growth of Fingerprint Sensors Market.SegmentsGlobal Fingerprint Sensors Market can be segmented as follows:Segmentation by Components: sensors (optical sensors, capacitive sensors, ultrasound sensors, thermal sensors and solid-state sensors among others), hardware and software among others.Segmentation by Application: mobile security, government, military & defense, banking, and commercial among others.Regional Analysis of Fingerprint Sensors Market:Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the Global Fingerprint Sensors Market with the largest market share due to growing usage of biometric devices in organizations, and growing acceptance of new technology in the region, and therefore accounting for $XX million and is expected to grow over $XX billion by 2027. Fingerprint Sensors Market in Europe market is expected to grow at CAGR of XX% from $ XX million in 2016 to $XX million by 2027. The North-America market for Fingerprint Sensors Market is expected to grow at XX% CAGR (2016-2027).Key PlayersSome of the major players in Global Fingerprint Sensors Market include 3M Cogent Inc. (U.S.), Crossmatch (U.S.), Dermalog Identification Systems (Germany), Egis Technology Inc.(U.S.), Fingerprint Cards AB (Sweden), Goodix Ltd (China), NEC Corporation (Japan), Silead Inc. (China), Suprema Inc. (Korea) and Synaptic Inc. (U.S.)among others.Access Report Details @Industry News: Fingerprint cards have launched its new product touch fingerprint sensor devices to serve entry-level smartphone market on June 2016. Synaptic has announced in year 2015 about expansion of its product Natural ID with small area fingerprint sensors to support high end mobile devices. This Synaptic Natural ID provides fingerprint ID with a single touch which makes it different from traditional sensors.The report for Fingerprint Sensors Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.comAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Digital Education Content Market Research Report 2016

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=838315&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-digital-education-content-market-research-report-2016.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/category/semiconductors-market-reports-63.htm

Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Digital Education Content Market Research Report 2016 to its huge collection of research reports.The Digital Education Content is the target of analysis presented in this research report which is a highly descriptive and insightful publication. It chalks out a detailed, all-inclusive, and logical perspective of the market, casing all crucial categories and their pieces, along with the aspects that have so far shown the potential of having a deep influence on the market over the coming years. The report is therefore a 360-degree representation of the analysis of the current state of market.The market has been quarried to its microscopic nuances, where rudimentary data and key, industry-specific classifications of the market and its elements that are being defined in the overview. The report then moves ahead into a 360 degree analysis of the Digital Education Content, while sticking to phrases of the market, such as specific definitions, applications, industry chain structures, government policies, and recent developments.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The large volumes of data presented in this report, on the Digital Education Content, have been garnered with the aid of different research methodologies, both primary and secondary. This data is further concentrated by means of standard analytical processes based on industry practices, and therefore only the significant sections of information are provided to the readers of this report.The governing and competitive landscape of the Digital Education Content are studied in this research report. The different stages and their details, such as rules, protocols, procedures, and strategies are also included in addition to an analysis of their effect on the overall growth rate of the market. The report also contains a comprehensive analysis of the business profiles of the most influential vendors in the Digital Education Content.Table of ContentsGlobal Digital Education Content Market Research Report 20161 Digital Education Content Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Digital Education Content1.2 Digital Education Content Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Digital Education Content by Type in 20151.2.2 Type I1.2.3 Type II1.2.4 Type III1.3 Digital Education Content Segment by Application1.3.1 Digital Education Content Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Application 11.3.3 Application 21.3.4 Application 31.4 Digital Education Content Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Korea Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Digital Education Content (2011-2021)Browse full table of contents and data tables of Report @2 Global Digital Education Content Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Digital Education Content Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Digital Education Content Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Digital Education Content Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Digital Education Content Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Digital Education Content Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Digital Education Content Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Digital Education Content Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Digital Education Content Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)3.1 Global Digital Education Content Production by Region (2011-2016)3.2 Global Digital Education Content Production Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.3 Global Digital Education Content Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.4 Global Digital Education Content Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.5 North America Digital Education Content Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.6 Europe Digital Education Content Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.7 China Digital Education Content Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.8 Japan Digital Education Content Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.9 Korea Digital Education Content Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.10 Taiwan Digital Education Content Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)4 Global Digital Education Content Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global Digital Education Content Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)4.2 North America Digital Education Content Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.3 Europe Digital Education Content Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.4 China Digital Education Content Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.5 Japan Digital Education Content Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.6 Korea Digital Education Content Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.7 Taiwan Digital Education Content Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)5 Global Digital Education Content Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Digital Education Content Production and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.2 Global Digital Education Content Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.3 Global Digital Education Content Price by Type (2011-2016)5.4 Global Digital Education Content Production Growth by Type (2011-2016)Read More @QYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Global 5G Technology Market 2016 Analysis and Forecast to 2021

5G Technology Market

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1112414-global-5g-technology-market-professional-survey-report-forecast-2017-2021

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/1112414-global-5g-technology-market-professional-survey-report-forecast-2017-2021

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1112414

www.wiseguyreports.com

Request a Sample Report @This report studies 5G Technology in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2017, and forecast to 2021.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringCisco (U.S.)Ericsson (Sweden)SK Telecom (South Korea)Korea Telecom (South Korea)Nokia Networks (Finland)Samsung (South Korea)Qualcomm (U.S.)Intel (U.S.)NEC Corporation (Japan)...By types, the market can be split intoType 1Type 2Type 3By Application, the market can be split intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaBrowse Full Report Details@Some Major Points from Table of Content:Table of ContentsGlobal 5G Technology Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of 5G Technology1.1 Definition and Specifications of 5G Technology1.1.1 Definition of 5G Technology1.1.2 Specifications of 5G Technology1.2 Classification of 5G Technology1.2.1 Type 11.2.2 Type 21.2.3 Type 31.3 Applications of 5G Technology1.3.2 Application 11.3.3 Application 21.3.4 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of 5G Technology2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of 5G Technology2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of 5G Technology2.4 Industry Chain Structure of 5G Technology3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of 5G Technology3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global 5G Technology Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global 5G Technology Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global 5G Technology Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global 5G Technology Major Manufacturers in 20165 5G Technology Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America 5G Technology Market Analysis5.1.1 North America 5G Technology Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017 5G Technology Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017 5G Technology Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 5G Technology Market Share Analysis5.2 China 5G Technology Market Analysis5.2.1 China 5G Technology Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017 5G Technology Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017 5G Technology Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 5G Technology Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe 5G Technology Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe 5G Technology Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017 5G Technology Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017 5G Technology Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 5G Technology Market Share Analysis6 Global 2012-2017 5G Technology Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017 5G Technology Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of 5G Technology Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of 5G Technology Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 General keyboard membrane of 5G Technology Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.2 Transparent keyboard membrane of 5G Technology Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.3 Simulation keyboard membrane of 5G Technology Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.4 Colorful keyboard membrane of 5G Technology Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.5 Other of 5G Technology Growth Driving Factor AnalysisPurchase a Copy of This Report @CONTINUEDMore about WiseGuyReports:Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune  411028Maharashtra, India
Airport Retailing Market by Type, Airport Size, Category - Global Forecast to 2024

Airport Retailing Market share, Airport Retailing Market Analysis

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/airport-retailing-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21626

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/

Airport retailing has become a popular concept in the last few years. Often called travel retail (which takes place mostly but not entirely in an airport), it has become one of the important strategies of companies planning to promote and create awareness about their brand.Airports where airfares are low are not able to generate high revenue from aeronautical business. Therefore, they shift to non-aeronautical businesses such as retail shops, restaurant, bars, and cafeterias. Airport retailing can also include services such as hotels, nursing homes, car rental outlets, banks, exchange offices, drugstores, and other stores such as jewelry, books and magazines, gifts and crafts, clothing & accessories, convenience stores, optics, perfumes, and souvenirs.Airport retailing requires several characteristics for better functioning. For instance, a store needs to be at a convenient location for efficient accessibility. Furthermore, wide range of products and prolonged customer service might attract customer attention at airports.Obtain Report Details @However, the quality and quantity of products in stores located in an airport strongly depend on the number of passengers travelling through the airport, and whether the airport is international or domestic. Retail stores can avail various benefits by establishing an outlet at an airport. Brand recognition and awareness are the most important ones. These provide immense scope for retail outlets to showcase their brand and broaden their customer base.The airport retailing market is driven by the rise in number of passengers, specifically in countries such as India and China, where the level of commute is high. The airport retailing market is also boosted by travelers appetite for shopping on-the-go and retailers growing skills for selling products. The time spent by passengers at airports has also increased due to the early check-in times set by airlines due to security and operational concerns.This has offered retailers the scope to sell products efficiently. High disposable income of people in growing economies has provided opportunity for big brands to set up their stores in airport premises. People shop the most in the timeframe between clearing the security-immigration desks and boarding the aircraft. Therefore, airports strive to cut down the waiting times at check-in, security, and immigration queues to maximize this timeframe. Viable prices and the presence of big brands at discounted prices are vital factors encouraging travelers to make purchases at airport retail stores.Make an Enquiry @Retail store at airports are duty-free; this typically means that these stores are exempted from payment of local or national taxes. Thus, travelers can buy products available in these stores at cheaper rates. Brands are customizing their offerings to help improve the shopping experience of travelers.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Distribution Boards Market worth 5.91 Billion USD by 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=10103490

The report "Distribution Boards Market by Voltage Rating (Low Voltage, Medium Voltage), by End-User (Transmission & Distribution Utilities, Manufacturing & Processing Industry, Commercial & Residential Sector, and Others), and by Region - Global Forecast and Trends to 2021", The distribution boards market is projected to grow from an estimated USD 4.33 Billion in 2016 to USD 5.91 Billion by 2021, registering a CAGR of 6.4% from 2016 to 2021. Factors such as growing investments in transmission & distribution infrastructure and increasing construction and infrastructural activities are driving the global market for distribution boards.Browse 73 market data tables with 44 figures spread through 145 pages and in-depth TOC on "Distribution Boards Market by Voltage Rating (Low Voltage, Medium Voltage), by End-User (Transmission & Distribution Utilities, Manufacturing & Processing Industry, Commercial & Residential Sector, and Others), and by Region - Global Forecast and Trends to 2021"Download PDF Brochure @Early buyers will receive 10% customization on reports.Transmission & distribution utilities the key end-user of distribution boardsDistribution boards primarily find application in transmission & distribution utilities. In 2015, transmission & distribution utilities constituted the largest segment of the distribution boards market, and accounted for the largest share of the total market. Substations are a crucial element of any grid system, and require high-level protection to ensure the stability of the system. Distribution boards are used extensively by utilities to prevent damages to expensive and critical equipment. The increasing electricity access across the world would result in an increase in the number of substations, which would in turn, raise the demand for distribution boards.Growing inclination towards medium voltage distribution boardsThe report also segments the distribution boards market on the basis of rated voltage into low voltage and medium voltage. Medium voltage distribution boards have received widespread acceptance in the past few years. The increasing investments in transmission & distribution infrastructure and in renewable power plants will likely provide a major boost to the market. The medium voltage distribution boards market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.Asia-Pacific to dominate the market for distribution boardsIn this report, the electric distribution boards market has been analyzed with respect to five regions namely, Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific is estimated to dominate the market, owing to factors such as urbanization, industrialization, effective smart grid initiatives, high investments in the upgradation of transmission & distribution infrastructure, energy efficiency measures, and renewable projects.To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes profiles of some of the leading players in the electric distribution boards market including ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Siemens AG (Germany), General Electric (U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), and Eaton Corporation (Ireland). These players are trying to penetrate developing economies and are adopting various methods to increase their market share.The report includes a market share analysis, by revenue, for key companies. The report helps market participants to identify high-growth segments and assists them in making key investment decisionsAbout MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets is the worlds No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.M&Ms flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.Contact:Mr. RohanMarkets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com
Global Nimodipine Market 2016 Analysis and Forecast to 2021

Nimodipine Market

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1088267-global-and-china-nimodipine-market-research-report-forecast-2017-2021

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/1088267-global-and-china-nimodipine-market-research-report-forecast-2017-2021

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1088267

www.wiseguyreports.com

Request a Sample Report @The Global and China Nimodipine Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2021 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Nimodipine industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Nimodipine market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.This report provides comprehensive analysis ofKey market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsGlobal and China Nimodipine Market: Regional Segment AnalysisGlobalChinaThe Major players reported in the market include:BayerSun PharmaceuticalBoai PharmaceuticalYabao GroupCentral PharmRuikang Pharmaceuticalcompany 7company 8company 9...Global and China Nimodipine Market: Product Segment AnalysisType 1Type 2Type 3Global and China Nimodipine Market: Application Segment AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Application 3Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsBrowse Full Report Details@Some Major Points from Table of Content:Table of ContentsGlobal and China Nimodipine Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2021Chapter 1 Nimodipine Market Overview1.1 Nimodipine Definition1.2 Nimodipine Classification and Application1.3 Nimodipine Industry Chain1.4 Nimodipine Industry OverviewChapter 2 Global and China Economic Impact on Nimodipine Industry2.1 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis2.2 China Macroeconomic Environment AnalysisChapter 3 Global Nimodipine Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application3.1 Global Nimodipine Market Competition by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Nimodipine Production and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)3.1.2 Global Nimodipine Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)3.2 Global Nimodipine Production and Revenue by Type3.3.1 Global Nimodipine Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)3.3.2 Global Nimodipine Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)3.3 Global Nimodipine Production and Revenue by ApplicationChapter 5 Global Nimodipine Manufacturers Analysis5.1 Bayer5.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.1.2 Product Type, Application and Specification5.1.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)5.1.4 Business Overview5.2 Sun Pharmaceutical5.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.2.2 Product Type, Application and Specification5.2.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)5.2.4 Business Overview5.3 Boai Pharmaceutical5.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.3.2 Product Type, Application and Specification5.3.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)5.3.4 Business Overview5.4 Yabao Group5.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.4.2 Product Type, Application and Specification5.4.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)5.4.4 Business Overview5.5 Central PharmChapter 6 Nimodipine Manufacturing Cost Analysis6.1 Nimodipine Key Raw Materials Analysis6.1.1 Key Raw Materials6.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials6.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials6.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials6.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure6.2.1 Raw Materials6.2.2 Labor Cost6.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses6.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of NimodipinePurchase a Copy of This Report @CONTINUEDMore about WiseGuyReports:Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune  411028Maharashtra, India
Surfactants Market: Demand for Personal Care Products Spurs Growth 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/asia-pacific-surfactants-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19136

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Asia Pacific Surfactants Market: OverviewSurfactants or surface active agents are organic compounds produced from petrochemical raw materials such as ethylene and benzene or oleo-chemical raw materials such as palm oil or coconut oil. It is commercially available as cationic, anionic, amphoteric, non ionic and other (silicone, etc.) surfactants. In terms of application, personal care and paints & coatings held majority share in the Asia Pacific surfactants market. Rising demand from these industries is projected to boost surfactants market during the forecast period.This study analyzes, estimates, and forecasts the Asia Pacific surfactants market in terms of volume (Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2015 to 2024. The report also analyzes several driving and restraining factors and their impact on the market during the forecast period.Asia Pacific Surfactants Market: SegmentationThe report provides a detailed view of the surfactants market based on applications. Key applications included in the report are personal care, oilfield chemicals, paints & coatings, emulsion polymerization, agrochemicals and concrete additives. In terms of product types, the market is segmented into: cationic, anionic, non ionic, amphoteric and others (silicone surfactants, etc.). Furthermore, the report segments the market based on key geographies such as China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea, and Australia. It also provides market volume and revenue for each application and product under every country level segment.Based on applications, product and countries, the report analyzes the attractiveness of each segment with the help of an attractiveness tool. The study includes value chain analysis, which provides a better understanding of key players in the supply chain (from raw material manufacturers to end-users). Additionally, the study analyzes market competition and industry players using Porters five forces analysis.Browse Market Research Report @According to the research report, the Asia Pacific surfactants market is expected to be worth US$6.3 bn by the end of 2024 as compared to US$4.1 bn in 2015. Between the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global surfactants market expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.0%.China Emerges as Leading Nation in Asia Pacific Surfactants MarketOn the basis of product, the global surfactants market is segmented into cationic, non ionic, anionic, and amphoteric. Of these, non ionic surfactants segment is expected to show remarkable progress in the coming years. By the end of 2024, the non ionic surfactants segment is expected to acquire a share of 34.2% in the overall market. The rising application of these surfactants in sectors such as oilfield chemicals, chemicals, textiles, and agrochemicals are expected is expected to drive the growth in the coming years.The Asia Pacific surfactants market is segmented into countries such as China, Thailand, Australia, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, and Rest of APAC. Of these, China dominated the overall market in 2015. The country is expected to retain its stance in the coming years as it is slated to acquire a share of 39.4% in the Asia Pacific surfactants market by the end of 2024.Rising Awareness about Beauty Products in Asia Pacific Boosts Regional MarketThe Asia Pacific surfactants market has been witnessing a rise since couple of years due to their increasing adoption in a wide range of personal care products. The diversity of personal care industry has offered the surfactants market several lucrative opportunities for growth. Increasing number of mouth wash, toothpaste, and hair care brands have been making significant usage of surfactants in their products. Furthermore, growing sales of bathing and shaving products are also expected to augment the demand for surfactants across Asia Pacific. Non-iconic, amphoteric, and cationic are the three types of surfactants that will be predominantly used in the near future.The increasing awareness about beauty, aesthetics, and hygiene are also expected to drive the growth of the Asia Pacific surfactants market in the near future. The changing lifestyles, increasing disposable incomes, and shifting perceptions toward improving the standard of living are also expected to have a positive impact on the trajectory of the Asia Pacific surfactants market during the forecast period.Side-effects of Chemically-obtained Surfactants to Restrain Market GrowthDespite the soaring demand for beauty products, the Asia Pacific surfactants market is being restrained by the growing concerns amongst consumers about the usage of synthetic raw materials and oleo-chemicals in cosmetics. Surfactants manufactured using synthetic sources can lead to side-effects such as irritation to the skin and eye, damage beyond repair, and neurotoxicity amongst others. The introduction of organic products and worries about irreparable damage to the skin due to the use of surfactants are expected to hamper the growth of the Asia Pacific surfactants market.This review is based on Transparency Market Researchs report, titled Surfactants Market - Asia Pacific Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024.The report segments the Asia Pacific surfactants market into:Surfactants Market  Product Analysis-Cationic-Anionic-Amphoteric-Non ionic-Others (Silicone surfactants, etc.)Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Surfactants Market  Application Analysis-Personal Care-Oilfield Chemicals-Paints & Coatings-Emulsion Polymerization-Agrochemicals-Concrete AdditivesAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
emand across Construction and Packaging Industries to Help GCC Molded Plastics Market Achieve Massive Growth

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/gcc-molded-plastics-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=9779

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

olded plastics are products made up of thermoplastic or thermoset resins through a molding process. The molding process essentially requires a mold or cast in order to provide the plastic with a specified shape. Molded plastics find application in most sectors and daily products such as bottles, furniture, pipes, conduits, wires, cables, containers, caps, cases, and consumer products.This report provides a detailed description of the molded plastics market in GCC based on volume share (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2014 to 2023. It highlights factors contributing to growth of the market and restraints hindering the market. Detailed forecast for molded plastics from 2015 to 2023 has been provided separately for a better understanding of the market scenario. The molded plastics market is described with respect to various segments along with potential opportunities during the next six years.Browse Market Research Report @Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman to Present Attractive Growth OpportunitiesThe GCC molded plastics market will gain the most attractive returns from operations across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman in the next few years. Saudi Arabia being home to nearly 60% plastic converters in the overall GCC molded plastics market, will continue to be the leading supplier of molded plastic in the market. The market for molded plastics in these countries will also benefit from the flourishing construction industry.The UAE and Kuwait have been rated as moderately attractive countries for the GCC molded plastics market. The market in these countries has suffered a huge blow from the steep drop in crude oil prices observed recently. However, the construction industry has allowed for average growth of the molded plastics market in these countries.Rising Consumption of Molded Plastics in Construction and Packaging Sectors to be Key Determinant of GrowthThe rising demand for molded plastics across the construction and packaging sectors are considered to be the key enabler of growth of the GCC molded plastics market. Rise in trade activities and increased consumption of industrial and consumer goods in GCC countries have bolstered the packaging industry in the region. This has, in turn, proved to be highly beneficial for the molded plastics market in the region.Government initiatives towards the development of the construction industry, with an aim of supporting the rising population in GCC countries, have also presented significant growth opportunities for the molded plastics market in the region. However, the market for molded plastics in the region has suffered a massive blow from the recent economic downturn in Europe as Europe is the key exporter of molded plastics produced in GCC countries. Over the next few years as well, the GCC molded plastics market will suffer the negative impact of unpredictable demand in Europe.Bahrain to Present Sluggish Growth OpportunitiesThe GCC molded plastics market is expected to gain the most lucrative returns in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar. Saudi Arabia, being the production hub of the GCC molded plastics market, will be the leading market for molded plastics. Oman and Qatar will lead to increased demand for molded plastics on account of the favorable growth of the construction and packaging industries.However, the market will witness sluggish growth in Bahrain owing to low market penetration and slow economic growth. One of the other important reasons making the Bahrain market grim in terms of growth prospects the fact that most raw materials need to be imported, adding to the cost of the final product and reducing markets attractiveness.The GCC molded plastics market will expand at a healthy CAGR of 8.3% over the period between 2015 and 2023, and rise from a valuation of US$7.19 bn in 2014 to US$14.22 bn by 2023. In terms of volume, the GCC molded plastics market stood at 2.82 Mn tons in 2014.This review of the market is based on a recent market research report published by Transparency Market Research, titled Molded Plastics Market - GCC Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023.Key Takeaways:Unpredictable demand in Europe could bring major limitations to market growthSaudi Arabia has over 60% of plastic converters in GCC marketInjection molding is the most prominently used technology; nearly half of plastic converter companies in GCC possess injection molding capabilityFor the purpose of this study, the market has been segmented as follows:GCC Molded Plastics Market  Raw Material AnalysisPolyethylene (PE)-Polypropylene (PP)-Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-Polystyrene (PS)-Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)-Others (Including Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT), etc.)Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @GCC Molded Plastics Market  Technology Analysis-Injection Molding-Blow Molding-Thermoforming-Others (Including Rotomolding, Casting, etc.)GCC Molded Plastics Market  Product Segment Analysis-Pipes & conduits-Bottles & containers-Cables & wires-Others (Including medical devices, automotive components, miscellaneous consumer goods, etc.)GCC Molded Plastics Market  Application Analysis-Packaging-Consumable & Electronics-Automotive & Transportation-Building & Construction-Others (Including toys, furniture, etc.)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
English Lithuanian

Elektrenai, Lithuania, 2017-03-24 08:55 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, company code 302648707, registered office at Elektrines st. 21, Elektrenai (hereinafter referred to as the Company). The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 635 083 615, ISIN code  LT0000128571.

On 24 March 2017 the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company approved the Annual Report of the Company for the year 2016 and the Annual Financial Statements of the Company for the year 2016, audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, UAB, the Companys auditor.

Information on the operational results of the Company for the year 2016:

LIETUVOS ENERGIJOS GAMYBA OPERATED MORE PROFITABLY IN 2016; PLANS TO SIGNIFICANTLY EXPAND ITS SERVICE PORTFOLIO

Following the launch of new electricity connections with Sweden and Poland and the elimination of quotas for electricity generation, all power plants operated by the Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba had to adapt to the new market conditions in 2016.

Changes in business environment and increased competition affected our results,  says Ms. Egle Ciuzaite, Chairwoman of the board and chief executive officer of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba.  Nevertheless, we managed to successfully respond to the challenges of 2016 and today we can reap both better corporate results and a higher level of employee engagement. We continuously change and improve so that the Company operates more efficiently in the future and give shareholders a change to earn better returns and create value for employees.

Revenue of the Company decreased, as well as the costs

In 2016 the Companys revenue totalled Eur 172.9 million and was 19.3 per cent lower than the revenue in 2015 (Eur 214.4 million). The Companys sales revenue decreased 25.3 per cent, mainly due to the decreased electricity production in Elektrenai Complex. The cancellation of the supported electricity production quota halved the output of the Elektrenai complex units (0.491 TWh) when compared to the year 2015 (0,491 TWh). The decrease of sales revenue was partly counterbalanced by the revenue received from disposal of part of business in the beginning of 2016.

As a result of decreased production, variable costs incurred by the Company were significantly reduced (-43 per cent) as well. In addition, due to efficient organisation and performance of repair works and constant improvement of business processes, the Company managed to significantly reduce operating costs as well.

Costs reduction in the Elektrenai complex, which met public service obligations (PSO) and provided the tertiary active power reserve service in 2016, amounted to almost 10 per cent, which grants direct benefits to electricity consumers because it contributes to the electricity rate reduction.

Produced competitive electricity by CCGT was sold on the market and over the year it has allowed to earn nearly EUR 6 million gross profit which will be given to the PSO tariff reduction for consumers.

As the market situation changed, hydroelectric power plants managed by the Company operated more efficiently and flexibly. In 2016, Kaunas Algirdas Brazauskas' Hydroelectric Power Plant produced 30 per cent (0.363 TWh) more electricity than in 2015. Production at Kruonis PSHP decreased slightly more than by 20 per cent (to 0.517 TWh); however, this power plant played a particularly important role in ensuring the safety of electricity supply when the operation of the NordBalt link was unstable. When the link was disconnected, particularly in the first half of 2016, Kruonis PSHP was the first to provide help: the emergency reserve of this power plant was activated 57 times in 2016 (20 times in 2015)

Profitability has increased

The increased scope of the secondary reserve service in 2016 improved the EBITDA result of the Companys regulated activity, while the EBITDA indicator of commercial activities of the hydroelectric power plants, despite increased competition, was similar to 2015. However, the change in the Companys EBITDA in 2016 in comparison with 2015 was substantially affected by evaluation of the decisions of the regulator in financial statements. EBITDA increased by Eur 7.8 million (Eur 58.1 million and Eur 50.3 million, accordingly). EBITDA margin was 33.6% in 2016 (23.4% in 2015).

The net profit of the Company in 2016 exceeded the profit from 2015 due to higher EBITDA and the impact of one-off factors: the sale of a part of the business at the beginning of 2016 (the recorded result before tax was EUR 19.8 million) and the reduction of the assets value recorded in 2015 related to the decision to terminate the operation of units 5 and 6, which caused a reduction of the net profit by EUR 30 million in 2015.

Biggest attention  to the implementation of business strategy

In 2016 the Company has updated its business strategy for 2020. Sticking to the guidelines set out in the strategy, the Company will seek to ensure the continuity of the Companys activities, to return to shareholders and to retain jobs of employees. The Company, therefore, plans to significantly expand its service portfolio by 2020. It is planned that in four years every employee of the Company will devote at least 15 per cent of their working time for new services. The Company will pursue to have main operating expenses for electricity and heat production and provision of system services reduced by at least 15 percent by 2020.

The Company has already made the first steps in offering new services in 2016  business was offered territories next to the power plant as well as services of weighing heavy vehicles and biofuel and other laboratory tests. In the future, the Company plans to considerably expand the range of services.

Key goals of the Company include low employee turnover, assurance of occupational safety and health, and implementation of the LEAN management system principles-based Operational Excellence programme

According to E. Ciuzaite, the main requirement for the implementation of all the actions provided for in the strategy and development of new activities is engaged employees generating ideas and focused on the achievement of goals. I have no doubt that an even deeper fostering of fundamental values of the company, such as responsibility, cooperation and pursuit for the achievement of goals, will help successfully implement our vision of becoming a competitive international energy generation and service centre,  says the head of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba.
Equine Veterinary Services Market Research Report by Technological Development, Applications and Forecast 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/equine-veterinary-services-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11483

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Equine Veterinary Services Market: OverviewGlobal equine veterinary market is observed to be a multi-billion dollar industry that consists of various equine activities such as horse racing, competitive riding and leisure. Thus, various veterinary services that supplement the growth of this market are vaccination, gynecological care, dental care, gastroscopy, lameness, respiratory care, colic assessment and treatment.The vaccination regime of horses is integral part of equine health against various clinical conditions like equine influenza, tetanus, strangles, ringworm, EHV (Equine Herpes Virus), EVA (Equine Viral Arteries) and West Nile Virus (WNV). Dental care services include the routine dental examinations and rasping service for horses, some of the complex problems are also diagnosed with an X-ray.The gynecological care comprises routine sampling of CEM (Contagious Equine Metritis) and EVA testing , fertility check accompanied with hysteroscopies, artificial insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, pregnancy follow-up, assistance during foal birth and umbilical scanning, bloodsampling for IgG estimation in newborn foal health management. Gastroscopy consists of use of 3 meter videoscope for diagnosis of gastric ulcers. Lameness is one of the most common cause that affects limbs of horses and is diagnosed with digital X-rays, ultrasound and thermal scans. Respiratory care includes services related with tracheal washing and broncho-alveolar-lavage.Browse full report on Equine Veterinary Services Market -Equine Veterinary Services Market: Region-wise OutlookThe veterinary services provided in market by major breeding farms and equine veterinary hospitals. This is a very specialized sector and is limited to equine species healthcare management hence, overall its considered to be a premium sector because of the specific requirements. The major market shift is estimated to be observed in coming five years where due to economic downturn in Europe has forced the market to export the horses to slaughterhouses or to Asian countries as there is significant potential for horse racing and showcase in China. This is perceived to affect the North American and European global market share in equine veterinary market as the Asia-Pacific market is observed to be growing in case of horse population.As a constituent of Asia-Pacific, Australian equine market was observed to rank among the top three regional equestrian and equine veterinary services markets. After the European downturn and legal hindrances in North American market Australia turned out to be among the leading horse producing / breeding countries in the world. On the same basis, China was perceive to expand its investing and capacity in horse racing and betting by importing quality breeds from countries especially from European region.Thus, China intends to maintain particularly race-horse breeds; as race-horses require additional care and supervision thus equine veterinary services market is expected to grow significantly. According to a equine industry source, China is mounting the capacity and investing in horse racing and betting by importing quality breeds from North American and European countries. The equestrian racing infrastructure development comprises of horse race-tracks developed with an investment of approximately USD 2.0 billion with about 3,000 horses. Investment also comprises the cost of s developing trainers and riders in particular equine training schools.Equine Veterinary Services Market: Key Segments and PlayersThe major products observed in the industry are in-house diagnostics, reference laboratories, digital imaging and others. The in-house diagnostics segment is expected to account for the largest share in the global equine veterinary services market. Some of the key players having presence in the global equine veterinary services market are IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Medical Management International, National Veterinary Associates and VCA Antech, Inc.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)Request for brochure of this report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Automotive Torque Converter Market Trends, Statistics, Segments, Graphs Growth Factors Forecast to 2024

Automotive Torque Converter Market Size, Automotive Torque Converter Market Share

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/automotive-torque-converter-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21668

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/

The input shaft of the transmission is connected with the turbine. While the vehicle is in gear, as the engines rotation increases, the torque is transmitted from the engine to the propeller shaft or input shaft by the movement of the fluid, thus driving the vehicle. So, the mechanism of the fluid coupling strongly resembles that of a mechanical clutch of a manual transmission vehicle.An automotive torque converter is a kind of hydraulic transmission which upsurges the torque of the vehicle by reducing its speed. It delivers a continuous deviation of ratio from high to low. The basic ability of a torque converter is to increase torque when there is a significant difference between output and input engine rotational speed; thus, it provides the same functionality of a lessening gear. An automotive transmission vehicle has no clutch that disconnects the transmission from the engine.There is no physical interconnection between the rotor and the impeller and the torque is transferred by quality of the fluid inside the coupling. When the engine rotates the impeller, it transfers energy and velocity to the liquid, which is transformed into powered energy in the rotor which rotates it. The fluid trails in a locked circuit of movement from impeller to the rotor through an air gap which is at the outside periphery and again from rotor toward the impeller through the air gap which is at the internal periphery.Obtain Report Details @Automatic vehicle transmission system is one of the most advanced transmission system where mechanical efforts are reduced and different speeds are achieved automatically with the help of a torque converter. This automatic system is also called hydramatic transmission. It comprises an epicyclic gear arrangement and a torque converter.One of the major trends driving the growth of the global automotive torque converter market is advancement in automotive torque converters technologies. Manufacturers are continuously trying to develop new ways and techniques to increase the operational efficiency of a torque converter. Reduction in weight and size, a bigger lock-up range, and advanced manufacturing processes, such as automated manufacturing, are some of the trends noticed in the advances of the torque converter.The major driver of the automotive torque converter market is the increased demand for vehicles with automatic transmission. Automatic transmission vehicles, particularly passenger vehicles, are gaining momentum in the global passenger vehicle market. Majority of customers are opting for automatic transmission vehicles in the luxury and premium vehicle segments. Moreover, smaller cars with automatic transmission are also registering high demand. Automatic transmission vehicles are generally known for hassle-free driving, and the congested stop-and-go driving conditions are pushing customers to select automatic transmission vehicles.Make an Enquiry @Europe was the market leader in the automotive torque converter market in the year 2015 followed by North America and Asia Pacific. The Asia Pacific region is expected to expand at the highest rate. This growth of the market in Asia Pacific can be credited to increased production of luxury and high end vehicles along with increasing demand for small passenger automatic transmission cars which has empowered the deployment of torque converter systems in this region.The major players in this industry are Continental AG (Germany), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Delphi Automotive PLC (U.K), Telit Communications PLC (Italy), and Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG (Germany) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Business Analytics Software Market Research In-Depth Analysis, Applications, Forecasts To 2024

Global Business Analytics Software Market, Business Analytics Software Market Industry

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/business-analytics-software-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20516

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/

Business analytics software helps in interpretation and analysis of business data through continuous exploration and investigation of historical business performance to gain decisive insights for business planning. Through the application of statistical methods and tools in business performance data, a business analytics software conducts predictive analysis to derive decision making insights and inputs.A business analytics software thus helps an organization optimize its business operations and facilitates informed and strategic decision making. It also helps uncover patterns and relationships between data streams and leads to automation of tasks and processes for real-time responses in decision making.The outputs are mostly used by managers, security personnel, financial analysts, and key decision makers of organizations. Demand for cloud-based business analytics software is high in small and medium sized enterprises owing to its low cost and enhanced usability. Furthermore, demand for social media analytics, a part of business analytics, is also rising significantly due to the increase in popularity of social media marketing.Obtain Report Details @Organizations are increasingly opting for business analytics software in order to gain strategic and competitive advantage over their competitors. This is one of the major factors driving the global business analytics software market. Additionally, the software aims to help organizations make quick and informed decisions through the analysis of the historical business data. This has been driving the market for business analytics software. Currently, there exists need for quick decision making and immediate actions in response to situations considering the competitive nature of businesses.This highlights the importance of the business analytics software. Furthermore, increase in volume and diversity of data in organizations has given rise to the need for analytical software to derive meaningful patterns, relationships, and insights from unorganized data. The features of business analytics software meet such requirements, thereby boosting the growing demand and adoption of business analytics software across varying scales of companies.However, in order to efficiently operate, business analytics software require sufficient volumes of meaningful data. This requires effective data warehousing, which may be a challenge for small organizations to implement considering the high costs involved. These challenges are likely to hamper the market for business analytics software during the forecast period. Nonetheless, increase in social media marketing by organizations is expected to offer growth opportunities for the business analytics software market during the forecast period.Make an Enquiry @The global business analytics software market has been segmented on the basis of deployment, end-use industry, application, and geography. In terms of deployment, the business analytics software market has been divided into cloud and on premise. Based on end-use industry, the business analytics market has been segregated into BFSI, government, manufacturing, IT and Telecom, retail, health care, capital markets, education, media, utilities, and others. In terms of application, the business analytics software market has been segmented into supply chain analytics, workforce analytics, spatial analytics, behavioral analytics, marketing analytics, risk and credit analytics, pricing analytics, transportation analytics, and others. Based on geography, the business analytics market has been divided into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and South America.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Veterinary MRI Systems Market Research Report by Technological Development, Applications and Forecast 2023

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/veterinary-mri-systems-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11891

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Veterinary MRI Systems Market: OverviewOver the years veterinary care has witnessed tremendous paradigm shift especially with respect to diagnostic imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging is a sophisticated 3D imaging technique which has been a widely used clinical diagnostic tool in last 2 decades. MRI measures and record changes in the magnetic property of the protons present in the cellular water. Unlike x-rays, MRI does not require the use of ionizing radiation. For imaging, MRI device uses radio waves and magnetic field such as pulsed electromagnetic fields in order to excite the protons in the region of interest.Until recently, MRI had limited applications in veterinary medicine primarily due to cost associated with the initial set up and high operational expenses. In developed regions such as the United States and Europe 7 Tesla and 11 Tesla MRI are among the widely used imaging technique. In veterinary MRI is now seen as a gold standard technique for brain and spinal examination such as spinal disk herniation, trauma of the brain and spine, brain tumors, strokes, and brain malformations.Additionally, MRI is also seen as a powerful technique for examining tendons and ligament related ailments. In case of chronic wounds and draining tracts MRI imaging helps identifying foreign bodies within the wound which has effectively contributed in increasing the application areas.Browse full report on Veterinary MRI Systems Market -Veterinary MRI Systems Market: TrendsIn research and development i.e. preclinical imaging the advent of 15.2 Tesla and 21.0 Tesla has drastically revolutionized the micro-MRI market in past few years. Micro-MRI devices are also capable of efficiently rendering information regarding tissue composition, perfusion, oxygenation, tissue elasticity and metabolic activities in a single acquisition. Pertaining to its safety and ease of use, micro-MRI procedure accounts for approximately 23% - 28% of all small animal procedures. Technological advancements pertaining to magnetic field and radiation free imaging are among the key drivers for the growth of veterinary MRI market across the globe. The advent of open MRI systems has also contributed to the growth and demand for MRI devices in veterinary. The only restraint to the growth of the market includes the high cost of the device. In emerging markets, increasing awareness about animal health and rising adoption of imaging modalities are latent growth opportunity for the market in forthcoming years.Veterinary MRI Systems Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically in terms of revenue, developed regions such as the North America and Europe are major contributors owing to increased adoption rate for veterinary MRI devices. Moreover, large number of ongoing pre-clinical researches has also boosted the market in past few years. Despite a high adoption rate the market share of developed regions is expected to decline primarily due to increasing demand for veterinary MRI devices in Asia Pacific and Latin America region.The majority of the growth in the Asia-Pacific region is primarily driven by the increasing demand of diagnostic tests in the animal health industry in China and India. The growth in the Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions can be attributed to the increased disposable incomes leading to growth in the per capita animal health expenditure in these regions. However demand for pre-owned MRI devices a key restraint affecting the sales of devices in Middle East and Asia Pacific countries.Veterinary MRI Systems Market: Key PlayersSome of the prominent players operating in the global veterinary MRI market include Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging Ltd., Esaote SpA, Imotek International Ltd., Universal Medical Systems, Inc., Bruker Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Mediso Ltd., MR solutions, Burgess Diagnostics Ltd, and others.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types and applications.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedValue ChainRegional analysis includes:North AmericaLatin AmericaAsia PacificJapanWestern EuropeEastern EuropeMiddle East & AfricaRequest for brochure of this report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Accounting Applications Companies in China Market Shares and Trends

http://www.reporthive.com/request-sample.php?id=775794

This study focuses on Chinas Accounting Applications industry assessments and company profiles. In the two past decades, the industry has been growing at a fast pace. The dramatic expansions of the manufacturing capabilities and rising consumer consumptions in China have transformed Chinas society and economy. China is one of the worlds major producers for industrial and consumer products. Far outpacing other economies in the world, China is the worlds fastest growing market for the consumptions of goods and services. The Chinese economy maintains a high speed growth which has been stimulated by the consecutive increases of industrial output, imports & exports, consumer consumption and capital investment for over two decades. Rapid consolidation between medium and large players is anticipated since the Chinese government has been encouraging industry consolidation with an effort to regulate the industry and to improve competitiveness in the world market.Although China has enjoyed the benefits of an expanding market for production and distribution, the industry is suffering from minimal innovation and investment in R&D and new product development. The sectors economies of scale have yet to be achieved. Most domestic manufacturers lack the autonomic intellectual property and financial resources to develop their own brand name products.This new study analyzes the industry structure, capacities and output. Major producers' production locations, market shares and profiles are presented. The primary and secondary research is done in China in order to access up-to-date government regulations, market information and industry data. Data were collected from the Chinese government publications, Chinese language newspapers and magazines, industry associations, local governments industry bureaus, industry publications, and our in-house databases.Publisher is one of the leading sources for up-to-date market information and research on the fastest-growing Chinese markets. We have published over 1,500 reports focusing on the Chinese markets, industry forecasts and company profiles. We provide hard-to-find market data and analyses. Our publications are intended to help international marketers identify business opportunities and promote their product sales in the Chinese markets.For Sample Report Request:Table Of Content:I. INTRODUCTIONReport Scope and MethodologyExecutive SummaryIII. ACCOUNTING APPLICATIONS INDUSTRY ASSESSMENTSAccounting Applications Industry StructureMarket SizeMajor Chinese and Foreign Company Sales VolumesMarket Share of Key ProducersLabor CostsPotential EntrantsMajor DistributorsMajor End-UsersMajor Foreign InvestmentsTechnology DevelopmentAbout Us:. We are a leading repository of market research reports and solutions from the top publishers and market research companies across globe, catering to various industries. This large collection of reports assists organizations in decision-making on aspects such as market entry strategies, market sizing, market share analysis, competitive analysis, product portfolio analysis andopportunity analysis among others. We also assist in determining the best suited and targeted report from our large repository of global reports, company-specific reports and country-level reports.Our custom research services help clients to meet specific market research requirements by coordinating with our esteemed research partners. Our experienced analysts are always available to cater to your queries pre- and post-purchase. We believe in providing best-in-class after-sales service to our clients and wish to build a long-term and a mutually fruitful relationship.Contact Us:Pune, Maharashtra - 411 014IndiaEmail: sales@reporthive.comCall: +1-312-604-7084
China Metalworking Fluids Market Segment

http://www.reporthive.com/request-sample.php?id=820467

The China Metalworking Fluids Market Research Report Forecast 2016-2021 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Metalworking Fluids industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Metalworking Fluids market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.This report provides comprehensive analysis ofKey market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsChina Metalworking Fluids Market: Application Segment AnalysisApplication IApplication IIApplication IIIReasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsFor Sample Report Request:Table Of Content:Chapter 1 Metalworking Fluids Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Metalworking Fluids1.2 Metalworking Fluids Market Segmentation by Type1.2.1 China Production Market Share of Metalworking Fluids by Type in 20151.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.2.3 Type III1.3 Metalworking Fluids Market Segmentation by Application1.3.1 Metalworking Fluids Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Application I1.3.3 Application II1.3.4 Application III1.4 China Market Size Sales (Value) and Revenue (Volume) of Metalworking Fluids (2011-2021)Chapter 2 China Economic Impact on Metalworking Fluids Industry2.1 China Macroeconomic Environment Analysis2.1.1 China Macroeconomic Analysis2.1.2 China Macroeconomic Environment Development Trend2.2 Effects to Metalworking Fluids IndustryChapter 3 China Metalworking Fluids Market Competition by Manufacturers3.1 China Metalworking Fluids Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3.2 China Metalworking Fluids Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3.3 China Metalworking Fluids Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3.4 Manufacturers Metalworking Fluids Manufacturing Base Distribution, Production Area and Product TypeAbout Us:We are a leading repository of market research reports and solutions from the top publishers and market research companies across globe, catering to various industries. This large collection of reports assists organizations in decision-making on aspects such as market entry strategies, market sizing, market share analysis, competitive analysis, product portfolio analysis andopportunity analysis among others. We also assist in determining the best suited and targeted report from our large repository of global reports, company-specific reports and country-level reports.Our custom research services help clients to meet specific market research requirements by coordinating with our esteemed research partners. Our experienced analysts are always available to cater to your queries pre- and post-purchase. We believe in providing best-in-class after-sales service to our clients and wish to build a long-term and a mutually fruitful relationship.Contact Us:Pune, Maharashtra - 411 014IndiaEmail: sales@reporthive.comCall: +1-312-604-7084
Glioblastoma Treatment Market: Emergence of Advanced Technologies & Global Industry Analysis 2022!!

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pipeline-review-of-glioblastoma-treatment-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4807

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

A new Transparency Market Research report states that the global glioblastoma treatment market stood at US$0.34 bn in 2013 and is predicted to reach US$0.91 bn in 2022. It is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 11.40% from 2014 to 2022. The title of the report is Glioblastoma Multiforme Treatment (GBM) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2022.Browse the full Pipeline Review of Glioblastoma Treatment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2022 report atAccording to the report, the increasing aging population globally is fuelling the market for glioblastoma multiforme treatment. In addition, a number of non-government and government organizations are taking several steps to increase awareness on GBM, hence boosting the market. Furthermore, it has been predicted that the introduction of a number of novel therapies in the coming years will also augment the growth of the market for glioblastoma multiforme treatment in forthcoming years. On the other hand, the present survival period of drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme is less and this is a key factor restraining the growth of the market. In addition, currently available therapies have limitations owing to GBM being immensely resistant to DNA modifying agents. This may also pose a negative impact on the growth of the market.On the basis of drug, the market for glioblastoma multiforme treatment is segmented into bevacizumab (avastin), carmustine (bicnu), and temozolomide (temodar, temodal, and temcad). Amongst these, in 2013, temozolomide took the largest share in the market owing to its great effectiveness. On the other hand, bevacizumab (avastin) is the latest addition to the string of drugs and is the first monoclonal antibody drug passed for the treatment of GBM. This drug is relatively more effective as compared to temozolomide and is predicted to hold the largest share in the market on the basis of revenue by the end of 2016.The pipeline review of glioblastoma multiforme treatment includes a number of drugs in preclinical phase, phase I, phase II, and phase III. Drugs under preclinical, stage I and stage II include ABT-414, MM-398, ARC-100, AV0113, Cotara, Crenolanib, SGT-53, Endostatin, and ANG1005. Drugs under phase II include rindopepimut (CDX-110), DCVax, and others.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :In terms of geography, the report segments the market into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, North America led the market for glioblastoma multiforme treatment in 2013 owing to the increasing public awareness because of support from non-government and government organizations. In addition, the developed healthcare infrastructure in this region has also augmented the growth of the market. On the other hand, the region of Asia Pacific is the most rapidly growing glioblastoma multiforme treatment market owing to the advanced healthcare infrastructure and the increasing awareness about GBM within this region.As per the report, the chief players operating in the market are Abbvie, Inc., Celldex Therapeutics, Inc., Exellixis, Inc., Brostol-Myers Squibb Co. and F. Hoffman-La Roche.The pipeline review of glioblastoma treatment market has been segmented as below:Global Glioblastoma Treatment Market Revenue and Forecast, by DrugsBevacizumab (Avastin)Temozolomide (Temodar and Temodal and Temcad)Carmustine (BiCNU)Global Glioblastoma Treatment Market Revenue and Forecast, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the WorldGlobal Pipeline Review of Glioblastoma TreatmentOverviewLate Stage (Phase III)DCVaxRindopepimut (CDX-110)OthersEarly Stage (Phase I, II and Pre clinical)ABT-414MM-398ARC-100AV0113CotaraCrenolanibSGT-53EndostatinANG1005OthersAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Hospital Beds Market: A Booming trend in Healthcare Analytics Industry

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hospital-beds-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19910

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Global Hospital Beds Market: OverviewBeds are among the most essential equipment required in a hospital, as patients are generally not in mobile condition to receive the treatment, and rest is often necessary for them. For the critical conditions that patients are admitted into the hospital, beds are required to be designed in such a manner that provides ideal support and comfort. With growing prevalence of several diseases, the healthcare industry is at an all-time peak and consequently, the global hospital beds market is projected for a healthy growth rate during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:This report on global market for hospital beds is an in-depth examination of all the factors that are expected to impact the growth rate in the near future, and presents estimations on the future state of the market until 2024. The report is a summation of interviews and discussions with a wide range of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Some of the key players have also been profiled in the report, exploring their market share, product range, regional presence, and recent strategic developments such as mergers, collaborations, acquisitions, and other announcements.The global hospital beds can be segmented on the basis of type, treatment, power, and geography. By type, the market can be divided into general beds, pediatric beds, pressure relief beds, bariatric beds, and birthing beds. By treatment, the market can be categorized into acute care beds, long term care beds, and critical care beds. By power, the market can be segmented into electric beds, manual beds, and semi-electric beds. Geographically, the report studies the opportunities available in the regions of North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World.Global Hospital Beds Market: Trends and OpportunitiesRising geriatric population is one of the prominent factors of this market, as the people aged over 65 generally suffer from several diseases such as arthritis, heart disease, respiratory diseases, Alzheimers diseases, osteoporosis, and diabetes. According to the National Institute on Aging, global geriatric population will rise to 1.5 billion, which makes for a strong demand for hospital beds. Increasing number of hospitalization cases and technological advancements in the field, and improving healthcare infrastructure in emerging economies are other important factors positively influencing the market. According to the report, rising demand for advanced and selective features of hospital beds is a trend that urges investment in research and development of advanced beds. Conversely, high cost of these beds is seen as the primary restraint over the growth rate of the global hospitals beds market.Global Hospital Beds Market: Region-wise OutlookEurope is expected to remain most lucrative regional market during the forecast period, which is a reflection of increasing expenditure in Europes medical industry and healthcare organizations. North America forms the second most profitable region due to robust healthcare infrastructure, whereas Asia Pacific is projected for most robust growth rate, which is a result of vast population base and improving healthcare infrastructure in the emerging economies such as India, China, Japan, Australia, and South Korea.Companies mentioned in the research reportParamount Bed Co. Ltd., Getinge Group, LINET spol. s r.o., ArjoHuntleigh, Stryker, Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Invacare Corporation, and Medline Industries, Inc. are some of the key players currently operational in the global hospital beds market. Most of these companies have sub-divisional production units in order to meet the demand coming from medical establishments that are replacing their outdated hospital beds with the advanced ones.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Data Warehouse Companies in China Market

http://www.reporthive.com/request-sample.php?id=775791

This study focuses on Chinas Data Warehouse industry assessments and company profiles. In the two past decades, the industry has been growing at a fast pace. The dramatic expansions of the manufacturing capabilities and rising consumer consumptions in China have transformed Chinas society and economy. China is one of the worlds major producers for industrial and consumer products. Far outpacing other economies in the world, China is the worlds fastest growing market for the consumptions of goods and services. The Chinese economy maintains a high speed growth which has been stimulated by the consecutive increases of industrial output, imports & exports, consumer consumption and capital investment for over two decades. Rapid consolidation between medium and large players is anticipated since the Chinese government has been encouraging industry consolidation with an effort to regulate the industry and to improve competitiveness in the world market.Although China has enjoyed the benefits of an expanding market for production and distribution, the industry is suffering from minimal innovation and investment in R&D and new product development. The sectors economies of scale have yet to be achieved. Most domestic manufacturers lack the autonomic intellectual property and financial resources to develop their own brand name products.This new study analyzes the industry structure, capacities and output. Major producers' production locations, market shares and profiles are presented. The primary and secondary research is done in China in order to access up-to-date government regulations, market information and industry data. Data were collected from the Chinese government publications, Chinese language newspapers and magazines, industry associations, local governments industry bureaus, industry publications, and our in-house databases.Publisher is one of the leading sources for up-to-date market information and research on the fastest-growing Chinese markets. We have published over 1,500 reports focusing on the Chinese markets, industry forecasts and company profiles. We provide hard-to-find market data and analyses. Our publications are intended to help international marketers identify business opportunities and promote their product sales in the Chinese markets.For Sample Report Request:Table Of Content:I. INTRODUCTIONReport Scope and MethodologyExecutive SummaryIII. DATA WAREHOUSE INDUSTRY ASSESSMENTSData Warehouse Industry Structure OverviewMajor Chinese and Foreign Company Sales VolumesMarket Share of Key CompaniesPotential EntrantsMajor End-UsersTechnology TrendsVII. DATA WAREHOUSE COMPANY DIRECTORYData Warehouse Company ProfilesDistributorsResearch Institutions and AssociationsMajor End-UsersLIST OF TABLESI. INTRODUCTIONEconomic Outlook SummaryData Warehouse Supply and Demand SummaryIII. DATA WAREHOUSE INDUSTRY ASSESSMENTSMajor Company LocationsMajor Data Warehouse Company Sales VolumesMarket Share of Key CompaniesMajor End-UsersAbout Us:We are a leading repository of market research reports and solutions from the top publishers and market research companies across globe, catering to various industries. This large collection of reports assists organizations in decision-making on aspects such as market entry strategies, market sizing, market share analysis, competitive analysis, product portfolio analysis andopportunity analysis among others. We also assist in determining the best suited and targeted report from our large repository of global reports, company-specific reports and country-level reports.Our custom research services help clients to meet specific market research requirements by coordinating with our esteemed research partners. Our experienced analysts are always available to cater to your queries pre- and post-purchase. We believe in providing best-in-class after-sales service to our clients and wish to build a long-term and a mutually fruitful relationship.Contact Us:Pune, Maharashtra - 411 014IndiaEmail: sales@reporthive.comCall: +1-312-604-7084
Hemoglobin A1c Testing Devices Market :New Market Research Report Announced; Global Industry Analysis 2013 - 2019

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hemoglobin-a1c-testing.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1620

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market will expand at a CAGR of 10.3% from 2013 to 2019. This market was valued at US$0.94 bn in 2012 and owing to its current and expected drivers, will reach US$1.86 bn by the end of 2019.The latest data on the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market is maintained in a research report released by Transparency Market Research, titled Hemoglobin A1c Testing Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019.Browse the full Hemoglobin A1c Testing Devices Market (End-use - Laboratory and Point-of-Care Testing Devices; Technologies - Ion-Exchange HPLC, Immunoassay, Boronate Affinity Chromatography, Direct Enzymatic Assay and Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019 report atA1c is a common blood test used in many healthcare organizations in order to test a patient for diabetes, both type 1 and type 2. The test is also used to measure the level to which the patient is coping with the disease. Other common names for the A1c test include the HbA1c test, the glycosylated hemoglobin test, and glycated hemoglobin test.According to the report, the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market is currently being driven by a large growth in patient demand. This can be attributed to the increase in the percentage of the geriatric demographic, as well as the growing prevalence of diabetes across the world.In calculating the overall growth rate and future scope of the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market, the report also takes into consideration the various factors that are  and might continue to  hinder the market growth. Of these, the biggest hurdle faced by the market is the high cost of these devices. Owing to this high cost, the total number of patients with access to A1c testing is lower, thereby creating a downturn in the overall development rate of the market.The report provides a segmented analysis of the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market, based on the categories of end users, technologies, and geography.On the basis of end use, the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market is bifurcated into PoC testing devices and laboratory testing devices. Of these, the market is currently led by the latter segment. The laboratory testing devices segment had also dominated the market in 2012, with a share of over 66% in the market. It will continue to dominate the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market till 2019, but will show a far slower growth rate as compared to the point-of-contact testing devices segment.In terms of technology, the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market was led by the ion-exchange HPCL segment. The report, however, puts the segment of boronate affinity chromatography at the top of the technologies to be used in the market in 2019 based on its rapid growth rate.The reports geographical analysis of the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market reveals North America to be the leading region in the market in 2012. The report also expects this region to maintain its leading position in the market till the end of the forecast period. At the same time, the region with the fastest growth rate is said to be Asia Pacific owing to its rapidly developing healthcare industry and the high population density, coupled with a rising number of diabetes prevalence.The key companies in the global hemoglobin A1c testing devices market are Trinity Biotech, Siemens Healthcare, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Menarini, EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc, Chek Diagnostics, Danaher Corp., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Alere Inc., ARKRAY Inc., and Abbott Laboratories.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :Key segments of the Global Hemoglobin A1c Testing Devices MarketHemoglobin A1cTesting Devices Market, by End-useLaboratory Testing DevicesPoint-of-Care (POC)Testing DevicesHemoglobin A1cTesting Devices Market, by TechnologyIon-Exchange High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)ImmunoassayBoronate Affinity ChromatographyDirect Enzymatic AssayOthers (Micro-Optical Detection Method and Capillary Electrophoresis)Hemoglobin A1cTesting Devices Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the World (RoW)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
HOUSTON, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY) today announced that Ajoy H. Karna has been named senior vice president, international foodservice operations  Europe, effective April 17, 2017. Karna will be responsible for Brakes Group, which encompasses Syscos operations in Europe, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg. Ken McMeikan, CEO of Brakes Group, will remain with the Company for a brief transition period.



Since joining Sysco in 2012, Ajoy has demonstrated strong leadership abilities and has had a positive impact on our overall business, both domestically and internationally, said Tom Bene, Sysco's president and chief operating officer. His responsibilities have been broad ranging, including treasury, capital strategy, and the execution of mergers and acquisitions; and he was most recently responsible for leading finance across all of Syscos operating units and led the transition and alignment of the Sysco and Brakes Group Finance teams. We will leverage Ajoys track record of driving results, strategic thinking and collaborative leadership style, in partnership with the solid leadership and deep operating experience of the Brakes team, to position us for continued growth across all of Europe.

In his new role, Karna will report directly to Tom Bene.

We appreciate Kens leadership and his contribution to the successful transition of Brakes Group since joining with Sysco, said Syscos chief executive officer, Bill DeLaney. Under Kens direction, Brakes Group has enjoyed solid progress. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

Prior to joining Sysco, Karna served in various leadership positions at PepsiCo, gaining domestic and international experience in a variety of areas. At Frito Lay, he was senior vice president of Finance and had oversight of the companys field, customer, foodservice, brand finance, and pricing finance teams. He also was senior vice president, mergers and acquisitions, in PepsiCos corporate group between 2006 and 2009. Prior to that, he served in numerous roles of increasing responsibility at Frito Lay and The Quaker Oats Company.

Karna graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University with a Master of Business Administration degree.

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. The company operates 198 distribution facilities serving approximately 425,000 customers. For fiscal year 2016 that ended July 2, 2016, the company generated sales of more than $50 billion. Subsequent to fiscal year 2016, the company completed the acquisition of the Brakes Group, a leading European foodservice distributor with operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg.

For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoCorporation or Twitter at https://twitter.com/Sysco. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company's Internet home page at www.investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. Investors should also follow us at www.twitter.com/SyscoStock and download the Sysco IR App, available on the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Market. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.
Health Insurance Market:Technological Advancements, Evolving Industry Trends and Insights 2015 - 2023

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/health-insurance-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=5312

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Health Insurance Market: OverviewThe improving GDPs of several nations across the globe has favored the growth of the global health insurance market in recent years. Health insurance companies have been benefitting from the rising per capita incomes, the emergence of the middle class, and growing number of people with a relatively high income.The research report by Transparency Market Research has also studied using a SWOT analysis and a Porters five forces. The research report includes an explanation of the various factors determining the trajectory of the global health insurance market in the coming few years. Analysts have also factored in opinions of various market experts and leaders to give the readers a fair understanding of the overall market. Additionally, the document includes recommendations for the new entrants and existing players to improve their businesses with the wealth of valuable knowledge about the market.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:Health Insurance Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe efforts invested by several companies to make their product offerings as transparent as possible has fared well over the past few years. This move has made it easier for buyers to compare and understand the terms of insurance and the products being sold to them. Additionally, the integration of solutions through data analytics, cloud computing, and other modeling techniques is also projected to encourage the growth of the global market in the near future.Despite the positive outlook of the global health insurance market, it faces some tough challenges such as intense competition and tough profit margins. The undulating economic conditions have also led a considerable about of uncertainty in the global market.Health Insurance Market: Region-wise OutlookThe U.S. is the leading health insurance market in the global market due to its unmatched healthcare system in the world. The growth of the market is predominantly being aided by the strong presence of leading players such as Anthem Inc., Aetna Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc., Humana Inc., and Cigna Corp. These players occupy a share of about 80% in the private and public sector of insurance in the U.S. The companies are exploring opportunities of digitizing access to insurance schemes and communication about the same with their consumers to reach out to a wider audience. Options such as providing distributors and consumers with self-service features are also likely to open up a plethora of opportunities for the global market. Furthermore, marketing the products in an easily comprehensible manner is also expected to be the strategy of leading players in the coming years. The only threat for the new entrants is the high level of competition in the U.S. health insurance market.Asia Pacific is expected to a lucrative market as the region has shown a remarkable progress in its GDP. Furthermore, the improving disposable incomes and the enhancement of health security standards are also expected to boost this market in the region in the near future. The growing middle class and an increasing number of high net worth individuals in Asia Pacific are also expected to give the health insurance market the much-needed impetus.Key Players Mentioned in the ReportSome of the leading players operating in the global health insurance market are Cigna Corporation, AIA Insurance Group, UnitedHealth Group Inc.,Allianz SE, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd., Express Scripts Holding Company, AXA, Aviva plc, Aetna, Inc., Apollo Munich Health Insurance, and International Medical Group.Download Exclusive Brochure of This Report :Major geographies analyzed under this research report are:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the World (RoW)This report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsKey highlights of this report:Overview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segmentsAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Research Focuses on Global HDPE Geomembrane

http://www.reporthive.com/request-sample.php?id=815651

HDPE Geomembrane Report by Material, Application, and Geography  Global Forecast to 2021 is a professional and in-depth research report on the world's major regional market conditions, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, united Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China).The report firstly introduced the HDPE Geomembrane basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The report includes six parts, dealing with:1.) basic information;2.) the Asia HDPE Geomembrane Market;3.) the North American HDPE Geomembrane Market;4.) the European HDPE Geomembrane Market;5.) market entry and investment feasibility;6.) the report conclusion.For Sample Report Request:Table Of Content:Chapter One HDPE Geomembrane Industry Overview1.1 HDPE Geomembrane Definition1.2 HDPE Geomembrane Classification Analysis1.2.1 HDPE Geomembrane Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 HDPE Geomembrane Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 HDPE Geomembrane Application Analysis1.3.1 HDPE Geomembrane Main Application Analysis1.3.2 HDPE Geomembrane Main Application Share Analysis1.4 HDPE Geomembrane Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 HDPE Geomembrane Industry Development Overview1.5.1 HDPE Geomembrane Product History Development Overview1.5.1 HDPE Geomembrane Product Market Development Overview1.6 HDPE Geomembrane Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 HDPE Geomembrane Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 HDPE Geomembrane Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 HDPE Geomembrane Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 HDPE Geomembrane Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 HDPE Geomembrane Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two HDPE Geomembrane Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market TrendAbout Us:We are a leading repository of market research reports and solutions from the top publishers and market research companies across globe, catering to various industries. This large collection of reports assists organizations in decision-making on aspects such as market entry strategies, market sizing, market share analysis, competitive analysis, product portfolio analysis andopportunity analysis among others. We also assist in determining the best suited and targeted report from our large repository of global reports, company-specific reports and country-level reports.Our custom research services help clients to meet specific market research requirements by coordinating with our esteemed research partners. Our experienced analysts are always available to cater to your queries pre- and post-purchase. We believe in providing best-in-class after-sales service to our clients and wish to build a long-term and a mutually fruitful relationship.Contact Us:Pune, Maharashtra - 411 014IndiaEmail: sales@reporthive.comCall: +1-312-604-7084
Cladding Systems Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends Forecast 2024

Cladding Systems Market ,Cladding Systems Market share

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cladding-systems-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21680

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/

Cladding systems include vertical or horizontal boards, smaller overlapping panels, or sheet materials such as tiles and shingles. In addition, these systems use diverse approaches to prevent rain and wind entering through the linkages. Cladding can be directly attached to the frame or to a middle coat of boards or parts to prevent condensation while permitting water vapor to escape.The global cladding systems market is experiencing growth owing to factors such as rise in non-residential building and infrastructure activities, growing residential construction, and the high durability of cladding systems. Besides this, new construction and remodeling is anticipated to upsurge the demand for cladding systems during the forecast period.The evolution in the construction industry around the globe as well as government rules and regulations regarding zero-energy building codes are also major factors expected to impel the cladding systems market after the economic slowdown. However, high installation and raw material cost is the major factor that can hamper the global cladding systems market growth. In addition, the high repairing and maintenance cost is the major challenge for the cladding systems market.Obtain Report Details @The major supportive trend for the global cladding systems market includes increased populations and development in emerging nations, growing demand for protective systems, rise in demand for fiber cement, and increased demand for sustainable cladding resources. These factors are anticipated to open new opportunities for the cladding systems markets growth in the coming years.North America is anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast period due to the growing inclination of companies toward capital-intensive projects in this region, along with the availability of technical knowledge. However, Asia Pacific is also estimated to have a positive impact during the forecast period. The market for cladding systems in Asia Pacific is anticipated to develop significantly in the coming years due to the expanding economy and speedy growth in the infrastructure sector in this region.Make an Enquiry @The global cladding systems market can be segmented on the basis of component, application, and material. By component, the cladding system market is categorized into roofs, walls, doors and windows, and others. The application-based segmentation includes residential, commercial, industrial, and others. Furthermore, on the basis of material, the cladding systems market segmented into metal, vinyl, fiber cement, brick and stone, stucco and EIFS, and others.The metal cladding system is an important segment type and is expected to supplement the growth of the cladding systems market in the near term. This is primarily due to the long life and attractive appearance of metal cladding systems, which are more cost-effective than other cladding systems. It is also environment friendly and can be completely recycled. Metal cladding is primarily used in nonresidential constructions, specifically in the commercial and industrial sectors.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
DENVER, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Denver Investments, manager of the Westcore Funds family of mutual funds, announced today that it has earned two 2017 Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards. The Westcore Fixed Income funds won for the Best Fixed Income Small Fund Group, and the Westcore Mid-Cap Value Dividend Fund (WTMCX) was recognized as the Best Mid-Cap Value Fund for the three-year performance ended 11/30/2016.

Effective fixed income investing delivers consistently strong risk-adjusted returns to help investors meet their financial goals, said Troy Johnson, CFA, Director of Fixed Income Research at Denver Investments. Our tried-and-true philosophy emphasizes income, rather than short-term market timing, while providing downside preservation. This recognition from Thomson Reuters affirms the soundness of our approach across multiple strategies.

This award is a testament to what we believe are the benefits of dividend-only equity investing. Our investment process is designed to allow our investors to participate in up markets while helping preserve capital in down markets, added Derek Anguilm, CFA, a Director of Value Research at Denver Investments and a portfolio manager of the Westcore Mid-Cap Value Dividend Fund.

The Thompson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards honor fund management firms and individual mutual funds that excel in delivering consistently strong, risk-adjusted performance relative to their peers. Annual Lipper Fund Awards reflect consistency of returns over time. They take into account both short-term and long-term risk-adjusted performance relative to a funds classification and look back over a variety of holding periods.

We are pleased to honor the Westcore Funds for Best Fixed Income  Small Fund Group and the Westcore Mid-Cap Value Dividend Fund, said Robert Jenkins, Global Head of Research at Thomson Reuters Lipper. The investment teams at Denver Investments have demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering superior risk-adjusted returns.

The Westcore Fixed Income funds ranked first out of 74 eligible fund families in the Small Fund Group. These funds included the Westcore Flexible Income Fund (WILTX), the Westcore Plus Bond Fund (WIIBX), and the Westcore Colorado Tax-Exempt Fund (WTCOX). The Westcore Fixed Income funds also offer a national municipal bond fund, the Westcore Municipal Opportunities Fund (WTTAX), which launched in December 2016.

The Westcore Mid-Cap Value Dividend Fund was recognized first out of 109 eligible funds in the mid-cap value category for the three-year performance period ended 11/30/2016.

About Westcore Funds & Denver Investments

Westcore Funds (westcore.com) offers a broad range of funds to help investors achieve their investment goals. Our diverse family of investment strategies includes growth, value and international equity, as well as fixed income, and reflects the founding principles of its manager, Denver Investments (denvest.com). From its origin in 1958, Denver Investments was built upon the tenets of institutional investinga prudent, disciplined and consistently applied investment approach. Today, the firm manages assets for a broad array of individual and institutional investors, and is 100% employee-owned. We believe the firms organizational independence helps align our interests with those of our clients which enhances our ability to promote their investment success.

About the Lipper Fund Awards

The Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards, granted annually, highlight funds and fund companies that have excelled in delivering consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to their peers.

The Lipper Fund Awards are based on the Lipper Leader for Consistent Return rating, which is a risk-adjusted performance measure calculated over 36, 60 and 120 months. The highest 20% of funds in each category are named Lipper Leaders for Consistent Return and receive a score of 5, the next 20% receive a score of 4, the middle 20% are scored 3, the next 20% are scored 2 and the lowest 20% are scored 1. The fund with the highest Lipper Leader for Consistent Return (Effective Return) value in each eligible classification wins the Lipper Fund Award. For more information, see www.lipperfundawards.com. Although Lipper makes reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, the accuracy is not guaranteed by Lipper.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Source: Lipper, Inc. The Best Fixed IncomeSmall Fund Group award is granted to the fund family with the lowest average decile ranking for Consistent Return over the 3-year period. To qualify, a fund family must have at least three fixed income funds and less than $63.5 billion in assets under management for 2016. Westcore Funds Funds ranked 1 out of 74 eligible companies for 2016.

The Mid-Cap Value Fund award is granted to the fund in the Mid-Cap Value category with the highest Lipper Leader score for Consistent Return over the 3-year period as of 11/30/2016. Other share classes may have different performance and expense characteristics. Lipper awards are granted annually to the funds in each Lipper classification that achieve the highest score for Consistent Return, a measure of funds historical risk-adjusted returns, relative to peers.

From Thomson Reuters Lipper Awards, 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited.

Lipper, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, is a leading global provider of mutual fund information and analysis to fund companies, financial intermediaries and media organizations.

RISKS: Westcore Fixed Income Funds are subject to additional risk in that they may invest in high-yield/high-risk bonds and is subject to greater levels of liquidity risk. In addition, the exposure these funds have to foreign markets can regularly affect the net asset value (NAV) and total return of these Funds due to foreign risk.

Investing in mid-cap funds generally will be more volatile and loss of principal could be greater than investing in large-cap funds.

Dividends are not guaranteed. A companys future abilities to pay dividends may be limited and a company may cease paying dividends at any time.

An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund(s) carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus, which contains this and other important information about the Fund(s), please call 1-800-392-CORE (2673) or visit us online at www.westcore.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Westcore Funds are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc.

WES003338 01312018
The Extraordinary General Meeting in Hofseth BioCare ASA were held in Molovegen, Alesund today Friday 24 March 2017.

All proposals were approved per the attached minutes from the EGM.



Tor Erik Andersen, CEO of Hofseth BioCare ASA

Mob: +47 911 79 854

E-mail: For further information, please contact:Tor Erik Andersen, CEO of Hofseth BioCare ASAMob: +47 911 79 854E-mail: tea@hofsethbiocare.no



Phone: +47 936 32 966

E-mail: Jon Olav degard, CFO of Hofseth BioCare ASAPhone: +47 936 32 966E-mail: joo@hofsethbiocare.no

About Hofseth BioCare ASA:

HBC is a Norwegian biotech company that offers high-value ingredients and finished products for humans and pets. The company is founded on the core values of sustainability, traceability and optimal utilization of natural resources. Through an innovative hydrolysis technology, HBC is able to preserve the quality of salmon oil, proteins and calcium, prepared of fresh salmon off-cuts. HBC's objective is to contribute to the efficient use of marine resources and deliver quality products for ingredients and finished consumer products in the nutrition market.

Hofseth BioCare's headquarters are located in Alesund, Norway with branches in Oslo, Chicago, Mumbai and Tokyo. HBC is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange Axess list with ticker "HBC". More information about Hofseth BioCare at www.hofsethbiocare.com and www.facebook.com/hofsethbiocare

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Aetna Inc. (Aetna or the Company) (NYSE:AET) and certain of its officers, on behalf of shareholders who purchased Aetna securities between August 15, 2016 and January 20, 2017, inclusive (the Class Period). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firms site: http://www.bgandg.com/aet.

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 complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Aetna and its senior executives tried to influence Aetnas participation in the Public Exchanges for positive treatment from regulators regarding the Humana acquisition; (2) Aetna threatened to limit its involvement in public health insurance exchanges if the Department of Justice (DOJ) tried to block the merger; (3) Aetna did not withdraw from certain public health insurance exchanges for business reasons as Defendants claimed, but to follow through on its threat of leaving the marketplace once the DOJ filed suit and to improve its litigation position; (4) Aetna withdrew from public health insurance exchanges that were profitable for Aetna; and (5) consequently, Defendants statements regarding Aetnas business, operations, and prospects were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firms site: http://www.bgandg.com/aet or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in Aetna you have until March 27, 2017 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firms expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against BT Group plc (BT or the Company) (NYSE:BT) and certain of its officers, on behalf of a class who purchased BT ADRs between May 23, 2013, and January 23, 2017, inclusive (the Class Period). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firms site: http://www.bgandg.com/bt.

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 complaint alleges that Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) BTs Italian division had engaged in improper accounting practices; (2) BT thus significantly overstated its earnings; (3) the above mentioned would likely cause BT to cut its revenue, earnings, and free cash flow forecasts; and (4) consequently, BTs public statements were materially false and misleading.

In October 2016, BT exposed an initial investigation into historical accounting practices in its Italian division, resulting in several years of overstated earnings, and stated a substantial write-down. After finding this overstatement and corrupt practices in its Italian division, on January 24, 2017, BT cut its predictions of its revenue, earnings and free cash flow for 2017 and 2018. Consequently, the write-down size on BTs Italian business has more than doubled and the Company said that its revenue would not grow for the next two years and that its earnings guidance has been significantly reduced. "We are deeply disappointed with the improper practices which we have found in our Italian business," Chief Executive Gavin Patterson said. Following this news, BTs ADR price dropped $5.05 or 20.67%, to a closing price of $19.38 on January 24, 2017.

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firms site: http://www.bgandg.com/bt or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in BT you have until March 27, 2017 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firms expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.




NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against State Street Corporation (State Street or the Company) (NYSE:STT) and certain of its officers, on behalf of a class who purchased State Street securities between February 27, 2012 and January 18, 2017, both dates inclusive (the Class Period). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firms site: http://www.bgandg.com/stt.

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 Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) State Street engaged in a scheme to defraud a number of its clients by secretly applying commissions to billions of dollars of securities trades; (2) State Streets billing practices relied on unsustainable methodologies; (3) over an 18-year period, roughly $240 million or more of expenses may have been incorrectly invoiced to State Streets asset servicing clients; (4) from June 2010 until September 2011, State Street charged clients substantial mark-ups without their consent; and (5) consequently, Defendants public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice publicized that State Street entered a deferred prosecution agreement and settled to pay a criminal penalty of $32.3 million to resolve charges that it was involved in a scheme to defraud several of the banks clients by secretly applying commissions to billions of dollars of securities trades. State Street also agreed to offer an equal amount as a civil penalty to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, equaling an aggregate settlement of more than $64 million. State Street admitted the allegations and agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement that requires it to employ an independent corporate compliance monitor for three years.

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firms site: http://www.bgandg.com/stt or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in State Street you have until March 28, 2017 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firms expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: Majedie Asset Management Limited (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):



The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:



Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree



TESCO PLC (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:



For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 23 March 2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?



If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" No





2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:



ORD 5P



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 251,800,526 3.08 (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL:



251,800,526



3.08

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit ORD 5P Purchase 565,981 189.7617 ORD 5P ORD 5P ORD 5P

(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security Product description



e.g. CFD Nature of dealing



e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit





(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type



e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description



e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit





(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing



e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:



Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



None





(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:



(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or



(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:



If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



None





(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO

Date of disclosure: 24 March 2017 Contact name: Matthew Hambly Telephone number: 0207 618 3900

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.




The Midland Seventh-day Adventist Church will host Old Time Radio Variety Hour at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1.

The program features a live radio drama, instruments and a gospel quartet. Audiences can see how radio was produced in the old days with songs both vocal and instrumental, and a radio drama story by live actors with sound effects.

The format is the Strong Tower Radio Old Time Radio Variety Hour. This is the 11th variety hour and the second performance in Midland.

Originally cast in Mount Pleasant as a church social program that was so well-received, it took a life on of its own. Other things came out of it including a quartet that now is the stations musical ambassadors. The Strong Tower Radio Quartet went on to produce a CD and performs concerts across Michigan and they will open both segments to the two-hour recorded session for the Strong Tower Radio Network. The network currently has 10 Michigan radio and one TV station. The program will be broadcast on 90.7 FM

The church is located at 2420 E. Ashman St. The event is free but a freewill donation will be accepted.
Every graduating medical student in the nation had last Friday marked as Match Day.

It takes place on the same day, at the same time, at every medical school. It is the day future doctors learn if and where they will do their residency training.

Central Michigan Universitys College of Medicine on Friday experienced its first-ever Match Day, and each of its first class of doctors-to-be  all 62 of them  obtained placements. Nearly half  47 percent  were matched to residency programs in Michigan.

This 100 percent placement is especially notable because the number of medical students far exceeds the number of U.S. residencies. In 2016, for example, more than 10,000 students went unmatched.

I am excited for my match and for all of my classmates, as everyone matched today, Kush Sharma, a Kalamazoo native, said. Having been a part of this small of a class, we are like a family.

Sharma was matched with Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners in vascular surgery.

Match Day is the medical school version of March Madness. A computerized mathematical algorithm is used by the National Resident Matching Program to align the specialty and location preferences of medical students with the preferences of program directors to fill positions at U.S. teaching hospitals.

Its a dramatic event, with embargoed match information released to students in sealed envelopes opened simultaneously across the nation at 11:59 a.m. EST.

Today is a momentous event in the history of our university and our college. This is our inaugural class, and the very first Match Day experienced by our faculty, staff and students, College of Medicine Dean Dr. George E. Kikano said. It also is an exciting day for the state, because of our unique mission focused on preparing physicians to serve in rural and medically underserved regions of Michigan.

CMU is changing the face of health care in the state, in this moment.

The 62 students in CMUs inaugural class matched in the following areas:

 Emergency medicine  19 percent;

 Internal medicine  18 percent;

 Family medicine  11 percent;

 Psychiatry  8 percent;

 Pediatrics, anesthesiology, obstetrics/gynecology and general surgery  24 percent; and the remaining 20 percent in various other specialties.

These results mean the mission of the CMU College of Medicine is more than a promise, said Dr. Steve Vance, associate dean of clinical education. Our mission is now a reality. After years of hard work and a match application process that began last fall, these students are about to discover their roles in our health care system. Im incredibly proud of this class.

Kikano said CMU is breaking ground in addressing the shortage of physicians in Michigan and the need for quality health care. He notes that CMU students learn the science of medicine while also learning to put the patient first  to consider the whole patient in the settings of their individual communities.

Im grateful to our outstanding faculty, our supportive staff, and our incredible clinical partners throughout Michigan who help provide outstanding educational experiences for these students, Kikano said. Today is a day to celebrate being one step closer to reducing health disparities and improving access to high-quality health care in the state.

This day means I have a future. I get to train and hopefully make my mom and dad proud, Yasha Parikh, an Okemos native said.

Parikh was matched at Mount Auburn Hospital, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the 10th radiologist in her family. Her father, Samir Parikh, is a radiologist with Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson. Her mother, Smruti Parikh, is a radiologist in cardiovascular private practice in Okemos.

The National Resident Matching Program expects the 2017 match to be the largest in history, exceeding the more than 42,000 applicants who registered for the 2016 match and the more than 4,800 residency programs at institutions across the country that offered more than 30,000 positions last year.
NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against JBS S.A. (JBS or the Company) (OTCQX:JBSAY) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired the publicly traded American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) of JBS securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you are a shareholder who purchased JBS ADRs securities between June 2, 2015 and March 17, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until May 22, 2017 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]

JBS processes and sells beef, lamb, pork, and chicken products in Brazil and internationally. The Company is incorporated in the Federative Republic of Brazil and its principal executive offices are in Sao Paulo- SP, Brazil.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) JBS executives bribed regulators and politicians to subvert food inspections of its plants and overlook unsanitary practices such as processing rotten meat and running plants with traces of salmonella; and (2) as a result, defendants statements about JBS's business, operations and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable bases at all relevant times.

On March 17, 2017, news outlets reported that Brazilian federal police raided the offices of JBS and dozens of other meatpackers following a two-year investigation into alleged bribery of regulators to subvert inspections of their plants and overlook unsanitary practices. Police arrested two JBS employees, as well as 20 public officials. JBS stated in a securities filing that three of its plants and one of its employees were targeted in the probe.

On this news, shares of JBS fell $0.71 per share, or over 9.2%, to close at $6.96 per share on March 17, 2017, damaging investors.

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
To the editor:

There is a lot to dislike about President Trumps 2018 budget proposal.

Meals on Wheels is just one of the programs that would no longer receive federal funding if Mr. Trumps budget were adopted. In Midland County alone, Meals on Wheels delivers more than 10,000 meals a month to people who are elderly and housebound. For many of these recipients, Meals on Wheels represents the only nutritious food, and the only human contact they get. Ninety-two percent of people receiving Meals on Wheels say that this program enables them to remain living at home. About two thirds of the funding for the Midland County program comes from federal sources that Mr. Trump would abandon.

Mr. Trump says that Meals on Wheels is not well targeted to the poorest populations and has not demonstrated results. However, he doesnt suggest any alternative that might better serve the needs of the poorest populations. He simply eliminates federal money for all Community Development Block Grant Programs, and transfers these funds into the already bloated military and homeland security allocation.

This cannot be what people had in mind when they voted for Mr. Trump as the populist candidate who would improve the lives of the poor and disenfranchised. Nor will the 48 percent of the electorate who voted Democrat welcome this skewing of our national priorities. Please write to your Congressional representatives and let them know that abandoning programs that give real help to people who need it is not the way to balance our national budget.

JUDITH HILL

Sanford
To the editor:

State Rep. Gary Glenn posted an open letter addressed to the Women of Michigan Action Network on his Facebook timeline on March 5. We appreciate the time and energy he put into the letter.

WOMAN gained valuable insight when we attended the office hours on March 3. At that meeting we were able to present to Glenn topics such as:

 Two unnecessary House bills that would have the negative result of allowing individuals to carry a concealed weapon in Michigan without a permit or training on college campuses and childcare centers.

 The constitutional and moral necessity of compassionate policies aimed at providing equal rights and protections to members of the LGBTQ community.

 The critical funds that would be depleted by a reduction in Michigans income taxes, that support infrastructure, protection of our natural resources and education.

 The acute need to include the voices of educators when considering a change or elimination of standards in schools.

 The essential services provided by Planned Parenthood to the citizens of Michigan.

We met in the librarys Community Room after it was clear that the room Glenn reserved wouldnt hold all of his constituents hoping to talk with him that day. We agreed to donate the additional $30 cost for that larger room and we did so on March 6. Glenn spoke of this with great emphasis in his letter, so we wanted him to know thats been resolved. We are honored to have provided the space not only for the WOMAN members who responded to Glenns public invitation, but to the other voters who showed up to be heard as well. We urge Rep. Glenn to schedule a larger venue in the future.

In the meeting, one of his constituents shared her concern about the loss of vital services if Planned Parenthood was defunded, and he suggested that individual citizens should take up collections to fund Planned Parenthood rather than tax dollars. Given that it is true that private funding has always been important to supplement the required and essential federal funding of Planned Parenthood, we want Rep. Glenn to know that we took his advice. His constituents who are members of WOMAN are conducting a funding campaign for Planned Parenthood. The campaign ends on April 1 and we have already collected over $1,000 in donations. Since it was Glenns suggestion, we will be sending the final donation in his name. Thank you so much for the idea.

Finally, Rep. Glenn stated at the meeting and later with TV5 that he didnt know what the point was of us talking with him since we know we wont change his mind. To that wed like to point out that ours is a representative democracy and as such, we do expect that our elected representatives represent all the members of their district, not just those that voted for them. We attended the meeting assuming he had the best of intent to fulfill this responsibility by listening to us and answering our sincere questions. To be clear, that was the point.

Voters who attended the meeting with Rep. Glenn represent those committed to engage in our democracy. Our positions represent constitutional and compassionate values. We will continue to engage and advance civil and human equality, even when popular opinion supports oppression. We look forward to other opportunities to hear from Rep. Glenn and for him to hear from us because we all want whats best for Michigan. We cant achieve that unless we know each others viewpoints  unless we listen even (maybe especially) to the opinions that are different than ours. In the words of the Dalai Lama, When you talk, you are only repeating what you know; but when you listen, you may learn something new.

JEN CIOLINO

JODY LIEBMANN

SARAH SCHULZ

And the 1,118 members of the Women of Michigan Action Network  WOMAN
I have always been a strong supporter of funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The GLRI has worked in partnership with conservation efforts including groups like Ducks Unlimited, and researchers at Central Michigan University who have done critical work assessing the health of 10,000 miles of wetlands that support the Great Lakes ecosystem.

I believe that this year there will once again be great support in the House of Representatives for fully funding the GLRI. Just last December, more than 300 members of the House and 60 members of the Senate voted to authorize annual funding for the GLRI for the next five federal budgets.

The GLRI enjoys bipartisan support from the Michigan congressional delegation and delegations throughout the Great Lakes states. I will continue to work across the aisle with members from other Great Lakes states to defend funding for the GLRI as I did when former President Obama proposed cutting funding for the program.

I hope the new administration will recognize the strong bipartisan support for this important program and sign legislation that protects funding for the GLRI.

In addition to the GLRI, I have worked on two other issues that will protect the Great Lakes.

I have joined my colleagues in writing to the administration asking it to release its plan for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in the fight against Asian carp.

Asian carp is a dangerous invasive species that must be stopped from entering the Great Lakes and wreaking havoc on the most important freshwater ecosystem in the world.

After eight years of former President Obama putting Chicago interests ahead of the millions of people who enjoy the Great Lakes for work and recreation, it is time to make real progress on blocking Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes.

We must also protect the Great Lakes from the dangers of nuclear waste. The Canadian government has proposed using a site on the shores of Lake Huron to store nuclear waste. Lake Huron is a treasure between our two countries and I hope the government of Canada will look for a new location outside of the Great Lakes Basin. I have sent a letter to the Trump administration asking it to work on this issue with Canada and find a more suitable location that will not endanger the Great Lakes ecosystem.

The Great Lakes are one-fifth of the worlds surface fresh water and they support billions of dollars in economic activity, creating jobs in all sectors of the economy. They are central to the outdoor heritage of our state and they enrich the lives of all Michigan residents.

I am working hard to protect the Great Lakes on a number of issues. The Great Lakes enjoy broad support in Congress and I will work to unite my colleagues around legislation that will continue to protect the Great Lakes for years to come.

Congressman John Moolenaar represents Michigans Fourth Congressional District, which is made up of Clare, Clinton, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Osceola, Roscommon, Shiawassee and Wexford counties, and parts of Montcalm and Saginaw counties.
Republic of Korea and U.S. military forces participated in an annual command and control exercise called Key Resolve held across the Korean Peninsula March 8 to 23.

From its start, the exercise highlights the longstanding and enduring partnership and friendship between the two nations and their combined commitment to the defense of the ROK and regional stability.

Approximately 12,800 U.S. Forces along with 10,000 ROK military personnel joined dozens of augmentation forces and multinational representatives from the United Nations Command including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France and Great Britain.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Bergeson, the Air Component Command, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command and 7th Air Force commander, explained the significance of exercises like Key Resolve and the combined U.S. and U.N. commitment to the ROK.

Our mission is first and foremost to deter any aggression from North Korea, he said. If that deterrence fails then we are in a position to defend the Republic of Korea. And if we defend, we are going to defeat the enemy and win.

The general went on to explain how vitally important this region of the world is to all nations.

Over 20 percent of the worlds economic output comes from Northeast Asia, he continued. This is a very vital portion of the world and so its extremely important not just to the United States but to the rest of the world as well. 

KR17 is conducted in accordance with the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, signed Oct. 1, 1953. The exercise strengthens the two nations regional security cooperation essential for addressing the growing threat from North Korea. A strong defense relationship among the United States, Combined Forces Command and the ROK serves as the anchor of stability in the region.

Allies are critical to the United States, Bergeson said. Our friends and our allies, we share common values: democracy, respect for human rights and laws, and so we want to work together to try to retain peace and security throughout this region.

The defense treaty further emboldens Koreans and Americans alike in their collective desire to strengthen the fabric of peace in the Pacific area.

Exercises like KR17 afford both U.S. and ROK service members an opportunity to work side-by-side in the same way they would operate if actually going to war. Senior Airman Ivan Cooper with the 15th Operations Support Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, explains how this experience not only makes him a better Airman, but a more effective weather forecaster.

Key Resolve has really opened my eyes to new ways of handling difficult situations, he said. It helps improve our communication skills not only internally with other Americans, but especially with the Koreans as well.

Coopers weather forecast counterpart in the Republic of Korea Air Force, 1st Lt. Jaewon Yoo with the Osan Weather Squadron, echoed his partners sentiment saying the opportunity to work side-by-side with U.S. forecasters has been an extremely enriching experience.

This is very important because the way we forecast is different from the way the Americans forecast, Yoo explained. Key Resolve has brought us closer together and helped us understand how we can work as a unified team to deter the enemy and make a difference.

That feeling reaches up and down the ranks, from airman basic through the general officers, and only emboldens U.S. and ROK forces in their deterrence mission as the find common ground.

Were not going to fight wars alone, said Capt. Abi Oilar, an air battle manager with the 612th Air Operations Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Back at home station, Im used to operating at the tactical level, whereas here, Ive had to do more critical thinking and approach the scenarios from a different perspective. Working alongside the ROKAF has opened my eyes to new ways of approaching the situations that Ill be able to take back with me and share with others in my home command.

But it takes more than air power to win a war and according to Bergeson, the Korean Air Power Team is made up of the United States Air Force, the Republic of Korea Air Force as well as the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and United States Army and liaisons from the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy that all bring together their air components into what the general calls the Korean Air Power Team.

The Air Component is responsible for any of the operations in air, space and cyberspace, the general said. The other components are responsible for operations in their domains, whether on land or in the sea, or with the Marines who are doing amphibious operations. So we coordinate with them every day by having liaison officers who work in all different command centers.

One such liaison officer, U.S. Army Maj. Tony Wrice with the 3rd Battlefield Coordination Detachment at Osan AB, said its amazing what we can do when we come together as one unified team.

This exercise has been a really great experience working together with our Air Force, the ROKAF and ROK Army, and all the UNCs, Wrice said. Im responsible for ensuring our artillery and other ground forces dont conflict with the needs and operations of the air component. Every day Im working with ROKAF and ROK Army counterparts to make sure we can communicate each components needs, deconflict any issues and meet objectives.

Although Army personnel are greatly outnumbered in this exercise, their necessity to mission success remains as evident today as during the Korean War nearly 70 years ago.

To be able to bring all our resources together and really focus on winning the fight is incredible, Wrice continued. Key Resolve makes it all happen.

The exercise is about more than sharpening the ROKs defense, its about assembling a team by building on old friendships with a renewed focus on freedom and prosperity across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

The team has done extraordinarily well, the general said. This is a difficult exercise, we want it to be difficult, and so we are learning lessons as we go along. Some things were not doing perfectly but thats why you do it; thats why you practice. You practice to make it very difficult so that if you were ever to have to do this for real, youre prepared for it.

Similarly, ROKAF Lt. Gen. Won In Choul, the Air Component Command deputy commander, said he couldnt be prouder of the brave men and women who daily put their lives on the line in defense of the ROK.

Forged in the blood spilled by the Korean War, six decades of ROK-US alliance has developed and fortified each nations military, economy and diplomacy, he said. [Our combined] planning and preparation allowed this to be the most realistic exercise in history. Im grateful for the dedication and passion of not only ROK and U.S. Airmen but also Soldiers, Sailors and Marines.

I wish safe travels for the augmentees who participated in the exercise from outside the Korean theater of operations, Choul added. Thank you.
NORMAL  Previewing a talk about global climate change, former Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Thursday improving the climate doesn't have to be done at the expense of economic growth. Both are possible, he said, but it will take changes in several areas.

In the Twin Cities as part of the Adlai Stevenson Memorial Lecture Series, the president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 also said the United States needs to take a more pragmatic and viable approach to immigration reform and the Trump administration needs to recognize the importance of a strong relationship with Mexico.

Calderon spoke to a group of about 65 students at Illinois State University's Bone Student Center Thursday afternoon in advance of an evening speech at Illinois Wesleyan University entitled, Better Growth or Better Climate: Do We Need to Choose?"

Highlighting themes from his evening lecture, Calderon said government and businesses have been reluctant to take action on climate change because they think it will harm economic growth.

But, Calderon said, it is possible to have better growth and a better climate at the same time.

However, it will take changes in three big systems, according to Calderon, chairman of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate and president of the Sustainable Human Development Foundation.

Those systems are urbanization, land-use practices and energy.

First, the planet must move away from having sprawling cities like Chicago or Mexico City and move toward more densely compact cities with coordinated mass transportation systems, said Calderon.

He pointed to Barcelona, Spain, and Atlanta, Ga., for comparisons. Both have roughly the same population but Barcelona covers less than 200 square miles while Atlanta covers nearly 2,500 square miles, he noted. The result? Atlanta's carbon emissions per capita are 10 times higher than those of Barcelona, said Calderon.

Second, he said, land-use practices must be changed by using new technology to produce more food on less land area and ending deforestation and degradation of soil.

Third, the planet must move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, he said.

Innovation in energy not only will improve the climate and public health, it will create jobs, Calderon argued.

Innovation has been a crucial factor for economic growth since the invention of the wheel, he said.

Speaking with reporters after his talk, Calderon said U.S.-Mexico relations are at a very difficult moment and the Trump administration needs to recognize how important Mexico is for the United States.

Mexico is the second largest importer of U.S. products, noted Calderon.

When President Trump says 'Buy American,' we, the Mexicans, buy American a lot, said Calderon, noting that Mexico is one of the main importers of corn from the United States but, if relations sour, Mexico could turn to other countries, such as Argentina.

That will hurt the American people, not the Mexican people, Calderon said.

As for immigration, Calderon said the number of Mexicans leaving the United States is equal to or higher than the number entering the country and it has been that way since about 2010.
BLOOMINGTON  History has a way of repeating itself.

A wave of civic engagement has rolled over the Twin Cities over the last year in the form of rallies, protests and a rise in political involvement.

Mike Matejka of Bloomington said the surge in national and local activism reminds him of similar movements in the 1960s and 1970s.

I was a student at Illinois State University in 1973 and there were plenty of issues about race and class in America that I thought needed attention, said Matejka. In the turmoil of that time, we learned to be more aware of womens rights, race minorities and the emerging LGBTQ movement. Positive change came from that realization.

Matejka is the governmental affairs director for Great Plains Laborers District Council and a member of Bloomington-Normals Not In Our Town (NIOT), an anti-hate group. He believes activism has grown locally and nationally, especially following the presidential election.

Though (President Barack) Obama didnt do everything he promised, he was very successful at the politics of hope and promoting a vision that inspired people, said Matejka. Many seem to have found the current political rhetoric very discouraging in contrast to that.

Matejka said he believes President Donald Trump has been successful at tapping into the frustration" of economic distress felt by many Americans.

"We should go forward with that recognition and improve economic equality in this country, but it should be used as an instrument to lift up all people, no matter their agenda or race, said Matejka.

Economic, social and political change doesn't happen overnight, he added.

"If you look across American history, changing laws and societal attitudes often takes years, decades or even a whole generation, he said.

Matejka said he has been inspired by younger generations and local political groups lead by high school students.

I find it very edifying that young people are not afraid to come out of their shell and stand up for each other, he said.

At 16 years old, Emma Spader said she has always had an interest in social activism but has become more involved in recent months, attending marches for womens rights and rallies against hatred and bullying.

Everything that has been happening in recent months has caused a tension that is bringing us together because we want to ensure an inclusive environment for all, said Spader, a junior at Normal Community High School.

Emma is involved in the Peace and Justice Committee at NCHS, a group of students with a desire for political engagement. She said many of her peers value a community that "prioritizes safety for minority students."

Its important to get the message out there that all of our voices matter, especially those who havent been heard because theyve been intimidated by this wave of naivety, said Spader. Those involved in activism are really inclusive people. We arent just representing a portion of the community, but everyone as a whole.

Melle Hany of Bloomington also believes that activists are striving for inclusiveness.

Before the presidential election, I think there was a lot of interest in individual activist groups. Because of the way the election went and the rise in people pushing for social change, those specific groups have become one giant group, said Hany.

Hany organize the February march in Bloomington in support of funding for Planned Parenthood. About 1,000 people joined the peaceful rally. The large turnout inspired Hany to form a local group called Feminists Instigating Social Transformation.

I didnt want to roll over and let louder voices being the ones making the change, said Hany. A lot of my role models are activists. I used to envy them from afar, but now its nice to join the activist community and try to make a difference.

Jeff Schwartz, director and founder of the McLean County Diversity Project, said he doesnt believe the level of activism has risen, but that the media has put a bigger spotlight on rallies and marches.

It might seem like theres more, but things like this have been going on for a long time, said Schwartz. Maybe whats going on now represents a different set of values than what has happened in the past.
BLOOMINGTON  As the House Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act was not called for a vote as expected on Thursday, a Central Illinois congressman continued to praise the legislation as opponents said they weren't surprised that the legislation was faltering.

The vote to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as "Obamacare," with the more conservative American Health Care Act, supported by House GOP leaders and the president, was suspended on Thursday after it failed to get the support of some conservatives and moderates.

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, told The Associated Press that "while this bill continues to be amended and debated this week, I continue to welcome feedback from my constituents and look forward to working with my colleagues to improve America's health care system."

LaHood repeated his contention that the ACA is "failing" and legislators have an obligation to replace it with a "patient-centered system that allows for more competition and provides better access to care at lower costs."

Under ACA, "the cost of health care has skyrocketed and choices for quality care have quickly diminished," he said. The goal of the American Health Care Act is to make the health care system more cost effective while protecting people with pre-existing conditions and allowing parents to keep children on their health plans, LaHood said.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, and U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, did not release statements Thursday. They released statements earlier this month supporting the American Health Care Act.

But representatives of two organizations that favor improving Obamacare rather than repealing and replacing it had a different perspective.

"It's always harder to pass legislation than to oppose legislation," said Julie Prandi, of Bloomington, representing Stand Up for Social Justice. "The Republicans are finding that out."

"It looks like they (House GOP leaders) are caving in to the conservatives, which doesn't reflect what most people are concerned about," said Jodie Slothower of Normal, representing Voices of Reason.

"This is going in the opposite direction of what Americans would like," Slothower said. "Obamacare is popular but needs improvement. The Republican proposal is not what people are looking for."

"This legislation, by faltering, shows how the (President) Trump and (House Speaker) Ryan coalition is falling apart," Slothower continued. "I hope they can scrap this insurance plan and go back to fixing Obamacare. I think that would pass. It would be great if they could fix Obamacare rather than going off the right-wing cliff."
English Dutch

Press Release

Regulated Information

Zele, 24 March 2017 - 06:00 PM CET

Disclosure in accordance with the Law of 2 May 2007: Transparency law

Transparency declaration by Mr Jan Prochazka

VGP NV has received a transparency notification dated 23 March 2017 that Jan Prochazka, by virtue of the sale of 100% of the shares of Alsgard SA on 21 March 2017, no longer holds any shares of VGP NV. Therefore, the threshold of 3% was crossed downward.

The notification dated 23 March 2017 contains following information:

Reason for notification:

Acquisition or disposal of voting securities or voting rights, downward crossing of the lowest threshold.

Notification by:

A person that notifies alone.

Persons subject to the notification requirement:

Jan Prochazka.

Date on which the threshold is crossed:

21 March 2017.

Threshold that is crossed:

3%.

Denominator:

18,583,050.

Notified details:

Not applicable

Chain of controlled undertakings through which the holding is effectively held, if applicable:

Not applicable

Additional information:

Mr Jan Prochazka has sold all of the shares in Alsgard SA, which itself holds 2,409,914 shares (12.97%) in VGP NV, to Mr Jan Van Geet. Mr Jan Van Get now has the exclusive control over Alsgard SA.
BLOOMINGTON  Illinois not-for-profit medical centers remain exempt from property taxes under a state Supreme Court ruling welcomed Thursday by hospital systems.

"We are pleased with the Supreme Court's decision today," said Lisa Trafficanta Lesniak, vice president of public affairs for Advocate Health Care, which includes Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal and Advocate Eureka Hospital in Eureka.

"We believe the law provides a clear and constitutional approach to property tax exemption so we can continue to invest in the health and wellness of our communities," Lesniak said. "As a nonprofit organization, Advocate provided more than $686 million in community benefits in 2015 with our costs far exceeding the estimated value of our property tax exemption."

The Supreme Court vacated last year's appellate court ruling that said a state law allowing not-for-profit hospitals to avoid paying property taxes was unconstitutional. The law allows nonprofit hospitals to avoid property taxes if the value of their charitable services matches or exceeds their estimated tax liability.

Tax-exempt proponents argued that hospitals have been tax-exempt for years because of their charity care. Opponents argued that hospitals are profitable and should be required to pay their share of taxes.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that the Illinois 4th District Appellate Court lacked jurisdiction and returned the case involving Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana back to the trial court for reconsideration.

OSF Health Care  which includes OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington and OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac  referred to a comment from the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA).

"Although (IHA) hoped that the Supreme Court would address the constitutionality of Section 15-86, we understand and respect the decision of the court to vacate the 4th District Appellate Court decision in the Carle case on non-constitutional grounds," IHA said.

The association also said it was pleased that another appellate court decision, which upheld the constitutionality of the law, "is now the law of the land."

Anna Evans, general counsel and vice president of internal audit and compliance for Memorial Health System, which includes Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, had a similar observation.

"This means that we will continue to do what we've always done, which is to serve our communities, and that includes the under-served members of our communities," Evans said.

Hopedale Medical Complex chief operating officer Mark Rossi said the hospital "views this as very good news as it does remove some of the uncertainty that surrounded the property tax issue."
It's nearly impossible to look away from Below Her Mouth's US trailer, which dropped stateside on Wednesday. It's just that hot.

If anything, this Canadian flick packs one heck of a feminist punch. Not just because the film stars two female leads (Natalie Krill and Erika Linder), not just because the film centers around a lesbian love story, not just because the writer (Stephanie Fabrizi) and director (April Mullen) are both women, and not just because it was shot by an entirely feminist crewa circumstance nearly unheard of in the film industry. Not surprisingly, Below Her Mouth scored an "F for feminism" IMDB rating.

So why the hype? It could have something to do with Mullen's decision to very deliberately tell the story of her lead character from a female perspective (something Blue is the Warmest Color was criticized for failing to accomplish). "When I was shot-listing, blocking and sort of choreographing and production-designing everything to do with the film, I had to constantly forget about everything I had watched  advertising, TV or film  that were primarily made with male audiences in mind. I had to forget about all those images I had been exposed to my whole life when it comes to sex and intimacy and love and just look inwardly and be really attuned to what affects me as a woman and what really turns me on and what draws me close to want to be intimate with someone," she told Cult Montreal.

The prevalence of sexism in Hollywood is a heated debate, to say the least. And with defiant words from countless celebrities alongside headlines of celebrity sexual assault scandalslooking at you, Jane Fonda and Casey Affleckit's not hard to see why. Below Her Mouth's thoughtful and careful crafting of a lesbian love story told from a sincerely feminist perspective and produced by a creative team run by women is what gives this film such a promising dynamic.

The film premieres in theaters across the US on April 28.

h/t Out Magazine

Splash image via screenshot.


Life as a student is tough and being a parent is also a challenge. When one is both a parent and a student, the reality of handling both responsibilities and demands is greater. How do students who are parents cope and balance these?

Students who are parents make up 26 percent or 4.8 million of undergraduates in America in 2014, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR). From this statistics, female students bear the most challenges as they are the primary carers of their children. Many of them are also single moms (43 percent).

Among the challenges students who are parents face include the lack of child care opportunities and facilities. It's either they cannot afford a good service on a student's budget or there are not enough accessible facilities in their schools.

Barbara Gault told The Atlantic only a few American universities acknowledge that this is the reality for many students, so there's a tendency to regard their situation as an extra rather than an essential. Some schools, however, do have offices that help students who are parents connect with child care services but that's how far they go.

Then there's the matter of doing the balancing act. A student mom with a baby struggle with choices every day. Should she feed or bathe her baby first? Should she finish a school project with a deadline hours away? Should she get more sleep when her last decent rest was 72 hours ago?

"I lost my sense of self and that created a false dichotomy where I'm bad and she's good," mom Nadia Rosales said, as per NT Daily. She knew the baby was a priority but somewhere along the way she forgot to take care of herself and her mental health suffered. She had postpartum depression.

Rosales struggled with money as a student parent as well but availed of financial aid. Her baby's father, whom she's no longer with, helped with finances as well.

Another student mom, Dellandra Adams, coped by taking online classes and it helped that she got free tuition as a foster care alumnus. Both students who are parents attest their experiences made them stronger people. They saw their struggles as personal growth so, despite the hardships, they do not have any regrets with how their lives turned out.
Women who delay pregnancy and become older moms might make better parents who raise more well-behaved and successful children. A new study highlighted the benefits of women having children at a later age.

Researchers from Norway's Aarhus University conducted the study involving 4,741 Danish moms with kids in the ages of seven, 11 and 15. The findings were published in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology.

Experts learned that older moms experienced less behavioral problems with their 7-year-old and 11-year-old kids. They were the type who did not enforce physical discipline and yet were effective at imposing boundaries for their younger children.

The older moms in the study also experienced less emotional conflicts with their 15-year-old kids. Their children were also socially well-adjusted. The Danish study implied that an older mom's maturity as a big factor to their good parenting skills.

"We know that people become more mentally flexible with age, are more tolerant of other people, and thrive better emotionally themselves," co-study author Dion Sommer said, as per Science Daily. "This style of parenting can thereby contribute to a positive psychosocial environment which affects the children's upbringing."

An older mom's age begins at 35-years-old. It is generally considered as the high-risk age for pregnancy because a pregnant mom, at this point, has greater chances of risks and complications, as per NPR.

Aside from emotional maturity, experts said an older mom's financial capacity and the stability of her relationship with herself and other people makes her less anxious and stressed. Thus, she can better focus on raising a baby.

Several studies already showed the benefits of being an older mom, such as living longer, having more energy, and raising taller and smarter kids, according to Time. Older moms might be judged for delaying pregnancy or having babies in advanced age, but these benefits show they might have made the right choices after all.
A 17-year-old girl reportedly got a cease and desist letter from President Donald Trump's lawyers. They were allegedly asking her to take down a website she created that had cats punching Trump.

Lucy from San Francisco coded the site Kitten Feed and launched this in February under a different title bearing the word "Trump." It featured four images of the president that users could punch or scratch with the kitten's paw.

Lucy created the site for her job-hunt portfolio. A few weeks after it launched, however, she got a letter from Trump's lawyers. They told her she named the site after someone "internationally known and famous" and could be cited for trademark infringement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

So, Lucy changed its name to Kitten Feed. Sometime later, she claimed she received another cease and desist letter. Trump's lawyers said she had been selling anti-Trump merchandise links on her site, so she promptly removed this.

Lucy expressed her disappointment over the letters. "The fact that as president he still has teams going around bothering to shut down silly sites like mine is outrageous," she said.

A deeper look into the claims, however, revealed Lucy might have never received any letters from Trump's lawyers at all. Gizmodo looked into Kitten Feed's records online and learned some details didn't match. There might have never been any Lucy, too.

Gizmodo found out the supposed cease and desist letters were sent before the website went live. The site suspected Kitten Feed was trolling everyone on the internet, where major sites picked up on the news about Trump going after a teenager. Snopes also did some fact-checking and arrived at the same conclusion.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Trump Organization confirmed they did not send a teenager any cease and desist letter. They told Observer Lucy's story was false and no news agency contacted them before running her story.
The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of a special education student Wednesday. It cited schools have the responsibility to provide special need kids higher curriculum standards and more challenging school programs.

It's a big win for the case of Endrew F. vs. Douglas County School District. In an 8-0 ruling, the Supreme Court said the school district was liable for the student with autism's tailored education.

Endrew F.'s family pulled out their son from public school because his individualized education plan under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) wasn't helping him improve. His parents moved him to a private school where he performed better.

Endrew F.'s parents sued the school district for support of his private school tuition and they lost in the lower court, as Parent Herald previously reported. Now, the Supreme Court overturned that decision.

"A student offered an educational program providing 'merely more than de minimis' progress from year to year can hardly be said to have been offered an education at all," Chief Justice John Roberts stated in the ruling, Reuters reported. He reiterated educational programs for special needs kids must be "appropriately ambitious," especially if the student cannot cope and integrate with regular classes.

Parents of special needs kids welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling. Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi of the group RespectAbility hailed the controversial decision as "epic," as per U.S. News.

Endrew F.'s case drew controversy because President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch handled a similar case involving a special needs child in 2008. He ruled in favor of the school district.

"I understand today that the Supreme Court has indicated that the [previous] standard is incorrect," he told the Senate committee in his confirmation hearing, as per Time. "That's fine, I will follow the law," he added. "If I was wrong, Senator, I was wrong because I was bound by circuit precedent, and I'm sorry."
A stampede took place at a school in central China and it led to the death of two students. Twenty more students suffered injuries from the incident.

Reports said the students, who are from Number Three Experimental Primary School located in Puyang, went to the bathroom sometime in the morning during a ten-minute break. The students rushed to the bathroom after a reading class and before a monthly exam. Some of the students started to push the others that subsequently led to the stampede.

The State media noted some students suffered from serious injuries while two remained in critical condition. Authorities took them to area hospitals.

An official confirmed two died from the incident but declined to provide further details. One parent said the students started pushing after they panicked due to a collapsed bathroom wall. Authorities did not confirm the parent's post.

The ages of the students killed from the stampede remained unknown as well as their gender. Due to the deaths, school officials removed the headmaster of the school, The New York Post reported.

If the reports about a bathroom wall collapsed were indeed true, it was not the first time that poor building construction became one of the reasons for fatal accidents in the country. In 2008, after an earthquake, thousands of schools believed to be poorly built collapsed while other buildings around them remained intact.

A video also made rounds online showing some of the parents and the children's relatives waiting outside the school after the latest stampede. Some of the relatives collapsed while waiting outside the school. The cause of the incident remained under investigation, Time revealed.

The incident was not the first time a deadly stampede took place in China. In 2015, 36 people died during New Year celebrations. In 2014, six children died and 25 others suffered from injuries after a stampede took place on a school staircase.
A Facebook Live video that showed a 15-year-old girl sexually assaulted resulted to the victim not wanting to go home, her mother confirmed. The girl reportedly received online threats and kids in her area joked about the matter.

The victim went missing on over the weekend and her mother only reunited with her after two days. The teen stayed with a relative and continue to live there due to the online threats and jokes made regarding the issue.

The 32-year-old mother of the teen expressed, "This is just disturbing and to think the kids think it is funny." She added she felt shocked because of the callousness of the teenager who thought the incident is a laughing matter, Time reported.

Around 40 people viewed the Facebook Live video and none of them reported it to the authorities. Police said they questioned a number of people but they have no suspect yet. The attack involved the victim and five or six males. The girl knew one of her attackers. Authorities asked Facebook to take down the video and they complied with the request.

Police department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi also said they started to investigate the claims of the mother that the victim received threats and harassments. They did not provide other details.

Police only knew of the attack on Monday when the mother of the victim went to the police and said her daughter was missing. She then showed authorities screen captures of the assault that the victim's friends forwarded to her mother. In the video, the girl struggled to get away while one of the attackers pulled her to a bed, Chicago Tribune revealed.

Police found the teen shortly but details about how they found her or where they found her remained unclear. Authorities took the girl to a hospital but she was too scared to let anyone touch her.

This was the second incident that involved Facebook Live. Earlier this year, authorities arrested four people after they streamed the beating of a mentally disabled man.
English Dutch

Press Release

Regulated Information

Zele, 24 March 2017 - 06:00 PM CET

Disclosure in accordance with the Law of 2 May 2007: Transparency law

Transparency declaration by Mr Jan Van Geet

VGP NV has received a transparency notification dated 23 March 2017 that Jan Van Geet now holds, by virtue of the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Alsgard SA on 21 March 2017, 38.3% of the voting rights of the company. Therefore, the threshold of 35% was crossed.

The notification dated 23 March 2017 contains following information:

Reason for notification:

Acquisition or disposal of voting securities or voting rights.

Notification by:

A parent undertaking or a controlling person.

Persons subject to the notification requirement:

Little Rock SA, 25, boulevard Prince Henri, L-1724 Luxembourg; Alsgard SA, 25, boulevard Prince Henri, L-1724 Luxembourg; Jan Van Geet.

Date on which the threshold is crossed:

21 March 2017.

Threshold that is crossed:

35%.

Denominator:

18,583,050.

Notified details:

Previous notification After the transaction Number of voting rights Number of voting rights % of voting rights Little Rock SA 4,699,187 4,707,752 25.33% Jan Van Geet 8,565 0 0% Alsgard SA 2,349,593 2,409,914 12.97% Total 7,057,345 7,117,666 38.30%

Chain of controlled undertakings through which the holding is effectively held, if applicable:

Little Rock SA (previously JVG Invest SA) is exclusively controlled by Mr Jan Van Geet. Mr Jan Van Geet has acquired the exclusive control over Alsgard SA.

Additional information:

Mr Jan Van Geet has acquired all of the shares of Alsgard SA, which itself holds 2,409,914 shares (12.97%) in VGP NV. Since the last transparency declaration, Alsgard SA acquired all the shares (60,321) of VGP NV held by Jan Prochazka. Consequently, Mr Jan Van Get now holds indirectly through Little Rock SA and Alsgard SA 7,117,666 shares of VGP NV.
United States Energy Secretary Rick Perry said in a recent statement that he believed the win of a gay student for the Texas A&M University student body president was disappointing. Perry said he felt proud for the openly gay student's declaration as the winner but it turned to disappointment after he received reports about the number of votes, as well as the disqualification of the other candidate.

Perry wrote about the matter in his column for the Houston Chronicle titled, "Did A&M favor diversity over right to due process?" His column came out after reports said the openly gay student, Bobby Brooks, actually received 750 fewer votes than his opponent, Robert McIntosh. Perry, however, cleared he took pride in the win of Brooks because it reflected a commitment of the students to treating everyone equally.

For the disqualification, school officials removed McIntosh from the race because of allegations such as voter intimidation and for not providing receipts for the glow sticks used in his campaign video. They dropped the voter intimidation charges but he still got dismissed from the electoral proceedings due to the receipts over the glow sticks, USA Today reported.

Perry said the disqualification meant mockery of due process and transparency. He added, "The desire of the electorate is overturned, and thousands of student votes are disqualified because of free glow sticks that appeared for 11 seconds of a months-long campaign." Perry also questioned in his column what if McIntosh became a member of the minority instead of a white male and concluded the outcome would have been different, CNN said.

Texas A&M responded to the comments of Perry. They said the comments surprised them and Perry's suggestion about reversed roles denied the "Texas A&M of today where accountability applies to all." The spokeswoman for the university, Amy Smith, added Brooks took the responsibility seriously after they declared him the new student body president over McIntosh's disqualification and they look forward to working with the former.
Atlanta, March 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phoenix Integrated Store Consultants had a number of notable achievements as an organization in 2016. This includes promoting seven additional Market Managers, expanding into seven new markets, having the honor of winning the Atlanta Best & Brightest Places to Work Award for a second year in a row, and consistently being one of the top offices in the country. Being a top office, Phoenix yielded increased production for their clients from inside their Fortune 100 retail partners and has proven themselves to be the premier experts in promotional marketing, brand management and new customer acquisitions in the Atlanta area.



Market Manager, CJ Young, has already achieved one of the company's 2017 expansion goals. Young recently expanded into the South Carolina market with the promotion of Brenton Smith. Smith is extremely excited to establish his branch in the Mount Pleasant market. Smith started his career working entry level at Phoenix and worked his way to management through Phoenixs management training program which trains employees in areas such as communication, business development, leadership, management, sales and marketing strategies. Through months of focus and hard-work, Smith has reached his personal goal of becoming a Market Manager. Young is excited to see Smith grow and excel in the South Carolina market. Young promoted this newly promoted Marketing Manager because he felt that Smith displayed, perseverance, superior work ethic, resourcefulness, great character and qualities of a great leader.

When asked about Phoenix's 2017 goals, Young stated, By the end of the year I would like to expand and open ten additional offices in different regions of the country and locally, I want to continue to focus on impacting the lives of the people in the Atlanta community through our Phoenix Cares Community Service program. Community Service is an important part of the management training program. Employees are required to complete a least ten hours before being promoted to Market Manager. Young believes that part of being a good leader is being selfless and putting your people first. By making community service a top priority in the management training program, Young feels that it will put his management trainees in the right mindset of giving and helping others which is key in becoming a successful leader and manager. That's what this program is about.

Over the holidays Phoenix had a can food drive, adopted two children, and recently had a clothing drive for the Salvation Army. Their next community service project is at a local veterinary clinic called Ark Animal Hospital on March 29th. Phoenix will assist the staff, help feed boarding animals, walk the boarding dogs, and help clean the treatment and boarding areas. Young believes it is important to focus on giving back to others while paving the path for expansion and success for the 2017 year.

For more information about career and growth opportunities at Phoenix Integrated Store Consultants, visit them online at www.wearephoenixatl.com
U.S. Senators From Both Parties Sponsor Bill Tightening Iran Sanctions

03/24/17

Source: RFE/RL

U.S. senators from both major political parties introduced legislation on March 23 to tighten sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile launches and other non-nuclear military activities.

Authored by leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-sponsored by seven senators each from the Republican and Democratic parties, the bill mirrors the harder line against Tehran taken by President Donald Trump and is considered likely to pass in the Senate.



"The spirit of bipartisanship of this important legislation underscores our strong belief that the United States must speak with one voice on the issue of holding Iran accountable for its continued nefarious actions across the world as the leading state sponsor of terrorism," said Democratic Senator Robert Menendez.



Committee Chairman Bob Corker said the bill targets Iran's "destabilizing actions" that threaten U.S. allies in the Middle East. It was introduced on the eve of an annual Washington conference of the influential pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC.



The bill would make sanctions mandatory for anyone involved with Iran's ballistic missile program. And it would apply sanctions to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while putting into law sanctions already imposed by the executive branch on individuals tied to Iranian support for alleged terrorism.

Asset Freeze

The IRGC, an elite military body, is a powerful political force in Iran and it has a broad presence throughout Iran's economy.



The legislation would also require the U.S. president to freeze the assets of any person or entity involved in specific activities that violate the UN arms embargo on Iran.



Iran has maintained that legislation toughening non-nuclear sanctions violate its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.



But the bill's authors insist its was written carefully to avoid interfering with that agreement.



Trump has made it clear that he wants to take a tough stance against Iran, and Corker said he consulted with the White House in drafting the bill.



In February, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and entities in Iran, which it said were just "initial steps" in response to Iran's repeated testing of ballistic missiles, which the United States maintains is in violation of UN resolutions.



Tehran has also angered Washington by supporting Yemen's rebel Huthi movement, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country's six-year-long civil war.



Menendez told the Reuters news agency that the bill was intended to take a "regional" strategy because of the breadth of Iran's activities in the Middle East.



"It calls for a regional strategy because Iran is obviously involved in the region in various ways, whether it be in Yemen or Syria and beyond," he said.





With reporting by Reuters, Politico and Jewish Telegraphic Agency
New Senate Sanctions Risks Killing JCPOA, Putting US on War Path

03/24/17

Press Release by NIAC Action



NIAC Action 1411 K St NW, Ste 250 Washington, DC 20005 USA

Helping to advance peace and the Iranian-American community.

Washington, DC - NIAC Action issued the following statement regarding the introduction of new Iran sanctions legislation in the Senate:

"The 'Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017' would risk killing the JCPOA and undoing the restrictions in place on Iran's nuclear program and could very well provoke a military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.

"This legislation takes the dangerous and unprecedented step of designating the IRGC as a terrorist group, a move opposed by defense and security officials. It provides President Trump with new authorities to impose sanctions on Iran that would undermine and likely violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). If enacted, this bill risks providing Donald Trump a Congressional stamp of approval to engage in extreme provocations in the region and to violate U.S. obligations under the JCPOA in ways that could prove fatal to the nuclear accord.

"The timing of this bill is also suspect. Instead of responding to world events or new challenges, it is being timed to coincide with the annual AIPAC conference. Considering that this administration has not even established a policy towards Iran, it is incongruous for Congress to rush into such legislation at this time. Moreover, Iran's Presidential election is now less than two months away, and provocative sanctions bills could tilt the balance of Iranian politics away from moderates supportive of engagement with the West and in favor of hardline candidates in the mold of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"This legislation was cosponsored by some lawmakers who are supporters of the JCPOA or who wish to continue to see it implemented. We believe that many involved in the process made an effort to produce a sanctions bill that is consistent with the JCPOA, but unfortunately this bill falls short and thus not only risks upsetting the nuclear accord but also triggering broader conflict with Iran. Those legislators who seek to uphold the JCPOA and avoid an unnecessary war with Iran should make changes to the bill to ensure that it matches their rhetoric. Until such time as major changes are made, we will oppose it as a dangerous measure and a likely deal killer.

"Congress should not be considering legislation that green-lights renewed confrontations between the U.S. and Iran, particularly under an administration that appears disinclined to pursue caution in the tense relationship with Iran and a extremely sensitive time. We urge lawmakers to oppose this bill and call for critical changes to its text to ensure the JCPOA is protected and the U.S. doesn't backslide into a military confrontation with Iran."

###



Background on the Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017

The bill would designate the IRGC a terrorist group - a designation anathema to the U.S. defense and intelligence establishment. Specifically, the bill would sanction the IRGC pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which is the foundational order to the U.S.'s Specially Designated Global Terrorist Sanctions Program ("SDGT Program"). While this designation would have no appreciable sanctions impact - as it is duplicative of existing sanctions authorities - it could have serious consequences for U.S. personnel on the ground in Iraq, subjecting them to retaliation from Iran-backed militia groups. Last month, when the Trump administration outlined its plans to designate the IRGC a terrorist group, the Pentagon and intelligence officials pushed back and forced the administration to rethink its approach. The Pentagon's pushback against U.S. plans to designate the IRGC a terrorist group recall the Joint Chiefs of Staff's opposition to such designation back during the Bush administration. For Congress to designate the IRGC a terrorist group over the vocal opposition of the U.S. defense and intelligence establishment would be not just irresponsible, but would risk the lives of Americans.

The bill would also mandate the re-imposition of sanctions on Iranian entities that were de-listed pursuant to the JCPOA - measures that could constitute a clear violation of the nuclear deal.  4 of the bill mandates the President to impose sanctions on any person engaging in activities that materially contribute or that pose a risk of materially contributing to Iran's ballistic missile program. While  4 of the bill replicates the sanctions authorities currently provided to the President via Executive Order 13382, the bill would mandate the President to utilize these authorities to impose sanctions on persons engaged in Iran's ballistic missile program, as well as on persons and entities that provide material support for such designated parties. For example, this bill would require the President to impose sanctions on an Iranian bank if that Iranian bank provides financial services to an Iranian government entity designated for engaging in activities that materially contribute to Iran's ballistic missile program. It does not matter whether the financial services provided to the entity are in regards to activities unrelated to Iran's ballistic missile program (e.g., the payment of government employee salaries). Such a designation would re-impose sanctions on Iranian banks that were delisted pursuant to the JCPOA. Considering that the JCPOA prohibits the re-imposition of sanctions lifted under the nuclear accord, the re-imposition of sanctions on Iranian banks - as an example - would likely constitute a JCPOA violation.

The bill could also limit the President's ability to adhere to U.S. commitments under the JCPOA. Specifically,  8 of the bill would require the President to provide certification that a person designated pursuant to EO 13382 and 13224 has not engaged in activities for which they were designated for the three-month period preceding any potential de-listing. However, the U.S. is scheduled to de-list a number of Iranian persons and entities designated pursuant to EO 13382 on Transition Day.  8 of the bill could thus impede the President's ability to adhere to U.S. commitments and remove those parties from U.S. sanctions lists on the pre-determined schedule. This would be a clear violation of the JCPOA.

The bill would also provide the President with new sanctions authorities, including one related to persons engaged in human rights abuses in Iran and one related to persons engaged in activities that materially contribute to Iran's supply of conventional weapons. Without knowing how the President will exercise these new sanctions authorities, it is unclear what implications such provisions may have for U.S. adherence to its JCPOA commitments. Until Congress has more clarity as to the Trump administration's policy outlook towards Iran, however, it should hold its fire before encouraging the President to utilize his sanctions authorities and target Iran.
Iranian MPs Demand Answers from Rouhani on Increasing Arrests Ahead of Elections

03/24/17

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

President Hassan Rouhani has yet to respond to a letter from four reformist members of Parliament demanding an explanation for the spate of arrests of activists and journalists ahead of the May 2017 presidential election.



cartoon by Ehsan Ganji, Ghanoon daily

"Foremost we expect your excellency to resolve this problem, but if no action is taken, we will invite the four ministers involved, namely the ministers of intelligence, justice, interior and Islamic guidance... to Parliament and pursue this matter until the truth becomes clear and the rights of the detainees are restored, even by impeaching the relevant ministers if need be," said the March 17 letter, signed by Elias Hazrati, Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, Bahram Parsaie and Mohammad Ali Vakili.

"It is not clear which agencies carried out the arrests, although in reality you (the president) are accountable whether it was the Intelligence Ministry or any other organization because there was no due process," added the letter.

"These individuals have been arrested at a time when our country is on the verge of important political events, as elections are to be held for the presidency, national councils and in some cases for members of Parliament," continued the letter. "What's needed at this time is peace, security and lawful actions in every manner."

"It is unclear what logic prompted these arrests, but certainly they will provide excuses for enemies to badmouth our country," said the letter.

The MPs continued: "All those who were arrested are journalists or political and civil activists close to the government or administrators of reformist and moderate political channels on the Telegram (social media) network who support the government."

"At the same time, Telegram channels opposed to the (Rouhani) government are completely free to operate and are deploying all kinds of accusations, lies and fabrications to destroy your credibility," said the letter.

Since December 2016, security agents from either the Intelligence Ministry, which answers to Rouhani, or the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which answers only to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have arrested several reformist journalists and activists.

The social affairs editor of the state-funded Borna News Agency, Tahereh Riahi, was arrested on December 27, 2016. Film director Saleh Deldam, and Zeinab Karimian, a former reporter for the state-funded Mehr News Agency were arrested on January 23, 2017.

Activist and journalist Hengameh Shahidi was arrested on March 9, and the managing editor of Farhikhtegan newspaper, Ehsan Mazandarani, was arrested on March 11. Morad Saghafi, the editor-in-chief of Goftegoo magazine, was arrested on March 15.

Twelve administrators of reformist-aligned Telegram channels were also detained between March 14-16 by security forces who wiped the accounts.

On March 15, conservative Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Motahari warned that, "If the Intelligence Minister (Mahmoud Alavi) does not provide a reasonable explanation for the arrests of the 12 Telegram channel admins, Parliament would pursue the course of impeachment."

No organization has so far officially claimed responsibility for the arrests, but families of the detainees have blamed either the Intelligence Ministry or the IRGC.

Rouhani has meanwhile been silent, but his political adviser Hesamoddin Ashena posted a series of tweets on March 17 describing the arrests as "a simple war of attrition" and joked about them being carried out just before the Iranian new year (March 21), when state offices close for two weeks.

"The city has shut down and no one is around to follow up. Election problem solved!" he wrote.

Former reformist MP Faezeh Hashemi, the activist daughter of late former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was meanwhile sentenced to six months in prison for "spreading falsehoods," "disturbing public opinion" and "propaganda against the state," the Kalame website reported on March 17.
Iran's President To Meet Putin During March 27-28 Moscow Visit

03/24/17

Source: RFE/RL

The Kremlin says Iranian President Hassan Rohani will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a March 27-28 visit to Moscow.



Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rohani

September 2014 in Astrakhan, Russia (source: Iranian daily Arman)

Putin's press service announced the visit in a March 23 statement.



It said Putin and Rohani would hold talks on March 28, paying "special attention" to trade ties and investments.



They will discuss "implementation of major joint projects in the spheres of energy and transportation infrastructure," the statement said, without giving details.



Russia has sought to increase its economic foothold in Iran since Tehran and global powers reached an agreement in 2015 that placed restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.



Russia and Iran both back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the 6-year-old war in Syria, but they are wary of each other's influence in the Middle East.
mSecure password manager review TechRadar Pro

Updated In our mSecure password manager review, we take an in-depth look at this password manager to help you decide if its the most secure way to handle your sensitive data.
The ungraceful death of the consumer version of Google Glass in 2015 may have had some grieving the early death of augmented reality. But the technology is being resurrected by companies on the manufacturing floor.

Take for example Lockheed Martin. Technicians at the aerospace manufacturer use Microsofts Hololens headset to design and examine models of spacecraft such as the Mars lander ahead of its 2018 mission.

Lockheed Martin Technicians at Lockheed Martins Collaborative Human Immersive Lab in Colorado examine a model of the Mars lander using Micorsofts Hololens augmented reality headsets.

The technology is also very useful for training and production.

At Lockheed Martin, we see the HoloLens being a tremendous benefit in terms of 3D, the speed and quality that we can do our work, says Darin Bolthouse, an engineering manager at Lockheed Martin.

The ability to pull together all information that the technician has to reference in building a satellite or a space craft and all the other products that we build here, the ability to have all that information available in the HoloLens, and the guided instructions to pull together a product is going to have a tremendous advantage, he said.

Automakers like Volkswagen and BMW have also experimented with augmented reality. The technology proves useful in leaving workers hands free and making communication between teams easier.

The worlds largest aircraft maker, Boeing is also giving augmented reality a shot. The company has used the technology to help technicians navigate the thousands of wires needed to connect a planes electrical systems, or wire harnesses, as they are called.

Upskill A Boeing technician working on a wire harness using Google Glass and the Skylight platform from Upskill.

The future of augmented reality is looking good. According to an IDC study, the augmented reality market was worth $209 million in 2016 but is expected to grow to $49 billion by 2021.

Clarification: APX Labs has changed its name to Upskill.
On a recent bright, warm and windy Wednesday, in a field in sight of the 210 Freeway, Alex Paredes went hunting for rabbits. But this was no ordinary hunt.

Sure, the Redlands police corporal and Rancho Cucamonga resident was accompanied by his dog Bree, whose role was to flush game. But instead of carrying a rifle Paredes carried two hawks, and they were hungry.

Paredes practices falconry, a sport with ancient roots that he said finds him partaking in how things happen in nature on a daily basis. A falconer since an apprenticeship that began in 1996, he was elected in January to a two-year term as a director of the California Hawking Club.

PHOTOS: Alex Paredes practices the ancient sport of falconry

As someone who has owned basically every animal humans are allowed to have  chickens, pigeons, parakeets, canaries, doves, all kinds of dogs  Paredes has been close to animals his entire life. By his late teens, he expected to become a veterinarian and enrolled in a vet science program at Mt. San Jacinto College. But after finding biology classes a poor fit, he switched to studying criminal justice, graduating in 1997.

In 1995, Paredes had read a story in a local newspaper about a falconer. Intrigued, he asked the California Department of Fish and Wildlife about the sport of falconry, and was mailed a thick packet of regulations and other materials mapping the path to becoming a licensed falconer.

The first step is serving a two-year apprenticeship. Paredes sought a sponsor from among a handful of local falconers. Describing them as a really tight-knit group, he said theyre wary of newcomers.

Everybody is hesitant until you have proven yourself, Paredes said, because falconers want to make sure people get involved for love of the sport, not because it seems like a cool thing to do.

The California Hawking Club defines falconry as the release of a bird of prey after wild quarry, and notes on its website that hunting is the difference between being a falconer and a pet-keeper. 

The very worst thing you can say about someone in this sport, the website continues, is that they are a pet-keeper. 

Paredes set out to prove he wasnt aiming to be a pet-keeper. He frequently rose early to meet for coffee with local falconers whod then organize hunting parties. He became a bush beater for the group, poking a stick into the underbrush to flush jackrabbits and cottontails.

After a year of strong coffee and bush-beating Paredes got his wish in 1996 when Charlie Cogger, a falconer then from Ontario, took him under his wing due to, Cogger said, his persistence.

As an apprentice, Paredes could fly either a small falcon called the American kestrel or a considerably bigger red-tailed hawk. He opted for the latter.

There are two ways a falconer can get a hawk or a falcon: purchasing a bird that was bred in captivity  the term is chamber-raised  or catching one in the wild, known as passage. Passage hawks or falcons are often caught while migrating and always when the bird is immature, the latter to ensure breeding birds are left in the wild.

I trapped my first bird in Ontario, Paredes said. It was a midsize female I named Xena Princess Warrior. He had the bird for little over a year before releasing her back into the wild.

I went on to trap other red-taileds, but (she) was my most successful hunter, he said.

Cogger, who has sponsored about 30 apprentices over 28 years of practicing falconry, said Paredes was one of the best. He praised his ability to overcome challenges that included issues with bird health.

When youre trapping wild birds, you dont always know what youre going to get, Cogger explained.

In late 1998, his two-year apprenticeship with Cogger completed, Paredes got his general falconry license. His selection of birds expanded to include peregrine and prairie falcons and Coopers and Harriss hawks. He tried a handful and eventually settled on the Harriss hawk for its very tame and forgiving nature, he said.

They require very little attention and are always eager to hunt, he said.

Paredes bought his two current birds  Chicken and Darkie, both females  in the summer of 2015 from a breeder in Lancaster when they were 18 and 20 weeks old, respectively. Not long before he had given Sky, his 13-year-old Harriss hawk, to a friend who started breeding her.

Chicken and Darkie arent sisters, but they were nest mates. Breeders sometimes combine eggs from separate nests, Paredes explained. Darkie got her name because her plumage is darker than Chickens. Chicken was known as Princess Leia until Paredes noted to a friend she was as placid as a pet chicken. The new name stuck, even though Paredes is a big Star Wars fan.

Paredes chose females because theyre larger than males  a reversal of the sexual size dimorphism of many other birds  and therefore can more easily hunt large jackrabbits. He hunts with Chicken and Darkie about three times a week from late October to early March, stopping when the molt begins and the heat intensifies. Taking the summer off allows the birds to fatten and for their feathers to emerge strong and with no stress marks or breakage, he explained.

Chicken and Darkie were trained to hunt jackrabbits and cottontails and to avoid squirrels, which Paredes said can carry bubonic plague and have a nasty bite that can clip a hawks tail feathers.

His dog Bree, an energetic 7-year-old Brittany, does all the work of flushing game, Paredes said.

I just walk around, he said, though he occasionally kicks around in brush where Bree isnt looking.

Off the hunt, Chicken and Darkie reside in an 8-by-8-by-12-foot enclosure called a mew in Paredes backyard in Rancho Cucamonga. On the hunt they come and go as they please, flying to and from a T-shaped perch Paredes carries. The former nest mates often follow each other to a tree branch, a chain-link fence or another vantage point.

That Wednesday morning in the Rialto field, Paredes kept a close eye on the pair. When they threatened to fly too far away, he called or whistled and they returned. Each bird wore a radio transmitter around one leg so Paredes could find them in case they flew out of sight.

After almost 30 minutes, Chicken and Darkie quickly dropped to the ground and Paredes rushed to them. In Chickens talons was a small cottontail Bree had flushed. Paredes wrested it from her grip to cut it in two and give the other half to Darkie. Each bird then huddled over its prey with wings spread, a behavior called mantling, and picked apart their meal as Bree rested nearby, panting.

Paredes practices what he calls one and done, limiting each hunt to one animal so as not to over-hunt and to leave prey for other falconers. He also makes sure not to waste anything. Whatever the birds dont eat in the field, Paredes bags and brings home for the freezer and another days dinner.

After eating that Wednesday, Paredes said, the birds wouldnt need to eat again until Friday.

Paredes dips into the freezer in the off-season to feed the birds leftover rabbit, occasionally adding quail or a rat to their diet to mimic the variety of prey found in the wild.

As a Redlands police corporal  hes been with the department since May 2000  Paredes occasionally has responded to calls involving raptors. Once he removed an immature Coopers hawk from behind a planter in front of a house. Guessing it was dazed after flying into a window, Paredes took it home, fed it and released it. He also has rescued a baby American kestrel and a baby red-shouldered hawk from people who had found them. Those birds he took to local falconers.

Paredes also occasionally gives hawk talks to local scout troops and other groups.

Falconry has become a way of life for Paredes. He tends to his birds daily and often schedules vacations as hunting trips. Because the Harriss hawk is an unusually social bird of prey  theyre known as wolves of the sky because they hunt in packs  Paredes is frequently joined on these trips by Bill Cuskey, a friend who also has two of the birds and is Paredes former apprentice.

When asked what he likes most about the falconry life, Paredes spoke of being out in a field on a crisp morning, enjoying the company of the birds and the dog, being alone but not being lonely.

Being, he said, this close to the circle of life.
An anonymous tip led a Riverside man to his World War II-era motorcycle that had been stolen a month ago.

After Mike Dunn posted to social media and went on local TV news reporting the theft from his driveway Feb. 27, he received a tip that his box trailer containing the 1941 BMW R12 German motorcycle was at a home in Rialto.

Dunn said in an interview that he and his wife went to the Rialto neighborhood where the bike was Monday, March 20, and notified police when he recognized his trailer.

When police arrived, he said, they confirmed that the trailer was Dunns and the bike was inside.

Dunn was elated to be reunited with his motorcycle.

It was the best feeling in the world, Dunn said.

RELATED: German motorcycle enthusiasts hold gathering

There was no damage to the motorcycle, but the fenders on the trailer were dented.

I can live with that, the bike was untouched, Dunn said.

Dunn, who has a business buying and selling vintage German motorcycles, said in a February interview that he bought the bike from a client in Florida about three months ago.

He rebuilt the motor and transmission and fixed it up with new paint and accessories. He was going to sell the bike to a Palm Springs man who planned to pick it up the day it was stolen.

Now that he has the bike back, Dunn said he still plans to sell it.

I am so grateful, this was the biggest burden lifted off of my shoulders, Dunn said. That was the worst three weeks ever. I am so happy and so relieved; it was a major financial burden on me.
Could 2018 feature a rematch of one of last years costliest and most heated Assembly races?

Former Inland Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown, who lost her re-election bid to fellow Democrat Eloise Reyes, has opened a campaign account to run for Assembly next year, when Reyes will be up for election in Californias 47th Assembly District.

In a telephone interview, Brown said shes not sure whether shell run. Asked if she plans to take on Reyes, Brown said: Im not sure about that either.

Brown added she has no timetable for deciding on an Assembly run. Reyes defeated Brown 55 to 45 percent in November.

A former city and county planning commissioner and TV talk show host who founded a newspaper and once served as president of the San Bernardino County NAACP, Brown represented the 47th  Bloomington, Colton, Grand Terrace, Fontana, Muscoy, Rialto and about a third of San Bernardino city  from 2012 to 2016.

Reyes, an attorney who ran for Congress in 2014, campaigned as the progressive alternative to Brown. She and her supporters accused Brown of going against her constituents interests by opposing legislation favored by liberals, such as gun control and penalizing employers like Wal-Mart whose employees earn so little, they qualify for health insurance from Medi-Cal.

Brown infuriated progressives with her opposition to a climate change bill provision calling for deep cuts over decades in petroleum use by motor vehicles. A member of a bloc of moderate Assembly Democrats, Brown said the measure could lead to higher gas prices for her blue-collar constituents who commute long distances.

The Brown-Reyes contest featured lots of spending by out-of-district groups. Liberal activists launched a Chevron Cheryl ad blitz against Brown to portray her as beholden to business interests, especially the oil and gas industry.

Chevron gave $1 million to an independent expenditure committee supporting Brown, who enjoyed support from a variety of business and labor groups. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, personally campaigned for Brown in her district.

In all, $3.9 million in independent expenditures were spent on Brown with $2.2 million spent on Reyes, according to the California Target Book, which studies the states legislative races.

Brown has stayed active since leaving the Assembly. Rendon named her to an unpaid seat on the California Commission on Aging.
Its not every day you get to challenge a NASCAR champion to a race. So Brig. Gen. Russell Muncy took advantage of the opportunity Thursday afternoon.

The March Air Reserve Base commander met Daytona 500 winner Kurt Busch on the airfields tarmac and suggested a little mano-a-mano matchup between Buschs race car and one of the C-17s Muncy oversees at the base. With the nose of the military cargo plane looming above them, Busch laughed at the suggestion.

I told him, I can get you from zero to the mile,' Busch later said. After a mile, its all you bud.'

Busch who will take to the track in Fontana for the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, was touring the March base, getting a look at the planes that make its missions possible.

A longtime friend of the drivers is the brother of Boeing engineer Tim Farmer. Farmer is based at the companys Huntington Beach facility, but Boeing, which built the C-17, has an office on the base. Farmer asked base officials if they would host Busch.

I always want to come out and take the opportunity to say thanks, Busch said of the military. My passion for the military came from visits to Walter Reed and Bethesda (military hospitals). It was an eye-opening experience.

Maj. Charles Conder, a C-17 pilot, took Busch on a walk-around of the plane, pointing out some of its features. Busch asked about take-off specifications and was surprised to learn the massive plane can take off in as little as 1,500 feet when its not loaded.

My little plane needs 4,000 feet, Busch said.

He was given the chance to walk through the expansive fuselage and to sit in the pilots seat, where Conder gave him a demonstration of its features.

Youre blown away by the sheer size, Busch said, after exiting the plane, just the engineering.

Conder, a racing enthusiast, was impressed as well.

Its a huge honor, he said, of meeting the NASCAR champ, to have known him for a huge number of years and rooting for him along the way.

The crew of the plane presented Busch with a 452nd Air Mobility Wing patch. The driver suggested he might place it on the dash of his car on Sunday, if its one of those fitted with cameras.

Busch also was given the opportunity to pilot the bases C-17 simulator, a motion-enhanced actuator that is realistic enough that Air Force pilots can use it to satisfy their training hour requirements.

NASCAR drivers, including Busch, use simulators in their own training. Prior to entering the C-17 unit, Busch said the car simulators were about 90 percent realistic. He downgraded that somewhat after his half hour in the flight simulator.

Id give that a 9.5 out of 10, he said. For our simulators its about a six.

Busch said his virtual flight included taking off from March, before getting an aerial view of the track where hell be racing on Sunday.

We buzzed the California Speedway, he said, dropped it down to about 1,000 feet. We already got the (race day) flyover done.

The computer program allowed him to fly over Big Bear Lake, Pasadena, Los Angeles International Airport and a portion of the California coast before touching down again at March.

Quite an experience, he said.

Military personnel at the base got a chance for their own up close experience, only theirs was not virtual. After his tour, Busch spent a half an hour shaking hands, taking photos and signing autographs for base personnel.

Chuck Felarca, 59, of Redlands, is a civilian maintenance worker on the base and was first in line to meet Busch. He called it a big time thrill. He said hes been a NASCAR fan since he was a kid.

I met Dale (Earnhardt) Sr. over at Riverside Raceway, he said. Hearing Busch would be at the base, I said, Ive got to be here.'

Sgt. Fred Potts, 52, of Menifee, is a C-17 mechanic. A longtime NASCAR fan, he came armed with several photos and a program from the Folds of Honor Quicktrip 500 in Atlanta, for Busch to sign.

Amazing, Potts said of meeting Busch. Thats once in a lifetime.
President Trump supporters shut down a town hall meeting featuring the new state attorney general Thursday night.

At two stops in the Inland Empire Thursday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra pledged to fight for Californians who have never been able to experience the American dream.

It was a message that wasnt received well in the second stop, where protesters shouted him down and cut short the two-hour event just before the 45-minute mark.

 Videos: Clash at Inland Empire Town Hall | Becerra introduced at town hall

Before Becerra could begin, a group of Trump supporters stormed the meeting at Chaffey High, chanting, Shame on you. A webpage advertising the protest called out Becerra for not supporting President Donald Trumps immigration initiatives.

Doors opened at 5:30 p.m. in Ontario, and Trump supporters carrying signs with the presidents name and saying America first, stormed the room. While the town hall kicked off on time at 6 p.m., the protesters continued to interrupt the proceedings. Becerra was introduced to simultaneous cheers and boos.

Ontario police were on hand.

Several supporters left, muttering that they couldnt hear anything.

Just before 6:45 p.m., the event came to a halt. The protesters continued to chant and audience members exited.

 Photos: Protesters take over town hall meeting

Earlier in the day, Becerra spoke with people gathered at San Bernardino Valley College.

I look forward to working with you to prove to a lot of Californians, and quite honestly, a lot of people in America, that weve got their back. I hope youll join me in that effort.

Becerra, Californias first Latino attorney general, toured Southern California on Thursday. Prior to his appointment in January, Becerra spent two years in the California State Assembly and 24 years in the House of Representatives. He has pledged to push back against the Trump administrations policies.

Theyve given me the keys to something very exciting, and I know what there is to do, he said.

The son of immigrants himself, with his parents coming from Jalisco, Mexico, Becerra said earlier in San Bernardino his rags-to-riches story is the story of many in the Inland Empire.

I never wore a pair of Converse growing up or had a pair of Levis jeans. I always had the knockoffs, the stuff that sort of looked like it, but wasnt the real deal, he said. But now, Im decked-out, man.

Although he never explicitly mentioned Trump or his administrations crackdown on immigration violations, Becerra said his office was an advocate for minorities and other historically marginalized communities.

We have to let a whole bunch of folks, who never got to experience the best parts of America, weve got to tell them weve got your back, he said. Whether youre the first in your family to get a college degree, whether your parents cant believe that youre getting to walk through the doors of halls that they could never even walk in, let alone drink from the same water fountain, weve got to let folks know: Weve got your back.

And contrary to Trumps June 2015 statement that Mexico was not sending their best citizens to America, Becerra said those communities make America a better place.

America absorbs who we are and becomes better. Diversity in this country makes it so much better, he said. Even though, for the longest time, it wouldnt let so many of us be part of this country, we figured it out, we found a way.

Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes, D-Colton, introduced Becerra at his stop in San Bernardino.

Youre all committed to something good in the Inland Empire, and Im glad that I get to be part of it, she said, to the about 200 local elected officials, community activists and others crowded into the conference room.

He has fought for working families, she said. He has fought for the vitality of Social Security and Medicare.

And, the attorney general said, hell continue to fight for the interests of Californians.

We got your back, Becerra said.

And just as Becerra went from sharing a one-room home with his family as a child to introducing his parents to President Bill Clinton, he said, Inland Empire immigrants and other marginalized communities have the potential to achieve great things.

I know that is you, and your parents, and your children as well. I say to you, it is your story as well. And thats whats going to make us strong, Becerra said. Weve got your back.

Conservative groups shared Becerras itinerary, saying he intends to meet with local sheriffs, calling upon them to oppose the Trump administrations new immigration policies.

In San Bernardino, there was only one protester: Inland Empire activist Tressy Capps, who held up a sign reading No, no, no sanctuary cities! during Becerras speech. She was specifically concerned that Becerra may end up supporting Senate Bill 54, which would keep Californias law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration agents, making California a sanctuary statefor undocumented residents.

Trump has repeatedly attacked California and its existing sanctuary cities.

Sanctuary cities is not the way to go, Capps said after Becerras speech. This is just protecting people who come in illegally and further facilitating their lawlessness.

Staff photographer Jenn Maher contributed to this report.
A majority of Southern California residents oppose President Donald Trumps key immigration policies  including his travel ban, plan for a border wall and calls to increase deportations  according to a survey released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California.

That opposition, while differing in intensity around the region, spans Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties and the Inland Empire  an area home to the states largest population of undocumented immigrants.

Today, a strong majority of Californians say that undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. should be allowed to stay and eventually apply for citizenship, the surveys authors wrote.

The survey, for which 1,706 California adults were interviewed, found:

 More than 70 percent of Los Angeles-area and Inland Empire adults and 60 percent of Orange County and San Diego County adults said that undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States should be allowed to stay and eventually apply for citizenship. Statewide, the number was 68 percent.

 Around 12 percent in the Los Angeles area and the Inland Empire, and 15 percent in Orange and San Diego counties, thought undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay but not be allowed citizenship.

 Nearly than three in four adults in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties oppose constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, while that opposition drops to 63 percent in the Inland Empire.

 Almost 63 percent of Los Angeles-area adults and 57 percent of Orange and San Diego counties adults disapprove of Trumps revised executive order banning most people entering the U.S. from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

While party affiliation seemed to impact how people responded to the survey, a majority of Republicans (56 percent) agreed that undocumented immigrants should be allowed to remain in the United States, compared to 92 percent of Democrats.

The partisanship was more pronounced for the other immigration-related questions about the border wall (92 percent of Democrats opposed, 68 percent of Republicans supported) and the travel ban (81 percent of Democrats opposed, 85 percent of Republicans supported).

Californias elected officials have largely vowed to fight Trumps immigration policies, which seek to focus deportation efforts on a broad range of undocumented immigrants beyond convicted violent criminals, including people who have simply been charged with a crime, people who have sought public benefits and anyone immigration officers believe poses a risk to public safety or national security.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait joined other municipal leaders from around the country in calling for immigration reform.

Zeke Hernandez, president of the Santa Ana chapter of League of United Latin American Citizens, said he was surprised at the overwhelming support Southern Californians had for providing undocumented immigrants with a path to citizenship, and called on the federal government to provide more support to help immigrants take that step.

I think he ought to throw out any actions that are punitive, Hernandez. Most folks arent in tune with the presidents actions.

Robin Hvidston, executive director of We the People Rising, an anti-illegal immigration group based in Claremont, said that the 4.5 million Californians who voted for Trump did so largely because of his immigration policies, arguing that those people had valid concerns, even if they were outvoted by Hillary Clinton supporters.

Trump is focused on deporting criminal aliens, and  the American public is behind the removal of criminal aliens, Hvidston said.

She also questioned the reliability of the survey but didnt point to a specific problem with the way it was conducted. The Public Policy Institute of California describes itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank.

Past years surveys by the nonprofit show that Californians supported immigration reform even before Trump took office. In 2012, nearly 70 percent of Californians thought employed undocumented immigrants who have lived in the country for two years should be given a path to citizenship, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

This year, despite the states strong opposition to Trumps immigration policies, only 16 percent of survey takers said the issue was the most important that the state faced. Nearly 20 percent said jobs and the economy were most important, while others were most concerned about schools, health care and the environment.

California was home to more than 2.6 million undocumented immigrants in 2013, including 814,000 in Los Angeles County, 247,000 in Orange County, 170,000 in San Diego County, 124,000 in Riverside County and 118,000 in San Bernardino County, according to a Public Policy Institute of California report released this month.

A February CBS poll found 58 percent of Americans opposed Trumps border wall. The same poll found 60 percent of Americans thought undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay in the country and apply for citizenship, 13 percent said they should stay but without citizenship and 23 percent said they should be required to leave.

Contact the writer: jgraham@scng.com or 714-796-7960
There is growing support for a plan that would preserve a 55-acre parcel of land west of the Temecula Parkway interchange, in effect creating Temeculas version of the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve near Murrieta.

Theres a lot to be said for open space, said Temecula Mayor Maryann Edwards during a recent phone interview.

The parcel is owned by San Diegos Ambient Communities, which is working to build a large housing development west of Old Town on 165 acres. The project will feature more than 1,500 housing units, an elementary school site, a park, 80 acres of open space and a new road  the Western Bypass  that will connect Temecula Parkway with Vincent Moraga Drive.

Ambient has long labeled the parcel, the southern tip of its land holdings, as a civic site, land that would be reserved for a beneficial public use, such as a hospital, school site or convention center.

But during the course of completing the environmental documentation for the project  which involves studying its cumulative impacts on traffic, wildlife and air quality  it became clear that there wouldnt be much space left over for construction.

Of the 55 acres, only 19 are available for development and of that, only 9 acres are considered buildable.

We cant jeopardize the wildlife corridor, Edwards said, talking about some of the restrictions on the land that help preserve a linkage for migratory animals, such as mountain lions.

At a recent meeting, Councilman Mike Naggar suggested the open space idea to address the concerns of environmentalists, who prefer no development on the land, and deliver on campaign promises, which included opening up land for public access via new trail systems.

Everybody gets something and its great, he said last week. However, I was very clear, should litigation ensue, all bets are off.

As with most large projects in the state, the threat of litigation over some aspect of the environmental impact documentation associated with the project is a very real possibility.

Naggar said that if a suit is filed, the city could fall back on the old plan for the land, which could be used to entice a medical service provider or university.

Lynn Cullens, executive director of the Sacramento-based Mountain Lion Foundation, said leaving the land as open space is the right thing to do but she expressed some reservations about a trail system.

Its a complicated situation, she said.

If you create a place for people to access the land, there would be increased interest in the property, which she said could lead to more people venturing off into protected areas of the nearby Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, which is traversed by mountain lions.

Its the last remaining viable corridor for mountain lions from the south and east to make their way into the Santa Ana mountains, she said. Its not just any corridor, its the last viable corridor.

Naggar said there are tens of thousands of people in the city who want access to that property and fencing it off completely is not an option.

If the city, the developer and the environmental community cant come to terms, then what are we doing here? he said, adding that the open space trail plan represents a win across the board that would enhance the mountain lion corridor.

According to Naggar, the citys Planning Commission could consider the open space option, along with the rest of the Altair plans, in a couple of months.

Following a public hearing and a commission recommendation, the project will be brought before the council for approval.

Edwards said she expects there will be broad support for the open space plan, but the hospital or university are attractive as well.

Theres no drawback here, she said.
Sika or Jw3t33 are very popular terms used to caption money or riches in many Ashanti or Akan parts of Ghana. A rich person, known as sikanyin in twi represents someone who has amassed so much wealth that he/she stands out in community or the society. Some have even reached national and international status. One overwhelming fact about these individuals is the fact that a greater chunk of them are Akans, more specifically Ashantis. Then this question pops up. Why are the Ashantis the richest group of Ghanaians? Jumia Travel, Africas leading online travel agency attempts to examine possible reasons for this popular assumption.



Land of Gold  Historically, we can confidently say the Ashantis are by far the richest sect of Ghanaians by birth. Born into riches, they are destined for wealth by inheritance. Many Ashantis acquire their starting capital from their fathers and forefathers. They have something to build on from the start. The Ashanti Kingdom is also popular called the land of gold because it houses the biggest mines in the country. The obuasi gold mine has for many decades been a hub for Ghanas gold mining activities elevating the country to a very good standing as one of Africas leading gold producing countries. Have you ever watched an Ashanti ceremony? The full regalia worn by the chiefs and kinsmen will dazzle you. Expensive Kente with very beautiful gold ornaments clearly depict how rich these group of people are. Other rich minerals are also mined here. A look at the top richest men in Ghana clearly shows us also that most of the rich folk are Ashantis.



Hardwork  Another reason that may be attributed to Ashantis being the richest Ghanaians is hard work. Indisputably, the Ashantis who are spread all over the country are much more involved in businesses and work extremely hard for their money. You will hardly find an Ashanti without a job. Either self employed or working with a firm. Many of them also learn a trade. No wonder the biggest open market in Ghana can be found there. They are naturally born traders and are very good at what they do. Give an Ashanti anything and expect them to sell it at a very good price. They dont relent until the work is done and they have their monies worth for the product or service rendered. They work very hard and hence it comes as no surprise that most of them are successful and rich.



Risk Takers  Fearless, aggressive, and smart are some words that can be used to describe the Ashantis way of doing business. However, the most appropriate thing to say may be that they are risk takers. They dive in when they see a business opportunity. This may occasionally be detrimental and they may be on the losing end but trust them to come out on tops on most occasions. Most successful businessmen and women are the ones who take risks and venture into the unknown, work hard and make a way even when the path to success looks gloomy. If there are any group of people in Ghana who will readily explore an opportunity, then its the Ashantis.



Support for each other  Nana Kofi goes to the USA to work. After 10 years he makes it and settles down. Then he comes back home to take Afia Kobi who is his niece along with him. She too works hard and after a while comes back to Ghana to take her nephew Kwabena Yeboah out of Ghana to work and make some money. The cycle continues till every member of the family is in a comfortable position. This trait is very common with the Ashantis who are always there to support and enrich each other. Due to this special and generous attitude, we find many more rich people being Ashantis than any other tribe in Ghana. Another thing that makes more of them rich is the level of generosity. An Ashanti man can give out his asset or business to his family member or kinsman to manage and make more money whiles he concentrates on other businesses with the assurance that the business still goes on and they both benefit. They hardly let each other down. This is why they keep getting rich.



Big spenders  To catch a whale, you need to throw in a herring or smaller fish. This is a strategy that hardly fails and the Ashantis are by far the biggest users of this phenomenon. They spend big, invest big and almost always reap bountifully. The trick here is, the money hardly gets out of their own circles. During a festival, a group of rih Ashanti friends will go back home, book a hotel owned by an Ashanti, eat from a restaurant or chop bar managed by an Ashanti and even drink at a bar owned by their kinsmen. At all these places, they spend heavily and patronize from their own people hence the money stays in their own circle.

The above mentioned points are not to say that other tribes in Ghana are not rich or do not practice any of these things. However, the group that stands out as those who do it more and better are the Ashantis. Maybe, in some time to come, this will change but until then, the children of Gold lead the way.





Source: Bennet Otoo, Jumia Travel









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
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawuma has paid a surprise working visit to the Passport Office in Accra to observe operations at the facility.



Majority of Ghanaians have complained about delays and the corruption that has riddled the Passport Office. Several people who have applied for passports claim it takes months or years for one to secure a passport which should normally take only a few weeks.



Dr. Bawumia as part of his visit to the Passport office interacted with applicants and workers of the State Institution.



He also interacted with Deputy Director of Passport, Accra regional office Samuel Ofosu Boateng.



This is the third of such unannounced visits by the Vice President to various State Institutions after he was sworn-in.



In January, the Vice President visited the Ports and Harbours Authority and the Registrar Generals department to identify the bottlenecks and to acquaint himself with the activities of the state institution, and also to find out its challenges.



Dr. Bawumia is also expected to visit the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) in Accra on Thursday.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
More than one million Ghanaians, constituting about 12 per cent of the labour force, are unemployed, a study conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in 2015 has revealed.



Out of the number, more than 700,000, constituting 12.5 per cent, are females, while 500,000, representing 11.5 per cent, are males, indicating that more females are likely to be unemployed than males.



Unemployment, according to the GSS, was a phenomenon where a person had not been engaged for the last seven days at the time the data was collected between November 2015 and December 2015 and was available to work if given the opportunity.



The report on the study, which was launched in Accra yesterday, also indicated that more than 9.3 million Ghanaians who were 15 years and above, representing 67.8 per cent, were employed.



The 2015 Ghana Labour Force Survey (LFS), the first stand-alone survey on the unemployment and unemployment rate, was aimed at informing policy decisions about the employment situation in the country.



The survey was conducted with support from the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).



It covered a total of 6,030 households selected from 402 areas between November and December 2015.



It categorised employment into five main groups, namely, self-employment, employment work, where the individual receives salary, unpaid trainee work, volunteer work and work done out of compulsion.



Launch



At the launching ceremony, the acting Government Statistician, Mr Baah Wadieh, said the survey analysis was based on international standards.



According to the report, unemployment rates were high in the 10 regions of the country; Upper East (18.4 per cent) recording the highest unemployment rate and the Brong Ahafo (8.4 per cent) recording the lowest. The female unemployment rate was higher than that of males in all the regions.



The Northern Region also had the highest rate of employment, slightly more than three-quarters, constituting about 76.4 per cent.



Vulnerable population



Mr Wadieh indicated that over 60 per cent of the employed population constituted those who fell within the self employed category, while over 23 per cent constituted the paid employees.



This shows that roughly 72 per cent of the working population is vulnerable, with females constituting the majority as compared to males, the report said.



Those within the ages of 15 and 35 years, who constitute the youthful population of Ghana, representing about 59 per cent, are employed, the report added.



On wages, the report stated that the labour force received amounts which were not commensurate to the kind of work done.



Currently employed persons in the country earn on average of GH898, with males receiving about GH1,011, earning higher than females who receive GH715.



Persons working as managers receive the highest average monthly earnings of GH1,378 in both cash and in-kind payment. However, managers whose earnings are only by in-kind payment receive on average GH180 as monthly earnings, it said.



Governments commitment



In his address, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, expressed the governments commitment to dealing with the unemployment in the country.



He called on the GSS to carry out annual statistics on the labour force of the country to inform decision making.



I expect that the statistics on Ghanas labour force will be released by the end the year or by January 2018 to help in policy formulation and decision making.





Source: Daily Graphic









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
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo returned home on Thursday evening after participating in the 5th edition of the Africa CEOs forum in Geneva, Switzerland.



The forum, which is an important event on the African business calendar, draws the most influential political and economic heads in Africa, captains of industry, the media, and the biggest companies on the continent.



It allows for exchange of views, opinions and solutions to issues affecting the continents economic development.



During the forum, President Akufo-Addo, who co-debated Senegals Macky Sal, urged his colleague African heads to seek domestic solutions in addressing the continents myriad challenges, rather than depend on foreign aid.



He charged them to create independent systems to harness the continents human and material resources to build nations without aid, expressing the importance of positioning African economies on the path of self-sustaining growth.



President Akufo-Addo also used the forum to rally investors to harness the opportunities inherent in Ghanas business climate, and gave the assurance that his governments policies were geared towards facilitating business and industrial growth and providing a framework guided by the rule of law to ensure the sanctity of genuine contracts to create the needed prosperity for Ghanaians.



The President also met with the Ghanaian community in Switzerland, who are largely professionals, apprising on-goings in Ghana and asked for their support in the process of national reconstruction.



President Akufo-Addo said he was optimistic that his participation in the forum, which was largely dedicated to the development of the African private sector, and would yield dividends, as he had explained his governments policies and measures to position the country as a good investment destination to participants at the event.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Ghana will from this year begin issuing chip embedded biometric passports to its citizenry.



This new initiative will see the West African country migrate from its current generation of passports from 2D barcode.



Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration say the initiative will help reduce drastically the possibility of identity thefts and resultant misrepresentations that is commonly used to endanger the security of persons in society.



It is however, not clear the level of progress the country has made in this regard since the procurement process of the project began last year with six companies shortlisted to execute the task in a Built, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) arrangement.



Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Thursday, told Parliament that the country will make progress on the upgrade from the issuance of 2D barcode biometric passports to the chip embedded passports to ensure that the former British Colony becomes compliant to international best practices.



She made this remark when contributing to discussions on GH398,676,632 budget estimate for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.



The project is in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Regulations which requires member countries to migrate to a chip embedded passport from October 2016.



When completed, Ghanas passport offices both home and its missions abroad, will be fully equipped to issue ICAO compliant chip embedded biometric passports that incorporate upgraded security features, to implement an integrated and automated passport application system to replace the current system and render first rate services to Ghanaian passport applicants.







Source: kasapafmonline.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 plot to ditch ex-President John Dramani Mahama for the 2020 presidential election by some powerful opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) members is thickening by the day.



The partys leadership is currently embroiled in what can be described as a blame game following the massive defeat suffered by it (party) in the hands of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December 7, 2016 general election.



Some of the top figures like Deputy General Secretary Koku Anyidoho and Anita Desooso, a vice chairperson, have reportedly made their intentions known by expressing their desire for another candidate for the 2020 presidential election apart from former President Mahama.



The NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Yunyoo in the Northern Region, Joseph Naabu Bipoba, has also joined the fray, saying John Mahamas candidature is out of the equation just like former MP for La Dadekotopon, Nii Amasah Namoale.



The Yunyoo MP says the former president lacks competence to lead the NDCs re-election bid in the 2020 general election. Nii Amassah Namoale also has called on Mr Mahama to rescind his decision to contest in the 2020 polls since he would not win the partys primary.



I will beat anyone who would contest with me, including John Mahama, he said on Accra-based Peace FMsKokrokoo programme yesterday as the NDC gears up for re-organisation.



Bad Choice



Naabu Bipoba told journalists in parliament yesterday that former President Mahama would be a bad choice for the NDC.



He was the president and contested with Nana Akufo-Addo and lost miserably so if President Mahama comes, what is he going to do? Is he the only person? he asked.



The Yunyoo MP said former President Mahama is to blame for NDCs shameful defeat in the 2016 general election because he surrounded himself with political neophytes like former Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, at the presidency who told him nothing but lies.



People at the presidency were just telling him lies. Take Omane Boamah; what experience has he got in politics? If he goes to contest an election at where he comes from, can he win? But the president listened to such people, he wondered.



Explosive Interview



Koku Anyidoho recently said in an explosive interview with GHOne TV that leadership in the NDC would have to rotate, indicating that the NDC might not front Mr. Mahama as its candidate in 2020.



Anita Desooso is also currently in a fierce fight with some NDC members for saying that the partys executives were undermined during the election s which the NDC presidential candidate managed only 44.4%.



Mr. Anyidoho reiterated his love for Prof John Evans Atta Mills who died suddenly in July 2012, giving ex-President Mahama, who was then the vice president, the chance to contest the 2012 election without any opposition from within the party.



Axe To Grind



The Deputy General Secretary clearly showed in the interview that he has an axe to grind with ex-President Mahama.



When asked whether he loves President Mahama, Mr. Anyidoho rather brazenly reiterated his love for President Mills and could only say that he only had a working relationship with President Mahama.



I will never regret working for him President Mills, I salute you in your grave. Nobody will take that away from me, he said forcefully.



He then went on to state boldly that he loves the NDC as a party and that leadership will rotate, insisting that I loved President Mills; I worked for President Mahama.



Anitas Crusade



Anita Desooso on the other hand, has vowed to help restore dignity to the partys leadership by ensuring that the structures of the party are respected.



According to the former NDC National Womens Organizer, the various groups formed to campaign for the second term for President Mahama caused the partys defeat.



In the run-up to the crucial election, the NDC, with state resource at its disposal, formed many splinter groups to promote the second term bid for the president.



Groups likes Girls Girls for Mahama, Zongo Girls for Mahama, Zongo for Mahama, Youth for Mahama, Celebrities for Mahama, Mahama Ladies, I Choose JM, Ambassadors for Mahama, Doves for Mahama and others, were formed with massive resources at their disposal to prosecute the agenda which failed woefully in the end as Ghanaians overwhelmingly rejected Mahama.



Some have said the pro-Mahama groups even became more powerful in terms of campaign resources than the partys structures, including the national executive.



So-called Groups



Anita told Kasapa FM recently that there was no doubt that the so-called groups contributed to the partys defeat because the partys structures were ignored.



These campaign groups which emerged in the run-up to the December 7, 2016 elections contributed to our loss in that election. After these groups were formed, the structures that are known to the party rather suffered as they were denied resources, she said.



Executives Shortchanged



She stated categorically that the party lacked the needed resources to project candidate Mahama saying, The groups were rather benefitting as they went for funds from certain quarters, and while they were happy, the grassroots were complaining.



Anita Desooso said, Some of these groups could go to the Volta Region purporting to do campaigning, but went there to speak English instead of the Ewe language, asking, How can you do such a campaign?



As a result, she asserted, Ive vowed to make sure that the NDC amends its constitution; whichever group it is should start from the structuresstart from the branch level.



NDC sources say apart from National Organizer Kofi Iddi Adams who doubled as the Campaign Coordinator of the failed Mahama second term bid and Siidi Abubakar, the National Youth Organizer, almost every powerful executive member is seriously working against the return of President Mahama as NDC candidate  including General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.



Subtle Plan



There are also claims that Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia aka General Mosquito was instrumental in the formation of the 13-member committee being Chaired by Professor Kwesi Botchwey to investigate why the party lost massively in the December general election.



A source has said that the powerful General Secretary could be using the committee to prepare the grounds to contest as the partys national chairman as he claims the current one  Kofi Portuphy  has become unpopular due to the fact that he is being accused of supervising the partys humiliating defeat at the hands of the Akufo-Addo-led NPP.



Mahamas Humiliation



The NPPs candidate Nana Akufo-Addo made sure that President Mahama became a one-term president in the history of Ghana by flooring him one-touch with 5,716,026 votes, representing 53.85% while Mr. Mahama secured 4,713,277 votes, representing 44.40%.



The NDC has now entered into a new political dispensation as minority in parliament with only 104 seats against the NPPs 171.







Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Former national chairman of the National Democratic Congrress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Adjei says he is very happy that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been elected President of Ghana.



To him, Nana Addos age [72years] makes him an endowed person with lots of experience to lead the country.



Im happy because he comes with a wealth of experience that will help and then a certain respectability from the elder people, Dr Adjei said in a radio interview on Wednesday night on Accra based Starr FM.



Speaking to Bola Ray on his Starr Chat programme, Dr Adjei talked about varied issues, which in his view resulted in the defeat of the NDC in the 2016 Elections and how he lost his position as chairman of the party after leading it for 9 years.



To him, delegates of the NDC allowed their conscience to be influenced with money and hence they voted him out since he was not prepared to offer them money, something he said if not stopped, posed a great danger to the democracy of the country.



He said President Mahama for instance surrounded himself with inexperienced appointees who thought that people like Dr Kwabena Adjei was too old to be playing a part in the NDCs campaign.



Now it is like, he is too old, he is 74, so we the young ones must take over. You [Bola Ray] the young one sitting here if I ask you the history of Ghana, you will not be able to tell me, Dr Adjei asked.



Following from this comment, Bola Ray asked him whether he was happy that President Akufo-Addo was in power.



His response was Yes! Im very happy because, you go to the net, [internet] and find out the number of leaders in the world, from 90 down Mugabe, Queen Elizabeth right down, Trump is there, Buhari is there, Im happy Akufo-Addo is in, he is my age, Im older than Akufo-Addo by a few months.



Following this, he also said he was not surprised that the NDC lost the election and that the party was certain to lose the elections after delegates failed to re-elect him [Adjei] for another term as chairman of the party.



I wasnt surprised [the NDC lost]because when they [delegates] voted me out in Kumasi they voted the party out. It was a done deal [that the NPP will win]. I am not superstitious but I came to the party with my own styleand I had a way of relating to the people.



Dr. Adjei popularly known by his peers as Nkonya Terminator a.k.a. Wayo Wayo said members of the party cut him out of the partys campaign machinery and was prevented on several occasions from meeting the president to advise him on how to handle things.



Nobody involved me in the campaign, I involved myselfno I wasnt invitedI tried to get access to the President and I didnt get access, when I noticed things were going wrong, I tried and tried and tried but I didnt get access so I mobilized myselfand did what I could do, the 74-year-old said.

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 movie, Dinner centers around relationship among friends. Mike Okafor is invited by his childhood friend and buddy; Adetunde George Jnr, to have DINNER and spend the weekend with him and his fiancee Lola Coker as they plan for their upcoming wedding.



Mikey decides to come along with his girlfriend Diane Bassey, as he plans to propose to her. Things get out of hand when they arrive at Adetundes house and they get to find out secrets about each others relationship and the one person in the middle of it all.



The movie starts showing from 24th-30th March at Accra Mall and Westhills Mall.



Cast:



Deyemi Okanlawon - @deyemitheactor



okey uzoeshi - @okeyuzoeshi



kehinde bankola - @_kehindebankole



keira hewatch - @keirahewatch



enyinna Nwigwe - @a_yinna



RMD - @mofedamijo



Ireti doyle - @iretidoyle













Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
I put it to you that there is nothing that we, as a species, like fucking with more than coffee.

Not content with lovingly grinding the beans, filtering hot water through them, and enjoying the rich, smooth, nectar of the gods. No! We have to put blue algae shit it in, deconstruct it, and mix it up with everything we can possible churn into milk.

Which brings us to this: Australia, your new coffee trend is espresso tonic.

Espresso tonic ?? #espressotonic A post shared by Pang Sirorat (@pangsirorat) on Dec 22, 2016 at 9:35am PST

And thats exactly what it sounds like. Its a shot of espresso, see  but instead of drinking it by itself, or with hot or cold water, or milk, its drunk with tonic.

The SMHs Kate McClymont alerted us to this worrying trend:

At Silks cafe in Phillip St, a legal type orders an espresso tonic. Barista looks blank. Informed its Coffee + tonic water. Answer is no.  Kate McClymont (@Kate_McClymont) March 22, 2017

But as it turns out, its been around for a while. A June 2014 NY Times article about six innovated iced coffees (proving that absolutely no publication is above a good ol listicle) pointed to San Francisco coffee house Saint Franks Kaffe Tonic as being the Yank originator.

A crisp and refreshing play on the bitter and sweet flavours found in both espresso and tonic water, the Kaffe Tonic is simply a shot of espresso poured over a glass of Fever-Tree tonic and ice, wrote the NY Times. It tastes like a refined take on the Fernet-Branca and soda you drink in the afternoon in Buenos Aires.



Apparently, those guys were inspired by a similar drink by Swedish microroaster Koppi  and the trend has spread.

Melbournes Market Lane Coffee told us theyd been doing espresso tonics  listed on their menu as a Coffee Spritz  for about two years. Its more of a summer drink, they told us, for obvious reasons, and has to be made by pouring tonic water over 12 shots of espresso (if you try it the other way round, the coffee reacts with the tonic and the whole thing overflows).

And Sydneys Silks Cafe  where this whole kerfuffle started  told us theyre more than happy to start serving espresso tonics, they just have to get the tonic water first.

Every day we step further from gods light. But also they sounds kinda great and I low key want to try one.

Photo: __fikon / Instagram.
Well spare you the OTT platitudes about Beyonce, cause quite frankly, this kind of deal speaks for itself.

The undisputed pop queen fielded a sincerely beaut Facetime convo with Ebony Banks, a Houston high school student and Bey-fan battling Stage 4 of a rare form of cancer, after her friends sparked the huge #EbobMeetsBeyonce campaign on social media.

(Ebob is her bona fide nickname, which makes this whole story that much better.)

Banks mates tried flinging that Twitter hashtag in the direction of The Ellen Show, which makes a lotta sense, but it in the end it was Mrs. Carter-Knowles herself who caught the message.

Now, footage released by Banks family shows Beyonce tellin new pal Banks I love you, and liberally flashing that all-welcoming smile.

Beyonce facetiming with Ebony, a fan with a rare cancer disease whose last wish was to see Beyonce. ????? pic.twitter.com/pCkGzF4feZ  BEYONCE LEGION (@Bey_Legion) March 22, 2017

If that wasnt enough to make you feel just a little bit of something, you may appreciate the knowledge that her school threw her an early graduation ceremony at The University Of Texas top notch MD Anderson Cancer Center ahead of the blessed call.

Congratulations to our first graduate of 2017! pic.twitter.com/vFe1yk6Svd  #GoBears ?? (@AliefHastingsHS) March 16, 2017

Okay, maybe some wanton Bey praise is warranted here.

via GIPHY

Source: KHOU / The Huffington Post.

Photo: @Bey_Legion / Twitter.
So everyones favourite potato-chip-and-caramel-combining iced cream confectionary maniacs Ben & Jerry have always taken a fairly strong position on climate change and environmentalism. Now the American company is campaigning against the environment-wrecking, Great Barrier Reef-murdering Adani coal megamine thats currently being planned for Queensland. As they say on their website,

Scientists agree that to prevent our environment from altering drastically, we need to stop average global temperatures from warming more than 2 degrees Celsius. This means that in order to avoid disastrous impacts to our planet, we need to make sure that 80% of current fossil fuel reserves remain in the ground. But in Australia, plans are being finalised to build Australias largest coal mine in the middle of Queensland. The Queensland and Federal Governments have agreed to every one of Adanis, the company building the mine, needs  including $1 billion of taxpayer funds and all the free water the mine wants. Its never been more important for the Australian people to come together and stop this megamine.

And what are Ben & Jerrys doing to facilitate stopping said megamine? Only going on a Scoop Ice Cream Not Coal roadshow next week, which will visit Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne to raise awareness about and campaign against the proposed mine (and distribute free ice cream to everyone who turns up).

environmentalism at work

Who could get upset about that! A successful, international company demonstrating care for the direly at-risk natural wonders of Australia, and also distributing delicious ice cream to citizens of a country that really loves ice cream.

Who, you say? Why, George Christensen, of course!

Yeah, the Mackay-based LNP pollie/confirmed Gronk King is calling for a Ben & Jerrys boycott because of their fight against local jobs.

Look, Im just a humble ice-cream-lover and being-alive-on-my-home-planet-enjoyer, so maybe Ive got this wrong, but George  isnt it true that if we keep digging up fossil fuels from the bowels of the earth in order to burn them, sending gases into the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate and causing catastrophic climate change that will eventually make the only home weve ever had absolutely inhospitable to human life, there will in fact be no more local jobs to have? Thanks to like, the collapse of civilisation and all that?

No? Okay! Guess Im chucking out my Chunky Monkey then!*

*YOU CAN PRY THIS CHUNKY MONKEY FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS, CHRISTENSEN.

Image: Twitter.
Multiple Grammy-winner and good music doer Kendrick Lamar has dropped a brand new track, titled The Heart Part 4.

The Heart Part 4 https://t.co/C9M7ZH1o4v  Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) March 24, 2017

The release appears to tie in with some interesting Instagram activity  namely that Kendricks Instagram account has been wiped except for a single tile bearing the Roman numeral IV, presumably referencing the soon-to-be-released fourth album.

?? A post shared by Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) on Mar 23, 2017 at 1:55am PDT

The song is as blistering as anyone familiar with Lamar would expect, and features both a sick burn on Donald Trump (Donald Trump is a chump, know how we feel punk/Tell em that God comin, and Russia need a replay button, yall up to something) and a potential release date for album number four. Right at the end of the song, he raps Yall got til April 7 to get yall shit together.

With all due respect, Mr Lamar, the world is full of a lot of shit. Two weeks is just not enough time to get all of it together.

Heres hoping he drops the album anyway.

Source: Pitchfork.

Image: Jim Bennet / Getty.
This is a bit of an odd one. Police and clean up crews are attending to a scene in the middle of the Melbourne CBD where a man somehow managed to flip his car after hitting light poles earlier this morning.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Bourke and Swanston streets at around 6:40am this morning. The car was reportedly driving north along Swanston St when it veered off-course, smashing into a traffic light pole, and rolling onto its side.

The driver of the vehicle, described as a caucasian with a clean-shaven head wearing a black long-sleeved top and shorts, is said to have screamed out for help before exiting the vehicle himself.

He reportedly stayed with the car momentarily, but fled the scene shortly thereafter. One witness chased the man, who was bleeding from his head, down Bourke St, but lost sight of him after he entered a building.

A man is on the run after dramatically flipping his car on the corner of Bourke and Swanston streets in Melbournes CBD. #9Today pic.twitter.com/mzWEiqyMzY  The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) March 23, 2017

Victoria Police later apprehended a man at Southern Cross Station, transporting him to Melbourne West police station where paramedics attended the scene.

Paramedics arrive at Melbourne West police station to treat driver who fled scene of Bourke St crash, now in custody pic.twitter.com/uOBK1bDNGw  Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) March 23, 2017

Its unclear at this stage exactly how the man came to flip his vehicle at that part of the CBD, a particular curiosity given that Swanston St is largely closed off to cars north of Bourke Street.

An interesting ride to work this morning, 4wd decided to block the road at Bourke and Swanston St @abcnews @theage pic.twitter.com/lVlIi2IgF7  andy wettenhall (@awettty) March 23, 2017

The car remained on its side for an hour before emergency crews were able to safely remove it. The vehicle caused major tram disruptions for morning commuters, with all Swanston St lines blocked in both directions, and the Bourke St-running 86 and 96 routes diverted down La Trobe St until 7:40am.

Police are questioning the arrested man in relation to the incident.

Source: The Age.

Photo: Jodi Lee/Twitter.
Youd think with the current widespread awareness of once-overlooked facts such as Racism Is Bad, businesses might pause and think for literally one second before going ahead with some highly suspect branding thats likely to alienate a significant portion of their prospective customer base.

Youd think so! But here we are again!

Suey Sins, a Sydney bar and restaurant thats just opened in Surry Hills, is copping a righteous avalanche of shit for their extremely suss sexy pre-war Shanghai theme.

Apparently the bar itself is named after a famous Shanghai call girl (we could find exactly zero evidence to verify this claim). Owner Eli West said of the name:

I like to think I may be related to a character very similar to Suey Sin. I love the idea of this seductive, alluring woman who had old world charm and poise.

Sure! We all love the idea of old world charm, I totally get it. Except that making the leap from old world charm to sexy Asian lady when youre settling on a theme for your new bar is lazy and tone-deaf at best and Orientalist, ignorant and dehumanising at worst.

Especially when the product of this concept is decor featuring Anna May Wong (an actress, not a sex worker, and one who was subject to appalling racism during her lifetime) and an outstandingly tacky mural of a naked Asian lady.

Lets not forget the predominantly white wait staff in cheap knock-offs of traditional Chinese dress, or the serious social media misstep of deleting photo evidence of aforementioned staff, as well as a bunch of negative comments along with it. Weve obtained screenshots of some of those comments:

Yeah, mates. This is a shit-show. The litany of one star Facebook reviews says it better than I can:

Surprise, surprise: people who are likely to face racism on a daily basis tend not to like it when businesses use racist bullshit as the foundation of their brand, and are likely to both tell others about it and to take their business elsewhere. Do better, bar owners. You certainly should know better by now.

Source and image: Facebook.
Heres a little nice thing to cheer up the end of your week  Axis of Awesome frontwoman and beautiful human Jordan Raskopoulos is celebrating her second year of transition, with a beaut little video documenting the time since she first took that little blue pill.

Its not uncommon for someone who is transitioning to document their experience, and Jordan sharing her experience adds to the plethora of support that can be found online.

March 24, 2015 was the day I started my transition, Jordan says in the videos description.

Its been TWO YEARS since i dropped the first of those little blue pills and began my journey towards living a genuine life without shame. Thank you to everyone who has supported and loved me over this time.

Big ol congrats to you, Jordan. Youre doing a beautiful thing by being unashamedly yourself. Love ya.

Photo: YouTube / Jordan Raskopoulos.
Like most Australians, the biggest epiphany I had about my sexuality was thanks to something I saw late at night on SBS.

Thanks to one weirdly erotic scene in a German film where two people on a rowing team non-sexually apply moisturiser to each other, I came to the surprising and terrifying conclusion that I was attracted to men.

This was particularly surprising because I was very conclusively and demonstrably attracted to women  apparently unfamiliar with the concept of bisexuality, I thought the two were absolutely mutually exclusive.

I was terrified at the thought that I might secretly be gay. Not willing to let the fact that I was very clearly still extremely horny for women stop me from pursuing this line of thinking, I already began to picture how I would be ostracised from my family and friends.

Although this was the early 2000s and not particularly the worst climate ever for LGBT people, at a high school age, being gay was the worst possible thing I could imagine  the concept of gayness existed largely just as an insult for bullies to use against even vaguely effeminate straight kids, I couldnt imagine how much worse it would be for me if I actually was gay.

Surprisingly, it turns out I didnt have all that much to worry about. Once I figured out it was possible to be into both dudes and chicks at the same time (I lived in a beach town at the time, thats genuinely how we talked), I became smug as hell about it  oh youre only attracted to one gender? Oh, thats too bad. Me? I have twice as much chance as you as finding someone to love / have sex with.

Even bullying-wise things didnt go so bad for me; I was pretty open about it at school and, although I did have the occasional slur tossed at me, it mostly came from people who would have called me that anyway because I had a bit of a lisp and was a huge weird nerd.

Weirdly, bisexuality as an identity took on a weirder turn for me in adulthood. The first inkling I had that people werent completely 100% with it was having two different girlfriends tell me they were worried that I was going to cheat on them with a dude, because I wasnt getting my gay needs met by them.

I thought this was absolutely insane  if I was straight but into both blondes and brunettes, would I be more liable to cheat if I was dating someone who didnt regularly alternate between the two hair colours?

What I didnt realise I was encountering at the time was the wonderfully pervasive idea that bisexual people are naturally sluttier.

Despite wonderful advances in attitudes towards queer people, this weird misconception has managed to hang around for a startling amount of time.

Just because someone has a potentially higher number of possible sexual partners doesnt mean theyre actually going to be having more sex. As much as I might wish this was the case, it is unfortunately not.

I also found myself occupying a space where no one took me all that seriously. People seem to struggle with the idea that you can be attracted to more than just one gender, believing instead that its just a temporary stop on the way to either full straightness or full gayness.

With heterosexual people this presented itself in a relatively harmless way: people continuously asking me if Ive decided to become gay whenever Im seeing a guy, or the reverse if Im seeing a woman.

Im 26 now, if this is just a phase, this phase has been going on for over a decade and is not showing any signs of letting up.

With queer people (especially gay men), it always made me feel like I was at something of a remove  an outsider. No one consciously tried to make me feel that way, but every time I went out clubbing I was dealing with the sneaking suspicion that I didnt belong, that I was just pretending to be a part of this world.

Especially when I was younger, I felt like my attraction to women meant I didnt get to use the language and codes of gay culture, but still paradoxically felt more welcome in those spaces than I did going to non-queer spaces. It was awkward.

I feel this much less strongly now that the queer spaces Im a part of extend further than just the obnoxiously loud clubs where I was trying to pick up and also as a product of the fact that Im now much more certain that sexuality is extremely fluid and no one is 100% anything and thus its not really anyones job to police anyone elses sexuality. At the time, though, it felt very alienating.

Being a part of gay culture was all the more important to me because there isnt a corresponding, well-defined culture or identity formed around bisexuality.

Other than some weird ideas about perfect looking, inscrutable, androgynous otherworldly beings like Tilda Swinton or David Bowie or the weird almost-pornographic association with sexiness the word bisexuality has in the media, there isnt really a place for us.

But I think this is bound to change, for two reasons. First of all: as I said above, I think the more people realise that sexuality isnt quite as clear cut as you might think and it becomes more socially acceptable for people to straight outside their lanes, the idea of sexuality as identity will itself become more ambiguous. Secondly: there are a lot of us.

Studies are finding that increasing levels of young people are identifying as bisexual over straight or gay.

Who could have guessed? It turns out if people are in a society where its OK to express that you might just be a bit a bit gay, you find out there are a lot more people out there who are a bit gay. What a world.
In my attempts to stop being a judgemental, superficial bitch and realise its whats on the inside that counts, Ive watched Disneys Beauty & The Beast more times than I care to admit. In my attempts to yeah, for no apparent reason at all, Ive also watched a fuckton of The Bachelor.

Theyre both obsessions that have been reprised with a) the release of Disneys live version of its 90s classic and b) the Daily Mails superb reporting on Matty Js fucked-up good, ovary-exploding shenanigans on Bondi Beach.

The constant chit chat can make one start pondering the similarities between the two, which is what has so tragically happened to me. Sleeping sound was no longer an option with this pressing question replaying in my head: Is The Bachelor just Beauty & The Beast with 20+ Belles?

Hear me out.

THEY LIVE IT UP IN FUCK-OFF MANSIONS





Goodbye dull lives, hello fancy lifestyle. I mean, come on, as if luxury doesnt help along the love thing (weve all been partial to a sugar daddy / mummy fantasy at some point, right?).

And after that it was all, libraries and oversized living rooms and staircases winding more times than a popped ingrown anyway, which is an unrealistic, strong expectation in every season of The Bachelor Ive ever watched.

THEY BOND OVER EXTRAVAGANCE



Dont even get me started on the extravagant dates. Whether its Channel 10s chocolate baths and Camilla dresses or Disneys lush dinners, snow fights and slow dances, theyre all just a safety net in ensuring both Beast and Bachie arent left alone and stranded at the end of all their hard work.

Make em love you real good, then fuck em up real good  Blake Garvey-style if you must.

THEY WANT MORE





Belle thinks shes better than her batshit-boring, poor provincial town and the frothed-over roided bloke chasing her. She wants more. Similarly, the contestants on The Bachelor are also clearly over their mundane 9-5 lives and solid sevens lining up to date them back home. They want more Insta followers, and, you know, invites to the Portsea Polo. Oh, and if youre anything like Sam Woods Heather Maltman, your aspiring acting career will turn into a fully fledged presenter gig off the back of it  just as Belle went from bookworm to princess.

THEY HAVE KEY MANIPULATORS



Its not like theyre just falling in love and on the big bad D on their own  theyve got producers (or talking teacups and candlesticks) to get it their diamond-encrusted ears. And just like your mates who would rather you be single so you can continue hanging out with them, both these support groups have agendas, convincing the poor girl/s that the suitors A+ because either a) they wanna break the curse and become human again or b) they wanna smash those television ratings. Weve all seen UnReal  we know how it works. Whats love got to do with it?

While were on the subject, both their support groups help them look daft in shitty clothes  whether its a yellow ball gown so pouffy and downright fugly that I wouldnt have even worn that shit to my year 10 formal or a hand-me-down gold dress thats made it through three seasons of The Bachelor, there really is no excuse for that shit, although theyll have you believe their reasons are to do with princess ideals and budget limitations.

THEY HAVE A TIME LIMIT





Speaking of limitations, theyve both got time limits forcing them to realise feelings that they may or may not have. For Bachie constestants its roughly 12 weeks, seven group dates and two one-on-ones  pressure thats been very real for the likes of Richie Strahans Olena and Georgia Loves Courtney. For Belle? Til the last rose petal falls.

THEYRE ALL COOPED UP UP





Isnt it possible to fall in love with anyone if you spend enough time with them, youre separated from the outside world (family, friends, social media) and, you know, theres no one better to choose from?

Sure, Belle wasnt really given the option at the beginning of her story, so FINE lets address the elephant in the room: STOCKHOLM SYNDROME.

Its only a discussion thats being had 25 years too late (kinda like the preservation of The Great Barrier Reef), and one that Emma Watson  who by now you know is Belle in the live adaptation on the Disney classic  has shot down completely.

Stockholm syndrome is where a prisoner will take on the characteristics of, and fall in love with, in this really strange way, their captor. Belle actively argues and disagrees with [the Beast] constantly. She has none of the characteristics of someone with Stockholm syndrome. Because she keeps her independence. She keeps her independence of mind, she told People.

She makes a point. Belle chooses to return to the mega mansion by choice after the Beast saves her from the wild wolf pack (and like, same tbh).

THE FUCKING ROSE



Both relationships, whether in a French enchanted castle (where somehow everyone has an American accent) or a bachie mansion, have an evil prick of a dictator otherwise known as the rose. Lets be straight-up here: both concepts centre themselves around it. Case and point.

Well, almost.

What Im trying to say here is that humans have needs, and whether its their heart or genitalia thats lonely, these needs need to be met by whoevers at your disposal. And look, for Belle, Beast was the second best option to the candlestick and for The Bachie, well, Oshers taken now isnt he? Isnt this why people bang their roommates?

Can you really tell me that you wouldnt also be falling in love with a standard 7/10 simply due to lack of other options? That sooner or later everyone will see what a good catch your partner is, just like you did? While The Bachelor and Beauty & The Beast arent so different to one another, neither is your dating life and you know it.

All thats missing is a shameless Colgate plug.
Why is something like Black Mirror so deeply unsettling to viewers? Because all the fucked up stuff that goes down is totally within the realms of possibility.

Ditto Hulus upcoming adaptation of Margaret Atwoods dystopian thriller The Handmaids Tale, set in a near-future totalitarian nation called Gilead (meant to be the former United States, ahem) where women are treated as property of the state.

Much of the female population is infertile, largely due to the contaminated planet, and fertile women serve as Handmaids whose sole job is to bear children for married couples who cant conceive themselves.

The v. brilliant Elisabeth Moss plays Offred, whos separated from her own husband and child to become a Handmaid and fights for her freedom alongside Alexis Bledel and the rest of the series A+ cast.

If you, like me, were nervous about the prospect of Hulu butchering such a classic, fear not: Atwood, who wrote her bestseller back in 1985, has nothin but high praise for the adaptation.

Based on what Ive seen, its a 10, she said during a recent Reddit AMA. My criteria: puddle of goo on the floor [by the] end of episode 3. Gasp. Shriek. It goes farther than I did in the book

Without further ado, heres your first loooooong peek:

The 10-ep series premieres in the US on April 26 and theres still no word on an Aussie release date, but weve got everything crossed.

Source and photo: Hulu.
Shin Jong-kyun, president and co-chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics Co., left, and Yoon Boo-keun, president and co-chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics Co., attend the company's annual general meeting at the Seocho office building in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 24, 2017. (SeongJoon Cho/Pool Photo via AP)
FILE - This April 22, 2014, file photo shows an employment application form on a table at a job fair in Hudson, N.Y. Middle-age white Americans with limited education are increasingly dying younger, on average, than other middle-age U.S. adults, a trend driven by their dwindling economic opportunities, research by two Princeton University economists has found. The economists, Anne Case and Angus Deaton, argue in a paper released Thursday, March 23, 2017, that the loss of steady middle-income jobs for those with high school degrees or less has triggered broad problems for this group. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)
Here, there, everywhere  why car washes seem to be on every corner
American nations to challenge Venezuela's Maduro authoritarian regime

Reuters/Henry Romero

Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray helped lead the regional diplomacy that aims to increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Joint effort criticizing President Nicolas Maduro's government is rare in region.

MEXICO CITY

Petroleumworld 03 24 2017

The U.S., Canada and Latin America's leading nations have agreed to challenge Venezuela's authoritarian regime, a joint effort that wouldn't have been possible until a recent political shift away from leftist populism across the region.

Fourteen nations plan to issue a joint statement in coming days calling on the government of President Nicolas Maduro to release political prisoners, return full powers to the National Assembly and set a timetable to hold regional elections that Venezuela has indefinitely postponed, according to Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray.

The joint statement could be released as soon as late Thursday, according to a source close to Luis Almagro, the secretary-general of the Organization of American States, a hemispheric body based in Washington, D.C. The source said Mr. Almagro would release his own statement shortly after.

We feel the time has come to act, Mr. Videgaray, who helped lead the regional diplomacy, said in an interview late on Wednesday.

A senior U.S. diplomat confirmed that the countries were working together to increase pressure on Venezuela. The U.S. and Mexico are working well together with other countries on this issue, the official said.

Ratcheting up the pressure on Mr. Maduro is a big shift for the region, where most countries have long shied away from interfering in each other's internal affairs.

The pressure on Venezuela reflects changing political dynamics in Latin America, where a string of once populist leftist governments have been thrown out of power. Countries like Argentina, Brazil and Peru that were friendly to Venezuela have moved toward the center-right. And elections in Ecuador next month could cause a shift there, too.

A draft statement, a copy of which was obtained by The Wall Street Journal, has won the support of leading Latin American nations, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay and Paraguay, Mr. Videgaray said.

We consider it urgent to address as a matter of priority the release of political prisoners, the recognition of the legitimacy of the National Assembly's decisions as provided by the Constitution, and the establishment of an electoral calendar that includes the postponed elections, the draft statement says.

We will review the progress in addressing these challenges over the coming weeks as we consider next steps, it adds.

An official at Peru's Foreign Relations Ministry on Thursday confirmed the language in the draft letter as well as Peru's support, but said he did not know when it would be released.

The draft statement, the wording of which could still change, echoes similar recent demands by Mr. Almagro, who recently called on the body's 34-member states to pass a resolution calling on Venezuela to make democratic changes within 30 days or be kicked out of the group.

But the joint statementwhich members hope to submit for a vote as a resolution at the OASdoesn't impose a 30-day period and says that kicking Venezuela out of the body is a last resort only to be taken if Venezuela doesn't show change within a reasonable amount of time.

Mr. Videgaray said the changes were done in the hopes of getting more countries to back the resolution at the OAS, where it needs two-thirds support to pass.

Even if the resolution doesn't pass, it is the strongest language by far against Venezuela and will increase pressure on Mr. Maduro, analysts said.

It's one more step in the increasing isolation of Venezuela, said Javier Corrales, a professor and Latin American expert at Amherst College. It's a very important step in a region that realizes one of its members is in violation of the democratic precepts of the OAS charter.

Countries that have refused to sign are Venezuela's closest allies, including Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Mr. Videgaray said the U.S., Canada and others were lobbying the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and St. Lucia. Many poorer Caribbean countries have long been subsidized by Venezuela with cut-rate oil, even though the shipments have been dramatically curtailed in recent years.

Caribbean nations which have depended on Venezuela's largess for subsidized oil imports will be loath to back any action against Caracas, said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank

A lot of these countries are worried about oil prices going back up, said Mr. Shifter. They will be very reluctant to join. Still, he called it a positive development.

Mr. Maduro's government has escalated its suppression of dissent. Over the past year, after Venezuela's opposition won control of the National Assembly, the courts overturned every major decision by the assembly, essentially gutting its powers. The government continues to imprison opposition leaders like Leopoldo Lopez. It also scuttled a recall referendum by the opposition and indefinitely postponed gubernatorial elections, both votes that Mr. Maduro's party was expected to lose.

By some estimates, Venezuela's economy shrank by some 16% in the past year alone, and millions have been thrown into poverty in the oil-rich country, including many who spend their days searching for food in garbage, images that have shocked other Latin American nations.

The diplomatic effort to encourage change in Venezuela has allowed Mexico to work closely with the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on an issue that isn't related to trade, immigration or a border wall. It's not the motivation, but it helps having a common cause,

Mr. Videgaray said. Mr. Videgaray said he expected Venezuela to lash out in response and criticize Mexico's own rights record. But he said there was little doubt Mexico was a democracy and that it wouldn't allow itself to be bullied by Venezuela.

If we back down now, when are we ever going to stand up again?

Mr. Videgaray said. The drive to pressure Venezuela began at a recent meeting of the pro-trade Pacific Alliance, he said, which includes Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile. Mr. Almagro's report on Venezuela was circulated among the alliance members, who agreed it was time to take action.








Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.

You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.

No soy alguien que sabe, sino alguien que busca.

Only Gold is money. Everything else is debt.

Las grandes almas tienen voluntades; las debiles tan solo deseos.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.
12 Delaware Valley companies have made the Top Workplaces list every year the project has run. Here's a snapshot of those standouts, as excerpted from their survey profiles.



Center For Family Services

Founded: 1920

Headquartered:

Take Note: Through more than 60 programs, The Center For Family Services (CFS) touches the lives of thousands of vulnerable children and families each year to prevent those at-risk from becoming victims of child abuse or neglect. With in-home, after-school, school based, and community programs, CFS provides the tools to keep children safe and help families become self-sufficient.



Edmund Optics

Founded: 1942

Headquartered: Barrington, NJ

Local Employees: 205

Take Note: In 1969, the company  then known as Edmund Salvage  supplied optical equipment that traveled to the moon as part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft in its historic lunar landing. In the mid-1980s, Edmund refocused on industrial optics. Today, Edmund products are used in a variety of applications ranging from DNA sequencing to retinal eye scanning to high-speed factory automation.

The Graham Company

The Graham Company, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm, takes employee retention seriously. If a current employee recommends a candidate who is ultimately hired, they receive a referral bonus of $5,000 to $10,000. As a result of this program, current employees refer 85 percent of Graham's new hires. Additionally, any employee who refers a company that then becomes a client receives a percentage of the first year revenue from that client.

Lincoln Investment

Founded: 1968

Headquartered: Fort Washington, PA

Local Employees: 260

Take Note: Lincoln Investment is a full-service broker-dealer and registered investment advisor. Representing clients with more than $30 billion in assets, the company is a leading provider of retirement plans to school districts, universities, hospitals and other non-profit and community-based organizations. On average, Lincoln Investment employees have been with the company for almost 10 years.



Mastery Charter Schools

Founded: 2001

Headquartered: Philadelphia

Local Employees: 1,618

Take Note: Mastery is a non-profit public charter school network currently operating 22 schools in Philadelphia and Camden, serving over 13,500 students in grades K-12. Sixteen of the schools are turnarounds of formerly low-performing districts  making Mastery the national leader in turning around public schools.

Movers Specialty Service

Founded: 1978

Headquartered: Montgomeryville, PA

Local Employees: 170

Take Note: The company, which provides expert relocation services, is uniquely renowned for its "MSS University," an in-house, best-practice training and development curriculum for employees, complemented by innovative performance management, tuition reimbursement and leadership development programs.



Penn Jersey Paper

Founded: 1963

Headquartered: Philadelphia

Local Employees: 336

Take Note: Operating out of a 250,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art office and warehouse facility in Northeast Philadelphia, Penn Jersey Paper offers customers over 8,000 stock items, including leading national brands. The company's distribution network also provides customers with quality products in packaging, paper, chemicals, consumables, smallwares and equipment.



Philadelphia Insurance Companies

Founded: 1962

Headquartered: Bala Cynwyd, PA

Local Employees: 622

Take Note: Since 1980, Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) and its employees have donated more than $14 million to charitable causes and organizations in support of Education, Human Services, Culture and Arts, and the Environment. PHLY's volunteering program allows eligible employees to take 7.5 hours of paid time-off to volunteer with nonprofit organizations of their choosing. In 2015, more than 1,000 employees volunteered for a total of 17,903 hours.



PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Founded: 1874

Headquartered: New York City

Local Employees: 1,900

Take Note: PwC's commitment to their employees has never wavered. In 2015, the accounting practice introduced a new benefit to help associates and senior associates pay down their college debt. The Student Loan Paydown plan  a first of its kind in the industry  pledges $1,200 a year per employee towards student loans.

SPIN

Founded: 1970

Headquartered: Philadelphia

Local Employees: 1,084

Take Note: SPIN provides residential, employment, home and community and behavioral health services for adults with intellectual disability or autism. For SPIN employees, professional is key. The nonprofit offers onsite undergraduate and graduate programs, a leadership pathway, online learning and a rich array of in-service learning.

Toll Brothers

Founded: 1967

Headquartered: Horsham, PA

Local Employees: 947

Take Note: The nation's leading builder of luxury homes serves move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers and operates in 19 states. All full-time employees can reserve luxurious Toll Brothers guesthouses in fabulous locations. These are available year round and employees are encouraged to invite family and friends to experience the Toll Brothers lifestyle. On their 10th, 20th, and 30th anniversaries, employees receive expense-paid trips for two to destinations of their choice.



Urban Engineers

Founded: 1960

Headquartered: Philadelphia

Local Employees: 264

Take Note: This consulting practice features a tuition reimbursement program that helps employees to develop professionally through continuing education. Completing an E.I.T., P.E., C.P.A, Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree program in approved curriculums results in a 5 percent salary increase, up to a maximum of $4,000 after documentation of the accomplishment is provided.
We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today
NYC's Department of Sanitation is moving its curbside composting program into dozens more neighborhoods, like Williamsburg and Long Island City, in order to reach 3.3 million residents by the end of 2017. City Council Member Peter Koo, who represents Flushing, was among those who welcomed the news, saying, "An ineffective waste management undermines the sustainable development of our city. Through the NYC Organics Collection pilot program, DSNY helps to keep nutrients in the community, produce renewable energy, and most importantly, raise public awareness about reducing greenhouse gas emission."

The composting program began in 2013 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and has been rolled out to nearly one million residents so far. (Park Slope has had it since 2014.) The Department of Sanitation announced:

The first districts to receive service as part of this years expansion are Brooklyn Community Boards 1 and 16 in May. Brooklyn Community Boards 2, 13 and 15 will also receive service in June... The curbside program will continue to expand through the summer and into the fall including Community Boards:



Brooklyn 7

Brooklyn 11

Brooklyn 12



Bronx 8

Bronx 10

Bronx 11

Bronx 12



Queens 2

Queens 7

Queens 8

Queens 9

Queens 14

shows you what neighborhoods are in which Community Boards.

The Department of Sanitation hopes to make curbside composting or neighborhood drop-off sites for food scrap/yard waste available to all of the city by the end of 2018. Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said, "Organic material - food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard waste - make up about a third of what we throw away, but its not trash. Putting your food scraps and yard waste to good use decreases the amount of garbage going to landfills and helps create a greener and healthier New York City. We thank all of the residents currently participating in organic waste collection, and look forward to welcoming millions more New Yorkers to the program this year."

If you're wondering if your building will be involved in or can participate in the composting program, check out this link. For instance, "Apartment buildings in all Manhattan neighborhoods are eligible for organics collection service," says the DSNY. And here's a map of all neighborhood drop-off sites.
Authorities on Thursday remained tight-lipped about a possible cause of death for 7-month-old twin girls found unresponsive in their mother's apartment the previous day in Lindenwold, Camden County.

The mother called 911 distraught Wednesday morning and said her infants had turned "purple." The Camden County Prosecutor's Office has said the babies' cause of death is "pending" as the county medical examiner performs further tests.

Authorities have not publicly identified the mother. But a friend, Markia Conover, 26, told philly.com she spoke to the mother on Facebook on Wednesday evening after sending a message of condolence.

The mother was upset and at a relative's house Wednesday night because police had not yet allowed anyone back into the Lindenwold apartment, Conover said.

The babies' mother lived in the Pines Apartments complex, just off Bilper Avenue, with the twins and two other children between ages 1 and 6, Conover said. Their grandmother also lived there, she said.

"She's a wonderful mom," Conover said of her friend. "She loved kids."
A Jewish teenager with American and Israeli dual citizenship was arrested Thursday for a string of recent bomb threats that terrorized Jewish community centers in three continents, reports the New York Daily News.

Israeli police announced the arrest of a 19-year-old for phoning in the phony threats, but refused to release his name. He shielded his face from media as guards escorted him out of a justice court in Rishon Lezion.

His lawyer told reporters the teen suffers from a "very serious" medical condition that kept him out of school and the Israeli army, and may have affected his behavior.

His motive for the alleged scare spree is a mystery and it's unclear how many threats he may be tied to. Police said he used sophisticated camouflage technology to disguise his voice and location when making calls.

Israeli authorities worked with the FBI and other international law enforcement to crack the case. During his arrest, the teen tried to grab an officer's gun until another officer stopped him, police said.
A shooting in Louisiana Tuesday night left two people and a K-9 dead, and an officer wounded, reports WGNO.

Authorities say they were called to a home in Crowley, LA, for reports of shots fired. Police say when they got there, someone opened fire on a Crowley police officer and shot and killed K-9 Roscoe.

Louisiana State Police say when they arrived, they found a man and a woman dead inside the home.

The officer who was shot has since been treated and released from a local hospital and is back home, reports News 10.

Now, police say there was another shooting Wednesday night on Oak Street, which is about 2 miles from the Josey Drive shooting. Investigators believe the female victim on Oak Street is an acquaintance of the suspect, so he is also the suspect in the Oak Street homicide.

Crowley police are investigating the homicide on Oak Street, but the officer-involved shooting on Josey has been turned over to state police.
Henry County (GA) Police confirm a body found in an empty developmental property is one of their officers.

Capt. Mike Ireland said the body was found behind the store Friday around 11:00 am. An officer in the area discovered the body, WXIA TV reports.

Friday afternoon, the Henry County Police department confirmed the officer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It happened while he was on duty in an area that he regularly patrols. Another officer on his beat discovered the body.

Police did not identify the officer, but said he leaves behind a wife and children.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Democratic Ranking Intelligence Committee member Adam Schiff is turning out to be a secret weapon for freedom amidst the growing Republican Russia scandal.

In case youre wondering why ranking member Democrat Adam Schiff (D-CA) appears to know more than the Chair of the Intel Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes, its because he has experience prosecuting a crooked FBI agent who was working for the Kremlin.

As Assistant U.S. Attorney in the 90s, Schiff was the governments prosecutor against Richard Miller, who was the first FBI agent ever accused of espionage according to the Los Angeles Times.  (t)he first FBI agent ever accused of espionage, was found guilty Tuesday of passing secret documents to the Soviet Union in exchange for a promised $65,000 in gold and cash.

This fact was brought to my attention by John Schindler, who observed Friday morning, As a Federal prosecutor, Schiff sent a crooked FBI agent who was spying for the Kremlin to the slammer. It shows.

Schiff reiterates call for 9/11 Comm-like independent inquiry into #TrumpRussia: "This week's event have made that all the more necessary"  John Schindler (@20committee) March 24, 2017

Schiff called Nunes out Friday morning for canceling an opening hearing in an effort to choke off public information:

BREAKING: Chairman just cancelled open Intelligence Committee hearing with Clapper, Brennan and Yates in attempt to choke off public info.  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 24, 2017

Schindler observed:

Rep Schiff brutally summarizes the HPSCI's week from hell: "A zero validation of the President, even if you accept what [Nunes] has said."  John Schindler (@20committee) March 24, 2017

Republicans might be wishing Adam Schiff would just go away, as he can see right through Nunes reckless propaganda efforts for the Trump White House.

Schiff isnt someone who is just going to sit by while Nunes sells out the Intelligence Committees responsibility to the United States citizens.

Schiff is uniquely qualified for this unlikely situation. Thank you, Democrats, for putting people in positions for which they are actually qualified.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Over the course of the presidential campaign, and after the election, real economists warned that everything about the Trump is harmful to the economy. Whether it is following Kansas Republicans failed tax cuts for the rich, deporting Hispanic immigrants, or drastic downsizing of federal agencies and killing jobs, there is nothing positive to note about Trump and the Heritage Foundations goal of deconstructing the government.

Now the Trump has just ordered a new atrocity targeting business travelers and tourists that will just add to the monumental loss of tourism dollars due to the rest of the world being terrified of coming to America; even for a vacation, a business trip and even if the tourists are white Christians wanting to visit a sick relative, they are afraid to visit Trumps America.

The latest move just reported amounts to extreme vetting that targets anyone applying for a visa to visit America whether it is to work, to attend business meetings, tourism or visiting sick family members. It is probably true that the Trump and his savage acolytes believe that anything Trump does to frighten the rest of the world is heroic, but it will cost America close to $11 billion and kill off roughly 90,000 jobs by the end of the year.

Those numbers are courtesy of an economic consulting firm, Tourism Economics of Wayne, Pennsylvania, that assessed the numbers from various airline and travel booking websites; they projected that the United States will lose 6.3 million visits by the end of next year. Those numbers were crunched prior to yesterdays new extreme vetting directive and will certainly translate into a lot more than losing $10.8 billion in tourist spending. The tourism firm is calling the massive job and revenue loss Trump-induced losses and a direct attack on the tourism industry.

Tourism Economics president, Adam Sacks, said:

It doesnt take very much uncertainty or antipathy to influence decisions away from a given travel destination. Ultimately, destinations and companies are in the business of building a brand and a message that is welcoming . All the America first rhetoric in various policy areas like trade, diplomacy and immigration is conveying the exact opposite.

In an Australian magazine, Traveler, a recent headline read Think twice about visiting America if you dont want the Mem Fox treatment. The Mem Fox reference was to an Australian author who said she would never return to the United States after being detained and questioned at the Los Angeles International Airport while traveling to attend a literary conference.

A similar warning was issued by The Toronto Star newspaper that published a commentary in late January calling on Canadians to forgo unnecessary trips to the U.S. until Trump is out of office. It appears that even before the warnings, Canadians were already forgoing any trips to America out of fear of the Trump.

According to the manager and part-owner of a popular Canadian travel agency, Al Qanun related that Even white, Anglo-Saxon people, who are most of our customers, [they] are afraid of crossing the border. They dont want to end up in some prison.

Mr. Qanun also said Canadian families used to pile onto a tour bus and head to New York over the Spring Break hiatus to see the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, and other attractions. This year instead of the busy season for the Toronto-based agency that typically books between 200 and 300 tourists to New York in March, only 11 people were willing to brave Trumps America. Mr. Qanun lamented that I know politics is politics, but whenever Trump opens his mouth, it shakes our business.

It is important to note, and debunk any bullshit excuse from Trump before he can lie that the loss of tourism dollars is not due to the countries included in Trumps original or second Muslim ban because they only account for 0.1% of incoming travelers. It is a minuscule percentage of the tourism trade and in no possible scenario does that one-tenth of one percent explain the loss of billions of dollars and tens-of-thousands of jobs as a result of Trump.

What does, however, explain the losses is the palpable atmosphere of fear at the nations airports, and well-publicized incidents of visitors being detained and interrogated by Trump operatives who are terrifying prospective visitors to America; including white people without the slightest connection to the Muslim world.

It is probably true that to Trump and his nativist sycophants, losing close to $11 billion in tourism revenue is well worth scaring foreign travelers enough to avoid visiting America like they would avoid plague. It is also equally true that killing off at least 90,000 American jobs is appealing to the Trump zealots if those jobs are lost due to foreigners fear of America. However, for the 90,000 Americans who lose their jobs and the tourism industrys prospect of losing $11 billion by the end of the year, it is likely not worth it to create an atmosphere where even white Christian tourists are terrified of visiting Trumps America.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) accused House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) of trying to muddy the waters and help Trump cover-up the Russia scandal.

During an interview on MSNBC, Speier was asked what Adam Schiff knows that we dont about the evidence of Trump/Russia collusion being more than circumstantial.

She answered:

So thats whats really interesting, because both Adam Schiff and Devin Nunes, the chair and ranking members of the committee, have access to information that the whole committee does not have access to. Its only afforded to whats called the Gang of Eight, which includes the Speaker, the Democratic Leader, the ranking and the chair on the House side, and similarly on the Senate side, so if we have Adam Schiff who is a prosecutor by training say that this is not just circumstantial evidence, I believe that Devin Nunes knows the same information, and I think this could be an effort to make everything look much murkier.

The reason why Im suspicious is that the president on Tucker Carlson, another show, said last week, said that there is going to be information coming to the committee, and this is going to clarify it for the American people. Well, I think this whole thing is, excuse the pun, is trumped up.

What Rep. Speier was doing was suggesting that the chair of the House Intelligence Committee is working with the White House to create a diversion that will distract the committee from investigating the Trump campaigns potential collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. Speier was suggesting that Nunes knows information that Adam Schiff describes as more than circumstantial, and his wiretapping claims this week were an attempt to help the White House cover-up the real story.

Calls are growing for Nunes to be investigated as the Trump/Russia scandal is going beyond the White House and implicating the Republican Party.

If Republicans were so desperate to win that they either colluded with Russia or turned a blind eye while Trump colluded with Russia, they would have committed a crime against their country that has the potential to stain their party for generations.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Ladies, if you want maternity care, just move.

Mick Mulvaney, President Donald Trumps budget director, assumes that we all want to get rid of Obamacare  that thing that gives women free well women visits and demands that maternity care is not a preexisting condition, and if yall need maternity care, change the law in your state before you get pregnant.

Or move, I guess, since changing laws takes a long time and is by no means certain (for proof of this, I refer to the Republicans trying to do what they promised they would by repealing Obamacare).

Watch Office of Management and Budget Director Mulvaney on CBS This Morning:

Mulvaney said Trumpcare would shift whether or not to cover maternity care to states and if voters dont like this, they can change their state laws.

Trying to explain why giving states the right to deny essential healthcare services like maternity care is super, Mulvaney said if voters dont live in a state that requires that insurance companies cover maternity care, they can just try to change their state law.

They could try to change their own state legislatures and their state laws, Mulvaney said.

Why do we look to the federal government to try to fix our local problems? Thats one of the big problems of Obamacare, Mulvaney continued cluelessly, not realizing that he was explaining why people might want to keep Obamacare and if anything explaining to people why they need the federal government sometimes.

In fact, thanks to Obamacare today all new policies include maternity care, prior to 2014, most individual plans excluded maternity coverage. Today, all new policies include maternity benefits.

More, and read closely because this is what Trumpcare will take us back to (my bold):

Prior to 2014, women who purchased their own health insurance were often completely out of luck if they wanted to have coverage for maternity. In 2013, the National Womens Law Center reported that just 12 percent of individual market plans included maternity benefits. And that was despite the fact that nine states required maternity benefits to be included on all individual plans. In the rest of the states, maternity coverage in the individual market was extremely rare, and if it did exist, it was generally in the form of an expensive rider that could be added to a plan, usually with a waiting period. Yet even on plans that excluded maternity coverage, women were charged premiums that were at least 30 percent higher than those charged to men for the same coverage. Before Obamacare made coverage guaranteed issue, pregnancy itself was also considered a pre-existing condition that would prevent an expectant parent  male or female  from obtaining coverage in all but five states. And many individual health insurance carriers considered a previous cesarean section to be a reason to decline an application or charge a higher initial premium.

Trumpcare will take us back to the good old days when women were penalized financially for getting pregnant.

This is no small issue, because maternity costs are outrageous. And maternity costs can vary from state to state by 50% or more according to a Truven report. A 2014 study by the University of California, San Francisco found that hospital charges for an uncomplicated vaginal delivery ranged from $3,296 to $37,227, depending on the hospital.

Also, (note this is from 2011 so the insurance info is not up to date), Parents explained, News flash: Having a baby is expensive. Its the most costly health event families are likely to experience during their childbearing years. On average, U.S. hospital deliveries cost $3,500 per stay, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Add in prenatal, delivery-related and post-partum healthcare, and youre looking at an $8,802 tab, according to a Thomson Healthcare study for March of Dimes.

Mulvaney tried to make the unsubstantiated argument that under Obamacare everyone can afford insurance but no one can afford to go to the doctor, As a result, you have a system where everybody, just about, can afford to have insurance, but nobody can afford to actually go to the doctor and thats what were trying to fix and thats what the House bill does.

Yeah, not sure what kind of insurance Mulvaney has but thats not true. In fact the insurance purchased under Obamacare is varied and people can pick the tier of coverage they want. To parse this out for Mulvaney, the budget director, we call this the free market. People chose what they want to pay for and that determines what is covered but they do have insurance and under Obamacare, due to its regulations, they are reasonably assured that they will actually get what they pay for, which was not true before Obamacare.

States not only have the ability to require those services, many of them already do, Mulvaney offered.

Well okay. What about those states that do not? And that statement is misleading. As quoted above, before Obamacare, just 12 percent of individual plans included maternity benefits despite the fact that nine states required maternity benefits to be included.

Just change your laws or move, ladies.

The party of pro-life is in the House (literally), and they do not care about maternity costs. This might be because a group of men made this decision. Vice President Mike Pence tweeted a picture yesterday of the men discussing maternity care for you.

Need care? Just move!
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

The editorial board of The Washington Post is calling for an end to Devin Nunes investigation of Trump/Russia contacts and instead investigating Devin Nunes himself.

It is bad enough, as national security expert John Schindler tweeted, that Nunes and Trumps claims about Obama wiretapping amount to a nothingburger:

Until there's some evidence  not "Devin saw TS stuff nobody else did"  allegations that Obama abused IC USP protections = nothingburger.  John Schindler (@20committee) March 24, 2017

To false accusations leveled against our last president must be added Devin Nunes own leak of classified information  right after complaining about the leak of classified information. As the Post explained,

REP. DEVIN NUNES (R-Calif.) on Monday denounced what he described as the illegal leak of classified information concerning conversations between associates of Donald Trump and Russian officials. He insisted that those who described those contacts to the press be tracked down and prosecuted. He demanded that FBI Director James B. Comey confirm that such revelations violate . . . a section of the Espionage Act that criminalizes the disclosure of information concerning the communication and intelligence activities of the United States.



Forty-eight hours later, Mr. Nunes himself held a news conference in which he cited a confidential source to describe what clearly appeared to be classified information about intercepted communications involving Trump associates. He did this outside the White House, where he had rushed to brief the president about the intercepts  even though the House Intelligence Committee he chairs is supposed to be investigating the Trump campaigns possible connections with Russia.

There is no arguing with the editorial boards verdict that Rep. Nunes deserves to be subject to the same leaking probe he demanded for the previous disclosures.

Nor is there any arguing with the editorial boards conclusion that,

Mr. Nuness antics serve only to underline the urgency of a serious, nonpartisan and uncompromising investigation into Russias interference in the election and any contacts between Moscows agents and the Trump campaign.

Devin Nunes represents the Republican Partys willingness to go to any lengths, including tolerating treason, to push the conservative agenda. Nunes, who is supposed to be investigating the Trump administration, has shown himself instead to be serving the interests of Donald Trump.

House leaders should, as the Post demands, put an end to the embarrassing travesty being directed by Mr. Nunes and we should turn our attention instead to the investigation of Nunes himself.

Nunes was trying to protect Trump. What has resulted is a historically significant tragicomedy in three acts, and it is for this the Trump administration will be remembered by future historians.

In the end, Nunes efforts have only shown how essential it is that instead of committee investigation, a select committee is appointed instead.

No Republican will be able to protect Trump then, and all Nunes dubious antics have accomplished then is to doom the man he sought to protect.
Astronomers have discovered the closest known black hole to Earth, just 1,600 light-years away. Scientists reported Friday that this black hole is 10 times more massive than our sun. And it's three times closer than the previous record-holder. Read moreClosest known black hole to Earth spotted by astronomers
Imagine Don Draper downing cocktails in a rural Washington state cabin and you'll have a pretty good idea of the vibe at The Lately, LDV Hospitality and Den Hospitality's newest venture that opens tonight in Chelsea. Said originally to have been inspired by Mad Men and Twin Peaks, the large bi-level bar goes for an "upstate cabin of yore" vibe that's the perfect setting for a murder palpable without being overly twee. Plus: mallards. Did Agent Cooper grow up to be Trey MacDougal? Yes.

Den's Grant Wheeler designed the cocktails, some of which strive for a "deeper exploration of our favorite classics" including The Jaguar Shark ($17, strawberry-infused gin, aquavit, aveze, lacusta rojo and celery shrub), while others "[push] the borders of flavor and recognition to the source" like a Jack Daniels, Punt e Mes, spiced kola cordial and lemon ditty called Lemmy Lives ($16). But they'll also mix you up a Manhattan ($14) if you're into the whole brevity thing.

LDV's responsible for the food, which are more bar bites than sit-down fare. Munch on curried chicken skewers ($9), quinoa hush puppies ($6) or a jambon buerre sandwich ($12) made with Dickinson's Farmstand smoked ham and butter. In true bar snacks fashion they're offering "Shaken Popcorn" ($4), which can be ordered in sriracha, dill pickle, white cheddar and black pepper/asiago flavors.

357 West 16th Street, 212-206-1096; thelatelybar.com
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. Low around 65F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low around 65F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
Michael Anthony Pressley II told deputies during an interview that he followed the victim to his residence and shot him "following a road rage incident," according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Road rage shootings in 2021 in the U.S. resulted in 131 deaths, according to an analysis by Everytown for Gun Safety. Read more'Road rage' led to fatal shooting in King's Grant, new records show
Blog Archive November (1) October (2) September (2) August (2) July (2) June (3) May (2) April (2) March (3) February (2) January (2) December (3) November (2) October (2) September (2) August (3) July (3) June (3) May (2) April (2) March (3) February (2) January (2) December (2) November (2) October (2) September (3) August (3) July (4) June (4) May (5) April (4) March (4) February (4) January (4) December (4) November (6) October (2) September (3) August (2) July (10) June (3) May (2) April (8) March (5) February (3) January (4) December (4) November (5) October (5) September (4) August (7) June (4) May (4) April (2) March (5) February (2) January (4) December (3) November (4) October (4) September (3) August (4) July (4) June (5) May (3) April (3) March (4) February (5) January (5) December (2) November (3) October (4) September (4) August (4) July (4) June (5) May (4) April (4) March (5) February (4) January (4) December (5) November (4) October (4) September (4) August (4) July (4) June (4) May (3) April (4) March (3) February (4) January (2) December (5) November (5) October (8) September (7) August (7) July (8) June (8) May (5) April (7) March (6) February (2) January (4) December (3) November (7) October (3) September (3) August (4) July (5) June (8) May (7) April (7) March (5) February (6) January (8) December (6) November (5) October (7) September (4) August (7) July (7) June (6) May (8) April (10) March (12) February (3) January (8) December (9) November (7) October (7) September (8) August (9) July (5) June (7) May (4) April (4) March (5) February (8) January (6) December (5) November (5) October (5) September (2) August (2) July (3) June (2) May (5) April (1) March (3) February (4) January (1) December (3) November (3) October (3) September (2) August (2) July (2) June (4) May (4) April (4) March (4) February (4) January (3) December (5) November (5) October (4)
Some small business advocates warn that a Republican plan to revamp health care could stifle entrepreneurship.

A Congressional Budget Office report has increased opposition to the bill that would replace the Affordable Care Act enacted under the Obama administration. The CBO said last week that the bill, which GOP leaders hope to bring to a House vote this week, would result in 14 million people losing coverage next year, and 24 million by 2026.

Citing a January Treasury Department report, the Small Business Majority says the GOP plan, which is supported by President Donald Trump, could deter would-be small business owners from starting companies. The Treasury said one in five people who bought insurance on exchanges created under the ACA was a small business owner or self-employed.

"It's going to have a chilling effect on entrepreneurship," says John Arensmeyer, CEO of the Small Business Majority. "We have small business owners who would have to give up their dream  some started businesses because of it."

Small companies could also lose employees under the plan, Arensmeyer says. If they're unable to afford individual coverage and their employers are not able to provide it, workers could seek jobs at larger businesses where insurance is offered, he says.

ADVERTISEMENT

Small business groups have been split over the ACA. Some argue that the law, which requires companies with 50 or more employees to offer insurance to employees and their dependents, imposes an unfair financial burden on small businesses. Others support it, saying it has enabled more small businesses to offer coverage and allowed people to leave jobs and start their own companies.

Karen Kerrigan, president of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, says the GOP plan could increase competition among insurers, making more insurance plans available and giving people including entrepreneurs more options than they have under the ACA. Kerrigan also questions whether insurance is a key factor in entrepreneurship, and notes that would-be owners also face challenges including the inability to find financing.

"There are more things beyond health insurance that are bigger (issues)," she says.

The fate of the GOP proposal is unclear. Although it has the support of most Republicans, some moderate and conservative lawmakers have said they will vote against it, joining Democrats who are solidly against the bill.
A Rochester man convicted of an hours-long physical and sexual assault of a woman was sentenced Tuesday to 19 years in prison.

Erik Walden Narveson, 43, was found guilty by a jury in September in Olmsted County District Court. He was convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, false imprisonment and third-degree assault, all felonies. He was acquitted of felony first-degree criminal sexual conduct; a second count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct was dismissed.

The verdict came after a three-day trial; he's been held without bail since.

He was sentenced to consecutive prison terms of 180 months and two 24-month stints, with credit for 715 days already served.

Narveson's crimes against the victim began March 23, 2015, when he backhanded her during an argument. He was charged with domestic assault and released on a $600 bond on the condition that he have no contact with the victim.

ADVERTISEMENT

But less than two weeks later, the same woman stood outside her Rochester home, dressed only in a tank top and boxer shorts, with a "blowout fracture" of her eye socket and other injuries inflicted by Narveson. He was found a few hours later, hiding behind Silver Lake Foods. He ran off, but officers caught and arrested him at a nearby construction site.

The victim in the case says the assault lasted for hours, beginning April 4, when she woke up to Narveson sexually assaulting her. The woman got her phone and was going to call 911 when Narveson punched her in the face. She fell face-first onto the bed and Narveson jumped on her, put his hand over her mouth and told her he had no way out.

He said he was going to have to kill her or she would have to kill him, and talked about "suicide by cop." He then used wire to tie the woman's left ankle to his right ankle, and her left wrist to his right wrist so she couldn't get away. The victim said that throughout the night, Narveson cut off the wire and sexually assaulted her multiple times, then tied them together again.

The next day, Narveson wanted cigarettes, so he took the woman to the basement and tied her to a post in the middle of a room. He put a sock in her mouth and used a piece of rope to hold the sock in place; when Narveson returned, he freed her and took her back upstairs. The victim was able to run out the front door when he went into the bathroom about 5 p.m. April 5. She flagged down a passing motorist and asked to use a cellphone to call 911.

When Narveson realized she'd escaped, he fled, the woman said. When officers arrived, they described the victim as having a "large, swollen black eye." She was taken to a local hospital, where medical records show she had a "blowout fracture of the interior orbital wall."

After his capture, Narveson told authorities "everything was hazy," and he didn't remember what happened.
MINNEAPOLIS  It didn't take long for Minnehaha Academy ninth-grader Armand Melk-Johnson, 15, to feel at home with his host family in Minneapolis.

"In the Latino community, once you go and meet somebody, you're automatically their friend," Melk-Johnson said.

Melk-Johnson spent a week living with Alicia, a Peruvian Minneapolis-resident, along with her two young children. They hosted him through a program called City Stay, which places students with Latino, Somalian, and Hmong host families around the Twin Cities.

Alicia is undocumented and did not want her last name used. She came to Minnesota from Peru 11 years ago, and both her children, 8 year-old Mariel and 5-year-old Thomas, were born in the United States. She says she likes hosting students so her children can make friends with older kids.

Alicia only speaks a little English, and Melk-Johnson is still learning Spanish, but she said they can communicate well  even just in the way they look at each other. Mariel and Thomas started seeing him as an older brother almost at once.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I love having him here," Mariel said. "He has a lot of fun with my brother, and he's a very good older brother to me."

City Stay was founded several years ago by Julie Knopp, a kindergarten teacher at a bilingual school. Knopp got the idea for the program when she was living on in El Paso, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border and was surprised by how wide cultural divides could be within communities.

"I was really excited about the potential of doing these cultural exchange at home, because not only could we learn from one another culturally, and still learn new languages, but we could do it in a way that broke down barriers in our community and helped us better understand the people we see in our everyday lives," Knopp said.

It's still an unpaid, passion project for her and a handful of board members. So far, they've had about 60 students go through the program and have about 20 host families.

Knopp says she was also motivated to start the program to make cultural abroad experiences accessible to more students. City Stay is much less expensive than a traditional study abroad program. It also attracts a higher percentage of students of color, including students who are themselves "new Minnesotans."

Knopp wants people to stay in touch.

"I love the idea of being able to have lasting relationships with our neighbors and continuing to learn from one another," Knopp said.

Before he left, Alicia made Melk-Johnson promise to call and come back and see them. He said he would.
With the sensational success of the Wymyns march a few days after Trumps inauguration on everyones mind (/sarc), the science community decided that it needs a march of its own, because as everyone knows Trump hates science, and as we also know there was no science at all before federal funding.

The March for Science is scheduled for April 22, which is Earth Day (also Lenins birthday by coincidence). And like the Wymnyns March, there is a lot of gnashing of teeth at the intersection of intersectionality. (Among other things, apparently the diversity policy for the march as been re-written four times.)

Science March on Washington, Billed as Historic, Plagued by Organizational Turmoil By Kate Sheridan It may be the largest rally in support of science ever. Hundreds of thousands of people have joined the Facebook group for the upcoming March for Science, and tens of thousands have offered to volunteer. Beyond a march in Washington, more than 400 cities worldwide will host simultaneous events on April 22 to repudiate science policies of the new White House and Congress. Yet for all the excitement, STAT has found, plans for the march are plagued by infighting among organizers, attacks from outside scientists who dont feel their interests are fairly represented, and operational disputes. Tensions have become so pronounced that some organizers have quit and many scientists have pledged not to attend. . . Rachel Holloway, a clinical psychologist who chairs the events diversity and inclusion committee, conceded that initially the group was overwhelmed by scientists and activists clamoring for a spot at the table. . . Jacquelyn Gill, a biology and ecology professor at the University of Maine, told STAT that she quit the organizing committee in recent weeks because of leaders resistance to aggressively addressing inequalities  including race and gender. . . At the heart of the disagreements are conflicting philosophies over the marchs purpose. In one corner are those who assert that the event should solely promote science itself: funding, evidence-based policies, and international partnerships. In another are those who argue that the march should also bring attention to broader challenges scientists face, including issues of racial diversity in science, womens equality, and immigration policy. . .

Is my popcorn ready yet? The entire article is quite long and offers lots of smiles at the struggles of political correctness among people who dont understand that intersections are prime spots for crashesespecially when no one wants to turn on a red light to stop people who should be stopped.

Amazingly, it is the social scientists who are saying the whole thing should be avoided (although a close reading quickly reveals that the author of this article is that extremely rare beast: a sensible social scientist):

Why Social Scientists Should Not Participate in the March for Science By Clay Routledge I realize that this will be a controversial position, but I believe the best way social scientists can contribute to the March for Science is to quietly sit this one out. I am very much pro-science and share some of the concerns people have about cultural and political threats to science. That being said, in my opinion, the social sciences are currently too compromised to help the cause. Even those who have the best intentions risk doing more harm than good.

Gotta run. My popcorn is ready.

More here.
One of my favorite law professors once said, after returning from a conference in Las Vegas, that the place made him wonder not just whether America will survive, but whether it should. America survived the Las Vegas of the early 1970s, and I believe we will survive the Washington of the mid 2010s. But I wonder.

Consider the last weeks of the Obama administration. The New York Times has reported on the White Houses efforts to weaken the incoming president by spread[ing] information about Russian efforts to undermine the presidential election  and about possible contacts between associates of President-elect Trump and [the] Russians  across the government. According to the Times, this involved a push to process as much raw intelligence as possible into analyses, and to keep the reports at a relatively low classification level to ensure as wide a readership as possible across the government. And, of course, to ensure leaks.

There is good reason to believe that the Obama administrations efforts involved the improper unmasking of Trump campaign and/or transition team members whose communications were captured as the result of surveillance of foreigners. It seems clear that, in at least one case, the communications were unlawfully leaked to the press.

Now consider President Trump. He tweeted: Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory.

Neither Trump nor his team has been able to point to any evidence the president had at the time of the tweet that this accusation was true. Either he hoped that evidence might turn up later or he just wanted to go on the attack and didnt care. To date, there is no evidence that Obama had Trumps wires tapped in Trump Tower.

Now consider the congressional Democrats. On Monday, Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee spent hours arguing that there is reason to believe the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians during the 2016 election. All they were lacking was any good evidence of collusion. Like President Trump, they are hoping that evidence will turn up to support accusations of the gravest sort of misconduct by their adversaries, and content to smear them in the meantime.

The Democrats hope to blow enough smoke to bring about the creation of a select congressional committee to investigate their collusion speculation. In reality, an investigation by the respected House Intelligence Committee should be more than sufficient.

But, consider the Republican chairman of that Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes. Yesterday, saying that he had obtained major information from a secret source, Nunes rushed to the White House to share the news with President Trump and then talked to the press.

By doing so, he ingratiated himself with Trump and aggrandized himself. However, by not first sharing the information with Democratic members of his committee, as proper investigatory protocol and process called for, he behaved like a partisan, not like a fair chairman. Therefore, if his report contains information favorable to Trump and/or adverse to the Obama administration, it can plausibly be attacked as politically motivated.

I found Chairman Nunes comments to the press confusing at times. It isnt clear to me that he fully understood that which he breathlessly reported, and I have heard this criticism from others. It looks like he ran to the press and to senior leaders with information he did not fully comprehend and with little regard for the consequences or for the confusion he fomented.

Lets take a final example, this one having nothing to do with spying or alleged collusion.

Consider Speaker Paul Ryan. Republicans have spent the last seven years complaining about how the Democrats radically reformed one-sixth of our economy by enacting health care insurance before Congress had time to read, much less comprehend, what it was passing. The Democrats paid a heavy political price for doing this.

Now, Speaker Ryan wants to do something similar. His team drafted a health insurance bill with little discussion within the caucus and declared that it presented a binary choice  this bill, perhaps with minor changes or no replacement of Obamacare. When Ryan ran into strong resistance, which he should have anticipated, he made last minute concessions on the fly. Consequently, if the bill is voted on this week, members wont have a clear idea of what they are voting on. Nor will they have the benefit of analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, or any other such evaluator, of the legislations impact.

Were not a Banana Republic, but neither are we a well-functioning democracy.
There has been a lot of concern about a recent rash of bomb threats against Jewish community centers in the U.S., numbering in the hundreds. Many have interpreted these threats as a sign of rising anti-Semitism, but it turns out that they may all have been made by a 19-year-old with dual American and Israel citizenship who lives in Ashkelon.

The young man, whose name has not been made public, apparently has severe medical and perhaps mental problems which, among other things, caused him to be rejected for service in the IDF. It is now being reported in Israel that the man may have been paid by foreign governments to conduct his campaign against Jewish institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere:

A teenager with dual US-Israeli citizenship who allegedly made hundreds of false bomb threats over the years to Jewish community centers around the world may have been paid for foreign entities to do so, Channel 2 reported Thursday night. The suspect, a resident of the southern coastal city of Ashkelon, was arrested by Israeli authorities after a worldwide search for the person or persons responsible for a flood of bomb threats targeting Jewish institutions in the US, Europe, and Israel. Police say the man may be behind hundreds of such threats, going back two to three years.

***

The special Lahav 433 investigation unit discovered a Bitcoin account operated by the suspect. A series of large deposits from overseas sources suggests the suspect may have been working on behalf of foreign interests.

It will be extremely interesting to find out what foreign interests have been paying this individual. I assume they will be identified in due course.
We are celebrating an anniversary with Ammo Grrrll: THE COLUMN TURNS 3. She writes:

On the previous two anniversaries of this column, I briefly reviewed how the column was born for readers who had joined us recently. I believe that the traditional gift for any first anniversary is paper, but for the third, its Special Iran Paper  large bills in a bale and the recipient pretends to promise not to become a nuclear power. So heres what happened:

Mr. AG and I moved from Minnesota to Arizona in 2010. Shortly thereafter, Mr. AG decided to get his Concealed Weapons Permit. He looked online for a teacher and lucked into one of the best, a guy we call 3G or, Glenn the Gun Guy, who teaches Law Enforcement Officers. Mr. AG bought a Springfield Armory XDM S-A pistol which required .40 caliber ammo.

Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons too complicated to revisit here, our new interest in shooting coincided with a nationwide ammo drought that lasted for about two years.

From childhood on, I have had a severe problem with unreasoning authority telling me I couldnt do something. I took this drought as a personal affront and a challenge. Since Mr. AG was still working full-time and I was retired, it became my near full-time job to seek out sources of .40 caliber ammo. And then to stand in line for it  sometimes Soviet-style lines for hours at a time. It took on the nature of a Holy Quest. Typically, I was first or second in line at Walmart every day at 4 a.m, waiting for the new ammo to be shelved at 7 a.m.

When I was second in line, it was always behind a hilariously-un-pc guy who had been a contractor in Iraq for 5 years. He was there at all hours of the early morning because he had been blown up by an IED, spent 19 months in hospital, and lived in more or less constant pain and could only sleep for a couple hours at a time anyway. We became very good friends and he and his lovely Texas wife are among our Tuesday night poker buddies.

I also made friends with the young Hispanic guy who unloaded the trucks at Walmart who would text me what ammo was coming, if any. If other regulars didnt see me in line, they knew better than to waste their time there.

The ammo line became quite a convivial place. When you stand around with the same group of strangers nearly every morning for months at a time, joking, talking politics, you get to know people. I started bringing snacks to share, my famous Lemon Bars, mostly. One time I laid out a full buffet on the ammo counter, but Walmart was not amused. By the second year, I had also started shooting and turned out to be pretty good at it. We bought more guns. (EVERYBODY buys more guns!) Soon, I needed .22s, 9 mms, and .45s as well as the .40s. Whew! More work for Mother.

Mr. AG and I had been Power Line fans for years and were friends with both John and Scott. When John waxed enthusiastic about shooting, I wrote that first column about my experiences in gun-friendly Arizona and sent it to Scott as a kind of audition. As Ive said before, he posted it within minutes of receiving it, and suddenly I was a guest columnist!

I will remain ever grateful for that opportunity, especially to join such an esteemed site as Power Line. But on this third anniversary, I want especially to express my deep gratitude to my regular readers and commenters. And make another point that I think is important.

In many ways, my entire life has been a refutation of the bizarre notion that the Evil Manly Male Patriarchy of Men is all that prevents women from achieving their dreams. I will state categorically that I can think of no time when my father, my husband, a teacher, or Society in general, ever told me that I could not do anything I put my hand to because I was a female. I hear tell this is not every womans experience, but it is mine.

First of all, the Four Horsemen of Power Line welcomed me. I expected that my column would resonate with smart, witty center/right women, including some long-time women friends. And my women readers are indeed awesome. Thank you, ladies, one and all. But I have been particularly surprised and touched by the number of men fans who not only read me, but include regular  in some cases, weekly!  messages of support.

Now think about the dreary continual drizzle of anti-male bilge in the last half-century. This is exactly the demographic  gun-lovin, right-wing, manly guys  that the Left would have us believe would be most hostile to a woman columnist. These are the guys, we are assured, who only take brief breaks from shooting their assault rifles at kitties to beat their wives during the Super Bowl and hail from such irredeemable places as Alabama, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona. And yet they send me witty, erudite attagrrrlls every week! How could that BE? SOMEBODY is clearly mistaken here.

You will do well to understand  all the way down to a cellular level  that every single thing the Left says is a lie. Every. Single. Thing. Including whether or not it is currently raining. Millions of women are not dying of anorexia  which even a cursory glance around any mall would confirm. Women were not herded into the Doll Corner from the Block Corner in kindergarten. Women do not make 76 cents for every dollar a man makes, or the evil capitalists would hire ONLY women. One out of four college girls has not been sexually assaulted; President Trump is not anti-gay; there IS rampant, widespread voter fraud, which is precisely why the left cannot tolerate an investigation or picture ID. I could go on. And, no doubt, will.

I used to worry about running out of things to say. With the Great Democrat Freakout, that is no longer an issue. I will continue to work hard to merit my great readers. Terrific. The best. Winners all. Smart, believe me. Good-looking! Massive hands. A couple dont like me. Fair enough, but still sad. (Sorry, I got carried away from reading #Yes!HeISMyPresidents Tweets.)
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of new executives for the Bank of Agriculture.

The new heads include an interim managing director and other executive directors.

The appointed heads, according to a statement by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, include Kabiru Mohammed as interim MD/CEO; Prince Akenzua (South-South), Executive Director, Corporate Finance; and Okenwa Gabriel (South-East), Executive Director, Partnerships and Strategy.

Others are Ameh Owoicho (North-Central), Executive Director, Credit and Empowerment; and Bode Abikoye (South-West) Executive Director, Credit and Empowerment.

Blessing Lere-Adams, Deputy Director of Information at the agriculture ministry, stated that the appointments would support the Buhari administration in achieving its vision in the agricultural sector.

Mrs. Lere-Adams also said it would promote easy access to funds needed to boost farming across the country.

These appointments are as a result of the Federal Governments determination to reposition the Bank of Agriculture to be a more efficient and result-oriented institution, she said.

The strategic re-positioning of the BoA will enhance farmers access to agricultural funds that will be profitable for large and small-scale players.

This is because the availability of funds will no doubt increase production, which will eventually result in self-sufficiency.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The responsibility to sanitise the business environment on the African continent, to strike a balance between the needs of businesses and the rights of the people to a fair life and environment, and to offer a better safety net to Africans by making businesses more responsive to human rights has led to the drafting of the African Union Policy on Business and Human Rights.

This draft document, offering a framework, not only for the prevention of human rights abuses but their remediation when these occur across the continent, will formally be presented for adoption by the Heads of states and governments in the Africa Union in due course.

These leaders would then be equally expected to re-present the document for approval and implementation at the various national levels.

The consideration and validation of the draft of the Policy Framework was the subject of a gathering of over 50 participants comprised of representatives of the African Union (AU) member states, regional economic commissions (RECs), national human rights commissions, businesses, the media and civil society at the African Union Secretariat in Addis Ababa between March 21 and 22.

In a welcome statement, Mbari Aristide, the Acting Head of Democracy, Governance, Human Rights and Elections Division of the AU Department of Political Affairs, who welcomed participants to the event, underlined the AUs commitment to the promotion of human rights in the continent through its developmental roadmap, Agenda 2063.

He said this is an agenda that envisages an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law.

This, to him, further explains why the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government at Kigali summit, declared 2017  2026 as the Human and Peoples Rights Decade in Africa.

While noting that Africa has some of the fastest growing economies in the world and the potential to attract even greater economic investments, Mr. Aristide pointed out the AUs recognition of the need for a business and human rights policy that is positioned to address some of the essential problems that come with this sort of growth, particularly the tendency for the disregard for human rights. He reiterated the AUs continuous engagement with all the different and concerned stakeholders towards the realization of this new initiative of incorporating human rights in business.

On his part, the Head of the Political Section of the European Union Delegation to the AU, a crucial facilitator of the process, Luca Zampetti, in his keynote remarks, restated the EUs willingness to promote business practices anchored on the responsibility and duty to protect human rights in Africa. This, to him, has led the EU to work closely with the AU and other stakeholders on the process.

Mr. Zanetti ultimately welcomed the AU policy framework as a necessary tool for the promotion of sustainable development in Africa.

The two-day deliberation involved the consideration of the work of the primary consultants to the drafting of this body of legislation, Romola Adeola of the McGill University Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism and Manon Wolfkamp, a public affairs and sustainability consultant. This was occasioned by extensive inputs, and nuts and bolts engagement with the document by representatives of member states, continental human rights bodies, civil society actors and the media, in honing out a more perfect draft document.

The newer draft of the soft law that has emerged from the validation/consultation process will be presented to the AU Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Justice and Legal Affairs, which would discuss it on May 8 for adoption by the policy organs of the AU, before being finally tabled at the assembly of African Union member states and governments.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


An institute established more than 36 years ago to develop drugs, biological products and pharmaceutical raw materials from indigenous resources in Nigeria is presently hampered by lack of funds.

Due to the paucity of funds, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NIPRD, located in the Idu Industrial Layout of Abuja, has been without electricity for over nine months since the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company cut off power supply over the failure of the institute to settle its debts.

During visits to the institute by a PREMIUM TIMES reporter on Wednesday, the place was in darkness due to absence of electricity. Its Director General, Karyinus Gamaniel, said the lack of electricity was an evidence of the challenges facing the institute.

He said although it needs electricity to operate, it has no fund to settle its electricity bills.

This institution has not had power supply for over nine months. Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) packed up the power connections of the institution since early part of 2016.

The professor of pharmacology explained that in the past few months, the institute has tried to improvise with a generator.

We did a kind of rationalization for the past two months in which by 10 a.m. the generator supplies power for few hours. Prior to this, no power supply in the institution, he said.

The Director-General added that 95 per cent of the challenges of the institution is due to underfunding as overhead expenses are hardly met.

He added that budgetary allocation to NIPRD is never enough, and even the budgeted sum only partially disbursed.

A review of the health ministrys budgets shows that the institute was allocated N922.6 million in 2014, N716.7 million in 2015, N675.1 million in 2016, while N711.6 million has been proposed in the 2017 budget currently before the National Assembly

Mr. Gamaniel, however, said the allocations, though not enough, were never fully released to his agency.

He said the situation had gotten worse, adding that whereas about 80 per cent of the appropriated funds used to be released, only a fraction of what was appropriated had been made available in the past three years.

He said the reason why the public has not heard of the achievements of the institution is due to poor funding.

Its not like the institution is not really working, we are focusing on our priority.

People dont know much about the institution because communication itself is not cheap. We need adequate funding to do that, he said.

Efforts to contact the health ministry on the poor funding of the institute were unusccessful. The ministrys spokesperson, Boade Akinola, did not pick or return calls to her phone nor respond to a text message.

NIPRD was established in 1980 to develop drugs, biological products and pharmaceutical raw materials from indigenous resources.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The forces opposed to the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as substantive head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday released a new seven-page letter by the State Security Service, SSS, expatiating on the corruption allegations against the anti-corruption czar.

The letter, which was circulated to select Nigerian journalists by a faceless group, Advocacy Justice, was written by the SSS to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to further push its relentless campaign against Mr. Magu.

One of our editors was among journalists to which the document was sent.

The letter appeared to have been written in response to a request by Mr. Malami that the SSS should provide documentary evidence of its allegations against the acting EFCC chair.

In its response, the SSS, through one Folashade Bello, sent the minister at least 12 documents.

One of the documents contained minutes of the 20th plenary meeting of the Police Service Commission in 2010 which reportedly reprimanded Mr. Magu.

The eleven other documents tried to link Mr. Magu to Mohammed Umar, a retired air commodore being investigated by the SSS.

The documents were, however, not released alongside the cover letter discreetly circulated Friday.

The letter appeared to have been circulated to further embarrass Mr. Magu and possibly pressure President Muhammadu Buhari to remove him from his post.

The letter was undated.

The SSS, in controversial reports to the Senate, claimed Mr. Magu is tainted and should not be confirmed to head the nations top anti-corruption body.

The Nigerian Senate agreed and has, twice, declined to approve his appointment, a move that has drawn widespread condemnation across the country.

But the EFCC acting chair has forcefully responded to the allegations against him, saying the SSS is integrity-challenged. Read his explanations here.

BELOW IS THE NEWLY RELEASED SSS LETTER TO THE AGF

======================

The Attorney General of Federation,

Federal Ministry of Justice,

Plot 7B, Shehu Shagari Way,

Abuja  FCT.

RE: REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/INFORMATION

Your letter with reference number .HAGF/ DSS/ 2016/ VOL.I/ 7 dated 19th December, 2016 on the above subject, refers.

2. I am directed to forward the attached documents in respect of the report earlier dispatched, by this Service to the Presidency on the Acting Chair,,an of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim MAGU. They are marked annexures A to L and are highlighted as follows:

i. Annexure A  This is a copy of minutes of the 20th Plenary Meeting of the Police Service Commission on 20th December, 2010, chaired by Mr. Parry B. 0. OSAYANDE (DIG/ Rtd) who was then Chairman of the( Commission. The minutes indicate that MAGU was indicted after a disciplinary process and awarded Severe Reprimand for Action prejudicial to state security, Withholding of EFFC files, Sabotage, Unauthorized removal of EFCC files and Acts unbecoming of a Police Officer. It is worthy to note here that Severe Reprimand is the second highest punishment to be given to an erring officer, other than compulsory retirement or dismissal from Service.

ii. Annexure B  This is a copy of the confessional statement of Air Commodore Mohammmed UMAR (Rtd), a suspect hitherto detained and currently being prosecuted by the Service. The statement affirms his ownership of Valcour S.A Nigeria Limited, a company awarded the contract of securing and furnishing an official residence for Ibrahim MAGU by the FCTA. Investigation revealed that this was facilitated after MAGU was earlier shown the residence by one Uche ALEKA, a close business associate of UMAR, who was introduced to MAGU by the former.

iii. Annexure C  This is a forged Memo which supposedly originated from the Office of the Vice President and addressed to Mr. President. This was recovered from the private residence of U1VIAR during a search operation by this Service. The document is a request for approval to commence further investigation into financial activities of Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe KACHIKWU. Also attached to the Memo are two (2) genuine investigation reports by EFCC on the Honourable Minister, dated 24th March, 2016 & 13th April, 2016 and duly signed by 1VIAGU. One of the two (2) attachments indicates that the original investigation report earlier was purportedly received in the VPs office by one Folabo KAY.

iv. Ann.exure D  This is a letter from the Office of the Vice President affirming that Annexure C is a forged document.

v. Annexure E  This is a copy of Progress report with reference number SH/ COS/ 24/ A/ 7277 dated 25th May, 2016 on NNPC/ NLG Brass Investment Accounts in Nigerian Commercial Banks from Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Abba KYARI to the Acting EFCC Chairman. The letter is an official/ classified document of the EFCC which was duly received by the Commission as indicated by the stamp on the document. However, it was recovered at UMARs residence.

vi. Annexure F  These are photocopies of Managers cheques of First Bank PLC and Zenith Bank PLC, issued in favour of EFCC Recovery Funds Account on 13/ 05/2016 and 16/65/ 2016, respectively. These are all sensitive official documents of the EFCC found in UMARs residence during the search.

vii. Annexure G A classified letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to the EFCC Chairman titled Re: Request to Freeze Accounts Messers Bebey: Merchant Ltd and 20 others, dated 7th March, 2016. This document was also duly received by EFCC but found in Commodore U1VIARs house during the search.

viii. Annexure H  A document which emanated from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and addressed to the EFCC Chairman on 6th May, 2016 with the subject, Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- A case for Joint Venture & NNPC Pension Funds Accounts. The document was recovered at UMARs residence.

ix. Annexure I  NNPC Letter GED/ F86A/ 08.26 dated 5th May, 2016 addressed to the EFCC Chairman and titled Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries. This was also discovered during the search of UMARs residence.

x. Annexure J  This is a copy of NNPC correspondence with reference number GED/ F86A/ 08.26 dated May 5th, 2016 and titled Re: Stop Debit Order on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- Transfer of FCT Balances to NNPCs TSA Accounts, addressed to the EFCC Chairman. The document was found in UMARs residence.

xi. Annexure K  A copy of an NNPC letter with reference number GED/ F&A/ 08.26 dated May 5th, 2016 and titled Re: Stop Debit on all NNPC Accounts and Subsidiaries- Critical Accounts for immediate operations to the EFCC Chairman. The document was also recovered during the search of UMARs house.

xii. Annexure L  Copy of Confessional Statement by UMAR to the Service stating that his trip to Maiduguri for condolence visit to Ibrahim MAGU, sequel to the loss of a close relative, was made on behalf of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Arms Purchase. Cross examination of the Chairman of the Committee, AVM John ODE (Rtd) revealed that the committee did not send any of its members on such an assignment. The visit of UMAR to MAGU is therefore assessed as an expression of their close sinister relationship at the detriment of National Security interests.

3. An officer appointed as Ag. Chairman of EFCC should by all means be one of impeccable credentials, with proven integrity and capacity to lead the nations fight against graft in high and low places. Thus far, it is evident from MAGUs antecedents that he is by no means that kind of

officer.

His relationship with Umar MOHAMMED which involved disclosure of very sensitive and classified official documents in his possession shows lack of professionalism and assails his integrity. Moreso, for an officer who was indicted and nearly dismissed six (6) years ago, to again be involved in similar circumstances, it is clear that MAGU is a perennial offender and cannot change.

4. Also worthy of note is the fact that MAGU exhibited a total lack of judgment where it matters most. He accepted to move into a tastily furnished accommodation without any scrutiny of how it was furnished. This is curious and speaks volumes of his personality.

5. The recovery of sensitive and classified documents from the residence of UMAR further underlays his close affinity to MAGU and an apparent penchant for sabotaging official processes and administrative protocols, just to further the latters personal material and pecuniary agenda. Such mutually beneficial relationships as with UMAR, who by his confession, approaches clients for possible exploitation, favours and associated returns is unprecedented and very damning for an anti-graft top official. It has exposed MAGU as a fraudulent officer and betrays the high confidence reposed in him by Mr. President.

6. A further demonstration of MAGUs questionable credibility as an untainted anti-corruption official is his failed bid to settle personal scores with one Stanley Inye LAWSON b lacing him on Security Watch Action. It was however discovered that LAWSON was actually working in the interest of the Federal Government and the Action was subsequently expunged.

7. This reinforces the view that MAGU may continue to exploit his official position, if confirmed as EFCC Chairman and indulge in other unprofessional and criminal conducts for personal aggrandizement contrary to his oath of office.

8. Accept the assurances of the high consideration and esteem of the DGSS, please.

Folashadre BELLO

For: Director-General, SSS

=======================

BELOW IS MR MAGUS RESPONSE TO THE ALLEGATIONS

EFCC/EC/JUS/07/263 21st December, 2016

THE HONOURABLE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE Federation & MINISTER OF JUSTICE

Federal Ministry of Justice,

Shehu Shagari Way,

Abuja.

RE: REQUEST FOR COMMENTS

RE: REPORT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES

I most respectfully refer to your letter referenced HAGF/EFCC/2016/Vol.1/23 dated 19th December, 2016, asking me to respond within 48 hours to the allegations contained in a report written by the Department of State Service, DSS, and which provided the basis for the non-consideration of my confirmation on December 15, 2016, by the Senate.

2. Having carefully considered all the issues, I hereby present a point-by-point response as follows:

i. Missing EFCC Files

It is true that my residence was searched on the orders of Mrs. Farida Waziri, shortly after she succeeded Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as Chairman of the EFCC and some documents relating to cases under investigation were found in my house. At the time of the raid, I was yet to formally hand over to my successor, Umar Sanda, as head of the Economic Governance Unit.

My schedule at the time warranted that I work round the clock and it was impossible to conclude all assignments without working at home. The documents found in my house were actually found in my office bag where I kept documents relating to investigations. I was in the process of handing over and it would be wrong to suggest that I willfully kept the Commissions files at home.

Nevertheless, the incident was thoroughly investigated by the police as I was placed on suspension without pay for 20 months. But in the end, I was reprimanded, recalled and promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police.

It is important sir, to draw your attention to the fact that some of us that worked closely with Ribadu were victimized after his exit. And my ordeal was orchestrated as punishment for being the chief investigative officer for most of the high profile cases involving politically exposed persons some of whom became very influential in government at the time.

ii. Return to EFCC under Lamorde

I was Assistant Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations at the Anambra State Police Command when I was recalled to the EFCC in 2012. I did not lobby to return to the EFCC. It is preposterous for anyone to suggest that I was recalled to do a hatchet job for Lamorde as alleged in the DSS Report. My job schedule as Deputy Director, Department of Internal Affairs, under Lamorde, was simply handling issues of professional responsibility in the Commission. I had no inputs in core operations duties of the Commission.

iii. Tenancy of My Official Residence

I live in the official residence of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This accommodation, contrary to the report of the DSS is not my private home, neither was it rented and furnished for me by Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd). It was rented and furnished by the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory through the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, under the safe house scheme.

It is also false that the house was rented for N20million per annum and furnished for N43million. The entire cost for both two-year rent and the furnishing of the house is N39.628million.

Details of the transaction are contained in the contract award letter and payment schedule which are attached to this letter.

iv. Expensive Air Travels

Honourable Minister, the claim that I have a penchant for expensive air travels in a private jet belonging to Commodore Mohammed is baseless The two times I can recall travelling in Commodore Umars aircraft, were on a trip from Kano to Abuja, and Abuja to Maiduguri. In the first instance, I had gone to Kano on an official assignment with two of my directors, and Mohammed who was on his way back to Abuja offered us a ride in his jet. The second occasion was when I was going to see my sick mother in Maiduguri. These, for me, were harmless gesture as we were both members of the presidential investigative committee on arms procurement. At the time I had no knowledge that he was under investigation for any alleged crimes.

Claims that I flew in Mohammeds jet to Maiduguri in company of the Managing Director of of a new generation bank is false. I have never flown in a private aircraft with any managing director of any bank let alone one that was under investigation by my agency. I have no personal relationship whatsoever with him.

v. High Profile/Dual Lifestyle

The allegation that I live a flamboyant lifestyle is also surprising to me. While it is true that I did travel first class on Emirates Airline to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, this action to the best of my knowledge, did not contravene the directive of Mr. President on First Class travels as suggested by the DSS Report.

My trip to Saudi Arabia was a private journey to perform my religious obligation and it was not financed with public funds. More importantly, my decision to fly first class was not borne out of quest for luxury but compelled by necessity. The trip was made during the last ten days of the Ramadan and other classes of ticket were not available.I had no other choice

That I flew first class in one instance is not enough evidence to suggest an extravagant lifestyle as alleged by the DSS Report. It is also not enough to suggest a dual personality. Any one that has associated closely with me will attest to the fact that I am not known for ostentatious living. And my new office as acting chairman of the EFCC has not changed this.

vi. Mutually Beneficial Relationship with Commodore Mohammed Umar (rtd)

Sir, it is important to situate my relationship with Commodore Mohammed Umar (rtd), in proper perspective. Our paths crossed when we became members of the Presidential Committee on the investigation on arms procurement. He was instrumental in getting some of the information that helped the committee to make significant breakthrough in its assignment.

Beyond that, the relationship between Umar and myself is one of professional acquaintance, devoid of issues of conflict of interest. So, it comes to me with shock, the imputation by the DSS that we have a mutually beneficial relationship. This appears suggestive that Mohammed and I were involved in activities that could be said to be untoward. I certainly have no knowledge of such activities.

The claim that EFCC documents, including EFCC letters addressed to the Vice President and being investigation reports on the activities of Emmanuel Kachikwu and his brother Demebi Kachikwu, were found in his home during a search by the DSS came to me as a surprise. If that is correct, he should be made to disclose how he came by such documents. I never discussed my official duties with him let alone give him documents pertaining to investigations being conducted by the Commission.

Interestingly, Mohammed was detained for several months by the DSS. In all those months, did he claim that I mandated him to commit any crime or that I was an accomplice to any crime? If there is any such claim, I will wholeheartedly like to be confronted with the allegation.

It is interesting to note that when Mohammed was eventually charged to court, the charges against him were money laundering and illegal possession of firearms, and nothing related to my purported shady relationship with him.

vii. Perceived Reluctance to Arraign Vice Marshall Adesola Amosun

The DSS Report that the reason EFCC delayed the arraignment of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Adesola Amosun, was because Mohammed never wanted Amosun to be prosecuted is astonishing. Anyone familiar with the EFCC under my watch knows that I perform my duties with the highest sense of responsibility. The reason Amosun was not arraigned when the likes of Alex Badeh and Umar were arraigned was because he cooperated with the Commission in terms of assisting the process of recovering the proceeds of crime.

Indeed, among the suspects arrested over the arms procurement scandal, he was most cooperative. The Commission recovered N2.835billion cash from him, aside from property worth One Billion Five Hundred and Eighty One Million Naira (N1,581, 000, 000), Two Million One Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars ($2,150, 000) and One Million Pounds Sterling (1, 000, 000).

Since a key focus of the investigation was to recover as much proceeds of crime as possible, the Commission took its time to ensure it had recovered what was possible before arraigning the suspect in court. This had nothing to do with the wish of any individual. Moreover, the suspect has since been arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

viii. Alleged Vendetta Against Stanley Lawson

The suggestion by the DSS Report that Stanley Lawson, a former Group Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was placed on a watch list, to settle scores with him is strange. It may interest you to know that I do not know Stanley Lawson personally and could not be settling personal scores by framing somebody that I do not know.

Lawsons encounter with the EFCC is in relation to the investigation into the mismanagement of $118million public funds for electioneering campaign involving former petroleum resources minister, Diezani Alison Madueke. It was discovered that he made payment of $25million into Fidelity Bank and also facilitated the purchase of Ogeyi Place Le Meridien Hotel in Port Harcourt for Mrs. Alison Madueke, for which he collected Ninety Four Million Five Hundred and Sixteen Thousand Naira (N94, 516,000) as commission. Lawson was arrested and he made a refund of the N94.5million traced to him. He was never placed on any watch list.

ix. Work through Police Cronies in EFCC

I do not understand what the report meant by working with cronies. If what was implied is that I have preferred officers that I work with and who go about their work in unethical manner, my response is that nothing of such exists in the EFCC. Officers who work with me know that the easiest way to lose your job is to be found to be involved in unethical or corrupt activities. Indeed, when I assumed office as acting chairman, my first action was to return police officers with integrity issues back to the Nigeria Police Force. If the DSS finds that there are police officers in the EFCC who are working closely with me and have properties that their incomes cannot support, the Service is at liberty to expose them.

3. Conclusion

Honourable Minister, Sir, I invite you to take notice of the fact that the DSS authored two separate vetting reports on me, one referenced SV.114/3 addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly and the other referenced SV.114/3 addressed to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate). Both letters were dated 3rd October, 2016, and signed by the same Officer, Folashade Bello, on behalf of the Director General. While one of the reports advised the senate against my confirmation, the other asked it to favourably consider my confirmation. The two reports emanating from the same agency raises questions of sincerity and motive.

You will want to find out why they came up with two conflicting reports on the same subject on the same day.

It is important to note that in all this, I was not given the opportunity of fair hearing.

Above all sir, I am persuaded by my conviction in my innocence that in all the issues supposedly raised against me, no one has accused me of receiving gratification to act against my conscience or the interest of the country.

I have attached to this letter all supporting documents and materials that would enable you arrive at fair position on all the issues raised.

4. Be assured of my usual respect and highest consideration.

IBRAHIM MAGU

Ag. EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


A journalist who wrote about organised crime was fatally shot as she left her house in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, a newspaper she wrote for said on Thursday.

Miroslava Breach, 54, was a correspondent for the newspapers Norte and La Jornada, which confirmed the killing to dpa.

She was attacked and shot in her car by one or more unknown assailants.

Breach was responsible for reporting from Chihuahua, a city of 800,000 people, about organised crime and other topics.

Her death comes just days after the killing of the director of the news portal, El Politico, in the state of Veracruz.

Chihuahua lies in the state of the same name, which borders on the United States in an area dominated by the drug mafia.

It is considered one of the most dangerous states in Mexico.

Reporting organised crimes in Mexico has increasingly been met by threats.

The organisation, Reporters Without Borders, in 2016 ranked Mexico 149th in press freedom. Nine journalists were killed in Mexico in 2016.

That made the country the most dangerous country in the world outside war zones. (dpa/NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president overthrown in 2011 and the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region, walked free on Friday for the first time in six years, his lawyer said.

He left the Maadi Military Hospital where he had been detained, heading to his home in Heliopolis.

A top appeals court cleared Mr. Mubarak earlier this month on charges of killing protesters in the 2011 uprising that ended his 30 year rule.

The trial of Mr. Mubarak, who was toppled in one of the tumultuous uprisings that shook the Arab world, captivated viewers as he appeared in a courtroom cage on charges ranging from corruption to complicity in the murder of protesters.

Mr. Mubarak was originally sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for conspiring to murder 239 demonstrators during the 18-day revolt, an uprising that sowed chaos and created a security vacuum but also inspired hope for democracy and social justice.

But an appeals court ordered a retrial that culminated in 2014 in the case against the ageing former president and his senior officials being dropped.

An appeal by the public prosecution led to final retrial by the Court of Cassation.

After a hearing that took most of the day, Judge Ahmed Abdel Qawi announced to cheers of approval from Mr. Mubaraks supporters who filled the court room: The court has found the defendant innocent.

According to a judicial source, the court also rejected demands by lawyers of the victims to reopen civil suits.

The source said that left no remaining option for appeal or retrial.

The families of those killed, who had attended the trial early on, were not present, their lawyers condemned the verdict as politically motivated.

This ruling is not fair and not just, the judiciary is politicised, said Osman al-Hefnawy, a lawyer for the families.

Many Egyptians who lived through Mr. Mubaraks rule view it as a period of autocracy and crony capitalism.

His overthrow led to Egypts first free election, which brought in Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

Mr. Mursi only lasted a year in office; however, after mass protests against his rule in 2013 prompted an overthrow by then army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who later went on to win a presidential election in 2014.

Mr. Sisi has since launched a crackdown on Mr. Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood, which has been banned as a terrorist organisation.

Hundreds of Mursi supporters were killed in a single day and thousands were jailed, with the dragnet quickly widening to include secular activists who were at the forefront of the 2011 uprising but opposed Muslim Brotherhood rule.

By contrast, Mubarak-era figures are gradually being cleared of charges and a series of laws limiting political freedoms have raised fears among activists that the old regime is back.

Mr. Mubarak has long maintained his innocence in the case and has said history would judge him a patriot who served his country selflessly.

Mr. Mubarak, 88, got into a helicopter after the verdict to return to the hospital in the leafy Cairo suburb of Maadi where he has already completed a three-year sentence in a separate corruption case the only one in which he was convicted.(Reuters/NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Biogaran, a French pharmaceutical company specialised in generic and biosimilar medicines, and a subsidiary of Servier, on Friday announced the takeover of all the activities of Swipha, a Nigerian company that manufactures and distributes pharmaceutical products known for their quality.

This is an important step forward in the internationalisation of the French company Biogaran.

In order to develop new markets to meet its commitment to provide all patients with quality medication, Biogaran, a pioneer in generics and biosimilars, and a subsidiary of Servier, has just taken over Swipha, a Nigerian pharmaceutical company that produces medicines to meet local health needs. Its portfolio is mainly focused on three families of products: anti-anxiety and tranquillizers, antimalarial drugs and antibiotics, which treat Nigerias most widespread infections and health issues.

Swipha was the first Nigerian pharmaceutical company to obtain ISO 9001 certification in 2007. Approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014, Swipha employs 300 people locally and generated record sales of NGN 4bn (approximately  20 million) in 2012. Beyond its production unit, the company also has a wide distribution network covering most parts of Nigeria, Africas most dynamic country, with more than 184 million inhabitants in 2016 according to the IMF.

Health issues are particularly important in Africa. Beyond significant needs for good quality, affordable and efficient medicines, the problem of counterfeits is also becoming of concern. The WHO estimates that 100,000 deaths are due to fake medicines in Africa every year. In this context, supplying Nigerias population with reliable medicines that are produced locally is a strong commitment made by Biogaran.

Biogarans international expansion strategy is to create synergies by bringing its expertise and investment capacity in production tools to existing structures, commented Pascal Briere, President of Biogaran. Swiphas know-how, network and reputation have immediately convinced us that it was the right partner for us. Likewise, Nigeria quickly came out as the best entry point on the African continent with its strong population and solid economic fundamentals, including a very dynamic market economy.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, flagged off a Gene-Xpert Laboratory at the Kunchingoro Primary Healthcare Model Centre, Abuja on Friday to commemorate the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day.

Mr. Adewole said the Federal Ministry of Health took the strep in partnership with international donors as a way of achieving this years TB Day theme, tagged Accelerating TB case findings in Nigeria.

He said this administration through the Federal Ministry of Health and in collaboration with partners has taken some bold steps to control tuberculosis in Nigeria.

Some of these steps we embarked on is introducing the use of the Gene-Xpert MTB/RIF technology as the primary diagnostic tool for TB among all presumptive TB cases in the country including People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

This is expected to increase the number of TB cases notified in the country. We have scaled up the number of facilities providing GeneXpert services from seven health facilities in 2011 to 318 facilities in 2016; and efforts are still ongoing to scale up more facilities in 2017 to achieve the target of having one machine per LGA across the country, he added.

Nigeria has 774 local government areas.

John Osho, the Programme Manager, TB Global Fund project of the Association of Reproductive and Family Health, ARFH, said there is a need to do more in the search for unreported TB cases in Nigeria so as to prevent a possible spread.

Nigeria is currently ranked fourth in the world and first in Africa among countries with high prevalence of the killer disease.

Mr. Osho said the ARFH has been supporting the fight against TB through international donations from Global Fund.

Detection is very low, we had about 15 per cent. Out of the 36,000 PHCS in Nigeria we have DOT centres in 6,000 across the country. What we are currently doing is house to house campaign and screening of people for TB and we are currently working in 187 slums in Nigeria, he said.

The 2016 TB prevalence statistics from the World Health Organisation for Nigerian estimate 322 tuberculosis cases per 100,000 people and it is commonly found in slums, among refugees, prisoners, people with poor income among others.

The Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, said there is a need to bring TB screening and awareness to the grassroots to encourage and educate people on where to get tests done when they suspect the disease especially if the person has been coughing for more than two weeks.

We need to make people aware of test and treatment centre as treatment is free. Nigeria is one of the highest burdened countries. Currently Sokoto has the estimated highest prevalence cases in Nigeria with 127 TB cases per 100,000 in 2016.

Clement Adesigbin, a medical expert on TB at the National Tuberculosis Leprosy Centre Zaria, said there is a need to do more in searching out new TB cases in the country.

The mandate given to us as a centre is to search for new TB cases and we have been doing so but we cant say we have recorded much success because most of these cases are yet to be detected, he said.

He urged the government to get more involved in the awareness campaign on tuberculosis in order to be able to locate the missing cases in the country for treatment

Mr. Osho said TB treatment in Nigeria is free, so also is the test; but there is a need for more focus and funding of the killer disease

HIV and TB are conjoin twins with TB more deadly, but the awareness and funding of this epidemic is lower. The government should get more involved in the campaign against the disease especially in terms of screening as this will help curb the menace from spreading, he said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


DOWNLOAD REPORT BELOW THIS POST

The forces opposed to the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as substantive head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday released a new seven-page letter by the State Security Service, SSS, expatiating on the corruption allegations against the anti-corruption czar.

The letter, which was circulated to select Nigerian journalists by a faceless group, Advocacy Justice, was written by the SSS to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to further push its relentless campaign against Mr. Magu.

One of our editors was among journalists to which the document was sent.

The letter appeared to have been written in response to a request by Mr. Malami that the SSS should provide documentary evidence of its allegations against the acting EFCC chair.

In its response, the SSS, through one Folashade Bello, sent the minister at least 12 documents.

One of the documents contained minutes of the 2oth plenary meeting of the Police Service Commission in 2010 which reportedly reprimanded Mr. Magu.

The eleven other documents tried to link Mr. Magu to Mohammed Umar, a retired air commodore being investigated by the SSS.

The documents were, however, not released alongside the cover letter discreetly circulated Friday.

The letter appeared to have been circulated to further embarrass Mr. Magu and possibly pressure President Muhammadu Buhari to remove him from his post.

The letter was undated.

The SSS, in controversial reports to the Senate, claimed Mr. Magu is tainted and should not be confirmed to head the nations top anti-corruption body.

The Nigerian Senate agreed and has, twice, declined to approve his appointment, a move that has drawn widespread condemnation across the country.

Download SSS fresh report on Magu here.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


A housewife, Bisola Olukoya, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly killing her 16-year-old son.

The Commands Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday said the suspect committed the crime at Onifade-Itele town of the state.

One Mrs Bisola Olukoya of NO 40, Ifelodun Street Onifade Itele has been arrested by the Ogun State Command for beating her 16 years old son Toheeb Olukoya to death, the police spokesperson said.

Mr. Oyeyemi said the incident happened on March 17. He said the suspect, while beating the deceased, used a plank to hit him on the head, after which the boy fell down and died.

He said the suspect hurriedly buried the deceased in connivance with her husband and ran away from the house.

The police spokesperson said immediately the information got to the police, the Divisional Police Officer in Itele Division, Lukmon Adejumo, led the detectives to investigate and the suspect was later traced and arrested at Iyana Ipaja in Lagos.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.

He also appealed to the public to always control their temperament especially when correcting their wards.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


President Muhammadu Buhari has formally written to the United Kingdom to express solidarity over Wednesdays terrorist attack in London.

Five people died in the attack at the British parliament, while many more were injured.

Mr. Buhari had earlier condemned the incident.

His office said he has sent a formal letter to the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on behalf of the people of Nigeria to express my heartfelt condolences to the injured and families of the dead.

The president said the horrid incident underscores the threat we all live under, adding that, terrorism has no borders and no season, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina.

The president also expressed appreciation to the British Government for the very effective material and logistical support to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram.

According to the president, in spite of isolated attacks against soft targets, the British assistance helped in flushing Boko Haram out of their hide-out base and severely degraded their capacity to mount a serious attack on Nigerian assets.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Lekan Fatodu, the man who attacked Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, in Lagos in January, has petitioned Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, asking him to eject Mr. Sowore from his office in the city.

Mr. Fatodu claimed Mr. Sowore has an office in the Ikeja GRA part of the metropolis allegedly being used to commit crimes and disturb the peace of neighbours.

Mr. Sowore has dismissed the allegation as a proxy attack from powerful political interests in Nigeria.

The March 6 petition was written and dispatched by Mr. Fatodus legal representatives, J.C. Ifeonu & Co.

A copy was obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

The petition said Mr. Sowore had allegedly been using the house at 13A Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, to coordinate illegal activities.

We reckon Your Excellency is aware that parts of the consequences of breeding criminality within that choice neighbourhood are a relentless social disturbance, agitation, and protests, which we strongly believe would adversely impact the peace and tranquillity that businesses and residents within the area have been enjoying all this while.

We humbly urge Your Excellency to swiftly apply your good offices to investigate this complaint with a view to determining culpability and to bringing the full force of the law to bear upon the criminal elements involved in this circumstance, Mr. Fatodu said.

But Mr. Ambodes office denied receiving such petition.

We are not aware of any petition from any Lekan Fatodu, Habib Haruna, a spokesperson for the governor, told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday night.

This medium however learnt that when Mr. Fatodu tried to submit the petition to Mr. Ambode, he was ignored, and then advised to route his complaints to the police.

The petition came about two months after Mr. Fatodu attacked Mr. Sowore in Lagos and ended up at the police station.

Mr. Sowore told PREMIUM TIMES at the time that he was attacked by Mr. Fatodu and his gang over a report by Sahara Reporters which detailed how Mr. Fatodu was allegedly used as front by former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, to corner public funds through the office of the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

But Mr. Fatodu tweeted the same day that he just got Sowore Omoyele of Saharareporters arrested for criminal defamation and blackmail and threat to my life and career.

The police confirmed receipt of a petition bordering on criminal defamation from Mr. Fatodu, but summarily released all the parties that evening on the condition that they report back the same day.

When Mr. Sowore arrived at the State Criminal Investigation Department that was handling the matter, the police said they were more interested in mediation, asking Mr. Sowore to meet Mr. Fatodu to resolve their differences.

Mr. Sowore refused, saying the police was dishonest in the handling of the case.

Mr. Sowores attorney, Femi Falana, said on January 12 that the allegations of threat to life, criminal libel and extortion stated in Mr. Fatodus petition were false.

In his petition to Mr. Ambode, Mr. Fatodu admitted the police were yet to complete investigations into the defamation case, but said he was writing to support the governors efforts against crimes.

But an official in the governors office said Mr. Fatodu should direct his petition to the police.

What is the business of the governor in the petition about disturbance? the highly-placed official queried. He should direct his petition to the police.

Lagos police spokesman, Olarinde Famous-Cole, told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday night the command was not aware of the latest petition by Mr. Fatodu.

Mr. Sowore said the police had so far failed to file charges against him because it was clear they had no basis to do so.

The publisher dismissed the content of Mr. Fatodys petition as a product of wild emotions, feeble attempt at victimhood and willful distortion of facts.

Mr. Sowore told PREMIUM TIMES the building in question will be used as a civil technology laboratory centre, a project in which SaharaReporters is collaborating with a several civil society organisations.

The publisher said Mr. Fatodus petition was part of an orchestrated plot by powerful Nigerian politicians, including Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Dino Melaye, a senator.

Mr. Sowore said alleged corrupt activities of Mr. Saraki and others had become a staple on Sahara Reporters in recent weeks.

The platform had published several reports around the activities of Mr. Saraki and Mr. Melaye, including claims that the Senate President drew questionable accommodation allowances from tax papers and also sought to circumvent duties on importation of exotic vehicles.

Sahara Reporters was also responsible for Mr. Melayes brewing university degree scandal.

Mr. Sarakis media aide, Yusuf Olaniyonu, denied Mr. Sowores allegations that his principal was sponsoring Mr. Fatodu.

Outright lie. No iota of truth in it, Mr. Olaniyonu said in a short message to PREMIUM TIMES Thursday night.

Calls and text messages to Mr. Melaye were neither answered not replied to Thursday night.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Students of the University of Jos have kicked against the N45,000 new school fees, and appealed to management to be more considerate in view of the hard times.

The institutions Vice Chancellor, Sabastian Maimako, recently announced the review of the fees, from N27,000 to N45,000, citing dwindling budgetary allocations, rising bills and the need to upgrade some materials.

Mr. Maimako said the figure was endorsed by parents, old students and other stakeholders at a meeting in Jos, where all factors were considered.

But Sydney Daman, President of the institutions Students Union Government, SUG, who briefed journalists on Friday in Jos, described the new charges as too harsh.

The university attributed the increase to the economic recession, but it is clear that students are worst hit by current realities, he said.

Mr. Daman appealed to the students to hold-on a bit.

No student should be in a hurry to pay the new fees. We are consulting with management and shall communicate the final agreement to everyone, he said

He said that the students union had met with management three times, where it discussed the fee issue and sought for a figure that was favourable for both parties, but that management eventually did as it wished.

We have not exhausted all the options; we are still appealing and shall continue to meet all stakeholders, he said.

Mr. Daman, however, called on students to be responsible, mature and peaceful while supporting the struggle for a downward review of the charges.

The students leader faulted managements claim that parents and guardians had accepted the hike at a stakeholders meeting.

The university has 18,000 students; less than 100 parents/guardians attended the meeting, while SUG officials, who attended the meeting were barred from talking. So, it is not right to claim that there was fair hearing, he said.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Kwara State Police Command said on Friday that 11 suspects arrested after a mayhem in Ilorin on Wednesday have been arraigned in court.

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Olusola Amore, said the suspects were among the 19 arrested in connection with the mayhem in Gambari, an Ilorin community.

The 11 were arraigned on Thursday.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that there had been a crisis in Ilorin communities, involving factional members of the Tricycle Association of National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria.

Sources said the crisis started in the Gambari area of Ilorin metropolis, before spreading to other parts of the city including Amilegbe and Ipata areas.

Mr. Amore, speaking through the commands Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Kasanmi, said three residents of the area were injured, but nobody died during the clash.

Some residents of the town had said someone died in the clash.

Mr. Amore did not, however, give reasons why eight other arrested suspects were not arraigned by the command.

Regarding the tricycle operators crisis, 19 suspects were arrested, 11 have been charged to court, three were injured in the fracas, while no death was recorded, Mr. Amore said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday took a tour of federal projects in Ondo and Ekiti states, and assured that funds expended by states on federal roads will be refunded.

Mr. Fashola, who gave this assurance in separate meetings with the state governors, Rotimi Akeredolu and Ayodele Fayose, respectively, said some states had already filed complaints on the amount they had spent on federal roads within their states, adding that efforts were underway to resolve the payments.

While speaking with Mr. Akeredolu at his Akure office, Mr. Fashola said, We have received complaints from various states that the Federal Government should refund investment made on several roads projects.

We have, however, sent the results of the verifications to the office of Bureau for Public Procurement to advise us on the quantity and final pricing which will form the basis of what FG will agree to pay.

Mr. President had announced earlier during the budget presentation that, there is a plan to raise a bond and make the payment.

Mr. Fashola assured that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to supporting all the states of the federation in order to achieve their developmental objectives and priorities.

He explained that the federal government was working towards maximum gas provision for the Omotosho power plant in the Southern Senatorial District of Ondo State for the purpose of boosting electricity generation.

He later commended the Ondo State government for providing a spacious land to the federal government to initiate a housing project for the benefit of the people in the state.

The minister expressed optimism the ongoing housing project would create opportunities for the unemployed and artisans in the state.

In his remark, Governor Akeredolu commended the minister for the visit, adding that coming to the state through by road from Abuja was an indication that the minister was prepared to work.

Mr. Akeredolu said the people of Ondo State had no reason to doubt the minister over his promises to refund money spent on federal roads projects by the state.

In Ekiti, Governor Fayose told the minister that his government had submitted outstanding bills to the federal government on billions of Naira expended by the state government to rehabilitate federal roads.

We have submitted our papers and I think the federal government will pay us when it is convenient, he said.

The Minister had done on-the-spot assessments. He knows the situation and what we expect is the rehabilitation of these dilapidated roads and Ekiti is ready to partner in this regard.

The minister had earlier inspected the site of the National Housing Project and slammed the Controller for Works in the state that the project was far from the state capital.

Mr. Fashola said discussions on possible relocation would be held in Abuja.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


The Managing Director of Lagos State Water Corporation, Muminu Badmus, on Friday said the corporation would resuscitate about 42 mini waterworks across the state.

Mr. Badmus told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that the waterworks revival was aimed at ensuring that all residents of the state had access to potable water.

According to him, once the contractors are mobilised to site, it is expected that they will compete the projects within 60 days.

The state government has given the corporation the go-ahead to resuscitate the mini waterworks.

The intending contractors have been briefed that the work is no more business as usual.

We are making sure that only competent contractors and those whose work can stand the test of time are given the opportunity to execute the waterworks projects.

Some of the mini waterworks are functioning but not very well, while some are not functioning at all, he said.

Mr. Badmus said that the inexperienced contractors would no longer be engaged by the corporation for its projects.

He assured the citizens of the state of the determination of the corporation to supply safe, clean and potable water to them.

NAN reports that the waterworks revival projects will take place in areas like Epe, Ikoyi Alexandra, Dolphin, Lekki, Badore, Epe Agric, Victoria Island Annex, Eredo, Surulere, Ikate, Coker, Aguda and Iponri.

Also, similar projects are to be executed in Isolo, Somolu, Bariga, lwaya, Isheri Osun, Alausa, Oshodi, Ikeja, Ikeja GRA, Apapa, Ajegunle Old, Ajegunle New, Ajangbadi, Ojo and Ijora Badiya.

The waterworks revival scheme will also cover Shasha, Abule Egbaa, Oke-Ado, Idimu, Igando, Menran, Ikorodu Road, lkorodu Otana, Oworonsoki, Magodo, Ijaye, Ojokoro, Isheri Oke and Agege, among others.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook


Hungarian and Polish presidents Janos Ader and Andrzej Duda Friday opened the 11th Polish-Hungarian Friendship Days in a ceremony at the Royal Castle in Piotrkow Trybunalski, central Poland. The celebrations will continue until Saturday.

Subsequently both presidents and their wives attended a Polish-Hungarian Friendship Gala in the city's Municipal Culture Centre.

"Poland and Hungary look with optimism into the future of the EU, we want the European Union to continue existance and development, President Andrzej Duda said during Polish-Hungarian Friendship Days.

"Support for European unity in Hungary as well as in Poland was very high", President Duda added.

Referring to the Saturday EU summit, to pass a Rome Declaration, President Duda said that Polish and Hungarian governments "have prepared, within the Visegrad Group, a joint declaration as a contribution to the Rome Declaration which is to be debated tomorrow by the European Council.

"This, according to the president showed that V4 countries had one, common approach towards the EU which reflected "not only what's important to us but also to the entire Europe, namely the need to maintain the unity within the EU", President Duda said.

Polish President has expressed a belief that economic cooperation between Poland and Hungary will increase in the coming years. "I also believe that thanks to the cooperation within the so-called Three Seas format, that is within Central European countries, we will be able to build our prosperity also by the expansion of infrastructure", President Duda said.

President Andrzej Duda also reported that Janos Ader had expressed interest in attending a Three Seas summit in Poland's south-western city of Wroclaw on July 6-7. "We will meet there to discuss the development of infrastructure. We will talk about a common policy of Central European countries in this respect. We will talk about what we need and what investments should be implemented", Andrzej Duda explained.

The summit is also to discuss the needs of entrepreneurs, according to the Polish president. In his address, the President Duda also pointed out that the two nations had "an absolutely natural ambition" to be "among equals in the EU".

On Saturday Janos Ader and Andrzej Duda will unveil a memorial plaque to Hungarian parachutist and inventor Eugeniusz Sziklai, who died during a misfired parachute jump in Piotrkow Trybunalski on September 26 1925. Both presidential couples will also attend a holy mass in the city's Jesuit monastery, celebrated by a Polish and a Hungarian bishop.

The celebrations will close Saturday with a concert by the legendary Hungarian rock group Omega, best-known for their world hit Gyoengyhaju lany (The Girl With the Pearl Hair). (PAP)
Poland remains fully committed to the European Union despite a series of disputes with Brussels, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a Friday-published interview for Reuters.

The president added that any political party that advocated following Britain out of the bloc would be rejected by Polish voters.

President Andrzej Duda pointed out that Poland only wanted to be treated as a fully equal partner in the EU and that there was no question of Poland leaving the Community.

"Today any party which came out and openly said 'We are a group (...) that is striving to quit the EU, we don't want Poland in the EU' would have no chance on the Polish political scene", President Andrzej Duda said in an interview published one day ahead of a special EU summit marking the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties.

"

We want a Union of free and equal nation states", stressed the president in the interview. "Anyone who knows the Polish situation and history since 1989 understands how important it was for us to join the EU and how much we have gained". "Not just in purely financial terms or in terms of living standards or infrastructure, but also in terms of what we call a 'freedom' - the freedom to move around, without borders", stressed President Andrzej Duda.

Reuters noted that the ruling Law and Justice party wanted a bigger role for national parliaments, a stance similar to that of Britain before it had decided to leave the EU. President Andrzej Duda said the proposals were "still on the table" but signalled Poland was ready to work "within the treaties" to achieve this aim.

Referring to echoed calls by some Western Europe for a "multi-speed Europe", the President Duda assessed that "creating some exclusive clubs is a very bad tendency". (PAP)
ATLANTIC CITY  A Pennsylvania-based brewery could soon relocate its headquarters to this city.

DeWalt Brewing Company wants to move next door to the Little Water Distillery in a warehouse in the Northeast Inlet, said Christopher DeWalt, the companys CEO and founder.

The company has applied for a state grant through the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program. The state Economic Development Authority board will vote on the grants approval at its next meeting, according to the EDA.

The brewerys relocation to Atlantic City is contingent on receiving the grant, DeWalt said. The estimated annual grant award would be $108,795 per year for 10 years, according to the EDA agenda.

We are actually at the finish line, DeWalt said. Everything is in place. Were waiting to go. Once the vote goes down, that day if they do it early or the very next day, we will be hitting the ground running.

The brewery would have a grand opening in July, but the craft beer could arrive to the city sooner, possibly June, DeWalt said. He plans to bring 15 employees to the city by the end of the first year, and employ 85 to 100 workers after a decade.

The brewery currently has three beers  a German-style lager, an India pale ale and a mixed berry apple cider, according to its website. DeWalt, 50, plans to reveal three more recipes when it moves to the city.

The company will keep its Pennsylvania distribution deals and agreements with minor league stadiums, including the home of the Reading Fightin Phils, DeWalt said.

DeWalt said the warehouse, bordered by Lexington, Delaware and Baltic avenues, is a great location in part because its adjacent to Little Water Distillery, which will have its official grand opening March 25. DeWalt said he began negotiations to secure a lease for the location in the fall, contingent on receiving the state grant approval.

Little Water owner Mark Ganter said the brewery and distillery would be a perfect fit, and said he has met with DeWalt several times.

The location is not coincidental. Ill put it that way, said Ganter, who owns the distillery with his brother, Eric. It creates a perfect combination to not only attract like-minded clientele, but the collaboration possibilities are also endless.

The brewery has received strong support from city government. DeWalt has applied for a small business loan through the city, and the loan committe has recommended approval, Planning and Development Director Elizabeth Terenik said.

The location is already approved for brewery use from when the Zoning Board issued a use variance for the distillery, Terenik said. The city worded the approval for all other similar uses, and blanketed the approval for the entire property in case the distillery wanted to expand or a compatible business wanted to locate there, she said in a January letter of support for the project.

We are thrilled that DeWalt is considering Atlantic City as their new home, she wrote Jan. 4. They have spent time with city elected officials, community groups, as well as the zoning, health, construction and mercantile offices. All have expressed their support, and we stand ready and willing to expedite their approvals and permits.

DeWalt said his business advisers recommended relocating to Atlantic City. Mayor Don Guardian has already given the company a written declaration making the brewery the official craft beer of Atlantic City, DeWalt said.

They felt Atlantic City was down but not out and on the way back up, DeWalt said. Its a prime time to be one of the first ones to get in.

Correction: DeWalt Brewing Company has not yet signed a lease for the warehouse on Arctic Avenue.
Despite being voted Most Friendly by his Lower Cape May Regional High School class, David Macomber couldnt seem to impress his art teachers.

When the whole class would paint a bird, hed paint a lion. He failed art class for not following directions.

I wanted to learn the techniques, but I wanted to paint the way I wanted to paint or draw the way I wanted to draw, said the 36-year-old North Cape May resident.

These days, the professional artist and creative director of the artBOX at Moreys Pier does well for himself, having quit his job as a graphic designer to pursue painting full-time seven years ago.

In his garage studio on a recent Thursday, Macomber worked on a series of stormy waves with acrylic paint for an upcoming show. Upstairs, a whale painting hung over a couch while other walls were covered by more waves and photos of his children.

When hes not juggling being a father, husband and a full-time artist, Macomber has taken his humanitarian work abroad, using his art as a platform to help others.

Recently, he traveled to Budapest for a conference about the refugee crisis, speaking with refugees and workers alike on whats working and whats not. Macomber spent time with the refugees, jotting down their stories and sketching their portraits.

After the conference, he was supposed to travel to Serbia to work in a refugee camp, but was denied access.

Macomber takes a hands-on approach to charity. After the devastating 2013 typhoon in the Philippines, he used his social media connections to ask for help.

Macomber said the work he did in the Philippines was life changing, as it showed him how social media can be a powerful tool in mobilizing people and supplies quickly.

It wasnt long before he raised $5,000, and he personally delivered enough fresh water filters for more than 100,000 people.

If I can use my art as a way to gain a bigger audience, thats what I want to use my art for, he said.

On an earlier trip to the Philippines, before the typhoon, Macomber and his wife, who had been married for several years, were thinking about starting a family.

It was there that they were inspired to adopt and later became foster parents. Their two sons were adopted through the foster system, and they are fostering two girls.

His wife, Melissa Mae, is supportive of his work and doesnt mind when he slips away into his home studio. When all four kids are home, Macomber describes the house as creative and fun  with a lot of dance parties.

Melissa Mae agrees.

David, in general, is just a fun guy and husband, she said. He always keeps us doing things that are more interactive. Before dinner time, well all stand up and do silly dances so the kids can get their wiggles out. Little things that do make a big difference.

Macombers art draws influence from storms. Hurricane Sandy particularly left its mark on his work.

A few years ago, he crafted a sculpture made of debris from the devastating 2012 storm.

You see these people that lost their homes, but they still have their family, and a storm really shows us a perspective, he said. Its horrible because its destructive and you lose so many material things, but you have this perspective of whats important on the other side.

Sometimes, Macomber said, a storm can be a learning experience that can be used to help others.

When youre in the midst of something, something big like your family member has cancer  stressing about it wont do anything about it, but sitting with that person all day will do something, he said. I think people get so focused on the problem, they dont see what they can do.

Some of his paintings bear the logo Itswel, which he said is derived from a old hymn.

Even though theres storm and waves, everything is OK in my soul, Macomber said. I feel like thats kind of consistent in my work, the Philippines trip and Hurricane Sandy  all that reinforces that thought I have and that Im trying to tell with my art.

Macomber has weathered his own share of storms.

At a young age, he lost his sister. In junior high and in college, he lost two friends.

Deeply rooted in his Christian faith, Macomber said he realized how precious life can be. As long as hes on this Earth, he hopes to make a positive impact. Macomber said he was taught to love God and the world around him.

Its just trying to love people and do the best I can with what I have, he said.

The Bible says the two greatest commandments are to love God and love others, so for me, loving God is being who he created me to be and thats being an artist, a father and a husband.
ATLANTIC CITY  Geoff Dorsey is working on his companys biggest project ever: remodeling a former motor inn across from Resorts Casino Hotel into an 88-room boutique hotel.

The workers on his crew are largely from Atlantic City, reflecting the ethnic diversity of the city, and for a reason.

A resort native, Dorsey has developed a reputation for hiring Atlantic City workers at Dorsey Construction, a practice that helped lead to his being named a Hometown Hero by Friends in Action last month. Friends in Action is a nonprofit community group that works to brighten the lives of less-fortunate children.

Anthony Carson Brower, president and CEO of Friends In Action, said Dorsey has directly helped his organization.

Dorsey assisted Friends in Action in participating in one of the Atlantic City Boardwalk parades by arranging for them to ride in classic cars and pedal bicycles.

Carson Brower said every time he calls on Dorsey for help, he is always willing to contribute, multiple times a year.

You would never know that he does these things, but we know. He doesnt have to, but he wants to, out of his heart, Carson Brower said. He finds a way to give back, and we appreciate him doing that.

Dorsey, 42, who now lives in Somers Point, said friends and family live in the resort, so when he asks if they know anyone looking for work, they tend to refer locals.

Bring them in. Lets see if they can work. Try somebody we know first, so Ive always built my team like that, Dorsey said. Im asking people who already live here, who are referring me to people who live here.

The jobs could help. Atlantic Citys unemployment rate was more than 13 percent in 2015, the highest in the county, according to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

One of the projects hes working on now is remodeling the former Burgundy Motor Inn on South North Carolina Avenue and turning it into a 66,000-square-foot boutique hotel that will be called the SoHo Suites Hotel A.C.

There will be a lobby/restaurant with curbside seating. The plan is for SoHo Suites to function as an elegant, upscale, family hotel, Dorsey said. The hotel will have a total of 88 rooms, 54 of which will be poolside. The plan is to have it open by mid-June.

The structure stayed, but everything else is brand new, Dorsey said.

Other projects are smaller.

In Ventnor, Guillermo Davila, a native of Ecuador, checked out a few contractors before picking Dorsey to elevate and rebuild his home here.

Dorseys crew looked like the United Nations, with white, black and Latino workers running wires and installing sockets for the electricity on the second floor.

It was a plus that he speaks Spanish, Davila said.

Hes like me. His word is everything, he said.

Dorsey did a remodeling job at Our Lady Star Of The East, the Maronite Catholic Church on the Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville. He also worked on the Super 8 motel on South Tennessee Avenue in Atlantic City.

An Atlantic City High School Class of 1992 graduate, Dorsey has renovated a couple of the Cedar Food Market stores in Atlantic City. Their owners were born of Lebanese ancestry in Jordan. He can speak rudimentary Arabic.

Dorsey is black and Blackfoot Indian on his fathers side and Irish and English on his mothers, although he looks Latino and is fluent in Spanish.

He manages a group of people of various backgrounds and encourages them to function like a team.

You dont have to like everybody, but you have to respect everybody, Dorsey said.
TRENTON  Three people were charged Thursday in connection with fraudulent applications for Hurricane Sandy relief for a property in Atlantic County and two in Ocean County.

The state Attorney Generals Office said in a news release that the suspects filed fraudulent applications for federal relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Admin-istration or funds from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Armand Arduino, 69, of Key Largo, Florida, filed for FEMA assistance and a state grant under the Homeowner Resettlement Program for a home in Ventnor. He received more than $37,000 in relief funds, the state said, but the home was owned by his brother. He is charged with third-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification.

Ryan Spill, 28, of Belmar, claimed a home in Little Egg Harbor Township was his full-time residence and damaged by the storm. Spill filed for FEMA assistance and state grant funds and received more than $12,000. He lived in Freehold then and the property in Little Egg Harbor was a rental, the state said. He is charged with third-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification.

James Fomuke, 58, of Elizabeth, filed fraudulent applications for a home he claimed was his primary residence. Fomuke received $41,900 in federal funding for a home in Little Egg Harbor that was damaged by Sandy, but the home was a secondary residence and was rarely used in the year lease leading up to and since the storm, the state said.

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, and the non-profit National Insurance Crime Bureau are assisting in the Attorney Generals on-going investigation into Sandy relief program fraud.

The Attorney Generals Office said 84 people have been charged with fraudulent applications since March 2014.
Aaron Carter, the singer-rapper who began performing as a child and had hit albums starting in his teen years, was found dead at his home in Southern California. He was 34. Representatives for Carters family confirmed the singers death Saturday. They did not provide any immediate further comment. A sheriff's official says deputies responding to reports of a medical emergency found a person deceased at the home in Lancaster. Aaron Carter, the younger brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, performed as an opening act for Britney Spears as well as his brothers boy band, and appeared on the familys reality series, House of Carters.
LAKEWOOD  Officials are searching for a fugitive in Ocean County who was found guilty this week of leading a drug-trafficking network, officials said.

Daryel Rawls, 36, of Lakewood, was convicted Wednesday on charges including leading a narcotics trafficking network, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced.

After what began in 2010 as a wiretap case across counties called Operation Baked Zito, 13 people were charged and Rawls was found managing and organizing a heroin distribution ring, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office said in a news release.

Rawls was arrested on Oct. 17, 2010, with more than 1,000 bags of heroin and 26 grams of powder cocaine, the release said.

The state called several co-defendants to testify against Rawls during the trial, as well as officials from the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, Ocean County Sheriffs Department and New Jersey State Police.

The Ocean County Prosecutors Office is working with the U.S. Marshals to find Rawls, the release said.

Rawls was held at the state Department of Corrections for previous drug charges before this arrest and was released in July, according to Department of Corrections charges.

Anyone with information on where he might be should call the Prosecutors Office at 732-929-2027.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




Four neighborhood meetings with the four architects hired to provide pre-bond services for Helena Public Schools kick off in the first week of April.

Helena Public Schools voters will cast their ballots on a $63 million bond issue to build three new K-5 schools at the sites of Jim Darcy and Central school campuses and on or in the near vicinity of Bryant School. The bond will also make technology and security upgrades at all the K-8 schools, including the two middle schools.

First of all, our intention is to reach out to those neighborhoods and invite a number of people from those neighborhoods where the schools will be built and anyone else who would like to attend, said school district Superintendent Jack Copps.

Secondly, our intent is to introduce those architects who have been assigned to particular schools.

And, most importantly (its) to create an environment where theres good interaction between the audience and the architect regarding different ... ideas they may have concerning the design and layout of the school and a number of other things.

The architects will also likely discuss putting together a rough schedule of how work will proceed for that school area.

Typically the design phase takes six months, said Copps, and construction is another 12 to 18 months.

CWG architects will hold the first meeting to discuss K-8 technology and security upgrades for all the K-8 buildings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 3, at Helena Middle School Auditorium, 1025 N. Rodney.

On Tuesday, April 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. DSA holds a community meeting at Jim Darcy School gym, 900 Lincoln Road W.

Mosaic Architecture holds a Bryant School neighborhood meeting, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, at the Helena High School cafeteria, 1300 Billings Ave.

Central School neighborhood meets with architects from SMA from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at First Baptist Church, 201 8th Ave.
PARIS, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Last night, for the 19th edition of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Ceremony at the Maison de la Mutualite, the international scientific community gathered to honour and celebrate five exceptional women scientists and their accomplishments in the physical sciences. The event was opened by Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO and M. Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L'Oreal and Chairman of the L'Oreal Corporate Foundation. Read the full press release here: http://fondationloreal.com/documents/9e75d9f5-f216-4afa-95a5-ad4fd0747852/download?lang=en



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480061/LOreal1.jpg )





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480062/Loreal2.jpg )





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480063/Loreal3.jpg )





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480064/Loreal4.jpg )





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480065/Loreal5.jpg )



The 2017 Laureates: Women At The Cutting-Edge

The 2017 Edition of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Ceremony celebrated 5 eminent women scientists and their excellence, creativity and intelligence. Each woman received an Award of 100,000  to commend their scientific contributions in the fields of quantum physics, physical sciences and astrophysics.

VISUAL

These 5 exceptional women, from 5 different world regions, are each contributing in their own way to change the world for the better:

Professor Niveen M. KHASHAB (Saudi Arabia), for designing novel nanoparticles that could improve early detection of disease.

Her work in analytical chemistry could lead to more targeted and personalized medical treatment.

Professor Michelle SIMMONS (Australia), for pioneering ultra-fast quantum computers.

Her work on atomic-scale transistors could give birth to tomorrow's computers.

Professor Nicola A. Spaldin (Switzerland), for reinventing magnetic materials for next-generation electronic devices.

Her research on multiferroic materials could lead to a new generation of electronic equipment components.

Professor Maria Teresa Ruiz (Chile), for discovering a new type of celestial body, halfway between a star and a planet, hidden in the darkness of the universe.

Her observations on brown dwarfs could answer the universal question of whether there is life on other planets.

Professor Zhenan Bao (United States), for inventing skin-inspired electronic materials.

Her research on flexible, stretchable and conductive materials could improve the quality of life of patients with prostheses.

Jean-Paul Agon highlighted the power of these women scientists, as well as all of the women scientists who have been celebrated this year, in his opening speech: "A shared, controlled science, at the service of the world's population, is able to meet the major challenges of the twenty-first century, and our researchers are the proof. They are the ones that give science all its greatness."

Contacts:

L'Oreal Foundation

Ludivine DESMONTS-MORNET

ludivine.desmonts-mornet@loreal.com

+33-(0)1-47-56-77-47

UNESCO

Vincent DEFOURNY

v.defourny@unesco.org

+33-(0)-1-45-68-12-11

Agence MATRIOCHKA for the L'Oreal Foundation

Delphine HILAIRE

delphine.hilaire@mtrchk.com

+33-(0)-6-22-68-29-64

Carly NEWMAN

carly.newman@mtrchk.com

+33-(0)-6-65-00-41-66



SOURCE The L'Oreal Foundation
Gaurav, currently the artistic director of Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), has produced over 100 plays during his 21-year history with the company. Under Gaurav's artistic direction, SRT was the first Singaporean theatre company on Broadway in 1998. This was for Golden Child , which went on to earn three Tony Award nominations. SRT has presented work by several renowned international artistes including Ninagawa, Complicite, Peter Brook, Yael Farber and the Royal Shakespeare Company to name a few. SRT was also a co-commissioning partner on the Bridge Project - a three-year, Sam Mendes-directed collaboration between The Old Vic in London and BAM in New York. Gaurav has commissioned and produced several original Singaporean plays and musicals, including the highly successful Forbidden City . Known for his bold artistic vision, Gaurav was one of the first to champion the use of outdoor spaces, and originated productions of Singapore's own Shakespeare in the Park - where local and international actors, producers and set designers come together annually to bring Shakespeare to life. Gaurav also recognises the importance of education with SRT being one of the biggest commissioners and producers of children's theatre in Southeast Asia. He will continue as director of SRT during his three year tenure with SIFA.

Mrs Rosa Daniel, CEO of the National Arts Council, says, "Under Keng Sen, SIFA has become a truly international festival of a very high standard. SIFA has also reached out to the wider community in diverse ways for all to enjoy. It has achieved both excellence and inclusivity. NAC welcomes the appointment of Gaurav Kripalani as the next Festival Director for SIFA. Under Gaurav's artistic direction and together with the leadership of Sarah Martin, CEO of Arts House Limited, I am confident that audiences in Singapore and beyond will have much to look forward to. The arts scene here will continue to benefit from SIFA's programming. There will also be many opportunities for collaborations and enriching dialogue."

Sarah Martin, CEO of Arts House Limited says, "I am delighted to have Gaurav on board, especially at this exciting juncture where Arts House Limited is poised to be one of the key arts intermediaries in Singapore with all our own changes. It is always good to see our Singaporean artistic directors rise to new challenges. Keng Sen through his vision has brought the festival to new dimensions and critical acclaim. We thank him for his process of creation and commitment to SIFA over the years. We look forward to an interesting time for the landscape locally and internationally as the Festival embarks on a new journey with Gaurav and AHL."

Ong Keng Sen, SIFA Festival Director says, "I am very happy for Gaurav. My team and I are committed to give him the best possible Festival to continue. In these 4 years, we strived to initiate quality projects with Singapore residents connected to living, dreaming and creating here. Our audiences deserve visionary projects of how art transforms humanity and makes the world a better place. I wish Sarah and Gaurav the very best for an exciting journey ahead!"

With regard to the appointment, Gaurav Kripalani says, "It is an honour to be passed the baton to helm Singapore's premier arts festival. Keng Sen has done a stellar job and I hope to reach the high expectations that have been set. I look forward to reaching out to artists, locally and internationally, in order to achieve the Festival's goal of pushing the boundaries of perception in the multi-disciplines. I look forward to welcoming the world to Singapore and Singapore to the world."

For clarification of information, please contact:

Bernadette Yew

Assistant Director (Marketing and Communications)

Arts House Limited

T: +65 6332 6921

M: +65 9793 3140

E: bernadetteyew@artshouse.sg

Eileen Chua

Client Services Director

Ogilvy Public Relations

T: +65 6213 9932

M:+65 9048 3141

E: eileen.chua@ogilvy.com

Singapore International Festival of Arts 2017

Inaugurated in 1977, the annual arts festival went on a hiatus after 2012 and returned in 2014 under the baton of Festival Director Ong Keng Sen. With the mission to artistically reinvigorate and transform the festival, Ong renamed it Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). He initiated The O.P.E.N., a pre-festival of ideas to engage diverse audiences with the ideas, issues and themes of SIFA. Today, SIFA is the premier national performing arts festival managed by the Arts House Limited and commissioned by the National Arts Council. It aims to inspire through great international and Singapore artistic experiences in performance, theatre, dance and music.

About Arts House Limited

Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives through the arts. AHL runs The Arts House, a multi-disciplinary arts centre with a focus on literary programming located in the heart of Singapore's Civic District; presents the Singapore International Festival of Arts, an annual celebration of performing arts; and manages Goodman Arts Centre and Aliwal Arts Centre, two creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/481869/Gaurav_Kripalani.jpg

SOURCE Arts House Limited (AHL)
EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Edinburgh has been chosen as the host city for this year's Bioenergy Insight Conference & Expo from 4-5 October, organized by the Bioenergy Insight Magazine.

According to the European Union's 2020 objectives, bioenergy is expected to contribute half of the EU's 20% renewable energy target. EU countries have already agreed on a new renewable energy target of at least 27% of final energy consumption in the EU as a whole by 2030. Bioenergy is expected to form a crucial part of these targets.

Furthermore, the number of biogas plants in Europe has tripled in the past 6 years and biomass is continuing to help diversify Europe's energy mix.

Undoubtedly, bioenergy markets are growing and commercial opportunities exist for organisations wishing to take advantage of this burgeoning and constantly evolving industry.

The Bioenergy Insight Conference & Expo aims to bring together producers and stakeholders to discuss and network in the historic city of Edinburgh. Co-hosted with the extremely popular and well-established Biofuels International Conference & Expo, now in its 10th year, over 200 delegates are expected to convene to hear top-level presentations on an array of bioenergy related topics such as plant financing, coal to biomass, sustainability, market challenges and wood pellets to name but a few.

Attendees, exhibitors and sponsors at this year's event will also benefit from an enlarged conference and exhibition area as it will be co-hosted with the Bioenergy Insight Conference & Expo. The organisers are also planning site visits and to really whet the appetite of those present, a whisky tour.

Peter Patterson, publisher of the global journals Biofuels International and Bioenergy Insight, states:

"We're hugely excited about hosting the event in Edinburgh. Our research amongst last year's delegates showed great interest in the city and Edinburgh has a rich heritage for attendees to enjoy and explore before, after and even during the meeting." He goes on to say, "through the publishing of our leading title, Bioenergy Insight, we feel now is the right time to bring that expertise to a conference format. We have built up a reputation for organising high level conferences and we are regularly complimented on the networking opportunities that our events offer. We have a few novel ideas for Edinburgh so we're sure people won't be disappointed."

Companies are invited to visit the website for more information - www.bioenergy-news.com/conference

Media Contact:

Tracy Whitehead

+44-(0)-208-648-7082



SOURCE Bioenergy Insight
STOCKHOLM, Mar 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The Annual General Meeting of AB Electrolux was held on Thursday, March 23, 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Petra Hedengran, Hasse Johansson, Ronnie Leten, Ulla Litzen, Bert Nordberg, Fredrik Persson, David Porter, Jonas Samuelson and Ulrika Saxon were re-elected to the Board of Directors. Kai Warn was elected new Board member. Ronnie Leten was re-elected Chairman of the Board.

The proposed dividend of SEK 7.50 per share was adopted. The AGM adopted the proposal that the dividend shall be paid in two equal installments of SEK 3.75 per installment and share, the first with the record date Monday, March 27, 2017, and the second with the record date Wednesday September 27, 2017. The first installment of the dividend is expected to be paid by Euroclear Sweden AB on Thursday, March 30, 2017 and the second installment on Monday, October 2, 2017.

The parent company's and the Group's income statements and balance sheets were adopted. The Board of Directors and the President were discharged from liability for the financial year 2016.

The Meeting resolved to adopt the remunerations to the Board that were proposed in the notice convening the AGM. The proposal for remuneration guidelines for Group Management was also approved, as well as the scope of and the principles for Electrolux performance based, long-term share program for 2017.

The Meeting authorized the Board of Directors to resolve on acquisitions of Electrolux B shares up to a maximum amount of 10 percent of all shares issued by the company. The Board was also authorized to transfer own shares on account of company acquisitions and to cover costs that may arise as a result of the share program for 2015. These authorizations are effective during the period until next year's AGM.

Full details on the proposals adopted by the AGM can be downloaded at www.electroluxgroup.com/agm2017.

For further information, please contact

Electrolux Press Hotline,

+46-8-657-65-07.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/electrolux/r/bulletin-from-ab-electrolux-annual-general-meeting-2017,c2222190

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Electrolux
At CeBIT, Figigantic displayed its "intelligent housekeeper" represented by super platform-enabled intelligent robot CC to the visitors, attracting lots of visitors to it. This product may be connected with the online, offline and cloud platforms. With scene expansion based on the Internet content operation, it quickly enters a high-end intelligent scene to communicate with the users and continuously combine the highest value of themselves and their families. Except active deployment of the intelligent hardware products, Figigantic continuously attempts the innovative business and cooperation models in the artificial intelligence field and connects the cloud background information processing services through the cloud platform bearing intelligent equipment to lay a foundation for multi-industrial cooperation and establishment of subdivided industrial ecosystem. Recently, Figigantic has continuously achieved great achievements in the intelligent ecological strategy in the domestic market. Meanwhile, it accelerates its global strategic layout step by step. Its business has been developed to several countries and regions and its influence in the American and European markets are enhanced gradually. It achieves great achievements in developing key customers in real estate and hotel industries.
DUBLIN, Mar. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Digital Oilfield Market 2017-2021" report to their offering.

Global digital oilfield market to grow at a CAGR of 4.68% during the period 2017-2021.

The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global digital oilfield market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global digital oilfield market for the period 2017-2021. The report also includes a discussion of the Key vendors operating in this market.

According to the report, one driver in the market is the migration of drilling into unconventional areas. One of the most striking outcomes of the current generation of oil and gas exploration is the reaffirmation of the fact that the era of easy oil is coming to an end. This has resulted not only in inflated costs of hydrocarbon acquisition but also displaced the operations geographically. Much of the past century reported drilling operations at established locations in the world. The major hydrocarbon-rich regions around the globe were identified in the early 20th century, and most operations were based out of these areas for the next century or so. However, things have started to change significantly now, and the E&P companies have started to look at unconventional avenues for exploration.

One trend in the market is the growth of unconventional resources. The growing demand from India, China, and the countries in the Middle East are pushing the oil and gas industry to explore the various unconventional forms of energy such as shale gas. According to the World Energy Outlook of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the demand for energy may rise by more than a third by 2035 owing to a 60% growth in standards of living in India, China, and the Middle Eastern countries. The IEA predicted that the US will likely overtake Russia and Saudi Arabia by 2017 and aims at becoming a net explorer of oil by 2030.



Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is the cyber security concerns. Cyber-attacks are one of the main concerns in the global oil and gas industry. The growing adoption of smart oilfield technologies has made oil and gas companies dependent on data generation and analysis to sustain their production. With advances in technology, the risks associated with cyber thefts have also increased.



Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Migration of drilling into unconventional areas

Constant demand for oil and gas

Reduction in production costs

Increase in E&P activities post seismic survey implementation

Demand for real-time information

Market challenges



Cyber security concerns

Decreasing oil rig counts

Focus on reduction of NPT

Market trends



Growth of unconventional resources

Development of 4D seismic survey technology

Growing use of big data analytics and IoT

Seismic integration to reduce exploration risk

Key vendors



Baker Hughes

Halliburton

Honeywell International

Schlumberger

Weatherford International

Other prominent vendors



ABB

Accenture

China National Petroleum Corporation

eLynx Technologies

Emerson Electric

Enbase Energy Technology

ExxonMobil

GlobaLogix

Kongsberg Gruppen

MicroSeismic

Moxa

Paradigm

Pason Systems

Petrolink

Redline Communications

Rockwell Automation

Schneider Electric

Shell

Siemens

Sinopec

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/r8c4bl/global_digital

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Mar 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --



Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Microplate Instrumentation and Supplies - Global Strategic Business Report" report to their offering.

The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2015 through 2022. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research.



This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Microplate Instrumentation and Supplies in US$ Thousand by the following Segments:



Microplate Readers (UV-Vis Spectrophotometers, Fluorometers, Luminometers, Scintillation Counters, & Multimode Readers)

Microplate Washers & Accessories

Liquid Handling & Robotic Equipment

Microplates & Consumables.

The report profiles 48 companies including many key and niche players such as



Beckman Coulter , Inc. (US)

, Inc. (US) Biohit Oyj ( Finland )

) Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US)

BioTek Instruments, Inc. (US)

BMG LABTECH GmbH ( Germany )

) Eppendorf AG ( Germany )

) Molecular Devices, LLC (US)

PerkinElmer, Inc. (US)

Tecan Group Ltd. ( Switzerland )

) Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US)

Key Topics Covered:

1. Outlook

Microplate Instrumentation

The Laboratory Workhorse

Leading Applications of Microplate Instruments

Current & Future Analysis

Leading Players

2. Market & Technology Trends

HTS Applications Drive Innovations

Technology Sets the Momentum for Microplate Reader Market

Factors Influencing Demand for Microplate Readers Ranked by Level of Impact

Fluorescence and Luminometers Gain at the Expense of Absorbance Readers

A Brief Comparison of Common Microplate Reader Platforms

Innovations in Fluorescence Technologies

Multimode Microplate Readers Post Strong Growth

Microscopic Cell Imaging Gains popularity

Upgradability Driving Evolution of Multimode Microplate Readers

Microplate Readers in the Realm of Growing Applications and Advancing Technologies

Environmental Control in Readers

Expanding Applications to Live Cell Assays

Microplate Washers

An Overview

High-End Microplate Washers Offer Enhanced Capabilities

Automated Microplate Washers Gain Popularity

Touch Technology in Microplate Washers on the Rise

Rising Popularity of Bead-Based Assays Drives Innovation in Microplate Washers

Microplate Handlers

Easing Microplate Workflow

Less Sophisticated Microplate Handlers in Vogue

3. End Use Application Overview

Technological Advances Brings About Sea Change in Applications

Microplates Used in Various Applications

Major Fields of Science Using Microplates

Spectrophotometry

Pharmaceutical Industry

Clinical Diagnostics

Biotechnology

Market Driven by Drug Discovery

Market Drivers:

The Drug Discovery Process

Assay Development

Application of Microplates for Assays

Drug Candidate Screening

Lead Optimization

High-Throughput Screening and Drug Discovery

Modern Requirements

The Evolution of HTS

4. Product Overview

History and Evolution of Microplate Technology

Microplate and its Use

The Procedure

Types of Microplate Instrumentation

Microplate Readers

UV Visible Spectrophotometer

Fluorometer

Time-Resolved Fluorescence

The Most Sensitive Detection Methods Available Today

Luminometer

Scintillation Counters

Multimode Readers

Microplate Washers and Accessories

Liquid Handling and Robotics

Microplates & Consumables

Introduction of UV-Transparent Plastics

Replacement of 384-Well, 1536-Well Microplates with 3,456-well microplates

Screening Systems in Vogue

Ultra High Throughput

Automated HTS Systems

5. Product Innovations/introductions

Molecular Devices Launches SpectraMax QuickDrop Micro-Volume Spectrophotometer

TTP Labtech Introduces sol-R Microplates

Azure Biosystems Introduces the Azure Ao Absorbance Microplate Reader

Molecular Devices Introduces SpectraMax M5e Multi-Mode Microplate Reader

BMG LABTECH Introduces PHERAstar FSX Microplate Reader

BMG LABTECH Introduces the CLARIOstar Multimode Microplate Reader

BioTek Introduces the New Synergy Neo2 Multi-Mode Reader

BMG LABTECH Introduces the CLARIOstar Multimode Microplate Reader in Switzerland

Tecan Unveils Spark 10M Microplate Reader

Thermo Fisher Scientific Unveils Varioskan LUX Multimode Microplate Reader

PerkinElmer Unveils EnSight Multimode Plate Reader

BioTek Launches 2nd Generation Cytation Imaging Reader

BioTek Launches Synergy HTX Multi-Mode Microplate Reader

BioTek Launches Epoch 2 Microplate Spectrophotometer

Molecular Devices Launches Economical Microplate Reader and Washer

6. Recent Industry Activity

BMG LABTECH Enters into Collaboration with Genedata

BioTek Instruments Expands Business in Canada

BioTek Expands Business in the UK

7. Focus On Select Global Players

8. Global Market Perspective

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/vgxhf5/microplate

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
ALBANY, New York, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research, "Global Shavers Market (By Product Type - Electric Shavers and Non-Electric By End Use - Male and Female, By Distribution Channel - Health and Beauty Stores, General Merchandising/Mass Stores, Supermarkets and Hypermarkets and Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2016 - 2024" In terms of revenue, the Shavers market was valued at USD 46.38 billion in 2015 and the same is expected to reach USD 70.24 billion by the end of the forecast period, expanding at a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period. However, in terms of volume, the market stood at 6.08 billion units in 2015 and the same is expected to reach 7.90 billion units by the end of the forecast period, expanding at a CAGR of 3.0% during the forecast period.

Shavers are widely preferred among the male population owing to the greater need for removing facial hair. Recent trends suggest that the male population has shown increased preference towards shaving products for removing body hair as well. This is primarily due to the increasing focus on personal grooming among the male population. Females however are a lucrative target audience for the manufacturers of shaving products. Non electric shavers are still widely preferred by the mass due to their low price compared to its high price electric shaving counterparts. Europe is the dominant market for both electric and non-electric shavers due to wide adoption of such products among consumers from both genders. Asia Pacific however is the fastest growing market for the same.

Europe to Maintain Supremacy in Global Shavers Market

In this research report, a geographical analysis of the global market for shavers has also been provided to the readers. As per the study, the worldwide shavers market is spread across North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific. In 2015, Europe acquired the dominant position in this market with a share of nearly 43%. The regional market is anticipated to retain its position throughout the period of forecast on the grounds of the economic recovery in Europe, owing to which, consumers are again getting the confidence to uptake system razors and electric shavers.

Get PDF Brochure for this Research Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21698

Asia Pacific and Latin America are also expected to witness a healthy progress in their market sizes, thanks to the increasing trend of urbanization and the rise in the purchasing power of consumers, notes the research study.

Growing Interest of Consumers in Self Grooming to Fuel Demand for Shavers

"The increasing aesthetic consciousness and the growing interest in personal grooming among people across the world are having the most prominent influence on the uptake of shavers for the removal of facial and body hairs," says an analyst of TMR. The global market for shavers is also gaining significant impetus due to the rising awareness among consumers regarding personal hygiene and cleanliness.

While the female population base in developed countries has emerged as a prominent consumer base of shavers, reflecting greatly on the market's growth; their counterparts in the emerging economies are still showing less interest in personal grooming, which may hamper the progress of this market over the forecast period. Along with this, the dearth of knowledge regarding personal hygiene among them may also hamper the market to some extent in the long run.

Over the forthcoming years, the rise in disposable income of consumers, which is likely to increase their purchasing power, will have a positive impact on the market for shavers across the world. The escalating investments from leading players to increase the research activities, in a bid to invent state-of-art products, is also projected to propel this market remarkably in the near future, states the research report.

Browse Research Release: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/shavers-market.htm

With only a few companies, such as Panasonic, Philips, and P&G, having a stronghold on the entire market, the global market for shavers demonstrates a consolidated competitive landscape, finds a research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). These companies are likely to aggressively focus on innovation and product development to remain in competition over the next few years.

The study presented here is based on a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled "Shavers Market (Product Type - Electric Shavers and Non-Electric Shavers; End Use - Male and Female; Distribution Channel - Health and Beauty Stores, General Merchandising/Mass Stores, and Super Markets and Hyper Markets) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024."

The global shavers market can be segmented as follows:-

By Product Type

Electric

Non-Electric

By End User

Male

Female

By Distribution Channel

Health and Beauty Stores

General Merchandising/Mass Stores

Super Markets and Hyper Markets

Others

By Geography

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East

Africa

Latin America

Other Research Reports by TMR:

Hand Dryers Market:

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hand-dryer-market.html

Cosmetic Skin Care Market:

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cosmetic-skin-care-market.html



About Us:

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.

TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

US Office Contact:

Transparency Market Research

90 State Street, Suite 700

Albany, NY 12207

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com



Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Transparencymarketresearch

SOURCE Transparency Market Research
BARCELONA, Spain, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

This year Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week is concentrating its campaign to promote the show and attract buyers in Asia, with a focus on Japan as the gateway to the oriental market. The show's commercial power and role as a strategic focus for the sector are two of the main variables that motivate its efforts to attract key buyers, promoters and influencers from the Asian market.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/481965/Fira_de_Barcelona.jpg )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160513/367297LOGO )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160315/344596LOGO )



The next edition of Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week will be held on 25-30 April 2017 in Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via exhibition centre, where 300 wedding and evening wear fashion brands, 65% of them international, will present their new collections for the 2018 season.

This time, the show is expanding its international vision and looking outside Europe, the USA and Latin America to get closer to Asia, a key continent for the bridal industry, and using Japan, as the country boasts all the basic requirements for the promotion of high-end bridal fashion. It is an economic powerhouse and a lover of good taste, the world's most prestigious fashion houses and top quality fabrics, all values that reflect those of BBFW and of the brands that take part in it.

Furthermore, the report 'Millennial Brides: Born in the 1980s; getting married today', commissioned by the trade fair and written by the IESE Business School lecturer Jose Luis Nueno, also points to Asia as a key market for the sector's future as it is home to 50% (383 million) of the world's millennials, i.e. young people of marriageable age, as well as 65% of the world's weddings.

BBFW will also be hosting the catwalk shows of 25 major firms: Rosa Clara will be kicking the show off, followed until 28 April by the St. Patrick Studio of the Pronovias Fashion Group, making their world debut at BBFW; Jesus Peiro; Cristina Tamborero; Sophie et Voila Collection; YolanCris; Isabel Sanchis; Inmaculada Garcia; Angel Sanchez; Marylise & Rembo Styling; Isabel Zapardiez; Ana Torres; Raimon Bundo; Jordi Dalmau and Matilde Cano; Marco & Maria; Patricia Avendano; Galia Lahav; Cymbeline; Ramon Sanjurjo; Morilee Madeline Gardner; Carla Ruiz; Sonia Pena and Demetrios. Pronovias will close the fashion shows this year on Friday, 28 April.

From 25 to 30 April 2017

http://www.barcelonabridalweek.com

SOURCE Fira de Barcelona
MILAN, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The Controller General of Immigration from Maldives Mr. Mohamed Anwar and the Deputy Controller Mr. Abdulla Algeen have received the prestigious international IAIR Award for the most innovative high security ePassport and eGates

The IAIR award was handed over to both government officials from Maldives Immigration during an official award ceremony in Milan, Italy, on Friday 24th March 2017. The IAIR Awards are one of the worlds leading ranking systems. Experts from all over the world are selecting the best technologies and solutions.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/482217/Maldives_Immigration_Wins_Award.jpg )



Maldives Immigration has implemented a new electronic passport with 27 of the most advanced security features, which makes the Maldives ePassport one of the most secure and world leading security documents today. Every visa page of the Maldives ePassport has its own creative design, which is another unique feature of the new travel document. Furthermore, the new Maldives ePassport has a highly secure polycarbonate data page with laser engraving, which is extremely durable and secure.

In combination with the latest electronic gates for automatic border clearance, the Maldives Immigration have evolved to one of the most modern border control systems for their citizens in the world today. The new eGates automatically check passports as well as fingerprint and facial biometrics. This speeds up border control and provides more convenience to the Maldives' citizens.

During the award ceremony, it was mentioned that the Maldives government had selected the German company DERMALOG in 2015 to supply them with the new ePassports and eGates, based on the innovative requirements and new ideas of Maldives Immigration.

Press contact:

DERMALOG Identification Systems GmbH

Media Relations

Jan Runzheimer

Mittelweg 120

20148 Hamburg

Germany

Tel: +49(40)413227-0

Fax: +49(40)413227-89

Email: info@dermalog.com



SOURCE DERMALOG Identification Systems GmbH
WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Baltic Sea's most elegant cruise vessel, M/S Viking Grace, welcomed aboard its five millionth passenger on March 23, 2017. Viking Grace, which serves the Turku (Finland)Stockholm (Sweden) route, was put in service in January 2013 and is the first cruise vessel in the world to run on liquefied natural gas. On board, passengers can enjoy top-quality restaurants, lovely Spa & Wellness facilities and unique shops.

The five million passenger milestone was celebrated on March 23, when all cruise passengers were treated to a glass of sparkling wine. The master, the terminal manager and the mascot Ville Viking presented a bouquet of flowers to the five millionth passenger.

"We are really pleased about Viking Grace's ever-growing popularity. Five million passengers in four years is a fine performance, and we would like to extend our warm thanks to all the passengers on our vessels. It feels good that so many people have had great experiences on a cruise with us on the Baltic Sea's most elegant cruise vessel. Our investment in environmental sustainability, quality restaurants, unique shopping options and luxurious comfort has clearly been noted, and Viking Grace has found a place in people's hearts", says Riikka Arola, Regional Manager at Viking Line.

Viking Grace is a green choice for passengers

An amount equivalent to the ticket price of the five millionth passenger was donated to the protection of the Baltic Sea. This donation serves to emphasise Viking Line's long-term work for the benefit of the Baltic Sea and highlight Viking Grace's operations that take the environment into consideration. Viking Grace is the first cruise vessel in the world to run on low-emission liquefied natural gas. The vessel also has a new energy circulation system that converts waste heat from its engines into clean, emission-free electricity. In April 2018, Viking Grace will become even greener, when a rotary sail is installed. The sail will convert wind into propulsion for the vessel and reduce fuel consumption. During 2017, Viking Line will highlight its environmental work in its capacity as a partner in the Finland 100 centenary project.

CONTACT:

Riikka Arola

Regional Manager

358-2-333-1300 riikka.arola@vikingline.com

Christa Gronlund

Communication Manager, Marketing Communications

358-9-123-5242 christa.gronlund@vikingline.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/viking-line-abp/r/m-s-viking-grace-has-already-hit-five-million-passenger-mark-viking-line-treated-all-passengers-to-a,c2216427

The following files are available for download:

http://news.cision.com/viking-line-abp/i/m-s-viking-grace,c2099498 M/S Viking Grace http://news.cision.com/viking-line-abp/i/m-s-viking-grace,c2099499 M/S Viking Grace http://news.cision.com/viking-line-abp/i/viking-grace-viidesmiljoonas-matkustaja,c2104640 Viking Grace viidesmiljoonas matkustaja

SOURCE Viking Line Abp
Company Joins New Pilot Program in Rwanda to Empower Community Well-Being

RACINE, Wisconsin, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- More than four billion people occupy the base of the world's economic pyramid and live on less than $1,500 dollars a year. These families lack access to basic goods and services, where everyday challenges can be as simple as finding clean water. Given this scale, SC Johnson, the worldwide manufacturer of trusted household consumer goods, has been supporting these communities for nearly two decades, by providing sustainable business models to raise the standard of living and provide opportunities for a better quality of life.

"The company is dedicated to improving lives for families around the world in communities of all sizes as well as socio-economic levels," states Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "With this new pilot program in Rwanda, we are enthusiastic to participate in a new business model which supports female entrepreneurs, while at the same time offering affordable products and disease prevention education."

Today, SC Johnson renews its efforts in Rwanda with a new pilot program aimed to support female entrepreneurs to bring educational information and affordable mosquito repellents, along with other commerce and services, to families with very limited access. Since 2007, SC Johnson's Base of the Pyramid (BoP) efforts in Rwanda alone have ranged from working with local farmers for more effective agricultural and financial management practices, to administering in-field training and user-centered research to drive social change and economic empowerment.

New EKOCENTER Pilot Program

SC Johnson has teamed with The Coca-Cola Company, Solarkiosk, and Society for Family Health Rwanda as a part of the EKOCENTER program, which provides safe drinking water, sanitation, solar energy, and wireless communication. EKOCENTERS are modular retail experiences, run by women operators that provide commerce of basic goods including OFF! mosquito repellent lotion, Baygon mosquito coils, and KIWI shoe polish. EKOCENTERS also offer a place for community gathering and for entrepreneurs to set up business.

Additionally, SC Johnson, together with Society for Family Health Rwanda, will implement a communication campaign focused on malaria education and product awareness in surrounding communities. Activities will include peer education, community mobilization, and events with product demonstrations and sampling.

"I am witnessing first-hand the positive impact on these Rwandan communities with the addition of SC Johnson's pest control products," states Wandera Gihana Manasseh, Executive Director, Society for Family Health Rwanda. "Together with SC Johnson, we are filling a big gap in malaria prevention in the region. We are glad to be underway with our behavior change communication, as it requires a combination of products and education which provides citizens with insect protection both before going to bed and during sleeping hours."

A Commitment to At-Risk Communities

SC Johnson is committed to preventing insect-borne diseases, as well as creating sustainable business solutions to help strengthen communities in developing countries. SC Johnson has a decades-long legacy of making life better for families around the world through contributions and services. With wider distribution of its leading pest control products in these rural communities, SC Johnson aims to reduce the percentage of malaria cases, as studies* indicate a 33 percent reduction in mosquito bites can correlate to a 60 percent reduction in malaria occurrences.

Find out more on SC Johnson's Base of the Pyramid efforts by clicking here. For more information about SC Johnson and its social corporate responsibility efforts, visit the company on Facebook, Twitter or at www.scjohnson.com.

*Sourced by American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene on efficacy of SC Johnson mosquito coils

About SC Johnson:

SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE, KIWI, OFF!, PLEDGE, RAID, SCRUBBING BUBBLES, SHOUT, WINDEX and ZIPLOC in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN, TANA, BAMA, BAYGON, BRISE, KABIKILLER, KLEAR, MR MUSCLE and RIDSECT. The 131-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

About EKOCENTER:

EKOCENTER is a global initiative of the Coca-Cola Company to provide a place of commerce, safe drinking water, solar power and wireless communications.

EKOCENTER seeks to empower community well-being through their definition of social enterprise; leveraging the tri sector partnerships: business, government, and civil society to achieve long-term social and economic development.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161209/447680LOGO

Related Links

http://www.scjohnson.com



SOURCE SC Johnson
PUNE, India, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Global and Chinese Strontium Nitrate Market 2017 Research Report initially provides a basic overview of the industry that covers definition, applications and manufacturing technology, post which the report explores into the international and Chinese players in the market.

Complete report on Strontium Nitrate market spread across 150 pages providing 8 company profiles and 98 tables and figures is available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/858557-global-and-chinese-strontium-nitrate-industry-2017-market-research-report.html .

The 'Global and Chinese Strontium Nitrate Industry, 2017 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Strontium Nitrate market with a focus on the Chinese industry. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Strontium Nitrate manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.

Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2012-2017 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Strontium Nitrate industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2017-2022 industry development trends of Strontium Nitrate market. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Strontium Nitrate Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2012-2022 global and Chinese Strontium Nitrate market covering all important parameters. Order a copy of Global and Chinese Strontium Nitrate Industry, 2017 Market Research Report at http://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=858557 .

Related research titled 'Global Strontium Nitrate Sales Market Report 2017' forecasts the market analysis provided for the Global markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. With 141 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. Key Manufacturers involved in this research are Celtic Chemicals , ACS Chemical, Mintchem Group, Furun Chemicals, Big Dragon Group, Wenzhou Chemical Material Factory, Barium And Chemicals, TQ Chemicals Inc and many more. This report focuses on Global major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The Strontium Nitrate Industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered. Order a copy of this Global Strontium Nitrate Sales Market Report 2017 at http://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=868079 .

Explore more reports on the Chemicals market at http://www.reportsnreports.com/market-research/chemicals/ .

About Us:

ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 95 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, we help you in your purchase decision by mapping your information needs with our huge collection of reports. We provide 24/7 online and offline support to our customers.

Contact:

Ritesh Tiwari

UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ

Magarpatta city, Hadapsar

Pune - 411013

Maharashtra, India.

+ 1 888 391 5441

sales@reportsandreports.com



Connect With Us on:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/reportsnreports

RSS/Feeds: http://www.reportsnreports.com/feed/l-latestreports.xml

SOURCE ReportsnReports
PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research titled, "Thermoform Packaging Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014 - 2022", the thermoform packaging market was valued at $34,044 million in 2015, and is projected to reach $49,804 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2016 to 2022. Based on end-user industry, food & beverage segment occupied major share of the total market in 2015.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 )



Summary of the Thermoform Packaging Market can be accessed on the website at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/thermoform-packaging-market

Rise in application in food & beverage packaging industry drive the growth of the global thermoform packaging market. Thermoform packages are light, odor-free, flexible, and moisture-free, and are thus preferred over wood and glass. Owing to these superior properties, the demand for thermoform packaging is expected to grow in the near future. Growth in consumer preference towards packaged and fresh food is also expected to augment growth of the global thermoform packaging market. Besides, macro-economic factors such as changes in lifestyle and improvement in standard of living are also expected to boost demand for thermoform packaging during the forecast period. Furthermore, emerging trends such as advancements in thermoform manufacturing technology, shift toward lightweight packaging, and rise in use of polylactic acid (PLA) films in thermoforming are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for the global thermoform packaging market during the forecast period.

Get Customized Market Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/1917

The plastics segment accounted for the highest share, both in terms of value and volume, owing to the increase in usage in food & beverage, personal care & cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals industry. Among plastics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) dominated the global thermoform packaging market throughout the forecast period.

According to Eswara Prasad, Team Lead, Chemicals and Materials at Allied Market Research "Increase in investment in R&D and emerging developments in thermoform manufacturing technology are projected to create lucrative opportunities for the market growth."

Check offers and discount on Thermoform Packaging Market Report : https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/get-discount/1917

KEY FINDINGS OF THERMOFORM PACKAGING MARKET:

North America dominated the global thermoform packaging market in 2015, accounting for over one-third of the share, in terms of revenue.

dominated the global thermoform packaging market in 2015, accounting for over one-third of the share, in terms of revenue. In 2015, thermoform packaging used in food & beverage industry accounted for two-fifths share of the global market.

On the basis of material type, the plastics segment accounted for more than 80% share in 2015, and is anticipated to maintain its lead during the forecast period.

Blister packaging accounted for majority of the share in 2015 and is anticipated to showcase fastest growth during the forecast period.

Germany generated more than one-fifth of the total revenue in the Europe thermoform packaging market in 2015, and is expected to show highest growth rate.

generated more than one-fifth of the total revenue in the thermoform packaging market in 2015, and is expected to show highest growth rate. Asia-Pacific thermoform packaging market is expected to grow at the fastest rate throughout the forecast period.

thermoform packaging market is expected to grow at the fastest rate throughout the forecast period. Based on heat seal coating, solvent-based coating is the leading segment, accounting for more than half of the share of global thermoform packaging market in 2015.

In 2015, North America dominated the global thermoform packaging market with maximum share, in terms of both revenue and volume. This was attributed to the high percentage of manufacturers as well as consumers of thermoformed packages. Apart from that, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow with the fastest rate, registering value CAGR of 6.1% throughout the forecast period, owing to extensive demand in food & beverage and pharmaceuticals industries in the developing countries such as India and China.

The key players of thermoform packaging market profiled in this report are Anchor Packaging, Bemis Company, Inc., Sonoco Products Company, Amcor Limited, Placon Corporation, Display Pack Inc., Pactiv LLC, E.I. Du Pont Nemours and Company, Westrock Company, and DS Smith PLC.

Read similar market research reports at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/materials-&-chemicals/advanced-materials-market-report

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.



Contact:

Pankaj Kumar

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Direct: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)

Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975

E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com



Website: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

SOURCE Allied Market Research
LAGOS, Nigeria, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

93,000 Applicants - 55 Countries And Territories

1,000 Entrepreneurs Selected For Africa's Largest Entrepreneurship Programme

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is proud to announce the selection of 1,000 African entrepreneurs, creating the 3rd cohort of the 10-year, $100 million TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.

Over 93,000 entrepreneurs, from 55 countries and territories in Africa, applied - more than double 2016 applications and nearly four times greater than those received in 2015.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/482246/Tony_Elumelu_Foundation__TEF.jpg )



Over the next nine months, the 2017 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs will be trained and mentored, and will use the skills acquired to develop a business plan. Following which, they will be eligible to receive up to $10,000 in seed capital to implement.

Tony O. Elumelu, CON, commented: "For the third year, I am humbled by the quality and depth of the candidates, their determination and vision. I am so pleased that we can contribute in a meaningful way to the success of the next generation. Selection is getting more and more difficult, with the outstanding strength of all 93,000 applications and we are working on initiatives to help harness this extraordinary demonstration of Africa's entrepreneurial talent."

The Foundation's long-term investment in empowering African entrepreneurs is emblematic of Mr. Elumelu's philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions Africa's private sector - and most importantly entrepreneurs - as the catalysts for the economic and social development of the continent.

In terms of sectors, agriculture drew most applications, with 29% of applicants, followed by ICT (11%) and manufacturing (9%). Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Cameroon produced the most candidates. Women represent 39% of the applicant pool, up from 36%. Mr. Elumelu stated: "We are extremely happy that our attempts to attract applicants from across the whole continent have been successful and the figures illustrate the real diversity of opportunity."

CEO Parminder Vir OBE, said: "The achievements of each successive cohort is evidence of the transformative power of our Programme. We recently sampled 600 of our 2,000 entrepreneurs to analyse the Programme's impact and have been impressed by the impact on employment we are having. We have also partnered with organisations, including Microsoft, GE, ECOWAS, to provide further benefits to our entrepreneurs."

The Programme culminates in the two-day TEF Entrepreneurship Forum - the largest annual gathering of African entrepreneurs and the full entrepreneurship ecosystem from across the continent.

For a full list of the selected 2017 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs, please visit: http://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/programme

Contact: Bolanle Omisore, M: +234-814-590-0809

SOURCE The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF)
New company targets North America unconventional resource development

BAAR, Switzerland, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Weatherford and Schlumberger today announced an agreement to create OneStimSM, a joint venture to deliver completions products and services for the development of unconventional resource plays in the United States and Canada land markets. The joint venture will offer one of the broadest multistage completions portfolios in the market combined with one of the largest hydraulic fracturing fleets in the industry.

Weatherford will contribute its leading multistage completions portfolio, cost-effective regional manufacturing capability, and supply chain. Schlumberger will provide the joint venture with access to its industry-leading surface and downhole technologies, efficient operational processes and advanced geo-engineered workflows.

Schlumberger and Weatherford will have 70/30 ownership of the joint venture, respectively. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2017, and is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the formation agreement, Schlumberger and Weatherford will contribute all their respective North America land hydraulic fracturing pressure pumping assets, multistage completions, and pump-down perforating businesses. Weatherford will also receive a one-time $535 million cash payment from Schlumberger.

Schlumberger will manage the joint venture and consolidate it for financial reporting purposes.

Schlumberger Chairman and CEO Paal Kibsgaard commented, "The joint-venture creates a new industry leader in terms of hydraulic horsepower and multistage completions technologies in North America land, which through its scale offers a cost-effective and highly competitive service delivery platform. OneStimSM is uniquely positioned to provide customers with leading operational efficiency and best-in-class hydraulic fracturing and completions technologies, while at the same time significantly improving full-cycle shareholder returns from this market."

Weatherford Chairman William E. Macaulay said, "The OneStimSM joint venture creates a leading unconventional products and services provider in North America land. This transaction will allow Weatherford to deleverage its balance sheet while retaining a significant exposure to the unconventional market. This transaction was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors and will create significant value for both parties."

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding the joint venture and Weatherford. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, the joint venture and Weatherford's strategies and priorities, and are also generally identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "outlook," "budget," "intend," "strategy," "plan," "guidance," "may," "should," "could," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such statements are based upon Weatherford's current beliefs and are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results of Weatherford or the joint venture may vary. Readers are also cautioned that forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. Forward-looking statements are also affected by the risk factors described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and those set forth from time-to-time in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). We undertake no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required under federal securities laws.

About Weatherford

Weatherford is one of the largest multinational oilfield service companies providing innovative solutions, technology and services to the oil and gas industry. The Company operates in over 90 countries and has a network of approximately 900 locations, including manufacturing, service, research and development, and training facilities and employs approximately 30,000 people. For more information, visit www.weatherford.com and connect with Weatherford on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

About Schlumberger

Schlumberger is the world's leading provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production, and processing to the oil and gas industry. Working in more than 85 countries and employing approximately 100,000 people who represent over 140 nationalities, Schlumberger supplies the industry's most comprehensive range of products and services, from exploration through production, and integrated pore-to-pipeline solutions that optimize hydrocarbon recovery to deliver reservoir performance.

Schlumberger Limited has principal offices in Paris, Houston, London and The Hague, and reported revenues of $27.81 billion in 2016. For more information, visit www.slb.com.

Weatherford Contacts

Christoph Bausch  Weatherford, Acting Chief Executive Officer, EVP and CFO

Tel: +1 713 836 4615

Karen David-Green  Weatherford, Vice President Investor Relations, Marketing & Communications

Tel: +1 713 836 7430

Schlumberger Contacts

Investors

Simon Farrant  Schlumberger Limited, Vice President of Investor Relations

Joy V. Domingo  Schlumberger Limited, Manager of Investor Relations

Tel: +1 713 375 3535

investor-relations@slb.com

Media

Joao Felix  Schlumberger Limited, Director of Corporate Communication

Tel: +1 713 375 3494

communication@slb.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/73933/weatherford_international_logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.weatherford.com



SOURCE Weatherford International plc
DUBLIN, Mar 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "2017 Workforce Management Product and Market Report" report to their offering.

Our tenth annual report on workforce management (WFM) delivers an incisive and comprehensive analysis of vendors, products, pricing and best practices for this IT sector. The report is designed to help organizations select the right solution, technology, functionality and partner to meet their existing and future front- and back-office WFM needs.

2016 was a good year for this mature IT sector, which grew by 8.8%, adding 871,999 new seats. The WFM market is positioned for strong performance, driven by the need for flexible and accurate omni-channel WFM solutions that help companies deliver a personalized experience cost effectively. WFM vendors are finally listening to their customers.

The vendors are starting to invest in new technology and approaches, including next-gen WFM and intraday management capabilities, which have the potential to greatly improve the effectiveness of these solutions. DMG expects the WFM market to grow by 8% in 2017 and 2018, and by 9% in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The rate of growth could increase if the pace of innovation picks up.

The 2017 Contact Center Workforce Management Product and Market Report provides an in-depth analysis of the WFM market, competitors, suites, competitive landscape, innovation, end-user satisfaction, as well as market, business and servicing trends and challenges. It analyzes WFM market activity and provides 5-year market projections. Eight leading and contending vendors are covered: ActiveOps, Aspect, Calabrio, Intradiem, NICE, Teleopti, Verint and WorkFlex. ActiveOps, Intradiem and WorkFlex, are covered at a higher level.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Introduction



3. Research Methodology

3.1 Report Participation Criteria



4. Workforce Management Market Segments

4.1 WFM Vendor-Supported Market Segments



5. Vendor Service Delivery Models

5.1 Service Delivery Definitions

5.2 Vendor Service Delivery Options



6. Workforce Management Functional Building Blocks

6.1 Core, Value-Added, Optional

6.2 Vendor High-Level WFM Suite Capabilities



7. WFM Fundamentals

7.1 Forecasting

7.2 Scheduling

7.3 Intraday Management and Automation

7.4 Shrinkage

7.5 Real-Time Adherence

7.6 Dashboards and Reporting

7.7 Long-Term Planning



8. High Level Technical Summary

8.1 Security

8.2 Integration Capabilities

8.3 Globalization



9. Workforce Management Trends and Challenges for 2017

9.1 WFM Trends for 2017

9.2 WFM Challenges for 2017



10. Workforce Management Market Innovation

10.1 New Product Features

10.2 Emerging Capabilities



11. The Future of Contact Center WFM

11.1 The WFM Challenge

11.2 NewGen WFM: WFM Reimagined

11.3 NewGen WFM Improves the Staffing Paradigm

11.4 Benefits of NewGen WFM



12. Intraday Management is Key to NewGen WFM

12.1 Improving Intraday Management

12.2 Introducing Real-Time Adaptive Scheduling for WFM

12.3 The Difference between Real-Time Adaptive WFM and Intraday Management



13. More Than a Productivity Tool

13.1 WFM Features to Support Agent Engagement

13.1.1 Agent Self-Service

13.1.2 Gamification

13.1.3 Time-Off Management and Work/Life Balance

13.1.4 Mobility

13.2 WFM Solutions Build Customer Engagement

13.2.1 Omni-Channel Capabilities

13.2.2 Multi-Skill Capabilities



14. Back-Office Departments Are Essential to the Customer Experience

14.1 Back-Office WFO Suites to the Rescue

14.2 Back-Office WFM

14.3 Vendor Back-Office/Branch Capabilities

14.4 Benefits of Back-Office/Branch WFM

14.5 Back-Office/Branch WFM ROI



15. Workforce Management Market Activity Analysis

15.1 Validating Market Numbers

15.2 WFM Market Share Analysis



16. Workforce Management Market Adoption



17. Workforce Management Projections



18.Contact Center Workforce Management Competitive Landscape

18.1 WFM Vendor Summaries



19. Workforce Management Vendors and Solutions

19.1 Company Snapshot

19.2 Vendor Offerings and Products

19.3. Packaged Solutions

19.4. SMB Solutions



20. Workforce Management Benefits and Return on Investment

20.1 Contact Center WFM Benefits

20.2 Contact Center ROI Analysis



21. Implementation Analysis

21.1 Implementation Process

21.2 Implementation Best Practices

21.3 Training and Services

21.4 Maintenance and Support



22. Pricing

22.1 Premise-Based Price Range, by Solution

22.2 Premise-Based Pricing

22.3 Cloud-Based Pricing

22.4 Cloud-Based Pricing for Incremental WFM Modules



23. Workforce Management Vendor Satisfaction Analysis

23.1 Survey Methodology

23.2 Survey Findings and Analysis

23.3 Detailed Survey Findings and Analysis

23.4 Customer Insights



24. Company Reports

24.1 ActiveOps Ltd.

24.2 Aspect Software, Inc.

24.3 Calabrio

24.4 Intradiem

24.5 NICE

24.6 Teleopti AB

24.7 Verint Systems

24.8 WorkFlex Solutions LLC



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/394xf8/2017_workforce

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
Last night, for the 19 th edition of the L ' Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Ceremony at the Maison de la Mutualit e, the international scientific community gathered to honour and celebrate five exceptional women scientists and their accomplis hments in the physical sciences. The event was opened by Ms . Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO and M. Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L ' Oreal and Chairman of the L ' Oreal Co r porate Foundation. Read the full press release here: http://fondationloreal.com/documents/9e75d9f5-f216-4afa-95a5-ad4fd0747852/download?lang=en



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480061/LOreal1.jpg )





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480062/Loreal2.jpg )





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480063/Loreal3.jpg )





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480064/Loreal4.jpg )





(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/480065/Loreal5.jpg )



The 2017 Laureates: Women At The Cutting-Edge

The 2017 Edition of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards Ceremony celebrated 5 eminent women scientists and their excellence, creativity and intelligence. Each woman received an Award of 100,000  to commend their scientific contributions in the fields of quantum physics, physical sciences and astrophysics.

VISUAL

These 5 exceptional women, from 5 different world regions, are each contributing in their own way to change the world for the better:

Professor Niveen M. KHASHAB (Saudi Arabia), for designing novel nanoparticles that could improve early detection of disease.

Her work in analytical chemistry could lead to more targeted and personalized medical treatment.

Professor Michelle SIMMONS (Australia), for pioneering ultra-fast quantum computers.

Her work on atomic-scale transistors could give birth to tomorrow's computers.

Professor Nicola A. Spaldin (Switzerland), for reinventing magnetic materials for next-generation electronic devices.

Her research on multiferroic materials could lead to a new generation of electronic equipment components.

Professor Maria Teresa Ruiz (Chile), for discovering a new type of celestial body, halfway between a star and a planet, hidden in the darkness of the universe.

Her observations on brown dwarfs could answer the universal question of whether there is life on other planets.

Professor Zhenan Bao (United States), for inventing skin-inspired electronic materials.

Her research on flexible, stretchable and conductive materials could improve the quality of life of patients with prostheses.

Jean-Paul Agon highlighted the power of these women scientists, as well as all of the women scientists who have been celebrated this year, in his opening speech: "A shared, controlled science, at the service of the world's population, is able to meet the major challenges of the twenty-first century, and our researchers are the proof. They are the ones that give science all its greatness."

Contacts:

L'Oreal Foundation

Ludivine DESMONTS-MORNET

[email protected]

+33-(0)1-47-56-77-47

UNESCO

Vincent DEFOURNY

[email protected]

+33-(0)-1-45-68-12-11

Agence MATRIOCHKA for the L'Oreal Foundation

Delphine HILAIRE

[email protected]

+33-(0)-6-22-68-29-64

Carly NEWMAN

[email protected]

+33-(0)-6-65-00-41-66



SOURCE The L'Oreal Foundation
PALO ALTO, Calif., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovaccer Inc., a Silicon Valley-Headquartered Healthcare Analytics company, announced the launch of revamped ACO Compare, a one-of-its-kind, free tool for providers to track, monitor, and compare the quality of care, expenditure, and utilization of Accountable Care Organizations.

Innovaccer Inc.

ACO Compare incorporates extensively researched data about 400 Accountable Care Organizations currently active in the US with quality and performance data imported from CMS. The tool offers a review of the 33 ACO quality reporting measures broadly categorized into four domains as the basis of comparison:

Patient/Caregiver Experience

Care Coordination/Patient Safety

Preventive health measures

At-risk Population measures

With healthcare being at the doorstep of value-based care, ACOs constantly find themselves in need to identify care gaps, redesign care plans, and improve the quality of services they provide across populations. The revamped version of ACO Compare enables providers to learn about them and their counterparts in the state as well as the country, their performances, assess trends and help them generate patient-centered care plans and be the best in the industry.

The upgraded tool now offers users an interactive dashboard with point-and-click interfaces for users to analyze and compare up to five ACOs at a time. The visually appealing, detailed dashboard offers a complete drilled-down analysis of quality, expenditure, and utilization across the country and the state. All these comparisons are displayed against the national and state benchmarks to provide organizations with a better understanding of where they stand through a global, single-screen comparison. The tool also offers personalized reports for every ACO, complete with recommendations for improvement and can be used for further analysis.

"Working with several major ACOs on the shift from volume to value-based care delivery made us realize the need for ACOs to continually assess the trends, tracking their performance, and be aware of how they and other best practices are faring against the larger market. ACO Compare was developed on the same lines, offering ACOs detailed and visually interactive solutions as a single source of truth and help them succeed in this value-based ecosystem," says Kanav Hasija, Co-Founder & President at Innovaccer.

To know more about Innovaccer's journey with ACOs and health systems, meet the Innovaccer team at NAACOS Spring Conference, at Booth#35.

Check out ACO Compare here: http://www.innovaccer.com/aco

About Innovaccer

Innovaccer Inc is a Silicon Valley-headquartered, Healthcare analytics company. Innovaccer's aim is to simplify complex data from all points of care, streamline the information and help organizations make powerful decisions based on the key insights and predictions from their data. Its proprietary product Datashop enables provider organizations to use data as a source of innovation and has been deployed across 15 countries at academic institutions, governmental organizations, and several corporate enterprises such as Catholic Health Initiatives, El Paso HIE, Sonic Healthsystems, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and Wolters Kluwers.

For more information, please visit innovaccer.com or follow us on Twitter @innovaccer.

Press Contact

Sachin Saxena

Innovaccer Inc

650-479-4891

Related Links

Innovaccer

ACO Compare

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Innovaccer Inc.
For more than three decades and in over 20 countries worldwide, the Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards have honored funds and fund management firms that have "excelled in providing consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to their peers," based on Thomson Reuters Lipper's proprietary performance-based methodology. The 2017 U.S. awards were presented March 23, 2017, at a ceremony in New York.

"We're excited that One Choice In Retirement was able to 'three-peat' at the Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards," said Scott Wittman, American Century Investments chief investment officer responsible for multi-asset and disciplined equity strategies. "Since the inception of the One Choice Target Date series in 2004, we've focused on providing a smoother ride by striving to limit volatile return streams in an effort to help more defined contribution plan participants and other investors achieve retirement success."

In addition to Wittman, the One Choice portfolio management team includes Co-Chief Investment Officer David MacEwen, Senior Vice President Rich Weiss and Vice Presidents Scott Wilson and Radu Gabudean. The 10 fund-of-funds that comprise the One Choice Target Date series have attracted approximately $20 billion* in client assets.

Lipper also honored American Century in the Mid Cap Value classification. American Century NT Mid Cap Value R6 share class had the top ranking against 294 peers over the three-year period, while the Institutional class beat 206 peers over the 10-year period. The NT funds are "no tobacco" versions of American Century funds used exclusively within the One Choice Target Date series.

American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting research that can improve human health and save lives. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments' 1,300 employees serve investment professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Hong Kong; Mountain View, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang and David MacEwen serve as co-chief investment officers.

Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40 percent of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, non-profit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40 percent of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of nearly $1.3 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com.

You should consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before you invest. The fund's prospectus or summary prospectus, which can be obtained by visiting americancentury.com, contains this and other information about the fund, and should be read carefully before investing. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards honor individual funds that have delivered stronger and more consistent risk-adjusted performance than their peers over the three-, five-, and 10-year periods ended Nov.30, 2016. Thomson Reuters Lipper's proprietary mutual fund rating methodology is used to determine the winners. To be considered for a fund award in the U.S., funds must have at least 36 months of performance history and must be classified in a peer group with at least 10 distinct portfolios. The fund with the highest Lipper Leader rating for Consistent Return value in each eligible classification determines the classification winner over three, five, or 10 years. Other share classes may have different performance and expense characteristics. For detailed information about the Thomson Reuters Lipper Fund Awards methodology visit http://www.lipperfundawards.com.

Lipper rankings are based on average annual total returns. Portions of the mutual fund performance information contained on this page were supplied by Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company, subject to the following: Copyright 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Lipper content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Lipper. Lipper shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Performance data is preliminary and subject to revision. Rankings are based on all classes available within the classification as of the date shown. Rankings are based only on the universe shown.

A One Choice Target Date Portfolio's target date is the approximate year when investors plan to retire or start withdrawing their money. The principal value of the investment is not guaranteed at any time, including at the target date. Each target-date One Choice Target Date Portfolio seeks the highest total return consistent with American Century's proprietary asset mix. Over time, the asset mix and weightings are adjusted to be more conservative. In general, as the target year approaches, the portfolio's allocation becomes more conservative by decreasing the allocation to stocks and increasing the allocation to bonds and money market instruments. By the time each fund reaches its target year, its target asset mix will become fixed and will match that of One Choice In Retirement Portfolio.

*One Choice Target Date Portfolios on Dec. 31, 2016 were $20 billion.

American Century Investment Services, Inc., Distributor

2017 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc.

SOURCE American Century Investments

Related Links

http://www.americancentury.com


AGOURA HILLS, Calif., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) (the "Company") today announced that Moody's Investor Service ("Moody's) has assigned a Baa3 issuer rating to the Company and indicated that the rating outlook is stable. Moody's press release notes that the rating reflects the Company's leadership in the single-family rental market, high occupancy rate and solid rental rate growth in the 3-4% range. Moody's also notes that the Company has invested heavily in technology to enhance their platform which, along with size and scale, has improved efficiencies in pricing, leasing, billing and property management.

"We are pleased to achieve this milestone," stated David Singelyn, American Homes 4 Rent's Chief Executive Officer. "Moody's announcement is an endorsement of our operational and financial strengths. We expect that the investment grade rating will result in new lower-cost sources of capital to help fuel our company's continued growth."

Additional information regarding the credit rating assigned can be found in Moody's press release dated March 22, 2017 available on Moody's website at https://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-assigns-a-Baa3-issuer-rating-to-American-Homes-4--PR_363989. The press release is not incorporated by reference into or otherwise made a part of this press release. The rating is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by Moody's and is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold the Company's securities.

About American Homes 4 Rent

American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) is a leader in the single-family home rental industry and "American Homes 4 Rent" is fast becoming a nationally recognized brand for rental homes, known for high quality, good value and tenant satisfaction. We are an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust, or REIT, focused on acquiring, renovating, leasing, and operating attractive, single-family homes as rental properties. As of December 31, 2016, we owned approximately 48,422 single-family properties, in selected submarkets in 22 states.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements relate to beliefs, expectations or intentions and similar statements concerning matters that are not of historical fact and are generally accompanied by words such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "potential," "plan," "goal" or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to access new sources of capital at lower costs and to continue to grow. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and assumptions about future events. While the Company's management considers these expectations to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. These and other important factors, including "Risk Factors" disclosed in, or incorporated by reference into, the prospectus from the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and in the Company's subsequent filings with the SEC, may cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from anticipated results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

American Homes 4 Rent

Investor Relations

Phone: (855) 794-2447

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE American Homes 4 Rent

Related Links

http://www.americanhomes4rent.com


AUSTIN, Texas, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Food Sciences, Inc. (AFS) is pleased to announce it is the exclusive owner of U.S. Patent #9345707, a process patent that covers the production of enriched natural guayusa, from a single source plant, containing antioxidants, amino acids and caffeine. The purpose of this process patent is to create a highly water soluble energy ingredient for a healthier application of caffeine, chlorogenic acid antioxidants, catechins antioxidants, and trace elements of other nutritional compounds. Guayusa extracts made with this patented process are easy to work with in formulation as a featured ingredient for an RTD tea-like beverage or used to produce a functionally enhanced beverage.



Guayusa  Ilex guayusa  (pronounced "gwhy-you-sa") is a caffeinated leaf of the holly species that grows only in the upper Amazon region. Guayusa is not related to camellia sinensis used to make green or black tea varieties. Instead, guayusa is a cousin plant to yerba mate. However, guayusa is uniquely different in that it tastes sweet, not bitter, and has a distinctively different polyphenolic antioxidant makeup.



In combination with this patent release, Applied Food Sciences is launching its newest branded ingredient offering, AMATEA guayusa extract  a highly water soluble ingredient for the application of focused energy intended in beverages and nutritional supplements. AMATEA has a unique fingerprint standardized at 20% caffeine, 30% chlorogenic acids, 5% catechins, and contains other beneficial compounds. Because it is low in tannins, AMATEA is not bitter, dry, or chalky tasting like many other more astringent tea extracts. Instead AMATEA is naturally sweet to complement a variety of flavors. AMATEA is also clear in solution, as well as non-GMO, GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), and organically grown.



"Customers are calling our guayusa 'focused energy' because the caffeine helps stimulate the mind while the polyphenol antioxidants balance that effect in the body," says Brian Zapp, Director of Marketing at AFS. "AMATEA, therefore, is usually experienced as a bright and clear energy. We see this offering meeting the growing demand of functional energy and cognitive health products that are geared toward modern working consumers seeking a calmer nervous system and less agitation to go with alert mental or physical energy."



Applied Food Sciences recently published a white paper on AMATEA guayusa extract promoted in partnership by New Hope Natural Media. This beautiful white paper gives more details on the history of guayusa and the science behind why this unique source of energy has been revered in the Amazon region for over a thousand years.



"AFS immediately started generating science to help researchers understand the synergies with caffeine among other naturally occurring compounds and how they impact physiological and hormonal biomarkers in the human body," explains Chris Fields, AFS' VP of Scientific Affairs. "Initial clinical research utilizing AMATEA, when compared to synthetic sources of caffeine, demonstrated guayusa's ability to help regulate epinephrine upon caffeine ingestion. This is significant because providing a conventional energy ingredient that typically works through stimulation of the central nervous system, like caffeine, with one that may help regulate neurotransmitter functions within the body, could be a critical benefit to the cognitive energy category."



To download the white paper please go to http://www.newhope.com/webinars-toolkits-and-downloads/amatea-guayusa-extract-white-paper.



Applied Food Sciences, Inc. (AFS) is an international ingredient supplier that provides solutions to the industry for creating the healthiest functional products imaginable in beverage, food and nutritional supplements. With their newly opened Innovation Center at the University of Iowa Bio-Ventures Center, AFS develops novel natural and organic ingredients that are highly scientifically qualified, water soluble, sustainably and ethically sourced, Non-GMO and GRAS. Visit their website www.appliedfoods.com or email their team [email protected] to learn more about AFS and their ingredient offerings. Customers can also call 512-732-8300.



Photos:

https://www.prlog.org/12628763



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Applied Food Sciences, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.appliedfoods.com


BELLEVUE, Wash., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wednesday's horrific terror attack in London that left three people dead, including an unarmed police constable, underscores the dangerously backward logic that leaves British police officers largely unarmed while terrorists and criminals will use whatever weapon they can, the Second Amendment Foundation said today.

"The death of veteran Constable Keith Palmer, along with a female British subject and an American citizen is yet another graphic demonstration of what we've learned in America," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "Armed evil beats unarmed innocence every time. In this case, Constable Palmer was betrayed by his employer, by his government, and essentially set up to die.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to Constable Palmer's family," Gottlieb continued, "as well as the families of the other victims. It takes a good deal of courage in today's world to become a police officer, and it takes a special kind of backbone to do that job unarmed."

The American gun rights leader noted that the increasing use of violence by terrorists across the European landscape has given new urgency to the mission of the International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR) of which SAF is a founding member. Gottlieb was instrumental in creating that worldwide organization, and its efforts are taking on more importance with the growing terrorist threat.

"Terrorists and violent criminals prefer unarmed victims," he stated. "British gun control laws have disarmed the general public along with most police officers, making the entire country a target rich environment.

"While it is being reported that Constable Palmer was supported by armed colleagues who shot the attacker, he should not have had to depend upon brother officers for his own safety," Gottlieb stressed. "We realize there is a tradition of unarmed officers across Great Britain, but this brutal attack should serve as a wake-up warning that officer safety outweighs tradition. You cannot handcuff police with rules and regulations when terrorists, whether they are international criminals or home-grown lone wolf lunatics, simply disregard the mores and morals of a civilized society. In the end, all that you wind up with is a body count."

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

SOURCE Second Amendment Foundation

Related Links

http://www.saf.org


Brendan Bechtel, chief executive officer for Bechtel Group, Inc., lauded Ms. Wheeless as a colleague "who has inspired countless numbers of young women and men to one day become industry leaders like herself. Most recently, Charlene successfully spearheaded Bechtel's efforts to sponsor and launch the film Dream Big , which aims to inspire boys and girls, especially from underprivileged backgrounds, to pursue STEM-focused careers."

After receiving hundreds of nominations for the award from corporate leaders, a distinguished panel ultimately selected Ms. Wheeless and 24 additional black women executives due to their significant and long-standing contributions to business as well as because of their strong commitment in giving back to their respective communities. All 25 executives embody the phrase "redefining excellence" according to the panel of judges.

Upon receiving the award, Ms. Wheeless said "I am deeply humbled to have received this honor from The Network Journal. I accept it, not for myself, but for the countless number of mentors that I have had throughout my 30-year career as well as on behalf of my 50,000 plus colleagues from Bechtel. The only way I can give back to all those who have helped me is to redouble my own personal efforts to help nurture the next generation of young women business leaders, especially those from diverse backgrounds."

Prior to her career at Bechtel, Ms. Wheeless served in leadership positions at American Management Systems, DynCorp and Raytheon. Ms. Wheeless also serves on the boards of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Reston Hospital and the Arthur W. Page Society.

About Bechtel:

Bechtel is among the most respected engineering, project management, and construction companies in the world. We stand apart for our ability to get the job done rightno matter how big, how complex, or how remote. Bechtel operates through four global business units that specialize in infrastructure; mining and metals; nuclear, security and environmental; and oil, gas, and chemicals. Since its founding in 1898, Bechtel has worked on more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents. Today, our 58,000 colleagues team with customers, partners, and suppliers on diverse projects in nearly 40 countries. www.bechtel.com. Follow Bechtel on Twitter @Bechtel.

Adi Raval

t. +1 (571) 392-3861

[email protected]

SOURCE Bechtel

Related Links

http://www.bechtel.com


"While I have believed that the federal marketplace's failure was inevitable, it has become a resource used by many Oklahomans," Doak said. "In the absence of legislative action to create a solution that can restore the stability of our health insurance system, I will work with the industry to encourage marketplace stabilization and participation."

Doak has been working on state-based solutions to Oklahoma's health insurance challenges. He has partnered with Sen. Bill Brown (R-Dist. 36) to pass Senate Bill 478 which allows for the sale of health insurance across state lines. The bill passed the Senate Thursday 38-4.

"We want to give consumers more options," said Brown. "With more policies to choose from, they are much more likely to find a plan that meets their needs. This bill fosters competition that, ultimately, will benefit everyone."

"This bill is a win-win," said Doak. "Giving consumers the freedom to buy health insurance across state lines will increase competition, decrease costs and provide better care."

Commissioner Doak has a history of finding innovative solutions to health insurance challenges. In 2012, the Legislature passed his proposed bill to create association health plans. It allows small employers to join together and gain access to broader benefits with competitive rates.

In January, Doak submitted ideas to U.S. leaders on changes to healthcare. They included:

Permitting sale of insurance across state lines under state regulatory enforcement.

Adopting policies that expand the use of health savings accounts coupled with more affordable, high-deductible health plans.

Enacting legislation that protects consumers from unfair balance billing and surprise billing from individual providers like anesthesiologists, radiologists or medical service companies such as air ambulance and imaging providers.

The Oklahoma Insurance Department held town halls across the state to get Oklahomans' input on healthcare reform. Much of the feedback centered around having only one insurance choice on the federal marketplace in Oklahoma.

To read Commissioner Doak's letter to Gov. Fallin, click here.

About the Oklahoma Insurance Department

The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state.

For more information, contact:

Kelly Dexter

405-522-0683

[email protected]

SOURCE Oklahoma Insurance Department

Related Links

http://www.oid.ok.gov


WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- What comes next in the Congressional battle for healthcare legislation? Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Chief Deputy Whip of the Democratic Caucus, an expert on healthcare issues, who played a major role in the development of the Affordable Care Act, will discuss the need for real, bipartisan reforms as the health care debate moves forward at a National Press Club Newsmaker news conference at 10 a.m., Wed., March 29, in the club's Bloomberg Room.

DeGette, a member of the Democratic leadership in Congress, is serving her eleventh term representing Colorado's First District, which includes Denver. She is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, serving as the Vice Chair from 2007 to 2010 and as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations since 2011.

The National Press Club is located on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building at 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. This news conference is open to credentialed media and NPC members, free of charge. No advance registration is required.

PRESS CONTACT:

Lindsay Underwood

[email protected]

(202) 662-7561

SOURCE National Press Club
WALTHAM, Mass., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DealerRater, the world's leading car dealer review website, announced today its partnership with CU Direct, the nation's leading lending technology and automotive solutions provider for credit unions. The agreement allows CU Direct to integrate DealerRater reviews and ratings on its next generation AutoSMART vehicle shopping and research platform, which enables auto dealers to sell more cars faster and easier.

AutoSMART, the nation's largest credit union auto shopping platform, provides dealers with a unique marketing channel to promote their inventory, gain access to new growth opportunities and build their brand to credit unions. AutoSMART connects dealers instantly with 1,100 credit unions and the 42 million potential car buyers they represent. The platform's robust features include: a dynamic user interface that simplifies the car buying process; dedicated Dealer Pages providing additional branding exposure; and the ability to merchandise online inventory with special offers to drive more sales.

Online reviews are more important than ever in the car buying process. By integrating DealerRater reviews and ratings on AutoSMART's new platform, dealers can promote their strong reputation and the unique experience they offer customers. Both DealerRater Certified Dealers and non-certified dealers have the ability to display their reviews on AutoSMART. However, Certified Dealers have the added benefit of showcasing their most-reviewed employees, which provides greater exposure and transparency regarding dealership personnel, likely resulting in a more confident consumer and more transactions. They also gain a two-week reconciliation period for negative reviews, allowing Certified Dealers to communicate with unsatisfied customers through a private website panel before negative reviews go live.

"DealerRater continues to actively and aggressively extend the reach of our review content across multiple platforms through strategic syndication agreements," said Jamie Oldershaw, General Manager of DealerRater. "AutoSMART is the perfect platform for DealerRater reviews and ratings because it allows dealers to leverage invaluable consumer word of mouth to put a spotlight on their dealerships and attract more customers."

"AutoSMART provides dealers with a state-of-the-art platform to better connect with credit unions, finalize more deals faster and generate more revenue," said Evan Etheridge, CU Direct's vice president of automotive products. "By further enhancing the platform with DealerRater's trusted reviews and ratings, we're providing even more value to our dealers, credit unions and to car buying members and consumers."

DealerRater reviews will appear on AutoSMART starting in March. Dealers can request the display of DealerRater reviews and ratings on their AutoSMART profile page by contacting their CU Direct representative.

About DealerRater

Founded in 2002, DealerRater, a Cars.com company, is the world's leading car dealer review website that connects consumers with the right person at the right dealership. The site offers nearly 3.5 million sales and service reviews across 41,000 U.S. and Canadian dealerships, including a network of more than 5,600 Certified Dealers. More than 14 million consumers read DealerRater content across the web each month. By offering a product suite that allows qualified dealerships to manage their reputations and achieve higher SEO rankings, DealerRater supports new customer connections by growing online presence.

About CU Direct

For more than twenty years, CU Direct has been a lending technology leader, helping credit unions fund $209 billion in loans. More than 1,000 credit unions rely on CU Direct's solutions to generate loans, create efficiencies, and grow membership. From CUDL, the industry's number one auto lending platform, to the industry's revolutionary Lending 360 Loan Origination System, and Lending Insights dynamic analytic tools, CU Direct develops the technology that helps credit unions advance their lending programs and overall portfolio success. 13,000 auto dealers nationwide use CU Direct's automotive solutions to connect with credit unions and their members to drive sales and increase their bottom lines. CU Direct is recognized as an award-winning Top Workplace by the California-based Press Enterprise. For more information, visit www.cudirect.com. Connect with CU Direct on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE DealerRater

Related Links

http://www.dealerrater.com


LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, Md., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Recent fires with buildings under construction have caught the attention of our nation. Fire is fast. These fires have shown just that, and should cause us all to realize how vulnerable we can be and how devastating fire can be.

Five days ago, Raleigh, North Carolina experienced a 5-Alarm fire that destroyed apartments under construction. This fire started around 10:00 p.m. in an unoccupied apartment complex in the center of a major urban city. The entire building where the fire started was destroyed. The fire extended to ten other adjacent buildings. While there was significant damage to the exteriors of the buildings, the majority were saved from destruction because of the buildings' construction features. All the contents were saved because the buildings had properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler systems.

Two days ago, Overland Park, Kansas experienced an 8-Alarm fire in an apartment building under construction. This fire also impacted the community and reminded us that fire is fast, and modern fire dynamics warrant research and a commitment to find the solution that will prevent such events from occurring.

According to our contractor members nationwide, and current available construction data, there are projects similar to these under construction in almost every growing major city in America. Fires that occur during construction prior to the completion of all the fire and life safety components are much more significant than if buildings are completed and functional to the latest codes and standards.

On a daily basis, the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) shares many nationwide incidents where fire sprinklers keep the fire in check until firefighters arrive, as they did in other buildings during these recent incidents. Fire sprinklers save lives and property.

While as devastating as the Raleigh and Overland Park fires were, according to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), 44 people died in homes across the country during the week of these fires. The NFSA and our members have shared more success stories where fire sprinklers have kept the fire in check while people escaped and until the firefighters arrived.

Most movies depict all fire sprinklers going off at the same time, which is untrue. In 96% of all fires, because they are each individually heat activated, fire sprinklers keep the fire small by activation of only the fire sprinkler closest to the fire.

The NFSA is being proactive and asking our Engineering & Standards Committee to work with other industries, as we have in the past, to see how we can get our property conservation and life safety systems in place sooner in the construction process.

"I am confident we can all come together for a solution," said NFSA President Shane Ray. "I am a believer that we can find solutions to problems when we all work together. Our industry has an impeccable record of saving lives and property, which it did in both of these incidents. We also believe we can help minimize these incidents in the future."

The fires in Raleigh and Overland Park should be significantly studied for the overall impact on the community, the economy, and those involved. This shouldn't end with the investigation into what caused the fire. The key should be to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. If they can't be totally prevented, a solution should be found so the fire can it be mitigated, so as to not impact the entire community.

NFSA wants to create a more fire-safe world and works to heighten the awareness of the importance of fire sprinkler systems from homes to high-rises and all occupancies in between. The Association is an inclusive organization made up of dedicated and committed members of a progressive lifesaving industry. This industry manufactures, designs, supplies, installs, inspects and services the world's most effective system in saving lives and property from uncontrolled structural fires.

For more information about the National Fire Sprinkler Association, visit www.nfsa.org, and follow us via our social media presences on Twitter (@NFSAorg), LinkedIn (National Fire Sprinkler Association) and Facebook (Natfiresprinkler).

Contact: Vickie Pritchett, 615-533-0305

SOURCE National Fire Sprinkler Association

Related Links

http://www.nfsa.org


The award recognises the innovation behind FrieslandCampina's Friso Online e-commerce platform which was launched in 2015. For 2017, the channel is projected to constitute about 20 percent of Friso's sales in Singapore. Friso Online allows consumers in Singapore to purchase Friso baby products from the dedicated site, offering free delivery and a host of different rewards. The Friso brand is now the leading baby formula brand online.

The adoption of a 'test and optimise' strategy in the development and management of the platform has enabled a critical understanding of user preferences, allowing FrieslandCampina to both customise and adapt the platform to provide the best possible user experience, as well as generate insight that can inform business decisions.

Commenting on the award win, Mr. Piet Hilarides, Chief Operating Officer, Consumer Products Asia, FrieslandCampina said: "We are pleased to be presented this award, which highlights our Dutch heritage in innovation and sustainability.

"We are very proud that Friso has become a household name amongst consumers and that it has grown into such a strong online brand in Singapore. We look forward to continued brand growth in Asia."

Ms. Lies Ellison-Davis, Managing Director, Global eBU said: "We are very proud of our achievement in building a platform that is user-friendly and that responds to consumers' demand for fuss-free online shopping. Our business continues to look at ways to enhance our consumers' shopping experience, both on and offline. We have recently invested in our digital capability by establishing an innovation hub within Singapore that will drive the e-commerce business locally and around the region."

Organised by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, the Winsemius Awards honours the achievements of businesses and institutions in areas associated with Dutch business culture and Dutch sector excellence in Singapore. This year's awards ceremony took place at the Grand Hyatt on 23 March 2017.

For more information, please contact:

Media Contacts

FrieslandCampina Spurwing Communications Ada Wong Stephanie Tan / Eoin Ee Head of Public Affairs and Communications, Asia T: +65 6340 7287 T: +65 6850 7931 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]



About Royal FrieslandCampina

Every day Royal FrieslandCampina provides millions of consumers all over the world with food that is rich in valuable nutrients. With annual revenue of 11 billion euros, FrieslandCampina is one of the world's largest dairy companies, supplying consumer and professional products, as well as ingredients and half-finished products to manufacturers of infant & toddler nutrition, the food industry and the pharmaceutical sector around the world. FrieslandCampina has offices in 33 countries and over 22,000 employees, and its products are available in more than 100 countries. The Company is fully owned by Zuivelcooperatie FrieslandCampina U.A, with almost 20,000 member dairy farmers in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium -- making it one of the world's largest dairy cooperatives.

For more information please visit: www.frieslandcampina.com.

About FrieslandCampina Consumer Products Asia

FrieslandCampina's Consumer Products Asia business group consists of operating companies that are active in the consumer products segment in Asia. FrieslandCampina has acquired excellent positions in many countries with strong brands and a wide range of products. These activities have a long and rich history. The export of dairy from Western Europe began back in the 1920s. The range of long shelf life products has expanded significantly: from milk powder, condensed milk, infant and children's nutrition to dairy drinks, yoghurts and desserts. FrieslandCampina has operating companies in mainland China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Pakistan. In Asia we market brands that have acquired strong positions. Dutch Lady is legendary in Malaysia and Vietnam, Foremost is a leading brand in Thailand, Frisian Flag is widely known in Indonesia.

For more information please visit: www.frieslandcampina.com/en/countries/frieslandcampina-asia

SOURCE FrieslandCampina

Related Links

http://www.frieslandcampina.com


SAN DIEGO, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GenomeDx Biosciences today announced that six abstracts featuring Decipher GRID (Genomics Resource Information Database) and Decipher Prostate Cancer Classifier tests will be presented at the 32nd Annual European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress held March 24 to 28, 2017 in London, England. The Annual EAU Congress is Europe's largest urological event showcasing the latest and most comprehensive research in the urological field.

The abstract titled "Muscle invasive bladder cancer: A single sample patient assay to predict molecular subtypes and benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy" was chosen as the Best Abstract Oncology, and will be displayed at the e-Posters area (North Hall, Level 1) on Sunday, March 26, as well as during poster session 68.

In addition, the publication titled "Tissue-based Genomics Augments Post-Prostatectomy Risk Stratification in a Natural History Cohort of Intermediate- and High-Risk Men," which features Decipher Post-Op, was selected as the Best Fundamental Research Paper Published in European Urology in 2016. Ashley Ross, M.D., Ph.D., the lead study author and associate professor of urology, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, will accept the award at the Award Gallery on Friday, March 24 at 4:15 p.m. GMT.

Poster Presentations

Title: The diverse genomic landscape of low-risk prostate cancer

Date: Saturday, March 25 (2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. GMT)

Poster Number: 246

Poster Session: 18

Room: Stockholm, North Hall, Level 1

Presenter: Matthew Cooperberg, M.D., M.P.H., University of California, San Francisco

Title: A genomic analysis of metastases-prone localized prostate cancer in a European high-risk population

Date: Sunday, March 26 (12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. GMT)

Poster Number: 483

Poster Session: 36

Room: Stockholm, North Hall, Level 1

Presenter: Thomas Van den Broeck, M.D., University Hospitals Leuven

Title: Decipher test impacts decision-making among patients considering adjuvant and salvage treatment following radical prostatectomy: Interim results from the multicenter prospective PRO-IMPACT study

Date: Sunday, March 26 (12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. GMT)

Poster Number: 485

Poster Session: 36

Room: Stockholm, North Hall, Level 1

Presenter: John L. Gore, M.D., M.S., University of Washington School of Medicine

Title: Transcriptome wide analysis of MRI-targeted biopsy and matching surgical specimens from high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with radical prostatectomy

Date: Sunday, March 26 (12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. GMT)

Poster Number: 503

Poster Session: 37

Room: Munich, North Hall, Level 1

Presenter: Boris Hadaschik, M.D., University of Heidelberg

Title: Her2 alterations in muscle-invasive bladder cancer: There is more than protein expression in patient selection for targeted therapy

Date: Sunday, March 26 (2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. GMT)

Poster Number: 530

Poster Session: 39

Room: Madrid, North Hall, Level 1

Presenter: Roland Seiler, M.D., University of British Columbia - Vancouver

Title: Muscle invasive bladder cancer: A single sample patient assay to predict molecular subtypes and benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Date: Monday, March 27 (12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. GMT)

Poster Number: 901

Poster Session: 68

Room: Munich, North Hall, Level 1

Presenter: Roland Seiler, M.D., University of British Columbia - Vancouver

About Decipher GRID and Decipher Prostate and Bladder Cancer Classifier Tests

GenomeDx's Decipher Genomics Resource Information Database (GRID) contains genomic profiles of thousands of tumors from patients with urological cancers, and is believed by GenomeDx to be the largest shared genomic expression database in urologic cancer as well as one of the world's largest global RNA expression databases using cloud-based analytics. GRID is a platform for interactive research collaboration, and may enable more rapid discovery, development, commercialization and adoption of new genomic solutions for key clinical questions in cancer treatment.

Derived from GRID, GenomeDx's Decipher Prostate and Bladder Cancer Classifier tests are commercially available genomic tests that provide a genomic assessment of tumor aggressiveness for individual patients. Decipher Biopsy is indicated for men with localized prostate cancer at diagnosis, Decipher Post-Op is indicated for men after prostate removal surgery and Decipher Bladder is indicated for patients being considered for neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to radical cystectomy. The Decipher tests are used by physicians to stratify patients into more accurate risk groups than determined by traditional diagnostic tools and to better determine which patients may be more likely to benefit from additional treatment. Each tumor analyzed with a Decipher test adds new data points to the GRID database, which is compiled into a Decipher GRID Profile that may reveal additional biological characteristics of the tumor for ongoing research purposes. Going beyond risk stratification, Decipher and GRID makes accessible genetic information for researchers to potentially better predict responses to therapy and more precisely guide treatment.

More information is available at www.deciphertest.com and www.deciphergrid.com

About GenomeDx Biosciences

GenomeDx has reimagined the use of genomics as a platform for mass collaboration to improve treatment and outcomes of people with cancer. GenomeDx has built Decipher GRID, a large and fast-growing genomics database in urologic cancer that provides a foundation for open and interactive research collaboration and knowledge creation. Using Decipher GRID and machine learning to analyze vast amounts of genomic data, GenomeDx develops and commercializes proprietary clinical tests that are intended to provide more accurate and useful diagnostic information than traditional diagnostic tools or existing genomic tests. GenomeDx's Decipher Biopsy, Decipher Post-Op and Decipher Bladder are commercially available prostate cancer genomic tests that provide an assessment of tumor aggressiveness based on a patient's unique genomic profile. GenomeDx is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and operates a clinical laboratory in San Diego, California.

Learn more at www.GenomeDx.com

SOURCE GenomeDx Biosciences

Related Links

http://www.GenomeDx.com


DUBLIN, Mar. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global and China Hydraulic Industry Report, 2017-2021" report to their offering.

Hydraulic parts are the crucial components to modern equipment manufacturing. The global hydraulic parts market size approximated USD35.2 billion in 2016, up about 2.6% year on year. Driven by the growth of global and Chinese machinery and equipment markets, the world's hydraulic parts market will continue to grow and may fetch USD46.6 billion by 2021.



China, the second largest hydraulic parts market around the globe, accounts for roughly 24% of the global hydraulic market scale. Due to the downturn of construction machinery and other major downstream industries, Chinese hydraulic parts market valued about RM58 billion in 2016, down 0.5% year on year. The construction machinery industry showed obvious sign of recovery in early 2017; coupled with Made in China 2025, China's Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for Intelligent Manufacturing, the Belt and Road Initiatives and other positive policies, Chinese hydraulic parts market will resume growth progressively, and is expected to garner RMB75.9 billion by 2021.



The China-made hydraulic parts has prevailed in the medium and low-end market domestically for a long time, while the high-end hydraulic parts market is monopolized by Kawasaki Precision Machinery, Eaton, Rexroth, Linde and other foreign-funded enterprises.



In order to break through the development bottleneck of domestic high-end hydraulic parts, China has introduced a number of policies. Hengli Hydraulic, Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Group Yuci Hydraulics, Huade Hydraulic and other local enterprises have speeded up their layout of high-end hydraulic parts through acquisitions, independent R & D and other approaches. In 2016, Hengli Hydraulic deployed high-end hydraulic pump valves by taking over HAWE Inline and set up a new factory in Changzhou city to achieve local production; meanwhile, Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Group Yuci Hydraulics started to build a new high-end hydraulic product (Jinan city of Shandong province) production & research base. As multiple high-end hydraulic parts projects go into operation, China will be able to produce about 60% of high-end hydraulic components and systems independently by 2021.



In addition to high-end hydraulic products, industry 4.0 and mechanical-electrical-hydraulic integration will become the hydraulic industry's main trends in the future under the impetus of the Internet, intellectualization and so forth.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Overview of Hydraulic Industry

1.1 Definition

1.2 Composition

1.3 Industrial Chain



2 Development of Global Hydraulic Industry

2.1 Market Size

2.2 Regional Structure

2.3 Key Players



3 Development of China Hydraulic Industry

3.1 Related Policies

3.2 Industry Scale

3.3 Main Problems

3.4 Corporate Pattern



4 Chinese Hydraulic Parts Market

4.1 Overview

4.2 Supply and Demand

4.3 Price

4.4 Construction Machinery Hydraulic Parts Market

4.5 Trends



5 Hydraulic Parts Subdivision and Related Product Markets

5.1 Hydraulic Cylinder

5.2 Hydraulic Pump Valve

5.3 Hydraulic Hammer



6 Major Foreign Companies

6.1 Bosch-Rexroth

6.2 Eaton

6.3 Parker Hannifin

6.4 Kawasaki Precision Machinery

6.5 KYB

6.6 YUKEN

6.7 Nabtesco



7 Key Chinese Companies

7.1 Jiangsu Hengli Hydraulic Co., Ltd.

7.2 Yantai Eddie Precision Machinery Co., Ltd.

7.3 Shandong Taifeng Hydraulic Co., Ltd.

7.4 Yuci Hydraulics Group Corporation

7.5 Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Group Yuci Hydraulics Co., Ltd.

7.6 AVIC Liyuan Hydraulic Co., Ltd.

7.7 Sunbun Hydraulic Co., Ltd

7.8 Zhejiang Stronger Hydraulic Co., Ltd.

7.9 Shandong Zhongchuan Hydraulic Co., Ltd.

7.10 Beijing Huade Hydraulic Industrial Group Co., Ltd.

7.11 XCMG Hydraulics Co., Ltd.

7.12 SKS Hydraulic Technology Co., Ltd.

7.13 Shandong Longyuan Hydraulic Technology Co., Ltd.

7.14 Jiangsu Guori Hydraulic Machinery Co., Ltd.

7.15 Zhejiang Haihong Hydraulic Technology Stock Co., Ltd.

7.16 Linde Hydraulics (China) Co., Ltd.



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6n7thv/global_and_china

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


"Isagenix is not only our business; it is our family," said Kathy Coover, Isagenix owner and executive vice president. "Our customers mean so much to us, and our employees, associates, and vendors work together across the world to make this amazing company succeed. We have come a long way, and we are so grateful for everyone who has been a part of our growth in the past 15 years."

Jim Coover, Isagenix owner and CEO, also commented, "Isagenix is proud to be headquartered in the Town of Gilbert and the State of Arizona. We appreciate the support we have received from this outstanding community, and we look forward to many more years with our Arizona family."

In honor of its crystal anniversary, Isagenix offices celebrated across the globe. Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels and Gilbert Chamber of Commerce CEO Kathy Tilque helped Isagenix kick off the celebration, joining the company's owners and employees at their world headquarters to proclaim March 23 as Isagenix Day in Gilbert, Arizona.

During the presentation, notable facts about the company were highlighted:

Isagenix is the largest company (by revenue) headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona .

. The company achieved a life-to-date cumulative revenue of $5 billion in March 2017 .

in . The company's world headquarters are located in a 150,000-square-foot building in Gilbert, Arizona , and were the first corporate tenant of the new Rivulon development.

, and were the first corporate tenant of the new Rivulon development. Isagenix is impacting the Arizona economy by more than $800 million dollars per year by providing jobs and utilizing Arizona manufacturers and suppliers.

economy by more than per year by providing jobs and utilizing manufacturers and suppliers. The company employs more than 650 employees in Gilbert, Arizona , and more than 1,000 employees worldwide.

, and more than 1,000 employees worldwide. The company's Australia / New Zealand office has been open for 10 years this month and is among the largest direct selling businesses in the Australia / New Zealand market.

/ office has been open for 10 years this month and is among the largest direct selling businesses in the / market. Isagenix has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the Fastest-Growing Companies in America for 10 consecutive years, more recently as one of the Valley's Healthiest Employers, and in Direct Selling News as one of the industry's Best Places to Work.

Isagenix demonstrates its commitment to its employees and their families through its innovative employee wellness program and corporate sustainability initiatives.

Since 2012, the company with the support of its Customers, has raised more than $5.6 million for Make-A-Wish in 11 countries, which is enough to help the organization grant more than 633 wishes.

To learn more about Isagenix, visit our website at Isagenix.com, subscribe to our blog at IsaFYI.com, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Isagenix, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @Isagenix.

About Isagenix International

Established in 2002, Isagenix provides systems for weight loss, energy, performance, healthy aging, and wealth creation. With more than 550,000 Customers worldwide and more than 100 life-changing products, packs, and systems globally, the company is committed to producing Solutions to Transform Lives. In 2016, Isagenix reached nearly $1 billion in global sales through an independent network of associates in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Colombia, and Indonesia. Isagenix is a privately owned company with headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona. For more information, visit Isagenix.com.

SOURCE Isagenix International

Related Links

http://www.Isagenix.com


CLINTON, Ill., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With the current budget impasse and financial crisis that most State Departments are facing, there exists an opportunity to significantly increase funding through more effective debt collections.

It is a fact that every citizen of Illinois would owe $ 45,000 if the financial burden was placed evenly on every individual in the state.

The Murkin Group, LLC

The Murkin Group, a progressive and new age commercial debt collection agency, has proposed a solution to the financial crisis that Illinois now faces.

The Murkin Group believes the solution is truly two-fold.

(1) The state of Illinois must ease the procurement process that has hampered the efforts of debt collection agencies to get in and assist the state to collect monies owed it and (2) put more "dogs in the fight." The more agencies that are allowed to collect on behalf of the state, the more success the state will have in funding its bottom line.

The Murkin Group has chosen to lead the charge in the effort to meet with Illinois representatives to create a better system.

"We are not willing to take no for an answer. The broken system that has become the status quo in our State's Government needs to be changed. The Citizens of this great State deserve better. Someone has to show the intestinal fortitude to at least try and make a difference," said Dan Nash, a Murkin Group Employee.

The Murkin Group was established 2013. It has already started to build alliances with organizations such as the Illinois Lumber-Material Dealers Association which voted unanimously to The Murkin Group now being the sole and preferred supplier for Lumber Yards across the State of Illinois and neighboring States. The Murkin Group has built its foundation of the backbone of the construction industry. The Murkin group prides itself with being able to supply jobs and change lives in the communities of Largo, Florida; Clinton, Illinois; and Rapid City, South Dakota.

The Murkin Group's mission Statement is "To exceed client expectations by providing outstanding service and solutions to credit and collection professionals throughout the World, and truly change the perception of our industry

One client at a time."

Contact:



Dan Nash

Director of Sales

ILMDA  Preferred Vendor

NRMCA  BAC Committee Member



The Murkin Group, LLC

203 East Side Square

Clinton, IL 61727

Toll 866-447-7044 x 271

Direct 217-686-4232

Fax 217-570-0068

[email protected]



http://www.murkingroup.com

Related Links

Illinois Lumber & The Murkin Group

Illinois Ready Mix & The Murkin Group

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79SJAH4Duuo

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE The Murkin Group, LLC

Related Links

http://www.murkingroup.com


Montanans will host an event Saturday in solidarity with Make America Great Again Marches happening nationwide.

The marches are not protests, according to national organizers, but showing support and encouragement of the change happening in America. The goal is to have a march in at least one city in every state and in Washington, D.C.

It is about time we stand up for America, a description on the website www.magamarch.org says. We are marching for our President, Vice President, Military, and First Responders. We are the silent majority and we are ready for a real change. A change for how our Veterans are treated when the focus seems to be somewhere else. A change for our first responders who get little credit for what they do, a change for our country.

Organizers of the Montana MAGA March are holding a potluck picnic in Memorial Park from 12-3 p.m. The itinerary includes singing of patriotic songs, music, discussion, a short speech and the potluck.

Its not a march like some of the others across the country, said organizer Jim Buterbaugh. Its in support of vets, first responders and to gather up donations for homeless vets and really anyone thats homeless.

Buterbaugh has been outspoken on the issue of immigration, appearing at events over the last year in opposition to refugee resettlement in Montana. He emphasized that the Make America Great Again event is not a protest and encouraged any signs to carry positive messages.

Buterbaugh says his interest in the event is apolitical as he did not personally support President Donald Trump, although did vote for him given the alternative of Hillary Clinton. He does expect Trump supporters to be a voice on Saturday.

With all the bad-mouthing nationwide toward cops, toward the police, this is the way to show our support for them and other first responders, he said. Im sure therell be plenty of Trump supporters down too because of the Make America Great Again.

Attendees should bring food for the potluck and money or items they'd like to donate, he said.

More information on the Montana MAGA March is available at www.facebook.com/events/1190868917696087/?active_tab=about.

As of Thursday evening, 36 people had confirmed on Facebook that they would participate.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthier Choices Management Corp. (OTC Pink: HCMC) today announced that it has engaged 3 firms specializing in the marijuana industry to assist in obtaining Medical Marijuana licensure in Florida. Two of the engagements involve specialists that are law firms, Hoban Law Group on a national level, and Medical Marijuana Business Lawyers, LLC. on the local level. The third firm retained by HMCM is Slee 3 Consulting, specialists in mergers and acquisitions, and identifying investment and partnership opportunities in both hands on and off the plant companies.

"HCMC is well positioned in Florida to use its 9 long standing Vape Stores as a springboard to rapid success in the medical marijuana dispensary and accessory business. By converting portions of our existing stores into dispensaries, we will have the opportunity to leverage our loyal customer base, many of whom we believe will come to us to fulfill their medical marijuana needs," said Jeff Holman, CEO of HCMC.

For more detailed information, please see the Investor Informational Deck on the company's website at www.hcmc1.com in the investors section.

About Healthier Choices Management Corp.

Healthier Choices Management Corp. is a holding company focused on providing consumers with healthier daily choices with respect to nutrition and other lifestyle alternatives. One segment of our business is a U.S. based retailer of vaporizers and e-liquids. The other segment is our natural and organic grocery operations in Ft. Myers, Florida. Healthier Choices Management Corp. sells direct to consumer via company-owned brick-and-mortar retail locations operating under "The Vape Store" and "Ada's Natural and Organic" brands.

Healthier Choices Management Corp. Inc. (http://www.healthiercmc.com/).

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of that term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Additional written or oral forward looking statements may be made by the Company from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise. Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are based on management's estimates, assumptions and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. The Company assumes no obligation to update these statements. Forward looking statements may include, but are not limited to, projections or estimates of revenue, income or loss, exit costs, cash flow needs and capital expenditures, statements regarding future operations, expansion or restructuring plans, including our recent exit from and winding down of our wholesale distribution operations. In addition, when used in this release, the words "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," and "plans" and variations thereof and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements.

Other factors that may affect our future results of operations and financial condition include, but are not limited to, unanticipated developments in any one or more of the following areas, as well as other factors which may be detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings: risks involved with our business, including possible loss of business and customer dissatisfaction

SOURCE Healthier Choices Management Corp.

Related Links

http://www.healthiercmc.com


HOLLYWOOD, Fla., March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthier Choices Management Corp. (OTC Pink: HCMC) today announced financial results for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2016.

Full Year 2016 Results and Recent Highlights:

During 2016 the company completed the sale of its wholesale business and, through its subsidiary, Healthy Choice Markets, Inc. acquired a natural and organic supermarket.

Total sales from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2016 amounted to $10.6 million compared to $5.3 million during the same period last year.

amounted to compared to during the same period last year. Gross margin from continuing operations increased by approximately $2.1 million for the year resulting in a year-end amount of approximately $5.2 million .

for the year resulting in a year-end amount of approximately . Gross margin percent remained strong for the year ending at 50%.

Operating loss for the year amounted to $8.9 million ; an improvement of approximately $13.7 million from prior year.

; an improvement of approximately from prior year. Net Income amounted $12.3 million ; a turnaround of $42.3 million from prior year .

Per Jeffrey Holman, Chief Executive Officer of Healthier Choices Management Corp., "Our results reflect our strategic decision to exit the vapor wholesale distribution business and close underperforming vapor stores. This was a difficult decision and the exit costs have been substantial. We believe, however, these transactions will significantly improve our consolidated financial performance and streamline our business going forward. The exit process is now largely complete and has positioned us to focus on growing the overall performance of our business."

Mr. Holman went on to comment that through a series of agreements with HCMC's warrant holders the company was able to shed its going concern classification.

About Healthier Choices Management Corp.

Healthier Choices Management Corp. is a holding company focused on providing consumers with healthier daily choices with respect to nutrition and other lifestyle alternatives. One segment of our business is a U.S. based retailer of vaporizers and e-liquids. The other segment is our natural and organic grocery operations in Ft. Myers, Florida. Healthier Choices Management Corp. sells direct to consumer via company-owned brick-and-mortar retail locations operating under "The Vape Store" and "Ada's Natural and Organic" brands.

Healthier Choices Management Corp. Inc. (http://www.healthiercmc.com/).

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of that term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Additional written or oral forward looking statements may be made by the Company from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise. Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are based on management's estimates, assumptions and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. The Company assumes no obligation to update these statements. Forward looking statements may include, but are not limited to, projections or estimates of revenue, income or loss, exit costs, cash flow needs and capital expenditures, statements regarding future operations, expansion or restructuring plans, including our recent exit from and winding down of our wholesale distribution operations. In addition, when used in this release, the words "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," and "plans" and variations thereof and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements.

Other factors that may affect our future results of operations and financial condition include, but are not limited to, unanticipated developments in any one or more of the following areas, as well as other factors which may be detailed from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings: risks involved with our business, including possible loss of business and customer dissatisfaction.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Continuing Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:

HEALTHIER CHOICES MANAGEMENT CORP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS











Twelve Months Ended Dec 31,



2016 2015







SALES:





Total Sales

$ 10,565,163 $ 5,252,611







Total Cost of Sales

5,331,810 2,172,447







GROSS MARGIN

5,233,353 3,080,164







EXPENSES:













Total Operating Costs and Expenses

14,095,621 25,628,481







LOSS FROM OPERATIONS

(8,862,268) (22,548,317)















Total other income (expense)

21,136,563 30,549,668















Net Income (Loss)

12,274,295 8,001,351







Deemed Dividend

- (38,068,021)







Net income (loss) from Continued operations $ 12,274,295 $ (30,066,670)









Consolidated Balance Sheets

The following table sets forth our Consolidated Balance Sheets for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:

HEALTHIER CHOICES MANAGEMENT CORP





BALANCE SHEET















December 31,

December 31,

2016

2015 ASSETS





CURRENT ASSETS





Cash and cash equivalents $ 13,366,272

$ 27,214,991 Other Current Assets 950,753

2,351,378 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 14,317,025

29,566,370







Other assets 2,917,726

4,681,491







TOTAL ASSETS $ 17,234,751

$ 34,247,861







LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





CURRENT LIABILITIES:





Current Liabilities $ 1,909,126

$ 5,683,917 Current Derivative Liabilities-Non-Consenting Warrants 955,173

41,089,580 SUB-TOTAL $ 2,864,299

$ 46,773,497







Current Derivative Liabilities-Consenting Warrants 11,912,906

-















TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 14,777,205

46,773,497







Capital lease, net of current portion -

58,572 TOTAL LIABILITIES 14,777,205

46,832,069







TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY/(DEFICIT) 2,457,546

(12,584,207)







TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY/(DEFICIT) $ 17,234,751

$ 34,247,861









SOURCE Healthier Choices Management Corp.

Related Links

http://www.healthiercmc.com


BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthSouth Corporation (NYSE: HLS) will hold its annual meeting of stockholders at 11 a.m. CT, on Thursday, May 4, 2017, at its corporate headquarters, 3660 Grandview Parkway in Birmingham, Alabama.

HealthSouth stockholders are invited to attend the annual meeting. Stockholders and other interested parties may listen to a live audio webcast of the annual meeting, which will be available at http://investor.healthsouth.com by clicking on an available link. The webcast will be archived for replay purposes following the meeting.

Please note that stockholders planning to attend the meeting will be asked to present valid picture identification, such as a driver's license or passport. Reporters planning to attend are requested to pre-register with Casey Lassiter by calling 205 969-6176 or emailing [email protected] no later than Thursday, April 27, 2017.

About HealthSouth

HealthSouth is one of the nation's largest providers of post-acute healthcare services, offering both facility-based and home-based post-acute services in 35 states and Puerto Rico through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies, and hospice agencies. HealthSouth can be found on the web at www.healthsouth.com.

Media Contact :

Casey Lassiter, 205 447-6410

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact :

Crissy Carlisle, 205 970-5860

[email protected]

SOURCE HealthSouth Corporation

Related Links

http://www.healthsouth.com


HOUSTON, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyperdynamics Corporation (OTCQX: HDYN) announced today that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders that was adjourned on February 27, 2017 will be reconvened on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time. The original record date for the meeting of January 20, 2017 has not changed, and valid proxies that have already been submitted remain valid for the reconvened meeting.

The meeting will be held in Houston at the Omni Houston Hotel Westside, 13210 Katy Freeway. A continental breakfast will be served starting at 9:00 a.m. Central Time.

Following the business portion of the meeting, Ray Leonard, Hyperdynamics President and Chief Executive Officer, will provide an operational update.

A webcast of the meeting will be available live and for later replay in the Investor Relations section of the Company's web site at www.hyperdynamics.com under Events & Presentations.

About Hyperdynamics

Hyperdynamics is an emerging independent oil and gas exploration company that is exploring for oil and gas offshore the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. To find out more, visit our website at www.hyperdynamics.com.

Contacts:

Ray Leonard

President and Chief Executive Officer

713-353-9445

Anne Pearson / Jack Lascar

Dennard-Lascar Associates

713-529-6600

SOURCE Hyperdynamics

Related Links

https://www.hyperdynamics.com


WILMINGTON, Del. and NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of former executives and experts from leading credit card issuers announced today the market launch of new consumer credit cards under the brand "Ollo". The newly-formed company, Fair Square Financial Holdings, ("Fair Square Financial" or "the Company"), has received a substantial equity commitment to finance card issuance from Pine Brook, an investment firm focused on building financial services businesses.

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Fair Square Financial is led by Chief Executive Officer Rob Habgood, who brings more than 25 years of credit card experience to the Company. Prior to his new role, Habgood co-led the credit card business of Bank of America. Previously, Habgood held various senior roles at Capital One, and led the launch and expansion of Capital One's consumer credit card business in the U.K. to over 4 million customers and $8 billion in loan balances.

"Almost a decade after the financial crisis, millions of Americans are still limited in their access to competitively priced card products," said Habgood. "We believe there is an opportunity to better meet the credit needs of hard-working Americans, while helping them achieve their financial goals."

"We're excited to have a board of directors and a management team with the depth and breadth of industry experience that is fundamental to successfully launch and manage a credit card business. We are combining industry-proven credit card expertise with advanced analytics and technology to deliver innovative and transparent products to serve our customers' borrowing and payment needs," Habgood continued. "We also are thrilled to be supported by Pine Brook, a firm with a 10+ year track record of partnering with experienced management teams to build successful financial services companies."

Fair Square's board is comprised of industry veterans who bring decades of experience in credit, payments and risk management to the company and were instrumental in its formation. Vikram S. Pandit, the former CEO of Citigroup and previously President and COO for the institutional securities and investment banking businesses of Morgan Stanley, has been appointed to the board of directors. Steven Freiberg was formerly CEO of E*Trade and held a number of senior positions at Citigroup, including CEO, Global Consumer Group and CEO, Global Card Products, and also serves on the Board of MasterCard. Freiberg will serve as Chairman of the Board. Also joining the board is Ajay Mookerjee, an e-finance entrepreneur and experienced credit card executive from Capital One, GE, Suntrust and Booz Allen and current advisor on financial services strategies for Warburg Pincus.

In addition to its investment in the Company, Pine Brook is working with the management team and the board on Fair Square Financial's strategy. Pine Brook Co-President William Spiegel and Managing Director Oliver Goldstein also serve on the Fair Square Financial Board.

"We believe Fair Square Financial's new credit offering will meet the needs of a large population of previously underserved consumers," said Spiegel. "We share Rob's vision for the business and are confident that he and his team have the knowledge and experience to make Fair Square Financial a success," said Goldstein.

Joining Habgood on the senior management team are Chief Risk Officer Scott Bourdreau, previously Consumer Credit Risk Executive at Bank of America; Chief Marketing and Product Officer Florian Egg-Krings, previously Managing Director, Credit Card Services at JP Morgan Chase; Chief Financial Officer Steve Linehan, previously EVP, Treasurer at Capital One; Chief Operating Officer Rick Welsh, previously Card Operations Executive at Bank of America; and General Counsel and Chief Administrative and Corporate Development Officer David Tyler, previously Chief Bank Business Risk Officer at Capital One.

About Fair Square Financial Holdings

Fair Square Financial is a Wilmington, DE-based company focused on serving consumers with competitive credit card products. Fair Square aims to deliver innovative and transparent products that serve consumers' borrowing and payment needs while enabling them to improve their credit and financial standing. The Company utilizes advanced data analytics, modeling and strategic testing to identify segments of customers to whom it can provide a differentiated, superior solution. For more information about Fair Square's product, please visit the company's Ollo Card branded product page at www.ollocard.com.

About Pine Brook

Pine Brook is an investment firm that manages more than $6.0 billion of limited partner commitments that makes "business building" and other equity investments, primarily in energy and financial services businesses. Pine Brook's team of investment professionals collectively has over 300 years of experience financing the growth of businesses with equity, working alongside talented entrepreneurs and experienced management teams to build businesses of scale without relying on acquisition leverage. For more information about Pine Brook, please visit the company's web site at www.pinebrookpartners.com.

SOURCE Fair Square Financial

Related Links

http://www.ollocard.com


NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential securities fraud at ING Groep N.V. ("ING Groep" or the "Company") (NYSE:ING).

The investigation focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws. Specifically, on March, 22, 2017, the Company announced it may face "significant" penalties in connection with a criminal investigation into corruption and money laundering. As a result of this news, the Company may be subject to major fines.

On this news, the Company's American Depository Receipts ("ADRs") significantly declined, causing harm to investors.

Request more information now by clicking here: www.faruqilaw.com/ING. There is no cost or obligation to you.

Take Action

You can also contact us by calling Richard Gonnello toll free at 877-247-4292 or at 212-983-9330 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding ING Groep's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP

685 Third Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Attn: Richard Gonnello, Esq.

[email protected]

Telephone: (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330

SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP

Related Links

http://www.faruqilaw.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Office of Will M. Helixon announced today that they have expanded the legal services provided by the Business Affairs Section of the firm to include Estate Planning and Trust Administration. These services include developing estate plans that efficiently transfer assets to minimize tax consequences whenever possible.

"Of Counsel" Estate Planning Law Office of Will M. Helixon

Jon Stanfield, Partner in charge of the Business Affairs Section, is excited to add this new service to the firm's portfolio. "We currently offer legal services, including regulatory guidance and defending FINRA and enforcement actions for broker dealers and their registered representatives. Adding Mr. Rees to our firm enables us to provide registered representatives and financial advisors an additional level of service with estate planning and trust administration."

Mr. Rees, a former member of the Kansas Army National Guard from 1972-1978, joins a firm that combined has over 60-years of active duty as U.S. Army Judge Advocates. In addition to Jon, Mr. Rees joins Will M. Helixon (the firm's founder), Ted Houdek (senior litigation counsel), and Tom Hurley (administrative law "of counsel"), all former judge advocates.

"We are pleased to bring Mr. Rees to our practice. His extensive background as a private practice estate planner and as a bank trust administrator gives our firm the ability to offer all the client services provided by military attorneys in their respective services. From defending courts-martial to providing advice on adverse administrative matters to offering wills, drafting trusts and performing estate planning, the Law Office of Will M. Helixon is a complete personal affairs practice for members of the military and civilians alike," said Will M. Helixon.

Former President of VSR Financial Services, an Overland Park, KS, broker dealer and registered investment adviser, acquired by a publicly traded company in 2016, Jon Stanfield oversees the firm's legal offerings to financial planners and advisors. "We are looking to provide a full spectrum of legal services to the retail-level financial professionals. This addition allows us that opportunity."

The Law Office of Will M. Helixon was established in 2016, and in headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. It was established to defend members of the military in courts-martial, adverse administrative proceedings and other criminal proceedings. It now handles military matters, family law, business and securities law, and personal affairs.

Media Contact: Mr. Grant Trahant, Phone (913) 839-9762 or (816) 482-9310.

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

image3.jpg

image4.jpg

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H4_MiC8Jss

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Law Office of Will M. Helixon
DULUTH, Ga., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies, a national early childhood education franchise with more than three decades of experience, announced today a groundbreaking ceremony for its first center in the Hamilton Mill, GA area on Tuesday, March 28 at 12:30 p.m. at 3690 Ridge Road in Buford. The opening of the Hamilton Mill area school marks the continued expansion of Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies in the state of Georgia.

The new Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy of the Hamilton Mill area is owned and operated by first-time franchisee, Robert Bowman. As a native to the area, he saw the need for quality education in the community, leading him to explore the opportunity to join the franchise industry. In addition to joining Kids 'R' Kids, Robert is currently a residential builder with Premier Home Builders, Inc., a company he has been with for the past 24 years.

"I am thrilled to break ground on the first Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy in the Hamilton Mill area, and am eager to introduce the top-of-the-line secure, nurturing and educational environment the Kids 'R' Kids' brand is known for through the new upgraded facility," said Robert Bowman." I look forward to the opportunity to create a strong educational foundation for each and every child in the community that will come through our doors."

The Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy of the Hamilton Mill area will feature top-of-the-line classrooms equipped with age appropriate learning materials and furniture, SMART Board interactive technology and a variety of outdoor play areas for children of all ages. The 16,000 square-foot facility will also include a computer lab, cafeteria and library. The new school is projected to open Fall 2017.

For more than 30 years, Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies has upheld its long-standing principle of strengthening and encouraging childhood development on an emotional, intellectual, social and physical level through a unique partnership between its teachers and families.

The company offers a variety of curriculum programs designed for infants through prekindergarten. Its proprietary First Class Curriculum is designed specifically for every developmental stage of learning with theme-based units, specific educational activities and teacher-friendly lesson plans.

Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies also offers an integrated project-based curriculum, STEAM AHEAD, designed for preschool students, ages three to five, which incorporates more science, technology, engineering, art, and math into everyday learning through play.

With a nationally awarded curriculum, Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies provides early education and care for children from six weeks through 12 years of age at its nearly 160 schools located in 16 states across the country. Programs offered to children include infant care, toddler and preschooler care, private pre-k and kindergarten, before-and-afterschool care and summer camp. In order to provide even more convenience for families with busy schedules, Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies remain open during most major school breaks and holidays nationwide.

Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies has been accredited by AdvancED in America for more than six years, the world's largest education community. This accreditation ensures its schools are meeting and exceeding the highest accreditation standards and providing excellence in education beyond most daycare and childcare providers.

To learn more about ownership opportunities with Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies, contact Rashid Khan at (844) KRK-FRAN (844-575-3726) or [email protected] or visit kidsrkidsfranchise.com.

About Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies

Headquartered in the North Atlanta suburb of Duluth, Georgia, Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies provide a secure, nurturing, and educational environments for children (ages six weeks - 12 years) to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society. With nearly 160 Learning Academies in 16 states, Kids 'R' Kids International is a family-owned and operated organization that ranks in the top three nationwide for franchised early childhood education centers (www.kidsrkids.com).

CONTACT:

Tiffany Trilli

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies

Related Links

http://www.kidsrkids.com


NEW YORK, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The national real estate investor/developer, Lightstone, announced today the closing of financing for 40 East End Avenue, a 100,000 square foot condominium planned for Manhattan's Upper East Side. The development, located on the exclusive and highly desirable East End Avenue, will be financed by an $85.3 million loan from Bank of the Ozarks.

40 East End will be a true boutique condominium, composed of 29 unique homes spread across 18 stories. The project will feature two, three, and four bedroom residences, including a beautiful maisonette with rear courtyard, duplex residences, full floor residences with direct elevator access, and a triplex penthouse with full private rooftop. Residences at 40 East End will all have outdoor space, as well as spectacular views overlooking the East River and Manhattan skyline.

40 East End will also offer an array of amenities and building services, including a full-time doorman, concierge, private porte-cochere and car park, double-height resident lounge, library, catering kitchen, game room, state-of-the-art fitness center, and private climate-controlled tenant storage rooms.

"There's nowhere in Manhattan like the tranquil enclave of East End Avenue," said Lightstone President Mitchell Hochberg. "It's a bucolic community, tucked away in the most exclusive part of Manhattan. Only a handful of new developments have been built in recent years on East End Avenue, and we're thrilled to be working on this one-of-a-kind project in this remarkable location."

40 East End is located in close proximity to a wide array of neighborhood amenities including Carl Schurz Park, just two-and-a-half blocks away, as well as top educational and cultural institutions, such as nearby Gracie Mansion.

The property is an architectural collaboration between world-renowned and award-winning architects Deborah Berke and Gerner Kronich + Valcarcel, Architects. Berke, who was recently appointed to a prestigious position as Dean of the Yale School of Architecture, is the project's creative director. Berke's firm has been recognized for its innovative work in creating strong and elegant public and private spaces, with a specialty in luxury condominiums and chic urban hotels.

About Lightstone:

Lightstone, founded by David Lichtenstein, is one of the most highly-regarded and diversified private real estate companies in the United States. Operating in all sectors of the real estate market, Lightstone's $2.0 billion portfolio (in 26 states) currently includes over 6 million square feet of office, retail and industrial commercial properties, 10,000 residential units and 3,843 hotel keys. It also owns over 12,000 land lots across the country. Headquartered in New York City, Lightstone continues to grow its local presence with $2.5 billion worth of projects currently under development in the residential and hospitality sectors.

Contact:

Christopher Bastardi

212-729-2495

[email protected]

SOURCE Lightstone

Related Links

http://www.lightstonegroup.com


PALM BEACH, Fla., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Loji (www.goloji.com), the startup revolutionizing the way people search and share information, has announced the worldwide launch of their first mobile app for iMessage.

Loji Screenshots

Interactive logos enable Loji users to immediately access useful information on their favorite people, places and things, without leaving their text message conversations. Loji aggregates the most functional and contextually relevant information to create a customized profile for each logo. By simply tapping on a logo, users can easily view and share contact details, maps, reviews, social media feeds and so much more  all from one place.

Loji has designed an interface that is both intuitive and easy-to-use. From within iMessage, users can visually search for logos in the app's image-based library. Real-time data, made available through integrations with Google, Facebook and Instagram, add value and utility to the app.

Loji is also a marketing tool, providing a new platform for brands to directly interact with their target audiences. Companies currently have the option to create or edit original branded content or promotions in their logo's profile at no cost. As messaging is set to become the primary form of communication on smartphones, Loji's offerings create long-term value by filling a gap in the mobile advertising space.

When Founder & CEO, Kathryn Harper, was asked how the idea for Loji came about, she explained how she wished her emoji keyboard also included logos of the places she frequented and things she loved. Harper had also grown tired of sending links and screenshots of Google searches to coordinate outings with friends. She saw a unique opportunity to combine these two concepts.

"With Loji, I sought to create an experience that was 'fun', but also had functionality at its core," said Harper. "To meet the needs of today's on-the-go user, Loji needed to seamlessly deliver valuable information at every touchpoint."

Logo Profile Features:

Content: Contact Information; Maps; Reservations; Order/Buy/Shop; OpenTable; Yelp; Delivery; Contests; Promotions; Chatbots; Direct Call; Customized Directions; Uber; Lyft

Social Media: Facebook; Instagram; LinkedIn; Pinterest; Periscope; YouTube; Google+; Tumblr

Location Data: Identifies where a user is; Provides the closest location; Lists additional nearby locations; Automatically updates contact information to selected location

Logo Library Categories: Restaurants & Food; Coffee & Tea; Bar & Nightlife; Shopping & Stores; Education; Sports; Travel & Hotel; Pets & Nature; Music, Entertainers & Celebrities; Technology & Media; Medical; Beauty & Spa; Government; Everything

Loji understands that the future is in artificial intelligence, giving brands the ability to incorporate chatbots into their logo's profile. This feature benefits both brands and AI by aiding in bot discovery. Loji's platform also relies on machine learning, using a proprietary algorithm to optimize each user's most frequently-used logos.

Unique to Loji, is the offering of interactive logos of people. Once a user signs up for the app, their Facebook and Instagram connections auto-populate in their logo library. Users have the option to personalize their own profile by adding multiple social media accounts.

Loji is free to download on Apple's iMessage App Store, and compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iTouch. The company plans on expanding their interactive logo technology to work across a variety of platforms and use cases.

ABOUT LOJI

Loji's interactive logos are the smarter way to find and share useful information, without leaving iMessage. Empower your search experience to make better connections to what you love. For more information, visit www.goloji.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Amber Hopkins Grow

(561) 308-0635

[email protected]

SOURCE Loji

Related Links

http://www.goloji.com


A bill to remove the requirement of force from the definition of a nonconsensual sexual act was heard in committee on Friday with support from Attorney General Tim Fox.

The legislation is part of a package of bills looking at all aspects of sexual assault to help victims move cases forward. Senate Bill 29, carried by Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, would change the definition of consent in an effort to help victims prosecute cases if they do not consent to a sexual act but do not physically fight off or resist a perpetrator. Sands said she thinks the bill could encourage more victims to come forward without physical evidence, such as bruises or marks from being physically restrained.

Sands said it seems like common sense that a victim would physically resist or try to escape a perpetrator.

What we know from 40 years of research is thats not what happens. In the majority of cases, the victim freezes, she said. Its how animals react.

Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, often by an acquaintance, a friend or a family member. When a victim is assaulted by someone they trusted, it becomes even more difficult to physically resist, Sands said.

The victim cant really believe this is happening in many cases, she said. There are cases that have gone all the way to the Montana Supreme Court, but under the language we have in Montana Code we cant prosecute it.

The new language in the bill is adapted from a policy put in place by the military. Consent would be defined as words or overt actions indicating a freely given agreement to have sexual intercourse or sexual contact. The legislation says an expression of lack of consent through words or conduct means there is no consent or that consent has been withdrawn.

An existing or previous relationship does not constitute consent on its own, and a lack of consent can be inferred based on surrounding circumstances.

Attorney General Fox said a victim could say no to sex before, during and after. The jury could believe she didnt want to have sex, but it would not constitute rape under state law.

Prosecutors have to show that he physically attacked her or threatened to physically attack her, Fox said.

Fox said hes dedicated time and resources into training prosecutors to properly prosecute sexual assault using the most updated information, such as the common reaction of victims freezing.

Jennifer Clark, a prosecutor in Missoula, said a violation of trust by an acquaintance, friend or family member constitutes force.

She said she was working with a victim whose friend had been sexually assaulted only a week before she was. She remembered thinking her friends story of freezing and being unable to resist would never happen to her. She vowed to fight off a perpetrator if it happened to her.

It was really compelling to me that when we got to trial in this case she said, I couldnt. I was screaming inside my head. I knew I wanted to leave. I knew I wanted to fight, but I absolutely couldnt do anything, Clark said.

The punishment for aggravated sexual intercourse without consent is a minimum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. Punishment for sexual intercourse without consent can be no more than 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $50,000.

The House committee did not take action on Friday, but SB29 passed unanimously off the Senate floor in January.
With the completion of its 3rd high-tech greenhouse, and its symbiosis with local farmers, Lufa Farms has grown into a compelling role model for sustainable urban agriculture.

MONTREAL, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Urban agriculture pioneer Lufa Farms has just finished a third highly automated greenhouse in the Montreal borough of Anjou. The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau was there to see it in full production.

The new 63,000 square foot rooftop greenhouse is a milestone in polyculture efficiency and produces over 40 varieties of urban-grown greens and vegetables, all year round. Lufa Farms' six years of rapid growth and its successes in rooftop greenhouse design, cooperation with local sustainability-focused farmers, and appeal to thousands of Montreal consumers, make it one of the most successful large-scale urban agriculture models in the world, demonstrating how to sustainably feed entire cities.

The Prime Minister was given a full tour of the new production facility by Lufa Farms founders Mohamed Hage and Lauren Rathmell. He witnessed first-hand the innovative complexity of the rooftop greenhouse, and even took time to harvest a basket of fresh greens for himself and his family.

The new rooftop greenhouse is a marvel in automation. It was designed by Dutch greenhouse innovators at KUBO, outfitted by Belgian greenhouse automation experts, Hortiplan, and includes advanced horticultural lighting systems from GE.

The construction of the new greenhouse was supported by Quebec financial partners Fonds de solidarite FTQ and La Financiere agricole du Quebec.

From one rooftop greenhouse to a new paradigm in urban agriculture

Lufa Farms began operating the world's first commercial-scale rooftop greenhouse in 2011. It was built with the goal of using sustainable irrigation, energy and growing systems for cultivation of pesticide-free produce. The first greenhouse, with 8 employees, produced more than 25 varieties of vegetables and delivered them, weekly, to a few hundred Montreal consumers.

The second Lufa Farms' rooftop greenhouse began operation in 2013. With it, the company introduced an online marketplace so that consumers could select and buy fresh Lufa Farms produce together with responsible produce, meat, dairy, bread, and more provided by hundreds of local farmers and foodmakers. The result is that consumers receive the freshest sustainably-grown goods, local farmers get a viable outlet for their products, and the city benefits from optimized land, water, and energy use.

A disruptive rethink of food production and distribution

The most recent greenhouse caps six years of steady growth and innovation. The Lufa Farms team now consists of more than 140 employees, grows over 70 different vegetable varieties, and delivers more than 10,000 food baskets every week of the year.

"We began this venture because of our passion for rooftop farming. We didn't start out as farmers and I'd never even grown a tomato before," says Lauren Rathmell, Co-Founder and Greenhouse Director of Lufa Farms. "But we did what made sense to us as technologists and problem solvers. Today, we understand that successful urban agriculture requires not only advanced greenhouse technology, but also direct-to-client distribution, and working together with local, sustainable farmers and food artisans. The sum of all the parts, working together, is greater than the whole."

The future of Lufa Farms

Founded in 2009 by Mohamed Hage, Lauren Rathmell, Kurt Lynn, and Yahya Badran, Lufa Farms now has a combined urban growing space of 138,000 square feet. The company plans to continue the expansion of its urban farm projects in Quebec urban centres, and also in select New England locations in the U.S.

For more information about Lufa Farms click here. For images of Lufa Farms and the Prime Minister's visit, see the Flickr album.

SOURCE LUFA FARMS

Related Links

www.lufa.com


STAINES-UPON-THAMES, United Kingdom, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: MNK), a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today it will report fiscal 2017 first quarter earnings results for the period of Dec. 31, 2016, to March 31, 2017, on Monday, May 8, 2017.

A conference call for investors will begin at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The call can be accessed in three ways:

At the Mallinckrodt website: http://www.mallinckrodt.com/investors.

website: http://www.mallinckrodt.com/investors. By telephone: For both listen-only participants and those who wish to take part in the question-and-answer portion of the call, the telephone dial-in number in the U.S. is (877) 359-9508. For participants outside the U.S., the dial-in number is (224) 357-2393. Callers will need to provide the Conference ID of 90995647.

Through an audio replay: A replay of the call will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 8, 2017 , and ending at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 22, 2017. Dial-in numbers for U.S.-based participants are (855) 859-2056 or (800) 585-8367. Participants outside the U.S. should use the replay dial-in number of (404) 537-3406. All callers will be required to provide the Conference ID of 90995647.

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. Areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; and analgesics and hemostasis products. The company's core strengths include the acquisition and management of highly regulated raw materials and specialized chemistry, formulation and manufacturing capabilities. The company's Specialty Brands segment includes branded medicines and its Specialty Generics segment includes specialty generic drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients and external manufacturing. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

Coleman N. Lannum, CFA

Senior Vice President, Investor Strategy and IRO

314-654-6649

[email protected]

Daniel J. Speciale,

CPADirector,

Investor Relations

314-654-3638

[email protected]

Media

Rhonda Sciarra

Senior Communications Manager

908-238-6765

[email protected]

Meredith Fischer

Chief Public Affairs Officer

314-654-3318

[email protected]

SOURCE Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals

Related Links

http://HTTP://www.mallinckrodt.com


SALT LAKE CITY, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Warrior Rising, a nonprofit veteran organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is supporting Melissa Coloton, Warrior Rising Board Member, who has committed to a personal challenge to RUCK March 31+ miles from Pinehurst, NC to Fort Bragg on Saturday, April 1, 2017.

Fort Bragg is an installation of the United States Army and is the largest military base in the world with more than 50,000 active duty personnel.

A RUCK March is a relatively fast march over distance carrying a heavy load. It is both a common military exercise and known as a forced foot march in the U.S. Army. "I wanted to do something more than donate money. I wanted to create awareness about Warrior Rising and all the great things this organization is doing to help veterans start businesses." Melissa has set a goal of $31,000 by having 1000 donations of $31 by the end of March.

Warrior Rising is working toward a future in which every returning U.S. veteran is able to achieve financial independence through business ownership or gainful employment. The funds for this challenge will support veteran-owned businesses directly. "I am so proud of Melissa. Her decision to commit to rucking 31 miles is no easy task. Melissa is committed to our mission and we want to support her in every way possible. A $31 donation goes a long way towards helping veterans achieve financial independence. Veterans want a hand-up not a hand out," said Warrior Rising Executive Director and Founder Jason Van Camp.

The RUCK March will end with a celebration at the Southern Pines Brewing Company, 565 Air Tool Drive, Southern Pines North Carolina. Everyone is invited. Donations are being accepted for Melissa Coloton's RUCK March supporting Warrior Rising through the website at www.aplos.com/aws/give/WarriorRising/MarchMadness. We'd also like to thank the UMD Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise for their support of Warrior Rising and this great initiative.

Warrior Rising is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans achieve success in business through partnerships, mentoring and funding. We take pride in giving back to those who have given so much  providing our veterans with opportunities to earn employment creating sustainable businesses and perpetuating the hiring of fellow U.S. military veterans. Over one-million veterans will transition from military service to the civilian workforce in the coming years. These men and women have given their all to protect America. Warrior Rising exists to provide a hand-up to our veterans so they can access the American dream of living a life where they can support and provide for themselves and their families. For more information on Warrior Rising, please visit www.warriorrising.org.

SOURCE Warrior Rising

Related Links

http://www.warriorrising.org


WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA has selected a science mission that will measure emissions from the interstellar medium, which is the cosmic material found between stars. This data will help scientists determine the life cycle of interstellar gas in our Milky Way galaxy, witness the formation and destruction of star-forming clouds, and understand the dynamics and gas flow in the vicinity of the center of our galaxy.

The Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory (GUSTO) mission, led by principal investigator of the University of Arizona, Christopher Walker, will fly an Ultralong-Duration Balloon (ULDB) carrying a telescope with carbon, oxygen and nitrogen emission line detectors. This unique combination of data will provide the spectral and spatial resolution information needed for Walker and his team to untangle the complexities of the interstellar medium, and map out large sections of the plane of our Milky Way galaxy and the nearby galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud.

"GUSTO will provide the first complete study of all phases of the stellar life cycle, from the formation of molecular clouds, through star birth and evolution, to the formation of gas clouds and the re-initiation of the cycle," said Paul Hertz, astrophysics division director in the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "NASA has a great history of launching observatories in the Astrophysics Explorers Program with new and unique observational capabilities. GUSTO continues that tradition."

The mission is targeted for launch in 2021 from McMurdo, Antarctica, and is expected to stay in the air between 100 to 170 days, depending on weather conditions. It will cost approximately $40 million, including the balloon launch funding and the cost of post-launch operations and data analysis.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, is providing the mission operations, and the balloon platform where the instruments are mounted, known as the gondola. The University of Arizona in Tucson will provide the GUSTO telescope and instrument, which will incorporate detector technologies from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Arizona State University in Tempe, and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research.

NASA's Astrophysics Explorers Program requested proposals for mission of opportunity investigations in September 2014. A panel of NASA and other scientists and engineers reviewed two mission of opportunity concept studies selected from the eight proposals submitted at that time, and NASA has determined that GUSTO has the best potential for excellent science return with a feasible development plan.

NASA's Explorers Program is the agency's oldest continuous program and is designed to provide frequent, low-cost access to space using principal investigator-led space science investigations relevant to the astrophysics and heliophysics programs in agency's Science Mission Directorate. The program has launched more than 90 missions. It began in 1958 with the Explorer 1, which discovered the Earth's radiation belts, now called the Van Allen belt, named after the principal investigator. Another Explorer mission, the Cosmic Background Explorer, led to a Nobel Prize. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland manages the program for the Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For more information on the Explorers Program, visit:

https://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov

For more information on scientific balloons, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/scientificballoons

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurotrope, Inc. (OTCQB: NTRP), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer' s disease, announced that Dr. Daniel Alkon, M.D., Neurotrope's President and Chief Scientific Officer, is scheduled to present at the Sachs Associates' 2nd Annual Neuroscience Biopartnering and Investment Forum, being held March 27, 2017 at the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City.

Dr. Alkon has been invited to be the keynote speaker at the event. His presentation entitled " A Regenerative Medicine Approach to Neurodegeneration, " will take place on Monday, March 27, 2017 at 1:10 pm EDT and lead into the "Advances in Parkinson's Disease and Other Movement Disorders Panel."

Dr. Alkon commented, "I am honored to present a Keynote address at the Sachs Annual Neuroscience Biopartnering & Investment Forum. Neurotrope's pre-clinical and clinical data support the potential of its lead compound, bryostatin-1, to induce the formation of new, mature synaptic networks that could reverse major cognitive deterioration that occurs in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Bryostatin-1 has demonstrated the potential to prevent neuronal death as well as the well-known brain pathologies, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Bryostatin's multiple efficacies, collectively provide an unprecedented opportunity to treat neurodegeneration with a regenerative medicine approach. The Neuroscience Biopartnering & Investment Forum provides a great opportunity to discuss the exciting advances being made in the science of neurodegenerative diseases, promising treatments under development, and bryostatin's position in the arena."

In addition, Neurotrope's Chief Executive Officer Dr. Susanne Wilke PhD, together with Dr. Alkon, will be presenting at 3:00 pm EDT, to discuss the Company's disruptive approach to Alzheimer's disease treatment, current clinical development plan, and upcoming milestones. A live webcast of the presentation will be available online at: https://youtu.be/RVpI0Tj9Kf4.

About Neurotrope

Neurotrope is at the forefront of developing a novel therapy to treat and potentially reverse moderate to severe Alzheimer's dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. The Company's world-class science is a paradigm shifting approach that treats some of the underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease.

The scientific basis of our treatment is activation of Protein Kinase C isozymes  and  by bryostatin-1, a natural product, which in mouse Alzheimer's disease models was demonstrated to result in repair of damaged synapses as well as synaptogenesis, the induction of new neuronal networks, reduction of toxic beta-amyloid generation, prevention of neuronal death, and enhancement of memory and learning, thus having the potential to improve cognition and behavior in Alzheimer's dementia.

Neurotrope is conducting a Phase 2 trial of bryostatin-1 in the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's dementia, as well as preclinical studies of bryostatin-1 as a treatment for Fragile X Syndrome, Niemann-Pick Type C disease and Rett Syndrome, three rare genetic diseases for which only symptomatic treatments are currently available. The FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation to Neurotrope for bryostatin-1 as a treatment for Fragile X Syndrome. Bryostatin-1 has undergone testing in over 1,500 people establishing a large safety database.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the proposed study and timing of initiation, and continued development of use of bryostatin-1 for Alzheimer's dementia and other cognitive diseases. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and other influences, many of which the Company has no control over. Actual results and the timing of certain events and circumstances may differ materially from those described by the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties. Factors that may influence or cause actual results to differ materially from expected or desired results may include, without limitation, the Company's inability to obtain adequate financing, the significant length of time associated with drug development and related insufficient cash flows and resulting illiquidity, the Company's patent portfolio, the Company's inability to expand the Company's business, significant government regulation of pharmaceuticals and the healthcare industry, lack of product diversification, availability of the Company's raw materials, existing or increased competition, stock volatility and illiquidity, and the Company's failure to implement the Company's business plans or strategies. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in the Company's filings with the SEC, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements.

Please visit www.neurotropebioscience.com for further information.

For additional information, please contact:

Neurotrope BioScience, Inc.

Jeffrey Benison, Director of Corporate Communications

212.334.8709 or 516.286.6099

[email protected]

SOURCE Neurotrope, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.neurotropebioscience.com


SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Human Family Research Center, a nonprofit human rights organization, today released a national poll regarding the views of Americans on whether or not Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, should be reconsidered.

The poll found that Americans are much more evenly divided on the issue than recent surveys, such as those conducted by PEW and Gallup, indictated. Those polls claim an almost 70% support rate among the public for Roe. The HFRC poll found that, when participants were made aware that an overruling would not lead to outlawing abortion outright, but would instead return the issue to the states, (http://humanfamilyresearch.org/Post-Roe_Map2016.pdf) fewer than half of poll participants supported Roe, while the number of those demanding change increased substantially. Unlike prior polls, the HFRC poll explained what Roe actually said before asking questions of participants, all registered voters. The result does make sense since other polls also show that a majority of Americans oppose many of the abortions Roe allows.

"Roe is a highly unusual decision because it has caused a massive amount of confusion in the 44 years since it was decided in 1973. It has taken no less than 36 cases for the Supreme Court to explain Roe," according to Denise Mackura, president of the Human Family Research Center. Contrary to what was claimed by Senator Feinstein at the Gorsuch nomination hearings, Roe has only been upheld in 3 of those cases. Last year alone, state legislators proposed 50 bills attempting to interpret the requirements of this troubling decision, "The American people know that Roe has poisoned our public discourse and politics. It is time to return the issue of abortion to the democratic process," said Mackura. The poll was conducted by the polling co. inc. Womantrend.

The mission of the Human Family Research Center is to provide research and advocacy that builds a better understanding of the inalienable value of every human being from the earliest moments of existence and to awaken a need to create a human community that understands the interconnectedness, value and importance of every human being.



 2017 Human Family Research Center. All rights reserved. May be reprinted without permission but with attribution to The Human Family Research Center.

Contact:

Denise Mackura

President, The Human Family Research Center

(216) 548-9108

[email protected]

Related Images

image1.gif

image2.jpg

Related Links

Post-Roe map

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com.

SOURCE The Human Family Research Center

Related Links

http://www.humanfamilyresearch.org


WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- When a woman goes into business for herself, she should never feel that she is in business by herself. That's the power of collective intelligence  the hallmark of being a member of Her Corner. As renowned entrepreneurs and sought-after speakers, Frederique Irwin and Kimberly Berger have helped women break through barriers keeping them from achieving their maximum potential. Their passion for connecting women, learning from them as well as teaching them comes from their own experiences in starting and investing in businesses as women.

Frederique Irwin, Founder and CEO and Kimberly Berger, President and COO of Her Corner

"There are more than 11 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. generating nearly $2 trillion in revenues, as of 2016. But I promise you that every single one of those women said to themselves, 'I can't do this' more than a hundred times before they 'made it.' We want other women just getting started to know they have a resource in Her Corner, to help them with whatever it takes to grow their business," said Irwin, Founder and CEO of Her Corner.

"We are so grateful for the enthusiasm and creativity of the women we get to work with. They prove that it doesn't matter your age, industry or where you live  women can truly do anything in business with the right mindset and tools to get there. And we love being part of their growth story," added Berger, President and COO of Her Corner.

Her Corner is a membership organization which reviews applications for admission, though all are welcome at their monthly, free events. Women who join must be in business for more than a year and pay a yearly due. They are personally and immediately connected with at least three other Her Corner members who can offer technical assistance, other business introductions or sales opportunities. For women interested in specialized skills development, Her Corner offers graduated rates for their popular Accelerator Series  which sells out quickly, even as new classes series are consistently being added. And for those who prefer one-on-one attention, there are individualized mentorships.

The training, connections and  most importantly  the support offered by Her Corner is the army from which each member can draw as they grow their business. That's the power of the being collectively intelligent  as women.

For more information about Her Corner, visit www.HerCorner.org.

About Her Corner

Her Corner is a digital and in-person global community of women business owners committed to helping women grow their businesses. They have nearly 800 active members who meet their criteria and have been approved for membership. Her Corner launched in Washington, D.C. in 2011 and is a a rapidly growing business resource that offers collaboration with fellow business owners, in-person peer groups, business accelerators, and original business guidance from prominent experts, and resources to help fund women's businesses. www.hercorner.org

About Frederique Irwin

Frederique is the Founder and CEO of Her Corner. She has spoken on the topic of the state of women and entrepreneurship at The White House, The U.S. State Department, as well as companies such as Marriott, Chobani, Microsoft, AstraZeneca, TD Bank, and others. She teaches entrepreneurship at the Kogod School of Business at American University and she holds an MBA from William & Mary and a BA from Davidson College.

About Kimberly Berger

Kimberly, President and COO of Her Corner, is an active angel investor with a passion for women-owned companies. She has worked with venture-backed companies and large publicly-traded companies in the areas of digital marketing and strategy consulting. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School with a focus in Marketing and Finance and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Contact: Anu Rangappa | [email protected] | (202) 276-9345

SOURCE Her Corner

Related Links

http://www.hercorner.org


MOSCOW and ROCKVILLE, Md., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Infectex Ltd., a Russian portfolio company of Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund (MBVF), today announced positive results of a Phase 2b-3 clinical study of SQ109 added to the standard drug therapy regimen in patients with multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-TB). SQ109 is a new small molecule drug discovered by scientists at Sequella, Inc. (USA) and the US National Institutes of Health.

A total of 140 patients were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in 7 clinical centers in Russia. The main objective of the study was to assess efficacy, safety, and tolerability of SQ109 in combination with a standard regimen for MDR-TB treatment. Both the Intent to Treat (ITT) and Per Protocol (PP) patients treated with SQ109-containing regimens showed statistically significant improvement in clearance of lung bacteria.

"The sputum culture conversion rate (cessation of Mycobacteria excretion) of PP patients treated with SQ109 plus the standard regimen was 80%, significantly higher than patients treated with the standard regimen plus placebo (61%) by the end of 6 months of treatment," said Prof. Sergey Borisov, M.D., Deputy Director for Scientific and Clinical Work of Moscow City Research and Practical Center for Tuberculosis Control, principal study investigator. "Furthermore, SQ109 was both safe and well tolerated."

"We are delighted that Infectex has successfully completed this important study. SQ109 has the prospect of becoming both a part of a new tuberculosis regimen and a component of standard treatment," said Dr. Carol A. Nacy, CEO of Sequella.

"Now our goal is to bring the product to patients as soon as possible to increase the effectiveness of treatment and save thousands of lives of patients with tuberculosis not only in Russia, but also throughout the world," said Dmitry Popov, Managing Partner of MBVF.

About SQ109

SQ109 is a novel 1,2-ethylene diamine small molecule drug with 3 unique mechanisms of action that are distinct from all other antibiotics used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). In laboratory studies, SQ109 demonstrated excellent activity against both drug susceptible and multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis, including extensively drug-resistant TB strains. SQ109 also enhanced activity of anti-tuberculosis drugs isoniazid, rifampicin, and bedaquiline and shortened by >30% the time required to cure mice of experimental TB. SQ109 could replace one or more of the current TB drugs, simplify therapy, and shorten current treatment time. Infectex, Ltd, licensed the rights to develop and commercialize SQ109 in the Russian Federation and Commonwealth of Independent States from Sequella, Inc., in 2011. SQ109 is currently under Sequella's US IND and completed three Phase 1 studies in the U.S. and two Phase 2 studies in drug-sensitive TB patients in Africa in addition to the Phase 2b-3 study in Russia.

About Infectex

Infectex (Moscow, Russia) is a biotechnology company founded in 2011 with the goal to develop and bring to the Russian market drugs for MDR-TB treatment. Currently the company is developing two anti-TB drugs, SQ109 and Q203. Infectex is a resident company of Skolkovo Innovation Center.

About Sequella

Sequella (Rockville, MD) is a privately-held clinical stage anti-infectives company focused on commercializing novel treatments for antibiotic-resistant infectious diseases. The company has been in operation for 19 years and has drugs in Phase 2 clinical trials for gastritis (Helicobacter pylori) and TB and in IND-directed preclinical development for Clostridium difficile infections. Sequella leverages its global influence, R&D platforms, and infectious disease expertise to proactively address emerging health threats. Through focused execution, clear commercialization pathways, and strategic partnerships, Sequella intends to commercialize a broad product portfolio designed to treat global health threats with significant market opportunity. www.sequella.com

About Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund

Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund is the first Russian venture fund fully dedicated to investments in Life Sciences technologies. The fund has been created with participation of the Russian Venture Company. MBVF portfolio companies have nine innovative clinical stage drug candidates in development; four thereof are in late clinical stage of development. www.maxwellbiotech.com

SOURCE Sequella

Related Links

http://www.sequella.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Polsinelli was designated among 28 leading law firms in brand strength, earning the No. 20 spot on BTI Consulting Group's 2017 BTI Brand Elite and marking Polsinelli's debut on the prestigious list.

The firm jumped 54 spots this year, having previously earned the No. 74 ranking in 2016. Building upon its recent ranking in BTI's Client Service A-Team as the No. 17 firm in Client Service Excellence, Polsinelli was recognized as being on general counsels' short-list for firms they seek out first and as being one of the top they would recommend to colleagues.

"The strength of our firm's performance is a result of our deliberate focus on understanding our clients' business priorities and commitment to their service experience," said Polsinelli Chairman Russ Welsh. "This dramatic improvement in brand recognition supports to our commitment to client service excellence and practice depth across our 20 offices coast to coast."

BTI conducts in-depth interviews with more than 600 corporate counsels at companies with greater than $1 Billion in revenues, and analyzes nine distinct characteristics that drive the consideration and hiring of law firms.

According to BTI, "Polsinelli is riding a wave of innovation, including technology, client service, delivering more value and using techniques few other firms use to improve the client experience. The firm earns its first appearance as a Premium Worthy firm. The growth in underlying strength reveals Polsinelli as one of the fastest growing brands in the legal world."

According to a Polsinelli client who was interviewed by BTI, "Polsinelli's vastly experienced team of attorneys is always trying to do more for the client and improve service."

About Polsinelli

real challenges. real answers.SM

Polsinelli is an Am Law 100 firm with approximately 800 attorneys in 20 offices, serving corporations, institutions, and entrepreneurs nationally. Ranked No. 17 for Client Service Excellence among 650 U.S. law firms, Polsinelli has risen more than 50 spots over the past five years in the Am Law 100 annual law firm ranking. Polsinelli attorneys provide practical legal counsel infused with business insight, and focus on health care, financial services, real estate, intellectual property, mid-market corporate, labor and employment, and business litigation. Polsinelli attorneys have depth of experience in 100 service areas and 70 industries. The firm can be found online at www.polsinelli.com. Polsinelli PC. In California, Polsinelli LLP.

* 2017 BTI Client Service A-Team Report

For more information, contact:

Carrie Trent

[email protected]

SOURCE Polsinelli

Related Links

http://www.polsinelli.com


NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network  it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform

EXPERT ALERTS

Impact of New 'Sesame Street' Character With Autism

Zika and Travel Safety

Healthcare Technology and Analytics

Pantone's Color of the Year: Greenery

Activating Your Untapped Potential

Why Selfies Are Bad for Your Love Life

MEDIA JOBS

Product Liability Reporter - Reuters

Deputy Editor - AccountingWEB

Senior Communication Strategist  Southern Poverty Law Center

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

Media Pushing Back on White House Press Ban

Freelancers: How to Avoid Costly Mistakes at Tax Time

Blog Profiles: Plant Blogs

EXPERT ALERTS:

Impact of New 'Sesame Street' Character With Autism

Robin LaBarbera

Director of Special Education

Biola University

Dr. LaBarbera is available to discuss the new "Sesame Street" character Julia, a Muppet with autism, and the impact this will have on how children view others they meet who may be "different": "I think that anything we can do to bring awareness to autism is a win-win. Children can sometimes be afraid of what is 'different,' and showing them, in relevant ways, that different is 'okay' and nothing to be afraid of will bring awareness and sensitivity. I might question whether the characteristics of autism are portrayed in a realistic manner through the puppet, but I read that the puppeteer has a son with autism, so I have confidence that the character will be portrayed appropriately."

Dr. LaBarbera, professor and director of special education at Biola University in Los Angeles, is an expert on autism spectrum disorder. She has conducted numerous local and international presentations (most recently, two trips to Lebanon and two to Vietnam), has published articles related to the education of students with learning difficulties, and co-authored curriculum for English Language Development in Latin American countries. Dr. LaBarbera has two Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration/Marketing and Criminal Justice, two Master's degrees in Education and Special Education/Autism, and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies. Her dissertation focused on psychological variables that affect the college completion rate for individuals with learning disabilities. She is currently earning her School Psychology (PPS) credential as well.

Website: www.biola.edu

Contact: Jenna Loumagne, [email protected]



Zika and Travel Safety

Dr. Myles Druckman

SVP/Medical Director

International SOS

"It's important that companies understand how Zika and other evolving heath threats impact their staff that are stationed or traveling abroad," asserts Dr. Druckman, a leading expert in pandemic preparedness. "Zika-affected locations are expanding, especially in the 102 countries where the CDC has added or modified travel restrictions, and employees and their families should be aware of what the recommendations and restrictions are, and take them seriously."

Dr. Druckman is a World Economic Forum "Global Leader of Tomorrow," member of TED, and board member of WaterAid. His extensive international healthcare experience includes the development of western medical facilities in Beijing, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev. He also has experience consulting to major fortune 500 companies, and managing global emergencies.

Website: www.internationalsos.com

Contact: Teresa Delaney, [email protected]



Healthcare Technology and Analytics

Qasim Hussain

Principal and Senior Architect

X by 2, LLC

Hussain is available to discuss how the role of technology in the healthcare industry is rapidly evolving: "What's really driving innovation faster in healthcare is the fact that there are dollars and cents clearly associated with analytics. When there is a line of sight to how you can make more revenue, that pushes innovation faster. My theory is that the healthcare industry is underinvested in technology infrastructure."

Hussain is available to discuss various aspects of healthcare technology, including claims and clinical analytic/reporting, BI, enterprise data warehousing, EHR, portals, membership/provider/claims systems.

ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/qasim.hussain

Website: http://xby2.com/

Contact: Audra Wait, [email protected]



Pantone's Color of the Year: Greenery

Karen Otis

Architect

OtisArchitecture.com

Otis is available for interviews on Pantone's Color of the Year, Greenery: "You will start to see Greenery showing up in stores, homes, fashion -- you name it. There is a boldness and confidence in that color, as well as vivacity and stimulating energy. It grounds us to nature and elevates our spirit simultaneously. I cannot think of a better vibe than that! Embrace the Greenery and allow it to revitalize you. Enjoy!"

Otis is an architect at OtisArchitecture.com, life builder, and author of "Be the Architect of Your Life: Design Build, and Start Living a Life Inspired," a revolutionary new book that uses architectural wisdom to rebuild lives from the ground up. Using her Architectural Method, Otis takes home-building strategies and applies them to life's biggest hurdles.

Book: https://www.bethearchitectofyourlife.com

Press Kit: http://karenotis.onlinepresskit247.com/

Contact: Michelle Tennant Nicholson, [email protected]



Activating Your Untapped Potential

Marco LeRoc

Entrepreneur, Speaker, Founder

Marco LeRoc & Co

If you find yourself struggling to live up to your own potential, you are not alone. A staggering 92% of people never reach the goals they set as New Year's resolutions -- let alone other life goals, according to a recent study. So, how can you set the foundation for your success in all areas of your life? LeRoc, a successful entrepreneur and former international student, has elevated living intentionally into an art form and wants to help others live their best possible lives. In order to transform weaknesses into personal success stories, he suggests turning your "What if" questions into "How?" Says LeRoc: "To be competitive, one needs to promote himself or herself. Start by taking a look at your personal brand. Google yourself and see what comes up. If not, someone else will!"

LeRoc recently published "Activate Your Untapped Potential," an essential growth-planning guide for anyone wanting to step out of their comfort zones and get out of their own way. He is an accomplished speaker with notable engagements, including Stanford University, Creighton University, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and many national conferences. Some of his most requested topics include: Turning Adversity into Advantage, How to Live Intentionally, Secrets to Achieving Your Goals, Why Making an Impact Matters, and Why Time Is Still Your Best Asset. He is based in Nebraska.

Website: http://www.marcoleroc.com

Contact: Penny Sansevieri, [email protected]



Why Selfies Are Bad for Your Love Life

Dr. Frieda Birnbuam

Research Psychologist, Psychoanalyst

"The types of selfies a person takes can reveal if they are confident or insecure to a degree. People who take an excessive amount of selfies may also be showing signs of narcissism. Some people prefer to present an exaggerated or Hollywoodesque version of themselves. Doing this may successfully attract another likeminded individual. However, it could also turn away individuals who prefer honesty above all things."

Based in the New York metro area, Dr. Birnbaum is author of "Life Begins at 60: A New View on Motherhood, Marriage, and Reinventing Ourselves." She's an expert on depression, women's issues, and attaining happiness.

Contact: Ryan McCormick, [email protected]

MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/

Product Liability Reporter - Reuters

Deputy Editor - AccountingWEB

Senior Communication Strategist  Southern Poverty Law Center

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line.

MEDIA PUSHING BACK ON WHITE HOUSE PRESS BAN. You know that person, the one who holds the key to access -- the "him" or "her" who stands in your way to talking with their principal. When it comes to covering government officials, press secretaries and communications officers are the gatekeepers. They sit in on your interviews, and sometimes you're lucky enough to be handed a cool story. And while access control isn't new, the manner and tone in which it's being carried out in today's White House is different. Media agencies are taking notice: http://bit.ly/2nRoIDY

FREELANCERS: HERE'S HOW TO AVOID COSTLY MISTAKES AT TAX TIME. To the outside world, it would appear freelancing offers many advantages. You get to be your own boss, set your schedule, manage responsibilities, and submit work in a timely manner. But the reality is there's a ton of discipline that goes along with this lifestyle, and at no other time is this more apparent than tax season. We spoke with some professionals about what freelancers must remember to avoid costly mistakes come April 15 : http://bit.ly/2mszGTk

: http://bit.ly/2mszGTk BLOG PROFILES: PLANT BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team selects an industry/subject and looks at a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the topic. This week, the team looks at plant blogs: http://prn.to/2mMXJsa

PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire.

SOURCE ProfNet

Related Links

http://www.profnet.com


A bill that would require the Montana Historical Society to fund an expansion project by selling artifacts was tabled on a 14-6 vote Friday.

House Bill 594, carried by Rep. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, would require the Montana Historical Societys Board of Trustees to sell objects that do not possess outstanding historical value relative to Montana, do not display exceptional qualities of Montanas history worth preserving, or do not tell the story of Montana. The proceeds, which could not exceed $50 million, would fund the construction of the Montana Heritage Center.

Lenz said he introduced the bill to encourage the museum to get creative since its project has been eliminated from this sessions infrastructure package.

The Montana Historical Society has asked the Legislature to partially fund the project since the 2005 session. With each session, the expansion project gets more expensive. When the museum asked for funding in 2005, the total cost was $37.5 million. In 2017, it will cost $44 million.

During a hearing on the bill Thursday, numerous opponents said the bill would risk the museums reputation and accreditation, discourage families from donating and would cost nearly $30 million from the general fund to catalog and appraise the 60,000 item collection.

In executive action on Friday, Lenz said he appreciated the indulgence of the committee for listening to a proposal intended to be innovative.

Before making a motion to table the bill, Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, said he recognized the proposal was an inventive way to try and solve a problem, but he couldnt support it.

I think everybody heard your heart and knows your intentions were good, Garner said.
NEW YORK, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP ("Robbins Geller") (http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/granaymontero/) today announced that a class action has been commenced on behalf of purchasers of Grana y Montero S.A.A. ("Grana y Montero") (NYSE: GRAM) American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") during the period between July 24, 2013 and February 24, 2017, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action was filed in the Eastern District of New York and is captioned Goldberg v. Grana y Montero S.A.A., et al., No. 17-cv-01643.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than 60 days from February 27, 2017. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiff's counsel, Samuel H. Rudman or David A. Rosenfeld of Robbins Geller at 800/449-4900 or 619/231-1058, or via e-mail at [email protected] If you are a member of this class, you can view a copy of the complaint as filed at http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/granaymontero/. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member.

The complaint charges Grana y Montero and certain of its officers and directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Grana y Montero is a Peruvian corporation that provides engineering and construction, infrastructure, real estate, and technical services in Latin America.

Odebrecht S.A. ("Odebrecht") is a global construction conglomerate based in Brazil. The complaint alleges that one of Grana y Montero's subsidiaries was part of a consortium led by Odebrecht and that between 2005 and 2014, Grana y Montero generated millions of dollars in revenues from various construction and real estate contracts which had been procured through the payment of bribes paid by Odebrecht.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Grana y Montero concealed the illegal source of its revenues and, as a result, Grana y Montero ADSs traded at artificially inflated prices, reaching a Class Period high of more than $22 per ADS by September 19, 2013. The complaint further alleges that based on defendants' deception, Grana y Montero sold $475 million of the ADSs in a July 24, 2013 initial public stock offering.

The complaint alleges that through a series of partial disclosures between December 2016 and February 2017, the market learned of the illegal source of Grana y Montero's revenues, causing the price of its ADSs to decline precipitously.

First, on December 21, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") announced that Odebrecht and another company had pled guilty and agreed to pay a combined total penalty of at least $3.5 billion to resolve charges with U.S., Brazilian and Swiss authorities for paying millions of dollars in bribes to government officials around the world. According to a criminal information filed the same day by the DOJ and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, which charged Odebrecht with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"), Odebrecht paid approximately $29 million in bribes to Peruvian government officials to secure public works contracts between 2005 and 2014. The DOJ complaint alleged that Grana y Montero had been one of Odebrecht's most important Peruvian partners, working with it on half a dozen public works contracts worth more than $10 billion. The price of the ADSs fell by more than $5 on this news.

Then on January 12, 2017, Grana y Montero announced that it was withdrawing from its partnership with corruption plagued Odebrecht, calling the partnership a "mistake," causing the price of the ADSs to fall another 12%.

Then on January 20, 2017, Reuters announced that "[a] consortium controlled by Brazilian builder Odebrecht S.A. [would] miss a financing deadline . . . for a natural gas pipeline project in Peru" valued at $5 billion in which Grana y Montero owned a 20% interest.

Then on January 25, 2017, citing the loss of the Odebrecht partnership, Grana y Montero disclosed it would ask its Board of Directors to approve the sale of $300 million in assets to help it meet its obligations after losing the Odebrecht partnership as a result of the graft scandal.

Then on February 16, 2017, Reuters reported that an "ombudsman" had "called for prosecutors to investigate Peruvian builder Grana y Montero and other partners of Brazil's construction conglomerate Odebrecht in a corruption probe that has already sunk Grana's shares."

Finally, on February 24, 2017, a local news magazine, Hildebrandt en sus trece, reported that Grana y Montero knew about the $20 million in bribes paid to former President Alejandro Toledo by Odebrecht. This disclosure caused the price of the ADSs to decline another 35%.

The complaint alleges that as a result of their purchases of Grana y Montero ADSs during the Class Period, members of the Class suffered economic loss, i.e., damages, under the federal securities laws.

Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all purchasers of Grana y Montero common stock during the Class Period (the "Class"). The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has extensive experience in prosecuting investor class actions including actions involving financial fraud.

Robbins Geller is widely recognized as one of the leading law firms advising U.S. and international institutional investors in securities litigation and portfolio monitoring. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller has obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history and was ranked first in both total amount recovered for investors and number of securities class action recoveries in ISS's SCAS Top 50 Report for the last two years. Robbins Geller attorneys have shaped the law in the areas of securities litigation and shareholder rights and have recovered tens of billions of dollars on behalf of the Firm's clients. Robbins Geller not only secures recoveries for defrauded investors, it also strives to implement corporate governance reforms, helping to improve the financial markets for investors worldwide. Please visit www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/granaymontero/ for more information.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/rgrdlaw

https://twitter.com/rgrdlaw

https://www.facebook.com/rgrdlaw

https://plus.google.com/+Rgrdlaw/posts

SOURCE Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

Related Links

http://rgrdlaw.com/?utm_source=PRNewswire&utm_medium=Press%20Release&utm_campaign=Site%20Preview


JOHANNESBURG, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Sasol Limited (JSE: SOL; NYSE: SSL) will today be hosting a site visit for analysts and investors to its Lake Charles Chemicals Project (LCCP) in Louisiana.

The LCCP consists of a world-scale 1.5 million ton per year ethane cracker, and six downstream chemical units and is currently under construction near Lake Charles, Louisiana in the USA, adjacent to Sasol's existing chemical operations

Once commissioned, this world-scale petrochemicals complex will roughly triple Sasol's chemical production capacity in the United States, enabling Sasol to further strengthen its position in a growing global chemicals market.

A supporting presentation and webcast will be available on the company's website at http://www.sasol.com/investor-centre/lake-charles-chemicals-project and will begin between 09h30 and 10h00 (CST), 16h30 and 17h00 (SA), 14h30 and 15h00 (GMT).

Investor relations: Cavan Hill, Senior Vice President: Investor Relations, Telephone: +27(0)10-344-9280

SOURCE Sasol Limited
SHANGHAI, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ShangPharma, a leading life science partnering organization providing high-quality and cost-effective drug development and discovery services, technology, and investment for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, announced today the intent for a strategic corporate restructuring.

ShangPharma will be consolidating the Contract Research Organizations (CRO) and Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMO) under Shanghai ChemPartner. These entities include ChemPartner Shanghai, ChemPartner Fengxian, ChemPartner Chengdu, ChemPartner US, ChemPartner Europe, China Gateway Pharmaceutical Development, China Gateway Biologics, ChemExplorer Hong Kong, and ChemExplorer Shanghai.

Currently, Shanghai ChemPartner's intention is to enter the capital market in China, mainly through a merger approach. By listing on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchange, ChemPartner seeks to leverage the capital market in China. Similar strategies have been adopted by several industry leaders.

"ShangPharma is committed to the best interests of our employees, our clients, our business partners, and our investors," stated Michael Hui, Chairman and CEO of ShangPharma. "Executing a successful restructuring will provide access to capital and maximize shareholder value. Shanghai ChemPartner will continue to operate independently, and the current leadership team will remain intact. I am proud of the level of success the company has achieved, and I look forward to accomplishing this major milestone."

"The corporate restructuring plan is an integral part of ShangPharma's global growth strategy for its CRO and CMO organizations," said Livia Legg, Chief Commercial Officer of Shanghai ChemPartner and General Manager of ChemPartner US and ChemPartner EU. "This strategic maneuver enables Shanghai ChemPartner to better serve its clients, expand its global presence and access new markets."

Over the past fifteen years, ShangPharma has built a global workforce and comprehensive range of CRO and CMO services. Shanghai ChemPartner will continue to offer a broad range of drug discovery and development capabilities including discovery biologics, discovery chemistry, discovery biology, DMPK, CMC, and biologics manufacturing. ChemPartner serves a diverse global client base and operates laboratories and business offices in the US, Europe, China, and Japan.

Dr. Wei Tang, President of Shanghai ChemPartner stated, "The corporate restructuring will have no impact on ChemPartner's routine business operations, and the company will continue to provide high quality services to its clients. ChemPartner is a strong organization comprised of hardworking, passionate people. We are committed to operational excellence and will remain a science driven, technology based organization."

SOURCE ShangPharma Corporation
NEW YORK, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against The Toronto-Dominion Bank ("TD Bank" or the "Company") (NYSE: TD) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, District of New Jersey, and docketed under 17-cv-01735, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired TD Bank securities between December 3, 2015 and March 9, 2017 both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants' violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you are a shareholder who purchased TD Bank securities during the Class Period, you have until May 11, 2017 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 [email protected] 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]

The Toronto-Dominion Bank conducts a general banking business through banking branches and offices located throughout Canada and overseas. The Bank and other subsidiaries offer a broad range of banking, advisory services, and discount brokerage to individuals, businesses, financial institutions, governments, and multinational corporations.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company's wealth asset growth and increased fee-based revenue was spurred by a performance management system that led to its employees breaking the law at their customers' expense in order to meet sales targets; (ii) the Company illicitly increased customers' lines of credits and overdraft protection amounts without their knowledge; (iii) the Company illicitly upgraded customers to higher-fee accounts without permission; (iv) the Company lied to customers as to the risk of the Company's products and services; and (iv) as a result of the foregoing, TD Bank's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On March 6, 2017, CBC News published a report based on interviews with several TD Bank Group employees, who spoke about the "incredible pressure" to "squeeze profits from customers by signing them up for products and services they don't need."

On March 10, 2017, CBC News published a more detailed second report, where it reported that hundreds of current and former employees had responded to the first CBC report with additional stories of pressure to upsell customers.

On this news, TD Bank's share price fell $2.74, or 5.29%, to close at $49.03 on March 10, 2017.

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

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

http://www.pomerantzlaw.com


"More than ever, consumers are craving bolder flavors and everyday convenience," said Andy Mecs, Director of Marketing & Innovation, StarKist Co. "Through ongoing innovation, our new Tuna Creations BOLD line meets both of these needs  the Thai Chili Style, Jalapeno and Hot Buffalo Style flavors offer that bold 'kick', while the on-the-go-pouch provides the convenience to simply tear, eat and go."

The three new, boldly seasoned premium tuna flavors retail for approximately $1.50 or less per pouch, and can be found in the shelf-stable tuna section in grocery stores nationwide:

Tuna Creations: BOLD Thai Chili Style Lends a Touch of Sweetness

Spicy chili peppers with a touch of sweetness lend a BOLD kick to the new Thai Chili Style premium tuna. With 90 calories and 14g of protein per pouch, BOLD Thai Chili Style can be enjoyed on sliced veggies, crackers or straight from the pouch.

Tuna Creations: BOLD Jalapeno Sizzles with Flavor

Real jalapenos add a BOLD layer of spice and heat to the premium tuna. StarKist Tuna Creations BOLD Jalapeno serves up 70 calories and 13g of protein per pouch, which can be topped on tacos or consumed straight from the pouch.

Tuna Creations: BOLD Hot Buffalo Style Amps up the Heat

StarKist Tuna Creations Hot Buffalo Style is now even spicier, delivering the BOLD taste consumers are looking for. Perfect in a wrap, on nachos or straight from the pouch, the BOLD Hot Buffalo Style offers only 70 calories and 15g of protein per pouch.

In addition to the new BOLD offerings of Thai Chili Style, Jalapeno and Hot Buffalo Style, StarKist's current line of delicious, seasoned Tuna and Salmon Creations pouches include a variety of flavor options to suit everyone's craving and support the recommended two servings (8oz.) of seafood weekly: Ranch, Lemon Pepper, Sweet & Spicy, Herb & Garlic, Bacon Ranch, Honey BBQ, Hickory Smoked and Salmon Creations Lemon Dill and Mango Chipotle.

StarKist BOLD Pouch Giveaway!

To help celebrate the launch, StarKist will be holding a StarKist BOLD Pouch Giveaway from March 24, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. ET to March 28, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Five winners will receive one prize package consisting of 15 StarKist Single Serve BOLD Pouches (3oz and under). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.), 18 years or older. Enter by: 3/28/17. To enter and for Official Rules, including prize description, visit http://bit.ly/2mMDOK2. Odds depend on number of eligible entries. Sponsor: StarKist Co. 225 North Shore Drive, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Void where prohibited.

Feeling extra BOLD? Keep an eye out for a scavenger hunt on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram beginning April 10, 2017 that just may lead you toward your next BOLD adventure sponsored by StarKist at $500.

About StarKist

StarKist Co. is a food company that provides trusted, healthy, and shelf-stable seafood products in the United States. An industry innovator, StarKist was the first brand to introduce StarKist single-serve pouch products, which include Tuna Creations and Salmon Creations. As America's favorite tuna, StarKist represents a tradition of quality, consumer trust and a commitment to sustainability. StarKist's charismatic brand icon, Charlie the Tuna, swam into the hearts of tuna fans in 1961 and is still a fan favorite today. StarKist Co. is a subsidiary of the Dongwon Group.

Media Contact:

Michelle Faist

412-323-7457

[email protected]

SOURCE StarKist Co.

Related Links

http://starkist.com/


"One of the founding principles upon which we launched the company was to provide customers with a wow experience," explained Martin Perez CEO of Columbus Capital Lending. "Using Ellie Mae's Encompass allows us to consistently surpass their expectations."

Columbus had built a reputation for providing fast, streamlined loan processing in record time. However with the advent of the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule, better known as TRID, the lender was faced with implementing new forms, adjusting disclosures to new time frames and longer closing times.

"TRID had a major impact on our business, the combination of new rules and forms affected the timing of our files by up to six days; that meant risking the loss of contracts and realtor relationships," said Jorge Vidaurrazaga, VP of Information Technology for Columbus. "We were able to use Encompass to create a series of enhancements to our forms and procedures that allowed us to shorten the time frame. With those enhancements we are actually closing quicker than before the implementation of TRID."

"Most important in our industry is the issue of staying in compliance with the regulatory environment, loan quality is absolutely indispensable," emphasized Tino Diaz SVP for Business Process at Columbus. "Encompass makes sure that we are packaging a product that is compliant and can be sold in the secondary market. Encompass enables us to process files much faster, the system has a number of business rules that we have built into it that enable us to control the quality of what we are doing, quickly without the need to search the system. The program is very intuitive."

About Columbus Capital Lending

Columbus Capital Lending is the premier mortgage lender for the Hispanic market. Its headquarters are located in Miami Florida, with operations throughout the state in addition to Texas and California. Columbus mission is to strengthen America's social fabric through sustainable homeownership.

Key Contact

Lee Moran

Marketing Director

T. 305.271.8005

E. [email protected]

SOURCE Columbus Capital Lending
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle, America's beloved family-owned hamburger chain for 96 years, announced today that its customers, affectionately known as Cravers, helped raise $181,495 for the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. The 14-day 'Turn White Castle Red this Valentine's Day' promotion encouraged customers to purchase a paper Red Cross for $1, $3 and $5 at nearly 400 White Castle restaurants.

"At White Castle, we are dedicated to feeding hunger, hopes and dreams through our Castle Shares initiative," said Jamie Richardson, White Castle vice president. "The American Red Cross impacts countless lives in every community it serves, and we truly thank every person who donated to this worthy cause."

This is the fourth year White Castle has partnered with the American Red Cross for a two-week fundraiser, and this year's record total increases the campaign's lifetime contribution to over $650,000 in support of American Red Cross' efforts nationwide. White Castle donates over $2 million every year to a variety of charitable causes through its Castle Shares initiative.

The mission of the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Donations to the American Red Cross help the organization provide safe shelter, food, emergency relief supplies, emotional support and health services to those in the wake of disasters.

For more information, visit www.whitecastle.com and http://www.redcross.org.

About White Castle

White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain based in Columbus, Ohio, has been making Bold Moves as a family-owned business for more than 95 years. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921, serving The Original Slider, made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. Today White Castle owns and operates nearly 400 restaurants in 13 states. The pioneering original slider, Time Magazine's most influential burger of all time, is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted sliders and other tasty food options. White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants and bakeries as well as three frozen food processing plants. The retail division markets White Castle's famous fare in grocery, club stores, convenience stores, vending operations and concessions across the United States and in a growing number of international locations, including military base exchanges around the world.

Cravers on-the-go can access sweet deals and place a pick-up order any time in the official White Castle app. Download the app today from the iTunes App Store or Google Play. For more information on White Castle visit whitecastle.com.

About Castle Shares

By feeding hunger, hope and dreams, the White Castle family helps build strong, thriving, Craver communities through the Castle Shares program. Founder Billy Ingram believed in taking care of people and giving back to the community. His philosophy still remains a focus of the family-owned business today. White Castle donates $2.1 million every year to a variety of charities across the nation. The White Castle family supports more than 50 charities each year with volunteers, money and food donations.

Media Contacts:

Randy Crader, Paul Werth Associates

P: 614-224-8114 or C: 513-265-3148

[email protected]

Mac Joseph, Paul Werth Associates

P: 614-224-8114

[email protected]

SOURCE White Castle

Related Links

http://www.whitecastle.com


IRVINE, Calif., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Zymo Research Corp., also known as 'the epigenetics company', and Hamilton Robotics, Inc., who designs, manufactures and distributes liquid handling workstations, announced an ongoing collaboration that teams Zymo Research's DNA methylation detection and quantitation products and RNA and DNA extraction products with Hamilton's high-throughput automation platforms. Zymo Research has already created optimized methods for microbiomics and RNA isolation for use on Hamilton's automated liquid handling workstations, including a timesaving and robust automated method for non-biased extraction of DNA and RNA. Additional integrated workflow methods will be released to the academic, biopharma and diagnostics markets in the future.

Zymo Research has created optimized methods for microbiomics and RNA isolation for use on Hamilton's automated liquid handling workstations.

Epigenetics may hold important keys to unlocking a myriad of diseases and disorders, such as cancer, autism, Alzheimer's, and addictions. Stratistics Market Research Consulting, in a recent market research study conducted by them, says that the global epigenetics market is expected to reach $1,286 million by 2022 growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.4% from 2015 to 2022*. According to Marc Van Eden, Vice President of Business Development at Zymo Research, "Understanding the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the regulation of gene expression is an emerging field. By combining Zymo Research's epigenetics expertise with Hamilton Robotics automated systems, researchers are able to automate routine, mundane tasks leading to fewer errors and more efficient workflows."

Debbie Bowers, Vice President of Robotic Operations at Hamilton Robotics agrees, "Especially in diagnostics, epigenetics methods are transitioning into higher throughputs and sequencing, but this doesn't have to be a complex situation. Our strategic partnership with Zymo Research allows researchers to assimilate quickly with an optimized and robust solution, without unknowns or time-consuming delays, so they are up and running quickly."

For more information about Zymo Research's products, go to Zymo Research's website or email [email protected].

About Zymo Research Corporation

Zymo Research Corporation, also known as "The Epigenetics Company", is a privately held company based in Irvine, California, USA. Since its inception in 1994 it has been serving the academic and biopharmaceutical scientific communities by providing DNA and RNA purification products. Zymo Research was an early adopter in the field of epigenetics and offers a line of products used in DNA methylation detection and quantitation. In addition to the epigenetic and nucleic acid purification products, Zymo also provides genetic, epigenetic and transcriptome analysis services. For more information, please visit: www.zymoresearch.com/epigenetics. Follow Zymo Research Corp. on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

*Resource:

Retrieved from: http://www.strategymrc.com/report/epigenetics-market

Trademarks:

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Hamilton is a trademark owned by Hamilton Company in the US and/or other countries. Zymo Research Corp., the stylized logo, and the tagline "The Beauty of Science is to Make Things Simple" are trademarks of Zymo Research Corp. and are registered with the USPTO.

SOURCE Zymo Research Corp.

Related Links

http://www.zymoresearch.com


Montana Gov. Steve Bullock's budget director warned Friday that House Republicans' stripped-down infrastructure bill could result once again in the state failing to pass a bonding bill for public works and capital projects across the state.

Instead, budget director Dan Villa said the governor considers the best way forward to be a parallel bill approved Friday by the Senate Finance and Claims Committee that would allow bonding for $65 million more in projects.

The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee broke up the Democratic governor's $150 million bonding bill and inserted many of those projects into other infrastructure bills that would be paid for in cash.

The House bill left out larger building projects, including $27 million for a new Montana Historical Society museum, $25 million to renovate Montana State University's Romney Hall and $11 million for a new veterans' home in Butte.

What's left is $33.4 million in bonding for water, sewer, roads and bridges projects across the state.

Too few projects remain, meaning that this bill could die for lack of votes, similar to how an infrastructure bonding bill died in the House by a single vote in the 2015 session, Villa told the committee.

"We are deathly afraid that we are on that exact same path today, as this bill is structured," Villa said.

The Senate bill, by comparison, includes the veterans' home and Romney Hall, along with other building projects removed by the House for Great Falls College and Montana State University Billings.

The $98 million in projects contained in the Senate bill represents the best chance of passing the House and Senate and being signed by the governor, State Sen. Eric Moore, R-Miles City, said.

"We have an obligation to our state buildings because no one else is going to do it," Moore said.

House Minority Leader Jenny Eck, D-Helena, said she agreed to pull the Montana Historical Society museum project from the bonding bill and instead seek to fund it through an increase in the state's lodging tax.

Republicans, Democrats and the governor have all identified infrastructure as one of the most important issues for this legislative session, particularly after a similar 2015 bonding bill failed to pass. Some of the large projects included in the governor's bill have been waiting more than a decade for funding, while other projects would pay for roads, bridges, school repairs, water systems and wastewater systems.

Rep. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, said $33.4 million in bonds was the upper limit of what the members of the House Republican majority caucus could agree on. While some projects could be added back to the bill, Cuffe warned too many could cause the bill to collapse under its own weight.

"This bill was put together based on the appetite for bonding that I was able to find in polling the GOP caucus in the house," Cuffe said. "Other projects can be amended in, but there is a limit to what may pass."

House Republicans point out that $213 million in infrastructure projects that would be paid with cash are moving through the Legislature in separate bills.

The state would go into debt for 20 years to pay for the projects listed in the bonding bills. Because of that, a bonding bill requires approval of two-thirds of the Legislature, which is 67 votes in the House and 34 in the Senate. That means Republicans will need the support of the Democratic minority to pass a bill.

The Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee said they are unhappy with the House version.

"I see this as a lowball offer and there are 41 votes on our side," said Rep. Tom Woods, D-Bozeman. "We all have to do this together. I'm not there on this yet."

By contrast, some House Republicans testified in support of the Senate bill. Rep. Jeff Essmann, who is also chairman of the Montana Republican Party, said he supports the MSUB project in his home city of Billings, along with Romney Hall and the Butte veterans' home.

The Senate bill next goes to the floor for a vote. No immediate action was taken on the House bill.
A bill seeking to ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy has won endorsement from the Montana Senate.

It is the second abortion bill wending its way through the Legislature and moved forward on a 33-17 vote mostly along party lines.

In sponsoring the bill, Republican Sen. Keith Regier of Kalispell argued that fetuses beyond 20 weeks of development are capable of feeling pain.

If approved, Montana would join more than a dozen states adopting laws protecting so-called "pain-capable" fetuses.

But opponents called the ban a violation of a woman's right to an abortion.

Meanwhile a House committee earlier this week moved forward a bill that would effectively ban all abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy by requiring doctors to try and save a fetus.
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
Washington, March 20 : A Yazidi woman who was kidnapped and taken as a sex slave by the terror group IS has demanded investigation from the Iraqi government and the UN and asked for justice, a media report said.

Nadia Murad, along with her counsel, international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, described her ordeal in an interview to CNN's Fareed Zakaria on Sunday.

It began in 2014 after Islamic State militants arrived at her village in Sinjar, Kurdistan, she said.

"Early morning on August 3, 2014, they attacked us," she recalled.

"Nearly 6,500 women and children from the Yazidi were abducted and about 5,000 people from the community were killed during that day," Murad told Zakaria.

"For eight months, they separated us from our mothers and our sisters and our brothers, and some of them were killed and others disappeared," she said.

Murad's mother and six of her brothers and stepbrothers were executed. She, along with other unmarried women, was taken as a sex slave and passed around various IS militants, the CNN interview said.

At one point, she told the UN Security Council in 2015, as punishment for a failed escape attempt, she was gang raped until she passed out. All of this, she said, was considered legal under the IS rule -- which dictates that Yazidis, because they do not practice Islam, can be taken as slaves on religious grounds.

"They sold girls, girls that were underage, because IS considered that permissible under Islamic law," Murad said. "They came not just to attack certain people, but they came for all Yazidis."

The violence against the Yazidi community continues to this day, said Clooney, who represents Murad. More than 6,000 Yazidis are believed to remain in captivity, some of them from Murad's own family, Clooney said.

It's time, she said, to bring the IS to justice for committing some of "the worst crimes of our generation."

"We know that there's a military campaign going on where the IS is being taken on on the battlefield. What we want is to see IS members also in a courtroom," Clooney told CNN.
Michael Fletcher, most recently the superintendent of a maximum security juvenile detention facility in Nevada, has been selected as the new warden of Montana State Prison, according to a news release.

He'll replace warden Leroy Kirkegard, who is retiring on April 14, after five years at the helm of the mens prison.

Until recently, Fletcher served as superintendent of the Summit View Youth Facility in Las Vegas. Fletcher was chosen to reopen the troubled Nevada Department of Health and Human Services facility in August 2015 after it had been closed for the third time. Previously, he served as warden of operations at Ely State Prison, a maximum-security penitentiary in rural Nevada. Fletcher worked for the Nevada Department of Corrections from November 2010 until August 2015.

Fletchers correctional experience in Las Vegas also includes working as a child abuse investigator, a counselor and a re-entry case manager who helped inmates successfully transition back into the community.

Montana State Prison is the largest correctional facility in the state, housing nearly 1,500 male inmates in a 68-acre compound designed to handle all custody levels: maximum, close, medium and minimum, according to the Department of Corrections website. Located about 3.5 miles west Deer Lodge, the prison employs a staff of about 640 uniformed and non-uniformed employees.

Im looking forward to the opportunity to serve as the Montana State Prison warden and to join the Department of Corrections team, Fletcher said. Warden Kirkegard has set the prison on a sound course, and I plan to continue the facilitys focus on providing a safe workplace and an environment that encourages offenders to better themselves.

My family and I are very excited about the move to Montana. We have fond memories of our time in Nevada, and were looking forward to making many more as members of the Deer Lodge community, Fletcher added.

Fletcher graduated from the University of Phoenix, Las Vegas, with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services Management. While in college in Omaha, he began working at Clarinda Academy, a residential facility for youth. That experience led him to a career working with incarcerated individuals.

Fletcher was born and raised in England, and moved to Bellevue, Nebraska, with his family as a teenager.

Were excited to bring Mikes talents and leadership experience to our corrections team, said Montana Department of Corrections Interim Director Loraine Wodnik. Hes a good fit for Montana and were confident he will excel in advancing the positive initiatives already underway within the department.
Washington, March 21 : The White House defended President Donald Trump's claim that his predecessor Barack Obama had ordered wiretapping Trump Tower and played down FBI's probe into Russian election meddling.

"There's still a lot of information that needs to be discussed," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said about Trump's wiretapping accusation at his daily press briefing, soon after FBI chief James Comey told a congressional hearing Monday that he had no information supporting the president's wiretapping claim.

"It's clear that nothing has changed," Spicer also commented on Comey's first public confirmation that the Trump campaign has been under FBI investigation since July, stressing that there is no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the election.

FBI "is investigating the alleged Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts." Comey testified at the Capitol Monday morning.

"I cannot say more about what we are doing and whose conduct we are examining." Comey said, citing that the probe is classified and ongoing.

The Russian government has also denied the accusations.

"With respect to the president's tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, I have no information that supports those tweets and we have looked carefully inside the FBI." Comey told lawmakers.

Ahead of the congressional hearing, Trump tweeted: "James Clapper and others stated that there is no evidence Potus colluded with Russia, This story is FAKE NEWS and everyone knows it!" Clapper is the former national intelligence director.

In another tweet, Trump asked: "What about all of the contact with the Clinton campaign and the Russians? Also, is it true that the DNC would not let the FBI in to look?"

On March 4, Trump claimed in a tweet storm that Obama had Trump Tower wiretapped before his election victory, offering no evidence.

Hours after Trump's tweets, Obama's spokesman said Trump's wiretapping accusation is "simply false."

"There was not a physical wiretap of Trump Tower", Republican Devin Nunes, chairman of US House Select Intelligence Committee, said at the beginning of the hearing on Monday.

"However, it's still possible that other surveillance activities were used against President Trump and his associates," said Nunes.
Washington, March 21 : After the FBI Director James Comey said he had no information to back up a conspiracy theory pushed by US President Donald Trump on Twitter, Trump tweeted again to tease something new.

The official presidential Twitter account noted Monday: "FBI Director Comey refuses to deny he briefed President (Barack) Obama on calls made by (National Security Adviser) Michael Flynn to Russia."

The response amounted to Trump's first direct public response to Comey's testimony, in which he also confirmed the Department of Justice was looking into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russian government, CNN reported.

Testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on Monday, Comey also said he was unaware of any evidence supporting Trump's allegations that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the campaign.

It is unclear if Trump sent out the tweet or ordered it. The account says it is managed by Trump's social media manager, Dan Scavino, CNN reported.

The tweet suggests Obama -- and by extension Comey -- could have been the source of leaked information about meetings between Flynn and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak that eventually led to Flynn's resignation.

There's no evidence to back up that suggestion, either, CNN said.

Comey also cautioned against drawing conclusions from his decisions to not comment on certain topics.

"I know speculating is part of human nature, but it really isn't fair to draw conclusions simply because I say that I can't comment," Comey said.

Trump's official Twitter account also tweeted an exchange between the Director of the National Security Agency and committee chair Devin Nunes on how there is no evidence vote totals were changed in a series of 2016 battleground states.

In his opening statement, Comey confirmed -- for the first time publicly -- that the FBI was investigating "the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election".

The inquiry also includes "individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts".

Under questioning from Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Comey also told the committee that he had no proof that backed up Trump's unfounded claim that Obama wiretapped him at Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.

"I have no information that supports those tweets. And we have looked carefully inside the FBI," Comey said.

"The Department of Justice has asked me to share with you that the answer is the same for DOJ and all its components. The Department has no information that supports those tweets."

A White House official told CNN as the hearing was ongoing that "nothing has changed" based on revelations from Comey's testimony.

"Senior Obama intelligence officials have gone on record to confirm there is NO EVIDENCE of Trump-Russia collusion and there is NO EVIDENCE of a Trump-Russia scandal," the official said.

"Obama's CIA director said so. Obama's Director of National Intelligence said so. We take them at their word."

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told NBC earlier in March that he has seen "no evidence of such collusion" between Russia and the Trump campaign.
New Delhi, March 20 : The Supreme Court on Monday sought data on unsold vehicles which are Bharat Stage-III (BS-III) emission norms-compliant as the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) sought to enforce a government notification prohibiting the sale of such vehicles from April 1.

Asking the Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures (SIAM) to get the figures of unsold BS-III emission norm-compliant vehicles from the automobile manufacturing companies, the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said it would decide on their pleas to allow the sale of BS-III vehicles beyond March 31 after examining the figures.

Senior counsel Harish Salve who is amicus curiae in the matter told the court that the 2015 notification clearly barred the sale of BS-III vehicles beyond March 31 and automakers were given enough time.

The court sought data on the unsold BS-III vehicles after automobile manufacturers opposed the EPCA plea for the enforcement of curbs on the sale of BS-III vehicles from April 1 this year. The EPCA had cited 2015 notification of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry backing its plea.

The ministry had in August 2015 said vehicles not conforming to BS-IV emission norms would be barred from being manufactured or sold after April 1.

However, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures and the automobile manufacturers contended that they could not be barred from selling their BS-III norm-compliant vehicles as they were permitted to manufacture them till March 31.

The manufacturers contended that the 2015 notification only said that they would start manufacturing BS-IV emission norm-compliant vehicles from April and they were permitted to manufacture BS-III vehicles till March 31.

The court fixed the next hearing for March 24.
New Delhi, March 20 : Around a thousand people have signed a petition seeking protection for independent journalist Sandhya Ravishankar, who is under threat for exposing the sand mafia in Tamil Nadu, a rights body said on Monday in a statement.

"Magsaysay award winners, musician T.M. Krishna, social activist Aruna Roy and Professor Lakshmanan are among those who have signed a petition started by friends of Sandhya concerned about her safety following the threats to her," a statement from a consortium of several civil societies working for transparency and judicial accountability in the country said.

The Chennai-based journalist in a series of articles written for the online new website Wire.in had exposed the "illegal sand mining" racket rampant in the state. In doing that, she also detailed the rise to the top of ace mining-baron S. Vaikundarajan -- "country's largest miner and exporter of rare earth minerals".

After Ravishankar targeted Vaikundarajan, she began to get abusive, anonymous calls, threatening her of dire consequences.

However, she hasn't found herself alone and is getting support from civil society members, who have voiced their concern by being signatories to a petition started by her friends.

"Sandhya through her extensive series of articles has raised some of these vital questions. Threats to her are an attempt to quell all awareness and discussion on the very subject of sand mining mafia, and is not merely an isolated attack on an individual.

"Moreover, the nature of the threats indicate how social media is falling prey to the hands of anti-social elements, who use this to target women freely," social activist Aruna Roy said in the statement.

Environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman exhorted police to do an exemplary job and inspire confidence in public by acting against those threatening Ravishankar.

"If poets, artists, thinkers and independent-minded journalists are silenced, a country loses its conscience. At a time when kleptocracy is in the spotlight in the state, the brazen threats by the beach sand mafia assume increased significance. The police should act in a manner that inspires public confidence," he said.

In the petition launched on March 17, Ravishankar said she was called a "fake" and "corrupt" journalist after her articles, and her contact number was also revealed on Facebook and Twitter account by "anonymous trolls supporting Mr S. Vaikundarajan".

Since receiving threats, she has lodged complaints with Press Council of India, the Indian Women's Press Corps, The Editor's Guild, the Chennai police and the Cyber Crime Cell.
Islamabad, March 21 : Following the intervention of the US and the World Bank, India and Pakistan will be returning to the negotiating table over the disputed hydropower projects in the Indus Valley in April.

Water and Power Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said on Monday that the two nations would hold three-day secretary-level talks on the Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects, under the aegis of the World Bank, in Washington from April 11, reported Dawn on Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the two-day talks between Indus Water Commissioners from both sides, the minister welcomed New Delhi's decision to resume negotiations under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty on the proposed Pakul Dal, Miyar and Lower Kalnai hydropower projects, to which Pakistan has raised objections.

"The US has intervened at the highest level to help both countries resolve the issue. There will be secretary-level talks on the Ratle and Kishanganga hydropower projects in Washington on April 11, 12 and 13," Mohammad Asif said at a press conference here.

"We are happy that India has finally agreed to resume talks at the commission level. We welcome this decision and the visit of the Indian delegation," he added.

The 10-member Indian delegation currently in Islamabad is led by Indus Water Commissioner P.K. Saxena.

Pakistan has been protesting over the design and construction of two controversial projects, the 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project and the 850 MW Ratle hydroelectric project on the tributaries of the Indus in the Indian part of Jammu and Kashmir.

Asif claimed that the World Bank-sponsored International Court of Arbitration had given its verdict in Pakistan's favour over the Kishanganga project and Islamabad was now demanding that it be implemented, the daily reported.

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 and involves six rivers: the Beas, Ravi, Sultlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.

Brokered by the World Bank, the treaty gave the right to use waters of the first three rivers to India and of the the other three rivers to Pakistan.

India has said it has the right under the treaty to set up hydro power plants on the tributaries of the rivers flowing through its territory. Pakistan fears this might reduce the water flow of the rivers into its territory.

The two countries held the Indus Water Commission meeting last time in May 2015 in New Delhi.
Islamabad, March 20 : Both India and Pakistan must respect the Indus Waters Treaty as it is in their interest, Pakistan's Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif said on Monday.

"The talks, postponed since 2015, have resumed due to efforts made by the government. They are in the best interests of both neighbours," he said as the 113th India-Pakistan Indus Water Commission conference began here.

A 10-member Indian delegation led by Indian Indus Water Commissioner P.P. Saxena arrived on Sunday for talks, two years after water experts from the two sides met in May 2015, reported Dawn.

The Pakistani team is led by Indus Water Commissioner Mirza Asif Beg.

The two-day talks would focus on the designs, disputed by Pakistan, of the three controversial water projects being built on the Chenab river.

Asif told the media that the talks would focus on three power projects with varying capacities of power generation: Pakul Dal (1,000 MW), Miyar (120 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW).

"To respect this agreement (the Indus Waters Treaty) and find a solution through it is in the interest of both countries."

The minister also spoke regarding the controversial Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects about which Pakistan has asked the World Bank to set up a Court of Arbitration to hear its objections, the daily reported.

Asif said delays had been witnessed in the past in the handling of the Kishanganga project.

"When we (Pakistan) went to the court of arbitration, our position was not as strong as it could have been if we had approached the court in a timely manner."

However, he added that Pakistan's stand on the Ratle project was "very strong".

"We are working to make changes to the design of the project that are in Pakistan's interest and which are in accordance with the treaty."

The two countries would not discuss the controversial Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects, a senior official earlier told Dawn.

The talks would conclude on Tuesday and the Indian delegation would leave for New Delhi the same day.

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 and involves six rivers: the Beas, Ravi, Sultlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.

Brokered by the World Bank, the first three rivers were given to India and the other three to Pakistan.
New Delhi, March 21 : The Supreme Courts suggestion on Tuesday for an amicable settlement to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya has yet again rekindled the debate on the subject that has for decades been a religious and political flashpoint.

The Babri mosque dates back nearly 500 years when it was built in Ayodhya by Mir Baqi, a commander of first Mughal emperor Babur, in 1528. Hence the mosque's name -- Babri Masjid.

Here is the timeline to the dispute:

1853: The first recorded incident of violence over the holy site takes place during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. Nirmohis, a Hindu sect, claim that a Hindu temple had been destroyed during Babur's times to build the mosque.

1859: The British colonial administration erects a fence at the site to separate the places of worship. While the Muslims are allowed to use the inner court, the Hindus are allowed the outer court.

1885: In January 1885, Mahant Raghubir Das files the first case, seeking permission to build a canopy on the Ramchabutra (a raised platform) outside the mosque. The plea is rejected by the Faizabad district court.

1949: Lord Ram's idols appear inside the mosque. These have allegedly been placed by Hindu groups. Both sides file suits; the government declares the area as disputed and locks the gates to the premise.

1950: Gopal Singh Visharad and Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das file suits at the Faizabad court seeking permission to offer prayers to the idols in the janamsthan. While the inner courtyard remains locked, prayers are allowed.

1959: The Nirmohi Akhara files a third suit seeking possession of the site and claiming to be the custodians of the Ram Janmabhoomi.

1961: The Sunni Central Board of Waqf files a case against the placing of idols inside the mosque and claim that the mosque and surrounding land was a graveyard.

1984: Hindu groups form a committee to spearhead the construction of the Ram temple at the Janmabhoomi site. The temple movement gathers momentum. Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani takes over the leadership of the movement.

1986: A district court orders that the gates of the mosque be opened and Hindus be allowed to worship there, on a plea by Hari Shankar Dubey. As Muslims protest the move to allow Hindus to pray in the mosque, a Babri Mosque Action Committee is formed.

1989: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) lays the foundation of a Ram temple on the land next to the Babri Masjid. Justice Deoki Nandan Agarwal, former VHP Vice-President, files a case asking for the mosque to be shifted elsewhere. Four suits that have been pending at the Faizabad court are transferred to a special bench of the High Court.

1990: Volunteers of the VHP partially damage the mosque. PM Chandrashekhar intervenes and tries to resolve the issue through negotiations, but these fail. In September, Advani holds a rath yatra to educate people about the Ayodhya movement. He start from Somnath in Gujarat, and ends his yatra at Ayodhya.

1991: BJP becomes the primary opposition party. And powered by the rath yatra, comes into power in Uttar Pradesh. The momentum for the temple movement increases as karsevaks/volunteers pour into Ayodhya.

1992: The disputed Babri Mosque is razed to the ground by the karsevaks on December 6, with the support of Shiv Sena, VHP and BJP. This leads to some of the most deadliest riots across the country, leading to the deaths of more than 2,000 people. The central government, headed by P.V. Narasimha Rao, sets up a commission of enquiry under Justice M.S. Liberhan on December 16.

2001: Tensions during the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. The VHP reaffirms its commitment towards building the Ram temple.

2002: In February 2002, in an attack on a train from Godhra in Gujarat, believed to be carrying karsevaks to Ayodhya, at least 58 people are killed. Riots erupt across the state and over 1,000 people are said to have been killed during the riots.

The High Court orders the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to excavate the site to determine if it was earlier a temple. In April 2002, three HC judges start the hearing to determine who the site belongs to.

2003: The ASI begins the survey to determine whether a temple existed on the site. It finds evidence of the presence of a temple under the mosque. Muslim organisations dispute the findings. In September, a court rules that seven Hindu leaders should stand trial for inciting violence and the destruction of the mosque. Advani is the Deputy Prime Minister, and does not face any charges.

2004: The Congress comes back into power at the Centre. A UP court rules that the previous order exonerating Advani should be reviewed.

2005: Suspected Islamic militants attack the disputed site. Security forces kill five alleged militants and a sixth unidentified person.

2009: In June, the Liberhan commission, which had been set up to investigate the events following the demolition, submits the report. Uproar in the Parliament as the report blames politicians from BJP for their role in the demolition.

2010: The Allahabad High Court pronounces its judgment on the four title suits relating to the dispute. In the landmark hearing, the HC rules that the disputed land be divided into three parts -- one third to Ram Lalla, represented by the Hindu Mahasabha; one third to the Islamic Waqf Board; and the remaining third to the Nirmohi Akhara. In December, the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha and the Sunni Waqf Board move the Supreme Court, challenging the HC ruling.

2011: In May, the Supreme Court stays the High Court order to split the land, stating that the status quo remains.

2014: In a landmark win, the BJP led by Narendra Modi storms to power at the Centre.

2015: The VHP announces a nationwide drive to collect stones for the construction of the Ram Mandir. Six months later, in December, two trucks of stones arrive at the disputed site. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das claims there is a green signal from the Modi government that the temple will be built now. The Uttar Pradesh government led by Akhilesh Yadav says it will not allow the arrival of the stones in Ayodhya for the construction of the Ram Mandir.

March 2017: The Supreme Court said charges against Advani and other leaders cannot be dropped in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case and that the case may be revived.

March 2017: The BJP storms to power in Uttar Pradesh with a massive victory.

March 21, 2017: The Supreme Court says the matter is sensitive and should be settled out of court. It asks stakeholders to hold talks and find an amicable solution.
New Delhi, March 23 : President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday denounced the terror attack outside British Parliament which claimed five lives.

"Shocked to hear of (the) terrorist attack in London; condolences to bereaved families and prayers for recovery of injured," the President tweeted.

He said India stood by the United Kingdom and "terrorism must be met through collective action by the international community".

Modi said: "Deeply saddened by the terror attack in London. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

"At this difficult moment, India stands with the UK in the fight against terrorism," he added, addressing British Prime Minister Theresa May.

On Wednesday, an attacker drove his vehicle and mowed down pedestrians on the iconic Westminster Bridge in the heart of London and another man knifed a policeman on the grounds of the Houses of Parliament.

Police said about 40 people were injured in the attack.

-- With inputs from IANS
London, March 24 : Police on Thursday identified Khalid Masood as the man who carried out the Westminster attack, as the death toll rose to five.

Masood, 52, was born as Adrian Elms in Kent and was shot dead by police. He had not been the subject of any current police investigations, BBC reported.

Three women and five men were arrested in London and Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts following Wednesday's attack.

PC Keith Palmer, 48, Aysha Frade and US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, were killed on Wednesday, while a 75-year-old man died on Thursday evening.

The so-called Islamic State group has said it was behind the attack.

Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his car into railings and then running into the grounds of Parliament, armed with a knife.

He stabbed PC Palmer before being shot dead, BBC added.

The Metropolitan Police said there had been no prior intelligence about Masood's intention to carry out an attack.

But he was known to the police and his previous convictions included causing grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. He was believed to have been living in the West Midlands.

Masood is believed to have lived at various times in Rye, Crawley in West Sussex and Eastbourne, in East Sussex.

He also appeared to have been convicted of a knife crime in 2003 in Eastbourne.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last in December 2003 for possession of a knife.

He had not been convicted of any terrorism offences.

Car hire company Enterprise said the vehicle used in the attack had been rented from its Spring Hill depot in Birmingham.

The BBC understands Masood hired the Hyundai SUV in person, giving his profession as a teacher.

The Department for Education said it had no record of him having worked as a qualified teacher in English state schools.
Washington, March 24 : Spanish Defence Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal has reaffirmed Madrid's commitment to spend two per cent of its GDP on defence, but not before the 2024 deadline established by NATO.

Cospedal on Thursday met US Defence Secretary James Mattis at the Pentagon here, Efe news reported.

The Spanish official said at a press conference afterwards that Spain, one of the NATO countries with the lowest military spending was committed to increasing spending on defence by 2024, when the 10-year period agreed to in September 2014 by the alliance's members expires.

"We spoke about reaching that (two per cent) commitment. Obviously, internal US policy changes, but Spain's policy does, too," Cospedal said.

Cospedal had earlier on Wednesday attended a ministerial meeting to discuss combating jihadism, organised by the Department of State where Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis also participated.

US President Donald Trump has insisted that NATO partners who are not meeting the minimum percentage agreed to within the Atlantic Alliance must increase their defence spending, given that the US, in his judgment, is shouldering too much of the burden.

During the 2016 election campaign, Trump said that NATO was obsolete and that the US should not bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of other nations' defence, remarks he moderated upon winning the November election, but which continue to spark controversy.

After last week's visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House, Trump tweeted that Germany "owes money" to the US for the contribution Washington has made to collective European defence, one of the pillars of the Western international order.

Cospedal acknowledged that Spain spends less than one percent of its GDP on defence, making it one of the NATO members farthest from the two per cent threshold, ahead of only Luxemburg, according to NATO figures.

The US, UK, Greece, Estonia and Poland are at or above the two per cent mark, while Mattis recently said that he hopes that four other countries will join that group within a year.

"I relayed to (Mattis) the Spanish commitment to fulfil that percentage ... within a decade," the Spanish minister said.

"Mattis informed me that he is aware of Spain's promise and that fulfilling it is important for the maintenance of the Atlantic Alliance," she said.

Cospedal added that she had reminded Mattis of Spain's contribution to international missions.

"Spain is one of the European Union countries with the highest percentage of defence spending devoted to international missions," she said.

Spain sends troops on peacekeeping missions abroad, including the US-led mission against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Iraq, where Madrid recently increased its troop contingent by 150, adding to the 300 soldiers already deployed on a training mission.

The minister also said that US military bases in Spain, including Moron and Rota, provide an "incalculable" benefit.

Meanwhile, Mattis emphasised the threat to NATO's "southern flank" and noted that Spain is a key ally due to its geographic location in pursuing operations in Libya, where the IS has an important presence.

He also emphasised the two countries' common front against "growing" threats elsewhere in Europe.
MISSOULA  Even without federal funding, the U.S. Forest Service has volunteers lining up for major donated work efforts.

In two weeks, regional Forest Service offices will submit their proposals for priority trail maintenance efforts using donated labor. Around Missoula, local organizations have suggested the whole of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and the Selway-Bitterroot/Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness areas. Combined, that totals more than 6 million acres of public land that could get improvement.

We drew a circle with the Frank, the Bitterroot Valley, down into Salmon, Challis, and over to Stanley, said Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation Executive Director Sally Ferguson.

Thats where our outfitters, volunteers and trail users go. A few years ago, the Idaho Legislature declared it a disaster area to get more funding to open trails. There are places where you go in, clear trail all the way through a full days hitch, and on the way back have to cut their way out.

The Northern Rockies Region 1 covering Montana, northern Idaho and parts of the Dakotas has 28,000 miles of trail. Adjacent Intermountain Region 4 has another 30,000 miles in southern Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. All together, the Forest Service oversees about 158,000 miles of non-motorized and motorized trail in 154 national forests and grasslands nationwide. It records 84 million trail visits annually.

The Trail Stewardship Act passed last November directs the Forest Service to expand its collaboration with volunteer groups and local communities in getting backcountry maintenance finished. The agency estimates that less than a quarter of its trails meet federal standards for safety, quality recreation and economic or environmental sustainability. Together, Regions 1 and 4 receive almost 200,000 donated hours of labor a year.

The goal of the law is to double that accomplishment, said Kent Wellner, Region 1 trail program manager. The benchmark could be in miles maintained, it could be hours worked or number of volunteers involved.

But the law provides no funding for all that work, which could present problems even for volunteer projects.

The agency has seen an over 33 percent reduction in workforce in the past couple decades, and volunteers arent free, Ferguson said. They require oversight and coordination.

Nevertheless, the willingness abides. Backcountry Horsemen of Montana board member Mac Long said 17 organizations co-signed the proposal letter he helped draft to the Forest Service.

The Forest Service budget has been reduced over the last 20 years to the point where its difficult for them to continue the trail maintenance theyre used to giving, Long said. Were trying to keep public access open to backcountry areas, so people can get into the Bob Marshall and enjoy the trails and everything that goes with that. Were trying to figure out a way we can work collaboratively around the Bob Marshall.

The submission period ends on April 5. Each regional office has until April 15 to winnow the suggestions and send their favorites to Washington, D.C. Headquarters staff will then pick nine to 15 priority places, likely meaning at least one for each of the nine Forest Service regions nationwide.

That decision is expected by May 28. Then the winners have six months to develop their action plans. Implementation should begin in 2018.

To provide ideas and suggestions on potential priority areas and approaches for incorporating increased trail maintenance assistance from partners and volunteers, contact your local Forest Service office or Kent Wellner, Regional Trail Program Manager, by April 5. Kent can be reached at kwellner@fs.fed.us or 406-329-3150.
Washington, March 24 : NASA's Hubble space telescope has detected a supermassive black hole that has been kicked out of the centre of a distant galaxy by what could be the awesome power of gravitational waves.

Weighing more than one billion suns, the rogue black hole is the most massive black hole ever detected to have been kicked out of its central home.

Researchers estimate that it took the equivalent energy of 100 million supernovas exploding simultaneously to jettison the black hole.

The most plausible explanation for this propulsive energy is that the monster object was given a kick by gravitational waves unleashed by the merger of two hefty black holes at the centre of the host galaxy, according to the scientists.

Hubble's observations of the wayward black hole surprised the research team.

"When I first saw this, I thought we were seeing something very peculiar," said team leader Marco Chiaberge of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland, US.

"When we combined observations from Hubble, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, it all pointed towards the same scenario," Chiaberge added in a statement released by NASA on Thursday.

Hubble images taken in visible and near-infrared light provided the first clue that the galaxy was unusual.

The images revealed a bright quasar, the energetic signature of a black hole, residing far from the galactic core.

"Black holes reside in the centre of galaxies, so it's unusual to see a quasar not in the centre," Chiaberge added.

The team calculated the black hole's distance from the core by comparing the distribution of starlight in the host galaxy with that of a normal elliptical galaxy from a computer model.

The black hole had travelled more than 35,000 light-years from the centre, which is more than the distance between the sun and the centre of the Milky Way, according to the study.

"To our surprise, we discovered that the gas around the black hole was flying away from the galaxy's centre at 4.7 million miles an hour," said team member Justin Ely of Space Telescope Science Institute.

This measurement is also a gauge of the black hole's velocity, because the gas is gravitationally locked to the monster object.

The astronomers calculated that the black hole is moving so fast it would travel from Earth to the moon in three minutes. That's fast enough for the black hole to escape the galaxy in 20 million years and roam through the universe forever.

First predicted by Albert Einstein, gravitational waves are ripples in space that are created when two massive objects collide.

The ripples are similar to the concentric circles produced when a hefty rock is thrown into a pond.

Last year, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US helped astronomers prove that gravitational waves exist by detecting them emanating from the union of two stellar-mass black holes, which are several times more massive than the Sun.
Mumbai, March 23 : Shiv Sena's Osmanabad MP Ravindra Gaikwad was on Thursday booked in two cases for assaulting an Air India staffer and delaying a scheduled flight.

An Air India spokesperson said two separate first information reports (FIRs) were lodged against Gaikwad, with one being for abusing and assaulting an AI staffer with slippers and "attempting to throw him out of the aircraft" -- in which he was prevented by other staff present.

The second FIR is for delaying a scheduled New Delhi-Goa flight with 115 passengers, owing to his behaviour on board. Both FIRs have been lodged with the Delhi Police.

The AI is also examining the possibility of creating a 'no fly' list of unruly passengers on the lines of other airlines, the spokesperson said.

Explaining their version of the incident following an enquiry, AI said Gaikwad travelled from Pune to New Delhi by flight AI852, which landed in Delhi at 9.35 a.m.

The aircraft was later scheduled to fly to Goa at 10.55 a.m.

After landing in New Delhi, all passengers disembarked, except Gaikwad.

Enquiries revealed that the MP held an open business-class ticket, but wanted to travel on this flight that is a regular all-economy service and his aide was informed accordingly by the Pune Airport Manager.

However, since Gaikwad insisted on taking that flight he was allotted a seat in the first row as there was no business-class configuration on it.

At New Delhi airport, the MP refused to step out for almost an hour, even as 115 Goa-bound passengers waited to board the flight.

"While the staff requested the MP to deboard, he became abusive and started hitting the AI employee with slippers. Gaikwad also tried to throw him out of the aircraft but was stopped by other AI staff," the spokesperson said.

While the national carrier lodged the two FIRs against Gaikwad, the Shiv Sena has not reacted so far.

-- With inputs from IANS
New Delhi,March 24: : Rajiv Gandhi, as a newly-elected MP, often spoke extempore at conferences and seminar. At one such event, an international conference on tourism and mountaineering in the Himalayas, he had this, perhaps apocryphal story to tell:

An exporter of live crabs from Kerala was constantly looking at ways to cut costs. Initially, he narrowed the gauge of the material used to fabricate the containers. Then he did away with the lid and yet, if the manifest listed 300 live crabs, that was the number in the container.

"How come?" the incredulous American importer asked. "You see, these are Indian crabs. The moment one tries to climb out, five others pull him down. There's no concept of togetherness," the exporter explained.

Apocryphal or not, this story would be extremely familiar to Akshaya Patra, a social enterprise run by monks and CEOs, described as the world's largest NGO and which, in spite of the numerous hurdles it has had to face, serves hot meals to 1.6 million students in government schools every day during term time.

But the pitfalls have been many, and just one will suffice here.

Way back in 2004, Akshaya Patra had attempted to start operations in Delhi, but despite the backing of telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal, "there were vested interests and tangled threads of bureaucracy which had made it impossible to function", writes Bansal, an author, entrepreneur and youth expert who has under her belt seven bestselling books on entrepreneurship that have sold more than a million copies and have been translated into 12 languages.

Some years later, the then Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit invited Akshaya Patra to start a kitchen and feed 2.5 lakh children daily. However, land was not forthcoming even though the Lieutenant Governor was "encouraging".

Then came the question of permissions being sought and even though Dixit threw her weight behind them, they weren't forthcoming and she finally threw up her hands, saying: "You don't understand Delhi..."

That was the signal to the fixers to step in and demand a cut for "getting your work done". The organisation stood its ground and secured initial approval to feed 30,000 children for three months.

There was the question of the menu with the one set by the Delhi government costing Rs 17 per meal, against the countrywide norm of Rs 7.

"This was an unhealthy situation -- for the children and for Akshaya Patra... a decision was taken to close down the kitchen. This was one time that Akshaya Patra had failed miserably," writes Bansal, an economics graduate from Mumbai's Sophia College who also holds an MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad.

The organisation faced similar hurdles in other parts of the country too, notably in Vrindavan and Bhillai, and the state of Odisha, where any number of sharks wanted to meet "Mr Patra" till it was explained to the mystified enterprise that this was a common surname in the state.

And yet, Akshaya Patra has soldiered on, backed as it is by individuals like Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON, Bengaluru; Mohandas Pai, the then CFO of Infosys and now Chairman of the Manipal Global Education Group; Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice-President of ISKCON, Bengaluru; and Raj Kondur, a Harvard Business School graduate and venture capitalist -- and not to forget Sudha Murthy, the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and an evangelist in her own right.

Little wonder then that an A.C. Nielson report "highlighted the positive impact of Akshaya Patra on education outcomes. The meal was 'more than a meal'. It was an incentive to come to school, to stay in school and study better", the book says.

Harvard Business School "published a case study on Akshaya Patra, catapulting the organisation onto the global stage, translating the language of poverty into the language of business".

Never has a hot meal been skipped in the last 16 years and today, Akshaya Patra serves kids in 13,800 government schools across 11 states from 27 kitchens -- recording its two billionth meal in May 2016.

"The dream is to reach five million children (daily) by 2020," Bansal writes, quoting Mohandas Pai as saying: "We pray to God... that he gives us the strength every single day."

To put that prayer in perspective, here's a sobering thought: "The total number of mid-day meals served in India each day is 120 crore (1.2 billion), across 12.65 lakh (government) schools. Most of them receive substandard meals," Bansal writes.

-- With inputs from IANS
Agartala, March 24 : Thed Tripura Police on Friday began investigating threat calls to former minister and veteran TMC leader Ratan Chakraborty, who joined the BJP on Thursday.

"Two youths, reportedly Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists, have made two successive calls from their mobiles to Ratan Chakraborty, threatening him with dire consequences. We are now probing the incident," a police official said.

The official said: "Chakraborty filed a complaint with the police about the threat. As this is a cognizable offence, we have sought permission from the judicial magistrate to arrest the accused."

Chakraborty told reporters that if the local police do not take action against the accused, he would ask the Director General of Police to take action.

Chakraborty, who was Trinamool's Tripura unit's coordination committee chairman, on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party along with 15 other state committee members in the presence of Assam BJP leader and Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain.

Before he joined the Trinamool Congress, Chakraborty was a former minister of the Congress-led government in Tripura (1988-93).

Chakraborty joined the BJP about a fortnight after former state Trinamool chief Surajit Datta walked over to the saffron party on March 10.

State BJP President Biplab Kumar Deb and the party's observer (Pravari) Sunil Deodhar told reporters after receiving Chakraborty on Thursday that more leaders and workers from various parties would soon join the party.
London, March 24 : More than 10 million UK workers are at high risk of being replaced by robots within 15 years as the automation of routine tasks gathers pace in a new machine age, a report said on Friday.

The report by the consultancy firm PwC found that 30 per cent of jobs in Britain were potentially under threat from breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI).

In some sectors, half the jobs could go, the Guardian reported.

The report predicted that automation would boost productivity and create fresh job opportunities, but it said action was needed to prevent the widening of inequality that would result from robots increasingly being used for low-skill tasks.

PwC said 2.25 million jobs were at high risk in wholesale and retailing - the sector that employs most people in the UK - and 1.2 million were under threat in manufacturing, 1.1 million in administrative and support services and 950,000 in transport and storage.

Jon Andrews, the head of technology and investments at PwC, said: "There's no doubt that AI and robotics will rebalance what jobs look like in the future, and that some are more susceptible than others."

Education and health and social care were the two sectors seen as least threatened by robots because of the high proportion of tasks seen as hard to automate, the report added.

The PwC study is the latest to assess the potential for job losses and heightened inequality from AI, the Guardian added.
New Delhi, March 24 : A court here on Friday issued summons to five more persons against whom the CBI filed fresh supplementary chargesheet, including Jindal Steel's adviser Anand Goel, in a coal block allocation case against former Congress MP Naveen Jindal and others.

After considering the chargesheet, Special Judge Bharat Parashar issued summons to Goel, Gurgaon-based Green Infra's Vice President Siddharth Madra, Mumbai-based KE International's Chief Financial Officer Rajeev Aggarwal, Nihar Stocks Limited Director B.S.N. Suryanarayan, and Mumbai's Essar Power Limited Executive Vice Chairman Sushil Kumar Maroo.

The court took cognizance of the offences of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and cheating under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code as well as criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The five were directed to appear in court on April 10.

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named the five in a fresh supplementary chargesheet filed in the court.

According to court sources, the CBI has alleged that the five persons were actively involved in the transfer of Rs 2 crore from Jindal Realty New Delhi Exim and further to Sowbhagya Media Ltd, (SML).

The CBI also alleged that the money was transferred to Sowbhagya Media, a company controlled by former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao, in lieu of showing favour in the allotment of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge.

The final investigation report was filed on the basis of a statement given by a prosecution witness -- Chartered Accountant and New Delhi Exim Pvt. Ltd. Director Suresh Singhal -- who has turned approver in the case.

The court was hearing the case related to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge.

Besides Congress MP and industrialist Jindal, former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, and former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta are accused in the case.

The CBI filed a chargesheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao and Gupta in April 2015.

The other accused include Jindal Realty Director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge Directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R.K. Saraf, and Sowbhagya Media's Managing Director K. Ramakrishna.

Of the five private companies named in the chargesheet, four are based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad.

The accused has denied the charges.
Seoul, March 24 : The chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics said on Friday during a shareholders' meeting that despite the allegations against the company's heir, the firm was not involved in the South Korean "Rasputin" corruption scandal.

Kwon Oh-hyun apologised to the shareholders gathered in Seoul for the inconvenience caused by the detention and trial of Lee Jae-yon, Samsung's de facto President, and stressed that the company did not break the law, Efe news reported.

In statements reported by the Korea Herald, he said the contribution at the centre of the controversy surrounding the company was made to help a public interest issue but was used for a different purpose, and the decision did not require the Board of Directors or the management's approval.

The contribution refers to the 43 billion won ($38.3 million) donated to two foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, known as the South Korean "Rasputin" for her proximity to former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached on the March 10 following the scandal.

The public prosecutor's office believes the payments were made in exchange for the South Korean public pension fund authorising a merger of two Samsung subsidiaries (one of which was owned by the fund) in 2015 to reinforce Lee's control over the group.

Lee was detained in February on the basis of these accusations and his trial began on March 9, with a ruling expected in May.

Lee, 48, is the de-facto President of Samsung, the largest South Korean business group, which accounts for one-fifth of the country's GDP.

He took charge of the firm in 2014 after his father, Lee Kun-hee, suffered a heart attack.

Despite the significant challenges that Samsung Electronics suffered last year, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fiasco or Lee's arrest, the company's shares have been touching record high after it announced a restructuring of its management in November.
New Delhi, March 24 : Even as a Pakistani minister said that India and Pakistan will hold talks in Washington next month over two disputed hydropower projects in the Indus Valley, a senior official said on Friday that there has been no change in the previous Indian position on the issue.

"Let me categorically tell you that there has been no change in the previous Indian position on any of the matters discussed at the (Permanent Indus Waters) Commission meeting (held in Islamabad)," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in his weekly media briefing here.

"At this stage, it would be premature to talk of hypothetical contingencies," he said.

Ahead of the Commission meeting held in Islamabad on March 21 and 22, Pakistani Water and Power Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said that the two nations would hold three-day secretary-level talks on the Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects, under the aegis of the World Bank, in Washington from April 11.

"The US has intervened at the highest level to help both countries resolve the issue. There will be secretary-level talks on the Ratle and Kishanganga hydropower projects in Washington on April 11, 12 and 13," Mohammad Asif said at a press conference in Islamabad on Monday.

"We are happy that India has finally agreed to resume talks at the commission level. We welcome this decision and the visit of the Indian delegation," he added.

The 10-member Indian delegation that visited Islamabad for the annual talks was led by Indus Water Commissioner P.K. Saxena.

The Commission, which is mandated to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan, comprises Indus Commissioners from both sides and discusses technical matters related to implementation of the treaty.

Pakistan has been protesting over the design and construction of two controversial projects - the 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project and the 850 MW Ratle hydroelectric project - on the tributaries of the Indus in the Indian part of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 and involves six rivers: the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.

Brokered by the World Bank, the treaty gave the right to use waters of the first three rivers to India and of the other three rivers to Pakistan.

India has said it has the right under the treaty to set up hydropower plants on the tributaries of the rivers flowing through its territory. Pakistan fears this might reduce the water flow of the rivers into its territory.

The treaty had come close to being jeopardised following the cross-border terror attack on September 18 last year on an army base at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers.

Blaming the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed for the attack, New Delhi said it would consider revisiting the Indus Waters Treaty, which has withstood three wars and is seen as one of the most successful international agreements.

Baglay said that so long as India was a party to the treaty, it is its legal obligation to attend the treaty-mandated meetings held at least once every financial year.

"The Commission is a bilateral body of engineers and technical experts. They had detailed technical discussions," he said.

"Our team has since returned and the deliberations and discussions at the (Islamabad) meeting are being assessed."
New Delhi,March 24: : Anaarkali of Aarah is a movie that attempts to portray the multifaceted hypocritical society we live in through satire and suspense. The movie is exceptionally well made and is a worthy successor for movies like Pink and Lipstick Under My Burkha. The leads exalt the movie to a higher pedestal and worthy of a standing ovation.

Anaarkali of Aarah - Prokerala Rating - 

Round-up review: Anaarkali is loved by all the men in Aarah, a rustic village situated in Bihar. But the basis of her fame is attributed to her lewd songs accompanied with titillating dances which she stages with her orchestra to make a living. Old or young, men are familiar with Anaarkali and her paan-stained lips and swaying hips that brings to life all their fantasies.

Anaarkali is conscious and fully aware of the impression she rubs on the people in her village but that is her choice and that is exactly where she draws the line, a point masterly characterized by Swara Bhaskar. She is no ingenue and does not hold back on blows when men try to get too comfortable with her. This gets her in trouble when a drunken VC (Sanjay Mishra), deep rooted in the political framework gropes her at one of her performances. Anaarkali retaliates with a slap and files a complaint. Clearly, she was asking for it, reason the men. They add that women like Anaarkali should be accustomed to this sort of behaviour.

We see a glimpse of our hypocritical society when Sanjay Mishra expertly transforms from a limp old man to a vengeful god, making life difficult for Anaarkali and her cohorts when his vulgar advances are questioned by a burlesque dancer.

Director Avinash Das with his debut movie expresses how well he understands the regressive social structure of our country and with admirable dexterity handles the tone of the movie along the lines of vulgarity and morality. Pankaj Mishra adds immense valor to the beedi loving Anaarkali, though his advances to the foul-mouthed dancer remain unreciprocated.

Anaarkali of Aarah cannot be termed as a feminist movie but it adeptly demonstrates that not just educated women but also women like Anaarkali can do with feminism.

Rediff rated the movie : and is of the opinion that Anaarkali of Aarah is a tale well told often comparing it akin to a fairy tale in modern times and lauds the brilliant performances of the leads.

Indian Express feels that: Anaarkali of Aarah is a ladies-oriented film. Enough and more, in these dismal times. She praised Swara Bhaskar for her rendition of women with conflicting philosophies and awarded the movie 3 and a half stars.

Filmi Beat observes that: a more gripping narrative might have produced a better impact. But she agrees with her peers when commending the performance of the leads and rated 3 stars out of 5 for Anaarkali of Aarah.

Hindustan Times admires the movie: for focusing our attention on the marginalized sections that are fighting their own battles in this part of the globe. He praises the portrayal of the contrasting facets of Anaarkali by Swara Bhaskar. .

TImes of India proclaims that: Times of India proclaims that: Anaarkali of Aarah is an unexpected winner that stuns you with its authenticity. It is about a woman, who fights to uphold her right to dignity. She praises the director Avinash Das for his skilled execution without which the movie might be reduced to a cringe-inducing nightmare. 3.5/5
New Delhi, March 25 : It is now on the tables of a district judge in Britain to issue an arrest warrant for liquor baron Vijay Mallya, whose extradition India is seeking on bad loans amounting to Rs 9000 crore, the government said on Friday.

India handed over a formal request to the British High Commission here last month for his extradition.

"A formal extradition request in respect of Mallya was handed over to the British High Commission vide our note verbale dated February 8," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay told the media.

The UK Home Office had conveyed that the request had been certified by the Secretary of State and sent to Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider issuing an arrest warrant, he said.

Mallya left India on March 2, 2016 for London, days after a consortium of 17 banks moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal to hear a July 2013 petition to recover dues of Rs 9,081 crore, including interest, that was loaned to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

Mallya has since offered to negotiate with the banks for a one-time settlement of dues and sought the Supreme Court's intervention.

Banks had previously shot down Mallya's offer of Rs 6,868 crore in April 2016 to settle the dues.

-- With inputs from IANS
The terror attack that left three victims and an assailant dead near the Houses of Parliament in London showed the worst and the best of British life.

It was a reminder of the threat we've lived under for a very long time. But it also was a demonstration of a professional police service swinging into action and of our citizens rushing to each other's aid.

We have a saying here: Keep calm and carry on. I'm sure that even on a day such as this we'll live up to it.

Britain has been dealing with various forms of political violence since the 1960s, when the sectarian Troubles erupted in Northern Ireland. Last year, one of our members of Parliament, Jo Cox, was murdered by a sympathizer of the racist far-right. And we've been on alert against Islamist terrorism since 9/11. On July 7, 2005, 52 people were killed by suicide bombers in London.

Our security services are second to none and are believed to have prevented 13 terror attacks since 2013. Their job, however, is made all the more difficult by the situation in the Middle East. The Syrian civil war has radicalized some young Britons; around 850 of them are believed to have traveled to Syria or Iraq to support or join the fighting. About half that number are thought to have returned. Others have tried to travel to the region and been stopped.

That Britain hadn't had a significant, successful attack since 2013, when a soldier, Fusilier Lee Rigby, was beheaded in the street, is a testament to how well our security agencies have been coping.

So was the swift response of London's police force on Wednesday. We know that one officer lost his life. The officer was given CPR by Tobias Ellwood, an MP and former soldier who lost his brother in a bombing in Indonesia. There's no greater testament to the strength of Britain's institutions than the selflessness of our police and the quality of MPs like Ellwood.

As for the attacker, there's a lot of speculation at the moment. But the location of this attack was surely picked to say something about the British state and its vulnerability. Reports indicate that an attacker drove along Westminster Bridge, mowing down tourists, and then into the railings outside the Houses of Parliament.

An attacker then approached the grounds of the Houses of Parliament and stabbed a police officer. This is a place where, as a journalist, I go all the time. My newspaper colleagues were inside the building in the lobby offices. There were MPs at work in the Commons. The Prime Minister was inside the palace grounds.

What if the attacker had a bomb? What if he had got farther into the complex? The situation could have been even worse.

One piece of good news is that Parliament intends to sit tomorrow, Thursday, and continue its business as normal. That's how a democracy wins. Britain's extremist right will demand tough measures -- it has always confused me that people who claim to love their country as much as the far-right does are so keen to change it at a moment's notice.

Modern Britain is defined by tolerance. Please don't believe the worst that you might read online: We have fine community relations here. We are a generally peaceful and good-natured country. We are also known for our coolness under fire. We have seen this violence before and will endure more to come. But we don't give in to terrorists. A barbarian cannot change a country as old and civilized as ours.

CNN's Angela Dewan, Nic Paton Walsh, Simon Cullen, Carol Jordan, James Masters and Steven Jiang contributed to this report.
New Delhi, March 24 : After an Indian woman and her seven-year-old son were found dead in their home in New Jersey, a senior official here said on Friday that the government was in touch with the US authorities over the matter.

In his weekly media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said that the government was still awaiting details of the unfortunate incident.

"We are in touch with the US authorities who are trying to ascertain the details in the matter," he said.

The victims were N. Sasikala (40) and her son Anish Sai, their family in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district said on Friday.

Sasikala's husband N. Hanumantha Rao found the bodies when he returned home from work on Thursday evening.

Y. Sambasiva Rao, a member of Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly from Prakasam district, spoke to representatives of Telugu Association of North America (TANA) over phone about the incident.

He said the mother and her son were strangulated to death.

Hanumantha Rao and Sasikala both were software professionals. Sasikala used to work from home.

The couple had been living in the US for nine years.

This is the latest in a series of incidents involving Indian techies.

Telangana's aeronautical engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed when Adam W. Purinton, who earlier served in the US Navy, shot him in Olathe, Kansas, on February 23.

Vamshi Reddy Mamidala, also from Telangana, was shot dead in Milpitas, California, on February 10 in a garage in his apartment building.
Moscow, March 24 : Russia is not seeking to influence the presidential race in France, but has the right to meet the representatives of the country's political parties, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday as he met far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen in the Kremlin.

"We attach great importance to our ties with France, and we try to maintain equal relations both with representatives of the current authorities and the opposition," Putin said.

"We don't want to influence in any way the events (the French presidential election)in anyway," he told Le Pen, reported Russian news agency TASS.

Putin acknowledged that Le Pen represented a spectrum of European political forces that was rapidly growing and said he would favour an exchange of ideas on bilateral relations and the current situation in Europe.

National Front (FN) party candidate Le Pen said the meeting was important in the face of the global terrorist threat and that it would be useful if the two countries could share intelligence between each other.

Putin responded that "we were all living in the same difficult conditions and had to recognize the reality of the threat".

The French politician, who is currently at the top of the polls for the first round of the elections, arrived in Moscow early on Friday and met officials from the Duma's international affairs committee.

She told the speaker of Duma (lower house of Parliament) that European Union's sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea were "counterproductive", "unfair" and even "silly".

The FN, said Le Pen, did not believe in the diplomacy of threats or sanctions, which unfortunately the EU used increasingly frequently on Moscow and its own member states, Efe news reported.

Le Pen also said that Russia and France had to join forces to fight globalisation and Islamic fundamentalism, which she said was one of the greatest threats the world was facing today.
Imphal, March 24 : The BJP-led coalition government in Manipur on Friday, has launched an anti-corruption cell to check all kinds of corruptions in the state.

BJP spokesperson T. Biswajit Singh said: "A telephone number has been made public and aggrieved persons could lodge all kinds of corruption charges through this number. The identity of the complainants shall be kept confidential."

He added that there are reports of extorting money for services rendered and cash for job scams.

Singh further said that all interviews for the appointment of grade III and IV employees in the state government shall be done away with. "This step was taken to plug the corruption loopholes in appointments of the lower grade employees."

Talking about the sub-standard construction works, he said, "Photographs of such constructions shall be taken at three stages to ensure that there is quality construction. Payments will be made only when the officials and people are satisfied with the quality of the constructions."

The MLA asked people to be vigilant and actively watch out for sub-standard constructions.

This is the third populist step the coalition government, formed on March 15, has taken up. First it had ended the four-month-old economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council against Manipur, protesting against the creation of seven districts.

In the second step, the government is trying to come to an understanding with the tribal activists in Churachandpur district to perform the last rites of the eight tribals killed during agitations over a year ago.

The tribals had protested against the passing of the three bills related to the implementation of the Inner Line Permit system. Altogether nine persons were killed while protesting against the bills. The activists refused to claim the bodies saying that the government should first withdraw the "anti-tribal bills".

However family members of one victim took away the body for last rites. The Congress government had faced a logjam since the tribals said that the government was "communal and anti-tribal".
New Delhi, March 24 : The uniform civil code won't help Muslim women as majority of them won't approach a court if it's violated, the founder of Women's Jamaat Sharifa Khanum has said.

Khanum had started the Tamil Nadu Women's Jamaat (Mosque). She feels that Muslim women don't enjoy any Islamic rights or any constitutional rights in India, but bringing in the uniform civil code won't have an impact.

"It is okay to bring in the Uniform Civil Code (to replace the personal laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community) but 90 per cent women won't go to the court as the debates will end in families and not go beyond," Khanum said.

She was speaking at a session on "Right To Pray: Are Women Children Of A Lesser God?" that was organised at India Today Woman Summit here on Friday.

"When we were trying to build the women's mosque. The major things stopping us, for our women workers, were character assassination and physical abuse," she said.

Khanum pointed out that in the past 20 years, more than 100 girls have been killed in the name of suicide.

"I've been working for Muslim women all these years. The Muslim Personal Law Board does not support us. Muslim women are getting talaq for no reason. Quran does not say that, the personal law does not say that," she said.

She also went in-depth about her own subjugation experience as a teenager.

"When I was 15, I was not given the permission to even stand outside my house. I got beaten up by my own brother for not believing in religion or god. But I'm not bothered about any of that," Khanum said.

"I was labelled 'characterless' and 'anti-religious' by the people around me. I feel that we women are discriminated in the name of religion. We need space and power for Muslim women," Khanum added.

Civil Rights Activist Trupti Desai was also a participant at the discussion.

"In 1950, women were given equal rights by the Indian constitution. But that's not applicable in reality. We are just raising the obvious question when all men and women are born out of a woman, how can she be impure," Desai questioned.

"When I tried to enter the Shani Shingnapur temple for the second time, people said I was going to go through a divorce and be thrown out of the house for doing so. We were blackmailed, detained by the police, but nothing could stop us," she said.

Asked how she explains things to her seven-year-old son, Desai said: "I never needed to explain anything to him. He saw me on television being thrashed by the police. He told me to not come home and stay with those women for their protection.

She said that the little kid understood things much better than adults. "My son said -- 'I have girls with me in my class. They are everywhere. Why shouldn't they be allowed to enter worship places?'"

"Every worship place should have equality. If the government passes such a rule, 'sab ke liye acche din aa sakte hain' (there can be good days for everyone)," Desai asserted.

Both had suggestions to make about resolving the Babri Masjid issue.

Desai said: "No matter what they build -- mandir, masjid, dargah...women should walk hand-in-hand with men into it."

For Khanum, it was more important to build education centres. "I would rather build an education centre instead of Babri Masjib as education is very important for every religion."
New Delhi, March 24 : Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad for assaulting an airline employee, including attempt to commit culpable homicide.

"We have registered a FIR and the case has been transferred to the Crime Branch for a through probe," Special Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathak said.

Pathak said Gaikwad had been booked on charges of attempt to commit culpable homicide (Section 308 IPC) and assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person (Section 355 IPC).

The Lok Sabha member from Osmanabad in Maharashtra is accused of beating up and trying to push down Air India officer R. Sukumar from the aircraft on Thursday.

Asked why the police action came a day after the incident, Pathak said: "Yesterday (Thursday) evening we received the complaint and immediately it was sent for legal examination.

"(Today) two hours back, the legal opinion came following which we registered the FIR."
Mumbai, March 24 : Actor Akshay Kumar says the research work for his upcoming project "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" has opened his eyes towards the plight of women who have to go to open fields to relieve themselves.

Stressing on the importance of personal hygiene and health, the actor says keeping the house clean and health of one's family on priority is first step towards attaining the dream of "Swachh Bharat".

The actor took to Twitter on Friday to share an over six-minute-long video titled "Soch Aur Shauch". And says he was shocked by the findings of the research.

He said: "Friends, 'Swachh Bharat' is only possible only when 'ghar' is swachh and ladies of our family are healthy."

He said: "I initially wondered if I should talk about this, as I knew many would point out that I am doing this video only for the publicity of my upcoming film. And, you are right. I am doing this film 'Toilet Ek Prem Katha', and I do want as much publicity as possible for this particular topic."

The actor added: "Why should I care about what others think? I feel that thoughts and faeces are both similar. There is no way that you could stop either. It is nature's call, that you have to answer."

He understands the topic might disgust many people, but urged them to watch the video, and brought into light some facts like "Imagine in a super power country like India, more than half of the population especially women can't go to toilet when they feel the urge because they don't have toilet in their home".

"They have to go to open fields because they are family's respect. They have to go before sunrise, and in case they miss that time they have to wait for the sun to go down to relieve themselves," said Akshay, adding that men do not have to go through the same struggle to attend to nature's call.

The father of two also asserted that it leads to several diseases, which then get transferred to children and they die because of them.

He asks: "Is this is our culture?"

"When you can have kitchen and bedroom under one roof, then why not a toilet? All of this is the result of the direction we think in. Fifty four per cent of the people in our country do not have toilets in their homes and India tops the list globally for unhygienic sanitation practices. The government has built public toilets but these buildings are being used as animal sheds and what not," said the "Rustom" star.

Akshay feels it is wrong to put everything on the government, and just keep waiting.

"We go to temples, churches, mosques or any holy place and donate money, why can't we use the same donation to build toilets for poor people?" he asked.

The actor also urged all the people who watched the video, but don't have a toilet in home to get them built.
New York, March 25 : The decision to pick Hindutva leader Adityanath Yogi as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh shows the BJP thinks "nothing stands in the way of transforming a secular republic into a Hindu state", the New York Times said on Friday.

In a hard-hitting editorial, the daily said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had played a cagey game since taking power in 2014, appeasing his party's hard-line Hindu base while promoting secular goals of economic growth.

"Despite worrying signs that he was willing to humor Hindu extremists, Modi refrained from overtly approving violence against the nation's Muslim minority," the editorial said.

But Modi, it said, finally revealed his hand.

"Emboldened by a landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh, his party named a firebrand Hindu cleric, Adityanath, as the state's leader.

"The move is a shocking rebuke to religious minorities and a sign that cold political calculations ahead of national elections in 2019 have led Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party to believe that nothing stands in the way of realizing its long-held dream of transforming a secular republic into a Hindu state."

The Times said Adityanath had made a political career of demonizing Muslims, he had defended a Hindu mob that murdered a Muslim man in 2015 on suspicion that his family was eating beef, and had said Muslims who balked at performing a yoga salutation to the sun should "drown themselves in the sea".

The daily said Uttar Pradesh, home to more than 200 million people, badly needed development, "not ideological showmanship".

"The state has the highest infant mortality rate in the country. Nearly half of its children are stunted. Educational outcomes are dismal. Youth unemployment is high."

While Adityanath has made the right notes, the daily said his appointment showed that Modi sees no contradiction between economic development and a muscular Hindu nationalism that feeds on stoking anti-Muslim passions.

"Modi's economic policies have delivered growth, but not jobs. India needs to generate a million new jobs every month to meet employment demand.

"Should Adityanath fail to deliver, there is every fear that he - and Modi's party - will resort to deadly Muslim-baiting to stay in power, turning Modi's dreamland into a nightmare for India's minorities, and threatening the progress that Modi has promised to all of its citizens."

Shutting down any sort of Beef in the state was the first ever move by Adithyanth after he claimed the CM's chair. Intensive drive to shut down slaughterhouses across the state have hit the population, hotels and even animal zoo

-- With inputs from IANS
New Delhi, March 24 : Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, which is also known as Kado or the "Way of flowers". An exhibition on Sunday is all set to bring across the exquisite art to the capital's denizens.

The exhibition titled, "Creation and Contrast" will be held at Eros Hotel under the aegis of The Year of Japan-India friendly exchanges.

The tradition of Ikebana dates back to the seventh century when floral offerings were made at altars. Today, there are over a thousand different schools in Japan and across the world, of which Sogetsu and Ohara are some of the best.

The show will be organised by Delhi Ikebana International, which is part of a worldwide organisation founded in Tokyo in 1956.

Its members are dedicated to promotion of mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and other countries through Ikebana and other related arts of Japan.

The association, which has 122 members, will display their Ikebana arrangements belonging to different schools of Ikebana like Sogetsu and Ohara.

The Japanese Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu and his wife Patricia Hiramatsu will also visit the show that will be inaugurated by Vice President Hamid Ansari's wife Salma Ansari.
New Delhi, March 24 : DCNS India, the Indian subsidiary of French naval major DCNS, on Friday said it has contributed to the Clean Ganga Fund.

"DCNS India's contribution will enable to tackle major challenges posed to Ganga, holy river of India, in a comprehensive approach adopted by Government of India, through four different modes - wastewater management, solid waste management, industrial pollution and river front development," said a company statement.

The firm's contribution was handed over to Upendra Prasad Singh, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga.

In his remarks at the occasion, DCNS India Managing Director Bernard Buisson said: "DCNS India is proud to contribute to Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, in order to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of Ganga.

"As major partner of MDL and the Indian Navy through the P75 submarines programme, DCNS Group endeavours to create long-term added-value in its activities while respecting environment and ocean protection. The Group places corporate responsibility at the heart of its sustainable growth."

The Scorpene submarines are being built by Mazagon Dockyard Ltd at Mumbai under Project 75 with transfer of technology from DCNS. Out of the six vessels, two submarines are ready
Dhaka, March 24 : A suicide bomber was killed in a blast in front of a police box near Dhaka airport on Friday, media reports said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Airport) Ruhul Amin Shagor said a suicide bomber attempted to attack the police box overlooking the airport intersection at 7 p.m., Dhaka Tribune reported.

He confirmed the attacker has been killed, and no other casualties were reported.

The attacker, an adult man dressed in jeans and a shirt tried to blow up the outpost with explosives in his pocket or tied around his waist.

According to a witness, the bomber was not carrying anything in his hands, but looked like a drug addict.

Talking to media, Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said the attacker, in his early 30s, was also hauling a luggage which is being inspected by the Bomb Disposal Unit.

He also said it may not have been a suicide attack, but a lethal slip when the terrorist was spooked out and detonated the charges early.

The suicide attack comes exactly a week after another bomb attack on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) camp -- an anti-crime, anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police -- at the city's Ashkona area, barely half a kilometre away from the airport blast site.
New Delhi, March 24 : Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday handed over to the Navy three systems indigenously developed by the DRDO, including a sonar that is likely to be fitted on the Arihant class submarines.

The AUSHUS-II submarine sonar, developed by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is primarily designed to be used in Sindhughosh class submarines, and may also be fitted on the Arihant class indigenous nuclear submarines.

The other two systems handed over in the presence of Navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba, include a directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array, and inertial navigation system for ship applications.

The Minister also released two other products developed by the DRDO - an IP-based secure phone, which has an indigenous encryption algorithm to provide secrecy to voice and data, to facilitate communication of strategic and tactical plans of the armed forces; and 'Gallium Nitride Technology' that will help in the development of next generation radars, seekers and communication systems, for application in Light Combat Aircraft.

Speaking on the occasion, Jaitley said the DRDO is becoming an important instrument for self-reliance of the nation.

"Great societies and nations are made through people working on important tasks in anonymity, like the DRDO scientists who were honoured today (Friday)," he said.

He also gave away the annual DRDO awards on the occasion.

State-of-the-art submarine sonar suite, USHUS-II, is a highly evolved compendium of multiple sensors. The constituent sonars in the suite include passive sonar, active sonar, intercept sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar and underwater telephony.

The directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array is an electro-mechanical system that supports the transducer array of hull-mounted ship sonar systems and rotates it at a controlled speed for in-situ acoustic calibration at harbour and sea.

The inertial navigation system, based on indigenous ring laser gyroscopes, provides vital information on the ship's position coordinates and heading for steering it to its destination accurately. It features high-speed processor, multi-constellation sat nav receiver, ship specific interfaces and innovative algorithms.
Brussels, March 25 : The man arrested on Thursday in Belgian city of Antwerp has been charged with attempted terrorism, prosecutors said on Friday.

Mohamed R., a French national, was arrested by soldiers after he drove at a fast speed at crowds in a major shopping street in the city, with his vehicle in which weapons were found, Xinhua news agency reported.

The local media also said the driver was under the influence of alcohol, making it impossible to interrogate him until Friday.

However, the man was charged on Friday with "an attempt to murder in a terrorist manner, an attempt to hit and wound in a terrorist manner and arms infractions".

Interrogated by prosecutors, Mohamed R. denied being the driver in the vehicle, but did not manage to have logical explanations. The police raid at his home did not lead to a terrorist threat either.
Berlin, March 25 : A warning by German new President Frank-Walter Steinmeier indicated "an unprecedented degree of concern" about the damage of the German-Turkish ties, an expert has said.

"On the other hand, one of Steinmeier's key messages is that he wants to be the President of all Germans, including German citizens of Turkish origin," Xinhua news agency quoted Michael Mertes, Chief speechwriter of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, as saying.

Mertes told Xinhua that there had been several occasions in the past when German Presidents "felt an urge to resort to tough rhetoric".

Steinmeier, who was sworn in German President on Wednesday, in his inaugural speech called on Turkey to stop comparing Berlin to Nazis and issued the warning against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Credible signals to ease tensions are welcome... But end the unspeakable Nazi comparisons. Do not cut the ties to those people who want partnership with Turkey. Respect the rule of law and the freedom of media and journalists. And release Deniz Yucel," Steinmeier said.

Deniz Yucel is a Turkish-German journalist, detained in Turkey since January on charges of terrorist propaganda and incitement to hatred.

German public opinion poll claimed that Steinmeier was able to speak on behalf of an overwhelming majority of the German voters -- between 80 and 90 per cent.

Asked whether the President's remarks signal a harder line on Erdogan, Mertes said, "Let's wait and see what happens on April 16 (when the referendum is held) and thereafter.

"It's up to Erdogan to clean up the mess he has caused. I am sure Germany will not reject an offer from Erdogan to make up for that damage, and to return to normal," Mertes said.

Erdogan is in the midst of campaigning for a referendum, set for April 16, which would considerably strengthen Erdogan's powers. The dispute began when Germany prevented Turkish politicians from campaigning on its soil.

There are around 1.4 million Turks in Germany who are eligible to vote in the referendum and these votes could prove vital.
Washington, March 25 : A GOP-sponsored healthcare bill was pulled from the floor of the House of Representatives ahead of a vote, presumably because not enough votes have been secured for its passing, US media reported on Friday.

House Speaker Paul Ryan pulled his Obamacare repeal bill from the floor on Friday, a day after Trump had threatened to walk away from healthcare reform if he didn't get a vote, CNN reported.

After a dramatic day on Capitol Hill, Ryan rushed from the White House to Capitol Hill to tell Trump he did not have the votes to pass the measure, the culmination of seven years of Republican efforts to eradicate President Barack Obama's proudest domestic achievement.

Two senior administration officials said the decision to pull the bill was Ryan's.

The decision means that for now, at least, Obamacare will remain in place until Republicans can come up with some plan that can overcome deep intra-party divisions about how to kill it.

The decision to delay the vote marks an acute embarrassment for Trump, who had gambled big by presenting holdout House conservatives with a take-it-or-leave it ultimatum on Thursday night and put his own credibility on the line.
In essence, honest hard working New Yorkers are paying a fraud tax, said Jaclyn Darrohn, Allstate New York spokesperson. We need lawmakers to enact meaningful insurance reform that puts the citizens of New York first.

Allstate Insurance Company is seeking to recover $1.1 million from a New York area medical doctor and his professional corporation in its third alleged insurance fraud lawsuit of 2017. The complaint, filed under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and principles of common law, alleges that the defendants engaged in a scheme in which fraudulent and misleading bills were submitted to Allstate for services and testing that were of no diagnostic value and were not rendered as billed. The case was filed in the Federal Eastern District of NY, docket number 17-CV-01599.

Among the allegations included in Allstates complaint are that Dr. Benjamin M. Chang, M.D., through Liberty Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, P.C., submitted fraudulent and misleading invoices and medical records for electrodiagnostic testing to Allstate for reimbursement under New York States No-fault law. Since 2003, Allstate has filed 75 fraud lawsuits in New York State seeking more than $310 million in damages.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, No-Fault fraud is costing New Yorkers millions of dollars year-after-year. In essence, honest hard working New Yorkers are paying a fraud tax, said Jaclyn Darrohn, Allstate New York spokesperson. We need lawmakers to enact meaningful insurance reform that puts the citizens of New York first.

Allstate is joined by other insurers and many New York State leaders in its pursuit for comprehensive reform of the No-Fault system. The No-Fault system is being exploited and responsible citizens are the victims, Darrohn said. Without the support of lawmakers, incidents of fraud will continue to increase. We need to work together this legislative session to fix the broken No-Fault system.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nations largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from lifes uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Allstate is widely known through the slogan Youre In Good Hands With Allstate. The Allstate brands network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2015, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $36 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 250,000 hours of service across the country.
Critigen Lemur

Critigen, the global leader in unifying GIS and SAP data, today announced Metropolitan Utilities District of Omaha (M.U.D.) as the newest subscriber to its Lemur SaaS Platform. Offline access to data in the enterprise GIS will ensure M.U.D.s field crews can access essential engineering and location information in the event of emergency, and in network dead zones, while reducing cellular data costs.

Lemur will empower our people in the field by providing consistent access to GIS data regardless of the cellular network availability said Raied Stanley, Metropolitan Utilities District Vice President of Information Technology Services. As field crews respond to job sites and emergencies, they will have comfort in knowing that their critical GIS data is available even if cellular connectivity is not available. When cellular service is available the iPads will be updated with the latest GIS data available via a secured cloud environment.

Critigen is delivering Lemur with a simple, offline mobile application that ensures the security of the data provided. The Lemur Platform allows easy provision of GIS data to the mobile devices through a centralized configuration that will ensure users have the data they need with controls to ensure they get correct, current data. Adoption of Lemur for offline GIS viewing also allows M.U.D. to leverage its investment into a direct integration with its recently implemented mobile work management solution, SAP Work Manager.

Critigen Lemur is a configurable mapping platform bringing enterprise-class GIS mapping to mobile Work Management tools. The Lemur Platform includes a configuration-driven map control that can be embedded in multiple mobile work management tools, Lemur Geocache for centralized management of offline GIS data and a Geoenricher for adding location and other information from the GIS to data sourced from other business systems. Available as a service or as on-prem software, Lemur delivers the lowest TCO, fast and simple implementation, and is easier to maintain than any alternative.

About Critigen:

Critigen is a full-lifecycle spatial technology integrator driving business performance through geospatial IT solutions and services. Critigen helps clients make spatial technologies work in organizations of all sizes, integrates spatial technologies with enterprise systems, and enables field users with mobile spatial solutions. Critigen delivers all components of a geospatial program: data collection, spatial processing, analytics and intelligence, application development and mobile solution development. Critigens Spatial Enterprise consulting services tie these technology and process components together with business strategies that maximize the value of geospatial information. Visit http://www.critigen.com for more information.

About Metropolitan Utilities District of Omaha:

M.U.D. provides safe, reliable, and cost-effective natural gas and water services to our community. We serve safe drinking water to 208,256 customers in the metropolitan Omaha area and maintain nearly 27,000 hydrants for fire protection. As the fifth largest public gas utility in the United States, we also serve natural gas to 224,950 customers. We are a public utility and proud to be customer-owned. The District is governed by a board of seven directors, elected by our customer-owners. Visit http://www.MUDomaha.com for more information.
QuadraNet Inc. has updated their company logo and launched their new website which provides a revamped and refined approach to obtaining and learning more about their menu of hosting, colocation, and data center benefits, services, and offerings.

QuadraNets Global Sales Manager, Dustin B. Cisneros explains, Were very excited to have our new site and design live. Over recent years, weve launched new services, locations, products, and features, and it became difficult for our previous site design to keep up and display this information in an effective and coherent manner.

To summarize the benefit of the new design, Cisneros further details, The new site provides an intuitive and eloquent design that allows for users to navigate and familiarize themselves with all of the services, locations, special features and advantages we have to offer with each of our products. It not only streamlines the process for new visitors to quickly find services and information that may be of a benefit to them and their businesses, but it also embodies converged design elements of our NEO panel that we empowered clients with last year (QuadraNets NEO panel is a robust and feature-filled customer portal that offers a plethora of powerful and useful infrastructure management features). Together, this exposes and familiarizes both clients and future-clients alike to our clientele-facing interfaces as early on as possible. By getting up to speed with a second-nature understanding of our intuitive management panel, clients can best take advantage of the rich set of services, tools, and resources currently made available, and quickly benefit from future additions that increase efficiency and effectiveness, as they are continuously developed and implemented.

The new website includes a complete listing of all data center facilities and features, along with the respective details and showcasing of services offered in each geographic location.

For more information and to browse the new website, please visit http://www.quadranet.com

About QuadraNet:

QuadraNet Inc., since 2001, has been a leader in hosting and data center solutions as a telecommunications provider in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. QuadraNet has grown to become one of the largest providers of dedicated servers, colocation, cloud hosting, and bandwidth services. In additional to Los Angeles, QuadraNet has expanded to offer services in Dallas, TX, Miami, FL, Chicago, IL, and Atlanta, GA. With a team of highly-skilled professionals that are passionate and excel at designing and implementing the perfect solution for clients and their businesses, QuadraNet has a chief focus on providing consistent and exceptional service and support. Facilities and services are staff and monitored 247 to assist with everything from routine memory upgrades to advanced systems troubleshooting.
Now Joins the Group of Key Players in the Canadian Digital Landscape with Records of Exceptional Client Satisfaction

OPTASY is more than honoured to announce its recognition as one of the 2017 Top Web Development Companies in Canada, based on a research conducted by CLUTCH.

"It's more than a validation of our work, of all the invested resources of digital talent and Drupal expertise as we strive to turn our web projects into our clients' success stories. And it's so much more than a recognition of our commitment to quality and to client satisfaction. Once we've got over the initial excitement phase, we started perceiving this nomination as an incentive for self-improvement, as an overwhelming responsibility! And we've just reached this stage of awareness, said OPTASY's CEO, Adrian Ababei.

You'll find the full research here: https://clutch.co/ca/web-developers/leaders-matrix

It's not just the big names neighbouring OPTASY in this top that makes the Canadian team of web developers so proud of being featured there, but the research company itself conducting the survey.

CLUTCH is worldwide renowned for its innovative evaluation methodology aimed at portraying very realistic profiles of the companies included in their reports. Their analysts evaluate the firms included in their researches both based on the quality of their work and on the feedback coming from their current and past clients.

The result: only those companies capable to deliver on client expectations get featured.

ABOUT CLUTCH

A Washington DC-based technology B2B research & reviews company, which has become, since 2012, the go-to resource for anyone looking to hire the best ranked software solutions providers.

Its well-famous evaluation methodology, based on several evaluative metrics (market presence, industry experience, client feedback, client list) has sustained its efforts to put together reliable databases of software services companies serving all potential buyers.

As for the services providers operating in the technology and in the marketing industry, CLUTCH's surveys have become an incentive for them to deliver world-class results to their own clients in order to get featured in CLUTCH'S annual tops.

ABOUT OPTASY

A Toronto-based web development company which has evolved, over the years, from an agency focusing exclusively on Drupal web development, to a full-service software provider.

Full life-cycle web projects are now OPTASY's specialty: starting with a free website audit and an in-depth understanding of the clients' goals, continuing with structure planning, then with the website/app building itself, including custom Drupal module, functionality development and theming, going all the way to post-launch support and maintenance services.

The company's team, as well, has grown organically, along with the expansion of its array of services, welcoming new members sharing OPTASY's commitment to excellence.

Since it's our own clients' feedback that's highly weighted in CLUTCH'S surveys, getting our company featured in this top for us gets translated into our own clients' recognition and appreciation of our work. It's the best fuel for any company, after all, irrespective of the industry, to keep on doing what they get appreciated for and, moreover, to get better at it, added Adrian Ababei.

OPTASY

212 Lexington Road, Toronto, Canada

p: (416) 243 - 2431

w: http://www.optasy.com
DECATUR  Wage increases and ratification bonuses are among the highlights of the new labor agreement Decatur's Caterpillar Inc. union members will put to a ratification vote Sunday.

National United Auto Workers officials and the local UAW Local 751 leadership are urging workers to vote yes to the six-year agreement, which would run through 2023. Details of the agreement emerged Thursday.

Key highlights: 2 percent general wage increases in December 2018 and 2020. If market-based wage adjustments are greater than 2 percent in 2018 and 2020, the greater amount applies.

And workers are eligible for market-based wage hikes in December 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022 if they are post-2005 employees. If any labor grade surpasses the current pre-2005 wage rates, those employees would then be eligible for market-based increases.

A $3,000 ratification bonus is contingent on the UAW Caterpillar National Policy Committee unanimously recommending the agreement for ratification, which they have done.

A $1,000 lump sum bonus in December 2020 for workers not eligible for a general wage increase.

An employee rewards program that maintains a minimum $250 quarterly payout was retained for the contract.

Under health care, the union says its members will have access to the same health care plans as management and executives effective Jan. 1, 2018. The union says this will mean its members will have more security, better cost savings and flexibility to make choices based on individual needs.

Eligible union retirees who are not yet 65 will get a healthcare plan with the same plan design as management retirees.

Early Facebook comments on the Local 751 page were generally positive, and the union is pushing hard for a yes vote when the Local's membership gathers for its informational meeting and vote at MacArthur High School on Sunday.

UAW negotiators first announced an agreement had been reached with Caterpillar management March 15. If ratified, the contract will cover some 5,000 workers at 11 facilities in Decatur, Aurora, Pontiac and Peoria and York, Pa. The union and management have been in talks since Jan. 18 and the previous contract expired Feb. 28.

We are extremely proud of the job done by the UAW Caterpillar National Policy Committee during this difficult round of negotiations, said a statement signed by UAW National Caterpillar Department Vice President and Director Norwood Jewell, and Caterpillar bargaining Chairman Randy Smith and co-Chairman Don Rohrer.

The committee was successful in making gains that will benefit all UAW-represented Caterpillar workers, the statement continued. The UAW Caterpillar National Policy Committee has unanimously endorsed this tentative agreement for ratification. Together, we join your negotiating committee in recommending the tentative new agreement for your ratification.
With over 100 years of combined senior management experience, Eidi Properties is one of the fastest-growing commercial real estate companies throughout Northwest Ohio, Southwest Ohio, and Southeast

Eidi Properties is pleased to announce that it has acquired Corners at the Mall Plaza, a 152,000 square foot retail shopping center, which is already home to large retailers like Aldi, Ollies, One Main Financial, Sally Beauty and Aarons.

Located at 117 - 249 N. Springboro Pike, just off Interstate 75 and across Miamisburg Centerville Road from the Dayton Mall, renovations are slated for May and will include new elevations, a fresh exterior, upgrading the parking lot, and adding outside LED lighting. The project is expected to be completed by August 2017, with new tenants moving in while improvements are being made.

Eidi Properties has been in the Dayton, Ohio market for over 10 years. The companys CEO, Ramy Eidi, believes Corners at the Mall will be a strong addition to the companys portfolio.

In real estate, location is key, and this property is in a very favorable spot located across from the areas largest mall, just yards from I-75 and within a region with strong demographics, he said. Creating exciting opportunities for the tenants within the plaza and the surrounding neighborhood as well as bringing in the right tenant mix will only elevate the plazas potential. This property has all of the elements that retailers desire, from great visibility, ease of access to abundant parking.

Eidi Properties, established in 1998 and headquartered in Sylvania, always aims to create a good tenant mix in the companys plazas to encourage good synergy. The company specializes in commercial real estate acquisitions, primarily shopping centers. By creating the proper synergies and encouraging the growth and success of its tenant base, Eidi Properties holds steadfast to its company motto: Our Tenants Success is Our Success.

For more information on this acquisition or any other projects from Eidi Properties, contact Eidi Properties CEO Ramy Eidi at 419-724-2222 or ramy(at)eidiproperties(dot)com.
Former Paulaner USA President and CEO Jeff Coleman and his wife Cindy were tired of being bored.

Three years after his departure from the American distribution subsidiary of Munichs Paulaner Brewery (which he founded 30 years ago in his Lone Tree, Colo. garage), Coleman has joined with former Paulaner colleagues Chris Bub Heinz, Aaron Turk, Sang Truong, Rory Brennan, and others in launching Bubs Beverage Distributing Company.

Representing 17 craft and imported beers, 19 vineyards and wineries, six craft and specialty distilleries, and (soon) five sake breweries, the companys national headquarters will be in Littleton, Colo. Specifically targeted in support of local and regional craft breweries, Bubs Beverage has begun hiring and training Colorado beer-enthusiasts for sales and support.

Colorados thirst for great craft beers and quality specialty beers is nearly unquenchable, says Heinz, a Colorado native and former Paulaner special event coordinator. At Bubs Beverage, well provide small to medium-sized breweries with an independent distributor option born of less internal competition, with more focused retail support.

Recently, Paulaner USA announced that effective May 31, 2017, the company is moving its USA headquarters from Colorado to New York. And with consolidations like Anheuser-Busch-InBev, and MillerCoors, Colorados beer distributor options have continued to decline.

Our mission is to be the beer distributor that goes above and beyond in customer service to actively market, sell and promote craft beer, said Coleman. American consumers continue to demonstrate their passion for craft beer and appreciation of the wide variety of flavors beer has to offer. Our companys core values center on taking great pride in serving as the vehicle to market these brands and providing choice and variety to the consumer.

Included within the Colorado distribution portfolio of Bubs Beverage are several of Germanys most prominent breweries. Our high-quality, privately owned portfolio of high-quality German and specialty Bavarian Brands is well suited to replace the void left by Paulaners Colorado departure, says Heinz.

Bubs Bavarian portfolio includes Brauerei Gebr. Maisel KG, a very popular, privately-owned, Bavarian wheat beer brewery. The Maisel Weisse and Maisel Dunkel Weisse offer a unique advantage over big German brands like Paulaner, Hofbrau, and Spaten-Franziskaner, as Maisel beers are unpasteurized  something Heinz calls, excitedly, Brewery Fresh!

In 2016, after Colorado visits to study Denvers many celebrated craft breweries and brew pubs, 4th generation Maisel owner Jeff Maisel opened a new, separate, independent craft brewery in his Bavarian hometown of Bayreuth, Germany. The craft brewery, Maisel & Friends, and its brewpub, Maisel & Friends Liebesbier, creates and brews a broad variety of hand-crafted specialty beer styles such as Stefans Indian Ale, Marcs Chocolate Bock, and Jeffs Bavarian Ale. The Maisel & Friends name is based on the Brewerys supportive relationship with other craft breweries and homebrewers in Europe. These allied brands are featured alongside the Maisel & Friend craft beers within its Liebesbier Brewpub.

In mid-April Bubs Beverage will also begin distributing Eichbaum Bier, a favorite with the many American military personnel based in and around Eichbaums hometown of Mannheim, Germany. Eichbaums Brewmaster, though a German native who is Germany brewery trained, has worked extensively with U.S. craft breweries, including heading brewery operations for one of Michigans leading craft breweries. Eichbaums broad range of nine traditional German brewing styles  and its many bottle, can, mini-keg, and keg container options  has helped it become one of Germanys most progressive, price-to-quality competitive, and export-oriented breweries.

Bubs Beverages fourth German option, Bayreuther Aktien Brewery, offers Colorados beer-enthusiasts new, specialty beer options via its all-natural, unfiltered Landbiers. Bayreuther Aktien Zwickl is a full-bodied, robust Kellarbier, that has gained broad international awards. All soon available in Colorado in traditional 50cl (16.9oz) flip-top bottles, Zwickl is accompanied by sister brands Original 1857, and the richly flavorful, dark-hued Bayreuther Aktien Landbier Dunkel.

Look for Maisel Weisse, Bayreuther Aktien Landbier, Eichbaum, and Maisel & Friends in Colorados finest restaurants, bars and retail stores beginning in mid-April.

For more information contact Chris Bub Heinz at info(at)bubsbeveage.com.
We really couldnt be more excited to finally have a local office space in Greenville

Digital Scientists, a software innovation lab specializing in web design and app development, is excited to announce the opening of a Greenville, South Carolina location. The lab has set up shop at the renowned NEXT Innovation Center, the center for digital progress in Greenville.

Weve been working with South Carolina clients for years from our office here in Atlanta, explains Digital Scientists CEO, Bob Klein, but we really couldnt be more excited to finally have a local office space in Greenville. The company had previously been run exclusively out of its headquarters in downtown Alpharetta, GA, and nearby Atlanta office on Peachtree Road.

Digital Scientists leverages the latest technologies to quickly, holistically build platforms and products to suit its clients needs. Services offered include web design, app development, and custom software for e-commerce programs. Our mobile app developers are truly some of the best in the business says Klein. They love to partner with our clients to hypothesize, analyze, and experiment on new technologies to better serve their businesses.

The firm works in dozens of industries for business of various size including Hubbell Power Systems, Office Depot, and Thompson Reuters. Our customers see us as one of the most innovative software development companies in the Atlanta area, says Klein. We take that responsibility seriously. Were so much more than just a web development operation and were looking forward to bringing our specific expertise to the Carolinas.

Digital Scientists aims to be a full-service digital services provider for businesses both large and small. In addition to initial strategy and marketing planning, the firm designs and implements a full range of electronic solutions. From dashboard reporting sites to responsive mobile apps to the Internet-of-Things, clients turn to Digital Scientists for a wide array of specialties.

Weve really honed in on a system that works for us, explains Klein. Our process is intentional and our team is very engaged, and we think that results in better, faster, smarter work for our clients.

Digital Scientists is one of the nimblest new product development firms in greater Atlanta. The team consists of developers, analysts, and product specialists who work holistically to create user-centric technology. Established in 2007, the firm operates out of offices in Atlanta, Alpharetta, and Greenville, SC.

For more information on the services available from Digital Scientists or to see recent work, email hello(at)digitalscientists.com or visit http://www.DigitalScientists.com.

Submitted by ClickReady of Atlanta.
Educators are increasingly recognizing the intrinsic importance of a students wellbeing, and at a recent global conference in New Zealand, Mayerson Academy's president Dr. Jillian Darwish underscored the critical need to emphasize social and emotional competencies as part of the education experience.

Darwishs presentation, Strengths in Practice, was delivered at a Positive Education conference in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 11. In her remarks, Darwish explored the design, implementation and outcomes from the Thriving Learning Communities (TLC) program, using the lens of Character Strengths to develop social and emotional competencies, currently implemented in more than 50 schools across the United States.

The Conference represented the entire education spectrum, from early childhood to primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors, and attracted more than 300 educators and world-class international authorities on the application of wellbeing science in schools.

It was thrilling to experience the energy and passion for combining the science of character strengths and wellbeing with best practice in education from an international community, said Darwish. In our demanding and dynamic world. we in the US are certainly not alone in prioritizing emotional wellbeing as we seek to create the best possible learning environments for learners of all ages.

Developed by Mayerson Academy, an expert in designing and delivering engaging learning experiences for more than 20 years, the TLC program is based on powerful research from the VIA Institute and a blended learning approach built on the award-winning Happify platform. TLC strengthens school cultures by building a common, strengths-based language which research suggests improves social emotional learning competencies and increases motivation, engagement, learning and performance for all ages.
Lauren C. Enea, Associate, Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP We are confident Lauren will play an important role in upholding our firms commitment to maintaining the highest standards and achieving the best possible results for our clients.

The law firm of Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP, with offices in Somers and White Plains, N.Y., is pleased to announce Westchester resident Lauren C. Enea has joined the firm as an associate attorney. Ms. Enea, who previously served as a law clerk for the firm, will concentrate her practice in elder law, Medicaid planning and applications, and Wills, Trusts and Estates. Samantha A. Lyons, who has been an associate at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano since 2013, has been promoted to senior associate. Ms. Lyons will continue to concentrate her practice in elder law, Medicaid planning and applications and guardianships.

Prior to Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, Ms. Enea was a legal extern for United States Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith of the Southern District of New York as part of the Federal Judicial Honors Program at Pace Law School. She also interned with the Pace Womens Justice Center (Elder Justice Unit) and the Honorable Anthony A. Scarpino, of the Westchester County Surrogates Court. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Westchester County Bar Association, Italian American Forum and a Member of the Board of Directors for the Columbian Lawyers Association of Westchester County. Ms. Enea received a B.S. in Business Management from Quinnipiac University graduating Magna Cum Laude and a J.D. from the Pace University School of Law graduating Summa Cum Laude. She is admitted to practice law in New York.

Lauren has been a valuable member of Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano and we are thrilled to now welcome her as an associate, said elder law attorney Sara Meyers, a member of Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano. We are confident she will play an important role in upholding our firms commitment to maintaining the highest standards and achieving the best possible results for our clients.

Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano concentrates its practice on elder law planning, asset protection planning, wills, trusts & estates, Medicaid applications (home care and nursing home), guardianships, special needs planning, estate litigation, as well as real estate, corporate and commercial law. The firm has attained Martindale-Hubbells Highest Peer Review Rating in the legal community, AV Preeminent, and has been named a Best Law Firm by U.S. News  Best Lawyers for seven consecutive years. Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP serves Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, the Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island and Queens and is committed to providing the highest quality legal services to seniors and the disabled.

Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP is located at 245 Main Street in White Plains, N.Y. with additional offices in Somers, N.Y. Call 914-948-1500 or email a.enea(at)esslawfirm(dot)com for more information. For the latest news, visit Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano online at http://www.esslawfirm.com.
Members of Kitware gather to celebrate a company milestone at the headquarters in Clifton Park, New York. We have grown significantly over the past two decades, building a vibrant culture with a collaborative focus that promotes technical excellence.

Less than three weeks after it celebrated its 19th anniversary, Kitware made transitions in team management and organizational structure to foster growth and to strengthen its position as a leader in open-source technical computing. The transitions took place at the company shareholders meeting on March 23, 2017.

At the meeting, Kitware named former Vice President of Commercial Operations Lisa Avila, Ph.D., as president and CEO. Avila co-founded Kitware in 1998. Throughout the last two decades, Avila has influenced every aspect of the business from technical development and project management to business development and communications.

I am proud that our innovative open-source software has advanced scientific research, improved healthcare outcomes and enhanced our national security, Avila said. I look forward to maintaining our commitment to our customers, collaborators, communities and team members while fostering continued growth by expanding into new domains.

Former President and CEO Will Schroeder, Ph.D., another Kitware co-founder, began a new role as opportunity catalyst. In this role, Schroeder will work across the company on mentorship, technical leadership, business development and customer engagement. He will also continue to provide guidance in designing and implementing advanced algorithms for the many open-source platforms that Kitware develops.

At Kitware, we produce software that scientists and engineers use to change the world every day, Schroeder said. We have grown significantly over the past two decades, building a vibrant culture with a collaborative focus that promotes technical excellence.

At the shareholders meeting, Kitware co-founder and current Chief Technical Officer Bill Hoffman accepted the responsibilities of chairman of the board. As chairman, Hoffman will work closely with Avila to guide company growth.

Kitware appointed Claudine Hagen to succeed Kitware co-founder Ken Martin, Ph.D., as chief financial officer. Hagen joined the company as director of finance in January 2013. In this role, she led and coordinated business planning, accounting, financial reporting and budgeting efforts. Prior to joining Kitware, Hagen spent 13 years in public accounting with KPMG, where she gained extensive experience partnering with senior management teams to develop business strategies and to optimize accounting and finance functions.

For his new title of distinguished engineer, Martin will direct technology initiatives that pertain to rendering, virtual reality and data visualization. Kitware co-founder Charles Law, Ph.D., who performed the duties of vice president of strategic growth, also became a distinguished engineer. He will help introduce Kitware to new markets that closely align with its areas of expertise in high-performance computing (HPC) and visualization, data and analytics, medical imaging, computer vision and quality software process.

Brad Davis, Ph.D., who has worked at Kitware for more than 10 years in a variety of technical and business development leadership roles, assumed the position of director of business development. With this change, Kitware consolidated its business development, proposal writing and communications teams under Davis. The new organization will better align companywide strategic growth, proposal writing and marketing goals.

Kitware will reflect these and other transitions on its website. For inquiries related to Kitware, its leadership and its technologies, please contact kitware(at)kitware(dot)com.

About Kitware

Kitware is an advanced technology, research and open-source solutions provider for research facilities, government institutions and corporations worldwide. Founded in 1998, Kitware specializes in research and development in the areas of HPC and visualization, medical imaging, computer vision, data and analytics and quality software process. Among its services, Kitware offers consulting and support for high-quality software solutions. Kitware is headquartered in Clifton Park, NY, with offices in Carrboro, NC; Santa Fe, NM; and Lyon, France. More information can be found on kitware.com.
Were always excited to help the community. Ms. Phillips and her students at Lakeside Elementary School will benefit from these at-home science kits by having the ability to practice science skills they have learned in school.

All Year Cooling, a family-owned air conditioning installation and repair company, donated to a Lakeside Elementary School classroom in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The donation will provide a variety of science related kits to students in order to provide supplementary learning at home along with their core studies.

The science kits provided to the students will have a variety of learning material including the Thames and Kosmos Kids First Chemistry Set Science Kit, the Scientific Explorer Mind Blowing Science Kit, 4M Kitchen Science Kit, 4M Magnet Science Kit, the 4M Doodling Robot Kit, and more. These kits will benefit students ranging from Third to Fifth Grade.

The Thames and Kosmos Kids First Chemistry Set Science Kit includes 25 hands-on experiments allowing students to explore simple chemistry by safely using kitchen, bathroom, and laundry substances in order to discover gases like carbon dioxide.

Ms. Phillips, the Lakeside Elementary School teacher, is quoted saying, My students love at-home projects. I know my students will thrive and deepen their understanding of science concepts with the at-home science labs.

Every student will get a chance to access over five science labs at home with their peers and family, which ultimately promotes critical thinking and problem solving skills. To learn more about All Year Coolings donation, please visit DonorsChoose.org.

All Year Cooling President, Tommy Smith, is quoted as saying, Were always excited to help the community. Ms. Phillips and her students at Lakeside Elementary School will benefit from these at-home science kits by having the ability to practice science skills they have learned in school.

Established in 1973, All Year Cooling has completed over 150,000 air conditioner installations in South Florida. Their goal is to provide the consumer with the best overall value on new air conditioner installations, maintenance, and repairs. As a family-owned business, its their mission to provide quality service and remain a trusted part of the South Florida community.

For more information on All Year Cooling, please visit their website or call 888-204-5554.
The Annual Female Empowerment Event aims to inspire young women from area high schools to celebrate their individuality, reject unhealthy social pressures, and find the confidence and courage to pursue their personal, academic, and professional goals.

Monroe College, a national leader in educating urban and international students, today held its 5th Annual Female Empowerment Event to inspire young women from area high schools to celebrate their individuality, reject unhealthy social pressures, and find the confidence and courage to pursue their personal, academic, and professional goals.

Two hundred and fifty (250) sophomores, juniors, and seniors from eight area high schools participated in this mornings event. Its theme -- Be You: Encouraging our Young Women to be Bold, Authentic Leaders was chosen to underscore the importance of helping young women recognize and embrace their uniqueness, and aspire to be positive influences in the communities where they live, study, and one day, work.

Accomplished journalist and NY1 News anchor Cheryl Wills, Mt. Vernon City Court Judge Nichelle Johnson, and Monroe College staff member Tanya Dean delivered impassioned remarks. They shared stories of their personal challenges and triumphs, and encouraged the visiting high school students to stay focused and motivated toward accomplishing their dreams. The importance of academic excellence, personal accountability, character, and community service were emphasized throughout the event.

Following the speeches, the students met in smaller groups of 8-10 to meet with one of the 34 accomplished Monroe College female faculty and staff members who acted as mentors and shared their personal stories of achievement. They listened to students speak about their challenges and goals, and encouraged them to pursue their academic and personal dreams. Through such candid engagement and role modeling, the mentors work to encourage students to envision and aspire to similar success.

President Marc Jerome opened todays session with welcoming remarks. Michele Rodney, the dean of the Colleges School of Criminal Justice, served as MC throughout the event.

The 5th Annual Female Empowerment Event was held in King Hall on the Colleges Bronx campus. A similar event for young high school men is scheduled for May 4.

ABOUT MONROE COLLEGE

Founded in 1933, New York-based Monroe College is a nationally ranked private institution of higher learning with a student-centric learning approach that prioritizes hands-on academic experiences, practical and relevant academic programs, flexible learning schedules, best-in-class instructional technologies, and committed and engaged faculty to ensure that students are well positioned for career success upon graduation. Monroe is among the leading higher education institutions in the country for graduating minority students.

Monroe College offers Certificate, Associate, Bachelor's, and Master's degree programs. It has campuses in the Bronx, New Rochelle, as well as in the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia, with programs offered through its Schools of Criminal Justice, Information Technology, Nursing, Education, Business & Accounting, Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts, and Allied Health, as well as through its liberal arts and continuing education programs, and its King Graduate School. For more information and admissions criteria, please visit http://www.monroecollege.edu.
One of our goals with this new FAQ section is to help females suffering from hair loss realize that they are not alone and have many medical options to restore their hairline. - Dr. Parsa Mohebi

While hair loss is often thought of as a male medical issue, there are many women who suffer from hair loss as well. Parsa Mohebi, a Beverly Hills hair transplant surgeon, has gathered the most frequently asked questions he receives about female hair loss and created a female hair transplant FAQ to provide both female and male patients more information about the condition.

According to Dr. Mohebi, There are times when a hair transplant can make a large improvement in the hairline of female patients. Females who have conditions such as a congenital elevated hairline, scarring alopecia and a female version of male patterned hair loss can make a significant change in the appearance of their hair. The determining factor of whether or not a female is a good candidate for a hair transplant is whether or not she has enough donor hair on the sides and back of her scalp as well as other portions of her body.

When discussing the new FAQ section on his website, Dr. Mohebi stated This section contains all of the main female hair loss questions that our office receives on a weekly basis. It is a medical condition not many people discuss because hair loss is generally perceived by the public to be a male condition. One of our goals with this new FAQ section is to help females suffering from hair loss realize that they are not alone and have many medical options to restore their hairline.

When it comes to hair restoration treatments for females, Dr. Mohebi said Before making the final decision to have a hair transplant, female patients need to be examined by a hair transplant physician. The physician can determine if there are any medical conditions contributing to the hair loss that can be easily treated. If a hair transplant is the best option, the surgeon will decide whether Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is the best option to restore the hairline and achieve the desired results.

According to Dr. Mohebi, the female hair transplant FAQ will be expanded and updated throughout 2017 as new information becomes available to the public.

About Dr. Parsa Mohebi:

As the first chairman of the FUE Research Committee of the International Society of Hair Restoration and creator of several methods and techniques in modern hair restoration, Dr. Mohebi, along with his staff, provides his patients with the most advanced hair restoration techniques currently available. Dr. Mohebi has been in the forefront of new research and developing the latest technology to advance the field of hair restoration. Dr. Mohebi is a Diplomat of the American Board of Hair Restoration and a fellow of the International Society of Hair Restoration.
We are proud to be recognized by kCura for our continued investment in the Relativity platform, from both technology- and workflow-related perspectives. - Nyi Htwe, Chief Technology Officer, CDS

Complete Discovery Source (CDS), a leader in eDiscovery, today announced that they have achieved kCuras Orange-level Relativity Best in Service recognition for providing an exceptional Relativity experience for end users. 2017 is the sixth consecutive year that CDS has earned Orange-level status. CDS has been a Relativity Best in Service partner since the programs inception and was one of the first service providers to earn the Orange-level designation. CDS was also the first partner to deliver the complete Relativity platform.

The process to earn the Best in Service designation is a rigorous one that includes performance requirements determined by precise metrics built into the Relativity platform. Through a voluntary audit, Relativity Best in Service partners demonstrate their expertise and experience hosting projects in Relativity. kCura evaluates these partners individual data centers in three areas: technical infrastructure, customer service, and product expertise. Additionally, Best in Service partners meet a set of requirements for duration as a hosting partner, size of Relativity installations, and core Relativity certifications.

CDS is committed to providing industry-leading infrastructure, project management, and advisory services to support the most demanding eDiscovery matters, said Nyi Htwe, Chief Technology Officer at CDS. We are proud to be recognized by kCura for our continued investment in the Relativity platform, from both technology- and workflow-related perspectives.

kCura has two designations for Best in Service partners data centers: Orange and Blue. While both designate data centers that provide a quality Relativity experience, Orange-level sites have made additional investments in people, process and technology to manage installations with above-average user countsall while maintaining the high standards of Best in Service.

CDS has been a long-term partner, and its great that they have recertified as an Orange-level Best in Service partner for the 6th year, said George Orr, Vice President of Customer Success and Support at kCura. It really shows how committed they are to offering an outstanding Relativity experience to their customers.

About CDS

Complete Discovery Source (CDS) is a leading eDiscovery company, providing litigation technology and hosting, advisory services, and managed services to support complex discovery matters. CDS is the first choice of the Am Law 100 and Fortune 500 and is recognized as Best in End-to-End eDiscovery by the National Law Journal and New York Law Journal. With a team of seasoned legal experts and technicians, CDS uses advanced, tested, and defensible services and software to support all stages and types of eDiscovery. Supporting a number of eDiscovery tools, CDS is an Orange-Level Best-in-Service Relativity Provider and provides one of the largest and highest volume footprints delivering that platform. CDS is headquartered in New York with regional offices in Chicago and Washington DC. The company maintains highly secure ISO 27001 certified hosting and Type 2 SOC 2 audited data centers in the US and Europe. Complete Discovery Sources web site is http://www.cdslegal.com.

About kCura

kCura are the developers of Relativity, an e-discovery platform used by more than 12,000 organizations to manage large volumes of data and quickly identify key issues during litigation, internal investigations, and compliance projects. Relativity has over 150,000 active users in 40+ countries from organizations including the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 70 Fortune 100 companies, and more than 195 of the Am Law 200. Corporations, law firms, and government agencies use Relativity on-premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid platformwith hosted, on-demand solutions available through a global network of partners. As a platform, Relativity also allows developers to design, build, and integrate applications that extend its functionality. kCura has been named one of Chicago's Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune for six consecutive years and received the CityLIGHTS Lighthouse Award from the Illinois Technology Association in 2016. Please contact kCura at sales(at)kcura(dot)com or visit http://www.kcura.com for more information.
DECATUR  The closure of Decatur's Meda Pharmaceuticals plant doesn't necessarily mean the laid-off workers will have to move away to remain in the pharmaceuticals profession.

Absolutely, Amy Spry said, when asked if there was any chance of the Meda workers finding employment at Akorn, another pharmaceuticals company operating in the community.

We hope we can keep these workers in Decatur, said Spry, talent acquisition partner for Akorn in Decatur.

Spry said she's already reached out to Meda's human resource department offering placement assistance. She said Akorn has a list of current openings on its website, but encourages workers, especially those with pharmaceutical experience, to reach out personally if they don't see their particular job listed. Spry can be reached (217) 428-1100.

Akorn recently celebrated a 30,000-square-foot expansion to its existing packaging facility on Wyckles Road. The $5.6 million project helped to retain 200 jobs and created an additional 25 positions.

Akorn, which is a specialty generic pharmaceutical company, had broken ground on a $25 million expansion of its Grand Ave. facility in October. The expanded facility at 1222 W. Grand Ave. will include a new lab and pilot plant on property that previously held a church and other businesses.

That expansion project is expected to be completed next year.
House Doctors President and CEO Jim Hunter (left) with Theresa Hatcher and Dennis Hatcher Im focused on building relationships with our clients and helping them make the best decision for their home or business, not just about making a sale.

When Dennis Hatcher opened his House Doctors franchise in October 2013, it was a big change from his corporate career. But with a healthy dose of personal rebranding a focus on business growth, Dennis and his family have built a successful franchise. And this year, in recognition of his efforts to grow his business and the House Doctors brand, Dennis was presented with the House Doctors Presidents Award.

Prior to joining House Doctors Dennis was an executive in a large corporation. He re-invented himself as a small business owner to find success. Were thrilled that Dennis is part of House Doctors and we are proud to present him with the Presidents Award, House Doctors President and CEO Jim Hunter said.

In addition to the Presidents Award, the Hatchers were presented with a Sales Increase Award for growing House Doctors of Northern Richmond by 20 percent last year. The awards were presented at the House Doctors national convention in mid-March.

House Doctors offers professional handyman services focused on professionalism, service excellence and quality workmanship. Their goal is to make home improvements easier for their customers by being on time, doing the job right and offering a one year workmanship guarantee. House Doctors of Northern Richmond serves Ashland, Glen Allen, Hanover County, Mechanicsville, Richmond and the surrounding communities.

Before I opened House Doctors, I retired from a billion dollar food management company and was the VP of a company in Minnesota. But when that business was sold, I found myself over 50 and looking for a new job. Thats when I decided I wanted to start my own business, Hatcher said. I was attracted to House Doctors because, although everyone needs to make a profit, it never felt like it was all about the money. Thats how I run my business too. Im focused on building relationships with our clients and helping them make the best decision for their home or business, not just about making a sale.

Were honest and well give you our feedback, opinions and suggestions, but we always want our clients to know that they are the boss and we are here to help them make the most of their property investment, he added.

Hunter said the Presidents Award also recognizes Hatchers trail-blazing approach to commercial work, which other franchisees can now use as a model in their own businesses.

Dennis is building his business with both residential and commercial clients. His prior corporate experience has definitely proved useful when negotiating with commercial customers. That experience has helped Dennis be successful, but its also shown our other franchisees how to build successful relationships with commercial clients. Were looking forward to seeing Dennis continue to grow his business in 2017, Hunter said.

House Doctors background checked and uniformed handymen technicians will arrive at your residence in a decaled van. They will specialize in projects that take two hours to two days to complete, such as light remodeling and repairs of decks, doors, bathrooms and kitchens; repairing drywall; painting; exterior repairs; making home modifications and much more.

For more information about House Doctors of Northern Richmond or for an estimate on your project, call (804)363-8180, email HD520(at)housedoctors(dot)com or visit https://housedoctors.com/northernrichmond/.

About House Doctors

House Doctors Handyman Service has been helping homeowners across the United States with home repair and light remodeling projects for more than 20 years. Our friendly, insured and bonded craftsmen are scheduled to be there on time and are committed to complete customer satisfaction. Each of our technicians are experienced in home maintenance, product installations and a variety of home improvements. Were so confident in our team and products that every job we perform comes with a one-year guarantee.
Bart Williams and JR Cawood When you bring House Doctors into your home, you can rest assured that weve taken ever step we can to make sure you have the best customer service experience possible. We work with all our clients to make sure they are completely satisfied.

For the second year in a row, House Doctors of Somerset, locally owned and operated by Bart Williams and JR Cawood, has been recognized as the House Doctors Franchise of the Year. The award was presented at the House Doctors convention in Orlando in mid-March.

Bart, his business partner JR and their team of professional handymen deserve this award again this year because of their focus on offering great service to their customers in Somerset and the surrounding communities. Were proud to have them on the House Doctors team and were looking forward to continued growth in 2017, House Doctors President and CEO Jim Hunter said.

House Doctors offers professional handyman services focused on professionalism, service excellence and quality workmanship. Their goal is to make home improvements easier for their customers by being on time, doing the job right and offering a one year workmanship guarantee. Williams local franchise serves Somerset, London, Monticello and other areas in the Lake Cumberland region of Kentucky.

Both Bart and JR have a long history in the area, are active in their local community and truly care about their customers. Theyve known many of their customers for years and its not unusual for either of them to simply sit and talk to them before learning how House Doctors can help with their next home project. This genuine approach has served them well and has allowed the Somerset team to develop an incredible business by helping both residential and commercial clients with all of their property repair and improvement needs, Hunter said.

Williams said being recognized  especially two years in a row  is an honor. He and his team spent 2015 and 2016 focused on growing the business, especially through referrals and repeat business. In 2017, theyve added a large resort community to their list of clients.

When we opened this business, we had a vision about what weve wanted to achieve and weve worked tirelessly to make it happen. It can be difficult to maintain your level of growth without losing your focus on customer satisfaction but, with a lot of blood, sweat and tears, weve made it happen. Were hoping to continue those efforts into 2017 and beyond, Williams said.

House Doctors background checked and uniformed handymen technicians will arrive at your residence in a decaled van. They will specialize in projects that take two hours to two days to complete, such as light remodeling and repairs of decks, doors, bathrooms and kitchens; repairing drywall; painting; exterior repairs; making home modifications and much more.

We are licensed, bonded and insured and our technicians are drug-tested and background checked. When you bring House Doctors into your home, you can rest assured that weve taken ever step we can to make sure you have the best customer service experience possible. We work with all our clients to make sure they are completely satisfied with any work we do on their home or business, Williams said.

To learn more about House Doctors of Somerset and to schedule services for your home, call (606)677-0799, email HD484(at)HouseDoctors(dot)com or visit http://www.housedoctors.com/somerset/.

About House Doctors

House Doctors Handyman Service has been helping homeowners across the United States with home repair and light remodeling projects for more than 20 years. Our friendly, insured and bonded craftsmen are scheduled to be there on time and are committed to complete customer satisfaction. Each of our technicians are experienced in home maintenance, product installations and a variety of home improvements. Were so confident in our team and products that every job we perform comes with a one-year guarantee.
Kids Summer Fair Learning thru Travel is fun for Mom, Dad, Nana and the Kids

Starting this Saturday in Winchester, VA, the first annual Summer Kids Fair will kick off at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum. Parents and Grandparents will have the opportunity to look at the summer camps and programs available here in the Valley. The fair covers the Interstate 81 Corridor from Winchester to Harrisonburg.

For this summer, the Kids Trail is launching an on-line store of Bucket  the Snail items perfect for a Bucket Birthday Party at one of GoBRTs Partners locations. Parents can pick a cooking class at Nibblins or a Butterfly theme at Back Home on the Farm, or how about a water party at Massanutten Resorts Water Park. There are t-shirts, buckets, pins, stickers and "Bucket: the Kids Trail mascot as a stuffed animal.

Also this summer, parents have a new travel guide called the Kids Trail Crayon Book. With nine pages guiding parents on itineraries, top music festivals, local resourcing guide, there are over twenty plus pages of Buckets favorite venues to color.

The strawberry season always kicks off the Shenandoah Valley summer season. It is hard to say when the crop will be ready with this unusual winter season. Traditionally it can be from May 15th to the first of June. The strawberries is the opening of U-pick farms. GoBRTs top choice this year is MacKintosh Fruit Farm on Route 7 close to Berryville, Virginia. If local resourcing is important, then plan to bring the family to one of Mackintosh's monthly farm dinners. The kids can play on the playground while the parents enjoy a glass of wine or Virginia hard ciders. Come out early and the family can enjoy a breath-taking sunset at Bears Den on the Appalachian Trail less than five miles away.

The Rotary of Harrisonburg will be celebrating the second annual Strawberry Festival on May 20th. A fun time for the entire family including grandparents, the festival is a fundraiser for the Downtown Park Initiative.

For a great way to spend a full day in Harrisonburg,, the Kids Trail will kick off a brand new travel itinerary called Get Out and Play in the Burg. Starting with a morning at Back Home on the Farm with lunch at the Harmony Square Dairy Queen, then an afternoon at Explore More Discovery Museum with the day wrapping up at Mt Crawford Creamery where one can feed the calves, watch the cows get milked and then have ice cream or the famous chocolate milk. This program launches June 1st.

Here are four music events:



With the popularity of Disneys Beauty and the Beast, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre in Winchester, Virginia will host a live musical production on July 6  July 16th.

Shenandoah Valley Music Festival. opens on July 21st to September 2nd. A wonderful way to be in the mountains sharing an evening of food and music with the family, enjoy a full weekend with a package deal. One- and two- night package deals include discounted tickets to weekend concerts plus lodging and meals at Shrine Mont, a beautifully restored retreat center and national historic landmark thats also home to the concert venue.

Shepherdstown Street Fest has a large kids camp as part of the music festival on June 27th in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Gardens at Night at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia allows the family to enjoy a beautiful night while experiencing great music together. Each month offers a different musical group.

Top Two Unique events



Family Super 8 Film Club - Youthful cinephiles and their parents are invited to join for unique family films from around the world., Each month will feature a different film.

Back Home on the Farm - Butterfly House June 18th  August 21st . Come visit a one of a kind Butterfly House! Native species are released into specially designed gardens and live there all summer before being released to make the way south for the winter. Enjoy these beautiful creatures, learn about the life cycles and plants the butterflies like to munch  all in a setting of enchanting miniature fairy gardens.

The Shenandoah Valley is a haven for families to explore hiking, history, the arts and local resourcing. The second annual Bucket Buddys Adventure Game will be back this summer. Register today for the latest news and make summer plans to visit.

About Go Blue Ridge Travel Virginia Kids Trail

Launched in 2011, Go Blue Ridge Travel (GoBRT) is a regional travel planning guide. In 2014, GoBRT created the Virginia Kids Trail with a mission to get kids off the couch and outside with their families. A recipient of four grants from Virginia Tourism, the Kids Trail is committed to helping kids learn thru travel thru a fun adventure game led by our mascot Bucket and her friends  three of whom are snails and one is a mushroom. GoBRT region is Interstate 81 from Winchester to Harrisonburg. Contact Nancy Craun, Owner and Founder at nancy(at)goblueridgetravel(dot)com and 540-533-1853.
Dallas Probate Attorneys: Burdette & Rice, PLLC One of the objectives of our annual retreat is continuing education on issues of importance to litigation attorneys.

Burdette & Rice, a Texas law firm specializing in probate, estate, and trust litigation, is proud to announce the successful conclusion of the firm's annual retreat. The retreat was held in Los Angeles, California, and was a full-day workshop on communication skills useful in a trial and litigation setting.

One of the objectives of our annual retreat is continuing education on issues of importance to litigation attorneys, explained Elliott Burdette, Managing Director of Probate Litigation at Burdette & Rice. "This year's annual retreat was an intense workshop with a veteran actor who helps attorneys with communication skills. The knowledge learned at the workshop will soon be deployed in future litigations that our firm has in Texas on areas of estate, trust, and probate disputes."

Burdette & Rice is known as one of the most innovative law firms in Texas, and that includes its efforts in continuing education. Journalists, bloggers, and potential clients who'd like to know more about the workshop details are encouraged to reach out to the firm for interview opportunities. The firm's lawyers have deep experience in the Dallas area working in continuing education, and are frequent presenters at industry conferences on estate, trusts, and probate issues. Among the lay public, people often look to Burdette and Rice on the common issue of whether, and how, to contest a will under Texas law (See: http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/will-contests/).

Details of the Annual Firm Meeting and Litigation Communication Workshop

Burdette & Rice attorneys traveled to Los Angeles, California for their 2017 annual firm retreat. The highlight of the retreat was a full day workshop with a veteran actor who trains attorneys in communication skills. The focus was on subtle forms of communication strategies to be employed by the firms litigators in representing Texas clients in will contests, breach of fiduciary duty cases, and related probated litigation including guardianship disputes. Included in the training were techniques to interpret both verbal and non-verbal messages received from an opponent or an opponents attorney whether during negotiations, depositions, mediation or trial. The firm had additional meetings and instruction regarding its never-ending quest for improved client services and satisfaction with the major focus on obtaining favorable results for our clients.

It should be noted that the firm has expertise primarily in Texas litigation issues, but recently has announced a new service for California-related probate litigation or disputes. Persons interested in that service, can visit the website and look for the Press Release dated October 30, 2016.

About Burdette & Rice, PLLC

Burdette & Rice, PLLC is a leading Dallas probate dispute law firm (http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/), with lawyers dedicated to listening to their clients, being fully present to them, and advocating their clients positions in the simplest and most effective and persuasive way possible. The law firm employs some of the leading probate and estate dispute lawyers in Dallas, Texas, including attorneys who are board certified by the supreme court of the state of Texas in estate planning and probate law. 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 based on Texas law.

Burdette & Rice, PLLC

Media Relations

972-991-7700
Wichita Plumber We are very proud of our newly updated Google My Business page.

Ben Franklin Plumbing, a leading drain cleaning service in Wichita, Kansas, is proud to release an update to the company's Google My Business page. Local Kansas residents increasingly turn to Google to find top-rated drain cleaning services. This new update improves available information not only on drain cleaning but on other plumbing services offered by Ben Franklin. The company is, of course, a full service plumber.

We are very proud of our newly updated Google My Business page, explained Jason Clark, Manager of Ben Franklin Plumbing of Wichita, Kansas. It offers educational information and cheap fix it tips for Central Kansas residents. It also allows customers to review us and we are happy to say we are achieving our goals in customer service as well. 'Drain cleaning' has proven to be one of the more popular areas of customer inquiries.

To review the updated Google My Business page for drain cleaning and other plumbing issues in Wichita, Kansas go to https://plus.google.com/107090980926827846046. Information and easy fix it tips for drain unclogging, home sewer repair and leaking home appliances can be found. Information for 24/7 plumbing service for Wichita businesses or residences can also be reviewed. To read the new five-star customer reviews for one of Wichita's best plumbing services, simply visit https://goo.gl/X2Cy0T. To view information specific to drain cleaning, visit http://www.benfranklinwichita.com/clogged-drain.

Top Customer Reviews Show Expert Drain Cleaning Service to be Unstoppable

Among key highlights of the newly updated Google My Business pages are the following. First and foremost, Ben Franklin Plumbing now tops 116 reviews on Google, making it one of the most highly reviewed plumbing services in the city. Second, the newly updated page has posts via social media sharing tips and tricks about plumbing as well as news and events with a Wichita angle. Third, the website and the Google My Business page are cross-linked, making it easy for a potential customer to toggle between reviews and the website.

Finally, the newly updated page provides details about 24/7 emergency plumbing service as well as helpful do-it-yourself plumbing tips. Subjects such as sump pump service, sewer line cleaning and drain unclogging can also be reviewed. Customers have provided five-star reviews for on-time, professional and friendly plumbing service at moments a plumber was needed. Whether a Wichita native needs a plumber asap, or has decided to try and unclog a drain with a bit of advice, the best plumbers in the Wichita, Kansas region have proven to be unstoppable as evidenced by this impressive, newly updated Google My Business listing.

About Ben Franklin Plumbing of Wichita, Kansas

Ben Franklin Plumbing is a top-rated plumbing service, serving greater Wichita, Kansas and located at 2825 E. Kellogg Avenue. The company offers drain cleaning, 24 hour, emergency plumbing service and sewer line repair not only to Wichita but to surrounding communities such as Derby, Andover, and Haysville, Kansas. Professionally licensed plumbers are ready for plumbing problems such as: drain cleaning, installing pump systems and water heaters, sewer line clean-outs and faucet repair. The company also replaces and installs faucets, garbage disposals and toilets. When searching for sewer line repairs, sewer repair and unclogging drains in Derby, Andover, Haysville or Wichita, Kansas, Ben Franklin Plumbing is available.

Web. http://www.benfranklinwichita.com/

Tel. 316-858-5985
SMILE is a groundbreaking milestone in laser vision correction for people who have always wanted freedom from eye glasses and contact lenses, but werent candidates for LASIK because of corneal surface issues or other reasons.

Dr. Farooq Ashraf, medical director of the Atlanta Vision Institute, is pleased to announce that starting April 1, he will be offering the SMILE procedure to patients wishing to reduce or eliminate myopia (nearsightedness). SMILE  short for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction  is an innovative, new method of performing laser eye surgery, which combines the benefits of PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) and LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis).



Being both bladeless and flapless, SMILE has the potential of being a safer procedure than LASIK, with less pain and discomfort than either PRK or LASIK, Dr. Ashraf says.



SMILE was developed by Zeiss, a German manufacturer of optical systems and lasers. This technology was approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration in September 2016. The Atlanta Vision Institute is among the first eye clinics in the U.S. and the first in Atlanta to perform this procedure commercially.



Dr. Ashraf has several years of experience performing SMILE at the Atlanta Vision Clinic in Dubai, UAE. Dr. Ashraf introduced SMILE to his patients when the UAE approved the technology four years ago.



During the SMILE procedure, a computer-guided, highly-focused laser light is used to create a lenticule (a disc-shaped piece of tissue within the cornea), which is then extracted through a tiny keyhole incision. This removal of tissue reshapes the cornea, correcting the nearsightedness. SMILE surgery takes approximately 10 minutes, with minimal recovery time afterwards; most patients are able to resume regular activities within 24 hours after treatment.



SMILE is a groundbreaking milestone in laser vision correction for people who have always wanted freedom from eye glasses and contact lenses, but werent candidates for LASIK because of corneal surface issues or other reasons, Dr. Ashraf says. SMILE is as accurate as conventional LASIK, and I am truly impressed by the results. Im very pleased to be able to offer this technology to my patients in Atlanta.



To learn more about SMILE bladeless, flapless laser vision correction, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ashraf, please call the Atlanta Vision Institute at (770) 622-2488 or visit the Atlanta Vision Institutes website at https://www.atlanta2020.com/.



About the Atlanta Vision Institute: Dr. Ashraf is the founder of the Atlanta Vision Institute and is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in corneal and refractive surgery, as well as other treatments for astigmatism, glaucoma, cataracts and other eye conditions. He obtained his advanced training in ocular surgery at Johns Hopkins University and has performed over 40,000 LASIK procedures. In addition to his Atlanta practice, Dr. Ashraf has also founded the Atlanta Vision Clinic in Dubai, UAE. For more information, visit http://www.atlanta2020.com/.
Kane County Divorce Attorney Tricia D. Goostree St. Charles Family Law Attorney Tricia D. Goostree of Goostree Law Group, P.C. has been named a 2017 Illinois Super Lawyer.

The Kane County family law firm Goostree Law Group, P.C. is proud to announce that Founding Partner, Tricia D. Goostree, has been named a 2017 Illinois Super Lawyer. This years award was Goostrees second consecutive Super Lawyers recognition; she was also previously named a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2011-2015.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers across the country. As a Super Lawyer, Goostree is placed among the top five percent of attorneys in Illinois. She earned the nomination based on a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement within the family law arena.

St. Charles Divorce Attorney Tricia D. Goostree is the founding partner of Goostree Law Group, P.C. She is a graduate of John Marshall Law School. Goostree concentrates her practice in family law, divorce, child custody, visitation rights, child support, paternity, and financial law.

In addition to her Super Lawyers nod, Goostree was named an Illinois Leading Lawyer from 2015-2016, and was rated a 10 Best Attorney for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys. She is also a Top Rated Family Law Attorney on AVVO based on outstanding client reviews and peer recommendations.

Goostree is a member of the Kane County Bar Association, where she is past-chair of the Admissions and Membership Committee, and also holds a membership to the DuPage County Bar Association.

About Goostree Law Group, P.C.:

Goostree Law Group, P.C. is located in St. Charles, Illinois. The premier Illinois family law firm represents individuals and families located throughout the western suburbs of Chicago including the cities of: St. Charles, Batavia, Geneva, Oswego, Aurora, and Wheaton.

The experienced litigators at Goostree Law Group, P.C. handle a wide-range of legal matters including: divorce, child custody, child support, property division, adoption, paternity, spousal maintenance, and domestic violence. If you are seeking compassionate and effective family law representation contact Goostree Law Group, P.C. today.
Beth Leone Working with Anahata has been life changing. She quickly took me to the depths of my soul where I could connect to my own guidance and access the strength to live it.

Shamanic healer and teacher Anahata Ananda of Shamangelic Healing Center, Sedona, Arizonas Premier Center for Shamanic Healing and Spiritual Awakening, proudly presents her Sacred Peru retreat with world famous shaman and author Jorge Luis Delgado, June 9--24, 2017. This sacred and spiritual journey during the Summer Solstice will also be her final international retreat, Anahata announced earlier this month. The retreat is filling up fast with only two spots left, so interested people are encouraged to book by the end of March to assure their spot.

To meet the increasing demand for spiritual retreats and Shamanic Journeys with a focus on personal healing among lands of powerful and sacred beauty, Anahata Ananda expanded the Centers Retreats territory to include the majestic lands and sacred sites of Peru.

The Summer Solstice Peru Retreat will explore the ancient mysteries and traditions of Peru's sacred healing land. It aims to provide participants with a soulful retreat experience, blending healing services, land journeys, ceremonies and other inspirational activities designed to restore and awaken body, mind and soul.

This spiritual retreat to Peru is a Shamanic journey into healing and awakening the Sacred Heart. Through the power of the ancient lands, Peru's timeless cultural wisdom, visits to sacred sites such as Machu Picchu, empowering healing services, sacred ceremonies and inspirational teachings, profound transformation is experienced.

Shaman Jorge Luis Delgado, who is the chosen Peruvian delegate at the international gatherings of the tribal elders, is one of the Peru Retreat personal guides. Jorge will share the ancient mysteries and Shamanic wisdom of his ancestors as well as guide many sacred land ceremonies. Anahata Ananda, the primary facilitator, will host meditation, inspirational workshops and hold private Shamangelic Healing sessions.

The retreat includes 12 nights of accommodation in the Mystical Sacred Valley and Ancient Capitol City of Cusco. During the retreat, the Lost City of the Incas in Machu Picchu will be explored for 3 days over the Summer Solstice Portal. The ancient ruins of Ollantaytambo, Saksaywaman, the Temple of the Sun and other sacred sites will also be visited. There will be plenty of opportunity to enjoy the vibrant and colorful Quechua people, mountain villages and thriving markets. Optional healing services such as Shamanic healing sessions, Spiritual readings, herbal steam baths and relaxing massage are offered.

Whether participants are seeking a soulful sacred journey to Peru or a tailored Sedona retreat of Transformational Healing and Spiritual Awakening, Shamangelic Retreats provides a profoundly empowering experience. Shamangelic also offers a full complement of Shamanic healing sessions, Shamanic retreats, sacred land journeys, as well as training courses in energy healing and Shamanic teachings.

Shamanic healer and Spiritual Counselor, Anahata Ananda, has trained extensively with gifted shamans, energy healers and spiritual teachers from around the world in order to artfully integrate the fields of spirituality, energy healing, self-empowerment and shamanic teachings. Her client-base spans the globe with individuals from all walks of life who are seeking to heal and awaken to their fullest potential.

The Shamangelic Healing Center is based in Sedona, Arizona. It is nestled beneath Thunder Mountain, with 360 degrees of breathtaking views and within walking distance to a medicine wheel and healing vortexes, making it the perfect setting for healing and expansion.

Inside, the retreat centers calm and relaxed environment helps to engage all of the senses, making it easy to settle into a session. Clients seeking spiritual awakening, transformational healing services, counseling or training courses may choose from a wide range of options that can be tailored for the ultimate personal experience.

Shamangelic also offers the powerful Shamanic Soul Retreat, for those who are ready to deepen their connections to the land, and exclusive Womens Retreats] that can include friends, relatives or any other group of women who want to share a healing experience in a sacred space with each other. These personally tailored retreats offer tools and classes for expanding feminine consciousness, group sessions on relationships, meditation, chakra balancing, spiritual healing, vibrant health, rejuvenation, massage, sound healing and more. Retreats offer a powerful resource for anyone who wants to manage stress, expand their consciousness and deepen their self-development and spiritual awakening.

For those who prefer in-person private counseling with Anahata or would like to visit Sedona, Anahata also offers personally tailored Spiritual Retreats, Sacred Land Journeys, Vortex Energy Tours and other courses in personal empowerment and spiritual awakening, all among the Red Rocks.

For detailed descriptions and a calendar of all training courses, retreats and spiritual awakening services offered by Anahata visit http://shamangelichealing.com/calendar-upcoming-events/
VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis on Monday begged forgiveness for the "sins and failings of the church and its members" during Rwanda's 1994 genocide as the Holy See sought to open a new phase in relations nearly a quarter-century after the slaughter.

In an extraordinary statement after Francis' meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the Vatican acknowledged that the church itself bore blame, as well as some Catholic priests and nuns who "succumbed to hatred and violence, betraying their own evangelical mission" by participating in the genocide.

During the 100-day genocide, more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists. Many of the victims died at the hands of priests, clergymen and nuns, according to some accounts by survivors, and the Rwandan government says many died in the churches where they had sought refuge.

During the 25-minute meeting in the Apostolic Palace, Francis "implored anew God's forgiveness for the sins and failings of the church and its members," the Vatican said.

He "expressed the desire that this humble recognition of the failings of that period, which unfortunately disfigured the face of the church, may contribute to a 'purification of memory' and may promote, in hope and renewed trust, a future of peace."

The Rwandan government has long pressured the church to apologize for its complicity in the genocide, but both the Vatican and the local church have been reluctant to do so. The church has long said those church officials who committed crimes acted individually.

In 1996, St. John Paul II refused to take blame on the church's part for what transpired in Rwanda, saying in a letter to Rwandan bishops that: "The church in itself cannot be held responsible for the misdeeds of its members who have acted against evangelical law." Four years later, however, he did make a general apology for a host of Catholic sins and crimes over its 2,000-year history.

Amid continued pressure from the government, Rwanda's Catholic bishops last year apologized for "all the wrongs the church committed."

The ministry of local government rejected the apology then as inadequate. During Rwanda's annual dialogue in December, Kagame said he didn't understand why the church was so reluctant to apologize for genocide when popes have apologized for much lesser crimes.

"I don't understand why the pope would apologize for sexual offenses, whether it is in the U.S., Ireland or Australia, but cannot apologize for the role of the church in the genocide that happened here," Kagame said at the time.

On Monday, he tweeted his appreciation for Francis' words and said "a new chapter in relations" had begun.

He said that Francis' willingness to apologize was "an act of courage&moral high standing" that was typical of the pope.

Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwab, however, repeated charges that even before 1994, Catholic institutions helped divide Rwandans and "laid the intellectual foundation for genocide ideology."

"Today, genocide denial and trivialization continue to flourish in certain groups within the church and genocide suspects have been shielded from justice within Catholic institutions," Mushikiwab said in a statement.
DECATUR  On the day Republican House leaders delayed a planned vote to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, spoke via FaceTime to a group protesting the potential repeal at his Decatur office.

The group, led by the Macon County Progressives, carried signs and umbrellas as they chanted "Fight, fight, fight, healthcare is a human right" outside of Davis' office at 243 S. Water Street on a cold, rainy Thursday.

"We're here to save our country, save our people and save our health care," Peter Smith-Phillips of Decatur said. "We've got a lot on the line right now. We've got a lot of loved ones who will suffer at the hands of this repeal and replace bill."

Scott Cross, Smith-Phillips and Rachel Hettrick spoke to the crowd of about 15, telling their stories of how the ACA, popularly known as "Obamacare," has helped them and what it might mean to people in the state if it's repealed.

"The ACA covers mental health care. I and most of my family suffer from some sort of mental illness, and we're not alone," Hettrick said. "Instead of crippling either our own or our parents' finances as they attempt to help us. The ACA has us all covered for medication that we joke keeps us somewhat sane."

The Macon County Progressives were demanding Davis face them and talk about the ACA and its possible repeal, and Davis did that. About 20 minutes into the protest, Davis' office staff invited in a few members of the Macon County Progressives and the media in for an eight-minute FaceTime call with Davis.

Hettrick, Cross, Bridget Ploessl and Jenny Shields-Cowgill all asked questions of Davis, who was at U.S. Capitol.

"Since you were at my office, I figured I'd call," Davis said.

Davis assured Hettrick the ability of those younger than 26 to stay on their parents' insurance plans would remain in the Republicans' ACA replacement plan, the American Health Care Act.

"It's in Title One of the bill and it's nonnegotiable for me, along with pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps," Davis said.

Cross cited Gov. Bruce Rauner's comment that the proposed cuts in Medicaid would be disastrous for the Illinois economy and hurt those who gained coverage in the ACA's Medicaid expansion.

"A lot of folks who are part of the Medicaid expansion population are going to see no difference," Davis said. "But if we do nothing until the year 2020, the state of Illinois is going to have to come up with hundreds of millions of dollars to keep the Medicaid expansion population as is, with no changes at all to the existing law.

"If we don't do something to stop it, I don't think the state of Illinois is in any position to come up with a plan to get those hundreds of millions of dollars and put it into a system that's unaffordable.

"What we're trying to do is get a system in place that isn't going to pull the rug out from under anyone, and that encourages people to get off of Medicaid and get into opportunities for work and get healthcare from their employer."

Davis said organizations should be able to band together nationwide to create a larger risk pool, which could help drive down costs.

"Right now, the federal government tells you that you can't do that," Davis said. "Those types of ideas need to be put in place for the individual marketplace, which is collapsing. There have been 45 to 50 percent premium increases in Illinois alone. That's why we have 31 million people in this country today with insurance they can't afford to use. That's wrong."

Ploessl said she appreciated Davis' time, but said she didn't agree with many of his points.

"He's looking at a different set of data than we are," Ploessl said. "We still oppose the repeal of the Affordable Care Act."

The vote on ACA repeal was delayed Thursday in the U.S. House because Republicans lacked the votes. The delay was a stinging setback for President Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. House Republicans were to meet behind closed doors Thursday night to consider their next steps.

The White House insisted the House vote would still happen  this morning instead  but with opposition flowing from strongly conservative and moderate-leaning GOP lawmakers, that was far from assured.

Ploessl said the Macon County Progressives  a group of local progressives, activists and organizers  were following the news all morning on Thursday.

"It would have been grim had the vote gone through before the event started," Ploessl said. "We had this on this day as a celebration of the seventh anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Had that vote passed, it could have been the death knell for Obamacare."

Members of the conservative Freedom Caucus oppose the legislation pushed by GOP leaders, saying it doesn't go far enough to repeal "Obamacare."

Moderate-leaning lawmakers were bailing, too, as the demands from conservatives pushed them even further from being able to support the GOP bill.

The legislation would eliminate some of the requirements, taxes and penalties from Obama's health care law, but also would mean millions would lose their health insurance, older voters would pay higher premiums and Medicaid coverage would shrink for many low-income voters across the country.

Republicans can lose only 22 votes in the face of united Democratic opposition. A tally by The Associated Press counts at least 31 solid "no" votes.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
News

World news

Eni Drills Successful Well Offshore Mexico

Reserves are being assessed, but the well indicates a meaningful upside to the original estimates

AUTHOR: publics.bg



 eni.com



Italian oil major Eni announced that it has successfully drilled the Amoca-2 well in the shallow waters of Campeche Bay, offshore Mexico, confirming the presence of oil in multiple reservoirs.

Amoca-2 is the first well drilled by an international oil major in Mexico since the 2013 Energy Reform. It is located in the Contractual Area 1, 200 km west of Ciudad del Carmen, in the Campeche Bay, in 25 meters of water. The well reached a total depth of approximately 3,500 meters, encountering approximately 110 meters of net oil pay from several good quality Pliocene reservoir sandstones, of which 65 meters were discovered in a deeper, previously undrilled horizon. The well confirmed the presence of 18 API oil in the shallower formations, while the newly discovered deeper sandstones contain high quality light oil.

Reserves are still being assessed, but the well indicates a meaningful upside to the original estimates.

This important discovery comes in a country where Eni has not yet operated and confirms our exploration capabilities, building upon our strong exploration track-record, and is another confirmation of the validity of our Dual Exploration Model approach. Focusing on conventional exploration with high initial stakes and operatorship, we manage to fast-track exploration activities, monetize exploration successes early and receive competitive development opportunities, therefore maximizing value generation for our shareholders, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said.

The Area 1 drilling campaign will continue with a new well in the Amoca area (Amoca-3) followed by the Mizton-2 and Tecoalli-2 delineation wells, to be drilled in 2017 to appraise existing discoveries as well as targeting new undrilled pools.

Eni holds a 100% stake in the Area 1 Production Sharing Agreement and is already evaluating options for a fast track phased development of the fields.

Eni has been present in Mexico since 2006 with a representative office and the creation of its wholly owned subsidiary Eni Mexico in late 2015.
With a search for the next Register of Copyrights currently underway, a bill introduced in Congress yesterday would let Donald Trump make that appointment, rather than Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

On March 23, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) introduced the Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act, which would give the President the power to appoint the Register of Copyrights for a 10 year, renewable term, subject to Senate confirmation. The President would also have the power to fire the Register at any time.

Currently, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by and serves at the sole discretion of the Librarian of Congress, who oversees the Copyright Office.

The bill was introduced with 29 bipartisan cosponsors and is supported by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Senate Judiciary Committee Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

In a statement, Goodlatte and Conyers urged "quick action" on the bill.

"Time is of the essence when it comes to the selection process for a new Register of Copyrights," the statement reads. "With the current Register serving only on an acting basis, now is the time to make changes to ensure that future registers are transparent and accountable to Congress. We must ensure that any new Register is a good manager and fully qualified to lead and make this office more operationally effective as he or she continues to directly advise Congress on copyrights."

 In a statement, the Library Copyright Alliance, a group of national library organizations, called the proposal "mystifying," and urged Congress to reject the bill. 

Currently, Karyn Temple Claggett is leading the Copyright Office on an interim basis, after Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, abruptly ousted Maria Pallante last fall.

It is unclear why legislators are calling for such urgency, or why they are seeking essentially to give the executive branch expanded power in the copyright realm. But sources tell PW the bill is clearly an attempt to keep Hayden from appointing a permanent successor to Maria Pallante.

Pallantes sudden removal by Hayden was met with dismay by many in the content industries, some of whom suggested the move was part of a Google-led conspiracy. It was also met with concern by Goodlatte and Conyers, who at the time issued a statement calling Pallantes departure "a tremendous loss. In January, Pallante was tapped to lead the Association of American Publishers. During her tenure as register, Pallante had strongly urged lawmakers to make the Copyright Office independent.

In a statement, the Library Copyright Alliance, a group of national library organizations, called the proposal "mystifying," and urged Congress to reject the bill.

"Why Congress would voluntarily cede its own confirmed Librarians authority to select and oversee a key Congressional advisor on copyright matters to the Executive Branch is hard to imagine," the statement reads. "It's also difficult to understand how the public or Congress itself would benefit from politicization of the Register of Copyrights' position by making it subject to presidential appointment and Senate confirmation, as this legislation proposes. Such politicization of the position necessarily would result in a Register more actively engaged in policy development than in competent management and modernization."

Although this bill is limited to the appointment of the Register of Copyrights, the legislation comes after the House Judiciary Committee last December released a policy proposal backing the creation of an autonomous Copyright Office, with the register a presidential appointee. That proposal was the first to come from a lengthy, recently-concluded review of the nations copyright laws, overseen by Goodlatte and Conyers, which also proposed to expand the Copyright Office bureaucracy with new positions, including a Chief Economist, Chief Technologist, and a Deputy Register.
In her new book, The Face of Water (Pantheon Books, Mar.), translator Ruden examines some of the Bibles most famous passages, providing thoughtful analyses of the original Hebrew and Greek that attempt to restore the Bibles authentic voice. The book reveals surprising insights, such as the fact that the Greek near the end of the Lords Prayer very likely means deliver us from the devil and not from evil in the abstract sense. Her literary translations attempt to capture the drama of the original texts and the incredible compactness of ancient languagestranslations with more zing, as she puts it, than modern English translations.

What made you interested in exploring the Bible?

Following 10 years in Africa, where I started doing translations of the classics, I spent an academic year at a Quaker study center. There was a class on Paul and someone asked a question that I knew right away because I knew the Greek. It made me realize there was a space for me in these books that are the foundation of our religious thinking and still feed into our political system and culture.

How is The Face of Water different from other Biblical translations?

Ive never been interested in studying philology or pursuing a scientific study of ancient texts, which is how most classicists are typically trained. That has sort of, oddly, helped me when I come to writing about sacred literature and translating sacred literature. To be clear, my work could not exist without the work of philologists, archaeologists, and the people who provide all kinds of material and linguistic background. But the nature of their work is that theyre interested in each others work. They talk primarily to each other. I want to talk to ordinary readers, people who may have never been interested in the Bible. As a failed classicist and biblical scholar who doesnt have any formal degree, I have a unique qualification. I want to show how the biblical books are fascinating and delightful without making the reader go through the labor of taking a class or learning the grammar, which are things that most people simply cant fit into their lives. I want to find direct ways to convey how wonderful a particular verse or passage is.

What are some of your personal favorite Bible verses in The Face of Water, and how are your translations different from previous ones?

2 Samuel 12:23, which describes Davids dead baby son. That was really a sock in the gut to me when I heard it in Hebrew. It was a passage that I couldnt get out of my mind. My translation in the book is more of a riff, a poem of my own. What I was trying to do was acknowledge the great starkness and sadness of the Hebrew. I also like Ezekiel 37 a lot. Its such a joyful passage. I was impressed by the slippage of vocabularywords slide into new meanings throughout the course of the passage, but its also anchored by steady words and meanings when it comes to God and communication with God. My own translation tries to bring this out.

Do you think your Quaker identity and beliefs influence your translations of the Bible and if so, how?

I really think they have. Quakers have a special way of treating the books of the Bible. We treat them as witnesses to the truth but not necessarily superior witnesses. As a Quaker, I am welcome to do stuff with the Bible that perhaps a stricter set might not approve of or endorse. For example, the Quakers arent at all offended when I point out that Paul is crude, maybe borderline obscene. We also believe in plain-speaking and respectful and fearless listening; so we feel we have to call a text as we see it.

As a reader of ancient literature, you write that most of what you see in the newer translations is lost. What do you think modern readers miss out on most?

I think the main things are the sound, musicality, and wit of the Bible. Theres a certain flattening out of tone, where funny parts and particularly heart-wrenching parts kind of sound the same as their surroundings. I think in general its lost its authentic voice, which can have huge consequences for our ideas about the Bible and religion.

What do you most want readers to take away from your book?

I hope that they get some joy out of it and a sense of the treasures of our tradition. Were in a time right now of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty about the future. I really want to hold up the Bible as an example of a way people get through things. For my personal religious convictions, this is a symbol of how much God cares for us. But you dont have to be a believer to be impressed with the Bible as a treasure. Its a good thing to get to know, no matter what your background, beliefs, or lack of beliefs.
When asked to specify their religion, a growing number of Americans check the none box. According to the Pew Research Center, today nearly a quarter of adults say they are not members of any institutional faith.

These nones, as they have come to be called, present a problem for traditional religions, but they create an opportunity for publishers. Many nones say they are, if not religious, still spiritual, and having severed ties to traditional faiths they seek to replace what those faiths providedguidance, encouragement, comforting rituals and sacraments, even community. For that, they often look to books.

Publishers across different categories offer these seekers the ingredients from which to pick and choose beliefs and practices as they assemble a personal faith. There are many portals by which people can now access their own essential nature, outside of religion, and people are having experiences of their own divine nature, says Catharine Meyers, associate publisher at New Harbinger, one of many presses publishing books that can appeal to this growing market.

If Not Religion, What?

Presses that offer alternativesparticularly those in the mind-body-spirit categoryhave found a market in the spiritual hunger of the nones, who are drawn to books on topics ranging from mindfulness to yoga to tarot and more. (PW will focus on mind-body-spirit publishing in our annual feature on the subject in August.) The self-help and popular psychology categories also have benefited from people looking for alternatives to traditional religion.

Readers seeking help with lifes problems can find it in a broad range of titles like Natural Rest for Addiction: A Radical Approach to Recovery Through Mindfulness and Awareness by Scott Kiloby (New Harbinger, May) and Embracing the End of Life: A Journey into Dying & Awakening by Patt Lind-Kyle (Llewellyn, Sept.). Nones who miss the grounding and inspiration that sacraments and rituals provide may look for substitutes in books like Cannabis and Spirituality: An Explorers Guide to an Ancient Plant Ally, edited by Stephen Gray (Inner Traditions, out now), which explores how cannabis can be used sacramentally to enhance practices like meditation and group ceremonies and to foster creativity. Alternative rituals can be found in titles such as Fasting the Mind: Spiritual Exercises for Psychic Detox (Inner Traditions, June), in which author Jason Gregory proposes emptying the mind to regain an essential spiritual nature, free of the distractions of modern life.

Beyond such specific topics are broader manifestos for ambitious new paradigms.

Authors also reconsider much of what religions have taught. In The Religion of Tomorrow: A Vision for the Future of the Great TraditionsMore Inclusive, More Comprehensive, More Complete (Shambhala, May), philosopher Ken Wilber argues that religions can only stay relevant if they embrace the discoveries of science and the insights of psychology to offer what he calls an integral approach, bringing together the wisdom of many kinds of religion and spirituality and respecting the individuality of seekers. Integral spirituality understands that individuals grow and develop through various stages, Wilber writes. Spiritual teachings themselves should therefore be adapted and presented in the appropriate language and the appropriate level of difficulty for each individual stage.

In The Wisdom of Not Knowing (Shambhala, out now), Estelle Frankela therapist who also teaches Jewish mysticismproposes that psychological, emotional, and spiritual health depend on accepting how much in life cannot be known, and that it is important to have the courage to face uncertainty and ambiguity. Frankel writes: This book is an exploration of the role of the unknown in our lives and a guide to reclaiming what I call the wisdom of not knowing.... Being receptive to the unknown, in all its many facets, allows us to become more open, curious, flexible, and expansive in our personal and professional lives.

Thinkers throughout history have developed their own concepts of God, and in God: 48 Famous and Fascinating Minds Talk About God (Running Press, Aug.), Jennifer Berne collects quotes from such luminaries as Homer, Pope Francis, and Maya Angelou, pairing them with illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist R.O. Blechman. Examples include: Sometimes I arrive just when Gods ready to have someone click the shutter (Ansel Adams); and, All gods are homemade, and it is we who pull their strings, and so, give them the power to pull ours (Aldous Huxley).

If you dont like the religions on offer, you can always invent your own. In November, Watkins will publish Become the Force: 9 Lessons on Living as a Master Jedi by Daniel M. Jones, who founded the Church of Jediism in 2007. It has chapters in Dubai, Canada, and the U.S. and online communities for followers, who now number more than 500,000 worldwide, according to Jones, who writes: The Force is the living energy that created the universe.... It is available and ready to speak with anyone or anything that approaches it; everything in existence is in constant communication with it.

Writing Your Religion

Writing can be a spiritual practice, argues Mark Matousek in Writing to Awaken: A Journey of Truth, Transformation, and Self-Discovery (New Harbinger, July). Matousek provides weekly writing exercises to help readers understand the story they tell themselves about who they are, and he also shows them how to rewrite it to achieve transformation. By telling the truth about themselves, you come to understand why you have felt fraudulent and inauthentic in your own life, Matousek writes. Writing helps to clear away this fraudulence and show you your true face in the mirror, often for the first time. He adds, Literary talent is irrelevant here.... Courage, transparency, commitment to the truthalong with a sincere desire to know yourself and set yourself freethese are the only assets you need. Along with a willingness to change.

If prayer seems a little too much like religion but you need a place to express your hopes and desires, how about writing a letter? In The Forever Letter: Writing What We Believe for Those We Love (Llewellyn, Sept.), Elana Zaimanthe first woman rabbi in a family of rabbis spanning six generationsrefashions a little-known Jewish tradition of writing an ethical will into a tool for personal growth. She writes: To make writing forever letters part of your life plan, you have to know why doing so is crucial.... Sometimes we can write what we cannot speak; we can better understand ourselves and our relationships; we can make ourselves known; we can ask for forgiveness and we can forgive; we can clarify our values and live with greater intention.

Though usually a solitary pursuit, reading can become about community. The Futilitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading (Little, Brown, Aug.) is Anne Gislesons memoir of finding solace with others who are on difficult journeys. After the deaths of her twin sisters and father and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Gisleson formed the Existential Crisis Reading Groupdubbed the Futilitarianswith other New Orleanians struggling with loss and trauma. Their readings and weekly meetings helped the Futilitarians overcome individual and collective pain.

Happiness as Religion

Traditional faiths have taught sacrifice and self-abnegationprobably not a message that resonates with most modern seekers. Books about happiness have proliferated, and maybe happiness has become a kind of religion. In The Unbelievable Happiness of What Is: Beyond Belief to Love, Fulfillment, and Spiritual Awakening (New Harbinger, May), Jon Bernie argues that challenging negative beliefs and accepting difficult feelings will help readers attain happiness, freedom, and peace.

Big Love: The Power of Living with a Wide-Open Heart by Scott Stabile (New World Library, Sept.) tells how Stabilea writer, teacher, and blogger with more than 350,000 Facebook followersfaced the murder of his parents when he was 14 and, in his 20s, the death of his brother from a heroin overdose. Through his suffering, Stabile found a lifes work: to create as much love as possible. He writes, I didnt know exactly what the role of love-spreader entailed, but it felt like a life goal to which I could commit myself, one that came with an important benefit our world desperately neededlove, love, and more love. New World Library also has Live Your Happy: Get Out of Your Own Way and Find the Love Within by Maria Felipe (Apr.), a speaker and teacher of such principles as self-awareness, forgiveness, emotional self-reliance, fearlessness, and inner discipline as a way to happiness and fulfillment.

No Apologies, but Open Doors

How are the traditional churches responding as people head for the exits? Pastor Mark Clarka former skeptic who embraced Christianitydefends that faith in The Problem of God: Answering a Skeptics Challenges to Christianity (Zondervan, Aug.). He tackles the problems of Christianity, including its often violent history and whether Jesus was who the Bible says he is.

The Light Is Winning: Why Religion Just Might Bring Us Back to Life by Zach Hoag (Zondervan, June) also defends Christianity from its critics. Hoag writes: We are in a cultural moment of apocalypse. Not an end-of-the-world apocalypse, but in the very literal sense of the word which translates simply as a revealing. Perhaps the downtrend of Christian faith in America is just the kind of Great Revealing we need to show us who we really are as American Christians, who Jesus really is in our midst, and how we can step into the flourishing faith he has always intended for us.

Some books speak to pastors and congregants who want to welcome nones into the church without merely seeing them as targets for evangelization. In September, Westminster John Knox Press publishes A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community. The author, Presbyterian pastor John Pavlovitz, envisions an agenda-free relationship, urging readers to trust the spiritual experience of others, especially when they dont match our own. He adds, Thats a huge challenge in organized Christianity.

Jesus Made New

Despite disillusionment with Christianity as an establishment, Jesus is still a fascinating and mysterious figure for many. Who was he really, and what can he be to skeptical moderns?

Blue Ocean Faith: The Vibrant Connection to Jesus that Opens Up Insanely Great Possibilities in a Secularizing WorldAnd Might Kick Off a New Jesus Movement by Dave Schmelzer (Front Edge, out now) shows how Blue Ocean Faitha nondenominational church with outposts in California, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Ohiotries to answer those questions. As he talked to nones across the country, Schmelzer writes, What we discovered local non-churchgoers wanted wasnt moral teaching, or Bible instruction or even good self-help tools like positive thinking.... They wanted God.

It is possible to be anti-religion but pro-Jesus? Bruxy Cavey considers this question in Reunion: The Good News of Jesus for Seekers, Saints, and Sinners (Herald, May). Cavey is a pastor at the Meeting House, a multisite Anabaptist congregation in Ontario, Canada, that calls itself a church for people who arent into church. The message and mission of Jesus is a universal rebuke to all religion, of his day and every day, including and especially the Christian religion, Cavey writes. Of course, how could the Christian church proclaim the inherently irreligious nature of the message of Jesus when they were stewarding one of the largest and most powerful religions on the planet?

Catholics, Come Home

It isnt just evangelicals who are mounting a counteroffensive against secularization. Joe Durepos, executive editor at Catholic publisher Loyola Press, notes: Evangelical megachurches are largely made up of fallen-away Catholics. The second-largest denominational demographic in the U.S. is fallen-away Catholics.

Loyola addresses that exodus with Strange Journey: How Two Homesick Pilgrims Stumbled Back into the Catholic Church (Nov.), a memoir by Jessica Mesman Griffith and Jonathan Ryan, coauthors of the Sick Pilgrim blog. Griffith writes: We had a hunch that storytelling was what brought us back to belief, and that the Christian story was the most compelling of all the tales we loved. But what we found was that by telling our stories honestly, without shame or judgement, we attracted an audience that was as starved for spiritual companions as we had been. The authors have won the 2017 Wilbur Award for Digital Media and are sponsoring a conference at the University of Notre Dame (June 2224) called Trying to Say God, with Mary Karr, Heather King, and Tim Powers as keynote speakers.

Brandon Vogt converted to Catholicism in college (to the surprise of his friends and family), and in Why I Am Catholic (and You Should Be Too) (Ave Maria, Oct.) he explains his decision and makes the case for others to convert. Vogt draws on Catholic thinkers such as G.K. Chesterton, Jacques Maritain, and St. Teresa of Calcutta. In 2013, Vogt launched Strange Notions, a site promoting dialogue between Catholics and atheists.

Another Catholic press, Acta Publications, is reaching out to the disaffected with Not Your Grandparents Church: On Recapturing Your Spiritual Heritage by Patricia Wittberg (Sept.). The biggest group of church leavers are aged 1849, and, says publisher Greg Pierce, the book is aimed at young adults who were cradle Catholics but have left the church. Wittberg writes: This book is not an attempt to persuade you to swallow a lot of teachings you may currently disagree with, or to engage in rituals you may find boring or unintelligible.... Young adults in the twenty-first century have their own needs, desires, and questions in their own lives for which they may be searching for answers. Catholic spirituality is wide and varied; there is something in it for everyone.

Can the slide into secularism be slowed? Loyolas Durepos says, The data and anecdotal evidence suggest the trend will continue. Whether religions (and religion publishers) can do anything to arrest that is a question on the minds of many of us, he adds. We need to raise up new, young leaders who can speak with generational specificity, and do it with authority and authenticity. We need a values check, we need to be less tone-deaf to the young and the fallen-away, and to show the joy our faith brings us, rather than pushing a set of propositional beliefs that tell people how to behave in the bedroom.

In the face of so many choices for the spiritual-but-not-religious, publishers from faith-based presses agree that religions must be the best versions of themselves. But they dont believe that any faith needs to change its core tenets and doctrine to become more palatable. If you dont want to be a Catholic, you dont have to be a Catholic, Durepos says. We are a creedal people, we believe a certain way, and weve believed things in certain ways for a long, long time. There is value in this continuity, there is grace and stability.
In Jess Kidd's exceptional debut novel, Himself, Mahony, a charming young man who can communicate with the dead, returns to Mulderrig, Ireland, his birthplace, in search of the truth about his mothers mysterious disappearance. As he dredges up the towns best-kept secrets, ghosts of the departed shadowing the footsteps of those still living. Kidd picks 10 of her favorite supernatural mysteries.

I like to take my mysteries with a good drop of supernatural. Its a strong combination with a long tradition and each writer mixes them up to a different recipe. So happily there is a whole range of outcomes for the readersupernatural mysteries unsettle, muddle, confound, and thrill. They lead us from bliss to disorientation, from disbelief to captivation. Not only do we have a riddle to solve, a plot to chase, a secret to unearth, we also have the paranormal to deal with. The otherworldly in these fictions may ultimately be debunked as smoke and mirrors, or the product of a diseased mind, or it may be left well alone. Ghosts may be nothing more than creaks and drafts and cerebral terrors, or the undead may stalk through the pages as real as any other cast member. Inexplicable happenings may have rational explanations, but they can just as soon be really real.

I compiled this list of books in a wholly subjective manner. There may be more pertinent titles but I have a fondness for these. They represent train journeys made bearable, bus trips shortened, bitten nails, and home alone nights filled with terror. Several of the books on this list are directly responsible for kick-starting stories of my own. Some of them I knocked back as a teenager and some are recent discoveries. All of them are strange brews, full to the brim with spirit.

1. Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg This wicked blend of murder and the occult has Harry Angel, hard-boiled private eye, hired to investigate the case of a missing man, Johnny Favorite. A once promising crooner injured in the Second World War, Favorite has fallen off the face of the earth. Following Favorites trail, Angel descends into a nightmarish world of voodoo, sex, and violence where nothing is quite what it seems and hes in danger of losing more than his life. For it turns out that Favorite kept some unusual company and had an interest in the otherworldly. Against a backdrop of 1950s New York, Hjortsberg fashions a wonderful, twisted, supernatural noir. Complete with a sharp plot, tortured humor, and moments of visceral horror.

2. The Casebook of Carnacki the Ghost Finder by William Hope Hodgson This is actually a collection of stories, but I had to include the daddy of all supernatural sleuths. Carnacki is a bachelor with time on his hands, a ghost-finding toolkit (including the wonderfully named "Electric Pentacle") and a penchant for regaling the details of his cases over a glass of something after dinner. The cases may feel formulaic and the Edwardian prose might seem a little moth-eaten. But for me this doesnt detract from the fun in figuring out whether or not a real live spook is behind the phenomenon Carnacki is investigating. Is it all smoke and mirrors, Scooby-Doo style, or are there dark and terrifying spectral forces at work?

3. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes This popular genre mash-up has a time-travelling serial killer called Harper from Depression-era Chicago dispatching of a series of "shining" victimsuntil he meets his match in Kirby. Kirby survives Harpers attempt to claim her as another of his trophies and gamely resolves to find the homicidal maniac responsible for her attempted murder.

4. In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu These supernatural tales are drawn from the caseload of the fictional Dr Hesselius, researcher into all things metaphysical. Le Fanus classic Gothic beauties paved the way for whole legions of ghost and horror stories. They chart strange journeys through madness and hallucination, spirit-sightings, and otherworldly interventions. In the mystery "The Room in Le Dragon Volant" the suspense is of a psychological nature. Elsewhere, a demonic monkey bedevils an English clergyman, a sea captain is haunted by the phantom of past deeds, and the vampire makes an early appearance in the wonderful "Carmilla," which predates Stokers Dracula by decades. These stories demand to be read on a stormy night, with the windows rattling and the wind wailing and a glass of the strong stuff at hand.

5. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill All manner of uncanniness kicks off when Arthur Kipps, a hardworking solicitor, arrives at Eel Marsh House to wrap up the affairs of the late Mrs. Alice Drablow. Replete with repressed secrets, this is a masterful supernatural mystery with an eerie, isolated setting. All the trappings of the traditional Gothic ghost story are there and Hill ratchets up the tension throughout as Kippss investigation is met with a series of inexplicable events.

6. Dracula by Bram Stoker Stokers satisfying epistolary novel is also a detective tale. It follows a series of different viewpoints through letters and journal entries, and has a range of iconic, evocative locations. From the desolate castle of a damned and failing aristocracy to a creepy London graveyard, we follow the Counts diabolical trail. This book has caused generations of Goths to descend on the Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby to chart Stokers inspiration, which is sublime in itself. It has also produced, to my mind, one of the most striking images in literatureCount Dracula crawling down the castle wall. For crucifixes, the relentless un-dead, the commodification of the souls of virgins, and bloodsucking (with all the interpretations we can heap on this) we have Stoker to thank.

7. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters In post-war England, rural Warwickshire, a doctor makes a house call at Hundreds Hall, a crumbling stately home occupied by a mother and her offspring. The class system haunts this tale too. Despite humble origins, Dr. Faraday has done well for himself, but in the wake of World War II the landed classes are floundering, they havent a penny to bless themselves and their estates are falling into disrepair. The literary antecedent of this book is Henry Jamess The Turn of the Screwboth novels toe the line between the supernatural and the psychological without stepping firmly in either. The Little Stranger is not the scariest of ghost stories, although many of the conventions are there. But I love the whole creaking, crumbling atmosphere of it.

8. Ghost Story by Peter Straub Four old friends meet to tell each other ghost stories. One dies in mysterious circumstances. They share a secret, deep in their past, which has always haunted them and doesnt seem to want to stay buried. Now something seems to be picking them off one by one. The book has a sprawling, sometimes slow-burning plot peppered with spikes of breath-holding suspense, as well as a snowed-in small town setting. This novel balances a twisted mystery, themes of guilt and retribution, and heaps of supernatural horror.

9. Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel The real mystery in Mantels darkly comic novel is the protagonists past, which is a riddle not easily solved. Alison is a stage-show medium, traveling the circuit, picking up a dour helper, Colette, en route. While Alison gives her clients comfort she knows that the afterlife is not a place of peace. Alison has her own methods of keeping her own traumatic past at bay, but history keeps resurfacing. I love this book for Mantels deft use of magic realism to create vile, heckling, down-to-earth ghosts. But also for the way in which Beyond Black explores how we deal with the phantoms of childhood, especially when that childhood is deeply damaged.
DECATUR  Former Decatur Police Chief Brad Sweeney may appeal to the states highest court in a quest to continue his lawsuit against the city of Decatur.

A three-judge panel for the 4th District Appellate Court on Friday ruled against Sweeney, affirming Macon County Circuit Judge A.G. Webber IVs dismissal of the lawsuit in June.

Sweeneys attorney, Jon D. Robinson, said Friday night that he thought it was likely he would file a petition asking the Illinois Supreme Court to hear the case. The high court could choose to allow the petition or not to hear the case.

I think most of (the opinion) I disagree with, the reasoning and the way it was set up, he said.

The case began in February 2016 when Sweeney was relieved of his duties by City Manager Tim Gleason. Sweeney alleged Gleason fired him retaliation for several events, including his objection to Gleasons use of a police car and driver for a personal trip in May 2015.

Sweeney, a 20-year veteran of the Decatur Police Department, had sought protection under the Illinois Whistleblower Act. But in its ruling, the appellate court said Sweeney did not blow the whistle, because he told no one but Gleason that he thought Gleason had acted inappropriately.

Simply having a conversation with the wrongdoer about the impropriety of his or her actions is not exposing the alleged improper activity, making it known, or reporting the wrongful conduct, said the opinion, written by Justice John W. Turner and joined by Justices Robert J. Steigmann and Thomas M. Harris.

Sweeney also said that he was fired for his refusal to publicly support a local motor fuel tax and his opposition to the tax during a city staff meeting. In court documents, Gleason provided other reasons for firing Sweeney that did not relate to the gas tax or police car ride.

Gleason did not immediately respond to messages seeking to discuss the ruling.

Ed Flynn, who represents the city in this case along with attorney Jerry Stocks, said: We respect the ruling of the circuit and appellate courts in this matter. They share the opinion that we have had from the beginning of this matter. He declined to elaborate.

Webbers initial ruling and the appellate judges review focused on legal aspects of the case, rather than facts of what happened between Gleason and Sweeney.

The Decatur police chief is an at-will employee, who could be discharged by the city at any time "for any reason or no reason," Webber wrote.

The judges found that Sweeneys situation did not fall under any legal exceptions.

Sweeney also argued that Gleason infringed upon his First Amendment rights, suggesting he was fired in part for objecting to the local gas tax the Decatur City Council ultimately approved later that month.

But Webber and the appellate court rejected that argument, too. In his written opinion dismissing the case, Webber phrased the issue plainly: You can't walk up to your boss, tell him where to go and always expect to keep your job (particularly in the case of an at-will employee).

Robinson said he was surprised not only by the result but by the timing of the decision so soon after oral arguments were heard in the case March 7. Its shockingly quick, he said. In the 46 years that Ive practiced, Ive never seen an opinion written this quick.

The ruling comes less than two weeks before the April 4 election, in which issues related to the lawsuit have played a key role. Mayoral candidate John Phillips has been a vocal supporter of Sweeney, who he has said serves as a key member of his campaign committee.

Incumbent Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe has stood behind the city manager, a position she reiterated Friday.

Four judges and a special prosecutor have concluded that Tim Gleasons actions were proper, she said. I hope now our community will move beyond this episode and the positive momentum will continue.

Phillips was unaware of the decision when reached by phone Friday evening and declined to comment.
DECATUR  Central Illinois residents are in for a windy afternoon today and possible thunderstorms on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service at Lincoln.

The weather service advised that southerly winds would gust from 30 to 35 miles per hour at times today, which could cause difficulty for some high-profile vehicles on traveling east and west.

A hazardous weather outlook was issued shortly before noon for counties including Macon, Christian, McLean, DeWitt and Sangamon.

A few thunderstorms are possible tonight, but more likely on Saturday afternoon and evening. A few of the storms may become strong south of Jacksonville to Taylorville, with hail and gusty winds.
When Jacinda Ardern was rattling off the things that matter most to all of us incredible Kiwis - it rang a little hollow when held up against Labours record.

6 hours ago
For six months in 2016, North Korea regularly conducted theater missile testing, establishing a pattern before it stopped in late October. Pyongyang then launched one more ballistic missile on Feb. 12  one day before Kim Jong Nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was murdered in Malaysia  and four more on March 6.

Much of the national security community suspects North Korea of being responsible for the nerve agent attack carried out by two women, both of whom have been charged with murder. Pyongyang continues to suggest that a heart attack was to blame.

What would lead North Korea to carry out two frightening provocations just a day apart, and to follow up with another provocation less than a month later? Like most developments involving the Hermit Kingdom, it is impossible to know. But the nearly four-month break between missile launches may have more to do with the political crisis in South Korea than anything else.

North Korea probably took a break from launching missiles in large part to keep the Korean media focused on the failures of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached in December on charges of corruption. Park's impeachment, which was upheld earlier this month, opens the door for a friendlier, more dovish leader in Seoul. The current slate of progressive candidates have suggested that they would treat North Korea far more favorably than their conservative predecessors have, but continued missile tests could create a political atmosphere more conducive to South Korea's conservatives.

Challenged by a tweet?

The Feb. 12 missile launch may have been a response to a tweet the North Korean regime took as a challenge. During his Jan. 1 speech to the North Korean people, leader Kim Jong Un threatened to test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2017. The next day, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted, It won't happen!

Several days after the launch, North Korean media reported that the test was a preliminary shot toward the development of a North Korean ICBM. North Korean media taunted Trump by saying that despite his tweet he had put forth no specific plan yet to put a brake on the action of North Korea. So the missile launch was apparently a response to, and a test of, Trump. The message Kim wanted to send to his senior elites: He had achieved a great victory by standing up to Trump.

Additionally, North Korea has made several efforts to shape perceptions of the threat posed by the missile. Fired on a lofted trajectory that limited its flight to about 310 miles downrange, it looked more like a Scud-class missile of the type that North Korea has tested many times rather than what the missile in fact is  one with a range of several thousand miles that could threaten Japan and especially China.

The missile uses solid fuel, which allows it to be launched with little or no warning. It was also fired from a new, far more mobile launcher, making it far more difficult to detect and destroy the missile's location, as former Secretaries of Defense Ashton Carter and William Perry recommended in 2006.

And so Kim Jong Un could claim another victory by saying he had developed new approaches for blunting U.S. defenses.

Murder in Malaysia

Kim had apparently feared for many years that his older half-brother posed a threat to his leadership and survival. As their father's health was failing in 2011, Kim Jong Un reportedly began killing senior elites in North Korea who had established a relationship with Kim Jong Nam, a process that was said to have largely concluded as of 2012. Lacking a constituency inside North Korea, the familial outcast posed little direct threat to Kim Jong Un. Nevertheless, the young North Korean dictator may have worried that his own defiance of Chinese influence could tempt Beijing to impose a regime change on North Korea in favor of his exiled half-brother.

Geography likely influenced the timing of the attack on Kim Jong Nam. The North Korean leader would not have wanted to offend China by having him attacked in Macau, where he lived. Kim Jong Nam's trip to Malaysia created a viable assassination opportunity, and death by the lethal nerve agent VX.

The message of the four-missile launch

After North Korea launched four more missiles out to a range of about 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles) in March, it claimed the launches were in response to the threat posed to North Korea by the Key Resolve exercise, one of the two major exercises conducted annually by the United States and South Korea. North Korea said it launched the missiles targeting U.S. military bases in Japan. Yet if North Korea was upset at the South, why target Japan? Much of South Korea is only 300 to 500 kilometers from North Korea, so why didn't Pyongyang fire missiles with such a range?

If North Korea fired with that range, its missile threat would be clearly directed against South Korea, which could then undercut any leverage it may have on the impending South Korean presidential election. But in firing these missiles to 1,000 kilometers, was the North Korean threat directed at China? Officials in Pyongyang were undoubtedly furious at China's Feb. 18 cutoff of North Korean coal imports, and North Korean missiles with a 1,000-kilometer range could reach about half of China's largest cities. And perhaps to make the message even clearer, North Korea fired the missiles during the fifth session of the Chinese National People's Congress.

China's next move

China banned coal purchases from North Korea after the February missile launch and assassination, without clarifying the degree to which these two North Korean provocations led to the Chinese sanctions. But if Malaysia confirms that North Korea is responsible for the murder of Kim Jong Nam, that  along with the possibly anti-China missile launches on March 6  may force Beijing to take further action to punish North Korea. China will want to show the North that it will pay a high price for its provocations  perhaps making North Korea think long and hard before taking such actions in the future.

Bruce W. Bennett is a senior defense analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on RealClearWorld on March 23, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Four defendants in Nemtsov murder case file appeals with ECHR

MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI)  Appeals filed by four defendants in the case on killing opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, over alleged tortures and unreasonable stay in detention were transferred to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), lawyer Rosa Magomedova said on Friday at a press-conference in Rosbalt news agency.

Magomedova represents interests of Zaur Dadayev and Tamerlan Eskerkhanov in the ECHR. According to the lawyer, her clients as well as other defendants in the case, Anzor and Shadid Gubashevs filed the appeals. Dadayev is appealing against alleged torture, while in case of Eskerkhanov there is still an option to continue judicial proceedings in Russia. Other appeals are related to detention conditions and detention itself.

Pretrial investigation into the case has been completed. Zaur Dadayev, brothers Anzor and Shadid Gubashev, Khamzat Bakhayev have been charged along with Tamerlan Eskerkhanov with contract murder and illegal acquisition, carrying and keeping of weapons. Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer in Chechen Interior Ministry, is believed to be the mastermind of the murder. He was placed on the international wanted list.

On December 13, Russian authorities offered Eskerkhanov 6,000 euros as compensation to quash his complaint to the ECHR. Eskerkhanov filed an application with the ECHR alleging violation of his rights. Eskerkhanov complained of a number of violations over the conditions of his detention and extension of its duration, Magomedova said earlier.

Boris Nemtsov, 55, a prominent opposition politician, who held a number of high-ranking posts in the Russian Government in the 1990s and in the 2000s joined the opposition, was shot down in the center of Moscow as he walked across a bridge near the Kremlin on the night of February 28, 2015. Investigators believe that the conspirators in the murder had thoroughly prepared to commit this crime: they studied Nemtsovs schedule, spied upon him, prepared suitable weapons, vehicles and communication equipment. On the day of the murder, 28 February, after following Nemtsov from his home, at about 11.31 p.m. Dadayev, having received a signal from Anzor Gubashev and Shavanov that the situation was suitable for the murder, shot Nemtsov at least six times, according to investigation.
State Duma passes bill on control over audit organizations in second reading

MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI)  The State Duma has passed a bill on external control of audit organizations quality of work in the second reading, RIA Novosti reported on Friday.

One of the amendments to the bill reads that auditors in self-regulating organizations (SROs) must rotate every three years. Current legislation, on the other hand, reads that they must rotate every year. Head of the State Duma Committee on financial market Anatoly Aksakov called current provision not quite rational.

The State Duma also passed the amendment lifting contradiction over standards of auditor activity and its terms, present in current legislation. The bill reads that terms of scheduled and unscheduled inspection of auditor organizations quality of work must not exceed forty days for regular ones and must not exceed twenty days for small businesses.

The bill establishes grounds for extension of such inspections for no more than 20 working days. These include, firstly, the need for complex or lengthy studies, special examinations and investigations, and secondly, reception of required information from government agencies in proper amount of time.
BBC News, March 19, 2017

By Daud Qarizadah

In the Afghan capital, Kabul, there's still widespread shock and anger at the brutal militant attack last week on the city's main military hospital.

The authorities have acted swiftly, sacking the deputy interior minister and arresting 24 hospital and military officials, including an army general.

But for many Kabul residents it feels too little, too late.



(Photo: EPA) (Photo: EPA)

A local man interviewed on the street this week by state TV spoke for many.

"If this government can't fulfil its responsibilities, someone else needs to take over," he said.

"People have had enough of this situation."

The 400-bed Sardar Daud Khan hospital is set in extensive grounds in Kabul's diplomatic district, not far from the US embassy, Nato headquarters and the Afghan state television building.

People are demanding to know how such a supposedly secure defence ministry facility could be so vulnerable to attack.

The issue has been furiously debated in parliament and continues to be a key subject of conversation on social media.

At a hastily arranged press conference this week, defence ministry officials presented their initial findings.

Contradictions

But their version appeared to contradict the accounts of some eyewitnesses and Afghan politicians, and many key questions remain unanswered.

One of the biggest is how the attackers were able to get into what was supposed to be a heavily-guarded compound.

A medical technician who has worked at the hospital for almost a decade told the BBC that security was always very tight.

"Everyone entering the building, including staff, is frisked and their bags are checked," she said.

So did the attackers have help from inside?

The defence ministry says five people were involved and that they entered the compound in a car with fake number plates.

One blew himself up at the hospital gates and the others ran inside.

But eyewitnesses, including one who spoke to the BBC, reported hearing gunfire in the hospital corridors at exactly the same time as the blast at the entrance - suggesting at least some of the group could have already been inside.

Disguised as doctors

One eyewitness who spent three hours hiding inside the cardiology department told the BBC that a colleague had seen men in white coats opening fire on people in the corridor.

Ahmad Nesar Hares, a member of the Afghan Senate Committee investigating the attack, told a heated Senate debate this week that according to his information as many as 17 militants were involved and that they had been let in by "an enemy who worked in the hospital for three months".



Officials put the death toll at 50, with 31 injured - though these figures are disputed (Photo: Getty/AFP) Officials put the death toll at 50, with 31 injured - though these figures are disputed (Photo: Getty/AFP)

"He transferred weapons, guns and ammunition to the hospital and nobody caught him," the senator said.

In a similar vein, some media reports have quoted hospital staff as saying two of the people involved in the attack were interns who had been working there for several months.

The defence ministry says it has no evidence so far that the attackers were helped by medical staff but investigations are ongoing.

One thing that is not disputed is the brutal nature of the attack.

The defence ministry said the attackers were armed with AK47s, grenades and military issue knives. They also confirmed reports circulating locally that patients had been shot and stabbed to death in their hospital beds.

The exact death toll continues to be disputed.

The defence ministry revised its official figure up to "around 50" with 31 people injured. However, some hospital workers quoted in local media reports insist it was much higher.

The eyewitness who spoke to the BBC said the corridor outside her ward had been full of people when the attack started.

She described watching a scene of horror unfold with her patients, who were finally rescued by Afghan commandoes.

"There were bodies lying everywhere," she said. "Patients, doctors, people I knew and worked with. It was terrible. I will never ever forget it."

It's still not clear who exactly carried out the attack.

The Afghan defence ministry says that both Afghan and foreign nationals were involved, but has dismissed social media speculation about their identity.

While the violence was still going on, so-called Islamic State (IS) issued a statement via its Amaq news agency claiming responsibility.

However Afghan security experts have questioned whether a group still thought to be relatively small in Afghanistan could be capable of planning and carrying out such a large scale operation.

Afghan fighters who have declared allegiance to IS are thought to control just a handful of villages in eastern Nangarhar province.

Some eyewitnesses have told local media that the attackers were shouting slogans in support of the Taliban.

One patient who spoke to the BBC said he saw men he described as "Taliban" shouting Allahu Akbar ("God is greatest") and throwing grenades in the corridor.

It's been widely reported that the wards containing Taliban patients were left untouched.

The defence ministry confirmed that injured Taliban fighters were being treated in the hospital but said they were in locked wards with barred windows, and that they were not involved in the violence.

The ministry has asked for patience as it continues to investigate what it said was "a complex case" and has pledged to share more information in the coming weeks.

Syed Anwar and Jenny Norton contributed to this report.
DECATUR -- Republican leaders abruptly pulled their troubled health care overhaul bill off the House floor on Friday, minutes before a vote was going to be held.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., withdrew the legislation after President Donald Trump called him and asked him to halt debate without a vote, according to Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong. Just a day earlier, Trump had demanded a House decison and said if the measure lost, he would move on to other issues.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, whose district includes Decatur, said shortly before the bill was pulled that he supported it and was cautiously optimistic it would pass.

We believe we have a bill thats been negotiated and is a very good replacement for the collapsing Affordable Care Act, Davis said. Ive listened to concerns from my constituents, from the medical community and from elected officials, and there have been positive changes made to the initial bill.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said its time for the Republicans to put repealing the ACA behind them.

Republicans have spent seven years posturing and misleading the public about the Affordable Care Act, Durbin said. Today, their frantic attempt to ram through a half-baked bill repealing health care for millions of Americans fell flat.

Davis said after speaking via FaceTime to members of Macon County Progressives who were protesting the potential ACA repeal at his office on Thursday, he met with Trump at the White House.

The president said he was done negotiating, Davis said. He was frustrated by so many members who said they were committed to replacing Obamacare not fulfilling their commitment, when we have a bill that would replace a failing system with one thats better, more affordable and more accessible.

I know hes frustrated, and Im frustrated, too.

Davis said he was dissatisfied with Democrats, who want to keep the status quo, and with many Republicans who refuse to get on board with a plan he thinks would be a successful replacement to the ACA.

If we do nothing, in two years the state of Illinois, and other states, will all have to come up with hundreds of millions to pay for Medicaid, Davis said. We have a $2 billion website and one-third of Americans only have one choice. Who needs a $2 billion website for one choice? Tens of millions of Americans dont have coverage, and 31 million have coverage they cant afford to use. Its unacceptable, and I wish Democrats would try to play a role and offer any plan thats an alternative.

And if the status quo remains, those who made promises to repeal Obamacare will have failed to live up to it. Im pro-life. Our plan makes sure people who need access to womens health coverage have it by taking money and giving it to community health centers to provide that care. The pro-life community has come out in support of this act. Doing nothing is not taking my job as policymaker responsibly.

Davis said the Republicans' bill includes coverage for pre-existing conditions, a detail many worried would be eliminated.

Theres was no way any plan wasnt going to include pre-existing conditions, and its a big reason why it wont pass, Davis said. My wife is a cancer survivor and has a pre-existing condition. Theres no way families like ours should face limitations on getting access and using it. Theres no reason why people should face limitations for having a disease they didnt ask for. That was a priority for me.

The development came on the afternoon of a day when the bill, which had been delayed a day earlier, was supposed to come to a vote, come what may. But instead of picking up support as Friday wore on, the bill went the other direction, with some key lawmakers coming out in opposition.

Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, chairman of a major committee, Appropriations, said the bill would raise costs unacceptably on his constituents. Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia, a key moderate Republican, and GOP Rep. David Joyce of Ohio also announced "no" votes.

The defections raised the possibility that the bill would not only lose on the floor, but lose big.

In the face of that evidence, and despite insistences from White House officials and Ryan that Friday was the day to vote, leadership pulled back from the brink.

The GOP bill would have eliminated the Obama statute's unpopular fines on people who do not obtain coverage and would also have removed the often-generous subsidies for those who purchase insurance.

Republican tax credits would have been based on age, not income like Obama's, and the tax boosts Obama imposed on higher-earning people and health care companies would have been repealed. The bill would have ended Obama's Medicaid expansion and trimmed future federal financing for the federal-state program, letting states impose work requirements on some of the 70 million beneficiaries.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the Republican bill would have resulted in 24 million additional uninsured people in a decade and lead to higher out-of-pocket medical costs for many lower-income and people just shy of age 65 when they would become eligible for Medicare. The bill would have blocked federal payments for a year to Planned Parenthood.

Democrats were uniformly opposed. "This bill is pure greed, and real people will suffer and die from it," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.
Recent reports that Russia deployed special forces to an air base in Egypt near the border with Libya highlight the Kremlin's growing concern with the domestic situation of the long-standing Soviet client. Strategically located and abundant with oil deposits, Libya since the violent overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi has become a battleground contested by numerous local tribes and militant groups, as well as two rival governments.
On March 25, 1957, the Treaty of Rome was officially signed by the six original members of the European Economic Community  Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany. The treaty led to the eventual creation of the modern-day European Union and symbolized closer ties across Europe on goods, labor, services and capital.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil is the head of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Paris office. The views expressed here are the author's own.

This French election was expected to be like none before. After the Brexit camp's victory in last year's British referendum to leave the European Union, and Donald Trumps ascendance to the American presidency, the pressure had grown on France. The countrys presidential election, whose outcome will be known on May 7, seemed bound to be the third major edition of the fight brought by populists on the Wests liberal democracies.

But right now, the reason why this campaign is unprecedented is quite different. Alain Juppe, who for months appeared to be the election favorite, failed to win the primary within his own party. Then president Francois Hollande stunned all by declining a run for re-election. In turn, his prime minister, Manuel Valls, lost his own camps primary.

Yet the victors have failed to seize the opportunity. On the left, Benoit Hamon is slowly gaining ground, but remains a fourth choice in the polls. On the right, Francois Fillon was quickly embroiled in a nepotism scandal, to the point that the future of his candidacy has been questioned even in his own camp in recent weeks. Indeed, the Fillon case has largely overshadowed the political debate since the beginning of the year.

Others have managed to take advantage of this situation. It should come as no surprise that they are political outsiders -- or at the very least, they cast themselves as such. Emmanuel Macron has made assets of his handicaps -- the centrist leader of En Marche! is rather inexperienced and isnt backed by a major political party. Macron now seems bound to reach the second round; so does Marine Le Pen. In spite of her own judicial liabilities, Le Pen capitalizes strongly on the harsh criticisms against the political establishment initiated by her father decades ago, even more so after her efforts to turn her extreme-right platform into a serious-looking alternative rather than a fringe program.

Such a roller-coaster plotline has so far prevented any serious debate from really unfolding. The two candidates leading in the polls appear to embody the ideological argument unfolding in French politics at the moment. But the alternative has been only rarely discussed. The confrontation between the populist and the reasonable, between the rage from the voters hearts and the caution from their minds, has yet to take place. And yet, the election will eventually deliver a pick.

A dangerous scene

This is a very dangerous situation: The political atmosphere in France is turning sour. It is moving candidates well beyond the difficulty, prevalent since 1981, of winning consecutive national elections. Polls suggest that disappointment, disgust, and anger increasingly characterise the public perception of politics. A growing number of voters believe their ideas arent well represented, and they distrust elected officials and political parties. In this context, one can only worry about the elections outcome.

As a French citizen often travelling abroad, I frequently find myself having to explain the many reasons why a victory by Le Pen is far from certain -- an option quite a number of my interlocutors seem to consider a mechanical consequence of Brexit and of Trumps win. It bears repeating that the Front Nationals best electoral showing -- 7 million votes in the second round of the 2015 regional elections -- is less than half of the more than 18 million votes that won the two previous presidential elections. Moving from 30 percent of the votes cast to winning more than 50 percent is quite a formidable challenge.

But when back home, I have also found myself having to insist on why it still is a possibility. If polls are to be believed, the vote has never been so volatile. The turnout could reach a new low -- when the presidential election usually mobilizes up to 80 percent of French voters up to 80  diminishing the number of votes the winner will have to round up. And the absence of a complete and careful debate leaves the final result highly dependent on chance.

The election also presents experts and analysts with a number of challenges that will linger long past election day. The absence of a serious and thorough national debate less than two months removed from the vote will make the next government's work even more difficult, irrespective of the final election outcome.

First, a victory by either Macron or Le Pen will immediately open more questions: Will the new president be able to find a majority at the subsequent legislative elections in June? If not, then with whom will they establish a coalition, and how might that coalition push a cohesive agenda? Or will they rather be forced to cohabit with a prime minister from a different majority?

Second, and maybe more important, even with a legislative majority, it is totally possible that the victor of the election benefits only from a limited mandate by the public in support of their platform.

The stakes in this election -- for the state of French democracy, for the needed reforms of its economy and its society, and for the future of the European Union -- deserve a more thorough debate. Time is running out.
Recent reports that Russia deployed special forces to an air base in Egypt near the border with Libya highlight the Kremlins growing concern with the domestic situation of the long-standing Soviet client. Strategically located and abundant with oil deposits, Libya since the violent overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi has become a battleground contested by numerous local tribes and militant groups, as well as two rival governments.

The current state of affairs in Libya does not correspond with Moscows new role, nor with its vision for the Middle East. A power struggle between governments based in the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Tobruk has left a security vacuum across the country, one that invites and shelters Islamic terrorists from all across the region.

The Kremlin views Fayez al-Sarrajs government in Tripoli as weak and incapable of ensuring order and stability. Many in Moscow also see it as a puppet regime installed by NATO in order to diminish Russias sphere of influence and help the West lay its hands on Libyas oil fields.

Quite simply, Russias goal in its relations with Libya is to install the pro-Kremlin regime. With its predilection for stability and secular strongmen, Russia also sees in Libya an opportunity to expand its greater vision for the Middle East and North Africa.

Moscow has allegedly provided military assistance to Libyan strongman and military commander Khalifa Haftar, and Russias major private defense firm, RSB-Group, reportedly carried out a successful mine clearing operation at the Benghazi airport earlier this year.

A former colonel in Gadhafis army, Haftar was captured in 1987 by Chadian forces and was eventually forced to flee to the United States. Following Gadhafis execution, he returned to Libya and was promoted to the role of general by the National Transitional Council, the de facto governing body in the country following the civil war. Haftar later allied himself with the government in eastern city of Tobruk, which appointed him as a commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Haftar vehemently opposes any shade of Islamism in politics and advocates for a united Libya. Many in Moscow view him as a reincarnation of Gadhafi, and one capable of ending the six-year stretch of anarchy in the war-torn country.

The Libyan strongman has already traveled twice to Moscow over the past year. There he spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other key diplomatic officials. He was also invited on board Russias aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov. in the Mediterranean, and he spoke by video link to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Earlier in March, Libyan House of Representatives President Aguila Saleh told Russia's state RIA Novosti news agency that Moscow has promised assistance in the fight against terrorism. According to an LNA spokesman, at least 70 of Haftars soldiers received medical treatment in Russia over the last year.

Haftars troops have suffered a series of defeats in that time, with the latest coming against the Benghazi Defence Brigades. Fearful that an inflow of Gulf weapons and financial aid might tip the balance against their chosen strongman, Russia has made a concerted effort to increase intelligence and training support to ensure that Haftar remains a viable option in Libya.

Few could deny the benefits for Russia if Haftar were to gain power. In addition to solidifying the Kremlins already strong presence within the region, it might also revive bilateral economic ties that suffered a serious setback after Gadhafi. Libya has a lengthy record of buying and using Russian weapons, and many in Moscow anxiously wait for the resumption of rail and infrastructure projects that have been postponed by years of war and instability.

Libyan elites are also anxious to get back to business as usual with Russia. Despite the fact that for many the overthrow of Gadhafi happened with Moscows silent consent, Russia is still viewed as one of the few nations capable of bringing order to Libya. Order is good for business.

Russian campaigns in Syria and Ukraine, in addition to instability in Nagorno-Karabakh and Afghanistan, do however raise the fear of a military overreach by Moscow. Despite an impressive buildup under Putins leadership, the country is too poorly resourced to maintain so many military commitments. Russias economy is stagnant, and its military budget is expected to shrink in the years ahead.

The lessons, and failures, of American missteps in the Middle East also remain fresh in the minds of Russian policymakers and military leaders. The costly U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan created a political crisis in the states that continues to this day. A rancorous domestic debate over foreign policy is the last thing Putin wants, but it just might be what hell get if Russia wades too deeply into the Libyan morass.
Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada.

Search Real Estate
Property details:

BEAUTIFUL & RARE 5 ACRE LOT IN THE COVETED TIERRA GRANDE SUBDIVION!! THIS ONE WILL GO FAST!!! BID NOW!!! INVEST IN NEW MEXICO! WARNING: THE DETAILS OF THIS LISTING ARE A BIT LONG BUT VERY INFORMATIVE. I WOULD RATHER PROVIDE TOO MUCH INFORMATION THAN NOT ENOUGH. PLUS, YOU ARE NOT BUYING AN iPOD OR A PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES, YOU ARE BUYING A PIECE OF THE EARTH! PLEASE TAKE 4-5 MINUTES AND READ ALL THE INFORMATION BELOW. IT SHOULD ANSWER ALMOST ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE? I GREW UP OUT WEST AND I K...

Price: $ 1,375 Seller State of Residence: Wisconsin Property Address: Belen, NM State/Province: New Mexico City: Belen Type: Homesite, Lot Zoning: Residential Zip/Postal Code: 87002 Location: 535**, Clinton, Wisconsin

You will be redirected to eBay



Nearby 87002
,



We're sorry, this article is not currently available
China Mobile (NYSE: CHL) reported fourth-quarter results early Thursday morning. Let's take a look at what we learned.

China Mobile's fourth-quarter results: The raw numbers

Metric Q4 2016 Q4 2015 Year-Over-Year Change Operating revenue $24,264 $23,182 4.7% Net income attributable to shareholders $3,022 $3,621 (16.5%) Earnings per share (diluted) $0.15 $0.17 (15.2%)

What happened with China Mobile this quarter?

The world's largest mobile phone network (about triple the size of the two largest American carriers combined) saw profits sliding in the face of higher total sales. The value of U.S. dollars against the Chinese yuan also increased 7% year over year, limiting China Mobile's dollar-value revenue growth while magnifying the profit declines.

The company reported 849 million mobile customers at the end of December 2016, up from 844 million three months earlier and a 2.7% increase from 826 million in the year-ago period.

A total of 77.6 million wireline broadband subscribers represent a 3.4 million quarter-over-quarter increase and a 22.6 million annual boost. That's a 41% annual growth rate.

The fourth quarter of 2015 included a large one-time profit from the transfer of tower assets into a joint venture China Mobile created with two of its largest rivals.

Management provided the following performance targets for fiscal year 2017:

China Mobile is aiming for revenue growth above industry average and industry-leading profitability, without committing to hard targets.

The company should add at least 100 million customers to its 4G network this year. By comparison, the number of 4G subscribers increased by 223 million in 2016, landing at 535 million.

As China Mobile also hopes to gain 20 million net new mobile subscribers overall, this works out to a 4G penetration target of roughly 73% -- up from 63% at the end of 2016 and 38% in 2015.

Finally, management plans to double the company's number of Internet of Things connections, which stood at approximately 100 million in December 2016.

What management had to say

Besides presenting its results, China Mobile also introduced a new CFO on Thursday. Taohai Xue announced his immediate retirement after 15 years of service and was replaced by Xin Dong, who served in several positions within the Chinese government before leading various regional departments at China Mobile.

Leaving no room for pause, Dong discussed financial details in Thursday's earnings call.

Furthermore, CEO Yue Li outlined strong demand for broadband data services, both wired and wireless. Seventy-seven percent of China Mobile's wireline customers now subscribe to a data plan of at least 20 megabits per second. On the wireless side, data consumption more than doubled in 2016. For the first time in the company's history, wireless data revenue surpassed the combined sales of voice and text messaging services.

Looking ahead

4G service adoption is reaching saturated levels, and China Mobile is already planning for the shift to 5G networks. The company plans to install 260,000 new 4G base stations in 2017, bringing the total up to 1.77 million. Many of these connection points should be easily upgraded to 5G technologies later on.

10 stocks we like better than China Mobile

When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and China Mobile wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017

Anders Bylund has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends China Mobile. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
DeVos trip to Atlanta may appear like a good thing, but it is nowhere near enough in the face of a number of educational challenges in the United States.
With Maaza, which already has the biggest share in mango beverages in the Indian market, Coke is betting on a winning horse, say experts.





IMAGE: Varun Dhawan and Gulshan Grover promote Maaza.

Coca-Cola is adapting to increasing consumer alarm over carbonated drinks by betting big on one of its flagship brands in India.

Maaza, the brand that the company bought from Ramesh Chauhan owned Parle-Bisleri nearly four decades back, is set to get the lions share of the cola majors attention in the coming years.

Coke seeks to make the brand a billion dollar behemoth by taking it into new territories and increasing manufacturing capacities.

It has also launched a new campaign that targets the young, a demographic that is strident in its criticism of cola drinks.

Coca-Cola India is not alone in expanding the share of non-carbonated drinks in its portfolio. Rival Pepsi has an array of juices and fruit-based beverages too.

With Maaza, which already has the biggest share in mango beverages in the Indian market, Coke is betting on a winning horse, say experts.

Betting on the popular





IMAGE: Parineeti Chopra and Imran Khan get flirty with Maaza.

Mango beverages are the most popular in the juice category, which is rapidly outpacing the carbonated drinks segment in terms of volumes growth.

The carbonated segment has grown by 27 per cent, volume-wise, in 2016 over 2013. But the juices category (all beverages that have up to 24 per cent fresh juice content) has grown by 73 per cent over the same period.

A spokesperson from Coca-Cola India says, Maaza is the countrys largest fruit juice drink.

He cites a recent Euromonitor report that said Maaza led the 11,922 crore juices market with a 36.1 per cent share (retail volume), followed by Parle Agros Frooti (24 per cent share) and PepsiCos Slice (22 per cent) in 2016.

Given that the brand already has a head start in the category, the company believes it has a shot at getting Maaza to clock over $1 billion in sales by 2023.

Euromonitor has forecast that the juices category will clock a compounded annual growth rate of 17.6 per cent between 2017 and 2021. The carbonated category would grow by only 6.6 per cent during this period, while nectars (fruit content usually over 50 per cent) would grow by 9.1 per cent.

This gives mango juice brands a clear edge over the rest.

But is Coke being too ambitious with its targets?

According to an analyst with Euromonitor, Maaza has been moving off the shelves with quickening pace.

Off-trade value sales reached $376 million in 2015, more than doubling from $177 million in 2010, she says.

She believes that given Maaza's affordable pricing, Indian consumers' love for mangoes and Coke's strong communication initiatives and distribution network, the target is reachable.

Pitching it right





IMAGE: Coke recently roped in actor Samantha Ruth-Prabhu as their first south-based ambassador.

Ambi Parameswaran, founder of Brand-Building.com and former CEO of FCB Ulka, feels that Coca Cola must be sure about how it wants to position Maaza.

If it is looking at the mass market, having a Katrina Kaif sell the brand helps. However, if Coke wishes to sell it to a more discerning customer, then other stories have to be built, Parameswaran says.

Interestingly, Coke has recently roped in their first south-based ambassador actor, Samantha Ruth Prabhu. This might have been done keeping in mind that the company is working on taking Maaza deeper into the south where there is a demand for mangoes, but the fresh fruit is rare.



Getting an actor on board helps people identify with the brand and builds an aspirational value in what is seen as a common drink, which is why most mango beverages have celebrity endorsers.

Parle Agro's Frooti has Alia Bhatt launching their new drink Frooti Fizz. The company has recently said that this is part of their wider strategy to double its revenue to 5,000 crore by 2018, much of it which would come from its flagship brand Frooti.

Vadodara-based Manpasand Beverages, whose flagship brand Mango Sip has a 10 per cent share of the market, is aspiring to capture a 22 per cent share in coming days.

Abhishek Singh, promoter-director, Manpasand, does not believe much in advertising. He says, We have observed that managing the supply chain and maintaining good relation with distributors are more fruitful than deploying sizeable resources in advertising and promotions.

What matters the most in this 'push category' of products is availability at retail outlets and having the right pack size, Parameswaran feels. Coke is working actively on that.

A company spokesperson said, We have already introduced multiple pack options to allow consumers to enjoy the perfect serve size of Maaza.

The resource infusion behind Maaza is a part of the companys and its bottlerss $5 billion investment plan for India.

The bottlers are setting up five greenfield projects over the next two years (to add to the existing 57 plants). At least 50 per cent of the new capacity will be for Maaza, they have said.

Coke is working on strengthening its procurement chain too.

According to the spokesperson, the company annually procures 70,000 metric tonnes of mango pulp worth Rs 500 crore in India.

In 2023, if Maaza is to become the billion dollar brand from India, the company will need two lakh metric tonnes of mango pulp annually, worth nearly Rs 1100 crores.

If the company can pull it off, it may not only help redefine Cokes image in the country, but could also dramatically alter the way the countrys most popular fruit is grown and sold.
Besides higher tax outgo, P-note issuers are worried about operational difficulties

With the new tax treaty with Singapore and Mauritius coming into effect from April 1, inflows through participatory notes (P-notes) could see a sharp drop.

According to Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) data, nearly 90 per cent of P-note investments are routed through Singapore and Mauritius, with which the Indian government has reworked tax arrangements.

According to the changed double taxation anti-avoidance agreements (DTAAs), all investments made from these jurisdictions would attract short-term capital gains as the exemptions would get removed.

Mauritius and Singapore are favoured by entities issuing P-notes-also called offshore derivative instruments (ODIs), thanks to tax-treaty benefits, particularly non-applicability of Indian laws.

The new treaty says that capital gains that arise from shares purchased after April 1 by foreign investors based in these countries can be taxed in India.

Accordingly, a capital gains tax of at least 7.5 per cent can be charged on short-term gains from equity of investors from Mauritius and Singapore over the next two years and 15 per cent after that. Besides the higher tax outgo, issuers of P-notes are more worried about operational difficulties.

Interestingly, Sebi, in a letter to finance ministry, has raised concerns over foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) reducing exposure in P-notes.

Late last year, FPI body Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association had warned that such tax changes could lead to a significant drop in flows. It had sought higher securities transaction tax instead of short-term capital gains tax-a demand that was not met in the Union Budget.

"The new changes could lead to lower returns to investors. The restructuring of tax benefits would make foreign investors re-evaluate the cost of compliance before taking this route," said Sudhir Bassi, partner, Khaitan & Co.

There is, however, a 50 per cent concession on the tax rate from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2019, if the investors are able to show that they have a substantial presence in these countries. Investors will be taxed at the full domestic capital gains tax rate from 2019-20.

"The new treaty ensures genuine entry of investors and not investments through shell companies in tax havens. Now investments in India are not driven by tax exemptions but genuine appetite for Indian equities, which is doing really well despite global turmoil," said corporate lawyer H P Ranina.

Mauritius authorities are now equally concerned about tax evasion and are coming forward to increase transparency, he added.

Photograph: Arko Dutta/Reuters
Oilseed output to surpass its previous record of 32.75 mt in 2013-14 to 33.59 mt this year

Vegetable oil import is likely to decline during the current oil year (November 2016 to October 2017), the first such in six years.

This is likely due to an estimated increase in domestic output and a decline in consumer demand after a demonetisation-driven liquidity crisis in the three months since November.

Since consumption of edible oil is a daily affair and cannot be deferred, the fall in demand could not be made up.

Trade sources estimate import to decline by five per cent or 700,000 tonnes this year. This would cut the import bill proportionately.

About 55 per cent of Indias 23.5 million tonnes (mt) of annual edible oil consumption is met through import, primarily from Indonesia, Malaysia and Argentina.

We are estimating import at 14 mt this year or even lower, due to bumper oilseed output in both kharif and rabi seasons, said Atul Chaturvedi, chief executive at Adani Wilmar, producer of the Fortune brand of edible oil. Demand, he added was normalising after the demonetisation impact.

After normal monsoon rain during the 2016 season, the Union ministry of agriculture had forecast oilseed output to surpass its previous record of 32.75 mt in 2013-14 to 33.59 mt this year, according to its Second Advanced Estimate, published on February 15. The latter figure would be a third higher than the previous year.

Dorab Mistry, director, Godrej International, estimates the additional edible oil output at 1.5 mt for the current oil year.

The ministry reported total domestic oil output at 9.54 mt for 2015-16. Put together, that means 11.04 mt of edible oil output for 2016-17.

Import might go up if demand of oilmeal (a derivative) is suitably backed up. Growth in per capita consumption has slowed, a bearish factor for import. And, the import industry has become more efficient, responding quickly to price movement, said Mistry.

Edible oil consumption has been growing at three to four per cent every year, with the growing income of the middle class. Increasing population has added to this.

All this translates to incremental demand of 700,000-800,000 tonnes annually.

This would be met (entirely) through increase in domestic supply (this year), said B V Mehta, executive director, the Solvent Extractors Association, representing the 850-odd entities in the edible oil trade.

Photograph: Dulezidar/Getty Images
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, controls a significant portion of the world's oil reserves. These 12 countries have historically used this position as the global energy gorilla to affect oil prices and to move markets.

And while the emergence of shale oil production, driven by technological advances including horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, has led to a resurgent North American oil and gas production industry and shifted the balance of power slightly away from OPEC, the oil cartel continues to dominate global oil markets.

Here's a closer look at just how much oil comes out of these 13 countries, and how the different OPEC countries are affected by oil prices.

OPEC's oil production and how it compares to the rest of the world

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 96 different countries produce crude oil, with estimates ranging between 90 and 96 million barrels per day produced in February 2017. Of this total, the 13 OPEC nations produced one-third of that oil:

Here's some added context on how outsized OPEC's position really is

If we further parse OPEC by its share of global landmass and population, it becomes even more striking how much power these 13 countries wield over global energy. First, population:

When it comes to land area, OPEC's share of the world's oil is even more dominant:

Breaking down production by member country

When most people hear "OPEC," they think of the Middle East, and an outsize portion of OPEC's total production does come from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. But the consortium also includes African nations Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, and Gabon, as well as the Central and South American countries of Ecuador and Venezuela.

Here's a breakdown of oil production from each country in February 2017:

As the table above shows, the individual size of OPEC member's oil production varies greatly. Yet six of the 10 largest oil-producing countries in the world are OPEC members. Combined, these six countries -- Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela -- account for over 80% of OPEC's total output.

All OPEC oil isn't equal

While OPEC produces a significant amount of the planet's total oil, there are significant differences in production capabilities, the kind of oil produced, and the costs of production from one OPEC country to the next.

For instance, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq have some of the cheapest oil production in the world. Sitting on massive, shallow, land-based oilfields, these countries have cash production costs less than $10 per barrel in many areas. On the other hand, many of OPEC's other countries struggle to make money when oil prices fall below $50 per barrel.

This has historically been a challenge for OPEC, as member states fight internal battles over maintaining global market share versus cutting production in order to increase prices. This is especially true considering that its biggest producers also have some of its lowest production costs, while many of its smaller members have much higher per-barrel costs.

National politics may be equalizing the need for higher prices

During the oil downturn, OPEC maintained a policy of steady output in order to keep market share. However, low oil prices have steadily weighed on even the low-cost producers. The Saudi ruling family has made major social commitments in recent years, essentially all of which were funded by oil revenues. Some experts estimate the country would need oil to sell for $80 per barrel or above to balance its national budget.

This was one of the key drivers behind a late-2016 agreement between OPEC and several major non-OPEC countries to cut oil output for the first time in years, in an effort to restore balance to global oil markets and push prices higher. Combined, the agreement, which included OPEC, Russia, and several other oil-producing nations, was to cut total oil production by nearly 2 million barrels per day.

But history says not to expect OPEC to reach its promised cuts

According to a combination of primary and secondary sources as reported to date, February output was down a half-million barrels per day from December, well short of the 1.5 million barrel cut OPEC agreed to take. Using past production cuts as a guide, it's probably overly optimistic to expect OPEC to cut its output by anything more than two-thirds of the level its member states agreed to in 2016. This is particularly true with Iran working hard to add as much as 1 million barrels per day to its production from 2015 levels as it attempts to recover from years of sanctions.

At the end of the day, OPEC is a bizarre mix of countries ranging from close allies to nearly at-war enemies. Yet they all have a common interest in wielding a significant amount of influence on global oil markets. Whether that influence will drive a rebalancing of global supply and demand after years of oversupply and low prices remains to be seen.

Offer from The Motley Fool: The 10 best stocks to buy now

Motley Fool co-founders Tom and David Gardner have spent more than a decade beating the market. In fact, the newsletter they run, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the S&P 500!*

Tom and David just revealed their ten top stock picks for investors to buy right now.

*Stock Advisor returns as of 1/30/2017

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, worth about 7,300 crores, is India's richest entrepreneur under 40 according to Hurun's India Rich List for 2016.

Anil Rai Gupta, along with his brother Vinod, has been valued at $2.6 billion by Forbes.

Gaurav Dalmia manages close to Rs 5,000 crore; about half of it is his own money.

The billionaires reveal their life lessons.

Illustrations: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Three businessmen disclose their success mantras: One belongs to an old Marwari family, another is a second generation industrialist whose father scripted an amazing rags-to-riches story and the third was a professional till one day he succumbed to the charms of entrepreneurship.

'Most young people work for purposes rather than money'

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and CEO, Paytm

When I was about to complete my graduation from the Delhi College of Engineering, I was clear about the career path I wanted for myself.

At the time, I did not have time for an expensive MBA degree and neither did I belong to a business-savvy family. I was going to treat my job like a live training field.

It was with this thought that I went into my job with River Run Software in 1998, one of the highest-paid jobs during that placement season.

It was the heyday of the software industry and perks were aplenty.

I would often wonder why software companies focused on the softer aspects of their work culture.

It was here that I learnt the importance of ancillary functions such as human resources, administration and finance.

River Run is an extremely well-organised company and the administration department took care of the smallest details for us after we were recruited.

The human resources department focused on individuals rather than put all of us in one pool of software engineers.

For instance, I always had a flair for business and the team that recruited me worked with that interest.

When I finally chose to move on from River Run, I could not serve my notice period. But my colleagues told me not to burn bridges with the organisation this way. I gave the finance department a cheque in lieu of the time I had to serve as notice.

IMAGE: Vijay Shekhar Sharma clicks a selfie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photograph: Kind courtesy Vijay Shekhar Sharma/Facebook

With my next stint at Living Media, I acquired knowledge about the media and developed great bonds with my colleagues.

It helped me build a healthy relationship with the media and today, as a start-up founder, there is a trust factor that is associated with my name.

These incredible friendships that one develops during a job are vastly different from those that are a result of business meetings.

At the workplace, the relationships one forms are more honest, grounded and long-term.

This is the culture I wanted for the company I had then hoped to run.

At Paytm, we lay great emphasis on bonding between team members.

Though it may be a cliche, but road trips and offsite meetings go a long way in making a productive workplace.

But the most important learning came when I quit my job in 2000.

Despite being paid a substantial salary, I realised that most young people work for purposes rather than money.

This is something that has stayed with us at Paytm and we often repeat it to our colleagues: Mission and purpose are pious.

It was frustrating to see Indian engineers being treated as cheap software bots.

I had dreamt then that there would come a day when my company would hire the very people who currently hire Indians as mere coders.

This dream came true when Paytm Labs opened in Canada -- technology that powers an Indian mobile wallet for an Indian company being developed overseas.

The other aspect was also of employer branding, where employees could go home and tell their families with pride that they were working for a certain company.

This was an American concept, but we are no strangers to this anymore in India.

'His ways were simple, rich in native wisdom, and they worked -- always'

Anil Rai Gupta, chairman and managing director, Havells India

My father, Qimat Rai Gupta, didn't go to any business school.

In fact, he had to give up studies midway because the family had fallen on bad times and he had to supplement his father's meagre income.

QRG started out selling kerosene on a cycle in the villages of Punjab. Still, through sheer self-belief and hard work, he built Havells, which is now valued at $4 billion.

Much of QRG's innate wisdom owed itself to his formative years in small-town and rural Punjab, the area around Malerkotla.

The sayings he heard left an everlasting impression on his mind. He would find solutions to the most complex problem in those idioms, or QRGisms, as we would say.

In December 2008, we were faced with our worst crisis.

Sylvania, which we had brought the previous year, had run into rough weather.

Advisors said Havells would have to invest $50 million to $60 million into the company every year; if the gamble didn't pay off, the stress would have sunk Havells.

QRG summoned us to his office and said: 'Shikaar ko jab tak khud na maro, woh marta nahin hai (Unless you kill the prey yourself, it doesn't die).'

What he meant was that Sylvania was adrift because we were happy to be just financial investors; he wanted us to get fully involved in running the company.

IMAGE: Anil Rai Gupta says his father Qimat Rai Gupta would find solutions to the most complex problems in the idioms of his childhood. Photograph: Kind courtesy Havells

Would our direct and informal ways work in Europe where Sylvania had the bulk of its business?

'Jo Lahore fuddu, woh sab jagah fuddu (If you can't succeed in Lahore, you will fail everywhere),' QRG said, implying, inversely, the basic principles of business were the same, whether in India or Europe.

We did his bidding and Sylvania turned around soon.

'Okhal mein sar daal diya to mooslo se kay darna? (When your head is in the mortar, why fear the pestle?),' he would often say.

Things needed to be taken to their logical conclusion in spite of the obstacles in the way.

First-generation entrepreneurs are special people, ready to stake everything on an idea.

When in a problem, 'Kothe par chadh kar bolo (Climb to the rooftop and shout)' QRG would tell us.

He would readily seek the opinion of others on important matters, especially in crises, when most try to keep things close to their chest.

Once, on a family vacation at Wildflower Hall, we saw Brijmohan Lall Munjal (founder, the Hero Group).

We had heard a lot about the way he managed his dealers and were keen to learn from him but weren't sure if he would entertain us.

Still, we approached him after QRG intoned: 'Mullah sabak nahi dega, par ghar to aane dega (The preacher may not teach you, but he will let you enter his house).'

Munjal did not disappoint us.

IMAGE: Much of Qimat Rai Gupta's innate wisdom owed itself to his formative years in small-town and rural Punjab. Photograph: Kind courtesy Havells

Right from the early 1990s, QRG would insist that we hire the best financial talent for Havells.

'Guru bin gat nahi, shah bin pat nahi (You can't gain knowledge without a teacher and you can't succeed without a banker).' He would say that the CFO was critical to the success of any venture.

QRG did things with a long-term perspective. Factories were built keeping in mind the demand 20 years later.

For advertising, the best agencies were hired. We always worked with the best in the business, even by paying a bit more, because, as QRG would say, 'Jahan satyanash, wahan savasatyanash (When you are doomed, there no harm in being doomed a little more).'

Cutting corners never occurred to him.

You can get ordinary people to deliver extraordinary results through motivation and empowerment.

'Agar koi chhe-foota aapke office mein aaye, use saat-foota ka banake bhejo (If a six-foot tall man walks into your office, he should go out feeling seven feet tall),' QRG would say.

'If you have to send somebody to Connaught Place, just tell him the destination, don't tell him the way -- let him figure the way out.' He was always against spoon-feeding employees.

Transparency was of the utmost importance for him. QRG would often call my mother from office on a speaker phone in the presence of half-a-dozen others.

His ways were simple, rich in native wisdom, and they worked -- always.

'Preference for investment over consumption is the key to wealth creation'

Gaurav Dalmia, chairman, Dalmia Group Holdings

When I was asked to write on what makes Marwari billionaires tick, I was apprehensive.

I was not a Marwari in the true sense: I had been globalised and followed only a few of the core Marwari edicts. And I was not a dollar billionaire, though some of my cousins were.

Nonetheless, the Marwari formula, for whatever it's worth, was alive and kicking in me -- hence this piece.

Let me point out there is no unique Marwari potion. People from many backgrounds exhibit a winning mix.

In the late '90s, Harvard organised a symposium called Culture Matters. The conclusion: However politically incorrect it may sound, cultural values are powerful factors in promoting prosperity.

Sociologist Joel Kotkin's separate research found common characteristics among the five distinct ethnic groups that were rising to prominence globally: ethnic identity, global trust networks and a passion for technical knowledge.

Marwaris share many values with immigrants of all hues.

Yale professor Amy Chua's 'triple package' -- superiority, insecurity and impulse control -- is considered a predictor of wealth and power among immigrant groups in the US.

Marwaris have immense self-confidence about their abilities, yet they are sufficiently insecure to be humble.

Their preference for investment over consumption is the key to wealth creation.

Frugality has character-building implications. Avoiding temptations leads to focus, less dissipation of energy, and provides the grit to persevere.

The Five Factor Model is a robust framework for understanding personality. Its five domains are a reliable proxy for most traits and behaviour.

In my assessment, the Marwari community would score well: A- on openness, A+ on conscientiousness, B+ on extraversion, A on agreeableness, and B on neuroticism -- the only variable where a lower score is good.

Such a scorecard would put Marwaris in the top quartile, though these may not come out as surface characteristics in casual interaction.

Just like the Protestant-Calvinist ethic was an important force behind America's historic ascent, the Marwari mix of Hindu beliefs is influential.

Of the four forms of Hindu religiosity -- Bhakti marg, Gyana marg, Vir marg and Karma marg -- Marwaris are adherents of the latter. This has helped them embrace commerce.

It is not surprising that Marwaris are among the wealthiest in their peer groups, whether one takes a sample in India's metropolitan centres or in small towns in the northeast.

Marwaris have an extraordinary sense of community.

They live by Ratan Tata's famous words: 'If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.'

They make sacrifices for their families, businesses and community.

This has profound ramifications.

IMAGE: 'Avoiding temptations leads to focus, less dissipation of energy, and provides the grit to persevere,' says Gaurav Dalmia. Photograph: Kind courtesy Brookings India/Twitter

Last month, a leading banker was telling me that Tamil-, Gujarati-, and Marwari-owned businesses have less succession challenges and accounting surprises than the average.

Such things compound to create stronger businesses and larger wealth.

With respect to building scale, the Marwari ecosystem is a platform for growth.

This is the same tool Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have used to get 80 per cent share of the Indian restaurant business in the UK, and to break ahead from other groups such as Pakistanis in terms of education levels or monthly incomes.

Political economist Francis Fukuyama has shown that prosperous countries are those where business relations can be conducted on the basis of trust -- informally, flexibly, without much transaction cost -- and with speed.

Extrapolating this to communities, Jews stand out in Europe and the US and Palestinian-Lebanese in West Asia and Western Africa. In India, there are case studies on Gujarati community networks; Marwari networks are a close second.

One could easily substitute the word Marwari with Gujarati or Punjabi or Baniya or Tamil, and one will see similar characteristics amongst the members of The Billionaire Club.

The only differences will be how universal these qualities are in different ethnic groups and the minor cultural nuances. There is no guarantee these values will transcend multiple generations.

The Marwari hold on the super-rich league tables has weakened considerably over the past half century; the list is now populated with a dynamic cross-section of Indian society.

Irrespective of cultural diversity, among the super-achievers, a common thread will be a weak mental correlation between success and material wealth.

For most, money has reached a point of diminishing returns and, at best, they regard it as a form of keeping score.

In that sense, they will tell you that money is far more exciting than anything it buys!

The Billionaire Club

From actors to sportspersons to start-up CEOs, a list of the other rich

Entertainers

Source: Forbes (2016 earnings); net worth all estimates, as of October 2016

Sportspersons

Source: Forbes (2016 earnings); net worth all estimates, as of October 2016

NRI businessmen

Source: Forbes, net worth as of October 2016

Entrepreneurs under 35

Source: Hurun, net worth as of October 2016
A female Indian software professional and her seven-year-old son were murdered in the United States, the deceased womans family has alleged.

The Andhra Pradesh-based family said the 40-year-old N Sasikala and her son, Anish Sai, were found dead at their New Jersey home.

The bodies were discovered by N Hanumantha Rao, Sasikalas husband who is also a software professional, on Thursday evening after he returned from work.

The couple had been living in the US for nine years and Sasikala used to work from home. According to reports, both the woman and her son were found strangled.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reacted to the incident and expressed his condolences to the family members.

Members in both Houses of Parliament also expressed concern over the killing and and demanded that the matter should be taken up by the prime minister with the American president.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Congress member T Subbarami Reddy said the wife and the son of a software engineer were brutally killed on Thursday night.

It is a serious matter. This is very dangerous. Just two weeks back, two Indians were killed and now two more people have been killed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take (it) up with the President of America, Reddy said.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien too expressed shock over the incident and said the matter should be taken up at the highest level.

He also asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to convey the incident to the external affairs minister.

In the Lok Sabha, Y V Subba Reddy of YSR Congress Party also raised the issue and asked the government to take a very strong stand in protecting Indians in the US.

This is the latest in a series of incidents involving Indian IT professionals. Aeronautical engineer from Telangana, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed when a US Navy veteran, Adam W Purinton, shot him in Kansas on February 23. The Navy veteran also shot Kuchibhotlas colleague who was critically injured.

Image: N Sasikala, 40, and her son, Anish Sai were found strangled in their home in New Jersey, US.

-- With inputs from PTI
Describing the attitude of striking doctors as adamant and insensitive, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday warned of legal action and gave them an ultimatum to resume duties after his meet with their representatives later in the afternoon.

IMAGE: Doctors carry placards outside the King Edward Memorial Hospital during their protest in Mumbai. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters

Making a statement in the legislative assembly, Fadnavis said, Enough is enough. If the doctors fail to resume work today, government will not sit quietly. We cannot leave the patients to die. I am making a final attempt to break the deadlock today by meeting the doctors representatives. If no solution is found and doctors dont resume work, they should be prepared to face legal action.

Fadnavis said he failed to understand the insensitive attitude of doctors of leaving patients to die.

What is the difference between anti-social tendencies who beat up doctors and the doctors themselves who take oath to treat ill people. I am surprised at the adamant stand of the doctors despite assuring that the government fully supports their demand, he said adding that the doctors have disregarded the directives of the high court.

People consider doctors to be like a God. They shouldnt wait to be referred to as demons. What kind of politics is being done, he asked.

Fadnavis said among their demands that have been accepted, include security audit of hospitals and access control to out-patient departments, casualty and other wards.

The demand for armed security guards has also been accepted.

He also said that government has promised free legal and medical aid to doctors in case of an attack and they will be treated as government servants.

Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan too warned the resident doctors to withdraw their agitation and resume work or face stern action.

The issue came up in the state legislative assembly after the Question Hour when Pratap Sarnaik of the Shiv Sena highlighted the problems faced by patients due to the strike which entered the fifth day on Friday.

Mahajan said despite the high court directive and appeal by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the doctors have not yielded.

They have taken in writing from us that we are accepting their 10 demands which include providing 1,100 security guards. These guards will be hired from private agencies run by former police officials at a salary of Rs 20,000 each. The government has sanctioned Rs 33 crore for the purpose, he said.

The doctors tell us they are satisfied with our approach and then go out and tell that they will continue with their agitation. This is getting out of hand and the government is feeling helpless. We dont understand what we should do. The government once again appeals to the doctors to withdraw their strike and resume work, otherwise strict action will have to be taken, the minister added.

Yogesh Sagar of the Bharatiya Janata Party said the government should give an ultimatum to doctors and cancel their registration and file cases against them if they fail to resume work in a days time.

The demand was supported by other BJP and Sena members.

Sagar said prior surgeries are being indefinitely postponed due to the strike and the patients are facing a harrowing time.

Sena and BJP members came into the Well of the House demanding that strict action be taken against striking doctors. Subsequently, Speaker Haribhau Bagde adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes.

After the House re-assembled, the speaker said the issue is about an organised sector holding the unorganised section of the society to ransom and the sentiment of the House is that the government should find a solution to this.

The Sena-BJP members again trooped into the Well forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for 30 minutes.

The entire Opposition benches were empty since they are protesting the suspension of 19 Congress-Nationalist Congress Party MLAs for disrupting the Budget presentation last week.

Nearly 4,000 resident doctors have stayed away from work since Monday, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on their colleagues by patients relatives at government hospitals across the state.
A day after Londoners were confronted with a 'sick and depraved' attack, crowds gathered in the heart of the city to pay tribute to the victims.

Candles flickered on downturned faces as people paid tribute to those who had been killed and injured. The words solidarity and unity could be heard being exchanged in conversation after conversation.

Speaking at the vigil, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said, ""We come together as Londoners tonight to remember those who have lost their lives and all those affected by the horrific attack yesterday. But also to send a clear message, Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism.

"Those evil and twisted individuals who try to destroy our shared way of life will never succeed and we condemn them."

A girl stands in front of flowers placed at the spot where the attack took place, which claimed the lives of 5, including that of the attacker. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

A woman holds a placard at a vigil in Trafalgar Square. The message is clear: We a re united together to make London stronger. Photograph: Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

Defiant Londoners returned to life to show people that they would not be stopped and that the terrorists wouldn't be able to stop them. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

The Brandenburg Gate is illuminated with the colours of the British flag to show solidarity with the victims of the recent attack in London, in Berlin. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

Thousands of people of all faiths and none turned up to pay their respects in London's iconic Trafalgar Square. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters



People write messages of support on the ground during a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

The steps of the square were packed with tourists and locals alike as people came together to remember the victims. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Amber Rudd MP and acting Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Craig Mackey stand in silence during the candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images

Addressing MPs in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We are not afraid and our resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism." Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images

'It was a monster not a Muslim' read a placard placed at a floral tribute during the vigil. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
The Indian Council of Historical Research will undertake a two-month pilot project on 'Ram Setu' later this year to archaeologically "ascertain" if the structures were built naturally or were "man-made".

ICHR Chairman Y Sudershan Rao, addressing a press conference at the institution in New Delhi, said the project period spans from October to November.

"One of the major projects that we are going to initiate is the Ram Setu pilot project which will seek to ascertain or find out if these structures were results of natural phenomenon or man-made," he said.

Asked as to who initiated the project, Rao said it was "completely an ICHR initiative but we may approach the Centre if needed".

The chairman said, archaeology experts from ASI, research scholars, university students, marine experts, and scientists would be part of the team.

"A nationwide selection process would pick up students and scholars from various universities to be part of the team," Rao added.

"We are going to hold a two-week workshop on history of oceanic archaeology by May or June. During that event, we will also identify scholars, students and trainers who could be part of this ambitious project," he said.

Asked if the findings would be compared with writings in the epic Ramayana, the chairman said, "Our purpose only is to explore it from archaeological standpoint."

As per Indian mythology, Ram Setu or Adam's Bridge, was built by an army of monkeys for Lord Rama and his warriors to cross over to Lanka.

These marine structures, between the coasts of Tamil Naidu and Sri Lanka, have been at the centre of controversy especially since the Seethusamudram shipping canal project.

The ICHR is a flagship research-based institution that functions under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

"Our project could inspire others, even our government to further take up this project," Rao said.

The announcement comes at a time when the spotlight has returned to the issue of Ram Temple in Ayodhya after the BJP's win in the recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
The Shiv Sena leader also said that he went out to watch Badrinath ki Dulhaniya  on Thursday night to relax himself after the incident.

An unrepentant Shiv Sena member of Parliament Ravindra Gaikwad on Friday said that he would not apologise to the Air India staffer whom he assaulted, and instead blamed the airline employee for the incident.

The MP drew more flak on Friday, with four private Indian carriers banning him from flying, while Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju promised that action would be taken against him.

Gaikwad told reporters at the Maharashtra Sadan on Friday morning that he has no regret over his actions, saying kaahe ka pashchaataap (what is there to repent)?

I will not apologise... he (AI Manager Sukumar) should come and apologise... then we will see. A 60-year-old man should also know how to behave, he said.

Let the Delhi Police arrest me. Uddhav ji will decide the course of action, he added.

Gaikwad said he went out to watch a Bollywood movie -- Badrinath ki Dulhaniya  on Thursday night to relax himself after journalists sought his reaction over the incident.

Tension-free hona chahiye na...you also watch the movie...its very good, he said.

The first-time lawmaker also said he had made the Parliament proud, when asked if his act has brought shame to the temple of democracy.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she cannot take suo motu action and that she will take a call if it is brought to her notice in the House.

I always say every human being should behave in a nice manner with everyone... whosoever it is, your behaviour should be good with everyone. As a mother I would suggest that to everyone. I will understand everything and then I will comment, she told reporters before entering the house.

Gaikwad also said that he has had no conversation with his party chief Uddhav Thackeray since the incident and added that he has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the civil aviation minister regarding the incident.

On Thursday, Gaikwad had repeatedly hit a 60-year-old Air India officer with sandal over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding an all-economy flight.

The national carrier has filed two FIRs against the MP, while the Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from him.

Police can arrest me...my party, Uddhav saheb will take care of it, he said.

Raju said the incident should never have happened.

It was an unfortunate incident. It should never have happened. What has to happen (now), will happen. I am not saying no action has to be taken. Action has to be taken and we will do it. That is not the problem at all.

I am also an MP. We are not above the law and we have to follow the law of the land, he told reporters outside the House.
The 62-year-old Air India staffer, who was beaten up by a Shiv Sena MP "25 times" with his slippers, on Friday said that his attacker must be punished so that no one takes it as their "birthright" to assault a person.

R Sukumar, who is with the state-owned airline's ground handling subsidiary, also said that MP Ravindra Gaikwad's assault on him was akin to a violent road rage incident.

When Gaikwad refused to disembark from Air India's Pune to Delhi AI 852 on landing at Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi at 9.35am on Thursday, Sukumar was the duty manager responsible for preparing the flight for its onward scheduled departure to Goa at 10.55am.

Gaikwad attacked Sukumar over being unable to travel business class despite having insisted on boarding the all-economy flight.

Sukumar said that the police must act so that there is a deterrence.

"Police action should be taken to restrict these people from doing this kind of thing again. That is the most important thing. They should not keep on doing it. They should not take it as their birthright to assault a person," he said while recounting the incident that sparked an outrage.

"I told my crew to be quick and asked them what was causing the delay. They told me all passengers have disembarked but one person is refusing to move. They told me he is sitting in the front row and he is saying that he is an MP and he wants to meet the senior management," he recalled.

Sukumar said that he then went into the aircraft and asked why was the MP not disembarking.

"He asked me who I was and that he would only speak to the senior management. He asked me to call the CMD," the AI staffer added.

"I said I can't call the CMD. I told him I will have to complain to his higher ups. He asked me who will I complain to. I replied that, if required, I will complain to Modiji (the prime minister). As soon as I uttered that he took out his chappal and started hitting me," Sukumar said.

"He tried to push me through one door of the aircraft. I ducked and came to another door where the step-ladder was positioned. But he tried to lift me and throw me off the ladder. The crew and my colleagues intervened and tried to stop him," he added.

The MP also broke Sukumar's spectacles and tore his sweater. Gaikwad later boasted that he slapped the AI employee "25 times" and refused to apologise.

Speaking about the politician's body language, Sukumar said, "He was very aggressive. It was something like what happens in a road rage."

"As an elected representative he should be a role model but he is the complete opposite of that," he said.

Despite being brutally assaulted, soon after the scuffle, the Air India duty manager was completely unfazed and went about preparing AI 137 for its departure to Milan.

Sukumar said that such delays because of unruly passengers often costs an airline dearly.

"You are holding up a flight to ransom. That is not done. Unless and until the aircraft is vacated fully, cleaners get into the aircraft to clean it and catering loading is done we can't board passengers."

"Gaikwad held up the flight for 40-50 minutes. And, when the plane is standing on the tarmac the charges are very high," Sukumar said.

The incident with Sukumar also highlights how often frontline workers of various airlines are at the recieving end of passenger misbehaviour.

"People get agitated and they start shouting, abusing and cursing. We deal with that. But this was too much. Verbal assault is something but physical assault is quite another. It's intolerable," added Sukumar.

At the end of it all he says he is happy that his airline management has extended its full support.

Sukumar and Air India filed two complaints with the police on Thursday.

Sukumar has worked for Air India for 34 years and retired as a Deputy Manager in December, 2012. He was then hired by AI's joint venture intiative, AISATS, where he is a Flight Handling Co-ordinator.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who had been abroad for medical check-up, returned home late Thursday night accompanied by her son Rahul Gandhi.

The 70-year-old leader is doing fine, according to party sources.

She had left the country earlier this month to an undisclosed destination for a routine medical check-up.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi left on March 16 to join her soon after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The Congress president had for the first time in many years not campaigned for her party in the just concluded assembly elections.

The two leaders have returned to the country amid a growing clamour for structural changes within the party after its debacle in the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls. A section of leaders have also called for elevating Rahul.

Sonia has not been keeping well for quite some time and has entrusted all party work to Rahul for a few months now.

Party sources had said that Sonia had gone abroad for a routine medical check-up.

They did not disclose her destination though there was speculation that she was in the United States where she had been getting treatment for an undisclosed ailment earlier.

Sonia has been mostly out of action after she took ill during a roadshow in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modis constituency, on August 2 last year and was admitted to the hospital. She has been to the hospital twice after that.
Superstar Rajinikanth's visit to Sri Lanka next month to inaugurate a housing scheme has met with opposition from pro-Tamil outfits in Chennai, who cautioned him from getting "involved" in the emotive ethnic issue.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi urged the top actor not go ahead with his two-day visit starting April 9 during which he is slated to hand over 150 houses to displaced Tamils.

VCK founder Thol.Thirumavalavan alleged that efforts were on to "involve" the 'Enthiran' star in the ethnic issue in the lsland nation.

"There are efforts to involve him in the ethnic issue. Superstar (Rajinikanth) should not get involved in this matter and I say this as a friend," the pro-Tamil leader told a Tamil TV channel.

The mega star is scheduled to hand over the homes built by Lyca Group's Gnanam Foundation for displaced Tamils in northern Jaffna.

The actor is currently shooting for ace director Shankar's "2.0", a sequel to the duo's earlier hit "Enthiran," starring Rajinikanth and produced by Lyca Productions.

Incidentally, Lyca Productions had in 2014 faced opposition in Tamil Nadu when various pro-Tamil parties and organisations including the VCK and the TVK had opposed its producing of the movie 'Kaththi' (Knife), starring popular star Vijay.

They had alleged that the proprietor of Lyca Productions, Allirajah Subaskaran, had close business ties with then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, often criticised in Tamil Nadu for the death of civilian Tamils during the final assault on rebel LTTE in 2009.

Lyca Productions had then refuted the allegations.

Thirumavalvan said that he had no problem with the commercial motive of Rajinikanth's visit to Sri Lanka but said he felt there could be a "political motive" behind it.

"So he should be careful about this and it would be good if he could avoid visiting Sri Lanka," he said.

TVK founder and former MLA T Velmurugan said the actor should not "fall prey" to the efforts to paint a rosy picture of Sinhala-Tamil relations in the island nation.

"At a time when Tamils are seeking justice for the ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, Rajinikanth's visit does not augur well. This is an attempt by Sri Lankan government through Lyca to create an image that Sinhalas and Tamils are living unitedly," he said.

Velmurugan, who had spearheaded the protest against Lyca Productions in 2014, said Rajinikanth "has great respect and following among Sri Lankan Tamils" and therefore he should not commit himself to the programme.

He questioned whether there were no actors in Sri Lanka who could be used for this purpose.

"There is a big political conspiracy behind this and Rajinikanth should not fall prey to this," he said.

Gnanam Foundation has constructed homes for the relocation of displaced Sri Lankan Tamils affected by the civil war as part of the 'Lyca Housing Scheme' in Chinna Thampan and Puliyankulam regions in Vavuniya district in Jaffna.

Lyca Productions' Creative Head Raju Mahalingam in a statement yesterday said when they approached Rajinikanth to "grace the event as the chief guest, he readily agreed to be part of the function."
The Indian soldier who was returned by Pakistan after four months in captivity said that he was so fed up with torture by Pakistanis that he often prayed for death while in their custody.

"I was assaulted. I told them: Kill me. I realised that this was the end of the road for me," Chandu Babulal Chavan, who was handed over to India on January 21, said today in conversation with a Marathi channel.

The 22-year-old had crossed into Pakistan on September 29, the day India hit terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), 10 days after an attack by suspected Pakistani militants on a camp in Uri that killed 19 soldiers.

Chavan was posted on the LoC in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Describing the scenario after he was caught by Pakistani soldiers after straying across the border, Chavan said, "They checked me, took out my clothes, put on black robes (on me) and took me away in a vehicle."

"I was put in a room which was always dark. I did not understand a thing. The bathroom and toilets were also in the same room," the soldier, who returned to his native Borvihir village in Maharashtra's Dhule district, earlier this month, told the channel.

"When I used to bang my head and ask them to kill me, they gave me injection doses. They used to beat me. There came a time that I didn't have any more tears in my eyes," he said.

"I did not understand whether it was day or night. I remembered my family in those harrowing times. I used to pray God to end my life," he said.

Describing the Pakistani torture, he said, "They used to give me sedatives through injection. They put drops in my ear when it was bleeding."

"There was a time when I told my captors that I had crossed into Pakistan to avenge the Uri terror attacks," he said.
Any erosion in the TMC, may benefit the BJP, reports Ishita Ayan Dutt.

A maverick leader, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, always brings in an element of surprise.

Last Friday, when the Calcutta high court ordered a preliminary inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the Narada sting operation -- that allegedly featured many of the Trinamool ministers and MPs taking cash for favours in a video footage -- she stopped short of saying that the judiciary and the Centre were in cahoots.

I have full respect for the judiciary but the fact remains that the order is the same as what a Bharatiya Janata Party leader had anticipated. How can a BJP state party president declare that the CBI would investigate this case after the UP polls? This sting operation was first aired from the BJP party office, she said immediately after the Calcutta high court verdict.

On Tuesday, when the Supreme Court refused to stay the CBI probe, Mamata welcomed it and called it positive. Something amiss?

The fundamental difference between the two judgments is the time given to the central investigative agency to file the preliminary report; the high court had given 72 hours while the apex court has given a month.

Political analyst, Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, says one month is a long time and may even be a comparative advantage.

According to him, it could open some room for discussions with the BJP at the Centre. The areas: presidential poll, Teesta water sharing and issue-based support in the Rajya Sabha.

But with the Communist Party of India-Marxist mouthing slogans like Modi Bhai, Didi Bhai -- after a lone TMC MLA suddenly extended support to BJP in Manipur -- an overt proximity with the saffron party may spell trouble for Trinamool.

Banerjee enjoys the undivided support of the Muslim population in West Bengal, thats 27 per cent of the total population of the state.

Alleged corruption scandals against TMC

Saradha (2013): Several TMC MPs and MLAs were interrogated and some arrested in connection with this Rs 2,500 crore financial scam Rose Valley (2014): Two TMC MPs are currently in CBI custody in connection with the Rs 15,000 crore financial scam Narada (2016): A video footage showing several MPs and MLAs of TMC allegedly taking cash for favours is currently being probed by the CBI

Also, it is unlikely that the BJP will not try to spread its wings in Bengal. If not in the near future, it may still become a force to reckon with. Any erosion in the TMC, may benefit the BJP, Basu Ray Chaudhury points.

So in the worst case scenario, if there are a few arrests in the TMC, will that affect its prospects? The acid test will be the panchayat election which is next year.

In rural Bengal, the spectre of fear reigns supreme. It did in Lefts time and its no different in TMC-ruled Bengal. The difference is that the angst in rural Bengal is often against the local Trinamool leader; Mamatas clean image is watertight. And that is Trinamools safety net.

Plus, Banerjee can always play the victim card. She had taken it upon herself to lead the anti-demonetisation campaign across the country.

The Trinamool supremo aligned with Akhilesh and Arvind Kejriwal for the sake of demonetisation, or probably more. As she recently said, after the high court verdict in the Narada case, if they (BJP) target Bengal, we will target India.

But perhaps, demonetisation was the only time she failed to gauge the mood of the people. She has done well otherwise. Since 2011, TMC has bettered its performance in every poll.

Consider this: the Narada video footage was aired mid-March. Later that month, the Vivekananda flyover in North Kolkata came crumbling down, taking down 26 people. It laid bare the syndicate raj or an extortion racket, which has reached phenomenal proportions in the Trinamool era. But Trinamool came out with flying colours in the assembly polls that followed a month later. Of course, the baggage of Saradha in which many TMC MPs were interrogated and arrested that she was already carrying, was long-forgotten by people.

Its to do with the electorate. The electorate doesnt distinguish between the corrupt and non-corrupt. The electorate draws a distinction between the corrupt-efficient and corrupt-inefficient, Basu Ray Chaudhury.

Bureaucrats simply say that Banerjee is a survivor. To them, she is a like a phoenix who rose from the ashes of assembly elections of 2006 when Trinamool bagged just 33 seats and went on to capture Bengal five years later. She is the designated survivor.
Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
In Juba, UN peacekeeping chief urges political solution for South Sudanese crisis

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, In Juba, UN peacekeeping chief urges political solution for South Sudanese crisis, 21 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d246ec16f.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The security situation in South Sudan is "very worrisome," the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations today said, warning that the number of people fleeing the country showing no signs of slowing, and calling for a political solution to the hostilities.

"You cannot hope that a solution will come by the use of weapons, the solution has to be political," said outgoing Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous in a press conference in Juba, alongside Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who will take up the position in April.

Mr. Ladsous underscored the importance of the 2015 peace agreement signed by President Salva Kiir and opposition groups, but noted that there are concerns about implementing an agreement which will shortly be two-years old.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Ladsous said he spoke with President Kiir in what he described as a "good" meeting. Among the topics discussed were the challenges to humanitarian action, including impediments to getting clearances, as well as instances of aid workers killed or injured while on the job.

Meanwhile, the needs in the country are greater than ever with two counties in Unity state - Mayendit and Leer - formally declared famines.

Mr. Ladsous warned that the situation is "man-made" after several years of fighting and "is not going to improve" because it is now crop planting season and all farmers are displaced or seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.

Speaking to journalists, Mr. Ladsous also noted that the first vanguard of the UN Security Council-mandated Regional Protection Force should be deployed to Juba "in the next few weeks." The units will be comprised of Bangladeshi, Nepalese, and Rwandan troops, followed by Ethiopian forces and troops from other countries.

The senior UN official added that he will meet tomorrow in New York with Member States who are contributing troops to discuss the deployments.

Once deployed to Juba, the Force will free a number of UNMISS units to "the countryside to better protect the civilians," he said.

Mr. Ladsous noted, however, that the main responsibility for protection is with the Government of South Sudan: "We cannot have one blue helmet behind every single South Sudanese citizen. The responsibly to protect its own citizens is that of the Government. And we are here to support, to facilitate, to help the Government of the sovereign country of South Sudan."
DPR Korea facing 'entrenched, largely forgotten' humanitarian crisis, senior UN official warns

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, DPR Korea facing 'entrenched, largely forgotten' humanitarian crisis, senior UN official warns, 21 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d2478d293.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Over two-thirds of the population in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) suffers from food insecurity, malnutrition, and a lack of access to basic health and sanitation services, according to a latest humanitarian report, which also appeals for $114 million to meet the urgent need of the most vulnerable.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is in the midst of a protracted, entrenched humanitarian situation largely forgotten or overlooked by the rest of the world," Tapan Mishra, UN Resident Coordinator for DPRK, said in the Foreword of the 2017 needs assessment for the country.

Frequent natural disasters, especially droughts and floods, changing weather patterns, as well as the lack of agricultural inputs, have left more than 5.6 million people, or 20 per cent of the total population, food insecure and undernourished, despite the political tensions.

Updated data is needed to accurately evaluate the food insecurity situation while increasing crop yields is also of great importance to improve people's living standard, according to the report.

Malnutrition, as a nationwide problem, needs proactive approach, especially with focus on the first 1,000 days of life.

"Those most at risk from the consequences of a lack of access to healthcare include under-five children, pregnant women, people living with disabilities and the elderly," stated the report, while highlighting that "safe hygiene practices such as hand washing with soap are seriously affected in absence of running water and hygiene promotion."

Therefore, the reports suggested prioritizing health interventions in rural areas and improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

Given small presence of humanitarian community in the Country, as well as limitations on funding, UN agencies and partners are scaling up efforts to ensure the assistance is provided to the most needy people.

However, the report underscored that some $114 million is needed for humanitarian relief, as "external assistance plays a vital role in safeguarding the health and well-being of millions of people."

"I appeal to donors not to let political considerations get in the way of providing continued support for humanitarian assistance and relief," said Mr. Mishra.
UN agency voices concern about forced return of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN agency voices concern about forced return of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon, 21 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d248eb525.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56387#.WNJGA_nys2w

The United Nations refugee agency today expressed concern that forced returns of refugees from Cameroon's far north region to crisis-gripped north-eastern Nigeria are continuing despite the recent signing of a tripartite agreement aimed at ensuring the voluntary nature of returns.

So far this year, Cameroon has forcefully returned over 2,600 refugees back to Nigerian border villages against their will, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

"UNHCR is particularly concerned as these forced returns have continued unabated after the governments of Nigeria and Cameroon signed a tripartite agreement with UNHCR in Yaounde on 2 March," UNHCR Spokesperson Babar Baloch told reporters at the UN's Geneva Office.

The forced return of asylum-seekers and refugees is known as refoulement, or forced return, and constitutes a serious violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention, both of which Cameroon has ratified.

While acknowledging the generosity of its Government and local communities that host over 85,000 Nigerian refugees, UNHCR calls on Cameroon to honour to its obligations under international and regional refugee protection instruments, as well as Cameroonian law.

Insecurity persists in parts of north-eastern Nigeria, and access to basic services remains limited. Most returning refugees find themselves in situations of internal displacement upon return and are unable to return to their places of origin.

Inside Nigeria, UNHCR teams have heard and documented accounts about Cameroonian troops returning refugees against their will - without allowing them time to collect their belongings.

Amid the chaos, some families were separated and some women were forced to leave their young children behind in Cameroon, including a child less than three years old.

While recognizing the legitimate national security concerns of the Cameroon Government, UNHCR reminds authorities that refugees are themselves fleeing violence and attacks from Boko Haram and that their access to asylum and protection must be ensured.
UN approves $22 million loan to boost agricultural work to prevent famine in Somalia

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN approves $22 million loan to boost agricultural work to prevent famine in Somalia, 21 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d249bf381.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56391#.WNJGAvnys2w

The United Nations agricultural agency will be further scaling up its activities in drought-hit regions of Somalia thanks to a $22 million loan approved this week by the UN emergency response fund.

"More than 2.9 million people are at risk of famine and many will predictably die from hunger if we do not act now," said the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, in a news release.

As under-secretary-general, Mr. O'Brien heads the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which manages the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

"CERF is one of the fastest ways to enable urgent response to people most in need," he said, explaining that the loan will bridge a crucial gap and allow FAO to immediately save lives and livelihoods of farmers and herders until additional funds from donors are received.

This effort is part of the international response to prevent another famine in Somalia five years after the previous one devastated the country.

Across Somalia, 6.2 million people will face acute food insecurity through June 2017. Of these, nearly three million people are in Phases 3 (crisis) and 4 (emergency) of the five-phase International Phase Classification for Food Security (IPC), representing more than a two-fold increase from six months ago. Phase 5 is famine.

"Livelihoods are people's best defence against famine and this $22 million loan is critical to FAO's famine prevention and drought response in Somalia," said FAO Deputy Director-General for Programmes, Daniel Gustafson.
Deteriorating security situation in DR Congo 'a source of major concern,' warns UN envoy

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 March 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Deteriorating security situation in DR Congo 'a source of major concern,' warns UN envoy, 21 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d24a212117.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56390#.WNJGAPnys2w

The United Nations envoy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today stressed the need for both the Government and the opposition groups there to show the same level of commitment and compromise which led to the signing on 31 December of an agreement on the electoral process, while also citing the UN peacekeeping mission's readiness to adapt to the deteriorating security situation.

"The primary responsibility for the implementation of the Agreement rests with its signatories," the Secretary-General's Special Representative for DRC, Maman Sidikou, told the Security Council in a briefing.

Under the agreement, President Joseph Kabila would stay in office until elections are held by the end of 2017. During this period, a 'National Council for Overseeing the Electoral Agreement and Process (CNSAP)' would be set up, and a new prime minister named from opposition ranks.

However, some discord has delayed the implementation of the agreement, and the death of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who was to head the CNSAP, had had a significant impact on the political process.

Mr. Sidikou said that the situation seems to have evolved in the right direction over the last few days, with negotiations on the "Special Arrangement" resuming, and the Presidents of the two Houses of Parliament called for an irreversible and credible electoral process and expressed their support.

Significant progress has been made in updating the electoral roll. To date, more than 19 million voters have been enrolled and the enrollment process is about to begin in the two remaining enrollment areas, said Mr. Sidikou, who is also the head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

MONUSCO's logistical and technical support for the enrollment process will be completed by the end of this month, and if authorized by the Security Council, MONUSCO is prepared to provide technical and logistical support for the electoral process, which would go beyond updating the electoral roll.

On the security front, Mr. Sidikou said that violence and threats to civilians are no longer concentrated in the eastern DRC, noting that community-based violence and inter-ethnic clashes have spread from areas already affected by armed conflict, such as the Kivus, to Tanganyika, the three Kasai provinces, Lomami and Kongo Central.

The Secretary-General has set out a package of measures aimed at enhancing the ability of the MONUSCO Force to support the achievement of the Mission's strategic objectives in the current challenging security context through the adoption of a more mobile, flexible and agile posture. He has recommended the deployment of two additional formed police units (FPUs) to help the Congolese authorities address the potential threat of electoral and politically motivated violence in key urban centers where there is no FPU presence.

Mr. Sidikou said that MONUSCO has already undertaken adjustments to its posture and operations, and that the Mission will continue to make such adjustments as may be required in the months ahead.

"MONUSCO will continue to provide support for the implementation of the Agreement, while supporting efforts to address the mounting threats faced by the civilian population during the transition period," he concluded.
Breaking Point' imminent: Government of Uganda, UNHCR say help for South Sudan refugee inflow urgently needed

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 23 March 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Breaking Point' imminent: Government of Uganda, UNHCR say help for South Sudan refugee inflow urgently needed, 23 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d4d99a4.html [accessed 7 November 2022]

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56390#.WNJGAPnys2w

The United Nations envoy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today stressed the need for both the Government and the opposition groups there to show the same level of commitment and compromise which led to the signing on 31 December of an agreement on the electoral process, while also citing the UN peacekeeping mission's readiness to adapt to the deteriorating security situation.

"The primary responsibility for the implementation of the Agreement rests with its signatories," the Secretary-General's Special Representative for DRC, Maman Sidikou, told the Security Council in a briefing.

Under the agreement, President Joseph Kabila would stay in office until elections are held by the end of 2017. During this period, a 'National Council for Overseeing the Electoral Agreement and Process (CNSAP)' would be set up, and a new prime minister named from opposition ranks.

However, some discord has delayed the implementation of the agreement, and the death of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who was to head the CNSAP, had had a significant impact on the political process.

Mr. Sidikou said that the situation seems to have evolved in the right direction over the last few days, with negotiations on the "Special Arrangement" resuming, and the Presidents of the two Houses of Parliament called for an irreversible and credible electoral process and expressed their support.

Significant progress has been made in updating the electoral roll. To date, more than 19 million voters have been enrolled and the enrollment process is about to begin in the two remaining enrollment areas, said Mr. Sidikou, who is also the head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

MONUSCO's logistical and technical support for the enrollment process will be completed by the end of this month, and if authorized by the Security Council, MONUSCO is prepared to provide technical and logistical support for the electoral process, which would go beyond updating the electoral roll.

On the security front, Mr. Sidikou said that violence and threats to civilians are no longer concentrated in the eastern DRC, noting that community-based violence and inter-ethnic clashes have spread from areas already affected by armed conflict, such as the Kivus, to Tanganyika, the three Kasai provinces, Lomami and Kongo Central.

The Secretary-General has set out a package of measures aimed at enhancing the ability of the MONUSCO Force to support the achievement of the Mission's strategic objectives in the current challenging security context through the adoption of a more mobile, flexible and agile posture. He has recommended the deployment of two additional formed police units (FPUs) to help the Congolese authorities address the potential threat of electoral and politically motivated violence in key urban centers where there is no FPU presence.

Mr. Sidikou said that MONUSCO has already undertaken adjustments to its posture and operations, and that the Mission will continue to make such adjustments as may be required in the months ahead.

"MONUSCO will continue to provide support for the implementation of the Agreement, while supporting efforts to address the mounting threats faced by the civilian population during the transition period," he concluded.
UN agency, Ugandan government call for urgent support amid influx of South Sudanese refugees

Publisher UN Ad Hoc Committee on Refugees and Stateless Persons Publication Date 23 March 2017 Cite as UN Ad Hoc Committee on Refugees and Stateless Persons, UN agency, Ugandan government call for urgent support amid influx of South Sudanese refugees, 23 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d4e1f44.html [accessed 7 November 2022]

United Nations refugee assistance efforts in Uganda are seriously overstretched as thousands of refugees from South Sudan, desperate for safety and assistance, pour into the country that is already hosting more than 800,000 people, the organization's top official dealing with refugee issues warned today.

More than 70 per cent of the number in Uganda (about 572,000) arrived since July last year and given present rate of arrivals, the figure could surpass one million by the middle of 2017.

"We are at breaking point" warned Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, appealing for urgent and massive support.

"The lack of international attention to the suffering of the South Sudanese people is failing some of the most vulnerable people in the world when they most desperately need our help."

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Uganda's approach to dealing with refugees has long been among the "most progressive" anywhere on the African continent but the sheer scale of the influx has placed enormous strain its services and infrastructure.

"Uganda has continued to maintain open borders," said Ruhakana Rugunda, the Prime Minister of Uganda, adding: "We continue to welcome our neighbours in their time of need but we urgently need the international community to assist as the situation is becoming increasingly critical."

Chronic and severe underfunding has reached the point where critical programmes operated by UNHCR are at the risk of being dangerously compromised.

Transit and reception facilities are rapidly becoming overwhelmed and there are significant challenges in providing adequate food rations, health and educational services, as well as sufficient clean water.

The already dire situation has been further complicated by the onset of heavy rains.

The UN agency is in urgent need of more than $250 million to support South Sudanese refugees in Uganda in 2017.

There are clear risks that the severe underfunding in what has become the fastest-growing refugee emergency in the world is jeopardizing a model that allows refugees to thrive now.

"Uganda cannot handle Africa's largest refugee crisis alone," said Mr. Grandi, calling on the international community to keep the future of the new comprehensive refugee response framework from being thrown into question.
Yemen: Multibillion-dollar arms sales by USA and UK reveal shameful contradiction with aid efforts

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 24 March 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Yemen: Multibillion-dollar arms sales by USA and UK reveal shameful contradiction with aid efforts, 24 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d4eb144.html [accessed 7 November 2022]

The USA and UK are fuelling serious violations that have caused devastating civilian suffering through multibillion-dollar arms transfers to Saudi Arabia that vastly overshadow their humanitarian efforts, said Amnesty International.

Since the conflict began two years ago in March 2015, the US and UK have together transferred more than US$5 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia which is leading the military coalition in Yemen. This is more than 10 times the estimated US$450 million that the US State Department and the UK's Department for International Development have spent or budgeted to spend in aid to Yemen over the past two years.

"Two years of conflict have forced three million people to flee their homes, shattered the lives of thousands of civilians and left Yemen facing a humanitarian disaster with more than 18 million in desperate need of assistance. Yet despite the millions of dollars' worth of international assistance allocated to the country, many states have contributed to the suffering of the Yemeni people by continuing to supply billions of dollars' worth of arms," said Lynn Maalouf Deputy Director for Research at Amnesty International's Beirut regional office.

"Weapons supplied in the past by states such as the UK and USA have been used to commit gross violations and helped to precipitate a humanitarian catastrophe. These governments have continued to authorize such arms transfers at the same time as providing aid to alleviate the very crisis they have helped to create. Yemeni civilians continue to pay the price of these brazenly hypocritical arms supplies."

The international community must act immediately to impose an arms embargo and establish a credible international investigation into gross violations committed by all parties to the conflict.

"All states, including the USA and the UK, must immediately halt the flow of any arms that could be used commit war crimes or other serious violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen," said Lynn Maalouf.

By continuing to supply weapons to Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners for use in Yemen, the UK, which is a state party to the Arms Trade Treaty, and the USA, which is a signatory to it, are undermining the spirit of this treaty.

Humanitarian crisis

An estimated 18.8 million people in Yemen rely on humanitarian assistance and are in desperate need of food, water, fuel and shelter in order to survive. The UN has warned that malnutrition is so severe that the country is on the brink of famine.

At least 4,600 civilians have been killed and more than 8,000 have been injured since the Saudi Arabia-led coalition began carrying out air strikes in Yemen in March 2015 sparking a full-blown armed conflict.

Violations by all parties to the conflict

Over the past two years, Amnesty International has documented a wide array of violations of international law by all parties to the conflict, in some cases amounting to war crimes. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition has carried out relentless airstrikes, killing and injuring civilians and destroying civilian homes, property and infrastructure in indiscriminate attacks and attacks on civilian objects.

On several research trips to Yemen, the organization has documented at least 34 airstrikes by the Saudi Arabia led-coalition that appear to have violated international humanitarian law, killing at least 494 civilians, including 148 children, across six governorates (Sana'a, Sa'da, Hajjah, Hodeidah, Ta'iz and Lahj). Some of these airstrikes used arms manufactured in the USA and the UK.

Members of the coalition have also used internationally banned cluster munitions - made in the USA, UK and Brazil - in Sa'da, Hajjah and Sana'a. Amnesty International documented cases in which children were among civilians killed and maimed after coming into contact with unexploded submunitions left behind after attacks using these inherently indiscriminate weapons.

Amnesty International has also documented 30 indiscriminate attacks by pro and anti-Huthi forces using artillery, mortars or rockets in Aden and Ta'iz in the south of the country, killing 68 civilians.

Anti-Huthi forces in Ta'iz have also harassed and threatened medical staff, shut down hospitals and endangered civilians by stationing fighters and military positions near medical facilities.

The Huthi armed group and its allies have indiscriminately shelled civilian areas in Ta'iz city and fired artillery indiscriminately across the border in to Saudi Arabia, killing and injuring civilians. Amnesty International has also gathered evidence to show that the Huthi armed group has recruited boys as young as 15 to fight as child soldiers on the front line.

In addition, the Huthi authorities have also led a clampdown on freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in areas under their control. With the support of security forces, they have carried out arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and torture and have shut down NGOs. Critics and opponents including journalists and human rights defenders have been arbitrarily seized, with some forcibly disappeared or subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in custody.

"From the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas and recruitment of child soldiers by the Huthi armed group to unlawful airstrikes and repeated use of internationally banned cluster munitions by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, all parties to the conflict in Yemen have displayed a wanton disregard for the lives of civilians and committed serious violations of international humanitarian law," said Lynn Maalouf.

"The long list of appalling abuses by all parties to the conflict underscores how crucial it is for an independent, international investigation, led by the UN to investigate alleged violations by all parties to the conflict to ensure that those who have committed these reprehensible crimes are brought to justice."

Background

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute the USA and UK combined have made arms transfers worth more than US$5 billion to Saudi Arabia since 2015.

According to the UK Department for International Development and ForeignAssistance.gov, which is managed by the US State Department's Office of US Foreign Assistance Resources, the UK and US governments together have provided or planned to spend an estimated US$450 million in aid to support Yemen since March 2015.
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Protecting children affected by the refugee crisis: A shared responsibility Secretary General's proposals for priority actions

Publisher Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers Publication Date 4 March 2017 Citation / Document Symbol SG/Inf (2016) 9 final Cite as Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers, Protecting children affected by the refugee crisis: A shared responsibility Secretary General's proposals for priority actions, 4 March 2017, SG/Inf (2016) 9 final, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d526c44.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Urgency of the situation

Since September 2015 an average of two children have drowned every day while trying to cross the Mediterranean[1]. An estimated 300,000 migrant and

asylum-seeking children arrived in Europe last year[2]. Of these, 26,000 were unaccompanied, according to Save the Children, and Europol estimates that at least 10,000 have disappeared since the beginning of the crisis. Many will have fallen into the hands of human traffickers or become victim of others forms of violence, abuse or exploitation. More than one in three (36%) of the migrants and asylum-seekers crossing between Greece and Turkey is a child[3].

The majority of migrant and asylum-seeking children[4] are boys. However, the situation for girls is particularly worrying due to the risk of abuse, exploitation and other harmful practices (such as forced marriage), as well as the inadequacy and shortage of not just child-sensitive, but also gender-sensitive reception centres and accommodation.

The above findings confirm those of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), which highlighted in its 4th General Report, ( April 2015), that in 31 out of 35 countries evaluated at the time there were important gaps in the identification of child victims of trafficking. In many countries migrant and asylum-seeking children disappear within a few days of being placed in reception centres. GRETA's findings point to the inadequacy of child protection measures, such as specialised shelters offering a protected environment for children, insufficient appointment of legal guardians, and the lack of co-ordination between different national authorities, such as border officials, immigration officers, social services, law enforcement and child protection services. There is also a lack of co-ordination between the agencies of different countries. All these factors increase the risk of migrant and

asylum-seeking children, particularly those who are unaccompanied, falling victim to trafficking.

4. Providing international protection to children fleeing war, violence and persecution, and guaranteeing their safety and fundamental rights, should therefore be an urgent priority for all Council of Europe member states.

In accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights, in dealing with migrant and

asylum-seeking children all states must uphold the principles of

non-discrimination on any ground, the best interests of the child, children as rights-holders, children's right to life, survival and development, family unity, non-refoulement, child-participation, and confidentiality. Today, a child-rights based approach is needed.

I have already issued guidance to member states on treating migrants and asylum-seekers in line with Council of Europe standards. These standards - notably the European Convention on Human Rights[5] and the European Social Charter[6] - are directly relevant to children.

The case law of the European Court of Human Rights relating to family reunification is relevant in this context. On a number of occasions the Court found a violation of the right to respect for family life because a proper balance was not struck between the applicants' interest and the countries' interest in controlling immigration. The Court has made clear the need to consider the specific circumstances of different cases, looking at the situation of the family in question, including the best interest of the child, against the right of the state to control immigration within its borders[7]. The Court has also stressed the importance of proper counselling and educational assistance from a qualified person especially assigned to unaccompanied children, the importance for reception centres adapted to children's needs, and the need to avoid conditions of detention that can cause considerable distress to children[8].

8. Moreover, other key Council of Europe conventions of particular relevance for children (Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and European Convention on Nationality) should be ratified by all member states and effectively implemented. All states should implement relevant recommendations concerning children issued by Council of Europe monitoring bodies and, notably, those issued by the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights. The Commissioner pays particular attention in his work to the human rights of children in migration and asylum proceedings and he has provided member states with a comprehensive set of recommendations, based on relevant international standards.

Proposals for priority actions

I propose a series of immediate, priority actions[9] by member states and the Council of Europe to better ensure the safety and proper treatment of migrant and asylum-seeking children entering Europe, with a special focus on those who are unaccompanied.

 Prevent migrant and asylum-seeking children from falling victim to violence, abuse, exploitation and trafficking[10]. To secure adequate protection, all member states must: (i) put in place a procedure for rapidly appointing legal guardians for unaccompanied children; (ii) provide suitable safe accommodation and adequately trained supervisors or foster parents; (iii) ensure the timely identification of victims of trafficking among such children[11]; and (iv) carry out registration and documentation as soon as possible after the child is identified. Member states should work with the EU, FRONTEX, relevant UN agencies (e.g. UNHCR, UNICEF), IOM, and other partners to train all staff concerned, including police and immigration officers, to address the specific needs of migrant and asylum-seeking children. Special attention should be paid to (i) girls to ensure protection from multiple risks and (ii) preventing and combatting all forms of hate crimes which may affect migrant and asylum-seeking children. Child-friendly material for different age groups explaining the applicable rights and procedures should be provided to all children in a language they can understand. In order to map the most pressing gaps in preventing migrant and asylum-seeking children from falling victims to trafficking, and to complement already existing information, I will task my Special Representative on Migration and Refugees, together with relevant experts, to carry out a fact-finding mission and focus action on the most urgent needs.

 Make every effort to end the placement of children in immigration detention facilities. Member states must ensure that the reasons for detention in exceptional circumstances are clearly defined and that it is used only as a means of last resort for the shortest period of time possible, taking into account the best interests of the child as a primary consideration. This entails providing effective alternatives to detention of children with families and child appropriate treatment and care arrangements[12]. The Council of Europe will support member states by sharing experience and good, gender-sensitive practices in the context of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Rights of the Child (CAHENF) and targeted support, where requested, on a country by country basis.

 Improve age assessment procedures. Assessing their age is essential to ensuring children can benefit from the protection to which they are entitled. When the age of the child is uncertain and there are reasons to believe that the person is a child/minor, he or she shall be presumed to be a child and shall be accorded special protection measures pending verification of age. While no international standard exists to stipulate age assessment procedures[13], the Council of Europe will support member states by (i) sharing good, inter-disciplinary and gender-sensitive practices in this area which are compatible with the Organisation's human rights standards, respect children's rights and (ii) providing appropriate safeguards to the individuals whose age is being disputed, prior to and throughout the whole procedure. This work should be carried in the context of the newly created ad hoc Committee for the Rights of the Child (CAHENF) and, where requested, on a country by country basis.

 Ensure a gender dimension in dealing with migrant and

asylum-seeking children. Member states must: (i) consider granting girls who are victims of gender-based violence independent residence status; (ii) recognise gender-based violence against girls as a form of persecution within the meaning of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and as a form of serious harm giving rise to complementary/subsidiary protection; (iii) ensure that a gender-sensitive interpretation be given when establishing refugee status; (iv) introduce gender-sensitive procedures, guidelines and support services in the asylum process; (v) take whatever steps are necessary to ensure full respect for the principle of non-refoulement.[14] [15]

 Ensure access to education. The right to education applies to all children present in a member state's territory, including those who have been granted refugee status and those who are seeking asylum, and in both transit and destination countries[16]. The Council of Europe Committee of Social Rights declared in 2009 that " denial of access to education will exacerbate the vulnerability of an unlawfully present child." The Council of Europe will support member states in ensuring the right to education is upheld by: (i) promoting positive education policy measures, remedies and action based on good practices with regard to effective implementation, such policies should take account of the linguistic, cultural and educational experience of children in order to rebuild their self-esteem and confidence and make them less vulnerable to isolation; and more specifically by (ii) sharing innovative practice related to teaching refugee and asylum-seeking children basic language skills in transit and destination countries. This work will be carried out by the Steering Committee for Education Policy and Practice (CDPPE) based on the CM Recommendations 2012/13 on ensuring quality education and 2008/4 on strengthening the integration of children of migrants or with an immigrant background.

 Prevent statelessness of children. Nationality in a number of countries connected to the current crisis, including Syria[17], is often based on the father. Mothers and unaccompanied minors can struggle to prove paternity when the family has been separated, often across different countries or different refugee camps, or when the father has died[18]. As a result, children can be left without a nationality[19]. The right of everyone to a nationality is enshrined in Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is recognised in many other international and regional human rights instruments, such as the Council of Europe Convention on Nationality[20], further strengthened by the CM/Rec(2009)13 on nationality of children which focuses specifically on the necessity of avoiding statelessness of children. Council of Europe bodies, notably the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) and the

ad hoc Committee for the Rights of the Child (CAHENF) provides guidance on procedures to identify stateless children and on the relationship between birth registration and the right to acquire a nationality, building on relevant international and European standards[21].

Moving forward within the Council of Europe

My Special Representative on Migration and Refugees will ensure a special focus on migrant and asylum-seeking children to further national asylum policies and practices compliant with the rights of the child. He will provide support to member states to ensure appropriate follow-up to the relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the decisions and recommendations of the monitoring mechanisms and will interact, as appropriate, with the national authorities, major international and regional organisations, as well as non-governmental organisations working for and with children.

The High Level Launching Conference of the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021) (Sofia, 5-6 April 2016) will have a special session devoted to Upholding the rights of children on the move: Learning from the "refugee crisis". During this session, broader issues concerning children on the move or otherwise affected by migration will be discussed. Indeed, migrant children at large - whether accompanied or unaccompanied - too often suffer persistent violations of their human rights. This session will discuss, among others, the application of the best interests of the child in asylum and immigration procedures, guardianship and age assessment issues, as well as how to prevent child trafficking, abuse and exploitation.

The Ad Hoc Committee for the Rights of the Child (CAHENF), which will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the new Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021), will hold its first meeting in the second half of 2016 and focus on additional appropriate action to strengthen efforts to protect the rights of migrant and asylum-seeking children.

GRETA's forthcoming 5th Report, to be issued in March 2016, will continue to address the issue of the identification of victims of trafficking in human beings among migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. A special focus will be placed on children, notably unaccompanied, because of the specific risks they face.

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), in particular through its Migrant and Refugee fund (MRF), supports financing of transit and reception centres and of integration projects that are specifically relevant for children. CEB member states should consider whether their current projects in favour of children may fall within the eligibility criteria.

Comprehensive child protection systems must be set up, in line with Council of Europe standards. They must include the adoption, implementation and monitoring of integrated national strategies for the protection of children from all forms of violence[22]. The Council of Europe is ready to support member states by sharing experience and good, gender-sensitive practices, where requested, on a country by country basis to develop such child protection strategies[23]. The possibility to propose a more forward looking and sustainable solution should also be considered on the basis of the CM/Rec(2007)9 on life projects for unaccompanied migrant minors.

[1] UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM data (http://www.unhcr.org/56c6e7676.html ).

[2] Eurostat data in "Safety and fundamental rights at stake for children on the move", ECOC, 2016.

[3] News note, "With growing numbers of child deaths at sea, UN agencies call for enhancing safety for refugees and migrants", 19 February 2016, http://www.unicef.org/media/media_90271.html;

News note, "More children and women seek safety in Europe: UNICEF", 2 February 2016, http://www.unicef.org/media/media_90000.html.

[4] For the purposes of this paper the terms "migrant and asylum-seeking children" cover also children who have obtained refugee status.

[5] See the Secretary General Guidance on "The protection of migrants and asylum seekers: States' main legal obligations under the Council of Europe Conventions" for details about the relevant provisions of the ECHR and the case law of the Court, in such areas as prohibition of collective expulsions,

non-discrimination, prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatments or punishments, detention and living conditions, access to procedures, family reunification, treatment of vulnerable groups.

[6]For instance, right to shelter (Article 312), right to health (Articles 8, 11, 7, 192), right to education (Articles 9, 10, 15, 17, 1911-12), protection of the family and right to family reunion (Articles 16, 27, 196), prohibition of child labour under the age of 15 (Article 71 and 3), specific working conditions between 15 and 18 (Article 7). Migrant children have the right to an effective remedy. Access to quality education and health services for unaccompanied minors without any discrimination is key to uphold the child's best interests.

[7] See, for instance, Osman v. Denmark, Sen v. the Netherlands , Tuquabo-Tekle and Others v. the Netherlands, Mugenzi v. France, Tanda-Muzinga v. France and Senigo Longue and Others v. France; Ly v. France.

[8] See, for instance, Muskhadzhiyeva and Others v. Belgium.

[9] These proposals are not exhaustive and constitute a first set of immediate responses to address the situation of migrant and asylum-seeking children, notably unaccompanied children. They are without prejudice to more medium to long-term actions.

[10] As required under the UN CRC, the Council of Europe conventions on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (CETS 197), on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (CETS 201), on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (CETS 210). Relevant issues have been raised also by the report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, Parliamentary Assembly Council of Europe, Unaccompanied children in Europe: issues of arrival, stay and return (21 March 2011 - doc 12539, Resolution 1810 (2011), Recommendation 1969 (2011)).

[11] The Council of Europe's Anti-Trafficking Convention provides for special measures and procedures for children in the context of victims identification. (See, for instance, Chapter III of the Convention.) In several countries' evaluations, GRETA has urged the authorities to take measures in order to improve the identification of and assistance to child victims of trafficking, including by setting up a specific identification and referral mechanism which takes into account the special circumstances and needs of child victims, involves child specialists, child protection services, and specialised police and prosecutors, and ensures that the best interests of the child are the primary consideration.

[12] See CPT's 19th general report (2009, para 97). The detention of migrant children has also been addressed by the European Court of Human Rights in the context of Articles 3, 5, 8 and 13 of the ECHR. See inter alia Mubilanzila Mayeka and Kaniki Mitunga v. Belgium, Muskhadzhiyeva and Others v. Belgium, Rahimi v. Greece, Popov v. France, Kanagaratnam and Others v. Belgium, Mahmundi and Others v. Greece. See also Tarakhel v. Switzerland on specific assurances for adequate reception conditions suitable to children.

[13] However, see General Comment No. 6 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child which provides guidance in this respect. See also the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Comment on this subject matter: https://go.coe.int/zUgwt.

[14] See Chapter VII of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, in particular Articles 59-61.

[15] States must respect its nonrefoulement obligation in all cases. They must not return a child - whether boy or girl - to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing that there is a real risk of irreparable harm to the child.

[16] Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights ; Article 2, Additional Protocol N1 of the European Convention on Human rights and Fundamental Freedoms; Article 17 of the European Social Charter Revised governs the right to education and is subject to the provisions of Articles 18 and 19 in relation to migrants and the promotion of teaching of the national language of the receiving state and the teaching of the migrant worker's mother tongue; Article 29 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; Article 22 (1) of the Refugee Convention and the EU asylum acquis provide for the right to education of asylum seeking children and for those granted refugee status or subsidiary protection (Directive 2008/115/EC, OJ L 348/98, Art 14 (1)

[17] See, for instance, Article 3.A of the Syrian Nationality Law, in refworld.org.

[18] This is confirmed by UNHCR ( http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refdaily?pass=52fc6fbd5&id=56403b845)

which noted that in Syria the war has forced more than four million people to flee the country and left 25 percent of refugee families fatherless.

[19] See, in this context, "Safety and fundamental rights at stake for children on the move", ENOC, February 2016, and the EU Council Conclusions on statelessness of December 2015.

[20] Article 4.a.

[21] Article 7 of the UN CRC guarantees the right to acquire a nationality, as does Article 24 (3) of the ICCPR. This is also a concern under the European Convention on Nationality (CETS no. 166, dated 06/11/1997).

[22] See, for instance, the Council of Europe Policy Guidelines on integrated national strategies from the protection of children from violence.

[23] See 2016/DG II/VC/3484 Strengthening legal and policy framework to eliminate all forms of violence against children. Member states and the EU should consider providing funding to this project.
Thematic Report on migrant and refugee children Prepared by the Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees

Publisher Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers Publication Date 10 March 2017 Citation / Document Symbol SG/Inf(2017)13 Cite as Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers, Thematic Report on migrant and refugee children Prepared by the Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees, 10 March 2017, SG/Inf(2017)13, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d527154.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Introduction

In March 2016, the Secretary General's paper on "Protecting children affected by the refugee crisis: A shared responsibility" (SG/Inf(2016)9) identified a series of immediate, priority actions for member states and the Council of Europe. They would result in improved safety for these children and enhanced respect for the human rights standards of the Council of Europe, with a special focus on children who are unaccompanied.

Since his appointment, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees (hereafter the SRSG) has carried out four fact-finding missions in order to assess how the Council of Europe can assist member states to manage the current migratory flows, while respecting their commitments under Council of Europe human rights instruments. The SRSG has also initiated consultations within the Council of Europe on ongoing and future activities on refugee and migrant children with a view to the adoption, in early 2017, of a transversal action plan on refugee and migrant children. Moreover, discussions have taken placewith other international and European organisations that are active in the field of protection of migrants' and refugees' rights.

This thematic report focuses specifically on issues concerning refugee and migrant children, including children within families as well as unaccompanied and separated children. Its aim is to identify key findings from the SRSG's missions in 2016 and to reflect on how priorities must be addressed, both as a matter of urgency and in the ongoing work of the Council of Europe, in the upcoming action plan.

General Overview: Situation of Refugee & Migrant Children

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has noted that almost one child in ten lives in a country affected by armed conflict and more than 400 million children live in extreme poverty (UNICEF June 2016).[1] Such harsh circumstances have led to half of the world's displaced now being children under the age of 18 (UNHCR Global Trends 2015).

Children arrive in Europe as part of a family, or travelling with persons other than their parents or primary caregivers, or entirely alone. They come from many different countries and for many different reasons. Some are fleeing war or persecution; some are escaping serious deprivation; others are seeking educational or economic opportunities or seeking to reunite with family members. Indeed, sometimes children may have different motivations at the same time and may shift between categories, such as asylum seeker, migrant or trafficked, along their migratory journey.

According to figures from Eurostat and the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), around 30% of asylum seekers arriving in Europe in the last two years were children. Nearly 70% of these children were fleeing conflict in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The number of unaccompanied children who applied for asylum in the European Union reached 96,465 in 2015 and they accounted for almost one quarter of all asylum applicants under 18 years of age.

According to UNICEF, in 2016, the number of unaccompanied and separated children using the central Mediterranean route (most of whom started their journey in Eritrea, Gambia or Nigeria) more than doubled compared to last year; as a matter of fact, nine out of ten children who used this route in 2016 were unaccompanied and separated. These figures represent a significant increase from previous years and a trend which is likely to continue considering the situation in the main countries of origin.

The task of addressing the situation of the refugee and migrant children recently arrived in Europe will demand concerted efforts for many years to come, over a wide range of fields and involving many actors. Measures must be taken at local, national, regional and international levels. This will include measures concerning access to international protection, humanitarian assistance, combating trafficking and abuse, child protection, immigration control, family reunification, return procedures and integration. Integration is crucial for children to have a real chance to start a new life. It is vital that refugee and migrant children have welcoming places to settle, including foster care for unaccompanied children. Immigration and law enforcement officials, child protection actors, health, education and legal professionals, guardians, amongst others, are all implicated in this task. The work of national authorities, intergovernmental agencies, non-governmental organisationsand volunteers in these tasks is interconnected in a vital way for the years ahead.

Situation Analysis from Fact-Finding Missions of the Special Representative

The SRSGundertook four fact-finding missions to Greece and "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Turkey, northern France (Calais and Grande-Synthe) and Italy. He also visited Paris, London and several accommodation centres in the French region of the Grand Est to which persons evacuated from the camp in Calais had been taken. These countries are all particularly significant, given their location on important points of the migration routes out of countries of origin, and into and within Europe. His visits included areas frequently under acute pressure (such as Gaziantep in Turkey, Idomeni in Greece, Calais in France and Lampedusa in Italy) because of the high numbers arriving and because of the reality of many being stranded in situations of distress, unable to transit in the face of closed borders and the absence of effective cross-border procedures.

On-site visits and meetings with authorities and intergovernmental, non-governmental and other organisations were carried out.

In each of these places, the SRSG encountered children who have arrived in Europe in difficult circumstances and after dangerous journeys. Many live in precarious and difficult situations within Europe, vulnerable to neglect and violence. It is clear that the situation, although unpredictable and changing, is not temporary and measures that began as emergency responses have sometimes become protracted.

There are many factors that affect refugee and migrant children and their families during their journeys to safety. Based on concrete observations during the SRSG's four visits, the following fields raise serious concern:

Identification and age assessment

In order to access special protection and assistance measures, unaccompanied children must be identified and referred to child protection authorities. Without proper identification procedures in place, children are at risk of being treated like adults and placed in detention, as witnessed in the field.

Therefore, age assessment measures are necessary when an individual's stated age is disputed. However, as observed, such measures are not always comprehensive because psycho-social aspects appear to be neglected. The Committee on the Rights of the Child of the United Nations advises that age assessment measures should be multi-disciplinary and holistic (CRC General Comment No. 6) and should be carried out with appropriate safeguards.

Registration and guardianship

Following identification, children and families should be registered. Unaccompanied and separated children, as well as age-disputed individuals, should have a guardian appointed as soon as possible. As observed in the field, unaccompanied children are not always identified, registered and provided with a guardian. Without a guardian and suitable care, such children may be exposed to serious protection risks, such as sexual exploitation, and are more likely to go missing. Until a guardian is appointed, there is often a vacuum in terms of the child's ability to access and to enjoy protection, particularly in countries where children need guardians in order to complete administrative procedures, including applications for asylum and requests for relocation and family reunification. While guardianship practices vary across Europe, good practice standards do exist. It was encouraging to learn that such good practice is being considered by the Greek authorities and others in the development and strengthening of guardianship systems for unaccompanied children.

Adequate reception conditions including preventing and responding effectively to disappearances

As observed in the field, many children and families across Europe live in abysmal conditions. Fortunately, in some cases, such as the makeshift Tabanovce camp in "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", the responsible authorities responded to the SRSG's call for action and assisted those concerned by providing proper shelter and relocation to better reception facilities. With regard to minimum living conditions in camps, practical measures such as gender-separate sanitary facilities, better lighting and child-friendly spaces not only make a huge difference for children's well-being, but may also eliminate risks of sexual abuse. Efforts to transfer those concerned from camps to better accommodation are welcome, as are efforts to ensure that they are able to access procedures to claim international protection. However, in taking such measures, it is vital to safeguard unaccompanied children and to prevent disappearances. In this regard, the SRSG observed limited involvement of child protection authorities at certain critical moments. For example, during his missions, he observed that no child protection officer was present when children register with migration authorities to inform them in child-friendly language about their rights and to respond to their questions and concerns. There is a real need for an integrated response from the different actors involved in the reception and care of children and families.

Alternatives to detention for families and suitable alternative care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children

Immigration detention is never in the best interests of the child. Furthermore, separation of a child from his or her family should only take place when it is in the best interests of the child. Yet, migrant and refugee children are detained and many are separated from a parent who is placed in immigration detention. A lack of alternatives to detention is one of the most damaging structural problems affecting children, which urgently needs to be addressed. The Council of Europe has supported the Global Campaign to end immigration detention of children[2] and we shall continue our efforts to end this violation of children's rights.

Accurate information, quality legal aid and access to child-friendly procedures

Refugees and migrants are seeking safety and stability. It is crucial that they receive accurate information on their rights, access to procedures that will determine their protection needs and decisions that provide them with a durable solution. Yet, it seems that children are rarely provided with child-friendly information, the assistance of an interpreter or free legal aid. The SRSG, throughout his field missions, encountered migrants who lacked information, or had been given inaccurate or insufficient information, and who were languishing in limbo. In some cases, this was due to backlogs in the system. In the worst cases, refugee and migrant families were detained without access to international protection procedures. These backlogs and barriers must be addressed in order to avoid further human rights violations and to ensure access to protection for those who deserve it as well as to strengthen the effective functioning of asylum and immigration systems across Europe. In this regard, the need for practical guidelines on child-specific persecution and child-sensitive credibility assessment as well as related training initiatives targeting relevant decision-makers in member states should also be emphasised.

Preventing and responding to violence, trafficking and exploitation

Child trafficking is a concern on the migrant route to and through countries. The procedures do not always guarantee the effective identification of trafficking victims.

Migrants and refugees are exposed to violence not only at the hands of smugglers and traffickers, but also as a result of state action and inaction. For example, the SRSG was concerned to learn on one of his missions that children caught vending or begging were arrested and detained. This is not an appropriate response: rather, child protection measures should be put in place. There were also allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of children in some camps the SRSG visited and of disproportionate use of force by the police. State actors should ensure that their interventions do no harm to children. Additionally, states should work to prevent child labour, such as the exploitation of Syrian children in the textile industry and agriculture. States also need to develop appropriate responses to harmful practices and survival strategies such as early and forced marriages, which appear to be an increasing phenomenon.

Education and integration measures

Every child has the right to education. Yet, it was observed that many children face both systemic and practical barriers to accessing quality education. Globally, only 50% of refugee children attend primary school. In the hotspots and emergency camps, there are often very limited or no educational opportunities. In some countries children without the necessary documentation were unable to enrol in school. In particular, children of irregular migrants face discrimination. There is a need not only to address such inequality, but also to provide specialised linguistic support to refugee and migrant children. Additionally, member states should take measures to support families so that children do not need to engage in child labour and, therefore, miss out on their chance for educational opportunities. Local and regional authorities have a key role to play in improving access to and quality of education for all children.

Access to health services

Migrants and refugees should be guaranteed access to health services. In this regard, it is disturbing to learn that unregistered refugees and asylum seekers in some countries only have access to emergency healthcare, which does not always include maternity care and giving birth in a hospital. It is essential that such services be accessible for migrants and refugees. As with other services, the assistance of an interpreter or cultural mediator may be necessary to access and to benefit from health services. Additionally, specialised mental health services may also be necessary and such services should be better developed and resourced across Europe.

Relocation and resettlement

Relocation and resettlement provide a legal avenue to protection. By increasing and fulfilling such pledges, states can proactively manage the selection and integration of the most vulnerable. Such measures require adequate resources both before and after relocation or resettlement. Unfortunately, relocation pledges remain insufficient and measures to relocate the most vulnerable, such as unaccompanied children are unsatisfactory. In practice many children fall outside their scope. For example, the European Commission's seventh report on relocation notes that the biggest group of unaccompanied minors in Greece are Afghanis, who are not eligible for relocation. It is therefore important to find other mechanisms for transfer to other countries. As an example, the so-called Dubs amendment provides a mechanism for relocation of children to the United Kingdom but still needs to be implemented more effectively.

The scarcity of relocation offers prevents those entering frontline countries from being able to travel legally to other countries to have their asylum claims examined there. During SRGSs visits, it is observed that relocation takes too long. This creates further pressure on the reception systems. More focused attention at EU level to the specific question of relocation of children could ensure that swift and effective procedures are put in place to transfer children away from acute shortages of reception to places where they can access asylum procedures and benefit from reception conditions which cater for their needs.

Family reunification

Children and families often become separated on their long journeys to Europe. Ideally, the implementation of the Dublin III Regulation should facilitate timely family reunification within the European Union. However, procedures for such transfers have been heavily criticised as cumbersome. They need urgent improvements to ensure a child-centred approach and, in particular, to cut down on lengthy delays. Authorities should continue to monitor and to support families following reunification efforts.

Statelessness

In addition to these issues that the SRSG encountered during his field missions, there is also the need to prevent and to reduce statelessness among migrant and refugee children. Addressing statelessness is highlighted as a priority in the Secretary General's March 2016 paper and is regularly a focus of the country monitoring and recommendations made by the Commissioner for Human Rights. Most recently, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted Resolution 2099 (2016) that outlines concrete measures that member states should take in order to eradicate statelessness of children.

Transition to adulthood

When an unaccompanied child turns 18, he or she may suddenly be transferred to adult facilities and receive limited assistance or, in the worst case, find himself or herself living on the street without any support. A more gentle transition period for those reaching the age of majority could help better prepare them for life ahead and prevent disappearances. More attention to easing transition could reduce the risk that these children find themselves unemployed and without any support network.

Setting a Course for Better Responses

During the course of his missions, the SRSG witnessed, first-hand, great commitment and engagement from authorities and NGOs. However, there were also examples of authorities and organisations struggling to mobilise the necessary resources and identify adequate solutions, both at the frontline and in actions, which address the longer-term situation of these children.

What is abundantly clear is that we cannot afford to fail to address the situation of refugee and migrant children decisively. How best to respond in a way that respects human rights remains a challenge for all governments. However, challenges if well-managed can turn into opportunities. The stakes are very high both for these children and for our societies as a whole. Without adequate assistance to these children and proper procedures to determine where their futures lie, their ability to develop and contribute to society, whether that be in Europe or elsewhere, is completely undermined. And if we do not guarantee respect for human dignity, solidarity and protection of children from violence, our societies take on the real and significant risks of marginalised communities, social division and insecurity.

It is vital to place the rights of refugee and migrant children at the centre, while directly engaging with the very real challenges for authorities and other actors in securing their immediate protection and longer-term solutions in line with their best interests.

Treating migrant and refugee children as children first and foremost must be our clear starting point, regardless of their citizenship, immigration status or background. As stressed by the Secretary General, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter, in dealing with migrant and asylum-seeking children, all member states must uphold the principles of non-discrimination on any ground, be guided by the best interests of the child and recognise children as rights-holders as well as their right to life, survival and development, family unity, non-refoulement, participation and confidentiality.

We must also recognise that some issues which arise during mass arrivals and when addressing individual cases of families and unaccompanied children are complex and sensitive, both legally and politically. If children are to be protected and assisted, these questions need to be addressed squarely by the international community, drawing on human rights standards. Without this, we will fail to make progress. For example, finding ways to ensure solidarity and responsibility sharing in Europe is a difficult but crucial task. Child-sensitive procedures must be designed and take into account their individual circumstances. This is challenging and involves adapted procedures, the involvement of specialised actors and inter-agency approaches and adequate fact gathering and assessment. A further example of an area where practices and approaches are contested arises around the deprivation of liberty of migrant children. However, there is growing consensus that detention of children, for immigration reasons, must be brought to an end.

Resolving these issues requires determined collective effort. The need to find better ways to work together to secure the rights of children is manifest within countries and across borders, and between different actors and organisations, whether governmental or inter-governmental, civil society and volunteers. What these children are going through will define who they will become. It will also define, in some respects, our common future.

V. Moving Forward

The SRSG's fact-finding missions have demonstrated some key areas where the Council of Europe must play its role in supporting member states, and indeed all actors concerned.

The body of Council of Europe conventions sets important standards, in diverse areas, which are the foundation stones for action. The geographical reach of its membership allows activities by the Council of Europe to achieve an impact all along the migration routes into and within Europe. The Council of Europe can draw on the knowledge and experiences of its member states along this spectrum to develop policy and provide support in fulfilling our obligations towards refugee and migrant children. The Council of Europe also supports networks which have a real role to play, including the European Network for Ombudsmen for Children. It participates in ongoing dialogue and co-operates closely with other international and regional organisations including the European Union and United Nations bodies and agencies.

Putting in place, as a next step, an action plan that addresses issues facing all refugee and migrant children will strengthen the Council of Europe's ongoing work and crucially will allow us to do more and to do better for children and families. A comprehensive framework allows the Council of Europe to bring refugee and migrant children specifically into focus across the many areas of Council of Europe work that have an impact on them. These include child rights, education, sport, youth participation, access to social rights and intercultural programmes. It would allow better links to be forged between them and would contribute to the ongoing work of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities, the European Committee of Social Rights and the important monitoring work of the treaty bodies. An action plan will also enable the Council of Europe to engage more fully with external stakeholders in respect of refugee and migrant children by raising awareness of its activities, supporting dialogue, and facilitating synergies and co-operation.

Features of this framework will be led by the findings from the fact-finding missions, including a focus:

 not only on short-term, emergency responses, but on a longer-term strategy;

 not only on certain border points, but also on efforts to find durable solutions for the future well-being of refugees and migrants and in the best interests of the children concerned;

 on all refugee and migrant children, not just those with claims for international protection;

 on meeting the special needs for the assistance and protection of unaccompanied children and ensuring that the situation of children within families is visible and addressed;

 on ensuring respect for non-refoulement, while at the same time managing migration flows;

 on securing stability for refugee and migrant children through support for integration in our societies, resettlement to other countries or return to their countries of origin, when and where this is in their best interests;

 on strengthening child protection systems and building capacity for the protection of all children in the jurisdiction of member states.

A Council of Europe wide action plan on migrant and refugee children, with special focus on unaccompanied children, will play an instrumental role in both standard-setting processes on issues such as age assessment, legal guardianship and in dissemination of promising practices on a wide-range of areas such as alternatives to detention, education, in particular linguistic education, and fight against child trafficking. The Action Plan will include concrete activities that would improve the lives of refugee and migrant children in Europe.

[1] UNICEF Child Alert, Danger Every Step of the Way, June 2016 https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/childrenonthemove/files/Child_Alert_Final_PDF.pdf.

[2] Launched during the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2012.
Cambodia: Continue to Investigate Kem Ley Killing

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 23 March 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Cambodia: Continue to Investigate Kem Ley Killing, 23 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d52ab24.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

On 23 March 2017, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Oeuth Ang guilty of the premeditated murder of Kem Ley on 10 July 2016 and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Prior to the half-day trial, which took place on 1 March 2017, the authorities released almost no information about the investigation.

"The trial revealed that the investigation appeared to be deficient in several important respects," said Kingsley Abbott, Senior International Legal Adviser at the International Commission of Jurists who observed the trial. "Until there is an independent, impartial and effective investigation to establish whether anyone else was involved in the killing, the victims of this serious crime, including Kem Ley's wife and children, will be unable to obtain justice."

Even the very identity of the defendant was at issue. At trial, Oeuth Ang maintained he is 39-years-old, unmarried, and named "Chuob Samlab" - which translates in English as "Meet to Kill" - from Banteay Meanchey province. However, the prosecutor submitted that based on the fingerprint on the ID card of Oeuth Ang, he is satisfied that the defendant is in fact Oeuth Ang, married, born in 1972, from Siem Reap province.

"The proceedings may have established that Oeuth Ang pulled the trigger, but the investigation does not seem to have considered whether someone else loaded the gun", said Champa Patel, the Amnesty International Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. "It is clear that the authorities want to close the book on this case and move on but failures in the investigation of this heinous act can only serve to compound the injustice already suffered by the family of Kem Ley".

The hearing commenced at 8:40 and concluded at 13:00. After Oeuth Ang gave evidence, ten witnesses gave oral testimony including two Caltex workers, seven officials who were involved in the investigation in different capacities, and a doctor who examined Kem Ley's body at the scene of death. Official reports and the statements of several witnesses were also read into evidence, and the prosecution played eight videos from different locations, including one captured by a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera inside the Caltex station where Kem Ley was killed. Kem Ley's widow, who was named as a civil party, did not appear at the trial but her civil party statement was read into evidence.

"The authorities' failure to investigate so many clear gaps in the defendant's story and the court's unwillingness to examine them suggest that a quick conviction rather than uncovering all involved was the main concern," said Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch. "Kem Ley's family have been outspoken in their disbelief that Oeuth Ang was solely responsible for the murder, and the trial's conduct lends credence to their skepticism."

Eight issues that were not adequately addressed at trial

While at trial Oeuth Ang testified that he killed Kem Ley over a USD $3,000 debt and acted alone, the prosecution's presentation of the case - which is the only publicly accessible record of the investigation - appeared to reveal significant gaps in the investigation's attempt to establish the truth, including:

Oeuth Ang claimed he had the means to provide Kem Ley with $3,000 because he had sold a parcel of land he had possessed since he was young. However, the prosecutor did not outline any efforts investigators had taken to verify this part of Oeuth Ang's story, for example locating the land, obtaining any proof of ownership or sale, or interviewing the alleged purchaser to verify that the sale took place. No statement from the alleged purchaser was produced at trial and no one appeared as a witness on this issue. The results of any financial or telecommunication inquiries, on any issue, were not produced at trial either. Oeuth Ang claimed he met Kem Ley only once in Phnom Penh after being introduced to him by an intermediary named "Pou Lis". At this meeting, he claimed he provided Kem Ley with $3,000 in exchange for the promise of a house and employment. However, the prosecutor did not outline any attempts investigators had made to identify, locate and interview Pou Lis. No statement from Pou Lis was produced at trial and he did not appear as a witness. The Prosecutor played video footage from only one CCTV camera from inside the Caltex station where Kem Ley was killed. The prosecutor claimed the video showed Oeuth Ang entering the station before allegedly killing Kem Ley. Kem Ley could not be seen in the frame of the video. While the Caltex station appears to have numerous CCTV cameras installed, including on the forecourt, the prosecutor did not outline what video footage investigators had been able to obtain from the different Caltex cameras, and provided no explanation for only playing footage from one Caltex camera. This information could potentially be relevant to several issues, including whether Oeuth Ang acted alone, by shedding light on his movements before, during, and after the killing. The Caltex CCTV footage played at trial showed a man in a white shirt sitting with Kem Ley shortly before he was shot. No evidence was produced showing whether investigators had attempted to identify the man and he was not called as a witness during the hearing. Oeuth Ang claimed someone whom he did not see fired a weapon at him while he was fleeing the crime scene. The prosecutor did not address this issue adequately, including whether any attempts had been made to identify and interview the alleged shooter. No statement from the alleged shooter was produced at trial and they did not appear as a witness. Oeuth Ang claimed he bought a Glock handgun he says he used to kill Kem Ley from an acquaintance in Thailand named "Chork". The prosecutor did not outline any efforts that had been made, if any, to identify, locate and interview Chork. No statement from Chork was produced at trial and he did not appear as a witness. It is unclear what steps were made during the investigation to confirm important elements about Oeuth Ang's background, including any links to military or official roles he has held in the past. According to statement of the defendant's wife, who was not present at the hearing, Oeuth Ang was formerly a Khmer Rouge soldier. A statement by his mother, who was also not present during the proceedings, outlined that Oeuth Ang had worked for the "Environmental Department." At trial, Oeuth Ang stated that he had previously worked as a chef for soldiers but denied that he had been a soldier. He also maintained that he was named "Chuob Samlab" and was not known by another name. At trial, the prosecutor played a series of eight videos from different vantage points showing the man alleged to be Oeuth Ang fleeing the crime scene and running eastwards up Mao Tse Tung. These videos, which were also published on a government aligned news website on the day of the trial, revealed that several vehicles, among them, a white SUV and two motorcycles, appear to have followed the fleeing man. A man seen riding pillion on one of the motorcycles appears to be holding an assault rifle. The identity of these vehicles and men were not referred to during the trial and none of them was called as a witness.

Background

During the morning of 10 July 2016, Kem Ley was shot and killed at a petrol station cafe on Phnom Penh's Monivong Boulevard. Police arrested Oeuth Ang a short time later while fleeing the scene. According to police, he later "confessed" to the killing claiming his motive was an unpaid debt of $3,000 Kem Ley owed him, a claim disputed by Kem Ley's widow and Oeuth Ang's wife.

Kem Ley's killing occurred against a backdrop of escalating attacks on human rights defenders and the political opposition and Cambodia's well-documented history of killings which are alleged to have had state involvement.

On 13 July 2016, shortly after the killing, the ICJ made five concrete recommendations to the Cambodian authorities aimed at meeting its obligations under international law to promptly carry out an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the killing.

On 23 March 2017, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Oeuth Ang guilty of premeditated murder (Article 200 of the Cambodian Criminal Code) and the unauthorized holding or transporting of weapons (Article 490 of the Cambodian Criminal Code).

Today, it was reported in the media that, following the verdict, Oeuth Ang's lawyer told journalists the court had created a new case-file to investigate two men named Pou Lis and Chak who may be relevant to the killing of Kem Ley. This statement has yet to be officially confirmed and no further details of the identity of the men or how they may be related to the case has been made available.

Pursuant to international law binding on Cambodia, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Cambodia is a State Party, Cambodia has a duty to promptly, independently, impartially, and effectively investigate all deaths suspected of being unlawful. Investigations must seek to identify not only direct perpetrators but also all others who may have been responsible for criminal conduct in connection with the death.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
UN: New Move on North Korea Crimes

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 24 March 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, UN: New Move on North Korea Crimes, 24 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d52b184.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations Human Rights Council has brought North Korea another step closer to accountability for human rights crimes, Human Rights Watch said today. A resolution, passed without a vote on March 24, 2017, strengthens the UN's work to assess and develop strategies to prosecute grave violations in North Korea.

The resolution provides for strengthening the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Seoul by including international criminal justice experts. The experts will be able to develop plans for the eventual prosecution of North Korean leaders and officials responsible for human rights crimes.

"The Human Rights Council spoke with one voice today by condemning North Korea's horrific rights abuses and supporting efforts to bring leading officials in Pyongyang to account," said John Fisher, Geneva director. "The overwhelming support for this resolution shows the resounding commitment of the international community to ensure that Kim Jong-un and North Korea's rights-abusing authorities don't escape justice."

The prosecutorial experts in the OHCHR Seoul office will be able to assess information from researchers. They will be able to identify evidence gaps, map command structures of North Korean institutions, and develop effective options and strategies for prosecuting those responsible for grievous human rights abuses in North Korea, including crimes against humanity.

Tomas Ojea Quintana, the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), underlined in his latest report to the council in February that the "investigation and prosecution of serious crimes are indispensable, as are measures to ensure the right of victims and societies to know the truth about violations, the right of victims to reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence of violations."

The strengthening of the Seoul office follows recommendations by the group of independent experts on accountability created under a Human Rights Council resolution adopted on March 23, 2016. The UN high commissioner for human rights appointed the panel in September, naming Sara Hossain, a lawyer in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and Sonja Biserko, a Serbian human rights activist who served on the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in North Korea, as the experts.

The new resolution will also establish an independent central repository to receive, preserve, and consolidate information and evidence related to the human rights situation in North Korea, for use in any future accountability mechanism. It also stressed the importance of following up on the recommendations from the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in North Korea.

The commission found that the gravity, scale, and nature of the human rights violations in North Korea have no parallel in any other country in the contemporary world, and amount to crimes against humanity. Abuses included enslavement, extermination, murder, rape and other sexual crimes, deliberate starvation, and enforced disappearances "pursuant to policies at the highest level of the state." The UN Security Council has discussed the situation in North Korea as a formal agenda item three years in a row, a recognition that North Korea's dire human rights conditions constitute a threat to regional peace and security.

"The Human Rights Council demonstrated with its new resolution what can be achieved when member countries stand behind their promises to hold to account recalcitrant, rights-violating governments," Fisher said. "This not only brings North Koreans one step closer to justice for human rights crimes they have suffered, but should also make North Korean government officials think twice before inflicting more abuse."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
United States: Information on the meaning of "Alien Registration Card/Permanent Resident Card Prior to 1998," including any associated status or documentation, including Temporary Protected Status (2015-February 2017)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 10 February 2017 Citation / Document Symbol USA105746.E Related Document(s) Etats-Unis : information sur la signification de  carte d'inscription au registre des etrangers/carte de resident permanent produite avant 1998  ("Alien Registration Card/Permanent Resident Card Prior to 1998"), y compris tout statut ou document associe, y compris le statut de protection temporaire (2015-fevrier 2017) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, United States: Information on the meaning of "Alien Registration Card/Permanent Resident Card Prior to 1998," including any associated status or documentation, including Temporary Protected Status (2015-February 2017), 10 February 2017, USA105746.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d535564.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official with the US Department of Homeland Security's Citizenship and Immigration Services Agency indicated, regarding the meaning of Alien Registration Card/Permanent Resident Card Prior to 1998 when inquiring into an individual's status, that "[t]he individual would not necessarily have a green card or permanent resident status" (US 3 Feb. 2017). Citing information provided by a US Citizenship and Immigration Services employee working on biometrics issues at the Fraud Detection and National Security unit in Washington, D.C., the official further explained that "without a specific record identifier, such as an alien number or name, [one] is unable to decipher the meaning of the quoted information" (ibid.). According to the official,

while a straightforward reading makes it appear as though the individual was issued a permanent resident card before 1998, it is unclear why the record distinguishes the card issuance as "prior to 1998" and if the time period is material. In addition, assuming this means the individual received U.S. lawful permanent resident status in 1998, it does not mean that the individual has maintained this status and currently has U.S. lawful permanent resident status. (ibid.)

Further and corroborating information on the meaning of Alien Registration Card/Permanent Resident Card Prior to 1998 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Concerning whether an individual with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would have permanent residence status, the official explained that

[t]he individual would not be given permanent resident status by virtue of their TPS status, but they would receive documentation to show their TPS status. Applicants do not receive permanent resident status or a green card by virtue of having been granted TPS, because TPS is by its definition temporary. It is not an avenue by which individuals may later become eligible to "adjust" to permanent resident status, though they may later become eligible to apply for permanent resident status under other sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as beneficiaries of a family or employer petition, for example. Evidence of having been granted TPS status includes, but is not limited to[:]

a USCIS-issued TPS approval letter (also called a "registration document");

a Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review order or decision granting TPS, issued either by the Board of Immigration Appeals or an immigration judge;

an employment authorization document (EAD, also called work-authorization card or work permit), annotated with "A-12" (approved) or "C-19" (applicants) as the category and with an expiration date consistent with the Federal Register notice announcing TPS. The EAD annotation codes refer to the specific subsection of Title 8, Code of Federal Regulations section 274a.12, under which the applicant qualifies for employment authorization; or

a travel authorization document (Form I-512), with an annotation of "TPS." (ibid.)

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Reference

United States (US). 3 February 2017. Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services Agency. Correspondence from an Official to the Research Directorate.

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: Jane's Intelligence Review; United Nations - Refworld; United States - Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, Library of Congress.
Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda: Activities of Burundian militias in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo,Tanzania and Uganda, including relationship with Burundian refugees (2015-February 2017)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 14 March 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ZZZ105754.E Related Document(s) Burundi, Republique democratique du Congo, Rwanda, Tanzanie et Ouganda : information sur les activites des milices burundaises au Rwanda, en Republique democratique du Congo, en Tanzanie et en Ouganda, y compris la relation avec les refugies burundais (2015-fevrier 2017) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda: Activities of Burundian militias in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo,Tanzania and Uganda, including relationship with Burundian refugees (2015-February 2017), 14 March 2017, ZZZ105754.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d536224.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Overview

According to the UNHCR, as of 31 October 2016, there were 180,786 Burundian refugees in Tanzania, 29,975 in Uganda, 30,205 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 81,307 in Rwanda (UN 2017). According to a report on the Burundi crisis prepared by the International Federation for Human Rights (Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme, FIDH) in collaboration with Ligue ITEKA, a Burundian human rights NGO created in 1991 that focuses on the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IRRI n.d.) [1], some Burundians have also found refuge in Kenya, South Sudan, and Sudan (FIDH and Ligue ITEKA Nov. 2016, 31). An article by The Guardian reports that Burundians found shelter in Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda (The Guardian 14 Oct. 2015).

The Guardian reports that many Burundian refugees "cited their fear of the Imbonerakure" (14 Oct. 2015). Similarly, sources indicate that Burundian refugees in Rwanda have fled from the Imbonerakure, which means "the foresighted" in the Kirundi language (La Croix international 5 June 2015; The New Times 4 June 2015). Sources describe the Imbonerakure as a "pro-government militia" (The New Times 4 June 2015) or "a militia group that supports President Nkurunziza's bid for a third term" (La Croix international 5 June 2015). However, The Guardian describes the Imbonerakure as "the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD [Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces de defense de la democratie (National Council for the Defense of DemocracyForces for the Defense of Democracy)] ruling party" (14 Oct. 2015). Foreign Policy (FP) magazine describes them as "Burundi's version of the Hutu youth militias responsible for the Rwandan genocide" (FP 4 Nov. 2016). For more information on the Imbonerakure, see Response to Information Request BDI104343 of March 2013.

Daily Nation, a Kenyan newspaper, cites Burundian refugees in Kenya as stating that the "Imbonerakure militia group has been targeting exiles" (Daily Nation 22 May 2016). Similarly, The Guardian cites a Human Rights Watch researcher as saying that "a widespread and well-documented fear of reprisal attacks among Burundian refugees [in Tanzania and other countries where they have found refuge] is testament to how extensive the terrifying violence inside [Burundi] has become" (15 Apr. 2016). The Human Rights Watch researcher also indicates that the refugees in these countries are "'very worried about their security even outside Burundi'" (The Guardian 15 Apr. 2016).

2. Activities of Burundi Militias

The FIDH and Ligue ITEKA report states that,

[translation]

Burundians in exile told our organizations how they were, and continue to be, hunted by Imbonerakure and Burundian intelligence agents in the countries where they sought refuge, often with the complicity of men belonging to local militias. Numerous interlocutors confirmed that Imbonerakure operate permanently in Burundi's border countries: Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but also in more distant countries such as Uganda or Kenya, Sudan and South Sudan. (Nov. 2016, 58).

According to the report,

Imbonerakure are specially sent out of Burundi, by order of the Burundian authorities, with the mission to kill certain identified individuals: political opponents, Burundian civil society members, journalists, protestors, victims who could provide information on the abuses they have suffered. (FIDH and Ligue ITEKA Nov. 2016, 58).

The same report adds that there have been "[s]everal attacks in refugee camps, notably in Tanzania, [which were] were committed by men suspected of being Imbonerakure" (FIDH and Ligue ITEKA Nov. 2016, 31). The Guardian similarly reports that Burundian refugees in neighbouring countries say that "teams of thugs [linked to the government militias] are slipping out of Burundi and into refugee camps in neighbouring countries to launch murderous attacks on exiles" (15 Apr. 2016). The same source similarly states that, according to "some" Burundian refugees,

they are being targeted to prevent them from sharing their accounts of abuse in a country hovering on the brink of civil war, where thousands have been abducted, tortured, raped and killed. Others believe they are being singled out by people who want to punish family members active in the opposition. (The Guardian 15 Apr. 2016)

According to Radio publique africaine (RPA), a Burundian radio station [2], [translation] "a hunt against Burundian refugees in the East African Community appears to be happening," with Burundian refugees in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya being [translation] "the most targeted" (RPA 20 Jan. 2016). According to the same source, as of January 2016, in the East African Community countries [Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi], [translation] "five [Burundian refugees] have been assassinated and others tortured" (RPA 20 Jan. 2016). The same source adds that [translation] "emissaries from the Bujumbura regime" have been sent to these countries to identify [translation] "potential opponents" (RPA 20 Jan. 2016). FIDH and Ligue ITEKA similarly state that exiled Burundians they interviewed reported that they were victims of assassination attempts by men who they suspected were Imbonerakure or agents of the of the SNR [Service national de renseignement (Burundian National Intelligence Service)], and who spoke Kirundi, Burundi's official language, at the moment of the attack (Nov. 2016, 59).

The FIDH and Ligue ITEKA report indicates that Jean de Dieu Kabura, an exiled member of the MSD [Mouvement pour la Solidarite en Developpement, an opposition party (Daily Nation 22 May 2016)] was killed in Nairobi, Kenya, by a young man who was suspected of being an Imbonerakure leader (FIDH and Ligue ITEKA Nov. 2016, 59). The Daily Nation similarly reports that Jean de Dieu Kabura was found with stab wounds in Kawangware (22 May 2016). RPA reports that in December 2015, two Burundian refugees were killed, including Jean de Dieu, in Nairobi, and another man in the Kakuma refugee camp (RPA 20 Jan. 2016). The same source adds that the Imbonerakure are accused of killing Burundian refugees, and that the Burundian government has reportedly sent [translation] "emissaries to identify potential opponents" (RPA 20 Jan. 2016). According to the FIDH and Ligue ITEKA report, some Burundian refugees have also been victims of assassination attempts in Uganda and South Sudan (Nov. 2016, 31). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Foreign Policy cites an advocate at Refugees International (RI), an NGO that advocates for the human rights of displaced persons (RI n.d.), as saying that "Burundian agents and militia have blocked would-be refugees from fleeing the country - even arresting them, and physically or sexually abusing them at the border" (FP 4 Nov. 2016). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.1 Situation in Tanzania

Al Jazeera reports that "refugees from Burundi, who fled violence in their country to neighbouring Tanzania, have accused their government of sending armed men into refugee camps to hunt down opposition supporters" (Al Jazeera 5 Feb. 2016). Al Jazeera also reported that "several" refugees interviewed in the Nduta refugee camp had indicated that "dozens of Burundians had left the camp in November [2015] in the belief they would join an armed rebel group back in Burundi[;] [t]hey later learned it was [a] trap set by government-backed armed groups," and that "people in Burundi had since told them most members of the group had been killed" (5 Feb. 2016). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

RPA reports that, also in November 2015, Burundian refugees were attacked near the Nyarugusu refugee camp by assailants that the refugees claimed came from Burundi, and who were targeting the camp (20 Jan. 2016). According to RPA, the Tanzanian police arrested six Burundians trying to return to Burundi following the attack and seized a gun and ammunition (20 Jan. 2016). The same source also reports that, on 31 December 2015, a Burundian refugee in the Nduta refugee camp died after being beaten and stabbed, and that the following week another Burundian refugee was also stabbed (RPA 20 Jan. 2016). The same source indicates that Burundian refugees in the Nduta refugee camp accused the Imbonerakure of coming from Burundi to commit crimes against the refugees (RPA 20 Jan. 2016). RPA adds that several Imbonerakure were arrested and that weapons were seized in the area around the Nduta refugee camp (20 Jan. 2016). Al Jazeera similarly states that refugees in the Nduta refugee camp reported that "Burundi had dispatched agents who carried out attempted killings and abductions" (5 Feb. 2016).

The Guardian reports that in the Nyarugusu refugee camp there is an "overcrowded secure area" that is fenced off and only accessible to "verified residents" (15 April 2016). The same source adds that although "[a]id workers and experts say they have no evidence that Burundian militias are operating inside Nyarugusu or other camps, [this secure area] is evidence that some vulnerable residents are considered to be at critical risk from attackers inside the camp" (The Guardian 15 Apr. 2016). The Foreign Policy article states that the Imbonerakure "have been regularly crossing the border into western Tanzania to surveil and intimidate refugees," and that a Tanzanian official who oversees the Nyarugusu refugee camp "acknowledges the group's presence" (FP 4 Nov. 2016). According to the Foreign Policy article, "[o]nce in Tanzania, [the Imbonerakure] surveil the refugee population, issue death threats, and beat and harass Burundians" (4 Nov. 2016). According to the same source, "[t]he Imbonerakure have also infiltrated aid agencies and nongovernmental organizations in the camps" (FP 4 Nov. 2016). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.2 Situation in Uganda

According to RPA, the security of Burundian refugees is threatened in Uganda (20 Jan. 2016). The same article describes the case of a Burundian woman in Uganda who said she was [translation] "almost kidnapped a second time" in January 2016 in Kampala, after having been attacked in October 2015 in the same city, by the same Imbonerakure who had targeted her in Burundi before she fled, and that the person who was with her at the time of the 2016 attack was hurt with a knife (RPA 20 Jan. 2016). The same source also reports the following incidents in the Nakival refugee camp:

A man was seriously wounded by attackers whom "sources in the camp" link to the Imbonerakure, while a friend who was with him at that time was able to escape, but then had to leave the camp, while his wife who stayed behind, was bullied and forced to leave the house she had in the camp by the camp's neighbourhood leader;

A woman had to flee the camp for fear of her safety, as two of her four kids were kidnapped, for which she holds the Imbonerakure responsible (RPA 20 Jan. 2016).

RPA indicates that, according to the Burundians who report having been attacked, [translation] "'the Ugandan police does absolutely nothing to protect them'" (20 Jan 2016). A Burundian refugee in Uganda interviewed by the International Crisis Group stated that 13 Imbonerakure had been discovered in the Nakivale refugee camp but that camp authorities had not yet taken action after being informed (International Crisis Group 25 Oct. 2016). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The FIDH and Ligue ITEKA report states that many Burundian refugees they interviewed in Uganda said that they had received phone calls both from well-known Imbonerakure members and anonymous callers (Nov. 2016, 59). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.3 Situation in Rwanda

Sources report that Rwanda's Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs assured Burundian refugees in the Mahama refugee camp in Rwanda of their security (The New Times 4 June 2015; La Croix international 5 June 2015), saying that "the camp was secure and would not be infiltrated by militia groups" (La Croix international 5 June 2015). An article in Rwandan newspaper The New Times cites Burundian refugees in the Mahama refugee camp as saying that "some members of [the] Imbonerakure and [Burundian] state operatives had crossed the border into Rwanda posing as refugees" and claimed they had seen them in the Mahama refugee camp (4 June 2015). RPA stated that [translation] "emissaries" from Bujumbura have gone to Rwanda to track regime opponents, but that, as of January 2016, no cases of assassination attempts or human rights violations against Burundian refugees had been reported (20 Jan. 2016). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Sources report that the Burundian government accuses the Rwandan government of recruitment for rebel groups in refugee camps, including Mahama (RFI 25 Nov. 2015; France24 4 Nov. 2015). The Al Jazeera article indicates that a leaked UN report accused Rwanda of "recruiting and training Burundian refugees in a Rwandan camp to fight against the Burundian government" (5 Feb. 2016). An article by Newsweek, an American news magazine and website (Newsweek n.d.), reports that a February 2016 "expert report" to the UN Security Council "cited testimony from 18 Burundian combatants who said they were recruited from the Mahama refugee camp in Rwanda and given training in the use of weapons" (Newsweek 2 Dec. 2016). The same source reports that the combatants, who were located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, stated that "some of the training was carried out by Rwandan military personnel" (Newsweek 2 Dec. 2016). In a December 2015 report on the recruitment of Burundian refugees, Refugees International indicates that, while doing field research in Rwanda, they "received numerous allegations  that refugees were being targeted for recruitment into non-state armed groups," including in the Mahama refugee camp and in urban areas (RI 14 Dec. 2015, 3). Sources report that the Rwandan government has denied its involvement (Newsweek 2 Dec. 2016; Al Jazeera 5 Feb. 2016; RFI 25 Nov. 2015). Radio France internationale (RFI) further reports that the UNHCR indicated that [translation] "they had no proof of such recruitment" (RFI 25 Nov. 2015). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.4 Situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that Burundian refugees in the Lusenda refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo fear infiltration and attacks by the Imbonerakure and fear for their security (AFP 23 Jan. 2016). According to AFP, refugees in the Lusenda refugee camp fear that it is too close to the border with Burundi (23 Jan. 2016). AFP notes that the camp is 70 kilometres from Burundi by land, but only 35 kilometres distant when crossing Lake Tanganvika (23 Jan. 2016). A news article by MONUSCO [Mission de l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Republique democratique du Congo (UN Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo)] states that, despite the presence of [translation] "different security rings" in the camp from the Congolese military, the police, and MONUSCO, refugees feared [translation] "eventual attacks from men coming from Burundi" (UN 29 Dec. 2016). RFI reports that the Congolese national police established a post within the Democratic Republic of Congo camp, while MONUSCO ensured the security around the Lusenda refugee camp, due to "rumours of the presence of Burundian rebels" (10 Jan. 2016). RPA states that [translation] "emissaries" from Bujumbura have gone to "some locations" in the Democratic Republic of Congo to track regime opponents, but that, as of January 2016, no cases of assassination attempts or human rights violations against Burundian refugees had been reported (RPA 20 Jan. 2016).

According to RFI, Congolese security forces reported that they had intercepted 36 members of old and new Burundian rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (5 Jan. 2016). The same source reports that a former Burundian army captain was arrested at the Lusenda refugee camp where he was conducting recruitment along with three other people (RFI 5 Jan. 2016). The same source further indicates that Congolese security forces believe that Rwanda was implicated in the creation of new Burundian rebel groups (RFI 5 Jan. 2016). In a report on Burundian refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Refugees International states that it "has learned of credible allegations that isolated incidents of recruitment [by Burundian rebel forces] have taken place among Burundian refugees in the DRC" (26 May 2016, 9).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes:

[1] The Ligue ITEKA was officially disbanded by a ministerial decree from the Minister of the Interior and of Patriotic Development on 3 January 2017, accusing the organization of being "'a repeat offender in tarnishing the brand image of the country and of sowing hate and division amongst the Burundi population'" (Frontline Defenders 4 Jan. 2017).

[2] Operating since 2001, Radio publique africaine (RPA) is a community-based radio which is broadcasted throughout most of Burundi as well as parts of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania (RPA n.d.). It describes itself as [translation] "the voice of the voiceless" and puts special emphasis on "the defense of vulnerable groups" (RPA n.d.).

References

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 23 January 2016. "En RDC, les refugies burundais du camp de Lusenda craignent pour leur securite." [Accessed 16 Feb. 2017]

Al Jazeera. 5 February 2016. "Burundi Accused of Hunting Refugees in Tanzania Camps." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

La Croix International. 5 June 2015. "Burundian Refugees Assured of Their Safety." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Daily Nation. 22 May 2016. Aggrey Mutambo. "Burundian Exiles Accuse State Operatives of Targeting Them." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme (FIDH) and Ligue ITEKA. November 2016. Burundi: Repression aux dynamiques genocidaires. [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Foreign Policy (FP). 4 November 2016. Amanda Sperber. "Fleeing Burundi Won't Protect You from Its Government." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

France24. 4 November 2015. "Video: le camp de Mahama, centre de recrutement de rebelles selon le Burundi." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Frontline Defenders. 4 January 2017. "The Ligue Iteka Disbanded by the Government." [Accessed 1 Mar. 2017]

The Guardian. 15 April 2016. Emma Graham-Harrison. "Nowhere to Run: Burundi Violence Follows Escapees Across Borders." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

The Guardian. 14 October 2015. Nicole Lee. "A Life of Escaping Conflict: 'I Don't feel Like a Burundian  I Am a Refugee'." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

International Crisis Group. 25 October 2016. Mathilde Boddaert. "Refugies burundais: la vie en exil." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI). "Ligue ITEKA." [Accessed 1 Mar. 2017]

Newsweek. 2 December 2016. Connor Gaffey. "Rwanda to Relocate Burundian Refugees after Accusations of Militia Recruitment." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Newsweek. N.d. "About Newsweek." [Accessed 7 Mar. 2017]

The New Times. 4 June 2015. James Karuhanga. "Govt Reassures Burundian Refugees of Security." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Radio France internationale (RFI). 10 January 2016. "RDC: la tension monte au camp de refugies burundais de Lusenda." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Radio France internationale (RFI). 5 January 2016. "Infiltrations de rebelles burundais en RDC: ce que disent les services." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Radio France internationale (RFI). 25 November 2015. "Allegations de recrutement de rebelles burundais dans un camp rwandais." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Refugees International (RI). 26 May 2016. Michael Boyce and Mark Yarnell. No Respite: Burundian Refugees in the DR Congo. [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Refugees International (RI). 14 December 2015. Michael Boyce and Francisca Vigaud-Walsh. Asylum Betrayed: Recruitment Of Burundian Refugees in Rwanda. [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Refugees International (RI). N.d. "Our Mission Is to Be a Powerful Voice for Lifesaving Action." [Accessed 7 Mar. 2017]

Radio publique africaine (RPA). 20 January 2016. "Les Burundais refugies dans la sous-region n'echappent pas a la repression de Bujumbura." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Radio publique africaine (RPA). N.d. "Qui sommes-nous?" [Accessed 24 Feb. 2017]

United Nations (UN). 2017. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Burundi Situation. 2017 Regional Refugee Response Plan: Overview. [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

United Nations (UN). 29 December 2016. Mission de l'Organisation des Nations unies pour la stabilisation en Republique democratique du Congo (MONUSCO). "La directrice regionale du HCR a visite le camp des refugies burundais de Lusenda au Sud-Kivu." [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: African Arguments; Africanews; Afrique Education; Agence d'information d'Afrique centrale; AllAfrica; Amnesty International; Burundi Africa Generation; Chicago Monitor; Conseil National pour le respect de l'Accord d'Arusha pour la Paix et la Reconciliation au Burundi et de l'Etat de droit; ecoi.net; Factiva; International Red Cross; IRIN; ISSAT; Jane's Intelligence Review; JusticeInfor.net; Mail & Guardian; News24; Oxfam International; Pambazuka News; Radio Okapi; Slate Afrique; SOS-TORTURE / BURUNDI; Trocaire; UN  Refworld, Reliefweb, World Food Programme, World Health Organisation.
Burundi: The authorities' treatment of political opponents; the authorities' treatment of members of the political party known as Movement for Solidarity and Democracy (Mouvement pour la solidarite et la democratie, MSD) (2015-February 2017)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 8 March 2017 Citation / Document Symbol BDI105751.FE Related Document(s) Burundi : information sur le traitement reserve par les autorites aux opposants politiques; information sur le traitement reserve par les autorites aux membres du parti politique Mouvement pour la solidarite et la democratie (MSD) (2015-fevrier 2017) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burundi: The authorities' treatment of political opponents; the authorities' treatment of members of the political party known as Movement for Solidarity and Democracy (Mouvement pour la solidarite et la democratie, MSD) (2015-February 2017), 8 March 2017, BDI105751.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d537a84.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. The Authorities' Treatment of Political Opponents

According to the annual report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Burundi (OHCHR-Burundi), which was published in 2016, the criterion of [UN English version] "undermining public order" has been "used systematically" by the authorities since April 2015 to prevent opposition political parties in particular from obtaining prior authorization under the law to hold a meeting, demonstration or rally (UN 17 June 2016, para. 44). Furthermore, according to the Amnesty International (AI) report on the state of the world's human rights, which was published in 2016, [AI English version] "activities by political opposition parties and civil society organizations were restricted [in Burundi]" (AI 2016, 127). The same source indicates that on April 24, 2015, [AI English version] "the Minister of Interior banned all demonstrations" (AI 2016, 127).

The Report of the United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB) notes that after April 2015, there was an increase in the number of arbitrary arrests and detention of individuals who were protesting against a third term for the president (UN 20 Sept. 2016, para. 65). The same source notes the following:

[UN English version]

SNR [National Intelligence Services], the PNB [Burundi National Police], the Imbonerakure [youth league of the party in power, some of whom work closely with security forces (UN 17 June 2016, 3)] and the FDN [National Defence Forces] reportedly tracked down opponents, notably through cordon and search operations and raids in so-called opposition neighbourhoods of Bujumbura. (UN 20 Sept. 2016, para. 65)

In addition, according to a report on Burundi that was published in 2016 by Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a website that codes the dates and locations of political violence and protest events in more than 60 countries in Africa and Asia (ACLED n.d.), after December 2015, the police carried out [ACLED English version] "searches, raids, and arrests throughout Bujumbura" (ACLED May 2016, 6). In its report on Burundi that was published in 2017, Human Rights Watch states that [Human Rights Watch English version] "[s]cores of opposition party members have been arrested, ill-treated, and illegally detained, and other detainees taken to unknown destinations," yet arrest warrants were almost never produced by the police (Jan. 2017, 4). Relying on testimony, UNIIB indicates that the individuals arrested by security forces were allegedly sorted [UN English version] "according to their presumed collaboration with armed opposition groups or involvement in the movement against the third term" (UN 20 Sept. 2016, para. 66). The UNIIB report states that security forces used extortion, asking for [UN English version] "ransoms" to be paid to middle men to obtain the release of detainees (UN, para. 67). OHCHR-Burundi writes the following:

[UN English version]

November 2015 was characterized by an increase in the number of police operations in the parts of Bujumbura considered to be opposition neighbourhoods (Musaga, Mutakura, Jabe, Ngagara and Nyakabiga), following President Nkurunziza's ultimatum ordering people illegally possessing weapons to surrender them. This crackdown was accompanied by a new wave of arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial executions, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. Members of the police, the National Intelligence Service and the riot squad were the main alleged perpetrators of these violations [] December 2015 saw the emergence of cases of enforced disappearance and sexual violence, attributed to police personnel, members of the military and the Imbonerakure. (UN 17 June 2016, para. 7)

In addition, according to the AI report published in 2017 on the state of the world's human rights, reports of forced disappearances, [AI English version] "often implicating the National Intelligence Services (SNR), continued" (AI 21 Feb. 2017, 128).

Sources report that security forces used torture and other forms of ill-treatment against those in opposition to a third term (AI 2016, 129; UN 20 Sept. 2016, para. 53). The UNIIB report confirms that torture was also used against relatives of opposition members (UN 20 Sept. 2016, para. 53). The same source notes that the presumed perpetrators are elements of the SNR, the PNB, the Imbonerakure and, to a lesser extent, the FDN as well as senior figures in the security establishment, who [UN English version] "have been repeatedly cited" during testimony (UN 20 Sept. 2016, para. 53).

The UNIIB report indicates that of the 564 cases of executions, [UN English version] "the large majority of victims have been identified as people who were opposed or perceived to be opposed to the third mandate of President Nkurunziza or of members of opposition parties" (UN 20 Sept. 2016, para. 38-39). Similarly, OHCHR-Burundi reports that between April 26, 2015, and the end of April 2016, there were 348 documented cases of extrajudicial executions, the main alleged perpetrators of which were police officers, members of the SNR and members of the riot squad, and there were eight documented extrajudicial executions that were allegedly carried out by the Imbonerakure (UN 17 June 2016, para. 10). The same source states that [UN English version] "[t]he victims were for the most part civilians, mainly members of the opposition and civil society opposed to a third term in office for Nkurunziza" (UN 17 June 2016, para. 10).

1.1 Treatment of Women Associated with the Opposition

OHCHR-Burundi reports that [UN English version] "since 2016 [] the number of women arrested has increased" (UN 17 June 2016, para. 20). According to that same source, some of the women interrogated by police or SNR officers were sometimes [UN English version] "coerced [] through verbal threats, intimidation and detention into denouncing opposition members in possession of illegal firearms," while others were allegedly forced to confess that they were opposition members (UN 17 June 2016, para. 20).

ACLED indicates that there are cases of women who were raped or killed outside of the capital (ACLED May 2016, 6). The same source indicates that it may be a tactic to prevent women from supporting opposition forces (ACLED May 2016, 6). The report published by Human Rights Watch in 2017 indicates that the Imbonerakure and police officers [Human Rights Watch English version] "sometimes armed with guns, sticks or knives, raped women whose male family members were perceived government opponents" (Human Rights Watch Jan. 2017, 3). Similarly, according to the UNIIB report, [UN English version] "many Burundian women and girls related to males who opposed the third term, or were perceived as political dissidents, became the targets of physical and sexual violence by elements of the security forces" (UN 20 Sept. 2016, para. 58). In an article published in 2016, Human Rights Watch reports that in August 2015, a 17-year-old victim whose father was a member of MSD, was raped by the Imbonerakure (Human Rights Watch 27 July 2016). The same source indicates that after failing to find an MSD member who had been detained several times in December 2015, four soldiers kidnapped his wife and detained her in the barracks in Kamenge, where two of them raped and beat her (Human Rights Watch 27 July 2016).

2. The Authorities' Treatment of MSD Members

The Burundian League for Human Rights (Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme, Ligue Iteka) indicates that [translation] "according to MSD party spokesperson, Epitace Nshimirimana, the CNDD-FDD [National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Forces for the Defense of Democracy (Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces de defense de la democratie) (the party in power)] is planning on eliminating MSD members" (Ligue Iteka Nov. 2016, 14). The BBC reports that an MSD representative informed Radio France internationale (RFI) that since the start of the protests [against the president's third term], those who are in prison, and even those who have died, are, for the most part, MSD members (BBC 20 Oct. 2015a). In its report published in 2016, ACLED reports that the MSD was facing arrests (May 2016, 8).

An academic commentary published in 2016 by Jurist, a legal research website led by a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh (Jurist n.d.), states that [Jurist English version] "government sponsored hostile acts" were carried out against MSD members (ibid. 19 Jan. 2016). According to ACLED, MSD supporters were targeted in 12 percent of the violent incidents where the civilian's affiliation was known (ACLED May 2016, 4). ACLED specifies that in cases where MSD leaders and activities were targeted, primarily by unidentified armed groups, 74 percent of the incidents involved at least one fatality (ACLED May 2016, 4). In addition, in its global report on Burundi published in 2016, Human Rights Watch writes that MSD members were killed [Human Rights Watch English version] "in what appeared to be reprisal attacks" (Human Rights Watch Jan. 2016, 3).

Sources mention certain incidents involving MSD members and security forces, including the following:

In June 2015, a female MSD member sought refuge outside the country after learning from MSD lawyers and senior members that she was being sought by the SNR (FIDH and Ligue Iteka Nov. 2016, 56). Since her departure, she has allegedly received threats on three occasions from Burundians (FIDH and Ligue Iteka Nov. 2016, 56).

On 1 July 2015, four people were killed at a property where an MSD member was living (Human Rights Watch 6 Aug. 2015). That individual, who helped organize the protests [against the president's third term], [Human Rights Watch English version] "said he believed the police were looking for him at the time of the raid" (Human Rights Watch 6 Aug. 2015).

On July 6, 2015, Pacifique Masabarakiza, allegedly an MSD supporter and [translation] "identified as a leader of the protests organized in Musaga in opposition to the president's third term," was arrested by police (Iwacu 6 July 2015).

On the night of 18 and 19 July 2015, Deo Nshimirimana, an MSD member, was killed in Nyakabiga, [translation] "under undetermined circumstances" (Savoir News 21 July 2015). According to a senior MSD member, he [translation] "had left the area [central Gitega province] after receiving threats and avoiding police arrest" (Savoir News 21 July 2015).

On 13 July 2015, Benjamin Mbonimpa and Emmanuel Harimenshi, MSD members who had received death threats, were found dead (Iwacu 13 July 2015). According to Iwacu, a news website on Burundi (Iwacu n.d.), sources indicate that the victims [translation] "were being sought, likely by SNR officers and police," that a raid had taken place on 2 July 2015 at Benjamin Mbonimpa's home, and that Emmanuel Harimenshi had once been kidnapped and then released (Iwacu 19 July 2015).

In October 2015, Charlotte Umugwaneza was found dead outside of Bujumbura (RFI 18 Oct. 2015; Iwacu 15 Mar. 2016; ACLED May 2016, 13). ACLED indicates that the victim's body showed signs of torture (ACLED May 2016, 13). According to Iwacu, Charlotte Umugwaneza, MSD vice president for the Cibitoke area, was allegedly killed for political reasons (Iwacu 15 Mar. 2016). The presumed perpetrators are the SNR (FIDH and Ligue Iteka Nov. 2016, 57; BBC 20 Oct. 2015b).

On 30 April 2016, Egide Niyubahwe, a leader of the MSD party, was arrested by police officers accompanied by the Imbonerakure in the Nyakabigal commune of Bujumbura (Ligue Iteka May 2016, 11). The ITEKI league states that [translation] "the victim was sought because she was very active in the protests opposing a third term for President Pierre Nkurunziza" (Ligue Iteka May 2016, 11).

On 12 May 2016, Prime Ndayishimiye, an MSD member, was arrested (Iwacu 24 May 2016). Iwacu indicates that according to testimonies, he was arrested by SNR officers because he participated in protests opposing the president's third term (Iwacu 24 May 2016). The victim's relatives, not having been informed of where he was being detained, [translation] "spoke out against his arbitrary arrest for his political beliefs" (Iwacu 24 May 2016).

On 27 May 2016, a professor named Denis, an MSD member, was arrested and detained by the police (Ligue Iteka May 2016, 16; Iwacu 9 June 2016). The victim's relatives indicate that Denis' political affiliation explains his arrest (Iwacu 9 June 2016; Ligue Iteka May 2016).

On 12 June 2016, Nancy Iarukundo, an active member of the MSD, received a threatening anonymous telephone call telling her to quit the party (Ligue Iteka July 2016, 8). On 2 July 2016, she was assaulted by an Imbonerakure (Ligue Iteka July 2016, 8).

On 28 June 2016, the police arrested six members of the MSD in the Ndava commune of Mwaro province during a search operation (Ligue Iteka July-Sept. 2016, 82). The MSD members were allegedly detained by police (Ligue Iteka July-Sept. 2016, 82).

On 20 July 2016, Emmanuel Nibaruta, an MSD representative in the Gihanga commune in Bubanza province, was arrested by the police but they did not have a warrant for his arrest (Ligue Iteka n.d., 18). He was allegedly accused of [translation] "facilitating and participating in rebel attacks" (Ligue Iteka n.d., 18).

On 1 August 2016, Liberate Mpfagutunga, a female MSD member, was found dead in a river in the Busiga commune of Ngozi province (Ligue Iteka Aug. 2016, 8). She was allegedly killed by the Imbonerakure because of her political affiliation (Ligue Iteka Aug. 2016, 8).

Since 16 September 2016, Gloriose Kwizera, an MSD representative and assistant to the MSD president in the urban Kinindo area, has been missing after she was arrested by SNR officers (Ligue Iteka Sept. 2016, 16). Sources report that she was allegedly tortured (Ligue Iteka July-Sept. 2016, 21-22).

On 19 September 2016, three Imbonerakure stole some money from a youth member of the MSD and then beat her; the victim was hospitalized (Ligue Iteka July-Sept. 2016, 109).

On 14 October 2016, Patience Bukeyeneza, an MSD member, accused of espionage, was tortured in the Mishiha commune by the area chief and the Imbonerakure; he was allegedly injected with an unknown substance (Ligue Iteka Oct. 2016, 15). He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and his lower extremities were paralyzed (Ligue Iteka Oct. 2016, 15).

On 17 November 2016, Jean Claude Nduwayezu, an MSD member, was poisoned in Mpimba central prison (Ligue Iteka Nov. 2016, 14). The presumed perpetrators were two Imbonerakure who were allegedly [translation] "mandated to poison prisoners who were known to be political opponents" (Ligue Iteka Nov. 2016, 14). The victim was arrested in March 2014 during protests against the president's third term (Ligue Iteka Nov. 2016, 14).

On 8 December 2016, in the Mukike commune in rural Bujumbura province, Leopold Ndikubwayo, Edige Nsengiyumva and Deo Nkunzimana, MSD members, were arrested and driven to the police station after a search operation, but nothing was found at their home (Ligue Iteka Dec. 2016, 19).

On 9 December 2016, Lionel Nduwimana, an MSD member, was tortured in the Kanyosha commune of rural Bujumbura province by [translation] "a group of young Imbonerakure who were on night patrol" in order to extract information from him (Ligue Iteka Dec. 2016, 13).

An article published in 2016 by Xinhua, a Chinese news website (Xinhua n.d.), indicates that Burundi's Minister of Public Safety, Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni, accused Alexis Sinduhije, MSD president, of being among [translation] "the main sources of insecurity" in Burundi (Xinhua 13 Apr. 2016). In addition, Pan African News Agency (PANA), an online "information portal on Africa" (PANA n.d.), notes that an administrative report cites Alexis Sinduhije as the reason for [translation] "the continuing insecurity in Burundi" (PANA 17 Apr. 2016).

On 23 January 2017, hundreds of people, including 58 MSD members who had been arrested in March 2014, were released following a presidential pardon (All Africa 25 Jan. 2017; Iwacu 23 Jan. 2017).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

All Africa. 25 January 2017. "2 500 prisonniers beneficient de la grace presidentielle." (Factiva)

Amnesty International (AI). 21 February 2017. Rapport 2016/17 : la situation des droits humains dans le monde. [Accessed 21 Feb. 2016]

Amnesty International (AI). 2016. Rapport 2015/16 : la situation des droits humains dans le monde. [Accessed 21 Feb. 2016]

Armed Conflict Location & Event Dataset (ACLED). May 2016. "Country Report: Burundi Crisis Year One." [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]

Armed Conflict Location & Event Dataset (ACLED). N.d. "About ACLED." [Accessed 14 Feb. 2017]

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 20 October 2015a. "Burundi Opposition Blames Intelligence Agency for Activist's Death." (Factiva)

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 20 October 2015b. "Burundi Authorities to Probe Death of Anti-Graft Activist." (Factiva)

Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme (FIDH) and Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). November 2016. Repression aux dynamiques genecidaires. [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Human Rights Watch. January 2017. "Burundi." World Report 2017: Events of 2016. [Accessed 13 Feb. 2017]

Human Rights Watch. 27 July 2016. "Burundi : des viols collectifs commis pas des jeunes du parti au pouvoir." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Human Rights Watch. January 2016. "Burundi." World Report 2016: Events of 2015. [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Human Rights Watch. 6 August 2015. "Burundi : vague d'arrestations arbitraires et de torture." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Iwacu. 23 January 2017. "Au sommaire de l'edition de ce lundi 23 janvier 2017 du journal 'Amakuru y'Iwacu'." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Iwacu. 9 June 2016. "De l'insecurite et un ultimatum." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Iwacu. 24 May 2016. "Burambi-Magamba/le spectre des reglements de compte." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Iwacu. 15 March 2016. "Journee internationale des droits des femmes : ces Burundaises prises dans le tourbillon de la crise." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Iwacu. 19 July 2015. "Recrudescence de la criminalite a Bujumbura." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Iwacu. 13 July 2015. "Deux freres du parti MSD assassines a Kinyankonge." [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]

Iwacu. 6 July 2015. "Musaga : un jeune prenomme Pacy arrete." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Iwacu. N.d. "Le groupe IWACU." [Accessed 22 Feb. 2017]

Jurist. 19 January 2016. Pacifique Manirakiza. "The Genocide Rhetoric in Burundi." [Accessed 22 Feb. 2017]

Jurist. N.d. "FAQ." [Accessed 22 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). December 2016. "Bulletin mensuel 'Iteka n'jambo' n9." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). November 2016. "Bulletin mensuel 'Iteka n'jambo' n8." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). October 2016. "Bulletin mensuel 'Iteka n'jambo' n7." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). July-September 2016. "Bulletin tremestriel." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). September 2016. "Bulletin mensuel n6." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). August 2016. "Bulletin mensuel n5." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). July 2016. "Bulletin mensuel n4." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). May 2016. "Bulletin mensuel n2." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme (Ligue Iteka). N.d. "Bulletin special sur la repression du pouvoir contre des militaires et policiers soupconnes etre contre le troisieme mandat du president Pierre Nkurunziza." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Pan African News Agency (PANA). 17 April 2016. "Au moins quatre personnes tuees dans une attaque armee non revendiquee au Burundi." (Factiva)

Pan African News Agency (PANA). N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 22 Feb. 2017]

Radio France internationale (RFI). 18 October 2015. "Burundi : une militante du MSD disparait dans d'etranges conditions." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

Savoir News. 21 July 2015. "Burundi : deux morts a l'ouverture d'un scrutin presidentiel sous tension." (Factiva)

United Nations (UN). 20 September 2016. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Rapport de l'enquete independante des Nations Unies sur le Burundi (EINUB) etablie conformement a la resolution S-24/1 du Conseil des droits de l'homme. Unofficial translation. (A/HRC/33/37)

United Nations (UN). 17 June 2016. Rapport du Haut-Commissaire des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme sur la situation des droits de l'homme au Burundi. Advance edited version. (A/HRC/32/30)

Xinhua. 13 April 2016. "Burundi : l'insecurite fait 46 morts et 215 blesses au premier trimestre 2016." (Factiva)

Xinhua. N.d. "Brief Introduction to Xinhuanet." [Accessed 22 Feb. 2017]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Afrique Actualite (Paris); Association de reflexion et d'information sur le Burundi (Belgium); Isanganiro; Iwacu; Mouvement pour la solidarite et la democratie; PhD candidate, Universite Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne; professor, Universite d'Anvers; research assistant, Universite de Lausanne; university lecturer, Cambridge University; university lecturer, University of Antwerp.

Internet sites, including: BBC; Burundi - government portal; Freedom House; International Crisis Group; Political Handbook of the World 2015; Reuters; United States, Department of State.
Barbados: Domestic violence, including legislation; recourse and support services available to victims (2015-January 2017)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 3 March 2017 Citation / Document Symbol BRB105717.E Related Document(s) Barbade : information sur la violence familiale, y compris les lois; les recours et les services de soutien offerts aux victimes (2015-janvier 2017) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Barbados: Domestic violence, including legislation; recourse and support services available to victims (2015-January 2017) , 3 March 2017, BRB105717.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d5386b4.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Overview

A survey of a representative sample of 600 people in Barbados conducted between May and June 2014 (UN 2014, 8), carried out by the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES) [1] on behalf of UNICEF's Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area, found that 76 percent of respondents indicated that they thought that domestic violence was "a major problem" and that 36 percent of respondents had someone "close to them experience domestic violence by a spouse/partner" (ibid., 6). According to Freedom House, "[v]iolence against women remains widespread despite domestic violence laws" in the country (Freedom House 2015). The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015 similarly states that "[v]iolence and abuse against women continu[e] to be significant social problems" (US 13 Apr. 2016, 7).

A 2016 report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), entitled Crime and Violence in Barbados, states that "[t]he recording of statistics related to violence in the home in Barbados is severely limited" (IDB June 2016, 8). Sources similarly cite the Bureau of Gender Affairs, a department of the government of Barbados which works "[t]o ensure the integration of gender in all national development plans and policies to achieve gender equity and equality" (Barbados n.d.), as indicating that information collection on domestic violence is "inadequate" (ibid. 26 May 2016; US 13 Apr. 2016), "due to under-reporting, under-documentation, administrative incapacity, and a lack of appreciation for the use of statistics in the policy formulation and monitoring cycle" (Barbados 26 May 2016). The Barbados Government Information Service (GIS) further quotes the Acting Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs as stating that "[t]he true incidence of domestic violence in Barbados is unknown, since it is a crime that is seldom reported" (ibid.).

However, the IDB report notes that "[t]here has recently been, an attempt to improve the inadequacies of data collection on [domestic violence]," through the creation of a Family Conflict Intervention Unit "designed to respond to, and record more detailed information on domestic violence"(IDB June 2016, 8). The same source adds that the unit was established by the police force in June 2013 (ibid., 44) and that "[a]s a result[,] detailed data on domestic violence is limited only to cases reported from June 2013 onwards" (ibid., 24). According to the IDB report, "[t]here were 220 cases of domestic abuse reported to the Family Conflict Intervention Unit between June and December 2013 and 423 cases reported in 2014" (ibid.). In November 2016, Barbadian newspaper the Daily Nation reported that "incidents of domestic violence are on the rise," noting that "[p]olice logged 435 reports of domestic violence cases between January 1 and October 31 [2016]  a slight increase over 429 [cases reported in 2015]" (The Daily Nation 5 Nov. 2016).

Sources report that between 2003 and 2015, 62 deaths were linked to domestic violence (Carribean360 27 Jan. 2016; Loop 26 Jan. 2016). According to the IDB report, murders resulting from domestic violence have been "increasing steadily" between 2009 and 2013; the same source explains that "[w]hereas in 2009 this category accounted for 21 per cent of all homicides, by 2013 this had increased to 30 per cent, second only to disputes" (IDB June 2016, 17-18). However, in November 2016, news website Barbados Today reported that, according to the Minister of Social Care, there was "a noticeable decrease in deaths resulting from domestic violence so far in the year [2016]" as only one death linked to domestic violence was recorded (Barbados Today 22 Nov. 2016).

2. Legislation

According to an article written by a gender justice advocate and a trade and development consultant found on Barbados Underground, a blog which publishes "news and opinion" (Barbados Underground n.d.),

[t]he legislative framework for domestic violence protection in Barbados is based primarily on the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act, Cap 130A, the Sexual Offences Act and the Offences Against the Person Act. The main Act, however, is the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act of 1993 which provides for the granting of protection orders in domestic violence and related matters. (Browne and Nicholls [2016])

The Caribbean section of UN Women similarly states that

[t]he laws which address gender-based violence in Barbados are:

Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act 1992

Sexual Offences Act 1992 (which was mended by the Evidence Act of 1994)

Offences against the Person Act Cap. 141

the common law. 

The domestic violence legislation provides protection from physical and sexual violence, but it is not meant to exclude the criminal laws or replace criminal proceedings. Rather, it is to expand the range of options which are available to victims of domestic violence. (UN Women n.d.)

The Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act is attached to this Response.

The Caribbean section of UN Women specifies that the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act

creates a wide range of speedy and effective remedies which are aimed at reducing the incidences of domestic violence. A magistrate can grant a protection order that:

prohibits abuse and molestation

excludes the abusive person from the home or workplace

gives the applicant the right to occupy the home

provides for the use of furniture and household effects, payment of rent, utilities etc. (UN Women n.d.)

According to the IDB report, under the Barbados Domestic Violence (Potection Orders) Act, behaviour considered to be domestic violence "includes harassment, defined as persistent verbal abuse; physical violence (including threats of violence); and the malicious damage of the property of a person" (IDB June 2016, 23). The same source further indicates that

[t]he Act also considers domestic violence as persistently following a person from place to place; hiding of clothes, or the depriving of a person's use of their clothes; and watching or besetting the house or other place where a person resides, works, caries [sic] on business or happens to be, or the approach to the house or other place. (ibid.)

The IDB report also states that "[a]cts of physical violence to a person are prosecuted under the Offences Against the Person Act. The legislation provides that spouses and children of spouses may apply for relief" (ibid.). However, the source adds that "[p]artners in visiting unions [sexual relationships without cohabitation], common throughout the Caribbean, are not covered by the legislation", and that "[t]he legislation does not address psychological and financial abuse" (ibid.).

According to Country Reports 2015, "the law prohibits domestic violence and provides protection to all members of the family, including men and children," adding that the "law applies equally to marriages and to common-law relationships, but does not protect those in informal relationships" (US 13 Apr. 2016, 7). The same sources indicates that "[p]enalties depend on the severity of the charges and range from a fine for first-time offenders (unless the injury is serious) up to the death penalty for cases resulting in death of a victim (ibid.).

2.1 Marital Rape

Country Reports 2015 states that there are "legal protections against spousal rape for women holding a court-issued divorce decree, separation order, or nonmolestation order" (US 13 Apr. 2016, 7). Sources indicate that marital rape is included in the Sexual Offences Act (Browne and Nicholls [2016]; UN 5 Oct. 2015, para. 39). However, a report submitted to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) committee states that marital rape is only covered in cases of legal separation (ibid.). The Caribbean section of UN Women indicates that

[t]he husband will be found to have committed the offence of rape against his wife, only where one or more of the following conditions exist. These are: the husband and wife are separated or have begun proceedings to dissolve the marriage, the husband has been ordered by the court not to molest or have sexual intercourse with his wife. (UN n.d.)

The UN Women's Caribbean section further adds that "[t]he penalty for the offence of marital rape is imprisonment for life" (ibid.).

2.2 Amendments to the Domestic Violence Act

Sources indicate that an Amendment the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act was introduced in 2016 (Loop 22 Nov. 2016; Caribbean360 27 Jan. 2016). According to Barbados Today, the amendments were approved in February 2016 (Barbados Today 22 Nov. 2016). A copy of the amended law could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Barbadian news site Loop cites the Minister of Social Care, Steve Blackett, as stating that the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Amendment Act "provides a comprehensive definition of the term 'domestic violence'[,] extends the categories of persons or agencies that may intervene on behalf of a victim of domestic violence, and extends the powers of the Police Force when dealing with complaints alleging domestic violence" (Loop 22 Nov. 2016). The Minister also mentioned that

[t]he [amendment] Act removes the need for the Court to consider the preservation and protection of the institution of marriage or a union other than marriage and the provision of protection and assistance to the family as a natural and fundamental group unit in society, when determining an application for a protection order. (ibid.)

In January 2016, sources indicated that changes included in the Bill for the amendment included an obligation of the police to respond to every complaint of domestic violence, and a police mandate to prepare a report, provide this report to the complainant, and keep a record through a domestic violence register (Barbados Today 28 Jan. 2016; Caribbean360 27 Jan. 2016). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Barbados Today further states that under the Bill, the police are allowed

to enter any premises without a warrant if an officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that an emergency protection order, an interim protection order or a final protection order is being breached. Officers [are] also given the power to enter premises -- upon the invitation of a person resident there or independently -- if there is reasonable grounds to suspect that a person on the premises has suffered, or is in imminent danger of suffering, physical injury at the hands of some other person. (Barbados Today 26 Jan. 2016)

The same source also indicates that under the Bill, junior police officers are allowed to issue emergency protection orders "if he or she has reason to believe that such an order is necessary to ensure the safety of a person at risk" and that such orders may be issued "without the consent of the person at risk" (ibid.). The article by Browne and Nicholls similarly states that "major changes" in the amended domestic violence law include the power for "subordinate police officer[s]" to issue emergency protection orders when they deem this necessary, "with or without the consent of the person at risk" (Browne and Nicholls [2016]). The same source describes other "major changes" to the domestic violence law, including the following:

The new Act now provides a definition of domestic violence, which the original Act lacked. It defines 'domestic violence" as the "wilful [sic] infliction or threat of infliction of harm by one person in a domestic relationship upon another person in that relationship and includes child abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse."

It amends the definition of "harassment" by including twenty-first century methods of harassment such as persistent contacting by e-mail or publication of material relating to the victim on the internet without the victim's consent. 

It expands the class of persons who may seek relief under the Act. These include spouses, former spouses, children, dependents or other person who is considered to be relative of the perpetrator by virtue of consanguinity or affinity, including cohabitational and visiting relationships. However, one flaw of the Act is it limits a cohabitational relationship to one based on the parties living as husband and wife, which excludes people who live in homosexual relationships.

The Act mandates that a protection order granted must provide that the respondent against whom the order was sought attend appropriate counseling and therapy and may also provide that the complainant or any other person in respect of whom the order was made attend counseling or therapy as well. (ibid.)

Information on the implementation of the amended law could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. State Protection

According to Country Reports 2015, there are public counselling services for victims of domestic violence (US 13 Apr. 2016, 7). Sources note that the Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment, and Community Development runs a Partnership for Peace program (IDB June 2016, 63; US 13 Apr. 2016, 8). Country Reports 2015 describes this initiative as "a psychosocial rehabilitation program for perpetrators of domestic abuse" (ibid.). The IDB report states that the program "was designed to address violence against women," especially domestic violence, and that 50 men have taken part since the programme's inception in 2012 (IDB June 2016, 63).

According to the same source,

the Welfare Department [] provides family services such as counselling in domestic violence cases to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

In addition to providing counselling for those involved in domestic violence. Increasingly the Welfare Department has been making referrals to court regarding incidents of abuse. In 2012 and 2013, the Welfare Department made nine and six referrals, respectively. (IDB June 2016, 45)

Country Reports 2015 states that

[t]here were programs to sensitize clergy who counsel abuse victims; to encourage salon professionals, masseuses, and masseurs to identify domestic violence and direct women to seek expert assistance; [and] to offer domestic violence awareness training for high school students. (US 13 Apr. 2016, 7-8)

The same source adds that "[v]ictims may request restraining orders, which the courts often issued. The courts may sentence an offender to jail for breaching such an order" (ibid., 7).

According to the IDB report, "there is no government-run shelter in Barbados for victims of domestic violence" (IDB June 2016, 25). However, sources notes that the government provides a "subvention" to the Business and Professional Women's Club of Barbados (PBW Barbados) [2] to run a shelter for abused women (ibid., 26; UN 5 Oct. 2015, para. 35), which is "the only shelter available to abused women in Barbados" (IDB June 2016, 26). According to the IDB report, the Barbados government is the shelter's main source of funding (ibid., 112).

3.1 Police

According to Freedom House, "police responsiveness is often slow and inadequate" in cases of violence against women (Freedom House 2015). Country Reports 2015 similarly states that "there were several reports that police did not respond promptly or adequately to complaints of sexual assault and domestic violence" (US 13 Apr. 2016, 7). Barbados Today reports that police are reluctant to respond to cases of domestic violence (Barbados Today 28 Jan. 2016).

Country Reports 2015 indicates that there is a victim support unit within the police force (US 13 Apr. 2016, 7). According to the same source, the unit consist of civilian volunteers and "offers assistance primarily to female victims of violent crimes, but reports indicated services provided were inadequate" (ibid.). The IDB report states that the Barbados Police Force is responsible for implementing a "Victim Support Program" under which "victim support officers are assigned to police divisions" (IDB June 2016, 109). According to same source, activities of the program include counselling to the victim and victim's families, explaining the court process and accompanying victims and their families to court, supporting and accompanying victims at doctor's examinations and referrals to other social services (ibid., 110).

Sources also note the existence of a police Family Conflict Unit (US 13 Apr. 2016, 7) or Family Conflict Intervention Unit (IDB June 2016, 44). The IDB report explains that this unit was established due to a perceived "need to sensitise officers" responding to family and domestic violence cases (ibid.). Sources further report that police receive training on domestic violence (UN 5 Oct. 2015, para. 34; CBC 10 March 2016). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Information on the effectiveness of these units and programs could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

4. Support Services

According to the IDB report, BPW Barbados "in association with the Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development" (IDB June 2016, 112), is responsible for the implementation of the Shelter for Battered Women program, which "provides safe housing for battered women and their children for up to 3 months in most cases, but shelter may be given for a longer period" (ibid. 111). The BPW Barbados website indicates that the shelter, located in Bridgetown, houses 20 to 25 women at a time, with a varying length of stay, and an average stay of three months (BPW Barbados n.d.b.). Country Reports 2015 notes that the shelter offers "the services of trained psychological counselors to survivors of domestic violence and other crisis intervention services" (US 13 Apr. 2016, 8). According to the IDB report, the shelter offers services including counselling, legal aid in the form of assistance in obtaining protective orders and accompanying clients to court, job preparation, relocation of family, and transitional housing (IDB June 2016, 112).

Country Reports 2015 indicates that BPW Barbados also operates a crisis centre which provides counselling and support services to victims of gender-based violence (US 13 Apr. 2016, 8). The IDB report also states that the BPW Barbados "in association with the Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment, and Community Development" implements a crisis centre and crisis hotline program in order to "provide domestic violence survivors with 24-hour services to deal with physical, verbal, and emotional abuse" (ibid., 113). The same report explains that "[t]he Crisis Centre and 24-hour hotline also serve as a conduit to the shelter for battered women. Women who are seen at the Crisis Centre and are in need of reprieve are referred to the shelter for admission" (ibid., 114). However, the same source indicates that the walk-in Crisis Centre was closed in October 2014 due to "a reduction in funds" (ibid., 113). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The Service Alliance for Violent Encounters (SAVE) Foundation is a non-profit organisation which states that it works to "eradicate domestic violence from Barbados" (SAVE n.d.). According to its website, the Foundation's activities include recording and monitoring incidences of domestic violence, providing free counselling and legal advice to victims, operating a national domestic violence hotline, and raising public awareness on domestic violence issues (ibid.). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] CADRES is described as "a regional research organization based in Barbados. It has conducted social, economic and political research throughout the Caribbean for political parties, governments, regional and international organizations and private sector clients" (Carribean Net News 30 mar. 2007).

[2] According to its website, the Business and Professional Women's Club of Barbados is a "'status of women' organisation", established in 1966 and comprised of volunteers, which focuses on "elevating the status of women, through training [and] development, business [and] entrepreneurship, improvements in health [and] freedom from violence" (BPW Barbados n.d.a.). The same source indicates that BPW Barbados is "a chapter of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, represented in over 100 countries" (ibid.). According to Barbados Today, BPW Barbados is one of 20 affiliate organisations of the Barbados National Organisation of Women (NOW), an advocacy group which has over 5,000 members and which has itself focused "considerable attention" on domestic violence (Barbados Today 8 Mar. 2015).

References

Barbados. 26 May 2016. Government Information Service (GIS). "Survey On Domestic Violence Coming." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Barbados. N.d. Government Information Service (GIS), Government Directory."Bureau of Gender Affairs." [Accessed 17 Jan. 2016]

Barbados Today. 24 November 2016. "Protecting, Respecting, Supporting Our Women." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Barbados Today. 22 November 2016. Colville Mounsey. "Deaths Down. Blackett Reports Drop in Domestic Violence-Related Killings." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Barbados Today. 28 January 2016. Emmanuel Joseph. "2 Thumbs Up. Rights Campaigners Hail Amended Domestic Violence Law." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Barbados Today. 26 January 2016. Neville Clarke. "Strong Arm: New Domestic Violence Act Gives More Power to Police." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Barbados Today. 8 March 2015. Anesta Henry. "Marilyn's Strong Stance." [Accessed: 20 Jan. 2017]

Barbados Underground. N.d. "Barbados Underground." [Accessed 23 Jan. 2017]

Browne, Felicia and Alicia Nicholls. [2016]. "Domestic Violence: Victim Protection and Intervention." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Business and Professional Women's Club of Barbados (BPW Barbados). N.d.a. "About." [Accessed 24 Jan. 2017]

Business and Professional Women's Club of Barbados (BPW Barbados). N.d.b. "BPW Safe Haven for Women." [Accessed 24 Jan 2017]

Caribbean360. 27 January 2016. "Barbados Police Being Given Increased Powers to Protect Domestic Violence Victims." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). 10 March 2016. "Police Training in Handling Domestic Violence." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Carribean Net News. 30 March 2007. "Dominica's Prime Minister Leads Popularity Poll." [Accessed 27 Jan. 2017]

The Daily Nation. 5 November 2016. Gercine Carter. "Domestic Cases Persist Despite Amended Laws." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

Freedom House. 2015. "Barbados." Freedom in the World 2015. [Accessed 28 Dec. 2016]

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). June 2016. Corin Bailey. Crime and Violence in Barbados: IDB Series on Crime and Violence in the Caribbean. [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]

Loop. 22 November 2016. "Eradicating Domestic Violence a Priority." [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]

Loop. 26 January 2016. "62 Deaths Due to Domestic Violence Since 2003." [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]

Service Alliance for Violent Encounters Foundation (SAVE). N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

United Nations (UN). 5 October 2015. Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties under Article 18 of the Convention: Fifth to Eighth Periodic Reports of States Parties Due in 2014: Barbados. [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]

United Nations (UN). 2014. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Social Survey on Violence Against Children and Women: Attitudes to Corporal Punishment, Child Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence in Barbados. [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

United Nations. N.d. UN Women Caribbean. "Barbados." [Accessed 29 Dec. 2016]

United States (US). 13 April 2016. Department of State. "Barbados." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015. [Accessed 28 Dec. 2016]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Barbados - Bureau of Gender Affairs; Business & Professional Women's Club of Barbados; SAVE Foundation; National Organisation of Women Barbados.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; The Barbados Advocate; Barbados Gazette; Barbados News.Net; barbados.org; ecoi.net; Factiva; Human Rights Watch; International Labour Organisation - NATLEX; Lexadin; UN - Refworld, Women; US - Library of Congress.

Attachment

Barbados. 1993. Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) CAP. 13OA. [Accessed 28 Dec. 2016]
Ethiopia: Treatment of sex workers by society and authorities, including arrest, prosecution and conviction; treatment of women with children born out of wedlock by society and authorities (2014-June 2016)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 10 July 2016 Citation / Document Symbol ETH105548.E Related Document(s) Ethiopie : information sur le traitement reserve aux travailleuses du sexe par la societe et les autorites, y compris les arrestations, les poursuites et les declarations de culpabilite; le traitement reserve par la societe et les autorites aux femmes ayant des enfants nes hors mariage (2014-juin 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ethiopia: Treatment of sex workers by society and authorities, including arrest, prosecution and conviction; treatment of women with children born out of wedlock by society and authorities (2014-June 2016), 10 July 2016, ETH105548.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d538fa4.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Legislation

A 2016 report by the East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative (UHAI) [1] on the human rights situation of sex workers and the LGBT community in Ethiopia states that "[s]ex work is not expressly criminalized in any legislation" (UHAI 13 May 2016, 42). The Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), a private non-profit organisation based in Scotland that "advocates for rights-based health and social services, freedom from abuse and discrimination, and self-determination for sex workers" (NSWP n.d.a), similarly states that sex work in Ethiopia is "not legal or illegal" (ibid. n.d.b, 4). Article 634 of the Ethiopian Criminal Code states the following:

Article 634. - Habitual Exploitation for Pecuniary Gain.

Whoever, for gain, makes a profession of or lives by procuring or on the prostitution or immorality of another, or maintains, as a landlord or keeper, a brothel, is punishable with simple imprisonment and fine. (Ethiopia 2005, Art. 634)

Articles 846 and 847 of the same law state the following:

Article 846. - Immoral Soliciting and Debauchery.

Whoever in the street or in a public place or in a place accessible to the public:

with an intent contrary to decency or morality molests a person who is not soliciting; or by improper soliciting incites another person to sexual intercourse or to committing an act contrary to decency or acts of debauchery of any kind whatsoever; or by engaging in prostitution or debauchery, is a nuisance to the occupiers of the dwelling or the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, is punishable with fine or arrest not exceeding one month.

Article 847. - Advertising for Debauchery.

Whoever, with a view to encouraging debauchery or satisfying the sexual urge of others, publicly advertises by any means that debauchery may be enjoyed in a particular place, is punishable with fine or arrest. (ibid., Art. 846, 847)

2. Treatment by Authorities

According to a 2014 UK government-funded report on sex work and poverty alleviation programs in Ethiopia, produced by Cheryl Overs, the "founder of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, and member of the Technical Advisory Group of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law" (Unlocking HIV n.d.) for the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex,

[n]o participant[2] in any of the groups reported any personal experience, or knew of a sex worker or other person involved in the sex industry having been charged with a prostitution-related offence. Participants in the Addis Ababa group said that crackdowns against street sex workers do occur, usually associated with key dates in the government calendar[,] such as meetings of the African Union or elections. Even then, the police mainly move women on rather than arrest them. (Overs June 2014, 18)

According to the same source, while Ethiopian law "contains a range of provisions that could be used against the sex industry, they are not enforced" (ibid., 23).

According to an April 2015 report on pregnancy and Ethiopian sex workers by consortium partners of Link Up, a project "to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of one million young people most affected by HIV" in five countries, including Ethiopia [3], violence against sex workers is a "pervasive problem," and perpetrators include police as well as intimate partners and clients (Population Council et al. Apr. 2015, 7, 8). According to the same source, during interviews with 30 female sex workers and 10 "key informants" in Adama city, Ethiopia, one interviewee stated that "'it is the police who harass us a lot on the streets. They ask us to give them money'" (ibid., 2, 7). According to an article published in the academic journal Annals of the American Association of Geographers, on the mobility and livelihood strategies of young female sex workers in Ethiopia, some of the girls interviewed [4] had to change work locations "because of  negative interactions with security and police" (van Blerk 19 Jan. 2016, 419).

In contrast, according to Overs' 2014 report, "[p]articipants in each group were unanimous that police usually ignore sex workers" (Overs June 2014, 18). According to the same source, while there were "some anecdotes about violence by police[,] there was a clear indication from each group that it is rare" (ibid., 19).

The 2016 UHAI report states that over the past five years, "police attitude[s] and behavior[s] towards sex workers[have] improved," and according to interviewees, "there has been a reduction in solicitation of sex or money as bribes by the police" (UHAI 13 May 2016, 53). The source further explains that organisations, such as the Nikat Charitable Association, [a "community-based organisation that supports sex workers in Addis Ababa by providing a range of services, including SRHR information and commodities, education programmes and income-generating activities" (International HIV/AIDS Alliance et al. 2015, 4)], have held information sessions with police "on challenges faced by sex workers at the hands of clients as well as harassment by police" (UHAI 13 May 2016, 53).

Cases of arrest, prosecution and conviction of sex workers in Ethiopia could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.1 Police Response to Violence Against Sex Workers, Including Protection

According to the April 2015 report by Link Up consortium partners, "[m]any women expressed a sentiment of helplessness and resentment towards law enforcement officials who did not offer them protection or assistance" when they experienced violence (Population Council et al. Apr. 2015, 7). The UHAI report similarly states that upon experiencing sexual violence from clients, they

face persistent judgement and re-victimisation from law enforcement officers at the stage of reporting who typically fail to arrest or investigate the perpetrators on the basis of their perceived personality of the perpetrator. If the perpetrator is charming and friendly with the police[,] nothing is done. (UHAI 13 May 2016, 56)

Further information on treatment by authorities, including protection and response to violence against sex workers, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.2 Access to Services

According to sources, sex workers face stigma and discrimination that limits their access to services (NSWP n.d.b, 4; International HIV/AIDS Alliance et al. 2015, 3; UHAI 13 May 2016, 49). Sources state that sex workers are recognized as a "vulnerable group" (ibid.) or "'Most at Risk' group" for HIV (Overs et. al 2011, 20) and as such, receive HIV-related services and care from government sources (ibid., 20, 24; UHAI 13 May 2016, 49). The 2016 UHAI report further states that sex workers are

beneficiaries of various government sponsored interventions such as supplementary income generation measures, harm reduction programs encouraging condom use, increased availability and access to condoms as well as access to STD [sexually transmited disease] diagnosis and treatment  HIV testing in government clinics is free of charge. However testing for other STIs [sexually transmited infection] is not. (ibid.)

According to Overs' 2014 report, while the government has a "policy that recommends poverty alleviation and social protection programs for sex workers, coverage is seen as patchy and uncoordinated" and the women interviewed for the report "were concerned that the programmes operate for short periods of time and lack resources or technical expertise" (Overs June 2014, 25). The same source also states that some women, due to economic concerns, took advantage of the poverty alleviation programs and continued sex work rather than "exchange one for the other" (ibid., 26). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Further information on the scope and effectiveness of these programs could not be found among the sources consulted by the research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Treatment by Society

According to the 2016 UHAI report, compared to "seven to eight years ago  [b]oth government and society are generally more accepting of their [sex worker's] existence" (UHAI 13 May 2016, 55). The NSWP report states that "in Ethiopia, sex work is considered an act of deviant behaviour and [is] immoral, but it is permitted on the basis that it would be impractical to abolish it instantly" (NSWP n.d.b, 4). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a professor of human geography at the University of Dundee, who has conducted research on sex workers in Ethiopia, stated that the stigma against sex workers in Ethiopia is "very high" (Professor 3 June 2016).

According to a 2015 article by 8 authors affiliated with health science departments in universities in Mekelle and Axum, Ethiopia, as well as in Chicago, published in the academic journal Reproductive Health, 45.6 percent of the 250 survey respondents contacted in April 2013 in Mekelle City, northern Ethiopia, "reported clients inflicting physical harm on them" and 60 percent "reported experiencing unwanted genitalia touching" (Alemayehu et al. 2015, 1, 3). The April 2015 Link Up report similarly states that violence against sex workers by intimate partners and clients is "pervasive" (Population Council et al. Apr. 2015, 7). According to the journal article, the

exclusion of women and girls from the public arena in Ethiopia increases their vulnerability to violence in their communities, reinforces gender-based discrimination, and propagates the social subordination of women. These phenomena manifest especially in the population of CSWs [commercial sex workers], who are subject to significant additional stigma and discrimination owing to their profession. (Alemayehu et al. 2015, 5)

Further information on the treatment of sex workers by society, including instances of violence, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

4. Treatment of Women with Children Born out of Wedlock

Information on the treatment of women with children born out of wedlock was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. In an interview with Migrant-Rights.org, an online "advocacy forum that aims to advance the rights of migrant workers in the Middle East" (Migrant-Rights.org n.d.), a representative of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), referring to women who have returned to Ethiopia from Saudi Arabia, states that "some women have returned back with babies or kids born out of wedlock, and Ethiopia being the conservative society that it is, this is a taboo. It is just simply unacceptable and most women will be viewed as commercial sex workers" (Migrant-Rights.org 10 Apr. 2014). According to the article on the mobility and livelihood strategies of young female sex workers in Ethiopia, a 17-year-old interviewee stated that she became pregnant and had a child in grade ten and that because she was a student and unwed, her parents would not allow her to live with them anymore (van Blerk 19 Jan. 2016, 418). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] The UHAI is an "indigenous activist fund which provides flexible, accessible resources to support civil society activism around issues of sexuality, health and human rights in the East African region" (UHAI n.d.).

[2] The research for the report was conducted in partnership with the "Addis Ababa-based sex worker group, Nikat, and the NGO Timret that operates sexual health services and education for sex workers" throughout Ethiopia (Overs June 2014, 13). There were five semi-structured small-group interviews with 53 adult female sex workers (ibid.). The meetings were conducted in Addis Ababa, Shashamene and Bihar Dar "in mid-2011" (ibid.).

[3] Link Up was "launched in 2013 by a consortium of partners led by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance," an "alliance of nationally-based, independent, civil society organizations" that aim to fight AIDS (International HIV/AIDS Alliance et. al 2015, 2). In Ethiopia, "the project is led by the Organisation for Support Services for AIDS (OSSA) in partnership with Marie Stopes International Ethiopia (MSIE), Family Guidance Association Ethiopia (FGAE), National Network of Positive Women in Ethiopia, Nikat Charitable Association, Talent Youth Association, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs" (ibid., 3).

[4] 60 girls, between the ages of 14 and 19 were interviewed for the article (van Blerk 19 Jan. 2016, 415). The research was conducted in two locations, Addis Ababa and "Nazareth, the regional capital for Oromia district located on the trade route toward Djibouti" (ibid.).

References

Alemayehu, Mussie, Gebregizabeher Yohannes, Ashenafi Damte, Atsede Fantahun, Kahsu Gebrekirtos, Resom Tsegay, Adina Goldberger, and Henock Yebyo. 2015. "Prevalence and Predictors of Sexual Violence Among Commercial Sex Workers in Northern Ethiopia." Reproductive Health. Vol. 12, No. 47. [Accessed 31 May 2016]

East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative (UHAI). 13 May 2016. Outsider Citizen: Landscape Analysis of the Human Rights of Sex Workers and LGBTI People in Ethiopia 2014-2015. [Accessed 30 May 2016]

East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative (UHAI). N.d. "Welcome to UHAI-EASHRI." [Accessed 7 June 2016]

Ethiopia. 2004. The Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. [Accessed 31 May 2016]

Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP). N.d.a. "Who We Are." [Accessed 7 June 2016]

Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP). N.d.b. Economic Empowerment Programmes for Sex Workers. Regional Report: Africa. [Accessed 31 May 2016]

International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Organisation for Support Services for AIDS (OSSA), Nikat Charitable Association. 2015. Empowering Each Other: Young People Who Sell Sex in Ethiopia. Frehiwot Abebe, Aman Abdo, Daniel Gudeta, Hanna Hagos and Georgina Caswell. [Accessed 31 May 2016]

Migrant Rights.org. 10 April 2014. "Interview: The ILO's Aida Awel on the Future of Ethiopia's 160,000 Returning Migrants." [Accessed 2 June 2016]

Migrant Rights.org. N.d. "About." [Accessed 8 June 2016]

Overs, Cheryl. June 2014. Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. Sex Workers, Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation in Ethiopia. [Accessed 31 May 2016]

Overs, Cheryl, Henock Alemayehu, Beza Alemayehu, Kate Hawkins and Nicholas Moody. 2011. The Paulo Longo Research Initiative (PLRI), Michael Kirby Centre for Public Health and Human Rights, Monash University. Sex Work in Ethiopia: Mapping the Impact of Law, Policy and Enforcement Practices. [Accessed 1 June 2016]

Population Council, Miz-Hasab Research Center, and Organization for Social Services for AIDS. April 2015. Experiences with Pregnancy Among Female Sex Workers in Ethiopia: A Link Up Exploratory Study. [Accessed 30 May 2016]

Professor of human geography, University of Dundee. 3 June 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Unlocking HIV. N.d. "NSWP: Cheryl Overs." [Accessed 2 June 2016]

van Blerk, Lorraine. 19 January 2016. "Livelihoods as Relational Im/mobilities: Exploring the Everyday Practices of Young Female Sex Workers in Ethiopia." Annals of the American Association of Geographers. Vol. 106, No. 2.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP).

Internet sites: African Sex Workers Alliance; Amnesty International; Bar Hostess Empowerment & Support Programme; ecoi.net; Ethiopia Human Rights Project; Factiva; Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; IRIN; International Union of Sex Workers; Sex Workers Education & Advocacy Taskforce; United Nations - Refworld, UN Women; United States - Department of State.
Haiti: Violence against women, including sexual violence; state protection and support services (2012-June 2016)

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 15 December 2016 Citation / Document Symbol HTI105161.FE Related Document(s) Haiti : information sur la violence envers les femmes, y compris sur la violence sexuelle; information sur la protection offerte par l'Etat et les services de soutien (2012-juin 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Haiti: Violence against women, including sexual violence; state protection and support services (2012-June 2016), 15 December 2016, HTI105161.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d539d04.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. General Situation

Sources state that violence against women is widespread in Haiti (Human Rights Watch 29 Jan. 2015, 2; Freedom House 28 Jan. 2015; GSDRC 8 Mar. 2013, 2). Other sources state that it is a "chronic problem" (US 25 June 2015, 27) and a [UN English version] "systemic problem" (UN June 2012, para. 8). Sources state that, in Haiti, violence against women is part of a culture of discrimination (CGRS 14 June 2015, 2; UN Apr. 2013, 9; GSDRC 8 Mar. 2013, 2) and stereotypes against them (ibid.; UN Apr. 2013, 9).

In a submission made in 2014 to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee, which cites various sources, including international and local NGOs, UN reports and articles published in specialized reviews, a collective formed of university institutions and NGOs found that violence against women and girls had "steadily increased" since 2009 (Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. 15). Sources state that violence against women increased after the earthquake in the country in 2010 (Armstrong 7 May 2014; AI Oct. 2014, 9). According to the collective's report, unsafe living conditions in displacement camps are one of the factors for this increase in violence (Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. 15). In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, the Co-Legal Director at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) at University of California Hastings College of the Law [1] pointed out that despite some progress due to the assistance and resources that were organized to fight violence against women following the earthquake, the conditions had deteriorated for women during the months prior to June 2015, particularly because the assistance and resources had decreased as time passed (CGRS 14 June 2015, 2-3).

According to sources, there are no reliable official statistics on the rate of violence against women (ibid., 2; AI Oct. 2014, 9). Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 published by the United States Department of State reports however that the Haitian National Police (Police nationale d'Haiti, PNH) reported having received 301 complaints of rape and rape-related crimes between when the earthquake occurred in January 2010 and June 2013 (US 24 Feb. 2014, 31). However, according to Country Reports 2014, international observers reported 415 incidences of rape and rape-related crimes between January and September 2014 (US 25 June 2015, 27). A report published by MINUSTAH and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in June 2012 states that, [UN English version] "[a]s in other countries, many rape cases are never reported [by victims;] lack of information on the reporting process, fear of retaliation from perpetrators and limited access to legal aid all discourage reporting" (UN June 2012, para. 2). Similarly, the Co-Legal Director at CGRS stated that cases of gender-based violence are underreported to the authorities or to stakeholders, particularly because of the stigma to victims, the minimal access to social or legal services and the fear of retaliation (CGRS 14 June 2015, 2).

Members of organizations defending victims of violence have also been targeted (CGRS 14 June 2015, 3; KOFAVIV, MADRE and IWHR Oct. 2014, 7). According to a report presented by KOFAVIV, a Haitian NGO that provides assistance to rape victims (KOFAVIV n.d.a), and other women's rights organizations to the UN Human Rights Committee, after being identified as intermediaries for women victims of violence, two activists were raped during an intervention in a displaced persons camp in September 2011 (KOFAVIV, MADRE and IWHR Oct. 2014, 7).

2. Situation in Camps for Displaced Persons

The Co-Legal Director at CGRS stated that the situation of women and children living in the camps is [translation] "dire," and the living conditions there "greatly increase" the risk of being subjected to violence, including rape (14 June 2015, 3). Similarly, a research report on violence against women and girls in Haiti, published by the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC), a partnership of organizations and institutes located in the United Kingdom that provides research services related to humanitarian response and conflict (GSDRC n.d.), states that forced displacements and poor living conditions in displaced persons camps increased the vulnerability of women to violence (ibid. 8 Mar. 2013, 2). Amnesty International (AI) states also that the displacements and living conditions in the displaced persons camps have increased the risks of facing gender-based violence for women and girls, while the destruction of police stations and court houses during the 2010 earthquake further weakened the state's ability to provide adequate protection (AI Oct. 2014, 9). According to the results of a survey mentioned by the Canadian Red Cross, 14 percent of women and girls living in the displaced persons camps reported one or more experiences with sexual abuse between 2010 and February 2013 (Canadian Red Cross 28 Feb. 2013).

A report on violence against women and sexual minorities in Haiti, presented by a group of human rights organizations to the UN Human Rights Committee states that women and girls who live in displaced persons camps are exposed to violence that puts their lives at risk (ANAPFEH et al. [2014], 11). Sources state that some women have been required to have sexual relations in exchange for food and money (CGRS 14 June 2015, 3; GJC and CHRGJ 2012, 49-50).

3. State Protection

3.1 Overview

Sources state that the Haitian justice system fosters impunity (CGRS 14 June 2015, 2, 6; Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. 8; UN Apr. 2013, 3), including with respect to violence against women (ibid.; CGRS 14 June 2015, 2, 6). Freedom House states however that,

[w]hile impunity is still pervasive, efforts of the Ministry of Women, grassroots women's groups, and legal organizations have helped improve the response to sexual violence, including more effective prosecutions and the drafting of new laws that empower victims. (Freedom House 28 Jan. 2015)

However, according to a report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),

[UN English version]

[i]n spite of ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of governmental institutions and the important role played by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (ministere de la Justice et de la Securite publique) and the Ministry for the Status of Women and Women's Rights (ministere a la Condition feminine et aux Droits des femmes - MCFDF) state institutions remain fragile and weakened by ongoing institutional and political infighting. (UN Apr. 2013, 3-4)

A joint statement by the international women's rights organization MADRE and other human rights organizations fighting violence against women and sexual minorities in Haiti, presented in March 2013 to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, states also that "[r]epresentatives from haitian civil society and across government sectors have consistely agreed that Haiti's government lacks the capacity to eradicate violence and discrimination against women [and] girls" (MADRE, IGLHRC and IWHR n.d.).

3.2 Legislation Against Gender-Based Violence

In its 2014 world report, Human Rights Watch notes that [Human Rights Watch English version] "[a] draft law on combatting violence against women that would bring Haiti's criminal code in line with international standards has been discussed among members of parliament, but not officially introduced for debate" (Human Rights Watch 29 Jan. 2015, 2-3). That same report adds that

[Human Rights Watch English version]

[a] council of advisers to the president was reviewing two pending draft revisions to Haiti's criminal code that include acts of gender-based violence, such as rape and sexual assault, not currently in the code, with the expectation that a conciliated version would be presented to parliament in early 2015. (ibid., 3)

Corroborating information on the progress of these bills could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. In its 2015 World Report, Human Rights Watch notes however that

[Human Rights Watch English version]

Haiti does not have specific legislation criminalizing rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, or other forms of violence suffered by women. The shutdown of parliament in 2015 prevented any progress towards consideration of a draft law to address this gap in protection. (ibid. 27 Jan. 2016, 4)

Sources note that rape was reclassified by a 2005 decree (CGRS 14 June 2015, 4; Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. 16). The report by the collective of university institutions and NGOs explains that this decree reclassified rape, previously considered an offense against morals, to a criminal offense, but did not provide a precise definition of rape or include the elements of "consent" or "marital rape" (ibid.). Country Reports 2015 states also that spousal rape is not recognized as a crime and that domestic violence against adults is not considered as a distinct crime (US 13 Apr. 2016, 23-24).

According to sources, the penalty for rape is a minimum of 10 years of forced labor, increasing to a mandatory 15 years if the victim is less than 16 years old (ibid.; CGRS 14 June 2015, 4). In the case of gang rape, the maximum penalty is lifelong forced labor (ibid.; US 3 Apr. 2016, 24). However, according to Country Reports 2015, actual sentences are often less rigorous, and prosecution is frequently not pursued due to lack of reporting and follow-up on victims' claims (ibid.). The Co-Legal Director at CGRS also stated that Penal Code provisions for battery and assault should also be applicable in cases of violence against women, but stated that "laws to punish perpetrators of violence against women, [] are rarely enforced" (CGRS 14 June 2015, 4).

3.3 Police Effectiveness

The Co-Legal Director at CGRS stated that "Haitian police have received some training in recent years and improvements are reported with regards to willingness of police to receive complaints" (CGRS 14 June 2015, 4). The UNDP report also states that [UN English version] "[m]any efforts have been undertaken to strengthen the capacity of the PNH to respond to gender[-based] violence," but adds that "[i]n spite of these efforts, the credibility of the police remains limited" (UN Apr. 2013, 18-19). According to that same source, although the police has units specializing in violence against women, [UN English version] "only a small number of police officers received a full training on gender violence and the number of police officers, especially women officers, is too low to respond to the demand" (ibid., 19). The Co-Legal Director at CGSR also stated that there is a limited number of specialized units for handling cases of gender-based violence (CGRS 14 June 2015, 6).

According to the report of violence against women and sexual minorities in Haiti, in the vast majority of the rape cases documented by KOFAVIV, the police conducted little to no investigation to find and arrest the perpetrators (ANAPFEH et al.[2014], 12-13). According to that source, the victims report being verbally harassed by police when they report the crimes (ibid., 13). The report also states that, according to KOFAVIV, rapists identified by their victims and arrested by the police had been released in exchange for a bribe (ibid.).

3.4 Effectiveness of the legal system

Sources state that women victims of violence who attempt to access the legal system face a number of obstacles (Human Rights Watch 3 Dec. 2014; Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. US 13 Apr. 2016, 24). According to a study conducted by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH),

[translation]

[t]he medical certificate is regularly mentioned among the obstacles identified with respect to access to justice for women victims of rape. "Amicable" arrangements, often organized by justices of the peace, are another obstacle. Lack of rigour and negligence in recording complaints are contributing factors. (UN Aug. 2013, 1)

The collective of university institutions and NGOs report that the Haitian justice system lacks support, including for responding to cases of violence against women (Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. 16). The legal procedure is described as "complex, intimidating and sometimes hostile [towards female victims of violence]" (Horton cited in GSDRC 8 Mar. 2013, 6). Similarly, the report by the collective of university institutions and NGOs, states that the judicial system presents "considerable obstacles" that are "discriminatory" towards women (Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. 4). According to that same report,

[f]emale victims of violence and their families are reluctant to turn to the justice system due to abuse received by law enforcement, the sluggishness of prosecutions, costly legal fees, and preconceived notions of female behaviour. (ibid., para. 21)

The report concludes that "marginalization and exclusion from the justice system have led to an environment where female victims lack confidence in the system's ability to right the wrongs committed" (ibid.).

Sources state that the fear of social stigma is one of the reasons dissuading victims from seeking justice (MADRE, IGLHRC and IWHR n.d.; Human Rights Watch 3 Dec. 2014), along with their feeling of shame (ibid.). The report by GSDRC states that women victims of violence are stigmatized by their family and by society in general (Horton cited in GSDRC 8 Mar. 2013, 6). According to the statement made by MADRE and other organizations to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, "stigma and discrimination" faced by victims of gender-based violence "undermin[e] their ability to access justice when police, medical professionals, judges, or even family members discriminate aga[i]nst them" (MADRE, IGLHRC and IWHR n.d.). According to the Co-Legal Director at CGRS, there is a lack of confidence and trust in the system in general by women; she added that

[w]omen and girls face several barriers to filing complaints in the first place and in pursuing justice at each step in the system including lack of access or knowledge of rights, stigmatization and gender bias by government actors, fear of reprisal (and concomitant lack of witness protection), and corruption. (CGRS 14 June 2015, 6)

According to Country Reports 2015, in some cases, the authorities have dissuaded victims from pursuing their complaint in order to avoid "the public humiliation of a trial," and judges often released suspects who had been arrested for rape or domestic violence (US 13 Apr. 2016, 24). According to an article on access to justice for victims of rape in Haiti, published by Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (JJIE), an American publication covering juvenile justice systems (JJIE n.d.), because of delays that lengthen judicial procedures, women often give up and instead try to make a deal with the rapists to get monetary compensation (Armstrong 7 May 2014).

According to that same article, few cases of rape make it to court and even fewer to the point of a conviction (ibid.). Similarly, according to the results of a study by MINUSTAH for the period from January 2012 to March 2013 concerning cases of violence reported in seven departments in Haiti, the government has not met its responsibility of conducting the necessary investigations and ensuring rape victims have sufficient access to the judicial system (UN Aug. 2013, 1). Country Reports 2013 reports that according to an unnamed women's rights NGO, among the 600 rape cases reported to the police between the January 2010 earthquake and June 2013, only five cases resulted in the guilty being convicted (US 24 Feb. 2014, 31). The collective of university institutions and NGOs cites a UN report stating that of 62 cases of rape reported to the police during a three-month period in Port-au-Prince in 2012, no case was presented to the court in the year after the complaint was submitted (Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. 16). The MINUSTAH study indicates that, according to the data gathered, about 2 percent of rape complaints were sent to the assize court (UN Aug. 2013, 17). According to the article published by JJIE, judicial procedures are slowed down by delays, and the Minister of Justice admitted that, although rape cases from the time they are reported should not take more than four months to be heard in court, some cases may take up to five years (Armstrong 7 May 2014).

3.5 Requirement of Medical Certificate for Legal Proceedings in Rape Cases

Sources state that it is necessary to provide a medical certificate to prove rape (UN 21 Nov. 2014; Armstrong 7 May 2014). The UN Human Rights Committee states that a medical certificate is required to initiate criminal proceedings (UN 21 Nov. 2014). Similarly, the article published by JJIE states that prosecutors and police will not help rape victims if they do not have a medical certificate (Armstrong 7 May 2014).

According to the report by the collective of university institutions and NGOs, women, particularly those from underprivileged areas, face various obstacles to obtaining a medical certificate, such as the inability to get to the medical facility, the lack of awareness of health services available or even the fear of undergoing a clinical examination, particularly by a male doctor (Boston College Law School et al. 12 Sept. 2014, para. 19). The same source adds that rape does not always leave injuries indicating the use of physical force, and if the medical certificate does not show the use of force, the judge and prosecutor will dismiss the case "for lack of evidence of force" (ibid., para. 20). The UN Human Rights Committee notes however, without providing details, that it is possible for rape victims to obtain a medical certificate for free (UN 21 Nov. 2014).

4. Support Services

4.1 State Services

According to the Co-Legal Director at CGRS, public assistance services for victims of gender-based violence are "virtually nonexistent," except for some services available in medical centres for rape victims (CGRS 14 June 2015, 7). She adds that

access to these services is impeded due to a lack of knowledge of their availability, concentration of resources/inability to travel to the facilities, and shame or fear of stigma or reprisal for seeking assistance. (ibid.).

According to Country Reports 2013, between June 2012 and the end of 2013, the Haitian authorities referred 2,300 victims of gender-based violence to psychological support services and testing centres for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (US 24 Feb. 2014, 33). Country Reports 2014 adds that from October 2013 to September 2014, 2,294 victims of gender-based violence had received similar support by the authorities (ibid. 25 June 2015, 29).

Country Reports 2013 states that, in 2013, stakeholders from 30 health care institutions received training to be able to identify cases of gender-based violence and refer victims to the social and legal services available (ibid. 24 Feb. 2014, 33). Country Reports 2014 states that this training continued in 2014 (ibid. 25 June 2015, 29).

4.2 Services Provided by Civil Society Organizations

The report by GSDRC states that there is an "array" of international organizations, NGOs and local associations working to address violence against women in Haiti (GSDRC 8 Mar. 2013, 2). That same source adds that they mainly collect data, provide medical and legal assistance, provide "safe spaces," run awareness-raising campaigns and try to increase women's access to economic opportunities (ibid.).

The UNDP report states the following:

[UN English version]

In terms of support and assistance available for victims, civil society groups, in particular grass-roots organizations have been most active and offer in many regions of the country an integrated support, including medical and psycho-social care, and in some instances legal assistance. (UN Apr. 2013, 3)

The UNDP report also provides the following details about organizations working in the area of violence against women:

[UN English version]

The most prominent women's organizations are Kay Famm (Women's House), which receives and supports victims of violence and runs a shelter [2]; Famm Deside (Decisive Women) [3]; SOFA (Solidarity Haitian Women) [4], which offers integrated services to women and girls who have been victims of violence throughout the country. These organizations have organized themselves at the national level, through the Coordination nationale pour le plaidoyer pour les droits des femmes (CONAP). Other groups which provide services to women include GUESKIO which offers integrated health services for raped women; and URAMEL (Research Unit for medico-legal action) [located in Port-au-Prince (LDH n.d.)], which is tasked with the forensic support of victims of sexual violence. (ibid., 17-18)

In addition, the website of the KOFAVIV Commission states that the organization provides the following services to women and children who are victims of gender-based violence: orientation and support of victims towards available medical and psychosocial care, as well as towards legal services; temporary housing offered to victims of sexual abuse and spousal violence; rehabilitation and social reintegration program for child victims of forced prostitution; relocation program for internally displaced people (for single-parent and vulnerable families); and economic renewal program (KOFAVIV n.d.b).

The report on violence against women and sexual minorities in Haiti states that KOFAVIV runs, in partnership with other organizations, an emergency telephone line for victims of sexual violence; the call center, which is available 24h/24, received 1,700 calls between September 2012 and 2014 (ANAPFEH et al. [2014], 12).

4.3 Housing Services

Amnesty International reports that Haitian women's rights organizations have established some shelters for victims, but adds that the capacity of these shelters remains dependent on funding and is generally limited (AI Oct. 2014, 11-12). The UNDP report also mentions that there is a shortage of shelters able to receive women who have had to escape violence (UN Apr. 2013, 24). The UN Human Rights Committee notes that shelters have been established, but states that they are few in number and are difficult to reach (ibid. 21 Nov. 2014).

4.4 Legal Assistance

The UN Human Rights Committee states that it is concerned about [UN English version] "the low level of protection from violence against women, in particular rape," noting that women victims of violence have limited access to legal assistance (UN 21 Nov. 2014). For example, the UNDP report notes that

[UN English version]

[t]he Legal Assistance Bureau (Bureau d'assistance legale - BAL) which has resumed its work under the authority of the Ministry of Justice, [] is currently operating in Port-au-Prince only, has limited capacity and is not specialized in the provision of assistance to victims. (ibid. Apr. 2013, 3)

4.5 Health Care

The Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic infections (Groupe haitien d'etude du sarcome de Kaposi et des infections opportunistes, GHESKIO), founded in 1982 in Port-au-Prince in response to the HIV epidemic (GHESKIO n.d.a), provides free medical services to rape victims, including counseling, emergency contraception and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (ibid. n.d.b). The GHESKIO program was implemented in 25 health facilities (private and public) across the country; however, the source does not specify the intervention zones for each facility (ibid. n.d.c).

4.6 Situation in Rural Areas

A report on sexual violence in Haiti, produced by journalist Anne-Christine d'Adesky and the PotoFanm+Fi women's advocacy, states that the cities in the provinces and the rural regions lack resources and services for victims of gender-based violence, as most of these resources and services are located in Port-au-Prince (d'Adesky 2012, 10-11). The UN Human Rights Committee states that the shelters are more difficult to reach in rural areas (UN 21 Nov. 2014). However, the UNDP report states that women's rights groups [UN English version] "are present in the capital as well as in the provinces and rural areas" (ibid. Apr. 2013, 17). Further information on the availability of services offered to victims of gender-based violence in rural regions could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] CGRS focuses specifically on the issues of women, children and sexual minorities; it has carried out research on violence against women in Haiti, including conducting interviews in the field (CGRS 14 June 2013).

[2] The Kay Fanm Centre is located in Port-au-Prince (World Social Forum n.d.).

[3] According to a quarterly report for April-June 2013 published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and MINUSTAH, Fanm Deside runs a centre in Jacmel; that year, Fanm Deside informed the UN that its centre had [translation] "serious financial problems" (UN n.d., 24).

[4] On its website, SOFA states that it has over 8,000 [translation] "active members spread out in seven of the country's ten geographic departments including, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Plateau Central, Artibonite, Ouest, Sud-Est and Grande-Anse" (SOFA 8 Nov. 2012).

References

D'Adesky, Anne-Christine and PotoFanm+Fi. November 2012. Beyond Shock. Charting the Landscape of Sexual Violence in Post-quake Haiti: Progress, Challenges & Emerging Trends 2010-2012. Abridged version. [Accessed 7 Mar. 2016]

Amnesty International (AI). October 2014. Haiti : Communication au Comite des droits de l'homme des Nations Unies. 112e session du Comite des droits de l'hommes des Nations Unies, 7-31 octobre 2014. (AMR 36/012/2014) [Accessed 7 Mar. 2016]

Armstrong, Lisa. 7 May 2014. "The Rapist and the Girl Next Door: The Paradox of Prosecuting Rape Cases in Haiti." Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (JJIE). [Accessed 12 May 2015]

Association nationale de protection des femmes et enfants haitiens (ANAPFEH) et al. [2014]. Fighting for our Lives: Violence and Discrimination Against Women and LGBT Persons in Haiti - In Response to the Second Periodic Report of the Republic of Haiti. Submission for the 112th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, held in Geneva from 7 to 31 October 2014. [Accessed 16 June 2016]

Boston College Law School, Bureau des avocats internationaux (BAI), Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), Universite de la Fondation Dr. Aristide and University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Clinic. 12 September 2014. Access to Judicial Remedies in Haiti. Submission for the 112th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, held in Geneva from 7 to 31 October 2014. [Accessed 20 May 2015]

Canadian Red Cross. 28 February 2013. "Why Does Violence Escalate After Disasters?" [Accessed 29 May 2015]

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS), University of California Hastings College of the Law. 14 June 2015. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate by the Co-Legal Director.

Freedom House. 28 January 2015. "Haiti." Freedom in the World 2015. [Accessed 7 Mar. 2016]

Global Justice Clinic (GJC) and Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ), New York University School of Law. 2012. Yon Je Louvri: Reducing Vulnerability to Sexual Violence in Haiti's IDP Camps. [Accessed 7 Mar. 2016]

Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC). 8 March 2013. Claire Mcloughlin. Helpdesk Research Report: Violence Against Women and Girls in Haiti. [Accessed 20 May 2015]

Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC). N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 8 Mar. 2016]

Groupe haitien d'etude du sarcome de Kaposi et des infections opportunistes (GHESKIO). N.d.a. "History." [Accessed 29 May 2015]

Groupe haitien d'etude du sarcome de Kaposi et des infections opportunistes (GHESKIO) N.d.b. "Integrated Primary Care for HIV and Related Diseases." [Accessed 29 May 2015]

Groupe haitien d'etude du sarcome de Kaposi et des infections opportunistes (GHESKIO). N.d.c. "The Haitian HIV Care and Prevention Network." [Accessed 20 June 2016]

Human Rights Watch. 27 January 2016. "Haiti." Rapport mondial 2016 : evenements de 2015. [Accessed 8 Mar. 2016]

Human Rights Watch. 29 January 2015. "Haiti." Rapport mondial 2015 : evenements de 2014. [Accessed 19 May 2015]

Human Rights Watch. 3 December 2014. "Written Statement of Amanda Klasing, Women's Rights Researcher, to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the United States Congress." [Accessed 29 May 2015]

Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (JJIE). N.d. "About." [Accessed 8 Mar. 2016]

Komisyon Fanm Viktim pou Viktim (KOFAVIV). N.d.a. "Historique." [Accessed 20 June 2016]

Komisyon Fanm Viktim pou Viktim (KOFAVIV). N.d.b. "Accueil." [Accessed 20 June 2016]

Komisyon Fanm Viktim pou Viktim (KOFAVIV), MADRE and City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law International Women's Human Rights Clinic (IWHR). October 2014. Report on Inadequate Efforts to Investigate and Prevent Threats and Violence Against the Women Human Rights Defenders at KOFAVIV. Report produced for the 112th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in response to Haiti's second periodic report. [Accessed 20 May 2015]

LaDiasporaHaitienne (LDH). N.d. "Unite de recherche et d'action medico-legale (URAMEL)." [Accessed 21 June 2016]

MADRE, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law International Women's Human Rights (IWHR) Clinic. N.d. "Patterns of Violence and Discrimination Against Women and Girls and LGBT People in Haiti in the Context of HIV/AIDS." Statement presented at the 57th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, in New York from 4 to 15 March 2013. [Accessed 31 July 2015]

Solidarite Fanm Ayisyen (SOFA). 8 November 2012. "Solidarite Fanm Ayisyen - SOFA." [Accessed 21 June 2016]

United Nations (UN). 21 November 2014. Human Rights Committee. Observations finales concernant le rapport initial d'Haiti. (CCPR/C/HTI/CO/1) [Accessed 29 May 2015]

United Nations (UN). August 2013. United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). La reponse policiere et judiciaire aux cas de viol en Haiti. [Accessed 30 July 2015]

United Nations (UN). April 2013. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Assistance legale pour les femmes victimes de violence de genre en Haiti. By Agnes Hurwitz. [Accessed 30 July 2015]

United Nations (UN). June 2012. United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Rapport sur la reponse de la police et du systeme judiciaire aux plaintes pour viol dans la region metropolitaine de Port-au-Prince. [Accessed 9 Mar. 2016]

United Nations (UN). N.d. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). La protection des droits humains en Haiti avril - juin 2013. [Accessed 21 June 2016]

United States (US). 13 April 2016. Department of State. "Haiti." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015. [Accessed 20 June 2016]

United States (US). 25 June 2015. Department of State. "Haiti." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014. [Accessed 30 July 2015]

United States (US). 24 February 2014. Department of State. "Haiti." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013. [Accessed 19 May 2015]

World Social Forum. N.d. "Kay Fanm." [Accessed 21 June 2016]

Additional sources consulted

Oral sources : Digital Democracy; FAVILEK; Federation nationale de la jeunesse pour le developpement; The Goldin Institute; Groupe concertation des femmes victimes; Haiti Action Committee; KOFAVIV; Reseau national de defense des droits humains; Solidarite Fanm Ayisen; Unitarian Universalist Service Committee; United Nations - United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

Internet sites, including: Agence France-Presse; AlterNET; BBC; Bureau des avocats internationaux; Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice; Collectif Haiti de France; ecoi.net; Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Le Figaro; France24; Haiti - ministere a la Condition feminine et aux Droits des femmes, ministere de la Sante publique et de la Population, Police nationale d'Haiti; Haiti-Reference; Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti; Institut Nord-Sud; International Crisis Group; MADRE; Migrants outre-mer; The New York Times; Le Nouvelliste; Organisation internationale de la francophonie; Panos Caraibes; La Presse; Radio France internationale; Radio metropole; Syfia international; United Nations - United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, United Nations Development Programme, Refworld.
Somalia: Ability to obtain documentation, including medical, education, and employment records; effectiveness of the postal service, on both the domestic and international level

Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 6 March 2017 Citation / Document Symbol SOM105755.E Related Document(s) Somalie : information sur la capacite d'obtenir des documents, y compris des dossiers medicaux, scolaires et d'emploi; information sur l'efficacite des services postaux a l'echelle nationale et internationale Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Ability to obtain documentation, including medical, education, and employment records; effectiveness of the postal service, on both the domestic and international level, 6 March 2017, SOM105755.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58d53ab64.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Availability of and Ability to Obtain Documentation

According to a 2015 report on Somalia by the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign and Commonwealth Office, "[t]here are no good record-keeping systems in place in Somalia" (UK 21 Jan. 2015). According to the United States (US) Department of State's Country Reciprocity Schedule for Somalia,

there continues to be no recognized competent civil authority to issue civil documents. The Government of Somalia ceased to exist in December of 1990, and the country underwent a destructive and brutal civil war, in the course of which most records were destroyed. Those few records not destroyed are in the hands of private individuals or are otherwise not retrievable. (US n.d.a.)

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Executive Director of the Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke [1] stated that

due to the civil war all personal records were destroyed. Therefore, an infrastructure [of documentation] does not exist in Somalia that is comparable to Canada. Regarding current personal records, the Somali government is working on proper record keeping; however, they are not fully functional like Canada. (Executive Director 21 Feb. 2017)

In further correspondence, the Executive Director explained that "the standard norm" when seeking to obtain Somali documentation, from within Somalia or from abroad, is that "you have to apply in person, fill out forms and pay the  fee" (Executive Director 27 Feb. 2017). The same source added that "since there is no good infrastructure and strong government in Somalia, [documentation] can be obtain[ed]  by [a] third party who knows you, someone who knows the department, [or] high level government officials who [know] you or your family" (Executive Director 27 Feb. 2017). The Executive Director further stated that "the level of corruption and the lack of good infrastructure in Somalia make [Somali documents] vulnerable to [be] obtain[ed]  by anybody who wants to get them" (Executive Director 27 Feb. 2017).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Somali-based representative of the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated, based on his own knowledge and personal opinion, that

[i]n the absence of [a] proper functioning government, it was easy to obtain documents [on the] Somali market place, however, that has stopped in 2014 when the government did [a] major crackdown on markets and associated people.

Currently all documents and certificates are issued by Mogadishu Municipality and it relies on information provided by the individual concerned (with witnesses when appropriate) or relatives. (Representative of OCHA 19 Feb. 2017)

In further correspondence, the same source explained that "there were black markets in and around the capital, [which tended] to produce counterfeit documents including birth certificates" (Representative of OCHA 26 Feb. 2017). The same source added that to his knowledge "this has stopped, at least in Mogadishu; now, the Mogadishu Municipality produces birth, marriage [and] related docs" (Representative of OCHA 26 Feb. 2017).

The OCHA representative further stated, based on his own knowledge and personal opinion, that "[p]rior to 1991, birth certificates were only issued in urban areas" (Representative of OCHA 19 Feb. 2017). The same source added that "birth certificates are rarely issued, and in principle, [a birth certificate] is only issued if the child is born in a hospital. It's worth [noting that] the majority of babies are born at home" (Representative of OCHA 19 Feb. 2017).

The US Country Reciprocity Schedule indicates that the following documents are "unavailable": birth certificates; death certificates; marriage certificates; divorce certificates; adoption certificates; identity card; police, court, prison records; and military records (US n.d.a.).

The OCHA representative indicated that "medical, educational, and employment records [are] issued by various private agencies, such as private hospitals, companies, universities, etcetera" (Representative of OCHA 19 Feb. 2017). The Executive Director of the Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke stated that "[i]t is feasible to obtain documentation from Somalia such as passports, medical, educational and employment records. However, these records can only be obtained in major cities, for a fee" (Executive Director 21 Feb. 2017).

For more information on the accessibility of official documentation in Somalia, see Response to Information Request SOM104445 of June 2013.

1.1 Education Records

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office of Mogadishu University stated that "Mogadishu University issues to its students who have attended a certificate of graduation and a transcript" (Mogadishu University 20 Feb. 2017). Sample copies of an "old certificate," an "updated certificate," and a "transcript" (Mogadishu University 20 Feb. 2017), sent to the Research Directorate by the representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office, are attached to this Response (Attachment 1, 2 and 3, respectively). The representative of Mogadishu University further indicated that "[a] former student who has attended the university can request documents after such former student satisfies the conditions of the Admissions and Enrollment [Department] that issues such documents" (Mogadishu University 20 Feb. 2017). In further correspondence, the same source explained that such conditions include the completion of the clearance form that consists of:

financial clearance to check his[/her] balance; departmental clearance to check his/her marks; library clearance to check if he/she borrowed books from the library [which have not been returned]. (Mogadishu University 26 Feb. 2017)

A sample copy of a clearance form, sent to the Research Directorate by the representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office, is attached to this Response (Attachment 4). The representative of Mogadishu University stated that the student must also "enroll [in] the alumni club of the university graduates" and obtain an alumni ID (Mogadishu University 26 Feb. 2017). According to the same source, students who are out of the country can send an "official e-mail" to the Admission and Enrollment Office of the University indicating that a representative can obtain his/her certificate (Mogadishu University 26 Feb. 2017).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Somalia stated that "it is possible upon the request of the students and payment of any fees required" to obtain a university transcript or other educational records from abroad (University of Somalia 22 Feb. 2017). The Vice Chancellor stated that "students or alumni can send such requests to the University Registrar and Deputy VC for Academic Affairs using their official email I.D." (University of Somalia 22 Feb. 2017). The Vice Chancellor further stated that the University of Somalia issues the following "main documents" to students of the university:

Degree certificate, upon successful completion of the required academic, financial, and other requirements; Official transcript; Bona Fide student certification; Other documents (financial clearance, registration papers, receipts, academic credit transfer documents, etc.). (University of Somalia 22 Feb. 2017)

The Vice Chancellor indicated that the "University documents are issued in English and on standard forms with the University logo" (University of Somalia 22 Feb. 2017).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Head of International Relations at Plasma University stated that Plasma University, which has "regional campuses in the main cities in Somalia," issues the following "academic rewards" to its graduates in "hard copy" form: "Masters, postgraduate diploma, Bachelor degrees, Post basic diploma, Associate degree and professional certificates" (Plasma University 1 Mar. 2017). The same source further stated that a graduate has the "right to apply or request [a] transcript from abroad if he/she has fully completed all the program requirements" by

Fill[ing in a] transcript request form; Following the student] verification process from the record office. (Plasma University 1 Mar. 2017)

Further and corroborating information on the availability of and the ability to obtain education records in Somalia could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

1.2 Medical Records

Information on the availability of medical records was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

A December 2006 article by IRIN reports an incident in Dinsore, where "Somali government and Ethiopian troops entered a hospital run by the medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres" and confiscated "all patients' medical records" (UN 29 Dec. 2006). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to the US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2015, "Al-Shabaab restricted medical care, including restricting civilian travel to other areas for medical care, destroying medications provided by humanitarian agencies, and closing medical clinics" (US 13 Apr. 2016, 17).

According to the website of Mogadishu City Hospital, the hospital has a "Medical Records and Information Department" and the hospital has

records and information services for [the] management of hospital information[,] including filing and retrieval of patient's records and statistical evaluation of hospital performance . (Mogadishu City Hospital n.d.)

Information on procedures to obtain medical records in Somalia could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2. Availability and Effectiveness of Postal Services

According to the telecommunications section of the Logistics Capacity Assessment (LCA) [2] for Somalia, which was carried out between September and December 2013 (UN 7 June 2016), and updated in 2014, "[t]he postal service of Somalia has been un-functional for a long time now" (UN 24 Mar. 2014). A 2013 Reuters article reports that "the challenges to bringing [Somalia] back into the global postal community are manifold - there are no functioning post offices, only the main roads are named and most houses do not have a number (Reuters 26 Apr. 2013). The same source indicates that the ongoing struggle with "al Qaeda-linked insurgents" and the prevalence of pirates in "parts of the coastline" are additional factors (Reuters 26 Apr. 2013).

The same source further cites the spokesman of Universal Postal Union (UPU) [3] as stating that "Somalia had created an office at the airport to handle mail moving in and out of the country, initially to service the government, embassies and universities" (Reuters 26 Apr. 2013). According to an October 2013 press release of the UPU, "[i]n 1991, Somalia had some 100 post offices and a postal staff of 2,165. Today there is one general post office in the capital and some 25 staff" (UPU 31 Oct. 2013). According to the same source, "[a]fter 23 years without postal services," Somalia's international mailing services were set to resume "from 1 November 2013, thanks to an agreement concluded with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its postal operator, Emirates Post" (UPU 31 Oct. 2013). According to the same source, "[t]he agreement [reached in April]  covers the forwarding and processing of inbound and outbound letter post until 31 December 2014" (UPU 31 Oct. 2013). Similarly, the LCA indicates that

[in] mid-2013 the [M]inister of [I]nformation [P]osts and Telecommunication signed an agreement with the [UAE] Posts to process mail to and from Somalia. Emirates Post's mail transit hub at Dubai International Airport was then used to forward mail from Somalia to various destinations. (UN 24 Mar. 2014)

According to an October 2014 article by the BBC, "Somalia's government has launched its first postal service in more than two decades" and it has "introduced postcodes nationwide for the first time in the country's history" (BBC 13 Oct. 2014). The same source cites the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications as stating that "Somalis would now be able to receive letters from abroad" and that the "next phase would be to make it possible for them to send letters to friends and relatives who live abroad" (BBC 13 Oct. 2014). The BBC reports that "[m]ost Somalis communicate via email and mobile phone or send handwritten letters via friends" (BBC 13 Oct. 2014). A 2015 news article by the Emirates Post Group cites the Somali Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications as stating that "a lot remains to be done to restore the country's unused postal infrastructure" and that "reviving the parcel service [is] a priority" (UAE 5 Nov. 2015). Further and corroborating information on the reinstatement of the postal services, or their functionality could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.1 International Postal and Courier Service Providers

In a "Country Regulations Topics" article regarding import and export to Iran, United Parcel Service (UPS) indicates that Somalia is "subject to complicated [US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control] economic sanctions that force UPS to suspend service completely" (UPS Jan. 2011). According to UPS, "[t]he service suspension applies to exports and imports" and the "service ban  includes the transport of mail or parcels to individuals, institutions, organizations, embassies and consulates of the restricted country in a non-restricted third country" (UPS Jan. 2011). The same source further notes that

[a]n exception is permitted for approved shipments transported via [Supply Chain Solutions] air/ocean forwarding services. Request for approval can be made by the UPS salesperson via the Embargoed and Sanctioned Country Matrix and Approval Form found on the UPS Customs and Trade Compliance intranet site. (UPS Jan. 2011)

Further information on the availability of UPS services to and from Somalia could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

When selecting Somalia on the Fedex website, a pop up alert states that, "[d]ue to the current trade embargo, we currently do not offer services to or from this country" (Fedex n.d.). The website of the United States Postal Service (USPS) indicates, regarding country conditions for mailing to Somalia, that "[a]ll mail services are suspended" (US n.d.b.).

According to the LCA, Deutsche Post DHL (DHL) operates in Mogadishu and "provides postal services" (UN 24 Mar. 2014). The website of DHL provides the address for a DHL Express location in Mogadishu (DHL Express n.d.). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the DHL Express Vice President and Head of Legal Services East Europe Middle East Africa, who obtained information from the DHL Express Agent for Somalia, stated that

DHL does not classify our services as "postal services", but rather "express courier services" which are distinct from basic postal services. That said, [DHL does] offer as part of those "express courier services" the ability to carry documents from all parts of Somalia to the rest of the world (including Canada), and from the rest of the world (including Canada) to Somalia. In terms of shipments of parcels, [DHL] also offer[s] as part of those express courier services the ability to carry parcels from all parts of the rest of the world (including Canada) to Somalia, though certain outbound destinations have restrictions on them in terms of carriage of outbound parcels from Somalia. (DHL Express 21 Feb. 2017)

The same source further indicated that

DHL does not focus on the carriage of domestic express courier services within Somalia, however [DHL does] offer services between major cities/towns, being primarily Mogadishu, Bossaso, Gardo, Garowe, Galkayo. [DHL] sometime[s] do[es] deliveries to Kismayo, Baidoa, Giohar and Beletwayne. (DHL Express 21 Feb. 2017)

LCA further reports that Australia Post operates in Mogadishu and "mostly provides sea mail parcel delivery services to Somalia destinations" (UN 24 Mar. 2014). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of Australia Post's customer service indicated that to his knowledge "Australia Post does not have any staff in Somalia. [Australia Post] offer[s] one postal service which is a Sea Mail taking two to three months. When the item arrives in Somalia, delivery is handled by the local postal service" (Representative of Australia Post 13 Feb. 2017). According to the website of Australia Post, "International Express and all Air Mail services to Somalia remain suspended, including International Registered Post. Sea mail parcel service is still available" (Australia Post n.d.). According to the same source, "Somalia does not accept International Express - Parcels merchandise. It only accepts [International] Express documents or business papers" (Australia Post n.d.). The website further states that "International Express (carried via the [Express Mail Service] network) - Parcels delivers only to Mogadishu, Berbera (via Djibouti) and Hargeysa (via Djibouti)" (Australia Post n.d.).

According to the website of Canada Post, the following international postal services are not available to Somalia: air service, including letter-post, parcels and "Priority Worldwide", and surface service, including letter-post and parcels (Canada n.d. italics in original).

Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] The Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke is a "non-profit community based organization estab[l]ished in 1987. The association is engaged in the provision of a wide range of services to Somali immigrants and refugees. These services are aimed at assisting Somali newcomers adjust to the new way of life in Canada" (Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke n.d.).

[2] The LCA is a "long-standing tool of WFP [World Food Programme] Logistics. Since 2008, it has provided an important source of information related to the logistics infrastructure and services in a given country[.] It is a tool for organising that information in a standard way across multiple countries and a means of sharing that information both within WFP and with the humanitarian community globally" (UN 1 Feb. 2016).

[3] According to its website, the UPU is an international organization with 192 member countries, which is the "primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. It helps to ensure a truly universal network of up-to-date products and services" (UPU n.d.).

References

Australia Post. N.d. "International Post Guide Somalia." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 13 October 2014. "Somalia Government Launches Postal Service." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

Canada. N.d. Canada Post. "International Mail Limitations." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

DHL Express. 21 February 2017. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

DHL Express. N.d. "Find a DHL Service Point Location." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Executive Director, Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke. 27 February 2017. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Executive Director, Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke. 21 February 2017. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Fedex. N.d. "Attention." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

Mogadishu City Hospital. N.d. "Services." [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]

Mogadishu University. 26 February 2017. Correspondence of a representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office to the Research Directorate.

Mogadishu University. 20 February 2017. Correspondence of a representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office to the Research Directorate.

Plasma University. 1 March 2017. Correspondence of the Head of International Relations to the Research Directorate.

Representative, Australia Post. 13 February 2017. Customer Service. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Representative, United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Somalia. 26 February 2017. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Representative, United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Somalia. 19 February 2017. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Reuters. 26 April 2013. Tom Miles. "Return to Sender? Maybe Not as Somalia to Restart Mail 22 Years On." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke. N.d. "Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke." [Accessed 23 Feb. 2017]

United Arab Emirates (UAE). 5 November 2015. Emirates Post Group (EPG). "Somali Post and EPG Review Measures to Improve Postal Services Between Somalia and UAE." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

United Kingdom (UK). 21 January 2015. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. "Somalia - Country of Concern." [Accessed 10 Feb. 2017]

United Nations (UN). 7 June 2016. World Food Programme. "Somalia." Logistics Capacity Assessment. Erick Mmari. [Accessed 23 Feb. 2017]

United Nations (UN). 1 February 2016. World Food Programme. "Logistics Capacity Assesment." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

United Nations (UN). 24 March 2014. World Food Programme. "3.5 Somalia Telecommunications." Logistics Capacity Assessment. Lucy Styles, Erick Mmari. [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

United Nations (UN). 29 December 2006. Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). "Fragile Security in Mogadishu, NGO Slams Raid on Hospital." [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

United Parcel Service (UPS). January 2011. "Import/Export. United States to Iran (Islamic Republic of) Country Regulations Topics." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

Universal Postal Union (UPU). 31 October 2013. "International Mail Services Resume in Somalia." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

Universal Postal Union (UPU). N.d. "The UPU." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

University of Somalia. 22 February 2017. Correspondence of the Vice Chancellor to the Research Directorate.

United States (US). 13 April 2016. "Somalia." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]

United States (US). N.d.a. Department of State. "Somalia Reciprocity Schedule." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

United States (US). N.d.b. United States Postal Service. "Country Conditions for Mailing - Somalia." [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Banadir Hospital; Canadian Association of Somali Lawyers; International Medical Corps; International Organization for Migration Mission in Somalia, Nairobi Office; Mogadishu City Hospital; Somali Medical Association; Somalia - Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Embassy in Washington, D.C., Ministry of Information and Communication; Universal Postal Union.

Internet sites, including: Banadir Hospital; Canadian Association of Somali Lawyers; Diplomat News Network; ecoi.net; Factiva; International Medical Corps; International Organization for Migration Mission for East and Horn of Africa; Keesing's Document Checker; Medecins Sans Frontieres; Mogadishu University; Plasma University; Postal Technology International; Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke; Somali Medical Association; Somalia - Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Embassy in Washington, D.C., Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunication; UN - Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Reliefweb, High Commissioner for Refugees; University of Somalia; US - Department of State, CIA.

Attachments

Mogadishu University. N.d. Copy of an old certificate. Sent to the Research Directorate by a representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office of Mogadishu University, 20 February 2017. Mogadishu University. N.d. Copy of an updated certificate. Sent to the Research Directorate by a representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office of Mogadishu University, 20 February 2017. Mogadishu University. N.d. Copy of a transcript. Sent to the Research Directorate by a representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office of Mogadishu University, 20 February 2017. Mogadishu University. N.d. Copy of clearance form. Sent to the Research Directorate by a representative of the Admission and Enrollment Office of Mogadishu University, 26 February 2017.
Case C-528/15 Al Chodor

Publisher European Union: Court of Justice of the European Union Publication Date 15 March 2017 Citation / Document Symbol C-528/15 Cite as Case C-528/15 Al Chodor, C-528/15, European Union: Court of Justice of the European Union, 15 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,ECJ,58d545f44.html [accessed 7 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Second Chamber)

15 March 2017 (*)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection - Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 (Dublin III) - Article 28(2) - Detention for the purpose of transfer - Article 2(n) - Significant risk of absconding - Objective criteria - Absence of a legal definition)

In Case C528/15,

REQUEST for a preliminary ruling under Article 267 TFEU from the Nejvyssi spravni soud (Supreme Administrative Court, Czech Republic), made by decision of 24 September 2015, received at the Court on 7 October 2015, in the proceedings

Policie CR,Krajske reditelstvi policie Usteckeho kraje, odbor cizinecke policie

v

Salah Al Chodor,

Ajlin Al Chodor,

Ajvar Al Chodor,

THE COURT (Second Chamber),

composed of M. Ilesic, President of the Chamber, A. Prechal (Rapporteur), A. Rosas, C. Toader and E. Jarasiunas, Judges,

Advocate General: H. Saugmandsgaard e,

Registrar: L. Hewlett, Principal Administrator,

having regard to the written procedure and further to the hearing on 14 July 2016,

after considering the observations submitted on behalf of:

- the Policie CR, Krajske reditelstvi policie Usteckeho kraje, odbor cizinecke policie, by D. Franc,

- the Czech Government, by M. Smolek, J. Vlacil and S. Sindelkova, acting as Agents,

- the Greek Government, by M. Michelogiannaki, acting as Agent,

- the United Kingdom Government, by S. Brandon, acting as Agent, and M. Gray, Barrister,

- the European Commission, by M. Condou-Durande, M. Simerdova and G. Wils, acting as Agents,

after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 10 November 2016,

gives the following

Judgment

1 This request for a preliminary ruling concerns the interpretation of Article 28 of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person (OJ 2013 L 180, p. 31) ('the Dublin III Regulation'), read in conjunction with Article 2 of that regulation.

2 The request has been made in an appeal on a point of law brought by the Policie CR, Krajske reditelstvi Usteckeho kraje, odbor cizinecke policie (Police Force of the Czech Republic, Regional Police Directorate of the Usti nad Labem Region, Foreigners Police Section; 'the Foreigners Police Section') concerning the annulment, by a lower court, of the decision taken by the Foreigners Police Section to detain Salah, Ajlin and Ajvar Al Chodor ('the Al Chodors') for 30 days for the purpose of transferring them to Hungary.

Legal context

The ECHR

3 Article 5 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 ('the ECHR'), is entitled 'Right to liberty and security', and provides:

'1. Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be deprived of his liberty save in the following cases and in accordance with a procedure prescribed by law:



(f) the lawful arrest or detention of a person to prevent his effecting an unauthorised entry into the country or of a person against whom action is being taken with a view to deportation or extradition.  '

EU law

The Charter

4 Article 6 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union ('the Charter') provides that: 'everyone has the right to liberty and security of person'.

5 Article 52 of the Charter, entitled 'Scope and interpretation of rights and principles', states:

'1. Any limitation on the exercise of the rights and freedoms recognised by this Charter must be provided for by law and respect the essence of those rights and freedoms. Subject to the principle of proportionality, limitations may be made only if they are necessary and genuinely meet objectives of general interest recognised by the Union or the need to protect the rights and freedoms of others.



3. In so far as this Charter contains rights which correspond to rights guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the meaning and scope of those rights shall be the same as those laid down by the said Convention. This provision shall not prevent Union law providing more extensive protection.

 '

The Dublin III Regulation

6 Recital 9 of the Dublin III Regulation states:

'In the light of the results of the evaluations undertaken of the implementation of the first-phase instruments, it is appropriate, at this stage, to confirm the principles underlying [Council Regulation (EC) No 343/2003 of 18 February 2003 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national (OJ 2003 L 50, p. 1)], while making the necessary improvements, in the light of experience, to the effectiveness of the Dublin system and the protection granted to applicants under that system. Given that a well-functioning Dublin system is essential for the [Common European Asylum System (CEAS)], its principles and functioning should be reviewed as other components of the CEAS and Union solidarity tools are built up. A comprehensive "fitness check" should be foreseen by conducting an evidence-based review covering the legal, economic and social effects of the Dublin system, including its effects on fundamental rights.'

7 Recital 20 of the Dublin III Regulation is worded as follows:

'The detention of applicants should be applied in accordance with the underlying principle that a person should not be held in detention for the sole reason that he or she is seeking international protection. Detention should be for as short a period as possible and subject to the principles of necessity and proportionality. In particular, the detention of applicants must be in accordance with Article 31 of the Geneva Convention. The procedures provided for under this Regulation in respect of a detained person should be applied as a matter of priority, within the shortest possible deadlines. As regards the general guarantees governing detention, as well as detention conditions, where appropriate, Member States should apply the provisions of Directive 2013/33/EU [of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection, (OJ 2013 L 180, p. 96)] also to persons detained on the basis of this Regulation.'

8 Article 2 of the Dublin III Regulation, entitled 'Definitions', provides:

'For the purposes of this Regulation:



(n) "risk of absconding" means the existence of reasons in an individual case, which are based on objective criteria defined by law, to believe that an applicant or a third-country national or a stateless person who is subject to a transfer procedure may abscond.'

9 Article 28 of that regulation, entitled 'Detention', provides:

'1. Member States shall not hold a person in detention for the sole reason that he or she is subject to the procedure established by this Regulation.

2. When there is a significant risk of absconding, Member States may detain the person concerned in order to secure transfer procedures in accordance with this Regulation, on the basis of an individual assessment and only in so far as detention is proportional and other less coercive alternative measures cannot be applied effectively.

3. Detention shall be for as short a period as possible and shall be for no longer than the time reasonably necessary to fulfil the required administrative procedures with due diligence until the transfer under this Regulation is carried out.

 '

Directive 2013/33

10 Under Article 8 of Directive 2013/33 ('the Reception Directive'):

'1. Member States shall not hold a person in detention for the sole reason that he or she is an applicant in accordance with Directive 2013/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection [(OJ 2013 L 180, p. 60)].

2. When it proves necessary and on the basis of an individual assessment of each case, Member States may detain an applicant, if other less coercive alternative measures cannot be applied effectively.

3. An applicant may be detained only:



(f) in accordance with Article 28 of [the Dublin III Regulation].

The grounds for detention shall be laid down in national law.

 '

Czech law

11 Paragraph 129(1) of Law No 326/1999 on the residence of foreign nationals in the Czech Republic and amending other laws ('the Law on the residence of foreign nationals') states:

'The police shall detain a foreign national who has entered or stayed in the Czech Republic illegally for the period of time necessarily required in order to secure transfer procedures in accordance with an international treaty concluded with another Member State of the European Union before 13 January 2009 or with directly applicable legislation of the European Union.'

12 At the time when the order for reference was made, a legislative process seeking to amend that article was pending, involving the addition of a fourth subparagraph to Paragraph 129, worded as follows:

'The police shall decide to detain a foreign national for the purpose of his transfer to a State bound by directly applicable legislation of the European Union only if there is a significant risk of absconding. There is considered to be a significant risk of absconding in particular where the foreign national has stayed in the Czech Republic illegally, has already previously avoided transfer to a State bound by directly applicable EU legislation, or has attempted to abscond or expressed an intention not to comply with a final decision to transfer him to a State bound by directly applicable EU legislation, or if such an intention is apparent from his behaviour. There is also considered to be a significant risk of absconding where a foreign national who is to be transferred to a State bound by directly applicable EU legislation which is not immediately adjacent to the Czech Republic cannot lawfully travel to that State independently and cannot provide the address of a place of residence in the Czech Republic.'

The dispute in the main proceedings and the question referred for a preliminary ruling

13 The Al Chodors, who are Iraqi nationals, travelled to the Czech Republic, where they were subject to a police check on 7 May 2015. As they did not produce any documents establishing their identity, they were interviewed by the Foreigners Police Section.

14 During their interview, they declared that they were of Kurdish origin and that their village had been occupied by fighters of the Islamic State terrorist organisation. The Al Chodors travelled via Turkey to Greece, from where they continued their journey by lorry. In Hungary they were stopped by the police, who took their fingerprints. Salah Al Chodor stated that he signed a number of documents on that occasion. The following day, the Hungarian authorities brought them to a railway station and directed them towards a refugee camp. The Al Chodors left the refugee camp after two days with the aim of joining family members in Germany.

15 After stopping the Al Chodors in the Czech Republic, the Czech Foreigners Police Section consulted the Eurodac database and found that they had made an asylum application in Hungary.

16 The Foreigners Police Section took the view that there was a serious risk of absconding, given that the Al Chodors had neither a residence permit nor accommodation in the Czech Republic while awaiting their transfer to Hungary. Furthermore, notwithstanding the rules forbidding them from doing so, they had left the refugee camp in Hungary, with the intention of travelling to Germany, without waiting until a decision had been made in relation to their asylum application. The Foreigners Police Section accordingly placed the Al Chodors in detention for 30 days pending their transfer to Hungary pursuant to Paragraph 129(1) of the Law on the residence of foreign nationals, read in conjunction with Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation.

17 The Al Chodors brought an action against the decision ordering their detention. The Krajsky soud v Usti nad Labem (Regional Court, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic) annulled that decision, finding that Czech legislation does not lay down objective criteria for the assessment of the risk of absconding within the meaning of Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation. That court accordingly ruled that the detention was unlawful. It based its decision on, inter alia, two similar judgments delivered by courts in other Member States; one by the Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice, Germany) (judgment of the Bundesgerichtshof, 26 June 2014, Case V ZB 31/14) and the other by the Verwaltungsgerichtshof (Administrative Court, Austria) (judgment of the Verwaltungsgerichtshof, 19 February 2015, Case RO 2014/21/0075-5).

18 Following the annulment of the decision of the Foreigners Police Section, the Al Chodors were released from custody. They left the Czech Republic for an unknown destination.

19 The Foreigners Police Section brought an appeal on a point of law before the Nejvyssi spravni soud (Supreme Administrative Court, Czech Republic) against the decision of the Krajsky soud v Usti nad Labem (Regional Court, Usti nad Labem). According to the Foreigners Police Section, the inapplicability of Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation cannot be justified by the mere absence in Czech legislation of objective criteria defining the risk of absconding. That provision subjects the assessment of the risk of absconding to three conditions, namely an individual assessment taking account of the circumstances of the case, the proportionality of the detention, and the impossibility of employing a less coercive measure. The Foreigners Police Section has submitted that it satisfied those conditions.

20 The referring court is unsure whether Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation, read in conjunction with Article 2(n) thereof, and/or Paragraph 129(1) of the Law on the residence of foreign nationals, constitute a sufficient legal basis where the national legislation does not contain objective criteria defining the existence of a significant risk of absconding.

21 In that regard, it points out that the language versions of Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation diverge. While the French- and German-language versions of that provision require a definition, laid down in legislation, of the objective criteria for the purposes of assessing the risk of absconding, other language versions require a definition of those criteria 'by law (in the general sense)', with the result that the meaning of the term 'defined by law' does not follow clearly from the wording of that provision. Furthermore, the referring court notes that the European Court of Human Rights interprets the term 'law' broadly, in so far as, for that court, that term is not limited solely to legislation, but also includes other sources of law (ECtHR, 24 April 1990, Kruslin v France, CE:ECHR:1990:0424JUD001180185,  29). In the context of the detention of persons who are staying illegally, it is clear from the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 9 July 2009, Mooren v Germany (CE:ECHR:2009:0709JUD001136403,  76 and 90 to 97), that it is necessary to assess the quality of the legal basis, in particular in terms of clarity, accessibility and predictability.

22 Accordingly, the referring court is uncertain whether the recognition by its settled case-law of objective criteria on the basis of which the detention of persons pursuant to Paragraph 129 of the Law on the residence of foreign nationals may be carried out can meet the requirement of a definition 'by law' within the meaning of Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation, in so far as that case-law confirms a consistent administrative practice of the Foreigners Police Section which is characterised by the absence of arbitrary elements, and by predictability and an individual assessment in each case.

23 In those circumstances, the Nejvyssi spravni soud (Supreme Administrative Court) decided to stay the proceedings and to refer the following question to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling:

'Does the sole fact that a law has not defined objective criteria for assessment of a significant risk that a foreign national may abscond [within the meaning of Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation] render detention under Article 28(2) [of that regulation] inapplicable?'

Consideration of the question referred

24 The referring court asks, in essence, whether Article 2(n) and Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation, read in conjunction, must be interpreted as requiring Member States to establish, in a national law, objective criteria underlying the reasons for believing that an applicant for international protection ('the applicant') who is subject to a transfer procedure may abscond, and whether the absence of those criteria in a national law leads to the inapplicability of Article 28(2) of that regulation.

25 It should be noted at the outset that the Dublin III Regulation, pursuant to Article 28(2) thereof, permits the detention of applicants, in order to secure transfer procedures in accordance with that regulation, when there is a significant risk of absconding on the basis of an individual assessment, and only in so far as the detention is proportional and where other less coercive alternative measures cannot be applied effectively. Article 2(n) of that regulation defines, in turn, the term 'risk of absconding' as the existence of reasons in an individual case, which are based on objective criteria defined by law, to believe that the person concerned may abscond.

26 The Foreigners Police Section and the Czech Government submit, in the first place, that a regulation is directly applicable in the Member States and therefore does not require prior transposition into national law. Consequently, they argue, Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation does not require the national legislature to implement, by way of a national law, those objective criteria defining a risk of absconding.

27 In that regard, it must be recalled that, according to well-established case-law of the Court, pursuant to Article 288 TFEU and by virtue of the very nature of regulations and of their function in the system of sources of EU law, the provisions of those regulations generally have immediate effect in the national legal systems without its being necessary for the national authorities to adopt measures of application. Nonetheless, some of those provisions may necessitate, for their implementation, the adoption of measures of application by the Member States (see, to that effect, judgment of 14 April 2011, Vlaamse Dierenartsenvereniging and Janssens, C42/10, C45/10 and C57/10, EU:C:2011:253, paragraphs 47 and 48 and the case-law cited).

28 This is the case with regard to Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation, which explicitly requires that objective criteria defining the existence of a risk of absconding be 'defined by law'. Since those criteria have been established neither by that regulation nor in another EU legal act, the elaboration of those criteria, in the context of that regulation, is a matter for national law. That finding is, moreover, confirmed by a combined reading of, on the one hand, Article 8(3)(f) of the Reception Directive, under which an applicant may be detained in accordance with Article 28 of the Dublin III Regulation, and, on the other hand, the final sentence of Article 8(3) of the Reception Directive which specifies that the grounds for such detention are to be laid down in national law. Furthermore, recital 20 of the Dublin III Regulation provides, in turn, that, as regards the general guarantees governing detention, as well as detention conditions, where appropriate, Member States should apply the provisions of the Reception Directive also to persons detained on the basis of that regulation, that directive specifically containing, in its Article 8, a direct reference to national law. It follows that criteria such as those listed in Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation require implementation in the national law of each Member State.

29 Next, it is necessary to determine whether the word 'law' referred to in Article 2(n) of that regulation must be understood as including settled case-law which confirms, as the case may be, a consistent administrative practice.

30 In accordance with the settled case-law of the Court, in interpreting a provision of EU law, it is necessary to consider not only its wording but also the context in which it occurs and the objectives pursued by the rules of which it forms part (judgment of 26 May 2016, Envirotec Denmark, C550/14, EU:C:2016:354, paragraph 27 and the case-law cited).

31 As regards the wording of Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation, a purely textual analysis of the notion of 'defined by law' cannot determine whether case-law or a consistent administrative practice are capable of coming within that concept. In the different language versions of that regulation, the term equivalent to the term 'loi (legislation)' has a different scope. Thus, the wording used, for example, in the English-, Polish- and Slovak-language versions is similar to the concept of 'droit (law in the general sense'), which can have a wider scope than 'loi (legislation)'. Certain other versions, for example, the Bulgarian-, Spanish-, Czech-, German- and French-language versions, have a more restrictive scope.

32 Where the various language versions differ, the scope of the provision in question cannot be determined on the basis of an interpretation which is exclusively textual, but must be interpreted by reference to the purpose and general scheme of the rules of which it forms part (judgment of 26 May 2016, Envirotec Denmark, C550/14, EU:C:2016:354, paragraph 28 and the case-law cited).

33 With regard to the general scheme of the rules of which Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation forms part, the Court has previously held that it is apparent from recital 9 of that regulation that, while confirming the principles underlying it, that regulation is intended to make the necessary improvements, in the light of experience, not only to the effectiveness of the Dublin system but also to the protection afforded to applicants under that system, to be achieved by, inter alia, the judicial protection enjoyed by asylum seekers (judgment of 7 June 2016, Ghezelbash, C63/15, EU:C:2016:409, paragraph 52).

34 This high level of protection afforded to applicants covered by the Dublin III Regulation is also provided for with regard to the detention of those applicants, as is clear from Articles 28 and 2(n) of that regulation, read in conjunction. Article 28 of that regulation, as mentioned in recital 20 thereof, places significant limitations on the power of the Member States to detain a person. Thus, it is clear from Article 28(1) of that regulation that the Member States may not hold a person in detention for the sole reason that he or she is an applicant for international protection. Furthermore, Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation permits the detention of a person in order to secure transfer procedures pursuant to that regulation only where there is a significant risk of absconding, the assessment of which must be based on an individual assessment. In addition, the detention must be proportional and is justified only where other less coercive alternative measures cannot be applied effectively. Moreover, under Article 28(3), the detention must be for as short a period as possible. Finally, Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation requires that the finding of a risk of absconding be based on objective criteria which must be defined by law and applied on a case-by-case basis.

35 Furthermore, it must be noted that the Dublin III Regulation provides greater guarantees in relation to detention than did Regulation No 343/2003, of which the Dublin III Regulation is a recast version. Regulation No 343/2003 did not contain any provision relating to detention. That development highlights the greater focus afforded by the EU legislature to the protection of applicants, as is also clear from the judgment of 7 June 2016, Ghezelbash (C63/15, EU:C:2016:409).

36 As regards the objective pursued by Article 2(n) of the Dublin III Regulation, read in conjunction with Article 28(2) thereof, it must be recalled that, by authorising the detention of an applicant in order to secure transfer procedures pursuant to that regulation where there is a significant risk of absconding, those provisions provide for a limitation on the exercise of the fundamental right to liberty enshrined in Article 6 of the Charter (see, by analogy, judgment of 15 February 2016, N., C601/15 PPU, EU:C:2016:84, paragraph 49).

37 In that regard, it is clear from Article 52(1) of the Charter that any limitation on the exercise of that right must be provided for by law and must respect the essence of that right and be subject to the principle of proportionality. In so far as the Charter contains rights which correspond to rights guaranteed by the ECHR, Article 52(3) of the Charter provides that the meaning and scope of those rights must be the same as those laid down by that convention, while specifying that EU law may provide more extensive protection. For the purpose of interpreting Article 6 of the Charter, account must therefore be taken of Article 5 of the ECHR as the minimum threshold of protection.

38 According to the European Court of Human Rights, any deprivation of liberty must be lawful not only in the sense that it must have a legal basis in national law, but also that lawfulness concerns the quality of the law and implies that a national law authorising the deprivation of liberty must be sufficiently accessible, precise and foreseeable in its application in order to avoid all risk of arbitrariness (see, to that effect, judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 21 October 2013, Del Rio Prada v Spain, CE:ECHR:2013:1021JUD004275009, 125).

39 Furthermore, according to the case-law of the Court of Justice in that regard, it must be noted that the objective of the safeguards relating to liberty, such as those enshrined in both Article 6 of the Charter and Article 5 of the ECHR, consists in particular in the protection of the individual against arbitrariness. Thus, if the execution of a measure depriving a person of liberty is to be in keeping with the objective of protecting the individual from arbitrariness, this means, in particular, that there can be no element of bad faith or deception on the part of the authorities (see, to that effect, judgment of 15 February 2016, N., C601/15 PPU, EU:C:2016:84, paragraph 81).

40 It follows from the foregoing that the detention of applicants, constituting a serious interference with those applicants' right to liberty, is subject to compliance with strict safeguards, namely the presence of a legal basis, clarity, predictability, accessibility and protection against arbitrariness.

41 With regard to the first of those safeguards, it must be recalled that the limitation on the exercise of the right to liberty is based, in the present case, on Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation, read in conjunction with Article 2(n) thereof, which is a legislative act of the European Union. The latter provision refers, in turn, to national law for the definition of the objective criteria indicating the presence of a risk of absconding. In that context, the question arises as to what type of provision addresses the other safeguards, namely those of clarity, predictability, accessibility and protection against arbitrariness.

42 In that regard, as was noted by the Advocate General in point 63 of his Opinion, it is important that the individual discretion enjoyed by the authorities concerned pursuant to Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation, read in conjunction with Article 2(n) thereof, in relation to the existence of a risk of absconding, should be exercised within a framework of certain predetermined limits. Accordingly, it is essential that the criteria which define the existence of such a risk, which constitute the basis for detention, are defined clearly by an act which is binding and foreseeable in its application.

43 Taking account of the purpose of the provisions concerned, and in the light of the high level of protection which follows from their context, only a provision of general application could meet the requirements of clarity, predictability, accessibility and, in particular, protection against arbitrariness.

44 The adoption of rules of general application provides the necessary guarantees in so far as such wording sets out the limits of the flexibility of those authorities in the assessment of the circumstances of each specific case in a manner that is binding and known in advance. Furthermore, as the Advocate General noted in points 81 and 82 of his Opinion, criteria established by a binding provision are best placed for the external direction of the discretion of those authorities for the purposes of protecting applicants against arbitrary deprivations of liberty.

45 It follows that Article 2(n) and Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation, read in conjunction, must be interpreted as requiring that the objective criteria underlying the reasons for believing that an applicant may abscond must be established in a binding provision of general application. In any event, settled case-law confirming a consistent administrative practice on the part of the Foreigners Police Section, such as in the main proceedings in the present case, cannot suffice.

46 In the absence of those criteria in such a provision, as in the main proceedings in the present case, the detention must be declared unlawful, which leads to the inapplicability of Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation.

47 Consequently, the answer to the question referred is that Article 2(n) and Article 28(2) of the Dublin III Regulation, read in conjunction, must be interpreted as requiring Member States to establish, in a binding provision of general application, objective criteria underlying the reasons for believing that an applicant who is subject to a transfer procedure may abscond. The absence of such a provision leads to the inapplicability of Article 28(2) of that regulation.

Costs

48 Since these proceedings are, for the parties to the main proceedings, a step in the action pending before the national court, the decision on costs is a matter for that court. Costs incurred in submitting observations to the Court, other than the costs of those parties, are not recoverable.

On those grounds, the Court (Second Chamber) hereby rules:

Article 2(n) and Article 28(2) of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person, read in conjunction, must be interpreted as requiring Member States to establish, in a binding provision of general application, objective criteria underlying the reasons for believing that an applicant for international protection who is subject to a transfer procedure may abscond. The absence of such a provision leads to the inapplicability of Article 28(2) of that regulation.

Copyright notice: Cour de justice des Communautes europeennes L-2925 Luxembourg. Telephone switchboard: (352) 4303.1; fax: (352) 4303.2600
Voting on Tuesday? Check here to get the information you need

With the arrival of the general election, voters across Morgan County will be casting ballots for a number of elected positions.
Plain Talk: 1960s films still have something to say
Cambodias Ministry of Interior has ruled that the countrys opposition party violated its own by-laws by holding an extraordinary congress to appoint new leadership earlier this month, throwing its political legitimacy into question ahead of local commune elections in June.



In a statement yesterday, the ministry said that Kem Sokhas appointment as president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) on March 2 is illegitimate because the opposition failed to observe its own 18-month freeze on selecting leaders if the post becomes vacant.



Former CNRP president Sam Rainsy resigned on Feb. 11 in order to preserve the party in the face of a new ruling party initiated law that bars anyone convicted of a crime from holding the top offices in a political party, among other changes.



Thursdays statement also called on the CNRP to dump its campaign slogan of replace the commune chiefs who serve the party with commune chiefs who serve the people, saying the phrase goes against Cambodias constitution, election laws and the spirit of multiparty democracy.



The CNRP convened its extraordinary congress on March 2 to amend some articles of its party by-laws and appoint Kem Sokha as president, along with deputies Mu Sochua, Pol Ham and Eng Chhay Eang.



Opposition officials say the CNRP was compelled to convene the congress and amend its statute before the new law on political parties went into effect, or risk being dissolved, because the law only provided it with 90 days to elect new leadership.



The amended by-laws removed the requirement of an 18-month moratorium and allowed for the senior-most deputy president to immediately take over as CNRP president in the event the post was vacant, but the Ministry of Interior ruled Thursday according to an older statute filed at the partys launch in May 2013.



After the statement was issued on Thursday, CNRP chairman of the board of directors Yim Sovann submitted a letter to the Ministry of Interior requesting a meeting with minister Sar Kheng to discuss the ruling and seek a solution.



However, Ministry of Interior spokesperson Khieu Sopheak reiterated the ministrys position Friday and said Sar Kheng deemed it only necessary to send an administrative level official to meet with the CNRP.



What was mentioned in the [ministry] notification is upheldwe cannot hold a discussion that might validate [the CNRP congress], he said.



There cannot be any modification. [The CNRP] continues to violate its own [bylaws] as the basis. There is no exception or recognition. That is why there can only be a meeting at the expert levelnot the political level.



Sar Kheng has designated director-general of the Ministry of Interior Prak Sam Oeun to discuss the matter with CNRP officials on March 29 at the ministrys office, Khieu Sopheak said.



The spokesperson said he could not discuss what action the ministry would take against the CNRP if it refuses to approve the validity of the opposition extraordinary congress.



Ruling questioned



On Friday, CNRP deputy president Eng Chhay Eang said the Ministry of Interior has recognized his partys right to take part in elections since 2013.



He said that the CNRP had already notified the ministry about the modifications to its by-laws for selecting party leadership and does not need the Ministry of Interior to reapprove its validity anymore.



Eng Chhay Eang also said the CNRP wont modify its motto and will permit party activists to use it while campaigning for commune elections slated for June 4 on the grounds that it is just a slogan.



Korn Savang, senior advocacy official for the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL), told RFA that electing new leaders through an extraordinary congress is part of the internal affairs of any political party.



The CNRP should be free to modify its by-laws on the basis of whatever situation the party is facing, he added.



Only if there are internal complaints or dissatisfaction within the party and a complaint is filed with the Ministry of Interior can the ministry either accept or not accept the case, Korn Savang said.



This particular issue is the partys internal affairs, so the ministry cannot say whether it will accept [the CNRPs validity] or not. Neither the constitution nor any existing law stipulates that the Ministry of Interior must accept any modified party by-laws.



CNRP officials have warned that the CPP seeks to prevent the opposition from standing in the June elections through a variety of different measures, including the passage of the political party law.



The CPP won more than 70 percent of the vote and secured 1,592 of 1,633 communes in Cambodias 2012 local elections, held before the CNRP was formed. The opposition party won nearly half of the vote in the general election the following year.



Observers say the CNRP could give the CPP, which has ruled Cambodia for more than 35 years, a run for its money in the June pollsa race that many believe may foreshadow the general election in 2018.



Reported by Sothearin Yeang for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Authorities in the eastern China province of Jiangsu are holding several rights activists under "residential surveillance" in an unknown location following a secret crackdown in Suzhou city that began last September, rights activists said.

Several of the detainees had been protesting in supporting of evictee Fan Mugen, who was jailed for eight years in May 2015 for killing two of the demolition team sent to destroy his home, the overseas-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network reported on Friday.

However, the crackdown has continued in recent weeks, the group said, citing the detention of Xu Wenshi on Monday under "residential surveillance in a designated location."

But while such detention is generally used in cases involving alleged threats to national security, Xu has been accused of a lesser public order offense, "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," it said.

Xu's detention follows that of Gu Xiaofeng in the same manner and on the same charge, on Feb. 6. Gu's lawyer Sui Muqing has not been allowed to meet with him.

Fellow activist Hu Cheng was earlier detained in an identical manner on the same charge on Nov. 8, and has also been denied access to his attorney, CHRD said.

On the same day, Ni Jinfang and Xing Jiezhong and Lu Guoying were taken into "residential surveillance for "disrupting court order," while Lu's husband Ge Jueping is being similarly held on charges of "incitement to subvert state power."

And Wang Mingxian and Wu Qihe have been held since Sept. 8 for "disrupting court order" after they participated in the protest on behalf of Fan. Wu's family have been told he has since been sent to a police-run detention, but no further notifications have been issued.

Meanwhile, Wang Wanping was reportedly released earlier this month after being held for "disrupting a court order," but remains incommunicado and has yet to return home, CHRD said.

Detentions before G20 Summit

The initial Fan Mugen protest and detentions also came in the immediate wake of mass detentions and security operations around the G20 Summit in nearby Hangzhou, and some of the Suzhou activists were accused of making "politically sensitive" posts to social media during the summit.

An anonymous source in Suzhou told RFA that 11 people have been detained since last September, adding Xu Chunling and Zhu Xueying to the list of names published by CHRD.

Of those, 10 have been prevented from seeing a lawyer, the source said.

"So many people have been called in for questioning in Suzhou, mostly for their support of Fan Mugen," the source said. "One person was taken in 12 times in all."

"Nobody who has been questioned has dared to speak about it after they get out," the source said.

Retired People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldier Fan Mugen was found guilty of "intentional wounding" by the Suzhou Intermediate People's Court following his trial in February 2015, and jailed for eight years.

Fan's case is politically sensitive as it comes amid growing public anger over the use of violent forced evictions, often with no warning or due process, by local governments to reclaim land for lucrative redevelopment or speculation.

Fan attacked two members of a demolition gang that came to evict his family from their home on Dec. 3, 2013, and who he said beat up his wife. The two men later died.

Fan's defense lawyers walked out after his trial was plagued with violations of legal procedure from the start, with the court ignoring the fact that video evidence shown by the prosecution had been heavily edited, lawyers said at the time.

Chinese authorities have previously charged suspects who kill someone with "intentional wounding" rather than homicide in cases where there is strong provocation, such as an attack on a loved one.

Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Thousands of people rallied in downtown Hong Kong on in support of the pro-democracy camp's preferred candidate in 's elections for the city's next chief executive, amid a row over a government ban on digital media outlets covering the poll.



Candidate John Tsang reminded the crowd that it was standing near the site of the 2014 Occupy Central movement for universal suffrage, which failed to pressure the ruling Chinese Communist Party into allowing public nominations in a one person, one vote race.



Instead, former financial secretary Tsang, former second-in-command Carrie Lam and retired judge Woo Kwok-hing face off for votes from a 1,200-strong election committee heavily weighted with pro-Beijing voters.



Addressing a crowd waving lit-up phones from the top of his double-decker campaign bus in Edinburgh Square, Tsang said: "We are gathered here to show our love for this city of ours."



"This an opportunity for us to rebuild trust, to unify our community and to rekindle hope especially for the young people," he said, to be

greeted by cheers from supporters.



Tsang has led opinion polls carried out by the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Lingnan University since the beginning of the year.



But 's election has been marred by ongoing rows over interference from Beijing and over restrictions on media access, with the government sticking to its policy not to issue official press accreditation to news outlets without a print edition, including the online-only Hong Kong Free Press, Stand News and Local Press HK.



Hong Kong's High Court on refused to overturn the restrictions at the request of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), but said it would accept a judicial review of the government's online media policy.



The HKJA argued that its members should be accredited as bona-fide journalists regardless of what kind of media outlet they work for. The group says it is in the public interest for digital media to receive the same access as other media outlets.



"Currently, Hong Kong digital media outlets are barred from accessing government press releases and press conferences, and are unable to ask questions of officials," the Hong Kong Free Press reported on.



Meanwhile, the city's police have deployed more than 1,000 officers to key locations ahead the opening of 's polls at 9.00 a.m., senior superintendent Tse Kwok-wai told reporters.



Opposition groups have said they plan demonstrations in the area before and during the election, amid warnings from police that demonstrations must be approved in advance or face prosecution.



"Organizations that fail to notify police of a mass activity ... will be regarded as an unauthorized assembly, and the organizers, leaders and any participants ... may face charges for being in breach of the law," Tse warned.



While polls show John Tsang has the backing of the general public, Carrie Lam is widely seen as Beijing's preferred candidate, and public popularity may not be enough to sway voters in 's secret ballot, which comes against a background of intense, behind-the-scenes lobbying, media reports indicate.



All 325 pan-democratic voters on the Election Committee have agreed to throw their votes behind Tsang, based on his popularity, a move that was criticized by Woo.



"They're a disgrace to their own team," Woo said on . "He is a pro-establishment candidate, and he hasn't said how he will tackle a whole range of issues."



But Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan said the agreement had no binding power, and that individual members were still free to vote as they see fit on .



"We just discussed it and reached a consensus, but that's very different from the Chinese Communist Party, which retaliates against you and threatens you if you don't do what they say," Wan said.



"We won't be doing anything like that."



Hong Kong Economic Journal commentator Raymond Tsoi said Tsang appears to have secured around 400 of the votes on the Election Committee, far below the minimum of 600 required to win the election, but didn't rule out his chances altogether.



"Given his high popularity, there is still a chance that enough Election Committee members from across the political spectrum might want to give Tsang an opportunity to take the reins of the city and implement his plans," Tsoi wrote.



"The lack of Beijings blessing could be Tsangs biggest disadvantage. It remains to be seen if his popularity with Hong Kong people can save the day for him," he said.



But Chinese officials have repeatedly indicated that they have the final say over who replaces outgoing chief executive Leung Chun-ying, potentially rendering the final result meaningless.



Earlier this week, the pro-Beijing Ta Kung Pao newspaper reported that some young Tsang supporters it described as small potatoes have links to the United States via the consultancy APCO Worldwide, which has ties to former US president Bill Clinton and investor George Soros.



An Aug. 31, 2014 "interpretation" of the Basic Law issued by the China's National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee said candidates in forthcoming elections must be vetted by a pro-Beijing committee, in the event of a one person, one vote scenario.



The decree sparked the 79-day Occupy Central democracy movement in the same year, with protesters slamming the arrangement as "fake universal suffrage."



The NPC is the final and highest power tasked with interpreting Hong Kong's Basic Law, but only after the territory's own legal processes have been exhausted at the final appeals court, which was set up in 1997 to take over the role filled by the House of Lords under British colonial rule.



However, pan-democratic politicians have criticized such interventions as interference in the city's affairs, breaking with the promises of a "high degree of autonomy" made as part of the handover treaty with the U.K.



Reported by Dai Weisen and Goh Fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Chen Pan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Authorities in the central Chinese province of Henan have fired pepper spray at crowds of protesters amid clashes with thousands of residents angry over a forced eviction and demolition program, eyewitnesses told RFA.



Police and urban management officials, or chengguan, turned out in force with tear gas and pepper spray in a bid to subdue protests over demolitions in a suburb of Henan's Shangqiu city on Thursday, residents said on Friday.



Video of the protests showed large crowds surrounding stationary tanker-trucks on National Highway 310, scuffling with uniformed police who sprayed a substance from a can at them repeatedly.



Thousands of people milled around the line of halted vehicles, with a group of women attacking a uniformed officer with metal poles at one point, as drilling and construction noises sounded in the background.



Local residents said the crowd was protesting at the mass demolition of Xu Tong village in Shangqiu's Liangyuan district after they were awarded compensation at far below market rates.



"The chengguan and the police from the local police station were using tear gas and pepper spray on the villagers," a resident surnamed Huo said. "An old man got knocked to the ground and was [injured]."



"Seven or eight people were injured and are in the hospital right now, and an old lady and an old man were beaten until they were seriously injured," he said, adding that the two elderly people were in a critical condition.



He said local people were furious that the demolition teams had moved in with no formal notice given to residents.



"There was no compensation plan in place, and people wanted a public meeting about this, but they decided not to bother with any of that," Huo said. "Now they have suppressed any information, and they will detain anyone who tried to complain."



"There are no options open to us."



Little notice



Another resident surnamed Yu said Liangyuan district officials had informed people just 10 days earlier that they were requisitioning the land, and that they should move away.



She said several thousand people from around 600 households scheduled for demolition had gathered outside municipal government offices in Shangqiu on hearing the news, but that several people had been detained, and nobody dared go again.



"They told us that they would compensate us at a rate of 800 yuan (U.S. $116) per square meter, but property around here costs between 4,000 and 5,000 yuan (U.S. $581 and $726) per square meter," Yu said. "That means we would be unable to afford a new apartment."



"The government didn't give us proper notice ... they wouldn't even tell us plainly what they were planning to build there," she said. "That's why we resisted the demolitions."



Relocation, not rehousing



An official who answered the phone at the Liangyuan district construction bureau said demolition work had yet to begin at Xu Tong village.



"Our leaders are in the process of dealing with this matter," the official said. "Nothing has formally started yet."



An official in the same office contacted separately confirmed that local people were being offered 864 yuan (U.S. $125) per square meter. "This is local land, not state land, which would be compensated at 2,800 yuan (U.S. $407) per square meter," the official said.



He said the homes were being demolished to allow the widening of National Highway 310.



"They want to be rehoused in the same area, but we are trying to get them to move elsewhere, further north," the official said. "Effectively, it's relocation rather than rehousing in the same place, and that's where the conflict has arisen."



"They don't want to go any further than about a mile to the east."



The official denied anyone had been injured except for an elderly man who was knocked about accidentally in the crowd.



Henan-based online activist Wang Kunlun said it is illegal for the government to move people out of privately-owned property without official documentation and prior compensation.



"The local people need to be satisfied with the arrangements before you can [demolish their homes]," he said.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Wisopinion.com: 'The Insiders' debate the value of the DNR's endangered magazine (video)
Myanmar villagers block a truck from passing along the road to the Letpadaung copper mine in Salingyi township, northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing region, March 14, 2017.

As many as 10 villagers have been injured by police who fired rubber bullets at them on Friday for blocking a roadway to a controversial Chinese-run copper mine in the town of Letpadaung in Salingyi township of northwestern Myanmars Sagaing region.

Locals routinely block the road in protest against Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd., demanding that the Chinese mine operator give them acres of land they were supposed to receive as compensation for damage from the construction of the project to the villagers crops and to their economic well-being.

On Friday the villagers confronted police in the area and were told to disperse, but refused to do so, said Myint Naing, chief minister of Sagaing region.

They refused to leave, so security personnel shot into the air a few times to scare them, he said. After the shots rang out, more villagers in the area came to the scene and finally police had to fire rubber bullets to disperse them.

I heard from police commanders that five or six villagers were wounded, he said.

Villagers posted on social media that at least 10 people were injured, however.

Fridays incident was not the first time guns have been fired at Letpadaung.

On Dec. 22, 2014, police shot and killed Khin Win, a woman who had joined other protesters attempting to prevent Wanbao from fencing off land for the mine. Protests over her fate also drew gunfire in 2015.

Locals also said the companys trucks recently knocked down a man and a cow, and that they wanted drivers who work for the firm to be more responsible and use other routes to access the mine.

In response to Fridays incident, township authorities issued an order to prevent villagers who live near the copper mine from blocking the road, said Salingyi township administrator Aung Myint Tun.

Authorities have banned local villagers from forming assemblies of more than five people, blocking the road to prevent company trucks from leaving and entering the mine, and carrying swords, machetes, slingshots, and inflammable materials, he said.

Locals have been blocking the Pathein-Monywa Road near the project area where trucks were carrying rocks for Myanmar Wanbao Company, and that was why we had to issue the ban, he said.

The mine is one of several Chinese-operated projects in Myanmar that have been heavily criticized by local residents because of land expropriations without adequate compensation and potential and actual environmental damage.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Myanmar's presidential spokesman Zaw Htay comments on a UN Human Rights Council resolution to launch an international investigations of alleged rights violations in Rakhine state, in Naypyidaw, March 24, 2017.

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday said it will dispatch an independent, international fact-finding mission to investigate alleged recent human rights violations by the Myanmar military and security forces in western Myanmars Rakhine state.

The mission will be looking into reports of murder, rape, torture, and arson by security forces in Rohingya Muslim communities in the northern part of the state during a four-month crackdown that began last October following deadly attacks on border guard posts blamed on Rohingya militants.

About 1,000 people died during the operations and more than 77,000 Rohingya fled, mostly to neighboring Bangladesh where they are living in refugee camps.

Myanmar disassociated itself from the draft of the European Union-backed resolution, and specifically from the call for the urgent dispatch of a fact-finding mission, according to a statement by the U.N. Human Rights Council (OHCHR).

The country said it was committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Rakhine state, and that based on the findings and recommendations of a national investigation commission and an advisory commission for Myanmar would put in place a long-term peace-building plan for Rakhine state.

Presidential spokesman Zaw Htay told RFAs Myanmar Service that it was not fair for the council to send a separate mission to look into the human rights abuse allegations, given the countrys national-level commission led by Vice President Myint Swe and a Rakhine advisory commission headed by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan.

It is totally unfair and counter to international practice that other countries have decided to send a separate mission to investigate violations when we havent completed our own investigations, he said. Their action shows a lack of respect to the host country.

He added that the Myanmar government would continue promoting and defending human rights as recommended by the United Nations and is implementing the countrys human rights policy.

Well take action against the perpetrators, he said in a reference to anyone found to have committed human rights abuses during the crackdown in Rakhine.

Zaw Htay said the country has to deal with other factors related to the recent crisis in Rakhine State that began last October along with important issues such as achieving national peace and reconciliation after decades of ethnic separatist civil wars.

At this juncture, this U.N. resolution will not help our efforts to resolve these issues, he said. Therefore, we cannot agree with the resolution, and we have dissociated ourselves from it. We cannot accept this resolution.

Institutional discrimination

The resolution also states that Myanmar should continue to address systematic and institutionalized discrimination against the Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities in the country.

Zaw Htay said that Myanmars Human Rights Commission will issue a report soon and that national leaders will continue to work for a long-lasting solution to the problems in Rakhine state.

The state is home to more than 1.1 million Rohingya who are denied citizenship and access to basic services because Myanmar considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Communal violence with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in 2012 left more than 200 people dead and displaced about 140,000 Rohingya who were forced to live in appalling conditions in internally displaced persons camps.

The independent mission, which will be appointed by the councils president, will submit an update on its work during the bodys autumn session.

China disassociated itself from the draft resolution, saying that the international community should look at the progress Myanmar has made in human rights and respect the countrys sovereignty by creating a favorable environment for the parties to resolve their differences through dialogue.

Rights groups applauded the move, with New York-based Human Rights Watch calling it a step toward preventing future abuses and brining justice for victims in Myanmar.

The Human Rights Councils authorization of an international fact-finding mission is crucial for ensuring that allegations of serious human rights abuses in Burma are thoroughly examined by experts, and to ensure that those responsible will ultimately be held accountable, said John Fisher, HRWs director in Geneva, Switzerland.

Burmas government should cooperate fully with the mission, including by providing unfettered access to all affected areas, he said.

East Asia-based Fortify Rights called the move a landmark resolution and urged the Myanmar government to fully cooperate with it.

We commend the Human Rights Council for this initiative. Its long overdue, said Matthew Smith, the groups chief executive officer. While this mission isnt a silver bullet, its a welcome and positive move toward prevention and accountability.

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (L) and military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (R) pay their respects to two Buddhist monks to commemorate Martyrs' Day in Yangon, July 19, 2016. Credit: AFP Relations with the military

The resolution comes as Myanmars de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, tries to forge peace in a country wracked by fighting between ethnic armed groups and Myanmars powerful military, in addition to addressing the problems in Rakhine state.

Aung San Suu Kyis efforts to improve the governments relationship with the countrys military is based on the need for reconciliation, rather than a struggle for power, Win Htein, spokesman of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), told RFA on Friday.

Aung San Suu Kyis efforts to forge a better relationship with the military, including military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is headed towards reconciliation and not meant to gain more power, he said.

He noted that the countrys 2008 constitution, written by the army, gives control of the ministries of defense, home affairs, and border affairs to the military whether we like it or not.

Military officials also are appointed to a quarter of the seats in parliament.

Analysts say the militarys independence from control by elected politicians helps explain why Aung San Suu Kyi has not been able to respond effectively to widespread and numerous reports of army atrocities in Rakhine. The Nobel Peace laureate has been criticized internationally over the Rakhine bloodshed.

Though Aung San Suu Kyi has indicated that she would like to see the constitution amended to decrease the power of the military in government affairs, she has striven to maintain good relations with Min Aung Hlaing and the generals who head up the three ministries, Win Htein said.

The previous military junta that ruled the country for 50 years kept Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for 15 years when she was head of the NLD, which was then the main opposition party.

As proof of improving ties between Aung San Suu Kyi and Min Aung Hlaing, Win Htein pointed to the generals attendance at Martyrs' Day last July 19, which had been boycotted by the generals in the past.

The military chief also attended an interfaith religious ceremony held at Aug San Suu Kyis residence in Yangon that day.

These are the fruits of Aung San Suu Kyis efforts to forge better ties with General Min Aung Hlaing, which are required for national reconciliation in the future, said Win Htein.

Its a very incorrect assumption by local and foreign observers that Aung San Suu Kyi cannot overcome the militarys influence, he said.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Authorities in Vietnam have cracked down on two unrecognized churches in recent days, according to worshippers who said they were harassed, forbidden from holding religious services and had assets seized by the state.



Secretary general of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam Le Quang Hien, who is a follower of Hoa Hao Buddhism, told RFAs Vietnamese Service Friday that authorities had recently blocked his sects preparations to mark the March 22 anniversary of founder Huynh Phu Sos death.



About 10 days before the anniversary, one person claiming to be police captain Viet of the An Giang provincial police told us that there was an order from above forbidding us to hold the ceremony, Hien said.



Additionally, on March 18, Ha Van Duy Ho [another follower] was told by the Nhon My village authorities to visit their office for a talk and ordered him not to organize a ceremony or else they would take measures against him.



According to Hien, Hoa Hao followers voiced their frustration by holding a sit-in at their homes while holding banners that read, Protest the order of Vietnams Communist Party.



Some followers still held a ceremony [on March 22 to mark the founders death] at their homes, but local authorities deployed security personnel to confiscate the banners they displayed, Hien said.



Rights groups say that authorities in An Giang routinely harass followers of unapproved Hoa Hao groups, prohibiting public readings of Huynh Phu Sos writings and discouraging worshipers from visiting Hoa Hao pagodas in An Giang and other provinces.



Cao Dai church



Authorities also disrupted a group of unsanctioned Cao Dai adherents in Dong Thap provinces Tam Nong district in recent days and seized their church for use by an officially recognized sect of the religion, according to the buildings administrator Duong Ngoc Re.



Re told RFA that provincial and district authorities, as well as those from local Phu Thanh A village, ordered him to meet with them twice on March 16 and 19 to force his group to follow a sanctioned Cao Dai sect, but he refused.



Early on March 20, Re and two other followers saw a group of uniformed and plainclothes police officers cut the lock to the door of their church and begin taking items out of the building.



I asked them, These are our legal assetswhy have you cut the lock and entered, he said, noting that his community had built the church in 1952.



I protested, but they went ahead with what they were doing.



The following day, Re said, around 100 of his groups adherents returned to the church to find it locked with a notice posted on the door claiming the building now belonged to the state-sanctioned sect.



Vietnams government officially recognizes the Hoa Hao and Cao Dai religions but imposes harsh controls on dissenting groups that do not follow state-sanctioned branches.



Just last month, several high-ranking members of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam were attacked by security officers on their way from Vietnams economic capital Ho Chi Minh City to the countryside to visit religious leaders of unsanctioned Hoa Hao and Cao Dai churches for the Tet Lunar New Year.



Two Cao Dai followers were also beaten and robbed by plainclothes police, a source told RFA at the time, adding that the authorities often hire thugs or plainclothes officers to beat and harass activists when they lack evidence to arrest them.



Reported by Hoa Ai for RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The United States has turned down an invitation to a multinational conference on Afghanistan that Russia plans to host on April 14, according to the AP news agency.

Citing an anonymous State Department official, AP reported on March 24 that the decision not to attend was made because Moscow did not consult Washington before extending the invitation and that the Kremlin did not disclose its objectives for the conference.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India, and several Central Asian nations are among the invitees to the Moscow conference, while officials from the Taliban have not been invited, AP said.

Russia held a six-party meeting on peace in Afghanistan in February that was attended by officials from India, China, Iran and Pakistan.

Based on reporting by AP
BAKU -- An RFE/RL investigation has shown that more than two dozen companies with ties to the family of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev or to other government officials do not appear on the Azerbaijani Tax Ministry's public registry. At least one of those companies appears to have been removed from the registry in recent weeks.

The revelation comes just days after the Council of Europe's anticorruption body -- the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) -- issued a report chastising Baku for failing to make "any progress" on implementing a mandatory mechanism under which public officials must disclose their assets.

"The absence of any meaningful development...casts doubt on the political will to enact an effective system of assets disclosure," GRECO said on March 17.

At least 29 companies featured in previous investigations into the assets of public officials, or their subsidiaries, do not appear on the government's mandatory tax registry. Ten of the missing companies are subsidiaries of the Pasha Holding group.

According to the 2013 Consolidated Financial Report of Pasha Holding subsidiary Pasha Bank and the registry information of Pasha Bank's branch in Georgia, the ultimate shareholders of Pasha Holding are: President Aliyev's daughters, Leyla and Arzu; and Arif Pashayev, the father of first lady Mehriban Aliyeva, who was recently also named the country's first vice president.

One Pasha Holding subsidiary, Pasha Development, appeared in the Tax Ministry's registry as recently as August (below) but has since been removed.

Neither Pasha Holding nor the Azerbaijani Tax Ministry responded to requests by RFE/RL for comment. The Pasha Holding website emphasizes the company's commitment to "transparency," saying it aspires to be "a representation of best corporate practice, trust, continuity, and respect for all our stakeholders: our country, shareholders, clients, and partners."

"Azerbaijan is the only nonoffshore haven that hides ownership of its companies," said Akram Hasanov, managing partner of the Akram Hasanov & Partners law firm in Baku. "The information required by the registry has legal importance. This information is essential in contracts and other types of legal communications, including judicial communications."

Before 2012, the ministry's registry required each company to list its name, tax identification number, date of incorporation, legal address, director(s), and owner(s). But following investigations into the undeclared assets of public figures, the law was changed in 2012 so that companies were no longer required to reveal their owners.

In past investigations, RFE/RL and other media have used information in the registry to establish links between companies or between listed companies and individuals. For instance, the legal address listed for the firm Ador Ltd. matches the address where both of Aliyev's daughters are registered to vote. The Tax Ministry's registry also identifies a companys directors, which enables investigators to establish a personal connection between a listed director and a public official.

Information about a company's founding date can also be important. In the past, companies were found to have been created just days before being granted a significant government contract.

"The existence of the public registry with basic information that is available to citizens is important, allowing them to find out about providers of services and goods and other companies that they might interact with," said Natig Jafarli, an economist and executive director of the opposition Republican Alternative (REAL) movement.

Azerbaijan officials are abusing power given to them by the people to hide the fact that they are using public money for their own benefit."

"Unfortunately, the information available to citizens is not complete," Jafarli added. "The registries of other countries provide more information, including ownership, financial records, tax history, and so on. Unfortunately, Azerbaijanis lack access to full information on companies, even those that are awarded public contracts."

Also missing from the tax registry are Gilan Ltd. and several of its subsidiaries. According to a 2013 audit report of Gilan subsidiary AFB Bank, the company is controlled by two entities registered in the United Arab Emirates that are owned by Tale and Nijat Heydarov, sons of Azerbaijani Emergency Situations Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov.

Another absent firm is the construction company Azenco Group. That company won a lucrative state contract to build a new arena for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku. An RFE/RL investigation that year revealed Azenco was controlled through a series of offshore shell companies by Mehriban, Leyla, and Arzu Aliyeva.

Azerbaijan is ranked 123rd of 176 countries in the 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index issued by Transparency International (TI). According to a 2015 TI report, corruption in Azerbaijan is "endemic and deeply institutionalized -- permeating all spheres of public life, with entrenched political patronage networks and widespread conflicts of interest closely connected to the political elite." It notes that the country's "asset-declaration law is rendered effectively meaningless by the fact that declaration forms to be filled in by public officials have yet to be developed."

Earlier this month, Azerbaijan announced it was quitting the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a voluntary group of energy- and mineral-producing countries aimed at boosting transparency.

Baku exited the project after being suspended at EITI's March meeting "because the country lacks an enabling environment for civil society."

Asked about the companies missing from the tax registry, Miranda Patrucic, an investigative reporter with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), said they were indicative of a systemic problem.

"Azerbaijan officials are abusing power given to them by the people to hide the fact that they are using public money for their own benefit," Patrucic said. "They have made business records secret to avoid public scrutiny and embarrassment from revealing the true level of their greed and corruption.

"Such things only happen in dictatorships," she said.

RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson contributed to this report
A Belarusian human rights group says that about 130 activists who have protested against an unemployment tax have been jailed for up to 15 days and will be unable to participate in fresh rallies on March 25.

The Minsk-based organization Vyasna (Spring) said on March 24 that the jail sentences will keep these arrested away from annual Dzen Voly (Freedom Day) rallies in the capital and other cities. It said more trials were under way or pending.

The annual rallies mark the anniversary of the short-lived Belarusian People's Republic, which existed for less than a year in 1918.

This year, it comes amid a wave of protests over legislation imposing a tax on jobless people. The demonstrations have continued despite President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's announcement earlier this month that the collection of the tax would be suspended for a year.

Activists say the authorities are jailing protesters on false grounds because they fear the March 25 rallies will draw large crowds.

Meanwhile, Belarus's KGB security service said late on March 23 that the number of people detained in a separate case in which detainees are accused of planning armed unrest had reached 26.

Lukashenka said on March 21 that some 20 armed militants -- who he said were trained in camps in Belarus, Ukraine and "most likely" Lithuania and Poland -- had been apprehended on suspicion of planning "armed provocations" nationwide.



Activists and opposition groups in Belarus, as well as officials of Ukraine and Lithuania, rejected Lukashenka's statement, saying it was groundless.

Journalists Detained

Ahead of the planned march, plainclothes security officers rounded up more than 10 people -- including local and foreign journalists -- at the Minsk office of the opposition Green Party.

Activists there had been collecting aid for relatives of those swept up in the wave of recent detentions.

The detained journalists included Halina Abakunchyk, a reporter with RFE/RL's Belarus Service, British journalist Gulliver Cragg of France 24, and Ukrainian journalist Kristina Berdynskykh of the Kyiv weekly Novoye Vremya.

Berdynskykh said on Facebook later on March 24 that the journalists had been released but that 10 other detainees remained at a local police station.

Cragg said on Twitter that he was released from police custody after 90 minutes and given an "apology."

Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dzmitry Mironchyk told RFE/RL that the ministry was aware of the journalists' detentions and was investigating the matter.

Amnesty International on March 24 called on Belarusian authorities to "ensure that rallies planned in the capital, Minsk, and elsewhere on Freedom Day, March 25, are allowed to go ahead unhindered by excessive use of police force or arbitrary detentions of peaceful protesters such as those witnessed in recent weeks."

"Belarusian authorities must honor their international obligations and finally come to recognize peaceful protest as a fundamental right. In practice this means refraining from banning public rallies, using force against peaceful protesters or otherwise persecuting them," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's director for Europe and Central Asia.

"Public officials must stop depicting dissenters as a 'fifth column,' and instead ensure the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for all."

Organizers of the Freedom Day march told RFE/RL that Minsk city authorities informed them that they were allowed to hold a gathering in Peoples' Friendship Park, which is on Minsk's outskirts, but not in the center.

The activists said that by law, the authorities were obligated to respond to their plan for a rally five days before the event, but that they stalled until March 24.

Organizers said they would stick to their original plan and march through central Minsk on March 25.

With reporting by BelTA
MINSK -- Early on March 10, Vital Rymasheuski had a spring in his step.

Strongman President Alyaksandr Lukashenka had announced a rare concession the previous night in an effort to thwart a snowballing protest movement: He would suspend for a year the "social parasite" tax on unemployed Belarusians that had sparked rare street protests all around the country.

"It shows Lukashenka is weak," Rymasheuski said as he accelerated his Toyota RAV4 through a changing light on Independence Street and past the ominous, yellow neoclassical building in the capital that houses Belarus's security service, the KGB.

Rymasheuski, head of the opposition Christian Democrats, was excited about a protest he would join that evening in Maladzechna, a town of about 100,000 people an hour's drive northwest of Minsk. The protesters appeared to be gaining momentum, the notoriously harsh KGB hadn't stepped in to quash their demonstrations, and Lukashenka appeared to be wavering over a response. Should he let the rallies continue and chance what he would later characterize as "the Ukrainian scenario" -- in a reference to the protests that ousted a president in Kyiv four years ago -- or crack down and risk a Russian military intervention a la eastern Ukraine under the guise of protecting Moscow's strategic interests?

In Maladzechna, Rymasheuski got an answer. After marching with 1,000 other demonstrators, Rymasheuski was chased down by the KGB and detained along with two other opposition politicians. A local court quickly sentenced them to 15 days' administrative detention.

There were more detentions at a protest in Minsk five days later that was attended by around 3,000 people.

In all, more than 300 people have been taken into custody, jailed, or fined for protest actions since March 10, and Lukashenka has hinted that security forces will soon forcefully employ their usual tactic of cracking heads.

"We don't shut anyone's mouth, but one step to the left or to the right away from the law will be stopped in the most severe way possible," Lukashenka said at a meeting with security officials on March 23. "We're not scaring anyone, and we won't. But we'll be very tough in ensuring the country's laws and constitution are observed."

This is the time, throughout Lukashenka's 22-year tenure of scant tolerance for public dissent, when protests might start to fizzle out. Instead, they are continuing, with the next real test coming in the form of a rally in Minsk on March 25.

Indeed, something extraordinary is happening in Belarus, a country of almost 10 million people that has largely remained frozen in its Soviet past. Driven not by Belarus's traditional political opposition but by popular anger, Belarusians have flocked to squares around the country by the thousands and, under threat of detention, demanded not only the abolition of the joblessness tax on "social parasites" but also a solution to a deepening socioeconomic crisis and -- for good measure -- Lukashenka's resignation.

"It's time for Belarusians to get off their knees," Tatsyana Skolokina, a retiree in Maladzechna who said her meager pension is subsidized by family members' wages, which have been slashed due to recession, told RFE/RL.

She came to the protest with Inna Hanetskaya, a trained nurse who lost her job four months ago and worries that at some point down the road she will get a letter in the mail demanding she pay the "parasite" tax. The two have never been politically active before, Hanetskaya said, but "we are tired of fear."

"We have nothing left to lose," she said, adding that the KGB "can't jail all of us."

Such bold statements and movements are virtually unheard of since Lukashenka came to power in 1994. But frustrated by the joblessness tax and a two-year recession that many of them blame on the president, Belarusians have grown tired of waning living standards.

Politicization Of Society

"Feel this. It is the feeling of hopelessness," Uladzimer Lazarev, a local historian who joined hundreds more protesters on Victory Square in Babruysk on March 12, told RFE/RL.

Babruysk, home to machine-building and metal-working industries as well as Belarus's largest timber mill, was crowded with laborers who had lost their jobs or seen their wages cut -- or hadn't been paid in months. "We are waking up!" and "Down with Lukashenka!" they chanted.

"Belarusians are modest people who have been more than happy to live modestly for 25 years," Lazarev said. "But today their modest salaries aren't enough for them even to enjoy the modest things in life: bread, potatoes, salo" -- a salt-cured pork fat -- "and 100 grams of vodka. Our wages aren't enough to support even this anymore."

WATCH: Thousands Join Rallies Against 'Parasite Tax' In Belarus (March 15)

Back in Minsk, Ivan, a historian who asked that only his first name be used because he is employed by a state university, told RFE/RL that it is rare to see such public dissent in Belarus. But today, he said, as he strolled through Independence Square, the site of protests in December 2010 that erupted after a flawed vote to reelect Lukashenka but were met with truncheons and mass arrests, "we are seeing the politicization of Belarusian society."

Since then, Belarus's political opposition has trodden lightly when it comes to political actions, fearful of a similarly brutal crackdown. Mikalay Statkevich, a presidential challenger who was imprisoned for nearly five years after the 2010 election, told RFE/RL that when he was released, "I found the opposition demoralized and unready to lead protests."

He is an organizer of the March 25 protest. But older and weakened from his time behind bars, he appears to be taking a more cautious approach. So far, that appears to be paying off.

As Rymasheuski, who was also a losing candidate in the 2010 poll, explained it, the opposition leadership is taking cues from the streets this time, and not the other way around.

"[The protests] have emerged organically and sporadically, and by people who have never been a part of the opposition," he said.

A Broken Contract

That seems to be because, after years of tolerating Lukashenka's authoritarian tendencies in exchange for stability, Belarusians "feel that Lukashenka has broken the social contract with them," Ivan said.

In a nutshell, that contract was the promise of economic stability and security in exchange for their staying out of politics. But mired in a recession that saw Belarus's economy shrink and employment decline last year, Ivan and political analysts said, Lukashenka can no longer uphold his end of the deal.

One of the biggest factors in the disintegration of the social contract has been Minsk's deteriorating relationship with Moscow, Yaraslau Romanchuk, a Belarusian libertarian economist and critic of Lukashenka who heads the Minsk-based Scientific Research Mizes Center, told RFE/RL.

Russia has for years subsidized up to around one-fifth of Belarus's economy, mainly by providing it with cheap oil and gas. But that model has started to crumble, as Russia struggles to dig itself out of a recession caused in part by low oil prices and Western sanctions over Moscow's military interventions in Ukraine and Syria. Meanwhile, Lukashenka has courted improved relations with the West, including through a visa-free regime that currently allows tourists from 80 different countries, including EU members and the United States, to visit Belarus without a visa for up to five days.

Yury Tsarik, head of the Russia studies program at the Center for Strategic and Foreign Policy Studies in Minsk, cited state statistics in arguing that Russia's flagging economy has rippled through Belarus in the form of 7 to 8 percent annual declines in GDP since 2014.

"Since late 2014, we haven't seen any positive trends in the economy, and certainly these negative trends hurt poorer people more than richer people," he said.

Then came the "social parasite" tax on jobless Belarusians in mid-February. It amounts to around $245, a hefty sum in a country with an average monthly wage of around $380.

"People feel like they are being sucked into a black hole," said Lazarev, the historian in Babruysk.

The size and speed at which the protests spread appear to have emboldened Belarusians. But that doesn't necessarily mean the country is primed for a Ukraine-style mass public uprising, as some observers have suggested.

'Evolution, Not Revolution'

Romanchuk warned against drawing direct comparisons between what is happening in Belarus and the unrest in Ukraine that ousted a Moscow-friendly president in 2014.

The Ukraine uprising began with protests over then-President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to spurn an Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013 that would have set the country on a westward path. It transformed into the popular antigovernment movement known as Euromaidan after security forces attacked peaceful demonstrators. The uprising culminated in February 2014, after more than 100 people had been killed and Yanukovych fled to Russia. Russia, which said it saw the West's hand in Euromaidan, moved quickly and covertly to invade eastern Ukraine and annex Crimea to secure what it saw as its sphere of influence and contribute to what many say is a new Cold War.

But the Belarusian demonstrations are unlike Ukraine protests, Romanchuk explained, because Belarusians aren't looking to join the European Union.

"They want to return to a situation where the government provides everything for them," he said. "If they were to get their $500 [salaries] back, most of them would tolerate Lukashenka for the rest of their lives."

Ivan, the historian, said people want "evolution in Belarus, not revolution."

"Belarusians are conservative and are wary of any revolution attempts," Balazs Jarabik, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who researches Eastern Europe, told RFE/RL in Minsk. "A majority would see it as an attempt to destroy the [independent] state."

Fears Of Russian Intervention Loom

Belarusians' caution, plus a growing fear among many people, including officials, that a genuine uprising against the government could provide a pretext for Russia to intervene militarily under the guise of protecting its strategic interests, might also work against the protests swelling further. Moscow has long hoped to build a military base in Babruysk, potentially cementing the country as a Russian satellite and buffer to NATO -- something Lukashenka has firmly resisted.

Minsk is already rife with rumors that Russia is meddling in the protests. "There are signs that the Russians are influencing both the protesters and the authorities," Tsarik said. Fueling concerns are joint Belarusian-Russian military exercises planned for September, when thousands of Russian troops will deploy across Belarus.

Belarus's powerful state-run television has been more than happy to push the specter of Russian intervention on prime-time news programs in an apparent effort to quell the protests in the name of independence.

But neither those nor the KGB's brutal tactics have succeeded in foiling protests.

That has Tsarik concerned that the situation could turn violent.

"There will be a scenario similar to that of December 2010, but on a more significant scale of fighting and destruction," he predicted. "The implementation of this scenario may lead to the beginning of a full-fledged internal conflict in the country."
A U.S. board overseeing the finances of the bankrupt territory of Puerto Rico announced that it is hiring Ukraine's former finance minister to steer the Caribbean island out of crisis.

Natalie Jaresko served at a critical time in Ukraine's history from 2014 to 2016 as it faced a deep recession and insolvency.

"Ukraine's situation three years ago -- like Puerto Rico's today -- was near catastrophic, but she worked with stakeholders to bring needed reforms that restored confidence, economic vitality, and reinvestment in the country and its citizens. That's exactly what Puerto Rico needs today," said board chairman Jose Carrion.

Jaresko was born in Chicago to Ukrainian immigrants and previously worked for the U.S. State Department and the Horizon Capital fund.

As Ukraine's finance minister, she helped negotiate a deal to restructure the country's $15 billion debt.

Jaresko will be paid $625,000 a year, and will commute from Ukraine once a month until June, with all flights and hotel stays to be paid for by Puerto Rico.

Carrion said Jaresko will be responsible for ensuring that Puerto Rico achieves a balanced budget within four years and is granted re-entry into the capital markets after credit rating agencies downgraded the island's debt to junk status.

With reporting by AP
A Kremlin military aide said that Russia is in negotiations to supply Turkey with S-400 defense systems, even though Turkey is a NATO member.

"They are very keen" to buy the systems, Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin told Rossiya-24 TV on March 23.

Kozhin said Russia is willing to sell the systems to a NATO member because it closely enforces its intellectual property rights and because the S-400 system is an older model that will soon be superseded.

"S-500 complexes are coming up," and in a couple of years will be supplied to the Russian Army, he said. Moreover, "each country assumes obligations what it can and cannot do with the weapon it is buying. We watch this very carefully."



Kozhin contended that U.S. and EU sanctions on Russia haven't had much effect on sales of Russian weapons, which he said remain in demand around the world because they provide good value for the price.

Kozhin said Russia has reduced its dependence on Ukrainian-made weapons parts to nearly zero since tensions erupted in 2014, particularly with respect to the engines Ukraine once provided for Russian helicopters and Navy ships.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev says he is prepared to take his allegations of slander against RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service to "international courts."

Speaking on March 24 in Bishkek, Atambaev also said he wants to complain about RFE/RL's Krygyz Service -- known locally as Azattyk, or Liberty -- to U.S. President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington he hopes to make in September.

Atambaev said he was slandered by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service and Kyrgyzstan's independent Zanoza.kg news website in their reports quoting Kyrgyzstan's opposition Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party after the arrest of the party's leader, Omurbek Tekebaev.

Ata-Meken charged on March 1 that Tekebaev was targeted by Kyrgyz prosecutors in order to suppress evidence he had about a Turkish cargo plane that crashed outside Bishkek in January.

Ata-Meken attorney Taalaigul Toktakunova said on March 1 that Tekebaev had been carrying documents from Turkey's security service showing the MyCargo 747-400 plane was carrying cargo that belonged to Atambaev and his wife.

All four crew members and 35 people on the ground were killed when the cargo plane crashed on January 16.

Tekebaev, a major political opponent of Atambaev, has been named as Ata-Meken's candidate in Kyrgyzstan's November presidential election.

Tekebaev is an outspoken critic of constitutional amendments that were proposed and pushed through by Atambaev in 2016. Those amendments transfer presidential powers to the prime minister's office after Atambaev's term as president ends later in 2017.

Kyrgyzstan's constitution doesn't allow any person to be president longer than a single six-year term. Critics say Atambaev's amendments could allow him to continue ruling the country as prime minister.

A former parliament speaker, Tekebaev has been held at the State National Security Committee's detention center since late February on allegations of bribe taking and fraud.

His supporters say the criminal investigation against him is aimed at blocking him from running for president in November.

RFE/RL's report about Ata-Meken's allegations included a denial from Atambaev's spokesman, who called the opposition claim "a lie."

RFE/RL also reported the rejection of the opposition claim on March 1 by Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry, along with Bishkek's claim that the Turkish ambassador had called the purported evidence "fake."

Nenad Pejic, RFE/RL's vice president and editor in chief, responded on March 24 to Atambaev's remarks by saying: "RFE/RL stands by our reporting, which we consider balanced and professional. We are open to meeting with the president to discuss his concerns at any time."

In his comments on March 24 about RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service and the Zanoza.kg website, Atambaev said, "These are not journalists, these are slanderers."

"As for Radio Liberty, for example, I am ready to take them to international courts," the Kyrgyz president said. "That would be a good lesson for Radio Liberty. My health is mending, so God willing, this September, I will be able to go to America soon, and I'll be meeting Trump, because this has to be stopped."

The prosecutor's office in Bishkek in early March said lawsuits on behalf of Atambaev had been filed against RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service and Zanoza.kg.

The prosecutor said the lawsuits charge that the media outlets damaged "the president's honor, dignity, and business reputation."

The lawsuits seek damages of about $144,000 from RFE/RL's Krygyz Service and about $43,000 from the Zanoza.kg website.

Atambaev on March 24 said, "If you feel sorry for these two media outlets then know this: the budget of Radio Liberty is hundreds of millions of dollars."

In fact, the Kyrgyz Service is just one of RFE/RL's 26 language services, and the 2016 budget for all RFE/RL operations was $108.4 million.

"I'd rather be giving the money gained through these lawsuits to our journalists, or some children's cancer [charity]," Atambaev said.

With reporting by KyrTAG, Interfax, and TASS
The estate of a woman fatally shot by a police officer during a disturbance in a Walmart in Lake Hallie last year is suing the village, the villages police department, the Northern Center for the Developmentally Disabled along with others.

Melissa M. Abbott, 25, originally from Black River Falls, was killed on Monday, April 8, 2016.

The officer who shot her, Officer Adam Meyers, and the director of the Northern Center, Jacqueline Neurohr, are also named as defendants in the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Chippewa County Court. Other defendants are Walmart and two unspecified insurance companies.

The lawsuit lists Tina Abbott of Black River Falls as the special administrator of Melissa Abbotts estate.

The suit seeks unspecified damages, punitive damages, reasonable attorneys fees and interest. It also seeks that the village, the village police department and the Northern Wisconsin Center be required to provide necessary training, personnel, and resources to adequately protect the constitutional rights of citizens and patients of the Northern Wisconsin Center.

The lawsuit says Melissa Abbotts injuries and death were proximately caused by the negligence of the Lake Hallie Police Department and/or its agents and employees, including and not limited to defendant Adam Meyers.

It claims Meyers actions were excessive and unreasonable, without lawful justification or reason, and was designed to and did cause specific and serious physical harm, pain and suffering and death in violation of Melissa Abbotts rights.

The lawsuit runs counter to May 12, 2016 findings by then-Chippewa County District Attorney Steve Gibbs, who now is a judge.

Gibbs decided not to prosecute Meyers.

The overwhelming evidence in this case supports a finding that Officer Adam Meyers acted in self-defense and that his belief that he reasonably believed his life was in danger, or that he was likely to suffer great bodily harm, when Ms. Abbott refused to follow orders and charged Officer Meyers with a hatchet, Gibbs wrote.

Officer Meyers had the right to defend himself in such a way and with such force as he reasonably believed was necessary under the circumstances to save his life or protect himself from bodily harm.

Police were called to Walmart when two chaperones from the Northern Center said a woman they had taken shopping had became disorderly. Lake Hallie Police Chief Cal Smokowicz said at the time that Melissa Abbott, a resident at the center, had armed herself with a hatchet in the sporting goods department at the store and struck items with it. He said Abbott refused to follow several verbal commands given by Meyers to drop the hatchet. Abbott was shot once in the leg and a second time in the right upper abdomen.

Attorney Dean R. Rohde of the legal firm Bye, Goff and Rohde of River Falls is representing the estate of Melissa Abbott.

Wayne Walkoviak, the president of the Lake Hallie Village Board, was not immediately available for comment on the lawsuit.
Moldova has received no formal response from Russia to complaints that members of Russia's security apparatus were sabotaging its investigation into a money-laundering operation, parliament Speaker Andrian Candu said on March 23.

Moldova says more than $22 billion of Russian money was moved through its financial system between 2011 and 2014 in an operation that involved Russia's state security service.

Moldovan investigators concluded that the laundered money flowed through Latvia to Western banks, prompting separate investigations in other jurisdictions.

Moldova has accused Russian security officials of a campaign to humiliate and abuse officials visiting or passing through Russia to discourage Moldova from investigating the scheme, known locally as the "Russian Laundromat."

Candu said Moldova will boycott a meeting of parliaments of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) next week in St. Petersburg because it had received no formal response from Russia to an official complaint delivered on March 9.

"The official delegation of the Moldovan parliament will not participate in the CIS Assembly. The parliament did not allocate funds for participating," Candu told reporters.

Russia has countered the allegations by saying its own officials have been harassed at the hands of the Moldovan authorities. They say they are ready for "constructive cooperation" on resolving the dispute.

Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax


Even a virtual alteration of the image of the Motherland can cause outrage in Volgograd, especially when it involves a critic of the Kremlin.



According to local media, residents of the southern Russian city known for its proud military history are calling on prosecutors to look into whether any laws were broken when an altered image of Volgograd's iconic Motherland statue -- with its face and palm painted green -- was posted on a group social-media page maintained by supporters of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.

The artificially enhanced image depicting the green-faced monument was posted the same day Navalny was doused with the green topical antiseptic known as "zelyonka" as he campaigned in the Siberian city of Barnaul on March 20.

In recent years, the practice of dousing the opposition and other government critics with zelyonka has become a popular guerrilla political tactic in Russia and in Ukraine.

The brouhaha in Volgograd bubbled over into actual violence on March 24 as Navalny opened his campaign headquarters for the 2018 presidential election in the southern Russian city as part of his recent cross-country tour.

Navalny, who hopes to run despite a politically tinged criminal conviction that legally bars him from seeking public office, was attacked by an angry crowd as he emerged from the building. Riot police intervened in the fracas as Navalny's supporters dragged him back inside.

"They grabbed my legs and started pulling me toward them. [My] volunteers, naturally, grabbed my arms and started pulling me back.... It was a strange feeling. I was thinking: 'Will they tear my legs or my arms off,'" Navalny wrote on his website following the incident.

He suggested the protest was orchestrated and paid for by the Kremlin's political allies.

The dustup came just days after complainants identifying themselves as "veterans and residents of Volgograd and Volgograd Oblast" asked the regional prosecutor's office to assess the legality of the photoshopped Motherland monument and to punish those responsible for "the crime."

Volgograd's 85-meter-high Motherland statue commemorates the 1942 victory by the Soviet Army in the Battle of Stalingrad, since renamed Volgograd. The city was the site of one of the fiercest battles of World War II, and the Soviet victory over surrounding Nazi and other Axis forces is widely considered a turning point of the war and a legendary story of human perseverance.

"We...consider the Navalny teams nasty act to be a mockery of the symbol of victory and as a spitting in the face of every veteran and every soldier who lost their lives in the name of the liberation from fascism," the V1 news portal quoted the letter as saying.



The letter was reportedly submitted by Andrei Oreshkin, described as the leader of the Volgograd branch of the Search Movement of Russia, a Moscow-based organization that says it's dedicated to perpetuating the memories of those killed defending Russia during World War II.



Responding to the complaint about the image on the "Team Navalny -- Volgograd" group page, supporters of the opposition figure apologized for posting it, admitted it was "inappropriate," and said it had since been removed.



"We regret posting it and apologize it everyone it offended," they wrote. However, they also decried the "absolutely classic propagandistic hysteria being seen in the pro-Kremlin media" and said they "believe that all Russian citizens can distinguish lie and propaganda from truth."

The post also highlighted what it called the "real insult to veterans and citizens of Russia" -- what it described as the precarious state of the Motherland monument. Showing an old photo showing the monument roped off with red-and-white ribbon, the group questioned what the pro-Kremlin United Russia party had done with money allocated for repairs.



Furthermore, the post said that what was also offensive to veterans was "the miserable pensions" provided to them by Russia.



Navalny made light of the incident that resulted in his own face and hand being colored green while meeting with supporters in Barnaul.



"I will be opening our office in Barnaul as a character from the Mask film. Cool. Even my teeth are green, Navalny tweeted in reference to the superhero fantasy comedy featuring Jim Carrey.

Navalny supporters responded humorously by painting their faces green and posting their own pictures online.



It is unclear whether Volgograd prosecutors have taken any action in response to the complaint lodged by the Search Movement of Russia, or under what law photo alteration could be considered a crime.

Earlier this month, a resident of the Amur region in Russia's Far East was charged with vandalism after allegedly desecrating a memorial dedicated to Russian soldiers killed in the Syrian conflict.

There was no immediate statement from authorities on the violence outside Navalny's campaign headquarters in Volgograd on March 24.

Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, told the RBK newspaper that he was not injured in the incident but that two campaign volunteers were taken away in an ambulance.

Upon arrival in Volgograd earlier that morning, Navalny tweeted a photo of the Motherland statue and paid tribute to the "great monument to great events."
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has met with Russian President Vladimir and said that if elected, she will consider how to swiftly remove sanctions against Moscow.

At the unannounced meeting in the Kremlin on March 24, Putin said that Russia was not seeking to sway the upcoming vote in France and defended his decision to meet with Le Pen.

"We do not want to influence events in any way, but we reserve the right to talk to representatives of all the country's political forces, just as our partners in Europe and the United States do," Putin said.

Le Pen said that Russia and France should exchange intelligence concerning the fight against terrorism, adding that "only together can we overcome this scourge."

Addressing reporters after the talks, Le Pen said that if elected, she would consider what she had to do to swiftly remove the sanctions Western governments have imposed on Moscow over its interference in Ukraine.

'Putin's World'

The French National Front (FN) party leader has voiced admiration for Putin in the past and did so again after the meeting, which an aide to Le Pen said lasted about 90 minutes.

"He represents a sovereign nation," Le Pen told reporters. "I think he also represents a new vision."

"A new world has emerged in the past years. This is Vladimir Putin's world, Donald Trump's world in the United States, Mr. [Narendra] Modi's world in India," she said, referring to the U.S. president and the Indian prime minister.

"I think I am probably the one who shares with all these great nations a vision of cooperation and not one of subservience -- a hawkish vision that has too often been expressed by the European Union."

Those words echoed remarks by Putin and other Russian officials, who have accused Western governments of "Russophobia" and suggested that European Union members are subservient to both the United States and the EU leadership.

An aide to Le Pen, Ludovic de Danne, told the Reuters news agency that the meeting focused mostly on international affairs.

"He wished her good luck for the presidential election," said de Danne, who took part in the talks. "We felt they understood each other, they were on the same wavelength."

Opposed To Sanctions

Le Pen met with Putin after a visit to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, during which she called for closer ties between the two countries and the removal of EU sanctions.

The European Union, the United States, and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia over its seizure of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and its support for separatists whose war against government forces has killed more than 9,900 people in eastern Ukraine.

"It is absolutely inconceivable that because of the sanctions, Russian and French lawmakers are not able even to meet to discuss issues that are of the great importance for protecting peace and lives of our citizens," Le Pen told the Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee.

Le Pen called for "strategic and economic cooperation" between France and Russia, saying: "This new world taking shape right before our eyes now is already facing two gigantic, monumental challenges, namely globalism and Islamic fundamentalism."

Le Pen was visiting Russia at the invitation of Duma committee head Leonid Slutsky, who said that her trip was "courageous."

Le Pen has repeatedly called for closer ties with Putin and said she does not consider Moscow's annexation of Crimea illegal.

Her one-day visit comes a month before the April 23 first round of the French election, one of a series of votes in EU countries this year that are seen as a test of Russia's influence in the West at a time when many officials and analysts believe Putin is seeking to sow disunity and undermine institutions in the EU and the United States.

After U.S. intelligence agencies released a report in January saying they assessed that Putin ordered an "influence campaign" to interfere in the U.S. presidential election last year, there are fears that the Kremlin has been seeking to sway elections in France, Germany, and other countries.

Opinion polls ahead of the French election suggest that Le Pen is likely to reach a second-round runoff vote on May 7, but would probably lose to a centrist candidate.

Conservative presidential hopeful Francois Fillon has also called for better relations with Moscow. Front-runner Emmanuel Macron, an independent who backs the EU sanctions against Russia, has accused the Kremlin of being involved in cyberattacks.

Russian Connection

Le Pen has made multiple trips to Russia in the past, receiving positive coverage in the Russian state media.

Her relationship with Russia has been in the spotlight during the election campaign, partly because of a $9.7 million loan the National Front took from a Russian bank in 2014. Her party said that French banks had refused to lend it any money.

National Front members have said they are seeking millions of euros to fund presidential and parliamentary elections this year, but both Le Pen and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the possible financing of the party's election campaign was not discussed during her meeting with Putin.

Russia has repeatedly denied reports that it is trying to influence the French election campaign.

On March 23, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said allegations that Russia was interfering in electoral processes in France and Germany as "absolutely fictional."

Lavrov said Le Pen was not a "populist" or "marginal" but a "realist or antiglobalist" figure.

The French presidential election is followed by parliamentary elections in June.

German voters will elect the members of the Bundestag in September, with Chancellor Angela Merkel facing a tough fight.

With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters, TASS, and Interfax
MOSCOW -- Communist lawmakers in Russia are pressing for a parliamentary investigation into possible corruption by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the latest attack on the former president since a report by opposition forces this month accused him of amassing huge illicit wealth.

Communist Party lawmaker Denis Parfyonov told reporters on March 24 that allegations made against Medvedev by opposition leader and anticorruption crusader Aleksei Navalny had elicited only "silence" from the authorities.

"Now the silence is working against the government and against the current party of power," said Parfyonov, referring to President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, which holds an overwhelming majority in parliament and is chaired by Medvedev.

Parfyonov and three fellow Communist lawmakers on March 24 submitted a formal request for investigation on the matter in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma.

Parfyonov was careful to distance his party from Navalny, a leader of large antigovernment protests in Russia during 2011-12 who is seeking to run for president next year in an election that is widely expected to secure a new six-year term for Putin.

"We believe the information deserves attention and demands a rigorous check, regardless of when or by whom it was voiced," he said.

It marked an unusual attack on Medvedev, a close ally of Putin, and also raised eyebrows coming from the Communist Party, the second-largest party in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.

Despite being a nominally opposition party, the Communists seldom defy the Kremlin on matters of substance.

Their push for a corruption probe comes as some analysts cast Medvedev as a "lame duck" prime minister with one year until the presidential election. It is unclear whether Putin, after reelection in the planned March 2018 poll, would again select Medvedev as his prime minister.

Earlier this week, Communist lawmaker Valery Rashkin appealed to federal investigators to probe the allegations that Navalny made against Medvedev. In a letter to Investigative Committee chief Aleksandr Bastrykin, Rashkin noted that many Russians were aware of the allegations.

Navalny's video accusing Medvedev of using charities and NGOs to collect large bribes and using the funds to acquire pricey assets has garnered more than 11 million views since it was published on March 2.

Both the Kremlin and Medvedev's spokeswoman have dismissed the allegations.

"The Communists are very careful people," says Dmitry Oreshkin, a Moscow-based political analyst. "If they didn't think Medvedev was a lame duck, they would not risk this."

"If they thought this was a member of the tandem" -- a reference to Putin and Medvedev's dual governing arrangement  "and therefore untouchable, then they wouldn't have done this, because they rely on the Kremlin too much," Oreshkin adds.

Medvedev was mocked online this week after Putin, his longtime mentor, said on March 14 that the prime minister had gone down with the flu, apparently explaining why he had missed several government meetings.

Speaking to Ekho Moskvy on March 23, political analyst Stanislav Belkovsky said Putin had simply said Medvedev was sick in order to explain his absences. It had not been meant as a putdown to the gadget-loving prime minister, as widely interpreted, he said.

After Medvedev on March 23 denied he had actually been ill, social media poked fun at him for having finally stood up to his powerful patron.

"Medvedev has denied Putin's words about him being sick. It's begun! The premier has accused the president of lying. Medvedev is lighting the fire of revolution!" one Twitter user wrote.

Analysts, however, were skeptical that Medvedev would be removed before December 2017.

"There is an agreement between the prime minister and president, and it seems that Dmitry Medvedev will remain in the prime-minister post until at least December 2017," says Aleksei Mukhin, the well-connected director of the Moscow-based Center for Political Information.

Mukhin is also skeptical that the Communist move will make progress, and suggests it was the brainchild of Rashkin, a lawmaker who, he says, has fallen into "very bad relations" with a raft of influential politicians, including Medvedev.

"Periodically, he comes up with these kinds of initiatives. As a lawmaker, he has the right to do this. It's another matter that practically all these initiatives have had no real consequences," Mukhin says.
A senior Russian diplomat has rejected a statement by the top U.S. general in Europe that Moscow may be helping supply Taliban militants who are fighting the U.S.-backed government and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

"This is an absolutely lying assertion," state-run news agency RIA quoted Zamir Kabulov, head of the Foreign Ministry department responsible for Afghanistan and a former ambassador to Kabul, as saying on March 24.

U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, told a U.S. Senate committee on March 23 that he has seen evidence of increasing Russian efforts to influence the Taliban "and perhaps even to supply" the militant group.

Scaparrotti, a four-star general who previously served as the director of the Joint Staff and the commander of U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan, did not specify what types of supplies he thought Russia might be providing the Taliban.

Kabulov charged that Scaparrotti's remark sought to "justify the failure of American military and political leaders in the Afghan campaign."

U.S.-led forces have been battling the Taliban since driving the extremist group and its Al-Qaeda allies from power following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

With reporting by RIA and Reuters


Six Russian National Guard troops and six assailants have been killed in an attack on a military unit in Chechnya, one of the deadliest incidents in the region in months.

The commander of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, said that a group of militants attempted to gain access to the unit in thick fog in the early morning hours of March 24.

Six servicemen were killed and three were wounded in the ensuing gunbattle, Zolotov said.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said he believes that the goal of the attack was to obtain weapons at the military unit.

Kadyrov said that three of the attackers who were killed were identified as natives of Chechnya, while the other three were from the Rostov and Volgograd regions further north.

The SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based organization that monitors militant activity worldwide, said a Caucasus branch of the extremist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for what it called a "suicide raid."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting in the Kremlin with French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, called the attack "a grave incident" and said that Russia and the rest of the world "must unite their efforts against terrorism."

Kadyrov vowed to do everything possible to "provide residents in the region with security, despite provocations."

Chechnya was devastated by two post-Soviet wars between government forces and separatists.

Most of the large-scale fighting ended more than 15 years ago, but an Islamist insurgency persists in Chechnya and other provinces in Russia's North Caucasus.

Kadyrov, first appointed by Putin in 2007, has kept a lid on separatism with what opponents and rights activists say are repressive measures and a climate of impunity for security forces.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that Kadyrov controls the situation in Chechnya, and that Russia is not alone in being challenged by extremists.

"No country in the world is immune to terrorist attacks, whether it happens in the Chechen Republic or the capital of the United Kingdom," Peskov said, alluding to the March 22 attack in London that killed five people, including the assailant.

With reporting by TASS, Interfax, and RIA
Turkey's Foreign Ministry said on March 23 that it summoned the Russian charge d'affaires to convey its "deep unease" after a Turkish soldier was killed by sniper fire from a part of Kurdish-held Syria where Russian forces are active.

The Turkish military fired into the northwestern Syrian border region of Afrin, an area controlled by the Kurdish YPG militia, after the soldier was killed by cross-border fire on March 22.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said that Ankara summoned diplomat Sergei Panov because Moscow was in charge of monitoring a cease-fire in the border area where the incident occurred.

He said Ankara also conveyed Turkey's concerns over Russia's military presence in Syrian Kurdish-controlled areas and demanded the closure of the YPG's office in Moscow. Turkey considers the YPG to be an extension of outlawed Kurdish rebels fighting in Turkey.

Turkey is "seriously disturbed" and expects Russia to respect its sensitivities, Muftuoglu said, noting that photos have circulated recently of Russian troops wearing YPG insignia.

Turkey has also protested Washington's reliance on Kurdish YPG fighters in its campaign to retake Raqqa from the Islamic State extremist group, which has led to a cooling of relations between the two NATO allies.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters


Ukrainian officials say a woman's body has been found under debris at the site of a massive munitions-depot fire near the eastern city of Kharkiv.

The chief of Ukraine's Emergency Service, Mykola Chechotkin, said on March 24 that the body of a woman born in 1951 had been found in a damaged building late the previous evening.

Explosions and fires that broke out at the munitions depot in Balaklia early on March 23 prompted the evacuation of some 20,000 people.

The depot stores some 138,000 tons of ammunition and is used to supply Ukrainian forces fighting Russia-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukrainian authorities blamed "sabotage" and President Petro Poroshenko pointed the finger at Russia.

Authorities had said on March 23 that one woman was injured.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman said earlier that the fire has affected half of the 368-hectare depot and could continue for up to seven days.

Based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says it is "a matter of honor" to successfully investigate the killing of former Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov in Kyiv.

Speaking at Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) training facilities near Kyiv on March 24, Poroshenko called on law enforcement and security structures to join efforts to solve the case.

"It is a matter of honor for Ukrainian law enforcment organs" to solve Voronenkov's killing, as well as the July 2016 killing of journalist Pavel Sheremet, Poroshenko said.

He also called for the authorities to determine the cause of a huge fire that broke out at a munitions depot near Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv on March 23.

Voronenkov, who moved to Ukraine last year and had criticized the Russian government, was shot dead in central Kyiv on March 23.

On March 23, Poroshenko called the killing "an act of state terrorism on the part of Russia."

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Twitter on March 24 that it was "in support of a full and impartial investigation [of Voronenkov's killing] that will bring those responsible to justice."

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer on March 24 expressed hope that Voronenkov's killing will be fully and thoroughly investigated.

With reporting by UNIAN and DW
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has confirmed the identity of the suspected gunman in the assassination in Kyiv on March 23 of a former Russian lawmaker who fled last year to Ukraine.

A ministry spokesman told RFE/RL that the man seen shooting ex-Duma Deputy Denis Voronenkov and a bodyguard in security-camera footage of the incident is 28-year-old, Crimean-born Ukrainian national Pavlo Parshov.

Parshov died in a hospital of bullet wounds suffered when the wounded bodyguard returned fire after the suspect shot Voronenkov multiple times in the head on a downtown sidewalk.

Anton Herashchenko, a nationalist lawmaker and adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, alleged in a Facebook post that Parshov was a secret agent for Russian security services.

He said the Russians helped Parshov cross into Belarus and make his way to Russia, where he "trained in a sabotage school created in the time of Stalin's NKVD," a reference to former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's hated secret police.

Herashchenko alleged that Parshov was ordered to return to Ukraine and infiltrate a unit of the armed forces or the National Guard "to pretend he was an ordinary soldier" and then lay low until his Russian handlers activated him recently to kill Voronenkov.

Parshov reportedly served for 13 months in the Ukrainian National Guard before leaving the force in August.

Amid media reports that pointed the finger at Parshov, the spokesman, Artem Shevchenko, said his ministry was leaving a public announcement of the suspect's name to Kyiv prosecutors investigating the daylight shooting.

'Matter Of Honor'

Ukrainian officials have blamed Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2014 and has since backed separatists resisting national government control in eastern Ukraine, but neither officials nor investigators have publicly produced evidence linking Moscow to the crime.

The Kremlin has rejected as "absurd" accusations that Russia was involved.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on March 24 called it "a matter of honor for Ukrainian law enforcement and security structures" to successfully investigate Voronenkov's killing and last year's car-bomb assassination of journalist Pavel Sheremet, also in the capital.

Within hours of Voronenkov's death, he had suggested the killing was "an act of state terrorism on the part of Russia."

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry's website lists Parshov as a fugitive wanted in the southeastern Dnipro region for allegedly creating fake businesses and laundering money. A mugshot accompanying the entry shows a man with dark eyes, short dark hair, and a trimmed beard. It states his birthdate as July 28, 1988.

Voronenkov and his wife, a fellow ex-legislator who fled Russia with her husband in October, were publicly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin since they landed in Kyiv, comparing Russia to Nazi Germany.

But Voronenkov was also said to be testifying for Ukrainian authorities as they tried to bolster their case that ousted ex-President Viktor Yanukovych played a role in the deployment of Russian forces to Ukraine amid the street unrest that eventually forced him into Russian exile in February 2014.

Moscow resisted recognizing the subsequent government in Kyiv and occupied and seized Crimea and, according to NATO and the Ukrainian government, has been arming and supporting separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine ever since.

Voronenkov was not universally trusted among Ukrainians, some of whom questioned his loyalties and Kyiv's quick decision to grant him citizenship.

Voronenkov was a Communist Party deputy in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, from 2011 until an election in September 2016 and was the target of Russian allegations of millions in property theft in Moscow before he fled.

He told RFE/RL in an interview last month that he feared for his own and his wife's safety, noting that "we are poking a sore spot of the Kremlin with our statements."

Ukrainian authorities subsequently provided Voronenkov with a bodyguard.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on March 24 that it was "in support of a full and impartial investigation [of Voronenkov's killing] that will bring those responsible to justice."

The German Foreign Ministry expressed hope that Voronenkov's killing will be fully and thoroughly investigated.
The chief of the U.S. militarys Africa Command says Russia is attempting to expand its influence in Libya, something the United States is watching with "great concern."

General Thomas Waldhauser on March 24 said Russia was "on the ground" in the border area between Egypt and Libya and was using military means, weapon sales, and oil to expand its influence in the country.

"They are trying to influence the action -- we watch what they do with great concern," Waldhauser told a news conference. "They are on the ground.

Earlier this month, AFP and Reuters reported that Russia had deployed forces to a base in western Egypt about 100 kilometers from the border with Libya.

Russia denied the reports.

A wide variety of forces have been vying for power since the ouster and killing of dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.

Waldhauser said there was an "undeniable" link between the Russians and powerful Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar.

"Well, I think it is common knowledge, certainly in the open press, the Russians and their desire to influence the activities inside in Libya... the Russians and Haftar, I think that linkage is undeniable at this point in time," Waldhauser said.

The United States has sent special forces and military advisers to the country over the past two years to battle militants from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

Waldhauser said the United States, which helped government forces drive IS fighters out of the coastal town of Sirte in 2016, still had some troops in Libya to "develop intelligence and take out targets when they arise."

He said the United States would be willing to keep the forces in place to work with the Libyan government deal with the 100-200 IS militants remaining in the country.

With reporting by AFP and AP
Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti says he is in constant contact with international security authorities to ensure stability in Kosovo as more ethnic Serb police officers in the north of country resigned.



Kurti said on November 6 after a rally by ethnic Serbs in the streets of North Mitrovica that the security situation in Kosovo was threatened by various criminalized individuals and groups, but said that during his time in office, we have made great progress in the fight against crime and corruption."



He added that the rule of law goes hand in hand with peace and security and cannot be threatened, adding that authorities do not distinguish criminals on the basis of ethnicity, but only on the basis of their criminal acts."



When asked about the decision on November 5 by the Serbian List party to leave Kosovo's institutions, Kurti repeated his call that Kosovo Serbs refrain from doing so.



"I once again I invite all Serb citizens of our country to not abandon institutions, not to resign, not to leave their jobs, because there would be less service for the people," he said.



Kurti has blamed Belgrade for seeking to destabilize Kosovo by supporting the ethnic Serbs in their boycott of state institutions.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on November 5 that the withdrawal of Kosovo Serbs from the country's institutions "is not a solution to the current disputes" and it has the potential to further escalate tensions.



A statement from the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo released to RFE/RL's Balkan Service late on November 6 said the United States agreed with the European Union that the recent developments around relations between Kosovo and Serbia "are of great concern and put important progress achieved in the EU-facilitated Dialogue at risk."



"The Kosovan Serbs' withdrawal from Kosovan institutions is not a solution to the current disputes and has the potential to further escalate the tensions on the ground," the statement added. "All involved must take steps to reduce tensions and ensure peace and stability on the ground."



The Serb officers who resigned on November 6 submitted written resignations to the police station in North Mitrovica. One of the policemen told RFE/RL that the officers only submitted their resignations in writing but had not yet turned in their uniforms and weapons. However, he said this will follow in the coming days.



Numerous media outlets reported that the police officers took off their uniforms as part of the wider Serb movement to withdraw from institutions in Kosovo touched off by a move to implement a mandate on the conversion of vehicle license plates.



A statement from the Kosovar police force said it was aware that Serb police officers had abandoned their posts and that some have handed over police equipment.



The rally by ethnic Serbs in North Mitrovica on November 6 came a day after Serbs there said they would quit their posts in state institutions to protest against the use of license plates issued by Pristina.

Following a meeting of Serb political representatives in the north of Kosovo on November 5, the minister of communities and returns, Goran Rakic, said he was resigning from his post in the Pristina government.



He told reporters that fellow representatives of the Serb minority in the north had also quit their jobs in municipal administrations, the courts, police, and the parliament and government in Pristina.



Rakic said they would not consider returning unless Pristina abolishes the order for them to switch their old car license plates, which date to the 1990s when Kosovo was a part of Serbia, to Kosovo state plates.



Addressing the rally on November 6, Rakic accused Kosovo government authorities of not respecting international law and agreements negotiated in Brussels.



Rakic has called on the protesters "not to fall for provocations and to continue the fight with peaceful and democratic means."



The license-plate measure took effect on November 1, and Kosovo authorities said enforcement would be gradual.

The U.S. Embassy statement reiterated Washington's position that the Kosovar authorities should extend the process of converting vehicle license plates and suspend any punitive actions until the license plates issue can be resolved through dialogue.

Many ethnic Serbs in Kosovo refuse to recognize the countrys independence from Serbia, which it declared in 2008.



The European Union has told Kosovo and Serbia that they must normalize ties if they want to advance toward membership in the 27-nation bloc.

With reporting by dpa, AP, and AFP
The U.S. Senate will vote next week on approving Montenegro's bid to become the newest member of the NATO alliance, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on March 23.

The move to schedule a vote on the long-delayed Montenegro accession bid came after the Trump administration urged lawmakers to quickly take up the matter this week.

Reuters reported on March 21 that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had written to the leaders of the Senate to say Montenegro's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was "strongly in the interests of the United States."

All 28 of NATO's members must ratify Montenegro's accession before it can formally join the alliance. Only four members have not approved it. The vote in the U.S. Senate was blocked for months by two Republican senators, Rand Paul and Mike Lee, who oppose expanding the military alliance.

McConnell announced on March 23 that he will force a vote on the matter next week by scheduling a procedural vote on March 27 that should clear the way for action by the full Senate.

Senate aides said they expect the Senate will approve of Montenegro's NATO membership once the procedural hurdles are cleared.

With reporting by Reuters


Over the past five years, Iranian officials and state media have touted the "indigenous" ingenuity in the Islamic republic's mass-produced Mohajer-6 combat drone, which Russia has deployed in its war against Ukraine.

But a new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, has found that electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 are far from homegrown.



The Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export to Iran of such technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes  dual-use technology.

The presence of these components in the Mohajer-6 does not mean their producers are in violation of U.S. or EU sanctions, and RFE/RL does not have evidence that this is the case.

The investigation also found Mohajer-6 components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm that said it was "very sorry" that its products were being used in war.

At least one major foreign-produced component of the Mohajer-6 has previously been identified by reporters in a Mohajer-6 recovered from the battlefield by the Ukrainian military: an engine made by the Austrian manufacturer BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Bombardier Recreational Products.

But Ukrainian intelligence assesses that the Iranian combat drone contains components from nearly three dozen different technology companies based in North America, the EU, Japan, and Taiwan, the Schemes investigation has found. A majority of these companies are based in the United States.



A Schemes reporter who personally inspected the foreign-made drone parts identified components produced by at least 15 of these manufacturers.

These include parts made by the U.S. technology firm Texas Instruments, which said in a statement that it does not sell into Russia or Iran and complies with applicable laws and regulations.

To identify these components, Schemes reporters examined parts of the Mohajer-6 drone that the Ukrainian military shot down over the Black Sea near the Mykolayiv region coastal town of Ochakiv. They also reviewed Ukrainian intelligence records on the sources of these components.

The drone also contains a microchip bearing the logo of a California technology company and a thermal-imaging camera that Ukrainian intelligence says may have been produced by a firm based in Oregon or China.

Both Western officials and experts on illicit technology transfers say Iran has built a broad, global procurement network using front companies and other proxies in third countries to obtain dual-use technology from the United States and the EU.

"Exporters will look at the request coming from the [United Arab Emirates] or another third country, and they'll think that they're selling to an end user based there, when really the end user is in Iran," Daniel Salisbury, a senior research fellow with the Department of War Studies at King's College London, told RFE/RL.

In September, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions specifically targeting Iranian companies that Washington links to the production and transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia for deployment in its war on Ukraine. Fighting rages with no sign of an end more than eight months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked invasion on February 24.

"Non-Iranian, non-Russian entities should also exercise great caution to avoid supporting either the development of Iranian UAVs or their transfer, or sale of any military equipment to Russia for use against Ukraine," U.S. Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement announcing the sanctions.

Chinese Cameras, California Chips

Development of the Mohajer-6, the latest model in a series of drones Tehran has used since the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, began in 2017, while mass production began the following year. During a ceremony commemorating the Islamic Revolution, then-Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said that the new tactical drone could perform surveillance, reconnaissance, as well as help destroy targets.

Hatami extolled what he described as the drones domestic design, a portrayal echoed in later reports by Iranian media.

"The homegrown drone was made through cooperation among the army, Defense Ministry, and Quds Aviation Industries," the English-language Tehran Times quoted an Iranian military official as saying in July 2019.

The dismantling of the Mohajer-6 drone recovered by the Ukrainian military shows that the UAV is packed with foreign components.

One of these parts is a bright-orange real-time mini-camera produced by the Hong Kong-based company RunCam Technology. Documents seen by Schemes show that Ukrainian intelligence has also identified RunCam as the producer of the camera, which likely assists in remote guidance of the drone.

Founded in 2013, RunCam is involved in the development and production of so-called "first-person-view" real-time cameras. "Our users are our friends," the company's website states. The site says that RunCam has two authorized Iranian dealers.

Reached by Schemes for comment about the use of its camera in the Iranian drone deployed by Russia in its war on Ukraine, RunCam said in an e-mailed response: "We are very sorry to know that RunCam's products were used in warfare. RunCam is specialized in producing products for model aircraft hobby. We never contact any customer related to military."

The provenance of the Mohajer-6 drone-s thermal-imaging camera is more difficult to determine. A Ukrainian intelligence assessment reviewed by Schemes indicates it could be the Ventus Hot model produced by Sierra-Olympic Technologies, based in the U.S. state of Oregon, but that it also resembles a cheaper analog available for sale by the Chinese company Qingdao Thundsea Marine Technology.

Qingdao Thundsea Marine Technology said in an e-mailed statement that the company did not "have any business with Iran," because "it will affect our business." The company said it specializes in marine services and is not involved in manufacturing. It also said that it did not have a single successful order for its online advertisement of the thermal-imaging camera resembling the one recovered from the Iranian drone.

Sierra-Olympic Technologies did not respond to a request for comment on the possible use of its thermal-imaging cameras in Iranian combat drones in time for publication.

Microchips recovered from the drone also featured the logos of the California-based company Linear Technology Corporation and its parent company, the Massachusetts-based semiconductor company Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI). ADI did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment on the possible use of its technology in the Iranian combat drone.

Schemes reporters also observed among the components of the Iranian drone a voltage step-down converter produced by Texas Instruments. The company said in an e-mailed statement that it "does not sell into Russia, Belarus, or Iran."

"TI complies with applicable laws and regulations in the countries where we operate, and does not support or condone the use of our products in applications they weren't designed for," Texas Instruments said.

Schemes reporters also saw several components produced by the California-based technology manufacturer Xilinx, whose parent company is the multinational semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), also based in California.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, one of these Xilinx components was integrated into a video data-link module located in the wing of the Mohajer-6 that helped carry out attack missions.

"This module transmits information from the board to the missile head. That is, guidance for the missile. With the help of this module, it was possible to guide the missile to the target," a Ukrainian military intelligence representative told Schemes.

AMD did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

'No Authorization'

Previous media reports about the components of the Mohajer-6 drone, including by CNN, have shown evidence that its engine was produced by the Austrian manufacturer BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, whose parent company is the Quebec-based Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP).

The Canadian company responded to the reports on October 21, saying in a statement that it "has not authorized and has not given any authorization to its distributors to supply military UAV manufacturers in Iran or Russia."

"As soon as we were made aware of this situation, we started an investigation to determine the source of the engines," BRP said. .

But Schemes reporters found that the authorized Rotax distributor listed on the Austrian manufacturer's website advertised itself as a Rotax aircraft engines distributor for Iran as recently as December 2020.

The distributor, the Italian company Luciano Sorlini S.p.a., has posted multiple magazine advertisements on its websites in which it describes itself as a Rotax distributor for numerous countries. Prior to January 2021, Iran was listed among these countries.

The Rotax website also lists a Tehran-based company -- MahtaWing -- as an official service center for its engines. The company, known in Persian as Mahtabal, conducts repairs of Rotax engines, including the Rotax 912 iS, the engine that was found in the Mohajer-6 combat drone recovered in Ukraine.

BRP said in an e-mailed statement on November 4 that while Luciano Sorlini S.p.a. is the appointed distributor of Rotax aircraft engines in Iran, "since 2019, no Rotax engines have been sold in Iran, and we will not sell any engines to Iran moving forward."

The Canadian company said it had "internal controls" that "significantly" restrict the sale of its products for military purposes.

"For example, the sale of any BRP product to operators with any military activity in Iran, Turkey, and Russia is strictly prohibited," BRP said. "We conduct our business in compliance with all EU, Canadian, and U.S. applicable regulations."

BRP described the Iranian company MahtaWing as a "local service center" that "offers maintenance services for previously sold aircraft engines."

Shahriar Siami of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report.
British police say they have made two more "significant" arrests in the investigation of the deadly attack near Parliament and said the birth name of the assailant, Muslim convert Khalid Masood, was Adrian Russell Ajao.

Britain's top counterterrorism officer, Mark Rowley, said on March 24 that police have nine people in custody, while a 10th person has been released on bail as the investigation continues.

Authorities have said that Masood, who had a history of violence, was thought to have carried out the Westminster attack on his own. But they have not ruled out the possibility that others may have been involved.

"Clearly a main line in our investigation is what led him to be radicalized. ... Was it through influences in our community, influences from overseas, or from online propaganda?" Rowley said.

"We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were, and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited," he added.

The two arrests came overnight as a 75-year-old British man died of injuries suffered when the assailant drove a rental car through a crowd on Westminster Bridge, which leads to the British Parliament.

TIMELINE: Deadly Attacks In Europe (click to expand)

Leslie Rhodes was taken off life support at King's College Hospital, police said. His death brought the death toll in the attack to five, including Masood.

The other victims were police officer Keith Palmer, 48; Aysha Frade, a 43-year-old British woman; and Kurt Cochran, an American tourist from the state of Utah, who was in his 50s.

Rowley added that two police officers at the scene of the attack also suffered significant injuries. Two other people also remain in critical condition, one with life-threatening injuries, he said.

Masood, who was shot dead by police within the security perimeter of Parliament in the midst of the terrorist attack, also was known by several other aliases.

They said Masood had not been the subject of any current investigations by British authorities and there was "no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack."

British Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons earlier on March 23 that the attacker was "a peripheral figure" known to security authorities and had been investigated.

Police said they were working on the assumption that Masood, who did not have any convictions on terrorism charges, was inspired by Islamist extremism. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has claimed the assailant was one of its "soldiers."

Victims who were injured on Westminster Bridge came from 12 countries.

They included teenage schoolchildren from France, a Romanian couple, and others who traveled from as far as China to explore London. A Romanian woman was pulled alive from the River Thames after falling from Westminster Bridge during the attack.

With reporting by Reuters, BBC, AFP, Sky News, Press Association, and AP
Strange and terrible things seem to happen to people who testify against the Kremlin.

The latest example, of course, is former State Duma deputy Denis Voronenkov, who defected to Ukraine last year and was shot dead in downtown Kyiv yesterday.

Last month, Voronenkov told Ukrainian prosecutors that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych had asked Russia to send troops into Ukraine.

And then there is the case of Nikolai Gorokhov, a lawyer representing the family of the deceased Russian whistle-blower Sergei Magnitsky. Gorokhov was critically injured this week after falling several stories from his apartment window.

And according to a report in The Daily Beast, he was a witness for the U.S. Justice Department in a money-laundering case involving Russia.

And there's Aleksandr Perepilichny, a healthy 44-year-old Russian emigre who collapsed and died while jogging in Surrey, England, back in 2012.

An autopsy later found traces of the rare toxic plant gelsemium, a poison used by assassins, in his stomach.

And guess what? At the time of his death, Perepilichny was assisting Swiss authorities in a money-laundering probe involving Russia.

And of course, there is the famous case of Aleksandr Litvinenko, who died after drinking tea laced with the rare radioactive isotope polonium at a hotel in downtown London.

At the time of his death, Litvinenko was preparing to testify in a Spanish investigation into ties between the Russian authorities and organized crime.

After the news of Voronenkov's assassination broke yesterday, a Kremlin spokesman told reporters that Vladimir Putin planned to attend a play titled "The Latest Victim" that evening.

Take from that, what you will.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
Its Election Day and you dont know who to vote for. How do you get last-minute information on the candidates?

Emily Kuhn says the app she co-founded, 1myVote, is there to help with names, photos, and in some cases, bio information.

Looking for a way to highlight your business by posting a video on your website? Hinckley Productions has been producing videos for businesses for the past decade, founder and CEO Natalie Hinckley says.

Kuhn and Hinckley were two of the featured entrepreneurs at the Doyenne Groups Spring Showcase on Wednesday night  the first such event organized by the Madison nonprofit.

Five local businesswomen each had five minutes to give a presentation about their companies.

Kuhn, whose day job has been to develop apps for the U.S. Social Security Administration for the past 15 years, started 1myVote with her husband, Sam Rajkowski, in March 2015 as a free, nonpartisan election information source.

With a smattering of small advertising buys on Facebook and word-of-mouth publicity, 10 percent of all the downloads of 1myVote in 2016 came on the two Election Days, April 5 and Nov. 8, Kuhn said.

People were downloading (the app), standing in line (to vote), she said.

Eventually, Kuhn said, a polling feature on the app could become a source of revenue for 1myVote.

Hinckley Productions creates videos and also offers live streaming of events, from concerts to sporting events to award shows. Belleville casual clothing company Duluth Trading Co. and Dodgeville apparel business Lands End are listed among Hinckleys clients.

The other presenters included:

Taralinda Willis, who co-founded Curate Solutions in the final days of the gener8tor accelerators 12-week mentorship program last year. Curate mines public meeting agendas and minutes for development project information for use by construction companies and other industries.

Corrina Crade, co-founder of MogaMind, a company that makes voiceover-guided music tracks to ease stress, like yoga for the mind... with music.

Mary Romolino, whose Acme Nerd Games is developing educational online games. The first, Houston, We Have Spinach! aims to fight childhood obesity by offering nutrition advice.

The Spring Showcase drew about 75 people to the Yahara Bay Distillery in Fitchburg.

Heather Wentler, co-founder of the Doyenne Group, a nonprofit established in 2012 to support women entrepreneurs, said she wants to make the Madison area an identifiable center for women starting businesses.

We do know that from 2012-2015, Wisconsin ranked last for women entrepreneurship, (and) last year (2016) Wisconsin rose to 38th ranking, which means programs, organizations and overall community support of women entrepreneurs is on a rise in our state, Wentler said, referring to figures from American Express OPEN.

She wants Doyenne to help women get the proper resources to start and grow businesses here and for other organizations from across the nation to look at Doyenne as a model to support women entrepreneurs.

Doyenne raised $1.2 million in 2016 to help fund its programs.

Doyenne co-founder Amy Gannon said she wants women to come to the organization for help and advice to get through the challenges of creating a business.

You cant push hard for a big dream without feeling uncomfortable on the journey there, said Gannon.

The Doyenne Group will hold a Mentor Match, connecting entrepreneurs with potential mentors, on Thursday.
In September 1975, University of Richmond student Marshall Bank posed outside Boatwright Memorial Library. Just a year earlier, he had checked out  and refused to return  some volumes that were signed by their authors, saying the rare works deserved better protection than the open shelves.

It was in April 1974 that Bank, a business administration major from New York, had checked out a volume of Robert Frosts poetry. He soon thereafter discovered that the book was signed by the author himself and, shocked by the discovery; he wondered why such a text was not kept in a rare books room for safekeeping.

Several days later, Bank received a letter from Kate J. Duvall, the circulation librarian, asking that the book be returned. Before responding, Bank took a second trip to the library to make sure the rare book he found on the open shelf was not a mistake. However, during his return visit, Bank found another book signed by Frost and also one by John Bannister Tabb and John Greenleaf Whittier. It was then that Bank responded to the librarian.

He wrote back:

It seems to me that since the library and the university are incapable of providing an environment which is healthy for both books and people, someone else will have to assume this responsibility. As a meager symbolic beginning, I will keep the two Frost collections and some half-dozen others which I checked out of the library after receiving your letter, returning them whenever the university provides adequate facilities for them and for the people who use the library.

I look forward to hearing from you upon completion of the new building or improvement of the old.

The librarians responded that Bank had a perfectly legitimate concern. Librarian Ardie Kelly said that there were many autographed volumes in the library that were of no special value but he admitted that the Frost and Tabb books were of particular value to the university.

For Bank, his hostage-taking of the texts meant he would not receive his grades for the year until they were returned.

But this story has a happy ending.

Banks did return the books and, with funding from an anonymous donor, participated in a project to get contemporary poets to sign copies of their work for inclusion in the librarys collection. By September 1975, 23 poets had signed and back their texts; 20 more were with poets and expected soon.

Some poets left cordial messages:

John Ciardi: With best wishes to the UR librarys poetry collection, with the pleasure of placing my book in high company.

May Sarton: For the Bank Modern Poetry Collection with warmest good wishes.
An Indiana University professor specializing in information technology has been named the dean of the UW-Madison School of Business.

Anne Massey will succeed Francois Ortalo-Magne, who is departing this summer after six years as dean, to become dean of the London Business School.

Massey has a dual role at Indiana University-Bloomington, as the Deans Research Professor of Information Systems at the Kelley School of Business, and as associate vice president in the Office of the Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs.

She will start her duties as dean of the Wisconsin School of Business on Aug. 7.

I am truly honored, Massey said in a statement from the university on Thursday. I am quickly learning how exceptional the university and the Wisconsin School of Business are, thanks to a combination of its people and principles.

Massey has a doctorate in decision sciences and engineering systems, a masters degree of science in industrial engineering and a bachelors degree in management, all from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.

Her research has centered on innovation processes and strategies driven by technology, and the role information technology has on team performance, the university said.

We are fortunate to have someone with Annes experience lead the Wisconsin School of Business as its next dean, said UW-Madison Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf. Her passion for innovation and forward-thinking research will inspire students and build upon the schools success.

The Wisconsin School of Business was established in 1900 and was one of the first business programs in the country.

The school has a $69 million budget, 80 faculty members, 220 professional staff and 40 university staff.
Arrest warrants have been obtained for a Newport News man who police said managed to exit a Chevrolet Camaro that moments earlier had topped 122 mph during a police pursuit.

State police have identified the driver as Brandon R. Robinson, 28, whose last known address was the 700 block of Topsider Court in Newport News.

Police said Robinson is wanted in a March 17 incident that began at 5:49 a.m when Trooper J.E. Shaw spotted a 2010 Camaro speeding on westbound Interstate 64 in James City County.

The trooper clocked the car at speeds topping 122 mph and tried to make a traffic stop, but the driver sped off and exited the interstate onto westbound state Route 30, entering New Kent County, police said.

The driver then turned onto a side road off state Route 30, struck a pole, hit a ditch and, while the car was moving, jumped out of the car, police said. The driver fled on foot and the moving car continued onward until it struck the side of an empty house in the 5000 block of Barham Road, police said.
More than five dozen rising sixth-graders in Henrico County will be redistricted to help stem overcrowding in one of the localitys middle schools.

Sixty-eight students who would ordinarily attend Hungary Creek Middle School in the fall will instead be redirected to Holman Middle School. During its meeting Thursday evening, the Henrico School Board voted for the plan that moves elementary school students from Springfield Park and some from Longan to Holman.

School officials acknowledged that the upcoming redistricting does not resolve overpopulation at Hungary Creek which, according to September enrollment figures, houses 106 more students than it should. The district plans on working to further alleviate overcrowding during the second, more comprehensive part of the two-year redistricting process.

This small pocket is the first step of the redistricting and not the end-all, School Board Chairwoman Bev Cocke said during the boards afternoon work session. Were still trying to do some creative things to make it a better situation and a better learning environment next year before the whole redistricting.

The School Board voted for the plan, referred to as Option C, over a second option that would have moved a larger number of Echo Lake Elementary and some Glen Allen Elementary students to Holman. That plan, called Option A, would have shifted 41 rising sixth graders.

During a presentation to the School Board, the districts director of research and planning, Tiffany Hinton, showed data from an online survey and community feedback that indicated more support for Option C.

Of the 150 online responses, 48 percent showed support for that option, compared with 37 percent for Option A.

More community members also backed Option C during a public hearing last week. Still, a handful of parents expressed dissatisfaction that neither option would adequately address Hungary Creek overcrowding.

After Thursdays meeting, schools spokesman Andy Jenks countered that, without the smaller rezoning, Hungary Creek could become more overcrowded in the fall.

Both options were presented alongside plans for the broader redistricting that will be implemented in fall 2018. Hinton said the smaller redistricting plan approved on Thursday will be incorporated and adjusted for both options under consideration for the larger rezoning.
Americas first year-round astronaut, who was hailed as a hero when he returned to Earth a year ago after his long journey in space, said he was humbled Thursday after spending time with residents of The Virginia Home in Richmond who have irreversible physical disabilities.

Scott Kelly signed autographs and took questions from residents of the nonprofit 130-bed facility near Byrd Park. The retired astronauts mission had been partly to determine how long-term space travel affects people, and also to help pave the way for future exploration of Mars, where NASA hopes to send humans in the 2030s.

When I consider the space station and how difficult it was to build and operate for such a long time, I realize that if we can do that, we can do anything, Kelly said in an interview Thursday after visiting The Virginia Home.

Kelly said he often speaks about challenges in speeches, but he noted that an experience like the one he had Thursday afternoon helps put most peoples challenges in perspective.

When I give talks, I talk about challenges, said Kelly, a retired Navy captain. The challenges these individuals have makes what I do pale in comparison. Pretty humbling actually. ... Its kind of a grounding experience.

Kelly recognized those who work at The Virginia Home who help support people with disabilities.

The dedication of the folks who work here is pretty amazing, he said.

Kelly was joined Thursday by his girlfriend of eight years, Amiko Kauderer, who is a NASA public affairs officer from Houston. She helped chronicle his journey in space and managed his social media accounts during her time outside of work.

Watching him for much of the day on monitors was an extremely intense experience, she said, describing how she went through a gamut of emotions during challenging times in his journey, including during launch and when the shuttle was in danger of making contact with debris from an old Russian space shuttle.

While she had already had a front-seat view of dangerous space missions before, it was quite different when it was her boyfriend doing it, she noted.

When its someone you love and you want them back on Earth, its a whole different ballgame, she said.

She laughed in describing one of her favorite gifts from Kelly during that yearlong expedition, noting it was kind of random  a selfie stick. While she was able to monitor Kelly from afar, he wasnt able to see her, so he asked her to take pictures of herself and send them along, she said with a laugh. He had managed, through some technical difficulties, to order the selfie stick using a slow-speed Internet system in space.

Robert A. Crouse, the president and CEO of The Virginia Home, said the nonprofit hosts a Stories of Courage & Grace event annually, and he commended Kelly for putting his own safety and well-being at risk for the advancement of science.

To me, that exemplifies courage and grace, Crouse said.
Forty-eight students from across Wisconsin will compete Saturday in the Badger State Spelling Bee at Madison Area Technical Colleges Mitby Theatre. The bees competitors will vie to represent the state at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, held the week of May 28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

The top three spellers will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The public is invited to attend the annual state competition, which is sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal. The bee begins at 1 p.m. and usually lasts three to four hours. The State Journal will also live-stream the bee at facebook.com/WisconsinStateJournal.

Contestants have competed in school- and regional-level bees, the latter of which are organized by the states 12 Cooperative Educational Services Agencies. One exception is the Madison All-City Spelling Bee, which is also sponsored by the State Journal.

Former Badger State Spelling Bee champion Brad Williams will be the pronouncer. Now a radio journalist in La Crosse, Williams won the state bee in 1969 when he was 12. He has been pronouncing at the state level for more than 30 years.

Judges include Amanda Finn from the State Journal, Charles Thiede, a retired civil engineer from the Department of Transportation and Pat Miller, a retired seventh-grade teacher. The bee director is Rhonda Reese, general manager of the Midwest Horse Fair. The top three finishers will receive a trip for two to the national bee and the Samuel Louis Sugarman award, donated by Jay Sugarman.

The winners also will receive a copy of Merriam-Websters Third New International Dictionary and a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, donated by Encyclopedia Britannica.

The Badger State Spelling Bee was first held in 1949. The National Spelling Bee was started in 1925 by the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Established regional artists such as Gerry Bannan and Sarah Hazlegrove rub elbows with pop culture icons like Howard Finster and Dr. Seuss in an intriguing gallery exhibit that opens Friday in an unexpected place.

Assembled by volunteers with North Cross School in Roanoke County, Behind Closed Doors showcases a cross-section of artwork owned by people with connections to the school. The works include pieces owned, and in some cases made, by parents of current or former students; pieces owned or made by faculty; and works by artists who attended the school.

The show hangs in the schools Logan Gallery, which also happens to be the foyer for the administration offices in Old Slack Hall. After Fridays reception from 6 to 8 p.m., the exhibition will stay on display until April 26.

The show is the brainchild of Sallie Lake, a 1976 graduate of North Cross married to a school administrator, with one daughter who graduated this year and another whos enrolled as a junior. Lake consulted with Dorsey Taylor, co-owner with his wife, Linda, of the LinDor Arts gallery in downtown Roanoke.

We have a lot of families that are collectors of art, Lake wrote. She asked willing participants to loan favorite pieces to the show. As I began to talk with collectors about what they would share, I also realized how instructional this exhibit could be for our kids.  Many invited me into their homes to help pick a piece from their collections, and this was a highlight of the whole experience for me.

One of the things I want the kids to understand is that theres so many different outlets for art, said Ellen McGimsey, volunteer coordinator and chairwoman of the Friends of the Arts group for North Cross.

The completed show, featuring 36 works from 28 lenders, showcases an immense variety of styles and mediums, with sculpture, assemblages, paintings, photographs and digital art.

The Taylors joined with a team of volunteers to hang the show this past weekend. They also supplied a painting from their collection, Father Time by the late George Solonevich, a Russian-born artist who built a home on Bent Mountain.

Behind Closed Doors features striking works by artists familiar in Roanoke art circles, such as Lucy Hazlegrove, Mary Jane Burtch, Suzun Hughes, Ann Bondurant Trinkle, Michele Sons and Gari Stephenson.

At the reception Friday, a number of the lenders will tell the stories of how they acquired the art and what the pieces meant to them. Several of them have great stories to share, Lake wrote.

Artistic director wins award

Pedro Szalay, artistic director of Southwest Virginia Ballet in Salem, received the Ann Brownson Award from the Virginia Association of Museums at a presentation Monday at the Hotel Roanoke, where the association held its 2017 conference.

The award honors an individual for outstanding service to Virginia museums. Szalay was nominated by Cindy Petersen, the Taubman Museum of Arts deputy director of education and visitor engagement, who cited his 10 years with SVB, special dance performances hes choreographed to pair with Taubman exhibitions and other cultural events, and the Dance Espanol program he runs for Roanoke City Public Schools.

Im really honored and humbled they chose me, Szalay said. He believes that arts organizations need to work together to flourish, and hes grateful to be recognized for acting on that belief. Im looking forward to many more collaborations.
GE Power confirmed Friday that it is cutting jobs at the companys Salem plant.

A spokeswoman for GE Power, a division of General Electric Co., declined to say how many employees are losing their jobs.

Were still working through the process, so we dont have a final number, Katie Jackson said.

About 700 people, including engineering and manufacturing employees, have been employed at the site.

GE Power announced similar cuts this week at plants in Schenectady, New York, and Greenville, South Carolina.

In an email, Jackson said the job reductions are tied in part to GEs acquisition in November 2015 of France-based Alstoms power and grid businesses.

Based on the current challenges in the power market and the integration of GE and legacy Alstom, GE Power continues to transform the business to support our growth strategy and meet the needs of our customers, she said.

As a result, were taking employee actions to simplify our structure. These are difficult decisions, but necessary to ensure the long-term competitiveness of our business, Jackson added.

She said GE Power is committed to working with our employees during this transition.

Joe Noojin, president of union Local 82161, IUE-CWA , at the GE plant, said manufacturing has been going strong there, with all product lines increasing. He noted theres never a guarantee that this pace would continue but said there has been speculation about possibly hiring more production workers.

He said the plant has about 330 hourly workers and the majority are members of Local 82161.

Among other products, the Salem plant designs and produces control systems and sub-components for gas and steam turbines, generators and static starters.

GE said the primary function of the control systems is to ensure safe, reliable and highly efficient operation of our customers equipment and plants.

In addition, design and testing of computer software occurs on-site. The Salem plant also houses a 24-hour call center to help customers troubleshoot problems and a global training center visited each year by about 300 global customers, GE said.

In November 2015, GE celebrated its 60th anniversary in the Roanoke Valley. According to a newspaper story in 1957, the plant then employed about 2,000 people.

General Electric Co. has been under pressure from activist investor Trian Fund Management to boost its industrial profits, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. This week, GE announced plans to reduce industrial expenses by $1 billion in 2017 and to cut another $1 billion next year.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has issued a key water quality permit needed by the joint venture that wants to build the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline through 11 counties in that state before crossing into Virginia.

The agency on Thursday issued an Individual 401 Water Quality Certification for the West Virginia portion of the 303-mile, interstate pipeline, which would travel also through six counties in Virginia if the $3.5 billion project receives federal approval.

The decision added 19 special conditions to the permit. They included requiring the submission, in advance of construction, of a plan detailing how Mountain Valley will respond if construction or operation of the project affects the quality or quantity of public or private water supplies.

Mountain Valley will need a similar water quality permit in Virginia but has not yet completed the necessary application, said Bill Hayden, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

Natalie Cox, a spokeswoman for Mountain Valley, said Friday that the project appreciated the response from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

MVP team members and WVDEP staff worked diligently to develop comprehensive plans for constructing the pipeline with the least possible impact on streams and wetlands, and this decision is a reflection of that effort, Cox said.

Environmental watchdogs in West Virginia were dismayed about the decision to issue the permit. The department had held related public hearings earlier this month.

Were disappointed WVDEP hastily issued MVPs water quality certification, said Autumn Crowe, program director for the West Virginia Rivers Coalition.

MVPs application raised a significant amount of questions and concerns that we dont see have been resolved, she said, suggesting that the department had not fully considered the substantive comments that were submitted.

As proposed, the pipeline would be a 42-inch diameter, buried steel pipe that would transport natural gas at high pressure from Wetzel County, West Virginia, to the Transco pipeline in Pittsylvania County.

According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the pipeline segment in that state would be about 196 miles long, and there would be about 147 miles of roads, either permanent or temporary, to provide access to it. Mountain Valley also plans to build three above-ground compressor stations in West Virginia.

The department reported that the current route of the pipeline through West Virginia would involve 631 stream crossings, including the crossing of eight trout streams at 13 separate locations, and 424 wetlands crossings. The department acknowledged that construction of the project would result in unavoidable temporary and permanent impacts to waters of the U.S.

Laurie Ardison, a resident of Monroe County, West Virginia, is an active member of Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights  or POWHR  a pipeline opposition group concerned about the projects potential to cause lasting environmental harm and to take private property through eminent domain for a private company.

Ardison said the Department of Environmental Protection had drilled into the public that [the department] would really only consider scientific-based comments when considering public input about Mountain Valleys application for the water quality permit.

And the public responded accordingly, Ardison said.

The astounding comments were chock full of data that indicated, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the preponderance of deficiencies in the MVP 401 permit application, she said.

Page by page, line by line, the public created a truly compelling and scientifically sound case for DEP to not issue the 401 permit. Thousands of public citizen hours went into this, Ardison said.

But both Ardison and Dr. Tina Smusz, a resident of eastern Montgomery County who is also active in POWHR, said it had seemed that pro-infrastructure statements by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice previously indicated that the input would not result in a permit denial.

In Virginia, Gov. Terry McAuliffe has expressed support for both the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the similar but separate Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Both projects have applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the certification needed to launch construction. FERC is preparing a final environmental impact statement for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
A Democratic Party official has filed a complaint against conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman for appearing in promotional materials as a featured speaker for a recent local Republican Party fundraiser.

Gableman ultimately didnt attend the event, according to another speaker, but the states code of judicial conduct prohibits a judge from actively participating in political party promotions and also from using the prestige of judicial office for fundraising or membership solicitation.

The code allows a judge to be a speaker or guest of honor at an organizations fundraising event provided there is no advertising of the judge as speaker or guest of honor in order to encourage people to attend and make contributions and provided that any contributions at the event are made prior to the judges speech or presentation as guest of honor.

The complaint to the Wisconsin Judicial Commission from Barron County Democratic Party chairman Gerry Lisi includes a solicitation for tickets that includes Gableman as a scheduled speaker for the Lincoln Day Dinner Appreciation Fundraiser in Rice Lake on March 11. Dinner tickets ranged from $10 for students to $100 for party membership and dinner for two.

The Barron County Republican Partys website doesnt currently list Gableman as a speaker for the event.

The complaint also notes another speaker at the fundraiser was Eric OKeefe, director of the Wisconsin Club for Growth, an organization that helped elect Gableman in 2008 and was the subject of a contentious John Doe investigation Gableman helped quash in 2015.

Engaging in this kind of inappropriate political activity undermines the sacred trust placed in independent courts, Lisi said in a statement. Wisconsin judges are also prohibited from using the prestige of their office for fundraising or membership solicitation for any group, political or not.

Along with Gableman and OKeefe, U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy and state Rep. Romaine Quinn were listed as scheduled speakers. Quinn said until he arrived at the event he didnt know Gableman wouldnt be attending. Quinn said he doesnt know why Gableman canceled.

Gableman didnt immediately respond to a request for comment through a court spokesman. A local party chairwoman also didnt immediately respond.

Rick Esenberg, president of the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, said he would like to see the Supreme Court change the rule. He said justices arent barred from speaking at events  though he wasnt sure how often it happens  but by prohibiting an organization from advertising the speech it places limits on the groups freedoms of speech and association.

Reading the rule to prohibit a judge from speaking if the sponsor tells people he or she is going to be there raises constitutional concerns, Esenberg said.

Matt Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said though Gableman did not attend the event, the inclusion of Gablemans name in the promotional material is a problem.

Thats pretty clear language that he violated, Rothschild said.

Gableman is up for re-election to a 10-year term next spring.

The Judicial Commission doesnt comment on complaints, a spokesman said. The commission considers 400 to 500 complaints against state and municipal judges and court commissioners each year. If the commission investigates and finds probable cause of misconduct, it can issue a warning or caution to the judge, or it can seek disciplinary action before a three-judge panel. The Supreme Court ultimately decides whether to reprimand, censure, suspend or remove a judge from office.

In the past 10 years, the Judicial Commission has alleged misconduct against three Supreme Court justices, including Gableman. The Supreme Court approved disciplinary action in one of the cases.

The court deadlocked 3-3 in the Gableman case, in which he was accused of running a potentially misleading campaign ad during his 2008 election campaign. The other three conservative justices said the ad was distasteful, but objectively true and protected by the First Amendment.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie visited Roanoke County Thursday to share his plan for an across-the-board state income tax cut.

A dozen local Republicans gathered around Roanoke County Supervisor Joe McNamaras kitchen table as Gillespie discussed his proposal for the states first income tax rate cut in more than four decades  a plan that also would push localities to reconsider their local business taxes.

Gillespies Cutting Taxes for All Virginians plan proposes a 10 percent income tax cut phased in over three years. New, incoming revenue from a growing economy would be used to offset the loss of $1.3 billion in tax revenue over the next five years.

Gillespies plan shifts away from the traditional economic development mold wherein the state tries to attract big businesses or whales to locate or expand within the commonwealth, and attempts to stimulate growth in small businesses and private sector growth.

Im all about the startups and the scale-ups, he said. We need to grow our own whales. Conservative economists estimate Gillespies plan will spur creation of 50,000 new full-time jobs in five years.

His campaign says the plan will give close to $1,300 back to a family of four, but that number is based on families earning $135,000 annually. With the median income of $69,945, a familys savings would amount to $674. In the Roanoke Valley, where the median income amounts to close to about $52,000, the savings would be less.

Those living in Southwest Virginia have a lower cost of living than those in areas like Northern Virginia where incomes are higher, but regardless of the size of the tax cut, the additional money provides more relief for all Virginians, Gillespie said.

McNamara and Roanoke County Supervisor Jason Peters praised Gillespies plan because at the local level, cities and counties could eliminate local business taxes like the machinery and tools, Business, Professional and Occupational License taxes and the merchants capital tax. Such business taxes hamper business growth, they said.

Its about time we have someone in the governors mansion who thinks of businesses, McNamara said. Localities will not be required to eliminate businesses taxes, but the plan gives them the freedom to re-evaluate the tax system thats best for each region, Gillespie said.

When McNamara decried the government regulations at his two ice cream shops, Gillespie also foreshadowed his regulatory relief plan  the next policy plan he will release on the campaign trail.

While state budget gurus, conservative Virginia economists and numerous state Republicans quickly praised Gillespies plan, his Republican and Democratic gubernatorial challengers were quick to critique the proposal last week.

Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, said the plan doesnt take into account state government needs. Corey Stewart, a Republican and chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, said he would introduce his own plan that would totally eliminate the state income tax over the next few years.

Democrats Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello also both denounced the plan.

Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, leads among Republicans in the gubernatorial race, but trails both Democrats in the polls.
ROCKY MOUNT  A Franklin County woman is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 9th District seat of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Stephanie Cook has filed paperwork for what would be the first contested race for the 9th District seat since 2011. Republican Del. Charles Poindexter already is facing a June 13 party primary challenger in Justin Washer, of Bassett.

Cook, 30, is a substitute teacher for Franklin County Public Schools and is the mother of three children, including an infant. This is Cooks first go at politics.

Honestly, this area needs more jobs, Cook said. I know thats something youve already heard from [Poindexters] primary challenger, but its the truth. This area has very hardworking people and they can hardly get by on what they are making.

Cook would like to attract jobs in growth industries, such as health care, technology, cybersecurity and the trades. She proposes doing that by working with schools and labor unions to provide training programs and vocational certificates that specifically qualify applicants for jobs in those fields.

Cook also wants to improve the cellphone coverage and internet service in the area to facilitate business.

Part of the reason for Cooks run is a feeling she has that state government isnt working to meet her needs and that the legislation put forward by local representatives is not fixing the problems residents have in the area.

In particular, Cook did not like bills put forward in the most recent General Assembly, and vetoed Thursday by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, that would move state money toward private and charter schools. She also did not like bills proposed on immigration policy.

A major part of Cooks campaign will be to raise voter awareness of the General Assembly.

I want to get people to start paying attention Cook said. I want them to look at legislation thats been passed. I want them to look at our current delegates votes. Even if I dont win, if I get people paying attention, thats a victory. Thats a huge victory. I think a lot of years, people dont even know who their delegate is or what theyre doing. And I do want to change that.

Cook lives in Sontag and holds a bachelors degree in religious studies from Stetson University in Florida.

Washer calls himself a constitutional conservative, a proponent of gun rights and a supporter of Donald Trumps immigration policies.

The 9th District seat represents Patrick County and parts of Franklin and Henry counties.
Gov. Scott Walkers proposal for the states next budget creates a larger structural deficit than previously thought, nearly $1.1 billion, in the ensuing budget cycle beginning in 2019, the states nonpartisan fiscal office said Thursday.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released the findings in a memo made public late Thursday.

It shows Walkers plan for the 2017-19 budget, which back-loads spending and tax cuts into its second fiscal year, leaves a structural deficit of $1.1 billion that lawmakers would have to erase in crafting the 2019-21 budget.

A previous estimate from Walkers office pegged the number at about $740 million.

The structural deficit figure compares projected revenue to expenditures if Walkers plan were enacted this year as-is, and if no changes were made to its revenue or spending levels in the following budget in 2019.

Both are unlikely to happen, but the figure gives policymakers an indication of the beginning point for the budget of the succeeding biennium under Walkers plan, according to the memo.

The finding may give fodder to Walkers Democratic critics on the left, who have assailed his budgeting methods as failing to stabilize state finances.

Some in his own party also may object. The co-chairman of the Legislatures Joint Finance Committee, Rep. John Nygren, said last month, I am concerned about the trajectory of spending in Walkers budget. Similar concerns have come from others on the right, including state Sen. Dave Craig, R-Town of Vernon, and the Koch-funded advocacy group Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin.

But Nygrens Senate counterpart on the finance committee, co-chairwoman Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, said she didnt see Thursdays findings as alarming. Darling said previous budgets also have projected structural deficits that were partly or totally erased by revenue growth.

If you look at the history of the last 10 years, weve always had a very small structural deficit, Darling said.

No deficit will remain under the final budget enacted by lawmakers and the governor, as the state Constitution requires that it be balanced.
RICHMOND  The man who authorities say stabbed to death a Richmond bank executive in his West End home has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Nigel Walker was acquitted of the first-degree murder of Brian Szabo because he was insane at the time. A psychologist and psychiatrist recommended that Walker be institutionalized, which Richmond Circuit Judge Phillip Hairston ordered on Thursday.

William Efird, Walkers attorney, said his client would not challenge the commitment. Walker currently is confined to Central State Hospital.

Szabo, 55, was SunTrusts executive vice president of corporate risk when he was killed last April. Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Cynthia Micklem said Szabo was asleep in bed when Walker stabbed him in the neck.

Walker entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in September.

The case was continued for months in Richmond General District Court while Walkers competency to stand trial was evaluated. The results are not public because of medical privacy laws, but Efird and Micklem said Walker was deemed able to stand trial but insane at the time of the killing.

He is still suffering under a mental illness that doctors believe is best treated with inpatient care, for his sake and the communitys, Micklem said.

By law, Walkers commitment will be reassessed regularly  annually for at least five years  at which point he will be recommitted or freed by a judge based on recommendations from mental health professionals.

If released, he still could face conditions including continuing mental health treatment. It is up to the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services where Walker will be housed and treated, but most Richmond offenders remain at Central State near Petersburg.

Walker, a native of New Orleans, had been living in Virginia for eight months before the April attack, according to police and court records. At some point, he was involved romantically with Szabos daughter, and when Walker had trouble finding steady housing, the family offered their home in the 100 block of Westmoreland Street, Micklem said.

On April 2 about 2 a.m., while the family slept inside the home, Szabo was killed.

Walker had no criminal record in Virginia, but he was convicted of disorderly conduct in Georgia in 2015 after a bizarre incident inside a convenience store.

In that case, he shattered a display case and stole cigarettes and beer before stripping naked in front of police when he could not produce identification, police and court records said.

Savannah police charged Walker with disorderly conduct, shoplifting, criminal trespass and public indecency in the Aug. 2, 2015, incident. On Oct. 1, 2015, he was convicted of the disorderly charge, but the other counts were withdrawn.

The family has been involved in the case involving Szabos death, Micklem said, but have not appeared in court during the proceedings.
Heres how members of Wisconsins congressional delegation voted on major issues this week.

Note: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, did not vote. By custom, the speaker does not vote except in rare circumstances.

HOUSE

Health Insurance Sales Across State Lines: The House on Wednesday passed, 236-175, a bill allowing small businesses to form association health plans qualified to sell policies across state lines. A yes vote backed HR 1101 over complaints it would strip states of authority to control their own insurance markets.

Voting yes: James Sensenbrenner, R-5, Glenn Grothman, R-6, Sean Duffy, R-7, Mike Gallagher, R-8

Voting no: Mark Pocan, D-2, Ron Kind, D-3

Not voting: Gwen Moore, D-4

Mandatory Coverage of Opioid Treatments: The House on Wednesday defeated, 179-233, a Democratic motion requiring health plans created under HR 1101 (above) to continue the Affordable Care Acts mandatory coverage of drug addiction including opioid abuse. A yes vote was to adopt the motion.

Voting yes: Pocan, Kind

Voting no: Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Gallagher

Not voting: Moore

Health Insurance & Antitrust Laws: The House on Wednesday passed, 416-7, a bill that would end the health-insurance industrys exemption from federal antitrust laws under the McCarran-Ferguson Act. These companies are regulated by their home states. A yes vote was to send HR 372 to the Senate.

Voting yes: Pocan, Kind, Moore, Sensenbrenner, Grothman, Duffy, Gallagher

SENATE

FCC Rule on Internet Data Sharing: The Senate on Thursday voted, 50-48, to nullify a Federal Communications Commission rule that Internet service providers such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon must obtain customer consent before they collect and share personal data such as browsing and app activity with advertisers. A yes vote was to send SJ Res 34 to the House.

Voting yes: Ron Johnson, R

Voting no: Tammy Baldwin, D

David Friedman, U.S. Ambassador to Israel: Voting 52-46, the Senate on Thursday confirmed David M. Friedman, 65, a lawyer who has represented The Trump Organization and President Trump in bankruptcy litigation, as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Friedman supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories and advocates moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A yes vote was to confirm Friedman.

Voting yes: Johnson

Voting no: Baldwin

Rule on Worker Injury Records: The Senate on Wednesday voted, 50-48, to nullify a Department of Labor rule on the length of time firms must keep updated worker injury records for potential review by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A yes vote backed six-months retention rather than the five years set by the rule. (HJ Res 83)

Voting yes: Johnson

Voting no: Baldwin

Predator Control on Federal Refuges: The Senate on Tuesday voted, 52-47, to nullify a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that would ban extreme methods of killing bears, wolves and coyotes on the 16 federal wildlife refuges covering 77 million acres in Alaska. A yes vote was to adopt HJ Res 69 on grounds that less restrictive state laws should take precedence.

Voting yes: Johnson

Voting no: Baldwin

KEY VOTES AHEAD

In the week of March 27, the House will take up a measure to roll back privacy protections for Internet users, while the Senate will conduct confirmation votes on nominees to serve in the Trump administration.

 Thomas Voting Reports
Letters 11-4-22 A Vote For Tom Sullivan Dear Editor: On Election Day, I will be proudly voting for Colonel Thomas P. Sullivan for State Assembly. A proven leader, and financial professional. A vote for Tom Sullivan is...

Letters 10-28-22 Thanks, Stacey Dear Editor: I would like to recognize Stacey Amato for the tireless work she has done in our community. She responded to every call I have ever made to her office with results....
The head of the Wisconsin Hospital Association is urging Gov. Scott Walker to parlay his influence with the White House and his role as head of the Republican Governors Association to make significant changes to the health care overhaul bill that stalled Thursday due to a lack of support.

Hospital Association President Eric Borgerding outlined more than a dozen points of concern in a letter marked as hand-delivered to Walker on Monday. Borgerding has been speaking publicly this week about the groups concerns and its estimate that 311,000 people in the state would lose insurance coverage by 2026 under the GOP plan.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, of Janesville, had planned to hold a vote on the bill Thursday but delayed it as he and President Donald Trump continued to try and reach a deal to secure its passage. Walker and Ryan are close political allies and grew up near one another in southern Wisconsin.

In his letter to Walker, Borgerding said Wisconsin is penalized under the bill for rejecting federal money to expand Medicaid while its paying $280 million for its own unique partial expansion. He also said that reductions in federal subsidies would hit Wisconsin particularly hard, since its model relied on those just above the poverty level having access to money that would go away under the current House GOP bill.

We urge you to pursue changes to the legislation to help preserve the Wisconsin Model and access to the high quality care for which we are known, Borgerding wrote.

Walker didnt take questions about the health care bill at a Capitol news conference Thursday where he announced a gummy bear factory would be locating in Wisconsin. His spokesman, Tom Evenson, didnt immediately reply to a message seeking comment on the letter.

Health care advocates and Democrats held a series of events on Thursday blasting the Republican bill and calling for changes to preserve the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.

Democratic state Rep. Jimmy Anderson, of Fitchburg, who was paralyzed after a car crash that killed his parents and younger brother, said the current law was his only glimmer of hope when facing insurmountable medical bills after the 2010 crash.

Anderson was about to hit his insurances lifetime limit when provisions from President Barack Obamas signature law kicked in and changed that. Speaking at a Capitol news conference, Anderson said the GOP proposal would have real consequences for real people.

If Republicans were to simply repeal the Affordable Care Act, it would somehow take health insurance away from fewer people than the plan they are proposing, he said.

Courtney Kessler, a 23-year-old Janesville native who graduated from the same high school as Ryan, said that the bills proposed cuts to Planned Parenthood would force her to decide between paying her rent and seeing a doctor. Kessler, who now lives in Madison, said the organization is her only source of health care and provides vital screenings for ovarian cancer, which runs in her family.

I work three or four jobs each week, none of which are able to offer me insurance, she said, noting she makes slightly too much to qualify for Medicaid.

People in Wisconsin are terrified about the proposed changes to the federal health care law being pushed by Republicans in the House, Democratic state Rep. Melissa Sargent, of Madison, said earlier Thursday at a forum bringing together policymakers and the states health care leaders.

We cant overstate the impact this will have on the people we care about, provide services to, said Bobby Peterson, executive director of ABC for Health, a nonprofit Madison law firm that helps people get health care.

Peterson called on the 100-plus attendees at the meeting to be a strong voice in opposition to the bill that would repeal the 2010 federal health care law.
The head of a western Wisconsin laboratory has been sentenced, fined and harshly admonished after being found guilty of conspiring to defraud the federal government.

Gottfried Kellermann, 76, of Osceola, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to a six-month period of home confinement, a $50,000 fine, and five years of probation for intentionally violating Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments regulations.

Kellermanns co-defendant, NeuroScience, was sentenced to a five-year probation period and a $140,000 fine for conspiring to defraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Kellermann is the founder and CEO of NeuroScience and its sister company Pharmasan Labs. In the sentencing, the court found that Kellermann was fundamentally unrepentant and that his allocution showed he was a self-deluded charlatan and that the public needed to be protected, according to a press release from the Justice Department.

According to the court, Pharmasan conducted neurotransmitter testing, and NeuroScience recommended nutritional supplements to Pharmasan patients based on the results of the testing.

When Pharmasans neurotransmitter testing did not produce consistent results for patients, Kellermann manipulated the results unbeknownst to federal regulators and patients. NeuroScience then recommended nutritional products to the patients identified as abnormal but the Justice Department said the optimal range was not valid and was significantly narrower than the range required by federal regulators.

Kellermann and his companies, who were convicted in October, hid the range and the fact it was not valid from federal regulators and from their patients.

In 2015, Pharmasan was ordered to pay the federal government $8.5 million to settle claims that it submitted false billing information to Medicare. Federal prosecutors said the settlement resolved allegations that Pharmasan and its billing company, NeuroScience, also violated Medicare rules on services referred by practitioners who werent doctors.

Kellermann, according to the Amery Free Press, is a native of Germany who has lived in the U.S. since the 1970s. His companies have been based in Oceola, a village along the St. Croix River in Polk County, since 2002.
If an organization wants to put its image out in public as a license plate, it's possible in Wisconsin, for a price.

Specialty plates have been popular in Wisconsin for a long time, but the state has a new way to get a plate up and running.

The Authorized Special Group license plate process was adopted by the Legislature last year, giving a wide range of organizations the chance to have their own plates.

The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation is in the public review process for its license plate, with the one-month review period starting Thursday.

This review period comes after the foundation paid $15,500 for development costs, and collected signatures from 500 Wisconsin residents who plan to purchase the special plates.

If the state gives the go-ahead for the new plate, at least 500 registrations for the plate must be maintained for three years, or the plate will be discontinued by the Division of Motor Vehicles.

In the past, a special group would ask a legislator to sponsor a bill for a specialty license plate, with the bill considered by the Legislature. If approved, it would go to the governor's desk.

Now, a plate is approved if there are no objections by the public to the plate. Objections can be based on a number of things, such as the plate represents a religious group, or is offensive by its language or message, or is for a for-profit group.

The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation specialty license plate review is available online at http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/vehicles/title-plates/groupreview.aspx

There are about 50 different specialty plates issued by the DMV in Wisconsin, ranging from a plate for fans of the Milwaukee Brewers, to a plate for Laotian or Hmong veterans who served with American troops in the Vietnam War.
Josh Tyler

THE heartbroken mum of a teenager killed by a reckless driver has hit out at the three-year sentence given to his killer, saying: Justice stinks!

Julie Henley-Smith sat in court as Tobias Shelton admitted causing the death of her 16-year-old son Josh Tyler (pictured) by dangerous driving.

Aston Academy student Josh was killed when the moped he was riding was in collision with Sheltons car on Mansfield Road, Swallownest, on April 17, 2015 - just yards from his home.

Shelton (20), of Rosegarth Avenue, Aston, was jailed for three years but will be eligible for release after 18 months.

He was also banned from driving for four years and six months at Sheffield Crown Court on March 10.

Afterwards, Miss Henley-Smith said: As far as I am concerned, justice stinks.

I always say you know when its an accident and I know he didnt go out to kill anybody, but he made a bad decision on a blind junction - so it should be life for life.

He could be out getting married, having babies and doing all the things that Josh should have been doing.

Josh hasnt had an ounce of justice out of this.

In 18 months, he (Shelton) will be out if he behaves.

We know nothing will bring Josh back, but Shelton may as well be left walking the streets.

Shelton was originally due to stand trial in June after pleading not guilty to causing Joshs death at a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court in November.

But he appeared back in court two weeks ago to change his plea and be sentenced.

Miss Henley-Smith said: I still cant accept that its happened some days.

There will never be closure, not in a million years, and more so now because I know Shelton can still enjoy his life.

Josh never got to celebrate his 18th birthday but Shelton will get to enjoy his life - its not right.

Joshs sister Jodie Tyler (22) now works with mum Miss Henley-Smith in Joshs Rolls, the cafe the devoted mum set up in his memory.

She said she was shocked by the sentence but added: None would have ever been enough.

We are shocked that he will probably only spend 18 months behind bars for killing somebody.

The cafe does help us keep on our feet but it will never change how we feel.

After the hearing, Sgt Donna Roden, from the serious collisions unit, said: This was a tragic case that sent shockwaves through the community, where 16-year-old Josh Tyler was well known and highly thought-of.

He was a teenage boy with his whole life ahead of him and Tobias Sheltons thoughtless and reckless behaviour cost Josh his life.

Even though Shelton is now behind bars for his crime, this will be of little comfort to Joshs family who will feel his loss for the rest of their lives.

Jack Kushner, spokesman for road safety charity Brake, called for tougher sentences for drivers who kill.

He said: This is an awful case, and our hearts go out to the family of Josh Tyler.

Shockingly lenient sentences like this are an insult to bereaved families and show the inadequacy of our current criminal driving laws.
Canada-based diamond miner Dominion Diamond Corp has knocked back a $US1.1B, $13.50-a-share take-over bid from The Washington Companies, a diverse, privately-held Missoula, Montana, US-based group of privately held North American mining, industrial and transportation businesses, Reuters reported.

Dominion has confirmed its board considered Washington's unsolicited offer, but that the terms of the proposed talks were unusual and unacceptable. They included the ability to see confidential information that could later be used for a proxy fight to take over the company and the ability to veto the board's choice of a new CEO.

Washington president Lawrence Simkins says its bid offered a substantial premium - a 36% premium to Dominion's closing stock price on Mar 17 and 54% premium when discussions ended on Mar 15 - and immediate liquidity, and that it remained fully committed to completing the transaction.

Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&PolishedEuropean Bureau in Brussels
Rapaport Auctions, a leading dealer of recycled diamonds, sold over 83,000 carats of polished diamonds for $12.5M at the Hong Kong jewelry show in March.

The auctioneer sold over 87% of lots by volume.

Hundreds of parcels of recycled and finely assorted commercial and premium-quality diamonds in all shapes and sizes were sourced from retailers, pawnshops and refineries around the world.

Prices for small melee and under-the-carat-size diamonds in low to medium qualities significantly improved by 13.3% as increased demand from China provided much-needed liquidity and stability to the market. Improved market conditions and a critical mass of diamonds being auctioned attracted the top buyers in the market.

The Rapaport auction results exceeded expectations. With improved Far East demand and the Indian diamond market adapting well to demonetization, the market was eager to trade after an extended period of uncertainty and liquidity constraints. Prices for small melee diamonds have rebounded by over 13% in the past couple of months after hitting a 7-year low in December. We are proud to fulfill our mission of achieving fair market prices for our suppliers and buyers by providing them with the worlds largest polished diamond auction platform, said Ezi Rapaport, Director of Global Trading, Rapaport Group.




Stellar Diamonds said it conditionally raised 183,751 gross of expenses from 3,340,931 ordinary shares sold at a price of 5.5 pence per share.

This represents about 73.5 percent of the open offer shares offered, it said.

The London listed diamond development company sought to raise an additional 250,000 through the issue of up to 4,545,455 new ordinary shares.

Proceeds of the offer would, among other things, be used to pay existing creditors of the business and for general working capital.

Pursuant to the conditional placing, 1,381,818 of the open offer shares were conditionally placed by the companys joint broker, Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited, subject to clawback, to satisfy valid applications under the open offer, Stellar said.

Due to the level of valid acceptances received under the open offer, the conditional placing has been scaled back in full.

It said the open offer remained conditional on, amongst other things, shareholder approval and admission of the new ordinary shares to be issued pursuant to the open offer to trading on AIM.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




Two young men in a bar on a beach in Mexico strike up a conversation with me. They are brothers.

One is a beef salesman from California, the other a marketing executive with a pharmaceutical company. You know, the folks that bring us the evening news.

We talk about jobs, goals and lifes pleasures, and soon exchange high-fives like college roommates. We live 30 years apart, yet Im reminded of the Neil Young lyric, Old man take a look at my life, Im a lot like you. Looking back, of course, from the old mans direction.

Their conversation and lively toasts diverge toward two young ladies looking lonely on the dance floor. They retreat to a table to plot strategy, which involves more plotting than dancing.

I wander over and offer, Time to make your move. We high-five again, and they gather courage to join the ladies on the dance floor.

Outside, the Gulf of Mexico laps at the shore in a ceaseless rhythm that makes 30 years seem like next door. Oceans exist to humble our flawed notions of time and distance.

Canadians, Britons, Americans and Mexicans form a temporary country down here that defies borders. We retreat to Mexico each year to join the comaraderie with a group of my high school friends that serendipitously reunited after 30 years of careers, child rearing and general life living. Imagine the two high-fiving Californians time warping through 30 years, arriving in the present with bodies misshapen but sensibilities intact.

One of my friends who makes the annual trip south, Keith Govier, said of our enduring relationship: When I think of any one of you specifically, I am not nearly as enriched by our individual friendship as I am by our corporate friendship.

For all our enamored devotion to individuality, the sentiment remains but a powerful illusion. Renee Descartes, the father of modern philosophy, once famously said, I think, therefore I am. Descartes set us on the Age of Enlightenment and self-discovery, and also, it can be argued, of self-centeredness. I think, therefore, you are not, might be an unintended corollary.

We have more in common than not. Our corporate bonds form the basis for a common purpose.

Back home from Mexico in Prairie du Chien, I see our dog Fargo lay his head in my lap, happy to be reunited after what could have been seven days or 30 years. Dogs do not pay attention to calendars, watches or digital time pieces.

Fargo is a mommas boy, reduced to standing forlornly at my side with one eye on the door every time my wife leaves. I need someone to love me the whole day through, says Neil Youngs next verse, which could be Fargos motto.

We can all aspire to a dogs purpose of giving and needing love. W. Bruce Cameron, author of A Dogs Purpose, explains the relationship between a dog and a boy from the dogs perspective: Loving and living with the boy was my whole purpose in life.

Therein lies our common purpose. The wag of a tail, the smile across our face, the high-fives across the bar. They transcend our small circle of family and friends, four-legged and otherwise. Loving and living are universal.

And so here we sit at the bar  30-year-olds, 60-year-olds, Americans, Mexicans, Cubs fans, Brewers fans, immigrants, residents, liberals and conservatives. Each of us could claim, in our most sober moment, Im a lot like you.
Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Lakeshore East - East Corridor Expansion project.

The RFQ scope of work calls for the construction and finance of 6.8 miles of third track to be built between Beechgrove Road and Durham Junction; the expansion and upgrade of two rail bridges; the expansion and rehabilitation of existing culverts and the construction of retaining walls to support additional track grading for the corridor.

IO says the upgrades are required to accommodate the planned expansion of GO Transit rail service on the Lakshore East line as part of Metrolinxs work in support of GO Regional Express Rail (RER). GO RER will provide faster, more frequent and more convenient transit service across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), including electrification of core segments of the GO rail network by 2024-25.

The RFQ is the first step in the procurement process to select a team to deliver the project. IO and Metrolinx will evaluate submissions to prequalify project teams with the relevant construction experience. Teams that qualify will be invited to respond to a request for proposals in summer 2017.

Expanding track infrastructure, upgrading bridges and other identified infrastructure work along the Lakeshore East GO line is the next step in our plan to improve transit across the region. These improvements will allow us to proceed with the Regional Express Rail transformation, bringing residents of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area a faster and more efficient way to travel, said Bruce McCuaig, president and CEO of Metrolinx.
City of Ottawa

Canada's federal 2017 budget was released March 22 in a move the government called "the next step in the government's long-term plan to create jobs and strengthen the middle class."

The budget contained few surprises and little new spending that had not been previously discussed, but it continues the federal governments push toward public transit projects with inclusion of CA$25 billion (US$18.7 billion) through various avenues.

The government continued its commitment to establish a new Canada Infrastructure Bank, which it describes as an an arms-length organization that will work with provincial, territorial, municipal, Indigenous and private sector investment partners to transform the way infrastructure is planned, funded and delivered in Canada.

The budget says the bank will invest at least CA$35 billion (US$26.1 billion) over 11 years, using loans, loan guarantees and equity investments. The government said it would soon introduce legislation to establish the infrastructure bank and begin the process to identify a CEO and chairperson of the Board of Directors with a goal of having the bank operational in late 2017.

The Canadian government also plans to invest CA$20.1 billion (US$14.9 billion) over 11 years on public transit projects through bilateral agreements with provinces and territories, with provincial and territorial allocations determined using a formula based on ridership (70 percent) and population (30 percent).

The government said it would work closely with provinces and territories to ensure the public dollars would be invested properly. Additionally, the budget calls for the infrastructure bank to invest at least CA$5 billion (US$3.74 billion) in public transit systems.

The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) said the 2017 federal budget solidified the federal governments long-term commitment to improving urban mobility in Canadian communities.

By committing to long-term and dedicated transit funding, this government has empowered transit agencies to plan for the infrastructure projects that their communities need today, and the projects they will need in the future, said Sue Connor, chair of CUTA and executive director of Brampton Transit. But funding is only part of the equation. Now all levels of government, the transit industry and the Canadian public must work together to ensure that this funding is utilized in a way that maximizes economic, environmental and social outcomes for Canadian communities.
A suspected Islamist terrorist mowed down scores of pedestrians on a crowded Westminster bridge before crashing his car near the gates of U.K. Parliament and stabbing a policeman, leaving four dead in the attack.

The attacker was shot to death, authorities said, and At least 40 people were injured in the most serious act of terror in the U.K. since 2005, when coordinated bombings by Islamist extremists on buses and subway trains claimed 52 lives.

Mark Rowley, the U.K.'s top counterterror police official, said one of those who died today was a police officer - PC Keith Palmer - a member of U.K. Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command. Keith - aged 48 - had 15 years of service.

Mark Rowley, said, "I can also now confirm three members of the public also lost their lives in this attack....And I confirmed earlier, the suspected attacker was shot dead by an armed officer - therefore meaning we now have five people in total who have died."

Rowley said, "I will not comment at this stage on the identity of the attacker, but our working assumption that he was inspired by international terrorism......"Also, at this stage, but it may change - we believe approximately 40 people were injured, some with serious injuries, including three police officers, two of whom are in a serious condition."

The U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as "sick and depraved."

The European Commission President Juncker said, "My thoughts are with London tonight, with the families of the victims, with the commuters travelling home, with the people across the country and the world trying to get in touch with their loved ones, with the emergency services working courageously tonight, as every other night."

Juncker said, "Today marks one year since the people of Brussels and Belgium suffered a similar pain and felt the support of your sympathy and solidarity. At this emotional time, we at the European Commission can only send that sympathy back twofold."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Malaysia's is expected to continue growing positively in the first half of 2017, data from the Department of Statistics revealed Friday.

The leading index, which monitors the economic performance in advance, grew 0.7 percent in January from the prior month.

The increase was underpinned by expected sales value in manufacturing, Bursa Malaysia industrial index, number of new companies registered and real imports of semi conductors.

The coincident index that measures the current economic activity, dropped 0.6 percent in January. The components that registered the biggest decrease were real salaries and wages in manufacturing and capacity utilization in manufacturing.

On a yearly basis, the leading index rose 0.2 percent, reversing a 0.4 percent fall in December. On the other hand, the coincident index growth halved to 1.6 percent from 3.2 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Fitch Ratings said the policy targets announced at China's National People's Congress are likely to result in a further build-up of economic imbalances, at least in the short term.

Fitch noted that the NPC, which concluded last week, appeared to confirm a partial shift in policy focus toward curbing leverage and away from supporting growth.

According to Fitch, the quantitative targets set for 2017 show that near-term growth targets are still being prioritized, at the expense of medium-term financial risks.

The government targets 'about 6.5 percent' economic growth for 2017. Leverage across the will continue to rise over the coming year, although Fitch expects the pace of increase to slow.

The rating agency expects China's GDP growth to remain strong at 6.3 percent in 2017.

But Fitch said efforts to keep the economy growing at its current pace would build financial risks, and could eventually put pressure on the external accounts through a narrowing of the savings-investment gap and current account balance.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Royal Dutch Shell plc. (RDS-B, RDSB.L, RDSA.L,RDS-A) Friday announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Gabon onshore interests to Assala Energy Holdings Ltd. a portfolio company of Carlyle Group (CG), for $587 million. Assala Energy will also assume debt of $285 million as part of the transaction.

The Sale & Purchase Agreement is subject to certain conditions which include various approvals. Closing is expected in mid-2017. As a result of the sale, some 430 local Shell employees will become part of Assala Energy at completion.

In the deal, the buyer will make additional payments up to a maximum of $150 million depending on production performance and commodity prices.

The transaction will result in an impairment charge of $53 million post tax which will be taken in the first quarter 2017.

Shell said the sale consists of all of its onshore oil and gas operations and related infrastructure in Gabon. This includes five operated fields, participation interest in four non-operated fields, as well as the associated infrastructure of the onshore pipeline system from Rabi to Gamba and the Gamba Southern export terminal.

Shell onshore in Gabon produced approximately forty-one thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2016 and Shell Trading will continue to have lifting rights from the assets for the coming 5 years.

Assala Energy will acquire these assets with equity from two Carlyle funds, including Carlyle International Energy Partners and Carlyle Sub-Sahara Africa Partners.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Canadian stocks may end the week on a relatively high note Friday, with all eyes on a number of key developments in the energy sector.

TransCanada Corp. (TRP.TO) announced that the U.S. Department of State has signed and issued a Presidential Permit to construct the Keystone XL Pipeline.

OPEC meets this weekend in Kuwait, and are expected to extend the deal beyond its June end.

Traders are looking ahead to this afternoon's weekly U.S. oil rig count from Baker Hughes.

WTI light sweet crude oil was up 28 cents at $47.98 a barrel this morning, having recently touched a yearly low.

Oil firm Enbridge Inc. (ENB.TO) is cutting another 1,000 jobs after its takeover of Spectra Energy Corp.

Husky Energy (HSE.TO) has admitted that about 25,000 liters of crude oil leaked from one of its pipelines in southwestern Alberta last week, according to the Canadian Press.

Ski-doo sled maker BRP Inc (BRP.TO) reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on strong demand for its recreational machines. Revenue jumped more than 17.7%.

Bombardier's (BBD.B.TO) C Series jet is near approval for London City airport, Reuters reports.

In economic news, Canada's Consumer Price Index rose 2.0% on a year-over-year basis in February, following a 2.1% increase in January.

On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, the Consumer Price Index was down 0.2% in February, following a 0.7% gain in January.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 85 points to 15,433 Thursday, rebounding from multi-month lows.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker has unveiled a bipartisan bill aimed at expanding sanctions against Iran over their ballistic missile development, human rights violations and support for terrorism.

The bill, countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017, was co-sponsored by more than a dozen senators including Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), James E. Risch (R-Idaho), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.).

Key provisions of the bill are new mandatory ballistic missile sanctions, new terrorism sanctions and enforcement of arms embargo. It imposes mandatory sanctions on persons involved with Iran's ballistic missile program and those that transact with them.

Terrorism sanctions will become applicable to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and codifies individuals who are currently sanctioned due to Iranian support for terrorism.

It requires the President to block the property of any person or entity involved in specific activities related to the supply, sale, or transfer of prohibited arms and related material to or from Iran.

"This legislation demonstrates the strong bipartisan support in Congress for a comprehensive approach to holding Iran accountable by targeting all aspects of the regime's destabilizing actions," Corker said.

Menendez warned that Iran's leaders must understand once and for all, that unless they change course their situation will only get worse.

Cotton vowed that the United States will not tolerate Iran's pursuit of supremacy in the Middle East or its sponsorship of terrorism, and will make the regime in Tehran pay a steep price for its dangerous behavior.

Democratic co-sponsors emphasized that the measure was designed so as not to undermine the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The new U.S. administration has already indicated a change of course towards Tehran after an improvement in U.S.-Iran ties achieved by the Obama Government.

Last month, Donald Trump put Iran "on notice" for test-firing a ballistic missile and carrying out a deadly attack on a Saudi warship in the Red Sea. Trump also said he doesn't rule out a military attack targeting Iran.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Popular gummy bear candies by Haribo Group of Germany will be manufactured from a Wisconsin facility from 2020. Haribo is a market leader in the fruit gum and liquorice segment.

The manufacturing plant of around 500,000 square foot will be at Pleasant Prairie in southeastern Wisconsin, at an investment of $242 million. The facility is expected to create 400 jobs. The state will offer certain incentives to the company, however it would not be made public until after Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation's vote.

Governor Scott Walker said, "As a global company with products that are loved by millions, and a legacy that dates back nearly a century, HARIBO is a great fit with the many other iconic companies that already call Wisconsin home."

Haribo Group Managing Partner Hans Guido Riegel said it is the fastest growing sugar confectionery in the USA and it is strategically important to have manufacturing facility.

The company has been in search of a suitable location for the last several years and have examined different sites.

Haribo was founded by Hans Riegel in 1920. Haribo's dancing gold bear is a famous product worldwide. The company produces more than 100 million gold bears on a daily basis and employs around 7000 people. It has 16 production facilities in Europe.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
MILWAUKEE  State lawmakers should not allow the accident of a childs zip code to determine if she has access to a better education.

The latest test score data shows that school choice is working in Wisconsin, and it is a clear call to action to expand the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program and number of independent charter schools.

Comparing school performance at public schools, charter schools and private schools in the choice program has traditionally been difficult. Data was scarce and testing was inconsistent. This, unfortunately, lent itself to muddied distortions about school performance. Through all of the noise, the public was left to throw up its collective hands and think, perhaps there really is no difference between a public school, a private school in the choice program, or a public charter school.

This is, of course, not true. And for the first time, new testing mandates and the release of demographic information from the state Department of Public Instruction has enabled the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty to make an apples to apples comparison between school sectors.

Our new study, Apples to Apples: The Definitive Look at School Test Scores in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, finds that children at private schools in the choice programs and public charter schools in Milwaukee and Wisconsin performed significantly better on the 2016 ACT and Forward Exams than their peers at traditional public schools  when a proper apples-to-apples comparison is made. This means, when things such as poverty, race, and English language learners are taken into account and properly controlled for, we are finding that student outcomes on test scores are simply better in the private and charter sector as opposed to traditional public schools.

Our study included the first look at ACT scores in choice programs outside Milwaukee. We find that students attending schools in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program score a staggering 16 percent higher than students in traditional public schools. Such a score differential could mean the difference in a student getting into a desired college, or earning a scholarship. In Milwaukee, we found that students attending public charter schools and private schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program outperform their public school peers on both the Forward Exam and by 7 percent on the ACT.

This study matters  but not to build up one sector and tear down another. Instead, if we are to take seriously the wish of all Wisconsin parents to provide their children with the best opportunity to succeed, we have to make the best use of the available data to determine what is working and what isnt. This research does that for the very first time.

Sadly, state law limits education options for low-income students across the state. Statewide choice is encumbered by arbitrary enrollment and income caps that have thwarted the participation of a number of schools, slamming the schoolhouse door on those most in need. Because state law limits the authorization power of the UW System, only two independent charter schools are outside of Milwaukee.

This is fundamental unfairness. Low-income children in many parts of Wisconsin, be it Madison, Beloit or La Crosse, arent afforded the same opportunities to choose the best school for them that students in Milwaukee have. And while the challenges in Milwaukee are steep, many public schools around the state, particularly in rural areas, struggle just as much to educate disadvantaged children.

The Legislature can and should fix this. Parents everywhere, not just in one city, deserve more options.
The Toronto District School Board, the Canada's largest school board, said it will not approve any new future student trips to the United States, citing "uncertainty" surrounding the country's travel restrictions.

However, 24 trips involving about 800 Toronto District School Board students as well as about 100 students attending the DECA competition will be allowed to proceed as scheduled for this spring unless circumstances change, TDSB education director John Malloy said.

The TDSB said despite the fact that the executive order on border restrictions has been suspended until the outcome of court challenges, questions about the restrictions and whether they will be reinstated remain.

"While the court challenges have stopped the implementation of the Executive Order, there continues to be uncertainty surrounding these new restrictions  specifically with regards to who may be impacted and when. With this in mind, the Toronto District School Board is now faced with a difficult choice," the board said in a statement.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Crude oil futures edged higher Friday, but posted a third straight weekly loss amid further signs of robust U.S. production.

Baker Hughes said the number of active U.S. rigs drilling for oil rose by 21 to 652 rigs this week, having surged higher just about every week this winter.

U.S. crude oil inventories are already at record highs. The EIA said Wednesday that stockpiles rose another 4.5 million barrels last week.

Meanwhile, OPEC is reportedly struggling for full compliance with its supply quota plan.

Even though Saudi Arabia is cutting production significantly, the cartel might extent their pact with Russia through the rest of the year in order to end the global supply glut.

May WTI oil gained 27 cents, or 0.6%, to settle at $47.97/bbl today. However, prices were down 1.7% for the week.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
In a major blow to Republican leaders and President Donald Trump, the GOP has withdrawn a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on Friday.

House Republicans decided to pull the bill amid signs that the legislation would be rejected in a planned vote.

The move comes despite vigorous efforts by Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to build support for the legislation.

A number of more conservative lawmakers opposed the bill amid criticism that it did not go far enough to repeal the provisions of Obamacare.

Moderate Republicans were also concerned about predictions the plan would cause millions of people to lose their insurance.

Ahead of the planned vote, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer acknowledged that Trump could not force members of Congress to vote a certain way.

Spicer argued that Trump and Ryan did everything possible to convince Republican lawmakers to fulfill their promise to repeal and replace Obamacare.

House Republican leaders delayed a vote on the bill on Thursday amid indications of a lack of support, but Trump had previously demanded the vote go forward on Friday.

"After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan!" Trump said in a post on Twitter.

Trump took aim at members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus earlier in the day, noting that they would allow federal funding for Planned Parenthood to continue if they voted against the bill.

"The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!" Trump tweeted.

The Republican bill known as the American Health Care Act would have cut off funding for Planned Parenthood for one year.

Even if the Republican healthcare bill had been approved by the House, the legislation was expected to face an even tougher uphill battle in the Senate.

The reconciliation process being used to advance the bill would have prevented a Democratic filibuster, but a number of Senate Republicans had expressed opposition to the plan.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Income Tax Department searches resulted in unearthing undisclosed income ' title=' undisclosed income '>undisclosed income and assets worth Rs 49, 247 crore in the last four years, Parliament was informed on Friday.

The department searched 2,534 groups of persons from 2013-14 to 2015-16 and until January 2017, which led to admission of undisclosed income ' title=' undisclosed income '>undisclosed income of about Rs 45,622 crore apart from seizure of undisclosed assets (cash, jewellery) worth about Rs 3,625 crore, Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in the Lok Sabha.

Besides levy of taxes on the total income of those persons whose assessments were completed in the last three years and up to January 2017, the Department filed prosecution complaints in 2,432 cases, he said.





"During the same period, 4,264 compounding applications were also received from persons who had committed offences under the Income Tax Act. Out of the cases disposed of by the criminal courts during this period, 116 persons were convicted," he added.



The government had taken various measures to tackle breach of law and tax evasion including enforcement action and putting in place legislative and administrative frameworks and processes, Gangwar said.
The uniform civil code ' title=' uniform civil code '>uniform civil code won't help Muslim women as majority of them won't approach a court if it's violated, the founder of Women's Jamaat Sharifa Khanum has said.

Khanum had started the Tamil Nadu Women's Jamaat (Mosque). She feels that Muslim women don't enjoy any Islamic rights or any constitutional rights in India, but bringing in the uniform civil code ' title=' uniform civil code '>uniform civil code won't have an impact.



"It is okay to bring in the Uniform Civil Code (to replace the personal laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community) but 90 per cent women won't go to the court as the debates will end in families and not go beyond," Khanum said.



She was speaking at a session on "Right To Pray: Are Women Children Of A Lesser God?" that was organised at India Today Woman Summit here on Friday.



"When we were trying to build the women's mosque. The major things stopping us, for our women workers, were character assassination and physical abuse," she said.



Khanum pointed out that in the past 20 years, more than 100 girls have been killed in the name of suicide.



"I've been working for Muslim women all these years. The Muslim Personal Law Board does not support us. Muslim women are getting talaq for no reason. Quran does not say that, the personal law does not say that," she said.



She also went in-depth about her own subjugation experience as a teenager.





"When I was 15, I was not given the permission to even stand outside my house. I got beaten up by my own brother for not believing in religion or god. But I'm not bothered about any of that," Khanum said.



"I was labelled 'characterless' and 'anti-religious' by the people around me. I feel that we women are discriminated in the name of religion. We need space and power for Muslim women," Khanum added.



Civil Rights Activist Trupti Desai was also a participant at the discussion.



"In 1950, women were given equal rights by the Indian constitution. But that's not applicable in reality. We are just raising the obvious question when all men and women are born out of a woman, how can she be impure," Desai questioned.



"When I tried to enter the Shani Shingnapur temple for the second time, people said I was going to go through a divorce and be thrown out of the house for doing so. We were blackmailed, detained by the police, but nothing could stop us," she said.



Asked how she explains things to her seven-year-old son, Desai said: "I never needed to explain anything to him. He saw me on television being thrashed by the police. He told me to not come home and stay with those women for their protection.



She said that the little kid understood things much better than adults. "My son said -- 'I have girls with me in my class. They are everywhere. Why shouldn't they be allowed to enter worship places?'"



"Every worship place should have equality. If the government passes such a rule, 'sab ke liye acche din aa sakte hain' (there can be good days for everyone)," Desai asserted.



Both had suggestions to make about resolving the Babri Masjid issue.



Desai said: "No matter what they build -- mandir, masjid, dargah...women should walk hand-in-hand with men into it."



For Khanum, it was more important to build education centres. "I would rather build an education centre instead of Babri Masjib as education is very important for every religion."
The BJP-led coalition government in Manipur on Friday, has launched an anti-corruption cell to check all kinds of corruptions in the state.

BJP spokesperson T. Biswajit Singh said: "A telephone number has been made public and aggrieved persons could lodge all kinds of corruption charges through this number. The identity of the complainants shall be kept confidential."

He added that there are reports of extorting money for services rendered and cash for job scams.

Singh further said that all interviews for the appointment of grade III and IV employees in the state government shall be done away with. "This step was taken to plug the corruption loopholes in appointments of the lower grade employees."

Talking about the sub-standard construction works, he said, "Photographs of such constructions shall be taken at three stages to ensure that there is quality construction. Payments will be made only when the officials and people are satisfied with the quality of the constructions."

The MLA asked people to be vigilant and actively watch out for sub-standard constructions.

This is the third populist step the coalition government, formed on March 15, has taken up. First it had ended the four-month-old economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council against Manipur, protesting against the creation of seven districts.

In the second step, the government is trying to come to an understanding with the tribal activists in Churachandpur district to perform the last rites of the eight tribals killed during agitations over a year ago.

The tribals had protested against the passing of the three bills related to the implementation of the Inner Line Permit system. Altogether nine persons were killed while protesting against the bills. The activists refused to claim the bodies saying that the government should first withdraw the "anti-tribal bills".

However family members of one victim took away the body for last rites. The Congress government had faced a logjam since the tribals said that the government was "communal and anti-tribal".
The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Goa Police on Friday claimed to have busted a drugs racket in the coastal state which was being masterminded by a Briton, along with a Himachal Pradesh native, both of whom have been arrested.

A statement issued by the anti-narcotics agency on Friday said David Johnson, a British national residing in the beach village of Anjuna, and Ganesh Pondir were "main suppliers" of 'ecstacy' and hashish, respectively.

"We have seized drugs worth Rs 23.26 lakh," Superintendent of Police (Crime) Umesh Gaonkar told reporters.

"David Johnson, who was arrested in a raid at Anjuna, is identified as the main supplier of ecstacy tablets. After his questioning, we arrested Ganesh Pondir from Arambol village with 1.35 kg of charas (cannabis) worth Rs 5.40 lakh. He is a native of Himachal Pradesh and a main supplier of charas to peddlers," Gaonkar said.
A district judge in Britain has to decide on issuing an arrest warrant for liquor baron Vijay Mallya, whose extradition India is seeking, the government said on Friday.

India handed over a formal request to the British High Commission here last month for his extradition.



"A formal extradition request in respect of Mallya was handed over to the British High Commission vide our note verbale dated February 8," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay told the media.



The UK Home Office had conveyed that the request had been certified by the Secretary of State and sent to Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider issuing an arrest warrant, he said.





Mallya left India on March 2, 2016 for London, days after a consortium of 17 banks moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal to hear a July 2013 petition to recover dues of Rs 9,081 crore, including interest, that was loaned to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.



Mallya has since offered to negotiate with the banks for a one-time settlement of dues and sought the Supreme Court's intervention.



Banks had previously shot down Mallya's offer of Rs 6,868 crore in April 2016 to settle the dues.
The decision to pick Hindutva leader Adityanath Yogi as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh shows the BJP thinks "nothing stands in the way of transforming a secular republic into a Hindu state", the New York Times said on Friday.

In a hard-hitting editorial, the daily said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had played a cagey game since taking power in 2014, appeasing his party's hard-line Hindu base while promoting secular goals of economic growth.

"Despite worrying signs that he was willing to humour Hindu extremists, Modi refrained from overtly approving violence against the nation's Muslim minority," the editorial said.



But Modi, it said, finally revealed his hand.



"Emboldened by a landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh, his party named a firebrand Hindu cleric, Adityanath, as the state's leader.



"The move is a shocking rebuke to religious minorities, and a sign that cold political calculations ahead of national elections in 2019 have led Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party to believe that nothing stands in the way of realizing its long-held dream of transforming a secular republic into a Hindu state."



The Times said Adityanath had made a political career of demonizing Muslims, he had defended a Hindu mob that murdered a Muslim man in 2015 on suspicion that his family was eating beef, and had said Muslims who balked at performing a yoga salutation to the sun should "drown themselves in the sea".



The daily said Uttar Pradesh, home to more than 200 million people, badly needed development, "not ideological showmanship".



"The state has the highest infant mortality rate in the country. Nearly half of its children are stunted. Educational outcomes are dismal. Youth unemployment is high."



While Adityanath has made the right notes, the daily said his appointment showed that Modi sees no contradiction between economic development and a muscular Hindu nationalism that feeds on stoking anti-Muslim passions.



"Modi's economic policies have delivered growth, but not jobs. India needs to generate a million new jobs every month to meet employment demand.



"Should Adityanath fail to deliver, there is every fear that he - and Modi's party - will resort to deadly Muslim-baiting to stay in power, turning Modi's dreamland into a nightmare for India's minorities, and threatening the progress that Modi has promised to all of its citizens."
Community resource center brings assistance to the people that need it
NEW YORK (AP)  Jewish groups had pointed to scores of bomb threats against their communities as the most dramatic example of what they considered a surge in anti-Semitism.

Some blamed a far-right emboldened by President Donald Trump. Now, that picture has been complicated by the arrest of an Israeli Jewish hacker who authorities say is responsible for the harassment.

Israeli police said the motive behind the threats was unclear. An attorney for the 19-year-old man, who was arrested Thursday, said her client had a "very serious medical condition" that might have affected his behavior.

Earlier this month, U.S. law enforcement had arrested a former journalist in St. Louis, Juan Thompson, on charges he threatened Jewish organizations as part of a bizarre campaign to harass his ex-girlfriend. But Israeli police say the Jewish teen is the primary suspect in the more than 150 bomb threats in North America since early January.

Previously, Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism and monitors extremism, had partly blamed Trump for creating an atmosphere that fueled the bomb threats and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, among other recent harassment.

"His well-documented reluctance to address rising anti-Semitism helped to create an environment in which extremists felt emboldened," Greenblatt wrote last month.

On Feb. 28, in a meeting with state attorneys general, Trump had suggested the phoned-in bomb threats may have been designed to make "others look bad," according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. The remark raised concerns that Trump was downplaying bigotry.

That same night, Trump opened his address to Congress with a strong condemnation of the threats and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, which occurred in suburban St. Louis, Philadelphia and elsewhere.

In a phone interview Thursday from Washington, where Greenblatt was discussing anti-Semitism with members of Congress, he said, "It's not the identity of the culprit that's the issue," but the outcome of threats themselves, which terrified Jews and disrupted Jewish life.

He said anti-Semitism remained a serious concern, pointing to other recent incidents around the country. Swastikas were drawn throughout a New York City subway car with messages such as "Jews belong in the oven." In South Carolina, a white supremacist with felony convictions was charged with plotting an attack on a synagogue that officials said was inspired by the massacre at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. A Seattle synagogue was vandalized with a spray-painted message, "The Holocaust is fake history."

Steven Goldstein, executive director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, a civil rights and social justice group based in New York, said the arrest in Israel doesn't change Trump's record of being slow and insufficiently forceful in condemning anti-Jewish prejudice and bigotry in general. The center had repeatedly pointed to the bomb threats as evidence of "a national emergency of anti-Semitism" and accused Trump of failing to recognize the "real evidence" behind the problem.

"Nobody has said that Donald Trump himself has spray-painted swastikas or tipped over gravestones or that he picked up the phone and made bomb threats," Goldstein said. "What we were condemning was the silence. Organizations had to shame Donald Trump into responding."

The White House has not commented on Thursday's arrest.

Melissa Plotkin, director of community engagement and diversity at the York Jewish Community Center in Pennsylvania, which was the target of a bomb threat last month, said it was "troubling" to find out the suspect was Jewish. "I'm trying to make sense of it and wonder what was going through the mind of the person when they were carrying this out," Plotkin said. The Jewish Federations of North America called the case "heartbreaking."

Rabbi Joshua Hammerman of Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut, said the case was an uncomfortable reminder of what he had been through. In 1999, medical waste marked with swastikas was left in his synagogue parking lot. The incident prompted an outpouring of support from religious leaders and others in the community. But then police charged a member of his congregation, an outcome Hammerman described as "somewhat embarrassing" and "difficult."

The rabbi expressed concern that the arrest of the Israeli-American teen would fuel denial of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Goldstein said his office had received emails Thursday claiming all reports of anti-Semitism were "fake news."

"I think we should never jump to conclusions as to who did a particular act and allow the process of investigation to play itself out," Hammerman said in a phone interview. "On the other hand, we should be equally vocal in calling out those who seem to condone such activity or at least don't explicitly condemn it."

Andrew Rehfield, chief executive of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, said "finding out this guy was Jewish was baffling to us." Rehfield was among local leaders who organized the community's response to the cemetery vandalism last month, which drew donations and offers of help from Christians and Muslims, and political leaders from around the country. Some Jewish institutions in Missouri had also received bomb threats.

Rehfield worried that efforts to combat anti-Semitism would be undermined not only by the identity of the bomb threat suspect, but also the partisan prism through which such incidents are viewed. Rehfield had been criticized by opponents of Trump for accompanying Vice President Mike Pence on a visit to the vandalized cemetery. Then on Thursday, Rehfield said a Jewish Trump supporter distributed an email demanding Jewish leaders apologize to the president now that police say a Jew was responsible for the threats.

"I think it does speak to the extremism on either side and the lack of charity and the lack of nuance," Rehfield said. "None of us attributed this to Trump. None of us attributed this to (White House chief strategist Steve) Bannon. None of us attributed it to David Duke. I'm not going to apologize for wanting the administration to clearly condemn anti-Semitism."
For 300 teenage women, Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn shared words of encouragement and issued an appeal to duty Thursday.

Science is a fascinating career, opportunities in it for women are increasing and the world depends on the contributions of female scientists, she said.

And Blackburn, president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, pointed to examples of this work from scientists on the Salk campus. Clodagh OShea uses viruses to fight cancer. Corina Antal led a study that explained why certain drugs intended to fight cancer actually make the disease worse.

Advertisement

Science is knowledge, Blackburn said, quoting OShea. Knowledge improves the human condition. In the purest sense, its a celebration of life.

STAY CURIOUS! SCIENCE NEEDS YOU! read the last slide of Blackburns pep talk.

Students not only heard from Blackburn, but also from a panel of six female scientists who told of their own challenges and successes. The speakers were two Salk researchers and scientists at the San Diego Zoo & Wildlife Park and DNA-sequencing giant Illumina.

What brought everyone together was the second annual Women in Biotech event, presented at the Salk Institute as part of the STEAM (Science, Technology Engineering, Arts and Math) Leadership Series. The audience consisted of the 300 students from six high schools in the San Diego Unified School District.

The series is supported by the school district, the San Diego Foundation, Intellectual Capital and others. Its next event is scheduled for June 1 on the USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego, said Steve Chapple, an organizer of the series.

More information can be found at stevechapple.com. Previous events can be viewed at j.mp/steamsd.

Blackburn shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her role in discovering telomerase, an enzyme that repairs telomeres, the protective ends of chromosomes.

Driven by her innate curiosity about how life works, Blackburn studied a single-celled organism that has numerous telomeres, leading to the discovery of telomerase. As it turned out, this enzyme is used widely in life, including in humans. Telomere dysfunctions are involved in both aging and cancer, which has made the field a hot subject of study.

Bringing young women and diverse people into science is absolutely critical, Blackburn said before the talk, underscoring the importance their achievements can make. Science needs all the brains that can be brought into it. And the more we attract people from every way of thinking, the better it is for science.

Blackburn said she got considerable support when she was starting out at an all-girls school. But once she entered college, she had to look for mentors and make her own path. While all scientists have to formulate career choices, its easier if they know starting out what the possibilities are.

In addition, Blackburn said its vital to keep people excited about science over the long term.

Megan Moreau, an 11th grader from Clairemont High School, belongs to that schools health and medical academy  reflecting an interest shes had since being a freshman. She heard of STEAM from a teacher, and on Thursday, she was looking to get examples from the speakers of how they have forged scientific careers as women.

Karen Ngo, a senior at Mira Mesa High School, said she became acquainted with STEAM through her own volunteer work at elementary schools.

Hopefully, Ill get a little insight into what its like to be in biotechnology, especially since Im a biology major, Ngo said.

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
San Diegos Cubic Corp. said this week it has won a $20 million U.S. Navy contract to supply portable data communication ground equipment capable of delivering full-motion video from military aircraft.

Cubic will deliver the networking hardware to the Navys San Diego-based Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, or SPAWAR. It oversees technology for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance reconnaissance systems  known as C4ISR.

Advertisement

The company also will provide engineering support, field testing, training and logistics. The contract has an 18-month initial term, with four one-year extension options. Work will occur in San Diego.

Cubic has three main business. It supplies training systems for military pilots, soldiers and sailors  including the Top Gun program. It also provides fare management technology to some of the worlds largest public transportation agencies. And in the past few years, it has beefed up its secure military communications arm  acquiring several companies such as video software firm TeraLogics, network equipment maker D-Tech and portable satellite dish outfit GATR.

We will continue integrating more of our products and technologies to offer the best end-to-end C4ISR solutions to our customers worldwide, said Mike Twyman, president of Cubic Mission Solutions, in a statement.

Business

mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com;

Twitter:@TechDiego

760-529-4973
San Diego Countys unemployment rate fell last month as companies created slightly more jobs than they eliminated, while the workforce shrank as people stopped looking.

The unadjusted regional unemployment rate declined in February to 4.2 percent from 4.5 percent in January and 4.8 percent a year earlier, said the California Employment Development Department. After adjusting for seasonal variation, the rate was 4.1 percent.

In keeping with post-recession trends, the local labor market generally was stronger than the state or nation yet moving in the same direction, with Californias adjusted unemployment rate falling to 5 percent last month from 5.2 percent in January and the U.S. rate to 4.7 percent from 4.8 percent.

Advertisement

Much of the hiring activity in San Diego last month was seasonal, with retailers shedding jobs and workers returning to schools after winter breaks. Notably, construction hiring showed signs of continued strength, adding 2.3 percent (400 net jobs) for the month and 9.9 percent (1,600) over the previous year.

The labor force contracted, with an estimated 2,300 fewer people looking for work in February than the previous month.

Meanwhile, overall hiring has slowed in recent months as the economy gets closer to full employment, or providing jobs for nearly everybody who wants one.

San Diego employers added a net 1,800 jobs in February, yet the total over the previous 12 months was just 8,500, well off the annual pace of 20,000 to 30,000 that has prevailed in recent years.

On the other hand, that data comes from the federal household survey estimates that are used to estimate how many people are employed versus how many are looking for work. Using state payroll data, San Diego County employers appear to have created 26,700 more jobs than they eliminated in February compared to a year ago.

On balance, San Diegos employers are still adding to their work forces, said Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Fermanian Business & Economic Institute at Point Loma Nazarene University. For many of them, finding qualified employees to fill open positions could start to be a bigger challenge in coming months.

Statewide, employers increased their payrolls by a net 22,900 workers in February. Despite eight consecutive months of job growth, and a strong 2016 overall, the states jobless rate (5.2 percent last month) has not dropped below 5 percent since 2006.

Last months jobs gain compares to a net increase of 43,000 jobs in February 2016. Over the last 12 months, the state added 315,800 jobs, an increase of 1.9 percent. That compares to a 1.6 percent increase in the nation as a whole.

The best performing California industries in February were trade, transportation and utilities and hospitality, which piled on a combined 16,700 jobs over the month.

The manufacturing and finance sectors lagged, slashing payrolls by 6,200.

Meanwhile, the labor force in the state  which includes people who have jobs and the unemployed  has shrunk in each of the last three months. In February, 8,000 people stopped looking for work.

Wire services contributed to this report.

dan.mcswain@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1280 Twitter: @McSwainUT
Just a day before San Diego City Council members are scheduled to consider new regulations governing vacation rentals, representatives of the home sharing industry gathered Thursday in hopes of heading off a potential ban.

Executives with Airbnb and HomeAway, the two biggest home-sharing platforms, extolled the economic virtues of vacation rentals and introduced San Diego hosts and local business owners who talked about what home sharing has meant to them financially.

Council members are discussing some regulations. Some are fair and are going to clearly create a level of compliance, said Matt Curtis, senior director of global government affairs and public policy for HomeAway and one of a dozen individuals participating in an afternoon news conference at the offices of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Advertisement

But some regulations being discussed are clearly burdensome, theyre onerous, and every example around the country and around the world have shown that onerous and burdensome regulations only result in driving the activity underground.

On Friday, the City Councils Rules Committee will hold what is likely to be a day-long hearing on how to regulate San Diegos growing number of short-term vacation rentals.

The committee will be presented with a range of options, from one that would severely limit rentals of entire homes to no less than 21 days to a more lenient proposal that would allow them to operate in residential zones but would require a formal registration process.

While parts of San Diego have long been home to vacation rentals, the citys municipal code has not kept pace with their mushrooming popularity thanks to platforms like Airbnb. Although there are regulations that govern bed-and-breakfast inns and board-and-lodging establishments, there are no specific rules defining short-term rentals.

Earlier this month, San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott issued a memo concluding that short-term rentals are not permitted in San Diego, an opinion at odds with past city attorneys.

That makes me think about when I came here in 1978 with my parents and my brother and sister -- were we violating the law or renting a home like so many other people when they go to other communities? Curtis said of the legal opinion. Rather than create a blanket overlay on all short-term rentals, lets create a policy thats good for the community. Otherwise, were saying that something thats been around and hasnt been a problem 40 years, 30 years, 20, 10 years, is suddenly illegal.

Critics of short-term rentals, who have long tried to get the city to crack down on them, argue that they are commercial enterprises that do not belong in quiet, single-family neighborhoods.

Tom Coat, a co-founder of Save San Diego Neighborhoods, says the millions of dollars that have been collected from short-term renters is damning evidence of the groups long-held contention that vacation rentals are indeed a commercial use that have no place in the middle of residential zones.

These are mini-hotels with no on-site managers and are often owned by out-of-town investors, said Coat, who lives next door to a Pacific Beach short-term rental.

Both Airbnb and HomeAway sought to highlight what they say is the robust economic activity that home-sharing brings to San Diego.

Over the last 12 months, visitors to San Diegos Airbnb rentals generated $300 million in economic activity, including $72.8 million alone spent on dining out, the home-sharing company reported.

We have over 5,000 San Diegans who depend on home sharing -- seniors, students, stay-at-home dads, entrepreneurs, said Marisa Moret, an Airbnb public policy manager, as she pointed to local hosts who joined her at the news conference.

Last year, Airbnb paid $7 million in hotel taxes.That money goes straight to the general fund. Were here with HomeAway to reaffirm our commitment to work with the city of San Diego to enact fair, clear, reasonable regulations to make sure that every visitor has access to San Diego, to every neighborhood and to also protect the quality of life for San Diego neighborhoods.

Both Curtis and Moret said they favor a proposal advocated by Councilman Chris Cate that would allow short-term rentals to continue operating while requiring stricter enforcement and a series of escalating fines for hosts who violate noise and nuisance regulations.

Business

lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

Twitter: @loriweisberg
A grandmother convicted of gunning down her son-in-law in his Fallbrook home was sentenced Thursday to 50 years to life in prison during an emotional hearing in Vista Superior Court.

The sentence means Cynthia Cdebaca, 65, will probably spend the rest of her life in custody. She was found guilty in February of first-degree murder in the death of Geoward Estaquio, who was married to her daughter.

Cdebaca has admitted shooting the 53-year-old about 8 a.m. on Feb. 11, 2014  her 63rd birthday  after he made snide comments to her on the back patio of the familys upscale home in a gated Fallbrook community.

Advertisement

She headed up to the granny flat where she lived, grabbed her gun and ambushed Estaquio as he carried laundry. During the 10 minute attack, she repeatedly emptied the five-shot gun  twice going to her car for more bullets.

With Estaquio dead on the kitchen floor, Cdebaca headed to a local diner for bacon and eggs. She then ditched the gun and spent a nearly two hours at a Temecula casino. Detectives found her later that afternoon at a Fallbrook coffee shop.

The jurys verdict was justified by the evidence in this case, Superior Court Judge K. Mickael Kirkman said Thursday.

Before the sentence was handed down, Cdebaca briefly spoke  starting with Im real, real sorry,  but she grew distraught and her words became difficult to hear.

Defense attorney William Stone said Cdebaca understands that she is never going to get out of prison. He noted her age and frail medical condition; she suffered a stroke on Sept. 11, 2001, and never fully recovered.

Stone has said on the day of the fatal shooting Cdebaca snapped after seeing her daughter and grandchildren  then 12 and 15  repeatedly mistreated.

This is not a case where she did this out of greed or self-interest, Stone said in court Thursday. She did it  in her mind  to protect her family.

During trial, Cdebacas daughter, Laura Salinas, described the tension that existed in the familys home. She said her husband physically and verbally assailed her, broke his teen sons pricey electronics and sprayed family members with water if they misbehaved. Estaquio also threw out the urn containing the ashes of Cdebacas late husband.

I just want to say that this is a tragedy, Salinas said tearfully during Thursdays sentencing hearing. I love my mom and I love Geoward.

She said both her family and her husbands family have suffered.

I am hoping that after today, we can move forward, Salinas said.

Estaquio was the third of eight children in a tight-knit family, one that came together for reunions and laughter. Three of his siblings attended the hearing, including two from the East Coast.

His sister Geonisa Harris said her family now refers to events as pre- or post- her brothers murder.

This event has profoundly and fundamentally changed us, Harris said.

In describing her brother, Harris used words like quick-witted, selfless and generous. She also said that no one can or will take his vibrant spirit, his unwavering love for his family.

No one can or will take his vibrant spirit, his unwavering love for his family.  Geonisa Harris, sister of murder victim Geoward Estaquio

His strict disposition was misunderstood, Harris said.

Deputy District Attorney Keith Watanabe did not dispute the abuse allegations, but argued that Estaquios behavior was not life-threatening, and that Cdebacas actions were not justified  and that they were premeditated.

Three weeks before the shooting, she took target practice at an Oceanside shooting range.

The attack started on the back patio of the familys large home in the gated Peppertree Park community in Fallbrook. At one point, likely during one of the two times the slow-moving Cdebaca went to her car to get more bullets, a wounded Estaquio crawled from the patio into the kitchen, locking the door behind him.

Cdebaca fired through the door glass, gaining entry to the kitchen, where she continued to shoot her son-in-law.

Of the 15 shots she fired, three went into the door. The other 12 struck Estaquio  one was a graze wound, but many of them hit his torso. Evidence indicates some of the shots came as he was crawling away.

Another of Estaquios sisters, Georanna Biroonak, said her brother had been stolen from her family by a cold-blooded murderer.

She is an evil person who deserves every second behind bars, Biroonak said.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
Encinitas wants to buy more land to set aside as open space, and finding such properties should be a top priority in the coming year for the citys Parks & Recreation Commission, the City Council decided this week.

Over the next several months, the commission will create a list of properties, assess what they might cost and then evaluate the citys funding options, the council said Wednesday.

How the city would pay for the land is still unclear. Theres been talk of setting aside $200,000 for open-space purchases in the citys next budget cycle  but thats a tiny amount compared to what real estate costs in a coastal town.

Advertisement

The citys money would need to be matched with other sources of funding, the council said.

Encinitas already owns just under 116 acres of open space, split among eight properties. By far the largest of those properties is the 56-acre Indian Head Canyon area on Quail Hollow Drive off Saxony Road.

However, city-owned parcels account for only a tiny bit of the preserved open space land in Encinitas, city Park & Recreation Director Jennifer Campbell said. Other government entities, including the state of California, hold title to some 1,200 acres of open space in town, including the San Elijo Lagoon and the Manchester Preserve.

On Wednesday, the council didnt suggest any specific properties that should go on the commissions buy-now list, but they and some audience members had advice on how to rank any potential prospects. Connectivity  how close a new parcel might be to existing open space areas  was mentioned several times as a high-value item.

Councilman Tony Kranz said people also typically forget to to calculate how much habitat maintenance work a property might regularly need. He said that ought to be a factor in the commissions recommendations.

Parks Commissioner Doug Goad suggested potential sites should be places that the public can easily get to and use.

Its not always ideal to have open space and not have access to it, he said.

The council had been asked Wednesday to consider forming a new city committee to shepherd the open space project, but instead decided the parks commission was up to the task. Setting up a new group would have required extra work by city staff.

To me, this just seems like a more effective way to proceed, Mayor Catherine Blakespear said.

Councilman Joe Mosca, who previously served on the parks commission, said he thought the panel was definitely up to the task, calling them a brilliant bunch of people.

Councilman Mark Muir, who originally put forward the idea of having Encinitas focus on open space acquisition in the coming year, asked whether the parks commissioners wanted the job.

Several parks commissioners in the audience vigorously nodded their heads in response.

Henry is a freelance writer in Encinitas.
Over the past 40 years, Ken Gammies students have marched in the Rose Parade, toured Europe and competed throughout California. But as the veteran Vista band director prepares to retire in June, its the magical moments in the band room that burn brightest in his memory.

There are things that happen in rehearsals, when the band plays a phrase and it just sparkles  and all I can do is enjoy it, he said last week during an interview at Roosevelt Middle School, where he has taught for 27 years.

Before that, Gammie, 64, spent a decade teaching at Vista High School, and four years at schools in Orange County.

Advertisement

He built the Roosevelt band from its early days meeting in portable classrooms into a signature program at the campus, where half of all students participate in either band or chorus. Gammie also instilled a lifelong love of music in his students, some of whom went on to their own careers playing and teaching.

To students, parents and colleagues, he is a master at harnessing adolescent energy that can so often spin into chaos, and directing it instead toward creativity.

My reward is, I get to start everybody (in music,) and I get to see them go from zero to 100, said Gammie, whos been working in the Vista Unified School District for so long that hes now teaching the children of some of his original students.

During the past four decades, he also judged marching band tournaments and concert festivals, and worked with professional musicians as director of the pit orchestra for Moonlight Amphitheatre.

As a retirement tribute, some of his alumni have commissioned a musical score, aptly named Legacy, from Ted Ricketts, the music director at Walt Disney World. The Roosevelt band will perform the piece in a year-end concert at Moonlight Amphitheatre, along with an unknown number of alumni. Luckily, they say, the stage is a big one.

One of the alumni participating will be Jennifer (Haley) Myers, who was a student of Gammies in the Vista High School band. She later became a flute teacher, and is now the program administrator of Boise State Universitys Blue Thunder Marching Band.

Myers said Gammie combines his musical gift with a unique insight into the adolescent mind.

His musicianship is of a high quality, said Myers, 49. He understands what is necessary, and he understands kids. He understands how they think and how they work,and how to access the desire to make it better. At the same time hes able to outline what that higher level is, and makes it look fun and interesting and desirable.

Gammie grew up in Buena Park near Knotts Berry Farm when it was sill a berry patch with a roadside fruit stand. His dad was a trumpet player, and Gammie was raised on the strains of jazz greats.

I was chomping at the bit to play the trumpet, Gammie said. He had all these great recordings of Rafael Mendez, Harry James, Doc Severinsen and Louis Armstrong.

Once he began to play, Gammie was captivated, playing in his high school marching band, wind ensemble and brass choir.

Any playing experience I could get I went after it, he said.

Gammie said he was fortunate to enroll at Cal State Long Beach as the university was developing a well-known music program.

I was in the right place at the right time, he said. I was around terrific players, and when youre playing with good people, everyone gets better.

After graduating from college, he took a job at Disneyland as a fanfare trumpet leader, playing the ceremonial instrument for parades and other festivities. He started teaching in the Orange County area, and found his calling among his students.

At their age, their curiosity factor is off the hook, he said. If you can get them motivated about something as academically, socially and intellectually stimulating as music, that is the best of both worlds.

The principles of collaboration and collective improvement that he had experienced as a trumpet player applied perfectly to his band room.

Its the nature of musicianship, he said. Everybody inspires everyone else to work at their highest level of efficiency and productivity.

The most experienced students help the newer ones, simultaneously embracing the opportunity to show off while also nurturing their classmates musical progress, he said.

Gammie fosters all of that by creating an environment that emphasizes excellence and teamwork, said his former colleague Greg Llacer.

Llacer, 57, taught with Gammie at Vista High School, and is now director of undergraduate research and fellowships for Harvard University.

He insists on good technique, he insists on good practice standards, LLacer said. But he does it in a way thats very, very supportive. Its a great balance of expectations and how to get to success.

Alyssa Keene, 25, of Oceanside, studied with Gammie at Roosevelt, and went on to major in music at UCLA. Shes now a professional trumpet player, and returned to his classroom recently to help teach his current students.

Its been awesome to allow him to pass his musical knowledge to the next generation, she said. Its almost like the passing of a legacy, this ability he has to inspire people to want to teach others.

After Gammie announced his retirement, a group of his former students brainstormed about how to commemorate his career, and decided to commission an original piece in his honor. They enlisted Ricketts, one of Gammies former colleagues at Disneyland, who became a composer and music director for Walt Disney World, to write a piece in Gammies honor at his final band concert May 19.

The event will showcase the fruits of 40 years of musical labor  a journey has been difficult but undeniably enriching, Gammie said.

There arent any quick fixes to become a musician, he said. Its that struggle and effort that makes them better students, citizens and friends.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan
Ten North County leaders are set to compete in Escondidos second Dancing With Our Stars on April 1.

The evening contest of glamour and glitz hosted by the California Center for the Arts, Escondido follows the style of popular reality show, Dancing with the Stars and features community stars swinging to the music of the tango, salsa, samba, cha cha and waltz in the centers 1,500-seat auditorium.

The event raises money for the nonprofit art centers education and outreach programs, which serve 75,000 community members each year.

Advertisement

Dancing stars include the San Diego Operas Priti Gandhi, Escondido Assistant City Manager Jay Petrek and Palomar Health Foundation President Jean Larsen, who will be paired with professional dance instructors from across San Diego County.

Celebrity judges include Elizabeth Alvarez, KUSI Morning News anchor; Rita Brandin, senior vice president of Newland Communities, Tommy Sablan, KYXY radio personality, and Kevin Svetich, who won the Judges Award from Dancing With Our Stars last year. Dallas McLaughlin, host of KPBS Film Indiego, is slated to serve as emcee.

Tickets are $27-55, including post-show party with a DJ and dancing under the stars; VIP tickets are $175, including premium seating, VIP dinner reception and hosted beer/wine along with early bidding for premium silent auction items.

The event is at 7:30 p.m. at the arts center, 340 N. Escondido Blvd.

Visit artcenter.org/event/dancing-with-our-stars
A Los Angeles County sheriffs civilian oversight commission on Thursday backed Sheriff Jim McDonnells attempt to send prosecutors the names of deputies found to have committed serious misconduct on the job.

The county commissions move makes it the latest group to support the sheriff in the battle over a secret list of 300 problematic deputies whose history of misconduct could damage their credibility if they are ever called to testify in criminal cases.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations have already endorsed in court briefs McDonnells effort to reveal the information, which is facing a legal challenge by the deputies union.

Advertisement

The Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, created last year to increase accountability, voted 5 to 2 to approve a resolution to support the sheriffs disclosure effort.

The commission, led by former federal judge Robert C. Bonner, approved a resolution that said both the Sheriffs Department and District Attorneys office have a duty under the due process clause of the United States Constitution to provide defendants in criminal cases with evidence within their possession that is favorable to such defendants.

Bonner, who headed the Drug Enforcement Administration before joining the oversight panel, was part of a blue-ribbon commission that found a pattern of excessive force under McDonnells predecessor.

Commissioners Lael Rubin, a former top prosecutor, and J.P. Harris, a retired sheriffs lieutenant, opposed the move.

I vote no for the specific reason that I feel incumbent to understand and know how it is that this list got put together, Rubin said. I would not vote no in the future if I was satisfied it was put together fairly and in compliance with the law.

Rubin, who as a prosecutor handled the issue of so-called Brady disclosure, said she wants to know from the department more details about what led names to be on the list.

Harris said he agreed with Rubin that he needed a better understanding of the lists construction before endorsing the sheriffs effort.

The Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs has sued the department over the disclosure, saying it would violate peace officer confidentiality laws and draw unfair scrutiny of deputies whose mistakes might have happened long ago.

A Superior Court judge agreed in January that providing the list would violate state law, but said the department could turn over the names of problem deputies when theres a pending case in which that officer might testify. Last month, a two-judge appellate court panel granted the unions request to put a temporary hold on any transmission of names, even in pending cases.

Activists on Thursday told the oversight commission that they needed to back the sheriffs efforts and that there should be more transparency.

Kim McGill of the Youth Justice Coalition told the oversight commission that it should push the district attorney to not allow these deputies any authority in court given their histories. The commission, she said, needs to encourage all police agencies across L.A. County to make a similar disclosure.

Helen Jones told the commission that she received a $2-million settlement from the county related to a relatives jailhouse death and yet the deputies involved are now at sheriffs stations across the county.

Under the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brady vs. Maryland, prosecutors are obligated to alert defendants to any evidence that could aid the defense. That evidence includes information that could undermine an officers credibility. Not doing so could result in wrongful convictions.

The ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief early this month asking the appeals court to reject the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs request that none of the names of problem deputies be sent to prosecutors.

The department warned about 300 deputies in October that their personnel files contained evidence of moral turpitude. The letters said such acts could include accepting bribes or gifts, misappropriating property, tampering with evidence, lying, obstructing investigations, falsifying records, using unreasonable force, discriminatory harassment and family violence. Sheriffs officials said it was possible that some of the offenses didnt apply to any current deputies on the department.

The targeted group represents about 3% of the departments roughly 9,100 deputies.

In the letters, the department said the list would include only deputies found guilty of wrongdoing by internal investigators. The agency would send only the deputies names, not their entire personnel files, the letters said.

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey office has said her offiice does not obtain lists of problem officers from police agencies. Her office so far has not taken a position on the legal challenge

But last month, one of her deputy district attorneys filed a declaration in the sheriffs unions favor stating that Laceys office actively declines to accept information from officer personnel files without the permission of the officer. But in an interview with The Times, Lacey distanced herself from Deputy Dist. Atty. Jason Lustigs declaration, saying it wasnt her position.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes

ALSO

2 killed, 1 wounded in shooting near South L.A. liquor store

Posters to go up at UC San Diego targeting Janet Napolitano and sanctuary campuses

San Francisco man threatened to shoot Muslim woman in alleged hate crime, police say

Amber Alert issued after toddlers are abducted during car theft in Riverside County
An organization founded by conservative activist David Horowitz said it would put up posters at UC San Diego on Friday calling for University of California President Janet Napolitano to be prosecuted over sanctuary campuses.

The UC system announced in November that it would not assist federal immigration agents, turn over confidential records without court orders or supply information for any national registry based on race, national origin or religion.

The poster by the David Horowitz Freedom Center is styled as a criminal wanted poster, with a portrait of Napolitano when she was Homeland Security secretary during the Obama administration. It says the federal government should defund the UC system and prosecute Napolitano.

Advertisement

This sanctuary movement is a concerted effort by left-wing administrations in major American cities to undermine federal immigration law and cripple the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security to protect American citizens from terrorist threats, Horowitz said in a news release Thursday.

Rather than having second thoughts about this movement, which has led, among other things, to murders and other crimes committed by the illegal immigrants to whom sanctuary cities give immunity and protection, the left has doubled down and is now working to spread this seditious movement from our cities to our colleges and universities.

Napolitanos office did not respond to requests for comment on the Freedom Centers posters, nor did UC San Diego.

Horowitz and his supporters caused a stir at San Diego State University in April when they placed posters on campus that claimed certain students supported terrorism and hatred of Jews. Students unhappy with SDSU President Elliot Hirshmans response to the posters protested and surrounded a car he was sitting in on campus, keeping him from leaving campus for about two hours.

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com

Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune

ALSO

2 killed, 1 wounded in shooting near South L.A. liquor store

San Francisco man threatened to shoot Muslim woman in alleged hate crime, police say

Amber Alert issued after toddlers are abducted during car theft in Riverside County
The widow of a Mexican man who crossed into the U.S. illegally in the trunk of a car is suing the federal government on allegations that staff at a detention facility in Otay Mesa repeatedly ignored his pleas for medical care, causing him to die in a hospital from complications of pneumonia weeks later.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in San Diego federal court, is among a string of similar cases alleging indifference and negligence to the medical problems of unauthorized immigrants being held at such detention centers across the country. A 2007 lawsuit filed by the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union that settled in 2010 addressed similar issues in Otay Mesa.

If these facts in the complaint are true, then this would violate the core principles not only of the Constitution but of the settlement, said David Loy, legal director for the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties. The prior lawsuit addressed precisely this kind of problem of people begging for care and not getting care.

Advertisement

The Otay Mesa Detention Center houses mostly unauthorized immigrants for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as criminal detainees and material witnesses for the U.S. Marshals Service.

The lawsuit names the federal government, as well as CoreCivic  the private company contracted to run the Otay Mesa Detention Center and many others across the nation  as well as a CoreCivic guard identified as C.O. Langdon.

Health care at the facility is provided by ICEs Health Service Corps and the federal Public Health Service, according to the lawsuit. A San Diego ICE spokeswoman declined to comment on the case Thursday, saying she didnt have enough information. A CoreCivic spokesman in Tennessee, where the company is headquartered, said the company has not been served yet and has not had a chance to review the lawsuit.

According to court records, Gerardo Cruz-Sanchez, 32, tried to cross into the U.S. in the trunk of a car on Feb. 4, 2016, at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The driver, Juan Carlos Ortega-Gonzalez, had presented someone elses U.S. passport to the Customs and Border Protection officer. Cruz-Sanchez and two other unauthorized immigrants were then found in the trunk.

Cruz-Sanchez wasnt charged with a crime but held as a material witness in the case against the smuggler, agreeing to testify against him. Cruz-Sanchez was granted bail  $15,000 with a 10 percent cash deposit  but was unable to pay so he remained detained, according to court records.

(The driver eventually pleaded guilty to human smuggling and was sentenced to time served in custody, which was about three months.)

Cruz-Sanchez was healthy when he was arrested but contracted pneumonia soon after, according to the complaint.

He would be alive today if authorities had honored their legal and moral duty to care for their own witness, the lawsuit states. This lawsuit seeks justice on behalf of Gerardo Cruz-Sanchez and the family that he left behind.

The illness began with flu-like symptoms, and Cruz-Sanchezs many requests for medical attention were rebuffed, according to the complaint. He then started coughing up blood, saturating his clothing and bed sheets, the lawsuit says. He pleaded with Langdon and medical staff members for intervention but received none, the suit says.

His condition deteriorated so that he could not talk, move or swallow food, and he suffered from respiratory distress and wheezing, the suit says.

His cellmate, Alejandro Chavez, called the Mexican consulate 20 to 30 times asking for assistance, and on Feb. 22 a Spanish interpreter visited Cruz-Sanchez. It is unclear from the lawsuit if the interpreter tried to take action.

The cellmate repeatedly begged Langdon  a Spanish-speaking officer  for help for Cruz-Sanchez, but Langdon mocked him, told the two to stop complaining, and told Cruz-Sanchez to man up and stop being a chicken, according to the lawsuit.

On the morning of Feb. 26, Cruz-Sanchezs mattress was soaked in blood from the coughing, and detainees moved him to a table in the common room to try to get him to eat, the lawsuit says. Langdon is accused of scolding them and forcing Cruz-Sanchez to get on the ground. The others were ordered back to their cells, the lawsuit says.

Later that day, Cruz-Sanchez was taken to the emergency room at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista, where he died Feb. 29.

The lawsuit claims Cruz-Sanchez was never examined by a doctor while in custody. His widow, Paula Garcia Rivera, requested her husbands medical records from the detention center but was ignored, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit lists several other alleged examples of detainees at other CoreCivic immigration facilities who died or became seriously ill after being denied medical treatment or medication.

In 2002, the government took back medical care duties from CoreCivic, then known as Corrections Corporation of America, at the immigration jail in Otay Mesa at the time, called the San Diego Correctional Facility.

But problems persisted, the ACLU alleged. The ACLU class-action lawsuit claimed detainees there had to wait long periods for medical treatment  often times only after their conditions had significantly worsened  did not get medications for chronic illnesses and had poor mental health care.

The settlement required ICE practice the standards of care set by the national Commission on Correctional Health Care, as well as eliminate from its written policies that detainees receive only emergency care.

The settlement was reached without ICE or Corrections Corporation of America admitting liability or wrongdoing.

In a statement in 2010 regarding the settlement, ICE said it was proud of the progress it had made to reform the immigration detention system and that it is committed to providing a high quality of medical care for detainees.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A young man with a history of mental illness who fatally shot his parents in their Sunset Cliffs home in 2014 pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree murder.

Peter David Haynes, 25, had previously entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in the deaths of emergency physician Dr. David Haynes, 62, and Lissa Haynes, 61.

A trial was scheduled to begin next month.

Advertisement

Instead, San Diego Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren accepted the defendants guilty pleas, and his admission that he intentionally discharged a gun and caused great bodily injury to the victims.

A sentencing hearing was scheduled for June 9.

Peter Haynes faces a maximum penalty of 100 years to life in prison, the judge said. However, because he was younger than 23 when he committed the crimes, state law says he could receive a Youth Offender Parole Hearing after serving 25 years of his prison term.

A board would determine at the end of that hearing whether Haynes is suitable for parole.

On Nov. 28, 2014, the day after Thanksgiving, San Diego police were called to a house on Tarento Drive, near Santa Barbara Street, after someone reported hearing gunshots. The first officer to arrive testified at a previous hearing that he walked to the front door shortly after 3 a.m. and saw a bullet hole in an adjacent window.

When the officer entered the home, he saw a woman  identified later as Lissa Haynes  lying face down and unmoving near an interior wall, and a man who was obviously wounded and in pain laying a short distance away.

The officer asked the man what happened, and the reply was: My son shot me.

When the officer asked David Haynes why his son had shot him, Haynes said his son is schizophrenic.

Peter Haynes, then 22, was arrested the morning of the shooting after officers noticed him trying to duck under the crime tape used to cordon off the area.

A semiautomatic Glock pistol was sticking out of Haynes right pants pocket, one of the officers testified.

In the courtroom Friday, Haynes seemed amiable  even chatty  before the hearing began. When the judge spoke to him about the specifics of his plea, he answered the questions calmly.

Several family members were in court when Haynes entered the guilty pleas. His sister sobbed.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
A San Diego Superior Court jury last week found that Jason Douglas Paris was legally insane when he fatally shot his younger brother in 2015.

This week, a judge ordered Paris, 45, to undergo another psychiatric evaluation to help determine whether he is currently insane and is a danger to others. Answers to those questions could help the judge decide whether Paris should be confined at a state mental hospital or placed in outpatient care.

A third option would be to release Paris without any conditions or supervision, but that seems unlikely given that his defense attorney argued in trial that Paris remains legally insane.

Advertisement

Judge Jeffrey Fraser scheduled a May 12 hearing, during which he is expected to review the results of Paris latest mental health evaluation and hear testimony from Paris family members.

Im not going to let him out until I am very comfortable, Fraser said Wednesday, explaining that he wanted clear information from a forensic psychiatrist before deciding how to proceed.

Fraser also acknowledged it isnt often that a jury  instead of a judge  finds that a defendant with mental health issues also meets the legal definition of insanity, meaning in part that he was unable to distinguish right from wrong. In many cases, the prosecutors and defense lawyers have already agreed that the defendant was insane at the time of the crime before the judge makes the final ruling.

Its a very rare thing that were doing, the judge said, noting that he had only faced this situation one other time in 18 years on the bench.

On Jan. 17, 2015, Paris shot his brother Cedric, 42, multiple times outside the younger brothers Grantville home on Clara Lee Avenue near Zion Avenue.

Jason Paris told investigators later that his brother was a demonic figure and that he could hear voices of his family members in his head as well as the voices of celebrities, according to testimony from a previous hearing.

His lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Whitney Antrim, argued that Paris acted under a delusional belief that he had no choice but to kill his brother and that it was his moral imperative.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
A dogs reluctance to drink from a bowl in a San Diego classroom led to the discovery of lead in the schools water system, and testing of all pipes in the San Diego Unified School District will begin soon.

According to a notice sent Friday to parents and staff members Emerson-Bandini Elementary and the San Diego Co-Operative Charter School 2, which share a single campus, a teacher at the charter school noticed her therapy dog would not drink from a bowl filled with water from the classroom sink on Jan. 26.

The teacher then saw a sheen on the water, which led to the district sampling numerous water outlets on the campus. After detecting contaminates that exceeded the states allowable level, the district contacted its water provider, the City of San Diego, which has agreed to test all district properties, including its 187 campuses, at no cost.

Advertisement

San Diego Unified public information officer Andrew Sharp said that at the time of the lead discovery, the district already was in discussions with the City of San Diego to test all water in its properties as part of a new program offered by the state.

San Diego Unified Chief Operations Officer Drew Rowlands announced Thursday that the tests will begin April 4 and will be complete before the semesters end in June.

Students at the two schools are receiving bottled drinking water until the issue is resolved, said district public information officer Andrew Sharp.

The notice sent Friday to Emerson-Bandini staff and parents also stated that a consultant involved in the testing confirmed that the water is safe for hand-washing. There should be no concerns about food, according to the notice, because all meals are prepared off campus.

The water testing in San Diego Unified will be conducted for free by the city as part of an offer the state has made to all school districts.

We are grateful to the City of San Diego for its partnership and cooperation on this vast undertaking, Rowlands said in Thursdays statement. The comprehensive effort will take multiple months to complete due to the relevant regulatory requirements.

Testing will be done in early morning hours before the start of school, and up to five samples will be taken at each site. Samples will be taken at drinking fountains, cafeterias and food preparation areas.

The safety and health of students and staff across San Diego Unified is the highest priority for the district, Rowland said.

Tests will involve a geographic approach, beginning at the southeast corner of the district where some of the oldest district schools are located. Five schools will be tested daily, and city staff will work their way north and west until all the testing is done.

If results indicate there is lead above allowable levels, district staff will determine the source of contamination and take appropriate action on a case-by-case basis, Rowlands said. Those steps could include turning off water, replacing fixtures and making plumbing repairs.

The public can keep track of the testing online by visiting www.sandiegounified.org/drinking-water-sampling-1.

Water for all San Diego Unified School District sites is provided by the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department. The city, as a municipal water provider, is required to comply with state and federal regulations and, as such, it conducts numerous water quality tests and produces related reports.

As a result of a permit action by the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water last December, all community water providers, including the City of San Diego, are required if requested to test for lead in drinking water at K-12 schools.

Last month, elevated levels of lead were detected in three schools in the San Ysidro School District, and lead was discovered in a drinking fountain at San Marcos Middle School this month.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
An international airport on Camp Pendleton would be cost-effective to run and could be built with funds from bonds, taxes, corporate sponsors and private investors, according to a study from graduate students at Cal State San Marcos University.

Previous studies by CSUSM College of Business Administration graduate students had found that the best location for the airport is Camp Pendleton, where it could serve San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties.

Results from the latest study, which looked at funding sources, will be presented at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Room 125 of Markstein Hall on the CSUSM campus.

Advertisement

The event also will include a presentation from four research teams that studied the relationship of bio-medical industries in San Diego County.

Philanthropists Irwin Jacobs and Malin Burnham funded the International Airport Exploratory Study, which began two years ago and built on previous studies that had considered Camp Pendleton, Otay Mesa and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar as possible locations.

San Diego voters rejected an advisory measure to build an airport at Miramar in 2006.

Glen Brodowsky, a marketing professor at CSUSM who was the advisor to the study, acknowledged there still are a lot of details to work out. Perhaps most significant is whether the federal government and military will be open to the idea of sharing Camp Pendleton.

Thats the $65,000 question, he said. In last years study, we did a lot of interviews with officials, and we knew that we were going to get resistance, and for obvious reasons. Its a very important military operation, and the land is valuable. Theyre not just going to walk away from it.

The proposed airport would be about 5,000 or 6,000 acres of Camp Pendletons 125,000 acres. Brodowsky said the new airports two runways on the southwest corner of the base could be a benefit to the Marines, who could use it for transporting personnel.

Another unanswered question is the cost, Brodowsky said. The last major airport built in the U.S. was Denver International, which cost $4.8 billion in 1995. The new tri-county airport likely would be more expensive in todays dollars, he said.

The report shows that it will be worth the cost, Brodowsky said.

San Diego International Airport has only one runway and cannot handle the large 300-passenger jets required for nonstop international flights, Brodowsky said. The two new runways at Camp Pendleton could accommodate the larger planes, opening up the region for more international commerce and tourism, among other benefits.

Brodowsky said the airport would be a mega-hub that would serve as a gateway between Asia and the American continents, similar to Dubai International and Japans Narita airports.

The report notes that the scope of global business ad travel has shifted toward Asia in recent decades, and the newest major airports are being built in East Asia, notably China and India.

Operating as a mega hub would create a new funding opportunity in partnerships with a major airline, Brodowsky said.

Funding also would come from tax dollars, a bond or private investors, he said.

To RSVP for the presentation, visit the website https://bit.ly/CSUSMairportRSVP.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

760-529-4939

@SDUTschools
Border Patrol agents were assaulted with a car, beaten and punched and threatened with a knife in three separate incidents in Otay Mesa Wednesday night that resulted in the arrest of a U.S. citizen and two Mexican nationals.

The first offense began about 6 p.m. when agents tried to pull over a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe traveling west on state Route 905 near La Media Road.

As several agents pursued the man who had refused to stop he abruptly turned and rammed one of the vehicles. He then hit the vehicle a second time, Border Patrol officials said.

Advertisement

Other agents quickly moved in, stopped the SUV and took the driver, said to be a 30-year-old U.S. citizen, into custody.

The second incident happened at 7:30 p.m. about four miles from the U.S./Mexico border near Alta Road where a man hiding in tall brush confronted an agent with a knife.

A struggle ensued in which the agent was able to pry the knife from the mans hand. The 44-year-old man from Mexico, who had a glass pipe and a small amount of methamphetamine on him, was arrested for illegal entry into the country.

The third confrontation was reported about 8 p.m., two miles away from the border. Agents were punched and kicked as they tried to detain a man they say also crossed illegally into the U.S. He was subdued with pepper spray and arrested, officials said.

619-293-1710

debbi.baker@sduniontribune.com

twitter.com/Debbi_Baker
A Valencia Park man who used pepper spray to break up a fight involving his roommate later was arrested, San Diego police said.

The landlord gave officers a key to the locked front door to get inside, then they forced open a bedroom door to get the man into custody, police said.

The fight at the house on San Bernardo Terrace, off San Jacinto Drive, was reported about 3:45 p.m.

Advertisement

One person who lives at the house got into a fight with a friend, and the roommate sprayed them with pepper spray to break it up, police Officer Dino Delimitros said. The man who had the pepper spray then locked himself inside the house.

Officers got the front door key, then found the bedroom door locked. Delimitros said the officers had the landlords permission to break down the door.

They got the man into custody about 4:15 p.m. Officers continued to investigate for several hours before placing the man under arrest about 7 p.m.
For Gov. Jerry Brown, the question isnt why he spent so much time in Washington this week talking about the growing threat of nuclear annihilation  its why everyone else isnt doing the same.

Most people are kind of blithely unaware, Brown said of the issue. It doesnt show up in the press. Thats why I say, The end of the world is not news. 

Brown, though, may be ready to launch a visible new effort to change that. His busy schedule in the nations capital this week was filled with discussions of disaster relief, transportation and healthcare. But those meetings were scheduled to accommodate time he spent with leaders of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce the threat of nuclear war.

Advertisement

What the governor took from his Washington visit was an appetite for action, perhaps even a rebirth of his former evangelical fervor for nuclear disarmament.

Im looking for ways to generate more activism, to build the awareness and the momentum for more discussion between these hostile powers, Brown said in an interview. And I think that may involve more public activity.

Brown was invited to join the groups board of directors earlier this year, alongside some of the worlds most distinguished nuclear experts. His own views were shaped amid California protests over nuclear power and weapons research in the late 1970s, an era in which the young governor had tapped in to a broader national discussion.

That discussion, though, faded from the spotlight.

Its a hard subject and people dont like to think about it, said former Democratic Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, now chief executive of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

Nunn said that he and Brown have talked about nuclear threats on a number of occasions over the years and that he was urged to enlist the governors help by former Defense Secretary William J. Perry and former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, who served under President Clinton and President Reagan, respectively.

Citizens have to be interested in shrinking the risk of a nuclear incident, Nunn said.

The Washington-based organization prides itself on the network of connections its international experts can tap to take action. Its projects have included a fuel bank for countries interested in nuclear energy to receive low-enriched uranium without creating a program that could produce more weapons.

That proactive approach is one Brown supports.

Nobody seems to be worried about the general trajectory toward disaster, the governor said in lamenting the tepid reaction the topic inspires in the general public.

Gov. Jerry Brown heads to Capitol Hill and dives into Washingtons healthcare battle 

Should nuclear tensions spill over into conflict, there would be few politicians as justified as Brown in saying, I told you so. The issue was a staple of his platform during three failed races for president, though his earnest approach to the topic often produced ribbing among political writers.

Vote for Jerry Brown or die, wrote journalist Roger Simon in a 1980 column published by The Times after Brown railed against nuclear weapons in the run-up to the New Hampshire presidential primary.

Browns focus often shifted to other issues during the rebirth of his political career, when he was elected as Oakland mayor in 1998 and attorney general in 2006. Now in the home stretch of a final term as governor, he said hes ready to again sound the nuclear alarm  a cause that he said has parallels to his efforts on climate change.

Youve got to build pressure, Brown said of the need for public engagement. And Im going to be working on that. Youll hear more.

Youve got to build pressure. And Im going to be working on that. Youll hear more.  Gov. Jerry Brown, who said he hopes to launch a public campaign in support of nuclear disarmament

This weeks meetings of the Nuclear Threat Initiative seemed to add energy to that effort. The events were closed to the press and public, but broad topics of discussion included cybersecurity at nuclear facilities and the threat of radiological warfare.

Founded by Nunn and media mogul Ted Turner and funded in part by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, the organization chose former Energy Secretary Ernest J. Moniz as its next leader Thursday. A portion of Browns travel expenses were paid by the organization.

Nunn said California is a likely partner in a pending effort by the group to eliminate from hospitals the kinds of materials that can be used to make a dirty bomb.

We are not just a think tank, he said.

That seems to suit Brown, who said its important for someone to stand up and work on more dialogue among the worlds nuclear powers, starting with Russia. He rejected any suggestion that the issues have taken on greater importance with the election of President Trump.

Trump doesnt make it any easier because of his unpredictability, thats for sure, the governor said Wednesday.

Nor does the presence of North Korea, an isolated nation with unclear motives and a rapidly improving system that could conceivably one day fire a nuclear missile to North America and the United States.

You send a nuclear missile to L.A., its going to be a bad day for everybody, Brown said. So you cant wait for that. Youve got to start talking.

The governor broached the subject of nuclear danger in several settings this week in Washington. He said he brought up the issue in brief meetings with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and former Vice President Joe Biden. He also met privately with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

What Brown wants is for the American government to begin actively discussing how to dial down the rhetoric and to acknowledge that a nuclear war would have no winners.

The whole point is, youve got to talk, he said. All this chest-beating doesnt go anywhere.

The governor said on Thursday that he wants to return to Sacramento and reflect on what role he can best play in creating a broader national discussion. Nunn, who has known Brown for decades, said his political and communication skills are a valuable asset in shining a brighter light on the subject.

Those are skills that Gov. Brown has in abundance, Nunn said.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast

ALSO:

Gov. Jerry Brown promotes Californias agenda with shuttle diplomacy on Capitol Hill

Were ready to fight, says Brown on taking on Trump and climate issues

Updates on California politics and government
Anyone who has followed the serial controversies about free speech at American colleges and universities in recent years cant escape the conclusion that we have a crisis on our hands.

Traditionally, the college campus was a place where students and scholars would engage in a diversity of ideas, often coming to grips with concepts and beliefs in stark contrast to their own. College was a safe space where tolerance, intellectual humility and civil debate were hallmarks of what it meant to be educated  and a mature adult.

Not so, in too many places. Recall the Feb. 1 riot at the University of California at Berkeley occasioned by the scheduled speech of the iconoclastic provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. At least six people were injured and vandals caused more than $100,000 in damage to campus property and more than a dozen local businesses. Police are still looking for more than 30 suspects involved in the riots, which forced the cancellation of the Yiannopoulos speech.

Advertisement

Then, two weeks ago, protesters went after libertarian scholar Charles Murray, one of the most respected social policy analysts in America, on the campus of Middlebury College in Vermont. Smearing him as a white nationalist and a racist, a crowd of more than 400 protesters shouted him down. He was moved to a separate room where he was interviewed on a live video stream by Middlebury professor Allison Stanger.

After the Murray talk, Stanger was assaulted by an angry mob while walking with the speaker on campus. She suffered a concussion and neck injuries. Writing about the experience afterward, Stanger  a Democrat and fierce critic of President Trump  lamented that for us to engage with one another as fellow human beings  even on issues where we passionately disagree  we need reason, not just emotions.

So how do we address this crisis? There are encouraging signs that we can restore reason and civil discourse to the American campus. And were taking important steps in that direction right here in San Diego.

Last week, the newly launched Center for Ethics, Economics, and Public Policy at the University of San Diego hosted a debate on immigration featuring two highly regarded scholars  George Mason University economist Bryan Caplan and Christopher Wellman, a philosopher at Washington University in St. Louis.

The topic of the debate was the fundamental moral question underlying many of todays policy debates: Is immigration a human right?

Now you would be hard put to come up with a more contentious issue today in American politics. So what happened on the USD campus at the Caplan-Wellman debate?

We had a vigorous but civil and reasonable discussion attended by approximately 200 people. The debate and Q&A session afterward was conducted in the spirit of mutual respect and a willingness to understand other viewpoints  even those we reject. And many students walked away reporting that they had a better understanding of the reasons people on the other side of the debate have for their positions. This is what education is supposed to be about  self-reflection and critical thought.

More encouraging signs. Just days before the USD debate, leading scholars on both the political left and right released a statement titled, Truth Seeking, Democracy, and Freedom of Thought and Expression. The lead authors were Princeton professor Robert P. George (on the right) and Harvard professor Cornell West (on the left).

None of us is infallible, the statement reminds us. It went on to say that someone who has not fallen into the idolatry of worshipping his or her own opinions and loving them above truth itself will want to listen to people who see things differently in order to learn what considerations  evidence, reasons, arguments  led them to a place different from where one happens, at least for now, to find oneself.

Evidence, reasons, arguments. This method of inquiry is not only indispensable to a university education, but goes to the heart of who we are as a free people. We cannot safeguard our freedoms, in a political, economic or social context, by shutting down debate or demonizing  let alone physically assaulting  those who hold other viewpoints.

Our freedoms are directly linked to our ability to flourish as a people, to open the pathways to opportunity, innovation and greater social equity. Greater tolerance for other viewpoints makes room for pursuing the truth. The alternative is what we saw at Berkeley and Middlebury  conformity, intimidation and demagoguery.

Last week at the University of San Diego, the vibrant and respectful embrace of ideas and debate was alive and well. For both student and scholars, there are real grounds for optimism.

Zwolinski is a professor of philosophy at the University of San Diego and director of the schools Center for Ethics, Economics, and Public Policy.
In 2018, many of us are predicting that we will enjoy another Year of the Woman, like the 1992 election that resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of women serving in elective office. From the previous election in 1990, the percentage of women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives rose from 6.2 percent in 1990 to 10.3 percent in 1992. Currently, 83 women serve in the U.S. House of Representatives or 19.1 percent and 21 women are U.S. senators (21 percent). In comparison with 1992, the Year of the Woman, the 15 years since then has yielded a paltry increase in womens political participation of 8.8 percent.

The good news is that the recent decline in womens political participation has stopped. According to Emilys List, a Democratic political action that recruits and supports Democratic women candidates, more than 4,000 women nationwide have sought guidance in seeking elective office. The victory of President Donald Trump has galvanized droves of women to become candidates for public office.

Related: Women in politics: Offering different insights

Advertisement

History shows how important it is to elect women to public office, as many of these tenacious women created solutions to societys problems. For example, Rep. Edith Green, labeled the Mother of Higher Education, authored two bills, the Higher Education Facilities Act (1963) and the Higher Education Act (1965), that improved college and university libraries, classrooms, and laboratories and authorized federal financial assistance for undergraduate students. The Oregon Democrat also fought for womens equality and gender equity. A strong proponent of womens rights, Green fought for eight years to persuade Congress to pass the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which mandated that women and men receive equal pay for equal work. In a highly publicized photograph, President John F. Kennedy is shown surrounded by women legislators as he signs the act into law.

Related: Women in politics: Progress slow but undeniable

Together with Green, Rep. Patsy Mink authored the Education Amendments of 1972, referred to as Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination by federally funded institutions. After the Hawaii Democrats death in 2002, the act was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act. Mink also introduced the Early Childhood Education Act and authored the Womens Educational Equity Act, both of which advanced womens rights.

Also dedicated to the promotion of womens rights, Rep. Martha Griffiths sponsored the Equal Rights Amendment, which was passed by Congress in 1972, but failed to be ratified with only 35 of the required 38 states. Many described Griffiths as the Mother of the ERA. The Michigan Democrat also is acknowledged for insisting that discrimination in hiring, promoting and firing had to include women, or sex, in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Because of her insistence, Section 703 (a) in the final legislation made it unlawful for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions or privileges or employment, because of such individuals race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

An important outcome of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the creation of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that administers and enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. Thousands of discrimination cases have been presented to the EEOC.

The pursuit of peace has also been championed by women legislators. For example, the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Jeannette Rankin from Montana, voted against the U.S. entry into World War I. The following year, she was defeated, but she ran again in 1940. When the U.S. Congress voted on whether or not to fight in World WII, she was the sole vote in opposition. Other women legislators have sought peaceful solutions to crises. Since her election in 1999, for example, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, has taken on Rankins role as a staunch opponent to war.

The backlash against the 2016 election is destined to encourage more women to run for political office. For the betterment of society, all of us are encouraged to recruit women to become a candidate, especially women who are passionate about a specific societal issue, such as those women in the past who championed education, equal pay, equal rights, civil rights, and peace. Women who are passionate about a specific cause have been proven to be highly effective legislators.

Once women have been recruited, they should receive candidate training and financial support. For those who are recruited, trained and provided with checks, volunteers are needed to work in their campaigns. The first step for all of us is to recruit, recruit, recruit, recruit. Shall we begin?

History shows how important it is to elect women to public office, as many of these tenacious women created solutions to societys problems.

Hoiberg is past president, National Womens Political Caucus of San Diego and past board president, Womens Museum of California.
Among the more powerful voices campaigning in 1911 against giving California women the right to vote was that of The Los Angeles Times. Editorializing on Sept. 22 that year against Proposition 4, the womens suffrage initiative, the Times argued: The working man  whether he be a Republican, a Democrat or a Socialist  who walks along Broadway or Spring Street on Saturday afternoon and sees thousands of fashionably attired girls and women of mature age parading in autos and making woman-suffrage speeches says to himself, Are these butterflies to be entrusted with the task of making laws for me? The editorial concluded that the Times does not believe in either the justice or the expedience of burdening the women of California with the duty of voting.

Well now.

Thankfully, times, and the Times editorial board, have changed  perhaps not as fast or as dramatically as many of us would like, but the progress is undeniable and ultimately unstoppable. As Womens History Month 2017 nears a close, it is worth celebrating the progress of women in elective office, while noting the challenges ahead.

Advertisement

Related: Women in politics: Offering different insights

Lets start at the beginning with that womens suffrage amendment in 1911. The L.A. Times editorial board did not carry the day. Voters in San Francisco and Los Angeles  they werent so liberal back then  went against Proposition 4 in overwhelming numbers. But supportive voters in rural counties overcame the big-city opponents. Proposition 4 won just 50.7 percent of the vote, but it passed.

Seven years later, four women made history by becoming the first of their gender elected to the California Assembly.

To be sure, progress since then has been slow and not without setbacks. All 38 California governors have been men. All 42 mayors of Californias largest city, Los Angeles, have been men. Women today hold just 26 of the 120 seats in the Assembly and Senate  a 20-year low. In Congress, fewer than 20 percent of the 535 members are women.

On the positive side, both of Californias U.S. senators are women. And particularly in recent years, women have risen to positions of leadership in the state Legislature, despite their overall anemic numbers.

San Diego County has been relatively fertile ground for women in politics. San Diego, the states second-largest city, has had three women serve as mayor. Chula Vista, the second-largest city in this county, has elected four women mayors and three of the last four mayors have been women. Two of five seats on the county Board of Supervisors are held by women and women are relatively well represented in a number of other cities in this county.

So, why the slow, choppy progress? In California, the most progressive of states, why is the number of women in elected office still so disproportionately low? And what are the challenges facing women would-be politicians?

Some political analysts have theorized that term limits have worked to the disadvantage of women. I disagree. One of the key results of term limits has been to open up the electoral field to more people, including women. Indeed, there are greater opportunities than ever for women to run for office.

Despite the greater opportunities, there are still far fewer women than men choosing to run. And the main reason for that is still the same today as it was decades ago: the dominant role played by women in raising a family. This is particularly true for younger women with younger children. And it is a still-greater issue when a woman is considering a run for the state Legislature or Congress, with the considerable time away from home required of those jobs.

And indeed, voters do still have a double standard when it comes to women running for office.

The New York Times earlier this month reported a new study conducted by the Barbara Lee Family Foundation of Cambridge, Mass., which found that women candidates must work harder than men to reassure voters that they can properly balance work and family.

But times continue to change.

There are already more women than men in colleges and universities and more women are gaining valuable experience in high-level positions in the private sector  factors that equalize the male-female field in terms of qualifications for public office. More men are taking a stronger role in family life and more women are learning that they can indeed balance family and politics.

Finally, as more women run  and win  they gain greater identification, contacts and political and financial support, equalizing the electoral playing field.

Debunking the media hype of 1992 as the Year of the Woman in politics, Gloria Steinem said a woman must first be elected president. True. But that day will come.

Horton was elected to the California Assembly three times, serving from 2002 to 2008. She previously was mayor of Chula Vista.
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, has been carefully building his career since his 2002 election to Congress at age 29, focusing on national security and foreign affairs, not just the provincial concerns of his district. His selection as chairman of the House intelligence committee reflects his seriousness. But now Nunes may have dynamited his reputation by seemingly deciding to provide cover for President Trumps wild and unproven allegation  first raised in a 6:35 a.m. ET tweet on March 4  that President Obama had Trumps wires tapped in Trump Tower just before his Nov. 8 election victory.

Advertisement

Anonymous American officials have reportedly said for months that routine surveillance of Russian officials turned up conversations with Trumps allies and aides. These reports led FBI Director James Comey to confirm Monday that his agency was investigating to see if there was coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow. This surveillance is not remotely the same thing as the president ordering U.S. intelligence agencies to wiretap the home of a presidential nominee.

Yet on Wednesday, Nunes dramatically went to the media, then to the White House, then back to the media to share what Nunes called new information that Trump and his aides may have been recorded in incidental collection by U.S. agencies after Trump was elected but before he took office. These possibly recorded conversations, Nunes said, didnt involve Russian agents or officials. Nunes shared this information with journalists and the president before talking to Democrats on the House intelligence committee  which is supposed to be mounting a bipartisan probe of alleged Russian attempts to interfere with the 2016 election, including possible Russia-Trump collusion. On Thursday, Nunes reportedly apologized to Democrats on the panel he leads for not going to them first.

Nunes should apologize to America. What he says he has learned gives zero credence to Trumps incendiary allegation. Yet Nunes gave cover to Trump to say Nunes findings make him feel somewhat vindicated and to Trump loyalists to engage in told you so taunting on social media. If the committees investigation isnt compromised, its vestiges of neutrality are gone, and Nunes himself has now contributed to a culture of leaking he has so decried.

More broadly, Trump and his admirers need to grasp that the success of his presidency depends on him getting things done. They need to heed the points made this week by a stalwart of American conservatism: The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board. The Journal wrote that Trumps claim about Obama and press secretary Sean Spicers repeating of a Fox News rumor that the British may have spied on Trump for Obama show that Trump is his own worst political enemy. Why? Because if Trump wants to advance his agenda, the Journal wrote, he needs support beyond the Breitbart cheering section that will excuse anything, and such support isnt likely for a president with a seemingly endless stream of exaggerations, evidence-free accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods.

Nunes enabling of such Trump behavior makes a fresh flood of falsehoods all but certain. Thanks for nothing, congressman.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: UTOpinion
Lawyers for Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-Alpine, said Thursday that the congressman will fully cooperate with a Department of Justice investigation into alleged campaign spending irregularities.

The inquiry into Hunter was revealed by the ranking members of the House Ethics Committee.

Last year, Congressman Hunter became aware of expenditure issues confronting his campaign committee, according to a statement issued by his lawyers, Elliot Berke and Gregory Vega. Out of an abundance of caution, he took corrective action in consultation with the (Federal Election Commission) and, ultimately, he and his wife personally repaid the campaign approximately $60,000, the statement says. Congressman Hunter intends to cooperate fully with the government on this investigation, and maintains that to the extent any mistakes were made they were strictly inadvertent and unintentional.

The five-term representative of San Diegos East County, Ramona, and a small portion of southern Riverside County is accused of spending campaign money on groceries, hotels in Italy and Arizona, and nail salon services, among other things, in violation of federal law and House rules.

According to multiple news reports, Justice Department officials are probing the expenditures and asked the House Ethics Committee to hold off on its own investigation.

Hunter is a Marine veteran of the U.S. war in Iraq who succeeded his father, Duncan Hunter, as East Countys representative in Congress. He was one of the first legislators to embrace the candidacy of Donald Trump and is one of the presidents main backers on Capitol Hill.
Stink of corruption rises to high heavens

Federal government code 18 USC 1001 states it is against the law to knowingly and willfully make any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation concerning any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the United States.

If it is against the law for a single citizen to lie to the government, then how can it be allowable for a president, also a citizen, to knowingly lie to 320 million American citizens?

If we are truly a government of the people, when is Congress going to begin to represent the American people rather than their respective political parties?

The stink of corruption of truth rises to the high heavens.

George Eastwood

Ramona

Standing up for what we believe is right

Rebuttal to Steve Yanke:

Steve,

I appreciate your rebuttal in last weeks edition. Your acknowledgment and tone is recognized. My goal, which was carried out by not only Indivisible Ramona, but by all of the other indivisible and progressive groups in District 50, was to maintain calm and civility outside of the town hall venue.

I chose not to go inside so that I could help with the transition to Collier Park where we had our permitted event, which included Hunter/Trump supporters so that everyone could hear the live-streamed town hall.

Our group had a meeting the day after the town hall to share experiences, and define what worked and what we would like to do differently. Regarding the behavior inside the hall, most of our members didnt like that the second speaker was interrupted, but they came to hear Mr. Hunter, not a sales pitch from someone else.

Of course people will react to Mr. Hunters views on policy, just like we heard from the tea party years ago. Our members are fine people in this community, not animals, and they are concerned about their health care, the environment, Russian interference, immigration, civil liberties, and American values. These issues are personal  emotions run high.

Its not about the fact that our president isnt in office, its about who is in office and the policies put forth by this administration. Its about standing up for what we perceive is right, just, and morally fair.

Susan Conrad

Ramona

Un, an evil despot

North Koreas supreme leader Kim Jong Un is even more schizophrenic than President Trump.

Since Un, 33, inherited the dictatorship from his father in 2011, an estimated 340 North Koreans have been executed, many of them publicly, reports USA Today. Un even had several family members put to death, including his own half brother a month ago.

Last month, North Korea fired a missile more than 300 miles away to the Sea of Japan. That missile had a range of 300 to 1500 miles. Intermediate Continental Ballistic Missiles have proliferated since Un took office.

North Korea is poised to obliterate neighboring countries including our European allies. Un is probably the most dangerous man in the world, with the possible exception of Russias President Vladimir Putin.

The Trump administration is clueless in knowing what do to with this evil despot and needs to come up with a coherent strategy to deal effectively with the North Korean government. The U.S. needs to neutralize this madman.

Peter Quercia

Ramona

Told could not record meeting in public building

I attended the town hall a week ago Saturday hosted by Congressman Duncan Hunter. I was in line at 8:45 and was around the 150th person in line. I wont repeat about what others have commented on regarding the representatives of Indivisible who attended. It reflects the behavior I had seen at other town halls such as the one hosted by Representative Tom McClintock on the news earlier in the week.

The following Sunday I was at the Ramona Library and noticed they were having a meeting. I walked in, signed in, and sat in the back. The current conversation was of one lady complaining about Congressman Hunters supporters holding up signs that confused people.

I started videoing the meeting from the back and after a few minutes a lady came back and told me I couldnt. As it was a meeting open to the public in a public building, I knew I had a right to but calmly left, not wanting to create a disturbance.

I walked back into the library and was followed by Joan Roy, one of the leaders in the group complaining about my recording their meeting. I had left my backpack in the meeting and walked back to retrieve it followed by Mrs. Roy.

After I picked up my backpack, another lady came up to me and told me I couldnt post what I had recorded and would be in legal jeopardy if I did. She then told me she would get her attorney to speak to me. Frankly, they acted just like I caught their hands in the cookie jar.

Indivisible is a Progressive group funded by George Soros and his interests, whose purpose is to do everything they can to thwart President Trumps agenda and policies. They are using the playbook out of Saul Alinskys Rules for Radicals that was written back in the 60s. Their behavior makes it plain that they are not open to meaningful dialogue and discussion, just disruption and the silencing of opposing viewpoints as we have seen played out since the election.

For further information I refer you to a link that will explain a little more about the group and its agenda: dailysignal.com/2017/02/10/indivisible-with-ties-to-george-soros-sows-division-against-trump-gop-lawmakers.

Dr. Gary B. Myers, OD

Ramona

Hunter town hall an exciting day

I would like to thank Rep. Duncan Hunter for coming to Ramona for a live town hall meeting. It was truly an exciting day, democracy in action!

I hope he will do this again, soon, at a venue that is larger, has ample parking, and even restrooms available for the many, many people waiting hours in line.

Those who complained about the lack of respect and unity may have forgotten the Tea Party Patriots 2009 recommendation to Pack the hall. Yell out and challenge the Reps statements early. Get him off his prepared script and agenda. [Source: Wikipedia]

This is not Indivisibles goal, however. We aim to be polite, inclusive, and respectful, but we are also constituents and we have the right to speak our minds. God Bless America for that.

Thanks again to Rep. Hunter.

Katie Reid

Ramona

Blessings of the day

I would like to share with you the beautiful day I had recently in Ramona. I drove to town for just a few things to buy today, but had it in my plan to stop by the Traction Tire store in front of Kmart to get my air checked in the tires. I do this regularly, then shop at Kmart.

Well, lo and behold, about 1 mile from Kmart, I started hearing this constant rattle in my car. At first I thought it must be from another car, but at the light on Main Street I could hear it was my car, oh no! What to do? So keep calm, Marlene, just go to the tire place, get your air and ask if they could just look under the hood for you.

That is what happened, and the nice guy at Traction Tire, that I usually see, looked under the hood and right away said, I will check your oil. And he guessed it; it was almost empty. So Praise God right next to the tire place, is the Oil Changers store.

Then he had me follow him, as he walked and I drove, to the back of the Oil Changers store. A man there checked the oil first and confirmed what the other guy saw, it was down to only about 1/3 of a quart, so they topped off the car with the oil. I was so thrilled. They said when the oil gets that low, it makes that noise. There was also a little smoke coming from the oil hole. I told them that God was really looking out for me today, and what a blessing that they were next store to one another.

OK, there is more. I drove to the front of Kmart, got out of the car, and started to walk to shop. Oh my! I forgot to pay for the oil. I returned to the Oil Changers store, tried to find that guy, but couldnt. Then the tire guy showed up and said, no charge, I took care of it. He said it was just really good for him that he guessed the right problem with the car. He said he usually has bad news for customers with their cars. So I once again was able to thank him, and tell him that God had really blessed me today.

Wow, I really knew that God had directed my steps that day, and poured out his blessings through these two special men.

A verse I often quote in the morning is cause me to walk in the way you have for me today. Thank you. God.

Marlene Robershaw

Ramona

Fortunate to have Begents in Ramona

For those of you who have attended (or not yet attended) the Hawk Watch on Highland Valley Road, I would like to applaud both David and Molly Begent for their unparalleled generosity in opening up and offering of their beautiful and aptly located property to the Wildlife Research Institute.

This program and its extensive study of hawks, owls, falcons, and more is truly amazing. It touches hundreds of visitors each Saturday in January and February from all over the U.S., Canada. and some from as far away as Finland!

We are so fortunate to have the Begents in our community.

Melanie Parker

Ramona
Update, March 27:

A judge acquitted the Navy SEAL of the most serious charges of rape, aggravated assault, sexual assault, kidnapping and lying to officials.

Chief Petty Officer Stephen Varanko III was found guilty of battery and sexual harassment on Friday, as reported by the Navy Times.

He will serve about three months in the brig and lose a rank.

Advertisement

Original story:

A rare general court-martial taking place this week includes allegations of rape, violence and adultery in a community usually known for its discipline: the Navy SEALs.

A married SEAL is on trial in Norfolk, Virginia, on four counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault and single counts of aggravated assault and battery. Other charges are violating a general regulation and making a false official statement.

Prosecutors allege that the longtime affair Chief Petty Officer Stephen Varanko III was having with a woman in his unit exploded into jealous violence when the SEAL discovered the woman had dated someone else.

Defense attorneys are arguing that the alleged victim was simply gunning for automatic reassignment and for revenge after Varanko refused to leave his wife for her. The two had been carrying on an affair for two years, including during an Afghanistan deployment and prior to the SEALs marriage.

Welcome to The Intel, a blog examining the hot military news of the day

The alleged events occurred in February 2015 while Special Reconnaissance Team Two was in Fort Knox, Kentucky, for training, according to coverage of the trial by the Virginian-Pilot and Navy Times.

The woman is an analyst who worked with the Little Creek, Virginia-based SEAL unit. She hasnt been named, as general media policy is not to identify people who report sexual assault.

The group was returning to their hotel from a Kentucky strip bar when Varanko used the womans cell phone and saw texts revealing a sexual encounter with another man eight months prior.

When the pair went to Varankos room, he exploded.

Prosecutors allege that the SEAL threw the woman against the wall with his hands around her neck, nearly choking her. He also put her in a submission hold, with her arm behind her and his knee in her back.

The SEAL reportedly admitted to investigators that he lost a little bit of control, but he maintained that he didnt hit the woman.

The disagreement ended in two rounds of sex, which is where the rape allegations come in.

The woman testified that she only went along with it because she feared further violence. Varankos attorneys deny it was rape.

The defense touted an estimated 1,000 text exchanges between the two after that night to bolster the SEALs side of the story.

I stayed because I still love you, she texted him the next day.

Two weeks later, the woman allegedly sent Varanko a video in which she appeared in uniform and held up cards with a written message professing her love for him.

On the other hand, the SEAL texted her afterwards that he was embarrassed and ashamed and that what he did terrified him.

If convicted, Varanko could face a life sentence without parole.

The court-martial is not being handled as a jury trial and will be decided by a military judge, Cmdr. Heather Partridge. The proceedings are expect to continue through Friday.

Military Videos  On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France  at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal

jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

Facebook: U-T Military

Twitter: @jensteeley
Iraqi authorities say evening bomb attacks in two Baghdad neighborhoods have killed 15 people and wounded dozens.

The attacks Wednesday extend a wave of bloodshed that marks the countrys most sustained violence since the 2011 U.S. military withdrawal.

Police say the deadliest attack struck the northwestern Sunni neighborhood of Ghazaliyah, where a roadside bomb and car bomb exploded near a market, killing 10 and wounding 25.

Advertisement

Another car bomb exploded in the mixed Sunni-Shiite area of Hay Jihad, killing five and wounding 18.

Hospital officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information to reporters.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. APs earlier story is below.

A senior member of an Iraqi Shiite militia that once fought the U.S. military warned on Wednesday that Iraq is heading toward widespread sectarian bloodletting similar to the kind that once pushed the country to the brink of civil war.

The head of the political bureau of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, Adnan Faihan, also said the militia is preparing to defend itself, but denied the groups involvement in a spate of attacks targeting Iraqs Sunni Arab minority.

Iraq has been wracked by a wave of the most sustained violence the country has seen since American troops left in late 2011. The bloodshed, which includes coordinated car bombings blamed on Sunni militants as well as a string of attacks on Sunni mosques, is raising fears that Iraq is slipping back toward all-out sectarian fighting like that which nearly tore the country apart at its peak in 2006 and 2007.

We have major concerns. Because what is going on now is the same that led to what happened in 2006, Faihan told The Associated Press. We are ready for it and we are ready to protect our people.

Faihan made the comments on the sidelines of a press conference it held in Baghdad under heavy guard by camouflage-clad militia members.

During the event, Faihan distanced the group from recent attacks against Sunnis, saying such allegations were the result of a misleading defamation campaign.

He railed against what he called a Turkish-Qatari agenda to create sectarian strife again and to divide Iraq - a reference to Sunni countries many Shiites accuse of backing members of Iraqs Sunni community who have been holding months of protests against the Shiite-led government.

Years ago, Asaib Ahl al-Haq - or the Band of the Righteous - broke away from radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadrs political bloc and has been trying to morph into a legitimate political movement.

It said in late 2011 it was moving away from armed struggle after U.S. forces left but it has not handed over its weapons. It and the Hezbollah Brigades were among a group of Shiite militias backed by Iran that carried out lethal attacks against U.S. bases in the summer of 2011.

Faihan on Wednesday also urged the Shiite faithful to defend the Sayida Zeinab shrine in Syria. The holy site outside Damascus has been a rallying point for foreign Shiite militants fighting alongside government troops loyal to President Bashar Assad, whose Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

Our stance is ... not to interfere in others internal affairs. But regarding Sayida Zeinab shrine, weve called on Muslims to go and protect it because any attack on the shrine will lead to bloody events in the region. So protecting this shrine is a must, he said.

Also on Wednesday, Iraqi officials raised the death toll from attacks the previous day that shook Baghdad and towns north of the capital to 28.

Police said the deadliest of Tuesdays attacks struck the southern Dora neighborhood, where back-to-back bombings killed nine people and wounded 10. Bombs in the eastern neighborhood of Sadr City and in the northern Shaab area killed 12 and wounded 33.

Blasts and shootings in Tarmiyah and Mosul killed seven other people.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.

A relentless wave of violence has edged Iraq closer to all-out internal warfare. On Monday, attacks killed more than 70 people. More than 450 have died this month.

---

Associated Press writers Adam Schreck and Sinan Salaheddin contributed.
A San Diego woman who led a fundraiser to build a tiny house for a homeless man said she plans to build more, but is looking for property to put them on after her first effort ended with the structure impounded.

I would love for someone to step forward who has property somewhere, said Lisa Kogan, who raised about $1,000 this year to build a 4-by-7-foot house that homeless man Michael Clark had used for just three days before it was seized and he was arrested by San Diego police officers on Tuesday.

Kogan said she has received some encouraging support from the public after Clarks story was reported, with several people offering to help her financially.

Advertisement

Kogan is secretary of the nonprofit Jus Sayin Inc., which makes and distributes meals to downtown homeless people. Earlier this year she organized an online fundraiser to build small houses for the homeless after seeing a YouTube video about a similar project in Los Angeles.

The small dwelling had a bed, locking door and window. On Saturday it was placed on the 400 block of 16th Street downtown near the entrance of the International Love Ministries of God church, which performs outreach to the homeless.

On Tuesday morning, police officers impounded the house and arrested Clark on misdemeanor counts of lodging without consent and encroaching on public property.

San Diego Police Department Capt. Chuck Kaye said Clark wasnt singled out, and the house was treated like any other illegal item on the sidewalk.

The encroachment issue is real, he said. We enforce it.

While this was the first time he recalled a house being impounded, Kaye said the structure was treated no differently than the tents and other temporary shelters that homeless people erect on sidewalks downtown.

While tents and other shelters are a common sight on 16th and 17th streets downtown, they are illegal and may be occasionally cleared out by the citys Environmental Service Department.

Jose Ysea, spokesman for the department, said the city gives 72 hours notice before doing a sweep, which are done in responses to complaints from residents or businesses or at the request of a City Council office.

Personal items such as prescription drugs, photos and other things of value are held for 90 days, while trashed items are thrown away. Ysea said homeless people usually know where to pick up their items.

Kaye said police are called if there is a complaint, and tents or other items may be confiscated as evidence.

Clarks house is being held for 90 days, and Kogan said she plans to pick it up after she has found a place for it. She said she is not being charged for its storage.

Kaye said police officers do progressive enforcement to try to keep sidewalks clear, meaning people usually get a series of warnings before they are arrested.

This particular gentleman has been provided warnings, he said about Clark. Hes been cited in the past. He wasnt just singled out.

In Los Angeles, the man who was featured in the YouTube videos has been facing an ongoing battle with the city over the tiny houses he has built.

Its always a challenge, said Elvis Summers. It has been from the start and will be for a while.

Summers, who once was homeless himself, is founder of the charity Starting Human and first built a tiny house for a homeless woman in his neighborhood in April. Since then, he said hes built dozens and placed them in other Los Angeles neighborhoods.

So far none of the houses has been impounded by police, he said, although the City Council has some concerns about his project.

As reported in the Los Angeles Times in August, Councilman Joe Buscaino raised safety questions about the houses and said they were not the type of real estate Im looking for in my district.

The Times also quoted an assistant to the city attorney as saying that the structures qualify as bulky items that can be immediately removed under a new law.

Summers, who said he has hired an attorney, argued that the law is on his side.

Theres no law against people having these, he said, adding that the city doesnt have a legal definition for the structures.

The city has tried to take them away, but Ive made it clear that Ill drop a lawsuit on them so fast, it will make their head spin, he said.

Summers admits that providing a tiny house for somebody is not a long-term solution to homelessness, which he said also requires help on the many issues people on the street face.

He said it could be a life-saving stopgap for people in Los Angeles and San Diego, which both have a shortage of shelters for the homeless.

Here in L.A., theres more than 40,000 people who have no place to go, he said. This is a very viable solution to save lives until they build the places that are needed.

Summers has raised about $110,000 in an online campaign for his project, and this weekend he and volunteers plan to build and install 10 more tiny houses. He also plans to look for property to buy as a way of getting around the question of whether the dwellings are allowed on sidewalks.

Kogan said she plans to start a San Diego chapter of Summers charity, Starting Human, and Summers said he will help her with local fundraising.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4939

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

The Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce recognized Blanchard Community Library as the Non-Profit of the Year for the ongoing benefits it provides to the community.

The Celebrate Santa Paula/Citizen of the Year Awards banquet was held March 1 at the Community Center where a sold out crowd enjoyed an evening of paying tribute to individuals and businesses that make a difference for Santa Paula.

When I first moved to Santa Paula, Chamber of Commerce President Marilyn Appleby said, we went to the public library. There my son met Miss Ilene, Gavenman, the Children and Youth Librarian.

On their next visit, Gavenman, Not only remembered my name but my sons name and that Peter liked pirate stories. She even had a book of pirate stories, ready to be read.

Thats when I fell in love with Santa Paula, said Appleby. I knew I was in the right place

The Dean Hobbs Blanchard Memorial Library opened on February 28, 1910, the gift to the community of Nathan W. Blanchard and his wife in honor of their son who tragically died at age 6. There was one caveat: all bars in town had to be closed before the library could open.

Today, Blanchard Community Library, said Appleby, Under the leadership of a dedicated board and executive director and from its location in the center of town, includes a wide variety of services.

The library serves the community in immeasurable ways: Aside from being a place of magic for children, and many bookworm adults, the library offers literacy programs and mentors adults who are earning their GED. The library runs a wide range of youth programs, adult discussion groups, and a popular preschool story time.

In addition, noted Appleby, The library has embraced the newest technology by incorporating an app that lets you connect with library and ABCMouse.com, an award winning curriculum available for free.

The library also offers eBooks, e-magazines and audio books via online access.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

Every family that includes undocumented members needs to have a plan for what will happen to their children should family members be detained, those that attended a special workshop in Santa Paula learned.

The March 2 Know Your Rights! event filled the auditorium at Isbell Middle School with hundreds of people to hear what the future could bring for those in the United States illegally, as well as legally.

Sponsored by Santa Paula Latino Town Hall, CAUSE and LULAC the gathering featured information tables including the Ventura County Health Care Agency.

Diane Martinez of Santa Paula was providing one-on-one translation services for non-Spanish speakers at the gathering, which featured presentations by attorneys, elected officials, the Mexican Consulate, SPUSD Superintendent Alfonso Gamino and Police Chief Steve McLean, among others.

Latino Town Hall President Lorenzo Moraza welcomed the crowd.

Attorneys Vanessa Frank and Renee Dehesa emphasized how important it is for families to have a plan and a representative of the Mexican Consul in Oxnard spoke of their increased services.

The attorneys urged that temporary guardianships for children be set up with friends or family members to demonstrate to a judge the parents wishes as well as the willingness of the named guardian to fulfill that role.

They are stressing how important it is for parents to have an emergency plan, Martinez translated, and have a designated person to take over the children, in case of detainment.

And, she added, lists must be prepared with full information including contacts related to the children including relatives, friends, doctors, health issues, schools, teachers names, sports, As much as you can think to write down that will be helpful.

Children should have passports and get dual citizenship now, Martinez said an attorney urged in case their parents are deported to arrange visits.
Santa Paula News

The Isbell Middle School Concert Band attended the Santa Susana Band & Orchestra Festival held at Moorpark College on Saturday, March 11. Students performed before a panel of three judges and earned the rating of Unanimous Superior which is the highest rating that can be earned at a judged festival. This is incredibly difficult to achieve and marks the first time an ensemble from Isbell Middle School has earned this rating. In addition, this is the third consecutive year that the Isbell Middle School Concert Band has earned a superior rating at an adjudicated festival. The band has now qualified for the regional festival where they will get the opportunity to compete with the top music ensembles in Southern California. Way to go!
"Morale is high among the tough, heavily armed troops fighting Communist "main forces" from small, isolated strong points that "look sort of like Custard's last stand."

Weekly Newsletter The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! Join

In the years since the Vietnam war, the U.S. has repeatedly sent its military into conflicts around the world. But the human and economic toll of these other conflicts is minor when compared with Vietnam.

That war, which was still ramping up 50 years ago, brought about several changes in American thinking. The failure of the Vietnam mission forced the administration to reconsider how it would oppose communism. The endless, seemingly pointless deaths of recruits gave many draft-age Americans a hostile attitude toward their government and authority in general. This attitude, in turn, produced a rift between American youth and its elders. The older generation, which had brought victory to the U.S. in World War II, couldnt recognize how much had changed in 25 years.

It was the members of that generation who were developing the strategy for the Vietnam War. They believed in the invincibility of our military and the inevitability of American victory. Their faith led them to keep pouring men and money into the fight that achieved little or no progress. By 1967, 8,694 Americans had died in the war, and it hadnt even reached its hardest years. Before the U.S. withdrew from the country, another 38,000 Americans would be lost.

Subscribe and get unlimited access to our online magazine archive. Subscribe Today

Not all military personnel were blind to the actual course of the war. You can hear some of their voices in the article The Presidents Next Big Decision, from the March 25, 1967, issue of the Post. Reporter Stewart Alsop visited a vulnerable, isolated unit near the Demilitarized Zone with guns pointing in all directions. The Marine battalion commander who led him around commented, Looks kind of like Custers last stand, doesnt it?

The article shows that some reporters and soldiers already saw that Vietnam wasnt going to be the short, decisive, or victorious war that Washington expected.

Featured image: From The Presidents Next Big Decision from the March 25, 1967, issue of the Post. Photo by Michel Renard
Weekly Newsletter The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! Join

Maudie wants to kill a hare. Even in her bell-clear moments she hangs onto the idea with something like a death grip. Maudies in a death grip now herself. Deaths grip. The doctor and the people from the hospice take turns telling me its just a matter of time now  as though for the past 66 years it had been a matter of something else.

I sit by Maudies bed, sometimes all night. She heaves herself and thrashes and calls out to Thomas and to Mama and to me. Make him give me that ax. Make him let me do one. And then when shes awake, she reasons with me, slivered in between the fretting and the rambling. She couldnt kill a rabbit. She couldnt heft a kitchen knife. I saw her try to pull a comb across the fuzzy tufts of down that have just started to grow back. She cant lift a thing. I feed her. Have for weeks.

Subscribe and get unlimited access to our online magazine archive. Subscribe Today

Let me kill one rabbit, Maudie says.

When you get your strength back.

When youre rested.

When youre fresher.

Maudie scowls at me. My sisters not a fool.

I kill all the rabbits now. I have been killing things for my whole life. Time was we had pigs and ducks and geese and tame game hens, but nowadays all the fowl that lays in plastic cellophane down at the A&P comes here in big mud-splattered trucks from warehouse stores in other states. You dont know if those chickens ever were alive. So nowadays its just the rabbits that stand in all but pure defiance between us and total expendability.

Rabbits. Lapin. Until she got sick, Maudie hand-printed the labels: LAPIN, in black calligraphy. I kill and clean and package them in cellophane and drive them into town to sell them to the Frenchman. He sells hard bread rolls and liver spreads and salads, ready-made, in what was the hat shop, next door to the bank. He buys our rabbits. Lapin. Thats his word. Gives us $3 a pound, sells some in the store, ships out all the rest.

When our brother Thomas was sick for the last time, Maudie and I phased out the birds. Maudie begged me, Dont you tell Thomas the birds are gone, hell get his mind in one huge uproar, and carry to the grave the worry we might starve, which even then I doubted seriously. I think worry is the first thing a person doesnt carry with him when he goes. I cannot make myself believe a person dies and then the next day wonders about who will pay the light bill or the money to the feed store. I think a person looks down from heaven, shrugs his shoulders, figures everything will probably be all right.

Or it wont.

Just one puny rabbit. Maudies voice gets whiny, like it did when we were girls.

Maudies never killed a thing. Papa let her go off in the house every time we did the hogs, and she would crawl underneath that metal bed and lie straight as a board until I ran upstairs singing out, Its finished. Theyre all done, as I moved slowly around the room, pretending to search bureau drawers and closets until I found her always in the same place  moving slowly, leaving in my wake my scent, that smell of outdoors and animals and blood. You can come out now, scaredy-cat. I know youre there.

Its evening now. Maudies time of day. This whole days got away from me somehow. The kitchens gone all dark while Ive been sitting here, but when I pass out through the screen door to the back porch, theres still light enough to see the wind move through the trees. I drop down on my Richmond chair beside the railing and lean way back to look up at the sky.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills; from whence cometh my help?

I read that verse a thousand times before I ever saw the question mark was there.

I groan the words out a second time, out of habit more than anything. I know wheres my help tonight. Shes dying and for sure there is no succor residing on any mountain Im aware of.

When Maudie and I were small, our father would take us up that big hill, there, behind the slaughterhouse. The ground was full of rocks, all sizes, so there was always a firm piece jutting out to make your footing sure, a thousand different sharp or rounded steps to make the climb secure. At the top was one big rock, as wide across as three or four fat sows, all fed up ready for the slaughter, and my father told us, Maudie and me, that our grandmother was buried underneath that stone. He told us that was why no one in our family could ever leave this place, because we could not move away from her. He said it was a two-way street. We kept faith living here, and this woman, dead long years, watched over us, protected us from every ill and evil.

Maudie told me one night as we lay in bed that that dead grandmother was what all the killing was about. The animals we killed were sacrifices, Maudie said, appeasements to her spirit. The next day she showed me a verse in the book of Hebrews that said without the shedding of blood, there could be no remission. I asked her what remission was, and she gave me a look and said what did it matter what it was. For a time I had it worked out that remission was that part of the tractor that made it go, but then Maudie told me that was transmission. Trans, which I heard as trance, which only served to muddle me up further.

Violence can be such a quiet thing, one slender little sin that keeps another person from her life.

Off and on for years Maudie and I would argue the particulars. Like two old Jesuits or Jews. Discussed the thing to death. I knew that in the Bible Israelites had sacrificed goats and sheep and doves to God. Not rabbits, though. For sure not pigs. No cloven hoofs. Unclean. I knew that no Jew, not even one in West Virginia, could eat a pork chop or a piece of bacon even if he starved to death. So it hardly figured that my father butchered swine for sacrifice to his dead mother; in addition to which, this woman wasnt God, which, I argued, would make her an idol if you did sacrifice to her, which would mean hell for certain, and very likely extra punishment on top of that.

Personally, I think the reason Maudie hid underneath the bed every blessed time there was a slaughter was her sheer and certain terror that one day my father would decide to make a switch to human sacrifice and grab him any person who happened to be handy. He had a certain fiercesomeness.

My own concerns were otherwise: I worried that at any time the old grandmother buried on the hill would take it in her head to roll the swine-humped stone away and come tearing down the mountain hell-bent for leather  or perhaps retaliation, long-considered, even justified. I saw her in a long white nightgown, hair in two thick gray braids, and in her hand a torch like the Statue of Liberty. So if it took the sacrifice of a few chickens to keep that woman happy and contented to stay put lying there, well, to my way of thinking, that was livestock well-invested.

I give my head a serious shake. I came out here tonight to think of Richmond  not dead grandmothers, not dead lambs or pigeons. Richmond. Ive had my mind on Richmond just about forever now. Sweet Richmond. I look down at my lap. Its dark now. I cant even see me. But I know that Im still right here.

I get me up and walk inside; I let the screen door slam. The last one who would care was buried years ago. Maudie used to slam the thing a hundred times a day. I light a fire and put the kettle on.

It was in the third grade that I got this thing for Richmond. Before that, I was going to Africa to be a foreign missionary. Then Mrs. Lowe, the new librarian, moved to the farm just up the road. Mrs. Lowe hated that farm like malaria, and every Tuesday when I would go in to change my books, Mrs. Lowe would tell me about Richmond, her hometown, the place she was a stupid fool to have ever left. I made my mind up that same summer to go off to Richmond the second I was grown, and did my worst to make up Lucille Harris mind to go with me.

I dump some dried sassafras in the teapot and splash the scalding water on.

I was in high school when my mother first started in with her nerve problem. By the time I graduated, we were calling it M.S. Miss, we always said. Like, I wish this Miss had missed us, say, or, Hows the Miss today?

And what do you think? Lucille Harris ended up in Richmond. Married a salesmen, like in the stories, a man from Richmond. Lucille lived there all her life. She told me once when she was home to visit, that Richmond wasnt what youd think. Now what would Lucille Harris know about what I would think?

Go for a visit, Mama would say. Go see the place.

But I didnt want to dip my toe in, I didnt want to see it just from the outside. I wanted to belong there, to go and live forever. I pour some tea and catch a whiff. I love that bitter smell. When Mama did, after forever, die  I was just 32  I sat down and wrote Lucille Harris one long letter, and I said, would she consider a paying houseguest, just till I could get set up on my own. Lucille never answered me. I never heard from her again. I saw her cousin in the post office late last year; she told me Lucille had just died. A fast cancer, the cousin said.

Sixty-seven days.

After Mama, someone was always getting sick and dying, or getting sick and recuperating, which would take even longer. My brother Thomas got T.B.  was sick with it for 20 years  then Papa, who begged and begged me not to leave. He always did hang onto everyone. Kept his own mother underneath a rock, and I remember Mama saying once, toward the end, she wanted so to die, but Papa never would let her go anywhere.

But Im not nearly 70. I read a story in a magazine about a lady who at the age of 67 met up with her childhood sweetheart after he was widowed, and she married him and had a rich, full life. No children, of course. Of course no children, but a rich, full life. Now myself, I dont have any childhood sweetheart to meet up with. No one in my family ever had much luck in that department, but anything gets possible once I start to think of Richmond.



It isnt fair. It isnt fair at all. Maudie is all tangled in the sheets. She is sweated wet.

Nancy will be here today, I say. The nurse you like. The one with good bones, Mama would have said. I made the custard youre so partial to.

Just one stupid rabbit. Maudies drifting off again. Just one, Papa.

Its not unusual to get these ideas at the end. To get fixated on one thing. Go along with her as much as possible, the doctor tells me. Dr. Julio, who is without a doubt the shortest grown-up person I have ever seen, not counting any dwarfs. She can take the medicine for the smallest reason. Ive told her that. She acts like she needs to make it last, to stretch it out. And dont forget the aspirin. He shuts the door, and fresh cold air moves in to take his place.

A person dying can be like some child who commences in to whine at breakfast time and has the wherewithal to keep it up all day. That bored tenacity, that cumbersome embarrassment of time.

Myself I think a person has a right to peevishness when shes caught up in dying. Shes got a right to lightning-white outrage, if it comes to that, and rancor, and frank spite, and brittle incredulity. Besides, if you can concentrate yourself on one small single fret, it might supplant, or at least, for the time, forestall your bumping blunt and inadvertent up against the idea of your beginning now to end.

Oh dear Lord in heaven, I say to myself, What am I going to do?

In fact, I know exactly what Im going to do. Im going to sell up after Maudies gone, clear out the rabbit hutches and blunt axes and chopping blocks and 12-inch knives. A lifetime of possessions, four lifetimes, five, if you count mine. Im going to sell up the lot for hard cash and move myself to Richmond. Desire waits a long time, the thing can travel underground for years. Ill never once look back. Not like the story in the Bible of Lots wife. Shes the one I always wanted the most not to be. I would be Job with boils, or Samson without a lick of energy before I would be her. When Maudie dies Im moving to Virginia, just like I was supposed to with old Lucille.

Hows your sister? everybody asks.

Fair, I say. Just fair.

I first get the idea of the guillotine from a mention of the French Revolution in a magazine, and the next time I take in a load of rabbits, I ask the Frenchman and he draws me a careful diagram on a torn-off piece of brown wrapping paper. He doesnt even think the what-for question. A foreigner, a person from another place, will take you at face value every time. He has had to take entirely seriously any number of queer, harebrained ideas to get where he has come to be.

We have a whole shed full of hardware, old wood, and blades to every purpose, but the manufacturing of any contraption, the simplest apparatus, will never once conform to your idea of how the things to go. First off, the blade is not supported properly and drops and nearly takes my hand off at the wrist. Then the wood frame lists to one side so the blade jams halfway down. I finally finish it well after midnight, working against time, or up against its brevity.

Youd think a person would be all wore out after that, but I am wide awake. Im not a fool. I know full well what Maudies on about with all her fretting. Fixing it so she can kill the rabbit is just the same as pulling out the plug on one of those hospital life-support machines. This is the last night my little sister and I will both occupy this planet. She still believes the stories we made up to scare ourselves. No surprises there. A persons childhood can hang on for dear life, cling clawing like some sharp-toothed creature that you cant shake loose, no matter how you try.

I know I will not sleep tonight. It is my sisters wake. Thats what the word means. I wander room to room. Maudies snore follows me, an ugly rasping thing. I go into the room we slept in when we were just girls, before our lives. Its cold, damp smelling. I walk over and bend down beside the little bureau Mama painted that sad shade of blue, a bureau with a single drawer that Maudie has kept locked for her whole life. I used to say at routine intervals that she could stop with all the secrecy and protest. I told her that I had already looked inside and seen her stupid treasures there. For ages then shed wear the key to the bureau drawer on a chain around her neck, till finally, in the end, the thing got lost. I bet that drawer has sat there locked up 30 years.

I go fetch the screwdriver that I keep for the sticky window in the bathroom, but when I go to pry the darn drawer open, it slides out easy, opens with a touch. It wasnt locked at all, a fact which for some reason makes me spitting mad. At Maudie? At me? I get down on my knees to have a look inside. My heart does the little thing it does.

And what was all the fuss about? Her stupid treasures. A little pink leather change purse with a click clasp and four pennies inside: 1921, 1917, 1914, another 1921. A white bead bracelet my mother wore, an empty book of savings bond stamps with an unshaved Uncle Sam glowering on the wrinkled cover, a blue marble, a little tablet of paper with the picture of a bird on every page, a feather, a couple gray stones, a 50-year-old pine cone, a blue ribbon with JESUS SAVES in blood-red letters. I pull the drawer out, upend the whole thing into the trash. I am that disappointed. An old blue envelope falls to the floor. I pick it up. June 11, 1959, the postmark, and the return address reads Mrs. Lucille Harris Wilson, 209 West Winton Street, Richmond, Virginia.

I pull myself to standing. The basket slips out of my hand, spilling Maudies trash across the floor.

I open up the letter:

My dear friend,

Of course you can come, yes come. You can live with us forever. Bill says so too, and bring a pillow for yourself. You write when youre coming. Well be ready. Love you,

Your friend Lucille



I turn the envelope over, and written in Maudies tight round hand: Forgive me. Its like writing a note to God in the hopes Hell find it on the morning of the final judgment day. Hoping it catches Him in a forgiving mood. Now whatever made Maudie keep this souvenir of treachery?

There is secrecy and there is treachery and they are not the same, they are not distant relatives. Violence can be such a quiet thing, one slender little sin that keeps another person from her life.

Maudie would have known that Id be on the midnight train the day the letter came. Maudie, Maudie. Youll need more than the blood of rabbits for that one, old girl. More than the blood of many rabbits for remission of that sin.

Suddenly Im all played out. Im sleepy, sleepy like Ive had a sleeping pill. I fall into bed still fully clothed.

As I drift off, I imagine I will dream tonight of fitting Maudies skinny neck into the guillotine with not an inch of space to spare and letting fall the ax blade weight to take off Maudies head.

It is a fitting punishment. I hear those words. Im running down an empty street and crying this. Im all alone in a big city and its the middle of the day, but the whole town is vacant.

Lucille. Lucille.

I shout out loud, but there is no one left alive to hear, and then I realize its the end of the world and Im the last person left alive. Up in the distance I see something black that moves across the road. A raccoon, I think, but I run up to it to find its only Mitsy, the cat we had when we were girls. A fat cat, raccoon-shaped, and pregnant half the time. Oh, Mitsy. I try to pick her up, but off she goes, and I am running after her so fast it hurts my side, and then Im at the farm, back home, and I see Mama hanging out the wash, Papa cutting wood, Thomas circling on the gravel on his old green bike. I thought the world had ended, I cry out. Oh, no, Mama says. It didnt end. They just changed it. And I run into the house, screaming, Maudie, Maudie. I thunder up the stairs. Somehow I know shes hiding. Underneath the bed. Maudie, girl, come out now. The world didnt end. It didnt end at all.

The dream circles the kitchen while I make tea. I dress, then I wrap Maudie up and wheel her to the shed. There has never been a slaughter in the house. There wont be one today. The ground is rough, the paving stones uneven. Once, the wheelchair tips and all but empties Maudie on the ground.

Now you just pull out this wood support when I say. Ill hold the hare, I say.

Quit telling me. I understand, Maudie says. Dont tell me anymore.

I wheel Maudie across the raised wood frame of the threshold, a bounce and drop proposition.

Ill get up, she says.

You sit, I tell her.

In the end she has to raise herself and take two steps ahead while I lift the metal wheels across the frame.

Now sit, I say.

I wheel her over to the table.

Thats it? she says.

Thats it, I say.

Humph.

When Maudie was a little girl, she said Humph just like its written out, as fully formed as any word. I havent heard her say it in I bet 40 years.

Maudie struggles and stands.

I grab the fattest rabbit, sluggish, old, and hold its head beneath the blade, and Maudie raises up out of the chair and reaches out and grabs the ax from the table at her side. She cant support the weight. The metal head drops like a two-ton anchor pointed at the ground. She stands there without moving, then lifts the old ax inches at a time and brings it down with one clean cut across the rabbits neck.

Fairs only fair, she says and slumps back in the chair. She looks awful. She looks dead.

I ask forgiveness, but I am not sorry. Maudie glares at me. Id do the same again.

She makes a noise that I dont like the sound of. Her next words come as gasps, in little puffs of putrid air. All I ever wanted in this lifetime was to keep you near. Now you go. She shuts her eyes. You hear me?

I look down at the dirt floor and then at the ceiling beams. I dont look at the rabbit.

I said, you hear me? Her left arm starts its thumping twitch.

I hear, I say. I hear.

Another snippet of my dream. Im standing on the stone that keeps my dead grandmother firmly underground, up on the mountain out back, and it is the highest mountain in the world. I can see the whole Earth at one time, the splashing ocean, Richmond  a little flyspeck on the plain  and then our farm and its enormous.

I float down from the mountain, closer to see me and Maudie sitting with our heads together on the back porch steps. Maudie is about 10 years old, which means Im 8 or 9 depending on what month it is. Were dressed in red-and-blue plaid cotton dresses with round white collars and limp ties tied in back. Our shoes, brown Buster Browns, scuffed and dusty, our brown hair, straggly. Were sitting with our heads together. Maudies humming, but were in dead earnest, sitting there. Were making something with our hands. It will have been our lives.

Linda McCullough Moore is the author of the novel The Distance Between (2010) and the short story collection This Road Will Take Us Closer to the Moon (2011). Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including O the Oprah Magazine, House Beautiful, and The Boston Globe. Her last story for the Post was People in My Life in the July 2014 issue. For more, visit lindamcculloughmoore.com.

This story is featured in the March/April 2017 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
Concord, NH -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2017 -- Stephen Hopkins was from Hampshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary, and resided in the parish of Hursley, Hampshire. They had three (3) children: Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles; all baptized there. It has long been claimed that the Hopkins family was from Wortley, Gloucester, but this was disproven in 1998 with the discovery of his true origins in Hursley.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/hopkins-stephen/



Stephen Hopkins went with the ship Sea Venture on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia in 1609 as a minister's clerk, but the ship wrecked in the "Isle of Devils" (Bermuda). Stranded on an island for ten months, the passengers and crew survived on turtles, birds, and wild pigs. Six months into the castaway, Stephen Hopkins and several others organized a mutiny against the current governor. The mutiny was discovered and Stephen was sentenced to death. However, he pleaded with sorrow and tears. "So penitent he was, and made so much moan, alleging the ruin of his wife and children in this his trespass, as it wrought in the hearts of all the better sorts of the company." He managed to get his sentence commuted. Eventually the castaways built a small ship and sailed themselves to Jamestown. How long Stephen remained in Jamestown is not known. However, while he was gone, his wife Mary died. She was buried in Hursley on 9 May 1613, and left behind a probate estate which mentions her children Elizabeth, Constance and Giles.



Stephen was back in England by 1617, when he married Elizabeth Fisher, but apparently had every intention of bringing his family back to Virginia. Their first child, Damaris, was born about 1618. In 1620, Stephen Hopkins brought his wife and children Constance, Giles, and Damaris on the Mayflower (child Elizabeth apparently had died). Stephen was a fairly active member of the Pilgrim group shortly after arrival, perhaps a result of his being one of the few individuals who had been to Virginia previously. He was a part of all the early exploring missions, and was used as an "expert" on Native Americans for the first few contacts. While out exploring, Stephen recognized and identified an Indian deer trap. And when Samoset walked into Plymouth and welcomed the English, he was housed in Stephen Hopkins' house for the night. Stephen was also sent on several of the ambassadorial missions to meet with the various Indian groups in the region.



Stephen was an assistant to the governor through 1636, and volunteered for the Pequot War of 1637 but was never called to serve. By the late 1630s, however, Stephen began to occasionally run afoul of the Plymouth authorities, as he apparently opened up a shop and served alcohol. In 1636 he got into a fight with John Tisdale and seriously wounded him. In 1637, he was fined for allowing drinking and shuffleboard playing on Sunday. Early the next year he was fined for allowing people to drink excessively in his house: guest William Reynolds was fined, but the others were acquitted. In 1638 he was twice fined for selling beer at twice the actual value, and in 1639 he was fined for selling a looking glass for twice what it would cost if bought in the Bay Colony. Also in 1638, Stephen Hopkins' maidservant got pregnant from Arthur Peach, who was subsequently executed for murdering an Indian. The Plymouth Court ruled he was financially responsible for her and her child for the next two years (the amount remaining on her term of service). Stephen, in contempt of court, threw Dorothy out of his household and refused to provide for her, so the court committed him to custody. John Holmes stepped in and purchased Dorothy's remaining two years of service from him: agreeing to support her and child.



Stephen died in 1644, and made out a will, asking to be buried near his wife, and naming his surviving children.



BAPTISM: 30 April 1581 at Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England, son of John and Elizabeth (Williams) Hopkins.

FIRST MARRIAGE: Mary, possibly the daughter of Robert and Joan (Machell) Kent of Hursley, co. Hampshire, prior to 1604.

SECOND MARRIAGE: Elizabeth Fisher on 19 February 1617/8 at St. Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel, co. Middlesex, England.

CHILDREN (by Mary): Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles.

CHILDREN (by Elizabeth): Damaris, Oceanus, Caleb, Deborah, Damaris, Ruth, and Elizabeth.

DNA HAPLOGROUP: R1b-M269



Contact Adam Green!

c: 801-809-7766

e: g3president@comcast.net



Concord New Hampshire General Society of Mayflower Descendant, Adam Paul Green (Ancestor Stephen Hopkins / Gen.No. 86,723) Reveals New Geneology Resource Website for Local Enthusiasts http://www.news.adampaulgreen.com



Master Christopher Jones and several business partners purchased the ship Mayflower about 1607. Its origins prior to that remain uncertain. Its first documented voyage of record was to Trondheim, Norway, in 1609. Andrew Pawling hired the ship to take a cargo of London goods to Norway, sell them off, and buy Norway goods (lumber, tar, and fish) to return back to England. Unfortunately on the return voyage, the Mayflower encountered a severe North Sea storm and the master and crew were forced to toss most of Pawlings goods overboard to lighten the ship. The home of Master Christopher Jones: Harwich, co. Essex, England.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/



Following that, Christopher Jones seems to have stuck with safer trading routes. The Mayflower made numerous trips primarily to Bordeaux, France, returning to London with cargoes of French wine, Cognac, vinegar, and salt. The Mayflower could freight about 180 tons of cargo. The Mayflower also made occasional voyages to other ports, including once to Malaga, Spain, and twice to Hamburg, Germany.



Upon returning from a voyage to Bordeaux, France, in May 1620, the Mayflower and master Christopher Jones were hired to take the Pilgrims to Northern Virginia. This was the first recorded trans-Atlantic voyage for both ship and master, though Christopher Jones had several crewmembers, including pilot and master's mates John Clarke and Robert Coppin, who had been to the New World before.



The Mayflower was supposed to accompany another ship, the Speedwell, to America, but the Speedwell proved too leaky for the voyage so the Mayflower proceeded alone. Departing on 6 September 1620, the ship was at sea for 66 days, arriving November 9. The ship and crew overwintered with the Pilgrims and departed back for England on 5 April 1621, arriving back to England on May 6.



Christopher Jones took the ship out for a few more trading runs, but he died a couple of years later in March 1621/2. The ship was appraised for probate purposes in May 1624, and was referred to as being "in ruins." It was only valued at 128 pounds sterling, and was almost certainly broken up and sold off as scrap.



About MayflowerHistory.com

MayflowerHistory.com, the Internet's most complete and accurate website dealing with the Mayflower passengers and the history of the Pilgrims and early Plymouth Colony. The website was first created back in 1994 (when the web was still mostly text!) as a simple, but complete, passenger list of the Mayflower. It has grown over the past twenty years as the author, historian Caleb Johnson, has researched and compiled material.



http://mayflowerhistory.com
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2017 -- Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) announces the addition of a new report titled 'Military Personal Protective Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024. Military personal protective equipment has become a crucial and standard element of soldier equipment. One of the major factor driving the market is the increasing role of ground troops in different parts of the world such as Iraq, Afghanistan and India among others. The demand for military personal protective equipment is anticipated to be driven by modernization initiatives undertaken by several large defense spenders globally and various internal security threats, such as organized crime and terrorism among others.



Request for Sample Report: http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2504



One of the major factor driving the market is the increasing role of ground troops in different parts of the world such as Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq among others. As of 2014, there were 8 active military conflicts and 10 official wars known by the United States. In addition, there were also other violent clashes relating 64 countries and 576 separatist and militias groups. In 2016, in wars between Syria and Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, the Lake Chad basin and Yemen helps the military personal protective equipment market to grow at a high CAGR which in turn is expected to boost the market.



Body armor (IBA), improved outer tactical vest (IOTV), advanced combat helmet (ACH), pelvic protection systems (PPS), life safety jacket, military combat eye protection (MCEP) and others sectors are the various product types of the military personal protective equipment market. Among various product types of the military personal protective equipment market body armor (BA) is the held the major market share in 2015 and expected to be the same during the forecast period of 2016  2024.



Global Military Personal Protective Equipment Market: Segmentation



The military personal protective equipment market has been segmented on the basis of application into army, air force, navy and others. Among various application of the military personal protective equipment market army held major market share in 2015 followed by navy and is expected to be remain the same during the forecast period of 2016  2024. Several countries are focusing on manufacturing better military personal protective equipment such as lightweight under suits, ballistic inserts, combat helmets and advanced night vision equipment that provide the benefits of enhanced protection and comfort to ground, navy and air forces. In 2015, the market is expected to be dominated by North America followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. In addition, Asia Pacific occupies more than 20% of the global market share, is driven by developing economies such as India, South Korea, Japan and China among others which are performing soldier modernization programs.



Global Military Personal Protective Equipment Market: Regional Outlook



By geography, the military personal protective equipment market is classified into five regions namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. In 2015, North America holds the largest market share in the military personal protective equipment followed by Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. However, in 2024 Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the largest market for military personal protective equipment market followed by North America. China held the largest share for the military personal protective equipment market in Asia Pacific in 2015. It is also expected to experience healthy growth in the coming years. Growing research and development activities started by different research organizations acts as a driving factor of the market. In addition, growing concerns over the safety and protection of the forces is expected to propel the growth of the market.



Browse Full Report with TOC: http://www.mrrse.com/military-personal-protective-equipment-market



Key players profiled in this report include 3M Ceradyne (United States), ArmorWorks (United States), Eagle Industries Unlimited Inc (United States), BAE Systems (United Kingdom), DSM Dyneema (United States),Armorsource (United States), Du Pont (United States), Honeywell Advanced Fibres and Composites (United States), Revision Military Inc. (United States) and GentexCorporatio Corporation (United States) among others.



About MRRSE

Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.



MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSE's repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.



Contact

State Tower

90, State Street

Suite 700

Albany, NY - 12207

United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559

Email: sales@mrrse.com

Follow Us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrrse

Follow Us On Twitter- https://twitter.com/MRRSEmrrse
Bogota, Colombia -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2017 -- Motorcycle enthusiasts may be interested in the news that Luis Oscar Galvez Mateus, another renowned motorcycle enthusiast, has revealed more about himself through his website http://luisoscargalvezmateus.com/. Luis Oscar Galvez has a blog also on the website and motorcycle enthusiasts may also be interested in reading the posts on the blog.



Luis Oscar says that initially, his name contained the word "Galves" and hence, he had to change it to "Galvez" by seeking the help of a notary. There was nothing interesting about his childhood though he lived in 10 cities before settling in Bogota.



He graduated in Medicine but he found that he liked motorcycles more than anything else. In fact, motorcycles became his passion and he acquired about 15 bikes right from 110 cc bikes to 1200 cc bikes. His aim is to have at least 30 bikes in his garage by 2025. He is ready to spend whatever money he earns for achieving this aim.



One of his blog posts is entitled "5 Tips for Traveling on a Motorcycle" and bikers can find this immensely useful. "How to wash your hands to ride in Moto - Health with Luis Oscar" is another interesting post. In a nutshell, bike enthusiasts will find the life as well as blog posts of Luis Oscar Galvez Mateus useful and educative.



About Luis Oscar Galvez Mateus

Luis Oscar Galvez Mateus, a renowned motorcycle enthusiast, has revealed a lot about himself through his website http://luisoscargalvezmateus.com/. Luis Oscar Galvez has a blog also on the website and motorcycle enthusiasts may be interested in reading the posts on the blog.



For Media Contact:

Luis Oscar Galvez Mateus

Address: Calle 72 # 10-34 - Avenida Chile - Bogota, Colombia. Codigo postal: 110141

Contact Number: (+57) 3228701454

Contact email: pipealegria2005@gmail.com

http://luisoscargalvezmateus.com/
Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2017 -- Renowned quality urgent care in Los Angeles are scarce. Other urgent care in Los Angeles cannot compare to Vermont Urgent Care as they genuinely care for their patients' wellbeing. They know that getting an injury treated or sickness cured is crucial to maintaining the ability to provide for themselves and their families.



Vermont Urgent Care is the premiere urgent care in Los Angeles area due to their ability to put customers at ease. This ease comes from providing fast service and focused care for affordable rates. Vermont Urgent Care Los Angeles has affordable rates and accepts most forms of insurance; if a patient does not have insurance they will accept cash.



For those experiencing non-life threatening emergencies, Vermont Urgent Care advises you to visit their urgent care in Los Angeles instead of an emergency room. An urgent care in Los Angeles will have shorter wait times than that of an ER because they do not have to prioritize life-threatening situations. The doctors and nurses are trained for emergency room situations so you can rest assured that you are getting the best care necessary for your ailment.



About Vermont Urgent Care

Renowned urgent care in Los Angeles, Vermont Urgent Care, is staffed with dedicated doctors and nurses that genuinely care about the well being of their patients. Without this dedication Vermont Urgent Care would be just another mediocre urgent care in Los Angeles.



To get more information visit their website at http://vermonturgentcare.org/ or drop in for all of your urgent care needs at 1435 S. Vermont Ave #100, Los Angeles, CA 90006.



Media Contact:

Dana Smith

Company Name: Vermont Urgent Care & Multi Specialty Center

Phone Number: 213-386-2511

Address: Los Angeles, CA

E-mail: info@vermonturgentcare.org
Alpharetta, GA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2017 -- ZCorum, an industry leader in the deployment of managed diagnostics tools and software for broadband providers, announced that the International Trade Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) has named ZCorum as a recipient of a 2017 GLOBE (Georgia Launching Opportunities By Exporting) Award. The awards are sponsored by the GDEcD and recognize businesses that have entered into new international markets in the previous year. This fourth annual event featured Georgia's Governor Nathan Deal presenting the awards to 24 Georgia businesses.



Click to Tweet



"The Go Global event highlights innovative businesses and the enormous impact trade has on Georgia's economy, while providing industry leaders an opportunity to network and strengthen relationships with international partners," said Deal. "These businesses contribute heavily to Georgia's success and significantly bolster the state's economy by reaching new markets."



ZCorum Vice President Arthur Skinner upon receiving the award remarked, "We are proud to be playing a part in Georgia's continuing international trade growth and honored to be receiving a GLOBE Award for a fourth year. ZCorum recognizes the opportunity inherent in connecting to the large broadband operator customer base that exists outside the borders of the United States. We're providing trusted business tools and practical advice to help cable operators in global markets to better manage their operations."



The award was presented at the Go Global Reception at the Atlanta History Center on March 14, 2017.



About ZCorum

ZCorum provides broadband diagnostics and managed services to cable and telephone companies, utilities, and municipalities. ZCorum continues to help operators increase operational efficiency and reduce costs through diagnostics solutions for DOCSIS, DSL and Fiber networks. Managed services include data and VoIP provisioning, residential and commercial VoIP service, branded email and Web hosting, along with 24x7 support for end-users. ZCorum is headquartered in Alpharetta, GA.



For more information, please visit http://www.ZCorum.com



Contact:

Rick Yuzzi

Company: ZCorum

Address: 4501 North Point Parkway, Suite 125, Alpharetta, GA 30022

Phone: 678-507-5000

Email: ryuzzi@zcorum.com
Exoplanet hunters struck gold earlier this year with the discovery of seven rocky bodies orbiting around dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, a find that both raised hopes, and provided a new target, for understanding if life exists elsewhere in the cosmos. Now, a new Harvard paper suggests this populous planetary system could also test the ease with which life can hop between planets, and perhaps even end uncertainty over our own status as true Earth-lings.

For several decades, proponents of interplanetary exchange of life have imagined a broadly similar scenario  a meteorite or asteroid impacts a life-supporting planet throwing up rocks containing living or almost living stowaways.

Traveling across interplanetary space some of this material eventually impacts a neighbor planet where life, or its seeds, are successfully introduced.

Known as panspermia some suggest this contamination mechanism may be the most common method for lifes distribution across the Universe, and even raises the possibility that all life on Earth might have originated elsewhere.

However, the panspermia model is plagued by uncertainties. The intense heat generated by impacts could be a roadblock, as could the high concentration of cosmic and UV rays found across interplanetary space. Anything hitching a ride would need to survive a long time  several millions years between Earth and Mars.

All these uncertainties remain today despite advanced simulations and modeling.

Perhaps there is an easier way? Could we prove panspermias validity by finding evidence of it happening elsewhere?

If the same biosignature gases are detected on planets in a single system, or if the spectral feature of vegetation occurs at the same wavelength, this could be a smoking gun, says Manasvi Lingam from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who believes such observations may fall within the capabilities of future planned telescopes like the Large UV/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR).

So where to look? Lingam thinks TRAPPIST-1 might not be a bad place to start.

The distance between the three planets confirmed to orbit within the systems narrow habitable zone is 50 times less than that from Earth to Mars.

Lingam and his colleague Avi Loeb reasoned this should benefit panspermias chances both by increasing the amount of material exchanged, and reducing the travel time through dangerous interplanetary space.

Even if one believes that the probability for life, as we know it, is small, the dice was rolled three times in the TRAPPIST-1 system leading to a higher chance of success, says Loeb.

To get firmer answers, the two did the Math  or at least some of it.

In a new paper published on the arXiv.org site, Lingam and Loeb use a simple model of the mechanics of the TRAPPIST-1 habitable zone to answer two questions: if debris is ejected from one planet, what is the probability it will be captured by a neighbor, and what would be the average travel time for this journey?

These are two quantifiable mechanical factors that have significant biological implications, says Lingam.

Their model suggests panspermia is several orders of magnitude more likely to occur in the TRAPPIST-1 system than the Earth-Mars system. In fact, they conclude that the more congested planetary orbits of planetary systems around most of these M-dwarf stars (the most common stars in our Galaxy), means the fraction of rock leaving one planet and hitting another could be as much as 1,000 times higher than between Earth and Mars.

For Loeb and Lingam, the close proximity of the TRAPPIST-1 planets was not just common to other M-dwarf star systems, but also reminiscent of an environment on the Earth, namely islands, which are subject to their own immigration.

Drawing on models of island biogeography and theoretical ecology, they suggest it might not be just the likelihood of panspermia that increases in around M-dwarfs but also the number of species potentially transferred, increasing biodiversity.

There are, however, limitations of this simple model.

Caleb Scharf, Director of Astrobiology at Colombia University, cautions against assuming the scale of impacts would be the same as we see in our solar system.

In a system like TRAPPIST-1 where planets are so close-packed, there may not be a population of long-term asteroids or short period comets to provide the impacts needed to eject material and allow transfer between planets.

The model also says nothing about the chances of life started in the first place, and is only able to quantify the fraction of rocks that would impact a particular planet, not the total number. Finally, it says nothing of the complex chemical biology that would underpin whether life would survive the impact of the travel journey.

Despite this, a confirmation of TRAPPIST-1s relatively optimal conditions for panspermia could have significant implications in the future.

If life is confirmed within this system but we find no evidence that panspermia has transferred it to another planet, it would be hard to envisage it happening in a far less suitable system like our own, says Lingam, dealing a blow to theories of our own Martian origin.

Whilst any future discovery of panspermia around TRAPPIST-1, or another M-dwarf system, might seem like coming after the Lord Mayors show, considering it would follow the realization that we are not alone in the Universe, it would still be revolutionary in its own right.

Vindicating this life spreading mechanism would fundamentally change our understanding of how life is distributed around the cosmos and change completely any debate around our own extra-terrestrial origins.

_____

Manasvi Lingam & Abraham Loeb. 2017. Enhanced interplanetary panspermia in the TRAPPIST-1 system. PNAS, submitted for publication; arXiv: 1703.00878
[NAIROBI] Scaling up low-cost technological innovations and incorporating business model into healthcare could help cut maternal and child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa, experts say.



According to World Health Organisation, Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for 66 per cent of global maternal deaths in 2015.



At a meeting of the General Electric (GE) healthymagination Mother and Child Program meeting held in Kenya last month (23 February), experts called for a paradigm shift to address the program.

Technological innovation alone is insufficient. We also need business model to get technology to the people. Thane Kreiner, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship

The GE healthymagination program graduated 14 social entrepreneurs who completed training and mentorship aimed at improving and accelerating maternal and child health outcomes in Africa. The 14 entrepreneurs have innovations in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda.



Robert Wells, executive director for strategy, healthymagination, says that although the health sector is in poor conditions, there are affordable, accessible and quality healthcare interventions for all.



He notes that the graduates completed a three-day, in-person workshop followed by a six-month online accelerator programme that included weekly, in-depth mentoring from Silicon Valley-based executives in the United States and local GE business leaders.



Wells explains that healthymagination Mother and Child program is designed to help social entrepreneurs acquire business fundamentals, improve their strategic thought processes and articulate a business plan that demonstrates impact, growth and long-term financial sustainability.



Thane Kreiner, executive director of Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University in the United States, tells SciDev.Net that too many mothers and children are dying especially in rural communities and urban slums from preventable diseases.



Technological innovation alone is insufficient, says Kreiner. We also need business model to get technology to the people.



He adds that creating innovative business model to train local people as community health workers could boost job creation and provide livelihood for the people. According to Kreiner, having more community health workers, especially in rural communities where physicians are not available, could help prevent maternal and child deaths.

Segun Ebitanmi, one of the social entrepreneurs and chief operating officer at Outreach Medical Services in Nigeria, challenges African governments to invest more in healthcare not by building hospitals alone.However, he suggests that although health insurance could help poor people access good health facilities, African governments should also provide a conducive environment through infrastructure such as electricity and water Ebitanmi urges the implementation of quality standards that will regulate, monitor, evaluate and audit the health sector in Africa for sustainability

This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Global warming is hitting the Earth badly. Recently, scientists have found that the frigid top of the Earth has a new record for the low level of sea ice. The experts say it is a signal that the Earth is overheating.

In the Arctic, the extent of the floating ice slams a new low for winter. It measures around 5.57 million square miles that are about 35,000 square miles or 97,000 square kilometers. However, it is below the 2015 record.

Thus, the director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center located in Colorado, Mark Serreze said the Arctic is in a "deep hole." When the summer and spring season is coming, it would mean more regions will be ice-free, according to Phys.Org.

Serreze added that "It's a key part of the Earth's climate system and we're losing it. We're losing the ice in all seasons now." The findings were released Wednesday.

As for Antarctica, the other end of the world, it also reaches a record with low mark. The sea ice also hit the lowest point this March. The Antarctic sea ice differs widely compared to the Artic sea ice, that is steadily decreasing.

The center for ice date measures how wide the sea ice extends, that is based on the satellite imagery. However, the measurement of the overall volume and the thickness of the ice is a challenge for the experts. But, according to the data from the University of Washington, it revealed that the volume of the ice last month was down to 42 percent since 1979. As per chief Axel Schweiger from the polar science center.

Meanwhile, SBS reported that several scientists mentioned that the loss of the sea ice is disturbing. The experts blame the combination of the natural random weather and the man-made global warming such as the burning of coal, gas, and oil. As a matter of fact, Serreze shared that the winter of 2016-2017 was unusually toasty and the Arctic experience three "extreme heat waves."

In line, retired admiral and meteorology professor David W. Titley from the Pennsylvania State University said that "It's evidence that the climate at the top of the world continues to change faster than anywhere else on Earth. It impacts to us that are still frankly unknown."
Yellow fever is spreading fast among Brazilian howler monkeys, killing thousands of those living in protected reserve. Experts are worried about the disease because they have never seen it took the lives of so many monkeys. Yellow fever is endemic in South America and began spreading in late 2016.

Even health officials in Brazil are getting worried about potential human repercussions of yellow fever. There are reports that as of mid-March, 400 human cases were recorded, including 150 casualties. To make it worse, there are another 900 suspected cases of human yellow fever that are yet to be confirmed, according to StatNews.

According to an animal biology professor, Sergio Lucena Mendes of Universidade Federal de Espirito Santo, howler monkeys is much sensitive to the disease compared to humans. However, they are still baffled of how yellow fever can transfer from one forest to another. The disease is supposed to be contained in a land-locked island and affected monkeys should have been isolated.

As of today, yellow fever virus is advancing from forest to forest even those that are 100 meters apart. Mendes said that he has never seen an outbreak of this magnitude, Science Daily reported. The pace of its advance can be described as a mass culling of howler monkeys.

Meanwhile, anthropology professor Karen Strier of the University of Wisconsin said that they still don't know what could be the repercussion of these howler monkeys dying en masse. It is also unsure if other primates living in Brazilian forests like the black capuchin, buffy-headed marmoset, and northern muriquis will be affected with yellow fever as well. The muriquis are particularly in trouble since they are already classified as critically endangered.

Strier described the current situation of brown howler monkeys as "tensed and scary." She revealed how the supposed noisy forests are getting quieter due to yellow fever attack. Brazilian forests are also threatened with imbalance, which could make other primates as the new dominant territorial species after the howler monkeys succumb to yellow fever.
Alaska can provide the route for Avian flu to enter in North America, according to an MIT study. Experts also warned that Alaska is an ideal place for new strains of flu to proliferate. To point out the possibility, H5N1 influenza was first recorded in Hong Kong back in 1997 but eventually found its way in the US by 2014. The outbreak prompts the US authorities to cull 50 million chickens and turkeys as a result.

According to campus organ MIT News, flu viruses are carried by migratory birds from Southeast Asia through the Bering Straight. Once in the area, the huge population of birds mixed up with those that were infected with endemic flu strain. As a result, what is supposed to be the Avian flu emerges as another strain. Some of these strains are potentially deadlier, like the one that spread to poultry farms in California and Oregon.

Avian flu or any subtypes can be classified within two brackets which people commonly know as H and N structures, as in H5N1. Among birds, the H5 is perennially present but the N structure seems to be the one to evolve frequently. As with the case in 2015, the US witnessed an evolved H5N2 and H5N8 strains. The MIT research is trying to unravel how such Avian flu is evolving among birds.

MIT's research had a breakthrough when they found out that common bird spots like the Bering Straight provide ground for intermingling. This process is called genetic re-assortment, wherein two different flu strains can infect the same bird, Phys.Org explained. Eventually, a deadlier strain like Avian flu develops and could find its way to infect humans.

Alaska is the most populated breeding ground for the migratory birds which ironically makes the area as a breeding ground for Avian flu as well. There is a higher risk by the time that birds move south because birds with diversified pathogenic H5 Avian flu viruses might eventually infect local hosts.
A 10-month-old baby girl born with a rare "parasitic twin" attached to her body has recently undergone successful surgery to remove the underdeveloped twin. The infant called Dominique was born with the lower half of her twins body -- the legs and feet, protruding from her neck and upper back.

Dominique, who belongs to West Africas Ivory Coast, traveled to the U.S. where she underwent surgery at the Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. The operation took six hours during which the parasitic twin was removed without any complications.

According to foster care provider Nancy Swabb, Dominique is doing really well after the surgery. Swabb also added that post operation, the infant is also able to raise her hands slightly more than before. The operation has also reduced Dominique's weight by two pounds.

The condition of having a parasitic twin occurs when identical twins fail to separate in the womb. At birth, a baby that has a parasitic twin is largely intact. However, he/she carries the tissues of the underdeveloped twin that died in the womb itself during development. As per NCBI report, the parasitic twin, or rather its tissues, is dependent on the body systems of the host twin for support.

According to pediatric surgeon Dr. John Ruge, the reason why twins fail to separate is still not known. However, as per one hypothesis, such a case can happen if blood supply is restricted in the womb during pregnancy. The case of parasitic twins is quite rare, with about one case occurring in 1 million.

Incidentally, Dominique had a high risk of paralysis without surgery because the parasitic twins tissues were attached to the spine. This made the 10-month-old vulnerable to a pressure and pull on her spinal cord. Moreover, Dominique's lungs and heart had to support the parasitic twin, and not being operated would have shortened her lifespan.
Net profit for 2016 was recorded at SGD1.17bn ($835.49m), down 7.5% from SGD1.27bn in 2015.

Full year revenue, however, rose by 3% year-on-year to SGD3.68bn.

PSA handled 67.63m teu for 2016, representing an increase of 5.5% from the previous year.

The container terminals operators flagship Singapore Terminals contributed 30.59m teu in 2016. PSA terminals outside Singapore delivered a total throughput of 37.04m teu, up 10.6% over 2015.

2016 was for the ports and shipping indsutry a period of unrelenting trials and tribulations, said Tan Chong Meng, group ceo of PSA International.

Burdened with a prolonged period of sluggish trade, sustained low oil prices, excess liner shipping capacity and depressed freight rates, the industry also had to deal with an unprecedented scale of consolidation through alliancing and merger of major shipping lines, and the complicated coordination tasks needed to ensure containers get to the importers in the aftermath of a major player becoming defunct, Tan said.

Moreover, we saw how the application of digital technology has started to make strong headway into our industry, presenting in some cases great opportunity for workflow and process improvement, and in other cases, cause for concern given their disruptive potential.
The award was received by the services head of plans and operations department, Nicola Carlone, at the ISUs annual Associate Members Day Conference in London.

ISU president John Witte said he was honoured to mark the great work done by the Italian Coast Guard over the past years and again this year in taking the lead in handling the huge numbers of migrants attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean Sea.

Their efforts have gone beyond boundaries, he continued, and have been undertaken regardless of circumstances and often at great personal risk. They have saved thousands of lives.

Indeed, the valiant work of the Italian Coast Guard was featured in the 2016 documentary feature film Fire at Sea which struck a chord with cinema audiences worldwide and was nominated for this years Oscars

Latest statistics released by the ISU indicate that its members provided 213 services to vessels carrying more than 2.5m tonnes of potentially polluting cargoes during operations in 2016.
According to a study to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Infection , dracunculiasis clearly appears for the first time in a 15th-century altarpiece on display at the Pinacoteca di Brera (Painting Gallery), located in southern Italy's Puglia region.

To relieve the pain and burning feeling that the worm causes when it erupts, the victims seek out water, prompting the worm to discharge its larvae, which starts the whole cycle over again. [ The 10 Most Diabolical and Disgusting Parasites ]

Currently endemic to areas in Chad, Ethiopia, Mali and South Sudan, the disease is transmitted to people who drink water infested with water fleas that are in the Cyclops genus, and that contain larvae of the guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis). One year after the person ingests the contaminated water, a spaghetti-like worm 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 1 meter) long erupts from a blistered area of the person's skin - usually in the lower part of the leg, according to he World Health Organization.

Italian researchers examining a medieval painting may have found the earliest visual depiction of dracunculiasis, a horrifying parasitic infection in which a worm up to 3 feet long creeps out of the skin.

The artwork is considered a rare example of Late Gothic painting in Puglia and depicts St. Roch, a 14th-century French pilgrim who is said to have healed victims of the plague, and came down with it himself.

"Indeed, St. Roch is typically represented with a bubo on the upper thigh," paleopathologist Raffaele Gaeta, at the University of Pisa, Italy, told Live Science.

The painting in Bari, showing the saint as a bearded man with long, curly blonde hair, is no exception. The anonymous painter portrayed St. Roch with a swelling on the left thigh, made visible by a rolled-down sock.

"However, the altarpiece adds a new, realistic detail: a white, thin filament comes out of the lesion and almost reaches the knee," Gaeta said.

He noted that art historians wrongly identified this element as a long drop of pus emerging from the infected wound. [25 Grisly Archaeological Discoveries]

"We believe instead that the painter portrayed an ancient case of dracunculiasis, an infectious disease caused by a nematode worm, the Dracunculus medinensis, well known in antiquity," Gaeta and colleagues Fabrizio Bruschi and Valentina Giuffra wrote in their study.

Dracunculiasis has plagued humankind for thousands of years. The Bible's Old Testament, dating to 1450 B.C., refers to the worm, according to the Carter Center. It is mentioned in the Egyptian medical Ebers Papyrus, dating from 1550 B.C., which suggested extracting the worm from the body by winding it around a stick - a method still used today.

Further evidence for the worm's existence in ancient Egypt was provided in the 1970s: A calcified guinea worm was found in the abdominal cavity of a 3,000-year-old mummy.

Parasitologists believe the biblical "fiery serpents" that attacked the Israelites who had escaped Egypt might have been guinea worms. The infection would have been widespread in the Middle East at the time of the exodus, as it was until recently.

"The worm doesn't kill, but leaves the victim in disabling misery," Gaeta said.

"The parasite could have earned its nickname 'fiery serpent' because it causes excruciating burning pain as it bursts through the skin," he added.

Although the disease is not documented in Italy, it is possible that the anonymous painter noticed the parasite in the wound of some traveler who arrived in Bari, which was an important port for people traveling to the East, particularly Syria and Palestine.

"He then added the long and thin white filament that comes out of the leg as a note of extreme realism," Gaeta said.

According to Francesco Galassi, a paleopathologist at Zurich University's Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, the research "offers room for a more general reflection on the importance of prevention of infectious diseases for international travelers in the modern world."

"I find it rather captivating that the authors hypothesize that this disease might have been portrayed on an individual coming to Bari from regions where, unlike the Italian Peninsula, the condition was endemic," Galassi told Live Science.

As a result of a 30-year campaign led by the Carter Center, a charity set up by former president Jimmy Carter, dracunculiasis will likely be the second human disease in history after smallpox to be eradicated. It will be the first parasitic disease to be wiped out and the first disease to be eradicated without the use of a drug or vaccine.

In 2016, only 25 cases of guinea-worm disease were reported globally, down from an estimated 3.5 million cases in 1986, according to the WHO's Global Health Observatory.

Original article on Live Science.
The world's first deep sea mining operation will kick off in early 2019 when a Canadian firm, Nautilus Minerals Inc., lowers a trio of massive remote-controlled mining robots to the floor of the Bismarck Sea off the coast of Papua New Guinea in pursuit of rich copper and gold reserves. The machines, each the size of a small house, are equipped with rock-crushing teeth resembling the large incisors of a dinosaur. The robots will lumber across the ocean floor on mammoth treads, grinding and chewing the encrusted seabed, sending plumes of sediment into the surrounding waters and killing marine life that gets in their way. The smallest of the robots weighs 200 tons. "A lot of people don't realize that there are more mineral resources on the seafloor than on land," said Michael Johnston, CEO of Nautilus, by phone from the company's field office in Brisbane, Australia. "Technology has allowed us to go there." If Nautilus succeeds, an undersea gold rush could be at hand. Over two-dozen contracts have already been granted to explore hundreds of thousands of square miles of ocean floor by a United Nations body called the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which regulates areas of the seafloor that lie outside of any national jurisdiction. "In the seabed, resources are incredibly rich," said Michael Lodge, Secretary-General of the ISA. "These are virgin resources. They're extremely high-grade. And they are super-abundant."

Analysts warn that population growth and a transition to low-carbon economies will test global supply constraints for minerals. Indeed, current levels of mining exploration are not keeping pace with future demand, according to a peer-reviewed paper published in March by a team of researchers led by the University of Delaware's Saleem Ali. The prospect of mineral demand outstripping supply has led an increasing number of firms to consider operations at the bottom of the ocean, where reserves of copper, nickel, and cobalt are thought to be plentiful, along with lesser amounts of gold and platinum. "It's no exaggeration to say that there are thousands of years' supply of minerals in the seabed," Secretary-General Lodge said. "There is just absolutely no shortage." Nautilus says early tests show their Bismark Sea site, called Solwara-1, is over 10-times as rich in copper as comparable land-based mines, with a copper grade above 7 percent versus an average 0.6 percent grade on land. The site also boasts over 20 grams per ton of gold, versus an average grade of 6 grams per ton on land. RELATED: 'Casper' Octopus Could Be Threatened by Deep Sea Mining Many of the world's best options for surface mining have long since been explored and developed, according to Thomas Graedel, an industrial ecologist at Yale University. "The planet has been extensively explored on land," he said by phone from New Haven. "I think industry will continue to want to explore for new potential deposits of minerals." Indeed, mining the ocean floor has been under consideration for decades, but seen as a remote possibility. In one famous case in 1974, the CIA used a fake ocean floor mining expedition, ostensibly backed by the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, as cover for an attempt to hoist a sunken Soviet submarine off the coast of Hawaii. But now, the practice is shifting from fantasy to reality  a fact that is causing alarm among environmental groups who argue that not enough research has been done to prove seabed mining is ecologically sound. "There are too many unknowns for this industry to go ahead," said Natalie Lowrey of the Australia-based Deep Sea Mining Campaign, which is calling for the practice to be banned. "We've already desecrated a lot of our lands. We don't need to be doing that in the deep sea."
I heard the tenor saxophone before Cynthia Mackey opened her door.

She always has jazz or classical music playing on the stereo. She likes the soothing background sounds  and her guests do, too.

Mackey is an Airbnb host. This month, Airbnb released a report showing that 62 percent of hosts in Oakland are women who earn an average of $5,510 per year.

I thought Id check on one.

Mackey, 56, has been hosting for four years. She rents an upstairs bedroom in the craftsman house she owns with her brother near Lake Merritt. Guests who pay $70 to $75 per night to stay with Mackey get more than a large room with a bed, couch and a walk-in closet that has been converted into an office.

They get an Oakland tour guide.

Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle

I interact with people. I like that part, Mackey said as we sat at her dining-room table. It gives you the opportunity to make an income, but it engages you. You interact as much as you care to.

Mackey represents the brightest side of Airbnb. She is friendly and unbuttoned. We talked about our families. Most of hers arrived in California from Mississippi and Louisiana, part of the black migration west in search of jobs unavailable in the segregated South.

But the debate over whether Airbnb exacerbates the housing crisis  with hosts listing nonoccupied condos and apartments all year  is making the rounds in the East Bay.

In January, Oakland began the process of regulating Airbnb and other short-term rental sites amid concerns the rentals siphon supply from an already scarce housing stock. The Oakland City Council is considering rules that could include taxes and permits on short-term rentals, as well as a monitoring and enforcement system that limits the number of nights a home can be rented. The council could pass the rules by the end of the year.

In San Francisco, ground zero for Airbnb regulatory skirmishes, the law allows hosts to rent a room in their house or apartment for an unlimited number of days, or entire homes for up to 90 days a year.

Airbnb says it has been collecting hotel taxes in Oakland since 2015 and has paid more than $2.5 million to the city. But Airbnb has to be even more up front with its data. If it can champion female hosts in Oakland, it can also be more vigilant rooting out hosts who want to game the system, thus depriving renters access to much-needed space.

Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle

Because hosts like Mackey, who are willing to play by the rules, shouldnt be deprived of showing people around Oakland year-round.

Mackey was born in Los Angeles, but she was raised in Oakland. Her father owned a pet grooming salon on Park Street in Alameda. She and her brother saved for seven years before purchasing their three-bedroom house in the Adams Point neighborhood 18 years ago.

No matter who went first  thats how we look at the things  the other would have this home, Mackey said.

They rented the basement apartment until the renter moved to Arizona to be closer to her grandchildren. Her brother wanted his own space, so he moved downstairs. Thats when Mackey began playing the jazz music so the house wouldnt feel empty.

Mackey has an engineering degree from USC, but hasnt had a full-time job since 2001. She works from home in marketing. She learned about Airbnb while reading an article in Essence, a lifestyle magazine for black women.

Thats ironic because Airbnb repeatedly has had to respond to allegations that hosts discriminate against black guests. Racism on the platform might be an even greater problem to solve because like many technology companies, Airbnb has struggled to promote diversity internally. In September, the company announced a plan to eradicate discriminatory hosts from its network.

Many of Mackeys guests dont realize shes black until they arrive.

Thats been interesting to see, she said.

Do they visibly react to the sight of her?

Some people do. They never say anything, Mackey said. Ive never had anybody say anything rude. I dont react to that. Im like, Welcome to my home, because thats what Im doing. Im welcoming you into my home.

I like to think  maybe they have a positive spin when they leave the home.

Mackey sees Airbnb as a steady, recession-proof source of income. As she gets closer to retirement, she knows the property taxes will still have to be paid. And what if health care costs go through the roof? As you age, the cost of living doesnt come down, but your earning potential certainly does.

And because Mackey works from home, it limits how much she socializes. But as an Airbnb host, the party comes to her. When a woman from South Africa came to visit her son, who is a chef at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, she and Mackey took walks around Lake Merritt.

When a large family from Mexico City, in Oakland for a wedding around Mexican Independence Day, rented several places in the neighborhood, they asked Mackey if they could have a party at her house.

And I asked the matriarch, Are you cooking? Mackey said.

Yes, she cooked. And instead of jazz, traditional Mexican music boomed from the living-room speakers.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Khizr Khan, the most famous man ever to pull the U.S. Constitution out of his coat pocket, said Thursday in San Francisco that he almost didnt do it.

I asked my wife if I could pull it out and wave it, Khan told 900 lawyers at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. She said no, thats not proper.

Khan is the Gold Star father who brought the Democratic National Convention to its feet last summer when he produced his personal copy of the Constitution from his pocket and urged Republican candidate Donald Trump to give it a read. Trump, infuriated, made Khan the target of his ire in the subsequent days, and the resulting furor sent Trumps poll numbers tumbling.

Khan told the members of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area that he had been moved to make his remarks after listening to Trump utter the most bigoted speech targeting Muslims, judges and immigrants during the presidential campaign.

How dare you call immigrants a burden, that you are going to build a wall and close doors, Khan said Thursday, apparently not finished offering advice to Trump.

More for you Trump Bump a good thing for these books

The lawyers, deeply moved, responded with a standing ovation. Each one took home a souvenir of Khans remarks in the form of a pocket copy of the Constitution similar to the one Khan had waved from the stage in Philadelphia.

Association President Miriam Kim figured coat-pocket copies of the Constitution were a good investment for her members because, she said, when you buy 900 copies of the Constitution, you get a discount. They were marked down to $1 apiece.

Theyre more than a party favor, she said with a smile. Theyre also a powerful reminder.

Khan, a lawyer and Pakistani immigrant whose son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, was killed in Iraq in 2004 by suicide car bombers, broke down with emotion while addressing the lawyers, who had presented him with their American Values Award.

This is a pilgrimage for me, he said, pressing his palms together in greeting. I wanted to walk in barefoot.

But he did reveal that his celebrated Constitution waving had only occurred after a Democratic convention producer told him backstage, moments before the speech, that he thought it was a great idea. It almost didnt happen for another reason as well  Khan said he at first believed he had forgotten to slip the Constitution into his pocket on his way to the convention hall but, checking his pocket, he found it miraculously next to some keys and loose coins.

The U.S. Constitution is such a complex document that even its most celebrated champion doesnt know it cover to cover. Asked if he knew the provisions of the 17th Amendment, Khan said he didnt, and he reached into his coat pocket once again for the document, as he had in Philadelphia.

This time he opened it, flipped a few pages and, after reading for a few seconds, said that it provided for the direct election of senators.

As for the election of Hillary Clintons opponent in November, Khan said it signaled hopefully a brief period, a bump our nation will endure.

And, he added, flipping through his pocket Constitution some more, there are always Article 2 and the 25th Amendment, which provide means for booting a president from office.

Maybe (Trumps) presidency will be short lived, Khan said. Maybe it will end this year. Maybe tomorrow.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

California air quality officials have approved what are widely considered to be the most rigorous and comprehensive regulations in the country for controlling methane emissions, a move that helps cement the states status as a standard-bearer for environmental protection.

The new rules, green-lighted Thursday by the states Air Resources Board, seek to curb methane emissions at oil and gas production plants by up to 45 percent over the next nine years. The cuts will come from a combination of heightened efficiency requirements, inspection mandates and rules meant to ensure that leaks are discovered and fixed swiftly. The regulations apply to both onshore and offshore oil and gas centers.

The standards, which experts said mark the first major piece of environmental regulation passed by any state since the turnover of power in Washington, were hailed as a triumph by environmental activists, but criticized as cumbersome, costly and ultimately unnecessary by oil and gas producers.

Our industry is not the top emitter of methane in the state, yet this rule will add to the nations toughest regulations that our operators must follow, such as cap and trade, Rock Zierman, the chief executive officer of industry trade group the California Independent Petroleum Association, said in a statement. We hope that regulators will provide ample time for implementation and ensure that the program is fairly and consistently enforced across the state.

The move by the state board coincided with efforts by members of Congress to undo federal rules finalized in the waning days of the Obama administration that seek to curtail methane emissions on federal and tribal lands.

The House of Representatives has already voted to overturn the rule. The Senate is expected to take up the issue in the coming weeks.

The Trump administration has also proposed sharp budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. Timothy OConnor, who directs the Environmental Defense Funds oil and gas program in California, said he expects more states to follow Californias lead when it comes to air quality regulation in anticipation of a lack of support from the federal government.

The Trump administration appears not to be concerned, and we think thats backwards, OConnor said. If the federal government wont protect the people and the environment from pollution, its up to the states to be responsible actors.

Other states, including Colorado, Ohio and Wyoming, have laws on the books to reduce methane emissions, but no other state has taken on both oil and gas operations. No other state has taken on both onshore and offshore operations, OConnor said.

The oil and gas industry accounts for about 4 percent of Californias total methane emissions, according to the Air Resources Board. Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is the second-most-abundant greenhouse gas emitted in the atmosphere, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

But, as the EPA reports, methane is substantially more efficient at trapping radiation compared with carbon dioxide, the most abundant greenhouse gas emitted. Pound for pound, methanes impact on climate change is 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, the EPA says.

About 33 percent of all methane emitted in the U.S. comes from natural gas and petroleum systems, according to the EPA. The gas can sputter out from transmission equipment and storage tanks throughout the production supply chain, in addition to controlled ventilation procedures that emit methane and other gases intentionally.

The regulations approved Thursday require that oil and gas operators above a certain size implement vapor recovery systems that will allow for methane that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere to be captured and reused. The rules also specify that producers must monitor and report on leaks from underground storage sites four times a year.

Previously, those inspections were required just once a year, but the Air Resources Board moved to require additional checks after the leak of an estimated 94,000 tons of natural gas from Southern California Gas Aliso Canyon storage facility in Los Angeles County. Gas seeped out of the site for almost four months beginning in October 2015.

In a conference call Wednesday ahead of the boards vote, Adam Brandt, an associate professor of energy resources at Stanford, said that more frequent inspections are imperative given that just 5 percent of all known leaks in a given year will account for roughly half of all the leaked gas.

You can have a situation where a small number of leaks is causing a relatively large amount of emissions. So its important to find these leaks quickly, Brandt said, adding that most or all of the costs of the new regulations could be offset because fewer leaks mean that producers will have more natural gas to sell.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Michael Mills, an attorney at the law firm Stoel Rives in Sacramento who represents the oil and gas industry, said the costs associated with complying with the new regulations will be particularly painful for smaller petroleum companies.

In California, there are a lot of small, mom-and-pop operators that regulations like this put a tremendous strain on, Mills said. Its very, very expensive, to the point where they might not be able to continue.

Chronicle staff writer

David R. Baker contributed

to this report.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
Four people were arrested after police seized high-powered AK-47 style assault rifles, ammunition, body armor, cocaine and thousands of dollars from a Santa Rosa home, officials said.

Detectives and police officers served a search warrant about 1 p.m. Wednesday on the house in the 500 block of Woodchuck Court, said Sgt. Tommy Isachsen of the Santa Rosa Police Department.

During the search, conducted as part of an ongoing investigation, detectives uncovered two semiautomatic AK-47 style assault rifles, ammunition, body armor vests, several ounces of cocaine and thousands of dollars in cash.

Upon their arrival to the home, Louwegie Wade Cortez, 34, of Santa Rosa, was detained when he attempted to flee in a car. He was taken into custody on suspicion of numerous felony violations, including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession of an assault rifle and being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition and narcotics for sale.

Donald Henry Gonzalez, Jr., 34, of Sebastopol, was arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant when he attempted to escape by foot, officials said.

Ryan Michael Perrine, 19, of Santa Rosa and David Nathan Nevarez, 37, of Clearlake, were also arrested when they arrived at the house during the polices search, officials said. Both men were arrested on suspicion of possessing an assault rifle, police said.

All four suspects were booked at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.

Detectives are investigating whether the firearms were stolen or used in other crimes.

Anyone with information can contact the Santa Rosa Police Department by calling (707) 528-5222 or report gang activity anonymously at (707) 543-4264.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
A San Francisco man was arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot a Muslim woman playing with her young son in a downtown park, police said Thursday.

Joshua Ruano, 27, was arrested March 17 on suspicion of making criminal threats with a hate crime enhancement and other crimes, police said. Investigators said he used Islamophobic slurs while allegedly threatening to shoot the woman.
A 21-year-old San Francisco woman was among four people, including two children, found slain Thursday in a Sacramento house where a friend said she was visiting an aunt.

Salvador Vasquez-Oliva, 56, was arrested on suspicion of committing the killings after he fled to San Francisco and police tracked him down at an apartment complex on Pierce Street and Golden Gate Avenue, officials said.

Yesenia Moz, 21, of Daly City said she woke up to a message Friday from the mother of her friend, Ashley Marie Coleman, saying Coleman was among the victims in the quadruple homicide.

Coleman lived with her mother in the Panhandle neighborhood of San Francisco. She was visiting her aunt and two young cousins in Sacramento when they were killed, Moz said.

Sacramento police have not commented on the relationship between Vasquez-Oliva and any of the victims, but Moz said that he is supposedly the estranged husband of Colemans aunt.

I dont see how someone can just do this to his family. I dont understand, Moz said. She wasnt the type of girl who would get in trouble.

Moz and Coleman met when they were students at Mission High School.

She was the person who was there for me, Moz said. She would always be there to listen no matter what time I would call her at night. She would be the girl who would help me in algebra, and she had a bright future ahead of her.

Other friends of Coleman contacted by The Chronicle said they were too distraught to speak.

Police discovered the four bodies in a home on the 1100 block of 35th Avenue in the South Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento when they went there around 7 a.m. Thursday to conduct a welfare check, said Officer Linda Matthews, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento Police Department. She said a family member had reported suspicious circumstances and asked police to visit the home.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The names, gender and ages of the victims were not released by the coroners office.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said he was told two of the victims were children.

It was Colemans infectious smile that Moz said she would remember most  and her love for nail polish. The two women last saw each other about a month ago at the movie theaters in Daly City, Moz said, after Coleman had moved back from Virginia, where she worked as a waitress.

Investigators were still working to determine a motive for the killings, but said the slayings did not appear to be random.

Im always going to remember her, Moz said. Its definitely heartbreaking to know shes gone.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
By now, many of you have seen the BBC Dad clip online. A professor is expounding on South Korean politics when his daughter struts into his home office, swinging her arms with the swagger of a prizefighter. A baby glides in on a walker and, moments later, a woman races in and frantically herds out the children.

The viral clip is a masterpiece of comic timing. Quickly, a debate rose up online. Who was the woman: a submissive, subservient nanny afraid of losing her job, or a harried mother, doing the best that she could?

The first time I viewed the clip, I wondered. The second time, I studied the children in the blurry video, to see if they might be biracial, like my twins (or as my scientist mother puts it, hybrids!). Probably the mother, I decided, which indeed she was.

If you thought she was the nanny, was it in part because she is Asian and her husband white  even if you know many such families, even if you are in one yourself?

When Im out with the twins, people have asked, Are they yours? Im taken aback each time because of whats implicit in the question: We dont belong together, because we dont (entirely) share the same race, even though Gege has my broad smile, even though both boys have inherited my nose.

Its a question that parents with multicultural or adopted children often get because they dont fit into the interrogators deep-seated notion of what a family looks like; theres even a blogger who writes about such issues at Im Not the Nanny.

It got me thinking about that old riddle from when I was a kid. A father and his son get in a horrific car accident. The father dies and the son is rushed to the hospital. In the operating room, the doctor says, I cant operate on him. Hes my son.

Youre supposed to guess how thats possible. Often, people would come up with convoluted, complicated answers  He was adopted? A stepson?  unable to figure out that the surgeon was a woman, the boys mother.

A study found that the assumption persists to this day. Among college students, only 14 percent answered that the mom was the surgeon. Among children ages 7 to 17, only 15 percent. Many respondents guessed that the son had gay parents and hence two fathers, while others decided that the father in the story referred to a priest, or that the surgeon was confused. They couldnt picture a woman as a doctor, even though nearly half of all medical students in the U.S. are women.

Early in life, we form schemas  generalizations based on what we learn from our families and the broader culture to explain a complex world  even if they run counter to our personal experience.

Recently, I was having dinner with a poet from Alabama, a state Ive never visited and know little about. I asked if there were immigrants. Many, she said.

In agriculture? I asked, imagining fieldworkers, red earth and lush rows of crops.

She paused. Because of the university. International students.

I apologized, chagrined. I hadnt thought to consider the university, its research or the intellectual life in her state even though the poets work is sophisticated, thought-provoking and deeply stirring.

I started my column with an Internet meme, and Ill end with another from a couple of years ago, when millions of viewers debated a picture of a stretchy lace dress. Was it white and gold striped or blue and black in color? Once you saw it one way, it was very difficult to see it in another  just like with schemas. Pop princess Taylor Swift tweeted, I feel like its a trick somehow. Im confused and scared.

We cant help but feel the same way when forced to decode our biases around race, class, gender and geography, whether watching a silly viral video or chatting with someone whose experience differs from our own. Even though families are changing, we fall back onto stereotypes about what parents and their children should look like.

Were awash in a sea of racism, sexism and homophobia. Its not surprising that all of us have schemas contaminated by powerful social forces, said Deborah Belle, the Boston University psychology professor who led the doctor-riddle study. All that you can do is attempt to overcome these schemas. Once you point it out to me, I have a responsibility. Eternal vigilance will be required for at least the next 300 years.

Vanessa Huas column appears Fridays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
After hearing about my first visit to Tastee Steam Kitchen in Oakland two of my well-traveled Chinese friends were intrigued; they had never heard about a "steam" restaurant, so I took them there.

At Tastee Steam Kitchen all the tables have a steamer with a clear dome built into the center. Below the dome is a steaming rack resting on a bowl. Diners first choose a flavored rice which is added to the bowl. Then they pick what they want to eat from more than 60 items. Waiters use a digital timer, also built into the table, so each item is cooked properly. Throughout the night as the ingredients steam, the excels liquid drips down to flavor the rice below.
It might seem like nothing could be more redundant in a theater review than to heap further praise on Hamilton. But the shows Thursday press opening at SHNs Orpheum Theatre demonstrated that in the Trump era, Lin-Manuel Mirandas musical about the nations first secretary of the Treasury has still more to teach us  and more to make us shudder.

Equally important, the show lives up to its hype, with apologies to would-be audiences thwarted by astronomical ticket prices or a thousands-deep queue on SHNs ticketing site.

Its not just the richly drawn characters or the irresistibly American story of Alexander Hamiltons rise from bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman to a hero and a scholar. Nor is it just the effortless cool of Thomas Kails direction; devilishly clever rhymes (pissed him and two-party system); a score that hops, within moments, from banjo twang to jazzy show tune to rap; or melodies that drive toward fiendish accidentals without compromising their catchiness.

That superlative quality extends to Howell Binkleys lighting. In one moment, garish pockets of violet and jungle green seem to come from no lighting source but emanate their own, incandescent clouds; the shading casts an already mournful scene  its the first tumble from grace for Alexander Hamilton (Michael Luwoye)  into a sickly memory, cementing a rash act into the irretrievable past.

Also extraordinary is Andy Blankenbuehlers hip-hop-inflected choreography. With moves that range from snappy to serpentine to gymnastic, this ensemble energizes and re-energizes every scene with the heady spirit of the Revolutionary era; in their rendering, every moment is a whirlwind moment, even, or especially, if it takes place in a Cabinet meeting (which Miranda distills to a rap battle).

Hamilton reminds us that our history was not preordained by some outside force or even by almighty founding fathers but eked out by the daily, uncertain decisions of flawed, selfish human beings. Lyrics like How lucky we are to be alive right now! History is happening in Manhattan, and we just happen to be in the greatest city in the world make you start to wonder, in spite of yourself, how the American Revolution will end.

But if the musical makes the past more feisty, it also makes the present more weighty. In the shows early performances (it premiered at New Yorks Public Theater in February 2015, before transferring to Broadway and winning 11 Tony Awards), it might have been easy to overlook the character of George Washington (Isaiah Johnson) in favor of some of the flashier ones, like Thomas Jefferson, who in Jordan Donicas charismatic rendering is both a froufrou dandy and the impossibly badass kid from your high school.

But in 2017, Washington stands out. You cant hear a U.S. president speaking words of penetrating wisdom or humbly, graciously assessing his own shortcomings without thinking of what that office has now become  especially as embodied by an actor of color (as most of the roles in Hamilton famously are) and especially given Johnsons rueful interpretation of the part. His Washington, hauntingly, isnt just a pioneer; hes somehow a seer, and things dont look good.

Mostly, the cast dazzles. Rory OMalley rules the stage as the foppish King George, even though hes just a disembodied head inside an ice cream sundae of a costume. Solea Pfeiffer develops Eliza Hamilton from a stereotypical epitome of feminine goodness (see the unfortunate song Helpless) to a devastating pillar of strength; her excellent pitch and nuanced texturing offer some of the shows chief musical pleasures.

Luwoye is the one exception. That isnt to say that he botches the title role, just that hes merely serviceable. One of the musicals opening scenes, set in a pub, requires Hamilton to win the favor of fellow revolutionaries, even as hes at his least schooled in social graces. But here, Luwoyes Hamilton is more pipsqueak than spark plug; its not clear why his peers would see past the unpalatable man to his galvanizing ideas.

Joshua Henrys performance as Aaron Burr makes the case that Hamilton is actually named after the wrong founding father. Already, Miranda has given his supposed villain the shows most complex developmental arc. While Hamilton is always just plugging away at being Hamilton, writing ceaselessly, speaking imprudently, his ideas static throughout his decades-long career, Burr gets to realize who he is and what he wants, and Henry charges each appearance with so many different feelings that even Burrs seemingly vacant stare offers layers of joy and despair.

A show that centers on the wheelings and dealings of power-hungry men didnt have to return to Eliza time and again, and ask whether she gets to be part of the history books. But it does, and thats how it closes, as the cast sings, Who lives? Who dies? Who tells your story?

The finale reminds us that Hamilton isnt concerned just with Revolutionary America, but with how we talk about our founding  and the revolution were still forging.

Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak

Hamilton: Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Directed by Thomas Kail. Through Aug. 5. Two hours, 45 minutes. $100-$868, subject to change. Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., S.F. (888) 746-1799. www.shnsf.com
California is paying too much for flood insurance. Its paying so much more than it should, experts contend, that it might be more cost-effective for the state to bow out of the national flood insurance program and set up its own system.

The numbers, which were collected by Nicholas Pinter at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and are being scrutinized by state water managers, tell a startling story.

California has certainly overpaid, and is still overpaying, for protection through the National Flood Insurance Program. After studying the past 21 years of flood insurance premiums and payouts around the nation, Pinter found that the federal program has paid out just 14 percent of California premiums collected in damage claims.

For comparisons sake, the largest recipient, Mississippi, received 560 percent of its premiums in damage claims.

These decades of overpayment have had a significant impact on Californians that goes beyond the financial loss  although thats significant. (Californias imbalance exceeds $3 billion since 1994.)

As Pinter pointed out, California could have invested that money in floodplain management, risk-reduction strategies for flooding and even infrastructure improvements. (The Oroville Dam comes to mind.)

The overpayments are also a disincentive for other states to be as responsible as California has been about managing flood risk.

California has been a national leader for the ways in which it strives to protect communities from flooding, spending billions of dollars to reinforce levees near cities and to implement flood mitigation measures like bypass channels and habitat restoration. To put it bluntly, not every state has made such measures a priority  and, with federal flood insurance, they seem to believe they dont have to.

The National Flood Insurance Program is rife with subsidies, such as low grandfathered premiums for homes in floodplain and coastal flood zones before the start of the program, Pinter wrote with co-authors Rui Hui and Kathy Schaefer in a December blog post.

That decision has hurt the federal program, which is currently $20 billion in debt as national flood losses continue to climb.

Now, with congressional reauthorization funds for the federal insurance program looking far from assured in Washingtons difficult political climate, some California water managers are exploring the idea of dropping federal flood insurance altogether and launching a state-run program.

California certainly has the expertise to start a state-run flood insurance program, and it has the financial incentive.

But would a state-run program really be the right answer?

Critics have pointed out that Pinters data only go back a couple of decades, while calculating the risk of a catastrophic flood event requires going back 50 or more years. Homes and communities are often built in areas where the flood protection measures are designed to withstand a once-in-100-years flood event, for example.

That distinction is important, because it may take only one of those unusual floods to create billions of dollars worth of damage to California properties.

New York and New Jersey, for example, were net payers into the federal flood insurance program before Hurricane Sandy hit. When those states were looking at $8 billion worth of payouts, they were glad for the federal insurance.

Thats why the simplest and most elegant solution to the problem would be for the federal flood insurance program to modify Californias premium payments. Californias representatives in D.C. should demand answers about these overpayments and about whether or not the program is using the best models for flood risk.

It will be a fight to get those answers, but thats a far better fight than battling over whether to keep California in the federal insurance program altogether.
By 2020, more people will have mobile phones than have electricity or running water in their homes or villages. More people are on Facebook than there are people in China or India. Cars are becoming intelligent robots on wheels. Factories are automating manufacturing, replacing tens of thousands of workers with robots. We have already outsourced a lot of work to algorithms: managing financial portfolios, qualifying loan applications, reading MRI exams, recommending products and optimizing travel routes. The human genome has become as readable and editable as a text document, transforming precision medicine.

These are the hallmarks of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, change that is sweeping the world much faster than previous technology-driven revolutions  steam-powered mechanical production, electric-powered mass production and microprocessor-powered automation. This boundary-less technology revolution offers boundless possibilities  including some that lead to negative consequences.

By one estimate, nearly half of jobs worldwide could be at risk over the next two decades because of advances in artificial intelligence and automation. This could lead to a workforce development crisis, and contribute to growing global inequality.

We must create the economy of the future and bring the workforce of today along with us.

We can do that by investing in our youths science, technological, engineering and math education and partnering on vocational training with nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations and community colleges. I was at the White House roundtable on the skills needs of the 21st century workplace last week and proposed a workforce development moonshot: 5 million apprenticeships in the next five years, modeled on successful programs in Germany and Switzerland.

Also, in building this workforce, we need to ensure that women are paid the same as men  equal pay for equal work. Women on average have less than two-thirds of the economic opportunity compared with men, and the World Economic Forum forecasts economic parity for women will take 170 years  unless we make changes.

We will have to confront many challenges brought by this Fourth Industrial Revolution, from the ethical challenges of genetic engineering and artificial intelligence to those of global warming and food production.

We all individually can have a direct role in shaping our future, and creating economic opportunity for millions of people by investing our time and resources in helping others.

As business leaders, government officials, educators and citizens, we need to adopt a set of principles and values that will take us to the future that we all want together. We need to establish guardrails that keep innovations on track to benefit all of humanity.

This is the core mission of the new World Economic Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco, which opened this week with offices in the Presidio. It will serve as a hub for creating the policies and frameworks governing advances in science and technology, as tech-enabled inequality spreads. Among the topics it will take up are the jobs of the future, artificial intelligence and ethics, national digital policies, cross-border data flows, civil drones, autonomous vehicles and technology affecting environmental commons.

Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, gave us a path for the centers mission. We must look past our own narrow interests, he said, and attend to the interests of our global society.

We have tremendous resources close by to fulfill the centers mission. The San Francisco Bay Area is the heart of global technology innovation, with amazing educational institutions  Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UCSF  and a special community of entrepreneurs, business leaders, thought leaders and scientists.

Technology is never good or bad  its what you do with it that makes the difference.

Marc Benioff is the chairman and CEO of Salesforce and the inaugural chair of the Advisory Board for the World Economic Forums Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The entrance to the Sequoia, the new fourth-floor bar and lounge above Wayfare Tavern, is so discreet you might miss the plaque next to the door if you arent looking. Once you step inside, theres no missing the Transamerica Pyramid. Framed by a newly installed skylight, it seems to float directly overhead.

When we started (the design), I said, I bet we have a view, says Tyler Florence, the Food Network star, and chef-owner of Wayfare Tavern. It turns out we did.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Starting Saturday, BART riders will be able to climb aboard a train and travel on an extension that will take them farther south than the rail system has ever gone.

The 5.4-mile Warm Springs/South Fremont extension is one more step toward taking BART to the heart of Silicon Valley, a goal that might be achieved this year. For now, the long-anticipated, much-delayed extension takes riders to and from a section of south Fremont that has long been the towns light-industrial backwater.

The first train Saturday will depart the Warm Springs station at 45193 Warm Springs Blvd. at 5:48 a.m. The first arriving train will pull in at 7:04 a.m.

Whats there to see once passengers arrive at BARTs 46th station? Not much. For now.

You look at the land immediately adjacent to BART and thats all land available for future opportunity, said Kelly Kline, Fremonts economic development director and chief innovation officer.

For the time being, aside from the glass rotunda at the entrance and the glass-and-white-painted steel station, theres a blacktop sea of sure-to-be-popular parking spaces  nearly 2,100 of them, including 42 electric vehicle charging stations. Beyond the lot is the scenic backdrop of the Fremont hills, which are, for the moment, in verdant splendor.

On the backside of the station, west across the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, lies an empty field and then the hindquarters of the sprawling Tesla plant, former home to Nummi and General Motors. To the east, across Warm Springs Boulevard, sits more empty land. Warehouses, self-storage units, building-supply outlets and machine shops, mixed with a few low-rise research and development buildings, are the nearest businesses. The nearest restaurant, Spin-A-Yarn Steakhouse, lies nearly a half-mile south.

BARTs arrival comes at a fortuitous time. All that vacant land surrounding the station is being transformed into the Fremont Innovation District, a plan under way to bring to the area more than 20,000 jobs and 3,000 housing units.

Signs of progress were visible from the station Monday. Across the street, brown trenches crisscrossed a green field and big sections of concrete pipes sat in lines. Behind the station, across the railroad tracks, bulldozers were starting to grade the site of the housing development.

Its fortunate for us to have a BART station landing in the middle of an already job-rich area, Kline said. Tesla already has thousands of employees. The fact that it has vacant land around it gives us a chance to densify the area.

Even existing businesses are bullish about BARTs newest station. Saki Kavouniaris has owned Spin-A-Yarn Steakhouse, founded in 1951, for 20 years, all of which were filled with predictions and promises of a BART station.

Weve been waiting and, finally, its here, he said. A lot of people didnt think it would ever happen, and it finally happened.

Kavouniaris said BARTs arrival and the Innovation Districts growth should ease traffic on Interstates 880 and 680 and give commuters an alternative to driving. He also anticipates it will deliver new customers.

Its going to be great for my business, he said. Its been a struggle for years.

Down the road at Fremont Times Square shopping center, a strip mall filled with Asian businesses, proprietors are also optimistic. Ling Chen, manager of Hong Kong Chef restaurant, said she hoped the new station would shorten many commutes, giving people more time to dine at her restaurant, or at least pick up some takeout.

Its good, really good, for my business, she said.

For commuters who struggle to find parking, or some other way of getting north to Fremont station, much of the Warm Springs/South Fremont Stations appeal will be its abundant parking and its location closer to their South Bay homes.

Its going to be a lot more convenient, said Rachel Matsuoka, 27, of Fremont, as she climbed into an Uber outside of Fremont station for a ride home. Oh yeah, its walking distance from my house.

BARTs journey to Warm Springs took longer than expected. Construction started in 2009 with crews tunneling under Fremonts Central Park and Lake Elizabeth. It was supposed to open in 2014, but a series of problems, most recently software troubles connecting the new station to the automated train control system, pushed the opening back about 2 years. Despite the delays, the cost of building the extension came in at $790 million, $100 million under budget.

About 6,000 to 7,000 passengers are expected to use Warm Springs/South Fremont Station on weekdays, said Jim Allison, a BART spokesman. BARTs not sure how many will be new riders.

Passengers bound for Powell Station in San Francisco will pay $6.60 for a 55-minute trip. The ride to Coliseum Station will take 32 minutes and cost $4.40, and a trip to downtown Berkeley will cost $5.15 and take 63 minutes.

Fremonts downtown station has been the end of the line for BART since it started service in 1972. But the new station wont have that designation for long. A 10-mile extension to Milpitas and the Berryessa neighborhood in east San Jose is under construction by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and could open as early as the end of this year.

But for now, the focus is on Warm Springs, an out-of-the-way place thats growing into a new Bay Area neighborhood, and finally has a BART station.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan

Public celebration

for new BART station

Trains will start carrying passengers to and from the new Warm Springs/South Fremont BART Station on Saturday, but first BART will hold a public celebration Friday.

What: Station open house, speeches, tours of three new BART railcars.

When: 10 a.m.-noon

How to get there: Parking lots at the station will be open and free. Shuttles will run between the station and Fremont station every 15-20 minutes from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: 45193 Warm Springs Blvd., Fremont
I have learned the hard way not to put my personal life on the Internet. But suffice it to say that, God willing, things should be pretty much back to norm...

3 weeks ago
Rallies and protest events are a part of political life in the Bay Area. Heres a roundup of whats happening in the next few days.

Saturday

Dark money summit: The California Clean Money Campaign hosts a summit on how to get dark money out of politics. The event is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto. Register: www.yesfairelections.org.

Danville town hall: Hosted by Mayor Renee Morgan with Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, state Sen. Steve Glazer, Assemblywoman Catharine Baker and Contra Costa County Supervisor Candace Andersen. The event is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, 400 Hartz Ave. Contact Nat Rojanasathira, assistant to the town manager, at (925) 314-3328 or nrojanasathira@danville.ca.gov for more information.

Health demonstration: A protest in support of the Affordable Care Act will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at the Federal Building, 90 Seventh St. in San Francisco.

Sunnyvale town hall: Hosted by Unity in Diversity to celebrate the Bay Areas diversity and address the uptick in hate crimes nationally. The event is from 4 to 6 p.m. at Sunnyvale City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave.

Sunday

Anti-Trump meetings: A general assembly to discuss strategy and develop plans to resist the Trump administration. Hosted by San Francisco United Against Trump from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Redstone Building, 2926 16th St. in San Francisco. Also, a planning meeting to push back at the Trump/Republican agenda will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Noe Valley branch of the San Francisco Public Library, 451 Jersey St.

Feminist Majority rally: A rally and walk supporting equality, hosted by the Feminist Majority. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. A rally featuring speakers, including Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, begins at 9:30 a.m. and will be followed by a walk. The event will be at Rinconada Park, 777 Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto. For more information, go to http://bit.ly/norcalwalkforequality.

Politics and capitalism: A discussion hosted by the Workers World Party on the state of politics and capitalism. The event is from 3 to 5 p.m. at 1305 Franklin St., No. 411, in Oakland.

Monday

Climate change discussion: Occupy Sonoma County asks, Is Global Climate Disruption Happening to Us or for Us? The event is free and will focus on how people affect climate change. It starts at 7 p.m. at the Peace and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa.

Anti-Trump panel: A discussion with civil rights attorneys and activists on opposition to President Trump. The event is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Center for Fair and Justice, 1305 University Ave. in Berkeley.

Tuesday

Rally aimed at Feinstein: A call for Sen. Dianne Feinstein not to strike compromises with the Trump administration. The event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will begin outside the Montgomery Street BART Station, 598 Market St. in San Francisco, and end outside Feinsteins office at 1 Post St. For more information: http://bit.ly/2njpqvN.

Wednesday

Sanctuary panel: Panel talk on sanctuary cities, as well as stories of immigration challenges. The event featuring immigration attorneys and former members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors begins at 6:30 p.m., 3271 18th St., San Francisco.

Privacy meeting: Hosted by the Oakland Privacy Working Group to organize against the surveillance state, against Urban Shield and to advocate for privacy and surveillance regulation ordinances to be passed around the Bay Area. The event is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Omni Commons, 4799 Shattuck Ave. in Oakland.

Thursday

Womens event: A happy hour and panel discussion featuring female entrepreneurs, Nevertheless, She Persisted: An Evening with Fearless Women. The event is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Double Dutch, 350 Rhode Island St., Suite 375 in San Francisco. For more information on speakers: http://bit.ly/2nxMB6e.

Friday

Transgender Day event: The Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Center will host a free community-wide event to commemorate Transgender Day of Visibility. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. at SOMArts, 934 Brannan St. in San Francisco.
Bill Hutchinson / The Chronicle

A 33-year-old woman was in life-threatening condition after she was punched and knocked to the ground in a violent street robbery near the Sunnydale housing development in San Francisco, police said Friday.

The woman was walking east on the 700 block of Velasco Avenue about 7:30 p.m. Thursday when she dropped her cell phone, San Francisco Police Department officials said.
California air quality officials have approved what are widely considered to be the most rigorous and comprehensive regulations in the country for controlling methane emissions, a move that helps cement the states status as a standard-bearer for environmental protection.

The new rules, green-lighted Thursday by the states Air Resources Board, seek to curb methane emissions at oil and gas production plants by up to 45 percent over the next nine years. The cuts will come from a combination of heightened efficiency requirements, inspection mandates and rules meant to ensure that leaks are discovered and fixed swiftly. The regulations apply to both onshore and offshore oil and gas centers.

The standards, which experts said mark the first major piece of environmental regulation passed by any state since the turnover of power in Washington, were hailed as a triumph by environmental activists, but criticized as cumbersome, costly and ultimately unnecessary by oil and gas producers.

Our industry is not the top emitter of methane in the state, yet this rule will add to the nations toughest regulations that our operators must follow, such as cap and trade, Rock Zierman, the chief executive officer of industry trade group the California Independent Petroleum Association, said in a statement. We hope that regulators will provide ample time for implementation and ensure that the program is fairly and consistently enforced across the state.

The move by the state board coincided with efforts by members of Congress to undo federal rules finalized in the waning days of the Obama administration that seek to curtail methane emissions on federal and tribal lands.

The House of Representatives has already voted to overturn the rule. The Senate is expected to take up the issue in the coming weeks.

The Trump administration has also proposed sharp budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. Timothy OConnor, who directs the Environmental Defense Funds oil and gas program in California, said he expects more states to follow Californias lead when it comes to air quality regulation in anticipation of a lack of support from the federal government.

The Trump administration appears not to be concerned, and we think thats backwards, OConnor said. If the federal government wont protect the people and the environment from pollution, its up to the states to be responsible actors.

Other states, including Colorado, Ohio and Wyoming, have laws on the books to reduce methane emissions, but no other state has taken on both oil and gas operations. No other state has taken on both onshore and offshore operations, OConnor said.

The oil and gas industry accounts for about 4 percent of Californias total methane emissions, according to the Air Resources Board. Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is the second-most-abundant greenhouse gas emitted in the atmosphere, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

But, as the EPA reports, methane is substantially more efficient at trapping radiation compared with carbon dioxide, the most abundant greenhouse gas emitted. Pound for pound, methanes impact on climate change is 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, the EPA says.

About 33 percent of all methane emitted in the U.S. comes from natural gas and petroleum systems, according to the EPA. The gas can sputter out from transmission equipment and storage tanks throughout the production supply chain, in addition to controlled ventilation procedures that emit methane and other gases intentionally.

The regulations approved Thursday require that oil and gas operators above a certain size implement vapor recovery systems that will allow for methane that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere to be captured and reused. The rules also specify that producers must monitor and report on leaks from underground storage sites four times a year.

Previously, those inspections were required just once a year, but the Air Resources Board moved to require additional checks after the leak of an estimated 94,000 tons of natural gas from Southern California Gas Aliso Canyon storage facility in Los Angeles County. Gas seeped out of the site for almost four months beginning in October 2015.

In a conference call Wednesday ahead of the boards vote, Adam Brandt, an associate professor of energy resources at Stanford, said that more frequent inspections are imperative given that just 5 percent of all known leaks in a given year will account for roughly half of all the leaked gas.

You can have a situation where a small number of leaks is causing a relatively large amount of emissions. So its important to find these leaks quickly, Brandt said, adding that most or all of the costs of the new regulations could be offset because fewer leaks mean that producers will have more natural gas to sell.

Michael Mills, an attorney at the law firm Stoel Rives in Sacramento who represents the oil and gas industry, said the costs associated with complying with the new regulations will be particularly painful for smaller petroleum companies.

In California, there are a lot of small, mom-and-pop operators that regulations like this put a tremendous strain on, Mills said. Its very, very expensive, to the point where they might not be able to continue.

Chronicle staff writer

David R. Baker contributed

to this report.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
Troubled electric-car startup Faraday Future has ended talks with Vallejo about building an auto factory on the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, city officials reported Friday.

The company will instead focus on completing its first factory in North Las Vegas, officials said. Work on the $1 billion factory came to a halt in November amid reports that privately held Faraday was facing a cash crunch.

The company  which aims to challenge Tesla with its own high-performance electric car  said Friday that it remains interested in the 157-acre Mare Island site and may restart negotiations in the future.

Faraday would like to thank the city and its officials for their generosity and professionalism throughout this process, and looks forward to exploring future opportunities with the city, the company said in a press release.

The Los Angeles company does not release financial information. But questions about its viability have been swirling since last fall.

Faradays main financial backer is Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, CEO of technology conglomerate LeEco, which has its own electric car division. But in a letter to LeEco employees last fall, he acknowledged that the company had lost focus and grown too fast. Nevadas state treasurer told the China Daily newspaper that Jia had run out of money.

LeEco declined to comment for this story. .

Faraday reported last month that it is soliciting bids from construction companies to carry out the next phase of construction in North Las Vegas.

Faraday Future wants to reinforce that our commitment to the state of Nevada and our $1 billion investment in the region over the next few years has never changed, the company said in a Feb. 15 press release. It reported spending $120 million so far, with grading on the site now complete.

Faraday unveiled its first production car, the FF 91, at the CES show in January and plans to begin production in 2018.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
Top tweet

Model 3 was going to be called Model E, for obvious dumb humor reasons, but Ford sued to block it, so now it is S3X. Totally different :)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a string of tweets about the planned new model, including a teaser video. Tesla has had a lot of success with its luxury-priced Model S and Model X, but the Model 3 will be a relatively affordable mass-market entry into the electric car market, with a base price expected at $35,000 to $40,000. By the end of 2018, Musk has pledged, the company will be churning out hundreds of thousands of them.

Number of the day

$11.4 million

Thats the price that Redfin said a two-bedroom apartment in the Western Addition sold for on Friday. San Francisco real estate prices are just crazy enough for that to sound believable, but for those hoping to cash in, there was bad news: Pacific Union agent Jenn Davis, who listed the apartment, said it was a typo. Ruined by a decimal point! The actual price: $1.14 million.

AI wont threaten our jobs, right?

When Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Axios  Mike Allen on Friday that the idea of artificial intelligence supplanting human jobs is not even on our radar screen because he expects it to be at least 50 years away, lots of techies were genuinely dumbfounded. As  Shark Tank  panelist and longtime tech investor Mark Cuban tweeted: Wow.

Compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. More items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techchronicle
Efforts to hire more women and people of color at Uber Technologies Inc. have been long hindered by a peculiar constraint. Members of the recruiting team were denied access to information about the companys diversity makeup, according to several people familiar with the San Francisco companys hiring process.

The recruiting arm assigns some members to focus on hiring diverse candidates, a program that has received enthusiastic endorsements from Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. But the team found it difficult to do its job without demographic data, which is a common way to identify a companys weaknesses and set hiring targets, the people said.

Ubers demographic composition has been a topic of interest for people outside the recruiting department, too. Various female software engineers have requested such data for years and were told the human resources department didnt track it. Some of them began calculating it on their own in an attempt to determine which managers seemed friendliest to women, said a former employee.

Beyond the lack of data, recruitment efforts struggled from a dearth of focus, funding and leadership. At least a half-dozen Uber recruiters involved in diversity programs have left in the past 18 months. Several of those people said diversity took a backseat to the companys needs to hire quickly.

Liane Hornsey, Ubers senior vice president of human resources, said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday that shes working to clean up Ubers cultural problems, including its approach to recruiting. Hornsey, who joined the company this year, said Uber revised 1,500 job descriptions to remove unconscious bias from the language, will hold job interview training for women in tech, and is ensuring that its panel of interviewers is diverse. Uber plans to release a diversity report for the first time next week.

Bloomberg spoke with about a dozen current and former Uber staffers familiar with the companys hiring process. They asked not to be identified because many have employment contracts that bar them from criticizing the company. Their experiences illustrate how a startup defined on breaking rules and expanding at any cost can develop into a homogenous work environment, where discrimination goes unchecked. Uber, valued at $69 billion, has become the latest test case for Silicon Valleys inclusion issues.

Uber is under enormous scrutiny following recent accusations of a toxic and sexist workplace. Susan Fowler, a former software engineer at the company, wrote a blog post last month alleging that her boss at Uber propositioned her for sex and was protected by HR. She also said women were discriminated against throughout the technical group.

The ride-hailing giant is now trying to rehabilitate its image and ease employee unrest. It hired former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the sexual harassment claims and the companys culture. The results of this probe are expected by the end of April and will be released to the public, according to Arianna Huffington, an Uber board member.

The company-wide meeting each Tuesday has become a weekly airing of grievances, where Kalanick has offered several tearful apologies. The 40-year-old CEO delivered one such atonement publicly after Bloomberg published a video showing him arguing with an Uber driver. Kalanick said he needed leadership help and would hire a chief operating officer. Some insiders are pushing for a strong female leader to take the role.

As the company prepares a full diversity report, it has presented one statistic: 15 percent of engineers, scientists and product managers are women. This is lower than other startups, and even its bigger and older tech peers, including Facebook, which has struggled with its own diversity hiring. Airbnb, which was founded around the same time as Uber, said 26 percent of technical employees are women. Lyft, which is Ubers main competitor in the U.S., said it also plans to release its first diversity report soon.

In 2015, as Uber was expanding worldwide and more than doubling its workforce, it hired Damien Hooper-Campbell as global diversity and inclusion lead. Hooper-Campbell, who is black, has extensive experience in the area. He was an assistant director of minority initiatives at Harvard Business School, a Goldman Sachs Group vice president focused on inclusion efforts, and a diversity strategist at Google.

Hooper-Campbell was initially directed to plan diversity recruitment programs and outline goals to make Uber more hospitable to minorities working there, said two former employees. The move was encouraging to his fellow recruiters, who were frustrated by a lack of leadership on diversity projects.

But Hooper-Campbells job soon changed. He was dispatched to Oakland to serve as a face of the company to officials there and help oversee logistics around the planned new office, the people said. His role was in constant flux, Sean Cervera, a former colleague on Ubers recruiting team, recalled in a blog post this month. Within a year, Hooper-Campbell left to become chief diversity officer at eBay. EBay declined to make him available for an interview.

Cervera wrote that he had been enlisted to help Uber find more diverse recruits in technical roles, but that he was allowed to spend only 10 percent of his time on that work. Cervera, who now works on inclusion recruiting programs at LinkedIn, declined to comment.

Mitch and Freada Kapor, a pair of early Uber investors, believe the company isnt doing enough. Uber has had countless opportunities to do the right thing, they wrote in a blog post. Ubers outsize success in terms of growth of market share, revenues and valuation are impressive, but can never excuse a culture plagued by disrespect, exclusionary cliques, lack of diversity, and tolerance for bullying and harassment of every form.

Cassie Vance, a brand strategy expert in San Francisco, said she was approached by Uber this month about a job opportunity. Under normal circumstances, Id love to have a conversation regarding a role like this. ... But ... these are not normal circumstances, Vance wrote to the recruiter, according to the LinkedIn message seen by Bloomberg. To say that Id be embarrassed to have Uber on my resume would be a gross understatement. I know Im not the only person that feels this way, and if you ask me, theres no marketing strategy that is going to get you guys out of the hole youve dug yourselves.

Olivia Zaleski and Eric Newcomer are Bloomberg writers. Email: ozaleski@bloomberg.net, enewcomer@bloomberg.net
A 21-year-old San Francisco woman was among four people, including two children, found slain Thursday in a Sacramento house where a friend said she was visiting an aunt.

Salvador Vasquez-Oliva, 56, was arrested on suspicion of committing the killings after he fled to San Francisco and police tracked him down at an apartment complex on Pierce Street and Golden Gate Avenue, officials said.

Yesenia Moz, 21, of Daly City said she woke up to a message Friday from the mother of her friend, Ashley Marie Coleman, saying Coleman was among the victims in the quadruple homicide.

Coleman lived with her mother in the Panhandle neighborhood of San Francisco. She was visiting her aunt and two young cousins in Sacramento when they were killed, Moz said.

Sacramento police have not commented on the relationship between Vasquez-Oliva and any of the victims, but Moz said that he is supposedly the estranged husband of Colemans aunt.

I dont see how someone can just do this to his family. I dont understand, Moz said. She wasnt the type of girl who would get in trouble.

Moz and Coleman met when they were students at Mission High School.

She was the person who was there for me, Moz said. She would always be there to listen no matter what time I would call her at night. She would be the girl who would help me in algebra, and she had a bright future ahead of her.

Other friends of Coleman contacted by The Chronicle said they were too distraught to speak.

Police discovered the four bodies in a home on the 1100 block of 35th Avenue in the South Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento when they went there around 7 a.m. Thursday to conduct a welfare check, said Officer Linda Matthews, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento Police Department. She said a family member had reported suspicious circumstances and asked police to visit the home.

The names, gender and ages of the victims were not released by the coroners office.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said he was told two of the victims were children.

It was Colemans infectious smile that Moz said she would remember most  and her love for nail polish. The two women last saw each other about a month ago at the movie theaters in Daly City, Moz said, after Coleman had moved back from Virginia, where she worked as a waitress.

Investigators were still working to determine a motive for the killings, but said the slayings did not appear to be random.

Im always going to remember her, Moz said. Its definitely heartbreaking to know shes gone.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
The woman who intentionally struck two people with her car and tried to run over others in the parking lot of a Union City Walmart was arrested Thursday, police said.

Hayward resident Jessica Malicoat, 23, was arrested at her residence without incident and booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, according to the Union City Police Department.
A former UC Berkeley employee claims in a lawsuit that a prominent philosophy professor groped and sexually harassed her last year, then fired her when she complained.

Joanna Ong, a 2014 graduate of UC Berkeley, was hired in July to work as a research assistant to John Searle, 84, and as a consultant at UC Berkeleys John Searle Center for Social Ontology, according to the complaint, which says Ong had taken a class of Searles and had developed an interest in philosophy. Searle retired in July 2014 but, as a professor emeritus, kept offices on campus and retained other privileges.

The lawsuit, filed this week in Alameda County Superior Court against the professor and the University of California regents, seeks unspecified damages. It says Ong ,was on the job for about a week when Searle asked another employee to leave the room and locked the door behind her.

The suit says he then slid his hands down the back of (Ongs) spine to her buttocks and told Ong that they were going to be lovers. Searle also said he had an emotional commitment to making her a public intellectual and that he would love her for a long time, the suit says.

Ong, 24, rejected the sexual advance and Searle apologized, she says in her suit.

Carla Hesse, head of UC Berkeleys response team on sexual harassment, has reviewed the lawsuit but declined to comment. Campus officials forwarded a copy of UCs sexual harassment policy.

That policy was revised in January 2016, as several cases of sexual harassment came to light at UC Berkeley in which administrators only lightly disciplined high-profile faculty members until the incidents received public scrutiny. These included a famous astronomer, an executive vice chancellor and the dean of the law school.

In November, The Chronicle reported on UC Berkeley findings that a prominent architecture professor, Nezar AlSayyad, had sexually harassed a student.

Unlike that student, Ong did not file a formal complaint with the university but hired a lawyer instead. But she says in her suit that she tried to tell the university about the problem.

Ong says she first reported the incident to the Searle Centers director, Jennifer Hudin in early August. The suit says Hudin told her that Searle had prior sexual relationships with his students in exchange for money or academic benefits, and that she would protect Ong from Searles advances.

But the suit alleges that no one working for Searle advised Ong that she should report the assault to upper management at UC Berkeley.

Neither Hudin nor Searle responded to a request for comment. UC Berkeley officials said Thursday that the retired professor was paid to teach a course this semester but is not currently teaching.

Ong was traveling and could not be reached for comment, said her attorney, John Kristensen, who in January won a record $1.15 million settlement from UC for a UC Santa Cruz student who said shed been raped by a professor.

Ongs suit alleges that Searle persisted in creating a hostile and awkward work environment.

At work, the professor occasionally encouraged Ong to log in to a Sugar Baby, Sugar Daddy website, which she declined to do , the suit says. One day, Ong, who is Asian American, referred to American imperialism. She says Searle replied: American imperialism? Oh, boy, that sounds great, honey! Lets go to bed and do that right now!

Ongs suit says that Searle also watched pornography in front of her and in view of students walking by his office. She says he also had her read and respond to flirtatious emails as part of her job.

Searle, who lectured on free will and rationality during his long career at UC Berkeley, is a prolific author of books on philosophy, including Making the Social World: The Structure of Human Civilization in 2010, and Rationality in Action in 2001. He received the National Humanites Medal in 2004.

According to the suit, Searle had agreed to pay Ong $4,000 a month for both jobs and cut her pay to $1,500 a month after the incidents.

In early September, Ong complained again to Hudin, the centers director. The suit says Hudin promised to report the problems to UC Berkeleys upper management but later admitted she did not because she needed to protect him.

Ong was fired from both jobs on Sept. 23, 2016, the suit says.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

After much anticipation, "Hamilton: The Musical" made its San Francisco debut at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday night, a performance that marks the launch of its national tour.

"My name is Alexander Hamilton/And there's a million things I haven't done/But just you wait, just you wait," raps a spry Hamilton, played by Michael Luwoye, in his first appearance onstage.

And boy, did San Francisco wait, and wait, and wait  generally in long ticket queues  just to snag a seat for the musical's Orpheum Theatre run.

Folks lined up hours before the show, taking photos with the posters lining Orpheum's walls and clutching their coveted tickets. As the crowd trickled in, it became increasingly evident that the white-wigged actors would perform for a full house.

RELATED VIDEO: 2,200 Bay Area students get to see "Hamilton"

Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, "Hamilton" premiered on Broadway last year to acclaim and accolades, winning everything from Tonys and Grammys to a Pulitzer Prize. The hip-hop musical tells the life story of Alexander Hamilton, with a multicultural cast playing his fellow founding fathers.

The first batch of "Hamilton" tickets was snatched up shortly after release on Dec. 12. SHN released additional tickets on load-in day and this past Wednesday, many of which have already been purchased.

Tickets, ranging in price from $197 to $868, are still available for the show's five-month run, although many of the available seats cost about $800 or have partially obstructed views. You'll be hard-pressed to find a ticket on the weekends.

You can purchase tickets from SHN here.

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.




WASHINGTON  President Trump green-lighted the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, declaring it a great day for American jobs and siding with energy advocates over environmental groups in a heated debate over climate change.

The presidential permit comes nearly a decade after Calgary-based TransCanada applied to build the $8 billion pipeline, which will snake from Canada through the United States. Trumps State Department said the project advances U.S. national interests, in a complete reversal of the conclusion President Barack Obamas administration reached less than a year-and-a-half ago.

Its a great day for American jobs and a historic moment for North America and energy independence, Trump said, standing alongside TransCanadas CEO in the Oval Office. Keystone will reduce costs and reliance on foreign oil while creating thousands of jobs, he said.

The decision caps the long scientific and political fight among advocacy groups over a project that became a proxy battle in the larger fight over global warming. And Fridays decision represents one of the biggest steps to date by Trumps administration to prioritize economic development over environmental concerns.

AL DRAGO/NYT

TransCanada, Trump said, can now build Keystone with efficiency and with speed. Though it still faces other major hurdles, including disputes over the route, the president said the federal government was formulating final details as we speak.

The 1,700-mile pipeline, as envisioned, would carry oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast, passing through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. It would move roughly 800,000 barrels of oil per day.

Environmentalists, Native American groups and landowners whove opposed Keystone expressed outrage, and Greenpeace said the U.S. was moving backwards on climate and energy policy.

Obama in 2015 rejected the pipeline after years of study, saying it would undercut U.S. credibility in the international climate change negotiations that culminated later that year in a global deal in Paris. He echoed the argument of environmental groups that Keystone would encourage use of carbon-heavy tar sands oil, contributing to global warming.

Environmental groups argued Canadas tar sands oil should stay in the ground. But Keystones backers said that wouldnt happen even if the pipeline wasnt built.

Keystone still faces obstacles to completion. In Nebraska, for example, the route must still be approved and opponents have repeatedly thwarted TransCanadas attempts to access the necessary land.

Josh Lederman is an Associated Press writer.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. government investigation of President Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, crossed the Atlantic earlier this year to the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, once known as a haven for money laundering by Russian billionaires.

Treasury agents in recent months obtained information connected to Manaforts transactions from Cypriot authorities, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. The request was part of a federal anticorruption probe into Manaforts work in Eastern Europe.

Manafort was Trumps unpaid campaign chairman from March until August last year, during the critical run-up to the Republican National Convention. Hes been a leading focus of the U.S. investigation into whether Trump associates coordinated with Moscow to meddle in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Manafort, in a statement Thursday when asked about the Cyprus transactions, characterized them as a normal practice. Like many companies doing business internationally, my company was paid via wire transfer, typically using clients preferred financial institutions and instructions, he said.

Federal prosecutors became interested in Manaforts activities years ago as part of a broad investigation to recover stolen Ukrainian assets after the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych there in early 2014. No U.S. criminal charges have been filed in the case.

It was not immediately clear what time period of Manaforts transactions was covered under the request from the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Manafort was known to route financial transactions through Cyprus, according to records of international wire transfers and public court documents filed in a 2014 legal dispute in the Cayman Islands with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska.

U.S. officials are expected to look into millions of dollars worth of wire transfers to Manafort. In one case, a Manafort-linked company received a $1 million payment in October 2009 from a mysterious firm through the Bank of Cyprus. The $1 million left the account the same day  split in two, roughly $500,000 disbursements to accounts with no obvious owner.

Jack Gillum, Menelaos Hadjicostis and Eric Tucker are Associated Press writers.
Coach had large impact in small amount of time A s you meander your way through life, there are certain people you meet that come into it for just...

Michigan Achievement Scholarship will make attending college more affordable for students LANSING  Recent high school graduates will now be eligible for a new scholarship to make attending college more affordable,...

Politicians should not legislate medical care Dear Editor, After the overturn of Roe v. Wade, several states have banned or strictly limited reproductive rights. This has...

Please read full proposals before voting Dear Editor, Although I tend to agree that every woman should be able to decide for herself about abortion, I...
OAKLAND (BCN)

University of California officials said today that they've reached a tentative agreement with the Teamsters union on a new five-year contract that would cover more than 11,000 clerical employees.

They said the contract, if it's ratified by Teamster members, would give the employees an annual 3 percent wage increase totaling 18 percent over the life of the contract, which would expire on March 31, 2022.

"We are pleased to have reached an agreement that maintains competitive wages and benefits for our clerical colleagues and recognizes the important role they play in keeping our campuses and medical centers running smoothly, UC Vice President for Systemwide Human Resources Dwaine Duckett said in a statement.

Employees are expected to vote on the tentative agreement soon, UC officials said.

Most employees would get a ratification bonus of $1,200 bonus, according to university officials. However, employees at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory wouldn't be eligible for the bonus because of U.S. Department of Energy regulations.

UC officials said the contract calls for a $25 limit on any rate increases to the Kaiser and Health Net Blue and Gold health insurance plans so that lower-salaried employees would be further protected in an ever-changing health care market.

They said the typical UC clerical employee would continue to pay an average of only $32 a month, or $384 per year, for generous health benefits for themselves and their dependents.

UC officials said that's a much smaller amount than average American workers, who pay more than $5,200 per year for less generous health benefits for just themselves.

Employees hired before last July 1, which represent the vast majority of all UC clerical staff, will continue to receive the same retirement benefits they currently do at the same contribution rates, according to university officials.

Employees hired on or after July 1 will have the option to choose either a traditional pension plan or a 401(k)-style plan, whichever fits their preference and needs, UC officials said.

UC and the Teamsters have been negotiating since April 2016.
California Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee investigating links between Russia and Donald Trumps presidential campaign, told The Chronicle Friday that its hard to have confidence in the panels GOP chairman because he has been providing political cover to the White House.

This is no way to conduct an investigation, said Schiff, as he blasted fellow California Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare.

Schiff, D-Burbank, said Nunes actions this week, including briefing President Trump on incidential intelligence on the president and his transition team discovered as part of court-approved surveillance of foreign powers, compromise his ability to lead a bi-partisan investigation of whether anyone on the campaign coordinated with Russians.

On Friday, Nunes announced that Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, would testify before the House Intelligence Committee in closed session as part of its investigation. The committee wants to look into links between Manafort and a wealthy Russian close to President Vladimir Putin. Schiff prefers that the hearing be held in open session so the public could see it.

Also on Friday, Nunes canceled a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday that was supposed to feature former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan and Sally Yates, who briefly served as acting attorney general in January.

But Nunes has been opaque  inconsistent in Schiffs words  about the content of the intelligence on Trump and his transition team. Nunes said it had nothing to do with Russian interference in the November election and was collected legally. Nunes main concern seems to be that the information was widely disseminated among intelligence officials, who had revealed the identities  unmasked  the people involved.

But Schiff and other Republicans such as Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, were aghast that Nunes shared the information personally with Trump and not members of the Intelligence Committee. Nunes also briefed House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Its hard to say anybody can have full confidence after the events of this week, Schiff told The Chronicle editorial board Friday via Skype. You dont take information to the White House instead of your own committee if it purports to shed light on one of the things that were investigating.

Nunes, a member of Trumps transition team who is close to the president, told Fox News commentator Sean Hannity this week that I felt I had a duty and obligation to tell (Trump) because, as you know, hes been taking a lot of heat in the news media."

Trump later said I very much appreciated the fact that they found what they found.

Schiff was baffled Friday about what the relevance of the information Nunes purports to have seen. He said Nunes needs to decide whether he wants to continuing being a surrogate for Trump or lead an independent investigation.

If the information wasnt about the Russian investigation and if, according to Nunes theres no evidence that anything was unlawfully collected, Schiff said the only thing I can surmise is that this was an effort to give the president some cover.

It appears that Nunes was helping the White House use this new information given to him to deflect criticism about the Russian investigation. So it isnt internally consistent, Schiff said Friday. But one thing is undeniable: This is no way to conduct an investigation.

Regardless of Nunes behavior, Schiff said that Democrats are not going to walk away from the investigation. Even though the Democratic members dont have the votes to require the committee to do anything, he hopes public pressure will result in creation of an independent commission to investigate Russian connections.

If we were to talk away and say that the chairman is fatally compromised and were not going to participate, then none of this is going to get investigated by the House, and that is just unacceptable, Schiff said Friday. Were going to soldier on.

But I think and hope the pressure becomes too great for the speaker to resist supporting an independent commission, he said.

So far, both Ryan and Nunes have declined to support an independent investigation.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
This story originally appeared on Hoodline.

Get ready, queen: tomorrow, RuPauls Drag Race returns for its ninth season.

Fresh off an Emmy win, the popular reality competition show has switched its time slot from 9pm Mondays to 8pm Fridaysruffling the feathers of San Francisco gay bars and their customers, who'd grown accustomed to starting the week by watching their favorite queens compete for a crown.

I liked Mondays because the show kind of owned the night," said local resident Tom Bellino. "You could be sure that everyone at the bar was there to watch it. Now that it's on on Fridays, there might be random people at the bars who didn't come to watch, and will be talking over it.

I'm afraid we just won't get that type of community feeling on Friday nights, said Matt Welch, another local. Plus, don't most bars already have Friday-night events?

Indeed, it is a challenge [to show RuPaul on Fridays], and we considered not doing it, said Geoffrey Benjamin, one of the owners of Oasis, a gay bar and cabaret on 11th Street.

But our patrons have told us they want to come to Oasis to watch. And because so many of the [shows contestants] have made Oasis their home, we would host a viewing party at 6am on a Tuesday, if that's when they wanted to show it.

John JB Bellemore, an owner of Midnight Sun and Q Bar, agrees that the Friday move is "unfortunate."

"In the current day and age, there's not much that brought us out as a community like RuPaul did on Mondays," Bellemore said. "That clearly won't happen much beyond the premiere episode. People have plans on Fridays, and bars have existing clientele to cater to."

With RuPaul no longer airing early in the week, many gay bars have griped about a business slowdown on Mondays. But some regular viewers are happy with the change.

It belongs on Friday night, said San Francisco resident Brian Barnett. Ever since ABC stopped their TGIF lineup, I've been hoping for something the whole family can enjoy!

Fellow local Zach Pramer agrees. "Mondays sucked ... Theyre reset days, and I liked taking the day off from drinking and socializing."

Want to catch RuPaul in her new time slot? Here's where to watch tomorrow's premiere:
BAGHDAD  The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group is investigating reports of an air strike in the city of Mosul that allegedly killed more than 100 civilians, according to a statement given to the Associated Press on Friday.

The suspected high toll underscores the difficulties that Iraqi troops face in the weeks-long fight to route the Sunni militant Islamic State group from the densely urban part of the city, Iraqs second-largest.

Residents of the neighborhood known as Mosul Jidideh told an Associated Press team at the scene that scores of residents are believed to have been killed by a pair of air strikes that hit a cluster of homes in the area earlier this month.

Over 137 people were inside. The entire neighborhood was fleeing because of missiles that hit, so people were taking refuge here, said Ahmed Ahmed, a resident of the neighborhood.

One strike hit the area on March 13, followed by a second strike four days later, the residents said.

Associated Press reporters saw at least 50 bodies being recovered from the wreckage of the buildings. A team of Iraqi rescue engineers worked to recover the bodies on Friday, after being prevented from reaching the site for days due to fierce frontline clashes, according to Safaa Saadi Jawad, one of the engineers.

The coalition has opened a formal civilian casualty credibility assessment on this allegation, the statement continued, adding that coalition planes routinely strike Islamic State targets in this area and that coalition forces take all reasonable precautions during the planning and execution of air strikes to reduce the risk of harm to civilians.

Civilians, humanitarian and monitoring officials are warning of increased civilian casualties in Mosul because of the increased reliance on air strikes and artillery.

Susannah George is an Associated Press writer.
Carl Court/Getty Images

LONDON  Authorities on Thursday identified a 52-year-old Briton as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism  but was not currently on a terrorism watch list.

As lawmakers returned to work a day after the rampage killed four people and injured at least 30, British Prime Minister Theresa May vowed: We are not afraid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held an unprecedented meeting with French presidential contender Marine Le Pen at the Kremlin on Friday, hours after the National Front leader had urged a joint fight against terrorism and an end to European Union sanctions against his country.

Were not trying in any way to influence events but we reserve the right for ourselves to meet with representatives of all political forces of the country, as our partners do, for example in Europe and the U.S., Putin said in televised comments at the opening of their meeting.
Prime Minister Bill English wants to bring the public on board with a new trade strategy that will inject an extra $90 million to chase more deals and build on existing relationships.

Speaking to International Business Forum and Auckland Chamber of Commerce, English unveiled the government's new trade agenda until 2030, which will see $80.1 million of new operating spending over the next four years and $11 million of capital spending, setting up new missions in Ireland and Sri Lanka, beefing up funding for primary sector exports, expanding Ministry of Foreign Affairs trade work, and establishing a new group to inform the public about the benefits of trade.

His efforts come at a time when there's growing antipathy to free trade among western developed economies, with the new US Trump administration embarking on an 'America First' approach to trade and nationalistic European political groups gathering support. Treasury and Reserve Bank officials have warned the growing tide of protectionism poses a major threat to New Zealand's economy, which relies on strong trade links.

"Ultimately, free trade is why New Zealanders are getting ahead and they now see a country confident in itself, more prosperous - more certain of sustained success," English said. "While many countries continue to push for open borders and greater integration, the voices of protectionism have grown both internationally and even within our own parliament. The biggest threat to our economic success at the moment is disruption of international trade."

Of the new funding, $35.3 million has been earmarked for the Ministry for Primary Industries to focus on boosting the sector's exports, including addressing the growing tide of non-tariff barriers that are being put in place. Some $20.3 million will go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to improve market access, maximise benefits from existing FTAs and negotiate new ones, and Mfat will get another $6.7 million to strengthen international networks and lift the availability of consular services.

The government will also set up a ministerial advisory group with representation from iwi, unions and NGOs and industry bodies for primary industry, wood, tourism, education, horticulture, aviation and technology, with a goal of better informing the public about the benefits of trade.

"I am often bemused by opposition to free trade. It makes me think that governments have done a poor job of explaining the benefits," English said. "They are indisputable. Our lives would be poorer without free trade."

Still, English said free trade "can lead to significant change for some industries" which "can be painful for some people working in those sectors", however with the appropriate level of support from the government, people have "shown an impressive ability to adapt and to thrive."

The new trade agenda will also set up a clearing house to inform exporters about new non-tariff barriers, which have been introduced at an accelerating pace since the global financial crisis, increasing delays and costs for firms looking to sell their wares overseas.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN

November 8th Morning Report

OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement

Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement

David Mair Announced as Newest Board Member for Sanford

HFL - Financial results for the year ended 31 August 2022

November 7th Morning Report

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings


South Port New Zealand chief executive Mark OConnor is to step down after 17 years running the nation's southernmost deep water port, having led the company to a record profit on record cargo volumes in 2016.

O'Connor, who will step down in late October, says he advised the board four years ago that he would depart the port sector when he turned 55. He plans to "take some time out and undertake some overseas travel" before seeking board positions "where I can offer value." He has worked at the port for almost 25 years in total.

South Port first listed in July 1994 and since O'Connor became CEO in 2000 the shares have climbed more than 500 percent to traded recently at $5.35. They reached a record $6.186 in October last year. Profit was a record $8.7 million in the June 2016 year and in the first half of the current year, earnings climbed 54 percent to about $5.1 million.

The company said it will immediately begin seeking a replacement.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN

November 8th Morning Report

OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement

Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement

David Mair Announced as Newest Board Member for Sanford

HFL - Financial results for the year ended 31 August 2022

November 7th Morning Report

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings


Unprofitable telecommunications minnow TeamTalk plans to sell a 70 percent stake in its problematic Farmside rural internet services provider to Vodafone New Zealand for $10 million, almost half what Spark New Zealand is willing to pay for the entire group.

Wellington-based TeamTalk today said it's reached an agreement with the county's second-biggest broadband provider to sell a 70 percent stake in Farmside for $10 million in cash, with an option to buy the remaining 30 percent for $3 million at any time within the next three years, provided certain criteria are met. The deal values Farmside at $13 million, a premium to the $9.6 million-to-$12 million range placed on the unit in the independent adviser's report by Grant Samuel, however it's less than half the $31 million cash and scrip deal TeamTalk paid upfront for the company almost five years ago.

"For TeamTalk, this transaction will enable a substantial reduction in debt, provides a clear path forward for Farmside, and further assists TeamTalk to consider the resumption of dividends to shareholders in calendar year 2018," chief executive Andrew Miller said in a statement. "It also enables us to strengthen our partnership with Vodafone, a significant provider to rural New Zealand."

The deal, which needs shareholder approval, could scuttle a $22.7 million hostile takeover bid mounted by Spark, the country's biggest telecommunications company. Spark has called TeamTalk's independent valuation range of $1.52-to-$2.11 an "absurd premium", however TeamTalk's board has rejected the offer as being too low and "opportunistic" as it doesn't account for the new management team's strategy to turn the business around.

Spark can back out of the offer as the Vodafone deal would breach one of its conditions not to sell assets worth more than $500,000, however TeamTalk's CityLink fibre assets are seen as the cornerstone business driving the acquisition given the larger telecommunications company's plans to beef up its own infrastructure and reduce its reliance on Chorus.

Vodafone chief Russell Stanners said the deal provided his company the "opportunity to deliver better outcomes for rural customers, to increase our presence in the rural broadband market and to utilise the skill-sets of the two complementary companies" and paved the way for other tie-ups such as sharing fibre.

TeamTalk has struggled to integrate Farmside into its business since the acquisition in early 2013, leaving it with more debt but flat earnings. Last year it said it wouldn't pay a dividend because a new satellite deal for Farmside for better internet speeds would need "substantial capital requirements".

The shares rose 3.6 percent to 86 cents in early trading.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN

November 8th Morning Report

OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement

Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement

David Mair Announced as Newest Board Member for Sanford

HFL - Financial results for the year ended 31 August 2022

November 7th Morning Report

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings


The Labour and Green parties are promising to be fiscally responsible if they win the Treasury benches at the September general election and will set up a body independent of government to make sure they stick to their rules.

The opposition bloc have a memorandum of understanding to try to topple the National-led government, which has been in power since late 2008, and today released a set of budget responsibility rules to shore up their fiscal and economic credentials. At the top of the list is maintaining operating surpluses, which they anticipate being able to deliver "every year unless there is a significant natural event or a major economic shock or crisis". Those surpluses will be in place once the parties' policy objectives are met and won't be delivered by underfunding public services.

The rules also target reducing net debt to 20 percent of gross domestic product, something the existing administration is trying to achieve, and will prioritise long-term investments including restarting contributions to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, building infrastructure to cater to the expanding population, and mitigating the impact of climate change. They also plan to keep government spending at about 30 percent of GDP, and will set up a working group of independent experts to advise on how to establish a progressive tax system to rebalance the economy and put it on an environmentally and economically sustainable footing.

"These rules demonstrate how Labour and the Greens in government will manage the economy prudently, effectively and sustainably," Labour finance spokesman Grant Robertson said in a statement. "These rules are a clear and direct statement to New Zealanders that we will manage the economy carefully and be held to account."

As part of the budget rules, the parties would set up a group independent of the executive to make sure they are being met.

"The body will also have oversight of government economic and fiscal forecasts, shall provide an independent assessment of government forecasts to the public, and will cost policies of opposition parties," they said.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN

November 8th Morning Report

OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement

Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement

David Mair Announced as Newest Board Member for Sanford

HFL - Financial results for the year ended 31 August 2022

November 7th Morning Report

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings


David Walsh will take up the role of chief executive at New Zealand Post from May 1 as the state-owned enterprise shifts its focus away from traditional mail services that are facing shrinking revenue.

Walsh, who has been at NZ Post for two years as chief financial officer and provided executive leadership to the information technology function, replaces Brian Roche, chair Jane Taylor said a statement.

Prior to joining NZ Post, Walsh appointed as CFO at KiwiRail in 2004, before moving into the role of general manager, corporate & finance. Earlier in his career, Walsh spent time in the NZ Racing Board, Fonterra, TransAlta NZ and Shell NZ.

The board feels that the momentum behind the transformation already underway at NZ Post will benefit from the continuity provided by having an internal appointment. David knows the company well, knows where we are heading and knows what we need to do to become a more customer-centric, service oriented business, enabled by our digital future," said Taylor.

NZ Post has been overhauling its businesses as the traditional postal services face a period of decline, and has launched new delivery options to keep up with increasing online shopping volumes, including parcel collect and drop-off at supermarkets, bookshops and pharmacies.

The Wellington-based state-owned enterprise sold 47 percent of its Kiwibank stake for $493.5 million in October 2016, which it used to repay $180 million of debt and make a $100 million dividend payment to the Crown, while also booking a $25 million gain.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN

November 8th Morning Report

OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement

Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement

David Mair Announced as Newest Board Member for Sanford

HFL - Financial results for the year ended 31 August 2022

November 7th Morning Report

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings


New Zealand's trade deficit narrowed to $18 million in February but the annual trade deficit was the largest in nearly eight years.

The monthly trade deficit was worth 0.5 percent of exports, which compared to an average surplus of 9.1 percent of exports for the previous five February months, data from Statistics New Zealand showed. The country had a $257 million trade deficit In January. In the 12 months to February, the trade deficit was $3.79 billion, the largest since April 2009. Exports fell 5.5 percent to $4.0 billion and the largest decline was in the ships, boats, and floating structures commodity group due to the export of a large drilling platform in February 2016. Excluding the drilling platform, overall exports showed little change, up $35 million, or 0.9 percent, Stats NZ said.

Economists had expected a trade surplus of $180 million for the month, based on a Reuters survey.

Milk powder, butter and cheese - the largest export commodity group - rose $55 million or 5.6 percent in February. The largest rise in milk powder exports in February 2017 was to the United Arab Emirates, up $39 million or 123 percent. Exports of milk powder to China, the largest export market for that commodity, were up $15 million or 7.2 percent, despite an 8.1 percent fall in quantities exported.

There were mixed results for New Zealands other export commodities in February 2017, Statistics New Zealand international trade statistics senior manager Daria Kwon said. Exports of dairy, meat, and fruit were up, but other primary produce exports, including fish, wool, and casein, were down compared with the same month of the previous year.

China remained the country's top export destination in February, up 6.3 percent while exports to Australia rose 2.1 percent.

Imports rose 4 percent to $4.0 billion but excluding crude oil, the total of all other imported goods rose by only 1.4 percent, Stats NZ said. Of the three main broad economic categories, intermediate goods rose 7 percent to $1.7 billion, capital goods rose 5.7 percent to $764 million while consumption goods fell 8.7 percent to $1 billion.

Imports from China fell 10 percent to $775 million, led by a fall in clothing. Imports from the EU rose 2.9 percent to $680 million, led by rises in passenger motor cars and aircraft parts.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN

November 8th Morning Report

OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement

Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement

David Mair Announced as Newest Board Member for Sanford

HFL - Financial results for the year ended 31 August 2022

November 7th Morning Report

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings


The government's newly minted trade agenda wants near-saturation free trade agreement coverage for locally exported goods by 2030, however it doesn't want to pass up opportunities offered by new technology enabling more service exports.

Prime Minister Bill English launched the strategy today, saying there had been greater diversification of the country's exports away from dairy, with growth in other sectors such as tourism, wine, information technology and education. The new strategy will see the Crown pump $91.3 million into various efforts to boost trade, and has been welcomed by business and industry groups, including Business New Zealand, Zespri International, Horticulture New Zealand and the New Zealand Winegrowers Association.

Xero chief executive Rod Drury, whose software development firm is looking to build a global 'financial web' that links SMEs with financial institutions, says the trade agenda "clearly understands its the role of services business to export as well".

He said the document will kick off much-needed conversations "around the role of globalisation and trade with all the protectionism stuff we've seen".

The trade agenda acknowledges the rising tide of protectionism that's achieved a greater voice in major countries around the world and that there's an "urgent need for New Zealand to be even more active in seeking to help safeguard that system and secure and sustain access to the overseas markets that we depend on for our prosperity and economic growth," the report said.

The government's top priority in the new trade strategy is to lift the level of New Zealand's exported goods covered by free trade agreements to 90 percent by 2030 from the 53 percent level it's currently at, principally by signing new deals and expanding on existing ones. Government figures today showed the country exported merchandise goods worth $48.26 billion in the year to Feb 28, of which $26.31 billion was food and live animals.

The second shift aims to target the rise of non-tariff measures, such as labelling requirements, through the World Trade Organisation, setting up a clearing house dedicated to monitoring the barriers as they're introduced and keeping industry informed.

The third goal is to boost the focus on services exports, investment and the digital economy, which it sees as needing greater recognition in free trade agreements, something that became a rallying point for the opposition to the stalled Trans Pacific Partnership trade and investment deal over the treatment of IP and impact on nations' sovereignty.

New Zealand's service exports were worth $21.63 billion in calendar 2016, of which $13.85 billion was in travel and $2.71 billion in transport. Telecommunications, computer and information services accounted for $891 million of exports that year, while research and development totalled $146 million.

Xero's Drury said service business exporters need to be educated how they can use technology to enter overseas markets, which have been opened by global digital platforms.

"We need to be the educators to businesses about how to use technology," he said.

The final leg of the plan is to translate greater access to "market success", which would need greater pooling of resources by government and industry in entering overseas markets to achieve bigger scale. That would also include placing more emphasis on "where the value of New Zealand companies is created, whether on-shore or offshore, provided certain conditions are fulfilled so as to ensure continued benefit to New Zealand".

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN

November 8th Morning Report

OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement

Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement

David Mair Announced as Newest Board Member for Sanford

HFL - Financial results for the year ended 31 August 2022

November 7th Morning Report

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings